《Immortality Through Array Formations》


 Chapter 1 - 1 Mo Hua_1

    Chapter 1 Mo Hua_1


    Translator: 549690339


    In the Taoist Calendar, the year 20,022, the tenth day of the ninth month.


    Tongxian City, the outer mountains of Tongxian Gate.


    Mo Hua, ten years old, wearing a simple Outer Gate disciple¡¯s Taoist robe, squatting behind a huge rock at the foot of the mountain, listlessly held a blade of grass in his hand and concentrated on drawing complex patterns on the ground.


    By 6 A.M., disciples who were seeking knowledge from the Sect gradually made their way up the mountain, in groups of twos and threes, chatting and laughing.


    A chubby little boy dressed in the standard Outer Gate Taoist robe, adorned with a pricey jade pendant, round-faced and small-eyed, accompanied by two or three attendants, found Mo Hua, who was cheerfully drawing something behind that stone.


    The chubby boy looked left and right to make sure there were no instructors from the Sect around before he timidly called out:


    ¡°Mo Hua!¡±


    Mo Hua looked up, revealing his delicate and picturesque young face, his eyes clear as if holding a pool of clean water.


    The chubby boy lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Is it done?¡±


    Mo Hua, like a little adult, patted his chest, ¡°When I handle things, you can rest assured,¡± and took out several Formation Diagrams from the storage bag behind him, with black ink on white paper, and handed them to the chubby boy.


    ¡°Check if there¡¯s anything amiss.¡±


    The chubby boy solemnly took them, flipped open the copied pages, glanced at them seriously, and then said with a pained expression:


    ¡°I can¡¯t understand it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua patiently explained: sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The assignment the instructor gave was the basic Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Formation. I¡¯ve drawn them for you, and I¡¯ve deliberately made six errors to prevent the instructor from realizing that these patterns weren¡¯t drawn by you¡­¡±


    ¡°Six errors¡­ isn¡¯t that a bit too many¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently looked at him.


    The chubby boy quickly recognized his mistake and reflected aloud:


    ¡°One must not be too greedy. I should be content if I can turn in the assignment given by the instructor. Doing it too well might arouse suspicion. If the instructor discovers it and my father finds out, he¡¯ll definitely beat me severely, and that would be a loss not worth the gain¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and complimented, ¡°Worthy of being Young Master An, you figured it out so quickly!¡±


    The chubby boy stuffed two Spirit Stones into Mo Hua¡¯s hand, ¡°Brother Mo, you really know me well, acknowledging my intelligence! Here are the Spirit Stones for you, I¡¯ll come to you again next time when the instructor assigns Formation homework!¡±


    After tucking the Formation Diagrams into his chest, he scampered up the mountain.


    Mo Hua carefully pocketed the two Spirit Stones and picked another blade of grass to resume his drawing on the ground.


    A moment later, another youth arrived, wielding a gold-spattered paper fan. He had a lean figure, an unpleasant-looking face, and wore even more jade pendants.


    Mo Hua also handed him a set of Formation Diagrams. The slender young master glanced at the diagrams and gave a sign to his servant. The servant came forward to take the diagrams and handed two Spirit Stones to Mo Hua.


    The slender young master took the diagrams but did not leave. He suddenly closed his paper fan with an arrogant demeanor and said, ¡°This Young Master is also extremely skilled in Formations, but I simply don¡¯t have the time to do these basic Formations; that¡¯s why I had you ghostwrite them.¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered with him, just picked up the grass and continued his drawing on the ground.


    The slender young master was a bit annoyed and scoffed, ¡°It has been said that among the Qi-refining disciples of Tongxian Gate, you draw Formations the best. I wonder, how would you fare against me? We should have a contest when we have the time.¡±


    Mo Hua thought, you¡¯ve already asked me to do your Formation homework, so what does that say about your own level?


    However, abiding by the principle that harmony brings wealth, Mo Hua still looked up and chose pleasing words to flatter him:


    ¡°Naturally, the young master¡¯s mastery of Formations is far superior. The Qian Family is the number one clan in Tongxian City; the Formation heritage is incomparable to other cultivators.¡±


    The slender young master¡¯s expression brightened slightly, then he asked, ¡°So tell me, among the Qi-refining cultivators of Tongxian Gate, is there anyone whose Formation skills can surpass mine?¡±


    ¡°There are indeed a few¡­¡±


    The slender young master was displeased, ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°For instance, me¡­¡± Obviously, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t foolishly say such a thing outright.


    ¡°There are quite a few; it¡¯s hard to count them all at once.¡±


    The slender young master was visibly angry.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing!¡± Mo Hua lied through his teeth.


    The slender young master sneered, ¡°Those with a family background or Spirit Stones inferior to mine, yet their Formation skills surpass mine, there are many of them, you say. Are you implying I¡¯m stupid and can¡¯t compare to others? What¡¯s so good about that?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°The cultivators of Tongxian City, no matter how talented they are or how well they learn, ultimately, once they master their skills, don¡¯t they still enter the Qian Family¡¯s Myriad Treasure Building to refine artifacts, concoct pills, and draw Formations for your family¡­¡±


    ¡°Just think, you¡¯re only in the Qi-refining stage, yet you have cultivators at the Foundation Establishment level working for you; you¡¯re a First Rank Formation Master with Second Rank Formation Masters at your beck and call¡ªhow prestigious! The stronger your subordinates¡¯ abilities, the more it reflects your own capabilities!¡±


    The slender young master froze, then suddenly had an epiphany, ¡°That seems quite reasonable!¡±


    ¡°Understand now?¡±


    The slender young master nodded and, looking down at the numerous cultivators below, held his head even higher:


    ¡°Indeed! Indeed! No matter how talented you are or how hard you practice cultivation, in the end, don¡¯t you still have to serve as oxen and horses for my Qian Family?¡±


    With a mean face, Young Master Qian walked away with his head held high and chest puffed out.


    After fooling Young Master Qian away, Mo Hua continued practicing formations on the ground with grass roots.


    Before long, a few wealthy cultivators came by, exchanging money for goods, buying several formation diagrams from Mo Hua with spirit stones. By the time Mo Hua finished trading the handwritten diagrams, he had twelve spirit stones in hand.


    Twelve spirit stones weren¡¯t a small amount for loose cultivators, but for cultivation, it was still far from enough.


    Mo Hua sighed, a hint of helplessness on his youthful face.


    For cultivators at the bottom, there was no hope in cultivating the Dao¡­


    In the first year of the Taoist Calendar, more than twenty thousand years ago, the largest power in the Tao Cultivation World¡ªthe Taoist Court¡ªunified the Nine States of cultivation, ennobling noble clans and sects, and established a unified class system with standardized rankings for cultivation professions.


    The Taoist Court then promulgated the ¡°Taoist Law¡±, restricting cultivators from indiscriminate killing, looting, or replenishing from others.


    Leveraged by this, the cultivation world developed peacefully for more than twenty thousand years, thriving to the utmost, with vast territories and innumerable cultivators.


    However, amidst the Taoist Court¡¯s prosperity and the noble clans¡¯ luxurious lives, sects held immense power.


    Only the bottom-level loose cultivators, with no affiliations, lived in hardship and had no hope for cultivating the Dao.


    After more than twenty thousand years of proliferation in the cultivation world, mortals without a spiritual root were gradually naturally eliminated, leaving only those with spiritual roots who could practice Tao cultivation. But the more cultivators there were, the more spiritual energy they consumed, depleting the heaven and earth¡¯s spiritual energy.


    Now, for cultivators who wished to practice Tao cultivation, they needed not only heritage but also spirit stones.


    Yet, with great clans occupying the spiritual mines, loose cultivators at the bottom lacked spirit stones, and great sects monopolized the heritage, leaving ordinary loose cultivators with no doorway to cultivation.


    In Tongxian City, the vast majority of loose cultivators, without heritage and lacking spirit stones, would spend their whole lives as Qi-refining cultivators.


    The Qi-refining realm is nothing but a humble ant under the vast Heavenly Dao.


    And Mo Hua was one of these countless ants.


    And very likely, he would be one for life!


    Mo Hua¡¯s tender face was slightly bitter.


    Heavenly Dao might be equal, but cultivating the Dao, was absolutely not equal¡­


    Mo Hua was a loose cultivator at the second level of Qi refinement, born into a family of cultivators from the Qi-refinement realm, both of his parents in the same cultivation stage.


    His father, Mo Shan, made his living by hunting monster beasts, spending his days in life-threatening battles and accumulating scars over his body. His mother worked in the Food Building, cooking by the stove, her body constantly afflicted by the heat, often suffering from painful lungs and a dry cough.


    And his parents, frugal in their expenditures, had saved all their spirit stones just so Mo Hua could practice cultivation at the Outer Gate of Tongxian Gate.


    But no matter how Mo Hua cultivated, his mediocre spiritual root, although slightly better than ordinary people, was destined to be just among the average in a cultivation world full of geniuses.


    No matter how much he practiced cultivation, he might remain just a Qi-refining cultivator.


    With tough family conditions and no spirit stones, Mo Hua could only, like the other ordinary disciples, practice until he reached the sixth level of Qi refinement before leaving the sect, and then he would have to learn some craftsmanship to make a living.


    But Mo Hua was naturally frail!


    Practices like artifact refining and monster hunting, which were the livelihoods of Qi-refinement cultivators, typically required robust body cultivators. Mo Hua, with his inherently weak constitution, might not even be able to find a simple job to get by.


    If one day he were to marry and have children, the burden would grow heavier, and all the spirit stones would be used to support his family.


    Without spirit stones to cultivate, Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation would forever stagnate, and he¡¯d be nothing but a Qi-refining cultivator all his life.


    Just like all the impoverished loose cultivators in Tongxian City.


    Just like the countless bottom-level cultivators in the cultivation world.


    Forever just a Qi-refining cultivator!


    Ten-year-old Mo Hua sighed, adjusted his mindset, and went to the sect to attend classes. After a day of cultivation, Mo Hua returned to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, read some Tao Cultivation Canons for a while, and then lay down in bed when it was 1 p.m.


    As soon as Mo Hua closed his eyes, a fragmented stele appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.


    There were no inscriptions on the stele, yet it seemed that from the moment Mo Hua first saw it, he knew its name:


    Taoist Stele!

 Chapter 2 - 2 Taoist Stele_1

    Chapter 2 Taoist Stele_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    Ever since Mo Hua gained the ability to record events, a Taoist Stele appeared in his Sea of Consciousness, along with some vague and nearly intangible memories.


    In those memories, Mo Hua lived a short life in another world devoid of Spiritual Energy.


    In that life, Mo Hua¡¯s family was ordinary, but he was diligent in his studies and performed well, eventually attending university with a major in fine arts, where he enjoyed researching traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy.


    After graduating, he joined a big company as a graphic designer, worked overtime, and died of overwork in his twenties.


    As a student, he studied, and after graduation, he worked, living a life filled with tension and anxiety.


    When he came to his senses, he found that he had lived a muddled life and died suddenly and unexpectedly.


    In the moments before his death, his life¡¯s experiences flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.


    In his life, he had not done a single thing of real value: he had not shown filial piety to his parents, pursued his ideals, had no dreams, no love, nor had he seen the great world¡¯s landscapes¡­


    These memories were blurry, and sometimes Mo Hua couldn¡¯t tell what was real.


    Like Zhuangzi dreaming of being a butterfly, it¡¯s uncertain whether Zhuangzi dreamt of the butterfly or the butterfly dreamt of Zhuangzi.


    As time passed, Mo Hua stopped worrying about it.


    The past was the past, and now, he was only ten years old, living in the Tao Cultivation World.


    And he was a cultivator.


    A cultivator who could fully understand the Heavenly Dao, soar across the Nine State, pluck the sun and the moon with a wave of his hand, and bury the stars with a clasp¡­


    Of course, he could also be a cultivator who spent a lifetime refining Qi, never flying or mastering martial arts, barely able to use a few spells, leading a humble existence¡­


    Without the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua guessed he would most likely be the latter.


    The Taoist Stele hovered in the midst of Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Broad and rustic, curiously shaped and incomplete, the body of the stele seemed to be nothing, yet it appeared to have a vast and enigmatic aura drifting about. In a trance, it seemed silent as the void, empty of everything¡­


    On the ephemeral surface of the stele, one could paint Formation Diagrams, and each time one was drawn, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense would grow stronger.


    In the path of Tao cultivation, Formation Diagrams are held in the highest regard!


    Formation is the most difficult discipline to learn in all branches of the Tao cultivation industry, and the most important thing for learning Formation Diagrams is the Divine Sense!


    Formations are made up of Formation Patterns, the patterns painstakingly understood by Ancient Cultivators who sought to comprehend the mysteries of the Heavenly Dao.


    The lines of a Formation are like ancient, simple characters as well as minimalist paintings, each containing endless mysteries.


    And when painting a Formation, connecting with the Mystery of Heavenly Dao in the Sea of Consciousness will consume a vast amount of Divine Sense.


    If a cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense is insufficient, they will not be able to paint Formations, which could lead to exhaustion of the Divine Sense, and even the shattering of the Sea of Consciousness, resulting in death.


    To become a Formation Master, one must constantly learn various Formation Diagrams and continually practice countless Formations.


    Therefore, studying Formations is difficult; practice is arduous, and Formation Masters often risk death by collapsing their Sea of Consciousness while forcibly drawing Formations with insufficient Divine Sense.


    When Mo Hua paints Formations on the Taoist Stele, it will consume his Divine Sense. But when he erases the Formation he¡¯s drawn, the Divine Sense is instantly returned, replenishing Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    From existence to nonexistence, and then from nonexistence back to existence, like the Great Dao, is profoundly mysterious.


    At the same time, each time Mo Hua paints a Formation, his Divine Sense grows slightly, albeit minutely, but indeed, it increases.


    According to what Mo Hua knows, in the Cultivation World, there is no specific Cultivation Technique to train Divine Sense; its growth mostly relies on breakthroughs in realms.


    Therefore, even a small increase in Divine Sense is extremely valuable.


    Just by continuously painting Formations on the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua could improve his Formation skills and, as long as he keeps painting, his Divine Sense will keep increasing.


    And with a strong Divine Sense, Mo Hua could learn more, higher-order, and more powerful Formations.


    One day, Mo Hua could become a powerful Formation Master because of this.


    The status of a Formation Master is revered; even an ordinary one who has not entered the first rank would earn a considerable amount of Spirit Stones by painting Formations for others.


    ¡°`


    Once Mo Hua became a Formation Master and drew all sorts of profound Formations, he would have a foundation to stand on and could continue his cultivation instead of being relegated to a mere Qi Refinement Cultivator for the rest of his life.


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    But becoming a Formation Master was also fraught with difficulties.


    Formations were hard to learn, and becoming a Formation Master was even harder.


    The Taoist Court set the most stringent¡ªindeed, the most exacting¡ªstandards for the recognition of Formation Masters among the categories of Tao Cultivation.


    A Formation is composed of Formation Patterns; the most basic Formations contain only a single Formation Pattern. With each additional Formation Pattern, the rank of the Formation would rise, its effect would be enhanced, and the Divine Sense required would greatly increase.


    Drawing one to five Formation Patterns qualifies one as a Formation apprentice.


    Drawing six to eight Formation Patterns entitles one to be called a Formation Master, but such a Formation Master is just ordinary and not included in the ranks recognized by the Taoist Court.


    Only by drawing nine Formation Patterns and passing the Taoist Court¡¯s assessment can one become a true first-rank Formation Master.


    For a Cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm, becoming a first-rank Formation Master is almost akin to ascending to the heavens in a single step.


    First-rank Formation Masters are generally guests of honor in both major Clans and Sects, even Cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm would not dare to offend them lightly. Even if they did nothing, the monthly stipend of Spirit Stones from the Taoist Court¡¯s Heaven Shu Pavilion would come, and countless young and beautiful female Cultivators would break down doors, vying to become their Daoist companions.


    Beyond the extremely difficult assessment, each state boundary also has a quota for first-rank Formation Masters. Wanting to become one depends not only on effort but also on destiny. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If one is unlucky and the quota in one¡¯s state boundary is limited, even if they have the accomplishments of a first-rank Formation Master, they won¡¯t obtain the assessment slot and can only wait for the next one.


    Some Formation Masters try and try, only to have their lives pass by in vain.


    Countless low-born Cultivators exhaust their minds and bodies, grow old with a white head, yet never fulfill their longstanding wish to become first-rank Formation Masters.


    And the so-called quota restrictions by the Taoist Court are generally just pretextual excuses set by the major Clans and Great Sects. They need the title of a first-rank Formation Master to add luster to their legitimate heirs or disciples, making them the focus of everyone¡¯s attention as geniuses.


    The low-born Cultivators who exhaust their hearts and souls to become first-rank Formation Masters are mere dust underfoot, unworthy even of a glance.


    It was already night; Mo Hua lay in bed in the Disciple¡¯s Residence room, yet his Divine Sense sank into his Sea of Consciousness, ceaselessly Drawing Formations on the Taoist Stele.


    The Formation that Mo Hua was drawing was called the Twin Yuan Formation, consisting of two Formation Patterns, considered as one of the basic Formations.


    But Mo Hua had never successfully drawn this Formation before.


    Due to insufficient Divine Sense, early-stage Qi Refinement disciples generally can only learn Formations containing a single Formation Pattern. Among the initial-stage Qi Refinement disciples of the Outer Gate at Tongxian Gate, very few managed to fully master even a single Formation Pattern.


    But Mo Hua had long since become extremely familiar with single Formation Patterns, able to draw them with ease and proficiency.


    Desiring to learn more difficult Formations, Mo Hua practiced Drawing the Twin Yuan Formation, which included two Formation Patterns, every night on the Taoist Stele.


    After dozens of nights of repetitive practice and incessant effort, Mo Hua finally succeeded.


    A Formation Master learning Formations, each Formation Pattern is a threshold, and with each additional Formation Pattern drawn, one climbs another rung on the ladder.


    Since Mo Hua could draw two Formation Patterns, it meant his Divine Sense and level of Formation were far above those of his peers.


    Among the outer gate early-stage Qi Refinement disciples at Tongxian Gate, his level in Formations should be considered second to none.


    Mo Hua released a breath of relief; once it was 6 A.M. and daylight, his Divine Sense left the Sea of Consciousness, and he opened his eyes.


    Though he had been Drawing Formations all night, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was still clear, and he didn¡¯t feel tired. It was as if he had just had a good night¡¯s sleep.


    He opened the window, and the morning sunlight shone on his fair and handsome face.


    The rising sun outside the window was suffused with rosy clouds, spreading across thousands of miles.


    The ten-year-old Mo Hua took a deep breath, gazing at the horizon with a resolute look in his eyes.


    As long as he kept practicing the Formations, constantly honing his Divine Sense, one day he would undoubtedly become a first-rank Formation Master.


    And when that day came, he would take a great stride in seeking the Tao and asking about the Great Dao.


    He would not spend his whole life simply engaging in Qi Refinement!

 Chapter 3 - 3 Formation Master_1

    Chapter 3 Formation Master_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua got up at 6 A.M and began his routine cultivation practice.


    An hour later, his cultivation practice ended, and he headed to the classroom to wait for the instructor.


    Instructors are the general term for those who teach Sect Disciples at Tongxian Gate, imparting specific lessons in cultivation, formations, alchemy, artifact refining, and so on. They are also responsible for overseeing and guiding the cultivation progress of the Outer Gate Disciples.


    Like other sects in the Cultivation World, Tongxian Gate also classifies disciples into three categories: direct disciples, Inner Gate, and Outer Gate.


    The Sect¡¯s Outer Gate is open to the public for teaching the Tao and instructing others in cultivation, relying on the tuition fees charged for disciples¡¯ admittance as a source of income. The techniques taught to Outer Gate Disciples are ones the Sect is willing to make public; once these disciples graduate or leave, they retain a sentimental bond with the Sect, but without any actual ties.


    The Inner Gate is the core of the Sect; Inner Gate Disciples depend on the Sect and manage its various industries in addition to their cultivation, such as spiritual mines, spiritual lands, caves, and businesses.


    Inner Gate Disciples have access to the Sect¡¯s not readily-transferred techniques and spells. Bound by the relationship between master and disciple, their connection to the Sect is vital and inseparable. Should an Inner Gate Disciple commit an offense outside, their Sect can be held accountable; if one were to betray their Sect, they are often viewed as committing a grave and unforgivable act, with severe consequences.


    Direct disciples of the Sect are the legitimate successors from within the Inner Gate Disciples. These disciples are either blood related to the Sect Leader or Elders or share a deep bond of master-disciple kinship. They are the core of the Sect and often go on to succeed as Sect Leaders or Elders in highly significant positions.


    Direct disciples learn the Sect¡¯s most core techniques and other profound teachings that are forbidden to be transmitted externally. Should a direct disciple betray the Sect, they must be hunted down and killed.


    The ¡°Taoist Law¡± prohibits cultivators from exercising private justice or indiscriminate killing. Hunting down a Sect¡¯s direct disciple for betrayal violates the Taoist Law and would result in the Taoist Court¡¯s accountability. However, most affairs related to betrayal are managed by the local Taoist Court. The Taoist Court holds the greatest power, and its subordinate departments, which oversee each state, realm, and even each city, are not always staffed by powerful cultivators.


    As the betrayal of a direct disciple concerns the core teachings of a Sect, it carries significant weight, and generally, the local Taoist Court will not intervene¡ªespecially not with the Great Sects that dominate a region.


    However, none of this has much to do with Mo Hua.


    He was merely a Class C disciple of the Outer Gate at Tongxian Gate, neither from the Inner Gate, nor to mention a direct disciple. Even if he wished to be hunted down, others wouldn¡¯t deem him worth the effort¡­


    Mo Hua wanted to join the Inner Gate, but he had neither Spirit Stones nor connections, making it unlikely for him in this lifetime, let alone become one of the Sect¡¯s direct disciples.


    Mo Hua calmed his mind and focused his energy, sitting in his place for a while until he saw Instructor Yan enter with a serious expression on his face.


    Instructor Yan, who looked to be in his forties or fifties, was very strict and had already reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level in his cultivation.


    Within Tongxian Gate, Instructor Yan held a high position because, among all the instructors, only he taught formations, and it was said he might become a Class A Formation Master after an upcoming assessment in a few years.


    All the Qi Refinement Realm disciples at Tongxian Gate had their formation lessons taught by Instructor Yan. Regardless of whether they were from a Clan or Loose Cultivators, Instructor Yan treated everyone equally, spared no one¡¯s dignity when it came to mistakes, and administered reprimands and punishments where due.


    Hence, the disciples of Tongxian Gate both respected and feared Instructor Yan.


    The Sect¡¯s tuition is paid annually, hence the lessons are held once a year as well.


    Today marked the last day of Tongxian Gate¡¯s annual cultivation, and once it passed, there would be an extended break of over half a month. The assessment results for various courses taken by the Sect Disciples would also be issued today.


    In his hands, Instructor Yan held a stack of report cards.


    The disciples felt uneasy, and though Mo Hua normally wouldn¡¯t care much, seeing his fellow disciples looking like they were facing a great enemy made him feel nervous as well.


    Soon, Mo Hua received his own Sect assessment results.


    As usual, his formation assessment was graded Class A, his strongest subject. There weren¡¯t many disciples in Tongxian Gate who could achieve Class A in formations, and Mo Hua was one of them.


    His cultivation was only rated as Class B, not due to lack of effort, but because of limited potential. With his medium-grade Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, there was only so much he could do¡ªhis achievements fell short when compared to some and were barely above others.


    For the other subjects that could be mastered with time, such as Taoist Calendar history, Qi Refinement overviews, he mostly secured Class A grades. But for subjects requiring spending Spirit Stones on materials, like alchemy and rune making, he scored either Class B or C.


    Coming from a poor family, Mo Hua could not even afford to borrow a Pill Furnace, naturally leading to poor performance. During assessments, he could only rely on intuition in his attempts to refine anything, leaving success up to chance, which meant his results were not only a matter of luck but also highly unstable.


    Overall, though, his grades were quite good. As the saying goes, ¡°One excellence can cover a hundred flaws.¡± After all, mastering formations was no easy task, and achieving Class A in that field was quite commendable.


    Instructor Yan spoke a few words before he had to leave temporarily. The students in the room then started to whisper among themselves as they compared their grades.


    ¡°Mo Hua, you¡¯ve got a ¡®Class A¡¯ in formations again!¡± A disciple sneakily glanced at Mo Hua¡¯s report card, then exclaimed with admiration.


    ¡°Again a Class A¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been a Class B¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still at Class C.¡±


    ¡°Formations are so hard to learn; just looking at formation patterns gives me a headache¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The disciples flocked to Mo Hua¡¯s side.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± A disciple from the Qian Family, clad in a silver-white Taoist robe, dissatisfied with the scene, snorted and said,


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about that? Just drawing a few simple formations for the sect gets you a ¡®Class A¡¯.¡±


    ¡°And what did you get?¡± another disciple asked defiantly.


    ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± the Qian family disciple scorned.


    Another disciple sneakily glanced at his scorecard, then burst into laughter, ¡°He got a ¡®Grade C¡¯!¡±


    The disciples were stunned for a moment, then roared with laughter.


    ¡°You got a ¡®Grade C¡¯ and still mock someone who got an ¡®A¡¯; you¡¯ve got some thick skin!¡±


    ¡°Thicker than an Artifact Furnace!¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re a Qian Family disciple too, so clumsy. You¡¯re not even as good as I am; I got a ¡®B¡¯.¡±


    The Qian family disciple flew into a rage, ¡°So what if it¡¯s ¡®Class A¡¯? No Formation Master among the Loose Cultivators, do you understand?¡±


    Pointing at Mo Hua and the others, he said, ¡°You bunch of Loose Cultivators, frogs in a well, without any inheritance. Listen carefully. For a lifetime, yes, for a lifetime, not one of you can become a Formation Master. Pah, talking about ¡®Class A¡¯! Remember this, there can never be a true Formation Master among Loose Cultivators! If you don¡¯t understand, I can repeat it.¡±


    ¡°Loose Cultivators will never be worthy of becoming Formation Masters!¡±


    The surrounding disciples kept silent.


    Mo Hua looked at him as if he were a fool, then stood up, facing behind the Qian Family disciple, and bowed with respect, saying,


    ¡°Instructor Yan, good day!¡±


    It was as if the Qian Family disciple had been struck by lightning. His head stiffly turned around, and sure enough, he saw Instructor Yan standing right behind him, his face ashen.


    ¡°The sect is a place for imparting the Tao and cultivating the Tao, not for you to compare and belittle your peers!¡±


    ¡°Your own formation studies are so poor, and you still have the shame to mock your peers?¡±


    ¡°Now go outside and stand as a punishment until it gets dark.¡±


    ¡°Also, draw the basic Five Elements Formation Patterns a hundred times. Show them to me when the school starts next year. If you can¡¯t do it, don¡¯t bother coming back¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Qian Family disciple¡¯s face turned ashen, but he didn¡¯t dare to retort even a single word.


    Instructor Yan¡¯s position was high, able to discipline even a direct descendent of the Qian family, let alone him, a distant relative with faint blood ties.


    The Qian Family disciple slinked away to his punishment.


    Instructor Yan stood in front of Mo Hua, fell silent for a moment, then reached out and patted Mo Hua¡¯s slender shoulders, sighing, ¡°Don¡¯t mind what others say, focus on your studies.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was unchanged as he respectfully bowed to Instructor Yan, ¡°Your disciple will keep this in mind.¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, then walked over to the instructor¡¯s seat. He instructed the disciples for a few more sentences and then announced the year-end break for the sect, allowing everyone to go home.


    The disciples suppressed their excitement, thanked the instructors for a year of guidance in their cultivation, then scattered like birds and beasts.


    The sect¡¯s year-end break brought joy and elation to the disciples.


    Yet Mo Hua felt a complexity in his heart.


    These Qi Refinement Realm disciples, most of them still young and carefree, could hardly comprehend the hardships of the life of cultivation.


    Thinking of his father¡¯s injury-laden body after hunting monsters and his mother¡¯s haggard look, Mo Hua felt a sourness in his heart and couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Becoming a first-grade Formation Master was still a distant dream, but within his means, he wanted to give his parents a better life.


    Mo Hua packed up his scorecard and, with twelve Spirit Stones in his arms, he didn¡¯t head home after leaving Tongxian Gate but walked towards the Market Town instead.

 Chapter 4 - 4: Fire-Resistant Hairpin_1

    Chapter 4: Fire-Resistant Hairpin_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The market town was a place for low-tier cultivators to trade quest items for cultivation, with all kinds of goods including pills, formations, and spiritual artifacts readily available, though generally of low quality and mixed standards.


    As the year-end approached, many cultivators were bustling about in the market town, with a coming and going of people that was loud and noisy.


    Mo Hua went straight to a small stall at the end of the street, where the owner was an elder surnamed Sun. Acquaintances called him Old Sun, and his son was a minor manager at Myriad Treasure Building. Occasionally, his son would acquire some defective goods that the Myriad Treasure Building discarded, which he then gave to Old Sun to sell in the market at a cheap price.


    Old Sun was hawking his wares when he lifted his head and saw Mo Hua panting as he ran up, his fair little face flushed red. He couldn¡¯t help but tease,


    ¡°Little brother, are you here to look at spiritual artifacts again today? It¡¯s not going to be like the other day when you just looked and didn¡¯t buy, right¡­?¡±


    With a wave of his small hand, Mo Hua said, ¡°Buy!¡±


    Old Sun asked in surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t the New Year¡¯s just a few days away? Did your family give you New Year¡¯s money so early?¡±


    Mo Hua said displeased, ¡°What New Year¡¯s money? This is what I¡¯ve earned myself!¡± He then patted the pocket at his waist.


    As Old Sun heard the crisp sound of spirit stones clinking together in the pocket, his spirit lifted, and he quickly said,


    ¡°Pills, formations, artifacts, I have everything here; high quality and low prices, no deception to young or old, and everything is from Myriad Treasure Building¡¯s stock, excellent quality. What is the young friend looking to buy?¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it really were excellent quality, Myriad Treasure Building would sell them itself and they wouldn¡¯t end up in the market town. But Mo Hua didn¡¯t care, he couldn¡¯t afford items from Myriad Treasure Building anyway.


    ¡°Do you have any fire-resistant spiritual artifacts?¡±


    Old Sun had a look of ¡®I knew it¡¯ and pulled out a burlap bag, spreading it out in front of Mo Hua.


    ¡°You brought it up before, little friend, so I kept an eye out. I went back and specifically found a few items, all top-notch fire-resistant spiritual artifacts, convenient to carry, and exquisitely styled. What do you think?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Old Sun with surprise, thinking that he truly lived up to his decades of experience in market town trading, so well prepared at the hint of a business opportunity.


    The spiritual artifacts laid out in front of Mo Hua were of various sorts, including rings, jade pendants, lanterns, and even a net and a scarf¡­ Just from the looks of them, they were the most complete set in this market town.


    Mo Hua examined them carefully and then picked up a primitively styled yet exquisite hairpin, asking, ¡°What kind of hairpin is this?¡±


    Old Sun explained, ¡°This is called a Fire-Resistant Hairpin, belonging to the standard spiritual weapons category. The materials and craftsmanship follow a uniform standard, and it¡¯s engraved with a primary fire-resistant formation. It requires a spirit stone to charge, and once activated, the formation can isolate fire, keeping the wearer cool and comfortable. Although it consumes spirit stones, using one stone, it can last for three months, which is quite economical and practical¡­¡±


    Mo Hua expressed doubt, ¡°Standard spiritual weapons from Myriad Treasure Building, placed here for sale, must have some flaws, right¡­?¡±


    Old Sun laughed, ¡°Right you are, you know quite a bit. I won¡¯t lie to you, if there were no flaws, it would be sold at Myriad Treasure Building for at least twice the price. But a flaw doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s useless¡­¡±


    Old Sun pointed to the peony pattern on the hairpin, ¡°When the artifact refiner was engraving this peony, he drew a few extra strokes, which deviated from the standard. So, this hairpin was classified as defective, but the formation inside is intact and effective just the same.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling that this hairpin was the most suitable, and asked, ¡°How many spirit stones?¡±


    Old Sun stroked his beard, ¡°A flat rate, fifteen spirit stones!¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Five!¡±


    Old Sun¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Who taught you to bargain like that?¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit embarrassed, ¡°I overheard at another stall; that¡¯s how they all haggle¡­¡±


    Old Sun lamented, ¡°Morals have declined so much, even the good kids are being corrupted!¡± He continued, ¡°Fourteen stones, can¡¯t go any lower!¡±


    Mo Hua tentatively raised the amount a little, ¡°Six?¡±


    ¡­


    After some back-and-forth bargaining, the price was finally set at ten stones.


    Old Sun felt he couldn¡¯t go any lower, not even by a single spirit stone, while Mo Hua had also inquired about the prices of spiritual artifacts at other stalls, and there were none cheaper than this, so he agreed.


    Old Sun took the spirit stones from Mo Hua, wrapped the hairpin in a cheap but beautifully crafted paper box, and handed it to Mo Hua while muttering,


    ¡°If only my grandson were half as clever as you, I¡¯d have him help me with the stall. Unfortunately, my grandson is very slow, and he doesn¡¯t even dare to speak in front of strangers.¡±


    Mo Hua, satisfied with his purchase, waved goodbye to Old Sun and then walked away with a spring in his step.


    The vendor at the neighboring stall chuckled, ¡°Old Sun, it looks like you¡¯re taking a loss this time!¡±


    Old Sun stroked his beard, ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a loss, just earning a little less.¡±


    The vendor grew curious, ¡°Ten spirit stones isn¡¯t a small sum, I wonder who the child is buying the hairpin for.¡±


    ¡°The Fire-Resistant Hairpin is for avoiding the heat of the stove, who else could it be for?¡±


    Watching Mo Hua¡¯s figure gradually disappearing into the distance, Old Sun sighed softly, ¡°He¡¯s a good kid!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s home was on a secluded street at the edge of Tongxian City, in an old house that was not big, just enough to accommodate a family of three. The neighbors were all Qi Refinement Realm Loose Cultivators who made a living doing odd jobs; although not rich, there was a strong sense of community and domestic warmth.


    As evening approached, wisps of cooking smoke rose from each house, and faint yellow lights were lit.


    Mo Hua ran into the house, calling out, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m back!¡±


    A plain-dressed woman with a gentle appearance came out from the inner room. Seeing Mo Hua, her eyes filled with joy, and she couldn¡¯t help pulling him over to stroke his head and pinch his cheeks, then said, ¡°Have you lost weight from cultivating too hard?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t lost weight,¡± then took out a box, ¡°Mom, this is for you!¡±


    The woman was momentarily stunned, then took the box and opened it to find a hairpin.


    ¡°This is a Fire-Resistant Hairpin. You¡¯ve been working in the restaurant kitchen for a long time, and the heat is not good for your health. This hairpin can ward off the heat, and you¡¯ll feel much cooler with it.¡±


    The woman¡¯s name was Liu Ruhua, the mother of Mo Hua, a Qi Refinement Realm Loose Cultivator in Tongxian City.


    Life as a Loose Cultivator was already tough; there weren¡¯t many good jobs that could earn spirit stones. If they had children, raising them was even more difficult, with the expenses for food, clothing, entering a Sect, and various materials needed for cultivation ¨C all major costs for an ordinary cultivator.


    Liu Ruhua was skilled at cooking and helped in the kitchen of a small restaurant in the city.


    Larger restaurants generally used stoves refined by Artifact Refiners, which had Formations that consumed spirit stones to convert spiritual energy into fire.


    Small restaurants, in an effort to save on costs, wouldn¡¯t use spirit stones for fire, but would have cultivators with Fire Spiritual Roots use their spiritual power to create the fire needed for cooking. Over time, it was inevitable that their bodies would suffer from the invasion of heat, their meridians would dry up, and they¡¯d have symptoms such as lung pain and a dry cough.


    When Liu Ruhua helped in the kitchen, she had to occasionally use her spiritual power for fire. With a salary of about thirty spirit stones a month, despite the harm to her health, this was considered a good job that many Qi Refinement cultivators aspired to have but had no opportunity to get.


    Looking at the hairpin in her hand, Liu Ruhua pursed her lips without speaking.


    Mo Hua quickly said, ¡°The spirit stones I used to buy the hairpin were earned by helping a fellow sect member. I didn¡¯t swindle or steal them!¡±


    Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but smile, feeling a warm and slightly sour feeling in her heart, ¡°I can¡¯t accept this hairpin, you¡¯re still young, and you¡¯ll need many spirit stones for your cultivation in the future. We should save when we can. I can take care of myself, you don¡¯t need to worry¡­¡±


    Mo Hua confidently said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the future when it comes. Who knows, I might become a Great Cultivator with a Golden Core and Nascent Soul, with as many spirit stones as I want.¡±


    Liu Ruhua laughed out loud, tapping Mo Hua¡¯s forehead with her finger, ¡°You¡¯re so young and already learning to boast.¡±


    ¡°Mom, please keep it. I haggled with someone for half a day to buy it for you. If you don¡¯t want it, then wasn¡¯t I wasting my time?¡±


    After speaking, Mo Hua took the hairpin and fastened it in Liu Ruhua¡¯s hair, then ran into the house to fetch a mirror.


    ¡°Look, doesn¡¯t it look nice?¡±


    Seeing the reflection of the woman in the mirror adorned with the simple and elegant hairpin, appearing dignified and graceful, and then seeing her son¡¯s sparkling, eager eyes, Liu Ruhua¡¯s heart softened, and she said gently, ¡°I¡¯ll keep the hairpin, but I won¡¯t accept any gifts next time.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm,¡± Mo Hua agreed repeatedly, ¡°Mom, is dinner ready? I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ready, all your favorites. Eat up!¡±


    Liu Ruhua was a great cook. Though she only made simple vegetarian dishes without any spiritual energy, they were exquisite and delicious. After eating and chatting with his mother, Mo Hua went back to his room to read.


    After 1 p.m., Mo Hua entered his Sea of Consciousness and practiced Formations on a stele all night. When he woke up, it was already 6 A.M.


    Mo Hua closed his eyes and meditated, holding a spirit stone in his hand for his routine cultivation practice.


    When he opened his eyes again, the day had just begun to brighten, and the brilliant sunlight streamed into the room. Mo Hua lay there stretching languidly, ready to get up, then he heard heavy footsteps outside the house.


    Mo Hua rolled over and peered through the crack in the door, seeing a man covered in bloodstains and looking haggard enter the house. It was Mo Hua¡¯s father¡ªMo Shan.

 Chapter 5 - 5 Mo Shan_1

    Chapter 5 Mo Shan_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Shan was an eighth level Qi Refinement Monster Hunter who made his living by hunting Monster Beasts and stripping their materials. It sounded impressive, but it was in fact quite arduous, and the risks were high.


    Most Monster Beasts in the Cultivation World were far stronger than human Cultivators, making them exceedingly difficult to hunt.


    Typically, it took a team of five to ten Cultivators of the same realm to hunt a Monster Beast, and even then, success wasn¡¯t guaranteed. Even if they did manage to kill the beast, some of its more valuable parts were often damaged in the battle, reducing their sale price in terms of Spirit Stones. Afterward, the profits were divided according to each team member¡¯s contribution, leaving each with a modest share of the Spirit Stones.


    If one were to get injured, the cost of the Pills for treatment could be considerable, possibly resulting in a deficit. And if one were seriously injured, it often became difficult to make a living through Monster Hunting again.


    With a tall and sturdy build, Mo Shan practiced Body Cultivation. He had a heroic appearance with sharp, distinctive features. Although young by a Cultivator¡¯s standards, not yet middle-aged, his face showed signs of hardship from his years of hunting Monster Beasts and living in the harsh elements.


    After entering his home, Mo Shan set down his knife and the hide of some unknown Monster Beast he had been carrying on his shoulder, finally letting out a breath of relief.


    His outer garment was worn and torn, stained with blood¡ªsome fresh and some darkened. It was likely the blood of Monster Beasts, but also his own or that of his companions.


    The Monster Hunt must not have gone smoothly, Mo Hua silently surmised.


    Mo Shan¡¯s eyebrows were unconsciously furrowed, his expression grave. Coupled with the bloodstains on his clothes, he looked somewhat forbidding.


    However, this hostility faded away when he entered his home and saw his wife, as if a war-weary general had returned home and shed his heavy, scarred armor.


    Mo Shan¡¯s voice was hoarse from fatigue, but he still asked in a gentle tone, ¡°Is everything alright at home?¡±


    Liu Ruhua began to tidy up his luggage while reaching for a clean towel to wipe his face. ¡°Everything is fine at home, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Seeing the dust and weariness on his face, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You need to take care of yourself when you¡¯re out.¡±


    Mo Shan smiled and then looked around the room, ¡°Is Huar back yet?¡±


    ¡°He returned just yesterday. The Sect has started the new year¡¯s break, he must still be sleeping soundly. I¡¯ll go call him; he¡¯d be so happy to know you¡¯re back.¡±


    Mo Shan glanced at the blood on his clothes and his wounds, stopping his wife, ¡°Let him sleep a bit longer. Cultivation at the Sect isn¡¯t easy either. I¡¯ll take a bath first, apply some herbal medicine, and change out of these clothes.¡±


    Liu Ruhua nodded, ¡°Alright, then you should eat something first.¡±


    Mo Shan, having traveled the entire night, was ravenously hungry.


    Liu Ruhua was an excellent cook, and though the food was simple, Mo Shan devoured it hungrily.


    During Monster Hunts, he often slept outdoors and went hungry, resorting to cold, hard rations, sparingly using Fasting Pills. Now, eating his wife¡¯s cooking at home, he instantly felt all the hardships and fatigue wash away.


    Mo Shan ate heartily and took a large swallow of congee, boiled till it was fragrant and sticky, and then he sighed deeply. Seeing the bloodstains on his clothes, Liu Ruhua expressed her concern, ¡°Did someone get hurt again this time?¡±


    Mo Shan sighed, ¡°Three were injured, and Old Chu was critically wounded.¡±


    Mo Shan then began to recount the Monster Hunting incident:


    ¡°Our group of eight was chasing a wolf Demon over three feet tall. We had cornered it, planning to slowly deplete its demonic power before delivering the killing blow. Unexpectedly, another Monster Hunting Team passed by, mostly greenhorns who hadn¡¯t bled much before. They audaciously followed suit in trying to take advantage, but when they rashly joined in, two of them were eaten alive by the Monster Beast¡­¡±


    ¡°After that fiend replenished its blood qi by consuming humans, it went berserk. Old Chu and I exhausted our spiritual power to finally slay the wolf demon, but at a great loss. Old Chu lost an arm, bled a lot, his vital energy severely damaged, I¡¯m afraid he can no longer make a living from monster hunting¡­¡±


    Mo Shan added with a bitter tone, ¡°Old Chu has a two-year-old child, and his wife just grows some vegetables and fruits to supplement the household. Now that he¡¯s badly injured, he¡¯ll need a large amount of spirit stones for treatment. Even if he heals, it¡¯s uncertain what the three of them will live on.¡±


    Liu Ruhua also sighed and said, ¡°Our family faced hardships before, and even though Old Chu wasn¡¯t wealthy, he still lent us spirit stones. We still have some saved up, why don¡¯t we give them to Old Chu for now, at least to get his injuries treated.¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, ¡°The wolf demon¡¯s corpse hasn¡¯t been sold yet. It should fetch around three hundred spirit stones. When the time comes, we¡¯ll give a larger share to Old Chu, and we¡¯ll also lend him some more, just to get through this. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    Mo Shan felt somewhat guilty, ¡°For Huar¡¯s entry into the Sect for cultivation next year, I had hoped that after slaying the wolf demon, we would almost have enough. Now with this turn of events¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua held Mo Shan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°As long as the family is safe, that¡¯s what matters. We will always find a way to earn spirit stones. I¡¯ve saved some from helping in the tavern¡¯s kitchen, and we can borrow some more. It won¡¯t hinder Huar¡¯s beginning of cultivation studies next year.¡±


    Mo Shan silently looked at his wife. The once young and charming face now bore a trace of exhaustion, and he felt increasingly remorseful.


    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t work in the kitchen anymore. The heat harms the heart and lungs and can damage the meridians. Next year, I¡¯ll look for more people, kill more monster beasts, earn more spirit stones, so you won¡¯t have to suffer so much.¡±


    Liu Ruhua pursed her lips, smiling with a hint of pride, and pointed to the hairpin on her head, ¡°What do you think this is?¡±


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t notice it when he entered the door, but taking a closer look now, he realized the hairpin was different from the ones his wife usually wore.


    ¡°This hairpin is?¡±


    ¡°Huar gave it to me. He said it¡¯s called a fire-resistant hairpin, and it can ward off the heat from the stove. Wearing it, my heart and lungs, and my meridians feel much cooler.¡±


    ¡°Huar is really thoughtful.¡±


    Mo Shan felt both relieved and ashamed, ¡°As a husband, it¡¯s been so many years since I¡¯ve given you a gift¡­¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Ruhua said with a smile, ¡°Huar is your son, so his gift is as good as yours.¡±


    Mo Shan laughed ruefully, then said with a wry smile, ¡°People in the path of cultivation often talk about fate. Perhaps my life¡¯s fortune is marrying a wife like you, and having Huar, such a sensible son!¡±


    Liu Ruhua gave her husband a playful look, unable to suppress her laughter.


    Looking at his wife¡¯s smile, Mo Shan silently made up his mind to find some more skilled monster hunters next year, and find a way to enter the Inner Mountain. He would slay more monster beasts, earn more spirit stones, and make sure his wife would not have to work so hard anymore. He also vowed to secure a better future for his son.


    Mo Hua, in the house, had heard all that his parents said. The young boy sighed.


    Without his knowledge, his parents had always endured the hardship of the cultivation life. Perhaps, in any world, the burdens parents bear are always much heavier than children can imagine.


    Even cultivators have to toil for spirit stones and struggle for a living.


    Cultivators and mortals, they seem different, yet perhaps not so different after all.


    Mo Hua pondered with a sigh, then silently thought to himself, ¡°Is there a way for me to earn spirit stones too?¡±

 Chapter 6 - 6 Spirit Stone_1

    Chapter 6 Spirit Stone_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua thought quietly in the room for a while, and after Mo Shan had finished speaking with Liu Ruhua and changed into casual clothes, Mo Hua pretended to know nothing and walked out of the house cheerfully.


    The family of three was eating; Mo Shan had already eaten, so Mo Hua started telling him all about the interesting things that had happened while Monster Hunting.


    Mo Shan picked and chose what to share, talking about wolves with one eye, tigers with two heads, and wild boars with three legs.


    One team had killed a mature Monster Beast but neglected to take the Demon Core, taking only some worthless fur. When they realized their mistake and went back, the Demon Core had already been taken by others. The leader regretted it so much that he vomited blood and fainted.


    Someone else had captured a Beast with an ancient bloodline, which was bought by a Great Sect for a high price, ensuring they no longer had worries concerning food and clothing. However, no one knew when the person would just disappear completely¡­


    Mo Hua listened with relish, understanding that these stories were inevitably filled with blood, danger, and cruelty, which his father had intentionally omitted.


    Parents never want their children to know about the cruel realities, hoping they could have a pure and happy childhood.


    After Mo Hua heard the stories, three little heads peeked out from the gate, their eyes looking attentively into the house. Seeing Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua at home, they quickly stood in line to greet them:


    ¡°Hello, Uncle Mo! Hello, Aunt Liu!¡±


    The three children were surnamed Meng and lived on the same street, with families that also made a living by Monster Hunting.


    The Meng Family elders were friends with Mo Shan and lived nearby. Therefore, Mo Hua had grown up playing with them. Their names, based on the order of their birth, were Meng Dahu, Meng Shuanghu, and Meng Xiaohu.


    Among the Monster Beasts near Tongxian City, those of the tiger kind were the strongest. Naming their children with the character ¡°Hu,¡± which means tiger, was a way of wishing them tiger-like strength and prestige in the future.


    The three kids indeed lived up to their names, robust and energetic like little tigers.


    Mo Hua was the youngest and had been sickly since birth. Mo Shan thought it was unlikely for him to grow up tiger-like. Noting his delicate and fair features, resembling a porcelain doll, he took a character from his wife Liu Ruhua¡¯s name to call him Mo Hua. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Liu Ruhua saw the three children, she handed each of them a bun. They said they didn¡¯t want it, but their hands involuntarily reached out to grab the buns and stuff them in their mouths, their cheeks puffing up as they said, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Liu!¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s cooking was the best around the neighborhood, and because of this, the three little kids envied Mo Hua greatly.


    Mo Shan waved his hand, ¡°Go play together, and remember to come back for lunch!¡±


    Mo Hua and the three children nodded in agreement and dashed out the door.


    Among the Meng Family children, Dahu was honest, Shuanghu was clever, and Xiaohu was talkative. They were all older and taller than Mo Hua, and it was usually they who led Mo Hua in their games.


    Dahu and the others talked non-stop along the way about places where dragon dances were held, fireworks set off, crowded areas, and the lively young girls who could dance¡­


    However, they talked about so many things that they were unsure where to go and play.


    Finally, the kids agreed that adults choose for adults, children want everything, so they would visit every place!


    As the new year was approaching, disciples who had gone to Sects to study were on holiday, and Cultivators who made a living outside returned home, making Tongxian City much livelier than usual, and the streets were quite crowded.


    Some Qi Refinement Realm Body Cultivators showed off their martial skills, brandishing swords and spears, while Spiritual Cultivators displayed fancy but practically useless Spells, provoking envy and amazement from the kids;


    Those skilled in Artifact Refining made small toys, like wooden rabbits, dogs, and cats that would move on the ground with a bit of Spiritual Power, and there were many other miscellaneous items, overwhelming the senses.


    Dahu, Shuanghu, and Xiaohu had a blast, finding everything fresh and exciting, and let out exclamations of joy, while Mo Hua played while also paying attention to any opportunities on the street to earn Spirit Stones.


    After looking around, Mo Hua realized that most ways to earn Spirit Stones were already taken, and those that weren¡¯t, he was not currently capable of doing.


    Seeing the Cultivators who performed with all their might and shouted out for attention on the streets, Mo Hua sighed inwardly, considering that making a living was indeed not an easy task.


    Shuanghu noticed Mo Hua seemed unhappy and asked, ¡°Mo Hua, do you have something on your mind?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Dahu instantly said, ¡°Has someone bullied you? I¡¯ll go beat them up!¡±


    Xiaohu nodded eagerly, ¡°Beat them up! Beat them up!¡±


    The Meng Family elders had always reminded them since childhood to take care of the sickly Mo Hua, and Liu Ruhua, with her cooking, would also specially save a portion for the three kids.


    The three kids felt grateful and had a strong sense of justice. Whenever someone tried to bully Mo Hua, they would roll up their sleeves and rush into a fight without a second word.


    Mo Hua was universally recognized as the smartest among the local Loose Cultivators of the neighborhood. Whenever they didn¡¯t understand the homework assigned by the Instructor, they would come to Mo Hua for help, which is why the children got along so well with each other.


    Seeing them eager and ready to pick a fight, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly and said,


    ¡°No one is bullying me. I¡¯m just thinking about whether I can make some Spirit Stones.¡±


    Earning Spirit Stones¡­


    Da¡¯hu and the other two also started to worry. They didn¡¯t have much of an idea either.


    They could help with a fight, but earning Spirit Stones was something they didn¡¯t know how to do.


    A thought struck Mo Hua, and he asked,


    ¡°Do you guys know how a Formation Master makes Spirit Stones?¡±


    The Tao Cultivation World is vast and boundless. Mo Hua spent his days cultivating and drawing Formations, which limited his exposure to various aspects of the world. He knew that becoming a Formation Master would mean not having to worry about basic necessities, but he honestly didn¡¯t know how an ordinary Formation Master, especially one at a lower apprenticeship level, made Spirit Stones.


    Da¡¯hu and the other two often played around everywhere and might know some things Mo Hua didn¡¯t.


    After thinking for a moment, Da¡¯hu shook his head and said, ¡°The assessment to determine a Formation Master¡¯s ranking is very tough. In our neighborhood, there isn¡¯t a single first-ranked Formation Master. I¡¯m not too clear about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Not just our neighborhood, even in the entire Tongxian City, there aren¡¯t many Formation Masters. Even fewer can genuinely pass the assessment and become a first-ranked Formation Master. An uncle from the Meng Family, back in our clan, has been studying Formations for twenty years and still hasn¡¯t managed to become a first-ranked Master¡­¡± Xiaohu said, shaking his head in amazement.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong. Uncle Meng is just an apprentice in Formation study. He wants to take a Formation Master as a mentor to learn Formations properly, but when he gets quizzed with questions by others, he can¡¯t answer them, so they don¡¯t accept him.¡±


    Shuanghu curled his lips and then counted on his fingers,


    ¡°Apprentice, ordinary Formation Master, first-ranked Formation Master¡­ Uncle Meng isn¡¯t going for an assessment. Those who are eligible for it are already somewhat famous Formation Masters. He¡¯s far, far away from reaching that point!¡±


    Curious, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Then what does he rely on to make a living?¡±


    ¡°I heard he helps draw some simple Formations for businesses to make some Spirit Stones. Then he uses those Spirit Stones to buy ink and brushes to practice more Formations; after that, he continues to be unable to find a mentor, so he goes back to drawing Formations for businesses¡­¡±


    ¡°Businesses, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard that even if you can¡¯t get your ranking set and become a first-ranked Formation Master, just being an ordinary Formation Master and drawing Formations for businesses can still earn you quite a few Spirit Stones, and you won¡¯t have to worry about food and drink,¡± said Shuanghu. Then he turned to Mo Hua,


    ¡°Mo Hua, do you want to become a Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t hide his intention, ¡°My constitution is too weak. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t become a Monster Hunter. If a Monster Beast hits me with one swipe, I¡¯d probably lose half my life. I need to find a way to make a living. But talking about this now is still too far off. Let me first see if I can earn some Spirit Stones. If I can make some, I¡¯ll treat you guys to pastries!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Da¡¯hu and the others immediately lit up with joy.


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so smart, you¡¯ll definitely be able to make Spirit Stones, and you¡¯ll be able to become a Formation Master in the future!¡±


    ¡°Pastries, pastries!¡±


    For children from ordinary Loose Cultivator families, even common pastries sold on the roadside were a rare treat.


    The group wandered around for a while longer. Except for the charming young girl they didn¡¯t see, they browsed through everything else. When it was nearly noon, they all went home satisfied to have lunch.


    After lunch, Mo Hua told his parents he was going out to play and then went alone to the North Main Street of Tongxian City.


    North Main Street of Tongxian City was bustling, while South Main Street was lively.


    South Main Street had more market towns mainly composed of peddlers and small stalls, whereas North Main Street had more businesses with all kinds of Spirit Runes and dan pills available. The items sold were more standard, the quality better, and naturally, the prices were higher.


    However, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t there to buy anything¡ªhe didn¡¯t have the Spirit Stones for it.


    Mo Hua walked from one end of the street to the other, looking over every business, and then he chose to enter one that had Formations hanging outside but looked comparably shabby, crude, and had the least amount of business.

 Chapter 7 - 7 Fated Gathering_1

    Chapter 7 Fated Gathering_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The signboard hanging in front of the shop bore the three characters ¡°Fated Gathering¡±.


    The interior was not large and somewhat rudimentary, with formations of different patterns hanging around. Some of the formations seemed to have been hanging for a while, their ink already somewhat faded.


    The counter was rather high, and atop it sat a middle-aged, well-fed cultivator, who had a pale face and no beard, appearing to be the steward of the shop.


    There was a bell hanging at the eaves. When Mo Hua entered, the bell let out a crisp ring. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fatty Steward, who had been dozing with his eyes half-open, heard the bell and looked around. Seeing no one, he was about to grow angry when he lowered his head and saw a small head poking over the counter.


    Fatty Steward blinked in surprise and, seeing that Mo Hua was alone, he asked, ¡°Little brother, where are your parents?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°My parents aren¡¯t looking for you, I am.¡±


    Fatty Steward blinked again, ¡°You¡¯re looking for me? What for?¡±


    ¡°Do you need someone to help with drawing formations here?¡±


    Fatty Steward found this amusing and teased, ¡°Oh? And you, you little tyke, know how to draw formations?¡±


    Mo Hua replied modestly, ¡°I know a little.¡±


    Fatty Steward laughed and said, ¡°Knowing a little won¡¯t do. At the very least, you should be at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, possess a sect¡¯s educational jade slip, be an apprentice of formation, have a Formation Master as an instructor, and pay a deposit before you can do formation painting for us here.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback; he hadn¡¯t known about these many requirements before, and it seemed he didn¡¯t meet a single one of them.


    A lightbulb went off in Mo Hua¡¯s head, and he said, ¡°Alright, I lied. I¡¯m not very good at it. I am here on behalf of my brother.¡±


    Fatty Steward didn¡¯t make a fuss and asked, ¡°And what does your brother do?¡±


    ¡°My brother is a formation apprentice, studying under a Formation Master and normally helps the shop with some basic formation painting to earn money for ink and paper. He¡¯s too busy studying formations to have any free time, so I¡¯m helping him run errands.¡±


    Mo Hua took the liberty of modifying the identity of an uncle from the extended Meng Family and borrowing it for his own use.


    Fatty Steward stroked his chin, thought for a moment, but still declined, ¡°No, talk is cheap. If your brother wishes to do formation painting for our shop, he¡¯ll need to come himself.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes swiveled and then he asked, ¡°Do you also require a deposit?¡±


    Fatty Steward nodded, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Is the deposit supposed to cover the Formation Method Map and the materials for drawing formations? In that case, if I give the deposit, even if I¡¯m deceiving you, it¡¯s just like you selling a formation and materials at the regular price. You wouldn¡¯t make a profit, but you wouldn¡¯t lose out either.¡±


    In fact, they would still make a small profit. The deposit was slightly higher than the cost of materials for drawing formations. As for the Formation Method Maps, those were the simplest, most common designs, hardly costing many Spirit Stones.


    Thinking this, Fatty Steward started to hesitate.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t business a little slow in your store?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Business indeed wasn¡¯t great. There were very few customers each day, and with fewer customers, they sold fewer formations. Few Formation Masters, or even apprentices, were willing to paint formations for them, which was why the shop was so quiet.


    Of course, Fatty Steward wouldn¡¯t admit it, holding his head high, but he did seem somewhat defensive.


    Seizing the opportunity, Mo Hua added, ¡°My brother is really good at drawing formations. People say that in a few more years, he¡¯s sure to become a Formation Master. After that, if he studies for another decade or two and passes the assessment, he might even become a first-grade Formation Master. Then naturally, he¡¯d be able to paint more advanced formations for you, and you¡¯d profit, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    An assessment? It wasn¡¯t that easy to pass.


    Fatty Steward scoffed internally, but as the saying goes, ¡°Never scorn a young man in poverty¡±; who knows what the future holds. If he really did become a first-grade Formation Master, it would indeed be good to establish a favorable relationship for the time when they might need a favor.


    As for rules, they were mostly for outsiders to see. As long as one could produce formations, nothing else really mattered.


    ¡°You make a good point,¡± Fatty Steward said, ¡°but you claim your brother is good at drawing formations¡ªwithout evidence, that¡¯s not credible. You¡¯re just a kid and don¡¯t know the first thing about formations, so how would you know what¡¯s good or bad? This is what we¡¯ll do: bring me one of the formations your brother has drawn. If it¡¯s really not bad, then I¡¯ll agree to do business with you.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t have a brother, so where would he find a formation his brother had drawn?


    He didn¡¯t have his brother¡¯s formations, but he did have some of his own.


    Mo Hua¡¯s storage bag contained several formations that he had drawn himself, but those were all homework from his sect. They were deconstructed basic formation patterns or combinations of patterns, a bit different from complete formations.


    Anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance that giving them away would blow his cover.


    After some thought, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any formations my brother drew, but he once taught me a little. I¡¯ll draw one for you, and then you¡¯ll know if my brother¡¯s formations are good.¡±


    ¡°You can draw formations too?¡±


    The steward was stunned for a moment, thought for a bit, and said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    He too was curious to see how well the kid in front of him could draw, so he casually pulled out a Formation Method Map from underneath the counter, along with some brushes and paper, and handed them to Mo Hua.


    The map had the words ¡°Bright Fire Formation¡± written on it. It was something the sect instructors hadn¡¯t taught, a complete formation with three formation patterns, and it looked very difficult.


    A complete formation, Mo Hua definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to draw. The formation taught by the sect, although called a formation, only contained one or at most two basic patterns. These were introductory formations, not considered true formations outside.


    A real formation required at least three patterns with interrelated structures, like the ¡°Bright Fire Formation¡± before him.


    Mo Hua glanced at the steward and declared confidently, ¡°This is too difficult, if I could draw it, I¡¯d be drawing formations to earn spirit stones myself. What would I need my brother for?¡±


    The steward slapped his forehead, realizing his own mistake: a child around ten years old couldn¡¯t possibly draw a complete formation. It was asking too much of a kid, and he¡¯d only made this oversight because he¡¯d never dealt with children in the store before.


    Then the steward pointed to the upper-left corner of the formation and said, ¡°If you can draw this small part of the pattern, I¡¯ll agree to it and ask your brother to draw a formation.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at the upper-left pattern, let out a quiet sigh of relief, it was a basic Fire-series pattern that he had learned from the sect, with some added intricate changes and connections, but still within his grasp.


    Mo Hua dipped the brush in ink and began to trace the pattern on the paper, completing the drawing of the pattern in a short while.


    Fatty Steward had been nodding slightly as Mo Hua drew. Mo Hua¡¯s brush technique was quite skilled; the movements were natural and smooth, without a hint of nervousness, which clearly indicated a solid foundation. The pattern he drew also adhered to the standards without any errors. It was either a family art, or his brother had taught him well.


    Fatty Steward tended toward the latter thought because, judging from Mo Hua¡¯s clothing¡ªwhich was clean but overly simple¡ªit was clear they weren¡¯t from a wealthy family; and cultivators with formation arts in their lineage wouldn¡¯t be in such financial straits.


    Fatty Steward took another look at the pattern Mo Hua had drawn, quite satisfied, and then said, ¡°The deposit is ten spirit stones, and I¡¯ll give you the required formation maps and materials.¡±


    ¡°Ten stones!¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    He only had three spirit stones on him; he had earned twelve from copying formation homework for a fellow sect member, spent ten on a Fire-Resistant Hairpin, saved up one more by pinching pennies, and then¡­ there was no ¡®then.¡¯ This was all of Mo Hua¡¯s wealth.


    He would have to wait until the sect¡¯s formation assessment when he could draw formations for his peers to earn that many spirit stones.


    Who knows how long that would be!


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expression, the steward realized the kid didn¡¯t have the spirit stones. He didn¡¯t make a fuss, though; it was normal for a child not to have so many spirit stones.


    Life in Tao cultivation is not easy. Even they, the stewards, often found themselves short on money, not to mention cultivators from less affluent families.


    The steward simply gave a friendly reminder, ¡°You can¡¯t take the job without the spirit stones for the deposit.¡±


    After saying it and seeing Mo Hua looking disheartened, he couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°I¡¯ll keep this order for your brother. Whenever you have the spirit stones, just come back and take it.¡±


    Mo Hua immediately nodded and said, ¡°Mhm, mhm, I¡¯ll get the stones from my brother when I get home¡­ and then I¡¯ll come back for the order!¡±


    Fatty Steward waved his hand, ¡°Go play for now. It¡¯s still early. I¡¯m going to close my eyes and rest a bit¡­¡± He then slowly closed his eyes, ready to doze off.


    Mo Hua left the store, squatted on the steps, and held his chin in a bit of a quandary.


    ¡°Seven spirit stones¡­¡±


    Mo Hua wanted to earn spirit stones by drawing formations, but he needed spirit stones first to draw and earn them. Without them, he couldn¡¯t draw formations to earn them¡­


    Mo Hua felt dizzy.


    Ask his parents?


    Mo Hua shook his head; the household expenses all required spirit stones. He overheard his parents talking in the morning that Uncle Chu from the Monster Hunting Team had broken his arm and needed to borrow spirit stones for healing, and there was also Mo Hua¡¯s sect tuition for the next term. It was unlikely the family had any surplus stones.


    Borrow from someone?


    Mo Hua¡¯s friends were even poorer than him; they didn¡¯t have any spirit stones to lend him.


    As Mo Hua was deep in thought, suddenly he heard someone exclaim loudly:


    ¡°Mo Hua, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here!¡±


    Mo Hua looked up to see a well-dressed, plump little boy surrounded by attendants, glaring at him furiously.

 Chapter 8 - 8 An Xiaofu_1

    Chapter 8 An Xiaofu_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Young Master An?¡±


    The lavishly dressed chubby boy was the eldest son of the An Family in Tongxian City, named An Xiaofu. Perhaps his father didn¡¯t hold much hope for him, signifying ¡°contentment with wealth¡± by naming him Xiaofu.


    But because he was plump, his fellow sect members also secretly called him An Xiaopang.


    An Xiaopang was a bit slow, sometimes displaying the temper of a young master, but he wasn¡¯t malicious at heart and often asked Mo Hua to do his homework for the Formation assessments.


    He couldn¡¯t draw Formations, not even a little, and not wanting to be punished by the instructor nor wanting to return home to be beaten by his father, he could only ask Mo Hua for help.


    At this moment, An Xiaopang was furious, ¡°How dare you, Mo Hua! I treat you like a friend, and you look down on me?!¡±


    Mo Hua was confused, ¡°How have I looked down on you?¡±


    An Xiaopang pulled out a Formation Diagram with annotations in vermillion ink, ¡°You helped me draw my Formation homework and made six mistakes in it! But the one you did for that skinny monkey Qian Xing was flawless! Isn¡¯t that looking down on me? Doesn¡¯t that mean you think I¡¯m inferior to him?¡±


    The ¡®skinny monkey¡¯ An Xiaopang mentioned was that skinny young master from before, with the surname Qian and given name Xing, the third son from the main line of the Qian Family.


    The Qian Family was the largest clan in Tongxian City, with the An Family coming second. Both families owned businesses, competed in their trade, and had longstanding grudges from past generations. The younger generations were equally antagonistic, wanting to outdo each other in every aspect, akin to oil and water, symbolized even by their contrasting physiques¡ªone fat, the other thin.


    However, both were equally lazy in their Tao Cultivation and just as ignorant, which could be described as ¡°equally matched.¡±


    Though both were considered wastrels, Qian Xing had a worse reputation. Aside from his ignorance, he was notorious for being arrogant and bullying others using his family¡¯s power. There were rumors of numerous misdeeds, but with his family¡¯s backing, he always got off scot-free.


    In contrast, An Xiaopang mostly just ate, drank, and flaunted his wealth ostentatiously, but because his father was strict, he never went too far.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the issue?¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s lack of concern, An Xiaopang¡¯s face turned even redder.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually helping you,¡± said Mo Hua.


    An Xiaopang scoffed, looking at Mo Hua, ¡°How are you helping me?¡±


    ¡°How does your Formation work compare to Young Master Qian¡¯s?¡±


    An Xiaopang confidently said, ¡°At least it can¡¯t be worse than his!¡±


    Mo Hua was left somewhat speechless. Was this really something to be proud of?


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°That¡¯s the point, how could he draw a Formation without any mistakes with his skills?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! If I can¡¯t do it, then he definitely can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°So you know that much. Wouldn¡¯t the instructor notice it too? The instructor is always strict and would definitely punish him, and then report the matter to his father. His father, losing face, surely wouldn¡¯t let him off the hook¡­¡±


    An Xiaopang pondered for a moment, ¡°That makes some sense, but I haven¡¯t heard about Qian Skinny being beaten, are you deceiving me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him, ¡°Family scandals are not to be publicized. When fathers beat their sons, they do it behind closed doors; how would you know about it?¡±


    An Xiaopang nodded, still traumatized, ¡°You¡¯re right, when my father beats me, he never lets others know!¡±


    Mo Hua added, ¡°This time, didn¡¯t Old Master An not only refrain from beating you but also praise you?¡±


    An Xiaopang immediately became proud, ¡°Indeed, the instructor gave me a ¡®B,¡¯ and my father praised me for making progress and even gave me quite a few nice things!¡±


    An Xiaopang¡¯s temper was quick to flare but also quick to fade. Now not angry anymore and feeling a bit guilty, he said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°I wronged you! Let me treat you to a delicious meal at the Spiritual Meal Building; it¡¯s owned by my family, and you can eat whatever you like!¡±


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t expected An Xiaopang to be unexpectedly generous, but still declined, ¡°No need, I still have things to do.¡±


    An Xiaopang discontentedly said, ¡°My father always teaches me to repay kindness. If you don¡¯t go, you¡¯re looking down on me!¡±


    Thinking of the swollen buttocks he got from his father¡¯s beating, An Xiaopang insisted even more, ¡°This favor isn¡¯t small, you must go!¡±


    An Xiaopang was stubborn like a child once he got worked up, making him quite a nuisance.


    Mo Hua was getting a headache. He glanced at the door of the Formation Pavilion and suddenly said, ¡°Young Master An, forget the meal at the Spiritual Meal Building, but could you do me a favor?¡±


    An Xiaopang patted his chest, ¡°Name it!¡±


    ¡°Lend me ten Spirit Stones.¡±


    An Xiaopang frowned, showing he didn¡¯t actually have ten Spirit Stones. Old Master An, to prevent him from wastefully spending Spirit Stones, never allowed him to carry more than five on him.


    He invited Mo Hua to the Spiritual Meal Building, and could charge it to his father¡¯s account since it was just food and drink, complete with an account trail; his father wouldn¡¯t say anything upon finding out. What his father truly feared was him spending Spirit Stones on some crooked and deviant practices without any traceable accounts, unaware and inadvertently inviting big trouble.


    An Xiaopang took out five Spirit Stones from his person and then glanced at the servant boy by his side, saying, ¡°Give me your Spirit Stones, I¡¯ll return them to you when we get home.¡±


    The servant boy was somewhat reluctant, but still took out his Spirit Stones, just enough to make up ten Spirit Stones in total.


    An Xiaopang handed the Spirit Stones to Mo Hua, ¡°Take these, no need to pay me back!¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll return them to you in a few days.¡±


    Mo Hua weighed the Spirit Stones in his hand for a moment, then carefully put them away. After saying goodbye to An Xiaopang, he returned to the Formation Pavilion, where there were still no customers, and the manager was still dozing off.


    After entering, Mo Hua tiptoed to the counter and placed the ten Spirit Stones on top.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought the Spirit Stones!¡±


    The manager hadn¡¯t been asleep for long when he was roused by the sound of the bell, spotting Mo Hua and the ten Spirit Stones on the counter.


    The manager picked up the Spirit Stones, examined them closely, saw that there was nothing wrong with their quality, nodded, and then reached under the counter to take out a Storage Bag.


    ¡°Inside this bag is a Formation Diagram for the Bright Fire Formation, along with ten pieces of Formation Paper and Spiritual Ink, enough to draw ten Bright Fire Formations. This order has a deadline of ten days; if it is overdue, the entire deposit will be forfeited. For each well-drawn Bright Fire Formation, you will earn one Spirit Stone, but if you make a mistake or fail to meet standards, one Spirit Stone will be deducted from your deposit. These rules are standard for the commerce firm; your brother should be well aware.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    If he successfully completed all the Formations, he could earn ten Spirit Stones, but if he failed them all, he would have to reimburse ten Spirit Stones. Being successful over half the time would be profitable.


    The manager added a reminder, ¡°Remember, the deadline is ten days. Don¡¯t forget, or I¡¯ll take all the deposit.¡±


    Mo Hua hurriedly nodded in agreement, then respectfully thanked the manager and left.


    After getting home, Mo Hua locked himself in his room and quietly pondered over the Formation.


    A maximum income of ten Spirit Stones was indeed very substantial. Although he had earned twelve Spirit Stones by helping his Sect mates with their Formation assignments, such opportunities did not come by often in a year. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, doing Formation assignments for Sect mates ultimately wasn¡¯t a proper task.


    Occasionally taking on such work was fine, but over time, it could hinder the progress of his Sect mates.


    The situation at the commerce firm was different; if handled well, he could earn Spirit Stones on a long-term basis and also practice Formations, making it a win-win situation.


    Mo Hua spread the Formation Diagram of the Bright Fire Formation in front of him.


    The Formation Diagram was pre-drawn by other Formation Masters and could be used as a template.


    On the back of the Formation Diagram was an explanation of the Formation, listing the Formation Patterns, the pen and ink to be used, along with other points to note, which were universally used notations among the Tao Cultivation World to record Formation secrets.


    The explanation for the Bright Fire Formation detailed relevant notes about where to use Fire-series Formation Patterns, how to connect the patterns, ink preparation and the ratio for ink usage. Many concepts were quite unfamiliar to Mo Hua, presenting some difficulty in understanding.


    This was the first time Mo Hua had seen an official Formation explanation; what he had learned in the Sect before was just the most basic Formation work. Although those were also called Formations, they mostly contained only one or two basic Formation Patterns for the disciples¡¯ enlightenment and introductory learning, which was different from the truly prevalent Formations in the Cultivation World.


    The Bright Fire Formation explanation ended with a note:


    Bright Fire Formation, Fire-series Formation, contains three Formation Patterns, requires a Qi Refinement level above the third layer.


    However, what really caught Mo Hua¡¯s attention was a line of small red handwriting after the note:


    Those not at the required level, beware of insufficient Divine Sense!


    Mo Hua, who was only at the second layer of Qi Refinement, couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    Cultivators needed Divine Sense for any activity¡ªguiding Spiritual Energy, using Spiritual Power, casting Spells, controlling Spiritual Artifacts, Alchemy, Artifact Refining and so on, all required Divine Sense.


    Among these, drawing Formations was known to consume the most Divine Sense. However, the specific warning about ¡°insufficient Divine Sense¡± here, along with the level restriction and the use of red ink, made Mo Hua realize that he might not be fully aware of just how much ¡°more¡± he would need¡­


    ¡°Could it be that Drawing Formation really requires a lot of Divine Sense?¡±


    Mo Hua, stroking his small chin, pondered.


    ¡°Let it be, first I need to get familiar with the Formation Patterns, and then I¡¯ll practice them on the stele tonight.¡±


    After noting down the Formation Diagram for the Bright Fire Formation, eating dinner with his parents, and practicing a few times with ordinary paper and ink to get familiar with the Formation Patterns, Mo Hua lay down on his bed at 1 a.m. and as he closed his eyes, an ancient and void stele floated into his Sea of Consciousness.

 Chapter 9 - 9: Bright Fire Formation_1

    Chapter 9: Bright Fire Formation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The figure of Mo Hua in the Sea of Consciousness looked the same as his external physical body and could move at will, but it wasn¡¯t made of flesh or even constructed from Spiritual Power; it was simply a phantom of Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua¡¯s phantom held his breath and concentrated, using a finger as a brush to paint the Formation Patterns of the Bright Fire Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    Pale blue lines moved agilely with Mo Hua¡¯s finger, gradually emerging on the jet-black Taoist Stele, connecting thread by thread from simple to complex, forming mysterious patterns.


    After finishing the second Pattern, as he continued to draw, Mo Hua gradually felt an unprecedented exhaustion and even pain.


    It was as if a dam in the Sea of Consciousness had been opened, and the Divine Sense within flowed out incessantly like the tide.


    The more Divine Sense flowed out, the closer the Sea of Consciousness came to depletion. It felt like a riverbed drying up, slowly cracking under an unnamed pressure, causing a stinging pain and a faint numbness on the scalp.


    Mo Hua also began to feel his thoughts grow sluggish, and the third Pattern he painted became slower and slower.


    Suddenly, a needle-like pain transmitted from the Sea of Consciousness; Mo Hua briefly lost focus and inadvertently made an error in the Formation Pattern on the stele.


    Mo Hua had to stop, holding his head, waiting for the pain to slowly subside.


    It took a full length of time it takes to drink a cup of tea for Mo Hua to recover. After some contemplation, he realized:


    ¡°A Cultivator Drawing Formation requires a vast amount of Divine Sense, far more than other disciplines of Tao Cultivation consume! And much more than I initially thought.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the manual specially marked with red ink, stating ¡®Those with insufficient cultivation levels must be cautious in learning¡¯. If one¡¯s cultivation level isn¡¯t high enough and the Divine Sense isn¡¯t strong, forcibly copying the Formation can lead to excessive depletion of Divine Sense, and even cause it to dry up¡­¡±


    Depletion of Divine Sense brings intense pain to a Cultivator and can even cause the Sea of Consciousness to be damaged and crack. Once it cracks excessively, the Sea of Consciousness will directly shatter, and the Cultivator will die as their Dao ceases to exist.


    This was mentioned by the Instructor in the Formation class, something Mo Hua didn¡¯t take too seriously at the time. Recalling it now sent a chill down his spine.


    ¡°The Bright Fire Formation requires the third level of Qi Refinement, and I¡¯m only at the second level, indeed a bit lacking in Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua held his head in his hands and lay on the ground of the Sea of Consciousness, slowly pondering:


    ¡°Although it¡¯s just a bit lacking, it shouldn¡¯t be too far off. My Divine Sense is originally stronger than others¡¯, and I have studied Formation for so long. With more practice, I should be able to draw it.¡±


    ¡°If one attempt fails, then try a second, a third¡­ With each attempt, my Divine Sense grows a bit stronger, and each time I manage even one more stroke than before, eventually, I¡¯ll be able to complete the Formation¡­¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After his contemplation, Mo Hua stood up, erased the incomplete Formation Pattern on the stele, and then his Divine Sense began to fill up again.


    It was as though he had never drawn a Formation before, but every stroke and line he had just inscribed was etched into Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart.


    Fortunately, he had this Taoist Stele. Otherwise, with the Divine Sense nearly depleted, he wouldn¡¯t know how long it would take to rest before he could attempt a second time. By the time he learned the Bright Fire Formation, perhaps ten days to half a month would have passed, and after more than ten days, the collateral Spirit Stones would be deducted completely.


    Thinking of this, Mo Hua felt a pang in his heart, and his Divine Sense grew even more focused as he started to draw the Bright Fire Formation for the second time¡­


    In the vast expanse of the Sea of Consciousness, one could not feel the passage of time.


    Mo Hua would draw for a while, rest for a while, and take a break. When he truly couldn¡¯t draw any further, he would directly erase it all and start over again.


    After an unknown number of attempts, he finally managed to complete the Bright Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua let out a long sigh of relief, collapsing onto the ground, feeling like a little salted fish with its Divine Sense completely drained.


    After resting for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Mo Hua had the heart to stand up again, admiring the first Formation he had successfully drawn¡ªthe Bright Fire Formation.


    On the pitch-black Taoist Stele, a Formation with complete pale blue lines was drawn, its Patterns precise and elegant, exuding an unknown mystique. In the alternating light and shadow of the Patterns, it seemed to contain inexplicable rules and power.


    This is Formation indeed!


    Mo Hua felt dazed, as if in the world there was nothing more beautiful than these law-containing patterns, even just looking at them made one unable to help but immerse oneself in their allure¡­


    As Mo Hua watched, he suddenly noticed something wasn¡¯t quite right.


    When he was painting, the Patterns were pale blue, but now they seemed to fade gradually, becoming dull and slowly turning to a light gray.


    ¡°`


    It was as if¡­ the Taoist Stele was telling Mo Hua that he had drawn it wrong¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    ¡°Drawn it wrong?¡±


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disheartened, but he still mustered his spirits and began to examine each stroke carefully. Eventually, he discovered that he indeed had drawn it wrong, not just in one place.


    In some parts, an extra stroke had been added to the Formation Patterns; in others, the angle of linkage was incorrect; and in yet another, the fusion of two fire patterns was mistaken¡­


    Because of the errors, Divine Sense was not exhausted as much, allowing him to complete the Bright Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua scratched his head and could only make a mental note of the mistakes, then he diligently erased the Formation to start drawing it all over again.


    ¡­


    After drawing it over and over, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel dizzy and see stars, his Sea of Consciousness aching and numb. When he looked at the Formation Patterns on the Taoist Stele, they seemed to blur and double.


    Somehow, amidst his befuddlement, Mo Hua completed the last stroke.


    The Taoist Stele seemed to tremble slightly, and its faint blue Formation Patterns emitted a gentle white light, within which seemed to flicker a flame, like that of a lamp illuminating the darkness of night.


    Bright Fire Formation!


    Mo Hua could hardly contain his excitement; the exhaustion of the entire night evaporated in an instant.


    For the first time in his life, Mo Hua truly felt the abilities of a cultivator, the sense of grasping the rules of the Heavenly Dao through a Formation Painting, and mastering the might of heaven and earth through his own comprehension and creation.


    It was but a tiny step, a slight might, but it was the first drop of water that would flow into the great river of the Great Dao!


    Mo Hua felt proud. Even though the Bright Fire Formation was only used for illumination and was one of the most common and cheapest Formations in Tao Cultivation, it had at least illuminated the first step of his path in Tao Cultivation.


    Mo Hua, still not fully sated, wished to draw it a few more times, but he knew that his fragile Divine Sense was like a flickering candle in the wind and could not withstand further strain.


    If he continued to draw, his Sea of Consciousness might not dry up, but he would certainly go mad.


    After all, although Divine Sense could recover, during the process of Formation Painting, the Divine Sense was constantly depleting, and this process was not comfortable.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first time drawing a formal Formation, but it would certainly not be his last.


    He planned to practice the Bright Fire Formation a few times every night. After a few days, once he was thoroughly familiar with it, he would start using materials from the Formation Pavilion to draw the Formation. Once it was well-drawn, he would exchange it for Spirit Stones, ideally even earning the Sect¡¯s maintenance fees, so his parents would not have to work so hard.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a night¡­¡±


    The Bright Fire Formation on the Taoist Stele shone brilliantly, and Mo Hua admired it once more, involuntarily nodding in satisfaction before somewhat reluctantly wiping the Formation away.


    The moment he erased it, his Divine Sense surged back and forth like the ebb and flow of tides, the waxing and waning of the moon, like a breached seawall that regained its form, and the sun that set only to rise once more. His exhausted Divine Sense instantly returned, filling up Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness!


    Standing before the Taoist Stele, his Divine Sense brimming, Mo Hua felt as if it was the moment he had first entered the Sea of Consciousness hours earlier.


    No matter how many times he experienced the feeling of Divine Sense ebbing and flowing, filling and depleting, it still seemed profoundly mysterious.


    And this time, the experience was even deeper than any before.


    Mo Hua gazed at the Taoist Stele, its surface black and profound, seemingly a void yet encompassing everything, appearing empty but seemingly revealing all.


    Transforming Divine Sense into Formation Patterns, and Formation Patterns back into Divine Sense, existence and non-existence giving rise to each other and transforming mutually.


    A saying from an ancient text surfaced in Mo Hua¡¯s mind:


    Existence is what we use to gain benefits, non-existence is what we utilize.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 10 - 10 Drawing Formation_1

    Chapter 10 Drawing Formation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The next morning, Mo Hua finished breakfast, set down his chopsticks, and went back to his room. He took out the paper and brush for copying and, with the memory of the Bright Fire Formation still clear in his mind, started to meticulously copy it stroke by stroke.


    The copy was created with the cheapest ink and paper, which possessed no spiritual energy. The Formation painted was merely a pattern with no effect at all, consuming only a minuscule amount of Divine Sense, so he wasn¡¯t worried about wasting Spirit Stones if he failed.


    Mo Hua copied the Formation in one go based on his memory. Since it didn¡¯t use much Divine Sense, he hardly paused at all.


    Mo Hua took out the Formation Diagram of the Bright Fire Formation and compared it meticulously against his copy. He discovered three mistakes.


    Setting the Formation Paper aside, Mo Hua took out a new sheet and continued drawing. After drawing three sheets in succession, he finally managed to copy a complete Bright Fire Formation Diagram without a single mistake.


    Mo Hua let out a long sigh of relief, stretched lazily, and glanced at the small sundial on his table to find that it was already noon. Only then did he feel hungry.


    Liu Ruhua had already prepared a meal consisting of Spirit Rice, several stir-fried vegetable dishes, and the only meat dish was an egg from a demon chicken. The quality of the Spirit Rice was low-grade, but it was enough to fill his stomach.


    The simple and tasty meal was devoured eagerly by Mo Hua. After finishing, he ran back to his room to continue practicing copying the Bright Fire Formation.


    Watching Mo Hua¡¯s retreating figure, Liu Ruhua expressed her concerns,


    ¡°Huar is working too hard; he¡¯s gotten much thinner.¡±


    Mo Shan nodded and said, ¡°Hard work is good, but I¡¯m afraid it will wear him out. Huar was born weak, and his foundation isn¡¯t strong; indeed, he shouldn¡¯t overexert himself.¡±


    Liu Ruhua sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a pity he didn¡¯t inherit your talent for Body Refinement and instead took after my frailty¡­¡±


    Mo Shan gently embraced Liu Ruhua¡¯s slender shoulders, ¡°How can we blame you for that? When Huar was born, his Blood Qi was weak, so we went to Old Mr. Feng of Apricot Forest Hall. He told us that one¡¯s Divine Sense and physical body are balanced at birth. Huar was born with a strong Divine Sense, hence the weaker body. Look at him now; despite being physically weak, which of the neighborhood children is as smart as he is? That Huar is so clever and handsome is all thanks to you.¡±


    Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°You always know what to say.¡±


    Seeing his wife¡¯s expression soften, Mo Shan continued, ¡°This morning, I chatted with Old Zhou from the Monster Hunting Team. I heard that a few days ago, they happened to kill a Fire Chick. This bird might not be a Monster Beast, but its flesh contains some spiritual energy. I bought some to let Mo Hua try it; it will be good for you to nourish your body, too.¡±


    Liu Ruhua asked, ¡°Do we have enough Spirit Stones at home?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Mo Shan said, ¡°We¡¯re brothers who¡¯ve hunted Monster Beasts together. We have a good relationship, so it¡¯s the same if I pay after the New Year.¡±


    Liu Ruhua placed her Storage Bag in Mo Shan¡¯s hand, ¡°Give however much you can; if it¡¯s not enough, we can repay it after the New Year. With the holiday approaching, everyone needs to earn some Spirit Stones for the festivities.¡±


    Mo Shan thought for a moment and then nodded, ¡°That sounds good.¡±


    While Mo Shan and his wife chatted, Mo Hua focused intently on drawing the Bright Fire Formation until the evening, by which time he had become quite skilled at it.


    At dinner, Mo Hua ate quickly and then rushed back to his room, where he rested quietly for a moment before going to sleep on schedule and entering his Sea of Consciousness.


    The ancient Stele stood tall in the empty white expanse of his Sea of Consciousness.


    Using his finger as a brush, Mo Hua began formally Drawing Formation on the Stele. As the Formation Patterns on the Stele slowly took shape, his Divine Sense poured out.


    When his Divine Sense was nearly depleted, and Mo Hua was almost unable to maintain it, he finally completed the Bright Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua stopped, and the Formation on the Stele emitted a gentle white glow.


    The Bright Fire Formation was a Formation that a Cultivator at the third level of Qi Refinement could draw. Mo Hua, at only the second level, was struggling, but he could now complete a full Bright Fire Formation Diagram.


    This also meant that, even compared with a Qi Refinement third-level Cultivator, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was in no way inferior.


    Mo Hua felt a small surge of pride within him, then he erased the Bright Fire Formation he had drawn, and his Divine Sense immediately replenished itself.


    Mo Hua continued to practice drawing the Bright Fire Formation, for he had to use the evening to fully master the Formation Diagram of the Bright Fire Formation, and then start on officially Drawing Formation the next day.


    In the empty white and silent Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua repeatedly drew the Bright Fire Formation, summarizing and reflecting on various issues encountered.


    Unconsciously, daylight broke, and Mo Hua found himself involuntarily exiting the Sea of Consciousness.


    Feeling no fatigue, Mo Hua immediately got up, sat on the bed to practice meditation for a while, and after finishing breakfast, he washed his hands, and with great care, took out the Formation materials given by Fatty Steward.


    The materials included ten sheets of Formation Paper and ten small bottles of pale red ink. The Formation Paper was made from the skin of Monster Beasts and some shredded Spirit Grass, while the ink was a mixture of the blood of Fire-Attribute Demon Beasts and Spiritual Liquid, different from the paper and ink Mo Hua used for copying; these contained Spiritual Energy and naturally, they were much more expensive.


    Fatty Steward had also included a pen that was new but crudely made, hardly any better than Mo Hua¡¯s own, which Mo Hua did not open, preferring his own pen which he was more accustomed to.


    Mo Hua spread out a sheet of Formation Paper on the table and carefully poured the ink into the inkstone. The inkstone helped preserve the Spiritual Power of the ink a bit longer, preventing it from dissipating too quickly.


    Mo Hua reviewed the Formation Patterns of the Bright Fire Formation in his mind once more, before he started to officially draw the Formation.


    The process of Drawing Formation went smoother than Mo Hua had expected; except for using real paper and ink, everything else felt the same as when he was drawing on the stone Stele in the Sea of Consciousness, even the speed at which Divine Sense was consumed.


    However, due to some nervousness, a few strokes were slightly skewed ¨C although it didn¡¯t affect the effectiveness of the Formation, it made the drawn Formation look somewhat ugly.


    After exhausting his Divine Sense, Mo Hua finally completed drawing the Bright Fire Formation, but unfortunately, there was still one mistake.


    Before becoming proficient, he had already lost a Spirit Stone¡­


    Mo Hua felt the loss acutely.


    Moreover, with his Divine Sense depleted, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t continue Drawing Formation and could only close his eyes to recuperate.


    ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s any method to quickly restore Divine Sense¡­¡± sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thought to himself, now greatly missing the time he practiced on the Taoist Stele; alas, in reality, the Stele couldn¡¯t be used.


    As Mo Hua rested, not waiting for his Divine Sense to fully recover, the morning had already passed, and Liu Ruhua was already calling Mo Hua for lunch.


    At lunch, Mo Hua hastily gobbled a few bites of food, then ran back to his room and spread out another sheet of Formation Paper.


    Staring at the blank Formation Paper in front of him, Mo Hua steadied his emotions and summarized his experiences, silently repeating the phrase ¡°Failure is the mother of success,¡± and began to draw the second Bright Fire Formation.


    This time, Mo Hua was more focused and careful, pondering thoroughly before each stroke, and pre-visualizing the following Patterns. When his Divine Sense was exhausted and he closed his eyes to rest, he continuously recalled the Formation Diagram of the Bright Fire Formation in his mind.


    Mo Hua drew slowly, yet time flew by quickly. When dusk arrived, although his progress was intermittent, he finally succeeded in Drawing Formation the Bright Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua could hardly hide his excitement. Amidst the excitement, the fatigue from exhausting his mental faculties set in, and he fell onto the bed, satisfied, and soon was fast asleep, snoring away.


    When Mo Hua awoke, the sky was already dark, and he felt incredibly hungry. Suddenly, he smelled a delicious fragrance and followed it into the hall, only to discover a large bowl of meat on the table!

 Chapter 11 - 11 Fire Chick_1

    Chapter 11 Fire Chick_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The meat in the bowl was a pale golden color, crystal clear and translucent, resembling a chicken leg but nearly the size of a pork knuckle that Mo Hua had eaten in his previous life.


    The soup was clear and bright, topped with a thin layer of shimmering oil that was moisturizing without being greasy, adorned with some mushrooms and other side dishes, and small chunks of vibrant green herbs.


    It had been a long time since Mo Hua last ate meat; the most recent time was half a year ago during the Monster Hunting Festival.


    Meat is very expensive in the Tao Cultivation World; unless it¡¯s a special holiday, it¡¯s tough for average cultivators to have meat.


    The meat that cultivators eat is broadly categorized into two types: one type is from spirit beasts.


    Spirit beasts are different from monster beasts. They are raised by cultivators, fed with spirit grass and other various natural spiritual objects. Their flesh is tender, easy to cook, and contains spiritual energy, which makes them very expensive and unaffordable for loose cultivators.


    The other type is the meat from herbivorous monster beasts.


    While all monster beasts kill humans, not all of them eat humans. Those that feed on various spirit grasses might be ferocious and slaughter cultivators, but they won¡¯t consume the cultivators¡¯ flesh.


    Conversely, carnivorous monster beasts have almost all eaten humans. If they haven¡¯t, it isn¡¯t because they don¡¯t eat humans; it¡¯s simply because they have yet to encounter a cultivator they can eat.


    Therefore, while the meat of herbivorous monster beasts may have a peculiar taste, it is still edible for cultivators. The flesh of carnivorous monster beasts, on the other hand, is bloody and filthy, difficult to consume, and once eaten by a cultivator, it can easily contaminate their blood qi, causing their meridians to become chaotic, and some may even become possessed and insane.


    The meat of herbivorous monster beasts may not be expensive, but ordinary cultivators still won¡¯t eat it.


    The physical constitution of monster beasts is far superior to that of cultivators, and herbivorous monster beasts are no exception; their flesh is too tough to be palatable. To eat it, one needs to stew it over a stove for a long time before it can be chewed and swallowed.


    Loose cultivators simply can¡¯t afford the effort, and those cultivators who can afford the effort would directly choose to eat the flesh of spirit beasts.


    Thus, no matter what kind, meat is rarely seen on the tables of loose cultivators. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The meat in front of him, however, had a faint white steam rising from it, scarce though it was, it definitely contained a bit of spiritual energy.


    Liu Ruhua waved at Mo Hua, ¡°This is the meat of a Fire Chick. Your dad bought it to nourish your body.¡±


    After speaking, she couldn¡¯t help pinching Mo Hua¡¯s pale little face, ¡°Look how much you¡¯ve slimmed down recently.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat reluctant and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°This meat must be quite expensive, right?¡±


    Mo Shan waved his hand, ¡°We only bought half of it; it didn¡¯t cost too much in spirit stones. Moreover, it¡¯s from a friend in the monster hunting team. We¡¯re going to work together next year, so it¡¯s a mutual favor, half bought and half given.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Dad, are you planning on entering the Inner Mountain next year?¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, ¡°The Outer Mountain has become more difficult to make a living in. The profit from killing a monster beast is too low, and if someone gets injured, it could even be a loss. The monster beasts in the Inner Mountain are stronger, but as long as we find good items on them, we¡¯ll have an easier time, so next year¡­¡±


    Mo Shan suddenly stopped and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Why am I telling you all this?¡±


    Liu Ruhua gave Mo Shan a gentle glare and spooned a bowl of meat soup for Mo Hua, ¡°Try it and see how it tastes.¡±


    Mo Hua took a sip of the soup and a bite of the meat; the soup was fresh, the meat was fragrant¡ªrich but not greasy, and a delight to all senses.


    This was the most delicious meat Mo Hua had ever eaten.


    Mo Hua squinted in pleasure and praised, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s really delicious!¡±


    Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°If it¡¯s good, eat more of it. This whole bowl is yours; make sure you finish it.¡± Then she headed for the kitchen, ¡°There are some other dishes too, I¡¯ll go get them¡­¡±


    Mo Shan stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll help you¡­¡±


    Seeing his parents both head to the kitchen, Mo Hua took several pieces of the Fire Chick meat and added them to his own bowl, distributing the rest into his parents¡¯ bowls.


    When Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua returned with the dishes, they found their bowls filled with meat.


    Liu Ruhua felt both gratified and amused, saying softly, ¡°This meat was specially bought for you. At our age, we don¡¯t expect any progress in cultivation. To consume such spirit-enhanced meat would be a waste¡­¡±


    As Liu Ruhua tried to place some meat into Mo Hua¡¯s bowl, Mo Hua covered his bowl with both hands and shook his head, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough. I can¡¯t eat any more.¡±


    Mo Hua covered his bowl and refused to eat any more.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua had no choice but to let the matter go, though they began to push the food back and forth between themselves.


    Mo Shan added meat to his wife¡¯s bowl, whispering, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard all these years. Eat more to nourish your body¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua returned the meat to her husband¡¯s bowl, softly saying, ¡°You¡¯ve been the one toiling outside, enduring the elements and hardship. You should eat more¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, listening, couldn¡¯t help but feel his teeth sour and blurted out, ¡°Mom, Dad, if you don¡¯t eat the meat soon, it will get cold.¡±


    Mo Shan and his wife had forgotten their son was there, and when they saw their son¡¯s watery eyes watching them from the side, Liu Ruhua¡¯s face turned slightly red, while Mo Shan coughed lightly and pretended to eat as if nothing had happened.


    When Mo Hua saw his parents finally eating the meat in their bowls, he nodded in satisfaction.


    He then thought that although the meat of the Fire Chick was tasty, it was too expensive.


    The flesh of monster beasts might lack spiritual energy, but it could bolster one¡¯s blood qi, which undoubtedly was beneficial for cultivators. It was just that the meat of monster beasts was quite tough to chew¡­


    How could he ensure his parents ate more meat? He wondered if there was a method to achieve this.


    Mo Hua put this thought aside for the moment. The most important thing right now was to finish the Bright Fire Formation painting, and head to the trading house to find Fatty Steward and exchange for spirit stones.


    After the meal, Mo Hua returned to his room to meditate and digest the Fire Chick meat. As the spiritual energy was not substantial, it did not take too long.


    Once the spiritual energy was refined, Mo Hua resumed his work on the Bright Fire Formation. Before going to bed that evening, he successfully completed another one.


    Afterward, Mo Hua fell asleep and continued to practice formation painting on the Taoist Stele, reinforcing his memory of the formation and reflecting on his brush technique.


    Once daylight came, he meditated, and then kept practicing formation painting. He completed one in the morning and another in the afternoon, both successfully. However, the use of divine sense was quite draining, so after dinner, he had to rest for a while before going back to practicing formation painting on the Taoist Stele in his dreams.


    On the fourth day, Mo Hua¡¯s brush technique had improved significantly, and his divine sense seemed to have thickened slightly. Perhaps it was due to a deeper understanding of the Bright Fire Formation, leading to less consumption of divine sense. He was able to paint two formations during the day, and after dinner, he had the strength to paint another one. However, he was a bit too hasty and made a mistake with his brushwork, resulting in the failure of the formation.


    That night, after Mo Hua fell asleep, he continued to reflect and summarize in his Sea of Consciousness, practicing formation painting using the Taoist Stele.


    By the fifth day, Mo Hua had completed three Bright Fire Formations, all successful, though he felt a bit dizzy and his head was swollen from using too much divine sense. There was no pain as acute as the first time. Resting with closed eyes and concentration for a while did the trick.


    By then, Mo Hua had used up all the formation materials entrusted by the trading house, producing a total of eight Bright Fire Formations.


    Although there were some imperfections and much room for improvement, he was generally satisfied.


    That evening, Mo Hua indulged a little and didn¡¯t continue practicing on the Taoist Stele. Instead, he drew a few comic strips on it, purely for entertainment.


    The next day, after breakfast, Mo Hua arranged to meet Da¡¯hu and the other two for a stroll through the streets.


    Mo Hua put the completed formations in a storage bag, slung it over his shoulder, and just before leaving the house, Liu Ruhua slipped a spirit stone and five broken spirit stones to Mo Hua, telling him to buy some tasty or fun things if he saw something he liked. She also earnestly reminded him to stay safe.


    Da¡¯hu and the others thumped their chests, promising to protect Mo Hua and not let anyone bully him.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to his mother and headed out the door with his three pals.


    On their way, Da¡¯hu and the gang were lively, hopping and jumping around.


    On the bustling stone-paved street, the three spirited young boys and a porcelain doll-like child hopped and skipped along¡­

 Chapter 12 - 12 Compensation_1

    Chapter 12 Compensation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    After wandering for a while, Xiaohu suddenly asked, ¡°Where are we going next?¡±


    Mo Hua patted the storage bag on his body, ¡°First to the North Main Street!¡±


    When they arrived at the entrance of Fated Gathering on North Street, Mo Hua stepped onto the threshold and looked back, only to see his three little friends standing still. He couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys coming in?¡±


    All three little friends shook their heads together:


    ¡°I get dizzy just looking at formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Me too¡­¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I¡¯m done with formations in this lifetime; I won¡¯t go in either¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had no choice but to say, ¡°Then you guys wait here for me, I¡¯ll be right out.¡±


    The three little friends nodded in unison.


    As Mo Hua entered, the bell hanging from the door frame started to ring. The person in charge followed the sound and saw Mo Hua at the door, standing tall and proud with a storage bag slung across the chest, and couldn¡¯t help chuckling, ¡°It¡¯s you again, huh? What, has your brother finished all the formations?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The person in charge¡¯s interest was piqued, ¡°Oh? That was fast, just five days, huh,¡± and then gestured to Mo Hua, ¡°Let me have a look.¡±


    Mo Hua took out the formations from the storage bag and tiptoed to place them on the counter.


    The person in charge picked up the formations, looked at them, and frowned.


    Anxious, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Did I not draw them correctly?¡±


    The person in charge pondered for a moment and said, ¡°They are correct, but this level of skill doesn¡¯t seem like the work of an experienced hand. Some of these are fine, but these few¡­¡±


    The person in charge flipped through a few and Mo Hua took a glance; they were the ones he had drawn first.


    ¡°These few are much worse off; the brushwork is very awkward, it¡¯s disjointed, as if cobbled together bit by bit. Are you sure your brother is learning formations from a Formation Master? The difference in skill is a bit much¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a little embarrassed; it was his first time drawing, and to have managed this much was already his best effort.


    ¡°So, can these formations be used?¡±


    Tapping the counter with his finger and after a careful examination, the person in charge said:


    ¡°Although the brushwork is a bit rough, there is no real issue with the formations themselves; they can still be used¡­ It¡¯s just that the brushwork is a bit rough.¡±


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± then added, ¡°Maybe my brother was drawing this formation for the first time, so he wasn¡¯t very familiar with it and started off a bit awkward. Look, aren¡¯t the later ones much better?¡±


    After examining the later formations, the person in charge slowly nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true, the ones at the back are indeed an improvement, at least conforming to the standards.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± Mo Hua assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡­ my brother will definitely get better and better at drawing them!¡±


    The person in charge was amused by Mo Hua, ¡°You have quite a bit of confidence in your brother. Alright, for your sake, I¡¯ll consider this order fulfilled. But next time, the formations must at least meet the standard of these later ones; you can¡¯t use those practice ones to fill the numbers.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded again and again.


    The person in charge put away the Formation Diagrams and counted several Spirit Stones to place on the table.


    ¡°Eight successful ones, two failures, so the deposit of two Spirit Stones will be deducted; the payment is six Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°If your brother wants to continue drawing, the deposit will remain ten. He already has the Bright Fire Formation diagram, so I¡¯ll just give him ten more sets of paper and ink.¡±


    The person in charge then handed Mo Hua a storage bag filled with paper and ink.


    Mo Hua packed away the paper and ink materials and then picked up the six Spirit Stones, unable to suppress his excitement.


    Earning six Spirit Stones in five days was already comparable to the income of an average mid-to-late Qi Refinement Realm cultivator.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mother Liu Ruhua worked in the Food Building as an assistant cook, earning only one Spirit Stone a day, while his father Mo Shan¡¯s income from monster hunting was higher but not stable. Sometimes he could earn more, but if he didn¡¯t catch any valuable Monster Beasts, his income could be even lower.


    Mo Hua thanked the person in charge and then left Fated Gathering. The three little friends at the door stared at him with eager eyes.


    Mo Hua patted his storage bag and swung his little hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll treat you to some desserts!¡±


    Da¡¯hu and the other two exclaimed with a ¡°Wow¡± and happily surrounded Mo Hua as they headed to a pastry shop on the street.


    Tongxian City had many pastry shops. The ingredients for the more exquisite desserts were too costly for them, so they opted for a roadside shop called ¡°Wang¡¯s Pastry,¡± which was run by a basic Qi Refinement Realm cultivator. Though the shop was modest and the ingredients were not esteemed, the prices were reasonable.


    During festivals, ordinary cultivators often bought these treats to satiate their children¡¯s cravings.


    Wang¡¯s Pastry was famous for its Five-color Cake, made by steaming a mix of five differently colored grains from the Cultivation World. It was fragrant, sweet, and soft. A piece cost only two parts of a Broken Spirit Stone.


    The income of low-ranked loose cultivators was meager; many earned less than a single Spirit Stone per day. Thus, they had to split the Spirit Stones for use. A Spirit Stone divided into ten parts, with ten parts of Broken Spirit Stones equaling one full Spirit Stone.


    Broken Spirit Stones were not recognized by the Taoist Court or sect clans; they circulated only among the lower layer of cultivators, and only poor Qi Refinement cultivators used these Broken Spirit Stones in fractions.


    Mo Hua spent two Spirit Stones and bought ten Five-color Cakes. Because he purchased in bulk and was a child, the shopkeeper even gave him two extra cakes for free.


    Mo Hua kept two cakes for himself, planning to save the remaining four to take home for his parents.


    The four of them walked while eating the warm, fragrant, and sweet cakes. Xiaohu¡¯s mouth was too hot to close, but he still couldn¡¯t stop talking:


    ¡°This cake is really delicious. When I earn Spirit Stones in the future, I¡¯ll eat it every day!¡±


    Shuanghu said, ¡°Then you might as well marry a woman who can make desserts. That way, you can have it every day.¡±


    Xiaohu had a moment of realization, ¡°Right, right, how did I not think of that!¡± But then he became conflicted again, ¡°But I already like someone else, and one must not be fickle in love¡­¡±


    Shuanghu¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Who do you like?¡±


    Xiaohu said, ¡°The girl selling tofu on the west side of the street. I said I liked her first, you¡¯re not allowed to compete with me!¡±


    Shuanghu made a dismissive noise, waving a hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, her temper is terrible. I wouldn¡¯t compete with you for her¡­¡±


    While Shuanghu and Xiaohu chatted, Da¡¯hu focused on devouring his cakes, finishing both in no time and even licking his fingers afterward.


    Mo Hua handed over his uneaten cake to him.


    Da¡¯hu smiled sheepishly but couldn¡¯t resist taking the cake and eating it.


    Suddenly, Shuanghu asked, ¡°Mo Hua, did you really help ¡®Fated Gathering¡¯ with the formation painting?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Xiaohu¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°You can actually draw formations for others?¡±


    Shuanghu gave him a disdainful look, ¡°Otherwise, where do you think the Spirit Stones for these cakes came from?¡±


    Xiaohu, holding his cake, fell silent, ¡°So, these cakes were bought with the Spirit Stones you earned from drawing formations? That¡¯s amazing, Mo Hua. You might really become a top-tier Formation Master one day!¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°It¡¯s too early to talk about that now. Becoming a Formation Master is not that simple. Just keep this matter among ourselves, okay? When I earn more Spirit Stones, I¡¯ll treat you to more cakes.¡±


    Upon hearing the word ¡®cakes,¡¯ the three nodded hastily. Xiaohu even promised, ¡°If I spill the beans, I¡¯ll never get to eat desserts my entire life!¡±


    Mo Hua and the others strolled down the street a little more, admiring some strange and new curiosities. As the sky darkened, they each returned to their homes.


    Mo Hua gave the desserts to Liu Ruhua, who steamed them again and placed them in Mo Hua¡¯s bowl. Mo Hua firmly refused, but after some back and forth, he still ended up eating two, leaving one each for Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua.


    The cakes re-steamed by Liu Ruhua were hot and fragrant. Mo Hua felt they tasted even better than the ones at noon, prompting him to ask, ¡°Mom, do you know how to steam cakes?¡±


    Liu Ruhua smiled, ¡°That¡¯s nothing difficult. I can cook even the most complex dishes, but many recipes require a special stove forged by an Artifact Refiner, adorned with special formations. We just don¡¯t have the means to make them at home, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Are stoves very expensive?¡±


    ¡°To have a stove crafted by an Artifact Refiner is naturally not cheap, but the formations are even pricier. Hiring a Formation Master to draw formations is not easy, especially for something as big as a stove. So, unless one is opening a tavern or eatery, no one would spend a great deal for a stove¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, realizing that formation application was much more widespread in the Tao Cultivation World than he had imagined. He wondered which formation was used on the stove.


    Mo Hua made a mental note to learn more about it when he had time.

 Chapter 13 - 13 Lamp_1

    Chapter 13 Lamp_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    In the following days, Mo Hua spent all his time sequestered in his room drawing the Bright Fire Formation, except for when he ate his meals.


    After five days, Mo Hua had used up the ten sets of materials but, regrettably, only succeeded in drawing eight complete formations. One was spoiled by carelessness, and another by a brushwork error he hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    The Bright Fire Formation was the simplest and most basic formation in the Tao Cultivation World, yet even after so many attempts, Mo Hua still made occasional mistakes, some of which he had made before.


    ¡°Formations are truly profound and intricate, not to be taken lightly!¡± Mo Hua reminded himself sternly.


    When he found the time, Mo Hua handed over the successfully drawn formations to the Fatty Steward of Fated Gathering.


    This time, the steward was slightly more satisfied, acknowledging Mo Hua¡¯s¡­ elder brother¡¯s diligent attitude and noticeably improved brushwork compared to before. He was very willing to continue their cooperation and, after giving Mo Hua six spirit stones, supplied him with ten more sets of materials.


    Mo Hua had already earned twelve spirit stones and, at this rate, could complete another transaction before the end of the year, earning at least six more spirit stones.


    Mo Hua became even more meticulous in his drawing, handling the Bright Fire Formation with greater ease. His divine sense had also strengthened considerably. Now he could complete a full Bright Fire Formation without exhausting all his divine sense, significantly reducing the time it took to draw a formation.


    Several days later, after finishing his dinner, Mo Hua was preparing to return to his room when he suddenly heard a knock at the door.


    Mo Shan stood up to open the door and found two people standing outside.


    One was a young man wearing a clean and tidy Taoist robe who seemed to be quite cultivated and behaved very politely.


    The other was a middle-aged cultivator with some shallow scars on his face, whose eyes looked calm but held a sharpness within, and whose spiritual power was clearly much more robust, indicating he was at least at the eighth or ninth level of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    ¡°Young friend, might there be a brother named Mo Shan living here?¡±


    ¡°Are you looking for my dad?¡± Mo Hua asked, tilting his little head.


    The middle-aged cultivator¡¯s eyes softened as he looked at Mo Hua, ¡°You must be Mo Hua!¡±


    Mo Shan also came out to greet them, clasping his hands in respect, ¡°Brother Ji!¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator returned the greeting, ¡°Brother Mo, I¡¯m sorry for intruding so late! My son and I have traveled from Black Mountain City, rushing through the night, and have only just arrived at this hour.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a place to stay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s with a brother from my father¡¯s generation. It happens that I¡¯m visiting him, so we can lodge there temporarily. I came to discuss with you the matter we spoke of before¡­¡±


    ¡°Come in to talk.¡±


    Mo Shan welcomed them in, while Liu Ruhua tidied up the table and brought over some freshly brewed tea. Mo Shan then invited the two men to take a seat and introduced Mo Hua, saying:


    ¡°This is your Uncle Ji, Ji Qingbai, and next to him is your Brother Ji, with the given name Li.¡±


    Mo Hua bowed formally, ¡°Hello Uncle Ji, hello Brother Ji!¡±


    Ji Qingbai smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. He wanted to compliment, but seeing the tall and burly Mo Shan with his heroic eyebrows and starry eyes, then looking at the delicate and handsome Mo Hua beside him with fair skin, he felt that the phrase ¡°like father, like son¡± didn¡¯t quite fit.


    Normally, when a father is tall and robust, the son also tends to be strong and bear a resemblance, and that¡¯s when the phrase is most apt.


    But as a Monster Hunter who was accustomed to battling monster beasts, and who only used the common compliment ¡°like father, like son¡±, Ji Qingbai suddenly found himself at a loss for words now that the phrase wasn¡¯t applicable.


    ¡°This child¡­¡± Ji Qingbai hesitated for a moment, then managed to find the words, ¡°is very well-grown!¡±


    To avoid seeming perfunctory, Ji Qingbai added, ¡°Handsome, resembling Brother Mo, with gentle eyes and a temperament similar to the sister-in-law, well-read and sensible¡ªI¡¯ve never seen such an attractive child before.¡±


    Mo Shan wasn¡¯t bothered by the particulars; he was delighted with any praise for Mo Hua.


    After exchanging some pleasantries, Mo Shan said to Mo Hua, ¡°Your father and Uncle Ji will discuss some matters, you go and play in your room.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Mo Hua bowed to Ji Qingbai, then returned to his room.


    Ji Qingbai was likely also a Monster Hunter, coming to his father probably to discuss Monster Hunting matters.


    Mo Shan, with his robust build, had excellent talent for Body Refinement. In the Qi Refinement Realm, he had reached the eighth level, practiced several powerful Physical Martial Arts such as Cracked Gold Claw and Fiery Flaming Fist, and also had extensive experience with Monster Hunting. Additionally, being a man of integrity, he was quite well-known among the Qi Refinement cultivators in Tongxian City.


    ¡°Ji Qingbai coming to see my dad, it¡¯s probably about discussing the Monster Hunting expedition into the Inner Mountain of Big Black Mountain after the New Year¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    The Inner Mountain must be dangerous¡­


    Mo Hua thought about it and then sighed.


    These were not things he could be concerned with now, with only the second level of Qi Refinement, unable to practice Physical Martial Arts or even choose a Cultivation Technique, not knowing a single Spell; he couldn¡¯t help much.


    He might as well focus on Drawing Formation.


    Mo Hua took out his paper and brush, poured ink into the ink stone, and concentrated on drawing the Formation, hoping to complete a full Bright Fire Formation Diagram before falling asleep and entering the Sea of Consciousness.


    With his brush dipped in ink, he commenced his strokes; the pale red ink followed the tip of the brush, outlining one Formation Pattern after another.


    The Bright Fire Formation was so familiar that he had no difficulty drawing it.


    A few incense sticks worth of time later, the light on the lamp suddenly flickered and went out, leaving the room pitch-black.


    Is the lamp broken? Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua stopped his brush and, using the light from the hall, picked up the lamp on the table to examine it, muttering to himself, ¡°Could it be it¡¯s been used for too long?¡±


    It was still a long time till the hour of Zi; Mo Hua wanted to draw the Formation for a while longer.


    What should he do?


    Holding the lamp, Mo Hua walked to the door and peeped through the crack, seeing Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai still chatting inside the hall.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to disturb Mo Shan at this time. Just as he was about to withdraw his head, he heard Mo Shan say, ¡°Huar, is there something you need?¡±


    Only then did Mo Hua realize he had been noticed.


    With Mo Shan¡¯s Cultivation probably at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, and Uncle Ji¡¯s even higher, a glance through the crack in the door would naturally not escape their Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to say, ¡°Dad, the lamp is broken.¡±


    Mo Shan beckoned, ¡°Bring it here, let me take a look.¡±


    Mo Hua handed over the lamp.


    Mo Shan took it, twisted it forcefully, and opened the base of the lamp, looking inside before saying,


    ¡°It¡¯s been used for too long, and the Formation inside has faded. I¡¯ll buy you a new one tomorrow. For tonight, you should go to sleep early.¡±


    ¡°Formation?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Dad, let me see.¡±


    Mo Shan was slightly taken aback, but still handed the lamp to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua took the lamp and realized that the Formation at the base looked somewhat familiar; it was very similar to the Bright Fire Formation Patterns but was clearly cruder and only had two lines.


    It must be a cheaply made Bright Fire Formation to cut costs.


    The Bright Fire Formation, Mo Hua knew it well.


    ¡°Dad, wait a minute,¡± he said.


    Mo Hua ran back to his room, brought his brush and ink, traced over the faded Formation on the base, checked it, then found another spot and sketched a few more strokes.


    Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai stopped talking and solemnly watched him work.


    After a while, Mo Hua finished, ¡°Dad, try it now.¡±


    Mo Shan took the lamp, screwed the base back on, and flicked the small mechanism on the lamp; the lamp reignited and the room became brighter.


    ¡°It¡¯s working?¡± Mo Shan was surprised, then affectionately patted Mo Hua¡¯s head, ¡°Not bad, take it back, and remember to rest early, don¡¯t study too late.¡±


    Mo Hua hummed an agreement, ¡°Dad, Uncle Ji, continue your chat, I¡¯m going back to my room.¡± Having said that, he ran back to his room with the lamp.


    Mo Shan turned to Ji Sihai, ¡°Sorry, Brother Ji, let¡¯s continue our conversation.¡±


    However, Ji Qingbai seemed to have heard nothing, staring at the back of Mo Hua as he went back to his room, he was zoned out for a long while before finally saying thoughtfully, ¡°Mo Hua, this child, should only be at the second level of Qi Refinement, right?¡±

 Chapter 14 - 14 Ji Qingbai_1

    Chapter 14 Ji Qingbai_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t know why Ji Qingbai suddenly asked this question but nodded and said, ¡°Brother Ji is correct; Huar is cultivating at Tongxian Gate, and currently, he¡¯s at the second level of Qi Refinement.¡±


    Ji Qingbai found it a bit hard to believe, ¡°Second level of Qi Refinement and he can draw formations already?¡±


    Mo Shan replied, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. He¡¯s just learned a smattering at the sect and is imitating what he¡¯s seen, scribbling a few strokes that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Mo, you¡¯re being too modest. Just those few strokes he did just now were quite impressive. It shows that Mo Hua has talent.¡±


    Mo Shan smiled and said, ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, then I accept your good words, Brother Ji.¡±


    Ji Qingbai sighed and said, ¡°Among the descendants of us Monster Hunters, not to mention Formation Masters, there are hardly a few who have a rough understanding of formations, capable of drawing a few Formation Patterns. Before the new year, I went to ask for a Formation Master¡¯s help to draw some formations. I suffered an insult and still had to smile apologetically at him, for fear of offending him.¡±


    The more Ji Qingbai thought about it, the angrier he became, ¡°It was just a small formation he had to draw, and not only did he demand two hundred Spirit Stones, which was already exorbitant, but he also wanted one of my nieces to accompany him for a meal and to toast to him. If we were inside Big Black Mountain, I would have really wanted to split him with my blade!¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s face also darkened, ¡°To behave so unreasonably?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, but what can I do?¡± Ji Qingbai sighed, ¡°We don¡¯t know about formations, and the younger generation won¡¯t learn them. Whenever there¡¯s a problem, we have no choice but to swallow our pride and ask those clan Formation Masters for help. They act so arrogant and we still have to appease them with smiles.¡±


    ¡°Little brother Mo,¡± Ji Qingbai looked at Mo Shan earnestly, ¡°if Mo Hua really wants to learn formations, you must let him continue. If there¡¯s any difficulty, just come find me. I¡¯ll certainly help without any hesitation as long as it¡¯s within my power!¡±


    ¡°Brother Ji, you¡¯re too kind! If the child really wants to learn, I will certainly let him continue,¡± Mo Shan said seriously.


    Ji Qingbai nodded in acknowledgment.


    The two chatted a bit more and discussed some matters about Monster Hunting, and then Ji Qingbai took his leave.


    Mo Shan escorted Ji Qingbai and his son to the door.


    After Ji Qingbai left, he took his son to the home of a senior on the west side of South Main Street.


    On the way there, Ji Qingbai instructed his son, Ji Li, ¡°Monster Hunting in Qingxuan City is getting more and more difficult, so this time I came to ask your Uncle Mo to join me and take a look at the Inner Mountain of Big Black Mountain. Your talent is good and you¡¯re already at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, so come along to gain more experience. But leave the Monster Hunting to your Uncle Mo and me; don¡¯t get involved unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡±


    Ji Li responded, ¡°Dad, I understand.¡±


    ¡°I know you understand, but you¡¯re still young and might not completely grasp it. Monster Beasts are extremely vicious and cunning. With you having the lowest Cultivation, if you don¡¯t make a move, it¡¯s fine, but once you do and the beast spots a weakness, you could suffer a great loss.¡±


    Ji Li nodded and then, out of curiosity, asked, ¡°Dad, is Uncle Mo¡¯s cultivation strong?¡±


    ¡°Of course, your Uncle Mo is the most talented Monster Hunter I¡¯ve seen in all these years. He has great natural ability, quick reactions, and plenty of hunting experience. It¡¯s just a pity though. For Loose Cultivators like us, once we start a family and have children, we end up using all our accumulated Spirit Stones for our children¡¯s cultivation, leaving less for our own¡­¡±


    Ji Qingbai sighed, then continued, ¡°Otherwise, with his talent, continuing to cultivate, he could have reached the Foundation Establishment Stage.¡±


    Ji Li remained silent for a moment; his father¡¯s Cultivation could also have continued to improve, but the Spirit Stones he earned later were used for his own cultivation.


    Speaking of Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators, Ji Li softly asked, ¡°How¡¯s Grandpa Zheng faring?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not doing well,¡± Ji Qingbai said with a dejected expression, ¡°Uncle Zheng is the only Foundation Establishment Elder in Qingxuan City¡¯s Monster Hunting Guild. If he were to pass away, we Qi Refinement Realm Loose Cultivators would probably be bullied by those few clans again. The days ahead will get tougher¡­¡±


    ¡°Are there any Foundation Establishment Elders in Tongxian City?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is one with the surname Yu. He has a bit of a temper but is also protective of his own. Tongxian City¡¯s Monster Hunting Guild relies on him to maintain their authority. The clans don¡¯t dare to go too far. If it gets too difficult in the future, just move here to Tongxian City, find a partner, and settle down here. That way, I can also rest assured.¡±


    Ji Li, still young, blushed a little, ¡°Dad, that¡¯s still a long way off.¡±


    Ji Qingbai chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not too early. These kind of things need to be planned in advance.¡±


    Ji Li then thought of changing the subject and asked, ¡°Can little brother Mo Hua from Uncle Mo¡¯s family really become a Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ji Qingbai frowned, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to become a Formation Master. You start as an apprentice, then become an unranked Formation Master, and finally get assessed to become a first-rank Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°Firstly, it¡¯s not easy just being an apprentice, as we Loose Cultivators have no inheritance. To learn Formation Art, one must find a specialized Formation Master to be a mentor,¡± said Ji Qingbai.


    ¡°Don¡¯t Sects also teach Formation Art?¡± asked Ji Li.


    ¡°That¡¯s a far cry from the real thing,¡± replied Ji Qingbai, ¡°What the Sect teaches is just the surface, meant to let you know about the existence of Formation Art, not to train you to become a Formation Master.¡±


    Ji Li was astonished. When he had studied Formation Art in the Sect, he felt it was extremely difficult, and now he learned that it was just the basics.


    ¡°Finding a Formation Master as a mentor, how easy can that be? Those Formation Masters, each more arrogant than the last, set the bar higher than the heavens. Even if you offer them everything you have to take you on as an apprentice, it¡¯s still not enough.¡±


    Ji Qingbai got angry whenever he spoke about this, ¡°Formation Art is so difficult; without inheritance, without a mentor¡¯s teaching, how can it be possible to learn?¡±


    Ji Qingbai couldn¡¯t help shaking his head.


    Ji Li asked, ¡°So, after becoming an apprentice, can you become a Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°Being an apprentice is just the beginning. You need to endure many years, constantly learning, constantly practicing, to slowly improve your skills and then you can become a Formation Master, and that¡¯s still an unranked one. You need to endure further, keep learning, make a little name for yourself before you are qualified for assessment. The assessment is conducted by the Taoist Court, and that¡¯s another major hurdle¡­ Some Formation Masters never pass their assessment until death.¡±


    Ji Li already felt his scalp tingle from listening and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°So can little brother Mo really become a Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Ji Qingbai sighed, ¡°Even if it¡¯s my vain hope, at least it¡¯s something to look forward to.¡±


    Mo Hua returned home and continued drawing the Bright Fire Formation. A few days later, he finished the entire Bright Fire Formation. He had become much more proficient this time; out of ten sets, nine were successful, earning him eight Spirit Stones.


    On the last day before the New Year, Mo Hua went back to Fated Gathering to exchange with Fatty Steward for Spirit Stones.


    Fatty Steward was quite satisfied with the Formation Art that Mo Hua delivered.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Since you¡¯ve taken on a mentor and become an apprentice, you should be drawing at this level!¡±


    When settling the account, Fatty Steward gave Mo Hua ten Spirit Stones; the extra two were a gift, ¡°This is a New Year¡¯s gift. It¡¯s not much, but it also brings good fortune!¡±


    To Fatty Steward it might not be much, but to Mo Hua it was quite a bit.


    Mo Hua was very happy and picked out some auspicious phrases like ¡°Wishing the Steward bigger and stronger achievements, creating more glory¡± to say.


    Fatty Steward nodded happily in response. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next day was New Year¡¯s Eve, and Mo Hua¡¯s family of three had a lively celebration.


    The customs of celebrating the New Year in the Cultivation World and Mo Hua¡¯s memories from another life had many similarities, but also some differences.


    For example, although both pasted Spring Festival couplets, the couplets would glow, the cloud patterns on the character ¡°Fu¡± (luck) would move, and the Kirin auspicious beasts in New Year paintings would stare at you with wide eyes, sometimes snorting at you, which was quite novel.


    The New Year¡¯s Eve dinner was also the most sumptuous meal of the year, which might include a bit of meat, and all the delicacies that were not usually available were enjoyed to the fullest.


    Mo Hua had a very happy New Year, and after playing with his friends for a few days, he continued painting Formations for Fated Gathering.


    Through night and day of hard work, Mo Hua could draw the Bright Fire Formation Diagram with his eyes closed; he only needed three days to paint ten Formation Diagrams, and his success rate remained above ninety percent.


    This went on until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, which was the day before Tongxian Gate¡¯s school entrance; by that time, Mo Hua had earned nearly fifty Spirit Stones.


    After dinner, Mo Hua was packing for his entry into the Sect the next day, while Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua discussed matters concerning their offerings.

 Chapter 15 - 15 Bundles of Repair_1

    Chapter 15 Bundles of Repair_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The Sect opened its Outer Gate to recruit disciples and to impart the knowledge and skills of cultivation. To become a disciple, to study and practice cultivation, one needed to pay a tuition fee.


    The tuition fee varied depending on the grade of the Sect; the higher the grade, the more expensive the fee.


    Tongxian Gate was only a first-grade Sect within the Tao Cultivation World, but in Tongxian City, where only first-grade Sects existed, it was the largest Sect. The annual tuition fee was a hundred Spirit Stones, and this did not include other miscellaneous charges.


    A hundred Spirit Stones were not too expensive, but neither were they cheap. It was approximately what an ordinary Qi practicing Loose Cultivator could save in a year, assuming there were no injuries or other significant Spirit Stone expenses. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once afflicted by illness or disaster, or encountering difficulties that required spending Spirit Stones to resolve, it was possible to end up with a year with no harvest.


    The New Year had been joyous, but as it passed, the heavy burden of the cultivation life seemed to press down once again.


    Mo Shan placed a Storage Bag on the table with a bit of guilt, ¡°I borrowed some Spirit Stones from a few brothers, plus what I had saved up before, there are a bit over eighty¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua comforted him, ¡°Tomorrow, I will also go see the steward of the Food Building to ask him to advance me some Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Before Mo Shan could say anything, he noticed Mo Hua eavesdropping at the crack of the door.


    ¡°Huar!¡±


    Having been spotted, Mo Hua could only offer a sheepish smile and sat down next to his mother.


    Liu Ruhua affectionately pinched Mo Hua¡¯s ear and scolded, ¡°At such a young age, you already know how to eavesdrop!¡±


    ¡°Dad, Mom, are we still short of Spirit Stones?¡±


    Mo Shan said, ¡°Yes, we are short some, but your Uncle Ji said yesterday that he would lend me some and kept reminding me thousands of times to have you study hard at the Sect.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Ji?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, your Uncle Ji says you¡¯re smart and always sings your praises,¡± Liu Ruhua said as she stroked Mo Hua¡¯s head.


    ¡°But Uncle Ji¡¯s family doesn¡¯t have an excess of Spirit Stones either,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Mo Shan sighed softly, ¡°After the New Year I¡¯ll pay him back early. These days, whose pockets are overflowing with Spirit Stones?¡±


    ¡°I have them!¡± Mo Hua said with a chuckle.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were taken aback.


    Mo Hua trotted back into the house and then ran out again with a Storage Bag in his hand.


    He opened the Storage Bag, and within it, fifty Spirit Stones glimmered and interlaced, their lustrous reflections strikingly beautiful. But the expected scene of his parents moved to tears and praising him for his understanding did not happen.


    Mo Shan looked grave, and Liu Ruhua¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as well.


    Feeling uneasy, Mo Hua asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    In as calm a tone as he could muster, Mo Shan asked, ¡°Huar, who gave you these Spirit Stones?¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t given to me; I earned them myself!¡±


    Mo Shan was stunned for a moment, ¡°Earned them¡­ yourself?¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s expression eased as she gently embraced Mo Hua, ¡°Then tell Mom, how did you earn them?¡±


    ¡°I painted Formations for Fated Gathering. They¡¯re only the simplest ones, but I earn one Spirit Stone for every completed painting.¡±


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua exchanged looks, remembering how their son had spent most of his time indoors before and after the New Year, rarely playing outside, and returning shortly after going out. He had been painting Formations to earn Spirit Stones.


    They looked again at the Spirit Stones in the bag. One Spirit Stone for one Formation Painting, nearly fifty in the bag, meant he had to paint at least fifty¡­


    Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but hug Mo Hua even tighter.


    Mo Shan started to speak several times but stopped himself, unsure of what to say. In the end, he simply stretched out his hand and gently touched Mo Hua¡¯s head.


    ¡°These Spirit Stones are the fruit of your hard work. You keep them. Save them for cultivation or buy something tasty to eat. Dad will find a way to handle Tongxian Gate¡¯s tuition fees.¡±


    Mo Hua knew his father was reluctant to use these Spirit Stones. His eyes twinkling, he said, ¡°Then Mom and Dad can keep these Spirit Stones for me. I¡¯m just a kid; I don¡¯t need that many. And they could be stolen or snatched away.¡±


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua looked at each other, at a loss for words of refusal.


    Finally, it was Liu Ruhua who said, ¡°Alright, your Mom and Dad will hold onto them for you.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm!¡± Mo Hua nodded vehemently.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s getting late, and you have school tomorrow. Go to sleep early.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, goodnight Dad and Mom!¡±


    Mo Hua got up to go back to his room but then turned back and said, ¡°Dad and Mom, if you need to use them, go ahead. Don¡¯t save on my account.¡±


    Mo Shan and his wife were at a loss whether to laugh or cry.


    ¡°`


    Watching Mo Hua return to the room and close the door, Mo Shan let out a sigh and said with a wry smile, ¡°As a father, I¡¯m not even as good as my child.¡±


    Liu Ruhua consoled him, ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s a good thing that Huar is considerate of his parents. We should be happy that he can earn Spirit Stones with his own abilities. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua looked down at the Spirit Stones in front of her and then raised her head to her husband with concern, ¡°He¡¯s so young, can he really earn Spirit Stones for others by drawing formations? And earn so many¡­ I¡¯m afraid someone might see his young age and want to¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look tomorrow.¡±


    Mo Shan said, his eyes gradually sharpening.


    The next day Mo Hua got up on time, cultivated for a while, and then went with his mother Liu Ruhua to the Outer Gate of Tongxian Gate to pay the tuition and register for school.


    Mo Shan had left the house early. According to Liu Ruhua, he was to join several Monster Hunters to head for the Inner Mountain, so he had to leave earlier to prepare.


    When they arrived at the Outer Gate of Tongxian Gate, Liu Ruhua paid the tuition, completed the enrollment, and couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances at Mo Hua.


    Once he entered Tongxian Gate for cultivation, unless the Sect gave holidays during festive seasons, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see her son on regular days.


    Liu Ruhua repeated several pieces of advice to Mo Hua to cultivate well, get along with his fellow disciples, eat well, dress well, and not to bully others. Then she reluctantly went back home.


    Mo Hua stood outside the gate waving his hand until Liu Ruhua¡¯s figure disappeared at the corner, then he turned around.


    Instead of entering the Sect, he first went to Fated Gathering on the North Main Street, found Fatty Steward to receive materials for twenty sets of Bright Fire Formations, agreeing to deliver them by the latest in half a month.


    The Sect had a day off every ten days at the beginning, middle, and end of the month. Mo Hua planned to slip out during these breaks to trade with Fatty Steward.


    For the twenty sets of materials, Fatty Steward still took only ten Spirit Stones as a deposit. Given the pleasant past cooperations with Mo Hua¡¯s¡­ elder brother, and the increasing quality of the formations provided, Fatty Steward was very satisfied and kept the deposit the same in consideration of Mo Hua¡¯s face.


    After negotiating with Fatty Steward, Mo Hua left Fated Gathering satisfied.


    After Mo Hua left, he didn¡¯t notice a burly man quietly watching him from outside Fated Gathering.


    Once Mo Hua had departed, the man entered the entrance of Fated Gathering.


    The sound of a doorbell chimed, and Fatty Steward looked up to see a plainly dressed but handsome and upright man with sharp brows and bright eyes looking at him with an inquisitive gaze that bore an aggressive edge.


    Fatty Steward realized at a glance that this man was a Monster Hunter, a true Monster Hunter who had seen blood! And his attitude was not good, looking at him as if he were a Monster Beast waiting to be butchered.


    Fatty Steward believed his own Cultivation was not inferior to that of this man, but if it came to a fight, it was hard to say. After all, Monster Hunters lived on the edge of blade and blood, battling for life against Monster Beasts.


    Whereas he spent his years sitting in front of a counter and it had been who knows how long since he had touched a sword, his skills in combat had become rusty.


    After weighing his options, Fatty Steward straightened his demeanor and cautiously asked, ¡°This Taoist friend, may I ask what formation you need?¡±


    The burly man was Mo Shan. He spread out a crumpled piece of paper, upon which a formation had been copied. There were some mistakes in the copying, thus there were erasure marks visible.


    ¡°What formation is this?¡±


    Fatty Steward glanced at it and replied, ¡°It¡¯s a Bright Fire Formation.¡±


    ¡°Do you accept this kind of formation?¡±


    The man¡¯s tone made Fatty Steward uncomfortable. On a normal day, he would have dismissed it, but today he felt a guest who enters is a guest indeed and should be treated with courtesy and thoroughness.


    ¡°Of course, we accept it. This is a commonly used formation, regularly needed by ordinary Cultivator families, so there¡¯s a significant consumption,¡± Fatty Steward said.


    Mo Shan asked, ¡°That child who just left, does he also draw formations for you?¡±


    Fatty Steward replied, ¡°Such matters cannot be disclosed; Fated Gathering protects the privacy of its customers, which is a principle of our business.¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s gaze suddenly bore down like a knife, and the uncomfortable Fatty Steward pondered briefly, feeling that a Cultivator should not be too rigid; principles could be flexibly adhered to.


    ¡°Not that child, it¡¯s his elder brother.¡±


    Mo Shan frowned, ¡°Elder brother?¡±


    Fatty Steward said, ¡°Yes, how much could such a young child know about drawing formations? He¡¯s just running errands for his elder brother; it¡¯s his elder brother who draws the formations.¡±


    ¡°Is that what he told you himself?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Steward answered, ¡°otherwise, why would we do business with a child?¡±


    After finishing, Steward looked at Mo Shan warily:


    ¡°As for the child¡¯s surname, first name, and where he lives, I cannot possibly tell you.¡±


    Mo Shan glanced at Fatty Steward dismissively, would I, as his father, not be clear about this child¡¯s surname, first name, and where he lives, that I would need you to tell me?


    However, knowing Mo Hua was not being exploited, Mo Shan¡¯s attitude softened, and he cupped his fists towards Fatty Steward, stating, ¡°I apologize for the disturbance, I will take my leave.¡±


    Fatty Steward let out a sigh of relief internally, showing a hint of pride as he nodded in acknowledgment.


    As Mo Shan turned and left, Fatty Steward didn¡¯t breathe easily until his figure disappeared behind the door, then he muttered discontentedly in a low voice, ¡°And he didn¡¯t even buy anything¡­¡±

 Chapter 16 - 16 Qi Refinement Level 3_1

    Chapter 16 Qi Refinement Level 3_1


    Translator: 549690339


    After Mo Hua entered Tongxian Gate, a new year of sect life began.


    Tongxian Gate is a First Grade sect, which is the lowest level of sects in the Tao Cultivation World.


    The hierarchical system of sect rankings in the Tao Cultivation World is extremely strict.


    When a sect is first established, it must undergo an assessment, which is audited and decreed by the Taoist Court.


    The criteria for assessment are very stringent, including strict evaluations of the sect¡¯s assets, the mountain ranges it occupies, the depth of its legacy, whether the Sect Leader has any moral flaws, the cultivation and number of Elders and Instructors within the sect, and the number of disciples it can accommodate.


    Advancement in sect ranking is even more demanding, requiring several high-level cultivators to be present and disseminate teachings for a set number of years before applying to the Heavenly Right Pavilion of the Taoist Court for a promotion in rank.


    Rank advancement is a top priority for any sect, requiring years of preparation, as well as managing relations with the Taoist Court, and spending considerable human and financial resources.


    Within Tongxian Gate, only the old Sect Leader is a Foundation Building Cultivator, far from meeting the requirements for a Second Grade sect. Moreover, it is estimated that they will not qualify for rank advancement within a hundred years. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In addition, Tongxian Gate¡¯s estate encompasses only three mountain peaks: Tongling Peak, Tongxuan Peak, and Tongming Peak.


    At Tongxian Gate¡¯s Outer Gate, disciples in the early stages of Qi Refinement, that is levels 1-3, practice and learn on Tongling Peak. Disciples at the middle phase of Qi Refinement, levels 4-6, are on Tongxuan Peak, and the few Outer Gate disciples in the latter phase of Qi Refinement, levels 7-9, are also on Tongxuan Peak. These disciples are so few in number that they are simply accommodated together.


    The Inner Gate disciples including legacy students, as well as the sect¡¯s Sect Leader, Elders, and Instructors, are all located on Tongming Peak.


    It is said that there used to be a Tongxian Peak, exclusively for the Sect Leader and Elders to reside and cultivate. However, due to poor management of the Sect and insolvency, they had to sell the peak with tears in their eyes.


    How could Tongxian Gate still be called ¡°Tongxian Gate¡± without Tongxian Peak?


    Generations of Sect Leaders of Tongxian Gate have vowed to redeem Tongxian Peak, but unfortunately, this grand aspiration has not yet been realized.


    The disciples from each peak of Tongxian Gate are divided into four classes: A, B, C, and D, with the quality of the disciples decreasing from Class A downward. The sect¡¯s attention to and cultivation of them decrease accordingly.


    Class A usually recruits so-called ¡°heaven¡¯s proud children¡± with good Spiritual Roots, high aptitude, and quick cultivation progress.


    Of course, if you have a relationship with the sect¡¯s Sect Leader or Elders, or are willing to donate a significant number of Spirit Stones to the sect, you can also enter Class A.


    In short, you need either talent, connections, or Spirit Stones.


    Class B enrolls disciples with average Spiritual Roots but decent aptitude and perseverance, and solid performance in various disciplines.


    Disciples in Class C have average Spiritual Roots, average aptitude and achievements, while those in Class D have even poorer Spiritual Roots and achievements, basically just muddling through their days.


    Mo Hua was assigned to Class B, belonging to the kind of disciples with average Spiritual Roots, but relatively hardworking and with decent performance in courses.


    Since Mo Hua was only at the second level of Qi Refinement, his lodgings and cultivation place were all on Tongling Peak, which housed the largest number of disciples in Tongxian Gate.


    After entering the sect and greeting familiar fellow disciples, Mo Hua began a year of study and cultivation.


    Even the poorest cultivators at the bottom of the hierarchy gather some Spirit Stones to send their children to the sect for cultivation, to at least lay down some foundation in cultivation and not to be too ignorant of the various knowledge in the Tao Cultivation World. Thus, the most disciples in the early stages of Qi Refinement are in Tongxian Gate.


    As for reaching the middle phase of Qi Refinement, whether one can continue to cultivate depends firstly on the cultivator¡¯s talent and secondly on their family¡¯s wealth.


    Some Loose Cultivator families simply cannot afford the Spirit Stones and have to let their children drop out of school to help in Artifact Refining or go monster hunting in the mountains to barely make ends meet. The annual stipend of one hundred Spirit Stones is no small sum. Otherwise, the family would starve to death before the child made any progress in cultivation.


    Those who can continue to cultivate in the sect during the latter phase of Qi Refinement are even fewer.


    Mo Hua¡¯s familiar fellow disciples were nowhere to be seen. After asking around, he learned that several of them, due to their impoverished family conditions and some difficulties, could not afford the tuition and had to drop out of school.


    Practicing Tao cultivation is diverse and profound. Without a teacher¡¯s guidance, one cannot fathom the number of detours they might take. Dropping out during the early phase of Qi Refinement, unless blessed with an incredible stroke of fortune, it is difficult to make any significant progress in Tao cultivation.


    Mo Hua let out a small sigh, feeling quite sorry for them, but his own situation wasn¡¯t much better, leaving him little time to dwell on these feelings.


    While attending classes, Mo Hua continued his cultivation practice, and in his free time, he busied himself with Drawing Formation, leading a hectic but fulfilling life.


    Several months later, Mo Hua had imperceptibly broken through to the third level of Qi Refinement.


    The practice of the Qi Refinement Realm relies more on persistence and accumulation. Daily dedication to cultivation, over time, along with the proper expenditure of Spirit Stones, naturally leads to breakthrough.


    However, what Loose Cultivators lack the most is always Spirit Stones.


    Small realm breakthroughs rely on accumulation, while breaking through the middle realms will encounter bottlenecks. These bottlenecks often require certain rare materials or Pills to aid in breaking through.


    As for major realm breakthroughs like advancing from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, it¡¯s more a matter of fate. For most of the lower-tier Loose Cultivators, it¡¯s a chasm they can never bridge in their lifetime.


    Each ascension in realm brings immense benefits for a Cultivator.


    Now at the third level of Qi Refinement, Mo Hua felt his Spiritual Power was more abundant, and his Divine Sense naturally stronger.


    The Bright Fire Formation that used to be a strain to complete was now well within his grasp, and he didn¡¯t even need much rest after finishing it.


    Even though it was expected, Mo Hua was still pleasantly surprised.


    No wonder so many Cultivators endure the tedium of cultivation with the sole focus on improving their realm; the plain joy that comes after such tedium is the true form of happiness.


    At the age of ten, Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation had reached the third level of Qi Refinement, ranking him in the upper-middle tier in his class.


    Now that he had reached the third level of Qi Refinement, it was time for Mo Hua to choose his Cultivation Technique.


    One day after class, Instructor Yan asked several disciples at the third level of Qi Refinement to stay behind, including Mo Hua.


    Instructor Yan kept Mo Hua and others back and then got straight to the point,


    ¡°This is normally handled by Old Instructor Zhou, but since he¡¯s feeling slightly unwell, I am taking on the task temporarily to discuss the matter of Cultivation Techniques with you.¡±


    ¡°The most important thing for a Cultivator is Spiritual Power. Whether you¡¯re a Body Cultivator or a Spiritual Cultivator, whether you work on Formation Painting, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, or Rune making, all require Spiritual Power. If your Spiritual Power is strong, you stand above others; if it is weak, you¡¯re a notch below. The most fundamental difference among Cultivators is the difference in Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°The source of a Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power is determined by their Cultivation Technique, and the Cultivation Technique is determined by the Spiritual Root. What kind of Spiritual Root you have dictates which Cultivation Technique you should practice, and the Technique you choose will define the abundance of your Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°Spiritual Roots are innate, predetermined by nature and cannot be changed later. You can¡¯t choose your Spiritual Roots, but you can choose which Cultivation Technique to practice.¡±


    ¡°Selecting an appropriate Cultivation Technique can greatly benefit your future cultivation. Even with lesser Spiritual Roots, choosing the right Cultivation Technique can lead to a lengthy path of Tao Cultivation, whereas mismatching a superior Spiritual Root with the wrong Technique could effectively sever your eternal cultivation journey.¡±


    ¡°Thus, regardless of the quality of your Spiritual Root, the choice of Cultivation Technique must be undertaken with extreme caution¡­¡±


    ¡°Cultivation Technique¡­¡± Mo Hua silently mulled over it in his heart.


    Mo Hua possessed a second-grade, lower-tier Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, which was considered below average among his peers in Tongxian City.


    He wondered what kind of Cultivation Technique his Spiritual Root would allow him to learn.

 Chapter 17 - 17 Cultivation Technique_1

    Chapter 17 Cultivation Technique_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Instructor Yan said, ¡°The breathing methods previously imparted by the sect, similar to cultivation techniques, can also cultivate spiritual power. However, they are quite rudimentary and only suitable for cultivators before the third level of Qi Refinement. After reaching the third level, one must choose a true cultivation technique to learn. Of course, one could continue using the breathing method, but the cultivation would be much slower¡­¡±


    ¡°Here is the cultivation method catalog provided by the sect for the Outer Gate disciples to practice. The catalog lists the names of the techniques, the compatible spiritual roots, the required spirit stones, the spiritual objects needed to break through bottlenecks, as well as the effects of the techniques. Have a look at it yourselves first.¡±


    Instructor Yan distributed the catalogs, and each disciple received a copy, including Mo Hua.


    The catalog was thin, with only around a dozen pages, but it densely recorded about dozens of cultivation techniques and related matters.


    ¡°If you have any doubts, you can ask me,¡± Instructor Yan said.


    The disciples fell silent for a moment before one of them raised a hand and asked,


    ¡°Gentleman, are cultivation techniques also categorized by attributes and grades, just like spiritual roots?¡±


    Instructor Yan glanced at that disciple indifferently and said,


    ¡°You¡¯re at the third level of Qi Refinement and still asking such a simple question. It seems you haven¡¯t been listening attentively in Instructor Zhou¡¯s classes. Go back and copy the ¡®Initial Understanding of Tao Cultivation¡¯ once, and bring it to me in three days.¡±


    Struck as by lightning, the disciple stood dumbstruck for a moment before hanging his head and saying, ¡°Yes,¡± filled with regret.


    He had been careless, forgetting that it was not Instructor Zhou teaching, and had blurted out whatever came to mind¡­


    Instructor Yan surveyed the group and spoke with heartfelt earnestness,


    ¡°Instructor Zhou is old and has a good temperament. He doesn¡¯t discipline you much, and you might not pay attention in his classes. But selecting a cultivation technique is a crucial matter. I¡¯ll explain it to you again. Listen carefully and don¡¯t find it tedious.¡±


    The disciples promptly sat up straight.


    ¡°A cultivator¡¯s spiritual root is divided by attribute and by grade, and so are the cultivation techniques.¡±


    ¡°The attributes of spiritual roots are primarily based on the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Some roots pertain to a single element, some are mixed, and there are the rare ones that possess all five, known as the Small Five Elements and Big Five Elements. Beyond these, there are also special spiritual roots emerged from unusual variations of the five elements, such as ice, thunder, wind, and yin-yang spiritual roots. These roots are quite rare and typically hard to come by.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, spiritual roots are divided into nine grades based on their quality, starting from the lowest: low-low, low-mid, low-high, mid-low¡­ up to high-high grade. Each grade signifies a significant disparity. The higher the grade of the spiritual root, the better the natural talent for cultivation, and the higher the limit of spiritual power that the Qi sea within can hold.¡±


    ¡°The classification of cultivation techniques is also divided by attributes, as well as by nine grades, which basically aligns with spiritual roots. In choosing a cultivation technique, one must consider their spiritual root¡ªwhat attribute it is, and select a technique of the same attribute; the grade of the spiritual root should ideally match the grade of the technique as well.¡±


    ¡°The attribute of the spiritual root determines the trait of the cultivator¡¯s spiritual power. The rarer the attribute, the more special the cultivator¡¯s spiritual power; the grade of the spiritual root determines the cultivator¡¯s natural talent for Tao cultivation. The higher the grade, the greater the natural talent.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Is a rarer spiritual root always better?¡± a disciple asked timidly.


    ¡°Not necessarily. For disciples of great clans and sects with inheritance, this is a good thing. But for ordinary cultivators, the rarer the spiritual root, the fewer the cultivation techniques available, and some may not even find any techniques to learn, which is not a good thing,¡± Instructor Yan explained. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What if the attribute of the cultivation technique doesn¡¯t match the attribute of the spiritual root?¡± another disciple asked.


    ¡°It won¡¯t matter,¡± Instructor Yan said, ¡°because you won¡¯t be able to cultivate it. A cultivator with a gold water spiritual root simply cannot learn a cultivation technique of the earth and wood series.¡±


    ¡°Are there no exceptions?¡±


    Instructor Yan raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°At least, there are none recorded in the Taoist Court¡¯s annals of over twenty thousand years. If you happen to encounter one, do tell me, so I can also broaden my knowledge.¡±


    The disciple shrank his head and stopped talking.


    ¡°Instructor, does the grade of the cultivation technique also have to match the grade of the spiritual root?¡± another disciple asked.


    Instructor Yan said, ¡°A higher-grade spiritual root can cultivate lower-grade techniques, but a lower-grade spiritual root cannot cultivate higher-grade techniques.¡±


    A disciple, confused, asked, ¡°If one has a high-grade spiritual root, why choose a lower-grade technique? Wouldn¡¯t that mean less spiritual power cultivated?¡±


    Instructor Yan explained, ¡°The higher the grade of the technique, the more spirit stones are required for cultivation, and the rarer the heavenly and earthly treasures needed to break through bottlenecks. Some treasures simply cannot be afforded by ordinary cultivators. It¡¯s better not to choose a high-grade technique, only to find halfway through cultivation that you can¡¯t afford it, by which time regretting would be too late.¡±


    ¡°What if someone with a low-grade Spiritual Root studies a high-grade Cultivation Technique?¡± the disciple asked again.


    Instructor Yan said, ¡°According to the ¡®Tao Cultivation Methods Canon,¡¯ if the grade of the Cultivation Technique exceeds one¡¯s own Spiritual Root, the cultivator will, more often than not, absorb too much Spiritual Power, causing damage to the Qi Sea. In severe cases, the collapse of the Qi Sea will utterly destroy one¡¯s Cultivation, and in even more drastic cases, one could succumb to demonic possession and die, with both life and path extinguished.¡±


    ¡°So, there are those who succumb to demonic possession, but does that mean there are also those who don¡¯t?¡± a disciple¡¯s eyes lit up as he asked.


    Instructor Yan gave him a meaningful look:


    ¡°Don¡¯t always assume you¡¯re the exception, that others may encounter problems but somehow you won¡¯t. While some people cultivating the Tao may have luck on their side, you should not stake your life on such an ephemeral thing as luck, seeking your own death.¡±


    Many disciples present had entertained such thoughts, and hearing this, they felt a chill in their hearts and dared not harbor any other thoughts.


    Instructor Yan continued, ¡°These are not isolated incidents, but bloody lessons from over twenty thousand years of the development of Tao Cultivation. Failing to learn from the experiences of our predecessors makes it easy to make a misstep. Once a Cultivator strays from the path, they often lose control of their own fate. Some are lucky enough to find their way back, while others are lost forever.¡±


    Instructor Yan let out a sigh, looking somewhat disheartened; Mo Hua felt Instructor Yan seemed to be troubled by something.


    However, Instructor Yan didn¡¯t say anything more and instead pointed to the ¡®Cultivation Method Catalog of Tongxian Gate¡¯s Outer Gate Qi-refining¡¯ and said:


    ¡°As I have just mentioned, find something suitable for yourselves in there. Remember, in Cultivation, do not bite off more than you can chew; what¡¯s suitable is the best.¡±


    All the disciples then lowered their heads and began to flip through the catalog of techniques.


    Having understood the general idea, Mo Hua started searching for a technique for himself.


    With his lower-middle-grade Spiritual Root, he could only study lower-middle-grade techniques, but he was also curious about what the high-grade ones were like.


    Mo Hua turned to the last section of the catalog and looked at a few high-grade techniques:


    ¡®Heaven and Earth, Mystery and Yellow Jue¡¯: Top-grade, suitable for cultivators with Earth Series Spiritual Roots, capable of cultivating one hundred and twenty Circulations of Spiritual Power. At least five thousand Spirit Stones are needed to reach the Qi Refinement Realm¡¯s completion, and it requires heavenly and earthly treasures like the Mystery Yellow Grass, Bitter Water Root, Heaven Mystery Stone¡­


    ¡®Gentle Water Decree¡¯: Top-grade, suitable for cultivators with Water Series Spiritual Roots, capable of cultivating one hundred and thirty Circulations of Spiritual Power. At least five thousand, two hundred Spirit Stones are needed to reach the Qi Refinement Realm¡¯s completion, and it requires heavenly and earthly treasures like the Hundred Years Rootless Water, Silver Snake Blood¡­


    ¡®Five Elements Absorption Qi Technique¡¯: Top-grade, suitable for cultivators with Spiritual Roots of the Five Elements series (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth), capable of cultivating one hundred and fifty Circulations of Spiritual Power. At least six thousand Spirit Stones are needed to reach the Qi Refinement Realm¡¯s completion, and it requires heavenly and earthly treasures like Gold Yuan Stone, Melting Fire Stone, Hundred Years Soil¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was astounded.


    ¡°To complete the Qi Refinement Realm, at least five to six thousand Spirit Stones are needed just for refinement, not including auxiliary Cultivation and the breakthrough of bottlenecks, some rare heavenly and earthly treasures might even exceed the cost of five to six thousand Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    It took Mo Hua an entire month of hard work to earn just fifty Spirit Stones; the mere thought of consumption on the scale of thousands was enough to make his scalp tingle.


    Mo Hua had heard others say that ordinary Loose Cultivators, even those with high-grade Spiritual Roots, simply could not afford to Cultivate high-grade techniques.


    If one insisted on doing so, there were generally only two methods available.


    One was to find a big Sect, take an Elder as a mentor, and enter the Inner Gate, binding oneself to the Sect for life, never to leave.


    The other was to marry into a family, letting the family support one¡¯s Cultivation, but the family would demand you to change allegiances, abandoning your name, parents, background, and all past attachments. Though you might have a future, you would no longer be yourself¡­


    No matter which option one chose, it essentially meant being dependent, with the promise of Cultivation but no control over one¡¯s own life.


    No wonder Cultivators often say, first is fate, then luck, and third is geomancy.


    A Cultivator¡¯s fate is determined twice: once by their Spiritual Root and once by their birth.


    The idea of defying fate and turning one¡¯s luck around is easier said than done¡­


    Mo Hua let out a long sigh.

 Chapter 18 - 18 Selection_1

    Chapter 18 Selection_1


    Translator: 549690339 S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Forget it, focus on the present tasks for now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought to himself before earnestly flipping through the techniques of lower and middle grades.


    ¡°Little Five Elements Jue¡±: A lower to middle-grade technique, suitable for cultivators with Five Elements-series spiritual roots, capable of cultivating spiritual power for seventy cycles. To reach completion in the Qi Refinement Realm, at least one thousand spirit stones are needed for refinement, and heavenly and earthly treasures such as Hundred Years Soil are required.


    ¡°Spring Return Technique¡±: A lower to middle-grade technique, suitable for those with Wood-series spiritual roots, capable of cultivating spiritual power for seventy-five cycles. To reach completion in the Qi Refinement Realm, at least one thousand one hundred spirit stones are needed for refinement, and heavenly and earthly treasures such as Evergreen Wood or Ten Year Old and Above Evergreen Leaves are required.


    ¡°Hundred Flames Jue¡±: A lower to middle-grade technique, suitable for those with Fire-series spiritual roots, capable of cultivating spiritual power for sixty cycles. To reach completion in the Qi Refinement Realm, at least nine hundred spirit stones are needed for refinement, and heavenly and earthly treasures such as Melting Fire Stone are required.


    ¡­


    The required spirit stones for cultivating middle-grade lower-tier techniques weren¡¯t few, but compared with superior-grade techniques, it was already much better.


    However, you lose some, you gain some. The lower to middle-grade techniques consumed fewer spirit stones but also produced less cultivated spiritual power.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s middle-grade lower-tier spiritual roots, cultivating middle-grade lower-tier techniques, his spiritual power in the same realm would be just over half of that of a cultivator with a superior-grade lower-tier spiritual root.


    And this was just for the lower tier, the middle and higher tiers of superior-grade techniques would undoubtedly yield even thicker, more robust spiritual power. The further one cultivated, the greater the disparity in spiritual power due to differences in spiritual roots would become, like the difference between the heavens and the mire.


    Moreover, spiritual roots were divinely predestined and could not be changed.


    ¡°Indeed, some are born under a lucky star¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, but since spiritual roots couldn¡¯t be changed, there was no point in dwelling on it.


    Mo Hua turned to the last page of the ¡°Spell Skills Catalogue¡± and was completely stunned by the line of small print he saw.


    ¡°Inheritance fee¡­ what is that?¡±


    Mo Hua read the footnote below:


    The techniques of Tongxian Gate are the painstaking compilation, dedicated study, and meticulous improvement of successive sect leaders and elders, embodying the efforts of generations of predecessors.


    Disciples of the sect must pay a certain amount of spirit stones to gain the qualifications to inherit the techniques.


    It also detailed the specific costs for inheritance below.


    The inheritance fee for a superior-grade lower-tier technique was one thousand one hundred spirit stones, but due to the scarcity of superior spiritual roots, there was a discount, making it only nine hundred and ninety-eight spirit stones.


    The inheritance fee for middle-grade techniques was a bit lower, and even lower for the middle-grade lower-tier, but it was still two hundred spirit stones.


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded.


    What¡¯s with this inheritance fee?


    He hadn¡¯t heard of this before.


    Why was the sect charging fees out of the blue? This was extortion!


    Mo Hua, with only eight spirit stones to his name, sighed helplessly.


    The Tao Cultivation World was proving to be all too real and practical¡­


    ¡°Once you have chosen a cultivation technique and paid the inheritance fee, the sect will impart the technique to you. The choice of technique is critical, so it¡¯s best to consult your parents and elders before making a decision. Don¡¯t overreach for higher techniques, nor should you miss out on your future in cultivation due to short-sighted choices.¡±


    Instructor Yan finished speaking and walked away, seemingly reluctant to handle such matters.


    After Instructor Yan left, the disciples gathered in small groups to chat excitedly, some with joyous faces, others frowning in distress, and the room suddenly filled with noise:


    ¡°What¡¯s this inheritance fee? I¡¯ve never heard of it before¡­¡±


    ¡°Who knows, but if the sect is collecting it, can we even refuse to pay?¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Heaven and Earth, Mystery and Yellow Jue¡¯, just the inheritance fee alone is over a thousand spirit stones, tsk tsk¡­¡±


    ¡°If you really learn it, you¡¯ll probably end up in servitude to the sect.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, my spiritual root doesn¡¯t even qualify.¡±


    ¡°Both my parents have middle-grade spiritual roots, so why do I only have a lower-grade spiritual root? There¡¯s hardly any technique for me to choose from¡­¡±


    ¡°You should read ¡®Treatise on the Evolution of Cultivators¡¯ Spiritual Roots¡¯ to find out why parents with middle-grade spiritual roots could give birth to someone like you with lower-grade roots¡­¡±


    ¡°By the way, do we really have anyone with a superior spiritual root here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have a distant cousin who has a superior spiritual root, but his father is a gambler and his mother is lazy. Their family is dirt poor, and he only chose a lower to middle-grade technique, completely wasting his good innate potential. It¡¯s such a pity¡­¡±


    ¡°Then even if I have a superior spiritual root, I still won¡¯t be able to afford the cultivation.¡±


    ¡°You could always marry into a rich family¡­¡±


    ¡°Not a chance!¡±


    ¡­


    The disciples continued to discuss, while Mo Hua also propped up his little chin in thought.


    This sect inheritance fee had exceeded his expectations.


    The ¡°Spell Skills Catalogue¡± did list cultivation techniques that Mo Hua could choose from, but his parents had just managed to scrape together his living expenses, and in the short term, they couldn¡¯t afford to spend that many spirit stones. Even if they could assemble the funds through borrowing here and there, it would impose a heavy burden on the family.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I can¡¯t choose a cultivation technique for now. I¡¯ll make do with the ¡®Breath Reclaiming Technique¡¯ for the time being. I¡¯ll wait until I¡¯ve saved up enough spirit stones through drawing formations before I select a technique from the catalogue to cultivate. After all, I¡¯ve only reached the third layer of Qi Refinement. There¡¯s still some time before breaking through to the fourth layer.¡±


    Mo Hua tossed the ¡°Spell Skills Catalogue¡± into his storage bag, not planning to bring it back home for his parents to see anytime soon. His priority was drawing formations to earn spirit stones.


    In the following days, Mo Hua¡¯s life remained the same as before¡ªpersisting in his cultivation, attending classes, and drawing formations in his free time.


    The Sect¡¯s life was monotonous, yet it was also quite comfortable.


    Tongling Peak was picturesque, with lush greenery and occasional mists, frequented by birds and surrounded by the fragrance of flowers.


    After classes, the disciples of the Outer Gate would often wander through the mountains; the female disciples, pretty and graceful, enjoyed flower-watching together.


    The male disciples chased after spirit beasts across the mountains while nascent pairs of male and female cultivators whispered sweet nothings in secluded flower-strewn brooks, and jealous disciples occasionally fought.


    However, all this had nothing to do with Mo Hua, who dedicated his entire focus to formations. Aside from eating and attending classes, he spent all his time researching formations, even practicing formation markings on the stone stele in his sleep.


    Among familiar peers, Da¡¯hu had reached the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, and Shuanghu and Xiaohu had already attained the fourth layer; they were cultivating on Tongxuan Peak. Although the two peaks were not far apart, knowing that Mo Hua was focused on learning about formations, they generally didn¡¯t disturb him without good reason.


    With his innocent and intelligent face, coupled with a harmless appearance and amiable demeanor, Mo Hua was quite well-liked on Tongling Peak, and nobody thought of bullying him.


    Moreover, Mo Hua¡¯s achievements in formations were impressive, drawing the attention of Instructor Yan. Anyone trying to bully Mo Hua would face serious consequences once Instructor Yan found out. Instructor Yan despised strife among disciples and lack of focus on cultivation, dealing extremely severe punishments upon discovery.


    Furthermore, Da¡¯hu and the others had always looked out for Mo Hua. They were tall and strong, following the path of body cultivation and planning to enter Big Black Mountain to become Monster Hunters.


    In their free time, they would look for opportunities to spar. Whenever there was trouble on Mo Hua¡¯s end, they were quick to roll up their sleeves and hurry over from Tongxuan Peak.


    Mo Hua, undistracted in his cultivation, had had interactions with only one other disciple¡ªAn Xiaopang.


    Mo Hua returned the ten spirit stones he had borrowed from An Xiaopang before the New Year.


    When Mo Hua gave him the spirit stones, An Xiaopang was stunned, clearly having forgotten about the loan. It took him a while to remember.


    As a scion of the An Family from Tongxian City, he truly didn¡¯t care much about the ten spirit stones; it was also possible he just had a poor memory.


    After ruminating with furrowed brows for a while, An Xiaopang¡¯s expression became complicated as he said, ¡°I¡¯ve grown up like this, and you¡¯re the first one who has actually thought of returning the spirit stones after borrowing them.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly, thinking this must be the naivety of a landlord¡¯s silly son.


    Some of the lent spirit stones might have been forgotten by him, while others might have been deliberately not returned by the borrowers. He really didn¡¯t lack spirit stones, so over time, he had simply gotten used to it.


    ¡°You¡¯re so¡­ kind, be careful not to be deceived by others.¡±


    Mo Hua changed his words mid-sentence, from ¡°silly¡± to ¡°kind,¡± and patted An Xiaopang¡¯s shoulder, advising him euphemistically.


    An Xiaopang¡¯s expression grew even more complicated, with a hint of being moved:


    ¡°Little Mo bro, everyone says I¡¯m stupid, but only you know that I¡¯m just kind-hearted. Out of all the disciples I¡¯ve met, you are the smartest, no wonder you¡¯re so good at drawing formations!¡±


    For a moment, Mo Hua was at a loss for words.


    After a month or so, the Sect had a ten-day break, granting a two-day holiday.


    Mo Hua left the Sect and went to Fated Gathering on North Street, where he handed over the Bright Fire Formation he had drawn to Manager Wang, then asked:


    ¡°Do you have a formation that¡¯s a bit harder than the Bright Fire Formation, something that could exchange for more spirit stones?¡±


    Manager Wang cast a glance at Mo Hua, ¡°Did your elder brother ask you to inquire?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°There is one,¡± Manager Wang dipped his head and rummaged behind the desk, then drew out a formation diagram, which had several unfamiliar formation markings on it.


    ¡°The Solid Earth Formation, which can solidify earth and stone. It¡¯s commonly used by cultivators when constructing houses or reinforcing doors and windows. The Solid Earth Formation is a bit more difficult than the Bright Fire Formation, and the compensation for each Solid Earth Formation Method is two spirit stones.¡±


    Two spirit stones¡­ that¡¯s double the Bright Fire Formation¡¯s reward.


    ¡°May I take a look at the formation method map first?¡±


    Manager Wang gave Mo Hua a look that said, ¡°What¡¯s the use of you looking? Your brother should be the one to see it.¡±


    Still, despite his words, he handed the map to Mo Hua. These basic formation method maps weren¡¯t particularly rare items anyway, so it didn¡¯t hurt to show them to others.


    Mo Hua glanced over the map and realized that indeed many of the formation markings were ones he had never seen before, and they were also not taught by the instructors at his Sect.


    ¡°I wonder how long it will take to learn this formation¡­¡±


    The fees for inheriting techniques from the Sect were too expensive; it would take a long time to save up for them by earning through Bright Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua wanted to draw a new formation, but he hesitated a bit. If the quality was not good, he might lose spirit stones, and if he couldn¡¯t learn it, failing to finish within the deadline, the Formation Pavilion would deduct the entire deposit.


    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t catch a wolf without risking the sheep!¡±


    Mo Hua made his decision. Even if he didn¡¯t learn it within the deadline and all twenty spirit stones were deducted, he could just go back to earning them by drawing the Bright Fire Formation.


    To become a Formation Master, he would have to draw formations much more difficult than this. After all, he couldn¡¯t spend his lifetime just drawing the Bright Fire Formation.

 Chapter 19 - 19 Solid Earth Formation_1

    Chapter 19 Solid Earth Formation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The deposit for the Solid Earth Formation was twenty spirit stones. Mo Hua took ten spirit stones out of the ones he had earned before and gave them to Fatty Steward, receiving the Solid Earth Formation Diagram and ten sets of paper and ink materials, with a due date of twenty days.


    After leaving the business, Mo Hua went to a cake shop and spent two spirit stones on ten Five-color Cakes, then he headed straight back to the Sect and shared a few pieces with Da¡¯hu and the other two.


    The Sect¡¯s meals were not exactly good, and the three often craved something tasty, but there wasn¡¯t much to eat.


    Mo Hua bought some pastries as a way to satisfy their cravings.


    A few evenings later, after Mo Hua had finished a day¡¯s lessons, he was shut inside his Disciple¡¯s Residence, absorbed in studying the Formation of the Solid Earth Formation, when he suddenly heard someone knocking on his door.


    As soon as Mo Hua opened the door, he saw Shuanghu standing outside, looking sneaky.


    Shuanghu stealthily handed a greasy paper package to Mo Hua and whispered,


    ¡°I saved this specially for you, don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±


    Having said this, he looked around cautiously, then ran off like a thief.


    The Disciple¡¯s Residence at Tongxian Gate was a dormitory provided for the disciples, with two people per room. The rooms were small, featuring just two simple wooden beds and two somewhat worn wooden desks, just enough for the disciples¡¯ daily lives.


    There were also more luxurious and comfortable Disciple¡¯s Residences within Tongxian Gate, but they cost extra spirit stones.


    Originally, Mo Hua had a roommate from the Sect, but he had dropped out this year. It wasn¡¯t because he couldn¡¯t pay the fees; he just found Cultivation too dull and didn¡¯t want to continue learning, so now Mo Hua was the only one in the room.


    Mo Hua closed the door, opened the still warm greasy paper, and found a freshly roasted chicken leg inside.


    The chicken leg was the size of a fist, steaming hot, slightly burnt, and emanating a tempting aroma, especially with a faint trace of spiritual energy on it.


    It was the meat of a spirit beast.


    ¡°This¡­couldn¡¯t be stolen from somewhere, could it¡­¡±


    Meat imbued with spiritual energy was something Shuanghu and the others definitely couldn¡¯t afford. Given Shuanghu¡¯s sneaky demeanor, it must have been stolen.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then took a bite. It was a bit burnt and aromatic but not fully cooked through, and without seasoning, the flavor was somewhat bland.


    In the Tao Cultivation World, the cooking of food was a matter of precise craft. Without specialized learning, it would be difficult to make something delectable.


    Because the ingredients in the Tao Cultivation World were challenging to prepare, like the toughness of meat, and some, such as the meat of herbivorous monster beasts, required a lot of spiritual power to ignite the flame and a long time of steaming before becoming tender.


    Spiritual meat had a finer quality, but cooking it also required some effort.


    Besides meat, other vegetables and plant-based dishes naturally tasted good but also contained some spiritual energy. When this energy was mixed with the inherent flavors, if not matched correctly, the taste could turn out quite bizarre.


    The chicken leg in Mo Hua¡¯s hands was merely roasted simply, probably done in secret for fear of discovery, which is why it couldn¡¯t have been that delicious.


    But Mo Hua, who hadn¡¯t had meat for over a month, wasn¡¯t that fussy. It was good enough to have something to eat.


    Mo Hua somewhat struggled to finish the chicken leg, then lit a fire to burn the greasy paper and threw the bones into a creek outside the house to completely eliminate the evidence.


    After eating to his fill, Mo Hua spent some time digesting the spiritual energy contained in the chicken meat, then buried his head back into studying formations.


    Indeed, a couple of days later, Mo Hua heard that a few disciples in the Qi Refinement Realm had stolen an Elder¡¯s colorful chicken, plucked it clean, and roasted it to eat.


    The Elder was furious, caught the disciples, and severely punished them.


    A couple more days passed, and Mo Hua saw Da¡¯hu and the other two with bruised faces and two big swellings on their heads.


    They were all from Tongxuan Peak, and the Elder could easily trace it back to them. They couldn¡¯t escape, and punishment was inevitable.


    However, they just looked miserable; it was mostly superficial wounds. The Elder wouldn¡¯t really go too far, not wanting to seriously harm them.


    It was simply a mild reprimand with a bigger lesson, serving as a warning to the other disciples.


    Da¡¯hu and his two companions looked pitiful but stood tall and proud, even appearing somewhat triumphant. After all, stealing a chicken right from under the Elder¡¯s nose was not something ordinary disciples could accomplish.


    When they saw Mo Hua, they pretended not to, and Xiaohu even gave Mo Hua a secret gesture, telling him to pretend he didn¡¯t know them as well.


    Mo Hua found this both amusing and sad, thinking that the next time he had a break, he would buy some more pastries for them.


    There are still seven days until the next decade break, and it has been thirteen days since Mo Hua received the formation materials from Fatty Steward, but his comprehension of the Solid Earth Formation was not going smoothly.


    The formation patterns in the Solid Earth Formation were something Mo Hua had not learned before, and they were considerably more complex than the Earth Series basic formation patterns taught by the sect, which made them quite challenging to grasp.


    Moreover, the Solid Earth Formation was composed of four formation patterns, and it demanded a high level of Divine Sense.


    Remembering the formation patterns was not too difficult for Mo Hua, but when practicing on the stele, his consumption of Divine Sense was significantly greater, and it was very easy to make mistakes.


    Either the drawn formation patterns did not combine into an effective formation, or the formation patterns were simply invalid and could not convey spiritual power.


    After fumbling with this for about ten days, Mo Hua still had no clue, and at times, even when he seemed to understand, he would still make mistakes as soon as he started drawing.


    Eventually, having no other option, Mo Hua decided to seek guidance from Instructor Yan.


    One day, after Instructor Yan had finished teaching his class and was tidying up his desk, the disciples dispersed in pairs and groups.


    Mo Hua approached Instructor Yan with several basic Earth Series formation patterns and respectfully asked for advice:


    ¡°Instructor, I am not quite clear about these Earth Series formation patterns; I would like to ask for your guidance.¡±


    Upon looking at the formation patterns that Mo Hua presented, Instructor Yan said,


    ¡°These are the Earth Series formation patterns from the basic Five Elements Formation, and they are rather standard and universal patterns. For you, they should not be too difficult. If you can¡¯t draw them well, more practice is the key.¡±


    The Earth Series formation patterns taught by the sect were very basic, and of course, they weren¡¯t difficult for Mo Hua. However, what he wanted to ask was actually something else.


    Mo Hua brought out several Earth Series formation patterns from the Solid Earth Formation and said,


    ¡°I came across these formation patterns by chance and noticed they are different from those in the textbooks, but I cannot quite pinpoint what specifically differs. Moreover, when drawing them, I easily make mistakes. I am not sure where the problem lies.¡±


    Instructor Yan took a look and was a bit surprised as he said,


    ¡°These are variant Five Elements formation patterns. They are different from the standard ones formally taught by the sect; they are not standardized and not very universal. To draw such formation patterns, you need to change your brushwork, and the sequence is also different from that of the standard formation patterns. Basically, the sequence of these strokes needs adjusting¡­¡±


    Taking a piece of paper, Instructor Yan casually sketched a few formation patterns while explaining as he drew.


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua suddenly had an epiphany.


    The method of drawing formation patterns was somewhat analogous to calligraphy, where, alongside the standard models, there are various distinctive patterns, each with slight variances in brushwork.


    These variant formation patterns were numerous and not classifiable, which is why normally the sect only taught the standard ones.


    ¡°No wonder they say that formations are profoundly intricate; the twists and turns within are just too many. If I hadn¡¯t asked the instructor, even with two heads, I wouldn¡¯t have figured it out¡­¡± Mo Hua secretly grumbled inwardly.


    ¡°To link these formation patterns together to form an actual formation, how about for a formation like this¡­¡±


    Eventually, Mo Hua took out the Formation Diagram of the Solid Earth Formation and showed it.


    Instructor Yan glanced at it and recognized it immediately, expressing his surprise, ¡°This is the Solid Earth Formation,¡± and then looking at Mo Hua, he continued,


    ¡°It is too soon for you to look at this now; this is not something you are capable of drawing at the moment.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I am just curious and want to understand the rationale behind it,¡± Mo Hua earnestly inquired.


    ¡°Well¡­ yes, it is also good for you to learn some things in advance.¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s spirits lifted. Teaching basic formation patterns every day was somewhat monotonous, and now he had the rare opportunity to discuss a substantial formation, clearly becoming more enthusiastic.


    ¡°Formations are composed by arranging and connecting formation patterns; simple formations contain simple patterns and fewer in number, while the more complex formations have more patterns involved, with a sophisticated harmony in their arrangement, spatial representation, and interconnection. The Solid Earth Formation contains four patterns, and the patterns need to be drawn in a specific sequence and orientation, with the remaining Qian and Kun positions¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan spoke with great fervor, and Mo Hua listened with equal interest. Even after the lesson was over, Instructor Yan seemed somewhat reluctant to stop, then he cautioned,


    ¡°The way of formations is vast and intricate; it¡¯s good for you to understand some of it in advance. What the sect teaches is merely the basics of the basics, not even considered elementary. To become a true Formation Master, the difficulty and effort required are beyond what you can presently imagine¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan paused for a moment, then added,


    ¡°At the same time, you must also make sure not to overreach. Blindly attempting to draw formations that are beyond your grasp can be dangerous. It¡¯s fine to look at them, but if you really try to draw them, it is very easy to exhaust your Divine Sense, which you must always remember!¡±


    Mo Hua bowed and said, ¡°I have learned a lot, thank you, Instructor!¡±

 Chapter 20 - 20 Formation_1

    Chapter 20 Formation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua went back and tried drawing the Formation Patterns several times as Instructor Yan had suggested, and indeed, he felt a sudden sense of enlightenment.


    That night, as he practiced on the stele before sleep, his comprehension also improved noticeably faster.


    Some aspects he didn¡¯t understand at first became clearer after drawing them several times.


    As long as he mastered the basic Formation Patterns, learning some of their variations wasn¡¯t too difficult. The hard part was the lack of guidance; without it, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t think to explore in that direction and thus found himself mired in fruitless contemplation.


    After familiarizing himself for one more day, on the evening of the third day after class, Mo Hua started to officially attempt the Solid Earth Formation.


    The initial attempt at drawing was not smooth, but after some stumbling, he finally managed to complete it, though it took a bit long.


    For the four-pattern Solid Earth Formation, it took Mo Hua an hour and a half to finish drawing, and due to the excessive consumption of his Divine Sense, he needed to rest for another two hours.


    By the time Mo Hua had completed the Solid Earth Formation, it was already 1 a.m.


    After checking it over, unsurprisingly, he found that he had made a mistake.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He had only drawn one Formation all night, and it was wrong.


    With the goal of completing ten Formations in five days, time was now tight.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    After some thought, Mo Hua had no choice but to try and skip some Tao Cultivation classes.


    Classes on Taoist cultivation history and general knowledge certainly couldn¡¯t be skipped, as those could expand one¡¯s horizons and cultivation experience.


    Alchemy and rune making required spending Spirit Stones to buy herbs and rune jade stones, and he would also need to rent alchemy furnaces from the Sect, which made these classes expensive. Therefore, Mo Hua selectively skipped some of them.


    Anyway, he didn¡¯t have much prospect in these Spirit Stone-consuming fields of cultivation.


    After that, he could skip all the Body Refinement classes.


    Cultivators develop their Spiritual Power through cultivation techniques and manipulate it with Taoist Skills for attacks.


    There are two major types of Taoist Skills: Spell-based and Martial Arts-based.


    Spells involve the control of Spiritual Power using Divine Sense to form spells for attacking, while Martial Arts rely on channeling Spiritual Power to unleash the body¡¯s potential for close combat.


    Those who practice spells are known as Spiritual Cultivators, and those who practice Martial Arts are known as Body Cultivators.


    In the Qi Refinement Realm, there are fewer Spiritual Cultivators and more Body Cultivators. In Tongxian City, most cultivators earn their living by Monster Hunting, and since Spiritual Cultivators are physically weaker and less suited to hunting, most Loose Cultivators opt for the path of Body Cultivation.


    For this reason, Tongxian Gate specifically opened a Body Refinement course to let disciples fortify their physical bodies early on.


    But Mo Hua was doomed not to be capable of Body Refinement.


    He did not inherit his father Mo Shan¡¯s talent for Body Refinement; instead, he was like his mother Liu Ruhua, somewhat physically weak from a young age, and his constitution was even frailer than Liu Ruhua¡¯s.


    According to Old Mr. Feng, the Pill Master at Apricot Forest Hall, a Cultivator is born following the Heavenly Dao, where the Divine Sense and the body are relatively balanced.


    When Mo Hua was born with the memories of two lifetimes, his innate Divine Sense was too strong, leading to an imbalance between the Divine Sense and the body. As a result, Mo Hua was born frail and often ill.


    He couldn¡¯t even budge the hundred-kilogram stone cauldrons that others could lift with ease. Among cultivators of his age, most were a head taller and much more robust than he was.


    Although Mo Hua was slender, he was blessed with delicate features, a gentle demeanor, red lips, and white teeth, resembling a porcelain doll at the age of ten.


    This appearance was not bad, but Mo Hua still felt that a real man should be strong and imposing.


    Like his father, who was tall with a heroic appearance and imposing presence.


    ¡°`


    In Mo Hua¡¯s dreams, he should be dressed in a white robe, practicing peerless cultivation techniques, with a spear emerges like a dragon, capable of holding a pass alone against ten thousand enemies.


    Unfortunately, such scenes could only be seen in dreams.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Mo Hua remembered that after he fell asleep, his Divine Sense would automatically enter his Sea of Consciousness, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to dream¡­


    The Instructor who taught disciples Body Refinement originally intended to be very strict with Mo Hua, but after Mo Hua tried to move the stone cauldron several times without it budging, and instead twisted his own arm, the Instructor became much more lenient with him.


    Cultivation was just like that, sometimes effort couldn¡¯t solve the problem.


    The Instructor also had a lot of understanding for Mo Hua.


    Heavenly Dao closes a window for you, perhaps because it wants you to try another door, not to keep you knocking your head against the wall.


    Therefore, Mo Hua selectively skipped some of the classes with the time he squeezed out, he locked himself in his room and focused on Drawing Solid Earth Formations.


    Five days later, on his decadal rest day, Mo Hua finally used up the ten sets of materials, and was successful with six of them.


    He didn¡¯t lose any money and even managed to earn four Spirit Stones, which made Mo Hua quite satisfied.


    Mo Hua took advantage of the one-day decadal holiday and went to Fated Gathering on North Street to deliver the Solid Earth Formations he had drawn to Fatty Steward.


    Fatty Steward looked at them and said to Mo Hua, ¡°Your brother¡¯s foundation in the Formation Method is really a bit poor, but he learns quite quickly. These several Formations are visibly better than the last, but¡­¡±


    Steward picked up the first Formation again and criticized it, ¡°This Formation is drawn like a beginner, some basic Formation Patterns are also drawn with bumps and stumbles¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was used to Steward¡¯s grumbling, in one ear and out the other.


    What¡¯s more, Steward was talking about his brother, what did that have to do with him?


    He didn¡¯t have a brother.


    Mo Hua went straight to the point, ¡°Can it be exchanged for Spirit Stones?¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Steward rolled his eyes at Mo Hua, but still counted out four Spirit Stones for him, ¡°Tell your brother to draw better next time.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hm,¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly after getting the Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua used these four Spirit Stones to buy some pastries, eating two pieces himself and leaving two pieces behind, giving the rest to Da¡¯hu and the others.


    Da¡¯hu and his two friends were deeply moved when they saw so many pastries and asked Mo Hua if he still wanted to eat meat, mentioning that they saw an Elder raising a colorful and plump duck.


    Mo Hua had a headache and told them not to steal anymore; otherwise, if the Sect notified their parents, they would get a beating when they got home.


    Only then did Da¡¯hu and his friends reluctantly give up the idea.


    Afterwards, Mo Hua continued to draw Solid Earth Formation for more than two months.


    The more he drew, the more mastery he gained.


    Previously, drawing a Solid Earth Formation, including the time for resting and restoring Divine Sense, took almost two hours, but now it only took one and a half hours.


    First, because practice makes perfect, the deeper the understanding and mastery of Formation Patterns, the less time needed to draw them. Second, practicing the Formation Method day and night, continuously consuming, recovering, and utilizing Divine Sense, invisibly enhanced the strength of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense¡ªhis Divine Sense had thickened considerably from before.


    Having strong Divine Sense was very beneficial for Drawing Formations.


    The success rate of the Solid Earth Formation had reached eighty to ninety percent, and occasionally he could succeed with all ten sets. He could earn two Spirit Stones for each set of Formation, and in these two months, after deducting his daily expenses, Mo Hua had still earned a total of one hundred Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua planned to save up two hundred Spirit Stones and then go to the Sect to select a mid-grade lower-rank Cultivation Technique.


    He would talk to his parents after making his selection, because otherwise, they would surely say that they would provide the Spirit Stones, and that Mo Hua should keep his Spirit Stones for his own cultivation or for future use such as marrying a Taoist companion or buying a cave residence.

 Chapter 21 - 21 Spiritual Pivot Formation_1

    Chapter 21 Spiritual Pivot Formation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Afterward, Mo Hua continued to draw the Solid Earth Formation, tirelessly for two months. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Whenever there was something unclear about the formation, he would seek guidance from Instructor Yan. Instructor Yan was a serious person with strict demands, but he always answered his disciple¡¯s questions thoroughly and earnestly.


    Instructor Yan naturally felt that Mo Hua¡¯s foundations were not yet solid and that studying such advanced formations was premature, but whenever Mo Hua asked, he would still patiently explain, which Mo Hua greatly appreciated.


    Sometimes, Mo Hua skipped classes to secretly draw formations and earn Spirit Stones, but Instructor Yan didn¡¯t pursue the matter too strictly, only reminding Mo Hua:


    ¡°Cultivators can have specialties, but you shouldn¡¯t be too biased. There are some spell points you may not master, but you must understand them, otherwise, after graduating and leaving the Sect to venture into the Tao Cultivation World, you will easily suffer losses and be deceived due to blind spots in your cultivation knowledge.¡±


    Mo Hua humbly accepted the instruction and benefited a great deal from it.


    However, since he had no Spirit Stones to learn cultivation techniques, he could only continue to skip classes and draw formations to save up Spirit Stones.


    A single Solid Earth Formation included four formation patterns and could earn two Spirit Stones, and thanks to this, Mo Hua was able to accumulate Spirit Stones much faster.


    Two months later, on a certain day, Mo Hua went to the Fatty Steward as usual to deliver the orders. Upon entering, he discovered that in the normally quiet Fated Gathering sat a middle-aged man in a green Taoist robe drinking tea.


    The man had his back to Mo Hua and looked familiar; when he turned around, Mo Hua was stunned.


    The man in the green Taoist robe was Instructor Yan¡­


    Mo Hua suddenly had the feeling of being caught skipping classes.


    ¡°Mo Hua?¡±


    Instructor Yan also saw Mo Hua and appeared somewhat surprised.


    Fatty Steward, who was seated opposite Instructor Yan and pouring tea, looked up upon hearing this and expressed his surprise, ¡°You know each other?¡±


    Instructor Yan replied, ¡°He is one of my disciples from Tongxian Gate.¡±


    Mo Hua bowed and said, ¡°Disciple pays respect to Instructor!¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded in acknowledgment and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Before Mo Hua could speak, Fatty Steward explained, ¡°He¡¯s running errands for his elder brother, who draws formations for our Formation Pavilion. Once completed, he delivers them here.¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded and did not inquire further.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, then handed over the formation to Fatty Steward, took the Spirit Stones, and quickly said, ¡°Disciple will take his leave now, so as not to disturb Instructor.¡±


    Instructor Yan must have had matters to discuss with Fatty Steward. Seeing how tactful Mo Hua was, he couldn¡¯t help but nod and said, ¡°Return to the Sect early and be careful on your way.¡±


    Mo Hua respectfully agreed, bowed, and then left the Formation Pavilion.


    Watching Mo Hua¡¯s departing figure, Fatty Steward said to Instructor Yan:


    ¡°The boy is quite polite and very smart. You¡¯re lucky to have taught such a good disciple.¡±


    Instructor Yan uttered a soft ¡°Hmm¡± and then asked, ¡°You said his elder brother draws formations for you?¡±


    Fatty Steward took out the Solid Earth Formation that Mo Hua had delivered and handed it to Instructor Yan to look at. ¡°It¡¯s quite well drawn.¡±


    When Instructor Yan saw that it was a Solid Earth Formation, he was slightly taken aback and said, ¡°Was this drawn by his elder brother?¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Fatty Steward said. ¡°Do you really think he drew it? At his age, even if he drained all his divine sense, he still couldn¡¯t produce a complete formation.¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, recalling that Mo Hua had come to consult with him on the Solid Earth Formation. It seemed likely that Mo Hua had seen his elder brother working on the Solid Earth Formation and, with doubts in mind, came to seek his advice.


    ¡°Having a thirst for knowledge in the realm of formations is good,¡± Instructor Yan thought to himself, ¡°If he can maintain such a mindset, he might indeed achieve something in formations one day.¡±


    Thinking thus, Instructor Yan decided not to pry further. He glanced at the deserted and quiet shop, then looked at Fatty Steward and asked, ¡°Is this really how you want to spend your whole life?¡±


    Fatty Steward replied, ¡°As fellow disciples in the pursuit of Tao cultivation, you should understand me. I¡¯m different from you. You are now an instructor of Tongxian Gate, with a proficient grasp of formations, a mere step away from the realm of a first-grade formation master. Once you step over that threshold, you will have both connections and status in Tongxian City, and you definitely won¡¯t lack spirit stones. Tongxian Gate will surely offer you the position of an elder.¡±


    ¡°As for me,¡± Fatty Steward took a sip of tea, ¡°I¡¯m just someone who gets by, dabbling superficially in formations, lacking the patience for solitary cultivation practice. If I can live carefree every day, I¡¯m satisfied. Don¡¯t look down on me. Look at those loose cultivators bustling and toiling on the streets; this kind of leisurely life is something they yearn for but cannot attain.¡±


    Instructor Yan stayed silent.


    Seeing Instructor Yan¡¯s silence, Fatty Steward sighed helplessly and said, ¡°What do you want me to do for you?¡±


    Instructor Yan said gravely, ¡°Help me find the ¡®Spirit Pivot Formation Chart.¡¯


    Fatty Steward pinched the bridge of his nose, ¡°After all these years, you still haven¡¯t given up. If you ask me, you¡¯re not young anymore. You should find a partner and settle down.¡±


    ¡°Personal matters are minor, the transmission of formations is significant.¡±


    ¡°So what if you find it? Our great-grandmaster couldn¡¯t master it, nor could your master. Do you think you can? A first-grade formation method with twelve formation patterns is preposterous! Even first-grade formation masters need only master nine patterns. You haven¡¯t even become a first-grade formation master yet. What use would the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart be to you? Even if you had it, you might not master it by the time you¡¯re in your grave.¡±


    Instructor Yan remained quiet.


    Fatty Steward earnestly advised, ¡°Elder brother, let it go. Besides, you won¡¯t be able to find it. The one who betrayed our sect and stole the formations all those years ago has left no trace, and even the Taoist Court officials couldn¡¯t track him down. You are a formation master, not skilled in Taoist skill; what can you do?¡±


    Instructor Yan was unmoved and said hoarsely, ¡°Master had shown me great kindness, all my knowledge of formations came from him. Now that master has passed away, the sect has scattered, and the teachings are lost. The thought keeps me up at night. As long as I can retrieve the formations and pass them on, fulfilling master¡¯s last wish, nothing else matters.¡±


    Instructor Yan looked at Fatty Steward and continued, ¡°I know you prefer comfort and won¡¯t ask too much of you. Just let me know if you get any leads on the ¡®Spirit Pivot Formation Chart,¡¯ and I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    ¡°How do you know there would be clues about the ¡®Spirit Pivot Formation Chart¡¯ here in Tongxian City?¡± Fatty Steward frowned.


    Instructor Yan didn¡¯t respond.


    Fatty Steward waved his hand, ¡°Alright, knowing too much isn¡¯t good for me either. I¡¯ll agree to this, but I also want to remind you kindly that after all your efforts, you may still end up empty-handed.¡±


    Fatty Steward, sensing trouble ahead, couldn¡¯t help but say,


    ¡°If you ask me, it would be better to focus on finding a partner, having a child. Even if you can¡¯t find it, your child could continue the search in the future, and you wouldn¡¯t die lonely. Take advantage of your age now and quickly find a partner. Just find one, lest in the future¡­¡±


    ¡°The tea has gone cold. I must go.¡±


    Instructor Yan rose to his feet, swept his sleeves, and left without paying any further attention to Fatty Steward¡¯s incessant chatter behind him.

 Chapter 22 - 22 Clues_1

    Chapter 22 Clues_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°`


    Instructor Yan left the Formation Pavilion and returned to Tongming Peak of the Tongxian Gate.


    Instructors of the Tongxian Gate all had individual living quarters on Tongming Peak, with three rooms and a living room, together with a small courtyard where they could cultivate Spirit Flowers and Spirit Grass, or raise Spirit Beasts.


    Instructor Yan¡¯s living quarters were clean and tidy, with Formation Diagrams meticulously pasted on the walls. There were no other decorations beside them.


    He reviewed the basic Formation texts and prepared several Formation Patterns he was going to teach in the following days, and then began correcting the assignments of Qi Refinement Realm disciples.


    There were nearly a thousand disciples in the Qi Refinement Realm from Tongxian Peak, and Instructor Yan would correct each of their Formation assignments and mark the errors.


    It was time-consuming and took patience, but Instructor Yan nonetheless did it with meticulous care.


    This was his habit, also reflecting the teachings of his master over the years.


    His master used to correct their Formation assignments with the same meticulous attention and patience back in the day.


    Instructor Yan¡¯s master was a first-grade Formation Master; in the entire Tao Cultivation World, he might not be considered a remarkable Formation Master. However, throughout his life, he devoted himself to teaching and imparting the Formation Arts that adhered to the Heavenly Dao Laws.


    Now that his master had passed away, and he had become an instructor himself, he could appreciate his master¡¯s painstaking efforts.


    As night fell, Instructor Yan lit a lamp and continued correcting the Formations.


    After all, the Tongxian Gate was still a remote small sect, with a weak Tao Cultivation heritage. Of the nearly thousand disciples, there were only a few who could draw basic Formation Patterns properly.


    Those who drew them fairly well were usually from scholarly families or from wealthy homes that could afford to spend Spirit Stones on their education, such as the children of cultivators working in the Taoist Court, Sect Elders¡¯ offspring, or disciples from Tao Cultivation Clans within the city.


    There were very few who came from poor Loose Cultivator backgrounds and could still draw Formation well.


    Regardless of their background, Instructor Yan treated them all equally, focusing only on their Formations.


    Those who didn¡¯t draw well but showed serious attitude received more annotations for explanation; those who neither drew well nor showed due diligence received harsher comments, and their names were noted by Instructor Yan.


    Occasionally, when he came across a well-drawn Formation, Instructor Yan felt gratified and wrote a ¡°superior¡± next to the Formation as encouragement.


    Tirelessly, Instructor Yan kept on correcting until he turned to one Formation and his eyes lit up.


    The strokes were extremely practiced, clearly the result of hard work, and they had a certain style. Even if used for an official Formation, this Formation Pattern would be considered up to standard.


    Instructor Yan looked up and saw the name ¡°Mo Hua¡± at the corner. He nodded, and then wrote a ¡°superior¡± next to the Formation.


    This ¡°superior¡± was written a bit larger than the others.


    Instructor Yan flipped the page and continued correcting.


    As he did so, he flipped back again to find Mo Hua¡¯s Formation Pattern, furrowing his brows.


    The strokes of this Formation Pattern were a bit too polished, even seeming a bit¡­ effortlessly skilled?


    A Qi Refinement second or third level Cultivator being able to draw a complete Formation Pattern was already impressive enough.


    Thinking of encountering Mo Hua in the Formation Pavilion today, Instructor Yan fell silent, pondering, when a question suddenly surfaced:


    ¡°Does Mo Hua have an elder brother?¡±


    ¡°If his elder brother is good at drawing Formation, and so is he, then it should be a family skill. But if I remember correctly, Mo Hua is from a poor Loose Cultivator background. Anyone with a bit of Formation heritage wouldn¡¯t have such poor family circumstances¡­¡±


    ¡°His elder brother can help the Formation Pavilion draw Formations, so in the Tongxian Gate, he must also have a talent for Formation. I¡¯ve been teaching here for nearly ten years, and I don¡¯t seem to have taught this person¡­¡±


    ¡°In other Sects? That¡¯s also unlikely; brothers from the same family generally join the same sect, especially since Tongxian Gate is already the largest sect in the city¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan tapped his fingers on the desk, pondering, then temporarily set these thoughts aside and focused on finishing correcting the Formations.


    The next morning, Instructor Yan got up early and found Fatty Steward from Tongming Peak, requesting the origins of the disciples. He found Mo Hua¡¯s entry and saw it read:


    Mo Hua: Age 10, Qi Refinement Level 3, mediocre Small Five Elements Spiritual Root¡­


    Father: Mo Shan, Monster Hunter; Mother: Liu Ruhua, Meal Master.


    Besides his parents, there were no other relatives; not even an elder brother.


    A suspicion formed in Instructor Yan¡¯s mind, but he felt it was improbable.


    During the Formation class that morning, Instructor Yan announced additional homework: to draw all the Five Elements Formation Patterns they had learned, due in three days.


    The disciples, upon hearing this sudden bad news, looked as downcast as frostbitten eggplants.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, was nonchalant; he had already helped the Formation Pavilion with Formation Painting, so drawing a few Formation Patterns now wasn¡¯t much trouble at all.


    But why had Instructor Yan suddenly assigned this homework?


    ¡°`


    This didn¡¯t seem like something the Instructor would normally do.


    Mo Hua was a bit perplexed.


    Then, An Xiaopang came to ask Mo Hua for help.


    ¡°Mo Hua, you have to help me!!¡± An Xiaopang was on the verge of tears.


    Who knew why the Instructor had suddenly assigned homework? Normally, it was every few months that assignments were given to test the disciples¡¯ proficiency in formations.


    An Xiaopang was caught off guard. He couldn¡¯t draw a single formation pattern and time was tight, so he had no choice but to turn to Mo Hua for help.


    To Mo Hua, it didn¡¯t matter; these basic formation patterns were no longer challenging for him at his current level.


    Mo Hua helped An Xiaopang draw the formation, even only charging a friendly price. Several other classmates from well-off families, but not skilled in formations, also sought Mo Hua¡¯s help, and he agreed to help them as well.


    Mo Hua had formation diagrams to draw and spirit stones to earn, so he had no interest in thinking about anything else.


    Three days later, the formation homework was handed in. Instructor Yan singled out the formation patterns drawn by Mo Hua, examined them carefully, then put them into his storage bag and went to Fated Gathering to find Fatty Steward.


    When Fatty Steward saw Instructor Yan, he became a little wary, ¡°Are you here to have tea with me this time, or are you here to ask me to do something?¡±


    Instructor Yan said, ¡°Not for tea, nor to ask you to do anything, just to ask you about something.¡±


    Fatty Steward breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Do you still have the formation diagrams Mo Hua handed over to you?¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua?¡± Fatty Steward paused for a moment, ¡°Ah, that young man. Yes, I have them. What are you going to do with them?¡±


    ¡°How many do you have?¡±


    ¡°Both the Bright Fire Formation and Solid Earth Formation, I have several copies. I keep them for backup.¡±


    Fatty Steward took out one copy each of the Bright Fire Formation and Solid Earth Formation that Mo Hua had previously delivered and handed them to Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan looked them over and then took out the formation homework submitted by Mo Hua, comparing the patterns with those on the drawings one by one.


    After looking them over, Instructor Yan took a deep breath.


    Fatty Steward leaned in to see and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Instructor Yan pointed at the formation patterns and the drawings at hand and asked,


    ¡°Do you think these formation patterns and these two drawings were done by the same person?¡±


    Fatty Steward took the patterns and drawings, looked at them closely with a frown, and nodded, ¡°The brushwork looks quite similar. Unless there¡¯s a surprise, they should come from the same person¡­¡±


    The Fatty Steward paused and then suddenly asked, ¡°Have you met Mo Hua¡¯s older brother?¡±


    Mo Hua doesn¡¯t have an older brother.¡±


    ¡°No older brother? Then who drew these formations?¡±


    Instructor Yan looked meaningfully at Fatty Steward. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fatty Steward hesitated for a moment, ¡°You don¡¯t mean to say he drew them himself, do you?¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded.


    Fatty Steward was silent for a moment, then scoffed,


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the Bright Fire Formation; there¡¯s a chance he might be able to draw it, but the Solid Earth Formation contains four formation patterns. Where would he get so much divine sense from? Does he have two heads and two seas of consciousness or something?¡±


    Fatty Steward looked suspiciously at Instructor Yan and continued,


    ¡°Are you trying to say you¡¯ve taught a Qi Refinement third layer genius who can draw formations? Are you trying to glorify your own face¡­ I¡¯ve known you for so many years, you¡¯re not that kind of person!¡±


    Instructor Yan looked at him coldly and pointed to the formations before him, ¡°You said these formation patterns and the two drawings came from the same person¡¯s hand. These patterns were drawn by Mo Hua, so who drew these two formations then?¡±


    Fatty Steward was stumped and couldn¡¯t find the words to respond.


    After staring long at the formation patterns on his left and the drawings on his right, he finally murmured, ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡±

 Chapter 23 - 23 Talent_1

    Chapter 23 Talent_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Instructor Yan asked, ¡°Is there a cultivator in the world who can draw formations at the third level of Qi Refinement?¡±


    Fatty Steward pondered and then said,


    ¡°Given the vastness of the cultivation world, there are countless gifted individuals. If you tell me that some people are born capable of drawing formations, I would believe it. It¡¯s just that these are all rumors, as I have never witnessed it myself.¡±


    ¡°Even those with exceptional talent, who forget their roots and betray their masters¡­ ahem, I mean those born into Formation Method Aristocrat families who learn formation methods from a young age can draw simple formations that contain three Formation Patterns by the time they reach the third level of Qi Refinement.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the large Noble Clans and Sects have an inheritance that is many times deeper, and among their disciples, there are undoubtedly geniuses in formation methods, they just don¡¯t show off typically.¡±


    Instructor Yan said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not impossible for Mo Hua to be able to draw formations at the third level of Qi Refinement.¡±


    Fatty Steward didn¡¯t want to admit it, but at this point, he had to.


    His Senior Brother Yan, although stubborn, always had a meticulous mind and accurate judgment.


    ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, it would be incredible. Don¡¯t you want to take on a disciple?¡±


    After thinking it over, Fatty Steward continued, ¡°If you ask me, this child is indeed a good seedling. Why don¡¯t you officially take him as your apprentice? That way, you can also pass down the formation methods that your master passed on to you.¡±


    Instructor Yan had not considered the matter, and upon hearing this, he seemed somewhat tempted, but after careful thought, he still shook his head and said,


    ¡°The Sect is in ruins, and those formations that are left are nothing but broken patterns and fragments. What¡¯s there to pass on? Taking him as a disciple would only be misleading the youth. Besides, Master¡¯s unfulfilled wish remains, and there¡¯s still no clue about that person. I have no interest in other matters.¡±


    Fatty Steward wanted to persuade him further, but Instructor Yan just waved his hand.


    Fatty Steward sighed, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t persuade you any more; you wouldn¡¯t listen anyway. But about the Mo Hua child¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it to anyone for the time being. ¡®The tree that sticks out gets the wind¡¯¡ªthat¡¯s been the truth since ancient times. Besides, he¡¯s still young; we can¡¯t let him develop a sense of pride, or he¡¯ll certainly go astray in the future.¡±


    Fatty Steward agreed, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Instructor Yan continued, ¡°Don¡¯t let him take on any more Formation Painting tasks here either. Just find some excuse about business not doing well or whatever.¡±


    Although it was indeed not doing well, Fatty Steward still felt humiliated to have it pointed out and corrected him,


    ¡°It¡¯s not that the business is not doing well, it¡¯s called ¡®Buddhist-style business operations,¡¯ we leave everything to fate!¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Moreover, the child is properly drawing formations, earning Spirit Stones, and supplementing his family¡¯s income. Why should he not continue?¡±


    Instructor Yan frowned and said, ¡°At the third level of Qi Refinement, even if he can draw formations, how much Divine Sense could he have? Drawing too much will overexert his Divine Sense, inevitably leading to future problems and damaging the foundation of his Sea of Consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Besides, he is still young and should be solidifying his foundation in Tao Cultivation. It¡¯s not just formation methods; he needs to understand the broader aspects of cultivation, especially his Cultivation. He should not neglect it for small profits¡­¡±


    Fatty Steward said, ¡°Loose Cultivators aren¡¯t that well-off, and they barely have enough Spirit Stones as it is.¡±


    ¡°Even in poverty, one should not disregard the future¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how poor ordinary Loose Cultivators really are?¡±


    Fatty Steward¡¯s expression became rarely serious.


    Seeing Fatty Steward¡¯s demeanor, Instructor Yan also knitted his brows slightly.


    Fatty Steward solemnly said, ¡°I know your own upbringing was not easy. Although you had a Clan, you were an illegitimate child, not valued by the family. Later, when you joined a Sect and Master earnestly taught you, you worked hard and made progress in formation methods, and things got somewhat better for you. But even if your circumstances were poor, you had the support of a Clan; at least you had food and clothing without worries, and endured nothing more than dissatisfaction.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°People often say that the path of Tao cultivation is arduous,¡± Fatty Steward sighed, ¡°I have been in Tongxian City for over a decade since leaving the Sect, and after dealing with numerous Loose Cultivators, I¡¯ve realized that although people often talk about its hardships, the degree of those hardships can be worlds apart.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary Loose Cultivators struggle to make a living, and their modest earnings barely suffice to support their families. Artifact refiners get burned by Fireburn until half of their body is charred; those hunting Monster Beasts lose an arm to the creatures; and those who sell their Spiritual Power to do menial tasks often suffer some damage to their body¡¯s meridians. Once they fall ill or get injured, they have no Spirit Stones for treatment, and whether they pull through depends entirely on whether fate is on their side.¡±


    ¡°Best case scenario, they make it through; worst case, they perish, but the truly unfortunate linger on with half a life, continuing to deplete their entire family¡¯s reserves of Spirit Stones. What can they do? They¡¯re just trying to survive.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, a Cultivator can¡¯t ignore the future, but these lower-ranked Loose Cultivators can¡¯t even manage the present, let alone worry about the future.¡±


    Having said all this in one breath, Fatty Steward poured himself a cup of tea and gulped it down.


    Instructor Yan fell into silence for a moment before emitting a sigh, his voice laced with apology:


    ¡°That was inconsiderate of me.¡±


    Fatty Steward gave him a sidelong glance.


    After a moment of contemplation, Instructor Yan said to Fatty Steward, ¡°Hand me the list of Formation names you have here.¡±


    ¡°What do you want the list for?¡± Fatty Steward asked, puzzled, but he still got up and took a book from behind the counter, handing it to Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan took the book of Formation names, skimmed through it, then he picked up a pen from the table and circled several Formations, numbering them in sequence behind their names.


    ¡°What are you doing¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan explained, ¡°Next time Mo Hua comes, let him draw the Formations in the order I¡¯ve marked on the list. By progressing step by step, he will learn more solidly. Later, when I give him some pointers at the Sect, it¡¯ll be better than if he were to blindly learn on his own.¡±


    ¡°This way, he can earn some Spirit Stones by Drawing Formations, helping to support his family, and will also learn something substantial about Formation Patterns.¡±


    After finishing his explanation, Instructor Yan added, ¡°One more thing, don¡¯t let him draw too many Formations. Receiving three or four every half month is enough. Otherwise, if he overexerts his Divine Sense, he could harm his Sea of Consciousness and that would leave him with serious problems.¡±


    Fatty Steward looked at the list in his hand, then at Instructor Yan, with a complex expression and asked, ¡°Do you really have no plans to take him as a disciple?¡±


    Instructor Yan simply shook his head, stood up, and as he was about to leave, he repeated once more, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to have him draw in the order I marked.¡±


    With that, he walked away without looking back.


    Fatty Steward watched his retreating figure and couldn¡¯t find the words to say, just letting out a helpless sigh.


    Suddenly, something occurred to Fatty Steward, and he called out to Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan turned to look at him.


    Fatty Steward thought for a moment, then said, ¡°There¡¯s one thing¡­ you might have gotten wrong¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan frowned, ¡°What did I get wrong?¡±


    ¡°When Mo Hua brought over the Bright Fire Formation, he was only at the second level of Qi Refinement. If these Formations were really painted by him, then that means¡­¡±


    Fatty Steward paused, choosing his words carefully:


    ¡°He might have been able to draw Formations at the second level of Qi Refinement!¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s pupils contracted, showing an expression of disbelief.

 Chapter 24 - 24 Seeking the Way_1

    Chapter 24 Seeking the Way_1


    Translator: 549690339


    When Mo Hua went to find Fatty Steward again, he was informed that the market had changed.


    Fated Gathering no longer accepted the Bright Fire Formation and the Solid Earth Formation.


    Mo Hua, with a face full of astonishment, then skeptically said, ¡°The Bright Fire Formation is used for illumination, and the Solid Earth Formation is used for building houses. Unless nobody lives in Tongxian City anymore, there shouldn¡¯t be a lack of demand, right?¡±


    Fatty Steward inwardly complained about Mo Hua. The kid being smart was not necessarily a good thing¡ªit made him harder to deceive. So, he didn¡¯t bother making excuses. The more excuses he made, the harder it was to be consistent. He waved his hand dismissively:


    ¡°How would I know? The market is what it is, and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it!¡±


    Mo Hua was speechless. He had only saved up half of the Spirit Stones he needed for his cultivation technique, so he could only ask, ¡°Then, what kind of Formation do you accept?¡±


    Fatty Steward coughed and took out a Formation Diagram, the cover of which bore the words ¡°Gold and Stone Formation Map¡±.


    ¡°We¡¯re now accepting the Gold and Stone Formation. It also contains four Formation Patterns, not too different from the Solid Earth Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at the Formation Diagram and asked, ¡°Manager, what is the Gold and Stone Formation used for?¡±


    Fatty Steward said, ¡°It¡¯s somewhat similar to the Solid Earth Formation, also used for reinforcing the doors, windows, and walls of cultivators¡¯ dwellings or cave abodes. It¡¯s just that one reinforces earth and wood, and the other reinforces metal and stone.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, ¡°If it¡¯s similar to the Solid Earth Formation in function, and the Solid Earth Formation is unused, why would the Gold and Stone Formation be in demand?¡±


    Fatty Steward glared at Mo Hua and stubbornly said, ¡°The market is what it is. Don¡¯t ask so many questions, kid!¡±


    ¡°Then, for this Formation, is it also three Spirit Stones per set?¡±


    It should have been¡­


    Fatty Steward felt a bit of regret but still raised the price:


    ¡°Technically, it is three Spirit Stones, but it¡¯s quite scarce recently, so the price went up. Now it¡¯s four Spirit Stones per set, though we don¡¯t accept many, only five sets every half month.¡±


    Scarce, yet not allowed to draw more?


    Mo Hua thought Fatty Steward was somewhat strange, but this was Fated Gathering¡¯s business. It wasn¡¯t his place to ask too much; as long as he could earn Spirit Stones, it was fine.


    If he successfully completed all the paintings, he could earn twenty Spirit Stones every half month, which was quite a substantial amount.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal!¡±


    Fatty Steward breathed a sigh of relief. He directly drew a Storage Bag from underneath the counter, as if he had prepared it in advance, and handed it to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua took the Storage Bag, checked it, confirmed it was the ¡°Gold and Stone Formation Map¡± and five sets of paper and ink, then bid farewell to Fatty Steward with a bow.


    Just as he was about to reach the door, Fatty Steward couldn¡¯t help but call out to him:


    ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    Mo Hua looked back. Fatty Steward hesitated for a moment, then asked, ¡°Do you think this Formation is difficult?¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it. It contained four Formation Patterns and had similarities with the Solid Earth Formation, so it wasn¡¯t particularly difficult. He replied, ¡°It¡¯s manageable.¡±


    Mo Hua took a few steps before turning back to add, ¡°My brother should be able to draw it.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Fatty Steward watched him with a complex expression and nodded, ¡°Draw it well.¡±


    ¡°By the way,¡± Fatty Steward called out to Mo Hua again, ¡°My last name is Mo, as in ¡®do not get angry¡¯. Just call me Manager Mo.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Alright, Manager Mo. I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    Mo Hua returned to Tongxian Gate and whenever he found time, he studied the Gold Stone Formation. Because it was similar to the Solid Earth Formation and since he had previously consulted Instructor Yan on the method of drawing the Solid Earth Formation, grasping it was not too difficult.


    Before one of the Formation classes, Instructor Yan had the previously corrected Formation homework distributed. The Formation Diagram submitted by Mo Hua only received a ¡®Grade B¡¯.


    Mo Hua looked left and right, compared it again with the Sect¡¯s ¡°Detailed Explanation of Formations¡± and couldn¡¯t find a single mistake. Why had he only received a ¡®Grade B¡¯?


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    The disciple sitting beside him saw the ¡®Grade B¡¯ on Mo Hua¡¯s Formation Diagram and exclaimed, ¡°Wow, Mo Hua, you actually got only a ¡®Grade B¡¯.¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at the ¡®Grade C¡¯ on his Formation Diagram but didn¡¯t say a word.


    The disciple quickly covered his own ¡®Grade C¡¯ with his hand, giggled sheepishly, then curiously asked, ¡°How did you only manage to get a ¡®Grade B¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua was also puzzled, ¡°I didn¡¯t draw it wrong. I don¡¯t know why I only got a ¡®Grade B¡¯.¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t draw it wrong, how could Instructor only give you a ¡®Grade B¡¯?.¡±


    Mo Hua showed him the Formation Diagram, ¡°Can you see any mistakes?¡±


    The disciple said confidently, ¡°If I could see what¡¯s wrong, I wouldn¡¯t have only gotten a ¡®Grade C¡¯!¡±


    The other disciples sitting around craned their necks to look at Mo Hua¡¯s Formation Diagram, then they said one after another:


    ¡°It looks like there¡¯s nothing wrong to me.¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua, did you offend the instructor or something?¡±


    ¡°Be careful, or the instructor might punish you.¡±


    ¡°Instructor Yan isn¡¯t that kind of person¡­¡±


    Before they could finish, Instructor Yan walked into the cultivation room. The group of disciples quickly retracted their necks and sat as still as quails, not daring to let out a breath.


    Instructor Yan conducted the class as usual and said at the end of the lesson:


    ¡°Cultivating the Tao is like sailing against the current; if you do not advance, you will fall back. The way of formations is the same, you all must not slack off and waste your time and talent for nothing.¡±


    After saying this, Instructor Yan looked around sternly, finally turning her gaze to Mo Hua and said, ¡°Mo Hua, come with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua stood up respectfully and followed Instructor Yan out of the cultivation room.


    Seeing Instructor Yan leave, the disciples in the room gathered their heads together again:


    ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over, Mo Hua is done for now.¡±


    ¡°The instructor mentioned some people slacking off; was he referring to Mo Hua?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m slacking off too, why didn¡¯t the instructor come for me?¡±


    ¡°Can you compare with Mo Hua? Mo Hua¡¯s formation paintings are so good, he¡¯s highly regarded by the instructor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad the instructor doesn¡¯t regard me highly; please never regard me highly¡­¡±


    Mo Hua followed Instructor Yan, leaving the cultivation room, passing by the Pill Room and Refining Room, and finally left Tongxuan Peak.


    All along the way, Instructor Yan said nothing. Only when disciples or other instructors and Sect Elders greeted them, did she either nod her head or clasp her hands in response.


    Instructor Yan took Mo Hua all the way to her residence located on Tongming Peak.


    Tongming Peak was where the Sect Leader, Elders, instructors, and Inner Sect Disciples lived and cultivated. It was Mo Hua¡¯s first visit; indeed, the environment was much quieter and more beautiful. Many courtyards had brightly colored Spirit Flowers and Spirit Grass, and there were also Spirit Beasts like the Colorful Chicken taking leisurely strolls.


    Only on Tongming Peak could these few Colorful Chickens stroll so leisurely; on Tongxuan Peak, they would definitely not see the sun the next day.


    Mo Hua thought of the charred chicken leg Shuanghu had given him.


    There was a Formation outside Instructor Yan¡¯s residence, and there was a small Bagua Plate on the door. This must have been set up by Instructor Yan herself, as the doors of other courtyards and residences did not have one.


    Instructor Yan ran her finger over the Bagua Plate a few times, a flash of light appeared on the door, and it opened.


    Once inside the house, Instructor Yan sat in front of the desk and directly asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°Do you want to become a Formation Master?¡±


    Mo Hua replied modestly, ¡°Disciple¡¯s aptitude is limited; I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t become a Formation Master.¡±


    Instructor Yan frowned and said, ¡°Wanting to and having the talent are two different matters. Don¡¯t just look at the outcome and lose your original intention. Every creature under heaven is destined to die, should they therefore not live at all?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua said solemnly, ¡°Disciple wants to become a Formation Master!¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to?¡±


    ¡°The path of cultivation is tough. Formations can provide a means of livelihood.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Cultivators seek the Heavenly Dao to become immortals, and understanding formations can lead to comprehending the Heavenly Dao.¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Instructor Yan frowned and said, ¡°The Heavenly Dao is distant and elusive; cultivators might spend their entire lives unable to glimpse even a corner of it.¡±


    Mo Hua responded, ¡°As the Instructor has said, the path to enlightenment lies in heaven, but the pursuit of it lies within us. Since cultivators are seeking the Heavenly Dao, no matter whether they ultimately achieve enlightenment or not, they must not lose the heart of pursuit.¡±


    Instructor Yan was silent for a moment, then nodded, ¡°From now on, come to me after every class. You may go back today.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua was confused but still bowed respectfully and took his leave.


    Instructor Yan watched Mo Hua leave and after a long while exhaled:


    ¡°He¡¯s a promising seed indeed.¡±

 Chapter 25 - 25 Teaching_1

    Chapter 25 Teaching_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua returned to the Tao Cultivation chamber and sat down, a group of disciples once again craned their necks and crowded around.


    ¡°Mo Hua, Mo Hua, what did the Instructor want with you?¡±


    ¡°Did the Instructor punish you?¡±


    Mo Hua honestly replied, ¡°The Instructor told me to find him after class every day.¡±


    A disciple said, ¡°It must be because you¡¯ve slacked off in your Formation studies, so the Instructor is angry, and he wants you to practice Formations every day to prevent you from regressing.¡±


    Some disciples expressed sympathy, ¡°Then you¡¯re really in for it, having to draw Formation Patterns under the Instructor¡¯s watchful eye every day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s so dreadful. I get nervous just from one glance from the Instructor, let alone him watching me draw Formation Patterns¡­¡±


    Mo Hua also sighed deeply.


    Seeing this, the other disciples began to comfort Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sighed, not because of having to draw Formation Patterns under the Instructor¡¯s observation but because visiting the Instructor daily would leave him with little time to earn Spirit Stones by drawing Formation Patterns for the Formation Pavilion.


    However, since the Instructor had asked Mo Hua whether he wished to become a Formation Master, it was likely that he would provide some guidance. With this thought, it seemed like a good thing after all.


    The next day after class, Mo Hua arrived on time at Instructor Yan¡¯s residence on Tongming Peak.


    Instructor Yan got straight to the point and placed a scroll titled ¡°Preliminary Interpretation of Formation Method Canon¡± in front of Mo Hua.


    ¡°In the path of Formation arts, if one wishes to go far, the foundation must be solid. This foundation includes not only an understanding of basic Formation Patterns, proficiency with the pen, and a robust Divine Sense but also the Tao Cultivation World¡¯s scholarly research on Formations.¡±


    ¡°The so-called scholarly research on Formation arts is the culmination of countless Formation experts¡¯ experiences and theoretical studies on the myriad Formations of the Tao Cultivation World, seeking the unchanging truths amid the ever-changing Formations.¡±


    ¡°Some Cultivators are good at drawing Formations, but they know nothing about the scholarly research, and once they reach advanced studies, they find them as confusing as a thick fog, unable to make any further progress in the path of Formations.¡±


    ¡°I am just one step away from becoming a first-grade Formation Master. Most of the Sect¡¯s legacy has been lost, so I cannot teach you the profound scholarly texts on Formations that some Great Clans and Great Sects can offer. But given your current level of expertise in Formations, it should be sufficient.¡±


    Mo Hua sat up straight, his expression becoming even more respectful, ¡°Please instruct me, Instructor.¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, opened the ¡°Preliminary Interpretation of Formation Method Canon,¡± and said:


    ¡°This primary interpretation records some basic principles of Formations, such as the concept of the heavens being round and the Earth square, the Bagua Positions, the Five Elements Generation and Restraint, as well as the composition of Single Formations, Compound Formations, and Large Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Formation arts are the manifestations of the laws of heaven and earth, the outer circularity and inner squareness symbolizing the round heavens and square Earth. The position and arrangement of different Formation Patterns follow the principles of the Bagua, the different attribute Patterns generate and restrain each other. An individual Formation is known as a Single Formation, multiple Single Formations combined make a Compound Formation, and a Large Formation is made up of many Single and Compound Formations linked together¡­¡±


    ¡°A Large Formation is immensely powerful, and the so-called Protective Sect Array falls into this category. A Large Formation contains hundreds to thousands or even tens of thousands of individual Formations, assembled by dozens or hundreds of Formation Masters working together. And only an exceedingly accomplished Formation Master can serve as the Main Formation Master, orchestrating the design and engraving of the Large Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°To become a Main Formation Master, to design and construct a Large Formation, is the aspiration of many Formation Masters¡¯ lives.¡±


    Instructor Yan said with a touch of emotion, then shifted gears and continued, ¡°But this is too far off in the future to discuss now, even just becoming an ordinary first-grade Formation Master is already difficult enough.¡±


    Listening, Mo Hua too felt a yearning¡ªsingle Formations were already so mystical, what kind of scene would it be if a Large Formation containing thousands of Formations was activated?


    Instructor Yan hesitated slightly before passing the ¡°Preliminary Interpretation of Formation Method Canon¡± to Mo Hua with a measure of gravity, saying:


    ¡°Take this preliminary interpretation of the formation method for now, study it carefully on your own, and remember, it must not be divulged or discussed with anyone else.¡±


    Afterward, Instructor Yan explained some of the basic theories of formations and then let Mo Hua go.


    Mo Hua returned to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, holding the thin volume of ¡°Preliminary Interpretation of Formation Method Canon¡± in his hand, yet it felt incredibly heavy. For the first time, he realized the importance of Taoist cultivation inheritance; without someone to teach him, these things alone could take a lifetime to figure out.


    And he was just an ordinary disciple, yet Instructor Yan was so earnest in his guidance, which made Mo Hua feel even more grateful.


    Mo Hua calmed his mind, read ¡°Preliminary Interpretation of Formation Method Canon¡± word by word, and noted down anything he didn¡¯t understand, preparing to ask the instructor the next day.


    Before going to sleep, Mo Hua took out the ¡°Gold and Stone Formation Map,¡± memorized the formation patterns inside, closed his eyes, and practiced the Gold Stone Formation on the stele in his Sea of Consciousness.


    The Gold Stone Formation had only four formation patterns, not too difficult, but it required time to become familiar with the patterns and practice them.


    Thanks to the ¡°Preliminary Interpretation of Formation,¡± Mo Hua found his thoughts much clearer when drawing the Gold and Stone Formation Map.


    The reason why the four formation patterns were positioned towards the west was that west is associated with metal, which is compatible with the properties of the Gold and Stone Formation Map. The specific drawing method also involved much consideration of the hexagrams.


    Previously, Mo Hua only knew to follow the formation diagram, not understanding why it was drawn that way, but now he gained a deeper understanding.


    The next day, Mo Hua went to Tongming Peak.


    Instructor Yan drew some questions from ¡°Formation Discussions¡± and asked Mo Hua, who answered each one. Confirming that Mo Hua had read the ¡°Formation Method Canon¡± thoroughly, Instructor Yan couldn¡¯t help but nod approvingly.


    Then Mo Hua brought up some questions he had noted down and asked Instructor Yan. The instructor answered each question, clearly more reassured.


    On the third day when Mo Hua went again, Instructor Yan used specific formations as examples, analyzing them for Mo Hua to understand some basic theories about formations.


    Instructor Yan began with several formations that involved a single formation pattern, including the Bright Fire Formation which Mo Hua had previously learned to draw, as well as a few formations that Mo Hua hadn¡¯t studied before. Then he moved on to formations that involved two patterns, all of which were new to Mo Hua, who listened attentively.


    Among formations with four formation patterns, the instructor first mentioned the Solid Earth Formation, which Mo Hua had consulted about before. Although Mo Hua had become quite adept at it, when he heard the instructor¡¯s explanation now, he realized that his prior understanding was superficial, lacking deep comprehension of the principles behind the pattern.


    After discussing the Solid Earth Formation, Instructor Yan mentioned the Gold Stone Formation:


    ¡°The Gold Stone Formation is similar in purpose to the Solid Earth Formation. Among the Five Elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, earth generates metal. Therefore, when cultivators construct their cave dwellings and rooms, they use the Solid Earth Formation to consolidate the foundation and the Gold Stone Formation to reinforce the buildings. Because earth generates metal, the effectiveness of the formations is enhanced. These two formations can be referenced to understand each other¡­¡±


    As Mo Hua listened, his understanding cleared suddenly.


    Instructor Yan lectured for two hours and then assigned several homework tasks, asking Mo Hua to find some examples of the generation and restraint among formations before letting him leave. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After returning to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled.


    Many of the formations cited by Instructor Yan were ones he had painted for the Formation Pavilion.


    Not to mention the Bright Fire Formation and the Solid Earth Formation, but the Gold Stone Formation was also something Fatty Steward had asked him to draw. And today, the instructor specifically explained the Gold and Stone Formation Map to him, even though it was to illustrate the relationship between the Five Elements¡¯ generation and restraint. Still, it was too coincidental.


    ¡°Is there some relationship between the instructor and Fatty Steward? Could the instructor already know that I was the one who drew those formations for Fated Gathering?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered secretly in his heart.

 Chapter 26 - 26 Diligence_1

    Chapter 26 Diligence_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua would go to Instructor Yan after his daily classes to study array theory and ask questions about formations. With Instructor Yan¡¯s explanations, Mo Hua learned the Gold Stone Formation very quickly, and combined with the ability to practice repeatedly on the stele in his Sea of Consciousness, it took him just over ten days to complete the five Gold and Stone Formation Diagrams.


    Since he had plenty of time, Mo Hua drew carefully, so he failed only once and, after deducting the costs for materials, earned about twelve Spirit Stones.


    During his rest days, Mo Hua handed the formations over to Manager Mo, who after inspecting them, nodded satisfactorily and said, ¡°You¡­ your brother¡¯s formation paintings are increasingly systematic.¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua looked at Manager Mo with suspicion.


    For some reason, Manager Mo felt somewhat guilty under the gaze, coughed, and waved his hands, saying, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, go back to the Sect. I¡¯m quite busy here.¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at the empty Fated Gathering without a single customer and curiously asked, ¡°There are no customers here, right? Manager Mo, what are you busy with?¡±


    Manager Mo felt that his management style was more about zen-like business operations, which fundamentally differed from merely poor business.


    But the absence of customers was indeed obvious at a glance.


    Manager Mo became a bit irritated. ¡°What does a kid know? The business I do here is significant; I¡¯m busy whether there are customers or not! When I say I¡¯m busy, I am busy!¡±


    ¡°Well then, Manager Mo, carry on with your work; I¡¯ll take my leave,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Mo Hua bid farewell and had walked a few steps before suddenly turning back to ask:


    ¡°By the way, Manager Mo, are you very familiar with Instructor Yan?¡±


    Manager Mo felt a bit guilty and said, ¡°Not really. We just share some fellow Sect-member camaraderie. He¡¯s got a bad temper and is very stubborn. Not many normal people can stand him. We haven¡¯t been in contact for many years, but we happened to meet a few days ago and had tea to catch up.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua uttered an ¡°oh¡± with profound implications.


    One claims not to be close, yet speaks with such familiarity; this indicates a deep familiarity, at least not a light acquaintance.


    Manager Mo hastened to wave his hands, ¡°Hurry on, hurry on, don¡¯t disrupt my business.¡±


    Mo Hua left Fated Gathering, thinking to himself:


    ¡°It seems Manager Mo and Instructor Yan do have some sort of secret connection¡­¡±


    After that, Mo Hua led a monotonous and ordinary Sect life, attending daily classes, consulting Instructor Yan on formation after class, painting formations back at the Disciple¡¯s Residence, and practicing formations on the damaged stele in the Sea of Consciousness after midnight.


    Simple yet fulfilling.


    Mo Hua¡¯s skills in formation steadily advanced, and his Divine Sense also grew deeper. At the very least, he could comfortably paint four-formation Patterns of the Gold Stone Formation, and it became more and more effortless, no longer feeling a shortage in Divine Sense.


    The orders for Manager Mo¡¯s formations changed a few times, each time with the excuse ¡°the market conditions have changed; we won¡¯t accept the previous formations anymore, you need to draw new ones,¡± and then provided Mo Hua with new Formation Diagrams.


    When Instructor Yan instructed on array theory, he conveniently explained the formations given by Manager Mo to Mo Hua, practically spoon-feeding him.


    This also essentially confirmed Mo Hua¡¯s suspicion that Manager Mo and Instructor Yan must have a relationship, and chances are both the manager and the instructor were aware of the formations he painted for Fated Gathering.


    However, everyone remained tacit, and Mo Hua pretended to be oblivious as well.


    What puzzled Mo Hua was why the instructor was so attentive to him, endlessly answering questions about formations, and why Manager Mo provided so many conveniences.


    Could it really be just because his talent in formations was exceptional?


    Latter, Mo Hua reflected and felt that perhaps he was overthinking it.


    Instructor Yan was a rigorous and serious person who was meticulous in both teaching and formations, and he never withheld knowledge from his disciples. His special attention to Mo Hua must have sprung from a desire to cherish his talent, unwilling to see it go to waste and his life pass in vain¡ªtruly hoping that Mo Hua could make significant progress in the study of formations.


    Manager Mo had a relationship with Instructor Yan, and it must have been at Instructor Yan¡¯s request that he had arranged for Mo Hua to progressively work on drawing formations.


    Mo Hua quietly took note of the kindness from both individuals in his heart.


    However, Mo Hua was still only a low-level Qi Refinement Third Level cultivator; he was incapable of doing much. Even if he wished to repay their kindness, he could only wait until the future.


    Two more months passed, and in addition to the Gold Stone Formation, Mo Hua also learned the Mud Sand Formation, Quicksand Formation, and Ventilation Formation. Adding to the spirit stones he had saved from drawing formations, he had accumulated over one hundred and eighty stones.


    Mo Hua planned to save up two hundred spirit stones and then choose a mid-tier, low-level cultivation technique. This would greatly relieve his parents¡¯ burdens.


    Once he had gathered enough spirit stones and chosen a suitable cultivation technique, he then planned to inform his parents, who would surely be happy.


    But before Mo Hua could save up enough spirit stones, trouble arose at home.


    One day during an alchemy class, Instructor Yan suddenly called out for Mo Hua. With a solemn expression, he told Mo Hua that his mother was critically ill and urged him to rush home to see her.


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment and then felt as if a cold bucket of water had been poured over him, leaving him chilled to the bone.


    Mo Hua requested a few days¡¯ leave from the instructor, then hurried back home.


    But when he got there, the door to his house was closed. Mo Hua knocked several times without getting a response. As he grew anxious, the neighbor¡¯s aunt came out upon hearing the noise and said:


    ¡°Is that you, Mo Hua?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Yang, my mother¡­¡±


    ¡°I was just about to tell you, your mother is critically ill and is being treated by Old Mr. Feng at the Apricot Forest Hall. Hurry up and go see her!¡±


    Mo Hua thanked her repeatedly, then rushed towards Apricot Forest Hall.


    Apricot Forest Hall was the only pill hall nearby.


    With a Pill Master in residence, most cultivators with injuries or illnesses would go to the pill hall to have a Pill Master examine them and concoct pills to heal their injuries or cure their diseases.


    Old Mr. Feng of the Apricot Forest Hall was a famed pill master in Tongxian City, having dedicated more than half his life to the study of the Alchemy Dao. In his later years, after passing the assessment, he became a true first-grade Pill Master, one of the few officially recognized Pill Masters in Tongxian City.


    Additionally, Old Mr. Feng was the only Pill Master in Tongxian City who, even after becoming a first-grade Pill Master, was still willing to open a shop in the market town for loose cultivators and attend to patients.


    When Mo Hua arrived at Apricot Forest Hall, Old Mr. Feng was already in attendance, treating patients.


    Old Mr. Feng was dressed in an old, slightly faded black Taoist robe. With white hair and a beard, and an amiable expression, he saw Mo Hua and excused himself with a few words to the patient in front of him, then gestured for Mo Hua to approach.


    Mo Hua hurried forward to pay his respects and said, ¡°Greetings, Grandpa Feng! My mother, she¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Feng nodded and replied, ¡°Good child, I have looked into your mother¡¯s illness. Although it¡¯s quite serious, her life is not in danger. You can rest easy.¡±


    Only then did Mo Hua breathe a sigh of relief. However, coming back to his senses, he felt a dry mouth and a burning throat.


    Mo Hua had been frail since childhood. Having been in a rush and run too fast, he was now sweating profusely from the sudden stop.


    Old Mr. Feng placed his right hand lightly on Mo Hua¡¯s back, a faint azure light flickered from his hand, transferring some spiritual power, and Mo Hua felt as if a spring breeze had swept through his limbs, instantly easing his breathing.


    Old Mr. Feng then poured a light cup of tea and instructed, ¡°Drink a little at a time, slowly.¡±


    Following Old Mr. Feng¡¯s instructions, Mo Hua sipped the misty tea slowly until his breath became smooth once more.

 Chapter 27 - 27: Sorrowful Love_1

    Chapter 27: Sorrowful Love_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Your mother has overworked herself, using spiritual power to fuel the stove for long periods, which has damaged her heart and lungs due to the heat, causing her to cough, become weak, and have difficulty breathing.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng explained the illness to Mo Hua and continued:


    ¡°When she was brought here, she could hardly breathe. I¡¯ve made some pills that have temporarily relieved her condition. You don¡¯t need to worry for now, but going forward, she needs proper care. She cannot use spiritual power to fuel the stove anymore, and she can no longer work in the Food Building¡¯s kitchen. Otherwise, her heart and lungs will eventually fail beyond recovery.¡±


    Mo Hua, frightened, couldn¡¯t help but bow deeply again and said, ¡°I will forever remember Grandpa Feng¡¯s kindness in my heart!¡±


    Old Mr. Feng helped Mo Hua up, smiled slightly, and said, ¡°Saving lives and healing the injured is a part of a Pill Master¡¯s duties; there¡¯s no need to talk about kindness. You are young, but you speak very clearly. By the time you repay me, I might already be under the ground.¡±


    Mo Hua then breathed a sigh of relief and responded with a smile, ¡°Grandpa Feng, with your benevolent heart, you will surely live for a few hundred more years!¡±


    Old Mr. Feng laughed heartily, ¡°You¡¯ve always been a smooth talker since you were little.¡±


    ¡°My mother only works in the Food Building¡¯s kitchen for four hours a day; she has always been fine before, so why did her heart and lungs suddenly become so severely damaged?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Old Mr. Feng replied, ¡°I asked the cooks in the Food Building, and starting this year, your mother¡¯s work hours increased from four to six each day. With the longer hours, it¡¯s easier for spiritual power to become exhausted, and coupled with overwork, the damage naturally worsened.¡±


    ¡°Was the Fire-Resistant Hairpin useless then?¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to the hairpin your mother wears,¡± Old Mr. Feng stroked his beard and nodded as he explained:


    ¡°The hairpin is indeed useful, but that Fire-Resistant Hairpin is a common Spiritual Artifact without any rank, and its effectiveness is limited. However, it¡¯s good that she had the hairpin; otherwise, her condition would be even worse, and even if it were healed, there would be lingering issues with her heart and lungs.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a mix of relief and lingering fear, then asked about the cost of the diagnosis. Old Mr. Feng said, ¡°The manager from the Food Building came earlier; they feel very troubled about your mother¡¯s situation, so they¡¯ll cover all the pill expenses. You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng gave Mo Hua a secretive wink and whispered, ¡°Since they¡¯re willing, I won¡¯t be polite. I¡¯ve used the best ingredients for the pills, and I¡¯ll make sure your mother gets well.¡±


    Mo Hua was reassured, thanked Old Mr. Feng earnestly, and then asked quietly, ¡°May I go see my mother?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng nodded, ¡°Go ahead, she¡¯s just taken the medicine and laid down. Remember to keep your voice down.¡±


    The wards of Apricot Forest Hall were connected, with several sickbeds placed specifically for patients to rest. Although simple, they were clean and tidy, and the air was tinged with a faint incense.


    When Mo Hua saw Liu Ruhua, she was lying quietly on a bed inside, breathing lightly and looking pale and somewhat haggard.


    Mo Hua brought over a small stool, sat gently beside her, and watched Liu Ruhua¡¯s face.


    Mo Hua remembered when he was newly born, his mother was young, gentle and beautiful, and had a lovely smile.


    Now, without realizing it, ten years had passed.


    For cultivators who have relatively longer lifespans, ten years is not much; some cultivators do not change their appearance at all in a decade.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s mother had become somewhat haggard, with even a few strands of white hair at her temples.


    Thinking of himself growing up slowly, while his parents aged without his noticing¡ªby the time he realized it, they no longer looked as they did in his memories.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart turned sour, and his eyes became slightly blurred.


    After Liu Ruhua had slept for an unknown length of time, she woke up to find Mo Hua lying beside her, with red eyes. She felt both comforted and a little distressed.


    Liu Ruhua touched Mo Hua¡¯s head, ¡°Why are you here? Shouldn¡¯t you be at the Sect cultivating?¡±


    Mo Hua silently looked at her. Liu Ruhua felt a bit embarrassed and said, ¡°I¡¯m alright, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Feng said that you have to help in the kitchen at the Food Building for six hours every day.¡±


    ¡°Six hours is nothing. Look at the uncles and aunts in our neighborhood; their tasks are sometimes even harder. Your father goes out monster hunting and sometimes doesn¡¯t sleep for several days and nights. Everyone is like this¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Mother, your health is not good, how can you be the same? Is it because our home lacks Spirit Stones?¡±


    Liu Ruhua sighed softly, ¡°The home indeed doesn¡¯t lack Spirit Stones, but you are about to start learning a Cultivation Technique, right? A medium-grade, low-level technique should cost over two hundred Spirit Stones. I was thinking of saving more so you can choose a better one when the time comes.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°I didn¡¯t mention anything about the techniques, how did you know, Mother?¡±


    Liu Ruhua touched Mo Hua¡¯s head again, ¡°Silly child, how could your mother not know? You didn¡¯t say because you are sensible, but your father and I naturally have to think ahead for you. Both your father and I are only at the Qi Refinement Realm, so we can¡¯t give you the best, but within the scope of our abilities, we still want to provide you with something better.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s nose felt sour, then he took out a Storage Bag and said:


    ¡°Mother, I can earn it myself, I¡¯ve already earned one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones!¡±


    This time it was Liu Ruhua who was surprised. She opened her mouth slightly, and after a while, she said: S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°How did you earn so much¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit better, ¡°I¡¯m helping people with Drawing Formations.¡±


    ¡°Is it still that Fated Gathering on the North Street?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Mo Hua said, and then he paused, ¡°Mother, how did you know about this too?¡±


    Liu Ruhua smiled gently, ¡°Your father told me. He saw you taking out so many Spirit Stones that day and suspected someone was cheating you with ill intentions. He followed you to that business and asked the manager a few questions. Then he found out you weren¡¯t cheated; instead, it was the manager who was tricked by you. I, as your mother, didn¡¯t even know you¡¯d gotten an elder brother¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth hung open. He felt like he had kept everything secret, but in the end, he hadn¡¯t kept anything hidden. He even didn¡¯t know when his father had followed him to the Formation Pavilion¡­


    Liu Ruhua caressed Mo Hua¡¯s face and said contentedly, ¡°When you were little, so small and skinny, I was worried you¡¯d be bullied and concerned about how you would make a living in the future. But now, at such a young age, you can earn so many Spirit Stones; now I¡¯m reassured.¡±


    ¡°However, you should save these Spirit Stones for yourself. Don¡¯t think it¡¯s a lot right now. Once your cultivation is higher, or when you get married and have children, you¡¯ll need many Spirit Stones. Saving now will prevent difficulties later.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Mother, I will surely earn more Spirit Stones in the future; you don¡¯t have to worry about this. The most important thing for you now is to recover your health; don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡±


    Liu Ruhua looked at Mo Hua tenderly, wanting to say something more but couldn¡¯t help coughing. Mo Hua stopped her from talking any further, urging her to rest well.

 Chapter 28 - 28 Idea_1

    Chapter 28 Idea_1


    Translator: 549690339


    On the second day, Mo Shan hurried back as well.


    When Mo Shan arrived at Apricot Forest Hall, his clothing was torn and smeared with mud, and his arm was wrapped in a bandage as if it had been torn open by some monster beast, with blood still seeping through.


    It seemed that the Monster Hunting Team had just finished a fight to the death with the monster beasts and did not have time to treat his wounds before rushing back.


    Only when Mo Shan heard that his wife¡¯s life was not in danger did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. Old Mr. Feng, after checking Liu Ruhua¡¯s condition, also took the time to treat the wounds on Mo Shan¡¯s arm.


    Several days later, Liu Ruhua was allowed to return home for a quiet convalescence. According to Old Mr. Feng¡¯s instructions, she would eat a light diet, not overexert herself, take pills on time, and likewise, she was not to use her spiritual power for a month.


    Mo Shan and his son stayed at home for a few days, then they were both chased out by Liu Ruhua¡ªMo Shan as the leader of the Monster Hunting Team had to lead his team members to hunt monster beasts, and Mo Hua, being a Sect Disciple, had to go to the Sect for cultivation and could not delay his lessons too much.


    Fortunately, Liu Ruhua¡¯s restriction was only on the use of spiritual power, and her normal life was not affected.


    Mo Shan had no choice but to ask the aunties in the neighborhood for help with taking care of things. He himself would also come back whenever he had the chance, and Mo Hua, whenever he had a break every ten days, would ask his instructor for leave to come home and see her.


    Instructor Yan was understanding and didn¡¯t make it difficult for Mo Hua, just reminding him not to neglect his cultivation and the Sect¡¯s curriculum.


    After a month, Liu Ruhua¡¯s health was almost fully recovered. Although she still had to stay at home and could not engage in activities that required the use of spiritual power lest she start coughing incessantly, there were no other impairments.


    Mo Hua finally felt relieved, but soon noticed that his mother was not very happy. Although she still smiled, her expression was much more melancholic than before, and she would often sit lost in thought by herself.


    Mo Hua was very worried but couldn¡¯t understand why, so he went to ask Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan sighed and said to Mo Hua, ¡°Your mother¡¯s thoughts are very simple. The thing she wants to do most is to save up some spirit stones for you, to support you in your cultivation, to see you grow up, get married and have children¡­ But now your mother can¡¯t use her spiritual power; without it, she can¡¯t do anything, let alone earn spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°Having been busy for half a lifetime, to suddenly be unable to do anything and not be able to help you, she must feel a certain emptiness inside¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt uncomfortable inside and thought for a while before asking, ¡°Does Mother have any other interests?¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Other interests?¡±


    ¡°Yes, something she¡¯s interested in, such as Dan symbols, formations, and the like¡­¡±


    After thinking for a while, Mo Shan said, ¡°Your mother never showed much interest in those, but she does like cooking quite a bit. I¡¯m not just bragging¡ªwithin ten miles of our neighborhood, no one cooks better than your mother.¡±


    Mo Shan then sighed and said, ¡°When your mother and I became lifelong companions and bonded as Taoist partners, I bragged about opening a Food Building for her to specialize in studying various dishes. Yet, all these years, she¡¯s been mostly enduring hardship with me, and I never fulfilled that promise¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at his somewhat self-reproaching father and knew he could not be blamed.


    Mo Shan¡¯s cultivation and Taoist skills were among the best of the local Monster Hunters. He risked his life fighting monster beasts for years, always returning home covered in blood. Despite that, the household finances were still tight.


    Ultimately, it was the tough life of a low-level Loose Cultivator that left them barely maintaining their livelihood, let alone anything else.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry, I will definitely help Mother open a big Food Building in the future!¡±


    Mo Shan knew his son was trying to comfort him, touched Mo Hua¡¯s head, and said with some relief, ¡°Good!¡±


    But his wife could not use spiritual power, and even to be a Meal Master would require spiritual power. Even if they were to open a restaurant, without spiritual power, it would be difficult to work as a Meal Master.


    Thinking about his wife¡¯s despondent state, Mo Shan felt heartache and patted Mo Hua on the shoulder, ¡°Talk to your mother more when you have time. Sometimes what you say works better than me. Don¡¯t let your mother overthink things.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Whenever he was free afterward, Mo Hua would proactively talk with Liu Ruhua, and indeed, her complexion seemed to improve a bit. Yet, when she was alone, her demeanor was still one of sorrow.


    ¡°If only Mother could use spiritual power,¡± thought Mo Hua, knowing, however, that this was quite unlikely.


    Illness comes like a thunderclap and leaves like drawing silk; moreover, with such a chronic illness built up over so many years, she could only rely on gradual recuperation. It was unlikely she would recover in the short term.


    There had to be natural treasures in the Tao Cultivation World that could cure her completely. Old Mr. Feng had even mentioned a few, but for a family like Mo Hua¡¯s, they had neither the connections to find them, nor the means to afford them if they did.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to give up the thought.


    Another half month passed, and the hottest month of the year arrived, with the sun high in the sky, making the ground hot enough to scald. Tongxian Gate, as usual, had a summer break, lasting a bit over a month.


    A summer vacation and a winter vacation, the two longest breaks in a year.


    The weather was hot, and Monster Beasts didn¡¯t like to roam around much. Those that did venture out were usually of the Fire-series whose demonic power became stronger in such weather, making them extremely difficult to handle. Therefore, the summer holiday period was also the off-season for Monster Hunting.


    Mo Shan would stay at home for longer periods, only leaving for a few days if one of the team members found some valuable Monster Beasts. He would then return with a few Spirit Stones or furs from the beasts.


    One time, after being away from home for a few days, Mo Shan returned with a large parcel. Mo Hua opened it and found a big pack of tendon meat, leaving him wide-mouthed in astonishment, ¡°Dad, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°This is meat from a wild mountain bull. It contains little Spiritual Energy and isn¡¯t worth much money, but compared to other Monster Beasts, the quality of the meat isn¡¯t too bad, and the gamey taste isn¡¯t too strong either.¡±


    ¡°Recently the Monster Hunting Team hasn¡¯t harvested much, only this wild mountain bull. After skinning and butchering it, we couldn¡¯t sell the meat; everyone complained that the beef was too tough and old, too hard to cook or chew. So, we each took some home to eat,¡± explained Mo Shan.


    Mo Hua, unsure, asked, ¡°Dad, are you planning to cook this meat?¡±


    Mo Shan ruffled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, ¡°What, you dislike your dad¡¯s cooking?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and said nothing.


    At noon, Mo Shan set out to cook the beef, and after much effort, he finally got it stewed and served it in a large, open-mouthed white porcelain bowl.


    ¡°Give it a taste, see how it is!¡±


    The white porcelain bowl held stewed beef that was a rich, soy sauce color.


    Upon seeing the beef, Liu Ruhua put down her chopsticks, only scooping up a spoonful of soup to slowly sip.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, picked up a piece of the beef and chewed a few times until his teeth were sore; the meat remained stubbornly unyielding, showing no signs of breaking down.


    Embarrassed yet polite, Mo Hua spit out the meat and picked up a spoon for the soup, praising, ¡°The soup is good!¡±


    Mo Shan glared at him irritably, ¡°The soup is good because your mother seasoned it perfectly, of course.¡±


    Liu Ruhua pursed her lips and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts, but cooking isn¡¯t something you can do carelessly. Even when using Spiritual Power to stoke the fire for stewing, there are many intricacies involved, like when to use high heat or low heat, when to add which seasoning, and how much to use¡­ it¡¯s all about proportion¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua suddenly asked, ¡°So, if cooked long enough, could the beef become tender?¡±


    Liu Ruhua replied, ¡°Theoretically, yes, but that would require a Cultivator to watch over the pot day and night, constantly stoking the fire with Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    ¡°No ordinary Cultivator could do that, and I doubt any Cultivator who could, would be so idle to actually do it,¡± Mo Shan remarked.


    ¡°What if we use a Formation?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Formation¡­¡± Pondering for a moment, Liu Ruhua said:


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that, but I¡¯ve heard from the head chef of the Food Building that some large establishments have Artifact Refiners make the stoves, then have Formation Masters inscribe Formations on them. With just Spirit Stones, it¡¯s possible to simmer ingredients for a long time without expending the Spiritual Power of a Cultivator. However, hiring a Formation Master is very expensive, and I heard the previous restaurant couldn¡¯t afford such a stove.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered thoughtfully.


    Mo Shan also tried a piece of beef and, unable to chew it, had to admit, ¡°It is indeed hard to chew,¡± and then he swallowed it down, forcibly assimilating it with his Spiritual Power.


    In the evening, while practicing Drawing Formations on the damaged stele, Mo Hua counted over the matter of the Food Building.


    The next day, Mo Hua didn¡¯t practice Drawing Formations at home; instead, braving the scorching sun, he headed straight out to North Street.


    The intense heat caused him to sweat profusely after only a few steps. Nevertheless, some small vendors were also enduring the sun, listlessly hawking their goods.


    Having reached North Street, Mo Hua found the largest restaurant in the area, Fulu Restaurant, and then asked the manager, ¡°Is your young master surnamed An, named An Xiaopang¡­ I mean, An Xiaofu?¡±


    The manager didn¡¯t look down on Mo Hua because of his plain clothes. Instead, taking note of Mo Hua¡¯s familiarity, he suspected that Mo Hua might indeed be a friend of the Young Master, so he courteously replied:


    ¡°The Young Master says correctly; the young master is upstairs. Would you like me to send a message to him?¡±


    Mo Hua responded politely, ¡°Could you please convey that a fellow with the surname Mo from the same Sect is seeking him for a matter?¡±

 Chapter 29 - 29 Stove_1

    Chapter 29 Stove_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The shopkeeper went upstairs and came back after a while, politely inviting Mo Hua to come up.


    When Mo Hua saw An Xiaopang, An Xiaopang was drinking with a few flamboyantly dressed young men. On the table were various brightly colored, tantalizing Spirit Fruits, with maids fanning them, bringing gentle, fragrant breezes, and songstresses singing tunes that lingered in the air.


    The room was cool and comfortable, without any of the oppressive heat of summer, and the screen even had ice-related Formation Patterns engraved on it to cool and ventilate the room.


    Mo Hua thought of the Loose Cultivators who were struggling to do business in the sweltering heat on the streets to make a living and couldn¡¯t help but feel reflective.


    They were all Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm, living in the same Tongxian City, yet it was as though they lived in two different worlds.


    ¡°Mo Hua, it¡¯s really you!¡±


    An Xiaopang saw Mo Hua and seemed somewhat pleased, waving his hand and saying, ¡°Come on, join us for a drink.¡±


    An Xiaopang¡¯s face was flushed red from drinking, but he was young, and he was probably drinking fruit wine, which, even if one got drunk, wouldn¡¯t harm the body too much.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t in the mood for drinking and directly said, ¡°Young Master An, I need to discuss something with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± An Xiaopang snapped back to reality and waved to the other young men, ¡°You guys keep drinking, I need to talk.¡±


    After that, the shopkeeper led Mo Hua and An Xiaopang to a quiet private room. Mo Hua got straight to the point, ¡°Young Master An, I need to ask for your help.¡±


    An Xiaopang was clearly still a bit tipsy, but he patted his chest and said, ¡°As long as it¡¯s something I can help with, just ask!¡±


    Mo Hua looked around at the luxurious decorations in the private room and asked, ¡°This Food Building, it¡¯s owned by your family, right?¡±


    An Xiaopang proudly said, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Do you use stoves or Cultivator Spiritual Power to cook in the kitchen?¡±


    An Xiaopang looked confused, thought for a while without any clue, then called out, ¡°Shopkeeper!¡±


    Shortly after, the shopkeeper came in through the door. An Xiaopang pointed to the shopkeeper and said to Mo Hua, ¡°Ask him.¡±


    So Mo Hua repeated his previous question to the shopkeeper.


    The shopkeeper replied, ¡°At first, we did use Cultivator Spiritual Power to cook, but that method easily damages the Cultivator¡¯s heart and lungs and the fire is unstable, so our owner decided against it. Last year, we hired an Artifact Refiner to specifically make a stove and had a Formation Master draw the Formation. Since then, we have always used the stove.¡±


    Mo Hua was curious, ¡°Is the cost of the stove higher than hiring a Cultivator?¡±


    The shopkeeper honestly answered, ¡°In the long term, stoves are better. In the short term, hiring Cultivators is definitely more economical, and besides, you can haggle over the Cultivator¡¯s price. Sometimes when the market is down, half a Spirit Stone can hire a Cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm who is a Loose Cultivator.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disturbed.


    Even as a Cultivator, one couldn¡¯t avoid being exploited.


    ¡°Can I take a look at the stove?¡±


    The shopkeeper hesitated, looking at Young Master An. He couldn¡¯t make this decision as normally the kitchen was off-limits to outsiders.


    An Xiaopang, now a bit more sober, asked the shopkeeper, ¡°It¡¯s not possible to show it to others?¡±


    The shopkeeper said, ¡°It¡¯s the menu that really matters. Many Food Buildings have stoves, and those without simply don¡¯t want to spend Spirit Stones on crafting them. It¡¯s not a secret.¡±


    An Xiaopang said, ¡°Then let¡¯s have a look. I want to go too, I¡¯ve never seen that stove even once.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will take both young masters there.¡±


    The shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief; with Young Master An accompanying them, if anything happened, it wouldn¡¯t all be blamed on him.


    The shopkeeper led Mo Hua and An Xiaopang to the kitchen, pointing to a giant furnace-like appliance that was as tall as two men and said, ¡°This is the stove. After inserting a Spirit Stone, the Formation inside the stove will convert it to fire, which then spreads to each cooking station for the Cultivators to cook ingredients.¡±


    ¡°The stove and each cooking station are also connected by Formations, and moreover, each cooking platform has a special Formation engraved on it to control the size of the fire¡­¡±


    Mo Hua found it all very novel; it was his first time seeing Artifact Refining and Formation Drawing used in such a way.


    An Xiaopang¡¯s eyes widened as he looked on. He usually only knew about eating, but had no idea how the food was made.


    The shopkeeper introduced the stove to Mo Hua with a hint of pride.


    Mo Hua scrutinized the stove attentively, looking left and right, not sparing even the gaps between the mouth and body of the stove.


    Seeing him as if he wished he could dismantle the stove to check inside, the shopkeeper couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Does Young Master Mo wish to know something?¡±


    Mo Hua inquired, ¡°Shopkeeper, do you know which Formations are engraved inside the stove?¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment but then thought that simply knowing which Formations were used was useless. What mattered most was whether one could draw the Formations, and Formations were not so easy to draw.


    ¡°The Formation inside this stove is not complicated; it¡¯s just one Melting Fire Formation that includes five Formation Patterns. However, the location of the Melting Fire Formation is rather particular; it must be drawn at the bottom of the stove so that the fire power is even. There has to be a gap on the exterior of the stove to place a Spirit Stone, allowing the Spiritual Energy from the Spirit Stone to seep into the Melting Fire Formation and ignite the Formation¡¯s fire power¡­¡±


    The shopkeeper told Mo Hua everything down to the last detail.


    ¡°Oh, oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded continuously.


    After talking for quite a while, Mo Hua seemed to have gotten clarity on all he wanted to know and sincerely thanked the shopkeeper before preparing to take his leave.


    An Xiaopang pulled on Mo Hua, ¡°Don¡¯t rush off; I¡¯ll treat you to something delicious.¡±


    Mo Hua had matters to attend to, so he didn¡¯t accept the offer.


    ¡°Are you not giving me face?¡± An Xiaopang was getting a little angry.


    Mo Hua complimented An Xiaopang, saying he was generous and then quietly said to An Xiaopang, ¡°Next time the Instructor assigns a Formation painting homework, I¡¯ll help you draw it for free.¡±


    An Xiaopang was overjoyed and eagerly nodded, ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    He didn¡¯t care about Spirit Stones; what he cared about was his pride. Mo Hua offering to help him draw a Formation for free made him feel honored.


    The shopkeeper watched Mo Hua¡¯s departing figure and asked An Xiaopang, ¡°Young Master, what is this Master Mo¡¯s identity?¡±


    ¡°You could say he¡¯s a fellow sect member of mine. He¡¯s extremely good at drawing Formations, even better than me. To tell you the truth, he helps me with all my Formation homework!¡±


    An Xiaopang was even a bit proud.


    The shopkeeper kept a straight face, silently thinking that there was nothing really to be proud of¡­


    ¡°You go ahead with your business, shopkeeper; I¡¯m off to drink.¡±


    After saying that, An Xiaopang turned to leave, but suddenly he froze, grabbed the shopkeeper¡¯s sleeve, and stared intently at him.


    The shopkeeper was a bit nervous under his gaze, ¡°Young¡­ Young Master¡­¡±


    An Xiaopang said in a low voice, ¡°You must never let my father find out about this!¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°That someone else is doing my homework¡ªyou can¡¯t let my father find that out!¡±


    The shopkeeper¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Fine, fine¡­¡±


    An Xiaopang patted his chest, ¡°That was close, good thing I¡¯m clever or else I would have blown it.¡± Then he made the shopkeeper swear not to tell his father, only then feeling relieved to go upstairs.


    The shopkeeper felt somewhat helpless, thinking, ¡°With this unreliable young master, can the An Family really hold onto their family business¡­¡±


    The shopkeeper¡¯s thoughts then turned back to the youth surnamed Mo.


    He looked like no rich family¡¯s child but just an ordinary Cultivator¡¯s child; unsure what he wanted with the stove.


    The shopkeeper took a few steps, recalled what Young Master An had said, and suddenly stopped, ¡°Draws Formations well? He couldn¡¯t be planning to draw the stove¡¯s Formation, could he?¡±


    ¡°Young Master An is at the third level of Qi Refinement, and that Mo kid is his fellow sect member, which means that kid can at most only be at the third level of Qi Refinement as well. How could someone at the third level of Qi Refinement have the Divine Sense to draw Formations?¡±


    Shaking his head, the shopkeeper decided to find a place to drink some tea instead.

 Chapter 30 - 30 Melt Fire Formation Map_1

    Chapter 30 Melt Fire Formation Map_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua returned home under the scorching sun, grabbed the teapot on the table, and guzzled several mouthfuls of tea, which finally dispelled the heat. Then, he retreated to his own room and began to plan with paper and pen.


    First was the stove.


    The stove is a type of spiritual artifact.


    Spiritual artifacts used by cultivators come in a wide variety, including offensive weapons such as swords, spears, staffs, and clubs, defensive equipment like armor and Taoist robes, magical items such as hairpins and jade pendants, as well as everyday necessities like pots, bowls, and stoves.


    Mo Hua¡¯s understanding of artifact refining was limited to the commonly accessible theoretical knowledge learned in the course ¡°Refining Artifact Knowledge¡± at Tongxian Gate, such as the need for a refining furnace, forging, quenching, and other key points.


    But when it came to actually refining artifacts, he was at a loss.


    While the artifact refining course at Tongxian Gate also required disciples to personally refine artifacts, Mo Hua, who had a weak constitution and couldn¡¯t even swing a hammer, was unable to do the basic forging, so the instructor didn¡¯t force him.


    Now, to refine a stove, which wasn¡¯t an ordinary spiritual artifact, he could only seek a specialized Artifact Refiner.


    Next was the formation, the Melting Fire Formation, which contained five formation patterns, was quite challenging for the current Mo Hua.


    The formations that Mo Hua had previously drawn contained at most four patterns.


    For formations at the Qi Refinement Realm, each additional pattern significantly altered the formation¡¯s effectiveness. A gap of one pattern represented an entire threshold for a Formation Master.


    Mo Hua practiced drawing formations every day and honed his skills using the stele, which had considerably enhanced his divine sense. He could easily handle formations with four patterns, but those with five were another story.


    Another difficulty was that this Melting Fire Formation had to be drawn on the stove.


    The walls of a refining furnace are made of fine iron, which has weak absorption for ink, making it much harder to draw formations on fine iron than on paper, and this would also increase the consumption of spiritual power and divine sense.


    According to Instructor Yan¡¯s ¡°Elementary Discussion on Formation Methods,¡± the carrier of a formation, the medium that bears the formation, is commonly referred to by Formation Masters as the formation medium.


    When Formation Masters draw formations, the most commonly used medium is paper, followed by iron, wood, earthen, and stone materials.


    Mo Hua had always drawn his formations on paper until now drawing on an artifact furnace might present some unknown issues.


    Mo Hua thought for a while, sighed, and decided to take things step by step. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The pressing matter at hand was to figure out how to obtain the complete Formation Method Map of the Melting Fire Formation.


    The next morning, after breakfast, Mo Hua went to find Manager Mo.


    Manager Mo, slightly portly and heat-intolerant, was languidly leaning on his desk, beside which was a fan that continuously oscillated, its intrinsic formation activated by spiritual power.


    But with the weather being so hot, the fan only blew hot air.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Manager Mo, I¡¯ve seen other shops draw an Ice-series Formation on their walls to cool the place down, why don¡¯t you get one too?¡±


    Manager Mo glanced at Mo Hua wearily and said, ¡°That whole set of formations is so expensive. Give me the spirit stones, and I will get a set!¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled and then sat down at a nearby table, pouring himself a cup of tea and sipping it leisurely.


    In the rarely frequented Fated Gathering, Mo Hua was considered the most frequent of regulars. Manager Mo let him be and went back to burying his head in his desk work.


    After finishing his tea, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Manager Mo, do you have the Formation Diagram for the Melting Fire Formation here?¡±


    Manager Mo lifted his head, annoyed, and said, ¡°This is a shop specializing in formations, what Formation Diagrams don¡¯t we have?¡±


    Mo Hua replied skeptically, ¡°You have Second Grade Formation Diagrams as well?¡±


    Manager Mo pounded the desk in irritation and lectured, ¡°Don¡¯t act like a contrarian, kid!¡± and then asked in confusion, ¡°What do you want the Melt Fire Formation Map for?¡±


    ¡°I saw this formation drawn on the stove in the Food Building, got curious, so I¡¯m asking,¡± Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then asked:


    ¡°Manager Mo, do you know if there¡¯s anything particular to note when drawing a Melting Fire Formation on a stove?¡±


    Manager Mo listlessly responded, ¡°It¡¯s just a Melting Fire Formation, what could be so particular about it? Before the new year, several food buildings wanted to build stoves and bought the formations from me. I have all their stove-designed Formation Method Maps here.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Could I take a look at them?¡±


    ¡°No giving!¡±


    ¡°Just a peek!¡± pleaded Mo Hua.


    Manager Mo wanted to refuse again, but after hesitating for a moment, he sighed and reluctantly took out a large formation diagram from a cabinet behind and placed it on the desk.


    ¡°You can only look at it here. By rights, these should be kept secret and not shown to just anyone.¡±


    As Mo Hua unfolded the paper, he found a design diagram of a stove, densely annotated with lots of text including the materials for the stove and the locations of the corresponding formation patterns. It even indicated the dimensions of the formation, and how certain strokes were supposed to be varied, and so on.


    Curious, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Are these formations different from the ordinary ones, such that they require notations on the brushwork and formation diagram dimensions?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Manager Mo explained, ¡°the formation patterns of a formation are standardized, but their specific applications vary. Some standardized spiritual artifacts have the same scale and dimensions, so naturally, one can draw uniformly. But special customized spiritual artifacts require modifications and changes according to the artifact¡¯s shape and design.¡±


    ¡°For example, this stove is specially customized for the Food Building, unlike any other. Therefore, the Melting Fire Formation inside the stove must also vary according to the size, shape, and structure of the stove to be compatible¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Mo Hua scrutinized the diagram carefully, trying to memorize all the key points for future reference.


    After Mo Hua had looked sufficiently, Manager Mo collected the paper.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Manager Mo, can I borrow a copy of the Melt Fire Formation Map?¡±


    Anticipating this request, Manager Mo took out a Melt Fire Formation Map and said, ¡°Normally, this formation map would cost ten spirit stones. I won¡¯t charge you the spirit stones, but remember to return it to me without any damage or stains.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Ten spirit stones, is it that expensive?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. Do you think it¡¯s like those low-level formations with only two or three patterns that are common and easy to obtain? But those with four patterns, especially five or more, are quite rare. The more patterns a formation contains, the stronger its effect, and naturally, the more expensive the map.¡±


    Manager Mo fanned himself and continued, ¡°Some formation maps with ten patterns are even the Sect Protecting Faction secrets of certain sects and clans. You wouldn¡¯t even get a chance to glance at those, let alone buy them with spirit stones!¡±


    Mo Hua was astonished to hear this. Delving into higher realms of formation knowledge was indeed extremely challenging. Without any legacy, even if one wanted to learn formations, they wouldn¡¯t know where to begin.


    Mo Hua took the Melt Fire Formation Map and sincerely thanked Manager Mo.


    Although Manager Mo said, ¡°It¡¯s a trivial matter, no need for thanks. Don¡¯t be so formal,¡± his expression still showed he was quite pleased.


    Before Mo Hua left, Manager Mo cautioned him one more time:


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to study, but don¡¯t aim too high and be stubborn, obsessively burrowing into it. Overexertion of Divine Sense could damage the Sea of Consciousness, which for a Formation Master, could be a source of endless trouble.¡±


    After finishing, Manager Mo paused, coughed, and added, ¡°Pass these words along to your brother¡­¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, bowed to Manager Mo, and then left Fated Gathering.


    After leaving Fated Gathering, Mo Hua first went home to transcribe the stove diagram from memory.


    There was a lot of information on the stove diagram, and Mo Hua hadn¡¯t memorized everything, only the key parts, but that was enough.


    He didn¡¯t need to replicate the stove design of the Food Building exactly. Besides, even if he wanted to, he did not have enough spirit stones for the refinement.


    Having recorded the diagram fairly completely, Mo Hua then went out again, heading to a Refinery Shop at the end of the street.


    The Refinery Shop was rather simple, but spacious, with all kinds of spiritual artifacts or household items scattered on the walls and floor, including candlesticks, teapots, pots, hairpins, bracelets, and even swords and armor, somewhat chaotic.


    A sign hung in front of the shop with ¡°Chen¡¯s Refinery Shop¡± written on it. The sign was old and covered in soot, showing many years of use.


    Mo Hua had learned about this Refinery Shop from Da¡¯hu and others, purported to be the longest-established and best in the area.


    The Artifact Refiner of Chen¡¯s Refinery Shop, surnamed Chen, was commonly referred to as Master Chen.


    Master Chen, with no children, had spent his life forging and refining artifacts. Although he had never become a first-grade Artifact Refiner, the spiritual artifacts he refined were always highly praised. Many Monster Hunters sought his expertise for refining rattan armor and blades.


    When Mo Hua entered, Master Chen was busy hammering away with several disciples.

 Chapter 31 - 31 Artifact Refiner_1

    Chapter 31 Artifact Refiner_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Master Chen, an eighth-level Qi-refinement cultivator, was over a hundred years old, with half-gray hair and a robust physique. His complexion was darkened by years of furnace work, yet his eyes were bright and he had a booming voice.


    Master Chen was watching several disciples forge iron. Perhaps because they made some mistakes, he glared at them sternly and scolded, leaving the sturdy Artifact Refiner disciples obediently enduring the rebuke without daring to lift their heads.


    After the lecture, Master Chen personally swung the large hammer to demonstrate. His strong physique gave rise to fierce winds with each swing, and the red-hot refined iron was hammered into spark-filled splendor, gradually taking the shape of a blade¡¯s prototype.


    When the forging was complete, Master Chen merely wiped the sweat off his brow. His breathing remained steady, as if he hadn¡¯t exerted much effort at all.


    Mo Hua, naturally frail, watched with undisguised envy, wishing he could have such strength one day¡­


    ¡°Watch closely, that¡¯s how you should hammer the iron. What was that just now? Weak and lifeless, even a young lady¡¯s stitching has more vigor than you!¡±


    Master Chen once again scolded the disciples, then turned to see a child with red lips and white teeth, bright eyes full of envy, looking at him.


    After hesitating, Master Chen asked, ¡°Little fellow, do you want to learn Artifact Refining too?¡±


    Life as a Loose Cultivator is difficult; once leaving a Sect, one must sustain oneself. Some couldn¡¯t learn practical skills in their Sects and had to seek their own livelihood by learning a craft.


    Cultivators from the vicinity often sent their children to learn Artifact Refining from Master Chen, hoping they could become self-reliant in the future.


    Master Chen only casually charged some Spirit Stones, or some Spirit Paddies and the like as payment if they didn¡¯t have Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua glanced at the tall and strong disciples, then at his own slender arms and legs, and shook his head with a sense of resignation before saying plainly:


    ¡°Master, do you help people forge stoves here?¡±


    ¡°Stoves?¡± Master Chen looked at Mo Hua. ¡°What does a child like you need with a stove?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking on behalf of my mother.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I can forge stoves, but it requires a lot of refined iron and the equivalent in Spirit Stones is no small sum.¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s a smaller one, would it be cheaper?¡±


    Master Chen said, ¡°Naturally, a smaller stove uses less refined iron and labor, so it¡¯s indeed cheaper. However, here in Tongxian City, few people forge small stoves; you¡¯d need to commission someone to design and etch the Formation specifically, which would also cost quite a few Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Then, how many Spirit Stones would it take to forge the smallest stove?¡±


    Master Chen, not one to brush off a child, took out a piece of paper and meticulously wrote down the costs of various materials, then calculated the total, listing the required Spirit Stones for stoves of different sizes and scales.


    Master Chen handed the paper to Mo Hua and added: Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Of course, this is only the cost of materials; we Artifact Refiners also charge for labor by the day. Whichever days are spent forging the stove, those are the days you pay for.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Mo Hua noted everything and then took leave, saying:


    ¡°I¡¯ve written it down; I¡¯ll discuss it with my parents to decide on the size of the stove and then come back to you.¡±


    Master Chen grunted in acknowledgment and waved his hand, ¡°Go back early. Be careful on the road, kid!¡±


    He didn¡¯t take Mo Hua¡¯s words to heart. Many Cultivators who had requested Artifact Refining but disappeared after asking for the price. Most would say they¡¯d consider it and then never follow up.


    Moreover, the client was just a child around ten years old, asking for a stove¡ªa time and labor-intensive Spiritual Artifact to forge. It was likely the matter would end there.


    After returning home, Mo Hua picked out a stove that was not only appropriately sized but also within their financial means based on the price list Master Chen provided¡ªthe material cost alone was around one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.


    The labor fees for Artifact Refining still needed to be negotiated.


    Mo Hua did not know how long Master Chen would take to forge the stove, but estimated it could be anywhere from ten days to half a month, which might cost between fifty to seventy-five Spirit Stones.


    This was somewhat beyond Mo Hua¡¯s budget¡ªperhaps it would be necessary to ask his parents for more Spirit Stones or borrow some from others.


    Next, the most critical component was the Formation.


    Mo Hua spread out the Melt Fire Formation Map on the table and started to study it closely.


    The Melt Fire Formation Map contained five Fire-series Formation Patterns, with most strokes located at the Li fire positions. Even a glance at the complex Formation Patterns revealed they were significantly more complicated than those of the Gold Stone Formation and Solid Earth Formation.


    Mo Hua let out a small sigh, pushed aside all distractions, and began to focus on memorizing the Formation Patterns and the sequence of the strokes.


    Mo Hua was so engrossed in his studies that he didn¡¯t notice the sky darken.


    Even during meals, Mo Hua was preoccupied with the Formation Patterns of the Melting Fire Formation. He chewed his steamed bun a few times before zoning out, holding the bun and staring into space.


    Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but feel both amused and annoyed as she pinched his cheek, ¡°You should eat properly. Think about your things after you¡¯re done eating.¡±


    Mo Hua snapped back to reality, chuckled sheepishly, then ate with focus. Afterward, he ran back inside.


    Mo Hua had almost memorized all the Formation Patterns of the Melting Fire Formation, and then spent another two hours practicing on paper with ordinary ink, not infused with Spiritual Power. At 1 a.m., he entered his Sea of Consciousness and began practicing the Formation on a Stele.


    Just from looking at the Formation Patterns, which are rather complex, the basic structural logic wasn¡¯t different from other Formations. Remembering the Formation Patterns wasn¡¯t difficult; the challenge was likely the Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense might not be strong enough to draw a complete Melt Fire Formation Map.


    Mo Hua began to draw the Melting Fire Formation on the damaged Stele.


    The first three Formation Patterns went smoothly, but by the fourth, it was noticeably more strenuous. His Divine Sense started to lag, feeling increasingly parched.


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed slightly.


    After completing the fourth Formation Pattern, sharp pains began to throb through his Sea of Consciousness, like a riverbed cracking and splintering as the tide receded.


    Mo Hua quickly stopped, erasing the Formation Patterns from the damaged Stele, and the stabbing pain in his Divine Sense eased.


    Mo Hua collapsed onto the semi-solid ground of his Sea of Consciousness, gasping for breath.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, my Divine Sense is quite lacking¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was only strong enough to draw four Formation Patterns. After the fourth, he had no energy left to draw the fifth.


    It seemed like only one Formation Pattern was missing, but since Divine Sense couldn¡¯t be rapidly increased in the short term, this single Pattern might be a stumbling block for a long time.


    ¡°What should I do now?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered inwardly.


    There¡¯s no shortcut to increasing Divine Sense, a fact universally acknowledged in the Cultivation World.


    At least that was the consensus among the Cultivators of Qi-refining Realm in Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua had sought advice from Instructor Yan, who had also said that the growth of Divine Sense largely depended on the rise of Cultivation. The higher the realm of one¡¯s Cultivation, the stronger the Divine Sense naturally becomes.


    Besides that, strengthening Divine Sense could also be achieved through its usage. The more and the more frequently a Cultivator used their Divine Sense, the stronger it naturally became. For instance, Formation Masters, who often undertake Formation Painting, need to use Divine Sense frequently, thus their Divine Sense is naturally much stronger than that of an average Cultivator.


    Mo Hua had also asked if there was a dedicated Cultivation Technique for training Divine Sense, to which Instructor Yan frankly said no.


    Neither in ancient texts nor in the records of various spell points from Noble Clans was there a safe and reliable method to cultivate Divine Sense. The few that did exist were mostly Heretical Demon techniques; anyone who practiced them would be at high risk of going mad, becoming the Demon Cultivators that everyone sought to eliminate.


    Whether truly nonexistent or secretly hoarded by powerful families was unknown.


    But even if they did exist, Mo Hua certainly couldn¡¯t obtain them, and even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t dare to risk undergoing cultivation with the possibility of becoming demonic.


    Currently in the third layer of Qi Refinement, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t break through to the fourth layer in a short period of time, so it was impossible to strengthen his Divine Sense through advancement in Cultivation.


    That left only one method available:


    Continuously Drawing Formations.


    The path with no shortcuts was, in fact, the best shortcut.

 Chapter 32 - 32 Restaurant_1

    Chapter 32 Restaurant_1


    Translator: 549690339


    By utilizing the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness, he continuously honed his Formation skills, enhancing his Divine Sense.


    Although this method was cumbersome, it was the only way Mo Hua had at present.


    ¡°Thankfully I have the Taoist Stele in my Sea of Consciousness; otherwise, even this clumsy method wouldn¡¯t be possible,¡±


    Mo Hua thought somewhat gratefully. In reality, Drawing Formation consumed too much Divine Sense and the recovery was too slow, to enhance Divine Sense through this method would inevitably require spending several times the effort and time.


    With that in mind, Mo Hua calmed down and focused wholeheartedly on practicing the Melting Fire Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    As long as he kept practicing, there would eventually come a day when he mastered it.


    Mo Hua tried his best to draw the first four Formation Patterns until his Divine Sense was nearly depleted, then he would erase the Formation Patterns.


    After resting for a moment, he continued to draw, and then erased them again.


    In this cycle, he repeated the process until he felt his Divine Sense had a bit of energy left, and then he added one more stroke after completing the four Formation Patterns.


    After an entire night, Mo Hua had only managed to add two additional strokes from where he began, but at least those two strokes clearly indicated that his Divine Sense was indeed growing.


    When he awoke the next day, Mo Hua went to the Market Town to buy some ink required for the Melting Fire Formation.


    The ink was made with the blood of Fire-Attribute Demon Beasts as a catalyst, mixed with some herbs. It was not particularly expensive, so Mo Hua bought over ten batches in one go.


    Because Formation Masters were rare and cultivators who could draw formations were few, not many bought ink. The shopkeeper rarely encountered a big customer like Mo Hua and even gave him a few extra batches.


    After returning home, Mo Hua began practicing Drawing the Melting Fire Formation with the ink.


    Since the ink was bought with Spirit Stones, Mo Hua drew with extra care, putting his heart into every stroke.


    Of course, limited by his Divine Sense, Mo Hua could only add two additional strokes to the four Formation Patterns at most, unable to complete the full five-pattern Melting Fire Formation.


    After completing each session, he would have to stop and rest for two hours to recover his Divine Sense. Once it was replenished, he continued to draw.


    This efficiency was much lower compared to Drawing Formation on the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness. It also consumed ink and Spirit paper, meaning he was spending Spirit Stones. However, to learn the Melting Fire Formation sooner, Mo Hua didn¡¯t care about the cost.


    Continue his practice day and night, after half a month, Mo Hua could add around ten or so strokes beyond the four Formation Patterns, roughly equivalent to half a pattern.


    At this pace, he estimated that in another half month, his Divine Sense would be strong enough to draw a complete five-pattern Melting Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua silently breathed a sigh of relief.


    Knowing that refining the stove would also take time, he had to plan ahead for some things.


    During the day, Mo Hua strolled around the streets, and at night, he went home to have dinner with his parents.


    Under the flickering candlelight, the table was set with fragrant rice porridge, white and soft steamed buns, two plates of freshly picked vegetables, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.


    This was already considered quite a feast on the table of an ordinary Loose Cultivator, where meat was basically impossible to come by.


    Liu Ruhua had excellent culinary skills; the dishes were simple yet delicious, and Mo Hua ate with relish.


    However, as much as the cooking was Liu Ruhua¡¯s, the fire used for cooking was supplied by Mo Shan with his Spiritual Power. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s demeanor remained usual, but within the glances, there always seemed to be a touch of loss, and she would occasionally space out.


    Mo Hua quickly devoured a steamed bun, his cheeks bulging, when he suddenly asked, ¡°Mom, have you ever thought about opening a Food Building?¡±


    Liu Ruhua, who was sipping her porridge carefully, was startled. She smiled and asked, ¡°Why do you suddenly ask that?¡±


    ¡°Your cooking is so delicious, Mom. Opening a Food Building would definitely earn a lot of Spirit Stones,¡±


    ¡°But opening a Food Building also requires capital. We¡¯re Loose Cultivators from a humble background. Where would we get the Spirit Stones to open one?¡±


    Liu Ruhua said with amusement, then her pale fingers playfully tapped on Mo Hua¡¯s nose, jesting, ¡°When you grow up and your Cultivation is high, earning plenty of Spirit Stones, we¡¯ll open one then.¡±


    Mo Hua whispered quietly, ¡°Let¡¯s start with a small one first.¡±


    ¡°A small what?¡± Liu Ruhua was perplexed.


    ¡°An eatery,¡± Mo Hua said. ¡°I went around the streets and noticed there are many eateries selling drinks, dishes, snacks, noodles and such. They all seem to do quite well.¡±


    Liu Ruhua hesitated, with a somewhat despondent look.


    Seeing this, Mo Shan said softly, ¡°Huar, your mother¡­ she can¡¯t use spiritual power.¡±


    Without spiritual power, one cannot supply the fire needed to cook the meals for Tao cultivation.


    Even with spiritual power, the constant flow of customers at an eatery requires the preparation of many dishes, which can¡¯t be sustained by a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator¡¯s spiritual power alone.


    Mo Hua¡¯s delicate eyebrows arched with pride and she said, ¡°We¡¯ll build a stove.¡±


    ¡°A stove?¡±


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua looked at each other, puzzled.


    Mo Hua took out a large sheet of blueprint from her storage bag.


    ¡°This is the design for the stove. I¡¯ve asked Master Chen from the Refinery Shop about the materials needed, the size, and the number of spirit stones required. I¡¯ll figure out the formation. Once this stove is refined, it won¡¯t need a cultivator to use spiritual power to activate it; just place spirit stones inside, and it will continuously provide fire. It¡¯ll make cooking and simmering ingredients much easier.¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s couple hadn¡¯t expected their son to have already prepared the blueprints and were momentarily stunned.


    ¡°Refining the stove will require a lot of spirit stones, right¡­?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make a small stove first. I¡¯ve already asked Master Chen, and it won¡¯t need too many spirit stones. For a small eatery, a smaller stove will be sufficient.¡±


    ¡°And the formation?¡± Liu Ruhua asked.


    Mo Hua feigned composure, but her expression couldn¡¯t quite hide her pride, ¡°I¡¯ll draw it. I¡¯ve already got the formation diagram from Manager Mo, and the formation isn¡¯t hard¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, who spent several nights depleting her divine sense to practice over and over again and still hadn¡¯t fully mastered the Melting Fire Formation, felt a slight pang of guilt as she finished her sentence.


    Liu Ruhua looked at Mo Hua skeptically, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not difficult?¡±


    Mo Hua laughed, ¡°Although I haven¡¯t learned it yet, a few more days of practice and I¡¯ll have no problems.¡±


    There was no helping it; a formation with five patterned lines was not so easy to learn.


    Liu Ruhua nodded in acknowledgment, thinking to herself that since Mo Hua was young and hadn¡¯t been learning formations for long, if he could master it, it probably wasn¡¯t an excessively difficult formation.


    Yet, after reflecting for a moment, she shook her head and said, ¡°Opening a shop isn¡¯t so simple. Even a small eatery requires renting a place and hiring help. There are many things to manage, and a lot of spirit stones will be needed. If the income doesn¡¯t cover the expenses, it will only make our household¡¯s financial situation even tighter. Right now, the most important thing is to save some spirit stones for your cultivation¡­¡±


    Mo Shan, who had been silent until now, suddenly said, ¡°We will open this eatery. I¡¯ll figure out a way with the location and the staff. You two don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    Mo Shan then took out another storage bag and handed it to Mo Hua, ¡°There are over a hundred spirit stones in here that I earned from hunting monster beasts in these past months. I know you¡¯ve made quite a bit of money drawing formations for others, but let¡¯s deduct the spirit stones needed for refining the stove from this bag¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was about to refuse when Mo Shan stuffed the storage bag into his hands.


    Holding the storage bag, and thinking about how the spirit stones inside were earned through his father¡¯s life-threatening battles with monster beasts, Mo Hua felt them weigh heavier than ordinary spirit stones.


    With Mo Shan¡¯s agreement, the matter of opening the eatery was essentially decided. After finishing his meal, Mo Hua returned to his room to continue practicing the Melting Fire Formation.


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s expression was still fraught with concern.


    Mo Shan reassured her, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t think too much about it. Starting a small eatery is just a small business venture. Even if we incur losses, they won¡¯t amount to much.¡±


    Liu Ruhua sighed, ¡°Huar is talented and smart. In the future, his cultivation, learning cultivation techniques, and Taoist skills, and his desire to become a Formation Master, learning formations, all that will require a lot of spirit stones. If we use them all now, what will we do if there aren¡¯t enough for Huar¡¯s cultivation later on?¡±


    Mo Shan said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Huar. He is already drawing formations for businesses, even if they¡¯re simple ones, but that¡¯s already quite impressive. Who knows, maybe in ten or twenty years, after more practice with formations, he might truly become a Formation Master.¡±


    Mo Shan laughed, ¡°By that time, we might be relying on our son to support us.¡±


    Liu Ruhua smiled, but she still couldn¡¯t fully let go of her worries.


    Mo Shan held Liu Ruhua¡¯s hand, ¡°Then let¡¯s run the eatery well, save up more spirit stones, and later on, find a good young woman for Mo Hua, watching him get married and have children.¡±


    After considering what Mo Shan said, a smile appeared on Liu Ruhua¡¯s face, yet she still didn¡¯t feel completely at ease, ¡°What if, just in case¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if there are unforeseen circumstances, I¡¯m still here. No matter how hard life gets, there¡¯s always a solution. It¡¯s just a matter of working a bit harder and hunting a few more monster beasts,¡± Mo Shan said in a gentle yet firm tone.


    Liu Ruhua stopped talking and quietly nestled into Mo Shan¡¯s embrace.

 Chapter 33 - 33 Refining_1

    Chapter 33 Refining_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The next day, Mo Hua did not practice the Melting Fire Formation but took Spirit Stones to Chen¡¯s Refinery Shop to find Master Chen.


    Master Chen was a bit surprised to see Mo Hua and was even more astonished when he heard that Mo Hua really planned to refine a stove.


    ¡°You¡¯re really planning to refine a stove, are you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but I¡¯m only refining a small one, about four feet tall. It doesn¡¯t need to be made from expensive materials, just sturdy and durable will do.¡±


    Master Chen nodded, ¡°That¡¯s just perfect. If you were refining a large stove, I might not have enough hands here. Since it seems like it¡¯s for personal use, and we¡¯re all neighbors here, I¡¯ll pick some materials that are cheap but good-quality for you, ensuring they¡¯re affordable and durable.¡±


    Mo Hua said happily, ¡°Thank you, Master Chen!¡±


    ¡°However,¡± Master Chen glanced at Mo Hua and then looked behind him, puzzled:


    ¡°Where are your parents? Refining a stove isn¡¯t a trivial matter. It usually requires an adult¡¯s agreement to count.¡±


    Mo Hua patted his chest, ¡°My dad said he¡¯s left it to me. If there¡¯s anything, you can talk to me, Master Chen.¡±


    Master Chen looked at the little guy Mo Hua and nodded, ¡°A poor man¡¯s child becomes the head of the household early.¡± Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After saying this, he frowned, hesitated for a moment, but still said:


    ¡°Did you bring the deposit? The materials for the stove cost one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones, and the refining will take twenty days, at a rate of five Spirit Stones per day. The fee for the refining is one hundred Spirit Stones. The deposit is the material¡¯s cost, so you need to pay the one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones upfront, while the refining fee can be settled after it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, I brought it.¡±


    Mo Hua took out a weighty Storage Bag from his chest, opened the bag, and inside were all sparkling and translucent Spirit Stones.


    This sum of Spirit Stones would be a fortune for an ordinary Loose Cultivator family, yet this kid was carrying it in his chest¡­


    Master Chen took the Storage Bag with a complex expression, counted exactly one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones, then took out the Spirit Pact and wrote down the materials, cost, and delivery date for refining the stove.


    The Spirit Pact is a recognized proof of contract agreement in the Tao Cultivation World. Every Spirit Pact is special, not easy to destroy or forge, serving as evidence for a Cultivator¡¯s transactions involving Spirit Stones and goods. If disputes arise, one can seek an authoritative Cultivator¡¯s judgment or ask the Taoist Court to intervene.


    There were two copies of the Spirit Pact. Master Chen signed his name and then handed the Spirit Pact to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua signed his own name as well, and each kept a copy as proof of the refining delivery agreement.


    Master Chen had intended to have Mo Hua sign his father¡¯s name, but after thinking it over, he refrained, considering that since his parents had entrusted him with the responsibility, it would be the same if he signed it himself.


    Under the Heavenly Dao, all beings are equal. No matter the level of Cultivation or age, once one signs a Spirit Pact, it is binding.


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Seeing the dignified and handsome writing on the Spirit Pact, Master Chen realized the child¡¯s name was ¡°Mo Hua.¡± He looked at the boy¡¯s appearance again; indeed, with red lips and white teeth, and features as fine as a painting, the name suited him well.


    Having closed a not-insignificant deal, and with no worries about the next half month¡¯s livelihood, Master Chen found Mo Hua increasingly pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°Little brother, now that the Spirit Pact is signed, we¡¯ll start refining tomorrow. I¡¯ll make sure to expedite it for you. If you have time, you can also come over to check on the progress or even learn about artifact refining. I don¡¯t usually allow anyone but the apprentices in the shop to watch.¡±


    ¡°Great, great, thank you, Master Chen!¡±


    Mo Hua was quite interested in artifact refining. Although he might never be able to refine a Spiritual Artifact in his lifetime, learning about the knowledge related to artifact refining was beneficial. Such practical refining skills would not be taught by Sects either.


    In the following days, Mo Hua continued to practice the Melting Fire Formation as usual. Whenever he had spare time, he would go to the Refining Shop to check on the progress of the stove¡¯s refining and ask about artifact refining knowledge.


    Master Chen did not withhold any secrets and answered all questions. After a few days of interactions, he was both amazed by Mo Hua¡¯s high understanding in learning and pitied Mo Hua¡¯s lackluster talent in body refinement.


    He had seen children with inherent physical frailty before, but rarely ones as frail as this, who couldn¡¯t even swing the hammer for artifact refining.


    Otherwise, Master Chen really wanted to take Mo Hua as his disciple.


    After observing artifact refining for several days, Mo Hua aimed to acquire some basic knowledge on the subject and to make adjustments to the Melting Fire Formation¡¯s brushwork and dimensions.


    Normally, formations are drawn on paper, which allows for repeated practice, and errors aren¡¯t a concern¡ªa new piece of paper is all that¡¯s needed.


    But now, the task was to draw it on the stove. If he made a mistake, he couldn¡¯t expect Master Chen to refine another stove¡­


    So Mo Hua needed to be very familiar with the construction of the stove and often visited the refining shop to check on the progress.


    One morning, after finishing the porridge his mother made by hand, and after practicing some formations, Mo Hua headed to Chen¡¯s Refinery Shop while the sun was not yet fierce.


    Upon arriving at the refinery shop, he found that the usually bustling shop was exceptionally quiet today, devoid of the loud hawking and the ¡°clang clang¡± of forging.


    Mo Hua went to the backyard and saw Master Chen and several apprentices cleaning up. The refining furnace was extinguished, with its lid open, and some cleaned ash scattered on the ground.


    ¡°Master Chen, what happened?¡±


    Upon seeing Mo Hua, Master Chen, with an apologetic tone, said, ¡°Little brother, I¡¯m sorry, the refining furnace is broken, and your requested stove might be delayed.¡±


    ¡°The refining furnace is broken?¡±


    Master Chen, looking frustrated, explained, ¡°This refining furnace is quite old. It had some minor issues before, but we could still use it after patching it up. However, today it wouldn¡¯t light up at all, sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t it be fixed?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    Master Chen shook his head, ¡°Before, it was the external parts of the refining furnace that had issues, which I could fix. Now the problem seems to be with the internal formation, and there¡¯s nothing I can do. The only option is to invite a master from the Artifact Refining Pavilion to take a look. And if we need a Formation Master to repair the formation, that will cost quite a few spirit stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Formation?¡± Mo Hua perked up, ¡°May I take a look?¡±


    Master Chen was momentarily taken aback, ¡°Look at what?¡±


    ¡°I want to see the formation.¡±


    ¡°What do you want with the formation?¡± Master Chen asked in confusion, ¡°Do you understand formations?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°I studied some formations with a gentleman at the sect. I want to see if I can be of any help. At the least, I can help you determine if the problem is with the formation.¡±


    Master Chen, somewhat skeptical but reasoning that the furnace was already broken and there was nothing to lose, said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have them completely dismantle the refining furnace to show you the internal formation.¡±


    After speaking, he and the apprentices started disassembling the refining furnace bit by bit.


    The refining furnace was two persons tall, made of various fine irons and extremely heavy. However, the apprentices, with their decent talents in body refinement, were all strong and tall, and they managed to work together without too much difficulty.


    Mo Hua was very aware of his limitations; he didn¡¯t even consider lending a hand.


    Once the refining furnace was dismantled, the interior revealed densely packed formation patterns etched in a dark red hue. Some were obscured by black ash, but it was still possible to discern that the formation inside the furnace was a complete Fire-series formation.


    It was the very Melting Fire Formation that Mo Hua had been drawing every day but had not yet managed to complete¡­

 Chapter 34 - 34: Formation Repair_1

    Chapter 34: Formation Repair_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°It¡¯s actually the Melting Fire Formation¡­¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Master Chen nodded, seeing that Mo Hua recognized the Formation at a glance, his heart somewhat approved, and his tone became more solemn:


    ¡°Little brother Mo, take a look and see if there¡¯s a problem with this Formation. I¡¯m completely clueless about it, I can¡¯t tell anything.¡±


    Master Chen had someone wipe off the black ash on the Refining Furnace, and Mo Hua leaned over the furnace mouth, closely examining the Melting Fire Formation Patterns on the furnace walls.


    Although he couldn¡¯t completely draw it out yet, after practicing day and night, the method of painting Formation Patterns was already second nature to him, and it wasn¡¯t long before he pointed out a few places to Master Chen:


    ¡°Indeed, it is a problem with the Formation. These Formation Patterns are worn out, the spiritual power cannot be transmitted, and so the Formation has failed.¡±


    Master Chen looked at Mo Hua with new respect as he spoke logically, but then his brows furrowed:


    ¡°Then we have to ask a Formation Master for help to fix it. Sigh, the market is already not doing well, this time I don¡¯t know how many more spirit stones it¡¯s going to cost¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Is it very expensive to have a Formation Master repair the Formation?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Master Chen replied. ¡°There are not many Formation Masters to begin with, and in such cases where a specific Formation needs to be repaired, we have to pay some extra spirit stones, or else others wouldn¡¯t be willing to come.¡±


    Mo Hua thoughtfully said, ¡°How about, let me have a try?¡±


    ¡°You?¡± Master Chen was taken aback. ¡°Are you already a Formation Master?¡±


    Mo Hua said modestly, waving his hand: ¡°Not really, I just followed a gentleman from the Sect to study Formations, and I happened to have studied this Formation.¡±


    Master Chen looked at the half-grown, youthful-faced Mo Hua, and said very tactfully: ¡°Let¡¯s forget it, you¡¯re just a kid, don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡±


    Mo Hua knew that Master Chen was still hesitant. His eyes shifted as he asked, ¡°The people you invite to come, they¡¯re not necessarily real Formation Masters, right?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡± Master Chen said, ¡°true, some are actually just apprentices, not quite Formation Masters. But when asking for help, of course you want to say nice things, whether they are Formation Masters or not, using the title is still good; they like hearing it, and the job gets done more smoothly. We don¡¯t know much about the rest, nor is it good to ask too many questions, as long as the Formation is repaired, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°Do they fix it every time they come?¡±


    Master Chen thought for a moment and said, ¡°There were a few times when everything went smoothly and it was fixed quickly, and sometimes they fiddled and corrected for half an hour and still couldn¡¯t get it right, and had to change to someone else before it was fixed.¡±


    ¡°There you have it, most of those who came were probably just apprentices too, and even if their Formation-level is higher than mine, it can¡¯t be by much,¡± Mo Hua confidently said.


    Of course, the level of a proper apprentice should be somewhat higher than Mo Hua, but indeed, some apprentices¡¯ levels might not even match up to his.


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°They come to fix it, or I fix it, it¡¯s all the same. At worst, if it¡¯s not fixed, then you can just invite them over.¡±


    That made¡­ some sense actually¡­


    Master Chen was somewhat persuaded but still hesitant. Seeing this, Mo Hua continued:


    ¡°Even if you call a Formation Master, they can¡¯t come right away, you have to see if they have the time. Delaying for a day means the Refining Shop loses a day¡¯s income, and if it goes on for too long, it will be a loss.¡±


    The business of the Refining Shop was fair, but the profits were not high. Master Chen was also unwilling to cut corners, so what he earned was hard-earned money. Moreover, he had to provide for several disciples, and indeed, if work stopped for too long, it really wouldn¡¯t be easy to keep things running.


    Master Chen¡¯s head started to ache, and at last, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Forget it, little brother, give it a go.¡±


    After speaking, he carefully warned, ¡°But just try, don¡¯t force it, don¡¯t break the Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua assured. ¡°At worst, it just won¡¯t be fixed.¡±


    Master Chen felt comforted by this, but it also seemed like he wasn¡¯t comforted at all.


    Mo Hua asked Master Chen to wait, went home to get his brush and Fire-series ink, and also brought the Melt Fire Formation Map. Arriving at the Refining Shop, he first showed the Formation Map to Master Chen.


    Seeing that the Formation on the map indeed resembled the one on the Artifact Furnace, Master Chen somewhat eased his concerns; at least this wasn¡¯t entirely unreliable.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first time Drawing Formation on a Spiritual Artifact, which made him somewhat nervous. Fortunately, he had practiced the Melting Fire Formation too many times, and once he started, his mindset became calmer.


    Repairing a Formation is different from Drawing a Formation. It does not require the expenditure of too much Divine Sense because the Formation itself is intact; therefore, it is only necessary to reconnect the damaged sections of the Formation Patterns with the ink.


    What was tested was the Formation Master¡¯s vision, carefulness, and familiarity with the Formation. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua leaned over the stove, concentrating intently on his drawing.


    In less than half an hour, Mo Hua had finished repairing the Formation, then spent another length of time equivalent to drinking a cup of tea inspecting it. After confirming there were no issues, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Master Chen, watching anxiously from the side, afraid that Mo Hua had damaged the Formation, quickly asked, ¡°Is it¡­ fixed?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s clothes were dirty, and his face had a few streaks of ash. He replied uncertainly, ¡°It should be fixed, shall we light a fire to test it?¡±


    Master Chen, his expression complicated, still joined a few disciples to reseal the Formation, set up the Artifact Furnace, and then embedded the spirit stones into the furnace, urging his Spiritual Power to start the fire.


    But the fire did not ignite.


    Mo Hua froze and touched his chin, his originally smudged face now looking even dirtier:


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t there a flame? The Formation should have been repaired.¡±


    Master Chen asked, ¡°Little brother, are you sure there¡¯s nothing wrong with the Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua pulled out the Melting Fire Formation Diagram, compared it again carefully, and then nodded, ¡°The Formation is fine.¡±


    Master Chen felt the Refining Furnace with his hand, gauged its temperature, and said to several apprentices, ¡°The Spiritual Power isn¡¯t quite enough, add a few more Spirit Stones and throw in a branding iron to burn.¡±


    Several disciples did as they were told, and sure enough, the temperature of the Refining Furnace gradually began to rise.


    Before long, flames ¡°whooshed¡± out.


    Master Chen was overjoyed, ¡°It¡¯s working!¡±


    The disciples were also happy; with the Refining Furnace working, they had tasks to do and could learn from their master. Therefore, their looks towards Mo Hua were filled with admiration.


    Mo Hua was also very pleased and said, ¡°Let¡¯s try refining a Spiritual Artifact to see if there will be any problems.¡±


    Master Chen casually threw a knife into it, refined it for a while, and then said with a hint of regret, ¡°There isn¡¯t much of a problem with using it, it¡¯s just that the fire is weaker than before, so refining might take a bit longer.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°The same Formation, why would the fire be weaker? Could it be that a Formation¡¯s efficacy is reduced after repair?¡±


    Master Chen shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve repaired it a few times before, but the fire hasn¡¯t decreased much.¡±


    ¡°Then why is that?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, wondering if he hadn¡¯t painted the Formation well enough.


    Master Chen pondered for a moment, then pointed to the ink in Mo Hua¡¯s inkstone and said,


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the ink? When I¡¯ve had others repair it before, the ink they used was visibly darker than yours, a bright red, looking as if there was a fire burning.¡±


    Mo Hua realized that he had chosen the cheapest fire-series ink in an effort to save money which was fine for practicing Formation Painting but, when actually used on a Spiritual Artifact, the effect was certainly poor.


    ¡°For a Formation to be effective, it needs higher-grade Spiritual Ink.¡±


    Mo Hua silently took note and then sheepishly admitted, ¡°Then it must be the ink. I bought the cheapest one, so it might not be very good at stimulating Spiritual Power.¡±


    Master Chen said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of talking about that? Although the fire is a bit weaker, it¡¯s still good that it works. After all, I should be thanking you.¡±


    After thinking it over, Master Chen, gritting his teeth, said, ¡°As for the stove that you want, there¡¯s no need to pay for the refining service, I¡¯ll refine it for you for free. Of course, I won¡¯t refund the cost of the materials, since I still have to keep my bunch of lads fed.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at the spacious yet simple Refining Shop, then at the sooty Master Chen and the sweat-drenched refining disciples with grimy faces, understanding that it wasn¡¯t easy for them to earn Spirit Stones, and replied,


    ¡°Uncle Chen, just give me a fifty percent discount on the refining fee.¡±


    Master Chen shook his head, ¡°That won¡¯t do. Even like this, I¡¯m still getting the better deal. Getting someone else to repair this Formation would cost at least a hundred or two hundred Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to give that much.¡±


    Stubbornness crept into Master Chen¡¯s demeanor, ¡°A Cultivator talks about integrity; a spoken word is a nail in the board. How can words be taken back so lightly? I said I wouldn¡¯t take your Spirit Stones, and that¡¯s exactly what I must not do!¡±


    This man was really incorrigible¡­


    With no other choice, Mo Hua¡¯s mind whirled, and he smiled, ¡°Then how about this, I won¡¯t give you the refining fee, but once the stove is refined, I¡¯ll give some Spirit Stones as a tip for your hard work.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Master Chen was momentarily confused, as refining fees and tips seemed similar, yet felt a bit different.


    ¡°It¡¯s like giving a tip when you ask a friend for help,¡± Mo Hua added.


    ¡°Well¡­ okay then.¡±


    Master Chen felt that the logic was sound.


    Several disciples also looked at Mo Hua gratefully.


    Their families weren¡¯t wealthy. Being apprentices and helping around could earn them a little extra to support their families. Without earning Spirit Stones, their already difficult lives would become even harder.


    But earning Spirit Stones, even just one more, would make life that much easier.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled! It¡¯s getting late; I need to go home for dinner!¡±


    Mo Hua waved his little hand and said goodbye.


    Master Chen cautioned Mo Hua to be careful on his way and added, ¡°If you ever need artifact refining, just come to me, I¡¯ll give you a discount!¡±

 Chapter 35 - 35 All Ready_1

    Chapter 35 All Ready_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Since Mo Hua started learning the Melting Fire Formation, sixteen days had passed.


    On this day, Mo Hua got up early. The morning sun shone on the table, fresh and bright, not as scorching as during noon.


    Mo Hua spread out the paper on the table, adjusted the red ink, and then began drawing the Melting Fire Formation.


    This had been a daily routine for Mo Hua over the past ten or so days.


    But today was different from the usual, as Mo Hua was going to formally draw a complete Melting Fire Formation.


    Last night, in his Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua was able to draw the Melting Fire Formation on the broken stele, which meant his Divine Sense was strong enough to support him in drawing out five Formation Patterns.


    And having practiced the Formation Patterns of the Melting Fire Formation repeatedly, as well as having repaired it once on an Artifact Furnace at the Refinery Shop, Mo Hua had thoroughly memorized them.


    Mo Hua drew with caution and care, and after two hours, when he felt a pricking pain in his Divine Sense which was gradually becoming exhausted, he finished the last stroke of the Melting Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua injected a bit of Spiritual Power, which flowed slowly along the red Formation Patterns, starting from the first stroke of the first pattern and gradually moving to the last stroke of the fifth pattern, eventually connecting the entire formation without any obstruction.


    He had succeeded!


    Mo Hwa let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a sense of achievement that came from persistent effort and fruition.


    ¡°A formation with five Formation Patterns!¡±


    At the third level of Qi Refinement, one could draw a formation with five Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua was aware that a cultivator at the normal third level of Qi Refinement could at most draw out three Formation Patterns. Those from the big Noble Clans and Sect Disciples, with higher talents and better inheritances, might have a higher level of mastery in formations at the same realm.


    But even then, they probably wouldn¡¯t be much stronger.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    Furthermore, the more he practiced drawing formations, the stronger his Divine Sense would surely become, making learning formations easier, and becoming a first-class Formation Master should just be a matter of time.


    Once he truly became a first-class Formation Master, even if he hadn¡¯t gone through an assessment and was just an ordinary Formation Master, he would have a substantial income of Spirit Stones, and his parents wouldn¡¯t have to work so hard anymore.


    Thinking this way, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel happy.


    Then, the fatigue from practicing Formation Painting over the past several days hit him, and he collapsed onto the bed, quickly falling asleep.


    Liu Ruhua came into the room with a few cleaned wild fruits to see a just-completed formation on the table and Mo Hua sleeping soundly on the bed, snoring heavily. She tidied up the table for Mo Hua, covered his little belly with a fur blanket, and then stared at Mo Hua for quite some time.


    Seeing him sleeping so sweetly, not knowing what he was dreaming about, drooling with glistening saliva at the corner of his mouth, Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She gently wiped the corner of Mo Hua¡¯s mouth with her sleeve before rising and leaving the room.


    A few days later, Dazhu came to notify Mo Hua that the pill furnace had also been completed. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dazhu was Master Chen¡¯s senior disciple, tall and strong, with a very honest smile.


    Following Dazhu to Chen¡¯s Refinery Shop, Mo Hua saw an Artifact Furnace about one person tall inside the shop, with a simple but sturdy appearance, three legs, and a round belly with an overhanging lip.


    The lid of the furnace was open, waiting for the formation to be drawn inside before being sealed.


    ¡°The stove has been forged. Take a look, little brother, are you satisfied?¡±


    Mo Hua walked around the stove, looked at it from both sides, and felt it with his hands. The touch was solid, indicating that premium materials had been used and that great care had been taken with the details.


    Mo Hua nodded and praised, ¡°Master Chen lives up to his reputation. This is the best Spiritual Artifact I have ever seen.¡±


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t seen many Spiritual Artifacts himself.


    Master Chen stroked his beard, ¡°Of course, the item you requested, naturally I made the best for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Chen!¡±


    Mo Hua said happily, then took out a storage bag, ¡°Inside are sixty spirit stones, for your hard work.¡±


    The twenty-some days of labor were worth over a hundred spirit stones; Mo Hua gave a fifty percent discount and then added a little extra.


    Master Chen originally wanted to refuse, but considering that the business at the refinery shop had been poor in recent months and that Dazhu and the other disciples could barely get enough to eat, he accepted the payment but said to Mo Hua,


    ¡°Next time you need artifact refining, come to me. I¡¯ll give you the lowest price in Tongxian City.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, thank you, Master Chen!¡± Mo Hua said cheerfully.


    ¡°However,¡± Master Chen hesitated, ¡°this stove still needs Formation to be drawn on it before it can be used. Whom will you find to do the Drawing Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua patted his chest: ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself!¡±


    Master Chen felt both surprised and not so surprised.


    The Formation Painting on the artifact furnaces of the refinery shop was repaired by Mo Hua, and since the processes of the artifact furnace, pill furnace, and stove were similar, and their core formations were also alike, it wasn¡¯t a problem for Mo Hua to do the painting himself.


    But¡­


    Master Chen kindly advised, ¡°Drawing Formation is different from Formation repair, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve heard that drawing Formation consumes more Divine Sense. You¡¯re not highly cultivated, and your Divine Sense should not be sufficient. Don¡¯t force yourself to draw Formation Patterns and injure your Sea of Consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°I have a clear understanding of my limits.¡±


    Master Chen said no more. When it came to Formations, he was no more knowledgeable than the young cultivator before him.


    Since Mo Hua wasn¡¯t very tall, Master Chen took apart the already assembled stove and spread it on the ground to facilitate Mo Hua¡¯s work on drawing the Formation.


    Dazhu and a few other disciples also helped out and then stood to the side, craning their necks curiously to watch Mo Hua work on the Drawing Formation. They didn¡¯t often see cultivators draw formations and found it intriguing, especially considering that Mo Hua was even younger than they were.


    Mo Hua first dipped his brush in water and tried to draw Formation Patterns on the inner wall of the stove, getting used to the brush and adapting to the sensation of actually drawing Formation on a Spiritual Artifact.


    In his mind, he also preempted the problems that he might encounter in the actual process of Drawing Formation.


    Being prepared ensures success; lack of preparation assures failure. Extra preparation beforehand can greatly increase the success rate of the Formation.


    After preparing, Mo Hua spread out the Melt Fire Formation Map for reference, then took out a brush and a small bottle of ink.


    The color of the ink was a bright red, and it was thicker. It was said to be made by mixing the blood of Fire-series tiger monster beasts. Although the quality was only average, it was better than the ink previously used by Mo Hua, and it was also the best that Mo Hua could afford within his financial means.


    This small bottle of ink cost ten spirit stones and was only enough to draw two Melt Fire Formations, so full preparation was needed to avoid failure.


    If he failed, just the wasting of the ink would be enough to cause Mo Hua distress.


    Mo Hua held his breath and focused, calming his mind, then started to draw the Formation. The once childishly innocent face of Mo Hua gradually became serious, his clear, bright eyes seeming to contain the sparkle of stars.


    Master Chen and a few disciples stood by, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s solemn expression, they also dared not breathe too heavily, for fear of disturbing him, looking even more anxious than Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s delicate small hands held the brush, his wrist flexibly twisting and turning, leading the tip of the brush to dance along the furnace wall, sketching out vivid Formation Patterns with measured speed and orderly structure.


    Although the onlookers did not understand the Formation Diagram or the patterns, seeing those magical patterns seemingly flowing from the tip of the brush, they all watched, spellbound.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Mo Hua finally stopped his brush and let out a long breath.


    Upon seeing this, the others, not quite knowing why, also sighed in relief.


    Master Chen hesitated, then asked softly, ¡°Young man, is this¡­ was it successful?¡±


    The seriousness on Mo Hua¡¯s face gave way to a bright and radiant smile.


    ¡°Mhm, it was a success!¡±

 Chapter 36 - 36: Stove_1

    Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Stove_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s smile, Master Chen and the others found themselves feeling cheerful as well.


    Master Chen couldn¡¯t help but praise him, ¡°Young brother, you really are incredible, I¡¯ve lived for quite a while and this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a young cultivator of your age who can draw formations.¡±


    Mo Hua, somewhat embarrassed by the praise, said shyly, ¡°Master Chen, please check first if the stove with the drawn formation on it works.¡±


    Master Chen beckoned, and a few strong apprentices reinstalled the stove, put a few spirit stones inside, and soon the fire started blazing in the furnace.


    Master Chen nodded, ¡°No problem, except for being a bit small in size, this stove is no different to the expensive ones forged for the Food Building, even the flame seems stronger.¡±


    Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief, then Master Chen asked Dazhu and several disciples to deliver the stove to Mo Hua¡¯s home.


    After discussing with his parents, Mo Hua finally decided to open the eatery in his own home.


    Firstly, it was convenient, and secondly, the storefronts close to the market town were too expensive. Originally being a small business, if they spent a fortune on renting a place, they could have really gone bankrupt if it didn¡¯t work out.


    Moreover, although most of the residents near Mo Hua¡¯s home were poor loose cultivators, it was close to a main road with a steady stream of people and quite lively during festivals. As long as the food was delicious, they wouldn¡¯t worry about not being able to sell it.


    Mo Hua¡¯s home was rather small, just a standard living space for a qi cultivation loose practitioner with two bedrooms and a living room, plus a small courtyard. It was fine for a family of three to live in, but not enough for running an eatery.


    Mo Shan talked to some neighbors, and agreed to pay spirit stones monthly to use their courtyards, then he asked friends from the Monster Hunting Team to help renovate a kitchen building, and connected several courtyards together. This way, there was a large open space in the yard where tables and chairs could be placed for people to eat and rest.


    The stove was too big to fit into a storage bag, so Dazhu and several disciples carried the stove towards Mo Hua¡¯s house. When they arrived, Mo Shan and his wife were still tidying up the yard, digging and building walls, making the place look somewhat messy.


    Without complaining, Dazhu and the others helped set up the stove, then sat down for a cup of tea before taking their leave.


    Although Mo Hua had assured them confidently before, and his work was always reliable, seeing that he actually managed to commission a stove, and the stove was right there in front of them, Mo Shan and his wife still found it unbelievable.


    Liu Ruhua touched the stove and said, ¡°It looks almost like the ones in those big Food Buildings, only smaller, but obviously more durable and the craftsmanship is more intricate. However, it must have cost a good deal of spirit stones, right?¡±


    ¡°I repaired the formation in the artifact furnace for Master Chen, and he gave me a fifty percent discount. Also, I drew the formation in this stove myself, so I didn¡¯t spend too many spirit stones,¡± said Mo Hua, a bit proud of himself.


    Liu Ruhua and Mo Shan exchanged glances, they knew Mo Hua had some talent in formations, but they didn¡¯t expect that he could not only fix formations for others but had even started to draw formations on spiritual artifacts himself.


    Liu Ruhua pulled Mo Hua into her arms and praised, ¡°Huar, you are truly remarkable!¡±


    Mo Shan also looked at his son, eyes filled with pride.


    Originally worried about Mo Hua¡¯s frailty, seeing his talent in formations now reassured him that even if he couldn¡¯t pursue body refinement, he could make a living solely with formations in the future, and he wouldn¡¯t have to risk fighting monster beasts like he did, which was more than ideal.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll tell you how to use the stove.¡±


    Mo Hua took Liu Ruhua¡¯s hand to teach her how to use the stove, the quantity of spirit stones needed, and how to control the heat. These things were actually not too difficult, and Liu Ruhua understood after being told once.


    Liu Ruhua then used the stove to cook dinner, a pot of clear rice porridge, a few simple vegetable dishes, and white, soft steamed buns¡ªsimple yet tasty.


    Tasting the food cooked by his mother, Mo Hua was deeply moved, especially because most of the recent meals at home were prepared by Mo Shan, the difference in taste was obvious.


    Mo Hua bluntly said, ¡°Mom, your cooking is much tastier than Dad¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°You rascal!¡± Mo Shan ruffled Mo Hua¡¯s hair irritably, but seeing his wife¡¯s smiling face, he couldn¡¯t help but smile as well.


    After the family of three finished their meal, Liu Ruhua asked, ¡°Opening a restaurant is doable, but what should we sell?¡±


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua both looked toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, meeting her parents¡¯ gaze, said, ¡°Beef!¡±


    Mo Shan was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said, ¡°But where would we get the beef from? Meat infused with spiritual energy is very expensive, we can¡¯t afford it, and the nearby area is full of loose cultivators who wouldn¡¯t buy the beef even if we did make it.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you kill a wild ox before? We can just use that meat.¡±


    ¡°Wild ox meat¡­ It¡¯s too tough, dry, and woody. No one would want to eat it.¡±


    ¡°Then we stew it for two days and nights. Even the toughest meat should become tender by then, and with enough time, it should absorb the flavors well.¡±


    ¡°Stew it for two days and nights¡­¡± Mo Shan couldn¡¯t help but turn his gaze toward the stove, ¡°So, you forged this stove not only to allow your mother to cook without using spiritual power, but also to stew meat¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°This could work?¡± Mo Shan was a bit hesitant.


    ¡°It will work,¡± Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Meat with spiritual power is fresh and tender, it doesn¡¯t need to be stewed for long, or it would lose its spiritual energy. But that kind of meat is expensive, not something families like ours can afford.¡±


    ¡°Meat without spiritual power is cheaper but tough and woody, and it needs to be stewed for a long time. Ordinary loose cultivators can afford it, but they don¡¯t have the conditions to stew it, so they rarely eat it.¡±


    ¡°With this stove, we can make cheap but delicious meat that even ordinary loose cultivators can afford.¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, then said, ¡°But two days and nights, just maintaining the fire in the furnace will use up quite a few spirit stones, right?¡±


    Mo Hua counted on her fingers, then said, ¡°It should take about ten spirit stones, but one furnace can stew a lot of meat. If sold, we should be able to at least break even.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try stewing a pot the day after tomorrow and then calculate the costs,¡± Liu Ruhua said.


    Mo Shan nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get some more wild ox meat. We¡¯ve run out at home, but Old Zhao¡¯s family should still have some. If this meat can sell, it would create an outlet for the meat from monster beasts we hunt, and it could improve everyone¡¯s lives somewhat.¡±


    Having finished speaking and with it getting late, Liu Ruhua urged Mo Hua to go to bed quickly.


    As Mo Hua stood up, suddenly she remembered a question and asked,


    ¡°Mom, technically speaking, forging a stove shouldn¡¯t be too difficult, right? But why is it that we rarely see ordinary loose cultivators using one?¡±


    ¡°Silly child,¡± Liu Ruhua touched Mo Hua¡¯s face and said with a laugh,


    ¡°Setting aside artifact refining, the formation on the stove, if not drawn by yourself, would cost so many spirit stones to have another formation master draw it.¡±


    ¡°Becoming a formation master is so difficult. Once one becomes a master, naturally they think about advancing further, relying on their clan and sect to draw higher-level formations and earn more spirit stones. They wouldn¡¯t concern themselves with poor loose cultivators like us.¡±


    ¡°Not just formation masters, all cultivators are the same. When people climb up, they don¡¯t look down¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a complex mix of emotions and found herself at a loss for words.

 Chapter 37 - 37 Beef_1

    Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Beef_1 S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Translator: 549690339


    The next day, Mo Shan left the house, and when he returned in the evening, he was carrying a large parcel filled with wild buffalo meat.


    ¡°I went to see Old Zhao; he still had plenty left. No one was buying the meat, and he couldn¡¯t eat it all, so I brought it all back,¡± he said.


    Liu Ruhua then soaked the meat to remove the blood, after which she added some spicy and aromatic seasonings to marinate it.


    These seasonings were picked by Liu Ruhua from the mountains and dried by herself. The drying technique was learned from a neighboring auntie, a practice common among Loose Cultivator families in Tongxian City, only, Liu Ruhua¡¯s had a better aroma.


    After marinating the wild buffalo meat overnight, Liu Ruhua put it into the stove the next day and began to cook it. After simmering for half a day, she took out the meat, emptied the pot of water, and then added fresh water and spicy seasonings. She boiled it over high heat before switching to a low heat to stew it slowly for another night and day.


    It wasn¡¯t until the evening of the third day that she finally put out the stove and lifted the lid of the pot.


    Steam billowed out, the scent of meat mingling with the aroma of the seasonings, filling the entire house.


    Liu Ruhua took a small knife, cut a piece of meat, sliced it thinly, placed it on a dish, set it on the table, and called out to Mo Hua, ¡°Huar, come and taste this.¡±


    Mo Hua picked up a pair of chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and put it in his mouth. After chewing a few times, he found it tender and flavorful, leaving a fragrant aftertaste. The slight gaminess of the meat was neutralized by the spicy flavor, creating a distinct taste.


    ¡°Mom, this is the best meat I¡¯ve ever eaten!¡±


    Mo Shan, too, tasted a piece and his eyes lit up as he praised his wife:


    ¡°It¡¯s even better than what the Meal Masters at the restaurants make.¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes sparkled with a smile, but after tasting a piece herself, she still felt somewhat unsatisfied:


    ¡°The flavor is still off. The spices should be milder, and the spicy flavor stronger. We also need to use a higher heat¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought it was already delicious. In his ten or so years of life, he had never tasted such delicious meat. As for his previous life, he couldn¡¯t quite remember.


    The flavor of the wild buffalo meat was good, giving them confidence in opening a food shop. Liu Ruhua cut some of the beef from the pot, placed it into small food containers, and asked Mo Shan and Mo Hua to share some with their neighbors and friends.


    Mo Shan went to distribute it among the neighbors and friends from the Monster Hunting Team.


    Carrying a food container, Mo Hua first delivered a portion to Old Mr. Feng at Apricot Forest Hall as a thank you for treating his mother¡¯s illness, and then gave another portion to Master Chen, since he had crafted the stove that cooked the beef. It was only right for him to have a taste.


    Old Mr. Feng, adept in dietary health preservation and often fasting, couldn¡¯t resist tasting a few slices of Mo Hua¡¯s beef and couldn¡¯t stop praising it.


    As for Master Chen, there was no need to say more. He shared half of the beef with his disciples like Dazhu and kept the rest to savor slowly with his drinks.


    There were a few portions left, and Mo Hua delivered them to the home of Da¡¯hu and the others.


    Da¡¯hu and his family all shared the surname Meng. They were relatives but not biological brothers.


    Originally, the Meng Family was thriving with three generations under one roof. The patriarch had three sons, and each son had a grandson for him. Those three grandsons were Da¡¯hu, Shuanghu, and Xiaohu.


    But good times didn¡¯t last. Shuanghu¡¯s father died hunting Monster Beasts, and his mother, who was depressed and sick, passed away not long after.


    Xiaohu¡¯s father got entangled with another female Cultivator while out doing business and never returned. Uncle Meng investigated and heard rumors that he had changed his name and started a new family or that he¡¯d been seduced by an unscrupulous monster, his marrow extracted and turned into a Human Pill.


    Either way, the man was never coming back. Xiaohu¡¯s mother, feeling disgraced, remarried and left.


    The old patriarch of the Meng Family had hoped for his descendants to prosper across generations and for one to achieve Foundation Establishment, making them a small family of some reputation in Immortal City. However, in a blink of an eye, he lost two sons. The shock made him fall ill, and he too passed away soon after.


    Now, only the eldest son remained as the mainstay of the Meng Family. He never complained, treating his siblings¡¯ children as his own. They shared everything, whether feasting or going hungry together, and any mischief by the children was punished collectively.


    As the three children grew, so did their appetites. The already modest household was further strained financially compared to others.


    When Mo Hua brought the beef over, the Meng Family was having their evening meal.


    Da¡¯hu, Shuanghu, and Xiaohu were gnawing on steamed buns and chewing on pickles. Hearing that Mo Hua had brought beef, their eyes widened. Once Mo Hua opened the food container and the aroma wafted out, their mouths watered with envy.


    Auntie Meng glared at the three children. ¡°Before eating someone else¡¯s food, thank them first!¡±


    Shuanghu was the first to beat his chest and declare, ¡°Mo Hua! There¡¯s no need for courtesy between brothers. Whoever bullies you in the future, I¡¯ll beat them up for you!¡±


    Da¡¯hu and Xiaohu also chimed in unison, ¡°Me too! Me too!¡±


    Auntie Meng picked up her chopsticks and knocked each of the three tiger cubs on the head, saying irritably, ¡°You never think to learn anything good, only knowing how to fight. If you three combined had half the sense that Mo Hua has, I¡¯d be so grateful!¡±


    After finishing her speech, Auntie Meng saw the children looking pitifully at the meat and softened a bit, saying,


    ¡°Eat up, eat up, but remember to help your Uncle Mo and Auntie Liu with some work in the future, instead of just eating others¡¯ food for nothing.¡±


    The three tiger cubs quickly nodded their heads, then each picked up a piece of meat and placed it in Uncle Meng and Auntie Meng¡¯s bowls before they started digging into the remaining meat themselves.


    As the beef entered his mouth, Xiaohu¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°This meat is so delicious!¡±


    Da¡¯hu and Shuanghu, mouths full of meat, nodded vigorously.


    Receiving praise for her cooking, Mo Hua was also very happy.


    Uncle Meng and Auntie Meng took a bite of the meat and nodded continuously, then gave the rest of the meat to the three boys.


    Auntie Meng said to Mo Hua with envy, ¡°Your mom¡¯s cooking skills are truly excellent!¡±


    Mo Hua also praised, ¡°Auntie Meng¡¯s cooking is really good too!¡±


    Auntie Meng then burst into laughter and, taking hold of Mo Hua¡¯s little hand, said, ¡°I really don¡¯t know how such a smart and sensible child could be born.¡±


    After tasting the beef, Uncle Meng curiously said, ¡°Is this wild beef, it doesn¡¯t quite taste like it.¡±


    ¡°It is wild beef, it¡¯s been cooked for a very long time.¡±


    ¡°No wonder,¡± Uncle Meng nodded and then said to Mo Hua, ¡°I¡¯ve heard your family is opening a food shop. If there¡¯s anything we can do to help, just tell your uncle and auntie, and we¡¯ll definitely help.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Meng!¡±


    After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Mo Hua got up to take his leave. Auntie Meng took some freshly steamed buns and some wild fruit and let Mo Hua take them home to eat.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much at home, but you take these buns and fruits and eat them.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t turn them down, packed the buns into a food box, and munched on the wild fruits on his way home.


    The beef stewed for a long time on the stove was praised by everyone who tried it.


    Liu Ruhua further improved her cooking seasoning, adjusted the simmering heat, and even made a few bowls of beef noodle soup for Mo Hua to taste. The soup was rich, the noodles chewy, and the beef delicious. Mo Hua was so happy that he squinted his eyes in delight.


    In addition, Liu Ruhua also prepared some other drinks and snacks, offering them for sale in the food shop.


    Alcohol was definitely indispensable, but the loose cultivators were poor, and the grains they used for brewing were fairly inferior, so the flavor was not very good. However, the brew Liu Ruhua prepared herself was entirely different.


    The brew was infused with some herbs, fresh fruits, and lower in alcohol content, complemented by the rich aroma of different fruits. It was gently intoxicating, sweet, and had a lingering aftertaste. Mo Hua especially liked it.


    Besides beef, the food also included some pastries, fruits, pine nuts, and beef noodles, among other items.


    With the help of neighborhood friends, preparations were completed, and the food shop opened on the first day of the new moon.


    The shop was originally going to follow the street¡¯s naming convention and be called ¡°Mo¡¯s Food Shop,¡± but at Mo Hua¡¯s suggestion and with Mo Shan¡¯s approval, it was eventually renamed ¡°Liu¡¯s Food Shop.¡±


    Liu Ruhua, unable to overrule father and son, had no choice but to agree.

 Chapter 38 - 38 Opening_1

    Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Opening_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The pricing at the food shop was not expensive, because most of the diners were neighborhood residents or ordinary, low-level loose cultivators, who were not wealthy. The prices were set so that they were affordable for most people, aiming for slim profit margins but high sales volumes.


    The shop¡¯s signature dishes were primarily beef-based, priced at two spirit stones per plate. This was not exactly cheap for loose cultivators, but it was quite a bargain compared to other establishments selling beef or spiritual meat dishes.


    Beef noodles were even cheaper, with plain noodles costing just three-tenths of a broken spirit stone, and noodles with beef costing six-tenths of a broken spirit stone.


    An ordinary Qi cultivation loose practitioner could earn about one spirit stone, plus a few more tenths, in a day. So, a plate of beef would require two days of hard work to afford. It was fine on occasion, but impossible to eat every day.


    But to be able to eat meat for just two spirit stones was unmatched anywhere else in Tongxian City, and if one just wanted to satisfy a craving, a bowl of beef noodles only cost six-tenths of a broken spirit stone.


    Just a few days after opening, customers began to increase.


    Although the loose cultivators in the neighborhood couldn¡¯t afford to eat meat every day, there were always some who wanted to treat themselves to a good meal.


    Some were Qi cultivation loose practitioners from slightly more well-off families who could afford to eat there once every few days; others were Taoist friends meeting up, wanting to neither splurge nor be too frugal, so they would order a plate of beef with some side dishes and chat over drinks.


    Some parents would bring their children, who had made progress in their cultivation, to the shop for a treat, to enjoy a bowl of spicy beef noodles and satisfy a craving.


    Occasionally, travelling merchants passing through the area, weary from their journey and craving meat but embarrassed by their tight funds, would hesitate to order.


    That is until they learned that a full plate of beef cost only two spirit stones, which made them widen their eyes in astonishment.


    They still harbored doubts, wondering if such cheap meat could taste good.


    But then, they thought, given how busy the food shop was, the taste couldn¡¯t be too bad, so they decided to give it a try and ordered a plate.


    Once they tried a bite, they couldn¡¯t stop eating.


    Afterward, the merchants who regularly passed by would make a point of stopping at the food shop to order a plate of meat and have a few drinks. Those who used to pass by without stopping now made a point of pausing there to have some meat and chat.


    Some merchants, even if they didn¡¯t usually pass by, would go out of their way just to taste the beef, taking a detour to the shop to relieve the fatigue of their journey.


    After all, within a hundred miles, this was the only place where one could eat such delicious meat at such a low price.


    As more customers came, the shop became busier, and Da¡¯hu and the other two helpers came to assist. After bustling about all day, they were content to eat a big bowl of beef noodles in the evening and take some beef home with them.


    However, Tongxian Gate was about to start classes, and everyone would be busy with cultivation, so there would be a shortage of hands.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t want his mother to overwork herself, so he suggested hiring someone to help. Mo Shan was concerned for his wife¡¯s health, as she had not yet fully recovered and was unable to use spiritual power, so he agreed with his son¡¯s idea.


    After discussing it with his wife, Mo Shan hired a family member from the Monster Hunting Team to help out at the food shop for thirty spirit stones a month.


    The next day, a young-looking, shy woman came to the door carrying a basket. Inside the basket were some fresh wild vegetables, still dewy, freshly picked that morning from the mountains.


    Mo Hua heard his parents talking and knew the woman¡¯s surname was Jiang, with the given name Yun.


    Her husband¡¯s surname was Chu. He had been severely injured by the claws of a wolf demon during a hunt, and the family had spent all their savings on his treatment. Although they managed to save his life, he was badly hurt and couldn¡¯t continue hunting monsters, leaving the family without any income.


    Jiang Yun had poor spiritual roots, only reaching the fourth level of Qi refinement before leaving her sect. After a few years, she got married and had a child. Since her husband¡¯s injury, she had been looking for work to supplement the family income, but her low cultivation level didn¡¯t earn her much in the way of spirit stones. The tasks she could do were menial, paid little, and were unreliable. Plus, she had a child to care for, making it very difficult to get by.


    Having a steady job at the food shop now, making thirty spirit stones a month, was already a rare opportunity for her.


    Jiang Yun was immensely grateful, but being introverted and not good with words, she was too embarrassed to express her thanks, her face turning red with discomfort.


    Liu Ruhua quickly consoled her, telling her not to think too much and to focus on doing her job well.


    Jiang Yun then settled down and followed Liu Ruhua¡¯s instructions. She was hardworking, meticulous, and although slow to learn new things, she was very earnest, which Liu Ruhua appreciated.


    At the end of the evening when the shop closed, Liu Ruhua packed some noodles with extra pieces of meat for her to take home.


    Jiang Yun hurriedly declined, her face flushed, refusing the offer, ¡°Sister Liu, you¡¯ve been kind enough to me, I really can¡¯t take this.¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Ruhua insisted that she take it, but she still demurred.


    Then Liu Ruhua said, ¡°Take it home for the kids to eat.¡±


    With that, Jiang Yun no longer had the strength to refuse. Her children hadn¡¯t had a full meal in days, let alone meat. She accepted the food box, thinking of how to thank her, but only the same few phrases of gratitude clumsily tumbled from her lips.


    Liu Ruhua just comforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, it¡¯s getting late, you should go home and check on the kids.¡±


    Jiang Yun carried the food box cautiously, walking toward her home. When she passed by the corner of the wall, she stopped and stood still, her figure heaving with sobs. After a while, she silently wiped her tears with her sleeve and continued on her way home.


    Mo Hua watched her figure from a distance, his thoughts complex.


    His own family was not affluent either, barely making ends meet, but in Tongxian City, there were countless other loose cultivator families even worse off than his.


    If only the cultivators of this world didn¡¯t have to struggle to make a living.


    Mo Hua thought silently.


    Liu¡¯s Food Shop had a smooth opening, and Liu Ruhua was busy with the shop every day. She had become thinner, but her complexion was rosy, and she looked healthier.


    Owning the food shop allowed her to experiment with various diets, and she could save Spirit Stones for her son¡¯s future cultivation and marriage expenses. Liu Ruhua felt very content, and her face showed more smiles.


    Seeing his wife¡¯s current state, Mo Shan felt reassured.


    And Mo Hua, tasting more and more delicious foods, became happier as well.


    With the food shop¡¯s opening, their home¡¯s income of Spirit Stones increased, and they no longer had to live as frugally as before. By the time Tongxian Gate was ready to start the new term, the shop had made a profit of over two hundred Spirit Stones in total.


    Liu Ruhua gave all the two hundred plus Spirit Stones she had earned to Mo Hua, urging him to choose a suitable cultivation technique at the sect and reminding him not to neglect his cultivation.


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    The next day, as summer vacation ended, Tongxian Gate opened its doors, welcoming disciples back to school.


    Mo Hua too waved goodbye to Liu Ruhua, who had come to see him off, and then stepped into Tongxian Gate.


    With the disciples gradually returning, the once quiet Tongling Peak started bustling with activity again.


    However, after two months of summer break, many disciples had let loose, and their cultivation had fallen behind. As they returned to school, their expressions revealed a certain trepidation.


    Instructor Yan, in order to consolidate everyone¡¯s focus, announced a surprise Formation exam.


    The lingering heat of summer was thoroughly extinguished by this sudden douse of cold water, and many disciples showed a look of utter dejection.


    This was an on-the-spot test; there was no taking it home to do, and no room for any little tricks.


    But Mo Hua was utterly unfazed.


    He had already mastered five Formation Patterns and was considered an experienced apprentice. The sect¡¯s basic Formation tests were no challenge for him.


    Moreover, during the last month and more of the summer break, he had practiced Formation day and night, pushing his Divine Sense to the brink each time, strengthening it through continuous exertion.


    For an assessment like this, Mo Hua was brimming with confidence, expecting it to be easily within his grasp.


    But when the Formation exam paper was handed out, Mo Hua was somewhat dumbfounded.


    He checked several times, finally confirming that the test was not on individual Formation Patterns, but on a complete Formation containing six Formation Patterns!

 Chapter 39 - 39: 39 Review_1

    Chapter 39: 39 Chapter Review_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    Something isn¡¯t right¡­


    How could the Qi Refinement third level Formation examination include a Formation containing six Formation Patterns? Could the Instructor have taken the wrong test paper?


    The Instructor shouldn¡¯t make this kind of mistake; could there be some other profound meaning? Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this moment, several disciples were already writing feverishly, but the likelihood was that they knew nothing and couldn¡¯t leave it blank, so they were blindly drawing with their eyes closed.


    Mo Hua gathered his thoughts and cautioned himself,


    ¡°If the Instructor has chosen a Formation with six Formation Patterns to test us, there must be an intention behind it. Perhaps he wants us to realize the profound and vast nature of the way of Formations, to keep us from developing an arrogant and complacent mindset¡­¡±


    After calming his mind, Mo Hua concentrated on studying the Formation.


    The Formation was named ¡°Water Controlling Formation,¡± its use wasn¡¯t specified, but the annotations were complete. Although the Formation contained six Formation Patterns, the Patterns were fairly simple. The structure was also commonly discussed in class by the Instructor; it was not unfamiliar.


    However, despite this, it was still unlikely to memorize the Formation Patterns, learn to draw the Formation, and then actually draw the Formation all in a short time.


    If no one could draw it, the Instructor would likely grade based on the completeness of the Formation.


    Mo Hua could only try to memorize as much as he could and draw whatever he was able to.


    Once he concentrated on Drawing Formation, time flew by quickly, but when the exam time ended, Mo Hua still hadn¡¯t finished. He had drawn just over five Formation Patterns, and he hadn¡¯t carefully checked the five he had drawn, unsure if there were any errors.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful and also deeply realized that he still had a long way to go in the art of Formation.


    When the Formation drawing was finished, it was sent to Mingde Building on Tongming Peak.


    All Instructors from Tongxian Gate recorded and graded coursework there.


    The usually strict Instructor Yan was now showing a displeased expression, looking rather unhappy at a middle-aged Cultivator dressed in the Taoist Robe of an Elder from Tongxian Gate:


    ¡°Elder Qian, what is the meaning of this? Wasn¡¯t it agreed that only the first two Patterns of the Water Controlling Formation would be tested, why did you test the entire Formation?¡±


    ¡°The way of Formations is profound and vast; I just wanted to make the disciples understand this early on.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Instructor Yan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Then, they will understand the difficulties and withdraw, no longer foolishly aspiring to become Formation Masters.¡±


    Elder Qian said indifferently, ¡°A Formation with six Formation Patterns is the threshold for being a Formation Master. A Formation of such difficulty is not something these talentless Outer Gate disciples can learn.¡±


    Instructor Yan, suppressing his anger, said, ¡°I¡¯m the Outer Gate Instructor; isn¡¯t Elder Qian being a bit overreaching?¡±


    ¡°Instructor Yan, these Outer Gate disciples, they will not become Formation Masters; teaching them is a complete waste of time.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    Elder Qian¡¯s manner became more polite, ¡°Instructor Yan, we are all clear about your level of Formation skills and hold it in high esteem. But with your talent, teaching these slow-witted Outer Gate disciples, especially since most of them are Loose Cultivators, don¡¯t you feel that it beneath you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Instructor Yan¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    Elder Qian spoke solemnly, ¡°If Instructor Yan agrees, my Qian Family is willing to offer a generous reward to hire you as an Instructor for my Clan, to teach our offspring the study of Formations. Whether it¡¯s Spirit Stones, Spiritual Objects, or some Formation legacies, just say the word, and my Qian Family will do our utmost to meet your requirements.¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly, and he remained silent.


    Elder Qian paused, then continued, ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t wish to leave Tongxian Gate, that¡¯s also fine. I can recommend you to enter the Inner Gate and become an Elder, teaching the Inner Sect Disciples about Formations, or even teaching those true disciples. At that time, the direct disciples of the Sect will have to respectfully address you as ¡®Gentleman.¡¯ Your status will be much higher than that of an ordinary Elder of the Sect.¡±


    Instructor Yan fell silent, and after a moment, slowly said, ¡°What if I refuse?¡±


    Elder Qian¡¯s expression turned cold, ¡°Why must Instructor Yan be so stubborn?¡±


    ¡°I teach Formations to pass on the knowledge to others, not for these worldly gains.¡± Instructor Yan replied.


    Elder Qian sneered, ¡°Fine, how lofty of you!¡±


    Having said that, he no longer paid attention to Instructor Yan and left with a flick of his sleeve.


    Old Instructor Zhou then said, ¡°Mr. Yan, why bother? The Qian Family is powerful, and we cannot afford to offend them.¡±


    Instructor Yan sighed, ¡°I just can¡¯t stand it. If things go on like this, the Sect and the Clans will be colluding, and those lower-level Loose Cultivator disciples will have no way to pursue their Tao Cultivation.¡±


    Old Instructor Zhou also sighed, ¡°When the old Sect Leader was in power, he could withstand the pressure from the Qian Family, but now that he is getting old and about to step down, I fear Tongxian Gate is about to change¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan was also full of worry.


    ¡°In my opinion, Elder Qian has shown you quite a bit of courtesy. You indeed put a lot of effort into teaching these Outer Gate disciples, but what¡¯s the use? Very few of them can go far on the path of Formation Art. It¡¯s not without reason that Loose Cultivators lack Formation Masters,¡± Old Instructor Zhou advised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t end up in a position where you can¡¯t even be an instructor,¡± he continued.


    Instructor Yan remained unmoved, ¡°As long as I am an instructor, I will see to it that what needs to be done is done to the end.¡±


    Old Instructor Zhou shook his head, saying no more.


    After sighing once more, Instructor Yan steadied his emotions before opening the Formation examination papers on his desk.


    Even if there were mistakes in the exam questions, he still needed to mark them diligently.


    Naturally, the result was a complete mess.


    Most disciples could only draw one or two Formation Patterns, while some couldn¡¯t draw at all, carelessly scribbling some nonsense to bluff their way through.


    Instructor Yan silently noted down these disciples¡¯ names. Not knowing was understandable, whatever they could draw was what it was, but aimlessly drawing something as a pretense was unacceptable.


    Then there were those whose drawings were better, typically from families in Tongxian City with better conditions, who had an early enlightenment in Formation Art. These disciples could usually draw three Formation Patterns, which was also the limit for the Divine Sense of an average Qi Refinement third level Cultivator¡ªalready considered very good.


    Instructor Yan couldn¡¯t help thinking of Mo Hua. A child like Mo Hua, who was of Loose Cultivator background and had a rare innate talent for Divine Sense, was indeed scarce.


    Based on Mo Hua¡¯s progress, he estimated that about four Formation Patterns could be drawn, and if Mo Hua hadn¡¯t been lazy over the summer break, maybe a little more than four.


    Grading as he went, Instructor Yan finally came upon Mo Hua¡¯s paper and was taken aback upon opening it.


    The paper neatly displayed five and a half Formation Patterns, and there was more¡ªhalf of a Formation Pattern at the end was clearly rushed and a bit sloppy, but the technique was without any problems.


    Instructor Yan furrowed his brow.


    This meant that Mo Hua, at the Qi Refinement third level, could draw five and a half Formation Patterns in the first attempt at a Water Controlling Formation!


    Five and a half Formation Patterns¡­


    This required not only experience and insight into Formation Art but also a strong Divine Sense to support it.


    Instructor Yan had seen Mo Hua Drawing Formations before¡ªalthough capable of drawing four Formation Patterns, it had seemed somewhat strained, as the Divine Sense was not broad enough.


    But two months had passed, and it turned out that Mo Hua could now draw five and a half Formation Patterns in the Water Controlling Formation.


    If this were indeed true, it would indicate that not only was Mo Hua¡¯s innate Divine Sense exceptional, but the speed of its growth was also astonishingly fast. Besides the increase in Cultivation, Cultivators had no quick way to enhance their Divine Sense.


    Holding his breath, Instructor Yan stared unbelieving at Mo Hua¡¯s paper for another look before finally exhaling slowly, muttering, ¡°This can¡¯t be possible¡­¡±


    Upon hearing these words, Old Instructor Zhou noticed Instructor Yan¡¯s dazed expression and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Mr. Yan, what has happened?¡±


    Instructor Yan came back to his senses, his expression slightly changing as he pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Some disciples¡¯ drawings of the Formation Art are just too absurd, I momentarily lost my composure¡­¡±


    Old Instructor Zhou showed understanding, ¡°Teaching these disciples really isn¡¯t easy, Instructor Yan, you shouldn¡¯t take it too seriously. You must cultivate your own character and temperament, not letting anger affect you¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, but his eyes were still fixed on Mo Hua¡¯s paper, his mind in turmoil.

 Chapter 40 - 40 Plan_1

    Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Plan_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Instructor Yan stared at Mo Hua¡¯s exam paper, thought for a moment, then endorsed the paper with a ¡°Class A¡± character.


    After grading the other disciples¡¯ Formation skills, he paused for a moment, recalled something, and flipped back to the previous papers, promoting all the disciples who had scored ¡°Class B¡± to ¡°Class A¡±.


    Now, there were more disciples than just Mo Hua who had achieved ¡°Class A¡±.


    After finishing the grading, Instructor Yan sat at his desk deep in thought for a long time, murmuring to himself:


    ¡°It seems I cannot stay at Tongxian Gate any longer¡­¡±


    When the Formation exam papers were handed out, Mo Hua saw the ¡°Class A¡± on his and nodded, but he wondered if the other Qi Refinement Realm disciples really could have drawn the Water Controlling Formation¡­


    This was a Formation that required six Formation Patterns, after all.


    Mo Hua made a point of inquiring and found out that some other disciples had also received Class A grades. Aside from the surprise, he also felt,


    ¡°There are heavens beyond this heaven, and people beyond this person; my own level in Formation is not yet sufficient¡ªI must not become complacent!¡±


    What Mo Hua did not know was that his ¡°Class A¡± was different from the others¡¯ ¡°Class A¡±.


    His ¡°Class A¡± was a genuine ¡°Class A¡±, whereas the ¡°Class A¡± of the others was actually inflated by Instructor Yan¡­


    Afterward, Mo Hua planned to continue his Cultivation at Tongxian Gate, to learn more about Formation, and then after some time, to consider choosing a Cultivation Technique. But half a month later, he heard something extremely absurd:


    ¡°Instructor Yan is going to leave Tongxian Gate. From now on, the Outer Gate will no longer teach Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua stood still, in shock.


    No Formation to learn from¡­


    Mo Hua went to find Instructor Yan, who looked at him with a complex expression. He said very little, only telling Mo Hua to return and come to find him in a few days.


    After Mo Hua left, Instructor Yan went to see Manager Mo.


    ¡°Do you have any news about the matter I asked you to look into?¡±


    Manager Mo passed a letter to Instructor Yan, ¡°The person you¡¯re looking for is no longer in Tongxian City. Here are some clues about him, but I cannot guarantee if they are accurate.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Manager Mo hesitated, then asked, ¡°Are you really planning to leave Tongxian Gate?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Tongxian Gate; I¡¯m also leaving Tongxian City.¡±


    ¡°Will you come back here in the future?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± replied Instructor Yan with a bitter smile, ¡°like you said, let¡¯s leave it to fate.¡±


    Manager Mo had words of persuasion on the tip of his tongue, but thinking better of it, he didn¡¯t say anything. He knew persuasion would be futile.


    ¡°What about that kid, Mo Hua? What are you planning to do about him?¡± Manager Mo asked, ¡°Without you, there is no one in Tongxian Gate competent enough to teach him¡­¡±


    ¡°I have my plans. The talent of that child, Mo Hua, in Formation¡­¡±


    Is quite terrifying¡­


    Instructor Yan thought to himself, but he did not say it out loud. Instead, he said, ¡°¡­His talent is quite decent, it would be a pity if he couldn¡¯t learn Formation. Since we have the relationship of instructor and disciple, I will find a way to take care of what comes after.¡±


    Manager Mo nodded, then looked at his senior brother, unsure if there will be another meeting in the future. He had so much to say but did not know how to start.


    The lifespan of a Cultivator stretches very long, as do the goodbyes.


    In the end, they looked at each other silently, only to part with a cup of tea rather than wine, drinking a toast together.


    ¡°Take care!¡± said Manager Mo.


    ¡°Take care!¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, then left Fated Gathering under the gaze of Manager Mo and. disappeared into the bustling streets.


    Without teaching Formation, staying at the Outer Gate of Tongxian Gate had lost its meaning. Moreover, the issue with the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart had always been on Instructor Yan¡¯s mind, and he would not give up on it.


    Before leaving Tongxian City, the last thing Instructor Yan had to do was to find a Formation Master for Mo Hua.


    He prepared some fine wine and tea as gifts, and knocked on the main door of a large cave dwelling on the North Street of Tongxian City.


    This dwelling was one of the grandest on the street, luxurious and majestic.


    The master of the cave dwelling was one of the two first-class Formation Masters in Tongxian City, with the surname Luo, whom the general Cultivators respectfully called Master Luo.


    Instructor Yan presented the gifts and explained his purpose.


    Master Luo had a good relationship with Instructor Yan, and upon hearing this, he expressed his doubt, ¡°Does this child truly possess such talent that even Old Brother Yan has come personally to plead his case?¡±


    Instructor Yan showed Master Luo the Bright Fire Formation Diagram that Mo Hua had drawn, ¡°This is the formation he drew when he was at the third level of Qi Refinement.¡±


    He did not bring out the Water Controlling Formation Diagram with the five and a half formation patterns that Mo Hua had drawn because he didn¡¯t want to draw too much attention.


    Furthermore, generally speaking, at the third level of Qi Refinement, being able to draw a formation with three formation patterns already considered exceptional talent.


    Master Luo¡¯s eyes brightened, and he nodded, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s quite good!¡±


    After examining the Bright Fire Formation Diagram, Master Luo inquired, ¡°May I ask which clan¡¯s descendant he is? The Qian Family? The An Family, or the Chen Family?¡±


    Instructor Yan fell silent for a moment before replying, ¡°He¡¯s not from a clan; he¡¯s just a Loose Cultivator.¡±


    Master Luo then became silent, and the interest in his eyes faded considerably.


    Instructor Yan tentatively asked, ¡°Does the Master have any concerns?¡±


    ¡°Loose Cultivators are difficult to teach¡­¡± said Master Luo.


    ¡°Brother Luo¡­¡±


    Master Luo waved his hand and said, ¡°Old Brother Yan, you know what I¡¯m talking about. You should understand how troublesome it is to take a Loose Cultivator as an apprentice.¡±


    ¡°Although Mo Hua is young, he¡¯s clever, well-behaved, diligent, and hardworking, and his talent in formations is extremely high. With just a bit of guidance from Brother Luo, his future achievements in formations will surely be boundless,¡± Instructor Yan earnestly said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about that,¡± Master Luo sighed and explained:


    ¡°Not to mention what kind of innate talent or comprehension the child has, just the ceremonial gifts required for apprenticeship, can he afford them?¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Luo stood up and began to pace slowly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I covet these gifts, but apprenticing and accepting disciples have always been matters bound by tradition. I have accepted many disciples, and each has offered a considerable ceremonial gift. If by chance, he¡¯s unable to pay, or pays too little, how am I to explain it to my other disciples? Even if they don¡¯t dare to voice their displeasure, they will certainly hold a grudge in their hearts, thinking that I am biased and cannot treat all fairly.¡±


    ¡°Not just the ceremonial gifts for apprenticeship, but even the ink, brush, paper, and inkstone needed to learn formations, which of these do not require spirit stones? Can a Loose Cultivator¡¯s family wealth sustain it?¡±


    ¡°Even if he manages to become a Formation Master one day, he¡¯ll still have only two paths to walk: either to attach himself to a clan or to a sect. If he doesn¡¯t affiliate himself, his cultivation and study of formations will be fraught with difficulties. If he does affiliate, it¡¯s as if he¡¯s sold himself; he will lose his own name, background, and parents, no longer the master of his fate. How then could he have any regard for me, his master?¡±


    ¡°So no matter how you look at it, taking him as an apprentice or disciple brings me no benefit whatsoever.¡±


    Having finished speaking, Master Luo sat down and took a sip of his tea.


    Instructor Yan also remained silent. He understood what Master Luo was talking about and could not refute it. Initially, he had thought that given Mo Hua¡¯s extraordinary talent, Master Luo might at least consider it, but now it seemed his own thinking was too naive.


    Loose Cultivators without a Formation Master, there really was a reason for it¡­


    Instructor Yan looked disheartened.


    Seeing this, Master Luo sighed as well and said in a softer tone, ¡°If he at least had the background of a clan, even if it was just an offshoot or a branch, I would have taken him in. But Loose Cultivators are different, there are too many concerns, and I don¡¯t have the energy for it¡­¡±


    ¡°For Loose Cultivators to become Formation Masters, it¡¯s simply too difficult!¡± Master Luo lamented.


    Instructor Yan tried once more to plead, ¡°Mo Hua, this child, really has a unique talent for formations¡­¡± and was about to present the Water Controlling Formation Diagram with five and a half formation patterns that Mo Hua had drawn.


    But as he was about to do so, Master Luo said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he can draw three formation patterns; even if at the third level of Qi Refinement he could draw four or five formation patterns, I still wouldn¡¯t take him.¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s hand stopped mid-action, and with no alternative left, he had to put the formation back.


    ¡°Brother Luo, is there really no way?¡±


    ¡°Old Brother Yan, feel free to come over any time, whether to discuss or chat, but as for this matter, there is no room for negotiation,¡± said Master Luo.


    ¡°Brother Luo¡­¡± Unable to find the words, Instructor Yan could only sigh, ¡°Just don¡¯t regret it later.¡±


    ¡°Many cultivators have said the same to me, but to this day, I have yet to regret anything!¡±


    With nothing more to say, Master Luo picked up his teacup as a signal to show the guest out.


    Instructor Yan sighed, his expression one of disappointment, and rose to take his leave.


    After Instructor Yan left, Master Luo sat inside the room. A disciple poured him tea and asked softly, ¡°Master, if he truly can draw the Bright Fire Formation at the third level of Qi Refinement, then his talent must indeed be remarkable.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Master Luo picked up his tea, took a sip, and said, ¡°But what use is high talent? The Way of Cultivation is not just about talent. How many people were extraordinary in their youth, only to end up as nothing special? Spirit stones, lineage, family background¡ªeach one of these is very important. Without them, even talent is just a rootless plant, destined to wither eventually.¡±


    ¡°But still, if Master provided some guidance, he could at least owe you for the kindness¡­¡±


    Master Luo shook his head, ¡°You think of human nature as too simple. Loose Cultivators born into poverty often have extreme mindsets; any slight mistake could lead to holding a grudge. There are far too many cases of gratitude turning into enmity over the smallest issues. Why should I wade into such murky waters?¡±


    ¡°What you say is true, Master, but it¡¯s such a pity for such talent to go to waste.¡±


    ¡°It is a pity,¡± Master Luo placed the teacup down and sighed, ¡°but that¡¯s fate, beyond our control.¡±

 Chapter 41 - 41 Visit_1

    Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Visit_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Master Luo was a first-rate Formation Master who had declined Instructor Yan¡¯s request.


    Instructor Yan had no choice but to settle for less and sought out Formation Masters who hadn¡¯t reached the ranks yet but had studied Formations for many years, asking them to take Mo Hua as a disciple.


    However, some outright refused, others made excuses, and even though some agreed, their demands were excessive. Accepting their terms would mean that Mo Hua would be reduced to no more than a tool or puppet for life, with no freedom to speak of, no different from selling oneself into servitude.


    After wandering around for many days to no avail, Instructor Yan returned to his residence, sitting alone and heaving a deep sigh.


    A few days from now, he would have to leave, and time was running short. If he couldn¡¯t find a suitable gentleman to teach her, Mo Hua¡¯s progress in studying formations might be delayed.


    After much thought, Instructor Yan seemed to have made up his mind. He sealed Mo Hua¡¯s examination papers carefully and placed them into his storage bag.


    At dusk, Instructor Yan left Tongxian City, heading straight to the southeast, outside the city.


    To the southeast of Tongxian City lay a mountain peak that was secluded, beautifully tranquil, and magnificent, creating its own secluded charm. A residence was situated among the mountains, without a signboard or gate, accessible only by a narrow mountain path leading to its interior.


    Instructor Yan stood at the foot of the mountain, and after a long while, he heard a dry, thin voice by his ear:


    ¡°Please.¡±


    The voice seemed to be right next to him, yet it also echoed in his Sea of Consciousness.


    Instructor Yan¡¯s demeanor became even more humble as he straightened his Taoist robe, patted his storage bag at his waist, and climbed the mountain with a determined look on his face.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua was planning to leave Tongxian Gate.


    As an Outer Gate disciple, Mo Hua had a simple relationship with the Sect¡ªmerely based on the mutual benefits of exchanging Flower Spirit Stones for Tao Cultivation lessons. There was a bit of sentiment involved, but not much.


    Especially since Instructor Yan was leaving, and the Outer Gate would not teach formations anymore, there was no reason for Mo Hua to stay.


    His Spiritual Root predetermined that his Spiritual Power would not be strong, and his Cultivation speed would not be fast.


    The other content taught by the Sect, such as Body Refinement, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Rune making, were somewhat useless to Mo Hua¡ªworth learning but regrettable to abandon.


    The only thing Mo Hua wanted to learn, and the only thing that held prospects for his Tao Cultivation, was formations.


    But within the Outer Gate, aside from Instructor Yan, Mo Hua didn¡¯t think anyone else could teach him formations.


    Da¡¯hu and his two friends were also dropping out of school.


    But their reason for leaving wasn¡¯t due to the instructor; it was simply because their families were poor and could no longer afford the Sect fees and the newly added various expenses.


    As Mo Hua understood, the old Sect Leader would be retiring in a few months, no longer meddling in the Sect¡¯s affairs. Thus, in the Sect now, Elder Qian had the final say¡ªin other words, the Qian Family had the final say.


    The Qian Family planned to reform the Sect, using a variety of methods, but the core point was to collect more Spirit Stones.


    Whether it was Alchemy, Artifact Refining, or Rune making classes, while previously they taught only the basics, now they were planning to teach more advanced content, but it required extra Spirit Stones.


    The additional inheritance fees for the Cultivation Techniques were also imposed by Elder Qian with the justification that ¡°Sect inheritance is hard-won and should be compensated when transmitted.¡±


    After the Qian Family¡¯s reforms, some disciples from Clans or those with wealthy families could spend more Spirit Stones to receive better inheritance.


    However, the lower-tier Cultivators among the Outer Gate disciples, especially the Loose Cultivators, essentially learned nothing significant and had to pay more in Spirit Stones for Sect dues than before.


    For such Loose Cultivator disciples, aside from dropping out, there was no other choice.


    In this way, through its reforms, Tongxian Gate started to gradually eliminate the poor disciples from the lower echelons, based on the Cultivators¡¯ family backgrounds. These low-level Loose Cultivator disciples would no longer be able to cultivate in the Sect and would have to seek their own fortune in their future Tao Cultivation. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua discussed his plan to leave school with his parents; Mo Shan didn¡¯t quite agree but knew there was no alternative. It wasn¡¯t just Mo Hua¡¯s issue, but a matter concerning all the bottom-tier Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City.


    Liu Ruhua didn¡¯t mind; she knew Mo Hua was diligent in his Cultivation and had plans of his own. Since he had decided to leave school, it meant that he couldn¡¯t learn much within the Sect, so she didn¡¯t say much.


    Now the restaurant business was doing well; even if her son did nothing at home, she could fully support him.


    And so, Mo Hua, a third-level Qi Refinement Cultivator, left Tongxian Gate.


    Mo Hua went to the Sect to simply complete the withdrawal procedures and also received half a year¡¯s worth of refunded Sect dues, which was about fifty to sixty Spirit Stones.


    After leaving the Sect, the biggest problem was the Cultivation Technique.


    Mo Shan promised to explore the Monster Hunter path and inquire about a suitable Cultivation Technique for Mo Hua, but it would take some time.


    The other problem was about formations.


    Without the guidance of a sect, Mo Hua could only learn on his own, or perhaps seek a Formation Master as a mentor.


    But Mo Hua knew all too well how difficult it was for a Loose Cultivator to find a Formation Master willing to take on a disciple. Not all Formation Masters were like Instructor Yan, with broad minds and a willingness to impart their knowledge and teachings.


    Mo Hua wanted to take the time to visit Instructor Yan, to thank him for his careful guidance over the past days. But he didn¡¯t know where Instructor Yan lived, and just when he thought of asking Manager Mo for directions, Instructor Yan found him.


    In the few days since they last met, Instructor Yan looked somewhat weary, as if he had been busy with something taxing.


    With the utmost respect, Mo Hua greeted Instructor Yan with a bow, to which Instructor Yan nodded and then asked, ¡°Do you still want to study Formations?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    Instructor Yan looked at Mo Hua with approval and then said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Mo Hua followed Instructor Yan to a mountain peak to the southeast outside of Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua remembered Da¡¯hu and the others saying that this mountain seemed to be bought by someone for the purpose of living in seclusion to cultivate, cutting off the flow of Cultivators.


    There were no Monster Beasts in the mountains, nor was there any precious Spirit Grass, let alone Spiritual mines; the only advantage was the beautiful scenery and peaceful environment.


    Tongxian City had many Loose Cultivators, weary from their travels, who wouldn¡¯t linger for the mountain views, so Cultivators rarely came here.


    At the foot of the mountain, Instructor Yan said, ¡°There lives a reclusive gentleman on this mountain, whom I happened to make the acquaintance of by chance. I wouldn¡¯t usually disturb him, but I¡¯ll be leaving in a few days, so I wanted you to meet him.¡±


    ¡°Does this gentleman know about Formations?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Instructor Yan nodded, ¡°Indeed, this gentleman¡¯s achievements in Formations are extremely profound.¡±


    ¡°Is he a first-rank Formation Master?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    ¡°As to his specific rank, I¡¯m not sure, but he is at least a first-rank.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s respect rose significantly.


    Being a first-rank Formation Master was already extraordinary, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t even dare to imagine what lay beyond that.


    Yet, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel curious about what Formations above the first-rank were like¡­


    ¡­also wondered if it was true as the rumors said, possessing the might to steal the fortunes of nature and alter the heavens and the earth.


    ¡°Why does this gentleman reside in such a remote place? Is it because he dislikes the bustle?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    ¡°The gentleman has a natural indifference to worldly affairs and does not wish to be bothered. Therefore, this mountain peak is seldom visited by others.¡±


    Instructor Yan looked at Mo Hua and said, ¡°You¡¯ve already guessed why I¡¯ve brought you here, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Is it for this gentleman to take me as his disciple?¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, ¡°You guess correctly. I can only teach you so much, which is why I hope the gentleman can give you some guidance.¡±


    ¡°You have already taught me a lot,¡± Mo Hua said gratefully.


    ¡°What I can teach you pales in comparison to what the gentleman has to offer.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan shook his head, ¡°You are still young, and you may not understand fully. As you encounter more in the future, you will realize the vastness and depth of Formations, which are far beyond the grasp of a mere Qi Refinement or even Foundation Building Cultivator. Your Divine Sense is exceptional, your aptitude is good, and you are diligent, making you an excellent seedling for studying Formations. Therefore, you must cherish this rare talent and by no means fail to live up to your abilities.¡±


    ¡°Today, I have brought you to visit with the hope that you may be accepted as a disciple by the gentleman. He is indifferent by nature and not keen on accepting disciples. It would still be good for you to become a named disciple; even if you only grasp the merest essentials, it will help you go further on the path of Formations.¡±


    Instructor Yan pointed ahead where a mountain path stretched before them, winding up toward the mid-mountain shrouded in mist. Nestled within the clouds was a simple yet mysterious gate to a courtyard.


    Instructor Yan advised, ¡°Make your way up the mountain by yourself. Be respectful, and when the gentleman asks you something, just answer truthfully. If he takes you as a disciple, it will be your good fortune. If not, don¡¯t be disheartened; it simply means the time isn¡¯t right yet.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly, then couldn¡¯t help but glance back at Instructor Yan.


    ¡°Instructor¡­¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Instructor Yan said no more, simply waving his hand in dismissal.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment but eventually, with firm steps, began to ascend the mountain.

 Chapter 42 - 42 Mind Path_1

    Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Mind Path_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Clouds and mist shrouded the mountain paths, hiding within them a courtyard that lay beyond a bamboo gate, with a narrow trail winding its way to the feet of Mo Hua.


    Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.


    As Mo Hua stepped onto the path, his divine sense detected a fluctuation, as though something had been triggered.


    Yet, looking around, the mountains remained unchanged, the trees still stood as they were, and the flora continued to bloom untouched.


    Mo Hua paused and looked around but could not discern anything unusual.


    Mo Hua had heard that some revered seniors enjoyed placing formations or setting scenarios to test others; he wondered if the gentleman on the mountain had a similar penchant.


    Or could it be that this very path was a test in itself?


    Mo Hua felt an inexplicable touch of nervousness.


    Since he was a formation master and he sensed the fluctuations, it was likely that a formation had been set up on this path.


    But what kind of formation could it be?


    With Mo Hua¡¯s limited experience in formations, he had no clue. Even after a thorough look around, he saw no difference in the surroundings.


    Mo Hua walked on, pondering, but came to no conclusion.


    He could only remember Instructor Yan¡¯s instruction: to keep his mind clear and let nature take its course, without forcing or feeling discouraged.


    Continuing in this manner, he soon found himself at the courtyard entrance.


    The bamboo gate of the courtyard was modest yet possessed a secluded charm.


    Past the bamboo gate, the view abruptly opened up to reveal a beautiful courtyard with several elegant bamboo residences; the grass was like an emerald carpet, the pond mist enveloped, and cranes sipped dewdrops, providing a sight so refreshing it enraptured the soul.


    Within the courtyard stood a gaunt old man. Mo Hua hastened to pay his respects, greeting, ¡°Good day, sir.¡±


    The old man¡¯s voice was as rough and dry as his appearance, sounding like a withered branch weathering in the wind:


    ¡°I am not the sir you seek. The sir is inside, follow me.¡±


    Having said that, he led Mo Hua into one of the bamboo residences which was elegantly simple, with breezes flowing in from all sides.


    Seated in the middle of the residence was a middle-aged cultivator clad in white, with an exceptionally handsome face and a demeanor exuding a natural elegance. His every glance revealed a sense of unruly freedom, as if all the living things in the world couldn¡¯t cling to him.


    This was the most celestial and noble person Mo Hua had ever seen.


    The middle-aged cultivator greeted Mo Hua with an amicable smile, saying, ¡°You must be Mo Hua. Mr. Yan has told me about you. Just answer my questions naturally, without restraint. Speak your thoughts as they come.¡±


    Mo Hua bowed respectfully, responding, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator said, ¡°My surname is Zhuang. Just call me Mr. Zhuang.¡±


    Mo Hua bowed again, ¡°Mr. Zhuang.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and then asked, ¡°What did you see as you walked along the small road up the mountain just now?¡±


    Mo Hua considered for a moment before answering, ¡°There were mountains and trees, flowers and grass, and a small path.¡±


    ¡°Nothing else?¡± Mr. Zhuang inquired with interest. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see anything else? Like people or events?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°That small path holds a formation, a gift from a Taoist friend of yesteryear. Its name is the Water Mirror Formation, which, upon first walking upon it, can reveal insights into one¡¯s fate or even foretell aspects of one¡¯s future.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a jolt in his heart; such a formation existed? One that could unveil fate and the future?


    Then what did it mean that I saw nothing? Surely it doesn¡¯t imply that I have no future¡­


    Mo Hua grew apprehensive for a moment but recalling Instructor Yan¡¯s earlier advice, he stayed truthful, ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything else¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang showed a hint of surprise, then nodded, ¡°I see.¡± He then extracted a formation diagram and continued, ¡°Here are some writing materials; draw this formation to the best of your ability, as much as you can.¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at the formation diagram, recognizing it as the Water Controlling Formation, the same one Instructor Yan used for the assessment.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua took the paper and brush, and, comparing it with the Formation Diagram, began Drawing Formation.


    Two hours later, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was exhausted, and he could only draw five and a half Formation Patterns.


    Only a few days had passed since the last time he drew the Water Controlling Formation, and Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had not grown fast enough to draw six Formation Patterns in such a short amount of time.


    This time, the formation was drawn more skillfully than the last, and the brushwork was neater too.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at the Formation drawn by Mo Hua, raised his eyebrows slightly, and then said,


    ¡°Not bad. Would you like to become a recorded named disciple of mine? I won¡¯t transmit some of the Sect¡¯s formations to you, but if you want to learn the common formations of the Tao Cultivation World, I can teach you all of them.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t know why, Mo Hua seemed to have passed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s test.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed and then respectfully bowed to Mr. Zhuang saying, ¡°Thank you, Gentleman. This disciple is willing!¡±


    In the Cultivation World, there are two types of master-disciple relationships: One is the recorded named disciple, and the other is the Direct Disciple.


    Direct Disciples call their mentor ¡°Master¡± and are taught personally, adhering to the idea that ¡°once a teacher, forever a father,¡± resulting in a very deep bond between Master and disciple.


    The relationship with recorded named disciples is far more casual; they are taught whatever the mentor wants to teach them, and the disciples cannot call them ¡°Master,¡± only ¡°Gentleman.¡± There is affection between recorded named disciples and their mentors, but it¡¯s not as profound as with a Direct Disciple.


    Nevertheless, Mo Hua was very grateful that Mr. Zhuang was willing to take him on as a recorded named disciple.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°You may go back today. Come here tomorrow, two hours after dawn, and I will start teaching you some formations.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Gentleman!¡±


    Mo Hua bowed again, this time with the bow reserved for a disciple to a mentor, and then bid farewell to Mr. Zhuang, leaving his courtyard with a spring in his step.


    As Mo Hua walked down the mountain, he found that Instructor Yan was still waiting at the base. Learning that Mr. Zhuang had agreed to take Mo Hua as an apprentice, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with satisfaction,


    ¡°It¡¯s your good fortune that Mr. Zhuang values you so highly. You must cherish this opportunity. Mr. Zhuang is a respected figure; you must show him great respect.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Instructor,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    As the two walked down the mountain path, Mo Hua suddenly asked with curiosity, ¡°Instructor, have you been to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s courtyard? What did you see when you passed by that narrow path?¡±


    Instructor Yan turned his head, silently looked at Mo Hua for a moment, and then said,


    ¡°As I walked past that narrow path, I vaguely saw some visions. These fleeting images told me that Mr. Zhuang was willing to take you as his disciple, and that in the future, you would become an outstanding Formation Master.¡±


    Having said this, they had reached a fork in the road where Tongxian City lay ahead.


    Instructor Yan looked at Mo Hua and then said solemnly, ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    Mo Hua turned around, and Instructor Yan paused before saying,


    ¡°A Formation Master seeks the Heavenly Dao; however, the Heavenly Dao is boundless, while human life is finite. Only by passing down formations from generation to generation can cultivators possibly unravel the Heavenly Dao, and thus, formations can benefit all beings.¡±


    ¡°One day in the future, should you become a top-tier or even superior Formation Master and meet cultivators who are kind-hearted and talented in formations, I hope you will also be generous with your guidance. The way of formations is like water; it must be passed down to flow far and wide, or else it will become stagnant.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. He bowed to Instructor Yan and said earnestly, ¡°This disciple will remember!¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s expression was one of relief.


    Unable to help himself, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Instructor, are you leaving Tongxian City?¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, ¡°I can¡¯t stay in Tongxian Gate any longer, and I have some personal matters to attend to. I will be leaving soon.¡±


    ¡°Will I be able to see you again?¡±


    Instructor Yan looked into Mo Hua¡¯s clear, dark eyes and smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s leave it to fate.¡±


    Instructor Yan reached out and tousled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, ¡°You should head back early, go and speak with your parents.¡±


    Mo Hua headed toward the city gate. After a few steps, he turned around and gave Instructor Yan another bow.


    Instructor Yan waved his hand and said warmly, ¡°Go on.¡± He watched Mo Hua until his figure shrank in the distance before turning to leave.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua also turned back, looked at where Instructor Yan had been, and deeply bowed once more.


    The figure of Instructor Yan gradually disappeared, faintly vanishing into the misty and elusive mountains. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 43 - 43 Seeking Knowledge_1

    Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Seeking Knowledge_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Shan¡¯s couple was overjoyed when they heard that Mo Hua was referred by Instructor Yan and accepted as a student by a highly skilled Formation Master.


    Mo Shan originally had some concerns, but after thinking it over, he felt there was nothing to worry about.


    Instructor Yan had taught at Tongxian Gate for many years and had a good reputation, and a person recommended by Instructor Yan surely had extraordinary status.


    Mo Shan¡¯s family were just ordinary Loose Cultivators, with neither Spirit Stones nor family wealth, so naturally, they did not have to worry about others coveting anything from them.


    Besides, they wouldn¡¯t normally have the chance to even meet a Formation Master of such status, so this really was a serendipitous opportunity.


    Now that Mo Hua was studying Formations and living at home, Liu Ruhua could see her son every day and even cook meals for him, which made her even happier.


    The next morning, after a hearty breakfast prepared by Liu Ruhua, Mo Hua set off for Southeast Mountain to visit Mr. Zhuang and learn from him.


    Upon arriving at the foot of the mountain this time, Mo Hua took the path to the bamboo gate and realized that there actually was a signboard in front of the courtyard.


    The signboard read ¡°Forgetful Residence,¡± a detail Mo Hua somehow had not noticed the day before.


    As Mo Hua entered Forgetful Residence, he found Mr. Zhuang idly sitting by the pond, holding his cheek with one hand and fishing with the other, using a piece of bamboo as a rod and a bare hook without bait.


    Mo Hua peered into the pond and discovered that there weren¡¯t even any fish in it.


    Mo Hua thought Mr. Zhuang must have some deeper meaning, and looked up at him again, only to find that Mr. Zhuang was not really fishing at all but merely dozing off with his cheek propped up.


    Fortunately, the old man from the day before saw Mo Hua and called him over, saying:


    ¡°The gentleman often dozes off. When he¡¯s dozing, just ignore him and don¡¯t disturb him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded with an air of not fully comprehending yet respecting the advice.


    The old man added, ¡°I am the¡­ steward here, taking care of the gentleman¡¯s daily needs. You can call me Old Kui.¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua politely said, ¡°Grandpa Gui.¡±


    Old Kui glanced at Mo Hua but said nothing further and took out a chessboard, asking, ¡°Do you play chess?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at the chessboard, ¡°Is this Five Elements Chess?¡±


    In the Tao Cultivation World, there are many varieties of chess, including Bagua Chess, Five Elements Chess, Heaven Yuan Chess, Three Talents Chess, and more. Five Elements Chess is one of the simplest and most common, mainly used to enlighten children in their early Tao Cultivation and help them memorize the knowledge of the generation and restraint among the Five Elements.


    The chess pieces are simple to play; each side holds two types of pieces, and the board randomly generates different attributes of Five Elements Chess pieces that only reveal themselves when flipped. A player¡¯s pieces that generatively support each other become stronger, while pieces that restrain each other can capture each other.


    Simple, fun, and not requiring much thought, it is an excellent game for cultivating intelligence in cultivator children.


    Mo Hua himself had no issues playing Five Elements Chess, but the thought of the weathered Old Kui playing it¡­


    Old Kui seemed to read Mo Hua¡¯s mind, ¡°Do you think Five Elements Chess is too simple?¡±


    After hesitating for a moment, and against his better judgment, Mo Hua said, ¡°The Great Dao is the simplest, returning to purity and truth. Often, the simpler things are, the more profound they become.¡±


    Old Kui was stunned, pondering for a while before suddenly realizing, ¡°That¡¯s a good reason. Next time I play chess with someone, I¡¯ll say the same.¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°¡­¡±


    And so, Mo Hua and Old Kui began their game of chess.


    At first, Mo Hua thought Old Kui must be a master of the game and went all out, but after a few rounds, he found their skills matched evenly and neither was superior to the other, so he relaxed and the two enjoyed their game.


    Unknowingly it was already noon, by which time Mo Hua remembered what he had come there for¡­


    Mr. Zhuang was by the pond, having taken a nap while fishing all morning, and now he opened his eyes, looked at the sun, and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s time for lunch.¡±


    So, after playing chess all morning and whiling away half a day, Mo Hua managed to scrounge a meal as well.


    The food was cooked by Old Kui; it included meat and vegetables, as well as rice, rich in spiritual energy, but the taste was indescribable.


    Seeing how Old Kui conducted himself, it was clear he wasn¡¯t particularly adept at cooking.


    However, Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t mind; grains turned into blood qi upon consumption, and sensory pleasures of the mouth and stomach were mere illusions. No matter the taste of the meal, with each spoon and chopstick, he moved with tranquility and grace, as if he were not consuming grains, but the dew and breezes of the world.


    Mo Hua found Mr. Zhuang¡¯s manner both proper and carefree, and felt a bit envious inside.


    Mo Hua tried to mimic Mr. Zhuang¡¯s way, eating slowly and gracefully with each chopstick lift, but couldn¡¯t quite manage it. It felt awkward, and finally, he just honestly held up his bowl and ate heartily.


    Although the taste of the food was not great, the ingredients were of high quality, and they contained spiritual energy; besides, Mo Hua was not too picky with food.


    Old Kui watched Mo Hua eating with relish, and added a few more pieces of meat to Mo Hua¡¯s bowl.


    After the meal, Mr. Zhuang seemed finally to remember why Mo Hua had come, and led him to a bamboo pavilion in the yard.


    There was a refreshing breeze around them, along with the sound of bamboo rustling.


    ¡°I have taken on disciples before, but what they learned was different from you, so it cannot be generalized. Let¡¯s see what level you¡¯ve reached in your formation studies.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang then asked Mo Hua several questions, to which Mo Hua responded one by one.


    After Mo Hua had answered, Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, then took out a thick tome and instructed Mo Hua:


    ¡°Your knowledge of formation theories is too shallow, and what you¡¯ve learned is mostly basic formation patterns, disjointed and not comprehensive. With such a shaky foundation, it¡¯s hard to understand more profound formations later on, and you won¡¯t make it far on the path of formations.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang handed the book to Mo Hua and said:


    ¡°You need to start from the most basic concepts. This book contains the basic theories about formations in the Tao Cultivation World, encompassing different schools, characteristics, and lineages. Familiarize yourself with these first. Understand what you can and come to me with what you can¡¯t. Once your foundation in formation theory is solid, I will teach you how to draw formations.¡±


    Mo Hua accepted the thick tome of formation knowledge and said, ¡°Thank you, sir!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, ¡°Feel free to find a comfortable spot in the yard to read, I¡¯m going to close my eyes and rest my spirit.¡±


    Mo Hua took his leave, then, hugging ¡°On the Source of Formation Techniques,¡± found a shady spot under a tree on a patch of cool grass, and began to flip through it.


    At the beginning, ¡°On the Source¡± clarified its purpose, stating that ancient immortals observed the heavens and scrutinized the earth, gaining enlightenment about the Heavenly Dao from the evolution of all things, and manifested this understanding into formations. These formations operated in a way that mimicked the movements of the Heavenly Dao, thus possessing unfathomable power.


    In all the fields of Tao Cultivation, only formations offer the most direct and fundamental understanding of the Heavenly Dao, and they also place the most stringent demands on one¡¯s divine sense.


    Formation Masters were classified from one to nine grades, with those above the ninth grade being immortals, known as Immortal Formation Masters.


    However, Immortal Formation Masters are merely legends; in nearly twenty thousand years, no one has genuinely achieved immortality, and thus no one has become an Immortal Formation Master. Nobody knows what the world-altering formations of an immortal might look like.


    Not just Immortal Formation Masters, but even the recorded ninth-grade masters are unaccounted for; the eighth grade is but legend. Records exist of a few sixth and seventh-grade masters, all from noble clans, ancient sects, or figures like the Chief Elder of the Taoist Court, each an unreachable pinnacle of power among cultivators.


    After the fifth grade down to the third, records of formation masters become more abundant. Below that, such records cease, evidently because any masters of lower grade, unless they achieve unprecedented innovation in formations, are not worthy of mention in historical texts.


    Following historical accounts, the book delves into various schools of formations and a preliminary analysis of formations jargon.


    The flow of formation disciplines differs greatly among noble clans, sects, and regions. Even within the same lineage of a particular formation, multiple minor lineages might emerge. These different lineages show subtle variations in the study, research, application, and effectiveness of their formations.


    All major powers consider their core formations a closely guarded secret, and through independent research and application, the state of formations in the Tao Cultivation World has become both richly diverse and insular.


    Formations are categorized by their Formation Pivot types, including but not limited to Eryi Formations, Three Talents Formations, Four Symbols Formations, Five Elements Formations, Six Harmonies Formations, Seven Stars Formations, and Eight Trigrams Arrays. The Five Elements Formation and Eight Trigrams Array are the most widely propagated and used, yet each formation has its specific purpose.


    Mo Hua spent a good part of the day roughly flipping through ¡°On the Source of Formation Techniques,¡± feeling enlightened yet also keenly aware of his insignificance.


    To Mo Hua, becoming a first-grade Formation Master was already challenging, let alone striving for the seventh, eighth, ninth, or even Immortal Grades. The path of formations was as vast as the sea, and Mo Hua, not even a first-grade Formation Master, was now just a speck in that vast ocean.

 Chapter 44 - 44 Enlightenment_1

    Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Enlightenment_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°On the Source of Formation Formations¡± could only be read at Mr. Zhuang¡¯s place and could not be taken away.


    In the following days, Mo Hua would always arrive early at Mr. Zhuang¡¯s Forgetful Residence and then find a quiet and comfortable spot to read alone.


    If there were any questions, she would note them silently, and once Mr. Zhuang had finished his short rest, she would go and ask for advice. Mr. Zhuang would answer any question, and often with just a few words, he could unravel Mo Hua¡¯s doubts, which greatly impressed her.


    In just a few days, Mo Hua¡¯s knowledge about formations had increased substantially.


    Mo Shan¡¯s couple wanted to pay a visit to express their thanks, but Mr. Zhuang declined, saying he preferred solitude and did not socialize with others. He appreciated the gesture but insisted that a visit was unnecessary.


    Although he said so, without any form of acknowledgment, Mo Shan¡¯s couple always felt somewhat uneasy.


    Mo Shan then went up the mountain to kill a wild ox. Liu Ruhua marinated the beef and stewed it to perfection, also prepared various kinds of pastries, and had Mo Hua take them all to Mr. Zhuang, reminding her:


    ¡°Since Mr. Zhuang likes quietness, we shall not disturb him, but some modest gifts must still be offered. Items like spirit stones, Mr. Zhuang probably doesn¡¯t lack, but these foods, though not precious, are at least our sincere gesture. Huar, when you give them to the gentleman, I hope he won¡¯t find them displeasing.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    When Mo Hua delivered the food box to Mr. Zhuang, she was somewhat nervous.


    Considering Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor, she guessed he had probably tasted all sorts of delicacies, and he might not like these ordinary foods eaten by loose cultivators.


    However, Mr. Zhuang seemed quite intrigued when he received the food box; he tried a few slices of beef and nodded slightly.


    Although it was meat from a low-grade wild monster beast with no spiritual energy, the cooking method was very unique. The meaty aroma of the wild ox mixed with spicy seasoning, creating a wild flavor he had never experienced before.


    It was the first time Mr. Zhuang tried beef with such a taste, so he ate a few more slices and even saved some to accompany his drink later.


    Mo Hua also brought some pastries to Old Kui. Old Kui was surprised to receive the pastries but did not treat Mo Hua as an outsider. He tried a few and neither praised nor criticized them.


    Seeing that both men had accepted the gifts and tasted them personally, and that there were no signs of dissatisfaction, Mo Hua felt relieved.


    Liu Ruhua was delighted and, when free, would prepare various dishes for Mo Hua to deliver to Mr. Zhuang and Old Kui.


    There were many kinds of monster beasts in the mountains, each with different tastes. Liu Ruhua, busy with her eatery on normal days, would focus on studying cooking in her spare time. Using the meat Mo Shan obtained from monster hunting, she would try different cooking methods. Different types of meat combined with different seasonings and cooking styles brought out diverse flavors.


    Some tasted very good, while others were not as easily palatable. Liu Ruhua would choose those that tasted good for Mo Hua to bring to Mr. Zhuang for sampling.


    Old Kui loved sweets, and from what Mo Hua observed, he enjoyed crispy treats and especially loved eating them while playing chess. Thus, Liu Ruhua made some crispy fruits and every now and then had Mo Hua deliver them to Old Kui.


    After a while, Mr. Zhuang, accustomed to eating these, did not have much appetite for the meals prepared by Old Kui.


    One day, after delivering spiced meat and pastries to Mr. Zhuang and Old Kui, having read for the day and asked a few questions, Mo Hua bid farewell and went home.


    The sky had darkened and Mr. Zhuang sat by the pond, watching the evening glow in the sky while enjoying the beef and sipping wine, looking quite leisurely.


    Old Kui was eating pastries on one side, playing chess against himself. After a moment, he looked up at Mr. Zhuang and said: S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Your Qi Sea is shattered; you can eat other things, but don¡¯t be greedy. And don¡¯t neglect the medicated cuisine I make.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang appeared indifferent, ¡°A broken mirror can¡¯t be made whole, spilled water can¡¯t be recovered. The Qi Sea is already shattered, eating anything is useless. Might as well eat something that makes oneself happy.¡±


    Old Kui couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. Suddenly, he asked, ¡°Is it really that delicious?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang took another piece of meat with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth, savoring it carefully, ¡°The flavor is quite unique.¡±


    Old Kui frowned, ¡°What delicacies haven¡¯t you eaten in your lifetime? Why have you started to develop a craving now?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang revealed an amused expression, but his eyes concealed the indifference of the world:


    ¡°Having tired of exotic delicacies, I now find these simple foods, with their simple intentions, to be the most precious.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Old Kui, seemingly indifferent, continued playing chess intently, while picking up a piece of crispy pastry and tossing it into his mouth.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at him and suddenly asked in return, ¡°You can¡¯t taste the flavor, can you? Then why bother eating these things?¡±


    Old Kui concentrated on the chessboard and after a moment replied, ¡°I chew to hear the crunch.¡±


    Having said that, he picked up a crispy cake and began to crunch it noisily.


    Half a month later, Mo Hua had nearly finished reading ¡°On the Source of Formation,¡± and Mr. Zhuang began teaching Mo Hua about formation theory.


    The formation theory Mr. Zhuang taught was broader and more abstruse than that taught by Instructor Yan. It was full of formation terminology Mo Hua had never heard before, and Mo Hua learned very slowly.


    Mr. Zhuang also adopted a laissez-faire attitude; whether Mo Hua learned quickly or slowly, well or poorly, he never said much.


    But perhaps because he had eaten too much beef, Mr. Zhuang also felt uneasy, so he asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°What kind of Formation Master do you wish to become?¡±


    Mo Hua wanted to say a First Rank Formation Master, but this goal might seem too trivial in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes, and he also had no idea what kinds of Formation Masters there were, so he simply answered:


    ¡°Disciple doesn¡¯t know what kind of Formation Master he can become.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment then said, ¡°Your Spiritual Root is not considered top-notch, and even with no lack of Spirit Stones and Cultivation Techniques, reaching the Golden Core Stage would not be easy. The realm determines the limit of a Formation Master, and without enough cultivation realm, no matter how high the aptitude, one cannot touch upon more profound formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, regarding aptitude, yours is actually quite good. It¡¯s a pity, though, that you started too late and lack a foundational understanding of various formation theories. Offspring of Noble Clans are immersed in this knowledge from a young age, some having a deep familiarity with profound formation knowledge early on. You lack this kind of deep-seated understanding, and even if you start learning from the beginning now, you¡¯ll be much slower.¡±


    ¡°When I taught disciples before, I always started with formation theory, making them memorize the myriad of formation schools and theories of the Tao Cultivation World, to establish a foundation. That way, in the future, they would find it easier to integrate and comprehend, advancing further on the path of formations.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his expression tinged with a hint of regret, but he still spoke frankly, ¡°But you might not be able to go far at all. A Third Grade Formation Master might already be your limit, so teaching you the way I did before would just be wasting time and wouldn¡¯t benefit you.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression dimmed, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    But upon reflection, not to mention a Third Grade Formation Master, even becoming a Second Rank Formation Master would be enough to make him secretly delighted. After all, even in the entire Tongxian City, First Rank Formation Masters are few and far between.


    He himself was nearly carried away by Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expectations¡­


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua earnestly said, ¡°Everything under heaven follows its own destiny. Disciple just needs to wholeheartedly study formation theory. Whatever level he can achieve is what it will be. Worrying too much about gains and losses will only lead to losing one¡¯s true purpose. Please do not hesitate to teach me, Gentleman.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked surprised, gazing at Mo Hua silently for a moment, then smiled faintly and said:


    ¡°You are right. While humans make plans, success or failure is determined by heaven, and one cannot waver in their heart because of fear of gains and losses. Since that is the case, tomorrow I will try a different teaching method.¡±

 Chapter 45 - 45: Surprise_1

    Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Surprise_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The next day, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teaching method changed. He only taught Formation theory suitable for those within the Qi Refinement Realm and combined it with various Formations, allowing Mo Hua to learn in an orderly and progressive manner.


    This method was much like Instructor Yan¡¯s approach, but considering Mr. Zhuang¡¯s likely much higher level, he presented a grander scope, more comprehensive details, and clearer connections.


    Mo Hua also felt a pang of regret for Instructor Yan, who might have been more than just an ordinary instructor if not for his limited cultivation level. At least in the legacy and pedagogical philosophy of Formations, Instructor Yan and the highly accomplished Mr. Zhuang had something in common.


    The abstruse Formation theories that Mr. Zhuang previously taught had given Mo Hua a headache.


    Some theories were new to Mo Hua, so he was completely clueless and could only memorize them by rote, but even with a good memory, he couldn¡¯t retain these abstract concepts. More often than not, after memorizing the latter, he would forget the former, and when he revisited the former, he would forget the latter, resulting in slow learning.


    These challenging concepts for Mo Hua were considered foundational by the Noble Clans, which explained why such Great Clans could remain unshaken in the Tao Cultivation World for tens of thousands of years.


    There was too great a disparity in heritage and legacy between ordinary Loose Cultivators and Noble Clans, leading to an almost complete lack of Formation Masters among the former.


    Mo Hua sighed. There was no point in comparing himself to others; he could only do his best to improve. He admonished himself and then calmed his mind to study Formations in the way Mr. Zhuang recommended.


    Now starting from the Qi Refinement Realm, with an emphasis on Drawing Formation and supplementary Formation Theory, Mo Hua was learning much faster.


    Because Mo Hua had been drawing a large number of Formations day and night, on the Taoist Stele by night and on paper by day, even occasionally using a grass stick to draw on the ground when idle.


    When it came to the volume of practice in Formation alone, some late-stage Qi Refinement Formation Masters might not have practiced as much as Mo Hua did.


    Therefore, after Mr. Zhuang changed the teaching method, Mo Hua learned much faster. When he finished the theoretical part and began to draw Formations by hand, his progress accelerated even more.


    Mr. Zhuang had Mo Hua relearn several five-line Formation Patterns, including some Five Elements based Formations he hadn¡¯t seen before. Old Kui even prepared all the Formation Diagrams and ink for Mo Hua. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua studied eagerly and persisted in his drawing.


    In the daytime, he drew Formations at Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tranquil abode, and at night in his dreams, he continued to practice on the Taoist Steles in his Sea of Consciousness. The five-pattern Formations were not too difficult for Mo Hua; generally, after a few days of practice, he could master one.


    Then came the six-pattern Water Controlling Formation. Previously, Mo Hua¡¯s limited Divine Sense had prevented him from drawing a complete Formation, but now, after more than half a month of daily practice and increased Divine Sense, he could, albeit with some difficulty, complete the Formation encompassing six patterns.


    After completing the Water Controlling Formation, Mr. Zhuang taught several new Formations such as the Thousand Jun Formation, the Quicksand Formation, and the Little Cloud Rain Formation. With the support of his Divine Sense and continuous daily practice, Mo Hua mastered them all in half a month.


    Mr. Zhuang was quite satisfied, both with Mo Hua¡¯s progress and his temperament.


    Not every child of Mo Hua¡¯s age had the discipline to sit down and study Formations every day.


    In private, however, Mr. Zhuang still felt a tinge of regret and said to Old Kui,


    ¡°The child Mo Hua has better comprehension than I previously thought. It¡¯s a pity he comes from a Loose Cultivator background and lacks Formation legacy. His foundations are much weaker; otherwise, he might not be much inferior to those favored sons of Great Clans¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so good about the favored sons?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang fell silent for a moment.


    Old Kui watched him quietly, his voice calm and indifferent, yet it carried an indescribable mockery, ¡°Weren¡¯t you one of the favored sons back in the day? And the disciples you took on before, weren¡¯t they all favored sons? What became of them? How down and out have you become today, or do I need to spell it out for you¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed and said unhappily, ¡°If I die young, it will surely be because you irritated me to death!¡±


    Old Kui remained unmoved, ¡°Life and death are predestined. Saying such things shows that you have yet to understand the first thing about the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang simply lay down on the recliner, speaking with profound meaning, ¡°Heaven and Earth are heartless, treating all beings as straw dogs. If one truly understood the Heavenly Dao, would they still be considered human?¡±


    Old Kui continued to play chess by himself, sitting still like a withered tree.


    Mr. Zhuang taught many Formations that contained six patterns, because six-pattern Formations were fairly complete and involved many fundamental Formation seeds, thus necessitating substantial study and insight.


    Once Mo Hua had mastered the six-pattern Formations, as Mr. Zhuang prepared to teach the seven-pattern Formations, he discovered something surprising: Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was growing a bit too fast.When Mr. Zhuang first saw Mo Hua, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was insufficient to draw six Formation Patterns, yet a month had passed, and not only could Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense sustain him in completing an entire Formation containing six Formation Patterns, but he could now also draw six and a half Formation Patterns of those in a seven-patterned Formation.


    In the span of a month, Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Power had made scant progress, but his Divine Sense grew rapidly.


    Mr. Zhuang slightly furrowed his brow, feeling that something was amiss.


    One day, as Mo Hua was learning a Formation that contained seven Formation Patterns, Mr. Zhuang suddenly asked, ¡°Mo Hua, are you familiar with the visualization law?¡±


    Mo Hua looked puzzled and said, ¡°Disciple has never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so,¡± Mr. Zhuang tapped his fingers on the desk, lost in thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°Then have you ever seen some strange images or patterns that, upon a single glance, ensnare the Divine Sense, causing one to immerse involuntarily?¡±


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua shook his head.


    The strangest thing he had ever seen was the Taoist Stele in his mind, but there were no patterns or conspicuous lines on that stele, and looking at it for a long time didn¡¯t cause one to immerse in it.


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Your Divine Sense is growing faster than others; you must have realized this.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and replied, ¡°Disciple draws Formations during the day, and at night, I dream of practicing them. Plus, drawing Formations in dreams doesn¡¯t consume Divine Sense. Thus, night and day, my Divine Sense gradually strengthens.¡±


    He didn¡¯t mention the Taoist Stele, but everything else was true.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t quite sure whether the enhancement of his Divine Sense was due to the Taoist Stele or simply because he was continuously Drawing Formations.


    So Mo Hua asked, ¡°Gentleman, is it true that as long as one keeps drawing Formations, one¡¯s Divine Sense can be strengthened?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was left speechless.


    Drawing Formations continuously consumes Divine Sense, and it also constantly tempers the Sea of Consciousness. Over time, naturally, the Divine Sense will also be strengthened.


    But according to the usual practices of the Tao Cultivation World, one should first seek to improve Divine Sense and then learn Formations.


    Because relying on Drawing Formations to enhance Divine Sense is an exceedingly slow process, and it risks exhausting the Divine Sense and damaging the Sea of Consciousness, leading to irreparable consequences.


    Therefore, few Cultivators think of enhancing Divine Sense through Drawing Formations¡ªthis most unsophisticated and slowest method, which also carries great risks.


    Mr. Zhuang felt that there was more to it than that and looked at Mo Hua with a touch of perplexity. However, when he caught Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, he discovered an unusual earnestness and candor in Mo Hua¡¯s clear eyes.


    Mr. Zhuang had taught many disciples, seen respect in their eyes, fear, and also calculating thoughts, but he had never seen such honest eyes. He chuckled and said, ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°Do you know of the Meditation Technique?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked again.


    Mo Hua still shook his head.


    ¡°Meditation Technique can help a Cultivator, through meditation, to enter a state of Mental Concentration in a short time, and thus, recover Divine Sense more quickly. Normally, this is not something a Cultivator of your Cultivation should learn. However, you are a bit special, and you can start learning it now.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand where the ¡®special¡¯ part was to which Mr. Zhuang referred, but he was happy to learn something new, replying, ¡°Thank you, Gentleman.¡±


    ¡°But remember one thing,¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression grew serious, ¡°If someone asks you why your Divine Sense is growing quickly, you must say it is because of the Meditation Technique I taught you, and there is no need to say more than that.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit confused, but he sensed that Mr. Zhuang meant well and silently committed his words to heart.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, pulled out a thin booklet from his sleeve, on which were written three characters:


    ¡°Meditation Technique¡±.

 Chapter 46 - 46 Meditation_1

    Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Meditation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The content of the booklet was very simple, just a few Contemplation Maps for Mental Concentration and breath regulation, and a few pages of notes on mental methods, introducing how to regulate the breath, halt the breath, and enter into Mental Concentration, and how to cast aside distractions to enter the state of meditation where both the self and the external world are forgotten.


    After Mo Hua glanced over the few maps and the booklet of a few lines of text, he hesitated to speak.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s very simple?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then asked, ¡°Gentleman, is this just a basic Meditation Method?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mr. Zhuang denied, ¡°All the insights and Cultivation methods of the Meditation Method are contained within this small booklet.¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s confusion, Mr. Zhuang further explained:


    ¡°The Meditation Method is simple when you say it¡¯s simple, and yet it¡¯s extremely difficult when considered difficult. Simplicity lies in the fact that all the key points of this spell point are evident at a glance in this map and these few pages of insights. The difficulty lies in the elusive nature of human thoughts. It¡¯s not about entering into Mental Concentration or forgetting both self and the world whenever you wish to do so.¡±


    Thoughtful, Mo Hua listened as Mr. Zhuang continued to explain:


    ¡°Take for example, the myriad worldly desires. Many can verbally claim detachment from them, but how many can truly let go in their hearts? Some principles seem simple; those who understand can grasp them immediately, while those who don¡¯t can spend a lifetime in confusion. Often, those who are confused still believe they understand.¡±


    ¡°The same applies to this Meditation Method. If you can truly enter into Mental Concentration and cast away distractions, naturally you will learn quickly. However, if your mind is burdened with heavy thoughts and encircled by distractions, no matter how you learn, you will not be able to grasp it.¡±


    Suddenly enlightened, Mo Hua frowned and said, ¡°So, if I can¡¯t cast off distractions, does that mean I won¡¯t be able to learn it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not as difficult as you think. I have used this Meditation Method for many years and have distilled the simplest essence of entering into Mental Concentration down to just one sentence¡­¡±


    ¡°Let the heart follow nature, without deceiving oneself.¡±


    ¡°Let the heart follow nature, without deceiving oneself¡­¡± Mo Hua repeated to himself quietly.


    ¡°All things in the world are what they are; this includes your own thoughts, whether they are restless or calm, savage or dejected, honest or despicable, accept them all frankly without self-deception.¡±


    ¡°If you manage these two things, the heart can be as still as water and as clear as a mirror, and you will be able to enter into Mental Concentration to some extent.¡±


    Having gleaned some insight, Mo Hua began to flip through the ¡°Meditation Method.¡± After a while, his curiosity piqued and he asked:


    ¡°Gentleman, does the Meditation Method have any special use when mastered to a higher level?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, the Meditation Method from beginning to end merely enables you to enter into Mental Concentration and restore your Divine Sense. Even when mastered to a high level, it merely allows for faster access to Mental Concentration and rejuvenation of Divine Sense. Furthermore, the longer you practice it, it¡¯s not necessarily the case that you will get better at it.¡±


    Stunned, Mo Hua said, ¡°Does it even get worse with more practice?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a profound gaze, ¡°You are still a child now, with simple thoughts and senses, not cluttered with many distractions. Perhaps you can enter into Mental Concentration quickly. But when you grow up and have seen more of the world¡¯s myriad things and are beset by many distractions and worldly desires, entering into Mental Concentration will not be so simple.¡±


    Mo Hua had a sudden realization.


    Then he thought that his own experiences weren¡¯t exactly limited, after all, as he had memories of another lifetime.


    But upon reflection, he considered that in his other life he was in his twenties, and didn¡¯t really have much experience. And in this life, he had only ten years to his name. Combined, his age across both lives was still far less than Mr. Zhuang¡¯s, and his experiences and insights couldn¡¯t compare. To be called a ¡°child¡± wasn¡¯t incorrect.


    Curious again, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Then, Gentleman, how does your Meditation Method now compare to the past?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang reflected for a moment and said, ¡°I was about ten or so when I memorized various theories of Formation, and I had almost mastered the Formations within one grade. I then began to learn the Meditation Method. I learned quickly at the beginning, and then as a youth, my learning improved as I practiced. Often, after completing a Drawing Formation, a single session of meditation as long as it took to drink a cup of tea was enough to replenish my spiritual energy.¡±


    ¡°When I was young and impetuous, my mind was unsettled, so my progress in the Meditation Method stagnated. Later, faced with life¡¯s vicissitudes and a tumultuous heart, I seldom calmed my mind, and my proficiency in the Meditation Method even regressed instead of advancing.¡±


    ¡°Now, as I¡¯ve become indifferent to many things, I no longer have a need for this Meditation Method¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was somewhat moved, and when he regained his composure, he realized he had unwittingly said too much. Seeing Mo Hua still eagerly listening to the story, he tapped on Mo Hua¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°Learn well.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua then gathered his thoughts, quieted his mind, and slowly started to study the Meditation Method.


    The key points of the Meditation Method lie in casting aside stray thoughts, a mind clear and unobstructed, entering a state of self-forgetfulness.


    Following the methods in the ¡°Meditation Method,¡± Mo Hua calmly meditated, considering nothing, and gradually entered a state of Mental Concentration.


    After entering the state of Mental Concentration, he indeed felt a sense of relaxation throughout his body, as if he had shed the physical constraints, his mind suddenly open and expansive. The Divine Sense that had been expended while Drawing Formation was slowly retracing, restoring at a speed significantly faster than before.


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s state of Mental Concentration was very shallow, and less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, his thoughts drifted slightly, and he exited the state of Mental Concentration.


    Mr. Zhuang, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes upon noticing this and said: sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°For a first attempt, to reach this level of concentration is quite good. Once you master it in the future, after Drawing Formation, you only need to meditate and enter concentration, and the results will naturally be much more effective.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Gentleman!¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed. Before, he could only practice Formation in the stele within his Sea of Consciousness. His progress in practicing during the day was slow. Now that he had learned to meditate, his Divine Sense could recover quickly. Even though his foundation couldn¡¯t compare to those Disciples of the Worldly Family, with diligence he could compensate for his lack of talent, and in the future, he might not necessarily be that much worse than others.


    With a change of thought, Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Gentleman, I now understand the Meditation Method, but what about the visualization law you mentioned before?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang lay leisurely on the bamboo chair and said, ¡°Take a guess, what is the visualization law used for?¡±


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua said, ¡°The Meditation Method is used to recover Divine Sense, so is the visualization law used to enhance Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded. ¡°The Cultivation World does not have Cultivation Techniques for cultivating Divine Sense, so the great Cultivators of ancient times invented the visualization law, using it to strengthen Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°Is the visualization law different from Cultivation Technique?¡±


    ¡°The visualization law is a simplified, unstable method that can increase Divine Sense, but it is not a Cultivation Technique for cultivating Divine Sense,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    ¡°Spiritual Power can be observed and known, can drive Spiritual Artifacts, can be used in Taoist Skills, and has channels to follow; but Divine Sense is different. There are no channels in a person¡¯s Sea of Consciousness to explore the trajectory of Divine Sense operation. Therefore, there is no stable method that can cultivate Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°The only way to quickly enhance Divine Sense is through Observation. Observing patterns, characters, or ancient objects that contain the principles of Heavenly Dao or powerful Divine Sense to a certain degree allows for assimilation and a gradual increase in Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°However, this form of visualization varies from person to person, as different individuals achieve different effects. Even among those Noble Clans, the Contemplation Maps available for practice are extremely rare, so they are not widely disseminated in the Tao Cultivation World. Unlike Cultivation Techniques, they cannot be promoted as a stable method of cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Visualization law¡­¡± murmured Mo Hua.


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment, his expression becoming somewhat serious as he said:


    ¡°Although the visualization law can enhance Divine Sense, you¡¯d better not use it, and even if you do, read more and be careful not to rely on it completely.¡±


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°Is it because my talent isn¡¯t enough, so I would suffer backlash?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°It has nothing to do with talent. The Contemplation Map reflects someone else¡¯s Divine Sense and their understanding of the Heavenly Dao. In other words, what is visualized is someone else¡¯s ¡®Tao,¡¯ or perhaps, the ¡®Tao¡¯ of some Non-Human. Once Divine Sense is immersed in it, it can often lead to extremely terrifying consequences.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled.


    Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, ¡°These matters are still too early for you to worry about. You just need to focus on learning Formation. As for things like Contemplation Maps, you may not even encounter them in the future.¡±


    After these words, Mr. Zhuang had Mo Hua practice the Meditation Method a few more times until the sky gradually darkened, then let Mo Hua leave.

 Chapter 47 - 47 Origins_1

    Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Origins_1


    Translator: 549690339


    A few days later, Mo Hua became quite proficient in the Meditation Method. After entering Mental Concentration, his Divine Sense recovered twice as fast as before, and whereas previously after completing a Formation Painting, he needed to rest for an hour, he now only required the time it took to drink two or three cups of tea to recover.


    However, continuing to comprehend the Meditation Method, he barely felt any improvement.


    This was probably what Mr. Zhuang meant when he said that entering Mental Concentration required a certain disposition, and without any significant changes in disposition over a period of time, the effects of meditation would not increase. The effects would only gradually improve after persisting year after year.


    This kind of effort was like grinding water, not something one could be anxious for in a short amount of time.


    Thanks to the Meditation Method, Mo Hua was able to paint more Formations daily, and the speed of his Divine Sense growth also increased.


    For nearly a month following that, Mo Hua spent most of his time learning Formations from Mr. Zhuang.


    Sometimes, when Mr. Zhuang felt lazy, he would give Mo Hua a few days off.


    Mo Hua took the opportunity to visit the Fated Gathering, where he found Manager Mo and told him that he would be following his mentor to study Formations and would no longer have the time to help Fated Gathering with Formation Painting.


    Manager Mo was not surprised and merely glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°Weren¡¯t the Formations painted by your elder brother?¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head and chuckled.


    Sighing, Manager Mo looked at Mo Hua and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a child with as much talent as you. No matter what, study hard.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Manager Mo!¡±


    Manager Mo paused for a bit, seeming a bit embarrassed, but still whispered,


    ¡°Later, if ever, cough¡­ I mean, if ever there¡¯s something I need to ask of you, if it¡¯s convenient for you, you¡¯ll have to help me, okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Manager, given our relationship, these are easy to handle,¡± Mo Hua patted his chest confidently.


    Manager Mo laughed, saying ¡°You don¡¯t lack confidence,¡± but his expression was clearly much happier. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then asked, ¡°Do you know where Instructor Yan has gone, Manager Mo?¡±


    Manager Mo fell silent before he sighed, ¡°It¡¯s his private affair, related to the Sect, and it¡¯s not appropriate for me to tell you. When you¡¯re older and still want to know, I¡¯ll tell you then.¡±


    Mo Hua silently nodded his head.


    After Da¡¯hu and his two friends left the Sect, they had more time on their hands.


    When they had nothing to do, they would come and play with Mo Hua. Sometimes, when the eatery was too busy, they would help out and then enjoy a bowl of hot beef noodles. Liu Ruhua would also let them take some other food home.


    Occasionally, when Mo Shan was home, he would give them some pointers in Martial Dao.


    The Dao of Cultivators is divided into Spells and Martial Arts.


    Spiritual Cultivators practice Spells, while Body Cultivators practice Martial Arts.


    Martial Dao uses Spiritual Power to activate the potential of the physical body, causing it to burst forth with great strength, as well as the attributes inherent to the Spiritual Power itself, engaging in close combat with the enemy.


    For instance, Mo Shan¡¯s favored boxing method, Fiery Flaming Fist, was incredibly powerful with its swift and forceful punches, which were wrapped in red Fire Elemental Spiritual Power.


    Following Mo Shan¡¯s Body Refinement, Da¡¯hu and the others practiced their punches vigorously, making Mo Hua look on with envy.


    Unfortunately, Mo Hua had no talent for Body Refinement, and he could not learn any of these Martial Dao techniques. Even if he wanted to learn some offensive skills in the future, he would likely have to follow the path of a Spiritual Cultivator, learning some Spells.


    Spells are condensed by controlling Spiritual Power with Divine Sense for long-range attacks, without the need for close combat.


    Da¡¯hu and his friends were very serious about their learning; all of them were almost at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, and once they reached the sixth level, they would enter Big Black Mountain and become Monster Hunters.


    Big Black Mountain was treacherous, and the monster beasts were ferocious; if one¡¯s skills were not refined enough, venturing into the mountain for monster hunting could mean a slim chance of survival. Thus, they dared not slack off in the slightest.


    The business at Fated Gathering was better with each passing day. With time and good reputation, even some of the more affluent cultivators from the northern part of Big Street would make a point of traveling from north to south, through the entire Immortal City, just for a plate of beef and a pot of fermented rice wine.


    Within all of Immortal City, this was the only place where one could enjoy meat for just two spirit stones.


    And within the entire Big Black Mountain State boundary, this was the only eatery where one could taste such delicious monster beast beef.


    With the business flourishing, Liu Ruhua was too busy to manage alone, so she hired two aunties to help. Both women came from impoverished families with husbands who had been disabled from monster hunting and were unable to make a living.


    Lower echelon cultivators were diligent workers. The two aunties and Jiang Yun managed the eatery in an orderly manner.


    Jiang Yun worked diligently at the eatery, and life gradually became more comfortable. Her husband¡¯s health was also improving; he was now able to do some simple physical work, and she was no longer as shy and constrained as before.


    In order to thank Mo Shan¡¯s couple, Jiang Yun spent time making various kinds of pastries as thank-you gifts, supposedly having learned them from her mother.


    Her family used to run a pastry shop when she was younger, but due to a twist of fate, they lost their properties and could no longer keep the shop open, although the culinary skills were passed down to her.


    Jiang Yun¡¯s pastries were made with simple ingredients but were tasty to eat, so Liu Ruhua let her make more for sale at the eatery, allowing her to earn some extra spirit stones to support the household.


    In her free time, Liu Ruhua also learned to make pastries from Jiang Yun; some of the pastries that Mo Hua brought to Old Kui were learned from her.


    Beyond that, Jiang Yun knew how to stir-fry pine nuts.


    There were all kinds of pine trees in the mountains outside Tongxian City, and pine nuts were plentiful but not filling, so no one wanted them.


    When Jiang Yun occasionally went up the mountain to gather wild vegetables, she would bring back some pine nuts. Roasted in a pan, the resulting pine nuts were fragrant and crisp. Placed in the eatery, customers either used them to accompany their drinks or as a snack with tea, and they were quite enjoyable.


    As it turned out, the person who liked the pine nuts the most was actually Old Kui.


    Mo Hua once brought some pastries for Old Kui to eat and also grabbed a handful of pine nuts for him.


    Old Kui was cracking pine nuts while playing a game of Five Elements Chess with Mo Hua. Listening to the crisp sound of the pine nuts being cracked, smelling the unique aroma, Old Kui seemed very relaxed.


    After a short while, the game of chess was not finished, but Old Kui¡¯s pine nuts were all gone.


    Old Kui¡¯s already mediocre chess skill had obviously deteriorated. Despite his expressionless face, Mo Hua could somewhat feel a sense of loss from his countenance.


    As Mo Hua was leaving, he said to Old Kui, ¡°Grandpa Gui, I¡¯ll bring you some more pine nuts next time I come.¡±


    Old Kui nodded in agreement.


    As Mo Hua was leaving, the typically reticent Old Kui also cautioned, ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±


    It was uncertain whether he was worried about Mo Hua or the pine nuts.


    Afterward, Mo Hua¡¯s life gradually stabilized like this.


    Among the thousands of lights in Immortal City, with all the joys and sorrows, sweetness and bitterness mingled, the cultivators all strove to live on. Mo Hua was also one of these lights, diligently practicing cultivation and drawing formation diagrams.


    Time went by like this for more than a month.


    Mo Hua continued to learn formation arrays from Mr. Zhuang as usual, studying formation diagrams daily, practicing drawing formations, and restoring divine sense through meditation, his days as calm as still water, without a ripple.


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense and the foundation of his formation skills were gradually becoming solid. His understanding of the principles of formations deepened. He could grasp the formations within the six formation patterns after studying them several times and practicing a few more.


    On this bright and sunny morning, with a crisp mountain breeze, Mo Hua, like always, went to Mr. Zhuang to study formations, but at the door, he encountered several unfamiliar cultivators whom he had never seen before.

 Chapter 48 - 48 Guest_1

    Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Guest_1


    Translator: 549690339


    At the foot of the mountain path leading to Forgetful Residence, stood three Cultivators.


    Among the three Cultivators, two children stood in the front, followed by a veiled woman behind them.


    The two children, a boy, and a girl, seemed slightly older than Mo Hua, dressed in bright and luxurious clothes that suggested high status. At this moment, they were respectfully standing on the steps in front of the gate, bowing towards the mountain.


    The boy was handsome, with eyes that sparkled brightly.


    The girl was exceedingly beautiful, her complexion even whiter and clearer than snow under the sunlight.


    From a distance, the two looked like a Golden Boy and Jade Girl serving beneath an Immortal.


    Behind the two children stood a tall woman with a veil, whose face was unclear. She seemed like a housekeeper or a guard from a Clan, with no sign of Spiritual Power fluctuations around her; however, she exuded an oppressive feeling that Mo Hua had never sensed before.


    ¡°They look like they are disciples from Noble Clans, here to seek Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teaching¡­¡±


    Mo Hua speculated in secret, but such matters were obviously for Mr. Zhuang to decide, and they were of no concern to him.


    Mo Hua only needed to learn Formation well from Mr. Zhuang, after all, he was merely a registered Disciple, and he did not know how long Mr. Zhuang would teach him.


    Mo Hua headed up the mountain on his own, and the three people at the door naturally noticed him as well. Seeing that Mo Hua was plainly dressed and possessed low Spiritual Power, they only gave him a brief glance and didn¡¯t pay much attention.


    That is until Mo Hua walked past them and stepped onto the distant mountain path, reaching the courtyard hidden in the mist.


    Then, with a small push of his hand, he opened the bamboo door that the three had waited all night to enter and that had not been opened for several hours, entering as if into his own home¡­


    A complex expression began to show on the faces of the three people.


    The two children couldn¡¯t help but glance at the woman behind them, who shook her head in secret, signaling them to be patient. Only then did the children calm their minds and continue to wait with respect.


    Once Mo Hua entered the courtyard, he set down the bamboo basket he was carrying, took out a dish of sauce-coated meat, and several plates of snacks, and arranged them on the small table in the courtyard. This way, Mr. Zhuang could enjoy wine or tea overlooking the scenery when he woke.


    Mo Hua sneaked a peek into the inner room, and sure enough, the Gentleman was still enjoying his lazy sleep.


    Mo Hua then took two boxes of fried pine nuts to Old Kui, who got up early and was currently playing Five Elements Chess alone, his face showing no emotion as if he were either amused or bored.


    After placing the pine nuts aside, Old Kui tried one and his expression slightly changed, ¡°The taste is different.¡±


    ¡°There are two different flavors, one fried with a fragrant licorice and the other with a spicy spice, my mother said to let you try them, to switch up the flavors,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Old Kui tasted one from each box, nodded, and said, ¡°You study Formation now. Come play chess with me when you are tired.¡±


    Mo Hua ran into the study to find the Formation Books he had not finished yet, and then went to the big locust tree in the courtyard, sitting on a small wooden stump, leaning over the small stone table, studying Formation.


    This table and stump were specially made by Old Kui for Mo Hua, then placed in Mo¡¯s favorite spot, with heights that were just right.


    Mr. Zhuang was indolent, not making too many demands on Mo Hua, but Mo knew that an opportunity like this was rare and it was unlikely that he¡¯d get guidance on Formation from such an expert as Mr. Zhuang in the future.


    Therefore, Mo Hua studied very diligently.


    For a Loose Cultivator like Mo Hua, even just being a registered Disciple was already a significant opportunity.


    Mo Hua was full of gratitude and never slacked off.


    Studying Formation Books and Drawing Formation both consumed Divine Sense, and when Mo Hua had exhausted his Divine Sense, he used Meditation Techniques to recover before continuing to read and Drawing Formation. After depleting his Divine Sense again, he would meditate to recover once more; when it was depleted yet again, he shouldn¡¯t continue to meditate.


    According to Mr. Zhuang, moderation is key; although Mo Hua didn¡¯t feel any problem, he still strictly followed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teachings.


    When his Divine Sense was depleted and he couldn¡¯t read books or draw Formations, Mo Hua would go to play chess with Old Kui.


    Five Elements Chess is simple and easy to understand, and doesn¡¯t require much thought, so it¡¯s relaxing to play.


    After Mo Hua and Old Kui had played a few games of chess, as dusk approached, Mo Hua took his leave from Mr. Zhuang and went back, taking the empty plates and food containers with him.


    As the setting sun dipped below the horizon and twilight caressed the mountains, Mo Hua left Mr. Zhuang¡¯s courtyard and noticed the three people he had seen in the morning were still standing outside the gate, their demeanor still respectful but showing signs of weariness.


    Even for a cultivator, standing all day without food or drink would be somewhat uncomfortable, especially for the two children who weren¡¯t much older than Mo Hua.


    However, Mo Hua had no desire to meddle.


    If they had been standing outside the gate all day, Mr. Zhuang must have been aware, and the present situation clearly indicated that Mr. Zhuang had no wish to meet them.


    Whether to meet them or not was for Mr. Zhuang to decide, not for him to worry about needlessly.


    So Mo Hua simply gave the three a perfunctory bow as a gesture, and then without a word, took his basket and walked down the mountain.


    When he went up the mountain the next day, Mo Hua found that the three people were still standing outside the gate.


    In the mountains, the days were scorching, but at night it became cool and dew-laden.


    After standing for a day and a night, the veiled woman was still alright, as her profound cultivation was enough to withstand the cold and heat. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two children, on the other hand, looked rather haggard. The boy¡¯s expression was exhausted, clearly forcing himself to endure, his eyes filled with obstinacy.


    The girl¡¯s face had turned even paler, resembling dew-laden pear blossoms, yet her clear eyes also revealed determination.


    Mo Hua stole another glance and couldn¡¯t help but marvel, ¡°Beautiful people really do look good at all times.¡±


    Yet Mo Hua¡¯s heart remained undisturbed.


    In this world, the more beautiful a woman is, the less she has to do with you.


    Mo Hua, just like the day before, pushed open the bamboo gate as if nothing were amiss, passing the three people with their complex gaze of slight resentment, carrying his basket into Mr. Zhuang¡¯s courtyard.


    Mo Hua thought that in at most three or four days, the three people would leave, but they continued to wait at the door for seven days, their faces as white as paper and still without any sign of backing down. Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but admire their persistence.


    Especially considering that when he himself had come to see Mr. Zhuang, he hadn¡¯t been obstructed, yet these three had stood without food or drink for seven days and had not even passed through the gate, which made him feel slightly ashamed.


    The next day, Mo Hua prepared a few questions about Formation, specifically to ask Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor was as usual, patiently answering questions, but occasionally he would look outside the door, his expression inscrutable, as if lost in thought.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Gentleman, do you not want to see the people outside the gate?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang came back to his senses, not intending to say much, but looking at Mo Hua, he said:


    ¡°After old acquaintances, there is a tangle of karma I do not wish to be involved in, thus it is better not to meet.¡±


    ¡°Then I will tell them to leave,¡± Mo Hua offered.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression flickered, ¡°They have stood for seven days; if they were able to leave, they would have done so by now. After all this, will they listen to you?¡±


    ¡°How would we know without trying?¡± Mo Hua smiled, ¡°They¡¯ve stood outside for seven days, disturbing your peace, and you¡¯re not even sleeping well because of them.¡±


    Before, you often slept in until the afternoon, now you¡¯re getting up at noon¡­


    Mr. Zhuang, amused, said, ¡°Alright, go, try and make them leave, do not disturb the tranquility of these mountains any longer.¡±

 Chapter 49 - 49 Evening Glow_1

    Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Evening Glow_1


    Translator: 549690339


    At twilight, Mo Hua first returned home and had his mother cook some food: two bowls of hot noodles, some soy-braised beef, refreshing pickles, a few plates of snacks, and several pots of osmanthus-flavored wine.


    He then packed the food into a food box, stowed it in his storage bag, and took it up the mountain.


    Midway up the mountain, there stood a man, a woman¡ªtwo children¡ªand the veiled woman, all standing as straight as before.


    Mo Hua, carrying his storage bag, approached them and got straight to the point.


    ¡°You¡¯ve disturbed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s peace,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s best you go back. Mr. Zhuang does not wish to see you.¡±


    Upon hearing this, both children appeared somewhat disheartened, while the veiled woman spoke up.


    ¡°Please pass on a message. Just say that an old acquaintance has come to visit, with urgent matters to discuss, and we must have an audience with Mr. Zhuang,¡± she said.


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang is aware of your reasons for coming and has chosen not to see you. No matter how much longer you wait, it will be in vain,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    The boy, with a resolute expression, said, ¡°As long as I can meet Mr. Zhuang, I¡¯ll wait however long it takes.¡±


    The girl on the side didn¡¯t say anything, but her eyes showed no sign of backing down either.


    ¡°If Mr. Zhuang keeps refusing to meet with you, will you really continue to wait? For ten years, a hundred years?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    The boy, with his neck stiffened, remained silent.


    He seemed quite handsome and intelligent, just a bit too stubborn. Mo Hua inwardly sneered at the boy¡¯s obstinacy.


    ¡°Then what will you eat?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I have Fasting Pills,¡± the boy replied.


    ¡°Consuming too many Fasting Pills can harm your body,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Fasting Pills are one of the elixirs concocted by alchemists, combining everyday food ingredients with preservative agents. They are transformed into pills that are easy to carry, can relieve hunger, and replenish Blood Qi. They are an essential type of pill for cultivators who travel long distances or engage in extended periods of secluded cultivation. However, consuming them for extended periods can be harmful to a cultivator¡¯s Blood Qi.


    Of course, another reason why Loose Cultivators don¡¯t eat Fasting Pills is that they are not cheap. Using them to stave off hunger is not cost-effective.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± the boy snorted, ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡±


    Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but stealthily glance at the veiled woman.


    ¡°We appreciate your kindness, young friend, but we must meet Mr. Zhuang on this trip, and we will not leave until we do,¡± said the woman behind the veil.


    ¡°Staying here to meet Mr. Zhuang is your desire, but no matter how long you wait, you won¡¯t see him. Knowing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s nature, the longer you wait, the more he will want to avoid you,¡± Mo Hua said.


    The veiled woman hesitated for a moment. She had never seen Mr. Zhuang but was somewhat aware of his ways, knowing that what the young boy said was likely true.


    If Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t want to see them, they could turn to bones waiting and still never meet him.


    Seeing her waver, Mo Hua continued, ¡°For those in Tao Cultivation, everything is about fate. If Mr. Zhuang does not want to meet you, it¡¯s because the right moment has not come. If the moment has not come, no matter how staunchly you wait, it will be contrary to your wishes.¡±


    The woman couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Then when will we have the fate to meet the gentleman?¡±


    ¡°That depends on Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mood,¡± Mo Hua answered. ¡°You should choose a day when the weather is fine to visit him. There¡¯s no need to wait long; just perform a proper greeting at the entrance. If the door opens, it means Mr. Zhuang is willing to see you. But if the door remains firmly closed, then the destined moment has not arrived, and Mr. Zhuang does not wish to see you. You may then leave at your discretion.¡±


    The woman was still hesitant. ¡°The lady instructed us to ensure that the young master and young miss meet Mr. Zhuang. If we leave now¡­¡±


    ¡°What point is there in waiting for ten or eight years, neglecting cultivation, with no sleep or rest, ruining your Blood Qi? Even if you eventually meet Mr. Zhuang and take him as your master, if your foundation is damaged and you cannot glimpse the Great Dao, what would be the meaning of it all?¡± Mo Hua retorted.


    The woman nodded and then frowned, ¡°We never said we wanted to take Mr. Zhuang as our master. How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve come to visit the gentleman with two children of enlightenment age; if not to seek mentorship, what else could it be for?¡± Mo Hua thought to himself.


    If it was just a simple visit to an old friend, they wouldn¡¯t have stayed put for seven days without leaving.


    Still, outwardly, Mo Hua maintained an unconcerned demeanor as he continued, ¡°As I said before, everything is within Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expectations. You should return, and when Mr. Zhuang is ready to see you, he will naturally do so.¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After finishing, Mo Hua felt the timing was about right and opened the food box, letting the aroma waft out.


    ¡°Would you like something to eat?¡± he offered.


    The girl was managing fine, but the boy immediately looked unsteady, pretending to be composed but unable to stop glancing into the food box.


    The taste of Fasting Pills was not pleasant, and consuming them excessively could lead to discomfort, not to mention that they could not compare to the wine, meat, and snacks in Mo Hua¡¯s food box in terms of flavor and aroma.


    Seeing that the young master and young miss were paler than paper, with lips devoid of color, the veiled woman¡¯s heart softened. She remembered how the two children had been raised in comfort and never experienced such hunger and haggardness. She couldn¡¯t bear to see them suffer like this.


    Having watched the children grow up, she knew that even if they failed to become disciples of Mr. Zhuang and disobeyed the lady¡¯s orders, she was willing to accept punishment from the lady herself rather than let the young master and young miss endure hardship.


    Moreover, the young boy was right¡ªif they continued eating Fasting Pills daily without rest and let the mountain¡¯s varying temperatures damage their foundational health, affecting their future cultivation, it would be irreparable.


    ¡°Then I thank the young friend.¡± said the lady to Mo Hua, before turning to the two children and saying,


    ¡°Young master and miss, you should eat something first. Since Mr. Zhuang is unwilling to see us, it must not be the right time. We will choose another day to pay a visit.¡±


    The two children also thanked Mo Hua.


    They then took out noodles and various snacks from the food box and began to eat. Despite their hunger, they ate in a dignified manner, utensil by morsel, clearly well-mannered children from noble clans.


    The boy tasted a piece of spicy beef, and at first, it had a bit of an odd taste, but as he chewed, the flavor spread, and he couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What kind of meat is this?¡±


    ¡°Monster Beast meat.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Monster Beast meat can be eaten?!¡±


    Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you eating it now¡­¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it said that eating Monster Beast meat can spoil your Blood Qi and make you lose your senses?¡±


    ¡°This is from a Wild Cattle Monster; it feeds on plants and will not spoil a cultivator¡¯s Blood Qi. Those Monster Beasts that eat meat and people, their meat should not be eaten.¡±


    Mo Hua had an expression that suggested he was used to such surprises.


    The boy looked at the meat in his hand with a hint of fear but not wishing to be looked down upon by Mo Hua, he ate a few more bites. Then he realized that the more he ate, the tastier it became, and before he knew it, he couldn¡¯t stop¡­


    Meanwhile, the girl eyed the pastries in Mo Hua¡¯s food box, ¡°These pastries¡­¡±


    ¡°My mother made them herself. They¡¯re delicious!¡± Mo Hua said proudly.


    ¡°Your mother¡­ does she make pastries for you to eat?¡±


    ¡°Not only pastries, but a lot of delicious foods.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    A hint of envy appeared in the young girl¡¯s cool eyes before she picked up a pastry from the plate and took a light bite.


    Crispy and pleasantly sweet.


    The little girl lowered her eyelashes, covering her eyes and concealing her thoughts. After a while, she raised her head and looking at Mo Hua, she praised, ¡°It¡¯s very delicious.¡±


    Her voice was clear and melodious, as if the sounds produced by celestial beings playing their heavenly instruments couldn¡¯t be any more exquisite.


    Mo Hua was also very pleased and smiled with his eyes narrowed,


    ¡°Mhm, the food my mother makes is the best!¡±


    After finishing their meal, just before departing, Aunt Xue took out a radiant Jade Pendant and handed it to Mo Hua:


    ¡°This is a Clear Heart Pendant of the finest quality. Wearing it can help one stay focused during cultivation. It¡¯s not very precious, but please accept it as a token of our gratitude.¡±


    Although Aunt Xue said it wasn¡¯t very valuable, the flickering light on it clearly showed it wasn¡¯t ordinary, and for a Loose Cultivator like Mo Hua, it seemed all the more precious.


    Mo Hua was somewhat tempted, but he also knew he shouldn¡¯t accept it.


    They were treating him so courteously solely because of Mr. Zhuang; without that connection, considering the disparity in their status, they probably wouldn¡¯t even speak a word to him.


    Since he was studying formations with Mr. Zhuang, he already owed a debt of gratitude to Mr. Zhuang, and couldn¡¯t exchange Mr. Zhuang¡¯s face for personal benefits.


    Mo Hua politely declined, but Aunt Xue insisted on giving, so Mo Hua said,


    ¡°If you really wish to give something, just provide some money for the meal, five Spirit Stones would suffice.¡±


    Aunt Xue was stunned for a moment, as if she had never heard such a request before. Yet, she still took out a storage bag with forty or fifty Spirit Stones inside.


    Mo Hua only took five and returned the bag to Aunt Xue. Without waiting for Aunt Xue to say anything, he waved his small hand and, slinging his own storage bag, headed down the mountain on his own.


    Aunt Xue watched Mo Hua in a daze, and as he was about to disappear into the distance, the young girl suddenly spoke, her voice clear and melodious,


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    Though the voice was soft, Mo Hua still heard it.


    Mo Hua turned around and smilingly said, ¡°I am called Mo Hua.¡±


    At that moment, the sunset was like a splash of ink, turning the mountain scenery into a painting.


    With the brilliant colors of the sunset, Mo Hua standing amidst the mountains seemed as if he was positioned within a splendid tapestry.


    The name Mo Hua, along with the evening¡¯s colorful clouds, stayed in her Sea of Consciousness.

 Chapter 50 - 50 Siblings_1

    Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Siblings_1


    Translator: 549690339


    After that, the three of them would visit Mr. Zhuang every morning, paying their respects from a distance outside his door, and waiting for the time it took to finish half a cup of tea. If the door still remained tightly closed, they would then head down the mountain.


    Mo Hua actually wanted to tell them, Mr. Zhuang liked to sleep in until the afternoon. You¡¯re visiting at the wrong time.


    However, upon further thought, it seemed that at least for the time being, Mr. Zhuang wasn¡¯t too keen on seeing them.


    They could come early and not see Mr. Zhuang, come late and still not see him. Since they were destined not to meet regardless, the timing of their visits hardly mattered.


    Their morning trips up the mountain allowed them to witness the mountain hues drenched in the glow of dawn, so it wasn¡¯t a complete loss.


    Mo Hua would occasionally bump into them on his way up the mountain. If he had time, he would greet them and engage in casual conversation.


    Although the two were descendants of noble families and looked somewhat haughty, they were quite easy to talk to.


    In his idle chats with them, Mo Hua learned that their surname was Bai. They were both older than Mo Hua, the handsome boy named Bai Zisheng and the girl, delicate as a porcelain doll, named Bai Zixi.


    The two were siblings who had come from afar, ordered by the elders of their family, to pay respects to Mr. Zhuang and learn about formations.


    Bai Zisheng was talkative, Bai Zixi less so.


    The siblings bore some resemblance to each other, but Bai Zixi was clearly more beautiful.


    And her beauty was almost¡­ excessive¡­


    From a distance, Mo Hua thought she was merely dainty and exquisite, but up close, one would find her porcelain features breathtakingly beautiful and flawless, despite her young age.


    Could this really be the face of a human¡­ Mo Hua was astounded.


    Common sayings told of Nuwa molding humans from clay. Clearly, some were made from earth, but others, like Bai Zixi before him, obviously were not.


    When Nuwa created her, she probably used the splendor of the moon and snow, crafting bones of jade and a complexion of ice.


    Mo Hua stole another glance at Bai Zixi and thought silently to himself,


    ¡°They say a beauty can be a source of trouble. Mother Nuwa wasn¡¯t creating a person; she was creating calamity¡­¡±


    The woman with a veil covering her face, following the Bai siblings, was called Aunt Xue, likely dispatched by the family to protect them on their journey.


    Mo Hua was unsure of Aunt Xue¡¯s realm but certain her cultivation was not low, as she exuded a subtle oppressive aura he had never felt from other cultivators.


    The highest realm cultivator Mo Hua had seen before was the old Sect Leader of Tongxian Gate, who was at the Qi Foundation Middle Stage. However, due to the Sect Leader¡¯s amiable nature and diminished spiritual power with age, the oppressive feeling wasn¡¯t as strong as that from Aunt Xue.


    ¡°At least it should be the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Stage¡­¡±


    Mo Hua speculated silently. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator as a bodyguard indicated the siblings¡¯ extraordinary status. The Bai family was probably a distinguished Great Clan outside Li State. As for the specifics of such a Great Clan, Mo Hua very tactfully did not inquire.


    Aristocratic families and clans were far removed from him.


    For a loose cultivator, breaking through to become a Foundation Building Cultivator was exceptionally difficult. And a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage could claim a rather distinguished status in the modest Tongxian City.


    In his lifetime, his cultivation might not even surpass that of someone else¡¯s bodyguard.


    Mo Hua remembered his initial resolve, focused on studying formations, aspiring to become a top-tier Formation Master, so that he could establish a foothold in the Tao Cultivation World one day.


    Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t comment on the siblings¡¯ daily morning visits, seemingly accepting this matter by default, yet he still showed no intention of meeting them.


    Nevertheless, it appeared Mr. Zhuang had also relaxed, and his daily routines normalized.


    He still rose in the afternoon, then sat in the courtyard with beef to accompany his wine, or pastries with his tea, staring into the mountainous vista, lost in contemplation.


    Mo Hua continued to learn Formation Art, Drawing Formation, meditation, then Drawing Formation again, and whenever he had doubts, he would consult Mr. Zhuang.


    One day, Mr. Zhuang suddenly asked Mo Hua to draw a Formation Diagram named ¡°Three Talents Formation.¡±


    This Formation consisted of six Formation Patterns. With Mo Hua¡¯s current Divine Sense, it was impossible to complete, and its structure seemed very peculiar as well, different from the Five Elements Formation he had encountered before.


    Mr. Zhuang only gave Mo Hua one day¡¯s time. The next day, he wanted to see how much of the Formation Mo Hua could draw, regardless of how much that was.


    Dedicated, Mo Hua spent the whole day studying the Formation Diagram of the ¡°Three Talents Formation¡± and tried his hand at drawing it several times. In the evening, he went back and practiced on the remnant stele in his Sea of Consciousness all night.


    The next day, in front of Mr. Zhuang, he managed to draw the Formation in a disjointed and forced manner. However, due to insufficient Divine Sense, some of the Formation Patterns he drew were ineffectual.


    Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t say much. Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s fatigued expression and somewhat pale complexion, he knew that this was the result of overusing Divine Sense. He therefore lit a stick of incense. The pale smoke curled up, carrying a crisp fragrance that was refreshing to the senses.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°This is Calming Incense. It nourishes Divine Sense. Meditate here until the incense burns out, then go back and rest early. Don¡¯t draw any more Formations today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Gentleman.¡±


    After expressing his gratitude, Mo Hua sat down to meditate and indeed found his Divine Sense recovering more quickly. After about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, the Calming Incense burned out, and Mo Hua respectfully took his leave.


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang looked at the ¡°Three Talents Formation¡± that Mo Hua had drawn, frowning in contemplation and saying nothing for a long time.


    Old Kui entered the room and, noticing this, asked, ¡°Was the drawing not good?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not about being good or bad¡­ with insufficient Divine Sense and limited time, this Formation could not possibly be drawn well. There will inevitably be errors, but¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang furrowed his brow, ¡°This child Mo Hua, he learns too quickly.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with learning quickly?¡±


    ¡°Not just quickly, but too quickly¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang unfolded the ¡°Three Talents Formation¡± and said:


    ¡°This ¡®Three Talents Formation¡¯ uses a completely different Formation Pivot from the Five Elements Formation, and the Formation Patterns are dissimilar. I only gave him the Formation Diagram yesterday, and he¡¯s learned it almost entirely within one day. If it weren¡¯t for his lacking Divine Sense, he might actually have managed to draw out this Formation by stumbling through it¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°The strangest thing is, with one day¡¯s time and Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, he could at most practice it three or four times. But looking at the ¡°Three Talents Formation¡± he drew, the execution is quite skilled, indicating he¡¯s practiced it around ten times.¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but his tone dipped, ¡°Are you suggesting¡­ that this child Mo Hua is hiding something from you?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve never asked him, so there¡¯s no question of hiding or not. However, it seems that this child must have some other fortuitous opportunity.¡±


    Old Kui rolled his eyes slightly, ¡°Who among those in Tao Cultivation doesn¡¯t have their own opportunities? Haven¡¯t you had your share as well? In this world, all sentient beings fortunate enough to be born are already taking part in a great opportunity.¡±


    At these words, Mr. Zhuang fell into thought.


    Old Kui said, ¡°If you really care, just ask him.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang started, ¡°Ask him?¡±


    Old Kui spoke impatiently, ¡°People like you claim to have clear minds, but in reality, you¡¯re just overthinkers. You always assume others are like you, hiding and hoarding secrets. I¡¯ve observed this Mo Hua kid, and he seems fine. Unlike you, full of scheming, dealing with things in such a twisted way.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, lying back in his chair, spoke calmly, ¡°If I truly were such a schemer, then I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in my current predicament.¡±


    ¡°Birds of a feather flock together, people are sorted by group. You think you¡¯re clever, preferring to deal with cunning people; but your heart isn¡¯t as filthy as theirs, and so you naturally end up being outmaneuvered. This reaping what you sow is of your own making, you can¡¯t blame others.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled bitterly, ¡°That¡¯s right, which is why now I can only keep company with someone like you, who is devoid of heart, to have a bit of peace.¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s face remained expressionless, and he said no more.

 Chapter 51 - 51: Storing Wood_1

    Chapter 51: Storing Wood_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The next day, Mr. Zhuang, who rarely rose early, saw Mo Hua and waved him over, ¡°Mo Hua, come with me.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang brought Mo Hua to his study and asked, ¡°How many times have you practiced the Formation of the Three Talents?¡±


    Mo Hua held a deep gratitude for Mr. Zhuang and didn¡¯t want to hide anything, but the affair with the Taoist Stele was somewhat mysterious, and he found it difficult to speak of it. However, he didn¡¯t want to lie either, so he honestly said,


    ¡°Gentleman, I practiced it three or four times on paper, then another seven or eight times in my dreams.¡±


    He told the truth, just omitted the Taoist Stele.


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly stunned, ¡°In your dreams?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua replied, ¡°After I fall asleep, I can continue Drawing Formations in my dreams.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as he looked at Mo Hua but found his expression sincere, his eyes so clear it seemed as if one could see their own reflection in them.


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled, ¡°I see.¡±


    See what¡­


    Mo Hua watched Mr. Zhuang, puzzled.


    After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Zhuang turned to Mo Hua and instructed,


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep this conversation between us. In the future, no matter who asks, you don¡¯t need to answer, and certainly don¡¯t mention anything about Drawing Formations in a dream.¡±


    ¡°What if someone probes further?¡±


    ¡°If they probe further, you just say as I told you before, it¡¯s because you¡¯ve learned Meditation Techniques, so you¡¯ve picked up Formations quickly.¡±


    ¡°And what if they ask me for the spell point of the Meditation Technique?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied nonchalantly, ¡°If you can avoid giving it, then don¡¯t. If they try to force it from you, you kill them. If you can¡¯t kill or defeat them and can¡¯t escape, then give them the Meditation Technique. Spell points are external things; your life is your own.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, feeling there was sense in that, but still asked,


    ¡°But what if someone learns the Meditation Technique and discovers it doesn¡¯t speed up learning Formations?¡±


    ¡°In that case¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang thought for a bit, then said, ¡°You can only claim you have an exceptional talent, an eidetic memory, and that you can master Formations after looking at them a few times. Remember, when you say this, you must be arrogant, adopt a scornful attitude as if you¡¯re superior to everyone, to make them believe you¡¯re a one-in-a-million genius.¡±


    ¡°A scornful attitude?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it once; watch and learn from me.¡±


    After saying that, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s usual languid demeanor changed as if an Azure Dragon resting its head suddenly rose, expressing a proud, self-important air and a disdainful overlook as if all mountains were beneath him.


    After a brief moment of arrogance, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor returned to its usual languor and he said to Mo Hua,


    ¡°Just like that. Practice this whenever you have time.¡±


    Mo Hua was profoundly shaken inside.


    Mr. Zhuang usually had the appearance of a sage, but when it came to nonsense and deceiving others, he was altogether unambiguous.


    When Mo Hua was alone, he stood by the pond, placed his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, and tried to look arrogant, but he could never seem as imposing as Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Cultivation is a profound study, it seems. It¡¯s not just about Cultivation and Formations; there¡¯s much more I need to learn from the gentleman.¡±


    Mo Hua resolved to master the skill of pretense whenever he had a moment to spare.


    As dusk approached and evening set in, Mo Hua said goodbye to Mr. Zhuang and went home.


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang lay on a recliner in the bamboo pavilion, lost in thought. Old Kui played chess by himself.


    A gentle breeze passed through the pavilion, and after a long bout of silent contemplation, Mr. Zhuang suddenly said, ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡±


    Old Kui lifted his eyelids, ¡°What isn¡¯t right?¡±


    ¡°The boy, Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Old Kui glanced at Mr. Zhuang, ¡°You think he didn¡¯t tell the truth?¡±


    ¡°Whether he told the truth is of little importance. Some things are just not suitable to be spoken aloud.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the issue?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s learned too quickly,¡± Mr. Zhuang said with a frown.


    Old Kui was slightly stunned, ¡°Haven¡¯t you said that before?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°As my honorary disciple, he has learned too quickly and is likely to attract trouble.¡±


    Old Kui played a piece, ¡°He hasn¡¯t learned that quickly. Mo Hua¡¯s natural talent and perception are still far less than yours were. Compared to many Noble Family Descendants, he also falls short by quite a bit.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°You can¡¯t compare them like that. Noble Clans have their own foundations and legacies. Immersed from a young age, even a pig would learn Formation faster than ordinary people. As for me¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, ¡°In the Tao Cultivation World, those whose innate talent for Formation exceeds mine can be counted on one hand. It¡¯s normal for them to be no match for me.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke arrogantly but with a calm tone.


    Pity that there was no one to flatter him, as Old Kui continued to play chess without even raising his head.


    Mr. Zhuang found himself missing Mo Hua a bit. If Mo Hua were here, his bright eyes would undoubtedly be filled with admiration.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed and said:


    ¡°After all, Mo Hua is different. Born a Loose Cultivator, without family background or legacy, his foundational knowledge in Formation is too weak. If his proficiency in Formation advances too quickly, it will inevitably attract unwanted attention, and might even lead to deadly trouble.¡±


    ¡°You also think ahead and consider the consequences now, which is somewhat rare,¡± Old Kui said with a smile that was not quite a smile.


    Mr. Zhuang stretched lazily, ¡°As the tree stands out in the forest, the wind will destroy it. I didn¡¯t understand the principle of hiding brilliance and nurturing obscurity in the past and didn¡¯t think ahead, which is why I suffered losses.¡±


    ¡°So what do you plan to do? Stop teaching him?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang lay on the bamboo chair, tapping the armrest lightly with his fingers, ¡°I still have to teach him. Having become my disciple, even if he¡¯s not a direct disciple, he can¡¯t just learn so little. Otherwise, if others find out, it would damage my reputation and disgrace my Sect.¡±


    Old Kui said, ¡°You never used to care about such vanity.¡±


    ¡°As one gets older, one starts caring about face.¡±


    Old Kui looked at the languid Mr. Zhuang, ¡°I think it¡¯s not necessarily so.¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang ignored Old Kui, closing his eyes as if in deep thought, or perhaps just dozing off.


    Old Kui kept playing chess as always.


    The night grew darker, and the evening breeze brushed through the mountains, causing the trees and shrubs to rustle.


    Suddenly, Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes, gazing into the night-shrouded woods and murmured softly:


    ¡°As the tree stands out in the forest, the wind will destroy it¡­ So if the tree does not stand out in the forest, the wind cannot destroy it.¡±


    Old Kui glanced at him with a hint of confusion, while Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze drifted with the undulating woods and said meaningfully, ¡°Hide the tree in the forest, and it won¡¯t stand out.¡±


    Old Kui frowned.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze then drifted beyond the woods and settled on the gate of the courtyard.


    Every morning, the Bai siblings would come up the mountain to visit.


    These two children were exceptionally gifted, truly the finest trees in the forest.


    The next morning, as usual, the Bai siblings came to the mountain to visit, but unlike other days, when they arrived at the gate and paid their respects, the normally closed bamboo gate suddenly opened.


    At the same time, the signboard of ¡°Forgetful Residence¡± appeared in front of the gate.


    Behind the gate was a courtyard with locust trees reaching into the sky, small bridges over flowing water, misty clouds enveloping the area, giving off an aura of immortality.


    Bai Zisheng said in astonishment:


    ¡°Aunt Xue¡­ the courtyard gate is open. Does that mean Mr. Zhuang is willing to see us?¡±


    Always calm Aunt Xue also felt stirred for a moment, ¡°It seems so.¡±


    Then she thought to herself:


    ¡°It¡¯s good that Mr. Zhuang is willing to see us. Even if he does not take the young master and young mistress as disciples now, they can at least start by serving by his side. With the young master¡¯s and young mistress¡¯s talents, Mr. Zhuang will agree sooner or later.¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked a bit uneasy, turning to look at his sister, and noticed Bai Zixi¡¯s delicate face was as cold as ever, devoid of any superfluous emotion.


    A flicker of distress passed through Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes, and then he silently stepped in front of his sister, shielding her as he stepped into the yard.

 Chapter 52 - 52: Meeting a Visitor_1

    Chapter 52: Meeting a Visitor_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The scenery in the courtyard was different from what the three had imagined, serene yet very casual.


    A pool and a view were just ordinarily unique, with no fluctuations of Spiritual Power, not at all like the residence of a Great cultivator.


    Mr. Zhuang was also different from their expectations. Though he had a handsome and dashing appearance and bore the vicissitudes of time, he seemed to lack the temperament they had imagined.


    Aunt Xue¡¯s expression was respectful as she pondered in her heart.


    Before leaving, the lady had shown her a portrait in which the man stood with his hands behind his back atop a mountain, like a fully unveiled immortal sword. His presence, haughty and disdainful, as if he alone reigned supreme over all under heaven, was nearly too intimidating to directly behold. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now Mr. Zhuang lay in a bamboo chair, idly swaying, appearing very¡­ lazy.


    If it weren¡¯t for the portrait, one would almost refuse to believe they were the same person.


    Despite this, Aunt Xue dared not show the slightest disrespect as she reverently presented a Token and a Jade Slip to Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Before the lady left, she asked me to deliver this Token and this letter to you, saying you would understand as soon as you saw them,¡± said Aunt Xue.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at the Token and then at the Jade Slip, chuckled lightly, and said,


    ¡°Truly a good junior sister of mine. Even like this, she still cares about me and doesn¡¯t forget to trouble me.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang turned his head towards Aunt Xue, ¡°When you have time, bring a message to your lady. Women who plot too much age quickly.¡±


    Aunt Xue kept her head lowered and dared not respond.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi and nodded, ¡°The aptitude of both is indeed excellent, worthy of¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang stopped mid-sentence.


    Aunt Xue did not know what Mr. Zhuang wanted to say, but seeing that he appreciated the talents of Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, she could not help but show a joyous expression. ¡°So, Mr. Zhuang¡­?¡±


    ¡°I do not accept Direct Disciples, at most just a named disciple,¡± Mr. Zhuang put down the Jade Slip. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, you may stay; if not, you may leave.¡±


    This was within the lady¡¯s expectations, Aunt Xue remembered the lady¡¯s words before she left:


    ¡°My senior brother is a stubborn man. Once he promises something, he will definitely do it. If he doesn¡¯t promise, begging will be of no use. But his heart can soften, just wheedle him slowly if he gives in. If he won¡¯t accept a Direct Disciple, then being a named one is fine, and if he won¡¯t make one a named disciple, staying to serve tea and water is also good. As long as he remembers the old affection, sooner or later he will accept Zixi and Zisheng.¡±


    Aunt Xue quickly said, ¡°Being able to be accepted as a named disciple by the gentleman is already a god-given opportunity, how could we not be willing?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Then let¡¯s skip the formalities, just call me ¡®Gentleman¡¯ and that will suffice.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi performed a kneeling salute to Mr. Zhuang, calling out ¡°Greetings, Gentleman.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at the two children, his expression becoming momentarily distant.


    He vaguely saw two young children, a handsome boy and a beautiful girl, paying their respects to an old man with white hair, as the tender voices of the children echoed in his ears, ¡°Greetings, Master.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang came back to his senses with a self-mocking look on his face and continued,


    ¡°I don¡¯t have so many rules here. Your mother¡¯s proficiency in Formation is also considerable; she should have taught you what you need to know, and since you¡¯re past the age for initiation into Formation, you both should have some foundation by now. Just study on your own, and if you have questions, come and ask me. But remember one thing, do not disturb me when I¡¯m closing my eyes to comprehend the Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°There is another named disciple here named Mo Hua, you must have met him already. Get along well.¡±


    Having said that, Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, ¡°Go on, climb the mountain at the designated hour and descend at 5 p.m. You¡¯re free to do as you please at other times. If there¡¯s anything unclear, find Mo Hua.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi performed the salute and then departed, leaving the bamboo house to return to the courtyard.


    Aunt Xue felt that everything had gone smoother than she¡¯d expected, so smoothly that it felt a bit haphazard.


    Moreover, she couldn¡¯t understand why Mr. Zhuang had previously refused to see them but after these days, had agreed to do so, and even so readily accepted Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi as apprentices.


    Aunt Xue frowned in confusion.


    ¡°Could it really be as Mo Hua, that child, said, that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s actions are governed by fate, that not seeing Mr. Zhuang is due to fate not having arrived, and now having seen him means fate has arrived?¡±


    Aunt Xue walked and then saw Mo Hua under the big pagoda tree, absorbed in reading Formation Books at a low table.


    Aunt Xue felt that the reason why Mo Hua was taken as an apprentice by Mr. Zhuang must be due to something extraordinary, and both Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng also wanted to know what Mr. Zhuang taught.


    The three of them approached Mo Hua and saw that he was intently focusing on a Formation Book.


    Mo Hua had been concentrating on the book, but when he heard them approach and looked up, he saw Bai Zisheng and his sister. He asked, ¡°Have you seen Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    Aunt Xue said, ¡°Indeed, and we have to thank the Young Master for what you said earlier, otherwise we might have waited in vain for many days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no Young Master, just call me Mo Hua,¡± said Mo Hua, waving his hand. ¡°Moreover, if anyone should be thanked, it¡¯s the Gentleman; it has nothing to do with me.¡±


    At that moment, Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°The book you¡¯re reading¡­ is it ¡®Elementary of Five Element Formation¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng said with disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re following Mr. Zhuang and only learned this far? This is the book used by three to four-year-olds in our clan for an introduction to formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit unhappy.


    Questioning himself was one thing, but questioning Mr. Zhuang was not acceptable.


    Mo Hua retorted, ¡°Then is this book written by children of three or four years old?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was taken aback for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s not the case, although these fundamental Formation Books seem simple, they are of great importance, and most are compiled by Great cultivators with substantial knowledge in formations.¡±


    ¡°Since they are compiled by those Great cultivators, why can¡¯t I read them? The simpler things are, the deeper the principles they contain; the Great Dao is utmost simplicity, returning to its purest form. Even high-level Large Formations are composed of the most basic Formation Patterns.¡±


    Mo Hua, imitating Mr. Zhuang, put on a profound and inscrutable air.


    However, due to his limited experience, he could only emulate three or four parts of the demeanor, but it was enough to fool Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng suddenly saw Mo Hua in a new light.


    But after a moment, he became doubtful again and said, ¡°Your cultivation is so low, you only seem to be two or three years younger than Zixi and me, but how come you¡¯re only at the third layer of Qi Refinement, should you not at least be at the fifth or sixth layer by now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt that this person was a bit annoying. When full, one has too much idle talk; he preferred the way he was the other day, hungry with no energy to speak.


    Mo Hua did not really want to bother with him, and from the side, Aunt Xue, with an apologetic tone, said:


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zisheng can be a bit brash, may I know what one needs to do when being Mr. Zhuang¡¯s apprentice?¡±


    Bai Zisheng wanted to argue something, but Bai Zixi gave him a faint glance, and Zisheng chose to swallow his words.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t care and said, ¡°There¡¯s not much to do, just practice and study on your own everyday. You just go and ask for advice when the Gentleman has time, but make sure not to disturb the Gentleman¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is the Gentleman¡¯s knowledge in formations truly profound? I see that this courtyard is quite ordinary and doesn¡¯t use any special formations. Shouldn¡¯t the residence of a Formation Master be covered in formations?¡±


    Mo Hua countered, ¡°If Mr. Zhuang¡¯s knowledge in formations wasn¡¯t profound, why would you go to such lengths to become his disciples?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    Aunt Xue stopped Bai Zisheng, who also realized his slip of the tongue, and he casually said, ¡°Because I¡¯ve only heard of it and have never seen it with my own eyes, that¡¯s why I asked you.¡±


    ¡°Oh~¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him skeptically but said nothing else.

 Chapter 53 - 53 Disciple_1

    Chapter 53 Disciple_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Bai Zisheng felt somewhat guilty, and then a bit annoyed at himself for seemingly weakening his presence, so he puffed out his chest and glared at Mo Hua.


    ¡°They probably have other motives for becoming apprentices¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought to himself and then ignored Bai Zisheng, focusing on reading the enlightenment book ¡°Elementary of Five Element Formation.¡±


    Today he had to finish this book, and then, having some questions, he planned to seek guidance from Mr. Zhuang in the evening; if he continued to idle chat, he wouldn¡¯t finish it.


    Bai Zisheng, feeling bored since he was new and didn¡¯t know what to do, sat down with Bai Zixi on the side, holding Spirit Stones, and began to meditate and cultivate.


    As they cultivated, a faint blue Spiritual Power surrounded them, indicating by its density that the two must already be at the later stages of Qi Refinement level.


    Mo Hua was secretly impressed, acknowledging that the heritage of the Noble Clans was indeed different from that of ordinary cultivators. Although only two or three years older than Mo Hua, their cultivation was already four or five minor realms higher than his.


    Moreover, from Bai Zisheng¡¯s previous remarks, their talent and proficiency in formations were also very high.


    Mo Hua silently reflected, ¡°There are always people better than oneself, and heavens beyond this one. One should not be arrogant, but neither should one be discouraged. It¡¯s best to steadfastly pursue one¡¯s cultivation and study of formations.¡±


    Mo Hua quickly calmed his mind and once again focused on the Formation Books.


    A cool breeze arose among the mountains, dispersing the leaves, stirring the pond water, creating ripples, and then everything returned to calmness once again.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s courtyard, originally holding only one Disciple, now harbored three.


    And Mo Hua became known among the three registered disciples as the one with the lowest apparent cultivation, the poorest aptitude, and the least conspicuous.


    Having finished reading ¡°Elementary of Five Element Formation¡± and consulting Mr. Zhuang with his questions, dusk approached, and the evening sun draped over the mountains, signaling it was time to return home.


    Mo Hua bid farewell to Mr. Zhuang and, at the junction, also said goodbye to the Bai siblings. Then, slinging his Storage Bag over his shoulder, he trod down the mountain path bathed in twilight.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi took another mountain path, and halfway, Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°Aunt Xue, can you tell what kind of Spiritual Root Mo Hua has?¡±


    Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°Judging by the fluctuations of his Spiritual Power, he should possess a Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, with scant and below-average quality, and it seems he hasn¡¯t even formally started learning any Cultivation Technique.¡±


    ¡°An ordinary Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, of below-average caliber, and looking at enlightenment Formation Books¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng murmured, then added, ¡°With aptitudes like my sister¡¯s and mine, Mr. Zhuang was only willing to take us as nominal disciples, and that too because he considered my mother¡¯s face. What merits does that boy called Mo Hua have to be accepted as a nominal disciple by Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    Aunt Xue¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, recalling Mo Hua¡¯s words and behavior, and then said:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang has unconventional methods in taking disciples, and he does not solely judge by aptitude¡­¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aunt Xue further explained, ¡°Moreover, the path of Tao Cultivation is lengthy; one cannot only consider immediate speed. The child, Mo Hua, is most likely from a Loose Cultivator background. Loose Cultivators differ from Noble Clans as they have no heritage, little foundation, and whether in cultivation or formations, they start late and progress slowly. They cannot be compared with Noble Family Descendants in terms of progress.¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°Is the gap between Loose Cultivators and Noble Clans really that significant?¡±


    ¡°The gap is not only huge, but it¡¯s also fair to say it¡¯s as different as heaven and earth.¡±


    Aunt Xue sighed and said:


    ¡°Any inconspicuous Cultivation Technique or Formation heritage from a Noble Clan, if placed in the hands of a Loose Cultivator, could be regarded as a family treasure. Our Bai Family¡¯s books for enlightening the descendants, those common Loose Cultivator disciples might not even get a chance to see in their entire lifetimes.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was secretly astonished.


    Aunt Xue then cautioned him, ¡°Regardless of Mo Hua¡¯s background, you are now half a fellow apprentice. Do not be insensitive, do not get into a conflict with him, and be mindful of your speech, lest you displease Mr. Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Aunt Xue,¡± Bai Zisheng replied with a semblance of understanding.


    The next day, the Bai siblings went up the mountain at dawn and began to study with Mo Hua under Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tutelage.


    Old Kui placed two more stone tables under the grand locust tree, next to Mo Hua¡¯s smaller table.


    The three children each worked on their own cultivation and studies, and in the evening, they would all seek answers from Mr. Zhuang.


    Wherever it was cultivation level or knowledge of formations, the Bai siblings were a cut above Mo Hua. Many of the problems they raised were beyond Mo Hua¡¯s comprehension, but Mr. Zhuang¡¯s casual pointers often hit the nail on the head.


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s understanding was not entirely clear, he nevertheless benefited greatly through osmosis.


    As Mo Hua pondered, it was a good thing that Mr. Zhuang accepted the Bai siblings as nominal disciples, otherwise there would have been many questions she had never encountered and wouldn¡¯t even know where to begin asking.


    Now that she had someone to ask questions for her and Mr. Zhuang to give answers, Mo Hua just needed to listen attentively.


    And so, the three of them became Mr. Zhuang¡¯s nominal disciples together, spending their days cultivating, drawing formations, then asking Mr. Zhuang to solve their doubts before returning home.


    The three didn¡¯t talk much on a normal day. When Mo Hua was reading, she was fully focused and had no time for idle chatter.


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat arrogant, and since Mo Hua didn¡¯t initiate conversation with him, he naturally didn¡¯t speak to Mo Hua either, while Bai Zixi was somewhat aloof and also not fond of talking.


    This kind of life continued for a month until one evening when Da¡¯hu and his two companions found Mo Hua, stating that the Lotus Festival had arrived and invited her to join them in strolling the streets to enjoy the festivities.


    The Lotus Festival was a minor one, yet quite lively.


    It was said to commemorate a cultivator of great merit in Tongxian City and was established as a tradition where every year at this time, incense would be burned and precious lamps shaped like the Nine Curves Lotus would be lit to convey remembrance from afar.


    Mo Hua had spent the whole day on Formation Painting, exhausting her Divine Sense and had used the Meditation Technique twice, making it unsuitable for further use that day. Since she had nothing else to do, she went out with her three companions to watch the lively scene.


    When passing by the far left side of the neighborhood, they noticed a newly built cave residence in a rather secluded location with a larger area, appearing as if several adjacent houses on the street had been bought, demolished, and rebuilt.


    The entrance gate to the cave residence bore no sign, and the grey bricks used were unassuming, yet it stood out distinctively among the modest dwellings of the loose cultivators.


    Mo Hua wondered, ¡°When did a cave residence appear here?¡±


    Xiaohu replied, ¡°You haven¡¯t been around here for a long time, so you¡¯re not aware. This cave residence has been up for about a month now.¡±


    Xiaohu, looking at the towering walls of the cave residence, couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°Building such a cave residence, how many Spirit Stones would it take?¡±


    ¡°It must be,¡± Da¡¯hu was counting on his fingers, not quite sure, and finally scratched his head, ¡°tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably tens of thousands¡­¡±


    ¡°Tens of thousands of Spirit Stones¡­ I might never save up that much in my lifetime¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you have a little ambition?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one with ambition; can you save up that many?¡±


    Shuanghu said, ¡°I said you should have ambition, not that you definitely need to save up Spirit Stones. Most of those who aspire to become immortals don¡¯t become one, right? They¡¯re gone before they achieve it¡­¡±


    Da¡¯hu and Xiaohu nodded in agreement, thinking it made sense.


    Shuanghu, curious, said, ¡°This place is so out of the way, far from the market town, and inhabited by ordinary loose cultivators, who would bother to construct such a big cave residence here? Do they think they have too many Spirit Stones?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, if I had that many Spirit Stones, I would also build such a large cave residence.¡±


    ¡°So who do you think is the master of this cave residence?¡± Shuanghu turned to Mo Hua and asked, ¡°Mo Hua, do you know?¡±


    Mo Hua shook her head, ¡°How would I know.¡±


    Just as the three were talking, the main gate of the cave residence opened.


    Out walked a handsome boy with striking eyebrows, a delicate girl carved like jade, and a female cultivator with a veil and a graceful figure.


    Mo Hua recognized them at a glance; it was the Bai siblings and Aunt Xue.


    When the Bai siblings also saw Mo Hua and her companions, Bai Zisheng paused for a second: ¡°Mo Hua?¡±


    Da¡¯hu and the others all looked at Mo Hua at once, and Mo Hua too was stunned; she hadn¡¯t expected the owners of the cave residence to be the siblings from the Bai Family.


    Bai Zisheng inquired in return, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°I¡¯m out and about.¡±


    ¡°Out and about?¡±


    Bai Zisheng seemed as if he was hearing the term for the first time, and his expression was visibly excited as he then looked eagerly at Aunt Xue.


    On the side, Bai Zixi also brightened, her eyes shimmering like autumn waters as she turned to Aunt Xue.

 Chapter 54 - 54 Lotus Festival_1

    Chapter 54 Chapter Lotus Festival_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Aunt Xue looked into the two pairs of watery eyes and felt torn inside.


    The lady of the house had always been strict, demanding much of the young miss and the young master. From a young age, she only allowed them to practice cultivation and study Formation, Alchemy, and other cultivation-related subjects. On normal days, unless it was a major holiday, they were not allowed to go out. Even if they did, they had to be accompanied, and they must return to the estate before nightfall, with no dallying allowed. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This approach, while making the young miss and young master¡¯s cultivation stand out, also hindered the children¡¯s nature.


    Sometimes, Aunt Xue wished to let them play and laugh like ordinary children, but the lady had placed high hopes on them. If they neglected their cultivation for the sake of fun, she would bear a great sin.


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°Aunt Xue, I¡¯ll just look around for a bit. I haven¡¯t even seen what Tongxian City looks like.¡±


    Aunt Xue was still hesitating when Bai Zixi¡¯s little hand tugged at Aunt Xue¡¯s sleeve and also called out, ¡°Aunt Xue¡­¡±


    Aunt Xue¡¯s heart completely melted, ¡°Alright, but you can only roam until 22 p.m.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Xue!¡± Bai Zisheng immediately became happy.


    With a smile, Aunt Xue then turned to Mo Hua and said, ¡°We¡¯re new here and not familiar with Tongxian City, so we¡¯ll have to ask you to lead the way.¡±


    Aunt Xue was so kindly mannered that, looking at the bright eyes of the Bai siblings, Mo Hua didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse.


    He had intended to return early to paint a few more Formations, but he had painted quite a few in the recent days, and even his Meditation Technique couldn¡¯t recover quickly enough. It would be good to rest for a night.


    The group then followed the street and started browsing the night market at the Lotus Festival of Tongxian City.


    Although Tongxian City was a Little Immortal City and not very bustling, the intermingling crowds and the myriad lights in the sky lent it the vibrant appeal of a lively festival atmosphere.


    Mo Hua and Da¡¯hu were leading the way, followed by the Bai siblings who were a few steps behind, looking around with eyes filled with novelty and curiosity. Aunt Xue, still worried, followed quietly behind the two.


    Along the way, Shuanghu secretly asked Mo Hua, ¡°Mo Hua, do you know them?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded. ¡°We¡¯re registered disciples under the same master, Mr. Zhuang.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not from Tongxian City, are they?¡±


    ¡°No, they seem to be descendants of a large and distant family¡­¡±


    ¡°Distant? Outside of Tongxian City? I¡¯ve never been outside Tongxian City¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably even further, most likely beyond Li State.¡±


    ¡°Beyond Li State? How long would that even take to walk¡­¡±


    The unfamiliarity of different states in the Tao Cultivation World was both fascinating and unnerving to them.


    Xiaohu suddenly asked, ¡°Mo Hua, are you close with them?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua replied, ¡°Not exactly close. We¡¯re barely half-disciples of the same sect, and we don¡¯t talk much normally.¡±


    Xiaohu nodded and said, ¡°Those noble family descendants really don¡¯t have much to say to us.¡±


    Mo Hua felt something was off about that statement but, after thinking about it, couldn¡¯t pin down what it was.


    In the Tao Cultivation World, Noble Clans and scattered cultivators were worlds apart. The more ancient and profound the Noble Clan, the more unattainable they seemed to ordinary scattered cultivators. Despite being cultivators from both backgrounds, they could hardly be considered part of the same community.


    As the group strolled along, Da¡¯hu and the others, following Mo Hua and accompanied by the Bai siblings, felt somewhat constrained and didn¡¯t enjoy themselves to the fullest.


    Seeing their awkwardness, Mo Hua laughed and said, ¡°Go on and have fun on your own. I¡¯ll just take them for a casual stroll and head back, I still have a few Formations to paint tonight.¡±


    Xiaohu exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯re going to paint Formations tonight? Being a Formation Master really is hard work¡­¡±


    Shuanghu added, ¡°We¡¯ll buy something fun for you too if we come across it later.¡±


    ¡°Do you want a sugar figure from Big Head Pan¡¯s stall? We each want one shaped like a tiger, and we¡¯ll buy one for you too.¡±


    Da¡¯hu scratched his head and thought for a moment before saying in his straightforward voice, ¡°If anyone dares to bully you, just shout, and we¡¯ll come over and beat them up for you!¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Mo Hua replied with a smile, and the three of them ran off like birds released from a cage, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    Seeing this, Aunt Xue called Mo Hua over and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t know what festival it is today that everyone¡¯s so lively.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Xue, today is the Lotus Festival.¡±


    Aunt Xue looked perplexed, ¡°I have never heard of such a festival in the Tao Cultivation World.¡±


    Mo Hua explained, ¡°It¡¯s a minor festival, celebrated only around Tongxian City. It¡¯s probably not observed elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Why is it called the Lotus Festival?¡±


    Bai Zisheng asked curiously, his eyes wandering around, and Bai Zixi also turned her head to look at Mo Hua.


    After thinking for a bit, Mo Hua answered, ¡°When I was little, I asked my parents, and they said the Lotus Festival is to commemorate the Lotus Scatterer.¡±


    ¡°The Lotus Scatterer? Is he a great cultivator?¡± Aunt Xue asked.


    ¡°To us, he would be considered a great cultivator, but perhaps not so much in the grand scheme of the Tao Cultivation World,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure what his cultivation was, but I¡¯ve heard some older folks say that he was probably at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, although some also say he was at the Golden Core Stage.¡±


    ¡°It is said that back in the day, Li State suffered from scorching heat, with the vegetation withering and Monster Beasts driven by extreme hunger descending from the mountains to eat humans, causing a beast tide. The cultivators of Tongxian City fought valiantly to defend the city, but the overwhelming number of Monster Beasts made it difficult to fend them off. Just as the city gates were about to be breached, and countless cultivators were facing death at the claws of the beasts, the passing Lotus Scatterer alone held back the tide. Ultimately, he saved the lives of the cultivators in Tongxian City, but at the cost of his own life, as his spiritual power was exhausted¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that today is the anniversary of the Lotus Scatterer¡¯s passing. Every year at this time, the people of Tongxian City light various types of Lotus Lamps and send them into the sky. The bright and magnificent scene with the lights is to commemorate the Lotus Scatterer.¡±


    Bai Zixi was completely captivated by the story, and Bai Zisheng felt his blood boiling with excitement.


    Thinking about the situation back then, as if he were in the midst of the beast tide, fighting to the death against all kinds of ferocious and brutal Monster Beasts. After a fierce battle, even though he succeeded in killing the leader of the beasts, he too perished from exhaustion.


    Years later, numerous cultivators would still remember his deeds, and his name would be engraved in the memories of a city¡¯s worth of cultivators.


    With his blood running hot, Bai Zisheng proclaimed, ¡°To live without fear of death, to be born towards it, such a tragic yet stirring life is the rightful end for a cultivator.¡±


    Aunt Xue sighed helplessly, ¡°Young Master, Madam only has you as a son. Please take care of yourself.¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s spirits deflated as he hung his head.


    Mo Hua burst into laughter, and Bai Zisheng asked with a tinge of anger, ¡°Are you laughing at me?¡±


    Mo Hua replied casually, ¡°No.¡±


    Bai Zisheng grew even angrier, while Bai Zixi¡¯s lips curved upwards in a faint smile, her face more brilliant than the myriad lights in the sky.


    Aunt Xue pondered for a moment and then voiced her confusion, ¡°A Monster Beast¡¯s physical body and Monster Qi are far more formidable than a cultivator¡¯s. Even a Golden Core Stage cultivator couldn¡¯t possibly fend off a beast tide alone. Not to mention a cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage¡ªit doesn¡¯t seem worth it for the cultivators of an entire city to commemorate him with such an elaborate ritual¡­¡±


    As they talked, they arrived at a small stall, which displayed a variety of exquisitely crafted Lotus Lamps available for purchase for five Broken Spirit Stones each.


    Mo Hua took out five Broken Spirit Stones, placed them on the stall, and picked up a Lotus Lamp shaped like an indiscernible mythical creature. He lit it with fire, which made the mythical creature seem lifelike.


    Letting go of the lamp, Mo Hua watched as it slowly floated up into the sky, joining the sea of lights above.


    Looking up at the sky filled with bright lamps, Mo Hua murmured,


    ¡°In this world of cultivators, despite reaching the heavens with their cultivation, how many are there who would give up their cultivation and Taoist Foundation for strangers they¡¯ve never met? The cultivators of Tongxian City commemorate not the cultivation level of the Lotus Scatterer, but his magnanimity that benefited all beings.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded his head and picked out a majestic red tiger-shaped Lamp with earnest respect, lighting it and sending it aloft into the sky.


    Bai Zixi released a golden phoenix-patterned Lotus Lamp, splendid and opulent.


    Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment, glanced at Mo Hua, and eventually chose a cyan phoenix-shaped Lotus Lamp to release into the night sky.


    Around Tongxian City, the countless small lights converged, illuminating the pitch-black night sky.

 Chapter 55 - 55 Shopping_1

    Chapter 55 Shopping_1


    Translator: 549690339


    After releasing the Lotus Lamps, it was still not late, and the group wandered down the street again.


    Perhaps after several verbal exchanges, Bai Zisheng had grown familiar with Mo Hua and was no longer polite, talking much more.


    ¡°Mo Hua, what are those Cultivators doing?¡±


    Bai Zisheng pointed to a stage and asked with curiosity.


    Mo Hua followed his gaze and saw that on a simple stage, several Cultivators dressed as Monster Hunters were fighting with a ¡°Monster Beast¡± that looked like a bull.


    The ¡°Monster Beast¡± had a copper head and brocade skin, its fur shiny and lifelike, but in reality, it was also a Cultivator dressed in beast skin.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a Demon Hunting play.¡±


    ¡°Demon Hunting? Hunting Monster Beasts?¡± Bai Zisheng immediately became interested.


    ¡°Most of the Cultivators in Tongxian City make a living from Monster Hunting. They often have to fight to the death with Monster Beasts, so on festive celebrations, Monster Hunters will perform Demon Hunting plays to liven things up, and it¡¯s also a tradition of Monster Hunters.¡±


    As she spoke, the Demon Hunting play on the stage reached an exciting climax.


    A few Monster Hunters, each holding a blade, shouted loudly, and the blades suddenly wrapped in flames; another swung his fist with a whooshing sound, and another stood farther away, making hand seals, with several fireballs appearing in front of him and soon entangled in combat with the ¡°Monster Beast,¡± with Spiritual Power overflowing and light swirling everywhere.


    ¡°Wow, Fiery Flame Blade, Wind Wrapping Fist, Fireball Technique! ¡±


    A child beside them shouted excitedly, clapping loudly.


    Bai Zisheng was no less excited, his face flushed with enthusiasm.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯re already in the late stage of Qi Refinement, aren¡¯t you? You should have learned some Taoist Skills by now¡­¡±


    How could he seem so inexperienced¡­


    Bai Zisheng shot Mo Hua a glance, ¡°I naturally know how to use Taoist Skills, it¡¯s just that my mother won¡¯t let me; she says that for a cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm laying a proper foundation is important. To learn some crude Taoist Skills and engage in brawls is the behavior of brutes. If one is injured and the foundation is damaged, it can spoil future cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua made an acknowledging sound.


    For Noble Clans, the Qi Refinement Realm was just for laying the foundation. They simply needed to focus on their cultivation. Even if they learned Taoist Skills, they wouldn¡¯t have a use for them.


    For ordinary Loose Cultivators, who might stay in the Qi Refinement Realm all their lives, it was necessary to learn various Taoist Skills during the Qi Refinement Realm to fight to the death with Monster Beasts, licking blood from the knife¡¯s edge, striving for survival.


    ¡°If only the Loose Cultivators at the bottom didn¡¯t have to live so hard.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed with mixed emotions.


    Apart from the Demon Hunting play, there were also some novel Taoist Skill juggling acts, the fascinating shadow plays, the wooden dogs that would run around when fed Broken Spirit Stones, and the fragrant variety of snacks¡­


    After the group took a round, Bai Zisheng was excited and left wanting more, while Bai Zixi¡¯s little face was also blushing, even brighter than the lights in the sky.


    As the evening grew darker, they still hadn¡¯t had their fill, but they had to part ways and head home.


    ¡°Thank you for this time, for showing us the customs of Tongxian City.¡±


    Aunt Xue thanked Mo Hua and then produced a small box from somewhere and handed it to Mo Hua.


    ¡°This is some confectionary I picked up along the way; take it as a token of thanks. It didn¡¯t cost many Spirit Stones, so you shouldn¡¯t refuse it.¡±


    Mo Hua no longer declined and accepted it gracefully, saying happily, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Xue.¡±


    Aunt Xue nodded with a smile.


    Then Bai Zisheng said to Mo Hua, ¡°If you have time to visit Qian State someday, I¡¯ll show you the grand ceremony for worshipping heaven. Although it¡¯s not as lively here, the scale is huge, with all kinds of exotic Spirit Beasts and flying boats and carriages¡ªI guarantee it will be an eye-opener for you.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Mm-hmm!¡±


    Mo Hua was quite looking forward to it, curious about what kind of grandeur the ancient Noble Clans and Sects of Qian State held.


    However, he did not know if he would ever be able to go in his lifetime.


    The vast Tao Cultivation World stretches boundless, and Li State alone contains countless Immortal Cities. Tongxian City is just one of the many unremarkable Little Immortal Cities, and with Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation, even leaving Tongxian City would be difficult, let alone leaving Li State to go to the yet unknown Qian State.


    After bidding farewell to the Bai siblings, Mo Hua found Da¡¯hu and the other two.


    The three children had also enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Upon seeing Mo Hua, they stuffed a bunch of odd and curious things into his arms, including various small toys and a sugar figurine of a white little tiger.


    ¡°You should eat the sugar figurine quickly, or it will melt,¡± Xiaohu reminded Mo Hua and then proceeded to excitedly introduce the little toys, explaining to Mo Hua how to play with them.


    Those items weren¡¯t very expensive, with most costing just a fraction of Broken Spirit Stones, but their novelty and ingenuity were what made them special¡ªsome Mo Hua had truly never seen before.


    Mo Hua shared the pastries Aunt Xue had given him with his three little friends, then studied the toys in his hand while licking the sugar figurine.


    As Da¡¯hu and the others munched on the pastries, they walked home with Mo Hua. Midway, Xiaohu suddenly asked,


    ¡°Mo Hua, are you always going to be with the young master and young mistress of the Bai family?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Xiaohu shook his head, saying nothing.


    Mo Hua thought they had a grievance with the Bai siblings, but after a moment, Xiaohu hesitated and said,


    ¡°That little girl from the Bai family, she¡¯s too pretty¡­¡±


    Mo Hua paused, ¡°Isn¡¯t being pretty a good thing?¡±


    Xiaohu said, ¡°You can¡¯t play with girls who are too pretty.¡±


    Da¡¯hu and Shuanghu quickly nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Why not¡­¡±


    Shuanghu solemnly said, ¡°My mother told me that pretty girls make men dumb, and the prettier the girl, the dumber a man will get!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, exactly, my dad saw a pretty woman, ran away from home because of her, ended up getting swindled out of all his money and even lost his life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, I¡¯ve also heard that many cultivators with good Spiritual Roots have squandered their cultivation because they married beautiful wives and ended up achieving nothing in the end.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I only glanced at that girl once and was stunned for a moment, my mind went blank. If I looked a few more times, who knows, I might have become an idiot¡ªtoo scary¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, too scary¡­¡±


    Shuanghu patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Mo Hua, you¡¯re the smartest among us, and you might even become a Formation Master in the future. It would be troublesome if you turned into an idiot.¡±


    Da¡¯hu and Xiaohu looked at Mo Hua with concern.


    Mo Hua was caught between laughter and tears but eventually thought it over and felt¡­ they had a point, so he said,


    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing I can do, we¡¯re all learning formations from the gentleman, bumping into each other all the time.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re doomed.¡± All three kids¡¯ expressions turned grave.


    Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°Drawing Formations is supposed to make one smarter, so if I draw more formations, I should not become too dumb.¡±


    ¡°Can Drawing Formations really make you smarter?¡± Xiaohu asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Shuanghu said, ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s formation paintings are so good, which is why he¡¯s smarter than us, right?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Would you guys like to learn formations? I could teach you.¡±


    All three kids had decent Body Refinement talents, but none were naturally gifted in Drawing Formations, finding the dense Formation Patterns headache-inducing.


    Xiaohu hesitated for a long time, but eventually made up his mind and declared,


    ¡°Forget it, if Drawing Formations is the only way to become smarter, then I¡¯d rather be an idiot for life!¡±

 Chapter 56 - 56 Attitude Change _1

    Chapter 56 Attitude Change _1


    Translator: 549690339


    After the Lotus Flower Festival, Mo Hua continued to learn about Formations from Mr. Zhuang, and Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi joined as well.


    Although the three of them were all apprentices, they were learning different things. Mo Hua was mainly studying Formations and could only study Formations.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, on the other hand, learned everything, including cultivation, Formations, alchemy, Runes, and Artifact Refining.


    The questions they asked Mr. Zhuang each day were also very broad, ranging from problems with Formations to all aspects of cultivation.


    Among these questions, Mo Hua could only understand the ones related to Formations; for the rest, he was largely clueless.


    The foundation of a Loose Cultivator was inherently weak. He was able to study Formations because he had lived two lives with exceptional Divine Sense and had a Taoist Stele in his mind, which allowed him to practice Formations without spending Spirit Stones. As for the other various aspects of Tao Cultivation, he would like to learn, but simply had no way to start.


    Although Mo Hua did not understand these questions, he silently took note of them in his heart. Even if he didn¡¯t understand them at the moment, it left him with some impression and prevented him from being totally confused when encountering them later.


    The Tao Cultivation World is tumultuous and enigmatic; who knows what situations one might encounter in the future? It is always better to know more.


    Mo Hua learned a lot from the Bai siblings and had to admit that in terms of talent and comprehension, they were much higher than himself. Whether it was the foundation of their cultivation or the level of their Formation skills, as well as many other aspects, Mo Hua was far inferior.


    So-called ¡°chosen children of heaven¡± from Noble Clans must be like this.


    Mo Hua greatly admired Bai Zixi. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Toward Bai Zisheng, alongside admiration, there was a smidgeon of disdain.


    The three had not been too familiar with each other before and were somewhat reserved in their interactions.


    But since they went shopping together during the Lotus Flower Festival, the relationship between Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua had become more casual; Bai Zisheng would find Mo Hua to chat when he was free and occasionally argue.


    In front of strangers, Bai Zisheng was a Cultivator with extraordinary talent, handsome looks, and composed manners, the pride of a Noble Clan.


    Once familiar, Bai Zisheng was more like a competitive child, somewhat talkative. Although diligent in his daily training and studies, he liked to chat with Mo Hua whenever he had free time.


    ¡°Mo Hua, when can we see that Monster Hunting play again?¡±


    ¡°During festivals.¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua, when your Monster Hunter hunts Monster Beasts, which Taoist Skill do they generally use?¡±


    ¡°Use whatever is available.¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua, when you hunt Monster Beasts, can I join you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a Monster Hunter yet, I don¡¯t hunt monsters.¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Sometimes Mo Hua would respond a time or two. Other times, when Bai Zisheng asked too many questions, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered to engage with him.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was ignoring him, Bai Zisheng sneakily glanced at the Formation Books Mo Hua was reading. When they weren¡¯t familiar with each other before, Bai Zisheng was very reserved, but now it was different.


    ¡°Six Harmonies Formation Pivot Discuss? Not bad, not bad, you¡¯re learning quite fast. Don¡¯t you understand the meaning of Formation Pivot?¡±


    Mo Hua actually didn¡¯t understand and honestly nodded his head.


    Bai Zisheng said with pride, ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    Mo Hua silently watched him, genuinely wanting to know but also slightly disdainful of Bai Zisheng¡¯s prideful expression.


    ¡°There will be a Monster Hunting play on the seventh day of the next month,¡± Mo Hua slowly said.


    Bai Zisheng looked delighted.


    ¡°But I won¡¯t take you there,¡± Mo Hua added.


    Bai Zisheng choked for a moment, ¡°Then I won¡¯t tell you what Formation Pivot means.¡±


    ¡°I can ask the gentleman.¡±


    Bai Zisheng had nothing to say, after an internal struggle, he compromised, ¡°I¡¯ll explain what the Formation Pivot means to you, and in return, you take me to watch the Monster Hunting play!¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just ask Mr. Zhuang.¡± Mo Hua declined.


    Bai Zisheng, scratching his head in anxiousness, said, ¡°Mr. Zhuang is very busy, there¡¯s no need to bother him with such a trivial question. Moreover, his explanations are profound, you might not understand since you have just started learning.¡±


    Although Mo Hua was somewhat displeased by the words ¡°just started learning¡±, what Bai Zisheng said was indeed the truth.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s understanding of formations is profound; what is simple for him might take Mo Hua, who had never approached the subject, a long time to comprehend.


    Mo Hua agreed reluctantly, ¡°Fine then, I promise you, but if you can¡¯t explain it clearly, I won¡¯t take you either.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was thrilled and quickly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, apart from Zixi, no one in the clan has studied formations better than me.¡±


    Then Bai Zisheng eagerly began to explain:


    ¡°The Formation Pivot is the nerve center of a formation, used to connect Formation Patterns, conducting Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    ¡°If we compare it to a cultivator, the Formation eye is like the Qi Sea, the Formation Pivot like the meridians, the Formation Patterns like the network of vessels, and the Formation media is like the flesh that carries these channels. A cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power comes from the Qi Sea, travels through the main meridians, fills the vessels, and crystallizes into Taoist Skill, while in a formation, Spiritual Power emerges from the Formation eye, passes through the Formation Pivot, stimulates the Formation Patterns, and that¡¯s how a formation produces effects¡­¡±


    After Bai Zisheng finished, Mo Hua understood and couldn¡¯t help but give Bai Zisheng a look.


    Without a sufficient understanding, it would be impossible to explain things in such an easy-to-understand manner, which goes to show that Bai Zisheng¡¯s foundational knowledge of formations was indeed very solid, even if he was a bit too talkative at times¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Do you always talk to others this way?¡±


    ¡°Talk to whom?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua said, ¡°Hmm¡­ the disciples in your Clan?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said with a look of disdain, ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered with them.¡±


    Curious, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the way they look at me.¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s expression cooled, ¡°It¡¯s either sycophantic, jealous, contemptuous, or indifferent. I can¡¯t stand it, so I don¡¯t bother with them.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback; he hadn¡¯t expected Bai Zisheng, who seemed somewhat rough around the edges, to be so sensitive.


    After saying this, Bai Zisheng quickly returned to his usual demeanor, ¡°I have clarified the meaning of the Formation Pivot for you, now you have to take me to the Monster Hunting play on the seventh day.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Mo Hua said helplessly, and then added:


    ¡°I¡¯m going to practice formations now; don¡¯t talk to me for the next two hours.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, go ahead, nobody¡¯s stopping you,¡± Bai Zisheng waved him off.


    Mo Hua then took out the ¡°Three Talents Formation¡± and began to draw.


    This was the formation that Mr. Zhuang had previously tasked Mo Hua with drawing. After several days of practice, Mo Hua could barely manage it, but he was prone to mistakes and his technique was not yet skilled.


    Bai Zixi elegantly read her book while Mo Hua concentrated on drawing formations, and the bamboo pavilion became quiet in an instant.


    After meditating for a while, Bai Zisheng glanced at Bai Zixi, then at Mo Hua, held his composure to meditate for a bit longer, but eventually couldn¡¯t resist and sneakily peeped at Mo Hua¡¯s Formation Drawing.


    As he watched, Bai Zisheng¡¯s expression grew serious, and several times he seemed to want to say something, but he restrained himself in the end.


    He lost interest in cultivating too, fixating on the formations under Mo Hua¡¯s brush, not even blinking.


    Bai Zixi, who was originally reading, noticed Bai Zisheng¡¯s odd behavior, and gently tugged at his sleeve, trying to get him to concentrate on his cultivation, but Bai Zisheng was oblivious.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s expression showed slight annoyance, and following Bai Zisheng¡¯s gaze, she too saw the formation that Mo Hua was drawing, and suddenly couldn¡¯t look away anymore.


    Mo Hua, deeply engrossed in his work, did not notice and continued drawing the formation on his own.


    When he finished the Three Talents Formation and finally looked up, he saw Bai Zisheng¡¯s wide eyes; turning his head, he then saw Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes, as lively as autumn waters.

 Chapter 57 - 57 Cultivation Technique_1

    Chapter 57 Cultivation Technique_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but touch his face, then looked down at his clothes before asking in confusion, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Bai Zisheng still couldn¡¯t restrain himself and asked, ¡°The formation you just drew¡­ was it the Three Talents Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Which kind of Three Talents Formation?¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Are there many kinds of the Three Talents Formation?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is¡­ was it the kind of Three Talents Formation that includes six formation patterns?¡±


    ¡°Yes, is there something wrong with that?¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s gaze became slightly focused, ¡°Your cultivation level¡­ it¡¯s only at the third layer of Qi Refinement, right?¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at each other.


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua suddenly realized:


    ¡°Drawing a formation with six formation patterns at the third layer of Qi Refinement, is that considered an impressive feat?¡±


    He had assumed that in a major clan teeming with geniuses, the ability to draw a few extra patterns shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat unconvinced, ¡°It¡¯s not that unusual.¡±


    ¡°Then could you draw the Three Talents Formation when you were at the third layer of Qi Refinement?¡±


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t want to answer and only after a long while did he hesitantly say:


    ¡°Well, about that¡­ Although I couldn¡¯t draw it, that¡¯s because the teacher in our clan wouldn¡¯t allow it. A Qi Refinement cultivator¡¯s divine sense is weak. Forcing oneself to draw complex formations could lead to excessive divine sense consumption, and damage the Sea of Consciousness, making it impossible to become a Formation Master in the future. It¡¯s best not to be overly eager for quick success and damage the foundation.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua half-believed.


    ¡°However,¡± Bai Zisheng added, ¡°there are some cultivators in our clan with exceptional talents who could draw seven or eight patterns at the third level of Qi Refinement. That¡¯s also not considered very rare.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, knowing that while his talent was not poor, it might not amount to much in the Tao Cultivation World filled with Heaven¡¯s proud sons.


    He understood the principle that there¡¯s always someone better.


    Bai Zisheng then patted Mo Hua on the shoulder, consoling him:


    ¡°Although it¡¯s not rare for someone at the third layer of Qi Refinement to be able to draw six patterns, it¡¯s still quite good. With such a talent for formations, even in our clan, you would be considered as having average talent. As long as you work hard, you will definitely achieve something in the area of formations in the future.¡±


    After Bai Zisheng said this, Mo Hua actually felt more at ease.


    His ambitions were not that grand; being able to become a rank-one Formation Master, to have a means of making a living in the Tao Cultivation World, and to bring happiness to his parents would be enough for now. Everything else could wait until later.


    Only Bai Zixi silently watched Bai Zisheng from the side.


    Bai Zisheng inexplicably felt a bit guilty, then he pretended to focus on his cultivation, observing his breath in a show of earnest practice.


    Among Mr. Zhuang¡¯s three nominal disciples, the siblings from the Bai family were twins: Bai Zisheng was the elder brother and Bai Zixi was the younger sister, both of whom were two or three years older than Mo Hua, with a cultivation level at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, four levels above Mo Hua.


    This was because the descendants of noble clans placed emphasis on a solid cultivation foundation and preferred steady progress rather than greedy advancement.


    They had to take it step by step to build a solid foundation before attempting to break through to the next realm, otherwise, their cultivation would have been even higher than it was now.


    In terms of proficiency with formations, Mo Hua felt that he might still catch up with the Bai siblings, but in terms of cultivation, he feared he might never be able to catch up.


    Thus, Mo Hua dutifully cultivated each morning for about two hours, absorbing a spirit stone, slowly and steadily enhancing his cultivation with persistent effort.


    Mo Hua, with only a mid-lower grade spiritual root, had no choice but to practice in this boring and mundane way, day after day.


    Mo Hua was not in a hurry and couldn¡¯t afford to be, because there was no use in hurrying; the progress of cultivation was mostly determined by the quality of the spiritual root, without any shortcuts.


    One day, while Mo Hua was cultivating, he suddenly felt a tingling and slight swelling in his Qi Sea and knew that it had become full. It was time to consider breaking through to become a fourth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator.


    In his surprise, Mo Hua suddenly realized he had forgotten something important:


    He hadn¡¯t chosen a cultivation technique!


    Previously, he had planned to save enough spirit stones to choose an economical Small Five Elements cultivation technique at Tongxian Gate that wouldn¡¯t consume too many Heaven and Earth spiritual items.


    But then, there was a change in the Sect Leader of Tongxian Gate. Instructor Yan left the Sect, and the Outer Gate ceased teaching about formations. Mo Hua simply dropped out as well.


    After being accepted as a nominal disciple by Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua devoted all his attention to studying formations and thus neglected the selection of a cultivation technique.


    Mo Hua¡¯s parents both practiced cultivation techniques, but the techniques they cultivated were slightly different in attribute from Mo Hua¡¯s and leaned more towards body cultivation, hence not quite suitable for Mo Hua to learn. Outside of Tongxian Gate, he had no way to learn a suitable technique either.


    It¡¯s best to start practicing a cultivation technique in the early stages of Qi Refinement. With Mo Hua about to reach the fourth layer, he couldn¡¯t put off finding a cultivation technique any longer.


    ¡°Zisheng, when did you learn your cultivation technique?¡±


    During their free time, Mo Hua curiously asked Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng, discontented, said, ¡°I¡¯m older than you, so you should call me Brother Bai, or Senior Brother Bai, not by my name directly. It makes me seem like I have no seniority.¡±


    ¡°In a few days, when my father and the others return from monster hunting, I can take you to see what the monster beasts they hunt look like.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Really!¡±


    Bai Zisheng immediately said, ¡°When Zixi and I first began our cultivation, we already started learning cultivation techniques. It¡¯s naturally best to learn them as early as possible and, moreover, from a continuous line of transmission. Otherwise, the greater the differences in the techniques learned at different stages, the easier it is to suffer from cultivation deviation.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    Bai Zisheng suddenly thought of something and exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t learned a cultivation technique yet.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not easy for a loose cultivator to choose a cultivation technique.¡±


    ¡°As difficult as it may be, it¡¯s not to the extent that you don¡¯t even have a cultivation technique¡­¡±


    Mo Hua gave him a sidelong glance and said, ¡°That¡¯s being oblivious to other people¡¯s situations.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It means you¡¯re speaking without understanding the struggle.¡±


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the techniques from our clan can¡¯t be shared externally, otherwise, I¡¯d secretly give you a few scarce and high-quality techniques.¡±


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°But isn¡¯t the grade of a cultivation technique determined by a cultivator¡¯s spiritual root? With a mid-lower grade spiritual root, one can only learn mid-lower grade techniques. If it¡¯s mid-lower grade, can there be much difference in quality? Surely they can¡¯t be better than high-grade techniques, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. Some special techniques have unique effects. Some are cultivated faster, some focus on body refinement, and others are suitable for alchemy¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, the grade of the technique is still the most important, as the strength of a cultivator is mainly judged by the abundance of spiritual power. However, since one¡¯s spiritual root is predetermined and cannot be changed, there¡¯s not much to discuss there.¡±


    Scarce cultivation techniques with unique effects¡­


    Lost in thought for a moment, Mo Hua shook his head and said, ¡°Even if there are scarce techniques, I wouldn¡¯t be able to cultivate them. If a technique is scarce, then naturally, the spiritual objects required are also rare. If I can¡¯t gather these objects for the rest of my life, won¡¯t my cultivation remain stagnant forever¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, I forgot you¡¯re from a loose cultivator background and can¡¯t gather those rare heaven and earth spiritual objects¡­¡± Bai Zisheng frowned and then said, ¡°How about you go ask Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m already gratefully indebted to Mr. Zhuang for teaching me formation techniques. How could I be so greedy as to ask him to teach me cultivation techniques as well?¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded and said, ¡°Good, that¡¯s the spirit! Only someone like you deserves to be my little brother.¡±


    Mo Hua corrected him, ¡°I¡¯m not your little brother.¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°How come you¡¯re not? I¡¯m older than you, so you have to call me big brother. Zixi, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    As Bai Zisheng spoke, he turned to look at Bai Zixi, who kept her head down, engrossed in her book, and ignored him.


    ¡°Zixi is older than you too, so you should also call her Sister Zixi,¡± Bai Zisheng added.


    Bai Zixi gave a slight start, and her dark eyelashes gently lifted as her eyes sparkled.


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, ¡°Keep dreaming.¡±


    ¡°So many people want to be my little brother, and I¡¯m not even interested,¡± Bai Zisheng said, puffing up his chest.


    ¡°Who¡¯s keen on that? I¡¯m not taking you to see the monster beasts anymore,¡± Mo Hua retorted.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Bai Zisheng said indignantly, ¡°you¡¯re not keeping your word. If we agreed on something, how can you go back on it?¡±


    After a bout of bickering, Bai Zisheng agreed not to make Mo Hua call him big brother, and Mo Hua agreed to take him to see the monster beasts at the end of the month, bringing their disagreement to an end.


    As everyone continued with their cultivation and reading until the evening, it was time to part. Bai Zisheng then asked, ¡°So what are you going to do about your cultivation technique?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Mo Hua pondered and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and ask my parents. I intend to become a Formation Master anyway, and a Formation Master relies on Divine Sense rather than spiritual power, so having an adequate technique will suffice.¡±


    ¡°How can it just ¡®suffice¡¯? We¡¯re all Mr. Zhuang¡¯s apprentices. If your cultivation is lacking, wouldn¡¯t that make me lose face?¡± Bai Zisheng said huffily, ¡°I¡¯ll look for a suitable technique for you when I get back, one that isn¡¯t closely guarded by the clan. You can secretly learn it.¡±


    Having said that, he then went back with Bai Zixi.


    Mo Hua shook his head helplessly, but feeling the warmth from Bai Zisheng¡¯s good intentions, he picked up his things and went home as well.


    Meanwhile, Mr. Zhuang, resting in the bamboo room, opened his eyes. His pale, slender fingers tapped the armrest of the bamboo chair as he muttered to himself:


    ¡°A cultivation technique, huh¡­¡±

 Chapter 58 - 58 Gifting_1

    Chapter 58 Gifting_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua returned home and told his parents that he was about to breakthrough to the fourth level of Qi Refinement and needed to cultivate a cultivation technique. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were quite pleased. At Mo Hua¡¯s age, becoming a cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refinement made him stand out among his peers in Tongxian City.


    As for the matter of the cultivation technique, Mo Shan told Mo Hua not to worry:


    ¡°Your mother and I have discussed this already. If we can¡¯t learn the techniques from Tongxian Gate, we can only seek some experienced Loose Cultivators for guidance. There is a senior Monster Hunter in Tongxian City with the surname Han, who has the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root and is of medium grade. In a few days, I will invite Senior Han for a drink and ask for his help. Senior Han is warm-hearted and he should be willing to help. We can give him some Spirit Stones as a token of gratitude. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Mo Shan paused and then added, ¡°Senior Han is also from a Loose Cultivator background, and he often says that even though his family¡¯s cultivation technique is complete, it¡¯s not considered a great heritage. Once you reach the later stages of cultivation, I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be much of a prospect¡­¡±


    Mo Shan hoped to give Mo Hua the best, but this was all he could offer, and his face showed a tinge of disappointment.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, comforted him, ¡°Dad, I want to become a Formation Master in the future. As long as I have abundant Divine Sense, the specific cultivation technique isn¡¯t too important. It¡¯s enough to cultivate steadily. This technique has been passed down through generations by Senior Han, which means it¡¯s reliable and won¡¯t cause any problems. That¡¯s better than anything else.¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s expression finally eased somewhat, and Liu Ruhua also gently stroked Mo Hua¡¯s head, saying warmly:


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat. After dinner, rest early. You still have to learn about formations with Mr. Zhuang tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded obediently.


    Bai Zisheng said he would help Mo Hua find some cultivation techniques, but Mo Hua didn¡¯t tell his parents because the larger the clan, the more strictly its heritage is guarded, and it wouldn¡¯t easily be shared with outsiders.


    Moreover, one shouldn¡¯t accept rewards without merit, and he didn¡¯t want to owe Bai Zisheng any favors. After all, he wasn¡¯t able to repay such a debt at the moment.


    Who knew that the next day, Bai Zisheng actually brought several Jade Slips and handed them to Mo Hua like a thief.


    ¡°I took these while Aunt Xue wasn¡¯t looking. Take a look and see if there¡¯s something suitable. Choose one if there is, and I¡¯ll return the rest.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open, unsure what to say.


    Bai Zisheng became smug, ¡°How about that, aren¡¯t you moved!¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked somewhat arrogant, but he was warm and sincere toward others.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Won¡¯t you be punished for sneaking out the cultivation techniques?¡±


    Bai Zisheng snorted, ¡°I¡¯m a direct descendant of the Bai Family. It¡¯s not just a few medium and low grade cultivation techniques¡ªeven if I took an ancestral innate treasure, they wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to me.¡±


    Doubt filled Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    Bai Zisheng insisted, ¡°Would I lie to you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably just a year or two of confinement, no big deal.¡±


    Bai Zixi spoke evenly, but her eyes held a faint smile.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s face turned a bit red.


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t take these techniques. I can¡¯t implicate you.¡±


    Bai Zisheng said displeasedly, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, what are you afraid of?¡±


    Bai Zixi also spoke softly, ¡°These techniques may be valuable, but for the Bai Family, they¡¯re not too rare. Go ahead and cultivate them. It won¡¯t be a problem. Otherwise, Aunt Xue wouldn¡¯t have let my brother take them out.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Bai Zisheng nodded hurriedly, then suddenly exclaimed, ¡°How did Aunt Xue know I took out the techniques?¡±


    Bai Zixi glanced at him lightly, ¡°Everything you do is under Aunt Xue¡¯s watch. It¡¯s only you who think others don¡¯t know.¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s shoulders drooped, somewhat dejected.


    Mo Hua would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t tempted. He also wanted to know what kind of cultivation techniques the noble clans practiced and explore any mysterious aspects.


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua no longer demurred, silently noting the Bai siblings¡¯ kindness in his heart. He then took the Jade Slips from Bai Zisheng¡¯s hands and looked them over:


    The Little Five Elements Jue, suitable for those with the medium grade Five Elements Spiritual Root. It¡¯s a simplified version of the higher-grade Big Five Elements Jue. A cultivator can refine their spiritual power through thirty-three cycles of circulation, and control spells of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. It is simple and versatile¡­


    ¡°Hidden Spirit Jue¡±, suitable for medium-grade water-series spiritual roots cultivation, can refine spiritual power for twenty-eight Circulations, suitable for concealing-type spells¡­


    ¡°Fiery Flaming Jue¡±, suitable for medium-grade fire-series spiritual roots cultivation, can refine spiritual power for thirty-five Circulations, can amplify fire-type spells¡¯ power by ten to twenty percent¡­


    ¡°Water Wood Spirit Skills¡±, suitable for medium-grade water and wood series spiritual roots cultivation, can refine spiritual power for thirty-six Circulations, cultivating this technique can cleanse the meridians, nurture the physique, and reduce bottlenecks in cultivation. This technique can nourish the body but is not suitable for aggressive body cultivation techniques. Required spiritual objects: Heaven Ginseng Wood, Infinite Water, Spiritual Liquid¡­


    Mo Hua looked dazzled, feeling that everything was good, but as he read on, his brows gradually furrowed.


    ¡°Is there nothing suitable?¡± Bai Zisheng saw Mo Hua frowning and couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Mo Hua pondered and asked, ¡°What on earth is Heaven Ginseng Wood?¡±


    ¡°Heaven Ginseng Wood is the root wood of Heaven Ginseng. It can nourish the body and isn¡¯t considered too precious.¡± Bai Zisheng said, not entirely sure.


    ¡°How many spirit stones would that cost?


    While Heaven Ginseng buds are extremely precious, the Heaven Ginseng Wood is much cheaper, roughly a few hundred spirit stones each,¡± Bai Zisheng said uncertainly.


    ¡°And what about Infinite Water?¡±


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t know either, so he scratched his head and looked at Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes moved slightly, ¡°Infinite Water comes from the Infinite Sea. It requires a Pill Master to refine for forty-nine days, purifying impurities from the seawater. What¡¯s finally condensed is the Infinite Water. Infinite Water isn¡¯t precious, but it¡¯s laborious. A small bottle of Infinite Water would require approximately one thousand spirit stones, and if it¡¯s from a remote area, it might cost more. Moreover, such spiritual objects are obscure, and it¡¯s not guaranteed one would be able to buy it even with spirit stones.¡±


    Mo Hua took a deep, cool breath.


    What kind of techniques were these? He simply couldn¡¯t afford to cultivate them!


    Techniques similar to ¡°Water Wood Spirit Skills¡± require only one piece of Heaven Ginseng Wood and one small bottle of Infinite Water, but the required spirit stones were far beyond Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    Not to mention the description of the techniques indicated that cultivation requires spiritual objects, breakthroughs require spiritual objects, plus the daily cultivation spirit stones, the sum is an astronomical figure, far beyond what Mo Hua could afford.


    And that¡¯s just the consumption for the Qi Refinement Realm. Not to mention the Foundation Establishment Realm later on. It¡¯s common knowledge that the later stages of Tao Cultivation require more and more resources.


    Even if Mo Hua really became a first-rate Formation Master who worked day and night drawing formations, he probably couldn¡¯t bear the cost of such cultivation.


    Mo Hua looked at Bai Zisheng and then at Bai Zixi, unable to help but ask, ¡°Does every disciple in your clan cultivate such techniques?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Bai Zisheng shook his head, ¡°the direct disciples cultivate even higher-grade techniques requiring more precious heavenly and earthly treasures. Some spiritual objects are so rare they are priceless, and the clan keeps them as tightly-held secrets, never to be divulged.¡±


    ¡°But these techniques are also not to be disclosed. Even if one wanted to share them, without the specialized spiritual objects needed for cultivation, others could not practice them anyway.¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯ve given you are the best of the transferable techniques our clan allows. Even for indirect disciples or those born out of wedlock, unless they possess exceptional talent, they may not qualify to cultivate them.¡±


    ¡°Does your clan provide the spiritual objects required for cultivating these techniques?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about others, but Zixi and I get everything we need for cultivation from our mother,¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    Bai Zixi glanced at Bai Zisheng, speaking indifferently:


    ¡°The clan divides disciples into categories based on their legitimacy and talent. The more direct a disciple is and the better their talent, the higher their assessment and the more cultivation resources they are given. Direct disciples with great talent can take whatever they need for cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°Other disciples, if they wish to cultivate better techniques that exceed their assessed resource allocation, have to find their own ways. Usually, it involves the parents or other relatives spending merit points to exchange for spiritual objects from within the clan.¡±


    ¡°Whatever the case may be, the children of noble clans only need to focus on cultivation, not needing to worry about the spirit stones and spiritual objects required.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Bai Zisheng nodded and said:


    ¡°Our Bai Family, as well as other noble clans, have been around for at least a thousand years, with rich foundations and ample access to heavenly and earthly treasures. Except for the truly extinct ones, as long as they can be obtained, none of the heavenly and earthly treasures are considered scarce.¡±


    Mo Hua was shaken to his core, the resources of the noble clans were vast as oceans, their inheritances as numerous as the mist. Loose cultivators like himself could only glean the tiniest specks from the vast sea.


    No wonder the Qi Refinement Realm is merely the beginning for cultivators, while for low-level loose cultivators, it is a lifetime.

 Chapter 59 - 59 Selection of Merits_1

    Chapter 59 Selection of Merits_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua, in the end, still did not choose a Cultivation Technique. When everyone parted ways, Mo Hua¡¯s figure seemed slightly forlorn.


    Bai Zixi noticed this and suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ll have Aunt Xue give you some Spiritual Objects.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback; he had not expected the usually aloof Bai Zixi to have such a kind heart. He couldn¡¯t help but smile but still declined, saying,


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. Cultivation is a lifelong matter; I cannot depend on others for my entire life. Besides, I should not accept rewards without merit; I can¡¯t just take others¡¯ things at will.¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s expression remained indifferent. It was unclear whether he was pleased or not.


    After Mo Hua finished speaking, he sincerely added, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Mo Hua always maintained gratitude for others¡¯ kindness toward him.


    After the others had left, Mr. Zhuang, who had been sitting on a lounge chair from sunbathing until moonbathing, finally got up leisurely and walked to the secluded and somewhat dusty study, mumbling,


    ¡°Old Kui is too lazy. How long has it been since this study was cleaned?¡±


    Behind him, where there had been no one, Old Kui suddenly appeared:


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t used, what difference does it make whether it¡¯s cleaned or not?¡±


    ¡°How many times have I told you not to always appear and disappear like this? A perfectly good courtyard, and you make it feel so eerie.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said discontentedly, then walked around the study, flipping through various books and Jade Slips. The already untidy study became even more cluttered.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°I am looking for a few volumes of Cultivation Techniques,¡± said Mr. Zhuang casually.


    ¡°For Mo Hua, that kid?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never been so attentive to your disciples before,¡± remarked Old Kui blandly, with a hint of sarcasm.


    Mr. Zhuang selected a few Jade Slips, spread them out on the desk, and sat down slowly and methodically to examine them one by one:


    ¡°I used to be single-mindedly devoted to the Tao, inevitably arrogant. Now that times have changed and I am no longer connected with the Tao, naturally, I have some spare time to meddle in trivial affairs.¡±


    Old Kui said no more, and the room suddenly fell silent.


    After a moment, Mr. Zhuang could not help but say, ¡°You should talk sometimes; otherwise, this room really feels creepy.¡±


    Old Kui replied indifferently, ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment and said, ¡°What do you think would be a good Cultivation Technique for Mo Hua, that child?¡±


    ¡°It would be best not to choose at all.¡±


    ¡°Why not choose?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t meddle, you won¡¯t be entangled in causality, and it will spare Mo Hua, that child, some trouble.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°You believe in causality, I do not. Even if there is truly causality in this world, it¡¯s not something one can avoid just by wishing to. Maybe by my coming to Li State and taking Mo Hua as an apprentice, I¡¯ve already set causality in motion. Once the heavenly secret turns, it can¡¯t be changed even if one wishes to.¡±


    After speaking, Mr. Zhuang felt it was an ill omen and said self-deprecatingly,


    ¡°A person who has lost their Taoist Heart ages in spirit, I sound like those old fellows from Heavenly Right Pavilion who quibble about the finer points of doctrine.¡±


    Old Kui said evenly, ¡°I am one of those old fellows from Tianquan Pavilion who quibble about doctrine.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave a sheepish smile, ¡°You¡¯re still a bit different.¡± Then, changing the subject, he asked, ¡°How about ¡®Eryi Skill¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Too recondite.¡±


    ¡°¡®Five Elements Life Conversion Technique¡¯?¡±


    ¡°His meridians cannot withstand it.¡±


    ¡°Then ¡®Taoist Mysterious Jue¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You would be hunted down by the Taoist Mysterious Gate.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang picked for a while, but Old Kui refuted each one, so he asked in resignation,


    ¡°Do you have any Cultivation Techniques? Bring them out for a look too.¡±


    ¡°The cultivation techniques here are not suitable either.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°Having a poor Spiritual Root really causes such trouble. Why isn¡¯t Mo Hua born with a superior Spiritual Root? It would make choosing a cultivation technique so much easier. When I chose my cultivation technique, I just picked the best one available; there was no need for all this fuss.¡±


    Old Kui silently rolled his eyes.


    ¡°It needs to be unique, of medium to low grade, for Five Elements Spiritual Roots, and the required Spiritual Objects can¡¯t be too precious¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang mumbled to himself.


    ¡°That ¡®being unique¡¯ requirement is superfluous¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. Being my disciple, you must stand out from the crowd.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just a disciple in name, not a Direct Disciple who has formally taken you as his master and served tea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re mistaken,¡± Mr. Zhuang said with a mysterious look on his face, ¡°Even a disciple in name must be extraordinary to reflect the exceptional nature of his mentor.¡±


    Old Kui said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you used to say that a true master boasts through strength, and only the useless rely on boasting with words¡­?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you remember anything good I¡¯ve said?¡± Mr. Zhuang said, displeased. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Back in the day, when you were unmatched, you never had anything good to say.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked slightly disgruntled and changed the subject. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the important task at hand, picking a cultivation technique.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang then started rummaging through the room again. Anything he deemed suitable, he kept; the unsuitable ones, he tossed aside without a second thought.


    Old Kui silently followed behind Mr. Zhuang cleaning up, occasionally handing him a jade slip or two. Mr. Zhuang would glance at them, show a bit of disdain, but nevertheless, he kept them aside while muttering:


    ¡°Your taste in selecting cultivation techniques is still as pedestrian as ever¡­¡±


    The next day, after Mo Hua spent the day working on Formations, he was about to head home in the evening when he saw Mr. Zhuang wave to him from the bamboo pavilion.


    Mo Hua approached, paid his respects, and couldn¡¯t help but express his confusion, ¡°Gentleman, is there something you wish to instruct?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang simply placed a large bundle of mixed jade slips and texts before Mo Hua, ¡°Take your pick.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open in shock, ¡°Gentleman¡­¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve called me ¡®Gentleman¡¯, I can¡¯t treat you too poorly; giving away a cultivation technique is just a trivial matter.¡±


    Remembering Mr. Zhuang, who would usually be indolent and capable of lounging in a chair all day, Mo Hua looked at the large bundle of carefully selected cultivation techniques in front of him and felt a warmth in his heart. Standing up, he respectfully paid homage once again.


    ¡°Pick one yourself; I¡¯m going to meditate for a while.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang waved his hand and lay back down in the chair, closing his eyes for a little rest.


    Mo Hua tried not to disturb Mr. Zhuang as he gently and attentively flipped through the pile of cultivation techniques before him.


    Spirit Transfering Jue, Sitting Taoist Skill, Heaven and Earth Eryi Classic, Immortal Path Divine Technique¡­


    Just reading the names of these techniques revealed their mystery, with even more extraordinary effects¡ªsome could amplify Spiritual Power, others allowed for Spirit and Body Dual Cultivation, and some even reduced bottlenecks in Cultivation. The least advanced among them could help cultivate up to thirty cycles of Spiritual Power, and many of the required Heaven and Earth spiritual items were familiar to Mo Hua.


    Even with Mo Hua¡¯s modest experience in Qi Refinement, the familiarity suggested that while these Spiritual Objects were rare, they were not the unique treasures that were priceless or as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, or Innate Spirit Objects.


    This indicated that Mr. Zhuang must have put a lot of thought into selecting these techniques.


    Mo Hua quietly took note of this kindness and then focused on choosing a cultivation technique.


    First, he picked the cheapest ones, requiring the fewest Heaven and Earth spiritual items; next, he looked for those that could cultivate the highest cycles of Spiritual Power; then, those most suitable in attributes; and finally, the most practical in effects¡­


    Mo Hua went back and forth, eventually narrowing down to a few options that seemed most appropriate, but then he began to worry again.


    The least required Spirit Objects still didn¡¯t mean none, and when converted into monetary terms, it would still require over a thousand Spirit Stones.


    During the past few days, Mo Hua had looked at cultivation techniques that required tens of thousands of Spirit Stones worth of Spirit Objects. Compared to those, a few thousand Spirit Stones was already the cheapest.


    But Mo Hua suddenly realized that even just a few thousand Spirit Stones were, in fact, something he absolutely could not afford.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat at a loss at that moment.


    Just then, Mo Hua came across a rough, crudely-fashioned jade slip that looked distinctly out of place among the various refined and elegant books and jade slips.


    Mo Hua held it in his hand, submerged his Divine Sense into it, and the simple, ancient characters for ¡°Heaven Yan Jue¡± appeared in his mind. As he continued to read further, he suddenly felt that the explanation for this technique seemed to be missing something.


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua suddenly remembered that there was no mention of required Heaven and Earth spiritual items for this technique.


    Does that mean that the cultivation of this technique does not require any additional Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects?


    The moment this thought surfaced, it sent waves of excitement through Mo Hua¡¯s young mind, leaving him feeling almost overwhelmed with emotion.

 Chapter 60 - 60 Heaven Yan Jue_1

    Chapter 60 Heaven Yan Jue_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua read the explanation of the Cultivation Technique again, where only a few sentences stated that the technique was not limited by the grade or attribute of the Spiritual Root, but the Cycles of the cultivated Spiritual Power were somewhat low. The bottleneck lay in the Divine Sense, unsuitable for those who were not Formation Masters to cultivate.


    Though it did not specify which Spiritual Objects were needed, these descriptions gave off an odd feeling.


    How could there be a Cultivation Technique that did not limit Spiritual Roots?


    The fact that the cultivated Spiritual Power was weak could be understood; after all, it did not restrict the Spiritual Roots, which meant that even those with inferior roots could practice it, and naturally, the cultivated Spiritual Power would not be profound.


    But what did it mean that the bottleneck was in the Divine Sense? And why was it not suitable for those who were not Formation Masters to practice?


    As Mo Hua frowned in contemplation, he lost track of time until Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes, ¡°Have you chosen?¡±


    Only then did Mo Hua snap back to reality, ¡°Disciple has chosen, but I¡¯m not sure which one is more appropriate.¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Let me have a look.¡±


    Mo Hua respectfully handed over the Cultivation Techniques he had selected to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at them one by one, his expression calm and unchanging, yet he felt somewhat displeased inside.


    The Cultivation Techniques Mo Hua had chosen were all selected by Old Kui. The ones Mr. Zhuang had picked out himself were not chosen at all by Mo Hua. This made Mr. Zhuang feel quite embarrassed.


    It was not until he flipped to the last Jade Slip that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    On the ancient pale Jade Slip, three characters were etched: ¡°Tianyan Jue.¡±


    This was one of the unique Cultivation Techniques chosen by Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang was very satisfied, feeling that Mo Hua, the child, still had good judgment; he was indeed teachable.


    Seeing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze fixed on ¡°Tianyan Jue,¡± Mo Hua asked the question he was most concerned about:


    ¡°Gentleman, the practice essentials of ¡®Tianyan Jue¡¯ do not list the required Spiritual Objects. Does that mean it can be cultivated without the need for any Heaven and Earth spiritual items?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed but immediately calmed down again, ¡°Every aspect of pursuing the Great Dao requires effort and yields rewards, so if this Cultivation Technique can be practiced without Heaven and Earth spiritual items, does it mean that there will be troubles in other aspects?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang showed a look of approval, then slowly said:


    ¡°This is an ancient Cultivation Technique.¡±


    ¡°Ancient Cultivation Technique?¡± Mo Hua queried in puzzlement, ¡°What¡¯s the difference with ancient Cultivation Techniques?¡±


    ¡°There are differences, yet there are none. The Cultivation Techniques of the ancients are still Cultivation Techniques, and so are those of the present, all seeking the path to immortality and the Great Dao, each with their advantages and disadvantages, not something that can be generalized¡­¡±


    ¡°Some ancient Cultivation Techniques have been refined and improved upon over generations of Cultivators, becoming more stable, with fewer bottlenecks, making the cultivation process more efficient. Therefore, they have become the main Cultivation Techniques in the Tao Cultivation World; others are obscure and bizarre, difficult to cultivate, and the results after successful cultivation are lackluster, gradually being abandoned¡­¡±


    ¡°Some Cultivation Techniques are cruel and strange, easily causing one to lose their mind, becoming Demon Cultivators, and will thus be banned by the Taoist Court; while others, which can defy the heavens and change fate, have extremely stringent cultivation conditions. They are contested over by various Great Cultivators, either ruined or lost, eventually only remaining in the legends passed down by word of mouth among Cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°Are all ancient Cultivation Techniques not limited by Spiritual Roots?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    ¡°Not exactly, most Cultivation Techniques restrict the attributes of Spiritual Roots, and only a few don¡¯t restrict the grade of Spiritual Roots; they can be practiced by all, from the highest grade to the lowest, but these are the minority.¡±


    ¡°The assessment of Spiritual Roots with Cultivation Techniques and cultivation tiers was promoted by the Noble Clans and Great Sects after the Taoist Court unified the Cultivation World of the Nine States. On one hand, it was to standardize the vast and complex Cultivation Techniques in the Cultivation World, making it easier for Cultivators to practice, and on the other hand¡­¡±


    In truth, it was to monopolize the inheritance of Cultivation Techniques¡­


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze grew sharp, but he did not continue, only saying, ¡°You¡¯ll understand in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded as if he understood, then asked, ¡°Gentleman, what kind of ancient cultivation technique is the ¡®Tianyan Jue¡¯?¡±


    ¡°It is considered one of the more obscure and peculiar types.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mr. Zhuang added, ¡°This cultivation technique has been practiced by others before. It¡¯s easy to learn, as it only requires refining Spirit Stones, but the bottleneck during breakthroughs is very peculiar. For most other cultivation techniques, bottlenecks generally occur in the meridians or the Qi Sea, where one needs to refine Heaven and Earth spiritual items to breakthrough. The bottleneck for this technique lies in the Sea of Consciousness. The Sea of Consciousness is ethereal and unpredictable, hardly having any auxiliary Spiritual Objects to help, so whether one can breakthrough remains an uncertainty.¡±


    ¡°No matter how rare Spiritual Objects are, there¡¯s always a way to obtain them, it¡¯s just a matter of the cost. But when it comes to issues with the Sea of Consciousness, that becomes tricky, sometimes even impossible to tackle. In addition, the Spiritual Power cultivated from this technique is weak and doesn¡¯t seem to offer other effects, so gradually, no one practiced it anymore.¡±


    Listening silently, Mo Hua then asked his last question:


    ¡°What does it mean in the technique when it states, ¡®Only suitable for Formation Masters¡¯? Does one have to become a Formation Master to cultivate this technique?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Mr. Zhuang shook his head and explained: ¡°It¡¯s not that only Formation Masters can cultivate this technique, but among all professions in the Tao Cultivation World, only Formation Masters consume a great deal of Divine Sense, surpassing other cultivators in the use and understanding of the Sea of Consciousness. The ¡®Tianyan Jue¡¯ has its bottleneck in Divine Sense, naturally making it most suitable for Formation Masters. Or to put it another way, if Formation Masters don¡¯t cultivate it, then cultivators of other disciplines will be even less capable.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered, and then made up his mind.


    Seeing this, Mr. Zhuang asked, ¡°Have you decided which cultivation technique you want to practice?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Gentleman, I want to cultivate the ¡®Tianyan Jue¡¯.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang felt a sense of relief, thinking that this child Mo Hua really did share a connection with him, not like Old Kui, whose taste in choosing cultivation techniques was so vulgar.


    Just as Mr. Zhuang was about to hand over the Jade Slip of ¡®Tianyan Jue¡¯ to Mo Hua, he suddenly hesitated, then after a moment¡¯s sigh, asked earnestly, ¡°Mo Hua, are you really sure?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang with a hint of confusion.


    ¡°This technique is easy to practice, but too unpredictable when it comes to breakthroughs, and the Spiritual Power it cultivates is weak, leaving one at a disadvantage whether in cultivation or in combat.¡±


    Reluctant as he was, Mr. Zhuang still pointed to the other techniques ¡°left over¡± for Mo Hua and said:


    ¡°Although these techniques may not be extraordinary, they are stable and practical, with a fair amount of Circulating Spiritual Power. Some Spiritual Objects, even if somewhat troublesome, are not considered valuable, and there are always ways to procure them.¡±


    Yet, Mo Hua firmly replied, ¡°I have decided, Gentleman. My Spiritual Roots are mediocre, and it¡¯s not easy for me to compare with others. I just hope to make some progress in formations, to not let down your teachings. Since I want to become a Formation Master, Divine Sense is naturally the most important, and the quantity of Spiritual Power doesn¡¯t matter as much.¡±


    ¡°A Formation Master¡¯s bottleneck lies in Divine Sense, and so does the ¡®Tianyan Jue¡¯. For me, it¡¯s all the same; as long as I focus on studying formations and strengthening my Divine Sense, that¡¯s good enough. The path of Tao Cultivation is never smooth anyway; success is decreed by fate, all we can do is give our utmost effort.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly taken aback, but then nodded in agreement, ¡°You are right; it is rare to see such a strong Taoist Heart in someone so young.¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t accept such praise, saying somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°Gentleman, it¡¯s not really that my Taoist Heart is strong¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback.


    ¡°It¡¯s mainly because I can¡¯t afford to cultivate the other techniques. This technique doesn¡¯t require Spiritual Objects, so I had no choice but to choose it¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt helpless as well.


    While problems with Divine Sense could possibly be resolved, those ¡°some Spiritual Objects,¡± each costing thousands of Spirit Stones, were simply out of reach for a Loose Cultivator like Mo Hua.


    When one¡¯s poor, their Taoist Heart naturally becomes strong; if it didn¡¯t, there would be no other option.

 Chapter 61 - 61: Spiritual Power_1

    Chapter 61: Spiritual Power_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mr. Zhuang passed the Jade Slip of Tianyan Jue to Mo Hua:


    ¡°The Jade Slip for transmitting ancient cultivation techniques is a bit special, only when your cultivation reaches a certain realm can your divine sense inspect the cultivation techniques that follow. There are no restrictions on the techniques from the Qi Refinement Realm, but for the techniques from the Foundation Establishment Stage, only those who have cultivated the Tianyan Jue and reached the realm of Foundation Establishment can see them.¡±


    ¡°Most ancient cultivation techniques come with only one slip per technique. If the Jade Slip is lost, the technique is essentially lost as well. Even if there are several Jade Slips for some techniques, it is not certain that you can find them. The cultivation world is vast; looking for an obscure Jade Slip of an ancient technique is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, in my lifetime, I have only seen this one of the Tianyan Jue.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, you must take good care of this Jade Slip and never lose it!¡±


    Mo Hua solemnly received the Jade Slip, feeling its weight increase in his hand, but his heart couldn¡¯t help but leap with joy.


    This is a genuine cultivation technique; by learning it, he would truly be considered a cultivator. He had officially taken the first step on the vast and boundless path of cultivation.


    Mo Hua shared the news of Mr. Zhuang teaching him the cultivation technique with his parents.


    Mo Shan was very happy. Although the spiritual power cultivated from this technique wasn¡¯t abundant, the phrase ¡°suitable only for Formation Masters,¡± showed it was extraordinary. Very few true Formation Masters ever emerged among the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City.


    Moreover, the technique was given by the profound and unfathomable Mr. Zhuang; naturally, it is incredibly precious, far superior to those techniques passed down among Loose Cultivators.


    Knowing that Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t care much about common items like Spirit Stones, Mo Shan thought about how Mr. Zhuang had finished all the meat and wine that Mo Hua had delivered before, which must mean it suited the gentleman¡¯s taste.


    The next day, before dawn, Mo Shan went into the mountains in the dark. He hunted several Monster Beasts and, three days later, came down from the mountain carrying a large bundle. Inside the bundle was the most tender meat from the loin of various bovine and ovine Monster Beasts, so fresh that he didn¡¯t even put it in a Storage Bag.


    Liu Ruhua cleaned the meat and prepared it in various ways: smoked, fried, or stewed in sauce, creating a range of spicy and savory flavors, garnished with some green spices, and neatly placed in a food box.


    She also took out several jugs of variously fragrant fruit wines that they made at home, along with a few boxes of freshly roasted, fragrant pine nuts, for Mo Hua to take up the mountain. She instructed Mo Hua to convey words of thanks like ¡°not to disturb the gentleman in his ascetic cultivation, just to express gratitude.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang accepted the food box without saying much, but he looked very pleased. Sitting in the bamboo pavilion, he ate a piece of meat and drank a cup of clear wine, enjoying it along with the breeze and mountain scenery.


    Old Kui was quite satisfied with the pine nuts; the few boxes had just been handed over when they disappeared in front of Mo Hua¡¯s eyes. Old Kui had tucked them away somewhere, not leaving any for Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua also brought some to the Bai siblings to express his thanks.


    Bai Zixi ate two slices of meat and drank a bit more sweet osmanthus rice wine, her cheeks flushed red and her eyes brightly shining, like stars twinkling in the sky.


    Bai Zisheng was not shy at all, expressing his preference for spicy food by devouring it with big bites, sweating profusely but still enjoying it immensely.


    Seeing his way of eating, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°You¡¯re not short of meat on a regular basis, are you?¡±


    ¡°That you do not understand,¡± Bai Zisheng said: ¡°What I usually eat is the meat of Spirit Beasts, which is delicate but lacks texture, and since it¡¯s so rich in spiritual energy, it doesn¡¯t have much flavor.¡±


    Mo Hua felt his words were somewhat infuriating; he had hardly ever eaten the meat of Spirit Beasts, except for what his mother cooked. The most memorable for him was still the Colorful Chicken that Da¡¯hu and the others stole from an Elder of Tongxian Gate, which even got burnt.


    After Bai Zisheng had his fill of food and drink, he inquired about Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation technique.


    Mo Hua recounted Mr. Zhuang¡¯s transmission of the cultivation technique.


    Bai Zisheng was slightly envious, ¡°The gentleman is really good to you, even though the spiritual power from this technique is rather weak.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can be done about it; things in life hardly ever go perfectly according to one¡¯s wishes. One always has to make choices.¡±


    Bai Zisheng curled his lips, ¡°You¡¯re not old, but you speak as if you are an old fellow.¡±


    ¡°Does having weak spiritual power really make a big difference?¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly felt concerned about it again.


    ¡°That goes without saying,¡± Bai Zisheng spoke, ¡°Cultivators, those who follow the path of cultivation, naturally focus on cultivating spiritual power. If your spiritual power is weak, you¡¯ll be inferior to others wherever you go.¡±


    Bai Zisheng gave an example, ¡°Suppose you have to fight someone; they have a hundred cycles of spiritual power, while you only have fifty. If you clash head-on, when they still have fifty cycles of spiritual power left, you¡¯d have already exhausted yours, naturally leaving you at their mercy.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators need to use spiritual power for everything, not just for sparring or casting spells but also for artifact refining, alchemy, and even for handling storage chests at the Spiritual Transport Wharf.¡±


    ¡°If you refine one spiritual artifact, others can refine two; if you refine one batch of pills, others can refine two; if you carry ten chests for half a day, others can carry twenty, earning twice the spirit stones you do. How can you compete with others like that?¡±


    ¡°Then if I become a Formation Master, it¡¯s okay if my spiritual power is a bit weaker, right?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat unsure of himself.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that is also true,¡± Bai Zisheng nodded, ¡°The most troublesome aspect for a Formation Master is the consumption of divine sense, which is much greater than that of spiritual power. When drawing formations, the divine sense is often exhausted long before the spiritual power. So a lower level of spiritual power doesn¡¯t affect your ability to be a Formation Master.¡±


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Bai Zisheng patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, ¡°However, you don¡¯t need to worry about that either. Although your spiritual power is low, mine is high. Just call me Big Brother, and I¡¯ll look after you. If anyone bullies you, I¡¯ll take care of them for you.¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡±


    Bai Zisheng made a second attempt, ¡°Then just give me beef to eat every day, and I¡¯ll look after you as well.¡±


    ¡°You could buy it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Xue won¡¯t allow me to eat just anything. She also told me to eat less of things that don¡¯t contain spiritual energy.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, oh? I¡¯m doing this to give you face¡­¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    Mo Hua ignored him, and Bai Zisheng kept grumbling while Bai Zixi watched them silently, taking another small sip of the sweet fermented rice.


    In the following days, Mo Hua gave up on the Breathing Technique and officially started cultivating according to the meridian chart and breathing methods described in Tianyan Jue.


    After cultivating a few times, Mo Hua could clearly feel the difference.


    The speed of assimilation was faster, the spiritual power refined was purer, and the meridians throughout his body felt more unobstructed.


    The only issue was that after cultivation, there was nothing special about the spiritual power.


    Mo Hua asked Da¡¯hu, who cultivated the Fire-series Fierce Tiger Jue. After cultivation, Da¡¯hu¡¯s spiritual power would have a slight burning sensation, and any fire-series spells or physical techniques he practiced in the future would be more powerful.


    Shuanghu cultivated the Solid Foundation Skill, which harmonized spiritual energy with blood qi after cultivation, strengthening the body when spiritual power circulated. Mo Hua had forgotten which cultivation technique Sanhu practiced, but after cultivation, his spiritual power also underwent some special changes. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual power seemed to have no fundamental change compared to before.


    The cycles of spiritual power refined through Tianyan Jue were also standard.


    Compared with clan disciples like the Bai siblings, it certainly couldn¡¯t match up, but compared to the average Qi Cultivation Loose Practitioner, it was slightly above average¡ªnot great, but acceptable.


    Moreover, the only unique aspect of this cultivation technique might be that it consumed more divine sense during practice, several times more than the basic Breathing Technique.


    However, the divine sense consumed during practice of the Breathing Technique, or any general cultivation technique, was already quite low, and even if it were several times higher, it would scarcely amount to anything¡ªit wouldn¡¯t even be enough to draw a single formation.


    But Mo Hua never expected this technique to have anything particularly special about it.


    For Mo Hua, the best cultivation technique was the one that saved spirit stones.

 Chapter 62 - 62: Abnormality_1

    Chapter 62: Abnormality_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The Qi-refining Realm is divided into three phases and nine levels, with the early phase consisting of levels one to three, and anything above level three is considered the middle phase of Qi Refinement.


    Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation had already reached the peak of the third layer of Qi Refinement, just a step away from breaking through to the middle phase.


    After practicing Tianyan Jue for no more than half a month, Mo Hua felt that his Qi Sea was brimming, unable to refine any more spiritual power.


    This also meant that Mo Hua was about to make a breakthrough.


    Normally, to break through using other cultivation techniques, one would need to prepare special Heaven and Earth spiritual items to stimulate the meridians and Qi Sea during the breakthrough in hopes of overcoming the bottleneck and advancing to a higher realm.


    Tianyan Jue doesn¡¯t require any special spiritual objects to assist in cultivation, so one should be able to continue cultivating.


    Mo Hua still spent most of his time Drawing Formations, only setting aside two hours each day for meditation and cultivation.


    A few nights later, as per usual, Mo Hua was engraving Formation Patterns onto the Taoist Stele within his Sea of Consciousness when suddenly, as if blessed by serendipity, his Qi Sea churned tumultuously.


    Mo Hua quickly exited his Sea of Consciousness and sat cross-legged on the bed before taking out two Spirit Stones and quietly absorbing spiritual energy.


    It only took a moment for Mo Hua to feel the acupoints throughout his body open up, and his absorption of spiritual energy increased several times over the usual rate, depleting the spiritual energy from the two Spirit Stones in no time. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua felt both pained and elated.


    He was pained by the consumption of the Spirit Stones yet elated that he was about to break through to become a cultivator in the middle phase of Qi Refinement.


    Mo Hua took out a few more Spirit Stones and continued to absorb.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s Storage Bag were dozens of Spirit Stones that he had saved, along with nearly a hundred more given by his parents, who, knowing he was close to a breakthrough but unsure of when it would happen, had advised him to carry them as a precaution.


    These hundred Spirit Stones probably represented the income of their eatery for half a month.


    Mo Hua calmed his mind and maintained a steady, unarrogant attitude, slowly breathing in and out.


    The Spirit Stones in his hands shimmered with a crystal-clear blue light, which gradually dimmed until, finally, their spiritual power was completely exhausted, leaving them gray and white.


    One after another, after consuming nearly fifty Spirit Stones, Mo Hua¡¯s Qi Sea finally stopped churning, the spiritual power from the Qi Sea nourished his meridians throughout his body, gradually becoming dense and stable.


    Just when Mo Hua believed he was about to succeed in his breakthrough, thin wisps of spiritual power began to scatter, escaping from the meridians and traveling along some tiny collaterals, gradually converging toward the Bahui Meridian at the top of his head.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened.


    What was this?


    He had never heard of properly refined spiritual energy uncontrollably leaking out, and especially not converging toward the top acupoint on the head!


    The spiritual energy didn¡¯t actually collect at the Bahui Meridian, but when it reached the Heavenly Gate Point, it started to weave and stabilize like threads, slowly seeping inward to the exact location of Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness!


    Suppressing the palpitations in his heart, Mo Hua let his Divine Sense sink into his Sea of Consciousness, only to discover fine, pale blue strands of spiritual energy there.


    These strands were intermittent and chaotic, like the continuous drizzle of spring rain or tangled strands of hair, forming a complicated pale blue Spirit Screen.


    Mo Hua was completely stunned.


    With his brief experience in Tao Cultivation, he had no idea what was happening.


    Mo Hua tried to mobilize his spiritual power and found that it could circulate normally.


    Grasping the Spirit Stones, he attempted to absorb Spiritual Energy for cultivation, but the energy passed through the Heavenly Gate Point into the Sea of Consciousness and was automatically blocked, unable to form a Circulation and thus unable to be refined into spiritual power, accumulate in the Qi Sea, or enhance his Cultivation.


    This meant that Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t be able to practice cultivation anymore, nor could he advance to a higher realm.


    Mo Hua took in a cold breath and murmured, ¡°What should I do now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua lay back on the bed, his mind in turmoil. After a while, he sat up, forcing himself to calm down:


    ¡°There is a Taoist Stele in the Sea of Consciousness, but I didn¡¯t touch it during cultivation, so it can¡¯t be the stele¡¯s fault.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not the stele¡¯s fault, then it must be the cultivation technique¡¯s issue.¡±


    ¡°There was no problem with cultivating the technique; the issue arose during the breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°When I broke through, the overflowing spiritual power reached my meridians and finally connected to my Sea of Consciousness, forming a Spirit Screen.¡±


    ¡°The Spirit Screen blocked the circulation of spiritual power, so I couldn¡¯t continue my cultivation. As long as I solve the problem of the Spirit Screen and prevent it from forming an obstacle, the spiritual power should flow again, and it won¡¯t hinder my practice.¡±


    ¡°So the real problem is solving the Spirit Screen in the Sea of Consciousness¡­¡±


    Mo Hua grasped the key issue, then set aside all other factors, only considering the Spirit Screen within the Sea of Consciousness. He let his Divine Sense sink into the Sea of Consciousness and carefully examined the intricate Spirit Screen.


    The Spirit Screen was made of pale blue strands of spiritual energy that seemed alive, moving freely and chaotically, slowly drifting. They crossed over each other intermittently, separating and intertwining, creating a disorderly and abstruse sight.


    After watching for the duration of a cup of tea, Mo Hua collapsed back onto the bed.


    He inwardly complained, ¡°What the hell is this Spirit Screen? I can¡¯t make heads or tails of it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua once again deeply felt his lack of knowledge in Tao cultivation.


    There¡¯s a saying that knowledge is the ladder for cultivators to progress. Mo Hua didn¡¯t know where he had heard it, but he found it made sense at the moment.


    Mo Hua started to recall in his mind all the knowledge related to Tao cultivation he had encountered, to see if there was anything similar. But the jumble of thoughts made his head increasingly chaotic and painful. In the end, he still had no clue.


    In a flash of insight, he suddenly remembered a line from the Tianyan Jue cultivation technique:


    ¡°Unfit for practice without being a Formation Master.¡±


    Mo Hua bolted upright.


    If the technique was unfit for those who are not Formation Masters, then it must be related to Formation Masters. If it¡¯s related to Formation Masters, could this Spirit Screen be¡­ a Formation?


    He recalled another previous line, ¡°The bottleneck lies in the Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°The bottleneck lies in the Divine Sense, unfit for practice without being a Formation Master.¡±


    The bottleneck in the Divine Sense is because the Spirit Screen is the bottleneck, and the Spirit Screen exists within the Sea of Consciousness. Unfit for practice without being a Formation Master, that¡¯s because the Spirit Screen itself is a formation, which only a Master Formation could understand!


    Mo Hua let his Divine Sense plunge into the Sea of Consciousness once again and observed the Spirit Screen more carefully, discovering that although the spiritual energy strands in the Spirit Screen looked disorderly, the way they interconnected actually formed Formation Patterns.


    But with the constant movement of the spiritual energy strands, the patterns kept changing, and what ultimately formed was a continuously evolving and shifting Formation.


    Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    Then he scratched his head again.


    This Formation¡­ he had never seen it before!


    The formations he had learned included at most six Formation Patterns, but the Spirit Screen before him seemed to be made of dozens to hundreds.


    Even more terrifying, these patterns were constantly changing, ultimately forming Formations that Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand, which in turn continuously transformed into even more incomprehensible Formations¡­


    Just looking at it was enough to make Mo Hua¡¯s scalp tingle.


    ¡°Is this the Ancient Formation used by ancient cultivators in their practice?¡±


    ¡°Is this the so-called ¡®bizarre and obscure¡¯ ancient technique?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help feeling awe in his heart¡ªthe wisdom of ancient cultivators was truly extraordinary. A mere practice technique of the Qi-refinement Realm was daunting just to behold.


    He also mourned silently for himself, knowing that the technique was ¡®bizarre and obscure¡¯, but never anticipated it to be to such an extent.


    Mo Hua silently examined the Spirit Screen for a long while, his head spinning without any breakthrough. In the end, he came to a clear conclusion:


    Alone, he had no way of dealing with this Formation Barrier whatsoever.


    Realizing his powerlessness was also a kind of self-awareness.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask Mr. Zhuang tomorrow.¡±


    Mo Hua, feeling relieved, pulled the blanket over himself and immediately fell asleep with heavy snores.

 Chapter 63 - 63 Mystery Formation_1

    Chapter 63 Mystery Formation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Formation Barrier?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang also appeared slightly astonished.


    Mo Hua recalled the Spirit Screen in her mind and detailed:


    ¡°The pale blue Spiritual Power was like Spiritual Ink, the intertwining patterns were like Formation Patterns, weaving into a Spirit Screen that resembled an entire Formation. However, the Spiritual Power was flowing, the Formation Patterns changing with it, resulting in different Formations on the Spirit Screen.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes lit up, and then he took out paper and pen, spreading them out on the table in front of him.


    ¡°Do you still remember those Formation Patterns? Draw a few for me to see.¡±


    ¡°I remember some of the Formation Patterns, but they keep changing¡­¡± Mo Hua said truthfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Just draw them as they appeared to you.¡±


    Mo Hua picked up the pen and dipped it in ink, the pen tip dancing on the paper, and soon several Formation Patterns leaped onto the Formation Paper.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at them, ¡°They look like ordinary Formation Patterns, nothing special.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°The seniors who practiced this Cultivation Technique before, did they not encounter this situation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment and said, ¡°No, at least I haven¡¯t heard of it.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang added, ¡°Even for the same Cultivation Technique, different Cultivators may encounter different problems when they practice it, especially with such a rare ancient technique. There are few inheritances, and even fewer people who practice it. Once a problem arises, it¡¯s hard to find any good precedents to refer to.¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang mused, ¡°The Cultivation Technique does indicate that the bottleneck lies in Divine Sense. Previous Cultivators must have encountered issues at the level of Divine Sense too, but their problems must have been different from yours; otherwise, it would have been mentioned in the Jade Slip. It¡¯s about the inheritance of a Sect¡¯s internal techniques¡ªseniors within the Sect wouldn¡¯t keep secrets and fail to report them.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned and asked, ¡°Then, Gentleman, what should I do? It seems that I can¡¯t cultivate now.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave a carefree smile, ¡°As long as it¡¯s about Formations, it¡¯s hardly an issue,¡± he then instructed, ¡°Go back and write down all the Formation Patterns and Formations that appear on the Spirit Screen, and show them to me tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Gentleman!¡±


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, then thought about what Mr. Zhuang had just said.


    If it¡¯s about Formations, it¡¯s hardly an issue?


    Just how profound was Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mastery in Formations?


    Could he already be a Third Grade Formation Master¡­


    What kind of Formations could a Third Grade Formation Master draw?


    Mo Hua felt somewhat longing but then thought:


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not aim too high for now; even becoming a First Grade Formation Master is still a distant goal¡­¡±


    Mo Hua collected her thoughts, remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s instruction, and after returning home, immersed her Divine Sense into the Sea of Consciousness to observe the Formation Patterns and Formations on the Spirit Screen.


    She recognized quite a few of the Formation Patterns on the Spirit Screen, but most of the Formations were unfamiliar, and some rarely encountered patterns were impossible to remember after just one look. She had no choice but to practice on the Stele while watching, and after mastering and memorizing them, she would exit her Sea of Consciousness and record the Formation Patterns on Formation Paper.


    She continued like this until 1 p.m., suddenly feeling dizzy, knowing she had overused her Divine Sense, and decided to rest awhile.


    As soon as she relaxed her mind, Mo Hua felt her stomach growling with hunger, then realized she had been so engrossed in recording Formation Patterns that she had missed dinner.


    ¡°My parents must be asleep by now.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat worried, ¡°I don¡¯t even know if there¡¯s anything to eat at home.¡±


    She stood up and was about to open the door when she found a small table next to it, with several bowls and plates on it, a large bowl turned upside down on top.


    Mo Hua lifted it to find a small pot of white porridge, a plate of mixed vegetables, two steamed buns, and a small dish of soy beef.


    The vegetables and beef were cold, the buns were warm, but the porridge was still hot.


    ¡°It must have been my mother, worried that I hadn¡¯t eaten and not wishing to disturb my Formation study, who specifically placed it by the door. And she must have reheated it before going to bed; otherwise, the porridge would have been cold by now.¡±


    Mo Hua felt happy, took a sip of porridge, and felt her whole body warm up.


    She then devoured the rest of the food like a whirlwind, sweeping away her fatigue, and felt refreshed and spirited.


    Mo Hua re-entered her Sea of Consciousness and continued to copy the Formation Patterns from the Spirit Screen, then transcribed the remembered patterns onto Formation Paper one by one.


    She kept at it until 2 a.m., and when her Divine Sense was depleted a second time, she carefully stored the transcribed Formation Papers and went to sleep soundly.


    On the second day, Mr. Zhuang looked at the Formation Paper transcribed by Mo Hua, his gaze slightly focused as he said:


    ¡°It turns out to be a Mystery Formation.¡±


    ¡°Mystery Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua had never heard of it before.


    Mr. Zhuang patiently explained, ¡°You know riddles at lantern festivals, right?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°This Mystery Formation is like those lantern riddles, only it uses Formation Patterns as the key and the Formation itself as the puzzle to create the Mystery Formation. If you don¡¯t have the right method, naturally you can¡¯t see through the truth within,¡± Mr. Zhuang explained.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°These used to be something that long-standing Sects and Noble Clans would use for their disciples as an intellectual pastime, but it¡¯s not so common anymore.¡±


    Thinking of those intricate and complex Formation Patterns that gave him a headache just by looking at them, Mo Hua¡¯s expression also grew complicated.


    This is for intellectual entertainment?


    ¡°So if I can¡¯t solve it, does that mean I¡¯m pretty dumb?¡± Mo Hua asked delicately.


    Mr. Zhuang saw through Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts and said with a half-smile, ¡°Not necessarily, yours is slightly more difficult, and not everyone can solve it.¡±


    Mo Hua felt that Mr. Zhuang was comforting him, though not quite hitting the spot.


    Not everyone can solve it, which probably means quite a few people can, and not many like him who cannot.


    And he was one who could not¡­


    Since it is meant for intellectual pastime, he must solve it¡ªthis matter of face was something he needed to fight for!


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How do you solve this Mystery Formation then?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang habitually tapped his bamboo chair with his finger, ¡°Your situation is different from others; if they can¡¯t solve it, they just feel a bit downhearted. But this Mystery Formation is tied to your cultivation, and if you can¡¯t solve it, your Cultivation will stagnate, which would be quite troublesome.¡±


    ¡°As for the methods, there are two: one is you learn to solve it yourself, the other is you memorize all the Formation Patterns, transcribe them, and then I¡¯ll help you solve it.¡±


    ¡°The second method is the fastest and most straightforward; after all, Cultivation is the foundation of a Cultivator. Without Cultivation, everything else is empty talk, not to mention becoming a Formation Master. The first method requires you to learn it yourself, which is beneficial for learning Formation, but it¡¯s time-consuming and will delay your Cultivation. The choice is yours now,¡± Mr. Zhuang finished, watching Mo Hua with an interested expression.


    Mo Hua felt a bit torn.


    For a Cultivator, the consequences of stagnated Cultivation were too severe. His own Cultivation level was naturally inferior to the Bai siblings and other nobility¡¯s children, but among his peers in Tongxian City who were Loose Cultivators, he was barely considered a standout¡ªalbeit the best among the weakest.


    If he wasted too much time due to a bottleneck in his Cultivation Technique, he feared he¡¯d fall even further behind.


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua decided, ¡°Gentleman, I choose the first option.¡±


    It was best to solve a problem by oneself if possible.


    Falling behind in Cultivation was acceptable; he was already lagging in terms of Spiritual Root and Cultivation Technique compared to others, and it would only get worse. It made no difference whether he fell behind sooner or later.


    One should not covet fleeting superiority.


    Furthermore, if he relied on Mr. Zhuang to solve the bottleneck of the initial phase of Qi Refinement, what would he do during the Middle Phase and even the later phases of Qi Refinement?


    Mr. Zhuang could not always be by his side, and he was just a nominal disciple of Mr. Zhuang¡ªhe couldn¡¯t trouble him with everything.


    Another reason was that the concept of ¡°intellectual pastime¡± deeply rankled Mo Hua.


    ¡°Oh? Are you sure of your decision?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked, his tone carrying profound meaning.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°The disciple has made up his mind.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in approval, ¡°I have some books and Jade Slips here that outline the basics of Mystery Formations. Take them and have a look. Once you have finished, come to find me, and I will teach you how to solve Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua accepted them with gravity, saying, ¡°Disciple takes his leave.¡±


    Watching Mo Hua leave, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s leisurely demeanor faded, his expression turning slightly grave.

 Chapter 64 - 64 Strange_1

    Chapter 64 Strange_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°This is not meant for intellectual amusement.¡±


    Old Kui appeared at some point, speaking quietly. Then he glanced at Mr. Zhuang, hesitated slightly, and added:


    ¡°At least not for normal people.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly, ¡°Have you seen this kind of Cultivation Technique before?¡±


    Old Kui shook his head slightly, ¡°I¡¯ve seen stranger Cultivation Techniques, but none as peculiar as this¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen techniques where the bottleneck lies in the Spirit Stones, Spiritual Roots, Spiritual Objects, meridians, bloodlines, or even requires killing people, Monster Beasts, Demon Cultivators, and even those needing the Blood Qi, Spiritual Power, Divine Sense of a living person as a lead, but it¡¯s my first time seeing one where the bottleneck is in the Mystery Formation inside the Sea of Consciousness.¡±


    Old Kui spoke faintly again: ¡°These sorts of ancient and obscure Cultivation Techniques are indeed something only ancient sects like yours would have.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang let out a slight sigh, ¡°This is troublesome.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, there¡¯s no need to be different from others, learning some obscure Cultivation Technique nobody else practices. Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Root is simply not up to par, and now having learned such an obscure technique, his cultivation will be hindered, and his progress will be much slower.¡± Old Kui¡¯s tone carried a hint of rebuke.


    ¡°One should always see things through to the end, I will find a way.¡±


    ¡°What will you do? Don¡¯t forget that you can¡¯t stay in this place too long.¡± Old Kui¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold.


    ¡°I must teach him to dissolve the Formation, allowing him to independently comprehend and break the Mystery Formation in his Sea of Consciousness.¡± Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°With Mo Hua¡¯s perceptiveness, it shouldn¡¯t take too long. After that, it¡¯ll be up to his own fate¡­¡±


    ¡°What about those two kids from the Bai Family, you¡¯re not going to take care of them?¡±


    ¡°Taking them on as registered disciples was already an exception; it¡¯s impossible to take them as Direct Disciples. My fellow apprentice sister is too calculating; she¡¯s been scheming against me all her life, I can¡¯t let her scheme succeed in everything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, your judgment when choosing disciples has always been poor, and the same goes for choosing Cultivation Techniques.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang wanted to retort, but as he was about to speak, he felt that Old Kui wasn¡¯t wrong, so he swallowed his words back down. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t wait to start reading the Jade Slip he had gotten from Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Formations are derived from the principles of heaven and earth, and they depict all phenomena, possessing the power to change heaven and earth and an unfathomable might that even Ghost Gods cannot predict. By thoroughly understanding the Dao of Heaven and Earth and the principles of Formations, one can not only establish Formations but also dissolve them.¡±


    ¡°Formation media, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivots, and Formation eyes together construct a Formation. Damaging its Formation media, destroying its Formation eye, that is called breaking the Formation; unraveling its Formation Patterns, reversing its Formation Pivots, this is called dissolving a Formation.¡±


    ¡°All things have a system of mutual generation and overcoming; Formation Patterns are no different. Yin and Yang mutually overcome each other, Three Talents mutually invert, Four Symbols mutually suppress, and among the Five Elements, Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal¡­¡±


    The content about dissolving Formations in the Jade Slip was extensive and detailed, quite a lot to take in.


    Mo Hua seemed to understand some of it, but upon closer reflection, he didn¡¯t quite grasp it. Frowning in deep thought, Bai Zisheng quietly peeked over: ¡°Hey, why are you reading a book on dissolving Formations?¡±


    ¡°The Gentleman told me to.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to dissolve Formations?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°A bit, but I¡¯m not particularly good at it.¡±


    Knowing a bit was still considered knowing; at least it was better than oneself.


    Mo Hua pointed to a part of the book and humbly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the difference between breaking a Formation and dissolving a Formation mentioned here?¡±


    Bai Zisheng did not hide anything and explained:


    ¡°Breaking a Formation generally refers to using brute force to destroy the Formation media on which the Formation relies and the Formation eyes through which the Formation operates, forcibly removing the Formation. Without the Formation media, the Formation can hardly exist, and without the Formation eye, the Formation cannot operate, and naturally, the Formation is broken¡­¡±


    ¡°Dissolving a Formation is more troublesome; it relies on understanding the generation and overcoming within the Formation Patterns of the Formation, drawing Formation Patterns to neutralize the original Formation Patterns. Once the Formation Patterns are nullified, the Formation is naturally dissolved. Generally, only Formation Masters are capable of dissolving Formations.¡±


    ¡°Do you not understand how to disarm the Formation?¡± asked Bai Zisheng, before posing another question.


    ¡°No,¡± Mo Hua said with some embarrassment and a shy tone, ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand the difference between the Formation eye, Formation pivot, and Formation media¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng exclaimed ¡°Wow,¡± ¡°How do you not know these things?¡±


    Mo Hua countered, ¡°If I knew all that, would I still ask you? If I don¡¯t ask you, how would you be able to show off your extensive knowledge?¡±


    Bai Zisheng stroked his chin, ¡°That seems to make sense.¡±


    Turning his head to see his sister Bai Zixi¡¯s lips almost imperceptibly curved in a smile, he reacted and then protested:


    ¡°Still, that¡¯s not right, I can¡¯t teach for nothing!¡±


    ¡°What if I bring you a plate of beef tomorrow?¡±


    Bai Zisheng snorted coldly, ¡°What kind of person do you think I am? I am a direct descendant of the Bai Family, a favored child of the heavens; do you think you can fob me off with a plate of beef?¡±


    ¡°Two plates?¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    ¡°So what are the differences between a Formation eye, Formation media, and Formation pivot?¡±


    Mo Hua seized the opportunity to ask.


    Having secured two plates of beef, Bai Zisheng was quite satisfied and explained:


    ¡°The Formation eye is the core of the Formation¡¯s operation, providing Spiritual Power for the Formation¡¯s function. Generally speaking, the Formation eye of a Single Formation is a Spirit Gathering Formation Pattern, while the Formation eye of a Compound Formation made up of multiple Single Formations is a Spirit Gathering Array. The more powerful the Formation, the more Spiritual Power the Formation eye requires. Some Family Sects and Clans¡¯ Protective Sect Arrays, might even use an entire Spiritual mine as a source of Spiritual Power for the Formation eye¡­¡±


    ¡°The Formation pivot is the hub of a Formation, as well as its layout. The intricacies here are numerous. It generally involves the principles of heaven is round and earth is square, Eryi and Four Symbols, Bagua Positions¡ªdifferent attributes of Formation Patterns should be drawn in the correct positions, otherwise, the Patterns will not be activated¡­¡±


    ¡°Different schools and lineages of Formations have variations in their Formation pivots. Speakin of which is too complex, you don¡¯t need to worry about this. With our current level of understanding of Formations, it¡¯s impossible to disarm a Formation through the Formation pivot¡­¡±


    ¡°Formation media are the conduits for a Formation, objects like Formation Paper, steles, copper, iron, Earth and Wood that carry the Formation Patterns. Once a Formation is drawn upon them, they become the Formation media. Some Spiritual Artifacts also require Formations to be affixed to them and can thus be considered Formation media¡­¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua looking only partly convinced, Bai Zisheng provided an example:


    ¡°To put it simply, the Formation eye is like the heart¡¯s vessels, the Formation pivot is the main vein through which Qi and blood flow, and the Formation Patterns are the capillaries. Spiritual Power is supplied by the Formation eye, funneled through the Formation pivot as the hub, entering the Formation Patterns, much like Qi and blood flowing from the heart along the body¡¯s veins to circulate throughout the body¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng rattled on for a while and then felt thirsty. Mo Hua personally poured a cup of tea for him.


    ¡°Is this¡­ pretty much the basic knowledge of Formations?¡± Mo Hua asked tentatively.


    ¡°I guess so, at least in our Bai Family, these are the common knowledge when learning Formations,¡± Bai Zisheng said with a touch of pride.


    Lucky he had asked beforehand¡ªas using this elementary information to inquire of Mr. Zhuang would have been rather embarrassing for Mo Hua.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a jug of osmanthus wine tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡± Bai Zisheng nodded enthusiastically, clearly thrilled.


    Mo Hua continued to ask about various things, such as the usual methods of disarming Formations, how to breach them, and the specific schools related to Formation pivots, among other topics.


    Unknowingly, the daylight began to wane. Mo Hua bid farewell to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, gathered his things, and prepared to head home.


    ¡°Mo Hua,¡± Bai Zisheng suddenly called out to Mo Hua, his expression grave, ¡°don¡¯t forget the most important thing¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mo Hua looked at him, puzzled.


    ¡°The beef must be spicy!¡±


    Bai Zisheng said with utter seriousness.

 Chapter 65 - 65 Break the Formation_1

    Chapter 65 Break the Formation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua returned home and, after dinner with his parents, had his mother prepare some soy-braised beef, pastries, and fermented rice wine. Then he locked himself in his room to concentrate on solving formations.


    He first drew a Fire-series Formation Pattern on a piece of paper, which appeared in a pale red color and emitted a faint sense of heat.


    Following the methods described in the books, Mo Hua then drew a Water Formation Pattern next to the Kan position of the Fire Formation Pattern.


    After he finished drawing, the red color of the Fire Formation Pattern gradually dimmed, and the misty pale red Spiritual Energy could no longer be seen. Touching it with his hand, there was no longer a slight sense of heat.


    This meant that the Fire Formation Pattern had lost its effectiveness.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, and he tried to dismantle the other Five Elements Formation Patterns one by one. Indeed, they could all be solved by using the Five Elements Generation and Restraint principle to break the Formation Patterns.


    Next came the formations, and Mo Hua spent some more time to draw a Bright Fire Formation.


    The Bright Fire Formation was composed of three Formation Patterns and was the simplest type of formation.


    When Mo Hua sketched formations for Manager Mo, the Bright Fire Formation was the first he drew. Now, drawing this formation again was effortless for him.


    In less than the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, a standard Bright Fire Formation was outlined on the paper.


    Mo Hua looked at the Bright Fire Formation and pondered.


    Previously, when Mo Hua drew the Bright Fire Formation, he simply copied the pattern without delving too deeply. But now, upon close examination, he found that, despite its apparent simplicity, indeed one of the Formation Patterns within the Bright Fire Formation was for gathering Spiritual Energy, while the other two ordinary Fire-series Formation Patterns were for activating the formation to provide illumination.


    Mo Hua compared them one by one, as Bai Zisheng had said.


    The Spirit Gathering Formation Pattern was the Formation eye, the Three Talents position was the Formation Pivot, and the paper used for Drawing Formation was the Formation media.


    Mo Hua tore a notch in the Formation Paper, and indeed, the formation on the paper became ineffective. He drew the Bright Fire Formation again, then altered the Spirit Gathering Formation Pattern that served as the Formation eye, rendering the Bright Fire Formation ineffective as well.


    ¡°This is what¡¯s meant by, ¡®Damaging the Formation media, destroying the Formation eye, this is called breaking the formation¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°This method is certainly¡­ straightforward and crude. Even without understanding formations, one could break them¡­ Hmm, without understanding formations, this forceful method would be the only way to break them.¡±


    ¡°Then what serves as the Formation eye and media for the Mystery Formation within my Sea of Consciousness?¡±


    ¡°If the Spiritual Power in the formation is supplied by the Formation eye, then the Qi Sea must be the Formation eye. The Mystery Formation resides in the Sea of Consciousness, so the Sea of Consciousness would be the Formation media? So, to break the formation, would that mean¡­¡±


    ¡°To disable my own Qi Sea and then also destroy my own Sea of Consciousness?!¡±


    Mo Hua instantly broke out in a cold sweat.


    ¡°Forget it¡­¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Breaking a formation in such a crude and simple manner lacked the cultivation of a Formation Master and did not reflect the level of a Formation Master¡¯s skill.


    Discarding his distractions, Mo Hua drew the Bright Fire Formation again, and this time, he drew a Water Series Formation Pattern at the Kan position of one of the Fire-series Formation Patterns.


    After the Formation Pattern was completed, the Bright Fire Formation did not lose its effectiveness, but its luminosity dimmed slightly.


    The dismantlement was effective, but not yet completely effective.


    Mo Hua then drew another Water Series Formation Pattern next to another Formation Pattern, and with that, the light from the Bright Fire Formation instantly disappeared, and the entire formation was rendered useless.


    ¡°I¡¯ve solved it!¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit excited. He immediately pondered, ¡°To solve a Fire-series Formation Pattern requires dismantling two; does this mean that to solve the Spirit Gathering Formation Pattern, which serves as the Formation eye, only one needs to be dismantled?¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Formation Patterns can be solved through the generation and restraint between them, but what about the Spirit Gathering Formation Patterns? There shouldn¡¯t be any such relations within the Formation Patterns used for Spirit Gathering¡­¡±


    Mo Hua started flipping through the formation manuals Mr. Zhuang had given him and finally found a page with annotations on how to solve the Spirit Gathering Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua read every word carefully, and only then did he start to gain some understanding.


    Indeed, there is a Formation Pattern that governs the generation and restraint of Spirit Gathering Formation Patterns¡ªthe Reversed Spirit Formation Pattern.


    The Spirit Gathering Formation Pattern gathers spiritual power, while the Reversed Spirit Formation Pattern disperses spiritual power in reverse. One gathers, the other scatters; naturally, they follow the principle of generation and restraint. However, Mo Hua had never learned the Reversed Spirit Formation Pattern, and he could not find any charts of it in the related manuals, only some written records.


    The records stated that the Reversed Spirit Formation is a profound pattern, often passed down within aristocratic families and clans that specialize in formations, and not easily shared with outsiders.


    Profound patterns are hard to learn, and also not available to learn.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t consider it further for the time being.


    Beyond that, another method is to use the Spirit Gathering Formation Pattern to solve a Spirit Gathering Formation. One simply needs to draw another Spirit Gathering Formation Pattern near the original, using it to absorb the spiritual power of the original which acts as the formation eye, thereby causing the formation eye to lose its driving force, which naturally equates to having dissolved the formation.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were opened. He had never thought of using the Spirit Gathering Formation Pattern to solve a Spirit Gathering Formation Pattern himself.


    The text mentioned that this method could also be problematic, with the risk of the Formation Pattern used for solving gathering too much spiritual power and being unable to release it, leading to loss of control over the formation and unforeseeable dangers.


    Moreover, if Mo Hua¡¯s guess was right, the formation eye of the Mystery Formation in his Sea of Consciousness was actually his own Qi Sea. Whether using another Qi Sea to absorb the Qi Sea, or carving a Reversed Spirit Formation within the Qi Sea to disperse spiritual power, both sounded like suicidal plans.


    And these methods were simply impossible to achieve anyway.


    In other words, for now, it wasn¡¯t possible to solve the formation by removing the formation eye.


    Mo Hua propped up his cheek, thinking:


    ¡°I can only learn to solve each pattern one by one. Indeed, in the end, the only shortcut is that there are no shortcuts. The Tao Cultivation World has evolved for tens of thousands of years; it¡¯s unlikely there¡¯ll be any loopholes to exploit.¡±


    Mo Hua then drew a Bright Fire Formation and solved it completely. He suddenly realized that his method was too wasteful of paper and ink. Drawing and solving every time, and if he made a mistake, he¡¯d have to draw it all over again. It consumed more paper and ink than practicing formations.


    The problem with Spirit Stones was still severe. Although the income from the restaurant had improved the family¡¯s finances so that the usual expenses for Spirit Stones weren¡¯t particularly lacking, it was still better to save what could be saved, as there would be numerous uses for Spirit Stones in the future.


    ¡°The Taoist Stele in the Sea of Consciousness, it should be just right for practicing solving formations¡­¡±


    Thinking this, Mo Hua let his Divine Sense sink into the Sea of Consciousness.


    In the vast emptiness of the Sea of Consciousness, the Mystery Formation woven by strands of spiritual power remained, and the Taoist Stele stood unaffected by the spiritual power strands.


    Mo Hua, with practiced ease, drew a Bright Fire Formation on the Taoist Stele and then tried to solve it. After solving it, the Bright Fire Formation indeed faded away.


    Mo Hua erased the formation and the solving patterns from the stele, and his consumed Divine Sense recovered.


    ¡°Indeed!¡±


    Mo Hua was delighted. The Taoist Stele was not only suitable for practicing formation patterns but also perfect for practicing solving formations.


    Draw and then erase, and the Divine Sense would recover, meaning there was no consumption of Divine Sense, nor was there any waste of paper and ink.


    Mo Hua then focused on practicing solving formations in the Sea of Consciousness until 2 a.m., when he exited his Sea of Consciousness, meditated for two hours, and then felt refreshed and energetic.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were up early as well, with Mo Shan setting off to hunt monsters on Black Mountain and Liu Ruhua preparing for the restaurant business.


    After a simple yet tasty and warm breakfast, Mo Hua, carrying his food container, set off for Mr. Zhuang¡¯s residence.

 Chapter 66 - 66 Thousand Formations_1

    Chapter 66 Thousand Formations_1


    Translator: 549690339


    When Mo Hua arrived at Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mountain residence, the Bai siblings were already there, studying and cultivating under the tree next to the small stone table by the pond. Aunt Xue usually did not enter the dwelling but waited outside the door.


    When Bai Zisheng saw Mo Hua, he threw down the book in his hand and ran over excitedly.


    Mo Hua handed him a small portion of the food box and also a small pot of fruit wine, ¡°You eat it later, you just finished breakfast.¡±


    Bai Zisheng, with meat stuffed in his mouth, looked content, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I told Aunt Xue I had a poor appetite, so I didn¡¯t eat much this morning.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head and passed the pastries and osmanthus wine jelly to Bai Zixi, who thanked him with her crisp and pleasant voice. She then ate the pastries in small bites and sipped the wine jelly, her demeanor graceful and dignified.


    Looking at Bai Zisheng and then at Bai Zixi, Mo Hua thought to himself that although they were siblings, the difference in their manners of eating was too great.


    Bai Zisheng used to pretend to behave with the propriety of a Disciple of the Worldly Family; however, after he became familiar with Mo Hua, he no longer cared about manners. His current dog-like eating manners utterly wasted his handsome appearance.


    Mo Hua also brought some food and drink to Mr. Zhuang and Old Kui before starting to ask about solving formations.


    Some simple questions Mo Hua had already asked Bai Zisheng, the remaining ones were more difficult problems that couldn¡¯t be solved with just his Tao Cultivation knowledge.


    For example, how to solve a formation using the formation eye and Formation Pivot, what the basic principles of solving a formation are, and how to solve some formations when they can¡¯t be understood, and so on.


    Mr. Zhuang was quite satisfied with the questions Mo Hua posed, ¡°If you can ask these, it shows that you have carefully read through the classics I gave you.¡±


    ¡°Solving formations through the formation eye is very difficult, the Reversed Spirit Formation Pattern is difficult to learn and even more difficult to master, and moreover, it¡¯s a secret passed down by Noble Clans, not easily disclosed. Even if one learns it, it¡¯s hard to use because Spirit Gathering Formation Patterns vary with different formations. In practice, the Reversed Spirit Formation needs to be adapted to the specific formation, and it¡¯s very difficult to grasp the finer points. And using the Spirit Gathering Formation Pattern to solve can easily lead to uncontrollable spiritual power in the formation, not only destroying the formation but also likely injuring the cultivator¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even need to consider solving with the Formation Pivot, at least not if you¡¯re below a Third Grade Formation Master. Solving with the Formation Pivot requires a very deep foundation in formations, and a study of the various Noble Clans, Sects, or different schools¡¯ formation structures; otherwise, when faced with an entirely unfamiliar formation system, there¡¯s no way to begin.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, for you, you just need to think about using Formation Patterns to solve, which seems complicated but is actually the most basic and simplest method.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly as she listened.


    ¡°Mo Hua, do you think a Formation Master should study formations focusing on depth or breadth?¡± Mr. Zhuang suddenly asked.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the best to delve into a wide range and still achieve mastery¡­¡± Mo Hua answered weakly.


    A mature cultivator chooses both.


    Mr. Zhuang laughed, ¡°The Great Dao is boundless, but one¡¯s life is finite. Wishing to explore widely and master everything is wishful thinking. Usually, Formation Masters will make a choice, some prefer to specialize in one particular category of formations, seeking depth instead of breadth, while others choose to have broad knowledge, seeking breadth instead of depth.¡±


    ¡°In that case, specializing in one type of formation is surely better,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°And why is that?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked with interest.


    ¡°Formation arts are profound and complex. Greedily chasing breadth will only result in superficial knowledge. But by specializing in one type, and thereby understanding by analogy, one can truly grasp the essence of formations. When faced with profound and obscure formations later, one will not be at a loss where to start¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s correct, hence why the Noble Clans¡¯ transmission of formations values specialization and shuns miscellany.¡±


    Mo Hua understood some of this but still didn¡¯t quite see how it related to himself.


    ¡°In fact, not only Noble Clans but all orthodox transmission of formations value specialization and do not seek breadth. First, master one category of formations thoroughly, then begin studying other formations.¡± After saying this, Mr. Zhuang paused, looked at Mo Hua again, and spoke, ¡°But you are different; you now need to learn broadly and cannot specialize in one category.¡±


    Mo Hua paused thoughtfully and mused, ¡°Is it because of the Cultivation Technique?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at him with approval, ¡°Correct, you have learned Tianyan Jue, and when you break through to the next realm, you need to solve Mystery Formations. By solving Mystery Formations, the Cultivation Technique can be cultivated, your Cultivation can grow, and your realm can be elevated. If you can¡¯t solve the Mystery Formation and lose your foundation, everything about a Cultivator is just empty talk.¡±


    ¡°And to solve Mystery Formations, you need to learn enough Formation Patterns and master enough Formations. Many Mystery Formations are not actually difficult; it all depends on whether you know the corresponding Formation Patterns and Formations. If you know them, solving the formation is a piece of cake. But if you don¡¯t, even if you have a high talent for Formations and are highly skilled in them, it will be of no help.¡±


    ¡°As the saying goes, ¡®a skillful cook cannot cook without rice.¡¯ For a Mystery Formation you have never encountered before, even the most profound Formation Master can¡¯t proceed.¡±


    Mo Hua had an epiphany, then scratched his head and asked, ¡°So, Mr. Zhuang, what exactly should I do?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang handed him a book. The pages of the book bore four simple and ancient characters:


    Thousand Formation Collection


    Mo Hua flipped through it and found that it densely recorded various peculiar Formations. These Formations were all below first-grade, with most Formation Patterns within nine strokes, including a few with nine-stroke Formation Patterns.


    Most of them were Five Elements-related Formations, as well as some with odd uses that Mo Hua had never seen before.


    Mo Hua opened his mouth wide, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a collection of Formations below the first grade. It contains records of the Formation names, grades, uses, and other matters. Browse it yourself, and if there¡¯s something you want to learn, go to the first floor of the library to find the corresponding Formation Diagrams.¡±


    ¡°I have taught you the basics of Formation. You can learn on your own now, and come to ask me if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand. Just remember one thing, you must return the Formation Diagrams you have viewed; do not lose them. Remember this well,¡±


    Mr. Zhuang instructed.


    ¡°The student will remember,¡± Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    ¡°Off you go,¡± Mr. Zhuang waved his hand.


    Mo Hua bowed seriously to Mr. Zhuang and carefully tucked the Thousand Formation Collection into his chest, ready to leave when Mr. Zhuang called him back.


    ¡°Mo Hua,¡± Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment before saying,


    ¡°Originally, I should have chosen a more reliable Cultivation Technique for you, so that the breakthrough wouldn¡¯t require so much trouble¡­ That was my oversight.¡±


    Old Kui, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened his eyes and looked at Mr. Zhuang with slight surprise.


    Mo Hua showed a startled expression, then smiled sheepishly at Mr. Zhuang,


    ¡°The student comes from a modest background, and I don¡¯t have many Spirit Stones. This Cultivation Technique doesn¡¯t require Spiritual Objects for breakthroughs, and it uses few Spirit Stones, which couldn¡¯t be more suitable for the student. At least in the student¡¯s eyes, the Cultivation Technique Mr. Zhuang has chosen is already the best in the world.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua¡¯s youthful and handsome face, at his clear and sincere eyes, and couldn¡¯t help but smile, his demeanor becoming as carefree as before, though his voice grew even more gentle,


    ¡°Go study Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua bowed obediently, then trotted away with his small legs.

 Chapter 67 - 67 Compilation_1

    Chapter 67 Compilation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Ever since he obtained the ¡°Thousand Formation Collection¡±, Mo Hua had been burying himself in the volumes non-stop, noting down points of interest one by one whenever he encountered a formation he was interested in.


    He would go to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s library to look for relevant books and then jot down any questions he had.


    It was quite difficult for a Loose Cultivator to obtain even a single Formation Diagram; when copying formations for Manager Mo, besides the basic ones like the Bright Fire Formation diagrams, the more complex diagrams all required an extra fee in Spirit Stones.


    But now, with nearly a thousand Formation Diagrams in his possession, if Mo Hua were to master all these formations, becoming a first-rate Formation Master would be no question at all. Just the thought of it filled him with excitement.


    Mo Hua learned formations day and night like a little mouse who had fallen into a rice bin, wishing he could stuff all of the rice into his belly.


    During the day, he would study Formation Books, practice Drawing Formation, and consult with Mr. Zhuang about his questions. At night, he would continue to practice on the fragmented steles in his Sea of Consciousness.


    Having learned ¡°Tianyan Jue¡±, according to Mr. Zhuang, studying formations was about breadth rather than depth, so Mo Hua didn¡¯t aim for deep comprehension. As long as he could draw the formations, that was good enough. There were some formations that he had just learned to draw and had even forgotten their names right after.


    For several months, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was always cycling between being fully charged and utterly depleted before recovering and then depleting again.


    Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation hadn¡¯t progressed an inch, but his Divine Sense had become much more profound. His theoretical knowledge of formations hadn¡¯t increased, but his learning and engraving of formations had become more effortless. Patterns that had seemed abstruse and complex before now felt natural and familiar.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    One day, as Mo Hua was reading, Bai Zisheng popped his head over and asked.


    Mo Hua had been engrossed in studying formations for the past few days and hadn¡¯t paid much attention to Bai Zisheng. Aunt Xue seemed to think Bai Zisheng was somewhat distracted, and her demands on him had become stricter, with a full schedule of cultivation activities, including formations, alchemy, and artifact refining.


    Although Mr. Zhuang was considered the teacher of the Bai siblings, he always had a hands-off approach with them. It seemed that the siblings¡¯ objective wasn¡¯t so much to seek guidance in cultivation from Mr. Zhuang. To avoid irritating him, they only paid their regular respects and accepted teachings, seldom bothering him otherwise.


    Therefore, the Bai siblings¡¯ cultivation was still arranged by Aunt Xue, using the Bai Family¡¯s orthodox method of training direct disciples.


    This wasn¡¯t too bad within the clan, as Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t care to interact with his clan members, so when he studied and cultivated behind closed doors, he was able to calm his mind. However, when he was outside and encountered new and interesting things, along with having Mo Hua to talk to, he began to find such cultivation somewhat dry.


    Mo Hua, eyes focused intently on his book, simply flipped the book¡¯s cover up to let Bai Zisheng see it.


    Bai Zisheng tilted his head and read aloud word by word, ¡°Thousand¡­ Formation¡­ Collection¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about this?¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Do you have one too?¡±


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, ¡°The Book Pavilion of the Bai Family has it. It compiles formations collected within the clan into volumes for clan disciples to study and refer to. Not only does it broaden one¡¯s horizon in formations, but it also facilitates the search for a particular type of formation when needed to learn. Disciples who study formations all have a copy of this collection; it¡¯s not a rare item.¡±


    A copy for every disciple of the Noble Clans, not rare¡­


    Mo Hua, who came from a background of Loose Cultivators, decided not to bother with someone who was out of touch with reality, and just noncommittally ¡°oh¡± in response.


    Seeing that Mo Hua didn¡¯t respond, Bai Zisheng scratched his head and added, ¡°Why not, lend it to me to have a look?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your clan has it? Why do you need to look at it again?¡±


    ¡°Different clans and sects have their own unique heritages, and the formations recorded in the collections vary accordingly. I want to see what kinds of formations Mr. Zhuang has included here.¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated a bit.


    ¡°Just a glance!¡± Bai Zisheng coaxed.


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Mo Hua closed the thick ¡°Thousand Formation Collection¡± and passed it to Bai Zisheng.


    Having received the book, Bai Zisheng flipped through it roughly, and then his mouth fell open:


    ¡°There really are more than a thousand formations!¡±


    Mo Hua rolled his eyes, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it say ¡®Thousand Formation Collection¡¯ on the cover?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Those who compile these collections often like to show off and embellish. If they collect ten formations, they call it a hundred formation diagrams, and if a thousand, they name it ten thousand formation diagrams. Some people also like to give grandiose names to their cultivation techniques with words like ¡®Heaven¡¯, ¡®Earth¡¯, ¡®Creation¡¯, and ¡®Divine¡¯. They sound formidable, but in reality, it might just be a low-grade cultivation technique¡­¡±


    ¡°Do cultivators in the Tao Cultivation World also like to do this sort of thing?¡±


    ¡°Until you become immortal, you¡¯re still human, and humans like to brag.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua thought about his own cultivation technique ¡°Tianyan Jue¡±, which also carried the word ¡°Heaven¡±, and wasn¡¯t very high-grade either. Was it also just for show?


    But this was an ancient technique, probably created by an ancient cultivator. The people of ancient times should have been more honest, right¡­?


    Mo Hua sincerely hoped so.


    Bai Zisheng continued flipping through the collection, growing more and more astonished, and hastily waved Bai Zixi over, saying, ¡°Zixi, Zixi, come quick and look, there are so many formations I¡¯ve never seen before!¡±


    Hearing this, Bai Zixi, who had been cultivating quietly, also peered over with her little head.


    Mo Hua asked doubtfully, ¡°The Bai Family should be a big clan, right? Does Mr. Zhuang¡¯s compilation have more formations than what¡¯s in your family?¡±


    Bai Zisheng, not willing to admit defeat, corrected, ¡°It¡¯s just the formations below first rank. It¡¯s hard to say for higher-ranked formations.¡±


    ¡°Although the Bai Family has a legacy of formations, it doesn¡¯t specialize in them. So it¡¯s normal that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s collection has more,¡± Bai Zixi said calmly.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Bai Zisheng snorted, but he didn¡¯t dare lose his temper at Bai Zixi, and since he couldn¡¯t refute her, he could only sulk.


    Bai Zixi continued to peruse the collection, her eyes growing brighter and brighter, looking as if she couldn¡¯t put it down. After a while, she raised her head, her clear, autumn-water-like bright eyes gazing at Mo Hua.


    Although she didn¡¯t say anything, Mo Hua understood the message in her eyes at a glance.


    Mo Hua was conflicted for a moment, then sighed, ¡°I can only lend it to you for an afternoon.¡±


    Since we¡¯re all from the same sect, Mr. Zhuang probably wouldn¡¯t blame me if he knew.


    A faint smile appeared on Bai Zixi¡¯s immaculate face, like a hibiscus flower touched by the dawn¡¯s rosy light, clear and bright.


    Bai Zixi took out a coverless booklet from her storage bag and passed it to Mo Hua, ¡°This is the Bai Family¡¯s collection of formations below first rank. Take a look, and if there¡¯s anything you want to learn, I can teach you.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he happily took the booklet and flipped through it.


    Although the formations recorded in the booklet weren¡¯t as numerous as those given by Mr. Zhuang, some more basic formations were much more detailed and easier to understand, obviously meant for entry-level disciples. Many sections also included handwritten notes, in elegant and beautiful handwriting that seemed to be Bai Zixi¡¯s.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this be against the clan rules?¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit concerned. He knew that some clans were very strict about the transmission of their formations.


    ¡°I guess so¡­¡± Bai Zisheng nodded.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be!¡± Bai Zixi denied.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m giving it to you!¡±


    Bai Zixi stated lightly yet categorically.


    Although he didn¡¯t understand why, Mo Hua felt that Bai Zixi who said this had a certain inexplicable coolness.


    In the days that followed, besides studying formations on his own, Mo Hua occasionally learned from Bai Zixi. He realized that Bai Zixi¡¯s foundation in formations was much deeper than his own by countless measures, which served as a reminder to himself that the way of formations was boundless, and he must not become complacent.


    When learning formations, Bai Zixi sometimes had questions, which Mo Hua would jot down and then go to ask Mr. Zhuang. After getting clear answers, he would share them with Bai Zixi. This led to Mo Hua consulting Mr. Zhuang more frequently.


    One day, after Mo Hua finished asking Mr. Zhuang and left, Mr. Zhuang furrowed his brows and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not good?¡± Old Kui asked carelessly.


    ¡°This kid Mo Hua comes to me every day with questions, and I don¡¯t get the chance to close my eyes and understand the Tao!¡±


    ¡°You mean sleep¡­¡± Old Kui bluntly revealed.


    Mr. Zhuang acted as though he hadn¡¯t heard and pondered, ¡°What to do about this¡­¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t answer, right?¡±


    Remembering Mo Hua¡¯s clear, inquisitive eyes sometimes filled with admiration, Mr. Zhuang shook his head, saying,


    ¡°How could I do that? When a disciple has a question, it would not befit a good teacher to know and not answer.¡±


    ¡°Since when did you start caring about such things?¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Starting just now.¡±


    Old Kui couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to him, holding a piece of wood, carving something unknown. The carving knife moved across the wood, and the shavings fell silently.


    Mr. Zhuang lay leisurely in the mountain chair, eyes gazing skyward toward the overhead wooden beams of the pavilion, lost in thought for a long moment before snapping back to reality.


    ¡°I need to find an excuse to sleep in,¡± Mr. Zhuang thought to himself.

 Chapter 68 - 68 Application_1

    Chapter 68 Application_1


    Translator: 549690339


    One morning, Mr. Zhuang called Mo Hua over and, with a profoundly inscrutable expression, asked:


    ¡°Mo Hua, what kind of Formation Master do you want to become?¡±


    Mo Hua thought that becoming a first-rate Formation Master would be great, being able to receive an allowance every month and be self-sufficient¡ªhis parents would definitely be happy as well.


    But Mr. Zhuang probably didn¡¯t mean that.


    ¡°Gentleman, are there differences among Formation Masters?¡± Mo Hua humbly inquired.


    ¡°There are myriad Formations, and naturally, the Formation Masters who study them are also diverse, each with their own strengths.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mo Hua was a bit puzzled.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°Some Formation Masters travel across the Nine State, seeking lost Forbidden Formations; some visit various Sects to discuss and exchange Formation knowledge; some immerse themselves in solitary dedication, focusing solely on their studies, unconcerned with worldly affairs; and there are those who are more pragmatic, aiming to transform industries with Formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat troubled.


    Traveling the Nine State seeking lost Forbidden Formations sounded alluring¡ªeven though he didn¡¯t yet know what a Forbidden Formation was; visiting Sects to exchange Formation insights also seemed appealing; focusing solely on Formation study, peaceful and quiet; and transforming industries with Formations was certainly meaningful¡­


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s handsome brows slightly furrowed, Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, and with a change of tone, continued:


    ¡°Yet, in truth, whichever path you choose doesn¡¯t really matter. The rules of this world are strict, but one could also say there are no taboos. No one dictates what kind of person you are, nor does anyone demand you become a specific type of Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°As a Formation Master, it doesn¡¯t matter which path you choose. What¡¯s most important is your obsession with Formations, your understanding of the Heavenly Dao, and you must always remember the four words, ¡®Look, Learn, Think, Apply¡¯.¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Look, Learn, Think, Apply?¡±


    ¡°Looking is for broadening your horizons, learning is for improving your skills, thinking is to avoid rote memorization without understanding, and applying is to transform your knowledge into practical use. The understanding of Formations starts with looking and ends with applying.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded as if he understood, feeling like he grasped something, but not completely.


    ¡°You have done well with looking, learning, and thinking; however, that alone is not enough, you must also learn to apply. Learning Formations without applying them is like stashing treasure in a mountain and letting it gather dust, holding talent within and not revealing it; you will ultimately struggle to achieve greatness. It¡¯s only through using knowledge that you refine your learning, which is the mark of the truly proficient.¡±


    ¡°Then, Gentleman,¡± Mo Hua earnestly asked, ¡°how should I best apply Formations?¡±


    ¡°Formation is what Cultivators comprehend from their perception of the world. In other words, everything in the world contains elements of Formation, and they all include ways to employ Formations. With the right mindset, even a thread or a meal, everything is deeply related to Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly realized that the previous use of Formations to refine Artifact Furnaces or build stoves were, in fact, applications of Formations.


    ¡°Disciple understands,¡± Mo Hua said joyfully, ¡°Formations are the Cultivators¡¯ perception of the Heavenly Dao, and it can naturally be applied to all trades in the Cultivation World. Between heaven and earth, every blade of grass and tree contains the way of Formations. With the right mindset, everything can be used to study and apply Formations. Gentleman, is that what you mean?¡±


    ¡°Correct!¡± Mr. Zhuang said with gratification. ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s one more essential point. Putting learning into practice and achieving mastery can solve the problem of learning various Formations without depth to solve Mystery Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    Mr. Zhuang elaborated, ¡°Merely drawing Formations on paper can lead to being all talk and no action. Every element of the world is different, and Formation media vary greatly. When you actually draw and apply Formations, your understanding of them will deepen, your insight will grow clearer, and your ability to solve Formations will strengthen!¡±


    Mo Hua felt this made sense, but he was a bit troubled, ¡°Disciple might not have that much time¡­¡±


    After all, drawing Formations on actual Spiritual Artifacts or stone is much more troublesome than on paper, and considering the adjustments required for the application of Formations, it would take up more time, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to attend Mr. Zhuang¡¯s lessons punctually as he does now.


    ¡°No matter,¡± Mr. Zhuang, having laid the groundwork for so long, finally revealed the thought hidden in his heart:


    ¡°I can give you a break!¡±


    Mo Hua sensed something was amiss, looking at Mr. Zhuang with a hint of suspicion.


    Mr. Zhuang looked up at the sky, explaining in an unruffled manner:


    ¡°Ordinary disciples only study one type of Formation, without the need to consider the application of Formations so early. But because of your Cultivation Technique, you need to learn a vast array of Formations. The more diverse the Formations are, the more difficult it is to find a systematic approach to learning them. Only by ¡®learning for the sake of application¡¯ can you interlink all types of knowledge and bring different Formations to the same end.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang saw that Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed from doubtful to thoughtful and then, after a sudden realization, took the opportunity to say:


    ¡°Therefore, you don¡¯t need to consult with me every day. It¡¯s better if you come every few days. If there¡¯s anything unclear, I will guide you.¡±


    With all doubts dispelled, Mo Hua gratefully said:


    ¡°Alright, Gentleman!¡±


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang lay back in his chair, leisurely fanning himself with a contented expression.


    Old Kui revealed himself, glanced at him, and snorted coldly, ¡°Misleading the young.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°At best, it¡¯s a bit of premature encouragement but not misleading the young.¡±


    ¡°Considering the application of what one learns when the foundation isn¡¯t even solid¡ªI¡¯ve never seen anyone teach Formations like this. Isn¡¯t this misleading the young?¡± Old Kui¡¯s tone was flat yet carried a mocking edge.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was profound. ¡°What makes a foundation solid? Compared to his peers in Tongxian City, his foundation is already very solid. Compared to the disciples from Noble Clans, especially those two children from the Bai Family, even if he studied for another ten or eight years, his foundation wouldn¡¯t be considered solid. If he can never catch up with others on this path, then it¡¯s better to try a different path.¡±


    ¡°I thought at least you had some confidence. Turns out you¡¯re just trying as well,¡± Old Kui remarked.


    ¡°The Heavenly Dao is constant yet elusive. How can those who adhere strictly to rules gain a glimpse of the Great Dao?¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s expression faltered, apparently deeply moved, and then he actually nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, feeling a bit uneasy, said, ¡°I¡¯m just rambling, not strictly adhering to rules doesn¡¯t always lead to a good end either. You¡¯re of such an age already, don¡¯t be rash and change your ways, altering your Taoist Heart.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± replied Old Kui.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at him then lay back down, muttering, ¡°Do you really understand¡­¡±


    Old Kui then asked, ¡°How long do you plan to teach?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor became slightly more serious, ¡°One must see things through from start to finish. I¡¯ll wait until he becomes a first-grade Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°And what about those two children from the Bai Family? They both have excellent talents. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a pity?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang waved his fan, ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with me?¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s voice sounded wooden, ¡°Your junior sister may not give up so easily.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, looking towards the drifting clouds in the distance, said:


    ¡°She wants me to remember our past connection, but she is no longer that little junior sister, nor am I her once spirited second senior brother. She knows this too but can¡¯t accept it in her heart; otherwise, she would¡¯ve come to find me by now¡­¡±


    ¡°And my senior brother, too, has gone to great lengths to find me¡­¡±


    Old Kui fell silent, and after a moment, suddenly said:


    ¡°Come back to the Sect with me, otherwise, I can¡¯t protect you for long.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang lay in the bamboo chair, gazing at the mountains in the distance, serenely said:


    ¡°Time cycles, with sunrise there is sunset, seasons change, trees flourish and trees wither, life has its regular patterns, there is birth, and naturally, there is death. Birth and death are but normal occurrences in the world, what¡¯s there to worry about?¡±


    ¡°Being able to eat meat, drink wine, and enjoy the scenery, if I can live a few more tranquil days, I would have no more desires.¡±


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t persuade him, Old Kui stopped speaking and gradually faded into the shadows.

 Chapter 69 - 69 Six Paths_1

    Chapter 69 Six Paths_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Chen¡¯s Refinery Shop.


    Master Chen, along with a group of apprentices, swung hammers heatedly, pounding the just-forged blanks before placing them into the Artifact Furnace for quenching. After heating them until they glowed red-hot, they continued to take them out for further hammering.


    Master Chen, who always insisted that his apprentices should concentrate when refining artifacts, was somewhat distracted now because little Mo Hua was watching them intently from the side.


    Early in the morning, Mo Hua had sauntered in, saying he wanted to observe the process of artifact refining.


    Master Chen found it hard to refuse because he had previously owed Mo Hua a favor and had done quite a substantial business deal with him, so he had agreed.


    Mo Hua had been eyeing them for a long time, mostly focusing on the Artifact Furnace, with an eagerness in his eyes as if he wanted to dismantle the furnace and see what was inside.


    What¡¯s in an Artifact Furnace? Of course, there were formations.


    Master Chen couldn¡¯t figure out what Mo Hua was scheming inside his little head and felt somewhat uneasy. During the break, he finally couldn¡¯t help asking:


    ¡°Ahem, Mo Hua, is there something you need?¡±


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°Master Chen, don¡¯t you think that the fire in this Artifact Furnace is a bit small?¡±


    Master Chen glanced at the Artifact Furnace, ¡°This¡­ It is indeed a little smaller than before¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°It might¡­ be because of the formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, as expected of Master Chen, such a keen insight!¡± Mo Hua praised without any real compliment, then whispered again, ¡°Don¡¯t you want the fire to be larger?¡±


    ¡°Larger?¡±


    ¡°Yes, larger!¡±


    Master Chen¡¯s eyebrows twitched, ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of dismantling my furnace and drawing the formation all over again, are you!¡±


    Mo Hua gave a thumbs-up, ¡°As expected of Master Chen, right on the mark!¡±


    Master Chen shook his head like a rattle-drum, ¡°No good, no good, this is the tool that feeds us, it can¡¯t just be dismantled whenever, and if it¡¯s dismantled and not drawn properly, all my apprentices will be left cold and hungry.¡±


    After saying this, he was afraid of hurting little Mo Hua¡¯s self-esteem, so he added:


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re not skilled enough in formations, brother. Honestly, I¡¯ve lived to this age and have never seen a young lad with a talent like yours, but this Artifact Furnace really shouldn¡¯t be dismantled so casually. If it gets messed up, I truly won¡¯t have the spirit stones to buy another one.¡±


    Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°You can relax, I¡¯m very familiar with this formation, it won¡¯t get messed up.¡±


    Master Chen¡¯s face turned stern, and he refused to agree.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Think about it ¨C if the Artifact Furnace had a bigger fire, wouldn¡¯t the artifact refining be faster? Then Brother Dazhu and the others would learn quicker, apprentice faster, and earn more spirit stones. To do the job well, one must first sharpen the tools!¡±


    Master Chen thought about it and felt there was some reason in it, but his expression was still hesitant.


    Mo Hua played his trump card, ¡°I won¡¯t charge you spirit stones, I¡¯ll help you draw it for free!¡±


    Master Chen instantly found it hard to refuse.


    It cost quite a few spirit stones to have another Formation Master repair the formation of the Artifact Furnace, let alone drawing a new one from scratch. The risk seemed worth taking.


    ¡°Then about the Spiritual Ink needed to draw the formation¡­¡± Master Chen looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua also looked silently back at Master Chen, the implication clear:


    I¡¯m helping you draw the formation for free, and you want me to provide my own Spiritual Ink?


    Master Chen gave an embarrassed chuckle, bit the bullet, and called out, ¡°Dazhu, go find Old Sun and have him bring a few bottles of top-quality Spiritual Ink, fire-series, and don¡¯t water it down!¡±


    Dazhu scratched his head and said, ¡°Master, what about the spirit stones?¡±


    ¡°Put it on the tab!¡±


    Dazhu seemed troubled. ¡°Old Sun is really stingy.¡±


    ¡°Just tell him the artifact furnace is broken, and if he doesn¡¯t provide the spiritual ink, we won¡¯t be able to fix the furnace, and the batch of spiritual artifacts he wants will have to wait until next year.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Dazhu agreed with a sound and ran off in a flash.


    Master Chen was decisive in his actions. With a grand gesture, he commanded his disciples, ¡°Stop refining, dismantle the furnace!¡±


    The disciples looked at each other, but as Master Chen was known for sticking to his word, they did not dare to delay. Several disciples extinguished the furnace fire, poured some cold water to cool it down, and after the residual heat had dissipated and the furnace had cooled, they dismantled the refining furnace, removing the inner furnace to reveal the formation engraved inside.


    The formation was a Melting Fire Formation, which contained five formation patterns, still the handiwork of Mo Hua from before. It looked somewhat familiar at this moment.


    Mo Hua took out the Spiritual Dissipation Liquid, instructing Master Chen¡¯s apprentices to wipe the refining furnace with it, which would erase the previously drawn formation.


    The power of the Melting Fire Formation was small for two reasons: first, this type of formation only included five formation patterns and thus had limited power; second, Mo Hua had copied the formation diagram hastily using inferior quality spiritual ink, which conducted spiritual power poorly.


    Spiritual Dissipation Liquid could remove spiritual ink and was a formula Mo Hua learned from Bai Zixi. In the world of Tao cultivation, when drawing formations, either brand new or repairs of old ones were required, and opportunities to erase and redraw them were rare, so the liquid wasn¡¯t frequently used.


    It was available for sale in Tongxian City, but it was expensive. Mo Hua was reluctant to buy it and instead asked Bai Zixi for the formula for the spiritual liquid. The Bai Family was a noble clan with profound familial knowledge; there were dozens of different formulas for the Spiritual Dissipation Liquid, ranging from first-grade to fifth-grade.


    Bai Zixi chose a formula for Mo Hua that was suitable for first-grade formations and below, and it had cheap ingredients, some of which could even be found in the mountains. Mo Hua was grateful and rewarded him with hawthorn cakes made by his mother.


    The formation inside the refining furnace began to fade away as it was wiped with the Spiritual Dissipation Liquid.


    It was the first time Master Chen had seen something that could so cleanly erase a formation. He felt that Mo Hua, being a student of formation, was very professional, which somewhat relieved him.


    Soon after, Dazhu returned, holding several bottles of spiritual ink.


    ¡°It¡¯s not diluted, is it?¡± Master Chen asked.


    ¡°Rest assured, Master, I kept watch; I didn¡¯t give him the chance to add water. Old Sun looked so pained, as if what I was asking for wasn¡¯t ink but his blood,¡± Dazhu chuckled.


    ¡°His blood might not actually be more expensive than this spiritual ink,¡± Master Chen handed the spiritual ink to Mo Hua, looking somewhat unwilling to part with it. ¡°Little brother, do you think this spiritual ink is suitable?¡±


    Mo Hua held it in his hand and gave it a shake. The spiritual ink flowed smoothly and had the right consistency. Upon opening the bottle, a faint scent of pine wafted out and the fishy smell of monster blood was very faint, while the ink gleamed with a lustrous red.


    This was the first time Mo Hua had seen such good quality spiritual ink. When drawing formations himself, to save money, he usually made do with whatever was available. Now, looking at the sparkling ink in the bottle, he couldn¡¯t help but think that you get what you pay for.


    Of course, not to lose face as a named disciple of Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua still acted as if he were accustomed to such quality, saying with a casual and composed tone, ¡°It¡¯s fine, usable.¡±


    Master Chen was astounded, thinking, ¡°Is this the level of discernment for those studying formations nowadays, where even such high-quality spiritual ink is just ¡®fine¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spread the Formation Diagram on the ground, and a group of apprentices gathered around to watch.


    Master Chen didn¡¯t understand much, but he still joined in curiously to take a peek.


    As he watched, he realized something was amiss. Although he didn¡¯t understand formations, he could still count.


    One, two, three, four, five¡­ six!


    Six formation patterns! Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He remembered that the furnace¡¯s Melting Fire Formation had five formation patterns, so why was there now an extra one?

 Chapter 70 - 70: Trial Run_1

    Chapter 70: Trial Run_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Master Chen pondered before asking:


    ¡°Mo¡­ young brother, is there something not quite right with this Formation¡­?¡±


    ¡°What part do you find incorrect?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand, but this Formation Pattern, it seems¡­ it seems there is one extra?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°You¡¯ve noticed?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Master Chen inquired, ¡°then this Formation¡­ is it still the Melting Fire Formation?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Mo Hua explained: ¡°This is the Melting Fire Formation with six Formation Patterns. I just learned it from the Gentleman. It is indeed the Melting Fire Formation, but because there¡¯s an additional Formation Pattern, its effect is significantly stronger¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you ever drawn it before?¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, I have drawn it many times on paper!¡± Mo Hua confidently declared.


    ¡°But have you ever drawn it on an Artifact Furnace before?¡±


    This question Master Chen did not voice out loud, but without thinking, he knew this youngster certainly hadn¡¯t actually drawn on an Artifact Furnace before.


    Master Chen¡¯s heart chilled, ¡°It¡¯s over, my Artifact Furnace has been used by this little child for practice!¡±


    But the deed was done, there was no turning back now.


    Master Chen looked at the dismantled Artifact Furnace, glanced at the erased Formation, and steeled himself, ¡°Then go ahead and draw it, I believe in you, old man that I am.¡±


    Mo Hua, not detecting Master Chen¡¯s insincerity, felt even more encouraged and began to draw with a sweep of the Formation Pen.


    Master Chen watched anxiously on the side, sweating nervously every time Mo Hua paused in his drawing or frowned in thought.


    This furnace was his entire possession; if anything went amiss, he truly would have to face the biting north wind.


    The ordeal lasted nearly four hours until Mo Hua had completed the entire Formation, and only then did Master Chen heave a sigh of relief. But before he could catch his breath, he heard Mo Hua say:


    ¡°Done.¡±


    Master Chen¡¯s heart leapt into his throat.


    ¡°The Formation¡­ is it drawn wrongly?¡± Master Chen¡¯s voice trembled a bit.


    ¡°The Formation¡­ is actually correct, but the Formation Patterns cannot become effective, the Spiritual Power cannot be conducted¡­¡± Mo Hua rubbed his chin, frowning in thought.


    ¡°Then¡­ what should we do?¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Chen, let me think.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Master Chen hurriedly nodded his head, pacing anxiously in circles, yet not daring to interrupt Mo Hua¡¯s train of thought.


    ¡°The Formation matches the one on the Formation Diagram completely; the Formation Pivot is correct, the Formation Patterns are correct, the Formation eye is a Spirit Gathering Array. When the Spirit Gathering Array begins to absorb Spiritual Power, it should be able to light up the entire Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    Normally, after drawing a Formation on an Artifact, one needs to inject some Spiritual Power into it to light up the Patterns and verify whether the Formation can be effective.


    Mo Hua placed his hand on the Spirit Gathering Array, faint Spiritual Power flowing from his palm into the Array. The Spirit Gathering Array glowed faintly, the Spiritual Power gradually seeping into each Pattern, but the entire Formation showed no response.


    After waiting a moment, Master Chen couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°How about, let me give it a try?¡±


    Mo Hua thought, if I can¡¯t light up my own drawn Formation, how could someone else make a difference? However, seeing Master Chen¡¯s anxious expression, he agreed to his request.


    Master Chen placed his palm on the Spirit Gathering Array, circulated his Spiritual Power, and then the entire Formation lit up¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open, and he looked at Master Chen, baffled:


    ¡°Strange, why can¡¯t I light it up, but you can?¡±


    ¡°Is there a possibility,¡± Master Chen gently suggested, ¡°that your Spiritual Power is too weak¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only at the third level of Qi Refinement, aren¡¯t you¡­?¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for an unexpected reason, I would already be at the fourth level of Qi Refinement!¡± Mo Hua explained.


    If it weren¡¯t for mastering Tianyan Jue, he indeed should have reached the fourth level of Qi Refinement by now.


    Master Chen comforted him, ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright, for your age, being at the third level of Qi Refinement is very commendable. My disciples were only at the second or third level of Qi Refinement when they were your age.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm!¡±


    Apprentices nodded in agreement, although it was unclear if they truly believed it or not.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t feel like explaining further and simply said, ¡°Install the Refining Furnace, let¡¯s see if it works.¡±


    ¡°Right, right! Almost forgot the real business at hand, let¡¯s quickly set it up and check.¡±


    Master Chen¡¯s spirit was lifted, and he hurriedly called a group of apprentices to install the Refining Furnace. Then, he took out two Spirit Stones and embedded them into the back of the furnace.


    After igniting it, flames leaped out immediately.


    Master Chen¡¯s eyes brightened. He retrieved a knife-shaped Spiritual Artifact embryo and put it into the fire. In a moment, the embryo was glowing red-hot. Master Chen took it out, struck it with a hammer a few times, and beamed with a smile he couldn¡¯t close.


    ¡°Great! This fire is excellent! The intensity of the fire from this furnace is almost on par with the large-sized Refining Furnaces.¡±


    Mo Hua also let out a sigh of relief. Although he was confident, he still feared something unexpected happening. If he really damaged Master Chen¡¯s Refining Furnace, that wouldn¡¯t be good.


    ¡°Then, Master Chen, I¡¯ll head back now.¡±


    ¡°As for the Spirit Stones for the Formation Painting¡­¡±


    Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°We agreed I¡¯d do it for free, don¡¯t worry about the Spirit Stones.¡±


    Master Chen still felt uncomfortable, so he gave Mo Hua all the leftover Spiritual Ink from the Melting Fire Formation drawing, along with several Formation Pens, firmly pushing them into Mo Hua¡¯s hands.


    The Formation Pens were brand new, likely made upon someone else¡¯s request for Master Chen¡¯s help, and were better than what Mo Hua used. Needless to say, the Spiritual Ink was even more impressive; Mo Hua, who was longing for high-quality ink, didn¡¯t hesitate to accept them.


    Mo Hua politely refused a few times symbolically, then gladly accepted them.


    Master Chen added, ¡°If you ever need to refine any Spiritual Artifacts, just come to me. As long as they aren¡¯t particularly large items, I won¡¯t charge you Spirit Stones.¡±


    This promise was quite valuable.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Chen!¡±


    Mo Hua happily headed home, thinking about which Spiritual Artifacts he might need in the future so he could ask Master Chen for help in refining them.


    After Mo Hua had walked a distance, Dazhu quietly asked his master, ¡°Master, is it really enough to give him just these things? If we had asked Master Jia to draw the formation, it would have cost a lot of Spirit Stones!¡±


    Master Chen replied annoyedly, ¡°I¡¯d like to give more, but where would I find the Spirit Stones?¡±


    ¡°The settlement for the Spiritual Artifacts from the Shen Family hasn¡¯t been completed, we need Spirit Stones for fueling the Refining Furnace, buying refined iron for artifacts also costs Spirit Stones, and you bunch of kids need Spirit Stones even for eating. Not enough to go around even if you split a Spirit Stone into ten pieces, so I have no choice but to shamelessly take a little advantage of the kid.¡±


    Dazhu didn¡¯t dare speak further, worried about upsetting his master.


    Master Chen stood up, paced for a moment, and then looking back at the fire, he said with a determined bite of his teeth:


    ¡°Bring me that box of century-old Water Poria. Let¡¯s send it to Mo Hua; I heard his mother isn¡¯t well, suffering from internal heat, and this medicine will be just right for her.¡±


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t that box of Water Poria meant for Formation Master Jia? If we give it to Mo Hua, what are we going to do about Master Jia?¡±


    ¡°Forget him. When it¡¯s time to give gifts, he¡¯s all smiles, but when you ask him to draw Formation, he¡¯s arrogant, and he doesn¡¯t miss a single Spirit Stone. Hungry for so much, he won¡¯t choke.¡±


    ¡°If we stop giving gifts, he won¡¯t be happy, and I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t draw Formations for us anymore,¡± Dazhu voiced his concern.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we have Mo Hua now, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°To keep asking Mo Hua to draw Formations without ever giving Spirit Stones, isn¡¯t that a bit improper¡­?¡±


    Master Chen shot Dazhu a glare, ¡°Is that the kind of person your master is? We simply don¡¯t have Spirit Stones right now, but we¡¯ll of course give some once we have them, won¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good,¡± Dazhu nodded, but then hesitantly added:


    ¡°But I heard that Formation Master Jia might reach assessment in a few years, becoming a first-grade Formation Master¡­ If we offend him, won¡¯t that cause trouble?¡±


    Master Chen scoffed disdainfully, ¡°Assessment isn¡¯t that easy; he¡¯s simply bluffing people who don¡¯t understand Formations, talking nonsense. When it comes down to actually Drawing Formations, he¡¯s not as efficient as that little kid, Mo Hua. By the time Mo Hua reaches assessment, he probably won¡¯t have made it yet.¡±


    ¡°Impossible. Mo Hua is only at the third level of Qi Refinement; assessment would take forever to reach.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Just take it if I tell you to, your master knows what he¡¯s doing.¡±


    Dazhu weighed it in his mind and decided he preferred giving gifts to Mo Hua rather than Formation Master Jia.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go over in a bit.¡±


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Master Chen asked in confusion.


    Dazhu scratched his head, ¡°If I go later, I can grab a meal. Aunt Liu¡¯s cooking is too delicious to miss.¡±


    Master Chen:

 Chapter 71 - 71 Apricot Forest Hall_1

    Chapter 71 Apricot Forest Hall_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Dazhu delivered the Water Poria to the Mo family¡¯s home when Mo Hua was just eating a steaming bowl of beef noodle soup in a diner, like the other diners.


    Liu Ruhua opened the box, saw the glistening blue Water Poria, and declined, ¡°This is too valuable, I can¡¯t accept it.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Liu, please just take it,¡± Dazhu insisted. ¡°Mo Hua helped my master a great deal, Master Chen specifically asked me to deliver this.¡±


    Liu Ruhua replied with a smile, ¡°What big help could Huar, a mere child, have possibly provided?¡±


    When Mo Hua saw Dazhu, he ran to the door with his bowl and, glancing at the box in Dazhu¡¯s hands, asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    Dazhu proudly explained, ¡°This is Water Poria, it can clear heat, detoxify, and calm the mind. A herb collector owed my master for Artifact Refining, couldn¡¯t pay with Spirit Stones, and used this to settle the debt instead. Aunt Liu, it¡¯ll be perfect for your health.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he readily accepted it, ¡°Thank my teacher Master Chen for me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really!¡± Dazhu said, waving his hand.


    Seeing the situation, Liu Ruhua let it be and invited Dazhu, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you? Come in and have a bowl of noodles.¡±


    Dazhu feigned indifference, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    But Mo Hua pulled Dazhu inside to sit down, ¡°Eat before you go back.¡±


    Liu Ruhua served Dazhu a full bowl of noodles with beef on top, steam and aroma assaulting the senses.


    Dazhu ate until his head was covered in sweat.


    Knowing these kids usually did manual labor and rarely had a full meal, Liu Ruhua served up another bowl of noodles.


    Dazhu¡¯s face bloomed with a smile.


    Looking at the box of Water Poria, Liu Ruhua said to Mo Hua, ¡°This Water Poria is very precious. When you have time, go thank Master Chen, and if you can really help him, do what you can to assist.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, Mother,¡± Mo Hua assured as he patted his chest and then added after a thought, ¡°I can handle any Formation up to the first rank.¡±


    Mo Hua knew he still couldn¡¯t paint a true Formation that contained nine Formation Patterns.


    ¡°Don¡¯t boast about things you can¡¯t achieve; be humble,¡± Liu Ruhua cautioned, patting Mo Hua¡¯s head.


    ¡°Little Mo is really impressive, his Formation Painting is excellent! My teacher even praised him, saying that he could become a first-rank Formation Master in the future,¡± said Dazhu cheerfully.


    ¡°The future is uncertain, and one must never be arrogant, especially in Tao Cultivation.¡±


    Liu Ruhua said outwardly, but hearing her child praised made her very happy inside. She prepared a plate of beef and some rice wine for Dazhu to take back to Master Chen, along with some snacks for his fellow disciples to indulge their cravings.


    Dazhu, carrying several boxes of food, happily went on his way.


    That night, under Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°supervision,¡± Liu Ruhua made a decoction with the Water Poria and drank it. Her meridians became significantly cooler, though she was still somewhat reluctant at the expense of Spiritual Stones.


    Such fine medicinal material would have remained unused if Mo Hua hadn¡¯t insisted.


    Seeing that his mother had taken the medicine, Mo Hua was at ease and returned to his room to continue studying Formations.


    ¡°The quality of Spiritual Ink affects the effectiveness of a Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°On Formation media of different materials, the adherence of the Formation Patterns and the transmission of Spiritual Power also vary¡­¡±


    ¡°With only the third level of Qi Refinement, the Spiritual Power is too weak¡­¡±


    ¡°Practical application does indeed improve memory and comprehension of Formations. The Melting Fire Formation, containing six Formation Patterns, felt unfamiliar before, but now it seems etched in my mind, and each stroke surfaces instinctively¡­¡±


    Practice makes perfect just as Mr. Zhuang had rightly said!


    Drawing Formations on various Formation media and getting them to work can uncover many problems, significantly aiding the understanding of Formations.


    But chances to apply this knowledge are hard to come by; no one is likely to ask a third level Qi Refinement Cultivator to draw Formations, and the low-end Formations used in everyday life by Loose Cultivators usually contain only two to three Patterns, with those having more than four being rare.


    What to do now?


    One needs Formations that encompass at least five Formation Patterns and preferable Formation media made of fine steel, and must also be an acquaintance; otherwise, others wouldn¡¯t agree to let Mo Hua draw Formations. Any errors in the Formations would be difficult to explain.


    After much consideration, only Master Chen and his furnace seemed the most suitable option. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, having just dismantled the furnace, it didn¡¯t seem right to dismantle it again and redraw it.


    Were there any other furnaces?


    Mo Hua stealthily glanced at the stove in his own house, feeling that the fire in the stove was perhaps a bit too weak.


    The next day, Mo Hua tentatively shared his thoughts with his mother, who decisively rejected them.


    ¡°This stove isn¡¯t just for business; it¡¯s also for cooking meals for you and your father. Furthermore, the heat is sufficient. Unless it breaks, don¡¯t even think about tampering with it,¡±


    Liu Ruhua was Mo Hua¡¯s mother who had watched him grow up from a young age, and she saw through his little scheme at a glance.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to give up.


    A few days later, Liu Ruhua went to Apricot Forest Hall to invite Old Mr. Feng for a follow-up consultation. Mo Hua followed her there.


    Old Mr. Feng took her pulse with thread diagnosis and nodded his head,


    ¡°Not bad, the heart and lungs have been nurtured well, and the spiritual power can occasionally be used to let the meridians adapt, but it cannot be activated for long periods, otherwise, it will still cause harm to the body. As for the residual fire toxin, it has been mostly cleansed away.¡±


    ¡°I will prescribe a few medicinal ingredients. Go and collect them. Later, I¡¯ll refine them into pills for you to take back and consume,¡±


    Old Mr. Feng picked up his brush and wrote down a few medicinal ingredient names on the paper; Liu Ruhua took the list to gather the herbs and instructed Mo Hua not to run around, but to stay and chat with Old Mr. Feng.


    After Liu Ruhua left, Old Mr. Feng took a sip of tea and looked up to find Mo Hua staring at the alchemy furnace in the room.


    ¡°Huar, what are you looking at that alchemy furnace for?¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Grandpa Feng, do you think this alchemy furnace can break?¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s a spiritual artifact, it¡¯s possible for it to break,¡± Old Mr. Feng stroked his beard and said.


    ¡°Has it broken before?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng nodded his head, ¡°Indeed, it has broken a few times.¡±


    ¡°The next time it breaks, may I try to repair it?¡± Mo Hua said in a soft voice.


    Old Mr. Feng looked slightly astonished. ¡°Have you learned artifact refining?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mo Hua waved his small hand, ¡°It¡¯s not the outside of the furnace that I can¡¯t help with, I mean the formation inside, if it breaks, may I repair it?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng looked at Mo Hua with a smile and said, ¡°Alright, if the formation inside the alchemy furnace breaks, I¡¯ll let you repair it!¡±


    Mo Hua smiled with his eyes narrowed, ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal!¡±


    Old Mr. Feng laughed, ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡±


    Liu Ruhua came out with several packages of herbs and saw that Mo Hua and Old Mr. Feng were chatting happily; she couldn¡¯t help but smile and said gently, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Just made a little deal with Grandpa Feng,¡± Mo Hua said with a beaming smile.


    ¡°Are you thinking of making some spiritual stones off your Grandpa Feng?¡±


    ¡°Just talking about friendship, not discussing spiritual stones,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Liu Ruhua shook her head with a smile and handed the package of herbs to Old Mr. Feng, ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Old Mr. Feng.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng received them with a smile and then stood up to move to the alchemy room. He placed the medicinal ingredients into the alchemy furnace, and as he was about to start the fire, he suddenly stopped, his expression complex as he looked at the alchemy furnace in front of him.


    ¡°Grandpa Feng, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Old Mr. Feng wiped the edge of the furnace with his hand, checked the spirit stones, and then said with some helplessness, ¡°The alchemy furnace is broken.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment before he said in a low voice,


    ¡°This¡­ It didn¡¯t break just because I talked about it, did it¡­¡±

 Chapter 72 - 72 Alchemy Furnace_1

    Chapter 72 Alchemy Furnace_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Old Mr. Feng shook his head, ¡°It must be quite old. The last time the formation was repaired, it seems to have been either ten or twenty years ago. Using it for so long without any issues, that¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Then this pill furnace¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Feng twisted the crane carving on the exterior wall of the pill furnace, and the inner and outer layers of the pill furnace began to rotate independently of each other, eventually coming apart, revealing the formation inside the inner wall of the pill furnace.


    ¡°I certainly won¡¯t go back on my word, but I have to test you first.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng pointed to the formation inside the inner wall of the pill furnace and said, ¡°First, recognize what these formations are.¡±


    After Mo Hua approached and looked it over carefully, he thought for a moment and said, ¡°Melting Fire Formation, Wood Qi Formation, Spirit Gathering Array¡­ Is this a Compound Formation containing three separate formations?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng was a little astonished, ¡°You even learned about Compound Formations?¡±


    A single formation composed of formation patterns is called a Single Formation, and when multiple Single Formations are connected, they form a Compound Formation.


    A Compound Formation has stronger effects than a Single Formation and can achieve more complex spiritual power effects, but Formation Masters without a foundation or inheritance can¡¯t learn it, let alone ordinary Loose Cultivators.


    Old Mr. Feng knew that Mo Hua was studying formations and also knew that Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense was exceptional, with some talent in the field of formations, but he didn¡¯t expect that Mo Hua could already identify a Compound Formation at a glance.


    Mo Hua said modestly, ¡°I can¡¯t draw Compound Formations yet and have only seen them in books. Even ordinary Single Formations, I haven¡¯t mastered.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng nodded, ¡°For your age, it¡¯s good enough to know them. This is a Compound Formation called the Wood Fire Spirit Control Formation, with spiritual power effects of both the fire and wood series. The Wood Qi nurtures herbs, while the Fire-series refines their essence. Both can be harmonized through the formation to refine the desired pills.¡±


    ¡°This seems much more complicated than an artifact furnace¡­¡± Mo Hua marveled.


    ¡°Still want to give it a try?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°I can¡¯t draw Compound Formations, but if it¡¯s just repairing the formation, following the original as a guide, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Liu Ruhua took Mo Hua¡¯s hand and said softly, ¡°If you¡¯re not confident, let it be. Don¡¯t cause trouble for Old Mr. Feng.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng smiled, ¡°It¡¯s fine, let him try casually. Even if it¡¯s wrong, it doesn¡¯t matter, consider it practice. Whether it¡¯s alchemy or drawing formations, if you are afraid of making mistakes, you won¡¯t gain any profound understanding.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Feng!¡±


    Mo Hua then stopped being polite, asked Old Mr. Feng for the wood and fire series spiritual ink, and began to set about repairing the formation.


    The Wood Fire Spirit Control Formation lost effectiveness because some of the formation patterns had worn away over years of constant alchemy, interrupting the flow of spiritual power.


    What Mo Hua needed to do was simple: to repair the dim and ineffective patterns so that the spiritual power of the entire formation could circulate smoothly. That would count as successful.


    Mo Hua¡¯s small hands held the Formation Pen, dipped in the Spiritual Ink, and began to trace over the formation patterns.


    Old Mr. Feng inwardly commended him, noting the ease and fluency of his strokes without hesitation, evident of diligent practice. It was clear that Mo Hua had indeed put in a lot of hard work on formations.


    Among the three formations, there were two patterns that were damaged and ineffective, but there were also six or seven dim patterns that needed redrawing as well.


    Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense would not support the drawing of so many patterns, and his spiritual power consumption was also quite high, so he rested two or three times midway before finally completing the repair of the formation.


    For a cultivator at the third layer of Qi Refinement, to be able to repair a total of eight or nine formation patterns, despite a few breaks, presented a divine sense much stronger than what Old Mr. Feng had expected.


    Old Mr. Feng looked at Mo Hua with a bit more seriousness in his eyes.


    ¡°Grandpa Feng, I¡¯m finished. Could you check if the alchemy furnace is fixed?¡±


    ¡°Oh, all right, let me look.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng came back to his senses, collected his thoughts, and after inspecting the pill furnace, despite having had expectations, he couldn¡¯t conceal his surprise and praised sincerely:


    ¡°Not bad, you truly fixed it. You¡¯ve done me a great favor this time.¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled sheepishly.


    Liu Ruhua gently tapped Mo Hua¡¯s forehead, ¡°Old Mr. Feng praises you, and you don¡¯t even know how to be modest.¡±


    Her tone carried a bit of admonishment, but her expression was very pleased.


    Old Mr. Feng started his pill furnace to refine pills, and after two hours, the pills were ready. He placed them into a blue-and-white porcelain bottle and handed it to Liu Ruhua.


    ¡°Take them twice a day, two at a time. Once you¡¯ve finished them, come to me for a check-up.¡±


    Liu Ruhua performed a bow, ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Old Mr. Feng.¡±


    Mo Hua also expressed her thanks, ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Feng.¡±


    Just before they were about to leave, Old Mr. Feng suddenly called out to Mo Hua, pondered for a moment, then entrusted her with these words:


    ¡°Huar, if you ever meet a weak cultivator, lend a hand within the scope of your abilities.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, but her curiosity got the better of her, ¡°Grandpa Feng, why bring this up all of a sudden?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng looked at Mo Hua and said, ¡°I¡¯m old now and have spent my life just to help the loose cultivators of this area refine pills and treat illnesses. But you, you could help more cultivators in the future¡­¡±


    ¡°¡®To comprehend the Heavenly Dao and benefit all beings¡¯ is a saying my master taught me. He saved me when I was destitute and passed on the art of alchemy to me, which is the reason for my achievements today.¡±


    Feng¡¯s master lived by this creed, saved Old Mr. Feng, and because of such kind thoughts, Old Mr. Feng, in turn, saved the weak and frail Mo Hua, born with a susceptibility to illness, and Liu Ruhua, who was inflicted with fire poison.


    Mo Hua was deeply touched, and nodded solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ll remember, Grandpa Feng.¡±


    A hint of contentment appeared in Old Mr. Feng¡¯s eyes.


    Then, Mo Hua brought up another question:


    ¡°What if some people aren¡¯t worth helping?¡±


    ¡°Not benefiting those who are not worthy of it is also a form of benefiting,¡± Old Mr. Feng said with profound meaning.


    After returning home, Mo Hua continued to immerse herself in studying formations.


    Meanwhile, Liu Ruhua tidied up the eatery before sitting down in front of the hall to sew clothes.


    Right at 1 p.m., Mo Shan, who had gone up the mountain to hunt monster beasts, returned home covered in dust. He had a few monster beast hides draped over his shoulder and several storage bags tied around his waist, his clothes bore some cuts and were stained with blood. Seeing his wife, his tired expression softened:


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡±


    Liu Ruhua helped Mo Shan remove the hides and storage bags and brought out clean clothes for him to change into, ¡°I can¡¯t relax until you¡¯re home. Are you hurt this time?¡±


    ¡°Just some minor wounds; I¡¯ve applied medicine, it¡¯s nothing serious. How about Huar?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in her room reading; she¡¯s probably asleep by now.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Ruhua served the meal, and Mo Shan began to devour it hungrily.


    The faint candlelight flickered quietly, and the house was enveloped in silence.


    Seeing Liu Ruhua smiling to herself, Mo Shan asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s making you so happy?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Liu Ruhua replied, ¡°today Old Mr. Feng praised Huar¡¯s drawing formations¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua recounted the events of the day, and then added: ¡°I often hear others praising Huar for being talented. It¡¯s easy for a smart child to receive compliments; not all of them can be taken seriously. But Old Mr. Feng has seen a lot and knows a lot. If he says Mo Hua has a gift, it means Huar might truly be able to become a Formation Master¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua sighed, ¡°I¡¯m frail and added to Huar¡¯s congenital weakness. There¡¯s a saying: ¡®live off the mountain if the mountain is close.¡¯ Around Tongxian City, there are many monster beasts, and most cultivators can only make a living by becoming Monster Hunters. But Huar is frail and can¡¯t become a Monster Hunter, unable to eat from that bowl of rice. We can¡¯t look after him forever, and I¡¯ve been worried that if something happens to us and we can¡¯t be by his side, what would Huar do if he couldn¡¯t fend for himself. Now that he has a chance to become a Formation Master, he doesn¡¯t have to fight and kill monster beasts, which puts my mind at ease.¡±


    Mo Shan gently held his wife¡¯s hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mo Hua is a smart and sensible child. He¡¯s bound to achieve something. We will watch him grow up, stand out among the rest, marry and have children. So, you must take care of yourself, we still have many days ahead of us¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Liu Ruhua nestled lightly into Mo Shan¡¯s embrace.


    In the house, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes opened; having practiced formations night and day, his Divine Sense had grown much stronger, so he heard everything his parents said.


    There was a touch of moisture at the corners of Mo Hua¡¯s eyes. He gently wiped them, then let his Divine Sense sink into his Sea of Consciousness and continued practicing formations on the Taoist Stele.

 Chapter 73 - 73: Qi Refinement Level 4 – 1

    Chapter 73: Qi Refinement Level 4 ¨C 1


    Translator: 549690339


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua continued to practice formation as Mr. Zhuang had said, learning through application.


    Both Master Chen¡¯s artifact furnace and Old Mr. Feng¡¯s alchemy furnace had been tinkered with by Mo Hua.


    In the neighborhood, there was nothing left that allowed Mo Hua to ¡°fully demonstrate his skills¡±.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to seek out simpler formations to practice with, such as the Twin Lock Formation on the doors, the Earth Stone Formation on the walls, the Bright Fire Formation on the lamps, and so forth.


    In the Tao Cultivation World, formations were widely used, from offensive spiritual artifacts to defensive armors, as well as in all aspects of daily life like clothing, food, housing, and transportation, all were marked with formations.


    However, among the lower-tiered loose cultivators, the use of formations was extremely crude and simple, with some being just a simple pattern or two, not even qualifying as formations.


    In comparison, Master Chen¡¯s artifact furnace and Old Mr. Feng¡¯s alchemy furnace were already considered ¡°high-end items¡±.


    Especially Old Mr. Feng¡¯s pill furnace, which even utilized a Compound Formation that combined three formations to harmonize wood and fire spiritual powers. In all of Tongxian City, there were probably not many formation masters who could draw such compound formations.


    Mo Hua helped several neighbors repair their doors, walls, and lamps. These were mostly miscellaneous tasks that did not showcase any significant mastery of formations, but the local cultivators were very grateful to Mo Hua.


    They were not rich in spirit stones, so they thanked Mo Hua with some of the fruits and spiritual vegetables they grew themselves. The gifts were modest, but the thoughtfulness behind them was profound.


    Mo Hua¡¯s family was not wealthy, and there were many loose cultivators in Tongxian City even poorer than Mo Hua¡¯s family. Most loose cultivators would cut corners wherever possible, continuing to use broken things, and they would never hire a formation master to repair worn-out formations.


    Sometimes, the spirit stones spent on hiring a formation master to fix a formation might be more expensive than buying a new one.


    Formation masters were rare, and most of them, after mastering their skills, would only serve noble clans, sects, or certain powerful forces in the cultivation world, both to earn more spirit stones and to further advance in formations.


    ¡°Having mastered arts for government and warfare, one offers his service to the emperor¡¯s court.¡± This was a phrase from the memories of Mo Hua¡¯s past life.


    Once entering the threshold of an upper-class clan or sect, naturally, one would no longer look towards those from a humbler background.


    This is both a common human sentiment and a reflection of the warmth and coldness in human hearts.


    Thinking this way, Old Mr. Feng, who after becoming a top-tier alchemist, still provided medical alchemy services to poor loose cultivators, deserved even more respect.


    So Mo Hua spent roughly a month fixing formations for others.


    Most of what he fixed were low-tier formations, containing only two or three patterns, but it was also a review for him, and his memories became much deeper than before.


    Previously, when drawing formations on paper, the paper served as the formation media, but in practical use, every brick, stone, and piece of wood could serve as the formation media. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although formations drawn on paper could operate, they somewhat carried the sense of ¡°being only theoretical¡±. Also, paper formations generally become void after one use and cannot be utilized for the long term.


    Only by truly drawing formations on all things under heaven and earth, using earth and wood, bricks and stones, various spiritual artifacts, to keep the formations functioning for a long time, can one be said to truly comprehend the Heavenly Dao and act in accordance with it.


    Drawing formations on different media consumes more divine sense and spiritual power, demands higher precision in brushwork, and is more difficult.


    But with diligent practice, one¡¯s understanding of formations becomes more profound.


    After practicing for a while, when Mo Hua looked at formations again, he experienced enlightening clarity.


    Instead of the obscure and abstract designs, the patterns seemed more vivid and lively, like the pathways through which the spiritual power of the world flowed.


    When Mo Hua immersed his divine sense into his Sea of Consciousness again to look at the Mystery Formation woven from spiritual power, he no longer felt the previous confusion.


    The flow of spiritual power over the Mystery Formation, each strand, had become much clearer.


    One day, Mo Hua started to unravel the formation according to the rules of spiritual power generation and inhibition Mr. Zhuang had taught him.


    As the lively small hands of Mo Hua sketched, one after another, the formation patterns condensed and then dispersed, unraveling like extracted silkworm threads, slowly stretching out and dissolving into the Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua faintly perceived that with each formation pattern unlocked, the connection between Divine Sense and Spiritual Power became increasingly tight.


    When Mo Hua unraveled the last formation pattern, he realized that the entire Mystery Formation within the Sea of Consciousness had dissipated, and the Sea of Consciousness had returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened¡ªexcept for the Taoist Stele in the midst of the Sea of Consciousness, which still stood conspicuously in place, unchanged.


    ¡°Is this considered unlocked?¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head, then tried to mobilize his Spiritual Power, only to discover that the Sea of Consciousness suddenly began to tremble, like a belly that had not been fed for several days, and suddenly became famished with hunger.


    Mo Hua was startled and quickly took out a Spirit Stone, absorbing the Spiritual Energy within. It took refining more than a dozen Spirit Stones before the Sea of Consciousness gradually calmed down.


    Upon internal inspection, Mo Hua found his Spiritual Power much more abundant, and his Divine Sense also stronger.


    ¡°I¡¯m at the fourth level of Qi Refinement now!¡±


    Mo Hua was so thrilled he couldn¡¯t fall asleep on his bed.


    He got up, lit a lamp, spread out paper, ground some ink, and drew a Three Talents Formation.


    The Three Talents Formation contains six first-grade formation patterns.


    Before, Mo Hua was constrained by his Divine Sense. Although he could also draw it, it was still somewhat difficult. Now that his cultivation had broken through and his Divine Sense had grown, drawing the Three Talents Formation had become much easier.


    After finishing the drawing, Mo Hua remembered it was past 1 a.m. and he could have drawn the formations on the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness; he had wasted good paper and ink for nothing.


    A mosquito may be small, but it¡¯s still meat.


    Mo Hua felt a slight pain in his heart, then sank his Divine Sense back into the Sea of Consciousness and unreservedly drew formation patterns on the Taoist Stele.


    Formations that once seemed strenuous, thanks to the breakthrough in cultivation and the increase in Divine Sense, became much easier. No wonder others often say that realm is the foundation of a cultivator.


    Mo Hua kept drawing formations until dawn and then couldn¡¯t wait to share the good news with his parents.


    Mo Shan had just returned from the mountains after hunting a few Wild Cattle Monsters with his companions and was resting at home for a few days. On hearing the news, the couple was overjoyed and began preparing to host a feast for neighbors and familiar friends nearby.


    Advancing from the third to the fourth level of Qi Refinement is stepping from the early phase into the middle phase of cultivation¡ªa middle category breakthrough, and according to custom, one ought to host a celebration. Da¡¯hu and his two friends had also hosted celebrations when they reached the fourth level of Qi Refinement; however, the Meng Family¡¯s financial situation was not good, so the three children pooled together and hosted only once.


    The eatery closed for a day, and Mo Shan had someone carry the whole Wild Cattle Monster they had hunted a few days earlier to home. After skinning and butchering, Liu Ruhua, having seasoned the meat, started to stew it and directly set up a feast in the eatery.


    Master Chen and Dazhu, along with Master Chen¡¯s other apprentices, all came to the feast. Da¡¯hu and his two friends went without saying. Some Loose Cultivators who were not very well acquainted but had received Mo Hua¡¯s help in the past brought some modest gifts and did not stay to eat. Liu Ruhua prepared some beef as a return gift for them.


    Although it was a celebration, what was eaten was just slightly better than usual. There was no Spiritual Meat, as it was too expensive. However, there was abundant Wild Cattle Meat and, coupled with Liu Ruhua¡¯s culinary skills, which were highly praised by everyone, the affordable dishes were delicious. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed eating meat and drinking wine.


    Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t like the noisy atmosphere, and the Bai siblings had a special status, so Mo Hua didn¡¯t invite them. Instead, he prepared some extra delicacies and sent them to Mr. Zhuang the next day.


    Bai Zixi expressed his thanks, enjoying the crispy pastries and sweet wine to his heart¡¯s content.


    But Bai Zisheng felt quite regretful. He too wanted to join in the festivities, drink heartily, and eat his fill of meat. But he also knew it was just a fanciful thought; despite Aunt Xue¡¯s gentle temperament, she was strict with them, and it would be absolutely impossible for her to agree.


    Mo Hua initially felt some sympathy for him, but then Bai Zisheng asked with a hint of doubt,


    ¡°Is reaching the fourth level of Qi Refinement really worth such a celebration?¡±


    The little bit of sympathy Mo Hua felt instantly dissipated.


    For an average Loose Cultivator, the Qi Refinement Realm might be the endpoint of their Tao Cultivation, so every step forward is not easy.

 Chapter 74 - 74 Heaven Yan Jue_1

    Chapter 74 Heaven Yan Jue_1


    Translator: 549690339


    When Mo Hua found Mr. Zhuang, Mr. Zhuang was leisurely taking a nap.


    Mo Hua opened the lunch box, which contained beef prepared in various ways, some fresh vegetables, and fruits that were convenient to accompany the wine. The aroma of the meat and the fragrance of the wine slowly began to drift through the air.


    Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes, ¡°Reach the fourth level of Qi Refinement, not bad.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your teachings, sir.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang waved his hand and then slowly sat up, took a sip of wine, sampled a piece of meat, and then leisurely lay back down.


    ¡°How¡¯s your study of Formation going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been attempting to draw a Formation with seven Formation Patterns. I believe my Divine Sense is sufficient, but the Formation still requires more practice.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression remained unchanged, though his chewing slowed down a bit, and he murmured to himself, ¡°Qi Refinement fourth level, seven Formation Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°Sir, should I continue learning Formation in the same way as before?¡± Mo Hua hesitated for a moment and asked.


    ¡°Do you have any doubts?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Learning by doing, drawing Formations on different Formation media while also bringing out the effects of the Formations, can indeed deepen the understanding of Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Then just keep on doing it,¡± said Mr. Zhuang, ¡°Becoming a first-class or even higher-class Formation Master is difficult but also simple. You just need to keep on drawing Formations, keep drawing, keep drawing¡­ It¡¯s just that very few can really keep it up.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words carried a profound significance.


    Mo Hua was reassured and was about to take his leave when suddenly Mr. Zhuang asked:


    ¡°Any changes in your Heaven Yan Jue?¡±


    ¡°Uh, my Spiritual Power has grown stronger.¡±


    ¡°With a breakthrough in realm, Spiritual Power naturally becomes stronger. It has nothing to do with the Cultivation Technique,¡± said Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Then¡­ my Divine Sense has also grown stronger.¡±


    ¡°With a breakthrough in realm, Divine Sense likewise becomes stronger. It has nothing to do with the Cultivation Technique.¡±


    ¡°I feel that my Divine Sense has a more sensitive control over Spiritual Power¡­¡± Halfway through, Mo Hua suddenly became unsure, ¡°Is this also unrelated to the Cultivation Technique?¡±


    For an instant, Mo Hua felt Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze sharpen, but on looking again, it seemed as if nothing had changed, and the moment of sharpness was just an illusion.


    ¡°Draw a Formation for me to see,¡± Mr. Zhuang said in an even tone.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua took out paper and spread it out, holding the brush, he asked, ¡°Sir, which Formation shall I draw?¡±


    ¡°Draw the Three Talents Formation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Mo Hua had drawn the Three Talents Formation not long ago and remembered it quite well, so he completed it in one go. Mo Hua was quite satisfied with his work but noticed that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s attention didn¡¯t seem to be on the Formation.


    ¡°Sir, is there something wrong?¡±


    After pondering for a while, Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°You¡¯ve become faster at drawing Formations.¡±


    ¡°With a breakthrough in realm, doesn¡¯t the speed of drawing Formations increase?¡± Mo Hua questioned.


    ¡°No!¡± Mr. Zhuang stated emphatically.


    ¡°The strength of Divine Sense determines whether you are qualified to learn Formation. Understanding the Formation determines if you can draw the Formation, and the proficiency of a Formation dictates the speed of your drawing. Once one¡¯s proficiency reaches a certain level, the only thing that affects the speed of drawing Formation is the control of Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°Control of Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Control of Divine Sense is extremely important in the cultivation methods of Spells, Object Manipulation, Drawing Formation. You are still of humble Cultivation, not having experienced them yet, but you will understand later on.¡±


    Mo Hua, full of anticipation, said, ¡°So, my Cultivation Technique is¡­ quite impressive.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua and hesitated for a moment before saying:


    ¡°The Cultivation World is vast and wondrous, with some Cultivation Techniques yielding effects so miraculous they defy the natural order and are beyond one¡¯s wildest dreams. Yours can be considered passable, at least it¡¯s better than the average technique.¡±


    The ever-unobtrusive Old Kui, who had been standing in the corner the entire time, silently rolled his eyes at Mr. Zhuang.


    But Mo Hua was already very happy. To be deemed ¡°passable¡± by the well-informed Mr. Zhuang was, for Mo Hua, quite a compliment.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°That being said, you must understand the principle that one can never be too careful. It¡¯s best not to disclose anything related to your Cultivation to others. If someone were to discover the unique aspects of your technique, they would certainly try to seize it, regardless of your life or death.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm!¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Though he had never encountered stories of killing and robbing for treasures or legacies, he had read about them plenty of times and felt deeply about them.


    The protruding beam rots first, and the fattened pig gets slaughtered.


    ¡°What would you say if someone asked why your Divine Sense is so sharp?¡± Mr. Zhuang tested Mo Hua.


    ¡°Um¡­ maybe I just say I¡­ have an extraordinary talent?¡± Mo Hua hesitated.


    Mr. Zhuang looked pleased, as if he had a teachable pupil.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that get you beaten up?¡± Mo Hua was unsure.


    ¡°When you say that, you could make your tone more humble. Even if you get beaten up, it¡¯s better than being captured and tortured for information before being killed, right?¡± Mr. Zhuang gently persuaded.


    Mo Hua felt that made sense, indeed Mr. Zhuang was experienced and knowledgeable.


    After finishing the discussion about the technique, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something, ¡°Gentleman, what exactly is a Compound Formation?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen a Compound Formation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in the Pill Furnace at Apricot Forest Hall, Old Mr. Feng used the Wood Fire Spirit Control Formation, which is a Compound Formation.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Compound Formations, they are complex to explain¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang thought to himself and then gestured to the corner.


    Only then did Mo Hua realize that Old Kui had been standing in the corner all along, seemingly without presence or breath, and hence he had not noticed him.


    Old Kui retreated behind the bookshelf and after a short while, came back with a thick book, which he handed to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, upon receiving it, saw that the title page bore the words ¡°Initial Understanding of Compound Formation.¡±


    ¡°This book contains knowledge about Compound Formations, including several basic Formation Diagrams. You can read it to broaden your perspective, but don¡¯t invest too much effort; it¡¯s still too early for you to study this,¡± Mr. Zhuang advised.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed; he had been somewhat embarrassed to disturb Mr. Zhuang¡¯s rest. Now he could begin by studying the book. Later on, he could ask Bai Zixi or Bai Zisheng if he had any questions, and only consult Mr. Zhuang if necessary. This would be much more efficient and would avoid disturbing Mr. Zhuang too much. After all, Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t have many hobbies, apart from eating and sleeping.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zhuang!¡±


    Mo Hua then remembered Old Kui. He looked around and noticed Old Kui had disappeared again. After surveying the area, he realized that Old Kui was actually right beside him.


    It seemed that you could only see Old Kui when he wanted to be seen; when he didn¡¯t, you couldn¡¯t see him at all.


    It might have been an illusion, or perhaps Old Kui was just exceptionally good at concealing his presence.


    Mo Hua handed a Storage Bag to Old Kui; it contained about seven or eight boxes of pine nuts, all specially roasted by Mo Hua¡¯s mother.


    Old Kui took the Storage Bag, a trace of pleasure appearing in his eyes¡­


    Although his expression seemed unchanged, Mo Hua felt that his mood could be considered content.


    ¡°Gentleman, I won¡¯t disturb your meditation any longer.¡±


    Mo Hua bowed and then happily took his leave.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°Good child, truly worry-free!¡±


    Then he took another bite of meat, sipped his wine, and lay down leisurely.

 Chapter 75 - 75 The Man in Blue Clothes_1

    Chapter 75 The Man in Blue Clothes_1


    Translator: 549690339


    After Mo Hua returned home, he cultivated while drawing Formation Diagrams.


    According to Mr. Zhuang, since Mo Hua had learned Heaven Yan Jue, his Divine Sense manipulation had strengthened, and with the learning of the Meditation Technique, his Divine Sense recovery had also become faster.


    As a result, Mo Hua now could draw Formations faster during the day, his Divine Sense also recovered more quickly, and he could draw even more Formation Diagrams each day, which naturally made him feel more exhausted.


    Occasionally, when he felt tired from drawing Formations, he would take out the Formation Books titled ¡°Initial Understanding of Compound Formation¡± given by Mr. Zhuang for diversion, to relieve the fatigue.


    One day, Mo Hua was sprawled on the table in the courtyard of the eatery, poring over Formation Books, when a man wearing a cyan robe walked in. The man ordered a pot of wine, a plate of beef, and two dishes of fruits and vegetables, and then sat down to eat.


    As it was not yet noon and it wasn¡¯t the usual mealtime, there were only a few sparse Cultivators eating in the eatery, all living in the vicinity; some were Monster Hunters, others merchants or similar, all dressed in relatively plain clothes. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man in cyan, spotless and unstained, stood out conspicuously among these ordinary folks.


    Mo Hua gave a glance and noticed that the man was handsome, likely in his thirties, but clearly well-nurtured and looking much younger. He wore a Jade Pendant, and his clothes were primarily cyan. Although not flashy, the materials seemed rather expensive, and Mo Hua could vaguely see Formation Patterns on the man¡¯s clothes.


    The fabric used for making Taoist Robes were very soft and not suitable as Formation media, and the materials that could be used were not cheap.


    The man in cyan might have also sensed someone observing him, and when he looked up, he saw a plainly dressed but incredibly picturesque young boy with eyes that were clear as day and night, sizing him up.


    The man offered a slight smile and gestured to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua closed his book and approached. The man said warmly, ¡°Little friend, what would you like to eat? It¡¯s my treat.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°This is my family¡¯s place; I can treat you.¡±


    The man was slightly taken aback, then glanced at the sign at the doorway and laughed, ¡°Is your name Liu?¡±


    Seeing no ill intent from the man, Mo Hua replied, ¡°My surname is Mo, my mother¡¯s surname is Liu.¡±


    The man nodded, then noticing the book in Mo Hua¡¯s hands, he asked, ¡°What are you reading? Is there something you don¡¯t understand? I can teach you.¡±


    Mo Hua, suspicious, gave the man who seemed a bit idle a glance and asked, ¡°Do you know about Formations?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Formation knowledge touches on all aspects of Tao Cultivation. Even if one doesn¡¯t follow the path of a Formation Master, the basics are essential. I do not claim to be very proficient, but I certainly know more than you, little friend,¡± the man said.


    Mo Hua, feeling his boast was too big to be false, handed over ¡°Initial Understanding of Compound Formation.¡±


    The man in cyan received it and when he saw the words ¡°Compound Formation¡± on the cover, his eyelids involuntarily twitched.


    Mo Hua, still doubtful, looked at him and asked, ¡°Do you really understand it?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The cyan-clad man replied calmly, though his fingers trembled slightly as he pinched the book, internally he couldn¡¯t help but grumble,


    ¡°What in the hell, Compound Formation! Which adult is so idle that they¡¯d let a kid read a book on Compound Formation? Aren¡¯t they afraid of exhausting his Divine Sense?¡±


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t lose face in front of the child, so he buckled down and flipped open ¡°Initial Understanding of Compound Formation.¡±


    ¡°This kid is probably just skimming, probably doesn¡¯t understand much, I can just bluff my way through a few answers,¡± the man in cyan thought to himself. Then he turned the first couple of pages and asked, ¡°What don¡¯t you understand? Go ahead and ask.¡±


    Unexpectedly, without even a glance, Mo Hua flipped a few pages further and pointed to a certain part, asking, ¡°¡®Gather Formation Patterns to make a Single Formation, gather Single Formations to make a Compound Formation¡¯, why not simply accumulate Formation Patterns to enhance the effectiveness of the Formation instead of using Single Formations to reconstitute into a Compound Formation? Wouldn¡¯t that be redundant?¡±


    The cyan-clad man¡¯s heart tightened, and he struggled to recall the words of the Formation Master from his clan¡¯s lessons.


    Fortunately, he had been fairly attentive at the time; those things hadn¡¯t been forgotten.


    ¡°Within the same realm, a Cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense is limited, the number of Formation Patterns a Formation of the same rank can contain is also limited. Once the number of Formation Patterns in a Formation exceeds a certain amount, if the Cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense is insufficient, it becomes impossible to draw these Formations. One could even die from Divine Sense exhaustion by forcefully drawing Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°To break through the limitation of Formation Patterns, one must recombine Single Formations to form a Compound Formation. This not only enhances the power of the Formation but also allows different Formations to interact, yielding a greater variety of effects¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, I see¡­¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but nod in understanding.


    The man in cyan wiped a metaphorical bead of sweat from his forehead.


    Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, Mo Hua¡¯s pale hands swiftly turned a few more pages and pointed to another section, saying,


    ¡°¡®The pivot of a single formation is simple, the pivot of a compound formation is complex,¡¯ would there be any difference between the pivot of a single formation and compound formation? Formation patterns are arranged according to the pivot to constitute a single formation; single formations are arranged according to the pivot to constitute a compound formation, the differences between the two kinds of pivots shouldn¡¯t be that big, right?¡±


    ¡°Cough cough, well¡­ that¡¯s quite a long story. Monster beasts vary from one another, cultivators differ from each other, naturally formation pivots also differ from each other¡ªyou can¡¯t assume they¡¯re all the same just because they¡¯re both pivots¡­¡±


    As the man spoke this rather irrelevant nonsense, his sea of consciousness was working overtime, and then he said:


    ¡°The pivot of a single formation is simple, generally only serving to connect the various formation patterns; but the pivot of a compound formation is much more troublesome, not only because it has to connect single formations but sometimes it also needs to mediate the opening and closing of spiritual power¡­ as well as its strength and weakness, to smooth out the conflicts between different types of spiritual powers, and also¡­ to stabilize the entire structure of the compound formation¡­¡±


    It took the man scratching his head to finally complete his explanation.


    Books are only appreciated when needed. How true that is!


    He has lived so long, yet now he was being forced by a young cultivator to relearn this!


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, and then his little hand resumed flipping briskly through the pages.


    With each page he turned, the man¡¯s heartbeat quickened by a beat. He nearly wanted to grab Mo Hua¡¯s hand to make him stop flipping. If Mo Hua continued, he might really be unable to answer any more questions.


    Finally, Mo Hua¡¯s hand came to a stop, his fingertip resting on a formation diagram.


    The man¡¯s heart sank.


    It¡¯s over, a formation diagram.


    He only knew some theoretical stuff; he had never actually drawn one. Besides true cultivators determined to become formation masters, who would bother drawing these things?


    ¡°Ahem, this formation diagram¡­ is not something you should be drawing at your age¡­¡± the man in the blue robe tactfully said.


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°I tried drawing it, but I don¡¯t know why, the compound formation always fails to activate¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s vision darkened.


    Tried drawing it?


    What does that mean?


    What cultivation level are you at, what cultivation stage have you reached, how profound is your divine sense, and how audacious are you, to dare to draw compound formations?! Who gave you the courage?!


    Mo Hua took out a piece of paper from his storage bag, on which a formation was painted. It was clearly freshly drawn not long ago, and although it wasn¡¯t activated, it had all the necessary formation patterns, not a single one missing.


    The man in the blue robe was speechless.


    Once he calmed down a bit, he took a closer look at the formation in Mo Hua¡¯s hand and suddenly felt a surge of happiness.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s a compound formation, I recognize all the single formations within it, and they¡¯re all very simple, consisting only of two or three patterns, not exceeding my level in formations.¡±


    The young man settled himself down, coughed, and cleared his throat, speaking with some composure:


    ¡°Formation theory is one thing; actually picking up the brush to draw is not so simple. The problem with this is the pivot, you¡¯ve used the pivot of a single formation for a compound formation, naturally the formation can¡¯t be activated¡­¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, nodding repeatedly, feeling that he had underestimated the man in the blue robe, and then¡­


    With a stretch of his little hand, he prepared to flip further.


    The man¡¯s just regained composure dissipated like snow under hot soup, instantly crumbling.


    Please stop flipping¡­


    Fortunately, Mo Hua flipped to the next page, saw that he hadn¡¯t read it either, and didn¡¯t continue. Instead, he closed the book, and with an admiring tone said, ¡°Uncle, you really know a lot.¡±


    The man in the blue robe sighed with relief.


    Mo Hua pointed with his little hand at the wine jug on the table, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to this jug of wine.¡±


    The man finally let go of his worries and couldn¡¯t help but drink a cup to calm his nerves.


    The moment the wine entered his mouth and reached his heart, the man felt that he had never tasted such a refreshing and sweet wine in his life.

 Chapter 76 - 76 Zhang Lan_1

    Chapter 76 Zhang Lan_1


    Translator: 549690339


    As long as I¡¯m not interrogated by Mo Hua, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.


    The man in green regained his composure and silently swore to himself that he wouldn¡¯t show off when there was no need to do so next time.


    Especially before showing off to such a seemingly cute and well-behaved little cultivator who held a book in his hands, one should at least make sure to see what book he is holding.


    ¡°Uncle, are you a Formation Master?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°No, why bother being a Formation Master if it¡¯s not necessary?¡± the man shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a Formation Master, yet you know so much. You¡¯re really amazing,¡± Mo Hua sincerely praised him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, these things are simple, they are not a big deal,¡± the man in green said, feeling somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°Then can I still ask you questions in the future?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°No!¡±


    The man panicked inside and blurted out a refusal, then immediately feeling that it was inappropriate, he explained more earnestly,


    ¡°Uncle is quite busy, too, and I might not always be available. Moreover, the path of Tao cultivation always values the transmission of knowledge, and knowledge should not be imparted lightly. As we are neither relatives nor friends, I¡¯m not at liberty to discuss more about formation knowledge¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, I might not be able to answer your questions¡­¡±


    the man added silently in his heart.


    Mo Hua felt a little disappointed, but he could still ask the Bai siblings and Mr. Zhuang, so he didn¡¯t mind too much.


    Mo Hua opened the ¡°Initial Understanding of Compound Formation¡± and continued to read further. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The man in green, fearing that Mo Hua might come across something he didn¡¯t understand and ask him about it, made small talk, ¡°Where is your father?¡±


    ¡°He went up the mountain for monster hunting.¡±


    ¡°Monster Hunting? Are there many cultivators nearby who live off monster hunting?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The land here isn¡¯t fertile, and resources are scarce; only monster beasts run rampant, so most cultivators make their living by hunting monsters,¡± Mo Hua explained, then curiously asked, ¡°Uncle, what do you do?¡±


    ¡°I work for the Taoist Court,¡± the man replied.


    Mo Hua opened his mouth wide in surprise¡ªit was the Taoist Court¡­


    The Taoist Court unified the Nine State and was the largest force in the Cultivation World, somewhat similar to the imperial court in a feudal dynasty, with the most powerful authority. The Taoist Court also gathered the most powerful cultivators of the Nine State.


    The Taoist Court was located in Taoist State at the center of Nine State, the hub of the Cultivation World. The rest of the state boundaries each had a Taoist Court, which managed specific affairs, including the Spirit Stone tax, Earth and Wood projects, Tao Cultivation industries, and law and order.


    In other words, it was a ¡°secure job,¡± ¡°eating the imperial grain!¡±


    The status of Taoist Court cultivators goes without saying, and even for those serving in a local Taoist Court, it¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime dream for many cultivators.


    Mo Hua¡¯s astonished look somewhat flattered the man, making him feel he regained some of his dignity.


    ¡°So, are you here drinking to slack off?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    The man in green corrected him, ¡°This is called inspecting the local geography and customs of the cultivators in this state boundary.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua¡¯s expression was a bit perfunctory, clearly not convinced. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the Court Leader from the Taoist Court scolding you?¡±


    The man chuckled softly, ¡°No worries. Even if he says something, I¡¯ll act as if I didn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°What do you understand?¡± the man wondered.


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua replied, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you must be a family disciple, right?¡±


    The man raised an eyebrow, and Mo Hua continued, ¡°I guess the family isn¡¯t small either. Coming to Tongxian City here, you¡¯re either exiled for making a mistake, or you¡¯re sent to experience life in our small place for a while, before going back.¡±


    The man in green was taken aback, ¡°How can you tell all this?¡±


    Mo Hua smirked, pointing to the patrons nearby, ¡°There are many who come from the north and south here, and with so many customers, all sorts of gossip can be heard when it¡¯s bustling. As for the children from big families, there are only a few possibilities for their coming here.¡±


    The man in green gave Mo Hua a look-over, ¡°You seem so behaved, yet you¡¯re quite shrewd.¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled, then quietly asked, ¡°What did you do wrong to be kicked out by your clan?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting!¡±


    The man was a bit miffed.


    ¡°Then why is that?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    The man sighed, assuming a rather self-indulgent air as he said:


    ¡°I won¡¯t hide it from you, I just happen to come from a good family, have higher talent, and look a bit more handsome. Some ladies from prestigious clans see me once and are smitten, insisting on marrying me to become my Tao partner. I find it bothersome, so I came out to hide and look for some peace¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him with a face full of skepticism.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°What part don¡¯t you believe?¡±


    ¡°That ¡®one glance and smitten¡¯ stuff; even the street storytellers don¡¯t spin that kind of trite tale anymore, it doesn¡¯t fool anyone. Erhu¡¯s dad was deceived by a woman just like that, ended up abandoning his wife and children, got his kidneys removed, and no one knows where he¡¯s buried now.¡±


    The man in blue: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°So if a lady tells you she¡¯s smitten with one glance, she¡¯s definitely tricking you, and you need to be careful.¡±


    The man in blue was left looking dumbstruck.


    ¡°However, there¡¯s another possibility,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°What possibility?¡± the man couldn¡¯t help asking.


    ¡°That you love ¡¯em and leave ¡¯em, toy with people¡¯s feelings, then don¡¯t want to take responsibility to marry them, so you ran off to hide away¡­¡±


    The man nearly spat out a mouthful of blood in frustration, ¡°What ¡®love ¡¯em and leave ¡¯em¡¯? What ¡®toying with feelings¡¯? How old are you exactly? What¡¯s filling up that little head of yours?¡±


    ¡°Although my experiences are limited, I¡¯ve read many stories,¡± Mo Hua insisted with conviction, ¡°The Cultivation World is perilous; the more you know, the less likely you¡¯ll be deceived in the future.¡±


    The man was both amused and irritated, ¡°You¡¯re quite an interesting talker for a little kid.¡±


    Mo Hua was quite serious, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m just looking out for you, as the saying goes, ¡®He who takes advice gets ahead.¡¯¡±


    Zhang Lan had mixed feelings and didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. After a while, he suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua?¡± The man glanced at Mo Hua¡¯s fair face and delicate features, feeling that the name indeed suited him.


    ¡°Uncle, what¡¯s your name?¡± Mo Hua asked in return.


    ¡°Zhang Lan.¡±


    ¡°Scumbag?¡± Mo Hua repeated.


    Zhang Lan choked on his drink, coughed for a long time, and then, gritting his teeth, corrected:


    ¡°Zhang! Lan! The Zhang from ¡®to change,¡¯ and the Lan from ¡®against the wave¡¯! Not ¡®Scumbag¡¯!¡±


    ¡°If you say it¡¯s not, then it¡¯s not; why are you shouting?¡± Mo Hua muttered.


    Zhang Lan felt silly for having gotten worked up with a child, and from his Storage Bag, he took out a Jade Pendant and tossed it to Mo Hua, ¡°Here, for you.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t accept rewards without merits; I can¡¯t take your things.¡±


    ¡°You treated me to a drink; I¡¯m giving you the Jade Pendant. Keep it, I¡¯ll come look for you again to hang out next time.¡±


    Zhang Lan waved his hand, about to leave, then suddenly turned back and asked, ¡°Just to confirm, what¡¯s your Cultivation level?¡±


    ¡°Qi Refinement, fourth layer!¡±


    Mo Hua was even a bit proud.


    Only Qi Refinement fourth layer, huh¡­


    Zhang Lan sighed.


    Thinking of the earlier Compound Formation, forget it, it gave him a headache just to think about it. Zhang Lan waved his hand and hastily left.

 Chapter 77 - 77 Monster Hunting Festival_1

    Chapter 77 Monster Hunting Festival_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua thought that Zhang Lan¡¯s words, ¡°I¡¯ll find you for some fun when I¡¯m free,¡± were just a polite remark, but it turned out he was serious.


    After that day, Zhang Lan would often show up at the restaurant with nothing to do, order a pot of wine, a dish of meat, and watch the people coming and going in the street as he ate all morning. Occasionally, when he saw Mo Hua, he would even complain to him:


    ¡°You¡¯re just a kid, where do you go all the time? I¡¯ve come here several times and haven¡¯t seen you.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s small face turned serious as he said, ¡°I¡¯m not like you, I¡¯m very busy.¡±


    ¡°What could you possibly be busy with?¡± Zhang Lan didn¡¯t believe him.


    Mo Hua started counting on his fingers, listing one by one:


    ¡°Daily routine cultivation, drawing formations when I have time, reading formation books when tired, bringing some food to my teacher and asking some questions on the side, and helping uncles and aunties in the neighborhood fix their formations¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan felt overwhelmed, ¡°Alright, alright, you win, you¡¯re busier than I am.¡±


    The eleven- or twelve-year-old little cultivator Mo Hua was so busy every day, while he, a cultivator of the Taoist Court, was spending his days here drinking wine. Zhang Lan even felt a bit guilty by comparison.


    Considering that when his father pointed at his nose and scolded him, his own heart never rippled.


    ¡°By the way, are there any fun places in Tongxian City?¡± Zhang Lan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a good kid, I don¡¯t indulge in fun, how would I know.¡±


    Mo Hua refused to answer, who knew what kind of fun he meant? He was still a child; there were things not suitable for children that he couldn¡¯t touch.


    ¡°Then, where are the bustling places?¡± Zhang Lan settled for the next best question.


    ¡°The east side of South Main Street is somewhat lively.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been there, not many cultivators, not much of a market town either, not interesting.¡± Zhang Lan was unimpressed.


    ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t be lively if you go during the day; not everyone is irresponsible like you, people have to make a living.¡± Mo Hua said.


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t argue with that. After thinking it over, he realized it was indeed true. He might be irresponsible, but so be it.


    ¡°So, when is it bustling?¡± Zhang Lan asked. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°The day after tomorrow, I guess. It¡¯s the annual Monster Hunting Festival ¡ª that¡¯s the most lively time.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the Monster Hunting Festival?¡±


    Mo Hua explained, ¡°It¡¯s a festival where Monster Hunters celebrate their harvest. October is the prime month for hunting monsters. After that, the monster beasts¡¯ activities decrease, and the hunters¡¯ income drops. Monster Hunters usually hunt more monster beasts in October and sell them during the Monster Hunting Festival; after selling, they rest for a while. By then, the market town will have all sorts of things, and it¡¯ll be very lively.¡±


    Zhang Lan was surprised, ¡°You sure know a lot.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mo Hua patted his chest, ¡°I¡¯m a bit of a local snake here.¡±


    Zhang Lan laughed but also became quite interested in the Monster Hunting Festival, ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll go take a look the day after tomorrow.¡± After saying this, he brushed his sleeve and prepared to leave.


    Mo Hua looked at him curiously and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t you settled the bill yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve put a few dozen spirit stones at the counter, just deduct directly from there,¡± Zhang Lan said with casual extravagance.


    Mo Hua smacked his lips, thinking that Zhang Lan had quite a flair for playing the generous fool.


    Then he continued to lower his head to read the formation books, thinking that he should learn a few more formations in the next couple of days, and then take a break during the Monster Hunting Festival, so he could play with Da¡¯hu and the others for a couple of days.


    Bai Zisheng heard that Mo Hua was going to play at the Monster Hunting Festival and envied him so much he almost drooled.


    The Bai Family had strict rules, and even away from the clan, Aunt Xue required them to cultivate every day. Besides that, courses in alchemy, formations, and artifact refining were all laid out clearly, not a single one to be missed.


    Perhaps because they were not within their clan, Aunt Xue feared they would fall behind the other disciples of the family, so she demanded even stricter standards. Mo Hua had glanced at many of the Alchemy, Artifact Refining, or cultivation books and found them profoundly abstruse, completely beyond his comprehension.


    Fortunately, he could understand the books on Formations, and they didn¡¯t seem too difficult to him.


    However, Mo Hua had always harbored a question, what exactly were the Bai siblings learning by becoming Mr. Zhuang¡¯s registered disciples?


    So far, Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t seem to have taught them anything special, did he?


    The things they were learning, Mo Hua could learn too; the questions they asked, Mo Hua also listened in on. Some of the material was obscure, but none of it seemed so advanced as to require Mr. Zhuang¡¯s personal guidance.


    Moreover, even if Mr. Zhuang taught them nothing, their cultivation was arranged perfectly by their family, with no need for Mr. Zhuang¡¯s intervention.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s study was a place Mo Hua often visited alone, bringing some snacks and asking questions.


    The Bai siblings just cultivated and studied in the small pavilion, and as far as Mo Hua remembered, aside from routine greetings and requests for instruction, they never sought out Mr. Zhuang privately.


    It puzzled Mo Hua greatly.


    Or perhaps, there are certain things that Mr. Zhuang would not teach registered disciples but would only pass on to direct disciples?


    Were they so persistent because they hoped Mr. Zhuang would take them as his disciples to learn more profound arts?


    The difference between registered disciples and direct disciples was significant, with registered disciples addressing him as ¡°Gentleman¡± while direct disciples could call him ¡°Master.¡±


    Cultivators, place great importance on the transmission between master and disciple, considering ¡°one day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father¡± to be no exaggeration. Dazhu was taken as a disciple by Master Chen, who treated Dazhu like a son and expected him to care for him in his old age.


    Because of the weighty kindness between master and disciple, betraying one¡¯s sect is also considered one of the worst acts of disloyalty in the Cultivation World.


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, wondering to himself, ¡°Would Mr. Zhuang possibly take me as his direct disciple?¡±


    Comparing his own cultivation, Spiritual Root, talents, and family background to that of the Bai siblings, Mo Hua quickly sobered up.


    It¡¯s best not to aim too high.


    Mo Hua thought to himself, silently discarding this unrealistic notion.


    In two days, it would be the Monster Hunting Festival.


    The Monster Hunting Festival was one of the biggest festivals in Tongxian City, even larger than the Lotus Festival.


    Cultivators from Tongxian City, whether they were poor Loose Cultivators or wealthy family cultivators, had all started preparing for the Monster Hunting Festival well in advance. From morning, the festive atmosphere pervaded Tongxian City, and by evening, it was brightly lit.


    During the Monster Hunting Festival, there were many people and eateries would be bustling, so Liu Ruhua would stay home and, together with Auntie Jiang and a few temporarily hired aunties, manage the business.


    Mo Shan had to contact buyers to sell the skins, bones, or inner cores of the Monster Beasts killed by the Monster Hunting Team over the past month, as the coming months would be off-season for monster hunting, with lower earnings. Many cultivators relied on this batch of Spirit Stones to last them until the next year.


    Mo Hua could only stroll the streets with Da¡¯hu and their other two friends.


    However, Da¡¯hu and the others had one more thing to do, which was to participate in the Monster Hunting Rite.


    Every year during the Monster Hunting Festival, a Monster Hunting Rite was held for young Cultivators above the sixth level of Qi Refinement to become Monster Hunters.


    The sixth level of Qi Refinement was a watershed for the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City, marking not only the peak of the Qi Refinement Middle Phase but also the hope of breaking through to the latter phase of Qi Refinement.


    Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Middle Phase could learn some simple Spells or Martial Arts, and with decent Spiritual Power and physical strength, they had a certain capacity to protect themselves from Monster Beasts.


    Taking one step forward from the Qi Refinement Middle Phase led to the Late Phase of Qi Refinement. In Tongxian City, where Qi Refinement stage cultivators were predominant, the Late Phase of Qi Refinement was the goal of many Cultivators.


    But this step involved many variables, and due to reasons like Spirit Stones, Spiritual Roots, or Cultivation Techniques, many Cultivators could not make this step in their entire lives.


    So for Loose Cultivators, reaching the sixth level of Qi Refinement meant they could become true Monster Hunters. And becoming a Monster Hunter meant they would have to rely on hunting Monster Beasts for a living

 Chapter 78 - 78 Monster Hunting Gift_1

    Chapter 78 Monster Hunting Gift_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Da¡¯hu had reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement nearly a year ago, but his luck was bad, missing the Monster Hunting Ceremony by just a few days, preventing him from becoming a Monster Hunter and thus unable to hunt monsters in the mountains.


    Shuanghu and Xiaohu had about the same aptitude; although they were playful, they were still diligent in their cultivation, so within a year, they also made successive breakthroughs, reaching the sixth level of Qi Refinement.


    The Monster Hunting Ceremony was held in front of the ancestral hall, where Da¡¯hu, the two others, and some other cultivators who had just reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement, participated under the auspices of some respected elders.


    The Monster Hunting Ceremony was rather complex, beginning with the burning of incense, and worshipping heaven and earth. Afterward, a blood oath was taken, cutting open the palm with a knife and dripping blood into wine, which was then raised in a cup for a collective toast.


    The elder spoke some words, but Mo Hua was too far away to hear clearly, only catching a general idea of what was said.


    The meaning was that as Monster Hunters, though not related by blood, the blood oath was a pledge, and drinking this wine together signified mutual support¡ªbleeding together, exerting strength together.


    Monster Beasts were several times more formidable than cultivators; if there was no unity, one could not survive the life of a Monster Hunter. It was too easy to lose one¡¯s life, becoming prey to the Monster Beasts.


    After the blood oath, the newly initiated Monster Hunters were each given a Monster Hunting Token by the elder.


    The Monster Hunting Token was said to be made from the bones of special Monster Beasts, only the size of a baby¡¯s fist, and pale white in color.


    Every cultivator who became a Monster Hunter received a Monster Hunting Token. Every time a Monster Beast was killed, a blood-red pattern would appear on the Token, becoming more prominent the more Monster Beasts were slain.


    A Monster Hunting Token covered in patterns could be seen as a Monster Hunter¡¯s merit.


    Each of the three, Da¡¯hu, Shuanghu, and Xiaohu, received a Monster Hunting Token, dripped their fresh blood on it, and then hung it around their necks.


    The blood-stained Monster Hunting Token would accompany a Monster Hunter for life; some hunters even treasured their Token as much as their lives, preferring to lose their lives rather than the Token. Losing the Token meant losing one¡¯s past and achievements in Monster Hunting, as well as the entirety of a Monster Hunter¡¯s life.


    After the blood oath and distribution of the Monster Hunting Tokens, the Monster Hunting Ceremony came to an end.


    Throughout the event, the expressions of Da¡¯hu and the others were tense, and only now did they relax.


    They were dressed in new Taoist robes and rattan armor, wielding brand-new Pu Blades in their hands.


    The Taoist robes were made of ordinary fabric, cheap but sturdy. The rattan armor and Pu Blades, however, were Spiritual Artifacts; the armor could protect vital veins, and the blades were used to slay Monster Beasts, considered the most common Spiritual Artifacts among Monster Hunters.


    Uncle Meng was not wealthy and had used up almost all his savings to fully equip the three of them with these items. From now on, they would have to rely on these Spiritual Artifacts to support themselves.


    Mo Hua and the three walked around the streets, but seeing that they seemed somewhat dispirited, Mo Hua expressed concern:


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys, aren¡¯t you happy?¡±


    The group ended up on a small stone bridge, sitting by the railing, watching the gurgling water blend with the distant lights.


    ¡°I saw my mother crying secretly last night,¡± Shuanghu said.


    ¡°I saw it too,¡± Xiaohu added. ¡°I think she feels bad about the Spirit Stones. All the family¡¯s Spirit Stones are gone, and she had saved up little by little.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more to it, we even borrowed some. I saw my father borrowing from the uncles in the Monster Hunting Team, and from Uncle Mo,¡± Da¡¯hu said, then he asked Mo Hua, ¡°Your family isn¡¯t in urgent need of Spirit Stones, are they?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we still have a restaurant, so we¡¯re not short for now,¡± Mo Hua assured them.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Da¡¯hu sighed with relief, but the three still looked downcast.


    Just a day before, they were still children, but after the Monster Hunting Ceremony, they were about to begin shouldering the hardships of a cultivator¡¯s life. Some things they had not deeply understood before, but now with the responsibility on their shoulders, they started to realize the difficulties of life.


    ¡°No need to be so dejected, it¡¯s actually a good thing,¡± Mo Hua said.


    All three turned to look at Mo Hua.


    ¡°Before, only Uncle Meng and Auntie Meng could earn Spirit Stones, and you could only spend them. Now that you¡¯re Monster Hunters, you can hunt Monster Beasts and earn Spirit Stones. Auntie Meng¡¯s burden will be lighter, and life will get better. Once you repay the debts and earn some extra Spirit Stones, Auntie Meng will be able to buy a lot of nice things to eat,¡± Mo Hua said.


    The three kids¡¯ eyes lit up.


    ¡°But,¡± Shuanghu scratched his head, ¡°can we really earn Spirit Stones? I heard from my dad that new Monster Hunters mostly just watch and learn and don¡¯t get to share in any Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°You guys are pretty good at fighting, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Just treat Monster Hunting like fighting. You used to fight people, now you¡¯ll fight monsters.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Monster Hunting is still different from fighting,¡± Xiaohu hesitated.


    ¡°Then just learn more from the uncles in the Monster Hunting Team. Nothing happens overnight. The faster you learn, the sooner you can help out, and the faster you¡¯ll get to share in the Spirit Stones. That way, Uncle Meng and Auntie Meng will be happy.¡±


    Mo Hua comforted them, and all three kids perked up a bit.


    ¡°However,¡± Da¡¯hu said hesitantly, ¡°if we go Monster Hunting, we won¡¯t be able to come play with you often.¡±


    ¡°And later on, we might not be able to play with you ever again¡­¡± Xiaohu added quietly.


    After saying that, the three of them looked downcast again.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, in a year or two, maybe I¡¯ll also reach the sixth level of Qi Refinement, and by then, I could become a Monster Hunter too and then I could go to the mountains with you guys,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Oh right, of course!¡± Xiaohu said happily.


    ¡°Of course what?¡± Shuanghu rolled his eyes at Xiaohu, then looked at Mo Hua with a bit of concern, ¡°You¡¯re not healthy and you¡¯re not following the path of Body Cultivation. Being a Monster Hunter is dangerous, and Uncle Mo won¡¯t agree. You should become a Formation Master instead, which has higher status, earns more Spirit Stones, and doesn¡¯t involve fighting.¡±


    Da¡¯hu nodded quickly, ¡°Being a Formation Master is good!¡±


    Xiaohu echoed, ¡°Yeah, being a Formation Master is good!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll consider becoming a Formation Master first. If another opportunity arises, or if I can pursue Body Cultivation, then I¡¯ll consider being a Monster Hunter,¡± Mo Hua said.


    But after thinking about it, he realized that he probably didn¡¯t have any talent to be a Monster Hunter. He was frail, and the Cultivation Technique he learned placed emphasis on Spiritual Power. If he really became a Monster Hunter, one close attack from a Monster Beast could easily rip him apart, and he might not survive¡­


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful, as he was quite drawn to the idea of the bold and free style of Body Cultivation practitioners, who were brave and carefree.


    Unfortunately, he was born weak and never had the chance.


    Mo Hua patted his waist pouch, ¡°Today I¡¯ll treat you guys to Liu¡¯s street-side osmanthus cakes as a farewell treat.¡±


    The mention of food invigorated the three boys.


    ¡°But you¡¯re always treating us, it doesn¡¯t seem fair,¡± Shuanghu said somewhat embarrassedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once you become famous Monster Hunters known far and wide, after you¡¯ve killed lots of Monster Beasts and earned a lot of Spirit Stones, you can treat me to something delicious then!¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing this, the three boys felt their spirits rise, and they nodded together, ¡°Okay!¡±


    The worries of a moment ago swept away, they walked to the cake shop with their heads held high and an air of confidence.


    After eating the cakes, the day was getting late, so it was time to go home.


    Before leaving, Da¡¯hu reminded Mo Hua, ¡°Be careful when we¡¯re up in the mountains. If anyone bullies you, make sure to tell us, and we¡¯ll come back to fight for you.¡±


    Touched, Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a deal!¡±

 Chapter 79 - 79 Earth Fire Formation_1

    Chapter 79 Earth Fire Formation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua returned home in the evening and couldn¡¯t fall asleep in bed. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For one thing, he was a bit worried about Da¡¯hu and the other two; for another, he thought that despite being a cultivator, he seemed to have no means of attack or self-defense.


    The cultivators in Tongxian City were simple and honest, and having grown up there, he hadn¡¯t encountered any dangers. But the absence of danger didn¡¯t mean that danger would never come.


    In the face of real danger, one should have some means of self-protection; it wasn¡¯t an option to just sit and wait for death.


    Mo Hua was not a Body Cultivation practitioner; his Blood Qi was weak, so he couldn¡¯t learn the martial arts of Tao Cultivation. That left him with only the option of learning spells. However, Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Power wasn¡¯t strong either, and what¡¯s more, as a fourth-level Qi Refinement practitioner with low Cultivation, it was a bit early for him to learn spells¡­


    After much thought, the only choice left was formations¡­


    ¡°Is there any formation that can attack?¡±


    Mo Hua rolled out of bed, fetched Mr. Zhuang¡¯s ¡°Thousand Formation Collection,¡± and started searching through it:


    ¡°The ¡®Ice Cone Formation,¡¯ seven Formation Patterns, but I¡¯ve never learned the ice-series patterns, and the Spiritual Ink used for drawing formations is quite rare¡­¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Thunder and Fire Formation¡¯ should be pretty powerful¡­ Nine Formation Patterns, let¡¯s not even consider that¡­¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Wood Prison Formation¡¯ is not meant for attacking¡­¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Fire Breath Formation,¡¯ three Formation Patterns, but it seems a bit weak in power¡­¡±


    Mo Hua flipped through again and again and finally chose the ¡®Earth Fire Formation.¡¯


    Seven Formation Patterns, the ink required was inexpensive, the setup was simple, and he was quite familiar with the fire-series Formation Patterns. The formation would self-destruct upon activation, so its power shouldn¡¯t be weak.


    Mo Hua was satisfied, and after 1 p.m., he began practicing the ¡®Earth Fire Formation¡¯ on the stele in his Sea of Consciousness.


    The formation wasn¡¯t difficult, and Mo Hua spent the whole night practicing it several times until he was familiar with it. The next day when he awoke, he used paper to draw it, and after trying a few times, he was successful.


    Just as Mo Hua was attempting to activate the formation, he suddenly remembered something:


    Once he infused Spiritual Power, would the Earth Fire Formation take effect and explode immediately? Then wouldn¡¯t his house be gone, and given his frail body, he probably wouldn¡¯t die but would be badly injured¡­


    Mo Hua broke out in a cold sweat.


    He flipped through the ¡°Thousand Formation Collection¡± again for notes on the ¡®Earth Fire Formation¡¯ and read: Infuse Spiritual Power into the formation, and after three breaths, it explodes, causing fire-series spiritual injuries.


    ¡°So that means I infuse Spiritual Power and after three breaths¡­ well, about three seconds, the formation will self-destruct, and the power of the formation¡¯s explosion is similar to the spell power of a fire-series cultivator.¡±


    So this is basically a landmine¡­


    Mo Hua muttered under his breath.


    But in any case, he couldn¡¯t try this formation at home.


    Taking advantage of the free time in the morning, he drew two more Earth Fire Formations and, in the afternoon, left home to place the formation under a tree in a quiet grove on the outskirts of town, and then tentatively infused a bit of Spiritual Power.


    The formation lit up, but it didn¡¯t explode.


    Mo Hua squatted on the ground, his small hand propping up his chin, ¡°It lit up, indicating there¡¯s no issue with the formation, but no explosion means that the infused Spiritual Power wasn¡¯t enough?¡±


    If I infuse enough Spiritual Power, would the formation explode directly?


    Mo Hua felt somewhat unsure, as he was not a practitioner of Body Cultivation and probably couldn¡¯t withstand the power of the Earth Fire Formation explosion.


    Mo Hua took out the ¡°Thousand Formation Collection¡± again and read through it word by word to confirm that it would indeed explode after three breaths, and only then did he feel reassured, ¡°A Formation Master wouldn¡¯t deceive another Formation Master, and besides, this book was given by Mr. Zhuang, so it couldn¡¯t be wrong.¡±


    Mo Hua circulated the Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea and infused a large amount directly into the Earth Fire Formation, which caused the Formation Patterns to emit a blinding red light.


    Mo Hua covered his head and ran, then jumped into a pit a few yards away, hiding his entire body in it.


    It was specifically because of this pit that Mo Hua chose this spot to detonate the ¡®Earth Fire Formation.¡¯ He even rehearsed several times beforehand to ensure that with his small arms and legs, he could successfully hide in the pit within three breaths.


    The Earth Fire Formation exploded, fulfilling Mo Hua¡¯s expectation, and he was very satisfied.


    But even though it exploded, it only blasted a gap in the large tree, with slight burn marks. The noise was loud but the effect was minimal, and Mo Hua wasn¡¯t entirely satisfied.


    Looking at it this way, setting off the Earth Fire Formation didn¡¯t seem like detonating a mine, but more like setting off firecrackers.


    ¡°A Formation with seven Formation Patterns should be stronger¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt he shouldn¡¯t blame the Formation but rather look for the cause within himself, ¡°Could it be that, because my cultivation is low, the Spiritual Power I infuse isn¡¯t enough?¡±


    If there wasn¡¯t enough Spiritual Power, then he could only use Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua took out an Earth Fire Formation, placed it under another tree, and then with a pang of pain, he took out a Spirit Stone, crushed it, and injected the Spiritual Power from the Spirit Stone into the Earth Fire Formation.


    This time, the Formation Patterns on the Earth Fire Formation shone even more dazzlingly.


    Mo Hua hurried back to the pit just in time to hear a loud bang that made his ears ache. Then, following the rumbling sound and the noise of branches snapping off, the big tree targeted by the Earth Fire Formation collapsed with a crash.


    When Mo Hua ran over to check, he couldn¡¯t help but gasp in astonishment.


    The big tree, bearing the brunt of the Earth Fire Formation¡¯s self-destruction, had a large chunk blown out of the trunk, which then toppled to the ground. The chunk bore obvious scorch marks, as if it had been blasted by intense flames.


    ¡°The power of a single Spirit Stone, is it really so strong? Or is it that my own Spiritual Power is just that weak¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disheartened.


    However, the power of the Earth Fire Formation driven by a single Spirit Stone satisfied Mo Hua a great deal. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to draw a few more to have on hand in case of emergencies.


    After ensuring that there were no signs of fire on the tree blasted by the Earth Fire Formation, Mo Hua returned home satisfied.


    Only the blasted big tree was left standing alone in its place.


    The next day, Elder Yu from the Monster Hunting Team came by and, upon seeing the signs of the blasted tree, couldn¡¯t help but rage:


    ¡°Go back and check which damn fool from the Monster Hunting Team did this. Having the energy and not going Monster Hunting, but instead blowing up trees here, do they think their cultivation is so remarkable that they have nowhere else to show off?¡±


    The burly men of the Monster Hunting Team all shrank back, not daring to utter a word.


    Elder Yu had quite a bad temper and was known for his strictness; they didn¡¯t dare to say even half a word of dissent.


    After attending the Monster Hunting festival, Da¡¯hu and his two friends became busy. They were either sparring Martial Dao at home or following senior Monster Hunters into the mountains to learn the experiences of Monster Hunting.


    On the evening of the second day of the Monster Hunting festival, Mo Hua could only wander around by himself. Without his friends, even the bustling atmosphere felt somewhat tasteless to him.


    Who would have known that on the third day, after Mo Hua had visited Mr. Zhuang and asked his questions, Bai Zisheng grabbed hold of him persistently.


    ¡°Take me with you!!¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s handsome eyes stared intently at Mo Hua.


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    ¡°The Monster Hunting festival!¡± Bai Zisheng said, ¡°I¡¯ve inquired about it. The Monster Hunting festival lasts for three days, and today is the last day. If we don¡¯t go now, we¡¯ll miss it.¡±


    ¡°It only happens once a year.¡±


    ¡°Who can tell what will happen next year? What if Zixi and I have to go somewhere else? Then I might never get to see it¡­ No, you must take me!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ even if I want to take you, that won¡¯t help, Aunt Xue won¡¯t agree.¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through,¡± Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°we¡¯ll sneak out without letting Aunt Xue know. At worst, we¡¯ll take a beating when we get back. A man should be able to stand tall under the heavens and not fear punishment; even if it means getting beaten, it will still be worth it!¡±


    ¡°Then think about it, how are you going to keep it a secret from Aunt Xue?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Bai Zisheng slumped down, looking dejected, ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no concealing it. From childhood till now, I¡¯ve never once been able to hide anything from her.¡±


    Seeing him downcast like a frostbitten eggplant, Mo Hua sympathized and suggested, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you negotiate with Aunt Xue? Finish your day¡¯s work, and then take a stroll in the streets in the evening?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only option left¡­¡± Bai Zisheng nodded.


    ¡°Then start working on your tasks now. If you don¡¯t finish them, you won¡¯t even have the right to speak to Aunt Xue.¡± Mo Hua reminded him.


    Suddenly energized, Bai Zisheng flipped open the book on his desk, glanced at it twice, then asked Mo Hua, ¡°If Aunt Xue agrees, how do I find you?¡±


    ¡°Today, at 5 p.m., I¡¯ll wait for you under the big tree on the street. If Aunt Xue agrees, I¡¯ll take you around. If she doesn¡¯t, I can only go by myself.¡±


    ¡°Agreed!¡± Bai Zisheng perked up.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a deal.¡±

 Chapter 80 - 80: Excitement (Going live tomorrow)_1

    Chapter 80: Excitement (Going live tomorrow)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    At dusk, as 5 p.m. arrived, Mo Hua reached the big tree on West Street.


    Bai Zisheng had not yet arrived, and Mo Hua, out of boredom, picked up a twig and started to play with drawing formations on the ground.


    The formation Mo Hua practiced was still the Earth Fire Formation, an attacking formation that differed from the others, necessary to contemplate over for longer and aim to improve proficiency.


    Just when Mo Hua thought Bai Zisheng wasn¡¯t going to come, she looked up and saw Aunt Xue leading Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi over.


    Mo Hua waved her hand and said politely, ¡°Aunt Xue, long time no see!¡±


    ¡°Long time no see!¡±


    Aunt Xue¡¯s pale hand couldn¡¯t help but touch Mo Hua¡¯s head. Mo Hua was somewhat reluctant but didn¡¯t refuse.


    ¡°Zisheng and Zixi have been working hard on their cultivation. Since today is also a festival, let them relax a bit. We¡¯ll have to trouble you to show us around,¡± Aunt Xue said in a gentle voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all,¡± Mo Hua shook her head and then beckoned with a small hand, ¡°Follow me, today is the last day of the Monster Hunting Festival, it¡¯s very lively!¡±


    Bai Zisheng uttered a soft exclamation, then ran to Mo Hua¡¯s side, curiously looking around, asking Mo Hua about anything novel that he saw.


    The cultivation world is vast and boundless, with great differences in customs and local products. Coupled with strict family constraints, many things were new to Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zixi, on the other hand, followed quietly beside Aunt Xue, also wearing a hat similar to Aunt Xue¡¯s but much smaller in size, a white gauze veil covering her peerless face, leaving only a small section of her delicate and fair chin exposed. She didn¡¯t talk much along the way, but she listened intently to every word of Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua¡¯s conversation.


    The streets were brightly lit, not exactly bustling but filled with the clamor of worldly life.


    Both sides of the street were occupied by vendors selling pills, spiritual artifacts, jewelry, snacks, formations, miscellaneous items, toys, medicinal herbs, spiritual ink, as well as monster beasts¡¯ fur, bones, and inner cores¡ªA dazzling array of goods were available for all.


    The crowd flowed along the stalls, slowly moving toward the distance, the flickering lanterns stretching out into the unseen far away.


    Not just Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, even Aunt Xue was momentarily taken aback.


    She was born into a noble clan and had seen more prosperous cities of immortals, but such a lively and bustling street and market town, this was her first encounter. It seemed as if these cultivators were truly alive and breathing.


    Following the noisy stream of people, even an immortal who doesn¡¯t partake in earthly pleasures could taste the joy of the mundane world.


    Bai Zisheng shopped along the way, buying many things such as a fire-breathing bull, a blinking monkey, a dog that could stand on its tail¡ªall wooden toys painted and colored to look lifelike, presumably with simple formations carved inside. Infuse them with a bit of spiritual power, and they¡¯d start moving on their own.


    In addition to these, there was also an ostentatious broadsword, engraved with dragons and phoenixes, shining with a rainbow sheen, purely for show and without any practical use, not even qualifying as a spiritual artifact. Bai Zisheng, however, adored it immensely.


    Mo Hua was holding a pile of things as well, all purchased by Bai Zisheng and entrusted to Mo Hua to carry. Later, Mo Hua could choose something she liked to take.


    Bai Zixi received a tiny white rabbit, only the size of a fingernail. Placed in the palm, it would pick up its little legs and run, thump-thump-thump-thump. It was a gift Mo Hua bought for her.


    Because at the stall, she had been staring at the little white rabbit the whole time, yet said nothing. And Mo Hua, feeling indebted for taking advantage of Bai Zisheng, spent a spirit stone to buy the little white rabbit for Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi simply expressed her thanks and it wasn¡¯t clear if she liked it, but whenever there was a chance along the way, she would open up her palm, like white jade, watching the little white rabbit run around in her hand.


    In addition to shopping, Bai Zisheng also enjoyed watching plays.


    One type was the shadow puppet play, which used a large screen that displayed the shadows of puppets; the characters included men, women, the elderly, and the young, as well as various ghosts, demons, and Monster Beasts. Cultivators used Spiritual Power to control the puppets¡¯ movements and recited stories, bringing to life one tale after another.


    The stories of the shadow puppet plays featured both humans and monsters, typically with a male Cultivator heroically rescuing a beautiful female Cultivator in the wilderness, leading to their swearing eternal love and privately deciding on a lifetime commitment.


    The male would even defy the Sect and his mentors to elope with the female Cultivator, but when they reached a secluded and uninhabited place, she would shed her clothes, transform into a Monster Beast, and devour the male.


    This was a story that Mo Hua particularly liked, finding it very instructive and never tiring of it.


    But Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t share the same interest; he preferred the simpler and more lively beast-fighting plays.


    The beast-fighting plays depicted Monster Hunters hunting Monster Beasts. They set up a large stage, and several Cultivators acted as Monster Hunters¡ªalthough they might not even be acting, as they could well be real Monster Hunters¡ªwhile other Cultivators concealed themselves inside puppets made from Monster Beasts¡¯ bones and fur to play the beasts. Then the Monster Beasts would breathe fire, Cultivators would cast spells, and they would noisily play-fight to everyone¡¯s delight.


    Mo Hua felt it was somewhat fake because as a Monster Hunter himself, Mo Shan had told him that real Monster Hunting was tense and dangerous; even when facing weak Monster Beasts, one could not be careless, or one might suffer injuries, or worse, lose their life.


    However, this type of entertainment was just for fun, and no one took it seriously¡ªwell, except for Bai Zisheng.


    He dreamed of going into the mountains to fight Monster Beasts one-on-one, though Aunt Xue would not allow it.


    As they wandered around, they also ran into Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan was walking with a group of very elderly Cultivators with little hair but evidently high status, likely high-ranking Cultivators from the Taoist Court and Clan Heads or Elders from several families of Tongxian City.


    The procession of Cultivators was grand, with Cultivators in Taoist Court robes clearing the path ahead and a group of young Cultivators respectfully following behind.


    These young Cultivators, allowed to accompany the Elders on their outing, were probably highly regarded within their Clans. Mo Hua had seen a few of them before; they were the true heirs of both the Qian Family and the An Family, with top-ranking achievements at Tongxian Gate.


    Zhang Lan, with his mismatching youthful appearance among the grey-haired Cultivators, was maintaining a stiff, forced smile as he made awkward small talk.


    Mo Hua saw Zhang Lan, but Zhang Lan, preoccupied with networking, likely didn¡¯t see him.


    Suddenly, after saying something to a particularly old Cultivator with the least hair, Zhang Lan excused himself with a bow and discreetly departed. By the time Mo Hua turned his head, he saw Zhang Lan not far off, waving at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to accompany them? Those are all big shots from the city, right?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me; I was actually on leave, sneaking out for a stroll, only to get caught red-handed by the Court Leader and forcefully spent the day accompanying all these Family Heads and Elders.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I originally thought you were shirking your duties, but I didn¡¯t expect you to handle those Elders so well, even if it was a bit fake,¡± Mo Hua remarked with newfound respect for Zhang Lan. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan casually tousled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, ¡°What do you know, kid? It¡¯s all just playing the part. I may be lazy, but I¡¯m not stupid.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat disdainful.


    ¡°Oh well, I have things to do; go enjoy yourself,¡± Mo Hua dismissed him.


    Zhang Lan laughed, ¡°What could you possibly have to do?¡± But as he turned his head, he spotted the not only young but also strikingly good-looking Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, and their presence was overshadowed by the indistinct but distinguished figure of Aunt Xue behind them.

 Chapter 81 - 81 Qian Xing_1

    Chapter 81 Qian Xing_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Looking at the extraordinary aura of Aunt Xue, Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes could not move away.


    Mo Hua looked at him with even more disdain.


    Zhang Lan coughed and straightened up his appearance, facing Aunt Xue with a serious expression, yet with a hint of sycophancy, he said,


    ¡°I am Zhang Lan, may I ask the name of this Taoist friend¡­¡±


    Aunt Xue didn¡¯t even bother with him and directly said to Mo Hua, ¡°Mo Hua, we will wait for you up ahead.¡± After finishing her sentence, she left with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, leaving Zhang Lan standing there dumbfounded, with that sycophantic look still rigid on his face.


    Mo Hua looked at Zhang Lan with a bit of sympathy. He wanted to pat Zhang Lan on the shoulder, but being too short, he could only manage to pat his waist and said,


    ¡°Everyone goes through setbacks, Uncle Zhang, just take it easy¡­¡±


    The supposed words of comfort, coming out in his childish voice, didn¡¯t comfort at all.


    Zhang Lan was still confused, ¡°I¡¯m not bad-looking, my cultivation isn¡¯t low, and even my actions are refined with the etiquette and grace of a Disciples of the Worldly Family, why won¡¯t she say a single word to me?¡±


    Although Mo Hua did not like his self-absorbed appearance, he felt there was some truth to his words.


    ¡°Maybe Aunt Xue also heard your name as ¡®scumbag¡¯, so she avoided you at all costs? How about you try changing your name?¡± suggested Mo Hua.


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua with a speechless expression.


    Mo Hua comforted him a few more words, and Zhang Lan finally didn¡¯t take the incident to heart. After talking a few more sentences, Zhang Lan left with a look of disappointment.


    Mo Hua then caught up with Aunt Xue and the others and continued strolling the streets. When it was about halfway through the hour of the rat, they all went home.


    Bai Zisheng returned home with a bounty, forcing a bunch of odd and interesting things on Mo Hua that he couldn¡¯t refuse to take.


    Mo Hua also bought some gifts for his parents; for Liu Ruhua, it was a Fire-Resistant Hairpin, purchased the day before, much better crafted than the one he had given her before.


    Mo Hua erased the Formation inside the hairpin and drew a new one himself, a Formation with even more intricate Patterns.


    For this, he had specifically sought out Master Chen before going home, asking Master Chen to help him dismantle the hairpin. After redrawing the Formation, he had Master Chen put it back together.


    He presented to Mo Shan a Jade Pendant, which he had also dismantled and redrawn a purifying formation inside. Once the Formation was activated, it could eliminate the poisonous gases or miasma in the mountains to a certain extent, although the range was limited.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were both very happy, not only because of the gifts Mo Hua had given but also because they contained Formations hand-drawn by Mo Hua.


    After the hustle and bustle of the Monster Hunting Festival, Tongxian City quieted down; Cultivators returned to their routine lives.


    Mo Hua was no exception; he needed to enhance his cultivation and there was much to learn about Formations.


    One day, as Mo Hua was walking home from Mr. Zhuang¡¯s place, pondering Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teachings while considering what other Formations he needed to learn. As he walked, he was suddenly stopped by a group of people blocking his way.


    Looking up, Mo Hua saw a thin young man dressed in brocade, fluttering a gold-papered fan, with a frivolous look in his eyes, standing in front of him.


    ¡°Young Master Qian?¡±


    Qian Xing, the youngest son of the Family Head of the Qian Family.


    The Qian Family was the most powerful and wealthiest Clan in Tongxian City. Qian Xing, being the son of the Family Head and of the direct line, was pampered the most as the youngest.


    Since Qian Xing was the youngest, he didn¡¯t have to think about taking over the family business, so his life was all about indulging in pleasures. Mo Hua¡¯s only interaction with him was when they were at the Tongxian Gate, where he wrote some Formation Patterns as homework for him.


    ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    Qian Xing smiled amiably, ¡°Indeed, there is something I need your help with.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Mo Hua had a feeling he wasn¡¯t up to any good.


    Qian Xing coughed lightly and said, ¡°On the night of the Monster Hunting Festival, by chance, I saw you and behind you was a young girl wearing a veil. Do you know her?¡±


    A girl with a veil? Is he talking about Bai Zixi?


    ¡°I suppose I know her¡­¡±


    Qian Xing was delighted, his eyes revealing a trace of excitement, ¡°Call her out, I¡¯d like to get to know her, make friends.¡±


    That evening during the Monster Hunting Festival, Qian Xing had also mingled among the Noble Clans¡¯ Disciples and from afar, he noticed the young girl behind Mo Hua. Despite her young age and wearing a veil, he couldn¡¯t forget the ethereal aura she possessed after just one glance.


    He asked people to inquire about the young girl¡¯s background, but there was no news, so he thought of approaching Mo Hua. For the past few days, he and his attendants had been looking for Mo Hua, and now they had finally encountered him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not close enough to call her out,¡± Mo Hua dismissed. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Xing said, ¡°You were strolling down the street together, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not close. Don¡¯t worry, as long as you agree, I won¡¯t treat you unfairly. Do you want Spirit Stones, or a Spiritual Artifact?¡±


    Mo Hua replied calmly, ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree?¡±


    The smile on Qian Xing¡¯s face gradually faded, ¡°I¡¯m trying to give you face here.¡±


    Your face isn¡¯t worth any money. Even if it were thrown on the ground, nobody would pick it up¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t plan to deal with him and simply said, ¡°I need to get home. Could you step aside?¡±


    ¡°Step aside?¡±


    Qian Xing was stunned for a moment, then sneered, ¡°You go and ask around. In Tongxian City, it¡¯s always others who make way for me, the young master. There¡¯s never been anyone who dares to ask me to make way!¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s expression became gloomy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it once more, call out that little girl so I can get acquainted with her, and I won¡¯t pursue your earlier offense. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make sure your parents regret bringing you into this world and having you suffer for nothing!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes also began to show disdain.


    ¡°Your father should be the one to regret first, for having brought into the world such a waste like you and embarrassing himself!¡±


    Insulting people? Who can¡¯t? Since Qian Xing had started it, Mo Hua didn¡¯t hold back either.


    Mo Hua felt he had only uttered a common insult, but Qian Xing¡¯s reaction was beyond his expectations.


    Qian Xing turned ashen, then his face slowly twisted.


    The surroundings also quieted down substantially.


    The lackeys behind Qian Xing were somewhat dumbfounded. They had followed him around, swaggering and bullying others for so long, but this was the first time they had seen someone dare to publicly insult Qian Xing.


    Mo Hua was taken aback as well.


    He hadn¡¯t said much, so why did it break his defenses?


    If he couldn¡¯t handle that, what if he spat out the swear words he had been fermenting in his stomach? Wouldn¡¯t Qian Xing directly vomit blood?


    It seems that those coddled from birth do have a more fragile Taoist Heart¡­


    In an instant, Qian Xing felt a surge of rage, his eyes reddened, and bloodshot appeared in them. His fingers trembled as he pointed at Mo Hua, his expression ferocious as he screamed:


    ¡°I want him dead! Dead!¡±


    Mo Hua frowned. Just because of a few insults, he wanted to kill?


    In a frenzy, Qian Xing¡¯s followers hesitated, ¡°Young master, do you really want to beat him to death?¡±


    Qian Xing glared with blood-red eyes, ¡°Either he dies, or you die, choose for yourselves!¡±


    Most of them were either secondary members of the Qian family or affiliated outsiders. Following Qian Xing allowed them to share in the spoils, so they had no choice but to obey him. If they displeased Qian Xing, they would be discarded like dead dogs from the Qian Family.


    But having followed Qian Xing for so long, they were not strangers to dirty work, so they felt no burden on their conscience.


    A disciple from the Qian Family said maliciously, ¡°Kid, it¡¯s your bad luck, try to see more clearly in your next life.¡± With that, his fist shot straight for Mo Hua¡¯s forehead.


    That punch was both insidious and ruthless, clearly meant to be fatal.


    Only, when the fist was still a few feet away from Mo Hua, it was caught by someone.


    The disciple whose fist was caught struggled to break free, but couldn¡¯t. Instead, he felt his bones creaking. Before he could cry out in pain, he received a punch to the face. Nose bleeding, his body was pushed back by the force repeatedly, and he finally fell and lost consciousness against the wall like a broken sack.


    The others were intimidated for a moment. Looking up, they saw the strapping young man who had somehow come to stand behind Mo Hua.


    It was the apprentice of Master Chen from the Refinery Shop¡ªDazhu.


    The normally jovial Dazhu now stood expressionless, his arms muscled like iron, emanating an imposing aura without anger, silently standing behind Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua appeared unfazed.


    In this district of South Main Street in Tongxian City, his ¡°connections¡± were fairly extensive if it came to a fight.

 Chapter 82 - 82 Dazhu_1

    Chapter 82 Dazhu_1


    Translator: 549690339


    A disciple of the Qian Family recognized Dazhu and cursed, ¡°Chen Dazhu, just keep swinging your hammer and mind your own business!¡±


    Dazhu sneered, ¡°None of your damn business!¡±


    Mo Hua had an exceptional Divine Sense. When a punch from a Qian Family disciple was thrown, he noticed that Dazhu had already positioned himself behind him, so he didn¡¯t dodge.


    Of course, it was also because he couldn¡¯t have dodged even if he wanted to.


    The fist of a sixth-level Qi Refinement Body Cultivator was quite fast, and powerful Divine Sense allowed Mo Hua adequate reaction time, but his frail physique was not enough to support such a reaction.


    Luckily, Dazhu took the punch for him. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s memory, Dazhu was always the Refinery Apprentice who smiled naively, treated people generously, and liked to come to his house for noodles. But now, Dazhu¡¯s expression was cold with a hint of ruthlessness.


    ¡°Chen Dazhu, get out of the way!¡± the Qian Family disciple threatened.


    Far from stepping aside, Dazhu lifted Mo Hua behind himself and stood in front of him, his face unconcerned, ¡°I won¡¯t move!¡±


    Dazhu was ten years older than Mo Hua and much taller. As he stepped in front of Mo Hua, he completely shielded him from view, so much so that the Qian Family members couldn¡¯t even see Mo Hua¡¯s figure.


    Seeing that Chen Dazhu was unyielding, the Qian Family disciple tried to persuade him, ¡°Chen Dazhu, this kid is neither your kin nor your kind. Is it worth showing off and sticking your neck out for him?¡±


    ¡°I want to. What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    Dazhu was not good with words. He wanted to curse some more, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say. He felt his momentum waning slightly, so he sneakily glanced at Mo Hua.


    Understanding the cue, Mo Hua popped his head out and said, ¡°So what if we¡¯re neither kin nor kind? You guys are related to Qian Xing; doesn¡¯t he still treat you like dogs?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Dazhu hurriedly nodded in agreement, ¡°That¡¯s right! Like dogs!¡±


    The group of Qian Family disciples flushed with anger, but they couldn¡¯t retort.


    The attitude Qian Xing held toward them was such that calling them dogs was already an overestimation.


    Qian Xing sensed that the situation was not in his favor and said coldly, ¡°Do you want to oppose the Qian Family?¡±


    Dazhu was just about to say, what if he does, when he noticed Mo Hua tugging at his sleeve. He realized Mo Hua didn¡¯t want him to say it, so he kept his mouth shut.


    Mo Hua then poked his head out again and said, ¡°Qian Xing, if your dad knew you were bullying people under the family¡¯s name and tarnishing the Qian Family¡¯s reputation, do you think he¡¯d regret having you? Could it be that you were picked up by your ¡®dad¡¯ somewhere? Maybe your ¡®dad¡¯ isn¡¯t your dad, and your mom isn¡¯t your mom?¡±


    Qian Xing understood the insult; Mo Hua was calling him a bastard, and not even a bastard of the Qian Family.


    Qian Xing, always having been treated with great dignity, felt he had never suffered such indignity in his life as he did today. He gestured behind him and said venomously:


    ¡°Beat him to death, alive! Flay him! Strip his tendons! As for the Taoist Court, I will have someone send the word; you don¡¯t need to worry about it!¡±


    Seeing Qian Xing¡¯s eyes red with rage, Mo Hua quietly said to Dazhu, ¡°Brother Dazhu, they have more people, let¡¯s take the chance to run.¡±


    Far from showing any fear, Dazhu replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay, we are not lacking in numbers either.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion erupted behind them. A group of young men arrived wielding sticks and hammers, stationing themselves behind Dazhu.


    ¡°Brother Zhu, we¡¯ve brought our tools!¡± shouted one of the youngsters.


    Mo Hua looked around and saw that most of them were disciples of Master Chen in Artifact Refining. It was only natural that their weapons of choice were hammers, but there were also some rods and staffs, some even glowing red as if they were Spiritual Artifact embryos just extracted from the Refining Furnace.


    Everyone stood behind Dazhu, and by doing so, they formed an invisible wall around Mo Hua.


    A few Qian Family disciples seemed daunted. Among them, the highest had only reached the seventh level of Qi Refinement, the majority were at the sixth level of cultivation. Although they were slightly superior in cultivation compared to their opponents, they were accustomed to bullying the weak and fearing the strong; when it really came down to fighting, they themselves weren¡¯t confident.


    Their opponents were all apprentices in Artifact Refining, each of them tall and burly with arms as thick as hammers and fists as large as sandpots. They didn¡¯t want to find out what it felt like to be on the receiving end of one of those punches.


    Moreover, these lower-ranking cultivators were all willing to risk their lives, something they didn¡¯t dare to do.


    ¡°Young master, something is not right. Why don¡¯t we retreat for now and trouble him some other time?¡± someone whispered to Qian Xing.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he glared intensely at him.


    The Qian Family disciple¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°We¡­ We are just concerned about the young master¡¯s safety. If a fight breaks out and something happens to you, we won¡¯t be able to explain it to the Family Head¡­¡±


    ¡°I am the one who feeds you, not my father. You should be thinking about how to explain yourselves to me.¡± Qian Xing patted the face of the disciple, ¡°Having that brat Mo Hua dead is the best explanation! Otherwise, think about how you¡¯ll explain yourselves to me.¡±


    A few Qian Family disciples broke out in a cold sweat.


    Qian Xing then added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already called for backup. Just hold them off for a while. After the deed is done, a hundred Spirit Stones for each of you. Whoever kills Mo Hua, I will speak to my father and give him one of the direct lineage spots in the Qian Family.¡±


    The disciples looked at each other. A spot in the direct lineage¡­ Could it really be offered?


    Whether true or not, it was worth a gamble.


    A Qian Family disciple gritted his teeth and declared, ¡°I am willing to relieve the young master of his worry!¡±


    He turned to Dazhu and shouted, ¡°Dazhu, I have something to tell you.¡± He then walked towards Dazhu. As he approached, he suddenly drew a knife and sliced toward Dazhu, the blade wrapped in a blue Spiritual Power and emitted a chilling aura.


    Dazhu¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and he snorted coldly. Blood Qi surged around him as he met the attack with his large hammer.


    But the Qian Family disciple¡¯s knife suddenly twisted, avoiding the hammer and aiming at Mo Hua, who was standing behind Dazhu.


    This had been his calculation: taking a hit from Dazhu¡¯s hammer wouldn¡¯t kill him; at worst, he would be gravely injured, but Mo Hua would undoubtedly die if he took this knife strike. Exchanging a slight injury for a direct lineage spot in his family was definitely a winning trade!


    Although the attack was sudden, Mo Hua had already known it was coming; the trajectory of the Spiritual Power on the knife was clearly visible in his Divine Sense. However, the attack and the twist happened in an instant; he had no time to speak, and with his Body Cultivation ability, he couldn¡¯t dodge in time.


    Just as the knife was about to strike him, an Artifact Refining disciple yanked back on his collar. The blade¡¯s tip narrowly missed, and although it avoided Mo Hua, he could even feel a slight pain from the pressure of the Spiritual Power as it passed by his forehead.


    Dazhu saw the knife come out and the subsequent change in the attack aimed at Mo Hua, but his hammer was too heavy to redirect in time. He could only worry internally but thankfully Mo Hua narrowly dodged the blow.


    Dazhu felt relieved in his heart, then rage took over; he no longer held back. Blood Qi poured into the iron hammer in his hand, and he smashed down fiercely.


    The Qian Family disciple was struck in the back and crashed heavily onto the ground, a mouthful of fresh blood rising to his throat along with the grating sound in his ears¡ªhis own bones breaking.


    He had anticipated injury but not one this severe. As his consciousness blurred, he felt himself being kicked away and then landing hard, before he lost awareness completely.


    ¡°Scoundrel, resorting to underhanded tactics!¡±


    ¡°Even the rats in the gutter aren¡¯t as filthy as he is!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s beat them up!¡±


    The young Artifact Refining apprentices, filled with righteous indignation, lifted their sticks and swung their hammers, charging at the Qian Family disciples. The Qian Family disciples had no choice but to meet them head-on.


    On the empty street, the cultivators from both sides plunged into a chaotic battle.

 Chapter 83 - 83: Subterranean Fire_1

    Chapter 83: Subterranean Fire_1


    Translator: 549690339


    The disciples of Artifact Refining clashed with those from the Qian Family, and the scene became chaotic for a moment.


    In Tongxian City, generally speaking, those in the Qi Refinement Realm middle phase, around the fifth to sixth level of cultivation, would be able to learn offensive Taoist Skills.


    Cultivator¡¯s offensive Taoist Skills are divided into two categories: one is the Martial Dao learned by those practicing Body Cultivation, and the other is the spells practiced by Spiritual Cultivators.


    Body Cultivation emphasized refining the body, channeling spiritual power through a formidable physical form for close combat, while Spiritual Cultivators specialized in magic, controlling spiritual power with Divine Sense to condense spells for long-range casting.


    There were also Cultivators of dual cultivation, Spirit and Body, but such Cultivators needed two exceptionally favorable conditions:


    One was good innate talent, which included a top-notch Spiritual Root and an excellent aptitude for Body Refinement; the other was a good family background, with profound teachings in Tao Cultivation to resolve the conflict between the practices of Body Cultivation and Spiritual Cultivation. Additionally, it would be best if their family had several Spiritual mines, unending supplies of Spirit Stones¡­


    Spirit and Body Dual Cultivation was not destined for the vast majority in the Cultivation World, with some prominent Clans sometimes not producing such a talent for several generations, let alone the remote Tongxian City.


    Whether it was a Loose Cultivator or a Cultivator from a smaller Clan, they could only choose to cultivate one method. They¡¯d either focus on Body Refinement and become a Body Cultivator, or they¡¯d focus on spells and become a Spiritual Cultivator.


    In the Qi Refinement Realm, the advantage of Body Cultivators was much greater than that of Spiritual Cultivators. Unless one had a particularly poor natural constitution¡ªlike Mo Hua, for instance¡ªthey would choose the path of Body Refinement and become a Body Cultivator.


    Therefore, the current battle situation was essentially a melee of Body Cultivators.


    Although there were a few disciples from the Qian Family who were Spiritual Cultivators, their spells had not yet been released before they were rushed upon and knocked down with a punch.


    In the melee among Body Cultivators, it was basically a brawl of fists and feet, striking flesh directly, supplemented with spiritual power of various attributes. Between each punch and palm strike, multicolored lights entwined, looking quite dashing.


    This was the first time Mo Hua had witnessed such a large-scale battle between Cultivators, and for a moment, he was mesmerized. It took half a day before he remembered he should do something. What should he do?


    What indeed?


    After some thought, Mo Hua concluded there was only one thing he could do¡ªrun! In the midst of a brawl among Body Cultivators, with his weak arms and legs, it would be an achievement to escape unharmed. Not being a burden to everyone would be his greatest contribution!


    As Mo Hua prepared to slip away, he hadn¡¯t taken many steps before he felt someone grab his shoulder. Mo Hua struggled, but could not break free, and soon cold hands were clutching his throat.


    When Mo Hua turned his head, he saw Qian Xing looking at him with an icy gaze.


    As if Mo Hua was the sworn enemy who had murdered his father.


    ¡°Stop fighting!¡± Qian Xing shouted in a vicious voice.


    Everyone stopped and divided into two groups. Disciples of the Qian Family, covering their arms and wiping blood, stood behind Qian Xing in a disheveled line, while Dazhu and his group stood in front of him, confronting them.


    Seeing this scene, Mo Hua¡¯s heart sank, ¡°It¡¯s over, the worst possible situation has happened!¡±


    Originally, Dazhu and his group had the upper hand, but now that he was caught, everyone hesitated for fear of causing harm, and the situation became dire.


    Dazhu faced Qian Xing with an expressionless face and said, ¡°Let him go! Or you¡¯re as good as dead!¡±


    ¡°Resorting to dirty tricks when you can¡¯t win, coward!¡±


    ¡°If you can, try beating us again¡­¡±


    The other disciple of Artifact Refining also shouted angrily.


    Qian Xing sneered, ¡°Only knowing how to fight and kill, it¡¯s no wonder you¡¯ll remain lowly for life. I¡¯ve already gone to call for help, wait till the family guards arrive, none of you will escape.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Dazhu demanded.


    ¡°How does that sound?¡± Qian Xing laughed, tightening the hand around Mo Hua¡¯s neck, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill him yet. Killing him would dirty my hands, and though I¡¯m not afraid of the Taoist Court, I find it troublesome. I just need to take him up the mountain, hang him from a tree, and attract a few monster beasts to eat his flesh bit by bit until he dies in agony, which will relieve the hatred in my heart. Even if the Taoist Court wants to investigate, since it was the monster beasts that ate him, they won¡¯t be able to trace it back to me.¡±


    Dazhu¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot with rage, ¡°Bastard, how dare you!¡±


    ¡°You dare call me a bastard? What are you?¡± Qian Xing laughed mockingly, ¡°Good, then kneel before me, slap yourselves, and end your lives. I won¡¯t kill him then. How about that? You like to stand out, right? I¡¯m giving you the chance.¡±


    Grasping Mo Hua¡¯s neck, Qian Xing threatened, ¡°Kneel down, or I¡¯ll kill him right now!¡±


    Dazhu and the others were at a loss, feeling both anger and humiliation.


    There was a flash of sharpness in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes as he rasped, ¡°Qian Xing¡­ don¡¯t push your luck!¡±


    ¡°Push my luck? I¡¯ve given you face, I¡¯ve spoken to you nicely, and you don¡¯t agree, causing all this, and yet you blame me for pushing my luck?¡± Qian Xing argued, ¡°I¡¯ve lost so much face today, taking a few lives to regain some is reasonable, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s boyish voice carried a chilling hint:


    ¡°Then you¡¯re asking for death!¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Far from getting angry, Qian Xing laughed, ¡°You, a fourth level Qi Refinement Realm brat, who doesn¡¯t practice the Martial Way or know any spells, what can you do to me? You say I¡¯m seeking death? Alright then, I¡¯d like to see how you can make me¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Qian Xing saw a stream of bright red ink splash toward his face. In a hurried defense, he raised his right hand to block, but it wasn¡¯t enough; streaks of ink splashed into his eyes, seeping through his squinted lids and causing a fierce burning pain.


    This was Fire-series Spiritual Ink used for Drawing Formation!


    Enraged, Qian Xing endured the pain in his right eye, his left hand clenching with force, intending to strangle Mo Hua. But the momentary pain caused his grip to loosen for an instant, and Mo Hua took the chance to break free.


    Qian Xing reached out to grab again, but knowing he couldn¡¯t escape, Mo Hua turned and leapt up, kicking Qian Xing in the body.


    However, the kick had no effect on Qian Xing; he didn¡¯t budge an inch, nor did he feel the slightest pain. Instead, it was Mo Hua who got sent flying backward by the rebound force.


    Mo Hua used the momentum to retreat, finally falling to the ground and rolling a few times before lying there, covering his head with his hands.


    Seeing him in this state, Qian Xing couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Now you know who¡¯s the waste, right?¡±


    He continued walking forward, intending to catch Mo Hua before Dazhu could get to him.


    But just as he took a step forward, Qian Xing suddenly felt a burning sensation in his chest. Looking down, he saw a piece of paper stuffed into his bosom ¨C the paper was marked with seven Formation Patterns, drawn with bright red ink, which was becoming more and more glaring, even shining brightly.


    Was this¡­ a Formation?


    Before Qian Xing could comprehend, a deafening boom erupted.


    The Formation exploded.


    Without warning, a surge of intense Spiritual Power fluctuations burst forth in front of Qian Xing, accompanied by a scorching heat and a pain that tore through his heart, engulfing him completely.


    His Taoist Robe was burned to ash, the Spiritual Artifact Heart Protecting Mirror at his chest cracked open, and the scalding blast surged upwards to his face, scorching it beyond recognition. The shockwave from the explosion sent him flying, crashing through several stalls before he came to a halt.


    The street fell instantly silent.


    A few Clan disciples of the Qian Family were affected, lying on the ground wailing.


    Meanwhile, Dazhu and the other cultivators were stunned as they looked at Mo Hua, crouching on the ground with his head in his hands, looking somewhat disheveled, and at Qian Xing on the other side, burned black and unrecognizable, unable to utter a word.


    The sound of the explosion and the resulting fluctuations in Spiritual Power also alarmed nearby cultivators, with more and more rushing over.

 Chapter 84 - 84 Confrontation_1

    Chapter 84 Confrontation_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Is this¡­ a spell?¡± a refinery apprentice stuttered.


    Dazhu shook his head, he was also unclear about what had actually happened.


    All he had seen was Mo Hua splashing Spiritual Ink on Qian Xing, who winced in pain and tried to grab Mo Hua. Mo Hua then kicked Qian Xing in return, but it was Mo Hua who was sent flying backward. Soon after, Qian Xing¡­ exploded.


    ¡°Right, Mo Hua!¡±


    The explosion had been so loud just now, it was unknown whether Mo Hua had sustained any injuries. Unlike body cultivators, it would be dangerous if Mo Hua had been caught in the blast.


    Dazhu and the others hurried towards Mo Hua but, halfway there, they found that Mo Hua had already stood up on his own, even casually patting his bottom. Seeing Dazhu and the others, Mo Hua looked worried and asked,


    ¡°Brother Dazhu, are you all okay¡­¡±


    The crowd: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua, are you hurt?¡± Dazhu asked.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m fine, just got some scrapes, and my neck is a bit sore,¡± Mo Hua said, touching his neck where he still had some bruises from Qian Xing¡¯s chokehold earlier.


    What about Qian Xing?


    It took Mo Hua a while to find Qian Xing, who was blackened and covered in blood, his fate unknown.


    The power of the Earth Fire Formation turned out to be stronger than Mo Hua had expected. It hadn¡¯t been noticeable when blowing up trees, but the effects on a person were quite obvious.


    ¡°Mo Hua, what exactly happened here¡­¡± Dazhu asked quietly.


    Before Mo Hua could answer, a middle-aged cultivator arrived in a blink of an eye next to Qian Xing. With furrowed brows, after checking Qian Xing¡¯s breath, he finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.


    The middle-aged cultivator took out a few pills and shoved them into Qian Xing¡¯s mouth, then swept his gaze around like a hawk, his voice cold as he asked, ¡°Who did this?¡±


    His voice, filled with Spiritual Power, buzzed in Mo Hua¡¯s ears.


    A Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator!


    Mo Hua¡¯s scalp tingled. He was about to step forward when Dazhu pulled him back and whispered, ¡°Let the Qi Refining Ninth Level handle it. We don¡¯t need to get involved.¡±


    Sure enough, a burly man with a wolf pelt around his waist stepped out from the crowd and called out loudly, ¡°Kids just messing around, Qian Zhongli, why are you making such a fuss because of your age?¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator known as Qian Zhongli snorted coldly, ¡°Is that how your kid plays games?¡±


    The burly man laughed heartily, ¡°If he had that kind of ability, I¡¯d let him do whatever he wanted!¡±


    Qian Zhongli said, ¡°Don¡¯t try to fob me off here. Hand over the person responsible, I need to give an explanation. Otherwise, you won¡¯t get off lightly either.¡±


    The laughter of the burly man ceased as his face dropped instantly, ¡°Qian Zhongli, you son of a bitch, have I given you too much face? Being polite to you is giving you respect, don¡¯t be shameless!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, hand over the person! Don¡¯t think I wouldn¡¯t dare to act!¡±


    Qian Zhongli said, restraining his rage.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying it too, if I tell you to get lost, you better get lost. So what if you act? Am I supposed to be scared?¡±


    The burly man was equally blunt.


    Although Qian Zhongli talked tough, he genuinely held some fear for the burly man and didn¡¯t dare to strike hastily, only threatening, ¡°The Qian Family elders will be here soon. You don¡¯t want to escalate this problem, it won¡¯t be easy to clean up for everyone.¡±


    ¡°What, using your Qian Family clout to bully us loose cultivators, aren¡¯t you?¡± retorted the burly man with a defiant attitude.


    ¡°You really want to take the lead on this?¡±


    ¡°Today you capture a person here, tomorrow you¡¯ll be crapping on our heads. What kind of person your little Qian Family lord is, don¡¯t you have a clue? I can ignore him bullying others, but if he gets beaten while bullying, it¡¯s damn well his fault, and you damn well better not interfere!¡±


    ¡°The Qian Family does have Foundation Building cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°So what? Only your Qian Family has Foundation Building cultivators? What about the Foundation Establishment Stage? Picking on the younger Qi Refinement generation for fun? Did you spend your years cultivating for nothing?¡± the burly man cursed. ¡°Do I need to speak out the disgraceful deeds your Qian Family did to get where you are today?¡±


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t outtalk the man, and with no idea what else the burly man might say, Qian Zhongli replied,


    ¡°Fine, I don¡¯t need the man for now. But you tell me first, what exactly happened here? What methods were used to hurt the third young master?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it clear?¡± the burly man chuckled. ¡°Your little bastard lord tried to use a spell to bully others, but his skills weren¡¯t up to scratch. Instead of hitting his target, he blew himself up into this ghostly mess! Can¡¯t you see that for yourself, or were those eyes just for show?¡±


    The big man closed his eyes and spouted nonsense, deflecting blame very effectively, and Qian Zhongli nearly vomited blood as he listened.


    Since when could Qian Xing cast any spells? Even if he could, he was only at the middle phase of Qi Refinement, what kind of spell could cause such a commotion?


    ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± Qian Zhongli said angrily.


    ¡°Then you tell me, what¡¯s going on? Among these people, can you find a single cultivator capable of casting a spell with such might?¡±


    The big man pointed towards Mo Hua, ¡°If you can find one, I won¡¯t say another word, and let you take them away!¡±


    Qian Zhongli was at a loss for words.


    Among these cultivators, the highest level was only at the sixth level of Qi Refinement; none of them had enough spiritual power to use such spells. Though a few had the cultivation, it was clear at a glance they were Body Cultivators. Body Cultivators attack with martial arts and skills, which are completely different from the spells of Spiritual Cultivators.


    Qian Zhongli repeatedly swept over with his Divine Sense, beginning to doubt himself; could it be that the person who injured young master Qian Xing really wasn¡¯t among them? Indeed, it didn¡¯t seem like anyone here could cast such a spell.


    Mo Hua, mingling in the crowd, shrank his head a little. There were no spell casters, but there was one who knew about Formations¡­


    Nevertheless, Mo Hua, at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, hadn¡¯t even caught Qian Zhongli¡¯s eye.


    ¡°What now? Nothing to say, right?¡± the big man asked with a sneer.


    Qian Zhongli frowned, ¡°Regardless, I need an explanation.¡±


    The big man¡¯s temper flared, ¡°Fuck your explanation, looking for trouble, are you? Then let¡¯s talk with our cultivation, let¡¯s see if I can beat you into crying for your parents or if you end up crawling on the ground, searching for your teeth!¡±


    The big man drew out a bloodthirsty Wolf Fang Club, its tips stained with dark red blood, emitting a sinister monster Qi. It was obvious that many Monster Beasts had died under it.


    Qian Zhongli didn¡¯t want to fight, but now there was no choice but to fight. He drew his sword, with his spiritual power surging all over his body, appearing stronger in cultivation, but facing the big man sneering with the Wolf Fang Club, he had not an ounce of confidence.


    Right then, someone called for them to stop, and a cultivator in the robes of the Taoist Court approached, Mo Hua looked carefully ¨C it was actually Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan, usually idle and uncommitted, now in the robes of the Taoist Court, actually held quite a bit of authority.


    ¡°This matter will be handled by the Taoist Court,¡± Zhang Lan said with an air of official business.


    ¡°Court Leader Zhang, this matter¡­¡± Qian Zhongli began, but Zhang Lan raised his hand to stop him, ¡°I¡¯ve said it, the Taoist Court will handle this. Unrelated people, stand down!¡±


    Qian Zhongli was reluctant to step back, and the big man remained dauntless, resulting in a stalemate between the two.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s gaze sharpened as he glanced at the big man wrapped in wolf skin, ¡°We should not escalate this matter,¡± then he turned to Qian Zhongli, ¡°nor should you bring shame upon your clan.¡±


    Qian Zhongli gritted his teeth and bowed, ¡°I defer to the Supervisor¡¯s judgment!¡±


    The big man also bowed his fists, then glanced at Mo Hua and waved dismissively, ¡°Little brat, what are you staring at? Get lost quickly!¡±


    Mo Hua and the others wisely slipped away.


    Dazhu and the rest got into a fight and were more or less injured. Mo Hua led them to seek Mr. Feng for treatment. Qian Zhongli took the seriously injured Qian Xing away, giving not even a glance at the other Qian Family disciples.


    Seeing this, the big man chuckled coldly and also sauntered off.


    Soon after, several Tribunal Cultivators arrived and, under Zhang Lan¡¯s command, cleaned up the scene.


    Zhang Lan had originally been slacking nearby and rushed over after hearing the explosion, arriving to see Qian Zhongli and the big man in a standoff, with no clear idea of what had actually happened.


    But being a Supervisor of the Taoist Court, he couldn¡¯t just ignore everything. When it was time to make an appearance, he needed to put on at least a convincing show.


    After carefully searching the scene, Zhang Lan looked at the Spiritual Ink on the ground and at the Formation Paper that was almost burnt to ashes, and murmured, ¡°Could it be a Formation?¡±


    Who would use such a Formation?


    Formations weren¡¯t something every cultivator could learn, especially not in a small place like Tongxian City. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan recalled the curious little face of Mo Hua that had fleetingly appeared in the crowd.


    He had originally thought Mo Hua was just mixed in to watch the excitement, but now a somewhat absurd idea suddenly emerged, making Zhang Lan¡¯s eyelids involuntarily twitch.


    ¡°No way, that kid couldn¡¯t be that eerie, right¡­¡±

 Chapter 85 - 85 Healing Injuries_1

    Chapter 85 Healing Injuries_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Zhang Lan furrowed his brow.


    Although he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he felt that the less he wanted to admit it, the more likely it was the truth.


    The Formation couldn¡¯t have been drawn by Mo Hua, could it? And that person, was he also blown up by Mo Hua?


    Although Mo Hua was only at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, since he had started studying Compound Formations, his Formation skills were not low; painting a Formation to blow someone up shouldn¡¯t be difficult for him.


    After thinking it over, Zhang Lan completely erased the traces of the Formation and then thought about when he would go to Mo Hua to drink some wine and to clear up the matter incidentally.


    As for showing partiality in this matter, he had no psychological burden at all.


    He was born in a noble clan and had seen plenty of wastrels from a young age, so he despised those like Qian Xing who relied on their clan¡¯s name to bully others and act arrogantly, feeling that they not only wasted their clan¡¯s resources but also tarnished the family reputation.


    The only regret was that the power of the Formation wasn¡¯t enough, and it didn¡¯t kill that Qian Family¡¯s brat.


    ¡°Mo Hua, this kid, still isn¡¯t skilled enough in his craft¡­¡± Zhang Lan muttered.


    Inside Apricot Forest Hall, Old Mr. Feng was healing Dazhu and the others.


    Old Mr. Feng disliked children who caused trouble, and initially, he was unwilling to help, but Mo Hua had said that he was the one being bullied and Dazhu and the others were hurt when they came to his defense. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, the supposedly bullied Mo Hua was jumping around lively with just some minor cuts while the ones who bullied him had been blown up beyond recognition¡­ It was best not to tell Old Mr. Feng that part.


    Having watched Mo Hua grow up, Old Mr. Feng was biased, and softened his attitude when Mo Hua said this, concocted some herbal medicine for them to apply to their wounds, and even gave them some Pills to help with blood circulation and remove blood stasis.


    Dazhu whispered, ¡°Mo Hua, you have some serious clout, even managing to convince Old Mr. Feng. Whenever I got hurt from fighting, I wouldn¡¯t dare to seek out Old Mr. Feng, no matter the cause, for fear he would blame me.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Grandpa Feng is kind-hearted. If you really needed help, he¡¯d definitely take action to heal you. If he doesn¡¯t help, it means he knows you¡¯re not seriously injured.¡±


    Dazhu nodded uncertainly, but without Mo Hua leading them, there was no way they would have dared to seek out Old Mr. Feng.


    After Old Mr. Feng finished looking after Dazhu and the others, he checked Mo Hua and saw that he too only had some superficial skin injuries, which finally put his mind at ease.


    ¡°Your frailty is congenital. You should not get involved in fights. If it¡¯s unvoidable, think of a way to escape sooner rather than later. Don¡¯t risk your life,¡± he cautioned.


    Mo Hua helplessly said, ¡°Grandpa Feng, I did run, but I couldn¡¯t escape.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng frowned, ¡°In Tongxian City, who is so unreasonable as to bully even a child like you?¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just let bygones be bygones.¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to talk about it, Old Mr. Feng did not insist, only advising:


    ¡°I may have some slight influence here in Tongxian City. If someone really bullies you and you can¡¯t fight back, make sure to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, thank you, Grandpa Feng!¡±


    Mo Hua said gratefully, touched his neck, and discovered that after applying the medicine given by Old Mr. Feng, it was cool and already much less painful, so he said his goodbyes, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I should head home. Next time, I¡¯ll bring some osmanthus wine my mother made for you to taste!¡±


    Old Mr. Feng waved his hand, ¡°Head back early, don¡¯t make your mother worry.¡±


    After bidding farewell to Old Mr. Feng and Dazhu, and seeing their woeful expressions, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Are your injuries very serious?¡±


    ¡°The injuries aren¡¯t serious, but we¡¯ve still shown our colors, and it won¡¯t heal in a day or two. There¡¯s no way we can hide it from our master,¡± Dazhu said dejectedly.


    ¡°Master Chen?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Master repeatedly cautioned us not to stir up trouble or fight. If anyone gets hurt in a fight, we have to spend spirit stones on our own recovery and compensate the other party with spirit stones as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, so whenever we finish a fight, regardless of whether we are in the right or not, Master will punish us without fail.¡±


    Several disciples chimed in one after another.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat guilty since Dazhu and the others had fought with Qian Xing¡¯s group to help him. If Qian Xing hadn¡¯t been so aggressively provocative, the fight wouldn¡¯t have escalated to such an extent.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Qian Xing bullied others because he thought he could, and you all got into the fight because you were helping me. Master Chen is not unreasonable; he probably won¡¯t blame you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Dazhu nodded but still seemed a bit anxious.


    ¡°If Master Chen still blames you, just tell him that whenever the Refinery Shop needs any formation painted, I can help, as long as it¡¯s not too difficult.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Dazhu¡¯s eyes lit up. Commissioning someone to paint formations cost a lot of spirit stones, and every time it pained their master deeply. If Mo Hua could help out from now on, certainly the Master would be pleased.


    ¡°Just,¡± Dazhu hesitated, ¡°won¡¯t you be at a loss?¡±


    ¡°My father always tells me that neighbors and friends should look out for each other. You¡¯ve helped me, so I help you, where¡¯s the loss in that?¡± Mo Hua patted his chest as he spoke.


    Mo Shan knew that when Mo Hua painted formations for others, he was very happy. He often told Mo Hua exactly that, and also that one should lend a hand whenever possible. The lives of loose cultivators at the bottom were harsh; it was looking out for one another that kept them going.


    In times of hardship, Mo Hua¡¯s family had received much care from others.


    However, Dazhu was quite happy, ¡°If that little bastard Qian Xing troubles you again, we¡¯ll help you beat him up!¡±


    ¡°Right, beat him up!¡± the other disciples echoed.


    After everyone parted ways, Mo Hua went home, had dinner, exchanged a few words with his mother, and then returned to his room to continue studying formations.


    He didn¡¯t mention Qian Xing, not wanting to worry his mother.


    The Qian Family was too powerful, so it was best to avoid conflict with them whenever possible; confront them if it was truly unavoidable. Fortunately, the Qian Family didn¡¯t know that it was he who had used a formation to injure Qian Xing; they probably wouldn¡¯t trouble Mo Hua anytime soon.


    Liu Ruhua sat alone with a heavy heart under the lamp, sewing clothes until Mo Shan returned. Only then did she speak to her husband,


    ¡°Huar got hurt. He didn¡¯t mention it and even covered his wound, not wanting me to notice, but I¡¯m his mother¡ªhow could I not see¡­¡±


    Mo Shan comforted his wife, ¡°Mo Hua is a boy, and it¡¯s right for a boy to shoulder responsibilities. If he doesn¡¯t speak of it, it means he can handle it on his own, and it¡¯s probably not a serious matter. You shouldn¡¯t question him about it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Liu Ruhua nodded, ¡°but I¡¯m still a bit worried¡­ Mo Hua is usually well-behaved; he shouldn¡¯t have gotten into any conflicts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around tomorrow to find out what actually happened. Don¡¯t worry. Even if something did happen, I am here, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s tone was gentle, comforting his wife, but a trace of sharpness flashed across his eyes.


    Meanwhile, at the Refinery Shop, Dazhu and his group were being punished by Master Chen, kneeling in front of the hall.


    Master Chen held a stick in his hand, his face as still as water.


    ¡°Well, well, you¡¯ve become bold now, your wings strong enough to fight with others, even disturbing the Taoist Court Officials. If I hadn¡¯t heard about this from someone else, I¡¯d still be in the dark. Do you have no respect for me as your master?¡±

 Chapter 86 - 86 Blame_1

    Chapter 86 Blame_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Master Chen was fuming with rage, and his disciples dared not even take a breath.


    ¡°Why are you silent now?¡±


    Everyone looked around at each other, thinking bitterly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you, Master, started hitting as soon as you entered, not letting us speak at all?¡±


    They turned to look at Dazhu, who had no choice but to bite the bullet and say:


    ¡°Master, this is not our fault.¡±


    ¡°If not your fault, then whose? Mine? Did I start this fight?¡±


    ¡°They started bullying first!¡± Dazhu whispered.


    ¡°Exactly, Master, they were too oppressive!¡± all the disciples chimed in agreement.


    Master Chen scoffed, ¡°Oh, they were oppressive, and you had no fault at all? Even if others were wrong, did you have to fight to this extent? If the Taoist Court had detained you, would I not have to shamelessly go to the Taoist Court and beg for your release? And if someone got seriously injured, would I not have to compensate them with Spirit Stones?¡±


    Master Chen¡¯s anger grew as he spoke, ¡°Not to mention anything else, are Spirit Stones so easily earned? How did I raise such a wasteful bunch of you, who still haven¡¯t learned much about Artifact Refining and only cause me trouble!¡±


    ¡°We only acted because Mo Hua was being bullied!¡±


    ¡°So what if Mo Hua was bullied? Who hasn¡¯t been bullied before? If everyone who was bullied had to fight back, how many Cultivators would die or be injured in this world? I think you won¡¯t learn your lesson today until you get a beating¡­¡±


    Master Chen raised his stick as if to strike, then suddenly stopped and frowned, asking:


    ¡°Who was being bullied?¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡± Dazhu said, glancing at the stick in his master¡¯s hand and shrinking his neck slightly.


    ¡°Mo Hua?¡±


    Thinking of Mo Hua¡¯s appearance, a boy around ten years old, well-behaved and adorable, as well as harmless, Master Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask with confusion:


    ¡°Who went crazy, to bully Mo Hua, that little kid?¡±


    Seizing the moment, Dazhu hurriedly said, ¡°It was not just bullying, it was obviously with a murderous intent, that¡¯s why I stepped in!¡±


    ¡°A murderous intent?¡± Master Chen angrily said, ¡°This is simply lawlessness!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Exactly!¡±


    ¡°Absolutely intolerable!¡±


    ¡°Completely shameless!¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouths!¡± Master Chen barked.


    Master Chen wasn¡¯t clear about what had happened. He had just finished his work and had gone for a drink to ease his fatigue. Before he could even settle in, he heard that Dazhu had gotten into a fight again¡ªnot just Dazhu, but other apprentices as well. It wasn¡¯t just a fight; the commotion was huge, not only were people injured, but even the Taoist Court was disturbed.


    His blood surged with anger, and he rushed back to hold these disciples to account.


    Master Chen continued to question Dazhu, ¡°Who was bullying Mo Hua?¡±


    ¡°Qian Xing.¡±


    ¡°Qian Xing? The young master of the Qian Family?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    Dazhu shook his head.


    Master Chen¡¯s brow furrowed tighter. What conflict could there be between the Qian Family and Mo Hua? They had nothing in common¡­


    But Qian Xing¡­ I¡¯ve heard that kid has always been a piece of work, bullying others just to show off his power seems likely.


    Dazhu continued, ¡°When I got there, Qian Xing and his group had already surrounded Mo Hua, and some were about to strike, aiming for the forehead. Out of urgency, I intervened.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Listening, Master Chen got angrier, feeling that his guess was correct, and he couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°The little bastard¡­¡±


    Probably used to being a tyrant on ordinary days, he wanted to bully someone to showcase his influence. If anyone did not yield to him, he¡¯d lose his temper.


    Though the Family Head of the Qian family, Qian Hong, was not a good man, he at least knew some limits. How could he possibly have a son like this¡­?


    Could it really be¡­ a bastard child?


    Master Chen also couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    Dazhu, seeing that his master was no longer angry, quietly asked:


    ¡°Master, are you still going to hit us?¡±


    Master Chen glared at him: ¡°What, you¡¯re not comfortable unless you get a beating?¡±


    Dazhu shook his head repeatedly, ¡°No, no, no!¡±


    Master Chen threw aside the stick but still said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you helped someone, but to end up in such a state just from lending a hand is unlikely. You must have gotten carried away in the fight and then lost all sense of measure, regardless of the consequences.¡±


    Master Chen knew these disciples too well. If they really wanted to save someone, they would just save and leave. It must have been some conflict that arose. They were all young and with resentments, they couldn¡¯t pull back once they started.


    Luckily none of the disciples had been seriously hurt or killed, or else just the cost of the pills for treating the injuries would¡¯ve been a hefty sum of spirit stones, a significant burden for a typical cultivator¡¯s family.


    Once a cultivator falls into debt, it¡¯s like having an iron weight pressed upon them, making every breath feel exhausting.


    It¡¯s good for young people to be spirited, but their backgrounds and family circumstances can¡¯t support that kind of temperament.


    Master Chen sighed, but even so, right and wrong still couldn¡¯t be muddled.


    Looking at the group of kids in front of him, Master Chen felt both concern and relief:


    ¡°There were reasons for the incident, so I won¡¯t delve into it. Helping others is right, but avoid casualties when you can, and don¡¯t always act impulsively. Don¡¯t make your parents worry. Today, you won¡¯t get a beating. Kneel here for two hours, reflect on your actions, and then you can leave.¡±


    Dazhu and the others sighed with relief. Kneeling for two hours was nothing as long as they were not beaten. Besides, it seemed that the master wasn¡¯t really angry with them, and he appeared to believe that they hadn¡¯t done wrong but was just punishing them symbolically.


    With such realization, everyone felt much more comfortable, and even while kneeling, they sat up straighter.


    It was then that Dazhu thought of something and said to Master Chen, ¡°Master, Mo Hua said that since we helped him, if we ever need any formations drawn, we could just look for him. As long as they aren¡¯t too difficult, he should be able to handle them¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡±


    Master Chen, hands clasped behind his back, began to walk away, then after a few steps, turned back around and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Dazhu sensed something unusual about his master and said, ¡°Mo Hua said¡­¡±


    Dazhu repeated what Mo Hua had told them.


    ¡°Did Mo Hua really say that?¡± Master Chen asked.


    Dazhu nodded, and the disciples added, ¡°That¡¯s what he said.¡±


    After calming his mind several times, Master Chen couldn¡¯t help but rub his hands together, pondered for a moment, and hesitated before saying:


    ¡°If we helped him and he helps us draw some formations, that shouldn¡¯t be considered taking advantage of him, right¡­¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Dazhu replied, ¡°Mo Hua said it¡¯s mutual aid among loose cultivators, not taking advantage!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Master Chen couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter anymore, but then, remembering he was in front of his disciples, he tried to keep a straight face, though he couldn¡¯t quite suppress his smile.


    Now that they had someone to take care of the formations in the Refinery Shop, even if it was just saving on the Formation Master¡¯s fee, it was a significant expense spared.


    The saved spirit stones could go towards necessary repairs in the Refinery Shop, purchases that needed to be made, better quality metal for artifact refining, and his disciples could even have a few more bowls of rice each meal.


    Master Chen felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he felt more invigorated.


    ¡°Such good children¡­¡± Master Chen, in high spirits, turned to his disciples and said, ¡°Mo Hua may be young, but he¡¯s talented and diligent. By helping us with the formation drawings, we are the ones at an advantage. If his family ever finds themselves in trouble, you must help out as much as you can. Remember this!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Dazhu and the others quickly nodded their heads.


    ¡°Alright, you can all go now,¡± Master Chen waved them off.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Just as Dazhu was about to respond, he suddenly remembered something else and asked quietly, ¡°Aren¡¯t we kneeling anymore?¡±


    Master Chen was both amused and annoyed, ¡°Kneel what? Scram!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The disciples replied loudly, running off as if a great burden had been lifted.


    Master Chen shook his head, ¡°A bunch of silly boys, who knows when they will grow up¡­¡±


    He had initially returned in anger, but now, looking at his disciples, his mood was much better. He thought about finding a place to have a few drinks, took a few steps, then suddenly stopped.


    Master Chen slapped his forehead, ¡°I forgot to ask, how did things end up with the Qian Family?¡±


    Though Qian Xing was no good, any mishap would still be troublesome.


    But after another thought, with the Qian Family¡¯s numbers and strength, along with a host of guards, it was unlikely they came to harm. Besides, it was just a fight involving children in the middle phase of Qi Refinement, and even if someone got hurt, it shouldn¡¯t have been too serious. If there had been an incident, these children wouldn¡¯t have been able to return safely.


    Thinking this, Master Chen felt at ease and went on to enjoy his drink with peace of mind.

 Chapter 87 - 87 Inquiry (First Update)_1

    Chapter 87 Inquiry (First Update)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    After a day full of right and wrong, Mo Hua wanted to sleep early, but he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Thinking it over, he still decided to go into his Sea of Consciousness and practiced the Formation on the stele all night.


    When drawing the Formation, his mind was free from distractions, and his mood could more easily settle down.


    The next day, Zhang Lan found Mo Hua.


    He sat at an Eight Immortals Table in the corner of an eatery, the table laid with several dishes to accompany the drinks, and a pot of wine.


    Zhang Lan poured himself a cup of wine and looked at Mo Hua, ¡°Tell me, what happened yesterday?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Zhang Lan curled his lips, ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me, the matter with Qian Xing.¡±


    ¡°He bullied me, then Brother Dazhu and the others helped, a fight broke out, and then you all came,¡± Mo Hua said, intentionally downplaying the incident.


    Although the account was complete, the key content was missing, Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but say:


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to pull the wool over my eyes, that Formation, it was you who used it, right?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Uncle Zhang, you saw it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see it,¡± Zhang Lan took a sip of wine, ¡°If I had, how could I let them get away with such nonsense.¡±


    Mo Hua asked puzzledly, ¡°Then how did you know it was a Formation and not a Spell?¡±


    After the Earth Fire Formation exploded, the Spirit paper turned to ash. No one should have known it was Mo Hua who hurt Qian Xing with a Formation unless they saw it with their own eyes.


    ¡°Where rain falls, traces remain; where geese fly over, they leave their call; a Cultivator doing anything will leave traces. Not being able to see them yourself doesn¡¯t mean others can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What sort of traces are there?¡± Mo Hua humbly asked for advice.


    ¡°The ash left by the burned Formation media is different from the ash from other burned objects. After a Formation explodes, the lingering aura of Spiritual Power is also easy to distinguish, and anyone knowledgeable could even tell which Formation you used. There also aren¡¯t many Spells that a Qi Refinement Realm can use. Apart from Spells, only Runes and Formations have such power. Runes are expensive and easier to identify, so thinking it over leaves only the Formation¡­¡± Zhang Lan said all this with an air of clear confidence.


    ¡°I see,¡± Mo Hua had a sudden realization, ¡°Then how should one erase these traces?¡±


    ¡°The ash from the Spirit paper scatters with the wind and dissolves in water, or one could directly use other Formation media to draw a Formation, leaving no residue; the aura left by an exploded Formation can be intentionally confused. Still, it doesn¡¯t matter much, as a normal Cultivator can hardly tell the difference between a Formation¡¯s and a Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power. And then there is¡­¡±


    Speaking thus far, Zhang Lan suddenly realized something was off, as if he were teaching Mo Hua how to cover his tracks after doing mischief¡­


    ¡°And what else?¡± Mo Hua was eagerly listening.


    Zhang Lan coughed, ¡°That¡¯s not important. Just tell me, did you hurt Qian Xing or not?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Mo Hua wasn¡¯t foolish enough to admit it and create unnecessary trouble.


    Zhang Lan looked incredulous.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, think about it, I¡¯m only at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, how could I possibly draw such a powerful Formation?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good excuse,¡± Zhang Lan nodded noncommittally.


    ¡°Right?¡± As soon as Mo Hua finished speaking, he realized what he implied and corrected himself, ¡°That¡¯s the truth, not an excuse!¡±


    Zhang Lan laughed, ¡°Alright, alright, I get it. Don¡¯t worry, I just wanted to know what happened, I wasn¡¯t really going to take you to the Taoist Court for questioning.¡±


    ¡°Your Taoist Court wouldn¡¯t take care of it?¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court would care, but wouldn¡¯t they also distinguish right from wrong? Could it be that in your eyes, the Taoist Court is in cahoots with the Aristocratic Families and Clans?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded honestly.


    It would indeed be strange if the Taoist Court and the Noble Clans were not in cahoots.


    Zhang Lan choked on a sip of wine and, after thinking, couldn¡¯t come up with an example to refute, so he had no choice but to claim his innocence, ¡°Alright, there are indeed those who share the same foul breath, but at least I¡¯m not one of them¡ªthat should suffice, right?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him with a bit of sympathy, whispering, ¡°Uncle Zhang, are you being ostracized? Is that why they don¡¯t include you in their games?¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s head started to ache a bit, and his heart felt tired. Just as he was about to explain himself, he suddenly realized the topic was dragged off by the kid to who knows where, and the matter he wanted to inquire about was still unfinished.


    Zhang Lan glared at Mo Hua, ¡°Stop beating around the bush, I¡¯m talking to you about Qian Xing.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua obediently sat, not planning to say much anyway.


    However, both of them knew what was up, it just went unsaid.


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t want to press further, so he said, ¡°With your cultivation at merely the fourth level of Qi Refinement, you indeed cannot draw such a Formation. Therefore, the person who injured Qian Xing is definitely not you.¡±


    ¡°Then who could it be?¡± Mo Hua asked tentatively.


    Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Qian Xing has been throwing his weight around, surely offending many. This time, he caused a scene on the street, and a cultivator took the chance to launch a sneak attack under cover. As for who exactly did it, we¡¯ll need some time to investigate¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but admire the talent, indeed, everyone in the Taoist Court was capable. He too should learn the skill of telling such blatant lies with eyes wide open.


    ¡°Court Leader Zhang, you¡¯ve worked hard. This meal is on me!¡± Mo Hua slapped his chest and offered generously.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Zhang Lan teased, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s have two more plates of beef and two more jars of fine wine!¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit awkward, ¡°We¡¯re just a small business, that¡¯s probably enough.¡±


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.


    ¡°By the way, do you have a grudge against Qian Xing? Why did he specifically target you?¡± Zhang Lan suddenly remembered to ask.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, ¡°Not really a grudge¡ªhe asked me to do something for him, I didn¡¯t agree, and he flew into a rage from embarrassment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°He said he¡¯d kill me and throw me into the mountains to be eaten piece by piece by Monster Beasts, so that the Taoist Court wouldn¡¯t be able to trace it back to him¡­¡±


    ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Zhang Lan slammed the table, exasperating the other customers who turned to look. Zhang Lan quickly coughed and covered it up, ¡°Fine wine!¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t resist saying, ¡°You¡¯ve damaged our table.¡±


    The table now had several cracks after Zhang Lan¡¯s slam. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan usually restrained his Blood Qi and Spiritual Power, but momentarily, in his anger, he used some strength.


    ¡°Put it on my tab, deduct it from my Spirit Stones,¡± Zhang Lan sheepishly said.


    Mo Hua was just speaking rhetorically, but then he asked a question that puzzled him,


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, Qian Xing wouldn¡¯t really kill someone, would he¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had grown up seeing cultivators who mostly toiled for their livelihood. Even if there were fights to the death, they were usually with Monster Beasts. It was rare for cultivators to kill one another.


    So when Qian Xing tried to use lethal force over a disagreement, Mo Hua was quite shocked, especially with the casual way Qian Xing talked about murder and the method he described of suspending someone in the mountains for Monster Beasts to eat piece by piece. If he hadn¡¯t actually done it, he probably wouldn¡¯t have spoken so convincingly.


    This was also Mo Hua¡¯s first real encounter with the dangers and unpredictability hidden beneath ordinary daily life.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression also became more somber, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Taoist Court care?¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court will only act if someone files a report, will only investigate if there are clues, and will only convict if the evidence is conclusive. Otherwise, either they can¡¯t intervene at all or even if they do intervene, they won¡¯t get any results, and in the end, it will usually just come to nothing.¡±


    It seems like the things Qian Xing did would probably all come to nothing¡­

 Chapter 88 - 88 Guidance (Second Update)_1

    Chapter 88 Guidance (Second Update)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°I originally thought that Qian Xing, despite being arrogant and overbearing, was at most a spoilt brat who just bullied others a bit; I never expected him to be capable of doing such bad things behind the scenes¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Lan¡¯s gaze slightly hardened, and he spoke earnestly, ¡°Mo Hua, you often hear the phrase ¡®the human heart is treacherous,¡¯ right?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°The treachery of the human heart is sometimes invisible. Bad people won¡¯t have the word ¡®bad¡¯ written on their faces. Many despicable people seem just like ordinary folks on the surface, and may even appear more like good people than the average person.¡±


    ¡°People tend to show only the parts of themselves that can stand the light. What dark secrets are hidden in the dark, one will never know¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked to hear such words coming from Zhang Lan, who usually idled about.


    ¡°That means, for someone like Qian Xing, the things he shows in the light are already not good, not to mention what he might do in the dark, nothing bad would be surprising.¡±


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua in surprise, ¡°Not bad, you catch on pretty fast.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­¡±


    Seeing a look of regret on Mo Hua¡¯s face, Zhang Lan asked, ¡°A pity about what?¡±


    ¡°The power of the Formation was a bit too weak¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t kill Qian Xing.


    Zhang Lan nodded, he was thinking the same thing.


    ¡°Although it didn¡¯t kill him, he was seriously injured. The Qian Family is currently seeking Pill Masters of at least first-tier to heal him; there¡¯s no telling if he can be saved. If you ask me, they shouldn¡¯t bother healing him¡ªit¡¯s purely a waste of Pills.¡±


    Zhang Lan said this, then suddenly, as if remembering something, he asked, ¡°If Qian Xing survives, does he know it¡¯s you who made the move?¡±


    ¡°I splashed Spiritual Ink in his eyes; he shouldn¡¯t be able to see.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Zhang Lan thought to himself, aren¡¯t you just admitting it?


    Mo Hua looked up at the sky, pretending he had said nothing.


    ¡°But what if he really does find out?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua said, ¡°If he finds out, given his pride, he certainly wouldn¡¯t tell his Clan. Getting injured by a Cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refinement is an embarrassing matter.¡±


    ¡°What if he seeks revenge on you in private?¡± Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m even less afraid. If he could be ambushed once, why couldn¡¯t he be ambushed a second time? He was lucky the first time; he might not be so lucky the next¡­¡± Mo Hua said with a sneer.


    Though he wasn¡¯t one to start trouble, he also wasn¡¯t afraid of it. He had been caught off guard before and suffered for it, but if he was prepared, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid of Qian Xing anymore.


    Zhang Lan was taken aback, ¡°How can you be sure his luck won¡¯t hold the second time?¡±


    Mo Hua pretended not to hear.


    Zhang Lan then whispered, ¡°Even if you used the Earth Fire Formation, it only left him with serious injuries; it still couldn¡¯t kill him. At the fourth level of Qi Refinement, you don¡¯t have any other methods, do you¡­¡±


    At the fourth level of Qi Refinement, and not knowing any Spells; even if one knew Spells, their power wouldn¡¯t be high.


    Mo Hua was not suited for Body Refinement, so getting up close and personal in a fight would be suicidal.


    As for Formations, being able to draw an Earth Fire Formation containing seven Formation Patterns at the fourth level of Qi Refinement was probably his limit; even if there were Formations with greater power, they wouldn¡¯t be much stronger.


    Even if such Formations existed, they would be secret Formations closely guarded by the big Clans and not casually shared with outsiders.


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t think of any other means Mo Hua might have.


    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of gathering those Refinery Apprentices to gang up and beat Qian Xing to death, are you¡­¡± Zhang Lan suddenly said.


    Mo Hua gave Zhang Lan a slightly disdainful look and said softly, ¡°One Earth Fire Formation can inflict injury; wouldn¡¯t two Earth Fire Formations¡­ kill him?¡±


    Zhang Lan:


    He was accustomed to thinking from the professional perspective of a Cultivator and didn¡¯t expect such a straightforward solution.


    Mo Hua leaned close to Zhang Lan and lowered his voice, ¡°I¡¯ve thought it all through. We¡¯ll do just as you said: after exploding, use water to wash away the ashes, mold a Spirit Stone on the spot to confuse the Spiritual Power, and then they won¡¯t know I used a Formation¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, then suddenly realized something was wrong. ¡°Wait a minute, when you say ¡®do as I said,¡¯ what do you mean ¡®as I said¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled apologetically, ¡°I owe it all to your guidance just now.¡±


    Zhang Lan blurted out, ¡°I did not guide you!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s say I didn¡¯t receive any guidance.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®let¡¯s say¡¯? No guidance means no guidance!¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then Mo Hua comforted him, ¡°I was just speaking offhand. How could I, a Qi Refinement Fourth Level cultivator, possibly do something so dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s drop it, forget about this topic.¡±


    Zhang Lan waved his hand, fearing that if the conversation continued, he might end up being seen as the mastermind.


    He had been somewhat worried about Mo Hua, but now he realized he should probably worry more about that Qian Xing kid.


    The Qian Family might not want to make a big fuss about this matter, after all, they were at fault first, failing in their bullying and ending up blown to bits. If word got out, they would be the ones losing face.


    If the dirt came out when digging up the radish, bringing to light Qian Xing¡¯s shady deeds, the Taoist Court would have enough to give them a hard time.


    As long as the Qian Family didn¡¯t take action, even if Qian Xing sought private revenge, Mo Hua should be alright as long as he stayed cautious.


    Mo Hua was only worried about the Qian Family. As for Qian Xing, though he verbally chastised him as useless, in his heart he had always regarded him as such. Unless caught off guard and ambushed, with preparation, dealing with Qian Xing wouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    ¡°By the way, since you study Formation, you must have a master, right?¡± Zhang Lan had always wanted to ask this question.


    In the Tao Cultivation World, Formation is the hardest to learn, and the assessments and rankings for Formation Masters are also the strictest.


    Most cultivators who study Formation have a traditional apprenticeship. The notion of being self-taught simply doesn¡¯t exist.


    Even the most talented Formation Masters need someone else¡¯s guidance; without it, not to mention the vast sea of Formation knowledge, even the basic Formation Patterns would take a lot of time to learn and understand.


    Mo Hua was a Loose Cultivator, not trained in a Sect, but his skill in Formation was not low. Aside from his own hard work and diligent study, Zhang Lan guessed he must also have had instruction from a master.


    ¡°Not a master, just a gentleman, I am merely registered as his disciple,¡± Mo Hua did not hide this fact.


    ¡°Does this gentleman have a name?¡± Zhang Lan inquired.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°The gentleman lives in seclusion, enjoys solitude, and doesn¡¯t wish to reveal his name.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded in understanding, there were quite a few cultivators in the Tao Cultivation World like that¡ªeccentric, disliking social interactions, finding a secluded place to do what they enjoy.


    It was Mo Hua¡¯s fate to have encountered such a person.


    He did not ask further; there are proper bounds to everything, and to inquire further would be prying. Some masters particularly dislike being investigated.


    ¡°However¡­ this gentleman never officially took you as a disciple?¡±


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but ask, finding Mo Hua to be quite a good kid; diligent, hardworking, and with high comprehension, even though sometimes his words could be exasperating. Zhang Lan wasn¡¯t skilled in Formation himself; otherwise, he would have considered taking Mo Hua as a disciple.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°My talent is quite ordinary. I¡¯m already very happy that the gentleman is willing to teach me Formation.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded and said no more. After they finished eating meat and drinking wine, he gave Mo Hua a few more words of advice before leaving the eatery.


    Once outside the eatery, walking on the road with the breeze on his face, the slight tipsiness from the wine was swept away, and he felt much more sober.


    Then, Zhang Lan suddenly thought of a question, ¡°Qi Refinement Fourth Level, Drawing seven Formation Patterns, Earth Fire Formation¡­ is this what you call quite ordinary talent?¡±


    ¡°What can I draw at Qi Refinement Fourth Level? Four Patterns? No, at least five or six, surely. Mo Hua can draw seven¡­¡±


    ¡°He aims to be a Formation Master, so drawing seven is normal. I¡¯m not aiming to become one, just learning casually. Drawing five or six shouldn¡¯t be too much¡­¡± Zhang Lan nodded to himself.


    ¡°But, how many Formation Patterns can an average Qi Refinement Fourth Level Formation Master draw? Is it four?¡±


    After thinking for a while and still clueless, Zhang Lan shook his head. He had hated Drawing Formations back in the clan school, as it quickly depleted one¡¯s Divine Sense and caused headaches, so he never paid much attention to it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll write a letter when I have time to ask the clan how many Formation Patterns a Qi Refinement Fourth Level disciple can draw¡­¡± Zhang Lan thought silently to himself.

 Chapter 89 - 89 Pill Master (Third Update)_1

    Chapter 89 Pill Master (Third Update)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Meanwhile, at the Apricot Forest Hall, Old Mr. Feng had just finished seeing a patient and was sitting in the hall drinking tea.


    A few cultivators walked in, bowed to Old Mr. Feng, and respectfully said, ¡°Someone in the clan has been severely injured, and we humbly request Old Mr. Feng¡¯s help.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng glanced at the pale yellow Taoist robes embroidered with golden thread they were wearing and asked, ¡°People from the Qian Family?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the extent of the injury?¡±


    A cultivator from the Qian Family hesitated before speaking, ¡°It seems to be caused by a powerful fire elemental spiritual power, the flesh is charred, the meridians are damaged, and the breath is faint¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Feng frowned, ¡°That serious?¡±


    ¡°A few pill masters from within the clan attempted treatment, but they are disputing amongst themselves, unable to come to a decision, so we thought to seek Old Mr. Feng¡¯s opinion. In Tongxian City, your art of healing with pills is truly unparalleled.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me,¡± said Old Mr. Feng, ¡°time is of the essence, let me prepare and I¡¯ll be right over.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng provided healing through alchemy to all, regardless of their status or wealth, whether they were loose cultivators or clan cultivators; as long as they were truly in need, he would generally lend a hand.


    The Qian Family cultivators bowed respectfully once more and said, ¡°Thank you, Old Mr. Feng.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng chose a few types of spirit grass, several bottles of pills, and a few pill manuals to bring along, and after giving some instructions to his apprentices, he followed the cultivators to the Qian Family.


    It was only upon reaching the Qian Family that he learned the person he was to save was Qian Xing. Old Mr. Feng¡¯s brow furrowed, and he felt somewhat displeased.


    He had heard of Qian Xing¡¯s behavior: the arrogance, the high-handedness, the acts of bullying had not been few.


    But after consideration, he remembered these were merely rumors, not witnessed firsthand, and may not necessarily be true. Furthermore, although Qian Xing was troublesome, Old Mr. Feng hadn¡¯t heard of him committing any atrocious acts against the Heavenly Dao, so it was not right to forsake him to death.


    The Qian Family was in a gloomy and sorrowful state, the womenfolk were crying, and the elders looked grim.


    Old Mr. Feng sighed. As long as cultivators do not become immortals, they are still human, and where there is humanity, there are joys and sorrows of life. He had seen such scenes often, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling compassion, thinking it best to save the person if he could.


    Old Mr. Feng entered to examine Qian Xing¡¯s injuries, then discussed the treatment methods with a few other pill masters.


    One pill master said, ¡°Young Master Qian¡¯s injuries are too severe, we should nurture him gently, using wood series spiritual objects along with pills to slowly nourish the physical body until he gradually recovers¡­¡±


    Another disagreed, ¡°Nurturing gently does not offer a true cure. He is injured by fire elemental spiritual power, and if the residual spiritual power forms fire poison within the body and it¡¯s not completely purged, it will damage his meridians and Qi Sea, leading to endless troubles¡­¡±


    ¡°And how would you purge it?¡±


    ¡°With Heaven Yuan Water, supplemented by Water Spirit Pills. With water countering fire, thoroughly eliminating the fire poison, once the fire poison is gone, the damaged meridians and flesh will naturally start to recover slowly¡­¡±


    ¡°Countering with water and fire is too aggressive; if the fire poison is not removed, I fear Young Master Qian would lose his life before that happens!¡±


    The pill masters debated incessantly, each holding their own views, and none could persuade the others.


    Old Mr. Feng coughed once, and the pill masters fell silent.


    In Tongxian City, having healed and saved lives for over a hundred years, Old Mr. Feng may have seemed to have no power or position, but his prestige was profound.


    Cultivators in Tongxian City, even if they had not been personally treated by Old Mr. Feng, certainly had friends or acquaintances who had benefited from his help. Moreover, the future is unpredictable, and no one can be assured they won¡¯t need Old Mr. Feng¡¯s assistance someday.


    The pill masters present knew of Old Mr. Feng¡¯s character and held him in high regard. Before their assessments, some of them had even specially visited Old Mr. Feng to seek his guidance.


    Once Old Mr. Feng coughed, the pill masters stopped speaking and stood obediently on the side, listening.


    ¡°The fire poison needs to be purged¡­¡± began Old Mr. Feng, which pleased the pill master who had advocated for its removal.


    ¡°However, Heaven Yuan Water cannot be used, it¡¯s too fierce¡­¡±


    ¡°What the elder states is indeed true,¡± the pill master responded respectfully.


    ¡°Nurturing gently is possible, but it should not be too mild either, otherwise, it would be fostering the poison¡­¡± Old Mr. Feng added, turning to the other pill master. He then listed several spirit grasses and pills, analyzed the specific injuries, explained how to properly use the medicine, the appropriate dosages, and how to adjust the amount of the pills according to the severity of the symptoms¡­


    In the end, Old Mr. Feng said, ¡°The art of pills requires mutual exchange and discussion; it¡¯s good to have one¡¯s own ideas, but one must not be stubborn and refuse to accept others¡¯ views.¡±


    The pill masters nodded in agreement.


    After speaking, Old Mr. Feng sat down to the side and drank tea.


    The other pill masters quietly discussed among themselves; they had a direction for treatment, but what specific pills to use, what medicine to refine required further discussion and consideration, and could not be resolved immediately.


    Old Mr. Feng sipped his tea and suddenly asked, ¡°By the way, why is Qian Xing so badly injured?¡±


    A few Pill Masters stopped their discussion, unsure of what to say. After all, it wasn¡¯t a pleasant topic, especially since they were at the Qian Family¡¯s residence, and speaking about it could be deemed disrespectful.


    One of the Pill Masters, seeing no members of the Qian Family nearby, whispered, ¡°It¡¯s said that Young Master Qian was bullying others using his power, but in the end, he was the one who got beaten.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng furrowed his brows.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that he got beaten by someone else,¡± another Pill Master said, ¡°It¡¯s that he was using a newly learned spell to hit someone, but his skills weren¡¯t refined, the spell backfired, and that¡¯s how he ended up like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! A spell backfiring wouldn¡¯t result in this state!¡± another Pill Master objected.


    ¡°Injuries from a spell backfiring manifest from the inside out; his injuries are clearly from the outside in.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, he was definitely injured by a sneak attack using fire-type spells.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t spells require time to condense? A few moments are enough time to dodge; Young Master Qian isn¡¯t a fool who would just stand there and get hit, is he?¡±


    ¡°How do you know he isn¡¯t a fool?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he was careless and didn¡¯t dodge¡­¡±


    ¡°None of you are correct; it must have been a fire-type rune, and an expensive one at that, the single-use kind¡­¡±


    The Pill Masters were engrossed in their gossip.


    If the topic was how to heal people with pills, they would have to rack their brains, deep in thought, a truly taxing task. But gossiping got them much more excited. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Mr. Feng was somewhat speechless, then asked again, ¡°He was using his power to bully someone; who was it?¡±


    ¡°It seems he was bullying a child. A Loose Cultivator couldn¡¯t stand it and stepped in to help. The two sides ended up fighting, and it turned into quite a scene. Although the world¡¯s moral standards are declining these days, there are still Cultivators who dare to do the right thing.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng had a guess in his heart, and his expression gradually turned colder. ¡°Do you know who the child is?¡±


    ¡°That, I¡¯m not so sure about. I only heard that the one who helped in the fight is an apprentice from Master Chen¡¯s Refinery Shop, and the child who was bullied seems to have the surname Mo¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Feng put down his teacup, stood up, and left with a swish of his sleeves.


    ¡°Old Mr. Feng¡­¡± Several Pill Masters got up in a hurry and chased after him.


    Seeing this, the Qian Family members also quickly followed, anxiously asking, ¡°Old gentleman, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going back!¡±


    ¡°The young master is seriously injured and is counting on you to heal him¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t heal!¡± Old Mr. Feng declared decisively.


    ¡°This¡­ you¡­¡± Several Qian Family disciples were at a loss.


    An Elder from the Qian Family, with profound aura and deep wrinkles, blocked Old Mr. Feng¡¯s path, ¡°Old Mr. Feng, please return. Once you heal the young master, the Family Head won¡¯t shortchange you!¡±


    He was a Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage!


    The Pill Masters were inwardly shocked and looked at each other uncertainly.


    Old Mr. Feng glanced at the Qian Family Elder, ¡°Are you instructing me on how to do my job?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I¡¯m just asking you to save the young master,¡± the Qian Family Elder said with clasped hands.


    Old Mr. Feng snorted, ¡°All my life I have practiced alchemy and medicine to save people, not to commit sins. What kind of person is your young master? Is he worth saving by me?¡±


    The Qian Family Elder was left speechless, as he was well aware of what kind of person the young master was, and he also knew that Old Mr. Feng, upon knowing the full story, would definitely refuse to heal him.


    Old Mr. Feng¡¯s face was as stern as water, ¡°Are you going to let me pass or not?¡±


    The Qian Family Elder had the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Stage, but faced with the glare of Old Mr. Feng, a Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator, he inexplicably felt a bit guilty. After a long hesitation, he silently stepped aside.


    Old Mr. Feng shook his sleeves and left the Qian Family estate. Seeing this, a few Pill Masters also took the opportunity to excuse themselves. Those who couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Qian Family stayed behind, gritting their teeth.


    A Qian Family disciple said to the Elder, ¡°Elder, why didn¡¯t you stop Old Mr. Feng¡­¡±


    The Qian Family Elder glared at him and angrily said, ¡°How can I stop him? He saved my father¡¯s life years ago; where would I find the face to stop him? That he didn¡¯t scold me is already showing me face!¡±

 Chapter 90 - 90: Parents (Part 4)_1

    Chapter 90: Parents (Part 4)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    After chatting with Zhang Lan in the daytime, Mo Hua spent the entire day poring over the ¡°Thousand Formation Collection¡± given by Mr. Zhuang. He found several formations that could be useful and planned to study them in the next few days. Once learned, he would draw a few copies to carry with him, just in case.


    It¡¯s unwise to harbor intentions to harm others, but one must always be prepared to defend against them.


    Mo Hua¡¯s means of self-protection were currently too limited; relying solely on formations clearly wasn¡¯t enough.


    The incident with Qian Xing served as a warning to Mo Hua. Despite the laws of the Taoist Court, cultivators might not all comply. The Heavenly Dao bestows power upon cultivators, but slaughter and power have always been inseparable companions.


    Being a cultivator himself, Body Cultivators fight to the death with martial arts, while Spiritual Cultivators claim lives with spells. If he knew nothing, he wouldn¡¯t survive long enough in the perilous Tao Cultivation World to take care of his aging parents¡­


    Of course, Mo Hua could devote himself solely to becoming a Formation Master, finding a safe place where he would neither battle Monster Beasts nor conflict with other cultivators, focusing only on studying formations and living peacefully ever after.


    But ultimately, placing one¡¯s life in the hands of others¡¯ kindness is never a good choice.


    After all, Mo Hua had no way of knowing whether, in the future, he might encounter a cultivator with murderous intent towards him. If a cultivator targeted him and he had no means of protecting himself, he would have no choice but to accept his fate.


    So, how could he protect himself?


    Mo Hua pondered this question to himself.


    Undertaking Body Cultivation was out of the question, impossible in this lifetime.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s physique, practicing Body Refinement and learning Tao Cultivation martial arts to engage in close-quarters combat would be no different from delivering himself to death.


    That left only the path of becoming a Spiritual Cultivator.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s talent for such a pursuit was not particularly remarkable, either.


    His Spiritual Root could only be considered mediocre at best; his Qi Sea couldn¡¯t store an abundance of Spiritual Power, and the cultivation technique he practiced, ¡°Tianyan Jue,¡± didn¡¯t offer any special bonuses to his Spiritual Power. This meant that his Spiritual Power would be somewhat inadequate compared to cultivators of the same realm.


    This was in comparison with cultivators of similar aptitude. Compared with geniuses like Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Power could even be described as ¡°paltry.¡±


    The amount of Spiritual Power was directly linked to the potency of spells.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s talk about it after reaching the fifth level of Qi Refinement. I can¡¯t learn any spells now,¡± Mo Hua sighed.


    Upon reaching the fifth level of Qi Refinement, Body Cultivators could learn Physical Martial Arts, and Spiritual Cultivators could learn spells because their Spiritual Power would be relatively abundant, providing the foundation to manipulate Spiritual Power and use Taoist Skills.


    By the time one reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement, many cultivators had to fend for themselves. By then, it would be considered late to start learning.


    Thinking it over, for now, he could only rely on formations.


    Mo Hua sighed again and earnestly entered his Sea of Consciousness, practicing a few new formations on the Taoist Stele.


    Mo Shan, who had been out and about the whole day, had also returned home.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked around; Huar didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It was Qian Xing from the Qian Family who was looking for trouble on purpose. He even tried to make a move on Mo Hua, but fortunately, Dazhu and the others intervened, and it ended without incident.¡±


    Liu Ruhua breathed a sigh of relief, but then expressed her worry, ¡°The Qian Family won¡¯t cause trouble for Huar, will they?¡±


    Mo Shan snorted coldly, ¡°They dare? The Qian Family may be powerful, but we Monster Hunters who fight for our lives against Monster Beasts and taste the blade¡¯s edge aren¡¯t weak. Unless a Foundation Building Cultivator steps in, if they dare to come at us, they won¡¯t leave in one piece!¡±


    When Mo Shan spoke, his entire being exuded a ferocity, an aura forged from years of battling Monster Beasts, which was rather intimidating.


    Liu Ruhua rarely saw her husband show such an expression; at home, Mo Shan was always gentle and considerate. Holding her husband¡¯s hand, she asked softly, ¡°What if the Qian Family really sends a Foundation Building Cultivator?¡±


    Mo Shan shook his head, ¡°That won¡¯t happen. The Qian Family has Foundation Building Elders, and so do we Monster Hunters. If Foundation Building Cultivators get involved, it would escalate matters, and neither side would come out unscathed.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell the Elder about this?¡±


    ¡°I did. Initially, I wanted to give the Qian Family a hard time. It¡¯s tricky in Tongxian City, but in these mountains, we Monster Hunters call the shots. It would have been easy to make them suffer, but the Elder didn¡¯t agree¡­¡± moaned Mo Shan, his displeasure evident.


    ¡°Did the Elder ask you all to keep the overall situation in mind?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mo Shan hesitated, then said, ¡°The Elder said, there¡¯s no excuse to pick a fight right now.¡±


    ¡°No excuse?¡± Liu Ruhua looked puzzled.


    Mo Shan whispered, ¡°The Elder said, Qian Xing bullied Mo Hua, but Mo Hua is still bouncing around, alive and well, while Qian Xing himself ended up severely injured, disfigured¡­ Under these circumstances, it¡¯s tough to find an excuse to cause trouble.¡±


    Liu Ruhua, meeting such an Elder for the first time, couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What if there was an excuse?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°If there was an excuse, we¡¯d have the moral high ground. We could start the trouble and then have them compensate us with Spirit Stones. The Monster Hunting Team has been stretched thin lately, unable to distribute Spirit Stones. The Elder is quite anxious, and if there were an excuse, he would have pressed for compensation by now.¡±


    Liu Ruhua: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, although Mo Hua is physically weak and can¡¯t become a Monster Hunter, he is still considered part of the Monster Hunters. In such situations, the Elder wouldn¡¯t just stand by idly. Otherwise, if we let these clans bully us habitually, we poor Monster Hunters wouldn¡¯t be able to survive,¡± Mo Shan reassured his wife.


    Reassured, Liu Ruhua then asked curiously, ¡°You said Qian Xing was severely injured? With servants and guards from the Qian Family, how could he be injured?¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s expression became enigmatic, ¡°Take a guess.¡±


    Liu Ruhua glared at her husband with her gentle eyes and, after thinking a bit, said, ¡°Was it Dazhu and the others who did it?¡±


    Mo Shan shook his head.


    ¡°Then there were other Monster Hunters nearby who lent a hand?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right either.¡±


    After a few more incorrect guesses, Liu Ruhua shook her head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t figure it out. It couldn¡¯t possibly be Huar who hurt him.¡±


    Mo Shan raised an eyebrow, ¡°You guessed it, it was Huar.¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s mouth fell open in shock, ¡°That can¡¯t be, how old is Huar? His cultivation is so low, how could he have left Qian Xing severely wounded?¡±


    Mo Shan said with a complex expression, ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it either. Logically, it shouldn¡¯t be possible. But indeed, there were witnesses. That day, when Huar was being held hostage by Qian Xing and broke free, Huar splashed Spiritual Ink into Qian Xing¡¯s eyes. Then he stuffed a piece of paper with a Formation drawn on it into Qian Xing¡¯s chest. At the same time, he crushed a Spirit Stone. After he kicked Qian Xing, Huar was the one sent flying and fell to the ground. And when the Formation exploded, Qian Xing was blasted away¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua listened, dumbfounded, then covered her mouth and laughed, ¡°Huar really didn¡¯t suffer a loss.¡±


    Mo Shan laughed too, ¡°He got some superficial wounds, seemingly from his own fall, with a bit of bruising on his neck. Old Mr. Feng applied some medicine, and he was already getting better. Compared to Qian Xing, who ended up looking like charcoal, it really wasn¡¯t a loss.¡±


    ¡°Does anyone else know about this incident?¡±


    ¡°Very few know, and even if it were spoken of, no one would believe it. Huar is young after all, and with only the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, neither we as parents nor anyone else would believe it.¡±


    Liu Ruhua nodded, ¡°That¡¯s for the best, the Qian Family won¡¯t cause Huar any trouble. But we really have to thank Dazhu and the kids for this. Otherwise, Huar might have suffered.¡±


    Liu Ruhua felt a lingering fear contemplating this.


    ¡°Yes, we should prepare something tomorrow to give to Master Chen and the others.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Shan added with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve told the Monster Hunting Team¡¯s brothers to keep an eye out when they can. If anyone dares to pick on Huar again, I¡¯ll make sure they regret it.¡±


    Mo Shan held Liu Ruhua in his arms.

 Chapter 91 - 91: Harsh Words (Five More Updates)_1

    Chapter 91: Harsh Words (Five More Updates)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Many things that happened behind the scenes were unknown to Mo Hua, and as for his parents, he thought he had managed to keep them in the dark.


    It wasn¡¯t until a few days later, when Mo Shan¡¯s couple prepared some gifts for him to take to Master Chen, that he realized he had failed to keep the secret.


    ¡°After the rain, traces remain, after the geese pass, their calls linger. Uncle Zhang was right, once something happens, there will always be clues. If you don¡¯t know about it, someone else certainly will,¡± Mo Hua sighed to himself.


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t blame Mo Hua; he believed a true man should take responsibility for his actions and also keep matters to himself, not feeling obligated to share everything.


    Although Mo Hua was young, he had managed to extricate himself from danger and remained calm afterwards, showing that he had both courage and responsibility. Reflecting on this, Mo Shan felt somewhat reassured.


    Liu Ruhua was at once worried and distressed, somewhat resentful in her heart, but she didn¡¯t voice any criticism. Instead, she firmly pinched Mo Hua¡¯s cheek, as if to vent her frustration.


    The Mo Shan family of three brought the gifts to the Refinery Shop.


    Included in the gifts were several large pieces of Wild Cattle Monster meat, from two monsters freshly killed by Mo Shan, specifically the thigh meat, which Liu Ruhua had spent days stewing and curing.


    The meat of the Wild Cattle Monster wasn¡¯t expensive, but what made it valuable was the effort put into curing it and the expense of the Spirit Stones used for stewing. Buying it with Spirit Stones wouldn¡¯t be cheap, and Master Chen certainly wouldn¡¯t want to spend Spirit Stones on such a luxury when he had so many other uses for them.


    So much meat, even for the appetites of the workers at the Refinery Shop, would be enough for them to eat for over a month.


    Dazhu and the others were stupefied. They had never seen so much meat in their lives; they drooled uncontrollably, unable to wipe it all away.


    Master Chen received a large vat of wine and couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    He also enjoyed a drink now and then but was reluctant to indulge, sipping his drinks one cup at a time, wanting to drink more but feeling guilty about the cost of Spirit Stones. With this vat of wine, he could drink for quite a while if he was sparing.


    After two smooth months passed, Zhang Lan finally came to Mo Hua and said, ¡°Qian Xing¡¯s injuries are healed.¡±


    ¡°Healed?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°The Pill Masters in Tongxian City refused to treat Qian Xing¡¯s injuries. The Qian Family spent a lot of Spirit Stones and invited several top-tier Pill Masters from outside. It took them two months, but they finally healed him. I heard that they had to refine dozens of batches of pills alone, not to mention the amount of Spiritual Grass that went into them,¡± Zhang Lan said with a click of his tongue.


    ¡°So many Spirit Stones¡­¡±, Mo Hua lamented, finding it a wasteful shame to spend so much to save Qian Xing.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Zhang Lan warned.


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua said, ¡°Qian Xing may not know that I was the one who hurt him. Will he still trouble me?¡±


    ¡°You rejected his demands, and he became enraged because of that, ending up in that ghastly state. He was bedridden for two months and spent so many Spirit Stones on recovery. Most importantly, he massively lost face. Regardless of who injured him, you are the instigator, and in the end, he will hold you responsible,¡± Zhang Lan explained to Mo Hua.


    ¡°He was the one troubling me first. If anyone¡¯s to be called the instigator, it should be him. Doesn¡¯t he ever reflect on his own faults?¡± Mo Hua said displeased.


    ¡°Clan scions spoiled from childhood inevitably have extreme temperaments. He will never think he is wrong; the fault always lies with others. I¡¯ve seen many such people¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan twiddled with the cup in his hand, ¡°And there are even worse cases. If he wants your life and you don¡¯t give it, he may feel you are defying him and grow even more furious.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Do such people really exist?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll undoubtedly encounter them eventually,¡± Zhang Lan said, ¡°in this world, not everyone treats others as human beings.¡±


    Zhang Lan finished his drink in one gulp and stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll be going now. Don¡¯t worry too much about this matter. There are many eyes watching; the Qian Family won¡¯t dare to make a move. But Qian Xing is both arrogant and somewhat venomous. Be vigilant, just in case.¡±


    So many eyes watching¡­ what did that mean, and who was watching?


    Mo Hua wanted to ask, but Zhang Lan had already left.


    Mo Hua frowned slightly, touching the stack of Formations in his storage bag as well as the Spiritual Liquid and Spirit Stones prepared according to Uncle Zhang¡¯s advice to erase and confuse any traces, and thought to himself:


    Qian Xing, you¡¯d better not come, otherwise I fear your parents might never see you again.


    After that, Mo Hua went to Mr. Zhuang to learn about Formations, to help others repair Formation Patterns, or to the Market Town to shop. On his way to and fro, he could always feel the gaze of some Cultivators. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They thought Mo Hua hadn¡¯t noticed, but having worked with Formations for so long, his Divine Sense was much deeper than that of Cultivators of the same realm. He had long been able to clearly distinguish such undisguised surveillance.


    Some stares carried malice, like poisonous snakes lurking in the grass, their eyes filled with venom. Some were probably just following orders to keep an eye on Mo Hua, to grasp his whereabouts.


    Others were colder and more covert, and Mo Hua could only faintly sense them, not clearly.


    This indicated that the Divine Sense of these Cultivators might be stronger than Mo Hua¡¯s. If so, their realm would be much higher than Mo Hua¡¯s, probably those of the late Qi Refinement stage.


    In addition to these, there were also some benevolent gazes, unhidden. Upon sensing them and looking in their direction, they would greet Mo Hua. They were all familiar faces, either uncles and aunts from the neighborhood, patrons from the eatery, or Monster Hunters from the Monster Hunting Team.


    Not a few he knew well, but had seen once or twice. There were also those he hadn¡¯t seen before; Mo Hua didn¡¯t recognize them, but they seemed to recognize him, and would smile and nod when he looked at them.


    So this is what Uncle Zhang meant by ¡°so many eyes on you¡±¡­


    In his heart, Mo Hua felt both vigilant and warmed.


    Although the Cultivators watching Mo Hua hadn¡¯t made a move, just when Mo Hua suspected they had given up, Qian Xing actually came looking for him.


    After leaving Mr. Zhuang¡¯s place, ready to go home, Mo Hua ran into Qian Xing at the foot of the mountain.


    Having not seen him for months, Qian Xing looked in poor health¡ªof course, anyone who had been blown up by the Earth Fire Formation at close range wouldn¡¯t look well.


    Some parts of his body were still wrapped in bandages, his face was scarred, and he was no longer flaunting that gold-sprinkled fan; instead, he wore a frightful expression as if he wished to devour Mo Hua.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can rest easy just because you¡¯re under someone¡¯s protection. I will make you pay back a hundred times for the humiliation I suffered. When the time comes, you won¡¯t even be able to die a quick death!¡±


    ¡°Then take care of your health, and don¡¯t die before that happens,¡± Mo Hua said, unable to help himself as he looked at the wretched figure.


    Qian Xing¡¯s expression twisted again.


    Mo Hua sighed internally, thinking how one who had been through life and death could still be so petty, getting angry over a mere sentence.


    While Qian Xing was furious, he didn¡¯t dare to act. Although this was the foot of the mountain, it was still a path frequented by Cultivators, most of them Monster Hunters.


    While they were speaking, several Monster Hunters nearby had started looking over, their gazes sharp as they watched Qian Xing.


    Qian Xing knew his limits and whispered viciously, ¡°You just wait,¡± before leaving with several Qian Family disciples.


    Mo Hua shook his head; seeing his attitude, it seemed Qian Xing was determined not to let the matter go.


    Isn¡¯t it better to just be a carefree wastrel? To indulge in eating, drinking, and merry-making every day, without worrying about making a living or being concerned about Spirit Stones. Indeed, when life is too easy, people start courting death.


    Mo Hua bowed to the nearby Monster Hunters in thanks, and after receiving kind responses, he headed home.


    Behind him on the mountain trail, Bai Zixi watched Mo Hua¡¯s retreating figure, her brows slightly furrowed. After a moment, she spoke softly, ¡°Aunt Xue, check and see what happened.¡±


    Standing behind Bai Zixi, Aunt Xue nodded.

 Chapter 92 - 92: Deterrence (Sixth update)_1

    Chapter 92: Deterrence (Sixth update)_1 S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Translator: 549690339


    The next day at 6 A.M., Bai Mansion.


    The sky was barely light when Bai Zixi got out of bed to cultivate. Her daily cultivation schedule was packed: she needed to work on her Cultivation Technique, Formations and Runes, as well as Alchemy and Artifact Refining.


    Bai Mansion was specially built by Aunt Xue for the Bai siblings, equipped with an Alchemy Room, Artifact Refining Room, Book Pavilion, and Cultivation chamber among others, closely modeled on the layout of their ancestral Bai Family home. Although the rooms were a bit smaller, they had all the necessary functions.


    This was at the behest of Mrs. Bai.


    Though the Bai siblings were away from home, they were not to neglect their cultivation practices in any way. Aunt Xue was following Mrs. Bai¡¯s orders, taking care of the Bai siblings¡¯ daily needs and all matters related to their cultivation.


    Mrs. Bai had high hopes for her two children and was therefore particularly strict.


    While Bai Zisheng was somewhat playful and restless, he was still quite obedient. Compared to him, Bai Zixi was an absolute relief; she completed every bit of her daily assignments without fail. When it came to her spiritual root¡¯s talent or her dedication to the path of cultivation, she was nearly beyond reproach and required no worry on anyone¡¯s part.


    Bai Zixi would get up at 6 A.M. and sit in the bamboo pavilion in the courtyard to cultivate for two hours.


    Aunt Xue, who had just returned, stood silently at the edge of the bamboo forest, waiting.


    The early morning was tinged with a thin mist, the verdant grass and trees seemed to be covered with drops, and the spirit flowers were on the verge of blooming.


    Seated among them, Bai Zixi was clad in a snow-white dress, her skin was clear and translucent, her appearance exquisite and flawless.


    The morning sun shone through the mist, casting its light upon the grass and petals, and gracing Bai Zixi with a soft, golden halo.


    Aunt Xue sighed, content to sit and watch such a scene all day long.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s long eyelashes fluttered slightly as she opened her eyes.


    Aunt Xue approached and relayed the news she had gathered, including Qian Xing accosting Mo Hua, what was said, how the conflict escalated, and how it was finally resolved. After Qian Xing had been healed, he held a grudge against Mo Hua and returned to threaten him.


    This was the scene Bai Zixi had witnessed the day before.


    Bai Zixi frowned slightly and said softly, ¡°We came to seek instruction from Mr. Zhuang, wanting no disturbances.¡±


    Aunt Xue nodded and then retired.


    However, as she left, she wondered about the ¡°we¡± Zixi mentioned¡ªdid it refer to both her and her brother, or did it also include Mo Hua?


    Having previously sought Mr. Zhuang¡¯s instruction, Mo Hua visited the Bai siblings on schedule, bringing with him some beef, osmanthus cakes, and sweet fermented rice. He also took the opportunity to ask about a few questions on Formations.


    As they talked, Mo Hua often had the feeling that Bai Zixi was staring at his neck.


    Mo Hua turned his head, curiously observing Bai Zixi.


    Their eyes met, and Bai Zixi asked, ¡°Have you injured your neck?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°A minor injury, but it¡¯s already healed.¡±


    He said no more on the matter.


    Bai Zixi stopped asking and sipped on the fermented rice, bite by bite.


    After leaving Mr. Zhuang¡¯s residence and returning home, Mo Hua went back to his own cabin to start flipping through Formation Books.


    Since Qian Xing had approached him and he knew that Qian Xing likely would not leave the matter at that, Mo Hua began preparing to deal with Qian Xing¡¯s methods. Unable to study Spells yet and not proficient in other areas, Mo Hua chiefly relied on Formations.


    Mo Hua selected a few Formations to focus on and diligently began to learn them.


    One was the Wood Binding Formation, which upon activation, would release faint blue wood-type spiritual power that entwined like vines to bind a person, useful for trapping an enemy.


    The other was the Fireworks Formation, similar to the previously drawn Bright Fire Formation. However, unlike the Bright Fire Formation which served illumination, the Fireworks Formation upon activation would send a striking red firework into the sky.


    The Fireworks Formation is generally used for celebrations, during festival periods for cultivators to create fireworks, painting the sky in myriad colors and creating a beautiful sight. Mo Hua planned to use the Fireworks Formation in cases of unexpected danger, to draw attention from others and avoid being left isolated without aid.


    Another formation is the Iron Armor Formation, which Mo Hua painted onto a thin Rattan Armor. This could make the Rattan Armor as hard as steel, potentially saving his life in critical moments.


    The Iron Armor Formation was initially intended to reinforce armor, with armor made from refined iron that was already tough. With the addition of the Iron Armor Formation, the armor became almost indestructible. When Body Cultivators fought while wearing armor painted with the Iron Armor Formation, becoming as solid as rock, they were like tigers with wings, invincible.


    In close-quarter combat, armor significantly influences the outcome and so is extremely important for Body Cultivators.


    However, armor was expensive, requiring a lot of refined iron and effort to make, something that Mo Hua could not afford. Among all the Monster Hunters in Tongxian City, only a few possessed armor, most still used the more affordable Rattan Armor.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Rattan Armor was small and exquisitely made; Master Chen had specifically tailored it for Mo Hua. As Mo Hua was slight of build, the Rattan Armor was not large and didn¡¯t even use a lot of material; Master Chen didn¡¯t even charge any Spirit Stones for it.


    Since Master Chen did not take any Spirit Stones, Mo Hua had no choice but to praise Master Chen with a few flattering remarks. Master Chen didn¡¯t say much in response, but he was quite pleased inside.


    When Mo Hua went back to test the Rattan Armor, it could block swords and knives, but not the force behind the blows; thus, even without external injuries, internal injuries were inevitable.


    There was no helping it; Rattan Armor was made for Body Cultivators who were tough and could withstand blade and sword attacks. They didn¡¯t care about such force, but Mo Hua couldn¡¯t handle it.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to paint an Iron Armor Formation on it. While it couldn¡¯t completely deflect the force, it was much better than before. Furthermore, after painting the Iron Armor Formation on it, the durability of the Rattan Armor itself had greatly increased. Previously, a sword or knife could leave a mark on the Rattan Armor, but now it left none.


    Rattan Armor was meant for self-defense and wasn¡¯t comfortable to wear, so Mo Hua placed it in his Storage Bag, ready to be taken out in case of emergency.


    As for offensive formations, he only had the Earth Fire Formation for now. Purely in terms of power, the Earth Fire Formation was already quite good, and other formations weren¡¯t likely to be much stronger. More importantly, once the Earth Fire Formation was activated, it would explode after three breaths, while most other formations took effect instantly. If the spiritual power from the explosion affected Mo Hua, he would also suffer the consequences.


    Such a powerful formation could blast Qian Xing to ruin, but if it exploded on Mo Hua, it would definitely be the end of him.


    Besides, there were some other miscellaneous small formations that Mo Hua prepared, just in case they were needed at some point.


    However, two days later, Zhang Lan found Mo Hua and immediately said, ¡°Qian Xing has gone mad, he won¡¯t be troubling you anymore.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expression, Zhang Lan knew he really had no clue and let out a sigh of relief as he said,


    ¡°While Qian Xing was sleeping, someone drenched him entirely in fresh Monster Blood and blood-soaked innards. He soaked in the blood all night and completely lost his mind when he woke up the next day.¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked and asked, ¡°Was he scared mad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡± Zhang Lan shook his head, ¡°At most, blood and flesh innards are a shock. Burn some Calming Incense, rest for a while, and he should be fine. It¡¯s not enough to drive someone crazy.¡±


    ¡°So what happened?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    ¡°I suspect that in addition to using Monster Blood and innards to scare him, someone probably used an Illusion Technique,¡± said Zhang Lan.


    ¡°Illusion Technique?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, when Qian Xing woke up, he was panic-stricken with a shrill voice, constantly screaming ¡®Don¡¯t eat me.¡¯ If I¡¯m not mistaken, someone used an Illusion Technique to make him believe that he was being eaten bit by bit by a monster in his dream. When he woke up and saw all the Monster Blood and innards around him, he thought he was inside the belly of a beast, truly eaten by the monster. Suffering from pain and fear, he just snapped and went mad.¡±


    Mo Hua listened in shock, amazed that such spells existed. He couldn¡¯t help asking,


    ¡°Illusion Technique¡­ Can I learn it?¡±


    Zhang Lan gave Mo Hua a look and said, ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± bluntly ending Mo Hua¡¯s foolish fantasy.


    ¡°Illusion Technique is a very special spell; learning it requires a special kind of meridian and constitution as well as a deeply rooted family knowledge. Ordinary cultivators can¡¯t learn it; they have nowhere to learn it and can¡¯t learn it at all,¡± Zhang Lan explained.


    Feeling a bit disappointed, Mo Hua then asked Zhang Lan, ¡°Uncle Zhang, can you learn it?¡±


    Zhang Lan choked out, ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t either.¡±


    Mo Hua felt comforted and a bit better inside.

 Chapter 93 - 93 Limits (Seven Updates)_1

    Chapter 93 Limits (Seven Updates)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Zhang Lan saw Mo Hua¡¯s little tricks and harrumphed, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know Illusion Techniques, the Spells I do know are not a bit inferior.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, Uncle Zhang, you¡¯re so amazing,¡± Mo Hua placated.


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t argue with him and returned to the main topic, ¡°Do you know who used the Illusion Technique?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head as he said that, but Aunt Xue¡¯s veiled figure loomed in his mind, just a hazy shadow that flashed by.


    The high-level Cultivators Mo Hua had encountered could be counted on one hand; among them, Aunt Xue was the most likely, and the use of Illusion Techniques very much fit the impression she had left on Mo Hua.


    ¡°You guessed it?¡± Zhang Lan asked, upon seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expression, and raised an eyebrow.


    Zhang Lan, befitting of a Taoist Court Official, had a keen sense of observation despite appearing lethargic.


    Mo Hua thought, and then asked Zhang Lan, ¡°What does the Taoist Court plan to do about it?¡±


    ¡°Not much,¡± Zhang Lan said leisurely, taking a sip of wine, ¡°A Cultivator capable of using Illusion Techniques is no ordinary person; the Qian Family dares not publicize it or investigate it. If the Qian Family keeps quiet, the Taoist Court is happy to be left in peace and won¡¯t bother getting involved.¡±


    ¡°The Qian Family can just let it go?¡± Mo Hua was skeptical.


    ¡°The Qian Family has Foundation Building Cultivators on guard, yet despite this, someone came in without their knowledge, used an Illusion Technique on their young master, and they couldn¡¯t find a single clue. Just this alone is enough to scare them¡­¡± Zhang Lan said, taking some delight in their misfortune.


    ¡°If the person could use an Illusion Technique to drive Qian Xing mad, naturally they could also use other Spells to end his life. They used an Illusion Technique simply as a means of intimidation, to make the Qian Family watch themselves and not stir up trouble they can¡¯t handle. If the Qian Family can¡¯t understand this simple message, they could have never become the top family in Tongxian City,¡± he continued.


    ¡°In the end, the Qian Family is merely a first-tier family; among the assessed families, they rank at the bottom, unable to compare with the true Noble Clans.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood; the families were indeed ranked. Zhang Lan, having come from a Noble Clan, sure knew a lot about the inner workings.


    ¡°Alright, this matter is settled. Even if Qian Xing is cured, after these few setbacks, he won¡¯t dare cause any more trouble. You can just calmly go on with your practice and study of Formation Arts,¡± Zhang Lan spoke with a hint of relaxation in his tone.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhang,¡± Mo Hua expressed his gratitude.


    Considering Zhang Lan¡¯s lazy disposition, chatting with Mo Hua when there was nothing else to do, while perhaps a way to pass the time when bored, also showed his concern for Mo Hua. This, Mo Hua could see.


    Zhang Lan gave Mo Hua a glance and thought to himself that this kid really had good people skills.


    Leaving aside the Monster Hunter, the fact that the young man named Dazhu dared to stand up against Qian Xing was commendable, and so many Cultivators in the neighborhood seemed quite fond of Mo Hua.


    As for the Cultivator who used the Illusion Technique, it was unlikely that they had nothing to do with Mo Hua.


    Who would go out of their way to terrify a member of an unrelated Clan to madness?


    Zhang Lan shook his head and bid Mo Hua farewell before leaving.


    ¡°Take care, Uncle Zhang!¡± Mo Hua waved his little hand.


    After Zhang Lan left, Mo Hua sat at the table, flipping through his Storage Bag. Looking at the thick stack of Formation Patterns inside, he felt somewhat regretful.


    It was a pity that without Qian Xing causing trouble, these Formation Patterns had no place to be used.


    And that Illusion Technique, he wondered if it was really used by Aunt Xue?


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    The next day, after seeking advice on Formation Arts from Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua went to visit the Bai siblings.


    Bai Zisheng was dozing off, while Bai Zixi was reading a book.


    Mo Hua quietly observed Bai Zixi, trying to see if she knew something. However, aside from being attractive, there seemed to be nothing else to glean from her face.


    Bai Zixi felt Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, turned her head, and curiously looked back at him.


    Their eyes met, and Mo Hua asked softly,


    ¡°Was Aunt Xue home three nights ago?¡±


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment and said with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, ¡°It seems she wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua understood and did not ask further.


    After a while, he whispered, ¡°My family also has osmanthus cakes, do you want some?¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded, and Mo Hua squinted his eyes with a smile. Afterwards, both of them concentrated on reading and did not speak again.


    With Qian Xing¡¯s matter settled, Mo Hua could cultivate in peace.


    He wanted to cultivate as quickly as possible to the fifth level of Qi Refinement so that he could learn spells.


    Mo Hua was really looking forward to learning spells. He gave up thinking about illusion techniques that even Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t perform, but casting a small fire or sending a jolt of electricity should be no problem.


    Thinking about it, Mo Hua felt a bit excited.


    However, cultivation was a slow and meticulous endeavor. There was a limit to the spiritual energy he could absorb daily and spiritual power he could refine. As long as he practiced regularly, there was no way to significantly speed up or slow down the process.


    According to his current pace, it would still take some time to reach the fifth level of Qi Refinement.


    In terms of formations, Mo Hua could draw a formation containing seven formation patterns, but not yet one with eight.


    It was likely due to insufficient divine sense, which made learning somewhat forced; he could only attempt to draw those with simpler structures. However, eight formation patterns were already the limit for an average formation master, and an unranked formation master could usually only draw formations of this level.


    Being able to draw seven formation patterns, Mo Hua already considered himself a genuine junior formation master.


    Inside, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit smug.


    And beyond eight was nine; with nine formation patterns, one could be considered first-rank!


    Once he could draw nine formation patterns, he would be ready to prepare for the first-rank formation master¡¯s assessment.


    Mo Hua had heard that the assessment for formation masters was the strictest, most exacting, and most difficult among all Tao cultivation classifications.


    ¡°I wonder what formations the assessment will cover?¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit nervous, yet he was also looking forward to it.


    If he could become a first-rank formation master, he could receive spirit stones every month without doing anything else. Even if an accident happened in the future and he was no longer able to cultivate, he could still receive a basic allowance and not starve to death.


    Mo Hua envied that thought.


    But in the entire Tongxian City, including all clans and sects, the number of cultivators who could pass the assessment to become first-rank formation masters was few and far between, let alone for a poor loose cultivator like him. This showed just how difficult the assessment for formation masters was indeed.


    Mo Hua could draw eight formation patterns, but the step from eight to nine seemed infinitely far away.


    Previously, when Mo Hua practiced drawing formations day and night, he could feel his divine sense steadily growing. But now that the formations he was practicing were more challenging, done more frequently, he found that the growth of his divine sense wasn¡¯t as noticeable.


    At this rate, he had no idea how long it would take to be able to draw nine formation patterns.


    Mo Hua had consulted Mr. Zhuang on this issue before.


    Mr. Zhuang had a complicated look on his face, and it was the first time Mo Hua had seen such an expression on him.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized that your realm is too low¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang silently looked at Mo Hua, ¡°the divine sense is ultimately limited, and the foundation of its strength is your realm.¡±


    Mo Hua had an epiphany and felt he had asked a foolish question.


    The bodies of cultivators and the strength of their spiritual power were also limited, naturally determined by their realm. Without breaking through to a new realm, no matter how much one refined their body or spiritual power at their current realm, neither would increase. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was just that cultivators worked on their physical bodies and spiritual power, but not divine sense, so Mo Hua had momentarily forgotten this.


    ¡°Thank you, sir, for your guidance.¡±


    Mo Hua said, a bit embarrassed. After asking a few more questions, he got up and took his leave.


    ¡°Divine sense is limited¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang watched Mo Hua¡¯s small figure disappear at the bend of the road, lost in thought for a long while before he chuckled and said, ¡°I have taught so many cultivators, but it seems this is the first time I¡¯ve said that¡­¡±


    After a moment, Mr. Zhuang looked towards Mo Hua, who was drawing formations under the pagoda tree, with a profound gaze, ¡°Divine sense¡­ Is it really limited¡­¡±

 Chapter 94 - 94 Spiritual Ink (Eight Updates)_1

    Chapter 94 Spiritual Ink (Eight Updates)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Divine Sense has its limits.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words, for some reason, seemed to Mo Hua to make perfect sense.


    Given that, Mo Hua decided not to dwell on it any longer; anyway, as the realm improved, the Divine Sense would naturally enhance as well¡ªit was a matter of course. Focusing on cultivation was the key and rushing wouldn¡¯t make any difference.


    What mattered most now was to learn more about Formation.


    The bottleneck of the Tianyan Jue cultivation technique was the Mystery Formation. To solve the Mystery Formation, one needed to master an extensive array of Formations. Mr. Zhuang had given him the Thousand Formation Catalog, but Mo Hua had only learned a small part of it. His current experience with Formations was still far from sufficient.


    If the Mystery Formation couldn¡¯t be solved, he would not break through the bottleneck. Without breaking through the bottleneck, his realm would stagnate. Once the realm stagnated, his path of Tao Cultivation would come to an end.


    Thus, apart from routine cultivation, Mo Hua devoted all his thoughts to studying Formations.


    At night, when he slept, he practiced Formation on the incomplete steles in his Sea of Consciousness; upon waking in the day, he would start Drawing Formations on paper; occasionally, when someone¡¯s Formation ceased to function, they would request Mo Hua¡¯s help.


    Whenever Master Chen¡¯s Refinery Shop needed help, such as repairs to Artifact Furnaces or adding Formations to Spiritual Artifacts, he would invite Mo Hua to take a look. Occasionally, Old Mr. Feng would also introduce some Cultivators for Mo Hua to Draw Formations for.


    Some gave Mo Hua Spirit Stones as remuneration, while others, whose families were really poor, could only offer fruits and vegetables grown at home, or sugar figures and toys they sold in the Market Town, apologetically.


    Mo Hua knew that life was not easy for Loose Cultivators, so he only symbolically accepted a few Spirit Stones, and if he occasionally received some food, drinks, and toys, he was quite happy.


    Mo Hua¡¯s initial intent was to apply what he learned, practicing Formation, so he didn¡¯t pay too much attention to these rewards.


    This led to a situation where, whenever Mo Hua went shopping, those uncles and aunts, old men and old ladies he had helped in the past, would push things into his hands: wild fruits picked from the mountains, steamed rice cakes made at home, grasshoppers woven from bamboo, Scent Pouches for calming the mind, and even rouge and handkerchiefs for female Practitioners¡­


    Whenever Mo Hua tried to give them Spirit Stones, they adamantly refused to accept them, and they¡¯d become quite unhappy if he didn¡¯t take their gifts.


    So, without spending a single Spirit Stone, Mo Hua could walk from one end of the street to the other end, his Storage Bag stuffed so full that he seemed like a little rich boy who just ate, drank, and took things for free, which left him somewhat bemused.


    After some time, Mo Hua encountered a serious problem:


    He had run out of Spirit Stones to buy Spiritual Ink!


    Since Liu Ruhua had opened a restaurant, Mo Hua¡¯s family¡¯s situation had improved significantly.


    The Spirit Stones that Mo Hua used daily for cultivation were provided by his parents. Mo Hua initially did not want to take them, but Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua insisted. They said that Mo Hua was still young, and it wasn¡¯t yet time for him to be self-sufficient.


    Mo Hua earned some Spirit Stones himself by Drawing Formations, and he would use them to buy brushes and ink for practicing Formations. Occasionally, he would spend a Spirit Stone or two on some tasty treats.


    Overall, Mo Hua¡¯s income and expenditure of Spirit Stones were relatively balanced, with a slight surplus occasionally.


    Even though the surplus wasn¡¯t much¡­


    But since Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation improved, his Divine Sense gradually strengthened, leading to more complex Formations, and due to the effects of Tianyan Jue, his control over Divine Sense improved, making his Drawing of Formations even faster.


    The faster he Drew Formations, the more he would draw each day; the more he drew, the stronger his Divine Sense became; the stronger the Divine Sense, the more complex the Formations he drew. Despite the complexity, Mo Hua still drew faster and faster, resulting in an ever-increasing number of Formations¡­


    Taoist Stele, Tianyan Jue, Meditation Technique¡­


    This originally virtuous cycle led to a vicious outcome:


    Mo Hua used Spiritual Ink like water, and naturally, his expenditure of Spirit Stones flowed like water too.


    It wasn¡¯t until one day that Mo Hua realized the gravity of the situation when he found his Spiritual Ink had run out, and he had spent all his Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua, now penniless, was a bit troubled, ¡°What to do?¡±


    Ask mom and dad for more?


    Mo Hua shook his head. He wanted his parents to spend more Spirit Stones on their own cultivation so that they could increase their cultivation and extend their lifespan. If he asked, they would certainly give all their Spirit Stones to him.


    Charge more Spirit Stones when Drawing Formations?


    Mo Hua also felt this was wrong. The neighbors were all Loose Cultivators, already strapped for resources, and didn¡¯t have many Spirit Stones to begin with. Besides, he had been the beneficiary of his community¡¯s kindness, so overcharging for Spirit Stones was out of the question.


    What about making his own Spiritual Ink?


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know the formula or technique to make Spiritual Ink, and even if he did, he would still need raw materials, which he had no way of obtaining.


    Mo Hua pondered over this problem for two days without coming up with a good solution.


    That afternoon, he heard Liu Ruhua furrowing her brows and saying, ¡°Xiaohu was injured while hunting monsters on the mountain. I heard it¡¯s quite serious. Take these things over for me and see how Xiaohu is doing.¡±


    With a leap in his heart, Mo Hua quickly replied, ¡°Okay, mom, I¡¯ll go right away!¡±


    When Mo Hua arrived at the Meng Family¡¯s place, Da¡¯hu and Shuanghu were taking care of Xiaohu.


    Xiaohu lay in bed with his eyes closed, his face pale and a bloody claw mark on his back from which blood continued to seep.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua, Da¡¯hu and Shuanghu¡¯s eyes brightened, but then their expressions fell again.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first reunion with Da¡¯hu and the others in two months.


    Being a Monster Hunter was not an easy profession. Monster Beasts of the same realm were much stronger than Cultivators, for their innate physical talents and strong Blood Qi made them both agile and keenly responsive. Moreover, the demonic power in Monster Beasts contained either the power of the Five Elements or natural deadly toxins, which made them difficult to handle.


    To become a Monster Hunter meant enduring relentless toil, day and night, and skirting the fine line between life and death.


    Many formidable Monster Hunters, through just a moment of carelessness, have been devoured by Monster Beasts. Even the strongest of Monster Hunters had to pair up and look out for each other in the face of these creatures, allowing no room for oversight.


    Da¡¯hu and the others were still novices, just beginning their Monster Hunting endeavors, and they had much to learn, hence faced greater danger.


    Despite being outstanding among their peers of Loose Cultivators both in Cultivation and Taoist Skills, Da¡¯hu and the others learned rapidly, but when it came to actually hunting Monster Beasts, it was impossible for them to adjust quickly.


    Over the past two months, they stayed in the mountains, getting familiar with the terrain, identifying Monster Beasts, and attempting to fight them. In these battles, full concentration was required; any lapse could result in injury, or worse, death.


    A seventeen-year-old Cultivator who had gone into the mountains with them panicked when facing a Monster Beast and was bitten on the neck. He bled out and died.


    These were the stories that Da¡¯hu had shared with Mo Hua, and from them, Mo Hua had profoundly understood the weight carried by the title ¡°Monster Hunter.¡± Now, Xiaohu, who had grown up playing with Mo Hua, was lying there with a bloodied back. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Has Old Mr. Feng come to have a look?¡±


    Seeing Xiaohu¡¯s pallid face, Mo Hua felt a surge of sadness.


    ¡°Old Mr. Feng has been here. He prepared some medicinal herbs and applied them to the wound, and Xiaohu has also taken the Pills he provided,¡± Shuanghu said, his eyes red.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking.

 Chapter 95 - 95: Rattan Armor (Nine Updates)_1

    Chapter 95: Rattan Armor (Nine Updates)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°We followed Uncle Zhou and his team up the mountain for monster hunting, when we encountered a Split Claw Wolf Demon, two men tall, with crimson fur, fangs three feet long, and claws like barbed hooks. Its strength was roughly at the middle phase of the first rank, not yet at the latter phase. Our squad should have been able to handle it. Uncle Zhou and the others entangled with it in combat, instructing us to provide support from the outside and prevent it from escaping¡­¡±¡±


    ¡°After a long fight, Uncle Zhou and his team were injured, and the Split Claw seemed to be on the brink of death, but it suddenly burst forth with power and charged at the three of us. Da¡¯hu and I remembered Uncle Zhou¡¯s instructions not to act rashly, but Xiaohu, in his panic, struck at the Split Claw with a slash.¡±¡±


    ¡°That slash hit the Split Claw, only wounding its fur. Taking advantage of the opening Xiaohu created with his attack, the demon circled to Xiaohu¡¯s back and tore through Xiaohu¡¯s rattan armor with one claw. Xiaohu¡¯s flesh was ripped open, blood flowing unstoppably¡­¡±¡±


    Shuanghu wiped away his tears with his sleeve, choking up,¡±¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhou said that the claws of the Split Claw were enwrapped with demonic power. Once cut open by such claws, the blood would flow incessantly. Many cultivators have died like this, bleeding out after being torn open¡­¡±¡±


    Da¡¯hu, with tears welling up in his eyes, spoke guiltily,¡±¡±I wish I had taken the blow for him. I am stronger than Xiaohu; I wouldn¡¯t have been hurt as badly.¡±¡±


    With their brother so injured, the two older brothers felt both sad and regretful.¡±¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Feng is very skilled in his pill craft; Xiaohu will be fine,¡±¡± Mo Hua comforted them with eyes also beginning to sting.¡±¡±


    Mo Hua examined Xiaohu¡¯s wound again. Although blood still seeped out, the blood at the wound was slowly beginning to clot; Old Mr. Feng¡¯s medicine must have been taking effect.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.¡±¡±


    Using his Divine Sense, Mo Hua observed a faint, fresh crimson aura wrapping around Xiaohu¡¯s wound, which must be the demonic power that Monster Hunters often spoke of. It¡¯s a special kind of spiritual power produced by Monster Beasts, a confusion of spiritual energy obtained through their diet mixed with their own Blood Qi.


    It¡¯s not only humans who can harness power from the Dao of Heaven and Earth; Monster Beasts can, too.¡±¡±


    Mo Hua offered a few more words of comfort to Da¡¯hu and Shuanghu, then handed the items Liu Ruhua had entrusted him with to Auntie Meng.¡±¡±


    Auntie Meng was secretly wiping away tears on the side. Upon seeing Mo Hua, she rallied her spirits,¡±¡±Thank your mother for me; these years, we¡¯ve relied much on her help. And thank you for making the trip. Stay for lunch¡­¡±¡±


    Yet, thinking of her impoverished home, with not much food to offer, nothing impressive to serve, and the large sum of Spirit Stones needed for Xiaohu¡¯s treatment, she didn¡¯t know where they would come from¡­¡±¡±


    Auntie Meng¡¯s heart soured, a forced smile on her face as tears once again flowed down her cheeks.¡±¡±


    Pretending not to notice, Mo Hua said,¡±¡±No need, Auntie, my mother told me to get back early. You take good care of Xiaohu; I¡¯ll come over to play once he¡¯s recovered.¡±¡±


    Auntie Meng nodded, her voice choked with emotion.¡±¡±


    Mo Hua went on to reassure her,¡±¡±I just checked; Xiaohu¡¯s wound is already healing, and the demonic power at the wound has weakened a lot. I estimate he will slowly recover after a few days¡¯ rest. Don¡¯t worry about the Spirit Stones either. Give it some time, and once Da¡¯hu and the others can handle matters on their own, things will get better¡­¡±¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡±¡± Auntie Meng touched Mo Hua¡¯s head.¡±¡±


    Though young, Mo Hua was always thoughtful and knew much. His words inexplicably comforted Auntie Meng¡¯s heart.¡±¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua handed the food box to Auntie Meng and then bid farewell to return home.¡±¡±


    ¡°Be careful on your way,¡±¡± she said.¡±¡±


    Auntie Meng saw Mo Hua off to the door and, coming back, opened the food box. Inside, there were some steamed buns and dried meat, a small pot of nourishing soup still warm, and several bottles of pills for healing wounds.¡±¡±


    Beneath the pills was a small cloth bag, heavy in her hand. Auntie Meng opened it to find over a dozen Spirit Stones inside.¡±


    Auntie Meng stared at the Spirit Stones, dumbfounded for a moment, then tears flowed once more.¡±¡±


    After returning home, Mo Hua also felt very downcast.¡±¡±


    He wanted to help Xiaohu and the others, but couldn¡¯t think of an immediate way to do so. He didn¡¯t know spells, couldn¡¯t practice body refinement, had low cultivation, and had long ago run out of his own Spirit Stones.


    After much deliberation, there was only one option left: drawing formations.


    Mo Hua hurriedly finished his lunch at noon, then rushed to the Refinery Shop to ask Master Chen for a new set of rattan armor.


    Mo Hua had no spirit stones and intended to ask for credit, but Master Chen, without a second word, gave it to him for free¡ªand even gave him three sets.


    ¡°Rattan armor may cost spirit stones if you were to buy it, but it¡¯s practically worthless here. The production of rattan armor doesn¡¯t require much fine iron or spiritual liquid. After soaking the rattan, it just needs to be charred with a fierce flame using a special technique, and it doesn¡¯t even occupy the furnace for long. At most, it takes a bit of effort. Just take these three sets and have fun¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had drawn formations for Master Chen several times without charging any spirit stones. Master Chen felt guilty and wished Mo Hua would ask for more from him.


    If it were valuable spiritual artifacts, he might have to think twice. However, as for something like rattan armor that his apprentices could make, he would give it away without even blinking an eye.


    Mo Hua expressed his thanks and, upon returning, painted the Iron Armor Formation onto the three sets of rattan armor.


    Mo Hua had one set of such rattan armor in his storage bag, prepared for self-defense in case he had to confront Qian Xing. But since Qian Xing went mad, the rattan armor was rendered useless.


    What Mo Hua didn¡¯t need, Da¡¯hu and the others could surely utilize.


    Monster Hunters have to fight to the death with monster beasts, and the process is extremely perilous, especially for body cultivators.


    Seasoned Monster Hunters are better off, with abundant hunting experience and familiarity with the monster beasts. Even in dangerous situations, they could maneuver skillfully.


    Novice hunters, on the other hand, lack experience. They can¡¯t handle emergencies in time, and a single oversight, if exploited by the monster beasts, could mean minor injuries or even death.


    Many gifted young cultivators, who could have become excellent Monster Hunters, lost their lives due to unforeseen accidents, thereby losing their futures.


    Such tragedies happened too often. Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua had lamented about this several times during their chats, which Mo Hua had overheard.


    At times like these, having a suit of sufficiently durable armor could be lifesaving.


    Sadly, most Monster Hunters can¡¯t afford expensive armors and have to settle for cheap rattan ones.


    When Xiaohu was ambushed by a Split Claw Wolf Demon, if the rattan armor had been tough enough, he wouldn¡¯t have been injured. Even with injuries, they would have been much less severe and not as critical as they were.


    Rattan armor with the Iron Armor Formation attached is much more durable than before. Mo Hua hoped that by wearing it, Da¡¯hu and the others would suffer fewer injuries during monster hunts.


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    A few days later, Mo Hua visited Xiaohu, whose condition had improved, and his complexion looked much better.


    Mo Hua took out the three sets of rattan armor and presented them to them. Da¡¯hu and Shuanghu¡¯s armors were still fine, just a bit cracked from fighting monster beasts. Xiaohu¡¯s had been directly torn open by the Wolf Demon and was beyond use.


    Auntie Meng, looking at the rattan armor in Mo Hua¡¯s hands, hesitated, wanting to say something.


    Mo Hua noticed Auntie Meng¡¯s concerns and said, ¡°These sets of rattan armor were given to me by Master Chen. I have no use for them, so I¡¯m giving them to Brother Da¡¯hu and the others. With the formations I¡¯ve drawn on the armor, they¡¯re much tougher than ordinary rattan armor. This way, they¡¯ll be less likely to get hurt hunting monsters, and if they do get injured, the wounds should be less severe.¡±


    Auntie Meng originally felt embarrassed to accept such a gift, but when she heard Mo Hua say it would ¡°reduce the likelihood of injury,¡± she simply couldn¡¯t refuse. Her eyes reddened with a mix of shame and gratitude.


    Mo Hua tugged at Auntie Meng¡¯s sleeve, ¡°In the future, if I need help, I¡¯m going to ask Brother Da¡¯hu and the others for assistance. They can¡¯t slack off and refuse to help me.¡±


    Auntie Meng repeatedly agreed, ¡°Yes, yes, anytime you need anything, just ask them. If those three dare to say no, I¡¯ll break their legs!¡±


    Auntie Meng¡¯s demeanor brightened, and Da¡¯hu and his brothers also laughed, holding onto their rattan armors.

 Chapter 96 - 96 Junior Formation Master (10 more)_1

    Chapter 96 Junior Formation Master (10 more)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    About ten days later, thanks to the pills provided by Old Mr. Feng, Xiaohu and Da¡¯hu, who had recovered from their injuries, went into the mountains to hunt monsters again.


    Monster Hunters inevitably get injured and bleed. Although Xiaohu and Da¡¯hu were not old and still novices, from the moment they wore the Monster Hunting Token and entered the mountains to hunt, they had to gradually adapt to this Monster Hunter lifestyle.


    Monster Hunters from Tongxian City have always gone through this; every day, there are Monster Hunters who venture into the mountains, every month there are those who suffer injuries, and each year there are Hunters who die within the mountains.


    Mo Hua could only silently wish Da¡¯hu and the others good luck in his heart.


    Unfortunately, Mo Hua¡¯s wishes were ineffective. Half a month later, Da¡¯hu was carried out of the mountains, his blood having spilled all over the ground.


    Mo Hua had been at home drawing formations when he suddenly heard a commotion. Only after coming out to inquire did he learn that Da¡¯hu had been seriously injured while hunting a monster and was on the brink of life and death.


    Mo Hua felt as if he had been doused with cold water, his limbs icy cold.


    He rushed to Apricot Forest Hall and saw Old Mr. Feng with a serious expression, treating Da¡¯hu¡¯s wounds.


    Da¡¯hu lay on the bed, eyes tightly closed, his face pale as paper, with no indication whether there was any breath left in him. There was a large pool of blood on his chest where blood continuously flowed, staining his outer garment bright red.


    Mo Hua watched with his heart racing.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua, Old Mr. Feng picked up a piece of rattan armor, his expression grave, and asked, ¡°Did you draw the formation on this?¡±


    The rattan armor was also bloody, with a hole on one side that looked like it had been pierced through by the teeth or claws of a monster. There were some formation patterns drawn inside the rattan armor.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Old Mr. Feng fell silent for a moment then let out a long sigh, ¡°Fortunately, we had this rattan armor; otherwise, this lad¡¯s life might have been lost¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.


    Old Mr. Feng¡¯s words meant that at least Da¡¯hu¡¯s life was not in danger; it¡¯s better to have a person alive than anything else.


    Growing up together, always standing in front of Mo Hua, always helping Mo Hua in fights, if his buddy really came to harm, the mere thought was unbearable.


    Shuanghu and Xiaohu came rushing over in tears. Upon hearing Da¡¯hu was fine, they quietly wiped their tears away.


    Uncle Meng had also been hunting monsters on the mountain. When he heard about Da¡¯hu¡¯s incident, he hurried back, his demeanor quite calm, but his hands slightly trembling.


    Auntie Meng was originally helping in the east part of the street. With the family short on Spirit Stones, she was busier than before. Upon hearing about Da¡¯hu¡¯s accident, she too hurried over. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Auntie Meng stood at the doorway, hesitating for a long time, not daring to enter. Finally, biting her lip, she stumbled in and upon learning that Da¡¯hu¡¯s life was not in danger, her strength seemed to drain away, and she collapsed to the ground, burying her head in her sleeves and weeping.


    Old Mr. Feng said it was all thanks to the set of rattan armor given by Mo Hua that Da¡¯hu was saved.


    While Da¡¯hu and his brothers went into the mountains today, they were hunting a Split Claw Wolf Demon. In the midst of the fight, suddenly another Long-Tailed Demon Beast emerged from the bushes.


    Da¡¯hu shielded his younger brothers behind him, facing the Long-Tailed Demon Beast head-on. But with his level of cultivation, he was no match for the demon beast. The Long-Tailed Demon Beast¡¯s tail had sharp spikes, and it was both fierce and quick; it stabbed towards Da¡¯hu¡¯s heart in an instant. Da¡¯hu didn¡¯t have time to dodge and was struck in the chest.


    Fortunately, the rattan armor on Da¡¯hu¡¯s chest was augmented with the Iron Armor Formation, which was tougher than regular rattan armor, and it wasn¡¯t pierced right away. Although Da¡¯hu did not dodge the attack, he slightly shifted his stance, causing the spike of the beast¡¯s tail to deviate slightly. When the spike pierced the rattan armor and entered Da¡¯hu¡¯s chest, it did not damage his heart.


    Even though Da¡¯hu was struck in the chest, and blood poured out, his heart was undamaged, so his life was not in jeopardy. Old Mr. Feng¡¯s timely intervention meant that even though he was temporarily unconscious, after some time, he would slowly come around.


    Auntie Meng thanked Old Mr. Feng profusely, then clutched Mo Hua¡¯s hand tightly, her heart filled with gratitude but too choked up to speak a word¡­


    In a lifetime, one inevitably endures hardships, and some people always seem to bear more than others.


    Looking at the exhausted Auntie Meng, Mo Hua felt a pang in his heart.


    Fortunately, the Iron Armor Formation that Mo Hua drew was effective, and Da¡¯hu¡¯s life was no longer in danger, which gave Mo Hua some peace of mind.


    Ten days later, Da¡¯hu¡¯s injuries had healed, and the three brothers were ready to go into the mountains to hunt Monster Beasts again. Mo Hua made a special trip to see them off.


    Although Da¡¯hu had just recovered from his injuries and looked a bit pale, his eyes were resolute. Shuanghu and Xiaohu had rather solemn expressions but showed no fear.


    Despite having lost so much blood and suffered such severe injuries, even coming close to losing their lives, the three of them did not hesitate or show fear; once their wounds had healed, they still planned to go into the mountains for Monster Hunting.


    ¡°Dad and mom treated our injuries, and we owe so many Spirit Stones; we need to pay them off as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want mom to suffer anymore.¡±


    ¡°Me neither¡­¡±


    After saying goodbye to Mo Hua, they walked down the path towards the mountains.


    Mo Hua watched as their figures grew smaller, disappearing into the vast expanse of Big Black Mountain.


    In the following days, Mo Hua lived quite frugally.


    Except for drawing Formation Patterns unrestrainedly on the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness at night, every drop of Spiritual Ink was used cautiously during the day.


    Formations that he was already familiar with were resolutely not drawn with Spiritual Ink, as it would be a waste; those he hadn¡¯t learned yet were also avoided, as they too would be wasteful.


    For those half-mastered Formations, Mo Hua was selective, only considering those with rare attributes and special Formation Pivot structures worth opening the ink bottle and carefully drawing and contemplating with Spiritual Ink.


    After some time had passed, one night during dinner, Mo Shan suddenly said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Huar, someone has asked me to have you draw a few Formation Paintings¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat astonished, and Mo Shan¡¯s expression was also a bit nuanced.


    Mo Shan usually didn¡¯t inquire much about Mo Hua¡¯s work with Formations.


    Firstly, because Monster Hunting itself was a difficult task, with Mo Shan being the captain of the Monster Hunting Team, he had to lead a group of Cultivators into the mountains to hunt Monster Beasts and ensure safety, and the income from Monster Hunting had to be distributed as per rules, which was both dangerous and busy. Previously, Mo Hua¡¯s family relied mainly on the income in Spirit Stones from Mo Shan¡¯s Monster Hunting, and Mo Shan, busy with these matters, had little time to spare for else.


    Secondly, because Mo Shan didn¡¯t understand Formations well. His knowledge was limited to recognizing a few common Formations or detecting traps set by Cultivators with Formations. He wasn¡¯t clear about the inner dealings of Formation Masters, so naturally, he didn¡¯t know what questions to ask.


    Thirdly, because Mo Hua was low maintenance, whether it was cultivating or studying Formations, he would do what needed to be done without any need for prompting, sparing Mo Shan from worrying and not wanting to put too much pressure on Mo Hua;


    Mo Hua was still young with low cultivation. Even with talent, to truly achieve something significant with Formations would take time, and he could not expect it to happen too quickly.


    For a Cultivator to learn Formations is very hard, and to become a Formation Master is even harder, something Mo Shan was very aware of.


    The slightly famous Formation Masters in Tongxian City all had beards and hair going grey, and some not only had white hair but were even losing it altogether.


    Now, seeing that Mo Hua had talent, if he could become an ordinary Formation Master by the age of thirty and make a living from Formations, even if not ranked, Mo Shan would be very content.


    All he needed to do was to be more careful and not die in the belly of a Monster Beast before Mo Hua grew up.


    It wasn¡¯t until yesterday, when a Monster Hunter came to Mo Shan and formally requested Mo Hua to draw several Formation Paintings, speaking very politely and without a hint of doubt that Mo Hua could do it.


    That was when Mo Shan realized something was amiss.


    Being sought out to draw Formations was a treatment reserved for Formation Masters, wasn¡¯t it?


    This child, Huar¡­ could he already be a Formation Master.

 Chapter 97 - 97 Request (First Update)_1

    Chapter 97 Request (First Update)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Shan had just hunted a monster beast yesterday, skinned it, picked its bones, and collected its demon core. After tidying everything up, he was about to descend the mountain and head home when a monster hunter with whom he was somewhat acquainted approached him, acting quite courteous.


    ¡°Brother Mo, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask for your help with¡­¡±


    This monster hunter¡¯s surname was Zhou, first name Cheng, of average height, with a somewhat lean build.


    Mo Shan was always generous, so thinking Zhou Cheng had hit some difficulty, he said, ¡°Spill it, if I can help, I surely will.¡±


    Zhou Cheng seemed a bit embarrassed, ¡°It¡¯s not that I need Brother Mo to take action; it¡¯s just a small matter for which I would like to ask your son for help¡­¡±


    Mo Shan was stunned, ¡°My son, Mo Hua?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right,¡± Zhou Cheng said, ¡°I suppose I have some acquaintance with Brother Mo, but when it comes to your son, I¡¯ve never even seen his face, so it wouldn¡¯t be proper for me to approach him out of the blue. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve come to you for help¡­¡±


    Mo Shan looked at him suspiciously, ¡°My son, Mo Hua, is only at the fourth level of Qi Refinement. What help can he provide to you?¡±


    ¡°He can! He surely can!¡± Zhou Cheng hastily replied, ¡°I have a young son, around fifteen or sixteen, at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, and he¡¯s just become a Monster Hunter not long ago. But with his mediocre talent and subpar martial arts from his Tao cultivation, I worry that he might encounter some stubborn monster beasts on the mountain. If something unexpected happens, then¡­¡±


    Zhou Cheng sighed, ¡°He¡¯s been lucky so far, not having met any troublesome monster beasts and has stayed safe. But all of us fathers, also being Monster Hunters, certainly understand that anything could happen once you enter Big Black Mountain. Just thinking about it makes me lose sleep.¡±


    Mo Shan deeply related and nodded.


    ¡°The other day, I heard that there¡¯s a Junior Formation Master in your area who can put a Formation on the rattan armor which, at a critical moment, could take a hit from a monster beast, essentially saving a life. Later, I inquired and discovered this Junior Formation Master¡¯s surname is Mo, with a father named Mo Shan. I thought that was quite a coincidence, so I decided to come and ask you for help.¡±


    Zhou Cheng looked at Mo Shan with hopeful eyes, terrified that Mo Shan might refuse.


    After hesitating, Mo Shan said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but¡­ I only know Mo Hua is learning Formation Painting. As for Formation arts, I don¡¯t understand much, nor do I know how well he¡¯s learned. The Formation you¡¯re talking about seems quite complex, and Mo Hua may not even know how to paint it.¡±


    ¡°He does! He surely does!¡± Zhou Cheng quickly added.


    ¡°How do you know he can paint it?¡± Mo Shan asked, puzzled.


    ¡°I heard it from Old Xu, the one who often goes monster hunting with me in the mountains¡ªthe same Old Xu who wasn¡¯t very polite to you before, wanted to challenge you, and got knocked down by your punch¡­¡±


    Zhou Cheng smiled and continued, ¡°He said that old Meng Family¡¯s son, Da¡¯hu, was stabbed in the chest by a Scorpion Demon a while back. Because his rattan armor was painted with a Formation, it didn¡¯t damage his vital meridian, and it saved his life. He also said you¡¯re lucky to have a good son, though his words were a bit sarcastic, but don¡¯t hold it against him, after all, you¡¯ve beaten him¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Old Xu, huh¡­¡± Mo Shan remembered now.


    He had also heard about Da¡¯hu¡¯s injury, but at the time, he was in the mountains himself, and after coming down, he learned Da¡¯hu was no longer in serious danger, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    It¡¯s common for Monster Hunters to get injured. As long as they don¡¯t lose arms or legs, don¡¯t damage their meridians, and don¡¯t lose their lives, it¡¯s nothing serious, for this is the very livelihood they chose.


    If it was Da¡¯hu, then it¡¯s indeed possible; Mo Hua had grown up playing with them. For him to paint a Formation on Da¡¯hu¡¯s rattan armor would be normal.


    Such were the thoughts running through Mo Shan¡¯s mind.


    Zhou Cheng grasped Mo Shan¡¯s hand, ¡°Brother Mo, you must help me with this. Otherwise, I really won¡¯t be able to rest easy about my young son!¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Shan replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and ask. If Mo Hua truly knows how to paint the Formation you mentioned, he will surely paint it for you. But if he doesn¡¯t know how, then there¡¯s nothing to be done¡­¡±


    Zhou Cheng was overjoyed and promptly said, ¡°Thank you, Brother Mo! If he really can paint it, any amount of Spirit Stones will do.¡±


    Then, his face showed a hint of guilt, ¡°But lately¡­ I am running low on Spirit Stones. If it¡¯s not enough, could I possibly owe you, and pay you back after I go Monster Hunting in the mountains next month and split the Spirit Stones?¡±


    Mo Shan waved his hand dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s a small matter, we¡¯ll talk about it later.¡±


    If it were him helping, charging or not charging Spirit Stones would be fine, but it was about finding Mo Hua, and he had to go back and consult his son¡¯s opinion first.


    Still, he wondered, did Mo Hua truly know how to paint such armor Formations?


    With doubts in his mind, Mo Shan returned home and directly asked Mo Hua, ¡°Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Then do you have time these days?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Can you help him draw?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Mo Shan hadn¡¯t expected things to go so smoothly.


    When someone had begged him the day before, with the utmost sincerity, he thought it must be a difficult task. Why did it seem like a trivial matter to Mo Hua?


    ¡°How long will it take to draw?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be quick, half a day.¡± Mo Hua said.


    In fact, it wouldn¡¯t even take two hours, as Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense was strong and his control over it was strong; plus, he was so familiar with drawing the Iron Armor Formation that there was basically no difficulty in it. However, it was always good to allow a bit of extra time.


    Mo Shan nodded, then asked, ¡°Then¡­ how much is the usual compensation for Drawing Formation?¡±


    Seeing Mo Shan¡¯s hesitant look, Mo Hua said, ¡°Dad, is there something else you want to say?¡±


    After giving it some thought, Mo Shan said, ¡°His family isn¡¯t well-off either. His youngest son is a Monster Hunter and needs to prepare everything. I guess he doesn¡¯t have many Spirit Stones. It would be good if you could charge him less. But it¡¯s still your decision, as you are the one who will be drawing the formation.¡±


    Previously, Mo Shan thought that Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t high, and thus the formations he learned were probably not very profound. Fixing formations for the neighborhood, whether he charged Spirit Stones or not, didn¡¯t matter much; even a bit of a loss was fine.


    But now, Mo Shan realized it was different. The formations that Monster Hunters could use were definitely not the simple kinds with just two or three patterns.


    That Mo Hua could draw such formations meant he was almost at the level of those average Formation Masters in the city.


    Mo Shan knew how difficult it was to become a Formation Master. Even the most ordinary Formation Masters spent a decade or two devotedly studying.


    And Mo Hua was only eleven or twelve years old, which showed he almost devoted all his available time to learning formations. While other children were still complaining about cultivating and thinking about where to play every day, Mo Hua was learning formations day and night.


    Mo Shan remembered that every time he returned from hunting monsters in the mountains, Mo Hua was almost always drawing formations. Occasionally when Mo Shan returned late, the light in Mo Hua¡¯s room was still on.


    Mo Shan felt a bit distressed and didn¡¯t want his son to suffer any loss because of it.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t noticed Mo Shan¡¯s deep thoughts. After calculating a bit, he said, ¡°Just bring over the Rattan Armor and prepare a bottle of metallic Spiritual Ink. The better the ink, the more effective the formation will be. But if you can¡¯t afford the better ink, ordinary ink is also fine. As for the compensation¡­ Dad, how many Spirit Stones can you hunters earn in a day?¡±


    ¡°About five Spirit Stones each, I guess.¡±


    Five a day, but one can¡¯t be in the mountains every day, nor can they encounter Monster Beasts every day. Even if they do, it¡¯s not certain they can kill them. If they encounter a tricky one and get injured, they have to spend on Pills as well. So the Spirit Stones really aren¡¯t much, especially considering how dangerous Monster Hunting itself is.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s settle on five Spirit Stones.¡± Mo Hua said.


    Mo Shan nodded and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Five Spirit Stones¡­ aren¡¯t you at a loss?¡±


    Asking a Formation Master to draw a formation usually costs a lot of Spirit Stones. Although Mo Shan had never hired one and didn¡¯t have the Spirit Stones to do so, having lived in Tongxian City for so long, he knew a bit about these matters.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯m still learning to draw formations. Earning more or less doesn¡¯t matter much to me, as long as I have the opportunity to practice more. Besides, Dad, don¡¯t you always tell me that Loose Cultivators should look out for one another? When our family was in trouble before, these uncles and aunts helped us a little. Now that we have the means, it¡¯s right to help them too.¡±


    With a smile, Mo Hua added, ¡°Being able to help others, practice formations, and earn some Spirit Stones all at once is a good deal, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Mo Shan agreed, patting Mo Hua¡¯s head, ¡°I¡¯ll have him prepare everything tomorrow for you to draw the formation.¡±


    After dinner, Mo Hua went back to his room to rest.


    Mo Shan sat alone, feeling increasingly content the more he thought about it. Remembering what his son had just said, and realizing his son could now be considered a Formation Master, the usually composed Mo Shan couldn¡¯t hide the smile on his face.

 Chapter 98 - 98 Thank You (Two More)_1

    Chapter 98 Thank You (Two More)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Hearing Mo Shan say it would only take five Spirit Stones, Zhou Cheng couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth wide before he earnestly said,


    ¡°Brother Mo, this isn¡¯t right¡­ How about I give you another five?¡±


    He thought about giving more, but he really had no more Spirit Stones.


    He had quietly inquired in Tongxian City; to have a single Iron Armor Formation drawn, those Formation Masters would generally charge fifty Spirit Stones, and only the newer, less confident Formation Masters would ask for thirty Spirit Stones¡ªthe absolute lowest price.


    After returning home last night, he fretted for a long time, unsure of how much Mo Shan would charge. Today, however, when he came to ask, Mo Shan only requested five Spirit Stones from him, leaving him feeling quite remorseful.


    Mo Shan patted his shoulder and said, ¡°Use the extra Spirit Stones to buy some good-quality Spiritual Ink. We¡¯re both doing this for the child, so please don¡¯t refuse.¡±


    Zhou Cheng felt grateful inwardly and said no more.


    That afternoon, he found time to purchase some Gold Rock Spiritual Ink, and together with the Rattan Armor, personally delivered it to Mo Hua¡¯s home. In less than two hours, Mo Hua completed drawing the Iron Armor Formation, and then handed over the Rattan Armor to Mo Shan.


    In return, he earned five Spirit Stones and half a bottle of unused Gold Rock Spiritual Ink.


    Mo Hua thought this deal was quite all right.


    ¡°Should I tell others that I am a Formation Master now, and let them come to me for Formation Paintings?¡±


    After pondering, Mo Hua still shook his head.


    He was still young, and doing such would be too conspicuous. He remembered the words of Mr. Zhuang, who had said that a Cultivator should keep a low profile; a protruding beam is likely to rot, and a fattened pig is easily slaughtered. The Tao Cultivation World was fraught with danger; with his current cultivation and experience, Mo Hua was not equipped to defend himself against it all.


    Moreover, his proficiency in formations was far from sufficient, and there were many more nuances in formations that he had to learn. He shouldn¡¯t be greedy for short-term profit and lose the heart of seeking the Tao.


    With that, the matter was considered settled. The next day, however, the Monster Hunter who had asked Mo Hua to draw the formation suddenly came to visit, followed by a simple and honest-looking young man.


    ¡°Daping, quickly thank Uncle Mo and Brother Mo,¡± he said.


    The young man did not hesitate and bowed, saying, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Mo, thank you, Brother Mo!¡±


    Mo Shan then introduced him to Mo Hua, ¡°This is your Uncle Zhou, with a single name of Cheng, and this is his youngest son, Zhou Daping. That Formation was entrusted to you by your Uncle Zhou Cheng to draw.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Uncle Zhou, hello Brother Daping!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Zhou Cheng said repeatedly with a smile, ¡°No need to be so formal, just call him Daping.¡±


    Zhou Daping scratched his head, ¡°Yeah, just call me Daping.¡±


    Zhou Cheng handed over a pile of items, including some wine, food, vegetables, and fruits; these were fine, but the most valuable was a bottle of Spiritual Ink.


    Mo Hua had only charged five Spirit Stones to draw the formation for him. Zhou Cheng had already felt uncomfortable about that, and upon receiving the Rattan Armor and seeing the exacting Formation Patterns and the beautiful strokes shining with a faint golden color,


    he marveled at the Formation¡¯s craftsmanship. Without significant effort, such a formation could not have been drawn.


    Zhou Cheng had initially thought that, given Mo Hua¡¯s young age, if the formation he drew was barely usable, it would suffice. Now that he saw it, even compared to the Formation Masters in Tongxian City, who had been Drawing Formations for twenty or thirty years, Mo Hua was no less capable.


    Zhou Cheng then tested the Rattan Armor¡¯s effectiveness, which was much better than he had imagined. In a critical situation, it might indeed save his son¡¯s life.


    Now he felt even more indebted, so he cobbled together some more Spirit Stones and specifically bought some gifts to personally thank them.


    Mo Shan resolutely refused to accept them, ¡°Keep these things for yourself; earning Spirit Stones is not easy.¡±


    But no matter what Mo Shan said, Zhou Cheng was determined to give the gifts.


    Thus, the two of them stood stubbornly deadlocked, and it seemed they would come to no resolution even by nightfall.


    Mo Hua could only say, ¡°Dad, Uncle Zhou is being kind, you should just accept it. If we ever need to draw any formations in the future, just come to us.¡±


    Zhou Cheng said joyfully, ¡°Mo¡¯er is right, just accept it without further ado.¡±


    Left with no choice, Mo Shan reluctantly accepted.


    Afterward, when Zhou Daping went to the mountains for monster hunting, he wore the rattan armor that Mo Hua had painted with formations. He was injured a few times, but the sturdy armor meant no significant harm was done.


    Having learned of this, Zhou Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that all his efforts hadn¡¯t been in vain. Just the cost savings in healing from the spirit stones alone was significant, let alone the fact that in a real emergency, the formations on the rattan armor could save a life.


    For loose cultivators like them, who lived in hardship and had struggled to raise their son, it would be devastating to lose a life while hunting monsters.


    As a monster hunter for many years, Zhou Cheng knew that every year there were young cultivators who lost their lives to monster hunting.


    Even these experienced hunters could become prey to monster beasts if they were not careful, let alone those young men fresh in the field?


    Every time he thought about it, Zhou Cheng felt extremely grateful to Mo Hua, but being poor, he could only offer kind words to express his gratitude.


    After that, he would praise Mo Hua to anyone who would listen, claiming that despite his young age, Mo Hua¡¯s formation painting was excellent. Having the formations applied to the rattan armor made it impervious to blades and spears. With it, his son could go into the mountains to hunt monsters without fear.


    His claims were somewhat exaggerated and a bit fabricated, but people who loved gossip enjoyed listening to them.


    A junior formation master in his teens¡ªsome people didn¡¯t believe it, but of course, others did.


    Every now and then, someone would invite Mo Shan over for a meal or a drink, then hint around to see if his son could really paint formations. They were curious whether a rattan armor with formations painted on it was indeed impervious to blades and spears.


    With no choice but to clear things up, Mo Shan explained, ¡°My son can paint formations, it¡¯s true, but even with formations, the rattan armor can¡¯t possibly be impervious to weapons, it¡¯s just a bit tougher than before.¡±


    ¡°I thought so. If it were truly impervious to weapons, that would be something, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen that rattan armor. Once it¡¯s painted with formations, it really does get a lot harder, but it still falls short. It¡¯s fine for use in the Qi Refinement Middle Phase, but it won¡¯t do for later phases. It can¡¯t withstand a claw strike from a higher-grade monster beast.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s useful for the Middle Phase?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°It is, and the effects are quite good. It can at least protect the vital parts.¡±


    ¡°Then I should get one for my son. Every time he goes into the mountains, I¡¯m scared out of my wits. When I was young and went up the mountain, I was never this nervous. I, well, I¡¯m thick-skinned and tough; I¡¯m not afraid of monster beasts biting me. But I¡¯m scared for my son. If something goes wrong, I might end up burning paper offerings for him before he can even hold my funeral rites¡­¡± a burly man said with a wry smile.


    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s still just for the Qi Refinement Middle Phase, so it¡¯s not that great¡­¡± someone commented dismissively.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s no big deal for you since you don¡¯t have a son. It¡¯s different for me¡ªI have three sons! Mo Shan, after all these years of friendship between us, you¡¯ve got to have your son paint a few sets for me. Just paint three¡­ no, six sets. I want to have some spare¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, and don¡¯t forget me.¡±


    ¡°I want a set too¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have a son, what do you need it for?¡±


    The man retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t have one now; does that mean I can¡¯t have one in the future?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a certainty.¡±


    ¡°Cut the nonsense; if he wants it, let him have it. For all you know, he might have a few illegitimate kids out there.¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You bastard, what are you saying!¡±


    After having too much to drink, they began to scuffle with each other.


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry.

 Chapter 99 - 99 Elder Yu (Third Update)_1

    Chapter 99 Elder Yu (Third Update)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Every now and then, people came to Mo Shan, asking Mo Hua to draw Formations for them. And without exception, all of them wanted an Iron Armor Formation drawn on their rattan armor.


    This was all handled by Mo Shan. Mo Hua only needed to draw the Formation, which wasn¡¯t too troublesome, and it didn¡¯t require showing off.


    The Iron Armor Formation consisted of only six Formation Patterns, which, for Mo Hua, no longer posed any difficulty; moreover, drawing them was very quick. Occasionally, when someone requested it, he would just draw it in passing, so it didn¡¯t waste much time.


    For one Iron Armor Formation painting, he could get five Spirit Stones and half a bottle of Spiritual Ink.


    After drawing for some time, Mo Hua had saved up a small amount of Spirit Stones and Spiritual Ink. It was just a pity that the Spiritual Ink was of a metallic property and could only be used to draw Golden Series Formations; it was unsuitable for other types of Formations.


    The Iron Armor Formation only contained six Formation Patterns, suitable for mid-phase Artifact Refining Cultivators. Essentially, it was only used by novice Monster Hunters.


    For a late-phase Qi Refinement Cultivator like Mo Shan, it was basically useless. In the face of late-stage rank one Monster Beasts, even rattan armor with the Iron Armor Formation drawn on it wouldn¡¯t be much better than paper mache¡ªits strength would hardly be improved at all.


    However, among the Monster Hunters, the majority were mid-phase Qi Refinement Cultivators, and each year new Cultivators became Monster Hunters; these Monster Hunters were the ones who needed the Iron Armor Formation the most.


    Although the strength of the Iron Armor Formation could only fend off a Monster Beast¡¯s attack for a brief moment, that moment often made the difference between a minor injury and a severe one, or even between life and death.


    Mo Hua, in fact, wanted to draw more Iron Armor Formations so that young Monster Hunters like Da¡¯hu could receive fewer injuries.


    For ordinary Loose Cultivators, sustaining minor injuries was bearable, but a serious injury could make daily life very difficult; and an unfortunate death would essentially be a disaster for their entire family.


    Among the Monster Hunters in Tongxian City, only a few had connections with Mo Shan; most of the Monster Hunters wouldn¡¯t specifically ask someone to draw a Formation for them, since Formations were difficult to draw and Formation Masters difficult to hire¡ªthey couldn¡¯t afford the Spirit Stones. Thus, the ones who actually came to Mo Hua to have the Iron Armor Formation drawn weren¡¯t many.


    That day, after Mo Hua had finished his dinner and was flipping through Formation Books in his room, he heard someone arriving. Mo Shan was warmly greeting the guest, and curiosity couldn¡¯t help but arise within Mo Hua.


    Mo Shan was usually generous and had quite a few friends, but Mo Hua had never seen him be so enthusiastic before.


    After a while, Mo Shan called out to Mo Hua, asking him to come and meet the guest. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Mo Hua lifted the door curtain, he saw a Cultivator with a very long beard, apparently of considerable age, sitting upright on the wooden chair in the middle. This bearded Cultivator was dressed in common Monster Hunter attire, with a serious demeanor and an air of authority that made him seem somewhat difficult to get along with.


    Mo Shan said, ¡°This is Elder Yu. Huar, say hello to Elder Yu.¡±


    Elder Yu? An Elder from the Monster Hunting Hall?


    Mo Hua politely greeted the Elder and then noticed that this Elder Yu had a profound aura emanating a subtle oppressive force. Mo Hua quietly probed with his Divine Sense, only to find that he couldn¡¯t see anything clearly, just a vague sense that someone was sitting there.


    As Mo Hua was using his Divine Sense to probe, Elder Yu¡¯s eyes flashed with insight, and he glanced at Mo Hua.


    A Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator! And probably not an ordinary one at that!


    Just his Divine Sense was far stronger than Mo Hua¡¯s!


    Mo Shan patted Mo Hua on the head and said, ¡°Huar, Elder Yu has something to discuss with you. Have a chat with him. I¡¯ll go to the front to help your mother clean up.¡±


    ¡°What could Elder Yu possibly have to discuss with me?¡± Mo Hua wondered, somewhat puzzled, but he still nodded in agreement.


    After Mo Shan left, Elder Yu got straight to the point:


    ¡°I have heard from Mo Shan that you can draw the Iron Armor Formation?¡± asked Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse with a hint of sternness, probably a habit formed over the years.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu nodded slightly, ¡°That¡¯s good, I have something I want to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Please speak, Elder.¡±


    Elder Yu inwardly nodded. He had heard before that Mo Shan¡¯s son, despite his tender age, was already a Formation Master. He hadn¡¯t believed it, thinking it was too preposterous.


    Later, as more people spoke of it, he began to believe it somewhat, but deep down, he felt that those with talent at a young age must be arrogant due to their talents, especially Formation Masters. All the Formation Masters he had encountered were haughty, regardless of their actual capability, and each had a prideful temperament.


    Initially, he did not have a favorable impression of Mo Hua, but now, seeing that Mo Hua was fair and lovely and also very polite, his expression softened quite a bit.


    ¡°I intend to have you help draw a batch of Formations, all Iron Armor Formations, painted onto rattan armors. During the Monster Hunting Ceremony, we will give a set to each of the young Monster Hunters so they have some protection when they enter the mountains to hunt Monster Beasts.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood. The Hunting Demon Ceremony was approaching, and another group of young cultivators would become Monster Hunters.


    Elder Yu was an elder of the Monster Hunting Hall, responsible for upholding the rules of the Monster Hunters and ensuring their safety, especially for those who were just starting out and had yet to witness the ferocity of Monster Beasts. They were the newcomers in need of protection now, but in twenty or thirty years, they could become the backbone of the Monster Hunting Guild.


    ¡°How many sets do you need?¡±


    ¡°About one hundred sets,¡± Elder Yu said.


    ¡°One hundred sets¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback. That would be enough to keep him busy for quite a while.


    ¡°Is that possible?¡± Elder Yu asked tentatively.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, ¡°When do you need these Formations?¡±


    Elder Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine as long as it¡¯s before the Monster Hunting Festival, which should be in three months.¡±


    If it was three months, there was plenty of time. Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°No problem.¡±


    Elder Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He saw that Mo Hua was of low cultivation and his Divine Sense was limited; he also wasn¡¯t sure if Mo Hua¡¯s willpower was strong enough. He worried that Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t be able to draw so many Formations in three months.


    Now, seeing that Mo Hua appeared confident, as if he wasn¡¯t lying, Elder Yu felt somewhat more at ease.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t finish all of them, completing seventy to eighty percent would still be good.


    Elder Yu hesitated for a while, thinking, then said:


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Mo Shan that when you draw Formations for others, you charge only five Spirit Stones for one Iron Armor Formation. These cultivators have connections with your father, so charge them less Spirit Stones, as it¡¯s only reasonable. But for these one hundred sets, let¡¯s not talk about favors. For each Iron Armor Formation, I¡¯ll give you eight Spirit Stones as compensation. What do you say?¡±


    Eight Spirit Stones wasn¡¯t really a lot, considering that for a Formation Master, Divine Sense was limited and the number of Formations he could draw each day was also limited, they naturally hoped the price of their work would be as high as possible.


    Normally, this price wouldn¡¯t be enough to hire a Formation Master to draw Formations.


    But this was already Elder Yu¡¯s limit. The Monster Hunting Guild had big business, but the family was full of Loose Cultivators who were poor as church mice, and he had to arrange everything alone. Everything needed Spirit Stones, and eight Spirit Stones was the highest price he could offer.


    ¡°Eight Spirit Stones¡­¡± Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    Elder Yu observed Mo Hua¡¯s frown; his expression didn¡¯t change, but he felt a chill in his heart.


    It really was difficult to deal with Formation Masters.


    Elder Yu silently thought.

 Chapter 100 - 100: Trade (Four updates)_1

    Chapter 100: Trade (Four updates)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Elder Yu had spent one hundred and fifty years to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    During these hundred years, he had dealings with all sorts of cultivators, which naturally included many Formation Masters.


    Elder Yu mostly did not have a good opinion of Formation Masters.


    Clan and sect-born Formation Masters looked down on Loose Cultivators. Some Loose Cultivator-born Formation Masters felt they had leaped over the dragon gate and were superior, showing even more disdain for Loose Cultivators than those from clans or sects did.


    Since formations were difficult to learn and Formation Masters were scarce, they were always arrogant, with their noses in the air.


    In the face of Foundation Building Cultivators, some Formation Masters would be superficially polite, but once you asked them to create a formation, they would demand an exorbitant fee.


    If you tried to bargain, they¡¯d take it as an affront, questioning if you thought their formations were not worth that many Spirit Stones. If you did not bargain, the exorbitant price in Spirit Stones was something these Loose Cultivators could hardly afford.


    But with few Formation Masters in the world and many cultivators in need of formations, sometimes, despite their exorbitant demands, you had no choice but to pay.


    Thus, while Elder Yu showed respect to Formation Masters on the surface, he held no fondness for them in his heart.


    Mo Hua frowned, and Elder Yu guessed in his heart that this deal might not work out. Eight Spirit Stones was the most he could offer; he could not afford any more.


    Though he was a Foundation Building Cultivist, having neither affiliated himself with a sect nor attached himself to a clan, he had to earn Spirit Stones on his own and deal with the trivial matters of being a Monster Hunter. He was not much wealthier than a cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Elder Yu felt some dissatisfaction toward Mo Hua. Although young and seemingly obedient, the moment Spirit Stones were involved, he probably became greedy, no different from other Formation Masters.


    Indeed, Formation Masters were all cast from the same mold, none of them good news.


    ¡°How much do you want?¡± Elder Yu asked with an unfriendly tone. He was curious to see how much Mo Hua wanted.


    Mo Hua calculated in his mind, then said, ¡°Three would do.¡±


    Elder Yu snorted coldly.


    The room went quiet for a moment. Elder Yu hesitated and then asked in disbelief, ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°Three?!¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow; the Mo Hua in his eyes suddenly seemed much more adorable.


    He then suspected in his heart that the kid might be a fool. Who ever heard of bargaining backward?


    ¡°Are you sure you only want three?¡±


    ¡°Mm, three Spirit Stones will do, but I have a small condition,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    ¡°A condition?¡± Elder Yu paused, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°I would like some Spiritual Ink, of all five elements ¨C metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. I need it for practicing formations. It doesn¡¯t have to be much; you can decide the amount, just consider it as extra remuneration.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy then,¡± Elder Yu immediately said.


    Some Spiritual Ink, although it would cost some Spirit Stones, was nothing compared to the price of one hundred Iron Armor Formations. Besides, as a Foundation Building Cultivist, he naturally had his own connections and could get good quality Spiritual Ink without spending too many Spirit Stones. That would save him a considerable amount of Spirit Stones.


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and suddenly felt that the more he looked at the boy, the more handsome he seemed.


    And he said he¡¯d use the Spiritual Ink to practice formations?


    ¡°Excellent! Diligent and eager to learn ¨C no wonder at such a young age, you can draw formations so well!¡± Elder Yu praised inwardly.


    Elder Yu thought for a moment, then worried that Mo Hua might get a bad deal, said, ¡°You¡¯re only asking for three spirit stones, is that enough?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, three spirit stones aren¡¯t too few. Besides, we¡¯re all loose cultivators, we should look out for one another. This is what my dad often tells me.¡± Mo Hua said in a childish voice.


    These words struck a chord with Elder Yu, and he felt a warmth in his heart.


    He himself came from a loose cultivator background, and it was not easy for him to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage. He had thought about moving to a higher-grade state boundary to seek opportunities, perhaps he could even make further progress in Tao cultivation.


    But looking back, he saw the uncles and aunts who had taken care of him, his friends and older brothers, struggling to get by. Without the care of a Foundation Building Cultivator, they would surely be oppressed by the members of the big clans every day, living a hard life.


    After a long consideration, he decided to stay.


    The outside cultivation world was boundless, and even if he left, he would just be one of the countless cultivators with low cultivation and an uncertain future. However, in Tongxian City, he was a towering Foundation Building Cultivator who could ease many people¡¯s suffering, protect many from harm, and allow most loose cultivators to have a slightly better life.


    Now, hearing such words from a small child like Mo Hua, Elder Yu found it very heartening.


    Elder Yu stared at Mo Hua, looking him over from left to right, growing fonder of the boy the more he looked.


    Look at how well Mo Shan has raised his son!


    Mo Hua, feeling a bit uneasy under Elder Yu¡¯s intense gaze, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Elder Yu, is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, no, everything¡¯s right, very right!¡± Elder Yu said, ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll have someone send over the rattan armor, and I¡¯ll help you look for the Spiritual Ink, the kind with the Five Elements attribute, right? I¡¯ll send them to you once I¡¯ve gathered them. Rest assured, you¡¯ve done me a great favor this time, and I won¡¯t let you suffer a loss. If you need anything in the future, you can also come to me.¡±


    Mo Hua replied joyfully, ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a trifle!¡± Elder Yu waved his hand, then added with concern, ¡°You should rest now, don¡¯t stay up too late at such a young age.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Yu then headed out, but after a few steps, he seemed to remember something and hesitated, eventually turning back.


    Mo Hua looked puzzled and asked, ¡°Elder Yu, is there anything else?¡±


    Elder Yu coughed softly, and discreetly pulled out a storage bag, ¡°I¡­ cough, have two grandsons, and I need your help with their¡­ formations.¡±


    ¡°Is this urgent?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s a bit urgent, but not particularly so, you can make them when you have the time.¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s two grandsons were with Da¡¯hu¡¯s group, becoming Monster Hunters who had already started hunting in the mountains.


    It¡¯s often said that grandparents are more affectionate toward their grandchildren: Elder Yu didn¡¯t bother with his son, but had a soft spot for his two grandsons. Every time they returned from the mountain with injuries, he felt distressed.


    Being a Foundation Building Cultivator, he could not simply go to the mountain.


    If a Foundation Building Cultivator frequently ventured into the mountains, the monster beasts would take it as a provocation, attracting Second Grade Big Demons. In Tongxian City, a Second Grade Big Demon was practically without a natural enemy.


    There weren¡¯t many Foundation Building Cultivators in Tongxian City to begin with. To have Foundation Building Cultivators join forces for monster hunting was even rarer, and even if they did, they were unlikely to match a Second Grade monster beast.


    And if they made a mistake, allowing a Second Grade monster beast to consume one or two Foundation Building Cultivators, that would be a major problem.


    Therefore, unless necessary, Elder Yu, being in the Foundation Establishment Stage, generally wouldn¡¯t enter Big Black Mountain. At most, he would roam the Outer Mountain. If he had to enter the Inner Mountain, he would try his best not to reveal his cultivation.


    Because he could not go into the mountain at will, he was always concerned about the safety of his two grandsons. By adding an Iron Armor Formation to their rattan armors, it gave them a means of protection, and he could feel more at ease.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll help you make them when I have time!¡± Mo Hua promised.


    Elder Yu nodded, and seeing that Mo Hua was about to return to his room, he warmly reminded, ¡°Take your time with those formations. It doesn¡¯t matter if there are more or fewer; just don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡±


    The usually stern Elder Yu spoke in a voice that was indescribably kind and friendly.

 Chapter 101 - 101: Qi Refinement, Fifth Level (Five Updates)_1

    Chapter 101: Qi Refinement, Fifth Level (Five Updates)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression was severe when he entered, but as he left, his face had visibly lightened, and Mo Shan could even make out a faint hint of a smile on his face.


    Having known Elder Yu for so long, Mo Shan recalled that the Elder was always somewhat irritable, with a stern demeanor and not the best temper. He had never seen him with an expression like today¡¯s.


    ¡°Mo Shan, you¡¯ve raised a good son!¡±


    Elder Yu broke precedent and praised Mo Shan for the first time.


    Mo Shan was startled, even somewhat flattered. No matter how well he had previously mastered the Taoist skills or how many monster beasts he had slain, Elder Yu had never complimented him, and Mo Shan had thought the Elder was strict and never praised anyone.


    Now, this sudden praise caught him off guard, and for a moment, he didn¡¯t quite know what to say.


    After finishing his remark, Elder Yu didn¡¯t wait for Mo Shan¡¯s response. He nodded to Liu Ruhua and walked out the door on his own.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua respectfully saw Elder Yu to the door.


    The sky was already dark, with a bright moon hanging high. The streets were sparsely populated, but inside the houses on both sides, there were always warm yellow lights. Occasionally, one could hear laughter, children¡¯s shouts, and parents¡¯ admonishments.


    Elder Yu took a few steps, looked back at Mo Hua¡¯s doorway, and silently thought, ¡°Among us loose cultivators, perhaps there will finally emerge a Formation Master¡­¡±


    In the world of cultivation, formations are the most revered; cultivators cannot go without them, whether in daily living or in fighting to the death with monster beasts. But formations were never meant for bottom-rung loose cultivators like them¡ªthey were poor and deemed unworthy¡­


    If Mo Hua really made an advancement in formations and continued to stay true to himself, supporting other loose cultivators, even if he remained a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator for life, he would be much more useful to the loose cultivators of Tongxian City than an old, half-dead tree like himself who was in the Foundation Establishment Stage¡­


    Being a Formation Master is wonderful. Elder Yu¡¯s eyes filled with hope for a moment.


    ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll live to see that day¡­¡±


    The next day, Elder Yu had someone deliver twenty sets of rattan armor, twenty bottles of golden Spiritual Ink, and fifty spirit stones, plus two bottles of each of the Five Elements Spiritual Ink, with the rest of the rattan armor to be delivered after being refined.


    The fifty spirit stones were a deposit, the rest would be paid after completion. The Five Elements Spiritual Ink was specifically sought out by Elder Yu as an additional reward for Mo Hua, who was very happy with the high quality of these items.


    The spirit stones and Spiritual Ink should last Mo Hua for quite some time.


    Although the Monster Hunting Festival was three months away, Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to wait that long. He planned to finish within a month and a half, painting two to three sets a day during his spare time, careful not to neglect his cultivation and studying of more advanced formations.


    Mo Hua was also looking forward to reaching the fifth level of Qi Refinement so that he could choose a spell to study.


    Half a month later, as Mo Hua finished painting the thirty-sixth Iron Armor Formation and was planning to continue, he suddenly noticed something unusual about his Qi Sea.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly sat down to meditate and regulate his breath. He took out a spirit stone and began to absorb the spiritual energy.


    After an unknown period, Mo Hua¡¯s Qi Sea trembled, his spiritual power stirred chaotically before gradually stabilizing and becoming slightly more profound.


    He had reached the fifth layer of Qi Refinement!


    Mo Hua was somewhat delighted, as the realm is the foundation of a cultivator.


    It seems that, with the Heaven Yan Jue cultivation technique, except for the bottle neck of the Mystery Formation at the intermediary and major realm breakthroughs, there were no significant obstacles to small realm advancements and no need for Heaven and Earth spiritual items.


    For a moment, Mo Hua felt an endless stream of admiration for the cultivator who had created this technique!


    ¡°If I keep cultivating like this, is it possible¡­ can I really become an Immortal?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts began to wander.


    Then he considered the enormous amount of spirit stones needed for cultivation, the complexity of the Compound Formation that gave him a headache when he read the Formation Books, and the unknown mysteries of the Mystery Formation.


    Mo Hua reined in his fanciful thoughts.


    ¡°One must be down-to-earth in cultivation, not ambitious beyond one¡¯s grasp! One must be down-to-earth in cultivation, not ambitious beyond one¡¯s grasp!¡±


    Mo Hua repeated the mantra twice in his heart, then started to plan out his Qi Refinement fifth layer.


    First and foremost, it¡¯s the spells!


    Can one be called a cultivator if they don¡¯t learn spells?


    It¡¯s fine for body cultivators, but as a cultivator who aspires to and can only be a spiritual cultivator, how can you get by without learning a few spells?


    But who to learn them from?


    Mo Hua was a bit worried, as most monster hunters were body cultivators and there were very few spiritual cultivators.


    If we say that it¡¯s somewhat dangerous for body cultivators, who focus on body refinement, to hunt monster beasts, then for spiritual cultivators, who specialize in spells, going into the mountains to hunt monsters is basically betting that they¡¯re not tough enough.


    There is a big difference between spiritual cultivators and body cultivators in the business of monster hunting.


    If a spiritual cultivator happens to be attacked by a monster beast, compared to a body cultivator, what would be a minor injury for a body cultivator could be a serious injury for them, and what would be a serious injury for a body cultivator could mean death for them. If a body cultivator dies, the spiritual cultivator would hardly have a whole corpse left¡­


    Thus, there are very few spiritual cultivators among monster hunters, not only because few choose to become spiritual cultivators but also because few spiritual cultivators survive.


    Unless one really has no choice, like Mo Hua.


    If he were strong and robust, he would become a body cultivator, have Master Chen custom-make him a scimitar engraved with a green dragon and charge into the hoard of monsters, slaughtering all around¡ªthe very thought of it is exhilarating.


    But the only flaw in this idea is that it¡¯s just a thought.


    What about seeking Mr. Zhuang¡¯s guidance?


    Mo Hua shook his head. He would be content if Mr. Zhuang could teach him formation techniques; asking him for spells would be a bit presumptuous.


    Moreover, it¡¯s hard to tell what Mr. Zhuang practices. His vital energy doesn¡¯t seem strong, his spiritual power invisible, and his divine sense appears flimsy¡ªaltogether a mysterious and elusive master.


    If he were to ask Mr. Zhuang and somehow displease him, losing even the formation knowledge, it would be like losing a watermelon in pursuit of a sesame seed¡ªa huge loss.


    What about seeking Aunt Xue¡¯s help? She¡¯s always been quite kind to Mo Hua.


    Ah right, Aunt Xue probably practices illusion techniques, which Mo Hua, with his aptitude, is neither qualified nor capable of learning.


    After much consideration, there seemed to be only one person who could help Mo Hua¡­


    Mo Hua picked up a copy of ¡°Qi Refining Spell Record,¡± which details some basic spells for the Qi Refinement realm¡ªof course, only the index, without any specifics on how to cultivate them.


    Mo Hua even took the liberty to enlarge the characters for ¡°spell¡± on the cover, making it easily noticeable to anyone at a glance.


    Early in the morning, Mo Hua sat in a restaurant with the ¡°Qi Refining Spell Record¡± in hand, ready to go fishing. As the sun rose higher and the weather grew fair, the fish arrived.


    Zhang Lan appeared on the street, basking in the sun, stretched lazily, and then sauntered toward the restaurant.


    Mo Hua ignored him, pretending to be absorbed in his book.


    Zhang Lan entered the restaurant, sat in his usual spot, ordered a pot of wine, a dish of meat, a dish of fruit, and then began to look around out of boredom. During his survey, he noticed Mo Hua and naturally the book in his hands, as well as the prominently displayed ¡°spell¡± on the pages.


    Zhang Lan carefully checked and saw that the cover of the book read ¡°Qi Refining Spell Record.¡±


    He reiterated the words ¡°spell¡± and ¡°Qi Refining¡± in his mind a few times, suddenly feeling a surge of vindication. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua¡¯s previous book, ¡°Initial Understanding of Compound Formation,¡± had almost caused him to capsize in the gutter, and the mere thought of it still sent shivers down his spine. But as long as it¡¯s not about formations, or even just not about compound formations, Zhang Lan feared nothing.


    What¡¯s more, it was ¡°Qi Refining,¡± ¡°spells¡±!


    In these two categories, nobody could stop him from showing off!


    Zhang Lan deliberately coughed to clear his throat, swaying over to Mo Hua, and casually said, ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that you¡¯re reading? Anything you don¡¯t understand, want me to teach you?¡±

 Chapter 102 - 102: Spell (First Update)_1

    Chapter 102: Spell (First Update)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua thought to himself, I intentionally wrote the book¡¯s title so large that it could be seen from several zhang away, and you still ask what book this is. This pretentious act, could it be any more fake? S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No need, I¡¯m just looking,¡± said Mo Hua.


    The more Mo Hua refused, the more curious Zhang Lan became. He leaned in to take a look and then pretended to notice the book title, saying,


    ¡°¡®Qi Refining Technique Compilation,¡¯ not bad huh, interested in learning spells? Reached the fifth level of Qi Refinement?¡±


    ¡°Just reached the fifth level, I¡¯ll take a look first, no rush,¡± Mo Hua said, feigning calm.


    ¡°How about it? Want me to teach you?¡± Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, are you a Spiritual Cultivator?¡±


    ¡°Well, sort of,¡± he responded.


    ¡°Sort of¡­ What does that mean, oh, a half-baked one?¡± Mo Hua said.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s face darkened, ¡°What half-baked? At such a young age, where did you learn these messy terms?¡±


    ¡°Your Blood Qi doesn¡¯t seem weak though, and I haven¡¯t detected much strong Spiritual Power from you. Am I just not seeing it right?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan said proudly, ¡°I used a spell to conceal my aura, of course, you can¡¯t detect it. If a youngster like you could, then wouldn¡¯t all my years of cultivation be in vain?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so is this considered Dual Cultivation of Spirit and Body?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    ¡°Dual Cultivation of Spirit and Body is not that easy. I¡¯ve just cultivated my body somewhat, to avoid being at a disadvantage when fighting cultivators who practice Body Cultivation at close range. My main focus is still on spells. A cultivator who practices Dual Cultivation of Spirit and Body needs exceptional natural talent, a prestigious family lineage, and a wealth of resources. You might not even meet one in your entire life,¡± Zhang Lan lamented.


    Mo Hua clicked his tongue. Talent, lineage, and resources ¨C each of these requirements seemed as insurmountable as the heavens to Mo Hua, so even if he were reborn ten thousand times, he might not meet the criteria once.


    ¡°Then, Uncle Zhang, are you good at casting spells?¡±


    Zhang Lan replied with pride, ¡°Not bad, just so-so, I guess.¡±


    ¡°So that means you¡¯re not very good, right?¡±


    Zhang Lan, extremely irritated, tapped Mo Hua¡¯s head, ¡°I¡¯m being modest, you understand? Modest!¡±


    Mo Hua rubbed his head and asked, ¡°Then between you and Aunt Xue, who is more impressive?¡±


    ¡°That, well,¡± Zhang Lan hesitated, ¡°how would I know without having sparred with her?¡±


    ¡°Do you know any Illusion Techniques?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ not,¡± he admitted.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Aunt Xue knows Illusion Techniques, but you don¡¯t, so surely you can¡¯t be as capable as her! I¡¯ll ask Aunt Xue when I have time, see what spells I should learn.¡±


    Unconvinced, Zhang Lan retorted, ¡°I just don¡¯t know Illusion Techniques, but other spells are not necessarily weaker than hers.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Mo Hua looked at Zhang Lan skeptically.


    ¡°For spells of the Qi Refinement Realm, you can ask me anything.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, if I want to learn spells now, which one should I start with?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any in mind?¡± Zhang Lan asked.


    Mo Hua handed Zhang Lan the ¡®Qi Refining Technique Compilation,¡¯ ¡°I picked out a few spells; you tell me which one I should learn first.¡±


    Zhang Lan took the book, flipped through a few pages, and saw several spells circled with a pen.


    Fireball Technique, Water Arrow Technique, Golden Blade Technique, Earth Stone Technique¡­


    All could be learned in the middle stages of Qi Refinement. The spells were not difficult and the spiritual power required was not excessive.


    Zhang Lan nodded. Starting from the basic spells and not aiming too high, Mo Hua¡¯s choices were pretty good.


    Many cultivators, when first learning spells, only want to learn those of high grade, great power, or rarity. But they do not realize that with high grade comes the need for more spiritual power, greater power means longer casting time, and the rarer the spell, the more stringent the requirements for learning it.


    Let alone mastering the spell, even if they did, using up more than half of their spiritual power for one spell, if they miss their target, would essentially leave them sitting ducks.


    Zhang Lan stared at Mo Hua for a while and suddenly realized a problem, ¡°The spells you¡¯ve picked, they¡¯re all attack-oriented?¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, ¡°If I don¡¯t learn attack spells, then what should I learn?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think about how to save your life?¡±


    ¡°Oh right,¡± Mo Hua had a sudden revelation, ¡°I need to be able to save my life first. If I can¡¯t even save my own life, who am I going to attack?¡±


    The incident with Qian Xing had also made him understand that cultivators must have means to save their own lives. Otherwise, in sudden danger, without the power to protect themselves, they would fall into a passive deadlock.


    ¡°What are the life-saving spells then, Golden Bell Shield?¡± Mo Hua humbly asked for advice.


    ¡°Golden Bell Shield is not bad, but it¡¯s not very useful for you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua with a somewhat disdainful glance, ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized that your spiritual power is actually not strong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because my cultivation is low,¡± Mo Hua argued with reason.


    ¡°Part of it is because your cultivation is low, but isn¡¯t the quality of your spiritual root itself just mediocre? If I¡¯m not mistaken, the cultivation technique you¡¯re learning doesn¡¯t add much to your spiritual power either. So the spiritual power within your Qi Sea must be weaker than others at the same realm.¡±


    Although Mo Hua was reluctant to admit it, it seemed that this was indeed the fact.


    Zhang Lan thought to himself that it was a good thing that Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual root talent was average. If his spiritual root talent were as good as his talent for Formation, what would happen in the future?


    Indeed, the Heavenly Dao is relatively fair.


    Zhang Lan continued to explain, ¡°If your spiritual power is weak, even if you use a defensive spell like Golden Bell Shield, it won¡¯t last long. Once your spiritual power is exhausted, you¡¯ll still be sitting ducks.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, Golden Bell Shield requires prior knowledge of danger and the pre-emptive mobilization of spiritual power to cast. If you are ambushed and don¡¯t have time to cast it, the spell might as well be unlearned.¡±


    Mo Hua became worried, ¡°Then what should I learn?¡±


    So you do have moments of worry, huh? That¡¯ll teach you for not wanting to ask me!


    Zhang Lan secretly gloated in his heart for a while.


    Every problem at the Qi Refinement Realm is a minor one¡­ as long as it doesn¡¯t involve Formation.


    Zhang Lan put on a bit of an act and then said to Mo Hua, ¡°You can learn movement techniques.¡±


    ¡°Movement techniques?¡±


    ¡°If you learn a defensive spell like Golden Bell Shield, facing an attack, you¡¯d only be able to take it head-on,¡± Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°but your physical body and spiritual power can¡¯t take much of a beating.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in deep agreement.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you learn movement techniques. You can advance to attack and retreat to dodge, and if it really doesn¡¯t work out, you can still run,¡± Zhang Lan said.


    ¡°Won¡¯t there be any drawbacks?¡±


    ¡°There will definitely be drawbacks. If you use a defensive spell, you can at least take a few hits before your spiritual power runs out. But if you use movement techniques to dodge, you either have to move cleverly without a scratch or if not, as soon as you are caught off guard, and someone finds a flaw, you are more often than not doomed.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s like, if I make a mistake, I¡¯ll be hit by an attack without any defenses. Is that what you mean?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°Defensive spells¡ªonce my spiritual power runs out, I¡¯ll be at the mercy of others. Movement techniques¡ªif someone catches a flaw, I¡¯ll be just as vulnerable. But at least with movement techniques, I can attack or retreat. If I learn Golden Bell Shield, then if it doesn¡¯t hold up, I can¡¯t block or run away¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll learn movement techniques.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°That¡¯s wise of you. Since you can¡¯t have the best of both worlds, you should play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses.¡±


    Zhang Lan picked up the ¡°Qi Refining Technique Compilation¡±, flipped through it, then took up a pen from the table and marked several movement techniques, ready to let Mo Hua choose one to practice, when he suddenly realized something was amiss.


    These movement techniques were common at the Qi Refinement Realm. It was fine for Mo Hua to learn them, but if they were common, others could teach them too. How would that show that he was superior?

 Chapter 103 - 103 Water Passing Step (Two More)_1

    Chapter 103 Water Passing Step (Two More)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    Mo Hua¡¯s companions were indeed mostly Loose Cultivators with limited horizons, but there were also not a few Cultivators with exceptional insight.


    Not to mention anyone else, the gentleman who taught Mo Hua Formation techniques was definitely not an average Cultivator; the woman called ¡°Aunt Xue¡± by Mo Hua, shrouded in a veiled haze, could possibly perform Illusion Techniques, let alone other spells; there were also the two children who strolled the streets with him that day, seemingly surnamed Bai, with appearances and manners that indicated an extraordinary background; and then there was his father Mo Shan, who, although having average cultivation, had spent years hunting monsters in the mountains, and his judgment and experience were certainly not weak¡­


    Zhang Lan pondered in his heart, if they came to know that he had taught Mo Hua a movement technique as common as dirt, it wouldn¡¯t be Mo Hua who was looked down upon.


    A mere child, what could Mo Hua understand?


    When the time came, the one to be scorned would only be himself, Zhang Lan.


    Just the thought of that veiled woman looking at him with disdain made Zhang Lan somewhat unable to accept it.


    No, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose face!


    ¡°This matter concerns not just my personal dignity, but also the face of the Zhang Family; I cannot let others think that the Zhang family lacks a foundation in Tao Cultivation,¡± Zhang Lan justified to himself.


    ¡°These movement techniques are all quite ordinary; I¡¯ll teach you something different,¡± Zhang Lan told Mo Hua.


    ¡°Different?¡±


    ¡°Yes, different from the usual movement techniques.¡±


    Mo Hua was actually troubled; his original intention was to have Zhang Lan give some pointers on which spells to study, preferably ones that everyone had heard of and practiced before.


    If everyone had practiced them, then those spells must be practical and not too shabby, for Cultivators wouldn¡¯t idle away their time learning a spell that was utterly useless.


    And if everyone had practiced them, it meant the spells were relatively stable; even if Zhang Lan stopped teaching later on, Mo Hua could still find others to consult should he have any doubts about the spells.


    But now Zhang Lan intended to teach Mo Hua something different¡ªthis made Mo Hua apprehensive, as the cultivation of this spell could require some precious spiritual objects which he truly couldn¡¯t afford¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s with that expression?¡± Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but tap the table lightly, ¡°Why do you look so reluctant? Others beg me to teach them, and I refuse; don¡¯t try to act cute when you¡¯re getting a bargain, kid!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about causing Uncle Zhang trouble,¡± Mo Hua scratched his head, ¡°How about you just pick any movement technique from this book to teach me?¡±


    Mo Hua spread open the ¡°Qi Refining Technique Compilation.¡± It contained common Qi Refinement Realm techniques, well-known to bottom-tier Loose Cultivators, and Mo Hua felt more at ease learning from it.


    ¡°No way! I can¡¯t afford to lose that much face!¡±


    Zhang Lan firmly disagreed, no matter what.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand¡ªhow could learning a spell be a cause for shame¡­


    Making up his mind, Zhang Lan gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you the Water Passing Step; it¡¯s the Zhang Family¡¯s Ultimate Technique!¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated for a long time before asking weakly, ¡°Is your clan¡¯s Ultimate Technique so worthless that you¡¯ll teach it to anyone just like that?¡±


    Zhang Lan was so angry he nearly spat blood, he grabbed Mo Hua¡¯s collar, lifted him with his Spiritual Power and said, ¡°Follow me!¡±


    Liu Ruhua saw it all from a distance, but she knew that Zhang Lan was a Supervisor of the Taoist Court and had a good relationship with Mo Hua; he wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for Mo Hua, so she didn¡¯t interfere.


    She just thought to herself that Court Leader Zhang, despite his age, still had a temper not much different from Mo Hua¡¯s¡­


    Clutching Mo Hua¡¯s collar, Zhang Lan brought him to the foot of a mountain outside Tongxian City.


    This place was concealed by lush woods and tranquility¡ªit rarely saw visitors.


    Feeling Spiritual Power lifting him, Mo Hua¡¯s feet left the ground, and the world spun around him, the surrounding scenery receding backwards. After a while, when he regained his senses, they had reached somewhere outside Tongxian City.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, why have you brought me here?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Stab me with this sword.¡±


    Zhang Lan tossed to Mo Hua a sword inlaid with gold and pine patterns, clearly not a commonplace item.


    Mo Hua opened his mouth, ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    ¡°If I tell you to stab, then stab.¡±


    ¡°What if I hurt you?¡± Mo Hua expressed his concern.


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua speechlessly, making her realize that she might have overestimated herself a bit.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation, if Zhang Lan stood still and let her stab him with a sword all day, she might not even damage a hair.


    ¡°Fine, then.¡±


    If Zhang Lan wasn¡¯t afraid, what was there for her to fear?


    Mo Hua gripped the sword, ready to stab Zhang Lan, but after trying, she said, ¡°No, it won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it won¡¯t work now?¡± Zhang Lan asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t move this sword¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said softly.


    What kind of sword was Zhang Lan using? Why was it so heavy? Could it really be a sword meant for a spiritual cultivator?


    Zhang Lan sighed and pointed up slightly. Before Mo Hua could understand what had happened, a section of a branch fell from a tree.


    ¡°Use this branch.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    She took the branch, held her breath to focus, channeled her strength through the branch, and thrust vigorously at Zhang Lan. Of course, Mo Hua¡¯s strength was almost negligible¡ªafter all, she was not a body cultivator.


    But the next scene left Mo Hua dumbfounded. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua¡¯s branch had pierced through Zhang Lan¡¯s body.


    Mo Hua was startled, but on coming to her senses, she realized there was no force feedback on the branch. She hadn¡¯t actually hit anything. As she took a closer look, she saw Zhang Lan¡¯s figure gradually blur and then vanish, with Zhang Lan reappearing a step away.


    Although Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what had happened, it felt incredibly powerful!


    ¡°Is this a movement technique?¡±


    Zhang Lan lightly chuckled, then his figure dispersed like mist, creating many afterimages around Mo Hua. She could neither discern with her eyes nor lock on with her divine sense.


    After a short while all the spiritual power dissipated, and Zhang Lan appeared back in his original spot, as if he had never moved.


    Mo Hua was utterly shocked.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s inexperienced look, Zhang Lan felt quite refreshed, but his facial expression remained indifferent.


    ¡°Now you want to learn, right?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help nodding.


    ¡°This movement technique is called the Water Passing Step, an ultimate technique of my Zhang Family, not ordinarily taught to outsiders. The Water Passing Step is a movement technique for spiritual cultivators that uses spiritual power to manipulate the body, enabling swift and nimble movement within tight spaces to dodge attacks from cultivators. And at its advanced stages, one can even create afterimages to confuse someone¡¯s vision and disorient their divine sense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua listened intently, then worriedly said:


    ¡°But if you teach me, won¡¯t that be considered disclosing it? Won¡¯t the Zhang Family penalize you? If so, let¡¯s forget it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like this technique?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good, but I don¡¯t want to cause you trouble,¡± Mo Hua said, somewhat torn.


    Zhang Lan paused for a moment, and then laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I dare to teach you, it¡¯s definitely not going to be a problem. Those old stick-in-the-muds in the clan can¡¯t do anything about me.¡±


    I¡¯ll just be locked up for a few months or kneel in the ancestral hall for a few days at most¡­


    Zhang Lan silently added in his mind, of course, he wouldn¡¯t say something that would diminish his status out loud.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Mo Hua nodded, then asked, ¡°But if I learned it, wouldn¡¯t your family kill me to keep the technique a secret¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but tap Mo Hua¡¯s forehead again, ¡°What is your little head filled with? How can you spout such nonsensical things?¡±

 Chapter 104 - 104 Movement Technique (Third Update)_1

    Chapter 104 Movement Technique (Third Update)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Our Zhang Family is a legitimate noble clan with strict family traditions; how could we possibly silence someone at every turn? Although the Water Passing Step is an ultimate technique, it¡¯s not completely forbidden to pass on. I¡¯ll teach you stealthily, and you¡¯ll learn stealthily¡ªthere won¡¯t be any trouble. If anyone finds out, just say it was me who taught you, and push all the responsibility onto me¡­¡± Zhang Lan said rather boldly.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not going to be a big deal, why should I pin it on you? I¡¯ll just say I learned it by a lucky coincidence¡ªwouldn¡¯t that work?¡± Mo Hua asked with a blink, speaking softly.


    Zhang Lan frowned and said, ¡°What you¡¯re saying¡­ seems to make some sense¡­¡±


    Why should he step forward to take responsibility if the Zhang Family wouldn¡¯t make it difficult for Mo Hua?


    If this matter were exposed and the clan elders found out, being confined for a few months was almost customary for him. But after all, being grounded and kneeling in the ancestral hall was not something to be proud of; if it could be avoided, so much the better.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll need an excuse,¡± Zhang Lan said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just say it was a kind-hearted uncle passing by who taught me. If they ask for a name, I don¡¯t know. If they ask what he looked like, I¡¯ve long forgotten,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    ¡°Alright, as long as that kind-hearted uncle isn¡¯t me.¡±


    With no worries left in his mind, Zhang Lan said, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you the Water Passing Step right now, practice it whenever you have the chance.¡±


    ¡°The Water Passing Step is a movement technique specifically for spiritual cultivators, which uses spiritual power to guide the body, achieving nimbleness and freedom to advance or retreat in tight spaces.¡±


    ¡°The key to movement technique lies in using divine sense to control spiritual power with extreme precision, directing the spiritual power to corresponding meridians, and then guiding the body. This way, you can quickly move and shift within mere inches, and avoid your opponents¡¯ swords within fractions of a breath.¡±


    Zhang Lan explained the essentials of practicing the movement technique to Mo Hua, and then handed him a meridian chart.


    ¡°This chart records the sequential pathways and specific spell points of spiritual power circulation in the meridians for different movements of the Water Passing Step. Take it home, study it carefully, and commit it firmly to memory. Remember to burn it afterwards so you don¡¯t leave any traces.¡±


    ¡°On the back of the meridian chart, there¡¯s also a simple body refinement technique¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a spell? Why do I need body refinement as well?¡±


    Mo Hua had little confidence in his body cultivation talent.


    Zhang Lan corrected Mo Hua¡¯s understanding: ¡°Spiritual cultivators are those who rely on spiritual power to activate spells for attack, not those who only cultivate spiritual power. Both the physical body and spiritual power are fundamental to a cultivator; you can¡¯t lack either. Even for spells, they are not completely separated from the body. It¡¯s just that spells are so important for spiritual cultivators that physical cultivation might seem optional in comparison.¡±


    After explaining, Zhang Lan offered Mo Hua some reassurance:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the body refinement technique that comes with the Water Passing Step isn¡¯t about strengthening the body¡¯s toughness; it¡¯s a body refinement method that makes the limbs flexible and the physique coordinated.¡±


    ¡°Since the Water Passing Step relies on spiritual power to drive the body, if the body is uncoordinated or the legs and feet are stiff, you could end up injuring your tendons and bones due to the spiritual power pulling on you before you even use the technique properly¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan gave a detailed explanation, and Mo Hua listened carefully. Before long, Zhang Lan had finished teaching, and then he said:


    ¡°Try it now to see how much you¡¯ve grasped.¡±


    Mo Hua channeled spiritual power, operating it according to the intricacies recorded on the chart of the Water Passing Step, and indeed felt more light-footed and agile.


    Mo Hua, being a Formation Master with a powerful divine sense, and also stronger than the average Formation Master, plus the cultivation of Heaven Yan Jue, had strong control over divine sense. Thus, the circulation of spiritual power in the Water Passing Step was unimpeded.


    The technique seemed simpler than Mo Hua had imagined.


    Mo Hua attempted to take a step forward using the Water Passing Step, but his right leg moved the spiritual power too quickly while his left lagged slightly, resulting in a slip¡­


    And he tumbled face-first onto the ground.


    Lifting his head and wiping the mud from his face, with his mouth still full of dirt, Mo Hua grumbled, ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem so simple¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan saw this and thought to himself that seemed more like it, that learning formations quickly was one thing, but it wouldn¡¯t be the same with spells.


    Mo Hua tried several more times, but still failed to succeed, either because the spiritual power in his hands and feet were out of sync and he slipped, or he moved his same hand and foot together and plopped down onto the ground on his butt.


    Zhang Lan watched the dust-covered Mo Hua with an unchanged expression, feeling secretly delighted in his heart and thought to himself, ¡°Now you know it¡¯s not easy to learn spells¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s main practice was other movement techniques, and he wasn¡¯t very skilled at the Water Passing Step, mainly because this movement technique in the Zhang Family¡¯s ultimate techniques was the kind that wasn¡¯t outstanding in either offense or defense. Offensively, the technique wasn¡¯t sharp enough, and defensively, it was too difficult to control spiritual power, so there weren¡¯t many cultivators in the Zhang Family who primarily practiced the Water Passing Step.


    That was precisely why he dared to secretly teach it to Mo Hua.


    If it had been one of the Clan¡¯s mainstream movement techniques like the Falling Flower Steps, which everyone in the family learned, anyone would have recognized the origin of the movement technique as soon as it was used, and that would have caused him big trouble.


    The Water Passing Step was just right. The technique itself wasn¡¯t bad and was sufficiently low-key. Not many learned it, so it wasn¡¯t easy to recognize, and it was okay to secretly use it.


    After half a day¡¯s practice of the Water Passing Step, Mo Hua once again fell on his butt.


    Zhang Lan picked up Mo Hua, dusted him off, and then said, ¡°Alright, you go back and practice on your own. Learning spells and formations are similar, it¡¯s all about practice makes perfect. If it doesn¡¯t work once, just practice a few more times and it will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Zhang Lan returned Mo Hua to the eatery, then warned him a few words, telling him not to say to anyone that he was the one who taught him the technique. He should quietly practice on his own. After that, Zhang Lan happily accepted several jugs of wine and a few pounds of meat as ¡°bribes¡± from Mo Hua, then contentedly left.


    Liu Ruhua brought out a cloth, dampened it with water, and as she wiped Mo Hua¡¯s face, she said, ¡°Did Court Leader Zhang teach you something?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhang told me not to tell,¡± Mo Hua said, smiling.


    ¡°Alright, then you just practice well. When you have time, don¡¯t forget to thank Court Leader Zhang,¡± Liu Ruhua spoke gently.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    After that, Mo Hua started the days of practicing the Water Passing Step.


    Mo Hua found a corner in the courtyard and began trying to control his limbs with spiritual power, just making simple movements. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was the simplest part and was the foundation for all subsequent movements in the Water Passing Step.


    Initially, the practice felt uncomfortable and he¡¯d fall if he lost balance. However, after practicing several times and becoming familiar with the pulling of spiritual power along the meridians of his flesh, his movements gradually became smoother.


    So, in the corner of the backyard, one could see Mo Hua¡¯s legs entwined with pale blue spiritual power, like water and mist, capable of moving forward or backward without even moving his feet.


    Mo Hua tried several more times and found it fun like sliding on ice in the dead of winter.


    Subsequently, Mo Hua attempted several more complex movement techniques, such as front somersaults, back somersaults, headstands, and back handsprings, and unsurprisingly, he took a few more falls¡­


    Mo Hua analyzed the reasons and realized that his own body was too weak, lacking strength and agility in his movements.


    Mo Hua took out the Body Refinement Realm techniques that Zhang Lan had given him.


    These techniques were simple, only including basic movements. Unlike the Body Cultivation techniques that focused on strength, these techniques cultivated the body¡¯s flexibility and coordination.


    The illustrations showed a figure moving naturally and lightly, as graceful as flowing water.


    Mo Hua had an epiphany, no wonder it was called the Water Passing Step.


    Mo Hua then began practicing the movements depicted in the illustrations, one by one.


    Initially, his limbs would feel sore and hurt so much that he couldn¡¯t get out of bed, but after persevering for a few days, the soreness dissipated, and his circulation improved. Even though his physical strength was still weak, his every move became light and fluid, as natural and graceful as water.


    Feeling that the time was ripe, Mo Hua began to officially practice the more difficult techniques of the Water Passing Step.

 Chapter 105 - 105: The Big Tree (Four Updates)_1

    Chapter 105: The Big Tree (Four Updates)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    When Mo Hua truly started learning, he realized that the Water Passing Step wasn¡¯t as difficult as he had initially thought.


    The difficulty of the Water Passing Step lay in controlling spiritual power with one¡¯s Divine Sense to lead the physical body. The stronger the control of the Divine Sense over spiritual power, the more agile the movement of the physical body.


    The Heaven Yan Jue, an ancient cultivation technique, according to Mr. Zhuang, doesn¡¯t boost spiritual power or strengthen the Five Elements but specializes in enhancing control over Divine Sense.


    And Mo Hua was already a Formation Master who drew formations daily, making his use of Divine Sense stronger than that of the average cultivator. After practicing Heaven Yan Jue, it was like adding wings to a tiger, controlling spiritual power and driving the movement technique wasn¡¯t a difficult task at all.


    The reason he had found it difficult before was mainly because of his inherently weak constitution, which made it easy to lose balance and thus restricted the use of his movement technique.


    For the average cultivator, even if the physical body isn¡¯t strong, it is sufficient for practicing movement techniques. The difficulty lies in how to intricately control spiritual power, ensuring its precise circulation through the limbs, meridians, and acupoints.


    For Mo Hua, however, the most challenging part was his weaker physical body. Circulating spiritual power to the meridians and acupoints presented no difficulty for him.


    Not only that, but Mo Hua¡¯s circulation of spiritual power was even more detailed and intricate than those required by the mental image maps of the Water Passing Step. In some complicated movements of the technique, Mo Hua could even execute more complex variations.


    In just over ten days, Mo Hua had almost mastered the movements of the Water Passing Step.


    But merely learning the movements wasn¡¯t enough; Mo Hua felt that he needed real combat practice.


    So, one day, Mo Hua went to the foot of the mountains outside Tongxian City and found a deep-rooted, leafy tree.


    The tree was full of wild fruits that were quite small and tasted tart, which made them inedible. That was why the tree could bear so many fruits; they were hanging nearly from every branch.


    Mo Hua kicked the tree hard, but the tree didn¡¯t budge, while his own foot ended up feeling numb.


    With no other choice, Mo Hua reluctantly drew a simple Earth Movement Formation and buried it under the tree.


    The Earth Movement Formation was a fundamental formation of the Earth Series with not many patterns to include, which made it simple to draw. Once activated with spiritual power, it produced vibrations.


    Mo Hua infused some spiritual power to trigger the formation. The Earth Movement Formation flashed a dull earthy light, followed by vibrations that also made the tree tremble; plenty of wild fruits began falling from the branches.


    The falling wild fruits targeted Mo Hua, who was standing right below the tree.


    His spirits lifted, Mo Hua began to employ the Water Passing Step technique to dodge the falling fruits.


    About a dozen wild fruits fell, and Mo Hua managed to avoid most of them, getting hit only twice: once on the shoulder and once on the head.


    Mo Hua clutched his small head, inhaling sharply due to the pain.


    He hadn¡¯t anticipated the pain that getting hit by the fruit would cause.


    Mo Hua glanced at the towering tree and then walked away somewhat angrily. After nearly two hours, he came back with a small helmet on his head, looking as proud and fierce as before.


    He had just been to see Master Chen.


    This small helmet was specially and hastily made for him by Master Chen; it was simple and light, not sufficient to protect against an attack by a cultivator, but more than enough to withstand a few falling wild fruits.


    Feeling fearless, Mo Hua again activated the Earth Movement Formation and started to use the Water Passing Step to dodge the falling wild fruits.


    Initially, Mo Hua was completely focused and barely got hit, but as time passed, despite his still clear Divine Sense, fatigue set in his limbs, and his movements were no longer agile, while his spiritual power also weakened, resulting in getting hit by the wild fruits more frequently.


    As evening approached, Mo Hua patted the big tree and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow,¡± before heading home.


    When he got home, Liu Ruhua, while applying medicine to Mo Hua, said with concern, ¡°Where did you go to play to end up with so many bruises and swellings on your body¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Mom, it doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± Mo Hua assured her.


    Liu Ruhua put a little more force into her application of the medicine, causing Mo Hua to cry out in pain.


    Liu Ruhua said irritably, ¡°Still say it doesn¡¯t hurt?¡± After speaking, she felt pity for him and gentled her touch.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°They¡¯re just superficial wounds, nothing serious.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get into a fight with someone, did you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother, I¡¯ve been practicing my movement technique so that I can run away if I¡¯m ever in danger¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Liu Ruhua asked.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Liu Ruhua breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Seeing the bruises on Mo Hua¡¯s body, she couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Just be careful, okay?¡±


    Mo Hua said confidently, ¡°Mother, rest assured, I¡¯ve just started learning it. Soon, even if it pours rain from the sky, it won¡¯t even dampen the hem of my clothes¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua laughed softly, shook her head, and couldn¡¯t help but pinch Mo Hua¡¯s nose, ¡°You¡¯re quite bold!¡±


    The next day, Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°injuries¡± had not healed, and the bruises on his shoulders had not faded, causing pain with every move. Despite becoming more proficient with the Water Passing Step, he didn¡¯t perform any better than on the first day.


    On the third day, Mo Hua¡¯s pain had eased somewhat, and his movement technique had improved a step further, so there were fewer wild fruits that managed to hit him.


    Every day thereafter, Mo Hua kept practicing his movement technique under the tree. With each wild fruit that vanished from the branches, his Water Passing Step improved.


    By the time Mo Hua had gotten somewhat proficient with the Water Passing Step, there were only a few wild fruits left on the tree.


    In front of Mo Hua, the towering tree stood silently. A few unripe wild fruits hung forlornly on the once lush branches.


    The sight was somewhat desolate¡­


    Feeling a bit guilty, Mo Hua drew a Water and Wood Formation and buried it at the base of the tree.


    The Water and Wood Formation could accumulate moisture and nourish the spirit wood, helping flowers and trees grow. It was Mo Hua¡¯s way of offering an apology.


    Bathed in the moisture from the Water and Wood Formation, the tree¡¯s leaves seemed to turn a darker shade of green.


    Although Mo Hua had become proficient with the Water Passing Step, how it would fare in actual combat was another question.


    After all, the falling wild fruits followed a predictable path, but in real combat, the trajectories of an enemy¡¯s punches and spells might not be so fixed.


    He still needed to find someone to practice sparring with to know for sure.


    But whom could he ask?


    Mo Shan was about to go into the mountains for monster hunting, and whether in terms of cultivation or actual combat experience, he was far superior to Mo Hua, making him unsuitable. Since becoming Monster Hunters, Da¡¯hu and his two companions often entered Big Black Mountain, staying for at least three to five days or as long as half a month. Even when they returned, they had a pile of things to get busy with, so they certainly couldn¡¯t be bothered.


    Dazhu and the others were also busy learning artifact refining with Master Chen every day.


    Zhang Lan?


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then shook his head. Although he seemed to have a lot of free time, he was, after all, a Supervisor at the Taoist Court Office and couldn¡¯t possibly do nothing all day long. Moreover, Zhang Lan had taught him the movement technique himself, and asking him to spar again would be somewhat presumptuous.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t think of a suitable candidate.


    A few days later, Mo Hua delivered some food and wine to Mr. Zhuang and asked a few questions before taking his leave.


    When he reached the big pagoda tree, he found Bai Zixi, serene and elegantly reading a book with the glistening, snow-white blossoms gently falling upon her.


    Meanwhile, Bai Zisheng lay sprawled under the tree, a book covering his face, portraying the epitome of idleness and listlessness, occasionally rolling about, his demeanor less than dignified.


    Mo Hua sighed. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing the noise, Bai Zisheng immediately sat up, his eyes bright and focused on Mo Hua.

 Chapter 106 - 106: Sparring (Five Updates)_1

    Chapter 106: Sparring (Five Updates)_1


    Translator: 549690339


    ¡°Mo Hua!¡± Bai Zisheng said happily, ¡°Did you bring some food?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°So you came to play with me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ I came to see Mr. Zhuang,¡± Mo Hua replied honestly.


    Bai Zisheng felt quite disappointed.


    ¡°Did you finish your homework?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Not yet, there¡¯s a little bit left, I don¡¯t want to do it anymore.¡± After finishing his words, Bai Zisheng lay back down.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°So, you don¡¯t have anything to do right now?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± Bai Zisheng nodded his head.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s spar!¡±


    ¡°Spar!¡± Bai Zisheng sat up excitedly, but after glancing at the thin and frail Mo Hua who was at the fifth level of Qi Refinement with scant Spiritual Power, he furrowed his brows and said, ¡°What would we spar with?¡±


    Mo Hua spoke softly, ¡°We can spar with movement techniques.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was a bit lackluster, ¡°That¡¯s so boring.¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, then never mind,¡± Mo Hua said, turning to walk away.


    Bai Zisheng hastily got up and grabbed Mo Hua, saying,


    ¡°It¡¯s not boring, not boring at all, it¡¯s better than lying around doing nothing.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°But how should we compete? Movement techniques¡­ what¡¯s there to compete about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve newly learned a movement technique for preserving my life,¡± Mo Hua said, taking out a cheap Jade Pendant and threading it with a cloth strip, tying both ends securely and hanging it around his neck.


    ¡°You try to snatch this Jade Pendant from me, if you manage to get it, you win.¡±


    ¡°Is there a prize?¡±


    Mo Hua said with some difficulty, ¡°I don¡¯t have many Spirit Stones.¡±


    Bai Zisheng waved his hand, ¡°I don¡¯t care much for Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°If you win, then, I¡¯ll treat you to some beef, and add a pot of osmanthus wine.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    The prospect of eating, having fun, and sparring with movement techniques made Bai Zisheng very happy. He thought it over and suddenly negotiated with Mo Hua, ¡°Add a box of crabapple pastries too, for Zixi.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Mo Hua agreed cheerfully.


    The two of them delineated boundaries in the open space on one side of the great locust tree, with each standing at one end.


    As soon as Mo Hua said ¡°Begin,¡± Bai Zisheng¡¯s gaze changed, and in his white clothes, he pounced like a fierce tiger, incredibly fast.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids twitched, he held his breath and concentrated, predicting Bai Zisheng¡¯s trajectory through his Divine Sense. He lightly sidestepped, avoiding him. Then, with a tap of his foot on the ground, he lightly retreated three zhang away.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was surprised; he had thought he would certainly catch Mo Hua this time, yet with just a slight move, Mo Hua had dodged past him.


    ¡°Where did you learn that movement technique?¡±


    ¡°It was taught by a passing, unknown, kind-hearted uncle,¡± Mo Hua explained.


    Not quite understanding, Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t bother to inquire further, but his competitive spirit was roused, his eyes shining even brighter.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    With a push off the ground, Bai Zisheng flashed a faint golden Spiritual Power, and in the blink of an eye, appeared again in front of Mo Hua, reaching out his right hand to snatch the Jade Pendant from Mo Hua¡¯s neck.


    Mo Hua leaned back, almost falling to the ground, when he used Spiritual Power to pull his body and glided backward just above the ground.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s hand missed, and his body turned, chasing after Mo Hua even faster than before.


    Before Mo Hua could finish his move and redirect his Spiritual Power to change his stance, it was too late; Bai Zisheng tackled him to the ground and snatched the Jade Pendant from his neck.


    Bai Zisheng pulled Mo Hua up, feeling somewhat guilty, ¡°I got carried away, are you okay?¡±


    Mo Hua rubbed his arm. Despite the pain, there was no serious harm. He replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it was just a friendly spar.¡±


    Bai Zisheng then felt relieved, and couldn¡¯t help but shake the jade pendant in his hand, somewhat proudly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget the beef and pastries, though.¡±


    Seeing his childlike demeanor, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bring them to you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm.¡± Bai Zisheng nodded repeatedly, then his enthusiasm returned, ¡°Still playing, I mean¡­ sparring!¡±


    Bai Zisheng corrected himself. Sparring Taoist skills was a serious matter, unlike playing.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then regretfully shook his head, ¡°No, our cultivation is too different, I¡¯d lose even if we played a few more times.¡±


    Bai Zisheng came from a great noble clan outside of Li State, with top-notch Spiritual Root, Cultivation Techniques, and learned Taoist Skills. He was also a prodigy in his family, with extremely high comprehension. Despite often appearing carefree, his strength was undeniably remarkable.


    Just now, after using the Water Passing Step to contend for a while, Mo Hua clearly understood that with his current movement technique, he was no match for Bai Zisheng.


    Not to mention Bai Zisheng¡¯s realm was much higher than his.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Seeing Mo Hua a bit downhearted, Bai Zisheng said, ¡°How about I suppress my cultivation and spar with you?¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, ¡°Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s a spar, it has to be fair,¡± Bai Zisheng said righteously. ¡°Relying on superior cultivation is just bullying. Moreover, if we¡¯re sparring movement techniques, we definitely can¡¯t depend on cultivation; otherwise, it¡¯s meaningless.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Alright, but let me rest a bit first.¡±


    Mo Hua rubbed his arm again and couldn¡¯t help but ask Bai Zisheng, ¡°Zisheng, are you a Body Cultivator?¡±


    Bai Zisheng wasn¡¯t too happy, ¡°You should call me big brother!¡±


    Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him.


    Helpless, Bai Zisheng whispered:


    ¡°I plan to practice Body Cultivation and master the Martial Dao. But this is not to be told to outsiders. I¡¯ve only told Zixi, I haven¡¯t even informed Aunt Xue.¡±


    Mo Hua was speechless, thinking with Bai Zisheng¡¯s character that couldn¡¯t hide anything, it would be strange if Aunt Xue didn¡¯t know¡­


    ¡°I heard some geniuses from the noble clans can practice Dual Cultivation of Spirit and Body. Can¡¯t you do that?¡± Mo Hua whispered.


    Bai Zisheng looked disdainful, ¡°What¡¯s the point of Dual Cultivation of Spirit and Body? It¡¯s neither here nor there, not as pure and exhilarating as Body Cultivation! Overpower with Single Force, breaking myriad laws with one punch, who cares about dual or solo cultivation? If they provoke me, I will smash their noses with a single punch!¡±


    Mo Hua looked on with envy. He, too, wished to shatter myriad laws with one punch.


    Previously, when Qian Xing had caused trouble, had Mo Hua possessed Bai Zisheng¡¯s strength, he certainly would have broken his nose with a punch.


    Unfortunately, he could only wish¡­


    After resting up, Mo Hua sparred several more rounds with Bai Zisheng, who had suppressed his cultivation.


    The outcome was entirely different.


    With Bai Zisheng¡¯s cultivation suppressed to the fifth level of Qi Refinement, even with his not-so-common techniques and movement skills, it was evident that he was slower than before due to the lack of cultivation support.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense could now clearly see.


    Most of Bai Zisheng¡¯s moves, Mo Hua could predict with his Divine Sense, and dodge with the Water Passing Step. Occasionally, some extremely tricky moves would catch Mo Hua too late to dodge, and he could only concede defeat.


    The two agreed on twenty rounds to determine the winner. If Bai Zisheng managed to snatch the jade pendant, he would win; if not, Mo Hua would prevail.


    Until evening, the two had their wins and losses, roughly equaling a tie, but Bai Zisheng was probably still a bit better.


    Bai Zisheng had a great time, and Mo Hua gained profound insights into the Water Passing Step.


    Bai Zisheng wanted to continue sparring, but Bai Zixi gently reminded him of ¡°homework.¡± It was like cold water poured on him, and Bai Zisheng had to stop, hurrying to finish his homework before it got dark.


    Mo Hua said goodbye to them, agreeing to return the next day, and, amid Bai Zisheng¡¯s countless reminders, promised to bring alcohol, meat, and crabapple pastries.


    All that happened under the big pagoda tree was observed by Old Kui in a bamboo pavilion nearby.


    Old Kui, watching Mo Hua¡¯s receding figure, had a profound look in his eyes, ¡°The Zhang Family¡¯s Water Passing Step, huh¡­¡±

 Chapter 107 - 107 Progress (Part 1)

    Chapter 107: Chapter 107 Progress (Part 1)


    Afterward, whenever Mo Hua had free time, he would go to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s Forgetful Residence to spar with Bai Zisheng in movement techniques.


    Bai Zisheng was very perceptive, and with each session, his movement technique became more refined. However, Mo Hua¡¯s progress was even faster.


    At first, Bai Zisheng had the upper hand, but as Mo Hua¡¯s Water Passing Step became more adept, within twenty rounds, it became hard for Bai Zisheng to snatch the jade pendant from Mo Hua¡¯s neck.


    To prolong their practice sessions, they increased the rounds from twenty to forty.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    After one sparring session, Bai Zisheng frowned and said.


    ¡°What¡¯s not right?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Your movement technique¡­ there¡¯s something sinister about it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked puzzled.


    ¡°It looks quite ordinary, nothing special, but it¡¯s slipperier than an eel; just when it seems I¡¯m about to catch you, with a flicker you slip through the fingers, impossible to grasp¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that just prove that this movement technique is extraordinary?¡±


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, ¡°At the end of the day, this movement technique is nothing but the Spiritual Power leading the physical body, but there are many such techniques led by Spiritual Power, and I¡¯ve never encountered one this tricky.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just using Divine Sense to guide Spiritual Power, moving it through certain meridians and acupoints, and then pulling the body to move¡­ Is that difficult?¡±


    Difficult it wasn¡¯t, but being able to manipulate Spiritual Power with Divine Sense, and to do so with such precision, even to the finest detail, was not simple at all. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng looked at Mo Hua again.


    Although Mo Hua was at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, his Divine Sense was strong enough to draw eight Formation Patterns, and Bai Zisheng had watched Mo Hua Drawing Formation. His brushstrokes were powerful and swift; within moments, he could paint a formation with six or seven Patterns.


    Bai Zisheng was taken aback, momentarily unable to decide whether it was the movement technique that was strange, or Mo Hua himself¡­


    However, he didn¡¯t dwell on these thoughts as Cultivators and spells in the Cultivation World were as vast as the sea. Some Cultivators who practiced certain spells indeed became much stronger than others.


    The fact that Mo Hua¡¯s movement technique could match his own, even when he suppressed his Cultivation, was something Bai Zisheng was too pleased about to question.


    Thereafter, he completed his daily tasks early every day, and then sat under the big pagoda tree, waiting for Mo Hua to come and spar in movement technique with him.


    One day, Bai Zisheng suddenly asked, ¡°Did you learn this movement technique to dodge Cultivator¡¯s Taoist Skills?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Besides Cultivators, there are also Monster Beasts.¡±


    He may have to enter Big Black Mountain one day, and the Monster Beasts there are much stronger than the Cultivators.


    ¡°Then you¡¯d better practice with Monster Beasts as well,¡± Bai Zisheng said as he took a bite of meat.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Mo Hua was startled.


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°The attack patterns of Monster Beasts are different from those of human Cultivators. Just because you can dodge Cultivators doesn¡¯t mean you can dodge Monster Beasts.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Mo Hua realized.


    Monster Beasts were large, physically strong, with sharp claws and teeth, and mostly quadruped, with attack trajectories completely different from Cultivators.


    Moreover, some Monster Beasts specialized in using toxic tails, spines, saliva, and fangs to attack, which made them even more bizarre and tricky to deal with.


    Mo Hua scratched his head, ¡°But I can¡¯t just find Monster Beasts to practice with, and I have to be careful not to be eaten by one¡­¡±


    ¡°I was just saying, be aware for yourself,¡± Bai Zisheng said nonchalantly.


    Yet, Mo Hua took this matter to heart.


    He estimated the likelihood of being killed by Cultivators versus being bitten to death by Monster Beasts in his mind.


    He felt there was a greater chance of being killed by Monster Beasts.


    Big Black Mountain is treacherous and unpredictable, infested with monstrous beasts fierce and sly.


    Should he ever enter Big Black Mountain, he would have to confront these beasts, whose brute strength, speed, and mysterious tracks are unparalleled by any cultivator.


    ¡°How can I spar with monstrous beasts? Could it be, I should try to become a Monster Hunter?¡±


    After pondering for a while, Mo Hua decided against it.


    A few days later, Mo Hua was reading Formation Books in an eatery.


    He could already draw the formation patterns of an eight-formation array. To save Spiritual Ink, he didn¡¯t draw them every day, so he spent his free time just reading the books.


    He couldn¡¯t go to spar with Bai Zisheng every day either.


    The sparring sessions between Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua came to Aunt Xue¡¯s attention after Bai Zisheng let it slip out in a moment of excitement.


    Aunt Xue was somewhat angry, thinking Bai Zisheng was too playful and was also distracting Mo Hua from learning formation techniques, so she assigned him even more tasks.


    Mo Hua went to plead with Aunt Xue on Bai Zisheng¡¯s behalf, claiming that it was his own wish to practice movement techniques, which is why Bai Zisheng was sparring with him.


    But Aunt Xue clearly didn¡¯t believe it. She knew about Mo Hua¡¯s congenital frailty, so how could he suddenly start learning movement techniques?


    She thought Mo Hua was merely making excuses for Bai Zisheng, and said, ¡°Good child, I know you mean well for the young master, but without rules, there is no circle.¡±


    After speaking to Mo Hua, Aunt Xue turned around and piled even more assignments on Bai Zisheng.


    Mo Hua felt helpless and would occasionally bring some food to Bai Zisheng as consolation.


    Zhang Lan, who often used to stroll into the eatery, seemed to have gotten busy with something and had not been seen for many days.


    Thus, Mo Hua¡¯s life became quite peaceful, leaving him alone to read the Formation Books.


    While Mo Hua was reading alone, Aunt Jiang brought over a bowl of chicken soup for him and urged him to drink it while it was still hot.


    Aunt Jiang, whose given name was Yun, had a husband named Chu who was also a Monster Hunter. He had been severely injured during a hunt, leaving them with no other source of income and a starving child. Liu Ruhua then asked her to help out in the eatery, and gradually their household situation improved, with her complexion becoming healthier.


    Although her husband could no longer hunt monsters, he was skilled at using traps and occasionally went up the mountain to catch weaker monster beasts, selling them for Spirit Stones to supplement their household income; sometimes, he even managed to capture a Spirit Beast.


    These Spirit Beasts were most likely raised by Clans or Sect Elders and had inadvertently wandered into the mountain, gradually undergoing demonization, their bodies¡¯ Spiritual Energy greatly depleted. However, their flesh was still of better quality than that of monster beasts.


    Aunt Jiang would cook these Spirit Beasts into delicious soups, always making sure to set aside some especially for Mo Hua.


    Aunt Jiang excelled in making pastries and frying pine nuts. She learned her culinary skills from Liu Ruhua, and her cooking tasted quite good.


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Jiang!¡± Mo Hua said happily as he drank the delicious chicken soup.


    Mo Hua was eating joyously, and Aunt Jiang was also pleased, but she was not good with words, so she just smiled shyly.


    ¡°By the way, was the Wood Binding Formation I gave to Uncle Chu useful?¡±


    Mo Hua remembered something and asked.


    ¡°Mhm, mhm, it¡¯s useful,¡± Aunt Jiang nodded and said, ¡°Each time your Uncle Chu returns from the mountain, he praises how useful that formation is. Now, when monster beasts are trapped, their fur isn¡¯t damaged.¡±


    The fur of the monster beasts often got damaged due to their frantic struggles and biting when caught in traps, which then reduced the number of Spirit Stones they could be sold for.


    After learning about this, Mo Hua searched the ¡°Thousand Formation Collection¡± and found a formation called ¡°Wood Binding Formation¡± that could restrain monster beasts. Although activating the formation required a Spirit Stone, the unspoiled pelt of a monster beast could be sold for many more Spirit Stones.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Aunt Jiang hesitated to speak.


    ¡°Is there a problem with the formation?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that,¡± Aunt Jiang waved her hand, ¡°It¡¯s not the formation. It¡¯s that previously your Uncle Chu caught a young monster beast. The beast has been trapped for many days and surprisingly hasn¡¯t died yet. Uncle Chu brought it back, but now he doesn¡¯t know what to do with it¡­¡±


    ¡°A young monster beast?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.

 Chapter 108 - 108: Cat Monster (Second Update)_1

    Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Cat Monster (Second Update)_1


    ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a cat that was just born not long ago, only two or three feet long, with patterns that haven¡¯t even fully developed¡­¡± Aunt Jiang said.


    ¡°Can you give it to me? I¡¯ll buy it with Flower Spirit Stones!¡± Mo Hua hurriedly said.


    Aunt Jiang waved her hand, ¡°If you want it, I can have Uncle Chu bring it to you tomorrow, there¡¯s no need for Spirit Stones.¡±


    Mo Hua insisted on giving Spirit Stones. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aunt Jiang firmly refused, ¡°Sister Liu has helped me too much already, and you have helped us with Drawing Formations, I couldn¡¯t possibly take the Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Aunt Jiang, who seemed shy and introverted, could sometimes be the most stubborn.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to agree not to give the Spirit Stones, but thought of speaking with his mother about giving Aunt Jiang some extra salary this month.


    ¡°However, what do you want with the Monster Beast? Monster Beasts cannot be tamed.¡±


    After a while, Aunt Jiang asked curiously.


    All Monster Beasts naturally harbor malice towards Cultivators.


    Some Monster Beasts that eat flesh will hunt Cultivators and devour their flesh and blood.


    Even those that do not consume flesh will hunt down Cultivators weaker than themselves, eviscerating them before striding away.


    Young Monster Beasts also possess such nature, and so cannot be raised by Cultivators.


    Some Cultivators in Tongxian City had once raised Monster Beasts.


    When the Monster Beasts were young, it was fine as their strength was weak, and they would not turn on their owner. But once they grew stronger and tasted human blood, they would seize the opportunity to kill their master and consume their flesh and blood.


    Many Cultivators ended up as food for the Monster Beasts they had raised as pets.


    Jiang Yun thought that Mo Hua, being young, might not be aware of the nature of Monster Beasts, so she expressed her concern, ¡°Raising a Monster Beast is very dangerous¡­¡±


    ¡°Aunt Jiang, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not taking it to raise,¡± Mo Hua explained.


    Jiang Yun nodded. Anyway, she would tell Mo Hua¡¯s parents about the Monster Beast when she brought it over. Mo Shan was a Monster Hunter and was more familiar with Monster Beasts, so there probably wouldn¡¯t be any issues.


    The next day, Jiang Yun brought over the Cat Monster.


    This was the first time Mo Hua had seen a young Monster Beast, and he couldn¡¯t help but look it over multiple times.


    The Cat Monster was both skinny and small, with wrinkled fur and primarily white patterns mixed with dark Patterns, but its coat appeared extremely dim due to the dirt it was smeared with.


    Despite its small size, the Cat Monster had sharp claws, two long fangs at the sides of its mouth, and while its gaze was cautious, it also held a fierce wildness.


    Last night, Mo Hua had told his parents about the Cat Monster, so when Jiang Yun brought it over today, Mo Shan was standing to the side.


    The Cat Monster was confined in an iron cage, which bore scratch marks.


    Perhaps because Mo Shan was a Monster Hunter, and his hands bore the blood of too many Monster Beasts, the Cat Monster, despite the fierce light in its eyes, simply lay down its head without daring to act rashly.


    Mo Shan looked at the Cat Monster with a frown.


    ¡°Dad, what kind of Monster Beast is this? A cat?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s too small to tell. Some Monster Beasts look very different when they¡¯re adults compared to when they¡¯re juveniles, which makes them hard to identify. However, judging by its appearance, it¡¯s probably either a Night Cat or a Fluorescent Cat,¡± Mo Shan speculated carefully.


    ¡°Are Cat Monsters one of the Monster Beasts that move quickly?¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, ¡°Right, feline Monster Beasts do not possess the strongest bodies, but they are incredibly agile and their movements are unpredictable, which makes them quite a handful.¡±


    Mo Shan brought the Cat Monster locked in the iron cage to a side room in their house.


    The side room was originally used for storage, but Mo Hua said he needed it, so Mo Shan cleared it out temporarily.


    Mo Hua told Mo Shan about his plan¡ªhe wanted to use the Monster Beast to practice his movement technique.


    Mo Shan had some concerns, but he agreed nonetheless.


    The Cat Monster was young and not strong, which made it just right for practicing the movement technique. Otherwise, directly facing an adult Monster Beast later on, a single misstep could indeed result in being devoured.


    Nevertheless, Mo Shan still cautioned, ¡°Even young Monster Beasts have some innate Monster Powers that are very troublesome, and they are also exceedingly cunning. You cannot afford to take them lightly.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, took out a few pieces of beef, and tossed them to the Cat Monster.


    The Cat Monster looked at Mo Hua warily, sniffed the beef a few times, and then wolfed it down.


    Uncle Chu had captured the Cat Monster and, thinking it was going to be killed sooner or later, hadn¡¯t fed it.


    Having eaten the beef, the Cat Monster¡¯s condition seemed to improve.


    ¡°You practice first; I¡¯ll watch from the side,¡±


    Mo Shan was still worried about Mo Hua¡¯s safety and stood by, speaking.


    Mo Hua gently opened the iron cage.


    The instant the cage door opened, the originally weak Cat Monster¡¯s eyes suddenly flashed with ferocity, and in a flash, it vanished from Mo Hua¡¯s view, reappearing with its sharp claws aiming straight for Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s cunning and vicious!¡±


    Mo Hua was inwardly shocked, but all this was still within his expectations.


    Mo Hua, at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, possessed Divine Sense far beyond the ordinary. Since the Cat Monster was young and its strength was only at the initial stage of the first rank, its movements were ghostly and swift, but they were crystal clear in Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua tilted his head back and dodged the Cat Monster¡¯s sharp claws.


    While still in the air, the Cat Monster adjusted its position. As soon as it landed, it charged at Mo Hua like an arrow.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became focused, and with a hand pressing on the ground, his body lightly flipped in the air and he evaded the Cat Monster below him.


    But then, the Cat Monster suddenly disappeared from sight.


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils constricted, and his Divine Sense concentrated; it took another two breaths before he sensed a presence behind him.


    Mo Hua turned aside to dodge, but he was still a fraction too slow. A whitish gleam of sharp claws cut through the air, tearing his sleeve and leaving behind a thin trail of blood.


    The Cat Monster landed and licked the fresh blood on its claws, its fierce eyes even more intense.


    ¡°Seeking death!¡± Mo Shan shouted angrily, his right hand forming into a gesture as flames flared, ready to crush the Cat Monster to death right then.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Mo Hua urgently called out to stop him, ¡°It¡¯s just a light injury; it¡¯s not serious.¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s hand, already raised mid-air, shook his head and said, ¡°This creature has tasted human blood. It can¡¯t be left alive.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll only keep it for a month,¡± Mo Hua insisted.


    After all, it was not easy to find young Monster Beasts. Most cultivators encountering Monster Beasts, whether they were young or adult, would kill them on sight.


    Some Monster Beasts would even bite their young to death to prevent them from falling into a cultivator¡¯s hands.


    Mo Shan frowned for a moment, looking at Mo Hua¡¯s resolute gaze, sighed, and withdrew his hand:


    ¡°Fine, keep it for a month.¡±


    Then Mo Shan turned his head, his eyes fixed on the Cat Monster like sharp swords, ¡°However, if this Cat Monster injures you again, I¡¯ll crush it to death.¡±


    Intimidated by Mo Shan¡¯s aura, the Cat Monster curled up in the corner, shaking violently.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and smiled:


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry, I was just careless just now.¡±


    Then, facing the Cat Monster, Mo Hua said, ¡°Be good this month, accompany me in practicing movement techniques; after one month, I¡¯ll set you free.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Shan couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Huar, Monster Beasts can¡¯t understand human speech.¡±


    ¡°What if it does understand?¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡± Mo Shan, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s childlike nature, let it be.


    ¡°Wear the Rattan Armor and be careful of the Monster Power Talent of the beasts. Also, if within this month this Cat Monster shows any desire for human blood, or any signs of uncontrollable rage, you must kill it sooner,¡±


    Mo Shan further cautioned.


    Mo Hua listened attentively, committed it to memory, and nodded continuously.

 Chapter 109 - 109: Minor Success (Part 3)

    Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Minor Success (Part 3)


    Monster Beasts don¡¯t understand human language.


    Mo Hua had come to understand this clearly.


    In the following two days, the Cat Monster seemed to be frightened by Mo Shan, always cowering in its iron cage. Even when let out, it refused to leave the cage, let alone attack Mo Hua.


    No matter what Mo Hua said to it, it couldn¡¯t understand and would only stare at Mo Hua with a vicious but somewhat cowardly gaze.


    Only when Mo Hua fed it meat would its gaze soften a little.


    This way, it was impossible to train the Water Passing Step.


    What to do?


    After contemplating for two days, Mo Hua finally came up with a solution.


    He starved the Cat Monster for two days, and when it was famished, its eyes glowing green, he fed it dried small fish specially prepared by Liu Ruhua.


    These dried small fish were also Monster Beasts with bad-tasting meat and a strong fishy smell, not eaten by cultivators but loved by fish-craving cats.


    After that, Mo Hua strung a few dried fish on a string and hung them around his neck. He pointed to the dried fish, then to the Cat Monster.


    The message was roughly, ¡°If you want to eat the fish, come and snatch it yourself.¡±


    The rules were similar to when he sparred with Bai Zisheng, except now the opponent had changed from Bai Zisheng to the Little Demon Cat.


    Even if the Cat Monster didn¡¯t understand human speech, it understood now.


    So, the Cat Monster, formerly timid, began to snatch the dried fish hanging from Mo Hua¡¯s neck in an effort to appease its hunger.


    It clearly remembered Mo Shan¡¯s intimidating gaze, so it didn¡¯t dare to harm Mo Hua in the slightest; its target was only the dried fish on Mo Hua¡¯s neck.


    In this way, in the secluded side chamber, human and monster shadows chased each other in a crisscross pattern.


    After ¡°sparring¡± with the Cat Monster for a few days, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but admit that Monster Beasts were indeed much stronger than cultivators.


    This Cat Monster only had the cultivation of the initial First Grade and wasn¡¯t known for its strength, but its speed was very fast, and its movements were exceptionally agile, not even inferior to a typical Sixth Layer Qi Refinement cultivator.


    The Cat Monster¡¯s attack patterns were richer and even more cunningly peculiar than those of cultivators.


    If the attack was up close, a Body Cultivator would mainly rely on fists and feet, while a Spiritual Cultivator would rely on long-distance spells. Their behaviors and actions were traceable.


    But the Cat Monster could use its teeth, claws, and tail to attack, with tricky angles that were unpredictable.


    Furthermore, the Cat Monster had a natural talent activated by demonic power. It could blur its figure for a short time, making it almost impossible for eyes to discern. Mo Hua could only sense the position of the Cat Monster by pushing his Divine Sense to the extreme.


    And this was only at the initial First Grade. If it were the mid or late First Grade, its speed would be even more unimaginable.


    No wonder Monster Hunting Teams generally required around ten Monster Hunters to form a team. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    How powerful would a Second Grade Monster Beast, comparable in Cultivation to a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, be?


    Wouldn¡¯t most cultivators be obliterated upon contact?


    Mo Hua shivered uncontrollably.


    ¡°I must learn the Water Passing Step well, so that even if I can¡¯t defeat them, I can at least run away.¡±


    Mo Hua thought silently to himself.


    Sparring with Monster Beasts was also a process of practice makes perfect.


    At first, not familiar with the Cat Monster¡¯s moves, the dried fish on Mo Hua¡¯s neck would often end up in the mouth of the Cat Monster not long afterward.


    The Cat Monster would then lie in its cage, leisurely chewing on the dried fish and licking its paws, from time to time casting a glance at Mo Hua with a look of smugness and scorn.


    As Mo Hua gradually became familiar with the Cat Monster¡¯s attack patterns, he could vaguely guess whether the Cat Monster was preparing to unleash a claw strike, a bite, or to lash out with its spiked tail.


    The first time he encountered the Cat Monster¡¯s innate ability, he was caught off guard, but after witnessing it several times and developing predictions, Mo Hua gradually began to see through its movements with his Divine Sense.


    The process of the Cat Monster getting its dried fish became increasingly difficult.


    Sometimes, Mo Hua would be careless, and the Little Demon Cat could snatch one or two fish to fill its belly.


    If Mo Hua was fully focused, it basically couldn¡¯t get a single fish and could only stand by the wall, glaring fiercely at Mo Hua.


    But this ferocity was somewhat superficial, lacking real impact.


    Knowing that hunger was an unpleasant feeling, Mo Hua would deliberately act carelessly, allowing it to have a few pieces of dried fish.


    A month passed like this. Although the Cat Monster wasn¡¯t fully satiated, it wasn¡¯t starving either, and it had grown in size, now five feet long.


    That¡¯s when Mo Hua knew it was time, the Cat Monster couldn¡¯t be kept any longer. If it kept growing, there might come a day when it wasn¡¯t paying attention, and it could possibly turn on him.


    The nature of Monster Beasts is not so easily changed.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t intend to kill it, rather he planned on following through on the promise to set it free.


    Even though the Cat Monster couldn¡¯t understand human speech and was unaware of this arrangement.


    One evening, Mo Hua put the Cat Monster into an iron cage, covered it with a black cloth, and took it to the foothills closest to the exterior of Big Black Mountain, just outside Tongxian City.


    Monster Beasts and other living things cannot be placed in a storage bag; they must be kept in an iron cage instead.


    Mo Hua specifically used the black cloth to cover it, to prevent other Monster Hunters from discovering it and killing it on the spot.


    Seeing that there was no one around, Mo Hua removed the black cloth, opened the gate of the iron cage, and released the Cat Monster.


    Upon seeing the mountains and forests around it, the Cat Monster seemed stunned at first and then showed a look of joy.


    But it did not leave immediately, instead, it watched Mo Hua with a wary expression.


    Mo Hua said to it, ¡°I¡¯m keeping our promise and letting you go. But remember, you¡¯re better off not eating people; if we meet again, I will definitely kill you, and if I don¡¯t, other Monster Hunters probably will.¡±


    ¡°Humans actually don¡¯t taste that good. Eating more fish won¡¯t do you any harm.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t provoke Cultivators, with your talent for movement, you should be able to live longer¡­¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t care whether it understood or not, and rambled on with his advice. Then, he waved his hand at it and said,


    ¡°Go.¡±


    The Cat Monster gave Mo Hua a confused look, took a few tentative steps, and when it saw that Mo Hua didn¡¯t stop it but nodded affirmatively instead, its courage grew.


    It began walking towards Big Black Mountain step by step, and as it was about to enter the forest, it suddenly sped up and with a ¡°whoosh¡± sound, darted into Big Black Mountain.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Now, he had achieved the best of both worlds. His Water Passing Step had reached a minor success, which should be more than enough to handle cultivators of the same realm or deal with Monster Beasts.


    And the Cat Monster had been returned to the forest.


    Big Black Mountain was so vast, it was unlikely they would encounter each other again. Even if they did, the Cat Monster would have grown, changed in appearance, and he might not even recognize it.


    He just hoped it wouldn¡¯t kill other cultivators or die at the hands of other Monster Hunters.


    However, that was beyond Mo Hua¡¯s control now.


    Feeling light-hearted, Mo Hua whistled as he walked back home with his hands behind his back.


    Meanwhile, in the woods of Big Black Mountain, the Cat Monster hadn¡¯t gone far but was crouching in the grass, stealthily watching Mo Hua.


    After seeing Mo Hua leave, a hint of confusion appeared in the Cat Monster¡¯s slit pupils. Moments later, its pupils dilated as it committed the sight of Mo Hua¡¯s retreating figure to memory, then it looked around cautiously before stealthily making its way deeper into Big Black Mountain.


    The Cat Monster moved through the woods, crossed poisonous marshes, climbed onto rocks, and arrived at a small stream in the mountains.


    Seeing that there were no cultivators or other Monster Beasts around, the Cat Monster leaped into the stream to wash off the dust on its body. Moments later, it emerged onto the bank, shook off the water droplets, and its black Pattern became even deeper, while its white fur shone more brilliantly.


    Simultaneously, the Pattern on the Cat Monster¡¯s forehead gradually became clearer, slowly revealing the outline of the character ¡ª¡±king.¡±

 Chapter 110 - 110: Delivery (Fourth Update)_1

    Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Delivery (Fourth Update)_1


    The Little Demon Cat accompanied Mo Hua in practicing his movement technique. Mo Hua had saved its life, so they were even.


    Now that Mo Hua had made some progress in his movement technique, he was preparing to seek out Bai Zisheng for another sparring match when he suddenly saw a few Monster Hunters wearing rattan armor on the street, which made his heart skip a beat.


    Rattan Armor?


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    It¡¯s over, I forgot!


    The Iron Armor Formation that he had promised to draw for Elder Yu wasn¡¯t finished yet¡­


    Previously, he would take some time every day to draw a few, estimating he would finish within a month. But ever since Zhang Lan taught him the Water Passing Step, he had devoted all his thoughts to this movement technique.


    First, he practiced dodging wild fruits falling from trees, then sparred with Bai Zisheng, and also found a Little Demon Cat to practice moves on.


    Now, more than a month had passed, and while his Water Passing Step had become proficient, he had only completed a little over thirty Iron Armor Formations¡­


    Mo Hua hurried back home, took out the rattan armor, ground open the Spiritual Ink, and began drawing fervently.


    In the following days, Mo Hua locked himself in his room and focused on drawing the Iron Armor Formation.


    As sunlight streamed through the window into the room, Mo Hua would lie on the small desk, meticulously drawing the Iron Armor Formation on the rattan armor, one stroke at a time.


    Mo Hua was serious in his drawing, yet his brush moved swiftly. With each decisive movement of his wrist, lines of Formation Patterns would leap onto the rattan armor, echoing and combining with one another to form a mysterious Formation.


    When his Divine Sense was exhausted, Mo Hua would use Meditation Technique to recover it.


    Once replenished with Divine Sense, he would continue drawing.


    Five days later, he finally completed all one hundred Iron Armor Formations.


    Mo Hua handed over the rattan armor with the completed Iron Armor Formations to his father, Mo Shan, asking him to deliver them to Elder Yu on his behalf.


    Mo Hua had no personal relationship with Elder Yu and didn¡¯t know how to find the old man himself. Besides, as the Monster Hunting Guild¡¯s only Foundation Building Cultivator, Elder Yu was always busy with affairs, making him difficult to meet.


    What was originally estimated to be a month¡¯s work took a little over half a month more, and hopefully Elder Yu wouldn¡¯t take offense¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    When Mo Shan went to visit Elder Yu, he found him discussing matters in his study and didn¡¯t want to disturb him, so he handed the Storage Bag to Elder Yu¡¯s eldest son and asked him to turn it in on his behalf.


    Elder Yu¡¯s eldest son, named Yu Chengyi, was at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement and stood out as one of the best Monster Hunters in Tongxian City. His cultivation was second only to that of his Foundation Establishment Stage father, and he was quite authoritative among the Monster Hunters.


    But the only person Yu Chengyi truly feared was his father.


    Yu Chengyi kept the Storage Bag safely, and when he went to find Elder Yu, the elder was still discussing issues with a few aged Monster Hunters, and he seemed to be in a very bad mood:


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t that old bastard from the Qian Family get struck by lightning, always so gloomy and scheming against me? If I¡¯m about to die one day, I swear I¡¯ll take him down with me. Even in death, I want him as my cushion!¡±


    ¡°That Family Head Qian Hong is a coward. He never does anything good, just full of scheming, just like his wretched old man¡­¡±


    ¡°Those vicious beasts, thinking of ways to oppress us every day, skimming Spirit Stones here, withholding a few Spiritual Artifacts there, damn them all¡­¡±


    ¡°If this keeps up, no one will be able to live properly; let¡¯s see how much better the Qian Family will fare¡­¡±


    Elder Yu cursed out the Qian Family non-stop.


    Monster Hunters made their living by hunting Monster Beasts, and the materials they obtained were all sold to the Qian Family, which rose to power through this trade, but in turn exploited Monster Hunters to seize more Spirit Stone profits.


    Elder Yu, as the supporter of the Monster Hunting Guild, naturally had many conflicts with the Qian Family.


    Elder Yu was already known for his bad temper, and after many years of hardships, had become tenacious and even obstinate. He would often be targeted, openly and covertly, by the Qian Family, some of whose tactics were quite despicable. Elder Yu couldn¡¯t stand it, so he would curse vehemently at the Qian Family at any opportunity.


    This study was supposed to be for discussing important matters, but for over half of the three hundred sixty-odd days a year, it was used to curse the Qian Family.


    Yu Chengyi was used to it.


    But indeed, the Qian Family was despicable.


    He didn¡¯t have his father¡¯s cultivation or boldness, or else he would have joined in the cursing.


    Elder Yu cursed for a good while before he stopped, talked about some matters with the few old Monster Hunters, and then everyone dispersed.


    After the meeting, with Elder Yu¡¯s indignation still not subsided, he poured himself a cup of tea and drank slowly.


    Yu Chengyi quietly walked in, ¡°Father.¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyebrows shot up, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Just now, Brother Mo Shan came by, and he asked me to give this Storage Bag to you.¡±


    Yu Chengyi said, handing over the Storage Bag.


    ¡°Mo Shan?¡±


    Elder Yu frowned in thought for a moment and then his brow relaxed as he said, ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    With a touch of anticipation, Elder Yu opened the storage bag and indeed found a complete set of rattan armor, which even had formation patterns drawn on it.


    Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but be overjoyed.


    Yu Chengyi looked on in surprise. Although his father¡¯s emotions were easily read on his face, they were mostly out of anger, or he would wear a stern expression. Seeing his father so pleased like now was indeed rare.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s in the storage bag?¡±


    Yu Chengyi couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Rattan armor,¡± Elder Yu replied casually. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Rattan armor?¡±


    ¡°Yes, rattan armor with the Iron Armor Formation drawn on it.¡±


    ¡°Is it for Ada and Aer?¡± Yu Chengyi asked.


    Ada and Aer were his sons. As the saying goes, grandparents spoil their grandchildren. Elder Yu was strict with him, but he doted on these two grandsons.


    ¡°Yes, but not only for them,¡± sighed Elder Yu, ¡°You Monster Hunters are all old hands by now, tough-skinned and hard-fleshed, a few bites from monster beasts won¡¯t matter much¡­¡±


    But a few bites from monster beasts did matter¡­


    In his heart, Yu Chengyi silently rebuked the notion that cultivators could withstand being gnawed on by monster beasts, but he didn¡¯t dare to contradict and could only listen quietly.


    ¡°¡­But it¡¯s different for the newly initiated Monster Hunters. Although they have learned the Taoist skills, they are still children after all. If something bad happens to them, it would pain my heart. The future of the Monster Hunting Guild depends on them¡­¡± said Elder Yu.


    Yu Chengyi nodded, then couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°Then Dad, who is the Formation Master you asked to draw these formations?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still young, I¡¯m not sure if he counts as a Formation Master.¡±


    Elder Yu remembered Mo Hua¡¯s obedient and adorable appearance, and his mood brightened even more. ¡°It¡¯s Mo Shan¡¯s son, named Mo Hua.¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡± Yu Chengyi nodded. He had also heard from some familiar Monster Hunters that Mo Shan had a son who showed great talent in the art of formations.


    However, he still had one more question:


    ¡°How many Spirit Stones did you give him for each set?¡±


    Elder Yu, having seen much in his life, couldn¡¯t help but blush slightly, ¡°Ahem¡­.just three¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi timidly said, ¡°Dad, isn¡¯t it a bit inappropriate to do this¡­¡±


    Elder Yu immediately frowned, ¡°How is it inappropriate? Lower-level Loose Cultivators should help each other. I think the child Mo Hua is quite good, more aware than you are.¡±


    Yu Chengyi remained silent.


    Elder Yu thought for a moment and sighed, ¡°You¡¯re right, no matter what, I did take advantage of him. If his family ever needs help, I¡¯ll just lend a hand.¡±


    Yu Chengyi was inwardly shocked. To make his unshamefaced father owe a favor was rare; he had scarcely seen it happen throughout his life.


    ¡°The Iron Armor Formation is not simple, can Mo Hua really draw it¡­¡± Yu Chengyi pondered before asking again.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he be able to, here it is,¡±


    Elder Yu patted the rattan armor in his hand. On the armor, a set of light golden formation patterns was meticulously and elegantly inscribed, complex and graceful, with a subtle mystical aura flowing through them.


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s eyes also shone, ¡°Dad, I have to say, these formation patterns are excellently drawn!¡±


    ¡°Of course! I found him myself!¡± Elder Yu said with pride.


    ¡°How many sets did you ask him to draw?¡±


    ¡°One hundred sets.¡±


    ¡°One hundred sets?¡± Yu Chengyi gasped in surprise, ¡°That many! Are they all done?¡±


    ¡°How could it be possible? He¡¯s just a kid; he couldn¡¯t draw that fast.¡±


    Elder Yu hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua to finish them all at once; getting most of them done would suffice, considering Mo Hua was still young with low cultivation, probably not enough divine sense to draw so many formations.


    Having about seventy to eighty sets would be enough for the time being.


    ¡°There are only¡­¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression was leisurely as he swept through with his divine sense, roughly counting: ¡°Thirty¡­ fifty¡­ eighty¡­¡±


    There¡¯s more?


    Elder Yu¡¯s face stiffened as he counted again, ¡°Forty¡­ seventy¡­ ninety¡­ one hundred!¡±


    One hundred?!


    Elder Yu took a cold breath in disbelief, ¡°Finished?!¡±

 Chapter 111 - 111: Giving Gifts (Five Updates)_1

    Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Giving Gifts (Five Updates)_1


    A hundred Iron Armor Formations, and it only took a little over one and a half months for Mo Hua to have completed the paintings?


    Elder Yu furrowed his brows and fell silent.


    Seeing this, Yu Chengyi asked, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Elder Yu handed the storage bag to his son, ¡°You count.¡±


    Yu Chengyi took it, swept it with his Divine Sense, counted once, and then again, and couldn¡¯t help but count yet another time¡­


    A moment later, he, too, was gaping, ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s all done?¡±


    Elder Yu glared at him, ¡°Can¡¯t you count?¡±


    Yu Chengyi gave a sheepish smile, then couldn¡¯t help but ask again:


    ¡°Did¡­ did he do this all by himself?¡±


    Elder Yu opened the rattan armor inside, compared it to the Iron Armor Formation, and even though some strokes were a bit sloppy, they were spirited and integrated, completed in one go, indeed from the hand of one person.


    Father and son looked at each other, lost for words.


    ¡°This Mo Shan¡­ he couldn¡¯t be some kind of little demon, could he¡­¡± Yu Chengyi couldn¡¯t help but murmur.


    Elder Yu smacked him on the head, ¡°What are you talking about?!¡±


    Yu Chengyi, holding his head, couldn¡¯t help but mutter:


    ¡°I was just saying.¡±


    Elder Yu looked at him with an unexpected expression on his face.


    After a moment of thought, Yu Chengyi added, ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been someone else who helped him paint, could it?¡±


    ¡°Who would help him paint?¡±


    Elder Yu snorted coldly, ¡°As a Foundation Building Cultivator, I¡¯ve asked around everywhere, and not a single person would help me with the Formation Painting.¡±


    As soon as this was mentioned, Elder Yu got a bit angry. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that others weren¡¯t willing to help him paint; it was just that the price he was offering was too low. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°If it really was his own work, not to mention anything else, the depletion of his Divine Sense must not be trivial. Mo Hua, that kid, is only at the Qi Refinement fifth level, isn¡¯t he? And he¡¯s not that old either¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Elder Yu sighed, suddenly feeling a bit compassionate, and commanded:


    ¡°You take some of the nourishing pills and spiritual objects from the house, I¡¯m going to visit Mo Shan¡¯s place.¡±


    Yu Chengyi started to speak but held back.


    ¡°Spit it out!¡± Elder Yu scolded.


    Yu Chengyi said softly, ¡°There¡­ aren¡¯t that many nourishing pills at home¡­¡±


    ¡°Take whatever we have!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s face darkened.


    Yu Chengyi dared not say anything further, and could only gather some nourishing pills, Spirit Grass, Lingzhi, and the like that could supplement Spiritual Power or Blood Qi, wrapped them in parchment, packed them in the storage bag, and handed it to Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu took it, turned to leave, then suddenly turned back and instructed, ¡°You come with me, too.¡±


    Yu Chengyi asked in confusion, ¡°What do I need to go for?¡±


    ¡°If Mo Hua can really become a Formation Master in the future, it will be a fortune for us Monster Hunters. I¡¯m taking you so you can get acquainted; should there be anything in the future, it will be easier to talk,¡± replied Elder Yu.


    Yu Chengyi, despite being a Qi Refining Ninth Level Monster Hunter, felt slightly reluctant to curry favor with a child, but seeing his father¡¯s stern look, he could only obediently say ¡°Yes.¡±


    Elder Yu took Yu Chengyi to the Mo Family.


    Mo Shan was extremely surprised; he hadn¡¯t expected Elder Yu to come in person, and that Yu Chengyi would be with him too. He thought it must be something serious and his expression turned grave.


    Elder Yu waved his hand, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ve just come to check on Mo Hua. You go about your business.¡±


    Taken aback, Mo Shan, but thinking it must have to do with the Formation, put his mind at ease.


    Mo Hua was also startled to see Elder Yu.


    He had thought Elder Yu was dissatisfied with the speed of his Formation Painting and had come to question him about it.


    But surely, an Elder in the Foundation Establishment Stage wouldn¡¯t be so small-minded¡­


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°Elder Yu, you wanted to see me?¡±


    Elder Yu didn¡¯t know quite how to begin, coughed, and then asked, ¡°That Formation¡­ it took quite some time to paint, didn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened.


    ¡°Elder Yu couldn¡¯t really be blaming me for drawing too slowly, could he¡­¡±


    Yet, it was indeed his fault, as he had been so focused on practicing his movement technique that he had forgotten about this matter.


    By the time he remembered, a month had already passed.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat embarrassed and could only say:


    ¡°Elder, I draw rather slowly, managing only two or three pieces a day, and I was able to finish only yesterday.¡±


    Elder Yu and Yu Chengyi exchanged glances.


    ¡°He really drew them himself!¡±


    A ten-year-old child drawing two or three Iron Armor Formations with six Formation Patterns each day!


    And he did this in his spare time without neglecting his cultivation!


    The father and son duo were taken aback, their minds in turmoil, but they tried their best to keep a composed expression.


    ¡°Not slow at all!¡± Elder Yu hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s much faster than what I had expected.¡±


    He had originally thought that if Mo Hua could stick to drawing one Formation Painting a day, it would be quite an achievement. After three months, even if the total fell short of a hundred, there would be eighty or ninety pieces. The remaining few could be gradually made up for later.


    However, now that he saw the speed at which Mo Hua drew the Formation Patterns, it was much faster than he had imagined!


    Such talent!


    Elder Yu was thrilled and took out a Storage Bag, speaking gently and softly, ¡°I was afraid that you would be too tired. That¡¯s why I brought some nourishing Pills and Spiritual Objects for you, along with some Spiritual Meat. They¡¯re not anything precious, so please accept them without worry¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi stood by, dumbfounded. When had his father ever spoken to someone with such a gentle and amiable tone?


    As if he had been possessed by someone else¡­


    Yu Chengyi couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    ¡°How could I accept this¡­¡±


    Mo Hua politely declined.


    Elder Yu deliberately put on a stern face, ¡°You take what I give you!¡±


    Mo Hua had no choice but to accept. Only then did Elder Yu nod in approval, pulling Yu Chengyi over and saying:


    ¡°This is your Uncle Yu. If you run into any trouble in the future, just go to him. There¡¯s no need to be polite.¡±


    Yu Chengyi, feeling awkward under Mo Hua¡¯s pair of shiny black eyes, forced a smile and said:


    ¡°Yes, if you have any problems in the future, just come to your Uncle Yu, and there¡¯s no need for formalities.¡±


    Yu Chengyi didn¡¯t know what to say while being watched by Mo Hua, so he just repeated what his father had said.


    Elder Yu felt a bit frustrated with his slow-witted son who couldn¡¯t even make proper conversation!


    Mo Hua gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Yu! Thank you, Uncle Yu!¡±


    Elder Yu nodded with satisfaction and then patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Focus on your cultivation and on learning the Formation Patterns well. We won¡¯t disturb you any further.¡±


    After saying this, he left with Yu Chengyi.


    Mo Hua had felt somewhat uneasy at first, thinking that Elder Yu was dissatisfied with the speed at which he had drawn the Formations, but now, seeing that Elder Yu was not only unconcerned but also very pleased, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua happily showed the gifts given by Elder Yu to his father, Mo Shan.


    ¡°Dad, these are the gifts Elder Yu gave me. You keep them for now.¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, took the Storage Bag, glanced at it a few times, and suddenly paused:


    ¡°Who gave this to you?¡±


    ¡°Elder Yu did.¡± Mo Hua replied, puzzled.


    ¡°Elder Yu?¡± Mo Shan frowned, ¡°The same Elder Yu who just came in?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, in Tongxian City, there¡¯s only one Elder Yu,¡± Mo Hua said, confused.


    Mo Shan was stunned. Elder Yu, known for his bad temper, stern demeanor, and miserly ways, offering a gift?!


    And to give a present to his son?


    Mo Shan was overwhelmed with shock and found himself at a loss for words.

 Chapter 112 - 112 Spell_1

    Chapter 112: Chapter 112 Spell_1


    On the way back, Elder Yu cautioned his son,


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else about Mo Hua¡¯s Formation Painting for now.¡±


    Yu Chengyi was startled, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s young and comes from a humble background, yet he¡¯s bursting with talent. I fear it might attract jealousy, which isn¡¯t necessarily a good thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Yu Chengyi somewhat understood.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t keep it a secret forever, can we? If the child truly has a gift for Formations, it¡¯s bound to come out sooner or later.¡± Yu Chengyi added.


    ¡°At least wait until he¡¯s older and can protect himself.¡±


    Despite his relieved gaze, Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    I hope the child can grow up safely¡­


    Having completed the Iron Armor Formation, Mo Hua earned some Spirit Stones, Bai received some Spiritual Ink, and also received gifts from Elder Yu, making him very happy.


    The next day, he went to find Bai Zisheng to test the effectiveness of the Water Passing Step.


    Bai Zisheng was first delighted but then suddenly remembered something, hung his head down, and became despondent.


    ¡°Aunt Xue has given me a lot of homework, and she won¡¯t let me spar with you anymore.¡±


    Mo Hua was also taken aback, ¡°How about just one spar?¡±


    Bai Zisheng felt troubled.


    ¡°If we spar in secret, Aunt Xue won¡¯t know, right?¡±


    Bai Zisheng sneakily glanced at his sister, Bai Zixi, who was sitting aside, and said,


    ¡°Aunt Xue had Zixi watch me, not allowing me to fight you.¡±


    Next to him, Bai Zixi, who was elegantly and quietly reading a book, moved her beautiful eyes slightly upon hearing this. She looked at Bai Zisheng with a faint gaze and in a soft and melodious voice said,


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell Aunt Xue, but can you finish your homework?¡±


    Now, Bai Zisheng found himself at a loss for words.


    The homework Aunt Xue assigned was copious, covering Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and theories of Tao Cultivation, and sparring with Mo Hua would undoubtedly mean he wouldn¡¯t finish it all.


    Mo Hua looked at Bai Zisheng with sympathy, ¡°You¡¯d better focus on your homework. I¡¯ll bring you some treats when I have time.¡±


    Bai Zisheng felt a bit better.


    Leaving Forgetful Mountain Residence, Mo Hua sighed.


    He had finally learned a movement technique, but now he found no occasion to use it, which disappointed him greatly.


    ¡°Why not use this time to learn another spell?¡± he thought to himself.


    With this idea, Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted once more.


    An adept Spiritual Cultivator should advance to attack and retreat to defend.


    But¡­ who could he approach to learn a spell?


    Mo Hua felt troubled again.


    He hadn¡¯t seen Zhang Lan for many days and wondered what kept him so busy, probably some affairs of the Taoist Court he couldn¡¯t escape from.


    But even if Zhang Lan was available, it would not be right for him to seek him out again.


    One can¡¯t always keep shearing wool from the same sheep.


    To learn the Water Passing Step and use it discreetly was one thing, but to learn more from him would be inappropriate.


    If Zhang Lan happened to teach him an ultimate technique of the sect protecting faction on a whim, the elders of the Zhang Family would probably never let him off the hook.


    Even if they didn¡¯t kill him to silence him, they would likely try to make him marry into their family.


    That would be a great loss for Mo Hua.


    And yet, there was no one else from whom he could learn spells¡­


    After much thought, Mo Hua decided to boldly seek advice from Mr. Zhuang.


    The next day, Mo Hua brought some beef and pastries for the siblings, Zisheng and Zixi, and some food and wine to see Mr. Zhuang.


    After asking a few questions about Formations, Mo Hua hesitated several times and held back.


    Mr. Zhuang looked like a sage, with an air of immortality, no detectable Blood Qi, and no sense of Spiritual Power. What if he wasn¡¯t adept at Taoist Skills and never fought with anyone?


    If Mo Hua asked him these questions and he couldn¡¯t answer, what then?


    Considering this for Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua eventually decided not to ask.


    On his way out, he encountered Old Kui playing chess alone in the pavilion. Mo Hua gave him several boxes of pine nuts and then played a couple of games of Five Elements Chess with him.


    As he was about to leave, Old Kui asked, ¡°Is something troubling you?¡±


    ¡°How could you tell?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t resist asking.


    ¡°Your chess skills have regressed,¡± Old Kui said.


    Mo Hua opened his mouth, speechless.


    Five Elements Chess is so simple, you can play it blindfolded, and there¡¯s no room for retreat even if you wanted to¡­


    However, Old Kui¡¯s words reminded him, and taking the opportunity, Mo Hua quietly asked:


    ¡°Grandpa Gui, do you know any spells?¡±


    Old Kui hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°I have some understanding.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Then, could you teach me a little?¡±


    Old Kui got up and started walking away.


    Mo Hua thought Old Kui was unwilling, but after walking a few steps, Old Kui turned back to look at Mo Hua and said:


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    ¡°Oh oh.¡± Mo Hua hurriedly followed.


    Old Kui led Mo Hua to another grassy area, far from the large locust tree.


    This place was open and spacious, with lush green grass, surrounded by small bridges, ponds, and a bamboo forest rustling in the wind.


    ¡°In learning spells, don¡¯t just focus on their power. The suitable ones are the best,¡± Old Kui said.


    Mo Hua listened attentively, then asked:


    ¡°So, Grandpa Gui, what spell should I learn?¡±


    Old Kui pondered briefly and said, ¡°Unpredictable and mysterious spells, like Illusion Technique, Trickery Technique, Strange Skill¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    ¡°¡­but your Spiritual Root is not good, you won¡¯t be able to learn them.¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Spells of great power, like the Big Five Elements type of spells¡­¡±


    Mo Hua perked up.


    ¡°¡­you don¡¯t have enough Spiritual Power to use them.¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at Old Kui somewhat resentfully.


    Old Kui had a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°But your Divine Sense is outstanding, there¡¯s no need to learn these complicated ones, the simplest spells will do.¡±


    Old Kui tossed a thin book to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua opened it and saw three big characters:


    Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua frowned and pondered for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°Grandpa Gui, is this Fireball Technique any different from other fireball techniques?¡±


    Old Kui shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s the same.¡±


    Mo Hua flipped through the book and realized that the Fireball Technique Old Kui gave him was not much different from those he had seen in ¡°Basic spells at Qi Refinement Realm¡ªFireball Manipulation.¡±


    He felt a smidgen of disappointment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to learn it?¡± Old Kui asked.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, feeling that Old Kui had a point. Spells that were too complex, too difficult or required too much Spiritual Power indeed weren¡¯t suitable for him.


    Besides, he hadn¡¯t planned on learning any remarkable spells to start with, starting from the basics was best, practicality was all that mattered.


    Old Kui was willing to teach him, he was more than grateful, so why be picky?


    Mo Hua shook his head sincerely and said:


    ¡°I want to learn, Grandpa Gui, please teach me.¡±


    Old Kui nodded almost imperceptibly. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The key to a spell lies in three aspects, Divine Sense, Spiritual Power, and Meridian.¡±


    ¡°Use Divine Sense to mobilize Spiritual Power, channel it through the meridians to specific acupoints to establish Circulation, and you can condense the spell.¡±


    ¡°A movement technique is also a kind of spell. Since you¡¯ve learned a movement technique, you should understand the similar principle. Starting with the Fireball Technique now should not be difficult¡­¡±


    Old Kui told Mo Hua several key points, and Mo Hua remembered each one, then channeled his Spiritual Power according to the incantation and Meridian Chart of the Fireball Technique.


    The Fireball Technique was very simple, and its path of Spiritual Power circulation was also much simpler than the Water Passing Step.


    After trying a few times, Mo Hua learned it.


    ¡°Give it a try,¡± Old Kui said.


    Mo Hua took a deep breath, concentrated, mobilized his Spiritual Power, activated his meridians, formed Circulation, then pointed his fingers toward the pond not far away.


    A faint red Spiritual Power gathered at Mo Hua¡¯s fingertips, forming a gaseous red flame, which, following his Divine Sense, shot straight towards the pond.


    The fireball exploded on the water surface, jolting the pond water, shredding the water plants, and startling the fish at the bottom.


    The surface of the pond rippled with waves for a while, a complete mess.

 Chapter 113 - 113 Fireball_1

    Chapter 113: Chapter 113 Fireball_1


    Is this what a spell is?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It seemed that all it took was channeling Spiritual Power through specific meridians and using Divine Sense to propel it outward. Then, one could form spells of various attributes, achieving a power far beyond Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    After a disturbance, the pond returned to tranquility.


    Only the mottled water stains along the shore and the fragmented vegetation floating on the water bore witness to what had just taken place.


    Old Kui nodded, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head, ¡°Grandpa Gui, what should I practice next?¡±


    ¡°Keep practicing this one.¡±


    ¡°Keep practicing this one?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Old Kui said, ¡°first practice it a hundred times, feel it out.¡±


    ¡°Feel out what exactly?¡± Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Even if I told you, you wouldn¡¯t understand. After a hundred repetitions, you¡¯ll begin to grasp it,¡± Old Kui replied.


    Mo Hua was a little confused.


    Old Kui added, ¡°It¡¯s like with your Formation practice, practice leads to perfection. With more practice, certain things become clear intuitively, but such things are difficult to convey with words.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded, understanding a bit more.


    ¡°Can I practice here?¡±


    Mo Hua asked a bit sheepishly.


    He certainly couldn¡¯t practice at home; what if he accidentally set the place on fire with the Fireball Technique?


    Practicing alone in the mountains and forests was also somewhat dangerous.


    ¡°It¡¯s no bother,¡± Old Kui said indifferently.


    Mo Hua hesitated a little, ¡°But what if I damage the pond or these flowers and plants, is that okay?¡±


    Old Kui glanced at Mo Hua with composure and then with a gentle wave of his sleeve.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t even know what happened, he just noticed in the blink of an eye, the water stains by the pond had vanished, the charred vegetation was restored, and the fish leisurely resumed their swimming.


    As if nothing that had just taken place had ever happened, as if Mo Hua had never used that Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua stood rooted to the spot.


    ¡°It¡¯s no bother,¡± Old Kui said lightly.


    In the following days, Mo Hua kept running over to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s place.


    If Mr. Zhuang was awake, he would greet him and seek answers to some questions; if Mr. Zhuang was asleep, that was the perfect chance to go practice the Fireball Technique beside the pond, next to the bamboo grove.


    The underlying principles of the Fireball Technique were already clear to Mo Hua, and after practicing for several days, he was getting the hang of using it.


    However, the power of the Fireball Technique, the speed of casting, and the accuracy of the strike varied slightly each time.


    These indeed, as Old Kui had said, required personal practice and gradual understanding to master completely; they were hard to put into words.


    In these days, Mo Hua had been practicing the Fireball Technique by the pond.


    Splash after splash as fireballs exploded in the pond, disrupting the placid waters and causing vegetation to scatter in all directions, the fish at the bottom in panic.


    Fortunately, every day after Mo Hua left, Old Kui would restore the pond.


    Otherwise, Mo Hua would have already blown the pond dry¡­


    On this particular day, as Mo Hua practiced his Fireball Technique by the pond, he saw a little head sneakily peeking over from afar.


    ¡°Bai Zisheng?¡±


    Upon seeing that only Mo Hua was there, Bai Zisheng stealthily ran over, asking curiously, ¡°What are you playing with?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a game, I am practicing a spell,¡± Mo Hua corrected.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°You¡¯re learning a spell? Which one? Show me!¡±


    Mo Hua set off another Fireball Technique into the pond.


    With a thunderous boom, water splashed every which way.


    After watching, Bai Zisheng¡¯s excitement faded a bit, and he said dismissively:


    ¡°It¡¯s just the Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t have it, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Fireball Technique?¡±


    Bai Zisheng consoled, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I guess. I thought you had learned something more powerful.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like¡­ oh, right, you have low Spiritual Power, even if you learned it, you couldn¡¯t use it,¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    Mo Hua gave him a disdainful look and said coolly, ¡°Have you finished your homework?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Bai Zisheng¡¯s spirits instantly sank, ¡°I heard noises coming from here, so I sneaked over. I¡¯ll have to go back soon.¡±


    Bai Zisheng went on to ask, ¡°Won¡¯t your practicing the Fireball Technique disturb Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I asked Grandpa Gui, he said it wouldn¡¯t. Mr. Zhuang¡¯s place is far away, very quiet.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded and looked at Mo Hua enviously, ¡°Mr. Zhuang is really good to you¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang is also pretty nice to you all, and you and Mr. Zhuang, you have some connections, right?¡± Mo Hua asked with puzzlement.


    Bai Zisheng waved his hand, ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡± He thought for a moment but did not elaborate further.


    He and Zixi held Mr. Zhuang in great awe, and even though they would go to him with questions on regular days, they generally would not disturb the gentleman unnecessarily.


    Like Mo Hua, who would seek the gentleman¡¯s guidance whenever he encountered a problem, even going as far as to use the Fireball Technique to blow up a pond in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s courtyard¡ªthey would not dare to do such a thing.


    ¡°Are you trying to scheme against the gentleman, feeling guilty, and hence you are afraid of the gentleman?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Bai Zisheng with suspicion.


    Bai Zisheng curled his lip, ¡°I would need the ability to do that first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng curiously asked, ¡°Did Old Kui teach you this Fireball Technique?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did Old Kui only teach you the Fireball Technique?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, what¡¯s suitable is the best.¡±


    Mo Hua said, imitating Old Kui¡¯s experienced manner.


    Bai Zisheng thought about it and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Mo Hua asked in return, ¡°Is Grandpa Gui really that powerful?¡±


    ¡°He should be,¡± Bai Zisheng said, uncertain.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know either.¡±


    Bai Zisheng gave an awkward smile.


    Mo Hua then hurried him, ¡°You better go do your studies, don¡¯t disturb me from practicing spells.¡±


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t really want to leave, studying was too tedious.


    ¡°You practice, I can give you some pointers.¡±


    ¡°What can you point out? You don¡¯t know spells,¡± said Mo Hua, taken aback.


    Bai Zisheng said, displeased, ¡°Haven¡¯t eaten pork, but haven¡¯t seen a pig run either? Although I practice martial arts, I still know some powerful spells.¡±


    That was indeed the case; the Bai Family had a rich heritage of knowledge.


    ¡°Use the Fireball Technique again for me to see,¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua used the Fireball Technique again.


    The pond got blown up once more.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ the power seems a bit small,¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    ¡°Is it because my Spiritual Power is too weak?¡±


    ¡°Not entirely. The strength of a spell is related to your proficiency with it, the more adept you are at using the spell, the greater its power will be. Master a spell to perfection, and even if the consumed Spiritual Power remains the same, its strength will still increase,¡± Bai Zisheng explained patiently.


    Mo Hua nodded continuously, ¡°Then what specifically does this proficiency entail?¡±


    ¡°Do you have the Meridian Chart for the Fireball Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua opened the Meridian Chart for the Fireball Technique.


    Bai Zisheng pointed at the chart and said:


    ¡°Simply put, it¡¯s about the precision when your Spiritual Power follows these meridians and acupoints. If every time your Spiritual Power circulates exactly through these channels and points, then undoubtedly the power of the spell will greatly increase.¡±


    ¡°Of course, absolute precision is nearly impossible, humans after all, are not puppets, it¡¯s unrealistic to be perfect every time, close enough will do,¡± Bai Zisheng further explained.


    Mo Hua had an epiphany and asked Bai Zisheng several more questions.


    Bai Zisheng was thrilled to show off in front of Mo Hua for once and eagerly gave guidance for quite some time.


    Suddenly, a paper ball flew over from nowhere, striking Bai Zisheng right on the head.


    Mo Hua picked up the paper ball, unfolded it, and saw that it was a simple sketch of a small face drawn with a brush.


    The face had simple lines, just a few strokes and two dots, and it seemed somewhat displeased.


    Bai Zisheng, holding his head, saw the note and exclaimed:


    ¡°It¡¯s over, Zixi is angry. I told her I was coming to play with you for a while, but I inadvertently stayed too long.¡±


    Bai Zisheng hurriedly stood up, dropping a ¡°Practice more by yourself,¡± before he ran off quickly.


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Afterward, Mo Hua practiced with precise control of Spiritual Power as Bai Zisheng had said, and sure enough, the Fireball Technique became a bit more powerful.


    Once Mo Hua had practiced a hundred times, he had managed to use the Fireball Technique rather proficiently.


    Mo Hua then went looking for Old Kui, ¡°Grandpa Gui, I¡¯ve practiced it a hundred times!¡±


    Old Kui nodded, ¡°Have you got it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Old Kui gave a nod of approval, ¡°Now I will start teaching you properly.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°Haven¡¯t you already taught me?¡±


    Old Kui said indifferently:


    ¡°I haven¡¯t started teaching yet. What¡¯s there to teach about the Fireball Technique.¡±

 Chapter 114 - 114 Divine Sense_1

    Chapter 114: Chapter 114 Divine Sense_1


    ¡°What¡¯s there to teach about the Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    After spending four or five days and practicing the Fireball Technique a hundred times, Mo Hua was stunned.


    He thought he had almost learned it, but Old Kui¡¯s words implied that he actually hadn¡¯t learned anything at all¡­


    ¡°Grandpa Gui, then what other spells will you teach me?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat expectant.


    ¡°No need to teach spells, the Fireball Technique is enough,¡± Old Kui said.


    Completely baffled, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Then what are you teaching me?¡±


    Old Kui did not answer but asked a question instead:


    ¡°The first key point of using a spell is what?¡±


    ¡°You learn the spell first?¡± Mo Hua ventured.


    ¡°That¡¯s the foundation, not the key point. The first key point is that you must hit your enemy. No matter how powerful a spell is, if it doesn¡¯t hit the enemy, it might as well not exist; learning it is a waste of time,¡± Old Kui said. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua suddenly realized but also felt that this was somewhat self-evident.


    ¡°If you want to hit someone with a spell, what is it that you rely on?¡± Old Kui continued.


    ¡°Divine Sense,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Mo Hua said:


    ¡°The execution of a spell relies on Divine Sense, casting depends on Divine Sense, and after a spell is cast, its trajectory is controlled by Divine Sense too. Hence, if a spell is to hit someone, it relies on Divine Sense as well.¡±


    Old Kui nodded in agreement, ¡°The world in Divine Sense is different from the world seen with the naked eye. You know that, right?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The world seen with the naked eye has clear outlines and a wealth of delicate colors.


    However, when a Cultivator releases their Divine Sense, what they perceive is a void of whiteness, where the objects lose their concrete outlines and only the states of Spiritual Power remain.


    In other words, the world in a Cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense is like a blank piece of paper with colorful daubs of Spiritual Power.


    What Divine Sense perceives is not the specific appearance of objects, but rather the more essential state of Spiritual Power in those objects.


    Old Kui continued, ¡°If a spell requires the guidance of Divine Sense, then to hit the target, the Divine Sense must ¡®see¡¯ it first.¡±


    ¡°Then, Grandpa Gui, can¡¯t we use our eyes to see?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Eyes are too easily deceived. It¡¯s very foolish for Cultivators to rely only on sight,¡± Old Kui said.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    With a casual pinch, Old Kui had a narrow, jade-green bamboo leaf falling between his fingers.


    ¡°From thirty feet away, hit this bamboo leaf with the Fireball Technique.¡±


    Mo Hua worried that the Fireball Technique might harm Old Kui, but considering the gap in their Cultivation, he tactfully kept his concerns to himself.


    His Fireball Technique probably wouldn¡¯t even be enough to warm Old Kui¡¯s hands¡­


    Mo Hua stepped back thirty feet, released his Divine Sense, and in the world of Divine Sense, everything was a void of whiteness. The bamboo leaf floated in midair, showing a faint green Spiritual Power shadow.


    But in this world of whiteness, Old Kui¡¯s figure was absent.


    Mo Hua knew this was because of their great disparity in Divine Sense.


    The weaker one¡¯s Divine Sense, the less able they are to glimpse a Cultivator with powerful Divine Sense.


    ¡°Grandpa Gui, here I come.¡±


    After Mo Hua spoke, he activated the Fireball Technique, targeting the Spiritual Power shadow of the bamboo leaf in his Divine Sense.


    The Fireball Technique hit the bamboo leaf, burning that piece of jade-green into ash, yet Old Kui, who was pinching the leaf, remained wholly unharmed.


    Old Kui flicked his fingers and grasped another bamboo leaf.


    This time he loosened his grip, and the leaf between his fingers began to drift, floating and dancing in the air with the wind.


    ¡°Hit this one with the Fireball Technique.¡±


    Mo Hua found this challenging, but still he focused intently, following the trajectory of the leaf with his Divine Sense, and then cast the Fireball Technique.


    The Fireball flew into the air, barely missing the leaf without hitting it.


    ¡°Do you know why you didn¡¯t hit it?¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head, ¡°Is the leaf flying too fast?¡±


    With a casual wave of his hand, Old Kui conjured a gust of wind within the room, the wind sweeping up several bamboo leaves and whirling them through the air at high speed.


    Old Kui flicked his fingertips, launching a spark, which then soared upwards, chasing after the leaves in the air.


    No matter how the bamboo leaves danced, they were eventually caught up by the sparks, pierced one by one, and turned to ashes.


    Mo Hua was dumbstruck.


    ¡°This is the first thing I¡¯m teaching you,¡± Old Kui said, looking at Mo Hua, slowly adding:


    ¡°Divine Sense Locking.¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense Locking¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered, not understanding what it was, but feeling an inexplicable shock in his heart.


    ¡°Divine Sense Locking means locking onto your enemy with your Divine Sense. This way, no matter how they dodge, they cannot escape the tracking of the spell,¡± Old Kui said.


    ¡°So if you lock on with Divine Sense, will you definitely hit the target?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Unless the opponent¡¯s movement technique is so fast that it surpasses your spell, or they defend with another spell or a Spiritual Artifact, otherwise they can¡¯t escape.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua said, a bit excited, then asked, ¡°How do I use Divine Sense Locking?¡±


    ¡°Release your Divine Sense, discern the state of the enemy¡¯s Spiritual Power, and once your Divine Sense adheres to it, you will be able to lock onto their position.¡±


    Old Kui explained it briefly, then added:


    ¡°It sounds complicated, but once you practice it a few times, you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    After Old Kui had finished speaking, he pinched a bamboo leaf with his fingers, ¡°Try locking onto this.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, did as Old Kui had instructed, released his Divine Sense, and discerned the bamboo leaf¡¯s Spiritual Power state. Afterward, he naturally felt a sense of ¡°insightful locking.¡±


    It was like Drawing Formation; once you understood the Formation Patterns, the entire Formation seemed to be imprinted in your mind.


    Mo Hua locked onto the bamboo leaf with his Divine Sense.


    Old Kui watched Mo Hua, his gaze intensifying.


    He¡¯s learning this quickly¡­


    ¡°Is it because his Divine Sense is too strong?¡± Old Kui quietly thought to himself.


    After a moment of silence, Old Kui¡¯s fingers loosened, and the bamboo leaf danced into the air.


    Mo Hua closed his eyes, focused his energy, and a pale red Fireball formed between his fingers. He sent it flying into the air, following the trajectory he envisioned, and it struck the dancing bamboo leaf, reducing it to ashes.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes and smiled happily.


    Old Kui nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve learned well.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Gui, you teach so well!¡±


    Old Kui neither agreed nor disagreed.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°What if I can¡¯t lock onto my opponent with Divine Sense? What¡¯s the best thing to do?¡±


    ¡°The best course of action,¡± Old Kui looked at Mo Hua and said, ¡°is to run.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and then understood.


    If you can¡¯t lock on with Divine Sense, it means the opponent¡¯s Divine Sense is far stronger than yours, and naturally, their Cultivation is also far beyond yours. Not running equates to waiting for death, and engaging is akin to seeking death.


    ¡°If you really can¡¯t run, or if there¡¯s no escape, you¡¯ll have to rely on your eyesight or guess based on intuition,¡± Old Kui said.


    So, it¡¯s leaving it up to fate then¡­


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    ¡°How can I prevent being locked onto with Divine Sense by an opponent?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    ¡°If your Divine Sense is stronger than your opponent¡¯s, they will find it difficult to lock onto you. If your Divine Sense is far stronger than the opponent¡¯s, then they cannot lock onto you at all.¡±


    Mo Hua thought it over for a moment and understood.


    The stronger your Divine Sense, the harder it¡¯s for the opponent¡¯s Divine Sense to detect you; consequently, it becomes harder for them to lock onto you.


    If your Divine Sense is so strong that the opponent can¡¯t detect you, then naturally, they can¡¯t lock onto you.


    ¡°In magical combat, there are also techniques for using Divine Sense, but I can¡¯t teach that. You will have to comprehend it on your own when you face other Cultivators in battle,¡± Old Kui said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you teach me even a little?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Old Kui explained, ¡°Divine Sense is different from Spiritual Power. Spiritual Power has a traceable path while Divine Sense is ethereal. Cultivators can use meridians and acupoints to locate Spiritual Power, but can¡¯t define Divine Sense in the same way.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, how to use Divine Sense is something you must experience and comprehend yourself. If I were to explain it, you wouldn¡¯t understand. Even if you did, it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be able to use it properly¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, making sure to remember everything Old Kui said seriously.


    Even though he didn¡¯t fully understand now, he was certain it would be useful in the future.


    Old Kui continued, ¡°However, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. Generally speaking, among Cultivators of the same major realm, the difference in Divine Sense is not big enough to completely prevent an opponent from locking on¡­¡±


    Old Kui stopped speaking there and glanced at Mo Hua, his gaze becoming more focused.


    Generally speaking, that¡¯s the case¡­

 Chapter 115 - 115: The Fastest_1

    Chapter 115: Chapter 115: The Fastest_1


    Generally speaking, cultivators at the same realm, their Divine Sense wouldn¡¯t differ so much as to make it impossible for an opponent to lock on.


    But strictly speaking, Mo Hua doesn¡¯t count as an ¡°ordinary¡± cultivator, at least not when it comes to Divine Sense.


    If his Divine Sense keeps growing like this, whether it can be locked on by someone else¡¯s Divine Sense is hard to say¡­


    Old Kui didn¡¯t show it outwardly, but ripples stirred in his heart.


    Mo Hua then remembered another question and asked, ¡°Grandpa Gui, does every cultivator know how to lock on with Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone.¡±


    Old Kui came back to his senses and replied indifferently, ¡°Of the cultivators I have seen, seven out of ten don¡¯t know how, more than two out of ten know but are not adept, and less than one out of ten can use it exquisitely.¡±


    Mo Hua said with some confusion, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem difficult, why don¡¯t more than seventy percent of cultivators know how to do it?¡±


    At least when he used it, he didn¡¯t find it difficult.


    Old Kui silently gave him a glance, feeling that Mo Hua at this moment bore some resemblance to Mr. Zhuang.


    Not all cultivators have such strong Divine Sense, nor are all cultivators adept at using it.


    It really is ¡°like teacher, like student,¡± isn¡¯t it? This kid Mo Hua has been led astray a bit too¡­


    Old Kui sighed inwardly and then said:


    ¡°The reason seventy percent of cultivators can¡¯t lock on with Divine Sense, half is due to lack of proper teachings, unable to get the method right. The other half is because even if they learn, they fail to grasp it¡­¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense is intangible, like antelope horns, leaving no trace. Therefore, it¡¯s not easy to teach, nor easy to learn. Mere verbal instruction is hard to understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded, not fully comprehending.


    ¡°But,¡± Mo Hua hesitated, then asked, ¡°even if a spell hits, Fireball Technique isn¡¯t very powerful, so it¡¯s not much of a threat, right?¡±


    Old Kui didn¡¯t answer directly but instead asked, ¡°How much Spiritual Power is needed to kill a cultivator?¡±


    Mo Hua shivered inside and shook his head.


    He hadn¡¯t killed anyone before, how would he know¡­


    Old Kui said, ¡°Some cultivators can kill with the Spiritual Power of ten cycles, while others can¡¯t kill even with a hundred cycles of Spiritual Power.¡±


    Spiritual Power circulates once through the Twelve regular meridians to complete one cycle. Regardless of the cultivator¡¯s age or physique, the variance in Spiritual Power for one cycle isn¡¯t significant.


    Hence, cultivators commonly use ¡°Cycles¡± to measure the abundance of Spiritual Power.


    The more Cycles there are, the greater the Spiritual Power and the stronger the Spells one can cast.


    ¡°Is it because cultivators have vital points?¡±


    Old Kui nodded and said, ¡°The Baihui, Shenting, Heart Meridian, Dantian, and other parts are vital points for cultivators. If hit by a spell without any protection, one would either be seriously injured or dead.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°That means, if you hit the vital points, even if the spell itself isn¡¯t particularly powerful, it could still cause greater damage. If it hits areas that don¡¯t matter much, even a powerful spell might not be fatal.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a while, then suddenly realized and said:


    ¡°So Divine Sense locking is very important; only with a powerful Divine Sense and precise locking can spells more easily hit vital points. Is that correct, Grandpa Gui?¡±


    Old Kui nodded.


    Mo Hua was somewhat excited. With this, even if his Spiritual Power wasn¡¯t strong, his spells could still be quite threatening.


    But Old Kui poured cold water on him by saying, ¡°That¡¯s the theory, but it¡¯s of no use in real combat.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Mo Hua was stunned.


    ¡°Anyone with sense would protect their vital points. If you aim for them, even if it¡¯s not blocked by armored Taoist Robes, it will be deflected by the cultivator¡¯s arms or hands,¡± Old Kui explained.


    Mo Hua was confused again, ¡°Then what should I do?¡±


    ¡°You should know the vital points of a cultivator; occasional sneaky attacks might work, but in face-to-face combat, it¡¯s not reliable.¡±


    Old Kui said, ¡°As a Spiritual Cultivator who excels in casting spells, the most important thing is to know how to use spells.¡±


    ¡°How should they be used?¡±


    Old Kui nodded and continued, ¡°Casting a spell takes time.¡±


    Mo Hua still didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Old Kui explained, ¡°When a cultivator casts a spell, it requires the circulation of Spiritual Power, this time varies from one breath to ten breaths¡­¡±


    ¡°The higher the grade of the spell, the more spiritual power it invokes, and the greater its power, the longer it takes to cast. Some extremely powerful spells can even take several hours to cast.¡±


    ¡°Conversely, although spells of lower grade invoke less spiritual power and have lesser strength, the time it takes to cast them is also shorter¡­.¡±


    Old Kui looked at Mo Hua and said slowly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up slightly.


    ¡°Therefore, when a Spiritual Cultivator faces an enemy, they either anticipate the enemy¡¯s movements, casting spells in advance with powerful spells to strike them dead in one blow or¡­.¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze sharpened as he said, ¡°they take the initiative to suppress the enemy with simple yet sharp spells, giving the enemy no chance to breathe¡­.¡±


    An epiphany struck Mo Hua.


    Since he himself had a low-grade Spiritual Root and weak spiritual power, he couldn¡¯t learn those high-grade spells that were powerful but also consumed a great deal of spiritual power.


    He would have to forge his own path, learning spells like the Fireball Technique that were not very powerful but could be executed quickly to gain the upper hand.


    However, there was still one problem.


    ¡°Can a spell with small power really suppress the enemy?¡± Mo Hua asked. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Body Cultivators break their opponent¡¯s moves, Spiritual Cultivators break their opponent¡¯s spells, if the enemy cannot attack, they can naturally only be suppressed.¡±


    Old Kui continued, ¡°Body Cultivators are also human, once struck by your spell, they will naturally suffer pain. If their will isn¡¯t strong, their attack momentum will surely be broken¡­.¡±


    ¡°If you encounter someone who trades blow for blow, life for life, you can aim for their joints or vital points. In doing so, they will have to think twice before engaging with you. Once they hesitate, they dare not risk their life recklessly anymore¡­.¡±


    Mo Hua had never imagined that there were so many intricacies in the use of spells, and for a moment it was like receiving an enlightening blow to the head; the look he gave Old Kui was full of admiration.


    Old Kui¡¯s expression remained calm, but felt a slight sense of satisfaction in his heart, as still as an ancient well, from being looked at with such reverence.


    He thought to himself that Mr. Zhuang was right, teaching a disciple when one had time could also be considered a pleasant pastime.


    ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded continuously.


    Old Kui gave further guidance:


    ¡°Although there are many spells in the world, the principles are largely the same. Every spell has weaknesses, but every spell also has its strengths. What a Cultivator needs to do is to play to their strengths and avoid weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°Conversely, while every spell has its strengths, they also inevitably have weaknesses. Your task is to identify those weaknesses and use them to break the spell.¡±


    ¡°There is a myriad of Taoist Skills, each with its strengths and shortcomings; the art of their use lies within the heart.¡±


    The usually taciturn Old Kui, when talking about spells, spoke unceasingly, and his words were like pearls.


    ¡°These truths might not be of use to you now, but Tao Cultivation is a long journey, and these might come in handy one day,¡± said Old Kui.


    Mo Hua listened attentively, committing every word to heart, and then bowed to Old Kui, saying,


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Grandpa Gui. I will remember everything!¡±


    Old Kui nodded his head.


    Mo Hua thought back carefully to Old Kui¡¯s words and then considered another practical problem.


    He could currently only cast one Fireball Technique.


    The things that Old Kui mentioned, like ¡°seize the initiative, suppress with spells, play to strengths, and break enemy spells,¡± seemed a bit beyond him.


    After all, he only knew one Fireball Technique¡­.


    ¡°So what should I do now?¡± Mo Hua scratched his head again.


    ¡°Practice the Fireball Technique.¡±


    Old Kui gave a simple and unadorned answer.


    ¡°Practice until when?¡±


    ¡°Keep practicing, the more accurate the better, the faster the better.¡±


    Old Kui looked at Mo Hua with profound eyes, ¡°You only need to remember one phrase¡­.¡±


    ¡°In the world of spells, only speed is unbeatable!¡±

 Chapter 116 - 116 Spiritual Ink (Fifth Release)_1

    Chapter 116: Chapter 116 Spiritual Ink (Fifth Release)_1


    All spells in the world rely on speed, for only speed is unbeatable!


    Mo Hua etched this principle deep into his heart.


    ¡°So Grandpa Gui, what spell should I learn next?¡± Mo Hua asked Old Kui again.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly rely on the Fireball Technique for his entire life¡­


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s response was just as casual.


    ¡°Does that mean as long as I understand the principles, it doesn¡¯t matter what I learn¡­¡±


    This was the only way Mo Hua could interpret it.


    Old Kui had reverted to his taciturn and reticent self, so Mo Hua felt it improper to inquire further and decided to practice his Fireball Technique instead.


    Afterward, Mo Hua would practice the Fireball Technique whenever he had time.


    He remembered Old Kui¡¯s words, to practice until his aim was as accurate and his casting as quick as possible!


    Now, with Water Passing Step to protect himself and Fireball Technique for offense, he could be considered to have a basic level of defense and self-preservation.


    As for learning other spells, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t in a rush anymore, especially since there was no immediate need for more. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua then redirected his focus to Formation.


    At the fifth level of Qi Refinement, Mo Hua could now draw eight Formation Patterns, but he estimated that within his current realm, it was impossible to draw nine Formation Patterns.


    Just as Mr. Zhuang had said, Divine Sense had its limits.


    Every night, Mo Hua continued to practice Formation at the Taoist Stele to enhance his Divine Sense, but he clearly felt that the growth of his Divine Sense was minute, almost as if he had reached a bottleneck, with his Sea of Consciousness already brimming.


    Given the circumstances, there was nothing to do but wait for a breakthrough in realm to attempt drawing a Formation with nine Patterns.


    Nine Formation Patterns¡­


    Mo Hua frowned and thought about it, then suddenly was taken aback.


    Nine Formation Patterns ¡ª wasn¡¯t that the mark of a First-grade Formation Master?


    Was he, unknowingly, on the verge of becoming a First-grade Formation Master?!


    Mo Hua was quietly shaken.


    Although he still needed the Taoist Court¡¯s assessment and an available First-grade Formation Master position, being able to draw a nine-pattern Formation meant one foot was already over the threshold of a First-grade Formation Master!


    Mo Hua felt a surge of emotion, ¡°Mr. Zhuang was right, as long as one is completely devoted to drawing Formations, constantly drawing without distraction, one will eventually become a First-grade Formation Master.¡±


    The simplest methods are often the most straightforward!


    Mo Hua wanted to boast a little, but remembering Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teachings to remain humble and composed, he reined in his thoughts and calmed his mind.


    The path of Tao Cultivation is lengthy, and a momentary achievement is nothing significant.


    Only by remaining humble and undiscouraged one can reach for the Longevity Road.


    If he were to boast, it would have to wait until he could draw nine Formation Patterns and become a First-grade Formation Master!


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    However, there was a problem with his Spiritual Ink¡­


    To learn the Formation with nine Patterns and become a First-grade Formation Master, not only did he need to practice on the Taoist Stele, but he also had to paint on Formation Paper and other various Formation media.


    It was important not just to learn, but to apply what he learned to deeply comprehend Formation.


    Moreover, the Cultivation Technique Mo Hua was practicing, the Heaven Yan Jue, had its bottleneck in the Mystery Formation; without unraveling the Mystery Formation, he couldn¡¯t break through the bottleneck and ascend in realm.


    Unraveling the Mystery Formation depended on the experience with Formations; to do so, he needed to observe and practice a multitude of Formations.


    Whether it was to become a First-grade Formation Master or to solve the Mystery Formation, Mo Hua needed to learn and practice an extensive array of Formations.


    Which meant, he required a significant amount of Spiritual Ink¡­


    A regular Formation Master wouldn¡¯t need so much Spiritual Ink because their Divine Sense, limited as it was, didn¡¯t allow them to draw many Formations in a day, whether learning or trading.


    But Mo Hua was different.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was considerably higher than that of his peers at the same realm, and with the Taoist Stele, it continued to grow stronger.


    Owing to the Heaven Yan Jue, his Formation drawing was much faster than others, and coupled with the secret technique taught by Mr. Zhuang ¡ª the Meditation Technique ¡ª his Divine Sense recovered quickly.


    So Mo Hua would paint from dawn to dusk without rest, able to complete nearly ten Formation Paintings in a day.


    That¡¯s several times more than other Formation Masters of the same level.


    As a result, Mo Hua used Spiritual Ink like running water.


    Elder Yu would occasionally have someone bring some Spiritual Ink for Mo Hua.


    In Elder Yu¡¯s opinion, since Mo Hua was young and his Divine Sense was not stable enough, the Spiritual Ink he provided should have been adequate for Mo Hua¡¯s use.


    But in reality, it was far from enough for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was somewhat worried but had no good solutions, which led him to a question:


    ¡°How exactly is Spiritual Ink concocted?¡±


    Mo Hua thought about asking Mr. Zhuang for advice, but since the question wasn¡¯t too profound, he didn¡¯t want to disturb the gentleman¡¯s seclusion. So he went to ask Bai Zisheng instead.


    Bai Zisheng sat under a big pagoda tree, his face twisted in pain as he worked on his studies.


    Mo Hua glanced at the book, which was ¡°Alchemy Temperature Control and Pill Quality Analysis¡±.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand¡­


    He indeed wasn¡¯t skilled at Alchemy, but he was fairly clear about the Formation Patterns inside an Alchemy Furnace.


    After all, he had once helped Old Mr. Feng repair the water and wood controlling Spirit Formation inside an Alchemy Furnace.


    Bai Zisheng closed his book and lay down on the ground, stiff as a salted fish and motionless.


    ¡°Zisheng, I have a question for you.¡±


    Bai Zisheng spoke wearily, ¡°This book has given me a headache, ask Zixi instead, let me rest for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua turned his head to look at Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi had just closed her book as well, her eyes like autumn waters looking at Mo Hua.


    ¡°Do you have a moment?¡± Mo Hua asked quietly.


    Bai Zixi nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua pondered his words and asked, ¡°How is the Spiritual Ink used for Formations concocted?¡±


    ¡°With Monster Blood, Spiritual Liquid, Spirit Grass, or Spiritual Mines,¡± said Bai Zixi succinctly, her voice clear and melodious.


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand, ¡°Is there something more specific?¡±


    Just knowing these materials, Mo Hua still had no clue how to concoct them¡­


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Bai Zixi opened a snow-white Storage Bag embroidered with elegant pale golden phoenix patterns and rummaged through it to take out a book.


    Mo Hua looked at Bai Zixi¡¯s refined yet exquisite Storage Bag with curiosity.


    He wondered what was stored inside, as it seemed to contain all sorts of books.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s fair and delicate hands held the book and handed it over to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua took it and flipped through it.


    The cover of the book read ¡°First-grade Spirit Ink Record,¡± which documented the Spiritual Ink commonly used for first-grade and lower formations, including the types of ink, recipes, and specific concocting techniques.


    There was also a line of text on the cover: ¡°Bai Family clan collection, not to be disseminated.¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but glance at Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi said mildly, ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not top-secret.¡±


    Mo Hua felt relieved and continued to browse through it.


    The methods for concocting First-grade Spiritual Ink were relatively simple, mostly using Monster Blood as the base, mixed with a certain proportion of Spirit Stone powder and diluted Spiritual Liquid, or the juice of some Spirit Grass, to neutralize the aggressiveness of the Monster Blood and stimulate its efficacy, blending the ink with spiritual energy.


    Spiritual Liquid and Spirit Grass were not used extensively, so it was not too troublesome; the most challenging part was actually obtaining the Monster Blood.


    The Monster Blood used for concocting Spiritual Ink had to be drawn from the Monster Beasts while they were still alive, or within the time span of a cup of tea after their death.


    Once a Monster Beast died, if too much time passed, its blood would either cool and dim, losing much of its efficacy, or completely solidify, making it unusable for Spiritual Ink.


    Moreover, drawing the Monster Blood also required a special secret technique to guide the blood from the Monster Beasts¡¯ vessels, bit by bit, into a specially made jade bottle for preservation to prevent the blood from solidifying.


    This special spell for drawing Monster Blood was known as the Blood Drawing Art.

 Chapter 117 - 117: Blood Drawing_1

    Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Blood Drawing_1


    Blood Drawing Art?


    Mo Hua was startled for a moment, then asked Bai Zixi, ¡°Is the Blood Drawing Art difficult to learn¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to learn, but it¡¯s hard to use.¡±


    ¡°Blood Drawing Art is a simplified Divine Sense Manipulation that can attract Monster Blood with Divine Sense. Divine Sense Manipulation is an ability of Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Although Qi Refinement Cultivators can barely use it, they can¡¯t do it remotely, and it also consumes a lot of Divine Sense,¡± explained Bai Zixi.


    If it was only a matter of Divine Sense consumption, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t afraid. After all, neither his Spiritual Root nor his Body Refinement were anything to write home about¡ªhe only had a bit of an advantage in Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua looked at Bai Zixi with his pair of glossy black, spirited eyes, full of expectation.


    Bai Zixi understood, sighed lightly, and then took out a book from the Phoenix Pattern Storage Bag.


    On the book cover was written ¡°Blood Drawing Art¡±.


    ¡°Blood Drawing is quite arduous and drains a lot of Divine Sense. Most cultivators wouldn¡¯t bother to learn it. Be careful,¡± Bai Zixi said.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Mo Hua replied happily.


    Then, he took out a rosewood food box from his own Storage Bag. Inside the box were several pieces of Emerald Cake and a pot of pear blossom brew.


    The Emerald Cake was sweet, the pear blossom brew was refreshingly sweet; mixed together, they emitted a rich fragrance.


    ¡°My mom just made this, try some,¡± he said.


    Bai Zixi was taken aback for a moment, his lips curved slightly upwards, and without being polite to Mo Hua, he delicately picked up a piece of Emerald Cake and nibbled on it.


    Perhaps because it tasted good, his clear eyes slightly narrowed.


    Bai Zisheng smelled the aroma and abruptly sat up, sniffed a few times, and looked toward Mo Hua:


    ¡°What about mine?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you suffering from a headache?¡± Mo Hua replied. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone now,¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    ¡°You should rest a bit more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll rest after I eat.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head and also took out a dish of beef for him.


    ¡°This was cooked with a spicy seasoning; it will taste even hotter.¡±


    Bai Zisheng picked up several slices of meat and stuffed them into his mouth all at once, immediately huffed, ¡°So spicy!¡±


    After chewing a few bites, he nodded, ¡°Tasty!¡±


    While saying it was spicy yet delicious, Bai Zisheng quickly finished the plate of beef. Only then did he say,


    ¡°What did you want to ask just now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished asking.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just eat your food for free. Think of something else to ask!¡± Bai Zisheng insisted.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then asked,


    ¡°The Blood Drawing Art is a simplified Divine Sense Manipulation¡­ So, what exactly is Divine Sense Manipulation?¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked puzzled, ¡°You don¡¯t know about Divine Sense Manipulation? Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage all know it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Qi Refinement Cultivator, wouldn¡¯t it be normal for me not to know the abilities of those at the Foundation Establishment Stage?¡± said Mo Hua.


    Unable to find a rebuttal, Bai Zisheng nodded and explained,


    ¡°Divine Sense Manipulation is essentially using Divine Sense to remotely control objects, like these small stone tables and stools. You can move them with your Divine Sense from a distance.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like such a big deal¡­¡±


    ¡°How could it not be a big deal?¡± snorted Bai Zisheng, ¡°Controlling tables and stools might not be, but you can control swords! Just think, Divine Sense Sword Control! From far away, with a thought of Divine Thought, a sword flies out and kills the enemy miles away! Isn¡¯t that impressive?¡±


    ¡°Really, miles away?¡±


    Bai Zisheng gave him a look of exasperation, ¡°Are you just arguing for the sake of arguing?¡±


    ¡°A Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage couldn¡¯t possibly project their Divine Sense miles away, could they?¡± Mo Hua said pragmatically.


    Bai Zisheng had to admit, ¡°Well¡­ being capable of ten or a hundred miles is already quite good.¡±


    Mo Hua had an expression of ¡°just as I thought.¡±


    ¡°Tao Cultivation must be rigorous. A miss by a millimeter is as good as a kilometer. If you don¡¯t calculate precisely, you could very easily lose your life in a duel,¡± said Mo Hua with a serious face.


    Bai Zisheng: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, your thousand-mile Sword Control is nearly ten to a hundred times off from the actual situation. With such a huge discrepancy, if you were to really fight, you¡¯d definitely be done for!¡± Mo Hua added.


    Bai Zisheng helplessly said, ¡°Divine Sense Manipulation with a sword, aren¡¯t you excited?¡±


    ¡°Sword Weapons are so expensive, I can¡¯t afford them, what¡¯s the use of being excited¡­¡± Mo Hua pragmatically said.


    Bai Zisheng: ¡°¡­¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua asked Bai Zisheng, ¡°You practice Body Cultivation, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Do Body Cultivators also control swords?¡±


    ¡°Generally¡­ they do not control swords.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t control swords either, what are you excited about?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng took a deep breath, a sense of powerlessness welling up in his heart.


    He lay down on the ground, looking up at Mo Hua and said earnestly,


    ¡°Mo Hua, someday, someone in this world will be talked to death by you!¡±


    Mo Hua looked confused, ¡°How could that be? After all, everyone is a Cultivator with a tough Taoist Heart. How could someone be talked to death by a few words?¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, there will be!¡± Bai Zisheng declared confidently.


    After parting with the Bai siblings, Mo Hua returned home and started to learn the Blood Drawing Art.


    The Blood Drawing Art wasn¡¯t so much a Spell, nor could it truly be counted as a secret technique. It was more akin to a Tao Cultivation Skill like herb picking, mining, or Spirit Plant cultivation.


    Some Cultivators relied on this skill to extract the fresh Monster Blood, selling it to merchants or other Cultivators who needed Monster Blood.


    The process of Blood Drawing was not difficult, but it was burdensome on the Divine Sense and also rather laborious.


    Blood-Drawing Cultivators were similar to those who toiled at the Spiritual Transport Wharf, moving goods through Body Cultivation, except these used their physical strength to move goods, whereas Blood Drawing employed Divine Sense to transport Monster Blood.


    Physical strength could recover quickly, but Divine Sense did not, so the amount of Monster Blood that could be extracted by a Cultivator each day was limited, leading to modest profits. At least near Tongxian City, there weren¡¯t many Cultivators proficient in the Blood Drawing Art.


    Mo Hua guessed that some Cultivators in various state boundaries could extract large amounts of Monster Blood and make a living by doing so; otherwise, due to its rarity, the Spiritual Ink used by Formation Masters would become much more expensive.


    But this was just speculation. With limited experience in the Cultivation World, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be sure.


    The Blood Drawing Art wasn¡¯t difficult to learn. Following the instructions in the manual, Mo Hua learned it after going through it a few times.


    As Bai Zixi said, the Blood Drawing Art was a simplified version of Divine Sense Manipulation, but this Manipulation couldn¡¯t take place through the air. Instead, one had to place their palm against the Monster Beasts¡¯ fur, sense the flow of Monster Blood, and then use Divine Sense to control it, drawing it out from the Monsters¡¯ bloodstream.


    In Tongxian City, there were no living or freshly dead Monster Beasts for Mo Hua to practice the Blood Drawing Art on.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to ask Mo Shan to cut a piece of hide from a Wild Cattle Monster and pour water on it, then, through the hide, he used his Divine Sense to guide the flow of water.


    Although this differed greatly from the actual Blood Drawing Art, it was better than nothing.


    Mo Hua practiced a few times in reality and soon mastered the technique.


    The biggest problem, however, was that even though he learned the Blood Drawing Art, there were no Monster Beasts for Mo Hua to extract Monster Blood from.


    Without Monster Blood, he could not prepare Spiritual Ink. The scarcity of Spiritual Ink remained unsolved.


    After several days of thought, Mo Hua came up with only one solution:


    Go into the mountains to hunt monsters!


    Find a way to enter Big Black Mountain, slay the Monster Beasts, then while they are freshly dead and their blood has not yet clotted, extract the vibrant Monster Blood directly from their veins.


    This was the only way to stably and abundantly acquire Monster Blood.


    Mo Hua looked up: his gaze passed the houses and streets of Tongxian City and rested upon the dark, profound Big Black Mountain in the distance.


    The mountain ranges were treacherous, brimming with poison and miasma, shrouded in mist, and pervaded with Monster Qi.


    It was the dwelling place of formidable Demonic Creatures and also where countless Monster Hunters from Tongxian City had sought their livelihoods or met their end over thousands of years¡­

 Chapter 118 - 118 Trap_1

    Chapter 118 Trap_1


    To be prepared is to be in a position to act; to be unprepared is to invite failure.


    Since entering Big Black Mountain was the plan, ample preparation was necessary.


    The environment within Big Black Mountain was treacherous, with poison everywhere, miasma spreading, and Monster Beasts lurking.


    Monster Beasts did not reason with you; they typically saw humans as food to be eaten, and even those that did not eat people killed them just the same, leaving Cultivators disemboweled before moving on.


    Mo Hua grew up in Tongxian City, and his father was a Monster Hunter. From a young age, he was steeped in knowledge of the dangers of Big Black Mountain.


    Entering the mountain rashly could mean losing one¡¯s life in an instant, likely leaving no trace behind.


    Therefore, if one were to enter the mountain, every aspect had to be fully considered in advance. One needed a plan to avoid being caught off guard by danger and teetering on the brink of life and death.


    ¡°After all, my parents have only me as their son,¡± Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    One day, Liu Ruhua brought some beef and vegetables to Jiang Yun, asking her to take them back and cook them for her child.


    Jiang Yun demurred, saying she couldn¡¯t carry so much.


    The storage bags used by Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm were fairly cheap and had limited space, indeed not allowing for much to be carried.


    ¡°Aunt Jiang, I¡¯ll help you carry them back,¡± Mo Hua volunteered confidently.


    ¡°How could I let you do that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I was about to go see Uncle Chu anyway.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Jiang Yun asked doubtfully.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Jiang Yun, no longer objecting, carried the storage bag and led the way, while Mo Hua followed behind her, holding two big cabbages in his arms.


    Along the way, Jiang Yun would occasionally look back and check on Mo Hua, advising him to be careful and asking if he was tired or needed to rest.


    After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they arrived at Jiang Yun¡¯s home.


    Jiang Yun¡¯s home was quite simple: two or three rooms with patchy walls and some old and broken tables and chairs.


    Fortunately, the kitchen showed signs of regular use, ensuring at least that hunger was not an issue.


    Jiang Yun was a little embarrassed, ¡°My home is a bit shabby¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Aunt Jiang,¡± Mo Hua smiled.


    The homes of Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City were mostly like this, plain and modest.


    Mo Hua¡¯s own family had slightly better circumstances before, but that was because Liu Ruhua was thrifty in her housekeeping, and Mo Shan was good at Monster Hunting and robust in health. Their family hadn¡¯t faced great upheaval, so although they were poor, they managed to get by.


    But all of this depended on the absence of misfortune.


    The family of a Loose Cultivator, once struck by calamity, could quickly fall into disrepair. Making a living could become a problem, not to mention seeking immortality through Tao Cultivation.


    Aunt Jiang¡¯s husband was seriously injured while Monster Hunting. With depleted savings and no income, and with a child crying for food at home, tears were her daily company, yet they solved nothing.


    Later, after finding work at a food shop and receiving some Spirit Stones, and with her husband¡¯s condition improving, they were able to supplement their household needs, making life a bit better.


    The life of a Loose Cultivator was far more fragile than one could imagine, yet despite this, everyone still strove to live on.


    Aunt Jiang¡¯s mother-in-law was soothing the child, and upon seeing Mo Hua, she greeted him warmly.


    The child too peeked out, his bright eyes curiously studying Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua gave him a small, cloth-made Little Tiger, and the child said in a gratifyingly husky voice, ¡°Thank you, Brother~,¡± then clung to the Little Tiger, shouting excitedly without letting go.


    Mo Hua smiled briefly and then went to find Jiang Yun¡¯s husband, Chu Guangshan.


    Chu Guangshan was surprised to see Mo Hua, but upon learning Mo Hua had come to him with a request, he was quite happy.


    ¡°Go ahead, tell me what you need. If it¡¯s within my power, consider it done!¡±


    ¡°Uncle Chu, I¡¯d like to learn how traps are used,¡± Mo Hua asked.


    The Little Demon Cat that accompanied Mo Hua in practicing the Water Passing Step had been caught by Chu Guangshan using a trap.


    Young Monster Beasts weren¡¯t very strong but were highly alert and sensitive, familiar with the environment¡¯s scents, and usually didn¡¯t fall for the traps set by Cultivators.


    Chu Guangshan was able to trap Monster Beasts, even catching them alive, which was quite remarkable.


    Part of the reason was that Mo Hua had drawn a Wood Binding Formation on the trap, making it harder for the monster to escape.


    However, it also indicated that Chu Guangshan had a lot of experience and insight into setting traps.


    There were many Monster Hunters, but not everyone had the patience and attention to study traps.


    Chu Guangshan hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient, then never mind,¡± Mo Hua quickly added.


    The craft I rely on for a living, asking about it is indeed somewhat abrupt.


    Chu Guangshan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said:


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing inconvenient about it; I¡¯m happy you asked, but¡­¡±


    Chu Guangshan paused, then added:


    ¡°These are small tricks, you shouldn¡¯t put too much thought into them. You should devote more time to cultivation and learning formations, that¡¯s where the real future lies¡­¡±


    ¡°As for me, I¡¯m half-crippled, unable to hunt monsters, so I can only focus a bit on these minor skills to earn some money. Otherwise, your Aunt Jiang¡­ would suffer too much¡­¡±


    Chu Guangshan sighed, his expression self-mocking.


    Mo Hua was moved and after thinking for a moment, said: ¡°Understanding the ways of the world is all learning, Tao cultivation is profound and vast, encompassing all things. The Great Dao is a way, and so is the smaller path.¡±


    Chu Guangshan was slightly taken aback, then laughed: ¡°I don¡¯t know where you learned these things, but they make sense. Since you don¡¯t disdain them, I will teach you everything. But I still say, these things are minor skills, not worth putting too much thought into.¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t neglect cultivation or formations.¡±


    Only then did Chu Guangshan nod.


    ¡°Trapping is actually quite simple, but requires patience and attention to detail.¡±


    ¡°When setting traps, observe the terrain and environment, guess from where the monster beasts might come, and where they will go. Place the traps on their inevitable path¡­¡±


    ¡°After setting up the trap, you need to remove traces. Grass, trees, and stones should appear the same before and after. You also need to erase scents. If some scents can¡¯t be completely removed, you have to learn to mask them¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you mask them?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Monster beasts are fond of rancid and rotten smells, so you can use monster blood or spoiled meat to mask scents, or you could use Bloody Herbs and other such herbs with a natural stench.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll draw a few diagrams for trap making later, it¡¯s quite simple. You can add some formations on your own, the effect should be better.¡±


    ¡°Finally, be careful of monster beasts feigning death. Monster beasts are cunning; occasionally when they fall into a trap, they might play dead. When you get close to check, they might suddenly attack. Nine times out of ten, you won¡¯t be able to guard against it.¡±


    Chu Guangshan explained everything in great detail.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly as he listened.


    When Mo Hua was about to take his leave, Chu Guangshan hesitated, as if there was something he wanted to say but stopped short.


    ¡°Uncle Chu, is there something else?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡±


    Chu Guangshan hastily waved his hand, but his expression clearly showed there was something on his mind, yet it was difficult for him to speak.


    Mo Hua said softly: ¡°Aunt Jiang has been very kind to me, and you¡¯ve taught me how to use traps, just say whatever it is.¡±


    Chu Guangshan¡¯s face turned bright red, and he hesitated for a long time before he finally said:


    ¡°I was thinking, when Zhouer gets a bit older, could you¡­ teach him a bit about formations¡­¡±


    Zhouer was Chu Guangshan and Jiang Yun¡¯s son, the child Mo Hua had just met. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Injured by monster beasts, Chu Guangshan himself had survived but was left unable to hunt monsters for a lifetime. It was hard enough just to make a living.


    He didn¡¯t want his son to follow in his footsteps, living on the edge of danger and in constant fear, where a single misstep could be fatal. Hence, he wished for his son to learn a bit about formations, to secure a livelihood in the future.


    To learn formations, one must take a master, something he couldn¡¯t afford with spirit stones.


    So he could only turn to Mo Hua, but he couldn¡¯t afford to pay Mo Hua¡¯s fee either. It was with both shame and reluctance that he made his request.


    But he had no other options, and despite how difficult it was to ask, he did so for his son¡¯s sake.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, and after a moment¡¯s thought.


    Chu Guangshan hurriedly said: ¡°Of course, if Zhouer is dull and lacks the talent, then forget it¡­¡±


    Chu Guangshan said this, but hope and a trace of subservience lingered in his eyes.


    Mo Hua felt a pang of sadness¡­


    Pretending not to notice, he simply smiled and said:


    ¡°Sure, but Zhouer needs to grow a bit bigger. Even if he¡¯s not very talented, as long as he can master a few formations, he can trade with merchants and earn some spirit stones. In the future, he may not be wealthy, but he should have enough for food and clothing.¡±


    A weight lifted from Chu Guangshan¡¯s heart, and he let out a long sigh of relief.


    He looked at Mo Hua, his emotions fluctuating, his eyes brimming with gratitude. The words of thanks felt too feeble on his tongue, and he did not know how to express them properly.


    Mo Hua smiled and took his leave.


    Chu Guangshan escorted Mo Hua out of the house and to the street. Seeing the sign for ¡°Liu¡¯s Food Shop¡± up ahead, he finally stopped, but his gaze followed Mo Hua all the way home.

 Chapter 119 - 119 Preparations_1

    Chapter 119 Preparations_1


    Mo Hua went to ask Mr. Zhuang about teaching Formation to others.


    Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t mind, ¡°Whatever I¡¯ve taught you, you can teach to others, as long as you¡¯re willing.¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, ¡°Thank you, Gentleman!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was eating meat and drinking wine, his expression one of contentment. Suddenly, he asked with curiosity:


    ¡°Teaching others, you actually don¡¯t get any benefits, do you? Aren¡¯t you afraid of the trouble?¡±


    ¡°Instructor Yan once told his disciple that Formations are like water, they can only endure if passed down.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was slightly surprised.


    Looking at Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua continued, ¡°Gentleman has passed on Formation arts to me, it¡¯s a legacy. Although I am of limited ability and my understanding of Formations is shallow, within the scope of my abilities, I also wish to pass down these Formations. In this way, I won¡¯t let down Gentleman¡¯s guidance and can ensure the arts of Formation endure long into the future.¡±


    ¡°Endure long into the future¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s slender fingers gently tapped on the armrest of the bamboo chair, ¡°Enduring long into the future, what use is that?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow slightly, thought for a moment, then slowly said:


    ¡°Formation arts are the manifestation of Heavenly Dao¡¯s rules, studying Formation arts is comprehending Heavenly Dao, Drawing Formation is practicing Heavenly Dao, and teaching Formation is passing on Heavenly Dao. Cultivators seek the Dao for eternal life, and if the arts of Formation endure long, it signifies that Heavenly Dao¡¯s flow is ceaseless¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes brightened, and he nodded, ¡°Well said, Dao creates everything, Dao transforms everything.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang then looked at Mo Hua, ¡°No matter what happens in the future, don¡¯t forget your initial resolve.¡±


    ¡°I will, Gentleman!¡±


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang lay back in the bamboo chair, raising his right hand to gaze at its palm.


    Now his hand was empty, devoid of Spiritual Power, unable to Draw Formation, clutching at nothing, empty.


    ¡°Legacy, huh¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was profound, tinted with a hint of bitterness.


    Mr. Zhuang allowed Mo Hua to pass on the Formation arts, and Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Zhouer was still young, being able to learn some Formation arts from him, even just the simple ones, would allow him to make a living in the future.


    Mo Hua continued with his preparations for entering Big Black Mountain.


    He had already learned how to make traps and knew the tricks to setting them up.


    In the following days, using the last of his Spiritual Ink, Mo Hua drew five Earth Fire Formations and some miscellaneous, potentially useful little Formations.


    He also indirectly learnt from Mo Shan about the rules and taboos of the lower region of Big Black Mountain, as well as the basic process and methods that Monster Hunters used to hunt Monster Beasts.


    With his preparations complete, Mo Hua sought out Da¡¯hu and the others.


    The trio had gradually shed their greenness, appearing more composed, though traces of youth still lingered in their eyes.


    They had entered Big Black Mountain, suffered injuries, shed blood, and silently shed tears. Now, they had gradually adapted to the life of a Monster Hunter. Though they couldn¡¯t stand on their own yet, they could at least assist the Monster Hunting Team, and after hunting Monster Beasts, they could now get a share of the Spirit Stones.


    However, these Spirit Stones were still but a drop in the bucket for their rugged life.


    Having just completed a hunt with the Monster Hunting Team, Da¡¯hu and the others had returned home to recuperate for a few days before they would re-enter the mountain.


    They were delighted when Mo Hua came to find them.


    ¡°I have something to discuss with you all.¡±


    Munching on the sour and sweet wild fruits given by Auntie Meng, Mo Hua spoke with his cheeks puffed.


    The three of them were stunned, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I want to enter Big Black Mountain too!¡± Mo Hua said.


    Da¡¯hu and the others were dumbfounded, shaking their heads like rattle drums. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡±


    ¡°Big Black Mountain is very dangerous, you can¡¯t go!¡± Da¡¯hu said.


    ¡°Right, you¡¯re only at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, you can¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a Body Cultivator, what if you get hurt?¡± Xiaohu expressed his worry.


    ¡°Exactly, you¡¯re frail, you can¡¯t afford to be injured!¡±


    Thinking of his own bloody chest wound and then looking at Mo Hua¡¯s slender frame,


    Da¡¯hu could hold on even when injured, but if Mo Hua were to be slapped by a Monster Beast, he¡¯d likely die on the spot.


    Da¡¯hu¡¯s fear grew, his tone even more adamant, ¡°We can¡¯t go!¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s going to be fine.¡±


    Shuanghu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you going to do in Big Black Mountain?¡±


    ¡°Monster hunting!¡±


    The three of Da¡¯hu were startled, even more against Mo Hua going.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t let me go, I¡¯ll just have to sneak there on my own, and that would be even more dangerous,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Of course, he was just saying that; Big Black Mountain was so perilous that going there alone was undoubtedly seeking death.


    The three of Da¡¯hu were troubled.


    ¡°Having become Monster Hunters, have you still not earned any Spirit Stones?¡± Mo Hua took the opportunity to ask.


    The three didn¡¯t want to admit it but still nodded their heads.


    They were still getting used to the job and could only help with strategic planning, so the Spirit Stones they received weren¡¯t many.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I have a way to kill Monster Beasts, but I¡¯ll need help from the three of you.¡±


    ¡°What way do you have?¡± Xiaohu couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Formations!¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯ll set up a Formation to lure the Monster Beasts in, to blast them into serious injury first, then you three finish them off.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Da¡¯hu was still worried about Mo Hua.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just set the Formation right and then hide on the side. Once the Monster Beasts are injured by the explosion, you¡¯ll take them down, and I¡¯ll come out. It won¡¯t be dangerous,¡± Mo Hua planned.


    ¡°But, can the Formation really injure Monster Beasts¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that; I¡¯ll set up several. Even if the Monster Beasts don¡¯t die, they¡¯ll get seriously injured.¡±


    This was originally what he prepared to deal with Qian Xing, but Qian Xing chickened out, and now it was just right to use against Monster Beasts.


    The three of Da¡¯hu exchanged glances; they trusted Mo Hua¡¯s Formation skills but still had their doubts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want Auntie Meng to have a better life?¡±


    The three of Da¡¯hu fell silent; of course, they did.


    Auntie Meng had suffered a lot in order to raise the three of them. Sometimes, not wanting her children to see, she would hide away and wipe away her tears alone.


    The three of Da¡¯hu hung their heads, their eyes slightly reddening.


    Mo Hua sighed and patted their shoulders, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I wouldn¡¯t do anything if I weren¡¯t sure of it.¡±


    Xiaohu hesitated, ¡°Are you really sure?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, or the day after, we¡¯ll first go into the outer mountains to find a weaker Monster Beast to test on. If it works, then that¡¯s great; if not, we can still run away.¡±


    ¡°We might be able to run away, but can you¡­?¡±


    Shuanghu looked at Mo Hua and said tactfully.


    Mo Hua said somewhat proudly, ¡°I¡¯ve specifically learned a movement technique, don¡¯t worry, the Monster Beasts won¡¯t be able to hurt me.¡±


    ¡°What kind of movement technique?¡±


    ¡°The person who taught me didn¡¯t allow me to tell.¡±


    ¡°Who taught you?¡±


    ¡°Just a passing-by, unknown, kind-hearted uncle,¡± Mo Hua answered mechanically.


    Da¡¯hu looked at Mo Hua suspiciously, ¡°He isn¡¯t a swindler, is he?¡±


    ¡°How could he be? This movement technique is quite powerful.¡±


    The three of Da¡¯hu looked at each other and finally compromised, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll take you into the outer mountain, but just this once, okay? If there¡¯s any accident, you must run.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded quickly, ¡°Rest assured, my life is my own, I won¡¯t lose it.¡±


    So two days later, just as the sky began to brighten, Mo Hua and the three of Da¡¯hu met outside of Tongxian City.


    They set off together, heading towards Big Black Mountain enveloped in Monster Qi.

 Chapter 120 - 120 Monster Hunting_1

    Chapter 120 Monster Hunting_1


    Big Black Mountain is dark and deep, its boundaries unknown.


    The older generation of Monster Hunters from Tongxian City usually divide Big Black Mountain into three sections: the Outer Mountain, the Inner Mountain, and the Deep Mountain.


    The Outer Mountain of Big Black Mountain is where most Monster Hunters hunt Monster Beasts; the area has few poisons, lighter miasma, and although the terrain is treacherous, it¡¯s not exceedingly dangerous.


    The Monster Beasts in the Outer Mountain are mostly at the middle phase of the first grade, with the occasional late phase first grade Monster Beast appearing, but not often.


    The Inner Mountain of Big Black Mountain, on the other hand, is extraordinarily perilous, riddled with poisonous creatures, thick miasma, and fog that confounds the mind.


    The Monster Beasts in the Inner Mountain are mainly at the late phase of the first grade, and occasionally there might even be a second grade Monster Beast.


    If a Cultivator at the Qi Refinement Realm encountered a second grade Monster Beast and couldn¡¯t avoid it in advance, it would almost certainly be a life-and-death situation. Therefore, not many Monster Hunters could enter the Inner Mountain.


    As for the Deep Mountain of Big Black Mountain, it is an absolute forbidden zone, off-limits to all Cultivators.


    Mo Hua had never heard of a Monster Hunter daring to enter the Deep Mountain of Big Black Mountain, and Mo Shan had also told Mo Hua that entering the Deep Mountain meant certain death.


    Being of low status, Mo Hua was well aware of his limitations.


    He wouldn¡¯t even glance at a forbidden zone like the Deep Mountain.


    He wouldn¡¯t step foot into a perilous place like the Inner Mountain either. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only the Outer Mountain, and specifically the outermost edge of the Outer Mountain, was the activity range Mo Hua had in mind for himself.


    Mo Hua and the three Da¡¯hu entered Big Black Mountain, stopping at the edge of the Outer Mountain.


    The woods were dense all around, the mountain paths rugged, and the deep mountains hidden by mystery, occasionally emitting eerie and strange sounds.


    The air was filled with a light miasma, mixed with the mountain¡¯s fresh breeze and an indistinct bloody smell that was uncomfortable to smell.


    Occasionally, there was also a faint Monster Qi lingering in the seclusion of the mountain corners.


    This was just the edge of the Outer Mountain, and Mo Hua already felt an inexplicable oppression.


    If this were the Inner Mountain or the Deep Mountain, Mo Hua didn¡¯t dare imagine it.


    ¡°What do we do next?¡± Shuanghu whispered.


    All three turned their gaze to Mo Hua.


    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Mo Hua had already planned everything.


    First, he determined the route the Monster Beasts took out of their lair by examining the footprints on the ground, the hair rubbed off on the trees, the bloodstains on the stones, and the faint Monster Qi left in the air.


    At a narrow fissure in the mountains, a spot they had to pass through, Mo Hua set a trap.


    Inside the trap was a Wood Binding Formation, which could trap a middle phase first grade Monster Beast, but not for long¡ªonly about ten breaths.


    Around the trap, there were five sets of Earth Fire Formation, each embedded with a Spirit Stone.


    Mo Hua covered the traps with rubble, placed some Bloody Herbs on top, and splashed some blood water over them.


    The Bloody Herbs were gathered by favor through Aunt Jiang, and the blood water was the residue from Monster meat cooked in eateries.


    Once everything was ready, Mo Hua, with the three Da¡¯hu, hid behind some boulders.


    ¡°Is this really going to work?¡± Xiaohu asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try,¡± Mo Hua said with an attitude of experimentation.


    This plan had been rehearsed many times in his mind, considering the trap, the Bloody Herbs, the blood water, and every subsequent detail¡ªit should be foolproof.


    Monster Hunting is dangerous; there can be no negligence.


    Moreover, this was Mo Hua¡¯s first time participating in the hunting of Monster Beasts, so he prepared very thoroughly.


    The group waited behind the boulders.


    From the rising morning sun with its spreading mist to high noon when the mountain fog had all but dissipated, there was still no sign of any Monster Beast.


    ¡°Maybe no Monster Beast will come,¡± Xiaohu started to get restless.


    ¡°Hush,¡± Mo Hua placed his finger to his lips and whispered, ¡°Laying traps requires carefulness and patience, just as Uncle Chu said. We cannot rush.¡±


    The three found this reasonable and nodded in agreement.


    Another two hours passed, and amidst the rustling of the trees, a Monster Beast finally showed itself.


    With crimson fur, sharp teeth and claws, dripping saliva, it was a Split Claw Wolf Demon!


    Its strength was probably around the middle phase of the first grade.


    Just right for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirit lifted, and the three Da¡¯hu were also on full alert.


    The Split Claw Wolf Demon was not easy to deal with; they had suffered losses many times before.


    As Split Claw walked, it glanced from side to side, its eyes filled with ferocity, extremely alert, occasionally scraping the trees and at times licking its dark red claws.


    While walking, Split Claw soon arrived in front of the trap.


    Enticed by the scent of Bloody Herbs and the rotten smell of blood, its eyes revealed greed, but it remained cautious, circling the trap a few times before ultimately stepping inside.


    The trap was triggered, and pale green Spiritual Energy shackles sprouted from the Wood Binding Formation, binding Split Claw in place.


    Split Claw struggled desperately, appearing to free itself after just a few moments.


    Mo Hua peeked out from behind the rocks, his right hand pointing forward, and a fireball condensed and flew straight out, tracing an arc. However, it didn¡¯t hit Split Claw but exploded at its feet.


    ¡°Did it miss?¡±


    Da¡¯hu and his two companions were surprised to see Mo Hua using the Fireball Technique.


    But as the fireball flew out and did not hit Split Claw as they had anticipated, the three of them felt a bit of regret.


    ¡°No, it hit its mark,¡± Mo Hua said with a calm smile.


    His target wasn¡¯t Split Claw, but the Spirit Stone beneath its feet.


    The Spirit Stone under Split Claw was shattered by the fireball, releasing Spiritual Energy that flowed into the Earth Fire Formation buried underneath.


    The Formation Patterns flashed red, and three moments later, five sets of the Earth Fire Formation exploded.


    With a deafening boom, the rocks shattered.


    Mo Hua and the others were also left with ringing in their ears from the shock.


    Once the thick smoke cleared, there were shattered rocks and burnt marks everywhere.


    The Split Claw Wolf Demon was covered in wounds, half of its fur charred black, its gaze malicious, but its breath was feeble.


    While it was down, time to take its life!


    Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°Go!¡±


    Da¡¯hu and the others, recovering from the shock of the Earth Fire Formation¡¯s explosion, heard Mo Hua¡¯s shout and immediately charged, forming a pincer movement to surround Split Claw.


    Mo Hua remained hidden behind the rocks, only his head peeking out to watch the fray.


    Not being skilled in Body Cultivation and hand-to-hand combat, he wouldn¡¯t get in the way of Da¡¯hu and the others.


    Da¡¯hu and his companions had good talent in Body Refinement, and after their tempered experiences in Monster Hunting, had become quite adept in their use of Taoist Skills and Martial Arts.


    Da¡¯hu used boxing techniques, Shuanghu used sword techniques, and Xiaohu used leg techniques.


    Their coordinated advances and retreats entangled in battle with Split Claw, whirling punches roared, leg strikes swift like the wind, and blade shadows dense.


    Fire-series and Earth-series Spiritual Power intertwined in the fray, contending with the dark red demonic power of Split Claw.


    After dozens of exchanges, the already severely injured Split Claw could no longer endure, and Shuanghu¡¯s sword struck it on the lower back, ending its life there and then.


    The trio was marked with wounds and spotted with blood, but none serious.


    They stood in their place, somewhat in disbelief.


    The Split Claw had died just like that?


    For their Monster Hunting Team to kill a mid-phase Second-Grade Split Claw Wolf Demon, they would need one or two late Qi Refinement Realm Monster Hunters to be in charge, and at least five or six middle Qi Refinement cultivators to take turns fighting to the death with the beast.


    Additionally, there would have to be several Cultivators in the periphery to assist and prevent the Split Claw from escaping.


    Only after several trials, if nothing unexpected occurred, would they be able to kill the Split Claw.


    Now, with just one trap set up by Mo Hua, a few Formations laid, and a single fireball tossed, the Split Claw was severely injured.


    The three of them ganged up on a severely wounded and dying Split Claw, and took it down¡­ quite effortlessly.


    This was way too easy, far simpler than they had expected.


    As Da¡¯hu and his companions looked at Mo Hua, recalling the power of the Earth Fire Formation¡¯s blast, they were filled with awe.


    To be able to blast a Second-Grade mid-phase beast, with such formidable physical strength, to the brink of death¡­


    Mo Hua had somehow managed to lay down such powerful Formations without them realizing!


    Their gazes toward Mo Hua had changed a bit.


    Mo Hua then poked his head out from behind the rocks and looking at the Split Claw, he asked, ¡°Has it stopped breathing?¡±


    The trio came back to their senses.


    Da¡¯hu nodded and said, ¡°It has stopped!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, holding a jade bottle as he ran out from behind the rocks.


    He was preparing to use the Blood Drawing Art.

 Chapter 121 - 121 Harvest (Fifth Update)_1

    Chapter 121 Harvest (Fifth Update)_1


    The Blood Drawing Art could draw the blood of monster beasts that had just recently died.


    The Split Claw Wolf Demon lay on the ground, covered in wounds, with fresh blood flowing from its injuries. However, within moments, it congealed. Thus, it was not possible to obtain monster blood through normal means.


    Mo Hua pointed to the heart vessel of Split Claw and said to Da¡¯hu, ¡°Make an incision here.¡±


    Da¡¯hu didn¡¯t understand why, but still drew his blade and stabbed into the heart vessel of Split Claw.


    The Split Claw¡¯s body was tough, and it took Da¡¯hu several stabs to make a small incision.


    Mo Hua placed a jade bottle at the incision, then rested his palm near the heart vessel of Split Claw, sensing the still vibrant monster blood flowing beneath the fur. He then activated his Divine Sense according to the key points of the Blood Drawing Art, leading the monster blood into the jade bottle.


    These jade bottles were made from special jade, not particularly precious, but they could preserve Spiritual Energy and also keep the monster blood from spoiling for a period of time.


    The jade bottle in Mo Hua¡¯s hand was originally used for containing Spiritual Ink. After the ink was used up, Mo Hua repurposed the bottle.


    Mo Hua used the Blood Drawing Art to draw the monster blood into the jade bottle.


    After a short while, the jade bottle in his hand was full. Mo Hua sealed it and then exchanged it for another bottle.


    Like this, Mo Hua continuously drew ten bottles of monster blood before stopping.


    Very little blood remained in the Split Claw¡¯s blood vessels, and it gradually grew cold and flowed more slowly, greatly diminishing its usefulness, so it was not necessary to continue drawing it.


    The use of Divine Sense consumed quite a bit of Mo Hua¡¯s energy, roughly equivalent to painting a formation with seven or eight Formation Patterns.


    For an average cultivator, this might be a substantial burden, but for Mo Hua, a Formation Master, it really wasn¡¯t much.


    Mo Hua sat in meditation to recover a bit of Divine Sense.


    Looking at the ten bottles of monster blood in the Storage Bag, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but reveal a smile.


    This monster blood was sufficient for Mo Hua to paint quite a few formations.


    Da¡¯hu and the other two curiously examined the jade bottles and couldn¡¯t help but look at Mo Hua.


    Xiaohu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Is this blood useful?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s used for Drawing Formations.¡±


    ¡°Can we help you collect monster blood?¡±


    ¡°You need to use the Blood Drawing Art to do it.¡±


    Mo Hua briefly explained how to use the Blood Drawing Art. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Da¡¯hu and the others listened with confusion and eventually decided to give up.


    ¡°Mo Hua, you really know a lot,¡± Shuanghu praised, with Da¡¯hu and Xiaohu nodding in agreement.


    Mo Hua said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ll know if you read more books.¡±


    Mo Hua stored away the monster blood and then said, ¡°So, what should we do with this monster beast?¡±


    Da¡¯hu and the others perked up with excitement. This was the first time they had killed a monster beast on their own and could sell its parts!


    Although it was mainly thanks to Mo Hua¡¯s formations, they were still very happy.


    ¡°We need to skin it, strip the bones, cut off the teeth and claws, and also get the heart, vessels, and internal organs¡­¡±


    Shuanghu listed these tasks one by one to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua scratched his head; these matters he really did not know how to handle.


    Da¡¯hu said, ¡°You go play around nearby, don¡¯t wander off. We¡¯ll finish stripping this monster beast, then head back together.¡±


    Then Da¡¯hu and the others rolled up their sleeves, took out the Pu Blades, and started to skin the monster beast, extracting other valuable materials.


    Two hours earlier, the Split Claw that gleamed fiercely was now dead in a ghastly manner.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t feel sympathy for it, for if it were not the monster beast that had died, they might be the ones being dismembered now.


    This monster beast had foul, fishy saliva; it probably had killed not a few Monster Hunters already.


    While Da¡¯hu and the others skinned the monster beast, Mo Hua wandered around, looking at the mountains, trees, water, getting to know the environment of Big Black Mountain.


    This was his first time entering Big Black Mountain.


    In the morning when he went up the mountain, he felt a bit nervous and restrained. But after spending half a day here and having designed and killed a Split Claw, as well as acquiring monster blood, his mindset became much more composed.


    The process of hunting the Monster Beasts generally went according to Mo Hua¡¯s plan.


    The strategy required attention and patience, but was simple and efficient, maximizing safety and yield.


    Afterward, they just needed to make slight adjustments for different Monster Beasts.


    In this way, even though Mo Hua was not a Body Cultivator, he could participate in Monster Hunting and hunt different monsters to draw upon their varying Five Elements Monster Blood.


    Once Da¡¯hu and the other two had finished skinning the Split Claw, they called for Mo Hua and left Big Black Mountain.


    They entered the mountain in the morning, hunted at noon, and left at dusk.


    In less than a day, the four of them had hunted a middle-phase rank one Monster Beast.


    If it weren¡¯t for the bulging Storage Bags filled with the Split Claw¡¯s hide and claws, Da¡¯hu and the others would believe they were dreaming.


    Afterward, they went to the Market Town to sell the Split Claw¡¯s materials.


    Split Claws were common Monster Beasts, not too expensive, but also not difficult to sell.


    After some haggling, they sold them for a total of over eighty Spirit Stones.


    After deducting the costs for Mo Hua¡¯s Formation Painting and the activation of the Formation, each person split twelve Spirit Stones.


    Holding the hefty Spirit Stones in their hands, Da¡¯hu and the others looked stunned.


    This was the first time in their lives that the three of them had earned so many Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua was used to this, but seeing the excitement of Da¡¯hu and the others made him very happy.


    Da¡¯hu said, ¡°Mo Hua, we owe it to you, whatever you want to eat, it¡¯s on us!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯re treating you!¡± Shuanghu and Xiaohu nodded in agreement.


    ¡°No need, I also owe it to your help,¡± Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°keep the Spirit Stones for now, let¡¯s head to the mountains together some other time when we¡¯re free.¡±


    Monster Beasts had strong physical bodies and their Blood Qi recovered quickly, and though Mo Hua could use a Formation to blast them into serious injuries, or even near death, it wasn¡¯t assured that it would be fatal.


    He wasn¡¯t a Body Cultivator and wasn¡¯t skilled in close combat, so he needed Da¡¯hu and the others to help finish the job.


    Although he had learned the Water Passing Step and could entangle with Monster Beasts, there was no need to take that risk.


    After all, even good swimmers can drown; overconfidence sooner or later leads to a fall.


    After selling the Monster Beast and splitting the Spirit Stones, they looked up to see the bright lights on the streets.


    The night streets were getting lively.


    Mo Hua had been busy with Formation Painting and practicing Spells, and it had been a long time since he was out.


    It was the same for the trio too, ever since they became Monster Hunters, it felt like a heavy stone was pressing on their shoulders, making them somber.


    Now that they had hunted a Monster Beast, they all breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much lighter, and strolled down the street to enjoy the novel and bustling scene before parting ways to go home.


    On their way, Xiaohu asked, ¡°What should we do with these Spirit Stones?¡±


    After some thought, Shuanghu said, ¡°I want to give them to mom.¡±


    The three fell silent, then pooled their Spirit Stones together, a total of over thirty.


    When they got home, it was already a bit late, Auntie Meng was heating up the meal and upon seeing them, couldn¡¯t help but complain:


    ¡°All day, I didn¡¯t know where you had run off to, not even bothering to eat, I¡¯ve reheated it several times¡­¡±


    Da¡¯hu handed her the Storage Bag.


    Auntie Meng took it, feeling its surprising weight, and asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Upon opening it, she found over thirty sparkling Spirit Stones.


    Auntie Meng was taken aback.


    ¡°Mom, we earned these Spirit Stones from Monster Hunting, please take them,¡± they said.


    It took Auntie Meng a moment to come back to her senses, looking at the three children who had grown up before her eyes, her tears welled up in an instant.


    She felt gratified, wanted to smile, but tears still streamed down her face.


    She had shed many tears in her life, all salty and bitter, but today¡¯s were tears of joy.

 Chapter 122 - 122 Father and Son (First Update)_1

    Chapter 122 Father and Son (First Update)_1


    Afterwards, whenever Da¡¯hu and his two companions had free time, Mo Hua would accompany them into the mountains to hunt Monster Beasts using Trap Formations.


    They would divide the Spirit Stones after killing the Monster Beasts, and Mo Hua could also extract Monster Blood.


    While Da¡¯hu and the others were happy, they were also somewhat worried and said to Mo Hua,


    ¡°If we do this, only killing severely wounded Monster Beasts and not confronting them head-on, won¡¯t our Taoist Skills get weaker and weaker?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°This is called nurturing war through war. First, hunt Monster Beasts and earn Spirit Stones, then raise your Cultivation. Once your Cultivation is higher, it won¡¯t be too late to consider head-on confrontations.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at them and said, ¡°We are still young, and fighting with Monster Beasts is inherently disadvantageous for us. If we don¡¯t think of tactics, we can only end up dead.¡±


    Da¡¯hu and his companions nodded again and again in agreement.


    So, the three followed the methods designed by Mo Hua for Monster Hunting, becoming more familiar and more in sync with time. When facing Monster Beasts, they no longer lost their composure due to fear as before.


    However, after killing several Monster Beasts, something unexpected still happened.


    One day, they surrounded a Fire Spitting Hound as tall as a man, with a red tongue and eyes.


    After a dozen or so exchanges, the Fire Spitting Hound took a hit from Shuanghu¡¯s blade but found an opening, a flash of its figure, and escaped from the encirclement of Da¡¯hu and his companions.


    This Fire Spitting Hound was at the pinnacle of the Monster Beasts Middle Phase and was close to the later phase, so the damage caused by the Earth Fire Formation was not as severe on it as it was on other Monster Beasts.


    After escaping ten feet away, the Fire Spitting Hound glared with red eyes, seemingly committed to remembering Da¡¯hu and his companions, and then turned to leave.


    Halfway through, its nose twitched, and it suddenly noticed Mo Hua hiding behind some nearby rocks.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s Qi Refinement at the fifth layer, his Cultivation level was not high, and his Blood Qi was weak.


    The eyes of the Fire Spitting Hound blazed with red light, and its fanged mouth exposed its dripping saliva, reeking of blood. It turned and charged straight towards Mo Hua.


    Da¡¯hu shouted urgently, ¡°Mo Hua, run!¡±


    Mo Hua froze for a moment.


    But the Fire Spitting Hound had already circled behind him, its gaping jaws biting down fiercely.


    In the eyes of the Fire Spitting Hound there was a cruel and excited glint, yet when its jaws snapped shut, it tasted neither the sweet blood nor the delectable flesh it expected.


    It had bitten empty air.


    Mo Hua was already standing a dozen feet away, looking somewhat tense, but not in a panic.


    The Fire Spitting Hound wore a puzzled expression as it couldn¡¯t understand how the young Cultivator had evaded its attack.


    Da¡¯hu and his companions let out a loud shout as they rushed over from afar.


    The Fire Spitting Hound, with a scornful look in its eyes, leaped up and charged towards Mo Hua with even greater speed.


    It was only a ten-foot distance, and it covered it in a flash.


    Its claws lashed out at Mo Hua¡¯s vitals, and in its eyes, the young Cultivator had nowhere to dodge.


    However, Mo Hua drifted backward a step without any warning, his body light and composed, easily avoiding the swipe.


    The Fire Spitting Hound was momentarily stunned while Mo Hua took the opportunity to retreat another thirty feet, his gaze calm and even a bit mocking.


    This trace of mockery enraged the Fire Spitting Hound, its eyes flashed red, and its fur turned crimson until flames blazed around its body.


    When the Fire Spitting Hound was truly enraged, its whole body would ignite with flames.


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    Da¡¯hu and his companions were halfway there when they saw this and were shocked.


    The enraged Fire Spitting Hound, like a blaze, charged straight at Mo Hua with increased speed, and it was also suffused with raging demonic power.


    This kind of flame, shaped by the Monster Beasts¡¯ demonic power, could erode a Cultivator¡¯s flesh, burn a Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power, and even destroy a Cultivator¡¯s meridians. Once it entered the body, it was difficult to eradicate.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression also became serious as he pushed his Divine Sense to the limit, perceiving the trajectory of the Fire Spitting Hound, while simultaneously stimulating his Spiritual Power, performing the Water Passing Step.


    For every step the Fire Spitting Hound advanced, Mo Hua retreated one step.


    With every attack the Fire Spitting Hound made, Mo Hua managed to escape by a whisker, his form flowing like water, ethereal and elusive.


    After several attacks, Mo Hua appeared to be in grave danger, yet remained unscathed.


    Da¡¯hu and his companions watched with their hearts pounding and mouths agape.


    What kind of movement technique was this¡­


    Snapping back to reality, the three immediately moved towards Mo Hua.


    After several failed attacks, and seeing that Da¡¯hu and his companions were approaching, the Fire Spitting Hound pushed its demonic power to the extreme, causing the flames to burn even more fiercely on its body.


    It stared at Mo Hua with fierce light blazing in its eyes.


    In an instant, Mo Hua guessed that it was prepared to fight to the death.


    As long as it killed him and devoured his flesh and blood to replenish its Blood Qi, it could continue to entangle with Da¡¯hu and the others, or at the very least, retreat with ease.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened as he gathered the Fireball Technique between his fingers.


    At this distance, it was enough for Mo Hua to cast the Fireball Technique, but he did not know how effective it would be against the Monster Beast.


    However, before Mo Hua could release the Fireball Technique, a knife descended from the sky and pierced the Fire Spitting Hound, pinning it firmly to the ground.


    The Fire Spitting Hound struggled a few times, and the flames on its body gradually dissipated. Finally, its breath ceased, but the ferocity remained in its eyes.


    Mo Hua was shocked and, looking up, he saw Mo Shan standing alone on a distant rock, his face as still as water.


    A chill settled in Mo Hua¡¯s heart. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was over, he had secretly entered the mountain, and his father had discovered it.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t told his parents because he was afraid they would worry, and at the same time, he knew they would not agree with him entering Big Black Mountain.


    Although Big Black Mountain was dangerous, one couldn¡¯t avoid it for a lifetime.


    With thorough preparation and caution, Big Black Mountain was not a place of certain death.


    Mo Hua knew that his parents would find out sooner or later, but he didn¡¯t expect to be discovered so soon.


    His plan to hunt Monster Beasts in Big Black Mountain had only just begun¡­


    Mo Hua sighed, finally understanding the taste of ¡°a venture failing before it¡¯s halfway done.¡±


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t say much, but his complexion clearly didn¡¯t look good.


    Mo Hua felt apprehensive, and even Da¡¯hu and the others didn¡¯t dare to breathe too loudly.


    After they had dealt with the Fire Spitting Hound, Mo Shan asked Da¡¯hu and the others to go back home first.


    ¡°Uncle Mo, don¡¯t blame Mo Hua. It was us¡­¡± Shuanghu said weakly.


    ¡°Alright, you boys go home,¡± Mo Shan said softly.


    No one knows a child better than their parents.


    Although Mo Hua was young, he was intelligent and resolute.


    Even though Da¡¯hu and the others were older, when they played together, the one to make the decisions was certainly Mo Hua. Going into the mountains to hunt Monster Beasts, there was no need to think; it must have been Mo Hua who convinced them.


    Mo Shan sighed. He wanted to scold Mo Hua, but he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    After the father and son returned home, they ate their meal in silence.


    Mo Shan¡¯s face was stern, and he said nothing. Mo Hua also kept his eyes and nose toward his own bowl, eating obediently.


    Liu Ruhua looked at Mo Shan with a puzzled expression and then curiously at Mo Hua.


    After the meal, just as Mo Shan was about to speak, Liu Ruhua said, ¡°Huar, go back to your room and read your books.¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s words got stuck in his throat, and he paused for a moment.


    Mo Hua felt relieved and, with a grateful glance at his mother, quickly slipped back to his room.


    Then Liu Ruhua asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Mo Shan sighed and told her about encountering Mo Hua in Big Black Mountain.


    Liu Ruhua was startled, ¡°Huar is so bold!¡±


    ¡°Yes, with Big Black Mountain being so dangerous, if something were to have happened to him¡­¡±


    Mo Shan frowned and spoke, his expression filled with retrospective fear.


    ¡°So what do you plan to do about it?¡± she asked.


    After thinking for a while, Mo Shan said:


    ¡°From what I could see at a distance, Huar didn¡¯t enter Big Black Mountain out of curiosity or for fun. It seems he had a real plan. And the way he went about Monster Hunting, he was very systematic¡ªsetting up Trap Formations, leaving the finishing work to Da¡¯hu and the others¡ªit was all meticulously planned, even more thorough and cautious than some experienced Monster Hunters¡­¡±


    ¡°But in a place like Big Black Mountain, it¡¯s not the fear of one in a million chances, but the fear of that one chance that could happen. No one knows what dangers one might encounter¡­¡±


    Mo Shan continued, his tone firm, ¡°I won¡¯t blame him this time, but he absolutely cannot go to Big Black Mountain again!¡±


    Liu Ruhua thought for a moment, sighed, held Mo Shan¡¯s hand, and said softly:


    ¡°You must know that we, as parents, can¡¯t accompany Huar for a lifetime.¡±

 Chapter 123 - 123 Sparring (Second Update)_1

    Chapter 123 Sparring (Second Update)_1


    Mo Shan was momentarily taken aback.


    ¡°I also want to stay by Huar¡¯s side, to see him get married and have children, with grandchildren filling the hall,¡± Liu Ruhua said, her eyes brimming with longing. ¡°But who can predict the future?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Mo Shan comforted his wife.


    Liu Ruhua shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not worried. I know you¡¯re concerned about Huar facing danger, but in a cultivator¡¯s life, how can there be no peril?¡±


    Mo Shan thought about it and couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement.


    Even for the most fortunate cultivators, it¡¯s inevitable to experience twists and face dangerous situations a few times. Especially for those loose cultivators like themselves, who had already been struggling for survival.


    Liu Ruhua continued, ¡°As the saying goes, a parent¡¯s love for their child entails planning for the long term. We are only Qi Refinement cultivators; we can¡¯t make him invincible to danger, so the least we can do is teach him how to face it.¡±


    Mo Shan was silent. He caressed his wife¡¯s long hair, his expression becoming one of resignation.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Tao cultivation is long and arduous. We can¡¯t look after him for his entire life. We can only teach him how to take care of himself.¡±


    The following evening, Mo Shan called Mo Hua to the courtyard and asked:


    ¡°How well have you mastered your movement technique?¡±


    Mo Hua, thinking he was about to be scolded by his father, was taken aback and replied:


    ¡°I¡¯ve pretty much learned it.¡±


    Mo Shan nodded. ¡°Let me test it.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Okay!¡±


    He too wanted to know if his father, who was at the late stage of Qi Refinement cultivation, could break through his Water Passing Step.


    Mo Hua moved back about thirty feet, turned to stand firm, and with a focused gaze on Mo Shan, he said:


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Alright, be on your guard,¡± his father replied.


    No sooner had Mo Shan¡¯s words fallen than his body became a fleeting shadow, speeding towards him.


    So fast!


    Mo Hua was startled and, releasing his Divine Sense and igniting his Spiritual Power, drifted backwards.


    Halfway through his retreat, Mo Hua lost sight of his father and suddenly felt a slight pressure behind him. A shiver ran through him, and with a light twirl, he drifted to the left.


    Appearing behind Mo Hua out of nowhere, Mo Shan grabbed at thin air, his expression one of mild surprise, then swiftly flashed his body again, his right hand continuing to reach for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was solemn.


    Mo Shan¡¯s speed was too fast, and his years of fighting Monster Beasts had given him abundant experience. His movements were unpredictable, sometimes solid, sometimes elusive; in Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, it was almost impossible to detect Mo Shan¡¯s figure.


    And when he did detect him, Mo Shan would usually already be by his side.


    Mo Shan¡¯s Divine Sense was not much stronger than Mo Hua¡¯s. Mo Hua¡¯s inability to sense him was purely due to Mo Shan¡¯s quick movements and decisive actions, which were highly deceptive and left Mo Hua unable to determine his next move.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel that his combat experience was sorely lacking.


    After a few more exchanges, Mo Hua dodged in an awkward and flustered manner, barely managing to hold on.


    As the chase went back and forth, Mo Shan¡¯s figure in Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense finally became clearer and easier to identify.


    Mo Hua¡¯s evasive maneuvers began to show a pattern.


    While Mo Shan relied on feints and surprise attacks, Mo Hua also learned to blend the false with the true, catching the opponent off guard.


    The more they clashed, the more composed Mo Hua¡¯s movements became.


    Just as Mo Hua¡¯s technique was hitting its stride, he was suddenly caught by Mo Shan, who appeared out of nowhere, and hoisted up by his collar.


    Mo Hua was taken aback. ¡°Dad, how did you manage to catch me?¡±


    Mo Shan humphed. ¡°You still need to practice your movement technique more.¡±


    Even so, Mo Shan was still profoundly moved.


    Mo Hua¡¯s movement technique was far more powerful than he had expected!


    During their recent pursuit, even cultivators of the same realm as him would probably not have been able to dodge each attempt.


    Not only had Mo Hua dodged them, but he also did it with ease. Aside from the initial chaos, the later he got, the more composed he became, his steps ethereal and his movements convincing, on par with some of the experienced Monster Hunters.


    Moreover, this technique was invisible and traceless, with no indication of where the power originated, how it leveraged, or how it was retracted.


    Judging by the usual metrics of Body Cultivation, it was simply inscrutable.


    Mo Shan had not truly deciphered this movement technique; he had simply relied on his years of life-and-death combat experience, as well as his familiarity with his son, to guess where Mo Hua would appear and casually take a stab at it.


    Had it not been for that, they would probably have had to spar for dozens more rounds until Mo Hua ran out of stamina and exposed a flaw, which Mo Shan could then exploit to finally catch him.


    Waves of emotion rippled through Mo Shan¡¯s heart.


    Mo Hua had only reached the fifth level of Qi Refinement¡­


    Seeing his father standing in place, his expression calm, showing neither joy nor anger, but seemingly lost in thought, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Dad?¡±


    Mo Shan came back to his senses, looked at Mo Hua, and after thinking for a moment, said,


    ¡°Your movement technique is not bad, but you still need to practice more, do not slack off!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    But thinking that this was also a form of praise, he felt a little happy inside.


    ¡°Dad, have you also learned a movement technique?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Mo Shan shook his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t really a movement technique of any sort; it¡¯s just something I figured out on my own to avoid getting hurt while fighting Monster Beasts, then I learned a bit by watching others and pieced it all together.¡±


    ¡°Purely a combat-oriented movement technique?¡± Mo Hua asked with sudden respect.


    ¡°You could say that.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Can you teach me?¡±


    Mo Shan hesitated, then said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned a movement technique? Do not learn too many at once, master one first.¡±


    ¡°I could use it for reference¡­¡± Mo Hua suggested.


    After a brief moment of thought, Mo Shan nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Mo Shan showed Mo Hua several basic steps of the technique.


    Some moves were similar to the Water Passing Step, but slightly different; others were seemingly simple advance and retreat steps, and then there were assorted moves from other techniques. Eventually, they all blended together into a concise and sharp set of movements.


    It appeared to be a patchwork of different elements, but Mo Hua did not take it lightly at all.


    This was, as far as he was concerned, the most threatening set of movements he had faced, and he could not even think of how to counter it.


    It was straightforward, efficient, without superfluous movements, emphasizing adaptability and the principle of winning by having no fixed moves against someone with a set repertoire.


    One could say it was all openings, but if used well, one could also say it was flawless.


    What if these steps could be broken down and integrated into the Water Passing Step; would that make the Water Passing Step even more powerful?


    Invigorated, Mo Hua seriously memorized all these techniques, planning to practice them more when he found the time.


    Mo Shan thought back to the movement technique Mo Hua had used and still found it unbelievable, asking,


    ¡°Did Court Leader Zhang teach you this technique?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhang told me not to tell.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Shan nodded, and couldn¡¯t help thinking to himself, isn¡¯t that the same as telling me¡­


    ¡°Dad, are you not angry anymore?¡± Mo Hua asked softly.


    Mo Shan glared at him. ¡°You still know that I can get angry?¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled.


    ¡°Get up early tomorrow morning,¡± said Mo Shan.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Without saying anything more, Mo Shan turned and left.


    At 6 A.M. the next day, Mo Hua got up and went out to the courtyard, only to see his father Mo Shan had already been standing there early.


    ¡°Your mother made breakfast; eat something first,¡± said Mo Shan.


    After the father and son finished eating, Mo Shan took Mo Hua out of their home.


    The two walked through the streets in the early morning, exited the gates of Tongxian City, and stepped onto the mountain trail outside the city.


    ¡°Dad, where are we going?¡±


    Unable to contain his curiosity, Mo Hua asked.


    Mo Shan was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°I¡¯m taking you to Big Black Mountain!¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 124 - 124: Entering the Mountain (Three More Updates)_1

    Chapter 124: Entering the Mountain (Three More Updates)_1


    ¡°Monster hunting is dangerous, and I originally did not want you to get involved in this matter, but since you have learned movement techniques and have the power to protect yourself, I will teach you all the skills of monster hunting,¡±


    Mo Shan looked at Mo Hua and said, ¡°These are lessons summarized from the life and blood of monster hunters over tens of thousands of years. Learn them well. Even if you don¡¯t become a monster hunter in the future, they will undoubtedly be useful.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s little face was serious as she nodded solemnly.


    ¡°The first point of monster hunting is not to kill monster beasts but to familiarize yourself with the terrain.¡±


    ¡°Big Black Mountain¡¯s topography is complex, crisscrossed with various landforms. You need to familiarize yourself with the paths, know where there are peaks, where there are cliffs, where there are caves, where monster beasts roam, where miasma is dense, and which spirit grasses are poisonous¡­¡±


    ¡°If you know these well, even if your cultivation is not enough when you encounter danger, you will know how to avoid it and not lose your life.¡±


    ¡°Conversely, if you don¡¯t know the terrain, the geography, if you are not poisoned by miasma or by toxic plants, or you accidentally enter a beast¡¯s den, even if your cultivation is high, it will be very difficult to walk out of Big Black Mountain alive.¡±


    ¡°I will take you around the outer mountain, and you must remember the terrain, the locations of small streams, miasma, venomous marshes, and thick forests¡­¡±


    After he finished speaking, Mo Shan walked along the mountain path.


    Mo Hua followed closely behind, memorizing the path under her feet and the scenery along the way.


    When they encountered dangerous places, Mo Shan would specifically stop and explain them to Mo Hua carefully.


    For example, where the miasma was thin, which mountain tops had dense miasma, and in places where the miasma was thick, one should not stay for more than half an hour, or the miasma would invade the body, causing confusion and dizziness.


    Some thick forests would produce heavy fog; if one accidentally wandered in, they would lose their way. Unless the sun was high at noon and the mountain fog dissipated, they would never be able to find their way out.


    There were also venomous marshes home to some highly poisonous monster beasts whose skin color changed with the plants, requiring careful vigilance.


    And which mountain peaks would have big demons roaming, and what signs would indicate a big demon¡¯s presence¡­


    Walking from morning to night like this, they only covered a small part of Big Black Mountain¡¯s outer mountain.


    When evening came and the sky darkened, Mo Shan brought Mo Hua to a small campsite on the mountainside.


    The camp was a small cave with its entrance concealed by grass and wood, sealed off with an iron gate. A simple formation was painted on the door to prevent monster beasts from attacking.


    The camp was not large, but it had some dry food, miscellaneous herbs, and a few crude stone beds.


    ¡°This is a temporary campsite for monster hunters to rest or stay overnight. It¡¯s very rudimentary, but it¡¯s enough to take shelter,¡±


    Mo Shan then pointed to the iron gate and said, ¡°There is a formation on the door. It¡¯s not good, but usable. If you are chased by monster beasts and have nowhere to hide, you can take refuge in the camp, activate the formation, and most monster beasts won¡¯t be able to get in.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded her head.


    Father and son spent the night in the camp.


    The next day at dawn, they got up and continued along the mountain path.


    As Mo Shan walked, he explained.


    In this manner, after spending days and nights in Big Black Mountain, it took a full seven days for Mo Shan to finally lead Mo Hua around the entirety of Big Black Mountain¡¯s outer mountain.


    After returning home, Mo Hua felt sore all over, her calves were swollen, and she felt dizzy and had a swelling headache due to the miasma she had inhaled, even though she had taken a Miasma Repelling Pill, her forehead still throbbed with pain.


    Liu Ruhua asked Old Mr. Feng to prepare Clearing Mind Soup, which Mo Hua drank, and then she applied anti-swelling herbal medicine on her body. Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s pale complexion, she felt very heartbroken and complained to Mo Shan,


    ¡°You could have taught her slowly. There was no need to stay in the mountains for seven days and go through so much hardship.¡±


    Seeing his wife angry, Mo Shan whispered an explanation: ¡°These hardships would have to be faced sooner or later. If she suffers a bit now, it will be easier for her in the future.¡±


    Liu Ruhua understood this but was still upset. At night, she only gave Mo Shan some plain porridge and steamed buns, not even a dish of pickles.


    Mo Shan could only laugh and cry at the situation.


    Two days later, Mo Hua had recovered, her body no longer ailment-ridden.


    Thinking that it had been almost ten days since she last visited Forgetful Residence, Mo Hua brought some meat and wine to pay respects to Mr. Zhuang, explaining the reasons for her absence.


    Seeing that Mo Hua still looked a little pale, Mr. Zhuang told her to go back and rest, saying that he did not have so many rules there, and for her not to worry.


    Mo Hua also brought some crisp pastries and pine nuts for Old Kui, and afterwards, she brought some snacks and fruit wine for the siblings of the Bai Family.


    Bai Zisheng heard that Mo Hua could enter Big Black Mountain for monster hunting and was exceedingly envious.


    He was strictly supervised by Aunt Xue, let alone hunting monsters, even wandering around was difficult.


    Mo Hua sympathetically patted his shoulder but was powerless to help.


    A few days later, Mo Shan took Mo Hua into Big Black Mountain again.


    This time, there was no need to explain everything in great detail, only to become familiar with the terrain and topography, so it only took three or four days to traverse the outer mountains.


    Whenever Mo Shan had free time, he would take Mo Hua for a walk in the mountains.


    Mo Hua became more and more familiar with the outer areas of Big Black Mountain.


    When Mo Shan felt it was about time, he took Mo Hua to a cliff on the outer mountain. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The cliff was steep, the strange rocks rugged, and looking down, one could have a clear view of the scenery at the waist of the mountain.


    After confirming the surrounding safety, Mo Shan said to Mo Hua, ¡°Now that you¡¯re quite familiar with the outer mountain, I¡¯ll teach you what to pay attention to when dealing with monster beasts.¡±


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged on a rock, listening attentively.


    ¡°The code of conduct for a Monster Hunter: first is to ¡®know thyself and thy enemy,¡¯ and second is to ¡®foresee and be established.¡¯


    ¡°¡®Know thyself and thy enemy¡¯ means that you must recognize your own strength. Whether your cultivation is profound, what spells, martial arts, spiritual artifacts, and other techniques you have. At the same time, you need to be familiar with monster beasts, including their realm, blood qi, demonic power, and habits. Where the monster beast is strong, where it is weak, whether it is treacherous, whether it might feign death, and so on.¡±


    ¡°Afterward, weigh each other¡¯s strength. If you can kill it, then act; if you can¡¯t, avoid reckless actions.¡±


    ¡°If, during the fight to the death, you discover an unexpected change, a monster beast you thought you could kill can no longer be killed, you must plan early and withdraw in time. Otherwise, once your spiritual power is exhausted, you will be the one who dies.¡±


    ¡°¡®Foresee and be established¡¯ is about being prepared before it rains, and making thorough plans beforehand for everything. Especially when facing powerful monster beasts, whether you can kill them, what you will use to kill them, how to kill them, and what to do in case of an emergency¡ªall these need to be considered in advance.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t plan ahead and act rashly, once a mistake is made, casualties are inevitable.¡±


    Mo Shan explained in detail at great length.


    Mo Hua listened intently, grasping the nuances.


    ¡°For now, just listen. Once you¡¯ve faced monster beasts enough times, you will naturally understand,¡± Mo Shan added.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°There¡¯s another point you need to remember,¡± Mo Shan advised, ¡°no matter what happens, if you don¡¯t need to take action, don¡¯t, but once you do, it must be ruthless!¡±


    ¡°Ruthless?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Monster Hunters make monster beasts their enemy. If you¡¯re not ruthless, the monster beasts will be. If you don¡¯t kill them, you will be the one killed by them.¡±


    ¡°But what does it mean to be ruthless?¡±


    Mo Shan raised his eyebrows slightly and said,


    ¡°When not acting, do not reveal any intent to kill. When the time comes to act, don¡¯t hesitate at all.¡±


    ¡°As soon as the opponent shows a weakness, strike first and hard, aiming for a lethal blow, and do not give the opponent a chance to fight back.¡±


    ¡°An opponent who does not act is the best kind of opponent!¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat shocked by these words coming from his father, a man with bushy eyebrows and large eyes.


    After hesitating a moment, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask for confirmation, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit¡­ unsportsmanlike?¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s expression became stern as he said seriously, ¡°For a Monster Hunter, there is no victory or defeat, only life and death. A victory, no matter how unsportsmanlike, is still a life. A defeat, no matter how glorious, is still death.¡±


    After speaking, Mo Shan patted Mo Hua on the head,


    ¡°A Loose Cultivator¡¯s life is not easy; if you can live, you should do your best to stay alive.¡±

 Chapter 125 - 125: Yu Chengyi (Part 4)_1

    Chapter 125: Yu Chengyi (Part 4)_1


    Mo Hua became familiar with the outer areas of the Big Black Mountain and afterwards, he drew his own map of the outer mountain.


    The so-called map was the one used by Monster Hunters, which marked the mountain¡¯s topography, streams and rivers, miasma and poison marshes, areas where Monster Beasts roam, and so on.


    Mo Shan also had a map in his possession, but it was very rudimentary, basically only showing some mountain paths and nothing else.


    To an experienced Monster Hunter, a map wasn¡¯t something drawn on paper, but rather memorized in the mind.


    After all, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for a Monster Beast to be chasing after you and you¡¯d have to stop to look at a map to determine which way to run¡­


    But Mo Hua wasn¡¯t an experienced Monster Hunter, he didn¡¯t even count as a Monster Hunter, so he wanted to make a more detailed map.


    So, Mo Hua made his annotations based on Mo Shan¡¯s old map.


    From mountain shapes to watercourses, all points of interest along the way were earnestly marked on it.


    After Mo Shan took him through the outer mountain several more times, Mo Hua gradually filled in the map and eventually had the entire topography of the outer mountain not only drawn on the map but also etched into his mind.


    Mo Shan casually tested Mo Hua with a few questions.


    For instance, where miasma was poisonous, where Monster Beasts roamed, where the camps were, and where to hide in case of danger, and so on.


    Mo Hua answered with ease, even clearer than some of the veteran Monster Hunters.


    Mo Shan sighed and then breathed a sigh of relief and after that, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to Mo Hua.


    Thus, Mo Hua went to find Da¡¯hu and his two brothers, and they ventured into the mountains together.


    While Da¡¯hu and his brothers killed Monster Beasts, Mo Hua bled them, and then they all split the Spirit Stones.


    The division of labor was clear and efficient.


    ¡°But, Uncle Mo really let you go into the mountain¡­¡±


    Xiaohu still found it somewhat hard to believe.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys also going into the mountain, so can I.¡±


    Mo Hua, while bleeding a wild boar-shaped Monster Beast, said.


    ¡°Is it the same though¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly, that day when I saw the Fire Spitting Hound charging at you, I broke out in a cold sweat¡­¡±


    ¡°Thankfully your movement technique is good, otherwise, it would have been really frightening.¡±


    The three of them still felt a chill when they thought back to it.


    ¡°However, Mo Hua, your movement technique is really amazing!¡±


    Shuanghu couldn¡¯t help but praise.


    He had never seen such movement technique before; it was like flowing water and like a butterfly, darting unpredictably, making it hard to grasp.


    Being so close to a furiously enraged Fire Spitting Hound and not even having the hem of his clothes touched.


    Mo Hua said somewhat shyly, ¡°I owe it to that kind-hearted uncle who passed by¡­ but I¡¯ve just learned the basics.¡±


    After putting away the jade bottle full of Monster Blood, Mo Hua added:


    ¡°I¡¯m done bleeding it, you guys can skin it. This pig is really big, it could probably sell for a good amount of Spirit Stones.¡±


    Inspired, the three Da¡¯hu brothers began to skin and debone the Pig Monster, getting ready to sell it for Spirit Stones.


    Having nothing to do, Mo Hua checked his Storage Bag and found it already had several dozen bottles of Monster Blood in it.


    But Mo Hua felt it might not be enough.


    Nine Formation Patterns is a significant threshold for a Formation Master.


    After reaching the Middle Phase of Qi Refinement, you need to solve formations to break through the bottleneck of the Heaven Yan Jue, which is also a major threshold.


    Both of these thresholds require a lot of Formation drawing, so naturally, the more Spiritual Ink, the better.


    It¡¯s best to stock up on Monster Blood.


    But¡­ how can he stock up more?


    Mo Hua frowned slightly. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three Da¡¯hu brothers, after all, were only at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, and killing one Monster Beast in a day was already quite an accomplishment.


    If Mo Hua himself took action, facing a dying Monster Beast, although he could manage with his movement technique, killing it would still be a bit difficult, and he could only rely on the Fireball Technique.


    The Fireball Technique wasn¡¯t very powerful, and against Monster Beasts with thick skins and flesh, especially those with Fire-series demonic power, its effectiveness had to be discounted even more.


    Killing a dying Monster Beast, he¡¯d probably need to fire several Fireball Techniques to succeed.


    Whenever Mo Hua had time, he practiced the Fireball Technique, which had now become fast and accurate, even allowing him to strike before a Monster Beast could.


    But even if he could use the Fireball Technique to kill ten Monster Beasts, a single flaw, if exploited by a monster, would put him in danger.


    For the sake of ten bottles of Monster Blood, and some Spirit Stones, the risk wasn¡¯t really worth taking.


    Mo Hua thought for several days, but still hadn¡¯t come up with a good solution.


    Not until this day, when he was strolling around the outer mountain and updating his map, did he run into Yu Chengyi, who was leading a monster hunting team.


    Yu Chengyi was Elder Yu¡¯s eldest son, with a cultivation of the Qi Refining Ninth Level, quite impressive, and quite well-respected among Monster Hunters.


    Usually, he led teams to hunt monsters in the Inner Mountain, but a few days ago, he received news that a rather troublesome Monster Beast had appeared on the outer mountain. Although it was only in the Middle Phase of the first rank, it was difficult to deal with.


    Yu Chengyi happened to have some free time this day, so he temporarily brought some Monster Hunters to the outer mountain to hunt this creature.


    Yu Chengyi was on high alert, searching for traces of the beast with some Monster Hunters, when suddenly he heard someone calling him, the voice quite youthful.


    Yu Chengyi was startled, looked up, and saw a young cultivator standing on a distant rock, waving at him.


    His jaw nearly dropped in shock.


    Where did this kid come from?


    This was Big Black Mountain!


    How did the child get in? And how did he dare to come in?! Wasn¡¯t he afraid of being eaten by Monster Beasts?


    When Yu Chengyi recognized the person, he jumped again and blurted out, ¡°Mo Hua?!¡±


    He remembered Mo Hua.


    The son of Mo Shan, quite young, with a clever appearance. He drew formations well, and his dad had told him to look after the boy.


    A chill ran through Yu Chengyi¡¯s heart, followed by a wave of fright.


    A Junior Formation Master among Monster Hunters, if he were eaten by a monster, the loss would be enormous.


    Yu Chengyi flashed over in an instant, taking two steps in one stride, directly reaching Mo Hua¡¯s side, lifted him off the rock, and placed him on the ground.


    ¡°Uncle Yu, your movement technique is really good!¡±


    Mo Hua praised him as he landed.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Yu Chengyi modestly replied, then thought something wasn¡¯t right. Was now really the time to discuss this¡­


    He looked at Mo Hua, then scanned the surroundings and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Where¡¯s your dad?¡±


    ¡°My dad is in the Inner Mountain.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I mean, isn¡¯t your dad with you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t go to the Inner Mountain,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Mo Shan had told him to play in the outer mountain, with strict instructions not to go to the Inner Mountain. Mo Hua strictly complied; he wouldn¡¯t dare to set foot there even were he doomed.


    Yu Chengyi clarified, ¡°What I meant is, isn¡¯t your dad by your side?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, he has to go monster hunting in the Inner Mountain, can¡¯t always accompany me,¡± Mo Hua explained.


    Yu Chengyi was dumbfounded, ¡°You mean to say, Mo Shan brought you into the mountain then left you in the outer mountain?¡±


    Had Mo Shan lost his mind?


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°I came with Da¡¯hu and the others. My dad only allowed me in the outer mountain, he forbade me from entering the Inner Mountain.¡±


    Yu Chengyi, word by word, slowly asked, ¡°You¡¯re saying, Mo Shan, he permitted you to come to the outer mountain?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Yu Chengyi felt a surge of anger.


    What kind of joke was this? The outer mountain was still part of Big Black Mountain! There were poisons, miasmas, and Monster Beasts!


    Don¡¯t underestimate the danger of the outer mountain!


    It took a long time for Yu Chengyi to compose himself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°Uncle Yu, could you do me a favor?¡±


    Yu Chengyi had asked a few trivial questions, interrupting Mo Hua¡¯s train of thought, almost making him forget what he originally wanted to do.


    ¡°A favor?¡± Yu Chengyi was taken aback, ¡°To find someone to send you back?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯ve just entered the mountain, why go back now?¡±


    Mo Hua stealthily assessed Yu Chengyi¡¯s Monster Hunters and whispered:


    ¡°Could I borrow a few people from you?¡±

 Chapter 126 - 126 Borrowing People (Five Updates) _1

    Chapter 126 Borrowing People (Five Updates) _1


    ¡°Borrow people?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°What do you need people for?¡±


    ¡°I have some matters that require assistance. Cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Refinement will do, five¡­ no, four will suffice,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Yu Chengyi wanted to ask what Mo Hua needed them for, but then he remembered Mo Hua was a Formation Master, which probably meant it had to do with formations. Knowing he wouldn¡¯t understand even if he was told, he realized it was pointless to ask.


    His father, Elder Yu, had instructed him to take good care of Mo Hua. If he didn¡¯t, and his father found out, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be let off easily.


    While his father treated Mo Hua with warmth and pleasure, his demeanor was never as kind towards him.


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s heart tightened, and he said, ¡°It¡¯s a small matter, no problem at all.¡±


    Mo Hua thought he would have to do more talking, but to his surprise, Yu Chengyi agreed so readily. He said happily,


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Yu!¡±


    Yu Chengyi signaled a few cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Refinement to follow Mo Hua, instructing them to protect Mo Hua¡¯s safety and to assist with whatever he might need.


    Still feeling uneasy, he turned to an older Monster Hunter and said,


    ¡°Old Zhao, follow them as well, just to keep an eye on things.¡±


    Old Zhao looked surprised but nodded and replied, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Yu, that¡¯s enough, we don¡¯t need that many people,¡± Mo Hua quickly said.


    The Monster Hunter known as ¡°Old Zhao¡± had a robust aura, likely in the latter phase of Qi Refinement. Plus, with the five middle-phase cultivators just added, there were already plenty of people.


    He only wanted to hunt a mid-grade rank-one Monster Beast; there was no need for so many people.


    Yu Chengyi waved his hand dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll feel more at ease with them accompanying you.¡±


    He would rather have too many people than too few¡ªin case something unexpected happened, if this Junior Formation Master encountered any mishap, his father would certainly flay his skin!


    This was Big Black Mountain, after all, teeming with Monster Beasts. They couldn¡¯t afford to be careless.


    If he wasn¡¯t so tied up himself, he would have liked to accompany them.


    ¡°But by borrowing so many people, will you have enough hands here, Uncle Yu?¡± Mo Hua asked with concern.


    Yu Chengyi felt warmed by the concern and patted Mo Hua on the shoulder, saying,


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. Everyone here is experienced, so don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and then said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll be on our way, goodbye for now, Uncle Yu!¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Yu Chengyi said. After reflecting for a moment, he added a word of caution,


    ¡°Finish your task quickly and return without delay. Don¡¯t linger in the mountains. Big Black Mountain is very dangerous.¡±


    Mo Hua led several Monster Hunters through the mountain terrain.


    ¡°Bro Mo, what do you need to do?¡± a younger Monster Hunter asked softly.


    Turning around, Mo Hua replied in surprise, ¡°Daping?¡±


    Daping¡¯s surname was Zhou, son of Zhou Cheng. He had once requested Mo Hua to draw an Iron Armor Formation and had specifically visited to express his thanks.


    Mo Hua had only seen Daping once and didn¡¯t have a strong recall of him, which was why he didn¡¯t recognize him earlier amidst the crowd. Now, hearing his familiar voice, Mo Hua recognized him.


    Zhou Daping, somewhat shy and reserved, said, ¡°Bro Mo, do you still remember me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Mo Hua replied, ¡°I¡¯m taking you to hunt Monster Beasts.¡±


    Zhou Daping was startled, exchanging puzzled looks with the other Monster Hunters.


    Old Zhao was also taken aback upon hearing this.


    The lad sure had guts!


    With these few mid-phase Qi Refinement cultivators hunting Monster Beasts, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed they could all return alive¡­


    No wonder Yu Chengyi assigned him to keep watch.


    Zhou Daping hesitated before saying, ¡°But Bro Mo, the few of us¡­ we can¡¯t kill Monster Beasts.¡±


    After saying this, he timidly added another question, ¡°What strength are the Monster Beasts?¡±


    If they were rank-one early-phase, then there probably wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°Well, about mid-phase rank-one. We can¡¯t kill late-phase ones anyway,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Zhou Daping felt a wave of dizziness. They couldn¡¯t kill late-phase beasts, but they couldn¡¯t handle mid-phase ones either¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua said, patting his chest, ¡°I¡¯ve planned it all out. Leave it to me!¡±


    Zhou Daping wanted to say more, but was at a loss for words, so he reluctantly followed Mo Hua.


    Old Zhao, on the other hand, was on full alert.


    The kids didn¡¯t understand the risks, but having spent many years in Big Black Mountain, he was acutely aware that even a mid-phase rank-one Monster Beast was not to be taken lightly.


    Since Yu Chengyi had asked him to look after them, if something went wrong, he wouldn¡¯t be able to give an account.


    ¡°I just hope nothing unfortunate happens¡­¡±


    Old Zhao could only mutter to himself in his heart.


    Mo Hua walked along the mountain path, then stopped before a stretch of mountain forest.


    This was the boundary between the forest and the mountain cliff, an intersection of two paths, the terrain was narrow, and it was a necessary pass for monster beasts entering or leaving the forest.


    Next to it, the wild grass was thick, and mountain rocks provided cover for hiding.


    Mo Hua set up the traps, laid out the formations, erased any traces, and then used Bloody Herbs to cover the scent. After that, he led everyone to hide behind the rocks.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait here. When the monster beast comes and triggers the traps, I¡¯ll activate the formation, and we¡­ no, you will take action,¡± Mo Hua said.


    He wasn¡¯t about to add to the trouble.


    Daping and the others nodded while Old Zhao slightly raised his eyebrows.


    He had heard that Mo Shan had a young son who was quite skilled at drawing formations.


    But these were monster beasts, with their thick skin and flesh; could formations really be effective¡­?


    Old Zhao¡¯s brow furrowed even more.


    Zhou Daping was somewhat anxious, ¡°Brother Mo, are you sure this will work?¡±


    Mo Hua reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve tested it, there will be no problem.¡±


    Zhou Daping nodded, but he still seemed uneasy, gripping the handle of his knife tightly.


    The other monster hunters were also young, and they all held their breath in concentration, not daring to even breathe loudly.


    The waiting was agonizing, and everyone looked very serious.


    Only Mo Hua appeared relaxed, even finding it boring, as he picked a blade of grass and started casually drawing formation patterns on the ground.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Daping gently nudged Mo Hua, ¡°Brother Mo¡­ it¡¯s coming.¡±


    His voice trembled slightly from nervousness. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua perked up, dropped the grass, and poked his head out to see a goat-like monster beast emerging from the forest.


    The monster beast¡¯s eyes were blood-red, and its mouth was covered in fresh blood; it seemed to have just finished devouring its prey.


    However, it may have eaten too much, as its vigilance seemed low.


    As it slowly walked into the trap and got caught by the Wood Binding Formation, Mo Hua threw a fireball from afar to activate the Earth Fire Formation.


    An explosion rang out, fierce flames swirled, spiritual power overflowed, and the surrounding rocks were shattered.


    Zhou Daping and the others were stunned.


    Mo Hua yelled, ¡°Go for it!¡±


    The group snapped out of their stupor and without further delay, drew their swords and threw their punches, rushing toward the monster beast.


    In a short while, the monster beast lay on the ground.


    Mo Hua stuck his head out from afar and asked, ¡°Is it dead?¡±


    Seeing the monster beast lying on the ground after just a few rounds, Zhou Daping was stunned for a long time before he slowly replied,


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s dead.¡±


    Mo Hua then ran forward and began drawing the monster blood using the Blood Drawing Art.


    The bright red monster blood flowed into the bottle, guided by Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense.


    ¡°Brother Mo, this is for¡­?¡± Zhou Daping couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°For drawing formations,¡± Mo Hua replied, continuing to draw blood.


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Zhou Daping said, dropping the subject.


    After Mo Hua finished with the blood drawing and saw that Zhou Daping and the others were still standing there foolishly, he asked,


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to skin it?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The monster beast, skin it and remove the bones, take them to sell,¡± Mo Hua explained.


    They then came to their senses and set to work, processing the monster beast and putting it into the storage bag.


    Mo Hua did the calculations for them, how many spirit stones the formation would cost, how many to activate the formation. After selling the monster beast and deducting these, the spirit stones would be divided equally among them.


    Daping quickly shook his head, ¡°No, this is your achievement, how could we take the spirit stones?¡±


    The others also declined the offer.


    ¡°You helped, it¡¯s what you deserve!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t allow them to refuse and waved goodbye, ¡°I¡¯m heading back home now, if there¡¯s anything next time, I¡¯ll ask for your help again.¡± After saying that, he happily went home.


    Daping and the others stood there, exchanging glances, their expressions complex.


    After selling the monster beast, each person could share seven or eight spirit stones.


    They had never earned so many spirit stones before¡­

 Chapter 127 - 127: Night Drinking (First Update)_1

    Chapter 127: Night Drinking (First Update)_1


    At nightfall, outside of Big Black Mountain.


    Yu Chengyi had exhausted the strength of nine oxen and two tigers to kill the monster beast before him.


    It took him more effort than he had originally anticipated.


    The monster beast was not particularly strong, but it was quite cunning and fast; even when severely injured, it still found ways to escape from his hands.


    Originally, he had plenty of help to encircle and kill the beast, which would have made its escape impossible. But after lending a few people to Mo Hua, the gaps in their encirclement widened.


    The monster beast took the opportunity to flee several times, and it wasn¡¯t until nighttime that Yu Chengyi finally hunted it down to its death.


    The others were more or less injured, but fortunately, they were only superficial wounds, nothing serious.


    After dealing with the monster beast, they rested at the nearby Monster Hunting Campsite.


    It was too late to travel, and after a day of labor, they also wanted to rest for a while.


    A few Monster Hunters lit lanterns, and the dim yellow light immediately warmed up the cramped campsite.


    Yu Chengyi took out a few bottles of strong liquor and poured some for everyone.


    They raised their cups, downed the drinks in one gulp, and the burn of the strong liquor seemed to disperse much of the fatigue from their bodies.


    Yu Chengyi smacked his lips and said, ¡°What a pity, we have liquor but no meat.¡±


    One of the Monster Hunters coughed and pulled out a paper-wrapped package from his Storage Bag. When he opened it, it revealed several pounds of sliced Bull Monster Meat.


    The meat, a soy red in color and dotted with piquant spices, was fragrant and spicy to smell.


    Yu Chengyi cursed, ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you take it out earlier? I¡¯ve already had a few drinks.¡±


    The man retorted ungraciously, ¡°Then don¡¯t eat it. I didn¡¯t even feel like sharing!¡±


    After a few more jibes and jokes, they all started to eat meat and drink liquor, reveling in the feast.


    ¡°This beef, it¡¯s from Mo Shan¡¯s family, right?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°No shit, where else could you get such tasty meat besides his family¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°You go to the Spiritual Meal Building on North Street, the spiritual meat there is absolutely top-notch!¡±


    ¡°Too expensive, it¡¯s not satisfying to eat.¡±


    ¡°Next time I¡¯ll cozy up to Mo Shan, see if he¡¯d give me some¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve?¡±


    ¡°Go to hell!¡±


    They continued to eat and chat.


    Yet Yu Chengyi¡¯s brows were slightly furrowed; mentioning Mo Shan made him think of his son, Mo Hua.


    He wondered how Mo Hua was doing now and whether he had encountered any danger.


    Just then, Yu Chengyi tensed up, his expression turning grave, ¡°There¡¯s a noise!¡±


    The Monster Hunters quickly put down their cups, crouched and reached for their knives, staring warily at the entrance of the campsite. One Monster Hunter went to the entrance, peered out sideways, and then relaxed, turning back to say, ¡°It¡¯s Old Zhao.¡±


    Everyone also breathed a sigh of relief, they sat back down in their places and picked up their cups to drink again.


    Old Zhao entered the camp and cursed when he saw them, ¡°I¡¯ve been rushing here all night, and you lot are comfortably enjoying yourselves, with both liquor and meat!¡±


    ¡°We thought you weren¡¯t coming back.¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Your wife is pregnant, we all thought you went back to her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your own bad luck¡­¡±


    The group laughed.


    Yu Chengyi poured a cup of liquor and beckoned Old Zhao to sit down.


    Old Zhao didn¡¯t stand on ceremony. Having been on the road for half a day, tired and thirsty, he picked up the cup and downed it, the spicy liquor burning down his throat, but he felt much more comfortable.


    Unable to help himself, Yu Chengyi asked, ¡°Mo Hua is alright, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Old Zhao¡¯s expression complicated.


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°What, did something happen?¡±


    Old Zhao shook his head, ¡°No, he went back home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± Yu Chengyi sighed in relief, then cursed, ¡°Can¡¯t you speak plainly? You scared the hell out of me!¡±


    Yu Chengyi took another sip of his drink, casually asking, ¡°What did Mo Hua go off to do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, went off to kill monster beasts¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi spat out his drink, ¡°What?¡±


    Old Zhao repeated helplessly, ¡°To kill monster beasts.¡±


    ¡°Middle Phase of First Rank?¡±


    ¡°Middle Phase of First Rank.¡±


    Yu Chengyi was startled, ¡°How was it killed?¡±


    Old Zhao sighed. Yu Chengyi suddenly understood and patted Old Zhao on the shoulder:


    ¡°You did well, Old Zhao, it must have been hard on you!¡±


    Having said that, he felt something was off and voiced his doubt:


    ¡°You weren¡¯t injured, it doesn¡¯t look like you were the one who killed it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill it¡­¡± Old Zhao said, ¡°At least, I don¡¯t suppose it counts as me killing it.¡±


    Yu Chengyi frowned and said, ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t count? Stop beating around the bush and just speak clearly!¡±


    Old Zhao organized his thoughts and replied, ¡°Mo Hua, that kid, set up a trap and laid a formation. When the monster beast walked into the trap, he ignited the formation with the Fireball Technique, and the beast was blasted into a critical state¡­¡±


    ¡°Then the rest of us, actually, I wasn¡¯t even needed, those Qi Refinement Middle Phase youngsters were enough to kill the critically wounded monster beast¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi knitted his brows.


    The other Monster Hunters then said, ¡°Old Zhao, have you drunk yourself stupid, what nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Could this monster beast really be of the Middle Phase of the first rank?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t drunk that much, have you? Can¡¯t handle your liquor anymore?¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Old Zhao couldn¡¯t be bothered with them.


    Yu Chengyi, however, was somewhat convinced and asked, ¡°What formation?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have asked?¡± inquired Yu Chengyi.


    ¡°I was too shocked to think of it,¡± replied Old Zhao.


    ¡°And then what happened?¡±


    ¡°After that, he bled the monster beast, we sold it, and I¡­ got a share of eight Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi looked at him with disdain, ¡°You¡¯re taking advantage of a kid.¡±


    Old Zhao¡¯s face turned red, ¡°I tried to refuse, but I couldn¡¯t refuse it!¡±


    ¡°Can you even feel at ease keeping those Spirit Stones?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send them to his family¡¯s eatery tomorrow, buy some meat to bring back and share with everyone¡­¡±


    ¡°If you feel uneasy, we¡¯ll share the burden with you.¡±


    ¡°You bastards!¡±


    The men laughed boisterously for a while.


    However, Yu Chengyi¡¯s brows remained furrowed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Old Zhao, seeing his expression.


    ¡°Are you certain that the formation could actually blast a Middle Phase first-rank monster beast into a critical state?¡± Yu Chengyi asked seriously.


    Old Zhao¡¯s expression grew solemn, ¡°I saw it with my own eyes!¡±


    ¡°What kind of monster beast was it?¡±


    ¡°A Red-eyed Sheep, over three meters tall, with curled horns, white fur, red eyes, and a fondness for entrails. It had just finished eating something; its mouth was covered in blood.¡± After speaking, Old Zhao opened his Storage Bag, took out a bloodstained hoof, and said:


    ¡°This is the hoof of the Sheep Demon. It wasn¡¯t worth much, so I didn¡¯t sell it.¡±


    When everyone saw the hoof as thick as a Cultivator¡¯s thigh, with tips red as blood, even blackening, their mirthful expressions faded.


    ¡°It is indeed a Middle Phase first rank, and moreover in its prime, having feasted on quite a lot of flesh.¡±


    A Monster Hunter hesitantly said, ¡°That Mo Shan¡¯s son is only at the fifth or sixth layer of Qi Refinement, right? Could he really set up such a powerful formation?¡±


    ¡°I find it unlikely.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, the Iron Armor Formation on my son¡¯s Rattan Armor was drawn by him. Although I don¡¯t understand it, it is indeed well-drawn!¡± another Monster Hunter stated.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t understand it, how do you know if it¡¯s good or not?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t eaten pork, but haven¡¯t you seen a pig run?¡±


    The crowd argued with many voices at once.


    Yu Chengyi thought for a moment and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask him tomorrow¡­never mind, I will ask him myself to see what kind of formation was used and if it truly could injure a Middle Phase first-rank monster beast.¡±


    Old Zhao nodded, ¡°But aren¡¯t we supposed to go to the Inner Mountain tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll postpone it by one day, and go the day after tomorrow,¡± Yu Chengyi answered.


    Everyone was taken aback, ¡°Is this formation that important? To make a team wait an extra day¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not that important to us, but it¡¯s very important for rookie Monster Hunters.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± they asked.


    Yu Chengyi thought briefly, looked at everyone, and slowly said:


    ¡°With this formation, if there are only three or four Qi Refinement Middle Phase cultivators, couldn¡¯t they kill a Middle Phase first-rank monster beast?¡±


    The crowd looked at each other, each feeling their hearts skip a beat.

 Chapter 128 - 128: Win-Win (Part 2)_1

    Chapter 128: Win-Win (Part 2)_1


    The next day, Yu Chengyi specially went to the eatery to find Mo Hua, who was drawing a formation.


    ¡°Mo Hua, drawing a formation again?¡±


    Yu Chengyi greeted somewhat stiffly.


    ¡°Uncle Yu?¡± Mo Hua was a bit surprised, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    ¡°I came to see you,¡± Yu Chengyi said with a smile.


    Mo Hua also smiled, ¡°Thank you for yesterday, Uncle Yu.¡±


    Yu Chengyi waved his hand, ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Yu Chengyi again and asked, ¡°Uncle Yu, you must have something on your mind, don¡¯t you?¡±


    With the Monster Hunting Team so busy, there was no way he would come to see him without a reason.


    Yu Chengyi hesitated before asking, ¡°Mo Hua, what was that formation you used yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday?¡± Mo Hua thought for a moment, ¡°It was the Earth Fire Formation.¡±


    The Earth Fire Formation¡­ just the sound of it conveyed no ordinary power.


    Yu Chengyi nodded, then he said with some anticipation:


    ¡°This Earth Fire Formation¡­ can it hurt a middle-phase first-grade monster beast?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Hua replied, ¡°But one won¡¯t be powerful enough. Combine four or five together, and they can severely wound a middle-phase first-grade monster beast. Then with a few more cuts, it¡¯s done.¡±


    Just as expected!


    Yu Chengyi got excited for a moment, ¡°When you have some time, can you draw a few for Uncle Yu?¡±


    ¡°You want them, Uncle Yu? But this formation isn¡¯t that useful for you, is it?¡± Mo Hua asked in confusion.


    Yu Chengyi, who had reached the ninth level of Qi Refinement, should not need a formation to hunt middle-phase first-grade monster beasts.


    Against a late-phase first-grade monster beast, the power of the Earth Fire Formation would be rather limited.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it for myself; it¡¯s for the newcomers to use.¡±


    Yu Chengyi sighed, ¡°Their cultivation is inadequate, and following us, they sometimes don¡¯t even get to share in the spoils. Waiting for them to stand on their own takes too long. With this formation, at least they could earn some spirit stones.¡±


    Mo Hua thought of Da¡¯hu and the others.


    Just becoming a monster hunter was both dangerous and earned hardly any spirit stones, truly the most difficult time.


    Mo Hua agreed, ¡°Sure, I can do that.¡±


    Yu Chengyi breathed a sigh of relief, then his expression became hesitant, and he gritted his teeth, ¡°About drawing this formation¡­ how many spirit stones would it cost¡­?¡±


    This formation must be complicated, at least more so than the Iron Armor Formation, so the fee should be higher, but he couldn¡¯t actually offer many spirit stones.


    Yu Chengyi finally understood how his father must have felt.


    Knowing he was imposing yet still reluctantly asking. Unable to provide much in the way of spirit stones but still requesting others to do him a favor.


    And the favor was being asked of a teenager, no less.


    The normally generous Yu Chengyi couldn¡¯t help but look down, too embarrassed to meet Mo Hua¡¯s gaze.


    Mo Hua inwardly sighed.


    Whether it was Elder Yu or Uncle Yu, they must both be proud individuals, yet both were willing to set aside their ego and face for the sake of other monster hunters.


    Mo Hua felt a deep respect, his dark eyes twinkling, he then smiled and said:


    ¡°Uncle Yu, let¡¯s make a deal.¡±


    Yu Chengyi was taken aback, ¡°A deal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a deal!¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°You just provide me with the spiritual ink, I¡¯ll draw the formations. You get someone to take them for monster hunting. After splitting the earned spirit stones, give me a portion as a fee for drawing the formations.¡±


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s eyes also brightened, and he exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡±


    ¡°But I have one more condition,¡± Mo Hua added.


    ¡°Whatever you need, just say it!¡± Yu Chengyi said heartily, not wanting Mo Hua to suffer a loss.


    ¡°I want the monster blood after the beasts are killed.¡±


    ¡°Monster blood?¡± Yu Chengyi was puzzled, ¡°What do you need monster blood for?¡±


    ¡°To mix with the spiritual ink and use for drawing formations.¡±


    Upon hearing that it was for formation use, Yu Chengyi immediately nodded and said,


    ¡°No problem, no one wants the monster blood, it¡¯s all yours.¡±


    ¡°However,¡± Yu Chengyi paused for a moment to think, then added, ¡°Can we collect the monster blood for you? Big Black Mountain is quite dangerous, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t go there.¡±


    ¡°You need to know the Blood Drawing Art to do it, I have to do it myself,¡± said Mo Hua.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi felt a bit disappointed, as he didn¡¯t want Mo Hua to take risks, but it was necessary for Mo Hua to go.


    ¡°Just be very careful,¡± Yu Chengyi urged.


    ¡°Mhm, mhm, Uncle Yu, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be cautious,¡± Mo Hua assured.


    After discussing some minor details, Yu Chengyi said,


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll head back now, and not disturb your formation painting.¡±


    On his way out, he also bought a few pounds of beef.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to him.


    With the beef in hand, Yu Chengyi left the eatery, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his heart, refreshed and invigorated.


    ¡°Such a good kid¡­¡±


    Not only smart and sensible but also understanding and immensely talented in forming techniques.


    Indeed, experience trumps all, and his father¡¯s judgment in people was really accurate.


    Initially, when his father told him to take a look at Mo Hua and get familiar with him, he was somewhat reluctant, but now he almost wished he could move next door to Mo Shan¡¯s family.


    Seeing each other without lifting or lowering one¡¯s head is what truly makes one familiar.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to remind Old Zhao and the others, if they come across Mo Hua in the mountain, they must look out for him, we can¡¯t let anything happen to him!¡± Yu Chengyi resolved silently to himself.


    After Yu Chengyi left, Mo Hua also breathed a sigh of relief.


    He had been wondering how he could stock up on more monster blood to mix with the Spiritual Ink.


    With just Da¡¯hu and his two companions, they were short on manpower, and he couldn¡¯t always be asking Uncle Yu to lend him people.


    Now it was much better, all he had to do was draw formations and then use the Blood Drawing Art to extract the monster blood. The novice monster hunters could also gain experience in monster hunting while earning some spirit stones on the side.


    After all, monster hunters weren¡¯t exactly wealthy.


    Thinking about it that way, he had helped Uncle Yu, and Uncle Yu had helped him, killing two birds with one stone.


    Mo Hua quickly drew several Earth Fire Formations and handed them over to Yu Chengyi.


    Yu Chengyi had people try to use the Earth Fire Formations to hunt monster beasts, but they failed.


    The problem lay with the placement of the traps.


    Other monster hunters could also set traps, but the locations weren¡¯t good, and their techniques were rather crude, easily discovered by the monster beasts.


    If the monster beasts didn¡¯t fall for the traps, they wouldn¡¯t be confined, and if not confined, they naturally couldn¡¯t trigger the explosion of the Earth Fire Formation.


    Yu Chengyi came to ask Mo Hua if there was any solution.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then recommended Uncle Chu¡ªChu Guangshan.


    Mo Hua¡¯s own method of setting traps was learnt from Uncle Chu, naturally, he was the best person for this task.


    So Chu Guangshan, who was badly injured and unable to continue monster hunting, joined the Monster Hunting Team again and ventured into Big Black Mountain.


    He was in charge of tracking the monster beasts, placing traps, then setting up Mo Hua¡¯s Earth Fire Formations before detonating them with arrows tipped with fire stones.


    After the explosion of the Earth Fire Formation, he didn¡¯t have to take action himself, as the other monster hunters would naturally finish off the monster beasts.


    Even though he was badly wounded and unable to fight the monster beasts to the death, he could still help in hunting them, and in the end, he got a significant share of spirit stones.


    With his share of the spirit stones, Chu Guangshan bought many things and visited with Jiang Yun to express their gratitude. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But neither of the couple was good with words.


    Jiang Yun¡¯s face was red, while Chu Guangshan was somewhat tongue-tied, not sure what to say.


    Watching the husband and wife struggle to express themselves, Mo Hua was moved but also found it somewhat amusing.


    He thought to himself, the old saying really was true: ¡°You never know a person until you share a house with them.¡±

 Chapter 129 - 129: Spices (Third Update)_1

    Chapter 129: Spices (Third Update)_1


    The effects of the Earth Fire Formation exceeded expectations.


    Yu Chengyi was not mistaken, with the Earth Fire Formation in place, just a few cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Refinement could hunt down a rank one, middle phase monster beast, and as long as they were careful, there wouldn¡¯t be any significant casualties.


    Previously, the Monster Hunting Team consisted of veterans mentoring newcomers, with several experienced hunters bringing along some rookies.


    This not only protected the newcomers but also allowed them to familiarize themselves with the environment, gain experience, hone their Taoist skills, and even share some spirit stones to subsidize their household income.


    However, this method of teaming up significantly reduced the hunting efficiency of the experienced monster hunters.


    Now with the formation in place, as long as the novices were taught some basic techniques, they could hunt on their own.


    Because the Earth Fire Formation would directly blast the monster beasts into severe injuries, their channels would be damaged, their demonic power would circulate slowly, and many of their tricky maneuvers could not be deployed, so these newcomers would also be relatively safer.


    Thanks to the Earth Fire Formation, the novices could earn spirit stones, and the veterans could hunt more easily, making the lives of all monster hunters more comfortable.


    However, Mo Hua was just one person, and although she could draw the formations quickly, there was still a limit to how many Earth Fire Formations she could produce in a day.


    Yu Chengyi thought it over and decided to save some Earth Fire Formations and assign more manpower instead.


    Using five Earth Fire Formations required three or four monster hunters to finish off the beasts.


    Now, with three formations, but six or seven monster hunters to deal the final blows.


    The results were more or less the same.


    Mo Hua was extremely familiar with the Earth Fire Formation, drawing them faster and more efficiently over time, and the number of monster hunters using her drawn Earth Fire Formations for hunting increased.


    As time went on, nearly all the cultivators who were at the middle phase of Qi Refinement became acquainted with Mo Hua.


    Some wore Rattan Armor with Iron Armor Formations drawn by Mo Hua; some used Earth Fire Formations drawn by Mo Hua for hunting; others had formations on their family¡¯s doors and windows drawn by Mo Hua.


    Even the cultivators in the latter stages of Qi Refinement mostly recognized Mo Hua.


    Some had life-saving ties with Mo Shan and naturally knew Mo Hua well; some had asked Mo Shan to have Mo Hua draw formations for them; even if some had no direct connection with Mo Hua, they had heard about this Junior Formation Master from relatives or Taoist friends;


    And there were some who had been personally instructed by Yu Chengyi to take extra care of Mo Hua inside Big Black Mountain.


    In this manner, Mo Hua had been mixing in the mountain for over a month and found that almost everyone in the external part of the mountain had become an acquaintance.


    Often, as he walked around, cultivators he recognized would greet him.


    There were also cultivators who would offer him wild fruits picked from the mountainside.


    Sour and sweet, crispy and delicious.


    Beyond wild fruits, there were those who offered dry food, jerked meat, pine nuts, and rice wine.


    Even without bringing anything, Mo Hua could eat to his heart¡¯s content and return home full and satisfied¡­


    Since it¡¯s rude not to reciprocate, Mo Hua began to ask his mother to pack several pounds of sliced beef in various flavors into his storage bag for every mountain expedition.


    When others treated him, he would treat them to his beef.


    As this went on, some people started hoping to encounter Mo Hua in the mountains.


    Especially some veteran monster hunters who had a craving for liquor but lacked meat to go with it.


    Previously, when they were not hunting monsters, they did not wish to stay in the mountain for a moment longer.


    Now, with time to spare, they would even deliberately wait on the mountain paths of the external mountain, eagerly anticipating Mo Hua¡¯s arrival. Then they¡¯d offer Mo Hua pastries and wild fruits, and Mo Hua would offer them meat to pair with their drinks.


    These monster hunters had been entrusted by Yu Chengyi to keep an eye on Mo Hua, and sometimes when Mo Hua encountered difficulties on the mountain, they would lend a hand.


    Mo Hua remembered their kindness.


    So sometimes, even when he had no particular reason to, Mo Hua would bring some meat to the mountain, sit with them on the large rocks amidst the mountainscape, enjoy the meat, and listen to their tales of monster hunting.


    Occasionally they would comment on the taste of the meat.


    Such as it being not spicy enough, cooked too soft to have any chew, or the gamey flavor being too mild for their taste¡­


    While commenting, they gorged on the meat as if it were the most delicious thing ever.


    Some monster hunters even offered advice, suggesting that some of the herbs from the mountains were excellent, and adding them to the meat when cooking would enhance the flavor even more.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately inquired about where these herbs could be found.


    ¡°There are many in the mountains; you¡¯ll have to find them yourself.¡±


    The Monster Hunter said this as he took out a thin booklet, which depicted various flowers, plants, and trees and also indicated which parts of these plants could be used as spices.


    Some were flowers, some were leaves, some were stems and branches, and there were also dew, flower paste, tree resin, and more.


    All in all, there were dozens of varieties.


    The Monster Hunter gave the booklet to Mo Hua with only one condition¡ªthat he be allowed to taste the delicious meat once it was cooked.


    Mo Hua, considering it a treasure, nodded eagerly.


    Afterward, as Mo Hua crossed the mountains, he kept an eye out for the spices listed in the booklet.


    If he found any, he would pick them and later take them home to his mother.


    Liu Ruhua was also overjoyed; she had always been devoted to researching various Taoist culinary dishes, and with these spices, her cooking could only be enhanced.


    Using the spices, Liu Ruhua made some meat dishes; Mo Hua tasted them and found indeed that the flavors were improved and the aftertaste more complex.


    Mo Hua, as promised, brought some of the meat to the Monster Hunter to try.


    After eating, the Monster Hunter¡¯s expression was calm and open-minded, as if he tasted a kind of ¡°death with no regrets¡± in this lifetime¡­


    His expression was so exaggerated that Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Mo Hua also delivered some to Forgetful Residence.


    Bai Zisheng tasted it and, finding the flavor improved, enviously said,


    ¡°Mo Hua, your mother is really great!¡±


    After saying that, he had a brainwave and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your mom if she¡¯d take me as a foster son?¡±


    Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him.


    Bai Zixi couldn¡¯t help herself either and threw a paper ball at Bai Zisheng¡¯s forehead.


    The beef Mo Hua brought to Mr. Zhuang was the best, with an excellent presentation, comprising five or six dishes¡ªeach garnished with either vibrant green onions or fiery red hot sauce, every dish offering a unique flavor.


    After tasting a bite, Mr. Zhuang furrowed his brow. Moments later, he couldn¡¯t help but lament,


    ¡°The desires of the palate can corrupt a person¡¯s determination!¡±


    Yet he couldn¡¯t resist taking another bite.


    The spices were excellent, and the food business thrived even more.


    Mo Hua was very happy and decided that while he was gathering spices, he might as well collect some medicinal herbs and other such things.


    After all, setting up formations and hunting Monster Beasts didn¡¯t actually require him.


    He just needed to paint the formations and then bleed them at the end.


    With the remaining time, he usually strolled around the outer mountains.


    Gathering spices, harvesting herbs, and mining were all part of the same task.


    Mo Hua sought out Old Mr. Feng and got a copy of ¡°Tao Cultivation Herbalism,¡± then went to Master Chen and received a copy of ¡°Tao Cultivation Mineral Records.¡±


    He used the descriptions in the two books to search for medicinal herbs and various minerals.


    It would both enhance his knowledge of Tao Cultivation and allow him to collect some medicinal herbs and minerals¡ªafter all, it was a matter of convenience and opportunity should not be wasted.


    The herbs he collected, Mo Hua gave to Old Mr. Feng, while the minerals he mined, he gave to Master Chen.


    They were not polite to Mo Hua and told him to seek them out whenever he needed pills or a Spiritual Artifact. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So Mo Hua went about his life outside Big Black Mountain, drawing maps, finding spices, picking some herbs, digging for minerals, and waiting for other Monster Hunters to kill the Monster Beasts before he would go bleed them, stocking up to mix Spiritual Ink.


    Until one day, he noticed that more and more Monster Hunters were using the Earth Fire Formation. Often, by the time he finished bleeding a Monster Beast killed in the south, another would already be dead in the north.


    By the time he heard about it, the Monster Beast in the north would already be too cold to bleed.


    And just like that, ten bottles of Monster Blood were wasted¡­


    After this occurred several times, Mo Hua frowned and pondered,


    ¡°I need to think of a solution, or it¡¯s too wasteful¡­¡±

 Chapter 130 - 130: Si Nan (fourth update)_1

    Chapter 130: Si Nan (fourth update)_1


    Upon arriving home in the evening, Mo Hua laid prostrate on the small desk, lost in deep thought.


    After the Monster Beasts died, Mo Hua needed to arrive at the scene at the earliest opportunity.


    The best method would be to transmit his voice.


    However, Mo Hua inquired about it and found out that methods like the voice transmission Formation, voice transmission talismans, or other related techniques were not accessible to Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    So, were there any scouting type Formations?


    Mo Hua leaned over the desk, and flipping through the ¡°Thousand Formation Catalog¡± several times by the lamplight, found no suitable Formations.


    After looking for a long time, his neck started to ache. Mo Hua tilted his small head back, laying on the backrest of the wooden chair, contemplating.


    If there truly existed such a Formation, there should be similar records in the ¡°Thousand Formation Catalog.¡±


    Scouting type Formations should not be so rare that Noble Clans or Sects would treasure and keep them secret.


    If the ¡°Catalog¡± did not contain them, then there was another possibility, these Formations were Compound Formations!


    Scouting type Formations likely required the combination of different Single Formations to achieve the desired effect. Since the ¡°Thousand Formation Catalog¡± collected only Single Formations, the absence of such Formation records was quite normal.


    ¡°Compound Formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed. It seemed that he had to consult Mr. Zhuang again.


    The next day, Mo Hua went to the Forgetful Residence and first sought out Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s Formation knowledge was not extensive, so he looked to his younger sister, Bai Zixi, for help.


    After thinking for a moment, Bai Zixi said, ¡°None exist; scouting Formations are somewhat complex and might not be found among first-grade Formations, at least I have never seen one.¡±


    ¡°Are there similar ones?¡±


    ¡°Similar in what way?¡±


    ¡°I mean, something that would let me know where a Formation has been triggered, or if a Monster Beast has died¡­¡± Mo Hua pondered and said.


    Bai Zixi fell silent.


    ¡°Compound Formations are also fine¡­¡± Mo Hua added.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s delicate eyebrows, resembling the crescent moon, furrowed slightly, and after a brief reflection, her long eyelashes fluttered as she replied:


    ¡°The Compass Parent-Child Formation.¡±


    ¡°The Compass¡­ Parent-Child Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua had never heard of it¡­


    Bai Zixi nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a Compound Formation that can sense fluctuations in Spiritual Power.¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua still did not quite understand, she explained, ¡°Any stimulation of a Formation, a battle between Cultivators, will generate fluctuations in Spiritual Power. Once there is a fluctuation, the Formation can perceive it.¡±


    Mo Hua had an epiphany and asked, ¡°Do you know how to set up this Formation?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, you¡¯ll have to ask the Gentleman.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you!¡± said Mo Hua.


    Getting an answer was already an unexpected joy; Bai Zixi¡¯s knowledge of Formations was much more profound than Mo Hua had imagined.


    Mo Hua looked at her with admiration and couldn¡¯t help but praise:


    ¡°Zixi, you know so much!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just average,¡± Bai Zixi responded indifferently, yet the delicate chin of her fair face couldn¡¯t help but be lightly lifted a little.


    Mo Hua then went to find Mr. Zhuang. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As expected, Mr. Zhuang was sleeping in the bamboo room, so Mo Hua sat on the threshold waiting for him.


    While waiting, Mo Hua considered what he would ask later.


    In a little while, a light breeze blew through the silent hall, brushing over Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder.


    Mo Hua knew then that the Gentleman was awake. He stood up, straightened his clothes, went inside to see Mr. Zhuang, and explained the purpose of his visit.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyebrows raised, his interest piqued:


    ¡°The Compass Parent-Child Formation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Gentleman, can you teach me?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang with a pair of pitch-black, clear eyes.


    Mr. Zhuang found it somewhat difficult to refuse but still said:


    ¡°This is a Compound Formation. It¡¯s still a bit early for you to learn Compound Formations,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Mo Hua responded, ¡°Gentleman, I can already draw Formation Diagrams with eight Formation Patterns, but the nine-pattern one seems far out of reach. It¡¯s unlikely that I¡¯ll manage it anytime soon¡­¡±


    ¡°But drawing eight patterns has become somewhat uninteresting to me, so I want to try learning Compound Formations.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but there was a subtle shift in his eyes.


    Drawing eight patterns has become uninteresting¡­


    In the Qi Refinement Realm¡¯s fifth level, to be able to draw eight Formation Patterns and still find it uninteresting?


    Even he thought his young disciple¡¯s words were gradually getting a bit outrageous.


    Mr. Zhuang coughed and called out to Old Kui before beckoning him over.


    Old Kui, seemingly aware of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s intention, took a book from the back of the shelf and placed it in front of Mo Hua.


    The cover of the book read: ¡°Introduction to Compound Formation Compilation.¡±


    ¡°Previously, I gave you an ¡®Initial Understanding of Compound Formation¡¯ as it is fundamental. You should read it more,¡± Mr. Zhuang finished and, pointing to the book before Mo Hua, said, ¡°This ¡®Introduction to Compound Formation Compilation¡¯ contains the Formation Diagrams of the Compass Parent-Child Formation. Read through ¡®Initial Understanding of Compound Formation¡¯ first before learning this, and come to me if there is anything you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed and then asked:


    ¡°Gentleman, can I also learn the other Compound Formations in this book?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked meaningfully at Mo Hua. ¡°Yes, as long as you¡¯re able to learn, you can learn them all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Gentleman. I won¡¯t disturb your rest any further!¡±


    Mo Hua happily bowed and then, holding the book, left the bamboo room.


    Mr. Zhuang lay back in his bamboo chair and closed his eyes to rest.


    Old Kui spoke impassively, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too early?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a Compound Formation.¡±


    Unable to restrain himself, Old Kui said, ¡°What you gave him is the entire ¡®Compound Formation Compilation.¡¯¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just introductory.¡±


    Old Kui rolled his eyes, ¡°What ¡®introductory¡¯? Some of the formations in there aren¡¯t even meant for someone in the Qi Refinement Realm to learn, right?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang remained silent.


    Frowning, Old Kui said, ¡°Do you have some sort of plan?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Mr. Zhuang replied, lying on the bamboo chair, his eyes growing deeper, ¡°I just want to see what he can accomplish if he tries to learn on his own¡­¡±


    Mo Hua brought the ¡°Introduction to Compound Formation Compilation¡± back home and couldn¡¯t help but flip through it.


    He had actually finished the ¡®Initial Understanding of Compound Formation¡¯ given by Mr. Zhuang a while ago and had even ¡°consulted¡± Zhang Lan about some of the knowledge from the book.


    However, he had rushed through the book, only gaining a superficial understanding and hadn¡¯t personally tried drawing most of the Compound Formations. Thus, he only knew a smattering of the subject.


    Since Compound Formations were considered ¡°above-level¡± formations, and knowing he wasn¡¯t at the required level yet, Mo Hua hadn¡¯t invested too much effort in them.


    But now that Mr. Zhuang had given him the ¡°Compound Formation Compilation¡± and permitted him to learn Compound Formations, it indicated that in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes, his Divine Sense was ready to study Compound Formations.


    Mo Hua had a great deal of respect for Mr. Zhuang.


    With his broad knowledge and exceptional skill in formations, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s assurance that he could learn meant that he should be able to learn all the Compound Formations in the book, which were no longer ¡°above-level.¡±


    Besides, the book¡¯s title was ¡°Introduction to Compound Formation Compilation;¡± since it was introductory, it should not be too difficult.


    That¡¯s what Mo Hua thought.


    In the ¡°Introduction to Compound Formation Compilation,¡± Mo Hua found the Formation Diagram of the Compass Parent-Child Formation.


    The Compass Parent-Child Formation is a relatively simple Golden Series Compound Formation.


    The formation consists of two Single Formations ¡ª one is the Compass Mother Formation, with eight Formation Patterns, and the other is the Compass Child Formation, which includes only three Formation Patterns.


    The pivotal Formation Pivot of the Compass Parent-Child Formation is the widely used Five Elements Formation Pivot, which exploits the repulsion and attraction of Golden Series Spiritual Power to gauge whether there are strong fluctuations in Spiritual Power within a certain range.


    Mo Hua briefly reviewed the overall formation and then noted down the Formation Diagram, planning to practice it a few times first.


    As it was his first time formally attempting to draw a Compound Formation, by the time Mo Hua finished noting all the Formation Patterns and mechanisms of the Formation Pivot, it had already passed 1 p.m.


    Mo Hua lay in bed, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.


    In the expanse of his white Sea of Consciousness, an ancient Taoist Stele emerged.

 Chapter 131 - 131 Formation Pivot (Five More)_1

    Chapter 131 Formation Pivot (Five More)_1


    Mo Hua began to draw the Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    A Single Formation starts with drawing Formation Patterns, connecting independent patterns through the Formation Pivot. A Compound Formation, on the other hand, starts with the Formation Pivot, coordinating different Single Formations through the central covenant of the Formation Pivot.


    When drawing a Single Formation, the brush can pause slightly, but Divine Sense must not be broken.


    If Divine Sense breaks, the mystery of the Heavenly Dao inherent in the Formation will not be connected, the Drawing Formation will fail, and the drawn Formation Patterns will be voided.


    According to Mr. Zhuang, Formation Masters call this ¡°Creation with a Single Thought.¡±


    That is, with an unbroken Divine Thought, the Formation is drawn out in one breath.


    A Single Formation must be created with a single thought, whereas a Compound Formation is different; it does not need to be entirely made in one breath.


    Otherwise, a Compound Formation, which includes several Single Formations and possibly dozens of Formation Patterns, would be impossible for a Qi Refinement Realm Cultivator to draw in one session.


    A Compound Formation is a concept conceived by Ancient Cultivators as they contemplated creation, designed to circumvent the upper limits of Divine Sense of Cultivators and to enhance the effectiveness of Formations.


    Cultivators, when unable to increase Divine Sense or comprehend more Formation Patterns, connect single Formations to achieve a stronger effect.


    This is the essence of a Compound Formation.


    Therefore, a Compound Formation is relatively about gathering and scattering. Within the Compound Formation, only the Divine Thought within the Formation Pivot and each Single Formation needs to be continuous; the entire Compound Formation does not require creation with a single thought.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense shadow stood in front of the Taoist Stele, using a finger as a brush, beginning to draw the pivot of the Compass Parent-Child Formation.


    The brushwork of the Formation Pivot differs from the Formation Patterns, as it needs to guide Spiritual Power and lead the Formation; hence, the strokes are bolder, structures more stable, and it requires more Divine Sense.


    The highest Single Formation contained within the Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation has eight Formation Patterns. Therefore, the Divine Sense required for its Formation Pivot must be no less than that of eight Formation Patterns.


    Although it does not reach nine Formation Patterns, it consumes more Divine Sense than the usual eight Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was just sufficient to draw this Formation Pivot, but it was somewhat strained.


    Once the Formation Pivot is drawn, subsequent Formations still need to be drawn. They cannot be erased, and Divine Sense cannot be retracted; thus, Mo Hua could only sit and meditate, waiting for his Divine Sense to slowly recover.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first time using a Meditation Technique in the Sea of Consciousness.


    Entering Mental Concentration and calming the mind were easier when inside than outside, and there seemed to be a faint resonance with the Taoist Stele.


    Within the Divine Thought, he could sense a primordial aura of the Great Dao.


    But upon delving deeper, there was nothing to be found.


    Mo Hua frowned, not quite understanding.


    Moments later, he stopped pondering and focused on meditating to restore his Divine Sense.


    Before long, his Divine Sense became full again, which recovered much faster than during outside meditation.


    He wondered if this was due to the Sea of Consciousness or the effect of the Taoist Stele.


    Mo Hua, with abundant Divine Thoughts, continued drawing the Formation.


    Once the Formation Pivot was complete, what needed to be drawn next was the Compass Mother Formation and Child Formations at specific positions according to the framework of the Formation Pivot.


    The Compass Mother Formation includes eight Formation Patterns, a Gold-series Formation Method, and a common structure in the Five Elements Formation methods, not difficult to draw. Mo Hua studied it for a while and was able to replicate it.


    The Compass Child Formation consists of three Formation Patterns, which is even simpler. Mo Hua could understand how to draw it with just a glance.


    Mo Hua started drawing with practiced ease, and half an hour later, the Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation was completely outlined.


    The entire Formation was more complex than any Mo Hua had previously drawn, yet it possessed an intricate and profound beauty.


    This is the Compound Formation indeed¡­


    Mo Hua became lost in thought, gazing at it several more times, feeling impressed.


    Indeed, it¡¯s more intriguing to draw more challenging Formations.


    The principle of the Compass Parent-Child Formation is the interaction between the parent and child formations; when the Child Formation senses a fluctuation in Spiritual Power, the Mother Formation will react.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought flickered, activating the Child Formation. In just a moment, a point on the Mother Formation also began to glow. The glowing point corresponded to the activated Compass Child Formation.


    It was successful!


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, his face showing joy, but then his brow furrowed again.


    Although the Formation was successful, many key points were still unclear to him.


    For instance, what exactly was the Formation Pivot, what role did it play, why did the Mother Formation resonate when the Child Formation was activated, and what changes would occur in other Single Formations within other Compound Formations¡­


    ¡°It seems that I have to ask Mr. Zhuang,¡± he thought.


    Then, taking advantage of the predawn darkness, Mo Hua practiced the Compass Compound Formation several more times on the Taoist Stele.


    Early the next day, Mo Hua brought some pastries, wild fruit, liquor, and pine nuts, and went to see Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s taste had recently become simpler, preferring a vegetarian diet, saying it was to ¡°purify the heart and reduce desires.¡±


    But isn¡¯t the desire to eat vegetarian also a kind of ¡°desire¡±?


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand, but tactfully didn¡¯t ask. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Have you learned it?¡±


    Sipping his wine leisurely, Mr. Zhuang asked.


    Mo Hua nodded his head, ¡°Yes, I have!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly.


    He learned so fast¡­


    It¡¯s been just one night, hasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Disciple still has some questions and would like to ask for the teacher¡¯s guidance,¡± Mo Hua said respectfully and obediently.


    Curious, Mr. Zhuang asked, ¡°What would you like to ask?¡±


    Mo Hua repeated some of the important doubts he had while drawing the Compass Compound Formation last night.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s slender fingers rested on the bamboo chair, tapping lightly a few times, pondering before he asked back:


    ¡°What do you think the Formation Pivot is?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°Is it a type of Formation structure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but also not quite right.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°The Formation Pivot of a Single Formation is a kind of Formation structure, but the Formation Pivot of a Compound Formation, is more like a type of Formation itself.¡±


    ¡°A Formation?¡±


    ¡°Correct, you can see it as a special kind of Formation, with directional and functional structural properties.¡±


    Mo Hua thought deeply, then slowly nodded and asked further, ¡°Disciple understands the directionality, but what specifically are the functions of a Formation Pivot?¡±


    ¡°The Formation Pivot is the crux of the Compound Formation, capable of controlling the Spiritual Power within the Formation, binding different Single Formations, coordinating all the Formation Patterns, each with varying functions, but the most common are controlling the opening and closing of Spiritual Power, its sequence, Mutual Attraction and Repulsion, Strong Inhibition, Gathering and Scattering¡­¡±


    Mo Hua listened until his head spun, his little eyebrows furrowing together.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, ¡°To put it simply, it is to control the sequence of Spiritual Power movement within the Compound Formation, its activation and rest, Mutual Attraction and Repulsion, enhancement and inhibition, concentration and dispersal, etc.¡±


    Mo Hua understood a bit more and then said:


    ¡°Like the Compass Parent-Child Formation, it uses the magnetic properties of Mutual Attraction and Repulsion of Golden Series Spiritual Power, so when the Child Formation moves, the Mother Formation reacts accordingly¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, then he said, ¡°I once repaired an Alchemy Furnace for Old Mr. Feng, and the Formation inside was a Wood-Fire Control Spirit Compound Formation; wood generates fire, using the Wood series Single Formation to amplify the Fire-series Single Formation, does this count as ¡®Strong¡¯ within the ¡®Strong Inhibition¡¯ of the Formation Pivot?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in approval.


    Mo Hua thought again, but then he couldn¡¯t think of anything else, as he hadn¡¯t come into contact with other Compound Formations.


    Frowning, Mo Hua pondered for a moment before another question arose:


    ¡°Teacher, what about a Large Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze sharpened, and his expression turned serious as he said slowly:


    ¡°Do you wish to learn about Large Formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, somewhat confused, replied, ¡°Can¡¯t one learn Large Formations?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused, raised his eyebrows with a chuckle, and said:


    ¡°Yes, all are Formations, why would there be anything one can¡¯t learn.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face showed anticipation.


    Mr. Zhuang gently tapped Mo Hua¡¯s forehead, ¡°Don¡¯t aim too high for now; learn what¡¯s before you well, there¡¯s still time for Large Formations!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua said, covering his head.


    ¡°Off you go, study well,¡± Mr. Zhuang said with a gentle look, lightly dusting off his sleeve.


    ¡°Yes! Teacher, please rest well, your disciple takes his leave.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, bowed respectfully, then under Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze, he left the bamboo chamber.

 Chapter 132 - 132: Disappearance (Part 1)_1

    Chapter 132: Disappearance (Part 1)_1


    Mo Hua was ready to officially draw the Compass Parent-Child Formation.


    He went to see Master Chen and forged a simple compass, as well as dozens of stone needles.


    The mother formation of the Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation had only one part, drawn on the compass. The child formations could be numerous, drawn on the stone needles.


    The child formations had no relation to one another and only resonated with the mother formation. It seemed like there were many child formations, but in reality, the control was still just for a single formation pair.


    Therefore, the Compass Parent-Child Formation could only be considered a compound formation that contained two single formations.


    Mo Hua spent half a day drawing, and then the formation was complete.


    He then prepared to test its effects.


    Mo Hua entered Big Black Mountain, set up traps and formations, and planted stone needles around ten yards away. He had Da¡¯hu and his two companions keep watch nearby while Mo Hua himself, holding the Compass Mother Formation, ran far away.


    After more than half an hour, Mo Hua finally stopped and squatted down in a patch of grass, staring at the compass in his hand.


    Mo Hua waited and waited, almost dozing off.


    At that moment, a point on the compass suddenly lit up. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The illuminated point corresponded exactly to the stone needle that Mo Hua had planted.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirit was lifted and he immediately ran back.


    By the time he arrived, the Monster Beast had been killed by Da¡¯hu and the others, lying on the ground with blood that hadn¡¯t yet dried.


    Mo Hua approached and placed a finger on the Monster Beast¡¯s heart meridian, finding that its blood was still active and could be moved with Divine Sense. He then took out a jade bottle and started drawing out Monster Blood with the Blood Drawing Art.


    After collecting about eight or nine bottles of blood, Mo Hua stopped.


    He then went to check on the stone needle and saw that it was unharmed, which brought a smile to his face.


    ¡°Mo Hua, is it done?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s done!¡±


    Da¡¯hu and the others didn¡¯t know what Mo Hua was doing with the compass, but they guessed it was related to a formation.


    Not understanding formations themselves, they didn¡¯t ask, but seeing Mo Hua successfully complete his task made them smile too.


    As usual, the group skinned and deboned the Monster Beast that had been bled and put it into a storage bag.


    The Spirit Stones obtained from selling it would be delivered to Mo Hua¡¯s house that evening.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to Da¡¯hu and his companions and continued wandering around Big Black Mountain, placing stone needles engraved with the Compass Child Formation.


    The locations for placing the stone needles were mostly at crossroads, mountain paths, and forest clearings that Monster Beasts or Monster Hunters frequently passed¡ªalso places suitable for setting traps.


    Mo Hua spent three to four days placing all dozens of stone needles.


    Now the outer mountain was essentially under Mo Hua¡¯s control.


    It wasn¡¯t to the point of noticing every blade of grass moving, but at least if any Cultivators fought or Monster Beasts fought to the death, causing a fluctuation of Spiritual Power, Mo Hua could be the first to know by watching the compass.


    In the following days, Mo Hua kept busy, happily running all over the outer mountain with the compass in hand.


    Whenever a light on the compass lit up, it meant that a battle had occurred.


    Most were due to the explosion of Earth Fire Formations or the fluctuations caused by novice Monster Hunters cornering Monster Beasts.


    When Mo Hua arrived at the scene, the battles were usually nearing their end. He would wait a while and, once the Monster Beast expired, he would then be able to go up and draw blood.


    Some were other Monster Hunters encircling and killing Monster Beasts.


    Normally, a hunting team would not permit others to touch their prey.


    But Mo Hua was well-known, very well-known of that kind.


    Most Monster Hunters had asked Mo Hua to draw formations and owed him favors. Some had never asked, but they also wanted to get in Mo Hua¡¯s good graces, in case they needed a formation in the future, it would be easier to ask.


    So, general Monster Hunting Teams didn¡¯t mind Mo Hua drawing some blood from the Monster Beasts they had killed.


    After all, they had no use for the Monster Blood.


    Others were caused by the fighting of Monster Beasts among themselves, clashing demonic powers creating fluctuations.


    Monster Beasts fighting over mates, searching for food, hunting, or contending for territory all led to deadly confrontations.


    Monster Beasts fight to the death; rashly approaching is too risky.


    Mo Hua could only watch from a distance, expanding his experience by observing the habits or characteristics of the Monster Beasts and recording some of their special demonic powers or enraged states.


    For a Cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was already very strong. He could observe from afar and even spy on the state of demonic power within the Monster Beasts¡¯ meridians without being detected.


    In this way, Mo Hua¡¯s Cultivation grew gradually, inching toward the barrier of the sixth level of Qi Refinement.


    He had also amassed an increasing amount of Monster Blood, totaling several hundred bottles.


    Mo Hua was well-prepared, thinking that once his realm broke through, he could attempt to reach the rank of a Nine-Patterned First Grade Formation Master.


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua devoted himself to Cultivation and studying Formations.


    A few days later, in the evening, Mo Hua and Liu Ruhua, the mother and child, were at home waiting for Mo Shan to return for dinner.


    Suddenly, a downpour began, lasting for nearly half an hour.


    After the rain, Mo Shan returned, but with a serious expression. He ate a few bites of food, packed some dry rations, and then had to leave again.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Dad, what happened?¡±


    Mo Shan originally did not want to say, but thinking that Mo Hua could now survive on his own on Big Black Mountain and was no longer the frail child he had been, he said gravely:


    ¡°Old Zhao is missing.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, ¡°Is it the medium-height Uncle Zhao with thick eyebrows who knows the Mountain Splitting Palm technique?¡±


    Mo Shan was surprised, ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    That was the late-stage Qi Refinement Cultivator Uncle Yu had called ¡°Old Zhao¡± and asked to look after him.


    Mo Shan nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Where did he go missing?¡±


    ¡°Big Black Mountain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go have a look too.¡±


    Mo Shan was about to refuse, but after a moment¡¯s thought, he said, ¡°Follow me and don¡¯t get separated.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Liu Ruhua prepared some more food for them to take, and with a worried face, she advised, ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±


    Mo Shan left the house with Mo Hua. Instead of heading straight for Big Black Mountain, they first went to Elder Yu¡¯s house.


    Elder Yu¡¯s house was more spacious but furnished simply. The room was filled with quite a few Monster Hunters.


    As Elder Yu¡¯s gaze swept over Mo Shan and landed on Mo Hua by his side, he showed a slight surprise but still nodded at Mo Hua with a kind smile.


    Afterwards, he said with a serious tone, ¡°Old Zhao is missing. I¡¯ve already sent Chengyi to lead a search, but there¡¯s been no news so far.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s just been blocked on the mountain by the heavy rain, found a camp to take shelter, and will come down when it¡¯s light tomorrow?¡± one of the Monster Hunters speculated.


    Elder Yu shook his head and said, ¡°Old Zhao¡¯s wife came over and said her husband is missing.¡±


    Elder Yu explained the situation.


    Old Zhao¡¯s wife was pregnant, already five or six months along.


    Old Zhao learned from a Pill Master about a medicinal herb called Baishu Ginseng, which could nourish Qi and stabilize a pregnancy. He found one on the mountain, picked it, planning to bring it down to his wife.


    But that day¡¯s Monster Hunting took longer than expected; when he was coming down, he realized his Storage Bag was broken, and the Baishu Ginseng was missing.


    Guessing it might have fallen out during the fight with the Monster Beasts, he told his wife he¡¯d go back to the mountain to look for it and that he would return shortly.


    As soon as Old Zhao entered the mountain, a downpour began. Even after the rain stopped, he still hadn¡¯t returned.


    It was common for Monster Hunters to spend a night in the mountains if needed.


    But Old Zhao¡¯s wife felt an unexplainable sense of panic and palpitations, as if she might never see her husband again.


    She couldn¡¯t pin down this intense feeling, and in desperation, she had no choice but to ask Elder Yu to send someone to look for him in the mountains.


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°Better to err on the side of caution. It¡¯s better to tire ourselves out than to have Old Zhao lose his life. Otherwise, how would his widow and orphan live on.¡±

 Chapter 133 - 133: Searching for People (Second Update)_1

    Chapter 133: Searching for People (Second Update)_1


    Elder Yu finished speaking and led the crowd into Big Black Mountain.


    In a camp at the entrance of the outer mountain, everyone met with Yu Chengyi.


    Elder Yu asked, ¡°How did it go?¡±


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s clothes were wet from rain and dew, his face slightly pale, frown deeply furrowed:


    ¡°The rain was too heavy. After the downpour, there were no traces left in the mountain, no idea where he could have gone.¡±


    Elder Yu sighed deeply, ¡°This is troublesome now.¡±


    Big Black Mountain is so vast, even just the outer mountain, if one were to stroll around, it would take seven to eight days, and even longer if searching thoroughly.


    If Old Zhao is fine then all is well, but if something indeed happened, I fear the worst.


    The Monster Hunters in the camp all had gloomy expressions.


    ¡°Where did Uncle Zhao enter the mountain?¡±


    A crisp and youthful voice rang out from the crowd.


    Everyone turned towards the source and saw Mo Hua following behind Mo Shan.


    Though Mo Hua was young, he was quite familiar with most of the Monster Hunters there, and they all called him ¡°Junior Formation Master,¡± so nobody ignored him due to his age.


    Yu Chengyi hurriedly called Mo Hua over, spread out a map, and pointed to a mountain path:


    ¡°Old Zhao entered the mountain through this pass in the evening.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua glanced at it, then closed the map, and took out the map he had drawn from his storage bag.


    When Mo Hua unfolded his map, everyone was somewhat taken aback.


    This map was exceedingly detailed, not only showing paths, poison marshes, miasma zones, but also marking points for spices, spirit grass, and mineral veins.


    At a glance, it was densely marked with information; had space allowed, it seemed that Mo Hua would have marked the number and types of trees in every piece of forest¡­


    Mo Hua pointed to a location on his map, ¡°Is it here?¡±


    Yu Chengyi nodded his head.


    Mo Hua compared the location with the nearest stone needle on the map, then took out the compass marked with the Compass Mother Formation pattern and looked at it for a moment; his brow furrowed gradually.


    A tightness gripped Yu Chengyi¡¯s heart, and he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed to several positions on the map and said, ¡°There were fluctuations of spiritual power here.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means that someone was using force here!¡±


    The crowd exchanged looks, momentarily astonished.


    ¡°You can tell all that?¡± a Monster Hunter couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Mo Hua nodded his head, ¡°This is the Compass Parent-Child Formation. I¡¯ve placed stone needles in the mountain, so if there¡¯s spiritual power fluctuation nearby, it will show on this compass.¡±


    The crowd was shocked, and their gazes towards Mo Hua became much more solemn.


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression lightened slightly, ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste, we go there now!¡±


    Without further delay, everyone set off immediately, Mo Shan cautioned ¡°Be careful,¡± and silently followed behind Mo Hua.


    An hour later, the group reached the spot Mo Hua mentioned.


    This was a small hillside. Below was a narrow mountain path, and above was a stretch of woodland, with a cliff on the right side.


    Mo Hua found the stone needle and noticed that the formation patterns on it were somewhat dim and distorted, caused by the excessively strong spiritual power fluctuations.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Yu Chengyi asked anxiously.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Indeed someone took action, and their cultivation is not low. They caused quite a stir, there should be traces nearby.¡±


    Yu Chengyi then ordered, ¡°Spread out and look around.¡±


    Shortly after, someone shouted, ¡°Here!¡±


    The group went over to see that the stones on the ground were mottled and shattered; some trees were snapped in half, and on the stone wall nearby, there was a slanted palm print with faint earth series spiritual power lingering in it.


    Yu Chengyi looked and said, ¡°Mountain Splitting Palm, it¡¯s Old Zhao.¡±


    Mo Shan also stepped forward, wiping the stone wall with his finger, then brought it to his nose to sniff. His expression turned cold as he said:


    ¡°There are blood traces, washed away by the heavy rain.¡±


    The faces of the crowd all took on a grave expression.


    Elder Yu asked Mo Hua, ¡°Are there any other traces?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at the compass, noticing many points had dimmed, even disappeared. He shook his head:


    ¡°Too much time has passed, the spiritual power fluctuations are very weak now, I can¡¯t make them out.¡±


    The Compass Parent-Child Formation had a time limit; when the spiritual power fluctuation began, the points would be very bright, but as time passed, the points would fade until they vanished.


    Elder Yu and the others all furrowed their brows.


    Feeling a sense of urgency, Mo Hua suddenly had a flash of inspiration and asked:


    ¡°Uncle Yu, when did Uncle Zhao enter the mountain?¡±


    Yu Chengyi thought for a moment and said, ¡°It was about midway through the 5 p.m. hour, so it¡¯s been nearly two hours already.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed slightly. As a Formation Master, he had an exceptional memory. He had glanced at the compass before dinner; although he hadn¡¯t committed it to memory intentionally, some impressions still lingered in his mind.


    He spread out the map and marked a few spots.


    ¡°These spots might indicate battles that took place after 5 p.m., but they might not necessarily be related to Uncle Zhao. It could be other Cultivators or Monster Beasts. Moreover, these spots may not be precise¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Elder Yu said. ¡°Having a direction is always better than searching aimlessly.¡±


    Elder Yu patted Mo Hua on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve done your best. If we really can¡¯t find him, it just means that Old Zhao has bad luck.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded somberly.


    ¡°Any other clues?¡± Elder Yu asked.


    Mo Hua reviewed the map again, then drew several lines on it.


    ¡°There have been fluctuations in spiritual energy along these routes. We should search them carefully.¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s gaze became focused, and the hearts of the other Monster Hunters were also lifted.


    Continuous fluctuations in spiritual energy meant that battles were consistently taking place, indicating that someone was being pursued!


    But who was pursuing him? Was it Monster Beasts, or was it other Cultivators¡­


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression turned stern as he decisively ordered:


    ¡°Split up and search. Groups of three for small areas, five for larger ones. For these routes, more than ten people each. Be careful, and blow the whistle to signal any findings.¡±


    With commands issued by Elder Yu, the Monster Hunters swiftly scattered in all directions.


    Elder Yu then reminded Mo Hua, ¡°Stay with your father, and don¡¯t get separated.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    As night fell, everyone searched for the missing Monster Hunter in the damp Big Black Mountain after the rain.


    Two hours later, the group discovered more signs of battle and even fragments of Rattan Armor, but the person in question was still not found.


    Mo Hua marked all the battle sites on the map.


    Then, staring at the map, he furrowed his brows in thought.


    With signs of battle and a trail indicating a pursuit, one would most likely be seriously injured; in that case, they couldn¡¯t have gone far and should be somewhere near the mountain paths marked on the map.


    But why hadn¡¯t they found him with so many people searching?


    In life, you should see the person; in death, you should at least find the body¡­


    Confused, Mo Hua turned to Mo Shan standing behind him and asked, ¡°Dad, how do you search for people?¡±


    ¡°How to search?¡±


    ¡°I mean, do you use Divine Sense to search?¡±


    After considering for a moment, Mo Shan replied, ¡°We look for traces with our eyes, listen for movements with our ears, smell for traces of blood with our nose, and Divine Sense is just used for a cursory perception.¡±


    It seemed there was no problem with that approach¡­


    Mo Hua nodded but then suddenly wondered ¨C what if he disregarded his five senses and searched purely with Divine Sense?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he closed his eyes, releasing his Divine Sense.


    Immediately, everything around him turned into a void of white.


    In the darkness of the night, the mountains, woods, streams, and Cultivators had their contours and original colors obliterated, turning into faint shadows of spiritual energy.


    The shadows of all things in the world, according to spiritual energy, were primarily a light blue, while the shadows of the Cultivators¡¯ spiritual energy varied in the colors of the Five Elements, depending on their Spiritual Root and the attributes of the Cultivation Technique they practiced.


    The items within the Divine Sense were clearly delineated.


    Mo Hua further discarded his senses, pushing his Divine Sense to its limit.


    The boundary of his perception expanded further, and the shadows of spiritual energy he perceived became even clearer.


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    Mo Hua opened his eyes, moved to the next intersection, and again closed his eyes, releasing his Divine Sense.


    Mo Shan, not understanding what his son was doing, did not interrupt, simply silently following behind him.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    Mo Hua continued to walk and release Divine Sense. After passing several cliffs, he suddenly stopped.


    Mo Shan felt a tightening in his heart, only to see Mo Hua suddenly open his eyes and point towards a nearby cliff:


    ¡°There¡¯s someone over there!¡±


    Mo Shan and a few Monster Hunters nearby immediately leapt forward, pushed through the underbrush, and shone a torch down.


    Hanging from the branches and entangled beneath the cliff, they found the barely alive Old Zhao!

 Chapter 134 - 134 – Chance Encounter (Three Updates)_1

    Chapter 134 ¨C Chance Encounter (Three Updates)_1


    Old Zhao was seriously injured, and his breath was weak.


    The people rescued him, fed him some pills to protect his heart meridian, and sent him down the mountain, knocking on the door of Apricot Forest Hall overnight.


    Old Mr. Feng made a move and saved his life.


    But although his life was saved, he still hadn¡¯t woken up.


    According to Old Mr. Feng, he had been dealt a deadly blow, pursued over a long distance, depleted of spiritual power, and lost too much blood, which caused him to fall into a coma and be unable to wake up.


    He needed to be slowly treated, and once his qi and blood were well-nourished, he would be able to wake up.


    Fortunately, he was discovered early; a bit later, it would have probably been too late to save him.


    When Old Mr. Feng heard that the person was found by Mo Hua, he was stunned for a moment, then smiled relievedly and, patting Mo Hua on the head, said,


    ¡°You child, you have great fortune.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat embarrassed.


    Old Zhao¡¯s wife, due to excessive anxiety, fainted several times. Hearing that her husband was in a coma but his life was saved, her tense spirit finally relaxed.


    When she found the time, she came to thank Mo Hua, presenting him with a few Taoist robes she had made by hand. On the collar of each robe, she had embroidered two lines of small characters:


    Wishing you safety and longevity.


    It was the most heartfelt blessing.


    Liu Ruhua chatted with her in the house, soothing her in a soft voice; by the time she bid farewell and left, her expression had improved a lot.


    But there was still one thing Mo Hua was very concerned about.


    Old Mr. Feng said that Uncle Zhao had been dealt a deadly blow, not chased by monster beasts.


    In Tongxian City, who would want to harm a cultivator in the later stages of Qi Refinement like a Monster Hunter?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Elder Yu had already sent people to investigate, and there should be some clues. Even if they couldn¡¯t find anything, once Uncle Zhao woke up, they would probably be able to know the truth.


    But this was Elder Yu¡¯s and others¡¯ concern now, no longer related to Mo Hua.


    He had done what he ought to do.


    He could only hope that Uncle Zhao would wake up soon and that their family would be reunited.


    In the following period, Mo Hua devoted a bit more effort to cultivating.


    Every day, he would spend an additional two hours meditating and refining spirit stones.


    Cultivators talk more about persistence: if one cultivates without interruption day after day, accumulating over time, success comes naturally.


    There¡¯s no need to cultivate for excessive lengths each day; it¡¯s enough to be consistent for two hours.


    The additional two hours Mo Hua invested were not particularly efficient, and the spiritual power he refined was not much. But after all, he was only a step away from the sixth level of Qi Refinement, and Mo Hua wanted to make an effort to get past it sooner.


    Several days later, he indeed felt the threshold of the sixth level of Qi Refinement.


    Mo Hua took it seriously, burning incense, bathing, preparing spirit stones, and focusing intently, waiting for the breakthrough.


    Then he failed.


    He didn¡¯t get past the threshold¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s face darkened, his storage bag slung over his shoulder, he entered Big Black Mountain again.


    As for the cultivation breakthroughs, he would leave it to fate; he didn¡¯t bother anymore.


    He¡¯d better stock up on more monster blood for practicing formations.


    After Mo Hua entered Big Black Mountain, he noticed there were fewer Monster Hunters in the mountain.


    In the past, he¡¯d meet quite a few acquaintances within half a day of entering the mountain. Now, after roaming around for a day, he could only encounter one or two.


    Mo Hua joined a Monster Hunting Team he wasn¡¯t very close with, mooched some monster blood off them, treated them to beef, and inquired about what had happened, only to learn the details.


    Since Old Zhao was pursued and nearly killed, Elder Yu had concerns; he had sent people to investigate and advised everyone to enter Big Black Mountain less frequently in recent days, which is why there were fewer Monster Hunters in the mountain.


    Mo Hua frowned; with fewer people, the mountain would relatively have more monster beasts.


    It would be somewhat dangerous for him to stay in the mountain under these circumstances.


    If he were chased by monster beasts, there would be no one available to help.


    ¡°Leave the mountain now?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head. His Divine Sense was already strong, no weaker than that of an average cultivator in the later stages of Qi Refinement. He could detect monster beasts early on and wouldn¡¯t easily be chased by them.


    But it was still necessary to keep a low profile.


    Mo Hua smeared some grass juice on his clothes, stuck a few twigs in his hair, and even dirtied his face.


    In this way, monster beasts wouldn¡¯t be able to sniff out his scent; from a distance, with the grass and twigs, his figure wouldn¡¯t be distinguishable.


    As for dirty clothes, his mother would wash them when he returned.


    Mo Hua set his worries aside and continued his original plan of ¡°patrolling¡± the mountain.


    Mo Hua held the compass, swaying until noon. When hunger struck, he sprawled in the grass eating the beef his mother had made.


    While eating, Mo Hua suddenly sensed some movement. Looking up through the blades of grass, he saw several cultivators walking this way from a distance.


    Their attire didn¡¯t resemble that of Monster Hunters.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression tensed as he lay down and stealthily released his Divine Sense.


    His Divine Sense detected three people approaching¡ªtwo men and one woman¡ªall in the late stages of Qi Refinement, their spiritual power subtle and elusive, hard to probe. They seemed to be arguing about something.


    Mo Hua pricked up his ears, listening with curiosity.


    ¡°¡­Been searching for days, found nothing¡­¡± a man¡¯s voice came intermittently.


    ¡°Be patient¡­ that person is extremely cunning¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Despicable and shameless¡­ If we catch him, I will tear him to pieces¡­¡± A woman¡¯s voice this time.


    Who are they talking about? Surely not Uncle Zhao¡­


    Mo Hua held his breath and concentrated, listening carefully.


    The three people were getting closer, and their voices became clearer. Among them was a voice that Mo Hua found somewhat familiar.


    ¡°¡­If we still can¡¯t find him, you two should go back first,¡± said the man who was leading the group.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go back!¡± the woman protested.


    ¡°So this is the capability of the Taoist Court from Tongxian City? Can¡¯t even find one person?¡± the other man said, his tone somewhat mocking.


    ¡°That thief is all too familiar with Big Black Mountain. It¡¯s like looking for a needle in the ocean, trying to find him like this.¡±


    ¡°We must fish out that needle from the ocean¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not local cultivators; you don¡¯t understand. Big Black Mountain is riddled with Monster Beasts, exceedingly dangerous¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a Second Grade state boundary¡¯s monster-infested mountain. How dangerous can it be?¡±


    ¡°Only the ignorant are fearless¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m not like you, so cowardly! In this mountain, whether it¡¯s Monster Beasts or that thief, I¡¯ll slay each one I see¡­¡±


    The man in front stopped suddenly, sneering:


    ¡°Stop bragging. You¡¯ve been watched for quite a while and haven¡¯t even noticed?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°What surveillance?¡±


    After a moment of silence, the man abruptly drew his sword and pointed it toward the bushes where Mo Hua was hiding, saying coldly:


    ¡°Stop hiding, come out!¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing this, the other two were momentarily stunned, and then a fleeting look of horror flashed in their eyes. They both retreated half a step, drew their swords, and looked sternly in the direction the man¡¯s sword pointed.


    The mountain was rugged, the wild grass lush, but there was no sign of anything unusual.


    The more it seemed so, the more frightened they became.


    The sword-wielding man¡¯s expression was stark, and he became cautious.


    If he hadn¡¯t momentarily used his Divine Sense and discovered an almost imperceptible figure in the grass, they would still be unaware they were being spied upon!


    All three cultivators, in the late stage of Qi Refinement, were unaware that someone had been scrutinizing them with Divine Sense all along!


    The stronger the Divine Sense, the deeper the cultivation. Plus, being adept at concealment and crafty in tactics¡­


    As this thought crossed the man with the sword¡¯s mind, his back turned icy cold.


    Realizing he had been discovered, Mo Hua in the bushes slowly stood up.


    The three saw the grass stir slightly, and then a skinny figure appeared.


    He had strange branches growing from his head and wore robes resembling those of a cultivator, but they were stained with large patches of grass juice, and his face was covered in grime, making it difficult to see clearly.


    His spiritual power also seemed weak. No, it was more like he was deliberately concealing his aura.


    ¡°Is it a person? Or a Monster Beast?¡±


    The tension on the face of the man with the sword intensified, a chill growing in his heart as he wondered whether to act.


    Then he saw the creature, whether person or Monster Beast, wave at him and cheerfully called out:


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, long time no see!¡±


    The sword-wielding man was stunned.


    He recognized the voice, he also recognized that figure¡­


    ¡°Mo¡­ Mo Hua?!¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded happily.


    Zhang Lan was completely dumbstruck, and the sword in his hand clattered to the ground.

 Chapter 135 - 135: The Flower Thief (Part 4)_1

    Chapter 135: The Flower Thief (Part 4)_1


    Zhang Lan felt his Tao cultivation life¡¯s dark history had been thickly added to by this kid, Mo Hua.


    He had guarded himself as if facing a great enemy, only to find a small cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refinement on the other side.


    So embarrassing!


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but complain, ¡°You tell me, what¡¯s a kid your size doing running around in the mountains?!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s so much I do in the mountains: drawing maps, setting up formation arrays, collecting monster blood, searching for fragrances, gathering herbs, mining ores¡­¡±


    Mo Hua counted them off on his fingers, one by one, to Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan became exasperated, ¡°Alright, alright, I get it.¡±


    What a mess.


    Zhang Lan was skeptical; Big Black Mountain wasn¡¯t a place for a child to come¡­


    Even he, a cultivator in the later stages of Qi Refinement, had to be extremely cautious when entering the mountain, let alone Mo Hua, a little cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refinement.


    And based on Zhang Lan¡¯s understanding of Mo Hua, although the child had some natural talent for setting up formation arrays, he was physically weak. If he encountered any monster beasts, he would surely be snatched away as a snack.


    Talking about setting up formations and gathering herbs, that¡¯s nonsense¡­


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t believe it.


    But he also knew that this lad Mo Hua was somewhat unusual, not quite fitting the normal Tao cultivation understanding.


    So even though he didn¡¯t believe, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    The two people behind him were still immersed in shock, completely ignoring what Mo Hua was saying.


    Their inexperienced looks made Zhang Lan feel a bit better, feeling he had regained some face.


    Mo Hua glanced at the two behind Zhang Lan and asked, ¡°Who is this sister?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the generation wrong,¡± Zhang Lan said, ¡°You should call her Auntie.¡±


    The female cultivator¡¯s gaze was sharp as a knife as she glanced at Zhang Lan, then turned to Mo Hua with a pleasant expression, saying:


    ¡°Sister¡¯s surname is Situ, with a simple name of Fang. Don¡¯t listen to your Uncle Zhang, just call me sister.¡±


    Zhang Lan was speechless.


    Mo Hua sweetly called out ¡°Sister¡±.


    Situ Fang¡¯s face lit up with a smile.


    The man next to her said arrogantly, ¡°My name is Situ Xiu.¡±


    Mo Hua responded indifferently with an ¡°Oh¡±.


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but say to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Go wash your face clean, and see what you look like, all covered in dirt.¡±


    He had been scared by Mo Hua¡¯s appearance earlier, and now looking at him was still somewhat uncomfortable. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua found a small stream and washed his face clean.


    The dirty little face immediately turned rosy and white, like a porcelain doll.


    Situ Fang took a few more glances and couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°Such picturesque brows and eyes, so good looking!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sister, you are also very beautiful!¡±


    Mo Hua returned the compliment as a matter of courtesy.


    Situ Fang¡¯s face bloomed with joy.


    Zhang Lan sighed and said to Mo Hua, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, why don¡¯t you head back first?¡±


    Situ Fang nodded in agreement, ¡°There are monster beasts in the mountains, it¡¯s not safe for you here, do you want sister to escort you down the mountain?¡±


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but give Situ Fang a look, ¡°Have you forgotten about the important matter?¡±


    Situ Fang was somewhat conflicted.


    Mo Hua asked curiously, ¡°What are you doing in the mountains?¡±


    ¡°Taoist Court business, can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re searching for someone, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s head ached, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I heard when you guys were chatting earlier.¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed again, he had no way to deal with Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s pitch-black eyes shifted as he said, ¡°How about I help you look for him?¡±


    Situ Fang smiled and responded, ¡°Thank you, little brother, but this matter is too dangerous. We can¡¯t let you do that.¡±


    Zhang Lan stood on the side, silent.


    Mo Hua glanced at Zhang Lan and warned, ¡°Big Black Mountain is very large. Without knowing the way, you could wander for ten days to half a month and still might not find the person.¡±


    Zhang Lan frowned and after pondering for a moment, said, ¡°Alright, you come with us.¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s brow furrowed tightly. ¡°Are you crazy? He¡¯s just a child.¡±


    Zhang Lan said helplessly, ¡°Without him to guide us, we won¡¯t only fail to find the person, but we might also get lost in the mountains.¡±


    On the side, Situ Xiu let out a cold laugh, ¡°With this kid guiding us, we won¡¯t get lost?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t!¡± Zhang Lan declared decisively, ¡°We will get lost, he won¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°How do you know¡­¡±


    ¡°If he could get lost, he wouldn¡¯t have come to the mountain alone.¡±


    Zhang Lan figured it out¡ªMo Hua, the child, wouldn¡¯t do something without certainty. If he offered to help, he must be confident.


    Situ Fang and Situ Xiu fell silent, the image of Mo Hua appearing soundlessly from the bushes surfacing in their minds again.


    At the same time, the chilling sensation they felt earlier, when they were on full alert, also resurfaced.


    The little cultivator before them might indeed not be a concern. What they should be concerned about, on the contrary, were themselves¡­


    ¡°That thief is quite dangerous¡­¡± Situ Fang still hesitated.


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°The three of us can¡¯t protect him?¡±


    With no response to give, Situ Fang fell silent, and Situ Xiu let out a cold huff but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Who are you looking for? Do you have any clues?¡±


    Situ Fang glanced at Zhang Lan.


    With things as they were, Zhang Lan didn¡¯t hide anything anymore and said:


    ¡°We are pursuing a rapist.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback for a moment, ¡°Rapist?¡±


    He had heard the term before, but not in the context of the Tao Cultivation World, so he wasn¡¯t sure about the difference.


    Zhang Lan explained, ¡°A rapist is someone who uses Evil Path Skills to forcefully Replenish from women, enhancing their own cultivation. Such people are intolerable according to Taoist Law and will be pursued by the Taoist Court.¡±


    Situ Fang nudged Zhang Lan with her elbow and whispered, ¡°That¡¯s about enough. Don¡¯t talk about Replenishing and such in front of a child.¡± Her cheeks turned slightly red after speaking.


    Zhang Lan hadn¡¯t thought there was anything inappropriate, but now being nudged like that, he felt embarrassed to continue.


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed; he had wanted to understand more.


    ¡°So, do you have any clues?¡±


    ¡°We have a portrait.¡± Zhang Lan unfolded a drawing.


    The man in the portrait was young and handsome, but there was a sinister look in his eyes.


    ¡°So young?¡± Mo Hua remarked.


    ¡°Practicing Replenishing Evil Skills makes him appear young. In reality, he¡¯s over a hundred years old. If he goes more than a month without Replenishing, his face will age¡­¡± Zhang Lan said.


    Mo Hua was shocked, ¡°There are such techniques?¡±


    ¡°There are many bizarre and wicked skills¡­¡± Zhang Lan then reminded Mo Hua, ¡°You mustn¡¯t learn them. Evil Path and Demon Path skills are cold and ruthless. Once entangled with them, one essentially annihilates their humanity¡­¡±


    Mo Hua quickly nodded, taking the warning to heart.


    Zhang Lan continued, ¡°We have a lead that the rapist, cornered and wanted by the Taoist Court, has entered Big Black Mountain. He probably wouldn¡¯t dare go into the Inner Mountain, so he¡¯s likely in the outer areas. He should be between Lonely Cloud Peak and Broken Mountain Cliff¡­¡±


    After Zhang Lan finished, Mo Hua had a rough idea in mind and said:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since he¡¯s in the outer mountain, he definitely can¡¯t escape.¡±


    Seeing this, Situ Fang couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Then we¡¯re counting on you.¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡± Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    The rapist hiding in the outer mountain, practicing Evil Skills, over a hundred years old, the pursued Uncle Zhao¡­


    Was the cultivator chasing Uncle Zhao the same rapist?


    Mo Hua also wanted to catch this thief and find out the truth.

 Chapter 136 - 136: Pursuit (Part Five)_1

    Chapter 136: Pursuit (Part Five)_1


    Mo Hua set off with Zhang Lan and two others, beginning their journey to Lonely Cloud Peak.


    Mo Hua was extremely familiar with the mountain paths, so much so that Zhang Lan found it astonishing.


    He knew exactly where there were paths, water, poison, and fog.


    Sometimes when it seemed like there was no way forward, he led them left and right through the woods, and suddenly there would be a path again.


    Whenever they encountered Monster Beasts, Mo Hua would lead them to avoid them from afar before they even noticed.


    Along the way, he could even pick some wild fruit and dig up some herbs¡­


    With such a leisurely and carefree manner, it was as if they weren¡¯t chasing a criminal but out for a spring outing¡­


    Zhang Lan found it hard to believe.


    How could the outer parts of Big Black Mountain seem like Mo Hua¡¯s own backyard to this kid?


    This was not the Big Black Mountain he remembered.


    Even a Cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refinement would be extremely cautious upon entering Big Black Mountain, wouldn¡¯t they?


    Zhang Lan was inwardly shocked, but Situ Fang wasn¡¯t aware of all this. She only had a vague feeling that their journey was much smoother than she had expected.


    Situ Xiu was even more sarcastic, saying to Zhang Lan,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Big Black Mountain was dangerous? Why haven¡¯t we encountered anything along the way?¡±


    Zhang Lan looked at him as if he was an idiot.


    This fool, completely clueless, not even aware that someone was leading the way. What has he been filling his brain with all these years¡­


    After walking for a while, Mo Hua suddenly stopped and said,


    ¡°There are Monster Beasts ahead; we need to take a long detour.¡±


    The journey had been smooth sailing, and Situ Xiu, finding it boring, said,


    ¡°We¡¯re pressed for time. Detouring is too much hassle. Just a few Monster Beasts, we¡¯ll simply cut them down.¡±


    Situ Xiu spoke loudly and didn¡¯t conceal his presence. As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a pair of crimson eyes looking towards him from not far away.


    They were discovered!


    Zhang Lan frowned and cursed the fool once more.


    The Monster Beast looked like a sheep, with red eyes and curly horns, white fur and sharp teeth, and it stood as tall as a person. It was wrapped in a blood-colored demonic power, exuding a faint sense of oppression.


    Upon seeing Zhang Lan and the others, a flash of bloodthirsty delight appeared in its eyes, and it charged at them.


    Zhang Lan and the others had no choice but to brace themselves for battle.


    Fortunately, all three of them were at the late stage of Qi Refinement, so dealing with a single Red-eyed Demon Sheep wasn¡¯t too difficult.


    Situ Xiu wasn¡¯t very strong but became increasingly bold in battle. He couldn¡¯t help but shout proudly, ¡°Just a Monster Beast, nothing to it!¡±


    No sooner had his words fallen than another Monster Beast emerged from the bushes.


    It had dark red fur and a stench from its drooling mouth; it was a Split Claw Wolf Demon.


    Zhang Lan felt bitter inside and wished he could twist Situ Xiu¡¯s mouth askew!


    Dealing with one Monster Beast was manageable, but two had them in a frantic mess.


    Situ Xiu, injured, felt the pain burning his wound and dared not act arrogantly anymore.


    After a hard fight,


    Two hours later, the Split Claw was killed, and the Sheep Demon fled injured.


    The three finally had a chance to catch their breath.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s back was soaked with sweat. After taking a moment to breathe, he realized that Mo Hua had disappeared.


    He looked around, not seeing Mo Hua anywhere. Just as he was about to call out, he heard Mo Hua¡¯s concerned voice nearby,


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, are you all okay?¡±


    Mo Hua had appeared from nowhere, and not only that, he was holding a bottle in his hand, excitedly rushing toward the defeated Monster Beast, doing something¡­


    During the fight, Mo Hua didn¡¯t show any sign of his presence, and after the fight, he emerged as if by magic.


    Zhang Lan thought to himself that his guess was indeed correct; they could have been lost to death in the mountains, and this kid Mo Hua still wouldn¡¯t have been troubled.


    Situ Fang, curious, asked Mo Hua, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m collecting some Monster Blood,¡± answered Mo Hua.


    ¡°Monster Blood? What for?¡±


    ¡°To mix Spiritual Ink, for use in Drawing Formations.¡±


    Situ Fang exclaimed in surprise, ¡°You know how to set up Formations?¡±


    Mo Hua, somewhat embarrassed, modestly said, ¡°I know a little.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Situ Fang nodded.


    Zhang Lan looked up at the sky, speechless in his heart.


    He said he knew a little, and you actually believed him¡­


    After Mo Hua drained the monster beast¡¯s blood, he said, ¡°We need to hurry up, or we won¡¯t make it before night falls.¡±


    Then, he complained a bit, ¡°You wasted quite a lot of time dealing with the monster beasts.¡±


    Situ Fang felt a bit ashamed and asked, ¡°Did you ask us to take a detour because you knew the monster beasts were tough to handle?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Situ Xiu protested, ¡°This time it was just bad luck to run into two¡­ ¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°If there had been only one, would I have asked you to take a detour?¡±


    Situ Xiu was at a loss for words.


    Situ Fang also listened with alarm.


    Mo Hua had known there were two monster beasts all along, and they had only found out when the second one appeared¡­


    After Mo Hua had packed up the monster blood and saw that Zhang Lan and the others were mostly recovered, he said, ¡°We need to hurry on our way now.¡±


    The three of them nodded their heads.


    Mo Hua walked a few steps, then turned back to remind them:


    ¡°Be sure to follow instructions, otherwise it¡¯s very dangerous.¡±


    Situ Fang felt a bit embarrassed, and the stubborn Situ Xiu, bruised all over, also lowered his head.


    Afterwards, the three of them followed Mo Hua quietly, and the journey went smoothly, but it was getting late and they would probably have to spend the night in the mountains.


    Mo Hua then found a passing monster hunter and said:


    ¡°Uncle Zhou, when you go back, please tell my mother I won¡¯t be home for dinner tonight. I¡¯ll come back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re alone, is that okay?¡± the monster hunter asked.


    ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s fine, I have an uncle from the Taoist Court with me,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Alright, then you be careful.¡±


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to the monster hunter, then turned around and said:


    ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to stay for the night first, and go to Lonely Cloud Peak tomorrow.¡±


    Zhang Lan frowned, ¡°Can¡¯t we go at night?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you trying to catch someone? It¡¯s not easy at night, and there are more monster beasts.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°We have no choice then.¡±


    Mo Hua found a small camp nearby, lit a lamp, and drew some meat from the storage bag to offer Zhang Lan and the others.


    Situ Fang took a bite and her eyes lit up, ¡°This is delicious, did you make it yourself?¡±


    Mo Hua said proudly, ¡°My mother made it!¡±


    After eating a few bites, Situ Fang commented, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, this meat has no spiritual energy.¡±


    ¡°Loose cultivators can¡¯t afford spiritual meat,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Situ Fang apologized, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean this meat isn¡¯t good.¡±


    To show his apology, he took out some pastries from his storage bag and offered them to Mo Hua.


    Situ Xiu didn¡¯t say anything but also offered Mo Hua some wine.


    However, the wine was too strong, and after Mo Hua took a sip and choked, he did not drink any more.


    Zhang Lan, on the other hand, was unfazed by raw or cold food, eating whatever was available and welcoming any wine offered.


    After the group had eaten their fill, they went to sleep in their clothes.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t sleep; he had to enter his Sea of Consciousness to draw formations at 1 a.m., and seeing that Zhang Lan was also lying awake with his eyes open, he crept over and quietly asked:


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, could you talk to me about rapists?¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s eyebrows rose, ¡°You want to be a rapist?¡±


    Mo Hua gave him a disdainful look.


    Zhang Lan laughed, ¡°What do you want to ask?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua said, ¡°The Taoist Court has issued the ¡®Taoist Law¡¯ that bans indiscriminate killing, plundering, and ¡®replenishing from others.¡¯ The ¡®Taoist Law¡¯ groups replenishing with indiscriminate killing and plundering, so is replenishing a serious crime?¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression became serious as he asked in return:


    ¡°Do you understand what replenishing means?¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 137 - 137: Replenishing from Others (First Update)_1

    Chapter 137: Replenishing from Others (First Update)_1


    ¡°I¡¯m still a child, how would I know?¡± Mo Hua said righteously.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression stiffened with helplessness, and he felt compelled to explain:


    ¡°The so-called ¡®replenishing from others¡¯ is actually a type of dual cultivation.¡±


    After Zhang Lan finished speaking, he paused and added, ¡°You should at least know what dual cultivation is, right?¡±


    Mo Hua blushed slightly and said, ¡°I know just a little bit.¡±


    Zhang Lan was unsure whether Mo Hua really didn¡¯t know or was just pretending, so he continued:


    ¡°It¡¯s essentially the act between a man and a woman, plain and simple. However, dual cultivation can enhance one¡¯s cultivation, and the process is quite enchanting, which is why many cultivators are so engrossed in studying the path of dual cultivation.¡±


    Mo Hua had a question, ¡°Can dual cultivation really enhance your cultivation?¡±


    ¡°It can improve it a bit, which is better than nothing. Rather than wasting time on these side tracks, it¡¯d be better to spend more time meditating and cultivating,¡± Zhang Lan said.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between dual cultivation and replenishing from others, then?¡±


    ¡°Dual cultivation is still considered normal, while replenishing from others is malicious. Evil cultivators use it to extract the Blood Qi, Essence Element, and Spiritual Power from others. Those who have been subjected to it might at the least regress in their cultivation, or at worst have their Taoist Foundation shattered and even die; such instances occur quite often.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    ¡°The rapist you all are pursuing, has he also depleted someone to death?¡±


    ¡°He has definitely done such things before, but not this time. The reason we are hunting him is that last month, he left a woman completely emaciated, destroyed her Qi Sea, and now she is perpetually dazed and anxious¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed deeply, grinding his teeth as he spoke.


    Mo Hua, feeling sympathy, asked, ¡°So if you catch him, will you sentence him to death?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°The Taoist Court is always strict with crimes related to replenishing from others, imposing sentences of more than a hundred years or even the death penalty. The one we¡¯re after, death is inevitable.¡±


    Mo Hua then felt relieved.


    After thinking for a moment, Zhang Lan added:


    ¡°I forgot to tell you, dual cultivation is prohibited as well.¡±


    Mo Hua looked confused.


    I¡¯m still a child, why are you telling me this?


    Feeling a bit embarrassed by Mo Hua¡¯s stare, Zhang Lan, having already started, pressed on with his explanation:


    ¡°Normal relations between a man and a woman, the Taoist Court doesn¡¯t concern itself with. But dual cultivation is different; any dual cultivation techniques and secret techniques, once discovered, will be immediately destroyed¡­¡±


    ¡°If a cultivator engages in dual cultivation and is discovered by the Taoist Court, they will be held accountable. Although it¡¯s not as severe a sentence as for replenishing from others, they will still be recorded in the Taoist Court¡¯s files, which could affect one¡¯s future when seeking masters, entering sects, and marriage arrangements¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked puzzledly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that dual cultivation isn¡¯t harmful? Why is it banned then?¡±


    ¡°In principle that¡¯s true, but in practice, it¡¯s a different story,¡± Zhang Lan sighed.


    ¡°Although dual cultivation in itself isn¡¯t harmful and doesn¡¯t violate the ¡®Taoist Law,¡¯ if we don¡¯t prohibit it, some will use the name of dual cultivation to carry out replenishing from others, which indirectly amounts to permitting it. Moreover, if dual cultivation isn¡¯t banned, the Taoist Court will have a hard time investigating; if they start an inquiry, the suspected will claim they were engaged in dual cultivation, not replenishing, and then we can¡¯t do anything about it¡­¡±


    As Zhang Lan spoke, he became agitated, ¡°The most infuriating thing is, some cultivators don¡¯t even know they¡¯ve been abused, they take pleasure in it and even defend the ones who are exploiting them; it¡¯s simply stupid!¡±


    ¡°If they say it¡¯s consensual, don¡¯t you lose the ability to intervene?¡± Mo Hua asked. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan snorted coldly, ¡°In front of Taoist Law, there is no such thing as consent. If the Taoist Law is violated, we will arrest anyone, none can escape.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°That¡¯s the first reason.¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°There¡¯s more?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zhang Lan continued, ¡°there are billions of cultivators in the Tao Cultivation World across more than twenty thousand years; what kind of mess haven¡¯t we seen?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    Zhang Lan went on, ¡°The second reason is that even dual cultivation between Dao companions can turn into replenishing from others.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to become Dao companions because you get along well?¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡±


    Zhang Lan had the look of someone saying you¡¯re too young, you wouldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Among Dao companions, the closer they are, the more likely they are to develop resentments. Today they may love each other to death, and tomorrow they may wish nothing more than to kill each other. Once discord arises, it can easily turn into enmity, and then what was once dual cultivation becomes replenishing from others¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were wide with wonder, and he couldn¡¯t help but say,


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, you know so much, haven¡¯t you ever been harvested¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan immediately pinched Mo Hua¡¯s ear and said,


    ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m a serious cultivator!¡±


    Mo Hua rubbed his ear and muttered softly,


    ¡°Who knows if you¡¯re serious or not¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan was helpless, and then examined Mo Hua, saying,


    ¡°You need to be careful in the future.¡±


    ¡°Careful of what? I¡¯m not going to harvest from others¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan cracked a wicked smile, ¡°Although you won¡¯t harvest from others, you could be harvested from.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°Not only female cultivators can be harvested from by male cultivators, but male cultivators can also be harvested from by female cultivators,¡± Zhang Lan said with a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°Especially someone like you, who is handsome and cute.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth hung open.


    Zhang Lan patted Mo Hua on the shoulder, ¡°In the future, when you see those coquettish and licentious female cultivators, you better stay alert, who knows if they¡¯re thinking about harvesting from you.¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a long while, then nodded earnestly.


    Then he encountered another blind spot and asked curiously,


    ¡°Female cultivators can be harvested from by male cultivators, and male cultivators can be harvested from by female cultivators, but can male cultivators be harvested from by other male cultivators, and female cultivators by other female cultivators?¡±


    Zhang Lan was asked until he saw stars.


    What a mess this all is!


    What on earth is stuffed in that little brain of yours, to ask such things?!


    Zhang Lan was silent for a long moment, finally letting out a tired sigh, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep, I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    He said this and then closed his eyes, ignoring Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua wanted to ask more, but seeing that Zhang Lan already looked somewhat haggard, he tactfully refrained from asking further.


    The campsite¡¯s lights flickered, settling down into tranquility.


    Mo Hua read the Formation Books for a while, and at 1 a.m., he entered his Sea of Consciousness and practiced the Formation, then closed his eyes to rest for a bit.


    The next day, at 6 A.M., as the sky turned light, Mo Hua woke up.


    Mo Hua got up, and at the same time, Zhang Lan and the others also opened their eyes.


    The three of them ate something simple and left the campsite, continuing their journey.


    Once they reached Lonely Cloud Peak, Mo Hua looked at the terrain and circled several spots on the Map.


    These places were relatively secluded, seldom visited by Monster Beasts, and not easily discovered by other cultivators.


    Zhang Lan instructed, ¡°Be very careful not to leave a trace, so as not to startle the snake by hitting the grass. If you encounter the thief, don¡¯t act rashly; just keep an eye on him from a distance, and we¡¯ll move in once everyone is here.¡±


    Everyone nodded, then split up to search in the areas Mo Hua had circled.


    Mo Hua followed Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan had high cultivation, and it was safer for him to be with Zhang Lan.


    After searching around, they all gathered in a forest not far from a campsite.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°There are traces around here, the thief must be hiding in that campsite.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be other Monster Hunters?¡± Situ Fang asked.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°This campsite has been abandoned for a long time; Monster Hunters wouldn¡¯t stay here.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s surround the campsite and move in together. Mo Hua, it could get dangerous here, you run far away.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then immediately ran off into the distance.

 Chapter 138 - 138: Engaging in Battle (Second Update)_1

    Chapter 138: Engaging in Battle (Second Update)_1


    Zhang Lan and his two companions began to besiege the abandoned camp.


    Soon after, a cultivator dressed in white rushed out of the camp.


    The Taoist robe he wore was lavishly styled and looked expensive, but after half a month of fleeing, it was soiled and tattered.


    His face resembled the portrait Mo Hua had seen, but it looked much older and skin was even flaking off.


    It seemed that due to the lack of replenishing from others, his evil skills backfired, and his appearance began to decay and age.


    Indeed, he was the evil cultivator who practiced the technique of replenishing from others.


    After Zhang Lan¡¯s trio confirmed this, they wasted no words and directly took action, showing no mercy.


    The evil cultivator spat out a curse and began to fight back.


    The battle between the two sides was about to erupt.


    Mo Hua hid from a distance, secretly watching the fight unfold.


    Zhang Lan was a spiritual cultivator, skilled in water series spells, and quite powerful at that. From afar, he gathered his spiritual power to cast spells, conjuring streams of water-shaped sword qi and relentlessly attacking the evil cultivator.


    Situ Fang and Situ Xiu were both body cultivators, specializing in blade techniques.


    Situ Fang¡¯s blade was thin and light, wrapped in a faint green spiritual power, cutting swiftly and densely. Situ Xiu, on the other hand, struck with wide, powerful blows, stimulating his flesh with spiritual power, which emitted a faint golden light from his body.


    The two engaged in close combat, entangling the evil cultivator.


    This evil cultivator seemed to also be a body cultivator, with a strong and vigorous blood qi, wielding an iron fan painted with delicate and slender beauties.


    As the iron fan swept through the air, it released waves of pink spiritual power.


    No wonder he is an evil cultivator; even the color of his spiritual power is improper¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself in silence.


    The evil cultivator¡¯s cultivation level should have been at the ninth level of Qi refinement; he was no match for Zhang Lan¡¯s trio. But he had good movement techniques, evading the attacks of both Situ cultivators and managing to dodge most of Zhang Lan¡¯s water-shaped sword qi.


    But no matter how good his movement technique was, he was gradually overwhelmed by the combined assault of the three.


    With every hit from the sword qi, his injuries grew worse, and each time Situ Fang cut him, more of his blood spilled.


    Moreover, the faint green spiritual power prevented his wounds from healing.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the evil cultivator was struck by one of Zhang Lan¡¯s sword qi blasts, falling to the ground and lying motionless.


    Mo Hua did not act rashly but waited until he saw Zhang Lan lock the evil cultivator with shackles before he came out.


    ¡°Is he dead?¡± Mo Hua asked. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, this beast still clings to life.¡±


    Mo Hua scanned with his divine sense and found that the evil cultivator¡¯s spiritual power was indeed still circulating within his body.


    ¡°Are all evil cultivators this tough?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°Not all, but most are quite troublesome to deal with. The methods of the heretical path, despite having many drawbacks, are also very powerful. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be so many falling into the path of the heretical demons.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding.


    With the evil cultivator captured, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    Situ Xiu asked, ¡°What do we do next?¡±


    Zhang Lan kicked the evil cultivator, ¡°Take this beast back, deliver him to the Taoist Court, interrogate him, and then convict him according to the law. We¡¯ll also have something to report to Old Master An.¡±


    ¡°Old Master An?¡± Mo Hua glanced at Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan had slipped up and, looking up at the sky, pretended he hadn¡¯t said anything.


    Situ Fang and Situ Xiu chopped down a few trees and made a raft, placing the evil cultivator on it, ready to drag him back.


    Mo Hua stared at the evil cultivator for a long time, then kindly suggested,


    ¡°You should break his legs.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Situ Fang was taken aback.


    ¡°And you must destroy his meridians and shatter his Qi Sea!¡±


    Situ Fang was speechless.


    This kid, how can he say such frightening things with such an innocent face¡­


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment, ¡°He has a point.¡±


    Situ Fang hesitated, ¡°The man¡¯s already been captured, he doesn¡¯t have the ability to resist, doing this, aren¡¯t we going too far with our own authority¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve only subdued him temporarily, it doesn¡¯t count as a capture,¡± Mo Hua corrected.


    ¡°Can we really do this¡­¡± Situ Fang was hesitant.


    But Zhang Lan had already drawn his sword, ready to sever the evil cultivator¡¯s meridians.


    Before, Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand why Zhang Lan, who was clearly a spiritual cultivator, would carry a sword weapon; he thought it was purely for show.


    Now I understand, even as a Spiritual Cultivator, merely with spells and a knife or a sword for tools, one can be prepared for unexpected needs.


    At least it made severing a person¡¯s meridians much more convenient.


    But before Zhang Lan¡¯s sword could pierce down, the Evil Cultivator suddenly opened his eyes wide, his hands shook, and the chains fell off.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he accelerated his sword thrust.


    The Evil Cultivator twisted his body to dodge the vital points, and the sword only grazed a layer of skin.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Zhang Lan shouted.


    The moment the Evil Cultivator opened his eyes, Mo Hua had already retreated several meters away.


    When he had swept the area with his Divine Sense earlier, he noticed something odd about the fluctuations of the Evil Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power.


    But he had not expected this Evil Cultivator to be so cunning and hardy. Even after sustaining multiple wounds, he still had the strength to resist.


    The Evil Cultivator dodged Zhang Lan¡¯s sword and aimed a palm strike straight at Zhang Lan¡¯s face.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression turned grave as he retreated to avoid the blow. At this distance, it was too late to use spells; he could only counter with a backward stab of his sword.


    But the Evil Cultivator didn¡¯t take the strike; instead, with a flicker of his body, he appeared beside Situ Xiu, who was raising his sword to strike.


    Situ Xiu, originally planning to attack the Evil Cultivator from behind while unnoticed, had not anticipated that the Evil Cultivator had already sensed him. With a bizarre movement technique, the Evil Cultivator circled to his side.


    His attempt to ambush failed, and he was ambushed instead, struck by the Evil Cultivator¡¯s palm on the rib cage, he spat out fresh blood and flew sideways.


    The pain from this palm strike pierced to the heart, and the bizarre Spiritual Power followed the force into his organs.


    Only then did Situ Xiu realize that this Evil Cultivator had not been using his full strength before!


    But the realization came too late, as he no longer had the strength to fight again in the short term.


    Situ Fang also drew his sword, swinging it at the Evil Cultivator. After several exchanges, he suddenly felt weak all over. His meridians were corroded by a peculiar pink Spiritual Power, preventing his own Spiritual Power from circulating.


    The Evil Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power was poisonous!


    He hadn¡¯t noticed it during the fight earlier, but now the poison was gradually taking effect.


    Forcing himself to circulate his Qi, Situ Fang suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, glaring at the Evil Cultivator with hatred in his eyes.


    Licking his lips, the Evil Cultivator looked at Situ Fang and said, ¡°Not bad!¡±


    He hadn¡¯t replenished himself for a month.


    He needed to vent his demonic fire and also replenish his Spiritual Power.


    The Evil Cultivator¡¯s gaze roamed over Situ Fang. As his mind wavered slightly, a pale blue Sword Qi pierced directly through his shoulder.


    Enraged, the Evil Cultivator¡¯s mouth also exuded fresh blood as he turned to look.


    There, not far away, stood Zhang Lan with his fingers formed into a sword, coldly watching him.


    There was still a tough one left.


    The Evil Cultivator reined in his thoughts. Unless he dealt with Zhang Lan, he couldn¡¯t escape.


    Even if he managed to run away, in the treacherous lands of Big Black Mountain, he wouldn¡¯t last long.


    With his body drained and demonic fire growing, he needed replenishment.


    As long as he killed Zhang Lan¡­


    The Evil Cultivator¡¯s eyes flashed fiercely as he charged straight toward Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s heart tightened, What fast movement technique!


    The Evil Cultivator¡¯s movement technique was faster and more bizarre than before. Had he been holding back all along¡­


    ¡°Good, let me meet you!¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s gaze sharpened as he executed the Falling Flower Steps; instantly, his figure multiplied, as graceful as falling petals.


    The Evil Cultivator was taken aback.


    This Taoist Court¡¯s Cultivator¡¯s movement technique was actually not inferior to his.


    He was a rapist, who relied on movement techniques to make his living!


    The Evil Cultivator was in a difficult position, yet he had to fight. After about a dozen exchanges, he still hadn¡¯t managed to land a hit on Zhang Lan.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Lan had already grasped his opponent¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. In his advances and retreats, he still had the leeway to condense Sword Qi, threatening the Evil Cultivator.


    Just as Zhang Lan was about to capture the Evil Cultivator¡¯s lapse and finish him with Sword Qi, the Evil Cultivator suddenly disappeared.


    Zhang Lan released his Divine Sense, but detected nothing.


    Suddenly, he felt a surge of alarm and glanced toward Mo Hua in the distance, urgently shouting, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    At the same time, a shadow flickered behind Mo Hua, and the Evil Cultivator appeared, his voice hoarse and vicious:


    ¡°Brat, you want to break my legs?¡±

 Chapter 139 - 139: Broken Leg (Third Update)_1

    Chapter 139: Broken Leg (Third Update)_1


    The evil cultivator¡¯s pale right hand reached for the back of Mo Hua¡¯s neck.


    Originally, everything was within his plan.


    He pretended to be defeated first, recuperating his spiritual power, waiting for the moment when the dogs of the Taoist Court would be careless and off guard. Then he would suddenly burst forth and ambush, killing the two men and keeping the woman for replenishing from others.


    By replenishing from the woman until her death, he would be able to recover his blood qi and spiritual power.


    His appearance would also be restored.


    At that time, with this young and handsome shell, he could deceive a naive little girl, slowly replenish from her, and find temporary shelter, laying low for a while.


    Once the heat died down, he would still be able to roam freely.


    If it weren¡¯t for this brat!


    Talking about breaking his legs, destroying his meridians, and even shattering his Qi Sea!


    His plan might have already succeeded.


    If the cultivator from the Taoist Court had moved to destroy his meridians, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have allowed himself to be captured so easily. After all, even if he was highly skilled, once his meridians were cut and his spiritual power was gone, he wouldn¡¯t be able to turn the tides.


    He could only make his move early.


    The two cultivators with knives were easy to handle, but the one with the sword was a bit more troublesome.


    He had originally thought it would be only somewhat difficult, but he never imagined it would be to this extent.


    The movement technique he relied on did not give him any advantage.


    The man with the sword was neither injured nor bleeding, so his sinister spiritual power posed no threat to him.


    Moreover, he himself was already covered in injuries, at the end of his tether. If he continued to delay, he would be dragged to death.


    Even if he fled, trapped within Big Black Mountain, lacking clothing and food, and without female cultivators to replenish from, he was bound to die sooner or later!


    So he had no choice but to settle for the next best thing: to capture this brat first, to use as a threat against the man, seeking a sliver of a chance for survival.


    The evil cultivator¡¯s hand reached for the back of Mo Hua¡¯s neck.


    In his eyes, this brat was absolutely unavoidable.


    Not to mention a child of around ten years of age, even a cultivator in the later stages of Qi Refinement would not be able to escape this sudden attack¡­


    But he grabbed at air.


    Mo Hua seemed to have sensed it early on, ducking his head and crouching down, his small body rolling to the side and ending up several meters away.


    Leaving the evil cultivator standing there foolishly¡­


    Mo Hua had dodged, and Zhang Lan breathed a sigh of relief.


    If Mo Hua had been caught, he truly would have been out of options, and the situation would have turned into a checkmate.


    Either a few would die, or they would all die together.


    Luckily, Mo Hua was clever.


    In such a short time, he was able to sense the danger and agilely evade it.


    Zhang Lan felt a chill in his heart and then his eyes turned cold as he propelled his sword qi, attacking the evil cultivator.


    He needed to quickly slaughter this beast to prevent further trouble.


    The evil cultivator came back to his senses, looking at Mo Hua in the distance with a cold gaze.


    ¡°Stinking brat, you¡¯re pretty lucky.¡±


    He didn¡¯t believe Mo Hua could evade his move; the boy had merely been lucky.


    Mo Hua stood still in the distance, sighing,


    ¡°It seems I must destroy your meridians, shatter your Qi Sea, and break your legs, or else you¡¯ll continue doing evil.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then added,


    ¡°All three legs!¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression froze before he hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t provoke him!¡±


    He turned his head and saw, as expected, the evil cultivator¡¯s eyes red with rage.


    The evil cultivator¡¯s eyes were blood red with intense anger, having never been humiliated by a stinking brat like this in his life.


    His figure flashed, the evil cultivator¡¯s gaze filled with resentment as he dashed straight towards Mo Hua.


    Coldness settled in Zhang Lan¡¯s heart.


    This was bad, this was a ninth-layer Qi Refinement evil cultivator, and Mo Hua couldn¡¯t handle him.


    He had been relieved that Mo Hua had escaped once, thinking that if the boy ran far enough, he would be safe.


    Then he would use a spell to repel the evil cultivator, and they could come up with a long-term plan.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua to verbally provoke the man; given that the evil cultivator had already wanted to capture him for leverage and was now humiliated by Mo Hua¡¯s words, rage filled his heart, making it impossible for him to calm down.


    In his urgency, Zhang Lan could only quickly drive his sword qi, hoping the evil cultivator would back off knowing the difficulty.


    However, he was far from Mo Hua, while the evil cultivator was close.


    Casting the Condensing Technique required time, so the sword qi he released afterward had difficulty hitting the evil cultivator and only managed to slow him down.


    The evil cultivator, with his eerie movements, dodged several beams of sword qi and closed in on Mo Hua, reaching down to grab him.


    Then, he grasped at empty air again.


    Mo Hua slowly drifted backward, sliding away from his grasp just before his fingers could close.


    The Evil Cultivator refused to believe it, squatted and turned, lifting his left hand and reaching for Mo Hua once more.


    Yet, Mo Hua flipped back lightly, without borrowing or exerting any force, as if he were a leaf floating and dancing in the breeze, once again slipping through his fingers.


    The Evil Cultivator continued to reach for Mo Hua, but with each move, he was always a hair¡¯s breadth away, and Mo Hua managed to escape from his hands every time. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His movement technique was formless, like flowing water, adapting to the situation and eluding capture.


    Appearing to be within reach, yet, in reality, as far away as the horizon.


    The Evil Cultivator nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.


    He was a rapist, after all! A rapist who relied on his movement technique to get by!


    It was one thing to be outmatched by a dog of the Taoist Court, but now even a mere child was playing him for a fool?


    And the worst part was, he couldn¡¯t even get the better of this little brat!


    Every round he thought he could catch him, but he just couldn¡¯t.


    As the Evil Cultivator¡¯s onslaught grew more desperate, Mo Hua¡¯s movement technique became even more composed.


    All of a sudden, Mo Hua increased the distance between them and began condensing Qi at his fingertips.


    The Evil Cultivator was stunned. What was he doing?


    Was he trying to use a spell?


    ¡°Seeking death!¡±


    The distance was so close that by the time his spell was released, he would have already snapped his neck.


    With a sneer, the Evil Cultivator leapt forward.


    But before he could reach Mo Hua, a fireball had already formed and flew toward his face, smearing across it.


    The Evil Cultivator couldn¡¯t believe it, and a chill ran through his heart.


    ¡°How could it be so fast?!¡±


    The Fireball Technique wasn¡¯t highly powerful, but it hit his face, causing a throbbing pain and leaving his head reeling.


    The Evil Cultivator involuntarily faltered in his movements.


    At that moment, Zhang Lan seized the opportunity to send out a Water-shaped Sword Qi, striking the Evil Cultivator directly in the heart channel.


    The Evil Cultivator¡¯s gaze became vacant, and with a thud, he fell to the ground.


    The woods grew quieter.


    The Evil Cultivator lay on the ground, but the one who had felled him, Zhang Lan, was still stunned in place, his emotions fluctuating wildly.


    What had he just witnessed?


    A cultivator of the ninth level of Qi Refinement¡¯s attack, all dodged by Mo Hua?


    Qi Refinement, ninth level? All dodged?


    And what was that movement technique?


    Without a constant pattern, without a fixed form, unpredictable, elusive, straightforward yet enigmatic¡­


    Who taught him this movement technique?!


    Zhang Lan stood still for a while, his memories churning, before he remembered.


    Oh right, it seems like it was the Water Passing Step!


    This¡­ it seems that I taught it¡­


    Mo Hua, looking at the fallen Evil Cultivator, swept him with his Divine Sense and said,


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, come quickly, he¡¯s not dead yet.¡±


    Zhang Lan came back to his senses and immediately went over to the Evil Cultivator.


    After checking his injuries, he said, ¡°He¡¯s not dead, but his Spiritual Power is exhausted, and his Blood Qi is depleted; he won¡¯t make any more trouble.¡±


    His Sword Qi had pierced through the Evil Cultivator¡¯s heart channel, but it was slightly off, so the Evil Cultivator wasn¡¯t dead yet.


    Zhang Lan had barely finished speaking when the Evil Cultivator groaned in pain, opening his eyes full of resentment.


    ¡°What a tough life,¡± Mo Hua remarked.


    Zhang Lan gave Situ Fang and Situ Xiu some pills, and after meditating for a while, they revived somewhat. Then they wanted to drag the Evil Cultivator back to the Taoist Court.


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Everyone turned their heads, looking at Mo Hua with confusion.


    Mo Hua walked over to Zhang Lan and, with some effort, pulled out the sword from Zhang Lan¡¯s waist.


    Holding the sword with both hands, he walked up to the Evil Cultivator and said,


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it was I who wanted to break your legs!¡±


    Then with one stroke, he severed the Evil Cultivator¡¯s legs.

 Chapter 140 - 140 Inquiry (Four Updates)_1

    Chapter 140 Inquiry (Four Updates)_1


    In the agonized cries of the evil cultivator, Zhang Lan and his two companions looked at Mo Hua with even more complex emotions.


    Mo Hua wiped Zhang Lan¡¯s sword on the ground, but the bloodstains remained, not wiped away.


    Zhang Lan sighed, helplessly took the sword back, and slid it directly into its sheath.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s done now, we can go back.¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, still led by Mo Hua, Zhang Lan and his two companions took turns dragging the evil cultivator down the mountain path.


    As for whether the evil cultivator would die from the rough handling, they were too lazy to care.


    If he didn¡¯t die, good fortune was on his side; if he did, he got what he deserved.


    On the way, Situ Fang couldn¡¯t help but praise:


    ¡°Mo Hua, your movement technique is amazing!¡±


    She had been watching from the side, sweating from fear.


    When she saw Mo Hua successfully evade the evil cultivator¡¯s attacks each time, she breathed a sigh of relief and couldn¡¯t help but admire him.


    Mo Hua felt quite pleased on the inside, but he humbly said:


    ¡°Where, it¡¯s just average.¡±


    ¡°Who taught you?¡± Situ Fang asked.


    Zhang Lan coughed a few times.


    Mo Hua glanced at him and said in a straightforward manner, ¡°A passing, unnamed, kindly uncle taught me¡­¡±


    Situ Fang asked doubtfully, ¡°There¡¯s such a person?¡±


    After thinking for a bit, she whispered to Zhang Lan, ¡°It looks to me¡­ why does it resemble the Water Passing Step of the Zhang Family so much?¡±


    Zhang Lan choked and coughed several times before finally catching his breath, and hurriedly said:


    ¡°Do not smear someone¡¯s innocence, Water Passing Step? Where does it resemble?¡±


    Situ Fang nodded, ¡°It really doesn¡¯t seem quite right, the Water Passing Step of the Zhang Family isn¡¯t that impressive.¡±


    Zhang Lan grew discontented, ¡°How can the Water Passing Step of the Zhang Family not be impressive? This is¡­¡±


    Situ Fang looked at him.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s voice weakened as he said:


    ¡°It is¡­ maybe just a tiny bit better than our Zhang Family¡¯s Water Passing Step.¡±


    Zhang Lan was also confused in his heart.


    The Zhang Family had two movement techniques, Falling Flower and Water Passing; one set was Falling Flower Steps, the other Water Passing Step.


    He primarily practiced Falling Flower Steps, but he was also proficient in Water Passing Step and had seen other cultivators in the Zhang Family, who specialized in Water Passing Step, use it, but none of them used it as¡­


    As effortlessly, as unpredictably, with a bit of a devious and mysterious¡­


    ¡°How did I teach him again?¡±


    Zhang Lan frowned, somewhat unable to remember, and mumbled to himself:


    ¡°Did I teach him Water Passing Step? It should be right¡­¡±


    While Zhang Lan¡¯s thoughts were in disarray, Mo Hua heard a faint thank you, as soft as a mosquito¡¯s buzz.


    He turned his head to see Situ Xiu with a flickering gaze, but also with a stubborn face.


    Clearly she wanted to give thanks but felt too embarrassed, so her voice was as faint as a mosquito¡¯s.


    She had been confident and arrogant when they ascended the mountain, but after a few injuries and bloodshed, she now seemed much more reserved.


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling somewhat gratified.


    Indeed, young people who experience setbacks tend to grow.


    Yet he had forgotten that he was even younger, not even qualifying as a young man.


    As they walked down the mountain path, Zhang Lan was still troubled by the matter of Water Passing Step.


    He went over and over the scene in his mind of Mo Hua dealing with the evil cultivator just moments ago.


    He carefully compared Mo Hua¡¯s Water Passing Step with the version from his memory.


    The basic steps were the same, but the minute nuances of each movement were more refined, and some moves were streamlined, eliminating unnecessary actions. It seemed Mo Hua had learned something else from someone¡­


    Why was it that the same movements looked completely different?


    Zhang Lan thought about it and suddenly realized, ¡°Could it be Divine Sense¡­?¡±


    Because the Divine Sense was strong enough, the control of Spiritual Power was fine and nuanced, making the movement technique more elusive and varied.


    The cultivators of the Zhang Family were not good at Formation, they had weak Divine Senses, so they failed to grasp the essence of this movement technique, making it seem rather mediocre.


    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± Zhang Lan felt a chill in his heart.


    When he taught Mo Hua the movement technique, he thought Mo Hua would just learn it casually and not master it very well.


    That way, even if it was used, others would glance at it and then forget.


    How well can a child with an innate frailty learn a movement technique?


    But unexpectedly, now not only had Mo Hua learned it well, but he had also become somewhat too good, even better than the Zhang Family¡¯s disciples¡­


    If someday Mo Hua became famous, others would see and say:


    ¡°This is the Zhang Family¡¯s Water Passing Step, even better than the Zhang Family¡¯s own!¡±


    Where would the Zhang Family put their face then?


    Zhang Lan unintentionally added a stroke to his family¡¯s dark history.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s scalp tingled.


    Being punished was one thing, but bringing shame to his family was something far beyond just kneeling in the ancestral hall or being confined in solitary.


    While Situ Fang and Situ Xiu were not paying attention, Zhang Lan quietly tugged at Mo Hua¡¯s sleeve, his expression grave as he said,


    ¡°You must not! You absolutely must not! You mustn¡¯t say it was me who taught you!¡±


    Mo Hua also looked serious and patted his chest in assurance,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t rat you out!¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, but then he realized something was off.


    What does ¡®rat out¡¯ mean¡­ That made it sound like he was some kind of criminal accomplice¡­


    Halfway through their journey, the group stopped on a small hillside to rest for a while.


    Mo Hua took out some beef and shared it with everyone.


    They didn¡¯t give any to the Evil Cultivator since he didn¡¯t deserve to eat what his mother made.


    Zhang Lan savored the beef, finding it spicy and delicious, and could not help but think,


    ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s family beef is really great, tender yet chewy, and the cooking time is just masterful¡­¡±


    Then Zhang Lan paused, suddenly remembering that Mo Hua seemed to have used a Fireball Technique earlier?


    The power was average, but the speed of casting¡­ seemed a bit fast¡­


    At least much faster than his own spells.


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua with a meaningful gaze.


    He had originally thought that since Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Power was not strong, his spellcasting wouldn¡¯t be particularly skilled, but now that was up for debate¡­


    The combination of Water Passing Step with such a fast and accurate Fireball Technique made Zhang Lan think it would be quite a handful to deal with.


    After eating their fill, the group continued on their way.


    Before evening, they reached the foot of Big Black Mountain.


    Mo Hua remembered something and walked up to the Evil Cultivator, who was awake, and asked,


    ¡°A few days ago, did you pursue a Monster Hunter in the mountains?¡±


    The Evil Cultivator snorted coldly but did not respond.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you.¡±


    The Evil Cultivator gave Mo Hua a disdainful glance.


    Mo Hua¡¯s temper flared, and he turned around to reach for the sword at Zhang Lan¡¯s waist.


    Zhang Lan was startled and hurriedly stopped him, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°He¡¯s being stubborn. I¡¯ll break another one of his legs!¡±


    Situ Fang advised in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s enough. You¡¯ve already broken one.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯ve only broken one, and he¡¯s still got two left!¡±


    Situ Fang said awkwardly, ¡°If you break them all, he¡¯s probably not going to make it.¡±


    Mo Hua regretfully said, ¡°Then it¡¯s just his bad luck.¡±


    When the Evil Cultivator heard this, he immediately said,


    ¡°Whatever you ask, I¡¯ll tell you!¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised.


    Why had the Evil Cultivator suddenly become so cooperative?


    Meanwhile, the Evil Cultivator¡¯s eyelid twitched uncontrollably.


    He was not afraid of death.


    He could die at the hands of his enemies, die from being replenished by others, be sentenced to death by the Taoist Court, or even face the ultimate punishment.


    He didn¡¯t really care about being killed by another Cultivator in any manner.


    But he absolutely could not die at the hands of a kid in his teens!


    To be slaughtered by a little brat at the fifth level of Qi Refinement was a disgrace he simply couldn¡¯t bear!


    ¡°Then go ahead,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who was chasing him.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®then.¡¯ That was it.¡±


    Mo Hua slowly said, ¡°You say it wasn¡¯t you who chased him, which means it wasn¡¯t you, but you saw someone else chasing him.¡±


    The Evil Cultivator remained silent.


    Mo Hua moved to draw the sword again, and the Evil Cultivator had no choice but to say,


    ¡°There were a few Cultivators chasing him.¡±


    ¡°What did they look like? What were they wearing?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see their faces clearly, but they were wearing silver-white Taoist Robes.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, silver-white¡­

 Chapter 141 - 141: Hosting a Meal (Five Updates)_1

    Chapter 141: Hosting a Meal (Five Updates)_1


    After they parted ways, Mo Hua returned home. The next day, she found Elder Yu and told him about the matter.


    Once Elder Yu heard about the ¡°silver-white Taoist robe,¡± he was livid.


    ¡°It must be those damned bastards from the Qian Family!¡±


    Elder Yu placed his hands on his hips, standing in the room, and went on to curse the Qian Family from the old to the young, from top to bottom, using coarse language without repeating a word, leaving Mo Hua astounded¡­


    After Elder Yu had his fill of cursing, he realized Mo Hua was there, staring at him with wide, shiny eyes.


    Elder Yu felt a bit embarrassed and thought to himself:


    ¡°In a moment of anger, I forgot this child Mo Hua was still here. Next time I must be careful not to lead the good child astray¡­¡±


    Elder Yu coughed and said:


    ¡°Forget what I just said.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded but quietly took note of all the curses Elder Yu used, keeping them for future reference.


    Cursing isn¡¯t very nice, but if you have to curse, you can¡¯t lose the battle.


    ¡°Elder, has the Qian Family done a lot of bad things?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Yu was about to answer, but he stopped himself and said:


    ¡°This is a matter for adults, you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±


    Then he muttered under his breath, ¡°The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree; the Patriarch of the Qian Family is a bastard, and you can¡¯t expect to find many good ones below him¡­ It¡¯s really like a rat¡¯s nest in a sewer¡­¡±


    Talking to himself, Elder Yu unconsciously started cursing again.


    Mo Hua found this both sad and funny.


    It was true that people from the Qian Family wore silver-white Taoist robes, but that didn¡¯t mean that everyone wearing a silver-white Taoist robe belonged to the Qian Family.


    Mo Hua decided to let Elder Yu investigate the matter and not to inquire any further.


    Two days later, after Zhang Lan had dealt with the evil cultivators, he decided to treat them out of his own pocket, inviting Mo Hua to have a meal at the Spiritual Meal Building on North Street. Situ Fang was also there.


    The Spiritual Meal Building was run by the An Family. Mo Hua was acquainted with the An Family¡¯s young master, An Xiaopang, having helped him with his Formation homework. She had been here before to consult the shopkeeper on the making of stoves, but she had never eaten here.


    After all, the meals served at the Spiritual Meal Building were filled with Spiritual Energy and were very expensive.


    However, Zhang Lan was not short of Spirit Stones, and Mo Hua was not shy about accepting his hospitality.


    ¡°It was hard work for you to catch that evil cultivator; eat up,¡± Zhang Lan said, gesturing to the table full of dishes.


    Situ Fang nodded repeatedly by the side, ¡°Eat up. If it¡¯s not enough, we can order more.¡±


    With her cheeks puffed out, Mo Hua asked, ¡°What about that big brother called Situ Xiu?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s gone back to report.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua responded, not really caring and asking just out of politeness.


    Mo Hua ate ravenously, while Zhang Lan leisurely sipped his drink, barely touching the dishes.


    He had been eating these spiritual meals since he was a child and was tired of them. Although they were rich in Spiritual Energy, the taste was nothing remarkable, and he wasn¡¯t fond of them.


    He felt that the Bull Monster Meat at Mo Hua¡¯s home, both fragrant and spicy, had a much better flavor.


    Situ Fang, on the other hand, found Mo Hua¡¯s cheek-puffing way of eating adorable, and thus merely propped up her cheeks, watching Mo Hua eat.


    A table full of poultry and meat from various Spirit Beasts was being consumed by Mo Hua alone.


    Mo Hua also felt they were not as delicious as the dishes her mother made, but these meals were just too expensive to waste by not eating them.


    However, despite Mo Hua filling her stomach, there was still a lot of food left on the table.


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°I¡¯ll have the shopkeeper pack these up later and you can take them home with you.¡±


    Then he took out a Storage Bag and handed it to Mo Hua:


    ¡°There are a hundred Spirit Stones in here for you.¡±


    Mo Hua was thrilled and just about to reach out, but then frowned and whispered:


    ¡°With food to eat and things to take, you aren¡¯t trying to bribe me for some reason, are you¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Zhang Lan sighed in resignation. ¡°Inviting you to eat is indeed because you were of great help. These Spirit Stones are the reward from the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡±


    Mo Hua thus accepted the reward without any guilt.


    Zhang Lan continued, ¡°I spoke with the Court Leader. Originally, the Taoist Court would have given you other rewards, but those rewards are often empty honors, flashy but not substantive, and can easily cause trouble.¡±


    Curious, Mo Hua inquired, ¡°What kind of trouble?¡±


    ¡°These evil cultivators may not be alone; some have accomplices, some belong to the same sect, and some may even have Sect backing. Once the Taoist Court rewards you, they might come after you for revenge,¡± Zhang Lan explained while taking a sip of his drink.


    ¡°So, I had them attribute your visible achievements to the Taoist Court and convinced them to give you some extra Spirit Stones. After all, for you, Spirit Stones are more tangible,¡± Zhang Lan raised his cup as he spoke.


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly, making a fortune in silence is the best way!¡±


    After a moment of thought, Zhang Lan added, ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, Old Master An wants to meet with you.¡±


    ¡°Old Master An?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed, then with a flash of insight, he whispered to Zhang Lan:


    ¡°Was the evil cultivator replenishing from an An Family girl?¡±


    Zhang Lan took in a breath of cool air, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you slip up that day? You said it¡¯d be difficult to explain to the An Family¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan cut in, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that!¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him meaningfully, giving Zhang Lan a headache.


    This kind of information couldn¡¯t be leaked¡­


    Situ Fang noticed the two conversing in low voices and frowned, ¡°What are you whispering about?¡±


    Immediately, Zhang Lan said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± then gave Mo Hua a meaningful look and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to another meal next time.¡±


    Mo Hua also played along, ¡°Uncle Zhang didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Situ Fang glanced at Mo Hua, then looked suspiciously at Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan, feeling uncomfortable under their gazes, stood up and started to pack Mo Hua¡¯s meal.


    Afterward, the two escorted Mo Hua to the An Family residence.


    The An Family¡¯s business was crafting spiritual meals, priding themselves on taste, aroma, and exquisite hospitality.


    The An Family wasn¡¯t as overbearing as the Qian Family. Their pavilions and towers favored luxurious comfort with a touch of subtle opulence, never too ostentatious.


    Along the way, Mo Hua looked around curiously.


    He wasn¡¯t interested in the An Family¡¯s decorations, only in the Formations they had set up.


    From the moment he entered, he had been studying the various Formations on the doors, walls, and floors.


    Some Formations were obvious and could be recognized at a glance, but for the more subtle or complex ones, he had to deduce their purpose based on the Formation Patterns and characteristics of the Spiritual Power.


    Mo Hua found them fascinating, while the An Family guards accompanying him grew increasingly nervous.


    They felt that Mo Hua was not so much a guest but rather someone scoping out the place.


    Scouting during the day to prepare for a theft at night.


    The key was that, despite his youth, Mo Hua had a clear and penetrating gaze, which seemed capable of peering through walls and wood to discern the inner workings of the Formations. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He even muttered phrases like ¡°Solid Earth Formation,¡± ¡°Gold Stone Formation,¡± ¡°Flame Fire Formation¡±¡­


    He had identified all the Formations used in their An Family walls, floors, and rooftops¡­


    What kind of guest was this?


    The An Family guards were inwardly lamenting.


    However, since guests had arrived, they couldn¡¯t be impolite.


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before Mo Hua reached the living room.


    The guards breathed a sigh of relief, saluted an Elder sitting inside the room, and respectfully withdrew.


    In the finely decorated living room sat an Elder.


    Mo Hua covertly studied the man. Seeing his entirely white hair and beard and rosy, dignified face that nevertheless carried a gentle expression, he surmised this must be Old Master An, the true authority of the An Family.

 Chapter 142 - 142 Old Master An (First Update)_1

    Chapter 142: Chapter 142 Old Master An (First Update)_1


    The An Family was the second-largest family in Tongxian City, with An Yonglu serving as the family head, and An Xiaopang¡¯s father. However, when it came to major and minor affairs within the clan, it was Old Master An, who was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, that had the final say.


    Upon meeting Old Master An, everyone paid their respects. Old Master An also exchanged a few courteous words with them.


    Old Master An didn¡¯t take Mo Hua lightly because of his young age; on the contrary, he was quite polite.


    So polite that it made Mo Hua feel something was amiss.


    Never having met before, why was he so nice to him?


    A suspicion grew in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    After chatting for a while, Mo Hua learned the ins and outs of the situation.


    The woman who had been exploited by the evil cultivator was indeed a daughter born out of wedlock from the An Family.


    This woman, charmed by the evil cultivator¡¯s handsome appearance and sweet words, fell in love and privately pledged herself to him. By the time she realized something was wrong, it was too late; she had been used as a woman for replenishing, her vitality drained, and she spent her days in a dazed state.


    In her bitter hatred and desire to die, although she was later rescued, she had become a shadow of her former self, living in constant panic and misery¡­


    Upon learning of this, Old Master An was furious and secretly ordered the An Family disciples to investigate, but there was no word. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The evil cultivator had sophisticated methods and excelled in movement techniques, making him difficult to trace and even harder to pursue.


    Old Master An then called on the connections of the Situ Family, with whom he had some rapport, and also asked Supervisor Zhang Lan of the Taoist Court to assist in the chase.


    Later, with Mo Hua¡¯s guidance on Big Black Mountain, Zhang Lan finally captured the evil cultivator.


    Old Master An was very grateful to Mo Hua.


    But Mo Hua still felt something was off; Old Master An¡¯s gratitude seemed a bit excessive.


    At the very least, he should be more thankful to Zhang Lan and Situ Fang. After all, they were the ones who caught the man; Mo Hua merely helped.


    As expected, after beating around the bush for a while, Old Master An began to inquire about Mo Hua¡¯s private matters.


    Questions like what his parents did, what he wanted to do in the future, and whether he had learned anything about formations and such.


    Old Master An was not someone you wanted to offend.


    Mo Hua replied politely and earnestly, picking out trivial matters to discuss.


    Old Master An continued to ask.


    Mo Hua then innocently rambled from one topic to another, round and round in circles, speaking earnestly but uttering nothing but fluff, evasively answering as much as possible.


    When he really couldn¡¯t dodge the questions anymore, he chuckled and said he just couldn¡¯t remember.


    After all, he was still a child, so it wasn¡¯t a problem to say so.


    After Old Master An tried to coax out the information indirectly for a while without success, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh internally:


    If the younger disciples of the An Family had such wits, he could save himself a lot of worry.


    After a while, Old Master An also had some of the An Family disciples come over.


    There were both men and women, mostly women, all about the same age as Mo Hua, good-looking, and dressed quite formally.


    Mo Hua glanced over and spotted An Xiaopang among them.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to do; among the group, he was the fattest by far.


    Standing out like a sore thumb, it would be hard not to notice him¡­


    But An Xiaopang didn¡¯t seem to be happy, standing among the group of disciples, somewhat sullen and always with his head down.


    It seemed that although he was the son of the An Family head, he wasn¡¯t valued much, and among these An Family disciples, he was likely the one with the lowest aptitude, the lowest cultivation, and the least impressive presence, probably thrown in just to make up the numbers.


    Old Master An said, ¡°I have some matters to discuss with Court Leader Zhang, and if Little Brother Mo doesn¡¯t mind, you can take a stroll in our An Family¡¯s garden in the back. The flowers there are a sight to behold, and the scenery is superb.¡±


    ¡°These clan disciples can accompany you.¡± Old Master An gestured toward the group of disciples, particularly pointing out a few of the beautiful girls in the front.


    Mo Hua felt a bit awkward, Old Master An¡¯s intentions were clear for all to see.


    Situ Xiu also felt embarrassed and wasn¡¯t sure what to say.


    Zhang Lan, on the other hand, watched the drama unfold without raising any fuss, quietly sipping his tea, but inwardly gloating as he winked at Mo Hua.


    Old Master An had gone to great lengths, presumably wanting to have Mo Hua marry into the family.


    But to not make it too obvious, he had included some other An Family disciples in the mix.


    Mo Hua sighed internally and couldn¡¯t be bothered to play along with Old Master An anymore.


    Just now, he could afford to waste time on those pleasantries, and that was already giving enough courtesy.


    Mo Hua stood up to take his leave, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and I still have matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now and not disturb you and Uncle Zhang in discussing important matters.¡±


    Old Master An¡¯s expression showed a slight disappointment, but he did not insist on keeping him, only saying:


    ¡°Little brother, please feel at ease to go, no need to stand on ceremony.¡±


    Mo Hua stood up to leave. As he turned around, he caught sight of the dejected An Xiaopang and hesitated for a moment before sighing inwardly.


    ¡°Young Master An?¡±


    Old Master An¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Little brother, you know Xiaofu?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Young Master An and I are fellow disciples; we have some friendship, and he has helped me before.¡±


    An Xiaopang was stunned.


    Wasn¡¯t it Mo Hua who helped him with his homework? When did he help Mo Hua?


    He couldn¡¯t remember¡­


    Old Master An¡¯s eyes shone even brighter, and the look he gave An Xiaopang also contained a bit more appreciation.


    ¡°Since there is some comradeship between fellow disciples, then Xiaofu, you should take Little brother Mo and show him around.¡±


    All eyes in the room turned towards An Xiaopang.


    For the first time, An Xiaopang found himself being watched by so many people and felt a bit uneasy. Nevertheless, he straightened his back a little and said, ¡°Yes, Grandfather.¡±


    An Xiaopang led Mo Hua out of the living room.


    Afterward, he let out a sigh of relief, his entire demeanor deflating like a punctured ball, wilting down.


    He looked a bit pitiable, yet somewhat amusing.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you very afraid of your grandfather?¡±


    An Xiaopang nodded, ¡°Yes. Not just my grandfather, I¡¯m also afraid of my dad, and the other uncles and elders.¡±


    ¡°Do they hit you?¡±


    An Xiaopang shook his head.


    ¡°Do they scold you?¡±


    ¡°My dad does, but my grandfather doesn¡¯t, and usually, the other uncles and elders don¡¯t either. Oh right, my dad also hits me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°Then what are you afraid of them for?¡±


    An Xiaopang did not answer but instead began to look despondent, saying:


    ¡°Mo Hua, am I completely useless?¡±


    Mo Hua wanted to say no, but he couldn¡¯t find any strengths to point out, so he responded in a more tactful way:


    ¡°A little bit.¡±


    An Xiaopang became even more dejected, ¡°My dad is the family head, and logically, I should become the family head in the future, but I¡¯m not capable, I can¡¯t be the family head¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re unhappy?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± An Xiaopang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s why those uncles and elders, the way they look at me, it¡¯s with both regret and disappointment. When I was young, my grandfather cared for me a lot, but as I started to grow up, he didn¡¯t even want to look at me straight anymore¡­¡±


    An Xiaopang¡¯s voice grew fainter and fainter, until it was barely audible.


    ¡°Did you not know about this before?¡±


    The An Xiaopang Mo Hua remembered was the outspoken, somewhat temperamental, yet kind-hearted chubby boy.


    Now, he seemed burdened with heavy thoughts.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know before because I hadn¡¯t noticed. But then one day, I suddenly realized that the way my grandfather looked at me had changed. It wasn¡¯t concern anymore; it was indifference and disappointment. And when I looked at my dad and those uncles and elders, actually, their eyes were all the same, filled only with disappointment¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they had been disappointed in me for a long time, and it was just that I hadn¡¯t noticed.¡±


    A deep sense of loss lingered in An Xiaopang¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°What if you work hard in your cultivation and learn more things?¡± suggested Mo Hua.


    An Xiaopang wiped away a tear secretly, ¡°Mo Hua, I¡¯m just not smart, no matter how hard I try, I can never seem to learn. The things others can master, no matter how I study, I just can¡¯t grasp¡­¡±

 Chapter 143 - 143 An Family (Second Update)_1

    Chapter 143: Chapter 143 An Family (Second Update)_1


    An Xiaopang surreptitiously wiped away his tears.


    Mo Hua sighed and took An Xiaopang on a tour around the An Family estate. An Xiaopang felt a bit better, but then suddenly realized something was amiss:


    ¡°This is my home, how do you know it better than I do?¡±


    Your family¡¯s Formation is laid out too simply; I saw right through it at a glance.


    Mo Hua thought to himself, but out of consideration for the An Family¡¯s dignity, he chose not to say it outright and instead replied:


    ¡°I am a Formation Master, I figured it out based on the Formation.¡±


    The Formation was laid out based on the pavilions and towers of the An Family mansion. Having seen through the Formation, Mo Hua naturally knew how the An Family estate was constructed.


    Rockeries, water features, halls, and towers, every bit of earth and wood, all aligned with the Formation¡ªin them were clues to follow.


    An Xiaopang said admiringly, ¡°Mo Hua, you are so amazing. I wish I were as smart as you.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be disheartened, ¡®everyone is born with their own useful talents.¡¯ Think about it, what do you like to do?¡±


    ¡®Everyone is born with their own useful talents¡­¡¯


    An Xiaopang felt quite encouraged and furrowed his brows in thought for a long time until his eyes lit up:


    ¡°I like to eat!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became momentarily stiff.


    An Xiaopang scratched his head, ¡°This¡­ Is it not so good?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ okay,¡± Mo Hua said, against his better judgment.


    An Xiaopang scratched his head again.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what others say or think. Think carefully about what you most want to do in this life. It doesn¡¯t have to be something grand, as long as you can do it without regrets.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± An Xiaopang nodded.


    They walked around the garden together.


    Then An Xiaopang suddenly remembered something and mentioned, ¡°Mo Hua, my grandfather seems to want you to marry into our family.¡±


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t surprised, but he was curious: ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I heard it when my mother was chatting with my aunts. They love to talk about it and could go on for a whole day without getting tired¡­¡±


    Seeing the delight on An Xiaopang¡¯s face, Mo Hua guessed that his mother and the others must have talked for an entire day, and An Xiaopang must have enjoyed listening to them the whole time¡­


    However, Mo Hua was still puzzled: ¡°I¡¯m only in my teens. Isn¡¯t your grandfather thinking about this a bit early?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too early,¡± An Xiaopang shook his head. ¡°These things should be settled early. Wait too long and someone else might snatch up the opportunity.¡±


    An Xiaopang then lowered his voice, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that in some Noble Clans, as soon as a child is born and their Spiritual Root is determined, they start matching them up for marriage.¡±


    ¡°Childhood betrothals?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± An Xiaopang nodded, ¡°Those Noble Clans with profound heritage study the inheritance of Spiritual Roots, looking at what kind of Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Roots can produce what kind of children when they become a couple. To cultivate rarer and Superior Spiritual Roots, Noble Clans intermarry based on Spiritual Roots.¡±


    ¡°Intermarrying based on Spiritual Roots, does that really work¡­¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± An Xiaopang replied, ¡°Among the disciples of those Noble Clans, there are countless with Superior Spiritual Roots; even a Superior lower-tier Spiritual Root is considered average talent. Meanwhile, for us Cultivators from lesser places, a medium grade is already good. This is the result of Noble Clans¡¯ research on Spiritual Root inheritance and their intermarrying based on it.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow; he knew about the inheritance of Spiritual Roots but hadn¡¯t realized it involved such complexities.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t choosing a life partner supposed to be about mutual affection? Would those disciples being forced into marriages agree to it?¡±


    An Xiaopang sighed, ¡°They have no control over it. You eat what the Clan provides, drink what the Clan provides, use the Clan¡¯s Cultivation Technique for practice, rely on the Clan¡¯s Spirit Stones and Spiritual Objects, and depend on the Clan¡¯s power when going out. You can¡¯t expect to pay no price.¡±


    ¡°Did you come up with that yourself?¡±


    ¡°No, I heard my mother say it,¡± An Xiaopang admitted honestly.


    ¡°What if they don¡¯t agree, can they resist?¡±


    An Xiaopang pursed his lips, ¡°You can¡¯t twist an arm with a finger; what good would resisting do? Noble Clans are like towering trees, and the Clan¡¯s disciples are just leaves on the tree. What difference does it make if there¡¯s one more or one less? If you don¡¯t resist, you can cultivate in peace and enjoy the blessings, but if you resist, you end up with nothing.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a mix of emotions.


    Familial bonds held together by blood, yet the kinship feels most tenuous¡­


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no way out,¡± An Xiaopang added.


    ¡°What way?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    An Xiaopang secretly said, ¡°Do your own thing!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± Mo Hua did not understand.


    ¡°It¡¯s like¡­¡± An Xiaopang recalled what his mother had said during her chat, ¡°it means you do what the family wants on the surface, match with the right Spiritual Roots, get married, have children, but behind the scenes, you can be with whoever you want, however you want to play, as long as it doesn¡¯t look too bad on the outside¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was so shocked that he stared with his eyes wide open, ¡°It¡¯s so chaotic¡­¡±


    An Xiaopang nodded, ¡°Very chaotic!¡±


    After saying that, he added, ¡°The bigger the clan, the more chaotic it gets!¡±


    On the other side, Old Master An only exchanged a few casual pleasantries with Zhang Lan, discussing some inconsequential topics.


    Zhang Lan and Old Master An didn¡¯t really have much to say to each other.


    It was very dull.


    It wasn¡¯t even as good as chatting with Mo Hua, even though that kid could be a bit annoying at times.


    Zhang Lan said a few lukewarm words and then got up to leave with Situ Fang.


    Old Master An sat in contemplation for a moment, and then the An Family head, An Yonglu, walked in, sat down beside Old Master An, poured himself a cup of tea, and asked:


    ¡°Father, have the guests left?¡±


    Old Master An nodded.


    ¡°Then what are you sitting here thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t live much longer. I am considering my affairs for the hereafter.¡±


    An Yonglu had just brought his cup of tea to his lips when he choked on it, ¡°Father, one shouldn¡¯t speak lightly of such matters.¡±


    Old Master An¡¯s piercing gaze swept over An Yonglu as he spoke slowly:


    ¡°Our An Family has been struggling against the Qian Family for hundreds of years, always at a disadvantage. In the fields of artifact refining and alchemy, we¡¯ve all but handed them over on a platter. Only in the area of spiritual meals do we still have some edge.¡±


    An Yonglu lowered his head; as the family head, even if it wasn¡¯t his fault, he had to shoulder the responsibility.


    Old Master An sighed and asked, ¡°Do you know where we¡¯re inferior to the Qian Family?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not as ruthless as they are¡­¡±


    ¡°Qian Hong is a wolf, his son, and those direct disciples of the Qian clan are all wolf cubs. And you, and your son¡­ I won¡¯t say more.¡±


    An Yonglu¡¯s head hung even lower.


    Seeing his son like this, Old Master An stopped berating him and simply said, ¡°Do you still want your son to be the family head?¡±


    An Yonglu raised his head, his face flushed with shame, but he still insisted, ¡°Father, although Xiaofu might not be much capable, at the very least, he is kind-hearted and understands the bigger picture. If he becomes the family head, he might not accomplish great things, but he also won¡¯t do any wrong.¡±


    His son was naturally slow-witted, and if he as a father didn¡¯t consider things for him, who else would make plans for his son?


    Old Master An closed his eyes to rest and did not want to talk.


    An Yonglu felt anxious inside, but, knowing it was best not to continue this topic, he changed the subject and said: S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I heard that you wanted to take in a son-in-law?¡±


    Old Master An opened his eyes, ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°Why not anymore?¡± asked An Yonglu in a soft voice.


    ¡°The An Family doesn¡¯t deserve one,¡± said Old Master An indifferently.


    An Yonglu was taken aback and felt a bit defiant inside, he quietly retorted:


    ¡°How does the An Family not deserve it?¡±


    Old Master An raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Deserve it with what?¡±


    An Yonglu felt a slight surge of pride, ¡°Our An Family¡¯s property, Spirit Stones, numerous disciples, in Tongxian City, we are second to none. Even this mansion, there are countless cultivators in Tongxian City who wish to live here¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s so good about this mansion?¡±


    ¡°It has an exquisite layout, uses fine materials, and the Formation is one I paid a great deal of money for, drawn by a well-known Formation Master in the city. It¡¯s almost completely impermeable¡­¡±


    Old Master An sighed, ¡°That kid on his way here, recognized all the external Formation without missing a single one.¡±


    An Yonglu was stunned, ¡°What?¡±


    How did he recognize it?


    This wasn¡¯t some simple Formation commonly found on the streets; how could it be so easily recognized?


    Old Master An looked at his son indifferently and said:


    ¡°Your ¡®impenetrable¡¯ Formation, in his eyes, is just like a sieve¡­¡±


    Just like a sieve¡­


    These words were like a dagger, stabbing straight into An Yonglu¡¯s heart.


    An Yonglu¡¯s mouth hung open, unable to speak for a long time.

 Chapter 144 - 144 Threshold (Three Updates) _1

    Chapter 144: Chapter 144 Threshold (Three Updates) _1


    Mo Hua chatted with An Xiaopang for a bit longer before Zhang Lan found him and said he was leaving, asking if Mo Hua was ready to go.


    After saying goodbye to An Xiaopang, who seemed quite reluctant to part, Mo Hua advised him to think more about what he wanted to do when he had time.


    In the end, one can only rely on oneself.


    An Xiaopang nodded solemnly.


    Mo Hua and the others left the An Family, but Zhang Lan and Situ Fang did not return home. Instead, they followed Mo Hua to his food establishment, spent some spirit stones on a good amount of liquor and meat, insisting on taking it back home to eat.


    This behavior was quite puzzling to Mo Hua.


    Spend spirit stones to treat Mo Hua to a spiritual meal, not eat themselves, and then run off to Mo Hua¡¯s place to spend more spirit stones on more food!


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what to say.


    But since they had plenty of spirit stones, he let them be.


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t like to eat spiritual meals, and Situ Fang had tried the beef that Mo Hua brought from the mountains before, so she had been craving it ever since.


    Both bought a few pounds of monster meat and then said their farewells to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua remembered that he still had some spiritual meals from the Spiritual Meal Building in his storage bag.


    Chicken, duck, fish, and plenty more.


    Mo Hua taught his mother how to make the spiritual meals.


    Liu Ruhua shared some with Auntie Meng, Aunt Jiang, and other neighbors. She kept some for herself and made it again in the evening to let Mo Hua have a taste.


    Mo Hua tasted it and nodded, feeling that the flavor was right at last.


    In the following days, Mo Hua practiced drawing formations as usual.


    One early morning, as Mo Hua sat in meditation, he suddenly felt a tremor in his meridians.


    Mo Hua immediately took out more spirit stones and calmly absorbed their energy to continue his cultivation.


    After an unknown amount of time, his cultivation level broke through.


    Mo Hua¡¯s feelings were indescribably complex.


    Trying so hard to break through might not yield success, yet when he focused on cultivating without distractions, he unexpectedly achieved a breakthrough.


    Indeed, Tao cultivation was a matter of gradual accumulation and natural progression.


    But he finally reached the Qi Refining Sixth Level!


    Mo Hua was invigorated.


    He felt his divine sense growing stronger, and the invisible shackles that had been restricting its growth seemed to have been unwittingly unlocked.


    Mo Hua threw back his covers. All along the side of his bed were storage bags, and every storage bag contained jade bottles filled with monster blood!


    Densely packed, there were more than a thousand bottles!


    Mo Hua planned to use these thousand-plus bottles of monster blood to comprehend the nine formation patterns and step over the threshold to become a first-grade Formation Master!


    Mo Hua opened the Thousand Formation Catalog and looked for a formation diagram.


    The Golden Armor Formation!


    This was the first formation containing nine patterns that Mo Hua intended to learn.


    He had already memorized the formation patterns perfectly, but previously his divine sense wasn¡¯t strong enough to draw them.


    Now that Mo Hua had become a Qi Refining Sixth Level cultivator and his divine sense had been greatly enhanced, he could attempt to draw formations with nine patterns.


    Mo Hua calmly prepared the paper, adjusted the spiritual ink, dipped his brush in the ink, and began to formally draw the Golden Armor Formation.


    The first eight patterns flowed easily from Mo Hua¡¯s brush without any obstacles, but as he began drawing the ninth pattern, he faintly felt that his divine sense was being drained.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned when, after nearly exhausting his divine sense, he had only managed to draw eight and a half patterns.


    ¡°How can there be such a big difference?¡±


    Mo Hua set down his brush, propped his chin in his hand, and began to think deeply.


    Logically, with the improvement of his realm, his divine sense should have correspondingly increased quite a bit, but why was it that now he could only draw half a pattern more than before?


    He originally thought that even if he couldn¡¯t directly draw the nine-pattern formation perfectly, he could have at least roughly sketched it and with some practice, he would have been close to perfecting it.


    It seemed that it wasn¡¯t that simple after all.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, then sat in meditation and used his meditation technique to recover his divine sense; after several attempts, the results were still not ideal.


    In the afternoon, he went to Bamboo Residence to find Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a complicated gaze and asked, ¡°How many Formation Patterns did you draw in this Formation?¡±


    ¡°Nine.¡±


    ¡°And your cultivation?¡±


    ¡°Sixth level¡­¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand why Mr. Zhuang was asking this.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed internally and said, ¡°How can the breakthrough from the fifth to the sixth level of Qi Refinement compensate for the difference in Divine Sense between the eighth and ninth Formation Patterns?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there only one realm difference?¡±


    ¡°The difference between the ninth level of Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment is also only one realm.¡±


    Mo Hua gave a sheepish smile.


    Mr. Zhuang patiently explained, ¡°Within each major realm, the closer you are to the end, the slower the improvement of cultivation and Divine Sense, and the greater the chasm between realms.¡±


    ¡°So the gap between the eighth and ninth Formation Patterns is larger than the previous gaps?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, ¡°Generally speaking, for a Formation Master, nine Formation Patterns are usually the limit.¡±


    ¡°The instant completion of the ninth Formation Pattern places extremely high demands on your technique in Drawing Formation, memory of the Formation Diagram, understanding of the Formation Pivot, and the strength and control of your Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°The gap from the eighth to the ninth Formation Patterns seems only a small step, but the disparity is vast. Some Formation Masters linger at this threshold their whole lives, just one step away from advancing, yet that one step might never be taken.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was quite emotional.


    Mo Hua felt a bit anxious. He wouldn¡¯t also have to struggle with this threshold his entire life, would he?


    Seeing through Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, Mr. Zhuang tapped his forehead and said, ¡°How old are you to be in such a hurry? Just go home with peace of mind, and practice by drawing more; that¡¯s all.¡±


    As Mr. Zhuang said this, Mo Hua felt reassured.


    All he had to do was to keep practicing the Formation diligently. Sometimes, the simplest method was the best.


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    After Mo Hua took his leave, a light breeze stirred in the bamboo room, and Old Kui appeared behind Mr. Zhuang, asking curiously, ¡°How long will this threshold take him?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°At least three or four days, or at most half a month.¡±


    Old Kui fell silent, but finally couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You call this a threshold?¡±


    Ten days to half a month to overcome it, that¡¯s hardly a threshold, not even a stumbling block¡­


    Mr. Zhuang spoke indifferently, ¡°The breakthrough in cultivation has unlocked the shackles on his Divine Sense, relaxing the limit on its growth. Right now, his Divine Sense is insufficient. After about ten days of practicing the Formation, once his Divine Sense has strengthened, those nine Formation Patterns won¡¯t be difficult.¡±


    Old Kui was speechless.


    Mr. Zhuang raised an eyebrow, ¡°To other cultivators, nine Formation Patterns indeed represent a threshold, but for this kid Mo Hua who has practiced too many Formations, this so-called threshold really isn¡¯t anything significant.¡±


    Old Kui said displeased, ¡°So why did you say all that nonsense earlier?¡±


    The look on Mr. Zhuang¡¯s face turned playful, and he cracked a slight smile:


    ¡°I was just teasing him to keep him from becoming arrogant.¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After returning home, Mo Hua earnestly followed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s advice, keeping his mind steady and heart at peace while he practiced the Formation.


    After some practice, he indeed felt his Divine Sense grow stronger, and he could add a few more strokes to the Golden Armor Formation Patterns.


    Inspired, Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, and he continued drawing.


    And so, each day his Divine Sense became a bit stronger, and each day he added a bit more to the Formation Patterns.


    After ten days, Mo Hua naturally completed the Golden Armor Formation; it felt as if the melon had ripened off the vine, everything coming to fruition effortlessly.


    But Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    It didn¡¯t seem as difficult as Mr. Zhuang had described.


    Wasn¡¯t there supposed to be a threshold between the eighth and ninth Formation Patterns? Where was the threshold?


    Mo Hua reflected carefully but still could not recall anything that constituted a threshold.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Mo Hua was perplexed, his frown deepening.


    So much for the promised threshold¡­

 Chapter 145 - 145: Grading (Four More Updates)_1

    Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Grading (Four More Updates)_1


    When Mo Hua saw Mr. Zhuang again, her little face bore a trace of sullenness.


    ¡°Gentleman, didn¡¯t you say there would be a threshold?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled casually, ¡°There is a threshold indeed, perhaps you have crossed it unwittingly.¡±


    ¡°So, do I qualify as a First-grade Formation Master now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang found a more comfortable position in his bamboo chair and lay in it as he explained to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Being able to draw nine Formation Patterns only shows that you have stepped into the threshold of the first grade. You must learn more, draw more, master more first-grade Formation Methods, and take full control of the spell point to instantly create nine Formation Patterns before you can be considered to possess the strength of a First-grade Formation Master.¡±


    Mo Hua heard the underlying meaning in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words, ¡°Having the strength of a First-grade Formation Master, but not the title?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°The title is conferred by the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court? Isn¡¯t it the Taoist Court Officer?¡±


    ¡°Taoist Court Officers are governed by the Taoist Court, and they themselves are without formation masters, so what capability do they have to determine the grade of a formation master?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze turned profound, ¡°The Taoist Court resides in the Taoist State at the center of the Nine State, it names seven pavilions after the Seven Stars, among which the Heaven Shu Pavilion is responsible for deciding the ranks of all formation masters of the first-grade and above throughout the Nine State. Every few years, the Heaven Shu Pavilion dispatches cultivators to the state boundaries of the Nine State to conduct the grading of formation masters.¡±


    ¡°The Heaven Shu Pavilion¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a tremor in her heart.


    The Taoist Court, lofty and unreachable, this was the first time she heard the name of the Heaven Shu Pavilion.


    ¡°Is the assessment very difficult?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded affirmatively, ¡°It is considered difficult, first in the examination and second in the allocation of slots.¡±


    Mo Hua did not quite understand.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°The examination relies on the formation methods, while the allocation of slots depends on connections.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°The grading of a formation master doesn¡¯t solely depend on the formation methods, but also on connections?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sneered lightly, ¡°The grading of a formation master is indeed based on the level of formation methods, but those who perform the grading are people, and as long as it involves people, it naturally requires connections.¡±


    ¡°Then what kind of connections are needed¡­¡±


    ¡°Either you come from a distinguished family, your parents are extraordinary, or you have plenty of Spirit Stones to smooth things over, and naturally your connections will widen.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, thinking that someone like her, without power or influence and only a few Spirit Stones as a Loose Cultivator, would surely not be able to get graded?


    Mo Hua timidly asked, ¡°Will Loose Cultivators have any slots available?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that there wouldn¡¯t be any; certainly, a few would be allocated. As to whether you can be chosen, it depends on your fate.¡±


    To say it depends on fate was actually to say it depends on destiny.


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Then by that logic, wouldn¡¯t all formation masters be among the Family Sects and Clans, and the cultivators from the lower strata would be utterly deprived of formation masters¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s look became loaded with meaning as he watched Mo Hua and said softly:


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely the point.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, a chill forming in the depths of her heart.


    Mr. Zhuang gently ruffled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, ¡°These matters are all external concerns, not to be given too much thought.¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but care, she paused and couldn¡¯t resist asking:


    ¡°But Gentleman, what if I am unfortunate and never get graded?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang slowly sat up straight, the languor in his eyes gone, a hint of sharpness peeking through his insouciant demeanor:


    ¡°A Formation Master seeks the Heavenly Dao, comprehends myriad principles, and is not defined by any mundane matters, nor judged by any cultivator.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court can assign grades, but what they grade is their own, the ranks of power and benefit.¡±


    ¡°What a formation master truly pursues is not the rank of power, but rather, the integrity of the Dao of Heaven and Earth!¡±


    Mo Hua was deeply moved, her Divine Sense suddenly clear, feeling as though her perspective had broadened.


    ¡°Thank you for your instruction, Gentleman.¡±


    With great respect, Mo Hua stood up and gave Mr. Zhuang a deep bow.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, then added casually, ¡°But, that assessment at the Taoist Court, if it can be done, should be done.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mo Hua was stunned.


    ¡°Once the Taoist Court has assessed you, your status becomes different. You¡¯ll speak with more authority later on, and handling matters will be more convenient. No stray cats or dogs will jump around in front of you, plus there are Spirit Stones given for free. If you don¡¯t take them, it¡¯s a wasted opportunity¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked once again, thinking to herself that Mr. Zhuang was indeed quite¡­ pragmatic.


    ¡°But what if I can¡¯t pass the assessment?¡± Mo Hua timidly asked.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at her indifferently, ¡°No rush.¡±


    ¡°Not in a hurry for the assessment?¡±


    ¡°Not in a hurry even if you can¡¯t pass.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°How old are you anyway? The ones taking the assessment with you are either middle-aged cultivators or old men with white hair. They are more anxious than you; what¡¯s your hurry?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± With that thought, Mo Hua indeed felt much more relaxed.


    ¡°But what if I never pass?¡±


    Mo Hua pressed the point.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but ruffle Mo Hua¡¯s hair again, ¡°If you never pass, then you should just go straight for the Second Grade.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Second Grade?¡±


    ¡°First Grade might hold you back, but not Second Grade. The Heaven Shu Pavilion isn¡¯t full of fools; they turn a blind eye to the blockage at First Grade. But Second Grade is different. If your Formation skills reach Second Grade, even without a distinguished background, you are no ordinary person, and the Heaven Shu Pavilion wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke you lightly.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said with a half-smile, ¡°If you really have the standards of a Second Rank Formation Master and the Heaven Shu Pavilion still refuses to assess you, then you can stand at their doorstep, point at their plaque, and accuse their Pavilion Elders of being blind.¡±


    Mo Hua quietly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the Cultivation of the Pavilion Elders of the Heaven Shu Pavilion¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. At the very least, they should be at the Heaven Void level¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth hung open. Heaven Void? She hadn¡¯t even heard of it.


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang and quietly asked, ¡°Gentleman, you haven¡¯t cursed at a Pavilion Elder before, have you?¡±


    Standing at someone else¡¯s doorstep, cursing their Pavilion Elders.


    If Mr. Zhuang hadn¡¯t done it before, how could he speak of it so familiarly?


    ¡°I always avoid cursing at people,¡± said Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua eyed him again.


    He had an air of immortality about him, a demeanor both elegant and casual¡ªeffortlessly composed even while lying down.


    Mo Hua thought to herself: Mr. Zhuang doesn¡¯t seem like the type to berate others, but what he actually does is another matter.


    Then Mr. Zhuang lightly tapped Mo Hua on the head.


    ¡°Are you imagining things about me?¡± he asked.


    Mo Hua giggled softly, then added,


    ¡°But Gentleman, it would take ages for me to become a Second Rank Formation Master.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Becoming a First-grade Formation Master is difficult, as there is only one level. Second-grade Formation Masters are different; they are divided into three stages: initial, middle, and high. There is a significant disparity in formation skills with each step.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, ¡°Given your abilities, as long as you can achieve Foundation Establishment, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for you to become an Initial Stage Second Grade Formation Master with some hard work.¡±


    Mo Hua perked up, feeling a newfound sense of purpose.


    But she still had one doubt, ¡°Why does Second Grade have three stages, Initial, Middle, and High, while First Grade does not?¡±


    According to Mr. Zhuang, First Grade could also have three stages.


    Apprentices and Formation Masters who have not been ranked, and those ranked as First-grade Formation Masters.


    Current First-grade Formation Masters could be considered High Stage First Grade Formation Masters.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua frowned and thought for a moment, ¡°Is it a threshold?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and spoke lightly, ¡°If the threshold is raised, the cultivators below won¡¯t be able to cross it.¡±

 Chapter 146 - 146 Kui Wood Wolf (Five More Updates) _1

    Chapter 146: Chapter 146 Kui Wood Wolf (Five More Updates) _1


    Having already mastered the Golden Armor Formation and crossed the threshold of First-grade Nine Patterns,


    Mo Hua just needed to continue learning and practicing formations as he did before.


    With Mr. Zhuang¡¯s knowledge, he said it wouldn¡¯t be hard for him to become a Second Rank junior Formation Master, which greatly boosted Mo Hua¡¯s confidence.


    But upon further reflection, he realized that while becoming a Second Rank Formation Master might not be difficult, becoming a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage was another story¡­


    A Loose Cultivator¡¯s journey to Foundation Establishment is fraught with challenges.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Let¡¯s just take it one step at a time.


    When Mo Hua got some free time, he made a trip to the Refinery Shop and asked Master Chen to craft a new set of rattan armor.


    The common armors used by Demon Refining Masters are rattan and iron armor.


    Rattan armor is made from vines that have been soaked in water and dried, then refined by Artifact Refiners. Its defense is average, at best able to barely block an attack from a First-grade Mid-phase Monster Beast. If not inscribed with an Iron Armor Formation, it is easy to get injured during monster hunting.


    Iron Armor is crafted from fine iron and can defend against attacks from late-phase First-grade Monster Beasts; however, it consumes a lot of fine iron and is expensive to make, so the average Monster Hunter cannot afford it.


    Late-phase Qi Refinement Monster Hunters would usually ask Artifact Refiners to mix fine iron into their rattan armor, combining vine and iron to strengthen its defense without being excessively costly.


    The rattan armor Mo Hua asked Master Chen to refine was the type used in the late stages of Qi Refinement.


    During a previous trip to the Inner Mountain for monster hunting, Mo Shan encountered a troublesome Monster Beast. In the struggle, his rattan armor got torn open with a crack.


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t have the heart to discard his cracked rattan armor and continued to wear it.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua wanted to make a new set of rattan armor for his father.


    Because it was Mo Hua¡¯s request, Master Chen gave his full attention to the task. He didn¡¯t even let Dazhu and the others help, personally handling the hammering, tempering, water-soaking, and everything else.


    And he mixed in a generous amount of fine iron.


    Mo Hua wanted to give Master Chen some Spirit Stones, but Chen refused.


    When Mo Hua tried to give them again, Master Chen¡¯s already dark complexion grew even darker:


    ¡°You look down on me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Mo Hua would draw formations for him and occasionally dig up some ores to give to him. Although he didn¡¯t say much, he always remembered these favors in his heart.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to bring him several pounds of beef, which Master Chen gladly accepted with relish.


    After bringing the rattan armor back, Mo Hua inscribed a First-grade Golden Armor Formation on it!


    The First-grade Golden Armor Formation truly includes nine Formation Patterns. Even a Qi Refining Ninth Level Cultivator should be able to use it.


    With the Golden Armor Formation inscribed, the rattan armor¡¯s defense should be much stronger.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to see his father, who was a Monster Hunter, covered in scars anymore.


    A few days later, Mo Shan was to enter the Inner Mountain for monster hunting again. Liu Ruhua prepared his travel bag, getting dried meat and provisions ready.


    Mo Hua then gave the rattan armor to Mo Shan.


    Upon seeing the brand new, meticulously crafted rattan armor, Mo Shan was momentarily stunned.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Master Chen from the Refinery Shop helped me refine it. I helped him out, and he didn¡¯t even want any Spirit Stones from me,¡± Mo Hua said with a smile.


    Looking at the rattan armor, Mo Shan couldn¡¯t take his eyes off it and still tried to refuse:


    ¡°It seems rather valuable. My old one can still be used.¡±


    ¡°The old one is cracked. It¡¯s very dangerous,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Liu Ruhua also said with a smile, ¡°Just accept Huar¡¯s kindness.¡±


    Only then did Mo Shan accept the rattan armor. It felt heavy and warm in his hands.


    Mo Shan tried it on; it was a bit heavy, but it fit well. He then tried to take it off again.


    Liu Ruhua frowned, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to wear it?¡±


    Mo Shan stroked the rattan armor, reluctant to wear it because it was a gift from his son:


    ¡°It¡¯s still new. I¡¯ll just keep it for now. I¡¯m afraid of damaging it.¡±


    Liu Ruhua replied impatiently, ¡°If the rattan armor doesn¡¯t get damaged, won¡¯t you be the one who gets hurt?¡±


    Mo Shan paused, then gave a sheepish smile, ¡°That¡¯s also true.¡±


    Once everything was packed, Mo Shan set off into the mountains wearing the rattan armor given by Mo Hua.


    The mountain paths were rugged, and the Monster Beasts perilous.


    Wearing the rattan armor into Big Black Mountain, Mo Shan suddenly felt invigorated. No matter how arduous the path ahead, there was nothing to fear.


    Mo Hua watched as Mo Shan departed, a tinge of regret in his heart.


    He had inscribed the rattan armor with a First-grade Golden Armor Formation with Nine Patterns. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    A real first-grade formation method, huh.


    If his father asks, he can even show off a little.


    Mo Shan doesn¡¯t ask, and he¡¯s too embarrassed to brag on his own behalf.


    But with the new rattan armor and Golden Armor Formation, Mo Shan felt more at ease when he went into the mountains for monster hunting, and Mo Hua felt somewhat relieved as well.


    Afterward, Mo Hua continued to learn other formation methods.


    Meanwhile, deep within Big Black Mountain, Mo Shan and his fellow Monster Hunting Team members gradually gathered.


    This time, they were hunting a Kui Wood Wolf Demon at the late stage of the first grade.


    The Kui Wood Wolf Demon, over two zhang tall, with black-green fur, sharp claws and teeth, and accompanied by a pale green demonic power.


    The demonic power of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon was poisonous and of wood attribute; once injured by it and imbued with its power, the poison would spread and grow, making it very difficult to eliminate.


    The Monster Hunters discussed their strategy and then set off to find the traces of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon.


    Since opening a restaurant at home, Mo Shan had extra spirit stones for cultivation, and his luck hadn¡¯t been bad either, as he had already reached the ninth level of Qi Refinement.


    Mo Shan and a few other ninth-level Qi Refining Monster Hunters led the way, walking along the mountain forest and searching for the aura of the Kui Wood Wolf.


    A burly Monster Hunter glanced at Mo Shan and said in surprise,


    ¡°Old Mo, you¡¯ve finally changed out of the rattan armor?¡±


    ¡°My son gave it to me.¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s tone was flat, but there was a hint of pride in his demeanor that he couldn¡¯t hide.


    The other Monster Hunters looked on, their hearts bitter and resentful.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°If you want to laugh, just laugh¡­ we won¡¯t hit you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have to be able to beat him first.¡±


    The men joked for a while.


    Suddenly, Mo Shan¡¯s expression became serious, ¡°We¡¯re close.¡±


    All the Monster Hunters¡¯ expressions turned solemn, they stopped joking, and were on full alert.


    Crouched low, using the thick shrubs of the forest for cover, they carefully moved forward until they finally found the Kui Wood Wolf Demon by a babbling brook in the forest.


    The Kui Wood Wolf Demon was drinking water at the stream, its cruel eyes scanning the surroundings.


    Mo Shan, in a low voice, said, ¡°Same rules as always, I¡¯ll go first. Be careful not to get wounded by its claws!¡±


    Everyone nodded.


    Mo Shan took advantage of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon being unaware, relying on his swift movement technique, he leaped forward, his fists like the wind and wrapped with fierce flames, aiming a punch toward the ribcage of the Kui Wood Wolf.


    Midway through the punch, the Kui Wood Wolf became alert and twisted its body, so the punch only hit its back.


    The Kui Wood Wolf, hurt by the impact, retreated a few steps, blinked its black eyes which flashed deep green, the malice in its eyes deepening.


    The other Monster Hunters also emerged from all sides, surrounding the Kui Wood Wolf.


    The encirclement and kill officially began.


    Surrounding and killing Monster Beasts was a very time-consuming and energy draining task that required intense concentration.


    The Monster Hunters needed to be fully prepared, combatting the beasts at close range without a trace of carelessness, or else it was easy for the beasts to find an opening and cause dire consequences.


    Monster Beasts have tough bodies and more profound Blood Qi than Cultivators, so it is necessary to spend time wearing them down bit by bit to death.


    This process was quite lengthy and tested one¡¯s cultivation, Taoist skills, patience, and experience.


    Those who dared to hunt monsters in the Inner Mountain were all seasoned Monster Hunters.


    Mo Shan¡¯s team was no exception.


    They cooperated with each other tacitly, acted decisively, didn¡¯t linger in unfavorable situations, and didn¡¯t hesitate to exploit any weakness they found.


    Time passed bit by bit.


    During the hunt, Mo Shan was even more cautious than usual, pushing his movement technique to the limit, dodging attack after attack, not wanting to leave a single scratch on the rattan armor.


    After about two hours, the Kui Wood Wolf¡¯s breath weakened, and it finally collapsed weakly on the ground.


    Despite this, everyone kept their distance and stayed wary.


    A Monster Hunter stepped forward, carefully checked the body, and then breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°It¡¯s dead.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked toward Mo Shan.


    Catching something out of the corner of his eye, Mo Shan had a sudden premonition and shouted urgently, ¡°It¡¯s not dead yet!¡±


    Before his words fell, the Kui Wood Wolf lying on the ground opened its eyes.

 Chapter 147 - 147 Golden Armor (First Update)_1

    Chapter 147 Golden Armor (First Update)_1


    The feigned-dead Kui Wood Wolf opened its eyes.


    Its Blood Qi became more concentrated, and its demonic power began to circulate.


    The Monster Hunter facing away from the Kui Wood Wolf suddenly felt a chill on his back and hurriedly dodged to one side.


    He managed to dodge, but not completely.


    The claw of the Kui Wood Wolf swiped down from his left side, tearing a bloody gash on his arm. The pale green demonic power followed the wound, seeping into his meridians, numbing his arm, and causing the blood to flow incessantly.


    Cold sweat beaded on the big man¡¯s forehead.


    The Kui Wood Wolf¡¯s eyes revealed a fierce light as its second claw tore viciously towards his head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t dodge it!¡±


    The Monster Hunter was injured; the demonic power eroded his wound, his actions slowed, and his eyes revealed a look of despair.


    Just then, Mo Shan suddenly appeared, kicking the big man out of the way with perfect timing, saving him.


    The Kui Wood Wolf missed with its claw once again.


    After the big man fell to the ground, he felt an intense pain in the spot where Mo Shan had kicked him, and his Blood Qi churned.


    He knew it was Mo Shan trying to save him, not holding back, kicking with all his might.


    That kick indeed saved his life.


    But it was truly painful.


    The big man couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Mo Shan, you¡ª¡±


    He looked up, but his expression changed drastically because the Kui Wood Wolf had raised its claw high, aiming for Mo Shan.


    And while Mo Shan had kicked him, he hadn¡¯t retracted his force yet, leaving him with no avenue of escape.


    ¡°Mo Shan!¡± the big man shouted urgently.


    Mo Shan furrowed his brows, but his expression showed no sign of panic; all of this was within his expectations.


    By saving the big man, he would expose a weakness and thus become the target of the Kui Wood Wolf¡¯s attack.


    But he had estimated the attack of the Wolf Demon. The Kui Wood Wolf¡¯s downward strike could only injure his back, and it wouldn¡¯t be fatal.


    He was willing to accept some injuries to save a brother¡¯s life. It was worth it.


    The other members of the Monster Hunting Team also witnessed this scene, but their movement techniques were not as good as Mo Shan¡¯s, and despite rushing over, they were still a step behind.


    They could only watch helplessly as the claw of the Kui Wood Wolf, carrying a foul wind, tore into Mo Shan¡¯s back.


    But what happened next left them all dumbfounded.


    The claw of the Kui Wood Wolf did not tear the flesh, did not even break the skin, and it didn¡¯t even rip through the Rattan Armor.


    A faint golden light flashed on the Rattan Armor, blocking the Kui Wood Wolf¡¯s claw.


    Mo Shan, after being struck by the claw, was flung away, and although he spat out a mouthful of blood upon landing, there were no wounds, no invasion of demonic power, just the impact of the Monster Beast¡¯s strength. It wasn¡¯t a big problem.


    But this was a late-stage rank one Monster Beast. How could there be no wound?


    Everyone was stunned for a moment, before coming back to their senses and realizing that now wasn¡¯t the time to wonder about that.


    Remembering how close the big man and Mo Shan had come to death, they despised the Monster Beast for feigning death so treacherously.


    The Monster Hunters all drew their blades and hacked the Kui Wood Wolf to death in a frenzy.


    Mo Shan wanted to stop them, but it was too late; he could only sigh silently:


    Well, there goes the fur as well.


    After they skinned the Kui Wood Wolf Demon, the pelt was indeed beyond repair, like tattered cloth, without a single intact piece.


    Mo Shan sighed again. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They couldn¡¯t stay on Inner Mountain for long, so after collecting the Kui Wood Wolf¡¯s corpse, they withdrew, planning to temporarily rest at a camp on the Outer Mountain.


    On the way, the Monster Hunter¡¯s wound throbbed with pain, prompting him to curse:


    ¡°Damn these Monster Beasts. Each one¡¯s feigned death is different. I was careless and misjudged. What a blunder.¡±


    One of the Monster Hunters said, ¡°Come on, you¡¯re lucky this time. Without Old Mo, you might have lost your life.¡±


    The big man thanked Mo Shan, ¡°Thanks, brother.¡±


    Mo Shan waved his hand, ¡°We fight side by side; no need to be polite.¡±


    Since they were in the same Monster Hunting Team, they were brothers in arms, risking life and limb together. Today you save me, tomorrow I save you; it¡¯s only natural.


    The big man then stopped with the polite talk.


    But as they walked, he glanced at the Rattan Armor on Mo Shan and couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°Say, what¡¯s your Rattan Armor made of that it¡¯s so hard?¡±


    A late-stage rank one Monster Beast¡¯s claw strike couldn¡¯t even tear it open.


    Hearing this, the other Monster Hunters also looked over in curiosity.


    They had never seen such sturdy Rattan Armor before.


    Mo Shan frowned and said, ¡°It must be the Rattan Armor mixed with fine iron¡­¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± the burly man shook his head, ¡°If that were true, I¡¯d eat my rattan armor.¡±


    Some Monster Hunters approached Mo Shan, glanced at the rattan armor on Mo Shan¡¯s body, and touched it to determine the material before saying to the burly man:


    ¡°You can start eating now, it¡¯s rattan mixed with fine iron.¡±


    The burly man said, ¡°Bullshit! Isn¡¯t my rattan armor also mixed with fine iron? Once a Monster Beast claws it, it turns into mere strips.¡±


    The other Monster Hunters laughed and said, ¡°The one you bought is probably a fake.¡±


    ¡°The thing you¡¯ve got mixed in isn¡¯t fine iron, it must be sand.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the ones full of shit!¡± the burly man¡¯s face turned beet red.


    Mo Shan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as well.


    But he, too, wanted to know why this set of rattan armor was so hard.


    ¡°Could it be that Huar has drawn some Formation inside?¡±


    Mo Shan pondered in his mind.


    After an hour, they finally reached the camp.


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and the burly man collapsed to the ground, took out Pills and swallowed one, then crushed a few more and sprinkled them on his wounds, and bandaged them up with cloth.


    The burly man sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll have to bother Old Mr. Feng again when I get back.¡±


    ¡°Be content, if it weren¡¯t for Mo Shan¡¯s kick, you wouldn¡¯t even have a life to bother Old Mr. Feng.¡±


    Thinking back to the Kui Wood Wolf¡¯s claws that glowed with a haunting green light, the burly man shuddered involuntarily.


    If that claw had landed on his head, wouldn¡¯t he have lost his life?


    With that thought, the burly man felt a surge of gratitude and took out his Storage Bag and tossed it to Mo Shan:


    ¡°Old Mo, I¡¯m buying you a drink.¡±


    ¡°Cut it out, are you inviting Mo Shan for a drink or do you want him to treat you to meat?¡±


    The burly man kicked the Monster Hunter, ¡°Just you talk rubbish! If you¡¯re so capable, don¡¯t eat!¡±


    ¡°Whether I eat or not is none of your damn business!¡±


    The two started quarreling.


    Mo Shan couldn¡¯t help but shake his head.


    Every time they went into the mountains, Liu Ruhua would have him bring some dry food and beef. He himself would eat better and could share some with the other Monster Hunters.


    Mo Shan took out some beef and distributed it to everyone. He also shared several bottles of wine from the burly man¡¯s Storage Bag.


    The other Monster Hunters also took out their Storage Bags.


    They had wild fruits, dry food, snacks, and also some other flavors of wine.


    With food and drink, the campsite became lively.


    Mo Shan ate a few slices of meat, took a sip of wine, took off the rattan armor, and, recalling something, couldn¡¯t help but dismantle it to take a look.


    The other Monster Hunters also crowded around to see.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Formation!¡±


    ¡°What Formation?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    A Monster Hunter looked up at Mo Shan and asked, ¡°What Formation?¡±


    Mo Shan shook his head.


    ¡°Your son drew it, and you don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°My son drew it, not me, how would I know?¡±


    The burly man, both envious and jealous, said, ¡°Before your son was born, did you worship some Immortal? I¡¯ll also pay my respects, maybe my son can be as smart.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, you¡¯re not even smart yourself, how can you expect your son to be smart?¡±


    ¡°How would I know if I don¡¯t try?¡±


    ¡°This Formation, it¡¯s not the Iron Armor Formation, is it?¡± a Monster Hunter suggested.


    ¡°Of course not, this is obviously way more complex.¡±


    By the light of the camp, they looked at the Formation inside the rattan armor. The handwriting was intricate, the Pattern patterns esoteric, gleaming with a faint golden color, clearly no simple matter.


    They gave the rattan armor another look. Not only was the Formation impressive, but the craftsmanship of the armor itself also showed a lot of care.


    Thinking that this was a gift from Mo Shan¡¯s son to him, everyone felt a little sour inside at that moment.


    Just then, Mo Shan suddenly said, ¡°Not good!¡±


    The other Monster Hunters also tensed up, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Shan touched the rattan armor feeling somewhat heartbroken:


    ¡°It¡¯s scratched.¡±


    The group of Monster Hunters looked at him in silence, speechless for a long moment.

 Chapter 148 - 148: Turbulence (Part 2)_1

    Chapter 148: Turbulence (Part 2)_1


    ¡°Old Mo¡­ Mo Shan, no, Big Brother Mo!¡± a Monster Hunter clapped a hand on Mo Shan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Tell me, with the friendship between us, if I swallow my pride and ask your son to draw a Formation for me, would he agree?¡±


    Before Mo Shan could reply, another Monster Hunter interjected:


    ¡°Your face is big?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore, stop thinking about relying on your looks to earn a living.¡±


    Others laughed and joined in teasing.


    ¡°Mo Shan, just tell me, how many Spirit Stones it¡¯ll take to draw this Formation, give me an idea.¡±


    Mo Shan replied with a wry smile, ¡°I¡¯ll have to go back and ask my son; this Formation probably isn¡¯t easy to draw.¡±


    The crowd thought it over and nodded in agreement.


    A Formation capable of withstanding the blow of a late first-grade Monster Beast indeed wouldn¡¯t be easy to draw.


    Another Monster Hunter whispered to Mo Shan, ¡°Your son, he isn¡¯t betrothed yet, is he?¡±


    Mo Shan nodded his head, ¡°He¡¯s still young.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not that young, not that young. These things should be considered early on.¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡±


    The Monster Hunter chuckled, ¡°I have a daughter, she¡¯s quite a looker. How about our families become kin through marriage?¡±


    ¡°Mo Shan, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. My niece is the real beauty.¡±


    ¡°Big Brother Mo, these matters can¡¯t be rushed. In my opinion, wait a bit longer, until next year¡­ my daughter will be born then¡­¡±


    ¡°How old is your daughter, you shameless man!¡±


    Mo Shan watched them all talking at once, and smiled helplessly.


    Although this Monster Hunting expedition had some twists, it went smoothly overall and didn¡¯t take too much time.


    After coming down from the mountain, they sold the Monster Beasts, distributed the Spirit Stones, and each went their own way home.


    As dusk fell, streetlights lit up one by one.


    Mo Shan walked down the familiar streets and pushed open the gate to the familiar courtyard, returning home.


    Liu Ruhua had already prepared the meal; on the table were green vegetables, beef, and steaming rice porridge.


    During dinner, Mo Shan asked Mo Hua, ¡°Did you draw a Formation inside the rattan armor?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mo Hua, with a pale bun in one hand and meat stuffed in his mouth, nodded and said:


    ¡°I drew the Golden Armor Formation!¡±


    ¡°Golden Armor Formation? Is it a higher grade than the Iron Armor Formation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, its effect is significantly better than the Iron Armor Formation.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Shan then asked:


    ¡°Some of the uncles from your Monster Hunting Team also want to ask for your help drawing this Formation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible, but they¡¯ll have to wait a while.¡±


    Mo Hua needed to spend time learning a new First-grade Formation Method. Once his skill in Formation drawing stabilized, he would go back to drawing the Golden Armor Formation to increase his proficiency.


    Thinking it over, Mo Hua added, ¡°To draw the Golden Armor Formation, they will need to prepare some Golden Series pen and ink. They can give some Spirit Stones as they see fit, just as a token of appreciation for the hard work.¡±


    After all, Loose Cultivators generally weren¡¯t wealthy.


    Mo Shan was reassured and smiled,


    ¡°I¡¯ll let them prepare in advance. When you have free time later on, you can help them draw it.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Mo Hua agreed, then asked curiously,


    ¡°Dad, is the Golden Armor Formation on the rattan armor effective?¡±


    He wanted to know how effective a first-grade Golden Armor Formation was.


    Mo Shan was about to say ¡°effective¡±, after all, even the late-stage Kui Wood Wolf had not managed to tear through the rattan armor.


    In his life, he had never worn armor more durable than this.


    But as the words reached the tip of his tongue, Mo Shan hesitated.


    Saying ¡°effective¡± would mean that he had encountered danger in the mountains.


    And the perils he had faced, to prevent his wife and child from worrying, were things Mo Shan had never spoken of.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Mo Shan said, ¡°It should be effective, but today¡¯s Monster Hunting went well, without any real danger. We¡¯ll talk about it if we encounter any next time.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling a tad disappointed.


    But then I thought again, not encountering danger is always a good thing.


    Rattan Armor or Golden Armor Formation, both are meant to reduce danger, but no matter how much it¡¯s reduced, there¡¯s still some risk.


    The best scenario is to not face any danger at all.


    Thinking this way, Mo Hua put her mind at ease and started to eat happily.


    As Mo Hua was eating, another question occurred to her, ¡°Dad, how is Uncle Zhao doing?¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Shan furrowed his brows, ¡°Not too well, he hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡±


    Old Zhao went into the mountains and was chased by an unknown cultivator. He fell off a cliff while fleeing and got tangled in branches, and was later found by Mo Hua using Divine Sense.


    The critically injured Old Zhao was lucky to survive; otherwise, his chances would have been slim.


    ¡°Was it the Qian Family who did it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no conclusive evidence, but it¡¯s very likely.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°Is the Qian Family pursuing Uncle Zhao to vent their anger, or to cover up something?¡±


    ¡°Elder Yu is investigating, but there are no leads. We¡¯ll probably know everything once Uncle Zhao wakes up,¡± Mo Shan sighed.


    Mo Hua was somewhat worried, ¡°When can Uncle Zhao wake up?¡±


    Mo Shan patted Mo Hua¡¯s head and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Old Mr. Feng has seen him and said it should be within the next two days. You can go visit him whenever you¡¯re free.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    The next day, Mo Hua went to Apricot Forest Hall.


    Old Zhao, who was in a coma from serious injuries, was laid in a side room of Apricot Forest Hall.


    Old Zhao¡¯s wife was pregnant and couldn¡¯t overexert herself, so she could only find a little time each day to visit her husband.


    Elder Yu often came to visit too and would arrange for people to take care of Old Zhao. Despite Zhao¡¯s life being out of danger, he showed no signs of awakening.


    When Mo Hua arrived, she found Elder Yu was also there.


    The normally stern Elder Yu brightened up upon seeing Mo Hua, ¡°Mo Hua, you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I came to check on Uncle Zhao.¡±


    Mo Hua approached the sick bed and saw Uncle Zhao still lying pale as paper, which made her worry. She then quietly asked Elder Yu:


    ¡°Elder, any findings regarding the Qian Family¡¯s actions?¡±


    Elder Yu hesitated for a moment, then also spoke in a low voice,


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent someone to investigate. For the past month or so, people from the Qian Family have been sneaking into Big Black Mountain, acting very suspiciously, and it¡¯s unclear what they are doing.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°I also went into the mountain, but I don¡¯t seem to have encountered them.¡±


    ¡°They mostly sneak in under cover of darkness and disappear as soon as they enter the mountain; it¡¯s natural that you didn¡¯t encounter them. Not only you, but other Monster Hunters haven¡¯t noticed them either,¡± Elder Yu explained.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then suddenly said, ¡°Uncle Zhao encountered them?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°He went up the mountain in the evening and may have run into the Qian Family¡¯s people. It¡¯s also possible he knew what they were doing, so the Qian Family wanted to silence him¡­¡±


    Silence him!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    What exactly was the Qian Family doing in Big Black Mountain that they would kill to keep it a secret?


    At that moment, Old Mr. Feng walked in, and Elder Yu and Mo Hua stopped chatting.


    Old Mr. Feng was holding a tray, on which were Pills, acupuncture needles, and a small stove emitting steam.


    ¡°Grandpa Feng, what are you going to do?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to use acupuncture to open up the meridians and stimulate the efficacy of the medicine. He should be able to wake up after that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, watching curiously.


    Old Mr. Feng used the stove to extract the medicinal properties, then used the Golden Needle to infuse the medicine, and pierced Uncle Zhao¡¯s acupoints.


    Uncle Zhao¡¯s skin gradually flushed, blood oozed out from his congestion, and the chaotic spiritual power within his body steadied. Suddenly, he opened his eyes.


    Everyone was overjoyed.


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression eased slightly, and just as he was about to comfort him to ¡°rest well,¡± his arm was suddenly gripped tightly by Old Zhao.


    Old Zhao¡¯s breath was unstable, and he couldn¡¯t speak.


    But he still clung to Elder Yu, his teeth clenched, using all his strength to finally get the words out:


    ¡°Big Black Mountain¡­ has Spiritual mines!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Elder Yu¡¯s pupils shook.

 Chapter 149 - 149: Spiritual Mines (Third Update)_1

    Chapter 149: Spiritual Mines (Third Update)_1


    Old Zhao finished speaking and fainted once again. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It seemed like this sentence was his obsession; from the moment he fell off the cliff, he had been holding on to his breath just to say these words.


    ¡°Old Mr. Feng!¡± Elder Yu called out anxiously.


    Old Mr. Feng stepped forward to check him, tested his pulse, and examined his meridians, then let out a sigh of relief:


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, he¡¯s just fainted. Let him rest, and I¡¯ll go make some pills.¡±


    ¡°My thanks to you, Old Mr. Feng,¡± Elder Yu expressed his gratitude.


    Old Mr. Feng left the room, and Elder Yu¡¯s expression turned grave.


    Inside Big Black Mountain, there actually were spiritual mines!


    Elder Yu paced a few steps around the room, then stopped and called a Monster Hunter, instructing:


    ¡°Go and inform Yu Chengyi to gather all the leading Monster Hunters. I have something to say!¡±


    The Monster Hunter took the order and left. Mo Hua, curious, asked:


    ¡°Elder Yu, what is a spiritual mine?¡±


    Mo Hua only knew that inside spiritual mines were spirit stones, but beyond that, he did not understand the specifics.


    Seeing there was still time, as the Monster Hunters needed time to gather, Elder Yu patiently explained to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Cultivators need spiritual energy to cultivate, but the spiritual energy between heaven and earth is thin, except in some famous mountains and rivers where spiritual energy converges. Other remote places, like our Tongxian City, have such sparse spiritual energy that it can no longer support cultivators in their cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, cultivators can only cultivate using spirit stones, and the source of spirit stones is spiritual mines.¡±


    ¡°A so-called spiritual mine is from ancient times, when dense spiritual energy or spiritual fog in the mountains solidified and merged with rocks, then got buried under the mountains due to geological movements over years and years¡­¡±


    ¡°There are also some that formed from the remains of ancient spirit beasts, patches of spirit grass, spiritual objects, and other things rich in spiritual energy, which due to great calamities or various changes, were buried underground and eventually formed spiritual mines through spiritual resolution¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then a question came to mind:


    ¡°I¡¯ve read that in ancient times, great cultivators could move mountains and seas, swap the sky for the earth. Was the spiritual energy also sparse during their time?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Elder Yu thought for a while and said, ¡°It¡¯s said that in ancient times, nature¡¯s spiritual energy was extremely dense. Only after a great calamity did the heavenly and earthly patterns change, and the spiritual energy gradually became thin.¡±


    ¡°What kind of great calamity?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. These are all legends, vague in detail, and their truth is uncertain.¡±


    After finishing his explanation, Elder Yu continued:


    ¡°Another reason for the scarcity of spiritual energy is because there are too many cultivators now¡­¡±


    ¡°Before the Taoist Court unified the Cultivation World, various powers waged wars year after year, causing misery and countless deaths among cultivators. After the unification, the Taoist Court established laws, prohibiting indiscriminate killing, allowing the Cultivation World to prosper and the number of cultivators to gradually increase.¡±


    ¡°But the more cultivators there are, the more spiritual energy they absorb during cultivation, resulting in less spiritual energy in the world.¡±


    ¡°Two thousand years to the present day, nature¡¯s spiritual energy is extremely thin, and one can basically only rely on refining spirit stones for cultivation.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, then worriedly said:


    ¡°If the world runs out of spirit stones, won¡¯t cultivators be unable to cultivate anymore?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t run out.¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, ¡°It can¡¯t be inexhaustible, right?¡±


    ¡°At the very least, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for another few tens of thousands of years.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, ¡°But we never have enough spirit stones¡­¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°That¡¯s because we have no spiritual mines.¡±


    Mo Hua fell silent.


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°In this world, from the largest to the smallest spiritual mines, the Taoist Court occupies half, and the rest are basically taken by powerful clans and sects. We can only scavenge for some spirit stones through their leftover scraps¡­¡±


    ¡°Those great clans and sects naturally don¡¯t lack spirit stones. Only we, the loose cultivators, are short on them.¡±


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and lamented:


    ¡°The Heavenly Dao nourishes all things with spiritual energy, the Heavenly Dao is fair, but people are not.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew solemn as he thought of a saying:


    The way of Heaven takes from what has surplus and replenishes what lacks; the way of man takes from what lacks to serve those with surplus.


    ¡°Can we claim the spiritual mine in Big Black Mountain?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Yu frowned and said, ¡°According to tradition, unclaimed medium to large spiritual mines belong to the Taoist Court; the spirit stones mined are used to benefit the cultivators within our state boundary¡ªof course, saying it benefits them likely means filling their own pockets¡­¡±


    ¡°As for small spiritual mines, generally it¡¯s first come, first served.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°The spiritual mine at Big Black Mountain, did we occupy it first, or did the Qian Family get there before us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡±


    Elder Yu said, then raised his eyebrows and added to Mo Hua, ¡°However, it¡¯s usually whoever has the bigger fist is considered to have claimed it first.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    An hour later, the Monster Hunters gathered in Elder Yu¡¯s courtyard.


    The attendees were generally the leaders of the Monster Hunting Teams, all of whom were at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, including Mo Shan.


    Elder Yu sat in the center, with others seated on both sides.


    Mo Hua also wanted to know what would happen next, so he pulled up a chair and listened in from the side.


    The Monster Hunters on either side couldn¡¯t help but glance at Mo Hua, who was about ten years old.


    This was a Monster Hunters¡¯ council meeting, and there was Mo Hua, a child, sitting here¡­ was this really okay?


    But they didn¡¯t dare to ask.


    Because Elder Yu was known for his bad temper, and seeing his current solemn look, as if a storm was brewing, nobody dared to speak out.


    If they crossed Elder Yu and made him frown, even if they were at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, they would still be thoroughly reprimanded.


    Let it be, if the child Mo Hua was here, it must mean he had Elder Yu¡¯s approval. They decided to act as if they hadn¡¯t seen him.


    At that moment, Mo Hua was sitting not far from Elder Yu, on a tall chair, swinging his legs back and forth.


    The crowd watched, and a complex feeling arose in their hearts.


    Elder Yu really spoils this child too much¡­


    But even if he spoils him, they dared not say a word.


    Elder Yu, seeing Mo Hua was there, felt a bit of comfort in his heart.


    He believed that, given Mo Hua¡¯s talent, the boy was sure to become a Formation Master in the future, and perhaps even pass the assessment to become a first-rank Formation Master.


    A Formation Master was something that was only a distant dream for these Loose Cultivators.


    It was naturally excellent that Mo Hua took an interest in the matters of the Monster Hunters.


    Elder Yu thought to himself quietly.


    Once everyone had arrived, Elder Yu started to discuss the spiritual mines.


    All were shocked.


    This was a spiritual mine, an unclaimed spiritual mine!


    Remembering that Old Zhao almost lost his life at the hands of the Qian Family, a Monster Hunter cursed:


    ¡°The Qian Family, those bastards, not only secretly mined the spiritual mines but also tried to kill people to silence them!¡±


    ¡°Old Zhao nearly lost his life!¡±


    ¡°Damn it, the Qian Family is a bunch of sons of bitches!¡±


    Another cultivator suddenly remembered, ¡°Old Sun went missing before, could the Qian Family also be behind that?¡±


    Everyone paused for a moment, then their faces darkened.


    It wasn¡¯t just Old Sun ¨C several other Monster Hunters had also disappeared.


    They had thought it was due to accidental falls from cliffs or being eaten by Monster Beasts, but it now appeared that they might have been killed by the Qian Family to cover up their deeds.


    ¡°Damn them to hell!¡±


    ¡°This is intolerable!¡±


    The Monster Hunters broke into curses, anger rippling through the crowd.


    Elder Yu furrowed his brows and signaled for silence, before beginning to give orders:


    ¡°Gather all the late-stage Qi Refinement Monster Hunters. We will also head up the mountain under cover of darkness, searching inch by inch for the spiritual mine¡¯s location.¡±


    A Monster Hunter asked, ¡°What if we encounter the Qian Family¡¯s cultivators?¡±


    ¡°Capture them for a thorough interrogation.¡±


    ¡°And what if we run into a large group of the Qian Family¡¯s cultivators?¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression turned stern, and, angered, he slammed the table and said:


    ¡°Then we kill them all!¡±

 Chapter 150 - 150 Searching the Mountain (Four Updates) _1

    Chapter 150 Searching the Mountain (Four Updates) _1


    The Monster Hunter began scouring the mountain under the cover of night, but Mo Hua didn¡¯t go.


    Both Mo Shan and Elder Yu forbade him from going.


    Because a conflict with the Qian Family might occur, the night was dark and windy, and it was still on Big Black Mountain, which would be rather dangerous.


    Although Mo Hua was not afraid, he had no intention of taking risks and honestly stayed at home, practicing formations.


    The next day, early in the morning, Mo Shan returned, looking exhausted, his body damp with dew, but with no wounds and no signs of having engaged in a fight.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t find anything?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Mo Shan nodded, ¡°The Qian Family has hidden themselves deeply, not a trace to be found.¡±


    ¡°How about taking me with you tonight?¡±


    Mo Shan furrowed his brow, ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯ll just stay inside the camp, I won¡¯t go out.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you going there for?¡± Mo Shan was somewhat puzzled.


    Mo Hua chuckled, ¡°You¡¯ll know when the time comes.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Shan agreed.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s movement technique, as long as there wasn¡¯t a melee with the Qian Family, a situation where swords and spiritual power flew indiscriminately, staying just on the outer mountain would be enough to protect himself.


    As dusk fell, Big Black Mountain became hazy, as if covered with a layer of black gauze.


    Mo Hua followed the Monster Hunter up the mountain, the mountain color pitch-black, too dark to see one¡¯s own fingers.


    Only the cold and damp mountain wind blew, rustling the leaves, with the distant howling of Monster Beasts.


    Mo Shan took Mo Hua to a campsite, secured the gate, lit a lamp, and took out a fur blanket, wrapping Mo Hua up like a little rice dumpling.


    ¡°The mountain nights are cold; don¡¯t catch a chill.¡±


    Mo Hua poked his little head out from the blanket and nodded.


    ¡°Be careful, try not to go out, and if you encounter danger, set off your fireworks. Some Monster Hunters will come over,¡± Mo Shan instructed, not tiring of his caution.


    Mo Hua nodded again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad, I¡¯m familiar with the outer mountain.¡±


    He had run around it countless times, Monster Hunting and drawing blood, searching for spices, mining ores, gathering herbs, and when making maps.


    To him, the outer mountain was almost the same as his own backyard.


    Even though Big Black Mountain was more dangerous at night, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was also strong. As long as he was careful, there generally wouldn¡¯t be any major issues.


    Besides, many Monster Hunters were now within the outer mountain searching for traces of the Qian Family, and he knew a lot of them.


    Mo Shan shook his head with a smile and patted Mo Hua¡¯s little head, ¡°I have to go now, take care of yourself.¡±


    After Mo Shan left, Mo Hua opened his Storage Bag, took out the Compass Mother Formation Disk, and placed it to the side.


    Then he released his Divine Sense to check the surroundings, ensured there were no abnormalities, and took out some ink and a brush to redraw a formation on the campsite gate.


    The formation was a Compound Formation including the Solid Earth Formation, which could fortify the soil and rock, making the gate much more impregnable.


    After all, Mo Hua was going to spend the night in the camp.


    As a Formation Master, staying within a formation he had drawn himself was the only way he could feel at ease.


    Mo Hua thought silently to himself.


    Then he took out some beef and fruit brew, eating and drinking, while under the lamplight, he studied the nine-pattern formation and occasionally glanced at the Compass Mother Formation Disk.


    He spent the night quietly this way.


    Nothing happened.


    Early the next day.


    Mo Shan, looking exhausted from searching the mountain all night, saw Mo Hua, who was well-fed and relaxed, feeling somewhat bittersweet.


    ¡°Will you come again tomorrow night?¡± Mo Shan asked.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I will.¡±


    In this way, on the second and third nights, Mo Hua followed Mo Shan into Big Black Mountain and stayed in the camp overnight.


    Still, nothing happened.


    But on the fourth night, as Mo Hua, wrapped in a little blanket, ate lamb and flipped through Formation Books, a light suddenly appeared on the Compass Mother Formation Disk.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Finally, a slip-up!


    The Qian Family Cultivators could hide from the Monster Hunters, but not necessarily from the Monster Beasts.


    If they encountered Monster Beasts, there would inevitably be a battle.


    As long as there is a battle, there would inevitably be fluctuations in spiritual power; once there are fluctuations, they would trigger the Compass Child Formations laid out by Mo Hua in the mountains. Then, through the Mother Formation Compass, one can determine their location.


    However, such battles don¡¯t necessarily occur every day, so it requires a bit of patience, like guarding a stump waiting for rabbits.


    And today, the rabbit has literally run into Mo Hua¡¯s arms.


    Mo Hua spread out the map, checked against the Compass Mother Formation, and quickly confirmed the location.


    It was a small hill at the border between the outer and Inner Mountain, extremely barren, seldom visited by cultivators.


    Mo Hua extinguished the lamp, packed up his things, and then left the camp.


    Outside, the moonlight was hazy, and the mountain was filled with layers of tree shadows. Everywhere one looked was shrouded in darkness.


    Mo Hua closed his eyes and extended his Divine Sense to its limit.


    The surrounding area instantly shifted from pitch black to a void of white.


    A moment later, Mo Hua opened his eyes and walked towards a direction.


    There, a Monster Hunter was carefully searching the mountain.


    The forest was dense with the presence of the Mountain God, and the Monster Hunter was completely focused on his search. Suddenly, he felt a small hand patting his shoulder, which startled him so much that his soul nearly leaped out.


    Mo Hua quickly ¡°shushed¡± him and called out, ¡°Uncle Wu.¡±


    Recognizing Mo Hua¡¯s voice, the Monster Hunter calmed down, though his heart still raced.


    ¡°Mo Hua, oh my¡­ you scared me to death.¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled. He had simply walked straight over and patted his shoulder. Could that really be so frightening¡­?


    They¡¯re grown-ups; shouldn¡¯t they be more composed?


    Regaining his composure, the Monster Hunter whispered:


    ¡°What are you doing here? Didn¡¯t your dad tell you to stay at the camp?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for my dad,¡± Mo Hua replied. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Oh.¡± The Monster Hunter nodded and said, ¡°Your dad is over by Big Mountain Rock.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Wu.¡±


    The Monster Hunter surname Wu looked at Mo Hua with concern and said:


    ¡°It¡¯s dark and windy tonight, and the mountains are dangerous. Do you want me to escort you there?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°No need, I can manage. Please go on with your work, Uncle Wu.¡±


    The Monster Hunter nodded, ¡°If you run into danger, just shout, and I¡¯ll come over.¡±


    After thanking him again, Mo Hua headed toward Big Mountain Rock.


    After Mo Hua left, the Monster Hunter continued his search. As he searched, a sudden realization shocked him:


    ¡°How come there isn¡¯t a single sound when Mo Hua walks?¡±


    It was as if his feet didn¡¯t touch the ground, as though something was carrying him as he walked.


    Moreover, why didn¡¯t he notice Mo Hua approaching just now?


    Whether it was Divine Sense, breath, or sound, he noticed nothing¡­


    As the cold wind blew through the mountains, the trees made eerie noises.


    A chill washed over the Monster Hunter, and he shivered uncontrollably.


    ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t want to think about it anymore. If I do, my soul might really take flight¡­¡±


    The Monster Hunter shook his head fiercely and refocused his attention, continuing his search.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua was hurrying along using the Water Passing Step.


    A faint layer of spiritual power, like water ripples, supported the soles of his feet.


    With such a light step, he made no sound, and his speed was also faster.


    By the time Mo Hua reached Big Mountain Rock and released his Divine Sense, sure enough, he found his father, Mo Shan, not far to the left.


    Mo Shan was also searching carefully when he sensed something, looked up, and saw a small figure approaching him.


    ¡°Huar?¡±


    ¡°Dad.¡± Mo Hua quickly walked up to Mo Shan¡¯s side.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay at the camp?¡± Mo Shan was a bit worried.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Mo Shan was taken aback, ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°I know where the spiritual mine is!¡±

 Chapter 151 - 151: Picking Up Bargains (Five More)_1

    Chapter 151: Picking Up Bargains (Five More)_1


    Mo Shan¡¯s expression grew tense as he brought Mo Hua to Elder Yu.


    Pointing to a location on the map, Mo Hua said, ¡°There has been a fight here.¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be Monster Hunters, because everyone had agreed: if a fight started, they would set off fireworks to warn each other.


    Besides that, it was a small chance that the fluctuation was due to Monster Beasts fighting each other.


    More likely, it was a Qian Family Cultivator who had encountered Monster Beasts and therefore had engaged in battle.


    Anyway, it was necessary to go and investigate.


    Elder Yu said directly, ¡°Gather everyone. We¡¯re heading out.¡±


    Though the Monster Hunters were scattered, they weren¡¯t far from each other, and information passed quickly. In no time, several hundred Qi Refinement stage Monster Hunters had assembled.


    Elder Yu briefly explained the situation, then with a wave of his hand, commanded, ¡°Let¡¯s move out!¡±


    All the Monster Hunters crouched down, concealed their presence, stopped talking, and moved stealthily towards the peak marked by Mo Hua.


    Half an hour later, they arrived.


    This was a rarely visited small mountain, desolate and remote. Because few people came here, the Monster Hunters were disinclined to name it, commonly referring to the place as ¡°Nameless Peak.¡±


    The group discovered the remains and bloodstains of Monster Beasts on a patch of scattered rocks among the trees.


    Mo Shan approached, wiped the bloodstains with his hand, and said, ¡°A Cultivator killed this, but the technique was crude; it wasn¡¯t the work of a Monster Hunter.¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyes sharpened as he released his Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua could only faintly sense a ripple before losing all perception.


    Those with powerful Divine Sense are not easily spied upon.


    But those being watched by someone with a powerful Divine Sense often don¡¯t realize it.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind grew tense, understanding that the Divine Sense of a Foundation Establishment stage Cultivator was indeed extraordinary.


    Mo Hua also tried to emulate Elder Yu, releasing his Divine Sense to search for any traces in the mountains.


    After a while, Elder Yu retracted his Divine Sense and fixed his gaze on Mo Hua with a look of surprise.


    A few moments later, Mo Hua also withdrew his Divine Sense.


    ¡°Did you notice anything?¡± Elder Yu asked.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°There are mines hidden in the mountains, concealed with wood and stone.¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyes brightened slightly, ¡°Mark them for me to see.¡±


    Mo Hua took out the map and circled several areas near the peak of Nameless Peak.


    These were the spots where Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had detected the mines. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Yu nodded and added a few more markings on it.


    Looking at those, Mo Hua had a realization.


    He had overlooked these spots. Some were too far away and beyond the reach of his Divine Sense, some were hidden too deeply beyond his Sense¡¯s strength, and some were simply due to a lack of experience or negligence.


    Mo Hua silently reflected on and summarized the use of Divine Sense in his mind.


    Elder Yu, appearing pleased, patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Then he grew serious, his gaze sharp as a sword, and instructed:


    ¡°All Monster Hunters, remember these locations!¡±


    ¡°Split into teams and enter from these mines. Be as stealthy as possible.¡±


    ¡°If you encounter Qian Family Cultivators, incapacitate them. If it comes to it, kill them. I¡¯ll handle the Taoist Court officials.¡±


    The Monster Hunters acknowledged the orders, their eyes alight with the will to fight.


    Dark figures leaped up, converging toward the mine entrances along the mountainside.


    Mo Shan cautioned Mo Hua, ¡°You stay out of the way and don¡¯t go in. If any Cultivators come out, don¡¯t engage. Take care of yourself!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and also said, ¡°Dad, make sure you wear that set of Rattan Armor.¡±


    Painted on the Rattan Armor was the first-rank Golden Armor Formation.


    Mo Shan¡¯s heart warmed as he touched Mo Hua¡¯s head, then with a swift motion, he too closed in on the mines along the mountainside.


    Mo Hua scanned the surroundings with his Divine Sense and found a large pit that was safe and easy to hide in, and took cover there.


    Soon, there was movement in the mountains, as if a battle had begun.


    Mo Hua could hear the rumbling sound outside, the shouting and cursing of cultivators, and the aftereffects of spiritual power in a myriad of colors.


    Then there was a loud boom.


    The spiritual pressure Mo Hua could sense became even stronger.


    It must be Elder Yu and the Foundation Building Cultivators of the Qian Family fighting each other.


    After the intense fluctuations lasted for a while, a figure suddenly shot out from a mine shaft on the mountainside.


    The figure didn¡¯t look back after coming out of the mine, and ran straight down the mountain, leaving a trail of afterimages behind.


    Seeing the speed of this desperate escape, there was no doubt it was a Foundation Building Cultivator!


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    With the Foundation Building Cultivator fleeing, the remaining cultivators of the Qian Family were like monkeys scattered when the tree falls, and their defeat was only a matter of time.


    As expected, in less than the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, cultivators of the Qian Family began to flee from the mouth of the mine in a state of disarray.


    Most of them were bedraggled and bleeding, either clutching their arms or limping, running down the mountain in a panic.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to act rashly, after all, he was alone, and it was better to be cautious.


    Mo Hua stayed put in the pit as he had been.


    After a while, Mo Hua suddenly heard footsteps getting closer and closer. Looking up, he saw two Qian Family cultivators coming his way as they fled for their lives.


    They looked like they had been through a tough fight, were in a sorry state, and the fluctuations in their spiritual power were weak, clearly at the end of their tether.


    Not following the other Qian Family cultivators, they chose to be alone, and of the many paths available, they chose to limp right past the bushes where he was hiding.


    Mo Hua felt that not making a move would be somewhat of a disservice to them.


    One of the Qian Family cultivators was cursing as he went:


    ¡°These bastards, where did they get the intel¡­¡±


    ¡°When we get back, we¡¯ll report to the Family Head, and they¡¯ll pay for this!¡±


    ¡°¡­Damn it!¡±


    He cursed as he ran.


    As he was cursing, suddenly a Fireball Technique exploded on his face.


    He was struck by a burst of intense pain as the exploding flames made his head swim and his ears ring, and his face burned with pain.


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    He hadn¡¯t recovered yet, when another fireball hit him in the face, and he fell straight to the ground.


    ¡°An ambush?!¡±


    The other Qian Family cultivator was shocked and tried to flee, ignoring his companion, but after only a few steps, a fireball struck him in the back of the head.


    He fell flat on the ground, his face hitting a rock, and he too was knocked unconscious.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t rush to come out.


    He first used his Divine Sense to scan the area and found that the spiritual power of the two men was circulating erratically.


    This indicated that they had fainted; their senses were unclear, and they couldn¡¯t control the flow of their own spiritual power.


    Still not at ease, Mo Hua hit each of them with another fireball to make sure, and seeing no response, climbed out of the pit.


    What to do now?


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua searched them and took away their Storage Bags.


    The Taoist Law prohibits looting.


    Mo Hua wanted to be a law-abiding good cultivator, but with the Qian Family bringing the fight to him, he couldn¡¯t just stand by and be bullied.


    ¡°It seems cultivators truly can¡¯t help themselves¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, his expression slightly melancholic as he tucked the Storage Bags into his own bosom.


    Then he ran back into the pit to see if there were any more Qian Family cultivators coming his way to make him ¡°act against his will.¡±


    Before long, more Qian Family cultivators came his way as anticipated.


    If there were many, Mo Hua let them go.


    If there were few, Mo Hua did the same as before.


    When dawn was breaking and the battle inside the mine was coming to an end,


    Mo Hua¡¯s bosom was already bulging¡­

 Chapter 152 - 152 Mediation (First Update)_1

    Chapter 152 Mediation (First Update)_1 Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the battle ended, Monster Hunters were clearing the battlefield.


    Injured Monster Hunters would receive treatment.


    The Cultivators from the Qian Family would be stripped of their storage bags and spiritual artifacts, then thrown outside; whether they lived or died would depend on whether the Qian Family was willing to rescue them.


    In addition, all of the seized spoils of war had to be submitted, categorized uniformly, and then distributed according to the merit and needs of the Cultivators.


    Inside the mine, Elder Yu found a large rock to sit on.


    Monster Hunters came up one after another, handing over the captured storage bags to Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua, with his arms full of storage bags, walked up to Elder Yu, ready to hand them over.


    Elder Yu was taken aback, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Handing them over,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Elder Yu gave him a slight glare, ¡°Kid, what are you joining the commotion for? Keep them and have fun yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua sat down to the side.


    After a while, Elder Yu still couldn¡¯t resist his curiosity and asked:


    ¡°Where did you get all these storage bags from?¡±


    Mo Hua replied somewhat bashfully, ¡°I picked them up down the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Picked them up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Mo Hua explained, ¡°If a Cultivator from the Qian Family escaped and was alone, I¡¯d take them down and then take their storage bag.¡±


    Elder Yu stared, thinking to himself what on earth you¡¯re talking about.


    Even if a Cultivator from the Qian Family was alone, they were bonafide late-stage Qi Refinement Cultivators. How could you, a child in your teens, take them down?


    And you speak of it so lightly, as if it¡¯s as simple as eating candied hawthorn¡­


    Elder Yu frowned and then asked, ¡°Have you learned any spells?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I learned the Fireball Technique,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± replied Elder Yu, nodding his head as if that made more sense.


    But then his brow furrowed again.


    That¡¯s not right, the Fireball Technique isn¡¯t that effective in taking down an enemy.


    Casting a spell requires condensing Qi. If it isn¡¯t practiced well, there¡¯s still the question of whether you can hit someone or not¡­


    Elder Yu wanted to ask more, but other Monster Hunters had come up to submit their storage bags, so he never got the chance to ask.


    ¡°Elder Yu, am I really not supposed to submit these?¡± Mo Hua asked stealthily.


    ¡°The ones you picked up outside the mines count as your own skill. Besides, we¡¯re not so desperate as to take a child¡¯s belongings,¡± Elder Yu replied.


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Yu!¡± Mo Hua gratefully accepted.


    Afterwards, when the mine was well-organized, Elder Yu assigned people to guard it, and then allowed the injured Monster Hunters to return for recuperation.


    Mo Shan also went back, but he hadn¡¯t been injured. Wearing rattan armor embellished with the Golden Armor Formation, not even the monster beasts could tear through it, let alone the swords and knives of the ordinary Qi Refinement Cultivators.


    He was to escort Mo Hua back home since Mo Hua was now considered ¡°loaded.¡±


    After getting home, Mo Hua shut the door, threw the storage bags he held on the table, and then began to open them one by one.


    Mo Shan watched, his expression somewhat complex.


    He didn¡¯t know how his son managed to pick up so many storage bags through ¡°picking up opportunities¡­¡±


    There were around a dozen storage bags, and they contained a wide variety of items.


    Typically, these included spirit stones, spiritual artifacts, pills, Taoist robes, among other miscellaneous trinkets of little value.


    There were also a few garishly colored booklets, illustrated with flirty female Cultivators engaged in odd activities.


    Mo Hua had just flipped them open and hadn¡¯t had the chance to look closely when Mo Shan confiscated them.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful, ¡°I wonder what exactly was illustrated in there¡­¡±


    The dozen or so storage bags were quickly accounted for.


    Just the spirit stones alone numbered three to four hundred pieces, and together with some unprocessed spiritual mine stones, plus pills and spiritual artifacts, it was estimated they could be worth a total of five to six hundred spirit stones.


    Five to six hundred spirit stones! Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but marvel.


    No wonder people often say, ¡°Horses won¡¯t get fat without grazing at night, people won¡¯t get rich without a windfall.¡±


    However, it was better not to engage in such dealings if possible.


    Mo Hua still wanted to be a law-abiding, good Cultivator.


    That is unless he encountered foolish goons from the Qian Family who were both bad and stupid enough to fall right into his hands¡­


    All of the spirit stones in the storage bags were given to Mo Hua by Mo Shan, for Mo Hua to cultivate and learn about Formations. The rest of the items such as spiritual artifacts, pills, Taoist robes, and rattan armor, Mo Shan took for himself.


    The Qian Family had suffered a major setback and certainly wouldn¡¯t just let things slide.


    From now on, it was expected that they would face a ferocious counterattack from the Qian Family. These spiritual artifacts and pills would all be of great use.


    However, before the Qian Family could retaliate, it was the Daoist Court that came knocking first.


    After all, the conflict between the Monster Hunter and the Qian Family had caused numerous casualties. Both morally and logically, the Daoist Court could not remain indifferent.


    The Court Leader of the Daoist Court personally sought out Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua heard about it and followed his father to join in the commotion.


    Elder Yu and the Court Leader talked in the room for a long time. No one knew what they discussed, but when they came out, both of their expressions were not good.


    It looked like they parted on bad terms.


    What did they talk about?


    Mo Hua was extremely curious, but he knew if he asked, Elder Yu definitely would not tell him.


    Just then, he noticed Zhang Lan who was following behind the Court Leader.


    Zhang Lan was a Canon of the Daoist Court, holding a significant position, and as a clan member, his attendance in such important matters was to be expected.


    As Zhang Lan walked, he sensed a familiar gaze upon him.


    Turning his head, sure enough, it was Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua winked at him.


    Zhang Lan sighed inwardly, pretended not to see, and walked away.


    In the afternoon, he found some free time and went to drink at Mo Hua¡¯s family¡¯s restaurant.


    Mo Hua personally poured him wine, looking at him eagerly.


    Zhang Lan, having no choice, said, ¡°Out with it, what do you want to know?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°What were Elder Yu and your Court Leader talking about this morning?¡±


    Zhang Lan coughed softly, lowering his voice:


    ¡°You know about the spiritual mines, right?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Though it was expected, Zhang Lan was still somewhat surprised, ¡°How much do you know?¡±


    ¡°I know what I need to,¡± Mo Hua replied, ¡°The day the spiritual mines were seized, I was there too.¡±


    And he had picked up a dozen storage bags¡­


    Of course, Mo Hua didn¡¯t say this out loud.


    Zhang Lan was a cultivator of the Daoist Court after all, with his own stance, and Mo Hua couldn¡¯t make it difficult for him.


    Mo Hua was very ¡°considerate¡± in thinking of Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°You really have some nerve.¡±


    To dare to get involved in a cultivator melee¡­


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°Since you already know, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. With such a big incident, both sides have casualties. The Court Leader certainly wants to calm things down, and the Qian Family agrees, but their condition is for you to hand over the spiritual mines so they won¡¯t pursue the matter further¡­¡±


    Mo Hua snorted, ¡°They wish!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what your Elder Yu said too,¡± spoke Zhang Lan.


    Naturally, as he said this, he also mixed in a lot of foul language. Some of the language was so crude that Zhang Lan had never even heard of it.


    Zhang Lan had seen many Foundation Building cultivators, and although Elder Yu was not the highest in cultivation, he certainly was the fiercest when it came to swearing.


    ¡°What will happen next?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°Not much can be done now. At this point, the Daoist Court can no longer intervene.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Mo Hua looked puzzled.


    Does that mean the Daoist Court is really that powerless?


    Zhang Lan explained helplessly, ¡°The Daoist Court only has so many cultivators. They can maintain the Taoist Law and catch a couple of sin cultivators, but they can¡¯t manage conflicts between two major forces.¡±


    Zhang Lan added, ¡°At least the Daoist Court in Tongxian City can¡¯t handle it. They can only mediate, asking everyone to follow the usual rules.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°What are the ¡®usual¡¯ rules?¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression grew more serious as he spoke softly:


    ¡°It means taking Nameless Peak as the boundary. Outside Nameless Peak, you cannot kill without reason; but on Nameless Peak, you fight whoever you need to fight, kill whoever you need to kill, until both sides have had enough¡­¡±


    ¡°No one other than yourselves will know about the deaths there, the Daoist Court will turn a blind eye, and it won¡¯t be reported up to the Court.¡±


    Violent and barbaric.


    Hearing this, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze also became sharp.


    That is to say, the real battle would only begin from now on¡­

 Chapter 153 - 153: First Battle (Two updates)_1

    Chapter 153: First Battle (Two updates)_1


    Given the huge interest in the spiritual mines, when the Taoist Court mediation failed, there was no choice but to follow the common rules. The Qian Family and the Monster Hunters would engage in a fierce battle at the Nameless Peak spiritual mine.


    Whoever won would get to take control of the spiritual mine.


    The Qian Family was now on the offensive, whereas the Monster Hunters were on defense.


    The atmosphere among the Monster Hunters had gradually become more tense.


    Elder Yu ordered that all Monster Hunters were forbidden from hunting monsters in Big Black Mountain in the near future, and he assembled most of the Monster Hunters who were between the seventh and ninth level of Qi Refinement to guard the mine tunnels at Nameless Peak.


    On one hand, the Monster Hunters were preparing for the imminent attack from the Qian Family and, on the other hand, they were working to expedite the extraction of the spiritual mine.


    It would be best to hold onto the spiritual mines, but with the Qian Family¡¯s vast influence and numerous cultivators, it was uncertain whether the Monster Hunters would be able to hold out until the end.


    Since it was not known when the spiritual mine would fall, the idea was to extract as many spirit stones as possible before that happened.


    Late-stage Qi Refinement practitioners were to enter the spiritual mine, and Mo Shan, being at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, was no exception.


    Mo Hua also wanted to go in, but Mo Shan wouldn¡¯t allow it, and neither would Elder Yu agree.


    Previously, during the spiritual mine¡¯s capture, Mo Hua was on the outside where there were rocks and trees to hide behind; in case of danger, there was a chance to flee if the situation turned dire.


    Now, inside the mine tunnel, there was virtually nowhere to escape.


    If the Qian Family cultivators were to break in and melee ensued; with swords, divine sense, and spiritual power flying chaotically, no one could guarantee Mo Hua¡¯s safety.


    Therefore, Elder Yu was originally adamant about not allowing Mo Hua, a minor cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, to stay inside the spiritual mine.


    That was until Mo Hua offered to help by Drawing Formation.


    ¡°I can draw the Golden Armor Formation, it can even be used by those in the late Qi Refinement stages!¡± Mo Hua said.


    Upon hearing this, Elder Yu could hardly refuse.


    In a large-scale battle between cultivators, the effectiveness of formations becomes quite apparent.


    Moreover, this Golden Armor Formation sounded much more powerful than the ¡°Iron Armor Formation.¡± With the reinforcement of the Golden Armor Formation, the likelihood of holding the mine tunnels would greatly increase.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t hold it in the end, they could at least delay the inevitable for longer, thus harvesting more spirit stones.


    This was a spiritual mine, after all, even a small one could provide for many Loose Cultivators¡¯ living expenses for a long time.


    Elder Yu was tempted.


    Several Monster Hunters also praised the Golden Armor Formation to Elder Yu, mentioning how Mo Shan had encountered a Kui Wood Wolf during Monster Hunting and was spared from injury because his Rattan Armor was painted with the Golden Armor Formation.


    With a sigh, Mo Shan reluctantly took out the Rattan Armor painted with the Golden Armor Formation. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Yu examined it closely and tested the armor¡¯s defense, his eyes lighting up with approval. He immediately decided to allow Mo Hua to stay.


    Thus, Mo Hua stayed inside the spiritual mine.


    Elder Yu instructed the other Monster Hunters to take good care of Mo Hua and thought to himself:


    ¡°If any undiscerning bastard dares to hurt a single hair on Mo Hua¡¯s head, I¡¯ll strike them down with a single blow!¡±


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua started to draw Golden Armor Formations for the Monster Hunters.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s current Divine Sense intensity, enhanced control from the Heaven Yan Jue, and the increased recovery speed of Divine Sense from the Meditation Technique, around ten First-grade Golden Armor Formations could be painted in one day.


    The Spiritual Ink used for these Golden Armor Formations was temporarily supplied by Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu agreed to convert the cost of the Spiritual Ink into spirit stones and add it to the compensation for Drawing Formation, to be given to Mo Hua in the end.


    Elder Yu had been frugal in the past due to a lack of spirit stones.


    Now that he had possession of a small spiritual mine, he would not let Mo Hua suffer any loss.


    Elder Yu, wanting Mo Hua to focus on Drawing Formation, even opened up a small mine tunnel, setting it up to be warm and comfortable, assuring Mo Hua to communicate any needs.


    Mo Hua stayed in the small mine tunnel, drawing formations, and managed to paint about thirty Golden Armor Formations in three days.


    Later, the Qian Family cultivators began their assault on the mountain.


    Mo Hua, lying at the entrance of the tunnel, watched the large and powerful group of Qian Family cultivators below, and feeling worried, asked Elder Yu, ¡°Can we defeat the Qian Family?¡±


    ¡°We can fight, but it won¡¯t be easy, and the outcome is hard to predict,¡± Elder Yu responded.


    ¡°Have we fought them before?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°A few times. The Qian Family was overly oppressive, and we fought back. As the fight escalated into a brawl, things became unmanageable. We suffered more losses that time, the Qian Family won, but they didn¡¯t get much of an advantage either.¡±


    Confused, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Where is the Qian Family stronger than us?¡±


    After pondering, Elder Yu said, ¡°Each has its advantages in a head-on fight, but the Qian Family has more spirit stones, better Spiritual Artifacts, and they can afford to hire help.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°So with the Golden Armor Formation, do we have more of an advantage?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know exactly how powerful the Golden Armor Formation was, but even a slight edge could impact the battle.


    Then the Qian Family began their assault on the mountain in a grand and open manner.


    The Qian Family had always looked down on Monster Hunters, believing them to be impoverished and pathetic.


    With their wealth of spirit stones, the Qian Family cultivators generally had one higher level of cultivation than the Monster Hunters.


    For this reason, they did not choose to attack at dawn or in the dead of night, nor did they opt for a surprise attack. Instead, they moved into the mountain in broad daylight, brazenly and openly.


    They wanted to give the Monster Hunters a taste of military deterrence.


    But as soon as the battle started, they realized something was amiss.


    Thirty Qi Refining Ninth Level Monster Hunters looked mightily impressive, leading the charge. At first confrontation, they began their onslaught.


    The Qian Family Cultivators¡¯ swords and blades could only leave scratches on their Rattan Armor.


    The Golden Armor Formation was a First Grade Nine Pattern Formation, and ordinary swords, even when wielded by Qi Refining Ninth Level Cultivators, had difficulty breaking through the Rattan Armor enhanced by the Golden Armor Formation.


    With the enhancement of the Golden Armor Formation, the Monster Hunters had no fear, needing only to hack wildly with their blades, drawing blood with every stroke. The Qian Family Cultivators couldn¡¯t parry the blows and were forced to retreat in defeat.


    As they retreated, they soon had nowhere left to retreat to.


    Seeing no way to win, the Qian Family could only flee in embarrassment, their Cultivators scattering in defeat.


    They came with a fierce momentum, but to their surprise, they were routed. The Qian Family felt humiliated, and not long after, they returned for another attempt.


    This time they came fully prepared, all wearing Rattan Armor, with some Qi Refining Ninth Level Cultivators even clad in Iron Armor.


    Iron Armor, purely made from fine iron, was not only expensive but also extremely hard.


    The two sides clashed again.


    Then the Qian Family Cultivators found that the Monster Hunters¡¯ Rattan Armor seemed a bit different from theirs¡­


    The Monster Hunters¡¯ Rattan Armor was extremely hard, and it took significant effort to hack through it.


    Their Rattan Armor, on the other hand, was like paper, torn through with just a few slashes.


    Even their Iron Armor was about the same as the Monster Hunters¡¯ Rattan Armor¡­


    But since the Iron Armor was heavier, it made movement difficult, and thus they became easy targets.


    About a dozen Qian Family Cultivators in Iron Armor, not watching their backs, became playthings for the Rattan Armor-wearing Monster Hunters and were taken down after a few rounds.


    Their Iron Armor was stripped away as well.


    The Qian Family nearly spat blood.


    That was a complete set of Iron Armor, after all. Crafting a set required a vast amount of fine iron, and now it had been completely plundered!


    But they could not give up fighting for the Spiritual mines, for those were Spirit Stones gleaming bright!


    To deal with the Monster Hunters¡¯ Rattan Armor, the Qian Family spared no expense and bought twenty genuine First-grade blades.


    These blades were extremely sharp, able to cut through ordinary Rattan Armor with a single strike.


    Handpicked Qian Family experts, equipped with these First-grade blades, engaged the Monster Hunters once more.


    The First-grade blades indeed proved effective, able to cut through the Rattan Armor with a single strike, and with two or three, the armor was almost completely split.


    But then, the Qian Family quickly discovered an even bigger problem.


    The number of Monster Hunters wearing Rattan Armor was increasing!


    There were only thirty at first.


    Then each day brought more, each day more, until now, almost every Monster Hunter was wearing that troublesome Rattan Armor.


    Everyone had one!


    The Qian Family Cultivators felt their scalps tingle.


    They only had twenty blades. Yet there were more than two hundred sets of Rattan Armor to contend with!


    How were they supposed to fight this?


    And then they were, unsurprisingly, defeated again¡­


    The successive defeats caused the Qian Family Cultivators¡¯ morale to crumble, forcing them to pause their assault and catch their breath.


    Elder Yu was overjoyed beyond expectations.


    The effect of the Golden Armor Formation was much stronger than he had originally thought.


    He had anticipated a grueling battle, where even if they emerged victorious, the casualties would be significant.


    But unexpectedly, not only did they win, they won with ease, and the Monster Hunters suffered very few casualties.


    This allowed Elder Yu to breathe a sigh of relief, then he felt a bit puzzled and asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°How come this Golden Armor Formation is so tough?¡±


    It was so tough that First-grade blades needed several strikes to break through.


    The armor they were wearing was just ordinary Rattan Armor, not First-grade Iron Armor crafted from fine iron.


    Mo Hua responded as if it were obvious, ¡°Because the Golden Armor Formation is a First-grade Formation Method.¡±


    ¡°A First-grade Formation Method¡­¡± Elder Yu nodded in understanding, ¡°No wonder.¡±


    A First-grade Formation Method, how could it not be strong?


    Then Elder Yu suddenly came to a realization, his heart pounding.


    ¡°First-grade?!¡±

 Chapter 154 - 154: Spirit Stone (Three More)_1

    Chapter 154: Spirit Stone (Three More)_1


    Elder Yu had originally thought that the Golden Armor Formation would be somewhat stronger than the Iron Armor Formation, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this much stronger¡ªit was directly at the first-grade level¡­


    When he had asked Mo Hua to draw the formation before, wasn¡¯t it just six formation patterns?


    How long had it been since then, and he could now draw a first-grade formation method?!


    Elder Yu hesitated for a long time before asking a redundant question:


    ¡°Is it really a first-grade formation method¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt that Elder Yu was acting a bit strange, so he took out a recently completed Golden Armor Formation and counted for Elder Yu to see:


    ¡°One, two, three¡­ nine, right, a total of nine formation patterns.¡±


    Elder Yu had never looked closely at the Golden Armor Formation before, and now he didn¡¯t dare blink, counting them one by one again.


    Indeed, there were nine formation patterns; nine patterns qualified for the first grade!


    Elder Yu¡¯s hand holding the rattan armor trembled slightly, his heart filled with disbelief.


    ¡°Then aren¡¯t you¡­ a first-grade formation master now?¡±


    A first-grade formation master, ah!


    For how many years, they, these loose cultivators, these poor Monster Hunters, didn¡¯t even have a regular formation master.


    And now, a first-grade formation master had emerged!


    Mo Hua felt somewhat embarrassed and modestly said, ¡°It¡¯s only that I can draw a first-grade formation method; I don¡¯t count as one yet. I need to pass the assessment by the Taoist Court to be considered a first-grade formation master.¡±


    Elder Yu breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, only able to draw a first-grade formation method¡­¡±


    Elder Yu then pondered over it a bit more: Only able to draw a first-grade formation method¡­ that¡¯s it?


    Can drawing a first-grade formation method be described as ¡°that¡¯s it¡±?


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression was complicated.


    How old was Mo Hua now, and he was already able to draw a first-grade formation method? What about in the future?


    A second grade? Or¡­ a third grade?


    It took Elder Yu a long time to calm himself down. He pretended to be composed, praised Mo Hua a few times, and advised him to continue drawing formations well. Afterward, he gathered Yu Chengyi, Mo Shan, and several other Monster Hunters who were at the ninth level of Qi cultivation.


    ¡°We must ensure that nothing untoward happens to this child, Mo Hua!¡±


    The others looked at each other, and Yu Chengyi said, ¡°Father, we understand; we will take care of him.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head and said, ¡°The formations Mo Hua is drawing now are already at the first-grade level!¡±


    Yu Chengyi and Mo Shan were shocked.


    Yu Chengyi glanced at Mo Shan and couldn¡¯t help saying:


    ¡°It¡¯s fine for us to be astonished, but you, his father, why are you also looking so surprised?¡±


    Mo Shan helplessly replied, ¡°I just found out too¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°I only know he helped me draw a formation¡­¡± said Mo Shan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ask him?¡±


    ¡°It was a gift from my son, I was too happy to think about asking.¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°We can¡¯t let the Qian Family find out about this. You all need to tell the other Monster Hunters, we must keep this matter about the formations strictly confidential.¡±


    They all nodded, but their hearts were still turbulent and uneasy for a long time.


    Mo Hua, who was focused on drawing formations, suddenly noticed that someone seemed to be constantly watching him in silence.


    Mo Hua frowned and released his Divine Sense, then shouted through the wall:


    ¡°Uncle Yu.¡±


    Yu Chengyi immediately popped his head out from behind the wall, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Uncle Yu, why are you watching me?¡±


    Yu Chengyi was taken aback for a moment, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    He had been hiding so well behind the wall, even concealing his presence.


    ¡°A sweep of my divine sense, and I knew¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi was astonished, ¡°You could find that out?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and he couldn¡¯t help but think to himself, Your Divine Sense is a bit outrageous, isn¡¯t it¡­


    However, thinking of Mo Hua¡¯s ability to draw a First-grade Formation Method, it made sense that his Divine Sense was strong.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you running into danger, so I¡¯m keeping an eye out here,¡± Yu Chengyi said.


    Mo Hua looked around, puzzled, ¡°What danger could there possibly be here?¡±


    This was a mining cave, and everyone around was a familiar Monster Hunter.


    Yu Chengyi coughed, ¡°Just in case.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Uncle Yu, you should go about your business. Don¡¯t you have to deal with the Qian Family? I suppose there¡¯s still plenty of work to be done, right?¡±


    If there¡¯s really nothing to do, you could go mine some Spiritual Stones, rather than watching me¡­


    In his heart, Yu Chengyi silently said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing more important than you. If we lose some Spiritual Stones, my dad would just be aggrieved for a decade or so, but if we were to lose you, he might even contemplate slaughtering me¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you carry on with your Drawing Formation, pretend I¡¯m not here.¡±


    How can someone just pretend a full-grown person isn¡¯t there¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Uncle Yu, if you¡¯re not too busy, take me to see the Spiritual mines inside.¡±


    He had been Drawing Formations since entering the mine and hadn¡¯t yet seen what Spiritual Stones actually looked like.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to continue Drawing Formation?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a break and then continue.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Yu Chengyi nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you to have a look.¡±


    Mo Hua instantly perked up.


    Yu Chengyi led Mo Hua further into the depths of the mining cave.


    The deeper they went, the more humid it became, the smell of earth and stone grew stronger, and the Spiritual Energy became thicker, some of it almost condensed into a faint blue color.


    Throughout the mining cave, the ¡°ting-ting, clink-clink¡± sound echoed everywhere.


    It was the sound of mining picks extracting Spiritual Stones.


    Spiritual Stones in the mines grew intertwined with common rocks, and it required a Body Cultivator using a mining pick to chisel out the Stones bit by bit.


    The mined ores were raw and irregularly shaped; some contained other impurities like ordinary rocks and were generally not ready for use. Cultivators could not directly refine them either.


    One could trade these raw ores with the Taoist Court, exchanging them for purified, standardized Standard Spirit Stones at a set ratio.


    These Standard Spirit Stones were used by Cultivators for daily cultivation and transactions. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The raw ores would then be processed and refined uniformly by the Taoist Court.


    Refining Spiritual Stones from the mines was a specialized category of Artifact Refining, a tedious process with complex methods. According to Taoist Law, only the Taoist Court was qualified to refine Spirit Stones.


    Any Noble Clans, Sects, or individual Loose Cultivators were not permitted to refine them on their own.


    Violators would be held accountable by the Taoist Court, and in severe cases would be considered rebellious, facing suppression by the Taoist Court, and even execution!


    While walking, Yu Chengyi briefed Mo Hua on the knowledge about Spiritual mines related to Tao Cultivation.


    Mo Hua, having an epiphany, realized that the Taoist Court¡¯s control over Spirit Stones was extremely strict.


    The Spirit mines held by Noble Clans and Sects were out of the Taoist Court¡¯s reach, so the Court had to control the terminal Spirit Stone refining processes to monitor and balance the major powers.


    Spirit Stones were the lifeline of a Cultivator; controlling Spirit Stones meant controlling the entire Tao Cultivation World.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°With such rich Spiritual Energy here, can I cultivate directly?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do,¡± Yu Chengyi said, ¡°The Spiritual Energy here seems rich, but it¡¯s impure, mixed with moisture, fishy smells, and various other kinds of filthy and miscellaneous Qi accumulated over the years. Direct cultivation could easily lead to problems.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t fully understand, ¡°What exactly are moisture, fishy smells, miscellaneous Qi, and Filthy Qi?¡±


    Yu Chengyi was stumped by the question, thinking that this child had many intricate questions¡­


    He did his best to recall and explain according to his understanding:


    ¡°Qi is akin to a kind of fundamental force in Tao Cultivation. Spiritual Energy is one of the purest types of Qi, closest to the source, which Cultivators can absorb without any toxic or harmful effects. The Spiritual Power of a Cultivator is derived from refining Spiritual Energy.¡±


    ¡°Apart from that, there are various other kinds of Qi in the Tao Cultivation World. Generally, these Qi are mixed, deviant, or even filthy. Should a Cultivator refine them, or if they invade the body, one could face all sorts of problems with their Blood Qi, Qi Sea, or meridians.¡±


    ¡°As for more specific details, I¡¯m not too clear. However, in the future, you should be careful not to absorb any Qi other than Spiritual Energy, or you will encounter trouble.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, taking note silently.

 Chapter 155 - 155 Earthfire Compound Formation (Four Updates) _1

    Chapter 155 Earthfire Compound Formation (Four Updates) _1


    ¡°How many Spirit Stones can this spiritual mine produce¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked around the extensive network of mine tunnels, curiously asking.


    Yu Chengyi said, ¡°This spiritual mine is not very large. If fully exploited, I estimate it could provide for all of Tongxian City¡¯s Monster Hunters for about ten years.¡±


    ¡°Is that considered a lot or a little?¡±


    Yu Chengyi laughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not little, everyone could enjoy a carefree life for about ten years.¡±


    About ten years¡­


    That indeed was not a short time, especially since he was only about ten years old right now.


    But for Cultivators, ten years really was nothing at all.


    As time flew by, like a white steed flashing past a crevice, a hundred years was but a flick of a finger to some Cultivators.


    ¡°How can we make the good times last even longer for everyone¡­¡±


    The frown on Mo Hua¡¯s face gradually deepened.


    The Spirit Stones from the spiritual mine could ensure Monster Hunters live well for about ten years, but could also elevate the Qian Family to new heights.


    If they claimed the spiritual mine and excavated the Spirit Stones, the Qian Family could gain even more power. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once the Qian Family expanded their Alchemy and Artifact Refining businesses, monopolizing the trade in Tongxian City, all Cultivators would depend on the Qian Family¡¯s breath.


    So, they could not possibly give up on this spiritual mine.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the Qian Family began their second wave of attacks.


    This time they did not assault forcefully, but mainly resorted to sneak attacks and harassment.


    As night fell and the sky grew dim, the Qian Family¡¯s Cultivators suddenly began their attacks.


    Monster Hunters were ambushed, suffering casualties, and just when they wanted to counterattack, the Qian Family would sound their retreat.


    This happened several times, a continuous harassment.


    The number of injured Monster Hunters grew, and since they needed to be on full alert at all times, their spirits were constantly taut; the faces of everyone were looking rather unpleasant.


    Elder Yu was seething with silent fury, yet he had no good solution to the problem.


    Now they were defending, while the Qian Family was attacking.


    They were rather passive, having to face the Qian Family¡¯s endless harassment, and once they struck back, the Qian Family would suddenly disperse, making them feel as frustrated as punching cotton.


    But with the spiritual mine here, they could not leave, and could only endure being fettered by the Qian Family, suffering bitterly.


    It seemed the Qian Family intended to boil them like a frog in warm water, to exhaust them to death.


    Monster Hunters all had grim expressions on their faces.


    Mo Hua also felt a bit vexed and would sneak off to the entrance of the mine whenever he had the chance, staring contemplatively at the rugged mountains outside.


    After several days of such observation, Mo Hua suddenly had a moment of inspiration and sought out Elder Yu:


    ¡°Elder, I have a plan.¡±


    Mo Hua shared his thoughts with Elder Yu.


    Upon hearing the plan, Elder Yu¡¯s eyes lit up, then he hesitated, ¡°Can it work?¡±


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t entirely sure himself and could only say, ¡°Shall we try it?¡±


    Elder Yu thought for a moment, not having come up with any other good strategies, and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    In the following days, Mo Hua kept on Drawing Formations.


    Only this time, instead of the Golden Armor Formation, he was drawing the Earthfire Compound Formation consisting of seven Formation Patterns.


    This was a Compound Formation from the ¡°Introduction to Compound Formation Compilation¡± given to Mo Hua by Mr. Zhuang. It connected two Earth Fire Formations together, stacking their power.


    As the Formation Pivot¡¯s Spiritual Power was reinforced, the Compound Formation would be a bit more powerful than the blast produced if two separate Earth Fire Formations were detonated.


    After completing the Drawing Formation, Mo Hua handed it over to Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu expanded his Divine Sense, aware that Cultivators from the Qian Family still hovered around the spiritual mine like flies. He then ordered the Monster Hunters to launch a feigned attack.


    The Monster Hunters charged out suddenly, and the Qian Family¡¯s Cultivators, caught off guard, did not engage in battle and retreated instead.


    They were following a harassment strategy and did not plan to fight head-on for the time being.


    The Monster Hunters drove the Qian Family¡¯s Cultivators far away.


    Elder Yu scanned the area with his Divine Sense again and saw that there were no Qian Family¡¯s Cultivators near the spiritual mine, so he gestured with his hand.


    Some Monster Hunters, holding the Earthfire Compound Formation Painted by Mo Hua, began to set them up in various corners of the mountain terrain.


    Amid the thick underbrush, under the large tree roots, amongst the jumbled boulders, and the soil mixed with fallen leaves and grass roots, these hidden spots were all rigged with Earthfire Compound Formations.


    After the setup was complete, the Monster Hunters all pulled back.


    Mo Hua found a secluded mine entrance to lie in wait, ready to watch the show unfold.


    Regrettably, the Qian Family¡¯s Cultivators were very cautious; having been charged at by the Monster Hunters, they didn¡¯t dare to approach the mountain for a while.


    Mo Hua, having nothing else to do, could only take out a book of Formation Books and flip through them, considering what other formations could cope with the Qian Family¡¯s onslaught.


    It was not until dusk that the cultivators of the Qian Family gathered again, lying in ambush at the foot of Nameless Peak.


    It was a bit far, Mo Hua could not see, but his Divine Sense faintly detected some activity, seeming as if the Qian Family was making a move.


    Mo Hua knew the show was about to begin!


    He packed up the Formation Books, spread a blanket on the ground, and took out beef jerky, pine nuts, and wild fruits from his Storage Bag, along with a bottle of his treasured osmanthus brew.


    This osmanthus brew was sweet and refreshing, and it didn¡¯t give a hangover, so he usually didn¡¯t bear to drink it.


    Mo Hua, cracking pine nuts and eating beef jerky, looked towards the foot of the mountain full of anticipation.


    Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t long before the Qian Family made their move.


    At the base of Nameless Peak, the cultivators of the Qian Family assembled, led by a tall man who stood six feet high with a broad back and a sturdy waist.


    Around the burly man huddled several Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivators, quietly plotting their actions for the night.


    ¡°Tonight we¡¯ll show these bastards from Monster Hunter a bit of color!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll move as usual, sneaking up and striking on sight, no need to pull punches; if they die, it¡¯s their bad luck¡­¡±


    ¡°If they chase us down, we¡¯ll pretend to retreat,¡± one of them added.


    ¡°But unlike before, we¡¯re not really planning to retreat; instead, when they turn back, we¡¯ll launch a surprise counterattack.¡±


    ¡°After several days of attacks, they¡¯ll never expect us to strike back!¡±


    ¡°With a surprise attack, even if we can¡¯t succeed in one fell swoop, we¡¯ll certainly deal them a severe blow! In a few days, their spirits will be worn down by our pressure, and they¡¯ll become lambs for the slaughter!¡±


    ¡°Once the Family Head acknowledges our achievement and the Qian Family seizes the spiritual mines to expand our power, our futures will be limitless, and Foundation Establishment will be just around the corner!¡±


    His words had everyone boiling with enthusiasm.


    Still, some of the Qian Family cultivators were puzzled, ¡°Why did the Monster Hunters suddenly strike during the day? What was that about?¡±


    With a wave of his hand, the Qian Family big man dismissed the concern, ¡°No matter, as long as the brothers unite, it doesn¡¯t matter how much they plot; they¡¯re just a bunch of clowns!¡±


    The cultivators of the Qian Family nodded in agreement, their fighting spirit high.


    Seeing this, the Qian Family big man began to divide the teams, then several groups moved forward in unison, concealing their breath, advancing towards the middle of the mountain.


    Everything was as usual.


    That¡¯s how they had approached before, and they thought this time would be no different.


    Until one of the Qian Family cultivators stepped on something unwittingly.


    He felt a slight discord under his foot, but before he could figure out exactly what was wrong, he was surrounded by fierce flames.


    With a loud boom.


    The explosive flames of the Earthfire Compound Formation were dazzling in the night.


    The surrounding Qian Family cultivators were all blasted away; though not killed, most were charred black, spitting blood from their mouths.


    ¡°An attack?!¡±


    ¡°Where from?¡±


    The hearts of the Qian Family cultivators panicked as they scanned their surroundings, but there was not a single figure to be seen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic!¡±


    The burly man immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s just their last desperate counterattack; stick to the plan!¡±


    The cultivators of the Qian Family calmed down and continued forward.


    But soon, they couldn¡¯t keep their composure¡­


    Boom!


    Boom, boom, boom¡­


    The sound of explosions rose and fell, one after another; flames from the Earthfire Compound Formation explosions consumed the mountain pass, blooming like lotus flowers, one after another.


    The Qian Family cultivators could only run around in the blaze of fire, and more explosions followed¡­


    The burly man of the Qian Family stood still, his expression stunned.


    What¡¯s going on?!


    Where did these explosions come from?


    No matter how hard the burly man racked his brains, he couldn¡¯t fathom it.


    Watching the cultivators of the Qian Family wail in the light of the fire, eventually scattering in retreat, the burly man knew it was all over.


    He had thought himself infallible in his calculations, yet this barrage of explosions washed all his plans away¡­


    A bitter taste filled the burly man¡¯s heart.


    The clown jumping on the beam turned out to be himself¡­

 Chapter 156 - 156: The Offensive (Part 5)_1

    Chapter 156: The Offensive (Part 5)_1


    The Earthfire Compound Formation repeatedly exploded, dazzling like fireworks. Mixed with the wailing and chaotic scrambling of the Qian Family Cultivators, it was incredibly lively.


    Having had his fill, Mo Hua nodded in approval, very satisfied.


    At the entrance of the mine, other Monster Hunters watched, and seeing the pitiful state of the Qian Family Cultivators, they all cheered.


    ¡°Well exploded!¡±


    ¡°Make it even louder!¡±


    The frustration that had accumulated over days of being harassed and ambushed by the Qian Family was swept away.


    Elder Yu also felt a great sense of relief and cursed the Qian Family from top to bottom once more.


    Now with the Monster Hunters¡¯ tension eased, the pressure fell upon the Qian Family Cultivators.


    To fight or not to fight?


    If they charged in, they would be blown away miserably, but if they didn¡¯t, it would mean surrendering the spiritual mines without a fight.


    Either option was unacceptable to the Qian Family.


    The next day, the Qian Family tidied up the battlefield and carried their injured back for treatment.


    Originally, there were many injured but few dead.


    However, some of the wounded Cultivators were ambushed by Monster Beasts on their way back. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Monster Beasts, drawn by the scent of blood, found them; the severely injured Qian Family Cultivators had just left the battlefield only to end up in the bellies of the beasts.


    The Family Head of the Qian Family, Qian Hong, was furious and ordered that no matter what, they must take over the spiritual mines!


    The burly men from the Qian Family, burdened with this command, could only ponder deeply in a camp outside Nameless Peak.


    The burly man¡¯s name was Qian Zhuang, a direct descendant of the Qian Family, but not from Qian Hong¡¯s line, which was why he was tasked with this life-threatening mission.


    This also suited his intentions perfectly. Although he was a direct descendant, he wasn¡¯t regarded highly in the clan, and his future prospects were uncertain.


    If he could capture the spiritual mines this time, the clan would surely regard him with new respect, and if they rewarded him with Spirit Stones and Pills, then his hopes of Foundation Establishment would be within reach.


    Once he became a Foundation Building Cultivator, he could aspire to become an Elder and have significant influence within the Qian Family.


    The power of a Qian Family Elder was great, but the promotion criteria were strict.


    You either needed to have the Cultivation of Foundation Establishment, or you needed to have extremely high attainments in formations, alchemy, or artifact refining, or you held an important position in a Sect or the Taoist Court, or you made an outstanding contribution to the Clan.


    Qian Zhuang met none of these conditions, so the only path to becoming an Elder was to achieve the status of a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    Therefore, he absolutely had to capture the spiritual mines, or else not only would he achieve nothing, he would also be held accountable for a major error!


    Within the clan, Cultivators were all considered family, so essentially, none of them were truly family.


    If you couldn¡¯t bring benefits to the clan, you were useless.


    Qian Zhuang didn¡¯t want to be seen as useless; he wanted to capture the spiritual mines and climb to a higher position within the Qian Family by stepping over these Monster Hunters.


    After a while, a Qian Family Disciple came in to report,


    ¡°Brother, the brothers have checked it out. The explosions last night were caused by a formation!¡±


    Qian Zhuang frowned, ¡°A formation? These bumpkins actually know how to use formations?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Qian Zhuang¡¯s frown deepened.


    He couldn¡¯t help thinking, when they attacked previously, were there Formation Patterns on those indestructible rattan armors as well?


    ¡°Which formation?¡±


    ¡°Some disciples went back to the clan to ask Master Qian, and Master Qian said that it looked like the Earth Fire Formation.¡±


    Master Qian was a Formation Master of the Qian Family. Although he was not yet ranked first-grade, it was only a matter of time. So, out of respect, people called him ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Earth Fire Formation? What rank?¡±


    ¡°Seven Pattern Lines.¡±


    Qian Zhuang¡¯s expression turned cold, ¡°To think it had seven Pattern Lines, no wonder.¡±


    Seven Pattern Lines could injure Cultivators in the late phase of Qi Refinement, and if several were superimposed, their power would be even stronger.


    Filled with resentment, Qian Zhuang sneered, ¡°To think that a Formation Master would help these paupers!¡±


    He did not believe that these impoverished Loose Cultivators could afford the price to hire a Formation Master.


    Most likely, the Formation Master had signed a Spirit Pact with them, which would allow them to share in the Spirit Stones from the mine upon success.


    The world was filled with movement for the sake of profit, and this Formation Master was no exception.


    That disciple then asked, ¡°Big brother, what should we do next?¡±


    Qian Zhuang said, ¡°No matter, a Seven-Pattern Formation Master is nothing to be concerned about.¡±


    How many formations could a single Formation Master possibly draw?


    Last night, there was an explosion, presumably using quite a number of Earth Fire Formations; he refused to believe that there could be any more Earth Fire Formations to blast them tonight.


    Indeed, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t draw too many, only seven or eight pairs of Earthfire Compound Formations in one day.


    But for simple Earth Fire Formations, Mo Hua still had quite a stockpile, all from previous savings.


    These Earth Fire Formations were originally set aside to lay traps for the Qi Refinement Middle Phase Monster Hunters, to hunt Monster Beasts.


    Since the Monster Hunters fell out with the Qian Family, Elder Yu no longer allowed the Monster Hunters to enter Big Black Mountain to hunt monsters, so Mo Hua had accumulated quite a lot of Earth Fire Formations, which now could be used to clear out the inventory.


    As a result, the disciples of the Qian Family really suffered.


    The Qian Family was blasted on the first night.


    The next evening when they went up, they were blasted again.


    The third day and the fourth day, still blasted.


    Qian Zhuang was furious, followed by arrogance; he was curious to know exactly how many pairs of Earth Fire Formations these group of Monster Hunters had.


    But the disciples of the Qian Family had had enough.


    Stepping into an Earth Fire Formation didn¡¯t necessarily mean death, but injury was guaranteed. Moreover, descending the mountain made them easy targets for Monster Beasts, risking their lives in beast bellies.


    Therefore, many Qian Family Cultivators started to consider retreating, hovering at the perimeter, not daring to venture into the Earth Fire Formation area.


    Qian Zhuang sensed the ominous signs and thus spoke inspiringly:


    ¡°Brothers, we have been attacking for four days; they can¡¯t possibly have so many formations left. They must be depleted by now¡­¡±


    ¡°We are only one step away; we must not fail at the last hurdle! Otherwise, all our sacrifices will be wasted!¡±


    ¡°Once we take over the spiritual mines, the Family Head will surely reward us generously!¡±


    Inspired by Qian Zhuang¡¯s words, the Qian Family Cultivators¡¯ blood boiled anew, and they set foot on the mountain path once again.


    Then, once more, they fled in a sorry state amidst the firelight of the Earth Fire Formations, returning in complete disarray.


    Mo Hua stood on the mountainside, watching the scene unfold before him, and couldn¡¯t help but respect the commanding Qian Family Cultivators.


    It took a ruthless person to use human lives to wear down his stockpile of formations!


    Watching this scene, Qian Zhuang almost coughed up blood.


    How the hell are there still formations left?


    Do you have ten hands to draw so many formations?


    Looking at the rugged mountain stretch before him, filled with lush vegetation.


    Qian Zhuang was quite traumatized.


    But in a short time, morale had dissipated and another attack was unfeasible; the Qian Family had to call a temporary halt once again.


    Without losing a single fighter, the Monster Hunters repelled the Qian Family¡¯s offensive.


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression softened when he looked at Mo Hua, which made his son, Yu Chengyi, feel bitter inside.


    His father had never shown him any warmth, always sullen and unyielding, like a rock for salting pickles.


    After resting for several days, the Monster Hunters¡¯ conditions improved significantly, and their expressions lightened up a bit.


    But then Mo Hua suddenly remembered a problem and, with concern, asked Elder Yu:


    ¡°What will we do if the Qian Family sends Foundation Building Cultivators?¡±


    ¡°We will do what must be done,¡± was the reply.


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, ¡°Aren¡¯t Foundation Building Cultivators supposed to be very powerful?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Foundation Building is indeed formidable, but it¡¯s not absolutely invincible.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, not quite understanding.


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and explained further:


    ¡°A Foundation Building Cultivator¡¯s power is roughly equivalent to that of ten Cultivators at the later stages of Qi Refinement. If it¡¯s only one, even five or six Qi Refinement late-stage Cultivators would have no chance against a Foundation Building Cultivator, as they wouldn¡¯t last many moves¡­¡±


    ¡°But if there are more than ten, especially seasoned late-stage Qi Refinement Cultivators with rich fighting experience, facing off against a Foundation Building Cultivator, the outcome becomes uncertain. Likely, it would end with trading injury for injury, life for life, ten lives for one. By the time all the Qi Refinement Cultivators have perished, the Foundation Building Cultivator, if not dead, would be left gravely wounded and on the brink of death.¡±


    ¡°If there are several dozen or even a hundred Qi Refinement late-stage Cultivators, the Foundation Building Cultivator is bound to die if they can¡¯t escape.¡±


    ¡°As the saying goes, even a fierce tiger fears a pack of wolves; that¡¯s the idea.¡±


    Understanding dawned on Mo Hua.

 Chapter 157 - 157: Surprise Attack (First Update)_1

    Chapter 157: Surprise Attack (First Update)_1


    ¡°The Qian Family¡¯s Foundation Establishment doesn¡¯t make a move because they¡¯re afraid of being worn down, then encircled and killed to death?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Yes, but not entirely.¡± Elder Yu said, ¡°On one hand, the Qian Family¡¯s Foundation Building Cultivators do indeed fear being worn down. Once I take action to hold him back, he won¡¯t be able to escape and will inevitably be killed.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, in such chaotic battles, Foundation Building Cultivators usually balance each other out and don¡¯t act rashly. Once they take action, they either settle the outcome with a decisive strike or have some other important purpose that can sway the battle.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, the Qian Family has more than one Foundation Building Cultivator¡­¡± Elder Yu said with a light chuckle.


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t that an advantage for the Qian Family?¡±


    Elder Yu did not answer directly but said:


    ¡°One monk will have water to drink, two can fetch enough water, but with three monks there will be no water to drink.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua understood, ¡°They all want others to take the risk and fight for their lives while they reap the benefits.¡±


    Elder Yu nodded approvingly.


    ¡°Is the Qian Family¡¯s infighting really that fierce?¡±


    ¡°Even close brothers settle accounts clearly, let alone they are one clan but with so many bloodline branches and intertwined interests, their scheming and infighting aren¡¯t necessarily rooted in any clan sentiment.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    No wonder Elder Yu always curses the Qian Family as a nest of ungrateful white-eyed wolves with black hearts but no lungs.


    If they¡¯re like this even towards their own clan cultivators, what about others?


    ¡°What if all the Qian Family¡¯s Foundation Building Cultivators come together?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°I actually hope they all come together.¡± Elder Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°If they all come, leaving their clan and industries undefended, and should an enemy take notice and pilfer their properties clean, slaughtering their direct lineage thoroughly, that would be quite entertaining.¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression was rather schadenfreude.


    Mo Hua opened his mouth wide, ¡°Does that kind of thing really happen?¡±


    ¡°How could it not? You¡¯re still young, live a few hundred years, and you¡¯ll see that in this world, there¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be done, only what you can¡¯t imagine.¡±


    Mo Hua was quite shaken, ¡°But the Taoist Court would do something about it, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Once it¡¯s already been plundered and the killing done, what use is the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    Elder Yu wanted to swear a few times, but remembering he was in front of Mo Hua, he slightly held back.


    ¡°If the direct disciples are slaughtered clean and only the Foundation Building Cultivators remain, that¡¯s still just a hollow force, too ambitious but powerless, soon to be squeezed out with no place to stand.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, if those important industries of the Qian Family outside are left without Foundation Establishment protection, and there¡¯s a mishap, that¡¯s when they¡¯ll truly suffer a devastating blow¡­¡±


    ¡°The bigger the family and the enterprise, the harder it is to maintain. That¡¯s why they dare not let their Foundation Building Cultivators come to the battle too early.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it is¡­


    Mo Hua suddenly realized.


    Seeing Mo Hua deep in thought, Elder Yu thought he was still worried and said:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Qian Family¡¯s Foundation Builders may look fierce, but in reality, they¡¯re all soft eggs and cowards. I can easily deal with one, and even if two or three come, I still have ways to cope.¡±


    Mo Hua was astonished; Elder Yu was actually that formidable.


    ¡°Elder, is your cultivation very high?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that my cultivation is high,¡± Elder Yu sighed, smiled bitterly, and said, ¡°It¡¯s just that I dare to stake my life in a fight, and they don¡¯t.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu.


    On Elder Yu¡¯s lean arms and around his neck, there were various crisscrossing light scars, which were not noticeable due to his dark skin unless one looked closely.


    These scars must have been left from fighting to the death¡­


    Mo Hua silently thought.


    If the Qian Family doesn¡¯t attack, the Monster Hunters can concentrate all their efforts on the spiritual mines exploitation. But Elder Yu knew that the Qian Family wouldn¡¯t just let things go.


    A few nights later, the Qian Family indeed came again.


    This time they had reinforcements, several strong-bodied cultivators with Earth Spirit Roots, fully armed and clad in iron armor.


    This was the solution Qian Zhuang had pondered and contemplated to break the stalemate.


    Since the Earth Fire Formation was not too powerful, he thought to recruit some thick-skinned, tough-bodied Body Cultivators with Earth Spirit Roots, clad in iron armor, that could simply trample down the Earth Fire Formation.


    Without the Earth Fire Formation, the path ahead would be wide open.


    Therefore, he pulled strings and used his connections to plea, transfer, or borrow some Earth Spirit Root cultivators who had cultivated Earth Series techniques and had strong physical bodies.


    He had almost exhausted his savings, either purchasing or borrowing several sets of iron armor forged from fine steel, along with a few fire-resistant spiritual artifacts.


    Tonight, he was determined to break the Earth Fire Formation!


    The situation unfolded exactly as he had anticipated.


    The Earth-series cultivators, dressed in iron armor and carrying fire-resistant spiritual artifacts, directly crossed over the Earth Fire Formation with seven layers of formation patterns, setting off bursts of explosive flames. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The mountains were filled with the sounds of explosions and saturated with light from the flames.


    The explosive fire elemental spiritual power assaulted the iron armor, but most of its force was neutralized, some of the fiery energy was dissolved by the fire-resistant spiritual artifacts, and any residual strength that affected the iron-clad Earth-series cultivators caused little harm.


    After a few back-and-forths like this, the cultivators with an Earth spirit root clad in iron armor had trampled down the Earth Fire Formation throughout the mountains.


    The iron armor too sustained some damage, with one set even breaking apart.


    Qian Zhuang felt the pain of the loss acutely, but these sacrifices were worthwhile!


    He had finally broken through the Earth Fire Formation!


    Qian Zhuang raised his eyebrows and let out a breath, filled with pride and vigor.


    Leading the Qian Family cultivators, he had at last crossed the mountain waist that was covered in Earth Fire Formations, which had frustrated him time and again and left a psychological shadow in his heart!


    And the Qian Family cultivators had arrived at the entrance of the mines, officially confronting the Monster Hunters.


    Then, Qian Zhuang suddenly realized that he seemed to have forgotten a critical issue:


    Their original tactic seemed to be based on a surprise attack¡­


    Now, groups of Monster Hunters clad in rattan armor stood ready, even leisurely awaiting them, having watched them struggle from afar for quite some time.


    And after being ravaged by the Earth Fire Formation, they had finally come face to face with the Monster Hunters.


    But¡­ could this be called a surprise attack?


    The Monster Hunters¡¯ eyes carried a mocking gleam, as if they were looking at fools.


    A flicker of anger crossed Qian Zhuang¡¯s face, but a chill settled in his heart.


    What to do next, he suddenly had no idea¡­


    Fight?


    It seemed unlikely they could win.


    Escape?


    Then what exactly had they come here for? And why had they gone through all the trouble to cross the Earth Fire Formation?


    As Qian Zhuang was drowning in self-doubt, Yu Chengyi had already drawn his sword.


    Immediately, the blades of the other Monster Hunters unsheathed in response.


    The night was pitch black, and the Monster Hunters¡¯ swords glinted with white light.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Yu Chengyi roared with rage, and the Monster Hunters behind him charged with great momentum towards the Qian Family cultivators.


    Thus, the Qian Family cultivators, who had gone through great lengths to cross the Earth Fire Formation, were embarrassingly forced to retreat in less than a moment.


    Qian Hong managed to escape back to the camp with great difficulty, summarizing the situation with a dirt-covered face.


    The death and injury of the disciples were inevitable, and a few sets of iron armor had been seized.


    There was no helping it; the primary target of the Monster Hunters was the iron armor, with the cultivators themselves being secondary.


    Monster Hunters, accustomed to hunting monster beasts year-round, exhibited well-coordinated movements and adept skills. A few of them working together could take down a Qian Family cultivator in iron armor in just a few exchanges.


    Then, swiftly, they stripped and stole away the armor.


    For the Monster Hunters, even skinning a monster beast was no challenge, to say nothing of removing worn iron armor.


    Qian Zhuang felt a heartbreaking pain, while also finding the situation absurd.


    If it weren¡¯t for the disorientation caused by the Earth Fire Formation, focusing only on breaking through the formation, he wouldn¡¯t have forgotten their original intent.


    Turning a stealth attack into an open assault.


    He had even allowed the enemy to be prepared and caught them off guard.


    Qian Zhuang was filled with hatred.


    Who the hell was it that designed this damn Earth Fire Formation?!

 Chapter 158 - 158 Qian Zhongxuan (Second Update)_1

    Chapter 158 Qian Zhongxuan (Second Update)_1


    Who had drawn the Formation Painting, Qian Zhuang didn¡¯t know, but he knew he was doomed.


    So many people lost, so much time wasted, so much in Pills and Spiritual Artifacts spent, and not a single Spiritual mine reclaimed.


    The Clan would not give him another chance.


    The next day, Qian Zhuang was told that his command had been stripped by the Clan, but he was still allowed to stay at the Spiritual mines to make amends for his failure.


    That evening, a Cultivator from the Qian Family, whose face bore the heavy patterns of authority, came to the Qian Family camp and harrumphed coldly upon seeing Qian Zhuang:


    ¡°Capable of nothing but failure!¡±


    Qian Zhuang bowed deeply and kept his head lowered, not daring to utter a single word in rebuttal.


    The visitor was an Elder of the Qian Family, a Foundation Building Cultivator, Qian Zhongxuan.


    He was also his biggest support in this branch of the family.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t willing to come, but you¡¯ve been so ineffective, not achieving anything for so long, that I had to take care of things. Otherwise, our branch would become the laughingstock of the Clan, unable to hold our heads high.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan said coldly.


    Qian Zhuang¡¯s face was flush with shame, ¡°Elder, it¡¯s not that I was ineffective, it¡¯s just those¡­¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan interrupted, ¡°No excuses! These excuses are no use with the Family Head and other Elders, they will not listen to what you have to say, but will look at what you have done, what results you have produced!¡±


    Qian Zhuang bowed his head, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing Qian Zhuang¡¯s sincere attitude, and knowing his branch had only a few promoters at the Qi Refinement Ninth Level, Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s expression softened slightly as he instructed him:


    ¡°People say that we members of the Qian Family are like wolves, ambitiously wolfish, and that¡¯s not an insult but a compliment. We, the disciples of the Qian Family, must be wolfish, striving and snatching!¡±


    ¡°Every piece of meat must be bitten fiercely in the mouth. If someone steals a bite from you, you should bite back a piece from them!¡±


    Qian Zhuang¡¯s spirits lifted, and he cupped his fists, ¡°I have learned my lesson, Disciple.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Qian Zhongxuan nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t take this failure too hard. Success and failure are common knowledge; don¡¯t let it dull your spirit for progress.¡±


    Qian Zhuang was greatly encouraged and felt even more grateful to Qian Zhongxuan, saying:


    ¡°I will remember the Elder¡¯s teachings carefully!¡±


    ¡°Rest up for a few days. Once I¡¯ve arranged the personnel, it will be time to attack the mountain. Make sure you perform well and do not disappoint me.¡± Qian Zhongxuan looked sternly at Qian Zhuang before standing up and leaving.


    Qian Zhuang respectfully saw off Qian Zhongxuan and breathed a sigh of relief.


    At this time, Elder Yu also got the news that Qian Zhongxuan had entered Big Black Mountain and couldn¡¯t help but snort:


    ¡°That old rascal Qian Zhongxuan has no good intentions entering the mountain. Everyone, be on alert; we may have a tough fight in the next few days.¡±


    Yu Chengyi and others looked solemn and nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua also nodded along.


    Elder Yu glanced at him and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to nod; just stay here. Don¡¯t go out.¡±


    ¡°Can I sneak a peek?¡±


    ¡°Peek at what?¡±


    ¡°At you fighting.¡±


    Elder Yu frowned, ¡°What¡¯s there to see?¡±


    ¡°I want to learn.¡±


    Mo Hua looked humble and eager to learn.


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°You can look, but don¡¯t you dare go out there. A cultivator¡¯s melee is no child¡¯s play.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Mo Hua nodded vigorously.


    His own safety was his priority. He would not go out; he wasn¡¯t foolish.


    In the following days, Mo Hua learned a new Formation:


    The First-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    This was also learned from the Formation Books given by Mr. Zhuang. Its effects were broadly the same as the Earth Fire Formation, only more powerful, containing nine Formation Patterns, a true First-grade Formation.


    However, the previous Formation with seven patterns was called Earth Fire Formation, and this one was directly named First-grade Earth Fire Formation. The name hadn¡¯t changed, only with the addition of ¡°First-grade.¡±


    Mo Hua criticized in his mind, wondering who wrote these Formation Books. They were too lazy, at least change the name.


    After Mo Hua learned the First-grade Earth Fire Formation, he would draw it whenever he had free time, managing to create about ten copies a day.


    Ten copies of the Earth Fire Formation is neither too many nor too few. If used directly, their effectiveness might not be very good, so Mo Hua decided to save them up for later.


    One day, after he grew tired of drawing formations, Mo Hua took out some pine nuts to crack and eat for a while.


    Meanwhile, Elder Yu was discussing matters in the next room.


    To take care of Mo Hua¡¯s needs, Elder Yu had opened up another stone chamber right next to Mo Hua¡¯s for rest and discussions with other Monster Hunters.


    Elder Yu was discussing with Yu Chengyi and others how to deal with the Qian Family when suddenly his expression turned solemn, and with a swift movement, he stepped out of the mine.


    Outside the cave were rugged rocks and dense woods.


    However, the ground was pockmarked and messy from having been blasted by the Earth Fire Formation.


    Elder Yu let out a cold laugh and cursed aloud:


    ¡°Qian Zhongxuan, you old fart, creeping around like a thief, what the hell are you doing?¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not far away, Qian Zhongxuan suddenly appeared, his smile neither friendly nor genuine, ¡°Your dog nose is still as sharp as ever.¡±


    Elder Yu mocked sardonically, ¡°If I have a dog¡¯s nose, then your mother must be a bitch, your father a dumb dog, and you a mongrel¡­¡±


    These words were unbearable to hear, and the loudness of his voice made it so that anyone up or down the peak could hear, causing Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s blood to seethe with rage.


    Qian Zhongxuan wished he could slap himself.


    He should have known that old bastard Yu Changlin couldn¡¯t utter anything good, spewing the worst insults when provoked, so why did he bother to engage him at all?


    It took Qian Zhongxuan a while to regain his composure.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set some rules,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°So, because you say so, we should set rules? Does your ass grow on your face to give you such a big one?¡±


    Suppressing his anger, Qian Zhongxuan gritted his teeth and replied, ¡°If you keep being unreasonable, there¡¯s no point in talking.¡±


    Elder Yu chuckled curiously, ¡°You¡¯re not as good as Qian Hong. He can keep his cool better than you, no, I should say he¡¯s more shameless than you.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan was on the verge of losing his patience.


    Seeing an opening, Elder Yu said, ¡°Say what you want to say.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan composed himself and proposed, ¡°In the upcoming contention for the spiritual mines, I won¡¯t intervene, and neither will you.¡±


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, ¡°And what about the other Foundation Building Cultivators of the Qian Family?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t intervene either.¡±


    ¡°Why should I trust you?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan answered, ¡°I¡¯ve secured a public oath from the Court Leader of the Taoist Court, so you can rest assured.¡±


    Elder Yu frowned slightly, unsure of what Qian Zhongxuan was plotting, but the absence of Foundation Builders on both sides would be favorable for the Monster Hunters.


    ¡°Fine, I agree,¡± he said.


    Qian Zhongxuan breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡±


    Suddenly, Elder Yu sneered, ¡°Qian Zhongxuan, you must be scared to death.¡±


    Frightened to engage in a fight to the death with him, the old man, as well as wagering life for life against Monster Hunters.


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s face soured, but he neither confirmed nor denied.


    Indeed, he was afraid. Yu Changlin, the old dog, did not fear death because being a Loose Cultivator meant enduring hardship.


    But for Qian Zhongxuan, as a Foundation Establishment Elder of the Qian Family, with a revered status and endless luxuries, death was not an option.


    Seeing his reaction, Elder Yu thought as much and verbally lashed out, ¡°Then better you return to your mother¡¯s womb and keep suckling her milk. This is no place for real fighting, you cowardly soft egg. Just hide in your den of riches and rot there¡­¡±


    Knowing he was no match in a war of words, Qian Zhongxuan turned and left with a flick of his sleeve.


    Mo Hua was dumbstruck by what he heard.


    He thought that if insulting people had realms, Elder Yu would at least be a half-step Immortal.


    Elder Yu, feeling unsatisfied as he watched Qian Zhongxuan slink away, turned his head back only to see Mo Hua staring at him with a look of amazement.


    Coughing, Elder Yu said, ¡°The things I said just now, you shouldn¡¯t learn them.¡±


    Mo Hua, who had already absorbed the lesson, assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder Yu.¡±

 Chapter 159 - 159 Spiritual Cultivator (Three More Updates)_1

    Chapter 159 Spiritual Cultivator (Three More Updates)_1


    The two sides agreed that the cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage would not take action.


    The next day, the Qian Family cultivators began to move, lining up from the foot of Nameless Peak all the way to the mine entrance halfway up the mountain.


    The number was about twice that of the Monster Hunters.


    Mo Hua, high up at the entrance of the highest mine, looked down and only saw the mountain densely packed with Qian Family cultivators, likely numbering over a thousand.


    How can we fight this?


    Mo Hua looked towards Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu appeared unconcerned, ¡°They may look numerous, but they are all no more than rice buckets.¡±


    And so the battle began between the two sides.


    At first, it was all probing, with both sides casually trading blows.


    Although the Monster Hunters were of a lower rank compared to the Qian Family cultivators, they had years of battle experience with Monster Beasts, skilled in Taoist arts, rich in experience, and battle-hardened, with seamless cooperation among themselves.


    While the Qian Family cultivators might have been higher in cultivation, they usually bullied others without real challenge, their Taoist skills were mediocre, and they didn¡¯t dare to fight desperately, showing fear at the start of the real battle.


    After a short chaos, the situation gradually became clear.


    Monster Hunters could attack or defend as needed, appearing to fight independently but also supporting each other, and although outnumbered, they managed to push the Qian Family cultivators into retreating step by step.


    Monster Hunters made their living hunting Monster Beasts. If they could kill beasts, then why not these cultivators who were not accustomed to fighting?


    The Qian Family cultivators gradually began to lose ground.


    Upon seeing this, Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s expression revealed neither joy nor anger, simply waving his hand to signal the retreat of the Qian Family cultivators.


    He probably feared that moving too slowly would lead to further insult from Elder Yu at the front lines.


    The first day ended hastily like this, and after everyone recuperated, they began to face off again the next day.


    Among the Qian Family cultivators, there were about twenty more cultivators present.


    These twenty or so cultivators stood together while the others from the Qian Family formed a protective circle around them.


    Elder Yu¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°This old fox, Qian Zhongxuan, that¡¯s his game.¡±


    After speaking, he picked up a piece of beef and began to eat.


    The beef belonged to Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu was originally observing the battle situation from above and noticed Mo Hua, who was stealthily peeking out from an entrance.


    In front of her were wild fruits, pine nuts, beef, and fruit wine.


    Concerned for Mo Hua¡¯s safety, Elder Yu had come over as well.


    There the two of them were, eating while watching the battle unfold.


    Mo Hua originally thought that today would be like yesterday, a victory that, though not without setbacks, would tilt overwhelmingly in their favor.


    Thus, she had prepared food and drinks to enjoy the show.


    But now Elder Yu was frowning, and his expression was not optimistic.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Is something not right?¡±


    Elder Yu pointed at the twenty or so Qian Family cultivators standing separately and said, ¡°Look at those people.¡±


    Mo Hua looked over and felt these cultivators had weak vitality and didn¡¯t appear strong, but the Qian Family had singled them out and protected them heavily, for reasons unknown.


    ¡°Elder, these people are¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± said Elder Yu.


    Before long, the two sides clashed, and the Monster Hunters charged.


    Instead of advancing, the Qian Family cultivators adopted a defensive formation to protect those twenty or so cultivators.


    At the same time, those twenty cultivators simultaneously performed their spellcasting gestures.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in her heart.


    It was Spiritual Cultivation!


    After a few moments, the Spiritual Cultivators completed their spells, launching fireballs, ice arrows, and wind blades; the spells flew out, striking the advancing Monster Hunters.


    In the chaos of battle, even without precise aiming, they were bound to hit someone.


    Those Monster Hunters who were hit by the spells all staggered, the lightly injured coughed up blood from the impact of the spiritual power, and the more seriously injured were eroded by the spiritual power, slowly falling to the ground, losing their combat effectiveness.


    Simultaneously, the Qian Family¡¯s Body Cultivation assassins surged forward, driving back the attacking Monster Hunters.


    Meanwhile, the Qian Family¡¯s Spiritual Cultivators continued to condense qi, unleashing spells.


    Soon, the fireballs and ice arrows were flying again.


    The Monster Hunters were in a dire situation.


    If they charged, they would be stopped by the Qian Family¡¯s body cultivators.


    If they didn¡¯t charge, they could only become live targets, forced to endure the spells of those twenty or so spiritual cultivators.


    Elder Yu¡¯s brow furrowed even more tightly.


    Twenty or so spiritual cultivators, and all were in the later stages of Qi Refinement, even some at the ninth level of Qi Refinement!


    That grandson Qian Zhongxuan was playing this very trick.


    Taking advantage of the fact that Monster Hunters didn¡¯t have spiritual cultivators!


    Indeed, Monster Hunters in the Qi Refinement Realm weren¡¯t suited to be spiritual cultivators.


    Spiritual cultivators needed time to cast spells, but when fighting Monster Beasts, being even slightly slower could mean the difference between life and death.


    So Monster Hunters generally didn¡¯t focus on spells, instead practicing martial dao techniques that used spiritual power to unlock the potential of their bodies and fight Monster Beasts.


    Moreover, spiritual cultivators had weaker bodies, a light scratch from a Monster Beast could leave them gravely injured if not dead, unlike body cultivators with their tougher skins, who could withstand a few more hits.


    But now, in the battle with the Qian Family cultivators, the Qian Family had presumed that the Monster Hunters lacked spiritual cultivators, or at least, didn¡¯t have any impressive ones.


    The enemy has what we lack.


    Relying on these advantages, and their spells, the Qian Family could slowly kill the Monster Hunters at leisure.


    There were indeed spiritual cultivators among the Monster Hunters, but without someone at the eighth or ninth layer of Qi Refinement, or twenty or so in number, their impact in such a chaotic battle was limited and couldn¡¯t change the situation.


    Anger stirred in Elder Yu¡¯s heart.


    No wonder that old bastard Qian Zhongxuan had insisted that those in the Foundation Establishment Stage not get involved.


    If he could have taken action, he would¡¯ve rushed over immediately to slaughter those twenty or so spiritual cultivators and saved a lot of trouble!


    Now that he couldn¡¯t take action, relying only on a group of Qi Refinement Stage body refinement Monster Hunters, they couldn¡¯t break through, only to be tortured with spells.


    Elder Yu sighed, knowing the situation was not in their favor, and directly ordered the Monster Hunters to retreat, only defending the entrance of the cave.


    Qian Zhongxuan sneered with contempt but did not pursue.


    He wasn¡¯t in a hurry. Sooner or later, these Monster Hunters, unable to deal with the spiritual cultivators, would be worn down and killed bit by bit.


    To rashly pursue and kill them now would only make it easy to fall into the cunning traps of that old coot Yu Changlin.


    Over the years, having dealt with Yu Changlin on numerous occasions, he knew him to be shameless to the point of reaching the pinnacle.


    He had never gained much advantage while dealing with Yu Changlin, but now, it was time for his moment of triumph.


    The Qian Family retreated, and Elder Yu pondered with a frown, contemplating how to deal with the Qian Family¡¯s spiritual cultivators.


    Yu Chengyi said, ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you sneakily take action, slaughter this group of spiritual cultivators?¡±


    Elder Yu gave him a glare, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you hear what that old coot said? The Court Leader of the Taoist Court witnessed our agreement. If I act rashly now, it¡¯s like slapping the Taoist Court in the face. How would I explain that to the Court Leader?¡±


    Yu Chengyi said in a soft voice, ¡°Sneakily¡­¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyebrows raised, ¡°Do you think everyone else is a fool? Can¡¯t they see if it¡¯s me who made the move?¡±


    Yu Chengyi had no response, but after a while, he said:


    ¡°What if we put on protective wear and charged over?¡±


    Mo Shan shook his head, ¡°Wearing protective wear would slow us down somewhat, and we¡¯d still be targets.¡±


    Yu Chengyi then suggested, ¡°Then find a few with good movement techniques, figure out a way to avoid the Qian Family¡¯s body cultivators, and kill their spiritual cultivators from behind!¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Shan nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the only way now, though it¡¯s quite risky. Be extremely careful, otherwise it¡¯s easy to be attacked from both sides, caught in a pincer.¡±


    ¡°The risk is too high, and if something goes wrong, it¡¯s hard to escape,¡± Elder Yu sighed.


    Unless absolutely necessary, he wasn¡¯t keen on having the Monster Hunters take such risks.


    ¡°Shall we find spiritual cultivators to counter them?¡± Yu Chengyi tentatively asked.


    Elder Yu thought for a moment then shook his head:


    ¡°They¡¯re not highly skilled or numerous enough; spiritual cultivators won¡¯t change the situation.¡±


    Everyone fell into contemplation once more.


    Suddenly, Elder Yu thought of a question:


    ¡°In our ranks of Monster Hunters, who is a spiritual cultivator?¡±


    Yu Chengyi and Mo Shan were momentarily stunned, unable to recall anyone at that moment.


    A true Monster Hunter, who would become a spiritual cultivator?


    The few looked at each other in bewilderment.


    Mo Hua timidly raised her little hand, ¡°I am.¡±

 Chapter 160 - 160

    Chapter 160


    The surroundings quieted down for a moment.


    ¡°I know spells,¡± Mo Hua emphasized.


    Elder Yu gathered his thoughts and began with praise:


    ¡°Not bad, you pursue Spiritual Cultivation; study spells diligently, and you¡¯ll definitely have a bright future.¡±


    These words were spoken with some guilt.


    After the compliment, Elder Yu continued to advise:


    ¡°But your current level is still low, and your spiritual power is weak, even if you know spells, it is not suitable for fighting with others, especially in this kind of chaotic situation.¡±


    Elder Yu feared that Mo Hua, in a moment of rashness, would rush out and fight with the Qian Family Cultivators.


    In such chaotic combat, if not well protected, Spiritual Cultivators are extremely vulnerable.


    Yu Chengyi also hurriedly nodded, he too was concerned about any accident befalling Mo Hua.


    However, Mo Shan looked at Mo Hua as if deep in thought.


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua said, ¡°I should be able to help a bit.¡±


    Elder Yu was slightly taken aback, ¡°How so?¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I can¡¯t contribute much in a melee, but I can help deal with those Spiritual Cultivators.¡±


    Elder Yu frowned.


    Mo Hua explained, ¡°I¡¯m only at the Qi Refining Sixth Level; my spells aren¡¯t very powerful, they might not kill them, but interrupting their spells shouldn¡¯t be a big problem.¡±


    ¡°What if they use spells against you?¡± Yu Chengyi asked.


    Mo Hua chuckled, ¡°They won¡¯t be able to hit me.¡±


    Yu Chengyi was stunned, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Their Divine Sense is inferior to mine; I¡¯ll stand outside the range of their Divine Sense. If their Divine Sense can¡¯t reach me, their spells naturally won¡¯t hit me.¡±


    Yu Chengyi suddenly realized and exchanged a look with Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu made a decision, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll try it tomorrow, but you must stay inside the mine; absolutely do not go out.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    The next day, the battle resumed.


    The Qian Family replicated their tactics, using Body Cultivators to distract and Spiritual Cultivators¡¯ spells to attack, slowly wearing down the Monster Hunters.


    The Monster Hunters, having received covert instructions from Elder Yu, didn¡¯t charge into the fray but focused on dodging spells to ensure they wouldn¡¯t be injured.


    At the same time, some Monster Hunters with good movement techniques harassed from the sides, feinting attacks on the Qian Family¡¯s Spiritual Cultivators from behind, drawing away the Body Cultivators and causing them to spread out.


    This distraction and pulling spread the Qian Family¡¯s Spiritual Cultivators thin, bringing them into Mo Hua¡¯s sight.


    Mo Hua cast spells, which did not require a visual, but only the locking of Divine Sense.


    Separating the Qian Family¡¯s Body Cultivators was meant to prevent them from blocking the Fireball Technique.


    Elder Yu stood behind Mo Hua.


    He wouldn¡¯t intervene in the battle, but that didn¡¯t prevent him from protecting Mo Hua.


    Should Mo Hua truly be in danger, he would certainly not stand idly by.


    If the Taoist Court¡¯s reputation was tarnished, so be it. It didn¡¯t matter if the Court Leader couldn¡¯t be easily explained away; he would simply apologize profusely, he was thick-skinned anyway.


    A Junior Formation Master who¡¯d already reached the threshold of the First-grade Formation Method at such a young age was still one of their Loose Cultivators.


    Elder Yu knew very well what was more important.


    Elder Yu assessed the positions of the Qian Family¡¯s Spiritual Cultivators and whispered to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit far, can you hit them?¡±


    Elder Yu knew of Mo Hua¡¯s strong Divine Sense, capable of creating First-grade Formations.


    But a strong Divine Sense didn¡¯t necessarily mean precise spellcasting. Such a distance made hitting the target not an easy task.


    Mo Hua was also uncertain, ¡°It should work.¡±


    One had to try regardless.


    In the heat of battle, the Qian Family¡¯s Spiritual Cultivators began to cast their spells.


    Elder Yu¡¯s gaze sharpened as he knew the battle was about to begin.


    Then he saw Mo Hua raise a hand, with fingers pinched together, launching a fireball.


    Elder Yu was surprised, ¡°That fast?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t even noticed Mo Hua¡¯s movements, and a fireball had already been cast and flown out.


    The fireball traced an arc, hitting one of the Qian Family¡¯s Spiritual Cultivators.


    Caught off guard while channeling halfway, the Cultivator was hit by the Fireball Technique, disrupting the half-completed spell.


    It hit!


    Elder Yu inwardly delighted, but then saw Mo Hua¡¯s expression was somewhat unhappy, muttering, ¡°Didn¡¯t hit¡­¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a hit?¡± Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Mo Hua regretfully said, ¡°No, I aimed for the heart meridian, but hit the wrist.¡±


    Elder Yu opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.


    Being able to hit from this far is already good enough, and you still want to hit the heart meridian?


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Not wanting to seem inexperienced, Elder Yu suppressed his shock and said nonchalantly,


    ¡°It¡¯s good enough to be able to hit, don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. Just aim better next time.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Mo Hua joined his fingers and, in the blink of an eye, the second Fireball Technique flew out.


    This time, Elder Yu watched carefully.


    It was indeed too fast!


    Elder Yu was surprised, thinking, ¡°I wonder who this child learned his spells from. It¡¯s just an Ordinary Fireball Technique, but it looks so evil¡­¡±


    After the second Fireball Technique was launched, it hit a Qian Family Spiritual Cultivator¡¯s shoulder.


    Mo Hua sighed regretfully, then adjusted his mindset, held his breath and focused his Divine Sense, and continued to cast the Fireball Technique.


    Luckily, the third and fourth Fireball Techniques were quite accurate.


    One of them definitely hit the heart meridian of a Spiritual Cultivator, who immediately fell down stiffly. Although it wasn¡¯t fatal, he wouldn¡¯t be getting up any time soon.


    The other exploded on a Spiritual Cultivator¡¯s face, blossoming his face open and burning off all his hair.


    Elder Yu watched silently from the side, but his eyelids kept twitching.


    Is this really the Fireball Technique?


    Can it really be this accurate?


    This is outrageous¡­


    Group battles are inherently chaotic; one Fireball Technique isn¡¯t much, but two or three are noticeable.


    Especially when one is lying stiff on the ground and another¡¯s face has bloomed.


    Even a fool would realize something wasn¡¯t right!


    ¡°Spell?!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a Spiritual Cultivator on the other side!¡±


    The Qian Family Cultivators looked towards Mo Hua, who dropped his small body to the ground, and the thick bushes concealed him completely.


    Many Divine Senses swept over Mo Hua¡¯s area, but found nothing.


    Mo Hua¡¯s location was something that was out of reach for most Qi Refining Ninth Level Cultivators¡¯ Divine Senses.


    Unwilling to give up, the Qian Family Spiritual Cultivators condensed their spells and threw them towards Mo Hua.


    For a moment, Fireballs, Water Arrows, Wind Blades, and Golden Lights dazzlingly flew towards him.


    However, these spells, once reaching not far from Mo Hua and losing control of Divine Sense, gradually dissipated and couldn¡¯t reach Mo Hua at all.


    Mo Hua now completely let go of his worries.


    Since the Qian Family Spiritual Cultivators couldn¡¯t hit him and the Body Cultivators couldn¡¯t rush over, he could now act without any reservations.


    Mo Hua poked his little head out, swiftly casting his Fireball Technique.


    One by one, the Fireball Techniques flew over the vegetation, over the rocks, and hit the Qian Family¡¯s Spiritual Cultivators.


    The Fireball Technique of a Qi Refining Sixth Level wasn¡¯t very powerful, but it was still unpleasant when it hit, especially when it hit vital areas.


    Spiritual Cultivators were not good at Body Cultivation. Being hit by a Fireball Technique, even if it wasn¡¯t a serious injury, would still result in wounds, and some were blown to a state of ash and dust, with their hair burned away.


    And with Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique suppressing them, they were simply unable to cast any spells.


    With the Qian Family¡¯s Spiritual Cultivators unable to cast spells, the Monster Hunters were no longer restrained.


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s eyes brightened, and he shouted loudly, ¡°Kill!¡±


    The Monster Hunters responded in unison, and for a moment, the shouts and cries of battle shook the heavens.


    Spiritual Power overflowed, Blood Qi surged out, and the Monster Hunters unleashed slashes of knife light, attacking the Qian Family Cultivators.


    The Qian Family Cultivators were stunned.


    Originally, they had a clear division of labor: Spiritual Cultivators would attack, Body Cultivators would defend, with both types collaborating, one suppressing while the other wore the opponent down.


    Now that the Spiritual Cultivators couldn¡¯t attack and the Body Cultivators didn¡¯t have the suppression of the Spiritual Cultivators¡¯ spells, they simply couldn¡¯t defend themselves.


    Under the fierce onslaught of the Monster Hunters, the Qian Family was once again forced to retreat in defeat.


    Qian Zhongxuan saw what was happening and his face turned ashen.


    ¡°Where did that spell come from?¡±


    He released his Divine Sense and swept towards where Mo Hua was. But Elder Yu suddenly appeared, blocking his probing Divine Sense.


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s eyes snapped open to see Elder Yu looking at him with a mocking and disdainful gaze.


    Just as Elder Yu was about to scold him, Qian Zhongxuan made a decisive command,


    ¡°Retreat!¡±

 Chapter 161 - 161: Iron Armor (Five Updates)_1

    Chapter 161: Iron Armor (Five Updates)_1


    The Qian Family retreated.


    All the way, Qian Zhongxuan was very puzzled, where did that spell come from? sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Monster Hunters aren¡¯t supposed to be good at spells.


    ¡°Could it be that old bastard Yu Changlin took action himself?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan shook his head, ¡°No, the spiritual power is too weak, it doesn¡¯t even seem to be at the late stage of Qi Refinement.¡±


    But with such a low realm, how could the spell be cast so far?


    Qian Zhongxuan was utterly baffled and could only curse in his heart:


    ¡°Damn that Yu Changlin, hiding such a trick up his sleeve, that¡¯s so cunning!¡±


    But only Elder Yu knew that he was wronged this time because the truly cunning person wasn¡¯t him¡­


    Seeing the Qian Family retreat, Mo Hua stood up, dusting off his clothes with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Fireball Technique is so much fun!¡±


    Elder Yu was also somewhat impressed and patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, praising, ¡°Not bad, you used the spell quite skillfully!¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to over-praise and seem inexperienced.


    Receiving the compliments, Mo Hua smiled even more happily, then asked:


    ¡°What other moves does the Qian Family have up their sleeve?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°Don¡¯t think too highly of that old coot Qian Zhongxuan. The fact that he thought up this strategy was already surprising. Wait till they have to fight head-on, he¡¯ll have a hard time.¡±


    The next day at dawn, the Qian Family cultivators arrived again.


    Just as Elder Yu said, Qian Zhongxuan had no new tricks and could only line up honestly for a frontal battle.


    In his heart, Qian Zhongxuan cursed Elder Yu thoroughly but dared not voice it out loud, fearing to humiliate himself.


    He silently admonished himself not to indulge in a fleeting victory of words with a petty man!


    In a head-on fight, the Qian Family had more people and superior cultivation, while the Monster Hunters were fewer, but battle-hardened, so the odds of victory were estimated to be fifty-fifty.


    But without a fight, one would never know.


    Both sides didn¡¯t waste words and directly rushed into combat.


    Thus, on the mid-mountain slopes of Nameless Peak, the place was teeming with cultivators, with glinting swords crisscrossing and multicolored spiritual power flying in all directions.


    Mo Hua watched, utterly shocked.


    When both sides fought with no clear winner, Elder Yu estimated that the Qian Family cultivators couldn¡¯t retreat easily, he waved his arm in a slashing motion.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you something good.¡±


    Elder Yu looked towards Qian Zhongxuan in the distance, a hint of scornful smile on his lips.


    Qian Zhongxuan was startled, then saw several Monster Hunters clad in iron armor walking out from their ranks.


    The sunlight shone on the armor, casting a subdued gleam, with an imposing and solemn aura.


    Qian Zhongxuan almost vomited blood.


    Where did these penniless Monster Hunters get iron armor?!


    Then he noticed the armor looked familiar, his gaze sharp as a knife, he turned to Qian Zhuang who stood to one side.


    Qian Zhuang stood with his head shrunk, not daring to say a word; he hated how his tall stature made him stand out in the crowd, impossible to hide.


    ¡°No matter, an iron armor is not impenetrable.¡±


    Given the dire situation, Qian Zhongxuan calmed his mood and ordered the Qian Family cultivators to contain those Monster Hunters in iron armor.


    A few more slashes with swords, and even an iron armor would break.


    Then he found that this iron armor seemed to truly be impervious to swords and spears!


    Ordinary swords couldn¡¯t even leave a mark upon striking, and even top-grade swords didn¡¯t cause much damage.


    The impact of strength and the fluctuation of spiritual power were also dissipated by the faint golden glow on the armor.


    These armors were confiscated from the Qian Family; they had formations inside, but they were too crude for Mo Hua¡¯s liking, so he erased the original ones, and drew the Golden Armor Formation himself.


    A top-grade Golden Armor Formation could make the iron armor solid as a rock!


    Monster Hunters at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, battle-hardened, clad in fine iron armor, with the addition of a top-grade Golden Armor Formation, would be nearly invincible in a Qi Refinement battlefield unless faced with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Gods block, kill gods; Buddhas block, kill Buddhas!


    The dozen or so iron-clad Monster Hunters swept through like a force of nature, practically undeterred by any of the Qian Family cultivators they faced.


    When it came down to brute force, no one could withstand these iron-clad armors.


    Qian Zhongxuan felt his scalp tingle with fear.


    Since when had the Qian Family¡¯s iron-clad armors been so powerful?


    So invulnerable to being cut down?


    Suddenly, he also noticed the faint golden light on the armors.


    ¡°Is this¡­ a Formation?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan cursed inside, thinking: the iron armor was already tough enough, and now they¡¯d actually reinforced it with a Formation inside? Have they no shame?


    ¡°Good one, Yu Changlin, I¡¯ll remember this grudge!¡± Qian Zhongxuan spat with hatred.


    But defeat had already set in, and Qian Zhongxuan, powerless to turn the tides, could only bitterly order, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    However, retreating was easier said than done.


    The battlefield was spread out, with cultivators locked in chaotic combat.


    When the Qian Family ordered a retreat, it was like a mountain collapsing; in an instant chaos reigned, with no clear direction.


    The Qian Family cultivators, their fighting spirit shattered, scattered in panic, while the Monster Hunters pursued them from behind, keen to expand their victory.


    By the time the Qian Family cultivators had successfully retreated to the foot of the peak to regroup, they had suffered heavy losses, with nearly half of the cultivators incapacitated.


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s heart bled.


    Qian Zhuang¡¯s heart ached as well, but not as much anymore.


    Compared to Elder Qian¡¯s failure, his own defeat was nothing but a setback, hardly worth mentioning.


    With this thought, Qian Zhuang¡¯s heart felt a tad lighter¡­


    But he did not dare ruffle Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s brow, only managed to say with a sorrowful expression and a hint of rage:


    ¡°This loss is devastating. The Monster Hunters have gone too far! Does the Elder have a strategy for us to take revenge and soothe our hatred?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s face twisted in agony before he said through gritted teeth:


    ¡°This vendetta must be avenged!¡±


    ¡°Even if it costs a fortune, I will make that old bastard Yu Changlin pay!¡±


    Qian Zhuang¡¯s heart skipped a beat; Elder Qian was indeed furious, he just wondered what means he still had at his disposal.


    While Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s heart bled, Elder Yu¡¯s heart was blooming with joy.


    This was a thrilling and complete victory!


    Elder Yu allowed everyone a brief celebration, to eat meat and drink wine.


    The meat was smoked jerked meat, also from the Wild Cattle Monster, prepared earlier by Liu Ruhua.


    Due to the conflict with the Qian Family and the uncertainty of how long they would have to defend the spiritual mines, she had made a lot. But with so many Monster Hunters, each could only have a few pieces, just enough for a taste.


    The wine consumption was also limited, with only two bowls per person.


    Given the significant implications of the spiritual mines, no accidents could be afforded, not even on a day of victory, and vigilance could not be relaxed.


    Other food items such as dry rations and wild fruits were not restricted.


    The atmosphere in the mines thus became lively.


    With everyone defending the spiritual mines, finding the time to extract Spirit Stones, fending off harassment from the Qian Family, and engaging in real battles, the mood was usually somber or tense. Finally, they could relax a bit and breathe easier.


    Mo Hua was also wandering around, greeted warmly by the Monster Hunters wherever he went.


    After all, without Mo Hua¡¯s Golden Armor Formation, they would have suffered far more injuries and defending the mines would have been much harder.


    Some Monster Hunters were even reluctant to consume their own share of meat and wine, offering it to Mo Hua instead.


    Mo Hua declined them all, as everyone had worked hard for so long, and it wasn¡¯t easy to have something good to eat.


    Most importantly, he had plenty of delicious food in his Storage Bag, specially prepared by his mother, who was worried he might go hungry inside.


    However, having been inside for quite some time, Mo Hua, who usually ate sparingly, was almost out of meat.


    ¡°I wonder how much longer we will need to defend these spiritual mines¡­¡± Mo Hua thought silently to himself.

 Chapter 162 - 162: Concealment (Part 1)_1

    Chapter 162: Concealment (Part 1)_1


    Mo Hua went to ask Elder Yu, ¡°Elder, how much longer do we need to guard the Spiritual mines?¡±


    Elder Yu took a sip of wine, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°Hard to say.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Then Elder Yu explained, ¡°If things keep going like this, the Qian Family is bound to lose without a doubt, and that old guy Qian Zhongxuan won¡¯t be able to turn the tide. But since this is about Spiritual mines, I estimate the Qian Family won¡¯t just let it go and will probably think of other ways.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    In the following days, the Qian Family kept a low profile and made no major moves.


    It was not until one morning, before dawn, in the midst of a thin mist, that a large group of cultivators of various appearances entered Big Black Mountain, reaching the base of Nameless Peak to greet Elder Qian.


    It was then that Qian Zhuang realized what Elder Qian meant by ¡°even if it costs a fortune.¡±


    He really did spend a fortune, hiring a large team of cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refinement from outside Tongxian City.


    ¡°How many Spirit Stones must that have cost¡­¡± Qian Zhuang thought with a wince.


    Upon receiving the news, Elder Yu widened his eyes and said, ¡°This grandson Qian Zhongxuan, he really is willing to spend.¡±


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Elder, where are these cultivators from?¡±


    ¡°Hired from outside the city with Flower Spirit Stones, these cultivators generally roam around. Whoever gives them Spirit Stones, they will risk their lives for; they only recognize Spirit Stones, not people. But the cost of hiring them is also considerable; Qian Zhongxuan is likely bleeding money.¡±


    ¡°Can we win against them?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s fight and find out,¡± Elder Yu sighed.


    Both sides started to line up, but the uniform silver-white robes of the Qian Family cultivators were now mixed with many other cultivators, varied in appearance and attire, making the formation look somewhat ragtag.


    Elder Yu opened his mouth and said, ¡°Qian Zhongxuan, is this motley crew of yours up to the task?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°Old man, spare me your clever words!¡±


    ¡°Must have cost you a fair amount of Spirit Stones¡­¡± Elder Yu clicked his tongue, ¡°Slashing at your own flesh to invite wolves and tigers, that¡¯s really something.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan didn¡¯t want to talk; he truly had spent a fortune, so just mentioning it made his heart bleed.


    ¡°We had an agreement beforehand; this was a dispute over the Spiritual mines between the Qian Family and us Monster Hunters. Can these mercenaries you hired with money be considered Qian Family cultivators?¡± Elder Yu cried out loudly in inquiry.


    Qian Zhongxuan snorted coldly, ¡°I gave them Spirit Stones, so they are people of the Qian Family.¡±


    Elder Yu spat, ¡°Then if I slept with your old mother and gave her Spirit Stones, would she count as mine too?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Qian Zhongxuan was so angry he couldn¡¯t speak.


    Elder Yu didn¡¯t let him off, saying, ¡°By that logic, am I not your cheap father? Unworthy son, come and kowtow to your father! Haha!¡±


    The Monster Hunters all laughed along.


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s defenses were completely shattered, and he pointed forward with trembling fingers, ¡°Kill them!!¡±


    Elder Yu also suppressed his laughter, his voice deep as he ordered, ¡°Kill!¡±


    The momentums of both sides surged instantly, as a great battle was about to erupt.


    After a few moments of combat, Elder Yu observed the situation, his brow slightly furrowed.


    The Qian Family cultivators were still not a threat, but these hired cultivators were quite troublesome.


    The Monster Hunters were experienced from a hundred battles, though mostly against Monster Beasts, while those hired by the Qian Family were used to collecting Spirit Stones in exchange for risking their lives against other cultivators.


    In terms of coordination, they couldn¡¯t match the Monster Hunters, but they had an endless supply of devious and bizarre tactics, and their Taoist Skills were varied and tricky. At first, they were not easy to handle.


    ¡°Elder Yu, can we win against them?¡± Mo Hua asked somewhat worriedly.


    After pondering for a moment, Elder Yu replied, ¡°We should be able to.¡±


    After saying this, he explained, ¡°These hired cultivators seem tough only because they have just joined the fray, and we are not familiar with them. If we engage in prolonged battle, once we familiarize ourselves with the methods of these cultivators, matters will become much easier.¡±


    ¡°Monster Hunters hunt year-round and fight side by side, developing a mutual understanding. They hold an advantage in such large-scale battles. Besides, we have iron armor; as long as they can¡¯t break through our iron armor, we will eventually have the upper hand.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling relieved.


    At the start of the battle, the Monster Hunter, hired by the cultivators, indeed struggled to cope, but once he adapted, the situation gradually stabilized.


    The iron-armored Monster Hunter, moving as if he were in a land uninhabited, killed slowly yet wherever he went, both Qian Family cultivators and hired cultivators could only evade his sharpness.


    Gradually, more flaws appeared in the Qian Family¡¯s defenses and they were slowly suppressed by the Monster Hunter.


    Watching the iron-armored Monster Hunter, Qian Zhongxuan remained unflustered, even revealing a cold smile.


    At the same time, Mo Hua detected a trace of abnormality through his Divine Sense, furrowing his brow and staring intently toward the battlefield.


    He saw an iron-armored Monster Hunter suddenly have his throat slit open by a blade, blood gushing out. The Monster Hunter clutched at his throat, half-kneeling on the ground while the surrounding hired cultivators pounced like hungry wolves.


    Fortunately, Yu Chengyi was nearby and immediately intervened to save him, strenuously holding back the attacking hired cultivators. With Mo Shan coming to assist, the two of them together managed to rescue the Monster Hunter.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart filled with sudden doubts.


    What exactly happened?


    He had seen nothing, and then the Monster Hunter¡¯s throat was cut.


    Although the iron armor was sturdy, it couldn¡¯t cover the whole body, and vital areas like the neck, eyes, and joints were still exposed. If it had been an open battle, one could take precautions beforehand, but that attack had been imperceptible.


    Mo Hua had only sensed a trace of abnormality with his Divine Sense; with the naked eye, nothing was visible.


    Mo Hua looked toward Elder Yu, noticing that Elder Yu was also deeply concerned, murmuring,


    ¡°It must be the Concealment Technique.¡±


    ¡°The Concealment Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Can it conceal one¡¯s presence?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded and said, ¡°Yes, the Concealment Technique, as the name suggests, is a spell that can hide one¡¯s presence. After using the Concealment Technique, the person will become invisible, completely unseen by the naked eye.¡±


    Mo Hua was astonished and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Can I learn it?¡±


    Knowing the Concealment Technique would make traveling in the Cultivation World much more convenient!


    ¡°It requires a water series Spiritual Root to learn, and you have the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, which, although includes water series, might not be solely suitable for mastering it,¡± Elder Yu dampened the enthusiasm a bit. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed but then worriedly asked, ¡°Then how do we counter this spell?¡±


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°It depends on Divine Sense. The Concealment Technique can only hide one¡¯s form and to some extent mask one¡¯s aura, but it can¡¯t hide the presence of Spiritual Power. As long as your Divine Sense is stronger, you can see through the Concealment Technique.¡±


    ¡°That will be tricky,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Monster Hunters were not known for their strong Divine Sense, and if they could not see through the Concealment Technique, they would be like fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of their adversaries.


    On the battlefield, quite a few Monster Hunters fell to surprise attacks, bleeding profusely.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened. In such a chaotic fight, still being able to move with ease indicated that the cultivator was not only skilled in the Concealment Technique but also extremely experienced and agile, with sharp Divine Sense.


    What to do? Mo Hua was getting anxious.


    Just then, Mo Hua suddenly felt a disturbance around Mo Shan, who was fighting valiantly.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help shouting out.


    But he was too far away, and in the chaos, his voice couldn¡¯t reach.


    Mo Shan, who was in close combat and exposed to vulnerability, was subject to an attack by the hidden cultivator.


    At the critical moment, relying on his extensive experience, Mo Shan instinctively tilted his neck to the side as a dagger slid past, grazing him and drawing a streak of blood. Although he bled, the wound wasn¡¯t severe.


    Mo Shan turned cold eyes around, retaliating, but there was nothing but empty air, no one in sight.


    Gone?


    Mo Shan frowned, realizing that if things continued this way, the situation would become dire.


    He wiped the blood from his neck and felt somewhat fortunate; good thing he had sensed the killing intent and ducked just in time, or it would have been dangerous.


    Watching this scene, Mo Hua¡¯s heart relaxed a bit, and then his little face turned serious.


    ¡°Dare to ambush my dad, I¡¯ll remember you!¡±

 Chapter 163 - 163: Fireball Technique (Second Update)_1

    Chapter 163: Fireball Technique (Second Update)_1


    ¡°Elder, find two people to protect me!¡±


    Mo Hua said to Elder Yu, and then with a light jump, he leapt down from the entrance of the mine.


    Elder Yu, unaware of what Mo Hua intended to do, thought for a moment and then called two Monster Hunters to follow Mo Hua and protect him.


    He also extended his Divine Sense to follow Mo Hua, in case he encountered any danger.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t enter the center of the battlefield, but found a concealed position on the edge and carefully hid.


    The two Monster Hunters stood guard around Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua held his breath and concentrated, closing his eyes and extending his Divine Sense to its utmost limit.


    The chaotic and jumbled battlefield suddenly turned into a void of whiteness, with the battling cultivators each appearing within Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense in their states of Spiritual Power.


    After a long time, Mo Hua finally noticed a strange figure.


    The figure appeared faintly in light blue, drifting across the battlefield, making moves like a phantom, elusive and hard to grasp.


    If Mo Hua had not pushed his Divine Sense to the extreme, he would have completely failed to notice this figure.


    Mo Hua tried to lock on with his Divine Sense.


    But the figure was unpredictable and its presence was thin, making it difficult to be locked onto by Divine Sense.


    As more and more Monster Hunters fell, Mo Hua took a deep breath, forcibly calming his spirit and entering into a state of meditation where he was oblivious to everything around him.


    Mo Hua exerted all his strength to capture the light blue figure with his Divine Sense, and after an unknown amount of time, his eyes suddenly snapped open, shining slightly.


    Locked on! S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The light blue figure was faint but visible within Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, and its trajectory was clear.


    Mo Hua brought two fingers together and pointed forward, releasing a howling Fireball Technique.


    The Fireball Technique flew towards an empty area on the battlefield.


    Near the empty area was a Monster Hunter clad in iron armor, embroiled in a fight with another.


    Suddenly, the Monster Hunter sensed a warning of danger at his side, but his hands were tied with the blade he was fighting with and he couldn¡¯t move.


    Right then, a dagger suddenly appeared in the space next to the Monster Hunter, aimed cunningly straight at his eyes.


    The Monster Hunter had no way to dodge, his face showing a moment of despair.


    Just then, a fireball roared in and struck the cultivator who was trying to ambush him.


    The moment the Fireball Technique exploded, flames spread out, interrupting the ambush.


    The ambushing cultivator¡¯s figure was briefly revealed.


    He was short in stature, with ordinary features and a malicious glint in his eyes, dressed in black.


    The Monster Hunter took advantage of this break to catch his breath and swept away a nearby Qian Family cultivator with his blade, then struck at the black-clothed man.


    The black-clothed cultivator cursed, executed his movement technique, and retreated, heading to the edge of the battlefield, weaving through the crowd several times before gradually disappearing again.


    The Monster Hunter felt a pang of regret but also heaved a sigh of relief, thankful for the Fireball Technique¡ªit had probably saved his life.


    It was just a pity that he hadn¡¯t caught and killed the black-clothed cultivator!


    After weaving several times and concealing his form, the black-clothed cultivator continued to prowl the battlefield, but he couldn¡¯t help but wonder,


    ¡°Where did that Fireball Technique come from?¡±


    Monster Hunters are mostly Body Cultivators and rarely skilled in Spells.


    The Spell just now was tricky and precise, and its caster must have been experienced.


    Luckily, the power wasn¡¯t great, only enough to interrupt his attack, without causing any real injuries.


    But then the black-clothed cultivator thought again and felt something was off¡ªan experienced caster¡¯s Fireball Technique couldn¡¯t possibly be that weak.


    Could it just be a coincidence?


    In the chaos of cultivator battle, it was common to be accidentally hit by stray Spells, and perhaps he had just been unlucky to be hit.


    He refused to believe that anyone could target him with a Spell amidst such a chaotic fight.


    The black-clothed cultivator settled his mind, his expression turning confident again as he continued to prowl, looking for an opportunity to strike.


    When a Monster Hunter showed a vulnerability, the black-clothed cultivator was about to act but suddenly another Fireball Technique flew towards him, interrupting his ambush once more!


    Once could be chance, but a second time was certainly not.


    The black-clothed cultivator was slightly annoyed and quickly scanned the surroundings with the corners of his eyes.


    Cultivators cast spells by Condensing Qi and raising their hands; his ample experience in combat made this easy to discern at a glance.


    Yet there were no signs of the Monster Hunters around him casting any spells.


    The black-clothed cultivator swept his Divine Sense shallowly across his surroundings and still found nothing, his expression becoming perplexed,


    ¡°Who used the Fireball Technique?¡±


    He dared not extend his Divine Sense to its limit, nor did he dare to use it for too long.


    Once he was distracted for too long with his Divine Sense, he would inevitably reveal a flaw, and then he would be the one in danger.


    Mo Hua hid behind a large rock at a distance, first locking on with his Divine Sense, then peering out to launch a Fireball Technique before stealthily hiding again.


    The black-clothed cultivator could not see him with his eyes, and given the distance, his Divine Sense couldn¡¯t detect him either.


    Moreover, after locking on with his Divine Sense twice and casting the Fireball Technique twice, Mo Hua¡¯s technique grew increasingly skilled.


    The shapes of hidden cultivators became clearer within his Divine Sense.


    The black-clothed cultivator faintly sensed something was amiss.


    It seemed like he was constantly being spied on with Divine Sense!


    Originally, the battlefield was chaotic, muddled with Spiritual Power, and the Divine Sense was disordered, so he hadn¡¯t noticed.


    But now, having been hit by the Fireball Technique twice, he realized that there indeed was a trace of Divine Sense, faintly and persistently following him, like a haunting specter.


    A Foundation Establishment cultivator?!


    ¡°No, impossible,¡± the black-clothed cultivator thought to himself, ¡°If it were the prying of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I wouldn¡¯t be able to detect it at all.¡±


    So it must be another cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, with a stronger Divine Sense than his own!


    But at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, how could the spell¡¯s power be so low?


    The black-clothed cultivator¡¯s thoughts were in turmoil.


    He had to find the cultivator using the Fireball Technique! Otherwise, every move he made would be compromised, and he¡¯d be in a dire situation.


    The black-clothed cultivator, wary in his heart, refrained from acting rashly and instead roamed around the edges of the battlefield, patiently looking for clues, intent on exposing Mo Hua.


    If the enemy doesn¡¯t move, I won¡¯t move.


    Since the black-clothed cultivator didn¡¯t make a move, Mo Hua saw no need to act either.


    Hiding behind the large rock, Mo Hua relaxed and even took out a sour-sweet wild fruit, savoring it with relish.


    But with the black-clothed cultivator not taking action, the Monster Hunters on the field felt a sudden easing of pressure and became more unbridled in their attacks.


    The Qian Family cultivators were increasingly pressured and struggled to hold on.


    Seeing the situation turning bad, the black-clothed cultivator had no choice but to act again.


    But every time he made a move, it was interrupted by Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique.


    The black-clothed cultivator became cautious, feigning attack to see where the Fireball Technique came from. At first, he did indeed discern its rough direction, but the second time, he saw nothing.


    That¡¯s because the subsequent Fireball Techniques were exploding directly in his face.


    Mo Hua faintly sensed his gaze and guessed the black-clothed cultivator¡¯s thoughts, so he resorted to smearing his face with the Fireball Technique, leaving him unable to see anything.


    As his Divine Sense locked on more frequently, the black-clothed cultivator¡¯s movements became more obvious, and Mo Hua¡¯s aim grew even more precise.


    The black-clothed cultivator felt like coughing up blood.


    How the hell did it get more accurate with each shot?


    To be hit squarely in the face upon casting?


    He was furious within, having wandered the Cultivation World for so many years, always the one to ambush others. Now, he was being ambushed by someone else, and with the Fireball Technique?


    And not just once, but several times!


    ¡°Despicable and shameless! I will find you and kill you!¡±


    The black-clothed cultivator was filled with rage, and amidst his intense emotions, his Spiritual Power began to run awry.


    His Concealment Technique momentarily failed.


    Mo Shan, who had been lying in wait, instantly spotted the lapse, his figure flashed before the black-clothed cultivator, grasping his shoulder with a large hand, squeezing forcefully, then heaving him violently to the ground.


    The sound of breaking bones resounded.


    The black-clothed cultivator was slammed heavily to the floor, vomiting fresh blood!

 Chapter 164 - 164 Who Is It (Three More)_1

    Chapter 164 Who Is It (Three More)_1


    After being stealthily attacked, Monster Hunter Mo Shan was always vigilant.


    He faintly guessed that among the cultivators employed by the Qian Family, there was one who excelled in the Concealment Technique and was attacking in secret, so he became much more cautious with his moves, trying not to leave any openings.


    At the same time, he paid attention to the battlefield, looking for any traces of this cultivator.


    Although Mo Shan was sharp in observation, his Divine Sense was not so strong; thus, he could not see through the Concealment Technique.


    Just then, he saw a fireball!


    At a glance, he recognized it as the Fireball Technique used by his son, Mo Hua.


    And after the Fireball Technique was launched, it exploded a short and petite Black-Clothed Cultivator out of a space that had previously appeared empty.


    ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense can perceive this Hidden cultivator!¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s spirit was lifted; he kept an eye out for the Fireball Technique while battling with the Qian Family¡¯s cultivators.


    Indeed, every time a fireball flew by, the stealth attacks from the Black-Clothed Cultivator would be interrupted and he would briefly become visible.


    Mo Shan silently took note, quietly waiting for the Black-Clothed Cultivator to expose an opening.


    Just now, the heart of the Black-Clothed Cultivator became perturbed, his Spiritual Power became chaotic, and his figure was revealed.


    Seizing the opportunity, Mo Shan grabbed his shoulder and fiercely slammed the Black-Clothed Cultivator to the ground.


    The Black-Clothed Cultivator, proficient in stealth and malevolent in attack, did not have a strong physique; with this slam, his bones broke, and he spat out fresh blood, feeling a chill in his heart.


    A cultivator who practices the Concealment Technique, once his movements are detected, it means a great disaster is imminent!


    Especially on a battlefield where several cultivators are mixed in combat.


    The Black-Clothed Cultivator, enduring agonizing pain, tried to circulate his Spiritual Power to enact the Concealment Technique again.


    Yu Chengyi seized the moment and rushed over with large strides, delivering a heavy kick to his abdomen.


    The Black-Clothed Cultivator felt his internal organs shift, his body curled up, and was kicked far away by this foot, landing right in the midst of a group of Monster Hunters.


    The Monster Hunters were already simmering with anger; seeing this, they all greeted the Black-Clothed Cultivator with their knives.


    By the time the Qian Family¡¯s cultivators arrived and managed to rescue the Black-Clothed Cultivator, he was already covered in knife wounds, barely clinging to life.


    Elder Yu watched with glee and laughed heartily.


    Without that Hidden cultivator, the Qian Family could only be slowly whittled away.


    Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but take another look at Mo Hua.


    He thought to himself that this kid Mo Hua, with his exquisite use of the Fireball Technique, both fast and accurate, might indeed become an incredible Spiritual Cultivator in the future.


    Now he was still young, with a low cultivation level and weak spiritual power, so his Fireball Technique could only be considered tricky and unconventional, used to interrupt or confuse the battle.


    If his cultivation became higher in the future and the power of his Fireball Technique was not to be underestimated, and you were suddenly targeted at your heart or Qi Sea¡­


    You wouldn¡¯t even know where he was.


    Putting himself in the shoes of others, Elder Yu thought about it and found it quite troublesome just by thinking about it.


    At the same time, Qian Zhongxuan was furious.


    It was the Fireball Technique again!


    He was originally watching the spectacle, enjoying the Black-Clothed Cultivator toy with the Monster Hunters, watching each Monster Hunter fall one by one, and thinking about how Elder Yu Changlin must be feeling frustrated and helpless yet incapable of doing anything.


    In the blink of an eye, the one feeling frustrated and helpless was him!


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s gaze turned cold, and he suddenly released his Divine Sense; he wanted to see who exactly was using the Fireball Technique!


    Just as his Divine Sense was about to reach Mo Hua, Elder Yu suddenly appeared, shielding Mo Hua.


    Qian Zhongxuan felt his Divine Sense blocked and upon a closer look, it was again Elder Yu Changlin¡¯s old face!


    Elder Yu looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile, Qian Zhongxuan sensed danger and immediately shouted through clenched teeth, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan was getting quite proficient at shouting this ¡°Retreat.¡±


    Seeing Qian Zhongxuan withdrawing, and no longer having his Divine Sense spying, Elder Yu then embraced Mo Hua and leaped into the mineshaft.


    ¡°In the future, we must be more careful and never take risks; if it¡¯s not necessary to make a move, don¡¯t do it,¡± Elder Yu advised.


    He was afraid that Mo Hua¡¯s actions would be noticed by the Qian Family and, knowing Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s petty nature, he reckoned the old man might shamelessly cause trouble for Mo Hua.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± nodded Mo Hua with his little head, ¡°either don¡¯t make a move, but if I do, it¡¯s for the opponent¡¯s life!¡±


    Mo Hua spoke with a childlike voice, full of spite.


    Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Who taught you that?¡±


    ¡°My dad did!¡±


    Elder Yu nodded with a smile, ¡°Well said! The Cultivation World is perilous, either don¡¯t act, but once you do, show no mercy. Your dad taught you well!¡±


    Pride swelled in Mo Hua as his dad was praised, and he nodded in agreement.


    The Black-Clothed Cultivator was crippled, Qian Zhongxuan called a retreat, and the Qian Family cultivators slunk away in defeat. Yet during their withdrawal, they were ambushed by the Monster Hunter, and many were wounded or lost.


    Now Qian Zhongxuan was really in a fix, his investment had gone to waste, his forces were reduced, and the spiritual mine seemed to be out of the question.


    He had lost all standing within his clan.


    Qian Zhongxuan seethed with anger.


    He despised Elder Yu Changlin, that old bastard; he resented the carelessness of the hired cultivators and cursed the incompetence of his own men.


    But what bothered him the most was who was helping the Monster Hunter with the Formation Painting and who was secretly casting spells?


    Which Formation Master would stoop so low as to help these poor Monster Hunters with drawing Formations?


    And what cultivator would use such weak but tricky and weird Fireball Techniques?


    If it weren¡¯t for the Formations and the Fireball Technique, he would have taken control of the spiritual mines long ago.


    Qian Zhongxuan was baffled and could only vent his frustrations on Qian Zhuang, berating him so fiercely that he was drenched in a metaphorical bloodbath.


    Were it not for his incompetence, how would he himself be stuck with these messes!


    He had originally discussed with the Family Head that if he secured the spiritual mines, he would get an extra ten percent of the Spirit Stones. Now, even if he were to get twenty percent more, it couldn¡¯t make up for his losses.


    The more Qian Zhongxuan thought about it, the angrier he got.


    In a low voice, Qian Zhuang asked, ¡°Elder, what do we do now?¡±


    He was trying to divert attention so that Qian Zhongxuan would stop focusing on how to scold him. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Zhongxuan furrowed his brows, not having thought of a solution yet when wails suddenly came from outside the camp.


    They were the injured members of the Qian Family and the hired cultivators.


    Sighing, Qian Zhongxuan waved his sleeve and said helplessly, ¡°Let¡¯s save the wounded first.¡±


    In the empty space outside the camp, the ground was littered with the injured, and cries of agony filled the air.


    The Black-Clothed Cultivator was also being treated.


    The Qian Family Pill Masters administered pills and applied herbs to his wounds, while also slowly cleansing the leftover spiritual power in his body and cutting off the hair singed by the Fireball Technique.


    As his condition gradually stabilized, the Black-Clothed Cultivator slowly came to after a while.


    His mind was a blank due to the pain, but slowly he began to recall the events of the day.


    Flashes of different cultivators passed through his mind: the one who tripped him, the one who kicked him, the one who slashed at him haphazardly.


    And of course, there was the cultivator who used the Fireball Technique!


    A surge of resentment welled up inside the Black-Clothed Cultivator.


    He had roamed the Second Grade Black Mountain State Boundary for over a hundred years, usually with smooth sailing and few failures. But now, he had been unexpectedly capsized in the gutter by a Fireball Technique.


    That low-level Fireball Technique, the one with the power of a middle phase Qi Refinement!


    Ambushed by a Fireball Technique!


    A hundred-year-old cultivator, ambushed by a Fireball Technique!


    It was a humiliation beyond compare!


    Amidst the indignation, the Black-Clothed Cultivator was also puzzled.


    How had he been ambushed, how had his Concealment Technique been broken, who was the one casting the Fireball Technique, and how could he have been targeted so precisely every time?


    No matter how much the Black-Clothed Cultivator pondered, it didn¡¯t make sense to him, and he felt an overwhelming frustration building up. Looking up at the sky, he spouted fresh blood from his mouth and roared unwillingly:


    ¡°Who the hell used the Fireball Technique?!¡±


    As rage overtook him and his wounds ruptured again, his vision darkened and he fainted once more.

 Chapter 165 - 165 Qian Hong (Four Updates) _1

    Chapter 165 Qian Hong (Four Updates) _1


    The black-clothed cultivator was so infuriated that he coughed up blood, while Mo Hua, using the Fireball Technique, looked leisurely and unruffled.


    In the following days, as Qian Family cultivators didn¡¯t press their attack, Mo Hua spent his days drawing formations, strolling around to look at the spiritual mines and admire the mountain scenery, calculating how many more days the meat in his storage bag would last him.


    One day, Mo Hua saw Elder Yu looking solemn and couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously,


    ¡°Elder Yu, is the Qian Family making a move again?¡±


    ¡°Not for the time being, but that old turtle Qian Hong should be arriving soon.¡±


    ¡°Old turtle?¡±


    ¡°Qian Hong.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the head of the Qian Family?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew somewhat somber, ¡°Is Qian Hong very formidable?¡±


    Elder Yu said dismissively, ¡°About the same as Qian Zhongxuan.¡±


    ¡°Then how did he become the family head?¡±


    Elder Yu chuckled lightly, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of scheming involved there. In the Cultivation World, both within clans and sects, there are many who occupy positions they don¡¯t deserve. To climb the ranks, it doesn¡¯t necessarily depend on cultivation or capability. Being able to boast, scheme, deceive, and flatter is often more useful than diligently doing your job.¡±


    Elder Yu scoffed again, ¡°Those people who look respectable, most of them are probably good for nothing.¡±


    Mo Hua was enlightened and asked further, ¡°So, is Qian Hong a good-for-nothing?¡±


    ¡°Not quite.¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Then he¡¯s a schemer?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Indeed, Qian Hong is very cunning. This time Qian Zhongxuan took a heavy loss, and it¡¯s time for him to step in and take advantage.¡±


    ¡°Take advantage?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°They even take advantage of their own family¡¯s misfortunes?¡±


    Elder Yu chuckled, ¡°The Qian Family is so large, supporting so many people. Strictly speaking, they¡¯re all family because of blood ties and connections. But because they are family, at the same time, they aren¡¯t really family.¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head, ¡°Is the Qian Family¡¯s infighting that intense?¡±


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°When I call the Qian Family treacherous, it¡¯s not for no reason. They¡¯re ruthless to outsiders and their own kin alike. They¡¯ll eat meat whenever there¡¯s meat, and it doesn¡¯t matter who it¡¯s been bitten off from.¡±


    Mo Hua clicked his tongue, asking, ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    Elder Yu stroked his chin, ¡°It¡¯s about time to consider making an escape.¡±


    ¡°Escape?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Is the spiritual mine depleted?¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°We can¡¯t deplete it.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit wasteful¡­¡±


    Elder Yu laughed, ¡°We¡¯ve had our fill of the meat; we have to leave some soup for the Qian Family.¡±


    As night fell and mountain winds howled, a group of cultivators once again approached the Qian Family camp, led by none other than the Qian Family head, Qian Hong.


    Qian Zhongxuan stood in the cold wind outside the camp with Qian Family cultivators, respectfully welcoming the Qian Family head, Qian Hong.


    Qian Hong was middle-aged with half-white hair, handsome features, but an arrogant demeanor, and his sharp gaze swept around as keenly as an eagle.


    Qian Zhongxuan greeted him with cupped hands, ¡°Welcome, Family Head.¡±


    The nearby Qian Family cultivators all bowed to pay their respects.


    Qian Hong nodded in acknowledgment and followed Qian Zhongxuan into the camp.


    Once seated with no one else around, Qian Hong asked, ¡°How¡¯s the battle going?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan briefly reported.


    Qian Hong sighed, ¡°Elder Qian, you were a bit too hurried. They were trapped inside and couldn¡¯t escape. You should have taken your time initially; then you wouldn¡¯t have suffered such heavy losses.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan was quite ashamed and frustrated but had nothing to say.


    Whether he attacked, defended, besieged, or trapped, if he failed, there would always be an excuse to place blame.


    He indeed had lost, spent a lot of spirit stones, lost many subordinates, and his face was completely gone.


    Now powerless to retort, Qian Zhongxuan could only grit his teeth and say, ¡°What the Family Head said is very true!¡±


    Qian Hong glanced at Qian Zhongxuan and slowly said,


    ¡°However, Elder Qian, you¡¯ve worked hard this time. The clan remembers your toil. I¡¯ll take care of what¡¯s to come, so you don¡¯t need to trouble yourself further.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan couldn¡¯t help but curse inwardly.


    What does he mean by remembering my toil? Does he mean to say I have no merit at all?


    Qian Zhongxuan said, ¡°The Family Head is busy with numerous affairs, and regarding the matter of the Spiritual mines, how could we trouble the Family Head? Just give me some more hands, and I will definitely secure the Spiritual mines!¡±


    ¡°Elder Qian!¡± Qian Hong frowned and said, ¡°I trust in the Elder¡¯s abilities and am willing to entrust this matter to the Elder, but by doing so, I would not be able to justify this to the clan.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s expression was grave and carried a hint of heartache as he said, ¡°After all, the losses we suffered previously were too severe!¡±


    In his heart, Qian Zhongxuan silently spat out a curse.


    Such pretense, what took you so long? Isn¡¯t it just to wait for him and Yu Changlin to fight to the bitter end, losing their capital, so that he, as the Family Head, could come and reap the benefits?


    By then, the credit would be his, the Spiritual mines his, and the prestige his as well.


    Such a crafty plan indeed!


    Qian Zhongxuan also hated himself for being careless and couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of the Spirit Stones, agreeing to Qian Hong and taking on this task.


    He also didn¡¯t expect that Yu Changlin would have so many tricks up his sleeve, all of which were techniques he had never seen before¡ªhis loss was indeed great!


    Qian Hong picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and said indifferently, ¡°Elder Qian, is there something you¡¯re dissatisfied with?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan was filled with dissatisfaction, but he knew he no longer had the right to be dissatisfied. He could only clasp his fists and say through gritted teeth:


    ¡°I shall follow the Family Head¡¯s commands!¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Qian Hong slightly lowered his eyelids, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. After a moment, Qian Hong changed his tone and asked again:


    ¡°May I know why the Elder failed this time?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Among the Monster Hunters, there was a Formation Master!¡±


    Qian Hong showed a hint of surprise, ¡°Is there a first-rank one?¡±


    ¡°Even if not first-rank, it¡¯s not far off¡­¡± Qian Zhongxuan replied.


    Qian Hong shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve asked Master Qian, and the Formation used by that Formation Master, the Earth Fire Formation, contains only seven Formation Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Qian Hong looked at Qian Zhongxuan with a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°Seven Formation Patterns, just crossing the threshold of an average Formation Master. In the Elder¡¯s eyes, does this amount to almost a first-rank Formation Master? Although the Elder is not a Formation Master, he shouldn¡¯t have made such a grave mistake!¡±


    For an average Formation Master, two Formation Patterns represent two colossal thresholds. It¡¯s not that the difference is small; it¡¯s very big indeed.


    Qian Zhongxuan, feeling both shame and anger, was momentarily unable to refute.


    Qian Hong then asked, ¡°Is there any other reason?¡±


    Suppressing his anger, Qian Zhongxuan replied, ¡°There was also a Spiritual Cultivator who was skilled in spells¡­¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyes revealed a mocking light, ¡°One?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ there might be more than one¡­¡±


    ¡°Are their cultivation levels very high?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan fell silent for a while before slowly saying, ¡°They should not be at the late stage of Qi Refinement¡­¡±


    Qian Hong couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, shaking his head, ¡°Elder Qian, oh Elder Qian, a Formation Master who can only draw seven Formation Patterns, one¡ªor, as you say, a few¡ªSpiritual Cultivators who are not at the late stage of Qi Refinement¡­¡±


    Qian Hong sighed and said with a mocking glance, ¡°Just because of these, you have suffered heavy losses? How should I speak for you in the clan? Who would believe such reasons if they were said out loud?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s face turned red, and his fingers clenched white.


    Seeing it was about enough, Qian Hong spoke in a more soothing tone:


    ¡°Enough, enough. What¡¯s done is done, and it¡¯s useless to say more. Leave the following matters to me; you needn¡¯t trouble yourself any further, Elder.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s face alternated between red and white as he clasped his fists and asked:


    ¡°May I know what the Family Head is planning?¡±


    With an air of having everything under control, Qian Hong sipped his tea before slowly saying, ¡°As I¡¯ve said, there¡¯s no need to rush. I have my ways.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart and respectfully said, ¡°Then I will rely on the Family Head!¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan was respectful with his words, but his heart sneered coldly.


    In terms of ability, he and Qian Hong were evenly matched; it¡¯s just that he wasn¡¯t as shameless and scheming as the other.


    If he, Qian Zhongxuan, couldn¡¯t handle those Monster Hunters, he didn¡¯t believe that Qian Hong, who only knew how to take advantage, would have any good strategies.


    The Formation Master and that Spiritual Cultivator might not seem much at first glance, but once you truly faced them, you¡¯d realize how troublesome they could be.


    A look of contempt flickered in Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s eyes as he waited to see Qian Hong¡¯s spectacle unfold.

 Chapter 166 - 166 Earth Stone Formation (Part 5)_1

    Chapter 166 Earth Stone Formation (Part 5)_1


    The next day, Qian Hong met with Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua peered into the mining tunnel and sneakily looked on, instantly recognizing Qian Hong.


    Qian Hong was Qian Xing¡¯s father, whom Mo Hua had blasted with an Earth Fire Formation. Knowing what Qian Xing looked like and noting the father-son resemblance made Qian Hong easy to identify.


    Besides, even without looking at faces, the only two Foundation Building Cultivators among the Qian family¡¯s cultivators stood out at first glance.


    Qian Zhongxuan stood right by Qian Hong¡¯s side, and though both were Foundation Building Cultivators, Qian Hong clearly had a more imposing presence.


    Qian Zhongxuan only had deep wrinkles, which gave him a stern face, far less authoritative than the high-ranking Qian family head Qian Hong.


    Mo Hua asked curiously, ¡°Elder, why do you call Qian Hong an ¡®old tortoise¡¯?¡±


    At least at a glance, Qian Hong appeared proud and handsome, with an extraordinary demeanor.


    Elder Yu said, ¡°You want to know?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    ¡°Alright, just watch.¡±


    Watch what?


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    After a while, the two sides faced off. Elder Yu stood at the mouth of the tunnel on the hillside, with a saber in hand and striding like a warrior, and began to curse directly at Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan.


    He cursed the two of them from head to toe.


    Qian Zhongxuan trembled with rage, but Qian Hong¡¯s expression remained unchanged as if he hadn¡¯t heard a thing.


    Once Elder Yu had cursed enough to tire himself out, he stopped to rest and said to Mo Hua, ¡°Understand now?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and exclaimed in amazement,


    ¡°Truly an ¡®old tortoise¡¯ indeed¡ªhe really can endure!¡±


    To be cursed like that by Elder Yu and yet remain unfazed, not uttering a word, not even a twitch of the eyebrow.


    ¡°Putting it nicely, that¡¯s called being deep and cunning. To put it unpleasantly, it¡¯s being shameless.¡± Elder Yu said.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Elder, isn¡¯t it a bit bad to provoke him like this?¡±


    Elder Yu said disdainfully, ¡°Provoking him or not makes no difference; as long as there are benefits to be had, he recognizes neither kin nor kith, so don¡¯t think that by not provoking him, he would suddenly grow a conscience.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and then asked, ¡°Are we going to fight them next?¡±


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°Ideally, we would not fight. We have been at war for far too long, weary from prolonged battle, while they keep sending wave after wave of fresh troops. To engage in another head-on clash would be to our disadvantage. Moreover, our food supplies and the pills for healing wounds are also running low.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯re running?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to run? With so many Qian family cultivators around, we won¡¯t be able to escape easily, will we?¡± Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Initially, I planned to defeat the Qian family so we could openly transport the spiritual mines out. But now, with the Qian family cultivators pouring in like locusts, wave after wave, and the old tortoise Qian Hong himself coming, that approach is impossible,¡± Elder Yu said.


    ¡°Our only option is to dig another mining tunnel and slip away quietly,¡± Elder Yu continued.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°A mining tunnel? Can we dig one in time?¡±


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°Hard to say; we need to do our best to hold the tunnel entrance and buy as much time as possible.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, but he felt the defense would be difficult.


    Defending the mining tunnel was indeed difficult.


    Afterward, the Qian family attacked the tunnel at irregular intervals each day, not seeking glory or reluctant to retreat, purely wearing down the Monster Hunters¡¯ fighting spirit.


    They also aimed to tie down the Monster Hunters, preventing them from making other moves.


    Elder Yu needed people to defend the mouth of the tunnel, to mine for spiritual mines, and to dig an alternative tunnel for escape.


    For a moment, it was an overwhelming situation.


    Mo Hua was also worried, but he had no better solutions.


    One day, Elder Yu suddenly sought out Mo Hua and asked, somewhat helplessly, ¡°Mo Hua, do you have a Formation that can seal the mine?¡±


    If they couldn¡¯t hold it, it would be better to seal it off completely. This way, the Qian family couldn¡¯t get in, and they could escape after digging out the mining tunnel.


    ¡°Seal it off completely?¡±


    ¡°Just leave one or two openings,¡± Elder Yu said.


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°It¡¯s possible!¡±


    He thought of a Formation that could reinforce earth and stone, sealing the cave entrance, which he had seen in the Formation Books given to him by Mr. Zhuang.


    Elder Yu¡¯s spirits lifted, ¡°Can you draw it now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t learned it yet.¡±


    Elder Yu let out a sigh, ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask everyone to hold on a bit longer, you learn it first. There¡¯s no need to rush¡­¡±


    In fact, Elder Yu was very anxious inside.


    It would be bearable for a short time, but enduring in the long term, competing with the Qian Family day after day, would be tortuous. The Qian Family had supplies and manpower; they did not.


    But Elder Yu didn¡¯t want to put the pressure on Mo Hua. Mo Hua had already been a great help.


    Elder Yu also knew that learning Formations was not easy, many Formation Masters spent ten days to half a month as normal. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be so few of them.


    Elder Yu felt somewhat hesitant in his heart. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He didn¡¯t know how long it would take Mo Hua to learn this Formation. If it took ten days to half a month, they might not be able to hold out and would have to find another way.


    Elder Yu stood up to leave, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t help asking in a soft voice:


    ¡°Mo Hua, I¡¯m not rushing you. I just want to ask, how long will it take for you to learn this Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said tentatively:


    ¡°If it goes well, by tomorrow morning; if not, then the morning after.¡±


    As it wasn¡¯t an obscure First-grade Formation Method, Mo Hua was learning quite fast now. He would memorize the Formation Patterns during the day and practice at the Taoist Stele at night. If he couldn¡¯t learn it in one night, two nights would be enough.


    Elder Yu opened his mouth.


    He felt that his numerous cautious thoughts from just a moment ago were somewhat superfluous. His emotions had soared and plummeted, leaving him with a complex expression, ¡°Do all you Formation Masters learn Formations this quickly¡­ ¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled, ¡°Probably not all.¡±


    ¡°Then it is this child Mo Hua who learns quickly¡­¡± Elder Yu cast a glance at Mo Hua and silently thought to himself.


    Regardless, by tomorrow or the day after, there would be enough time.


    Elder Yu breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Then learn at your own pace, I won¡¯t disturb you any further.¡± He then walked away with a relaxed expression.


    Mo Hua then opened the Thousand Formation Catalog, flipping through to find a certain Formation containing nine Earth Series Formation Patterns, known as the First-grade Earth Stone Formation.


    The Earth Stone Formation was one type among First-grade Earth Series Formation Methods, which could meld earth and stone together, making them even more solid.


    The Formation Patterns were not difficult; Mo Hua remembered the gist after a few glances. And it was still early, several hours away from 1 p.m.


    It was not until 1 p.m. that Mo Hua could enter his Sea of Consciousness and practice the Formation at the Taoist Stele.


    ¡°What shall I do now?¡±


    Mo Hua propped his cheek, thinking.


    He had already memorized the Formation Patterns, looking over them a few more times wouldn¡¯t make much difference.


    Mo Hua decided to take out some paper and consolidate his learning by trying to draw the First-grade Earth Stone Formation a few times.


    Usually, when learning a Formation Method, Mo Hua would practice on the Taoist Stele until he was adept and only then draw it on paper, to not waste paper and ink.


    But it seemed like now was not the time to worry about wasting these materials.


    Mo Hua began to directly draw the First-grade Earth Stone Formation on paper.


    As expected, the first drawing failed.


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed but was not too distressed, considering he had previously saved up more than a thousand bottles of Monster Blood and currently didn¡¯t lack for Spiritual Ink.


    Mo Hua started on the second drawing, which failed as well.


    The third drawing, another failure.


    Mo Hua reflected for a moment, calmed his mindset, and continued drawing. Then, while drawing, he found himself successfully completing it as if by a natural convergence¡­


    Mo Hua tried to infuse some Spiritual Power, and the Formation Patterns lit up, emitting a faint gray glow.


    That was a success?


    Mo Hua first felt elated, then found himself somewhat¡­unexcited.


    He had originally planned to spend an entire night practicing the Earth Stone Formation, but it hadn¡¯t even reached evening, and he had already mastered it.


    ¡°What shall I study tonight then?¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head, flipping through the messy Formation Books beside him, when he accidentally saw another Formation:


    The First-grade Earth-Wood Compound Formation.

 Chapter 167 - 167 Earth-Wood Formation_1

    Chapter 167 Earth-Wood Formation_1


    A First Grade Earth-Wood Compound Formation?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately began to flip through the pages.


    The so-called First Grade Earth-Wood Compound Formation is a complex formation that includes the First Grade Nine Pattern Earth Stone Formation and the Five Formation Patterns Wood Qi Formation.


    As the highest single formation within the compound formation reached the first grade, it could indeed be considered a First Grade Compound Formation.


    This set of Earth-Wood Compound Formation contained only two single formations and didn¡¯t have a separate Spirit Gathering Array as the formation eye. Instead, it relied on the Spirit Gathering Formation Patterns within the single formations to gather spiritual power, which meant its power would be somewhat weaker, but its effects were still much stronger than a First Grade Earth Stone Formation.


    After all, even if weaker, it was still considered a compound formation. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, because the structure was relatively simple, it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to learn.


    If it included three or more single formations and used a Spirit Gathering Array as the formation eye, the formation pivot¡¯s structure would be completely different. With Mo Hua¡¯s current level of formation skills, it would be very difficult to learn.


    The two single formations included in this set of compound formations consisted of the Wood Qi Formation with only five formation patterns, which Mo Hua knew, and he had just learned the First Grade Earth Stone Formation as well.


    To learn this compound formation, all he needed to do was master its formation pivot.


    Mo Hua decided he would practice this compound formation on the Taoist Stele that night!


    By 1 a.m., Mo Hua had firmly memorized the formation pivot of the Earth-Wood Compound Formation, and then he closed his eyes to sleep, his divine sense sinking into his sea of consciousness, with the Taoist Stele emerging within it.


    Mo Hua began to practice the formation on the Taoist Stele.


    It didn¡¯t start off smoothly, but learning formations was a process that required practice makes perfect. If once didn¡¯t work, he¡¯d try twice; if twice didn¡¯t work, then three times.


    Mo Hua drew it over and over again.


    However, after all, he was only at the sixth level of Qi Refinement. His divine sense was sufficient to draw out a First Grade Nine Pattern Formation, but drawing a First Grade Compound Formation was still a bit of a stretch.


    Mo Hua drew all night but still didn¡¯t master the First Grade Earth-Wood Compound Formation.


    The next day, Elder Yu looked eagerly at Mo Hua.


    Although he didn¡¯t ask, his eyes were full of anticipation.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment.


    Sealing the cave entrance with a First Grade Earth Stone Formation should be enough, but using the Earth-Wood Compound Formation would likely be better.


    Since he wasn¡¯t in a hurry for just a day or two, Mo Hua asked Elder Yu to wait a little longer.


    Mo Hua practiced throughout the day, exhausting his divine sense, and then meditated to recover.


    He practiced on the Taoist Stele again all night and finally managed to draw out the First Grade Earth-Wood Compound Formation at last.


    Mo Hua informed Elder Yu, who was overjoyed, and immediately ordered the Monster Hunters to start sealing the cave.


    But sealing this cave wouldn¡¯t be so easy. Taking such an overt action would undoubtedly alert the Qian Family. If they harassed them daily, the cave entrance wouldn¡¯t be sealed after all.


    Mo Hua asked Elder Yu if there was a way to deal with it.


    Elder Yu chuckled, not answering, but rather told Mo Hua just to watch closely.


    Elder Yu still started with a verbal tirade.


    He stood at the mouth of the mine, portraying himself as outraged, cursing the Qian Family, Qian Hong, and Qian Zhongxuan, and he seemed so frustrated by being trapped that it appeared unbearable.


    Then, Elder Yu ordered all the Monster Hunters to charge out, showing the resolve and momentum of a fight to the death, as if they had their backs against the wall and regarded death with indifference.


    Qian Hong didn¡¯t want a head-on confrontation, so he retreated.


    At this point, in Qian Hong¡¯s eyes, these Monster Hunters were like fish trapped in a jar, easy prey, unworthy of him taking casualties or engaging them in a desperate fight.


    The Monster Hunters were engaging in a struggle of despair, and if pushed too far, they might take a desperate and destructive stand that would be more than the Qian Family could afford.


    The Qian Family had already suffered great losses, and they couldn¡¯t afford to increase these losses any further, at least not during his command.


    Therefore, when the Monster Hunters showed a determination to fight to the death, the Qian Family immediately retreated.


    For three consecutive days, the Monster Hunters did the same, giving the impression they were ready to fight to the last.


    For Qian Hong, Elder Yu was clearly at his wits¡¯ end, and so he became even less anxious, instructing the Qian Family¡¯s cultivators to retreat far away and avoid direct confrontation with the Monster Hunters.


    A swift success, followed by decline, and ultimately exhaustion.


    Qian Hong didn¡¯t believe the Monster Hunters could last long with their fighting spirit alone.


    Once their morale dissipated, it would be his time to reap the benefits, so he was in no rush.


    This was exactly what Elder Yu had hoped for. He cursed Qian Hong inwardly, ¡°Truly an old turtle,¡± and then ordered the sealing of the cave¡¯s entrance.


    The Monster Hunters used discarded stones from mining to block the entrance while Mo Hua painted an Earth-Wood Compound Formation on the stone walls on either side.


    After the painting was complete, the Monster Hunters would use more broken stones to fill in another layer, Mo Hua would paint another Earth-Wood Compound Formation, and then they blocked it again while Mo Hua painted yet another one.


    All the other entrances were being sealed, with only one at the highest point of the mountainside left open.


    This entrance was left open for Elder Yu to curse through.


    Elder Yu would sit there when he had nothing else to do, hurling insults, calling Qian Hong a cowardly turtle, lacking guts, afraid to face a real challenge.


    In reality, it was a diversion to tie up the Qian Family¡¯s attention, making them hesitant to launch a reckless attack.


    The more furiously Elder Yu cursed, the more at ease Qian Hong felt.


    However, as time went on, Qian Hong began to sense that something was amiss.


    He felt that Yu Changlin¡¯s cursing lacked its previous satisfaction and seemed deliberate, as if trying to hide something.


    Qian Hong was on alert, but also dared not act rashly. He merely dispatched a small group of people to probe the mine¡¯s entrance under the cover of night.


    This group of Qian Family Cultivators had just arrived at the mine¡¯s entrance when they were ambushed by the Monster Hunters.


    Mo Shan, Yu Chengyi, and a few other Qi Refining Ninth Level Monster Hunters were not inside the mine but had been lying in wait outside, ready to pounce on any probing Qian Family Cultivators.


    Clad in iron armor and wielding large sabers, and with Spiritual Power surging, the Qian Family Cultivators didn¡¯t stand a chance and fled in disarray.


    Qian Hong, however, was relieved, thinking to himself,


    ¡°Yu Changlin, that old rogue, as expected, his sealing of the cave was a feint, and the ambush was real. Lucky for me, I anticipated this and only sent a few Cultivators to scout. Otherwise, I would have suffered a major setback!¡±


    The ambushers, including Mo Shan and others, returned to the Spiritual mines through the entrance in the middle of the mountain.


    This ambush was a one-time tactic, but it was primarily meant as a distraction, and one time was sufficient for its purpose.


    Qian Hong¡¯s hesitance bought time for everyone to seal the cave and allowed Mo Hua to draw Formation Patterns without much interference.


    As time dragged on, Qian Zhongxuan felt something was not right. He approached Qian Hong and said,


    ¡°It seems like Yu Changlin wants to seal off the entrance.¡±


    Qian Hong replied indifferently, ¡°I know.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan frowned. ¡°Are we just going to let him seal it?¡±


    Qian Hong looked unconcerned, ¡°The sealing of the entrance is a ruse, the ambush is the reality.¡±


    ¡°But what if they really seal off the entrance? What do we do then?¡± Qian Zhongxuan asked.


    Qian Hong said, ¡°It¡¯s mere earth and stone. If they seal the entrance, breaking through it will be easy!¡±


    ¡°What if they dig another mine tunnel and escape?¡± Qian Zhongxuan pressed on.


    ¡°They won¡¯t get away,¡± Qian Hong sneered. ¡°We¡¯ve been dealing with Yu Changlin for more than a day or two. We can guess all the tactics he might employ without even thinking. He¡¯ll either defend the entrance or dig another tunnel to flee.¡±


    ¡°If we can break through the entrance, it will be like catching turtles in a jar. If we find the tunnel, we can ambush them halfway. Then, the Spiritual mines they¡¯ve painstakingly mined will all belong to us.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyes were cold, and he sneered mockingly, ¡°We¡¯ll kill them, take the Spirit Stones as our own, and without lifting a finger, we gain doubly.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan said out loud, ¡°The Family Head is wise.¡±


    But inwardly, he cursed, truly a dog can¡¯t change its habit of eating shit, always looking for a bargain in everything.


    Would that old curmudgeon Yu Changlin let you take advantage of him so easily?


    And the Formation Master among the Monster Hunters hasn¡¯t made a move yet.


    In a situation like this where Cultivators are at odds, Formations can be very problematic, and he had suffered from it before.


    Qian Zhongxuan knew the stakes, yet he kept silent!


    He was actually looking forward to seeing whether Qian Hong¡¯s bargain hunting this time would bring him benefits or setbacks.


    His own foundation had been depleted anyway, and his position in the Clan was gone, so he was delighted to watch from the sidelines.


    If there¡¯s misfortune to be had, let everyone suffer together; no one would get away scot-free!


    Qian Zhongxuan thought bitterly.

 Chapter 168 - 168 Sealing the Cave_1

    Chapter 168 Sealing the Cave_1


    Just as Qian Hong felt he had the situation under control, the Monster Hunters had sealed off the entrance to the tunnel.


    Rubble piled up to form a wall, Mo Hua drew Formation Patterns on the wall, blocked it with more rubble, then drew the Patterns again, blocked again, and Mo Hua drew yet another time.


    Inside and out, there were three walls in total, with three sets of Formations.


    Mo Hua obtained hundreds of Spirit Stones from Elder Yu, crushed them, and channeled the spiritual power into the Formation to activate the Earth-Wood Compound Formation.


    The Formation Patterns interwoven with earthy grey and light green merged with the rubble, mixing earth and stone together into a formidable barrier.


    ¡°Will this Formation be able to hold?¡± Elder Yu was still not at ease.


    Mo Hua internally felt there was no issue.


    The Earth Fire Formation used paper as the media and could only be used once, whereas the current Earth-Wood Compound Formation employed earth and stone as the media, which was durable and long-lasting. It would be time-consuming and laborious to break through this Formation.


    Moreover, it was a First-grade Compound Formation, which should be enough to deal with Qi Refinement Realm Cultivators¡ªunless Foundation Establishment Realm¡¯s Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan decided to take action.


    But without trying, it was difficult to make a definitive conclusion.


    Thus Mo Hua could only vaguely say, ¡°It should work, I suppose.¡±


    At this juncture, Elder Yu did not hesitate, ordering all Cultivators to focus on digging the escape tunnel, leaving the remaining Spirit Stones unmined.


    It was imperative to complete the escape tunnel before the Qian Family could breach the mines.


    The Qian Family had also taken note of the Monster Hunters¡¯ activities.


    Qian Hong sneered, ¡°Just as expected, Yu Changlin has sealed the entrance and is digging a tunnel.¡±


    After speaking, he ordered the Qian Family Cultivators to scout. Having investigated, they reported back to Qian Hong that the entrance had been sealed by a wall of earth and stone.


    Qian Hong was unconcerned; a wall made of dirt and rubble, even if it sealed the entrance, could be broken within two days.


    However, after the Qian Family Cultivators toiled at the entrance for quite some time, they returned, reporting:


    ¡°To inform the Family Head, we couldn¡¯t make a dent.¡±


    Qian Hong frowned, ¡°What do you mean you couldn¡¯t make a dent?¡±


    The disciple looked down and said, ¡°The entrance has been sealed with earth and stone, and we couldn¡¯t budge it¡­¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s brows furrowed even deeper.


    Upon hearing this, Qian Zhongxuan was slightly taken aback and felt some joy in the misfortune of others, a hint of a mocking smile playing on his lips.


    Qian Hong said, ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    Qian Hong approached the sealed entrance and naturally detected the fluctuations of the Formation on the earth and stone.


    This¡­ has Formation Patterns drawn on it?


    Qian Hong had a bad premonition and ordered, ¡°Try hitting it.¡±


    Several Qian Family Cultivators stepped forward; some used swords, others knives, some struck with bare hands, and some used spells.


    Although they could chip away at the rubble and make some gaps, the stones would quickly come together as if alive, fusing back together.


    It was as if the stones grew together like earth and wood, capable of self-repairing.


    The Qian Family Cultivators struck it again and again, exhausted and panting, yet with little effect.


    Unable to contain himself any longer, Qian Hong drew his sword and slashed at it.


    This sword was infused with the power of the Foundation Establishment Stage, and the spiritual power was so condensed, the sword qi sheared off a layer of the rubble.


    However, Qian Hong was inwardly shocked, ¡°A First-grade Formation Method?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan wasn¡¯t lying? There is actually someone among the Monster Hunters who can draw a First-grade Formation!


    Qian Hong¡¯s look of surprise was noted by Qian Zhongxuan, who felt deeply satisfied inside.


    ¡°A Formation with seven patterns, after all, is just so. I¡¯m sure the Family Head will soon be able to break this Formation and capture all these Monster Hunters in one fell swoop!¡±


    While Qian Zhongxuan maintained a serious face, there was a slightly sarcastic tone to his words.


    Qian Hong kept a composed expression but inwardly felt a touch of anger, though he couldn¡¯t refute it.


    The Formation Master among the Monster Hunters was just an ordinary one, capable of drawing seven patterns.


    He had said this himself, and to deny it would mean contradicting his own words.


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s ridicule, he had to endure for the time being, planning to settle accounts with him later.


    The most pressing issue at hand was how to break through the entrance, storm into the mines, kill the group of Monster Hunters, seize the Spirit Stones, and occupy the spiritual mines.


    Qian Hong was about to take action himself when suddenly Elder Yu¡¯s voice came from above: sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°We had agreed that those at the Foundation Establishment Stage would not take action, so don¡¯t be shameless.¡±


    Qian Hong looked up to see Elder Yu at the only unsealed entrance halfway up the mountainside, looking down at them with a mocking expression.


    Qian Hong scoffed, ¡°We agreed not to strike against Cultivators, but we said nothing about striking against the mountain and stone.¡±


    Elder Yu appeared to smile but not smile, ¡°Then go ahead, I¡¯ll be watching you.¡±


    Qian Hong frowned, yet he dared not make a move.


    If he were to break through the entrance and consume too much spiritual power, there was a real danger that Yu Changlin might launch a sneak attack he couldn¡¯t withstand.


    If the matter reached the Taoist Court, Yu Changlin could argue that it was the Qian Family¡¯s Foundation Building Cultivators who had struck first.


    Indeed, if Qian Family Cultivators broke the Monster Hunter¡¯s Formation, it could be considered that the Qian Family had made the first move.


    Besides, there was Qian Zhongxuan nearby; by acting rashly, he might give him the opportunity to benefit.


    After hesitating, Qian Hong stopped his actions.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stick to the agreement and only let the Qi Refinement Cultivators take action,¡± he agreed.


    Yu Changlin breathed a sigh of relief but looked down on Qian Hong even more in his heart:


    ¡°Then don¡¯t just stand there doing nothing. Scram and make room for your low-level Qi Refinement thugs to try their luck at breaking through this mining tunnel,¡± he said.


    Qian Hong gave Elder Yu a venomous look and waved his hand to give a signal.


    The Qian Family Cultivators stepped forward one by one, attacking the rocks at the tunnel entrance with swords, Martial Dao, and spells.


    One cultivator exhausted his strength before another took his place.


    As for the entrance where Yu Changlin appeared, it was impenetrable, and they had no chance of breaking through.


    Only by creating several more entrances and attacking in unison could they possibly overwhelm the Monster Hunters.


    Though the Earth-Wood Compound Formation was strong in defense, it still relied on the Spirit Stones to bolster the Formation¡¯s effect with their Spiritual Power.


    Each time it was damaged, the Spiritual Power would be depleted a bit more.


    The Qian Family Cultivators, attacking day and night for several days, finally succeeded in breaking through one of the Earth-Wood Compound Formations.


    Accompanied by a thunderous sound, the first earthen wall, deprived of the Formation¡¯s enhancement, crumbled into rubble.


    The spirits of the Qian Family Cultivators were lifted, and they showed joy on their faces.


    But their joy didn¡¯t last long because they found another wall of stone behind the broken one.


    They tried to chop it, but the earthen Pattern on the wall didn¡¯t budge, evidently protected by another Formation.


    The Qian Family Cultivators wore faces of despair, and even Qian Hong¡¯s eyelid twitched uncontrollably.


    He hadn¡¯t anticipated that Yu Changlin would be so ruthless, to construct two stone walls with two sets of Formations.


    No, it couldn¡¯t be just two¡­


    Grinding his teeth, Qian Hong ordered the Qian Family Cultivators to temporarily halt and rest before continuing the assault.


    At this point, there was no turning back for him.


    When the Qian Family began their attacks on the mining tunnels, Elder Yu was inside, listening intently. However, to his confusion, he noted that suddenly, there was no more noise from the Qian Family:


    ¡°Why have they stopped attacking?¡± he wondered.


    ¡°They must be too exhausted to continue,¡± came the response.


    After a few days, Mo Hua finally confirmed that the First-grade Earth-Wood Formation was difficult for Qi Refinement Cultivators to break through.


    Especially since Mo Hua had wrapped it with three layers.


    Elder Yu still didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Why can¡¯t they keep attacking?¡± he asked.


    ¡°This is a Compound Formation; after breaking through three layers, it will exhaust them to death!¡± someone explained.


    ¡°Compound Formation?¡± Elder Yu, unacquainted with the term, was puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s a type of Formation that is just a tad more formidable than the First-grade Formation Method,¡± Mo Hua explained.


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyes widened, more powerful than a First-grade Formation Method?


    He then said, ¡°This Formation could hold for a very long time then?¡±


    After making a rough estimate, Mo Hua nodded in agreement. If no Foundation Building Cultivator intervened, it could indeed last a very long time.


    Assuming there is no shortage of food and drink.


    Elder Yu froze, then felt a deep regret.


    If he had known how useful Mo Hua¡¯s Formation was, he wouldn¡¯t have rushed to dig the mining tunnel.


    There were still many unmined Spiritual mines in the tunnel¡­


    Which meant many Spirit Stones!


    Elder Yu, always frugal, showed an expression of pain.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua came up with a thought, eyes lighting up with an idea:


    ¡°How about we be merciless? We don¡¯t give them even a sip of soup!¡±


    This suggestion struck a chord with Elder Yu, and after pondering for a moment, he nodded, ¡°Indeed, waste should be met with divine punishment!¡±

 Chapter 169 - 169 Mine Tunnel_1

    Chapter 169: Chapter 169 Mine Tunnel_1


    The Monster Hunters at the Spiritual Mines could live worry-free for ten years with their haul, but if the Qian Family got their hands on it, they would use it to their advantage and bully them instead.


    Although the Spiritual Mines were important, the priority was still the mining tunnel.


    After all, the tunnel determined whether everyone could retreat safely. Elder Yu understood well what was more critical.


    Elder Yu instructed everyone to focus on digging the tunnel first. In a few days, once the tunnel was ready and there was a way to escape, the Monster Hunters could then turn around and excavate the Spiritual Mines.


    Elder Yu demonstrated his frugality to the extreme, strolling in the mine shaft daily when he had nothing else to do, meticulously scraping off even the slightest bit of Spiritual Mine he came across against the wall and tucking it into his Storage Bag.


    According to Elder Yu, everything mineable should be mined, not leaving a single penny for the Qian Family, eating everything clean¡ªmeat and soup¡ªso that even if the Qian Family licked the bowl, they wouldn¡¯t taste a drop of soup!


    Mo Hua watched in admiration.


    He had only intended to take extreme measures, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this ruthless! Worthy of Elder Yu indeed!


    Mo Hua learned a great deal.


    The activities of Elder Yu digging the mining tunnel were also discovered by the cultivators of the Qian Family.


    Qian Hong, aware of Elder Yu¡¯s plans, had sent people to watch all over Big Black Mountain early on, looking for any trace of the Monster Hunters.


    Mining a tunnel couldn¡¯t possibly happen without making some noise.


    And indeed, the Qian Family found traces of the Monster Hunters.


    It was an opening of a pit, surrounded by rubble, with grass and wood used to cover it up as a disguise.


    Qian Hong sneered inside, ¡°Yu Changlin, oh Yu Changlin, you burrow and scheme like a rat, but in the end, you still fall into my hands?¡±


    Qian Hong had someone keep watch, but for several days, no Monster Hunters were seen coming out.


    Qian Hong frowned and ordered Qian Zhuang to take a team down to check.


    Qian Zhuang obeyed and, with a few Qian Family cultivators, carefully entered the tunnel.


    The tunnel was dark and damp, surrounded by rubble; it indeed looked freshly excavated.


    Qian Zhuang and his men searched inside for a long time without finding anything¡ªnot a trace of the Monster Hunters, nor any other people.


    As Qian Zhuang was perplexed, a cultivator from the Qian Family found a section of the wall that was lighter in color. When tapped with a finger, it made a sound, indicating the wall was very thin.


    The Qian Family cultivators exchanged glances, their expressions brightening.


    This indicated that there was a hollow behind the wall, a mining tunnel, and this wall was used to divert attention.


    The group of Monster Hunters was hiding behind this wall!


    Qian Zhuang led his men to break through the wall with all their might.


    The wall collapsed, and dust filled the air.


    When the dust settled, they saw a pair of blood-colored vertical pupils, the size of a bronze bell.


    Qian Zhuang gasped in shock.


    This damned creature wasn¡¯t a Monster Hunter; it was a mature Monster Beast in the late stage of the first rank!


    The beast¡¯s eyes held a mix of confusion, anger, and a bloodthirsty glee.


    Confused about why there were people in its den; angry because it was woken from its rest; and overjoyed because, upon awakening, it had food delivered right to its doorstep!


    In the narrow tunnel, the Monster Beast hunted and fed, while the Qian Family cultivators frantically fled for their lives.


    When Qian Zhuang and his men finally returned to Qian Hong, looking pitiful and beyond recognition,


    Qian Zhuang was seriously injured, but at least he was in one piece. The others were mostly missing arms and legs, and some stayed forever in that pit, resting in the belly of the beast.


    Qian Hong¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t remain calm any longer.


    Despite his deep scheming, he was livid, grinding his teeth as he said:


    ¡°Well played, Yu Changlin, digging a fake tunnel next to the beast to fool me! This is crossing the line!¡±


    The Qian Family disciples all bowed their heads, not daring to speak.


    Some time later, another Qian Family disciple arrived to report the discovery of yet another tunnel.


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyelid twitched, his mind filled with uncertainty.


    The mining tunnel here might indeed be real, but at the same time, it might also be another Mystery Formation laid by Yu Changlin as a trap for him.


    But since it was discovered, it was impossible not to investigate.


    Qian Hong again ordered several disciples to go ahead and also reminded them to be cautious, wary of potential Monster Beasts in the pit. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Qian Hong expected, there indeed were Monster Beasts in the pit.


    The investigating Qian family disciples came back, yet not all of them came back.


    They still returned missing arms and legs, still having lost several lives.


    They were cautious, but in front of the Monster Beasts, their caution was meaningless.


    The pit connected to the Monster Beasts¡¯ nest, was dimly lit, the terrain narrow, making it inconvenient for cultivators to advance or retreat, while the residing Monster Beasts were in their element.


    Monster Beasts are inherently stronger than cultivators of the same realm, and even experienced Monster Hunters hunting them usually seek out open spaces, patiently engaging in a battle of wits with the beasts, outnumbering them with several people or even more than a dozen to surround and eliminate them.


    Qian family cultivators, not skilled in Monster Hunting, venturing into such narrow and dark nests, were essentially delivering themselves on a platter.


    Their resistance was merely a prelude to the Monster Beasts¡¯ feast.


    Qian Hong felt his Blood Qi rising, wishing he could curse Yu Changlin out loud, but for the sake of maintaining the Family Head¡¯s dignity, he restrained himself, yet his mood remained unsettled for a long time.


    Afterwards, the Qian family discovered two more mining tunnels, but Qian Hong dared not send anyone down.


    He did not dare to gamble with the lives of Qian family disciples.


    It finally dawned on him that Yu Changlin was a Monster Hunter, having dealt with Big Black Mountain all his life, he was very familiar with everything in these mountains; if not knowing it like the back of his hand, at least much more than he did.


    To find his dug tunnels in these mountains was pretty much a fool¡¯s errand.


    And once they made a mistake, it would cost lives, a price of trial and error he could not afford.


    He was indeed the Family Head of the Qian family, but it wasn¡¯t necessary that he would always be the Family Head.


    Qian Hong¡¯s expression was grave, his brows deeply furrowed.


    Qian Zhongxuan, standing by, couldn¡¯t help sneering to himself, thinking, now you know how formidable that old fellow Yu Changlin is?


    Now, he actually hoped for Qian Hong¡¯s misfortune.


    The more successful Qian Hong was in capturing the spiritual mines, the more it underscored his, Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s, failure.


    Conversely, the more Qian Hong encountered setbacks, the less noticeable his own failures became.


    Qian Zhuang, watching Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s expression, instantly understood his calculations.


    A feeling of ¡°great minds think alike¡± couldn¡¯t help but arise in his heart.


    ¡°If the Family Head fails, then Elder Qian¡¯s failure doesn¡¯t count for much, and just as Elder Qian¡¯s failure doesn¡¯t count for much, then my failure doesn¡¯t count for anything either¡­¡±


    ¡°And now with both the Family Head and Elder Qian failing together, my failure becomes even less noteworthy!¡±


    Qian Zhuang¡¯s heart suddenly felt much lighter, and the wounds bleeding on his body seemed to hurt less.


    Since they couldn¡¯t find the tunnels used by the Monster Hunters to escape, couldn¡¯t intercept them, the only thing the Qian family could do was to attack directly from the front, break the Formation, and breach the stone walls at the entrance.


    There were seven or eight entrances to the mining tunnels, with Qian family cultivators divided into groups, they advanced side by side, striving to breach them all.


    In this way, with a swarm of Qian family cultivators, the Monster Hunters, running out of medicine and food, wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for long.


    In the following days, the Qian family ceaselessly chiseled away at the wall, sparing neither day nor night.


    Qian Hong appeared calm on the surface, but inside, he was burning with impatience.


    He knew if they delayed any longer and allowed Yu Changlin to finish mining the spiritual mines and escape, his efforts would be in vain!


    With a loud boom, another stone wall was broken down.


    Behind the demolished stone wall, just as Qian Hong anticipated, there indeed was a third stone wall, with yet another third Formation!


    Qian Hong only felt a surge of anger rushing to his crown, secretly wishing he could tear the Formation Master who drew this Formation into pieces!


    But he was helpless, only able to suppress this anger, close his eyes, and wave his hand in resignation:


    ¡°Continue digging!¡±

 Chapter 170 - 170: Escape_1

    Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Escape_1


    The Qian Family hadn¡¯t yet broken open the cave entrance when all the Spirit Stones in the spiritual mines were already extracted.


    And extracted thoroughly at that.


    Elder Yu checked twice himself, then swept over the area with his Divine Sense twice more, and even had Mo Hua check with his Divine Sense once more, ensuring no Spirit Stones were left, before he felt at ease.


    ¡°Elder, do we make a run for it now?¡± Mo Hua asked with some anticipation.


    He had been staying in the spiritual mines for a long time, hadn¡¯t been home in a while, his Storage Bag of meat had run out, and even the treasured wine he was reluctant to drink was finished to the last drop.


    Elder Yu swept his gaze over the spiritual mines once more and then decisively waved his hand, saying,


    ¡°Retreat!¡±


    So nearly a thousand Monster Hunters, laden with Storage Bags and carrying Storage Boxes two by two, left in succession through another well-dug tunnel.


    These Storage Bags and Storage Boxes had all been prepared by Elder Yu in advance.


    The Storage Bags for those in the Qi Refinement Realm were the roughest in workmanship. Although convenient to carry, the space inside was very limited.


    Storage Boxes were squarely made, with significantly more interior space, but they weren¡¯t convenient to carry and were often used only when transporting large items.


    Although the spiritual mines were small, the amount of Spirit Stones mined was not insignificant. It was only by gathering all the Storage Bags and Storage Boxes he could that Elder Yu was able to remove all the Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua followed behind his father, Mo Shan, moving step by step with the queue of Monster Hunters, eventually leaving the mine tunnel.


    The exit of the mine tunnel was very secretive, chosen by Elder Yu after scrutinizing the map Mo Hua had drawn with great care.


    After all, in the entire group of Monster Hunters, no one¡¯s map was more detailed than the one Mo Hua had drawn.


    Without Mo Hua¡¯s map, Elder Yu wouldn¡¯t have discovered this location either.


    Once outside the mine tunnel, they were greeted by the outer mountains of Big Black Mountain.


    Mo Hua immediately felt a wave of nostalgia.


    Familiar peaks, dense forests, clouds of thin miasma, the soft earth and rocks underfoot, the faint and fresh smell of earth, as well as the mountain breeze that kept brushing across his cheeks, and the calls of Monster Beasts echoing through the mountains.


    All of this lifted Mo Hua¡¯s spirits, and the stuffiness of the mine dispersed in an instant.


    Elder Yu still hadn¡¯t let down his guard. Upon exiting the mine tunnel, he immediately said,


    ¡°Hurry! Let¡¯s leave quickly. It will be troublesome if the Qian Family catches up!¡±


    The Monster Hunters began hurrying on their way, striving to leave Big Black Mountain and return to Tongxian City before the Qian Family could catch up.


    Once inside Tongxian City, the Qian Family wouldn¡¯t dare to act rashly. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And for the Monster Hunters, there would be ten years without worries for food or clothing!


    On the other hand, Qian Hong noticed something was amiss.


    Because for several days, Elder Yu hadn¡¯t scolded him.


    Leaping to the midway point on the mountain slope where Elder Yu had appeared before, Qian Hong walked a few steps forward and discovered that this cave entrance had also been sealed off.


    A chill ran down Qian Hong¡¯s spine.


    Why seal off this cave entrance?


    Because they had finished mining the Spirit Stones and had run off!


    There was no need anymore for the old scoundrel, Yu Changlin, to waste his breath here!


    Qian Hong couldn¡¯t stay calm any longer; he shouted urgently,


    ¡°Quick! Dig! This group of Monster Hunters has fled!¡±


    It was already impossible to find the mine tunnel dug out by Yu Changlin within Big Black Mountain. Compared to the Monster Hunters who lived off the mountain, the Qian Family was far less acquainted with Black Mountain.


    Their only plan now was to break through the sealed entrance. Only by going through the entrance could they find the mine tunnel that the Monster Hunters used to escape.


    The Qian Family¡¯s cultivators persistently chiseled at the stone wall, over and over again.


    Every time they made a bit of progress chipping away, the Formation would repair itself a bit.


    Qian Hong¡¯s heart was burning with impatience, growing increasingly infuriated with the Formation Master who had drawn the Formation!


    A Formation like this, one would have been enough, but you actually laid out three, inside and out!


    How utterly shameless!


    Finally, Qian Hong could no longer bear it and called over Qian Zhongxuan as well. Both of them, being in the Foundation Establishment Stage, joined forces. Their Spiritual Power surged like solidifying matter, as they forcibly broke the Formation and dismantled the stone wall at the entrance of the cave.


    Even so, it took them nearly an hour.


    Qian Hong hurriedly rushed into the mine, his Divine Sense sweeping the area, but there was not a trace of a Monster Hunter to be seen!


    Not to mention the Monster Hunter, they didn¡¯t even find a single Spirit Stone.


    This was a Spiritual mine, yet it was mined clean!


    Not a single Spirit Stone left!


    Qian Hong cursed Yu Changlin thoroughly in his heart.


    How stingy must one be, to mine a Spiritual mine as bare as a bone gnawed by a dog, not leaving a scrap of meat behind.


    A Qian Family disciple came to report, ¡°Family Head, a new mine tunnel has been discovered.¡±


    Qian Hong immediately set out in haste, and indeed he found a new tunnel that had been dug, deeper and wider than the one meant to deceive them.


    The entrance of this mine tunnel was also sealed with rubble, but only rubble, no Formation.


    It must have been a hasty retreat, with no time to set one up.


    Qian Hong struck with his palm, his surging Spiritual Power instantly scattering the rubble that sealed the entrance.


    Qian Hong ordered in a stern voice, ¡°All disciples, go after them immediately. If you see the Monster Hunter, show no mercy!¡±


    Hearing this, the Qian Family cultivators all became solemn, no longer hesitating, and one by one they leaped into the mine tunnel, pursuing the Monster Hunter.


    Halfway through their escape, Elder Yu suddenly felt something amiss. He took several leaping steps to the top of a ridge and looked back, his brows furrowing.


    When Elder Yu came back down, Mo Hua asked,


    ¡°Has the Qian Family caught up with us?¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression was serious as he nodded.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Taoist Court Official say that only Nameless Peak is designated for our conflict? Now that we¡¯ve left Nameless Peak, wouldn¡¯t they dare not take action?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°The Qian Family has lost too much, now they are like a cornered animal. If they chase and kill us and win, they can swallow all the Spirit Stones. If they don¡¯t, not only do they not earn a single Spirit Stone, they also lose their capital.¡±


    Mo Hua became serious, ¡°Then the Qian Family will certainly not let this go.¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°They¡¯re like hungry wolves now, chasing after the scent of blood, wanting to devour our flesh. If they catch up to us, it¡¯ll be a fight to the death.¡±


    ¡°So if we flee to Tongxian City, would that help?¡±


    ¡°Once we reach Tongxian City, they wouldn¡¯t dare lay a hand on us. Even if they suffer a huge loss, they¡¯ll have to swallow it themselves.¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s confusion, Elder Yu further explained,


    ¡°Big Black Mountain is rather chaotic. If something happens there, the Taoist Court Official finds it difficult to manage. But Tongxian City is different. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Taoist Court Official, a place strictly governed by the Taoist Court¡¯s orders¡ªno disorder can ensue¡­¡±


    ¡°If the Qian Family dares to act within Tongxian City, at the very least, it means they do not take the Taoist Court Official seriously; at worst, it is contempt for Taoist Law, defiance of the Taoist Court! That would be a grave offence!¡±


    Mo Hua still had some doubts, ¡°But isn¡¯t the Taoist Court Official in Tongxian City weak in terms of cultivators, not as powerful as the Qian Family? What would it matter if the Qian Family defied them?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± said Elder Yu, raising his eyebrows, ¡°the Taoist Court Official operates under the jurisdiction of the Taoist Court, upholding the Taoist Court¡¯s authority, representing the Taoist Court¡¯s dignity. If the Qian Family goes too far, the Taoist Court Official could petition the Taoist Court, request the dispatch of Taoist Soldiers, and directly suppress the entire Qian Family!¡±


    Looking at Mo Hua, Elder Yu spoke slowly, ¡°At that point, the whole Qian Family would be stripped of its rank, the Family Head executed for his crimes, the family assets confiscated, the legacy handed over, the clan members either killed, relocated, or exiled, and even allowed to change their surname at will, forbidden from using ¡®Qian¡¯ for life. The Qian Family in Tongxian City would cease to exist!¡±


    Mo Hua listened, utterly shocked.

 Chapter 171 - 171: Covering the Retreat (Five Updates)_1

    Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Covering the Retreat (Five Updates)_1


    For the first time, Mo Hua deeply experienced the authority and majesty of the Taoist Law and the Taoist Court.


    Considering the current situation, the Qian Family was traveling light and moving rapidly, while the Monster Hunters, who needed to transport spiritual mines, proceeded slowly. At this rate, they would be caught by the Qian Family before reaching Tongxian City.


    Elder Yu said, ¡°We need someone to cover our retreat!¡±


    Yu Chengyi, Mo Shan, and some Qi Refining Ninth Level Monster Hunters stepped forward.


    Elder Yu nodded slightly and instructed:


    ¡°When the time comes, Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan will probably attack openly. I¡¯ll hold them off; you guys handle the other Qian Family cultivators. Fight while retreating and don¡¯t engage in prolonged combat. Just delaying them long enough will be enough.¡±


    The few who stayed behind nodded solemnly.


    In this situation, covering the retreat would inevitably mean facing the deadly onslaught of the Qian Family, and with few facing many, it was a very dangerous predicament.


    Moreover, with two Foundation Building Cultivators on the Qian Family¡¯s side, if the agreement was broken and they attacked, and if Elder Yu couldn¡¯t withstand them, the remaining Qi Refining Monster Hunters covering the retreat would be in danger.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay and cover the retreat as well!¡±


    Elder Yu glared at him, ¡°What¡¯s a child like you joining in the fray for? Go home!¡±


    He would need to deal with Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan and wouldn¡¯t have time to look after Mo Hua¡¯s safety.


    Mo Shan also patted Mo Hua¡¯s head and said warmly, ¡°Go back, your mother is waiting for you at home.¡±


    They didn¡¯t say much, but Mo Hua knew that those who stayed behind to cover the retreat were already prepared for the worst.


    Even if they successfully covered the retreat, it was expected that several Monster Hunters would lose their lives.


    During the battle with the Qian Family, many Monster Hunters had already been killed or injured.


    Now that the spiritual mines had been completely mined and they had held out until now, Mo Hua didn¡¯t want anyone else to get hurt or killed.


    Whether it was Mo Shan, Elder Yu, or the other Monster Hunters Mo Hua knew or didn¡¯t know, he hoped that everyone could go back home together.


    Mo Hua then said to Elder Yu, ¡°I can use formations to cover the retreat, so no one needs to risk their lives!¡±


    Elder Yu did believe in Mo Hua¡¯s formations.


    This time they were able to defend the spiritual mines and make a successful escape all thanks to Mo Hua¡¯s formations, but with the Qian Family nearly upon them and time pressing, Elder Yu still worried:


    ¡°There¡¯s too little time; it won¡¯t be enough to draw the formations.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua said, patting the bulging storage bag on his person, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared in advance!¡±


    Elder Yu opened his mouth to speak, ¡°Inside there, it¡¯s all formations?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The others looked at each other in surprise; none of them knew when Mo Hua had prepared the formations.


    ¡°Are these formations useful?¡± Elder Yu asked again.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to fight to the death, we just need to use the formations to scare them and delay for a bit, that¡¯ll be enough,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Elder Yu pondered for a moment and then nodded, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll use the formations to buy some time.¡±


    Afterward, Elder Yu found Mo Shan and whispered, ¡°If the situation turns dire, you take Mo Hua and leave first!¡±


    Mo Shan wanted to say something, but Elder Yu¡¯s expression turned stern, ¡°That¡¯s an order!¡±


    Mo Shan pursed his lips and said nothing, though his eyebrows were tightly knit.


    Elder Yu then lowered his voice, his tone solemn,


    ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s safety is more important than anything else. By all means, make sure he gets back safely!¡±


    Mo Shan was taken aback and then nodded gravely.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua was rummaging through his storage bag, taking out the formations inside.


    A thick stack of them, all Earth Fire Formations, featuring nine patterns of the first-class Earth Fire Formation.


    The Earth Fire Formation containing seven patterns had been broken by the Qian Family¡¯s Earth Series armored cultivator. Mo Hua learned a more advanced Earth Fire Formation just in case.


    The Earth Fire Formation was effective, but few in number didn¡¯t make much impact; they couldn¡¯t change the outcome of the battle.


    So whenever Mo Hua had time, he would draw them, secretly saving them up until now, resulting in a thick stack of first-class Earth Fire Formations in his possession.


    Mo Hua distributed the Earth Fire Formations. The Monster Hunters selected a narrow mountain pass, planting the Earth Fire Formations in hidden corners and disguising them slightly, so the Qian Family cultivators wouldn¡¯t easily detect them.


    When everything was ready, the dozen or so Monster Hunters who stayed to cover the retreat hid behind rocks, waiting for the Qian Family cultivators to arrive.


    Mo Hua hid with them.


    Time trickled by, little by little, the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces were tight, their demeanors somewhat grave.


    Upon seeing this, Mo Hua spoke with a hint of regret, ¡°It¡¯s a pity it¡¯s not nighttime.¡±


    Elder Yu was taken aback for a moment, ¡°What difference would night make?¡±


    ¡°At night, when the Earth Fire Formation explodes with a bang, it¡¯s just like fireworks, very beautiful to watch!¡±


    When the Earth Fire Formation was set off before, Mo Hua had enjoyed the spectacle immensely, he had even prepared meats and pine nuts to eat while watching.


    Unfortunately, now all the tasty treats were gone, and Mo Hua felt a hint of regret.


    Elder Yu and the people from Mo Shan didn¡¯t know what to say, but with Mo Hua¡¯s interjection, their tension eased, and instead, they became somewhat interested in the unfolding scene, silently watching the entrance. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the sound of footsteps grew louder, and the silhouettes of the Qian Family cultivators also became more distinct.


    A dark mass of people, nearly two thousand in number.


    The Monster Hunters held their breath and focused, no longer speaking.


    Qian Hong approached the area, noticing the narrow terrain, his expression turned serious, and he gestured for the Qian Family cultivators to stop.


    He swept the area with his divine sense, then scoffed coldly, and shouted loudly,


    ¡°Elder Yu Changlin, are you hiding like a turtle in its shell?¡±


    Elder Yu signaled the Monster Hunters not to act rashly. With a quick movement, he leaped up to a higher position and sat down on a large rock, laughing and saying,


    ¡°Being a turtle is fine, but I¡¯ll be the big turtle, and you¡¯ll be the small one, you¡¯d still have to call me daddy.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s gaze turned frosty, but his expression remained unchanged.


    Elder Yu admired and said, ¡°If I have to admit who is the most shrewd and patient, I¡¯d concede to you. No matter how much someone insults you, you remain as expressionless as a turtle¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Elder Yu suddenly gasped in exaggerated surprise, ¡°You can¡¯t really be the offspring of your mother and a turtle, can you?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan couldn¡¯t bear to listen to these words any longer, while Qian Hong only frowned slightly and said,


    ¡°Elder Yu Changlin, are you trying to buy time?¡±


    Without concealing his intentions, Elder Yu replied, ¡°You could say that.¡±


    Qian Hong coldly said, ¡°On what basis? Just because of the dozen or so Monster Hunters hiding behind that rock?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°The Qian Family is full of good-for-nothings; a dozen of us are more than enough. Anymore and we¡¯d scare you all.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you make your move?¡± asked Qian Hong.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take a break before we get to that, mining tunnels can be exhausting,¡± Elder Yu sighed, ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange how the tunnels in Big Black Mountain led straight into a demon nest?¡±


    With a look of genuine concern, Elder Yu asked Qian Hong, ¡°Have your Qian Family disciples entered the mining tunnels yet? Did they encounter any Monster Beasts? Ah, it would be unfortunate if they got eaten by the beasts¡­¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s complexion turned unpleasant.


    Seeing this, Elder Yu¡¯s expression changed drastically, ¡°No way, you¡¯ve already gone into the mining tunnels? Don¡¯t tell me some of you have already been eaten by Monster Beasts? It can¡¯t be, can it?¡±


    Immediately after, Elder Yu expressed his regrets,


    ¡°How could you be so careless? If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have told them to dig those tunnels; that way, fewer of you from the Qian Family would have died¡­ Ah, this is my fault!¡±


    Grinding his teeth, Qian Hong said, ¡°Elder, stop your endless babbling. What are you really up to?¡±


    Elder Yu remained composed, silent.


    Qian Hong, feeling wary, asked coldly, ¡°Are you going to make a move or not?¡±


    Elder Yu replied, ¡°We had an agreement, didn¡¯t we? If you don¡¯t make a move, I won¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Qian Hong, and then he began to advance the Qian Family cultivators.


    No matter what tricks Elder Yu Changlin was up to, he¡¯d find out soon enough.


    The Qian Family cultivators moved forward, Elder Yu remained indifferent, showing no indication of any action.


    ¡°What on earth is this old coot, Elder Yu Changlin, up to?¡±


    Just as Qian Hong was filled with doubt, the sound of an explosion erupted, flames raged violently, engulfing the front ranks of the Qian Family cultivators.


    After that, screams rose from all directions as the Qian Family cultivators were too frightened to proceed.


    In an instant, Qian Hong understood and couldn¡¯t help cursing inwardly,


    Damn it, it¡¯s a formation again!

 Chapter 172 - 172: Blocking the Way – Part 1

    Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Blocking the Way ¨C Part 1


    ¡°`


    ¡°Yu Changlin, since when did Monster Hunters have such formidable Formation Masters? Why not let me meet them?¡± Qian Hong said coldly.


    Elder Yu feigned ignorance, ¡°What Formation Master? I haven¡¯t seen any.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyelid twitched, ¡°What is this that you¡¯ve set up?¡±


    Elder Yu replied, ¡°How would I know? I was just passing by, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s on the ground.¡±


    Qian Hong spoke angrily, ¡°Elder Yu, don¡¯t play the fool with me!¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s face showed indifference, ¡°Elder Qian, the tortoise, don¡¯t put on airs with me!¡±


    Qian Hong seethed inwardly, but he also knew that now was not the time to engage in a war of words with Yu Changlin.


    Yu Changlin would be delighted to argue with him for a day and a night, by which time the Monster Hunters would have brought the spiritual mines into the city, and the Qian Family would be powerless to stop them.


    The Earth Fire Formation was lethal to Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm, but its threat to those in the Foundation Establishment Stage was much smaller.


    Given the urgency, and with no time to delay, Qian Hong had no choice but to proceed through the mountain path in front of him to find out the location of the Earth Fire Formation.


    The moment Qian Hong took a step forward, he suddenly felt someone watching him with Divine Sense, seemingly intent on killing him.


    Qian Hong felt an immediate sense of alarm and looked up, displeased, ¡°What are you trying to do, Yu Changlin?¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s gaze was sharp, but his voice remained indifferent, ¡°Nothing in particular.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s gaze hardened, ¡°Are you planning to make a move?¡±


    Elder Yu spread his hands, pretending to be magnanimous, ¡°Where did you see me make a move?¡±


    Qian Hong ground his teeth in hatred, ¡°You just watched me with killing intent in your Divine Sense.¡±


    Yu Changlin said disdainfully, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too cowardly. I always look at people like this; if you¡¯re scared, that¡¯s your own problem.¡±


    Qian Hong eyed Elder Yu¡¯s cold gaze, but Elder Yu remained unfazed.


    Qian Zhongxuan whispered, ¡°This old coot is just stalling for time, Family Head, don¡¯t fall for his tricks.¡±


    How could Qian Hong not know this, yet he didn¡¯t have a good solution.


    Qian Zhongxuan continued, ¡°Why not lead by example and locate the Earth Fire Formation yourself? I¡¯ll cover for you.¡±


    Qian Hong gave him a cold glance, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Elder Qian lead by example and let me do the covering?¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s face showed a hint of shame, ¡°Family Head, have you forgotten? You¡¯re fully in charge of this matter. I¡¯ve suffered repeated defeats and heavy losses before, and I¡¯ve lost the qualification to intervene anymore.¡±


    Qian Hong cursed Qian Zhongxuan in his heart for being shameless.


    He had no idea what trap Yu Changlin had set ahead, and if he went to investigate, a sneak attack could leave him dead or severely injured en route.


    Then, if Qian Zhongxuan came to the rescue, not only would the merit be his, but Qian Hong would also owe him a favor.


    Qian Zhongxuan, too, was hoping for Qian Hong to be sneak-attacked by Yu Changlin; death was not necessary, near-death would do, even serious injuries would suffice.


    Both men had their calculations, and both were hesitating.


    Just then, Qian Zhuang stepped forward and saluted, ¡°May I be permitted to try?¡±


    Qian Zhuang¡¯s tone was respectful, but excitement could hardly be concealed in his expression.


    His moment to shine had arrived!


    He was well acquainted with the Earth Fire Formation; he had suffered a great loss from it, but he had also successfully breached it before.


    Even though breaching the Earth Fire Formation last time had cost him dearly, to the point of being registered as a major demerit, this opportunity, if well grasped, could possibly turn that demerit into a great merit!


    Qian Hong frowned, ¡°Do you have a method?¡±


    Qian Zhuang replied, ¡°Reporting to the Family Head, this disciple has once broken through this Earth Fire Formation!¡±


    ¡°A Qi Refinement Cultivator can break it?¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡±


    Qian Hong was intrigued, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Qian Zhuang went on to describe his previous method of breaking the Earth Fire Formation. After listening, Qian Hong thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°It does make some sense.¡±


    Qian Zhuang¡¯s expression brightened.


    Qian Hong instructed, ¡°I have a dozen or so sets of iron armor here. Select Cultivators with Earth Series Spiritual Roots, the faster the better. If this succeeds, I¡¯ll credit you with a great merit!¡±


    ¡°` S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qian Zhuang was overjoyed and said, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Very quickly, a dozen cultivators of the Qi Refining Ninth Level, with Earth Series Spiritual Roots and skilled in Body Refinement, thick-skinned and robust, were selected from the Qian Family¡¯s cultivators.


    They donned iron armor and began to spread out as instructed by Qian Zhuang, moving forward bit by bit, attempting to trigger and clear all the Earth Fire Formations within the mountain path.


    Qian Zhuang was brimming with confidence, as he had tested this method before with a ninety percent success rate, certain that nothing would go wrong.


    As long as they cleared all the Earth Fire Formations, the path ahead would be open. The Monster Hunters would be trapped with no way out, and this would be his great achievement.


    That¡¯s what Qian Zhuang was thinking.


    However, as soon as the first Earth Fire Formation exploded, Qian Zhuang¡¯s plan fell to pieces.


    Accompanied by a loud explosion, scarlet flames flickered, and charred smoke billowed, with intense Spiritual Power reverberating.


    The iron-armored Qian Family cultivator was engulfed by the flames and then catapulted by the surging Spiritual Power, tumbling to the ground, curled up in agony.


    Half of his body was charred black and soaked in blood, his iron armor riddled with cracks!


    Everyone gasped, and Qian Zhuang was stunned.


    Something was wrong!


    How had the power increased so much?!


    This wasn¡¯t the Earth Fire Formation he had broken through before!


    Qian Hong glanced at the cultivator injured by the Earth Fire Formation and then coldly at Qian Zhuang, his eyes as icy as if he were looking at a dead fish.


    Qian Zhuang¡¯s entire back was drenched in cold sweat as he thought to himself that it was all over.


    Had he not sought this limelight, it would have been fine, but now his eagerness for credit had led him to disaster.


    Originally, he wanted to impress the Family Head and turn his previous major fault into a major merit. Now, not only was there no great achievement, but his fault had also been doubled.


    Qian Zhongxuan also gave Qian Zhuang a cold look before turning his head and saying to Qian Hong,


    ¡°Family Head, our only option now is to charge through.¡±


    Qian Hong glanced at Qian Zhongxuan and said, ¡°How can we charge through? You¡¯ve seen the power of this formation. Even if a cultivator in the later stage of Qi Refinement charges through, they won¡¯t die but will certainly be severely injured.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, ¡°The mountain path isn¡¯t very wide. We only need a hundred or two cultivators to take the risk and trigger all the Earth Fire Formations, then the following cultivators will face no obstacles.¡±


    Qian Hong felt a chill in his heart, and his gaze towards Qian Zhongxuan became even more unfriendly.


    He was being forced into playing the villain.


    Out of nearly two thousand people, only one or two hundred were needed to break through these Earth Fire Formations.


    The problem was, how should these one or two hundred be chosen?


    Or rather, who should be sent to their deaths?


    If this had been done secretly, it would be one thing, but now with so many Qian Family disciples watching, if he dared do such a thing, he could pretty much forget about maintaining his position as Family Head.


    Qian Hong gritted his teeth and said, ¡°As Family Head, I must lead by example. I will break through this Earth Fire Formation myself, and I ask Elder Qian to fight by my side to guard against any treacherous assaults from the old scoundrel Yu Changlin.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan feigned hesitation to decline.


    Qian Hong immediately said, ¡°The fault of the Elder this time, can be completely dismissed.¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡±


    Qian Zhongxuan respectfully said, ¡°As an Elder of the Qian Family, I shall stand with the Family Head through thick and thin!¡±


    Qian Hong inwardly snorted in disdain, but outwardly he showed relief, ¡°There¡¯s no time to delay. We must act now, but we must be wary of Yu Changlin¡¯s sneak attacks.¡±


    ¡°Agreed!¡±


    Hence, Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan, two Foundation Establishment Elders, joined forces, using their movement techniques to personally trigger the Earth Fire Formations in the mountain path.


    Two figures dashed tirelessly through the mountain roads, setting off explosions of fire and waves of surging Spiritual Power.


    After the explosion sounds gradually subsided, the fire faded, and the smoke dissipated, they finally stopped.


    By then, both men were in a sorry state, their clothes torn, their faces sooty. While there were no bloodstains on their bodies, their internal organs ached from the Spiritual Power vibrations, and they had to forcefully suppress the urge to vomit blood.


    Even for Foundation Building Cultivators, bathing in a first-grade Earth Fire Formation was too much to handle.

 Chapter 173 - 173 Escape_1

    Chapter 173: Chapter 173 Escape_1


    Qian Hong had never felt such humiliation in his entire life.


    As the Family Head of the Qian Family, he was always respected and held in high esteem; his demeanor was commanding. But now, he was forced to clear a path through an Earth Fire Formation for a group of Qi Refinement disciples, ending up disheveled and in a wretched state.


    This appearance seemed to display his incompetence, causing him to feel utterly disgraced!


    Qian Zhongxuan also felt humiliated, but because Qian Hong was right beside him, looking even more humiliated, he suddenly felt not so humiliated anymore.


    Qian Hong coughed, forcefully swallowing the fresh blood that surged up his throat, and angrily said to the cultivators of the Qian Family behind him:


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Chase them now!¡±


    Hearing this, the Qian Family cultivators finally set off in pursuit.


    Qian Hong just heaved a sigh of relief when he suddenly felt an overpowering strength coming from behind. A chill ran down his spine, and he turned around to clash palms forcefully.


    When the spiritual power of two Foundation Establishment cultivators collided, it instantly created a tumultuous shockwave. Qian Hong¡¯s arm went numb; the opponent¡¯s spiritual power had penetrated his palm, causing a piercing pain.


    Qian Hong staggered backward four or five steps before coming to a stop.


    The Qian Family cultivators sensing the disturbance, stopped in their tracks and looked towards Qian Hong.


    Qian Hong shouted fiercely, ¡°Go after the Monster Hunter! Cut off the Spirit Stones! Don¡¯t let them escape!¡±


    The Qian Family cultivators paused for a moment before getting up and crossing the mountain trail, continuing the chase.


    Qian Hong¡¯s gaze was icy as he looked at the person who had ambushed him and said, ¡°Yu Changlin, you¡¯re shameless to the extreme, resorting to a sneak attack!¡±


    ¡°What sneak attack?¡± Elder Yu looked genuinely puzzled. ¡°I just wanted to tap your shoulder and greet you, but instead, you hit me with a palm strike. Judging others by your own wicked standards. It¡¯s you who are truly shameless.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think to single-handedly take down two of our Qian Family¡¯s Foundation Building cultivators, would you?¡± Qian Hong said coldly.


    Qian Zhongxuan also stood beside Qian Hong, vigilant.


    ¡°What nonsense,¡± Elder Yu said with an ambiguous smile. ¡°We all agreed that those in Foundation Establishment would not intervene. I am a man who keeps his word and won¡¯t breach the agreement.¡±


    Qian Hong saw through Elder Yu¡¯s intentions and scoffed:


    ¡°Even if you hold back both of us Foundation Building cultivators, once my Qian Family cultivators catch up with you, you won¡¯t be able to escape even if you had wings.¡±


    ¡°Well, that remains to be seen,¡± Elder Yu said with a smile that was not quite a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when you catch up.¡±


    Meanwhile, not far ahead, Mo Hua was directing about a dozen Monster Hunters to set up a first-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t used up all of the Earth Fire Formation at once, keeping some in reserve.


    Always keep an ace up your sleeve¡ªthat¡¯s what Elder Yu taught him.


    The Earth Fire Formation they had just set up had blocked the Qian Family¡¯s main forces and had worn down the condition of the Qian Family¡¯s Foundation Building cultivators, allowing Elder Yu to hold them off more easily.


    The current Earth Fire Formation was meant to intimidate them, to deter them from advancing recklessly and to delay their progress.


    After experiencing the earlier Earth Fire Formation, the Qian Family cultivators became aware of its power.


    And a first-grade Earth Fire Formation that could injure Foundation Building cultivators was enough to chill the courage of these Qi Refinement Realm cultivators from the Qian Family.


    More than a dozen Monster Hunters tasked with covering the retreat were laying Earth Fire Formations along the Qian Family¡¯s inevitable path as they withdrew.


    Using the Water Passing Step, Mo Hua ran about, surveying the terrain and looking for suitable places to bury the formation, with Mo Shan closely following him.


    The pursuing Qian Family cultivators soon triggered another Earth Fire Formation.


    Flames erupted, spiritual power surged, and amid the explosion, came the cries of the cultivators.


    How could there still be Earth Fire Formations?


    The Qian Family cultivators were both suspicious and fearful as they stopped in their tracks.


    A few leading cultivators either chided or tempted the others with some words, and the group hesitantly continued forward.


    But they hadn¡¯t gone far when another explosion sounded.


    The Qian Family cultivators halted again in fear and confusion. After a pause to rally their spirits, they continued the pursuit, but it wasn¡¯t long before they triggered yet another Earth Fire Formation.


    And so, along the way, with flames suddenly flaring up, the Qian Family cultivators didn¡¯t suffer many injuries, but the torment they endured in their hearts was excruciating.


    After all, no one knew where the next explosion would occur, or who the next victim would be.


    With hesitation in their hearts, their steps inevitably slowed down.


    Every step was taken with trepidation, and with each step completed, there was a sense of relief from having narrowly escaped disaster.


    Gradually, all the Qian Family cultivators developed a fear of the Earth Fire Formation, and their pace slowed considerably.


    Qian Zhuang and a few others tried to motivate or threaten them, but it was all in vain.


    So they continued on, stopping and going, their progress slow.


    By the time the Qian Family cultivators finally caught a distant glimpse of the Monster Hunters¡¯ large group, the Monster Hunters had already left Big Black Mountain with their storage bags and boxes full of Spirit Stones.


    By the time the Qian Family cultivators emerged from Big Black Mountain, the Monster Hunters had successively entered Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua followed at the end of the Monster Hunters¡¯ team, entering the city last. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In front of him was the grand entrance to Tongxian City, and behind him the Qian Family cultivators hurriedly pursued with a fierce momentum.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief. After such a long and chaotic battle and standoff, they had finally successfully harvested the spiritual mines and shaken off the pursuit of the Qian Family, escaping to safety.


    The Monster Hunters had already entered Tongxian City. No matter how anxious the Qian Family was, they were helpless now.


    When Mo Hua came back to his senses, he realized Elder Yu was already standing by his side.


    Elder Yu¡¯s clothes were torn in several places, and he¡¯d expended a lot of spiritual power. He glared at Mo Hua, and seeing he was unharmed, finally relaxed a bit.


    At the same time, Qian Hong and Qian Zhongxuan also arrived.


    Having been delayed by Yu Changlin all the way, they looked somewhat weary, but what was even harder for them to accept was the scene before their eyes.


    The Monster Hunters were adorned with storage bags and carrying storage boxes two by two, walking safely and openly into Tongxian City!


    Those storage bags and boxes contained Spirit Stones!


    Newly mined Spirit Stones!


    They were supposed to belong to the Qian Family!


    Qian Hong was seething with rage.


    After investing so much time, so many Spirit Stones, and so much manpower, the Qian Family had come away with nothing, having been thwarted at the last moment.


    He himself was in a disgraceful state, disheveled and humiliated.


    This was the greatest defeat since he¡¯d taken over as the Family Head!


    Overcome with an intense mixture of anger and frustration, Qian Hong¡¯s expression twisted as he bellowed,


    ¡°Yu Changlin! You old coot! I won¡¯t let you off! I will flay you a thousand times over!¡±


    ¡°And that Formation Master of yours, I will make sure to find him and tear him limb from limb! To quell the rage in my heart!¡±


    Elder Yu was not intimidated by Qian Hong¡¯s threats. After all these years, threats from the Qian Family were nothing new to him. If he truly feared the Qian Family, he would never have opposed them.


    However, he was somewhat concerned for Mo Hua; although he could ensure Mo Hua¡¯s safety, he was afraid that Mo Hua might be scared.


    When Elder Yu turned his head to look at Mo Hua, he saw not a trace of worry or fear on his face; instead, Mo Hua was snickering.


    Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help himself and asked, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked and said in a low voice, ¡°The old tortoise¡¯s shell has cracked.¡±


    Elder Yu frowned, not quite understanding, until he looked up again and saw Qian Hong, disheveled and furious, with his clothes torn and his expression distorted. He then got the joke.


    Qian Hong, who always kept his emotions concealed, now had completely lost his composure. Looking disheveled and twisted with rage, he was cursing loudly like a fishwife.


    Having dealt with Qian Hong for so long, Elder Yu had never seen him in such a state of utter disarray.


    Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud as well, then he shouted back at Qian Hong,


    ¡°Qian Hong, you old tortoise, with your shell cracked you might as well tuck your head in and roll on home. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself any further here!¡±

 Chapter 174 - 174: Going Home _1

    Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Going Home _1


    Elder Yu cursed Qian Hong out loud again.


    The emotionally unstable Qian Hong couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and looked like he was about to lash out disregardful of the consequences. Just then, the cultivators from the Taoist Court arrived.


    Elder Yu had someone notify the Taoist Court in advance, fearing that the Qian Family would be reckless.


    The ten or so people from the Taoist Court were led by the highest-ranking Court Leader, along with the Deputy Court Leader and several Supervisors. Zhang Lan was also among them.


    With the Taoist Court¡¯s intervention, it meant the matter was settled.


    Qian Hong could only lead the Qian Family disciples away resentfully. His expression was spiteful as if he had no intention of letting the matter rest.


    His eyes were cold as he glanced at Elder Yu, then they passed over Mo Hua and swept across the other Monster Hunters. He was continuously speculating in his heart.


    Which among the Monster Hunters was the Formation Master that had made him suffer so much?


    All the Monster Hunters present were suspects, but Mo Hua, who was in his early teens, was the first one excluded by him.


    In Qian Hong¡¯s mind, a Formation Master capable of drawing a First-grade Formation would, if not white-haired, at least be well into his years and have a cultivation of no less than the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    In terms of both age and cultivation, Mo Hua was not yet worth his attention.


    Seeing that Qian Hong¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t linger on Mo Hua, Elder Yu didn¡¯t care and let him keep guessing.


    ¡°Guess away. If you can guess this one, I swear, from now on, I will treat people with courtesy and will never curse again in my life!¡± Elder Yu inwardly declared.


    Not to mention whether Qian Hong could guess it or not, even now that he knew Mo Hua could draw a First-grade Formation, it still felt like a dream to him. If Mo Hua hadn¡¯t repeatedly drawn formations before his eyes, he would hardly dare to believe it.


    A Formation Master in his early teens was simply inconceivable.


    Even if Qian Hong racked his brain, he would not be able to guess it.


    After the Qian Family left, Elder Yu discussed matters with the Court Leader of the Taoist Court.


    Zhang Lan glanced over and saw Mo Hua again, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart.


    Mo Hua, how come you¡¯re involved wherever there is trouble¡­


    So many spectacles, and you haven¡¯t missed a single one.


    Mo Hua noticed Zhang Lan too and blinked at him, her bright, large eyes twinkling.


    Zhang Lan shook his head, somewhat helplessly.


    After Elder Yu finished talking with the Court Leader, his mood seemed pleased. He then let everyone go home to rest first and said they would deal with the rest of the matters later.


    Mo Hua then went home with Mo Shan.


    Liu Ruhua was tidying up the bowls and dishes at the entrance of the restaurant, her eyes occasionally looking towards the road with a mix of hope and anxiety.


    Soon, Mo Shan appeared at the crossroads, holding Mo Hua¡¯s hand.


    Liu Ruhua hurriedly put down the bowls and plates, ran out of the restaurant, and embraced Mo Hua tightly, as if afraid that she would disappear in the blink of an eye.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat embarrassed and said with a blushing face, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Liu Ruhua then carefully examined Mo Hua and, upon seeing that he was unharmed and his complexion was not bad, just a little thinner, her heart settled.


    She then felt a bit pained and asked, ¡°Staying in there for so long, you must have not been able to eat enough. Did you finish all the food mother prepared for you?¡±


    Mo Hua patted his empty storage bag, ¡°All finished!¡±


    Liu Ruhua then nodded her head, ¡°You¡¯re young; you need to eat more.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm,¡± Mo Hua agreed.


    Liu Ruhua took another careful look at Mo Hua, and then spoke softly with a smile,


    ¡°Hungry, right? Mother has made you lots of delicious food.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and she spoke with a clear voice, ¡°Mother is the best!¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s smile bloomed like a flower as she led Mo Hua into the restaurant.


    Left standing on the side all this while, Mo Shan shook his head helplessly in place.


    Mo Hua ate heartily, took a bath, changed into clean clothes, and then lay on the bed and fell sound asleep.


    During the days he had guarded the mines, although he had not engaged in direct combat, he had used spells for sneak attacks and Drawing Formations to counter the enemy, which left him physically and mentally exhausted.


    Now that he had returned home and was free from worries, it was natural for him to enjoy a good sleep.


    Liu Ruhua brought some wild fruits and pastries for Mo Hua to eat. When she entered the room and saw Mo Hua sleeping soundly, his cheeks puffed out, evidently dreaming about eating something, she couldn¡¯t help but smile and shake her head.


    She placed the wild fruits on the table, tucked in the corners of Mo Hua¡¯s blanket, and couldn¡¯t resist taking a few more glances at her son before quietly leaving the room.


    When Mo Hua woke up, he rubbed his eyes and realized it was already dark outside. Hearing voices, Mo Hua went into the living room and saw Elder Yu and Yu Chengyi discussing something with Mo Shan.


    Elder Yu saw Mo Hua, smiled warmly, and beckoned him over.


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Elder, what are you discussing?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°We¡¯re discussing the distribution of Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Can I listen too?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°You have a share in it as well.¡±


    Mo Hua brought over a small stool to sit on, and Elder Yu continued:


    ¡°We¡¯ve finished mining the Spiritual mines, but the Spirit Stones extracted are impure and irregular; they can¡¯t be used directly. They must be handed over to the Taoist Court, and exchanged for standard Spirit Stones issued by the Court at a certain ratio. These Spirit Stones are pure and well-crafted, suitable for both circulation and cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, the Court takes a cut, and the Taoist Court needs to take some Spirit Stones for facilitation. Even so, the substantial amount of Spirit Stones that will be in our hands will be a huge sum.¡±


    ¡°According to the contribution, the mined Spirit Stones will be distributed in four categories¡ªClass A, B, C, D¡ªand dispensed monthly to all Monster Hunters for their cultivation and daily needs.¡±


    ¡°Among these, Mo Shan qualifies for Class A contribution and will thus receive Class A allocation of Spirit Stones, Mo Hua, you¡¯re also Class A.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly surprised, ¡°I¡¯m Class A too?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded and said, ¡°In fact, you should have received more, but considering that your family already has two Class A shares, it wouldn¡¯t be fair to give more.¡±


    In Elder Yu¡¯s heart, Mo Hua¡¯s contributions were far beyond Class A.


    Whether it was using the Fireball Technique to push back the Qian Family¡¯s Spiritual Cultivators, forcing Hidden Cultivators out of hiding, or using Formations to aid their defense and escape, his actions were crucial to the battle.


    But according to the traditions of Monster Hunters, they could give no more than Class A share, and Elder Yu could not break the rule.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t too concerned about it; he was happy to have the Class A share.


    After all, although he managed to cast Spells and draw Formations from the background, it was the others who fought directly and faced the battle head-on.


    The Monster Hunters bled, got injured, and fought desperately.


    Mo Hua had only offered help from the sidelines. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, Mo Hua¡¯s thought shifted, and his face showed a hint of sorrow, ¡°Many have sacrificed this time¡­¡±


    Elder Yu patted Mo Hua¡¯s head, ¡°Deaths and injuries are inevitable, you shouldn¡¯t dwell on it.¡±


    While Mo Hua understood this, he still felt saddened.


    Elder Yu said, ¡°Death is part of life; one may die of natural causes, misfortune, or hunting Monster Beasts. Comparatively, dying while defending the Spiritual mines means their families will receive more compensation. It¡¯s the best outcome possible.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded silently.


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and sighed, ¡°Suffering is unavoidable. For many years, Monster Hunters have lived through it. As humans, we must always look ahead.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Elder, I understand.¡±


    Elder Yu felt reassured and said no more.


    But Mo Hua understood that the root of all suffering came from weakness.


    If he were powerful enough, the Qian Family wouldn¡¯t be worth fearing at all, and if his Formations were strong enough, the Qian Family would be no match for him either.


    If only his Formations were strong enough¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were firm, and he vowed silently in his heart:


    ¡°One day, within my Formations, no Cultivator will ever bleed or die again!¡±

 Chapter 175 - 175: Becoming Wealthy_1

    Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Becoming Wealthy_1


    Mo Hua visited Mr. Zhuang the following day; after all, he was Mr. Zhuang¡¯s registered disciple, and having been trapped in the spiritual mines for so long without visiting to check in on him, Mo Hua felt somewhat remiss.


    Mr. Zhuang was still asleep, so Mo Hua played a little Five Elements Chess with Old Kui.


    After such a long time, the chess skills of the two were still mediocre, without much improvement.


    However, Five Elements Chess, such a simple game, requires less painstaking effort; it¡¯s more interesting to just play and kill each other¡¯s pieces straightforwardly.


    Mo Hua and Old Kui were well-matched opponents; they took turns attacking and defending, fighting to a standstill.


    By the time Mr. Zhuang woke up, Mo Hua was feeling somewhat reluctant to part, but he said goodbye to Old Kui and went to meet Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang basically took a laissez-faire approach with Mo Hua, allowing him to learn on his own and come to him with questions, and he didn¡¯t say much about it.


    Before leaving, Mr. Zhuang even complimented him, ¡°Well done.¡±


    Mo Hua was very happy and smiled with his eyes narrowed.


    However, after leaving Mr. Zhuang¡¯s bamboo chamber, Mo Hua felt somewhat puzzled.


    He clearly hadn¡¯t discussed much with Mr. Zhuang, but Mr. Zhuang seemed to know everything¡­


    And praised him for doing well.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, wondering how Mr. Zhuang knew.


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, but then he thought that Mr. Zhuang was an extraordinary man, perhaps divinely insightful. Besides, the commotion they had with the Qian Family was so significant that it was normal for Mr. Zhuang to be aware of it.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself and no longer dwelled on the matter.


    Mo Hua then went to see the siblings Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes brightened upon seeing Mo Hua, and he immediately complained, asking where Mo Hua had been all this time.


    Mo Hua recounted the events at the spiritual mines.


    Bai Zisheng listened with boiling blood and immense envy.


    Bai Zixi, who was ostensibly reading a book on the side, also got engrossed in the story, with her autumn-water-like eyes sparkling and the book in her hand tilting without her noticing.


    ¡°Next time something like that happens, you must bring me along, so I can help you!¡± Bai Zisheng said spiritedly.


    ¡°Even if I called you, what¡¯s the use? Aunt Xue won¡¯t let you go,¡± Mo Hua said indifferently.


    This comment from Mo Hua was like a bucket of cold water poured over Bai Zisheng¡¯s head.


    Bai Zisheng instantly lost his dream. Like a frost-stricken eggplant, he lay on the ground, feeling that life had become somewhat dimmer.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some food tomorrow.¡±


    Bai Zisheng immediately sat up straight, ¡°It has to be spicy!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Mo Hua said helplessly, then turned to see Bai Zixi also watching him, her eyes shining brightly.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°My mother is making Jade Crisp Cakes. I haven¡¯t tried them yet, but they smell really good. I¡¯ll bring some for you to try tomorrow to see if they¡¯re tasty.¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded gently, her expression quite relaxed.


    The next day, Mo Hua brought the promised food as scheduled.


    Bai Zisheng ate heartily, while Bai Zixi nibbled on the translucent and fragrant pastry, appearing like a kitten, her eyes slightly squinted.


    Seeing them eating happily, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but smile with his eyes narrowed as well.


    A few days later, Elder Yu instructed Mo Hua to go to the Monster Hunting Guild¡¯s storage room to collect Spirit Stones.


    Many Spirit Stones were mined from the spiritual mines, and they couldn¡¯t be distributed all at once as this might lead to wasteful extravagance or incite others to rob and create many problems.


    The Monster Hunting Guild also had to reserve a sufficient quantity of Spirit Stones for unforeseen needs.


    For this reason, the Spirit Stones stored in the storage room were to be distributed in timed intervals based on merit, following the principle of ¡°a steady trickle runs long,¡± so the expenditure of Spirit Stones can last longer.


    Mo Hua queued outside the storage and after a short while received a Storage Bag with roughly three hundred Spirit Stones inside. It felt heavy in his arms.


    Over three hundred stones!


    That would be enough for a long, long time; for a short period, there was no need to worry about Spirit Stones anymore.


    And this was just the first distribution; there should be more after some time.


    Mo Hua was extremely delighted.


    Not just Mo Hua, everyone who came to collect Spirit Stones had smiles on their faces. Some, upon receiving the stones, were in disbelief and even shed tears of joy.


    The Loose Cultivators who struggled at the bottom of society had never seen so many Spirit Stones before.


    With these stones, their children wouldn¡¯t have to starve, their cultivation paths were secured, and they wouldn¡¯t have to work so desperately to earn Spirit Stones.


    Under the weight of heavy pressure, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    And they could live like this for ten years!


    Mo Hua was somewhat relieved, but upon reflection, he felt a bit weighed down again.


    What about ten years later?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    In ten years, once the Spirit Stones ran out, wouldn¡¯t everyone still live the same life, licking the blade and enduring hardship just like before?


    Mo Hua thought of Auntie Meng, Aunt Jiang, and Da¡¯hu, along with the other familiar Monster Hunters.


    He thought of the tears they shed in life, the blood they spilled in hunting monsters, their bitter suffering, and the perilousness of their existence.


    Mo Hua felt an even heavier burden on his heart.


    Was there a way to make these good days last a little longer for everyone?


    This thought lingered endlessly in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    Mo Hua thought about it while eating, while cultivating, and even when he was Drawing Formations.


    One day, while Mo Hua was flipping through Formation Books, he had a sudden flash of inspiration.


    He ran to the storage of the Monster Hunting Guild and found Elder Yu.


    A great number of Spirit Stones were stockpiled in the storage, and Elder Yu could not set his mind at ease, so he had been personally guarding it these days.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Elder Yu, how did the Qian Family make their fortune?¡±


    Elder Yu was a bit surprised but still pondered for a moment and said,


    ¡°The Patriarch of the Qian Family started as a Monster Hunter. Later, he saved up some Spirit Stones, quit being a Monster Hunter, and started the business of Artifact Refining and Alchemy¡­¡±


    ¡°The Monster Hunters killed Monster Beasts and he would buy the materials they stripped off at low prices, hire Loose Cultivators to refine them into Spiritual Artifacts and Pills, then sell them to Monster Hunters at high prices.¡±


    ¡°As time passed, his business grew larger. The price he paid for materials dropped lower and lower, the lengths of time he hired Loose Cultivators for grew longer and longer, and the Spiritual Artifacts and Pills he sold became more and more expensive. Naturally, the Qian Family became richer and richer.¡±


    Mo Hua asked doubtfully, ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone compete with them?¡±


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t be competed with,¡± Elder Yu shook his head. ¡°Others weren¡¯t as ruthless or cunning; they couldn¡¯t match the Qian Family.¡±


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Qian Family started from nothing.¡±


    Elder Yu scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s just the Qian Family putting gold on their own faces.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that?¡±


    Elder Yu scanned the surroundings with his Divine Sense, ensuring there were no irregularities, then sat down, drank a cup of tea, and began to speak to Mo Hua,


    ¡°I just said, the Patriarch of the Qian Family saved up some Spirit Stones. How do you think those Spirit Stones were saved up?¡±


    Mo Hua thought carefully and suddenly felt startled.


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, ¡°We¡¯re all Monster Hunters. Why couldn¡¯t others save up, but he could? The amount of Spirit Stones necessary to open a Refinery Shop and an Alchemist¡¯s Business isn¡¯t small; a normal Monster Hunter couldn¡¯t save up that much in a lifetime¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°What did he do then?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°The older generation of Monster Hunters told me that the Patriarch of the Qian Family was deceitful from young. When he went Monster Hunting with others, he even killed his companions to take the Monster Beasts¡¯ inner cores for himself. Later he disguised himself as a bandit, robbing people on Big Black Mountain, and engaged in all sorts of swindling and cheating behind the scenes, willing to do anything for Spirit Stones. That¡¯s how he accumulated his first fortune¡­¡±


    Elder Yu let out another cold laugh, ¡°No horse grows fat without being fed at night, nobody grows rich without ill-gotten wealth; where in the world does ¡®starting from scratch¡¯ truly come from?¡±


    Mo Hua listened with a sinking heart.


    After Elder Yu finished his gossip and moistened his throat with another cup of tea, he suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°You came to see me for something more than just a chat, didn¡¯t you? Is there something you need?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Elder Yu, let¡¯s also start our own Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business to earn Spirit Stones!¡±


    Elder Yu let out a chuckle, ¡°Silly child, the Qian Family could save up the Spirit Stones to start their business through murder and deception. Where would we get that kind of capital?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°We don¡¯t need to resort to killing or deception; we already have the capital.¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, about to say something, when his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he turned to look at the storage room.


    Piled up in the storage room were dense and numerous Spirit Stones¡ªfreshly mined from the Spiritual mines, and exchanged from the hands of the Taoist Court officials!


    ¡°But¡­ Refining Artifacts and Alchemy aren¡¯t that easy.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of Alchemists and Artifact Refiners among the Loose Cultivators. If we¡¯re short on manpower, we can just spend Spirit Stones to hire them,¡± Mo Hua responded.


    Elder Yu frowned and thought for a moment, ¡°The most troublesome part is the Artifact Furnace and the Alchemy Furnace. To scale the business up, we¡¯d need large, high-quality Artifact Furnaces and Alchemy Furnaces.¡±


    ¡°Is making Artifact Furnaces and Alchemy Furnaces difficult?¡±


    ¡°Their creation requires a lot of manpower, material resources, and fine iron, but the trickiest and most crucial aspect lies within the furnaces¡­¡±


    As Elder Yu said this, his heart suddenly pounded, and he couldn¡¯t help but look toward Mo Hua.


    The most crucial aspect¡­ was the Formation inside the furnace!


    Elder Yu connected the dots and experienced a moment of clarity.


    They were ready for everything! They lacked nothing!


    They had the Spirit Stones, they had the manpower, and for the most difficult part, the Formation¡­ they already had Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu found it hard to believe for a moment.


    sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 176 - 176: Preparation for Construction (Five updates) _1

    Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Preparation for Construction (Five updates) _1


    All was ready, and it seemed they really could start their own Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business?


    Elder Yu had some trouble making up his mind.


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu and added, ¡°Elder Yu, these Spirit Stones are only enough for ten years of use. What will we do after ten years?¡±


    Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    He had considered Mo Hua¡¯s point before, but, after much thought, he hadn¡¯t come up with any viable solutions.


    The lives of the Monster Hunters were already very tough. Having ten years to catch their breath, with everyone not worrying about food and clothing and being able to cultivate in peace, was enough to satisfy Elder Yu.


    That was all he could do.


    But the words of Mo Hua now stirred up a tumult of emotions inside Elder Yu.


    Perhaps their good days could indeed last a little longer?


    Elder Yu pondered more carefully and felt more and more that Mo Hua¡¯s suggestion was feasible.


    In the past, they lacked both Spirit Stones and Formation Masters capable of Drawing Formations, so they never considered this path.


    But now that they had Spirit Stones and a promising young Formation Master, what was there to worry about?


    Elder Yu¡¯s blood suddenly started to boil.


    This was a chance from the heavens for them, the poor Loose Cultivators!


    If they didn¡¯t seize this fleeting opportunity, they would surely have deep regrets in the future!


    ¡°Mo Hua,¡± Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and said earnestly, ¡°You¡¯re right, but this matter is of great importance. I need to discuss it with the others before deciding what to do.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He was just making a suggestion. Whether to act on it and how to proceed was still up to Elder Yu.


    However, Elder Yu¡¯s word was law among the Monster Hunters. If he agreed, it was almost certain to happen. The meeting to discuss the matter would likely just be a formality.


    ¡°There¡¯s another thing,¡± Elder Yu considered carefully, ¡°if we are to establish a Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business, we need to refine large Artifact Furnaces and Alchemy Furnaces, and the formations inside them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua patted his chest, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me!¡±


    For Mo Hua, this was akin to a chance to practice Drawing Formations for free, and not just any formations but those on large Spiritual Artifacts. Mo Hua couldn¡¯t wish for more. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Refining large Spiritual Artifacts was incredibly costly and not something an average Cultivator could afford.


    If Mo Hua could inscribe Formation Patterns on these large Spiritual Artifacts, his comprehension of formations would reach new heights.


    Even without the Taoist Court¡¯s official assessment, Mo Hua¡¯s skill level was already comparable to a First-grade Formation Master.


    But for Mo Hua, being First-grade was not the end but rather the beginning. In the future, he aspired to become an even higher-grade Formation Master, to comprehend even more powerful formations!


    With the help of formations, he would possess the power to reach the heavens and pierce through the earth!


    Thinking this, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone as brightly as the stars.


    Elder Yu watched Mo Hua and felt that at this moment, this child standing before him was more valuable to the Monster Hunters than the whole storeroom full of glowing Spirit Stones.


    Elder Yu returned to convene a meeting with everyone to discuss the establishment of the Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business, and he forthrightly declared:


    ¡°I have already agreed.¡±


    The others inwardly grumbled to themselves.


    You¡¯ve already agreed, so what else is there to talk about¡­ They wouldn¡¯t dare oppose it, would they?


    Elder Yu didn¡¯t beat around the bush and went straight to the point: ¡°Let¡¯s discuss what specifically needs to be done next.¡±


    Everyone began offering suggestions and engaged in discussions.


    After spending an entire half-day, they finally established a rough set of procedures.


    Elder Yu reviewed the procedures and felt that, overall, there were no major issues, although some details needed to be considered further. However, it would not affect the overall situation.


    Once the decisions were made, Elder Yu acted with decisive efficiency, directly assigning tasks, specifying what each person was to do, and the detailed division of time required for each task.


    Elder Yu then solemnly added, ¡°This matter is of great importance to every ?Loose Cultivator among the thousands of households in Tongxian City. Every task must be carried out meticulously and conscientiously, without any negligence!¡±


    Everyone became grave and respectfully responded with a bow, saying, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After this, the Monster Hunters of Tongxian City gradually became busier.


    Elder Yu¡¯s vision was to establish the largest Artifact Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business in Tongxian City.


    The Monster Hunters would venture into the mountains to hunt monsters and gather materials, Loose Cultivators who were Artifact Refiners would work on Artifact Refining, and Alchemists would engage in Alchemy. The Spiritual Artifacts and Pills produced would partly be used by the Monster Hunters themselves and partly sold to earn Spirit Stones.


    Such a large Artifact Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business required not only many Artifact Refiners and Alchemists but also many apprentices learning Artifact Refining and Alchemy, providing many job opportunities for Monster Hunters to earn their livelihood.


    Some Loose Cultivators, not adept at dealing with Monster Beasts, couldn¡¯t become Monster Hunters, but they could learn some Artifact Refining or Alchemy skills in the shop, and subsist on their own. Once they achieved something, they too could help other Loose Cultivators thrive.


    The specific planning and construction process was complex and multifaceted. Elder Yu, together with the leading Monster Hunters, managed all these steps. Mo Hua didn¡¯t have to worry about these matters, nor could he be of any help.


    All he could do was the Drawing Formation.


    For the extensive establishment of the Artifact Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business, the required formations were of two main categories: one was the Architectural Formation for the Artifact Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business, and the other was the Refining Formation for the Artifact Furnace and Alchemy Furnace.


    The first consideration was the Architectural Formation for the buildings.


    In Elder Yu¡¯s plan, the construction of all buildings was divided into two phases: the first phase was to build the Artifact Refinery Shop, and the second phase would be to build the Alchemist¡¯s Business.


    Compared to Alchemists, there were more Artifact Refiners among the Loose Cultivators, and Cultivators had a higher consumption of Spiritual Artifacts, which also had a guaranteed market, so it was decided to concentrate manpower and resources to complete the Artifact Refinery Shop.


    After completing the Artifact Refinery Shop, the Alchemist¡¯s Business would be built using a similar framework. Having the experience would make the construction of the Alchemist¡¯s Business much faster.


    Mo Hua¡¯s first task was to design the Architectural Formation for the Artifact Refinery Shop.


    The Artifact Refinery Shop occupied a large area with many related buildings, including walls, gates, various storerooms, Refining Rooms, Cultivators¡¯ living quarters, storage rooms, and so on.


    While Elder Yu was still negotiating the specific location with the Taoist Court officials, the planning of the buildings had to be prepared in advance.


    Elder Yu had also collected some construction blueprints from other Refinery Shops for Mo Hua to refer to.


    However, these blueprints, either had too small a scale and barely used any Formation Patterns or, even if they did, only employed basic Formation Patterns with three or four lines, such as the Solid Earth Formation and Gold Stone Formation that Mo Hua first learned.


    Now that Mo Hua¡¯s horizons had broadened, he was no longer much impressed by these.


    Other blueprints, although featuring more formations, were not systematic, disorganized, and of little reference value.


    Then there were those that were deliberately vague, likely for fear of leaking core formation techniques, and thus, the Patterns couldn¡¯t be deciphered.


    He originally thought there would be deep insights among these, but it turned out that everyone¡¯s use of them was quite superficial, and comparatively, the Architectural Formation employed by the An Family, though full of loopholes, was already quite commendable.


    Mo Hua gave these a cursory look, had a rough idea in his mind, and then started to design.


    Since the formations used here were not very sophisticated, Mo Hua no longer felt any mental burden.


    Now capable of crafting First-grade Formation Methods, even if he were to draw casually, the effectiveness would not be inferior to the formations used in other buildings.

 Chapter 177 - 177 Limit_1

    Chapter 177: Chapter 177 Limit_1


    After Mo Hua had planned the Architectural Formation for the Refinery Shop, he checked it himself and felt there were no major issues.


    It had all the basic functions. Since they were still considered separate formations, the interaction between them was minimal, so drawing them up wouldn¡¯t pose any problems.


    Yet, Mo Hua was somewhat unsettled.


    The construction of the Refinery Shop was of great importance; it related to the Loose Cultivators¡¯ cultivation and life for the next ten, several decades, or even longer. There couldn¡¯t be the slightest negligence.


    Since he wasn¡¯t completely sure, it would be better to consult Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua then went to the Forgetful Residence and presented his Architectural Formation plan to Mr. Zhuang for review.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyelids twitched at the sight of the densely packed Formation Method Map, but upon seeing that it was just a simple arrangement of Single Formations and Compound Formations, independent of each other, he finally let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Gentleman, is there something amiss?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°Is it usable?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sufficient,¡± said Mr. Zhuang, then he took out several diagrams and handed them to Mo Hua, ¡°These are also simple Architectural Formation Maps. You can have a look for reference.¡±


    Mo Hua took them, eager to take a look.


    The formations on the Architectural Formation Maps were just as Mo Hua had expected; they mainly focused on Earth and Wood Formations. Single Formations ranged from five to nine Formation Patterns, and there were also some First Grade Compound Formations. However, none were particularly difficult, and all were within Mo Hua¡¯s grasp.


    However, although these Architectural Formation Maps primarily used Earth and Wood Formations, they were mixed with other Five Elements Formations, and there were many differences in the details.


    For instance, how to solidify soil and rock with the Golden Series Formation Method, how to nourish Earth and Wood with the Water Series Formation, and how to ensure heating and lighting for a building with the Fire Series Formation.


    The frameworks seemed similar, but there were a lot of details worth pondering.


    Mo Hua became engrossed as he looked them over, and when he came back to his senses, he noticed Mr. Zhuang had already lain down on a chair, leisurely resting with his eyes closed.


    Mo Hua scratched his head, feeling slightly embarrassed.


    Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes and asked with a smile, ¡°How do you find them?¡±


    After some thought, Mo Hua replied, ¡°The set of Formation Maps the Gentleman provided seems simple, but the interrelationships between various formations, their generation and restriction, there are actually many subtleties ¨C I didn¡¯t grasp all of it at once.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Not bad. In the Cultivation World, whenever multiple formations are involved, the planning, coordination, and the relationships of mutual generation and restriction need careful contemplation¡­ For you to notice these aspects on your first attempt is quite commendable.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled happily, but then after thinking for a bit, he frowned and asked:


    ¡°Gentleman, these formations on the Architectural Formation Maps, even though they are arranged with consideration for coordination and generation-restriction during deployment, they are still independent of each other. If these formations were connected, wouldn¡¯t the overall effect of the formation be stronger?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang revealed a thought-provoking smile, ¡°How would you connect them?¡±


    Frowning in concentration, Mo Hua ventured uncertainly, ¡°¡­With a Formation Pivot?¡±


    ¡°If connected by a Formation Pivot, what would it become?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked further.


    Mo Hua contemplated for a moment; Single Formations connected would form a Compound Formation. To connect so many Single Formations would be like¡­


    ¡°A Large Compound Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°You could put it more simply.¡± Mr. Zhuang looked at him with profound eyes, ¡°A Large Compound Formation is actually called a ¡®Large Formation¡¯.¡±


    Large Formation!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped.


    The Large Formation that countless Formation Masters dream of, longing to create in their wildest dreams?


    The most magnificent in the Cultivation World, with the most extensive Formation Patterns and the most powerful effects?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Can I draw it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s slender and fair fingers reached out and gently tapped Mo Hua¡¯s head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t aim too high. You haven¡¯t even mastered Compound Formations, let alone think about Large Formations.¡±


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua clutched his head and chuckled, ¡°Okay, Gentleman.¡±


    But he was still somewhat concerned and asked softly, ¡°Gentleman, what exactly makes a Large Formation difficult?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly, expressing helplessness as he said, ¡°The difficulty lies in the Formation Pivot.¡±


    ¡°Formation Pivot?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang asked, ¡°Is the Formation Pivot of a Compound Formation difficult?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Difficult indeed.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, ¡°A Compound Formation is merely composed of a few Single Formations, and even their Formation Pivots are not easy to learn, while the Formation Pivot of a Large Formation, links to hundreds, even thousands of Single Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment. Hundreds, thousands?


    No amount of Divine Sense in the Sea of Consciousness would suffice.


    Even by exhausting all Divine Sense and grinding the Sea of Consciousness to dust, one couldn¡¯t squeeze out that much Divine Sense¡­


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Thus, a First Grade Large Formation has never been something that a First Grade Formation Master could create. Usually, it is a Second-Rank Formation Master who learns to create a First Grade Large Formation, and becomes the chief Formation Master for a First Grade Large Formation.¡±


    ¡°Chief Formation Master?¡± Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    Mr. Zhuang explained, ¡°A Formation Master who plans a First Grade Large Formation and can draw the Formation Pivot is called the chief Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°Why not draw it all by oneself? Why distinguish between a chief and the rest?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled and explained, ¡°A Large Formation is immense in scale and its Formation Patterns complex. Drawing it by yourself, you might die of exhaustion. Hence, a Large Formation is normally planned by a single chief Formation Master who personally draws the Formation Pivot, while other Formation Masters follow the chief Formation Master¡¯s Formation Diagram to add the specific Single Formations on top of the Pivot structure.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Mo Hua understood.


    Just as three stakes support a fence and a good man is supported by three helpers.


    Being so vast, a Large Formation couldn¡¯t possibly be drawn by a single person, requiring a great number of Formation Masters to collaborate and construct it together.


    Such a huge and complex project is of paramount importance to a Clan, a Sect, and even to an entire city or realm.


    No wonder many Formation Masters pursue Large Formations as a lifetime goal.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua thought of a crucial question, ¡°Building a Large Formation must cost quite a few Spirit Stones, right¡­?¡±


    After pondering briefly, Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°Although we¡¯re talking about a Large Formation, they vary in scale. Smaller-scale ones don¡¯t require as many.¡±


    Mo Hua timidly asked, ¡°For a smaller scale, how many Spirit Stones would that be¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression revealed amusement as he chuckled:


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you unearth a Spiritual Mine? If you use all the Spirit Stones from there, you could probably build a small-scale Large Formation. That is, assuming the Formation Masters, Craftsmen, and Artifact Refiners don¡¯t charge wages, and excluding the Spirit Stones needed to activate the Large Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded.


    An entire Spiritual Mine, all those Spirit Stones, just enough for a small-scale Large Formation.


    If you include the wages and the Spirit Stones needed to activate the Large Formation, that wouldn¡¯t be nearly enough¡­


    After all, to plan and lead the construction of a First Grade Large Formation generally requires a Second-Rank Formation Master, and they certainly don¡¯t come cheap.


    Upon thinking about all those Spirit Stones, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but take a sharp intake of breath.


    One would need deep reserves to build a First Grade Large Formation; no wonder he had never seen a Large Formation in Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua gave up completely, knowing that even if he could draw a Large Formation, he didn¡¯t have enough Spirit Stones to fund its construction.


    However, Mo Hua was still curious, ¡°Can a First Grade Formation Master really not act as a chief Formation Master for a First Grade Large Formation?¡± S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang answered, ¡°Generally speaking, that¡¯s the case.¡±


    ¡°And if it¡¯s not general?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his gaze becoming intense, and slowly said:


    ¡°If it¡¯s exceptional, one just needs to break through the limits of Divine Sense.¡±

 Chapter 178 - 178 Master Ban_1

    Chapter 178: Chapter 178 Master Ban_1


    ¡°`


    ¡°The limits¡­ of Divine Sense.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Mo Hua had heard this term, but he still didn¡¯t understand what the limits of Divine Sense were, or how to break through them.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand, so he asked in a soft voice, ¡°The limits of Divine Sense¡­ how can one break through them?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang silently looked at him.


    Regaining his composure, Mo Hua scratched his head and offered an apologetic smile, ¡°Gentleman, I¡¯m being overly ambitious again.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang raised an eyebrow, lightly chuckling, ¡°It¡¯s good to know these things, but don¡¯t spend too much time on them. What¡¯s most important for you is to learn more about Compound Formations, especially since you are already at the Qi Refinement level six.¡±


    Qi Refinement level six, so what?


    Mo Hua frowned, suddenly remembering that he was indeed at Qi Refinement level six, and a breakthrough would take him to level seven.


    Moving from Qi Refinement level six to seven signified the transition from the middle phase to the latter phase of Qi Refinement, a breakthrough in the middle realm, meaning there would be a bottleneck in the Cultivation Technique!


    The Cultivation Technique he was practicing was the Heaven Yan Jue, which encounters bottlenecks at the Mystery Formation.


    If he couldn¡¯t solve these Mystery Formations, he wouldn¡¯t be able to break through to the next realm. There was no need to think about anything else then; he could only remain a Qi Refinement level six Cultivator for his entire life.


    A chill ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Indeed, the most pressing matter was to learn more about formations, practice them, use them, and find a way to unlock the Mystery Formations of the Heaven Yan Jue. Otherwise, without an increase in Cultivation, everything else was just empty talk.


    After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua began planning his course of study in formations.


    The first step was to utilize the Architectural Formation of the Refinery Shop, to broaden the application of formations, and reinforce some basic Compound Formations such as the Grade-One Earth-Wood Formation.


    Next, he would use the Artifact Furnace and the Alchemy Furnace to study and apply more difficult Compound Formations, like those complex formations containing Grade-One Melting Fire Formations.


    The Pivots of these formations were not just for connecting Single Formations, but also involved controlling the Spiritual Power within the formation and exerting Strong Inhibition among other effects.


    After spending two days, Mo Hua referred to the Formation Diagram provided by Mr. Zhuang and, based on the architectural plans of the Refinery Shop, mapped out the Architectural Formation Map for the shop.


    Mo Hua showed the Architectural Formation Map to Elder Yu.


    At a glance, Elder Yu¡¯s scalp went numb.


    The dense and complex formations were too complicated for Elder Yu, leaving him dizzy and overwhelmed. Since he didn¡¯t understand formations, it was as incomprehensible as an arcane text; he could only wave his hand and say,


    ¡°You handle it, if there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Seeing that Elder Yu had agreed, Mo Hua nodded as well.


    Elder Yu surreptitiously sized up Mo Hua, looking him over from left to right, and couldn¡¯t help muttering to himself,


    ¡°I have no idea how Mo Hua¡¯s small brain works, remembering such complex formations, and how he can even draw them out¡­¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head.


    A few days later, Elder Yu treated the Court Leader to a drink several times, negotiated with other Supervisors, and spent quite a few Spirit Stones to buy a large piece of wasteland to the south of Tongxian City, as well as some unoccupied old houses in the vicinity. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This wasteland would be the location for the Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business, which had been selected as the most suitable and cheapest site after discussions with everyone.


    With the location determined, construction could begin.


    In the Cultivation World, construction of houses required craftsmen, who were skilled in Earth and Wood building, a branch of Artifact Refining. As the Tao Cultivation World developed, it gradually separated from the Artifact Refining trade.


    There weren¡¯t many craftsmen in Tongxian City, so Elder Yu had to hire a group of craftsmen from nearby Immortal Cities.


    The leading craftsman among them, surnamed Ban, was an old acquaintance of Elder Yu. His skills were famed near and far among several Immortal Cities.


    Elder Yu went to an inn within Tongxian City and handed over the Architectural Formation Map to an old man around his age, who had dark skin and a slightly hunched figure.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Master Ban, the Formation Diagram is ready, we can start construction now.¡±


    The elder referred to as Master Ban took the Formation Diagram, glanced at it, and his brows furrowed tightly, ¡°Such a complex formation, which Formation Masters do you plan to invite to draw it?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°You¡¯ll find out when the time comes.¡±


    Master Ban was still not reassured, ¡°This formation is too difficult, and there are so many Formation Patterns. If we can¡¯t finish drawing, or if we are short-handed and draw too slowly, it¡¯s going to affect the progress significantly.¡±


    Elder Yu knew what he was worried about and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t delay the schedule, and it won¡¯t delay your final payment settlement.¡±


    Having received a promise from Elder Yu, Master Ban heaved a sigh of relief, but he still felt somewhat uneasy inside.


    With such an array of complex formations, just which Formation Master was going to draw them for him?


    The Formation Masters in Tongxian City were mostly on good terms with the Qian Family, and since the Qian Family still held a grudge against him, it¡¯s likely they wouldn¡¯t draw formations for the Monster Hunter.


    Inviting from outside? That would cost a considerable amount of Spirit Stones. Although Elder Yu had recently obtained a large sum of Spirit Stones, he couldn¡¯t just squander them like this¡­


    Master Ban, with a creased brow, was at a loss for solutions. Then he had a moment of realization and thought to himself:


    ¡°Why am I worrying so much? As long as he settles the payment of Spirit Stones on time, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    After all, these days, being a craftsman and having the accounts settled on time without being owed Spirit Stones was considered good enough. He also had a whole team of craftsmen under him who needed to eat.


    With that thought, he began to envy Elder Yu.


    It was said that Elder Yu, leading the Monster Hunters, had snatched a Spiritual mine from the Qian Family¡¯s jaws, as if snatching food from a tiger¡¯s mouth.


    It has always been the Qian Family snatching from others, and this was the first time someone had snatched from them, and not just anything, but an entire Spiritual mine, which was really something.


    Master Ban marveled at the thought.


    He had many years of acquaintance with Elder Yu, and this time, as Elder Yu benefitted, they too had enjoyed some good fortune; such a large construction project had been entrusted to them.


    If they could complete both phases, including the Refinery Shop and the Alchemist¡¯s Business, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about their livelihood for the next two years. Even taking on some small jobs afterward would be enough to feed their families.


    They wouldn¡¯t have to be as worried as before, angst-ridden due to a lack of projects.


    With his mind somewhat at ease, Master Ban urged his apprentices to start working, reminding them to be serious and meticulous in their work.


    Since Elder Yu had given them an opportunity, they had to show their true skills and make sure the work was thorough and meticulous; they couldn¡¯t let Elder Yu down, and they couldn¡¯t let others look down on them.


    The construction of the Refinery Shop then began in earnest.


    Elder Yu had already purchased the construction materials, which were delivered in batches to the wasteland south of the city.


    The craftsmen started leveling the ground, laying the foundations, and pre-processing various building materials of earth and wood.


    Master Ban was so busy his feet barely touched the ground. For such a large project, he had to oversee everything from beginning to end, making sure every detail was checked, wishing he could clone himself.


    Apart from the craftsmen, some Monster Hunters also came over to help. Although they didn¡¯t engage in construction and lacked the skills, they were, after all, practicers of Body Refinement, strong and robust, and could help by moving bricks and stones, lifting elm wood, and digging foundations.


    Many hands make light work; with more people, the construction could progress faster.


    Master Ban was pleased but also vigilant.


    With more workers, things could easily get messy, and it became easier for unrelated people to slip in.


    Having been a craftsman for so many years, he had experienced such situations. Some people mingled in out of curiosity or to watch the spectacle, some to steal things, and some came with malicious intent.


    Since Elder Yu and the Qian Family were at odds, it was possible for the Qian Family to send someone with ill intentions.


    Master Ban became extremely alert, keeping an eye on the Cultivators coming and going on the site, checking for unfamiliar faces.


    Then he saw a young Cultivator crouching near the newly laid foundation, sticking his little head out, curiously looking at something.

 Chapter 179 - 179 Craftsmen_1

    Chapter 179: Chapter 179 Craftsmen_1


    The young monk looked to be about ten years old, with a clean brow and handsome features, appearing obedient and cute. But as he lay sprawled on the ground, covered in dirt, he also looked rather filthy.


    ¡°Whose child is this, running around here to play?¡±


    Master Ban was taken aback for a moment, then quietly walked over to follow the young monk¡¯s gaze and discovered he was looking at the foundation stone below, which seemed to be reserved for Formation Painting.


    What was a child doing looking at this foundation stone?


    Master Ban didn¡¯t quite understand and also peered down for a while, noticing nothing but soil and stone, and nothing particularly special. At that moment, he heard the child say:


    ¡°Is that Master Ban?¡±


    Master Ban paused, ¡°You know me?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, my name is Mo Hua, Elder Yu sent me here.¡±


    Mo Hua stood up and dusted off the dirt from his clothes.


    But he only brushed the front, his back still had some mud stains¡ªhe must have crawled somewhere dirty, and his short arms couldn¡¯t reach.


    Master Ban went over, gently patted his back, dusting off the dirt, while curiously asking:


    ¡°What did Elder Yu send you here for?¡±


    ¡°Elder Yu sent me to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Look at what?¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled and did not reply.


    He had come to check where the Formation needed to be painted, whether the planned Formation Diagram complied with standards, and whether the rooms being built by the Craftsmen would interfere with the Formation¡¯s layout.


    However, Elder Yu had instructed him not to tell others about his Formation Painting skill, to prevent those with ill-intent from taking advantage, especially for fear that the Qian Family might seek trouble and retaliate upon learning this.


    Seeing that Mo Hua didn¡¯t speak, Master Ban roughly guessed what was happening.


    He supposed it was the child¡¯s playful nature, seeing the hustle and bustle here, secretly running over to play, but also fearing reprimand, so he used Elder Yu as an excuse.


    It was obvious, what could Elder Yu possibly expect a child to do here?


    But from the child¡¯s tone, he seemed very familiar with Elder Yu, if not a relative, probably the child of another Monster Hunter.


    As long as he wasn¡¯t from the Qian Family, that was fine.


    Master Ban let go of his concerns, but kindly reminded, ¡°Go back after you¡¯ve played a bit; there¡¯s not much to do here, and as a child, it could be somewhat dangerous for you.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just look around for a while, then I¡¯ll head back.¡±


    Master Ban stopped paying attention to Mo Hua who had a lot on his plate and didn¡¯t have the energy to mind the boy. With so many craftsmen and Monster Hunters around, and so many watching eyes, it was unlikely that a child would actually encounter any danger.


    Master Ban focused on his work, and after a while, he looked up to find Mo Hua was still there.


    On a half-built wall, Mo Hua walked leisurely with his back hands clasped, scrutinizing his surroundings, while muttering about Patterns and Wood and Stone.


    Several Monster Hunters were around, neither stopping him nor paying him much attention, as if they were accustomed to everything the child did.


    Master Ban was puzzled; what on earth was the child doing¡­


    ¡­And why was no one looking after him?


    Could it be he was Elder Yu¡¯s own grandson? Which was why the Monster Hunters dared not intervene?


    Master Ban speculated quietly to himself.


    ¡°Mo¡­ Hua?¡± Master Ban remembered the name and called out to him.


    Only after calling did he remember, with the surname Mo, the boy was likely not a grandson of Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua heard Master Ban call and waved at him, then with a light leap, drifted down from the wall like falling leaves.


    Master Ban was inwardly astonished¡ªthis movement technique was no ordinary feat.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going home yet?¡± asked Master Ban.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head back in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Master Ban nodded, picked up a few bricks from the ground, and without much care, sat down on them.


    After being busy all morning, it was a good time for him to sit and rest as well.


    Mo Hua followed his example and, holding a brick, he sat down on the ground next to Master Ban.


    ¡°Master Ban, would you like a drink?¡±


    Mo Hua took out a bottle of fruit wine from his storage bag. It was not very strong, but it was refreshing.


    Master Ban happened to be thirsty, but seeing that Mo Hua was just a child, he declined, ¡°That would be too kind¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°My family runs a food establishment, we have lots of drinks, and they¡¯re all homemade. Do you want to try some?¡±


    Hearing this, Master Ban was curious, so he took a sip and nodded in approval, ¡°Rich in fruit flavor, crisp on the palate, perfect for quenching thirst!¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± Mo Hua said with a happy smile.


    The wine was brewed by his mother, so of course, it was delicious. Mo Hua thought Master Ban must also be a connoisseur.


    Elder Yu¡¯s taste was less refined in this regard. Elder Yu only liked strong liquor and couldn¡¯t appreciate the sweet goodness of this kind of fruit wine.


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°Master Ban, are all of you Craftsmen from the Earth-Wood Series Spiritual Root?¡±


    Mo Hua was curious; he had just stealthily used his Divine Sense and noticed that the spiritual power of these Craftsmen and artisans was basically brown with tinges of cyan.


    This was because their Spiritual Roots were of the Earth Series mixed with the Wood Series, and they practiced the Earth-Wood Series Cultivation Technique.


    Having enjoyed Mo Hua¡¯s wine and now with some free time, Master Ban explained, ¡°Generally, for Craftsmen, the Earth-Wood Series Spiritual Root is the best. Besides that, the Water-Earth Series, Metal-Earth Series, and Metal-Wood Series also work. Earth and wood structures primarily involve dealing with earth, wood, bricks, and stones, requiring the corresponding spiritual power for shaping, excavating, carving, etc. When the Spiritual Root matches, it makes the job a lot easier.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly as he listened.


    Master Ban took another sip of the drink to moisten his throat and continued, ¡°It¡¯s not just us Craftsmen; it applies to other Tao Cultivation specialties as well. For instance, for Alchemy and Artifact Refining, a Fire-series Spiritual Root is necessary. The same goes for preparing spiritual meals. The Fire-Series doesn¡¯t need to be high quality, but it certainly must be present¡­¡±


    ¡°And then others, for instance, those in shipping need a Water Series Spiritual Root, those dealing with Spirit Plants require a Wood Series or Water Series, those constructing mausoleums need a Metal Series or Earth Series, and couriers would best have a Wind-based Spiritual Root, etc., all of these professions cannot be separated from one¡¯s Spiritual Root¡­¡±


    After such a conversation, Mo Hua had gained much insight.


    The Cultivation World of the Nine State was vast and endless. There were so many different Cultivators in this world, engaged in a rich and colorful variety of Tao Cultivation specialties¡­


    Mo Hua wondered whether he would one day be able to travel throughout the Nine State, to experience the local Tao Cultivation customs and the nature of its people.


    Mo Hua thought with a sense of longing.


    After finishing their chat and the wine, Master Ban had to get back to work. He said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I need to get busy. You should head back so your parents don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Mo Hua had seen what he came to see and had a rough idea of what he needed, so he also waved goodbye, ¡°Goodbye, Master Ban.¡±


    Master Ban continued to focus on the progress of the construction, undistracted, and he dismissed Mo Hua from his mind.


    A few days later, he met with Elder Yu and discussed the planning of the Refinery Shop. As he was about to take his leave, he suddenly remembered something and asked,


    ¡°I met a kid before, named Mo Hua. Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua?¡± Elder Yu nodded, ¡°I asked him to go over there and have a look.¡±


    ¡°What did you ask him to look at?¡± Master Ban frowned.


    Elder Yu was about to say something, but then he stopped and smiled, ¡°Nothing much, just to look around.¡±


    Master Ban was somewhat displeased and puzzled, ¡°Is he a relative of yours?¡±


    If only he were my relative¡­


    Elder Yu thought to himself, then shook his head and said, ¡°No, just an ordinary kid. Let him do what he wants, no need for you to worry.¡±


    Master Ban couldn¡¯t help but grumble inwardly.


    Let him do what he wants? Can that really be just an ordinary kid?


    You wouldn¡¯t even be so indulgent with your own grandchild¡­


    Master Ban shook his head, but knowing that Elder Yu didn¡¯t want to elaborate, he didn¡¯t press further. For now, he had to drop the subject and continued to discuss the affairs of the Refinery Shop. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 180 - 180 Formation Master_1

    Chapter 180: Chapter 180 Formation Master_1


    The construction progress of the Refinery Shop was advancing according to Master Ban¡¯s expectations.


    As the end of the year drew near, completing the Refinery Shop earlier meant that he could settle the repayment of Spirit Stones sooner, providing his craftsmen and disciples with closure, and allowing everyone to return home for a good New Year celebration.


    Master Ban took it to heart and basically spent every day at the Refinery Shop, urging on the craftsmen under him, instructing the Monster Hunters who came to help, and personally taking care of some tasks the disciples couldn¡¯t handle well.


    During this time, Master Ban also frequently saw Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua would just stand there with his hands behind his back, looking around here and there, occasionally muttering something, and taking out a piece of paper to jot something down.


    If uninformed, one might think he was a little craftsman too.


    Remembering Elder Yu¡¯s words, Master Ban decided to let him do whatever he wanted, so he didn¡¯t interfere.


    Occasionally, Mo Hua would ask him some questions, and if Master Ban had time, he answered them all. As thanks, Mo Hua would use the wine and meat from his own eatery. Once Master Ban tried it, he could never forget it.


    Tender yet chewy, spicy and with a hint of wild flavor.


    It¡¯s not that Master Ban had never eaten meat before, but he had never tasted meat as delicious as this. He usually was hard at work and ate meals haphazardly, not particularly concerned with the quality of his food. But the taste of this meat was truly unique, unforgettable even if he tried.


    Master Ban quietly memorized the name of Mo Hua¡¯s eatery, intending to buy some more after the completion of the Refinery Shop, once he had settled his accounts and earned some Spirit Stones, to let his grandchildren have a taste.


    About a month and a half later, the rudimentary structure of the Refinery Shop was initially completed.


    What needed to be done next was for a Formation Master to paint Formation Patterns on the walls, inside the building, and on some key foundation stones. After that, his craftsmen would continue the construction, seal the Formations with earth and stonework, and then do some final touch-ups, and the whole Refinery Shop would be finished.


    Master Ban was somewhat worried.


    It was time for the Formation Master to start painting the Formations, but where was the Formation Master?


    He occasionally sought out Elder Yu to discuss matters, but after many back-and-forths, he hadn¡¯t seen a trace of a Formation Master.


    Normally, at the beginning of the construction of a Refinery Shop, the Formation Master would need to survey the terrain and the construction layout. During the building process, the Formation Master should also be visiting frequently.


    But all this time, Master Ban couldn¡¯t recall ever seeing a Formation Master.


    If the Formation Master didn¡¯t understand the construction layout, how could he paint the Formations?


    Moreover, he had seen the Architectural Formation Map, and although he didn¡¯t understand Formations, he could tell at a glance that there were many complex Formations used in this building, not something an average Formation Master could paint, nor something that one or two Formation Masters could finish.


    If the Formations were poorly drawn, the project couldn¡¯t be completed.


    Similarly, if the Formations were drawn too slowly, they couldn¡¯t finish on time. If it dragged on, it might be indefinitely postponed. Not being able to settle the accounts at the end of the year was a very real possibility.


    At this thought, Master Ban became increasingly anxious.


    After holding back several times, he found Elder Yu and couldn¡¯t hide his anxiety as he said, ¡°Elder Yu, our work is finished at this stage, but what about the Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush,¡± Elder Yu said, not seeming to be in a hurry at all.


    You¡¯re not in a hurry, but I am¡­


    Master Ban thought, and then asked Elder Yu, ¡°Have you hired a Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°I hired one long ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Master Ban felt reassured, but couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen him then?¡±


    Elder Yu seemed to smile, ¡°You have seen him.¡±


    Master Ban was taken aback, ¡°Where have I seen him?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see when the Formation Painting starts tomorrow,¡± Elder Yu said.


    Master Ban furrowed his brow, unable to recall when he had ever seen a Formation Master, but since Elder Yu said that the Formation Painting would begin tomorrow, he would know then.


    The next day Master Ban arrived early at the Refinery Shop and waited.


    He hadn¡¯t slept well all night, always worried that Elder Yu was deceiving him.


    The project of the Refinery Shop was so large, and if anything unexpected happened, and he couldn¡¯t settle the Spirit Stones, he really wouldn¡¯t know how to explain it to his craftsmen and disciples.


    Elder Yu, as a Foundation Building Cultivator, had a good relationship with him, and wouldn¡¯t intentionally set him up, but despite this reasoning, Master Ban couldn¡¯t help feeling worried.


    As hearts are separated by a layer of skin, who could truly be sure?


    As dawn broke, around 6 A.M., Elder Yu arrived.


    Master Ban stared at Elder Yu for a long time, then peered at the area behind him, finally unable to contain his curiosity, he asked:


    ¡°Did you come alone? Where¡¯s the Formation Master?¡±


    Seeing his anxious expression, Elder Yu reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    Master Ban had no choice but to patiently wait.


    After a while, as 6 A.M was approaching, Mo Hua came along, slinging a storage bag over his shoulder and holding a big steamed bun, eating as he walked towards the Refinery Shop.


    The morning sun pierced through the clouds, casting a light golden rim upon him.


    Mo Hua struggled to finish the steamed bun, and upon raising his head and spotting Elder Yu and Master Ban, greeted them from a distance.


    Master Ban stood dumbfounded for a long time, and as Mo Hua approached, he couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Mo Hua? What are you here for¡­¡±


    Mo Hua patted his storage bag and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve come for serious business.¡±


    Before Master Ban could ask what the serious business was, Elder Yu asked with a smile, ¡°Is everything prepared?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It¡¯s all set.¡±


    Then, Mo Hua headed inside the Refinery Shop, followed by Elder Yu.


    With no time to ask, Master Ban could only follow them inside, his mind filled with doubts:


    What serious business? What exactly was this child going to do?


    Master Ban soon found out.


    Mo Hua arrived at the foundation of a building, spread out an intricate Architectural Formation Map, and took out three types of Formation Pens¡ªfine, medium, and large¡ªfrom his storage bag. He then ground Spiritual Ink of the Five Elements¡¯ five colors and began Drawing Formation.


    With a Formation Pen in his small hand, Mo Hua, dipped in Spiritual Ink and glanced at the Formation Diagram, then traced formation patterns on the stone foundation.


    His demeanor was collected, and his technique was proficient, his brushwork seemingly effortless.


    He appeared to have the air of a master!


    Master Ban was shocked.


    The Formation Master Elder Yu mentioned was this child?


    This ten-some-year-old child could be a Formation Master? Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Ban felt a tumult of emotions, his thoughts in disarray.


    It took him a while to recall why Elder Yu had said he had met the Formation Master before.


    Indeed, Mo Hua was a regular in the neighborhood, often stopping by to drink and chat with him; how could he have not met the boy?


    Upon further reflection, Master Ban remembered the first time he saw Mo Hua, the boy had been lying on the ground examining the stone foundation, likely surveying the terrain and understanding the architectural layout. His frequent visits thereafter were to ensure that the construction layout matched the Architectural Formation Map¡­


    Considering this, these were indeed the tasks of a Formation Master; he had simply never thought of it from that perspective.


    Master Ban felt indescribably complex emotions¡ªit was no wonder he hadn¡¯t thought of it; who would have guessed such a thing¡­


    Master Ban looked at Mo Hua again.


    Mo Hua, immersed in Drawing Formation, wore a serious expression, his gaze slightly focused, his movements relaxed yet precise. His orderly strokes contained a sense of unrestrained flair as one complex pattern after another emerged under his pen, forming enigmatic arrangements.


    This persona was starkly different from the innocently cheerful, adorably sweet child of just a few days ago.


    Master Ban sighed; despite having lived so many years and seen so many cultivators, he didn¡¯t expect to have been so mistaken¡­

 Chapter 181 - 181 Architectural Formation (Five More Updates)_1

    Chapter 181: Chapter 181 Architectural Formation (Five More Updates)_1


    ¡°`


    But you can¡¯t blame him for misjudging, it¡¯s just that the situation was too extraordinary.


    Master Ban said to himself.


    After all, throughout his many years, he had mostly dealt with white-haired Formation Masters and had never seen a youngster in his teens drawing formations at such a large Artifact Refining shop project.


    Master Ban couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue in wonder.


    Now that they had a Formation Master, Master Ban also sighed in relief. Since he had no other duties, he stood behind Mo Hua with Elder Yu, craning his neck to watch Mo Hua draw the formation.


    Elder Yu, seeing Master Ban so engrossed, asked softly, ¡°Do you understand what you¡¯re seeing?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Ban shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± and asked in return, ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    Elder Yu also shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand and yet you¡¯re looking too,¡± Master Ban said.


    Elder Yu chuckled awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m just curious, taking a look from the side.¡±


    Master Ban said to himself, I¡¯m seeing a kid this big drawing a formation for the first time, I¡¯m even more curious than you are.


    Master Ban glanced at Mo Hua, then at the formation he had drawn, and asked softly:


    ¡°What grade of formation is this?¡±


    Elder Yu wasn¡¯t quite sure either but made a guess based on the quality of Mo Hua¡¯s formations, ¡°First-grade, I suppose.¡±


    Master Ban was startled and exclaimed, ¡°Ah?¡±


    Elder Yu glanced at him reproachfully and hushed, ¡°Keep your voice down, don¡¯t disturb his drawing.¡±


    Master Ban lowered his voice again and asked, ¡°What first-grade?¡±


    ¡°First-grade Formation Method?¡±


    Master Ban shook his head repeatedly, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    ¡°Take it or leave it,¡± said Elder Yu with an indifferent attitude.


    Indeed, Master Ban didn¡¯t believe it, but he felt Elder Yu wouldn¡¯t deceive him. After pondering, he could only keep staring at the formation under Mo Hua¡¯s brush.


    Although he didn¡¯t understand formations, he could still count the Formation Patterns.


    One, two¡­ five, this one has only five patterns.


    One, two, three¡­ seven, this one has only seven.


    Master Ban suddenly felt complicated. A teenager, capable of drawing seven Formation Patterns, was already at the same level as an ordinary Formation Master.


    For such a level, he had inadvertently said ¡°only¡± seven, truly he had lost count¡­


    Master Ban continued to count.


    Finally, in a Single Formation where Mo Hua finished and lifted his brush, he counted nine patterns!


    Nine Patterns make a First-grade!


    Master Ban was deeply shocked.


    ¡°Is it really a First-grade Formation Method?¡±


    Seeing Master Ban¡¯s astonished face, Elder Yu felt secretly pleased. When he heard that Mo Hua could draw a First-grade Formation Method, his expression and tone were the same, and what he probably thought was similar to Master Ban¡¯s.


    Master Ban looked at Elder Yu, his voice trembling slightly but still trying to keep it low, ¡°Then this¡­ this kid is now¡­ a First-grade Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t been officially assessed by the Taoist Court, so not yet,¡± said Elder Yu.


    ¡°Still, that¡¯s incredible¡­¡±


    Master Ban shook his head, still finding it unbelievable.


    Now, as he watched Mo Hua Drawing Formation again, his mood was not only one of admiration but also tinged with a hint of reverence.


    This was a First-grade Formation Method, after all. In his life, he hadn¡¯t seen many Formation Masters who could draw a First-grade Formation Method.


    Master Ban leaned forward again, glanced at the Foundation Stone¡¯s formation, and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim:


    ¡°This formation is drawn really well!¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t understand formations?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to,¡± Master Ban waved his hand, ¡°The strokes of this formation, just like they were carved with a stencil, are so orderly and beautiful. I¡¯ve lived this long and have never seen a formation drawn with such beautiful brushstrokes!¡±


    As Mo Hua was praised, Elder Yu also felt delighted, though he still modestly said:


    ¡°`


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s still a child, there¡¯s so much more for him to learn.¡±


    Master Ban was once again immersed in Formation work and paid no more attention to him.


    After finishing a set of Compound Formations, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had almost been depleted, so he put down his brush and sat on the ground to rest for a while.


    Elder Yu immediately approached with a gentle expression, ¡°Tired?¡±


    It was the first time Master Ban had seen such a ¡°kind¡± look on Elder Yu¡¯s face.


    Having dealt with Elder Yu for so many years, his impression had always been that of a bad temper, sour face, stubborn, and not the least bit shy of swearing at people.


    But now, Elder Yu looked exactly like a ¡°benevolent¡± grandfather¡­


    It was as if he had become a different person.


    Master Ban really felt enlightened.


    Indeed, Mo Hua was somewhat tired. Drawing Formations on various large construction materials consumed a significant amount of Spiritual Power and Divine Sense, yet it was still within his expected limits.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I need to sit in meditation and rest for a while.¡±


    Mo Hua said, though what he actually wanted to do was to use a Meditation Technique to recover his Divine Sense.


    ¡°Alright, take your time to rest, no rush,¡± said Elder Yu kindly, and then he didn¡¯t bother Mo Hua any longer but instead examined the Formations that Mo Hua had completed, thinking to himself that Master Ban was indeed right, they were both neat and beautiful.


    Upon hearing Elder Yu¡¯s words, Master Ban suddenly became concerned.


    Elder Yu could afford not to rush, but he couldn¡¯t.


    He pulled Elder Yu aside and quietly asked, ¡°How many Formation Masters have you hired?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®how many Formation Masters¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Formation Masters who draw Architectural Formations.¡±


    Elder Yu was slightly taken aback.


    Master Ban was stunned, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s just this kid, Mo Hua, alone.¡±


    Elder Yu hesitated for a moment, ¡°Just one, that should be enough, right¡­?¡±


    Master Ban said with minor indignation, ¡°How could one be enough? With so many Formations, how could this child possibly finish them all? Even if he could do it by himself, this project will be delayed until who knows when¡­¡±


    With such a large Refinery Shop and so many craftsmen, how could it afford such a delay¡­


    Elder Yu stroked his beard and also began to frown.


    He hadn¡¯t actually given this matter much thought; as far as the Formations were concerned, he had always been confident in Mo Hua¡¯s ability.


    Even if he weren¡¯t confident, it wouldn¡¯t help since he didn¡¯t understand Formations himself.


    But Master Ban made a valid point; the Architectural Formation Map was filled with dense and intricate Formations, countless ones, and he wondered if Mo Hua, just a boy, could really finish them all.


    He shouldn¡¯t draw too much that excessive consumption of Divine Sense could damage his Sea of Consciousness.


    Elder Yu was somewhat worried; it was better for the progress of the Refinery Shop to be slow rather than for Mo Hua to be overworked.


    But then Elder Yu thought that with anything related to Formations, Mo Hua usually had everything well thought out; if he hadn¡¯t raised any concerns, there probably wouldn¡¯t be any problems.


    Elder Yu asked Master Ban, ¡°Generally, with so many Formations, how many Formation Masters would be needed to complete them?¡±


    ¡°At least five or six, or even up to a dozen,¡± he replied.


    Elder Yu was startled, ¡°That many?¡±


    Master Ban couldn¡¯t help but give him a disdainful look, ¡°What did you expect? Architectural Formations consist of numerous Formation Patterns; it¡¯s not something one or two Formation Masters could complete.¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s face turned red, but luckily his skin was dark, and it didn¡¯t show.


    This was something he truly didn¡¯t understand.


    Previously, the Monster Hunters were poor; they had no Spirit Stones to build such a large Refinery Shop, and simply constructing a few rooms was already quite an achievement, which barely required any Formations.


    Now, having come into a windfall, they had considered building a Refinery Shop so that the Loose Cultivators at the base level could have an easier life. Otherwise, he might still not know that dealing with Architectural Formations was such a difficult task.


    If not for Mo Hua, hiring Formation Masters would probably have cost a fortune in Spirit Stones.


    Once the Refinery Shop and the Alchemist¡¯s Business were built and began operating for profit, he definitely had to allocate more Spirit Stones to Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu thought to himself.

 Chapter 182 - 182 Progress_1

    Chapter 182: Chapter 182 Progress_1


    Mo Hua followed the planned Architectural Formation Map, drawing one Formation after another, one Compound Formation set after another, methodically, with no detail overlooked.


    When his Divine Sense was exhausted, he would sit in meditation to recover, and when tired, he would sit on the side for a rest, taking out Formation Books to relieve the fatigue with some theory.


    After a good rest, he continued Drawing Formation.


    This kind of large-scale construction required intricate Formation Patterns, and while the actual drawing was not particularly difficult, it was monotonous and tested the Formation Master¡¯s patience and concentration.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua had become accustomed to Formation Painting, having practiced day and night in the past, and he had adapted to the actual process.


    Moreover, he had amassed a thousand bottles of Monster Blood, all turned into Spiritual Ink, which he realized he should use now, lest the ink¡¯s potency waned over time, which would be a waste.


    That was blood Mo Hua had drawn bottle by bottle from the Monster Beasts.


    Days passed, and Mo Hua was the only one continuously working on the Formation.


    Master Ban realized that Elder Yu had indeed not invited other Formation Masters; Mo Hua was the only one painting the Formations.


    Such a large Refinery Shop, with so many buildings, so many Formations, all containing numerous Formation Patterns, was all to be painted by one person.


    Just thinking about it made Master Ban¡¯s scalp tingle.


    This could go on till who knew when¡­


    Master Ban was anxious, but he did not dare to directly ask Mo Hua about it.


    First, Mo Hua was concentrating on his work and shouldn¡¯t be disturbed.


    Second, since learning that Mo Hua was a Formation Master capable of painting a First-grade Formation Method, Master Ban felt a newfound reverence and no longer dared to initiate conversation with Mo Hua.


    Formation Masters have always been of esteemed status, a distinction far removed from these lowly Loose Cultivators.


    As a craftsmen, Master Ban often interacted with Formation Masters, most of whom were difficult to deal with, either arrogant or greedy, and while some may appear polite on the surface, they looked down upon craftsmen.


    After all, craftsmen were considered to be mere laborers engaged in grueling physical work, incapable of comparing to Formation Masters.


    Therefore, they dared not offend Formation Masters and were often hassled by them.


    If a building material wasn¡¯t suitable for Drawing Formation, a Formation Master would have them replace it; if a layout did not match the Architectural Formation Map, they would be ordered to dismantle and rebuild it; and sometimes, even when it was the Formation Master who made a mistake in painting the Formation, it was still the craftsmen who had to make the corrections.


    Master Ban hesitated for several days, yet he still did not dare to speak to Mo Hua.


    However, after a few days, Master Ban was astonished to find that many of the foundations and interior walls of the buildings already had Formations painted on them.


    Master Ban walked back and forth several times, checking against the Architectural Formation Map, and found that the Formations indeed matched the planned ones on the map without the slightest deviation.


    Master Ban was dumbfounded; these Formations had been painted far too quickly!


    So many Formations, in such a short time, could really be completed by a single Formation Master?


    Master Ban quietly observed Mo Hua further.


    Only then did he notice that Mo Hua¡¯s brushwork was extremely skilled, without a moment¡¯s hesitation, as if the Formation Patterns were etched in his heart, and he painted with a fluid grace and impressive speed!


    In Master Ban¡¯s experience, Formation Masters contemplating a Formation Diagram would often be pensive and cautious before every stroke, looking pale after completing a Formation and needing to rest while sipping tea, dragging the time out considerably.


    But not Mo Hua, who decisively brushed each stroke, completing a Formation with each fall of the pen and quickly moving on to the next one. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even his breaks were bouts of focused meditation, after which he would quickly return, rejuvenated and ready to proceed.


    By such measures, four or five Formation Masters together might not be faster than Mo Hua alone.


    Master Ban had truly had an eye-opening experience.


    For so many years, he had never seen anyone who could paint Formations with the ease of drinking water.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ he can really finish drawing so many Formations by himself before the deadline?¡±


    Master Ban was somewhat incredulous yet also looked forward to it with anticipation.


    Mo Hua drew the Formations with methodical precision yet with a flow as natural as drifting clouds. Meanwhile, the construction of such a large Refinery Shop in Tongxian City had naturally become common knowledge among the influential families in the city.


    Not far from the Refinery Shop, there was a street with a tea house. On the second floor, there was a tastefully arranged private room, simple yet elegant, filled with a fragrant mist and the pervasive scent of tea.


    Old Master An and the Family Head of the An Family, An Yonglu, sat facing each other, drinking tea in the private room.


    An Yonglu poured tea for Old Master An, frowning as he said,


    ¡°Elder Yu really went all out this time, building such a large Refinery Shop¡­¡±


    ¡°They snatched the Spiritual mines, gained some capital, and naturally, they want to undertake big ventures.¡±


    ¡°The Qian Family really lost their wife and soldiers this time, they¡¯ve suffered a great loss!¡± An Yonglu said, somewhat gloating.


    Old Master An glanced at his son and said helplessly, ¡°You don¡¯t think this is good news for us, do you?¡±


    An Yonglu was startled, ¡°Isn¡¯t it good news that the Qian Family is at a loss?¡±


    Old Master An, exasperated, ¡°Let me ask you, with such a large Refinery Shop built and so many Spiritual Artifacts being refined, it¡¯s not only the Qian Family that will be affected, our An Family¡¯s business will also be impacted¡­¡±


    ¡°And look at this layout, it¡¯s not just a Refinery Shop, but there¡¯s also an Alchemist¡¯s Business. What if Yu Changlin really gets it built? How could we compete with him then?¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s Qian Family¡¯s problem to worry about first, our An Family doesn¡¯t have much business in Artifact Refining and Alchemy.¡±


    Old Master An glared at him, ¡°You want to do the Food Building business for a lifetime? Can you achieve anything substantial through the Food Building?¡±


    ¡°I know that, but we¡¯re not as ruthless and heavy-handed as the Qian Family, are we? We can¡¯t compete in Artifact Refining and Alchemy, so we can only do the Food Building business which brings harmony and profit¡­¡± An Yonglu said softly.


    Old Master An sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not Xiaofu¡¯s fault; even as his father, you can¡¯t support him.¡±


    An Yonglu felt somewhat indignant, ¡°Dad, Xiaofu is far inferior to me. If he had half of my abilities, leading the Family as the Head would be no problem.¡±


    Old Master An coldly said, ¡°You¡¯ve really achieved something, comparing yourself with your own son.¡±


    An Yonglu felt embarrassed.


    Old Master An took a sip of his tea and said no more, only casting occasional glances toward the still-unfinished Refinery Shop.


    Such a grand scheme, such a large framework, Elder Yu really has grand ambitions¡­


    Old Master An sighed inwardly; he was old now, and even if he had the capital, he no longer had the energy or the ambition.


    An Yonglu thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Dad, can such a big Refinery Shop be built successfully?¡±


    Old Master An shot him a glance.


    An Yonglu continued, ¡°The Qian Family won¡¯t just let it go, right? They won¡¯t sit back and watch these Loose Cultivators rise to power. After all, the wool comes from the sheep; if these Loose Cultivators grow strong, the Qian Family will have a hard time. The Qian Family has always been in the business of shearing wool.¡±


    ¡°What you said is not wrong,¡± Old Master An nodded slightly.


    ¡°So, what should we do?¡± An Yonglu asked.


    Old Master An raised an eyebrow and said indifferently, ¡°We¡¯ll just wait and see how things unfold.¡±


    An Yonglu nodded, waiting to see if the Qian Family would make a move.


    While the An Family might be anxious about the stir Elder Yu was causing, there was no need for haste since their main business was the Food Building. They had already been squeezed out by the Qian Family from the Artifact Refining and Alchemy business and had no foothold left.


    But it was different for the Qian Family; their core was in the Artifact Refining and Alchemy industries, and they were certainly more anxious than anyone else now.

 Chapter 183 - 183 Master Qian_1

    Chapter 183: Chapter 183 Master Qian_1


    Qian Family, within an exquisitely luxurious study.


    Qian Hong sat on a chair with furrowed brows, while the cultivator sitting opposite him had half-white hair and an arrogant demeanor, yet appeared leisurely and at ease.


    ¡°Master Qian, are you aware of the recent events?¡± Qian Hong inquired.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a little, the Family Head need not worry,¡±


    the middle-aged cultivator who was addressed as ¡°Master Qian¡± replied with a calm demeanor and a composed tone.


    Although Master Qian only possessed the Qi Refinement Ninth Level of cultivation, he could draw a First-grade Formation Method with nine patterns. Although he hadn¡¯t yet passed the Taoist Court¡¯s assessment to officially become a First-grade Formation Master, it was merely a matter of time.


    Thus, even without an assessment, the Qian Family cultivators, as well as Formation Masters from Tongxian City who had connections with him, all respectfully addressed him as ¡°Master Qian¡±.


    Having crossed the threshold that might lead to becoming a First-grade Formation Master, Master Qian held a high position within the clan. Even without the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Stage, he had become an elder of the clan, his status second only to the Qian Family Head.


    Qian Hong said, ¡°Yu Changlin has the assistance of a Formation Master. In Big Black Mountain, it¡¯s only because of this that he can contend with us. And now, it is also because he has a Formation Master¡¯s help that he dares to establish such a large Refinery Shop.¡±


    Taking up such a large plot of land and hiring so many Craftsmen to build the largest Refinery Shop in Tongxian City was a blatant challenge to the Qian Family.


    In Big Black Mountain, they had snatched such a large piece of meat from the Qian Family¡¯s mouth.


    Now that they had grown strong from the meat, their audacity had also swelled, and they even dared to snatch other meats from the Qian Family¡¯s mouth¡ªpurely overestimating themselves!


    Master Qian scoffed, ¡°So what if they have a Formation Master? Does our Qian Family not have Formation Masters?¡±


    Qian Hong said, ¡°That Formation Master could possibly be a First-grade Formation Master!¡±


    Master Qian replied decisively, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    ¡°The Formation Method he used in Big Black Mountain is indeed First-grade¡­¡±


    Master Qian shook his head, ¡°Family Head, you are not a Formation Master, you don¡¯t study Formation Methods, so you don¡¯t understand how difficult it is to become a First-grade Formation Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Take myself as an example. Not to boast, but among all the disciples in our family, my talent in Formation Methods is unparalleled. I spent decades to become a Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator, then I dedicated myself to studying Formation Methods. I¡¯ve been through so many hardships. Let¡¯s not talk about anything else, just the threshold from eight to nine Formation Patterns took me ten long years of painstaking effort to cross¡­¡±


    Master Qian sighed, ¡°Although it¡¯s only a difference of one Formation Pattern, it¡¯s as difficult as reaching the heavens. I remember when I was drawing the First-grade Formation with nine patterns, I could only draw it once a day and still couldn¡¯t complete it. Despite not being able to draw it, I still had to try as much as I could. Persisting in this manner year after year for over a decade, I finally managed to cross that threshold.¡±


    ¡°After so much effort and years of devoted practice, only then did I possess the strength of a First-grade Formation Master. Yet, even so, during the last Heaven Shu Pavilion assessment, although I had arranged the connections properly, I still failed by a narrow margin to secure my official title.¡±


    Qian Hong remarked with emotion, ¡°Master Qian, you have worked hard!¡±


    Master Qian shook his head, ¡°I mention these things not to complain to the Family Head, nor do I wish to emphasize how difficult these years have been for me. Rather, it is to make the Family Head understand just how difficult it is to become a First-grade Formation Master!¡±


    ¡°With the help of the family, I have spilt my blood and sweat to reach this point, not to mention other Formation Masters.¡±


    After speaking, Master Qian scoffed again, ¡°Under such circumstances, any Formation Master with a bit of talent and ambition who even brushes against the threshold of First-grade would all look upwards, seeking to attach themselves to greater clans and sects to obtain better inheritance and make further progress in Formation Methods! Such a Formation Master would choose not to interact favorably with our Qian Family and instead fraternize with lowly Monster Hunters¡ªwhat could he possibly be after?¡±


    ¡°Master Qian¡¯s words are reasonable,¡± Qian Hong said with a frown, ¡°but the Formation Master among the Monster Hunter camp in Big Black Mountain did indeed use a First-grade Formation Method¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you certain you did not see amiss?¡±


    ¡°I have personally tested the power of that Formation, it would not be inferior to First-grade,¡± said Qian Hong, feeling a surge of humiliation within.


    Indeed, he had ¡°personally¡± tested it, having been blasted into a disheveled state by the Formation, his hair singed and skin scorched.


    In the end, the spiritual mines had all fallen into others¡¯ hands, and he even endured the mockery from Yu Changlin.


    This would be a lifelong disgrace for him as the Family Head of the Qian Family!


    Master Qian pondered for a moment, ¡°That won¡¯t matter, even if he can draw a first-grade Formation Method, it does not necessarily mean he is a first-grade Formation Master. Besides, first-grade Formation Methods are difficult to learn and master, at most he could draw one or two, no more.¡±


    Master Qian declared.


    Qian Hong felt relieved, as Master Qian¡¯s skill in formations was extremely high, his such assertion meant that the Formation Masters among the Monster Hunters need not be too worrisome.


    Yet Qian Hong felt somewhat regretful in his heart, if Master Qian had been able to personally come to the Nameless Peak on Big Black Mountain, they wouldn¡¯t have been rendered helpless by the Monster Hunter¡¯s formations.


    However, it¡¯s common knowledge in the Cultivation World that Formation Masters must not risk themselves personally.


    Should Master Qian have really gone, and that old brute Yu Changlin truly showed no shame, carelessly knocking Master Qian down with a palm, then their loss would have been truly tremendous.


    A Formation Master cultivated by their own clan and capable of reaching first-grade was of paramount importance to the Qian Family.


    ¡°We need not worry about their Formation Master, but if Yu Changlin really manages to set up his Refinery Shop, it¡¯s bound to be a threat to our Qian Family. The Family Head should make early plans,¡± advised Master Qian again.


    Qian Hong nodded, ¡°Rest assured Master Qian, I have already secretly dispatched people to interfere by employing some tactics. Even if we can¡¯t stop them from completing the Refinery Shop, at least we can cause them some trouble.¡±


    Master Qian nodded with an arrogant expression, ¡°Here in Tongxian City, those who dare to confront our Qian Family must be taught a lesson.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Qian Hong said, ¡°There is one more thing that requires Master Qian¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°But say no more, Family Head.¡±


    Qian Hong elaborated his plan in detail:


    ¡°First, we send people to harass and provoke them, trying our best to halt the construction of their Refinery Shop permanently. Even if this step proves ineffective, at least it could delay their progress¡­¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, I am considering manufacturing additional Refining Furnaces, having several of our Refinery Shops work overtime to produce Spiritual Artifacts. Once Yu Changlin¡¯s Refinery Shop opens, we can dump the Spiritual Artifacts on the market, lowering the price. That way, they¡¯ll be left with no room to stand.¡±


    Deals involving Artifact Refining are not Master Qian¡¯s specialty, so he could only ask, ¡°What would you have me do, Family Head?¡±


    Qian Hong replied, ¡°I want to forge a batch of Artifact Furnaces. These will be costly and superior in quality, with stronger fires capable of producing more Spiritual Artifacts. I will just need Master Qian to work on the Formation within!¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Qian furrowed his brow, ¡°You need a first-grade Formation Method?¡±


    ¡°It would be best if so.¡±


    Master Qian thought it over and said, ¡°For a first-grade Artifact Furnace, a first-grade Melting Fire Formation is required. I haven¡¯t studied this Formation before and will need some time to conduct thorough research.¡±


    Qian Hong immediately replied, ¡°Of course. We will give the Monster Hunters some trouble to keep busy with; Master Qian need not worry and can focus on studying the Formation.¡±


    Master Qian nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyes brightened, and he bowed, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it in the capable hands of Master Qian.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s demeanor was very polite. Although he was the Family Head and had the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Stage, he still gave Master Qian due respect.


    Some matters in the Cultivation World depend on cultivation to solve, but there are others that cannot be resolved by cultivation alone.


    The issue of formations is one that cannot be addressed by cultivation alone.


    High or low cultivation is merely a personal matter, but formations can benefit and impact many Cultivators.


    Fighting and killing depend on cultivation, but to improve efficiency and quality in various trades and productions, formations are extremely crucial.

 Chapter 184 - 184 Stirring Trouble_1

    Chapter 184: Chapter 184 Stirring Trouble_1


    The next day, Mo Hua was drawing Formations in the Refinery Shop when the Qian Family sent people to cause trouble.


    The Refinery Shop¡¯s outer wall was not yet complete, and the Formations were not fully drawn, giving the Qian Family an opportunity to exploit.


    Several Qian Family Cultivators disguised as Loose Cultivators infiltrated the Refinery Shop. Finding a corner where no one was around, they began their sabotage.


    They toppled a few walls, shattered several foundation stones, cut a few wooden beams, and smeared over some of the newly drawn Formations.


    When some craftsmen discovered them and tried to intervene, they were beaten by the saboteurs.


    A few Monster Hunters came to help and engaged them in a few rounds of combat. Seeing the situation turn sour, the Qian Family Cultivators immediately fled.


    In the afternoon, the Qian Family came again and, although they were ultimately driven off by the Monster Hunters, they still caused considerable damage to the construction.


    Master Ban was left with a worried frown as the thing he feared still happened.


    Upon learning of the incident, Elder Yu was furious. He first pretended to leave, then stealthily returned to hide among a group of craftsmen, wanting to see who dared to cause trouble right under his nose.


    Not long after, that group of Cultivators returned.


    Thinking they were undiscovered, they started to repeat their actions, preparing to smash walls and cut beams.


    But all their movements were under the watch of Elder Yu¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Before they could act, Elder Yu leapt up, slapping the Cultivators to the ground one by one, making them spit out blood.


    Elder Yu held back, sparing their lives.


    The leading Cultivator, his face covered and with a Qi Refinement Level Nine cultivation, ran as soon as he saw Elder Yu.


    However, he was at the Qi Refinement level; how could he possibly escape from Elder Yu, who was at the Foundation Establishment Stage?


    A few breaths later, Elder Yu caught up with him. After managing to counter a few moves, the Cultivator was also slapped to the ground by Elder Yu, his shoulder in severe pain, his bones shattered.


    Elder Yu tore off the black cloth from his face, cursing, ¡°Qian Shunzhi, so it was you, you little bastard son of a bitch!¡±


    Qian Shunzhi, gritting his teeth, said, ¡°Having fallen into your hands, kill or flay me¡­¡±


    Elder Yu pinched his shoulder harshly, and he screamed in agony.


    ¡°Pretending to be a tough guy, do you think I don¡¯t know exactly what you are?¡± Elder Yu scolded.


    Qian Shunzhi quickly said, ¡°Elder Yu, Elder Yu! Let¡¯s talk this out, I only¡­ followed orders!¡±


    ¡°Orders from whom?¡±


    Qian Shunzhi didn¡¯t say.


    Elder Yu spat, ¡°It¡¯s none other than Qian Hong, that old turtle son of a bitch¡¯s orders, what¡¯s so hard to say about that?¡±


    Qian Shunzhi smiled bitterly, ¡°You already know, why ask?¡±


    ¡°I want to see if you are actually being honest,¡± Elder Yu said.


    ¡°Elder Yu, whatever you say goes. You are magnanimous, can you let me go?¡±


    Elder Yu laughed coldly, ¡°What are you dreaming of? If you hadn¡¯t fallen into my hands, I would still come looking for trouble with you guys. Now you come to provoke me, do you think I would let you go?¡±


    Elder Yu called for some people and had Qian Shunzhi and the others tied up, then dumped them at the Qian Family¡¯s front door.


    ¡°Qian Hong, you shrinking turtle, not daring to show your face in public, plotting misdeeds in the shadows, are you still a man? If you¡¯re not a man, then just let your wife remarry and have your son change his surname!¡± Elder Yu cursed out loud.


    The Qian Family¡¯s doors remained tightly closed, with no response.


    Elder Yu continued to curse, starting with the younger and moving to the elders, finally cursing the Qian Family ancestors, accusing them of being ungrateful, shameless, and despicable.


    The Qian Family could no longer bear it, and an Elder at the Foundation Establishment Stage came out to accuse, ¡°Yu Changlin, this is the Qian Family; do not slander without proof!¡±


    Elder Yu didn¡¯t care and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s that old turtle Qian Hong?¡±


    The Qian Family Elder frowned and said, ¡°The Family Head is not here. If you have something to say, just tell it to me.¡±


    Elder Yu snorted coldly, ¡°He¡¯s not here? Probably hiding in some woman¡¯s bed, afraid to come out.¡±


    ¡°Yu Changlin!¡± the Qian Family Elder shouted angrily.


    Elder Yu decided to take what he got and leave, as he didn¡¯t specifically come to hurl insults¡ªjust to casually throw out a few.


    There was a pile of matters to attend to at the Refinery Shop; he was indeed busy.


    So Elder Yu said, ¡°Your Qian Family people have been causing trouble at my place.¡±


    The Qian Family Elder deflected, ¡°How do you know they were our Qian Family people?¡±


    Seeing this, Elder Yu was about to curse again, but the Qian Family Elder immediately said, ¡°Fine, what do you want?¡±


    Whether they were Qian Family people or not, both sides knew very well; there was no need to beat around the bush.


    ¡°I want Spirit Stones!¡± Elder Yu put it simply and directly.


    The Qian Family Elder frowned, ¡°How many?¡±


    Elder Yu asked for an exorbitant amount, tossing out a figure on a whim.


    The Qian Family Elder snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck!¡±


    Elder Yu chuckled, ¡°Then let¡¯s haggle, don¡¯t be in such a hurry.¡±


    Eventually, they agreed that for each person, one hundred Spirit Stones would be paid by the Qian Family to redeem them, and Elder Yu would not pursue the matter further.


    Elder Yu left with nearly a thousand Spirit Stones in his pocket.


    Some of these thousand Spirit Stones were to be shared with the injured craftsmen and Monster Hunters to treat their wounds and placate them.


    The rest Elder Yu planned to spend on wine and meat to reward everyone and calm their nerves. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But he knew that the Qian Family would not let matters rest there.


    The Qian Family Elder took Qian Shunzhi back and scolded, ¡°You¡¯re utterly useless, how could you be so careless in your actions?¡±


    Qian Shunzhi spoke helplessly, ¡°Elder, it¡¯s not my fault. Who would have thought that old rascal Yu Changlin could be so cunning? I personally saw him leave the Refinery Shop before I made my move. Who knew he¡¯d sneak back in, dressed as a craftsman, blending into the crowd, indistinguishable at a glance.¡±


    The Qian Family Elder let out a sigh, ¡°That old Yu is indeed crafty.¡±


    The key was that he had no shame, his skin thicker than an Artifact Refining Furnace.


    Qian Shunzhi asked, ¡°Elder, what should we do next?¡±


    ¡°Proceed as we planned before,¡± the Qian Family Elder said. ¡°But be more cautious. It¡¯d be best at night, or when they¡¯re resting, to cause disturbances, ensure they can¡¯t stop working, or at least delay their progress.¡±


    ¡°What about Yu Changlin?¡± asked Qian Shunzhi.


    ¡°He¡¯s an Elder of the Monster Hunters; he can¡¯t always be watching the Refinery Shop. There will be times when he goes out or lets his guard down.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ what if he discovers us?¡± Qian Shunzhi spoke softly.


    The Qian Family Elder said indifferently, ¡°If found out, then take a beating, at most we pay him some more Spirit Stones as compensation. He cannot really kill you all, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to justify it to the Taoist Court.¡±


    Qian Shunzhi was somewhat reluctant.


    Being beaten by someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage was not to be taken lightly¡­


    He was still aching all over; his shoulder bone was broken, and where he had been struck, the stagnant Spiritual Power from the Foundation Establishment was like a bone-penetrating maggot, causing him unbearable pain.


    And that was with Elder Yu holding back, otherwise, Qian Shunzhi might not have survived.


    The Qian Family Elder was displeased, ¡°What are you afraid of? You have no guts!¡±


    Qian Shunzhi hung his head and remained silent.


    Then the Qian Family Elder said, ¡°Rest assured, the Family Head has already said that once the deed is done, you will not be disadvantaged. If you make a significant contribution, those Foundation Establishment Pills could also be rewarded to you.¡±


    Qian Shunzhi¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Did the Family Head really say that?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Would I lie to you?¡±


    Excited, Qian Shunzhi said, ¡°Alright, I will risk my life this time to complete the mission.¡±


    The Qian Family Elder nodded, ¡°Go on, such tasks are like a weasel stealing chickens, requiring patience. There¡¯s only the saying that ¡®a thief can¡¯t be on guard every day¡¯, they can¡¯t possibly not show a flaw. Just watch carefully, and you¡¯ll always find an opportunity.¡±


    Qian Shunzhi saluted, ¡°I will heed the Elder¡¯s command carefully.¡±

 Chapter 185 - 185 Method_1

    Chapter 185: Chapter 185 Method_1


    Afterwards, the Qian Family harassed them repeatedly.


    Elder Yu caught them one by one, beat them until they vomited blood, and then threw them at the doorstep of the Qian Family, incidentally demanding some spirit stones.


    But the Qian Family was not disheartened, and finally, there came a time when Elder Yu could not keep watch.


    It was like catching mice, one after another, both bothersome and disgusting¡ªif a few were missed, there would be future troubles.


    Some craftsmen were injured, some buildings were destroyed, and several formations were smeared; the overall progress of the project was thus delayed.


    Elder Yu could only have Monster Hunters guard day and night, watching the people from the Qian Family to prevent them from causing trouble.


    But for such a large Refinery Shop that was not yet complete, there were gaps everywhere. It was easy to cause trouble and difficult to guard against it.


    The Qian Family¡¯s cultivators acted like thieves, smashing one place then shifting to another¡ªby the time the hunters arrived, the Qian Family¡¯s cultivators had already run away.


    And the Monster Hunters could not possibly keep watch here day and night without wasting a lot of manpower.


    Elder Yu was also somewhat irritable at the time.


    Mo Hua was also unhappy; whether it was Elder Yu stepping in or the Monster Hunters intercepting, Mo Hua never needed to lift a finger.


    However, with the Qian Family causing trouble and ruining the formations that Mo Hua had just finished painting, Mo Hua would have to repaint them all over again.


    After several such incidents, both Elder Yu and Mo Hua could no longer tolerate it.


    If the mice weren¡¯t driven out, the house couldn¡¯t be lived in!


    Mo Hua approached Elder Yu and gave him some Earth Fire Formations which were not top-grade, containing only seven formation patterns, but they should be enough to handle those troublemakers acting like cats and dogs.


    Mo Hua also revised the Architectural Formation Map, adding a Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation around the original planned map.


    In this way, as soon as a battle occurred, producing fluctuations in spiritual power, the Monster Hunters could reach the scene at the fastest speed to provide support. Even if the Qian Family¡¯s cultivators smashed things, as long as they used spiritual power, they would be quickly discovered.


    With this arrangement, as long as some Monster Hunters were stationed in various places, with a few teams holding the Compass Mother Formation patrolling in support, the Qian Family¡¯s cultivators would no longer have an opportunity to take advantage of.


    Once everything was in order, Mo Hua spent two days prioritizing the drawing of the Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation, then instructed the patrolling Monster Hunters regarding the use of the Compass Disk. After that, the matter no longer needed his concern.


    But for some destroyed formations, he still had to repaint them.


    Mo Hua sighed and could only calm down and continue his Drawing Formation work.


    As night descended, Qian Shunzhi led some Qian Family disciples and a group of ruffian cultivators gathered, hiding beneath a mound not far from the Refinery Shop.


    The surrounding vegetation was lush, shielding their view, and they were not easily discovered.


    Despite having suffered losses during these days, they also had considerable successes.


    With these casualties, they delayed the construction progress of the Refinery Shop. At the very least, they gained Elder Qian¡¯s recognition, and the Family Head rewarded them with plenty of spirit stones.


    This boosted their morale.


    Qian Shunzhi said, ¡°We shed blood for the Qian Family, and the clan will not forget us. The Family Head will reward us even more. As long as we succeed, you and I will have lots of spirit stones!¡±


    The Qian Family disciples and ruffian cultivators, having tasted the sweetness, nodded in agreement.


    Qian Shunzhi gave the instruction, ¡°Proceed as we have before. If you can hit, hit; if you can smash, smash. Retreat immediately if the situation turns dire.¡±


    The group was divided into teams, each finding places to hide, then seeking gaps to infiltrate the Refinery Shop and cause destruction.


    Everything went as usual; the Qian Family¡¯s cultivators had become adept at these tasks.


    Just then, the sound of explosions erupted, and flames burst through the night.


    Several Qian Family cultivators had stepped onto Earth Fire Formations.


    Those with higher cultivation suffered lighter injuries, but the pain was sharp, heads throbbing, ears buzzing. Those with lower cultivation bled, some with burns, lying on the ground and wailing.


    There were also a few ruffian cultivators whose clothes and hair caught fire, rolling back and forth in the mud.


    ¡°`


    Qian Shunzhi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he also took in a sharp breath of cold air.


    It was the Earth Fire Formation!


    He did not join the battle for the spiritual mines with the Monster Hunters, but he learned from the participating Qian Family disciples that there was a Formation Master among the Monster Hunters who could draw the Earth Fire Formation.


    The Earth Fire Formation was powerful and quite hidden, extremely insidious, difficult to avoid, and impossible to guard against.


    His Qian Family had suffered greatly at the hands of the Earth Fire Formation, and not just once.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    In a moment of urgent crisis, Qian Shunzhi made a quick decision to take a gamble.


    They had caused trouble here two days ago, but at that time, there were no Earth Fire Formations on the ground; evidently, they had been set up only recently, so there couldn¡¯t be too many of them.


    If they did not enter now, giving the Monster Hunters time, and after a few days they managed to lay Earth Fire Formations everywhere, every step would then be thorny, and it would be suicidal for them to proceed.


    But while Qian Shunzhi was willing to gamble, the other Qian Family cultivators were not.


    Especially those who had participated in the struggle for spiritual mines, who were either blown up by the Earth Fire Formation themselves, or watched their companions or at least the Family Head get blasted by it.


    To this day, they were still haunted by the Earth Fire Formation and dared not act rashly. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although at this moment the Earth Fire Formation actually had only seven Formation Patterns, and for convenience, Mo Hua had not even drawn a Compound Formation.


    But as soon as the Qian Family disciples saw the Earth Fire Formation, they flinched and could hardly be bothered to take into account all the specifics.


    Having no other choice, Qian Shunzhi decided to lead by example.


    As a cultivator at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, even if he were to be blasted, his injuries should not be severe.


    Qian Shunzhi, along with his fellow cultivators, bravely moved forward, carefully placing each footstep, trying their best to avoid the dangers below. But this cautiousness was actually meaningless because he himself had no idea where the Earth Fire Formations might be.


    Each step was, in fact, a gamble.


    What looked like extreme caution was, in reality, just for show.


    Qian Shunzhi bet correctly¡ªhe did not step on an Earth Fire Formation.


    But one of his subordinates made the wrong bet; not following exactly in Qian Shunzhi¡¯s footsteps, he, in his panic, stepped in the wrong spot and triggered an Earth Fire Formation.


    Engulfed by the Earth Fire Formation, Qian Shunzhi got a close-up experience of its power.


    The spiritual power fluctuations from the explosion made his blood churn, and the roaring sound left him dizzy and disoriented.


    Part of his skin was scorched, with blood seeping out from the charred flesh.


    To him, the seven Formation Patterns of the Earth Fire Formation were not fatal, but it was still unpleasant, and such unexpected pain and injury were most likely to instill deep fear.


    Qian Shunzhi finally understood why some disciples in the family always paled at the mention of the Earth Fire Formation and why it cast a shadow in their minds.


    The explosion of the Earth Fire Formation alerted the Monster Hunters, who rushed over and attacked them. It seemed that due to being harassed repeatedly, they had become quite agitated and spared no mercy in their assault.


    The Qian Family cultivators could not hold on and were forced to flee in disarray.


    Limping, Qian Shunzhi ran back to the Qian Family and reported the incident with the Earth Fire Formation to the Qian Family elders.


    He was capable of arranging a sneak attack, but such Formation tactics were beyond his ability to deal with.


    The Qian Family elders consoled Qian Shunzhi, and then informed Family Head Qian Hong of the situation.


    Upon hearing the words ¡®Earth Fire Formation,¡¯ anger surged within Qian Hong.


    Earth Fire Formation again! Couldn¡¯t they come up with something new?


    Qian Hong then sought out Master Qian to ask for a method to break the Formation.


    After all, in the entire Qian Family, Master Qian¡¯s expertise in Formation techniques was the highest.

 Chapter 186 - 186: Night Disturbance (Five More)_1

    Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Night Disturbance (Five More)_1


    Master Qian appeared relaxed as he said with a faint smile, ¡°It¡¯s all the same things over and over again. It¡¯s clear that he doesn¡¯t know many formations. The level of this Formation Master is just so-so,¡±


    Upon hearing this, Qian Hong also breathed a sigh of relief.


    Master Qian then asked, ¡°How about their power?¡±


    ¡°This time there doesn¡¯t seem to be any first-grade ones, and the power of the formations is only about seven Formation Patterns.¡±


    Master Qian nodded, ¡°In such a short time, that Formation Master couldn¡¯t have drawn that many first-grade formations, and can only make do with seven Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s seven Formation Patterns, the power is not great. A cultivator with an Earth Spirit Root at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, wearing iron armor, can emerge unscathed.¡±


    Master Qian shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s too reckless, there¡¯s no need. It¡¯s not possible to force our way through every time; it not only alerts the enemy but also wastes the iron armor.¡±


    Qian Hong said, ¡°Does the master have a method to counter this?¡±


    ¡°The method is simple.¡± Master Qian smiled, ¡°I will take out some ordinary Formation Masters from the clan to go with you. They will be able to spot these Earth Fire Formations.¡±


    Qian Hong was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Only Formation Masters can spot them?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Master Qian replied with an elated expression, ¡°The cycle of all things in heaven and earth leaves traces. Some things you can¡¯t detect with insufficient Divine Sense or lack of deep research¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with formations. The Formation Patterns have a faint flow of Spiritual Power, which ordinary cultivators cannot discern, but those of us who deal with Formation Patterns year-round, after drawing a Pattern hundreds or thousands of times, can naturally differentiate them.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Master Qian!¡±


    But then he paused and still seemed a bit concerned as he added, ¡°If Formation Masters from our clan go and encounter danger, the loss would outweigh the gain¡­¡±


    After all, Formation Masters who focus on studying formations all year round tend to have weaker cultivation and strength. And since the Qian Family invests so much effort into training Formation Masters, if they were all to perish, it would indeed be a tremendous loss.


    ¡°Not to worry,¡± said Master Qian. ¡°The Formation Masters will not put themselves in danger. They just need to look from a distance and locate the position of the Earth Fire Formation.¡±


    Qian Hong replied, ¡°I will dispatch more people to ensure their protection.¡±


    Master Qian nodded, ¡°That would be best.¡±


    In the dead of the night, when the sky was pitch-black, a hazy crescent moon hung in the sky.


    A few Formation Masters from the Qian Family followed Qian Shunzhi to the exterior of the City South Refining Artifact Store. They hid in the grass far away, released their Divine Sense from a distance, carefully discerning any anomalies in the surrounding Spiritual Power, and once they sensed the fire-series Formation Patterns, they found the location of the Earth Fire Formations.


    The Formation Masters from the Qian Family referenced the City South map, marked the Earth Fire Formations, and then passed the map to Qian Shunzhi.


    Qian Shunzhi¡¯s injuries had not yet healed, but this mission was personally assigned by the Family Head. It was of great importance; if done well, it would be recognized as a major accomplishment and gain the notice of the Family Head.


    This was an opportunity that comes once in a blue moon.


    Qian Shunzhi carefully stored the map away and called over the Qian Family disciples and a group of ruffian cultivators to show them the locations of the Earth Fire Formations.


    ¡°Have you memorized it?¡±


    The cultivators nodded.


    Qian Shunzhi divided the cultivators into teams, each marked with a different route, then gestured with a wave, ¡°Take action!¡±


    Thus, a group of cultivators, under the cover of night, once again sneaked to the exterior of the Refining Artifact Store.


    Qian Shunzhi whispered, ¡°Follow the plan.¡±


    His subordinates automatically split into several groups and, following their respective routes, stealthily moved closer to the Refining Artifact Store, while avoiding the Earth Fire Formations on the ground.


    The Qian Family cultivators avoided most of the Earth Fire Formations, but a few were still triggered, sporadically exploding into flames in the night.


    Some were due to Qian Family cultivators accidentally setting off the Earth Fire Formations; others were because the Formation Masters had been negligent in their observation and failed to notice some of the formations¡¯ positions.


    All this was within the calculations of Qian Shunzhi.


    No matter how careful one is, nothing is foolproof.


    ¡°`


    So he divided the cultivators into several teams to attack simultaneously, which meant that even if they triggered the Earth Fire Formation and attracted the attention of the Monster Hunters, they could advance on multiple fronts, forcing the Monster Hunters to be overwhelmed and run ragged.


    In the dimness of the night, it was hard to see, and chaos from not watching the front and back was only too common.


    There was no way the Monster Hunters could know where their own people were attacking from.


    As long as they took advantage of the confusion, destroyed more buildings, and damaged more formations, they would have accomplished a great deal.


    Qian Shunzhi watched from a distance.


    His leg had been injured by the explosion of the Earth Fire Formation, and he couldn¡¯t run fast, which is why he didn¡¯t personally lead the attack this time, and also why he feared being caught by Elder Yu again.


    Although Elder Yu was a Foundation Building Cultivator, he had a shamelessly thick skin and was utterly unpredictable; he had no idea how Elder Yu might torment him if he were caught again.


    In the previous few attempts, without any excuse, he had to go personally, but now he was injured and could conveniently watch the battle from the sidelines.


    Things were progressing just as he had envisioned.


    The Earth Fire Formation exploded, but only in a few isolated spots, posing little threat and instead drawing the Monster Hunters¡¯ attention, allowing for a feint.


    A few Qian Family cultivators had already infiltrated, and there were fluctuations of spiritual power¡ªit was either combat or the destruction of buildings.


    In the dark night, multicolored spiritual power lit up around the Refinery Shop.


    But the chaos was short-lived. The situation soon stabilized, the noise abated, and the fluctuations of spiritual power also died down.


    The infiltrating Qian Family cultivators never came back out. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The entire Refinery Shop, like a Monster Beast lurking in the night, opened its gaping maw and swallowed them whole.


    Qian Shunzhi¡¯s thoughts were in turmoil.


    What happened?


    The night was murky, the situation chaotic, their feint should have been effective.


    How did it quiet down so quickly?


    Just then, Qian Shunzhi noticed a team of people had emerged and were running straight towards them.


    It was dark, and Qian Shunzhi couldn¡¯t make out who they were, but he had a feeling that they definitely were not his own people!


    Quickly, Qian Shunzhi ordered, ¡°Quick, retreat!¡±


    After speaking, some Qian Family cultivators surrounded a few Formation Masters and began to hurriedly withdraw.


    But it was already too late. A team of Monster Hunters quickly caught up with them.


    At the forefront was a Monster Hunter with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a towering figure, clean and efficient in movement¡ªit was Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan flickered in shape and appeared before Qian Shunzhi, throwing a punch that erupted with fierce fire, aimed straight at Qian Shunzhi¡¯s face.


    Qian Shunzhi crossed his arms to block the punch, but his forearms instantly seared with pain, and a cracking sound suggested he had likely broken another bone.


    Taking advantage of the momentum, Mo Shan followed up with a kick that Qian Shunzhi could not stop, sending him flying to the ground, aching all over and without the strength to run anymore.


    Mo Shan left Qian Shunzhi behind and charged toward the Qian Family Formation Masters.


    The Qian Family¡¯s guards engaged to intercept, each of them on the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, with robust cultivation. For a while, they held Mo Shan at bay.


    Mo Shan did not entangle with them any longer than necessary, using his succinct and sharp movement technique to parry, waiting for the right moment to bypass the guards and reach a Qian Family Formation Master.


    The Formation Master was unaware of what had happened; he only saw a figure suddenly come into view, then felt a pain in his neck, darkness enveloping his sight, as Mo Shan knocked him out with a chop of the hand.


    Mo Shan knocked the Formation Master unconscious, grabbed him by the collar, and casually tossed him toward several other Monster Hunters.


    The other Monster Hunters caught the Formation Master and brought out ropes, binding him as one would a pig.

 Chapter 187 - 187_1

    Chapter 187: Chapter 187_1


    Afterward, Mo Shan did the same and began to capture the Qian Family¡¯s Formation Masters.


    The Qian Family¡¯s guards had respectable cultivation, but they were overwhelmed trying to fend off the Monster Hunters while also preventing Mo Shan from capturing people.


    In this critical situation, those few Formation Masters of the Qian Family, who would usually care about their manners and demeanor, had thrown all that to the wind, racing for their lives and wishing they could grow an extra pair of legs.


    In the end, Mo Shan only managed to catch three Formation Masters; the rest had escaped.


    The scene after the chaotic battle was a mess, with some Monster Hunters injured and several Qian Family cultivators lying on the ground, wailing.


    Mo Shan and the other Monster Hunters took action together, tying up the Formation Masters and the other Qian Family cultivators, then brought them back to the Refinery Shop.


    The Monster Hunters threw the Qian Family cultivators onto the ground, and Mo Shan waved at Mo Hua, who was sitting atop the high wall. Mo Hua nodded, leaped down with a graceful figure, and landed lightly on the ground.


    He had just used the Water Passing Step to climb the tall gate wall of the Refinery Shop and sat on top of the wall, witnessing everything that happened outside.


    Although the Qian Family cultivators had avoided the Earth Fire Formation, by entering the Refinery Shop, any movement that generated Spiritual Power fluctuations would trigger the Compass Child Formation. The patrolling Monster Hunting squad, holding the parent Compass, would feel the reaction from the child formation and come to assist.


    On the surface, the Qian Family seemed to be employing a strategy of making a noise in the east and striking in the west, catching them by surprise, but in reality, they had completely exposed their positions.


    Therefore, the Qian Family cultivators who had infiltrated did not cause much of a commotion before being suppressed one by one.


    And Mo Hua was also curious as to how they had avoided the Earth Fire Formation he had set up.


    He had specifically asked Uncle Chu for advice.


    In the matter of setting traps, the Monster Hunters are the most skilled, and among them, Uncle Chu is the best at using traps.


    After learning from Uncle Chu and having studied and applied many himself, Mo Hua¡¯s skill in trap setting was also considered top-notch among the Monster Hunters.


    There seemed to be no problems with the Earth Fire Formation he had watched being set up outside, so why had the Qian Family detected it?


    Therefore, Mo Hua climbed onto the wall top and swept the surroundings with his Divine Sense.


    With Elder Yu absent, among all the cultivators present, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was the strongest. The Divine Sense of an ordinary Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator couldn¡¯t possibly compare to his.


    Then Mo Hua discovered those Formation Masters from the Qian Family, and everything suddenly made sense to him.


    Suddenly, a joy rose in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Fish that came knocking on his door were not to be ignored.


    Mo Hua found Mo Shan, explained the situation, and said, ¡°Keep an eye on the Formation Masters to capture them alive!¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, then led a team of Monster Hunters with notable cultivation and dashed out, heading straight for those Formation Masters. After a battle, they finally caught a few and brought them back.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame we only caught three, letting the others get away,¡± lamented Mo Shan.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, ¡°That¡¯s enough, that¡¯s enough!¡±


    ¡°What are we going to do with these Formation Masters?¡± Mo Shan asked curiously.


    ¡°Just hand them over to Elder Yu, I reckon everyone will be eating well for the coming month,¡± Mo Hua said with a laugh.


    The next day, Elder Yu arrived at the Refinery Shop and was surprised to see the Qian Family Formation Masters tied up, asking, ¡°How did you bind them?¡±


    ¡°They came straight to our doorstep,¡± replied Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu was slightly astonished, ¡°Has Qian Hong lost his mind?¡±


    ¡°They wanted to break my Earth Fire Formation but ended up shooting themselves in the foot.¡±


    The captured Qian Family Formation Masters kept their distance, thinking they wouldn¡¯t be in any danger if they didn¡¯t risk themselves, but they hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense to be so powerful, able to detect them from such a great distance.


    After hearing the whole story, Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but admire Mo Hua for his attentive mind and skilled use of Divine Sense.


    Even with his stronger Divine Sense, he would not necessarily notice these people upon a cursory scan, nor would he associate them with being Formation Masters.


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve all worked hard; leave the rest to me. Tonight, we¡¯ll have a good meal!¡±


    After Elder Yu finished speaking, he took the captured Formation Masters to the Qian Family.


    These Formation Masters could not be killed; otherwise, the Qian Family would not let the matter rest. After all, cultivating a Formation Master can cost a fortune, and success is not guaranteed.


    Moreover, even if they were killed, it would be hard to explain to the Taoist Court. The rules that everyone abides by openly in Tongxian City dictate that taking a life should be a last resort.


    Since they cannot be killed nor kept, the only option left was to use them for extortion.


    And as a bargaining chip, Formation Masters were quite valuable¡ªElder Yu planned to take a heavy toll!


    Qian Hong was so angered that he coughed up blood. He had inquired earlier and found out that Elder Yu would not be at the Refinery Shop that night. The Formation Masters would be far away, and with the Divine Sense of someone in the Qi Refinement Realm, they would not be detectable.


    Even so, he had deliberately sent guards to follow them, taking every precaution. How could they still have been captured?


    How exactly were they captured?


    Qian Hong was puzzled and could not understand it.


    Meanwhile, Elder Yu had already arrived with the Formation Masters. This time, he did not rant and rave but instead looked quite pleased, as if he had won a bet and was waiting for the dealer to exchange his chips for Spirit Stones.


    But they were the losers, they were the dealer, and they were the ones who had to pay out the Spirit Stones. Even the chips had been delivered by them!


    Qian Hong was gnashing his teeth with rage, yet his face remained expressionless. Instead, he took the offensive and sneered,


    ¡°Elder Yu, you, a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, have abducted our Qian Family Formation Masters and you even have the audacity to come extorting us?¡±


    Elder Yu waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Enough with this nonsense, who are you trying to fool? We all know what¡¯s going on here, so why put on an act?¡±


    Qian Hong sneered, ¡°I shall report this matter to the Court Leader of the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°Please do,¡± Elder Yu replied nonchalantly, ¡°And while you¡¯re at it, you might want to mention how your Qian Family came to make trouble at the Refinery Shop, how many of our people you injured, how much property you damaged, how many Formations you disrupted, and how much time of our work you delayed¡­¡±


    ¡°So, as a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, you target the younger generation?¡±


    Elder Yu chuckled and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t lift a finger this time, and, in fact, I knew nothing about the whole affair from start to finish. It¡¯s your own fault for causing trouble and getting caught in the act. Only this morning did I learn about it, so I¡¯ve come to talk terms with you.¡±


    Qian Hong stared at him coldly, ¡°What terms do you want?¡±


    ¡°Show some sincerity, and I¡¯ll return your people. This way, you save face and avoid harming our amicable relations,¡± replied Elder Yu.


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyelids twitched at these words. What saving face? What amiable relations? Since when did Yu Changlin care about such niceties?


    ¡°What sincerity do you want?¡± he demanded.


    Elder Yu retorted, ¡°What else could it be?¡±


    Controlling his anger, Qian Hong gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Five hundred Spirit Stones per person!¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s not enough sincerity.¡±


    ¡°What then?¡± asked Qian Hong impatiently.


    ¡°These are Formation Masters, it requires extra,¡± said Elder Yu.


    ¡°How much do you want?¡±


    Bluntly, Elder Yu declared, ¡°Ten thousand per person!¡±


    Qian Hong rose to his feet furiously, ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck!¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Trying to reassure him, Elder Yu said, ¡°As the Family Head, you don¡¯t need to lose your temper. Stay calm, I never said we couldn¡¯t negotiate¡­¡±


    Qian Hong, swallowing his fury, asked once more, ¡°How much?¡±


    Elder Yu began to haggle, bargaining over each Spirit Stone as if Qian Hong were not the Family Head but an old man selling vegetables in the market town.


    After an exhaustive negotiation, Elder Yu walked away with the Spirit Stones, satisfied with the deal,


    while Qian Hong¡¯s face turned an iron shade of blue, and in his rage, he brought his hand down in a fierce smack that reduced the tabletop to dust.


    ¡°Yu Changlin, I will kill you!¡±

 Chapter 188 - 188 Concerns_1

    Chapter 188: Chapter 188 Concerns_1


    Elder Yu took the spirit stones, allocating a portion for public use, to construct the Refinery Shop, and with the remainder, he arranged for a vast amount of wine and meat, inviting the craftsmen and Monster Hunters to have a hearty feast.


    The wine was indeed fine, but the meat was not spiritual meat.


    Feeding so many cultivators with spiritual meat was beyond Elder Yu¡¯s means. He sought out Mo Shan and spent spirit stones to have Liu Ruhua assist in cooking some Monster Beasts¡¯ flesh.


    There was beef, mutton, chicken, and others, stewed with pungent spices, the mix of aromas was very enticing, and there was plenty prepared, enough to eat to one¡¯s content.


    Everyone ate their fill with great gusto, and Mo Hua was no exception, finding great delight in the meal, and the atmosphere at the Refinery Shop was lively and cheerful.


    Only Master Ban ate without any taste.


    Originally, he was worried that with just Mo Hua drawing the formations, they would be short-handed and unable to meet the schedule. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now, with the Qian Family repeatedly causing trouble, injuring the craftsmen and damaging some of the constructions, some formations needed to be redrawn, which made catching up with the progress even more unlikely.


    Master Ban sighed, the wine in his mouth tasting both sour and bitter, an indescribable flavor.


    Mo Hua, who was gnawing on a large chicken leg, noticed Master Ban¡¯s expression and asked,


    ¡°Master Ban, are you troubled by something?¡±


    Master Ban sighed again, full of worries yet unsure how to express them.


    He surely couldn¡¯t hurry Mo Hua, asking her to quicken her formation drawing.


    Moreover, ever since he learned that Mo Hua was a Formation Master, and one capable of drawing First-grade Formations at that, Master Ban felt a certain reverence towards her, making him more cautious with his words and less at ease than before.


    Seeing that Master Ban was troubled, Mo Hua said, ¡°If you have something to say, just speak up.¡±


    With Mo Hua coaxing him, Master Ban could only firm up his resolve and say, ¡°Mo¡­ Mo Hua, this formation, how much longer will it take to complete¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua estimated and replied, ¡°It depends on whether the Qian Family will continue to make trouble. If they keep it up, it¡¯ll likely drag out longer, but if they¡¯re scared off and learn their lesson, then the end will come quicker. However, due to the Qian Family¡¯s disturbances, some formations need to be redrawn, so it¡¯ll definitely take longer than initially anticipated.¡±


    Master Ban nodded, ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it in your capable hands.¡±


    Despite saying so, he still felt anxious.


    Having been a craftsman for many years, he had heard countless promises and projections, but the number of commitments that were fulfilled, or schedules that were met on time, were few and far between.


    Mo Hua, seeing that Master Ban was still apprehensive, then asked, ¡°Would a delay in the construction period be very serious?¡±


    ¡°Not serious per se, but if the construction period is delayed, we craftsmen can¡¯t settle our accounts, and the workers underneath us won¡¯t receive their share of spirit stones.¡±


    Master Ban¡¯s demeanor grew somber, ¡°Craftsmen usually come from poor families. They need to earn spirit stones to support their family, provide for their children¡¯s cultivation, working day and night just to make a modest earning. Once the construction period is held up, without spirit stones in hand, their household expenses might go unmet¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding, deeply empathizing, as his own family had also lived through tough times.


    Most of the loose cultivators in Tongxian City were Monster Hunters, relying on hunting monster beasts to make a living; there were not many who were craftsmen, and even fewer were able to become master craftsmen.


    These master craftsmen, mostly cultivators from other regions, often had to travel wherever their services were needed¡ªwherever there was a need to build caves, houses, Refinery Shops, Alchemist¡¯s Businesses, and other constructions, they would go there.


    The construction of a Tao Cultivation building could take from several months to a year or even longer to complete, and during this time, they rarely went home, often separated from their loved ones.


    Yet, even with such hard work, the spirit stones they earned were barely enough to scrape by.


    It seems that the livelihood of loose cultivators in this world, no matter what they did for a living, was never easy.


    Mo Hua sighed and asked, ¡°Do people also default on spirit stone payments?¡±


    Master Ban¡¯s expression became helpless, ¡°This happens often. After the cave dwelling is built, others don¡¯t want to pay the spirit stones, or they make excuses, saying they can¡¯t free up the spirit stones and just keep delaying payment without ever paying. We really have no way to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°About eighty or ninety years ago, when I was not yet a craftsman, just an ordinary worker, I followed my master to build a small cave dwelling for a cultivator. After we finished the building, the cultivator said he had run out of spirit stones and told us to wait¡­¡±


    ¡°We waited and waited, for three months, and still hadn¡¯t received a single spirit stone. Our family was so poor that we couldn¡¯t even scrape a meal together, so we had no choice but to go ask him for payment again. Once we found him, he was in the Food Building, enjoying delicious food and drink, lavishing spirit stones on singing girls. When we asked him for the spirit stones, he arrogantly said he had plenty of spirit stones but simply wouldn¡¯t give them to us¡­¡±


    Listening to this, Mo Hua became angry, ¡°Didn¡¯t you beat him up?¡±


    ¡°We did!¡± Master Ban nodded, ¡°We couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so we tied him up and beat him up, leaving him seriously injured.¡±


    ¡°What happened then?¡±


    ¡°Then he went to the Taoist Court Officials. They arrested us and locked us up for half a month. In the end, my master took responsibility for the crime, was convicted by the Taoist Court Officials, and was sent to jail for ten years. We were beaten with dozens of sticks and then released.¡±


    Thinking of his former master, Master Ban felt sad for a moment.


    ¡°Taoist Court Officials are really no good!¡± Mo Hua said angrily.


    Then he remembered that Zhang Lan was also a cultivator of the Taoist Court and was quite a nice person. He had unintentionally seemed to have wronged him¡­


    ¡°You can¡¯t say it like that,¡± Master Ban calmly advised Mo Hua.


    ¡°Are there exceptions?¡±


    Master Ban nodded, ¡°The Cultivation World is so vast, with Taoist Courts everywhere. Some of them are dutiful and loyal, while others are greedy and corrupt; it¡¯s not right to generalize¡­ In several cities nearby where I¡¯ve dealt with the Taoist Courts, the Taoist Court of Tongxian City is relatively rule-abiding. Even if they occasionally take some kickbacks, it¡¯s human nature. In other places, there are good and bad. Some Taoist Courts even collude with local clans to seize property, covet cultivation techniques and inheritances, causing others to lose both their family and their lives¡­¡±


    As Master Ban spoke, he was visibly shaken.


    Mo Hua was also shocked to hear this. The Tao Cultivation World was indeed more complex than he had imagined.


    He took all these matters to heart, to be prepared in case he encountered such situations in the future.


    ¡°Master Ban, don¡¯t worry. Although Elder Yu is stingy, he will give the spirit stones that are due and won¡¯t default on the payment!¡±


    Mo Hua assured him with conviction. Then, after thinking about it, he added, ¡°Regarding the formations, I will paint even faster to avoid too much delay.¡±


    After all, it was not easy for craftsmen to earn spirit stones, and waiting on them to get by was not an enjoyable experience.


    But Master Ban was taken aback, ¡°Paint even faster?¡±


    He was already painting fast enough; how could he possibly paint any faster? After all, Mo Hua was just one person, and a child of eleven or twelve at that.


    Master Ban felt a bit guilty and worriedly said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to rush; just proceed in an orderly fashion. There¡¯s no need to overdo it. If you overexert your divine sense, and it damages your sea of consciousness, it will be troublesome. I¡¯ve heard that if a Formation Master¡¯s sea of consciousness is injured, they won¡¯t be able to paint formations for the rest of their life¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Before, because it was his first time painting formations on such a large Tao Cultivation building, and it was also the first time he was designing and planning so many formations, he started painting carefully and cautiously, which meant a slower pace to avoid mistakes.


    Now, having painted for so many days, his technique had become much more proficient. Although there were many formations, they were not complex; most of them didn¡¯t even reach the grade of a first-grade formation method and were not difficult to paint, just somewhat monotonous.


    Mo Hua also needed to finish painting as soon as possible so that he could find a way to learn and apply higher-level compound formations.


    Compound formations should be much more interesting.

 Chapter 189 - 189 Drawn_1

    Chapter 189: Chapter 189 Drawn_1 Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Ban saw Mo Hua¡¯s confident appearance and inexplicably felt much more at ease.


    Although he had always treated Formation Masters with the utmost respect, there was still a touch of resentment in his heart. But being under someone¡¯s roof, they had to bow their heads due to the status and identity of the Formation Master, that was all.


    They were Formation Masters, and they were just craftsmen.


    The Formation Masters could live in grand cavern residences, while these craftsmen were only suitable for building them.


    Most of the architecture in the Tao Cultivation World was built by these craftsmen, brick by brick, yet not a single brick belonged to them.


    But Mo Hua was different from any other Formation Master he had seen; he was not arrogant or overbearing, with a clarity in his eyes like the spring water in a mountain stream.


    Looking at Mo Hua, Master Ban couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Seeing that Master Ban finally stopped frowning, Mo Hua also smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the formation, you can rest assured.¡±


    Master Ban nodded heavily, ¡°I¡¯m at ease.¡±


    Then he raised his glass, smiled at Mo Hua, and said, ¡°I raise a toast to you.¡±


    Mo Hua had neither cup nor wine, and besides, the taste of the alcohol was too strong for his liking. So he took the chicken leg in his hand and touched it to Master Ban¡¯s cup, ¡°Cheers!¡±


    Master Ban laughed, his mind free of doubts, and drank up the wine in his cup, only then tasting the true flavor of the wine, he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Good wine!¡±


    In the following days, Mo Hua began to speed up his Formation Painting.


    The deeper the cultivation of the Heaven Yan Jue, the stronger the control of Divine Sense, the faster Mo Hua¡¯s formations were drawn.


    Moreover, these formations were ones that Mo Hua had practiced many times on the Taoist Stele or the Formation Paper; he had every single Formation Pattern down pat.


    Mo Hua¡¯s wrist danced, his brush moved swiftly, his strokes as smooth as clouds and flowing water, Formation Patterns emerged one after another, and maps of formations were completed.


    Master Ban watched, dumbstruck, and even Elder Yu, who had seen Mo Hua Drawing Formations many times, was secretly amazed.


    Such skill showed the release of a Formation Master who had been immersed in the craft for hundreds of years.


    Each stroke and pattern was etched in his mind, he didn¡¯t even have to look to know where his brush should go; it naturally formed the formation.


    And so, after about ten more days, Mo Hua had finished painting all the formations on the Refinery Shop building.


    The progress had been delayed by five or six days compared to the initial expectation, mainly because the Qian Family came to cause trouble repeatedly. The foundation had been damaged and needed to be rebuilt, wooden beams had collapsed and had to be re-erected, and when the formations were smeared, Mo Hua had to start over. Otherwise, the work would have been completed a few days earlier.


    Master Ban looked at the numerous complex formations on the Refinery Shop, from the walls to every building, with disbelief in his eyes.


    All these formations were indeed completed by Mo Hua alone¡­


    Despite having witnessed the speed at which Mo Hua painted formations and being mentally prepared for it, he was still astonished when he saw it with his own eyes.


    This was the largest Refinery Shop in Tongxian City; all these formations were actually completed by one person!


    Master Ban pinched his thigh hard, and the pain that followed relieved him; it confirmed that he was indeed not dreaming.


    With the completion of these formations, Mo Hua¡¯s work was temporarily done, leaving the craftsmen to seal the formations and further refurbish the building.


    These matters would be Master Ban¡¯s concern now.


    Mo Hua rubbed his wrists and moved his shoulders around.


    He had been painting formations all these days, and now that the major work was done, he could finally take a break. He could use this time to reflect on the gains and losses in formation work.


    The Architectural Formation Map employed formations that primarily revolved around Earth and Wood attributes, complemented by Metal, Water, and Fire elements. Essentially, all Five Elements formations would make use of these.


    The Five Elements Formation is the most widely applied formation in the Tao Cultivation World, and through this opportunity, Mo Hua expanded his understanding of some basic formations, solidified his application of the Five Elements Formation Patterns, and gained deeper insights into the use of formations and the interactions between various formations.


    Moreover, after drawing formations tirelessly day and night during this period, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had grown, his control over it had gradually become stronger, and his foundation in formations had also deepened considerably.


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling quite satisfied with himself, and then started to prepare for the next phase of his formation studies.


    Master Ban was busy with the completion of the subsequent construction works for his artifact refinery shop, but the formation issues that had worried him the most had already been resolved, and the project would be completed on schedule. Master Ban felt as if a great burden had been lifted and his whole body relaxed.


    With the completion of the refinery shop, it would be time to settle the Spirit Stone payments. He could finally give his craftsmen disciples an explanation, and everyone could return home to enjoy a good year.


    The thought alone made Master Ban feel thoroughly content, and after several months of busyness, he could finally get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Meanwhile, Qian Hong¡¯s brow furrowed in concern.


    According to reports from the Qian Family disciples, the group of craftsmen had already begun the final touches on the construction.


    In his view, it was an absolute impossibility!


    The finishing touches meant that the formations inside were already complete.


    Such a large refinery shop, even if only basic and simple formations were used, couldn¡¯t possibly be completed so quickly. Furthermore, he had even sent people to disrupt and delay the construction progress of the refinery shop.


    In Qian Hong¡¯s estimation, even if everything went smoothly for the refinery shop, it would take another month before completion. But how could they have already started finishing the job in such a short time?


    ¡°Could it be another one of Yu Changlin¡¯s tricks? Trying to tell me that the refinery shop has already been built and finished, to make the Qian Family give up this notion?¡±


    Yu Changlin, thick-skinned and ruthless, it wouldn¡¯t be out of character for him to come up with such a scheme.


    Qian Hong¡¯s gaze turned sharp as he instructed someone to invite Master Qian, and then the two of them went together to a teahouse near the refinery shop, settled in a private room, and released their Divine Senses to scan the refinery shop.


    Master Qian only swept his Divine Sense over it briefly before withdrawing it and said, ¡°The formations have been completed!¡±


    Qian Hong was secretly shocked and asked, ¡°At what level are these formations?¡±


    Master Qian hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, ¡°Compared with the formation at our Qian Family mansion, they are quite comparable.¡±


    Qian Hong couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    The formations at their Qian Family mansion had been devised with great expense, employing a first-rate Formation Master to design the Architectural Formation Map and many Formation Masters working together to draw the formation, which took a long time to construct.


    What merit or ability did Yu Changlin have to build an artifact refinery shop that could rival the Qian Family mansion¡¯s formation?


    Master Qian himself found it hard to believe. He furrowed his brow thinking, ¡°I only scanned it from afar with my Divine Sense without looking closely, but the strength of those formations on the exterior walls is indeed not ordinary.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°They may have focused only on the exterior wall formations. The internal formations might be quite crude, or it¡¯s very possible that there are hardly any formations inside at all.¡±


    Qian Hong nodded. This estimation from Master Qian was very plausible.


    Otherwise, there was no explanation for how the Monster Hunters could have completed the formations inside such a large refinery shop in so little time.


    ¡°There¡¯s another issue,¡± said Master Qian. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just the external wall formations, judging by the strength of this formation, the amount of Formation Patterns included shouldn¡¯t be something one or two Formation Masters could complete.¡±


    Qian Hong also frowned, a question emerging in both their minds at the same time:


    Exactly how many Formation Masters are among the Monster Hunters?

 Chapter 190 - 190 Assertion_1

    Chapter 190: Chapter 190 Assertion_1


    The Refinery Shop has been built, and the Formation has been perfected, they can no longer cause trouble.


    When the exterior walls are closed, and the Formation is activated, thinking of sneaking in would be akin to a fool¡¯s dream.


    Master Qian glanced at the Refinery Shop again and suddenly asked:


    ¡°Family Head, do you know which Formations have been used in this Refinery Shop?¡±


    ¡°Typical construction Formations can¡¯t be separated from the Earth and Wood series, but as for the specific Formations, I¡¯m not a Formation Master, so I¡¯m not clear,¡± Qian Hong pondered and said.


    ¡°Family Head, you¡¯ve encountered this set of Formations before,¡± Master Qian said with a composed attitude.


    Qian Hong thought thoughtfully, then his eyes brightened, ¡°Are you talking about the Formation used at the entrance of the Spiritual mines that day?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Master Qian nodded, ¡°Among the First-grade Formation Methods, there is one called the Earth Stone Formation, which can strengthen the soil and stone and resist external enemies. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the walls of the Refinery Shop are fortified with this First-grade Earth Stone Formation.¡±


    Qian Hong frowned and then had a flash of understanding.


    Master Qian said, ¡°One Earth Fire Formation, one Earth Stone Formation, previously it was these two Formations, and now it¡¯s still these two Formations. Just as I had anticipated, the Formation Master among the Monster Hunters doesn¡¯t know many Formations, so he can only use these two over and over¡­¡±


    ¡°This is not his fault,¡± Master Qian sighed, ¡°First-grade Formations are not easy to learn, and it is quite remarkable that he has mastered these two.¡±


    Qian Hong nodded slightly, Formations are indeed difficult to learn, let alone First-grade Formations which are even more challenging.


    Learning Formations is hard, and handling them is even harder.


    During the previous battle with the Monster Hunter on the Nameless Peak, these two Formations gave the Qian Family a lot of trouble. If it hadn¡¯t been for these two Formations, their Qian Family wouldn¡¯t have suffered such heavy losses.


    Elder Yu, that old rascal, and those Monster Hunters would not have been able to leave with a full load of Spirit Stones and return unscathed.


    Every time he thought about this, Qian Hong felt heartache as if being cut by knives.


    Master Qian said, ¡°Now that the Refinery Shop is completed, there¡¯s no need to dwell on it any longer, Family Head. You can proceed with the plan.¡±


    Qian Hong nodded, ¡°Elder Yu built the Refinery Shop simply to refine Spiritual Artifacts to compete with our Qian Family business. All we need to do is to take the lead, refine more and better Spiritual Artifacts, lower the selling price, and make it impossible for them to continue their business, and naturally there will be no aftermath¡­¡±


    ¡°And the key to mass-producing Artifacts is the Refining Furnace,¡± Qian Hong finished speaking, then asked, ¡°How goes your comprehension of the First-grade Melting Fire Formation used for the Refining Furnaces?¡±


    Master Qian stroked his beard, ¡°These days, I have been diligently studying day and night, and now I have understood most of it. It won¡¯t be long before I can fully master it.¡±


    Qian Hong showed delight and bowed his hands, ¡°You have worked hard, Master!¡±


    Master Qian returned the courtesy, ¡°Since I am a descendant of the Qian Clan and supported by the family, it is my duty to exert all efforts for the Clan. Family Head, you¡¯re too courteous.¡±


    Qian Hong seemed to think of something and suddenly hesitated to speak.


    ¡°If the Family Head has something to say, please speak frankly,¡± Master Qian said.


    Qian Hong frowned, contemplating, ¡°The Formation Master among the Monster Hunters, he couldn¡¯t possibly also have mastered the First-grade Melting Fire Formation, could he? Otherwise, why would Elder Yu build a Refinery Shop?¡±


    Master Qian appeared slightly taken aback, and after some thought, he felt it made sense. Then he reconsidered and denied it:


    ¡°Impossible. The Melting Fire Formation is different from other First-grade Formations; its Formation Patterns are more tricky, and the Formation Pivot is more complex. It¡¯s not that easy to learn. If he really knew the Melting Fire Formation, along with the Earth Fire Formation and the Earth Stone Formation, he would already have the strength of a First-grade Formation Master.¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°A First-grade Formation Master, who doesn¡¯t hold a prestigious position and is treated as an honored guest by Clans and Sects? How could someone like that, regardless of their status, join forces with Loose Cultivators?¡±


    Hearing this, Qian Hong also felt it made sense, but still with reservations, he said, ¡°But what if this person really can draw the Melting Fire Formation?¡±


    ¡°Family Head, you can rest assured. Even if this Formation Master can draw the Melting Fire Formation, he will only be able to create ordinary Melting Fire Formations that contain five or six Patterns at most, definitely not the authentic First-grade Melting Fire Formation,¡± Master Qian assured.


    ¡°I have studied diligently these days and personally experienced how difficult the Melting Fire Formation is to learn. This Formation is not something one can compare with other ordinary First-grade Formations. That Formation Master could not possibly master it!¡± Master Qian asserted.


    Mo Hua indeed could not draw the First-grade Melting Fire Formation.


    Since he hadn¡¯t needed it before, he didn¡¯t bother to learn. Now that he wanted to try a Compound Formation that included the Melting Fire Formation, it was time to start learning.


    After studying it, he realized indeed that the Melting Fire Formation was rather difficult to learn.


    The Formation Patterns were indeed trickier, slightly different from the usual Fire-series Formation Patterns; the strength of Divine Sense required for the Formation Pivot was also comparatively high. Mo Hua had been practicing for a day and a half and was gradually getting the hang of it when he noticed Elder Yu with a worried frown.


    ¡°Elder, has the Qian Family come to cause trouble again?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°We¡¯re short of Artifact Refiners.¡±


    ¡°How many are we short?¡±


    ¡°About ten or so.¡±


    ¡°That many?¡± Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Aren¡¯t there quite a few Artifact Refiners in the city? Don¡¯t they want to come?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elder Yu said somewhat helplessly, ¡°Some already have their own Refinery Shops and don¡¯t want to move; others don¡¯t want to work for someone else and be constrained; or they are introverts who prefer not to live with others¡­ In short, their reasons are varied but the result is the same: they don¡¯t want to come.¡±


    ¡°Are they also worried about the Qian Family?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°That¡¯s one of their concerns. They¡¯re afraid the Qian Family will give them trouble and also that we won¡¯t be able to overpower the Qian Family; then they, too, would be unlucky.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded, then asked, ¡°Is Master Chen willing to come?¡±


    ¡°Which Master Chen?¡±


    ¡°The skinny one with the dark face from Chen¡¯s Refinery Shop, next to the small pond on South Main Street.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Elder Yu remembered, ¡°He¡¯s not willing to come either.¡±


    Mo Hua put down the unfinished Melting Fire Formation he was holding and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go have a look.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to look at? Will he listen to you?¡± Elder Yu was somewhat astounded.


    ¡°Not sure, but I¡¯ll try. I¡¯m on fairly good terms with Master Chen,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Elder Yu looked at the teenage boy, half a person tall, that was Mo Hua, and then thought of Master Chen¡¯s stern face and couldn¡¯t fathom what kind of relationship they could have.


    ¡°Well, you try it first; I¡¯ll look for some other Artifact Refiners,¡± Elder Yu said.


    ¡°Mm, okay.¡±


    After speaking, Mo Hua went back home, asked his mother for some wine and meat, boxed it up, and put it in his Storage Bag. Then, he headed to Chen¡¯s Refinery Shop and found Master Chen.


    Master Chen was leading Dazhu and the rest in the iron forging, with the clanging sounds echoing and sparks flying everywhere.


    Mo Hua shouted a couple of times before Master Chen heard him. Master Chen let Dazhu continue on his own, then washed his hands, wiped his sweat, and welcomed Mo Hua into the courtyard.


    There were several small stools and tables in the courtyard.


    Mo Hua chose a stool to sit on and took out the wine and meat from the Storage Bag.


    ¡°This is my treat for everyone!¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°How can I accept this¡­¡±


    Though Master Chen verbally declined, his eyes never left the wine jug.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be polite!¡± Mo Hua said.


    Master Chen stopped being coy. After all, he was well-acquainted with Mo Hua, and he didn¡¯t consider him a stranger. So he laughed and said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t be.¡±


    After finishing his words, Master Chen called out to a group of disciples, ¡°Stop what you¡¯re doing, take a break, and come have some food.¡±


    The group of Artifact Refiner disciples were overjoyed at hearing this, and they all put down their work and crowded around.


    Ever since Mo Hua entered, and the moment he placed the food box on the table, they had already become distracted from refining.


    Artifact Refining was physically demanding, and these young and strong men were also growing, so they got hungry easily.


    The business at the Refinery Shop was actually not so good; it was quite an achievement for them to get enough to eat, let alone indulge in delicacies. So when they saw the meat Mo Hua had placed on the table, their eyes shone with eagerness.

 Chapter 191 - 191: Invitation (Fifth Update)_1

    Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Invitation (Fifth Update)_1


    ¡°`


    Master Chen gently tapped the table, ¡°Before eating, first thank the person who provided the food.¡±


    The artifact refining disciples said in unison, ¡°Thank you, Brother Mo!¡±


    Mo Hua also smiled and waved his hand, ¡°No thanks, no thanks!¡±


    Master Chen nodded, ¡°Line up, don¡¯t rush.¡±


    Mo Hua brought quite a lot of beef. Practically everyone could get some. Although it wasn¡¯t enough to fill them up, it was enough to stave off hunger and satisfy a craving.


    The artifact refining disciples queued up and each took their share of meat, then began devouring it hungrily.


    Master Chen also tasted the meat and took a sip of wine, immediately his expression became pleased, and he started to beam with joy.


    As the strong liquor went down his throat, spicy and refreshing, Master Chen felt completely satisfied and said,


    ¡°Now, tell me what you wanted to see me for.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just to treat you to some meat and drinks.¡±


    Master Chen said, ¡°If you won¡¯t tell, let¡¯s consider it a free meal and drink.¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled, ¡°There is a little matter.¡±


    Master Chen raised an eyebrow and laughed, ¡°You¡¯ve specially brought meat and wine as a bribe, I suspect it¡¯s no small matter. Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Mo Hua got straight to the point, ¡°Elder Yu has set up a new refinery shop, a large one. Have you considered going over there?¡±


    Master Chen asked with a puzzled look, ¡°Are you close with Elder Yu too, speaking for him?¡±


    ¡°Very close,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Master Chen¡¯s eyelid twitched. Mo, at such a young age, sure had some wild connections¡ªfamiliar even with an elder at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    On normal days, he dedicated himself to artifact refining and rarely asked about external affairs, only hearing bits and pieces from others¡¯ conversations; he didn¡¯t know how Mo had become so familiar with Elder Yu¡­


    Master Chen felt a bit baffled and asked further, ¡°That refinery shop, does it have anything to do with you?¡±


    ¡°All the formations inside, I drew them!¡±


    Mo Hua patted his chest, speaking with a hint of pride.


    Master Chen was taken aback.


    He knew Mo was good at drawing formations, but he didn¡¯t realize he was good enough to have drawn all the formations in such a large refinery shop.


    That was truly remarkable.


    Master Chen thought for a moment, then stated bluntly, ¡°Alright, I agree to your request.¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, ¡°Huh? Why did you agree so quickly?¡±


    He had prepared a whole load of arguments, yet before he could even start, Master Chen had already agreed¡­


    Master Chen said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with Elder Yu, so naturally, I¡¯m reluctant to go there. My own refinery shop may be a bit rundown and business might be slow, but it¡¯s enough to make ends meet. It supports me and these disciples, and I¡¯ve also taught them a trade.¡±


    ¡°But since you¡¯re the one asking, that changes things. Not to mention anything else, just the fact that you¡¯ve drawn so many formations for us without asking for spirit stones is a huge favor. I may not have much of a relationship with Elder Yu, but I do trust you deeply.¡±


    These words from Master Chen made Mo Hua feel somewhat embarrassed.


    Seeing how agreeable Master Chen was, Mo decided to push his luck, ¡°Do you know any other artifact refiners, could you get them to go as well?¡±


    Master Chen was slightly taken aback, then laughed, ¡°You really don¡¯t beat around the bush¡­¡±


    Mo chuckled, ¡°We¡¯re so familiar, why be polite?¡±


    Master Chen also laughed, ¡°It¡¯s fine for me to go, but asking other artifact refiners is a different matter.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°I need to have a reason to convince them, otherwise, they¡¯re not going to abandon their own business to go refine artifacts for Elder Yu.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of reasons!¡±


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, as he was just worrying that no one would listen to his carefully prepared arguments, and now an opportunity to speak had arisen.


    ¡°On the surface, this Refinery Shop is owned by Elder Yu, but in reality, it belongs to all Monster Hunters and possibly to every Loose Cultivator in Tongxian City.¡±


    ¡°As long as everyone contributes to the work inside, and the Refinery Shop turns a profit, the Spirit Stone proceeds will be distributed according to each individual¡¯s contribution.¡±


    Master Chen was startled, ¡°Is that really true?¡±


    Although Master Chen was a Loose Cultivator of Tongxian City and made his living by Artifact Refining, he had never ventured into Big Black Mountain to hunt Monster Beasts. Although he also dealt with Monster Hunters on a regular basis, it was mostly related to transactions involving Spiritual Artifacts, and he didn¡¯t know much about the internal affairs of Monster Hunters.


    This was the first time he had heard about such a distribution of Spirit Stones.


    Master Chen had initially thought that after the Monster Hunters had seized the Spiritual mines, Elder Yu, with his Foundation Establishment Cultivation, would take the lion¡¯s share, even if he didn¡¯t take everything, and the same would likely apply to the establishment of the Refinery Shop.


    Now it seemed that the seemingly frugal Elder Yu had a much larger vision than he had imagined.


    Unconsciously, Master Chen nodded his head in agreement.


    Mo Hua went on to say, ¡°Once you join the Refinery Shop, not to mention other benefits, you¡¯ll at least have enough to eat for three meals a day. Although it might not be gourmet food, you¡¯ll definitely be full, and Brother Dazhu and the others won¡¯t have to starve anymore.¡±


    These words moved Master Chen a bit.


    He was usually strict, but he cared for his Disciples. Seeing his Disciples go hungry hurt him as their master.


    If he could ensure these kids had more to eat, then all his efforts would be worth it.


    Master Chen agreed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to them, but I can¡¯t guarantee that they will agree.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Mo Hua nodded. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished yet, there¡¯s one more thing.¡±


    Master Chen was taken aback, ¡°You haven¡¯t finished? What else do you want to say?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t rush to answer; instead, he sneaked a glance at Master Chen¡¯s Refining Furnace and quietly asked:


    ¡°Master Chen, don¡¯t you think the fire in this Refining Furnace is a bit small?¡±


    This question felt eerily familiar.


    Frowning, Master Chen thought for a moment and suddenly became alert, ¡°Are you coveting my Artifact Furnace again?¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± Mo Hua quickly denied.


    Master Chen didn¡¯t believe him; he firmly said, ¡°The fire in this Refining Furnace is small, but it¡¯s sufficient. Don¡¯t even think about dismantling it!¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡±


    Master Chen still looked very skeptical.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I really won¡¯t dismantle it, but don¡¯t you want to change it for another Furnace?¡±


    ¡°Change it for another one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, change it for a larger one, with stronger firepower and higher quality!¡±


    Larger, stronger firepower, higher quality?


    Master Chen¡¯s brow furrowed, then he became somewhat shocked, ¡°Are you talking about¡­ a First-grade Refining Furnace?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Not just a First-grade Refining Furnace, but also add a First-grade Formation Method inside it, which will take the furnace¡¯s firepower to the next level¡­¡±


    A First-grade Refining Furnace with a First-grade Formation Method.


    Just thinking about it made Master Chen¡¯s heart race with anticipation.


    In his life, he had no other wish but to have a First-grade Refining Furnace¡ªeven if he couldn¡¯t own it, just using one to refine a few Spiritual Artifacts would satisfy him.


    But a First-grade Refining Furnace is incredibly expensive. The materials and construction costs require a large number of Spirit Stones, an amount far beyond what he could afford. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If Elder Yu could really procure a First-grade Refining Furnace, there was no way he could refuse, let alone one with a First-grade Formation Method drawn by Mo Hua¡­


    Master Chen thought it over carefully, and all of a sudden, he snapped back to reality and was startled, exclaiming,


    ¡°A First-grade Formation Method? You can draw a First-grade Formation now?!¡±

 Chapter 192 - 192 Artifact Refining Grade_1

    Chapter 192: Chapter 192 Artifact Refining Grade_1


    Mo Hua nodded proudly.


    Master Chen was shocked, ¡°How long has it been, and you¡¯re already able to draw first-grade Formation Methods?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing much.¡± Mo Hua waved his little hand and continued,


    ¡°With a first-grade Refining Furnace, plus the first-grade Melting Fire Formation, we should be able to attract a good number of Artifact Refiners, right?¡±


    Drawing a first-grade Formation Method isn¡¯t a big deal¡­


    Master Chen had mixed feelings and sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, a first-grade Refining Furnace combined with a first-grade Formation Method, no Artifact Refiner would be able to resist.¡±


    The skill level of an Artifact Refiner heavily depends on the Refining Furnace. There are only a few first-grade Refining Furnaces throughout Tongxian City, let alone one inscribed with a first-grade Formation Method.


    If someone refused that, what would they be if not a fool?


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Mo Hua was then reassured.


    Soon after, he remembered another question. ¡°Master Chen, how are the grades of artifact refining determined?¡±


    ¡°Grades?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Mo Hua with a nod, ¡°like for a Formation Master, nine Formation Patterns constitute a first-grade Formation Method. What are the standards for a Spiritual Artifact to be considered first-grade?¡±


    A Refining Furnace is actually a type of Spiritual Artifact, only it¡¯s used for the production aspects of Tao Cultivation, different from the Spiritual Artifacts used by Cultivators for attack or defense.


    The Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City can¡¯t forge a first-grade Refining Furnace; the one promised by Elder Yu also had to be bought from the outside.


    But there should also be first-grade Artifact Refiners among the Loose Cultivators, so why can¡¯t they forge first-grade Spiritual Artifacts?


    ¡°That¡¯s a long story¡­¡± Master Chen began.


    Mo Hua sat down on a small stool, ready to listen to a story.


    Master Chen took a sip of his drink, organized his thoughts, and started,


    ¡°First of all, the most difficult to determine is that of a Formation Master. Only a Cultivator in the Qi Refining Ninth Level can become a first-grade Formation Master¡­¡±


    Master Chen looked at Mo Hua and coughed, ¡°Generally, ah, generally only those in the Qi Refining Ninth Level can become first-grade Formation Masters.¡±


    Then he continued, ¡°Compared to Formation Masters, the standards for becoming an Artifact Refiner, Alchemist, including Talisman Maker, are much more lenient. As long as one reaches the later stages of Qi Refinement, goes through practice, accumulates experience, and reaches a certain skill level in artifact crafting, capable of crafting a first-grade Spiritual Artifact, they can generally be considered a first-grade Artifact Refiner.¡±


    ¡°So why can¡¯t Loose Cultivators rarely craft first-grade Spiritual Artifacts?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°There are many reasons. For example, first-grade Spiritual Artifacts are expensive to make, the materials are rare, and ordinary Loose Cultivators can¡¯t afford them. There¡¯s also a lack of heritage; many Loose Cultivators simply don¡¯t have the Artifice Manuals for various Spiritual Artifacts, and they don¡¯t get to learn some of the artifact crafting techniques¡­¡±


    Master Chen sighed, ¡°Of course, the most important reason is that we don¡¯t have good Refining Furnaces.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Are Refining Furnaces really important?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± lamented Master Chen, ¡°the Refining Furnace is the weapon of an Artifact Refiner, just like the sword in the hands of a Sword Cultivator. Without a sword, what swordsmanship can you learn? Without a Refining Furnace, what Spiritual Artifact can you refine?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, feeling that made a lot of sense.


    Master Chen pointed at his Refining Furnace and spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t look down on my old and battered Refining Furnace. It may not be big, but among the Refinery Shops run by Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City, it¡¯s considered quite good already.¡±


    Master Chen felt a bit proud, ¡°Many people are jealous of my Refining Furnace, wanting to borrow it to refine Spiritual Artifacts, but I haven¡¯t agreed. It¡¯s my livelihood¡ªhow could I lend it out just like that?¡±


    ¡°So, a lot of Loose Cultivators can¡¯t become first-grade Artifact Refiners because they don¡¯t have good Refining Furnaces, and they can¡¯t craft first-grade Spiritual Artifacts?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± said Master Chen, ¡°Without a Refining Furnace, there¡¯s no chance to craft a first-grade Spiritual Artifact, so how could one become a first-grade Artifact Refiner?¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was a bit curious, ¡°Is the Artifact Refining Furnace really that crucial?¡±


    Master Chen said, ¡°In the Cultivation World, fine iron ores and even monster beast bones are exceptionally tough and need to be first melted by furnace fire before they can be forged. In the Qi Refinement Realm, there is no Pill Fire, so one has to rely on furnace fire. If the furnace¡¯s grade is low and the fire power is weak, the materials can¡¯t be melted and naturally can¡¯t be forged¡­¡±


    Mo Hua understood, then asked again, ¡°Then, if one had a good Artifact Refining Furnace with strong fire, how would one forge a first-grade Spiritual Artifact?¡±


    Master Chen sighed, ¡°That, I have to say, gets a bit troublesome.¡±


    Mo Hua poured him a cup of wine, ¡°Take a sip of wine, and take your time.¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s curious eyes, Master Chen felt somewhat helpless, ¡°Since you want to hear, then I¡¯ll just give a simple explanation.¡±


    ¡°The grade of a Spiritual Artifact is determined by the standards set by the Taoist Court. A first-grade Spiritual Artifact, how much fine iron or equivalent materials it contains, how many processing steps it¡¯s gone through, how many times it¡¯s been forged, all these are standards for measurement.¡±


    ¡°Among those, the most important is the number of times it¡¯s been forged. Generally, a first-grade Spiritual Artifact is based on being forged a hundred times. Then, depending on the hardness of the materials, the special shape of the artifact, and whether the forging technique is complex, appropriate adjustments are made. After a consensus by most Artifact Refiners, it becomes a customary practice, then the Taoist Court officially stipulates it and records it in the assessment standards.¡±


    ¡°It sure sounds troublesome¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you aren¡¯t an Artifact Refiner, so it seems complicated to you. If you were to become an Artifact Refiner, swinging a big hammer for a few days according to the Artifice Manual, and forging fine iron for a few days, you would naturally understand it all.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at his own thin arms and legs, thought it over, and decided to forget about it.


    Master Chen laughed, ¡°Simply put, it¡¯s about how many times you can strike iron. The more times a Spiritual Artifact is forged, the higher its grade naturally won¡¯t be. There¡¯s a saying, ¡®A thousand hammerings and a hundred refinements make a successful artifact,¡¯ and that¡¯s precisely what it means.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s pretty much like Drawing Formations. The more times a formation is drawn, the more Formation Patterns it contains, and the higher its grade. It seems that the principles of this world are all interconnected,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Master Chen also laughed, ¡°I don¡¯t understand formations, but based on what you¡¯re saying, it indeed seems so.¡±


    Mo Hua asked again, ¡°How about Alchemy and Rune making, are they pretty much the same?¡±


    ¡°Alchemy and Rune making¡­ I guess they¡¯re similar, but I haven¡¯t studied them, and I¡¯m not clear about the intricacies. After all, every field has its own specialized knowledge, and it¡¯s not good to make careless assertions.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded; this was the truth.


    Although he was fairly proficient with formations, when it came to Artifact Refining and Alchemy, he only knew the very basics. Many of the fine points within he had never studied firsthand or practiced, so thinking about them was quite puzzling.


    Not just with Alchemy and Artifact Refining, even in formations, the difference between Compound Formations and Single Formations was quite significant. He was more familiar with Five Elements Formations, but when it came to other Formation Pivots structures or attribute types, he wasn¡¯t particularly clear either.


    For example, the Three Talents Formations, and the others mentioned by Mr. Zhuang, such as the Eryi Formation, Four Symbols Formations, Seven Stars Formations, Eight Trigrams Array, and so on.


    He estimated that truly studying and using these would be vastly different from Five Elements Formations.


    Not to mention that Mo Hua had also heard about some cruel and bizarre techniques such as Demon Formations, Monster Formations, Evil Formations, Ghost Formations, and Corpse Formations, which were expressly forbidden by the Taoist Court.


    Immediately after, Mo Hua had another question, ¡°Master Chen, are you familiar with the making of Talismans?¡±


    ¡°Not very,¡± Master Chen replied truthfully.


    ¡°You must know a little, though.¡±


    Master Chen asked with some confusion, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between making Talismans and Drawing Formations?¡±


    While cultivating at the Tongxian Gate, Mo Hua had also studied some basic courses about Runes, but those were too elementary and theoretical, diverging from the practical aspects of Tao Cultivation.


    When learning about formations, Mo Hua always felt that the formations he drew on paper were very similar to the ¡°Runes¡± from another world he vaguely remembered.


    He never quite understood the exact differences between the two.

 Chapter 193 - 193 Runes_1

    Chapter 193: Chapter 193 Runes_1


    Since Loose Cultivators rarely used Runes, Mo Hua had never even seen a Rune with his own eyes up until now, so he had cast that question to the back of his mind.


    Now that they were discussing Artifact Refining and he heard mention of Rune making, Mo Hua suddenly remembered and decided to ask.


    Master Chen tugged at his beard, furrowing his brow in thought, ¡°I am neither a Formation Master nor a Talisman Master, so I can¡¯t say for certain, but since you asked, I¡¯ll tell you what I know.¡±


    After finishing, Master Chen added, ¡°But these are certainly words from an outsider¡¯s view, just listen to get an idea, and don¡¯t necessarily take them as truth.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°To my knowledge, Rune making is both a branch of Formation and a branch of Artifact Refining.¡±


    ¡°A hybrid of Formation and Artifact Refining?¡± Mo Hua exclaimed in surprise.


    Master Chen gave him a look, somewhat amused, ¡°Don¡¯t put it so crudely. The various categories of Tao Cultivation are independent of each other yet interconnected.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°Like how Pill Masters¡¯ Alchemy Furnaces rely on Artifact Refiners for their creation, Artifact Refiners¡¯ crafted furnaces rely on Formation Masters for Drawing Formation, and Formation Masters sometimes use Spiritual Liquids concocted by Pill Masters for their Spiritual Ink?¡±


    ¡°Well spoken,¡± Master Chen nodded in approval, then continued to discuss the subject of Runes:


    ¡°With the development of the Cultivation World over the years, the categories of Tao Cultivation have also evolved and changed, and Runes are naturally no exception¡­¡±


    ¡°The earliest Runes were actually not much different from Formations or, to say, they were simplified Formations. Drawn on paper, activated with Spiritual Power, they had some of the effects of a Formation.¡±


    ¡°But such Runes had many problems: paper was hard to preserve, Spiritual Power was difficult to store, and their power fluctuated with the amount of the Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power. If activated with a Spirit Stone, they were also very inconvenient to use.¡±


    ¡°Most importantly, there¡¯s no prestige. Talisman Makers were often said to be low-end Formation Masters, inherently a step below others, which was something no one could stand.¡±


    ¡°Over the years, Runes too have been improved upon by many powerful Cultivators and have metamorphosed. Today¡¯s Runes have developed into a category of Tao Cultivation completely distinct from both Formation and Artifact Refining.¡±


    ¡°What changes have been made?¡± Mo Hua was quite curious.


    Master Chen said, ¡°A lot has changed, at least in terms of appearance. Nowadays, Jade Talismans have replaced paper talismans, and what¡¯s stored is no longer just Spiritual Power and Formation, but specialized Spells, which makes them easier to preserve and to use.¡±


    ¡°Specialized Spells?¡±


    ¡°Right, Runes are like one-time use Spells, simple and convenient. As long as you reach a certain level, you can use them, regardless of your Spiritual Root¡¯s attributes.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that very powerful?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat tempted.


    ¡°Powerful it certainly is, but it¡¯s also truly expensive,¡± Master Chen said with a click of his tongue.


    ¡°The cost must be high.¡±


    Master Chen nodded, ¡°Making Runes requires jade stones to make Jade Talismans, and jade itself isn¡¯t cheap. The higher the grade of the Rune, the more expensive the materials required. In addition, the crafting of Jade Talismans uses some Artifact Refining techniques, and they include simple Formation structures inside. The Cultivators who make the Runes also have to learn special techniques to seal Spells into the Jade Talismans.¡±


    Listening, Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Expensive and troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Master Chen agreed.


    ¡°No wonder I¡¯ve never seen one; it¡¯s because they¡¯re expensive, and no one can afford them.¡±


    Even if one were to come across a Rune or two by chance, it made more sense to sell them instead of using them, trading them for Spirit Stones was more practical.


    Mo Hua asked again, ¡°Are there any other differences?¡±


    ¡°There definitely are, but that¡¯s all I know,¡± said Master Chen. ¡°These are all superficial matters; I learned of them in a casual chat with a Talisman Master for whom I was crafting a Spiritual Artifact. As for the deeper intricacies, I¡¯m clueless.¡±


    Master Chen offered an apologetic tone, ¡°After all, I am not a Talisman Master, and I have no understanding of Talisman making.¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°No worries, I don¡¯t understand it either!¡±


    Master Chen smiled, ¡°Well then, when you learn about it in the future, come back and tell me about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a promise!¡± Mo Hua replied with a smile.


    After finishing their conversation, Mo Hua realized he had been talking with Master Chen for quite some time and it was getting late, so he stood up and took his leave. ¡°Master Chen, I¡¯ll be heading back now. The business with the Refinery Shop is settled then.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Master Chen didn¡¯t press him to stay, but instead turned to Dazhu and said, ¡°Dazhu, escort him out.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Dazhu cheerfully agreed.


    Dazhu then accompanied Mo Hua home, chatting along the way. Dazhu shared some recent interesting events with Mo Hua, who listened with great interest.


    In the vast world, there are wonders beyond wonders, and with countless cultivators, all sorts of messy things are bound to happen.


    Mo Hua, filled with stories, expanded his understanding of the path of Tao cultivation. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once home, Mo Hua invited Dazhu to eat something. Dazhu laughed shyly but without ceremony accepted Mo Hua¡¯s hospitality with open arms.


    With the matter of the Artifact Refiner temporarily resolved, the next step was to see about Master Chen.


    Having refined spiritual artifacts in Tongxian City for many years, Master Chen knew many cultivators and was acquainted with a good number of Artifact Refiners, and should be able to persuade quite a few to join the newly established Refinery Shop.


    Mo Hua soon thought of another problem.


    If the Refinery Shop was successfully established, then there would be the Alchemist¡¯s Business to consider next. Alchemists were even rarer in Tongxian City and probably harder to recruit.


    It¡¯s always best to prepare early; otherwise, when the time comes, inadequate preparation could lead to all sorts of difficulties.


    Reflecting on this, Mo Hua took some wine and meat and went to see Old Mr. Feng at Apricot Forest Hall.


    ¡°Grandpa Feng, I¡¯ve come to see you!¡± Mo Hua greeted him with a beaming smile.


    Old Mr. Feng glanced at Mo Hua and said with a half-smile, ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    Mo Hua felt puzzled, ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve watched you grow up since you were small.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Since Old Mr. Feng had asked, Mo Hua didn¡¯t beat around the bush and directly shared the plans for both the Refinery Shop and the Alchemist¡¯s Business.


    As Old Mr. Feng listened, his expression grew more serious. ¡°Is Elder Yu really thinking this way, and acting upon it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    After a moment of thought, Old Mr. Feng said, ¡°Alright, I agree to help with this.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng, a doctor with a big heart, would likely agree to anything that could truly benefit the Loose Cultivators at the bottom of Tongxian City.


    That¡¯s what Mo Hua had initially thought, but having Old Mr. Feng actually agree brought him great joy.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Feng!¡±


    ¡°Although I have agreed, there is something for which you must be prepared,¡± Old Mr. Feng added.


    ¡°Be prepared?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    Pausing for a moment, Old Mr. Feng continued, ¡°In this world, some things start with good intentions, but inevitable entanglements of interest and the unpredictability of human nature can lead to a chaotic and messy end.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback for a moment, but after thinking it through, he felt there was much truth in the words.


    ¡°Grandpa Feng, I¡¯ll remember that,¡± Mo Hua said earnestly.


    After some thought, he added, ¡°However, since it benefits everyone, the task at hand still needs to be done. Even if circumstances change, that¡¯s a matter for the future. We can¡¯t do nothing just because we are cautious.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng looked at Mo Hua, somewhat surprised, then with a gaze full of approval, he nodded and said with a smile, ¡°Exactly, even if things end in a chaotic mess, you must remain steadfast in doing what needs to be done.¡±

 Chapter 194 - 194 – First Class Melting Fire_1

    Chapter 194: Chapter 194 ¨C First Class Melting Fire_1


    Old Mr. Feng and Master Chen both agreed, and Mo Hua informed Elder Yu of this matter.


    Elder Yu was somewhat surprised, ¡°Even Old Mr. Feng agreed?¡±


    Though Old Mr. Feng only had the cultivation level of the Qi Refining Ninth Level, he was a First-grade Pill Master who had opened a Pill Hall in Tongxian City. Having cured and saved people over so many years, he had extensive connections and held high prestige among cultivators.


    Elder Yu had made a special visit to meet with him before, and had indirectly brought up the matter, but Old Mr. Feng tactfully refused, citing ¡°old age and lack of strength to endure hard work.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t expected Old Mr. Feng to agree now.


    With Old Mr. Feng¡¯s Alchemy Dao skills and vast connections, surely the alchemists of the Alchemist¡¯s Business didn¡¯t have to worry anymore.


    Elder Yu was curious, ¡°How did you persuade them?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned slightly, ¡°I didn¡¯t say much, but it¡¯s a good deed that benefits everyone. Grandpa Feng and Master Chen usually wouldn¡¯t refuse such things.¡±


    They may not have refused you, but they refused me¡­


    Elder Yu looked Mo Hua over again and sighed inwardly.


    It seems that the face value of this kid, Mo Hua, is even bigger than his, an Elder of Foundation Establishment¡­


    Mo Hua then asked about the business at hand, ¡°Elder Yu, what about the Refining Furnace you bought?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on its way and will arrive in a few days.¡±


    There were also Refining Furnaces for sale in Tongxian City, but not of the first-grade. Even though a few shops wanted to sell, Elder Yu had inquired, but due to the Qian Family¡¯s influence, they didn¡¯t dare to sell.


    Elder Yu had no choice but to use his connections and buy a new First-grade Refining Furnace from the neighboring Immortal City.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be stolen, will it?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat worried.


    ¡°It¡¯s cash on delivery, so it has nothing to do with us if it¡¯s stolen. I must personally see the Refining Furnace delivered to the doorway of the Refinery Shop before I give them the Spirit Stones,¡± Elder Yu replied.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    It¡¯s just like Elder Yu to be so thorough in his dealings, resolute in not taking action until seeing the benefits. It¡¯s a good habit, and Mo Hua thought he should learn from it.


    ¡°And the Formation on the Refining Furnace¡­ there are no problems, right?¡± Elder Yu asked again.


    Mo Hua patted his chest, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me. I haven¡¯t learned it yet, but I should be fast.¡±


    Learning it now¡­


    Elder Yu had mixed feelings. If it were any other Formation Master, he might be worried about them learning a Formation right before it was needed, but with Mo Hua, Elder Yu had nothing more to say.


    ¡°When the Refining Furnace arrives, I¡¯ll let you know,¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Afterward, Mo Hua spent his time studying the Melting Fire Formation for a first-grade artifact.


    Meanwhile, Master Qian arrived at the study to see the Family Head, Qian Hong.


    Master Qian¡¯s complexion was slightly pale, and he seemed a little fatigued, but his spirit was keen, and his eyes showed excitement.


    ¡°Family Head, after some days of dedicated research, I have fully mastered the First-grade Melting Fire Formation!¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyebrows raised in delight, ¡°You¡¯ve done hard work, Master Qian. I will immediately order our family¡¯s First-grade Artifact Furnace to be cleared, the original Formation Patterns removed, and have you personally draw the First-grade Melting Fire Formation.¡±


    Qian Hong gave a respectful gesture, ¡°I will entrust this task to you, Master.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Qian Hong also breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°With this, we can take the lead.¡±


    The successful establishment of the Monster Hunter¡¯s Refinery Shop, and all the hustle and bustle of preparations, as well as Yu Changlin even managing to buy a First-grade Artifact Furnace from elsewhere, had put a lot of pressure on Qian Hong.


    Artifact refining relies heavily on the Refining Furnace.


    As long as their Refining Furnaces are better than those of the Monster Hunters, and their Formations are stronger, the quality and quantity of the Spiritual Artifacts they refine will be higher.


    For Yu Changlin to think he can compete with the Qian Family is a fool¡¯s dream. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As long as the revenue of Yu Changlin¡¯s Refinery Shop does not cover the expenses, its decline is just a matter of time, and then he will take over the business.


    All this time Yu Changlin has been busy, but in the end, he was just preparing a wedding dress for the Qian Family.


    Qian Hong pondered over everything, feeling that the only variable was the Formation.


    In most Tao Cultivation industries, the core Formation is of utmost importance.


    Qian Hong still felt somewhat uneasy and confirmed again, ¡°Is it really impossible for the Formation Masters among the Monster Hunters to learn the First-grade Melting Fire Formation?¡±


    Master Qian waved his hand, ¡°Family Head, rest assured, it¡¯s absolutely impossible!¡±


    Qian Hong looked slightly puzzled, ¡°Why are you so certain, Master?¡±


    Master Qian smiled calmly, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t mastered this Formation, I couldn¡¯t be so sure. But now that I have grasped it, naturally I understand. This Formation is difficult; it¡¯s not something an ordinary Formation Master can learn!¡±


    Qian Hong frowned, ¡°Is it really that difficult?¡±


    ¡°Family Head, you are not a Formation Master, and you don¡¯t understand the intricacies involved.¡±


    Master Qian explained, ¡°The Formation Patterns of the First-grade Melting Fire Formation are somewhat obscure, with strokes that slightly deviate from the basic Fire-series Formation Patterns. The Formation Pivot structure is conventional, yet it demands even more Divine Sense.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s gaze became focused, ¡°Aren¡¯t they all First-grade Formation Methods? Why is there such a difference in the required Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°Family Head might not be aware,¡± Master Qian said solemnly, ¡°Formations are manifestations of the Heavenly Dao, while grading is a matter of human assessment. How could the Formation Patterns, manifested by the Heavenly Dao, meticulously comply with man-made standards?¡±


    ¡°Thus, within the same tier of Formations, some are more difficult than others, and some require more Divine Sense, while others require less. Generally, they all fall within the same framework with only slight deviations.¡±


    Qian Hong remarked with some emotion, ¡°Formations are indeed profound and intricate.¡±


    Master Qian continued, ¡°Compared to other First-grade Formations, the First-grade Melting Fire Formation requires a bit more Divine Sense. Do not underestimate this extra bit of Divine Sense. When it approaches the limit, increasing it even a little bit is as difficult as climbing to heaven. The extra Divine Sense required by the Melting Fire Formation represents a significant hurdle for Formation Masters, one not all can overcome¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, its Formation Patterns are quite obscure, requiring extra practice to become familiar with them. However, due to the high Divine Sense requirement, it is not advisable to practice it repeatedly. Thus, mastering this particular Formation is exceptionally difficult. If someone truly manages to learn it, then that person must certainly possess the strength of a First-grade Formation Master.¡±


    Qian Hong listened, half-understanding, but he grasped the essence of the matter and congratulated him joyfully,


    ¡°Master, with your understanding of this Formation, your proficiency in formations has surely advanced further. In the next assessment, the title of First-grade Formation Master should be well within your reach.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me, Family Head. It only increases my chances somewhat. Nothing is certain until the dust has settled,¡± Master Qian humbly replied, but his expression revealed his pride.


    In Immortal City, truly recognized Formation Masters were few and far between, and he was about to become one of them!


    Qian Hong immediately instructed his subordinates to prepare a First-grade Refining Furnace and invite Master Qian to inscribe the Formation.


    Two days later, Mo Hua also learned the First-grade Melting Fire Formation.


    Even though he learned it, Mo Hua still frowned.


    He would normally learn a typical First-grade Formation in just a day or two. But this First-grade Melting Fire Formation took him four to five days in total to fluently inscribe the complete Formation.


    It wasn¡¯t because this particular Formation required an excessive amount of Divine Sense.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s opinion, the Divine Sense required by the First-grade Melting Fire Formation was indeed a bit more, but only a little bit, which was negligible for him, at least less than that needed for the First-grade Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua was slower to learn because the Formation Patterns were somewhat obscure, and he had grown accustomed to drawing according to the basic Formation Patterns. Whenever there was a discrepancy, it was easy to make mistakes.


    Mo Hua practiced repeatedly for several days until he memorized the Patterns and managed to inscribe the complete First-grade Melting Fire Formation.


    ¡°This First-grade Melting Fire Formation is indeed a bit difficult,¡± Mo Hua nodded, agreeing.

 Chapter 195 - 195: The Big Furnace_1

    Chapter 195: Chapter 195: The Big Furnace_1


    After learning the First-grade Melting Fire Formation, the next step was to formally draw it on the Refining Furnace.


    The very next day, Elder Yu notified Mo Hua that the Refining Furnace had been delivered.


    A massive Refining Furnace, several dozens of feet high, stood towering in the courtyard.


    It had an ancient design, standing on three legs with a top cover resembling eaves, a large belly like a bowl, and its entire body was engraved with cloud patterns, crafted from fine iron and exuding a deep black-grey luster.


    Mo Hua looked up at the Refining Furnace and couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth wide in amazement.


    At just over ten years old, Mo Hua seemed even smaller standing in front of the Refining Furnace.


    It wasn¡¯t just Mo Hua who was shocked; Master Chen standing beside him was also inwardly stunned.


    He walked around the Refining Furnace, looking at it from the left and then the right, wanting to reach out and touch it, but he dared not, as if the Refining Furnace was merely an illusion he had conjured up, one that would disappear the moment he touched it.


    He had never seen such a large Refining Furnace in his life.


    When he was young and learning, he always rented someone else¡¯s Refining Furnace¡ªsmall and shabby, with weak firepower, it took half a day to heat a piece of iron. It was time-consuming and strenuous, and he couldn¡¯t refine high-quality Spiritual Artifacts.


    Later, when he became a helper at an Artifact Refinery Shop, he worked day and night crafting artifacts, saved up Spirit Stones for a long time, and only then was he able to purchase his own Refining Furnace. With the Refining Furnace, he was qualified to start his own Refinery Shop.


    His Refining Furnace wasn¡¯t large, and his Refinery Shop was rather small, but he was already quite content with it. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So many Artifact Refiners might struggle their entire lives without ever owning a Refining Furnace of their own, let alone starting a Refinery Shop.


    He had also studied in other larger Refinery Shops and had seen real first-grade Refining Furnaces; the massive size of the Refining Furnace and the blazing flames inside filled him with envy.


    But those were all belongings of others, irrelevant to him; he could only look at them, and it was likely he might never use a first-grade Refining Furnace in his lifetime, let alone craft a Spiritual Artifact with one.


    However, now, a brand-new and intact Refining Furnace was right in front of him.


    This was a truly first-grade Refining Furnace, and it was even larger than any he had seen before.


    Moreover, he could use this Refining Furnace to craft Spiritual Artifacts!


    Master Chen, just by thinking about it, felt as if he were dreaming, still unable to believe it to this day.


    Elder Yu seemed a bit smug, ¡°Well, how about that, this Refining Furnace is big enough, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then slowly said, ¡°This one is too big, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to get a Refining Furnace, the bigger the better?¡± Elder Yu inquired.


    ¡°I did say that, but this seems a bit too big¡­¡± Mo Hua¡¯s tongue was tied, and then he asked,


    ¡°Are all first-grade Refining Furnaces this big?¡±


    ¡°Not usually, this one is particularly large, which is why it couldn¡¯t be sold,¡± Elder Yu replied.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Couldn¡¯t be sold?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s big but useless, couldn¡¯t be sold,¡± Elder Yu observed the Refining Furnace in front of him and continued, ¡°Small Refinery Shops generally use smaller Refining Furnaces, even medium to large ones. Even if they use a first-grade Refining Furnace, there¡¯s no need for one this large.¡±


    ¡°The larger the Refining Furnace, the more difficult it is to draw the Formations inside it, and the more material it requires, the costlier it becomes to produce, and thus more expensive to sell. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we¡¯ve mined a Spiritual mine and had the financial strength, we wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it either.¡±


    ¡°If it couldn¡¯t be sold, why would they make such a large Refining Furnace?¡± Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    ¡°How would they know it couldn¡¯t be sold if they didn¡¯t make it?¡± Elder Yu patted the Refining Furnace, ¡°Besides, now it has been sold, hasn¡¯t it? We bought it!¡±


    Mo Hua found himself momentarily at a loss for words.


    Elder Yu laughed again, ¡°We even got it cheaply. This Refining Furnace had been lying around for years with no takers, and that gave me an excuse to really drive the price down.¡±


    Mo Hua was inwardly shocked, thinking if Elder Yu considered it ¡°really,¡± then how harshly must he have haggled the price¡­


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve also got the Refining Furnace, so now it¡¯s up to you,¡± Elder Yu patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Mo Hua had someone disassemble the Refining Furnace first, then measured the dimensions and specifications, jotting them all down on paper before starting to consider the Formation designs.


    This large Refining Furnace was perfect for Mo Hua to try his hand at the First-grade Melting Fire Compound Formation.


    However, there are many kinds of Compound Formations that include the First-grade Melting Fire Formation, and Refining Furnaces come in various shapes and sizes, so which specific Formation Method to use, how to construct the Compound Formation, and how to paint the Formation onto the Refining Furnace required careful consideration from Mo Hua.


    After making a selection, Mo Hua finally chose a Formation Method named ¡°First-grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation¡± to apply to this large First-grade Refining Furnace.


    The First-grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation is composed of a basic Five Elements Pivot structure, sustaining two sets of First-grade Melting Fire Formations, one Spirit Gathering Array, one Cold Air Formation, and one Gold Stone Formation.


    There is a single Pivot, and five sets of Formations, including even two sets of First-grade Formations!


    This is the most complex set of Formation Methods Mo Hua has ever attempted, with an enormous consumption of Divine Sense and a staggering demand for the strength of Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua decided that if he could learn it, he would paint the Compound Formation; if not, he would cut corners by omitting one First-grade Melting Fire Formation, which would greatly reduce the complexity of the entire Compound Formation.


    However, this was a compromise, a safety measure.


    If possible, Mo Hua still wanted to paint the full set of the Compound Formation.


    After all, once this chance was gone, there wouldn¡¯t be another shop like this, and there might not be anyone who would spend a lot of money again to buy such a large First-grade Refining Furnace for Mo Hua to practice painting Formations.


    Mo Hua cherished the opportunity to apply his learning and practice creating Formations.


    Mo Hua spent some time to preliminarily design the Formation Diagram according to the specifications and dimensions of the Refining Furnace, its interior layout, and the basic Formation Method required by the First-grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation.


    After checking the diagram, Mo Hua felt there were no oversights, and that he had considered everything that needed to be considered¡ªor rather, everything that he could think to consider.


    Then Mo Hua presented this Formation Diagram to Mr. Zhuang for review.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows as he thought that the questions his disciple came to ask became more outrageous each time.


    He¡¯s only at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, yet he¡¯s already consulting on a Compound Formation with two First-grade Formation Methods, and this is also something he¡¯s adjusted according to the Refining Furnace.


    Though not perfect, he had considered all the basic elements, and it was barely usable.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at the diagram and casually pointed out a few places, ¡°Think about these areas again. If you paint it like this, the flow of Spiritual Power will be obstructed, and more Spirit Stones will be consumed during Artifact Refining.


    Mo Hua nodded quickly.


    Spirit stones were hard to come by and must not be wasted!


    ¡°Also, the role of the Pivot here is not just to connect Single Formations into a Compound Formation, but to act as a controller, using the Pivot to adjust the flow of Spiritual Power and thus regulate the temperature of the Refining Furnace. Pay close attention to this when you¡¯re painting,¡± Mr. Zhuang advised further.


    ¡°Understood, Gentleman,¡± Mo Hua responded.


    Mo Hua then asked a few more questions, which Mr. Zhuang answered one by one.


    After Mo Hua had asked all his questions and was rising to take his leave, he suddenly thought of another question and humbly asked, ¡°Gentleman, do I now have the capability of a First-grade Formation Master?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang silently looked at him, ¡°You do.¡±


    If you¡¯re starting to create Compound Formations with double First-grade Formation Methods, and you still wouldn¡¯t be considered a First-grade, then there wouldn¡¯t be many cultivators in the Tao Cultivation World who could be called First-grade Formation Masters, Mr. Zhuang silently thought.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Should I go for the Taoist Court¡¯s assessment?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang fell silent, pondering for a long while before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t rush. Early fame is not necessarily a good thing; you still have much to learn. Take some time to consolidate your knowledge first.¡±

 Chapter 196 - 196: 196 Wise (Five Updates)_1

    Chapter 196: 196 Chapter Wise (Five Updates)_1


    Mo Hua understood.


    The taller a tree grows, the stronger the wind it faces.


    He was still undecided about whether to make an effort to undertake the assessment, but now that Mr. Zhuang had spoken this way, he decided not to consider it for the time being.


    Mr. Zhuang was knowledgeable and experienced; if he advised not to rush into the assessment, it must mean the timing wasn¡¯t right.


    As a Loose Cultivator with low cultivation, going to the Taoist Court for an assessment and standing out too much might not be a good thing.


    A Formation Master¡¯s foundation is the level of mastery in Formations; as long as one learns Formations well, everything else will follow naturally. There¡¯s no need to be hasty.


    Seeing the expression on Mo Hua¡¯s face and knowing he understood, Mr. Zhuang secretly nodded in approval.


    The temperament of this child Mo Hua was indeed commendable. At his age, not all Formation Masters could devote themselves wholeheartedly and patiently to learning Formations.


    What¡¯s more, he was only at the sixth level of Qi Refinement. If he went for the assessment and did not succeed, that would be one thing, but if he did succeed, how would those Formation Masters in their twilight years feel?


    The more exceptional one¡¯s talent, the more likely one is to be envied.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed to himself and then said, ¡°Go for the assessment when you reach the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refinement.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Mo Hua nodded and replied. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After bidding Mr. Zhuang farewell, Mo Hua focused all his thoughts on Formations, solidifying his foundation, learning more Formation patterns, constantly pondering, and practicing repeatedly.


    Just as Mr. Zhuang said, it was important to ¡°settle and accumulate.¡±


    Currently, Mo Hua¡¯s most important task was to draw the Compound Formation on the Refining Furnace.


    The First-grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation pattern was complex, containing two sets of first-grade Formation Methods, as well as several different types of Formations, including a special Formation Pivot for controlling the Spiritual Power of the Formation.


    Mo Hua had to integrate these into one Compound Formation while matching it with the inner structure of a large Artifact Furnace, which was highly difficult.


    In the middle of the night, within the emptiness of the Sea of Consciousness, an ancient and mysterious Taoist Stele emerged.


    Mo Hua began to study the Compound Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    In this set of Compound Formations, the most challenging part lay in the Formation Pivot.


    The Formation Pivot in this Compound Formation was particularly demanding in terms of Divine Sense intensity because it had to be compatible with two first-grade Formation Methods. Moreover, its function was special, involving the opening, closing, and controlling of Spiritual Power¡ªa kind of formation pivot Mo Hua had never encountered before.


    The Formation Pivots Mo Hua had drawn in previous Compound Formations only served to connect Single Formations and were relatively simple. Now, with more complex functions, the structure of the Formation Pivot naturally became more challenging.


    Mo Hua started drawing the Formation Pivot on the Taoist Stele.


    The first two attempts failed because his Divine Sense wasn¡¯t strong enough to completely draw the Formation Pivot.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Divine Sense is always the first hurdle: without sufficient strength of Divine Sense, no matter what, one cannot successfully draw a Formation.


    Mo Hua could only resort to the old method, erasing the Formation Pivot, restoring his Divine Sense, and starting to draw again.


    Mo Hua drew the Formation Pivot over and over again, becoming familiar with its structure, while also using the practice with the Taoist Stele to enhance his Divine Sense.


    Now, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was strong enough to support him in learning most first-grade Formations and the majority of simple Compound Formations.


    A situation like the present, where Mo Hua felt a clear insufficiency in his own Divine Sense, necessitating non-stop practice with the Taoist Stele to strengthen it, had not occurred to him in a long time.


    Mo Hua even felt somewhat nostalgic.


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words: as long as one kept drawing, one would always make progress in Formations, and one would always be able to learn them.


    This was the simplest truth, but it was also the hardest to put into practice.


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua calmed his heart, focused his spirit, and started practicing the Formation Pivot of the First-grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation over and over again.


    If he drew it wrong, he would erase it and start over. If his Divine Sense was insufficient to complete it, he would continue to erase and redraw.


    The night passed in this manner, and Mo Hua gained a thorough understanding, but he still hadn¡¯t fully mastered it.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t in a rush. If success couldn¡¯t be achieved in one go, one had to show the same tenacity as the dripping water that pierces the stone, persisting without arrogance or impatience.


    Mo Hua had considered settling for the simpler First-grade Melting Fire Compound Formation, but after some thought, he decided against it.


    The key to opening a Refinery Shop was the Artifact Furnace, and this Artifact Furnace was crucial to the success or failure of the Refinery Shop. It was even closely related to the livelihoods of Monster Hunters and all Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City thereafter. Naturally, it needed to be perfected and be the best it could be.


    Furthermore, as Mo Hua would encounter many thresholds in his future studies of Formation methods, the First-grade Melting Fire Compound Formation was just one of the many. If he gave up now, he would also develop the habit of surrendering.


    Seeing that Mo Hua still needed some time to study Formation methods, Elder Yu immediately started the construction of the second phase of the Alchemist¡¯s Business.


    The Alchemist¡¯s Business was built adjacent to and resembling the Refinery Shop, with the same layout. Having had experience with the Refinery Shop, the construction of the Alchemist¡¯s Business was much quicker. Some of the construction processes and personnel arrangements were also smoother.


    For now, the Formation methods would be left unattended until Mo Hua had time to take care of them.


    Meanwhile, at the Qian Family.


    Master Qian had already drawn the First-grade Melting Fire Formation on three First-grade Refining Furnaces.


    After Master Qian finished the drawings and put down his brush, Qian Hong immediately ordered the Artifact Furnaces to be sent to their Qian Family Refinery Shop and instructed his disciples to press the Artifact Refiners there to work overtime and hurry to forge Spiritual Artifacts.


    He must stockpile a large quantity of standard Spiritual Weapons by forging them before the Monster Hunter¡¯s Refining Furnace was built and went into production. Only by doing so could he gain the upper hand in the ensuing competition with Yu Changlin.


    The Artifact Refiners at the Qian Family Refinery Shop forged wrought iron with sweaty brows, tirelessly crafting Spiritual Artifacts day and night.


    Piece after piece of Spiritual Artifact embryos were thrown into the Refining Furnace, heated to a red glow, and then taken out, shaped by the Artifact Refiners in various ways, before being fixed into shape through special processes, cooled, and polished. Finally, they became completed Spiritual Artifacts, neatly lined up in the courtyard.


    The Artifact Refiners were drenched in sweat and tirelessly working. Qian Hong was very pleased with what he saw.


    With these three Refining Furnaces bearing the First-grade Melting Fire Formation, and the persistent hard work of the Artifact Refiners day and night, the output of Spiritual Artifacts was considerable.


    In this way, even if Yu Changlin¡¯s Refinery Shop was completed, he could not compete with him.


    Moreover, those Monster Hunters might not necessarily be able to purchase a First-grade Refining Furnace, and even if they did, they would not have the First-grade Melting Fire Formation.


    The Refining Furnace is the core of the production in a Refinery Shop. If the furnace was inferior, they would have no chips for competition and would only have a slow death.


    While the Qian Family Refinery Shop was bustling, the Artifact Refiners were exhausted to the bone.


    Among these Artifact Refiners, a very few were distant relatives of the Qian Family bloodline with scant influence. The vast majority were ordinary Loose Cultivators employed by the Qian Family.


    These Loose Cultivators had learned the skills of Artifact Refining but could not afford a Refining Furnace and could not open a Refinery Shop, so they could only work under someone else¡¯s roof, in the Qian Family¡¯s Refinery Shop, to earn their livelihood.


    But this livelihood was hard to come by.


    An overseer suggested to Qian Hong, ¡°The weather is extremely hot, and the furnace fire is unbearable. The Artifact Refiners are overstressed and too exhausted. How about letting them take a little rest?¡±


    Qian Hong remained unmoved.


    The overseer steeled himself and implored, ¡°Please reconsider, Family Head.¡±


    Qian Hong gave the overseer a cold glance, ¡°If they don¡¯t work hard, how can our Qian Family grow? If they don¡¯t suffer, should our Qian Family suffer instead? The current prosperity of our Qian Family is built on their hard work and suffering.¡±


    The overseer fell silent, then after a moment said, ¡°I fear they will harbor resentment and become difficult to manage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem,¡± replied Qian Hong indifferently. ¡°Tell them this from me: whoever forges the most Spiritual Artifacts this month will receive an additional three hundred Spirit Stones as a reward. They will give it their all in forging, and even if it is hard, they will do it willingly. No blame can fall on us.¡±


    After mulling it over for a moment, the overseer bowed and said, ¡°Family Head is wise!¡±

 Chapter 197 - 197: Unfair_1

    Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Unfair_1


    Mo Hua continued to grasp the Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation, although progress was somewhat slow.


    Sometimes when he felt tired from studying, he would go and look at the large refining furnace, compare it with the Formation Diagram he designed, and simulate the potential challenges he would face while Drawing Formation. This helped clear his thoughts.


    While Mo Hua was observing the refining furnace and focusing his attention entirely on thinking about Drawing Formation, he suddenly looked up and saw Elder Yu standing next to him.


    It seemed that when Mo Hua was watching the refining furnace, Elder Yu had been watching him for quite some time, but it was unclear for how long.


    Elder Yu, seeing Mo Hua come back to his senses, asked kindly, ¡°How is the study of the Formation going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned about half of it, but it¡¯s probably going to take some more time to fully understand it.¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°You should balance work and rest, don¡¯t overexert yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Yu,¡± Mo Hua said with a smile, then asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you in a hurry, Elder?¡±


    After all, the sooner the Formation is completed, the sooner the Refinery Shop can start operating, and everyone can earn some Spirit Stones earlier.


    The situation being as it is, the Qian Family will not let things rest; if the Refinery Shop starts too late, it might become subject to others¡¯ control.


    Elder Yu¡¯s demeanor remained calm, ¡°I¡¯ve been in a hurry for over a hundred years, a few more days won¡¯t matter.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Elder Yu dusted off the ground and sat down next to Mo Hua, and said:


    ¡°Since I began Qi Refinement, I haven¡¯t had a single good day. The Loose Cultivators around me are the same¡ªlooking miserable, bustling about every day, but not earning much in the way of Spirit Stones. I often wondered, where did all the Spirit Stones go?¡±


    ¡°It was not until I saw the Qian Family, their mansion, their food and clothing, as well as their Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business¡­¡±


    ¡°In the Qian Family¡¯s Refinery Shop, it¡¯s the Loose Cultivators who forge the iron, quench the metal, and exert all the effort, while their own Cultivators just have to sit there watching, occasionally drinking tea and giving orders without having to do anything else.¡±


    ¡°I always think about how despite our Loose Cultivators¡¯ hard work and suffering, we only get to eat poorly, while those of the Qian Clan, a bunch of worthless people who can hardly do anything, don¡¯t need to do anything and can yet enjoy delicious food every day.¡±


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°Later, after reaching Foundation Establishment and clashing with the Qian Family, through face-to-face and secretive struggles, relying on my thick-skinned and sharp-tongued nature, daring to risk my life, I managed not to suffer too much. In the process, I came to understand some truths¡­¡±


    ¡°I too wanted to improve the lives of Loose Cultivators, and thought about starting a few Refinery Shops and Alchemist¡¯s Businesses; but I had neither Spirit Stones nor knowledge of Formations. Everything I wanted to do was arduous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived through such days for over a hundred years, endured for over a hundred years, and been in a hurry for over a hundred years. Now that such a large Refinery Shop has been built and the Alchemist¡¯s Business is halfway done, I am no longer in such a hurry.¡±


    ¡°The things we¡¯ve done in these few months amount to more than what I¡¯ve done in the past hundred years combined, so why the rush?¡±


    Elder Yu looked contented.


    Mo Hua gazed at Elder Yu, his white hair showing his age, his physique skinny but his eyes still sharp, and couldn¡¯t help but admire him. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°But what if, after the Refinery Shop is built, we still can¡¯t compete with the Qian Family?¡± Mo Hua voiced his concern.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll sell it,¡± said Elder Yu crisply.


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°Sell it?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Elder Yu nodded, ¡°It¡¯s best if we can surpass the Qian Family, but if not, we¡¯ll just sell both the Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business. Selling them could bring in a large sum of Spirit Stones, which would be a considerable amount when distributed among everyone; we certainly won¡¯t come out at a loss.¡±


    ¡°Is it easy to sell something like that?¡± Mo Hua was uncertain.


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, ¡°How could such large Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business not be easy to sell? Others who want to build them may not have the time or ability to complete them.¡±


    Elder Yu then pointed to the various Formation Patterns around, ¡°And your painted Formations, could average Formation Masters draw these? Even if they could, how many Formation Masters would they need to hire and how much time would it take?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Elder Yu patted Mo Hua on the shoulder, ¡°based on these Formations you¡¯ve drawn, both Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business will sell for a sky-high price!¡±


    ¡°A sky-high price?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°I won¡¯t sell unless it¡¯s a sky-high price. When it comes to bargaining, I¡¯m fairly adept.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu and thought that a moment ago he was a ¡°Tao Cultivation Industrialist,¡± but in the blink of an eye, he had turned into a ¡°Tao Cultivation Real Estate Merchant.¡±


    ¡°Who would buy it then?¡± Mo Hua quietly asked.


    ¡°There would be many interested,¡± Elder Yu said. ¡°The best case would be to sell to the An Family, so that they and the Qian Family would compete against each other, allowing us Monster Hunters to watch the drama unfold and profit from it; secondly, sell to other clans from Immortal Cities, drawing the tiger away from the mountain, letting them compete with the Qian Family. If all else fails, selling to the Qian Family is also an option.¡±


    ¡°The Qian Family?¡± Mo Hua exclaimed, surprised.


    ¡°The world hustles and bustles, all for the sake of profit; as long as they can afford to pay with Spirit Stones, selling to them is not out of the question. After all, I¡¯ve done business with the Qian Family before¡­¡±


    But that was taking hostages from the Qian Family for ransom; it shouldn¡¯t really count as doing business¡­


    Mo Hua silently mused to himself.


    ¡°Of course, these are all less desirable strategies, ripe with the potential of raising a tiger to cause trouble later on. The best-case scenario is if we handle it ourselves, providing the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City with a stable means of livelihood.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head and then asked, ¡°Elder Yu, did you already have all these considerations in mind from the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Elder Yu said, looking at Mo Hua and patiently elucidated, ¡°For an affair this substantial, to go all in without consideration is to gamble, which isn¡¯t the right approach. One must always think things through completely, have strategies in place, so moving forward there is a method, and retreating, there is also a way out. Especially, one must always leave oneself a way out.¡±


    Mo Hua took deep benefit from this, nodding and saying, ¡°I¡¯ll remember this!¡±


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua with satisfaction, then let out a long sigh and stood up, ¡°Then you go on with your work, I won¡¯t disturb you further.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, Elder, take care.¡±


    After Elder Yu had left, Mo Hua continued to ponder about Formation techniques.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart still wished to learn the Formation Diagram as quickly as possible, so the Refining Furnace would be ready sooner and the Refinery Shop could start operating earlier.


    However, learning Formation techniques indeed requires a methodical and gradual process. One can only proceed step by step, like water droplets piercing stone, learning bit by bit until at last, success comes naturally.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t rush the process.


    Three weeks passed by, and Mo Hua finally mastered the Formation Pivot of the Melting Fire Compound Formation; afterward, he spent several days practicing how to add a First Grade Melting Fire Formation and other formations within the framework of the Formation Pivot.


    Later on, he took some time to reevaluate the compatibility of the Compound Formation with the structure of the Refining Furnace.


    When Mo Hua felt that he was thoroughly prepared and everything was in place, he began to work on the large First Grade Refining Furnace, starting to draw the First Grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation.


    Elder Yu was watching from the side.


    Before Mo Hua started drawing, Elder Yu was calm and composed, but now as Mo Hua began to move the Formation Pen, Elder Yu suddenly felt nervous.


    Perhaps it was because of the long-cherished wish that had accumulated over the years, which now seemed likely to be fulfilled¡­


    Elder Yu sighed to himself.


    The large Refining Furnace in the courtyard had been disassembled, its scattered parts neatly arrayed on the ground; the massive hearth stood open, positioned in the center of the courtyard.


    The first step for Mo Hua was to draw the Formation Pivot of the Compound Formation, then on it, draw a First Grade Melting Fire Formation, and afterward inject Spiritual Power to test whether the formation would activate.


    If it didn¡¯t activate, it meant there was a problem with the Formation Pivot, necessitating a review and troubleshooting, followed by redrawing.


    If the formation activated successfully, it would mean the Formation Pivot was fine and what would remain is to continue adding another First Grade Melting Fire Formation and other related formations according to Mo Hua¡¯s plan.


    Having prepared the Spiritual Ink, Mo Hua positioned the large Formation Pen and, with bated breath, began to formally draw the Formation.


    The pen, soaked in Spiritual Ink, made contact with the inner wall of the Refining Furnace, smoothly descending, sketching the first Formation Pattern.


    The First Grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation.


    This was a formation that surpassed the capabilities of an ordinary First Grade Formation Master and was the most challenging Formation that Mo Hua had ever drawn to date!

 Chapter 198 - 198 Formation Principle_1

    Chapter 198: Chapter 198 Formation Principle_1


    Formation Pens generally range from small to large, including fine tip, small tip, medium tip, and large tip.


    The larger the Formation Pen, the larger the Formation Patterns drawn, and the larger the scale of the Formation, but the efficacy of the Formation will not undergo a qualitative change.


    Large Artifact Refining Furnaces require Drawing Formation with a large tip, which demands more Spiritual Ink and consumes more Divine Sense.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first time Drawing such a large Formation; at first, the strokes felt unfamiliar, but as he calmed his mind and followed the planned Formation Diagram, he drew it stroke by stroke.


    Gradually, Mo Hua¡¯s pen movements became more fluid.


    Although the Formation media was different, the essence of the Formation remained the same.


    Mo Hua had already drawn this Compound Formation many times on Formation Paper and Taoist Steles.


    Elder Yu watched from the side, holding his breath in concentration, not disturbing Mo Hua.


    Master Chen, likewise, dared not even breathe heavily; he had doubted whether Mo Hua could really draw a First-grade Formation Method, but now, seeing Mo Hua Drawing the Formation on such a huge Refining Furnace, he felt shocked and moved beyond measure.


    Such a large Artifact Furnace with such a grand Formation drawn on it, how immense would the furnace fire need to be¡­


    Just thinking about it filled Master Chen with excitement.


    But things did not go smoothly for Mo Hua on the Formation front.


    He could already draw the Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation on the Sea of Consciousness¡¯s Taoist Stele, thinking his Divine Sense was sufficient, but now, as he drew the Formation on the Refining Furnace, the Divine Sense required had increased slightly.


    It was that slight increase, like the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back, that caused Mo Hua¡¯s initial attempts to fail.


    Mo Hua could only ask for help, using Spiritual Dissipation Liquid to wash away the failed Formation Pivot, and then start over again.


    He himself sat down to meditate on the side, restoring his Divine Sense to full.


    Mo Hua continued drawing, and then failed again.


    Thus went the back and forth of the day, washing away and redrawing the Formation Pivot repeatedly, with little to no progress made.


    Seeing it was getting late, Elder Yu comforted Mo Hua,


    ¡°Get a good rest, and try again tomorrow; there¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    Having drawn all day with no progress, Mo Hua indeed felt somewhat fatigued, and his Divine Sense was no longer clear, so he nodded in agreement.


    After Mo Hua left, Master Chen asked Elder Yu, ¡°Is this Formation particularly difficult?¡±


    He had never seen Mo Hua fail so many times in succession before.


    ¡°Mo Hua has tried so many times without success; it must be very difficult!¡±


    Master Chen thought about it and felt it made sense.


    Night had just fallen; the sky wasn¡¯t very dark yet, and Master Chen could still see the remnants of the Formation Patterns on the Artifact Furnace¡ªpatterns that were not only large but also complex and profound.


    He couldn¡¯t understand them at all.


    Master Chen shook his head; he didn¡¯t draw Formations, and just watching all day had left him feeling mentally and spiritually fatigued, let alone Mo Hua, who had drawn them over and over.


    Mo Hua certainly felt weary, but more than that, he felt a lack of fulfillment.


    It was so close¡­


    After Mo Hua got home, he ate the dinner his mother had prepared, then went to his room to rest and recuperate for a while.


    Once he felt energized, Mo Hua repeatedly went over the process of Drawing Formation during the day in his mind, pondering his gains and losses.


    As soon as it was 1 p.m., Mo Hua flopped onto the bed, closed his eyes, and his Divine Sense plunged into the Sea of Consciousness.


    The Taoist Stele emerged within the Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua began to practice the Compound Formation on the Taoist Stele again.


    Because Drawing during the day had been difficult and drawing on the inner walls of the Refining Furnace, especially a large Formation, was akin to ¡°weight training,¡± now Drawing on the Taoist Stele came much more naturally.


    The Formation Patterns that had been somewhat awkward were now much smoother.


    Mo Hua practiced the Formation method all night on the Taoist Stele.


    Aside from memorizing the Formation Pivot structure and the Formation Pattern styles even more thoroughly, his Divine Sense also strengthened somewhat.


    And it was this slight increase that allowed Mo Hua to cross the threshold and successfully draw the Melting Fire Compound Formation.


    Early the next day, Mo Hua got up early, ate the fragrant and appetizing breakfast Liu Ruhua had made, and then set off for the Refinery Shop.


    Elder Yu and Master Chen didn¡¯t sleep well either.


    Elder Yu worried about the Refinery Shop, Master Chen worried about the Refining Furnace, and both were concerned about Mo Hua.


    After all, Mo Hua was still a child. She had been drawing formations all day yesterday, erasing and redrawing without making any progress, which likely took a toll on her morale.


    As the two elders fretted over this, they saw Mo Hua, with her storage bag slung over her shoulder, striding over valiantly as if she wouldn¡¯t give up on that magical forge furnace.


    Only then did Elder Yu and Master Chen realize their worries might have been superfluous.


    Mo Hua, full of energy and fighting spirit, started drawing the formations again without a word.


    This time, she found the task much smoother.


    But she still made some small errors, and ultimately, she was unable to complete the Formation Pivot.


    On the third day, Mo Hua finally managed to draw the Formation Pivot.


    The Formation Pivot is the core structure of a Compound Formation and the gateway to Divine Sense in such an enchantment. Once the Formation Pivot is realized with a single thought, it signifies success in a major part of the task. Everything afterwards would become much simpler.


    Mo Hua heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Have you finished?¡± Elder Yu asked in a hushed voice upon seeing this.


    ¡°Not yet, but the Formation Pivot is done. The rest will be quick,¡± said Mo Hua with a smile, wiping the sweat from her forehead.


    Her face was smeared with red and black Spiritual Ink, making her look somewhat grubby.


    Elder Yu used his sleeve to wipe her face, offering words of encouragement. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Chen also chimed in from the side, ¡°You are doing very well!¡±


    Although he had no idea in what way.


    After eating something, Mo Hua sat in meditation to recuperate her Divine Sense, took a short walk to relax her spirit, and then continued with her Formation Painting.


    With the Formation Pivot completed, the framework of the Compound Formation was established.


    Up next was the First-grade Melting Fire Formation to be drawn.


    Among First-grade Formations, the Melting Fire Formation was a bit more difficult, but it was nothing compared to a First-grade Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t take long to complete the First-grade Melting Fire Formation.


    Now, she could not draw any more formations for the time being. The next step was to use the First-grade Melting Fire Formation to test whether the Formation Pivot was effective.


    If it wasn¡¯t effective, Mo Hua would still have to erase and redraw everything.


    Thinking of this, and considering how much of the Spiritual Ink she had already wasted drawing and erasing, drawing and erasing, Mo Hua felt a surge of distress.


    Indeed, a Taoist Stele that could draw formations without the need for ink was the best!


    There was no need to worry about wasting ink when drawing on a Taoist Stele.


    Mo Hua sighed and began to verify whether the Formation Pivot was effective.


    ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s also a Spirit Gathering Array,¡± she suddenly remembered.


    Mo Hua recalled that the Spirit Gathering Array was the Formation Eye of the Compound Formation, needing to absorb Spirit Stones to provide Spiritual Power and to set the enchantment in motion.


    Previously, the formations Mo Hua drew weren¡¯t particularly powerful, and most of them were one-off, or at most reusable a limited number of times, so there was no need to draw a separate Spirit Gathering Array.


    For those formations, it was sufficient to incorporate a Spirit Gathering Formation Pattern or to rely on the inherent ability of the Formation Patterns to adsorb Spiritual Power.


    But now things were different.


    A large Artifact Furnace required immensely powerful heat, meaning it would consume copious amounts of Spirit Stones to supply a vast amount of Spiritual Power, which would then be converted into heat through the complex formations.


    At the same time, the Artifact Furnace needed to be long-lasting, able to function repeatedly and to supply fire efficiently and consistently.


    This meant that the enchantments on the Artifact Furnace must contain a Formation Eye, Formation Pivot, Formation Patterns, and Formation Media, making up a stable Spiritual Power supply circulation system.


    The Formation Eye provides Spiritual Power, the Formation Pivot controls it, Formation Patterns convert it, and Formation Media bear it.


    Only this constitutes a true Formation energy circulation system, the most fundamental structure of Spiritual Power circulation within a Formation.


    To be able to create and apply such a Spirit Power circulation in a Compound Formation signifies true mastery of the basic logic of Spiritual Power operation in Formation principles, marking a genuine ascent in the way of Formation Mastery!

 Chapter 199 - 199: Melting Fire Compound Formation_1

    Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Melting Fire Compound Formation_1


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirit was rejuvenated, and under the Formation Pivot structure of the First-grade Melting Fire Compound Formation, he added a Spirit Gathering Array.


    ¡°Elder, do you have any Spirit Stones?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Spirit Stones?¡±


    Elder Yu didn¡¯t understand the reason but still grabbed a handful of Spirit Stones as Mo Hua had asked and placed them beside Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua placed all the Spirit Stones on the Spirit Gathering Array.


    The Spirit Gathering Array could refine the Spirit Stones, absorb the Spiritual Energy, and convert it into Spiritual Power.


    According to the Formation Books, when the First-grade Compound Formation was in operation, the Spirit Gathering Array would automatically refine the Spirit Stones atop it, converting the stones into the Spiritual Power needed to drive the Formation and transmit it along the Formation Pivot.


    Afterward, Mo Hua found the node of the Formation Pivot and communicated with it through his Divine Sense.


    The moment communication was successful, all Formation Patterns within the entire Compound Formation vividly manifested in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    With a mere thought, Mo Hua could manipulate the entire set of Compound Formation. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense located the Spirit Gathering Array within the Compound Formation and tried to control its activation with Divine Sense.


    This was the ¡°open¡± part of the Formation Pivot¡¯s opening and closing control mechanism.


    The Spirit Gathering Array flashed with light, the Spirit Stones atop it emitting a misty Spiritual Energy, which seeped into the Compound Formation through the Patterns.


    Mo Hua could also sense from his Divine Sense, a stream of pure Spiritual Energy entering into the Formation Pivot and starting to flow along it.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    Mo Hua had an epiphany, using his Divine Sense to intervene in the Formation Pivot, controlling the flow of Spiritual Power with the Pivot, and directing all this power into the First-grade Melting Fire Formation.


    The instant the Spiritual Power was channeled, the First-grade Melting Fire Formation suddenly burst forth with a fiery red glow, followed by a surge of flames spurting forth.


    It was like a massive firework had exploded out of thin air, containing powerful flames and intense high heat.


    Mo Hua was startled.


    And it wasn¡¯t just Mo Hua, Elder Yu and Master Chen both showed shock.


    ¡°This flame power¡­¡± Master Chen found it hard to believe.


    The flames had ignited at a furnace in the courtyard. Mo Hua was a bit distanced from it, so he was unharmed, but he could still feel his cheeks burning from the heat.


    Mo Hua re-established communication with the Formation Pivot through his Divine Sense and reduced the Spiritual Power slightly. Consequently, the furnace fire indeed grew smaller.


    Mo Hua then shut off the Spirit Gathering Array.


    The supply of Spiritual Power cut off, the fire gradually diminished, and eventually, it flickered and went out.


    Opening and closing control of Spirit! This meant that the Formation Pivot of the Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation was effective!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed in his heart.


    With the Formation Pivot effective, this complex Compound Formation was deemed successful in a significant measure.


    ¡°Is the Formation ready?¡± Master Chen asked Mo Hua expectantly.


    ¡°We can install it and give it a try.¡±


    The current Compound Formation was not yet complete, but its basic structure was in place, and it was ready to be assembled into the Refining Furnace to attempt refining a simple Spiritual Artifact.


    This way, if there were any problems, they could be identified early.


    If there were no issues, Mo Hua would just need to complete the remaining Formation.


    Master Chen was full of enthusiasm and immediately ran out, calling Dazhu and a few Qi Refinement disciples over.


    Together, they reassembled the large Artifact Furnace.


    The entire set of Compound Formation was then integrated with the Artifact Furnace.


    The Melting Fire Formation was situated on the inner wall of the Artifact Furnace, perfectly serving as the fire supply.


    The Spirit Gathering Array was placed at a special furnace mouth where, upon inserting Spirit Stones, it could absorb them and convert them into Spiritual Power.


    The node of the Formation Pivot was located at a knob featuring a pair of cranes, precisely suitable for controlling the furnace fire of the entire Qi Refining Furnace.


    ¡°As expected of a standard First-grade Artifact Furnace, all aspects of integration with the Formation have been considered.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in approval to himself.


    Elder Yu grabbed another handful of Spirit Stones and tossed them into the furnace mouth on one side, storing them in the Spirit Gathering Array.


    Mo Hua once again used his Divine Sense to communicate with the Formation Pivot, initiating the Spirit Gathering Array through the Pivot to refine the Spirit Stones, convert them into Spiritual Power, and then guide this power to the First-grade Melting Fire Formation.


    The inside of the Refining Furnace instantly ignited with roaring flames.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Master Chen exclaimed with excitement.


    Elder Yu also breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.


    Master Chen walked around the Refining Furnace and then drew close to it, feeling the temperature of the flames before exclaiming with uncontrollable joy,


    ¡°This fire is marvelous! Worthy of a First-grade Formation indeed!¡±


    Given such powerful flames, even First-grade Spiritual Artifacts could be attempted.


    Mo Hua chuckled, ¡°This fire can be turned up even higher!¡±


    Master Chen was taken aback, ¡°Even higher?¡±


    Mo Hua controlled with his Divine Sense, turning the Spirit Gathering Array up to its maximum, directing all the Spiritual Power to the Melting Fire Formation.


    At the same time, the Melting Fire Formation Patterns, fueled by Spiritual Power, glowed red-hot, and the flames inside the furnace suddenly became fiercer. Even from a distance, one could feel an intense burning sensation hitting their face.


    Master Chen was shocked inside.


    This fire power was too strong!


    He had seen other First-grade Refining Furnaces, but none of them had a furnace as large, or flames as ferocious as this one.


    ¡°So this is a First-grade Formation¡­¡±


    The red glow of the firelight reflected in Master Chen¡¯s eyes as he muttered absentmindedly.


    ¡°Master Chen, try forging something,¡± suggested Mo Hua.


    Master Chen snapped out of his trance and took an iron rod out of his Storage Bag, immersing it in the furnace flames.


    Shortly, the tip of the iron rod turned red-hot.


    Master Chen pulled out the iron rod and, with a few casual strikes from a hammer, the rod bent as easily as a noodle.


    Master Chen¡¯s face lit up with excitement, confirming his thoughts that the fire power was indeed very strong, stronger than any Refining Furnace he had ever seen.


    After being hardened in the fire, the fine iron was also much easier to shape and forge.


    Furthermore, the hardening time was significantly reduced, which would greatly increase the efficiency of Artifact Refining, and the quality of the Spiritual Artifacts would also be better.


    Master Chen was very satisfied.


    Mo Hua turned off the Spirit Gathering Array, and the flames gradually decreased before extinguishing altogether.


    Having tested the effectiveness of the flames, there was no need to keep them burning continuously, as they consumed Spirit Stones; conservation was key.


    Elder Yu also watched the Refining Furnace with a very content expression.


    The more Master Chen observed the furnace, the more he liked it, and he wished he could start using it to refine artifacts right away.


    He had never used such a good Refining Furnace in his life¡­


    ¡°Master Chen, the furnace is still working well, right?¡±


    Master Chen replied with a smile, ¡°Yes! Very well indeed!¡±


    Mo Hua was also very happy, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s disassemble it after it cools down a bit.¡±


    Master Chen was confused for a moment, ¡°Disassemble it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The Formation isn¡¯t complete yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Master Chen understood, ¡°You need to finish the Formation, right?¡±


    ¡°You could say that, there¡¯s still one more Melting Fire Formation I haven¡¯t drawn,¡± said Mo Hua.


    Master Chen thought he had misheard.


    Another Melting Fire Formation?


    Although he didn¡¯t understand Formations, he knew that the Refining Furnace was powered by the Melting Fire Formation.


    The fact that the flames had been lit meant that there was already one Melting Fire Formation in there.


    ¡°How many Melting Fire Formations are inside?¡± Master Chen asked weakly.


    ¡°Not many, just two,¡± replied Mo Hua casually.


    Just two¡­


    Master Chen was somewhat dazed and asked, ¡°Both are First-grade?¡±


    ¡°Yes, both are First-grade,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    A jump went through Master Chen¡¯s heart.


    Two First-grade Melting Fire Formations? How powerful would this Refining Furnace¡¯s flames be?!

 Chapter 200 - 200: Furnace Fire_1

    Chapter 200: Chapter 200: Furnace Fire_1


    After the refining furnace had cooled down, Master Chen instructed his disciples to dismantle it.


    Mo Hua continued to complete the unfinished formation diagrams, including a first-grade Melting Fire Formation, an ordinary Cold Air Formation, and a Gold Stone Formation.


    The function of the Gold Stone Formation was to reinforce the furnace¡¯s inner walls, making the refining furnace more durable. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Cold Air Formation was intended to cool down the refining furnace.


    Once Mo Hua had finished the formation diagrams, Master Chen had the refining furnace reassembled.


    All the formation pivots and formation diagrams in the Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation were now complete.


    Mo Hua let out a long sigh of relief.


    This compound formation was much more complex than he had thought, and in practice, there were many small issues that had not been anticipated.


    But now, at last, it was complete.


    This was a compound formation that included not one, but two first-grade formation methods.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat proud, and then he had Master Chen reassemble the refining furnace. Through the formation pivot, he activated the Spirit Gathering Array.


    Spiritual power flowed inside the furnace, and the flames rose.


    Master Chen circled around the refining furnace and frowned, saying,


    ¡°The fire doesn¡¯t seem to have grown larger; it seems even smaller than before.¡±


    Previously, he could feel the scorching temperature of the furnace fire from a distance, but now, even close to the refining furnace, he didn¡¯t feel overheated.


    Mo Hua also noticed that, even though the fire was being stoked, the temperature around it was not high.


    ¡°Could it be that something was drawn incorrectly?¡±


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondering to himself.


    Just then, Master Chen took another look at the fire and suddenly became completely stunned.


    His hand tremulously pointed at the flames, ¡°This fire¡­ it¡¯s bright red.¡±


    Hearing this, Mo Hua looked over and noticed that indeed the flames were different than before; they now looked purer and were shining red, almost as if they were solid.


    ¡°A bright red furnace fire¡­¡±


    Master Chen murmured, full of disbelief.


    ¡°Is this good or bad?¡± Mo Hua asked, somewhat confused.


    ¡°Good!¡± Master Chen said.


    He wanted to explain why it was good, but his excitement made him at a loss for where to begin.


    Elder Yu suppressed his astonishment and said to Mo Hua,


    ¡°The purer the color of the fire, the fewer impurities it has, and the stronger the spiritual power it contains. A bright red and pure fire like this has already exceeded the scope of the spiritual power of the Qi Refinement Realm; it even shows faint signs of solidifying.¡±


    ¡°Solidifying?¡±


    ¡°When spiritual power is pure and accumulates to a certain degree, it will solidify. The spiritual power of the Qi Refinement Realm is gaseous, while that of the Foundation Establishment Stage is condensed like a liquid. That¡¯s what is commonly said: spiritual power like mercury, breaking through to establish foundation.¡±


    Elder Yu explained, and then with a flip of his hand, pale golden spiritual power condensed in his palm, indeed like mercury, incredibly pure.


    Is this the spiritual power of the Foundation Establishment Stage¡­


    Mo Hua was shocked inside and then asked, ¡°Then is this furnace fire considered to be of the Foundation Establishment Stage?¡±


    ¡°Where is it that simple?¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head and looked at the fire, saying, ¡°This is merely showing faint signs of solidifying; it is far from the intensity of the Foundation Establishment Stage¡¯s spiritual power. But compared to the spiritual power of the general Qi Refinement Realm, it is much stronger.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, quite satisfied in his heart.


    This was the real effect of the first-grade Melting Fire Compound Formation ¨C truly extraordinary!


    It was worth the considerable time, the exertion of his divine sense, the use of so much Spiritual Ink, and the many rehearsals he went through.


    Looking at the results, it was all worth it.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement.


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but he couldn¡¯t hide the shock in his heart.


    Although he knew that the Formation Diagram Mo Hua drew this time was no ordinary one, he never expected it to be extraordinary to this extent.


    The furnace fire was pure, the color a bright red, as though it was congealed.


    Is this really a Formation Diagram that a First-grade Formation Master could draw¡­


    Elder Yu took a glance at the Refining Furnace, then felt something was amiss, and frowned, saying,


    ¡°Logically speaking, this fire should be stronger, and the temperature higher, so why don¡¯t I feel the heat even though I¡¯m so close?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Mo Hua also remembered.


    He walked around the Refining Furnace, thought about the formations within the Compound Formation, and then had a sudden realization.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Cold Air Formation.¡±


    ¡°The Cold Air Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and explained, ¡°Inside the Compound Formation, there is a Cold Air Formation drawn on the furnace walls, which can isolate the leakage of fire qi, thus making the refining process feel less dry and hot¡­¡±


    When Mo Hua was Drawing the Formation, he hadn¡¯t thought of this point and just followed the Formation Diagram. Only now did he realize that including a Cold Air Formation in this set of Compound Formation was a very meticulous detail.


    In this way, Artifact Refiners would not be constantly subjected to the baking of the furnace fire, making the refining process much less arduous.


    The senior Formation Master who designed this set of formations had indeed been very thorough.


    Elder Yu also sighed with admiration, saying, ¡°This formation truly is¡­ very considerate¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Master Chen still stood dazed in front of the furnace fire, looking at its extravagantly bright red flames that made his blood boil, rendering him unable to calm down for a long time.


    Such pure furnace fire was something he had never even dreamt of¡­


    Once the formation on the Refining Furnace was complete, the Refinery Shop could start operations.


    The preparation of refining materials, placement of the Refining Furnace, arrangement of Artifact Refiners, and the types and procedures of the artifacts to be refined¡ªall of these were managed and organized by Elder Yu and Master Chen.


    Elder Yu had long overseen the Monster Hunters, and Master Chen had a wealth of experience in Artifact Refining.


    As the two discussed and managed the affairs, virtually everything of the Refinery Shop was arranged in a well-organized manner.


    As these matters were not Mo Hua¡¯s specialty, he did not inquire further.


    However, he was still a bit worried and asked Elder Yu, ¡°Elder, how many First-grade Refining Furnaces does the Qian Family have?¡±


    ¡°I think there are three or four,¡± Elder Yu thought for a moment and said.


    ¡°Then, with just one Refining Furnace, will it be enough?¡±


    Elder Yu pondered for a moment and replied, ¡°Probably not enough, but one Refining Furnace is too costly, and buying more would be a waste of Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Can we refine them ourselves?¡±


    Elder Yu looked somewhat helpless, ¡°I¡¯ve asked Master Chen, and refining it ourselves is somewhat difficult, mainly because we lack the Artifice Manual for the Refining Furnace and do not know the method of refining, with no way to begin.¡±


    ¡°Are these Artifice Manuals very rare?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Artifice Manuals for First-grade Refining Furnaces are scarce since few people can refine them,¡± replied Elder Yu. He then furrowed his brows and thought for a while, ¡°I¡¯ll think of a way; one Refining Furnace might indeed be too few.¡±


    A few days later, Elder Yu obtained an Artifice Manual through a Taoist Friend with whom he had some rapport in earlier years, after spending some Spirit Stones to make the exchange.


    The Artifice Manual was a little worn, the pages yellowed, and while the writing was still legible, it was somewhat blurred. Fortunately, the method for refining the Refining Furnace was recorded quite clearly.


    Elder Yu said that the Artifice Manual was passed down from the ancestors of his Taoist Friend.


    His friend¡¯s family had started out with Artifact Refining, and once flourished. Unfortunately, the subsequent generations preferred leisure over labor and did not think of Artifact Refining, leading the craft to fall into disuse.


    Without the craft, they rapidly exhausted their resources, and the family quickly went into decline.


    By the time it came to his friend¡¯s generation, not a single one in the family knew the method of Artifact Refining; instead, they lived on other trades.


    This Artifice Manual, serving as a family heirloom and a keepsake, was of no practical use.


    It would be difficult to sell because those cultivators or powers capable of refining First-grade Refining Furnaces naturally had the methods for their refining, and other cultivators, even if they bought it, would not have the ability to refine.


    Now, this Artifice Manual had fallen into Elder Yu¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 201 - 201: Tao Cultivation Industry (Five Updates)_1

    Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Tao Cultivation Industry (Five Updates)_1


    Master Chen and a group of Artifact Refiners gathered together, flipping through the Artifice Manual, discussing how to refine the Refining Furnace.


    The Refining Furnace is a First-grade Spiritual Artifact, and since it is a large item, it posed both a challenge and an opportunity to these Artifact Refiners.


    As Loose Cultivators by origin, these Artifact Refiners, who had been refining year after year, had accumulated enough experience, yet, due to the lack of a First-grade Refining Furnace, they were unable to forge First-grade Spiritual Artifacts.


    Consequently, they were also unable to become First-grade Artifact Refiners.


    If they could refine this First-grade Refining Furnace and then take the opportunity to practice more, perhaps their artifact refining techniques could truly make a breakthrough, enabling them to become First-grade Artifact Refiners.


    Some of these Artifact Refiners had gray hair, almost one foot in the grave, and had been refining Spiritual Artifacts all their lives, fundamentally resigned to their fate.


    Now suddenly presented with an opportunity that could allow them to possibly rise to the rank of First-grade Artifact Refiners, these old Artifact Refiners were more invigorated than ever, their eyes sparkling with a resilient gleam.


    The aspirations that life had worn down to nearly nothing were now all lifted.


    Mo Hua was also there, sticking his little head to join in the excitement.


    The Artifact Refiners were discussing what materials to use, which techniques to employ, how to quench the metal, how to forge it, and how to shape it.


    Although he couldn¡¯t understand it, he had a rough idea in his mind.


    Just in case he encountered it in the future, he wouldn¡¯t be completely confused and clueless if someone tried to cheat him.


    The Artifact Refiners passionately discussed for two days and then devised a basic forging plan.


    Most of them were not First-grade Artifact Refiners, and to start forging a First-grade Refining Furnace right off the bat was still too forced.


    Therefore, the first step was to refine some ordinary First-grade Spiritual Artifacts.


    After getting familiar with the forging process of First-grade Spiritual Artifacts, they would select some Artifact Refiners with better refining skills to formally attempt to refine a First-grade Refining Furnace.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t spend too much time observing the specific refining process.


    After all, in this lifetime, he would probably never personally refine artifacts; it was sufficient to know some of the theoretical knowledge and to have a general impression of some refining techniques, without needing to invest so much effort.


    Moreover, most of the time in artifact refining was spent swinging a large hammer over and over, quenching the metal, swinging the hammer again, quenching again, and swinging the hammer yet again.


    If he were the one swinging the hammer, it might be fine, but watching from the side could get somewhat dull, and after a while, the continuous pounding became a bit painful to the ears.


    Mo Hua¡¯s time each day was mostly spent studying Formation methods.


    He still had a different effect First-grade Melting Fire Compound Formation to learn.


    Only when tired from Drawing Formation would he visit the Refinery Shop to check on Master Chen and their progress.


    After half a month went by, Master Chen, gathering the strength of all the Artifact Refiners, finally managed to clumsily refine a First-grade Refining Furnace.


    After the refinement was complete, Master Chen asked Dazhu to call Mo Hua over.


    ¡°See if you can draw the Formation,¡± Master Chen said to Mo Hua, somewhat hopefully.


    Mo Hua then scrutinized the Refining Furnace.


    The Refining Furnace was noticeably smaller, the materials not particularly good, with a rather dull luster, and there were few places on the furnace walls suitable for Drawing Formation, with not many other spots reserved for Formation methods.


    It seemed that this Refining Furnace was designed from the start only as a small-scale artifact furnace, capable only of drawing some small Formations, without reserving spaces for complex Formations like the Compound Formation.


    It looked like even if he wanted to draw a First-grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation, not every Refining Furnace would suffice.


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.


    A Refining Furnace can be seen as Formation media, used to carry the Formation.


    A Formation needs suitable Formation media, and the media likewise need an appropriate Formation.


    In other words, to draw complex and profound Formations, one must also forge an exquisitely made and high-quality Spiritual Artifact, so that the two can match each other and complement each other.


    The current Refining Furnace, obviously, was not sufficient to serve as the media for a First-grade Melting Fire Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua then said regretfully, ¡°I can only draw a First-grade Melting Fire Formation, the Compound Formation is not possible to draw.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the group of Artifact Refiners also felt somewhat disappointed.


    Master Chen let out a sigh, but upon another thought, he suddenly froze.


    What was there for him to regret?


    This was a genuine first-grade refining furnace, combined with a true first-grade formation. He¡¯d dreamed of having a furnace like this.


    Master Chen glanced at the large refining furnace in the center of the yard and couldn¡¯t help but lament that ¡°the vast sea could not be turned into water again.¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, the child, had raised their expectations.


    Once the refining furnace was completed, Mo Hua would be able to paint the formations on it.


    It was only a single first-grade Melting Fire Formation, which wasn¡¯t much effort.


    Mo Hua completed the drawing quite quickly.


    Afterward, Master Chen and everyone else crafted two more first-grade refining furnaces.


    The first time is birth, the second familiarity.


    With the experience of the first furnace, both the materials used and the craftsmanship were better for the subsequent two.


    But however well they were made, they could still only draw the first-grade Melting Fire Formation.


    This was determined by the shape and structure of the refining furnace.


    After the three refining furnaces were completed, Elder Yu wouldn¡¯t allow Master Chen and the others to craft anymore because there was no more fine iron or materials left.


    He had to save some to craft spiritual artifacts; otherwise, having a furnace with no materials was like having a pot with no rice¡ªit would be a recipe for starvation.


    Mo Hua then painted two more sets of the first-grade Melting Fire Formation.


    Once everything was ready, the refinery shop had four artifact furnaces at their disposal: three ordinary first-grade Melting Fire refining furnaces and one large refining furnace with a drawn first-grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation.


    Elder Yu took a long breath of relief.


    Everything was in place, except for the east wind.


    He had toiled for a hundred or two hundred years, unable to win a better life for the loose cultivators at the bottom of Tongxian City, but now, in a short period of time, they had taken a huge step forward.


    What remained to be seen was how far they could go.


    The refinery shop was built, the refining furnaces were completed, and the artifact refiners were all assembled.


    Elder Yu chose an auspicious day to officially commence the operation with great fortune.


    The name of the refinery shop was simple and straightforward. Located in the south of the city, it was called ¡°Southern City Refinery Shop.¡±


    In Tongxian City, the wealthy lived in the north, while the poor lived in the south.


    Therefore, naming it ¡°Southern City¡± signified that this refinery shop was not just a single person¡¯s shop, but a shop for all Monster Hunters and a shop for all the loose cultivators in the Southern City.


    Upon opening the refinery shop, all Monster Hunters, as well as those loose cultivators who had helped with the construction, gathered together to eat meat, drink wine, and celebrate throughout the night.


    Thanks to the overall planning by Elder Yu and Master Chen, the artifact refiners in the refinery shop soon began to craft spiritual artifacts in an orderly and disciplined manner.


    The initial spiritual artifacts crafted were of three kinds: Rattan Armor, Pu Blades, and Clear Heart Hairpins.


    Rattan Armor and Pu Blades were common spiritual artifacts used by Monster Hunters.


    The Clear Heart Hairpin was a versatile spiritual artifact, useful for focusing and meditation during cultivation, warding off evil spirits, and also as an accessory. It didn¡¯t excel in any particular function, but was broadly applicable.


    After the refinery shop commenced operation, Mo Hua went to take a look.


    The vast refinery shop, numerous artifact refiners and refinery apprentices, categorically sorted materials for artifacts, the unique techniques of artifact craft, the well-ordered forging process, and the surging flames from the artifact furnaces.


    And the exquisitely crafted, uniformly sized, standardized spiritual artifacts lined up in rows after being tempered in the furnaces, forged by the artifact refiners, and cooled and shaped by immersion in water or ash¡­


    All of this greatly shocked Mo Hua.


    For the first time, Mo Hua had a clear understanding of the Tao cultivation industry.

 Chapter 202 - 202 – Cunning Rabbit_1

    Chapter 202: Chapter 202 ¨C Cunning Rabbit_1


    The Artifact Refinery Shop started off smoothly enough, but soon encountered problems, for Mo Hua heard Elder Yu cursing someone out again.


    Mo Hua went to the Artifact Refinery Shop to inspect the formation and then saw Elder Yu chatting with Yu Chengyi.


    As they chatted, Elder Yu began to curse at Qian Hong vehemently.


    He used terms like ¡°bloodsucking roundworm,¡± ¡°old turtle wearing a snapper¡¯s shell,¡± and ¡°sneaky beast,¡± among other things.


    He was quite creative with his insults.


    As Elder Yu was in the midst of his cursing, he noticed Mo Hua eavesdropping nearby, jotting something down and looking thoroughly entertained.


    Mumbling to himself, ¡°One can actually curse like this,¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of that,¡± and such.


    Elder Yu coughed to get attention, paused his rant, then said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything!¡±


    The anger in Elder Yu¡¯s eyes diminished, and he found a chair to sit down on steadily.


    Mo Hua poured a cup of tea, stepped forward, and handed it to Elder Yu, asking, ¡°Is the Qian Family causing trouble again?¡±


    Elder Yu had become accustomed to chatting with Mo Hua and now didn¡¯t avoid saying anything around Mo Hua, of course, except for cursing.


    Elder Yu took a sip of the tea Mo Hua had poured, sighed in relief, and nodded, ¡°Our Spiritual Artifacts aren¡¯t selling.¡±


    ¡°Nobody wants them?¡±


    ¡°There are certainly cultivators who want them, as Rattan Armor, Pu Blades, and other Spiritual Artifacts are always needed, but I contacted several traders and some Monster Hunters from other Immortal Cities, and they all found the prices too high.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit puzzled, ¡°Aren¡¯t our prices quite cheap?¡±


    Because the Artifact Refinery Shop is so large and the output is high, their Spiritual Artifacts are priced one or two Broken Spirit Stones lower than market rate.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Qian Family; their prices are too low.¡±


    ¡°The Qian Family is undercutting the price?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elder Yu became irate once more at the mention, ¡°The Qian Family¡¯s Refinery Shop treats cultivators like beasts of burden, overworking them, and stockpiled a batch of Spiritual Artifacts in anticipation of our opening. They¡¯re selling at low prices, trying to suppress us with this tactic.¡±


    ¡°That turtle son of a snapper Qian Hong¡­¡±


    Elder Yu stopped mid-curse as he glanced at Mo Hua, and he silently swallowed the rest of his insults.


    Mo Hua frowned, but after thinking, he realized he didn¡¯t have a good solution either. Looking up to see that Elder Yu appeared angry but not overly worried, he asked:


    ¡°Elder, do you have a plan?¡±


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, ¡°You can tell?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°If you didn¡¯t have a plan, you¡¯d be anxious inside, and your curses would be far uglier than they are now.¡±


    Compared to before, Elder Yu¡¯s cursing could now be considered relatively ¡°mild.¡±


    Elder Yu looked slightly embarrassed, thinking he¡¯d better curse less in the future, or at least avoid cursing in front of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was still young and shouldn¡¯t learn to have a belly full of curses¡­


    Elder Yu coughed to cover his embarrassment and said, ¡°Indeed, there is a plan.¡±


    Mo Hua poured another cup of tea for Elder Yu, ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    Mo Hua looked on with keen interest.


    Elder Yu thought for a moment, considering that this was something he could teach, and then patiently explained, ¡°I told those traders that whatever price the Qian Family offers them, we will be cheaper by¡­ five parts of a Broken Spirit Stone.¡±


    ¡°Five parts, huh¡­¡±


    True to Elder Yu¡¯s form, squeezing the price down by small increments, a true example of thrift¡­


    Mo Hua thought to herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s not bad for 50 percent.¡± Elder Yu harrumphed, ¡°With so many spiritual artifacts, small amounts can add up. Fifty percent of spirit stones isn¡¯t a small number.¡±


    ¡°What about after that?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°As long as we can sell them and collect the spirit stones, afterward the Qian Family won¡¯t be able to compete with us,¡± Elder Yu said confidently.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t the Qian Family compete with us?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    Elder Yu glanced at Mo Hua, sighed, and said helplessly: ¡°Because of the formations you inscribe.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get any information on the Qian Family¡¯s artifact furnaces due to their strict secrecy, but I can see the spiritual artifacts they refine¡­¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The quality of the Qian Family¡¯s spiritual artifacts is quite good, but they¡¯re still a bit worse than ours. Apart from Master Chen and his fellow refiners¡¯ exquisite craftsmanship, there¡¯s another reason ¨C it¡¯s certain that their refining furnaces just aren¡¯t as good as ours¡­¡±


    ¡°Their artifact furnaces are first-grade, and so are ours. If there¡¯s a difference, it¡¯s in the formations inscribed inside.¡±


    Elder Yu took a sip of tea and continued, ¡°I guess their refining furnaces probably also have an inscribed first-grade Melting Fire Formation. Those furnaces aren¡¯t much different from our smaller ones, but compared to our large refining furnace, they¡¯re far inferior.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    The large refining furnace was inscribed with a first-grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation, a formation that was stronger than the average first-grade formation.


    ¡°Will the Qian Family find out about the large refining furnace?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°The matter of the refining furnace is confidential. I can¡¯t find out about the Qian Family¡¯s, and naturally, we wouldn¡¯t let the Qian Family know about ours either,¡± Elder Yu replied.


    ¡°But sooner or later, the Qian Family will find out, won¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°As long as they don¡¯t know now, it¡¯ll be too late by the time they find out.¡±


    ¡°Is there some trick to this?¡±


    Elder Yu patiently explained, ¡°Undercutting prices is a loss-making business; it can¡¯t last long. The Qian Family is undercutting prices because they rely on their good furnaces and high output from their refinery shops, intending to strike a decisive blow. Initially, they might lose some money to crush us. But what they don¡¯t know is that our furnaces are better, and our output is higher.¡±


    ¡°Over time, as we turn things around and refine more and more spiritual artifacts, if they continue to undercut, it¡¯s equivalent to cutting their own flesh, making a loss-making deal.¡±


    Elder Yu had a schadenfreude smile.


    ¡°So as long as we hold out from the beginning, we won¡¯t have to fear the Qian Family, right?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Elder Yu said triumphantly, ¡°By then, our refinery shops will be bigger than theirs, our furnaces better, our artifact refiners more numerous, and the spiritual artifacts we refine more and of better quality. The Qian Family won¡¯t be a threat anymore.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, vaguely understanding some of it, but felt there were still some loopholes. Even if things really developed in this way, it would only mean mutual competition, with her side having some advantage.


    That didn¡¯t seem enough to warrant Elder Yu¡¯s triumphant attitude.


    Looking at Elder Yu suspiciously, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Elder, do you have other methods?¡±


    Elder Yu paused, looked at Mo Hua, and said helplessly, ¡°How come you¡¯re like a little fox?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, waiting for Elder Yu to continue.


    ¡°There¡¯s another move, which is ¡®pulling the rug out from under their feet¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Pulling the rug out from under their feet?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°The Qian Family¡¯s refinery shop is rushing to produce, and the refiners at the bottom must be working day and night. Their own artifact refiners are okay, but those employed refiners must be holding grievances. They¡¯re all just trying to scrape by, who would really want to work like slaves¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had someone secretly approach them. If we offer them more spirit stones, they won¡¯t have to refine day and night. In a few days, these artifact refiners will come to work for us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve also notified all the Monster Hunters. Any materials obtained from monster hunting must not be sold to the Qian Family. We¡¯ll buy them ourselves.¡±


    ¡°As for the market towns run by loose cultivators, I¡¯ve informed them too, not to do business with the Qian Family for now. If the Qian Family causes them trouble, they should come to me, and I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    A hint of mockery appeared in Elder Yu¡¯s eyes, ¡°In the future, if the Qian Family wants to refine artifacts but lacks materials and has fewer artifact refiners, that¡¯s what you call pulling the rug out from under their feet.¡±


    On the surface, we undercut prices against the Qian Family, while behind the scenes, we poach their refiners and cut off their material supplies.


    Mo Hua exclaimed, ¡°Elder Yu, you are so cunning!¡±

 Chapter 203 - 203 Identity_1

    Chapter 203: Chapter 203 Identity_1


    Elder Yu laughed halfway with satisfaction, then snapped back to reality and glared at Mo Hua:


    ¡°How can this be considered risky? This is being as cunning as a rabbit with three burrows! You should learn from this, always be more thoughtful in everything.¡±


    Mo Hua quickly nodded, ¡°I will definitely learn more!¡±


    Being more thoughtful in everything is always a good thing, otherwise you¡¯re bound to suffer losses in the future.


    ¡°But things can¡¯t possibly go that smoothly, right¡­¡± Mo Hua frowned and said.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Elder Yu said, ¡°Plans are just plans, real situations are ever-changing, and you have to adapt accordingly. These are lessons I¡¯ve learned over the years from dealing with the Qian Family, often at a loss.¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°With such schemes, do you still suffer losses?¡±


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°What¡¯s the use of being clever in planning if you don¡¯t have any cards in your hand? It¡¯s like trying to make a meal without any rice.¡±


    There weren¡¯t many spirit stones, and he was the only Foundation Building Cultivator; being able to contend with the Qian Family was already quite an accomplishment.


    But now things were different.


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua.


    Now that they had Mo Hua, who could paint formation diagrams, he had more cards in his hand, and he naturally wouldn¡¯t let everyone suffer losses at the hands of the Qian Family any longer!


    Upon this thought, Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but pat Mo Hua on the shoulder and said with emotion:


    ¡°We owe you a big thanks.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know why Elder Yu was praising him out of the blue, but he still smiled happily.


    As things turned out, just as Elder Yu had said, planning was just planning, and there would inevitably be changes.


    Things went according to Elder Yu¡¯s plans, but there were still slight differences.


    Some artifact refiners left the Qian Family to join Elder Yu, while others were retained by the Qian Family with higher offers.


    Most monster hunter¡¯s materials were indeed not sold to the Qian Family, but some market towns continued to secretly do business with them.


    Although things didn¡¯t turn out perfectly, they did indeed cause the Qian Family a lot of trouble.


    Qian Hong was occupied with these trivial matters every day, and by the time he realized something was amiss, it was already too late.


    They were underbidding, and Yu Changlin was also underbidding against them.


    They had been undercutting prices to this point, and most of the previously made spiritual artifacts were depleted, but Yu Changlin was still in a pricing war with them.


    Moreover, it seemed that Yu Changlin still had quite a few spiritual artifacts in hand¡­


    Why was that?


    The Monster Hunter¡¯s refinery shop had only recently opened; how could it possibly have produced so many spiritual artifacts?


    Qian Hong was puzzled.


    He sent cultivators from the Qian Family to secretly investigate, but Elder Yu kept the refining furnace¡¯s secret very well hidden, so they found out nothing.


    And when he saw the spiritual artifacts produced by the opposition, an absurd idea came to mind.


    Could it be that these monster hunters¡¯ refining furnaces were not inferior to those of the Qian Family?


    Or perhaps, were they even better than those of the Qian Family?


    Qian Hong went to ask Master Qian, and after examining the spiritual artifacts and looking serious for a long while, Master Qian finally sighed and said:


    ¡°Only a refining furnace with a first-grade Melting Fire Formation can produce spiritual artifacts of such quality.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°Does that mean the Formation Master among the Monster Hunters¡­¡±


    Master Qian heaved a sigh and slowly said, ¡°Is a genuine first-grade Formation Master!¡±


    Qian Hong felt a chill in his heart, and then he said absentmindedly:


    ¡°Just how much did Yu Changlin have to pay to be able to hire a first-grade Formation Master?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Qian shook his head too.


    He couldn¡¯t understand it either. To be a First-grade Formation Master was an esteemed status, one that even within their Qian Clan would be received with the highest honors. So why would such a person help those Monster Hunters? And what could be in it for him?


    Master Qian frowned and said, ¡°Next, we must locate this Formation Master and ascertain his identity, otherwise we¡¯re bound to suffer more losses in the dark.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s gaze hardened, ¡°I must find him¡­¡±


    Master Qian glanced at Qian Hong and reminded, ¡°It¡¯s enough to find out who he is, but make sure not to offend him.¡±


    Qian Hong frowned, ¡°He has repeatedly crossed our Qian Clan, do we still need to be polite to him?¡±


    ¡°This Formation Master is extraordinary. If he were willing to help our Qian Clan, we would be as powerful as a tiger with wings. Ascending to the skies in one step and stepping into the ranks of a Second Grade family would be just around the corner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he may not be willing.¡±


    ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t offend him in the meantime. It¡¯s best if we can win him over, or at least, let him remain neutral. Having him on neither side is the second-worst scenario, with the worst being an irreconcilable conflict,¡± said Master Qian.


    Qian Hong was puzzled, ¡°Is this Formation Master really that important?¡±


    Master Qian said, ¡°This Formation Master is known to be capable of using First-grade Earth Fire Formation, First-grade Earth Stone Formation, and First-grade Melting Fire Formation.¡±


    ¡°Even if he knows these three First-grade Formation Methods, what of it?¡±


    Master Qian sighed, ¡°Having three First-grade Formation Methods is rare, but not unheard of. The issue is, what if he knows far more than just these three? What if he knows some Formation Methods that we haven¡¯t even heard of?¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s expression grew grave.


    ¡°It¡¯s best not to offend him rashly before he makes his stance clear,¡± Master Qian said solemnly, ¡°The way of the Formation methods is vast and profound. Some Formation Masters know methods which are incredibly powerful, beyond your imagination¡­¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, betraying a wary respect.


    Meanwhile, the very Formation Master that Qian Hong feared was perched on top of a wall, nonchalantly nibbling on a chicken leg and swinging his legs, casually chatting with Master Ban.


    The Refinery Shop had been built and was operational, while the construction of the Alchemist¡¯s Business was still ongoing.


    The first installment of Spirit Stones had already been paid to Master Ban by Elder Yu.


    With Spirit Stones in hand, Master Ban felt at ease and worked with even more vigor.


    The overall layout of the Alchemist¡¯s Business was consistent with that of the Refinery Shop, also starting with the construction of the basic buildings. Mo Hua would then paint the Formation, followed by craftsmen doing the finishing touches.


    The basic buildings weren¡¯t even finished yet, but Mo Hua came to confirm the layout and inspect the Formation Diagrams.


    But since the layout had already been surveyed once during the construction of the Refinery Shop, and the two were structurally identical, it didn¡¯t take much time to inspect the Alchemist¡¯s Business Formation Diagrams.


    After looking it over a few times, Mo Hua had a clear understanding.


    With no pressing matters, he climbed onto the wall, eating his chicken leg and chatting with Master Ban.


    Master Ban felt grateful to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s quick work on the Formation Painting had enabled the Refinery Shop to be completed more or less on schedule, and they could only receive their Spirit Stone payment on completion of the work.


    Moreover, for someone so young, Mo Hua had a profound understanding of Formation methods, something that was a rare thing to come by in Master Ban¡¯s life.


    He was happy to chat with Little Mo. Whatever Mo asked, he answered.


    From architecture to the lifetime of a Tao cultivator, from family members to the customs of Cultivators.


    Where else had good food, fun places, strange customs, bad people, and the kinds of bad deeds they committed¡ªthere was hardly anything they didn¡¯t talk about.


    Mo Hua¡¯s curiosity was satisfied, and his horizons were broadened.


    The life of each Cultivator was like a painting scroll. Even if mundane, there were always some colors that others had not seen.


    These stories¡ªMo would likely never know them if he didn¡¯t chat with them.


    Someday in the future, could he travel through the Nine State, meet more people, hear more stories, and see more ordinary scrolls filled with not-so-ordinary colors?


    Mo dreamed about it.

 Chapter 204 - 204: Pill Furnace_1

    Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Pill Furnace_1


    With Elder Yu concerned about the Qian Family¡¯s affairs and Master Chen about the Refinery Shop, Mo Hua only needs to focus on Drawing Formation.


    The construction progress of the Alchemist¡¯s Business is going quickly, and Mo Hua¡¯s drawings for the Formation are also completed swiftly.


    Since it is the same Architectural Formation Map, Mo Hua just needs to draw it again.


    Mo Hua spent more than half a month, and the Architectural Formation for the Alchemist¡¯s Business was also finished.


    Master Ban, brimming with joy, hummed an out-of-tune tune while leading his craftsmen and workers to wrap up the work.


    Mo Hua also plans to invite Old Mr. Feng to have a look.


    After all, it is intended for Old Mr. Feng to take over the management of the Alchemist¡¯s Business ultimately.


    When Mo Hua went to find Old Mr. Feng, the gentleman was still presiding over Apricot Forest Hall, treating Loose Cultivators and dispensing medicines, and occasionally firing up the furnace for Alchemy too.


    Old Mr. Feng, who usually treats patients and saves lives, prescribes treatments, and conducts Alchemy, spends most of his time within Apricot Forest Hall.


    He rarely leaves, except for house calls.


    Mo Hua spoke to Old Mr. Feng about the matters concerning the Alchemist¡¯s Business.


    ¡°So quickly?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng was somewhat surprised; he had originally thought that such a big project as the Alchemist¡¯s Business would take at least three or four months to reach its initial scale, and to be fully completed, it would take no less than half a year.


    Moreover, the Alchemist¡¯s Business was the second phase, after completing the construction of the Refinery Shop first.


    But on second thought, the quicker, the better, he also wanted to see what the Alchemist¡¯s Business would look like.


    ¡°Wait for me a moment.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng said to Mo Hua, finished up with a few patients, instructed some disciples to watch over the hall, and after a brief preparation, he followed Mo Hua to the Alchemist¡¯s Business.


    Upon seeing the Refinery Shop, Old Mr. Feng¡¯s eyes sharpened as he took a thorough look inside and out, and expressed his surprise,


    ¡°Did you draw this Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°You did this by yourself?¡±


    ¡°I did it all by myself,¡± Mo Hua affirmed.


    Old Mr. Feng smiled, ¡°Not bad, no wonder others call you ¡®Junior Formation Master¡¯.¡±


    Mo Hua felt slightly embarrassed and chuckled shyly.


    The layout of the Alchemist¡¯s Business is the same as that of the Refinery Shop, which is vast in scale and orderly arranged. Naturally, the Alchemist¡¯s Business is the same.


    Old Mr. Feng was very pleased.


    Such a large Alchemist¡¯s Business being completed meant that many Pills could be refined.


    Then Loose Cultivators would have access to Pills for everyone, whether injured or ill, having Pills on hand could solve urgent needs.


    If Pills become more affordable, many Loose Cultivators could also keep some on hand for emergencies, which would provide aid in times of danger.


    This indeed was a great deed for the benefit of Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City.


    Old Mr. Feng stroked his long white beard, nodding contentedly.


    Before leaving, Old Mr. Feng went to have a look at the Refining Furnace.


    Upon this inspection, Old Mr. Feng was stunned.


    He walked around the large Refining Furnace, scrutinizing with a furrowed brow, and then, with a touch of incredulity, asked Mo Hua, ¡°A First-grade Compound Formation?¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Feng, your eyesight is truly sharp; you recognized it at a glance!¡± Mo Hua said in surprise.


    Generally, Cultivators can¡¯t even identify a First-grade Formation.


    Old Mr. Feng was able to recognize it as a First-grade Compound Formation just by looking at the Refining Furnace from a distance, which showed an impressive level of discernment.


    After all, Old Mr. Feng was not a Formation Master.


    ¡°Did you also draw this?¡± Old Mr. Feng hesitated slightly, then asked.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Old Mr. Feng was at a loss for words.


    He had never underestimated Mo Hua¡¯s level in Formation art and had always regarded Mo Hua¡¯s natural talent in formation very highly, but he felt it shouldn¡¯t be, or perhaps ought not to be, this outrageous.


    A First-grade Compound Formation, indeed¡­


    ¡°` Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had not seen many first-grade Formation Masters who could draw a first-grade Compound Formation in his lifetime.


    Old Mr. Feng was stunned for a moment before he noticed the pure fire in the furnace.


    The fiery red color, so bright it gleamed, seemed almost solid, and in an instant, it firmly captured Old Mr. Feng¡¯s heart and soul.


    Old Mr. Feng¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but flutter.


    ¡°This fire¡­¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Elder Yu said that this is even stronger than the fire used by those in the Qi Refinement Realm,¡± Mo Hua explained.


    How could Old Mr. Feng not know this, as he stood there for a long time, staring at the fire.


    Apart from researching the Alchemy Dao to cure illnesses and save people, and having no desires of his own, Old Mr. Feng finally could not resist. Pointing at the furnace, he said to Mo Hua,


    ¡°Could you¡­ make one for me too?¡±


    Mo Hua also wanted to make a large first-grade Alchemy Furnace for Old Mr. Feng.


    But such an Alchemy Furnace was not easy to create.


    A regular first-grade Artifact Furnace could not serve as the Formation media for a first-grade Melting Fire Compound Formation, just as a regular first-grade Alchemy Furnace could not sustain the long-term operation of a first-grade Melting Fire Compound Formation.


    Moreover, the formations used in an Alchemy Furnace needed to be more complex than those in an Artifact Furnace.


    Artifact Furnaces only needed to consider fire supply, while other formation effects were supplementary. However, Alchemy Furnaces had to consider not only the fire supply but also the wooden properties of the herbs and the harmony of the Spiritual Energy.


    Therefore, the Compound Formation used in an Alchemy Furnace would be more challenging.


    This also meant that an Alchemy Furnace serving as the media for a Compound Formation needed to be of higher quality, with superior forging techniques, and it could not be small in size.


    Mo Hua asked Elder Yu if there was a suitable Alchemy Furnace available.


    Elder Yu found it a bit difficult since the large Artifact Furnace was, to begin with, a lucky bargain he had chanced upon.


    But a large first-grade Alchemy Furnace was not that easy to find.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to tell Old Mr. Feng the truth.


    He could solve the problem with the Formation, but as for the Alchemy Furnace, he was unable to help.


    Old Mr. Feng thought for a moment and then asked, ¡°Can you refine it yourselves?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, of course, but do you have an Artifice Manual?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    After considering for a while, Old Mr. Feng replied, ¡°Yes, I do!¡±


    ¡°You actually have one?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Old Mr. Feng went into the house, opened the storage chest in the corner, and from the bottom pulled out a beeswax-colored piece of cowhide recording the method for creating a large Alchemy Furnace.


    After a glance at the manual, Mo Hua exclaimed in surprise,


    ¡°Grandpa Feng, where did you get this from?¡±


    The design of the large Alchemy Furnace was extremely standard, and it was compatible with very complex formations. It matched well with Compound Formations, and one could tell at a glance that it was not an ordinary legacy.


    Old Mr. Feng sighed and said, ¡°This was passed down from my Sect. Before my master passed away, he entrusted all this to me. I¡¯ve had no use for it and it¡¯s been sitting at the bottom of this chest for seventy or eighty years. I would have forgotten about it if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it. I suppose it would have gone into my coffin.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it can be used?¡± Old Mr. Feng asked again.


    Mo Hua looked it over carefully again and said, ¡°The Formation part is not a problem, but I don¡¯t understand the crafting part; I¡¯ll have to ask Master Chen and the others about that.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng gave a nod, ¡°Then take it and go ask.¡±


    Mo Hua took the manufacturing diagram of the Alchemy Furnace to Master Chen.


    Master Chen¡¯s eyes sparkled after one look, ¡°Great diagram, fantastic indeed!¡±


    ¡°Can it be made?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    Master Chen stroked his beard and slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s difficult but not impossible to refine; I need to discuss it with the other Craftsmen.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s also the matter with Elder Yu,¡± Master Chen added. ¡°To forge this Alchemy Furnace, we¡¯ll need a lot of fine iron and some special ores, like Melting Fire Stone, Golden Pattern Ore, and such. We¡¯ll need Elder Yu¡¯s help to prepare those.¡±


    Elder Yu naturally agreed without hesitation and, once everything was ready, Master Chen and the other Craftsmen discussed it for several days before they started to craft the Alchemy Furnace.


    This Alchemy Furnace was the most difficult Spiritual Artifact that Master Chen and the others had ever attempted to craft.


    Mo Hua did not closely follow the crafting process, but he knew they had failed many times.


    In the end, despite some flaws, they still managed to craft the Alchemy Furnace.

 Chapter 205 - 205 Pill Jade_1

    Chapter 205: Chapter 205 Pill Jade_1


    The Alchemy Furnace that was produced was quite large but still slightly smaller than the large Artifact Furnace in the courtyard. It sported a more primitive appearance, with more elegant cloud patterns, and its structure seemed a bit more complex.


    The formation within the Alchemy Furnace was similar to that of the Artifact Furnace, yet there were differences.


    What they had in common was the need for a Melting Fire Formation as a basis for supplying fire. The difference was that Artifact Refining relied more on the power of the flames, while Alchemy emphasized control over the heat and the harmonization of Spiritual Energy attributes.


    Mo Hua intended to draw on the Alchemy Furnace a type of Compound Formation called the First-grade Firewood Twin Cultivation Compound Formation.


    This Compound Formation also included two First-grade Formation Methods, one being the First-grade Melting Fire Formation and the other the First-grade Wood Spirit Formation. In addition, there were other functional formations like the Spirit Gathering Array and the Cold Air Formation.


    The Formation Pivot of this Compound Formation not only had the effect of initiating and controlling the spirit but also the function of attribute harmonization.


    In every aspect, whether it was the requirement for strength of Divine Sense, the difficulty of Formation Painting, or the complexity of compatibility with the Alchemy Furnace, this setup was a notch higher than the previous Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation.


    But it was still within the range that Mo Hua could control.


    Especially after having crafted the Artifact Furnace previously, Mo Hua was already familiar with and had applied the First-grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation; learning this similar type of more advanced Compound Formation now was like treading on familiar ground.


    The only difficulties were the strength of the Divine Sense and the proficiency with the Compound Formation.


    Both could be resolved with time.


    Having already planned ahead, Mo Hua began practicing the Compound Formation for the Alchemy Furnace as soon as he finished drawing the Melting Fire Compound Formation on the Artifact Furnace.


    After a few more days of practice, Mo Hua had finally mastered the drawing technique of the First-grade Firewood Twin Cultivation Compound Formation and began to start Drawing Formation.


    In the courtyard of the Alchemist¡¯s Business in Southern City, the large Alchemy Furnace was dismantled into pieces and laid flat on the ground according to their categories.


    Mo Hua squatted beside the inner furnace, furrowing his brows as he drew the Formation.


    The start was not very smooth; the Formation Pivot had been drawn several times with errors, and Mo Hua could only erase and paint patiently to continue.


    Old Mr. Feng came around, and seeing that Mo Hua was drawing the Formation with great concentration, he did not disturb him but silently watched from the side.


    Mo Hua appeared focused, his eyes sparkling with intelligence as they shone brightly while he drew the Formation.


    The Formation under his brush was both complex and beautiful, clearly showing a structure and pattern.


    Old Mr. Feng gradually became fascinated as he watched.


    He sighed inwardly, no matter how many times he saw it, it was always somewhat unbelievable.


    The child who was weak when he was born, who had clear eyes and an innocent smile from a young age. He had watched him grow up, and now, at just over ten years old, he was able to draw a First-grade Formation Method.


    A First-grade Formation Method¡­


    Many an old Formation Master, with hair turned white, would have to ponder deeply and exhaust their mind and spirit to draw a single First-grade Formation Method. After completion, they would look pale, sweating profusely.


    Yet, when Mo Hua drew these First-grade Formation Methods, he appeared to do it with ease, and even if he became tired, after a brief rest in meditation, he would spring back full of vigor.


    If Old Mr. Feng hadn¡¯t watched Mo Hua grow up from a young age, he would almost suspect that Mo had been possessed by some old demon¡­


    Tired from drawing, Mo Hua exhaled, sat down on the ground with a plop, and rubbed his sore little arms.


    Old Mr. Feng then came forward, massaging several acupoints for him and circulating a gentle Spiritual Power through Mo Hua¡¯s Blood Qi.


    Bathed in this gentle breeze, Mo Hua felt much more comfortable all over.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Feng!¡± Mo Hua said with a smile, expressing his gratitude.


    ¡°I should be the one thanking you,¡± replied Old Mr. Feng as he brushed the dust off the ground and sat beside Mo Hua, speaking kindly:


    ¡°Without you, I might never have been able to use such a pill furnace in my life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make an even better one for you in the future,¡± Mo Hua promised confidently.


    Old Mr. Feng laughed softly, ¡°This one is good enough.¡±


    As he spoke, Old Mr. Feng took out a jade pendant and handed it to Mo Hua, ¡°This is for you.¡±


    The jade pendant was a pale white color, with faint bluish-green patterns within, the specific type of jade was unknown, and it possessed no spiritual power. The design appeared simple, the carving ordinary, yet the moment one¡¯s gaze touched it, one felt a peaceful aura and a calming of the mind.


    ¡°What kind of jade is this?¡±


    ¡°This is Pill Jade,¡± Old Mr. Feng said.


    ¡°Pill Jade?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng flipped the pendant over, and Mo Hua saw that indeed, engraved with an iron hook and silver strokes, was the character ¡°Pill.¡±


    ¡°Alchemists generally carry a piece of Pill Jade with them, nurtured over the years with Wood-type spiritual power. Over time, the jade becomes like a spiritual artifact, bringing tranquility to the user¡¯s aura and serenity to the mind, untainted by stray thoughts.¡±


    ¡°This piece of Pill Jade was given to me by my master many years ago. All these years, through diagnosing pulses, treating illnesses, and making pills to save lives, I have always carried it with me. Now that it serves me no use, I give it to you,¡± Old Mr. Feng said.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I cannot accept something so precious.¡±


    Yet Old Mr. Feng personally hung the Pill Jade around Mo Hua¡¯s neck, ¡°A gift from an elder is not to be refused.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mo Hua felt somewhat undeserving, ¡°I am not an alchemist, why give it to me?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°An alchemist saves lives but can¡¯t save many; a Formation Master doesn¡¯t save lives but can save many.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, then acknowledged the point with a nod, as if he understood.


    Old Mr. Feng looked at Mo Hua with a hopeful expression:


    ¡°There¡¯s also a belief that an alchemist accumulates virtue through healing and saving lives, and the Pill Jade they carry bears this virtue. I give you this Pill Jade in hopes that it will protect you from harm and ensure your safety as you grow.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and worriedly said, ¡°But if you give the jade to me, what will you do?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng smiled, ¡°The talk of virtue is elusive, it¡¯s simply a matter of finding peace of mind. All these years I¡¯ve practiced alchemy and medicine not because I believe in these things.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°But what if the belief in virtue is true?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng¡¯s smile grew even kinder, ¡°If the belief in virtue is true, and the Pill Jade really can turn misfortune into fortune for you, then perhaps this is a greater act of virtue than all my years of healing and saving lives.¡±


    Feeling a little embarrassed, Mo Hua could only express his unfeigned gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Feng!¡±


    The icy coolness of the Pill Jade around his neck made Mo Hua feel a mental tranquility and a warmth in his heart.


    Whether it was the effect of the Pill Jade or not, Mo Hua found his state of mind more peaceful when drawing formations, his brushstrokes more fluid and confident.


    Two days later, Mo Hua finished drawing the First-grade Firewood Twin Cultivation Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua asked Old Mr. Feng to come over to start the furnace, and accompanying him were other alchemists as well. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These alchemists were invited by Old Mr. Feng to join the Alchemist¡¯s Business, collaborating to study the Alchemy Dao and concoct pills.


    Old Mr. Feng placed Spirit Stones, lit the fire, and the bright red flames instantly ignited.


    Despite anticipation, Old Mr. Feng was momentarily stunned when he truly saw such pure flames.


    This was a fire that transcended the spiritual power of the ordinary Qi Refinement Realm.


    The other alchemists, witnessing this, were visibly shaken and then overwhelmed with excitement.


    Old Mr. Feng also tried using the harmonization of the Pill Furnace¡¯s firewood spiritual power to refine a furnace of pills.


    The pills were the common Blood Qi Pills, which can stop bleeding and restore energy, a staple for cultivators at home or when traveling and indispensable for monster hunting.


    Although the pills were ordinary, the quality of the finished product was exceptional; the purity of the flames had enhanced the efficacy by more than ten percent.


    Old Mr. Feng was very satisfied and couldn¡¯t help but glance at Mo Hua beside him, nodding approvingly.

 Chapter 206 - 206 Speculation (5th Update)_1

    Chapter 206: Chapter 206 Speculation (5th Update)_1


    ¡°`


    The Formation on the Alchemy Furnace was complete, and Mo Hua finally breathed a sigh of relief. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had finished all the Formations that needed to be drawn. From now on, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about anything.


    Master Chen was in charge of the Refinery Shop, Old Mr. Feng managed the Alchemist¡¯s Business, and the final completion of the work was overseen by Master Ban. The overall situation was Elder Yu¡¯s concern.


    The only minor places where a Formation might be needed, Mo Hua could easily touch up on his own.


    What was left for him was to wait for his share of Spirit Stones.


    Elder Yu said that once the Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business began making a profit, all Cultivators who had contributed effort, be they Monster Hunters, Artifact Refiners, Alchemists, or even Loose Cultivators, would get quite a few Spirit Stones.


    Since Mo Hua had taken on all the Formation work, Elder Yu said he would receive the most Spirit Stones.


    As for the exact amount, Mo Hua didn¡¯t bother to ask. He had enough Spirit Stones for now. All he needed to do was focus on Formation.


    Mo Hua took a moment to reflect: he had drawn a vast number of Formations this time.


    The Architectural Formation Maps for the Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business included a broad range, mainly focused on Earth and Wood, supplemented by Gold, Water, and Fire, involving the application of various Five Elements Formations.


    Mo Hua planned and supervised the drawing of the Formation Maps, then went through them again from start to finish, reinforcing his foundation in Formation.


    The Formations used on the Artifact Furnace and Alchemy Furnace were first-grade Compound Formations, which were very challenging, but Mo Hua managed to complete them after much fuss and correction.


    His Divine Sense had strengthened some; his understanding of Formations had deepened. He had also gained a fundamental grasp of the principles and applications of Compound Formations.


    Thanks to his understanding of the Formation Pivot in Compound Formations, he could now draw ordinary Formations in one go by relying on his mastery of the Formation Pivot structure, which greatly increased his speed, though it did use a bit more Divine Sense.


    But for someone like Mo Hua, the consumption of Divine Sense at this level was not really a problem.


    All in all, these days had been tiring, but enriching as well.


    Mo Hua felt that he gained a lot.


    The thousand-plus bottles of Monster Blood he had amassed had also been consumed by a large margin. Now, he could finally take a little rest.


    Mo Hua touched his own small face, feeling that he had gotten somewhat gaunt from working on Formations every day. When he got back, he would have to ask his mother to make some delicious food to treat himself.


    ¡°What should I eat?¡±


    As Mo Hua pondered this, he cheerfully made his way home.


    In the Qian Family¡¯s grand hall.


    A dark carpet with cauldron patterns spread across the floor, a screen depicting serene landscapes, desks lacquered in deep red, an incense burner fashioned with auspicious mythical beasts, and spiraling incense smoke¡ªall exuding opulence.


    Qian Hong sat before the hall, with Master Qian seated beside him.


    The two of them were drinking tea amidst the thick fragrance of the incense.


    But even with the soothing fragrance that had been burning for a while, both of them were far from calm.


    Qian Shunzhi entered the room, bowed respectfully, and reported,


    ¡°Reporting to the Family Head, no other Formation Master¡¯s clues have been found among the Monster Hunters. We have only heard of a child within the Monster Hunters who is skilled in Formation, whom people call ¡®Junior Formation Master.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Junior Formation Master?¡± Master Qian frowned. ¡°How old?¡±


    ¡°Not very old, appears to be only about ten years old, with the surname Mo. As for the specific name, what he looks like, where he lives¡­ the Monster Hunters are tight-lipped, and we have been unable to find out.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s expression turned displeased.


    Qian Shunzhi bowed his head, not daring to breathe too heavily.


    Master Qian pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°It¡¯s definitely not this child, but there must be some connection to him.¡±


    Qian Hong considered and said, ¡°You mean, the Formation Master who is opposing us might be this child¡¯s master, or perhaps they share some master-apprentice relationship¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Master Qian nodded. ¡°Formations cannot be mastered without a teacher. Being so young yet able to distinguish himself in Formation, being called ¡®Junior Formation Master,¡¯ he must have a highly skilled gentleman or an actual master who has taught him personally.¡±


    Qian Hong instructed Qian Shunzhi, ¡°Continue the investigation.¡±


    Qian Shunzhi stammered, ¡°But¡­ how should we continue our inquiry¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    He had checked everything he could and asked all the questions he could.


    Previously, he had sent Qian Family descendants disguised as traveling merchants, who chatted over drinks with Monster Hunters at a bustling eatery, and from there, they gathered bits and pieces of information.


    But within two days, the Monster Hunters had found them out.


    When they tried to inquire further, as soon as the word ¡°Formation Master¡± was mentioned, the Monster Hunters grew conspicuously more guarded, and the Loose Cultivators all kept tight-lipped.


    If they asked too many questions, they would be faced with unfriendly Monster Hunters who would turn the tables and begin interrogating them.


    If their responses were unconvincing, they would likely end up taking a beating.


    Qian Hong frowned and said, ¡°Then we won¡¯t ask about the Formation Master. We can ask if there¡¯s been any unfamiliar Cultivator or unpredictable expert around. With roundabout probing, we should be able to find some leads.¡±


    Qian Shunzhi received the order and was about to leave when Master Qian called him back.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing,¡± Master Qian instructed, ¡°that Junior Formation Master, whatever Formations he¡¯s painted, find a way to get some and let me take a close look.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Qian Shunzhi said respectfully.


    The Southern City Refinery Shop was completed, and the Alchemist¡¯s Business was also nearing completion.


    The Qian Family felt the pressure doubling, and the An Family was equally anxious.


    Old Master An had gone to the private room of a teahouse just outside the southern city, where he and the Family Head An Yonglu were scrutinizing the Refinery Shop in the distance.


    What was once a field of ruins, chaotic and desolate, now proudly stood a vast Refinery Shop.


    Adjacent to it, an Alchemist¡¯s Business of similar scale was on the verge of completion.


    Old Master An was filled with emotion, ¡°Elder Yu really did build it after all!¡±


    An Yonglu was somewhat worried, ¡°Going on like this, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have even less standing than before.¡±


    ¡°Artifact Refining and Alchemy, I estimate for the next hundred years, our An Family won¡¯t be able to achieve much. We won¡¯t only miss out on the meat, we might not even get to sip the soup at the edges,¡± Old Master An said, feeling disheartened.


    The Qian Family had already been a heavy burden, and now with two more substantial-scale Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business set up in Southern City, the An Family could forget about any prospects.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as well,¡± An Yonglu somewhat relieved, ¡°since we can¡¯t compete anyway, we might as well focus on running the Spiritual Meal Building¡¯s business.¡±


    Old Master An, frustrated by his son¡¯s lack of ambition, looked at him, ¡°Can you really be content running a Food Building for a lifetime, at the mercy of others, with no prospects at all?¡±


    ¡°At least it¡¯s enough to scrape by¡­¡± An Yonglu muttered under his breath.


    His demeanor almost screamed ¡®no ambition.¡¯


    Old Master An felt weary.


    His son seemed decent enough on the surface and had the air of a Householder, yet faced with problems, he only thought about getting by without a trace of ambition.


    No wonder his pupil Xiaofu didn¡¯t have any lofty aspirations either.


    Old Master An couldn¡¯t be bothered to lecture him any longer.


    An Yonglu himself just quietly continued to sip his tea, but he suddenly caught a glimpse of the Refinery Shop¡¯s outer wall and exclaimed,


    ¡°Father, the Formation used on this outer wall seems incredibly sophisticated¡­¡±


    Old Master An glanced at him, ¡°Can you make out what Formation it is?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell,¡± An Yonglu shook his head, ¡°but it feels extraordinary, at least much better than the Formations used in our An Family estate.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think Elder Yu found that Formation Master?¡± An Yonglu asked curiously.


    Old Master An didn¡¯t speak, his heart skipping a beat. He had a hunch, but still dared not believe it.


    Seeing his father¡¯s reaction, An Yonglu asked, ¡°Father, do you know something?¡±


    Old Master An, with furrowed brows, was silent for a while before he slowly said, ¡°Do you remember the kid who saw through our family¡¯s Formation¡­¡±


    An Yonglu was stunned for a long time before his mouth fell open in disbelief, ¡°No way¡­¡±

 Chapter 207 - 207: 207 Zhiwei_1

    Chapter 207: 207 Zhiwei_1


    Someone was inquiring about the affairs of a Formation Master, and Elder Yu informed Mo Hua and instructed him to be cautious.


    ¡°One should not harbor ill-intentions, but it is essential to guard against others.¡±


    After giving it some thought, Mo Hua felt that the likelihood of being suspected was not very high. Unless it was someone he knew well, it was improbable for an ordinary Cultivator to believe that Mo Hua, who was in his teens, could create a First-grade Formation.


    On the contrary, Mo Hua was worried about Mr. Zhuang; he feared that the Qian Family might suspect Mr. Zhuang and that he might cause trouble for Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua went to see Mr. Zhuang and briefly explained the situation.


    Hearing this, Mr. Zhuang just smiled and said, ¡°Do what you think is right, there¡¯s no need to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t the Qian Family cause you trouble?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t find it.¡±


    ¡°What if they do find it?¡± Mo Hua was still somewhat anxious.


    ¡°¡®Originally there was nothing, where could the dust arise?¡¯ They will not be able to find it,¡± Mr. Zhuang stated indifferently.


    Mo Hua nodded, half-understanding and half-confused, thinking Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words were vague and unclear, not really knowing what he was talking about¡­


    However, since Mr. Zhuang had said so, he must be confident, and thus Mo Hua was reassured.


    Mr. Zhuang was unfathomable and might not take the Qian Family seriously, but if they caused trouble and disturbed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tranquil cultivation, that would not be good.


    ¡°How is your study of formations going?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned the First-grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation and the First-grade Firewood Twin Cultivation Compound Formation, and I¡¯ve also used them on the furnace,¡± Mo Hua said happily.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in approval and praised, ¡°Well done.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and then asked, ¡°Gentleman, which formations should I learn next?¡±


    ¡°Just find some Compound Formations and learn casually,¡± Mr. Zhuang suggested, ¡°Wait until you break through to the seventh layer of Qi Refinement and look at the Mystery Formation in your Sea of Consciousness. Then make your next plan.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    What kind of Mystery Formation would the bottleneck at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement in the Heaven Yan Jue be?


    Mo Hua was both looking forward to it and feeling a bit apprehensive.


    After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua headed home as usual, but bumped into An Xiaofu on the way.


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Mo Hua greeted An Xiaofu.


    An Xiaofu hung his head, wearing a troubled expression, ¡°Not a coincidence, my grandfather and father asked me to wait here especially for you.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback.


    ¡°They wanted me to pretend to bump into you accidentally and get close to you,¡± An Xiaofu explained, ¡°But you¡¯re so smart, you would have known immediately, so I couldn¡¯t be bothered to pretend. My grandfather and father also told me to¡­¡±


    An Xiaofu spilled the beans, revealing everything his grandfather and father had instructed him to do, whether it was supposed to be said or not.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry.


    After An Xiaofu finished, he felt a lot more relaxed.


    He thought he had completed his task. He had said everything his grandfather and father wanted him to say, and he had done everything they had asked him to do.


    Although the method might have differed slightly from what they had instructed, the result was the same.


    An Xiaofu heaved a sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.


    ¡°Oh, and here are some gifts my grandfather asked me to give you. Please accept them,¡± he added.


    An Xiaofu handed over a Storage Bag that held some Formation Books, several Formation Pens, and a good amount of Spiritual Ink.


    The items were not too expensive, but it was clear that a lot of thought had been put into choosing them, appealing to personal tastes.


    Mo Hua tried to decline.


    An Xiaofu stuffed it into Mo Hua¡¯s hands, ¡°If I take it back, my grandfather will blame me. If I give it to you, he¡¯ll probably praise me. It¡¯s not really valuable anyway, so just take it. Missing out on an advantage is the act of a fool.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Not wanting to be ¡°a fool,¡± Mo Hua accepted the gifts and then said, ¡°Come on, let me treat you to something to eat!¡±


    An Xiaofu waved his hand, ¡°How could I let you pay?¡± Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bother,¡± said Mo Hua, ¡°It¡¯s on me!¡±


    An Xiaofu, curious and thinking there was nothing fun about going back to the clan, decided to go with Mo Hua for a change.


    Following Mo Hua through several streets and around a few corners, An Xiaofu saw a food establishment at the crossroad. Its sign fluttered in the wind, with neat tables and benches set out on the spacious ground.


    The patrons gathered in small groups, some devouring meat heartily, others gulping down drinks, clinking glasses and making merry in a lively atmosphere.


    The scent of meat and the fragrance of wine rushed towards them, drifting off into the distance with the breeze.


    This was an atmosphere An Xiaofu had never experienced before.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Mo Hua called out from afar, waving his hand.


    Liu Ruhua came out with a smile upon hearing this, and when she saw Mo Hua and the little chubby boy in brocade next to him, she asked with some confusion, ¡°Who is this¡­?¡±


    An Xiaofu performed a polite bow and said, ¡°Hello auntie, my name is An Xiaofu.¡±


    ¡°An Family?¡±


    An Xiaofu nodded, ¡°My dad is the head of the An Family.¡±


    Liu Ruhua was mildly surprised, and then turned to Mo Hua, wondering how Mo Hua had come to know the young master of the An Family.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Mom, I invited Xiaofu for a meal, could you make something delicious?¡±


    ¡°A child your age inviting someone for a meal¡­¡± Liu Ruhua chuckled and asked An Xiaofu, ¡°Young Master An, what would you like to eat?¡±


    An Xiaofu quickly gestured with his hand, ¡°Just call me Xiaofu. I¡¯m not picky, anything is good.¡±


    Liu Ruhua nodded and said, ¡°Then you two play for a while, I will make some food.¡±


    Mo Hua then took An Xiaofu to an open and bright table to sit down.


    An Xiaofu looked around and said, ¡°So this is your family¡¯s restaurant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Mo Hua said with some pride.


    He had been a big help in getting the restaurant up and running.


    An Xiaofu felt a bit envious, ¡°That¡¯s really nice.¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your An Family have the Spiritual Meal Building? That place is even bigger and looks more impressive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same,¡± An Xiaofu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Although the Spiritual Meal Building is big and quiet, it always feels too serene, making dining less fun.¡±


    An Xiaofu looked around at the other patrons.


    There were Monster Hunters, Artifact Refiners, Alchemists, local Loose Cultivators, passing peddlers, and traders from other places. Everyone was different, but all were gathered together, eating and chatting with laughter and talk.


    Sometimes, even strangers struck up warm conversations, toasted each other, and wished one another a smooth journey.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun to eat together in such a lively gathering,¡± said An Xiaofu.


    Mo Hua felt the same way, ¡°Then eat as much as you like later, my mom¡¯s cooking is really delicious.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± An Xiaofu said in thanks.


    But he was just being polite, appreciating Mo Hua¡¯s hospitality without really expecting the food to be anything special.


    The An Family ran the Spiritual Meal Building, where they hired culinary masters to study all kinds of high-quality recipes and make various rare delicacies.


    He ate there every day, what good food hadn¡¯t he tasted?


    But when Liu Ruhua served the food, An Xiaofu found out he was indeed unfamiliar with it¡­


    After trying a bite, An Xiaofu asked, ¡°What kind of meat is this?¡±


    ¡°Monster Beast meat,¡± Mo Hua took a bite with his chopsticks, ¡°Probably some kind of sheep. If it were in Big Black Mountain, I could recognize it, but now it¡¯s on the plate, I can¡¯t tell.¡±


    An Xiaofu was surprised, ¡°Monster Beast meat can taste this good?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, didn¡¯t expect that, did you?¡±


    An Xiaofu took another bite and savored it carefully, ¡°These spices are different too.¡±


    ¡°You can tell the spices apart too?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    An Xiaofu nodded.


    ¡°Which ones can you identify?¡± Mo Hua was a bit curious.


    Hmm¡­¡± An Xiaofu thought for a moment, ¡°There¡¯s cassia leaf, mustard seed, plum, zedoary¡­¡±


    An Xiaofu listed quite a few and then said, ¡°There are others too, with very unique flavors that I¡¯ve never tasted before, so I can¡¯t name them.¡±


    Mo Hua was impressed, ¡°You¡¯re really amazing!¡±


    Some of these spices were bought from the market town, while others were picked by Mo Hua from outside Big Black Mountain. These spices were rather unusual and not easy to mass produce, so it was normal for An Xiaofu not to know their names.


    But being able to taste so many spices was already quite impressive.


    An Xiaofu blushed with the praise from Mo Hua, ¡°I¡­ just eat a lot, so I can pick them out, nothing special. I can¡¯t compare to you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was a Formation Master, and his skills in formations were very high, to the extent that even his grandfather found it unbelievable.

 Chapter 208 - 208: Master Luo_1

    Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Master Luo_1


    Mo Hua shook his head and said, ¡°Everyone is born with a purpose, how can I be of no use?¡±


    An Xiaofu was puzzled for a moment, ¡°What use could it possibly have?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a while but couldn¡¯t quite articulate it; he was unsure about the specifics concerning food, so he said,


    ¡°Your family runs a Food Building, and you have such a good sense of taste, how can it be of no use?¡±


    An Xiaofu sighed, ¡°We opened the Food Building because we had no other choice¡­¡±


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    Seeing that it was still early and the meat was delicious, and it was rare for someone to talk to him, An Xiaofu took a bite of meat, sipped his fruit wine, and started chatting with Mo Hua:


    ¡°The An Family initially was in the business of Artifact Refining and Alchemy, but we couldn¡¯t compete with the Qian Family, our business failed, and we could only rely on some ancestral properties to make a living running a Spiritual Meal Building¡­¡±


    ¡°My grandfather didn¡¯t like running a Food Building; he still wanted to continue with Artifact Refining and Alchemy because he felt that running a Food Building was a loss of face.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Is running a Food Building not good?¡± Mo Hua asked, somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty good, but my grandfather doesn¡¯t,¡± An Xiaofu mumbled, ¡°and in the world of Tao Cultivation, all trades are ranked into different classes.¡±


    An Xiaofu counted on his fingers, listing one by one:


    ¡°First comes Formation, the hardest to learn and the most commonly used. Formation Masters are considered superior wherever they go. Followed by Alchemy and Artifact Refining, as well as Rune making, all of which are considered decent professions.¡±


    ¡°Others like spiritual meals, Spirit Plant cultivation, textile, craftsmanship, Monster Hunting, and the like, aren¡¯t really respected by people.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be offended by what I¡¯m about to say,¡± An Xiaofu said meekly, ¡°Many cultivators from large clans and sects think that spiritual meals and Monster Hunting are lower class jobs only suited for Loose Cultivators, and they disdain them in their hearts.¡±


    Mo Hua understood but disagreed somewhat, ¡°If there are no cultivators engaged in Spirit Plant cultivation, spiritual meals, or textile, what would they eat and wear? Without food or clothes, what is there to be pompous about?¡±


    An Xiaofu nodded, ¡°Exactly!¡±


    An Xiaofu loved food and thought eating was the most important thing. Anything related to food was of great importance to him.


    Liu Ruhua made several other dishes, including Monster meat and wild vegetables from the mountains. Although the ingredients were common, the flavors were delicious, and the tastes were very unique.


    An Xiaofu, with his cheeks puffed out, ate heartily and couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°Mo Hua, your mother¡¯s cooking is really delicious.¡±


    Mo Hua was even happier than if he had been complimented himself, ¡°Of course!¡±


    After they had finished eating, they waved goodbye to each other.


    Watching An Xiaofu¡¯s retreating figure, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ponder,


    What can a good sense of taste be used for?


    Become a Meal Master? Open a Food Building?


    But the An Family had already opened a Spiritual Meal Building¡­


    Mo Hua had a vague idea in mind, but he needed to think it through more thoroughly.


    After several days of investigation, Qian Shunzhi finally came upon some leads and went to report to Family Head Qian Hong.


    ¡°A new cave dwelling was built to the south of the city, bearing a sign that reads ¡®Bai Mansion¡¯. It is inhabited by a veiled woman, accompanied by two young cultivators, male and female. But it is uncertain whether they are skilled in Formation.¡±


    A trace of wariness flashed in Qian Hong¡¯s eyes, ¡°These are the wandering descendants of great families; we cannot afford to provoke them, and they won¡¯t bother with helping those Monster Hunters. Anything else?¡±


    Qian Shunzhi said, ¡°An elderly cultivator passed by, with unclear intentions, and left Tongxian City after a few days. Several middle-aged Formation Masters stayed in the inn, having some connections with the local clans¡­¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Qian Hong said coldly, ¡°These are not the right leads, go and investigate further.¡±


    Seeing Qian Hong¡¯s somewhat unexpected reaction, Qian Shunzhi took out several Formation Diagrams and handed them over.


    ¡°There¡¯s a Junior Formation Master among the Monster Hunters; these formations are his creations. Some are genuine works of the Formation Master, while others are rubbings made by others.¡±


    Qian Hong took them and glanced at them, slightly disappointed, ¡°They are all common formations, not even first-rate.¡±


    He may not be a Formation Master and couldn¡¯t tell what the formations were, but he could count the Formation Patterns.


    These formations, old and new, with mature brushwork, mostly consisted of five or six Formation Patterns.


    For a young cultivator around ten years of age to be able to draw five or six Formation Patterns, that already showed exceptional talent, no wonder he was called a ¡°Junior Formation Master¡±.


    But the Qian Family was not looking for this Junior Formation Master, but rather that mysterious first-rank Formation Master.


    ¡°Send more people to search,¡± Qian Hong instructed.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Qian Shunzhi bowed respectfully and was about to leave when he was called back by Qian Hong.


    After a moment of contemplation, Qian Hong handed him several formation diagrams, ¡°Take these formations to Master Qian and see if Master Qian can find any clues.¡±


    Qian Shunzhi respectfully acknowledged the request and then transferred the formation diagrams and their imprints to Master Qian.


    Master Qian was in the Qian Family¡¯s library, discussing matters with a group of Formation Masters.


    Some of these Formation Masters were from the Qian Family, some had close dealings with the Qian Family, and others, though not as closely related to the Qian Family, had to come over upon the invitation of Master Qian.


    In such a vast place as Tongxian City, where Formation Masters were scarce, everyone would inevitably have some connections with each other.


    As the most prominent and wealthiest clan in Tongxian City, naturally, they could not afford to slight the Qian Family¡¯s dignity.


    A first-rank Formation Master was not an obscure individual and could not possibly have no ties to the various clans.


    Master Qian invited these Formation Masters from Tongxian City to probe around to see if anyone had any leads, or perhaps any connection to the mysterious Formation Master.


    If there really was a connection, then all negotiations could proceed smoothly, and they could use this relationship to foster connections with that Formation Master.


    However, after a long discussion, they still had no leads.


    The first-rank Formation Master seemed to have appeared out of thin air, with not a single person knowing their origin.


    Just as everyone was at a loss, Qian Shunzhi entered with the formations.


    Master Qian took the formations and after looking through them, furrowed his brow, and passed the formations on for the other Formation Masters to examine.


    ¡°Can anyone see anything?¡± Master Qian asked.


    ¡°These formations are well-drawn.¡±


    ¡°They show a good understanding of the principles.¡±


    ¡°The brushwork is very skilled, showing a strong foundation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity they are just low-level formations, with only five or six Formation Patterns, hard to discern anything from them¡­¡±


    The Formation Masters discussed amongst themselves.


    The last, a thin-faced Formation Master, mused, ¡°If these formations were indeed drawn by that Junior Formation Master, then this Junior Formation Master must be related to that first-rank Formation Master.¡±


    The other Formation Masters nodded in agreement, ¡°If there were no connection, he couldn¡¯t draw such good formations at such a young age.¡±


    As they were talking, a Qian Family disciple entered the room and respectfully said, ¡°Master Luo has arrived.¡±


    Master Qian immediately stood up, and the other Formation Masters also rose and went to the door, saluting the newcomer with clasped hands, ¡°Master Luo, greetings!¡±


    The visitor was indeed Master Luo, one of the few true first-rank Formation Masters in Tongxian City, certified by the Taoist Court.


    The other few first-rank Formation Masters in Tongxian City had aged, preferred solitude, and no longer socialized. Only Master Luo would occasionally make an appearance.


    Master Luo returned the greetings one by one, ¡°You flatter me, gentlemen.¡±


    Then he turned to Master Qian, ¡°Master Qian, long time no see.¡±


    Master Qian hurriedly demurred, ¡°I dare not, I dare not. How can I presume the title of ¡®Master¡¯ in front of Master Luo.¡±


    Master Luo laughed, ¡°Little Brother Qian, you are too modest. With your understanding of formations, advancing to first-rank is just a matter of time.¡±


    Master Luo entered the main hall and took the seat of honor, while the other Formation Masters took their seats according to their status.


    A Qian Family maidservant came forward to serve tea.


    Master Qian said, ¡°This is Cloud Mist Tea from Lu Feng, emerald and tender, a beauty in color and fragrance. Please, Master Luo, enjoy.¡±


    Master Luo¡¯s eyes brightened, he lifted the cup¡¯s lid, and the tea¡¯s aroma wafted out like mist. After tasting a sip, the sweetness spread to his throat, refreshing his heart and spleen. He nodded in approval, ¡°Excellent tea!¡±


    Once seated and having tasted the tea, the group turned to the matter at hand.

 Chapter 209 - 209 Identity_1

    Chapter 209: Chapter 209 Identity_1


    Master Luo asked, ¡°I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s an unknown first-grade Formation Master in Tongxian City who has some kind of enmity with the Qian Family. Little Brother Qian, is this the matter you asked me here for?¡±


    Master Qian sighed, ¡°Master Luo is perceptive. We¡¯re all Formation Masters, and we all know how rare a first-grade is, so we¡¯d rather not tear off the fa?ade and embarrass everyone unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡±


    ¡°Then what does Little Brother Qian intend to do?¡±


    Master Qian said, ¡°No matter what happened before, my Qian Family is willing to make friends with him. Spirit Stones, anything can be discussed. If that¡¯s not possible, we hope he will neither help nor make things difficult for my Qian Family, and we will still treat him courteously. If this Formation Master is truly unreasonable, then my Qian Family will have no choice but to tear off the fa?ade.¡±


    Master Luo nodded, ¡°To go to such lengths, Little Brother Qian has certainly done all one could.¡±


    ¡°Does Master Qian have any knowledge of this Formation Master¡¯s background?¡± Master Qian asked.


    Master Luo shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve never had any dealings with him, nor have I heard of such a person.¡±


    Master Qian was slightly disappointed; he had thought that since the man was a first-grade Formation Master, he should have had some interaction with Master Luo.


    ¡°Does Little Brother Qian have any clues?¡± Master Luo asked.


    Master Qian then shared some information he knew, including that the Formation Master had used several first-grade Formation Methods and might have taken on a disciple, someone called ¡®Junior Formation Master¡¯. It was unclear whether the disciple was in name only, or truly his lineage successor.


    ¡°These are the Formation Methods drawn by the Junior Formation Master.¡±


    Master Qian handed the Formation Methods to Master Luo.


    Master Luo took them and after a glance praised, ¡°Well drawn.¡±


    ¡°Can Master Luo see who his master might be?¡± A Formation Master asked.


    Master Luo reflected for a moment then shook his head, ¡°These are all basic Five Elements Formations, nothing rare or revealing of Sect or Clan heritage. It¡¯s hard to tell.¡±


    Everyone was somewhat disappointed and started to speculate about the Formation Master¡¯s heritage.


    Master Luo continued to browse the Formation Methods in his hands.


    Junior Formation Master? I wonder how old he is; his talent in Formation Patterns is truly remarkable.


    As he flipped through, he furrowed his brow as if pondering something. After a moment, he dipped his finger in tea water and drew something on the tabletop.


    The tea water sketched simple Formation Patterns on the crimson table.


    Master Luo drew several times, his expression growing ever more solemn and even seemed incredulous.


    Noticing this, Master Qian asked, ¡°Master Luo, have you discovered something?¡±


    Master Luo hesitated, then said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    But Master Luo still looked puzzled and drew the Formation Patterns on the table several more times with tea water, before finally asking slowly:


    ¡°Are these Formation Methods really drawn by that Junior Formation Master?¡±


    Master Qian looked over and saw that Master Luo was holding a stack of Formation Methods, the top one being a Cold Air Formation.


    This Cold Air Formation was an authentic method, not imprinted from something else, and the handwriting was very fresh, likely drawn recently. Since it was a Cold Air Formation, it was probably used to lower the temperature wherever it was drawn.


    Master Qian nodded, ¡°Indeed, they were drawn by the Junior Formation Master.¡±


    Master Luo tapped the table with his finger, pondered for a moment, and then said, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the one who drew this Formation Method is a first-grade Formation Master.¡±


    All the Formation Masters were astonished and looked at each other in confusion.


    ¡°The Cold Air Formation is not a first-grade method, Brother Luo, why do you say this?¡± Master Qian asked, frowning.


    ¡°Although the Cold Air Formation is not a first-grade method, look at these Formation Patterns. Based on the Formation Pivot, they outline everything essential, drawn from start to finish in one stroke, and still with extra effort to spare. This suggests the person understands the Formation Pivot very deeply, and his Divine Sense is also very strong, hence the ease with which the strokes are made.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Luo pointed at the water stains on the table, ¡°I just tried to draw the Cold Air Formation several times following this method. After finishing, I realized it consumes a great deal of Divine Sense; someone who¡¯s not a first-grade Formation Master couldn¡¯t draw it.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Master Qian immediately took out paper and pen, and copied the stroke method of the Cold Air Formation.


    After he finished, his expression turned serious.


    Following this method, using the Formation Pivot as the framework, capturing the Formation Patterns in one stroke¡ªthe method was remarkably fast, but it also consumed a tremendous amount of Divine Sense!


    Any Formation Master who could draw it, if not a first-grade, was at least a half-step away from it, with Divine Sense strong enough to draw out nine Formation Patterns.


    Other Formation Masters also tried their hand at it, drawing the Cold Air Formation.


    Some barely managed to complete it, some failed by a few strokes, their Divine Sense unable to keep up, and some could only draw half of it.


    Everyone¡¯s faces reflected utter disbelief.


    ¡°Does that mean that the junior Formation Master is actually a first-grade Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simply¡­ preposterous!¡±


    ¡°Formations are not child¡¯s play. To ascend to such a level at such a young age? It¡¯s not that easy¡­¡±


    The Formation Masters chattered amongst themselves.


    Master Luo coughed lightly and the hubbub began to quiet down, with everyone turning to look at him.


    ¡°The Cultivation World is vast with innumerable geniuses. It¡¯s not impossible for someone of a young age to reach the level of a first-grade master. It¡¯s just that we are limited by our own little corner and lack broader exposure,¡± Master Luo said.


    Upon hearing this, all sighed deeply.


    Seeing the crowd¡¯s expression changing, Master Luo added, ¡°Moreover, this is just speculation. The truth still needs to be verified.¡±


    Master Qian also said, ¡°Indeed, we need to investigate this matter thoroughly.¡±


    Even though he said this, deep down he felt that there might be some truth to Master Luo¡¯s words.


    The junior Formation Master could probably really draw a first-grade Formation.


    This level of delineation, simplicity and concentration in the Formation Patterns, though appearing simple, truly demonstrated one¡¯s foundation, and at least he himself couldn¡¯t draw it without copying someone else¡¯s work, even though he was almost a first-grade Formation Master.


    The crowds murmured once again, while Master Luo sat to the side, sipping tea.


    As he had said, the Cultivation World is boundless, with all sorts of talents.


    There¡¯s a staggering disparity between Loose Cultivators and clans, and similarly, an immense gulf separates small families from the Great Clans.


    What is considered talented in a small place might be stunning locally but only passable in the entirety of the Cultivation World.


    Moreover, even if there were such a genius, what does it have to do with him?


    Master Luo was very composed.


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s the name of this junior Formation Master?¡± Master Luo suddenly recalled and asked.


    Master Qian responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know the full name, but I know his family name is Mo.¡±


    ¡°Surname Mo, huh¡­¡±


    Master Luo nodded. Without ¡®Mo¡¯ (ink), Formation Patterns cannot be completed¡ªit indeed is a suitable surname for a Formation Master.


    Master Luo took a sip of tea, as old memories suddenly surfaced from the Sea of Consciousness.


    ¡°The name Mo¡­ feels somewhat familiar¡­¡±


    He vaguely remembered a day two years ago when Instructor Yan had sought him out, asking him to take on a student as a disciple.


    What had Instructor Yan said again?


    After thinking for a while, Master Luo remembered Instructor Yan¡¯s helplessness and pleading words:


    ¡°Little Mo Hua is young, but sensible and diligent. He¡¯s extremely gifted in Formations, and with Brother Luo¡¯s guidance, his prospects in Formations would surely be boundless¡­¡±


    Master Luo¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    It couldn¡¯t be such a coincidence¡­


    Master Luo reassured himself that it could just be a common surname¡ªthere can¡¯t be so many coincidences in the world.


    But they both had the surname Mo, both studied Formations, and both were highly talented¡­


    Master Luo took a deep breath, calming his emotions.


    Even if it was the same person, it didn¡¯t matter¡ªit was just exceptional talent in Formations.


    Just a teenage first-grade Formation Master, nothing more!


    I, Luo, will not regret it!


    Master Luo took another sip of tea only to find that the original sweet taste had turned bitter in his mouth¡­

 Chapter 210 - 210 Ambush_1

    Chapter 210: Chapter 210 Ambush_1


    ¡°`


    The Junior Formation Master among the Monster Hunters was that First-grade Formation Master.


    Following this direction, Qian Hong ordered Qian Shunzhi to investigate further. After a few days, they had a lead.


    Qian Shunzhi found out Mo Hua¡¯s name, address, parents, and other information, as well as a portrait of Mo Hua.


    Now this portrait lay before Qian Hong.


    It depicted a boy around the age of eleven or twelve, with a delicate and handsome face, eyes clear as water, and a smile that was like the morning glow.


    Qian Hong felt both astonishment and fear as he looked at it.


    He was astonished that such a young age, the boy had the abilities of a First-grade Formation Master, and he feared that if the child were allowed to grow up and further advance in formation techniques, their Qian Family might have no place left to stand.


    In the world of Tao cultivation, formations were the most widely applied and had the greatest impact.


    Now that Mo Hua could only set up first-grade formations and their Qian Family was already struggling to cope. If he were to advance to second grade in the future, he wouldn¡¯t even need to act personally. Just a word from him would cause their Qian Family great misfortune.


    A murderous intent rose in Qian Hong.


    Master Qian still wanted to negotiate first and persuaded Qian Hong not to act rashly.


    A First-grade Formation Master in his early teens, if he were to die, that would be such a pity.


    Master Qian knew the hardship of studying formations and becoming a Formation Master, so he didn¡¯t recommend that Qian Hong be too ruthless.


    After thinking it over, Qian Hong said, ¡°Master Qian¡¯s words are reasonable. I will give them serious thought.¡±


    Master Qian nodded in agreement and breathed a sigh of relief.


    After sending off Master Qian, Qian Hong turned around and immediately instructed Qian Shunzhi, ¡°Find a few Qi Refining Ninth Level disciples from the Qian Clan and find a way to kill that Junior Formation Master!¡±


    Qian Shunzhi was somewhat surprised, ¡°What about Master Qian¡­¡±


    ¡°Master Qian is devoted to formations and doesn¡¯t understand these matters.¡±


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyes turned cold as he continued, ¡°Mo Hua comes from a family of Loose Cultivators. His father is a Monster Hunter, and all of his relatives and friends are Loose Cultivators too. He is highly regarded by Yu Changlin and it¡¯s absolutely impossible for him to get along with our Qian Clan!¡±


    Qian Shunzhi bowed his head in agreement and then said, ¡°If the Taoist Court finds out¡­¡±


    ¡°If the Taoist Court does investigate, I will do my best to protect you. If I can¡¯t, a few lives in exchange for that of a First-grade Formation Master is still a profitable trade.¡±


    Qian Hong looked at Qian Shunzhi and said, ¡°Try not to act personally. Let the others do it, and let them bear the blame. I value you, so don¡¯t draw fire to yourself. Make sure your actions are clean and untraceable.¡±


    A chill went through Qian Shunzhi¡¯s heart.


    He finally understood why Qian Hong had become the Family Head.


    Such a ruthless heart and cunning methods were worth learning!


    Qian Shunzhi respectfully accepted the orders and then, following Qian Hong¡¯s instructions, he found a few Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivators in the clan who weren¡¯t well-known. He told them that the Family Head had ordered them to kill someone, promising them a legitimate offspring¡¯s position upon success.


    If they were unfortunately to meet their demise, the Family Head would also provide their children with generous compensation.


    Risking danger for the chance of riches, none of the cultivators refused.


    Dressed up as passing merchants, they sat in a teahouse on South Main Street, drinking tea and listening to storytelling while keeping an eye on Mo Hua.


    This was the route Mo Hua had to take to go home.


    They were well-prepared, each carrying expensive jade talismans, intent on killing in one fell swoop to eliminate future troubles.


    Qian Shunzhi took a distant seat, pretending to drink tea, but his peripheral vision kept watch at the intersection. He was searching for the figure of Mo Hua, based on the portrait in his mind.


    Soon, he spotted a young cultivator with rosy lips and white teeth carrying a storage bag emerging at the intersection.


    It was Mo Hua.


    Qian Shunzhi coughed to signal the others.


    The Qian Family cultivators behaved as usual, eating, drinking, or listening to the storytelling. Yet, they were all preparing to act, some fingering knives, others holding swords, and a few reaching into their robes, ready to use their runes.


    Their disguises were excellent, they did not reveal anything unusual, planning to strike quickly when Mo Hua approached and then immediately flee the scene.


    But as Mo Hua walked, he suddenly stopped, his gaze flickering with confusion as he looked towards the teahouse. He had noticed Qian Shunzhi and the others.


    ¡°Are these people trying to kill me?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback for a moment.


    In his divine sense, the cultivators¡¯ spiritual power was already in motion, a sign that they were about to make their move.


    ¡°`


    Moreover, since his appearance, these people¡¯s Divine Senses had been stealthily probing him with clear malice.


    They were all at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, far weaker in Divine Sense than Mo Hua, who perceived their attempts as obvious as daylight.


    ¡°What to do?¡±


    Mo Hua reached into his Storage Bag and touched several Formations, covertly took them out, and stuffed them into his sleeve.


    He prepared the Formations first.


    If he could escape, he would do that first; if not, he would find an opportunity to lay down the Formations and give them a blast.


    A First-grade Earth Fire Formation, even if it wouldn¡¯t kill them, would at least temporarily stop them.


    Afterward, relying on the Water Passing Step, Mo Hua could run away no matter what.


    He was only at the Qi Refining Sixth Level now, and tangling with these Body Cultivators at the Qi Refining Ninth Level wasn¡¯t too wise¡ªit would be good enough to escape.


    Having made up his mind, Mo Hua turned to leave.


    Qian Shunzhi and the others also sensed something amiss, their intentions seemed to have been discovered somehow.


    Without delay, they also got up, ready to take action by force.


    Suddenly, a pair of large hands pressed down on Qian Shunzhi¡¯s shoulders, pushing him back into his seat.


    Qian Shunzhi looked up to see an unfamiliar Monster Hunter at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, with a robust aura.


    He looked around and saw that his companions were also restrained, with several other Monster Hunters surrounding them.


    ¡°You stole my stuff,¡± said the Monster Hunter.


    Qian Shunzhi¡¯s eyelids twitched as he denied, ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anything.¡±


    ¡°No, you did!¡±


    Qian Shunzhi scoffed, ¡°What did I steal from you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my mistake,¡± said the Monster Hunter, ¡°you wanted to rob me of my things!¡±


    ¡°You on¡ª¡±


    Before Qian Shunzhi could finish, the Monster Hunter punched him in the stomach.


    A wave of agony shot through him, and knowing that they had been exposed, Qian Shunzhi, bearing the pain, drew his knife and slashed at the Monster Hunter.


    The other Qian Family Cultivators also sprang into action.


    The Monster Hunters and Qian Family Cultivators clashed, blood qi surging, spiritual power swirling.


    The scene became chaotic for a moment, but after about twenty rounds of skirmish, the Monster Hunters, outnumbering them, had knocked all of Qian Shunzhi¡¯s party to the ground and tied them up with ropes.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then he realized.


    This was South Main Street, the territory of the Monster Hunters, effectively his ¡°territory.¡±


    The street was full of familiar Monster Hunters. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua suddenly felt his backbone stiffen.


    If the Qian Family came looking for trouble, naturally the Monster Hunters¡¯ uncles and elders would deal with them.


    He didn¡¯t even need to run, nor did he need to waste any Formations.


    Seeing them tied up, Mo Hua approached and took a look, then asked, ¡°Uncle Zhao, what should we do with these people?¡±


    The leading Monster Hunter was none other than Old Zhao.


    Previously, Old Zhao had been chased by the Qian Family and left barely alive, hanging on a cliffside branch; it was Mo Hua who found him, enabling his rescue.


    Old Zhao was severely injured and had been recovering for some time; now his wounds were mostly healed.


    Old Zhao smiled at Mo Hua, ¡°Beat them up first, then send them to the Taoist Court, accusing them of attempted murder.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°They did try to kill me, thank you, Uncle Zhao.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to thank.¡± Old Zhao chuckled, ¡°If we¡¯re talking about thanks, I¡¯m the one who should be thanking you. If you hadn¡¯t been there, I might not have survived.¡±


    Mo Hua laughed, ¡°It was no big deal, no thanks needed.¡±


    Old Zhao rifled through the Qian Family Cultivators¡¯ Storage Bags and pulled out a few Jade Talismans, tossing them to Mo Hua, ¡°Take these Runes and have some fun with them.¡±

 Chapter 211 - 211: Meeting (Fifth Update)_1

    Chapter 211: Chapter 211: Meeting (Fifth Update)_1


    ¡°¡±¡±


    Runes?


    Mo Hua glanced at them and discovered there were three runes in his hand, all made of jade. Two of them were inlaid with red patterns and bore the inscription ¡°Fiery Flame Rune,¡± while the third was inlaid with golden patterns, inscribed with ¡°Golden Sword Rune.¡±


    ¡°Are these runes very expensive?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Old Zhao nodded and said, ¡°They are quite expensive, and not easy to buy, either. These runes should possess the power of spells from the Qi Refining Ninth Level, having considerable destructive force. They are regulated by the Taoist Court, and usually cannot be purchased through regular channels.¡±


    ¡°Then they are too valuable. I cannot accept them.¡±


    ¡°Take them with you for self-defense, it will give us peace of mind,¡± Old Zhao insisted, refusing Mo Hua¡¯s rejection and patted his shoulder. ¡°Alright, you should head back now. I¡¯ll take care of teaching these bastards a lesson first.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm, Uncle Zhao has worked hard.¡±


    Mo Hua stopped being polite, accepted the runes, and walked home.


    The wailing of those Qian Family cultivators resonated behind him, but Mo Hua didn¡¯t concern himself with it.


    They brought it upon themselves. They deserved it.


    After returning home, Mo Hua studied the three runes a bit.


    He knew the basic usage of runes, but because he was poor and couldn¡¯t afford them, he had never used them.


    Using runes was quite simple. You only needed to infuse them with spiritual power to activate the runes, which would then automatically trigger and form a spell.


    Normally, a rune could only be used once, but their power was great.


    There were very few restrictions on using runes; as long as it was within the same realm, regardless of the nature of the spiritual root, the cultivation technique practiced, or the amount of spiritual power, anyone could activate a rune.


    Due to the few restrictions and great power, the Taoist Court Officials would regulate runes with significant destructive capabilities.


    If not regulated and cultivators were allowed to misuse runes, especially if runes were hoarded to a certain scale, it would pose a great threat to the public order within the Tao Cultivation World.


    Therefore, it was very difficult for an average cultivator to obtain a few high-quality runes.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know where the Qian Family got these runes from, but they were really willing to spend a fortune.


    Mo Hua thought to himself and then became somewhat puzzled:


    It doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯ve done much, just drew a few formations. Do they really hate me that much?


    They don¡¯t bother Elder Yu Changlin in the Foundation Establishment Stage but come after me instead. Are they just bullying the weak and fearing the strong¡­


    Qian Shunzhi and a few others were beaten black and blue and dropped off at the Taoist Court.


    Qian Hong spent a few spirit stones to bribe them and redeemed them back.


    The reason Elder Yu didn¡¯t take advantage of them this time was that he wanted to escalate the issue to the Taoist Court, letting the officials there know the Qian Family harbored malicious intentions. At the same time, he wanted Qian Hong to act with caution, to not cross the lines set by the Taoist Court Officials.


    Skirting under the radar was allowed, but an open conflict was not.


    In Tongxian City, on the surface, everyone had to abide by the law.


    The ¡°law¡± referred to was that of the Taoist Law, and the ¡°order¡± respected was that enforced by the Taoist Court.


    Following that, Qian Hong tried to interfere again, either by bribing or hiring some cultivators from outside the area, and made covert moves again.


    But Elder Yu guarded Mo Hua very well.


    If these cultivators appeared in the south of the city, they would quickly be discovered, and as soon as they tried to make a move, they would be swiftly subdued.


    Then, as before, they would be thoroughly beaten and thrown to the Taoist Court.


    The more Qian Hong wanted to kill Mo Hua, the more methods Elder Yu had to protect him.


    He even cared not to let a single hair from Mo Hua¡¯s head be lost.


    Qian Hong, feeling helpless after numerous unsuccessful schemes, gave up.


    Monster Hunters, who hunted monsters in Big Black Mountain all year round, were more alert than ordinary cultivators, more sensitive to murderous intent, more in tune with each other, quicker to act, and more ruthless in their attacks.


    Furthermore, they were on their own turf, and if a Monster Hunter was vigilant, they could notice even a foreign fly, let alone a living person at the Qi Refining Ninth Level. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Should we get a Foundation Building Cultivator to take action?¡±


    Qian Hong frowned.


    One would certainly not be enough. At least two would be needed.


    One to hold Elder Yu Changlin, another to sneak an attack, break through the Monster Hunters¡¯ defense, and kill that Junior Formation master.


    But the key question was, who in the Qian Family would be willing to take the risk?


    Everyone was scheming for their benefit, and as the Family Head, he did not want to dirty his hands, either.


    ¡°¡±¡±


    ¡°`


    Violating the Taoist Law, murdering a cultivator.


    This crime could be minor or severe. If everyone chose to let it go, it would be as if nothing had happened.


    But once someone decided to pursue the matter, it would become complicated. To really follow the Taoist Law to the letter, one could possibly face execution¡­


    Qian Hong sighed.


    For now, it seemed best to hire a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator to do the job.


    If successful, it would be a permanent solution, and even if it failed, it would only result in the loss of some Spirit Stones.


    If it still did not work out in the end, even Foundation Establishment would not suffice.


    After all, in the long run, the threat posed by a talented Formation Master should not be underestimated.


    Mo Hua was the Junior Formation master¡¯s doing, the Qian Family knew, and naturally, Master Luo knew as well.


    He had only speculated before, but now that he knew for sure, his feelings became even more complex.


    How could it be such a coincidence?


    Immediately, doubts arose in his heart. Could a teenage first-rank Formation Master really have such exceptional talent?


    Master Luo wanted to verify it with his own eyes.


    He sought out Old Mr. Feng.


    Old Mr. Feng had been making pills and saving people in Tongxian City for over a hundred years, dealing with Loose Cultivators, Clan cultivators, the poor, the rich, those of low status, and those of high status alike. Master Luo was no exception.


    When Master Luo¡¯s grandson had been gravely ill years ago, it was Old Mr. Feng who healed him.


    And the Compound Formation in Old Mr. Feng¡¯s Alchemy Furnace was personally drawn by Master Luo as a gesture of gratitude.


    However, although the Compound Formation was exquisite, it was not of the first rank.


    Old Mr. Feng was discussing Pill Recipes with other Pill Masters in the Alchemist¡¯s Business when he heard of Master Luo¡¯s visit.


    After pondering for a moment, Old Mr. Feng asked for Master Luo to be invited into the parlor to be served tea.


    The parlor of the Alchemist¡¯s Business was specially designated for receiving guests. From the entrance to the parlor, high walls separated the path, hiding the interior workings of the Alchemist¡¯s Business from view.


    Patterns of Formations adorned the walls, which could blur the perception of Divine Sense. While they could not completely block it out, unless one¡¯s Divine Sense was exceptionally strong, they would not be able to detect anything crucial.


    Walking the path, Master Luo observed his surroundings and inwardly lamented:


    ¡°This is indeed the work of a first-rank Formation Master.¡±


    Once inside the parlor, upon meeting each other and exchanging pleasantries, Old Mr. Feng asked:


    ¡°Master Luo, what brings you here?¡±


    After hesitating for a long time, Master Luo said, ¡°I wish to meet that ¡®Junior Formation Master.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua?¡±


    Master Luo nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the name.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng frowned, ¡°Just to meet?¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, after studying Formations for many years, I¡¯ve never encountered such an exceptionally talented Formation Master. It¡¯s both amazing and curious, so I wished to meet them,¡± said Master Luo.


    ¡°It has nothing to do with the Qian Family?¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with the Qian Family!¡±


    Old Mr. Feng fell silent, musing.


    Master Luo earnestly said, ¡°I hope you can introduce us.¡±


    After hesitating for a while, Old Mr. Feng replied, ¡°Well then, Mo Hua will be coming to the Alchemist¡¯s Business later. You can meet then. Please wait a moment, Master Luo.¡±


    Master Luo was delighted, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Feng.¡±


    The two then sat in the parlor, sipping tea, chatting casually, and reminiscing about the past.


    After two rounds of tea, Master Luo was getting slightly anxious, when he heard the light footsteps coming, and looked up to see a child with an ordinary appearance and adorable features enter through the door.


    On the fair little face, the eyes sparkled with vivacity, as lustrous as the stars.


    Master Luo¡¯s eyes widened slightly, filled with surprise.


    A faint light hovered above the child¡¯s spiritual palace, indicating a brimming Sea of Consciousness and an extraordinary Divine Sense.


    Master Luo felt almost certain in his heart.

 Chapter 212 - 212 Regret_1

    Chapter 212: Chapter 212 Regret_1


    Mo Hua entered the room and greeted Old Mr. Feng, then curiously turned his gaze toward Master Luo.


    Old Mr. Feng said, ¡°Mo Hua, this is Master Luo, a first-rank Formation Master from Tongxian City.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and hurriedly bowed, saying, ¡°Master Luo, hello.¡±


    Master Luo was somewhat overwhelmed by this gesture and was about to stand up in response.


    If his guess was correct, the child in front of him was already a first-rank Formation Master.


    In learning, there is no distinction of order; the accomplished are revered.


    Their level of expertise in formation was nearly the same; he could not accept such a courtesy.


    But since Old Mr. Feng was sitting, it was improper for him to stand up, so he could only clasp his hands and smile, saying, ¡°No need for such formalities, please take a seat.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit puzzled. Are first-rank Formation Masters always this polite?


    Seeing that Master Luo wasn¡¯t too particular, Mo Hua abandoned formalities as well, sitting down on a tall stool to the side, pouring himself a cup of tea, and sipping slowly.


    Before leaving home, he had eaten quite a few delicious things and now felt somewhat thirsty.


    The living room fell silent for a moment, rather quiet.


    Master Luo hesitated for a beat, then spoke up somewhat awkwardly:


    ¡°Mo Hua, the formations for the Alchemist¡¯s Business, were they drawn by you?¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at Old Mr. Feng and, seeing him nod slightly, replied, ¡°I drew them.¡±


    Master Luo said, ¡°I noticed that several formations are designed quite ingeniously and can even confuse Divine Sense. I wonder if there is anything special about them?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, but did not speak.


    Coming to his senses belatedly, Master Luo hurriedly said, ¡°It was impertinent of me. My apologies.¡±


    The insights and legacies of someone else¡¯s formations are matters of secrecy, and it was not his place to inquire rashly.


    He was also engrossed in the study of formations on an ordinary day and had never seen such methods before. He was overly eager and, finding no other topic, carelessly asked.


    With peers who were seasoned Formation Masters, he could engage in cunning repartee and sly strategizing, but facing a child, Master Luo didn¡¯t know quite how to approach the conversation.


    Mainly, it was because he had never interacted with such a young Formation Master. At Mo Hua¡¯s age, it would have been fairly good just to be a formation apprentice.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°It¡¯s okay; I was just thinking about how to explain it.¡±


    ¡°The formations here aren¡¯t purely for blocking Divine Sense; they employ the generating and overcoming relationships of the Five Elements Formation to arrange patterns, either overlapping or crisscrossing, which makes the flow of Spiritual Power from the Five Elements either generate or repulse each other, causing disordered trajectories. When Divine Sense sweeps over abruptly, it naturally becomes confused, and it¡¯s harder to perceive what¡¯s inside clearly¡­¡±


    Mo Hua patiently explained.


    Master Luo had an epiphany; such an approach stayed within the framework of the Five Elements Formation while using its layout ingeniously to confuse the perception of Divine Sense, a novel and exquisite construction.


    Master Luo felt a sudden sense of enlightenment; he had never seen such a method of constructing formations before.


    ¡°Do you have a mentor, young friend?¡± inquired Master Luo.


    Mo Hua smiled, saying frankly, ¡°That¡¯s something I can¡¯t disclose.¡±


    Master Luo nodded, feeling he owed Mo Hua, and took out a book of formations from his Storage Bag:


    ¡°This is some of my insight on formations from over the years. It¡¯s not profound, but it¡¯s based on experience and might be of some help. I hope you won¡¯t find it too simple.¡±


    Mo Hua accepted it with thanks, flipped through it briefly, and his eyes lit up. He said, ¡°Thank you, Master Luo!¡±


    Afterward, the two briefly discussed other formations, each gaining something from the exchange.


    Master Luo had extensive experience with formations and was very knowledgeable about obscure Formation Patterns. Mo Hua was quick-witted, eager to learn, and his thoughts on formations were not bound by convention.


    As it was getting late, Mo Hua stood up and took his leave:


    ¡°I have some matters to attend to, I must take my leave now. Goodbye, Master Luo!¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Luo stood up to see him off. After Mo Hua left, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Old Mr. Feng took a sip of tea and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Master Luo sighed and said, ¡°Indeed, he has the insight and ability of a first-rank Formation Master.¡±


    And not only was his insight and ability exceptional, but his disposition was also excellent: approachable and polite, composed and generous, without reservation in his knowledge of formations.


    Master Luo then said pensively, ¡°In this vast world, truly, there is no end to wonders. This is the first time I¡¯ve met such a prodigious talent¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Feng¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I have a request.¡±


    Master Luo looked puzzled, ¡°Please speak, Gentleman.¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua, this child, has excellent talent, but after all, he is still young. If he encounters difficulties, I hope Master Luo will lend a helping hand.¡±


    Master Luo suddenly realized, ¡°Are you talking about the Qian Family matter?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Master Luo frowned, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to help, but for no reason at all, I can¡¯t just oppose the Qian Family. Although Mo Hua is talented, he doesn¡¯t have any relation to me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to oppose the Qian Family, just to say a few words when the time comes is enough.¡±


    That was not difficult, and Master Luo was willing, but he still asked, ¡°I need a reason, don¡¯t I?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng glanced at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to advance further in Formation?¡±


    Isn¡¯t that a stupid question? Which Formation Master wouldn¡¯t want that?


    But since Old Mr. Feng was held in high esteem and respect, Master Luo didn¡¯t say it outright, only implying, ¡°Naturally.¡±


    After Master Luo finished speaking, he suddenly froze, ¡°Are you saying¡­ Mo Hua could help me¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Feng nodded.


    Master Luo was startled, then felt a little angry, speaking coldly,


    ¡°Mo Hua indeed has excellent talent, but he is an apprentice, and I am an apprentice as well. Moreover, he hasn¡¯t even had his assessment, while I¡¯ve already entered the ranks, officially recognized as an apprentice by the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°There are strengths and weaknesses in Formation, some areas where he surely can¡¯t surpass me. Even if his talent is great and his future accomplishments in Formation far exceed mine, that is in the future, not now.¡±


    A Formation Master has their own pride, asking nothing from others, let alone from a child. How can he maintain his dignity?


    This is what Master Luo thought.


    Old Mr. Feng sighed, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Master Luo frowned, ¡°What do I not understand?¡±


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Old Mr. Feng stood up and said to Master Luo.


    Master Luo, confused, still got up and followed Old Mr. Feng, passing a high wall, entering the Alchemist¡¯s Business, turning past several bluestone pathways, arriving in the middle of the courtyard.


    A large Alchemy Furnace stood solemnly in the middle of the courtyard. Its design was ancient, the cloud patterns elegant.


    The courtyard, however, was somewhat noisy and bustling.


    Surrounding the place, medicinal herbs were sorted categorically, some Pill Masters were flipping through Alchemy Books, some apprentices were grasping herbs, and a few Alchemists were concentrating on controlling the flames to perform Alchemy.


    Seeing the Pill Furnace, Master Luo had a premonition.


    This furnace was too large, which also implied that the Formation on the furnace was absolutely extraordinary.


    When he approached and saw the furnace fire, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart thumping.


    He pointed at the fire, looking incredulously at Old Mr. Feng, ¡°This¡­ this fire¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Feng nodded.


    Master Luo took another look at the Alchemy Furnace, revealing a shocked expression,


    ¡°Then¡­ is this Formation¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Feng nodded again.


    Master Luo was tremendously shaken, standing there for a long time, before he finally said slowly,


    ¡°An apprentice¡­ Compound Formation!¡±


    Master Luo didn¡¯t know how he got back.


    It wasn¡¯t until he returned to his own cave home, standing in his courtyard, that he came back to his senses.


    An apprentice¡¯s Compound Formation, ah!


    He had not yet learned it to this day, not to mention his fellow apprentices, or even his master, had managed to create an apprentice-level Compound Formation while in the Qi Refinement Realm.


    He then remembered that it was in this very courtyard that Instructor Yan had asked him to take Mo Hua as a disciple.


    And he had cooly refused¡­


    Distracted, Master Luo stood stupefied for a long time, and seeing that no one was around, he couldn¡¯t help but slap his own mouth,


    ¡°Why is my mouth so damned loose? Why did I have to speak so absolutely? Why didn¡¯t I leave a little room for maneuvering?¡±


    Even if he didn¡¯t take him as a disciple, just giving a few pointers would have also been a significant favor.


    Master Luo felt bitter in his heart, his guts green with regret¡­

 Chapter 213 - 213 Negotiation_1

    Chapter 213: Chapter 213 Negotiation_1


    Master Luo had a restless night and the next day sought out several Formation Masters in Tongxian City, giving them a few instructions, then went to the Qian Family, and found Master Qian.


    ¡°I have told them, from now on, they are not allowed to make things difficult for Mo Hua. As for the Monster Hunters, it¡¯s also best not to start disputes.¡±


    Master Qian frowned, ¡°Master Luo, this¡­¡±


    Master Luo countered, ¡°Little Brother Qian, what is your plan?¡±


    ¡°About Mo Hua?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Master Qian was taken aback, then said, ¡°Originally, I wanted to befriend him. If he could serve the Qian Family, that would naturally be best; if not, I would hope he could stay out of it, taking neither side; and if even that¡¯s not possible, then I would have no choice but to act ruthlessly. Once we take action, life and death are fated, and it¡¯s beyond my control.¡±


    Master Qian shared the advice he had given Qian Hong with Master Luo.


    Master Luo let out a cold laugh, ¡°But Qian Hong went straight for the kill, trying to put Mo Hua to death.¡±


    Master Qian was startled, then sighed,


    ¡°He is the Family Head, and I am powerless.¡±


    Issues of the Qian Family, naturally, could only be decided by the Family Head. Although he was a Formation Master and an Elder, with no low status, he also had no power to influence the Family Head¡¯s decisions.


    Master Luo¡¯s gaze grew sharp, ¡°Have you considered your way out then?¡±


    ¡°A way out?¡±


    ¡°If the Qian Family continues to have smooth sailing, you can naturally continue to be an Elder of the Qian Family. But if the Qian Family falls, where will you go?¡±


    Master Qian displeased, ¡°Master, your words are not right. The Qian Family has been entrenched in Tongxian City for many years; how could they possibly fall just like that?¡±


    Master Luo drank tea but did not speak.


    Master Qian thought carefully, feeling a chill in his heart, and with a lowered attitude, he spoke softly,


    ¡°I am an Elder of the Qian Family and a Clan Formation Master, treated well by the clan. It is not appropriate for me to do things against the clan¡¯s interests.¡±


    Master Luo enlightened, ¡°You are treated well by the clan because you are a Formation Master. Would the Qian Family treat you well if you weren¡¯t a Formation Master?¡±


    Master Qian¡¯s heart trembled.


    He had known this deep down all along but had never given it much thought while in a high position.


    Master Qian had met various Cultivators from the Qian Family, some guarding the house, some serving tea and water, and others bowing and serving.


    These were also disciples of the Qian Family, but had they ever been treated well?


    If he weren¡¯t a Formation Master, he might not be much better off than them.


    The Clan treated him well because he was a Formation Master, not because he was a disciple of the Qian Family. What he enjoyed now, he realized upon reflection, was all because he was a Formation Master.


    Master Luo continued, ¡°If you are a Formation Master, the Qian Family, even weakened, will still treat you well. If you are not a Formation Master, even if the Qian Family is strong, they may not necessarily bless you.¡±


    Master Qian was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, ¡°Please enlighten me, Master Luo.¡±


    Master Luo raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What is the most important thing for a Formation Master?¡±


    Master Qian pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Is it the family and the inheritance?¡±


    Master Luo looked disappointed, sighed, and tapped his finger on the table,


    ¡°It¡¯s the Formation!¡±


    ¡°A Formation Master should delve into Formations, seeking higher accomplishments in Formation. If you were a Second-Rank Formation Master, would you still care about these petty matters at the Qi Refinement Realm?¡±


    Master Qian hesitated, ¡°But Formation is not so easy to learn¡­¡±


    Of course he knew that Formation was important, but without the family¡¯s support, without the inheritance of Formation, how was one to learn it?


    Master Luo glanced at him and said,


    ¡°You¡¯re already considered a First-Rank Formation Master, no need to rely too much on the family; the Qian Family doesn¡¯t have much higher inheritance in Formation to offer you. What you need to do now is to find a way to advance further in Formation.¡±


    ¡°Master Luo speaks wisely, but how can one advance further?¡± Master Qian said.


    Master Luo did not answer directly.


    Master Qian connected the previous conversation and thought for a moment, then understood, speaking slowly, ¡°Mo Hua?¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Luo nodded.


    ¡°But what does this have to with Mo Hua?¡± Master Qian wondered.


    Master Luo remained silent for a long time before he finally sighed deeply, reluctantly saying,


    ¡°In terms of formation skills, I admit that I am not as good as Mo Hua.¡±


    Master Qian widened his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re not joking, are you?¡±


    Master Luo¡¯s expression turned unsightly.


    Only then did Master Qian realize his faux pas. Formation Masters are naturally proud; no one would joke about such a matter.


    ¡°But¡­ but how is that possible? He¡¯s only so young,¡± Master Qian couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Never mind his age, the fact is the fact. The Cultivation World is vast, filled with countless geniuses of astonishing talent. It¡¯s perfectly normal for you and me, with our limited experience, to have not encountered them before,¡± explained Master Luo.


    Master Luo paused and added, ¡°Moreover, the younger he is, the broader his prospects, and his future achievements in formations will be even more immeasurable.¡±


    Master Qian furrowed his brows, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. He couldn¡¯t help but snort coldly,


    ¡°Even if he becomes a Second Rank Formation Master in the future, I don¡¯t want to ingratiate myself with him, doing such demeaning things!¡±


    ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± Master Luo scolded in a low voice, ¡°Who is asking you to ingratiate yourself? What you should be doing is creating good karma; so that in the future, for the sake of face, he might give you some guidance in formations.¡±


    ¡°In learning formations, one is not afraid of hardship, but of taking the wrong path. If he becomes a high-grade Formation Master, just a sentence or two from him could clarify your doubts and save you from taking many detours.¡±


    ¡°Still talking about ingratiating? At your age, with a face full of wrinkles, you¡¯re not a sprightly young girl. Who would care for your flattery?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Master Qian felt somewhat embarrassed, but after giving it some thought, he found Master Luo¡¯s words quite reasonable.


    For a Cultivator in Tongxian City, reaching First Rank as a Formation Master was the limit; anything beyond that was exceedingly difficult.


    Without any legacy or the guidance of a Second Rank Formation Master, many more advanced formations were incomprehensible to him at present; he had no idea where to begin.


    If Mo Hua really could go further, really could become a Second Rank Formation Master, then a few lofty tips from him in the future would indeed be worth ten years of his blind, fly-like floundering in study.


    As for pride, if Master Luo didn¡¯t care about it, what was there for him to worry about?


    Compared to the Dao of Formation, such matters were truly trivial.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Master Qian voiced his concern, ¡°The Qian Family wants to kill him, and I am the Qian Family¡¯s Formation Master. What if he holds a grudge and resents me for it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Master Luo said, ¡°I have met Mo Hua. The boy has an excellent temperament and character, and he understands reason. As long as you don¡¯t provoke him, he won¡¯t blame you.¡±


    Having lived for over a hundred years, Master Luo had a keen eye for judging people.


    Master Qian nodded, then frowned, ¡°So what should I do?¡±


    He certainly couldn¡¯t just betray the Qian Family¡­


    ¡°Do nothing.¡±


    Master Qian was stupefied, ¡°Do nothing?¡±


    ¡°Stay out of the Qian Family¡¯s disputes, and don¡¯t make things difficult for Mo Hua. Prepare some gifts for him, and I will deliver them on your behalf, explaining the situation. He won¡¯t blame you,¡± Master Luo said.


    After a long deliberation, Master Qian finally breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I must trouble Master Luo.¡±


    This solution suited him perfectly and spared him from being caught between two sides.


    The next day, he went to see Qian Hong. Without speaking outright, he still expressed his dissatisfaction about Qian Hong not taking his advice and recklessly sending someone to kill Mo Hua, thus creating deep enmity.


    Qian Hong was displeased, and their conversation was discordant, ending on sour terms.


    Qian Hong could no longer approach Master Qian about any task, but also did not dare to offend him too much.


    Master Qian was an Elder, soon to become a First Rank Formation Master, wielding considerable influence within the clan.


    If he were to push Master Qian into a corner, causing Master Qian to ally with other Elders, his position as Family Head would become precarious.


    Within the Qian Family, currently, only Master Qian had the potential to become a First Rank Formation Master, but there were many who could take over the role of Family Head, far more than just Qian Hong alone.


    Master Qian also took this opportunity to gradually distance himself from Qian Hong.

 Chapter 214 - 214 Court Leader_1

    Chapter 214: Chapter 214 Court Leader_1


    Mo Hua¡¯s recent life had suddenly become much more exciting.


    There were always cultivators from the Qian Family, or those hired by the Qian Family, who wanted to cause him trouble, yet every move they made was already within Mo Hua¡¯s watchful eyes.


    In most cases, before they could act, they would be discovered by Monster Hunters and thoroughly beaten up.


    In a few instances, they hid well and evaded the nearby Monster Hunters, but they didn¡¯t escape Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua would then call over a few uncle Monster Hunters, point his little hand, and one by one identify the Qian Family cultivators following him, and then they couldn¡¯t avoid a ruthless thrashing.


    Mo Hua would watch the show from the sidelines.


    This made Mo Hua¡¯s days of cultivating techniques and studying formations much less tedious.


    That day, as Mo Hua chewed on the wild fruits Aunt Jiang had given him, he chatted with An Xiaofu at the eatery.


    Ever since Mo Hua treated An Xiaofu to a meal that day, An Xiaofu had been running over every two or three days.


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your family have a Food Building?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve grown tired of that place; it¡¯s not as tasty as here, and besides, it¡¯s livelier here,¡± An Xiaofu said.


    During his first few visits, An Xiaofu was a bit restrained.


    The other cultivators, seeing his unusual attire, didn¡¯t talk to him either.


    Later, as he came more often and became familiar, and also because he was Mo Hua¡¯s friend, the other cultivators started chatting with him.


    Whether An Xiaofu was talking about food with great interest, or listening attentively to others talking about Big Black Mountain or neighborhood matters, he enjoyed the conversations.


    As time passed, An Xiaofu became less restrained than before.


    Occasionally, he would bring some wine brewed by the An Family to share with everyone, and in return, they would offer him wild fruits, cakes, and the like to try.


    The flavors might not be the best, but they were unique, and the sentiment was genuine.


    An Xiaofu grew even fonder of coming to this place.


    Staying at the An Family, he always felt somewhat oppressed.


    He preferred being in the eatery, chatting with ordinary cultivators, drinking wine, and enjoying a relaxed and comfortable time.


    Seeing him enjoying himself, Mo Hua also breathed a sigh of relief.


    An Xiaofu, after hearing some strange and interesting stories, would sometimes embellish or exaggerate them when recounting to Mo Hua; regardless of their truth, Mo Hua would listen with relish.


    As it grew late, An Xiaofu left reluctantly for home.


    Mo Hua saw him off, then turned to see Zhang Lan approaching from another cobblestone path.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang? What brings you here now?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°Busy, I¡¯ve just got some free time.¡±


    Mo Hua clearly didn¡¯t believe it. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan, resigned, ¡°Go on, order some food for me. Later, come over, I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Order whatever is expensive?¡±


    ¡°Yes, anything you like.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t really order anything too extravagant, just slightly more expensive items than usual that he found delicious but didn¡¯t often eat.


    There was a type of mutton with a slight gamey taste, but it was very fragrant when chewed.


    There was also a type of spicy and delicious dog meat.


    Both of these monster beasts were herbivores; although they killed people, they didn¡¯t eat them, so their Blood Qi was relatively clean.


    There were also some seasonal vegetables, cut fruits, and the like.


    A total of four or five dishes, both meat and vegetables, looking quite appealing, were laid out on Zhang Lan¡¯s table.


    Zhang Lan picked up a pair of chopsticks and handed them to Mo Hua, ¡°You sit down and eat too.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, took the chopsticks, and started eating.


    The dishes were all delicious, not only because they were made by his mother, but also because he was the one who ordered them.


    After a few bites, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but squint his eyes in enjoyment. Remembering that Zhang Lan would be paying with Spirit Stones, he declared generously:


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a 20% discount!¡±


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Alright, twenty percent discount! Many thanks, young shopkeeper!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Mo Hua also smiled and took another bite of mutton before asking,


    ¡°You said you had something to discuss with me, what is it?¡±


    Zhang Lan got straight to the point, ¡°The Court Leader wants to see you.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°The Court Leader? The Court Leader of the Taoist Court?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zhang Lan also tasted the meat, nodded, and continued, ¡°He heard that your Formation paintings are good, so he wants to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Just for that?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed.


    It wasn¡¯t just because the Formation paintings were good, but because they were too good.


    He didn¡¯t know when Mo Hua became capable of painting First-grade Formations. It surprised him when the Court Leader mentioned it.


    ¡°Being good at painting Formations naturally garners respect, and since you¡¯re also so young, the Court Leader definitely wants to meet you,¡± Zhang Lan said.


    ¡°There¡¯s another reason as well,¡± Zhang Lan said. ¡°It¡¯s because you helped build the Refinery Shop and the Alchemist¡¯s Business in the south of the city, which are now the biggest industries for Tao Cultivation in Tongxian City.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with the Court Leader?¡± Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    ¡°The Taoist Court also values achievements. Maintaining stability, collecting taxes from Spirit Stones, constructing projects for Tao Cultivation¡ªall count as achievements. The biggest Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business in Tongxian City were built under his governance, so naturally, they are considered his achievements.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly realized.


    Zhang Lan took a sip of wine and then said, ¡°In his youth, the old Court Leader was diligent and earnest, but he didn¡¯t have many achievements. Now that he¡¯s older and his ambitions have waned, he was thinking of retiring, when unexpectedly, a huge achievement like this fell into his lap.¡±


    Zhang Lan shook his head and said with a chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s like a windfall, I guess. That¡¯s why the old Court Leader is so grateful to you.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled sheepishly, ¡°I didn¡¯t do much, just painted some Formations.¡±


    Zhang Lan gave him a look, ¡°That¡¯s enough, being too modest is just arrogance.¡±


    You call that ¡°some¡± Formations?


    From the buildings to the Artifact Furnaces and Alchemy Furnaces, didn¡¯t you paint all those Formations?


    Thinking this, Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but sigh again.


    He had no idea how Mo Hua¡¯s little head worked, how he could possess such powerful Divine Sense.


    The entire Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business, all those Formations, he had completed them all by himself¡­


    Mo Hua then expressed his concerns, ¡°Meeting the Court Leader, is there anything in particular I should be aware of? Does he have any taboos?


    Zhang Lan shook his head.


    Mo Hua asked again, ¡°By the way, the Court Leader¡¯s surname isn¡¯t Fu, right?¡±


    Zhang Lan was startled, ¡°What about surname Fu?¡±


    ¡°With the surname ¡®Fu,¡¯ if demoted a level, one would become a Deputy Court Leader. So, if his surname is Fu, he could only be called Court Leader, not Fu Court Leader.¡±


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at this, ¡°Where did you hear that from?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of the experience of Tao Cultivation, don¡¯t worry about where I heard it,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Zhang Lan said helplessly, ¡°The Court Leader¡¯s surname is Zhou, he¡¯s a decent person, and he has no particular taboos. You¡¯re young, so even if you say something inappropriate, he won¡¯t blame you. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Two days later, Mo Hua followed Zhang Lan to the Taoist Court to meet Court Leader Zhou.


    The Taoist Court was quite impressive, but it clearly appeared somewhat old, with some rooms tightly shut, their contents unknown.


    The rooms they could enter were mostly used by the court cultivators for official duties, decorated in a stable and not overly luxurious manner, filled with various Cultivator Registrations, archives, and Jade Slips of different designs.


    It all seemed a bit uninteresting and different from what Mo Hua had imagined.


    This was the upper construction, and it was said that underneath there was a Taoist Prison.


    The so-called Taoist Prison was where cultivators who had violated the Taoist Law were imprisoned.


    Mo Hua was curious to see it and broaden his knowledge, but Zhang Lan wouldn¡¯t allow it.

 Chapter 215 - 215: The Ancestor_1

    Chapter 215: Chapter 215: The Ancestor_1


    ¡°Taoist Prison is not a place cultivators can enter at will. Ordinary cultivators had better not set foot in there in their lifetimes, for it is not a pleasant place.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling that Zhang Lan¡¯s words made sense.


    He wanted to be a ¡°law-abiding¡± good cultivator; it was better to avoid places like the Taoist Prison whenever possible.


    There were also many Formations inside and outside the Taoist Court.


    These Formations were quite subtle and not low in rank, some Mo Hua could discern, but others he could not.


    Mo Hua also did not dare to look too closely.


    After all, this was the Taoist Court, and if he caught sight of some forbidden Formations, that would truly be troublesome.


    Zhang Lan brought Mo Hua before Court Leader Zhou and respectfully performed a salute.


    Mo Hua followed suit with his salute, then sneakily raised his head to size up Court Leader Zhou.


    Court Leader Zhou was very old with graying hair, his figure slightly hunched, and his face genial. But within his gaze, there was still the dignity of someone who held a high position.


    Court Leader Zhou looked at Mo Hua and nodded, unable to resist praising him a few times.


    Mo Hua reciprocated with his own flattery toward Court Leader Zhou, picking up on the phrases Zhang Lan had told him, such as ¡°peace and order under your rule,¡± ¡°tremendous hard work and outstanding contributions,¡± and the like.


    Sure enough, the smile on Court Leader Zhou¡¯s face grew even brighter.


    He glanced at Zhang Lan and said, ¡°This child is indeed extraordinarily intelligent.¡±


    Zhang Lan chuckled with mixed emotions:


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he intelligent? These sycophantic phrases were all given by me, and in a blink of an eye, he has used them all¡­¡±


    Court Leader Zhou then inquired about the matter of Formations.


    Mo Hua honestly answered.


    However, as Court Leader Zhou himself was not adept in Formations, his questions seemed profound but were actually quite basic. Mo Hua found them effortless to answer.


    Court Leader Zhou was even more pleased, looking at Mo Hua with appreciative eyes.


    Enough had been said, as the conversation was merely casual small talk with no deep discussions intended.


    Court Leader Zhou, who oversaw the Taoist Court in Tongxian City, was busy with affairs, so Mo Hua and Zhang Lan saluted and took their leave.


    Before they left, Court Leader Zhou stopped Mo Hua, saying:


    ¡°I have spoken to the Qian Family about your matter; do not worry about it, just concentrate on your Formation studies.¡±


    Mo Hua, momentarily taken aback, then smiled and replied, ¡°Thank you, Court Leader Zhou!¡±


    Court Leader Zhou stroked his long beard, nodding with satisfaction.


    What he wanted to hear was that ¡°thank you.¡±


    Qian Family.


    In the cave dwelling of the Patriarch of the Qian Family, Qian Hong wore an expression of disbelief.


    The Patriarch had just advised him to be circumspect and no longer make things difficult for that Junior Formation master named Mo Hua.


    Qian Hong quickly said, ¡°Patriarch, Mo Hua is so young and already a first-rank Formation Master. If we let him be, I¡¯m afraid our Qian Family will soon have no place in Tongxian City.¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family was at the Qi Foundation Middle Stage in cultivation but was already old, his Blood Qi gradually weakening, and his cultivation also declining. Unless something significant happened, he would not interfere with the family affairs.


    His cloudy eyes fixed on Qian Hong, he slowly said, ¡°You should have acted earlier. Had you together with a few Foundation Establishment Elders quickly struck and killed the boy, now it¡¯s too late¡­¡±


    The breath of the Patriarch of the Qian Family was weak; his voice hoarse and his speech faltering.


    Qian Hong respectfully replied, ¡°Grandson wanted to be cautious and not act rashly, avoiding leaving any evidence behind.¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family scrutinized him with a discerning look, remaining silent.


    Feeling the pressure, Qian Hong felt compelled to add, ¡°The elders in the family all have their own agendas, and I fear they will not heed my commands.¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family looked disappointed, ¡°You are the Family Head; if they do not listen to your command, whom do you blame?¡±


    His words carried a significant weight, implying that Qian Hong was incompetent and unable to command respect.


    Qian Hong did not dare to argue and respectfully lowered his head, ¡°The Patriarch¡¯s reprimand is just.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± the Patriarch of the Qian Family coughed, ¡°are cruel, but not cruel enough; selfish, but not selfish enough; you can endure, but do not endure to the end.¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family sighed, ¡°You have a bit of everything, yet you lack a bit in every aspect.¡±


    Qian Hong immediately knelt down and kowtowed, ¡°Please give your grandson another chance. I will decisively cut the Gordian knot and kill that Junior Formation Master!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill him now¡­¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family slowly said, ¡°Even if you did, it would not be much better than if you did not.¡±


    Qian Hong didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Please enlighten me, Patriarch.¡±


    ¡°Go back and count for yourself, if that Junior Formation Master were killed, just how many people would take offense?¡±


    The murky eyes of the Patriarch of the Qian Family gradually closed, ¡°Go, think it over carefully.¡±


    Qian Hong bowed his head and respectfully withdrew.


    In the vast and hollow cave dwelling, only the Patriarch of the Qian Family was left.


    He looked down at his hands that resembled dried sticks, noticed the brown age spots on the back of his hands, and the occasionally peeling dead skin, his eyes numb.


    ¡°Am I about to die¡­¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family muttered, his voice hoarse beyond measure.


    After speaking, he began to cough violently, as if he were about to cough out his heart and lungs.


    The old Qian Family Patriarch quickly took a jade bottle from his bosom, shakily poured out a pill, and placed it in his mouth with great care, closing his eyes to assimilate the medicine¡¯s strength.


    Once the medicine took effect, the coughing subsided.


    Only then did the Patriarch of the Qian Family slowly open his eyes, which faintly showed traces of blood.


    ¡°But¡­ I still don¡¯t want to die¡­¡±


    After leaving the Patriarch¡¯s cave dwelling, Qian Hong immediately had people inquire who had spoken to the Patriarch and what had been said.


    At night, someone reported to him:


    ¡°It was the Court Leader from the Taoist Court who specifically visited the Patriarch, seemingly advising the Qian Family not to trouble the Junior Formation Master.¡±


    Qian Hong frowned, ¡°With no kinship or obligation, why would the Court Leader speak up for that Junior Formation Master?¡±


    He also recalled what the Patriarch had said, ¡°If that Junior Formation Master were killed, just how many people would I be offending¡­¡±


    Qian Hong went over the list of people Mo Hua knew and had someone inquire around, eventually receiving a piece of paper.


    Qian Hong glanced at it and then slumped into his chair.


    How could it be like this?


    The sheer number of names on the paper gave Qian Hong an unbearable headache:


    The Court Leader from the Taoist Court intended to protect Mo Hua, and Supervisor Zhang Lan from the Taoist Court was acquainted with Mo Hua, with the Zhang Family standing behind Court Leader Zhang.


    Among the Monster Hunters, it goes without saying that Elder Yu is overprotective.


    Regardless of their level, most of the Monster Hunters have been benefitted by the young man and were willingly safeguarding him.


    Among the Loose Cultivators, the majority of Artifact Refiners and Alchemists also knew Mo Hua. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Especially the widely connected Old Mr. Feng, who had watched Mo Hua grow up.


    The young master of the An Family was friends with Mo Hua. Old Master An was inherently at odds with the Qian Family, and naturally, he would side with Mo Hua in any issue. Moreover, as a leading Formation Master, it made even less sense for Old Master An not to help.


    Among the Formation Masters of Tongxian City, the leading Formation Master Luo had made it known that the city¡¯s Formation Masters should not trouble Mo Hua.


    Even within the Qian Family, Master Qian was unwilling to oppose Mo Hua.


    And the three visiting members of the Bai Family from afar, especially the pair of siblings, also seemed to have a good relationship with Mo Hua. Some had seen them strolling through the streets together during the Monster Hunting Festival¡­


    Qian Hong counted these connections one by one, unable to suppress the tingling sensation on his scalp.


    Mo Hua was just a teenager, how did he end up knowing so many Cultivators?


    If he truly killed Mo Hua, wouldn¡¯t he instantly create a massive problem?


    Qian Hong was both shocked and fearful inside.


    As the saying goes, even a mighty dragon does not suppress the local serpent.


    By all accounts, the Qian Family was the legitimate ¡°local serpent¡± of Tongxian City.


    But now it seemed, if the Qian Family were the local serpent, then this lad Mo Hua was a genuine ¡°Local Dragon.¡±


    Given this situation, how could he possibly lay a hand on him? And how could he dare to do so?


    How could things have developed to this point?


    Qian Hong¡¯s head throbbed with pain, and it took him a while to finally exhale a breath of relief. He massaged his forehead, and despite his reluctance, he could only helplessly say:


    ¡°Given the current circumstances, we can only plan in the long term, and bear with it for now¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to let Mo Hua off the hook, but at this point, he had no choice but to bear with it.


    Just endure for now, there will always be an opportunity¡­

 Chapter 216 - 216: Food Building (Five Updates)_1

    Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Food Building (Five Updates)_1


    ¡°`


    The Qian Family knew their limits and retreated, so they hadn¡¯t troubled him for many days.


    Mo Hua was happy for the break and started to continue with his own affairs.


    The Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business had been established, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about them anymore, and there was another matter he had wanted to plan for a while.


    One afternoon, An Xiaofu came over to eat again.


    He was drinking wine, eating meat, and chatting with everyone.


    Perhaps inheriting his mother¡¯s talent, An Xiaofu had a strong ability to listen to gossip and to gossip himself.


    When he listened, people loved to talk; when he talked, people loved to listen.


    Mo Hua waved him over.


    Seeing this, An Xiaofu was slightly taken aback, but then his expression brightened, and he scurried over immediately.


    When he got close, he saw that there was nothing on the table in front of Mo Hua and couldn¡¯t help but look puzzled:


    ¡°No food?¡±


    Mo Hua felt helpless; it seemed An Xiaofu thought he had been called over for food¡­


    ¡°Have you decided what you want to do?¡± Mo Hua asked directly.


    An Xiaofu sighed, ¡°Not yet¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Do you want to open a Food Building?¡±


    ¡°Food Building?¡± An Xiaofu was stunned for a moment, ¡°But our family already has a Food Building¡­¡±


    ¡°A different kind.¡±


    An Xiaofu furrowed his brow, thought for a long time, but still couldn¡¯t figure out what could be different. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t all Food Buildings more or less the same?¡±


    ¡°The Food Building you open will be your own.¡±


    ¡°My own?¡±


    After thinking about it, An Xiaofu had a sudden realization and jumped in shock, ¡°Are you suggesting I kill my father and take over the family¡¯s Food Building for myself?¡±


    Mo Hua also jumped in shock, ¡°How did you even come up with that idea¡­¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, a merchant passing by told me so after I treated him to a drink¡­¡± An Xiaofu whispered to Mo Hua:


    ¡°He said that a son secretly killed his father and took over his father¡¯s Tao Cultivation properties without leaving any trace. If it wasn¡¯t for the son spilling the beans while drunk, nobody would have known¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°You don¡¯t need to kill your father.¡±


    An Xiaofu heaved a sigh of relief and patted his chest, ¡°That¡¯s a relief, that¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°You should open a Food Building according to your own tastes.¡±


    ¡°My own tastes?¡±


    An Xiaofu was still somewhat confused.


    ¡°Do you like eating here?¡±


    An Xiaofu nodded.


    ¡°Do you like listening to stories?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Do you like the monster meat served here?¡±


    An Xiaofu nodded even more vigorously.


    ¡°Do you understand now?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    An Xiaofu sort of understood now, and his eyes gradually lit up, but he still expressed his doubts:


    ¡°But I have nothing.¡±


    ¡°What do you need to open a Food Building?¡±


    An Xiaofu counted on his fingers, ¡°You need Spirit Stone, a small building, Meal Masters, recipes, stoves, and staff¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle the stoves, you can get recipes from my mother, and you can ask Old Master An for Spirit Stone, premises, and staff.¡±


    ¡°My grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    An Xiaofu timidly said, ¡°My grandfather might not agree¡­¡±


    ¡°How will you know if you don¡¯t ask?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to open this Food Building?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    An Xiaofu tried to imagine it as Mo Hua had described and nodded earnestly, ¡°I do!¡±


    ¡°If you want to do it, you have to put in the effort to make it happen.¡±


    An Xiaofu felt a bit scared when he thought about his grandfather.


    So Mo Hua said, ¡°The more you fear something, the less you dare to do it, and the less you do it, the more you fear.¡±


    An Xiaofu mumbled something, unsure of himself.


    ¡°Will your grandfather hit you?¡±


    ¡°Not usually, but my father will¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of your father¡¯s glare?¡±


    An Xiaofu nodded.


    ¡°Then pretend your grandfather has already glared at you and beaten you up, and then you go and talk to him.¡±


    An Xiaofu was stunned.


    ¡°He¡¯s already glared and beaten you; what more is there to fear?¡±


    An Xiaofu had an epiphany and suddenly felt less afraid, ¡°It does make sense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua patted him on the shoulder, ¡°If you don¡¯t work hard now for the things you like, you will regret it later.¡±


    An Xiaofu felt a surge of boundless courage and nodded seriously.


    But the courage dissipated as soon as he got home.


    Thinking about his grandfather and father, he instinctively felt fear.


    What exactly he feared, he couldn¡¯t say, but he was very afraid.


    An Xiaofu couldn¡¯t eat and couldn¡¯t sleep at night; he wanted to go to Mo¡¯s restaurant to relax but felt guilty and too ashamed to face Mo Hua.


    Mo had encouraged him so much, yet he was backing out, which made An Xiaofu feel very guilty.


    An Xiaofu¡¯s mother saw him like this and was very worried:


    ¡°I told you to eat less, not to stop eating.¡±


    An Xiaofu whispered, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not that¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you been troubled by something these past few days?¡±


    An Xiaofu couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it.


    Unable to guess her son¡¯s troubles, she could only say, ¡°You¡¯ve got to eat up, you need strength to think.¡±


    An Xiaofu had no appetite initially, but after a few bites, he suddenly regained it and ended up eating voraciously, filling himself up.


    After eating, the vanished courage suddenly came flooding back.


    An Xiaofu said with a tragic face, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m off.¡±


    His mother watched, puzzled by her child¡¯s behavior¡­


    Filled with a resolve to face death, An Xiaofu walked down the long corridor and finally arrived at Old Master An¡¯s study.


    That walk almost drained all his energy.


    An Xiaofu stood for a long time, gathering some courage, before he gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and crossed the threshold of the study.


    Old Master An had known his grandson was coming for a while.


    When he was little and carefree, Xiaofu often ran here to play on his own.

 Chapter 217 - 216: Food Building (Five Updates)_2

    Chapter 217: Chapter 216: Food Building (Five Updates)_2


    But ever since he was seven or eight years old, he never took the initiative to approach the study again.


    Maybe it was because he had grown up and become more sensible, or perhaps, it was because he could read other people¡¯s expressions.


    Children may seem small, but their minds are extremely sharp; it¡¯s just that this sharpness is almost instinctual, and the children themselves may not even be aware of it.


    This time, for some reason, he suddenly came over on his own again.


    Only his expression was so solemn, as if he were going to execution¡­


    Old Master An looked on with complex emotions.


    ¡°After all, I am his grandfather. At most, I would scold him a bit, I¡¯m not going to eat him. Is there really a need to be so afraid¡­¡±


    An Xiaofu mustered up his courage and finally stood in front of Old Master An on his own initiative.


    ¡°Xiaofu, is there something you need?¡±


    Old Master An asked, trying to make his voice sound as kind as possible.


    An Xiaofu stuttered for a long time before he managed to speak:


    ¡°Grandfather, I¡­ I want to open a¡­ Food Building.¡±


    Old Master An frowned, ¡°Hasn¡¯t the An Family already opened many Food Buildings?¡±


    An Xiaofu seemed timid, but still plucked up the courage to say, ¡°I want to open one myself.¡±


    ¡°Why do you suddenly want to open a Food Building? Did someone say something to you?¡± Old Master An asked calmly.


    An Xiaofu felt it was important to keep his loyalty, so he didn¡¯t sell out Mo Hua, and simply said:


    ¡°No one said anything to me, I want to open it by myself.¡±


    Old Master An raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°What about the location and the Spirit Stones for the capital?¡±


    An Xiaofu said, ¡°I will ask you, Grandfather, for it!¡±


    As he said this, he was even a little bit self-righteous.


    Old Master An was somewhat surprised, then asked, ¡°What about the meals and the recipes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already got a lead.¡±


    ¡°And the stove?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find someone to refine it.¡±


    ¡°What about the Formation on the stove?¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua will help me draw it.¡±


    An Xiaofu blurted out.


    As soon as Formations were mentioned, Mo Hua was the first one that came to his mind¡­


    Old Master An then understood.


    But he wasn¡¯t displeased; on the contrary, he was quite happy.


    If Mo Hua would help An Xiaofu, no matter what it was, it would be a good thing.


    Old Master An pretended to ponder and didn¡¯t speak.


    An Xiaofu felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, filled with both anticipation and anxiety, his heart fluttering up and down as sweat continuously beaded on his plump forehead. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Master An felt it was enough and then nodded his head, saying, ¡°I agree.¡±


    Overjoyed, An Xiaofu¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Really?¡±


    Old Master An nodded, ¡°Go to your father. Whatever you lack, just say I agreed. He is not allowed to make excuses.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh,¡± An Xiaofu nodded repeatedly then immediately ran out.


    Halfway through his run, he suddenly remembered something and rushed back, saying respectfully:


    ¡°Thank you, Grandfather!¡±


    Old Master An shook his head with a trace of helplessness, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    An Xiaofu ran out again, his entire body immersed in joy, his feet feeling soft as if he were walking on cotton.


    An Xiaofu found his father An Yonglu and relayed his grandfather¡¯s words.


    An Yonglu was surprised, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Grandfather promised!¡± An Xiaofu became even more self-righteous.


    An Yonglu was somewhat skeptical, but he also knew his son wasn¡¯t brave enough to lie on such a grand scale, especially not using Old Master An¡¯s name.


    An Yonglu agreed, and as An Xiaofu left happily, he went to find Old Master An.


    ¡°Father, about Xiaofu¡¯s matter¡­¡±


    ¡°Just let him do it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°There is nothing but. How many Spirit Stones does it take to open a Food Building? If Mo Hua is willing to help him, all these are worth it.¡±


    ¡°Why would Mo Hua help Xiaofu?¡± An Yonglu was confused.


    ¡°Probably has something to do with their relationship,¡± Old Master An casually glanced at An Yonglu, ¡°In Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, your son has more face than you. If you asked Mo Hua for help, he might not even bother with you.¡±


    An Yonglu gave an embarrassed laugh.


    ¡°But,¡± An Yonglu voiced his confusion again, ¡°why does he want to open a Food Building?¡±


    Although a Food Building could also earn Spirit Stones, it was certainly not as lucrative as an Artifact Refinery or an Alchemist¡¯s Business.


    ¡°`


    What was Mo Hua¡¯s purpose for opening this Food Building?


    Old Master An couldn¡¯t figure it out for a moment, but although Mo Hua was a Formation Master, he was still just a child after all.


    Sometimes, what a child had in mind was truly elusive to him.


    ¡°Probably just fooling around, doing it for fun, I guess.¡±


    Old Master An sighed and then instructed An Yonglu:


    ¡°Whatever Xiaofu wants, just give it to him. It¡¯s just a meal building, let them do as they please. Consider it building a good relationship with that child Mo Hua.¡±


    An Yonglu nodded, ¡°Alright, Dad.¡±


    Xiaofu mustered all his courage, met with his grandfather, and made his request, which his grandfather also agreed to.


    The location for the meal building he wanted to open was decided.


    Xiaofu felt he had accomplished his mission, not having let Mo Hua down, and he let out a sigh of relief.


    That afternoon, he went to Mo Hua¡¯s eatery, happy and excited.


    He had completed his task, and now had the ¡°face¡± to see Mo Hua again.


    Mo Hua praised him and treated him to a lot of good food.


    Xiaofu was deeply touched and decided to make up for the past few days of hunger.


    Then, the preparation for the Food Building began.


    Compared to the Refinery Shop or the Alchemist¡¯s Business, setting up the Food Building was much simpler.


    Moreover, since the An family had opened so many Food Buildings before, everything was routine for them, from selecting the location to hiring workers. The An family handled it all, with no need for Mo Hua to worry.


    The only thing Mo Hua had to care about were the stoves and the formations on them.


    The stoves in the eatery were made by Master Chen at Mo Hua¡¯s request, and the formations were also drawn by Mo Hua.


    However, at that time Mo Hua¡¯s skill in formations was still quite rudimentary, the stoves were relatively small, the fire was not very impressive, and the functionality was average.


    Mo Hua suggested replacing it, but Liu Ruhua disagreed.


    It was the original stove used since the eatery had opened, and the formations had been personally drawn by Mo Hua. She had become accustomed to it over the years, and she didn¡¯t want to waste Spirit Stones to replace it.


    But now, for the new Food Building, the small stove would definitely not suffice, and Mo Hua wanted to refine a larger, first-grade stove.


    Mo Hua went to request Master Chen¡¯s help, who naturally agreed right away.


    He had already refined first-grade Refining Furnaces and Alchemy Furnaces, so a stove would be a piece of cake.


    The Artifice Manual was provided by Master Chen, the materials were provided by Elder Yu, and then the Artifact Refiners worked together. In less than a week, the stove was ready.


    The refined stove was two-person tall, made of sturdy and durable materials, and had a different shape from the Refining Furnace and Alchemy Furnace, with fewer immortal patterns and a bit more of an earthly feel.


    This stove was already up to the standard of a first-grade Spiritual Artifact.


    Mo Hua looked at it and was very satisfied.


    After that, he drew a simplified version of the first-grade Melting Fire and Controlling Spirit Compound Formation inside the stove.


    This Compound Formation could also control the intensity of the fire and had a Cold Air Formation for cooling, but it only contained one set of first-grade Melting Fire Formation.


    Cooking food didn¡¯t need Artifact Refining, one set was enough.


    If the fire was too strong, it could easily damage the stove.


    Once the stove was built, the Food Building was also renovated.


    The location of the Food Building was not on North Main Street but was chosen on South Main Street, where Loose Cultivators lived.


    With the An family¡¯s Spiritual Meal Building on North Main Street, opening another there was pointless, and besides, Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to open one on North Street either.


    He opened this meal building wanting the Loose Cultivators to be able to afford meat.


    So naturally, he chose the heavily populated South Street.


    The meal building was named ¡°Fulu Building,¡± hoping that all the Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City could have some good luck, and despite a tough life, having something delicious to eat would always bring some happiness.


    Half of the Fulu Building belonged to Xiaofu and the other half to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua entrusted his half to his mother.


    Liu Ruhua disagreed, but Mo Hua said:


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s mine is yours too. You can look after this meal building for me first.¡±


    Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t win the argument against Mo Hua, so she had to agree.


    The recipes for the meal building were provided by Liu Ruhua, and the Meal Masters were also guided by her, but she didn¡¯t need to do the hard work. She just needed to continue managing the eatery and study the culinary recipes.


    The specifics of the meal building were taken care of by Xiaofu.


    Xiaofu was a young master of the An family. Even if he didn¡¯t know how, the An family would find someone to teach him. Even if he made some mistakes at first, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. With time, he naturally became adept at dealing with people.


    Xiaofu, although a member of the clan, was kind-hearted and sincere, actually very suitable for the meal building business.


    Moreover, the An family was already in the meal building business. Raised in this environment, Xiaofu would learn faster and do better.


    This was why Mo Hua pulled Xiaofu in, along with the support of the An family behind him.


    He did not want his mother to work too hard.


    Running an eatery was strenuous, not to mention a meal building that was even larger.


    Xiaofu, chubby and fond of eating, could stand to lose some weight with the work, whereas his mother, with her frail health, should not be overworked. She just needed to focus on devising recipes, occasionally cooking delicious food.


    She would do what she wanted without the stress.


    Mo Hua had thought everything through very carefully.

 Chapter 218 - 217 Affluence_1

    Chapter 218: Chapter 217 Affluence_1


    Fulu Building took up a large space, and to express goodwill towards Mo Hua, Old Master An bought three adjacent buildings and renovated them into the Food Building.


    The location was also very good, facilitating north-south traffic with a constant flow of people.


    Because it was on South Main Street, the area was affordable, so the cost in Spirit Stones wasn¡¯t considered much, at least not for the An Family.


    Fulu Building had two floors; the second floor contained private rooms and the first floor was the main hall, with some tables and benches seated outside as well.


    The entire Fulu Building could accommodate many diners, and also offered meat snacks for takeout.


    The recipes used in the Food Building were provided by Liu Ruhua, which included various cooking methods for Monster Beast meat. After long-term research and improvement by Liu Ruhua, the flavors were rich and unique.


    The stove in the Food Building was a top-grade stove, large and adorned with a top-grade Compound Formation, producing strong fire that could be regulated to cook many ingredients at the same time.


    Therefore, many of the dishes in the Food Building were very affordably priced.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s initial intent: to reduce costs and improve cooking efficiency by using a large stove.


    Thus, most Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City could spend fewer Spirit Stones for tastier meals.


    Cheap and delicious, naturally, the customers flocked to the door, and the crowd was large. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Food Building could also achieve a small profit but quick turnover, earning a substantial amount of Spirit Stones.


    But with such a large establishment, quite a number of helping hands were needed.


    Injured Monster Hunters, or Loose Cultivator women not adept in Taoist Skills, could also find a job to earn some Spirit Stones to support their families.


    After all preparations were completed, Fulu Building opened for business on an auspicious day.


    After the opening, Fulu Building was continuously packed with people, doing very well in business.


    Mo Hua watched happily and also breathed a sigh of relief.


    But An Xiaofu began to feel anxious.


    With an entire Food Building and so many diners bustling about, he initially didn¡¯t know what to do.


    More importantly, he was the junior manager, and according to Mo Hua, he would have to handle these matters by himself in the future.


    An Xiaofu felt overwhelmed.


    Although there were An Family members who could help him, they could only provide temporary help, not a lasting solution. These were things he still had to learn and do.


    But he didn¡¯t know where to start learning or what to do first.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to think of yourself as the junior manager, just continue as if you¡¯re in a diner, chatting and eating with the guests, no need to be too rigid.¡±


    After hearing this, An Xiaofu relaxed.


    He could run up and down, greeting familiar Monster Hunters, offering them a toast with a glass of wine, serving some snacks, and recommending the Food Building¡¯s signature dishes.


    Being a food lover, he was eloquent when discussing these topics, speaking with ease and authority.


    When he had idle time, he still enjoyed joining a table to listen to others sharing experience in Tao Cultivation or hearing peculiar and strange stories. If he found the stories to be good, he would even offer a pot of wine.


    The Food Building would occasionally invite storytellers to tell stories.


    If the stories were too outdated, An Xiaofu would draw from his knowledge to create some stories for the storyteller to share with the crowd, often earning a round of applause.


    Gradually, An Xiaofu got to know more diners, becoming more talkative and much brighter in spirit.


    Old Master An and An Yonglu also came to visit, seeing An Xiaofu running up and down, sweating profusely, yet full of vigor.


    This demeanor was completely different from his behavior within the Clan.


    An Yonglu sighed, feeling content.


    Old Master An, however, glanced at him with a slight sense of helplessness.


    He had not wished for the An Family to continue in the food business, but it seemed that his son and grandson were only capable of running a Food Building.


    They had no ambition for running a Refinery Shop or an Alchemist¡¯s Business.


    They lacked the means to compete with the Qian Family, whether in the open or in secret.


    Considering this situation, the An Family might only be capable of running a Food Building for a lifetime¡­


    Yet An Xiaofu felt there was nothing wrong with running a Food Building.


    He could eat his fill, allow others to be well-fed, and even provide good food to everyone.


    But occasionally, he had doubts and asked Mo Hua,


    ¡°If I run a Food Building for a lifetime, won¡¯t I be looked down upon by others¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°In the pursuit of Taoist cultivation, every profession has its strength. Excelling in any field is something remarkable. If you can open Food Buildings throughout the nine states of the Cultivation World, allowing everyone to have meat to eat, who would dare to look down upon you?¡±


    An Xiaofu was stunned; he hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead.


    ¡°Nine State is so vast, can we really open branches everywhere?¡± An Xiaofu asked, somewhat doubtful.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°But how would we know without trying?¡±


    An Xiaofu nodded, silently making up his mind.


    Although his cultivation level was still low, and there was only one Food Building, he would work hard to open many more, allowing everyone to enjoy meat and wine with joy!


    After the opening of the Fulu Building, it gradually got on the right track, and a month later, it was the New Year festival.


    With half a month to go before the New Year, the Alchemist¡¯s Business was finally completed.


    Master Ban settled the Spirit Stone payments, and the craftsmen were all able to go home for the New Year with high spirits.


    Before leaving, Master Ban, along with some lead craftsmen, visited Mo Hua to express their gratitude and even brought some New Year¡¯s gifts.


    Without Mo Hua¡¯s swift and quality Formation drawings, such a large Taoist building project wouldn¡¯t have been completed until after the New Year.


    In that case, they would either not be able to return home for the festival or, even if they did go back, they would be without Spirit Stones, making it a difficult year.


    Master Ban praised Mo Hua, and Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were also very happy, so they invited Master Ban and his team for a meal.


    Everyone enjoyed a lively meal together, drinking plenty of wine.


    After the meal, it was time for Master Ban and his team to set off on their journey.


    Before leaving, Master Ban made a point of telling Mo Hua that if she ever needed craftsmen, they were just a call away, with a promise of no shoddy work and guaranteed satisfaction.


    He also invited Mo Hua to visit the neighboring Qingxuan City when she had time, offering to show her around and introduce her to the local customs and culture.


    Mo Hua nodded her agreement, waving goodbye as Master Ban left.


    The group of craftsmen, each with a storage bag on their back, and pushing small wooden carts laden with worn Storage Boxes; tools that didn¡¯t fit in the boxes were haphazardly piled on top.


    Step by step, they walked along the cobblestone streets, departing through the gates of Tongxian City, embarking on the dusty road home.


    Mo Hua stood at the doorway, watching their receding figures, waving farewell once again.


    She hoped they would all return home safely and have a wonderful New Year.


    She also hoped that in the years to come, they would all be able to return home safely and joyfully for the New Year.


    About ten days later, every family in Tongxian City was preparing for the New Year.


    The streets were decorated with lanterns and tinsel, bustling with festive cheer.


    This might have been the wealthiest and liveliest New Year that the ordinary Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City had experienced in a century, or perhaps even several centuries.


    The essential industries for Tao Cultivation were all in place.


    The Refinery Shop produced Spiritual Artifacts, the Alchemist¡¯s Business concocted Pills, and the Fulu Building cooked meat dishes.


    With Spiritual Artifacts, Monster Hunters could suffer fewer injuries, with Pills, lower-level Loose Cultivators could experience fewer ailments, and with the Food Building, everyone¡¯s diet could improve.


    And whether it was the Refinery Shop, Alchemist¡¯s Business, or Fulu Building, all could provide Loose Cultivators with a means of livelihood or a way to earn Spirit Stones.


    Monster Hunters, Artifact Refiners, Alchemists, Meal Masters, or just ordinary Loose Cultivators, all could find stable work and earn Spirit Stones for living and cultivation.


    Their apparel, necessities, and overall standard of living had also improved from before.


    So, this year was exceptionally prosperous, and naturally, it was also exceptionally lively.


    Cultivators bustled through the streets, streaming endlessly back and forth.


    Market Towns were everywhere, with stalls displaying a medley of goods, offering a dazzling selection of food, drinks, entertainment, and all kinds of leisure items.


    There were many ingenious toys, distinctive snacks, wine fragrant enough to waft for miles, and entertainers competing in splendor.


    Caught up in such a lively atmosphere, Mo Hua, too, began to feel joyful.


    The life of a Cultivator, seeking the Tao, is arduous, as is the struggle to make a living.


    As for other matters, there wasn¡¯t much Mo Hua could do; what she could do was, within her capabilities, make life better for the Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City.


    Having grown up there, she had received much care from her neighbors and her uncles and aunts.


    Now that she had learned Formation, she naturally wanted to help the community.


    At this thought, Mo Hua once again felt fortunate.


    It was a good thing her Sea of Consciousness contained a Taoist Stele, and it was a good thing she had learned Formation.


    Formations followed the principles of the Heavenly Dao, and perhaps it was only with Formations that she could help so many Cultivators.

 Chapter 219 - 218 Annual Ceremony_1

    Chapter 219: Chapter 218 Annual Ceremony_1


    A few days before the festival, Mo Hua paid an early visit to Mr. Zhuang, bringing some new year¡¯s gifts, all personally prepared by Liu Ruhua.


    Such things as Spirit Stones and Spiritual Artifacts, Mr. Zhuang did not need.


    Liu Ruhua thought for a long time, not knowing what would be the best gift, so she could only follow the usual custom, making more delicious food to express her sentiment.


    Liu Ruhua had started preparing more than ten days in advance, busily bustling around until now when she finally finished.


    There were sauces made from various parts of different monster beasts like oxen, sheep, pigs, and dogs, with different flavors, as well as multicolored pastries made from various grains, and wines brewed from osmanthus, peach blossoms, and wild fruits from the mountains.


    Even Mr. Zhuang, who was accustomed to such fare, couldn¡¯t help but be somewhat surprised.


    ¡°So much! How can one finish it all?¡±


    He then eagerly started tasting one after the other, occasionally furrowing his brows and asking, ¡°What meat is this? I¡¯ve never tasted it before¡­¡± and occasionally nodding in approval, ¡°This flavor is quite good.¡±


    Mo Hua sat by Mr. Zhuang¡¯s side, chatting with him.


    He explained to Mr. Zhuang which monster beef was used, what spices were added, and whether it was cooked with high or low heat for how many hours.


    Or he would ask minor questions about the Formation, and occasionally, they chatted about amusing incidents from the city.


    Many of these stories were told to him by An Xiaofu.


    An Xiaofu, now the young manager of Fulu Building, dealt with customers every day, chatting idly with others, and had heard a bellyful of stories. When he was free, he would chat idlely with Mo Hua, embellishing the tales before retelling them to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua found them interesting and recounted them to Mr. Zhuang, who enjoyed listening while drinking and eating.


    After chatting for a long time, Mo Hua saw the bamboo room was serene and quiet but inevitably a bit lonely and asked:


    ¡°Gentlemen, are you planning to go out during the New Year? It¡¯s very lively outside.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang seemed to have always stayed in this Forgetful Residence, either resting in the bamboo room, watching the water from the bridge, or sitting in the courtyard, gazing at the mountain scenery, enjoying the breeze, the morning sun, and the sunset glow.


    Mo Hua had never seen Mr. Zhuang leave the residence.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, ¡°It¡¯s quiet here; I do not like the hustle and bustle.¡±


    ¡°Oh, got it,¡± Mo Hua nodded. ¡°Then, does my talking to you bother you?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Too much silence can be dull. It¡¯s quite nice to chat with you.¡±


    Mo Hua was relieved.


    A fresh breeze swept through the room, bamboo rustled outside, the plants swayed.


    Mo Hua and Mr. Zhuang chatted for a long time, their crisp and rich voices weaving together and drifting into the mountains with the wind.


    It was not until Mr. Zhuang looked a bit weary, perhaps from eating too much and feeling sleepy, that Mo Hua stood up to take his leave:


    ¡°I won¡¯t disturb the gentleman¡¯s rest. My mother also made some new year¡¯s cakes, sweet, soft, and sticky. I¡¯ll bring some over for you to taste in a few days.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, ¡°Alright, off you go.¡±


    After parting with Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua found Old Kui and also delivered some new year¡¯s gifts.


    Mo Hua knew what Old Kui liked.


    Although Old Kui appeared old, he didn¡¯t like soft and sticky foods; he preferred crispy ones, and those that made a sound while eating.


    Therefore, Mo Hua¡¯s gifts were some crisp snacks and a few boxes of pine nuts, some plain, some spiced, and some hot and spicy.


    Old Kui tucked his gifts into his sleeve, then took out a chessboard from the same sleeve, glancing at Mo Hua.


    Seeing that it was still early, Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s play!¡±


    The breeze floated by, leaves fluttered down, and the sound of the chess pieces filled the courtyard.


    The two poor players thus spent half the day immersed in a game of Five Elements Chess.


    In the evening, Da¡¯hu and the others called Mo Hua to watch the Monster Hunting play.


    This play was meant for them to perform, and in addition, there were Daping and Dazhu from the Refinery Shop.


    The swords and Rattan Armor used in the play were ready-made, and the props for portraying Monster Beasts were borrowed; Da¡¯hu and the others joined in both for the fun and to earn some rewards.


    Originally, it was Da¡¯hu and Daping who would play the Monster Hunters, because they were Monster Hunters themselves.


    Monster Beasts were to be played by Dazhu and a few Disciples from the Refinery Shop, but Da¡¯hu and his two brothers thought Dazhu and his group weren¡¯t convincing, the Monster Beasts looked too stupid, like idiots, therefore they decided to play the roles themselves.


    The Monster Beasts in Big Black Mountain were ferocious, and couldn¡¯t afford to be portrayed as dim-witted and dumb.


    So in the end, it was the three Monster Hunters, Da¡¯hu and his brothers, who played the Monster Beasts, while Dazhu, the Artifact Refiner, played the role of a Monster Hunter.


    Their performance was quite convincing and had some style.


    Mo Hua stood by the side, applauding them and rewarding them as well.


    The surrounding Cultivators also joined in the fun, each taking out a few Broken Spirit Stones to show their encouragement. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the play was over, Da¡¯hu and his group took Mo Hua to find some delicious food and entertaining places to visit and play.


    Da¡¯hu had already reached the seventh level of Qi Refinement and was considered a late-stage Qi Refinement Cultivator.


    Mo Hua humbly asked for advice, ¡°What should I pay attention to when breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refinement?¡±


    He had already reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement, so one more step would take him to the seventh level, which was the late stage of Qi Refinement.


    Though he and Da¡¯hu were cultivating different Techniques, he could still listen to advice and take reference to have an idea in his mind.


    Da¡¯hu scratched his head, ¡°Just keep cultivating normally. Then, you need some Spiritual Objects. The Cultivation Technique I use requires Sunset Grass and Melting Fire Stones, along with some Pills, and then you can break through.¡±


    ¡°Is it that simple?¡±


    ¡°Not every breakthrough is successful; I was just lucky this time. Otherwise, I might have to try several times,¡± Da¡¯hu said.


    Shuanghu on the side said, ¡°I failed once; otherwise, I¡¯d be in the late stage of Qi Refinement now.¡±


    ¡°What do you do if you fail?¡±


    ¡°Just continue cultivating, save up more Spirit Stones, buy Spiritual Objects and Pills again, then try to make a breakthrough.¡±


    Shuanghu said indifferently, ¡°As long as a Cultivator doesn¡¯t die, they have to keep doing this kind of thing, unless they resign themselves to fate, or are too poor to afford Spirit Stones, or they have a family to support and the burdens are too great.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It sounds simple, but to persist and do it for a lifetime, that¡¯s not easy at all.¡±


    Xiaohu worriedly said, ¡°The main problem is that some Spiritual Objects are too expensive, difficult for Loose Cultivators to buy, and some aren¡¯t even available. One breakthrough consumes everything, and if you fail, you must buy another set.¡±


    Daping and Dazhu also nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly! Where do Loose Cultivators get so many Spirit Stones and such wide connections to buy those Spiritual Objects.¡±


    Everyone started to worry.


    Mo Hua also worried for a bit but then remembered that his practice of Heaven Yan Jue didn¡¯t require any Spiritual Objects and didn¡¯t cost many Spirit Stones; he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    The bottleneck of Heaven Yan Jue lay in the Sea of Consciousness and in Formation, not in Spiritual Objects.


    That was precisely why he chose this Cultivation Technique.


    Mo Hua silently congratulated himself on his foresight.


    But then he thought again, although Heaven Yan Jue¡¯s breakthrough didn¡¯t need Spiritual Objects, it required solving Mystery Formations.


    Mystery Formations were profound and complex, abstruse and ever-changing; solving them was no easy feat.


    The Great Dao metes out fortune and misfortune¡ªit seemed relatively fair, not letting you find any loopholes.


    He just didn¡¯t know what the Mystery Formation in his Sea of Consciousness would be like this time¡­


    Mo Hua silently calculated in his mind:


    ¡°I¡¯m already at the sixth level of Qi Refinement. It probably won¡¯t take long for me to reach the peak of the sixth level. When I try to break through then, I¡¯ll find out what kind of Mystery Formation I have to solve this time.¡±

 Chapter 220 - 219 Coming and Going_1

    Chapter 220: Chapter 219 Coming and Going_1


    ¡°`


    However, that would be something to consider after the New Year had passed.


    Recently, there had been many things to deal with, which had been quite distracting, and drawing Formations had also been quite tiring. At least for this New Year, Mo Hua could relax a bit and not have to worry too much.


    But Mo Hua soon realized that even without considering cultivation and Formations, there were still many things to be busy with.


    Because there were gifts to give and return.


    Moreover, many of those gifts required Mo Hua to deliver, and many needed Mo Hua to reciprocate.


    Previously, he was just an obscure little cultivator, and naturally, there was nothing to be concerned about.


    But now, having become a somewhat renowned Junior Formation Master, and knowing many cultivators, some exchanges had become unavoidable.


    For instance, the old Court Leader from the Taoist Court had sent him a Jade Pendant, and the An Family had sent some fine wine and Spiritual Meat, along with other smaller clans who had also sent over some New Year gifts.


    None were particularly valuable, but they were all tokens of goodwill.


    Mo Hua then sought out some familiar clans and cultivators with whom he had deeper relationships and personally visited to express his thanks.


    For example, the Court Leader and Old Master An, both prominent cultivators within Tongxian City, had given gifts, so Mo Hua simply couldn¡¯t avoid returning the favor.


    Mo Hua had also brought some gifts.


    These gifts were relatively simple, casually purchased with Flower Spirit Stones, but not so simple was the fact that he had inscribed each of them with Formations.


    For example, a lantern with the character ¡°Fortune¡± had the Bright Fire Formation drawn inside it, which, once lit, caused the character to emit a dazzling light. There was also a small Screen with the Cold Air Formation and a blanket with the Warm Air Formation among other items.


    Neither extravagant nor ordinary, they were practical, and while they seemed simple, they clearly showed careful thought.


    This fitted his status as a Junior Formation Master perfectly, and most importantly, it matched his financial capacity¡ªhe didn¡¯t have that many Spirit Stones to spend on expensive gifts.


    The old Court Leader and Old Master An were both very pleased.


    Other cultivators were already content with receiving a reciprocated gift from Mo Hua, and seeing that the gifts contained Formations personally drawn by Mo Hua made them even more delighted.


    Mo Hua also brought some gifts for Master Chen.


    With the New Year approaching, Master Chen was still busy in the Refinery Shop, and all the Artifact Refiners were making Spiritual Artifacts. It was likely they wouldn¡¯t finish until New Year¡¯s Eve, after which they could relax and celebrate the New Year.


    Even though it was hard, the Spirit Stones they earned from selling the Spiritual Artifacts were substantial, so they didn¡¯t feel it was too much of a hardship.


    Master Chen, having no children and only Dazhu as his disciple, cared even less.


    Mo Hua brought Master Chen plenty of delicious food and several jars of fine wine, which made Master Chen smile from ear to ear.


    ¡°This wine is good, having wine is enough!¡±


    Living alone, accompanied by wine and meat, that too was a way to celebrate the New Year.


    For many years, that was how Master Chen had spent his New Year, and he didn¡¯t feel lonely. Besides, after the New Year, a heap of disciples would visit to pay their respects; it would be quite lively then.


    After chatting with Master Chen for a few moments, Master Chen asked:


    ¡°Do you want a Spiritual Artifact?¡±


    ¡°What kind of Spiritual Artifact?¡±


    ¡°Anything will do, just don¡¯t choose a sword. That¡¯s more challenging to refine, and I¡¯m not very good at it.¡±


    ¡°Like a saber, spear, staff, or club?¡±


    Master Chen nodded. ¡°Thanks to your Refining Furnace, my skill in Artifact Refining has greatly improved recently. I can refine a first-grade Spiritual Artifact now. Choose one, and I¡¯ll refine it for you, to protect yourself with.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment but still didn¡¯t know what to choose.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a Body Cultivator, so choosing these doesn¡¯t seem very useful for me¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter,¡± Master Chen said with a smile. ¡°The main thing is, I¡¯m eager to refine more Spiritual Artifacts and practice my skill.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what to say¡­


    ¡°Then you won¡¯t help others refine?¡±


    ¡°Some people have asked me to refine for them, but those are not urgent; it makes no difference sooner or later. I¡¯ll refine one for you first.¡±


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua indeed wanted to forge an ¡°Eighteen-Foot Steel Spear¡± or an ¡°Azure Dragon Crescent Blade¡± of the sort, but even if he managed to forge one, he wouldn¡¯t have any use for it, seeing as he was not a Body Cultivator.


    ¡°Then could you forge something for my father?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush this matter; Elder Yu from Taoist Court has made arrangements already; there is no need for you to worry.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Master Chen then said, ¡°If all else fails, I can forge a small knife for you, suitable for cutting beef or peeling fruit.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was complex. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it some more.¡±


    To rarely forge a first-rate Spiritual Artifact, it should at the very least be something serious, not some fruit knife¡­


    Master Chen nodded, ¡°Alright, let me know once you¡¯ve decided.¡±


    After saying goodbye to Master Chen, Mo Hua went to visit Old Mr. Feng.


    Previously, Old Mr. Feng only held consultations at Apricot Forest Hall and never made house calls apart from his medical practice.


    Now that the Alchemist¡¯s Business was established, Old Mr. Feng would come over whenever he had free time. Some ill Cultivators would even find their way to the Alchemist¡¯s Business, asking Old Mr. Feng to see patients or concoct Pill.


    Old Mr. Feng was in the neighboring Alchemist¡¯s Business, counting Pills, organizing Pill Recipes, and also verifying the quality of the Pills produced.


    Mo Hua brought his annual gifts to Old Mr. Feng, who in turn stuffed a bunch of Pills into Mo Hua¡¯s hands.


    There were Pills for treating fire and water poison, for warding off miasma, for clearing the mind and focusing the spirit, Fasting Pills to satiate hunger, Hemostatic Pills to stop bleeding, and a few Small Rejuvenation Pills for emergency life-saving.


    Each type of Pill was sorted neatly, labeled, and their uses detailed.


    Mo Hua thanked Old Mr. Feng and was about to leave when Old Mr. Feng called him back and gave him a bottle of Pills.


    Sniffing the bottle, Mo Hua asked,


    ¡°Grandpa Feng, what kind of Pills are these? They smell sour and sweet, quite pleasant.¡±


    ¡°Those are Digestion Pills, used for aiding diet and digestion. I fear you might overeat and hurt your stomach, so take a few after meals. If you¡¯re ever peckish, they can also serve as snacks.¡±


    Mo Hua happily said, ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Feng.¡±


    After the busy exchange of gifts, Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the bustle was nearly over, only to receive annual presents sent by Master Luo¡¯s messenger.


    A red-gold storage box sat in the courtyard of Mo Hua¡¯s house, indicating a generous gift just by its appearance.


    Opening it, Mo Hua was surprised.


    Inside were not only gifts from Master Luo but, unexpectedly, also presents from Master Qian¡­


    It seemed he didn¡¯t want others to know, so he had sent them over under the guise of Master Luo¡¯s name.


    The gifts from Master Luo were proper and related to Formations.


    Master Qian¡¯s gifts, however, were much more valuable, covering everything one could need for eating, wearing, and daily life. Probably, he wanted to apologize and express his attitude toward Mo Hua.


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua decided to accept them. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had no direct quarrel with Master Qian, and forming a good connection was beneficial. Besides, he might need Master Qian¡¯s help with some matters later.


    Since Master Luo had sent a gift, Mo Hua also prepared some and personally went to thank him in person.


    Master Luo was much older than him, adhering to this basic etiquette.


    Master Luo¡¯s cave dwelling was one of the most luxurious in Tongxian City, splendid and magnificent.


    There were many Cloud Carriages at the entrance, belonging to various clan scions and stewards who came to present gifts.


    However, since Master Luo was a first-rate Formation Master, the threshold was quite high, so either they couldn¡¯t see him at all, or they had to wait in line outside for an audience.


    The crowded carriages and grand scale outside the entrance broadened Mo Hua¡¯s horizons.


    The status of Formation Masters was indeed high, especially those who were officially rated by the Taoist Court.


    But with so many people outside, Mo Hua estimated he couldn¡¯t even get through the door.


    Just as Mo Hua was considering whether to return later and come back another day, he was spotted by a disciple of Master Luo.

 Chapter 221 - 220 Luo Mansion_1

    Chapter 221: Chapter 220 Luo Mansion_1


    The disciple was five or six years older than Mo Hua, with an extraordinary appearance and courteous manners. He hurried over, respectfully saluted Mo Hua, and then invited him inside.


    Following the disciple, Mo Hua made his way through the crowd towards the Luo Mansion. Just as he stepped over the threshold, Master Luo himself came out to welcome him.


    Mo Hua saluted and said, ¡°Master Luo, happy new year!¡±


    Master Luo personally returned the salute, his face beaming as he said, ¡°Happy new year, young friend. Please, come inside.¡±


    After speaking, he led the way inside, ushering Mo Hua in.


    The noisy clamor outside suddenly quieted down a lot, and a group of cultivators blinked, exchanging glances.


    ¡°Was that Master Luo just now?¡±


    ¡°Seems like it¡­¡±


    ¡°Why is he so polite to a child?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It¡¯s said that the child is also a first-grade Formation Master¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s utter bullshit. How old is he? A first-grade Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°Why are you cursing at someone?¡±


    ¡°If someone¡¯s talking nonsense, why can¡¯t I curse?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, that kid¡¯s status is probably not ordinary. He could even be some big clan¡¯s illegitimate child¡­¡±


    ¡°What nonsense. Look at the clothes he¡¯s wearing; he¡¯s clearly a common Loose Cultivator¡­¡±


    The crowd debated noisily, the argument showing no sign of stopping.


    Master Luo¡¯s disciple shouted, ¡°Silence, everyone!¡±


    Only then did the group of cultivators close their mouths, keeping their questions to themselves for the time being.


    Mo Hua entered Master Luo¡¯s abode and found that there were already quite a few people inside, many of them Formation Masters.


    These Formation Masters greeted Mo Hua amicably, and even if a few were not entirely convinced, they didn¡¯t dare to make it too obvious.


    In the crowd, there was also a Formation Master wearing a silver-white Taoist robe.


    Master Luo introduced him, ¡°This is Master Qian.¡±


    Mo Hua had already guessed as much, but although Master Qian was from the Qian Family, he had no direct conflict with him, and since he had brought gifts, Mo Hua did not take it to heart.


    ¡°Hello, Master Qian.¡± Mo Hua still politely greeted him.


    Master Qian clearly paused, looking quite surprised, as if he hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua to greet him first. After a moment, he also returned the greeting, ¡°Mo¡­¡±


    Master Qian hesitated, finding it a bit difficult.


    Logically, since Mo Hua had the strength of a first-grade Formation Master, he should be addressed as ¡°Master Mo,¡± but considering his young age, it seemed inappropriate to call him ¡°Master.¡±


    To not address him as ¡°Master¡± seemed disrespectful.


    After all, according to Master Luo, Mo Hua¡¯s expertise in formations surpassed even his own.


    ¡°Just call me Mo Hua,¡± Mo Hua said.


    He wasn¡¯t particularly concerned about these titles.


    Master Qian hesitated for a long time before finally, after much thought, calling him ¡°Little Gentleman Mo.¡±


    It was respectful without making Mo Hua sound too ¡°old.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling that it was quite suitable.


    Master Qian sighed in relief.


    Master Luo had told him that Mo Hua had a forgiving nature and was not one to hold grudges. He had his doubts but, upon meeting Mo Hua, finally set his mind at ease.


    He was gracious and polite, treating people as if he were a gentle spring breeze.


    Although young, he indeed possessed the demeanor of a Great Formation Master.


    Afterward, the atmosphere gradually relaxed.


    Master Luo invited everyone to appreciate some formations; some were obscure Formation Formations, some were ancient remnants, and others were exquisite artifacts with formations carved onto tiny fruit kernels.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were opened wide in amazement.


    The Formation on display was not considered rare, but the application on the Formation media was certainly ingenious and something Mo Hua had never considered.


    Master Qian then brought out his treasured tea for everyone to taste together.


    The tea leaves ranged from fresh and tender green to coiled like dragons, some embracing like snails, and others flat like leaves.


    The brewed tea soup varied from fresh and tender to mellow and full-bodied, some sweet and bitter, others crisp and clear.


    Although Mo Hua couldn¡¯t discern what made it good, he also found the flavor to be quite nice. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Afterward, the conversation shifted to exchanges about Formation.


    Master Luo put forth some insights, prompting everyone to discuss and discern their veracity.


    The discussion was lively, but nobody spoke to Mo Hua.


    Firstly, because they were not acquainted, and secondly, it was said that Mo Hua was also a first-rate Formation Master. Many of them could only muster seven or eight Formation Patterns, far from the mastery of a first-rate Formation Master. Knowing their place, they did not dare approach Mo Hua with questions.


    After the Formation Masters concluded their conversation, Master Luo nodded and asked Mo Hua for his opinion.


    Mo Hua replied with a few brief remarks.


    Mostly concerning issues with Formation Pivots and Formation Patterns, areas with which Mo Hua was very familiar.


    And since he could handle the Formation Pivots of a first-rate Compound Formation, those of ordinary Formations were naturally no challenge for him.


    Upon hearing this, people¡¯s attitudes towards Mo Hua took on a few more layers of respect.


    ¡°Certainly a first-rate Formation Master, and not only that¡ªhis foundation is deep, his insight into Formation broad, his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant. He shared his knowledge freely in matters of Formation.¡±


    Many Formation Masters thought to themselves discreetly, and those who had been somewhat unimpressed by Mo Hua earlier now showed much more reverence.


    After the chat, as the sky began to darken, Mo Hua prepared to leave.


    Master Luo and Master Qian escorted Mo Hua to the front gate, while the other Formation Masters gathered around to bid him farewell.


    ¡°If you find the time, you¡¯re more than welcome to come by for tea, a chat, and to exchange ideas about Formation,¡± Master Luo said with a smile.


    ¡°Certainly, next time for sure. Farewell, everyone!¡± Mo Hua waved as he left.


    Mo Hua then departed, his Storage Bag containing the Formation Scripture Books gifted by Master Luo and the choice tea leaves given by Master Qian.


    Master Qian watched Mo Hua¡¯s silhouette vanish into the street before letting out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Relieved now?¡± Master Luo asked with amusement.


    Master Qian bowed his hands in thanks, ¡°My gratitude to you, Master Luo.¡±


    Master Luo chuckled, ¡°In Tongxian City, there are not many Formation Masters, even fewer can reach the first rate. We ought to support each other; there¡¯s no need for thanks.¡±


    Master Qian furrowed his brows, ¡°Mo Hua¡­ Gentleman Little Mo¡¯s expertise in Formation is truly extraordinary. Surely he must have a lineage or the guidance of an expert¡­¡±


    Master Luo coughed, stopping Master Qian from continuing.


    ¡°What does it matter?¡± Master Luo said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Master Luo want to know who the expert behind him is?¡±


    ¡°What can be done with knowledge, and what can be done without it?¡± responded Master Luo.


    ¡°That¡­¡± Master Qian was at a loss for words.


    ¡°What is an expert?¡± Master Luo looked at Master Qian and answered his own question, ¡°One that we cannot touch is called an expert. Since we cannot touch them, why bother asking?¡±


    ¡°In the Nine realms of Cultivation World, we are merely at Qi Refinement, the lowest level. There are countless experts above us.¡±


    ¡°If they truly are experts, they are beyond our understanding and certainly not ones to provoke. Ignorance is bliss in this case.¡±


    ¡°To rashly inquire could displease them and bring disaster upon ourselves!¡±


    Master Qian¡¯s heart chilled.


    He had always believed that Master Luo was able to become a Great Formation Master through smooth dealing and good fortune, but now he realized he had underestimated Master Luo.


    It was no wonder he had thrived in Tongxian City with such perspective.


    ¡°Qian has learned much!¡± Master Qian said earnestly as he performed a respectful bow.


    But Master Luo grasped his hand, ¡°These matters are trivial and not worth mentioning. What is truly remarkable is Little Brother Qian¡¯s tea. The hour is still early, why not drink a few more cups?¡±


    Master Qian also responded with a laugh, ¡°Then I would be delighted to accept your kindness once more.¡±

 Chapter 222 - 221 Patrol (Fifth Update)_1

    Chapter 222: Chapter 221 Patrol (Fifth Update)_1


    Mo Hua returned home, took out the gifts from his storage bag, and handed them to his parents to help keep safe.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua exchanged a glance, both somewhat astonished.


    They didn¡¯t know when it started, but the number of cultivators with whom Mo Hua was acquainted had grown so large, and most were figures of status in Tongxian City, like Court Leaders, Supervisors, Family Heads, Elders, Formation Masters, and the like¡­.


    To receive so many gifts for the New Year.


    Whenever Mo Hua went out, he brought back some gifts, and when he didn¡¯t, people would still deliver presents to his house.


    The gifts, big and small, almost filled the house to capacity.


    Mo Hua set the storage bag down, collapsed into a chair, and sighed like an adult, ¡°So busy!¡±


    Liu Ruhua watched and couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Then Mo Hua said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Save some room for dinner tonight. I¡¯ll get you some osmanthus cake; just have a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mo Hua nodded. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Ruhua brought Mo Hua some osmanthus cake and poured a cup of tea, asking,


    ¡°Have all the gifts from others been returned? Have you properly thanked them?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, silently reviewed in his mind, and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ve returned the ones that needed returning, and I¡¯ve given thanks for the others. Now I can celebrate the New Year with peace of mind.¡±


    Afterward, Mo Hua was much more at ease, and he didn¡¯t have to run around anymore. He stayed at home, contentedly waiting for the New Year.


    Mo Hua still woke up early each day to sit in meditation and practice cultivation, then spent some time drawing formations, reading Formation Books, and still practiced formations on the Taoist Stele at night.


    With the rest of his time, Mo Hua kept his parents company.


    On the day of the festival, the family joyfully had their reunion dinner.


    Liu Ruhua made many delicious dishes, and sure enough, Mo Hua overate and then sighed, taking out two Digestion Pills given by Old Mr. Feng.


    ¡°Grandpa Feng truly is foresighted,¡± Mo Hua mused to himself.


    The next day began with New Year¡¯s visits, and then in the evening, they strolled through the fair, an event that continued up to the Lantern Festival. Each night, the entire Tongxian City would have a bustling fair to enjoy.


    Normally, the fair wouldn¡¯t last this long, but this year was special with the discovery of spiritual mines, and the establishment of Refinery Shops and Alchemist¡¯s Businesses, as well as the Fulu Building.


    The Loose Cultivators¡¯ lives had improved, and they had more spirit stones to spare, so the New Year celebrations were drawn out a bit longer.


    They no longer had to worry about hustling for their livelihood right after the New Year as before.


    Mo Hua also took the chance to relax, strolling the streets aimlessly, and made time to visit the Fulu Building to see An Xiaofu.


    The Fulu Building was packed during the festival, with An Xiaofu bustling about nonstop.


    When Mo Hua saw him, he was sitting in the hall, holding a teapot, guzzling tea vigorously.


    Despite being tired, he appeared much more spirited and cheerful.


    However, he still seemed rather plump, not having slimmed down much.


    It¡¯s probably because even though he was busy, he also ate a lot.


    After leaving the Fulu Building, Mo Hua ran into Zhang Lan on the street.


    Zhang Lan, a member of a clan, didn¡¯t take leave to go home for the New Year.


    He knew some people here, but he didn¡¯t have many friends; the only one he could really talk to was Mo Hua. So, seeing Mo Hua made Zhang Lan quite happy, and he pulled Mo Hua along to roam the streets.


    ¡°Take a look and see if there¡¯s anything delicious or fun; I¡¯ll treat you!¡± boasted Zhang Lan generously.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhang,¡± said Mo Hua, then added with some confusion,


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, you¡¯re not that young anymore; isn¡¯t it a bit inappropriate to be playing with a kid like me instead of settling down and starting a family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called maintaining the heart of a child,¡± Zhang Lan said.


    ¡°An undiminished childlike heart?¡±


    Zhang Lan ruffled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, ¡°Whatever you say seems to lose its meaning.¡±


    Mo Hua covered his head, somewhat displeased, ¡°That¡¯s called being annoyed into anger.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I can¡¯t win against you,¡± Zhang Lan said helplessly, then sighed, ¡°What¡¯s so good about settling down and starting a family?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flitted about as she pondered, then asked, ¡°Are you trying to avoid matrimonial matters?¡±


    Zhang Lan was taken aback. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Xiaofu told me about the clan¡¯s marriage arrangements. They emphasize matching Spiritual Roots¡ªcoercing, no that¡¯s not right, forcing marriages without letting you have a say.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Zhang Lan and said, ¡°You¡¯ve run so far away and don¡¯t want to go back; you must be trying to avoid a marriage arranged by the clan, to a woman you don¡¯t like, doomed to a life of gloom and solitude.¡±


    After saying this, Mo Hua nodded, thinking her speculation perfectly reasonable.


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°You¡¯re partially right, but not entirely. I just don¡¯t want to go back to the clan.¡±


    ¡°Not even for the New Year?¡±


    Zhang Lan said seriously, ¡°I am now a Supervisor of the Taoist Court, and it is my duty to maintain the stability of Tongxian City. On such an important day as the festival, how could I possibly go back?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Taoist Court busy? How can they afford to let you wander around like this?¡±


    Zhang Lan said displeased, ¡°I am on duty, not wandering around aimlessly. The Court Leader knows and wouldn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Mo Hua was skeptical.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Mo Hua uttered an ¡°Oh,¡± then pointed behind Zhang Lan, ¡°The Court Leader seems to be calling you over. He appears unaware that you¡¯re ¡®on duty¡¯.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s body stiffened instantly as he slowly turned his head and indeed saw the Court Leader signaling to him with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile.


    The inspection by the Court Leader was a routine of the Taoist Court.


    On such important festivals, the Court Leader was also expected to take charge and inspect everywhere, to prevent Cultivators from gathering and causing trouble.


    Zhang Lan, who had been sneaking around and loitering, was caught and could only offer a stiff smile in response.


    Mo Hua felt a bit schadenfreude, and was just about to slip away when Zhang Lan caught her in one go, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    ¡°Why should I go? I¡¯m not from the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°You come with me to accompany the Court Leader on his inspection,¡± Zhang Lan didn¡¯t want to let Mo Hua escape.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°Many Cultivators in Tongxian City dream of having this opportunity but can¡¯t get it. You, at such a young age, should feel extremely honored to accompany the Court Leader on his inspection.¡±


    ¡°Then feel honored on your own.¡±


    It¡¯s not like he didn¡¯t know the Court Leader. He even sent him gifts for the festival. At times like this, there was no need to push oneself forward unnecessarily.


    Moreover, accompanying the Court Leader on his inspection was both dull and restrictive, nowhere near as relaxing as wandering on his own.


    But before Mo Hua could slip away, he noticed the Court Leader also signaling him over.


    Now Mo Hua had no choice but to follow Zhang Lan with a sigh of resignation and greet the Court Leader.


    Court Leader Zhou himself found these inspections tedious too, with most of his company consisting of elders from clans and Sects, offering insincere platitudes with forced smiles.


    Dreary and monotonous.


    After all these years, Court Leader Zhou had gotten used to it, but then he saw Zhang Lan and Mo Hua wandering around jovially in the distance, free and unfettered, chatting animatedly about something.


    A twinge of discontent suddenly struck Court Leader Zhou¡¯s heart.


    So he waved them over, calling for both Zhang Lan and Mo Hua, wanting their company during his rounds.


    Joy can be shared, just as tedium can be divided.


    With the younger man Zhang Lan and the child Mo Hua for company, the inspection naturally became much more interesting, or at least less dull than before.


    Mo Hua glimpsed at Zhang Lan with a woeful look¡ªhad he not held her back, she would have already run off.


    Zhang Lan winked at Mo Hua, as if to say, endure this for now, and I¡¯ll apologize to you later.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to accompany the Court Leader on his inspection.


    Every now and then, Court Leader Zhou would ask Mo Hua about various things, such as Cultivator customs, Monster Beast materials, various pastries and snacks, and so on.


    Mo Hua answered each question in turn.


    Thus, Mo Hua ended up being forced to keep Zhang Lan and Old Court Leader Zhou¡¯s company for a day, strolling through the streets without surprises or delights.


    Court Leader Zhou was very satisfied, and Mo Hua could only sigh internally.

 Chapter 223 - 222 Visit_1

    Chapter 223: Chapter 222 Visit_1


    Two days later, Mo Hua went to visit Mr. Zhuang again, and took the opportunity to play a game of chess with Old Kui.


    When he left, he ran into Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi at the doorway.


    During the New Year holidays, Mr. Zhuang slacked off a bit and had given the Bai siblings a break too.


    They were now here to pay their respects to Mr. Zhuang.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Mo Hua and he asked, ¡°Mo Hua, are you here to pay respects to Mr. Zhuang as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I have already seen Mr. Zhuang, and now I am going home.¡±


    Bai Zisheng sounded somewhat disappointed, then quickly asked, ¡°Can I come to your place to hang out?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Mo Hua, then with some confusion, ¡°why do you suddenly want to visit my place?¡±


    Without any pretense, Bai Zisheng replied, ¡°I want to go there to eat meat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not lacking meat to eat, are you? If not monster meat, there¡¯s spiritual meat, right?¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked left and right, and whispered to Mo Hua, ¡°Aunt Xue¡¯s cooking is pretty awful.¡±


    Bai Zixi gave Bai Zisheng a light glare.


    Mo Hua was somewhat caught between laughter and tears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Aunt Xue, okay? Otherwise, she will get angry,¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua reassured, and then asked, ¡°But will Aunt Xue let you go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of an excuse,¡± Bai Zisheng said proudly, ¡°I¡¯ll say that we¡¯ve been under your care, as well as Aunt Liu¡¯s, so I want to come over to express my thanks.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, if you can convince Aunt Xue, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded and said, ¡°All set then, I¡¯ll talk to Aunt Xue when I get back.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any particular dish in mind? I can tell my mom to prepare it for you in advance,¡± Mo Hua offered.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything, as long as there¡¯s meat,¡± Bai Zisheng was not picky at all.


    Mo Hua then looked towards Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment, then also said softly, ¡°Anything is fine.¡±


    When Mo Hua got home, he told his mother about the visit.


    Liu Ruhua was somewhat surprised.


    She had only heard from Mo Hua that there were siblings studying with him at Mr. Zhuang¡¯s, and that they came from a noble clan, with extraordinary appearance and excellent conduct, but she had never met them.


    Now that they were going to visit, Liu Ruhua was naturally happy.


    ¡°Although you all are just disciples in name, studying together makes for a deeper relationship than ordinary sect disciples, so we should treat them well.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head in agreement.


    As evening approached, Aunt Xue brought Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi over for a visit in person.


    Aunt Xue still wore a veil, but her attire was much simpler, and her usually cold demeanor had softened considerably, making her seem much more approachable.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were both dressed in elegant, light white Taoist robes, made from quality materials, yet they did not look ostentatious.


    However, their looks and bearing were so outstanding that no matter how modest their clothes, they could not conceal their exceptional comeliness.


    As soon as the Bai siblings entered, Liu Ruhua was taken aback.


    Bai Zisheng had a handsome face, with brows like swords and eyes like stars, while Bai Zixi¡¯s skin was fairer than snow, her eyes shining like stars, as if she were carved from jade.


    She looked at Bai Zisheng, then at Bai Zixi, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly:


    ¡°Never have I seen children as beautiful as these in the world.¡±


    Aunt Xue brought a gift, a first-rate hairpin, exquisitely crafted and luxurious.


    Liu Ruhua then brought out a variety of pastries and snacks to entertain them.


    In the clean and tidy living room, Mo Hua sat with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, eating snacks, while Liu Ruhua made small talk with Aunt Xue.


    Bai Zisheng glanced at Liu Ruhua, thinking to himself that this is what other people¡¯s mothers were like, smiling so affectionately, willing to make food with their own hands for their children, and looking at them fondly.


    Bai Zisheng lowered his eyes; his own mother was not like that and seldom smiled.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s expression was still indifferent, her lashes drooping, and a tinge of sadness and envy flashed through her autumnal eyes.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand why they seemed a bit disheartened, so he pushed the food box toward them:


    ¡°My mother made these especially for you, they are delicious.¡± sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s attention was instantly drawn to the food box. He took a bite of the meat and his eyes lit up with curiosity, asking,


    ¡°What kind of meat is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a type of rabbit meat, more delicate than the usual monster meat and quite chewy, as well as tasty, but it¡¯s very troublesome to make.¡±


    Mo Hua explained to Bai Zisheng, ¡°I don¡¯t always get to have it even when I want to; this time, I shared in your fortune.¡±


    Mo Hua also took a bite and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.


    Bai Zisheng was touched and said with gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Liu!¡±


    Liu Ruhua smiled gently, ¡°If you like it, eat more.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded eagerly, all his earlier troubles seemed to vanish like smoke.


    Bai Zixi was somewhat transfixed by the pastries in front of her.


    The pastries were colorful and varied in style, each adorned with a different floral pattern.


    Some were osmanthus, some plum blossoms, others peach blossoms, and still, others were orchids¡ªdelicate, delicious, and emanating a faint sweetness.


    She didn¡¯t know which one to try first.


    After hesitating for a while, Bai Zixi decided to start from the beginning and taste each one¡ªsome soft and sticky, some flaky, all with a faint fragrance of flowers.


    They were sweet in her mouth¡­


    Seeing Bai Zixi enjoying the foods, Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but smile and inwardly exclaimed, ¡°Such a lovely girl, even the way she eats is pleasing to the eye.¡±


    With a tranquil expression, Bai Zixi ate the pastries and noticed Liu Ruhua looking at her with a gentle gaze; she didn¡¯t know how to react and shyly lowered her head, her fair cheeks tinged with faint blush.


    Liu Ruhua, liking her even more, poured a cup of tea and handed it to Bai Zixi, saying softly,


    ¡°There are plenty of pastries left, if you don¡¯t mind, you can take more with you later.¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded and said softly, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Liu.¡±


    Seeing this, Aunt Xue asked, ¡°Sister Liu, how do you make these pastries¡­?¡±


    Aunt Xue could also cook some meals, but she was not particularly adept; her cooking was just passable to fill the stomach.


    As the three of them traveled around, studying with Mr. Zhuang, the meals they ate were all prepared by her.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi had never complained about her cooking, but ever since they had tasted Liu Ruhua¡¯s food, they didn¡¯t enjoy Aunt Xue¡¯s meals quite as much.


    Everyone has their specialties, and Aunt Xue knew she wasn¡¯t good at cooking but for the sake of Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, she still wanted to learn as much as she could.


    Seeing that Aunt Xue had an extraordinary air about her, and presuming that she probably hadn¡¯t done much of this sort of thing before, Liu Ruhua began with the basics, explaining the ingredients, heat control, steaming, boiling, frying, and deep-frying, one by one.


    It was then that Aunt Xue realized there was so much to know about cooking, that preparing a meal with perfect color, flavor, and taste, required many steps and patience, and was indeed a lot of work.


    Bai Zixi listened attentively, her expression serene, but her eyes were entirely fixed on Liu Ruhua.


    After a while, Mo Shan returned home and was mildly surprised to see guests.


    As the year¡¯s end approached, Mo Shan also had many social obligations to attend to¡ªgreeting and sending off, exchanges of courtesies, and occasionally drinking with his brothers from the Monster Hunting Team. After bustling about for most of the day, he had just returned.


    Liu Ruhua gave a brief introduction, and Mo Shan greeted them with a smile, inwardly surprised by the noble bearing and appearance of the Bai siblings.


    Such high-born individuals from Noble Clans attending with Mo Hua to study under Mr. Zhuang indicated that Mr. Zhuang was truly an extraordinary person.


    That Mo Hua was accepted as a recognized disciple by Mr. Zhuang was indeed a great fortune.


    Deep in his heart, Mo Shan felt increasingly grateful to Mr. Zhuang.


    Seeing Mo Shan¡¯s tall, heroic stature, sharp gaze, and agile movements, Bai Zisheng became interested and said, ¡°Uncle Mo, you must be a Monster Hunter.¡±

 Chapter 224 - 223 Thousands of Fireworks_1

    Chapter 224: Chapter 223 Thousands of Fireworks_1


    Mo Shan chuckled and nodded, ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Are monster beasts very difficult to deal with?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, they are not easy to handle. Monster beasts have profound blood qi and tough skin and flesh. It usually takes five or six cultivators of the same realm to have a chance of killing a monster beast. To be safe, it¡¯s best to have eight or nine.¡±


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Then, do you think I could kill a monster beast on my own?¡±


    ¡°On your own¡­ Killing a monster beast is out of the question, being killed is more like it,¡± Mo Hua remarked as he gnawed on a chicken leg in silence.


    Bai Zisheng, not convinced, gave him a slight glare.


    Mo Shan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Not now, but in the future, when your cultivation is higher, you might have great potential.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was greatly encouraged.


    ¡°Dad, lying is not right,¡± said Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng, feeling indignant, retorted, ¡°Uncle Mo is a Monster Hunter, he surely knows better than you.¡±


    He had asked Mo Hua before if he could hunt a monster beast on his own.


    Mo Hua said it wasn¡¯t possible, which Bai Zisheng was somewhat reluctant to accept, but having never fought with a monster beast himself, he found Mo Hua¡¯s words somewhat credible.


    But now that Uncle Mo said he had great potential, perhaps he really could hunt a monster beast on his own in the future.


    After all, Uncle Mo was a genuine Monster Hunter, while Mo Hua was just a Junior Formation Master who relied on formations, taking advantage of situations to trap and kill monster beasts.


    Mo Shan continued, ¡°Even if you could indeed kill a monster beast on your own, it¡¯s still best to find some companions for mutual support. Monster beasts are extremely cunning.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Mo, I¡¯m aware of that.¡±


    He also listened to Mo Hua¡¯s monster hunting stories, some based on his own experiences, others he heard from others.


    In the stories, many monster hunters had lost their lives due to a moment¡¯s carelessness, ambushed or deceived by the monster beasts playing dead, so he always took it as a cautionary tale.


    Then Bai Zisheng, curious, asked, ¡°Is the Inner Mountain of Big Black Mountain much more dangerous than the Outer Mountain?¡±


    With insufficient cultivation, being only at Qi Refinement sixth layer, Mo Hua could only stay in the Outer Mountain. Thus, his tales of Big Black Mountain were limited to the Outer Mountain.


    Monster beasts, miasma, fog, dangerous grounds¡ªthings that Bai Zisheng found thrilling¡ªsparked his curiosity. If the Outer Mountain was like this, what would the Inner Mountain be like?


    Mo Hua, chewing his meat and puffing his cheeks, listened intently. He hadn¡¯t been to the Inner Mountain yet, but it was only a matter of time before he would go.


    About the Inner Mountain, he had only heard bits and pieces from other Monster Hunters, so his knowledge was not extensive.


    Seeing two pairs of black eyes fixated on him, Mo Shan sat down and began to explain patiently:


    ¡°Miasmas, Foggy Forests, poisonous swamps¡­everything the Outer Mountain has, the Inner Mountain has too, but with denser miasma, deeper fog, and stronger poisons.¡±


    ¡°The monster beasts of the Inner Mountain are mostly in the late stages of First Grade, with formidable strength. If you¡¯re unlucky, you might even encounter Second Grade monster beasts, which could really be a life-or-death situation.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Dad, have you encountered Second Grade monster beasts?¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve only seen one from a distance. Its thick blood qi dyed the entire forest red. We were lucky to spot it early and avoided it. The monster beast seemed to have had its fill and was dozing off, so it didn¡¯t bother with us.¡±


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Bai Zisheng then asked, ¡°Can¡¯t Second Grade monster beasts be killed?¡±


    ¡°They are very hard to kill,¡± Mo Shan sighed. ¡°You need at least five or six, sometimes even seven or eight, Foundation Building Cultivators. It¡¯s not easy to gather such a group.¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his concern, ¡°Dad, will you encounter Second Grade monster beasts in the future?¡±


    Warmed by Mo Hua¡¯s concerned gaze, Mo Shan smiled and said:


    ¡°The Inner Mountain is vast, and it¡¯s rare to come across any. Second Grade monster beasts are not numerous, living within the vastness of the Inner Mountain, making them hard to encounter.¡±


    ¡°Besides, the blood qi of Second Grade monster beasts is so strong that they can be detected from afar. As long as you stay alert and avoid them early, there usually won¡¯t be any risk to your life.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Mo Shan added, ¡°Apart from the environment and the monster beasts, the most dangerous thing in the Inner Mountain is actually other people.¡±


    Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng exchanged glances, both somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Are they Monster Hunters, or other cultivators?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    ¡°Both. There are foreign Monster Hunters who deliberately rob prey, and there are cultivators from various paths, with inscrutable intentions.¡±


    Mo Hua asked curiously, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I encountered these cultivators in the Outer Mountain?¡±


    Mo Shan smiled and explained, ¡°Big Black Mountain is vast, its terrain towering and sprawling, connecting also to other realms. Tongxian City here is just a part of Big Black Mountain¡­¡±


    ¡°Big Black Mountain¡¯s Outer Mountain connects to Tongxian City and doesn¡¯t border foreign lands, but the Inner Mountain is different.¡±


    ¡°The paths of the Inner Mountain are far more complex and interconnected. If cultivators from the southern realm want to enter the city or pass through, they inevitably have to go through the Inner Mountain.¡±


    ¡°The Inner Mountain is cold, secluded, and represses the human heart, readily breeding malicious thoughts. There are frequent incidents of robbery, rape, and murder for treasures. Afterwards, bodies are destroyed and traces eliminated on the spot, unknown to humans and undetected by ghosts.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart upon hearing this.


    Monster Beasts are dangerous, but the human heart is even more so.


    In this world, it¡¯s not only monsters that devour people; humans can be just as likely.


    Seeing Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng¡¯s tensed little faces, and their somewhat solemn expressions, Mo Shan realized that it wasn¡¯t quite appropriate to talk about such topics on a festive day like New Year¡¯s. He shifted the conversation and started to share some interesting Monster Hunting stories.


    Bai Zisheng was hearing these for the first time, and he found them utterly fascinating.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, had already heard some of them, and Bai Zisheng was listening to the rest from him.


    But now that he had entered Big Black Mountain, he knew what Monster Hunting entailed.


    The stories he once found interesting now revealed to him their hidden dangers and unpredictability, giving him a completely different feeling when he heard them again.


    As time flew by, the sky gradually darkened, and Liu Ruhua invited them to stay for dinner.


    Bai Zisheng was looking forward to it, but Aunt Xue declined politely:


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Liu, we have imposed long enough and should be heading back.¡±


    Liu Ruhua found it hard to insist and walked them to the door along with Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng felt reluctant to leave. He didn¡¯t want to go back.


    Here there was food, drinks, stories to listen to, and people to talk with. Back there, he would only have to cultivate and do dull homework.


    Bai Zixi showed no emotion, but there was a faint hint of regret in the glances she exchanged with Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua himself was carefree; though he had to practice cultivation and Formation daily, when he wanted to play, he could always do so. Unlike the Bai siblings, who had to follow a strict daily regimen of homework.


    Seeing their dispirited expressions, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes twinkled, and he invited:


    ¡°Aunt Xue, there will be lanterns and fireworks on the fifteenth, come and watch with us.¡±


    Aunt Xue gave Mo Hua a warm smile, but still declined:


    ¡°We appreciate your kind offer, but we¡¯ll skip the fireworks.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°The fireworks are set off by the Formation, and I¡¯m the one who drew it. They¡¯re quite a sight.¡±


    Aunt Xue was somewhat astonished, ¡°You drew it?¡±


    ¡°Mm-hm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It took a lot of effort to draw it well!¡±


    In fact, it hadn¡¯t taken long, since they were just Formations for fireworks and weren¡¯t too complicated.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s confident demeanor, Aunt Xue couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and after a moment¡¯s thought, she nodded:


    ¡°Then, when you set off the fireworks, we¡¯ll come to watch.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was overjoyed, casting a grateful look towards Mo Hua; Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes also brightened slightly when she looked at him.


    On the fifteenth of the first lunar month, as night fell, the streets were festooned with brightly colored lanterns.


    Mo Hua checked the Firework Compound Formation again to ensure there were no issues, and then he nodded his head in satisfaction.


    The Firework Compound Formation consisted of ordinary Fireworks Formations in parallel and didn¡¯t reach the First Grade; the number of Formation Patterns was also not many, so Mo Hua found it easy to draw.


    The Firework Compound Formation was set up on both sides of the riverbank, using the riverbank stones as the Formation media. By crushing Spirit Stones and infusing them with Spiritual Energy, one could activate the Formation and shoot fireworks into the sky.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t use paper as Formation media because paper is one-use; once the Formation is activated, Formation Paper wouldn¡¯t withstand the Spiritual Power and would also be destroyed.


    But using earth and stone as Formation media allows the Formation to be activated multiple times. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In this way, not only on the fifteenth of the first lunar month but in future festivals as well, the Formation could be activated to launch fireworks in celebration.


    Mo Hua went to Elder Yu to get reimbursed for the Spirit Stones used in the fireworks Formation.


    Since the Formation was not complicated and the consumption of Spirit Stones wasn¡¯t high, Elder Yu readily agreed.


    At the hour of the Dog, Mo Hua activated the Formation.


    Then he dashed onto the stone bridge with his parents, Bai Zisheng, Bai Zixi, and Aunt Xue to watch the fireworks.


    After the Formation was activated, fifteen breaths later, the Formation Patterns activated.


    The colorful Formation Patterns on both sides of the riverbank lit up one by one, then converged into dazzling rays of light that shot up suddenly, soared into the pitch-black night sky, and burst into breathtaking fireworks, cascading over one another, rising and falling like thousands of blooming trees and streaming stars.


    The dark night sky, like a canvas, was embellished with the brilliant fireworks, weaving a vibrant and spectacular tapestry upon it.


    It was a spectacle of dazzling splendor that was too beautiful to behold.


    For a moment, countless Cultivators all looked up into the night sky, towards those splendid fireworks, as they bloomed and illuminated the streets and alleys of Tongxian City.

 Chapter 225 - 224 Taoist Heart_1

    Chapter 225: Chapter 224 Taoist Heart_1


    After watching the fireworks, Aunt Xue thanked Mo Hua, said her farewells to Mo Shan¡¯s couple, and then took Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi back home.


    Mo Shan had plans to drink with a few brothers from the Monster Hunting Team.


    Liu Ruhua and Aunt Jiang went to see the lanterns together and to try a few new pastries from the recently opened shops.


    With the sky still ablaze with fireworks, Mo Hua had no choice but to wander the streets alone.


    As he was wandering, Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense suddenly stirred and he looked up to see Elder Yu sitting on a rooftop, drinking alone, a solitary figure.


    Mo Hua used the Water Passing Step and walked vertically against the wall, step by step, until he reached the rooftop.


    Seeing Mo Hua, Elder Yu¡¯s eyes brightened and he patted the tiles beside him, ¡°Come, sit here, join me for a drink.¡±


    Mo Hua sat down next to Elder Yu and took out some fruit wine from his storage bag to clink glasses with him.


    Elder Yu¡¯s alcohol was a strong liquor, spicy and potent.


    Mo Hua¡¯s drink, however, was sweet and one could drink as much as they liked.


    The fruit wine was sweet on entry with a lingering aftertaste. Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but shake his little head and turned his gaze to Elder Yu, unable to stop himself from asking,


    ¡°Elder, are you alone?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being alone?¡±


    ¡°It looks a bit lonely¡­¡± Mo Hua said with sympathy.


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, sighed, and looking into the distance said, ¡°I¡¯m up here drinking alone because I¡¯m happy.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, as long as he was happy and not desolate, that was good.


    After some thought, Mo Hua suddenly asked, ¡°Elder, is it very difficult to become a Foundation Building Cultivator?¡±


    ¡°What, thinking of Foundation Establishment?¡± Elder Yu was somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Not yet, I¡¯m just asking,¡± Mo Hua said with a shy smile.


    He was currently at the sixth level of Qi Refinement and had not yet reached the latter stages of Qi Refinement, so there was still some time before Foundation Establishment.


    ¡°Foundation Establishment, you say? It¡¯s not difficult, but not simple either.¡±


    ¡°Elder, could you be more straightforward?¡±


    Elder Yu choked on his drink and decided not to beat around the bush any longer, speaking directly,


    ¡°The difficulty of Foundation Establishment ultimately lies in two things: one is the Spiritual Root, and the other is Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no need to go into detail about the Spiritual Root; a good Spiritual Root means profound Spiritual Power, which makes the breakthrough easier. As for Spirit Stones, it goes without saying¡ªif you don¡¯t have Spirit Stones, even regular cultivation is a problem, let alone Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°What about Spiritual Objects?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    ¡°Most Spiritual Objects still require spending Spirit Stones to buy, at least the Spiritual Objects we ordinary Cultivators need for cultivation can be purchased with Spirit Stones,¡± Elder Yu explained.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°So in the end, it all comes down to the problem of Spirit Stones.¡±


    Elder Yu nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Then, if one¡¯s Spiritual Root is good and there¡¯s no shortage of Spirit Stones, is Foundation Establishment guaranteed?¡±


    ¡°In this world, nothing can be said for certain. There are always exceptions, but as long as you have enough Spirit Stones, the chances of successful Foundation Establishment are quite high.¡±


    Elder Yu took a sip of his drink and continued, ¡°Prepare enough Spirit Stones, gather the required Spiritual Objects, and if you fail once, then try again. Eventually, you¡¯ll succeed. And once you succeed, you are a Foundation Building Cultivator.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°It seems that it¡¯s not too difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°The journey of Tao Cultivation begins with Qi Refinement. Although Foundation Establishment is considered a step higher, it¡¯s only one step beyond Qi Refinement. From the Golden Core Realm onwards, every step becomes increasingly difficult, with strict demands on the Spiritual Root, talent, comprehension, and inheritance.¡±


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°As for Foundation Establishment, as long as you have the Spirit Stones, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Despite this, among Loose Cultivators throughout the hundred years, only Elder Yu had successfully reached Foundation Establishment¡­


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Does Foundation Establishment require a lot of Spirit Stones?¡±


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°It varies from person to person. For cultivation, plus buying spiritual objects, you will need at least ten thousand spirit stones.¡±


    Mo Hua silently calculated in his heart. An ordinary Qi Refinement Cultivator, earning just one spirit stone a day, would make three hundred sixty a year. To accumulate over ten thousand spirit stones would approximately take thirty years.


    To not eat or drink, or use anything, and save for thirty years.


    And that¡¯s just the spirit stones needed for one breakthrough attempt. If it failed, all the spirit stones would be exhausted, and thirty years of hard work would go down the drain.


    Moreover, how could cultivators possibly not eat or drink, never fall ill, and never face unexpected crises?


    Mo Hua also sighed.


    Elder Yu spoke with bitterness, ¡°The main reason Loose Cultivators can¡¯t reach Foundation Establishment is, in fact, poverty.¡±


    ¡°There are many thresholds on the path of Tao cultivation, but poverty is the most despairing one.¡±


    ¡°If the spiritual root is inadequate, you know from the start that the path is unattainable, but poverty first allows you to see hope, then makes you experience despair. Spirit stones are always too few, and the Great Dao is always out of reach.¡±


    In Elder Yu¡¯s expression, there was both melancholy and helplessness.


    ¡°Is it the same for all Loose Cultivators under the heavens?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Generally, yes,¡± Elder Yu sighed, ¡°In the Tao Cultivation World, there are more cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm, and they are the ones who suffer the most. The vast Nine State is limitless. When you step out of the Black Mountain Realm in the future and see for yourself, you¡¯ll find that there are many Immortal Cities poorer than Tongxian City, and countless cultivators who are in greater distress than our Monster Hunters.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression fell, and he fell silent.


    Only then did Elder Yu realize he had said too much ¡ª these words were not meant for a child.


    Elder Yu patted Mo Hua on the shoulder and changed the subject, ¡°We can¡¯t control others¡¯ affairs. At the very least, the life of Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City will get better and better, and it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat embarrassed, ¡°I didn¡¯t do much, just drew a few formations.¡±


    ¡°Formations are most important,¡± Elder Yu said seriously. ¡°Without a Formation Master to draw formations, even if a few more Foundation Building Cultivators were to emerge among the Loose Cultivators, maybe three or four, it would be to no avail. Everyone would still be poor and suffering.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    He knew that the status of a Formation Master was relatively high and that formations were difficult to learn, and that the Cultivation World needed formations in all aspects. But it didn¡¯t seem to be as critical as Elder Yu made it out to be ¡ª more important than three or four Foundation Building Cultivators.


    Elder Yu saw Mo Hua¡¯s confusion and explained patiently:


    ¡°Qi Refinement is the foundational level. One step above is Foundation Establishment. By becoming a Foundation Building Cultivator, you have the qualifications to seek the Great Dao and change your fate.¡±


    ¡°I became a Foundation Building Cultivator and changed my own fate, but I cannot change the fate of other Loose Cultivators. I can contend with the Qian Family and try to protect the Loose Cultivators from being oppressed, but in reality, I can¡¯t really help them much.¡±


    ¡°They are still poor and still suffering, still struggling to get by, still destined to remain forever at Qi Refinement. I have cultivation in vain. Even if I were to steal or rob, I couldn¡¯t get many spirit stones.¡±


    ¡°But formations are different!¡±


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua with gleaming eyes, ¡°Even if you are only at Qi Refinement, as long as you know formations, you can truly benefit all Loose Cultivators. Let them make a living, earn spirit stones, and further their cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Cultivation can be used to kill, but formations can bring blessings to all beings!¡±


    Mo Hua was moved and nodded, ¡°Elder, I understand.¡±


    Elder Yu nodded with satisfaction and said no more, but quietly watched the myriad lights of Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua followed Elder Yu¡¯s gaze as well.


    Bright red lanterns hung from one end of the street to the other, shining on children chasing and frolicking, cultivators greeting each other or walking together, creating an extraordinary buzz.


    Fireworks splendored the sky, Market Towns were close-packed, and the streets surged with people.


    Laughter melded into the myriad lights, joining the dazzling fireworks to light up the entire night sky.


    This myriad of lights and magnificent fireworks also reflected in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    The young Mo Hua¡¯s Taoist heart gradually became firm:


    In this life, he would diligently cultivate, comprehend formations, and with heaven-reaching and earth-penetrating formations, he would seek longevity and defy fate.


    To change his own fate, and the fate of all those lower-level cultivators under the sky. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, not only in Tongxian City but all Loose Cultivators throughout the vast sky would no longer be stuck in mere Qi Refinement!

 Chapter 226 - 225 The Seventh Layer_1

    Chapter 226: Chapter 225 The Seventh Layer_1


    The lively New Year festivities passed, and Mo Hua turned thirteen.


    He had grown taller, but only slightly, still looking much the same¡ª a diminutive cultivator.


    Besides his daily drawing of formation patterns, Mo Hua mainly focused on cultivation.


    He was now at the peak of the Qi Refinement Realm¡¯s sixth level, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before he reached the bottleneck of his cultivation, facing the threshold to the middle phase of Qi Refinement.


    Once he broke through the bottleneck, he could become a cultivator of the late Qi Refinement Stage.


    The late Qi Refinement Stage was one step closer to the Foundation Establishment.


    In the vast cultivation world, with countless cultivators, those in the Qi Refinement Realm were but ants, while reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage was the first step in changing one¡¯s destiny in Tao cultivation.


    The Foundation Establishment lays the foundation of Tao cultivation.


    No matter the strength of one¡¯s Taoist heart, without establishing the foundation, everything else is mere talk.


    That day, Mo Hua woke up at 6 A.M. and proceeded with his cultivation as usual.


    Suddenly, his Qi Sea trembled, and the flow of his spiritual power accelerated.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, and he took out some Spirit Stones, meditating calmly as he cultivated. These Spirit Stones were refined by Mo Hua, transforming into pure spiritual power, gathering in his Qi Sea until it overflowed.


    This was similar to the bottleneck he faced during his first breakthrough.


    The overflowing spiritual power traveled up along the meridians, concentrating at the Baihui point, and when it reached the Heavenly Gate Point, it permeated into the Sea of Consciousness like threads, wandering and weaving within, condensing into a Spirit Screen.


    This Spirit Screen was the Mystery Formation, and it was the bottleneck that needed to be overcome when practicing the Heaven Yan Jue during cultivation.


    There was anticipation as well as nervousness in Mo Hua¡¯s heart, and he started contemplating the Mystery Formation with a focused mind.


    Moments later, he let out a sigh of relief.


    The Formation Patterns on the Mystery Formation were numerous and intertwined in a complex and chaotic way, inscrutable to anyone who wasn¡¯t a Formation Master.


    However, upon closer inspection, Mo Hua realized that most of the Formation Patterns, despite being obscure and constantly changing, did not stray from the category of the Five Elements Formation Patterns, and he could recognize them.


    Being able to recognize them meant there was a way to solve them.


    Recalling the basic principles of solving formations, using the generation and restraint of the Five Elements, and the rules of integrating and reversing spiritual power, Mo Hua began to decipher the patterns one by one. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Half a day passed, and Mo Hua had already solved more than a dozen Formation Patterns.


    There was joy in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    The process of solving the formations was smoother than he had expected.


    Thanks to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s instruction, as well as Mo Hua¡¯s day and night practice, including his understanding and application of First-grade Compound Formations, his level in formations, including his experience, was now among the very best within the ranks of Second Rank Formation Masters.


    With his own accomplishments in formation methods, he could now solve the Mystery Formation himself.


    Above the Mystery Formation, streams of spiritual power intertwined in complexity, dense with Formation Patterns that ceaselessly flowed.


    Such a Mystery Formation, which would vex ordinary cultivators and terrify average Formation Masters, was now clear and solvable to Mo Hua; it was no longer a challenge.


    All the effort he had put into formation methods before was worth it.


    It was just that there were too many Mystery Formations¡ªto solve them all would take some time.


    And so, Mo Hua tirelessly worked without sleep or rest, immersed in solving the Mystery Formation.


    Sometimes, he would become so absorbed while eating or walking that he would suddenly frown, then have an epiphany, fall into deep thought, or light up with understanding.


    Seeing this, the cultivators around him knew that Mo Hua must be contemplating some challenging problem and quietly kept to themselves, not disturbing him.


    Finally, a month later, Mo Hua had solved all the Mystery Formations.


    The Spirit Screen gradually dissipated, the Mystery Formation instantly unraveled, and the thread-like spiritual power gradually diminished, at last merging into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness expanded slightly, and his Divine Sense deepened, whilst his spiritual power became even more profound.


    He had finally broken through his bottleneck and become a cultivator of the seventh level of Qi Refinement.


    The seventh level of Qi Refinement was the late stage of Qi Refinement!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed. He had taken another crucial step forward in his cultivation. All that was left was to proceed steadily, step by step, advancing towards Foundation Establishment.


    Even happier than Mo Hua himself about his advancement to the late Qi Refinement Stage were Liu Ruhua and Mo Shan.


    ¡°`


    They followed custom, hosting a feast for their neighbors as well as some deeply connected cultivators.


    Mo Hua also received quite a few gifts, from Elder Yu, Master Chen, Old Mr. Feng, the Monster Hunter, Master Luo, and some other Formation Masters.


    After entertaining the guests lively for a while, Mo Hua gathered his emotions and considered what to do next.


    In terms of cultivation, he diligently persisted, abiding by the principle that constant dripping wears away the stone and that success will come naturally. There are no real shortcuts here, so there¡¯s not much to discuss.


    In the realm of Taoist skills, Mo Hua wanted to learn one or two more spells, to be prepared for emergencies.


    Having reached the late phases of Qi Refinement, his strength had certainly increased, but so might the dangers he faces. It¡¯s better to have many skills and not need them, so learning a few more spells was essential.


    He just didn¡¯t know whom to learn them from yet.


    If he tried to learn them on his own, he didn¡¯t have any suitable spell books.


    It also wasn¡¯t a great idea to go to Old Kui. Old Kui had already taught Mo Hua how to fish; Mo Hua couldn¡¯t keep going back to him asking for fish.


    When it was time to figure things out for himself, he had to do just that.


    But this wasn¡¯t urgent, so he could take his time.


    What made Mo Hua somewhat hesitant, however, was about formations.


    He had already reached the proficiency of a First-grade Formation Master and learned more challenging First-grade Compound Formations, but he was still far from the Foundation Establishment Stage, so naturally, he couldn¡¯t become a Second Rank Formation Master.


    So what formation methods should he study during this period?


    Continue studying Compound Formations?


    He was already familiar with ordinary Compound Formations, and more difficult Compound Formations only required higher strength in the Formation Pivot, which Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was insufficient for, so he couldn¡¯t learn them for now.


    But as for the principles of Compound Formations, especially Five Elements Formation Pivots, Mo Hua was already familiar with. Further study would only expand the breadth of his knowledge in formation methods, without gaining deeper understanding.


    Studying them further, Mo Hua would find it somewhat boring.


    Then should he study Large Formations?


    Mo Hua¡¯s understanding of Large Formations was very superficial, knowing only that they are essentially large Compound Formations, knowing little beyond that.


    And even if he wanted to study Large Formations, at most Mo Hua could only practice them on the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness; he couldn¡¯t actually draw them in reality.


    Because Large Formations require a huge investment, including large formation media, a massive amount of Spirit Stones, and many people. This wasn¡¯t something Mo Hua could manage.


    Besides, Mo Hua was also puzzled about one thing, Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was already very strong, stronger than that of an average cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refinement. Even average First Grade Formation Masters couldn¡¯t compare with him.


    But compared to the Divine Sense of someone in the Foundation Establishment Stage, Mo Hua¡¯s was still lacking a lot.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense continued to grow, strengthened with the help of the Taoist Stele, refined through practicing formation methods. As his realm breaks through in the future, his Divine Sense would still grow.


    So, could there be a day when he, yet to establish his foundation, would match the Divine Sense of a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage?


    Where is the boundary between Divine Sense at the Qi Refinement Realm and the Foundation Establishment Stage?


    This was beyond Mo Hua¡¯s current understanding, so he went to visit Mr. Zhuang.


    When Mr. Zhuang saw Mo Hua, his expression was calm, but inwardly he sighed:


    ¡°This child¡¯s Divine Sense has grown stronger again¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t know the best way to teach him anymore.


    Mo Hua paid his respects to Mr. Zhuang respectfully and then asked, ¡°Gentleman, should I continue to study Compound Formations next?¡±


    ¡°Continue as you have always done,¡± answered Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua felt that studying Compound Formations had become somewhat boring, but he did not dare to say it aloud.


    Mr. Zhuang asked, ¡°What kind of Mystery Formation did you encounter in your Sea of Consciousness this time?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied, ¡°It¡¯s still the Five Elements Formation Patterns, but the grade of the Mystery Formation is higher, mostly First-grade Formation Methods, and it also includes some Compound Formations.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang fell silent for a moment, then sighed, ¡°In that case, it will be very difficult for you to establish your foundation.¡±

 Chapter 227 - 226 Foundation Establishment Divine Sense (Five Updates)_1

    Chapter 227: Chapter 226 Foundation Establishment Divine Sense (Five Updates)_1


    Mo Hua was startled.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°These past days, I have looked through the notes of predecessors in our sect who have cultivated the Heaven Yan Jue technique, and after some research, and considering the Mystery Formation you encountered, I discovered a problem.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted as he listened intently.


    ¡°The bottleneck of the Heaven Yan Jue technique varies from person to person,¡± Mr. Zhuang said slowly.


    Mo Hua was slightly astonished. ¡°Varies from person to person?¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember the small print noted in the manual of the Heaven Yan Jue technique?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked.


    Mo Hua recalled for a moment and replied, ¡°The bottleneck lies in the Divine Sense, not suitable for non-Formation Masters to cultivate.¡±


    ¡°The issue is precisely with the Divine Sense,¡± Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said, ¡°Your Divine Sense is too strong. The stronger the Divine Sense, the stronger the bottleneck will be.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth gaped open as he weakly asked,


    ¡°If my Divine Sense were weaker, would cultivating the Heaven Yan Jue be much smoother¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a half-smile. ¡°If the Divine Sense is weak, the bottleneck would be weak, and naturally, the effects of the technique would also be weaker.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a bit. The benefit of the Heaven Yan Jue technique was to make the Divine Sense keen and control more powerful, so that Formation Patterns could be drawn faster. But since his own Divine Sense was exceptional, this effect seemed slightly weaker to him.


    ¡°Do you feel like the control of Divine Sense isn¡¯t that important?¡± Mr. Zhuang saw through Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts.


    Mo Hua honestly nodded his head.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°The purpose of the Heaven Yan Jue is to solve Formations through the Sea of Consciousness and to train your control over the Divine Sense. The more complex the Formation you solve, the keener the control over your Divine Sense will be after the breakthrough.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was wistful. ¡°Control of the Divine Sense is extremely important for both Formation Masters and Cultivators, as it relates to the speed at which you draw Formations and the time it takes to cast spells.¡±


    To put it simply, Formations would be drawn faster and more numerous, and spells could be used more rapidly.


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Then, this technique is quite impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°As I have just said, it varies from person to person,¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze grew focused as he said,


    ¡°The stronger the Divine Sense, the more this technique is like adding wings to a tiger; the weaker the Divine Sense, the more the technique seems like a useless appendage.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    His Divine Sense wasn¡¯t weak at all, not only was it not weak, but it was also very strong.


    It looked like he had made the right choice back then; Heaven Yan Jue was indeed the most suitable technique for him.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat smug inside, but Mr. Zhuang threw cold water on his thoughts, saying,


    ¡°Although the stronger the Divine Sense, the stronger the effectiveness of the technique, but the bottleneck to overcome will also be stronger, and the Mystery Formation will be more complex as well.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°The Mystery Formation in your Sea of Consciousness at the middle phase of Qi Refinement is already a First-Grade Compound Formation. So, what level of Mystery Formation do you have to solve when you wish to break through to Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked as he listened, ¡°It can¡¯t be a Large Formation, can it¡­?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. Strictly speaking, although a Large Formation is within the First-Grade category, it is not considered something a First-Grade Formation Master should learn.¡±


    ¡°Gentleman, am I capable of learning a Large Formation now?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    If Mr. Zhuang said so, he wouldn¡¯t be overly ambitious for now.


    The pressing matter was still to resolve the issue with the technique.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°If the stronger the Divine Sense, the stronger the bottleneck, then how should I overcome the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment in the future?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua and responded indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s actually quite simple. Your Divine Sense needs to become even stronger.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed even tighter, as he realized a problem:


    ¡°Gentleman, if Divine Sense grows stronger and the bottleneck becomes more formidable, then no matter how strong my Divine Sense is, won¡¯t the bottleneck also strengthen accordingly? If so, is it really possible to break through the bottleneck by simply enhancing Divine Sense?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze grew sharp, ¡°Therefore, the growth of your Divine Sense must exceed its limit.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled, ¡°The limit for Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    ¡°So, how much difference is there really between Divine Sense at the Qi Refinement Realm and at the Foundation Establishment Stage?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang spoke, ¡°A cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power is quantified by the Circulation, while it¡¯s quite difficult to uniformly quantify a cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°One common method is to measure the strength of a cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense by the range it can extend to.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm can usually extend their Divine Sense to a distance of about ten to twenty zhang. Those with stronger Divine Sense can extend it further, while those with weaker Divine Sense, closer.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded; when he cast spells, he took advantage of his strong Divine Sense for a longer range, which allowed him some advantages.


    ¡°But this method is imprecise. Some cultivators naturally project their Divine Sense further, yet their Divine Sense¡¯s strength is only average. Others may not be adept at projecting their Divine Sense, but the Sea of Consciousness is very sturdy, and their Divine Sense is profound.¡±


    ¡°The most accurate way to measure Divine Sense is through Drawing Formation.¡±


    ¡°Drawing Formation?¡± Mo Hua was slightly startled, ¡°The number of Formation Patterns?¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Just as a Formation Master uses the number of Formation Patterns to determine the standard of a Formation, using the number of Formation Patterns to measure the strength of Divine Sense is the most accurate method.¡±


    ¡°Generally, a Qi Refinement first level cultivator can draw a single Formation Pattern, which means the Divine Sense is at one pattern. If they draw two Formation Patterns, then the Divine Sense is at two patterns¡­ and so on, until nine Formation Patterns represent the maximum of nine patterns for Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°And nine patterns of Divine Sense are the extreme limit for a Qi Refinement cultivator.¡±


    Mo Hua pondered silently, ¡°So, the Divine Sense of a Foundation Building Cultivator is then ten patterns?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Only a difference of one pattern?¡± Mo Hua was stunned.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s smile held a touch of mockery, ¡°It seems like only one pattern¡¯s difference, yet the amount of Divine Sense is twice as much.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°How can there be such a big difference?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang explained, ¡°Because breaking through from the ninth level of Qi Refinement to the Foundation Establishment Stage involves a significant qualitative change and condensation of Spiritual Power, Divine Sense will also double. Thus, a Foundation Building Cultivator drawing a Second-Grade Formation starts with twice the amount of Divine Sense as that of a ninth-level Qi Refinement.¡±


    ¡°Nine patterns for Qi Refinement, ten patterns for Foundation Establishment. Only when the nine-patterned Divine Sense doubles can it reach the volume of a ten-patterned Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°And this doubling, this gap, is the limit of Divine Sense, and also the insurmountable chasm for cultivators!¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked within, no wonder he always felt that since becoming a First-Grade nine-patterned Formation Master, the improvement of his Divine Sense was like a boundless sea of mist, impossible to see its edge.


    It turned out that the disparity was so vast, the gorge so deep.


    ¡°Is it possible for someone at the Qi Refinement Realm to possess the ten-patterned Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment Stage?¡± Mo Hua asked weakly.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with significant meaning in his words.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief; as long as it was possible, that was enough.


    Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat, as he came to a realization:


    ¡°Could it be that I must possess Divine Sense equivalent to the Foundation Establishment Stage in order to unlock the Mystery Formation, break through the bottleneck, and become a Foundation Building Cultivator?¡±


    Seeing that he¡¯d understood, Mr. Zhuang nodded and said:


    ¡°Correct, the stronger the Divine Sense, the stronger the bottleneck, but no matter how strong the bottleneck of cultivation is, it is after all just for the Qi Refinement stage. Once your Divine Sense exceeds the limits of the Qi Refinement stage, you will naturally be able to break through the bottleneck. This also means¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and continued slowly:


    ¡°Other cultivators must break through to Foundation Establishment to have the Divine Sense of that stage, but you are different. You must first possess the Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment Stage in order to become a Foundation Building Cultivator!¡±

 Chapter 228 - 227_1

    Chapter 228: Chapter 227_1


    Mo Hua was completely dumbfounded.


    To become a Foundation Building Cultivator, he needed Foundation Divine Sense, and he must possess Foundation Divine Sense to become a Foundation Building Cultivator¡­


    As the saying goes, even the best swimmers may drown, and the best riders may fall.


    Originally, his strong Divine Sense was an advantage, but now it had become an obstacle.


    Mo Hua silently counted the ways to strengthen it:


    First, his current realm was the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, and a breakthrough to the eighth or ninth layer would increase his Divine Sense.


    Secondly, he could practice Formations on the Taoist Stele. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Normally, Drawing Formations can train the Divine Sense, which would lead to some increase. That¡¯s why a Formation Master¡¯s Divine Sense is stronger than that of an ordinary cultivator.


    However, Drawing Formations on the Taoist Stele would provide clarity of thought and an inkling of understanding, resulting in a more noticeable enhancement of one¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Besides that, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t think of any other methods to strengthen his Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Gentleman, is it really possible for me to have Foundation Divine Sense before establishing my foundation?¡±


    ¡°How will you know without trying?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, ¡°Given the speed at which your Divine Sense is growing, it¡¯s not impossible.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, but he still wasn¡¯t quite sure, ¡°Gentleman, are there any other methods to enhance Divine Sense?¡±


    Thinking, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, ¡°For example, the Contemplation Map you mentioned before.¡±


    ¡°Contemplation Map¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, his gaze intensifying, ¡°The Contemplation Map is extremely rare, and it contains great peril. It¡¯s best not to touch it unless absolutely necessary, and certainly not to rely on it.¡±


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°There are no other good methods. You can only rely on Drawing Formations, practice more and learn more. However, the things you practice can be somewhat different.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang took out a booklet and an ancient Formation Diagram from his chest, ¡°This is ¡®Analysis on Formation Breakdown,¡¯ and a special Formation method.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang, ¡°Gentleman, have you prepared these in advance for me?¡±


    Otherwise, how could he produce them from his chest as soon as the topic was finished¡­


    Mr. Zhuang looked helplessly at Mo Hua. The child was too clever.


    ¡°To be prepared is to have success assured, to be unprepared spells failure. The pursuit of learning and teaching is the same,¡± Mr. Zhuang instructed.


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement. It was the same with Monster Hunting; one must be thoroughly prepared to handle matters with discretion.


    Mr. Zhuang pointed to ¡®Analysis on Formation Breakdown¡¯ and said, ¡°This is a Formation Book on breaking down Formations. It contains some complex principles, more challenging than the book I gave you before. You take it back, have a careful look, and practice breaking down Formations when you have time.¡±


    ¡°Drawing Formations can train Divine Sense, and breaking down Formations can do the same, with even better training results.¡±


    Mo Hua then turned to look at the other Formation, ¡°And what about this Formation method?¡±


    ¡°This Formation method is also for training your Divine Sense,¡± Mr. Zhuang replied.


    Mo Hua glanced at the Formation, puzzled, ¡°This Formation method seems to be incomplete?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, ¡°Incomplete is enough; you wouldn¡¯t be able to complete it.¡±


    ¡°Unable to complete?¡± Mo Hua looked closer, startled, ¡°Gentleman, is this a First-grade Formation Method? Why are there nine-and-a-half Formation Patterns?¡±


    Isn¡¯t it said that a Single Formation of First-grade could only contain up to nine Formation Patterns?


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became deeper, his expression more solemn:


    ¡°Do you remember what I told you? The grades in the Taoist Court are set by their rules, but the Heavenly Dao has its anomalies and does not operate within the confines of human standards.¡±


    ¡°Nine patterns are First-grade, ten patterns are Second-grade, and a First-grade with ten patterns is one of the Heavenly Dao¡¯s anomalies!¡±


    ¡°This Reversed Spirit Formation contains ten First-grade Formation Patterns, an anomaly of the Heavenly Dao, not within the traditional scope of Taoist Court Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked beyond words; this was his first contact with such profound Formation knowledge.


    With a serious demeanor and a solemn gaze, Mo Hua looked at the Reversed Spirit Formation Diagram again, holding it with a sense of reverence.


    The paper was rustic, the Patterns arcane, the Formation Pivot obscure, and just at a glance, he felt an indescribable mystique.


    As Mr. Zhuang often said, it was filled with a sense of the anomalies in the evolution of the Heavenly Dao.


    Moreover, the Formation Diagram was missing a corner, further indicating its profound and weighty origins.


    Mo Hua cautiously asked, ¡°Is this Formation Diagram incomplete because it was damaged during its transmission?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mr. Zhuang said casually, ¡°I just tore it off.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts were thrown into disarray for a moment.


    ¡°A complete Reversed Spirit Formation is too difficult; you wouldn¡¯t learn it, so I tore off a corner, leaving nine-and-a-half Patterns to make it easier for you to learn.¡±


    For a moment, Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what to say.


    It¡¯s hard to say whether Mr. Zhuang is considerate or simply always full of surprises.


    ¡°A First-grade Formation Method with ten patterns should be very precious, just tearing it up like that¡­¡± Mo Hua whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something that ordinary cultivators can learn anyway. Keeping it would be just to collect dust.¡± Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°You study well, and if you master these nine-and-a-half patterns, I¡¯ll give you a complete set.¡±


    ¡°Yes, gentleman!¡±


    Then Mo Hua remembered something. The words ¡°Reversed Spirit Formation¡± seemed familiar. After pondering for a moment, his eyes brightened as he asked:


    ¡°Is the Reversed Spirit Formation used for breaking down the Formation eye?¡±


    The Formation eye of a Formation is typically a Spirit Gathering Array, and to dissolve a Spirit Gathering Array one would use the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    However, Mo Hua had browsed through many Formation Books without finding any records of the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    It is said that the Reversed Spirit Formation is a profound kind of pattern, usually passed down within the aristocratic families and clans skilled in Formations, and not easily shared with outsiders.


    Only now did Mo Hua understand. First-grade with ten patterns, one of the Heavenly Dao¡¯s anomalies, a legacy of great clans¡ªno wonder it¡¯s not recorded in ordinary Formation Books.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°So these two tasks are actually one¡ªbreaking Formations.¡±


    ¡°Using breaking Formations to train one¡¯s Divine Sense: one is to learn to break down the patterns, and the other is to learn the Reversed Spirit Formation, to break down the Formation eye. They converge to the same goal by different paths.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly realized and admired in his heart, truly fitting of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s foresight.


    Next, he thought, all he had to do was to focus on practicing breaking Formations and concentrate on sharpening his Divine Sense.


    As long as his Divine Sense was strong enough, there was hope for reaching Foundation Establishment.


    ¡°By the way, gentleman,¡± Mo Hua had another doubt and asked, ¡°Besides ¡®for intellectual amusement¡¯ and training the Divine Sense, is there any practical use for breaking Formations?¡±


    Mo Hua adhered to the principle of ¡°applying what he learned,¡± believing that it would be pointless to learn something if it couldn¡¯t be put to use.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze carried a hint of amusement, ¡°Of course, breaking Formations naturally serves to break other Formations.¡±


    ¡°Normally, you can also break a Formation using brute force or Spiritual Power, right? Does breaking Formations offer any advantage?¡±


    ¡°Breaking them is too brutish and makes too much noise.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said dismissively and then added, ¡°Breaking Formations is much more clever. The methods are extremely covert; unbeknownst to gods and ghosts, you could have broken someone¡¯s Formation, and they might not even realize it.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, beginning to understand.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing,¡± Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°breaking Formations can destroy not just the Formation method but also the opponent¡¯s Taoist Heart.¡±


    ¡°Taoist Heart?¡±


    ¡°When the Formations that other Formation Masters take pride in are broken down by you, pattern by pattern, their Taoist Heart will shake. Those with a weak Taoist Heart might even collapse outright.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s lips curled into a smile, his handsome face revealing a touch of mischief.


    Mo Hua looked at him oddly, ¡°Gentleman, have you often done things like this before¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang ran his slender fingers through Mo Hua¡¯s hair, ¡°You¡¯re asking too many questions again.¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled.


    Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, ¡°Go on and study properly. A skilled Formation Master must not only know how to draw Formations but also be proficient in breaking them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, gentleman!¡±


    Mo Hua carefully placed the ¡°Analysis on Formation Breakdown¡± and the incomplete ¡°Reversed Spirit Formation¡± into his Storage Bag, then bowed to Mr. Zhuang before taking his leave.


    Watching Mo Hua walk away, Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and sighed, ¡°This disciple is not easy to teach¡­¡±


    Old Kui appeared beside him, his demeanor calm as he said, ¡°You have chosen a good Cultivation Technique for him.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, detecting the irony in his tone, was not bothered, but instead remarked:


    ¡°If he aspires to become a Formation Master, Divine Sense is most important. Sharpening the Divine Sense is convenient for learning Formations and breaking through cultivation levels¡ªit¡¯s a matter of killing two birds with one stone.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen a cultivator with a Divine Sense strong enough for Foundation Establishment before even reaching Foundation Establishment?¡±


    ¡°There are records of it in the scriptures, but I haven¡¯t seen it myself¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze traveled beyond the corridor, through the courtyard, and settled with expectation on Mo Hua, who was speaking with the siblings from the Bai Family beneath the large locust tree.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I want to see it with my own eyes.¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze became slightly intense, ¡°That won¡¯t be an easy task.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°I am well aware. However, I underestimated the potential of this technique before. This ¡®Heaven Yan Jue,¡¯ if it can lead to a breakthrough, any cost is worth paying.¡±


    Old Kui was taken aback upon hearing this.


    Mr. Zhuang looked into the distance, his gaze locked on Mo Hua, his eyes gradually taking on a profound depth:


    ¡°Heaven Yan, Heaven Yan¡­ the Heavenly Dao evolves¡­¡±

 Chapter 229 - 228 Movement Technique_1

    Chapter 229: Chapter 228 Movement Technique_1


    After Mo Hua returned home, he followed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s instructions and began studying the Analysis on Formation Breakdown.


    He lay propped up at his small desk, first cursorily flipping through ¡°Analysis on Formation Breakdown,¡± and then comparing it with what he had learned previously, checking for any gaps in his knowledge.


    He skipped over the concepts that he had already mastered, jotting down those he was unfamiliar with, did not understand, or found utterly confounding. He then went back to pore over them slowly and ponder them at length.


    After spending two hours and forming a rough impression, Mo Hua packed away ¡°Analysis on Formation Breakdown.¡±


    It was enough for now; he had a framework in mind. He could look up specific issues when he encountered them during formation breaking.


    Afterward, Mo Hua carefully opened an ancient Formation Diagram and began to study the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    The Reversed Spirit Formation did not fall under the category of Five Elements Formations; it was a special type of formation that Mo Hua had never learned before.


    The Reversed Spirit Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, and technique of drawing were all particular, and even though it was still formation-related, the sensation of drawing it was completely different.


    Mo Hua felt both nervous and intrigued.


    He was nervous because the Reversed Spirit Formation was indeed much more difficult, and he did not know if he could learn it.


    He found it intriguing because, though the Reversed Spirit Formation and the Five Elements Formation were both formations, they were entirely different, even fundamentally diverging from the typical first-grade formations.


    ¡°First-grade ten patterns, Heavenly Dao¡¯s anomalies, not confined by grade,¡± this subverted Mo Hua¡¯s established understanding of formations.


    At the same time, Mo Hua felt expectant.


    There were many formation categories and super-grade formations considered ¡°Heavenly Dao¡¯s anomalies¡± in this world that he had yet to discover.


    These formations were kept by clans, sects, the Taoist Court, or some unknown forces.


    Or they could be remnants in ancient schools, cave dwelling relics, tombs of old cultivators, the Wildland, the boundless seas, or perhaps in some inconspicuous corner within the vast Nine State.


    He wondered if he would one day be able to travel through the Nine State and seek out ancient formations.


    If he could learn all these formations, could he really possess the divine power to turn the heavens and earth on their head?


    Mo Hua indulged in the prospect for a moment before he reined in his thoughts, admonishing himself twice: Do not aim too high, do not aim too high!


    Then he began to earnestly study the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    Mo Hua started by memorizing the Formation Patterns, and after the hour of 1 p.m., he closed his eyes to rest.


    His Divine Sense sank into his Sea of Consciousness, practicing the formation on the Taoist Stele.


    The Reversed Spirit Formation that Mr. Zhuang had given Mo Hua had only nine-and-a-half patterns.


    Mo Hua had only drawn a little more than nine patterns before his Divine Sense was exhausted, preventing him from continuing.


    Mo Hua erased the patterns and retraced his Divine Sense, frowning in thought.


    Although this Reversed Spirit Formation was only nine-and-a-half patterns, the amount of Divine Sense it consumed was indeed much more than typical nine-pattern formations.


    Nine patterns is the limit, and beyond this limit lies an unfathomable chasm of Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    But this was within his expectations, as Mr. Zhuang had said, with his current level of Divine Sense, he was not supposed to be able to draw the Reversed Spirit Formation just yet.


    Mo Hua¡¯s goal was still to use the practice of the Reversed Spirit Formation to hone his Sea of Consciousness and strengthen his Divine Sense.


    Whether he could master the formation method was of secondary importance.


    As long as his Divine Sense was strong enough, Mo Hua would have the means to break through to the Foundation Establishment. And as long as his Divine Sense was strong enough, with enough practice, there would be no formation he could not learn.


    If he couldn¡¯t learn it, he would practice more: dozens of times, hundreds of times, or even thousands of times. Eventually, he would be able to master it.


    Mo Hua practiced like this throughout the night, becoming basically familiar with the Reversed Spirit Formation and enhancing his Divine Sense¡ªalthough not by much, he was already very satisfied. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ordinary first-grade formations presented no challenge for Mo Hua now, and they provided minimal training for his Divine Sense.


    For Compound Formations, the intensity of Divine Sense was sufficient, but since it focused on the Formation Pivot with many low-grade patterns, it was a long, inefficient process, not offering a deep understanding of patterns.


    By contrast, the training of Divine Sense provided by the Reversed Spirit Formation was already strong.


    Now practicing the Reversed Spirit Formation, a single night¡¯s enhancement of his Divine Sense was more than what he would have gained in two nights before.


    After practicing the formation method all night, his Divine Sense was still vibrant, but mentally he felt somewhat tired.


    Mo Hua emptied his mind and rested for a while, and soon it was 6 A.M.


    The morning sun was just rising, marking the start of a new day.


    ¡°The plan for a day lies in the morning,¡± Mo Hua practiced as usual for a while, and then looked out the window at the slowly rising morning sun and the glow that filled the sky, feeling cheerful as well.


    After that, as long as he meditated on the Reversed Spirit Formation, casually studied the Compound Formation, and practiced breaking formations, his Divine Sense would grow slowly along with his Spiritual Power, and ultimately the day for Foundation Establishment would come.


    The concentration of Spiritual Power, the doubling of Divine Sense, laying the foundation for the Great Dao.


    As long as he could establish his foundation, he would have taken a big step on the path of Tao Cultivation.


    In order to establish his foundation, Mo Hua began to refine his Divine Sense, but this was not an overnight task.


    Besides that, Mo Hua had another task to do, which was to enter the Inner Mountain.


    He was very familiar with the Outer Mountain, had drawn maps, collected herbs, minerals, and spices, and killed Monster Beasts¡ªalthough it was with the help of formations.


    Going to the Outer Mountain held no more interest for him.


    At the same time, Mo Hua also wanted the Monster Blood of later stages of the first grade.


    The Monster Beasts of the Outer Mountain were mostly at the middle phase of the first grade, and using their blood to mix with Spiritual Ink to draw first-grade formations, the formations¡¯ effectiveness would be diminished.


    The Inner Mountain was different, the Monster Beasts were mainly of the later stages of the first grade, with robust Blood Qi and better quality Monster Blood, making the formations drawn even stronger.


    The quality of Spiritual Ink affects the effectiveness of formations.


    Although Mo Hua had not yet had an assessment, he was a first-grade Formation Master, and in terms of formation standards alone, he was close to the peak of first-grade Formation Masters.


    In the short term, Mo Hua¡¯s formation skills would not see significant improvement, so the only option was to improve the quality of Spiritual Ink to enhance the power and effects of the formations.


    Mo Hua went to find Mo Shan and told him he wanted to enter the Inner Mountain.


    As a seventh-level Qi Refining Cultivator, Mo Hua was in the later stages of cultivation and already had the preliminary qualifications to enter the Inner Mountain.


    Mo Shan naturally disagreed.


    The environment of the Inner Mountain was more dangerous, Monster Beasts more fierce, and there were other cultivators with unknown identities and moral dispositions.


    The mountain terrain was treacherous, Monster Beasts ferocious, but the most dangerous thing was still the human heart.


    ¡°Dad, my movement technique has improved, I can protect myself,¡± said Mo Hua.


    Since his breakthrough, Divine Sense and Spiritual Power had grown, and the effects of the Heaven Yan Jue technique had further strengthened.


    With Divine Sense controlling Spiritual Power and then using Spiritual Power to influence the body, the deployment of the movement technique Water Passing Step naturally improved.


    Mo Shan was slightly taken aback and after a moment¡¯s thought, said, ¡°Then let¡¯s have a sparring match. I¡¯ll try to catch you, and you use your movement technique to dodge. If you manage to avoid me, I will allow you into the Inner Mountain.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Alright!¡±


    In the afternoon, the father and son sparred for two hours in the small courtyard, practicing their movement techniques.


    Mo Shan was at the ninth level of Qi Refining and had recently had an abundance of Spirit Stones. With diligent practice, his Cultivation had nearly reached nine-layer perfection.


    His movement technique, born from years of Monster Hunting and life-and-death battles, was about simplicity and practicality, with clean and incisive movements.


    Despite this, Mo Shan found that he could no longer catch Mo Hua, and even pinpointing his location had become very difficult.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was too strong. The stronger the Divine Sense, the more concealed and elusive its presence.


    If he tried to capture Mo Hua¡¯s figure with his eyes, he was likely to be deceived by the indeterminate Water Passing Step, which flowed like water.


    The only method Mo Shan could think of was to wear down Mo Hua, waiting for his Spiritual Power to be exhausted, and for its circulation to become sluggish, then using his familiarity with his son Mo Hua¡¯s breath, he would try to catch him by feel.


    This was the only way Mo Shan could find a flaw in Mo Hua¡¯s defense.


    It was less of a method and more of a ¡°bloodline suppression¡±¡­


    After sparring for two hours, it was only by this means that Mo Shan could barely catch Mo Hua twice; the rest of the time, he couldn¡¯t even touch the corner of Mo Hua¡¯s clothes.


    Mo Shan finally confirmed that unless a Foundation Building Cultivator made a move, an ordinary ninth-level Qi Refining Cultivator simply couldn¡¯t cope with Mo Hua.


    Unless Mo Hua completely exhausted his Spiritual Power, rendering him unable to execute his movement technique.


    But his son was clever; if his Spiritual Power was insufficient and the situation seemed unfavorable, he would surely slip away early.


    An invincible movement technique below Foundation Establishment¡­


    Mo Shan was both shocked and relieved, he sighed and then agreed to let Mo Hua enter the Inner Mountain.

 Chapter 230 - 229 Inner Mountain_1

    Chapter 230: Chapter 229 Inner Mountain_1


    Before Mo Hua entered the Inner Mountain, Elder Yu secretly slipped him a Monster Hunting Token.


    ¡°Keep this, and you¡¯ll be considered an official Monster Hunter.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, ¡°Can I become a Monster Hunter without going through the Monster Hunting Ceremony?¡±


    First, he had been in charge of guarding the Spiritual mines, and later, he set up an Artifact Refinery and Alchemy Business. After so many events, and since he was busy cultivating and Drawing Formations, he had missed the annual Monster Hunting Ceremony for that year.


    Moreover, as a Spiritual Cultivator and a Formation Master, he basically didn¡¯t engage in close combat with Monster Beasts. Strictly speaking, he wasn¡¯t quite cut out to be a Monster Hunter.


    ¡°That¡¯s all just ceremonious nonsense, it doesn¡¯t matter. Whether you¡¯re a Monster Hunter or not is up to me; if I say you are, then you are!¡±


    Elder Yu declared with righteous confidence.


    With him being the only Foundation Building Cultivator in the Monster Hunting Guild, it indeed was his call to make.


    Elder Yu personally hung the Monster Hunting Token around Mo Hua¡¯s neck, ¡°This Monster Hunting Token is key. With the token, you are a bona fide Monster Hunter.¡±


    ¡°Drop a bit of blood on it,¡± Elder Yu added.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s delicate skin, Elder Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Elder Yu took Mo Hua¡¯s fair little hand, condensed Spiritual Power into a fine needle, pricked Mo Hua¡¯s index finger, and a drop of blood fell onto the Monster Hunting Token.


    Mo Hua sucked on his finger, and the bleeding soon stopped.


    At the same time, his Divine Sense trembled slightly, as if it resonated with the Monster Hunting Token, creating a sense of affinity, as though the Bone Order was no longer a mere object but a part sustained by his Divine Sense. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Is this a blood oath for recognizing the master?¡±


    ¡°You could say that, but the Monster Hunting Token isn¡¯t a magical Spiritual Artifact with its own consciousness, so calling it a blood oath might be a stretch. It¡¯s more like¡­ a stamp of ownership,¡± Elder Yu explained.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Then, curiously touching the Monster Hunting Token, he asked, ¡°Elder Yu, how exactly is this Monster Hunting Token made?¡±


    Elder Yu found a chair to sit on, poured himself a cup of tea, and explained:


    ¡°It¡¯s a tradition passed down from the ancestors of the Monster Hunters. It is said that the world has quite a few Bone Trees, which possess the lineage of ancient Big Demons. They¡¯re both demon and tree. They look like trees, but their trunks are bone, their branches are bone, even their leaves are bone pieces.¡±


    ¡°The Monster Hunting Tokens are crafted from the bony wood of the Bone Trees. Once a Monster Beast is killed, the Bone Order senses it and forms a blood mark, which is counted as the Monster Hunter¡¯s merit for the kill.¡±


    ¡°The more and denser the blood marks, the higher the merit. It also provides a more impressive face when boasting to others.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was complex, ¡°So it¡¯s for bragging purposes¡­¡±


    ¡°Primarily, it¡¯s to showcase experience. The difference between an old hand¡¯s token and a newbie¡¯s is stark. Of course, it also makes it very convenient to boast.¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyebrows rose as he said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°When you go out and brag about how many Monster Beasts you¡¯ve killed in your lifetime, who will believe you without proof? This Monster Hunting Token is that proof. You show it, covered with blood marks, and you¡¯ll boast with much more confidence.¡±


    Looking at Elder Yu¡¯s expression, he had probably boasted quite a bit¡­


    Mo Hua asked further, ¡°Can we make our own Monster Hunting Token?¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°No, these are made by the Taoist Court and are distributed uniformly. While they might look similar, each Monster Hunting Token is actually recorded by the court, and fakes are not tolerated.¡±


    Mo Hua examined the token but couldn¡¯t find any distinguishing marks, leaving him clueless about how the court kept records.


    Could it be some special Formation?


    Elder Yu then whispered to Mo Hua, ¡°Yours is special; it¡¯s made from the core rings of the Bone Tree. I¡¯ve hoarded it for decades and have been reluctant to give it away.¡±


    Immediately, Mo Hua felt the Monster Hunting Token weigh heavily in his hand, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to keep it for people like Uncle Yu?¡±


    Elder Yu snorted, ¡°That fool of a son of mine, I¡¯d be loath to give it to him.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat undeserving of the honor.


    Then Elder Yu said, ¡°It¡¯s really not a big deal. Whether it¡¯s the branches or the leaves from the same Bone Tree, the effect is essentially the same. It¡¯s just a question of preference, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Mo Hua felt relieved and nodded.


    ¡°Take good care of it, do not lose it,¡± Elder Yu cautioned.


    ¡°Great!¡±


    On Mo Hua¡¯s neck, alongside the warm Pill Jade given by Old Mr. Feng, now hung a Monster Hunting Token made from Monster Bone.


    The next day, after Mo Hua had packed her things, she entered the Inner Mountain with Mo Shan.


    The Inner Mountain was filled with miasma, poisonous swamps, and the toxicity was much stronger than in the Outer Mountain.


    In the Outer Mountain, if one was careful, even without pills, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but in the Inner Mountain, pills were essential.


    Mo Hua¡¯s storage bag was filled with various medicine bottles, including Miasma Repelling Pills, Poison-Repelling Pills, Heart Cleansing Pills, Hemostatic Pills, and others.


    All of this large assortment of pills had been prepared by Old Mr. Feng.


    Apart from that, there were also some dried meat, fermented rice, and cakes that her mother had prepared for her.


    So at the break of dawn, Mo Hua, fully equipped and after having a light meal, entered Big Black Mountain with Mo Shan.


    They trekked along the way, passed through the Outer Mountain, and then reached the Inner Mountain.


    Mo Hua took a Miasma Repelling Pill and then observed the environment of the Inner Mountain.


    The terrain of the Inner Mountain was more complex, the foliage denser, the trails more rugged, and directions harder to discern.


    The miasma was thick, and the fog alternated between dense and light.


    When the fog was heavy, one could barely see their own fingers; after walking a few steps, it could all dissipate, and a few more steps might bring one back into a thick fog.


    It was quite strange.


    Mo Shan said, ¡°If you see thick fog in the distance, try to avoid it. If you can¡¯t avoid it, then be extra cautious. Do not travel on unfamiliar paths. It¡¯s better to wait in place for a while than to act rashly¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, it¡¯s easy to lose your way, wander deep into the mountains, and encounter unknown dangers.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The Inner Mountain was much larger than the Outer Mountain. Even Mo Shan, who had hunted Monster Beasts in the Inner Mountain for many years, had not traversed every corner.


    Therefore, all he could do was to take Mo Hua along the main mountain trails to familiarize herself with the terrain of the Inner Mountain.


    Once danger arose, it was important to know where to flee. If they got lost, it was crucial to know how to get off the mountain and make it back home.


    With the complex terrain of the Inner Mountain and its rugged landscape, the two would walk for a bit and then rest for a while.


    During the breaks, Mo Hua would take out the map and add markings to it.


    This map was obtained from Elder Yu. It was very rudimentary at first, only indicating the mountain contours and the main trails, with nothing else marked.


    Therefore, Mo Hua wanted to refine the map of the Inner Mountain.


    She had done this in the Outer Mountain, which not only helped her become familiar with the surroundings but also made it convenient to collect herbs, spices, and ores. Having the map in case of emergencies in the mountains could be very advantageous.


    After spending about half a month and traversing the main mountain trails several times, Mo Hua became roughly familiar with the environment of the Inner Mountain.


    Her map of the Inner Mountain now had many additions, marked and drawn in.


    After that, Mo Hua needed to set up the Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation.


    As a Formation Master, she did not feel at ease without placing some formations in the Inner Mountain.


    With the Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation in place, she could sense fluctuations in Spiritual Power, which not only made it convenient to join in on the action but also allowed her to foresee dangers and escape ahead of time.


    It also made it easier to bleed the Monster Beasts.


    Mo Hua could not do this alone, so she asked for help from some Monster Hunter uncles.


    Yu Chengyi gathered over a dozen Monster Hunters at the Qi Refining Ninth Level to assist Mo Hua in placing the stone needles engraved with the Compass Child Formation.


    Because the Inner Mountain was so vast, a single Compass Mother Formation Disk could not cover the entire area, so Mo Hua made two sets, dividing them into Discs A and B.


    Disc A covered the south, while Disc B covered the north.


    She also made a set for Mo Shan and Yu Chengyi, to facilitate the Monster Hunters¡¯ activities in the Inner Mountain.


    Yu Chengyi was overjoyed. With this set of Formation Disks, their actions in the Inner Mountain were much more secure.


    Whether it was hunting Monster Beasts, forewarning of dangers, or providing aid to each other, it was much more convenient than before, and they no longer had to rely solely on the experience and senses of Monster Hunters.

 Chapter 231 - 230 Sheep Demon_1

    Chapter 231: Chapter 230 Sheep Demon_1


    Everything was ready, and Mo Hua began to hunt monsters.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t need to take action himself.


    Although he had reached the seventh level of Qi Refinement, and his Fireball Technique had also become much more powerful, it still wasn¡¯t enough to deal with First-grade late-phase Monster Beasts.


    At most, he could deal finishing blows or capitalize on opportunities.


    The Monster Hunters did not lack his spell¡¯s power when hunting Monster Beasts.


    Yu Chengyi, Mo Shan, and six other late-phase Qi Refinement Monster Hunters formed a team, taking Mo Hua with them, a nine-person party, to begin hunting a First-grade late-phase Red-eyed Demon Sheep.


    Yu Chengyi and Mo Shan had been hunting monsters in the Inner Mountain for many years, and their experience was much richer than Mo Hua¡¯s; the planning before hunting was also more meticulous, basically considering everything.


    Mo Hua only had to listen on the side and learn earnestly.


    To learn the habits of Monster Beasts, the methods of monster hunting, and the matters to pay attention to.


    This monster hunt was like usual, yet it was also different because they would use the Formation that Mo Hua had drawn.


    Previously, mid-phase Qi Refinement Monster Hunters used an Earth Fire Formation with seven Formation Patterns to hunt First-grade mid-phase Monster Beasts.


    Now that Mo Hua could draw a First-grade Formation, which was very powerful and sufficient to wound First-grade late-phase Monster Beasts, late-phase Qi Refinement Monster Hunters could also attempt to use the First-grade Earth Fire Formation to hunt late-phase First-grade Monster Beasts.


    Hunting monsters with the aid of a Formation was safe and efficient.


    After the discussion, Yu Chengyi asked Mo Hua, ¡°Is there anything else we need to pay attention to?¡±


    Since the Formation was drawn by Mo Hua, he needed to ask for his opinion.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and felt that everyone had considered everything thoroughly, and he couldn¡¯t think of any additional points, so he said,


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Yu Chengyi nodded, ¡°Then we¡¯ll set off tomorrow and act according to the plan.¡±


    The Monster Hunters spent the night at the camp in the Inner Mountain, and the next day at dawn, when the mountains were faint and plants were covered with dew, the group set out.


    Yu Chengyi and a few other experienced Monster Hunters went ahead to scout for clues of the Red-eyed Sheep demon.


    Mo Shan was also experienced, but Mo Hua¡¯s safety was more important, so he could only follow him closely.


    Soon after, one of the Monster Hunters found the hoof prints of the Sheep demon, leftover meat from its meal, and white wool stained with blood.


    Everyone became alert and went on full guard.


    Yu Chengyi and several Monster Hunters released their Divine Sense, beginning to search for the Sheep demon¡¯s figure.


    Before they could find it, Mo Hua had already taken out a Map and marked the location for them:


    ¡°Behind the mountain path, there is a small stream, it¡¯s drinking there.¡±


    Yu Chengyi and the others exchanged glances, feeling inwardly astonished.


    This distance was quite a bit further than the limit of their Divine Sense reach.


    Was Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense so much stronger than theirs?


    Yu Chengyi leaped to the mountaintop, using the rocks for cover to look down, and indeed saw the Red-eyed Demon Sheep drinking by the stream after eating.


    Yu Chengyi leaped down from the mountaintop without making a sound and said to everyone, ¡°It¡¯s drinking water, and it will probably return to the forest after. Let¡¯s take a detour and set up an ambush ahead of it.¡±


    The Monster Hunters nodded and then took a side path around to the spot where the Sheep demon would have to pass through to enter the forest, stopping to set up traps.


    Mo Hua took out an iron Compass, with complicated Formation patterns drawn on it.


    Seeing this, Yu Chengyi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What is this Compass for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve drawn the Earth Fire Formation on it,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    ¡°Is there any difference between this and drawing on Paper?¡± Yu Chengyi asked.


    ¡°Using paper as the formation media, the Earth Fire Formation can only be used once. After it explodes, the Formation Paper is destroyed, and the formation is gone.¡±


    Mo Hua continued to explain, ¡°This compass was specially refined by Master Chen for me. It contains some fine iron, making it much more durable as a formation media. If we draw the Earth Fire Formation on it, it can be used many times.¡±


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s eyes lit up as he listened, ¡°Are there any particularities in its usage?¡±


    ¡°Just use it the same way as before.¡±


    Yu Chengyi nodded, ¡°Okay!¡±


    The group set up the trap, placed the formation compass, added several Spirit Stones to the formation, then erased their traces and sprinkled fresh blood and juice of Demon Smelly Grass before retreating to hide behind the rocks.


    Soon, a Red-eyed Demon Sheep appeared at the crossroad.


    This Sheep demon was bursting with Blood Qi, its mouth still bloody from whatever meat it had feasted on, and it was extremely cautious.


    It eyed the trap for a long time, clearly enticed by the smell of the Demon Smelly Grass but tried its best to resist, pacing back and forth on the spot without moving forward.


    After a while, the Sheep demon began to back away, gradually walking off into the distance.


    Mo Hua was surprised and quietly asked Mo Shan, ¡°Dad, is this Monster Beast so vigilant?¡±


    ¡°A later phase First-grade Monster Beast has a long life, rich experience, and is even more cunning.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s running away, do we chase it?¡±


    Mo Shan shook his head, ¡°No need to chase, we¡¯ll wait here.¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily puzzled, then his eyes brightened, ¡°It¡¯s going to come back?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Mo Shan also lowered his voice, his gaze fixed on the crossroad, ¡°It¡¯s also probing. It will come back in a bit.¡±


    As expected, after a while, the Red-eyed Demon Sheep returned.


    If they had pursued it just now, they would have alerted the demon, and the trap would have been wasted.


    Mo Hua inwardly marveled that even a Monster Beast within this Inner Mountain was so sly; evidently, he still had much to learn.


    The Red-eyed Demon Sheep finally couldn¡¯t resist the lure of the Demon Smelly Grass and, while watching its surroundings, moved toward the trap.


    Monster Beasts have Monster Sensing, similar to a Cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense, but generally, a Monster Beast¡¯s sense isn¡¯t strong and cannot project outward to sense things as Cultivators do.


    To perceive their surroundings, Monster Beasts generally rely on special vision, keen olfactory and auditory senses, as well as a sensitivity to vital energy and thirst for blood.


    The team consisted of veteran Monster Hunters with ample experience, naturally knowing how to conceal their presence from Monster Beasts.


    Thus, as the Red-eyed Demon Sheep surveyed its surroundings, it detected nothing. At the same time, it finally stepped into the trap, lowering its head to lick the blood on the ground, savoring the strong scent of the Demon Smelly Grass.


    Yu Chengyi stood up, drew his bow and shot an arrow. The arrow flew swiftly, imbued with Spiritual Power, and struck the Spirit Stones on the formation.


    The Spirit Stones turned to dust, and the contained Spiritual Energy overflowed, seeping into the Earth Fire Formation compass below.


    The Sheep demon sensed something amiss upon hearing the sound of the arrow slicing through the air and attempted to flee, but it was already too late.


    Stumbling momentarily from the trap, the Sheep demon watched as the fiery red patterns on the compass flashed. The First-grade Earth Fire Formation activated and with an explosion of fiery Spiritual Power, a deafening noise erupted.


    As the shockwave from the explosion dissipated, it was evident that the Red-eyed Demon Sheep had suffered severe damage.


    To be certain, Mo Hua had set up three First-grade Earth Fire Formations to detonate simultaneously; natural, the power was extraordinary.


    The Monster Hunters, without needing to say a word, charged forward, scattering and surrounding the Red-eyed Demon Sheep.


    Eight of them divided into two rings, with four killing the demon on the inside and four others on the outside providing mutual support to prevent its escape.


    After some time, the inner and outer rings swapped places, taking turns in a war of attrition to wear down the seriously injured beast.


    With clear objectives, decisive actions, efficient killing, and thorough support,


    in less than an hour, the gravely injured Red-eyed Demon Sheep finally fell. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 232 - 231 Hunting (Five More Updates)_1

    Chapter 232: Chapter 231 Hunting (Five More Updates)_1


    The sheep demon¡¯s fur was scorched black and oozing fresh blood as it lay on the mountain path.


    The Monster Hunter didn¡¯t approach carelessly, instead, Yu Chengyi glanced at the monster beast and then towards Mo Shan, giving an inquiring look.


    Mo Shan¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as he gently shook his head, indicating that the monster beast was feigning death.


    So, everyone spread out, surrounding the beast and waited patiently.


    Different monster beasts have different ways of feigning death, so naturally, Monster Hunters also have different ways of dealing with them.


    One can¡¯t rashly approach after Red-eyed Demon Sheep play dead.


    Whoever approaches first will suffer its dying counterattack, which is extremely dangerous. If you¡¯re unlucky, you¡¯d end up in its belly.


    If everyone approaches together, it¡¯s easy to be affected by its demonic power.


    A late-stage first-grade monster beast not only has vigorous blood Qi but also extremely thick demonic power, and the innate abilities it can display using demonic power are even more troublesome.


    If one is injured by its demonic power, it can lead to big trouble.


    Monster Hunters also lack long-range attack methods. Although they have bows and arrows, their power is weak. It¡¯s feasible to explode spirit stones in a formation, but for dealing with monster beasts, it¡¯s quite ineffective.


    Therefore, to be on the safe side, the Monster Hunters didn¡¯t act recklessly.


    The sheep demon lay on the ground without moving, and the Monster Hunters also stood their ground, waiting patiently.


    As the monster beast lay dying, its blood slowly flowed away, and its breath gradually weakened. With a little patience, the one who couldn¡¯t hold on in the end would definitely be the monster beast.


    Mo Hua was also hiding behind a rock, watching, his Divine Sense noting the demonic power within the beast flowing slowly.


    It was as if the not-yet-dead monster beast was accumulating demonic power, yet also as if the already dead beast was losing power gradually.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t tell whether the monster beast was truly dead or not. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It seems that I¡¯m still lacking in experience. Even if Divine Sense can detect the flow of demonic power, it can¡¯t discern the life and death of a monster beast.¡±


    His father, Mo Shan, didn¡¯t even need to use Divine Sense, but just by taking one look, he could tell from experience that the beast was feigning death.


    An cultivator¡¯s experience is also a form of their ability.


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    The monster beast was still playing dead, and the Monster Hunters were still waiting, but Mo Hua was already tired of waiting.


    They didn¡¯t have long-range attacks, but Mo Hua did.


    So Mo Hua began to gather energy and cast Fireball Technique.


    As soon as the thought arose, spiritual power had already gathered at his fingertips, aimed forward, the fireball was formed, and with a roar, it whizzed out, flying toward the feigning-dead sheep demon on the ground.


    The Monster Hunters were a bit astonished, but seeing that it was Mo Hua casting the spell, they felt somewhat relieved.


    The Fireball Technique exploded on the body of the sheep demon, which didn¡¯t move at all.


    ¡°Pretending to be a turtle when it¡¯s clearly a sheep?¡±


    Mo Hua commented curiously and then once again brought his fingers together. Another fireball flew out, hitting the sheep demon again.


    Finally unable to bear it any longer, the sheep demon let out a fierce roar, stood up, its eyes blood-red and fierce, staring intently at Mo Hua.


    Yu Chengyi coldly commanded, ¡°Kill!¡±


    Monster Hunters lunged at the sheep demon with their knives.


    Already at the end of its strength, the Red-eyed Demon Sheep could no longer hold on. Its eyes were blood-red, demonic power revved to the extreme, blood Qi surging throughout its body.


    Seeing this, Yu Chengyi immediately commanded, ¡°Disperse!¡±


    The Monster Hunters, already prepared, quickly retreated.


    Simultaneously with the Monster Hunters¡¯ retreat, the Red-eyed Demon Sheep burst into a cloud of blood mist.


    Mo Hua recalled his father Mo Shan saying that when a Red-eyed Demon Sheep was on the brink of death or in a moment of crisis, it would spur its innate ability with demonic power to explode into a blood mist.


    If a Monster Hunter is caught in the blood mist, their eyes would be tainted, their vision would be blood-red so they cannot see, and their mind would be affected by the blood mist.


    In such a situation, without a comrade¡¯s rescue, one¡¯s death was almost certain.


    ¡°So, this is the blood mist¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was amazed, realizing that a late-stage first-grade monster beast was even more dangerous than he thought.


    Fortunately, although tricky, the blood mist didn¡¯t last long and soon dissipated.


    And the monster beast, having used up all its demonic power, truly became a lamb to the slaughter.


    The Monster Hunters swiftly slaughtered the Red-eyed Demon Sheep, and with the sheep demon collapsing to the ground once again, everyone let out a sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua scanned over the sheep demon with his Divine Sense once more.


    He noticed that the truly dead sheep demon¡¯s demonic power was circulating much slower, more sluggishly, and its color was also fading gradually.


    Mo Hua memorized this difference, so the next time he needed to discern whether a Monster Beast was feigning death, he would have a basis to go on.


    However, since he wasn¡¯t familiar with late-stage First-grade Monster Beasts, he still decided to check with his dad to be sure,


    ¡°Is it dead?¡±


    Mo Shan glanced at the beast and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s dead.¡±


    Mo Hua then darted out from behind the stone and walked up to the sheep demon, pointing to an area near its heart channel, he said,


    ¡°Dad, help me make an incision here.¡±


    Mo Shan cut down with his knife, creating a half-finger length slit, and Monster Blood flowed out from the gash.


    Mo Hua quickly took out a jade bottle to catch the Monster Blood while simultaneously using the Blood Drawing Art to draw blood from other meridians in the Monster Beast.


    After collecting the Monster Blood, the Monster Hunters skinned and deboned the beast, and once everything was properly taken care of, they withdrew back to their camp.


    There were always unknown dangers lurking in the Inner Mountain, but the camp was much safer.


    The campsite inside the Inner Mountain was similar to those outside, but roomier and more concealed, and the Formation on the stone door was also better.


    But to Mo Hua, these Formations seemed rather simple.


    Something about them bothered him, so he used the newly acquired Monster Blood to mix a fresh batch of Spiritual Ink and drew a first-grade Earth Stone Formation himself, which made it look much more pleasing to the eye.


    After eating something, everyone rested for a while in the camp.


    Yu Chengyi, holding a Compass Disk with the Earth Fire Formation painted on it, couldn¡¯t help commenting as he turned it over,


    ¡°This thing is good!¡±


    Its power was remarkable, and it could be used multiple times, with a first-grade Formation Method painted on it.


    A first-grade Formation Method¡­


    From now on, their Monster Hunters could use first-grade Formation Methods to hunt Monster Beasts.


    This had never happened before.


    Even a few years ago, it was beyond his wildest dreams.


    Yu Chengyi felt a bit wistful but then asked, ¡°How many times can this be used?¡±


    Mo Hua, chewing on some meat, thought for a moment and said, ¡°Seven or eight times, I guess.¡±


    ¡°The Formation media isn¡¯t that great; it¡¯s mixed with fine iron, so it¡¯s a bit sturdier. After seven or eight uses, it won¡¯t be able to withstand the explosion of Spiritual Power from the Earth Fire Formation,¡± Mo Hua continued.


    ¡°So it¡¯s useless after that?¡± Yu Chengyi felt a little disappointed.


    ¡°You can recycle the waste, have Master Chen melt it down and refine it again,¡± Mo Hua said.


    That¡¯s the advantage of having an Artifact Refiner. Sometimes, you can craft things according to your own ideas.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Yu Chengyi nodded, his hand fondly holding the Earth Fire Formation Compass, liking it more and more.


    With this thing, their Monster Hunting would be much easier. Most importantly, it reduced the risks and thus decreased the casualties.


    For a Monster Hunter who wanted to stay alive, it was never easy.


    Who wouldn¡¯t want to enter the mountains safely and return unscathed?


    ¡°It¡¯s just that the Compass is a bit ugly¡­¡± Yu Chengyi said bluntly.


    Although he liked the function, it was indeed somewhat unattractive¡­


    Mo Hua scratched his head. He couldn¡¯t help it; this was made in a hurry.


    In general, Spiritual Artifacts would be matched with corresponding Formations, and standard Formations would have their respective Standard Spiritual Weapons.


    For example, Sword Weapons would have Sword Formations, Blade Weapons would have Blade Formations, and Clear Heart Hairpins would have the Clear Heart Formation.


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t find a Spiritual Artifact that corresponded to the Earth Fire Formation, and when he asked Master Chen, he didn¡¯t know either, so he could only make do with a hastily crafted iron Compass as Formation media.


    Although it¡¯s a bit ugly, Yu Chengyi still treasured the Earth Fire Formation Compass as if it were a precious gem.

 Chapter 233 - 232 Flourishing_1

    Chapter 233: Chapter 232 Flourishing_1


    Using an Earth Fire Formation to hunt Monster Beasts indeed doubles the efficiency.


    This time, hunting the Red-eyed Demon Sheep seemed to have some setbacks, but it was much easier than their previous hunts.


    Previously, hunting a monster in its prime required them to surround and kill the monster, and if the monster fled, they would have to chase it for at least a day, sometimes even several days.


    Now, the Red-eyed Demon Sheep was directly bombed into a serious injury, its offensive power weakened a lot, and its demonic power also declined, making it much easier to handle. Generally, they could wear it down to death within two hours.


    Still, they needed to be wary of the monster playing dead, just in case.


    But for Monster Hunters, this was considered mandatory training, so it didn¡¯t really have much impact.


    After staying at the camp for one night, the group returned to Tongxian City the next day.


    Yu Chengyi went to find Elder Yu, talked for a few sentences, and gained Elder Yu¡¯s approval.


    During the following period, Yu Chengyi began teaching other late-stage Qi Refinement Monster Hunters how to use the Earth Fire Formation for hunting.


    How to set traps, how to place the Formation, how to activate the Formation, then how to surround and kill the monster beast, and finally, how to finish the job.


    These processes were very familiar to the middle-phase Qi Refinement Monster Hunters, because they had often used the Earth Fire Formations drawn by Mo Hua in their previous hunts.


    But because the previous Earth Fire Formations only had seven Formation Patterns, they weren¡¯t powerful enough, so the late-stage Qi Refinement Monster Hunters had not used them.


    Now, with Mo Hua¡¯s Formation painting skills improved, he was able to draw a first-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    Therefore, all Monster Hunters, including those at the late stage of Qi Refinement, had to learn to use the Formation.


    Additionally, Monster Hunters also started wearing iron armor.


    Some were taken from the Qian Family previously, and some were reluctantly bought by Elder Yu, who then asked the craftsmen at the Refinery Shop to forge them personally.


    The Artifact Furnace at the Refinery Shop was a first-grade Artifact Furnace, with a first-grade Melting Fire Compound Formation drawn on it, producing a pure fire that made the iron armor far superior in quality to ordinary iron armor.


    Mo Hua also took the time to draw the Golden Armor Formation onto each set of iron armor.


    A Monster Hunter wearing iron armor with the Golden Armor Formation painted on it had a defense that was not inferior to that of an average first-grade late-phase Monster Beast.


    This batch of iron armor was given priority to the Monster Hunters at the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    Mo Shan naturally got a set as well.


    In addition to that, Mo Hua also learned the first-grade Gold Blade Formation.


    The Gold Blade Formation was a Golden Series Formation Method, which when drawn on swords or knives, could enhance their sharpness.


    This way, the Monster Hunters were even more skilled at hunting Monster Beasts.


    Naturally, Mo Hua drew the first Gold Blade Formation on Mo Shan¡¯s knife.


    With the first-grade Earth Fire Formation for ambush, the first-grade Golden Armor Formation for defense, and the first-grade Gold Blade Formation for attack, along with the Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation for detection and early warning.


    Now that Mo Shan would go into the Inner Mountain to hunt monsters again, Mo Hua felt much more at ease.


    Not only Mo Shan, but as the Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business grew stronger and the income from the Spirit Stones increased, these formations would gradually be available to all Monster Hunters. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From this point on, all Monster Hunter activities became closely associated with formation arrays.


    Formations were also widely applied in the Monster Hunters¡¯ hunts, making hunting safer, more convenient, and more efficient.


    Now, all the Monster Hunters in Big Black Mountain came to know Mo Hua.


    The armors they wore, the weapons they used, the traps they set, were all outfitted with Formation Patterns drawn by Mo Hua.


    Because they had experienced it themselves, they understood just how important formations were.


    Thanks to these formations, hunting monsters now was vastly different from before.


    With the enhancements of formations, they didn¡¯t have to worry about getting injured at every turn, nor did they have to fear that a moment¡¯s negligence could lead to being eaten by monsters.


    Their families also did not have to be constantly anxious, fearing that they would enter the mountains in one piece but return drenched in blood.


    Mo Hua could now comfortably focus his thoughts on achieving his Foundation Establishment.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t short on Spiritual Stones for the time being, whether it was the Fulu Building, the Refinery Shops and Alchemist¡¯s Businesses in Southern City, or the Spiritual mines they occupied, he had a significant share in each of them.


    Moreover, his parents had saved up quite a lot of Spirit Stones for him, saying they were for his future cultivation and for when he gets a wife.


    The most pressing issue for Mo Hua now, however, was Divine Sense.


    If he wanted to establish his Foundation, he would need to strengthen his Divine Sense, which meant he would have to draw more formations, and to draw more formations, he must get more Monster Blood to mix the Spiritual Ink.


    Previously, when he was in the Outer Mountain, he used formations to hunt and kill Monster Beasts, saving up nearly a thousand bottles of Spiritual Ink.


    Later, while defending the Spiritual mines and setting up the Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business, as well as refining Artifact Furnaces and other miscellaneous uses, Mo Hua drew many formations, and now he was almost out of them.


    Foundation Establishment was still quite a way off, but foreseeable future needs for Drawing Formations or solving formations would also not be small, so Mo Hua had to start saving up some again.


    And the blood of rank-one late-phase Monster Beasts would make the formations he drew even more powerful.


    Mo Hua began to wander around the Inner Mountain again.


    While updating the Map, he dug some herbs for Old Mr. Feng, found some ores for Master Chen, and for his mother¡¯s research into diet, he gathered some spices.


    Most importantly, he kept an eye on the Compass for any signs of battles happening.


    Once a light flashed on the Compass, Mo Hua would determine the direction and immediately rush over.


    The late-phase rank-one Monster Beasts were hard to kill.


    Even with the help of the Earth Fire Formation, hunting them required quite an effort.


    By the time Mo Hua arrived, the timing was just right, and in most cases, there was even time to spare.


    He didn¡¯t need to join the fight, only to find a safe place to hide and wait for the Monster Hunting to end, then come out and draw some Monster Blood with a small bottle.


    Occasionally, there would be tense battles or a Monster Beast faking death; in those cases, he would cast a few Fireball Techniques, either to harass the Monster Beasts or to test whether they were really dead.


    Since he had a breakthrough in his cultivation, and his Heaven Yan Jue had improved, Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique was now faster, more accurate, and more powerful.


    He could form a Fireball Technique the moment he thought of it.


    As Monster Hunters were at a standoff with Monster Beasts, Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique could provide a lot of help.


    Most Monster Hunters were very grateful to Mo Hua and quite enthusiastic.


    Generally, the Monster Hunters¡¯ prey was not to be touched by others, but Mo Hua was an exception.


    The Monster Beasts belonged to them, but all of the Monster Blood was Mo Hua¡¯s.


    Some Monster Hunters, after killing a Monster Beast, wouldn¡¯t immediately strip the materials but would wait for a while for Mo Hua to come over to bleed it.


    If Mo Hua didn¡¯t show up, they would be rather upset, feeling that it was a pity to waste the Monster Blood.


    In this way, Mo Hua was thriving in the Inner Mountain.


    Being one of the Monster Hunters, his fortunes were tied to theirs, for better or worse.


    With so many Monster Hunters helping him, his activities in the Inner Mountain naturally became much more convenient.


    The Inner Mountain was far more dangerous than Outer Mountain.


    But with formations at his disposal, Mo Hua felt that the Inner Mountain and the Outer Mountain were not so different after all.


    Gradually, Mo Hua stockpiled more and more Spiritual Ink, and the strength of the Monster Hunters also grew.


    With the help of formations, while their cultivations might not have increased, their combat power had significantly improved, and the time spent on Monster Hunting greatly decreased.


    At the same time, the materials of the rank-one late-phase Monster Beasts obtained from Monster Hunting also increased.


    These materials were sent to the Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business in Southern City, where they were refined into Spiritual Artifacts and Pills, then sold to cultivators in the city or to foreign merchants, earning a substantial amount of Spirit Stones.


    These Spirit Stones were then distributed proportionally among the Loose Cultivators.


    The Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City gradually became wealthier, and the entire city prospered without anyone noticing.


    And as Tongxian City prospered, more and more cultivators of various stripes and unclear origins began to arrive¡­

 Chapter 234 - 233 Rescue_1

    Chapter 234: Chapter 233 Rescue_1


    ¡°`


    The number of cultivators coming from outside Tongxian City had been gradually increasing.


    Two months later, Mo Hua sat on a boulder in Inner Mountain, looking at the Compass Disk in his hand and furrowing his brow.


    Before, when light spots appeared on the compass, Mo Hua rushed over only to find that most of the time it was Monster Hunters hunting Monster Beasts, or Monster Beasts fighting for territory¡ªseldom were there cultivators fighting to the death.


    Occasionally, there were some unfamiliar Monster Hunters, who dressed differently and practiced Taoist skills and used Spiritual Artifacts that were unlike those from Tongxian City, presumably from afar, but they were few in number and rarely encountered.


    But now it was different.


    In the Inner Mountain of Big Black Mountain, Mo Hua often saw unfamiliar faces.


    The light on the Compass Disk indicating battles had greatly increased, many involving outside cultivators.


    Conflicts between cultivators were also suddenly on the rise.


    Some disputes were over Monster Beasts, others were sparked by mere verbal disagreements that escalated into physical confrontations, and there were even cultivators who were clearly looking to cause trouble.


    What was even worse was the naked robbery and murder!


    Mo Hua once came across a cargo cart, its goods gone, surrounded by bloodstains and the scattered limbs of cultivators.


    From the looks of the nearby signs, it was evident that a group of merchants had been ambushed by cultivators, their goods taken, with all the people killed.


    Subsequently, Monster Beasts attracted by the scent of blood came and consumed the corpses.


    The sight was chaotic, the state of death was tragic.


    Mo Hua felt unsettled as he looked on, his heart aching with compassion, and he couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh.


    The days to come in Inner Mountain were likely to be anything but peaceful.


    Fortunately, the Monster Hunters from Tongxian City were gradually growing stronger, with more hands and mostly clad in iron armor, wielding first-grade blades, standing out amongst the several nearby Immortal Cities in strength.


    These foreign cultivators wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke the local Monster Hunters so easily.


    But what the future held was uncertain.


    However, let Elder Yu worry about these things; Mo Hua decided instead to save up some Spiritual Ink, practice his formations, enhance his Divine Sense, and see if he could achieve Foundation Establishment.


    Mo Hua gathered his thoughts and then ate some dried meat and drank some juice fermented from wild fruits.


    This juice had been chilled by the Cold Air Formation, giving it a sour, sweet, and icy taste as he drank.


    Mo Hua felt much better.


    After a while, the Compass Disk lit up again, and Mo Hua packed his things and, using the Water Passing Step, made his way nimbly through the forest and over the rocks.


    From a great distance, Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, took a simple sweep, and felt somewhat disappointed.


    It was another cultivators¡¯ fight.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Generally, Mo Hua did not interfere in brawls between cultivators.


    He was only at the Qi Refining seventh level, and the only attack spell he knew was the Fireball Technique; though he was quite proficient in the Water Passing Step and self-preservation wasn¡¯t a problem, he had little desire to invite trouble.


    Moreover, disputes among cultivators were often such that merely passing by and glancing over did not make it easy to discern right from wrong.


    Those in a weaker position were not necessarily the good ones, and those in a dominant position were not necessarily bad ones.


    Those with fierce appearances were not necessarily villains, and those with kind-looking faces were even less likely to be good folks.


    As the saying goes, ¡°Appearances are deceiving.¡±


    Mo Hua decided to do as he always did, take a sneak peek for a moment or two¡ªafter all, he had nothing else to do at the moment.


    With his Divine Sense, cultivators at the stage of Qi Refinement would not be able to detect him at all.


    Mo Hua climbed onto a rocky area, concealed his breath, and surreptitiously peered out from behind the vegetation.


    On the rugged and narrow mountain path, two groups of cultivators were engaged in combat.


    The cultivators of both sides were mostly at the later stages of Qi Refinement.


    One side consisted of only four people: three men and a woman at a disadvantage, desperately defending several boxes of luggage.


    The other side had seven people, dressed in various outfits and with unfamiliar faces, and they were assaulting the small group of four cultivators.


    Furthermore, their onslaught was getting fiercer by the minute, and it seemed the four cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out much longer.


    Robbery?


    Mo Hua frowned and continued to look on, soon realizing that something was amiss.


    Those four cultivators, he seemed to recognize them.


    ¡°`


    A middle-aged cultivator, with a few faint scars on his face, had a good relationship with his father, Mo Shan, and had even made a special trip to visit the Mo Hua family.


    Mo Hua remembered his name was Ji Qingbai; she called him Uncle Ji.


    The young, scholarly-looking cultivator beside him was Ji Qingbai¡¯s son, named Ji Li.


    The father and son, monster hunters themselves, were not cultivators from Tongxian City but came from the neighboring Qingxuan City.


    Since Qingxuan City was quite far from Tongxian City and the route passed through the Inner Mountain of Big Black Mountain, under normal circumstances, cultivators from the two cities rarely interacted with each other.


    There was also a burly cultivator with a sturdy build, wearing a wolf-skin belt and wielding a murderous-looking Wolf Fang Club with sharp barbs all over it.


    Mo Hua remembered that when she had a conflict with Qian Xing, it was this burly man who stepped forward to stop the Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator from the Qian Family.


    In her impression, this burly man was deeply cultivated and was also quite formidable at cursing others.


    Now, he was single-handedly holding his own against three opponents, the earthen gray spiritual power wrapped around his Wolf Fang Club creating gusts of wind when swung, clearly showing his immense strength.


    At the same time, he was also cursing incessantly, with phrases like ¡°a bunch of bastards,¡± ¡°cowards who ambush,¡± and ¡°fight me one-on-one if you dare, instead of bullying by numbers.¡±


    Among the four of them, the only one Mo Hua didn¡¯t recognize was the female cultivator.


    She appeared to be about the same age as Ji Li, injured, and was the weakest in terms of cultivation; she was struggling the most but thankfully, Ji Li was taking care of her by her side.


    However, her entire sleeve had been soaked through with blood, and it seemed she wouldn¡¯t hold on much longer.


    Based on Mo Hua¡¯s experience observing battles in the Inner Mountain for so long.


    The cultivator with the Wolf Fang Club would surely be able to escape, Uncle Ji had a high chance as well, but it depended on whether these cultivators pursued them or not. If they were chased, chances were probably slim.


    Ji Li wouldn¡¯t be able to escape; although he had the cultivation of Qi Refinement Eighth Level, he lacked experience in fighting enemies. At this moment, being entangled by so many cultivators, he found himself trapped and unable to escape.


    As for the female cultivator, it looked certain she would die.


    Perhaps dying might be the best outcome¡­


    Mo Hua sighed in her heart.


    What should she do?


    There were seven people on the other side; the numbers were a bit overwhelming, and even if Mo Hua joined the fight, she might not be able to save all of them.


    Mo Hua could escape if she could not overpower them.


    But Ji Li and that female cultivator probably wouldn¡¯t be able to.


    If Ji Li couldn¡¯t escape, Ji Qingbai would surely not want to leave because of his son.


    The burly man seemed to have a fiery spirit and a sense of loyalty; he would likely fight to the death.


    ¡°It would be best to save them all; being alive is better than anything else.¡±


    Determined, Mo Hua took out a section of a bamboo tube; the tube was red, with a Fireworks Formation painted inside.


    Such bamboo tubes were simple to make, and the Fireworks Formation painted by Mo Hua was something almost every monster hunter who entered the mountains carried.


    In case of an emergency, once the formation was triggered and fireworks were released, nearby monster hunters would come to the rescue.


    Mo Hua activated the Fireworks Formation with her spiritual power, and a burst of firelight shot up into the sky.


    The cultivators fighting on the mountain path were all startled by the sight of the fireworks.


    Mo Hua then used the Water Passing Step to quickly run to a distant spot, activated another firework, then ran to the left crest of the hill, and set off another smoke signal.


    At three different locations, from near to far, she released the fireworks, creating the illusion that waves of monster hunters from Tongxian City were hurrying to their aid after hearing the news.


    ¡°It¡¯s the monster hunters from Tongxian City!¡± exclaimed a foreign cultivator in surprise.


    ¡°Big brother, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°They are many, and they have iron armor; we are no match for them.¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The leading cultivator frowned, hesitating and uncertain.


    It was just a bit more¡­


    They had been fighting for half a day, and it looked like they were about to kill these few cultivators, seize the goods, and capture the female cultivator.


    If they withdrew now, all their efforts would be wasted!


    Seeing they were not leaving, Mo Hua raised her right hand and sent another Fireball flying.


    This Fireball Technique was fast and accurate, hitting a foreign cultivator in an instant, who stumbled and fell to the ground, screaming in pain from the burn of the spell.


    The Qi Refinement Seventh Level spell might not be much against monster beasts, but when it hit a cultivator, its power was not to be underestimated.


    ¡°A spell?!¡± exclaimed the leading cultivator.

 Chapter 235 - 234 Old Acquaintance_1

    Chapter 235: Chapter 234 Old Acquaintance_1


    ¡°`


    This Fireball Technique was executed masterfully and packed a considerable punch, it must have come from the hands of a Spiritual Cultivator.


    It¡¯s rare for Monster Hunters to be Spiritual Cultivators, and if there were any among them entering the mountain, they would follow a Monster Hunting Team and wouldn¡¯t act alone.


    And a Monster Hunting Team has at least five or six members, sometimes eight or nine, or even more than ten, all with excellent weapons and armor. This group of theirs stood no chance against them.


    Once surrounded by Monster Hunters, there would be no escaping.


    People in their line of trade always risked their lives, they could not afford to lose them to a moment of avarice.


    The leading cultivator felt a surge of panic and immediately made a decision, ¡°Retreat, quickly!¡±


    The seven intruding cultivators frantically retreated.


    Upon seeing this, Ji Qingbai and his beleaguered companions all felt a great relief, putting down their weapons and leaning on the storage chests, gasping for air.


    Ji Qingbai felt an even stronger sense of gratitude for having survived the ordeal.


    This situation had been extremely perilous. The Ji Family only had him and his father left¡ªif they had carelessly lost their lives here, the Ji Family lineage would have ended, which would have truly been an unfortunate event for the family.


    With this thought, Ji Qingbai felt grateful and turned towards the mountain peak to bow and said,


    ¡°Many thanks. May I know which brother from the Monster Hunting Team it is?¡±


    The others also looked towards the direction from where Ji Qingbai¡¯s voice had come.


    The rugged mountain peak rustled with shrubs, revealing Mo Hua¡¯s small figure.


    Mo Hua scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said,


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not quite right, Uncle Ji.¡±


    Ji Qingbai and his father addressed each other as brothers, a term which Mo Hua felt he couldn¡¯t possibly live up to.


    Ji Qingbai was startled. Why was it a child?


    Looking closely, he recognized the child as somewhat familiar.


    With features as fine as a painting and a clean, elegant appearance, the child looked like he could be from the Mo Family.


    Ji Qingbai had met Mo Hua before and held a deep impression of him.


    ¡°Are you¡­ Mo Hua?¡±


    Ji Qingbai asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°How¡­ How did you end up here?¡± Ji Qingbai nervously glanced around, ¡°Just by yourself? Where¡¯s your father?¡±


    The other three were also looking at each other in bewilderment.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that later, now is not the time.¡±


    ¡°So, what now¡­?¡± Ji Qingbai was a bit dazed.


    Mo Hua urged, ¡°Run, quickly¡­¡±


    The Inner Mountain was vast, and there might not be any other Monster Hunters nearby. Even if his signal had been noticed, it wasn¡¯t certain anyone would come to assist.


    And if support was on the way, it would take some time to arrive.


    If, in a little while, those seven cultivators came to their senses and returned, that would spell trouble.


    Ji Qingbai instantly understood and ceased the pleasantries, quickly gathering his things in preparation for departure.


    As for the several large storage chests, Ji Qingbai decided not to take them. However, just before leaving, he still felt reluctant as those chests contained all their family¡¯s possessions.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua suggested, ¡°Take them with you.¡±


    Startled by his words, Ji Qingbai hesitated, ¡°But if those people catch up¡­¡±


    ¡°If they catch up, I¡¯ll give you a heads up in advance. Then it wouldn¡¯t be too late to abandon them,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Ji Qingbai was taken aback. How could one possibly know such a thing in advance?


    Mo Hua appeared composed.


    Even if those cultivators caught up, his Divine Sense would allow him to sense them beforehand, giving enough time to react.


    With time to prepare and set up a Formation, Mo Hua could fend off several more attackers, ensuring they couldn¡¯t get away easily.


    ¡°Besides, if we take our belongings, they might not dare to pursue us. If we don¡¯t, they¡¯ll know we¡¯re vulnerable and will surely chase after us,¡± Mo Hua added.


    Upon hearing this, Ji Qingbai immediately nodded, ¡°Alright!¡±


    Several storage chests were loaded onto a single-wheeled wooden cart. Ji Qingbai and the stout man took turns pulling it while Ji Li helped the injured female cultivator. Mo Hua led the way.


    The group traveled along the mountain path, with Mo Hua occasionally taking out his Compass Disk to check, then choosing a new direction.


    ¡°`


    Ji Qingbai and the others, puzzled, followed Mo Hua as he led the way with confidence.


    They couldn¡¯t help but marvel inwardly at how well Mo Hua knew the paths of the Inner Mountain¡­


    Mo Hua led them to a campsite and said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest here and treat our wounds.¡±


    Ji Qingbai and the others nodded in assent; they had been battling for a long time and all had sustained injuries. They had been forcibly enduring the pain, but now they couldn¡¯t muster the strength to go on.


    The group rested in the camp.


    Mo Hua distributed Hemostatic Pills and various other healing Pills among them.


    Ji Qingbai received the Pills, sniffed them, and expressed his surprise, ¡°These Pills¡­ they are of such high quality!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and replied, ¡°They were made by Grandpa Feng.¡±


    These Pills had been specially crafted for him by Old Mr. Feng.


    Old Mr. Feng¡¯s skills as a Pill Master were extraordinary, and he used a top-notch Pill Furnace, which was inscribed with a first-class Compound Formation and possessed pure and powerful flames. Naturally, the Pills created in it were of superior quality.


    It was just that Mo Hua had yet to sustain any serious injuries since he entered the Inner Mountain, so these emergency Pills had been stored for quite some time. Now, they finally came in handy.


    ¡°Old Mr. Feng from Apricot Forest Hall?¡± Ji Qingbai was slightly astonished, then nodded in understanding, ¡°No wonder.¡±


    Old Mr. Feng was a first-class Pill Master, having saved countless lives. Even in Qingxuan City, he had a significant reputation.


    Ji Qingbai took two Pills, handing the rest to Ji Li and the young female Cultivator.


    The female Cultivator, having the most severe injuries and the most blood loss, became relaxed after taking the Pills and soon passed out, slipping into unconsciousness. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ji Li stayed by her side, a look of both worry and affection on his face.


    Curious, Mo Hua glanced at the female Cultivator, then at Ji Li, and inquired,


    ¡°Brother Ji, are you two a couple?¡±


    Ji Li¡¯s face turned beet red instantaneously.


    ¡°No¡­ No¡­ not yet.¡±


    ¡°Not yet, so you mean it¡¯s going to happen soon?¡±


    Mo Hua pressed for details, his eyes twinkling with interest, ¡°If you two get married, can I come to the wedding feast?¡±


    He had never attended a wedding feast in his life.


    Ji Li blushed even more.


    Seeing this, Ji Qingbai chuckled and said, ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll definitely invite you when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± Mo Hua said with a smile.


    The atmosphere in the camp lightened a bit.


    Ji Qingbai then asked, ¡°By the way, why are you alone in the mountain? It¡¯s dangerous here, where¡¯s your dad?¡±


    ¡°I can manage by myself; my dad has other matters to take care of,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Ji Qingbai looked at Mo Hua, feeling both shocked and regretful.


    At such a young age, he was already at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, and not only could he survive alone in the Inner Mountain; he was also very familiar with the terrains and composed in the face of danger.


    Likewise, a chip off the old block, Mo Hua had the same talent as his father for Monster Hunting.


    The pity was that he had still become a Monster Hunter.


    Ji Qingbai noticed the Monster Hunting Token hanging from Mo Hua¡¯s neck and sighed inwardly.


    Once one became a Monster Hunter, it became difficult to find time to learn about Formations.


    Ji Qingbai still hoped that Mo Hua would pursue the path of a Formation Master, rather than just being a great Monster Hunter.


    Among Loose Cultivators, Monster Hunters were a dime a dozen, but Formation Masters were exceedingly rare.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s talent, it was truly a waste for him not to study Formation, to not become a Formation Master.


    Ji Qingbai felt an immense sense of regret.


    Seeing Ji Qingbai seemed preoccupied with something, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°Uncle Ji, what brings you to Tongxian City?¡±


    Ji Qingbai paused, as if recalling something, and said with a wry smile,


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t make ends meet in Qingxuan City, so we thought to come here to find ways to get by.¡±

 Chapter 236 - 235 Oppression_1

    Chapter 236: Chapter 235 Oppression_1


    ¡°Can¡¯t survive?¡± Mo Hua was stunned.


    Ji Qingbai nodded, didn¡¯t want to elaborate, but seeing that Mo Hua, though young, was very capable within Inner Mountain and was not to be underestimated in ability or temperament, he realized he couldn¡¯t treat him as a child any longer.


    Besides, if he intended to find a livelihood in Tongxian City in the future, he would inevitably have to trouble his father, Mo Shan, so he spoke truthfully:


    ¡°Qingxuan City is not like Tongxian City, where the Loose Cultivators no longer have Foundation Establishment Cultivators to protect them.¡±


    ¡°The last Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator in Qingxuan City, Elder Zheng, passed away a year ago. During this past year, without any Foundation Establishment Cultivators among us, we Loose Cultivators have been oppressed by the families, forced to live at their mercy, and life has become more difficult by the day.¡±


    ¡°Although it was tough before, we could still scrape by. But the spirit stones we earn are getting fewer each day, not to mention cultivating, even normal living expenses have become a struggle.¡±


    ¡°On top of that, those family heirs cause trouble every day, bullying the Loose Cultivators. If we swallow our pride, it¡¯s bearable, but the moment we resist, they intensify their oppression even more viciously.¡±


    ¡°If things escalate and there¡¯s a brawl, without a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to stand with us, the Loose Cultivators simply can¡¯t oppose the family Cultivators and are essentially doomed to defeat.¡±


    Ji Qingbai grew more and more infuriated as he spoke, and his wounds throbbed with pain.


    Mo Hua handed him more pills.


    Ji Qingbai took the pills and expressed his thanks, then looked at the unconscious female cultivator and said:


    ¡°This girl¡¯s name is Fu Lan. Her father was a Monster Hunter brother of mine. He was accidentally eaten by a Monster Beast while hunting long ago, and her mother worked hard to raise her alone.¡±


    ¡°Last month, the young master of the Kong Family in Qingxuan City wanted to take her as a concubine. They say concubine, but she wouldn¡¯t be treated as a human being. Her mother disagreed and was beaten to a severe injury by the Kong Family. She didn¡¯t recover from her injuries and passed away in less than half a month.¡±


    ¡°Afterward, the Kong Family¡¯s young master continued to pester her relentlessly. Ji Li and I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so we stepped in to teach the young master a lesson, but it brought great trouble upon us and we made an enemy of the Kong Family. I had no choice but to take the two kids and flee Qingxuan City.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for Loose Cultivators in nearby Immortal Cities, and after much thought, Tongxian City seemed the only slightly better choice. Moreover, with the Foundation Establishment Stage¡¯s Elder Yu for protection, it would be safer.¡±


    Ji Qingbai sighed, ¡°But this journey has been full of hardships. First, the Kong Family pursued us, and barely escaping them, we entered Big Black Mountain, only to be ambushed by some Cultivators with unknown affiliations. My son and I nearly lost our lives.¡±


    Feeling grateful, Ji Qingbai thanked Mo Hua, ¡°If not for you, we probably would¡¯ve had a slim chance of survival.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯ve just been bluffing, it¡¯s nothing really.¡±


    At such a young age, to know how to bluff and get away unscathed, that¡¯s both clever and capable.


    Ji Qingbai silently admired in his heart.


    Mo Hua, however, was thinking about the things Ji Qingbai had just mentioned. He felt angry, and somewhat puzzled:


    ¡°With the Kong Family committing such injustices, doesn¡¯t the Taoist Court do anything about it?¡±


    Ji Qingbai¡¯s expression turned bitter, ¡°The Taoist Court in Qingxuan City has been bribed by the Kong Family and a few other families. When Loose Cultivators break the law, they are punished according to it, but when the family heirs do, the Court turns a blind eye. The Taoist Court looks the other way and the matters are just brushed aside.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, ¡°Then there¡¯s no way to deal with it¡­¡±


    Ji Qingbai shook his head, ¡°If there were any way out, who would want to leave their hometown?¡±


    Mo Hua felt a deep sense of melancholy upon hearing this.


    If it weren¡¯t for the Foundation Establishment¡¯s Elder Yu, the fate of Qingxuan City today could very well be Tongxian City¡¯s tomorrow.


    As Ji Qingbai looked despondent, Mo Hua comforted him:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, things are better now in Tongxian City, and nobody will bully you.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ji Qingbai brightened up a bit.


    His needs were simple: to find a place to stay, earn some spirit stones, have enough food to eat, and keep his family alive.


    In the following days, they all focused on healing. With nothing much to do, Mo Hua watched the big man beside him, suddenly feeling curious.


    This entire journey, the big man hadn¡¯t spoken a word.


    He cursed fiercely, and Mo Hua had thought he was quite the chatterbox.


    Mo Hua stared at the big man for a moment longer and then suddenly realized with surprise, he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you Elder Yu¡¯s son?¡±


    The big man was taken aback, frowning, ¡°You know my dad?¡±


    It was as he thought.


    Looking at his features, Mo Hua faintly sensed a resemblance to Elder Yu, except he was more robust, while Elder Yu was much leaner.


    Moreover, this burly man had a rather bad temper and was good at cursing others. His cursing, somewhat resembled that of Elder Yu, so it was clearly something learned from family.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite familiar with Elder Yu,¡± Mo Hua said.


    The burly man simply hmphed softly and didn¡¯t reply.


    But inwardly, he thought Mo Hua was boasting. His father was a Foundation Establishment Elder, and Mo Hua was only at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, plus there was such a big age difference¡ªhow well could they possibly know each other?


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The burly man still didn¡¯t want to answer.


    Seeing this, Ji Qingbai stepped in, saying, ¡°His name is Yu Chengwu.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua realized, ¡°Is Uncle Yu, Yu Chengyi, your older brother then?¡±


    Yu Chengwu looked astonished, ¡°You know my older brother too?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and asked, ¡°So should I call you Second Uncle Yu?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Yu Chengwu replied with indifference.


    Mo Hua found it a bit strange and quietly asked Ji Qingbai:


    ¡°Is he always like this? He must have a bad reputation.¡±


    Others would talk to him, and still, he would be dismissive.


    Ji Qingbai had a complex expression as he explained, ¡°He¡¯s usually quite talkative too, it¡¯s just that he has some issues with your father, and that¡¯s probably why he doesn¡¯t want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°He has issues with my father?¡±


    This was unexpected for Mo Hua.


    His father, Mo Shan, was known for his righteousness and had a good reputation among Monster Hunters; it was rare for him to have issues with anyone.


    Based on the loves and hates of Cultivators, Mo Hua thought of five or six possibilities in an instant and then sought confirmation from Ji Qingbai:


    ¡°What kind of issues is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really a big issue,¡± Ji Qingbai sighed slightly, ¡°He¡¯s actually quite nice, it¡¯s just that he likes to be competitive. He can¡¯t beat your father, so he has a grudge against him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Mo Hua felt it was somewhat anticlimactic.


    Yu Chengwu spoke with displeasure, ¡°What does a kid understand?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to argue with him but instead asked, ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    Yu Chengwu glanced at him, ¡°The son of Mo Shan, of course, I recognize you.¡±


    By his demeanor, it seemed he had known him for quite some time.


    Mo Hua recalled for a moment and then asked, ¡°Back when Qian Xing picked a fight, and Dazhu helped me, were you already watching from the side?¡±


    Yu Chengwu raised his eyebrow in surprise, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you intervene earlier?¡± Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Kids fighting, why should I intervene?¡± Yu Chengwu said indifferently, ¡°Besides, your father is Mo Shan, I can¡¯t be bothered to interfere.¡±


    ¡°Why did you get involved later then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you kids fight, but when a latter-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Qian Family intervened, bullying a Loose Cultivator, then I couldn¡¯t stand by and not care.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, thinking that though this man might have a grim face, he was actually quite righteous.


    ¡°Do you have a Wolf Fang Club?¡± Mo Hua continued to inquire.


    Yu Chengwu appeared somewhat exasperated, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know, I have an issue with your father.¡±


    Why was he asking again and again?


    ¡°You have an issue with my father, that¡¯s between you adults; what does that have to do with me?¡± Mo Hua argued confidently.


    Moreover, the issue you have, when seen by a kid like me, seems quite childish¡­

 Chapter 237 - 236 Yu Chengwu (Fifth Update)_1

    Chapter 237: Chapter 236 Yu Chengwu (Fifth Update)_1


    Yu Chengwu paused, slightly annoyed.


    But upon further thought, he realized that Mo Hua¡¯s words made sense. No matter how much he disagreed with Mo Shan, he wouldn¡¯t be so petty as to argue with Mo Hua over small matters.


    Moreover, bickering with Mo Shan¡¯s son would, at the very least, make him seem less magnanimous than Mo Shan by a generation.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re right. I won¡¯t argue with you,¡± he conceded.


    Mo Hua then asked curiously, ¡°Do you have a Wolf Fang Club?¡±


    Yu Chengwu nodded, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°May I take a look at it?¡±


    Yu Chengwu was reluctant, but seeing Mo Hua¡¯s curious and bright eyes, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to refuse. After a moment¡¯s thought, he took the Wolf Fang Club out of his storage bag and placed it on the ground for Mo Hua to see.


    The Wolf Fang Club was five to six feet long, with spikes resembling wolf fangs, made of fine iron and stained with dull bloodstains.


    These stains likely came from monster beasts and cultivators alike.


    Mo Hua tried to lift it but couldn¡¯t budge it at all.


    He pushed with both hands, yet the Wolf Fang Club remained immovable.


    ¡°It¡¯s so heavy,¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help exclaiming.


    A hint of pride flashed across Yu Chengwu¡¯s eyes, ¡°Naturally.¡±


    ¡°Is it intentionally made this heavy?¡± Mo Hua humbly inquired.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Yu Chengwu nodded, ¡°The heavier the Spiritual Artifact, the greater the force when swung, and thus the greater the destructive power.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Yu Chengwu suddenly became curious, ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I want to make one too.¡±


    Yu Chengwu was taken aback, ¡°Make what?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed to the Wolf Fang Club on the ground, ¡°This club.¡±


    Yu Chengwu looked at Mo Hua, delicate and tender with thin arms and legs, lacking robust Blood Qi, clearly not a practitioner of Body Cultivation, and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°You¡¯re not a body cultivator, so why do you want this?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°I have my ways.¡±


    Yu Chengwu couldn¡¯t help frowning.


    Mo Shan was shrewd; his son was even more so, full of schemes. It was just not clear what he was planning.


    ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a drink!¡±


    Having seen the Wolf Fang Club, Mo Hua had made his plans and decided to extend his hospitality by inviting Yu Chengwu for a drink. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Your injuries aren¡¯t serious; you can have a little,¡± Mo Hua suggested.


    Yu Chengwu hesitated, but still took the wine Mo Hua offered, took a sip, and frowned.


    Sour and sweet, the flavor of the wine was light, something children would drink.


    But given the situation, having wine at all was good enough, and there wasn¡¯t room to be picky.


    Yu Chengwu sighed, took a few sips to relieve fatigue, but suddenly remembered that despite his disagreements with Mo Shan, he had never shared a drink with him.


    Now, he was being invited by Mo Shan¡¯s son and had drunk a pot of fruit wine meant for children.


    Yu Chengwu¡¯s mood became somewhat complicated in an instant.


    After everyone had rested and their injuries had stabilized, they continued on their way.


    After traveling for a while, Mo Hua swept the surroundings with his Divine Sense, breathed a sigh of relief, and then said:


    ¡°We can walk more slowly now, no need to hurry.¡±


    Through his Divine Sense, there were already many Monster Hunters around.


    For Mo Hua, the presence of Monster Hunters was as good as being on his own territory. Any outside cultivators who dared to pursue them now would be courting death.


    Ji Qingbai didn¡¯t understand why Mo Hua said this, but for some reason, he trusted Mo Hua¡¯s words immensely and also felt a wave of relief wash over him.


    On the following journey, indeed, they encountered more and more Monster Hunters.


    Whether or not they were acquainted with Yu Chengwu and the others, the Monster Hunters would come over to greet them.


    At first, Yu Chengwu didn¡¯t notice anything amiss, but gradually, he began to feel that something was off.


    ¡°`


    As these Monster Hunters came by, they all first greeted Mo Hua before they exchanged a few pleasantries with him.


    One or two would be fine, but he had now encountered four or five groups of Monster Hunters, all doing the same.


    He even felt that these Monster Hunters were here specifically for Mo Hua, and greeting him was just an afterthought.


    Yu Chengwu furrowed his brow, ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡±


    Mo Hua was merely a seventh-level Qi Refinement cultivator. Although his talent was not bad, it was impossible for him to be so well-liked.


    These people must have been greeting Mo Hua out of respect for his father Mo Shan.


    But Mo Shan¡¯s influence couldn¡¯t have been that great.


    It couldn¡¯t be that Mo Shan had succeeded in his Foundation Establishment¡­


    If he had succeeded in Foundation Establishment, with Mo Hua being the son of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, naturally people would show him respect.


    Yu Chengwu thought to himself, then suddenly realized something was off.


    His father Yu Changlin was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he himself was also the son of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet people did not show him that much respect.


    Yu Chengwu was somewhat puzzled, but what puzzled him even more was the armor.


    The few groups of Monster Hunters that passed by, not everyone had it, but at least the majority were wearing iron armor.


    This was iron armor we¡¯re talking about! Where did they get it?


    Yu Chengwu¡¯s brows were deeply furrowed.


    He had been sent by his father, Elder Yu, to take care of some business. Due to an unexpected delay, he had been delayed for more than a year before rushing back.


    On his way through Qingxuan City, he ran into Ji Qingbai. Since the two were somewhat acquainted and he had always disdained families that bullied others because of their status, he lend a hand and they headed to Tongxian City together.


    Since his departure, it had been just over a year.


    But a year and a bit for cultivators wasn¡¯t that long, right?


    So why did everything feel a bit different now that he was back?


    Ji Qingbai and Ji Li were also secretly astonished as they looked at these Monster Hunters.


    This was iron armor, and in Qingxuan City, Monster Hunters with iron armor could be counted on one hand. Once in Tongxian City, why did it feel like they were everywhere?


    Father and son Ji Qingbai couldn¡¯t figure it out either.


    The group made their way without incident, left Big Black Mountain, and entered Tongxian City through the southern gate. What met their eyes was the vast Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business on the south side of the city.


    The establishment occupied a vast area, with grand specifications, towering outer walls, and strict formations. It looked imposing and commanding.


    From inside, there came the clear sounds of metal working and wafts of rich alchemical fragrances.


    Yu Chengwu and the others were overwhelmingly shocked.


    Not just Tongxian City, but the nearby several Immortal Cities combined had never seen such a scale of the Tao Cultivation industry.


    Yu Chengwu couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Could all of these belong to the Qian Family?¡±


    In just over a year, had the Qian Family¡¯s power already grown to this extent?


    Weren¡¯t they doomed to never hold their heads up high again in the future?


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s like everybody¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°Everybody¡¯s?¡± Yu Chengwu did not understand.


    Mo Hua pointed with his little hand, encompassing the entire southern part of the city beneath his gesture, ¡°Everybody¡¯s.¡±


    Yu Chengwu understood, yet still found it unbelievable. He thought to himself, ¡°I must be dreaming¡­¡±


    In his daze, he felt this was all just a part of the dream he had while wandering outside, homeless, half-asleep, half-awake.


    In his dream, he had journeyed far and finally returned to Tongxian City.


    He saw that the Monster Hunters of Tongxian City were all donning iron armor, saw that Loose Cultivators had built Refinery Shops and Alchemist¡¯s Businesses, saw that everyone had enough Spirit Stones, and their faces bore smiles.


    He had thought about these things before, but only in his dreams.


    The scene before him seemed just like the dream he had dreamt.


    Seeing him lost in thought, Mo Hua called out, ¡°Second Uncle Yu?¡±


    Yu Chengwu snapped back to reality, but seeing everything around him, he still could hardly believe it. He thought to himself:


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream, could it be an Illusion Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua saw his expression changing and emotions fluctuating, assuming he was overwhelmed by homesickness, and didn¡¯t bother him.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 238 - 237 Placement_1

    Chapter 238: Chapter 237 Placement_1


    Mo Hua asked Ji Qingbai, ¡°Uncle Ji, do you have a place to stay?¡±


    Ji Qingbai had only just come back to his senses, but his heart was still far from calm.


    He had heard that Tongxian City was changing and prospering more each day, but he had not expected it to have flourished to such an extent.


    His heart was filled with shock and envy.


    After hearing Mo Hua¡¯s words, Ji Qingbai slightly froze, thought for a moment, and then said:


    ¡°There¡¯s an old senior whose family has a longstanding friendship with my father¡¯s. I can temporarily stay with him.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°If you encounter any difficulties, you can look for my father.¡±


    Ji Qingbai¡¯s eyes showed gratitude, ¡°Thank you for looking after me on this journey.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Mo Hua said.


    After all, he was just scaring people and leading the way, which were simple tasks that hardly required any effort.


    As long as everyone was safe, that was all that mattered.


    The young female cultivator named Fu Lan, after taking some pills, felt somewhat better, though she was still pale and had difficulty moving. She still went out of her way to bow to Mo Hua and expressed her gratitude:


    ¡°Thank you, young brother!¡±


    Seeing that she was a woman alone, having gone through many hardships, seriously injured yet still determined, Mo Hua secretly admired her and asked:


    ¡°Sister, can you cook?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s question was unexpected, causing Fu Lan to be stunned for a moment before she regained her composure and said:


    ¡°My mother runs a tofu shop, and I can prepare some dishes.¡±


    Tofu!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Then, once you¡¯re healed and if you have nothing else to do, you can go to the Fulu Building in the southern part of the street. You could make some tofu there and earn some spirit stones.¡±


    Fu Lan was taken aback, her heart warmed, and she softly said, ¡°Thank you, but the Fulu Building is quite a large establishment. I¡¯m not sure they would be willing to take me in.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Mo Hua confidently said, ¡°Just mention my name.¡±


    After all, half of the Fulu Building was his.


    Mo Hua spoke with such assurance that Fu Lan was taken aback.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t say much more and waved goodbye to them.


    They were weary from their travels and had not yet recovered from their injuries, so finding a place to rest was the immediate priority.


    After saying goodbye, Mo Hua and Yu Chengwu walked side by side into the city.


    After a while, Yu Chengwu frowned and asked, ¡°Why are you following me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not following you; I¡¯m just looking for Elder Yu.¡±


    Yu Chengwu was stunned for a moment, thinking it couldn¡¯t be true.


    It was one thing for Mo Hua to be acquainted with those Monster Hunters, but it couldn¡¯t be that he was also familiar with his father. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But indeed, Mo Hua had walked with him all the way to Elder Yu¡¯s house.


    Yu Chengwu pushed the door open, and Mo Hua followed him in, entering as comfortably as if it were his own home.


    Elder Yu was drinking tea in the living room and brightened up when he saw the two of them, coming out to greet them.


    It had been over a year since Yu Chengwu had seen his father, and his emotions fluctuated slightly. Just as he was about to approach, he saw Elder Yu bypass him and start chatting with Mo Hua.


    ¡°Mo Hua, what brings you here?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°There is something¡­¡±


    Mo Hua narrated the incidents that occurred on the road.


    With more and more outsiders coming in, identities unclear, and hard to manage, the Monster Hunters faced increasing danger.


    For now, they didn¡¯t dare attack local Monster Hunters.


    But if things continued to develop this way, conflicts and incidents would be inevitable.


    Fighting over prey, murder for loot ¡ª these kinds of things would probably happen more often down the line.


    The more disputes there were, the more they would affect Mo Hua¡¯s collection of monster blood to make spiritual ink.


    With less spiritual ink, fewer formation paintings could be created, and this would slow the increase of his divine sense and delay his progress toward Foundation Establishment.


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about this issue before and have discussed it with the Court Leader of the Taoist Court. In some time, there should be some solutions considered¡­¡±


    After talking with Elder Yu for quite a while and receiving a response, Mo Hua took his leave.


    Elder Yu personally escorted Mo Hua to the door, cautioning him to ¡°be careful on the road.¡±


    Yu Chengwu, having stood by the side for a long time, finally couldn¡¯t hold back and said, ¡°Father, I¡¯m back!¡±


    Elder Yu glanced at him and frowned, ¡°You¡¯re back, I saw it. I¡¯m not blind.¡±


    Yu Chengwu found himself at a loss for words.


    After a moment, he asked softly, ¡°Dad, I am your son, right?¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyes widened at the question and immediately scolded, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? If you¡¯re not my son, do you think I picked you up from the streets?¡±


    Yu Chengwu thought about the pleasant demeanor he had when talking to Mo Hua just now, and comparing it to the current attitude, he felt somewhat disheartened.


    However, he also breathed a sigh of relief.


    This fiery temper and scolding tone were familiar and comforting; it was indeed his father, no mistake about it. He wasn¡¯t dreaming.


    ¡°I¡¯m finally home.¡±


    Yu Chengwu reflected with some emotion.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, went to the Refinery Shop in Southern City and found Master Chen, who was clanging away at the forge. He said, ¡°Master Chen, please refine a Spiritual Artifact for me.¡±


    ¡°Have you decided what kind of Spiritual Artifact you want?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Master Chen was halfway through forging a blade and let Dazhu take over. He stepped aside, took a sip of water, and asked Mo Hua, ¡°What do you want to forge?¡±


    Mo Hua gestured with his hands, ¡°A Wolf Fang Club this long!¡±


    Master Chen choked on his water and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What do you need a Wolf Fang Club for?¡±


    ¡°Wolf Fang Clubs are practical, can be used for sneak attacks, and since they don¡¯t have blades, you can¡¯t hurt yourself.¡±


    Mo Hua had thought it through; if he chose a sabre or a sword, with his meager strength, he wouldn¡¯t be able to wield it properly. And if he accidentally hurt himself with it, that would be a big loss.


    Blunt weapons like staves or clubs were perfect; even if he made a mistake and hit himself, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal.


    ¡°Oh, and the club can¡¯t have actual fangs.¡± Mo Hua added.


    The sharp fangs were too dangerous.


    ¡°Without the fangs, can it still be called a Wolf Fang Club?¡± Master Chen was puzzled for a moment.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not call it a Wolf Fang Club. I¡¯ll come up with a new name,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s your weapon, so whatever you call it, that¡¯s what it is,¡± Master Chen replied, then expressed a bit of concern, ¡°But Wolf Fang Clubs are quite heavy. Are you sure you can handle it?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be very heavy, just sturdy and durable.¡±


    ¡°Then what use is this wolf¡­ whatever club you¡¯re making?¡± Master Chen wondered.


    Without fangs and not heavy, wouldn¡¯t it be like scratching an itch when hitting someone?


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯ll just paint a Formation on it.¡±


    A Formation?


    Master Chen understood then. A plain staff might not be of much use, but with a Formation painted on it, it should be a different story.


    ¡°As long as you have an idea, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    Master Chen nodded, not bothering to inquire about the type of Formation; he wouldn¡¯t understand too much about it anyway.


    ¡°I have some Artifice Manuals for various staves and clubs here. Browse through and see if there¡¯s anything suitable. Pick one as a template, and I¡¯ll make the modifications based on your ideas.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Chen!¡±


    Mo Hua took the Artifice Manual and flipped through it, finding a Spiritual Artifact that matched his idea pretty closely. It was made of fine steel, about four or five feet long, neither too long nor too heavy.


    ¡°This one, just remove the spikes on it,¡± Mo Hua directed Master Chen, as he took out a piece of paper and drew a rough sketch. He marked a few locations on the sketch, saying,


    ¡°I plan to paint Formations at these spots.¡±


    Master Chen briefly looked it over and nodded, ¡°No problem. Give me five or six days, and you can come and pick it up.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Mo Hua said cheerfully.


    After returning home, Mo Hua told Mo Shan about Ji Qingbai¡¯s situation.


    Mo Shan sighed upon hearing the news and shook his head, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the circumstances of Loose Cultivators in Qingxuan City to be this dire.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Are Loose Cultivators oppressed by Clans everywhere in the world?¡±


    ¡°Even if they¡¯re not oppressed by Clans, there are still Sects and the Taoist Court to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Is it because Loose Cultivators are too weak?¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, ¡°Correct, the strong have always bullied the weak; it¡¯s human nature. Moreover, some Clans and Sects exist solely to compete with Loose Cultivators for profit and to exploit them. They grow stronger with the benefits extracted from the Loose Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°Many benefits in this world aren¡¯t created out of thin air but merely transferred from some Cultivators to others.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding.

 Chapter 239 - 238 Thousand Jun Stick_1

    Chapter 239: Chapter 238 Thousand Jun Stick_1


    ¡°`


    ¡°Are there any clans or sects that don¡¯t oppress loose cultivators?¡±


    ¡°There naturally are,¡± Mo Shan explained. ¡°Some clans adhere to strict clan rules, and some sects enforce stringent sect rules, and would not behave improperly. Or their Tao cultivation industries do not compete with loose cultivators for profit, so there is no need to mistreat the lower-ranking cultivators.¡±


    ¡°However, these are after all the minority. As long as one is weak, oppression is inevitable, it¡¯s just a matter of time.¡±


    Mo Shan sighed again, then continued,


    ¡°Here in Tongxian City things are still better. In some places, the lives of loose cultivators are truly fraught with extreme difficulties. Not to mention some of the higher-rank state boundaries, where noble clans and sects have been entrenched for ten thousand years, dominant like behemoths. The loose cultivators oppressed by them truly have no chance of turning their fate around¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua also felt somewhat heavy-hearted.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s downcast expression, Mo Shan touched Mo Hua¡¯s head and comfortingly said with a smile,


    ¡°We just need to do our own things, we can¡¯t take care of everything else. If one day you truly possess incredible abilities that reach the sky and penetrate the earth, then it¡¯s not too late to consider these matters.¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Also, your Uncle Ji has just arrived and if there is anything you can help him out with, try to do so. Brother Ji is a just and helpful person. When our family was in dire straits, we received quite a bit of aid from him.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Dad.¡±


    Afterward, Mo Shan was busy with monster hunting and it was several days later before he had some free time. He then prepared some gifts ¨C some wine, meat, pills, and some daily necessities ¨C and went to visit Ji Qingbai.


    Mo Shan caught up with Ji Qingbai on past times, and before leaving, he stuffed a bag of spirit stones into his hand, saying, ¡°Brother Ji, keep these for emergencies.¡±


    Ji Qingbai initially refused to accept them.


    Mo Shan said, ¡°We are brothers, we should support each other. When my family faced difficulties, I also received aid from you. Please don¡¯t decline.¡±


    Only then did Ji Qingbai reluctantly accept them.


    Having left Qingxuan City, he had traveled a long distance, and the savings he had gathered were nearly spent.


    Upon arriving in Tongxian City, it was not good to impose on his old family friends and seniors for too long, so he rented a small courtyard. It wasn¡¯t big, nor was it expensive, but it was sufficient for shelter.


    After that, he spent some more on various small necessary items, and the already scant spirit stones quickly ran out.


    The spirit stones brought by Mo Shan were like sending charcoal in snowy weather.


    In the past, he wouldn¡¯t have accepted such charity, but now, finding himself in straitened circumstances, he could only gratefully accept them.


    Once his injuries healed and he was able to go monster hunting with Ji Li in the mountains and earn spirit stones, he would repay Mo Shan.


    In the evening, while Ji Qingbai was discussing monster hunting matters with Ji Li, Fu Lan entered from outside.


    In the past few days, her injuries had improved significantly, and while not fully recovered, she was now able to move around.


    Fu Lan also came from a loose cultivator background, accustomed to enduring hardship since childhood, so she wanted to make some spirit stones to alleviate the urgent need and not burden Uncle Ji and Brother Ji too much.


    Recalling what Mo Hua mentioned about the Fulu Building not being far away, she went to inquire. She had just returned from there.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fully healed yet; rest more,¡± Ji Qingbai said, noticing her still pale complexion, expressing his concern.


    Ji Li then helped her sit down and poured her a cup of tea.


    A faint blush crept onto Fu Lan¡¯s pale face.


    Seeing the two of them like this, Ji Qingbai¡¯s expression did not change, but his heart felt greatly comforted.


    After a while, he remembered to ask, ¡°Did you go to the Fulu Building?¡±


    Fu Lan nodded, ¡°They accepted me, and the spirit stones they offer each month aren¡¯t few.¡±


    Ji Qingbai sighed in relief, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Fu Lan seemed puzzled.


    ¡°Just what?¡±


    ¡°They initially didn¡¯t want to take me in when they learned I was a cultivator from outside the area, but after I mentioned that young man¡¯s name, without a word, they kept me on,¡± Fu Lan said.


    Ji Qingbai was taken aback. ¡°Mo Hua?¡±


    Fu Lan nodded.


    Ji Qingbai was surprised. ¡°The kid Mo Hua holds such clout¡­¡±


    Even such a large food building regarded his face highly.


    And he had also unexpectedly found out during the day that Mo Hua was a junior formation master and that many of the formation patterns among loose cultivators were created by Mo Hua himself.


    This left Ji Qingbai astounded.


    Before coming here, he had thought that Mo Hua had given up on formation painting, which was a regretful matter for him.


    ¡°`


    But unexpectedly, Mo Hua had already become a genuine Formation Master.


    Ji Qingbai spoke earnestly, ¡°No matter what, we owe them a great debt of gratitude; we must find a way to repay them properly. Especially for the child Mo Hua, we cannot let anything happen to him.¡±


    A Formation Master among Loose Cultivators, with such a kind heart, must not have any mishaps.


    Ji Li and Fu Lan both nodded earnestly. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ji Qingbai felt relieved and mused, ¡°I¡¯ve wandered around these past few days and from what I¡¯ve seen, Tongxian City has truly changed. If we can settle down here, it would be considered living the good life.¡±


    All his life he had toiled, seeking only to live peacefully, and now, after some twists and turns, he had found a place to call home.


    Ji Qingbai looked at Ji Li and Fu Lan once more, feeling comforted, and said with a slight smile,


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you can start a family here; in a while, I¡¯ll arrange marriage matters for you, so you can become Tao companions.¡±


    The two were startled for a moment, their faces blushing abruptly, they exchanged a quiet glance, then both lowered their heads.


    Under the pitch-black night, in the small courtyard, though the lamplight was faint, it warmed gently.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Two days later, Mo Hua was practicing solving formations in a food establishment.


    He would first draw a Compound Formation, and then solve it himself.


    Such a piece of paper was used to practice the formation method twice; self-drawing and self-solving, although it was somewhat wasteful of Spiritual Ink.


    While Mo Hua was drawing, Dazhu came running over, saying that his Wolf Fang Club with no wolf¡¯s teeth was now ready.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, and he left the incomplete formation behind to follow Dazhu to the Refinery Shop.


    Master Chen handed over an iron club to Mo Hua:


    ¡°I¡¯ve refined it according to your specifications, with no wolf¡¯s teeth. I¡¯ve also left spaces for the formation, wrapped it in iron skin¡ªit¡¯s very sturdy; the interior is made from hard wood, so it won¡¯t be too heavy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Chen!¡±


    Mo Hua happily accepted the iron club, examining it thoroughly several times.


    The iron club was silver-white, with tough outer skin, thicker than both of Mo Hua¡¯s arms, and it felt weighty in his hands.


    Mo Hua tried it out; it was still a bit heavy, but that was his issue, not the club¡¯s.


    Mo Hua was very satisfied with the iron club, praising, ¡°Very good, worthy of Master Chen!¡±


    Master Chen was so pleased that he stroked his beard with delight.


    When Mo Hua found the time, he drew a First-grade Formation Method on the iron club, known as the ¡°Thousand Jun Formation.¡±


    The Thousand Jun Formation is an Earth Series technique from the Five Elements, and once spiritual power is infused to activate it, the spiritual artifact with the formation engraved on it will instantly become as heavy as a thousand jun.


    Of course, claiming a thousand jun is definitely an exaggeration.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t even believe it himself.


    The names that many cultivators give to their cultivation techniques and formations shouldn¡¯t be taken entirely at face value; just get the general idea.


    As for how heavy this formation truly was, Mo Hua did not know, and moreover, depending on the amount of spiritual power used to activate the formation, its weight could vary.


    Regardless, it was certainly very heavy, and using it to smash someone would surely suffice.


    Mo Hua¡¯s plan was to first raise the iron club, then activate the formation, which when bolstered by the formation would instantly become as heavy as a thousand jun, to be brought crashing down with great force.


    In this way, even though he was not a Body Cultivator with a powerful physical body, the iron club would still possess sufficient force.


    To pick up the slack, to finish off, to deal a stealthy blow, it should be enough.


    The Thousand Jun Formation wasn¡¯t difficult, and Mo Hua learned it in just two nights.


    The formation wasn¡¯t hard to draw either, and Mo Hua completed it in half an hour.


    Mo Hua went to Big Black Mountain and found a large rock to test it out.


    He first raised the iron club high, then channeled spiritual power into it. The grey-brown formation patterns flashed across it and it instantly fell heavily.


    The rock was shattered to pieces, and Mo Hua¡¯s hands were left tingling numbly.


    Despite the numbness in his hands, Mo Hua was still quite satisfied.


    He gave the iron club a name he had thought up long ago:


    Thousand Jun Stick!

 Chapter 240 - 239 Move_1

    Chapter 240: Chapter 239 Move_1


    Mo Hua named the Thousand Jun Stick and carefully stored it in his Storage Bag.


    In the following days, whenever he had time, he would take it out to practice, and then he developed two simple, unadorned, yet very practical moves:


    One was to smash downward, and the other was to swing sideways.


    He had tried smashing downward and found it quite straightforward to use.


    Swinging sideways, however, was a bit more troublesome, as it required him to first swing the Thousand Jun Stick, and during the swing, he had to channel Spiritual Power to activate the Formation, causing the iron staff to instantly become heavier in accordance with the momentum, and then he would swing it out sideways.


    Controlling the Spiritual Power and force was not easy.


    If he hit the target, it would shake his hand to the point of pain.


    If he missed, the stick would have to be thrown out of hand; otherwise, he risked dislocating his arm.


    This was the helplessness of having an innate physical weakness and being unable to undertake Body Cultivation.


    However, after practicing a few times, Mo Hua became much more familiar with it, and at least he wouldn¡¯t dislocate his own joints anymore.


    Mo Hua had also come up with resounding names for these two moves: the downward smash was called ¡°Like a Thousand Pounds¡± and the sideways sweep was called ¡°Sweeping a Thousand Pounds¡±.


    They sounded quite imposing, but they were only meant for emergencies; after all, he wasn¡¯t a Body Cultivator and couldn¡¯t rely on this to face opponents head-on. At most, he could use it for sneak attacks.


    But regardless, it was another method he had for facing enemies.


    When he had free time, he also went to the Fulu Building, found Fu Lan, and asked her to make tofu for him.


    This was his first time eating tofu in the Tao Cultivation World.


    It wasn¡¯t particularly white, having a faint soy-yellow color, but the fragrance of soy was very strong.


    Whether fried, stir-fried into dishes, or made into sweet tofu pudding, it was all delicious.


    Mo Hua sent some to try for his parents, Mr. Zhuang, and the siblings Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi as well.


    He didn¡¯t send any to Old Kui; he liked crunchy things that made noise when chewed, so he definitely wouldn¡¯t like tofu.


    As for the Inner Mountain of Tongxian City, even though there were more foreign Cultivators and it was a bit more dangerous, Mo Hua still had to go there.


    He was a Formation Master, and he couldn¡¯t do without Spiritual Ink.


    Moreover, the amount of Spiritual Ink he needed was probably several times that of an average Grade One Formation Master.


    Thus, the more Monster Blood he had, the better.


    After all, he was now at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, and his Water Passing Step was exquisite; aside from Foundation Building Cultivators, ordinary Qi Refinement Cultivators couldn¡¯t do much against him.


    Even if faced with a Foundation Building Cultivator, if he was vigilant and detected them early, he would most likely be able to escape.


    On this day, having collected sixteen or seventeen bottles of Monster Blood and feeling satisfied, he found a shady tree to sit under and started eating wild fruits.


    Shortly, his Divine Sense stirred, detecting someone¡¯s presence, and the aura felt somewhat familiar. He looked up and stealthily observed, it was Yu Chengwu and several other Monster Hunters.


    They were walking along a secluded path as if they were searching for something.


    Mo Hua stood up and greeted them from a distance.


    Yu Chengwu only then noticed Mo Hua and couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    At such a distance, his Divine Sense couldn¡¯t detect Mo Hua; how could Mo Hua have discovered them?


    Mo Hua used the Water Passing Step, leaping lightly over the mountaintop, and floated down in front of Yu Chengwu.


    Yu Chengwu was taken aback.


    What kind of movement technique was this?


    Previously, when Mo Hua had accompanied them, he hadn¡¯t used any movement techniques, and Yu Chengwu thought Mo Hua was incapable. He hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua to be so skilled in it.


    He was even better than some of the old Monster Hunters¡­


    No wonder he dared wander alone in the Inner Mountain.


    Mo Hua looked at Yu Chengwu curiously, ¡°You all¡­ didn¡¯t come for Monster Hunting?¡±


    They weren¡¯t wearing rattan armor or iron armor, and their blades were put away. They were dressed like ordinary Loose Cultivators, looking like Cultivators from outside.


    Yu Chengwu said, ¡°We came to the mountain to catch someone.¡±


    ¡°Who are you after?¡±


    ¡°The Cultivators who ganged up on me last time,¡± Yu Chengwu¡¯s eyes flashed with cold light as he said hatefully, ¡°A bunch of scum, daring to ambush me, I won¡¯t let them get away.¡±


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°You know who they are now?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Then how will you find them?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t dare to enter the city, so they must definitely be hiding in the mountains. As long as we search, we will surely find them.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Not finding these Cultivators was ultimately a hidden danger. If Monster Hunters were attacked by them while hunting monsters, it could be dangerous.


    ¡°Then you go ahead,¡± Mo Hua waved his hand.


    He did not want to join the fray, as he had urgent matters to attend to and it was better to collect more Monster Blood for now.


    ¡°If I run into them, I¡¯ll set off fireworks to alert you,¡± Mo Hua added.


    Yu Chengwu was slightly startled, then nodded and said, ¡°That sounds good, but be careful yourself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Mo Hua and Yu Chengwu¡¯s group parted ways. After wandering around the Inner Mountain for most of the day, Mo Hua came across them again as he descended the mountain in the evening.


    Yu Chengwu and his companions were injured and bleeding, but their wounds did not seem severe.


    They were escorting two Cultivators, both dressed in black, with their hands and feet shackled in iron chains, covered in bruises and cuts¡ªone had a broken arm, while the other was limping.


    Clearly, they were captured after a fierce battle and then brutally beaten.


    Their expressions were weary, but resentment lurked in their eyes.


    Mo Hua looked at their faces and thought for a moment; indeed, they were two of the seven Cultivators who had participated in the ambush that day.


    ¡°You actually captured them?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Of course. We are Monster Hunters; no one is more familiar with Big Black Mountain than us.¡±


    Yu Chengwu kicked the two men, ¡°These scumbags thought they had a good hiding spot, but living out in the wild, eating and sleeping exposed them, not to mention killing and looting others. They left so many traces, how could we possibly not find them?¡±


    ¡°Just these two?¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The others probably went out to rob; only these two were left to guard their camp.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to kill them?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Yu Chengwu hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°Not yet. We¡¯ll bring them back, rough them up a few more times, and see if they¡¯ll tell us anything. As for their hideout, we¡¯ve already frightened them off, so we probably won¡¯t catch the other Cultivators.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then he scanned the two black-clothed Cultivators with his Divine Sense and frowned.


    The two Cultivators looked pitiful, but their Spiritual Power was still quite abundant, which was not good, as it posed a risk.


    ¡°Break their legs first,¡± Mo Hua kindly suggested.


    Yu Chengwu was taken aback.


    ¡°Their Spiritual Power is quite strong,¡± Mo Hua stated.


    An abundance of Spiritual Power meant a potential danger.


    Yu Chengwu thought for a moment, then nodded and instructed the other Monster Hunters, ¡°Break their legs.¡±


    Just as the Monster Hunters were about to make a move, Mo Hua called out ¡°Wait.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, he said, ¡°Better break their arms instead, if we break their legs, they won¡¯t be able to walk, and we¡¯ll have to expend the effort to carry them.¡±


    With broken arms, even if they had Spiritual Power, they would not be able to act in the short term.


    Yu Chengwu nodded, and the Monster Hunters did not hesitate, proceeding to twist and break the arms of the two black-clothed Cultivators.


    The two Cultivators screamed in pain, their expressions filled with anger, and their eyes spitefully fixed upon Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua raised his eyebrows, ¡°Still daring to glare at me?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Monster Hunters kicked each of the two men, causing them to grit their teeth in pain, yet the resentment in their eyes grew even deeper.


    Mo Hua sighed and said to Yu Chengwu:


    ¡°Should we blind their eyes too? They keep staring at me.¡±


    Hearing this, the two black-clothed Cultivators instantly broke out in a cold sweat, hurriedly cast their gaze downward, and dared not look at Mo Hua again.


    Yu Chengwu felt somewhat helpless.


    When the child had a good heart, he was truly good; when he had a bad heart, he was really bad.


    He could come up with all kinds of underhanded ideas.


    But Yu Chengwu thought this was for the best.


    You couldn¡¯t be merciful to bad people; otherwise, it would be you who suffered.


    These two black-clothed Cultivators had killed and plundered, with who knows how many lives on their hands. Even killing them now would let them off lightly.

 Chapter 241 - 240: Encounter Danger_1

    Chapter 241: Chapter 240: Encounter Danger_1


    Yu Chengwu brought two black-clothed cultivators to Elder Yu and locked them in a sealed room to interrogate them with torture, to see if he could extract any information from them.


    Mo Hua was also curious, so he followed to watch the excitement.


    While Yu Chengwu was interrogating inside, Mo Hua sat outside with Elder Yu, drinking tea.


    After a while, the screams from inside the room stopped, and Yu Chengwu came out, with some blood on him, but it wasn¡¯t his own. He also looked thoughtful.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Did you find out anything?¡±


    Yu Chengwu glanced at Mo Hua, not too willing to respond.


    Elder Yu simply said, ¡°Speak.¡±


    Yu Chengwu pondered for a moment, then said:


    ¡°Those two confessed that they are sin cultivators.¡±


    ¡°Sin cultivators?¡± Mo Hua was briefly stunned.


    Elder Yu explained, ¡°It refers to cultivators who have violated the Taoist Court¡¯s laws, committed serious crimes, and are wanted by the Taoist Court officials.¡±


    ¡°What crime did those two commit?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Yu Chengwu shook his head, ¡°They didn¡¯t say. I guess the crime is not small. Even if they did say, it would be a death sentence for them, so I didn¡¯t ask. After all, we are not Taoist Court officials; it¡¯s not our responsibility.¡±


    Elder Yu asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yu Chengwu nodded and said, ¡°According to those two, there are more than twenty people in their group, most of whom are sin cultivators wanted by the Taoist Court officials. With nowhere to turn, they banded together to rob and kill, earning some spirit stones.¡±


    Elder Yu snorted coldly, ¡°A bunch of beasts.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°So, what should we do?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°First, we send these two scoundrels to the Taoist Court officials. If they are really wanted, we can claim some reward money. Afterwards¡­ ¡±


    Elder Yu put down his teacup, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°After that, we¡¯ll wait and see what the Taoist Court officials do. It¡¯s their job to capture sin cultivators, and we shouldn¡¯t interfere without their word.¡±


    ¡°However, if we encounter any in the mountains, don¡¯t be polite. Act if you can, and if you capture them alive, take them to the Taoist Court for a reward. If you can¡¯t capture them alive, slaughter them and throw their bodies into the gullies to feed the monster beasts.¡±


    ¡°A bunch of scoundrels, they¡¯re all just wasting spirit stones by living!¡±


    Elder Yu cursed again.


    Yu Chengwu nodded but his brow was still furrowed, ¡°I suspect those two didn¡¯t tell the whole truth.¡±


    Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Such cultivators who have been around in the cultivation world are slippery fish, accustomed to mixing lies with truth. He said they have more than twenty people, but in reality there may be more. He said they banded together to rob and kill, but their plans are probably not so simple.¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Spread the word about this. For the time being, monster hunters entering the mountains should be more cautious, stay alert, and act according to the situation.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yu Chengwu bowed and said.


    Elder Yu also warned Mo Hua, ¡°You need to be more careful as well. Don¡¯t go into the Inner Mountain unless necessary. And even if you must, stay extra vigilant.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    He still had to enter the Inner Mountain, but indeed, he had to be more cautious.


    Otherwise, with the speed at which he used formation paintings, he would quickly run out of spiritual ink.


    High-grade spiritual ink was too expensive to buy with spirit stones.


    Although Mo Hua was not short of spirit stones, that was only in comparison to the Qi Refinement Realm. To reach Foundation Establishment, he still needed a large amount of spirit stones, which he had to start saving early on.


    In the following days, monster hunters became more cautious when hunting in the mountains.


    And whenever a monster hunter entered the mountain, either Yu Chengyi or Mo Shan would bring their Compass Disk and patrol nearby. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Should a battle occur, they would immediately verify the situation and provide timely support if there was danger.


    After seven or eight days like this, all was peaceful.


    They did encounter a few suspicious cultivators, but those only dared to glance from a distance before quietly withdrawing.


    That day, like usual, after draining the blood from a few monster beasts, Mo Hua sat alone by the stream to wash his hands.


    ¡°`


    After washing his hands, Mo Hua looked up and suddenly saw fog pervasive, with no one in sight within a hundred feet.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart, suspecting that something was about to happen.


    He released his Divine Sense, and in it, he found the fog laced with extremely thin strands of light blue Spiritual Energy, mixed with dense miasma and heavy fog.


    These elements jumbled together, mottled and chaotic, obstructing the perception of his Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua remembered the instruction from Mo Shan.


    If he encountered dense fog, he should not rashly move; otherwise, straying into the deeper mountains could mean fatal danger.


    But standing still on the spot also posed some risks.


    Mo Hua took out his writing brush and ink and drew several Formations nearby, covering them with soil and stones to hide any traces, then he sat down cross-legged in the middle and waited patiently for the fog to dissipate.


    Half an hour passed, and then the fog suddenly cleared.


    The fog of the Inner Mountain came quickly and left just as fast.


    Mo Hua packed up his things and was about to leave when he suddenly saw a Cultivator covered in blood running towards him from a distance.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua, the Cultivator showed a look of great alarm and cried out urgently, ¡°Run quickly!¡±


    Only then did Mo Hua recognize that the blood-covered Cultivator was Ji Li!


    Ji Li was pale, covered in wounds, and his breath was weak. He hadn¡¯t run a few steps before a black-clothed brute came striding over and chopped a blade down on his back.


    Blood gushed like a fountain, and Ji Li gradually slumped to the ground, but still he kept looking at Mo Hua, muttering,


    ¡°Quick¡­ run.¡±


    The black-clothed brute glanced disdainfully at Ji Li and then turned to look at Mo Hua with a hoarse voice, ¡°You two know each other?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The brute sneered, ¡°Good, then you¡¯ll have company on your journey to death.¡±


    After saying that, the brute stepped forward toward Mo Hua.


    After a few paces, the brute frowned suddenly, looking down to see Ji Li¡¯s bloodied hand gripping his ankle tightly, preventing him from advancing towards Mo Hua.


    Ji Li tried to say something, but he couldn¡¯t speak, only coughing up a mouthful of fresh blood from his throat.


    The black-clothed brute sneered with contempt, crushed Ji Li¡¯s hand under his foot, and continued to stride towards Mo Hua.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua still stood motionless on the spot, not moving an inch.


    ¡°Scared stiff, are you?¡±


    The black-clothed brute sneered internally.


    No wonder, a child of such young age, on the brink of death, it was normal to be panic-stricken.


    The black-clothed brute¡¯s eyes gleamed cruelly as he continued to walk forward.


    Just as he was about to step within an arm¡¯s reach of Mo Hua, a sudden doubt arose:


    How did this child survive in the Inner Mountain?


    The Inner Mountain had Monster Beasts, miasma, dense fog, poison marshes, and Sin Cultivators like himself committing all manner of wicked deeds.


    This child, all alone, should have died long ago.


    The brute harbored some doubts in his heart, but his feet had already taken the step and firmly landed on the ground.


    Immediately, he frowned, sensing something was off.


    It seemed like something had shattered beneath his feet, the sound crisp and delicate, similar to that of a Spirit Stone, and there was a sensation of Spiritual Energy flowing as well.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the stone underfoot faintly glowing red.


    He looked up again, only to find Mo Hua had already drifted back, no longer with the dazed and panic-stricken look from before; instead his young face was calm, the clear eyes even carried a hint of mockery.


    The brute was first puzzled, then woke up to the reality with a shock, ¡°No good!¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 242 - 241 Fiery Flame Rune (Five More)_1

    Chapter 242: Chapter 241 Fiery Flame Rune (Five More)_1


    The burly man sensed something was off and tried to extract himself and flee, but it was already too late.


    Three top-grade Earth Fire Formations were activated, unleashing intense fluctuations of spiritual power. Amidst the explosive roar, a scarlet blaze engulfed the burly man.


    Only after the blaze had dissipated did the burly man¡¯s extremely disheveled figure become visible.


    His clothes were tattered, his body covered in scorch marks; his right side was still relatively intact, but the left side was severely injured with his arm blasted into a bloody blur.


    On the brink of life and death, the black-clothed burly man relied on his many years of fighting instincts to avoid the epicenter of the Earth Fire Formation¡¯s explosion.


    At the cost of an arm, he had saved his own life.


    Otherwise, even if he did not die, he would have been grievously injured.


    ¡°Damn brat, I¡¯ll make sure you die a miserable death!¡±


    The black-clothed burly man was furious yet shocked at the same time.


    A formation? How could it be a formation?


    Cultivators among Loose Cultivators who could deploy formations were few and far between; from where did this formation come?


    ¡°Could it have been laid down by his elders to protect him? It couldn¡¯t possibly be his own work¡­¡±


    With apprehension in his heart, the black-clothed burly man, though furious, dared not rashly pursue Mo Hua again.


    This little cultivator was quite peculiar and quite the actor; for the moment, he couldn¡¯t see through the reality of the situation and dared not act recklessly.


    Besides, he also feared there might be other formations on the ground.


    Mo Hua rather regretted that the formation hadn¡¯t killed the man.


    Even Monster Beasts suffered severe injuries when blasted by three top-grade Earth Fire Formations. It seemed that cultivators who had spent years in the Tao Cultivation World were more wary of fellow cultivators¡¯ tricks.


    Mo Hua secretly extended his divine sense to observe the burly man¡¯s condition.


    The burly man appeared miserable, but he still retained most of his spiritual power.


    His aura was profound, and he boasted a robust physique, indicative of a Body Cultivation practitioner at the peak of Qi Refinement Ninth Level. Given his disregard for human life, it was highly probable that he was a Sin Cultivator with abundant experience in fighting and spellcasting.


    Although he had been injured by the Earth Fire Formation and one arm was disabled, his other arm was unharmed.


    Dealing with him would still prove to be quite troublesome.


    Both parties had their reservations and faced off for a while; the burly man dared not pursue, and after some thought, Mo Hua began to flee in a panic, his footsteps disordered, betraying his agitation.


    ¡°Thinking of running away?¡±


    The burly man¡¯s gaze turned cold; having suffered such a loss, he was determined not to let Mo Hua go.


    He wanted to pursue but was unsure of what other tricks the little cultivator might have, creating a sense of fear that left him indecisive.


    It was at this moment that Mo Hua stumbled on a stone and fell to the ground.


    The burly man¡¯s face contorted fiercely.


    He was convinced the little brat was genuine in his panic!


    The black-clothed burly man leaped forward, following the mountain path Mo Hua had taken; with a few large strides, he arrived in front of Mo Hua.


    ¡°Little devil, let¡¯s see where you can run to now!¡±


    The burly man reached out with a large hand, attempting to grab Mo Hua.


    But the Mo Hua who had fallen to the ground flowed like water along the surface, swiftly disappearing from in front of the burly man and reappearing behind him in the blink of an eye.


    The burly man grabbed at empty air, a shock running through his heart.


    ¡°A movement technique?!¡±


    This brat had even learned a movement technique?!


    The burly man broke out in a cold sweat as he struggled to turn his head, only to see Mo Hua now standing behind him, pinching a jade rune between his fingers.


    The burly man¡¯s pupils dilated, ¡°Runes?¡±


    Mo Hua activated the rune with spiritual power, and with a flash of red light from the rune, spiritual power vibrated, and a blaze surged forth, engulfing the black-clothed burly man.


    This particular rune was confiscated by Old Zhao from a Qian Family cultivator and given to Mo Hua for self-defense.


    Named the Fiery Flame Rune, a top-grade rune, it encapsulated the might of a Qi Refining Ninth Level spell¡ªthe Fiery Flame Technique.


    Mo Hua first feigned escape, then pretended to slip and fall, deceiving the black-clothed cultivator into carelessness.


    Then, in an instant, using the Water Passing Step, he moved to the burly man¡¯s rear, and while the burly man was still unable to react and had no chance to evade, Mo Hua activated the Fiery Flame Rune.


    Runes were expensive, so they shouldn¡¯t be wasted; it was essential to seize the opportunity to make the best use of them and maximize their power.


    Caught completely off guard, the burly man suffered a sneak attack from Mo Hua at his back and bore the full brunt of a Qi Refining Ninth Level spell. He immediately felt his entire body burn and his meridians ache in searing pain.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua, with a reverse grip, drew the Thousand Jun Stick from his storage bag.


    Seizing the opportunity while the burly man was severely injured and staggering, Mo Hua hoisted the Thousand Jun Stick high, channeling his spiritual power and activating the Thousand Jun Formation.


    A flash of gray light, and in an instant, the Thousand Jun Stick became as heavy as a thousand pounds, carrying the force of the wind as it smashed down viciously.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The stick struck the black-clothed burly man right on his forehead.


    The man¡¯s scalp throbbed with excruciating pain.


    Mo Hua, however, felt a tingling numbness in his hands from the shock.


    ¡°Worthy of a body cultivator, the head is truly hard,¡± Mo Hua thought to himself. He then raised the Thousand Jun Stick again and, following the same method, smashed it down on the black-clothed burly man¡¯s forehead once more.


    The burly man¡¯s head felt heavy, and he began to lose consciousness.


    Mo Hua, gathering his strength, struck another blow with the stick.


    Only after another hit did he realize that he hadn¡¯t shouted out the name of the move, which lacked a great deal of momentum, so he added another strike while loudly exclaiming:


    ¡°Like a Thousand Pounds!¡±


    Finally, the black-clothed burly man couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. His eyes rolled back, and he staggered until, with a ¡°thud,¡± he fell to his knees and then face down onto the ground.


    Mo Hua released his divine sense to probe the state of the man¡¯s spiritual power.


    He discovered that the spiritual power in the man¡¯s meridians was wandering erratically, unmistakably flowing unchecked.


    This meant that the burly man had passed out.


    Still not entirely reassured, Mo Hua delivered another Fireball Technique and raised the Thousand Jun Stick, using all his might to break the defenseless man¡¯s limbs one by one, finally sighing with relief.


    Mo Hua was gasping for breath from exhaustion.


    He wasn¡¯t a body cultivator, and even with the aid of the formation, swinging the Thousand Jun Stick a few times, his arms still ached.


    But the objective had been achieved.


    The black-clothed burly man, who had been so imposing just a moment ago, now lay paralyzed on the ground, his spiritual power in disarray, his blood qi weak, unable to move his limbs.


    Confirming that the black-clothed burly man couldn¡¯t stir up any more trouble for the time being, Mo Hua immediately ran to Ji Li¡¯s side.


    Ji Li¡¯s blood was still flowing.


    With a grave expression, Mo Hua quickly fed him a Small Rejuvenation Pill, crushed a few Hemostatic Pills, and sprinkled the powder on Ji Li¡¯s wounds, then fed him two Blood Qi Pills.


    The Small Rejuvenation Pill was for hanging onto life, Hemostatic Pills for stopping blood, and Blood Qi Pills could replenish blood qi.


    These were all techniques taught by Old Mr. Feng to provide emergency assistance and save a life in critical moments.


    Afterward, observing Ji Li¡¯s meridians with divine sense, Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Ji Li¡¯s breath was weak, but his spiritual power was still flowing, and the wounds were gradually healing.


    ¡°As long as he¡¯s not dead,¡± Mo Hua murmured.


    He ignited the signal fireworks, sending up the flares.


    Even though he had temporarily saved Ji Li¡¯s life, he still needed to be sent to Old Mr. Feng for treatment as soon as possible; otherwise, his chances were slim.


    Mo Hua alone didn¡¯t have the strength to carry Ji Li down the mountain.


    Moreover, with Ji Li covered in blood, it was easy to attract monster beasts, and dealing with a late-stage Rank One monster beast would be even more troublesome.


    The only hope was that some nearby Monster Hunters would see the signal and come to support them soon to preserve Ji Li¡¯s life.


    Ji Li, covered in blood, lay on the ground, and after a while, his fingers twitched slightly, showing some signs of response.


    ¡°Brother Ji! Brother Ji!¡± Mo Hua called out several times.


    Ji Li seemed to hear him, his eyes slowly opening. Seeing that Mo Hua was unharmed, he appeared to relax, then his gaze gradually became empty and unfocused, and his eyes slowly closed again.


    This was a sign of the dispersal of divine sense.


    Mo Hua was startled, knowing this was a bad omen. Once a cultivator¡¯s divine sense dissipated, even if the body was saved, it would be no different from a dead person.


    To continue living, one must have a strong will to survive.


    Thinking quickly, Mo Hua said, ¡°Brother Ji, if you die, what will happen to Sister Fu Lan?¡±


    Ji Li¡¯s eyelids trembled faintly. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°Uncle Ji is still waiting to celebrate your wedding.¡±


    Ji Li¡¯s eyes did not open, but tears began to flow from the corners.

 Chapter 243 - 242 Familiar_1

    Chapter 243: Chapter 242 Familiar_1


    Mo Hua drew some Formations around the area, then stood guard over Ji Li, wary of other Monster Beasts and Cultivators.


    After a while, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense stirred, detecting the approach of a Cultivator.


    He released his Divine Sense to sense the area, and relaxed a bit, then shouted, ¡°Uncle Zhou, over here!¡±


    Not far away were three Monster Hunters, led by Zhou Cheng, the father of Zhou Daping.


    They had hurried over in response to the trail of smoke and fire, and upon hearing the shout, they immediately rushed over, only to see Ji Li collapsed on the ground, covered in blood.


    Seeing this, Zhou Cheng was startled and quickly asked, ¡°How is the injury?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been stabilized for now, but we need to hurry down the mountain to get Grandpa Feng to treat him,¡± said Mo Hua.


    Zhou Cheng nodded and then asked Mo Hua, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Mo Hua shook his head.


    Zhou Cheng let out a sigh of relief, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Since saving the injured was a priority, Zhou Cheng did not say more. He motioned to several people to lift Ji Li onto a stretcher and then they headed down the mountain.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to them, silently thinking, ¡°I hope it¡¯s not too late.¡±


    Uncle Ji only had that one son, Brother Ji.


    Mo Hua did not follow them down the mountain; he still had things to do.


    The burly man in black was still lying to the side, in a pitiful state, unconscious, but apparently not yet dead.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t have the time to attend to him now. Later, when other Monster Hunters arrived, they could take the man back to see if they could get any information out of him.


    ¡°Right, the storage bag.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered, ran over to the man, and found the storage bag that had been half-destroyed.


    Without time to examine it closely, Mo Hua put the storage bag away and then took out the Compass Parent-Child Disk, contemplating as he looked at it:


    ¡°Brother Ji went into the mountains, he must have been with Uncle Ji. If Brother Ji was being chased, that means Uncle Ji is in danger too.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, this big man has deep Cultivation. He seems to kill without batting an eye, and his Sin Cultivator accomplices are probably not easy to deal with either.¡±


    At the Compass Disk, Mo Hua found his own location and indeed noticed that not far to the south there was a bright spot.


    This meant the fight was still ongoing.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes turned cold, put away the Compass, and headed south.


    The bright spot to the south was located at a small hill.


    The area was surrounded by dense shrubs, with fallen leaves accumulated underfoot, and scattered large trees stretching their branches, shading the sunlight, giving the area a secluded and tranquil appearance.


    When Mo Hua arrived, he indeed found Ji Qingbai and two other Monster Hunters engaged in combat with some people.


    Their opponents were three black-clothed Sin Cultivators.


    In the interplay of light and shadow, blades flashed, Spiritual Power surged, both sides specializing in Body Cultivation were engaged in close combat, making it hard to separate them.


    The black-clothed Sin Cultivators had the upper hand, Ji Qingbai and his two companions were struggling, looking increasingly overwhelmed.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    The gap in Cultivation and Taoist Skills between the two sides wasn¡¯t apparent, and moreover, two of the Monster Hunters were wearing iron armor.


    Logically, even if they were no match for their opponents, they should not have been in such a sorry state.


    At that moment, Mo Hua saw a figure suddenly appear beside Ji Qingbai, a blade flashed by.


    In the nick of time, Ji Qingbai felt something and narrowly avoided the attack, but his arm was still cut open, bleeding profusely.


    After the strike, the figure quickly retreated and soon melted away into the background.


    Ji Qingbai¡¯s brow furrowed tightly, his expression growing even more grave.


    Mo Hua was slightly startled.


    Despite it being just a moment, he had seen it.


    The attacker wore black clothes, was of short stature, and had a sinister gaze.


    And he was skilled in concealment¡­


    Mo Hua had a guess in mind, released his Divine Sense, and within a sea of white, the residual images of the Spiritual Energy of all things appeared.


    Behind a tree, a faint blue silhouette became visible.


    This figure looked very familiar.


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua pondered briefly, his eyes lighting up, ¡°So it¡¯s you!¡±


    Monster Hunter had previously held onto the spiritual mines, while the Qian Family hired cultivators to harass them, among which was a hidden cultivator skilled in the Concealment Technique, who had been particularly troublesome, causing significant losses for Monster Hunter.


    Unexpectedly, they had run into him here again.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s heart, there was also some surprise, ¡°He¡¯s actually not dead?¡±


    He had thought that the hidden cultivator had long been hacked to death by Monster Hunter¡¯s frenzied blades.


    Even if he wasn¡¯t dead, it seemed his injuries were quite severe.


    Now that the cultivator was making a move, he lacked the decisiveness and ruthlessness of before, his movements sluggish.


    His Concealment Technique was also greatly diminished, needing to rely on the shade of large trees and the interplay of light and shadow to better hide his form.


    Ji Qingbai and his two companions, facing three enemies, should not have been at such a disadvantage.


    But with this hidden cultivator lurking on the sidelines, the situation was entirely different.


    They had to engage their opponents while guarding against the hidden cultivator¡¯s sneak attacks; a single injury could turn the tide against them.


    And with the divine sense of a typical cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, it was impossible to see through the Concealment Technique, naturally leaving them unable to deal with this hidden cultivator.


    However, this was of little concern to Mo Hua.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense, the figure of the hidden cultivator was as clear as fire, with absolutely nowhere to hide.


    During the struggle for the spiritual mines, he had fallen into Mo Hua¡¯s hands. Now that Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense had grown much stronger, his use of the Concealment Technique was like trying to cover one¡¯s ears while stealing a bell, only fooling himself.


    That he had escaped Monster Hunter¡¯s chaotic blade before was a matter of luck.


    But this time, Mo Hua did not intend to let him go.


    However, the priority was to first save Uncle Ji and the others. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua hid in a corner beyond their divine sense¡¯s reach, took out a bamboo tube, and lit the fireworks.


    Subsequently, Mo Hua changed locations twice, setting off a firework each time.


    Mo Hua tried the old trick again, setting off fireworks, hoping to intimidate them into retreating.


    The soaring fireworks also caught the attention of the sin cultivators, and both sides ceased their fighting.


    But these sin cultivators did not seem to take the bait.


    A sin cultivator said, ¡°These Monster Hunters have already set off fireworks to call for help before. If there really were anybody, they would have come to the rescue by now. This person hiding behind the scenes and not acting probably means they¡¯re just bluffing. Let¡¯s finish this quickly and kill them.¡±


    The other sin cultivators nodded in agreement.


    Enduring his injuries, Ji Qingbai gritted his teeth and said, ¡°We have no grudges; why must you insist on wiping us out?¡±


    The sin cultivator said, ¡°The Kong Family paid for your and your son¡¯s heads with the Flower Spirit Stone. Your son¡¯s head is probably already taken; now only yours is left.¡±


    Hearing this, Ji Qingbai¡¯s expression turned bleak.


    ¡°Enough talk, let¡¯s finish them!¡± a one-eyed sin cultivator who appeared to be the leader commanded coldly.


    With that, the two sides stopped talking and clashed once more, blades bloody and fists flesh-pounding, their attacks even more relentless.


    Mo Hua was somewhat helpless; these sin cultivators were actually not fooled.


    If that were the case, he had no choice but to intervene and figure out how to buy time.


    There should still be quite a few Monster Hunters nearby. As long as they saw the fireworks, they should come to provide support.


    Mo Hua just had to find a way to hold off the sin cultivators until then.


    On the small hillside sheltered by the big trees, Ji Qingbai and the two Monster Hunters were still struggling to hold their ground.


    Meanwhile, the black-clothed hidden cultivator had found his opportunity and was preparing to strike again.


    Using the forest as cover, he moved towards Ji Qingbai silently.


    Thinking his son was more likely dead than alive and exchanging blow for blow in desperation, Ji Qingbai naturally exposed more weaknesses.


    The hidden cultivator¡¯s eyes glinted venomously, seizing the moment, he took advantage of the opening and thrust out his dagger.


    The cold gleam of the dagger appeared suddenly, but just before it could strike Ji Qingbai, a Fireball Technique struck the hidden cultivator¡¯s arm first, interrupting his attack.


    Then the Fireball Technique exploded, and the red spiritual energy turned into blazing flame, burning his arm and spreading searing pain.


    In pain, the hidden cultivator was suddenly taken aback.


    Why did this situation seem so familiar?

 Chapter 244 - 243 Delay_1

    Chapter 244: Chapter 243 Delay_1


    ¡°`


    The Fireball Technique exploded, and the situation changed, causing both sides to momentarily stop their assault.


    The Hidden Cultivator was slightly stunned, then flew into a rage.


    Some unbearable and humiliating memories resurfaced.


    It was that damn Fireball Technique again!


    The Hidden Cultivator¡¯s figure shifted slightly as he retreated to a distance, looking around as he angrily demanded, ¡°Who¡¯s using the Fireball Technique?¡±


    All around, silence reigned.


    The leading one-eyed Sin Cultivator scolded, ¡°Diao Laosi, forget the rest, kill the one surnamed Ji first!¡±


    Mo Hua, hiding in the shadows, narrowed his eyes.


    This cultivator, dressed in black with a slender figure, sinister eyes, and skilled in concealment, was apparently named Diao Laosi.


    He silently memorized this name.


    Diao Laosi looked around, then expanded his Divine Sense in search, yet still, no one appeared, resulting in a sinking feeling in his heart.


    The taste of being ambushed, without knowing who was behind it, rose in his heart again.


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator frowned, ¡°Just a Fireball Technique, and you¡¯re this scared?¡±


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator¡¯s Cultivation was deeper than that of an ordinary Qi Refinement Layer Nine, and Ji Qingbai, having been at Qi Refinement Layer Nine for many years, was on par with him, which was why they had been at a stalemate for so long.


    Originally, the Sin Cultivators had wanted to take advantage of the Hidden Cultivator¡¯s sneak attack to kill Ji Qingbai and his group quickly so they could retreat smoothly.


    Now, it seemed that Ji Qingbai and his group were reaching their limits.


    But unexpectedly, Diao Laosi had become hesitant just because of a Fireball Technique.


    Diao Laosi was reluctant to admit it, but had to acknowledge it, only able to say discontentedly:


    ¡°The person using the Fireball Technique can see through my Concealment Technique. I was caught by him last time.¡±


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator sneered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your Concealment Technique was undetectable by anyone below Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Diao Laosi¡¯s withered old face flushed red.


    Seeing this, the one-eyed Sin Cultivator didn¡¯t dwell on it and asked, ¡°Are you sure the cultivator using the Fireball Technique is the same person who saw through your Concealment Technique last time?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Diao Laosi also started to doubt.


    The familiar feeling was exactly the same.


    It was as if a thread of Divine Sense, like a persistent maggot, clung to him, impossible to shake off.


    This made Diao Laosi convinced that the one using the Fireball Technique was still the same person from before.


    But the power of this Fireball Technique had increased significantly.


    Last time, it only had the power of a mid-stage Qi Refinement spell, but now it possessed the strength of a late-stage Qi Refinement spell, albeit at most to the seventh or eighth level.


    Perhaps the person¡¯s realm had advanced, which was why the power of the Fireball Technique had also increased.


    But if that was true, the cultivator was at most at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refinement; how could someone of this level possibly see through his own Concealment Technique?


    Diao Laosi hesitated, uncertain.


    Seeing his hesitancy, the one-eyed Sin Cultivator cursed:


    ¡°Stop fucking hesitating, just attack as you normally would. Leave that cultivator to me.¡±


    Diao Laosi¡¯s gaze darkened, then his figure vanished as several other Sin Cultivators attacked Ji Qingbai and the other two Monster Hunters simultaneously, forcing them to reveal their vulnerabilities.


    Diao Laosi found an opening and aimed his dagger at the throat of one of the Monster Hunters.


    But he was cautious, staying on guard for the Fireball Technique.


    As expected, another Fireball Technique came flying over.


    Diao Laosi hastily retreated, dodging the attack, and the Fireball Technique missed its mark.


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator, who had been watchful of the surroundings, suddenly saw a bright light in his eyes.


    He turned around and charged towards the origins of the Fireball Technique ¡ª the place where Mo Hua was hiding.


    ¡°Come out from where you¡¯re hiding!¡± the one-eyed Sin Cultivator bellowed as he moved swiftly, quickly reaching behind a large tree and discovered Mo Hua hiding there.


    Small stature, young-looking face, clear eyes, and he even smiled at him.


    ¡°A kid?¡±


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator was taken aback, but his motions didn¡¯t stop, he reached out with a large hand toward Mo Hua¡¯s neck.


    Mo Hua, using the Water Passing Step, gracefully dodged the hands of the Sin Cultivator.


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator exclaimed in surprise and reached out again.


    Agilely flipping out of the way, Mo Hua landed with Spiritual Power under his feet, standing vertically on the tree trunk and moving nimbly upward.


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator drew his blade and slashed directly at Mo Hua.


    But after several rapid strikes, Mo Hua was always just able to narrowly avoid them.


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator always thought the next strike would hit, but each time, he missed by a fraction.


    After several exchanges, he realized instantly.


    ¡°This little brat is toying with me! He¡¯s delaying for time!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator was furious, but he was powerless because he realized that this kid¡¯s movement technique was far superior to his own.


    He couldn¡¯t even touch the hem of the kid¡¯s clothes.


    At such a young age, it was truly bizarre.


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator spat a curse and could only turn to find Ji Qingbai, shouting, ¡°Let¡¯s kill the one surnamed Ji first!¡±


    Killing the Ji father and son would allow them to get Spirit Stones from the Kong Family.


    The Spirit Stones were the most important thing.


    As for these Monster Hunters and this kid, it wasn¡¯t too late to settle the score with them later!


    But when he tried to flee, Mo Hua disagreed, countering with a Fireball Technique that smashed into the one-eyed Sin Cultivator¡¯s back.


    While not fatal, it was very painful, and the meridians suffered no small damage from the burn of the fire.


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator was furious and rushed at Mo Hua, but he couldn¡¯t catch him.


    When he tried to run, Mo Hua would hit him with the Fireball Technique again.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique was fast and accurate; there was no avoiding it, he could only take it head-on.


    After this occurred three times, his clothes were nearly burned to rags.


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator was extremely frustrated; he could neither catch up nor run away.


    Only when Diao Laosi and two other Sin Cultivators came to assist did Mo Hua stop his attack. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But this also gave Ji Qingbai and the others a chance to catch their breath.


    The situation immediately became deadlocked again.


    Mo Hua wanted to delay the time; a deadlock was the best outcome.


    The Sin Cultivators wanted to kill, but if they dragged on and the Monster Hunters¡¯ reinforcements arrived, they wouldn¡¯t be able to kill anyone.


    However, with Mo Hua¡¯s intervention, it was a four-on-four situation that couldn¡¯t be resolved in the short term.


    Especially Diao Laosi, whose Body Cultivation Taoist Skill was quite mediocre. In a head-on fight, he was no match for the Monster Hunters.


    He could only rely on his Concealment Technique to attack unexpectedly.


    Now that his Concealment Technique was seen through by Mo Hua, he was almost as good as useless.


    All the cultivators present were watching Mo Hua.


    The eyes of the Sin Cultivators were filled with anger, while Ji Qingbai¡¯s were somewhat incredulous.


    He had never expected that Mo Hua, with only the seventh level of Qi Refinement Cultivation, could on his own hold back the deeply cultivated one-eyed Sin Cultivator.


    And that he could expose the trail of the sinister cultivator who was skilled in concealment.


    And the Fireball Technique, he used it very skillfully as well.


    It was true that the apple didn¡¯t fall far from the tree; his ability, although different from Mo Shan¡¯s and not following the path of Body Refinement, was quite remarkable.


    Seeing that things were going badly, the one-eyed Sin Cultivator looked at Ji Qingbai with a mocking tone, ¡°That kid can¡¯t possibly be your son, right? Oh, that¡¯s right, your son is already dead, his corpse thrown somewhere, probably being gnawed on by wild wolves right now.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Ji Qingbai suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart, his face turned pale, and his fingers trembled uncontrollably, barely holding onto his knife.


    Mo Hua then said to Ji Qingbai, ¡°Brother Ji isn¡¯t dead.¡±


    Ji Qingbai suddenly looked up, his eyes red, and asked with hope, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded seriously.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was very sincere.


    Ji Qingbai suddenly felt rejuvenated; his body seemed to surge with endless strength, and he gripped the knife in his hand tightly once again.


    However, the one-eyed Sin Cultivator scoffed, ¡°Impossible, that Ji kid is bound to die!¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator said coldly, ¡°Zhao Hu was pursuing him, how could he possibly be alive? It would be good if he isn¡¯t dismembered already.¡±


    ¡°Is Zhao Hu that tall guy?¡±


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator gave a sharp look from his remaining eye, ¡°You¡¯ve seen him?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator sneered, ¡°Impossible! If you had seen him, you¡¯d be dead without a doubt!¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not dead, whether he is, that¡¯s another story.¡±


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator snorted disdainfully, ¡°Punk, don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, pulled out the half-charred storage bag, and waved it in front of him, saying nothing.


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator¡¯s pupil constricted.


    That storage bag belonged to Zhao Hu!

 Chapter 245 - 244: Backtracking_1

    Chapter 245: Chapter 244: Backtracking_1


    The one-eyed cultivator showed a look of disbelief.


    If Zhao Hu was not gravely injured or dead, his storage bag could not have possibly ended up in someone else¡¯s hands.


    Originally, he had thought that after Zhao Hu killed that Ji surnamed brat, he would come back and help out, and they would be able to kill all these cultivators.


    Now, not only had Zhao Hu failed to kill the man, but he might also have been killed by someone else.


    The one-eyed sin cultivator spat out a curse.


    In this current situation, he had no time to think about who exactly Zhao Hu had fallen to.


    If they dragged this out any longer and the Monster Hunters arrived, they would be the ones to die.


    After weighing the situation for a moment, the one-eyed sin cultivator could only grit his teeth and say, ¡°Retreat first!¡±


    The other sin cultivators were reluctant, but they also knew they were powerless in the current situation and could only prepare to retreat with resentful glares.


    Seeing them planning to retreat, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and suddenly he said:


    ¡°That short one, are you called Diao Laosi?¡±


    The short-statured hidden cultivator stopped in his tracks, his gaze chilly.


    He had been mixing in the Cultivation World for a hundred years; when had he ever been called out by a brat like this?


    Mo Hua pretended to advise, ¡°Your Concealment Technique is no good; I saw through it at a glance. Next time you see me, just hide and walk away, otherwise, if I see through you, you¡¯ll lose face again.¡±


    Diao Laosi couldn¡¯t help but have anger surging up.


    Mo Hua mockingly added, ¡°Or you might as well change your name. Don¡¯t call yourself Diao Laosi anymore, change it to Diao Wei instead, and run away with your tail between your legs whenever you see me.¡±


    Diao Laosi was so angry he almost crushed his teeth, feeling a surge of blood rush to his throat and almost vomiting it out.


    The one-eyed sin cultivator said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t fall for his provocation; we¡¯ll settle the score with him later!¡±


    Diao Laosi looked at Mo Hua hatefully, as if to imprint Mo Hua¡¯s face in his memory.


    Afterward, the sin cultivators no longer spoke and gradually retreated towards the back until their figures disappeared into the dense forest.


    Ji Qingbai and the others all let out a long sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful that he couldn¡¯t keep the hidden cultivator named Diao Laosi.


    In his Divine Sense, he had already sensed the figures of the Monster Hunters; they would soon have Monster Hunters coming to support.


    Uncle Ji and the others were all injured and couldn¡¯t rashly pursue, and Mo Hua alone couldn¡¯t retain those sin cultivators.


    However, it was good that everyone was safe; Mo Hua was relieved.


    Mo Hua distributed the pills refined by Old Mr. Feng to the three of them.


    The two Monster Hunters thanked him, took the pills, and began to meditate to heal their injuries.


    Ji Qingbai, however, was worried and looked at Mo Hua, hesitating to speak.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Brother Ji is indeed still alive, but badly injured. You better quickly heal yourself, so you can go and see him sooner.¡±


    Ji Qingbai quickly nodded, gulped down the pill, and began to regulate his breathing and heal.


    Before long, Monster Hunters arrived.


    The sudden fog had arisen earlier, hindering everyone¡¯s sense of direction, and some Monster Hunters got separated.


    Now that the fog had dispersed and the Monster Hunters who saw the smoke signals were able to come for support.


    Meanwhile, the one-eyed sin cultivator and Diao Laosi, along with others, fled along the rugged mountain path and reached a section of the woods.


    While walking, the one-eyed cultivator suddenly looked up and saw someone ahead, then instructed his companions to scatter and hide in the bushes on both sides.


    Soon after, more than ten cultivators appeared, all clad in black and with sinister faces.


    Seeing this, the one-eyed cultivator breathed a sigh of relief, stepped out, and greeted with a fist, ¡°Big brother!¡±


    The sin cultivator addressed as ¡°big brother¡± was a bald man with the Qi Refinement of the ninth level, of average height, with eagle-like eyes and sharp ears. He frowned and asked:


    ¡°How did it go?¡±


    The one-eyed cultivator showed a look of shame, ¡°We failed.¡±


    ¡°How did you fail? Where¡¯s Zhao Hu?¡±


    The one-eyed sin cultivator found it hard to speak.


    How did they fail?


    Could he admit that he had been played by a greenhorn kid with movement techniques, which caused a delay, so they failed to kill Ji Qingbai,


    And that Zhao Hu¡¯s whereabouts were unknown, whether he was alive or dead?


    In front of so many people, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose that face.


    The one-eyed sin cultivator could only bite the bullet and say:


    ¡°The Monster Hunters¡¯ support came fast, and brother Zhao Hu¡¯s life or death is uncertain.¡±


    The bald cultivator called ¡°big brother¡± had his gaze turn cold.


    Diao Laosi gauged the number of sin cultivators present, then, turning his gaze, he cupped his hands and said:


    ¡°Big brother, now that we have more people, why not turn back and catch them off guard?¡±


    Diao Laosi¡¯s voice contained hatred.


    He wished to kill the little cultivator who used the Fireball Technique!


    He had suffered greatly at the hands of that kid several times.


    Upon leaving, the kid even mocked and ridiculed him; those words still provoked feelings of anger and frustration as he thought about them.


    When had he ever suffered such humiliation?


    What was critical was that his Concealment Technique and all his skills were completely restrained by that brat.


    If he didn¡¯t get rid of that brat, he would surely fall into his hands sooner or later!


    Unless he really did as the brat said, tucking his tail and scurrying away whenever he saw him.


    But if he really did that, he would lose all his face, and never again have the dignity to mix in this Black Mountain State Boundary.


    This was even more unbearable than killing him!


    Diao Laosi continued, ¡°They must not have gone far. If we turn back now, that Ji Qingbai is as good as dead, and the other Monster Hunters can be killed too!¡±


    Especially that damn little cultivator, he couldn¡¯t extinguish the hatred in his heart until he ground that brat¡¯s bones to dust and scattered his ashes.


    Upon hearing this, the one-eyed Sin Cultivator¡¯s eyes lit up:


    ¡°Brother, this plan is feasible. We have many people and a strong advantage now, we can make it quick and decisive.¡±


    The bald cultivator pondered for a moment, then said slowly:


    ¡°Only by killing Ji Qingbai will the Kong Family pay the remainder of the Spirit Stones. Let¡¯s all go, act quickly, and retreat after the kill!¡±


    All the Sin Cultivators agreed with a chorus of ¡°Yes,¡± before their figures flickered and they all headed towards the small hillside.


    Mo Hua was still on the small hillside, and more and more Monster Hunters were arriving, their numbers growing.


    This was beyond Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    The Inner Mountain was so vast, he couldn¡¯t have expected so many Monster Hunters to come just because he set off a few firecrackers.


    After learning the full story, Mo Hua was somewhat stunned.


    Previously, because of the fog, many Monster Hunters had been separated.


    Generally speaking, it¡¯s best to stay put in dense fog, but this was the Inner Mountain, a dangerous situation where accidents always happened.


    Whether it was encountering Monster Beasts, poisonous swamps, or attacks from cultivators, Monster Hunters had to keep navigating in the fog, leading to inevitable separations. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After the fog had lifted, the Monster Hunters began to gather in small groups.


    Those who saw the fireworks hurried over to provide support, passing the message to each other.


    A few Monster Hunters who had seen Mo Hua said, ¡°Someone is injured, and Mo Hua is there too.¡±


    This message spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred, and as it spread, it turned into ¡°Mo Hua is also injured.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Monster Hunters were immediately incensed.


    Mo Hua injured, that was unacceptable!


    Any Monster Hunter who heard the news, no matter how far, rushed over to this location.


    Some were still hunting wounded Monster Beasts, some were skinning and deboning them, and some were packing their storage bags ready to descend the mountain. Upon hearing the news, they all stopped what they were doing, drew their swords, and came running.


    Therefore, the number of Monster Hunters gathering on the small hillside was increasing, almost reaching a hundred¡­


    After understanding what had happened, Mo Hua felt touched, yet couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at the same time.


    A while later, Yu Chengyi also arrived.


    He had been hunting Monster Beasts on another side, and coming from a distance, he arrived panting. Upon seeing Mo Hua, he asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Mo Hua had said this several dozen times already.


    Yu Chengyi finally sighed in relief, ¡°As long as you¡¯re fine.¡±


    Then he looked puzzled and said, ¡°But I heard someone say you were injured?¡±


    Mo Hua replied helplessly, ¡°Someone was injured, but it wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Yu Chengyi nodded, then became slightly angry and instructed, ¡°Tell everyone, Mo Hua is fine, stop spreading rumors.¡±


    If this went on, his father Elder Yu would probably come up the mountain himself.


    Yu Chengyi looked around before asking, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Mo Hua briefly explained how Ji Li was being hunted, and how Ji Qingbai and two other Monster Hunters were ambushed.


    Yu Chengyi was furious, ¡°These bastards, staying in the mountain they¡¯re bound to be troublesome sooner or later, we¡¯ll eventually slaughter them all!¡±


    Mo Hua also felt it was a pity.


    If the Inner Mountain weren¡¯t so vast, the Monster Hunters could have come a bit earlier, or if those Sin Cultivators were provoked by him, could have been delayed a bit longer, they could have kept all of them here.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, scanning around again, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    ¡°That short guy who knows the Concealment Technique can really endure, after all the insults I hurled at him, he still doesn¡¯t think to come back and bother me?¡±


    Is he, like Qian Hong, one of the turtle kin?¡± Mo Hua thought to himself.


    A little while passed, and when Ji Qingbai was done healing, eager to check Ji Li¡¯s injuries, everyone prepared to descend the mountain.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense stirred, his eyes gradually brightening as he quickly said, ¡°Wait.¡±


    All the Monster Hunters stopped and looked at him with confusion.


    Mo Hua held his breath and focused, extending his Divine Sense to its limit, then after opening his eyes, he smiled and said:


    ¡°The big fish has been lured back.¡±

 Chapter 246 - 245 Ambush_1

    Chapter 246: Chapter 245 Ambush_1


    The one-eyed Sin Cultivator led a group of fellow Sin Cultivators back the way they came, arriving at the base of the hillside and lying in ambush among the bushes, looking up.


    Atop the secluded knoll, there were only four individuals.


    Ji Qingbai and the other two were covered in bloodstains and still in meditation, healing their wounds, while the young Cultivator stood guard beside them with a vigilant expression.


    ¡°Not running away, just waiting to die here?¡± Diao Laosi sneered.


    But the one-eyed Sin Cultivator furrowed his brow, ¡°I¡¯m afraid there might be a trick.¡±


    ¡°Should we release our Divine Sense to check?¡± suggested a Sin Cultivator.


    ¡°They¡¯ll notice.¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any Foundation Building Cultivators; we can be careful and check.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that kid, his Divine Sense is outrageously strong. If we use Divine Sense to spy on them, he will definitely discover us.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Would I lie to you?¡±


    ¡­


    After a few arguments among the Sin Cultivators, the one-eyed Cultivator asked, ¡°Boss, what should we do?¡±


    The bald-headed Sin Cultivator pondered, ¡°Ji Qingbai is an outsider Cultivator. He doesn¡¯t have much of a network in Tongxian City; not many Cultivators will help him.¡±


    ¡°As for that kid, he seems to be a local Monster Hunter, but he¡¯s too young to know many people.¡±


    ¡°Even if there is an ambush, it cannot be very large.¡±


    ¡°With the number of people we have, we¡¯re more than enough to kill them all!¡±


    The one-eyed Cultivator nodded, flattering, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re brilliant!¡±


    The bald-headed Sin Cultivator¡¯s gaze turned icy as he continued, ¡°We earn our living on the blade¡¯s edge, licking blood off the knife. When meat is delivered right before our eyes, even if it is on the edge of the blade, there is no reason not to eat.¡±


    Each and every Sin Cultivator revealed a sinister smirk, their eyes filled with greed.


    ¡°Attack!¡±


    Commanded the bald-headed Sin Cultivator.


    The twenty-plus Sin Cultivators, like starving wolves, scrambled up the slope and then suddenly dispersed, completely surrounding Mo Hua and the others to prevent them from escaping.


    A Sin Cultivator stepped forward, trying to catch Mo Hua, but as his foot touched the ground, firelight exploded in an instant.


    The Sin Cultivator was blasted to the ground, half of his body charred, and he curled up, howling miserably¡ªthe sight was pitiful.


    ¡°A Formation?¡±


    The Sin Cultivators¡¯ hearts skipped a beat, and they looked at one another, halting their advance.


    The power of the Formation was not to be underestimated. For a moment, no one was certain who had set up the formation or how extensive it was.


    The atmosphere grew tense as both sides began to stand off again.


    Mo Hua looked slightly scared and nervous, but Diao Laosi didn¡¯t believe it at all. This kid was cunning and wouldn¡¯t show such an expression.


    His gaze was sinister as he said coldly,


    ¡°Kid, stop pretending. Call out the ones in hiding.¡±


    The fear and anxiety faded from Mo Hua¡¯s face, and he couldn¡¯t help but scratch his head, ¡°Was my performance that bad?¡±


    He felt that he had actually done quite well.


    Diao Laosi¡¯s eyelids twitched in anger, ¡°You¡¯re still playing word games at death¡¯s door.¡±


    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m at death¡¯s door?¡±


    Diao Laosi raised his dagger, the blade glinting with a sinister chill,


    ¡°When I slit your throat and gouge out your eyes in a moment, you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Mo Hua remained unconcerned, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you come over?¡±


    Diao Laosi stepped forward, wanting to advance, but he dared not.


    He was unsure whether there were more Formations on the ground and did not dare to act rashly.


    The one-eyed Cultivator, however, frowned and said, ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡±


    This young Cultivator was too composed.


    What was the reason for his composure, just because of a few Formations on the ground?


    Or was there something else to rely on?


    Now that Mo Hua and the others were surrounded, not fearing to startle the snake in the grass, he decided to release his Divine Sense to take a look.


    But as soon as he released his Divine Sense, feeling the breaths around him, his complexion drastically changed, and he felt a chill run through his body.


    ¡°Big brother!¡± the one-eyed cultivator said urgently.


    Before he could say anything else, figures of Monster Hunters began to appear continuously on the surrounding hillsides, encircling the sin cultivators. A massive crowd loomed over them, and at a rough glance, there were more than two hundred people! S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The one-eyed cultivator¡¯s face showed panic, and the other sin cultivators lost the blood qi from their faces instantly.


    So many Monster Hunters!


    How could there be so many Monster Hunters?


    With Inner Mountain being so vast, who could have summoned so many Monster Hunters in such a short time?


    At the same time, Mo Hua¡¯s delicate eyebrows raised slightly as she pointed at the sin cultivators with her small hand, her voice crisp as she said,


    ¡°Death is imminent for you!¡±


    Before her words fell, the Monster Hunters on the hillsides charged down en masse, dense like dark clouds bearing down with overwhelming momentum.


    ¡°Big brother, what do we do?¡± the one-eyed cultivator asked in a panic.


    A flash of terrified despair crossed the eyes of the bald sin cultivator before he said fiercely, ¡°Grab that brat!¡±


    He had also figured out that the identity of this kid must be anything but ordinary.


    Capturing him, they might be able to use him to threaten the group of Monster Hunters, and they might have a chance to live.


    Two sin cultivators rushed toward Mo Hua, but midway, they were blasted away by the Earth Fire Formation.


    A few others managed to get past the Earth Fire Formation. One was intercepted by Ji Qingbai, and another was fended off with a punch by Yu Chengyi.


    The remaining few finally reached Mo Hua, but before they could lay a hand on her, she had already retreated gracefully with her Water Passing Step, and they didn¡¯t even touch a corner of her robe.


    Monster Hunters came flooding over in an ambush, and the more than twenty sin cultivators were quickly overwhelmed by the tide of Monster Hunters, unable to hold out for long.


    Mo Hua withdrew from the battle, scanned the area with her Divine Sense, her gaze sharpening before she raised her hand and shot a fireball at a bush in the distance.


    The Fireball Technique exploded and a pain-filled groan came from the bush where the hidden Diao Laosi finally revealed his scrawny figure.


    Mo Hua pointed at him from afar and shouted loudly, ¡°Capture that short one, don¡¯t let him get away!¡±


    Hearing this, nearby Monster Hunters rushed toward Diao Laosi.


    In his heart, Diao Laosi cursed Mo Hua to death.


    He also cursed himself for having learned the Concealment Technique, which Mo Hua had cleverly countered.


    Now that the Concealment Technique was useless, he was like a mouse crossing the street in broad daylight, vulnerable to everyone¡¯s attack.


    With no other options but to sit and wait for death, he was completely helpless.


    In just a few exchanges, Diao Laosi was knocked down with a punch from a Monster Hunter, pinned to the ground, and bound tightly with iron chains.


    The battle at the front was also a foregone conclusion ¨C several sin cultivators were cut down instantly, most of the others were captured, and only two managed to escape.


    One was the one-eyed cultivator who was lucky when a Monster Beast suddenly jumped out and blocked the Monster Hunters, allowing him to escape by a fluke.


    The other was the bald sin cultivator, who had great movement technique and was extremely cunning.


    While he had shouted about capturing Mo Hua, he was the first to flee when the situation turned sour. With swift and ghost-like movements, he was too fast for the Monster Hunters to catch.


    After the battle, only a few Monster Hunters were injured and could recover with a few pills.


    The sin cultivators, on the other hand, were all injured, some with missing arms and legs, locked together in chains.


    These chains, designed to bind Monster Beasts, were extremely strong, and since all the sin cultivators were injured, there was virtually no chance of escape.


    Yu Chengyi looked delighted, ¡°I was worried we couldn¡¯t catch these bastards, but they¡¯ve run right back to us, rushing to their death.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Uncle Yu, how should we deal with these sin cultivators?¡±


    Yu Chengyi thought for a moment and said, ¡°We should beat them first, interrogate them, and see if we can get some information out of them. Then we¡¯ll send them to the Taoist Court to claim some rewards.¡±


    These sin cultivators were murderers and robbers, and by the looks of it, habitual offenders, which meant death according to the Taoist Law.


    The Monster Hunters would get their reward money, and the Taoist Court would earn merit. It was a win-win situation, without getting their own hands dirty.


    Mo Hua nodded, then pointed her small hand toward Diao Laosi, ¡°Leave that shorty to me, I want to ask him some questions.¡±


    Yu Chengyi looked surprised, then with a sweeping motion, he grabbed Diao Laosi out, took a careful look, and then exclaimed,


    ¡°So it¡¯s you!¡±


    He also recognized that this sin cultivator was the skinny, black-clothed cultivator hired by the Qian Family to attack the Spiritual mines, skilled in the Concealment Technique, who had caused them quite some trouble back then.


    With a squeeze, Yu Chengyi broke Diao Laosi¡¯s arm to prevent resistance, and tossed him in front of Mo Hua.


    ¡°Ask him anything you want.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Diao Laosi intently, then suddenly smiled, revealing a friendly and warm smile,


    ¡°Give me the spell for your Concealment Technique!¡±

 Chapter 247 - 246 Interrogation_1

    Chapter 247: Chapter 246 Interrogation_1


    Concealment Technique!


    Mo Hua had coveted this spell for a long time.


    The first time he saw Diao Laosi use this spell, Mo Hua had wanted to learn it.


    Although Elder Yu said he had the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root and wasn¡¯t suitable for this spell, how could he know without trying?


    He had thought that the Hidden cultivator had been hacked to death by random knives and couldn¡¯t help but feel some regret.


    But to his surprise, the man had appeared again, which was a pleasant surprise.


    Now that he had appeared, there was no way he was going to let him escape.


    Mo Hua must extract the spell for the Concealment Technique.


    He was already at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, and his movement technique was temporarily sufficient, but he only knew one Fireball Technique as a spell.


    Its power was insufficient compared to some, but it was more than enough compared to others, and could only be considered average.


    But since Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Root wasn¡¯t particularly good and his Cultivation Technique didn¡¯t enhance his Spiritual Power, the power of his spells wasn¡¯t very strong. Even if he learned another offensive spell, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference.


    Mo Hua wanted to learn some more practical spells.


    The Concealment Technique was more fitting.


    With a strong Divine Sense one could conceal one¡¯s aura, making it difficult to be detected, while the Concealment Technique could hide one¡¯s form, preventing one from being seen.


    Mo Hua had a powerful Divine Sense, and with the addition of Concealment Technique, he would practically be safe from harm.


    In seeking immortality through Tao Cultivation, one must first ensure their survival.


    Diao Laosi, with an arm twisted off by Yu Chengyi, sweated profusely from the pain and angrily said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    Having been bested by this brat time and again, he longed to kill him, so how could he possibly hand over the Concealment Technique?


    Mo Hua snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t choose punishment over toast!¡±


    Still, Diao Laosi clenched his teeth, resolutely refusing to speak.


    Mo Hua looked at him and suddenly his eyes lit up. He turned to Yu Chengyi and asked, ¡°Uncle Yu, where is his storage bag?¡±


    Upon the capture of a Sin Cultivator, regardless of life or death, the storage bag must be taken and marked.


    Yu Chengyi searched and pulled out a storage bag embroidered with blue water patterns, tossing it to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua dumped out everything in the storage bag.


    There were two spare daggers, one a first-class Spiritual Artifact, the other not, likely just a temporary replacement.


    A few bottles of poison, with labels detailing their names, meant to be smeared on the daggers.


    There were also several antidote bottles, unlabeled, but the colors matched the poisons.


    There were also several books on Cultivation Techniques and Taoist Skills, but Mo Hua glanced over them and saw they were all common stuff.


    No spell for the Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Where did you hide the spell?¡±


    Diao Laosi gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You little bastard, I won¡¯t tell you!¡±


    ¡°Still daring to curse me?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he whipped out the Thousand Jun Stick, angrily saying, ¡°I¡¯ll see if I don¡¯t smash your mouth!¡±


    Yu Chengyi quickly held him back, ¡°No need for you to act, don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡±


    Mo Hua was not a Body Cultivator and wasn¡¯t skilled in Body Refinement; he could indeed hurt himself.


    Moreover, with so many Monster Hunters around, there was no need for him to take action.


    Other Monster Hunters took it upon themselves to beat up Diao Laosi.


    They had guarded the Spiritual mines before and had seen many companions fall to Diao Laosi¡¯s vile daggers, naturally harboring resentment. This was a good opportunity to vent their anger.


    When the beating was satisfactory, Yu Chengyi called for a halt.


    Mo Hua continued to ask, ¡°Are you going to talk now?¡±


    Diao Laosi spewed a mouthful of blood, relenting, ¡°If I tell you, can you spare my life?¡±


    Mo Hua snorted, ¡°What fantasies are you dreaming?¡±


    He stood up two fingers and continued, ¡°You have two choices, one is to be honest and we send you to the Taoist Court, and whether you live or die will depend on the Court¡­¡±


    ¡°The second is, if you don¡¯t tell us, we kill you with random knives right now. After all, you¡¯re a Sin Cultivator, and it won¡¯t matter if you die.¡±


    Diao Laosi said coldly, ¡°Dead is dead, so why should I talk?¡±


    He knew very well that with the crimes he had committed, falling into the hands of the Taoist Court meant certain death.


    ¡°There¡¯s a big difference between possibly dying and dying right now,¡±


    Mo Hua explained to him, ¡°If you¡¯re taken to the Taoist Court, if you bribe the Supervisor, you might escape the death penalty, if you bribe the Court Leader, you might be released without charge, and at the very least, if you bribe the prison guard, you might try to escape from prison¡­¡±


    Diao Laosi rolled his eyes. If he had the capability to bribe the Court Leader and Supervisor, why would he have fallen to the point of resorting to banditry?


    He could have already become the head of a clan or the Sect Leader of a sect, or at the very least, an elder.


    Diao Laosi sneered in his heart but still refused to speak.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua could only regretfully say, ¡°Then you better be on your way.¡±


    These Sin Cultivators were not worthy of pity in death, and their deaths would only bring peace. As for the Spell, he would just have to find another way; it was not as if the Concealment Technique was the only option.


    Mo Hua glanced at Yu Chengyi, who nodded and ordered,


    ¡°Drag him to the side and hack him to death with random blows.¡±


    A Monster Hunter came over, grabbed the iron chain with a large hand, and dragged Diao Laosi toward a small grove of trees.


    Halfway there, Diao Laosi suddenly realized, ¡°I¡¯m about to die right now!¡±


    He had lived for over a hundred years, and countless times he had thought about his own death but never cared much about it.


    Now, when truly facing death, he realized the terror of perishing and the extinction of his Taoist path.


    An overwhelming panic engulfed him instantly, and the stubbornness that kept him from speaking crumbled away in a moment, his will shattered.


    In that instant, all he thought about was that even if he could live for one more day, or even for another two hours, it was better than dying right now.


    Dying later, even if it was in the next hour, was better than dying at this moment.


    Even dying within the Taoist Court was better than being randomly hacked to death and fed to Monster Beasts.


    Diao Laosi hurriedly shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll talk!¡±


    At those words, Mo Hua¡¯s spirit was lifted, ¡°Wait a moment!¡±


    The Monster Hunter dragged Diao Laosi back and threw him in front of Mo Hua.


    Diao Laosi was now ashen and breathed with difficulty.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to talk earlier? What was the point of this? You only got beaten for no reason, stubborn to the bone¡­¡± Mo Hua muttered, not understanding.


    With each word from Mo Hua, Diao Laosi spat out another mouthful of blood in anger.


    Yu Chengyi said to Mo Hua in a low voice, ¡°Say less, don¡¯t anger him to death.¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly and got to the point, ¡°Where is the Spell for the Concealment Technique?¡±


    Having thoroughly capitulated and experienced the great fear of death, Diao Laosi¡¯s spirit was broken, and he honestly replied,


    ¡°Among those Taoist books, there is one called ¡®Fiery Flaming Fist¡¯, from page nineteen to fifty-four, and what¡¯s recorded there is¡­ the Concealment Technique.¡±


    Mo Hua then searched through the contents of his storage bag and from a pile of Taoist texts, found a well-worn ¡®Fiery Flaming Fist¡¯.


    Turning to page nineteen, he saw that the content indeed varied greatly from the preceding text.


    While the beginning was a Body Refinement Fire-series Martial Dao, after page nineteen, it suddenly turned into a secret Water Series Spiritual Cultivator Spell.


    And indeed, annotated between the lines was a row of small characters:


    Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed and glanced at Diao Laosi, thinking to himself that he indeed was a wily old Cultivator, clever enough to hide a precious Spell within an ordinary Body Cultivation text. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It¡¯s darkest under the candlestick, naturally not easy for others to notice.


    Mo Hua, satisfied, tucked the ¡®Fiery Flaming Fist¡¯ containing the Concealment Technique into his storage bag, but then he frowned, thinking to himself:


    If he hid the Concealment Technique in ¡®Fiery Flaming Fist¡¯, could he have hidden some other Spell in another book?


    Mo Hua began to leaf through the rest of the Taoist books, looking at them page by page, and finally, he found something unusual.


    A Tao Cultivation Martial Arts text called ¡®Quicksand Palm¡¯ recorded another Spell that Mo Hua had never heard of:


    Water Prison Technique.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows raised, a buy-one-get-one-free deal!

 Chapter 248 - 247 Water Prison Technique_1

    Chapter 248: Chapter 247 Water Prison Technique_1


    Water Prison Technique? Mo Hua had never heard of this spell before.


    He once had a ¡°Qi Refining Technique Compilation,¡± which recorded some common Qi Refinement spells, but it did not contain the Water Prison Technique.


    This spell, Diao Laosi had kept it very secret, and it was probably as rare as the Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua asked Diao Laosi, ¡°What is the Water Prison Technique?¡±


    Diao Laosi said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him indifferently, his gaze somewhat unfriendly.


    Seeing this, Diao Laosi felt a chill at the bottom of his heart, fearing that Mo Hua would find ways to torment him without a word, so he hastily said, ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°How did this spell come into your possession, then?¡±


    Diao Laosi said, ¡°Years ago, I accidentally killed a severely injured cultivator from the Water Movement Sect, took his storage bag, and found these two spells inside, one was the Concealment Technique, and the other was this Water Prison Technique.¡±


    ¡°Water Movement Sect?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a relatively low-profile sect within the Black Mountain State Boundary, not many members, but with a long heritage.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Then what?¡±


    Diao Laosi said, ¡°I have a single-series Water Spirit Root, which suits this Concealment Technique, and I thought it was my opportunity, so I learned the Concealment Technique, changed locations, engaged in some trade, seeking a way to make a living¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi kicked him and spat, ¡°What trade? The trade of lives, more like it!¡±


    Diao Laosi was anger but did not dare to speak.


    Mo Hua asked again, ¡°So you learned the Concealment Technique, but didn¡¯t you learn the Water Prison Technique?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t learn it,¡± Diao Laosi sighed, ¡°The Water Prison Technique is very difficult to learn. Spiritual power is hard to control when casting, it is not easy to hit the target after it is cast, and it can only trap people, with no real power. I felt it was quite useless, so I didn¡¯t bother learning it.¡±


    ¡°And as a Body Cultivator, I don¡¯t rely on spells for a living. Although this spell is rare, it¡¯s useless to me, so I could only hold onto it temporarily, waiting to trade it for other Martial Dao techniques.¡±


    ¡°But this spell is too obscure, to this day I couldn¡¯t trade it¡­¡±


    Diao Laosi spilled it all out, like counting beans, telling everything.


    Mo Hua roughly understood and questioned Diao Laosi further, ¡°The two sin cultivators who ran away, one with a single eye and one bald, who is your boss?¡±


    Diao Laosi didn¡¯t want to say, but he had to, ¡°The bald one¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    Diao Laosi shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know his real name, we call him ¡®Brother¡¯ to his face, and other cultivators on the street call him ¡®Bald Tuo¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Bald Tuo?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, the name was quite fitting and easy to remember.


    ¡°How many bosses do you actually have?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    ¡°Currently, there¡¯s only him¡­¡±


    ¡°Currently?¡±


    ¡°Being the boss is done by rotation, when one boss dies or is captured, another takes over. As long as you¡¯ve been around long enough, anyone has the chance to become the boss¡­¡± Diao Laosi spoke quietly.


    ¡°Truly as they say, ¡®shallow waters are noisy with many frogs, and there¡¯s a ¡®boss¡¯ at every turn¡¯¡­¡± Mo Hua muttered.


    After the interrogation was over, Mo Hua collected the two spell books and returned the storage bag to Yu Chengyi.


    Yu Chengyi thus tacitly acknowledged the two spell books as Mo Hua¡¯s property, since in the Monster Hunter, there weren¡¯t many Spiritual Cultivators. Even if Mo Hua didn¡¯t ask for them, he would still have given them to him.


    Afterward, the Monster Hunters escorted all the sin cultivators down the mountain and sent them to Elder Yu.


    These sin cultivators were interrogated one by one, suffered a bit, gave some information, and then were sent to the Taoist Court.


    Yu Chengyi personally escorted them, explained the situation, completed some formalities, and imprisoned these sin cultivators in the Taoist Prison.


    Two hours later, Yu Chengyi returned, only to find Mo Hua sitting in the living room, drinking tea with Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu looked up and saw Yu Chengyi, asking,


    ¡°Is everything taken care of?¡±


    Yu Chengyi nodded, ¡°Everything is taken care of, and I¡¯ve told the Court Leader everything; he was very pleased.¡±


    Elder Yu laughed, ¡°That old fellow, gaining merit for nothing, why wouldn¡¯t he be pleased.¡±


    ¡°Will those sin cultivators be sentenced to death?¡± Mo Hua, holding his teacup, asked curiously.


    ¡°Murder and looting, and most of them have a criminal record, by the law, they all deserve capital punishment. Even if they don¡¯t die, being locked up in the dark Taoist Prison until death isn¡¯t much different from a death sentence,¡± Yu Chengyi said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, prevents them from coming out and harming others again,¡± Mo Hua felt relieved.


    Yu Chengyi took a seat next to Mo Hua, who poured him a cup of tea and recalled another matter, asking,


    ¡°That blind cultivator said that they were paid with spirit stones by the Kong Family to kill Uncle Ji and Brother Ji. Can the Taoist Court handle this matter?¡±


    Yu Chengyi shook his head, ¡°Words alone are no proof; the Taoist Court cannot convict without evidence. Moreover, the Kong Family is a clan from Qingxuan City; the Taoist Court in Tongxian City can only hold them accountable, not directly intervene.


    The Taoist Court in Qingxuan City has been bought by the clans, and they certainly won¡¯t charge the Kong Family with the crime.


    Even if there was evidence, I guess it would end up amounting to nothing in the end.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed.


    Yu Chengyi then explained the origins of these sin cultivators and the cause of the events.


    Most of these sin cultivators were cultivators from the Black Mountain State Boundary, with different identities; some from families, some from sects, others were loose cultivators.


    Most of them had blood on their hands, were wanted by the Taoist Court, and were fleeing everywhere.


    As Tongxian City gradually prospered and more cultivators traveled from south to north, they gathered on Big Black Mountain, killing and looting, robbing spirit stones.


    Or they kidnapped cultivators to demand ransom, or simply murdered and looted, leaving bodies in the wilderness for the monster beasts to consume.


    Ji Qingbai and his son, along with Fu Lan, fled Qingxuan City, and when the Kong Family¡¯s cultivators failed to kill them, they encountered this group of sin cultivators on the way and directly paid them with spirit stones to continue the pursuit.


    According to the Young Master of the Kong Family, Ji Qingbai and his son had beaten him, and he wanted their lives.


    Fu Lan had defied him, so he wanted her to become his slave.


    After the deed was done, the sin cultivators would receive a thousand spirit stones.


    Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°That little beast, he won¡¯t die a good death!¡±


    Yu Chengyi also felt indignant and continued,


    ¡°We¡¯ve also had some conflicts with these sin cultivators; they¡¯ve been eyeing us for a long time. Fortunately, a dense fog suddenly arose today, and the Monster Hunters became separated. They found their chance and made a move.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity we didn¡¯t catch them all; two got away,¡± Mo Hua frowned.


    Yu Chengyi said, ¡°It¡¯s already not bad. With fewer people, they won¡¯t be able to cause much trouble for a while. They probably won¡¯t be able to stir up any disturbances soon.¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Can we catch them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already alerted the Monster Hunters, but Inner Mountain is quite vast, it won¡¯t be easy to catch them quickly.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    However, Mo Hua remembered that bald man and thought to himself that next time they met, he would not let him escape.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Yu Chengyi said to Mo Hua, ¡°the Taoist Court offers a reward for capturing sin cultivators. I¡¯ll send it over to you in a few days once it¡¯s issued.¡±


    ¡°Does everyone get one?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Yu Chengyi nodded, ¡°Everyone does.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Yu!¡±


    After chatting for a while longer and drinking some tea, Mo Hua stood up to leave.


    Then Mo Hua went to see Old Mr. Feng, checking on Ji Li.


    Ji Li had been safely brought back, and Old Mr. Feng applied acupuncture, fed him pills, and used his Wood series spiritual power to unblock his meridians, so his life was no longer in danger.


    He was still unconscious for the time being, but after some good rest and care, he would be able to recover.


    Fu Lan¡¯s eyes were red as she stayed by Ji Li¡¯s side.


    Ji Qingbai¡¯s expression was grave, but he also felt a sigh of relief in his heart.


    Being alive was better than anything else¡­


    Seeing that Ji Li was not in grave danger, Mo Hua also felt relieved.


    Old Mr. Feng saw Mo Hua and was very gratified, praising him,


    ¡°The pills I gave you were well used; otherwise, it would not have been so easy to save Ji Li¡¯s life.¡±


    Fu Lan stood up and sincerely made a deep bow to Mo Hua.


    Ji Qingbai also looked at Mo Hua and clasped his hands, saying, ¡°I cannot thank you enough for such a great favor!¡±


    They were being far too formal, and Mo Hua felt somewhat embarrassed. He scratched his head and said with a smile,


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to invite me to the wedding celebration!¡±


    At these words, Ji Qingbai was momentarily stunned, then felt relieved and laughed, ¡°Certainly!¡±

 Chapter 249 - 248 Spell_1

    Chapter 249: Chapter 248 Spell_1


    The matter with the Sin Cultivator came to a close, after which Mo Hua devoted his time to learning two Spells.


    One was the Concealment Technique, and the other was the Water Prison Technique.


    In the courtyard of the Mo Family.


    Since the eatery was less busy, Liu Ruhua had some free time and sat in the courtyard sewing clothes for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was learning the Concealment Technique nearby.


    After a while, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Mother, can you see me?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what the mastered Concealment Technique looked like, so he wanted his mother to help him see.


    Finding it amusing, Liu Ruhua continued to sew as she looked up and said, ¡°I can see you.¡±


    ¡°How about now?¡±


    ¡°I can see you.¡±


    ¡°Can you still see me now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Can you see me now?¡±


    Liu Ruhua looked up, her expression one of astonishment as she exclaimed,


    ¡°Huar, I can¡¯t see you!¡±


    Mo Hua was delighted, but then he realized something was wrong; his mother was looking at him and yet said she couldn¡¯t see him.


    He looked down at himself and could still clearly see his own body and the clothes he was wearing.


    Mo Hua said, somewhat helplessly, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes filled with mirth, ¡°Keep practicing, I won¡¯t fool you anymore.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed and couldn¡¯t help but be amused. However, seeing his mother happy also made him feel joy.


    Afterward, he tried the Concealment Technique a few more times, but to no effect.


    Mo Hua then picked up the book of the Concealment Technique again for a review, carefully considering the key points and the meridians through which the Spiritual Power had to flow as he performed the Technique again.


    Spiritual Power flowed out from the Qi Sea, running through the meridians and covering the skin, as well as the clothes he wore.


    Mo Hua¡¯s form began to change gradually.


    Liu Ruhua watched and showed a surprised expression.


    This time, her astonishment didn¡¯t seem feigned.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Mother, can you still see me?¡±


    Liu Ruhua frowned, ¡°It¡¯s as if I can see you, and yet I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand and raised his hands to see that his arms had become a faintly blue, transparent hue.


    They looked like they were made of water.


    You could say he was invisible, but not completely so.


    After some contemplation, Mo Hua understood.


    The key to the Concealment Technique lay in the Spiritual Root.


    Those with a single Water Spirit Root were well-suited for the Concealment Technique and could utilize its effects effectively.


    As a bearer of the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, Mo Hua indeed had the element of water, but it wasn¡¯t pure, so although he could learn the Concealment Technique, its effect was weaker¡ªhis form became like that of flowing water but couldn¡¯t be completely hidden.


    Mo Hua felt some disappointment.


    Liu Ruhua thought for a moment, her eyes lighting up, ¡°If you hide in the water, others won¡¯t be able to see you.¡±


    It seemed to make sense, but near Big Black Mountain, there weren¡¯t many places with water¡­


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll think of something else.¡±


    At least, for now, the Concealment Technique was of no use to him.


    Since the Concealment Technique wasn¡¯t effective, Mo Hua began studying the other Spell¡ªthe Water Prison Technique.


    The Water Prison Technique wasn¡¯t very powerful, it could even be considered negligible.


    However, this Spell was intended to trap the enemy; whether its power was great or small didn¡¯t matter much. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When the Water Prison Technique was employed, Spiritual Power would transform into water-shaped lock chains, temporarily binding the enemy Cultivator, preventing their escape.


    The duration of the binding was generally around three breaths. It would last longer when used against lower realm Cultivators and shorter, perhaps only a breath or two, against higher realm Cultivators.


    It might seem of little use, but in life-or-death struggles or desperate pursuits, this obscure Spell became crucial.


    The difficulty of the Water Prison Technique lies in its challenging learning curve, hard to use, and unreliable precision.


    Executing the Water Prison Technique requires complex manipulation of spiritual power and numerous acupoint connections, making it hard to learn.


    And because the flow of spiritual power is complicated, the spells are cast slowly, and due to the slow casting, they are hard to land accurately.


    Especially for cultivators with good movement techniques, by the time your spell is fully conjured, they have long since made their escape.


    Therefore, few spiritual cultivators are willing to spend the effort to learn such a difficult, weak, and unpopular spell.


    But none of these were problems for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was strong to begin with, his cultivation technique was the Heaven Yan Jue, which specializes in Divine Sense manipulation, and Old Kui had taught him Divine Sense locking; hence, his spells were both fast and accurate.


    This Water Prison Technique was particularly suitable for him to learn.


    Moreover, because his Divine Sense was so powerful, Mo Hua learned it almost effortlessly.


    Mo Hua wanted to test the effectiveness of the Water Prison Technique, so he casually tossed a wild fruit into the air, locked it with his Divine Sense, and with a gesture of his right hand, spiritual power condensed into pale blue chains that locked the fruit in midair.


    A few moments later, the fruit finally fell to the ground.


    The effect was not bad, but he still wanted to test it on some living creatures.


    That led Mo Hua to think of the fish in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s pond.


    The next day, Mo Hua rose early and went to Forgetful Residence, greeted Mr. Zhuang, then went to the pond to cast the Water Prison Technique on the fish swimming inside.


    The aquatic plants were a lush green, and the pond water was crystal clear.


    The fish leisurely swam at the bottom of the pond when suddenly a pale blue gleam of water appeared, trapping a fish so that no matter how it darted, it could not escape.


    Suddenly the pond bottom was in disarray.


    The other fish, startled, swam even faster and more frantically.


    Mo Hua¡¯s fingers moved rapidly, and one after another, the fish were locked by the shimmering water.


    After playing for a while, Mo Hua grew somewhat bored, finding it too easy.


    Mo Hua released the fish one by one, and after being freed from their bindings, the fish swam frantically for a while until they sensed no more danger and slowly resumed their leisurely swimming, restoring calm to the pond bottom.


    After troubling the fish in the pond, Mo Hua felt that his mastery of the Water Prison Technique was still not quite refined, so he went under the big locust tree to find Bai Zisheng.


    Under the towering locust tree, Bai Zixi was quietly reading a book, while Bai Zisheng was still listlessly lazing about.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned a new spell,¡± Mo Hua quietly told Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately stole a glance at Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi didn¡¯t lift his eyes from the book, but in a clear voice, he simply said, ¡°Just make sure you finish your homework.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done; in less than an hour, I¡¯ll be finished,¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    Bai Zixi uttered a soft ¡°mm.¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked glad and said to Mo Hua, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s have a little competition to see.¡±


    Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng went to the side, careful not to disturb Bai Zixi¡¯s reading.


    ¡°What spell did you learn?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    ¡°Water Prison Technique.¡±


    Bai Zisheng frowned slightly, ¡°Sounds a bit odd, but not particularly powerful.¡±


    ¡°The spell can trap an enemy, but it¡¯s not very powerful.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that sound rather dull?¡± Bai Zisheng¡¯s interest seemed lacking, then he asked, ¡°So how shall we compare?¡±


    ¡°You run with your movement technique, and I¡¯ll try to trap you with the spell,¡± Mo Hua proposed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not really a spar, is it?¡± Bai Zisheng looked at Mo Hua skeptically, ¡°Isn¡¯t that just me getting beaten up?¡±


    ¡°A spar with a purpose is called a spar; without a purpose, it¡¯s just fighting,¡± Mo Hua asserted confidently, ¡°This will train my spellcasting and your movement technique.¡±


    ¡°All right, you make sense,¡± Bai Zisheng nodded.


    Having something to play with was always better than nothing, and he also wanted to see for himself what the Water Prison Technique could do.


    Mo Hua marked out a large space on the grass, ¡°Within this circle, I¡¯ll use the Water Prison Technique on you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two of them were on the grass under the big locust tree, Mo Hua practicing the spell and Bai Zisheng practicing his evasion techniques; Bai Zisheng dodged, and Mo Hua tried to trap him with the Water Prison Technique.


    After about two hours, they stopped and sat down on the grass to rest.


    When casting the Water Prison Technique, the flow of spiritual power is complex, so the release is actually slower than the Fireball Technique.


    At first, it took Mo Hua about three attempts to trap Bai Zisheng once. After some practice, it took about two attempts to succeed once.


    Bai Zisheng was a prideful member of the noble clans, versed in top-tier cultivation techniques and Taoist skills. An average cultivator would hardly be able to evade Mo Hua¡¯s Water Prison Technique.


    ¡°To be honest, this spell of yours is somewhat disgusting,¡± Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help saying.

 Chapter 250 - 249 Bamboo Rice_1

    Chapter 250: Chapter 249 Bamboo Rice_1


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this prove the spell is powerful?¡±


    ¡°Not that powerful,¡± Bai Zisheng raised an eyebrow, confidently saying, ¡°It can only trap me for about two breaths¡¯ time. I just need to channel my spiritual power, and I can break free in a moment.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°In a life-and-death battle, hanging by a thread, those two breaths are enough to decide victory or defeat, enough to decide life and death.¡±


    Hearing this, Bai Zisheng frowned, thought for a moment, and had to admit, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If one is not careful and gets caught off guard, those one or two breaths are indeed enough to determine life and death.


    Mo Hua reminded him, ¡°You should be careful in the future too, don¡¯t get caught off guard by such obscure spells.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded solemnly in agreement.


    Then he thought, there probably weren¡¯t many cultivators in the world like Mo Hua with such strong divine sense, quick action, and possession of such obscure spells.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s heart inexplicably lightened a bit.


    The opportunity was rare, not every cultivator knew such obscure spells. Bai Zisheng wanted to spar with Mo Hua a bit longer, but if they continued, he wouldn¡¯t be able to finish his studies.


    Bai Zisheng could only reluctantly go back to his studies.


    Mo Hua finished practicing the Water Prison Technique and was about to leave when Bai Zixi suddenly called out to him.


    Mo Hua turned around and saw Bai Zixi¡¯s fair little hand pulling a book out of the beautifully embroidered, pale golden phoenix-patterned storage bag beside her and handing it to him.


    ¡°What book is this?¡±


    ¡°A culinary recipe book.¡±


    Mo Hua took it and looked carefully; indeed, it was a gastronomic cookbook. It contained some of the Tao Cultivation World¡¯s gourmet delicacies and their cooking methods.


    The names of the dishes were dazzling, like Golden Hall, Crabapple Jade Crisp, Plum Blossom in Snow, Dew-Hugged Hibiscus, Envying the Mandarin Ducks, Immortal Dew Pearls, and so on.


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, ¡°For me?¡±


    Bai Zixi glanced at him indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s for Aunt Liu.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, and then thought, it made sense; he wasn¡¯t a Meal Master, and the recipe book was of no use to him.


    ¡°For the thanks I owe you from before,¡± Bai Zixi said crisply.


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Thank you, my mother will definitely be happy to receive this.¡±


    Bai Zixi also smiled faintly, her eyebrows like crescent moons, her eyes like night-blooming cereus, ethereal and stunning.


    Mo Hua sighed in his heart, ¡°Why be so good-looking?¡±


    On the way back, Mo Hua flipped through the recipe book, checking if there were any tasty dishes; as he looked, his stomach started to growl.


    After getting home, Mo Hua handed the recipe book to Liu Ruhua, ¡°Mother, Zixi asked me to give this to you.¡±


    Liu Ruhua took it, glanced at it, and her face lit up with joy. ¡°Thank her for me.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded, then pointed at a dish called ¡°Emerald Bamboo Rice¡± in the book, smiled, and said, ¡°Mother, I want to eat this.¡±


    Emerald Bamboo Rice is made by cutting a segment of emerald bamboo, adding fragrant rice, some green plums, satisfying fruit, and sweet spring water, then roasting it over fire.


    Once cooked to perfection, the bamboo¡¯s green fades, and the rice is ready.


    Cracking open the bamboo, the bamboo¡¯s fresh aroma, the slightly tart taste of the plums, and the fragrant stickiness of the rice all mix together, offering a clear, soft chew with color, fragrance, and flavor all present.


    The preparation isn¡¯t difficult and the ingredients are simple, not particularly rare; a few scarce ingredients could be substituted with others.


    Mo Hua deliberated for a long time before he chose this one.


    Liu Ruhua affectionately patted Mo Hua¡¯s head, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make it for you.¡±


    The next day, Liu Ruhua prepared the ingredients and, after trying a few times, successfully made the Emerald Bamboo Rice.


    Mo Hua tasted a bite, feeling the soft and sticky texture, the flavor lingering in his mouth, and couldn¡¯t help but squint his eyes, saying, ¡°Mother, this is so delicious!¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua eat with such delight, Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes also brimmed with laughter.


    In the following days, Liu Ruhua made some more and had Mo Hua deliver it to Mr. Zhuang and the Bai siblings.


    Mr. Zhuang quite liked the clean taste, nodding with satisfaction.


    Bai Zisheng liked it too, but he preferred the spiciness of monster meat.


    The one who liked it most was Bai Zixi. She sat under the big locust tree, eating it bite by bite, her movements graceful and refined, chewing slowly, but she never stopped, quickly consuming three or four segments.


    ¡°Does it really taste that good?¡± Mo Hua asked, somewhat puzzled.


    Bai Zixi, upon hearing this, raised her head and handed a section to Mo Hua.


    As Mo Hua ate, he felt that it seemed to taste better than what he had eaten the other day. After finishing one section, he wanted more.


    So, beneath the large locust tree, the two of them ate bamboo like two little pandas, one section at a time.


    With the matter of the Sin Cultivators concluded, Mo Hua¡¯s work with the Monster Beasts in the Inner Mountain became more convenient.


    The rest of the time, apart from cultivating, Mo Hua continued to paint Formations, learning to solve them and practice the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    He started with a Grade 1 Compound Formation. Once he mastered it, he¡¯d paint it on paper, then solve the Formation himself.


    Mo Hua kept painting and solving by himself. When he grew tired of it, he would practice the Reversed Spirit Formation of the nine-and-a-half Formation Patterns.


    His progress in solving Formations was very smooth. With each Compound Formation he solved, Mo Hua¡¯s ability to do so improved.


    But the progress on the Reversed Spirit Formation was slow.


    A complete Reversed Spirit Formation, consisting of ten Formation Patterns, needed a Divine Sense as strong as one at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was still far from enough to paint a complete Reversed Spirit Formation.


    Even the incomplete nine-and-a-half Patterns were becoming increasingly difficult for Mo Hua to draw.


    With each additional line and stroke of the tenth Pattern above the nine, the Divine Sense expended was almost equivalent to the amount needed to paint a whole previous Pattern.


    Mo Hua also had his doubts.


    At this rate, could he really possess a Divine Sense strong enough for the Foundation Establishment Stage before actually reaching it¡­


    Even if he could develop such a Divine Sense before Foundation Establishment, how many years would he need to practice Formations?


    It couldn¡¯t possibly take decades¡­


    Mo Hua felt a hint of worry, but then he thought:


    ¡°Is there any other way to strengthen the Divine Sense¡­?¡±


    After pondering for a bit, Mo Hua felt it unlikely. Among the Cultivators around him, his Divine Sense was already growing the fastest.


    Even Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, though they had better Spiritual Roots and higher Cultivation levels, had Divine Senses inferior to his.


    Coming from a great Clan like the Bai Family, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were among the best, which showed that Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, even among the great Clans or Great Sects, was unique or at least very rare.


    It seemed there was no better method available at the moment.


    Mo Hua sighed and calmed his mind, no longer letting his thoughts wander.


    If currently relying on Formations was the only option, then he would persist in painting them.


    One day, as long as his Divine Sense kept growing, he would have one comparable to the Foundation Establishment Stage. It was only a question of time.


    After ten or so days, Mo Hua encountered Yu Chengyi, who appeared very solemn. Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Uncle Yu, has something happened?¡±


    Yu Chengyi, deep in thought, looked up at the sound of his voice. Realizing it was Mo Hua and acknowledging that Mo Hua would eventually find out, he chose not to hide anything and said:


    ¡°There has been an incident. Those Sin Cultivators have made another move.¡±


    ¡°The bald one?¡±


    Yu Chengyi nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Mo Hua exclaimed, ¡°Did he rob and murder again?¡±


    ¡°This time he plundered a merchant convoy. A group of more than twenty Cultivators has disappeared without a trace, no bodies to be seen, just some bloodstains at the scene.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, feeling some distress, then he grew puzzled, ¡°Weren¡¯t there previous merchant convoys that were robbed? What¡¯s different this time?¡±


    Yu Chengyi¡¯s expression was very serious, an unusual sight.


    ¡°It is different,¡± Yu Chengyi sighed and continued, ¡°First, there was a relatively large number of Cultivators robbed this time, and it seems none survived. Second, there was a Cultivator among the convoy with a special identity.¡±


    ¡°Some sort of important person?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    ¡°Not exactly an important person,¡± Yu Chengyi said, asking Mo Hua, ¡°Do you remember the Kong Family?¡±


    ¡°The Kong Family from Qingxuan City?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Mo Hua certainly remembered the Kong Family, which had forced Uncle Ji and his son into exile, led to the ruin of Fu Lan¡¯s family, and was known for bribing the Taoist Court in Qingxuan City to exploit the townspeople and oppress Loose Cultivators.


    ¡°That convoy included a legitimate young master of the Kong Family, Kong Sheng.¡±

 Chapter 251 - 250 Kong Sheng_1

    Chapter 251: Chapter 250 Kong Sheng_1


    ¡°Kong Sheng?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Is this a merchant caravan from the Kong Family?¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s an ordinary caravan, carrying pills, passing through Qingxuan City, on its way to Tongxian City to do business.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand, ¡°Then why is that young master of the Kong Family in this caravan?¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression bore a touch of indescribable complexity, ¡°It¡¯s said that he wanted to come personally, to kill Ji Qingbai and his son, and then take Fu Lan back¡­¡±


    Mo Hua fell silent and then asked, ¡°Is he a Foundation Building Cultivator¡­?¡±


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°Just like you, at the seventh level of Qi Refinement¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression also turned indescribably complex, exclaiming, ¡°His brain must have been eaten by a pig.¡±


    Daring to venture out alone with the merchant caravan, even daring to enter the Inner Mountain of Big Black Mountain, does he not know what death spells?


    Elder Yu said, ¡°It¡¯s heard that this Kong Sheng has been spoiled since childhood, is selfish and extreme in nature; as he grew up, whatever he wanted he got, and whatever he wished to do he did, with nobody daring to contradict him. He¡¯s done quite a few acts like beating up fellow cultivators and forcefully taking female cultivators, but no one dared to deal with him¡­¡±


    ¡°Later in the streets, he saw Fu Lan¡¯s beauty and conceived wicked thoughts, wanting Fu Lan as his concubine. Fu Lan disagreed, so he relentlessly pursued her, causing the death of Fu Lan¡¯s mother. Eventually, the Ji father and son, filled with righteous indignation, gave him a beating, but they didn¡¯t dare to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Kong Sheng, unable to swallow the humiliation, had Kong Family cultivators chase after Ji father and son to kill them, and later even bribed Sin Cultivators to vent his spite.¡±


    ¡°But the Sin Cultivator failed, Kong Sheng was furious, wanting to come in person; the Kong Family disagreed, and he, having malice in his heart, disguised himself and followed the caravan in secret, heading toward Tongxian City.¡±


    Elder Yu narrated everything in detail.


    Listening, Mo Hua found it somewhat inconceivable, this Kong Sheng, actually dumber than Qian Xing.


    When Qian Xing acted, at least he knew to bring a gang of followers to do his bidding, and he seldom left the city.


    This Kong Sheng, not bringing any followers, actually dared to venture out and even thought of taking matters into his own hands to commit murder.


    Does he really think no one dares to kill him?


    ¡°So he spent Spirit Stones to hire Sin Cultivators to kill, but in the end, disguising himself to leave the city, he was killed by the Sin Cultivator himself?¡± Mo Hua said slowly.


    ¡°To put it simply, that¡¯s pretty much it¡­¡± Elder Yu¡¯s expression was somewhat complicated, ¡°But whether he has been killed or not is still uncertain; it¡¯s also possible he has only been kidnapped.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat gratified, chuckled, and said, ¡°What goes around comes around, he absolutely deserved it. Better dead than alive, otherwise it¡¯s a waste of Spirit Stones.¡±


    Elder Yu listened and couldn¡¯t help but laugh too, but after a moment he sighed, ¡°Still, this matter is troublesome.¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What does it matter to us if he is dead or alive?¡± Mo Hua was puzzled.


    ¡°Kong Sheng held a grudge against the Ji father and son and went missing in the Big Black Mountain. The Kong Family suspects that it was done by the Ji brothers and wants us to hand over the people involved.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows rose, ¡°They must be dreaming, how can they bully people like this?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s excessive bullying.¡±


    Mo Hua then worriedly asked, ¡°Can we defeat the Kong Family?¡±


    Elder Yu replied with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even the Qian Family can¡¯t do anything to us now, let alone the Kong Family from out of town. If they dare to cause trouble, the knives in our hands aren¡¯t just for show.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded with satisfaction, ¡°If they dare come, then let¡¯s slaughter them all, none of them are likely good people!¡±


    Again, Elder Yu said, ¡°However, they may not dare to come here directly, but it¡¯s likely they will exert pressure through the Taoist Court in Qingxuan City.¡±


    ¡°Can the Taoist Court in Qingxuan City interfere with the matters of Tongxian City?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to the Taoist Court to decide. I¡¯m not entirely sure myself. We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Having said his piece, Elder Yu then left Mo Hua to bring the matter to Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua was somewhat concerned, so he took the chance to ask Zhang Lan while he was at the tavern drinking, ¡°How is it going with the young master of the Kong Family¡¯s affair?¡±


    Zhang Lan had just sat down and hadn¡¯t finished his drink when he heard the question and appeared somewhat helpless.


    The matter of Kong Sheng was something he too had just heard about from the Court Leader, and right off the bat, Mo Hua had caught him to fish for information.


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°How do you know about everything?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important,¡± Mo Hua waved off, his gaze piercing as he stared at Zhang Lan, ¡°Will the Taoist Court in Qingxuan City intervene?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed.


    Alright then, he hadn¡¯t even answered yet, and Mo Hua had already started asking her second question.


    However, in Tongxian City, Mo Hua knew far too many people: from the Court Leader of the Taoist Court to the Monster Hunters roaming the mountains, down to the children running around the streets, he could probably name them all.


    It was only natural that he was aware of the affair concerning Young Master Kong Sheng.


    Moreover, he guessed that he would need Mo Hua¡¯s help with this matter.


    Zhang Lan then said, ¡°The current conclusion on the Taoist Court¡¯s side is that Young Master of the Kong Family has been kidnapped by Sin Cultivators, and we need to enter the mountain to capture the Sin Cultivators and rescue the Young Master.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    Zhang Lan blinked at Mo Hua, ¡°Are you hoping for his death?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded honestly and added, ¡°A horrible death would suffice.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment, then, after a moment¡¯s thought, he felt Mo Hua was right. If Kong Sheng was dead, Qingxuan City would be rid of a calamity.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but we still have to search for him. Moreover, the Taoist Court of Qingxuan City will also send people over to search with us.¡±


    ¡°How many people will they send?¡±


    ¡°Not too many, at most three or four. Too few would be ineffective, too many would seem like interfering with our Taoist Court¡¯s actions, inevitably breaching taboos.¡±


    ¡°Three or four is manageable,¡± Mo Hua nodded and then asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Kong Family sending anyone over?¡±


    Zhang Lan took a sip of his drink and said meaningfully to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the people from Qingxuan City¡¯s Taoist Court essentially the Kong Family¡¯s people?¡±


    ¡°Oh~¡± Mo Hua understood.


    It seemed like everyone was well aware of the situation in Qingxuan City.


    The Kong Family acting through the Taoist Court was legitimate and also saved time and effort.


    After all, the actions of the Taoist Court were much more convenient than theirs.


    ¡°This matter will probably still require your help,¡± Zhang Lan added.


    ¡°Not going,¡± Mo Hua flatly refused.


    For other matters, he would have agreed for the sake of Zhang Lan¡¯s face.


    But for this matter, Mo Hua was certain he wouldn¡¯t help.


    For someone like Kong Sheng, he should be thankful that Mo Hua didn¡¯t use the Earth Fire Formation to send him to the heavens, let alone waste time trying to save him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty in refusing,¡± Zhang Lan said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not about saving Kong Sheng, but aren¡¯t you interested in capturing those Sin Cultivators?¡±


    ¡°The Bald Tuo?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°Leaving him in the mountain is always troublesome. If he gathers more Sin Cultivators and they become a force, it would make your Monster Hunts in the mountain much more dangerous.¡±


    Still, Mo Hua was reluctant.


    Zhang Lan then said, ¡°After the matter is concluded, the Taoist Court will give you a reward.¡±


    ¡°A reward?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°What kind of reward?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when the time comes, and it won¡¯t be disappointing,¡± Zhang Lan said with a smile.


    ¡°Just tell me now.¡±


    Mo Hua was curious about what kind of reward the Taoist Court was going to offer him.


    Yet Zhang Lan played coy and wasn¡¯t willing to disclose it, only saying, ¡°Help us capture Bald Tuo, and naturally you will see what the reward is.¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, and with a grin, said, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I won¡¯t help.¡±


    Zhang Lan wasn¡¯t swayed by his tactics and said with a teasing smile, ¡°Then forget it, but don¡¯t regret it later.¡±


    Uncle Zhang Lan sure is crafty¡­ No rabbit, no eagle.


    Mo Hua sighed and said, ¡°Fine.¡±


    Anyway, he also wanted to catch that Bald Tuo. With this opportunity coming up, it was perfect for him to fleece the Taoist Court a bit.

 Chapter 252 - 251 Lu Hui_1

    Chapter 252: Chapter 251 Lu Hui_1


    ¡°`


    I just don¡¯t know what kind of wool I¡¯ve shorn this time.


    Mo Hua was still very curious, but since Zhang Lan was determined not to tell, Mo Hua guessed he wouldn¡¯t be able to find out either.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Is that bald guy really that powerful?¡±


    Zhang Lan shook his head, ¡°Bald Tuo has done many evils, but his cultivation isn¡¯t too strong, at most a bit stronger than the average Sin Cultivator.¡±


    ¡°And he can be the boss?¡±


    ¡°He has good movement techniques, escapes fast, and lives long.¡±


    Mo Hua understood, it was seniority that had gotten him to the top.


    He then asked, ¡°What movement technique does that bald guy use?¡±


    Given that Bald Tuo escaped from being surrounded by one or two hundred Monster Hunters, it showed that his movement technique was indeed extraordinary.


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°He has a Wind-based spiritual root and practices a movement technique named Gale Technique, which is not good for actual combat, but its speed is incredibly fast and is best for escaping.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua wanted it too, but he wasn¡¯t a Wind Spiritual Root, so he couldn¡¯t learn it. It was quite a pity.


    Among the Five Elements, there¡¯s water, but no wind, so he could learn some Concealment Technique, although not very effectively. As for Wind-based movement techniques, he couldn¡¯t learn them at all.


    Gale Technique, just by the sound of it, you would know it¡¯s very fast.


    Mo Hua wondered if his Water Prison Technique could trap that bald guy.


    Mulling over this in his heart, Mo Hua then said, ¡°Tell me, how do you want me to help.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you set up that¡­Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation in the Inner Mountain¡­¡±


    As Zhang Lan spoke, he internally complained about how tongue-twisting the formation¡¯s name was, sounds very complicated, and he really gave Mo Hua credit for being able to craft it¡­


    He continued, ¡°We will use the formation to assist the Taoist Court in capturing Bald Tuo.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Mo Hua nodded, then asked, ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that simple?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that simple,¡± Zhang Lan said leisurely as he took a sip of wine, ¡°If it were complicated, or if there were real dangers, we wouldn¡¯t have let you do it.¡±


    No Foundation Building Cultivators among the Sin Cultivators, with the boss being that bald guy plus some Sin Cultivators. Mo Hua might not be able to defeat them, but he could definitely escape.


    Moreover, it was just about using the formation to find them; it was basically a trivial effort, just time-consuming.


    Mo Hua was still somewhat puzzled, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just ask Elder Yu to take care of this? Logically, Monster Hunting matters should be managed by Elder Yu. Plus, I¡¯ve given a set of that formation to both my dad and Uncle Yu.¡±


    ¡°The Court Leader went to Elder Yu, and Elder said we should find you,¡± Zhang Lan said.


    ¡°Elder said that?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Elder Yu wants you to owe a favor to the Taoist Court, so if something happens in the future, as long as it isn¡¯t too big of a fuss, the Taoist Court will cover for you.¡±


    ¡°Besides, this is not considered dangerous, otherwise Elder Yu wouldn¡¯t have agreed to let you take the risk.¡±


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Elder Yu really treats you well.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Mo Hua laughed.


    Zhang Lan shook his head, then reminded him, ¡°In a few days, when the people from the Taoist Court in Qingxuan City arrive, we will head into the mountain together.¡±


    ¡°Do we have to wait a few more days? If we wait a few more days, by that time, Kong Sheng, even if he wasn¡¯t already dead, would be finished anyway,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just perfect?¡± Zhang Lan smiled.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then also smiled, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    In a few days then. Wait until Kong Sheng is gone, then go to save him, and then capture Bald Tuo. With two less nuisances, Big Black Mountain would be peaceful too.


    Zhang Lan chatted with Mo Hua about some other matters, finished the meat, drank the wine, and then stood up to leave.


    He had just taken a few steps when he suddenly turned back and whispered a word of caution to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Don¡¯t let that matter slip out.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Which matter? What matter?¡±


    ¡°The matter about the Water Passing Step.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua remembered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. No matter who asks, I will say the Water Passing Step wasn¡¯t taught by you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, then felt a little uneasy in his heart, ¡°You just need to keep it to yourself, don¡¯t let it slip, but don¡¯t actually forget it.¡±


    After all, the Water Passing Step was an ultimate technique of the Zhang Family; such a thing must not be forgotten¡­


    A few days later, just as Zhang Lan had said, the people from the Taoist Court in Qingxuan City arrived.


    Mo Hua followed Zhang Lan and met the cultivators from Qingxuan City.


    Leading this group of cultivators was a thin, sullen-faced middle-aged Cultivator with greedy eyes, Qi Refining Ninth Level, named Lu Hui, a Supervisor of the Taoist Court in Qingxuan City, holding the same position as Zhang Lan.


    The other three were also in the later stages of Qi Refinement, one at level seven, two at level eight, with a lower rank and were Enforcement Leaders from Qingxuan City.


    Zhang Lan exchanged hollow pleasantries with Lu Hui for a while, and Mo Hua, not wanting to deal with such people, kept silent on the side.


    Lu Hui wore a fake smile, praised Zhang Lan a few times, then expressed his desire to meet Ji Qingbai.


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t refuse, curious about what Lu Hui was up to.


    Zhang Lan had Ji Qingbai summoned to the Taoist Court, whereupon Lu Hui cut straight to the chase and asked Ji Qingbai to join him in the mountain to help rescue Young Master of Kong Family, Kong Sheng.


    Ji Qingbai frowned, ¡°Court Leader Lu, what do you mean by this?¡±


    Whether Kong Sheng was alive or dead, what did it have to do with him?


    Lu Hui put on an act of considering Ji Qingbai¡¯s best interests, ¡°Brother Ji, with the Young Master missing, you can¡¯t rid yourself of involvement¡­¡±


    Ji Qingbai¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold.


    ¡°`


    Lu Hui continued, ¡°Previously in Qingxuan City, you and your father injured Young Master Kong for no reason and then fled the scene out of guilt. Young Master Kong, being young and impetuous, sought justice and mistakenly entered Big Black Mountain, resulting in his unfortunate encounter, leaving his fate unknown.¡±


    ¡°Your failure to rescue him is inexcusable, both emotionally and rationally.¡±


    Ji Qingbai, somewhat angry, said, ¡°Lu Hui, don¡¯t wrong the innocent, it was clearly Kong Sheng who was too overbearing!¡±


    Lu Hui sighed, ¡°There is public evidence of this, Loose Cultivators from the neighborhood and followers of the Kong Family all testified that you attacked Young Master Kong for no reason. Now that you have no proof, how can you prove your innocence?¡±


    This was clearly framing.


    Zhang Lan frowned as he listened, and Mo Hua also looked somewhat angry.


    Ji Qingbai sneered, ¡°Has the Taoist Court in Qingxuan City truly become the dog of the Kong Family?¡±


    Lu Hui¡¯s face gradually darkened, ¡°Brother Ji, you are slandering the Taoist Court of Qingxuan City.¡±


    Ji Qingbai snorted coldly and did not speak.


    Lu Hui then sternly said, ¡°I also heard that after Young Master Kong went missing, it was you, Brother Ji, who colluded with local cultivators to harm him in secret. Now it seems, this might not be impossible¡­¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Ji Qingbai was furious.


    Zhang Lan frowned and said, ¡°Is Supervisor Lu implying that the law in Tongxian City is lax, cultivators collude, and there¡¯s a deliberate plot to murder Young Master Kong?¡±


    Lu Hui clasped his hands and said, ¡°Supervisor Zhang, please don¡¯t take offense, it¡¯s just a rumor.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s gaze turned icy, ¡°Please be cautious with your baseless statements, Supervisor Lu!¡±


    Lu Hui smiled nonchalantly and then continued:


    ¡°Whether this is true or false depends on how Brother Ji acts¡­¡±


    ¡°If Brother Ji could lend a hand and successfully rescue Young Master Kong, these rumors would naturally fall apart, and the Kong Family might overlook the offense you and your father caused them. If not, the Kong Family will not let you and your father off so easily.¡±


    Lu Hui looked at Ji Qingbai, a hint of gloom in his eyes, ¡°What do you think, Brother Ji?¡±


    Ji Qingbai¡¯s expression changed uncertainly.


    He had fled all the way to Tongxian City, yet the Kong Family and these dogs still wouldn¡¯t let him go. He just wanted to find a place to live in peace.


    Left with no choice, Ji Qingbai could only sigh, ¡°Then we shall do as Supervisor Lu says.¡±


    ¡°Good! We¡¯ll enter the mountain tomorrow.¡±


    Lu Hui nodded, a shadow of ruthlessness flickering in his eyes. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After Lu Hui left, Ji Qingbai looked grave.


    Mo Hua asked Ji Qingbai, ¡°Uncle Ji, this Lu Hui isn¡¯t a good person, is he?¡±


    Ji Qingbai offered a bitter smile, ¡°You noticed?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°He¡¯s like a snake, always so sneaky and insidious, hissing with his tongue, as if he were spitting venom.¡±


    Ji Qingbai sighed, ¡°Lu Hui is greedy for wealth and extremely ruthless, with deadly means. He is most devoted when working for the Kong Family.¡±


    ¡°Has he done a lot of bad things?¡±


    ¡°When the Kong Family commits atrocities and gets reported to the Taoist Court, he is the one who covers up for them, resorting to threats, bribes, or coercion.¡±


    Ji Qingbai¡¯s expression grew somber as he slowly continued:


    ¡°Two years ago, Kong Sheng harmed a girl of fourteen or fifteen, leaving her in a state worse than death, eventually leading her to kill herself out of shame.¡±


    ¡°Her father sought justice at the Taoist Court, only to be thrown into the Taoist Prison by Lu Hui and tortured for days before being released, no longer daring to speak up. Feeling that he had failed his daughter and having lost the will to live, he took his own life¡­¡±


    ¡°The incident caused a huge uproar at the time, but in the end, it just fizzled out.¡±


    Listening, Mo Hua felt a chill and turned to Zhang Lan, asking:


    ¡°With things having gone this far, is there no one to intervene?¡±


    Zhang Lan felt outraged too but could only sigh, ¡°It¡¯s beyond our control. In places like this, entrenched powers are intertwined and deeply rooted; it¡¯s very hard to eliminate them.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°There should be supervisory bodies within the Taoist Court, right?¡±


    Zhang Lan was a bit surprised, ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    ¡°I guessed,¡± said Mo Hua.


    The Taoist Court couldn¡¯t possibly delegate power to a local court without creating a mechanism for supervision; otherwise, local courts could act unscrupulously without checks and balances.


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°The Taoist Court does indeed have a Supervision Court to monitor whether the local courts¡¯ deeds violate Taoist Law. However, the Supervision Court operates covertly and, with limited manpower, cannot cover every base.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Uncle Zhang, you¡¯re a clan member, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Zhang Lan had an ominous feeling, ¡°What are you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°Can you file a complaint with the Supervision Court?¡±


    Zhang Lan helplessly said, ¡°Filing a complaint isn¡¯t so easy. Nine State is vast, and the Zhang Clan¡¯s influence isn¡¯t everywhere; even the Supervision Court might not be able to manage.¡±


    ¡°Why not give it a try?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send a message back and ask. But don¡¯t get your hopes up too high. The mighty dragon doesn¡¯t suppress the local snake, especially in small places like this, where the various powers have formed alliances, and it¡¯s impossible to root out the weeds.¡±


    ¡°Weeding out even a bit would help,¡± Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhang.¡±


    Ji Qingbai also showed his excitement, clasping his hands, ¡°Many thanks, Supervisor Zhang!¡±


    Zhang Lan waved his hand, ¡°It¡¯s what I should do. We won¡¯t have any news about this issue for a while; first, we need to capture those Sin Cultivators and find Kong Sheng, alive or dead¡ªwe need a result¡­¡±


    ¡°And be wary of that Lu Hui, he¡¯s very cunning.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lu Hui, huh¡­


    Mo Hua quietly took note of him.


    If he dared to come to Tongxian City to cause trouble, then don¡¯t think about leaving.

 Chapter 253 - 252: Pursuit_1

    Chapter 253: Chapter 252: Pursuit_1


    The next day, they entered the mountain to capture Bald Tuo and, incidentally, to rescue Kong Sheng, whose fate was unknown.


    Ten enforcement leaders from the Taoist Court of Tongxian City set out, led by Court Leader Zhang Lan. Lu Hui was in charge of the Qingxuan City side, while there were only three from the Monster Hunters: Ji Qingbai, Mo Shan, and Mo Hua.


    Mo Shan was acquainted with Ji Qingbai and concerned about Mo Hua, so he joined them in entering Big Black Mountain.


    Lu Hui didn¡¯t pay much attention to these personnel arrangements, but upon seeing Mo Hua, he still frowned.


    ¡°Court Leader Zhang, what is this little cultivator for?¡±


    Lu Hui¡¯s gaze sharpened as he asked Zhang Lan.


    ¡°We need him to lead the way into the mountain,¡± Zhang Lan said plainly.


    ¡°Lead the way? By him?¡±


    Lu Hui¡¯s expression was somewhat astonished, tinged with a hint of disdain.


    Zhang Lan glanced at him, ¡°Does Court Leader Lu have any objections?¡±


    Lu Hui offered a faint smile, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    He said nothing more, but sneered to himself:


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the Monster Hunters who lack people, or the Taoist Court that lacks competence, to actually let such a runt lead the way?¡±


    The group left the city and entered Big Black Mountain, crossing the outer mountain to enter the Inner Mountain.


    The terrain became suddenly treacherous, the woods shadowy, and the miasma much more intense.


    Everyone took out Miasma Repelling Pills and swallowed them, then found a campsite to settle down temporarily.


    ¡°I wonder what arrangements Court Leader Zhang has made?¡± Lu Hui inquired.


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t really want to bother with him, but since they were acting together, he had to make things clear.


    ¡°There are formations set up in the Inner Mountain, and once there is a fight, we will detect it.¡±


    ¡°Elder Yu also made it clear that for the next few days, the Monster Hunters should avoid hunting Monster Beasts in the mountain, so if there is any combat, aside from the Monster Beasts fighting to the death, it¡¯s very likely Bald Tuo committing murder and robbery¡­¡±


    Lu Hui¡¯s heart chilled, ¡°There¡¯s such a formation? I wonder which master¡¯s work it is?¡±


    Mo Hua remained expressionless by his side.


    Zhang Lan glanced at him, thinking to himself, ¡°It¡¯s the work of the ¡®master¡¯ right beside you.¡±


    However, he did not say it outright, only stating, ¡°You¡¯ll know eventually.¡±


    Lu Hui looked puzzled.


    Zhang Lan, not wanting to continue the conversation, then said:


    ¡°We will split into two teams, each equipped with a Compass Formation. If a fight happens, we will go to inspect. Even if we really encounter Bald Tuo, do not act rashly; wait for everyone to gather before taking action.¡±


    Mo Shan and Mo Hua both had Compass Disks; they split into two teams, and for the next few days, they patrolled the mountains looking for clues about the Sin Cultivator and met up at the campsite at night.


    Several days passed without a sight of Bald Tuo, not even a single Sin Cultivator, which led to subtle doubts among the group.


    However, this, like Monster Hunters searching for prey in the mountains, ultimately required patience.


    Several days later, after a fruitless search, Mo Hua, who was resting by a dense forest, spoke to Zhang Lan, ¡°Strange, how come we can¡¯t find them?¡±


    Zhang Lan furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, ¡°It is indeed peculiar.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Bald Tuo is no longer in Big Black Mountain?¡±


    Zhang Lan pondered, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then Young Master Kong is probably dead as a doornail,¡± Mo Hua said with a touch of schadenfreude.


    Lu Hui gave Mo Hua a cold glance, ¡°Young man, please be more careful with your words.¡±


    ¡°All right then,¡± Mo Hua changed his phrasing and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s likely that Young Master Kong¡¯s luck has run out.¡±


    Lu Hui felt his eyelids twitch at the comment.


    Zhang Lan sighed. At a time like this, Mo Hua still had the mindset to quibble with words.


    But on second thought, this matter really had nothing to do with Mo Hua; he would rather have Bald Tuo kill Kong Sheng.


    Zhang Lan actually thought the same, but he couldn¡¯t shirk his duties with the task at hand.


    After resting for a while, everyone continued to search for people based on the light dots on the Compass Disk.


    However, most of the light dots indicated monster beasts fighting to the death; only a small part was other Monster Hunters from outside the area hunting, and there was no sign of Sin Cultivators.


    It wasn¡¯t until the afternoon that they encountered a group of Monster Hunters, four or five in total.


    They were dressed like Monster Hunters from Tongxian City, but Mo Hua had never seen them before.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Where are you Monster Hunters from?¡±


    One of the Monster Hunters laughed and said, ¡°Little brother, we¡¯re from Tongxian City.¡±


    Mo Hua then asked for directions and if they had seen any strange Cultivators.


    The group of Monster Hunters replied, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen any other Cultivators.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then parted ways with them. After walking a few steps, Mo Hua gave Zhang Lan a meaningful glance.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he nodded slightly, signaling the other Taoist Court Cultivators with a gesture. Then, they stealthily turned back, quietly following the group of Monster Hunters until they arrived at a valley.


    The group of Monster Hunters entered the valley and then vanished from sight.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Their den must be here.¡±


    Lu Hui asked in surprise, ¡°How do you know they¡¯re not Monster Hunters?¡±


    ¡°Because they claimed to be Monster Hunters from Tongxian City, but I¡¯ve never seen them before.¡±


    Lu Hui frowned and said, ¡°There are nearly a thousand Monster Hunters in Tongxian City, can you recognize them all?¡±


    Mo Hua ignored him and turned to Zhang Lan, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s prepare to make our move.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll have everyone gather right away.¡±


    The Cultivators of the Taoist Court swiftly acted on Zhang Lan¡¯s orders, each carrying out their assigned roles.


    Only Lu Hui, whose eyes occasionally flashed with a hint of darkness as he looked at Mo Hua, stayed silent, seemingly plotting something.


    As night fell, there was a faint glow of firelight within the valley and the sound of Cultivators conversing.


    On Zhang Lan¡¯s side, everyone had assembled outside the valley, using a large boulder and the tall surrounding grass to conceal their figures.


    Zhang Lan spoke in a hushed tone, ¡°I¡¯ve been watching this afternoon. They have more than twenty people, including Bald Tuo and the one-eyed Cultivator¡ªall inside.¡±


    This was more than what they had anticipated. Either these were Bald Tuo¡¯s previously hidden forces or Sin Cultivators who had recently gathered.


    Currently, they did not have a numerical advantage. If they were to strike, they would need to catch the enemy off guard and by surprise.


    Ji Qingbai said, ¡°They seem to be drinking. It¡¯s a good time to act, but it¡¯s too dark now, and some might escape. It would be better to strike at dawn when it just starts getting light.¡±


    Mo Shan nodded and added, ¡°Striking at dawn would be best, as they will be drunk and sleepy, most vulnerable at that moment.¡±


    Zhang Lan agreed, ¡°Then let¡¯s follow Mo¡¯s suggestion.¡±


    After that, Zhang Lan discussed details with Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai, while Lu Hui remained silent on the side, his eyes occasionally resting on Ji Qingbai without revealing his thoughts.


    Once the discussion was finished, Zhang Lan added, ¡°We need to find a way to seal off the valley mouth.¡±


    This valley was rather hidden, with only one entrance that was easy to defend but hard to attack. However, because there was only one entrance, once it was sealed, the group of Sin Cultivators would be trapped like turtles in a jar, unable to escape.


    But the mouth of the valley was neither too large nor too small. It would not be easy to guard with manpower alone.


    Zhang Lan looked towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I will seal the valley mouth.¡±


    Mo Hua used his Divine Sense to scan the valley, confirming that the group of Sin Cultivators was deep in their drink, an opportune moment of negligence when they wouldn¡¯t notice him, and then he cautiously approached the valley.


    Amid the cloak of night and blurred vision, Mo Hua hid in the bushes. Though the Sin Cultivators couldn¡¯t see him, even if they did suspect something, the indistinct light of night would help Mo Hua¡¯s rudimentary Concealment Technique, preventing him from being discovered.


    His Concealment Technique wouldn¡¯t completely make him invisible; it wouldn¡¯t work during the day, but at night it was far more effective.


    Moreover, with Mo Hua¡¯s strong Divine Sense and intentional effort to hide his own aura, even if the Sin Cultivators swept the area with Divine Sense, they wouldn¡¯t notice him.


    With little time to spare, Mo Hua hadn¡¯t been able to prepare the Earth Fire Formation in advance, so he had to draw it on the spot. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Crouched at the valley mouth, Mo Hua took out his Formation Pen and, dipping it in ink, sketched the Earth Fire Formation onto the rocks on the ground at the valley¡¯s entrance with fast-moving strokes.


    Zhang Lan and the others were already used to it.


    Only Lu Hui was profoundly shocked at this moment¡ªhe had never expected that this young man was a Formation Master!

 Chapter 254 - 253: Encirclement_1

    Chapter 254: Chapter 253: Encirclement_1


    Mo Hua finished drawing the Formation without alarming the Sin Cultivator, and then quietly retreated back behind the cover of the bushes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished drawing the Formation, leaving only a gap. We will pass through there tomorrow.¡±


    Mo Hua pointed out the gap in the Formation to Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Lu Hui said, ¡°Court Leader Zhang, do you know if Young Master Kong Sheng is inside the valley?¡±


    Zhang Lan shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve been watching all afternoon and have not seen Young Master Kong.¡±


    Mo Hua had also used Divine Sense to scout the area just now. All that were inside were Sin Cultivators; not a single other Cultivator to be seen, let alone Kong Sheng. It seemed likely that he truly was beyond saving now.


    Lu Hui¡¯s expression gradually became grave.


    If Kong Sheng really was dead, how would he explain it to the Kong Family?


    Zhang Lan stopped paying him any attention, instead picking out several Cultivators to take turns on guard. Everyone else rested in their clothes, closed their eyes to restore their spirit, waiting for daybreak to make a move.


    Noise persisted for a while inside the cave, then gradually subsided with occasional soft snoring and mumbling.


    As dawn approached, these Sin Cultivators were still lying askew, with the few standing guard near the mouth of the valley dozing off as well.


    This location was hidden; having sheltered here for so long without being discovered made them inevitably become lax.


    Zhang Lan drew his sword, exchanged glances with the people behind him, and said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡±


    The group entered the valley through the gap in the Earth Fire Formation, and upon seeing a Sin Cultivator, they directly covered his mouth and nose and slashed his throat with a blade.


    After killing a few this way, they were suddenly discovered. A Sin Cultivator shouted, ¡°Who is it? How dare you!¡±


    Noises erupted, and a melee began.


    Mo Hua did not enter the valley. In this situation, his participation in the fight was of little significance, so he watched from the outside for the time being.


    Before long, a Sin Cultivator who was losing scurried toward the mouth of the valley and stepped on the Earth Fire Formation there.


    With a flash of fire, these Loose Cultivators were blown by the Earth Fire Formation into the air and crashed to the ground, looking pitiful.


    Not far away, Lu Hui¡¯s eyelid twitched upon seeing this scene.


    The power of this Earth Fire Formation was much stronger than he had imagined.


    What level of Formation Master was that young Cultivator after all?


    Meanwhile, the battle inside the valley also began to reach a deadlock.


    These Sin Cultivators were tough opponents, proving rather troublesome to deal with. Fortunately, they were groggy from being suddenly awakened from drunkenness, so the overall situation was still favorable for the Taoist Court.


    Zhang Lan, using his movement technique, was able to move freely among the Sin Cultivators, while condensing Sword Qi in his hand to attack several Spiritual Cultivators among the Sin Cultivators.


    Suddenly, his gaze shifted as he spotted Bald Tuo trying to escape and shouted:


    ¡°Bald Tuo! Don¡¯t let him get away!¡±


    Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai rushed to engage Bald Tuo in combat, with Lu Hui also joining the fight.


    Zhang Lan wanted to provide support, but he was currently unable to extract himself; he had to deal with several Spiritual Cultivators among the Sin Cultivators first, otherwise, his own Cultivators would become living targets for those Spiritual Cultivators.


    Bald Tuo had profound cultivation, but he could not hold his ground against three opponents and gradually fell into a disadvantage.


    Ji Qingbai spotted a flaw in Bald Tuo¡¯s defense and chopped down with his concealed wooden sword technique, the blade wreathed in surging pale green Spiritual Power.


    Bald Tuo couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was about to be cleaved by the blade when suddenly Lu Hui¡¯s sword veered to stab directly at the back of Ji Qingbai¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± shouted Mo Shan.


    At the warning, Ji Qingbai tried to retract his blade to parry, but it was already too late.


    Mo Shan, who was engaged in combat with Bald Tuo, seeing this, angled his blade to forcefully deflect Lu Hui¡¯s sword, but the shock numbed his arm, sent his blood boiling, and stalled his movement, exposing a weakness. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bald Tuo, fighting Mo Shan, saw the opportunity, his gaze flashed viciously, and he chopped with a blade wrapped in a pale white Wind Blade at Mo Shan.


    Bald Tuo, possessing the rare Wind-based Spiritual Root, had extremely fast movement techniques and was equally quick with his strikes.


    Mo Shan, having just forcefully parried Lu Hui¡¯s sword, was out of breath and unable to evade the slash.


    Ji Qingbai, however, turned around, held his sword across, and stood in front of Mo Shan, taking Bald Tuo¡¯s strike for him. He was shaken by the Spiritual Power, causing him to spit out blood.


    With the opportunity, Bald Tuo, as swift as the wind, immediately escaped from amidst their encirclement.


    Lu Hui paid no heed to Bald Tuo but continued to attempt to sword Ji Qingbai. Zhang Lan summoned a Water Sword Technique, slashing it down in front of him.


    ¡°Court Leader Lu, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Zhang Lan said coldly.


    Lu Hui appeared composed, ¡°I naturally intended to kill Bald Tuo, but it¡¯s a pity he escaped.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhang Lan¡¯s expression darkened.


    ¡°What else then?¡± Lu Hui sneered darkly.


    Zhang Lan sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t let me catch you playing dirty again, or I¡¯ll really kill you.¡±


    Lu Hui refused to back down, ¡°Is Court Leader Zhang trying to smear my name without proof?¡±


    Zhang Lan no longer paid him any attention but chased after the Bald Tuo instead.


    A venomous look flashed briefly in Lu Hui¡¯s eyes.


    Among this group, the only one he feared was Zhang Lan, but it was just fear and nothing more.


    Although Zhang Lan¡¯s clan status was higher than his, they were both Supervisors under different Taoist Courts, so he didn¡¯t need to take Zhang Lan¡¯s attitude too seriously.


    His original intention for coming here was to rescue Young Master Kong and owe the Kong Family a great favor.


    But now it seemed that Young Master Kong¡¯s chances of survival were indeed slim.


    Given this, killing Ji Qingbai would allow him to return to Qingxuan City with an explanation.


    The Ji father and son had feuded with the Kong Family and then fled to Tongxian City. If they could live without harm, how could the Kong Family continue to intimidate the Loose Cultivators of Qingxuan City?


    If other Loose Cultivators followed suit, the Kong Family would find it hard to command respect.


    Lu Hui, who lived a life of luxury funded by the Kong Family, knew their interests were his interests. He was bound to act against the Ji father and son sooner or later.


    If the Ji father and son were in Qingxuan City, he had a myriad of ways to imprison them. When the time came, making an example out of them would be much easier.


    Since they did not return and were under the protection of a Monster Hunter, he would have to execute them on the spot, as long as he was discreet about it.


    Ji Qingbai was just an ordinary Loose Cultivator.


    He could ¡°accidentally¡± kill Ji Qingbai, then go back and accept a token punishment, and the matter would be put to rest.


    And he was a Supervisor for the Taoist Court.


    He didn¡¯t believe anyone would dare attack him brazenly, whether it was Zhang Lan or these Monster Hunters. If they laid a hand on him, the Taoist Court would seek justice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity I didn¡¯t succeed just now, but there¡¯s still plenty of time; an opportunity will present itself.¡±


    Killing Ji Qingbai would curry favor with the Kong Family, while killing the Bald Tuo would earn him great merit¡ªa win-win situation.


    The failed assassination attempt on Ji Qingbai would surely put him on alert, and there might not be another chance in the short term. Therefore, he could not let the Bald Tuo escape now.


    A sharp light glinted in Lu Hui¡¯s eyes as he also chased after the Bald Tuo.


    Ji Qingbai wanted to follow but was stopped by Mo Shan, ¡°Brother Ji, Lu Hui wants to kill you.¡±


    Ji Qingbai said angrily, ¡°I¡¯ll go kill him first, or else he¡¯ll keep dragging you all into this.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a Supervisor of the Taoist Court; things will only get worse if you kill him,¡± Mo Shan replied seriously.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mo Shan said in a firm voice, ¡°Let¡¯s deal with these Sin Cultivators first, then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    After hesitating for a moment, Ji Qingbai sighed and could only nod in agreement.


    Overcome by a lingering drunkenness and caught by surprise, the Sin Cultivators were gradually getting the worst of the fight.


    One by one, they fell, with only the one-eyed cultivator desperately holding on, though not for much longer.


    The one-eyed cultivator lacked skill in movement techniques. He had only escaped last time through luck, and now trapped in the valley, he was practically unable to fly away.


    Thanks to his proficiency in Wind-based spiritual power, the Bald Tuo moved like the wind and had already reached the mouth of the valley, naturally encountering the Earth Fire Formation that had been laid out there.


    The Bald Tuo cursed, ¡°Where the hell did this Formation come from? Blocking my way!¡±


    Yet he didn¡¯t dare to charge through recklessly, his mind racing, until suddenly his eyes turned cold, and he grabbed a Sin Cultivator and threw him towards the valley entrance.


    Caught off guard, the Sin Cultivator was flung out by the Bald Tuo and then blasted into critical injuries by the Earth Fire Formation, collapsing on the ground, his life hanging by a thread.


    The Bald Tuo began throwing other Sin Cultivators to trigger the explosions of the Earth Fire Formation.


    These Sin Cultivators, who called each other brothers when it suited them, now showed no loyalty whatsoever when the benefits were gone.


    The Earth Fire Formation laid out by Mo Hua was powered by Spirit Stones.


    These Spirit Stones were obtained from Zhang Lan. Although many were used, their numbers were finite; after several explosions, there were none left.


    And ordinary rocks weren¡¯t high-quality Formation media; after several blasts, the Earth Fire Formation Patterns would gradually become damaged.


    Therefore, it wasn¡¯t long before a breach appeared in the Earth Fire Formation.


    At that moment, both Zhang Lan and Lu Hui had reached the valley entrance.


    Seeing this, the Bald Tuo became frantic, no longer hesitating, and using his movement technique, he fled out of the valley.


    Mo Hua was hiding in the grass outside, and his right hand slightly lifted, his Spiritual Power beginning to circulate rapidly.


    With the casting of the Water Prison Technique, he could trap the Bald Tuo.


    But after consideration, his eyes flickered, and he gently lowered his hand, watching as the Bald Tuo escaped from the Earth Fire Formation, leaving behind a shadow as he fled into the distance.

 Chapter 255 - 254 Trapped_1

    Chapter 255: Chapter 254 Trapped_1


    Bald Tuo¡¯s figure was like the wind, fleeing into the distance. Lu Hui and Zhang Lan also chased after him.


    Mo Hua stayed behind.


    Inside the valley, the battle gradually drew to a close. Sin Cultivators were either dead or subdued, with minimal casualties on the side of the Taoist Court Officials.


    After a while, Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai also appeared at the entrance of the valley. They wanted to pursue Bald Tuo, but Mo Hua stopped them.


    ¡°Dad, let me go with you, Uncle Ji doesn¡¯t need to go.¡±


    Ji Qingbai quickly said, ¡°How can that work?¡±


    Mo Shan looked at Mo Hua, understanding something, and said, ¡°Brother Ji, you don¡¯t need to go.¡±


    ¡°This matter started because of me¡­¡±


    Mo Shan shook his head, ¡°The Kong Family bullied others with their power. This matter started because of the Kong Family, not because of you. The fault lies with them.¡±


    Ji Qingbai frowned. ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mo Hua smiled mysteriously and said, ¡°Uncle Ji, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Ji Qingbai wanted to insist further, but Mo Shan and Mo Hua had already used their movement techniques and chased after Bald Tuo.


    Ji Qingbai stayed where he was, pondering over Mo Hua¡¯s smile, wondering for a moment, ¡°What exactly does Mo Hua plan to do?¡±


    Mo Hua and Mo Shan displayed their movement techniques and chased after him, occasionally stopping to check the Compass Disk to confirm the general direction.


    Zhang Lan and Lu Hui had been chasing Bald Tuo, who had to exert his full strength to use his escape technique, inevitably causing fluctuations of spiritual power to appear on the Compass Disk with a clear trace.


    Before long, divine traces of Bald Tuo¡¯s spiritual power appeared in Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    As a cultivator with Wind-System Spiritual Root, his spiritual power was a faint white color, very easy to identify. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bald Tuo, alone and cautiously hiding in a forest, was not seen by Zhang Lan and Lu Hui.


    He was probably temporarily evaded by Bald Tuo thanks to his movement technique.


    ¡°Dad, over there.¡±


    Mo Hua pointed out Bald Tuo¡¯s location.


    Mo Shan¡¯s Divine Sense was not as strong as Mo Hua¡¯s, but his eyesight was excellent. Heeding Mo Hua¡¯s words, just a glance was enough to spot Bald Tuo crouching in the bushes.


    With a flash of his figure, he went straight for Bald Tuo.


    At the same time, Bald Tuo also spotted Mo Shan¡¯s figure. Cursing, he had no choice but to stimulate his spiritual power and once again use his movement technique to flee into the distance.


    Bald Tuo cursed inwardly.


    He had already deceived Zhang Lan and Lu Hui. He intended to rest for a while, recovering some spiritual power, but unfortunately, he was discovered again.


    However, Bald Tuo was very confident in his movement technique. For many years, he had been thriving, all thanks to his Wind Escape Technique.


    As a Sin Cultivator, no matter how strong his cultivation, nothing was better than being fast enough to run.


    As long as one could run fast enough, they wouldn¡¯t be caught by enemies, nor would they be apprehended by the Taoist Court Officials.


    Over the years, Sin Cultivators stronger and more proficient in Taoist Skills than he had died or been crippled, one after another.


    Only he survived by clinging to life with his movement technique, ultimately becoming the big boss!


    Over these years, he had often been chased and hunted. This current situation was nothing more than routine for him.


    However, gradually, he sensed something wrong.


    His movement technique was definitely faster than that Monster Hunter chasing behind him. Yet, no matter how he ran, as soon as he stopped to rest, that Monster Hunter would catch up quickly.


    It was as if an eye was constantly and closely watching him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A chill ran down Bald Tuo¡¯s spine.


    He carefully examined himself and realized that there seemed to be a faint trace of Divine Sense, clinging to him like a bone-piercing maggot.


    He would have hardly noticed it if he hadn¡¯t been fully concentrating.


    The more concealed the Divine Sense, the more powerful it was!


    Bald Tuo broke out in cold sweat on his back, ¡°Whose Divine Sense is this?¡±


    Could it be that a Foundation Building Cultivator was watching me?


    Bald Tuo panicked. He slipped up in his step, Mo Shan noticed the lapse, and closed in with a flash. A Raging Fire Blade struck directly down.


    The blade light was like flames, with surging red spiritual power.


    Bald Tuo watched in dismay, exerting his movement technique to the limit in an attempt to dodge the blade, but he was still a fraction too slow and his arm got sliced, sending an instant wave of searing pain as blood flowed out.


    Bald Tuo had no choice but to stop and figure out how to deal with Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t bother with small talk, and without a word, he charged forward with his blade.


    Bald Tuo wanted to say a few words to buy some time, but seeing that Mo Shan didn¡¯t give him the chance, he could only curse silently and steel himself to face Mo Shan.


    As their swords clashed, a tumultuous surge of wind and fire spiritual power burst forth, and their strength overflowed in all directions.


    After just a few exchanges, Bald Tuo realized he was no match for Mo Shan and that defeat was inevitable.


    If defeat was inevitable, then it was better to plan ahead.


    Bald Tuo fought Mo Shan for a few more rounds, then suddenly retreated backward, lifting his right hand to reveal several runes.


    Mo Shan was taken aback and stopped his advance.


    At the same time, Bald Tuo activated the runes.


    Dust filled the air as the pulse of earth series spiritual power emanated from the ground, rolling in waves towards Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan could only fall back.


    Bald Tuo¡¯s gaze hardened, and he turned to run.


    These runes were named Terraquake Runes, which he had found after killing a family of three cultivators and rummaging through their storage bags.


    At this moment, he activated these runes to repel Mo Shan so he could make his escape.


    As long as he activated his movement technique once more to create distance, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy for Mo Shan to catch up.


    Of all the movement techniques, the Wind Escape Technique was the fastest!


    In Big Black Mountain, he had killed and robbed countless people, and so far, no one had managed to hold on to him.


    A faint smile appeared on Bald Tuo¡¯s lips as he wrapped himself in Wind-System Spiritual Power, turning to leave, and casting a disdainful glance at Mo Shan before he did.


    But as soon as he took a step, he sensed something was wrong.


    It was like he was locked in place by something and suddenly couldn¡¯t move!


    Bald Tuo looked down, and his pupils constricted.


    Out of nowhere, chains of condensed water vapor had appeared around him, binding him firmly to the spot!


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    Bald Tuo panicked internally and hurriedly looked up, only to see Mo Shan¡¯s blade approaching like a blazing fire.


    Struggling with all his might, Bald Tuo finally broke free from the spell¡¯s restraints just before Mo Shan¡¯s blade hit him.


    He quickly raised his sword to block Mo Shan¡¯s attack.


    He had escaped from the spell and blocked the sword attack, but his chance to flee had also vanished.


    Bald Tuo was filled with rage as he fought Mo Shan, bellowing, ¡°Who the hell is ambushing me?¡±


    Bald Tuo¡¯s angry voice echoed all around.


    Of course, Mo Hua hiding in the forest naturally didn¡¯t answer him. Since it was an ambush, he couldn¡¯t show himself.


    If he showed himself, how could it still be called an ambush?


    Mo Hua sat leisurely on a large tree branch, holding a recently picked wild fruit in his left hand while raising his right hand in an empty grasp, his Divine Sense continually locked on Bald Tuo.


    A look of playful interest, like that of a cat toying with a mouse, crept onto Mo Hua¡¯s face.


    He was right; the Water Prison Technique indeed countered cultivators skilled in movement techniques and was even more effective than he had anticipated.


    Whenever Bald Tuo attempted to flee, he would cast the Water Prison Technique, holding him in place.


    The Water Prison Technique could restrain him for about two breaths¡¯ time, and in those two breaths, Bald Tuo had no chance of escaping from the experienced Mo Shan.


    Bald Tuo tried several times but couldn¡¯t break free.


    Every time there was a slight chance, this peculiar spell would bind him.


    It was quick and accurate, and impossible to guard against.


    The more Bald Tuo fought, the more frightened and dismayed he became.


    The movement technique that had allowed him to roam unhindered through Big Black Mountain was completely countered by this mysterious and unknown spell!


    If things continued like this, he would meet his end here today.

 Chapter 256 - 255: Design_1

    Chapter 256: Chapter 255: Design_1


    ¡°`


    The fight between Bald Tuo and Mo Shan at the edge of the woods continued.


    Bald Tuo could neither beat nor escape him and initially thought his life would soon end.


    But after a few more rounds, he unexpectedly discovered that the Monster Hunter was not actually trying to kill him.


    The cultivator hiding in the shadows, who was casting those strange spells, only used confinement techniques to keep him there, never any lethal spells to take his life.


    It seemed these two men had no intention of killing him.


    Bald Tuo breathed a sigh of relief, only to feel a surge of shame and anger right after.


    They were toying with him!


    Neither killing him nor letting him go, they were like hunters amusing themselves with their catch.


    It was utter mockery and humiliation!


    ¡°This is simply outrageous!¡± Bald Tuo shouted angrily.


    Bald Tuo didn¡¯t want to sit around waiting for death; he kept using runes and pretending to be defeated, trying every way he could to seize an opportunity to escape.


    But no matter how many chances he sought to flee, in the end, he would always be frozen in place by the Water Prison Technique, and all his efforts would vanish in an instant.


    In front of Mo Hua¡¯s Water Prison Technique, all his schemes were futile.


    Bald Tuo was both shocked and furious.


    Who was that hidden cultivator, anyway?


    Every single move he made was under their control, leaving him with no chance of escape.


    Amidst his shock and anger, Bald Tuo was bewildered:


    ¡°At this point, why don¡¯t these two just kill me? What exactly do they want to do?¡±


    After entangling with Mo Shan for a long time, Bald Tuo caught a glimpse of two figures approaching from afar, Zhang Lan and Lu Hui.


    Bald Tuo¡¯s heart sank even further:


    ¡°It¡¯s over, now there¡¯s no chance of escape.¡±


    In the woods, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes also brightened.


    Practicing trapping someone like Bald Tuo with the Water Prison Technique several times, he had gradually become proficient, and now he even found it somewhat boring.


    Playing cat and mouse can get tedious after a while.


    What he was waiting for was Lu Hui, and now, the prey had finally arrived.


    Mo Hua slightly smiled.


    Zhang Lan and Lu Hui had been searching the mountains for a while, and seeing Mo Shan engaged with Bald Tuo now, both of them were invigorated, hastening their movement techniques, and with a few flashes, they had rushed over.


    The three men formed a triangular formation and surrounded Bald Tuo.


    Bald Tuo, despairing, burst out angrily:


    ¡°You bunch of dogs for the Taoist Court, must you pursue to a bitter end?¡±


    Zhang Lan cursed, ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? You beast, you should¡¯ve been dead long ago!¡±


    Bald Tuo¡¯s face twitched.


    Lu Hui¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he asked, ¡°Bald Tuo, tell me, was it you who abducted the Young Master of the Kong Family?¡±


    Bald Tuo frowned, ¡°What Young Master of the Kong Family?¡±


    ¡°Half a month ago, did you raid a merchant caravan?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve raided so many caravans, how would I know which one you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    Lu Hui¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°Then let me ask you another question, what did you do with the cultivators after robbing the caravans?¡±


    Bald Tuo¡¯s mouth twisted into a sinister smile, ¡°That depends on whether they were men or women. Men were killed on the spot, and women¡­ after having some fun, then they were killed.¡±


    Things had come to this point; he couldn¡¯t escape anyway.


    The crimes he committed, once at the Taoist Court, meant death, so there was nothing to hide.


    Lu Hui¡¯s heart sank; if that was the case, then Young Master Kong was probably confusedly killed by Bald Tuo, not even having a chance to reveal his identity.


    Zhang Lan then said, ¡°Let¡¯s act, capture him and take him back to the Taoist Court for questioning.¡±


    Having said that, he formed the Water Sword Technique with his fingers, no longer wasting words, and directly attacked Bald Tuo.


    Lu Hui also drew his sword, thrusting at Bald Tuo¡¯s heart.


    ¡°`


    Mo Shan¡¯s eyes flashed as he remembered Mo Hua¡¯s instructions. When it was time to act, he feigned physical exhaustion and delayed his strike by a moment.


    The encirclement of the three men faltered in an instant because of Mo Shan¡¯s delay, creating a flaw.


    Bald Tuo, with his rich experience in fighting to the death, captured this flaw in the blink of an eye, his expression filled with wild joy.


    He was certain he would die this time, and even if he didn¡¯t die, he would be captured by the Taoist Court, but to his surprise, at the moment of despair, Mo Shan¡¯s slip-up gave him a glimmer of hope.


    Bald Tuo dodged Zhang Lan¡¯s Water Sword Technique, exchanged a blow with Lu Hui, and then used the momentum to retreat. He spotted the flaw between the three men and desperately used the Wind Escape Skill. With a flash, he broke through their encirclement.


    The Bald Tuo, having broken out, still didn¡¯t feel safe.


    He was afraid that a hidden cultivator would use a spell to trap him.


    But then he realized that the cultivator hiding in the shadows didn¡¯t take action or cast that strange spell!


    ¡°What a chance!¡±


    Bald Tuo was overjoyed, a gleam flashed in his eyes, he ran with all his might, wind swirling around him, leaving a trail of afterimages behind him.


    Lu Hui made a disdainful ¡°tsk¡± sound as he glanced at Mo Shan, then deployed his movement technique and chased after Bald Tuo.


    Bald Tuo had killed Young Master Kong, so they couldn¡¯t let him get away.


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Shan with some confusion.


    In his experience, Mo Shan, a veteran of a hundred battles, would not make such a basic error.


    Then he saw Mo Shan give him a look and subtly glanced at Lu Hui, who was moving away.


    Zhang Lan was taken aback for a moment, then slowly caught on, a sly smile playing on his lips.


    At the same time, Mo Hua emerged from the woods.


    The three exchanged glances, all understanding each other¡¯s intentions. Then they each moved swiftly, chasing after Bald Tuo and Lu Hui.


    Lu Hui, who was using all his effort to sprint, cursed continuously in his heart.


    ¡°Three men surrounded this Bald Tuo, yet they let him escape. These Monster Hunters are truly foolish beyond measure.¡±


    However, this was also fine. As long as he caught up with Bald Tuo first and managed to control him or kill him directly, the merit for this task would be his.


    Not only would he have completed the Taoist Court¡¯s mission, but he would also have avenged Young Master Kong.


    The rewards from the Taoist Court went without saying, and the Kong Family would also owe him a favor, and the benefits would not be small.


    With his heart set ablaze with desire, Lu Hui chased after Bald Tuo with even greater effort.


    However, Mo Hua and the others merely trailed behind at a distance, neither moving in to join Lu Hui nor allowing Bald Tuo to get away.


    If Lu Hui were to lose the trail, Mo Hua would kindly allow Zhang Lan to guide him.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense locked on, there was no way for Bald Tuo to escape.


    And so, Lu Hui and Bald Tuo continued their pursuit and escape.


    After more than half an hour, Lu Hui finally caught up with Bald Tuo and engaged in a fight to the death with him.


    Mo Hua and the others stopped at a distance and did not approach.


    Bald Tuo, having struggled against Mo Shan and then run with all his might, was now at the end of his strength.


    Lu Hui had also consumed a lot of Spiritual Power, but he was much better off than Bald Tuo.


    However, he was puzzled as to why Bald Tuo, with his excellent movement techniques, had not been able to escape.


    But he didn¡¯t have time to ponder these things; he needed to capture Bald Tuo as soon as possible.


    After more than a dozen rounds of all-out fighting, the victor slowly emerged.


    Lu Hui¡¯s sword pierced Bald Tuo¡¯s shoulder.


    Bald Tuo knelt on the ground, knowing he couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and filled with unwillingness, so he angrily drew his knife and slashed toward Lu Hui¡¯s chest.


    But he knew in his heart that he was too exhausted from the long fight, that his knife was slow, and that he would surely not hit Lu Hui.


    Lu Hui sneered in contempt.


    Bald Tuo¡¯s knife posed no threat; he just needed to step back to avoid it unscathed.


    Lu Hui was about to step back when he didn¡¯t notice a cold light flash in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes from afar. She moved her hand slightly, and chains of Spiritual Power suddenly appeared, locking him in place!


    Lu Hui, halfway through stepping back, realized he was paralyzed and was terrified in an instant!


    Before he could regain his composure, Bald Tuo¡¯s knife had chopped onto his chest.


    The knife broke through the soft armor in front of his chest, and the blade cut into his torso, blood spraying forth in an instant. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 257 - 256 Demon Smelly Grass_1

    Chapter 257: Chapter 256 Demon Smelly Grass_1


    Lu Hui was unexpectedly struck by his blade, something Bald Tuo never anticipated.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how Lu Hui, who had been dodging, suddenly stopped dodging halfway through.


    Could it be that he was overconfident, so he deliberately didn¡¯t dodge this strike?


    But an opportunity like this was rare. After a moment of shock, Bald Tuo regained his composure and unleashed his blade again, aiming for Lu Hui¡¯s lower body.


    Lu Hui felt a sharp pain in his chest and, seeing Bald Tuo¡¯s cunning strike, felt a chill in his heart. He struggled to break free from the Water Prison Technique and dodged backward.


    However, slowed down by the Water Prison Technique, his thigh was still sliced by Bald Tuo.


    Furious, Lu Hui endured the pain and drew his sword. His sword was swift and vicious, stabbing into Bald Tuo¡¯s right chest.


    Bald Tuo¡¯s eyes gradually became lifeless as he slumped to the ground.


    Lu Hui, covered in blood, also slowly fell.


    In the secluded woods, the two men had fought to the death, blood flowing freely. In the end, they wounded each other and fell beneath each other¡¯s blades and swords.


    This scene was very much in line with the script Mo Hua had premeditated in his mind.


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling very satisfied with what he saw.


    Zhang Lan, on the other hand, was stunned.


    What kind of spell was this? Where did this kid Mo Hua learn it from?


    It really was a case of killing someone without even bothering to blow away the dust¡­


    Zhang Lan saw Mo Hua¡¯s confident demeanor and knew he had a way to deal with Lu Hui, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so surprising.


    Using a subtle trick and letting someone else do the dirty work, he had trapped Lu Hui without any effort.


    Lu Hui perishing along with Bald Tuo was perfectly reasonable and had no faults at all.


    ¡°Shall we go and check?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan came back to his senses, nodded, but delayed for a while, waiting for Lu Hui to bleed a bit more, before he and Mo Shan approached the fallen duo.


    Mo Hua followed behind them.


    The three of them reached Lu Hui and Bald Tuo. They carefully checked their breath and couldn¡¯t help but look at each other with a hint of regret.


    Bald Tuo wasn¡¯t dead. Lu Hui¡¯s thrust was to his right chest, and it hadn¡¯t damaged his heart. He still had a breath in him.


    Lu Hui had lost a lot of blood and was temporarily unconscious, but the wound on his chest wasn¡¯t actually severe, so he hadn¡¯t died either.


    ¡°Do bad guys always have such hard lives¡­¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help saying.


    What to do next?


    Lu Hui, after all, was a Supervisor from the Taoist Court. Should they leave him to die?


    Mo Shan and Mo Hua both looked at Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan sighed and said, ¡°This is so exhausting.¡±


    Then he found a spot, sat down leisurely, and said, ¡°The scenery here isn¡¯t bad; let¡¯s rest here for a while.¡± Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua looked around. The woods were secluded, surrounded by deadwood, with leaves beneath their feet. Where was this good scenery?


    But Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Indeed, the scenery is nice.¡±


    Then he too plonked down to sit on the ground and even took out wine, meat, and snacks from his storage bag. The three of them began to eat pleasantly together.


    Lu Hui was off to the side, still bleeding.


    After a while, Lu Hui didn¡¯t die; instead, he gradually regained consciousness, whispering in pain.


    He shakily took pills from his storage bag with his right hand, consumed them, and after refining their power, the blood on his chest slowly stopped.


    Mo Shan unsheathed his sword, intending to finish him, but Zhang Lan held him back.


    Zhang Lan shook his head and said, ¡°No need to dirty your own hands.¡±


    Lu Hui struggled to his feet, and upon seeing Zhang Lan and the others, his expression changed, hating them for not helping and fearing they would finish him off.


    Zhang Lan feigned concern and said, ¡°Court Leader Lu, are you alright?¡±


    Lu Hui forced a smile, ¡°Thanks to Court Leader Zhang¡¯s blessing, I won¡¯t die yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I was genuinely worried about you being severely injured.¡±


    Lu Hui¡¯s smile was filled with insincerity, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Court Leader Zhang.¡±


    But inside he was cursing bitterly, ¡°Worried? Worried that I won¡¯t die?¡±


    A venomous look flickered in Lu Hui¡¯s eyes.


    He had noted this debt; he would settle accounts with them later.


    But he didn¡¯t dare show this hatred openly, keeping it inside to avoid provoking Zhang Lan and Mo Shan and being silenced by them for good.


    Lu Hui forced a laugh and said, ¡°The kindness of you all, I, Lu Hui, will keep in my heart. After I meditate and adjust my breath for a while, shall we then resume our journey back?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded and said, ¡°That sounds good.¡±


    So Lu Hui continued to meditate and heal his wounds.


    Mo Shan, on the other hand, joined with Zhang Lan to chain up Bald Tuo, who still had a breath left in him.


    Mo Hua glanced at Bald Tuo with a hint of disdain.


    What a waste this Bald Tuo is, he mused, not even capable of killing Lu Hui¡ªit¡¯s a squandered opportunity.


    Perhaps it was just Lu Hui¡¯s luck that the blade didn¡¯t strike a vital spot, which is why he didn¡¯t die.


    However, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t in a rush; this was Big Black Mountain, the domain of Monster Hunters, and in a way, his territory too.


    Lu Hui stood no chance of leaving alive.


    Once Lu Hui¡¯s wounds had healed enough for temporary movement, everyone stood up and set off, keeping a watchful eye on Bald Tuo as they walked back along the mountain trail.


    When they arrived at a fork in the road, Mo Hua suddenly quickened his pace and turned into a small path to the left.


    Mo Shan caught on immediately, understanding what was happening and promptly following Mo Hua.


    Zhang Lan, unfamiliar with the mountain trails, naturally followed Mo Hua as a matter of course.


    Lu Hui, of Qingxuan City, clueless about Big Black Mountain, proceeded with caution, unaware of anything wrong with this path, so he unwittingly followed along.


    Aside from being narrower and more desolate, there wasn¡¯t much difference in this mountain path.


    The fog wasn¡¯t thick, and the miasma wasn¡¯t particularly strong.


    Lu Hui had no suspicions, but as he walked, he suddenly smelled a pungent, fishy odor.


    He looked around and noticed the source of the smell came from a clump of grass in Mo Hua¡¯s hand.


    Lu Hui frowned and asked, ¡°Young brother, what kind of grass do you have there?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t hide it from him, ¡°It¡¯s Demon Smelly Grass.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡±


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t recognize it, Mo Hua explained, ¡°There are many Monster Beasts in the mountains. This grass is fishy and pungent; it can repel Monster Beasts.¡±


    Lu Hui, not being a Monster Hunter, didn¡¯t see a problem at first.


    ¡°Can I see it?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Mo Hua readily handed the Demon Smelly Grass to Lu Hui.


    Upon receiving it, Lu Hui meticulously inspected the grass, finding nothing unusual about it, nor any sign of tampering¡ªaside from an abnormal stench, there was nothing special.


    Was this kid really just using the grass to drive away Monster Beasts?


    As Lu Hui pondered while walking, he suddenly noticed that Mo Hua and the others had silently moved ahead of him, now a good ten steps away.


    Startled, before he could think more deeply, he felt an icy chill on his back.


    Slowly turning around, he discovered two Monster Beasts that had appeared out of nowhere in the bushes at either side of him.


    One beast had red skin and sharp teeth dripping saliva; the other had white fur with long horns and blood-red eyes.


    Both Monster Beasts were staring intently at him.


    Lu Hui, aghast, immediately realized the truth.


    Demon Smelly Grass, Demon Smelly Grass, with its rotting stench.


    Cultivators dislike it, but beasts are fond of it¡ªhow could it possibly be used to drive away Monster Beasts?


    This Demon Smelly Grass, intended to attract Monster Beasts, was now in his hands.


    ¡°Damn it, this brat tricked me!¡±


    Enraged, Lu Hui hastily threw the Demon Smelly Grass away, but it was too late¡ªboth Monster Beasts had set their sights on him and began to pounce.


    With his injuries still fresh, Lu Hui couldn¡¯t dwell on them at this moment.


    He exerted his spiritual power and blood qi surged as he sprinted with all his strength.


    If caught by the Monster Beasts, he would undoubtedly be devoured today. In this life-or-death situation, even if his wounds reopened and blood seeped out, he couldn¡¯t afford to care.


    Lu Hui pushed his movement technique to the extreme and was indeed marginally faster than the Monster Beasts, putting some distance between them and lessening the pressure on his back.


    Just then, he saw Mo Hua ahead, turning to flash him a smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s this brat smiling about?¡±


    Taken aback, Lu Hui watched as Mo Hua raised his hand slightly, made a hollow grip, and then gently clenched.


    Mysterious and eerie spiritual power suddenly appeared, forming into water chains, instantly securing him.


    In the blink of an eye, Lu Hui understood it all.


    Why Bald Tuo, despite his swift movement technique, couldn¡¯t get away; why he, although capable of dodging that blade, couldn¡¯t evade it either.


    ¡°Was it this deceitful little brat?!¡±


    Lu Hui understood, but it was all too late.


    The Water Prison Technique had locked him tight.


    In less than two breaths of time, the Monster Beasts caught up with him, their gaping jaws and sharp teeth piercing through his shoulder.

 Chapter 258 - 257: Trapping and Killing_1

    Chapter 258: Chapter 257: Trapping and Killing_1


    ¡°`


    Lu Hui, already severely wounded, struggled in vain as he was no match for the two first-rank Monster Beasts.


    The two Monster Beasts were not about to let the flesh in their mouths escape and began to tear and bite at Lu Hui ferociously.


    The scene was somewhat gruesome, and Mo Hua felt a bit uneasy, but he thought that Lu Hui had it coming.


    A moment later, Mo Hua suddenly sensed something with his Divine Sense, and said to Zhang Lan, ¡°The cultivators from the Taoist Court are on their way.¡±


    In his Divine Sense, he could already detect the breath of the Taoist Court cultivators.


    Zhang Lan nodded his head.


    Lu Hui could die, but he should not be consumed; at the very least, his body needed to be preserved as evidence for all to witness.


    Otherwise, who would know whether Lu Hui¡¯s death was related to them or not?


    Zhang Lan then shouted, ¡°Audacious beasts, how dare you kill Court Leader Lu!¡±


    Having said that, Zhang Lan gathered Sword Qi of the water element and struck at the two Monster Beasts.


    The Sword Qi hit the Monster Beasts, causing them pain; they howled and glared at Zhang Lan with fierce eyes.


    Mo Shan also took the opportunity to attack the beasts while Mo Hua assisted by restricting them with the Water Prison Technique.


    The Water Prison Technique was less effective against late-stage first-rank Monster Beasts, binding them for barely a moment, but that brief instant was enough to hinder their attacks, providing Mo Shan with an opportunity.


    After some trouble, Mo Shan finally rescued Lu Hui from the jaws of the Monster Beasts.


    Having their meal snatched away, the two Monster Beasts enraged, one pounced towards Mo Shan, and the other charged at Zhang Lan.


    Mo Shan, relying on his profound cultivation and exquisite Taoist Skills, began to battle one of the Monster Beasts, mainly evading and holding his own.


    Mo Hua set off fireworks and then, using the movement technique Water Passing Step, tangled with the other Monster Beast to buy time.


    Against two first-rank Monster Beasts in a direct confrontation, they were no match.


    They could only look for a way to delay for a while until the cultivators from the Taoist Court arrived upon seeing the fireworks.


    Zhang Lan, while remotely assisting with the Water Sword Technique, couldn¡¯t help but be secretly astonished.


    Mo Shan was to be expected, a Monster Hunter with rich experience and outstanding strength, managing to hold off a late-stage first-rank Monster Beast was not an issue.


    But little Mo Hua, merely at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, was also able to tangle with a late-stage first-rank Monster Beast by leveraging his movement technique, and even appeared to hold his ground convincingly.


    Each time the Monster Beast pounced to tear, scratch, or bite, Mo Hua cleverly dodged every attack, displaying the meticulous beauty of the Water Passing Step technique to perfection.


    In his spare moments, he could even cast a few spells.


    Sometimes it was a Fireball Technique to harass, sometimes the Water Prison Technique to entrap the enemy.


    His spellcasting was extremely fast, releasing them with a flick of his hand, so even in close quarters with the Monster Beast, he always found time to conjure spells.


    Although his spells were like mere itches on the beast, causing little harm, they did indeed strike the Monster Beast solidly.


    The Monster Beast, no matter how frustrated or humiliated, couldn¡¯t touch Mo Hua at all, unable to even graze him to tickle.


    Zhang Lan felt conflicted.


    The Water Passing Step was clearly the Ultimate Technique of the Zhang Family, yet it was being employed to perfection by Mo Hua, a little cultivator not of their kin.


    It made him start to wonder whether the technique should bear the name Mo or Zhang.


    ¡°You better not let the elders of my Zhang Family see you, or else they would certainly pull you into the family,¡± Zhang Lan thought to himself as he watched Mo Hua.


    After holding on for a while, the Taoist Court cultivators arrived to back them up, about fifteen or sixteen in total, from both Tongxian City and Qingxuan City.


    Now with numbers on their side, the two Monster Beasts let out reluctant roars and had to retreat back into the forest.


    A Qingxuan City Taoist Court cultivator, upon seeing Lu Hui, exclaimed in shock, ¡°Leader Lu! What happened to you¡­?¡±


    One of Lu Hui¡¯s arms had been eaten by a Monster Beast, his body was covered in blood, and his breath grew weaker and weaker, with a mouthful of blood he couldn¡¯t swallow.


    He pointed at Mo Hua but was unable to speak.


    Zhang Lan then grabbed Lu Hui¡¯s shoulders and shook him hard, his expression one of sorrow as he said:


    ¡°Court Leader Lu, what has happened to you? Court Leader Lu, say something!¡±


    Lu Hui¡¯s last breath slipped away with the shaking, his head drooped, and he passed away.


    Upon seeing this, Zhang Lan wore a look of disbelief and mournfully said, ¡°Court Leader Lu, how could you just leave us like this?!¡±


    Mo Hua watched, his eyes wide open in amazement.


    ¡°`


    Zhang Lan, the seasoned veteran of the Taoist Court, acted as if it were all real.


    Those unaware might even think he had deep ties with Lu Hui.


    Such acting, both genuine and contrived without any hint of discord, made Mo Hua feel quite inferior. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once Zhang Lan confirmed that Lu Hui had indeed stopped breathing, he lamented,


    ¡°Court Leader Lu first fought fiercely against Bald Tuo, subduing him, and then to prevent Bald Tuo from falling into the jaws of the Monster Beasts, he struggled with the beasts to the death. He unfortunately perished in the line of duty. His actions and resolve are both admirable and praiseworthy.¡±


    The Enforcement Leaders from Qingxuan City looked at each other in bewilderment.


    Was the person Zhang Lan spoke of really their Court Leader Lu? He wasn¡¯t that kind of person at all¡­


    The words ¡°admirable and praiseworthy¡± had nothing to do with Court Leader Lu, even in eight lifetimes.


    He certainly wouldn¡¯t risk his life for a public office in the Taoist Court.


    Zhang Lan gave them a cold look, ¡°Court Leader Lu is dead, yet you remain unmoved. Do you harbor dissatisfaction with Court Leader Lu?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the hearts of the Enforcement Leaders from Qingxuan City tightened. They immediately bowed their heads, adopting a mournful expression, and said one after another,


    ¡°With the death of Court Leader Lu, we are stricken with grief, finding it hard to believe. We ask for Court Leader Zhang¡¯s assistance in dealing with the aftermath.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°Catching Bald Tuo is a shared credit, and Court Leader Lu¡¯s contribution is indispensable. His body should be sent back to Qingxuan City for a proper burial.¡±


    With Lu Hui dead, the only Supervisor left here was Zhang Lan, so naturally, his word was law.


    Moreover, with the capture of Bald Tuo, they each had a share of the merits; it wasn¡¯t a wasted trip.


    As for Court Leader Lu, dead is dead.


    What could they, several Enforcement Leaders, do? They couldn¡¯t possibly oppose Zhang Lan, the Supervisor.


    The Enforcement Leaders from Qingxuan City bowed and agreed, ¡°We shall follow what Court Leader Zhang has instructed.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded in satisfaction and instructed, ¡°First, send the body of Court Leader Lu back to the Taoist Court in Tongxian City, let the Court Leader take a look, and then send it back to Qingxuan City.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Enforcement Leaders from Qingxuan City took Lu Hui¡¯s body and left the mountain first, while Mo Hua, alongside Zhang Lan, returned to the valley where the Sin Cultivators took shelter.


    Ji Qingbai and several Cultivators from the Taoist Court were cleaning up the battlefield. Upon seeing Mo Hua, they looked around and couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°Where is Lu Hui?¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°Court Leader Lu died in the line of duty.¡±


    Ji Qingbai showed an incredulous expression.


    How much time had passed, and he had died in the line of duty? That was Lu Hui!


    The Supervisor of Qingxuan City¡¯s Taoist Court, who made a tiger of himself and committed all sorts of evil.


    So many Loose Cultivators in Qingxuan City were helpless against him, how come he perished in the line of duty upon arriving at Tongxian City?


    After pondering for a moment, Ji Qingbai slowly came to understand and cautiously asked, ¡°There won¡¯t be any problems, will there?¡±


    Mo Shan glanced at Mo Hua and said helplessly, ¡°We didn¡¯t lay a finger on him.¡±


    Mo Hua laughed, ¡°It was Bald Tuo and the Monster Beasts who killed Lu Hui; it has nothing to do with us.¡±


    Zhang Lan also nodded, ¡°With not a shred of evidence, the Taoist Court won¡¯t pursue the matter.¡±


    Ji Qingbai stood dumbfounded for a long while, unable to comprehend how Lu Hui could be killed without leaving any trace of evidence.


    But he didn¡¯t need to know. All he had to realize was that the evil Court Leader Lu was dead.


    A stone that had been weighing on his heart finally fell to the ground.


    The Loose Cultivators in Qingxuan City could also breathe a little easier.


    Ji Qingbai bowed his hands in respect and said solemnly, ¡°On behalf of the Loose Cultivators of Qingxuan City, I thank you all!¡±


    Zhang Lan waved his hand, ¡°I haven¡¯t done much, if you want to thank someone, thank Mo Hua.¡±


    Ji Qingbai looked at Mo Hua in surprise.


    Mo Hua chuckled, ¡°It was but a small effort.¡±


    All he had done was cast a few Water Prison Techniques; indeed, it was but a small effort.

 Chapter 259 - 258: Passing on Responsibilities_1

    Chapter 259: Chapter 258: Passing on Responsibilities_1


    Lu Hui¡¯s corpse was first sent to the Taoist Court in Tongxian City, where an Enforcement Leader went to report to Court Leader Zhou.


    Upon hearing the news, Court Leader Zhou furrowed her brows, and upon seeing Lu Hui¡¯s body, she furrowed them even more, unable to resist saying,


    ¡°Zhang Lan, that kid, has caused me trouble again.¡±


    This Court Leader Lu came to Tongxian City intact, but after entering a mountain with Zhang Lan, he turned into a corpse in the blink of an eye.


    Moreover, missing arms and legs, he did not even die a whole corpse.


    How was she supposed to explain this to the people in Qingxuan City?


    Could this matter be unrelated to Zhang Lan? Who would believe that if it were said aloud?


    Court Leader Zhou asked the Enforcement Leader, ¡°What exactly happened?¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Enforcement Leader bowed and said, ¡°According to Court Leader Zhang, Court Leader Lu was pursuing Bald Tuo and was ambushed by him, sustaining severe injuries. On the way to transport Bald Tuo, they encountered Monster Beasts and, unfortunately, Lu died at the jaws of the beasts, dying in the line of duty.¡±


    ¡°Dying in the line of duty?¡± Court Leader Zhou scoffed, ¡°He sure clears himself neatly. The man died in an undignified manner but found himself a dignified excuse.¡±


    ¡°But does he take everyone else for fools? With the body right here, how can any discerning person not see how Lu really died?¡±


    Court Leader Zhou thought to herself, shook her head, and took another look at Lu Hui¡¯s body, her Divine Sense scanning it briefly, her eyes suddenly lighting up.


    That technique¡­ quite clean.


    There were only two fatal wounds on Lu Hui¡¯s body.


    One was caused by a Cultivator, with faint white traces of Wind-System Spiritual Power residue at the wound.


    The person who wounded him was clearly Bald Tuo.


    Wind-based Spiritual Roots are quite rare, and in their Taoist Court, they could not find a single Cultivator with such a Spiritual Root.


    Nor did any of the Cultivators on this mission have Wind-based Spiritual Roots. This kind of Spiritual Power couldn¡¯t be faked.


    The other was the bite marks of Monster Beasts.


    At the wounds were the residual stench of the beasts¡¯ saliva, as well as crimson demonic power, he was indeed killed by Monster Beasts.


    This was even less fakeable.


    Court Leader Zhou felt reassured and began to see Zhang Lan as someone who could be taught.


    Some things he could do, but he should not leave any traces, nor should he cause trouble for the Taoist Court.


    If he turned a blind eye, as if nothing had happened, there would be an explanation for the outside world.


    Since there was an explanation and no more trouble, Court Leader Zhou felt relieved.


    She took another look at Lu Hui¡¯s body and thought to herself, ¡°Died well!¡±


    The Taoist Court in Qingxuan City¡­ from top to bottom, foul and murky, all corrupt? What are they really?


    Court Leader Zhou didn¡¯t voice it, but in her heart, she held them in utmost contempt.


    Although she couldn¡¯t claim to be paragon of virtue, she did have some conscience. At most, she took some kickbacks but never went so far as to bleed people dry, bones and all.


    However, she was only the Court Leader of Tongxian City and could only manage matters within her own jurisdiction; she had no say in Qingxuan City¡¯s affairs.


    Court Leader Zhou sighed, then felt something odd.


    How exactly did Zhang Lan manage to kill Lu Hui?


    Looking at Lu Hui¡¯s injuries, they were indeed inflicted by Bald Tuo and then by Monster Beasts.


    But things surely weren¡¯t that simple.


    Court Leader Lu was full of tricks; he couldn¡¯t have been that foolish¡­


    Lu Hui was at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, and so was Zhang Lan; his strength was a bit higher, but it wasn¡¯t possible for him to have killed Lu Hui without leaving any traces.


    There must have been someone who helped.


    Court Leader Zhou silently pondered.


    Those who entered the mountain with Zhang Lan, Mo Shan and Ji Qingbai, were likely to lend a hand.


    Who else could there be?


    In her mind, the sly look in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flashed by.


    Court Leader Zhou¡¯s action of stroking her beard halted, and she paused, slightly startled, ¡°Could it be that kid Mo Hua took action as well¡­¡±


    The more Court Leader Zhou thought about it, the more likely it seemed.


    After getting to know Mo Hua, she realized that despite his youth, he could not be judged by common standards.


    Meticulous in thought, moving after planning, his methods clean, leaving no traces.


    Court Leader Zhou nodded her head and looked at Lu Hui again, expressing her approval:


    ¡°Well killed!¡±


    At that moment, Mo Hua, Zhang Lan, and others were still in the valley where the Sin Cultivators hid.


    This valley served as Bald Tuo and his accomplices¡¯ refuge, a place to dwell and hide their ill-gotten gains.


    The valley was dotted with numerous caves, both large and small, adding up to around a dozen.


    Inside the caves were beds, pills, spiritual artifacts, food, and other various necessities for the cultivators¡¯ daily living and Tao cultivation, indicating that this group of sin cultivators had been hiding here for quite some time.


    All the sin cultivators in the valley, those who should be killed were killed, and those who should be captured were captured, not a single one was missed.


    What remained was the confiscation of the stolen goods.


    This group of sin cultivators had committed murder and plundered many things, a wide array of items, mostly hidden within this valley.


    Some less valuable items were not so carefully regarded by the sin cultivators, and were basically strewn everywhere.


    The Taoist Court¡¯s cultivators searched each cave one by one, tallying the confiscated goods, recording them, and then placing them in the center of the valley.


    There was already quite a pile of items amassed in the valley.


    Spiritual artifacts, pills, books, and all sorts of miscellaneous items, everything one could think of.


    But it was clear that this was not everything.


    Bald Tuo had been robbing Big Black Mountain for so long, it couldn¡¯t just be these items.


    ¡°Where are they hidden?¡±


    With a frown, Zhang Lan continued searching the valley, releasing his divine sense while looking for any secret chambers or mechanisms.


    Then, he saw Mo Hua standing in front of a rock wall, concentrating hard on something.


    Zhang Lan approached and knocked on the rock wall with his hand. The sound was normal, with no abnormalities.


    Zhang Lan asked, ¡°Is it hollow?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    After scanning with his divine sense several times and discovering nothing, to Zhang Lan, it seemed like just an ordinary rock wall. So, he asked, ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±


    ¡°I swept it with my divine sense and could see,¡± Mo Hua said nonchalantly.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhang Lan sighed.


    Even though he didn¡¯t want to admit it, he had to acknowledge it.


    This kid¡¯s divine sense has already become stronger than his own.


    It was a relief that he was not the only one whose divine sense was weaker than Mo Hua¡¯s; among cultivators at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, there were scarcely a few whose divine sense could compare to Mo Hua¡¯s.


    ¡°Can we break it open?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°There is a formation inside, and trying to break it forcefully would be very difficult, and we don¡¯t know if there are any traps.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a way?¡± Zhang Lan asked.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll try to break the formation.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s eyelid twitched, ¡°Break the formation?¡±


    ¡°Right, Uncle Zhang, you know about it too?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously as he glanced at Zhang Lan.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zhang Lan said, feigning nonchalance, but couldn¡¯t help feeling a tremble inside.


    This kid, how did he even know how to break formations?


    He had only heard the term ¡°breaking the formation¡± mentioned in passing by the formation instructor at the Zhang Family¡¯s clan school, and even then, it was vaguely put.


    The intricacies of breaking formations were unclear to that instructor as well; he had said that it wasn¡¯t something ordinary formation masters could learn, let alone master.


    It was one thing to set up compound formations, and now, breaking formations was coming into play.


    Is this really something a first-rate formation master should know?


    Zhang Lan coughed and asked cautiously, ¡°This breaking of the formation¡­ it¡¯s not that easy, right? If you can¡¯t break it, never mind, I¡¯ll get someone to smash it open even if it takes some effort.¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head.


    He had just been observing which formation might be used on this rock wall and considering what formation patterns to use to break it.


    After watching for a while, he figured out some clues.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, let me do it. The formation isn¡¯t complex, it¡¯s probably not first-rate, so it should be easy to break.¡±


    Mo Hua used a rather modest expression.


    Formations below the first rate were actually quite easy to break, but one shouldn¡¯t speak too confidently to avoid any mishaps. If he failed to break the formation, it would be rather embarrassing.


    ¡°Below first-rate, easy to break¡­¡± Zhang Lan sighed.


    Alright then, there¡¯s nothing like comparing oneself to make one feel hopeless.


    Zhang Lan patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, ¡°We¡¯re counting on you.¡±

 Chapter 260 - 259: Cave_1

    Chapter 260: Chapter 259: Cave_1


    Cultivators generally have two methods of dealing with formations: one is breaking the formation, and the other is solving the formation.


    Breaking the formation involves cultivators forcibly destroying the formation¡¯s eyes, media, pivots, or patterns by relying on their cultivation or martial arts.


    Only a Formation Master can solve a formation, and even then, it is used only by a minority of Formation Masters with a broad experience in formations and high level of attainment.


    Using the generative and destructive interplay of the formation patterns, the opening and closing structure of the formation pivot, or the proper or reverse flow of spiritual power within the formation eye to remove the formation is what constitutes solving a formation.


    Currently, Mo Hua only knows one technique for solving formations, which is through the generative and destructive relationships among the formation patterns.


    Just now, having inspected it with Divine Sense for half a day through the stone wall, Mo Hua approximately determined the formation painted inside. The formation inside the stone wall seems to be mainly the Five Elements Earth and Stone Formation, mixed with other scattered small formations.


    For a Sin Cultivator, this formation would already be considered not bad.


    But in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, it was not really impressive.


    Mo Hua took out ink and brushes from the storage bag and started to draw formation patterns on the stone wall.


    In practice, using the generative and destructive relationships among formation patterns to dissolve a formation can result in two scenarios: solving from within and solving from without.


    When solving from within, one can see the patterns, and the patterns drawn to solve the formation are on the same side as the formation media.


    What Mo Hua regularly practiced, self-drawing and self-solving, actually falls under solving from within.


    This, relatively speaking, is a bit easier.


    When solving from without, it is done through the formation media, without the ability to see the formation patterns.


    One must rely on their experience with formations and understanding to guess the type of formation, sense the location of the formation patterns with Divine Sense, and at the corresponding location, draw the counteracting patterns that will nullify each other, rendering the formation ineffective.


    The current situation belonged to solving from without.


    Before this, Mo Hua had never tried to solve a formation this way.


    Luckily, the formation painted on the stone wall wasn¡¯t complicated, and with Mo Hua¡¯s experience in formations and the strength of Divine Sense, pinpointing the exact locations of the formation patterns was possible.


    The next step was simply to draw the counteracting patterns, which was quite straightforward.


    In the time it took to brew two cups of tea, Mo Hua had finished drawing the formation patterns to solve the formation on the stone wall.


    These patterns, similar in structure to the formation but with a special brushwork, contained the principles of generation and destruction, resembling a reflection of the formation in a mirror¡ªpeculiar and profound.


    Zhang Lan watched, clicking his tongue in amazement.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s final brush stroke, the solution to the formation was complete.


    Patterns on the stone wall flashed with flowing light as spiritual power permeated the interior; then, the earth and stones rustled as if bark dried up and tree patterns fell off. The entire stone wall gradually cracked and showed a weathered tan color.


    Zhang Lan was secretly astonished, ¡°It was actually successful¡­¡±


    Moreover, looking at how Mo Hua handled it with such ease, it was clear this was not a fluke; it was a genuine depth of skill in solving formations that allowed success on the first try.


    Zhang Lan sighed. He realized he had underestimated Mo Hua¡¯s talent for formations.


    Now, it could no longer be considered just a talent for formations but a solid attainment in them.


    If he hadn¡¯t witnessed it with his own eyes, he would never believe that a young cultivator in their teens had already learned to solve formations.


    Zhang Lan felt quite emotional in his heart.


    With the formation on the stone wall solved, its protection was also lost.


    Someone needed to break through the wall.


    Mo Hua glanced at Zhang Lan, who quietly said:


    ¡°I am not a Body Cultivator.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him somewhat disdainfully and called out to Mo Shan, ¡°Dad.¡±


    Mo Shan, who was in the distance, came over upon hearing her, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed at the stone wall and said, ¡°Dad, this needs to be broken through.¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, his spiritual power invigorated his physical strength, and with one punch, the stone wall was shattered. Once the dust settled, the inside of the wall was revealed.


    It was a large cave, dark and very dry.


    The cave was filled with spirit stones, various types of spiritual artifacts scattered about, and corners stacked with numerous bottles and jars, mostly pills, as well as some fine wine.


    Mo Hua looked on, somewhat shocked, then felt a bit uncomfortable inside.


    The more Taoist cultivation resources there are here, the more cultivators have been robbed, and the more people that have died at the hands of these sin cultivators.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression was grave as he sighed, ¡°No wonder no matter how we interrogated those sin cultivators, they all refused to speak. Now that this cave has been discovered, even if they hadn¡¯t previously committed capital crimes, they are now certainly doomed.¡±


    A cave full of stolen goods, how many people have they robbed and killed¡­


    ¡°How should we deal with these things?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Still, we should categorize them and register them in the record.¡±


    He then explained:


    ¡°There are many missing merchant caravans and cultivators whose whereabouts are unknown. The items here can be used to confirm identities, to know which merchant caravans were robbed by this group of sin cultivators and which cultivators were killed by them.¡±


    ¡°Many of the families of the missing cultivators are still waiting for them to return. Whether alive or dead, at least they deserve an explanation.¡±


    As he said this, Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Tao cultivation is fraught with danger. With insufficient cultivation, once one encounters danger, life and death are unpredictable.


    Mo Hua heard this and nodded in agreement.


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua and added, ¡°If you see anything you like, you can take it first. This time you¡¯ve made great contributions, and the Taoist Court will definitely reward you handsomely. It¡¯s only right for you to take some things.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment but still shook his head, ¡°Forget it, most of these items belong to innocent people who died unfairly. Let¡¯s take them back and register them first. Being able to confirm their identities would at least provide some closure for their families.¡±


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua, nodding with approval.


    Mo Hua looked around the cave once more, then suddenly felt something odd:


    ¡°It seems that the goods of Kong Sheng¡¯s merchant caravan are not here.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there those pills?¡±


    Kong Sheng¡¯s caravan dealt in pill trading.


    Zhang Lan said that, then suddenly his heart skipped a beat, ¡°No, that¡¯s not right.¡±


    He walked to a corner, picked up several bottles of pills, opened the lids and sniffed them, frowning involuntarily: sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°These are old pills, the fragrance is very faint, they are not recently looted.¡±


    Since they traded in pills, it would be impossible to sell old pills, and even if they substituted inferior products for good ones, it could only be a small portion of them.


    Most of the pills would have been made within the last six months.


    Newly made pills have a strong fragrance, but the scent of old pills gradually fades away.


    All the pills in this cave are old with a weak scent.


    This means that these sin cultivators have not robbed any pill-trading merchant caravans recently.


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Zhang Lan voiced his confusion, ¡°Could it be that they have consumed all these pills?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, he denied his own guess:


    ¡°With twenty or thirty of them, even if they ate pills like rice, they couldn¡¯t have consumed them all in such a short period of time.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Shan pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Before we arrived, there wasn¡¯t much of a bloody smell in this valley.¡±


    This meant that this group of sin cultivators wouldn¡¯t bring people here to kill them.


    Furthermore, according to what Bald Tuo himself said, when they killed and robbed people, they usually did it on the spot: they killed people and then looted the goods.


    When Kong Sheng¡¯s caravan was robbed, there wasn¡¯t much blood at the scene, just signs of a struggle and no evidence of a massacre.


    If they had been eaten by monster beasts, the scene would have been far more bloody.


    For a moment, all three felt profound confusion.


    Logically, Bald Tuo should have robbed the caravan and taken the pills before killing the caravan¡¯s cultivators right there.


    Kong Sheng should have died along with the merchants.


    But looking at it now, Bald Tuo and his group didn¡¯t rob that caravan, so naturally, they didn¡¯t kill Kong Sheng either.


    So where did that caravan go?


    And Kong Sheng, is he dead or not?

 Chapter 261 - 260: Map_1

    Chapter 261: Chapter 260: Map_1


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back and ask Bald Tuo again,¡± Zhang Lan said.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling there was something eerie about the situation that needed to be clarified.


    For the rest of the time, Zhang Lan had the Enforcement Leaders log the ill-gotten gains, registering each item into the records. Tomorrow, officials from the Taoist Court would come over to transport these items back to Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua and his companions planned to spend the night on Inner Mountain.


    After tidying up the cave, they prepared to set off toward the camp.


    Just as they were about to leave, Mo Hua suddenly uttered, ¡°Huh?¡±


    Zhang Lan turned around and hastily asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed to a small corner, ¡°There¡¯s something here.¡±


    On hearing this, Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes lit up. He walked to the corner Mo Hua had pointed to, released his Divine Sense, and after inspecting carefully, exclaimed in surprise,


    ¡°There really is a hidden compartment.¡±


    Previously, it was obscured by clutter, which is why no one noticed it.


    Now that the cave was cleared, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense detected the hidden compartment.


    ¡°Is there a formation?¡± Zhang Lan asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Mo Hua shook his head.


    Zhang Lan then looked at Mo Shan, ¡°Brother Mo, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, clenched his fist which soon flared with intense fire, and slammed a punch into the corner¡¯s rock wall.


    The rock wall creaked and cracks appeared.


    Mo Shan continued this way for several rounds until all the rock was shattered.


    Behind the broken wall was a small hidden compartment the size of a square inch, within which there was a wooden box.


    Zhang Lan took out the wooden box, scanned it with his Divine Sense, found no danger, and opened it.


    Mo Hua also leaned in to take a look.


    Inside the wooden box were two books and a map.


    One book was ¡°Changfeng Jue,¡± and the other was ¡°Gale Technique.¡±


    Changfeng Jue is a cultivation technique related to wind-based spiritual power, while Gale Technique is a movement technique of the same category, both of which were learned by Bald Tuo.


    It appeared that this hidden compartment was where Bald Tuo used to stash his things.


    As for the map, it looked like a navigation map.


    The lines on it roughly sketched the mountainous terrain and cliffs. The handwriting was sloppy, and there were no annotations, making it difficult to determine what the map was at first glance.


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°These cultivation techniques and movement techniques are valuable, but since cultivators with a Wind Spiritual Root are rare, there¡¯re few who can learn them. Copy them down later; you could sell them or trade for other Taoist skills. They should be worth quite a bit of Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°As for this map¡­¡± Zhang Lan frowned and asked Mo Hua, ¡°Can you make out where this map is of?¡±


    Zhang Lan was not familiar with the area surrounding Tongxian City, especially the paths on Big Black Mountain.


    He didn¡¯t use maps often.


    He remembered that Mo Hua had hand-drawn a map of Big Black Mountain, marking every road, stream, forest, and tree with great clarity.


    If it really was a map of Big Black Mountain, Mo Hua should be able to recognize it.


    Taking the map, Mo Hua scrutinized it, feeling puzzled.


    It looked both familiar and strange to him.


    ¡°This mountain outline, it resembles a map of Big Black Mountain, but the specifics are beyond my recognition,¡± Mo Hua commented, then turned to ask Mo Shan,


    ¡°Dad, can you make it out?¡±


    After studying it for a while, Mo Shan found it peculiar and suggested, ¡°Didn¡¯t you draw maps of the Inner and Outer Mountains? Bring them and compare.¡± Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Mo Hua nodded, took out the map he had drawn, and spread it on the ground.


    Bald Tuo was captured, the den of the Sin Cultivators was destroyed, and Lu Hui was dead; with nothing pressing at hand, the three of them began studying the maps in detail.


    After half an hour of thorough inspection, they could not locate a corresponding area.


    Zhang Lan suggested, ¡°It might be a map of the mountains outside of Tongxian City around Big Black Mountain.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling that was very likely.


    Big Black Mountain was vast, and beyond the section near Tongxian City, its terrain spread across other regions.


    If that were the case, it was no wonder Mo Hua found it familiar yet couldn¡¯t locate the corresponding landforms.


    ¡°We can go back and ask Bald Tuo where this map came from and what it¡¯s for,¡± Mo Hua considered, then said.


    Bald Tuo had hidden this map with his cultivation techniques and movement techniques, clearly attaching great importance to it, which likely meant it held significant secrets.


    Mo Hua also copied down the map.


    ¡°`


    After spending the night on Big Black Mountain, the three of them got up early the next day and returned to Tongxian City accompanied by mountain dew and the morning sun.


    After resting briefly, Mo Hua went straight to the Taoist Court to find Zhang Lan and asked,


    ¡°Are you going to interrogate Bald Tuo? Take me with you.¡±


    Zhang Lan was somewhat embarrassed, ¡°The interrogation of the Taoist Court cannot be heard by outsiders¡­¡±


    ¡°I had a hand in catching Bald Tuo; how can I be an outsider?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true in principle, but rules are rules,¡± Zhang Lan declined tactfully.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll ask the Court Leader.¡±


    As Mo Hua said this, he began to walk out. Zhang Lan quickly grabbed him and said, ¡°Why are you looking for the Court Leader?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t make the decision, naturally the Court Leader should.¡±


    ¡°The Court Leader won¡¯t agree.¡±


    Mo Hua gave a sly smile, ¡°How do you know the Court Leader won¡¯t agree?¡±


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and realized that the Court Leader might indeed not refuse.


    After all, Bald Tuo was captured with Mo Hua¡¯s help, and now that it was time for the interrogation, Mo Hua wanting to listen in seemed reasonable.


    Plus, Mo Hua had a wide network and many sources of information, some things he might even know better than Zhang Lan, the Supervisor.


    Having him help with the interrogation might really yield some results.


    The old Court Leader already admired Mo Hua, and besides, Mo Hua was a first-class Formation Master; such prestige would certainly be given the due respect.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression was complicated. He sighed, ¡°There will be some blood during the interrogation¡­¡±


    Halfway through his sentence, Zhang Lan suddenly realized that Mo Hua was still a Monster Hunter who was accustomed to seeing cultivators and monster beasts fight to the death and bloodshed. He had likely seen plenty of such scenes.


    With that in mind, Zhang Lan gave up and said, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhang.¡±


    The torture room of the Taoist Prison was located in a dark corner to the west.


    Mo Hua followed Zhang Lan into the torture room and immediately smelled blood and rot. The room was dimly lit, with torture instruments hanging on the walls, dark blood stains on the floor, and a furnace burning branding irons.


    The smell of blood was oppressive and stifling.


    No wonder Zhang Lan didn¡¯t want him to come here.


    Zhang Lan instructed him, ¡°Just listen from the side. If you feel uncomfortable, go out and get some fresh air. This isn¡¯t a nice place; if you can avoid it, you should.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhang!¡±


    Mo Hua thanked him again.


    Zhang Lan smiled faintly and patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder. He then ordered the guards to bring in Bald Tuo.


    Mo Hua found a relatively clean stool to sit on. Soon, he heard the clanking of chains and looked up to see several Enforcement Leaders bringing in Bald Tuo, his bones pierced with iron chains.


    Bald Tuo was covered in wounds, his figure bedraggled, it seemed he hadn¡¯t had an easy time in the Taoist Prison.


    The guards tied Bald Tuo to the rack.


    Zhang Lan put on a cold face and said,


    ¡°Bald Tuo, I¡¯m going to ask you a few questions. If you tell the truth, you can suffer less.¡±


    Bald Tuo kept his eyes closed, showing neither agreement nor dissent.


    Zhang Lan asked several questions, but Bald Tuo remained silent, even under torture he didn¡¯t utter a sound.


    He appeared to be a pig not afraid of being scalded by boiling water.


    Bald Tuo knew he was undoubtedly going to die this time, and he saw the Taoist Court¡¯s cultivators as nothing but lapdogs. Having been caught by the Taoist Court once again, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to say anything.


    For a man at death¡¯s door, at this moment, all he could do was wait for death.


    After asking several times and applying torture a few times, Zhang Lan eventually shook his head in helplessness.


    Then, he noticed Mo Hua making eye signals to him.


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and nodded.


    Mo Hua sauntered forward and asked with a smile, ¡°Big Baldie, do you know about the Water Prison Technique?¡±


    Bald Tuo heard a crisp voice by his ear, and when he looked up, he saw a young cultivator with a beaming smile looking back at him.


    What was a little kid doing in the Taoist Court¡¯s torture chamber?


    And this figure and aura seemed familiar, perhaps the Little Demon Hunter who had rescued Ji Qingbai the other day.


    Bald Tuo felt puzzled, and he asked, ¡°What Water Prison Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua gave a faint smile, raised his little hand, and spiritual power chains condensed, locking onto Bald Tuo.


    This spell¡­


    Bald Tuo¡¯s heart thundered, his eyes widening with shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±

 Chapter 262 - 261 Clue_1

    Chapter 262: Chapter 261 Clue_1


    Bald Tuo, relying on his formidable movement technique, used to run amok in Big Black Mountain without any prohibitions. The reason he was caught was all due to this disgusting Water Prison Technique, which restrained his movement technique tightly.


    The person who performed the spell had a powerful Divine Sense and exquisite spellcasting skills, both quick and accurate.


    Bald Tuo had thought that this person was either a Foundation Building Cultivator or a Supervisor from the Taoist Court, or perhaps an experienced Spirit Master.


    Instead of killing him, they repeatedly trapped him with the Water Prison Technique, playing with him like a cat with a mouse.


    It was either for personal vendettas or for the bounty offered by the Taoist Court.


    Over the years, he had committed countless evils, with innumerable causes and effects, so it was possible that anybody would want to go after him.


    But he had never imagined that the one toying with him would turn out to be this brat?!


    Where did this little monster come from?


    Bald Tuo¡¯s gaze was both malicious and incredulous.


    Mo Hua watched him with a smile, ¡°Now you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve remembered,¡±


    Bald Tuo pulled the corners of his mouth into a bloody smile, ¡°I¡¯ve memorized your face. If I manage to escape, I¡¯ll be sure to come back and kill you!¡±


    Mo Hua remained unafraid, ¡°Once you¡¯re in Taoist Prison and sentenced to death, don¡¯t indulge in such daydreams. Just wait peacefully for your death.¡±


    ¡°And if you really do escape, just run as far away as you can. You dare to come back looking for me? Are you seeking death?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s tone was indifferent, with a trace of contempt in his eyes.


    Bald Tuo was furious, his face twitching, but he had no words to rebut.


    He knew in his heart that the kid was right.


    If he couldn¡¯t escape the kid¡¯s grasp now, it would be even more doubtful in the future.


    Moreover, in his impression, this brat had an excellent movement technique, slippery and uncatchable, coupled with that profound Divine Sense and the precise and strange Water Prison Technique.


    It was difficult to kill him, and even harder to escape from his hands.


    Bald Tuo pondered for a moment, then sneered coldly, ¡°What did you come here for? To ask me something?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua did not hide it.


    Bald Tuo sneered, ¡°I fell into your hands, and I can¡¯t wait to kill you. Now I¡¯m as good as dead anyway, why would I answer your questions?¡±


    Mo Hua casually responded, ¡°I just came to humiliate you. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t answer; I¡¯ll just ask someone else.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Mo Hua said as if he had thought of something, ¡°Later, I will spread the word that Bald Tuo, with his infamous big name, fell into the hands of me, a thirteen-year-old cultivator, and was played with by my spells for a long while, scurrying like a mouse, unable to escape no matter what¡­¡±


    Bald Tuo spat out a mouthful of blood, ¡°You dare?!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there not to dare?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for trouble. There will be Sin Cultivators who will seek revenge on you,¡± Bald Tuo said hatefully.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already fallen into my hands; other cultivators are even less of a concern.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s right hand made a false grasp, condensing a Water Prison, and smiled, ¡°Then I¡¯ll just wait to go fishing. I¡¯ll catch them one by one, catch pairs in pairs. Anyone who dares to mess with me won¡¯t think of escaping!¡±


    Bald Tuo gnashed his teeth, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m as good as dead¡­¡±


    ¡°Death doesn¡¯t necessarily settle everything, you know,¡± Mo Hua added. ¡°Think about it, if I spread the story, you¡¯ll become a laughing stock. The nearby Taoist Court, Monster Hunters, even those Sin Cultivators, will all mock you.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll ridicule you, saying you¡¯re useless, for falling into the hands of a child; they¡¯ll call you foolish, call you pig-brained.¡±


    Bald Tuo coughed up blood continuously.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°You see, even after death, one might not be at peace. If you¡¯re insulted for doing bad deeds, you may not care, but being scolded for stupidity and incompetence¡­ that¡¯s a little harder to bear¡­¡±


    As Mo Hua spoke, his eyes lit up, ¡°I forgot to tell you, there¡¯s a Fulu Building in the city, and inside, there¡¯s a storyteller. I¡¯ll have someone turn your story into a tale, let that storyteller every day¡­¡±


    Bald Tuo shouted loudly, ¡°Shut up!¡± After a while, he compromised, ¡°I¡¯ll talk¡­¡±


    Mo Hua seemed a bit reluctant to stop, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished yet¡­¡±


    Bald Tuo said indignantly, ¡°Ask away, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±


    He was prepared to die, but dying as a joke for these assorted cultivators to laugh at¡ªthat was absolutely unacceptable!


    The Enforcement Leaders pushing Bald Tuo were dumbfounded as they listened, and they looked at Mo Hua with a touch of awe.


    Zhang Lan wasn¡¯t surprised, but he felt some admiration.


    Worthy of being a disciple of Elder Yu. Those words were sharper than knives, they could be used for execution.


    ¡°`


    Others kill with knives, but your words stab at the heart¡­


    Seeing that Bald Tuo had quieted down, Mo Hua asked:


    ¡°In the merchant brigades you¡¯ve recently robbed, were there any that sold pills?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How many pills were there?¡±


    ¡°Not many, just a few dozen bottles. Their business was miscellaneous; they didn¡¯t solely trade in pills.¡±


    Mo Hua and Zhang Lan exchanged glances, both somewhat surprised.


    That merchant brigade was indeed not the one Bald Tuo had robbed.


    ¡°Do you know who Kong Sheng is?¡± Mo Hua continued.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Kong Sheng?¡±


    ¡°The young master of the Kong Family.¡±


    Bald Tuo snickered, ¡°What good can come out of the Kong Family? I¡¯ve never seen them.¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily at a loss for words. You sin cultivators and the Kong Family are both of no virtue, yet you disdain each other¡­


    ¡°The young master of the Kong Family might have died at the hands of you sin cultivators.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a deal with the Kong Family?¡±


    Bald Tuo coughed, ¡°We sin cultivators act for spirit stones; whoever gives spirit stones gets to call the shots. Without spirit stones, what is the Kong Family, and what difference does it make whether one is a young master or not? If you piss me off, I¡¯ll slaughter you just the same.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, beginning to understand, then said:


    ¡°One last question, what place is this map depicting?¡±


    Mo Hua took out a crudely drawn map from the storage bag and spread it out in front of Bald Tuo.


    Bald Tuo suddenly looked up, his eyes showing shock, ¡°You discovered the hidden compartment?¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Bald Tuo muttered, ¡°How is that possible¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked curiously, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be possible? The hidden compartment wasn¡¯t that well concealed.¡±


    ¡°The hidden compartment is in a cave, and there¡¯s a formation outside the cave¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve broken that formation,¡± Mo Hua said nonchalantly.


    Bald Tuo was taken aback, almost spitting blood as he said, ¡°How the hell are you also a formation master?¡±


    He then understood why the divine sense was so strong.


    And the formations he had encountered were all drawn by this brat himself.


    Mo Hua, meanwhile, looked at Bald Tuo with a displeased expression.


    He thought if he cursed again, he¡¯d pull out the Thousand Jun Stick and smash his mouth to pieces!


    Bald Tuo didn¡¯t dare curse any further. The corner of his eye twitched, and then his expression gradually became dejected.


    The cave had been discovered, and all the wealth inside was gone.


    That was the fortune he had accumulated over decades through murder and robbery, and now even if he could escape by fluke, he¡¯d have nothing left.


    Mo Hua lifted the map in his hand again, ¡°Can you speak now?¡±


    Bald Tuo completely lost hope.


    At this point, there was nothing worth hiding anymore.


    Bald Tuo sighed, ¡°This map belonged to a good brother of mine long ago¡­¡±


    ¡°We were both sin cultivators, drinking together, eating meat together, killing people together, and together we were wanted by the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°He treated this map as a treasure. I wanted to borrow it to have a look, but he refused, so I poisoned his drink and took the opportunity to kill him and take this map.¡±


    ¡°After the deed, I regretted it. The map was sloppy, with unclear directions, and I didn¡¯t know what it was good for. I¡¯ve studied it for decades and still haven¡¯t a clue. The most painful part is that I lost a good brother over this worthless thing¡­ ¡±


    Mo Hua was left utterly speechless.

 Chapter 263 - 262 Waist Badge_1

    Chapter 263: Chapter 262 Waist Badge_1


    After the interrogation was over, Bald Tuo was taken away and sent into the Taoist Prison.


    Mo Hua asked Zhang Lan, ¡°Uncle Zhang, was Bald Tuo telling the truth?¡±


    Zhang Lan pondered for a moment before slowly saying, ¡°The first part was true, not so sure about the latter half, probably half-truths. This person is cunning; we can¡¯t take his words entirely at face value.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He definitely hid something about the map.


    But as to what the map is exactly related to, there are too few clues, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t have any idea either.


    ¡°Should we ask that one-eyed man again?¡± suggested Mo Hua.


    He remembered another Sin Cultivator with one eye who seemed to be a leader of some sort, likely to know more.


    ¡°Okay, when I¡¯m free I¡¯ll interrogate him. You should head back now; this interrogation room is not a pleasant place.¡±


    After finishing, Zhang Lan waved his hand in front of his nose, as if trying to fan away the foul smell.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Mo Hua also felt that the smell here was unpleasant and oppressive after staying too long, so he prepared to leave.


    Zhang Lan suddenly added, ¡°I¡¯ll come to find you in a few days.¡±


    Mo Hua turned back, somewhat puzzled, ¡°For what purpose?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten?¡± Zhang Lan winked at Mo Hua, ¡°It was agreed that if you caught Bald Tuo, you would receive a reward from the Taoist Court.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°What kind of reward?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know in a few days.¡±


    Zhang Lan was still being mysterious.


    True to his word, Zhang Lan did find Mo Hua a few days later and handed him a brocade pouch.


    Mo Hua opened it to find a bronze-made token inside.


    The material wasn¡¯t particularly precious, nor did it seem to be a Spiritual Artifact. Its style looked somewhat archaic, even a bit clunky and stiff.


    ¡°This is it?¡± Mo Hua felt a little disappointed.


    He had thought the Taoist Court would give him spells, cultivation techniques, pills, or something like a formation.


    Zhang Lan said with annoyance, ¡°What do you mean ¡®this is it¡¯? Do you even know what this is?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    ¡°This is a waist token of the Taoist Court!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°Aren¡¯t the Tribunal Cultivators the only ones with official waist tokens?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± nodded Zhang Lan, ¡°That¡¯s why yours is not official.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, ¡°A fake?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°Auxiliary.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua understood. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tribunal Cultivators, from Enforcement Leaders and Supervisors up to Deputy Court Leaders and the Court Leader, were all hired after passing an assessment.


    The assessment was strict, with categories ranging from one¡¯s Spiritual Root and cultivation techniques to martial arts and spells, family background, any criminal record, and whether there was any direct relative who had been imprisoned or turned Demon within three generations.


    All these were factors scrutinized by the Taoist Court.


    Passing the assessment was no easy feat ¨C not one in a thousand, but surely one in a hundred.


    Apart from the assessment, there were also various complicated relationships and networks among the cultivators in the shadows.


    For Mo Hua to pass the assessment and become an official Tribunal Cultivator, even just as an Enforcement Leader, might be quite difficult.


    Now, being able to casually obtain an auxiliary position wasn¡¯t so bad.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between auxiliary and official?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    Zhang Lan explained, ¡°Auxiliary means outside the regular establishment. You can help the Taoist Court with tasks, earn merits, and exchange them for resources like Spirit Stones, cultivation techniques, spells, Spiritual Artifacts, and formations necessary for Tao Cultivation.¡±


    ¡°But without a proper rank in the Tribunal, you can¡¯t get promotions, don¡¯t really have any authority, and certainly can¡¯t compare with the regular Tribunal Cultivators in terms of treatment.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°like a contractor on the surface, but actually a worker.¡±


    Zhang Lan huffed, ¡°Many cultivators desire even this and can¡¯t find the connections.¡±


    Mo Hua leaned in, speaking quietly, ¡°Is this waist token really that good?¡±


    Zhang Lan pointed at the token in Mo Hua¡¯s hand, ¡°To others, this might just be a way to scrape by. But it¡¯s different for you; you¡¯re a Formation Master. You don¡¯t rely on this to make a living, and you can even use this to fleece the Taoist Court.¡±


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°Uncle Zhang, you¡¯re also part of the Taoist Court. Encouraging me to fleece the Taoist Court, isn¡¯t that a bit inappropriate¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan glared at Mo Hua, ¡°I didn¡¯t coax you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    Zhang Lan felt somewhat helpless, ¡°With the Taoist Court unifying the Cultivation World, there are countless resources. The Tribunal below it is also vast and wealthy. The fact that you can fleece the Tribunal Cultivators is a credit to your own skill.¡±


    At least, in the whole Tongxian City, you are the only one who can have a Court Leader deliver a waist token to you¡­


    Zhang Lan thought silently.


    After considering for a moment, Mo Hua asked curiously, ¡°But how do you fleece them?¡±


    The waist token might belong to the Tribunal, but it only had some simple patterns on it, no inscriptions, and it looked like an ordinary bronze token; there was nothing special about it.


    Even though Zhang Lan said it could be exploited, Mo Hua had no idea how to do so.


    After asking, Mo Hua felt it wasn¡¯t great to always be asking Zhang Lan for things, so he patted his chest and generously said:


    ¡°Just eat and drink to your heart¡¯s content today, I¡¯ll pick up the tab.¡±


    After all, the eatery was owned by his family.


    Zhang Lan chuckled and shook his head, then explained to Mo Hua:


    ¡°You¡¯ve helped the Tribunal, and without this waist token, it would only count as a personal favor, which can be taken lightly or seriously and may not always be honored.¡±


    ¡°But with the waist token, your favors can be recorded as merits, and merits can be concretely exchanged for spirit stones, pills, and spiritual artifacts.¡±


    ¡°For instance, helping us catch Bald Tuo, once caught, counts as us owing you a favor, which the Court Leader and I will acknowledge, but other cultivators might not know about it and might not acknowledge it either.¡±


    ¡°Now with the waist token, this favor can be noted as merit, approved by the Court Leader, and recorded in the merit book. That¡¯s a solid accomplishment that¡¯s publicly recognized, and no one can deny it.¡±


    Mo Hua gained a rough understanding and then asked, ¡°So, how are these merits calculated?¡±


    Zhang Lan took a sip of tea and continued:


    ¡°First of all, it¡¯s divided by grade. You¡¯re in the Qi Refinement Realm, so your merits will be graded at Grade C.¡±


    ¡°Next, the merits are classified into four ranks: A, B, C, and D. Different ranks of merits can be exchanged for different items, but there¡¯s also a limit to how much you can exchange.¡±


    ¡°For your assistance in capturing Bald Tuo, the Court Leader recorded it as a ¡®B¡¯ rank merit; if you exchange for spirit stones, you can get about a thousand.¡±


    ¡°That much?¡± Mo Hua was surprised.


    Over twenty people combined to capture Bald Tuo, and Mo Hua alone would get a thousand spirit stones.


    ¡°This is just based on the calculated merit; there are also other bounties and various rewards that add up to quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°Bald Tuo is that valuable? If I catch a few more, wouldn¡¯t that make me rich?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Zhang Lan lightly rubbed Mo Hua¡¯s head, ¡°Do you think Bald Tuo is a radish? Catching them isn¡¯t as easy as picking radishes.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded.


    That¡¯s true. Among that group of sin cultivators, Bald Tuo was considered a ¡°big brother.¡±


    Even if he was a radish, he¡¯d be the biggest one among them.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s better to save these merits for future use, converting them into spirit stones is a bit of a waste,¡± Zhang Lan added.


    ¡°Is there a special reason for that?¡±


    ¡°Behind the Tribunal is the Taoist Court, with its deep and abundant heritage and resources. What they offer as rewards might not be the most precious, but they are the most comprehensive.¡±


    Zhang Lan patiently explained, ¡°Whether it¡¯s for cultivation or Formation Painting, you¡¯ll inevitably encounter things that, while not expensive, are rare and may not be purchasable even with spirit stones. That¡¯s when it gets tricky.¡±


    ¡°But with this waist token, you can directly exchange it for items from the Tribunal¡¯s warehouse, which will save a lot of hassle.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly as he listened.


    He would truly have been clueless about such matters without Zhang Lan¡¯s guidance.


    Then Mo Hua expressed his concern, ¡°By taking this waist token, am I obliged to follow the orders of the Tribunal?¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to one day genuinely become a ¡°lapdog of the Tribunal,¡± only able to act on the Tribunal¡¯s whims.


    ¡°Rest assured,¡± Zhang Lan raised his eyebrows at Mo Hua, ¡°that¡¯s another advantage of this Bronze Waist Token, ¡®you answer their call but not their beckon.¡¯¡±


    ¡°The Tribunal has the right to enlist you, but they don¡¯t have real authority over you. As long as you don¡¯t rely on this as your livelihood, you can simply throw the token away and quit. No one can do anything to you.¡±


    ¡°Is this what ¡®If there is no desire, then you will be steadfast¡¯ means?¡±


    Zhang Lan considered for a moment and nodded, ¡°I suppose it does. As long as you don¡¯t stoop low to gain favor, it¡¯s actually very easygoing.¡±


    With that in mind, Mo Hua was reassured.


    He was a Formation Master and indeed didn¡¯t rely on this for a living. The waist token was just for fleecing some extra benefits.


    Mo Hua then sighed, ¡°My identity is getting a bit complicated now.¡±


    His main role was as a Formation Master, and then there was being a Monster Hunter, and now he was also a little hustler fleecing the Tribunal.

 Chapter 264 - 263 Concealment Formation_1

    Chapter 264: Chapter 263 Concealment Formation_1


    Mo Hua thought about it, feeling that multiple identities could be beneficial.


    In the vast expanses of the Nine State in the Cultivation World, boundless and unending,


    if he ever ventured out and encountered difficulties, having more identities could open up additional paths.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhang!¡±


    Mo Hua sincerely said.


    ¡°You should also thank the Court Leader. If he hadn¡¯t given his approval, you wouldn¡¯t have this token,¡± said Zhang Lan.


    ¡°Then please thank the Court Leader on my behalf, and if there¡¯s anything I can help with in the future, just let me know.¡±


    With the prospect of benefiting from others¡¯ generosity, Mo Hua¡¯s enthusiasm greatly increased.


    Zhang Lan laughed and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell the Court Leader when I return.¡±


    Soon, Jiang Yun brought up their dishes, five or six plates in total, a mix of meat and vegetables, accompanied by fine wine.


    Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow, ¡°Not bad, quite generous now.¡±


    Mo Hua hehe-ed and said, ¡°Just eat up, it¡¯s all on me.¡±


    Over a thousand Spirit Stones, Mo Hua could treat Zhang Lan for a month without any issue.


    ¡°Alright then, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡±


    Having been busily dealing with the issues concerning Bald Tuo and Kong Sheng for some time, eating and sleeping outdoors, and dealing with the blandness in his mouth, Zhang Lan truly wanted to treat himself.


    As Zhang Lan ate, Mo Hua also picked up a small bowl, choosing his favorites to enjoy.


    The two chatted as they ate, and once they were full and had their fill of wine, Zhang Lan left.


    Mo Hua pondered the matter of the Map for a while but still had no clues, so he set it aside for the time being.


    He would wait to see if Zhang Lan could glean anything from Cyclops.


    For the time being, Mo Hua decided to focus on the Concealment Technique.


    He was very eager to learn the Concealment Technique.


    The Concealment Technique could hide, scout, protect, and sneak up on people.


    At face value, concealment might not seem useful, but when applied skillfully, it¡¯s a spell incorporating both offense and defense.


    One could advance to attack or retreat to defend.


    Advance to catch the enemy off guard, retreat to escape a thousand miles.


    Even if the Concealment Technique was seen through, he still had the Water Passing Step as a backup, keeping him from falling into a desperate situation like Diao Laosi, caught between a rock and a hard place.


    Even if he encountered a melee among cultivators, he would be able to handle it with ease.


    Mo Hua still remembered Old Kui¡¯s teaching, ¡°There are myriad spells, each with its own strengths, the wonder of their use lies within the heart.¡±


    The Concealment Technique certainly fitted the description given by Old Kui.


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Root was not quite suitable, which is why the Concealment Technique he cultivated was deficient.


    Mo Hua frowned in thought.


    The Spiritual Roots of cultivators differ, granting varied abilities; where there are strengths, there are also weaknesses.


    Given that there were flaws with the Concealment Technique, was there some other way to compensate?


    After much thought, the only solution Mo Hua could come up with was Formation.


    And that was his area of expertise.


    He took the Thousand Formation Catalog, given to him by Mr. Zhuang, out of his Storage Bag, flipped through it for a while until his eyes blurred, but he found no Formation related to concealment.


    Scratching his head, Mo Hua went to ask Bai Zisheng.


    ¡°Concealment Formation?¡± Bai Zisheng was somewhat surprised, looked around, and spoke in a lowered voice, ¡°Are you planning to become a thief?¡±


    Mo Hua gave him a look, emphasizing, ¡°I am a Serious Cultivator!¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want this Formation for?¡±


    ¡°Of course, for self-protection,¡± said Mo Hua.


    And for deceiving others¡­


    Naturally, Mo didn¡¯t voice this reason, as it didn¡¯t sound very upstanding.


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat straightforward and took him at his word, nodding, ¡°Indeed, the Concealment Technique is well suited for self-protection.¡±


    ¡°Do you know the Formation Diagram for the Concealment Formation?¡±


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, then turned to ask Bai Zixi, ¡°Zixi, do you know?¡±


    Bai Zixi also shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s a rare Formation. The Bai Family¡¯s Scripture Pavilion should have it, but I didn¡¯t bring it with me.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed and realized he had to bother Mr. Zhuang again.


    He then grew curious, ¡°Why is the Concealment Formation considered rare? Is it because the Concealment Technique is rare?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Bai Zixi¡¯s voice was clear as she nodded her head.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, Bai Zixi patiently explained to him:


    ¡°With unique Spiritual Roots and scarce inheritance, such spells are hard to learn, and as such, any Formation capable of achieving the same effect is even rarer.¡±


    Mo Hua understood.


    The inheritance of the Concealment Technique is rare, and the requirements for the Spiritual Root are stringent; only a pure Water Spirit Root is suitable for learning it.


    If other elemental Spiritual Roots were mixed in, it would turn out like Mo Hua¡ªachieving only a bastardized version of concealment, able to take on a watery form but not be fully invisible.


    Therefore, cultivators who knew the Concealment Technique were scarce, and thus the Concealment Formations that could be concealed were likewise quite precious.


    Mo Hua nodded and, feeling grateful, asked Bai Zixi, ¡°Is there anything in particular you want to eat?¡±


    Bai Zixi hesitated, then took out a recipe book from his storage bag, flipped to a dog-eared page, and pointed to a confection named ¡°Perfect Blossom Full Moon¡± saying:


    ¡°This.¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at it, noting that the ¡°Perfect Blossom Full Moon¡± looked a bit like a mooncake filled with flowers.


    Sweet osmanthus, peach blossoms, locust flowers, crabapple flowers, and more were all included.


    They were full of floral fragrance, although it was uncertain whether mixing so many flowers together would result in a strange taste.


    Mo Hua took the recipe book and put it into his storage bag, ¡°Alright, I will have my mother give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze was clear and shone brightly.


    Mo Hua prepared to find Mr. Zhuang but upon turning around, saw Bai Zisheng looking at him eagerly, he said somewhat helplessly:


    ¡°What do you want to eat now?¡±


    Bai Zisheng blurted out, ¡°Rabbit meat!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite troublesome.¡±


    ¡°No rush, just remember to bring me some if there¡¯s any,¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Bai Zisheng also expressed his gratitude, ¡°I¡¯ll help you fight in the future.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely call you for fights.¡±


    However, Aunt Xue might not allow you to fight.


    Proper descendants of noble clans put more emphasis on Tao Cultivation and had more rules to follow, resulting in less freedom.


    For someone like Qian Xing and Kong Sheng, although they were free, they could not act lawlessly.


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly and then went to meet Mr. Zhuang to inquire about the Concealment Formation.


    Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°You can¡¯t learn it yet.¡±


    Mo Hua timidly asked, ¡°Is it very difficult to learn?¡±


    ¡°It is somewhat difficult,¡± Mr. Zhuang replied, then looked at Mo Hua and added, ¡°However, it shouldn¡¯t be hard for you.¡±


    After all, you¡¯ve been drawing such challenging Compound Formations with form and accuracy¡­


    Mr. Zhuang thought inwardly.


    ¡°Is it because of Divine Sense?¡± Mo Hua speculated.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua exclaimed in surprise, ¡°This Concealment Formation, it doesn¡¯t have ten Formation Patterns too, does it¡­?¡±


    ¡°Not every Formation can have ten Formation Patterns; formations with ten patterns are not so cheap.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled, shaking his head before adding:


    ¡°The Concealment Formation only has nine Formation Patterns, but they are special; drawing them is more draining on the Divine Sense, and the Divine Sense required is also greater than that of ordinary first-rank formations with nine patterns.¡±


    ¡°Its requirement for Divine Sense is above nine patterns but less than ten.¡±


    Mo Hua then inquired, ¡°So, how much exactly might it be?¡±


    It¡¯s above nine patterns but less than ten.


    Though it¡¯s only a single pattern short, the difference in Divine Sense needed is twice as much.


    As Mr. Zhuang had said before, nine patterns for Qi Refinement, ten patterns for Foundation Establishment; the leap in Divine Sense from nine to ten patterns involves crossing the chasm from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, and there is a significant disparity.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you the Nine-and-a-half Reversed Spirit Formation before?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Once you learn that, your Divine Sense will be sufficient to learn the Concealment Formation,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    ¡°So, the Divine Sense needed for the Concealment Formation is roughly nine-and-a-half patterns?¡±


    ¡°Nine-and-a-half, plus a little bit more,¡± Mr. Zhuang stated with precision.


    ¡°Disciple understands, thank you, Gentleman,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Now that a goal was set, things became simpler, and for Mo Hua, Divine Sense of nine-and-a-half patterns wasn¡¯t so unattainable.


    After saying farewell to Mr. Zhuang, he pondered with a furrowed brow, apparently deep in thought.


    Within the bamboo room, the figure of Old Kui slowly became visible.


    Mr. Zhuang then said to Old Kui, ¡°You were right; it is indeed difficult for someone in the Qi-refining Realm to possess the Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment level.¡±


    ¡°The child Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense is growing quite fast, isn¡¯t it?¡± Old Kui observed casually.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze deepened, ¡°It is fast, but not fast enough.¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s expressionless gaze shifted toward him.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°Among all the cultivators I¡¯ve seen, his Divine Sense growth is indeed the fastest. However, to break through the limit of Qi-refining Realm¡¯s Divine Sense, it¡¯s still far from enough.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say,¡± Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°At the current pace, it could be as short as five years or as long as ten years. Moreover, Divine Sense growth slows down the further one progresses, and if anything goes awry, it could take decades to reach Foundation Establishment.¡±


    Old Kui furrowed his brow, and for a moment, silence filled the room.


    ¡°Is there a way to expedite the process?¡± Old Kui asked. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang tapped his fingertips on the armrest of the bamboo chair, his eyes shifting uncertainly before he sighed after a long time, ¡°Let me think about it.¡±

 Chapter 265 - 264 Strange Events_1

    Chapter 265: Chapter 264 Strange Events_1


    After returning, Mo Hua devoted all his attention to the Reversed Spirit Formation outside of his daily cultivation practices.


    At night, he sank into his Sea of Consciousness and practiced the Reversed Spirit Formation on the Taoist Stele. During the day, whether in his small cabin or on the tables in eateries, he continued to draw the Reversed Spirit Formation stroke by stroke.


    After about ten days, his Divine Sense had grown considerably. He could now roughly outline the nine-and-a-half incomplete Reversed Spirit Formations and estimated that it wouldn¡¯t be long before he could draw them fully.


    Once he could draw the nine-and-a-half Reversed Spirit Formations, he could go find Mr. Zhuang to learn how to draw the Concealment Formation.


    Having learned the Concealment Formation, Mo Hua could compensate for the deficiencies in his own Concealment Technique using formations.


    Once he mastered the Concealment Technique, he would have much more flexibility in handling any situation he encountered.


    Mo Hua also gave the diet prescriptions provided by Bai Zixi to his mother and pointed to a pastry called ¡°Perfect Blossom Full Moon,¡± saying,


    ¡°Mother, I want to eat this.¡±


    ¡°Greedy again.¡± Liu Ruhua tapped Mo Hua¡¯s nose lightly, her tone rebuking but her expression indulgent.


    She took the diet prescription, glanced at it, and said with some confusion, ¡°Is this what you want to eat?¡±


    Although Mo Hua was not picky on regular days, she, as his mother, was clear about his taste preferences.


    This pastry used so many flowers as filling; it seemed a bit too sweet and rich, probably not something he would want to eat for himself.


    Mo Hua blinked and said, ¡°Mother, I want to try a different taste.¡±


    Sweet, with flowers¡­ S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Liu Ruhua seemed to understand and laughed softly, ¡°Alright, Mother will make it for you.¡±


    The Perfect Blossom Full Moon was somewhat intricate to make, but the ingredients were not expensive. Liu Ruhua figured out how to make it after studying it for two days and steamed a basketful.


    Mo Hua carefully stored these pastries and brought some to Bai Zixi when he visited Mr. Zhuang.


    Bai Zisheng had a share too; it was rabbit meat he had been longing for.


    This was ordered by a diner, and Mo Hua asked his mother to cook a little extra to save for Bai Zisheng to eat.


    Under the big locust tree, Bai Zisheng ate with joy and animation.


    Bai Zixi ate quietly and elegantly as always, seriously, without noticing a few petals sticking to her lips.


    Watching her, Mo Hua intended to remind her but found her lips more colorful than the flowers and momentarily froze, forgetting to speak.


    Seeing Mo Hua looking at her, Bai Zixi thought he wanted some too. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she took out a piece and handed it to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua paused, then shook his head, ¡°You eat it.¡±


    He had tasted it before. The floral scent was too strong, and it was too sweet. Eating too much would be cloying, so he shouldn¡¯t have too much.


    Bai Zixi asked, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want it?¡±


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Mo Hua accepted it.


    A little cloying wouldn¡¯t hurt, eating one piece was fine.


    Bai Zixi nodded slightly, and without another word, they both quietly ate the flower pastries under the tree.


    Afterward, Mo Hua continued to study the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    When he had some free time, he also took out the rubbings of the map to look at them.


    However, after pondering for a long time, he still couldn¡¯t figure out which part of Big Black Mountain was depicted on the map.


    And about the bald man and the one-eyed man under questioning, he wondered how it was going and if there were any new leads.


    One day, as Mo Hua was practicing the Reversed Spirit Formation in the eatery, Zhang Lan came in to dine, with a somewhat somber expression.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua, Zhang Lan seemed hesitant to speak.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°That one-eyed Sin Cultivator has confessed.¡±


    A spark of interest appeared in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    Zhang Lan sighed softly; he had initially not wanted to tell Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had already helped them capture Bald Tuo. The matter was considered resolved, and what followed was the responsibility of the Taoist Court officials: questioning, sentencing, and execution.


    These matters weren¡¯t related to Mo Hua, but if what the mono-eyed monk said was true, that would probably involve all Monster Hunters.


    Zhang Lan continued, ¡°Regarding the matter of the map, Bald Tuo indeed told a false tale.¡±


    Mo Hua snorted, ¡°That bald head, not honest even when death is at hand!¡± Then he asked, ¡°What did the one-eye say?¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s gaze became slightly focused, ¡°That map is indeed a map of Big Black Mountain.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed, and he felt a sense of unease.


    Zhang Lan went on, ¡°There¡¯s a rumor among the Sin Cultivators that those covered in blood, when they find themselves with no way out, can enter Big Black Mountain.¡±


    ¡°When did this rumor start?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s been around for a long time. According to the mono-eyed, the rumor has existed among the Sin Cultivators for almost a hundred or two hundred years.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s tone grew heavier, ¡°But previously, few believed it. Tongxian City was remote, and Big Black Mountain was treacherous, so not many Sin Cultivators came. But recently, it¡¯s different¡­¡±


    ¡°Recently, Tongxian City has been gradually flourishing, Loose Cultivators have become affluent, and there are more merchants coming and going, with more opportunities for illicit gain. Hence, many Sin Cultivators have gathered towards Big Black Mountain. That¡¯s why we were able to capture them all at once and obtain this clue.¡±


    The more Zhang Lan spoke, the more serious his tone became.


    If that really was the case, then the biggest problem with Big Black Mountain might not be those Sin Cultivators.


    ¡°Those covered in blood, when they find themselves with no way out, can enter Big Black Mountain¡­¡± Mo Hua repeated, asking, ¡°Then what? What can they do after entering Big Black Mountain?¡±


    Zhang Lan shook his head, ¡°We don¡¯t know that. Or should I say, perhaps those who know haven¡¯t been captured by us yet.¡±


    ¡°Neither Bald Tuo nor the one-eye know?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°Even after we conducted interrogations, they would not speak. I estimate they truly don¡¯t know.¡±


    If these Sin Cultivators all didn¡¯t know, then the only clue would be¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°That map?¡±


    Zhang Lan slowly said, ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking. If we can find out the locations marked on the map, maybe we can uncover the truth behind this rumor.¡±


    ¡°What about that Bald Tuo? The map is his.¡±


    Zhang Lan appeared somewhat disappointed, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know either. He indeed murdered and stole the map, but where the location is, and what it signifies, he has no clue whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°However, the mono-eyed one mentioned encountering something strange.¡±


    ¡°Strange event?¡± Mo Hua frowned.


    Zhang Lan slightly nodded and recounted the matter to Mo Hua:


    ¡°He said that more than ten years ago, he went to Big Black Mountain to rob, but came up empty-handed. At night, wrapped in a single garment, braving the mountain wind, he slept on a large tree. He dared not sleep on the ground for fear that in a half-asleep state, he would be eaten by Monster Beasts.¡±


    ¡°Half in a daze, he heard people talking.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t sure if it was two or three people; they were speaking in hushed voices with a coarse whisper, which in the dark of night sounded particularly strange, and also indistinct.¡±


    ¡°He was alone on the tree, not even daring to breathe too loudly. He listened fragmentarily for quite a while before he could make out the gist of their conversation.¡±


    ¡°Those Cultivators beneath the tree were also Sin Cultivators, seemed to have committed all manner of vile acts, annihilating a family of Cultivators and looting their spirit stones and assets. They were pursued by the Taoist Court and had run out of options, thus they thought of seeking refuge in Big Black Mountain.¡±


    ¡°They were highly cultivated, their conversation revealing ruthless methods. The mono-eyed monk felt fear in his heart as he shivered on the tree, not daring to move until dawn, when he saw no one around and finally had the courage to descend.¡±


    ¡°And from then on, he never saw that group of Sin Cultivators in Big Black Mountain again. Those Sin Cultivators spoke of hiding in Big Black Mountain for refuge, but it was as if they¡¯d vanished from the face of this world, disappearing without a trace¡­¡±


    Listening to this, a chill arose from the depths of Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    If that really was the case, Big Black Mountain was a haven for filth, its waters far too deep.


    Zhang Lan, seeing there were still diners around, thought for a moment and then lowered his voice to speak to Mo Hua:


    ¡°That mono-eyed one also overheard that group of Sin Cultivators saying a phrase¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression grew solemn, and Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    ¡°What phrase?¡±


    Zhang Lan pondered for a moment, then slowly said:


    ¡°Mists of Black Mountain, concealing pits and dens; at midnight¡¯s third watch, cast your name to ask the way.¡±

 Chapter 266 - 265 Deep Mountain_1

    Chapter 266: Chapter 265 Deep Mountain_1


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart and silently memorized these sixteen characters.


    It seemed that this map was no trivial matter¡ªif not understood clearly, it would certainly be a significant hidden danger.


    Cultivators live off the land, making the best use of their local conditions.


    Near Tongxian City, there were neither fertile Spirit Fields, surging rivers and seas, nor Spirit Beasts suitable for nurturing.


    Nearby Loose Cultivators all had to make a living in Big Black Mountain.


    And to the south of the city, the Refinery Shops, Alchemist¡¯s Businesses, and even the Fulu Building all depended on Monster Hunters to hunt Monster Beasts, strip their flesh and bones for materials, supplying the needs of Artifact Refining, Alchemy, and cooking.


    Studying Formations, Mo Hua also needed to gather a great quantity of Monster Blood to mix the Spiritual Ink.


    All the Cultivators of Tongxian City, whether it was for the sake of Tao Cultivation, production, or daily life, were closely connected to Big Black Mountain.


    If Big Black Mountain harbored deep-seated dangers, that would be a serious problem.


    Afterward, while Mo Hua studied the Reversed Spirit Formation, whenever he had free time, he ventured into Big Black Mountain. Whenever he came across a secluded or unfamiliar place, he would open the Sin Cultivator¡¯s map to compare the locations, to see if he could find the places marked on the map.


    However, after searching for several days, he still found nothing.


    Feeling dejected, Mo Hua lifted his head to see a thick fog enshrouding the distant area, concealing the layered ridges of the mountains, blocking out the sunlight, creating a hazy, indistinct world where it was unclear where the mountain ended and the cliff began.


    That was the deep forest of Big Black Mountain, also the most dangerous part of Big Black Mountain.


    It was said the forest was unpredictable and perilous, and Cultivators who went there never returned.


    As Mo Hua watched, he suddenly startled and gasped in cold air:


    ¡°The fog of Black Mountain can hide deep dens¡­¡±


    Could the location marked on this map be the deep forest of Big Black Mountain?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids twitched as he thought it more and more likely.


    He was thoroughly familiar with the Outer Mountain, and although he wouldn¡¯t say he knew the Inner Mountain like the back of his hand, he was still very familiar with it.


    If the location recorded on the map was truly within the Inner or Outer Mountain, then he would definitely have some recollection.


    If not the Outer Mountain, not the Inner Mountain, then it must be the deep forest.


    The Sin Cultivator who vanished without a trace, the deep forest from which none returned.


    With a guess forming in his heart, a chill swept over Mo Hua.


    He hastily used his movement technique and ran back to Tongxian City, arriving breathlessly to find Elder Yu and urgently asked:


    ¡°Elder Yu, has anyone ever been to the deep forest?¡±


    Frightened by the question, Elder Yu exclaimed, ¡°Why are you asking about that? The deep forest is dangerous; you can¡¯t go there.¡±


    He thought Mo Hua was curious and wanted to play in the deep forest.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going, I¡¯m just asking.¡± Mo Hua caught his breath, ¡°Is it true that once Monster Hunters enter the deep forest, they never come back?¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s grave expression and serious tone, Elder Yu knew this was likely no trivial matter and nodded:


    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s the case.¡±


    ¡°Since when did it start?¡±


    Elder Yu furrowed his brows and pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°It was probably about two hundred, maybe over three hundred years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only lived for a little over two hundred years, so how could I be clear about events before that? I can only go by hearsay.¡±


    Elder Yu stroked his beard, recalling the past, and then continued:


    ¡°It seems that over three hundred years ago, although the deep forest was dangerous, it was still accessible.¡±


    ¡°Accessible?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Yes, accessible, but with heavy fog, poisonous miasma, and stronger Monster Beasts, there were more Second Grade beasts.¡±


    Thinking further, Elder Yu added, ¡°Although it was called the deep forest back then, it was actually just part of the Inner Mountain, except it was the most dangerous part of the Inner Mountain. But later on, too many Monster Hunters entered and never returned, and gradually, no one dared to go. The deep forest of Big Black Mountain thus became a taboo.¡±


    ¡°Even Cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Stage don¡¯t dare to enter?¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyelid twitched, ¡°Even those in the Foundation Establishment don¡¯t dare, because Cultivators at that stage have died there.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Even Foundation Building Cultivators can die inside?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that they went missing? They died inside?¡± Mo Hua expressed doubtfully.


    Logically speaking, missing didn¡¯t necessarily mean dead. How could it be certain they died in the depths of the mountains?


    ¡°Because their bodies were found on the outer edge of the deep mountains.¡±


    The more Mo Hua listened, the more he found it strange. ¡°Who died?¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression turned complex, ¡°The former Chief Elder of the Qian Family.¡±


    ¡°The Qian Family?¡± Mo Hua found it hard to believe. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Yu gave a slight nod and explained to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Back then when I was but a minor Qi Refinement Cultivator, I heard that the Chief Elder of the Qian Family entered the deep mountains and vanished without a trace. After half a month, the Patriarch of the Qian Family led a search party, determined to find him alive or dead.¡±


    ¡°A clan¡¯s Chief Elder, with such high status and authority, how could he just die ambiguously. At that time, the Qian Family already held great power, had many hands, so they dared to venture into the mountains, but even so, they dared not to be careless.¡±


    ¡°From Foundation Establishment to Qi Refinement, nearly the entire force of the Qian Family mobilized. The cultivators stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a human net, pushing inwards from the outskirts toward the deep mountains. Eventually, under a tree on the edge, they found the body of the dead Chief Elder of the Qian Family.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that his death was very strange, missing an arm, as if bitten off by Monster Beasts, but after all, this is just hearsay, and the Qian Family has never disclosed the cause of death.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Afterwards, it came to nothing. The Qian Family dared not probe any deeper. With the death of a Chief Elder at the Foundation Establishment Stage and the recovery of the body, they had some sort of explanation. To venture any further into the mountains, if they truly encountered some great peril, it¡¯s likely that the Qian Family would¡¯ve been annihilated.¡±


    Elder Yu seemed somewhat schadenfreude yet also a bit regretful.


    Presumably, he felt schadenfreude regarding the death of the Qian Family¡¯s Chief Elder and regretful that the Qian Family didn¡¯t face complete calamity deep in the mountains.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°After that incident, no cultivators dared to enter the deep mountains again?¡±


    Elder Yu corrected, ¡°Some dared, but none were able to return.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of people in this world who are audacious or ignorant of their limits, both the highly skilled and brave, as well as the foolish who know no fear. However, no matter who they were, once they entered the deep mountains, none have ever come out.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew complex as he slowly said, ¡°Did they enter the mountains of their own free will?¡±


    Elder Yu smiled and was about to say more when his expression suddenly changed. The smile faded, and he said gravely:


    ¡°You¡­ do you know something?¡±


    Mo Hua took out a map and handed it to Elder Yu, recounting the events involving Bald Tuo and the other Sin Cultivators, including the sixteen characters.


    ¡°Black Mountain dense fog can cover abyss and thicket; midnight thrice, cast a stone to ask the path.¡±


    Elder Yu muttered to himself, growing more alarmed as he did.


    His mind raced as his voice trembled,


    ¡°Do you mean that the deep mountains of Big Black Mountain might be a huge den of villains and that, over the past two to three hundred years, extremely vicious Sin Cultivators have been lurking inside?¡±


    Mo Hua slowly nodded.


    Unable to restrain himself, Elder Yu stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, brows furrowed.


    After several rounds of pacing, Elder Yu collected his thoughts, sat back down, took a sip of tea to calm himself, and said in a deep voice,


    ¡°There indeed is such a possibility¡­¡±


    ¡°Over the past two hundred years, not to mention cultivators from other regions, even Monster Hunters have gone missing in the deep mountains.¡±


    ¡°The former elders of the Monster Hunting Guild, including myself, have, time and again, sternly warned not to venture into the deep mountains, for it often leads to disaster.¡±


    ¡°But there were Monster Hunters who disregarded our advice, entered the deep mountains, and were never heard from again.¡±


    ¡°I was previously only angry at their stupidity, not knowing whether they were dead or alive, but now, considering everything, I realize there are many intrigues involved.¡±


    ¡°Those who could become Monster Hunters, those who could make a name for themselves in the Inner Mountain¡ªare any of them unaware of the dangers of Big Black Mountain? How many of them do not cherish their lives to the point that they would foolishly enter the deep mountains?¡±


    ¡°Even if they didn¡¯t value their own lives, their wives and children rely on them to earn Spirit Stones through Monster Hunting in order to survive. With families to care for, how could they rashly risk their lives?¡±


    ¡°If they died, leaving behind widows and orphans to suffer miserably, how could they be unaware of that?¡±


    ¡°It appears now that they did not willingly enter the deep mountains, they were either captured or killed and then taken into the depths of the mountains.¡±

 Chapter 267 - 266 Cliff_1

    Chapter 267: Chapter 266 Cliff_1


    Elder Yu finished speaking and suddenly slapped the table, angrily saying, ¡°This is outrageous!¡±


    For over two hundred years, so many Monster Hunters have disappeared in Big Black Mountain.


    While some were certainly killed by Monster Beasts, who knows how many were killed by these evil men in the deep mountains and then dragged further into the depths?


    The key is that for all these years, everyone was completely unaware.


    Elder Yu thought for a moment and concluded that perhaps it was precisely because Big Black Mountain was so perilous, and it was common for Cultivators to go missing, that they used this as a cover to kill without anyone noticing.


    A chill grew in Elder Yu¡¯s heart.


    This group of people had done much evil and had been plotting for a long time, their schemes truly deep and profound!


    Elder Yu took a deep breath and said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°I will notify others about this. Whether truth or falsehood, everyone should be on their guard. Even though your movement technique is good, you must also be careful.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder Yu, I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Elder Yu nodded in relief.


    If not for Mo Hua¡¯s keen mind and discovery of this anomaly, perhaps it would have taken another ten or a hundred years to realize the danger lurking atop Big Black Mountain.


    It¡¯s like having a fierce tiger sleeping by the side of one¡¯s bed!


    Elder Yu sighed, his eyebrows furrowed tightly.


    Afterward, Elder Yu passed on the news about the deep mountains, and the Monster Hunters were greatly shocked to hear it.


    Among the Monster Hunters who had gone missing over the years were their fathers, elders, brothers, or friends.


    Monster Hunting is inherently dangerous and life or death unpredictable, and when they went missing, there was nothing that could be done.


    They could only keep their sorrow in their hearts and continue struggling to live.


    But now, learning of such a secret within the deep mountains, these Monster Hunters may not have just disappeared but been cruelly murdered, their bodies gone without a trace.


    Everyone felt a mix of shock and anger in their hearts.


    In the following days, any Monster Hunter entering the mountain became extremely vigilant, both seeking clues of the Sin Cultivators and paying attention to the marked locations on the maps.


    Yet, they still found no clue at all.


    These evil people had been hiding for two to three hundred years, making them very hard to find in a short period.


    The Monster Hunters were filled with righteous indignation, yet they were helpless.


    In Big Black Mountain, within Inner Mountain.


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged on a large boulder.


    In front of him was the deep mountain, the miasma spreading, shrouding the mountains. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Releasing his Divine Sense, he sensed only the vague, chaotic, and intermingled remnants of Spiritual Power.


    It was like threads of different-colored Spiritual Power tangled into balls and patches, covering everything in Inner Mountain.


    ¡°The fog of Black Mountain, thick enough to conceal deep pools¡­¡± Mo Hua muttered to himself, then opened the Map and began to cross-reference it at the boundary between Inner Mountain and deep mountain.


    With the heavy mists of the deep mountain, heading straight in without knowing one¡¯s orientation offers an unknown peril where death is almost certain.


    That the Sin Cultivators could enter the deep mountain implies they must have a special pathway.


    If Mo Hua was correct, the map Bald Tuo had was actually a guide to enter the deep mountain.


    When Sin Cultivators who have committed heinous crimes and are beyond redemption are wanted by the Taoist Court, they can follow this map to find their way into the deep mountain when they have no other choice.


    Otherwise, with such dense and heavy mists in the deep mountain, not only would the Sin Cultivators from outside not be able to find their way, but even the local Monster Hunters would be lost.


    Since it¡¯s a guide, it must lead from Inner Mountain to deep mountain.


    That means, part of the map¡¯s route is for Inner Mountain, and part is for deep mountain.


    This is also why Mo Hua felt it was both familiar and strange.


    The familiar part was Inner Mountain, and the strange part was deep mountain.


    As long as one finds the location on the map, one can navigate through the thick fog and enter deep mountain to find where these evil people are hiding.


    However, relying solely on this incomplete map to find the exact spot is not easy.


    The map¡¯s handwriting is sloppy, suggesting it was hastily copied, and it is incomplete, lacking a full representation of the mountain¡¯s terrain.


    It¡¯s uncertain who copied this map, from where, and how it ended up in Bald Tuo¡¯s hands.


    Bald Tuo killed for the Map, actually seeking a way out for himself.


    As a Sin Cultivator who kills, one might also be killed.


    With this Map, if things became untenable, he could enter into the deep mountains and find a place to stay.


    But the map was incomplete, and he could not find the entrance to the deep mountains.


    Moreover, his relied-upon movement technique couldn¡¯t escape Mo Hua¡¯s grasp; thus, before he could enter the deep mountains, he was captured and thrown into Taoist Prison.


    He didn¡¯t want to tell the truth before, perhaps still harboring some unrealistic hopes.


    The stolen goods he had hidden in the valley were confiscated; all his savings over the years were gone. If by chance he could escape, then retreating into the deep mountains would be his only choice.


    It was also the only choice for these desperate fugitives.


    Fortunately, having a direction gave him a starting point for Mo Hua to search.


    After several days of fruitless searching, Mo Hua finally found a place that was six to seven points similar to the Map.


    This was the boundary between Inner Mountain and the deep mountains.


    The mountain formations on both sides vaguely faced each other, supporting one another in their rises and falls.


    And even though it was located in Inner Mountain, the fog was thicker, faintly carrying the essence of the deep mountains, conveyed through the mist.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted as he looked at the Map, walking and checking it simultaneously.


    As he walked, Mo Hua could no longer continue.


    Spread out before Mo Hua was a vast cliff.


    The cliff was wide, its edges unknown.


    Below the cliff was a deep, bottomless abyss shrouded in mist, daunting to anyone who looked upon it.


    Mo Hua felt disappointed.


    After searching for many days, this was the most similar place to the Map, and yet it turned out to be a dead end.


    To give up just like that was something Mo Hua couldn¡¯t quite accept.


    He surveyed the surroundings again, thinking to himself:


    ¡°Black Mountain¡¯s fog can conceal the abyss¡­ This ¡®abyss¡¯ could refer to the Sin Cultivators as vile as a deep abyss or the literal chasm¡­¡±


    In that case, could they be hiding within the abyss below the cliff?


    Mohua¡¯s eyes shone slightly.


    It seemed not entirely impossible.


    ¡°So, what to do? Just jump down?¡±


    Mo Hua lay on the edge of the cliff and peered down, immediately feeling the goosebumps.


    The cliff was too deep; a fall would likely result in certain death.


    ¡°Perhaps the cliff isn¡¯t deep, just obscured by the thick fog?¡±


    Mo Hua guessed again.


    He found a large rock nearby and, with great effort, dragged it to the edge of the cliff and dropped it over.


    The falling rock plunged into the mist below with a ¡°crunch¡±, seemingly hitting a boulder, then rolled down the cliffside before its echoes disappeared completely.


    ¡°It truly is unfathomably deep¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then released his Divine Sense to scan the area.


    In the pale vision of Divine Sense, a myriad of essences in the world came to life.


    There was the faintly distinguishable Spiritual Energy, the turbid yellow miasma, the pale white fog, and other hazy outlines of mountains, stones, and trees.


    But still, there was no path to be found.


    Mo Hua sighed, perhaps it was not this place.


    Afterward, Mo Hua searched for several more days with no reward, and the matter had to be temporarily put aside.


    The Monster Hunters entering the mountains would be vigilant; with more people, there was more strength, and they might have some clues.


    Mo Hua had another important task to attend to.


    He had finished drawing the Nine-and-a-half Reversed Spirit Formation and could now seek Mr. Zhuang to learn the Concealment Formation.


    Once he learned the Concealment Formation, even if his Spiritual Root had some flaws, he would be able to use the Concealment Technique.

 Chapter 268 - 267: Reverse Spirit_1

    Chapter 268: Chapter 267: Reverse Spirit_1


    ¡°This is the Formation Diagram of the Concealment Formation,¡±


    Mr. Zhuang handed a Formation Diagram to Mo Hua, ¡°Take a look at it yourself, practice more, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for you.¡±


    Mo Hua respectfully took it and glanced over it briefly.


    The Formation Pivot of the Concealment Formation was somewhat special, and the Formation Patterns were somewhat obscure, deviating a little from the usual Five Elements Formation, but indeed it was not too difficult¡ªat least not for Mo Hua.


    For a Formation Master learning formations, the most challenging part was actually Divine Sense.


    As long as one¡¯s Divine Sense was strong enough, with some time and effort, generally there would be a way to solve other issues.


    But if the Divine Sense was insufficient, one wouldn¡¯t even qualify to learn Formation Methods.


    ¡°Thank you, Gentleman!¡± Mo Hua said happily.


    Mr. Zhuang gave a slight nod, his gaze deepened, then he took out another Formation Diagram and said,


    ¡°This is the complete, ten-patterned Reversed Spirit Formation!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened as he took it seriously, and after a brief look, he traced it again in his mind and said in shock,


    ¡°Gentleman, this seems a lot more difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°Ten patterns are the limit for Qi Refining Divine Sense. The closer one gets to this limit, the slower the Divine Sense grows, and naturally, it becomes more difficult,¡± Mr. Zhuang said slowly. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua heaved a sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take me to learn.¡±


    ¡°Learn it until Foundation Establishment,¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then realized that indeed, the ten-pattern Formation could only be learned by a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    If he could draw the Reversed Spirit Formation, he would indeed have the Divine Sense of someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    ¡°Gentleman, based on my current progress, how much longer will it take for me to have the Divine Sense of Foundation Establishment?¡± Mo Hua asked weakly.


    Mr. Zhuang did not answer, instead he asked,


    ¡°What if it took ten years, or even a hundred years?¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart, ¡°A hundred years?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a supposition,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said helplessly, ¡°It seems there¡¯s no other way, I will just continue to cultivate and draw Formation Methods as I should.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in approval and said,


    ¡°Right, regardless of the outcome, what needs to be done won¡¯t change, don¡¯t let success or failure, or some expectations, affect your state of mind.¡±


    Mo Hua had a sudden realization and smiled, ¡°Thank you for the teaching, Gentleman!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang also smiled slightly and said, ¡°Though that¡¯s the case, you shouldn¡¯t worry too much. Perhaps you¡¯ll have some opportunity that allows you to cross this gulf in one step.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Really?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said again, ¡°It¡¯s just a supposition.¡±


    After speaking, Mr. Zhuang pointed at Mo Hua¡¯s forehead with his slender finger, ¡°Opportunities are external factors, don¡¯t let them disturb the state of mind you have for your Tao Cultivation.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he said, ¡°Disciple understands.¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s clear gaze and lucid thoughts, Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and said softly,


    ¡°Just focus on learning Formation Methods, don¡¯t worry about other matters. If you reach the Qi Refining Ninth Level and your Divine Sense is still not enough, I have my ways.¡±


    Mo Hua felt warmth in his heart and smiled, ¡°Thank you, Gentleman!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang then waved his hand, ¡°Go on and study Formation Methods, I will take some rest.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    As Mo Hua turned to leave, he suddenly thought of something and hesitated as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.


    Seeing this, Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Go ahead and ask whatever you want to ask.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mo Hua hesitated, ¡°Won¡¯t it disturb your rest?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang lay back casually in the bamboo chair, ¡°I¡¯m already resting, a few words won¡¯t make a difference.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and then asked, ¡°Gentleman, is the Reversed Spirit Formation really only for breaking formations?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes, nearly closed, opened slightly in surprise, ¡°Why would you ask that?¡±


    ¡°If it were really just about breaking the formation, it wouldn¡¯t be this difficult¡­¡±


    Mo Hua carefully said, ¡°The Reversed Spirit Formation can break formations, but this formation is First-grade with ten patterns. Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators can¡¯t even learn it, and since they can¡¯t learn it, they usually can¡¯t use the Reversed Spirit Formation to break it.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, there are many ways to break a formation, and there¡¯s no need to exclusively use the Reversed Spirit Formation to break it, which would make this formation difficult and useless, quite like a chicken rib.¡±


    ¡°A chicken rib formation, even if it¡¯s one of Heavenly Dao¡¯s anomalies, is unlikely to be treasured by noble clans and great families.¡±


    ¡°If noble clans and great families attach so much importance to it, doesn¡¯t that indicate that this formation, aside from breaking formations, has other important uses?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly, and he then shook his head with a chuckle, ¡°You child, you¡¯re so sharp-witted, I really don¡¯t know where you get all these ideas from.¡±


    Mo Hua gave a shy smile.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°There¡¯s one thing you¡¯ve got wrong, the Reversed Spirit Formation is not difficult and useless, on the contrary, it¡¯s very useful.¡±


    ¡°Using formation patterns to break a formation, you might need to solve hundreds or even thousands of formation patterns. But by using the Reversed Spirit Formation to break it, you directly solve its formation eye, only needing to solve a few core Spirit Gathering Arrays.¡±


    ¡°As long as you can find the formation¡¯s formation eye, and use the Reversed Spirit Formation to break it, the speed of breaking the formation could be dozens or even hundreds of times faster.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.


    In that case, the Spiritual Ink saved would also be dozens or even hundreds of times more.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Ink was always in short supply. Being able to save so much Spiritual Ink was indeed very significant.


    ¡°There¡¯s another thing you got right,¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and nodded in approval, ¡°The Reversed Spirit Formation is indeed not just for breaking formations, what¡¯s most important is that it can cause formations to collapse!¡±


    ¡°Collapse?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s expression turned puzzled, ¡°Does it mean the formation collapses or goes out of control?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a collapse, but not a loss of control, more like controlling the collapse of the formation with the will of the Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°Controlling the collapse of the formation?¡± Mo Hua scratched his head, puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s the use of that?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang fell silent for a long time, his expression changing several times, before finally sighing and then speaking,


    ¡°Formations adhere to Heavenly Dao, encompassing the fundamental principles of the universe and the operation of Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°When a formation collapses, Spiritual Power, within the framework of the formation, becomes chaotic in the form of patterns, clashing continuously, being born and annihilated, creating extremely strong fluctuations of Spiritual Power, possessing extreme and unimaginable power.¡±


    ¡°If the classification of the formation method is high enough, the power unleashed upon its collapse could be described as cataclysmic!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone became more solemn than it had ever been.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled with shock, and he was also excited.


    ¡°So, if I learn the Reversed Spirit Formation, could I also cause formations to collapse?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said with a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°By the time you learn the Reversed Spirit Formation, you will be close to achieving Foundation Establishment. The power of collapsing formations with a First-grade Reversed Spirit Formation can defy ranks, but it will likely only be as powerful as a Foundation Establishment spell. Why would you bother?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°Then what about the Second-grade Reversed Spirit Formation?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have to wait until you become a late-stage Second Rank Formation Master to possibly learn that.¡±


    A Second Rank Formation Master, and in the later stages¡­


    That¡¯s going to be in the distant future.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°Then this Reversed Spirit Formation is somewhat of a chicken rib after all.¡±


    A First-grade Reversed Spirit Formation, First-grade masters cannot learn it, Second-grade masters have no use for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that the formation method is a chicken rib; it¡¯s just that the Formation Masters¡¯ capabilities are limited, and they can¡¯t comprehend the formation, nor can they unleash its effects,¡± Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, ¡°Moreover, formation collapse is not so easy. Even ordinary Second Rank Formation Masters don¡¯t have the ability to cause a First-grade formation to collapse.¡±


    ¡°Or to say, there are actually very few Formation Masters in this world who can fully master the Reversed Spirit Formation and use it to collapse formations.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, ¡°Is there a lot to consider when using the Reversed Spirit Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was about to continue, but suddenly showed signs of fatigue and yawned, ¡°If you truly learn the Reversed Spirit Formation, I will teach you then. It¡¯s still too early now.¡±

 Chapter 269 - 268 Concealment_1

    Chapter 269: Chapter 268 Concealment_1


    Mo Hua indeed wanted to master the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    But a ten-pattern Reversed Spirit Formation required a Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment Stage to learn. By the time he achieved that, Mo Hua might have already been close to Foundation Establishment himself.


    Mr. Zhuang probably wanted to avoid trouble and started to overpromise¡­


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    Then he noticed that Mr. Zhuang was looking at him with a half-smile. Mo Hua was alarmed and knew that his internal criticism of Mr. Zhuang had been perceived by him again.


    He had no idea how Mr. Zhuang knew.


    Mo Hua could only heh heh with a forced laugh and said,


    ¡°Gentleman, please rest well. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡±


    After leaving Mr. Zhuang¡¯s Forgetful Residence, Mo Hua hurriedly took out the Concealment Formation and began to study it intently.


    The Concealment Formation was a kind of Water Series Formation, but its effect was different from regular Water Series Formations.


    Therefore, the Formation Pivot was different, the Formation Patterns had been altered, and it looked even more profound.


    However, Mo Hua had sufficient Divine Sense. What he needed to do now was to practice drawing it more.


    Practice makes perfect. After drawing the Formation dozens or hundreds of times, even the most obscure patterns would become familiar.


    Moreover, Mo Hua had the Taoist Stele, had learned the Meditation Technique, and his Cultivation Technique was the Heaven Yan Jue.


    In a few days, he could practice a Formation nearly a hundred times.


    It would take others months to practice a Formation a hundred times, and if one were less talented, it could take half a year.


    Hence, Mo Hua could learn Formations much faster than ordinary Cultivators.


    It took Mo Hua three days to learn the Concealment Formation.


    He drew the Formation on paper and injected a little Spiritual Power to activate it. As expected, the entire piece of paper disappeared.


    With Divine Sense, Mo Hua could still sense the patterns, but they were somewhat blurred due to the coverage of Water Series Spiritual Power.


    Paper was an inanimate object, unable to deceive Divine Sense.


    If a Cultivator used a Concealment Technique and further concealed their presence with Divine Sense, other Cultivators could not detect it, unless their Divine Sense was incredibly strong.


    Although Diao Laosi was experienced in ambushes, his marital Dao was poor, and he had only managed to cause trouble for so long by relying on his Concealment Technique.


    Unfortunately, he fell into the hands of Mo Hua, whose Divine Sense was extraordinary.


    It was his bad luck and he got what he deserved.


    Diao Laosi had ordinary Divine Sense and was not easily detected while using a Concealment Technique, not to mention Mo Hua, who already had a powerful Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua drew the Concealment Formation on his Taoist Robe.


    Ordinary Taoist Robes, being soft, are not very suitable for drawing Formations.


    In other words, Taoist Robes that could have Formations on them were extremely expensive.


    Although Mo Hua was not lacking Spirit Stones now, he did not want to waste them.


    If he reached Foundation Establishment in the future, his daily consumption of Spirit Stones would almost multiply. So, saving wherever possible was important.


    Mo Hua bought half a bolt of cloth that was suitable for drawing Formations, which was quite famous and cost him a hundred Spirit Stones.


    After he drew the Concealment Formation on the cloth, he had his mother sew it into the inner side of his Taoist Robe, so that the Concealment Formation could take effect without wasting Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua tried it out and found that this Concealment Formation still had flaws.


    The Formation was drawn on the Taoist Robe, and indeed, the parts covered by the robe could be concealed and would not be seen, but his hands and face, which the robe did not cover, were still faintly visible as light blue shadows.


    This was within Mo Hua¡¯s expectation.


    Because Taoist Robes that could conceal were essentially considered Spiritual Artifacts, and they were extremely expensive. In Tongxian City, not even one could be found.


    Since they were expensive, the Taoist Robes used as Formation media were naturally of high-quality material and craftsmanship.


    Mo Hua drawing a Formation on cloth and patching up his Taoist Robe could not compare.


    You get what you pay for, and Mo Hua was clear about that.


    Still, Mo Hua called his mother to take a look.


    Liu Ruhua saw his confident demeanor and watched with a smile on her face.


    Mo Hua, in his Taoist Robe, activated the Concealment Formation and then cast the Concealment Technique on himself.


    The effects of the Concealment Technique and the Concealment Formation overlapped, creating an invisible flow that covered his entire body, and Mo Hua¡¯s figure completely vanished.


    This truly surprised Liu Ruhua.


    She covered her mouth and muttered, ¡°I really can¡¯t see him¡­ ¡±


    From the empty space in front of her, Mo Hua¡¯s voice came, ¡°Mother, is it true?¡±


    Liu Ruhua nodded, ¡°Really.¡±


    ¡°Then how about using Divine Sense to check?¡±


    Liu Ruhua activated her Divine Sense and sensed around, then shook her head, ¡°Nothing at all.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s figure appeared, a smile gracing her face.


    Liu Ruhua also smiled, but then her brow furrowed slightly as she cautioned,


    ¡°Although the Concealment Technique is good, don¡¯t use it for bad deeds.¡±


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua smiled.


    Afterward, Mo Hua still wasn¡¯t quite at ease, so she went to her father Mo Shan as well as Zhang Lan, and also tried it with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Nobody could see through Mo Hua¡¯s Concealment Technique.


    Mo Shan was somewhat surprised but also felt more reassured.


    With the Concealment Technique, coupled with the Water Passing Step, it was more than enough for self-protection against Qi Refinement cultivators.


    As a father, he didn¡¯t have to worry too much about her encountering any danger in the Inner Mountain anymore.


    Zhang Lan found it rather troublesome just watching.


    The spells Mo Hua was learning were becoming more and more enigmatic and increasingly hard to deal with.


    The Water Passing Step made her uncatchable, the Water Prison Technique made her inescapable, and now with this Concealment Technique, one couldn¡¯t even see her¡­


    Not only invisible to the naked eye, but even if one extended Divine Sense to the extreme, one couldn¡¯t perceive her presence.


    Generally, cultivators who practice Concealment Techniques still have some flaws, which cultivators with strong Divine Sense can discern.


    But now, Mo Hua¡¯s own Divine Sense was too strong, so who could see through her?


    Could it be that a Foundation Building Cultivator would have to deal with her, a mere seventh-layer Qi Refinement cultivator?


    The more Zhang Lan thought about it, the more of a headache he felt.


    But then he thought again, he had such a good relationship with Mo Hua, he didn¡¯t need to target her. On the contrary, if there was trouble, he could ask for Mo Hua¡¯s help, so why bother thinking about this?


    With that thought, Zhang Lan felt much more at ease.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s mouth fell open, filled with envy.


    If he knew the Concealment Technique, he could sneak out to play without Aunt Xue knowing.


    Bai Zixi was also somewhat surprised, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. After pondering for a long time, she spoke nearly the same words as Liu Ruhua:


    ¡°You can¡¯t use it to do bad things.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.


    As a Qi Refinement cultivator, her father Mo Shan had vast experience, Zhang Lan had profound cultivation, and Zisheng and Zixi came from a well-versed family, yet none could see through her Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but nod, satisfied with the effect of the Concealment Technique.


    But then a doubt arose:


    ¡°Qi Refinement cultivators can¡¯t see through it, but can Foundation Building cultivators?¡±


    Should she find someone to test it?


    There weren¡¯t many Foundation Building cultivators in Tongxian City. The one Mo Hua was most familiar with was Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua cast the Concealment Technique and activated the Concealment Formation, sneaking into Elder Yu¡¯s house in broad daylight.


    Elder Yu seemed to have just finished talking with some cultivator and was sitting alone in the living room, drinking tea.


    Mo Hua tiptoed into the house and chose a chair at the door, sitting far across from Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu showed no reaction.


    Mo Hua moved a bit closer.


    Elder Yu remained unaware, his head lowered as he drank his tea.


    Making as little noise as possible, Mo Hua moved even closer, this time only two seats away from Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua silently watched Elder Yu, thinking now you must have noticed me.


    But Elder Yu continued to sip his tea, seemingly oblivious.


    A surge of joy welled up in Mo Hua¡¯s heart, surprised that the Concealment Technique was working so well.


    Even Elder Yu, at the Foundation Establishment Stage, had not been able to detect her Concealment Technique. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was at that moment that she noticed Elder Yu lifting his head, looking a bit mischievous, and with a smile, he said,


    ¡°Having fun?¡±

 Chapter 270 - 269 Discovery_1

    Chapter 270: Chapter 269 Discovery_1


    Mo Hua revealed his figure, surprised, ¡°When did you see me?¡±


    Elder Yu said with a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°Of course, it was from the moment you entered the door.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face turned somewhat despondent; it seemed that he couldn¡¯t fool a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    ¡°Did you perceive it with your Divine Sense?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Elder Yu shook his head slightly, ¡°No, it was what I heard.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°Heard?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Elder Yu said, ¡°Having been a Monster Hunter for so many years, spending my years in the mountains hunting Monster Beasts, I am aware of every slightest rustling.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, this is my home, I usually sit here in the living room drinking tea. The room is empty, and suddenly there¡¯s an additional presence. How could I not notice?¡±


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua, his smile kind as he explained.


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling that there was reason in that. Then, after thinking for a moment, his eyes lit up.


    ¡°Then if the environment were more chaotic, and I squat without moving or making a sound, would you be able to detect me?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Elder Yu stroked his beard, somewhat hesitant.


    To say he couldn¡¯t find him, he, as an Elder in the Foundation Establishment Stage, would lose some face.


    But to say he could definitely find him, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Originally, when Mo Hua entered the room, he actually hadn¡¯t noticed at the beginning.


    It was only when Mo Hua moved that, though his footsteps were light, the faint sound still reached his ears.


    He identified the location by the sound, then swept the area with his Divine Sense, only then did he find a blurry figure, a small cultivator using a Concealment Technique.


    This presence was very familiar.


    Moreover, to use the Concealment Technique, being so young and daring to play in his living room, besides Mo Hua, there was no one else.


    Elder Yu simply pretended not to see and played along with Mo Hua for a while.


    But now that he thought about it, had he not heard the sound and deliberately used his Divine Sense to scan the area, he might not have found Mo Hua at all.


    Elder Yu frowned, thought about it for a while, and finally said truthfully:


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s really hard to say.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Elder Yu, shall we have a try?¡±


    Elder Yu wanted to say ¡°I have something to do later,¡± but seeing Mo Hua¡¯s spirited big eyes, the words did not come out.


    ¡°It¡¯s not anything important anyway, consider it a rest and accompany the child Mo Hua to play,¡± Elder Yu silently thought to himself. He also wanted to know how effective Mo Hua¡¯s Concealment Technique really was.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s find a place to test it and see if I can discover you,¡± Elder Yu said with a nod and a smile.


    The two went outside Tongxian City and found a secluded spot at the foot of a mountain.


    Trees stood in great numbers here, and the vegetation was lush.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go hide in the forest first, and then you come and find me.¡±


    After saying this, Mo Hua walked into the forest and hid in the bushes behind a large tree. Then, he cast his Concealment Technique, hiding his figure, staying still and silent.


    After silently counting to fifteen, Elder Yu entered the forest, released his Divine Sense, and couldn¡¯t help but furrow his eyebrows.


    At a glance, it did seem like he couldn¡¯t find Mo Hua at all.


    Elder Yu had to patiently start from the edge of the forest, searching each clump of grass one by one.


    After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Elder Yu finally perceived a small figure in the bushes behind the large tree.


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyebrows lifted, and he breathed a sigh of relief inside.


    At last, he had found Mo Hua. He would have lost face otherwise.


    Elder Yu coughed and looked towards the bushes where Mo Hua was, feigning ease, ¡°Come out.¡±


    Mo Hua revealed his figure, not disappointed but rather expectant, and asked Elder Yu:


    ¡°Elder, how¡¯s this Concealment Technique?¡±


    Being found was normal; Mo Hua just wanted to test to what extent this Concealment Technique could hide him from a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Elder Yu nodded in approval, ¡°If you don¡¯t move or make a sound, a regular Foundation Building Cultivator who doesn¡¯t intentionally extend his Divine Sense to examine closely might not find you.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression brightened.


    ¡°However,¡± Elder Yu reminded Mo Hua, ¡°the Divine Sense of Foundation Building Cultivators varies in strength. Just because I couldn¡¯t find you, doesn¡¯t mean others won¡¯t be able to. Still, you must be careful.¡±


    Mo Hua answered earnestly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder. I understand.¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, then inwardly he mused.


    Being able to conceal to this extent is already very impressive, but how strong is Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense now?


    It won¡¯t be long before he catches up to the Foundation Establishment Stage¡­


    Elder Yu pondered in his heart and suddenly thought of something, asking,


    ¡°How did you learn the Concealment Technique?¡±


    He had been very concerned about it before but didn¡¯t have the chance to ask.


    If he remembered correctly, the Concealment Technique was supposed to be a Spell that only those with a pure Water Spirit Root, or a very special Yin Spirit Root, could learn.


    Mo Hua had the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root; with the Water Series being mixed, he shouldn¡¯t have been able to learn the Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua smiled mysteriously, ¡°I drew a Formation.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Elder Yu suddenly understood.


    Mo Hua was a Formation Master, and naturally, he would rely on Formations to solve problems.


    ¡°Is this Formation very rare?¡± Elder Yu asked.


    In his memory, he had never heard of a Formation Master capable of drawing a Concealment Formation, nor had he seen a Spiritual Artifact with concealing abilities.


    He had only seen a few Cultivators who knew the Concealment Technique, like that Diao Laosi, but such Cultivators were rare.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s difficult to learn.¡±


    Although the Concealment Formation was a Ninth Pattern Formation, the technique required for drawing it was special, needing almost nine and a half Patterns worth of Divine Sense.


    A typical first-rate Formation Master¡¯s Divine Sense wouldn¡¯t reach this threshold, so naturally, they couldn¡¯t learn it, which was why it was rare.


    Elder Yu nodded slightly.


    If Mo Hua said it was difficult to learn, then the Formation must indeed be challenging, which was no wonder he had never seen it before.


    Filled with curiosity, Elder Yu asked,


    With this Formation covering, can you really not see anything at all?¡±


    Mo Hua then activated the Concealment Formation on its own, and his body became invisible, but his hands and small head still retained a faint outline.


    Seeing this, Elder Yu felt somewhat disappointed,


    ¡°This Formation still has some flaws; its concealing effect isn¡¯t good.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua agreed, ¡°That¡¯s why I learned a half-baked Concealment Technique, and only by combining it with this flawed Concealment Formation was I able to become invisible.¡±


    The two methods of hiding, used separately, were ineffective, but together they could achieve invisibility.


    ¡°This is a double Concealment¡­ well, let¡¯s say one and a half.¡± Mo Hua said.


    Elder Yu stroked his chin, contemplating, ¡°When you combine these two, the effect seems to be better than just the Concealment Technique alone, especially at night.¡±


    At night, the darkness made it difficult for others to see; even if one layer of concealment was penetrated, Mo Hua still had another layer that wouldn¡¯t be noticed by people.


    A normal Cultivator wouldn¡¯t expect someone to be cloaked in two layers of concealment.


    Mo Hua smiled somewhat proudly.


    Being praised by Elder Yu of the Foundation Establishment Stage for the effectiveness of his concealment was surely not a waste of all his effort.


    As the two chatted and the sky grew dark, Elder Yu suddenly slapped his forehead, ¡°I forgot, there¡¯s still something I haven¡¯t done.¡±


    ¡°Is it something important?¡±


    ¡°A trivial matter.¡± Elder Yu smiled, ¡°It¡¯s getting late; let¡¯s head back.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Elder Yu then led Mo Hua back, and when they reached the intersection on South Street, Elder Yu gave Mo Hua a few reminders before turning to the Refinery Shop.


    Mo Hua walked home alone, in high spirits.


    Having learned the Concealment Technique, whether for sneak attacks, escaping, or ambushing, he now had more options at his disposal.


    After all, no one else could see him.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, humming a tune. As he walked along, he suddenly stopped, his heart trembling at a thought that struck him.


    Unseeable¡­


    Elder Yu¡¯s words from before echoed in his ears,


    ¡°With this Formation covering, can you really not see anything at all¡­?¡±


    The Formation covering¡­ unseeable¡­


    In Mo Hua¡¯s mind, the image of that cliff and the bottomless abyss below it suddenly surfaced.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been¡­ concealed by the Concealment Formation, could it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils constricted as he muttered to himself.

 Chapter 271 - 270 Cliff Path_1

    Chapter 271: Chapter 270 Cliff Path_1


    At night, Mo Hua practiced the Concealment Formation and the Reversed Spirit Formation on the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness.


    He was already familiar with the Concealment Formation, merely reviewing it.


    The Reversed Spirit Formation was extremely difficult; a complete one required the Divine Sense of ten patterns, which Mo Hua couldn¡¯t draw yet¡ªit just served as a training tool to hone his Divine Sense.


    The next morning, he rose early to perform his routine cultivation for two hours.


    After a quick breakfast, he set off for Big Black Mountain, crossing the Outer Mountain to reach the Inner Mountain and then arrived at the cliff edge.


    The cliff rose steeply a thousand feet high, wrapped in clouds and mist, its depth unfathomable.


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged at the edge of the cliff, closed his eyes and released his Divine Sense downward to probe beneath the cliff.


    This time, with a hypothesis in mind, his purpose was more specific and his perception even more careful.


    A moment later, Mo Hua opened his eyes, looking puzzled.


    Still, he found nothing.


    If he was not mistaken, these Sin Cultivators should have used the Concealment Formation to hide, and the most likely place was under the cliff.


    But at the moment, the deep-reaching cliff was bottomless.


    Within the range of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, there were neither figures nor other distinctive auras.


    This was quite strange.


    If it wasn¡¯t beneath the cliff, could it be on the opposite side?


    Mo Hua looked towards the opposite mountain.


    The opposite side was a deep mountain, with dense clouds and mist, thick miasma, and fiercely unpredictable energy. Moreover, the miasma obscured vision so that the edge of the cliff was invisible.


    Being invisible in itself, it seemed there was no need to use formations to hide anything.


    ¡°If not under the cliff, and not the opposite side of the cliff, could it be between the cliffs?¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to himself, then his Divine Sense probed the space between the cliffs.


    The miasma and filthy qi between the cliffs intermingled, blurring the view temporarily.


    As he scrutinized, Mo Hua suddenly opened his eyes wide.


    There was really something there!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He then closed his eyes again, concentrated his mind, and extended his Divine Sense to its limit, trying to ignore the interference of the miasma and to perceive with all his might.


    Amidst the fuzziness, Mo Hua finally spotted a path leading to the opposite cliff. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When he realized what this path was, Mo Hua was shocked.


    This was not actually a trail, but a fallen mountain peak!


    The peak was sharp, the rocks robust, coming from the opposite side and spanning between the cliffs, forming a natural stone bridge.


    A Formation Master had laid down the Concealment Formation on the mountain peak, concealing its figure, combined with the natural miasma between the cliffs to confuse Divine Sense perception.


    The mountain peak became an extremely clandestine, unknown path, situated above Thousands miles of Abyss, connecting the cliffs on both sides.


    Using the mountain rocks as Formation media, and the mountain¡¯s miasma as a cover, leaving no trace, undetected by gods and spirits.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Suddenly, he thought to himself, ¡°This Formation Master is a master!¡±


    He, too, had just learned the Concealment Formation, but this Formation Master had laid this hidden formation on the mountain rocks long ago, and the level of skill in formations was clearly higher than his own.


    Since becoming skilled in formations, aside from the inscrutable Mr. Zhuang, this was the first time Mo Hua had encountered a Formation Master whose attainment in formations surpassed his own.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but be curious¡ªwho exactly was this Formation Master?


    To set formations for Sin Cultivators, hiding their tracks, could he too be a Sin Cultivator?


    Mo Hua felt it was a pity; it was hard enough to learn formations, and yet, to engage in despicable acts of murder and looting for the sake of Sin Cultivators.


    What to do next?


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Now that he had discovered the whereabouts of this group of Sin Cultivators, naturally, he should go and investigate their reality.


    But Mo Hua couldn¡¯t possibly venture into danger alone.


    After all, no one knew how many Sin Cultivators there were, what their levels of cultivation were like, how depraved they were, or what their intentions were in lurking deep within the mountain.


    Mo Hua planned to go back and report this matter to Elder Yu, and also to inform the Taoist Court.


    With the help of Monster Hunters and Taoist Court Officials, a large force would be able to take down this group of Sin Cultivators in one stroke.


    Having made up his mind, Mo Hua was about to return, but as he turned around, he stopped in his tracks and furrowed his brow again.


    This approach also seemed somewhat inappropriate.


    Returning to call for reinforcements, although with numbers on their side, a group of people entering the mountain would likely alert the Sin Cultivators and put them on guard.


    They were numerous, but what if there were even more Sin Cultivators?


    After all, they had been lying dormant for two to three hundred years and had been recruiting evil forces everywhere; their power was probably not small.


    If the Sin Cultivators were to take advantage of the terrain and ambush mid-way, then many from the Taoist Court Officers and Monster Hunters would likely perish.


    Mo Hua had more than a little rapport with the Taoist Court Officers and an even deeper relationship with the Monster Hunters.


    This was something Mo Hua did not want to see.


    Moreover, with the true strength of the Sin Cultivators unknown, to act rashly would not yield high chances of victory.


    If the Sin Cultivators managed to escape, the chances of rooting them out completely would become virtually impossible.


    What¡¯s more, all of this was still just Mo Hua¡¯s speculation at this point.


    Although there was a seventy to eighty percent likelihood, it was not something that could be confirmed without seeing it with one¡¯s own eyes.


    What if there were no Sin Cultivators behind the cliffs?


    What if there was a recluse as great as Mr. Zhuang, or a high-ranking Formation Master with an unsociable temperament?


    Amassing a group of Cultivators to go there would undoubtedly be provoking enmity.


    Mo Hua felt a bit conflicted.


    After much thought, it seemed like the best solution was for him to ¡°venture alone into danger¡±¡­


    His Divine Sense was strong, enabling him to detect danger early on, and with the Water Passing Step, ordinary Cultivators could not come near him. Moreover, what was most important now was his ability to conceal himself.


    He was the only Cultivator among all Monster Hunters in Tongxian City who could conceal himself.


    With the help of the Concealment Technique and Concealment Formation, his concealment was stronger than ordinary concealment techniques; even a Foundation Building Cultivator, if careless, might not be able to see through it.


    If there was indeed a revered figure on the opposite side, they probably wouldn¡¯t bother with a minor Cultivator like himself.


    If the other side truly was inhabited by Sin Cultivators, sneaking over covertly would not stir the grass and startle the snake.


    They killed and plundered unnoticed by gods and ghosts, and he would investigate the truth just as invisibly.


    Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be in peril.


    Once the truth was ascertained, it would naturally be easier to devise a plan.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    If he took a little risk, fewer Monster Hunters and Taoist Court Officers might die, so it was a risk worth taking.


    And it was just about going there cautiously to get a rough idea of the situation on the opposite side, then sneaking back covertly.


    The Sin Cultivators on the other side might not all be able to detect him.


    After all, his Concealment Technique and Concealment Formation were not learned in vain.


    Mo Hua gradually made up his mind:


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll use the Concealment Technique to sneak over, probe the situation, and then sneak back.¡±


    This way, he would not alarm the enemy, nor would he take too great a risk.


    Mo Hua grabbed a handful of pebbles nearby and found a tree branch, then opened his storage bag and took out a bottle of Spiritual Ink. After sensing with his Divine Sense for a moment, he spilled the Spiritual Ink from the edge of a cliff.


    The golden Spiritual Ink poured out with the momentum, and moments later, as if blocked by something, it splattered and condensed into ink patterns in the air.


    ¡°There is indeed a path.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then carelessly dropped a few more pebbles, ensuring that they too hovered in mid-air, not sinking into the cliff, before he felt reassured.


    Mo Hua first activated the Concealment Formation, then stimulated the Concealment Technique to hide his figure before employing the Water Passing Step to lightly jump off the cliff and into the clouds.


    Moments later, a slight numbness beneath his feet signaled that he had landed on the invisible stone path.


    The Spiritual Ink and pebbles he had scattered earlier were right beside his feet.


    Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief.


    Knowing there was a path was one thing, but actually jumping off the cliff was still rather terrifying.


    Looking down, Mo Hua¡¯s hands and feet turned to jelly, his face paled.


    Beneath the cliff was an abyss thousands of feet deep; a fall would surely mean being shattered to pieces.


    At that moment, he stood as if suspended in mid-air, atop the abyss.


    Mo Hua took a deep breath, telling himself:


    ¡°Don¡¯t look down, don¡¯t look down¡­¡±


    Then, mustering all his courage, he started moving forward, step by step, carefully using the tree branch to test the path ahead.


    On a hidden mountain path shrouded in mist between two cliffs, an invisible minor Cultivator was quietly, step by step, making his way to the other side.


    For two to three hundred years, the Monster Hunters had not discovered the hidden mountain path, and at this very moment, the Sin Cultivators had not discovered the concealed Mo Hua.

 Chapter 272 - 271 Asking for Directions_1

    Chapter 272: Chapter 271 Asking for Directions_1


    Between the cliffs, on the invisible path, Mo Hua carefully made his way.


    After the time it took to brew a pot of tea, Mo Hua finally reached the opposite side.


    As he climbed onto the opposite cliff and his feet touched the ground, the fog around him suddenly thickened, and the miasma intensified, causing dizziness and a feeling of congestion.


    Mo Hua quickly took out two Miasma Repelling Pills and swallowed them, circulating his Spiritual Power to assimilate the medicine¡¯s effect, which made him feel somewhat better.


    Looking around, he found himself in a small forest with no one else in sight.


    Apart from the heavier fog and more potent poison, it was not much different from the Inner Mountain.


    ¡°Where are those Sin Cultivators? Could they not be here?¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    Mo Hua walked around cautiously for a while, and found that the sunlight was obscured by the thick fog, making the forest hazy and indistinct, so much so that he could no longer discern his bearings and had no idea where he was.


    Most crucially, there was no trace of any cultivator.


    Mo Hua sat on the ground, somewhat puzzled.


    Could it be that he had guessed wrong?


    That shouldn¡¯t be the case¡­


    Mo Hua pondered for a while and then suddenly found it strange.


    On the other side of the mountain cliff, the sunlight was bright, and the fog was not very thick, but on this deep mountain side, just divided by a stone path, why was the fog so dense?


    The difference in sunlight on both sides was not significant; logically speaking, even if the fog was slightly thicker, it shouldn¡¯t reach such a level of density.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense and took a closer look, his brow suddenly furrowing.


    In the fog, there was a faint interweaving of Spiritual Power, like patterns, condensed around.


    An ordinary cultivator might not notice it, but Mo Hua could tell at a glance that these were Formation Patterns drawn by a Formation Master!


    Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    This dense fog in the deep mountains was not naturally so heavy; it was the mischief of a Formation Master¡¯s Formation, which made the deep mountain fog so thick that one could not see their own hand in front of them.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits uplifted, and following the positions of the Formation Patterns, he found a large tree and took out a dagger to chip away at the bark.


    The dry bark was chipped away, and inside there indeed was a Formation hidden.


    The Formation with nine patterns was a first-grade Formation Method, with its Patterns mainly of the Water Series. The penmanship showed some variations, and the style looked somewhat unfamiliar.


    Mo Hua had never seen it before, but he guessed it should be a Fog Formation.


    The purpose of the Formation was to condense moisture and let it hover over the land and between the trees, creating fog that does not easily disperse.


    Mo Hua found this novel and seeing no one around, took out paper and a brush. He began to copy the Formation, carefully reproducing each stroke.


    Ordinarily, the best method to learn a Formation is to use a Formation Diagram.


    On a Formation Diagram, there are detailed Formation Patterns, including the sequence of strokes, the proportion of ink used, types of Formation Patterns, the structure of the Formation Pivot, and other points of attention.


    To deduce the drawing method of a Formation from an existing one is a quite difficult task.


    But no matter how difficult, it was merely an ordinary first-grade Formation Method. Although the Patterns were somewhat special, they were still within the scope of the Five Elements Formation and were not much of a challenge to Mo Hua.


    After drawing it five or six times, Mo Hua had mastered most of it and had a good grasp of it in his heart.


    The thick fog could deceive people, but the laid-out Formation was fixed and could not deceive, especially not Mo Hua.


    Not only inside this bark, but all around on the ground, the rocks, and within the bushes, were sparsely scattered with this same Formation.


    Based on the position of the laid-out Fog Formation, he could roughly infer the paths within the fog.


    With this thought, Mo Hua¡¯s vision suddenly cleared.


    He did not need to concern himself with the fog; as long as he used the Fog Formation within the fog as a guide, he would not get lost.


    The Formation Master who laid out the Fog Formation intended to use the dense fog to confuse directions.


    However, instead, his Fog Formation allowed Mo Hua to find his way.


    Mo Hua put away his paper and brush, released his Divine Sense to sense the position of the Fog Formation, and started to make his way deeper into the mountain.


    After a few steps, Mo Hua suddenly thought: others can set up Formations, and so can he.


    In his Storage Bag, there were still some stone needles painted with the Compass Child Formation left unused from the Inner Mountain; it was the perfect time to scatter them along the way.


    Should any unforeseen incident arise, he would be warned in advance.


    Preparation ensures success, and lack of it leads to failure.


    Having a contingency plan is always better than being caught off guard when danger strikes.


    Thus, as Mo Hua walked along following the position of the Fog Formation, he stealthily planted the Compass Child stone needles in concealed spots.


    As he walked, Mo Hua became increasingly familiar with the paths within the Foggy Forest.


    However, despite walking for a long time, he still did not encounter any trace of the Sin Cultivators.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows. Had he overlooked something? Or were these Sin Cultivators hiding particularly well?


    Should he turn back? Maybe try again next time?


    While he was hesitating, suddenly the sound of footsteps reached his ears.


    Mo Hua was startled, realizing that there were no rocks or dense underbrush to provide cover, so he took three steps as two, using the Water Passing Step, and went straight up the tree next to him.


    Mo Hua crouched down on a tree branch and then noticed that he was already using the Concealment Technique. An ordinary Qi Refinement cultivator would not see him, and their Divine Sense could not detect him either.


    But it¡¯s always best to be cautious. Safe sailing lasts a thousand years.


    What if the newcomer was a Foundation Building Cultivator?


    The footsteps drew nearer, and within the thick fog, the outlines of two people became faintly visible, accompanied by some muffled conversation.


    ¡°Brother¡­ this is the way, right? You¡¯re not fooling me, are you?¡±


    ¡°Relax, it¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°This damn fog is just too thick¡­ We¡¯ve been walking for ages¡­¡±


    ¡°If the fog wasn¡¯t thick, wouldn¡¯t we be discovered?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Can we go in?¡±


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t trust me?¡±


    ¡­


    As they drew closer, it turned out to be two cultivators, one fat and one thin, both in the later stage of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, as long as they weren¡¯t Foundation Building cultivators it would be fine.


    For a cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm, even if they saw through his Concealment Technique, he had ways to cope.


    Besides, unless a cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm possessed Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment level, they wouldn¡¯t be able to see through his Concealment Technique at all.


    Mo Hua looked more carefully and found that the fog was dense and blurry, making it impossible to see the faces of the two men. However, given their different clothing and voices¡ªone sharp and the other reckless¡ªand their somewhat sneaky behavior, they were probably not up to any good.


    ¡°Could they be Sin Cultivators?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up¡ªif they were Sin Cultivators, that would give him a clue.


    Even if they weren¡¯t Sin Cultivators from deep in the mountains, they must still know the way there.


    The fat and thin cultivators walked side by side. Mo Hua climbed down from the tree and then stealthily followed behind them.


    The two talked as they walked, completely unaware that someone was tailing them.


    The fat and thin cultivators wandered through the Foggy Forest, consulting a map one moment and pointing out the pathways the next. After turning past several mountain passes and arriving in front of a large tree stump, the two stopped.


    ¡°Is this the place?¡± the thin cultivator asked.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± replied the fat cultivator with a nod.


    ¡°What do we do next?¡±


    ¡°We wait.¡±


    ¡°Wait for what?¡±


    ¡°Wait for midnight, the third watch.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately thought of that phrase:


    Midnight, the third watch, to offer one¡¯s name and seek a path.


    It seemed that they were from out of town, wanting to throw in their lot with the Sin Cultivators in the deep mountains.


    Mo Hua frowned¡ªdid he really have to wait along with them?


    Time was getting on; he wanted to head back soon.


    But having come this far, if he didn¡¯t follow them, the lead would be lost, and he might never get such an opportunity again in the future.


    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll wait¡­¡±


    And Mo Hua patiently waited as well.


    As noon approached and the fat and thin cultivators grew bored, they also felt hungry and took out some dry food to eat.


    The thin one chewed a few mouthfuls before he spit them out:


    ¡°Dry and hard, it¡¯s like eating bird shit¡ªit¡¯s fucking torture!¡±


    The fat cultivator glanced at him indifferently, ¡°Having something to eat is good enough, otherwise would you rather eat prison food in the Taoist Prison?¡±


    The thin cultivator laughed sheepishly, ¡°Couldn¡¯t eat that for many meals, I reckon I¡¯d end up eating dead man¡¯s last meal.¡±


    The fat cultivator shook his head.


    Suddenly, the thin cultivator asked, ¡°Brother, how many lives have you taken?¡±


    The fat cultivator contemplated for a moment, then raised his eyebrows, ¡°About six, I suppose.¡±


    The thin cultivator gave him a thumbs up, ¡°Still, brother, you are mighty. I¡¯ve only got four.¡±


    After counting them, he said, ¡°An old man over a hundred years old, a cultivator in his thirties, a female cultivator, and her child.¡±


    The fat cultivator was slightly taken aback, ¡°You¡¯re counting the child too?¡±


    ¡°Without the child, there¡¯d be only three. I was afraid I might shame you, brother.¡±


    ¡°No matter,¡± the fat cultivator patted his shoulder, ¡°Stick with me and once we enter these deep mountains, you¡¯ll have all the good food and drink you want, and no one will look down on you.¡±


    The thin cultivator was overjoyed, ¡°I¡¯ll be relying on big brother then!¡±


    The fat cultivator took a package from his chest, containing a piece of dried meat and a flask of wine.


    ¡°I saved this specially. We brothers were fated to meet, and we escaped from the hands of the Taoist Court¡¯s dogs, traveling all the way to these mountains. From hardships to sweetness, it¡¯s worth celebrating.¡±


    The thin cultivator¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Big brother really thinks of everything.¡±


    The two shared the meat and drank the wine. The food wasn¡¯t filling, and the wine wasn¡¯t enough, but they were content.


    After eating, the fat cultivator realized it was nearly the third watch of the night. Suddenly frowning, he pointed to the side: sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°There seems to be something by that tree stump.¡±


    The thin cultivator, slightly tipsy, looked puzzled and got up to check.


    The fat cultivator quietly moved behind the thin cultivator and, taking him by surprise, suddenly drew his sword, and stabbed him right through the heart.


    Caught in his bewilderment, the thin cultivator felt a pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw the tip of a sword sticking out, his heart pierced, and then as the sword was withdrawn, blood gushed forth.


    He slowly turned around, his face showing disbelief.


    The fat cultivator looked cold, ¡°Good brother, this meal, it¡¯s also your last meal.¡±


    The thin cultivator¡¯s eyes showed anger and sadness. He tried to struggle but the fat cultivator grabbed his throat, pressed his hand against the tree stump, and with one slash, beheaded him.


    The head rolled to the ground, blood spattered everywhere, staining the fat cultivator¡¯s clothes red.


    The fat cultivator was unconcerned.


    ¡°We were brothers after all. You drank my wine, ate my food, so borrowing your head for a moment shouldn¡¯t be too much, right?¡±


    After finishing his words, he stepped forward, picked up the head that had not closed its eyes in death, and threw it toward the dark mountain wall in the distance.


    When the head landed, the mountain wall abruptly vanished.


    A bloodstained and sinister mountain gate appeared, with three ancient characters on it:


    Black Mountain Stronghold.

 Chapter 273 - 272 Black Mountain Stronghold_1

    Chapter 273: Chapter 272 Black Mountain Stronghold_1


    Mo Hua looked on in utter shock.


    ¡°Black Mountain Stronghold!¡±


    In the depths of Big Black Mountain, there was actually a stronghold!


    The ancient gate of the mountain stronghold seemed to have existed for a hundred years.


    The door was splattered with bloodstains, likely from beheading victims and the splashing of blood, which, over the years, had created a nauseating smell of decay.


    It looked both sinister and eerie.


    ¡°At midnight, present a head to ask the way.¡±


    Mo Hua silently recited in his mind.


    To present a head to ask the way, that is the meaning: to kill and behead, using the severed head as a token of introduction, and then the gates of Black Mountain Stronghold would appear.


    The appearance of the gate also signified that the sin cultivators within the stronghold accepted you.


    Indeed, moments later, accompanied by an ancient and nauseating creaking sound, the gates of Black Mountain Stronghold slowly opened.


    The fat cultivator¡¯s face showed a crazed joy as he straightened his Taoist robe and then stepped into Black Mountain Stronghold.


    After he entered Black Mountain Stronghold, the creaking sound resumed, and the gates slowly closed and then gradually vanished.


    The fat cultivator had also completely disappeared without a trace.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    So this was how one entered Black Mountain Stronghold¡­


    Hidden so deeply, it¡¯s no wonder that for so many years, no one discovered it.


    And it seemed that those who could enter Black Mountain Stronghold were truly all sin cultivators with blood on their hands.


    At least this fat one was no good thing.


    With six lives on his hands, he turned suddenly on those he had called brothers, swift and ruthless, a sword through the chest, utterly unexpected.


    He befriended the thin cultivator simply to bring an alive ¡°token of introduction.¡± When the time came to chop off the head, it would serve to ask the way into Black Mountain Stronghold.


    He probably never gave a second thought to the decapitated thin cultivator.


    The path of cultivation is perilous, and the hearts of men, unfathomable.


    Mo Hua had witnessed this once more and took it deeply to heart.


    With unfamiliar cultivators, it¡¯s always better to be on guard, especially with the ones you hardly know. You can know their faces but not their hearts.


    At the same time, Mo Hua had also learned something.


    If one must act, it should be like the fat cultivator did, catching the victim off guard.


    ¡°What should I do next?¡± Mo Hua frowned in thought.


    Should he sneak in for a look?


    This Black Mountain Stronghold was a bit mysterious; without seeing what was inside, he felt somewhat uneasy.


    At the very least, get a rough idea of how many sin cultivators there were inside.


    Take a stealthy glance without alarming anyone¡­


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    But how to sneak in?


    Mo Hua was somewhat troubled.


    There must have been a Concealment Formation laid over the gate of Black Mountain Stronghold, more densely arranged than the mountain paths between the cliffs.


    Without a careful scan with Divine Sense, one would not notice it at all.


    Now that the gate was closed and the concealment gone,


    unless someone else ¡°presented a head to ask the way,¡± it likely wouldn¡¯t open again. Surely Mo Hua couldn¡¯t just throw a head in to knock on the door¡­


    Besides, entering from the front, even if Mo Hua could conceal himself, he might still be detected.


    Once discovered, it would be dangerous.


    ¡°What to do?¡± Mo Hua pondered.


    Even though the gate of Black Mountain Stronghold had disappeared, its outline still emerged in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Peering at Black Mountain Stronghold with his Divine Sense, Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts raced, gradually forming a plan.


    In the path of Tao cultivation, everything relies on formations, especially cultivation buildings.


    Although Black Mountain Stronghold was sinister and mysterious, it didn¡¯t appear out of nowhere; it was a cultivation construction built by cultivators, with its concealment, defense, early warning, and other building functions all dependent on formations.


    Moreover, there must have been a skilled Formation Master inside the stronghold; if so, then the stronghold might have been built entirely based on formations.


    Since it relied on formations, there would be a way to solve the problem.


    Mo Hua¡¯s greatest skill was, of course, formation techniques.


    Still maintaining his stealth, he strolled around the entrance of the Black Mountain Stronghold for a while and had a rough guess in his mind.


    The Black Mountain Stronghold was built against the mountain with its sides embraced by mountainous terrain; there was an entrance constructed in the gap, and there should also be high walls on both sides.


    Mo Hua climbed along the mountain peaks on both sides and, indeed, saw the tall walls.


    The entrance was concealed by a Concealment Formation, but the side walls weren¡¯t.


    He assumed that it was because the Concealment Formation was difficult to study and draw, so it could only cover the facade, and it wasn¡¯t feasible to completely hide the side walls as well.


    Mo Hua heaved a sigh of relief; it seemed that while the level of the Formation Master was high, it wasn¡¯t that high yet.


    He guessed he was only a tiny bit stronger than himself¡­


    Apart from the Concealment Formation drawn on the entrance, the formation techniques on the two high walls mainly focused on defense and early warning.


    The defensive formations included the Earth Stone Formation, the Earth and Wood Formation, and some Solid Earth Formations, mostly Compound Formations, with a few Single Formations mixed in.


    There were some formations on the wall that Mo Hua had never seen before, but their formation patterns were somewhat similar to the Compass Parent-Child Formation, and they were also Golden Series Compound Formations.


    Therefore, Mo Hua speculated that these should be early warning class formations.


    Concealment in front to prevent detection, with defense and early warning on the sides, carefully guarding against stealth attacks from cultivators.


    Mo Hua nodded, finding the formation design quite rational.


    It should be sufficient to prevent ordinary cultivators, and even average Formation Masters probably wouldn¡¯t notice any flaws.


    However, Mo Hua personally designed and painted all the formations for Tongxian City¡¯s largest Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business, having a thorough understanding of formations used in premium buildings.


    The formations at the Black Mountain Stronghold were ingeniously designed, but due to limited vision and scope, it was still built like a sneaky stronghold, and many of the formations were obviously coarse.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, there were many loopholes.


    Furthermore, the stronghold¡¯s formations were likely painted by this Formation Master alone.


    It took a long time to paint them from start to finish, with new and old formations overlapping, some even conflicting, just barely strung together.


    For ordinary Formation Masters, painting formations is quite slow.


    For someone like Mo Hua, who painted formations daily, had an intimate knowledge of them, and with heightened Divine Sense from studying Heaven Yan Jue, they could paint extremely fast¡ªwhich is quite rare.


    It was normal for one person to paint to such an extent.


    But as such, the loopholes in the entire set of formations were even more.


    Mo Hua was relieved, some areas of this Formation Master¡¯s skills were indeed inferior to his own.


    Mo Hua circled around twice more, roughly got a handle of these formations, and then found a weak spot to sit cross-legged, taking out pens and ink from his Storage Bag.


    The best way to deal with formations was to unravel them.


    Breaking formations would make too much noise, and with Mo Hua¡¯s current cultivation, he wouldn¡¯t be able to break through the stronghold¡¯s formations.


    Moreover, unraveling a formation was what best demonstrated a Formation Master¡¯s prowess.


    This is what Mr. Zhuang told him, and Mo Hua remembered it clearly.


    After that, Mo Hua started unraveling the formations.


    He first unraveled the early warning formations to prevent being detected by the cultivators inside, and then using the mutual counteraction of formation patterns, he unraveled all the connected Earth Stone and Earth and Wood Formations in front of him.


    This small block of formations was independent and not integrated into the surrounding Compound Formations, so when it was deactivated, it wouldn¡¯t be discovered.


    After unraveling the formations, the formation patterns briefly flickered before turning gray, losing their efficacy.


    The wall corner, serving as the formation media, also withered due to the ineffectiveness of the formation patterns, becoming loose and soft.


    Mo Hua then used his Divine Sense to perceive his surroundings, making sure no one was around, and quietly took out a small dagger to dig at the wall corner bit by bit.


    Master Chen had crafted a Thousand Jun Stick for Mo Hua, and feeling unsatisfied, had indeed especially refined a small dagger for him to use in peeling fruit.


    The small dagger was just perfect for digging at the wall corner now. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua would dig for a while, then rest, projecting his Divine Sense to confirm there were no people around, before continuing to dig.


    After an unknown amount of time, he finally managed to dig a hole through the wall corner, creating a small opening.


    Mo Hua was covered in dirt, only his eyes shining brightly.


    ¡°Success!¡±


    He could now slip in to take a look!


    Mo Hua was young and had a small stature; the hole was just the right size and also unlikely to be noticed.


    Mo Hua rested again, waiting for his strength and Spiritual Power to recover, reapplied the Concealment Technique, activated the Concealment Formation, made sure his preparations were thorough, and then cautiously crawled in through the hole.


    Under the dark night sky, in the eerie depths of the mountains,


    Young Mo Hua infiltrated the Black Mountain Stronghold unnoticed by gods and ghosts alike.


    With the construction of Black Mountain Stronghold two or three hundred years ago, it also welcomed its first little cultivator who didn¡¯t use the main gate.

 Chapter 274 - 273 Inside the Stockade_1

    Chapter 274: Chapter 273 Inside the Stockade_1


    Mo Hua had stealthily dug through the wall and, like a ghost, unnoticed, slipped into Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Upon entering the stronghold, she was immediately assaulted by a pungent, blood-soaked odor.


    It was a blend of stale decay and the fresh sharpness of blood.


    A bone-chilling cold permeated the surroundings.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but shiver before she looked around, her mouth agape in surprise.


    Such a vast stronghold!


    Flanked by embracing mountains on both sides, Black Mountain Stronghold lay nestled in the midst.


    The piece of the wall that Mo Hua had broken through was just a tiny part of the entire tall structure that stretched before her eyes, with more towering walls constructed all around.


    Beyond the high walls, the surrounding mountains acted as natural barriers for Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The entire stronghold lay under the cover of night, resembling an impenetrable bastion, almost like a monstrous creature that devoured people.


    Mo Hua was profoundly shocked, followed by a wave of relief.


    This must be, perhaps, the largest Sin Cultivator power in Tongxian City, no, maybe even in the entire Black Mountain State Boundary.


    If they hadn¡¯t reconnoitered in advance and had rashly called people over, a confrontation could have resulted in terrible death and injury.


    Afterward, Mo Hua began to observe the layout of Black Mountain Stronghold with extreme caution.


    The stronghold was enormous, filled with countless buildings. At a cursory glance, there seemed to be hundreds, densely packed within the embraced valley.


    The atmosphere was gloomy and eerily sinister.


    Under the dim light of fires, bloodstains could be seen almost everywhere ¨C on the roads, on the walls, on the pillars.


    In some corners lay the severed limbs and remains of unknown cultivators.


    Some buildings housed Sin Cultivators, while others imprisoned other cultivators, likely captured and abducted.


    These innocent cultivators were caged like animals, emaciated to the bone, more skeletal than human.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    ¡°Why would these Sin Cultivators imprison cultivators here? Aren¡¯t they usually killed?¡±


    Even a Sin Cultivator like Bald Tuo killed relentlessly, and Black Mountain Stronghold seemed even more wicked. Why then were these cultivators¡¯ lives spared?


    Perplexed, Mo Hua decided to watch nearby for a while.


    Soon enough, a fierce-looking Sin Cultivator came over, selected a cultivator whose complexion looked slightly better, and, with a slash, cut his wrist to collect blood.


    The cultivator¡¯s face twisted in agony, unable to struggle as his blood dripped into a bowl, filling it completely.


    The Sin Cultivator picked up the bowl and drank deeply from it, his vitality surging right after.


    He licked his lips, seemingly unsatisfied.


    After a while, another Sin Cultivator arrived.


    He placed his large hand on the forehead of a young cultivator. The young man immediately let out a heart-wrenching scream.


    Using Divine Sense, Mo Hua could see the young cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power actually flowing in reverse from his dantian, through his meridians, converging at the crown of his head, and finally transferring into the Sin Cultivator¡¯s body through his palm.


    Spiritual Power flowing in reverse brought with it tremendous pain.


    Which is why the young cultivator¡¯s screams were so sharp, they scarcely sounded human.


    Annoyed by the noise, the Sin Cultivator continued draining the Spiritual Power with his right hand while his left hand choked the young man¡¯s throat to silence him.


    Once he had finished extracting the Spiritual Power, the young cultivator collapsed weakly to the ground, silent, his fate between life and death unknown.


    Similarly, more Sin Cultivators came one after another, doing things much the same ¨C either drawing blood or draining Spiritual Power, and some even practised more terrifying methods.


    Mo Hua felt as though she had fallen into an ice cellar.


    It dawned on her that Black Mountain Stronghold was not a den for Sin Cultivators but a lair for Evil Cultivators!


    Such a vast stronghold, and it was full of Evil Cultivators, hundreds of them!


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but take in a sharp breath.


    Sin Cultivators murder for wealth, desiring fortune.


    Evil Cultivators practice their arts on humans, never treating them as human beings at all.


    Those locked in iron cells were not treated as people but more like ¡­ livestock raised for slaughter!


    Mo Hua was both shocked and furious, but after thinking it over, could only sigh helplessly.


    She was incapable of saving these cultivators.


    It would be good enough if she could even ensure her own safety, let alone rescue others.


    If Black Mountain Stronghold was indeed a nest of Evil Cultivators, the danger was far greater than she had anticipated.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Should I take the chance to slip away before they notice me?¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it but shook his head.


    Being able to sneak in this time was already a stroke of luck; there might not be such good fortune next time.


    Moreover, although evil cultivators are dangerous, as long as they are still in the Qi Refinement Realm and their Divine Sense is not as strong as Mo Hua¡¯s, they cannot see through Mo Hua¡¯s Concealment Technique.


    As long as the Concealment Technique is not seen through, he would be safe.


    Evil cultivators¡¯ methods are cruel.


    But Mo Hua had no plans to confront them head-on, so no matter how strange and ruthless their methods were, they would be meaningless.


    Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief.


    From what he could see, the power of evil cultivators in Black Mountain Stronghold was so vast that it had already severely threatened all Monster Hunters, even the safety of the entire Tongxian City.


    If they were left to develop for another two or three hundred years and grow stronger, there might be more than a thousand evil cultivators.


    By then, all the Loose Cultivators in the whole Tongxian City might become their domesticated livestock.


    A chill crept into the bottom of Mo Hua¡¯s heart. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While they were still unaware of his ability to conceal himself, and he had already snuck in secretly, it would be best to figure out the true capabilities of these evil cultivators.


    Then he could go out, call for help, carefully plan, and wipe them out in one fell swoop to avoid leaving behind endless troubles.


    Mo Hua made up his mind and started thinking about how to proceed.


    ¡°First and foremost, it¡¯s crucial to determine whether there are any Foundation Establishment Stage evil cultivators inside!¡±


    Only a Foundation Establishment Stage evil cultivator could possibly see through his Concealment Technique.


    In other words, as long as he doesn¡¯t encounter Foundation Establishment evil cultivators, even if he¡¯s in this land full of evil cultivators, the Black Mountain Stronghold, the risk won¡¯t be too great.


    But where would a Foundation Establishment evil cultivator be?


    Mo Hua thought about it and then, using his understanding of formations, started to deduce the layout of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The Formation layout of the An Family had been seen through by Mo Hua before.


    Both the City South Refining Artifact Store and the Alchemist¡¯s Business had their formations designed by Mo Hua himself, built relying on those formations.


    So, this was something Mo Hua was quite good at.


    After some calculation, Mo Hua had a rough idea.


    Black Mountain Stronghold was divided into the front stronghold and the rear stronghold.


    The front stronghold was at the front. Mo Hua, cloaked in invisibility, had roughly wandered around. It was mainly evil cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm, though most were at the eighth or ninth layer, none had reached Foundation Establishment.


    The formations used in the front stronghold were relatively simple, mainly Single Formations of the first rank, and many formations were not even up to the first rank.


    Basic structures such as Food Buildings, prisons, and living quarters were all located in the front stronghold.


    The formations in the rear stronghold, on the other hand, were much more complex.


    They mainly consisted of first-rank Earth-Wood Compound Formations, mixed with other formations that were also Single Formations of the first rank, and there was even a separate wall, clearly much more important than the front stronghold.


    Mo Hua had solved a small part of a formation and secretly entered the rear stronghold.


    Moving through the concealment and Water Passing Step, Mo Hua shuttled between rooftops and beams, all the while looking around.


    Compared to the front stronghold, the rear was relatively quieter and more solemn.


    The scent of blood was not as strong, but it felt more oppressive.


    The houses were larger and more exquisite.


    But this exquisiteness carried a hint of gloominess.


    Mo Hua walked on and suddenly heard voices, immediately finding a beam to lie flat on.


    Two people in the room seemed to be conversing but didn¡¯t appear to be close; their speech was rather cold.


    Mo Hua peered down secretly.


    He saw only the table below, and the meats and drinks on top of it.


    Mo Hua guessed that the two people must have quite a status, for their accompanying dishes were the best.


    They were better than what all other evil cultivators outside were eating.


    Seeing that they had not noticed him, Mo Hua thought they were Qi Refinement Cultivators and tilted his head to take another glance at the two men.


    One of them was a middle-aged cultivator with a stern expression.


    The other was a burly man, with slightly red eyes and bloodshot within.


    Mo Hua only glanced for a moment, his gaze tapping on that burly man like a dragonfly skimming the water.


    The burly man suddenly opened his eyes wide, the blood in his eyes darkening, his body emanating a fierce aura as he bellowed, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±

 Chapter 275 - 274 Visualization_1

    Chapter 275: Chapter 274 Visualization_1


    Mo Hua was startled and immediately lay flat on the roof beam, motionless.


    At the same time, a Divine Sense roughly swept over him but failed to see through his concealment.


    The burly man withdrew his Divine Sense, finding nothing, and bellowed angrily, ¡°Who¡¯s there, sneaking around?¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator frowned and also released his Divine Sense, scanning the surroundings.


    A noticeably deeper Divine Sense passed through the roof beam, condensed upon Mo Hua, and penetrated the concealment of the Concealment Formation on him.


    However, beneath the Concealment Formation, there was another layer of concealment from a Concealment Technique.


    It was already night, and the roof beam was dark; even a mediocre Concealment Technique would not be easily detected.


    The middle-aged cultivator saw through one layer of concealment but still did not discover Mo Hua, and after a moment of hesitation, he too withdrew his Divine Sense and said indifferently,


    ¡°There¡¯s no one here; there¡¯s no need to be so paranoid.¡±


    The burly man said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡ªsomeone is watching me!¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator glanced at him, ¡°Nonsense, am I not looking at you?¡±


    The burly man did not respond, his expression still carrying a fierce air, ¡°No, there must be someone spying in secret!¡±


    Mo Hua felt a sinking feeling in his heart, tensing up.


    The middle-aged cultivator retorted, ¡°Are you suggesting someone sneaked in?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible,¡± said the burly man.


    The middle-aged cultivator gave a contemptuous smile, ¡°Do you know where this is?¡±


    Before the burly man could reply, the middle-aged cultivator scoffed:


    ¡°This is the deep mountains of Big Black Mountain, the stronghold where we Evil Cultivators live and establish ourselves!¡±


    ¡°The entrance has a Concealment Formation I laid down, the high walls have a Compound Formation I arranged, each room, each tile and each brick, was marked with a Formation by me.¡±


    ¡°Which ordinary cultivator can discover this stronghold, dare to come here, let alone enter this stronghold? And even more so, who would dare spy under our noses?¡±


    Mo Hua listened and was secretly astonished.


    This middle-aged cultivator turned out to be that Formation Master, and what¡¯s more, a Foundation Building Cultivator!


    With the middle-aged cultivator claiming no one was present, the burly man wanted to argue but couldn¡¯t.


    He was less experienced than the middle-aged cultivator; knew nothing of Formations; and his Divine Sense was far inferior.


    If the middle-aged cultivator said there was no one, then there probably was no one.


    The bloodshot in the burly man¡¯s eyes slowly faded, the fierceness dissipated, and he apologized with a cupped fist gesture,


    ¡°Third brother, please don¡¯t be offended; it was my presumption.¡±


    The middle-aged Formation Master¡¯s expression softened slightly, nodded, and did not take it to heart, instead asking,


    ¡°Did you go without drinking blood tonight?¡±


    The burly man nodded, ¡°I didn¡¯t drink. I had some liquor and felt a bit restless.¡±


    After speaking, the bloodshot in the burly man¡¯s eyes started to appear again.


    Bloodthirsty and restless, so suspicious and paranoid.


    The middle-aged Formation Master understood, his gaze turning slightly serious, and said,


    ¡°Find some time to drink some blood. Don¡¯t let it disturb your state of mind and ruin the big picture.¡±


    The burly man nodded, feeling an increasing thirst in his throat, the liquor making him thirstier and his mood more irritable, always feeling like someone was secretly watching him.


    This sensation was extremely uncomfortable.


    The bloodshot in the burly man¡¯s eyes grew denser, his eyes almost completely red, and he stood up and said with a fist in hand,


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    The middle-aged Formation Master asked, ¡°Human blood might not be enough, do you need to drink Monster Blood? Do you want me to help?¡±


    The burly man replied, ¡°No need, third brother, you¡¯ve got a lot on your plate, and I wouldn¡¯t want to bother you.¡±


    After speaking, the burly man left. The middle-aged Formation Master sat for a while, finished his drink, and then entered the depths behind the stronghold.


    Mo Hua waited in the same spot for two hours to make sure that both men had really gone and were not pretending to fool him, then he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Elder Yu was right, the effect of these two layers of concealment is that as long as I stay still, even Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators might not be able to find me.¡±


    Especially that middle-aged cultivator, who was also a Formation Master, yet he failed to detect the concealed Mo Hua.


    This undoubtedly showed how hidden Mo Hua¡¯s method of concealment was.


    But Mo Hua did not dare to be complacent.


    Eavesdropping under the eye of a Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivator was still a very dangerous matter; even if they could not detect him, it¡¯s best not to take such risks again.


    Mo Hua warned himself.


    If his Concealment Technique was truly exposed, even with the Water Passing Step movement technique, he might not be able to escape from a Foundation Establishment cultivator¡¯s hands.


    It seems that the back of the stronghold is a place to be avoided in the future.


    Especially those two Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivators, it¡¯s better to stay away from them.


    Over the next two days, Mo Hua took the time to study the behavioral patterns of the two Foundation Building Cultivators.


    The burly man would usually cultivate in the stronghold during the day but would leave alone at night, his whereabouts unknown.


    Mo Hua guessed he must be going to drink blood.


    The burly man cultivated Evil Skills and needed to drink human blood, but having reached Foundation Establishment, human blood was insufficient, so he had to drink the blood of Monster Beasts.


    Some Monster Beasts consume human flesh and drink human blood.


    So drinking Monster Blood was almost the same for him as drinking human blood.


    As for the Formation Master, he too must be an Evil Formation Master, staying deep within the stronghold every day, tinkering with something unknown.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t guess and didn¡¯t dare to look.


    Occasionally, this Evil Formation Master also left the compound, always under the cover of night.


    Mo Hua speculated that he must be going into the deep mountains to lay out some Formation.


    But it was just a guess; he certainly didn¡¯t dare to follow, as that would be truly seeking death.


    Mo Hua had gradually figured out the daily routines of the two Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivators.


    As long as he avoided running into them, there was nothing to fear inside the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    After all, neither the Foundation Establishment Evil Formation Master nor the burly man had been able to discover him, let alone these Qi Refinement Evil Cultivators.


    Plus, the Evil Formation Master himself had said that it was impossible for someone to infiltrate the Black Mountain Stronghold and eavesdrop right under their noses.


    The other Evil Cultivators probably believed it even less likely that someone could sneak in.


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua decided to stay a few more days in the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    One reason was to draw a complete map of the stronghold, and the other was to overhear more information about it.


    Knowing the enemy and knowing yourself, you will not be endangered in a hundred battles.


    With the Black Mountain Stronghold¡¯s power being so vast, without knowing the ins and outs, one simply couldn¡¯t contend with them.


    He just needed to be careful to avoid any risks, especially encountering any Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivators.


    With the Evil Formation Master¡¯s strong Divine Sense and the burly man¡¯s keen instincts, neither was an easy opponent to deal with.


    Right then, Mo Hua grew curious.


    Just how many Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivators were there in the Black Mountain Stronghold?


    Mo Hua began eavesdropping all around, trying to ascertain this.


    Finally, one night, two Evil Cultivators were on guard duty, chatting over drinks, and they mentioned the ¡°Householder¡± of the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    One had a muscular build with a ferocious scar on his face.


    The other was pale-faced with a lean figure, looking like a piece of string.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know their names, so he simply referred to one as ¡°Scarface¡± and the other as ¡°Pale-faced Man.¡±


    Mo Hua also learned what their night guarding duty entailed.


    It involved standing watch at the gate of the Black Mountain Stronghold in the dead of night.


    If a Sin Cultivator came and presented a severed head to seek entry, they¡¯d open the gate and let that Sin Cultivator in.


    If there were any unexpected developments, or if a Cultivator tried to flee, they could sound the alarm.


    Guarding at night was rather dull and uninteresting.


    The night breeze carried a chill as they huddled around a fire, eating hard dried meat, drinking cheap alcohol, and shooting the breeze.


    Mo Hua was seated on the roof behind them, listening attentively.


    The Pale-faced Man, warming himself by the fire, grumbled, ¡°The Black Mountain Stronghold has a curfew, but that Fourth Householder still goes out every night.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed.


    Fourth Householder?


    That must refer to the burly man with bloodshot eyes who liked to drink blood.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then was abruptly startled.


    The ¡°Householder¡± must represent each of the leaders within the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    If that burly man was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, ranked fourth, then that means there are at least four Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivators in the Black Mountain Stronghold!


    Mo Hua broke out in a cold sweat.


    Four Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivators, plus hundreds of murderous Evil Cultivators.


    Even if the Monster Hunters from Tongxian City and the officers from the Taoist Court were to mobilize, they¡¯d likely stand no chance at all.


    The Court Leader of the Taoist Court was old and not adept at fighting, and although Elder Yu was formidable, he was certainly no match for four Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivators.


    If the Foundation Establishment fell, the remaining fight would be nothing but a one-sided slaughter.


    Sweating profusely, Mo Hua calmed his mind and continued listening, hoping to overhear more information.


    Hearing what the Pale-faced Man said, Scarface coldly commented,


    ¡°If you were a Householder, you wouldn¡¯t have to follow these rules.¡±


    The Pale-faced Man gave an awkward smile, somewhat discontented.


    Then, out of curiosity, he asked, ¡°What do you think the Third Householder does every day, hiding in the back of the stronghold?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a Formation Master, what else could he be doing?¡±


    The Pale-faced Man was skeptical. ¡°Formation practice is so boring. How can the Third Householder not tire of it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the Third Householder is a Formation Master, a Householder, and you¡¯re stuck guarding the gate at night,¡± retorted Scarface, looking down on him.


    The Pale-faced Man scoffed, ¡°By that logic, aren¡¯t you just a gate watcher too? Don¡¯t you stand guard with me?¡±


    Scarface turned icy, ¡°Are you looking for trouble?¡±


    The Pale-faced Man was not pleased, and for a moment, tensions rose between them, though they did not actually come to blows.


    Evil Cultivators were quick-tempered, yet they knew when to hold back.


    After a short while, their moods calmed down. The Pale-faced Man, finding the conversation dull, suddenly snickered suggestively,


    ¡°Do you think the Third Householder might have women hidden in the back, living it up night after night?¡± Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Scarface glanced at him coolly and snorted, ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± pressed the Pale-faced Man, a bit deflated.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to the back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve delivered some things to the Third Householder a few times.¡±


    ¡°What did you see?¡±


    Scarface frowned in thought and then said, ¡°The Third Householder, in the back, if he¡¯s not drawing formations, he¡¯s looking at a picture¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, who was listening intently, suddenly had a thought.


    A picture?


    What kind of picture?


    If the Third Householder was a Formation Master and was drawing formations at night, could it be some rare Formation Diagram?


    ¡°That¡¯s not impossible¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly paused, as a term popped into his mind.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ a Contemplation Map?!¡±

 Chapter 276 - 275 Householder_1

    Chapter 276: Chapter 275 Householder_1


    Mr. Zhuang had mentioned Contemplation Maps to Mo Hua.


    In the Cultivation World, there were no Cultivation Techniques to cultivate Divine Sense, the only method to strengthen one¡¯s Divine Sense through external means was a Contemplation Map.


    Contemplation Maps were exceedingly rare, and even among those Noble Clans, they were absolutely secretive inheritances.


    The Third Householder, also known as the middle-aged Evil Formation Master that Mo Hua had seen before.


    To become a First Grade Formation Master, and even have the hope of breaking through to the Second Grade, he must naturally have an inheritance of Formations.


    And having been in Black Mountain Stronghold for so many years, killing who knows how many Cultivators and plundering countless Tao Cultivation resources and inheritances, it seemed not strange at all that he would have a Contemplation Map in his possession.


    Mo Hua was extremely curious.


    He had long wanted to know just what a Contemplation Map was.


    Whether it was truly possible to enhance one¡¯s Divine Sense by studying the map.


    However, Mr. Zhuang had warned him that Contemplation Maps held unknown dangers, they should not be delved into deeply or relied upon, which is why Mo Hua didn¡¯t pay it much heed before.


    But even without using a Contemplation Map to strengthen one¡¯s Divine Sense, just having a look to broaden one¡¯s horizons would be good.


    Now the Third Householder might have a Contemplation Map in his hands.


    If there really was a Contemplation Map, and if meditating on it could indeed enhance the Divine Sense, then perhaps he could achieve the Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment stage sooner and also become a Foundation Building Cultivator sooner.


    Otherwise, given the current pace of Divine Sense growth, reaching Foundation Establishment would take a bit too long.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat excited inside, but after thinking it over, he also felt a bit disheartened.


    The Third Householder was not only a Foundation Building Cultivator but also an Evil Formation Master.


    How could he possibly give Mo Hua a chance to steal the map?


    Not to mention stealing it, even if Mo Hua were to hide nearby and peek at it together with him, it would probably be very dangerous.


    ¡°Forget it, if one day in the future I manage to overthrow this entire Black Mountain Stronghold, I¡¯ll think of a way to get the map then.¡±


    Besides, this was just his own speculation.


    What the Third Householder had might not necessarily be a Contemplation Map; it could just be a rare Formation Diagram.


    Right now, it was more important to gather information.


    Mo Hua calmed his mind and spirit and continued to eavesdrop from the side.


    After Scarface finished speaking, the Pale-faced Man was somewhat astonished, asking, ¡°What sort of map is it?¡±


    Scarface was reluctant to answer.


    The Pale-faced Man kept prattling on, and unable to bear it anymore, Scarface finally cursed,


    ¡°How the fuck would I know? That¡¯s the Third Householder¡¯s stuff, do I have the guts to take a look?¡±


    The Pale-faced Man felt somewhat disappointed, then he inquired again,


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve been here so long, have you ever seen the Householder?¡±


    The Pale-faced Man had joined the stronghold later and knew less, while Scarface had arrived earlier with more seniority.


    However, when it came to the Householder, Scarface also shook his head:


    ¡°The Householder is as elusive as a dragon seen in head but not in tail. Forget me, even some of the older hands in the stronghold who have been around longer than me may not have seen him.¡±


    The Pale-faced Man then asked, ¡°What about the other Householders?¡±


    Scarface glanced at him, ¡°Why, you want to be a Householder?¡±


    The Pale-faced Man sheepishly smiled, but he thought to himself, ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡±


    In this Black Mountain Stronghold, who didn¡¯t want to be a Householder?


    As a Householder, one could cover the heavens with one hand within the stronghold, a status far beyond that of ordinary Evil Cultivators, and naturally, their power would be much greater, allowing them to do whatever they wanted.


    Greed flickered in the eyes of the Pale-faced Man.


    Seeing through his thoughts, Scarface mockingly said, ¡°Then let me tell you about it, and you weigh for yourself whether you¡¯re cut out for it.¡±


    ¡°To be a Householder, you must first be a Foundation Building Cultivator.¡±


    ¡°The Householders of Black Mountain Stronghold, the top Householder is unfathomable, while the second Householder is cold-blooded, with an extremely heavy killing intent.¡±


    ¡°The Second Householder hasn¡¯t been seen these days. It¡¯s said that the Householder has ordered everyone to exercise restraint lately, and the Second Householder, unable to suppress his killing intent, has gone to another Immortal City to kill.¡±


    ¡°The Third Householder is a Formation Master. You should naturally understand what status a Formation Master has. All the Formations in this Black Mountain Stronghold, from the beginning to the end, were laid by the Third Householder. In the stronghold, besides the Householder, no one dares to offend him.¡±


    ¡°Regarding the Fourth Householder, the previous one is dead, and this one is newly promoted. He likes to drink blood, if you irritate him, be careful not to be sucked dry.¡±


    Scarface laughed contemptuously, ¡°Do you think you could take someone¡¯s place and become a Householder?¡±


    The Pale-faced Man¡¯s face twitched, but he still put on a brave front and said,


    ¡°Fortunes shift, who knows what the future will bring?¡±


    Scarface snorted, ¡°Thirty years from now, you probably won¡¯t even be alive.¡±


    In this Black Mountain Stronghold, being an Evil Cultivator wasn¡¯t a stable affair. Forget about living to reach Foundation Establishment, becoming a Householder or even simply surviving to old age, there were few who could manage it. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two of them looked at each other with cold eyes and continued to drink on their own.


    Mo Hua silently pondered to himself.


    His suspicions had been correct: indeed, there were four Householders within Black Mountain Stronghold!


    He had already encountered the third and fourth Householders.


    The second Householder was out and had not yet returned.


    The first Householder, like a dragon glimpsed but never caught, was likely either in seclusion or not present in the stronghold.


    In other words, Mo Hua still only needed to be wary of the third and fourth Householders.


    Avoid them, and he himself would be safe.


    The only thing that concerned Mo Hua was the first Householder¡¯s cultivation level.


    Being the first Householder, he must be the old Evil Cultivator who had established Black Mountain Stronghold.


    With so many ruthless Evil Cultivators under his command, his cultivation level had to be high.


    It just wasn¡¯t clear whether he was at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage or the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.


    If it was indeed the Mid-Late Foundation Building Phase, that would be terrifying.


    Elder Yu was only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, if it really came to a fight, how on earth would one contend¡­


    Mo Hua let out a heavy sigh internally.


    However, that was no longer something he could dwell on now; it was better for him to focus on drawing the map and gathering more information.


    In the following days, Mo Hua began to draw up the map of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Starting from the mountain gate, he marked the roads, buildings, the dwellings of the Evil Cultivators, and the iron prisons where cultivators were held.


    He also noted what Formation Diagrams were placed where and what to watch out for.


    And by analyzing the Formations, he could deduce the architectural layout of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    This way, for those rooms that were tightly shut and completely sealed, leaving no way to investigate, Mo Hua could also roughly guess their purpose.


    At night, Mo Hua would still eavesdrop on Scarface and the Pale-faced Man as they talked.


    Evil Cultivators in Black Mountain Stronghold were not very talkative.


    These two were the exceptions.


    Probably because they had to stand guard at night; without a conversation, it would simply be too boring.


    Mo Hua made use of the opportunity to hide nearby, listening to their conversation, hoping to catch some useful information.


    With dangers lurking everywhere within Black Mountain Stronghold, Mo Hua could not practice Formation Techniques at the Taoist Stele at night.


    However, when he found the time to immerse himself in his Sea of Consciousness and meditate in front of the Taoist Stele for a while, even without sleep, he would still remain energetic and alert.


    Moreover, at night when the fourth Householder went out to drink blood and the third Householder did not leave his room,


    It was actually the safest time for Mo Hua.


    After Scarface and the Pale-faced Man had chatted for a while, they suddenly started arguing.


    Mo Hua caught the gist of it.


    It turned out that Scarface, despite his fierce appearance, cultivated the Life-Extracting Technique.


    And the Pale-faced Man, with his sickly white complexion, cultivated an Absorption Spirit skill that borrowed the spiritual power of others to replenish his own.


    The Pale-faced Man was lecherous and wanted to borrow Scarface¡¯s Life-Extracting Technique to replenish his yang with yin.


    Scarface ignored him.


    Angered and embarrassed, the Pale-faced Man mocked, ¡°With your looks, why bother with the Life-Extracting Technique? Aren¡¯t you afraid women will find you disgusting at the mere sight?¡±


    Scarface retorted, ¡°With your frail appearance, so unsuitable for reinforcement, what good would studying the Life-Extracting Technique do for you? Don¡¯t end up bolstering yourself to death.¡±


    The two exchanged a few more insults and then started to fight.


    Scarface was a Body Cultivator, while the Pale-faced Man was a Spiritual Cultivator.


    Using his movement technique, Scarface tried to get close to the Pale-faced Man, who dodged using his own movement technique and countered with spells, conjuring and shooting fireballs with a mere gesture.


    His spell was the Fireball Technique as well.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua was taken aback, then felt a sense of displeasure:


    ¡°What sort of man is this noodle-man, using the same spell as me?¡±


    After watching for a while, he suddenly made a light exclamation in his heart.


    The Pale-faced Man¡¯s Fireball Technique seemed indeed more powerful than his own.


    Though not as quick or precise as Mo Hua¡¯s, the color of that Fireball Technique was more intense, and the power was quite formidable.


    It shouldn¡¯t be a matter of cultivation level.


    Generally, a Spiritual Cultivator at the Qi Refining Ninth Level wouldn¡¯t have such potency in their Fireball Technique.


    Could it be that this Pale-faced Man had some trick to his Fireball Technique?

 Chapter 277 - 276: Spirit Slave_1

    Chapter 277: Chapter 276: Spirit Slave_1


    Mo Hua¡¯s interest was piqued.


    He looked over it a few times more and confirmed that the Pale-faced Man¡¯s Fireball Technique indeed had some subtleties, differing from the common Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua wanted to study it further.


    Scarface and the Pale-faced Man had already stopped fighting.


    This was the Black Mountain Stronghold, and they were responsible for guarding the gate. If they caused any trouble over a petty squabble, it could cost them their lives.


    So, even if they did fight, it was a half-hearted affair; they didn¡¯t dare to really go at it.


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    He had been hoping the two would have a fight to the death so he could take advantage of the situation.


    But it turned out to be all bark and no bite; after a few moves, the conflict was over.


    Scarface and the Pale-faced Man hurled a few harsh words at each other and then sat down together to drink cheap liquor, as if nothing had happened.


    However, in the glances they exchanged, there was a hint of murderous intent.


    Mo Hua thought it over and was still very much interested in the Pale-faced Man¡¯s Fireball Technique.


    He now had defensive spells to protect himself, but his offensive spells were lacking.


    The Fireball Technique was fast and accurate, but its power was indeed mediocre.


    If he could learn the secrets of the Fireball Technique from the Pale-faced Man, he wouldn¡¯t need to learn other spells, and he could strengthen his arsenal.


    With this in mind, Mo Hua paid close attention and began to track the Pale-faced Man after daylight.


    The Pale-faced Man, after finishing his night watch, went straight back to his room.


    The Pale-faced Man was just an ordinary Evil Cultivator; his room was no different from the others¡ªspacious enough but messily furnished, not particularly bloody, just an oversized trunk in the corner.


    Having been up all night, the Pale-faced Man appeared tired. He rested for a while, then got up and started to meditate and cultivate with his eyes closed.


    Mo Hua found this odd.


    It seemed that the Pale-faced Man did not use Spirit Stones while cultivating.


    Without Spirit Stones, what could he possibly cultivate? Air?


    After a while, the Pale-faced Man opened his eyes, a flash of irritation in his gaze.


    He went straight to the corner and opened the large trunk.


    Mo Hua, lying on the roof beam, looked down and saw that the trunk actually contained a living Cultivator!


    The Cultivator was thin and sallow, cowering in the trunk, silent and afraid.


    The Pale-faced Man ordered, ¡°Come out.¡±


    Upon hearing the command, the Cultivator looked around vacantly before stepping out.


    ¡°Kneel!¡±


    The Cultivator didn¡¯t resist; he knelt as told.


    Seeing the man kneeling in front of him made the Pale-faced Man excited. He then pressed his palm against the Cultivator¡¯s forehead.


    The Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power began to flow in reverse and then gathered in the Pale-faced Man¡¯s Qi Sea through his palm.


    The Cultivator seemed to have become used to being treated this way. His expression was dull; he neither resisted nor made a sound, like a piece of wood or some dead thing accepting his fate of having his Spiritual Power drained.


    In the time it took to brew a cup of tea, the Pale-faced Man had fully absorbed the Spiritual Power, his satisfied heart adding a flush of color to his pale face.


    He patted the Cultivator¡¯s face, speaking in a tone of benevolence, ¡°The Cultivation Technique I taught you, you¡¯d best practice diligently.¡±


    ¡°You have to remember, it was I who saved your life. Making you a ¡®Spirit Slave¡¯ is a gift to you. Otherwise, you would have been drained dry by other Evil Cultivators already.¡±


    ¡°You owe your life to me!¡±


    After speaking, the Pale-faced Man pointed to the trunk and said, ¡°Go back, and don¡¯t make a sound.¡±


    The Cultivator, now a ¡®Spirit Slave,¡¯ walked back to the trunk with a blank expression and silently curled up inside without emitting a single sound.


    Mo Hua watched with a chill in his heart.


    He now understood that ¡®Spirit Slaves¡¯ were Cultivators used like slaves, their Spiritual Energy completely wrung out of them.


    These Cultivators could be said to be more like moving ¡®Spirit Stones¡¯ than people.


    To treat people like Spirit Slaves and Spirit Stones¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s slender eyebrows knitted together.


    As Elder Yu had said, the Cultivators here were indeed beasts.


    After absorbing the ¡®Spirit Slave¡¯s¡¯ Spiritual Energy, the Pale-faced Man began to meditate and refine it.


    The Spiritual Energy in Spirit Stones was pure, but that of Cultivators varied.


    Refining the Spiritual Energy of other Cultivators was easier and more convenient, but it clashed with one¡¯s own Spiritual Energy, leading to anomalies and could easily lead to a drastic change in temperament or demonic possession.


    Therefore, techniques that absorb Spiritual Energy were considered Evil Skills and not tolerated by the Taoist Court.


    This was what Zhang Lan had told Mo Hua.


    The Pale-faced Man absorbed the Spiritual Power of the Spirit Slave and sat in meditation to refine it, his facial features shifting unpredictably.


    At times he looked ferocious, at times ecstatic, at times mad, and at times a mix of agony and pleasure showed on his face.


    A moment later, after the Pale-faced Man had finished his cultivation, he reverted to his initial weak and pale appearance, although the aura of his cultivation indeed seemed somewhat stronger.


    Feeling pleased, the Pale-faced Man took out a book from his storage bag and began to read intently.


    Mo Hua took a furtive glance and felt a jolt in her heart.


    The cover of the book was partially obscured by the Pale-faced Man¡¯s hand, but two characters that were visible read ¡°Fireball.¡±


    Fireball Technique!


    Indeed, the Pale-faced Man was practicing a special Fireball Technique!


    If it were an ordinary Fireball Technique, there would be no reason for him to treat it as a treasure, carrying it with him and studying it from time to time.


    But since the Secret Manual of the Fireball Technique was with him, it was not something Mo Hua could simply steal.


    It seemed she would have to wait for another opportunity to come along. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before Mo Hua left, she cast another glance at the wooden box in the corner, which contained a Spirit Slave.


    The Spirit Slave appeared quite young, but was emaciated with a drained countenance, looking much older than his years.


    Now his expression was vacant and without emotion, but perhaps he once was a cheerful and kind-hearted youth.


    Did his parents even know he had fallen into the hands of the Black Mountain Stronghold?


    With this thought, Mo Hua sighed.


    Currently, with her limited cultivation, she was far from capable of saving him.


    But if one day she gained sufficient power, she vowed to slaughter all these Heretical Demons one by one!


    Mo Hua thought angrily.


    In the following days, Mo Hua continued to focus on drawing the Map.


    One day, finding herself hungry, she went to the Black Mountain Stronghold¡¯s dining hall for something to eat.


    The dining hall of the Black Mountain Stronghold was huge, and in a somewhat remote location.


    It was somewhat dirty and chaotic inside, stains of blood everywhere, with chunks of meat strewn all over the tables.


    Mo Hua did not recognize the meat, so she dared not eat it.


    She could only steal some wild fruit and pastries to fill her stomach.


    Before her arrival, she hadn¡¯t expected to stay so long in the Black Mountain Stronghold, so she hadn¡¯t brought much food in her storage bag.


    The supplies in her storage bag were already consumed, and now she had to settle for the food of the Evil Cultivators.


    The wild fruits were a bit sour and astringent, not tasting good.


    She guessed the thick miasma of the deep mountains was likely to blame, the soil there ill-suited to producing good fruit.


    The pastries were even worse to eat.


    Mo Hua took a bite and almost spit it out.


    It fell far short of what her mother made.


    Mo Hua began to miss her mother¡¯s cooking and suddenly thought of her parents. Having stayed in the Black Mountain Stronghold for several days with no news reaching them, she realized they must be worried sick.


    Mo Hua inwardly sighed, ¡°Had I known, I would have informed my parents beforehand to spare them the worry.¡±


    But regret was pointless now.


    She needed to finish the Map as quickly as possible, gather the necessary information, and then return home sooner rather than later.


    To avoid causing further worry to her parents.


    Mo Hua nodded to herself, then continued to force down the pastries despite their odd taste.


    Though the pastries were unpalatable, they at least filled the stomach.


    There was no room for pickiness in such times.


    As Mo Hua went on eating, she suddenly heard people talking.


    The speakers were an old man working in the kitchen and another voice that sounded familiar to Mo Hua.


    She lifted her head from under the table and covertly observed that the other person was the fat Cultivator.


    The fat Cultivator had killed the skinny one, used the latter¡¯s head to find his way to the Black Mountain Stronghold, and ended up with the menial job of delivering meals.


    The old man instructed the fat Cultivator, ¡°Take this meal to the ¡®young master,¡¯ don¡¯t let him starve to death.¡±


    The fat Cultivator nodded in agreement.


    Chewing on her pastries, Mo Hua suddenly paused.


    ¡°Young master? What young master?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ the young master of the Kong Family?

 Chapter 278 - 277 Young Master Kong_1

    Chapter 278: Chapter 277 Young Master Kong_1


    The Young Master of Kong Family, that Kong Sheng, he couldn¡¯t still be alive, could he¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat curious and followed the fat cultivator out the door, tiptoeing behind him.


    The fat cultivator was completely oblivious, carrying a food box, muttering to himself in a low voice all the way.


    ¡°I went through so much trouble to finally get into this Black Mountain Stronghold, not to deliver food for them.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t let me learn Evil Skills, that¡¯s fine, but they don¡¯t let me do any real business either, just delivering food to these wastes every day.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, a bunch of ingrates¡­¡±


    ¡°Back outside, my name carried weight too¡­¡±


    Mo Hua realized that this fat cultivator resented his ¡°talents going unrecognized.¡±


    He felt that Black Mountain Stronghold was blind to his abilities, refusing him the chance to practice Evil Skills or kill and plunder, only having him deliver food and run errands, so he was filled with discontent.


    Mo Hua silently curled his lip.


    Indeed, mud can¡¯t be put on the wall, dogs can¡¯t spit out ivory, and rotten wood can¡¯t be carved.


    He doesn¡¯t do a single proper thing, only thinks of harming others.


    The fat cultivator muttered to himself, walked down several roads, rounded a few corners, and arrived in front of a secluded house. He knocked on the iron door.


    ¡°Young Master Kong, time for food.¡±


    The fat cultivator said, and then, like feeding pigs, he dumped the food into a large bowl in front of the door and passed the bowl through an opening at the bottom of the door.


    The fat cultivator was about to leave after delivering the food.


    But a sharp, young voice came from inside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡±


    The fat cultivator frowned, other Evil Cultivators ordering him about was one thing, but this Young Master Kong was just a piglet, and yet he dared to speak to him with this attitude?


    The fat cultivator twitched the corner of his mouth, putting on patience, ¡°Does Young Master Kong have something to say?¡±


    Kong Sheng hurriedly said, ¡°My father, has my father replied?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long, he can¡¯t possibly not ransom me.¡±


    Through the iron door, Kong Sheng¡¯s voice sounded muffled but somewhat anxious.


    ¡°You must think the Spirit Stones are not enough? I can add more, six thousand¡­ no, eight thousand!¡±


    ¡°As long as you let me out, give me a way to live.¡±


    ¡°Any amount of Spirit Stones will do, my father will surely give them to you!¡±


    The fat cultivator¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention of Spirit Stones, ¡°Is what Young Master Kong saying true?¡±


    ¡°True! Absolutely true!¡± Inside, Kong Sheng seemed to be nodding repeatedly, ¡°Just let me out!¡±


    Kong Sheng paused after speaking, as if he remembered something, and then asked, ¡°Are you new here?¡±


    This food-delivery cultivator¡¯s voice sounded somewhat unfamiliar to him.


    The fat cultivator¡¯s gaze hardened slightly as he slowly said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Kong Sheng felt like he understood something.


    Since he was new and still delivering food, he must be of low status, just like the servants in his household.


    Kong Sheng said, ¡°If you secretly pass a message to my father, he will reward you handsomely.¡±


    The word ¡°reward¡± displeased the fat cultivator.


    He preferred ¡°robbing,¡± not being ¡°rewarded¡± by others.


    ¡°Does the young master have proof?¡±


    Kong Sheng slipped a Jade Pendant through the crack under the door, ¡°This Jade Pendant was given by my father, it¡¯s worth five hundred Spirit Stones, you take it to him and he¡¯ll understand.¡±


    The fat cultivator took the Jade Pendant, pleased with himself and then asked, ¡°What message does the young master want me to deliver?¡±


    Kong Sheng lowered his voice and said, ¡°My father is a Foundation Establishment Cultivator! Tell my father to secretly bring people over, wipe out this stronghold, kill them all. After it is done, you can join the Kong Family, I¡¯ll have my father grant you the Kong surname, you can be a steward, no, you can be an Elder!¡±


    Not only Mo Hua, but even the fat cultivator was shocked.


    Could there really be someone this foolish in the world?


    What exactly did his father teach him?


    Could it be that he truly believed his Kong Family was invincible and that he could always do whatever he wanted?


    The fat cultivator pocketed the Jade Pendant and said obsequiously, ¡°Rest assured, young master, I will definitely relay the message.¡±


    ¡°Good! Great!¡± Kong Sheng was overjoyed.


    The fat cultivator¡¯s face showed mockery, but with the iron door between them, Kong Sheng couldn¡¯t see it at all.


    ¡°Young Master Kong, you just stay put here nicely, don¡¯t even think of running before things are settled, otherwise the Evil Cultivators here will be furious and they will surely kill you.¡±


    The fat cultivator feigned concern as he reminded him.


    Kong Sheng said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t run, you hurry and pass on the message.¡±


    The fat cultivator sneered, turned, and walked away. Halfway through, he spat at the iron door and snorted, ¡°What trash, stupid as hell!¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing his reaction, Mo Hua knew that he would definitely pocket the Jade Pendant and do nothing, gaining five hundred Spirit Stones for nothing.


    Mo Hua shook her head, quietly flipped over the wall, saw that nobody was around, and disabled the roof¡¯s Formation. Removing a tile, she stealthily looked inside.


    The room was simple and shabby.


    By the door stood a young cultivator, dressed in luxurious, but now ragged clothing, seemingly having gone through many hardships.


    It must be the legitimate Young Master of the Kong Family, Kong Sheng.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but mutter to herself:


    ¡°It¡¯s true what they say, ¡®the good die young, while evil lingers for a thousand years.¡¯ This Kong Sheng is so lucky, so dumb, and yet he managed to survive in the hands of Evil Cultivators.¡±


    She then sighed, wondering what the Kong Family had taught him that his head was filled with such nonsense.


    To even think about rewarding Evil Cultivators with Spirit Stones to get them to do your bidding.


    They¡¯d be kind enough to give you a meal, sparing your life would already be generous.


    As Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts churned, she saw Kong Sheng suddenly lose his temper.


    Kong Sheng picked up his bowl of rice, took a few bites, made a face as if to spit it out, then forced himself to swallow it down.


    Anger and frustration surged within him.


    He started throwing and smashing things around, flailing his fists and feet in fury, while cursing angrily:


    ¡°They should all die! They all fucking deserve to die!¡±


    ¡°What are they anyways, to ride over my head¡ªI had to beg them to work for me, go to hell!¡±


    He then seemed to remember all the humiliating, unbearable, and disgraceful incidents of the journey.


    Remembering how he had to kneel before those Evil Cultivators, crying and claiming to be the Young Master of the Kong Family, begging for his life.


    He thought of the mockery and laughter on the faces of the Evil Cultivators.


    Kong Sheng¡¯s eyes reddened with rage as he roared in a low voice:


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of that damn Ji family father and son!¡±


    ¡°Had you not provoked me, I wouldn¡¯t have thought about killing you. I wouldn¡¯t have left the city, and I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this mess!¡±


    ¡°And that Fu Lan, nothing but a cheap woman! She¡¯s just a little pretty and pretends to be so pure¡ªrefusing to submit to me!¡±


    ¡°Once I get my hands on you, I¡¯ll make you wish you were dead!¡±


    ¡°And those Evil Cultivators too, for humiliating me like this, looking down on me, you all deserve to die!¡±


    ¡°You all deserve to die!¡±


    ¡­


    Kong Sheng¡¯s expression was hysterical.


    Listening to him, Mo Hua gradually furrowed her brows.


    It was his own wrongdoing, his own fault that led to this predicament, yet he always felt that others were to blame.


    And with such a strong desire for vengeance, his nature was indeed malicious.


    ¡°It seems that before I leave, I need to find a way to make sure Kong Sheng stays in the Black Mountain Stronghold forever.¡±


    Mo Hua silently contemplated.


    Bad people should stay where bad people belong.


    Kong Sheng and the Black Mountain Stronghold were quite a match.


    But she had to wait until he finished drawing the Map.


    Two days later, with the Map of the Black Mountain Stronghold seventy to eighty percent complete, Mo Hua was feeling hungry and was eating in the stronghold¡¯s dining hall.


    While she was eating, she heard the old man in charge of the dining hall cursing the fat Cultivator.


    ¡°The pastries prepared for the third Householder have been stolen¡­ I asked you to watch them, and you couldn¡¯t even do that properly. What use are you?¡±


    Pastries for the third Householder?


    Mo Hua paused, looking at the half-eaten pastry in her hand.


    This was for the third Householder?


    No wonder¡­


    She thought the pastry wasn¡¯t so bad, which was why she ate more of it.


    Meanwhile, the old man in the dining hall kept cursing.


    Due to his seniority, he was stubborn and harsh, his words were unsavory, and he berated the fat Cultivator until he was thoroughly humiliated.


    The fat Cultivator didn¡¯t dare to talk back.


    After the old man finished scolding, he huffed and left.


    The fat Cultivator stood still, his eyelids twitching with anger as he cursed:


    ¡°Whoever the bastard is stealing food, if I find out, I¡¯ll make sure you die a horrible death!¡±


    Mo Hua, still nibbling on the pastry, froze upon hearing this, then slowly licked her lips as a cold glint flashed in her eyes.


    Bastard?


    Die horribly?


    ¡°Not only does he curse at me, but he also wants me dead?¡±


    Mo Hua watched the fat Cultivator silently, her thoughts racing as she considered whether she should get rid of this fatso first.

 Chapter 279 - 278 Tiger Demon_1

    Chapter 279: Chapter 278 Tiger Demon_1


    Kong Sheng wasn¡¯t in a hurry, knowing he couldn¡¯t escape anyway.


    The plump cultivator kept an eye on the refectory, and now with heightened vigilance, it became somewhat inconvenient for Mo Hua to come here to eat.


    Moreover, Kong Sheng wanted that jade pendant he had.


    However, his methods had to be covert, and his actions meticulous, so as not to give himself away.


    Mo Hua began to watch the plump cultivator, observed for a day, and quickly came up with an idea.


    The plump cultivator would deliver food to the Evil Cultivators as well as to a Monster Beast.


    This Monster Beast was a Tiger Demon at its first-tier late stage, kept in a separate room and shackled with chains.


    The chains were also inscribed with Formation Patterns, immobilizing the Tiger Demon completely.


    Tigers were among the most powerful Monster Beasts on Big Black Mountain; without being constrained by Formations, they were incredibly dangerous.


    This particular Tiger Demon seemed special with its mixed black and white patterns and a ¡°king¡± character on its forehead.


    Kong Sheng guessed that because of its extraordinary bloodline, the Evil Cultivators had captured it and locked it in Black Mountain Stronghold.


    As to the specific purpose of this Tiger Demon, Mo Hua was unclear.


    Every day at noon, the plump cultivator would feed the Tiger Demon.


    But each time, he fed it very little, probably for fear that the Tiger Demon might regain its strength, break free from the chains, and cause trouble.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua smiled to himself and thought, ¡°if you won¡¯t feed it, then I will.¡±


    He picked select pieces of Monster Beast jerky from the refectory and stashed them in his Storage Bag, then quietly sneaked into the prison cell where the Tiger Demon was confined.


    With a rumbling stomach, the Tiger Demon lay languid on the ground, only to suddenly see a few rough and hard pieces of food appear before it¡ªit was indeed meat.


    The Tiger Demon blinked, a bit puzzled, but driven by hunger, it couldn¡¯t resist tearing into and eating the jerky.


    Soon it had devoured all the meat and licked its sharp teeth, still not fully satiated.


    Mo Hua tossed a few more pieces of meat in front of it.


    The Tiger Demon fixed its gaze ahead; there was no shadow of a person, but it could sense the presence of a cultivator.


    It did not know why the cultivator was feeding it, but driven by hunger, it consumed all the meat.


    Then it discovered that the cultivator¡¯s presence had vanished.


    The Tiger Demon opened its mouth and let out a low growl.


    Having eaten its fill to about seventy to eighty percent, its strength also recovered by the same margin, yet it was still restrained by the chains and Formation Patterns, unable to move.


    A glint of intelligence flashed through the Tiger Demon¡¯s eyes, and then it slowly lay down again, head drooping, eyes closed, pretending it was still hungry.


    From a distance, Mo Hua caught a glimpse and couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed: sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This Tiger Demon is quite clever.¡±


    The plump cultivator came to feed it the next day with the same disgruntled expression.


    He had been scolded by the old man again.


    Before it was just pastries, now even meat had started going missing.


    The plump cultivator didn¡¯t understand, who dared to steal from the refectory in the Black Mountain Stronghold?


    Moreover, he had checked for half a day and hadn¡¯t found a single clue.


    Aside from him and the old man, there were no other people in the refectory.


    If no one was stealing, could it be that a ghost was doing it?


    The plump cultivator gave a snort of derision, then frowned thoughtfully.


    ¡°Could it be a Concealment Technique?¡±


    That would be the only thing capable of escaping a cultivator¡¯s sight.


    However, the plump cultivator shook his head again.


    Concealment Techniques weren¡¯t so easy to learn, and within the entire Black Mountain Stronghold, there probably wasn¡¯t a single cultivator who could learn it, much less master it.


    And even those who were adept in Concealment Techniques weren¡¯t flawless.


    A Hidden cultivator may deceive the eyes, but not the Divine Sense.


    He had encountered Hidden cultivators before; although they were invisible to the eye, their traces could be detected by Divine Sense, and with his rich experience in fighting, it only took a few exchanges before he caught the Hidden cultivator and cleaved him with his blade.


    The plump cultivator was confident that even a cultivator skilled in Concealment Techniques couldn¡¯t elude his Divine Sense, especially not right under his watch.


    So what exactly was going on? Who stole from the refectory?


    As he fed the Tiger Demon, his mind kept pondering the dilemma.


    ¡°`


    He, however, did not notice that at this moment, in an unseen corner, a delicate little hand was holding a pen, stroke by stroke unlocking the Formation Patterns on the Beast-binding Chain.


    The plump Cultivator was unaware, but the Tiger Demon¡¯s spirits were instantly lifted.


    It felt the Formation that was binding it weakening more and more, and when it glanced with the corner of its eye, it saw new Patterns spontaneously appearing on the chain of the Formation, while at the same time, the Formation itself was gradually failing.


    The eyes of the Tiger Demon flashed with even greater intensity, but it lowered its head to conceal this, listlessly consuming the meager food.


    The plump Cultivator was still pondering.


    The more effort he put into thinking, the more bewildered he became, and the more he thought, the more irritated he got.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± the plump Cultivator cursed in anger, then seeing the Tiger Demon who was now head down eating, he became even angrier, slapped its forehead, and scolded:


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with serving people, but to serve a beast like you!¡±


    Hitting the Big Tiger was something he did frequently.


    After all, the Tiger Demon was bound by the Formation and couldn¡¯t move, so venting on it didn¡¯t really matter.


    The plump Cultivator turned around intending to leave, but after walking only a few steps, he suddenly sensed something was amiss.


    The ground beneath his feet seemed murky, as if an additional shadow had appeared.


    At the same time, behind him emerged a thick and fierce aura.


    The plump Cultivator¡¯s eyes gradually widened.


    He tilted his head slightly, and with a quick glance backward, he saw the Tiger Demon, which he had just bullied, quietly standing behind him, opening its huge bloodied mouth towards his head.


    The plump Cultivator was scared out of his wits.


    ¡°What the hell is going on? How did this cursed beast break free from the chains?!¡±


    While terrified, the plump Cultivator desperately spurred on his movement technique, running forward crazily.


    The Tiger Demon bit down, but because it had been trapped by the Formation for too long and its limbs had stiffened, it was a beat too slow, allowing the plump Cultivator to escape.


    Seeing this, the plump Cultivator breathed a sigh of relief.


    Enraged, the Tiger Demon swiftly charged towards the plump Cultivator, striking down with a fierce claw.


    But at this moment, the plump Cultivator had already adjusted his breath and was prepared; he managed to narrowly dodge the claw.


    As the Tiger Demon continued to rip and bite, the plump Cultivator relied on his movement technique to engage in a tangled fight.


    Those who qualify as Sin Cultivators would not have shoddy movement techniques.


    After several exchanges, the plump Cultivator began to regain his composure, and his expression was no longer panicked.


    He was at the later stage of Qi Refining, and so was the Tiger Demon.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t defeat the Tiger Demon, he could definitely protect himself in a short-term skirmish.


    Moreover, the Tiger Demon was weakened from hunger and prolonged confinement, so it wasn¡¯t at its peak strength.


    With this thought, the plump Cultivator¡¯s mind settled slightly, and then he sneered:


    ¡°You cursed beast, just wait and see how I¡¯ll torture you later!¡±


    Even if it escaped the chains, the Tiger Demon could not flee Black Mountain Stronghold; it would fall into his hands sooner or later.


    Next time, he wouldn¡¯t be so courteous.


    As the Tiger Demon¡¯s fury escalated, its attacks grew more urgent, but the plump Cultivator became increasingly composed.


    Hidden in the corner, Mo Hua observed for a while and roughly estimated the plump Cultivator¡¯s strength.


    His Cultivation was Qi Refining Ninth Level, nearing the peak, with an exceptionally good movement technique; the Taoist Skill he practiced was a first-grade Martial Arts called Golden Light Fist.


    Being a Sin Cultivator accustomed to fighting for survival, he had ample experience.


    Overall, his strength was slightly weaker than his father, Mo Shan, but stronger than an average Monster Hunter at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining.


    The plump Cultivator wasn¡¯t highly utilized, not because he was not competent but because he was new and not trusted.


    In terms of Cultivation, the plump Cultivator was still among the upper-middle ranks of Evil Cultivators.


    Mo Hua nodded silently to himself.


    If such was the case, then the average strength of Qi Refining Evil Cultivators would be stronger than that of Monster Hunters.


    But with Monster Hunters equipped with first-grade armors and Pu Blades, a true confrontation would probably be an even match.


    Mo Hua felt slightly reassured.


    Since things had come to this point, the plump Cultivator was of no use anymore.


    Mo Hua extended her small hand and began to look for an opportunity to use the Water Prison Technique to lock up the plump Cultivator, serving up an extra meal for the Big Tiger.

 Chapter 280 - 279 Old Acquaintance_1

    Chapter 280: Chapter 279 Old Acquaintance_1


    The battle inside the room continued.


    The fat cultivator had not thought of leaving, nor had he considered calling for help.


    Having been starved for quite some time and drained of much blood, the Tiger Demon¡¯s strength was greatly diminished, and he had intended to subdue it first through his own cultivation.


    The fat cultivator, a newcomer, would inevitably be held accountable and subjected to a round of scolding if it became known that he had been negligent, allowing the Tiger Demon to break free from the chains.


    Therefore, to subdue the Tiger Demon without alarming others was the best solution.


    But as the fight dragged on, the fat cultivator realized that to continue would be folly¡ªnot to mention subduing the Tiger Demon, avoiding being devoured would be a feat in its own right.


    The Tiger Demon was much stronger than he had anticipated.


    Doubt arose in the fat cultivator¡¯s mind.


    Having starved for so long, how could the Tiger Demon¡¯s blood qi still be so potent?


    After a few more rounds, not only did the Tiger Demon show no signs of fatigue but seemed even more ferocious. The fat cultivator suddenly had an epiphany:


    ¡°Not right!¡±


    ¡°Someone has fed the Tiger Demon!¡±


    The fat cultivator¡¯s heart trembled with fear. Who could have secretly fed the Tiger Demon right under his nose?


    After a moment¡¯s thought, a chill ran down his spine.


    He remembered the pastries that had gone missing from the kitchen and the vanishing dried meat.


    Someone had stolen the pastries, fed the Tiger Demon, and even undone the chains.


    And he couldn¡¯t see this person!


    Was it a sophisticated Concealment Technique?


    The fat cultivator glanced at the Spirit Chains used for binding monsters, his heart pounding wildly.


    He had looked at the chains when he entered the room, and they had been intact. In just a short amount of time, someone had unlocked them.


    And he hadn¡¯t noticed a thing.


    This proved that the cultivator he couldn¡¯t see must be extremely skilled, with unfathomable divine sense and inscrutable methods.


    And right now, this terrifying cultivator was in the room!


    Perhaps even watching his struggle with the Tiger Demon with a mocking expression.


    Cold sweat poured down the fat cultivator¡¯s face.


    He had to run!


    If he didn¡¯t run, he was a dead man!


    Making a snap decision, the fat cultivator dodged the Tiger Demon¡¯s swipe and retreated, sprinting towards the doorway.


    But it was already too late.


    The corner¡¯s Mo Hua had already extended its sinister little hand and gave a gentle squeeze towards him.


    Spiritual Power instantly converged into several chains, layering shackles upon him and binding him completely on the spot!


    In a flash, the fat cultivator felt as though he had plunged into an ice cellar, his face turning deathly pale.


    What spell was this?!


    What in the hell was this spell?!


    Before he could think further, the Tiger Demon pounced, biting into his shoulder.


    The fat cultivator struggled desperately, still trying to reach the door.


    But a second Water Prison Technique locked him in place again, leaving him utterly immobilized.


    The Tiger Demon bit again, this time penetrating his neck.


    The fat cultivator knew his death was certain.


    Lurking enemies in the shadows, a fierce tiger in the open¡ªright then, he had fallen into the jaws of death.


    In his life, he was always the one outwitting others; this was the first time someone had outwitted him.


    And with this one act of deception, his life was over.


    With difficulty, he turned his neck to look towards the corner of the room, wanting to know who had tricked him.


    But the corner was empty, not a soul in sight.


    He knew the person was there, yet he couldn¡¯t see them.


    Out came a mouthful of fresh blood as the fat cultivator died with his eyes wide open.


    Until his last breath, he didn¡¯t know who had bested him, not knowing what his murderer even looked like.


    The Tiger Demon killed the fat cultivator, bit him a few more times to make sure he was thoroughly dead, then tossed him aside, seemingly with a sense of disdain.


    The Tiger Demon did not eat the fat cultivator¡¯s flesh, nor did it swallow his blood, spitting out what it had in its mouth.


    Mo Hua watched with curiosity.


    This Big Tiger actually didn¡¯t eat humans?


    Was it because it found the fat cultivator unpalatable, or did it scorn him because a wicked heart made his meat unclean?


    After pondering for a moment and unable to figure it out, Mo Hua decided not to bother with it; there were more important things at hand.


    He concealed his presence, walked over to the fat cultivator¡¯s body, rifled through his storage bag, and took out the Jade Pendant that Kong Sheng had given him.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t take the other items, to avoid being noticed.


    But only Kong Sheng and the chubby cultivator knew about this Jade Pendant, so even if Mo Hua took it, no one would know.


    Mo Hua tucked the Jade Pendant into his storage bag.


    Worth a fortune, the pendant, according to Kong Sheng, was worth over five hundred Spirit Stones.


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t plan to trade it for Spirit Stones.


    It was a personal item of Kong Sheng with the ¡°Kong¡± character on it, belonging to the direct line of the Kong Family, and Mo Hua intended to keep it, as it might be useful in the future.


    After securing the Jade Pendant, Mo Hua noticed that the Tiger Demon was watching him.


    Perhaps not watching per se.


    The Tiger Demon couldn¡¯t see through Mo Hua¡¯s Concealment Technique but was merely sensing Mo Hua¡¯s presence and thus staring in his direction.


    And it seemed to bear no ill will.


    Mo Hua found it strange.


    Could it be grateful for the food I gave it?


    This wasn¡¯t typical behavior for Monster Beasts, was it?


    According to what the older generation of Monster Hunters said, Monster Beasts naturally despise humans, and even if they don¡¯t eat people, they still think about killing them.


    Mo Hua stared back into the beast¡¯s gaze and suddenly paused.


    ¡°Could it be that it recognizes me?¡±


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense and, seeing that no one was around, briefly revealed his figure.


    Upon seeing this, the Tiger Demon¡¯s eyes brightened, and it let out a low growl.


    The growl sounded like both a ¡°roar¡± and a ¡°meow,¡± resembling both a tiger and a cat.


    A cat?


    Mo Hua was startled and took another look at the Tiger Demon, feeling an increasing sense of familiarity, and then it dawned on him:


    ¡°Could it be that Little Demon Cat¡­¡±


    Uncle Chu had once caught a young Cat Monster with a trap, Mo Hua had fed it dried fish and even used it to practice his movement techniques, then released it back into Big Black Mountain, reminding it ¡°not to eat people.¡±


    He had not expected that the Cat Monster from back then was actually a Tiger Demon?


    And it had grown so much, it now appeared to be a Big Tiger. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was unclear what breed of Tiger Demon it was, its appearance was peculiar, like a mix between a tiger and a cat, something Mo Hua had never seen in Big Black Mountain before.


    Mo Hua wanted to reminisce but suddenly remembered that this was a Monster Beast, which probably couldn¡¯t understand him.


    And given the unpredictable nature of Monster Beasts, though it appeared docile now, who knew when it might turn and eat him.


    Mo Hua sighed, thought for a moment, took out a few pieces of dried meat from the storage bag, and tossed them to the Tiger Demon as a ¡°greeting gift.¡±


    The Tiger Demon held the dried meat and gnawed on it eagerly.


    Monster Beasts presumably couldn¡¯t understand human language. Now it wasn¡¯t eating human flesh, it wasn¡¯t clear if it remembered Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°advice¡± or if its habits were unique and naturally so.


    Mo Hua wanted to say more but suddenly sensed that someone was approaching.


    The chubby cultivator had died, but the noise from the struggle with the Tiger Demon seemed to have caught the attention of the Evil Cultivators.


    Several Evil Cultivators were headed this way.


    Mo Hua quickly used the Concealment Technique and scaled the wall in a few steps, then quietly lay on a roof beam.


    The Tiger Demon also sensed the commotion, quickly swallowed the dried meat, and returned to its original spot, even putting its paws back into the shackles.


    Afterward, it lowered its head and lay on the ground, looking listless.


    Mo Hua watched, shocked.


    This tiger must have become clever! How was it so astute? Better at acting than even he was?


    Before long, two Evil Cultivators, one tall and one short, walked in.


    Upon entering, they saw the blood stains on the ground and the chubby cultivator¡¯s corpse nearby.


    The shorter Evil Cultivator said, ¡°No big deal, just a dead person.¡±


    The taller Evil Cultivator stepped forward, kicked the corpse of the chubby cultivator, and wondered, ¡°How could he have been killed by a tiger?¡±


    ¡°New guy, probably careless.¡±


    ¡°What a waste.¡±


    The tall Evil Cultivator looked around and expressed doubt, ¡°Something¡¯s not right here. The Tiger Demon is locked up and can¡¯t move; how did this fatty die so far away?¡±


    ¡°Probably got bitten during feeding, then crawled out here, bleeding all over the place.¡±


    ¡°Damn, can¡¯t even die properly, leaving us to clean up all this blood,¡± the tall Evil Cultivator cursed and then asked, ¡°What do we do now? Should we slaughter this Monster Beast?¡±


    The shorter Evil Cultivator scoffed, ¡°You dare to slaughter it?¡±


    ¡°What? Can¡¯t this Monster Beast be killed?¡± The tall Evil Cultivator was surprised.


    The shorter Evil Cultivator glanced at him and said flatly:


    ¡°This Monster Beast has a special bloodline. The fourth Householder keeps it for blood drinking. If you dare slaughter it, the fourth Householder will be the one to slaughter you.¡±

 Chapter 281 - 280: Fury_1

    Chapter 281: Chapter 280: Fury_1


    The tall evil cultivator was startled at the words and shook his head.


    He wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with the Fourth Householder¡¯s moldy head.


    ¡°Then just let the fatty be dead.¡±


    Afterwards, he asked, ¡°Should we feed him directly, saving some trouble?¡±


    ¡°If the monster beast wanted to eat humans, it would have done so long ago. Why would it wait for us to feed it? It¡¯s picky, doesn¡¯t eat human flesh.¡±


    ¡°How strange,¡± the tall evil cultivator remarked with some surprise.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    The two evil cultivators tossed the fatty¡¯s corpse out and began to clean the bloodstains inside the room.


    They soon noticed that the formation at the location of the Beast-binding Chains seemed a lot dimmer.


    The tall evil cultivator frowned and said, ¡°Is this formation broken, or has someone tampered with it?¡±


    Mo Hua, hidden on the beam, listened with a slight shock and contemplated whether he should also scheme the two evil cultivators¡¯ deaths.


    There were numerous formations within the Black Mountain Stronghold that he had tampered with.


    Ordinarily, once a Formation Master completes a formation, they wouldn¡¯t specifically check it unless the formation ceased functioning.


    After all, there were so many formations, big and small, in the entire Black Mountain Stronghold that even Mo Hua couldn¡¯t possibly check each one.


    But if these two evil cultivators discovered that the formation had been tampered with and reported it to the Third Householder, and the evil cultivators began a thorough investigation, they would find the subtle clues left by Mo Hua when he resolved the formation.


    Even if they could not see Mo Hua, they would reinforce their guard.


    It would then be less convenient for Mo Hua to gather information.


    Mo Hua weighed the strength of the two evil cultivators in his heart, considering whether he could eliminate them right there.


    Alone, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do it, but there was also the Big Tiger.


    If he coordinated with the Big Tiger and struck in secret, killing one first and then dealing with the other together, they might just be able to manage it.


    The short evil cultivator also stepped forward and took a look at the formation, asking, ¡°Do you understand formations?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the tall evil cultivator shook his head.


    ¡°Then what¡¯re you talking about? Acting like you know so much?¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t this formation indeed a bit unusual?¡±


    ¡°What could be unusual?¡± the short evil cultivator said, ¡°It¡¯s just a formation, they all look the same to me.¡±


    ¡°How can they be the same?¡± the tall evil cultivator remained puzzled.


    The short evil cultivator cursed under his breath, ¡°Use that thick skull of yours to think, if there was really something wrong with the formation, would this Tiger Demon be lying down so obediently here?¡±


    The tall evil cultivator was taken aback, then nodded, ¡°Makes sense.¡±


    He glanced at the Tiger Demon.


    The Tiger Demon was drooping its head, lying there obediently with a listless appearance.


    The tall evil cultivator couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°This monster beast seems quite docile, how could it suddenly have bitten the fatty to death?¡±


    ¡°Probably the fatty did something to provoke the monster beast into anger and ended up losing its life. These sorts of incidents are common, with newcomers not knowing their limits¡­¡±


    The tall evil cultivator nodded.


    After that, the two of them stopped chatting and concentrated on scrubbing the bloodstains on the ground.


    Seeing that they were not persisting with the formation issue, Mo Hua also relaxed.


    Fortunately, these two evil cultivators were ¡°formation blind¡± and completely clueless about formations; otherwise, it would have been more trouble to deal with.


    Mo Hua cast another glance at the Big Tiger, thinking to himself that he could only help it so far. Whether it could escape was now up to itself.


    The Tiger Demon drooped its head, softly ¡°hmm¡±ing a response.


    As if it really heard what Mo Hua was thinking.


    Mo Hua shook his head¡ªthis Big Tiger was too clever for its own good.


    Another day went by and most of the tasks were about finished; Mo Hua began considering whether to head back home.


    The fatty cultivator was dead, Kong Sheng¡¯s Jade Pendant was in hand, the Map of Black Mountain Stronghold was mostly complete, and Mo Hua had gathered quite a bit of the information he could find.


    More confidential information might not be known to the front stronghold¡¯s evil cultivators, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t dare venture too close to the back.


    It seemed this was as far as he would get.


    But before leaving, there was one thing Mo Hua was still undecided about.


    That was the Fireball Technique Secret Manual of the Pale-faced Man.


    He had been watching the Pale-faced Man for several days, wanting to steal his secret manual, copy it for himself, and then return it, all without anyone noticing.


    But after watching for several days, he hadn¡¯t found any opportunity.


    The Pale-faced Man always carried his Storage Bag with him and cherished the Fireball Technique Secret Manual like a treasure.


    And then there was Kong Sheng; it would be easy to kill him, but difficult to do so without leaving a trace.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    It seemed he would have to find another way in the future.


    In the evening, Scarface and Pale-faced Man were still on night watch, huddled around a fire, eating distasteful meat and drinking bad wine.


    Mo Hua remained invisible nearby, listening in.


    He planned to return home the next day, but for tonight, he would listen in one more time to see if he could pick up any new information.


    While drinking, Scarface and the Pale-faced Man chatted.


    It was either grumbling, lewd talk, or some meaningless nonsense.


    No new information came to light.


    Mo Hua was getting weary; as he was considering whether to leave that night, he overheard Scarface and the Pale-faced Man discussing practicing Evil Skills.


    The Pale-faced Man began with a sigh, ¡°My ¡®Spirit Slave¡¯ is dead, it¡¯s really bad luck. Now I have to raise a new one.¡±


    Scarface sneered, ¡°Did you absorb too much from her?¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re harsh, could you ever be as harsh as you?¡± the pale-faced man said displeased, ¡°What have you turned your ¡®woman¡¯ into after ¡®replenishing¡¯ from her?¡±


    ¡°No matter what, she¡¯s not dead, is she?¡±


    ¡°Living is worse than dying, better to be dead.¡±


    ¡°What, feeling sympathetic?¡± Scarface asked with a smirk.


    The Pale-faced Man said, ¡°I¡¯m not like you, without the tenderness to cherish beauty. If I were to learn replenishing, I would love her tenderly¡­¡±


    Scarface sneered, ¡°Who the hell are you kidding?¡±


    The Pale-faced Man wasn¡¯t offended but leered, then suddenly said with surprise, ¡°That woman had a partner, right? How could she willingly let you replenish from her?¡±


    Scarface smiled and said, ¡°I threatened her with her husband¡¯s life; if she disobeyed, I would ensure he had a miserable death.¡±


    ¡°For her husband¡¯s sake, she compromised and allowed me to take what I wanted. Each time after, she would desperately beg me not to torment her husband.¡±


    The Pale-faced Man also laughed, ¡°You truly are a beast.¡±


    Scarface¡¯s eyes gleamed with greed, and he smiled ferociously.


    The Pale-faced Man took a sip of wine, then suddenly exclaimed in surprise, ¡°That¡¯s not right, her husband, didn¡¯t you split him open with a single blow already?¡±


    Scarface laughed unrestrainedly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really something else¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression gradually became icy, unable to listen to the conversation further.


    He stood up and left, following the dark path to a corner of the Black Mountain Stronghold, where some rudimentary houses stood. Some innocent Cultivators were imprisoned there.


    There weren¡¯t many female Cultivators still alive inside Black Mountain Stronghold; after checking several rooms, Mo Hua found the woman Scarface had spoken of.


    She was confined alone in one room.


    The room was furnished simply, with some basic food. The woman was not chained and was free to move about, but she couldn¡¯t leave the room. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The night was pitch-black, with a chilling moonlight shining through the window into the room.


    The woman lay on the bed, numb, her hair tousled, her clothes tattered, her body covered in bruises, looking fragile and pitiful.


    She shed no tears, as if she had none left to cry.


    Suddenly, she slowly got up, took a wooden hairpin from beside the bed, and pointed it at her heart, but hesitated, her hands trembling, unable to follow through.


    Moments later, she seemed resigned to her fate and lay back down numbly, but her hand was tightly clutching a scent pouch, her knuckles turning white.


    Embroidered on the scent pouch was a pair of mandarin ducks.


    Mo Hua remembered his mother telling him that this was a token of love between partners.


    She must be worried about the safety of her husband.


    Despite the torture and loss of dignity, she was clinging to life.


    But her husband was already dead, and her future held nothing but endless torment and pain.


    Her perseverance was just an endurance of suffering.


    Mo Hua wanted to save her, but he simply couldn¡¯t.


    His Cultivation was not strong enough, his Spells still too weak. Though he could conceal himself and trap enemies, he was not adept at killing.


    If he went out to call for help, it would take too long.


    This woman could not hold on that much longer.


    Mo Hua felt downhearted and sighed, then spoke softly, ¡°Your husband is already dead.¡±


    At his words, the woman looked stunned and asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Her voice was hoarse but not surprised; perhaps, having a connection with her spouse, she had sensed it already, but her heart refused to accept it, still searching for a sliver of hope.


    ¡°Scarface said so himself.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The woman¡¯s tears, once dried up, slowly began to emerge again.


    ¡°He¡¯s already¡­ dead.¡±


    The room was silent; the woman¡¯s crying made no sound.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She continued slowly, not knowing who the speaker was, but the voice sounded very young; perhaps it was a child.


    How could a child be in such a place?


    This filthy and dreadful place.


    Perhaps it was an Immortal¡¯s disciple who couldn¡¯t bear to see me suffer, so he told me the truth.


    Does this world truly have Immortals?


    If there are indeed Immortals in this world, I don¡¯t ask you to rescue me from this sea of suffering, just let those who deserve to die plunge into hell.


    The woman silently made her wish. Then, clutching the scent pouch in her left hand and the wooden hairpin in her right, she fiercely stabbed into her own heart.


    Blood reddened her clothes, strikingly vivid against the night, like a poppy flower.


    The woman, with a peaceful and relieved expression, slowly closed her eyes.


    ¡°My husband, this life has been too hard. If there¡¯s an afterlife, let¡¯s become partners again.¡±


    Before closing her eyes, she whispered this wish in her heart.


    Mo Hua watched silently, his young face full of sorrow, then a boundless rage ignited within him.


    In this world, the ones who deserved to die were still alive, while those who should have lived a good life died in misery.


    The moonlight was cold, and Mo Hua¡¯s gaze in the dark night was even colder.


    He had made up his mind¡ªbefore leaving, he would kill Scarface first!

 Chapter 282 - 281 Chain_1

    Chapter 282: Chapter 281 Chain_1


    The next day, when Scarface was about to Replenish from others, he found that the woman he used for Replenishment had died.


    Scarface found it hard to believe.


    She had been fine before, so why had she suddenly lost the will to live and sought her own death?


    Scarface was both angry and irritable.


    He was at a critical point in his cultivation, needing to Replenish daily, or his Evil Skills would surely backlash.


    In the short term, it was fine, at most causing fiery energy to surge up and his mood to become volatile.


    But if it went on for too long, the backlash would intensify, causing minor spiritual power disarray or, at worst, complete loss of sanity.


    He needed to find another woman to serve as his cauldron!


    But the desolate Big Black Mountain, where could he find a woman to Replenish from?


    Recently, the Householder had even sent a message down, asking the brothers of the Black Mountain Stronghold to keep a low profile and commit fewer offenses outside, so as not to attract attention.


    He was already short of cauldrons, and now he was truly out of options.


    With no other choice, Scarface could only try to suppress the fiery energy and curb the desire to avoid losing his sanity.


    To the right within the Black Mountain Stronghold, there was a waterfall.


    The water from the waterfall streamed down from the mountain, like white silk cascading across and falling into the stronghold, then flowing down into the abyss below.


    The water of the waterfall was ice-cold to the bone.


    Seeing no one around, Scarface took off his Taoist Robe and storage bag and placed them to one side, sitting alone under the waterfall in meditation, using the coldness of the waterfall to suppress the fiery energy.


    But such a method was only a temporary fix and didn¡¯t address the root of the problem.


    The unbearable heat within him still made him feel like he was burning up.


    His temperament became increasingly irritable and cruel, so he didn¡¯t notice that Mo Hua, who was hiding nearby, quietly picked up his clothes and storage bag.


    Mo Hua secured his storage bag and then threw Scarface¡¯s Taoist Robe onto the cliff¡¯s edge by the waterfall.


    Below the cliff was an abyss; a fall would mean certain death.


    Then Mo Hua patiently waited nearby.


    About half an hour later, Scarface under the waterfall opened his eyes, feeling the fiery energy inside him slightly recede, and got up to leave. He saw that his Taoist Robe and storage bag were gone.


    Scarface frowned and looked around, spotting his Taoist Robe at the edge of the waterfall.


    ¡°Was it washed away?¡± he thought irritably.


    He went to the edge of the waterfall and picked up the Taoist Robe.


    At the same time, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed and he focused his Qi, launching three consecutive Fireball Techniques. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three Fireball Techniques were fast and accurate.


    The first hit Scarface in the face, meant to take him by surprise; the second struck his chest, to unbalance him; the third aimed at his knees, trying to make him slip off the cliff to his death.


    The three Fireballs exploded in quick succession, catching Scarface off guard.


    As Mo Hua had anticipated, Scarface was initially shocked, then stumbled backward, and finally slipped at the brink, starting to fall down below the waterfall.


    Just as Mo Hua thought he was undoubtedly doomed,


    Suddenly, a pair of hands appeared on the cliff.


    Scarface, in a crucial moment, clenched the stones on the edge with his hands, his fingertips gouging into the rock. Though he slipped, he didn¡¯t fall.


    Scarface, being a Body Cultivator with a formidable physique, strained his arms and leaped up from below the waterfall.


    Then his eyes turned blood-red as he flew into a furious rage.


    ¡°Who is the cowardly scoundrel daring to ambush me?¡±


    ¡°Show yourself!¡± he roared menacingly, but of course, Mo Hua did not reveal himself.


    He only felt a pity in his heart that he had not been able to finish Scarface off.


    But that was only the first step; if this plan failed, there would be another.


    Mo Hua, holding Scarface¡¯s storage bag, quietly left the area.


    Scarface was still cursing and shouting in place.


    He released his Divine Sense, scanning the waterfall, rocks, and woods all around, but found not a trace of anyone.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where is the person?¡±


    Scarface looked puzzled and became angrier the more he thought about it.


    ¡°Exactly who is plotting against me?¡±


    Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.


    The Fireball Technique?


    Among the people he knew, there was only one who was adept at the Fireball Technique.


    The Pale-faced Man who kept watch with him.


    ¡°That bastard, he wants to kill me?!¡±


    Why?


    In his great rage, Scarface¡¯s thoughts raced, and moments later he had his answer:


    Replenishing from others¡¯ Cultivation Technique!


    The Pale-faced Man had repeatedly asked him for the Replenishing Cultivation Technique, which he never gave.


    In the wilderness of Big Black Mountain, it¡¯s not easy to snatch a female cultivator to use as a woman.


    In Black Mountain Stronghold, he was not the only one practicing Replenishing from others; with more monks than porridge, those competing for women were naturally one fewer with each gone.


    He would certainly not hand over the Replenishing Cultivation Technique to the Pale-faced Man.


    This time, the Pale-faced Man¡¯s ¡®Spirit Slave¡¯ died, and he wanted to switch to Replenishing from others, so he set his sights on him.


    He tried to catch him off guard with the Fireball Technique, caused him to fall off the cliff by accident, and then took the opportunity to snatch his storage bag.


    And in his storage bag was the Replenishing Cultivation Technique!


    Scarface suddenly understood, and everything made sense.


    ¡°That son of a bitch, trying to kill me!¡±


    Already seething with rage, and now with his anger rising to his head, he failed to notice that the Fireball Technique used in the ambush was faster and more accurate than what the Pale-faced Man could manage, but much less powerful.


    Furious, Scarface couldn¡¯t help but curse:


    ¡°Scheming against me, seriously asking for death!¡±


    Suppression in his anger, Scarface¡¯s face darkened as he walked toward the stronghold.


    Mo Hua walked in front of him, first tossing his storage bag at the Pale-faced Man¡¯s door, then knocked.


    The Pale-faced Man was meditating in his room.


    Without the Spirit Slave, his practice was extraordinarily slow, and he asked with displeasure, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Mo Hua knocked again but did not speak.


    The Pale-faced Man frowned, got up to open the door, and found a storage bag at the doorstep.


    ¡°Whose storage bag is this? What¡¯s it doing here?¡±


    A cultivator¡¯s storage bag is an important possession, always kept close; it couldn¡¯t just be thrown around.


    Could this be some sort of trick?


    The Pale-faced Man looked around warily but saw no one.


    He looked down at the storage bag again and noticed that it was open, revealing some Spirit Stones and a book with the words ¡°Replenishing¡± on the cover.


    The Pale-faced Man paused for a moment, then was overjoyed.


    He had been troubled that his Spirit Slave had died and it would be a hassle to raise another, seeking the Replenishing Cultivation Technique to no avail, but unexpectedly, luck had come without any effort on his part.


    He who doesn¡¯t seize the fortune bestowed upon him will ultimately invite disaster upon himself.


    The Pale-faced Man picked up the storage bag feeling entirely justified, pulled out the Replenishing Cultivation Technique book, and was about to take a look when he looked up and saw Scarface walking over with a dark expression, his gaze fixed on the storage bag in his hand.


    The Pale-faced Man was startled, paused to think, and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°Is this storage bag yours?¡±


    Scarface nodded, his mind filled with curses:


    ¡°Still playing dumb with me? A coward who dares to do but not admit!¡±


    Scarface held down his anger, asking, ¡°How did it end up in your hands?¡±


    The Pale-faced Man responded truthfully, ¡°It fell at my door, I picked it up.¡±


    Scarface¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Couldn¡¯t even come up with a decent lie, thinks I¡¯m a fool?


    ¡°Give it to me,¡± Scarface reached out his hand.


    However, the Pale-faced Man smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you, but I want to take a look at this Replenishing Cultivation Technique.¡±


    Scarface nodded, ¡°Fine.¡±


    Once Scarface said this and stepped forward to take the storage bag, the Pale-faced Man, unsuspecting, put the Replenishing Cultivation Technique into his chest and handed over the storage bag.


    The moment Scarface took hold of the storage bag, he suddenly exploded with movement, his claws sweeping through the air, his moves ruthless.


    His fingertips, like fine iron and wrapped in a sinister green Spiritual Power, pierced directly through the Pale-faced Man¡¯s heart meridian, and then he savagely tore downward, ripping open flesh and spattering blood everywhere.


    The Pale-faced Man¡¯s face was one of disbelief.


    He tried to counterattack, but as soon as he raised his hand and before he could condense any Spell, Scarface had already gripped his throat.


    The Pale-faced Man rasped, ¡°Why¡­ kill me?¡±


    Hearing this, Scarface grew even angrier, ¡°Still playing dumb, even when you¡¯re about to die?¡±


    After saying this, he squeezed hard, his fingers puncturing the Pale-faced Man¡¯s neck, killing him instantly.

 Chapter 283 - 282 Feeding Pigs_1

    Chapter 283: Chapter 282 Feeding Pigs_1


    ¡°`


    Scarface made quick work of his kill, while Mo Hua watched with a headache.


    It¡¯s true that Spiritual Cultivators are at a significant disadvantage when a Body Cultivator gets close to them in combat.


    But this Pale-faced Man was just too weak.


    How could he not sense such obvious killing intent from Scarface?


    Despite being an Evil Cultivator, he was even more naive than a child like himself.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    His original plan was to use the Storage Bag to incite a conflict between the two, so he could reap the benefits as an onlooker.


    If they fought, even if they didn¡¯t both perish, they would at least both be gravely injured.


    That way, he would be able to come out and finish off the loser, seizing the opportunity for himself.


    Yet unexpectedly, the Pale-faced Man proved to be so useless, allowing Scarface to close in on him and easily slaughter him without a hitch.


    With such low vigilance, what¡¯s the point of being a Spiritual Cultivator?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but curse in his heart.


    After Scarface killed the Pale-faced Man, he reclaimed the Life-Extracting Technique¡¯s manual from his embrace, threw his body inside the house, spat on it, and left straight away.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed, as Scarface didn¡¯t take the Pale-faced Man¡¯s Storage Bag?


    Could it be that his lust for vengeance had clouded his judgement?


    ¡°If you won¡¯t take it, then I won¡¯t be polite.¡±


    Mo Hua stealthily entered the house and pocketed the Pale-faced Man¡¯s Storage Bag in his bosom.


    In the Storage Bag was the Secret Manual for the Fireball Technique that he had been coveting.


    With this manual, the power of his Fireball Technique might ascend to a new level.


    This outcome wasn¡¯t a loss after all.


    Mo Hua secured the Storage Bag, then immediately flipped up onto the roof beam.


    After a while, as expected, Scarface returned. He searched the Pale-faced Man¡¯s corpse but found no Storage Bag.


    ¡°Did I remember wrong? He clearly had it on him¡­¡±


    Scarface frowned in thought, then suddenly became irritable and said,


    ¡°Forget it, it wasn¡¯t anything valuable anyway.¡±


    He turned and ransacked the Pale-faced Man¡¯s house, collected some Spirit Stones and Spiritual Artifacts, and left, leaving the Pale-faced Man¡¯s body rigid in death on the ground.


    Upon seeing this, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh,


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about being an Evil Cultivator? To die and have no one collect your corpse.¡±


    However, this was his own fault, and Mo Hua felt no sympathy at all.


    ¡°This Scarface is truly difficult to kill,¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but think.


    After two calculations, he remained completely unharmed, indeed an experienced Evil Cultivator.


    In a direct confrontation, Mo Hua held no confidence either.


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged on the beam, pondering for a while, then suddenly thought of Kong Sheng.


    Kong Sheng was someone he would have to deal with sooner or later.


    After considering for a moment, Mo Hua concealed his presence and made his way to the room where Kong Sheng was being held.


    Kong Sheng was still acting like a madman, occasionally throwing tantrums.


    He would shout in a low, hoarse voice, one moment threatening to kill one person, the next moment another.


    Mo Hua sat on the rooftop, patiently waiting for Scarface to pass by.


    The paths of Black Mountain Stronghold were complex and intertwined, while seemingly elaborate, they also intersected.


    Scarface, who was supposed to stand guard at night, would inevitably pass by this road.


    After a long wait, as dusk approached, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense stirred slightly, and he indeed spotted Scarface¡¯s figure in the distance.


    Having killed the Pale-faced Man, he could only stand guard alone tonight.


    Mo Hua wondered if Black Mountain Stronghold had any rules about whether Scarface would be punished for killing the Pale-faced Man.


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to consider this.


    Mo Hua concealed his form and entered Kong Sheng¡¯s room.


    Kong Sheng was glaring with venomous eyes, plotting something, and muttered,


    ¡°Sooner or later, I¡¯ll kill all of you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua quietly approached him from behind, lifted the Thousand Jun Stick, activated the Formation, and delivered a muffled blow down on him.


    Kong Sheng, only at the seventh level of Qi Refinement and with weak cultivation, fainted with one hit of the stick.


    Afterward, Mo Hua disabled the Formation on the door, opened the iron gate, then took out a Fiery Flame Rune, threaded it with a thin rope, tied it around Kong Sheng¡¯s wrist, and stuffed it into his sleeve.


    This Fiery Flame Rune had been seized from a Qian Family Cultivator; originally there were three, Mo Hua had used one, and two remained unused.


    Having prepared thoroughly, as Scarface was nearly upon him, Mo Hua slapped Kong Sheng awake and then vanished from sight.


    Kong Sheng woke up, groggy, feeling pain in both his head and face, and cursed,


    ¡°`


    ¡°Who the hell¡­¡±


    Kong Sheng couldn¡¯t finish swearing when he suddenly froze, noticing that the iron door was actually open.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Kong Sheng was stunned for a moment before he realized what had happened.


    It was that fat cultivator who delivered the food!


    ¡°He must have given the jade pendant to my father, and then my father, at the Foundation Establishment Stage, must have come with the cultivators of the Kong Family to save him!¡±


    But why did they knock me out?


    However, with the situation being critical, he had no time to concern himself with these details. Most importantly, he could escape now.


    Kong Sheng was overjoyed in his heart.


    He hurriedly got up and bolted through the door.


    He had had enough of this wretched place; he didn¡¯t want to stay any longer, didn¡¯t want to eat those hard-to-swallow foods, and didn¡¯t want to endure the cold looks and mockery from the evil cultivators anymore.


    Once he was out, he would once again be the young master of the Kong Family in Qingxuan City.


    He could call the wind and summon the rain in Qingxuan City, and no one would dare to interfere with him!


    And he could finally take his revenge on Ji Family¡¯s father and son, as well as on Fu Lan, that little bitch.


    The more Kong Sheng thought about it, the more excited he became, but as soon as he reached the doorway, he saw a towering figure standing in front of him, with his face bearing a fearsome scar.


    It was Scarface.


    Scarface said with a sinister smile, ¡°Thinking of escaping?¡±


    Seeing the hideous smile on Scarface¡¯s face, and feeling the cold murderous intent emanating from him, Kong Sheng felt his limbs go weak and stammered, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Scarface looked around and asked, ¡°Who opened the iron door for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Scarface sneered, ¡°Someone must have told you, right? Prisoners of the Black Mountain Stronghold, anyone who dares to escape is bound to die.¡±


    Kong Sheng, alarmed, quickly waved his hands, ¡°I didn¡¯t escape¡­¡±


    But in his heart, he was urgently thinking, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t my father come yet? If he were here, he could kill all these beasts!¡±


    However, Kong Sheng didn¡¯t notice the runes that slipped out of his sleeve while he was waving his hands.


    In his panic, Kong Sheng hadn¡¯t paid any attention, but Scarface caught sight of them.


    These runes were evidently of high quality. Since the young master of the Kong Family had them hidden in his sleeve, he must be pretending to be scared, letting his guard down on purpose, while looking for a chance to make a move and launch a surprise attack on him.


    Scarface was immediately enraged, ¡°Even a little bastard like you dares to scheme against me?¡±


    With a flash, he moved close to Kong Sheng and his knife fell like lightning, striking Kong Sheng down.


    Kong Sheng, pampered and arrogant, accustomed to bullying others with his seventh level Qi Refinement, had no power to fight back and thus died at the hands of Scarface.


    After Kong Sheng was cut down, some time later, an elderly evil cultivator came by and scolded Scarface:


    ¡°What are you crazy about? Isn¡¯t killing one during the day enough, you even killed the hostage?¡±


    With his head bowed, Scarface cupped his hands and said, ¡°He tried to run.¡±


    The old evil cultivator snorted coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses. This time it¡¯s a major offense. From now on, you¡¯re on night watch alone. If anything goes wrong, I will hold you accountable!¡±


    Scarface could only acknowledge it.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the punishment for evil cultivators in Black Mountain Stronghold to be so light.


    Scarface had killed the Pale-faced Man and now Kong Sheng but was only recorded for a major offense and assigned to be on night watch alone; there were no other punishments.


    Mo Hua had hoped that if Scarface were to suffer severe punishment and injuries, it would have been convenient for him to make his move and kill him.


    Mo Hua still remembered the tragic sight of that female cultivator in the night.


    He was definitely going to kill Scarface.


    But it now looked like it might not be possible to kill him anytime soon.


    After causing the deaths of two people in a row, he had left quite a few traces behind.


    The storage bag of the Pale-faced Man, the iron door of Kong Sheng¡¯s room that was left open, and the runes in his sleeve.


    Someone observant would definitely be able to pick up on the clues and suspect that someone was up to no good.


    It was time to leave Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Sure enough, Scarface mentioned to the old evil cultivator, ¡°The iron door to Kong Sheng¡¯s room was open; I don¡¯t know who let him out.¡±


    The old evil cultivator frowned.


    After a short conversation and coming up with no leads, they temporarily dropped the subject.


    But Mo Hua knew that they must have become suspicious.


    ¡®Where there¡¯s smoke, there¡¯s fire¡¯ as the saying goes.


    Mo Hua had managed to keep hidden with his Concealment Technique until now, and that was already remarkable.


    ¡°Should I go home now? My parents must be worried,¡± Mo Hua thought to himself in silence.


    Just then, he heard the old evil cultivator say to Scarface:


    ¡°Drag this young master of the Kong Family away to feed the pigs.¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 284 - 283: Pill Room_1

    Chapter 284: Chapter 283: Pill Room_1


    Feeding pigs?


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, his eyebrows slowly furrowing.


    He had roamed around Black Mountain Stronghold for so long, but he couldn¡¯t recall where he had seen any pigs¡­


    Moreover, what would these evil cultivators want with raising pigs?


    It couldn¡¯t possibly be for eating their meat¡­


    And what exactly were these pigs?


    Were they monster beasts?


    For some reason, Mo Hua suddenly cared a great deal.


    He felt that within Black Mountain Stronghold, the phrase ¡°feeding pigs¡± seemed particularly odd.


    ¡°Should I take a look?¡±


    Mo Hua looked up at the sky, night had just fallen, somewhat dark and murky.


    It was still early, he would just take a look and then take advantage of the deep night to sneak back.


    He couldn¡¯t stay in Black Mountain Stronghold any longer.


    Mo Hua made up his mind, and then, concealing his form, quietly followed after Scarface.


    Scarface had stuffed Kong Sheng into a hemp sack, carrying it with one hand, leaving a trail of blood all the way to the back of the stronghold¡¯s gate.


    Scarface pushed the door and went inside.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, his brow furrowed. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So it was in the back of the stronghold, no wonder he hadn¡¯t seen it.


    ¡°Should I go in?¡±


    The third and fourth Householders were Foundation Building evil cultivators living in the back of the stronghold, Mo Hua¡¯s concealment could deceive their Divine Sense for a moment, but a slip-up could easily give him away.


    Just then, he heard Scarface talking with another old evil cultivator, saying:


    ¡°Is the third Householder here? I¡¯ve brought something.¡±


    Kong Sheng¡¯s body was merely ¡°something,¡± not even considered human.


    Or perhaps, to the evil cultivators, all the cultivators who died in Black Mountain Stronghold were merely ¡°things,¡± not humans.


    The old evil cultivator¡¯s hoarse voice said, ¡°The third Householder just went out, and the fourth Householder is not here either, but I have the keys, so I¡¯ll open the door for you.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then a flicker of realization brightened his eyes.


    If neither Householder was there, he would be able to enter the back of the stronghold.


    He had always wanted to know what was in the back of Black Mountain Stronghold, and now was the perfect opportunity to take a look.


    The old evil cultivator led Scarface deep inside, eventually stopping in front of a large door forged from bronze, with a beast face and sharp teeth, somber and oppressive.


    The old evil cultivator took out a white skull from his chest and stuffed it into the mouth part of the bronze door.


    Above the door, bloody Formation Patterns lit up one by one, with a crimson glow circulating and converging inward, focusing into the mouth of the beast.


    It was as if fresh blood flowed into the mouth of a monster beast.


    And as the monster beast drank its fill of fresh blood, it opened its mouth wide and the door thunderously swung open.


    Mo Hua watched with his eyelids twitching.


    This Formation!


    It was not a regular Five Elements Formation or any other orthodox Taoist Court Formation.


    It was a truly Evil Formation!


    Those red lights were not monster blood, but human blood;


    The skull was not from a monster, but from a human.


    Studying Evil Formations and practicing Evil Skills was strictly forbidden by the Taoist Court, and upon discovery, one was sentenced to death without exception.


    The door guarded by an Evil Formation led to what, exactly?


    Could it hide the true secrets of Black Mountain Stronghold?


    Mo Hua had long harbored doubts. Did this group of evil cultivators gather here merely to find a place to lodge?


    The Householder built Black Mountain Stronghold and gathered so many evil cultivators; could there be another purpose?


    Could this purpose be concealed behind the door?


    Mo Hua suddenly felt a surge of nervousness.


    The old evil cultivator pushed the door open, speaking to Scarface: ¡°Go on in.¡±


    Scarface, seemingly not his first time here, nodded, and with the hemp sack in his grip, he entered the bronze door.


    The old evil cultivator didn¡¯t go inside but stood guard outside.


    With only the power of the Qi Refining Ninth Level, he couldn¡¯t see through Mo Hua¡¯s Concealment Technique.


    As long as the Foundation Building Cultivator wasn¡¯t there, these Qi Refinement Realm evil cultivators were essentially ¡°blind with eyes open¡± to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua first quietly released his Divine Sense, peering into the doorway.


    There was only the life force of Scarface behind the door; no other trap-like Formations were present.


    Mo Hua was slightly reassured, and then, taking advantage of the old evil cultivator¡¯s inattentiveness, he stealthily, without making a sound, carefully entered through the door.


    As soon as he stepped through the door, a stench of blood rushed toward him.


    A faint blood mist floated in the air, carrying a dull stench of decay and a nauseating odd smell.


    Behind the door was this odor, which did not surprise Mo Hua.


    It permeated Black Mountain Stronghold everywhere; it was just denser here.


    What surprised Mo Hua was the layout and setup of this place.


    In front of the hall stood a huge Alchemy Furnace.


    The Alchemy Furnace was white, as if made of bone.


    Below, a ghastly green ghost fire burned, flickering eerily, the flames licking at the pill furnace, inside which something unknown was being refined, hissing and crackling.


    Around it were various kinds of medicinal herbs, strange in shape and vivid in color.


    Some of the herbs even seemed alive, with stalks eerily writhing and leaves opening and closing, occasionally even emitting screams.


    The entire room resembled an alchemy room.


    An alchemy room where some unknown, bloody, and eerie pills were being concocted.


    Just observing it made Mo Hua feel uneasy in body and mind.


    ¡°What pills are these evil cultivators refining, exactly?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned in thought.


    Suddenly, he heard Scarface¡¯s voice, ¡°This pig¡¯s eating habits are truly disgusting!¡±


    Mo Hua followed the sound, and sure enough, on the other side of the pill furnace, he saw Scarface, and before him, a gigantic pig monster.


    The pig was as tall as four men, its eyes blood-red, its drool like blood water, and its body also covered in mottled bloodstains.


    It looked both ferocious and deformed, as well as strange.


    Scarface was feeding it the corpse of Kong Sheng.


    The pig looked foolish and simple, seemingly only knowing to eat.


    Mo Hua was somewhat bewildered.


    Refining pills was one thing, but why raise a pig in the alchemy room?


    And what exactly was this pig for?


    Before he could figure it out, Mo Hua¡¯s heart suddenly leapt.


    He sensed someone approaching through his divine sense.


    The person¡¯s presence was obscure and unfathomable, and it was the third Householder!


    Mo Hua immediately executed the Water Passing Step, taking three steps in quick succession to flip up onto the beam, lying flat and real on the broad roof beam, holding his breath and focusing his spirit, not daring to let out the slightest breath.


    In just a moment, the third Householder walked in.


    Upon seeing the third Householder, Scarface looked reverent, and respectfully said, ¡°Householder.¡±


    The third Householder saw him feeding the pig, nodded, and said, ¡°You may leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Scarface respectfully acknowledged, bowed, and then left.


    The pill room was now left with only the third Householder and Mo Hua, secretly lying on the roof beam.


    Mo Hua lay on the roof beam, not daring to move, and couldn¡¯t help thinking:


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the third Householder go out? Why has he come back again?¡±


    Could it be that he just went out on a temporary errand, and now that he¡¯s finished, he has returned?


    If the third Householder stays here all the time, am I unable to get out?


    A chill ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    After a while, there was no more movement in the room, and Mo Hua cautiously stretched out his head to peek down.


    His gaze swept over the pill furnace and the pig monster and then spotted the third Householder.


    Mo Hua was startled and quickly retracted his gaze, burying his little head, no longer stirring.


    After a bit, the third Householder showed no reaction.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t noticed my gaze?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered with suspicion.


    He stuck his head out again and stealthily glanced at the third Householder, then quickly withdrew it.


    The third Householder still had no reaction.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then understood.


    Among Black Mountain Stronghold¡¯s two Householders, the fourth Householder had weak divine senses, but keen perceptions, such that even a glance from him would be instinctively noticed.


    The third Householder was the opposite, with strong divine senses but not those nearly monstrous keen perceptions.


    So when Mo Hua sneakily watched him, as long as there was no malice or killing intent, he would not notice.


    Mo Hua quietly breathed a sigh of relief.


    It was good that he hadn¡¯t been detected.


    Otherwise, his situation would have been even more dangerous.


    He then grew curious; what exactly was the third Householder doing in the alchemy room so late?


    Mo Hua stuck out his small head again, quietly observing.


    The third Householder sat on a meditation cushion, focusing his mind and meditating in thought.


    This was usual for him.


    The third Householder meditated, composed and leisurely.


    It just so happened that he was unaware that in the seemingly impregnable Black Mountain Stronghold, in this mysterious bloody pill room, a little cultivator had secretly slipped in.


    And at this moment, this little cultivator was curiously peeking at him, sticking out his small head.


    After meditating for a while, feeling peaceful in spirit and clear in divine sense, the third Householder took out a map from his storage bag and spread it out before him.


    The third Householder picked up a gesture with his hand, sat cross-legged, eyes fixed on the map, focusing his mind in contemplation.


    Blocked by the beam, Mo Hua could see what the third Householder was doing, but he couldn¡¯t see the content on the map.


    Even so, Mo Hua was still profoundly shocked.


    Did the third Householder really possess a Contemplation Map?


    His current behavior, could it be that he was comprehending the Contemplation Map?!

 Chapter 285 - 284 Contemplation Map_1

    Chapter 285: Chapter 284 Contemplation Map_1


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind raced, endlessly pondering:


    ¡°The third Householder¡¯s divine sense is strong, and his formation skills have reached such a level¡ªcould it be that he also relied on a Contemplation Map?¡±


    ¡°If I obtained a Contemplation Map, would I also be able to strengthen my divine sense?¡±


    Having learned Heaven Yan Jue, Mo Hua needed to possess the divine sense of a Foundation Building Cultivator before he could break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.


    He had a Taoist Stele and practiced formations every day, honing his Sea of Consciousness; his divine sense was already growing very fast.


    But this was still far from enough.


    The disparity between the divine senses of the Qi Refinement Realm and the Foundation Establishment Realm was too great, and the further one progressed, the more difficult it became, with the growth of divine sense also slowing.


    Mo Hua did not know how much longer it would take before he possessed the divine sense of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and could make his breakthrough.


    He had asked Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang did not give a clear answer, but from the gentleman¡¯s expression, it seemed rather pessimistic.


    ¡°If I could comprehend the Contemplation Map and enhance my divine sense, could I establish my foundation faster?¡±


    Mo Hua felt a rush of excitement in his heart.


    Being able to establish his foundation sooner, he would be able to learn Second-Grade formations and become a Second Grade Formation Master earlier.


    The cultivation and abilities of Foundation Building Cultivators and Second Grade Formation Masters were unmatched by those of Qi Refinement Cultivators and First Grade Formation Masters.


    Mo Hua indulged in a moment of aspiration, but then fell into a bit of dejection.


    The Contemplation Map was in the hands of the third Householder, a Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivator and an Evil Formation Master; it was impossible for Mo Hua to forcibly take it.


    Stratagems were useless as well.


    He could still plot against a Qi Refinement Cultivator.


    In front of a Foundation Building Cultivator, his schemes were nothing but low-grade tricks that wouldn¡¯t hold water.


    Cultivation was the foundation of a cultivator, and in the face of the gaping chasm of realms, petty strategies were to little avail.


    Furrowing his brow, Mo Hua found himself at a loss.


    Then he realized that the most pressing issue was not whether he could obtain the Contemplation Map, but whether he could safely get out.


    If the third Householder did not leave or closed the main door when leaving, Mo Hua would be trapped to death in this bloody pill room.


    He had not researched evil formations and did not know if he could unlock them.


    If he couldn¡¯t, he figured he would have to stay there indefinitely, keeping company with the White Bone Pill Furnace and the foolish Pig Monster.


    Mo Hua thought long and hard, but still, he was without a solution.


    Since there was no solution, he could only wait patiently.


    Waiting patiently for an opportunity was also one of the essential qualities of a Monster Hunter.


    Not only was Mo Hua a Monster Hunter, but he was also a Formation Master.


    He could keep his composure, drawing formations all day long, so waiting patiently for a chance to escape didn¡¯t seem too difficult.


    Mo Hua lay on the beam, motionless, waiting patiently.


    Time passed, and suddenly, someone else approached from outside the door.


    A jolt of alarm struck Mo Hua¡¯s heart, ¡°It couldn¡¯t be the fourth Householder coming back¡­¡±


    If that were the case, it would be troublesome.


    With the deep divine sense of the third Householder and the keen perception of the fourth, the risk of Mo Hua¡¯s Concealment Technique being detected would be even greater.


    Mo Hua watched intently.


    Before long, a figure appeared at the door; it was that old Evil Cultivator from the entrance, not the fourth Householder.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    The old Evil Cultivator respectfully stood at the door for a while.


    The third Householder noticed and carefully put away the Contemplation Map before slowly saying,


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The old Evil Cultivator entered, walked up to the third Householder, and said something in a low voice.


    Mo Hua could not make out the words clearly; he only caught some blurred phrases, like ¡°some movement from the Monster Hunters¡­¡± ¡°¡­trouble on the Inner Mountain¡­¡± and ¡°fear the fourth Householder causing issues¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a mix of surprise and confusion, ¡°What could go wrong on the Inner Mountain?¡±


    After the old Evil Cultivator finished speaking, the third Householder furrowed his brow and said,


    ¡°I understand, I will take a look.¡±


    The old Evil Cultivator bowed and respectfully retreated.


    The third Householder sat cross-legged, pondering for a moment, then also stood up and headed out.


    However, halfway to the door, he turned back, paced two steps inside the pill room as if feeling uncertain, then took the Contemplation Map out from his Storage Bag with great care.


    The third Householder lifted the meditation cushion he sat on and pointed to the ground, causing the formation patterns on the floor to flash. The stone slab sank, revealing a hidden compartment below. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After hiding the Contemplation Map in the hidden compartment and resealing it with the formation, the third Householder nodded slightly, satisfied with the arrangement.


    Going out tonight, if any conflict arose, losing the Contemplation Map could be akin to gouging out his heart, a fate more painful than death.


    The bloody pill room, nestled deep within the Black Mountain Stronghold, was a place no one dared to visit on ordinary days.


    Even if someone did come, no one would know about the hidden compartment beneath the cushion, let alone that the Contemplation Map was inside it.


    In this Black Mountain Stronghold, it was even less likely that anyone could unlock the formation.


    Assured in his preparations, the third Householder finally felt completely at ease.


    He got up and left, stepping out of the pill room, and before exiting, he also sealed the Blood Formation and closed the Beast Gate.


    With the rise of a heavy and grating sound, the Bronze Blood Formation Beast Gate was thoroughly shut.


    The pill room plunged into dead silence, with the red hues growing even denser.


    While the third Householder left feeling secure, he was unaware that everything he did had been witnessed by Mo Hua from the beam above.


    Mo Hua waited a while to ensure that the pill room was empty, and that the third Householder had truly left, then stealthily climbed down from the beam.


    Mo Hua first approached the Bronze Beast Gate.


    The Beast Gate had been sealed shut, and the formation activated.


    Mo Hua had no key¡ªmeaning the white skull¡ªand naturally could not open the gate.


    Even if he had the key, it wouldn¡¯t open from the inside.


    Mo Hua then examined the formation with his divine sense and let out a sigh.


    All the patterns drawn on the main gate were Evil Formations, which Mo Hua knew nothing about, much less how to solve them.


    ¡°It seems I can¡¯t leave for now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    Since he couldn¡¯t leave, he might as well take a look at the third Householder¡¯s map.


    Mo Hua braced himself and immediately returned to the pill room.


    In the pill room, the white bone pill furnace emitted a sinister glow, and a massive pig monster was streaked with blood.


    Mo Hua found the position where the third householder contemplated and lifted the meditation cushion there.


    Under the cushion, there was nothing.


    But with his divine sense, Mo Hua could see the interwoven patterns of the formation.


    The tricks of a formation master might deceive an ordinary cultivator, but not Mo Hua, who was also a formation master.


    Unless there was a significant gap in their understanding of formations.


    The third householder was indeed a foundation building cultivator, but he was also a first-grade formation master.


    In terms of formation knowledge, he and Mo Hua were on par; in some areas, he was stronger than Mo Hua, while in others, he was not as skilled as Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua checked the formation that the third householder used to seal the hidden compartment.


    It was a concealment formation coupled with some compound metal and stone formations.


    The concealment formation was for hiding, while the compound metal and stone formations were for reinforcement.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not an evil formation, that¡¯s good,¡± Mo Hua murmured to himself.


    The third householder probably thought that the evil formation was too conspicuous and not suitable for hiding something, so he used a concealment formation paired with compound formations to obscure and seal the hidden compartment.


    After all, near Tongxian City, formation masters capable of creating concealment and compound formations are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.


    And there were almost none who could unravel these formations.


    But Mo Hua was an exception.


    When dealing with evil formations, Mo Hua had no solution, but if it was a regular formation, especially a first-grade Five Elements Formation, he could solve it without much effort.


    It took Mo Hua only a moment to undo the carefully arranged formations by the third householder, even preserving the integrity of the original formations without any damage to the hidden compartment.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, feeling impressed:


    ¡°The solution to the formation that Mr. Zhuang taught me is really useful.¡±


    Otherwise, his infiltration into Black Mountain Stronghold wouldn¡¯t have been so easy.


    After unlocking the formations, Mo Hua opened the hidden compartment and carefully extracted the contemplation map within.


    The contemplation map was somewhat ancient, the paper looked like both paper and skin, folded together so that the contents could not be seen.


    Mo Hua wanted to open it and take a quick look, but suddenly he hesitated.


    He remembered what Mr. Zhuang had told him:


    ¡°Contemplation maps are extremely rare and harbor dangers; you shouldn¡¯t touch them unless absolutely necessary¡­¡±


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    If he were to heed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words, rashly opening this contemplation map might expose him to unforeseen dangers.


    Mo Hua always remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words.


    If Mr. Zhuang said that the contemplation map harbored dangers, then it was best not to touch it until the situation was clear.


    But now that the contemplation map was in his hands, should he return it?


    Mo Hua hesitated.


    If the third householder contemplated this map again, it would enhance his divine sense, allow him to learn more evil formations, and continue to commit wrongdoings, doing even more evil deeds.


    Even if Mo Hua didn¡¯t keep the map, he couldn¡¯t let it fall into the third householder¡¯s hands again.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up.


    If the map was dangerous, then he wouldn¡¯t look at it now. He would keep the contemplation map and ask Mr. Zhuang about it when he returned.


    Mr. Zhuang was well-versed and knowledgeable, and if the gentleman said there was no issue, then he¡¯d contemplate the map.


    If the gentleman said the map was problematic, then he¡¯d throw it into the artifact furnace and burn it, ending the matter once and for all.


    Mo Hua nodded, thinking this was the safest approach, and decided to put the contemplation map into his storage bag first.


    But as he was handling the contemplation map, the corner of his eye inadvertently caught a glimpse of a corner of it.


    It was a moss-covered rock.


    Seeing the rock, Mo Hua felt slightly puzzled.


    Then, he couldn¡¯t help himself, and gradually, little by little, he unfolded the contemplation map.


    By the time Mo Hua snapped back to his senses, he was alarmed.


    ¡°What am I doing?!¡±


    Mo Hua broke into a cold sweat.


    He had not thought of anything nor done anything, and yet it was as if someone was controlling him, opening the contemplation map.


    With gritted teeth, Mo Hua attempted to fold the map back up, but it was too late.


    The contemplation map was fully unfolded.


    A complete contemplation map was laid bare before Mo Hua¡¯s eyes!


    Mo Hua also saw what was depicted on the map.


    It was a landscape painting with figures.


    In the distance, there were green mountains; nearby, a flowing stream; the stream moistened the moss, and the moss climbed up the rocks.


    On top of the rocks, a tiny Taoist child sat as if reciting scriptures.


    It was a tranquil, serene image of an immortal¡¯s abode.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Was this the contemplation map?


    What did this map mean?


    As Mo Hua pondered, suddenly he noticed that the little Taoist child seemed to come to life and smiled at him.


    The smile was innocent and bright.


    Mo Hua was startled, yet he couldn¡¯t help but smile back a bit.


    His smile was innocent and pure, somewhat similar to that of the little Taoist child.


    But then, a chill ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart, and the smile on his face gradually faded away.


    Because he realized that the little Taoist child¡¯s innocent smile had imperceptibly taken on a hint of malevolence.


    The malevolence gradually became eerie.


    The little Taoist child¡¯s smile turned more and more bizarre, more and more fierce.


    Suddenly, his skin peeled off like paper, revealing a green-faced, fanged little ghost underneath.


    The little green-faced ghost, with eyes like bronze bells, stared intently at Mo Hua as if he had seen a rare treasure, with a covetous look.


    Seizing Mo Hua¡¯s moment of distraction, it leaped out from the painting, shrinking to the size of a palm, and lunged toward Mo Hua¡¯s forehead, its hand like a sharp claw, tearing through the sea of consciousness¡¯ wall, and burrowed into Mo Hua¡¯s sea of consciousness.

 Chapter 286 - 285 Little Green-faced Ghost_1

    Chapter 286: Chapter 285 Little Green-faced Ghost_1


    The little green-faced ghost with sharp fangs drilled into a blank white Sea of Consciousness, and couldn¡¯t help but exult, cackling and saying,


    ¡°What profound Divine Sense! It¡¯ll be enough to sate me for a long time!¡±


    Then, with its eyes spinning like copper bells, it saw the Painting Formation in the Sea of Consciousness and its smile abruptly stiffened, ¡°How are you in here?¡±


    Mo Hua looked puzzled, ¡°This is my Sea of Consciousness, why can¡¯t I be in here?¡±


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not right! You shouldn¡¯t be here!¡±


    The little green-faced ghost¡¯s eyes whirled, its expression changing, and suddenly it shouted,


    ¡°Divine Sense Manifestation, a natural talent that makes for a great supplement! This is a heaven-sent opportunity! Good! Extremely good!¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Great supplement? Are you talking about me? Is this green-faced little ghost feeding on the Divine Sense of Cultivators?¡±


    Mo Hua then remembered what Mr. Zhuang had said:


    ¡°The Contemplation Map reflects the Divine Sense of others and their understanding of the Heavenly Dao. In other words, what it contemplates is another¡¯s ¡®Dao,¡¯ or sometimes, the ¡®Dao¡¯ of some Non-Humans. Once the Divine Sense indulges in it, it often leads to extremely terrible consequences¡­¡±


    Could this green-faced little ghost be what Mr. Zhuang referred to as ¡°the Dao of Non-Humans¡±?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened as he asked, ¡°What on earth are you?¡±


    The little green-faced ghost sneered, ¡°Kid, once I¡¯ve eaten you, you¡¯ll find out.¡± Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without waiting for Mo Hua to react, it transformed into a green shadow, baring its fangs and making a fierce face as it darted straight toward Mo Hua as if it was about to devour him.


    Mo Hua hastily retreated, his figure graceful as he dodged the pouncing little green-faced ghost.


    The little green-faced ghost was surprised and suspicious.


    Mo Hua was also slightly stunned; he found that in the Sea of Consciousness, he could use the Water Passing Step.


    Previously, when he had entered the Sea of Consciousness, he had always been sitting in front of the Taoist Stele, Drawing Formations, never having tried using a movement technique; now, as he evaded the little ghost¡¯s onslaught, he used a movement technique inadvertently, and it was then that Mo Hua realized this.


    If the Water Passing Step could be used, what about Spells?


    As the little green-faced ghost lunged at him again, Mo Hua, while dodging, tried to use the Water Prison Technique and the Fireball Technique.


    However, he was unable to cast either of these Spells.


    The Water Passing Step uses Divine Sense to control Spiritual Power, which then leads the physical body.


    Now, the Mo Hua in the Sea of Consciousness was a pure Thought Body without any Spiritual Power or physical body, so naturally, he could move as nimbly as if he were using the Water Passing Step.


    But the Water Prison Technique and Fireball Technique both rely on Divine Sense to propel Spiritual Power and condense Spells, with Spiritual Power being the foundation.


    Since there was no Spiritual Power within the Sea of Consciousness, naturally, Spells could not be cast.


    The little green-faced ghost was incredibly fast, but Mo Hua¡¯s movement technique was even more exquisite. So after several exchanges, the little ghost still couldn¡¯t get the better of Mo Hua.


    The little green-faced ghost looked ferocious with frustration.


    Yet in Mo Hua¡¯s heart, a weight also began to settle.


    He could only dodge using the Water Passing Step, unable to trap enemies with the Water Prison Technique or attack with the Fireball Technique, making him nothing but a living target. Continuing to evade like this was ultimately not a solution.


    He needed to think of another way!


    The little green-faced ghost pounced and lunged for quite some time, still unable to touch Mo Hua, feeling mocked, its eyes filled with malice as it said:


    ¡°You¡¯re forcing my hand!¡±


    ¡°Once I catch you, I will nibble on you bit by bit, chewing you into pieces!¡±


    After saying this, the little green-faced ghost actually tore off its own left arm and threw it into its mouth, chewing its own limb into shreds.


    Simultaneously, a fierce aura rose up from the little ghost¡¯s body.


    The ghost¡¯s body gradually grew larger, its killing intent more concentrated, its fangs longer, and its face even more gruesome. In just a moment, it had become a true Evil Ghost.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to escape now.¡±


    The Green-faced Devil looked at Mo Hua with a sneer, but then it saw that Mo Hua wasn¡¯t running anymore and was standing still.


    Around Mo Hua, some intricate Patterns had appeared at an unknown time.


    ¡°Playing tricks!¡±


    The Evil Ghost said hoarsely, then fearlessly rushed straight toward Mo Hua.


    As it closed in on Mo Hua within a yard, as soon as it touched those Patterns, it felt a terrifying force vibrating outwards.


    A surge of raging fire immediately engulfed it, burning its body and bringing endless pain.


    The Evil Ghost screamed in disbelief:


    ¡°A Formation! You¡¯re a Formation Master?!¡±


    Seeing the effectiveness of the Formation and its power being stronger than he had anticipated, Mo Hua also couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh of relief.


    Since he could not use Spells, all he could use was Formation.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Cultivation Technique was the Heaven Yan Jue, and the bottleneck of the Heaven Yan Jue was the Mystery Formation.


    The Mystery Formation is embedded within the Sea of Consciousness, and to solve it, Mo Hua must draw Formation Patterns inside the Sea of Consciousness, unravel the Mystery Formation, and break through the bottleneck.


    In other words, within the Sea of Consciousness, the Formation was effective.


    But this Formation, within the Sea of Consciousness, is different.


    Formation is the manifestation of the rules of the Heavenly Dao; its essence is Divine Sense¡¯s comprehension of the Heavenly Dao.


    When drawing a Formation in the outside world, one must rely on Formation media to carry the Formation, use Spiritual Ink to depict the Patterns, and finally use Spiritual Power to activate the Formation.


    The effects of a Formation are realized by Spiritual Power.


    The might of a Formation is, in fact, the lethality of various types of Spiritual Power such as the Five Elements.


    However, Formations within the Sea of Consciousness are different.


    Inside the Sea of Consciousness, there are no external objects, only the pure Divine Sense, so the effects of a Formation are actually the effects of Divine Sense.


    The power of a Formation is actually the power of Divine Sense.


    The First-grade Earth Fire Formation drawn by Mo Hua, the explosion of which produces intense fire, is not real flames, but illusory fire condensed from Divine Sense.


    It can only injure Divine Sense, burning without flame and accompanied by the agony of illusory incineration.


    And coincidentally, this Little Green-faced Ghost should, like the Mo Hua in the Sea of Consciousness, be an illusory Divine Thought Body.


    Now it seems the effects of the Formation are even better than Mo Hua had imagined.


    The Formation constructed of Divine Sense is extremely pure and its power is notable, enough to harm the very foundation of the Evil Ghost¡¯s Divine Thought.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, and his gaze gradually grew colder.


    Formation painting requires time, and previously, chased by this little ghost, Mo Hua had no time to spare and hence no opportunity to draw a Formation.


    But this little ghost, in a furious fit, spoke nonsense when battle came.


    It chewed on its own arm for a long while before enlarging its body, wasting more time.


    Such a long preparation time was enough for Mo Hua to complete the Formation.


    The little ghost, turning into an Evil Ghost, seemed to grow stronger, but it gave Mo Hua time, allowing him, a Formation Master, to draw a Formation.


    A Formation Master within a Formation is the most powerful one.


    Cold light focused in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes as he began to consider how to slaughter this little ghost.


    Chased around by it before, Mo Hua had pent-up frustration, and now he naturally wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    The Green-faced Devil was blasted away by the Earth Fire Formation, lying on the ground, being burned by the fierce fire, and wailing incessantly.


    It wanted to extinguish the flames, but these flames were condensed by the Formation using the power of Divine Sense and had no physical form, only a Divine Sense phantom.


    The Green-faced Devil was unable to extinguish them, and the fire kept burning until its green skin turned charred, and then it gradually died down.


    The Green-faced Devil stood up, its charred skin quickly recovering as before, but its breath had weakened a notch.


    Though its appearance was a Divine Sense phantom, the fire of the Formation had burned its Divine Sense.


    Even if its appearance remained the same, its Divine Thought¡¯s origin had suffered a great loss.


    Still fiercely glaring at Mo Hua, the Green-faced Devil¡¯s surface bravado hid underlying frailty, and a deep dread welled up inside it.


    ¡°What kind of monster is this? Manifesting Divine Thought, and even able to condense Formation with Divine Sense?¡±


    In terms of the power of Divine Thought alone, it was stronger than this little Cultivator.


    If it were to fight normally with Divine Thought, it could easily tear this little Cultivator to pieces.


    But with this little Cultivator using Formation, everything was completely different.


    A Formation inscribed with the Heavenly Dao is the ultimate use of Divine Sense.


    Especially in a battle of Divine Thought, a Formation leverages Heavenly Dao to directly harm the origin, making its lethality even more formidable.


    With this realization, the Green-faced Devil felt a strong desire to retreat.


    There was no point in continuing to tangle.


    It could no longer do anything to this little Cultivator.


    Not only was it impotent against him, but if the battle continued and it was injured by his Formation, there was even a possibility of significant vitality loss, or the complete obliteration of its Divine Thought.


    ¡°Brat, I won¡¯t let you go,¡± the Green-faced Devil spat viciously, yet its body slowly retreated.


    Seeing it wanted to escape, Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed.


    His Formation, whether for offense or defense, could only be located in one place.


    If this Green-faced ghost decided to run, there truly seemed no way to detain it.


    The Green-faced Devil retreated slowly, reaching the edge of Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, about to escape.


    Just then, 1 p.m. arrived.


    In the center of the ethereal Sea of Consciousness, a broken Stele quietly surfaced.


    An intangible yet profound aura instantly spread out.


    The aura contained immense terror.


    The Green-faced Devil suddenly realized the danger, its eyes widened, even the green in its skin seeming to fade, its expression full of extreme fear as it screamed loudly,


    ¡°What is this?!¡±

 Chapter 287 - 286 Eat_1

    Chapter 287: Chapter 286 Eat_1


    The mere wisp of aura that spread out caused the Green-faced Devil to tremble all over, shudder in dread, feeling the great terror of being eradicated from its very source.


    This strand of aura seemed like a repulsion from the Heavenly Dao.


    The Heavenly Dao suppresses all malevolent spirits.


    At the same time, the Green-faced Devil felt a burning pain all over its body.


    It looked down to see that, unbeknownst to it, its hands, feet, and entire body seemed to be burning in a melting fire, gradually fading away.


    And its form was gradually shrinking, gradually revealing its true shape, reverting to that little green-faced ghost with protruding fangs.


    ¡°I must escape, or I will surely die!¡±


    Frightened out of its wits, the Little Green-faced Ghost screamed shrilly, struggling desperately to escape from Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Naturally, Mo Hua would not let it escape.


    His eyes lit up, he took the opportunity to use the Water Passing Step, took three steps as if they were two, and in an instant, he arrived in front of the Little Green-faced Ghost and grabbed it.


    Previously, when the Little Green-faced Ghost was powerful, Mo Hua could not get close to it.


    But now, it had been bombed by Mo Hua¡¯s Earth Fire Formation and burned by the aura of the Taoist Stele, revealing its true form, and the remaining Divine Sense had weakened significantly.


    Mo Hua easily subdued it.


    The Little Green-faced Ghost was still struggling, screaming, ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡±


    Mo Hua did not release it; instead, he asked, ¡°What exactly are you?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Little Green-faced Ghost didn¡¯t answer; instead, its expression became fierce, threatening,


    ¡°Let go of me quickly¡­ otherwise, one day, I will eat you!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned stern, and his face became serious.


    You dare to threaten me when death is imminent?


    He gripped the Little Green-faced Ghost¡¯s throat and said coldly, ¡°Keep being arrogant, and see if I don¡¯t eat you first?¡±


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s words were a threat, as soon as he spoke them, the Little Green-faced Ghost suddenly showed a look of terror.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t say ¡®eat¡¯¡­¡±


    The Little Green-faced Ghost was both shocked and scared.


    But it was too late; as soon as Mo Hua had finished speaking, a more majestic aura came from the Taoist Stele, burning the Little Green-faced Ghost into a shadowy figure.


    The shadowy figure of the Little Green-faced Ghost was screaming, writhing, struggling, shrieking, but it was all in vain. It was ground down by the aura from the Taoist Stele, quickly refined into a few green vapors.


    Afterward, these strands of green vapor directly drilled into Mo Hua¡¯s mouth and were swallowed into his belly.


    In an instant, the Little Green-faced Ghost was ¡°eaten¡± by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    He was merely speaking offhand; how did he really ¡°eat¡± this little ghost?


    He didn¡¯t actually want to eat it¡­


    Thinking of the ugly appearance of the little ghost with green face and sharp teeth, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help muttering,


    ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t upset my stomach¡­ no, my mind.¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed.


    He felt as if a kaleidoscope had burst open in his mind, filled with many new images.


    In the depths of the mountains, a little Taoist Child followed a Taoist in learning Tao Cultivation.


    The Taoist was reading a strange book; the Taoist Child also looked on, and as they did, their smiles gradually turned eerie, and they both wanted to eat humans.


    The Taoist Child and the Taoist colluded, deceiving wandering Cultivators and began to eat people.


    As they ate, both of them lost their human shapes.


    One turned into a Red-Faced Evil Ghost with sharp fangs, and the other into a little green-faced ghost.


    Later, a White-Robed Sword Cultivator arrived, stepping on clouds, and with one sword strike, he slew the Red-Faced Evil Ghost that the Taoist had become. The Taoist Child that turned into the Little Green-faced Ghost, however, escaped from the slaughter and hid in a painting, sealed away in a Taoist temple.


    Later, many Cultivators obtained this painting.


    Those with shallow insight, unable to see its true form, said it was a Taoist Child under the seat of a master.


    Those with profound Divine Sense, who saw through its true face, called it an evil spawn.


    And there were those unaware who would meditate on this image, borrowing its Divine Sense.


    But to borrow means you must repay.


    It would gradually consume these people¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Until an Elder of a Sect sealed it away, it saw no sunlight and starved for a long time.


    Later, a Sect Disciple stole it away.


    This Sect Disciple had a youthful face, filled with ambition.


    It was none other than the third Householder of Black Mountain Stronghold¡­


    All sorts of images and experiences piled up on one another, flooding Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts were in disarray; he couldn¡¯t distinguish them carefully, and in a flash, an urge surged in his heart.


    He wanted to eat people!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    At the same time, murderous, greedy, and sinister thoughts surged.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows knitted tightly as he had a sudden realization.


    He ¡°ate¡± the Little Green-faced Ghost, so his mind was also overwhelmed by these evil thoughts.


    Over time, if such evil thoughts deepened, he truly feared he might end up eating people.


    Enduring the pain, Mo Hua quickly sat in front of the Taoist Stele to meditate, using the Meditation Technique Mr. Zhuang taught him to focus his mind and dispel stray thoughts.


    The evil thoughts appeared in Mo Hua¡¯s mind and were extinguished one by one, ebbing and flowing in cycles.


    At the same time, Mo Hua remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words.


    Follow nature of the heart, without deceiving oneself.


    Even if evil thoughts arise, do not fear, do not be afraid, do not deceive oneself, watch oneself in contemplation, be clear-minded, free the heart from its cage, and wander boundlessly.


    The thoughts of the world are in themselves nothing; the heart, like a bright mirror, does not gather dust.


    Streams of green qi tangled with sinister thoughts dispersed from Mo Hua¡¯s body and were thoroughly crushed by the aura of the Taoist Stele, disappearing without a trace.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know how much time had passed before he finally opened his eyes.


    The numerous evil thoughts that had arisen just now had been completely cast aside, Mo Hua¡¯s mind was clear of distractions, and his Divine Sense was penetrating.


    Mo Hua exhaled with relief, and just as he was about to stand up, a surge of extremely pure Divine Thought welled up within his Sea of Consciousness.


    This Divine Thought was the purified remnant of the Little Green-faced Ghost¡¯s sinister thoughts, the pure power of Divine Sense.


    This pure Divine Sense filled Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    The Divine Thought of the Little Green-faced Ghost was already stronger than Mo Hua¡¯s, and after its refinement, the power of its Divine Thought became even more immense.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what to do.


    He had never encountered such a situation in the Tao Cultivation Canon or in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teachings.


    As Mo Hua hesitated, more and more of the pure Divine Thought accumulated, like a tide, suddenly flooding into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, assaulting the walls of his mind.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness ached, almost to the point of splitting open.


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    Mo Hua was alarmed in his heart.


    This Divine Thought was too much; it would burst his Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua endured the intense pain in his Sea of Consciousness and swiftly started to draw Formation Patterns on the Taoist Stele.


    Drawing Formation Patterns would consume a great deal of Divine Sense, and Mo Hua wanted to use the Formation to dispel this surge of Divine Thought to prevent his Sea of Consciousness from being torn apart.


    Using his finger as a brush, Mo Hua began to draw desperately on the Taoist Stele.


    All sorts of Five Elements Formations, Compass Parent-Child Compound Formations, Melting Fire Compound Formations, Concealment Formations, and so on.


    Mo Hua drew them without a second thought, as soon as they came to mind.


    His speed was extremely fast, his fingers dancing so quickly that they left afterimages, his Divine Sense pouring out, one Formation pattern layered upon another, drawn onto the Taoist Stele by Mo Hua.


    But no matter how fast Mo Hua drew, he couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed of the Divine Thought¡¯s growth.


    At that moment, Mo Hua thought of the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    A first-grade, ten-patterned Reversed Spirit Formation, which with his current level of Divine Sense, he was utterly incapable of completely drawing.


    But that also meant that drawing the Reversed Spirit Formation could consume a large amount of Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua began to recall the Formation Patterns of the Reversed Spirit Formation, and then attempted to draw the Reversed Spirit Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    The first attempt was a failure.


    The second attempt still failed.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua disregarded everything and kept drawing, over and over again.


    At the same time, the speed at which he was consuming Divine Thought finally balanced with the growth of the Divine Thought.


    The Divine Thought no longer pressurized his Sea of Consciousness, and the pain within it gradually subsided.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat better, then perked up, continuing to expend Divine Thought, focusing solely on practicing the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    Mo Hua kept drawing it time and again.


    On the Taoist Stele, the Formations he drew overlapped one atop another in layers; he didn¡¯t know how many times he did it.


    With each drawing, he would get a bit further, and with each further step, more Divine Thought was consumed, and his Divine Sense also grew stronger.


    Streams slowly converging into rivers.


    Finally, with the last stroke laid down by Mo Hua, the Divine Thought was exhausted, and the Reversed Spirit Formation burst into a deep glow.


    The Formation Patterns lit up, and the Formation came into effect.


    It signified that Mo Hua had completely drawn the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    A first-grade, ten-patterned Reversed Spirit Formation, considered an anomaly of the Heavenly Dao, a transcendence from its class!


    By a stroke of luck, Mo Hua, helped by the Divine Thought in the Contemplation Map, had drawn a Formation that normally a Formation Master of his level could not comprehend.

 Chapter 288 - 287: Divine Sense Foundation Establishment _1

    Chapter 288: Chapter 287: Divine Sense Foundation Establishment _1


    Mo Hua completely collapsed on the ground.


    Too tired.


    That Little Green-faced Ghost must have consumed the Divine Sense of countless people, forming such colossal Divine Thoughts.


    Mo Hua had no idea how many Formations he had drawn before that mass of Divine Thoughts was finally depleted.


    On the Taoist Stele before him, most of it was covered with Formations drawn by Mo Hua, layers upon layers, densely packed, and looking extremely complex.


    Mo Hua thought about erasing these Formations, but suddenly he hesitated.


    If he erased these Formations, would the Divine Sense that was consumed to draw them return and re-fill his Sea of Consciousness?


    Uncertain, Mo Hua decided to erase one and see what would happen.


    Mo Hua reached out and erased a First-grade Five Elements Single Formation.


    The Divine Sense did not return.


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, then understood.


    The Divine Thoughts he had used to draw these Formations were those of the Little Green-faced Ghost, not his own Divine Sense.


    So after the Formations were drawn, erasing them would not revert the Divine Sense.


    Because that Divine Sense Power was never his to begin with.


    Mo Hua felt relieved and then proceeded to erase the rest of the Formations.


    The face of the Taoist Stele returned to a state of emptiness, leaving behind only a Reversed Spirit Formation with ten patterns.


    The complete Reversed Spirit Formation, with its ancient and abstruse Formation Patterns, had a kind of simple beauty, and the light flowing over it was dazzling yet profound.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but become mesmerized by it.


    This was the Formation Pattern containing anomalies of the Heavenly Dao, transcending the rules of the first-grade formations, and it was drawn by his own hand.


    It¡¯s a pity that it was drawn using the Divine Thoughts from the Contemplation Map.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful but was also moved by the experience.


    Indeed, Formation art is vast and profound; it seems there is still much for him to learn.


    After admiring it for a while longer, Mo Hua reluctantly reached out to erase the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    Mo Hua had erased only one stroke when he suddenly felt a startle in his heart and his eyes widened.


    He felt his Divine Sense, astonishingly, reverting back!


    Mo Hua was utterly shocked.


    Could this mean that this Formation was drawn using his own Divine Sense?


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart pounded rapidly.


    With a focused gaze, he completely erased the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    At the same time, a vast and boundless Divine Sense returned to his Sea of Consciousness!


    This Divine Sense was extremely strong, much denser and more powerful than Mo Hua¡¯s previous one.


    This was¡­ a Foundation Building Divine Sense!


    Mo Hua was in disbelief.


    ¡°My Divine Sense, it¡¯s already comparable to Foundation Building?¡±


    Mo Hua was overcome by fluctuating emotions for a moment before he suppressed the turmoil in his heart and began redrawing the Reversed Spirit Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    Stroke by stroke, Mo Hua drew with extreme earnestness.


    By the time he had drawn nine-and-a-half Formation Patterns, there was still quite a bit of his Divine Sense remaining.


    Containing his excitement, Mo Hua continued drawing.


    When the Reversed Spirit Formation was fully complete, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had also been nearly exhausted.


    The Taoist Stele bore once again a complete Reversed Spirit Formation.


    This also meant that Mo Hua could indeed draw the Reversed Spirit Formation using his own Divine Sense!


    He, still in the Qi Refinement stage, already possessed a Divine Sense powerful enough to match that of the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The bottleneck of Heaven Yan Jue lies in the Divine Sense.


    Now, this bottleneck no longer existed.


    This also meant that the doors to Foundation Establishment had been opened; with further cultivation and reaching the peak of the Qi Refinement Realm, Mo Hua could truly become a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    Or rather, one of his feet had already stepped through the door of Foundation Building.


    Mo Hua let out a long sigh of relief and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a smile.


    To become a Foundation Builder was to take the first step toward the quest for eternal life, establishing the foundation of the Great Dao!


    This threshold had stymied countless Qi Cultivation Loose Practitioners.


    Now, he was just one step away from crossing this threshold.


    Next, all he had to do was to cultivate in a regulated manner, and once he reached the perfection of the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, he could attempt Foundation Establishment.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    After a while, Mo Hua suddenly slapped his head.


    ¡°Almost forgot, I¡¯m still in Black Mountain Stronghold, now¡¯s not the time to be happy. I need to figure out a way to escape first.¡±


    Mo Hua wiped away the Reversed Spirit Formation, and as his Divine Sense retraced its way and filled his Sea of Consciousness, he withdrew from it.


    Mo Hua, emerging from his Sea of Consciousness, opened his eyes and looked around, only to suddenly freeze.


    He discovered that someone was quietly observing him.


    And that person was none other than the Householder of Black Mountain Stronghold¡­


    The very Evil Formation Master with the Contemplation Map!


    Mo Hua kept a composed demeanor, although his heart was pounding wildly.


    It was all over!


    When had this Householder come in, and how long had he been watching?


    Engrossed in his entanglement with the Little Green-faced Ghost in the Contemplation Map and consumed by the depletion of his Divine Thought while Drawing Formations, Mo Hua had taken too long, so he estimated that the Householder might already have gone out, completed his business, and returned. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What to do?


    Mo Hua kept his composure, his thoughts racing as he sought a way to extricate himself.


    At this moment, he couldn¡¯t afford to panic or show weakness. If the enemy did not move, neither would he. He couldn¡¯t let the Householder discern anything about him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained unchanged, motionless, as he calmly watched the Householder.


    The Householder, too, silently observed Mo Hua, expressionless, yet his heart was filled with doubts and suspicions.


    Where had this brat popped out from?


    He had merely stepped out for a brief moment, even sealing the Blood Formation and locking the Beast Gate before he left. Yet upon return, he saw an unfamiliar boy meditating on his cushion.


    The Householder found it hard to believe.


    What kind of place was Black Mountain Stronghold? He knew better than anyone else.


    How could there suddenly be a kid here?


    And how could he have entered undetected into the deepest part of the Pill Room?!


    Where there¡¯s something abnormal, there must be a demon at work.


    Unable to fathom the boy¡¯s background, he also dared not make any rash moves.


    Thus, Mo Hua and the Householder found themselves staring at each other, both feigning indifference but inwardly wary.


    After what felt like an eternity, it was the Householder who could no longer contain himself.


    He had previously only scanned briefly with his Divine Sense and failed to discern Mo Hua¡¯s background, daring not to probe too deeply.


    But this standoff was going nowhere, and he didn¡¯t have so much time to waste.


    Biting his lip, the Householder decided to release his Divine Sense fully, attempting to ascertain Mo Hua¡¯s true identity.


    But as soon as his Divine Sense touched Mo Hua, it was like plunging into a murky abyss, immeasurably deep.


    The Householder was startled.


    Such profound Divine Sense, comparable to a Foundation Establishment practitioner!


    How was it possible for this kid, who appeared to be at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, to possess Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment Stage?


    No, it might not be just Foundation Establishment Divine Sense.


    This kid¡¯s Divine Sense was vague and indistinct, difficult to perceive clearly, and it might even be beyond Foundation Establishment, though he could not tell for sure.


    Cold sweat broke out on the Householder¡¯s back.


    One term suddenly surfaced in his mind.


    Divine Soul Snatching!


    The Forbidden Technique in the Demon Path for defying the heavens and extending one¡¯s life!


    The Heavenly Dao operates routinely, and cultivators¡¯ lives and deaths are predestined.


    Every cultivator, unless they enter the Immortal Path, cannot achieve an eternal life and, once their destined end approaches, even those with sky-reaching Cultivation cannot escape death.


    Thus, mighty cultivators unable to ascend to immortality crafted numerous Forbidden Techniques to deceive the Heavenly Dao and prolong their lives.


    These techniques allowed one to exist as though alive even in the face of death, continuing to linger in the world despite the arrival of their fated end.


    Divine Soul Snatching was among the most profound of these Forbidden Techniques, strictly prohibited by the Taoist Court and a top secret inheritance of the Demon Path, usually only performed by Demon Path ancestors who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years.


    The Householder felt a chill to his bones.


    The Forbidden Art in the Demon Path, Divine Soul Snatching!


    Was this kid an old demon who¡¯d undergone Soul Snatching?


    He looked at Mo Hua again, and Mo Hua calmly met his gaze, neither flustered nor frightened, with no hint of emotion.


    A normal child could never remain so composed in his presence!


    More and more convinced, the Householder hesitated for a long while before finally plucking up the courage to say,


    ¡°Esteemed¡­ senior, may I inquire as to what brings you here?¡±


    Mo Hua, initially uncertain of the Householder¡¯s thoughts and struggling to remain composed, suddenly felt a flash of inspiration upon hearing his question and let out a weird chuckle.


    The chuckle was pure yet playful, innocent yet wicked, strange yet eerie, like a little demon masquerading in human skin.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I want to eat a human,¡± Mo Hua said.

 Chapter 289 - 288 Exiting the Village_1

    Chapter 289: Chapter 288 Exiting the Village_1


    Mo Hua finished speaking and licked his lips.


    His lips were red and plump, looking somewhat sinister under the reflection of the red light inside the room.


    Third Householder¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Indeed, an ancient demon!


    Those evil cultivators, like himself, at most harvested others¡¯ energy, drew their spiritual power, or drank their blood¡ªnever did they truly consume humans as a method of cultivation. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In other words, cultivation techniques that relied on cannibalism were no simple methods, but genuine Demon Path Skills, beyond the learnings of half-committed evil cultivators like themselves.


    Immediately, another thought occurred to Third Householder.


    This ancient demon wanted to consume humans, but there was only him in the room¡ªif it came to that, he would be the only choice¡­


    Third Householder broke out in a cold sweat, his mind racing as he calculated his next move.


    He couldn¡¯t just wait for death, but if he made a move, there was no telling what sort of methods this enigmatic ancient demon possessed.


    An ancient demon adept in the Demon Path¡¯s soul-transfer techniques, no matter how weak in cultivation, had means that were deviously venomous and not to be underestimated.


    Wary of this, Third Householder braced himself and asked,


    ¡°May I know, esteemed elder, what kind of people do you wish to consume?¡±


    Mo Hua licked his lips again, ¡°Any would do. I¡¯m famished and not picky.¡±


    Third Householder let out a soft sigh of relief.


    As long as it was not himself, it was fine.


    ¡°May there be any matters in which the younger generation can serve you?¡± Third Householder bowed and inquired.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Mo Hua raised his eyebrows, slightly nodding, ¡°Then, pick a few for me.¡±


    Pick a few for what?


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t specify, but Third Householder understood: he meant to pick a few people for him to eat.


    Apart from him, there were other evil cultivators at Black Mountain Stronghold, as well as captive cultivators.


    The captives, having their spiritual power drained or harvested for replenishment, were already ruined at their core and weak in their blood qi.


    Picking these people for the ancient demon to consume would be quite disrespectful.


    If this ancient demon became enraged, Black Mountain Stronghold would be in great trouble.


    The only ones left to be consumed were the stronghold¡¯s own evil cultivators.


    Having thought it through, Third Householder bowed and said,


    ¡°May I know what the esteemed elder¡¯s taste is like and what kind of person you prefer? Perhaps I could show you the way, and you could pick for yourself.¡±


    Third Householder intended to lead the ancient demon out, and after he had his fill, to send him away from Black Mountain Stronghold.


    To lose a few evil cultivators and owe this ancient oddity a favor seemed a worthwhile trade.


    He did not expect this master of the Demon Path to give them any guidance or help.


    An ancient demon like this, who had lived for ages and mastered such Forbidden Techniques as soul transfer, was unpredictable and whimsical. If he desired to toy with them, it would be a simple task.


    They were no match for his games.


    All he hoped was that the ancient demon would remember their favor and not trouble them, then depart contentedly after being well-fed. That would be enough.


    Show the way?


    A thought flashed through Mo Hua¡¯s mind, but he feigned hesitation. After pondering briefly, he lightly nodded and said,


    ¡°That works.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    Thus, Third Householder led the way, personally undoing the Blood Formation and opening the Beast Gate to let Mo Hua out.


    Mo Hua followed behind Third Householder uninhibitedly, exiting the blood-red Pill Room together.


    The night was pitch-black, dawn yet to break.


    The two men walked along the paths of Black Mountain Stronghold in silence.


    Third Householder wanted to send him away.


    Mo Hua also wanted to leave Black Mountain Stronghold.


    With their goals aligned, they both understood without saying a word.


    But an excuse was still needed, and the people to ¡°eat¡± still had to be selected.


    Mo Hua followed behind Third Householder, composed. Along the way, whenever he encountered familiar faces¡ªthe more wicked evil cultivators¡ªhe just pointed them out casually with his finger, selecting them.


    Having secretly gathered intelligence on a daily basis, he had seen plenty of evil deeds and nefarious evil cultivators. Hating that he lacked the cultivation to kill them all,


    he didn¡¯t mind ¡°eating¡± them now that he had the chance.


    Third Householder summoned each evil cultivator Mo Hua pointed to.


    These cultivators were clueless, but they dared not defy Third Householder¡¯s orders, and since he didn¡¯t explain, they didn¡¯t dare to ask. They could only follow silently.


    As they approached the gates of Black Mountain Stronghold, Mo Hua had already selected four evil cultivators.


    Fewer would not satisfy his ¡°hunger,¡± more might arouse Third Householder¡¯s suspicion.


    They soon arrived at the bonfire near Black Mountain Stronghold¡¯s gate, and Mo Hua¡¯s gaze flickered when he saw ¡°Scarface¡± keeping watch through the night.


    The evil cultivator who practiced Replenishing from others, a notorious killer, the one Mo Hua had wanted to kill but hadn¡¯t managed to.


    Mo Hua stretched out his small hand and pointed remotely at Scarface.


    Third Householder nodded slightly, then called Scarface over. Seeing his face marked with ugly scars made Third Householder sneer to himself,


    ¡°This elder¡¯s taste is really something¡­ to be able to stomach this. Truly, he isn¡¯t picky.¡±


    Third Householder then instructed Scarface, ¡°Follow me out, there¡¯s something to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Scarface agreed respectfully, his heart stirring with excitement.


    Being personally instructed by Third Householder surely meant an important task. Could it be a killing, or stealing Spirit Stones? Maybe even a chance to capture a female cultivator.


    He had lost his woman, and his evil fire was falsely flourishing. At this moment, he urgently needed a female cultivator to replenish him.


    Moreover, as long as he performed well and caught the eye of the third householder, he would inevitably be heavily relied upon by the third householder in the future.


    Scarface¡¯s heart was ablaze with excitement.


    Then he saw Mo Hua, and his expression involuntarily paused.


    Why is there a kid here?


    What was this kid here for?


    He observed and found that although the third householder was walking in front, it seemed as if he was leading the way for the child.


    Scarface was shocked in his heart.


    What identity did this kid have to make the third householder lead the way for him?


    Scarface couldn¡¯t understand, but he didn¡¯t dare to voice his questions.


    In Black Mountain Stronghold, being talkative might not necessarily lead to death, but it would surely make one die earlier than others.


    ¡°Open the door,¡± the third householder ordered.


    Eating someone necessarily required a quiet and secluded place.


    Such places were usually deep within Big Black Mountain, that is, outside Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The third householder took it upon himself to lead Mo Hua, this ¡°old monster,¡± outside. Mo Hua was secretly pleased and, without revealing anything, followed the third householder¡¯s lead and walked out.


    Once out of Black Mountain Stronghold, away from the third householder¡¯s sight, and after he had activated his concealment, these evil cultivators couldn¡¯t do anything to him.


    With his current strength of Divine Sense, deep within Big Black Mountain, there were no cultivators who could see through his Concealment Technique.


    Scarface triggered the mechanism, revealing the gates of Black Mountain Stronghold, which opened with a creaking noise.


    The third householder was in front, the other evil cultivators followed behind, and Mo Hua was in between.


    The group passed through the main gate of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Mo Hua, who had sneaked into Black Mountain Stronghold, now left boldly surrounded by the evil cultivators.


    Upon exiting Black Mountain Stronghold, the fog suddenly thickened, but the smell of blood lessened, and the atmosphere was not as oppressive.


    The third householder led everyone through secluded trails, taking lefts and rights, arriving at a quiet forest deep in the mountains.


    Surrounding them was desolation, with fog enshrouding and shrubs and rugged rocks scattered throughout.


    The third householder looked at Mo Hua, seeking his opinion.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, indicating that this place was just right.


    The third householder then asked, ¡°May I ask¡­ Do you have any other commands?¡±


    The evil cultivators looked at each other, astonished.


    The third householder was actually asking this kid for ¡°commands¡±?


    What were the origins of this kid, and could his status be even higher than that of the third householder?


    Mo Hua simply said, ¡°How do you eat it alive?¡±


    The third householder understood.


    The evil cultivators looked at each other, still confused.


    How do you eat it alive? What did that mean?


    But they soon understood.


    Because the third householder suddenly made his move, his hands like sharp claws, his Spiritual Power condensed like mercury, killing each of the evil cultivators, one by one, clawing through their chests and gouging out their hearts.


    Scarface, the most alert among them, had thought about running away the moment Mo Hua asked, ¡°How do you eat it alive?¡±


    But he was only at the Qi Refining Ninth Level and couldn¡¯t escape from the hands of the third householder, who was at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    The third householder¡¯s sharp claw pierced through his chest from behind.


    Scarface spat out blood and fell to the ground without understanding why.


    ¡°Does it meet your satisfaction, senior?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head repeatedly.


    Of course, he was satisfied with the death of all the evil cultivators.


    He then cordially invited the third householder, ¡°Would you like to eat together?¡±


    The third householder was momentarily stunned.


    Although he was an evil cultivator, practiced evil skills, and set up evil formations, he had never actually ¡°eaten¡± people before, and he could not stomach the idea.


    The third householder said, ¡°Senior¡¯s kind offer is appreciated. It¡¯s best if senior enjoys it alone.¡±


    Mo Hua, with a smile that was not quite a smile, said, ¡°Would you like to watch me eat?¡±


    The third householder¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and then he understood.


    Eating people for cultivation must certainly be a type of Demon Path Technique.


    Given that it was a Demon Path Technique, the practice must not be known to outsiders.


    Staying here meant he had offended this old monster¡¯s taboo.


    The third householder immediately bowed and said, ¡°Please enjoy at your leisure, senior. I shall not disturb you further.¡±


    After speaking, the third householder quickly turned and left.


    As he left, he felt an obscure Divine Sense, barely discernible, following him.


    The third householder¡¯s heart trembled, realizing that the old monster was making sure he did not spy, thus keeping watch over him.


    It was both a precaution and a warning.


    The third householder quickened his pace until he reached the edge of the forest, and no longer sensed Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, then he finally relaxed.


    Seeing that the third householder had walked far away, Mo Hua took the Thousand Jun Stick out of his Storage Bag and walked over to Scarface, smashing the stick down on his forehead.


    ¡°Playing dead in front of me?¡±

 Chapter 290 - 289 Conclusion_1

    Chapter 290: Chapter 289 Conclusion_1


    Scarface was feigning death, but unexpectedly he was struck by a blow from Mo Hua, and involuntarily let out a groan of pain.


    However, having been seriously injured by the third Householder¡¯s claw, he was extremely weakened, with a faint breath. Facing Mo Hua, he had no strength to resist. Even after taking a heavy hit from Mo Hua¡¯s Thousand Jun Stick, he could only endure it.


    ¡°You little devil, how did you see through it?¡±


    Scarface said through the pain while feeling puzzled.


    His Turtle Breathing Method, which could hold his breath and feign death, was something he stole from an old Evil Cultivator.


    With that spell, the old Evil Cultivator survived many dangers throughout his life, repeatedly escaping death, which allowed him to live to an old age.


    The Turtle Breathing Method was quite rare and few Cultivators could spot any flaws in it. Even the third Householder did not realize it at first.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how this young devil, seemingly inexperienced, could see he was pretending to be dead?


    Mo Hua snorted coldly but did not feel like answering him.


    Now that his Divine Sense had broken through its limits, he already possessed the Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment Realm.


    The flow of Spiritual Power in Scarface¡¯s body, although slow, was not sluggish. The minor flows of Spiritual Power were evident to Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, so they could not deceive him.


    Moreover, he was a Monster Hunter.


    A necessary lesson for Monster Hunters was to see through the feigned deaths of Monster Beasts; how could Scarface¡¯s crude Turtle Breathing Method fool him?


    As for the third Householder.


    He failed to see through Scarface¡¯s feigned death firstly because his mind was completely focused on Mo Hua, neglecting his perception;


    secondly, he was overly confident in his own cultivation, believing that once he made his move, Scarface would undoubtedly die.


    Most importantly, he was not a Monster Hunter and lacked the experience to see through feigned deaths.


    Mo Hua did not answer Scarface but instead raised the Thousand Jun Stick again, activated the Formation, and proceeded to break Scarface¡¯s limbs one by one.


    Scarface was in agony and hatefully said:


    ¡°You little devil, we have no grudge or enmity, why must you be so ruthless?¡±


    ¡°No grudge or enmity?¡± Mo Hua raised an eyebrow and struck down with the stick again:


    ¡°What about those women whom you drained to death, those Cultivators you split with a single blade, what enmity did they have with you? Didn¡¯t you still ruthlessly kill them?¡±


    Scarface bore the pain and sneered, ¡°Whether I harvested energy from others or killed people, what does it have to do with you?¡±


    ¡°Guess.¡±


    Scarface¡¯s eyelids twitched; this little devil spoke irrationally. It was impossible to guess what he was thinking, what he intended to do, and he couldn¡¯t even sense the intent to kill.


    But he knew in his heart that this little devil was definitely going to kill him!


    Why?


    He should have never met this little devil before and had no enmity with him.


    Scarface couldn¡¯t figure it out and gritted his teeth:


    ¡°Tell me clearly where I¡¯ve offended you, so that I can die with my eyes open.¡±


    ¡°I prefer to let people die without understanding why, it saves trouble,¡± Mo Hua said.


    His indifferent demeanor left Scarface at a loss.


    Scarface¡¯s thoughts raced, and he suddenly sneered, ¡°You¡¯re not trying to play the hero, are you?¡±


    Mo Hua paid him no attention and started calculating something.


    Scarface mocked, ¡°The Cultivation World is all about the survival of the fittest. With your na?vet¨¦, you won¡¯t survive in the Tao Cultivation World. You¡¯ll die without a place to bury your body sooner or later¡­¡±


    Seeing that Scarface kept blabbering even at the brink of death, Mo Hua hit him on the face with the stick again.


    ¡°What are you blabbering about?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then from his Storage Bag, he took out a handful of Demon Smelly Grass, squeezed out the juice, and dripped it over Scarface, continuing:


    ¡°Survival of the fittest is nothing but a deceiving ghost tale¡­¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re the strong one, wanting to oppress the weak, you¡¯ll say ¡®survival of the fittest¡¯; when you¡¯re the weak one, being oppressed by the strong, you¡¯ll claim ¡®Heavenly Dao is fair.¡¯


    ¡°Ultimately, they¡¯re just self-serving excuses.¡±


    After squeezing out the juice, Mo Hua threw the remaining Demon Smelly Grass on Scarface, saying:


    ¡°And now, the one who is going to die without a place to bury is you¡­¡±


    Scarface smelled the foul stench on his body and panicked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°This is Demon Smelly Grass. Its stench is rotten and will attract Monster Beasts to come and eat you.


    ¡°You mentioned ¡®survival of the fittest¡¯, so I¡¯m going to let you experience being the prey to ¡®the strong¡¯, see if you¡¯ll still speak such words after that¡­¡±


    Scarface¡¯s eyes showed terror.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right,¡± Mo Hua thought for a moment, then as if realizing something, continued, ¡°You probably won¡¯t have an ¡®after¡¯. That can be left for your next life, if in your next life, you¡¯re still able to reincarnate as a human.¡±


    Scarface¡¯s eyes were filled with fury, ¡°You little ghost, your heart is so malicious!¡±


    ¡°Malicious?¡±


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, ¡°When you harm others, you don¡¯t find yourself malicious. But when others harm you, you blame them for being malicious. Such double standards are wrong.¡±


    Scarface, aware that his death was imminent, became frightened. His eyes shifted before he pleaded again,


    ¡°Little brother¡­ No, young Taoist master, let me go, and I will surely change my ways.¡±


    ¡°Change what?¡±


    Mo Hua began to draw a formation on the ground while casually responding.


    ¡°From now on, I will do good deeds, not practice evil skills, and do no evil things!¡± Scarface said hastily.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°If I break this oath, may the heavens strike me with thunder!¡± Scarface swore.


    Mo Hua appeared hesitant, ¡°Truly?¡±


    Seeing this, Scarface thought there was a chance for survival and immediately said,


    ¡°Truly! From now on, I will surely abide by vegetarianism and do good deeds, not doing anything that goes against the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then nodded with satisfaction, ¡°To realize one¡¯s wrongs and mend one¡¯s ways is indeed the greatest virtue.¡±


    Scarface was overjoyed, ¡°Then can you spare my life?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, ¡°I cannot.¡±


    Scarface was stunned.


    ¡°I was deceiving you. To realize one¡¯s wrongs and mend one¡¯s ways is indeed the greatest virtue; that statement is also nonsense. How easy is it to change one¡¯s wrongs? Even dogs can¡¯t change their habit of eating feces.¡±


    Scarface became furious.


    This little demon was toying with him!


    He struggled to rise but suddenly discovered that at some point, the little demon had laid down a formation beside him, pinning him in place.


    The little demon¡¯s idle chatter was meant to lower his guard so that he could lay down the formation, ensuring that he could not struggle and would die a complete death!


    The small amount of spiritual power he had barely managed to restore was now completely useless.


    Once the Monster Beasts came, he would undoubtedly die!


    Scarface fell into despair and glared at Mo Hua with a fierce and resentful expression,


    ¡°Little beast, even if I become a ghost, I will never let you go!¡±


    Mo Hua turned a deaf ear.


    He had already ¡°consumed¡± the real little Green-faced Ghost, so why would he fear this fake ghost who pledged to become one but actually could not even manage to be a human?


    Scarface wanted to continue cursing, but Mo Hua had finished what he was doing and had no patience for his nonsense anymore.


    ¡°Then remember this¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, holding the Thousand Jun Stick, walked over to Scarface and, looking down from above, said,


    ¡°If you become a human, I can make sure you die without a whole corpse; if you become a ghost, I can still disperse your soul!¡±


    ¡°Just wait peacefully for your death!¡±


    Without waiting for Scarface to respond, Mo Hua lifted the Thousand Jun Stick and smashed it down heavily.


    With all his might, the powerful strike knocked Scarface out completely.


    Mo Hua put away the Thousand Jun Stick and nodded slightly.


    Now that Scarface was unconscious, when he awoke, it would probably be to the sight of himself being eaten by Monster Beasts, truly experiencing the ¡°law of the jungle.¡±


    Mo Hua had knocked him out to prevent him from screaming, also to spare him the agony before death.


    After all, the wait before death is the most painful.


    Mo Hua considered it a ¡°kind¡± gesture.


    After finishing these tasks, Mo Hua sighed again, feeling somewhat downhearted. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He thought again of the woman who had taken her own life in the night.


    The living suffered endlessly, and even death was a luxury.


    The torments and despair the woman had faced before death, he now let Scarface experience as well.


    But with his low realm and limited cultivation, there was only so much he could do at the moment.


    Not far off, several Monster Beasts that roamed at night, attracted by the rotten scent of the Demon Smelly Grass and the pungent smell of blood, greedily made their way towards the woods.


    Mo Hua had already detected these Monster Beasts with his Divine Sense.


    He calmly employed the Concealment Technique, hiding his figure while using the Water Passing Step to swiftly move in a direction devoid of Monster Beasts and the third Householder.


    After such a long stay at the Black Mountain Stronghold, enduring many twists and turns, he had now finished everything and was finally able to go home.


    And on his way, he no longer needed to have any reservations.


    Having penetrated the Contemplation Map, consumed the Green-faced ghost, and assimilated the Divine Thought,


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was now comparable to that of the Foundation Establishment Realm, and in these deep mountains, there was no one left who could see through his Concealment Technique.


    Once he left Black Mountain Stronghold, he would be like a fish returning to the sea.


    These Evil Cultivators would find it utterly impossible to locate him again.

 Chapter 291 - 290 Concern_1

    Chapter 291: Chapter 290 Concern_1


    Mo Hua traveled silently and swiftly.


    Finally, he could return home, and his mood lightened somewhat.


    The deep mountains of Big Black Mountain were much like they were on the way there, still lush with vegetation and shrouded in thick mist, making it difficult to distinguish directions.


    But unlike before, now every blade of grass, every tree, and every rock in Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense became increasingly clear.


    His Divine Sense was stronger, his sight reached farther, and his perception was more subtle.


    The Fog Formation laid by the third Householder of the Monster Hunters in the Foggy Forest was now like a marker, clearly guiding Mo Hua along the path.


    Through the naked eye, it all appeared as a blur of fog, but in Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, the paths were distinct, with clear and sharp boundaries.


    After traveling for half an hour, Mo Hua neared the edge of the deep mountains.


    Mo Hua stopped and furrowed his brows.


    This was not the cliff he had come by, so he was less familiar with the path; there were many forks in the road before him, and for a moment, he didn¡¯t know which way to go.


    Just then, some voices seemed to echo from the distant fog.


    The voices were mixed, sounding like several people shouting, and they were very anxious. It seemed they were calling for ¡°Mo Hua¡±¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned. He recognized them, they were the voices of Monster Hunters.


    Using the Water Passing Step, Mo Hua quickened his pace and headed towards the source of the voices.


    In the dense fog, a group of more than ten Monster Hunters formed a search net, scouring the deep mountains with anxious expressions, while shouting Mo Hua¡¯s name.


    It was at that moment that they noticed a figure in the fog.


    The Monster Hunters stiffened their expressions, drew their Pu Blades, and prepared for what might come.


    The figure approached gradually, appearing small and slender, resembling a young Cultivator.


    A few Monster Hunters looked visibly pleased, while the rest also showed anticipation.


    As the figure drew closer and the fog dissipated, a clear view revealed a delicate face with a pair of bright, spirited eyes.


    It was then that they confirmed the person was indeed Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua greeted them.


    The Monster Hunters, hearing Mo Hua¡¯s voice and seeing that he seemed unharmed, were all visibly glad and let out deep sighs of relief.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found Mo Hua!¡± shouted a Monster Hunter with joy.


    The others passed the message along.


    Before long, in the thick fog, the voices of the Monster Hunters rose and fell in waves.


    ¡°We¡¯ve found Mo Hua!¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua has been found!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been found!¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua stood rooted to the spot, feeling both touched and guilty.


    So many people cared for him, they even ventured deep into the mountains to find him.


    It seemed he had caused everyone trouble¡­


    Mo Hua also remembered what the old Evil Cultivator had said to the third Householder that night:


    ¡°There¡¯s something happening with the Monster Hunters¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s trouble in the Inner Mountain¡­¡±


    He had been curious about what trouble had befallen the Inner Mountain.


    It turned out that the biggest incident in the Inner Mountain was his own disappearance.


    When the Chief Elder of the Qian Family disappeared years ago, the entire Qian Clan deployed all their Disciples to form a search net, venturing into the deep mountains despite the dangers in search of him.


    Now, the Monster Hunters were doing the same for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes grew sore, and he felt a complex mix of emotions.


    After a while, Mo Hua saw Elder Yu and, feeling sorry, was about to say something, but Elder Yu cut him off.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk when we get back,¡± said Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu had a complex expression. Although he was worried about Mo Hua and felt that Mo Hua¡¯s trip had been rash, he also knew why Mo Hua had ventured into the deep mountains and thus refrained from criticizing or saying something that might hurt him.


    Not everyone has the kindness, nor the courage, to take such risks for the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua had returned safely and soundly.


    Elder Yu maintained a composed exterior, but deep down, he was genuinely overwhelmed with relief.


    No matter what Mo Hua had discovered in the depths of the mountains, they would discuss it upon return.


    Elder Yu instructed everyone to head back.


    So, the group gradually began to gather and slowly withdrew from the depths of the mountains.


    Only then did Mo Hua realize that more people had come into the mountains to look for him than he had thought.


    He could see almost all the Monster Hunters with whom he was somewhat familiar, and even some Cultivators from the Taoist Court were present.


    Mo Hua also saw Zhang Lan.


    Seeing Mo Hua unharmed, Zhang Lan also heaved a great sigh of relief. He wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know what to say at that moment, so he just roughly ruffled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, messing it all up.


    Knowing he was at fault, Mo Hua remained silent.


    It was only when they reached the Inner Mountain that Mo Shan arrived from the other side of the mountains.


    Even though he already knew that Mo Hua was safe and sound, he only felt reassured when he saw him with his own eyes.


    With his head bowed, Mo Hua said in a low voice, ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    Mo Shan had been angry inside, but seeing his son now, all his anger dissipated.


    All he could do was sigh, pat Mo Hua on the head, and say:


    ¡°Go see your mother; she hasn¡¯t closed her eyes for several days¡­¡±


    Startled, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Mom is in the mountains, too?¡±


    Mo Shan nodded.


    Following Mo Shan, Mo Hua arrived at a campsite in the Inner Mountain, where he saw his mother, Liu Ruhua.


    Standing at the entrance of the campsite, Liu Ruhua appeared frail and haggard, her gentle eyes filled with anxiety. Upon seeing Mo Hua, silent tears flowed from her eyes.


    Feeling a twinge in his nose, Mo Hua called out, ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua didn¡¯t wait for Mo Hua to say anything. She ran over and hugged him tightly, her arms trembling.


    She clung to him as if afraid that he would disappear from her grasp in an instant. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    During these days, she was so anxious that she could not sleep, and despite everyone¡¯s efforts, they could not locate Mo Hua.


    She feared that she would never see her child again, afraid that one day, even the very wish to see Mo Hua would be impossible.


    Liu Ruhua held Mo Hua for a long time before she began to calm down.


    Overwhelmed with remorse, Mo Hua apologized, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    With tears in her eyes, Liu Ruhua breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head:


    ¡°Though you¡¯re young, you already possess considerable abilities and can distinguish right from wrong, and you also have your own opinions on matters. Mom doesn¡¯t blame you.¡±


    ¡°But you must remember, there are many people in this world who are concerned about you, and whatever you do, you must not cause everyone to worry. No matter what happens, you must always let your dad and mom know.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded solemnly. ¡°Mom, I remember!¡± he promised.


    Liu Ruhua looked at her son¡¯s graceful features and his eyes, clear as water, and could not bear the thought of separation. She further cautioned him:


    ¡°Also, no matter what happens, you must protect your life at all costs.¡±


    ¡°There are countless treasures in the world, but for your father and me, you are the most unique and precious. Not even the pursuit of immortality is as important as your safety.¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s gaze was tender and profound.


    Mo Hua felt even guiltier.


    He thought he had considered his parents¡¯ feelings, but he realized he didn¡¯t understand anything at all.


    He anticipated some concern from his parents, but never imagined the extent of their worry.


    In this world, a child¡¯s concern for their parents pales in comparison to a parent¡¯s worry for their child¡ªone-tenth, perhaps even less.


    Next time, he must not cause everyone to worry, especially his parents.


    This was what Mo Hua resolved in his heart, and then he seriously reassured Liu Ruhua:


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, I will live well, for a long, long time, all the way until immortality is reached.¡±


    ¡°And you and Dad will live just as long, and achieve immortality as well!¡±


    Liu Ruhua did not take his words seriously, but her heart was still filled with gratification.


    She wiped away her tears, rubbed Mo Hua¡¯s face, and said with a smile:


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s agree on that!¡±

 Chapter 292 - 291: Gains and Losses_1

    Chapter 292: Chapter 291: Gains and Losses_1


    On his way back, Mo Hua silently summarized the gains and losses of his journey in his heart.


    Overall, infiltrating the Black Mountain Stronghold had been eventful but without peril; however, upon careful reflection, he realized that many situations he faced were quite dangerous.


    Particularly when eavesdropping on the Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivators¡¯ conversations, spying under their very noses, and eventually even stealing the third Householder¡¯s Contemplation Map¡ªgetting caught by the third Householder himself¡­


    These actions were akin to pulling teeth from a tiger¡¯s mouth or retrieving chestnuts from a fire.


    Although, in the end, Mo Hua managed to bluff his way through, converting danger into safety.


    Nevertheless, one should seek benefits and avoid harm; it would be better to refrain from such dangerous activities in the future as much as possible. And if there were no choice but to undertake them, he¡¯d need to plan even more thoroughly.


    Mo Hua sighed softly.


    His actions weren¡¯t thorough enough; his considerations weren¡¯t careful enough; his methods, not meticulous enough.


    Most importantly, he had worried everyone, including his parents.


    Mo Hua took this to heart.


    The Cultivation World was boundless, the path of Tao Cultivation, long and winding.


    He was still young with shallow experience; there was much he lacked and many more experiences to endure, with equally many things to learn.


    If there were any oversights in his actions, he must reflect upon them greatly. Only then could he benefit from the experiences and make firmer steps in the future.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    After reflecting on his mistakes, Mo Hua began to think about the gains from his trip.


    Firstly, he had learned the truth about the depths of the mountains, discovered the entrance to the Black Mountain Stronghold, scouted out its strengths and weaknesses, and had more or less figured out the stronghold completely. He had even mapped the Black Mountain Stronghold and learned some of its deepest secrets.


    The Black Mountain Stronghold was the most malignant tumor hidden in the depth of Big Black Mountain. If not removed, all of Tongxian City would face enormous peril.


    When the time came, all the cultivators in Tongxian City, including his parents and the Monster Hunters, Artifact Refiners, and Alchemists he knew, could inadvertently fall prey to the evil cultivators.


    This was not something Mo Hua wanted to see.


    Therefore, the Black Mountain Stronghold would sooner or later have to be eradicated, and a clash was inevitable.


    Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.


    Once a direct confrontation with the Black Mountain Stronghold occurred, the intelligence Mo Hua had gathered would be crucial.


    Upon understanding the stronghold¡¯s strengths and weaknesses, it would be easier to plan and strategize, hence making it much easier to deal with the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    If they were ignorant of the situation and acted hastily, the cunning and unpredictable Black Mountain Stronghold would be many times more powerful.


    In a conflict with the stronghold, the casualties could also be many times higher.


    Mo Hua hoped everyone could live well; it was best if there were no casualties. If that was unavoidable, he wished to minimize the losses.


    Besides the intelligence on the Black Mountain Stronghold, the personal gains for Mo Hua were considerable.


    He had killed the chubby cultivator and obtained Kong Sheng¡¯s Jade Pendant.


    This pendant, exclusive to the direct descendants of the Kong Family, had significant symbolic meaning. For now, it could only be traded for Spirit Stones, but if he kept it, there might come a day when he could exploit the Kong Family with it.


    Next, Mo Hua obtained a Secret Manual on the Fireball Technique from a white-faced evil cultivator.


    He hadn¡¯t looked at this manual closely after putting it in his Storage Bag.


    If Mo Hua¡¯s guess was correct, although the manual was in the possession of the evil cultivator, it likely wasn¡¯t his original property. It must have been stolen, robbed, or perhaps fortuitously acquired.


    Such manuals that focus on a particular type of spell were quite rare, and ordinary cultivators simply didn¡¯t have such inheritances.


    Mo Hua was quietly pleased.


    By comprehending this manual, he should be able to enhance the power of his Fireball Technique, making up for his shortfall where his agility was ample and his adaptability rich, but his offensive power lacking.


    But there was no rush for now. Mo Hua planned to mull over it carefully after returning.


    Additionally, the Contemplation Map was quite important.


    It was Mo Hua¡¯s first encounter with a Contemplation Map, and he had peered into its secrets and faced the dangers it concealed.


    He had some speculations about the Contemplation Map, but due to his limited knowledge in Tao Cultivation, he was not yet certain and would need to consult Mr. Zhuang for clarification.


    Thanks to the Contemplation Map, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had increased dramatically, now comparable to that of Foundation Establishment. He also created a one-pattern Grade One Reversed Spirit Formation, considered an anomaly by the standards of the Heavenly Dao.


    ¡°`


    Mr. Zhuang probably hadn¡¯t expected this.


    Mo Hua felt a secret sense of triumph, wondering if his return would give Mr. Zhuang a fright.


    Ultimately, the most important matter was the Taoist Stele.


    Mo Hua had always used the Taoist Stele to practice formations and sharpen his divine sense.


    The stele, rather than being a stele, was more like a ¡°blackboard,¡± drawn upon and then erased, erased and then drawn upon again.


    Anything could be depicted on it, but in the end, nothing remained.


    However, after his experience at the Black Mountain Stronghold, after seeing the Contemplation Map and having the Little Green-faced Ghost penetrate his sea of consciousness, after facing peril and turning the tide,


    Mo Hua realized that perhaps he knew nothing about the Taoist Stele.


    He could still remember the fear on the face of the Little Green-faced Ghost.


    It was as if it faced the greatest terror in the world, the terror of true death and the obliteration of its path by the Great Dao.


    The Taoist Stele didn¡¯t even do anything¡ªnot shining or showing anomalies¡ªjust a few strands of breath turned the Little Green-faced Ghost into green smoke.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart grew solemn.


    This Taoist Stele might be much more powerful than he had imagined, and its origins were probably quite fearsome.


    Mo Hua was not yet in a position to ask Mr. Zhuang. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though he trusted Mr. Zhuang completely, the stele¡¯s special origins and significant implications meant that the fewer people who knew about it, the better. It was best if he were the only one who knew.


    As for the mysteries of the stele, he would slowly uncover them later.


    The miasma around him started to thin, and the fog lightened, the surroundings no longer imposing, and the monster beasts encountered along the way were much weaker.


    Before they knew it, they had left the Inner Mountain and were now walking on the mountain paths of the Outer Mountain.


    Mo Hua turned back and glanced at the deep mountains.


    The great fog shrouded everything, leaving only a vast expanse of haze.


    But Mo Hua knew that the Black Mountain Stronghold was nestled deep within that fog, having persisted for two to three hundred years.


    Inside, there were mountains of corpses and seas of blood, with demons dancing wildly.


    The spirit slaves were reduced to skin and bones; the women suffered a fate worse than death, and the other cultivators who had been captured were tortured mercilessly.


    Mo Hua had lived his whole life in Tongxian City, in poverty, but amid neighborly harmony and helpful cultivators.


    It was only now that he had truly seen the other side of the cultivation world.


    Bloody, icy, brutal, and evil.


    In this world, there were diligent and righteous cultivators who pursued the Heavenly Dao; there also roamed lawless and utterly evil heretical demons.


    Some cultivators not only killed people but also drank their blood, absorbed their spiritual power, treating people not as human beings but as spirit slaves, blood slaves¡ªsimply breathing spirit stones.


    This was a ¡°dog-eat-dog¡± world.


    Mo Hua understood that simply learning formations was not enough.


    If his cultivation was strong, then he could have saved all the innocent cultivators in Black Mountain Stronghold, instead of being forced to watch them be persecuted by the evil cultivators until their death.


    To kill those evil cultivators, no cunning schemes would be needed¡ªjust one Fireball Technique could burn them to death.


    And if his cultivation was high enough to comprehend stronger formations, he might even be able to set up an Earth Fire Great Formation that could send the entire Black Mountain Stronghold to heaven.


    Ultimately, cultivation is the cornerstone of a cultivator, formations are the foundation of existence, and spells are the sharp weapons of self-protection.


    None of the three can be lacking.


    He had to understand the Heavenly Dao through formations for the benefit of all, as well as master powerful spells with his cultivation to eradicate evil demons.


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts became clearer, and his eyes grew more determined.


    Liu Ruhua stood by his side. Watching his expression change from joy to frowning, she wondered what he might be pondering, and eventually, as if making up his mind, his expression turned serious.


    Even just silently watching Mo Hua by his side, she felt much more at ease.


    Liu Ruhua smiled with relief, her gaze as tender as water.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 293 - 292 Intelligence_1

    Chapter 293: Chapter 292 Intelligence_1


    A group of people thundered their way back to Tongxian City. Elder Yu dismissed the others, leaving only Mo Hua, Mo Shan, Yu Chengyi, Yu Chengwu, and the Taoist Court¡¯s Zhang Lan.


    Elder Yu brought everyone to the guest room of the Southern City Refinery Shop, where there was no one around and some privacy was ensured by a Formation.


    All present understood what Elder Yu intended to do and their expressions grew somber.


    After taking a sip of tea, Elder Yu asked Mo Hua, ¡°So, are there really Sin Cultivators in the depths of the mountain?¡±


    Mo Hua always acted with appropriate measure. His long delay in the Inner Mountain must have been due to some discoveries.


    Thinking back to the previous conjectures about the Inner Mountain, Elder Yu suspected that what Mo Hua had mentioned earlier could indeed be true: the depths of Big Black Mountain may well be harboring a group of Sin Cultivators, and their power was probably not small.


    Yet Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°They are not Sin Cultivators.¡±


    Elder Yu was momentarily stunned and then let out a sigh of relief.


    As long as they¡¯re not Sin Cultivators¡­


    ¡°They¡¯re Evil Cultivators,¡± Mo Hua declared.


    Elder Yu¡¯s recently eased heart tensed again, as he exclaimed in shock, ¡°Evil Cultivators?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Mo Shan and the others looked somewhat astonished, and Zhang Lan¡¯s expression turned severe as he asked,


    ¡°How many of them are there?¡±


    ¡°Hundreds.¡±


    ¡°Can you be more specific?¡±


    ¡°Around five or six hundred.¡±


    Including Elder Yu, everyone inhaled sharply.


    Five or six hundred Evil Cultivators!


    Evil Cultivators differ from ordinary Cultivators; they practice Evil Skills, which are not sanctioned by the Taoist Court. Such skills typically advance quickly, possess great power, and have bizarre and unpredictable effects, making them very difficult to deal with.


    The Wanted Evil Cultivators by the Taoist Court are usually loners; they seldom operate in groups. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, there turned out to be five or six hundred Evil Cultivators deep within Big Black Mountain.


    Zhang Lan, although certain that Mo Hua would not lie, couldn¡¯t help but say,


    ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t see incorrectly?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°I saw them with my own eyes, and even counted them myself.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, then suddenly realized something was amiss, ¡°You saw them with your own eyes, and even counted them yourself, and they just let you watch?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned the Concealment Technique, they couldn¡¯t see me.¡±


    The Concealment Technique¡­


    Only then did Zhang Lan remember that Mo Hua had learned the Concealment Technique.


    Even though he had known in advance, the notion still seemed incredible to Zhang Lan.


    This young man, Mo Hua, truly managed to spy on five or six hundred Evil Cultivators right under their noses and retreated unscathed.


    Zhang Lan felt that he should be shocked, but somehow he couldn¡¯t muster any more surprise; he had grown numb to it, and deep down he felt that no matter how outrageous the event, it didn¡¯t seem that outlandish when it concerned Mo Hua¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re quite brave¡­¡±


    Then Elder Yu asked again, ¡°What else do you know?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua began to add details steadily,


    ¡°The Evil Cultivators are gathered in a stronghold in the mountains called Black Mountain Stronghold.¡±


    Black Mountain Stronghold¡­


    Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s expressions turned grave.


    The name of the stronghold where the Evil Cultivators residing deep in Big Black Mountain convened carried an ominous air just by the sound of it.


    ¡°Do you know the location of Black Mountain Stronghold?¡± Yu Chengyi inquired.


    Mo Hua produced a map with two lines marked on it.


    This map was a simplified view of the mountain, drawn from Mo Hua¡¯s memory. One of the lines showed the route Mo Hua had taken on the way there, cutting directly through hidden mountain paths between the cliffs to the entrance of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The other line represented the path Mo Hua took to return, starting from the gates of Black Mountain Stronghold and extending towards the edge, all the way to the Inner Mountain.


    The routes marked on the map were based on Mo Hua¡¯s recollection and might not be precisely accurate, but the general direction was correct.


    Everyone looked at the map, somewhat shocked.


    ¡°As expected of a Formation Master, your memory is impressive,¡± Zhang Lan remarked, then curiously asked, ¡°But with such thick fog in the deep mountains, how did you discern the routes?¡±


    ¡°Because I am a Formation Master,¡± Mo Hua explained.


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t understand.


    Mo Hua elaborated, ¡°The fog in the mountains was not naturally that thick. It was because the third Householder of Black Mountain Stronghold had set up a Fog Formation, which made it difficult to identify directions¡­¡±


    ¡°But as a Formation Master, the Formation he laid out actually made it easier for me to determine directions.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, thinking that it was indeed fortunate Mo Hua was a Formation Master; otherwise, they would have had no idea that the thick fog in the mountain was due to such reasons.


    Even if they knew that the fog was a result of a Formation, they weren¡¯t Formation Masters, they didn¡¯t understand Formations, and looking at the mountain veiled in fog, they wouldn¡¯t be able to make out any clues.


    This kind of insight was something only Mo Hua, knowledgeable in Formations and with a sharp mind, could discern.


    Zhang Lan inwardly marveled at this revelation.


    Upon hearing this, Mo Shan¡¯s expression changed, and he asked, ¡°The third Householder?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°The Household Leader of Black Mountain Stronghold is a Foundation Building Evil Cultivator.¡±


    Mo Shan¡¯s expression grew tense, ¡°How many Household Leaders are there in total?¡±


    ¡°There are four,¡± Mo Hua responded.


    Everyone looked at each other, their expressions growing increasingly somber.


    Elder Yu asked, ¡°What else do you know about these four householders?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I only learned about it from overhearing two evil cultivators chatting on night duty¡­¡±


    Of course, those two evil cultivators had already been tricked to death by him¡­


    ¡°The chief householder established Black Mountain Stronghold, has the deepest cultivation and is the eldest, but is inscrutable and never seen; the second householder is cold-blooded and murderous, currently out killing people, not in the stronghold; the third householder is a Formation Master, adept at creating Evil Formations; the fourth householder is a newcomer who likes to drink blood, and if there¡¯s not enough human blood, he goes out at night to drink monster blood¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then relayed all the intelligence he had gathered about the four householders of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The more Elder Yu listened, the more shocked he became. This intelligence was classified information, including not only the identities of several householders but also their expertise in Evil Skills and their cultivation habits.


    Without Mo Hua, they would have been unable to uncover any of this.


    Four Foundation Building evil cultivators!


    Elder Yu¡¯s brow furrowed deeply.


    Although he had anticipated that these evil cultivators had treacherous intentions and had been secretly growing for many years, inevitably there would be Foundation Establishment powerhouses at the helm, he had not imagined there would be as many as four.


    And these were Foundation Building cultivators who had practiced Evil Path Skills.


    For a time, the faces of everyone present were shrouded in gloom.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Elder Yu, can we win against them?¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head and said decidedly, ¡°We cannot!¡±


    ¡°Is there really no way we can win?¡±


    ¡°Relying only on us, there is no way at all.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Mo Hua was also worried.


    Elder Yu looked towards Zhang Lan and said with a cupped fist salute, ¡°We can only ask for help from the Taoist Court.¡±


    Mo Hua slightly frowned. The Taoist Court officials were also short-handed, but he immediately realized that what Elder Yu referred to was ¡°Taoist Court,¡± not ¡°Taoist Court officials.¡±


    If that was the case, did Elder Yu mean¡­


    ¡°Taoist Soldiers?¡± Mo Hua said in surprise.


    Taoist Soldiers, as the name implies, are the military force of Tao cultivation, belonging directly to the Taoist Court and under its direct jurisdiction.


    When local Taoist Court officials encounter threats they cannot handle, they can directly submit a letter to the Taoist Court, requesting that it dispatch Taoist Soldiers for direct suppression.


    Mo Hua had not seen the Taoist Soldiers, but he had heard that their strength was formidable, and they held great prestige.


    The strength of Black Mountain Stronghold¡¯s evil cultivators was too great; even if all Monster Hunters joined forces, they would likely not be a match, so at this point, the only option was to request the aid of Taoist Soldiers.


    Zhang Lan nodded slightly, ¡°I will go back now to find the Court Leader, report the whole story, and ask him to submit a letter to the Taoist Court, requesting the deployment of Taoist Soldiers to exterminate the evil cultivators!¡±


    Requesting the dispatch of Taoist Soldiers was not an overnight affair. Weighing the strength of the evil cultivators, the Taoist Court¡¯s approval, as well as the deployment of the soldiers, all required time.


    There was no time to delay, and just as Zhang Lan rose to leave, Mo Hua called out to him.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished sharing the intelligence.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Exactly how much intelligence did you manage to gather that you¡¯re still not finished¡­ you haven¡¯t thoroughly scouted out Black Mountain Stronghold, have you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that exaggerated¡­¡± Mo Hua smiled and then took out another map, spreading it on the table.


    The map included tall buildings as well as complex formations. At first glance, it seemed to be a large-scale Architectural Formation Map. Zhang Lan looked closely, and his eyelids involuntarily twitched.


    This was definitely not an ordinary Architectural Formation Map!


    Zhang Lan, pointing at the map, said with some disbelief, ¡°This isn¡¯t possibly¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It¡¯s Black Mountain Stronghold¡¯s Map.¡±


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You stole it?¡±


    ¡°I drew it.¡±


    Zhang Lan found it hard to believe, ¡°You can draw this kind of thing?¡±


    A Map that includes both the structure of Taoist architecture and the design of formations, especially for such large buildings, requires on-site surveys, analysis of the layout, and a deep understanding of formations¡­


    ¡°I am a Formation Master,¡± Mo Hua said matter-of-factly.


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t want to say anything else.


    Fine, you¡¯re a Formation Master, you¡¯re impressive.


    Elder Yu, however, was carefully examining the map, his heart full of admiration.


    This Map was detailed and meticulous, including the living quarters of the evil cultivators, the prisons where captives were held, and even the dining hall was marked on it.


    And Mo Hua had drawn this Map right under the noses of the evil cultivators, which made it all the more valuable.


    As Elder Yu looked, he suddenly frowned and pointed to a place, asking, ¡°What is this location?¡±


    This Map was divided into the front stronghold and the rear stronghold.


    The Map of the front stronghold was detailed, but the part for the rear stronghold was much more simplified, probably due to the danger in the rear stronghold, and because Mo Hua didn¡¯t know much about it.


    However, in the simplified Map of the rear stronghold, there was one area that was particularly detailed.


    Paths, Beast Gate, Blood Formation, the layout of the hall, and even the pattern of the beams were clearly delineated. In the center of that hall, a Pill Furnace was drawn, and apparently, there was also a pig.


    ¡°This is the evil cultivators¡¯ Pill Room,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression changed abruptly, ¡°What kind of pill are the evil cultivators refining?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I only know they use humans for alchemy, the whole room was filled with blood mist, and some herbs seemed alive.¡±


    Elder Yu frowned, knowing little about the practices of evil cultivators, and he also had no knowledge about what kind of pill it was.


    Zhang Lan, however, had a grave expression and spoke in a cold voice, ¡°They are refining Human Life Pills!¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 294 - 293: Human Life_1

    Chapter 294: Chapter 293: Human Life_1


    ¡°Human Life Pill?¡±


    Mo Hua had never heard of this term before, so he asked, ¡°Can it prolong life?¡±


    Zhang Lan pondered, ¡°It can be said to prolong life, but at the same time, it¡¯s not really prolonging life.¡±


    Elder Yu and the others exchanged glances, all somewhat perplexed.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Uncle Zhang, stop being cryptic.¡±


    Zhang Lan was taken aback, thought for a moment, and then asked Mo Hua, ¡°What is the most important thing for a cultivator?¡±


    ¡°Cultivation?¡± Mo Hua thought for a moment before answering.


    ¡°No,¡± Zhang Lan shook his head, ¡°Cultivation is fundamental for a cultivator, but even more important is lifespan. Only with lifespan can one pursue cultivation and seek immortality.¡±


    ¡°Immortality is essentially the ultimate, eternal lifespan.¡±


    Mo Hua understood, ¡°Simply put, no matter what you do, you first need to be alive. Without life, naturally, you have nothing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right to think that way,¡± said Zhang Lan. ¡°Even the most powerful cultivator must first be alive. Without lifespan, unable to continue living, even if one¡¯s cultivation reaches the heavens, they can¡¯t escape death.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°So cultivators will try every means to prolong life?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°The saying ¡®prolong life¡¯ is actually incorrect. Nature has its course, and cultivators have their fate. When one¡¯s time is up and lifespan runs out, no matter what, it¡¯s hard to escape death.¡±


    ¡°But some pills and cultivation techniques can indeed prolong life¡­¡± Mo Hua said doubtfully.


    While Mo Hua had never personally seen such pills and cultivation techniques that ¡°prolong life¡±, they were often mentioned in the records of Tao cultivation, so it was nothing new.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I say that these so-called ¡®prolong life¡¯ methods are not truly ¡®prolonging life,''¡± Zhang Lan continued.


    Mo Hua listened carefully, waiting for Zhang Lan to go on.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression grew serious as he continued:


    ¡°Cultivators nearing their ultimate limit cannot extend their lifespan; this is bounded by the Heavenly Dao. The so-called prolonging of life for cultivators usually falls under two scenarios.¡±


    ¡°One is through cultivation techniques or pills, conditioning the physical body and meridians, eliminating the superfluous, removing illnesses, and thereby extending lifespan.¡±


    ¡°However, in this case, the cultivator¡¯s ultimate limit has not yet arrived, and their lifespan is not exhausted. This kind of life extension uses up the lifespan that belongs to the cultivator themselves, so it does not truly extend life.¡±


    ¡°Once a cultivator truly reaches their limit, bounded by the Heavenly Dao, they are undoubtedly destined to die. To avoid death, they can only turn to heretical and demonic methods, practicing various forbidden techniques and concocting various forbidden pills.¡±


    ¡°The Human Life Pill is one of these forbidden pills.¡±


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart as he asked, ¡°Does concocting Human Life Pills require killing many people?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to concoct Human Life Pills, it does require the taking of many lives.¡±


    ¡°To extend life with a Human Pill is to infuse a person into a pill, borrowing life from others. But such acts against the Heavenly Dao are extremely difficult. It may take a lot of effort, and one person can only borrow a little bit of life, which requires accumulating little by little, killing many to prolong one¡¯s own life¡­¡±


    A chill settled in Mo Hua¡¯s heart as he gradually understood:


    ¡°The way of humans, taking from the insufficient to provide for the excessive, is all about exploiting others for one¡¯s own benefit¡­¡±


    ¡°Noble Clans and great families grow powerful by exploiting Spirit Stones; the Taoist Court monopolizes by exploiting power; heretical demons are even more cruel, with some who drink blood, exploiting fresh blood; those who absorb souls, exploiting Spiritual Power; and those who concoct Human Life Pills, directly exploit human lives¡­¡±


    Startled by these words, Zhang Lan said, ¡°Who told you this?¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head, ¡°Isn¡¯t it that way?¡±


    Zhang Lan wanted to say it wasn¡¯t, but he vaguely felt that there was indeed truth to this reasoning, although he couldn¡¯t immediately organize his thoughts.


    Elder Yu was also slightly shocked and involuntarily looked towards Mo Shan.


    Mo Shan shook his head, indicating it wasn¡¯t him who taught these ideas, and he himself didn¡¯t know why Mo Hua could speak such words.


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua asked Zhang Lan:


    ¡°If it really is a Human Pill that¡¯s being concocted, then is this pill for the Householder to use?¡±


    Zhang Lan still furrowed his brows, thinking about what Mo Hua had said. Only when he heard this did he remember that currently, the most important matter was concerning the Black Mountain Stronghold. He speculated:


    ¡°That Householder is a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators live no more than three hundred years, the middle and later stages have longer lifespans but only up to four hundred years. With this calculation, it¡¯s likely that the Householder is nearing his limit, so he set up a stronghold deep in Big Black Mountain, gathering evil cultivators, robbing and killing, concocting pills to extend his life¡­¡±


    ¡°These actions, they are all prohibited by the Taoist Law, aren¡¯t they?¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Correct, they are all major crimes punishable by beheading, dismemberment, or even execution on the torture rack,¡± Zhang Lan sighed, but his expression lightened somewhat. ¡°Such an act of concocting Human Pills incurs the wrath of both heaven and humanity. Once reported, the Taoist Court will certainly pay great attention and will likely dispatch Taoist Soldiers, exterminating all these evil cultivators!¡±


    Elder Yu and the others also breathed a sigh of relief.


    If that was the case, exterminating the Black Mountain Stronghold wouldn¡¯t be so tricky.


    After contemplating for a moment, Mo Hua asked again,


    ¡°Could it be that these evil cultivators are keeping such a low profile because they are also afraid of revealing their tracks and alarming the Taoist Court, which might result in being encircled and eradicated by the Taoist Soldiers?¡±


    Zhang Lan pondered for a bit and nodded, ¡°Quite possible, but¡­¡±


    Immediately afterward, Zhang Lan thought of another question and asked Mo Hua,


    ¡°Making Human Pills is a top secret, and the Pill Room where Human Pills are made is even an off-limits area. All these are not to be known by outsiders, how exactly did you manage to sneak in?¡±


    Elder Yu and the others all looked at Mo Hua curiously.


    ¡°It was nothing special, just took advantage of the third householder going out and mixed in with stealth.¡±


    Mo Hua described it nonchalantly.


    ¡°And then?¡±


    Zhang Lan continued to ask, knowing that it couldn¡¯t be that simple.


    ¡°Then I was a bit delayed by some matters and got caught by the third householder¡­¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expressions changed drastically, and Mo Shan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, his expression filled with worry.


    ¡°Caught by a Foundation Establishment evil cultivator, and you still made it out alive?¡± Zhang Lan asked somewhat shocked, ¡°How on earth did you get out?¡±


    ¡°The third householder sent me out,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Zhang Lan disbelieved, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Really.¡±


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°Is he out of his mind?¡±


    ¡°His mind isn¡¯t gone, but he might have thought wrongly and misunderstood,¡± Mo Hua explained.


    ¡°Misunderstood what?¡±


    ¡°He mistook me for an old demon that had seized another¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°Seized another¡¯s body?¡± Zhang Lan was taken aback and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Why?¡±


    Trying to appear modest, Mo Hua nevertheless couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit smug and said,


    ¡°Maybe because my Divine Sense is strong.¡±


    Zhang Lan startled, ¡°I know your Divine Sense is strong, but not to the extent that¡­¡±


    While speaking, Zhang Lan suddenly felt a movement in his Divine Sense, his expression dramatically shifting to disbelief, ¡°Your Divine Sense¡­¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing this, Elder Yu also released his Divine Sense. A moment later, he widened his eyes and abruptly stood up.


    He had not noticed it until now, until Divine Sense was mentioned and he opened his own to probe Mo Hua.


    But just a fleeting glimpse was enough to unsettle him.


    Mo Hua was surrounded by a hazy aura, the breath faint and indistinct, indecipherable in its truth and false nature.


    The stronger the Divine Sense, the more obscure it becomes.


    This meant that Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had become so strong it could rival his and even obstruct his perception!


    But how could this be? He was at the Foundation Establishment level, whereas Mo Hua was only at the Qi Refinement stage! This completely broke his understanding of Tao Cultivation¡­


    Elder Yu looked rather astonished, ¡°Your Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Scratching his head sheepishly, Mo Hua confessed,


    ¡°My cultivation is at the Qi Refinement stage, but my Divine Sense has already made it to the Foundation Establishment¡­¡±


    Everyone inhaled sharply, and in an instant, the room went silent as a grave.


    Meanwhile, deep in the mountains,


    The third householder was also murmuring to himself, ¡°Qi Refinement cultivation, Foundation Establishment Divine Sense, how is this possible¡­¡±


    He realized something was amiss.

 Chapter 295 - 294: Unfathomable_1

    Chapter 295: Chapter 294: Unfathomable_1


    After Mo Hua left, a cup of tea¡¯s time passed, and the Third Householder could no longer sense Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense, so he returned to the secluded grove.


    Blood was everywhere, a complete mess.


    Those evil cultivators had indeed been eaten, and quite cleanly at that, but the blood was all over the place.


    ¡°The vessel is a child, how on earth did it eat people to create such a mess?¡±


    The Third Householder muttered to himself.


    He then noticed something was wrong: there were numerous claw marks, bite marks, and even hairs with blood on the ground.


    The Third Householder was taken aback, his brows furrowing slightly.


    The evil cultivators, whose bodies were mutilated, were not eaten by a person but by monster beasts.


    And the child who had been possessed by another¡¯s spirit, had also vanished without a trace.


    The Third Householder¡¯s gaze sharpened as he sensed something was amiss.


    Were these people not eaten by that little ghost?


    Or was it that the little ghost was not some old demon possessing a body, but a monster beast wearing human skin?


    But that didn¡¯t seem right either. Without possession, how could it have only the Qi Refinement cultivation yet possess the divine sense of Foundation Establishment?


    The Heavenly Dao has its own rules, and everything has its limits.


    The divine sense of a Qi Refinement cultivator, no matter how strong, could not possibly transcend those limits, to be comparable to Foundation Establishment.


    The Third Householder could not understand and suddenly was struck by a great shock¡ªhe had forgotten something crucial:


    The Contemplation Map!


    The little ghost had been meditating on his meditation cushion, and underneath that cushion was the Contemplation Map he had stolen from his sect!


    The Third Householder, moving as fast as the wind, hurriedly made his way to the Pill Room at the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    When he reached the Pill Room and lifted the cushion, he found the secret compartment had been opened, and it was as empty as could be.


    A chill ran down the Third Householder¡¯s spine as he was frantic and lost in his thoughts, believing the Contemplation Map to have been stolen, but then he spotted a chart not far off. It was made of a material that was neither entirely skin nor paper; it depicted Qingyan Stream amid the rocks¡ªit was his Contemplation Map.


    Overjoyed by the return of his lost treasure, the Third Householder was ecstatic.


    Someone had opened his hidden compartment and pulled out his Contemplation Map but failed to recognize the true value and discarded it aside.


    This was the Contemplation Map¡ªtreasure that countless Formation Masters dream of!


    The Third Householder breathed a sigh of relief and unfolded the Contemplation Map with utmost care, but his smile suddenly froze on his face.


    The map was still the same map, the mountain still the same mountain, the rock still the same rock, even the stream by the rock and the moss on the rock remained identical to before.


    But the one thing missing was the little Taoist Child!


    The Third Householder¡¯s hands trembled. He promptly placed the map back, seated himself in the lotus position, forcibly suppressed his mind, and contemplated the map once more.


    But no matter how many times he contemplated, he could no longer connect to the essence within the map, nor did his divine sense grow in the slightest.


    The Third Householder was both shocked and furious.


    The Contemplation Map was ruined! It could no longer enhance his divine sense.


    The Third Householder¡¯s complexion gradually lost its color.


    Without the Contemplation Map to enhance his divine sense, advancing his formation knowledge would be very difficult.


    He had been just one step away from becoming a Second Rank Formation Master, but now that step seemed infinitely far away.


    ¡°Who destroyed my Contemplation Map?!¡±


    The Third Householder, unable to contain his anger, thought of Mo Hua in a daze.


    ¡°Was it the little ghost who did it?¡±


    But how did he manage to destroy the Contemplation Map?


    The Third Householder pondered deeply.


    In the Contemplation Map, the scenery remained, only the Taoist Child was missing. Why had the Taoist Child disappeared, and where had he gone?


    The image of Mo Hua¡¯s elegant face and innocent smile came to the Third Householder¡¯s mind, and an incredible speculation emerged.


    ¡°Could that little ghost actually be the Taoist Child from the Contemplation Map¡­¡±


    ¡°No, this is impossible!¡±


    The Third Householder shook his head repeatedly.


    Yet in his heart, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, especially the similarity between their smiles¡ªboth innocently cheerful and faintly carrying a hint of mischief.


    A chill rose in the Third Householder¡¯s heart, along with a sense of dread.


    That little ghost, he was beginning to see through him even less.


    Was he human or ghost, an old demon that had possessed a body, or a demon monster wearing human skin, the Taoist Child from the Contemplation Map, or just a figment of his own imagination?


    ¡°I must capture that little ghost and find out the truth about his origins¡­¡±


    The Third Householder silently resolved.


    It¡¯s best to keep a respectful distance from those whose depths you cannot see through.


    But his Contemplation Map was ruined, and most likely, that little ghost was to blame. He had to find that little ghost and get to the bottom of it.


    Without the Contemplation Map, his divine sense would grow slowly, and to make a breakthrough in formation and become a Second Rank Formation Master would be very difficult indeed.


    The Third Householder frowned.


    His talent for formation was not high, and unlike other Formation Masters who would toil tediously, day and night in practicing formations, he found such behavior foolish.


    Formation upheld the Heavenly Dao and required enlightenment, not something that could be achieved by mere hard practice.


    Even though he had taken a crooked path, utilizing a Contemplation Map filled with ill intents to enhance his divine sense, his advancement in formations was much faster than that of average Formation Masters.


    Hard practice offered no way out.


    The Third Householder was certain in his mind.


    Hence, the Contemplation Map became ineffective, cutting off the growth of his Divine Sense and also barring his way to advancing in Formation techniques.


    ¡°I must find that brat!¡±


    If he is human and possesses a Foundation Establishment level Divine Sense despite being in the Qi Refinement Realm, he must have some secret technique to enhance Divine Sense, and he must get his hands on it;


    If that brat is the Taoist child in the Contemplation Map, he only needs to seal it back into the map, and then the Contemplation Map can be restored to its original state. He would still be able to use it to strengthen his Divine Sense and step into the threshold of becoming a Second Rank Formation Master.


    A cold light condensed in the Third Householder¡¯s eyes, and then he was engulfed in confusion:


    ¡°Where could that brat be right now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, whom the Third Householder was brooding over, was at his home at the moment, heartily enjoying the meal his mother had personally prepared for him.


    A full table laden with dishes, all appealing to the eye and palate.


    In his left hand, he clutched a large bun, and in his right, he gripped a big chicken leg, his cheeks bulging, his eyes squinted into crescents, thinking to himself:


    ¡°Nothing tastes better than home-cooked food.¡±


    The food at Black Mountain Stronghold was too poor; he would never eat there again.


    It seemed that the Third Householder had gotten wind of something and had set his sights on him, but Mo Hua had no plan to enter the Black Mountain Stronghold again,


    unless the Taoist Court took action against it, and only then might he go to watch the excitement.


    But in the short term, penetrating the Black Mountain Stronghold was impossible, and naturally, Mo Hua had no chance of re-entering the deep mountains.


    If the Third Householder wanted to wait for him, let him wait forever.


    Wait until he had successfully established his Foundation and then become a Second Rank Formation Master before he would bother with him.


    By then, even without tricks and deceptions, he wouldn¡¯t need to fear him any longer.


    Now, Mo Hua¡¯s next goal was to establish his Foundation!


    He had long since saved up enough Spirit Stones.


    He had his share in the Refinery Shop and the Alchemist¡¯s Business in Southern City, a dividend from the Fulu Food Building, and he could also fleece some wool from the Taoist Court.


    However, the wool from the Taoist Court could be saved up, kept for unexpected needs, and only taken when he was in urgent need of it later.


    This was Zhang Lan¡¯s advice.


    Zhang Lan was an ¡°inner cultivator¡± of the Taoist Court and certainly knew more than him; his advice was to be heeded. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua had a mediocre Spiritual Root and was cultivating the ancient Heaven Yan Jue technique, which was also considered mediocre, so the cycles of Spiritual Power he cultivated were somewhat below average.


    Since he didn¡¯t have a lot of Spiritual Power, the number of Spirit Stones needed for a breakthrough wasn¡¯t particularly high; thus, the Spirit Stones Mo Hua had saved were already sufficient.


    The bottleneck of the Heaven Yan Jue lay in the Divine Sense, and Mo Hua now had a Foundation Establishment-level Divine Sense, far exceeding expectations, which should also be sufficient.


    Now, it could be said that everything was ready, lacking only the opportune moment.


    As long as he cultivated to the perfection of the ninth level of Qi Refinement, he could make a break through and become a Foundation Building Cultivator in one fell swoop!


    Foundation Establishment ah¡­


    There were not many Foundation Building Cultivators in the whole of Tongxian City, let alone those like him, a Loose Cultivator. Over the years, it was only Elder Yu, a Foundation Building Cultivator himself, who had steadfastly supported them, opposing the Qian Family, and seeking justice for Loose Cultivators.


    And now, Mo Hua could become a Foundation Building Cultivator too.


    He had thought about this day before but hadn¡¯t expected it to come so soon, and so vividly real, as if it was truly within reach¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat lost in thought.


    Liu Ruhua then gently touched his head, softly saying, ¡°Focus on your meal.¡±


    Mo Hua came back to his senses, smiled at his mother, and began earnestly to tuck into the lavish spread before him.


    Seeing him eat voraciously, Liu Ruhua thought about how he must have been starving in the mountains these past days, and felt a pang of heartache. She grabbed another big chicken leg for him and reminded him:


    ¡°Eat more.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t know, the food at Black Mountain Stronghold is really awful.¡±


    ¡°How bad can it be?¡±


    ¡°As bad as it gets.¡±


    Liu Ruhua chuckled, ¡°Yet you still ate it?¡±


    ¡°When the stomach is empty, even if the food is bad, you have to eat.¡±


    Liu Ruhua suddenly frowned, ¡°Your trip to the Black Mountain Stronghold, was it very dangerous?¡±


    Mo Hua was about to nod but then worried his mother might fret, so he said, ¡°It was okay, I have my Concealment Techniques; I can listen in, watch, and eat without them noticing¡­¡±


    Then Mo Hua hesitated, remembering his mother¡¯s admonitions, and spoke quietly:


    ¡°They are all bad people, so listening in, watching a bit, or stealing a bite shouldn¡¯t count as doing a bad deed, right¡­?¡±


    Liu Ruhua smiled, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Mo Hua then recounted other stories.


    But unlike the ones he told Elder Yu, all were ¡°interesting¡± little things that seemed fun to listen to.


    Like the fat man who fed the animals, carelessly being bitten to death by a tiger.


    The two fools on guard duty, who, due to a misunderstanding, ended up killing each other.


    Although the Third Householder was a Foundation Building Cultivator, some Formations weren¡¯t drawn as well as his; he secretly undermined many and quietly dismantled many Formations without the Third Householder even realizing it to date¡­


    Liu Ruhua listened attentively, indeed feeling much lighter.


    Mo Shan, sitting nearby, however, had a complex expression.


    He knew these stories were only ¡°interesting¡± to hear, but in reality, they were fraught with danger.


    Once, when he ventured into Big Black Mountain to hunt Monster Beasts, he would also omit the dangerous parts and tell ¡°interesting¡± tales to Mo Hua.


    Never had he expected that now, Mo Hua, not wanting them to worry as parents, began to tell them these ¡°interesting¡± tales too.


    Mo Shan felt a mix of emotions, both poignant and reassuring.

 Chapter 296 - 295 Evil Thoughts_1

    Chapter 296: Chapter 295 Evil Thoughts_1


    After dinner, Mo Hua practiced Formation for a while before lying in bed to rest with his eyes closed, waiting until 1 p.m. to enter the Sea of Consciousness.


    Inside the Sea of Consciousness, the insubstantial Taoist Stele emerged.


    Mo Hua scrutinized the Taoist Stele and found it perfectly normal, just as always.


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    He had thought that after consuming the Little Green-faced Ghost and refining its Divine Thought, and with his Divine Sense prematurely establishing its foundation, this Taoist Stele would undergo some change, conjuring some profound transformations.


    But it seemed he had expected too much.


    The Taoist Stele was intangible, ancient, profound, and silent, just like the Great Dao, everlasting through the ages.


    Mo Hua silently watched the Taoist Stele.


    This Taoist Stele had been in the Sea of Consciousness for over a decade, originally as familiar as could be, but now it seemed unfathomable, as if hiding numerous unknown karmic relationships.


    ¡°I wonder if I will be able to uncover the secrets hidden within the stele when my realm is higher, my Divine Sense stronger, or my experience in Tao Cultivation broader?¡±


    Mo Hua contemplated silently.


    Afterward, Mo Hua put aside distracting thoughts and practiced Formation on the Taoist Stele as usual.


    Cultivation emphasizes gradual progress and accumulation, and Formation requires consistent, drip by drip efforts.


    Both demand night and day hard work and persistent practice. Nothing can be achieved overnight, nor can one be impatient for quick results.


    Even though Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was already strong, when it came to Formation, he still needed to remain down-to-earth, repeatedly honing and consolidating his skills.


    Using his finger as a brush, Mo Hua drew complex and profound Formation Patterns on the Taoist Stele.


    These were profound Formation Patterns that an ordinary First-grade Formation Master could not learn, forming the most difficult First-grade Ten Pattern Reversed Spirit Formation that Mo Hua had mastered to date.


    For Mo Hua at the moment, only this Formation was worth spending more time practicing.


    After all, his Divine Sense had already established its foundation, and ordinary First-grade Formations could not deepen his understanding or hone his Divine Sense. Drawing them was as easy as drinking water, effortlessly and blandly without taste.


    Of course, Mo Hua only thought this to himself; if he said it out loud, he would certainly attract resentment.


    Mo Hua focused on practicing the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    However, as he practiced, Mo Hua noticed something was amiss.


    Every time he used his Divine Sense, some afterimages would occasionally emerge within the Sea of Consciousness.


    Within these afterimages were Taoist temples hidden among green mountains, the Taoist Child who appeared innocent one moment and malicious the next, Taoists who sometimes exuded a celestial presence and other times displayed a greedy expression, and Cultivators of various forms harboring evil intentions¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s state of mind also fluctuated frequently.


    Sometimes pure, sometimes irritable, sometimes despondent, sometimes violent, and, at worst, he harbored a craving for human flesh and blood.


    Mo Hua hurriedly sat in meditation to rid himself of these distracting thoughts.


    A moment later, Mo Hua opened his eyes and furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Is it possible that the Divine Thought of that Little Green-faced Ghost wasn¡¯t completely purified and so much of its evil thoughts have lingered?¡±


    He also recalled what Mr. Zhuang had said about the Contemplation Map being unpredictable and the Divine Sense it reveals potentially belonging to some ¡°Non-Human¡± entities¡­


    If that were indeed the case, the repercussions of ¡°consuming¡± the ghost might be more dangerous than he had thought.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Mr. Zhuang about it tomorrow.¡±


    Since the evil thoughts remained, it was not good to use Divine Sense to practice Formation anymore.


    Otherwise, the lingering evil thoughts could subtly corrupt the Sea of Consciousness, leading one to make mistakes, or even stray into error.


    Mo Hua continued to sit in meditation to reflect upon himself, combat the evil thoughts, and preserve his true nature.


    At the break of dawn at 6 A.M., Mo Hua sat cross-legged, bathed in the morning sun, carrying out his daily practice.


    After practicing, his Spiritual Power somewhat replenished, Mo Hua ate the breakfast prepared by his mother and, taking some wine and meat, went to visit Mr. Zhuang at Forgetful Residence.


    It had been quite some time since Mo Hua had visited the gentleman.


    In the mountain dwelling, the scenery was as tranquil and leisurely as ever, calming the heart and soothing the spirit at a glance.


    The day was still young, and Mr. Zhuang was napping.


    Mo Hua took a quick peek into the house and saw, sure enough, the gentleman was still lying leisurely on the bamboo chair, resting with his eyes closed, his spirit wandering beyond the skies, so Mo Hua decided not to disturb him.


    Mo Hua, as usual, sat on the outdoor steps, picked up a Formation Book, and quietly started to read.


    Above was the golden sunlight, and before him was an emerald mountain scene.


    As he read the book and admired the scenery, Mo Hua felt the wicked thoughts inside him dissipate, and his mood grew much more relaxed.


    While he was reading, Mo Hua suddenly noticed some movement inside the house. Turning his head, he saw that Mr. Zhuang had stood up at some point, watching Mo Hua with a serious expression.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang asked, his tone slightly chilly.


    Mo Hua was startled, scratching his head, ¡°Gentleman, it¡¯s me, Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua for a few moments, his tone easing slightly as he asked, ¡°Where did you get your Divine Sense from?¡±


    ¡°I saw a Contemplation Map.¡±


    It was the Contemplation Map¡­


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°There was a little ghost in the map that bounced into my Sea of Consciousness, so I ate it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spoke succinctly.


    Even Mr. Zhuang, who was always composed, even in the face of catastrophes, couldn¡¯t help but show a shocked expression, ¡°Ate it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I ate it.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang tugged at the corner of his mouth, ¡°How did you eat it?¡±


    ¡°It wanted to eat me. I didn¡¯t let it, so I used a formation to injure it. It turned into wisps of green smoke, and I swallowed them into my stomach¡­¡±


    Mo Hua broadly explained what had happened, only he didn¡¯t mention the Taoist Stele.


    In fact, it was the breath of the Taoist Stele that had incinerated the Little Green-faced Ghost into green smoke.


    ¡°Can your Divine Sense manifest?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    From the Little Green-faced Ghost¡¯s mouth, Mo Hua learned that Divine Thoughts manifesting as one¡¯s self in the Sea of Consciousness is called Divine Sense Manifestation.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had been able to manifest since he was young, and he thought this was quite ordinary. But seeing the little ghost¡¯s reaction, he realized that not all cultivators could manifest their own Divine Sense within the Sea of Consciousness.


    At that moment, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression also was not surprising, which suggested that although he hadn¡¯t asked before, he must¡¯ve guessed that Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense could manifest.


    Mr. Zhuang then said, ¡°So after you ate the little ghost and refined it, your Divine Sense surged suddenly?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded. He thought to himself that Mr. Zhuang was indeed perceptive, deducing most of the incident from the brief details Mo Hua had given.


    Mr. Zhuang stood there with a complex expression, repeatedly seeming to want to say something but holding back. Finally, he slowly confirmed, ¡°So now, has your Divine Sense reached Foundation Establishment?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Gentleman!¡± Mo Hua shyly smiled with bright, sparkling eyes, feeling a tiny bit proud.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed and sat back down slowly. His expression returned to one of relaxation, though clearly, his heart was not as calm as he appeared on the surface.


    During these days, Mo Hua hadn¡¯t come to find him, and he thought Mo Hua had gone off to play somewhere and simply forgotten the time. However, he didn¡¯t expect that in just a few days, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had already achieved Foundation Establishment.


    ¡°That was too fast¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang muttered to himself.


    Though it¡¯s said that if one prepares, they shall succeed, and if not, they shall fail.


    But the rapid growth of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was unforeseeable, and because of this, he had to overturn and start anew with all the preparations and plans he had made before¡­


    Seeing Mr. Zhuang seemed a bit distracted, Mo Hua asked about his worries:


    ¡°Gentleman, I ate the little ghost from the Contemplation Map, and it seems its memories are now in my Sea of Consciousness. Occasionally, many illusions and various stray thoughts arise. Is this dangerous?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze deepened, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t expect Mr. Zhuang, with all his experience and knowledge, to have such a vague answer, prompting him to ask:


    ¡°Why is it hard to say?¡±


    ¡°Because no one has ever done this before¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°No one has eaten a little ghost before?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a complicated expression, ¡°Generally, it¡¯s the little ghosts that eat humans. You¡¯re the first one I know of who has eaten a little ghost¡­¡±

 Chapter 297 - 296: The Map of Visualization_1

    Chapter 297: Chapter 296: The Map of Visualization_1


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but gape.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that in such a vast Cultivation World, with so many cultivators, he himself would have the fortune to be the first one to ¡°eat a crab¡±.


    Mo Hua was conflicted; he didn¡¯t want to ¡°eat a crab¡±. Without any precedent to follow, if he got the method wrong, it could lead to a upset stomach.


    ¡°What should I do then?¡± Mo Hua asked, ¡°Won¡¯t there be a day when my Sea of Consciousness is eroded by evil thoughts, and I lose my true nature, truly becoming a man-eating little ghost?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry needlessly. You¡¯ve already consumed living little ghosts; what would some residual wandering thoughts amount to?¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re experiencing could at most be called¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang paused thoughtfully and found the words, ¡°indigestion.¡±


    ¡°Indigestion¡­¡± Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then understood.


    ¡°Poor digestion?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it.¡±


    Mo Hua was reassured and began chattering away with other questions:


    ¡°Gentleman, where exactly do these Contemplation Maps come from? Also, you mentioned that the Contemplation Maps harbor dangers, does this little ghost count as one of those dangers? Is it the ¡®Non-Human¡¯ path you spoke of? Do all Contemplation Maps contain these kinds of little ghosts? If I encounter them again, what should I do?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was crisp, as he asked a long string of questions in one breath.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but rub his forehead.


    Having a clever disciple was also somewhat troublesome; their quick minds led to many questions, making them exhausting to answer.


    Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment and decided to start with the basics, so he asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°All the extraordinary powers of a cultivator rely on three things. Do you know what these three are?¡±


    ¡°Are they Divine Sense, Spiritual Power, and the physical body?¡± Mo Hua answered.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Correct. Every ability of a cultivator is founded upon Divine Sense, Spiritual Power, and the physical body.¡±


    ¡°Martial Arts involve stimulating the physical body with Spiritual Power, Spells congeal Spiritual Power with Divine Thought; Formations connect to the Heavenly Dao with Divine Sense, transmitting Spiritual Power through Formation Patterns. Other methods of Tao Cultivation are similar, though their emphasis may vary.¡±


    ¡°In the future, if you come across anything bizarre or strange in the Cultivation World, and if you cannot grasp it or find a lead, you can consider these three aspects.¡±


    Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    ¡°So the little ghosts in the Contemplation Maps, having no physical bodies or Spiritual Power, are purely Divine Thoughts, just pure force of Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°In other words, the so-called Contemplation Maps are just mediums that carry Divine Sense, which in the maps are remnants of Divine Sense left by certain cultivators due to coincidences, or Divine Thoughts born from some Non-Human entities due to fortuitous opportunities.¡±


    ¡°These Divine Senses or Divine Thoughts are often referred to as evil beings or ghosts by cultivators.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Are all these evil beings and ghosts edible?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang tapped Mo Hua¡¯s little head, ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy, always thinking about eating.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled sheepishly.


    Mr. Zhuang warned, ¡°These evil beings and ghosts vary in strength. The little green-faced ghost you encountered was relatively weak and you were able to consume it. If you encounter something stronger, who knows who will consume whom.¡±


    ¡°How strong can they become?¡± Mo Hua was curious.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes flashed with deep wariness and he spoke with a grave tone:


    ¡°Terrifyingly strong.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression also became serious.


    Something that even the unfathomable Mr. Zhuang found terrifying?


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and, after a moment¡¯s thought, still felt it better to give him a warning.


    Originally, Mo Hua¡¯s realm was too low to come into contact with such things, but now he unexpectedly found a Contemplation Map and consumed the ghost within, who knows what he might encounter in the future.


    Mr. Zhuang was quite fond of this little disciple and didn¡¯t want him to fall into an unescapable predicament due to ignorance and fearlessness.


    ¡°There are dangers in this world that you cannot see,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    ¡°Wild mountains, ancient temples, sealed caves, and underground tombs often harbor indescribable evil beings or ghosts. They feed on human Divine Sense and are adept at polluting the heart.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators with weaker Divine Sense, when encountering these entities, can¡¯t see or touch them; they might be on the verge of death without knowing how they are dying. Either their Divine Sense is completely devoured, or their Sea of Consciousness is occupied by an evil being, being manipulated unknowingly, turning into a puppet-like living dead.¡±


    ¡°Then there are some entities that have lived even longer, with overwhelming Divine Thoughts, nearly indestructible, and with a Divine Sense that cultivators can¡¯t even glimpse. Some cultivators revere them as ¡®Ghost Gods¡¯ or ¡®Evil Gods¡¯, worshipping them devoutly.¡±


    ¡°But these Ghost Gods and Evil Gods are mostly evil-natured, with insidious Divine Thoughts. Cultivators who worship them usually do not come to good ends¡­¡±


    ¡°Whether weaker ghosts and evil beings, or supremely powerful Ghost Gods and Evil Gods, in order to exist in the world, they must have something to inhabit. That thing is the Contemplation Map.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you that Contemplation Maps harbor dangers, containing Non-Human paths¡­¡±


    Mo Hua listened with growing fear, but also voiced his confusion:


    ¡°Do they all hide in maps?¡±


    Could such a large being really fit into something so small?


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Although they are called Contemplation Maps, they are not necessarily just maps. Some murals, statues, strange patterns, etc., could all be objects of contemplation. It¡¯s just that cultivators are accustomed to collectively referring to them as ¡®Contemplation Maps¡¯.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head, feeling as if his eyes had been opened.


    Without Mr. Zhuang¡¯s guidance, he would never have known these Tao Cultivation knowledge, and had he really encountered a powerful ghost, he probably would indeed die without knowing how he died.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Does this knowledge also belong to the common sense of Tao cultivation?¡±


    ¡°This is not common sense of Tao cultivation,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°but the secrets of Tao cultivation. They are the arcane knowledge known only by some Ancient Noble Clans who are well-versed in Divine Sense, or the Ancient Sects that inherit Formation knowledge. Ordinary cultivators would not have access to such secrets.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, seriously committing these rare secrets of Tao cultivation to memory.


    Apart from Mr. Zhuang, there was no one else who could talk to him about these things.


    ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Mo Hua said, and then something else occurred to him, ¡°But¡­¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s hesitant expression, Mr. Zhuang, somewhat helplessly, said, ¡°If you want to ask, just ask. Don¡¯t keep it bottled up inside.¡±


    Mo Hua beamed a candid smile and said, ¡°Thank you, Gentleman!¡±


    Then he began to ask, ¡°When I look at the Contemplation Map, at first I see a Taoist Child, but as I continue to observe, the Taoist Child turns into a Little Green-faced Ghost. Why is that? Do all Contemplation Maps have two such appearances?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with surprise.


    Such a subtle detail¡ªhe had not mentioned it, yet Mo Hua had figured it out on his own; indeed, he had a sharp mind and high comprehension.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly, his face showing approval as he said:


    ¡°Everything in the world has both an apparent form and a true form, and so it is with the Contemplation Maps. The various scenes within the map are its apparent forms. Beneath these apparent forms, there exist the true forms made of Divine Thoughts.¡±


    Mo Hua thought about Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words and said:


    ¡°So, the little Taoist Child in the Contemplation Map is the apparent form, and the Little Green-faced Ghost is the true form?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded. ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Do all Contemplation Maps divide between apparent and true forms?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not so simple to distinguish them,¡± Mr. Zhuang patiently explained:


    ¡°In some maps, the apparent form is the true form, while in others, the true form is just a more deeply concealed apparent form.¡±


    ¡°Apparent form, true form; true form, apparent form¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a while, a bit dizzy from the circular reasoning, then asked:


    ¡°How can I distinguish between them?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang raised his slender finger and slowly said:


    ¡°First, it depends on Divine Sense. If your Divine Sense is strong, stronger than the Divine Thoughts of the ghosts or evil beings within the Contemplation Map, then you can perceive their reality.¡±


    ¡°Second, it relies on experience. As you see more Contemplation Maps, you will naturally develop an intuition to discern truth from false, to see through some apparent forms.¡±


    ¡°Third, it is based on your enlightenment of the Heavenly Dao. The deeper your understanding of the Heavenly Dao, closer to the essence of the Great Dao, the more you will be able to see the true forms hidden beneath the apparent ones.¡±


    ¡°Of these three aspects, the first is the most direct, the second takes time, and the third is the most difficult.¡±


    ¡°Enlightenment of the Heavenly Dao¡­¡± Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then doubtfully said, ¡°How can I enhance my enlightenment of the Heavenly Dao?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°One depends on the temperament, and the other on tempering.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, thinking carefully for a moment, then his eyes brightened as he said:


    ¡°Meditation improves temperament, while Formation tempering enhances comprehension?¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang did not expect him to grasp the concept so quickly and nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua thought it through from the beginning to the end and gradually understood:


    ¡°My Divine Sense is strong, and because I meditate and practice Drawing Formation every day, my understanding of the Heavenly Dao is also profound. Hence, without realizing it, I saw through the true form of the Little Green-faced Ghost. The Little Green-faced Ghost then penetrated into my Sea of Consciousness, attempting to devour my Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mo Hua looked puzzled, ¡°The Householder also has a strong Divine Sense, so why didn¡¯t he see through the true form of the Contemplation Map?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, ¡°While his Divine Sense may be strong, his temperament is too greedy, clouded by personal desires. His enlightenment of the Heavenly Dao is too poor, naturally preventing him from seeing through it.¡±


    Mo Hua understood.


    It seemed that temperament was very important; otherwise one could easily be clouded by greed, blinded by the apparent forms, failing to see through the true nature of things, and thus straying from the Heavenly Dao.


    From this conversation with Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua learned a great deal and sincerely said, ¡°Thank you, Gentleman!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze went deep as he asked, ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m telling you so much now?¡±


    ¡°Because I asked you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought silently, but he knew that since Mr. Zhuang had asked this way, there must be more to it than that.


    He could ask, and Mr. Zhuang could choose to answer or not.


    How much Mr. Zhuang answered and what he chose to explain could all be very telling.


    Mo Hua reviewed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s answers in his mind once again, realizing that everything Mr. Zhuang had explained related to ¡®Divine Sense¡¯ and ¡®Heavenly Dao.¡¯


    But why Mr. Zhuang spoke of these things was not immediately clear to Mo Hua.


    Seeing Mo Hua deep in thought, his small eyebrows knitted tightly, his expression somewhat puzzled, Mr. Zhuang did not keep him guessing any longer but asked meaningfully:


    ¡°Foundation Establishment is about laying the Foundation of the Great Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you decided what kind of Taoist Foundation you want to establish?¡±

 Chapter 298 - 297 Divine Sense Proving the Dao_1

    Chapter 298: Chapter 297 Divine Sense Proving the Dao_1


    ¡°`


    What kind of Taoist Foundation should be established?


    Mo Hua had never considered this question before, so he asked:


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between Foundation Establishment and Foundation Establishment?¡±


    ¡°Cultivators differ greatly from one another, and so naturally do the Foundations they establish.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang continued to explain:


    ¡°The foundation of a cultivator relies on Divine Sense, Spiritual Power, and the physical body.¡±


    ¡°Different cultivators have inherent distinctions in their Sea of Consciousness, Qi Sea, and physical body from birth, and the Cultivation Techniques and Taoist Skills they practice are also varied. With different choices, the path of their cultivation will naturally differ as well.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit worried now.


    He originally thought that just being able to establish a Foundation was good enough, but he hadn¡¯t expected that there¡¯d be so much to consider even for Foundation Establishment, including the need to choose what to cultivate.


    He had never thought about these matters before and had no idea what to do at the moment.


    ¡°Gentleman, can¡¯t I just take it one step at a time?¡± Mo Hua said quietly.


    Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°For Cultivators practicing Tao Cultivation, Qi Refinement nurtures the foundation, and Foundation Establishment paves the way. Every step lays a footprint. You must consider from the beginning which path you want to take and which Dao you want to cultivate. It will be extremely difficult to change course later on.¡±


    Mo Hua paused, then asked weakly, ¡°Gentleman, what do you think I am better suited to cultivate?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and stated bluntly:


    ¡°Your physical body isn¡¯t up to par, and your Spiritual Root¡­ isn¡¯t that great either.¡±


    Mo Hua knew all too well about being innately frail and having a median Spiritual Root, but hearing Mr. Zhuang say it out loud still made him feel uncomfortable. He tentatively asked:


    ¡°Is it really that bad?¡±


    He thought it wasn¡¯t too bad; at least his Spiritual Root was below average.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s watery eyes, Mr. Zhuang found it hard to be direct.


    ¡°Not exactly bad¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang said euphemistically, ¡°but there is great potential!¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned; his expression grew complex.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words were indeed very euphemistic¡­


    Great potential for the future means that his abilities are lacking now¡­


    ¡°Is there any possibility for me to engage in Body Refinement in the future, or to have any advantages with Spiritual Power?¡± Mo Hua still harbored a glimmer of hope.


    Mr. Zhuang stroked his chin, ¡°It depends on who you compare yourself with.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang explained, ¡°First of all, you have an inferior median-grade Spiritual Root, which seems not too bad. But that is only when compared to Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City. Compared to Cultivators from Clans or Sect Disciples, especially those from the third or fourth rank powers and above, you would be considered subpar.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded; this was indeed the case.


    The Spiritual Roots of some Clans and Sect Disciples were definitely much better than his. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Do you know about the inheritance of Spiritual Roots?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    He had heard from An Xiaofu that when spouses had different Spiritual Roots, there were patterns to follow in the grades and types of Spiritual Roots their children would inherit. This was Spiritual Root inheritance.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°More than twenty thousand years ago, when the Taoist Court was first established, Superior Spiritual Roots were indeed extremely rare, and even the lowest grade of Superior Spiritual Roots would be given great importance and cultivated with considerable effort¡­¡±


    ¡°But since some Noble Clans discovered that Spiritual Roots could be inherited and that this inheritance can be controlled, all Clans and Sects have followed this principle for arranging marriages and unions for their children.¡±


    ¡°Because of this, in today¡¯s larger Family Sects and Clans, Superior Spiritual Roots are commonplace, and even the lowest grade of Superior Spiritual Roots is no longer considered a rare type.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang silently looked at Mo Hua again, without speaking.


    If even the lowest grade of Superior Spiritual Root wasn¡¯t rare, what about Mo Hua¡¯s inferior median-grade Spiritual Root?


    An inferior median-grade is three thresholds away from a median-grade Superior Spiritual Root.


    Mr. Zhuang considerately didn¡¯t say it aloud.


    Yet Mo Hua understood what Mr. Zhuang meant and couldn¡¯t help but hang his head, letting out a long sigh.


    ¡°`


    Mr. Zhuang, however, hadn¡¯t finished speaking and continued,


    ¡°This is only when compared to the average disciples of noble clans and family sects. If you further compare yourself to their most distinguished talents, the gap between you and them is even larger.¡±


    ¡°Without even going far, just take Zisheng and Zixi as examples. In terms of the innate talents of your physical body and spiritual root, there is also a vast difference between you and them.¡±


    ¡°Is the gap really that big?¡± Mo Hua asked quietly.


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment but decided to tell the truth, ¡°The gap isn¡¯t just big, in fact, it¡¯s even bigger than what I¡¯ve said¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    He didn¡¯t realize that the talents of Zisheng and Zixi were so high.


    Or rather, that his talent was so low?


    Thinking of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s previous talk of the ¡°Heavenly Dao¡± and ¡°Divine Sense,¡± Mo Hua said,


    ¡°Then should I focus on cultivating my Divine Sense?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, ¡°Correct, since you can¡¯t compete with others in terms of the physical body and spiritual root, then simply give up on competing in those areas and just focus on your Divine Sense instead.¡±


    ¡°Your physical body and spiritual root are weaker than you think, but your Divine Sense is actually stronger than you think.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and thought to himself, ¡°It might even be much stronger than I imagine¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, unaware of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts and still somewhat fixated on the natural talents of his physical body and spiritual root, asked,


    ¡°Then can my physical and spiritual root issues be improved?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly and said,


    ¡°Physical weakness is an innate issue, it can be improved, but no matter how much it¡¯s improved, it won¡¯t change the fundamental nature. At most, after improvement, the body wouldn¡¯t be so weak, but it also won¡¯t become much stronger. It cannot compare with cultivators born with innate body refinement capabilities.¡±


    ¡°As for the spiritual root, it¡¯s predetermined at birth. Whatever spiritual root you¡¯re born with, you¡¯ll have for life. It can¡¯t be changed, and if it¡¯s inferior to others¡¯, then it¡¯s inferior, and there¡¯s no other remedy.¡±


    ¡°So, I should focus on what I¡¯m strong at and avoid my weaknesses, is that it?¡± Mo Hua said.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Divine Sense, spiritual power, and physical body are the foundations of a cultivator¡¯s cultivation. These three are indispensable, but the path of the Heavenly Dao is harsh, and a person¡¯s innate abilities are limited. Ultimately, it¡¯s impossible to excel in everything. In Tao cultivation, you don¡¯t need to be stronger than others in every aspect, just being profound in one aspect is good.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling like his mind had suddenly cleared, and then curiously said,


    ¡°Then, are there people who excel in all aspects?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang fell silent for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°There are, but such individuals with heaven-defying talents are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Even when looking across the entire Tao Cultivation World, they are peerless geniuses that come once in a thousand years!¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit envious, but then thought better of it.


    Without even thinking about it, he knew that cultivating Divine Sense, spiritual power, and physical body all at once would require a profound Tao cultivation legacy, vast resources of spirit stones, and extremely precious Heaven and Earth spiritual items for sustenance.


    Even if he possessed such peerless genius, without the legacy and resources, he would be a pearl covered in dust, wasting his talents.


    One shouldn¡¯t be too greedy; cultivating his Divine Sense was good enough for him.


    But if he were to focus on cultivating Divine Sense, could he really aspire to the Great Dao? Moreover, he seemed not to have heard any cultivators focusing solely on Divine Sense.


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Gentleman, are there other cultivators who focus on Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°Very few.¡±


    ¡°How few?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Normal cultivators wouldn¡¯t cultivate Divine Sense.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, feeling conflicted. Did that mean he was an ¡°abnormal¡± cultivator¡­


    Mr. Zhuang smiled a bit, ¡°The strength of the physical body and spiritual power are obvious, while the strength of Divine Sense is subtle and, being abstract, hard to grasp. Besides some Formation Masters who, due to the needs of Formation techniques, must possess a strong Divine Sense and thereby have no choice but to focus on it, other cultivators seldom choose this path.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Mo Hua sighed softly.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became intense, ¡°But you are different. With an inherently weak body and ordinary spiritual root, Divine Sense is almost your sole advantage, and it¡¯s far too strong¡­¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, then cultivate your Divine Sense to the extreme, to a level so profound that other cultivators can only look on from a distance and even behold it with awe¡­¡±


    Gazing at the small figure of Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang said with a far-reaching look,


    ¡°As long as you cultivate your Divine Sense strong enough, one day, you will be able to prove the Dao with Divine Sense, and with Supreme Divine Sense, you will glimpse The True Meaning of the Dao!¡±

 Chapter 299 - 298 Not Losing Ones True Heart_1

    Chapter 299: Chapter 298 Not Losing One¡¯s True Heart_1 S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°`


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao, with the Supreme Divine Sense, peek into the Great Dao¡­


    Mo Hua was utterly astonished.


    After carefully contemplating, it seemed that focusing on Divine Sense was indeed the method most suitable for him.


    All his cultivation and skills depended on Divine Sense.


    Firstly, Drawing Formations required Divine Sense. Without a strong Divine Sense, one could neither comprehend nor learn and use Formations.


    And Formations and Divine Sense complement each other. Constantly practicing Formations could also refine the Sea of Consciousness, thereby strengthening Divine Sense.


    Secondly, the Cultivation Technique Mo Hua practiced encountered its bottleneck in the Mystery Formation within the Sea of Consciousness.


    Without a strong Divine Sense, one could not solve the Mystery Formation, break the bottleneck, and one¡¯s cultivation would forever come to a standstill.


    Finally, the Spells that Mo Hua practiced, whether it was the Fireball Technique that prioritized Divine Sense locking and abided by the principle ¡®only speed is unbeatable,¡¯ or the Water Passing Step that required manipulating Spiritual Power to lead the flesh, or the Concealment Technique that hid one¡¯s physical form from detection.


    The stronger the Divine Sense, the stronger the effect of these Spells when cast.


    Thus it seemed, Proving the Dao through Divine Sense was the most suitable path for Mo Hua, and it might as well be the only path for him.


    Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly remembered a question and couldn¡¯t help but ask Mr. Zhuang:


    ¡°But my Divine Sense is already at Foundation Establishment, what else is there to establish?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still not enough.¡±


    ¡°Even Divine Sense at Foundation Establishment is not enough?¡± Mo Hua was shocked and a little confused.


    Isn¡¯t it said that in the Qi-refining Realm, achieving Foundation Establishment of Divine Sense is extremely difficult? Under such circumstances, to say that Divine Sense is still insufficient¡­


    Mo Hua scratched his head.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°It¡¯s enough for others but not for you.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang did not directly answer, instead, he said: ¡°Zisheng and Zixi¡¯s talents exceed yours; they are older than you, have better inheritances than you, and have more Spirit Stones than you¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang listed many things and Mo Hua could only sigh in his heart.


    Comparisons are odious.


    Being both registered disciples, it seemed that he was dragging his feet for Mr. Zhuang¡¯s registered disciple group, and it was a heavy drag at that.


    After listing the advantages of the Bai siblings, Mr. Zhuang asked, ¡°Do you know why they have not yet achieved Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then answered, ¡°Are they polishing their realms?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Qi Refinement is the first realm and also the starting point of Tao Cultivation, so one needs to strengthen the foundations and cultivate the root; Foundation Establishment should not be rushed.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, ¡°Gentleman, if that¡¯s the case, then shouldn¡¯t Qi Refinement be the establishment, polishing the foundation, laying the foundation of the Great Dao, and not the Qi-refining Realm?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head: ¡°Qi Refinement only strengthens the root, but it¡¯s different from Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°Is there any extraordinary significance to Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression turned grave:


    ¡°Foundation Establishment is the first major breakthrough among the many realms in Tao Cultivation!¡±


    ¡°When a Cultivator establishes their Foundation, Spiritual Power undergoes a qualitative change, condensing like a liquid; the physical body undergoes a qualitative change, Blood Qi like mercury; at the same time, the Sea of Consciousness expands, and Divine Sense doubles!¡±


    Divine Sense doubles!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang slightly nodded, his gaze deep, ¡°This means, no matter how strong your Divine Sense is during Qi Refinement, after Foundation Establishment, it might double directly!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, an incredulous expression on his face.


    For other Cultivators, their Divine Sense during the Qi Refinement phase, after doubling, reaches the Divine Sense of Foundation Establishment.


    But his Divine Sense was already at Foundation Establishment level, so after doubling, just how powerful would his Divine Sense become¡­


    Mo Hua found it hard to imagine and looked at Mr. Zhuang, asking:


    ¡°Then, my Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Your current Divine Sense is approximately at the level of the initial phase of Foundation Establishment. After it doubles, you will have the Divine Sense of the middle phase of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°And if you have the Divine Sense of the middle phase of Foundation Establishment before you actually establish your Foundation, then after Foundation Establishment, although it won¡¯t equal a Golden Core, it¡¯s estimated that you will have the peak Divine Sense of the late phase of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    If this were truly the case, after Foundation Establishment, having such a strong Divine Sense, wouldn¡¯t becoming a Second Rank Formation Master be as easy as turning his hand over?


    Moreover, bottlenecks would be easier to break through, his Fireball Technique would be faster, his Water Passing Step stronger, and his Concealment Technique less likely to be detected by others.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but fantasize for a while until he lifted his head to find Mr. Zhuang looking at him, the corners of his mouth carrying a faint smile.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind was startled again.


    Based on his intuition and his understanding of his master, Mr. Zhuang surely had more to say.


    ¡°Is it not that simple¡­¡± Mo Hua asked quietly.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly and asked Mo Hua, ¡°How do you plan to strengthen your Divine Sense?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a while and said truthfully:


    ¡°The same as before, Drawing Formations, practicing solving them?¡±


    ¡°Your Divine Sense has already reached Foundation Establishment. Drawing First-grade Formations now, the increase in Divine Sense would be negligible.¡±


    Mo Hua froze, only then remembering that it was no wonder these past few days Drawing First-grade Formations felt dull and uninteresting.


    It was because these were too simple, no longer able to temper his Divine Sense nor comprehend the laws of the Heavenly Dao.


    ¡°Then, should I consume a Contemplation Map?¡± Mo Hua asked tentatively.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but knock on Mo Hua¡¯s head, shaking his head:


    ¡°Not to mention whether you can see through the true essence of the Contemplation Map, or whether you can discern what you¡¯re consuming and what consequences it will have.¡±


    ¡°Even if you really could consume it, Contemplation Maps are rare. Where could you get so lucky as to come across another one?¡±


    ¡°Moreover, Contemplation Maps vary in strength. If the Demon within the map is too strong, it¡¯s still up in the air who would consume whom¡­¡±


    Although there was a Taoist Stele within Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, it was not a certainty that he would be consumed, but he did not wish for unexpected complications to arise.


    If there really was a powerful Evil Demon that infiltrated his Sea of Consciousness and encountered the Taoist Stele within, and if Mo Hua failed to keep it contained and let it escape, the trouble could be immense.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help nodding his head.


    If Contemplation Maps couldn¡¯t be consumed and First-grade Formations couldn¡¯t be drawn, there was only one method left.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Would drawing the Reversed Spirit Formation work?¡±


    ¡°Not only the Reversed Spirit Formation. All First-grade Formations with ten Patterns, including those anomalies of the Heavenly Dao, can help you enhance your Divine Sense,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    ¡°Are there other anomalies of the Heavenly Dao in Formations?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°There are, but they¡¯re not with me.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Can we obtain them?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave a wry smile, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this later. For now, you learn the Reversed Spirit Formation. Once you¡¯ve mastered it, I have other things to teach you. If you can fully grasp the Reversed Spirit Formation, I¡¯ll try to find some other Heavenly Dao¡¯s anomalies for you to learn.¡±


    Mo Hua felt grateful in his heart and respectfully bowed, ¡°Thank you, Master!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke a lot, showing signs of weariness.


    Mo Hua then prepared to stand up and leave, not wanting to disturb Mr. Zhuang¡¯s rest. After taking a few steps, however, Mr. Zhuang called out to him.


    ¡°I forgot to tell you,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, lying back in the bamboo chair, looking at Mo Hua warmly, ¡°Those evil thoughts, they actually have their uses.¡±


    ¡°The Little Green-faced Ghost¡¯s evil thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°What use are they for?¡±


    ¡°Using evil thoughts to refine the heart,¡± Mr. Zhuang said with a focused gaze, telling Mo Hua:


    ¡°Cultivators seek the Tao and aspire for immortality, facing countless obstacles and dangers. Apart from Cultivation, the greatest peril is actually the Taoist Heart.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators can lose their Taoist Heart?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, his expression one of melancholy:


    ¡°The path of Tao Cultivation is long. At the beginning, one may be wholeheartedly dedicated to the Tao, with a steadfast Taoist Heart.¡±


    ¡°But as years go by and worldly desires stain the heart, gradually, one may not even know what they are Cultivating for anymore, living for so long, they might also forget why they are alive.¡±


    ¡°One who seeks the Tao may become obsessed with pleasures, one who vows to slay demons may fall into demonhood, one whose heart pities the world may become its poison, one who holds compassion may grow numb and apathetic¡­¡±


    ¡°In this world, the most resilient as well as the most fragile thing is the human heart.¡±


    ¡°In the vast world, appearances are manifold. Over the long passage of time, these erode the Taoist Heart.¡±


    ¡°This is also why I asked you to prove the Tao with your Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°With strong Divine Sense, one can see through to the essence; with a clear mind, one can ward off external demons. Whatever happens in the future, I hope that your Taoist Heart remains as in the beginning, not losing one¡¯s own path, not forgetting one¡¯s original intention¡­¡±


    After speaking so earnestly, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression suddenly became extremely tired. He closed his eyes involuntarily and quietly fell asleep.


    Mo Hua respectfully paid his respects with a light gesture, not wanting to disturb Mr. Zhuang.


    He silently committed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words to memory, especially the last two sentences:


    Not losing one¡¯s own path, not forgetting one¡¯s original intention.

 Chapter 300 - 299 Evil Demon_1

    Chapter 300: Chapter 299 Evil Demon_1


    Mo Hua bid farewell to Mr. Zhuang, walked through the bamboo grove, crossed the meadow, passed the pond, and soon arrived under the big locust tree.


    Underneath the locust tree, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were reading.


    Seeing Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, and he hastily tossed aside the book in his hands, asking,


    ¡°Where have you been? Haven¡¯t seen you around lately.¡±


    Mo Hua opened the food box and shared the beef and cakes that his mother had prepared with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    ¡°I got held up by some matters.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded and didn¡¯t ask further, focusing on eating his beef.


    He was simple-minded; when there was meat to eat, he generally stopped thinking about anything else.


    Mo Hua thought for a while, then asked him, ¡°Zisheng, when do you plan to reach Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Bai Zisheng corrected him, ¡°You should call me Brother Bai!¡±


    Mo Hua ignored him.


    While eating the meat from Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng felt obliged to answer,


    ¡°There¡¯s still some time. I need to solidify my foundation first before I can establish it.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding.


    It seemed that Mr. Zhuang was right. Disciples from Noble Clans or Sects, who wanted to go far on the Tao Cultivation path, would not covet short-term achievements; starting from the Qi Refinement Realm, they will refine their realm and lay a solid foundation.


    Bai Zisheng then asked Mo Hua, ¡°Are you planning on establishing your foundation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, so I too need to start planning early.¡±


    While Bai Zixi nibbled on pastries, she looked up at Mo Hua and suddenly paused, frowning as she said,


    ¡°Your Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Zisheng also took a good look at Mo Hua and immediately gasped in shock, ¡°Mo Hua, what¡¯s wrong with your Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I established my foundation with my Divine Sense ahead of time.¡±


    Mo Hua tried to act nonchalant but still couldn¡¯t hide a hint of pride in his eyes.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s mouth fell open, and Bai Zixi stared at him in stunned silence, forgetting all about her pastries.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Bai Zisheng exclaimed.


    ¡°Why is it impossible?¡±


    ¡°Qi Refinement Cultivators can¡¯t possibly have a Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment level.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just leave it at that then,¡± Mo Hua said indifferently.


    Bai Zisheng scrutinized Mo Hua from every angle, still finding it hard to believe, ¡°Have you really established your Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was impossible?¡±


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head, murmuring,


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be possible, I¡¯ve never heard of the Divine Sense establishing foundation ahead¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pinched a piece of pastry and placed it in his mouth, happily chewing away.


    ¡°How did you establish your Divine Sense?¡± Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but ask again.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Bai Zixi¡¯s voice was crisp, with a tinge of reproach in her tone.


    Only then did Bai Zisheng remember, and said with an apologetic air,


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked. Every cultivator has their own fortunes which they usually don¡¯t share with others.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Mo Hua waved his hand and said, ¡°But I can¡¯t tell you just yet. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, I will.¡±


    He had only discussed the Contemplation Map with Mr. Zhuang so far, since it related to the Sea of Consciousness, and with the Taoist Stele there too, it was better the fewer people who knew about it.


    At least for now, he shouldn¡¯t tell Bai Zisheng.


    Seeing how forthright Mo Hua was, Bai Zisheng nodded and said, ¡°Alright!¡±


    Mo Hua smiled.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua¡¯s smile, Bai Zisheng suddenly flinched and couldn¡¯t help asking,


    ¡°Why did you suddenly start smiling so creepily? There¡¯s even an evil aura about you.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, then remembered that the evil thoughts of the Little Green-faced Ghost occasionally surfaced; when he smiled, it carried the same eerie evil aura as the ghost.


    Mo Hua rubbed his cheek, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, my brain is just a bit off from eating something wrong, it¡¯ll pass soon.¡±


    Bai Zisheng listened, bewildered, but did not delve deeper. Instead, he asked curiously:


    ¡°What have you been up to recently?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment. He couldn¡¯t discuss the Contemplation Map, but the affairs of Black Mountain Stronghold, telling Bai Zisheng and the others, should be fine.


    Moreover, they were disciples of the Bai Family, with a deep family learning tradition; perhaps they might know some other clues.


    So Mo Hua picked and chose parts of the affair at Black Mountain Stronghold to tell Bai Zisheng.


    From the hidden mountain path between the cliffs, to the Foggy Forest covered in Fog Formation, to questioning cultivators at the dead of night, and finally, the bloodred Pill Room and the White Bone Pill Furnace¡­


    Mo Hua told him everything that could be said, apart from matters related to the Contemplation Map.


    Bai Zisheng listened with a mix of shock and righteous indignation.


    One moment he was worried for Mo Hua, the next he was furious at the evil deeds of the Evil Cultivators, wishing he could storm into Black Mountain Stronghold and fight his way in and out seven times, cutting down all the heretical demons.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s impression, disciples from noble clans were either strictly disciplined, adhering to rules and order, or were indulged to the extent of being lawless.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s righteous and chivalrous nature was truly unexpected.


    Bai Zixi also listened intently, her book falling to the ground without her noticing.


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua asked:


    ¡°Do you know the difference between Evil Cultivators and Demon Cultivators?¡±


    The third Householder regarded him as an old demon who had taken over another¡¯s body through the Demon Path, so logically, Demon Cultivators should be stronger and more fearsome than Evil Cultivators.


    But Mo Hua had never been clear on the difference between the two, and when he asked Elder Yu, the response was evasive, probably because Elder Yu had never had much contact with them and didn¡¯t know much.


    After all, if Mo Hua had not entered Black Mountain Stronghold, he would have only encountered one Evil Cultivator¡ªthe rapist he and Zhang Lan had caught, whose leg Mo Hua had broken.


    As for the term Demon Cultivator, Mo Hua had rarely even heard it.


    ¡°I know this!¡± Bai Zisheng said with a proud smile, seizing the opportunity to show off his knowledge in front of Bai Zixi:


    ¡°Both Evil Cultivators and Demon Cultivators are no good; they practice the skills of heretical demons, and in general, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you call them Evil Cultivators or Demon Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°If we were to differentiate, Evil Cultivators usually refer to those who turned to the evil path midway through their cultivation, while Demon Cultivators are those with an authentic Demon Path lineage, practicing the Demon Path Skills and Taoist Skills.¡±


    ¡°Demon Cultivators have a more authentic lineage, while Evil Cultivators are more unorthodox, so Demon Cultivators tend to be stronger. Of course, with these heretical demons, what matters most is how wicked you are¡ªthe more evil, the more powerful, and of course, the more deserving of death.¡±


    ¡­


    Bai Zisheng explained in great detail.


    Mo Hua had a sudden realization, but then he was puzzled again, ¡°How do you know so much about this?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said earnestly, ¡°A cultivator fighting against demons and eliminating evil is a good cultivator! As such, without knowing oneself and knowing the enemy, how can one slay demons?¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    So that was his intention.


    Mo Hua asked further, ¡°What about Evil Formations? How are they different from general formations?¡±


    When it came to formations, especially in front of Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng felt out of his depth.


    He was clear about Mo Hua¡¯s level in formations, which was far higher than that of an average Qi Refinement Realm Formation Master.


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t dare talk nonsense, for fear that a mistake would make him lose face in front of Mo Hua, and then he wouldn¡¯t be able to continue calling himself ¡°Brother Bai¡± with any integrity.


    Even though Mo Hua had never acknowledged him as ¡°Brother¡±¡­


    Bai Zisheng stole a glance at his sister Zixi.


    Bai Zixi seemed a bit helpless and said:


    ¡°The matter of Evil Formations and Demon Formations is strictly forbidden by the elders of our clan, and our instructors won¡¯t mention it either. However, I¡¯ve seen bits and pieces of it in a book¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s long, dark eyelashes fluttered slightly; her eyes, like autumn waters, reflecting contemplation as she recalled what the book said. After a moment, she continued:


    ¡°Evil Formations and Demon Formations, generally speaking, use flesh and blood as Formation media, draw Formation Patterns with malevolent thoughts, defy the Great Dao as the Formation Pivot, and refine human lives as the Formation eye.¡±


    ¡°As for the specifics, the book did not say, and I am not too clear on the differences between Evil Formation and Demon Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng said in a low voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    Mo Hua was thinking the same, but then he saw Bai Zixi shake her head and say: S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Gentleman won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Bai Zixi replied, ¡°Because you¡¯re too clever; Mr. Zhuang is afraid you¡¯ll learn it all too quickly.¡±

 Chapter 301 - 300 Unwilling to Part_1

    Chapter 301: Chapter 300 Unwilling to Part_1


    Mo Hua was somewhat astonished, and after some thought, he felt it was not so serious:


    ¡°Just by asking about the difference in Evil Formations, one can¡¯t possibly just learn it¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng thought for a while, yet with a firm expression, he shook his head:


    ¡°Others may not be able to, but you will surely get it as soon as you learn!¡±


    Whether with Evil Formation or Demon Formation, they inherently deviate from the Great Dao, resorting to tricks and shortcuts.


    Learning the Righteous Dao Formation is very difficult.


    To learn it well, one needs to be orderly and steadfast, repeatedly Drawing Formation, gradually strengthening Divine Sense, and after years of toil, slowly achieving success in Formation.


    Some Evil Cultivators, in their haste for quick success and impatience for hard work, want to improve in a short time and invent side doors and harmful methods to forcibly enhance the power of their Formation.


    Evil Formation and Demon Formation are easier to learn compared to the Righteous Dao Formation.


    Moreover, as one is righteous and the other wicked, one being the inverse of the other, it might be hard for Formation Masters to penetrate their mysteries, but for a talent as bright as Mo Hua, he would understand as soon as he is given hints.


    Despite Bai Zisheng¡¯s reluctance to admit it, Mo Hua was, in his eyes, among the cultivators of a similar age, the one with the most outrageous Formation talent he had ever seen.


    He learned conventional Formation so fast, let alone those heretical ones.


    Even if Mr. Zhuang merely provided a few hints about the principles, he would likely figure out the Evil Formation on his own.


    And once one falls into evil, there is no turning back.


    Bai Zisheng glanced at Mo Hua and quickly cautioned:


    ¡°You must not ask Mr. Zhuang, or you will surely anger the gentleman! Those Evil Formations aren¡¯t presentable, better left unasked.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat skeptical.


    He wasn¡¯t exactly eager to learn any Evil Formation; he just wanted to be able to cope the next time he encountered one, to avoid being caught off guard and trapped in a predicament.


    ¡°Really!¡± Bai Zisheng said solemnly.


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Heeding the advice of others keeps one well-fed.


    Since both Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi had said so, he decided to let it be for now; he could always consider it again if an opportunity arose later.


    ¡°By the way, how did you manage to get out of Black Mountain Stronghold?¡± Bai Zisheng asked curiously.


    So Mo Hua retold the ¡°gallant¡± tale of how the third Householder led the way and he walked out the front gates of Black Mountain Stronghold with a swagger and confidence.


    Bai Zisheng was astonished and blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re bragging!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, forget it.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t appear to be lying, and Bai Zisheng felt torn, so he asked, ¡°What happened next?¡±


    Mo Hua briefly recounted the subsequent events, including how he trapped and killed those Evil Cultivators.


    Bai Zisheng wore a solemn expression, contemplated for a long time, and finally made up his mind, saying earnestly:


    ¡°Based on your courage and actions, I¡¯ve decided not to take you as my underling.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You can upgrade, becoming my junior disciple!¡±


    Mo Hua appeared indifferent and curled his lip, ¡°I¡¯m not keen on it.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was again shocked, ¡°You don¡¯t even care to be the junior disciple?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to care about?¡±


    ¡°This is to be my junior disciple! Disciples from ordinary cultivator families, even those from the Zhao, Li, and even the Tu families¡¯ direct lines, I¡¯d scorn the idea of them being my junior.¡±


    Bai Zisheng tried hard to convince Mo Hua.


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua asked, ¡°We¡¯re both registered disciples of Mr. Zhuang, so we¡¯re not really brothers within the same sect, right?¡±


    ¡°Registered disciples are still disciples!¡± insisted Bai Zisheng.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not right, I entered the sect before you, I should be the senior brother, and you should be my junior.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was flabbergasted, and couldn¡¯t help but jump up, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Not being able to be the ¡°big brother¡± was one thing; reluctantly becoming the ¡°senior brother¡± would suffice, but now not only could he not be the senior brother, but he might even become the ¡°junior disciple¡±!


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t accept it!


    ¡°I¡¯m older than you; I¡¯m the senior brother!¡±


    ¡°I entered the sect earlier than you; you have to call me senior brother!¡±


    ¡­


    Bai Zixi, on the side, seeing them arguing incessantly, picked up her book again and began reading elegantly and serenely.


    Beneath the old scholar tree, the crisp voices chattered, both boisterous and peaceful.


    It wasn¡¯t until dusk settled in that each of them returned home, and the mountain abode became tranquil once again.


    The night was peaceful, the moonlight scattered, casting a faint silver glow over the mountain scenery and the bamboo forest of the mountain dwelling.


    Mr. Zhuang in the bamboo room, slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the moonlit mountains before him, lost in thought.


    Before long, Old Kui appeared silently, his voice as dry and hoarse as ever:


    ¡°Your injury has worsened.¡±


    ¡°It was always this severe,¡± said Mr. Zhuang calmly, without any hint of pain or joy.


    Old Kui was silent, then said indifferently:


    ¡°If your injury has worsened, it is time to leave.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°Are you reluctant to leave?¡± Old Kui¡¯s voice was wooden.


    Mr. Zhuang stretched lazily and smiled noncommittally, ¡°Yeah, the scenery here is nice, the days are carefree, with plenty to eat and drink. It truly would be a bit hard to leave.¡±


    ¡°Is it these things that you can¡¯t part with?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang continued to stare at the dark mountains in the distance, remaining silent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too entangled in karma,¡± Old Kui reminded again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit longer,¡± Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, sighed, ¡°once I¡¯ve taught you everything you should know¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to rest easy just leaving like this.¡±


    Old Kui frowned, ¡°If you stay in one place for too long, once they calculate your position, your life or death is unpredictable.¡±


    ¡°I have a sense for these things; there¡¯s still time,¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor remained very calm.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re sure, that¡¯s fine. After all, it¡¯s your own life,¡± Old Kui stated flatly, and then said no more.


    Silence fell upon the bamboo room.


    The night grew deeper, and the moonlight became ever clearer and colder.


    After an unknowable span of time, Mr. Zhuang spoke up,


    ¡°Old Kui, what do you think¡­ how much longer can I hide?¡±


    The room was still silent.


    Old Kui was nowhere to be seen, whether he was not there, or couldn¡¯t hear, therefore gave no answer; or perhaps he heard but didn¡¯t know how to respond, so chose to remain silent.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was profound, and he laughed at himself with a hint of mockery.


    Mo Hua returned home, had dinner, went back to his room, and sprawled over the small desk to begin drawing the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    He had already mastered this formation. Now, practicing it again, he aimed to refine his Divine Sense and to increase his proficiency, so that he could better grasp the intricacies of this formation.


    The First-grade ten-pattern Reversed Spirit Formation was difficult to learn and equally challenging to practice.


    Mo Hua could only barely manage to draw it; his brushwork was unpolished, the Formation Patterns not sharp enough, his understanding of the Formation Pivot superficial, and his Divine Sense just adequate. Therefore, there were still many areas he needed to work on and many more repetitions required before he could claim complete mastery.


    Mo Hua hunched over the desk, focused intently as he held the pen in his small, slightly strained hand, drawing the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    Once he finished a complete drawing, his Divine Sense nearly depleted. He would sit quietly and meditate to replenish his Divine Sense.


    At the same time, evil thoughts would emerge, proliferate, and attempt to disturb Mo Hua¡¯s state of mind.


    Following Mr. Zhuang¡¯s advice, Mo Hua used these evil thoughts to temper his mind.


    Whenever evil thoughts arose, he did not fear or flee from them but reflected on himself with a mind as clear as a mirror, counteracting the evil thoughts while also steadfastly consolidating his original intention amidst the chaos of mixed desires.


    After meditating for a while, the evil thoughts gradually subsided, and Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense began to refill.


    Mo Hua practiced another Reversed Spirit Formation, then rested for a bit before starting to think about his plan for Foundation Establishment.


    Previously, he had been focused solely on the idea of Foundation Establishment without knowing how to go about it or what preparations were necessary.


    After consulting Mr. Zhuang, he had a clearer understanding.


    In short, before Foundation Establishment, one must fortify one¡¯s Divine Sense as much as possible so that after Foundation Establishment, with the multiplied Divine Sense, one can lay the grounds for proving the Dao with Divine Sense and building the Taoist Foundation.


    The first thing to do was to keep practicing, all the way to the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    Mo Hua had been impatient to reach Foundation Establishment before, but now he aimed to polish his state and consolidate his Divine Sense, and he wasn¡¯t in a rush anymore.


    Maintain a normal state of mind, persist in daily Cultivation, and let things take their natural course¡ªthere¡¯s no need to rush for quick success.


    Besides Cultivation, the most important thing was Divine Sense.


    Currently at the Qi Refining Seventh Level, Mo Hua was due for two minor realm breakthroughs. Each breakthrough should enhance his Divine Sense a bit more.


    By studying the Reversed Spirit Formation and practicing using the Taoist Stele, his Divine Sense would continue to grow steadily.


    Once he mastered the Reversed Spirit Formation, Mr. Zhuang had said he¡¯d teach him other things as well.


    If Mo Hua¡¯s guess was correct, it should involve using the Reversed Spirit Formation to induce a Formation Collapse.


    Mo Hua remembered Mr. Zhuang saying,


    ¡°Upon a Formation Collapse, Spiritual Power within the framework of the formation follows the pattern of the Formation Patterns in reverse, clashing and continuously arising and extinguishing, producing extremely strong fluctuations of Spiritual Power, possessing unimaginable might¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was utterly astounded and intensely curious about the power of a Formation Collapse and just how formidable it could be, so much so that even Mr. Zhuang found it beyond comprehension. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once he finished all of that, Mr. Zhuang should also introduce some of Heavenly Dao¡¯s anomalies for his contemplation.


    Mo Hua was very eager to know if the effects and power of the other Heavenly Dao¡¯s anomalies were also beyond the capacities of ordinary cultivators.


    How different were these formations to learn compared to the Reversed Spirit Formation and other conventional First-grade formations?


    Lastly, there were the Contemplation Maps.


    If the Divine Thoughts within the Contemplation Maps weren¡¯t too sturdy, could he actually enhance his Divine Sense by ¡°Eating Map¡±?


    ¡°Eating Map¡± to refine Divine Sense, evil thoughts to refine the mind.


    With the Taoist Stele for suppression, the risks shouldn¡¯t be as big as imagined.


    However, ¡°Eating Map¡± could only be an alternative. Firstly, Contemplation Maps were rare; Mo Hua didn¡¯t know where to find them or even where to start looking.


    Secondly, without seeing through their true nature, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t know if the Divine Thoughts in the maps were evil or ghostly, strong or weak. It wasn¡¯t safe to act rashly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave the Contemplation Maps for later¡­¡±


    Even without relying on Contemplation Maps, completing the tasks above should be enough to further refine his Divine Sense upon Foundation Establishment, making it even stronger.


    With a stronger Divine Sense, learning Second-Grade formations would be a breeze, and becoming a Second Rank Formation Master would be within reach in no time.


    How powerful were Second-Grade formations, and what effects could they have?


    If he mastered Second-Grade formations, would he be considered the youngest Second Rank Formation Master?


    The Cultivation World is vast, full of geniuses. Among Second Rank Formation Masters, he might not be the youngest, but at least he should be among the youngest few, right?


    Mo Hua felt a surge of aspiration and couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful to Mr. Zhuang.


    Without Mr. Zhuang¡¯s guidance, his mastery of formations couldn¡¯t have improved so well or so quickly, let alone learning formations above the First-grade.


    Upon this reflection, Mo Hua¡¯s brow furrowed unconsciously.


    Mr. Zhuang has seemed a bit off lately.


    He appeared to be more prone to sleepiness than before, and seemed more easily fatigued during cultivation¡­ Mo Hua wondered if there was something amiss with his Cultivation.


    Although he still seemed as lazy and composed as ever on the surface.


    But Mo Hua, who was perceptive and had spent so much time with Mr. Zhuang, could sense that something was not quite right with him.


    ¡°Could it be that the gentleman¡­ is unwell?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat worried.

 Chapter 302 - 301 Progress_1

    Chapter 302: Chapter 301 Progress_1


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then could only sigh.


    With his cultivation so weak and his knowledge of formations so limited, even if Mr. Zhuang was in trouble, he was incapable of offering help.


    ¡°I should just focus on my cultivation, learn formations diligently, so that one day, when my Tao cultivation succeeds, I can properly repay my mentor for his kindness in teaching me.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, and seeing that it was already 1 p.m., he sank his Divine Sense into his Sea of Consciousness, painstakingly began practicing the Reversed Spirit Formation with the help of the Taoist Stele.


    Days passed calmly like flowing water, with Mo Hua dedicating himself to cultivation and Drawing Formations as always.


    In addition, he was very concerned about the matter concerning the Black Mountain Stronghold, but he had no idea how the situation was progressing with the court officials.


    A few days later, around noon, Mo Hua paid a visit to Old Mr. Feng, received some everyday Pills, and on his way home, he encountered Zhang Lan.


    Mo Hua quickly greeted Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan was walking with his head down. Hearing a child¡¯s voice calling ¡°Uncle Zhang,¡± he didn¡¯t need to think twice to know it was Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua approached Zhang Lan and asked in a hushed voice, ¡°How are things going?¡±


    What Mo Hua was referring to was naturally the matter of the Taoist Soldiers.


    Since it was a secret operation, Mo Hua cautiously did not spell it out.


    Zhang Lan glanced around and said, ¡°This place is crowded and noisy, let¡¯s talk in the restaurant.¡±


    The two went to the restaurant, took their usual seats, and Jiang Yun served them some food and drinks.


    Seeing that the customers around were regulars, mostly Monster Hunters, clinking cups and drinking merrily, paying them no attention, Zhang Lan also whispered to Mo Hua:


    ¡°I have informed the Court Leader of all the details, and the Court Leader has already reported to the Taoist Court. Now we just wait for the court¡¯s approval. If the court agrees, it won¡¯t be long before the Taoist Soldiers are dispatched to eradicate the Black Mountain Stronghold.¡±


    ¡°Will it take a long time?¡±


    ¡°If the court agrees, it won¡¯t take long.¡±


    ¡°And what if the court does not agree?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan took a sip of his drink and pondered:


    ¡°If what you saw is true, that inside the Black Mountain Stronghold there are five to six hundred Evil Cultivators, and they are killing people to refine Human Pills, the Taoist Court will certainly not let the Evil Cultivators do as they please. They¡¯ll definitely send the Taoist Soldiers, you can rest assured.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, his relief evident.


    Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua and sighed inwardly.


    The situation wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. The hardest part was proving that deep in the mountains, there indeed was a stronghold, and within it were truly five to six hundred Evil Cultivators practicing such wicked deeds as refining Human Life Pills.


    So far, all they had was Mo Hua¡¯s word.


    The only evidence was two maps drawn by Mo Hua: one a guide map of the Foggy Forest and the other a strategic map of the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Beyond that, there were no other witnesses or physical evidence.


    They believed Mo Hua, but the Taoist Court would not trust a young Cultivator in his teens.


    Moreover, with Mo Hua unassessed, even the status as a Grade One Formation Master was of no use.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for Court Leader Zhou either.


    He was already getting on in years, and retirement was within reach, allowing him to live out his days in peace, completing his service as a Court Leader with integrity.


    Now, with the emergence of the Black Mountain Stronghold issue, he was in a dilemma.


    If he reported to the court and Mo Hua¡¯s information turned out to be incorrect, there was no such stronghold in the mountains, or the stronghold wasn¡¯t harboring Evil Cultivators, the responsibility would be grave for the old Court Leader.


    Should the Taoist Court hold him accountable, even though it would not land him in jail, he would definitely be unable to continue as a Court Leader.


    If he didn¡¯t report it, allowing the Evil Cultivators to remain in the mountains and grow stronger, one day, the Cultivators of Tongxian City might all face a catastrophe.


    The choice was not easy: to live out his days in peace or to risk it all for the safety of Tongxian City.


    But in the end, Court Leader Zhou chose to report the matter of the Black Mountain Stronghold to the Taoist Court.


    Zhang Lan still remembered Court Leader Zhou¡¯s words:


    ¡°I¡¯ve served as Court Leader for most of my life, following the rules without making any significant contributions. Later, when the Loose Cultivators started fending for themselves, establishing the Refinery Shop and the Alchemist¡¯s Business, I actually benefited from it and received merits. To be honest, I feel undeserving¡­¡±


    ¡°Now that Tongxian City hides dangers within, as the Court Leader of Tongxian City, I share both its honor and its woes. Naturally, I cannot simply look out for myself and stand by idly.¡±


    ¡°The worst that can happen is being held accountable by the Taoist Court and removed from my position, which would just mean living a leisurely life thereafter.¡±


    ¡°The annihilation report of Black Mountain Stronghold definitely has to be submitted to the Daoist Court!¡±


    Court Leader Zhou¡¯s expression was very resolute.


    Zhang Lan, however, knew that there was a world of difference between being dismissed by the Daoist Court and retiring honorably in good grace, in terms of both reputation and treatment. Inside, Court Leader Zhou couldn¡¯t possibly be as relaxed as he made it sound.


    Zhang Lan glanced again at Mo Hua, who was burying his head in eating meat, and silently speculated.


    The Court Leader had made this decision, probably also considering the face of Mo Hua, the child.


    If it had been anyone else who had obtained this intelligence, the Daoist Court Leaders wouldn¡¯t have believed it; and even less likely would Court Leader Zhou risk his position to report to the Daoist Court¡­


    As Mo Hua was eating, he looked up to find Zhang Lan watching him and couldn¡¯t help asking,


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, aren¡¯t you eating?¡±


    Zhang Lan snapped back to reality and laughed, ¡°No rush, I¡¯ll drink some wine.¡±


    Mo Hua passed a piece of meat to Zhang Lan, ¡°Uncle Zhang, you should eat more!¡±


    Zhang Lan appeared to have lost a lot of weight, probably from running around busy with the matter of Black Mountain Stronghold, which had tired him and made him thinner.


    Zhang Lan was slightly stunned and felt somewhat touched.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Uncle Zhang, now you look much more serious, a bit like a Department of Ceremonies official.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s face darkened again, his moment of being moved disappearing,


    ¡°What do you mean I look more serious now? I have always been a serious cultivator, not just now, always, a proper and serious cultivator!¡±


    ¡°Hmm hmm,¡± Mo Hua mumbled while eating beef, noncommittally.


    Zhang Lan felt slightly indignant but then unsure, so he asked Mo Hua,


    ¡°How did I appear to you before?¡±


    Mo Hua recalled the first time he met Zhang Lan and tried to describe him,


    ¡°You looked a little bit like a good-for-nothing, idle playboy¡­¡±


    Fearing that Zhang Lan would be upset, he emphasized, ¡°Just a little bit.¡±


    Zhang Lan was speechless.


    Where had he been good-for-nothing or idle?


    Previously, him drinking here was to ¡°understand the cultivators¡¯ sentiments¡± in his time off duty, how can that be considered idle?


    Just a little bit, if I really were a playboy, would I be lacking that tiny bit¡­


    Zhang Lan sullenly took a sip of wine.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shifted, and he asked, ¡°Uncle Zhang, what were you like in your clan?¡±


    It probably wasn¡¯t like this weary appearance, right¡­


    ¡°In the clan?¡± Zhang Lan thought for a while and said, ¡°I was like a graceful and handsome man, dashing and elegant, admired by thousands of girls. Many young female cultivators were queuing up, competing to be my Dao companion¡­¡±


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°Uncle Zhang, it¡¯s fine to fool others, but we are so close; no need to be so distant¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan choked on his wine, unable to help himself, ¡°Who¡¯s fooling anyone?¡±


    Mo Hua silently looked at him.


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not eating with you anymore; if I don¡¯t get full, your words will fill me up.¡±


    Mo Hua offered him another chopstick of meat, ¡°Then Uncle Zhang, you better eat fast, otherwise you¡¯ll be filled up with frustration and won¡¯t be able to eat anymore.¡±


    Zhang Lan, feeling both annoyed and amused, shook his head, ¡°You kid¡­¡±


    The two of them continued chatting and eating like this.


    After sparring verbally with Mo Hua, Zhang Lan felt somewhat rejuvenated; it seemed he wasn¡¯t so tired anymore.


    These days, indeed, he had been running around quite a bit because of Black Mountain Stronghold and had a lot on his mind. In Tongxian City, there weren¡¯t many cultivators with whom he could chat like this.


    After eating his fill, Zhang Lan was about to leave when Mo Hua called out to stop him and asked,


    ¡°If the Daoist Court really sends the Taoist Soldiers, can I go have a look?¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The light shone brightly in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes; he had long wanted to see what the Tao Cultivation World¡¯s soldiers looked like.


    After thinking for a while, Zhang Lan shook his head, ¡°No.¡±

 Chapter 303 - 302 Taoist Soldiers_1

    Chapter 303: Chapter 302 Taoist Soldiers_1


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Why?¡±


    Zhang Lan explained, ¡°The deployment of the Taoist Soldiers is a secret of the Taoist Court. Their actions are generally quite covert, adhering to the principles of being immovable as a mountain and as swift as the wind, striking like thunder. Either they proceed without others¡¯ knowledge, or, once discovered, they resort to thunderous measures to achieve a swift and decisive outcome!¡±


    ¡°Therefore,¡± Zhang Lan said with a smile, ¡°it is impossible to let you know how the Taoist Soldiers operate.¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What if you need my help?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan gave a slight smile, ¡°Why would we possibly need your help¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan stopped mid-sentence.


    He suddenly realized that, in this campaign to annihilate the Black Mountain Stronghold with the Taoist Soldiers, whether they needed Mo Hua¡¯s help or not was truly uncertain¡ªconsidering he was a Formation Master after all.


    Facing the enemy head-on was a tough battle, and they might not need Mo Hua for that, but if it involved Formation, then there probably weren¡¯t many Formation Masters in the entire Tongxian City who could be more reliable than Mo Hua¡­


    After all, there was a Foundation Establishment Stage-ranked Evil Formation Master in the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Yet Zhang Lan didn¡¯t really want Mo Hua to take the risk, so he said:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you probably won¡¯t need to take action. Just stay put in the city, and don¡¯t wander off again.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    At times like this, perhaps not causing them trouble counted as offering help too.


    A few days later, Mo Hua met Elder Yu, who also began by instructing him:


    ¡°Don¡¯t venture into the deep mountains, especially not the Black Mountain Stronghold.¡±


    ¡°Elder, rest assured, I won¡¯t recklessly enter the deep mountains again.¡±


    Mo Hua promised, but then he felt puzzled:


    ¡°Why are you instructing me about this again all of a sudden?¡±


    Elder Yu looked around to make sure no one else was present, then spoke in a low voice:


    ¡°I asked Court Leader Zhou, and the Taoist Court has already given approval. Soon they will dispatch Taoist Soldiers to enter the deep mountains and annihilate the Black Mountain Stronghold. I¡¯m worried you might follow the excitement and enter the deep mountains too.¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head.


    He wasn¡¯t that fond of watching excitement, and besides, he didn¡¯t watch every spectacle that arose.


    Yet Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua with a solemn expression.


    Qi Refinement Cultivation, Divine Sense Foundation Establishment!


    Even now, he found it a little hard to believe.


    Although Elder Yu didn¡¯t understand Formation, he knew that Divine Sense was the foundation for a Formation Master. With such profound Divine Sense, Mo Hua¡¯s future achievements in Formation were bound to be immeasurable.


    So, no matter what, Mo Hua could not be exposed to even a slight risk.


    There were four Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivators in the Black Mountain Stronghold. If they learned of Mo Hua¡¯s identity and his talent for Formation, they would certainly stop at nothing to kill him.


    Elder Yu said, ¡°You¡¯ve shown your face in front of the Third Householder; it¡¯s better to be cautious to avoid their grudge.¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it and nodded, agreeing that it made sense.


    Having devoured the little ghost from the Contemplation Map and deceived the Third Householder, if he stayed out of sight, the Third Householder would be filled with suspicion and might not be able to figure out his true identity.


    Even if the Third Householder noticed that the Formation of the Black Mountain Stronghold had been tampered with, like a rat had gnawed through it, being secretly unraveled bit by bit, they might not suspect Mo Hua.


    Because Formation wasn¡¯t something just anyone could learn, and Mo Hua, at around ten years old, certainly didn¡¯t look like a Formation Master.


    But if he showed himself and the Third Householder realized he was actually a Formation Master and also a Monster Hunter, then all the blame would fall on him.


    Although all those troubles were indeed caused by him¡­


    However, it¡¯s still best to avoid trouble if possible. He didn¡¯t want the Third Householder to be too preoccupied with him.


    Deceiving people like this should be done without anyone¡¯s notice, leaving others to hold a grudge without knowing against whom it should be directed.


    Mo Hua then asked Elder Yu, ¡°When the Taoist Soldiers arrive, can I go have a look?¡±


    Mo Hua held up a little finger, ¡°Just a quick glance!¡±


    Elder Yu, just like Zhang Lan, flatly refused, ¡°No.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed again.


    Elder Yu then consoled him:


    ¡°The Taoist Soldiers are meant for slaughter. It is better for ordinary Cultivators not to get involved. Besides, the actions of the Taoist Soldiers are secret and generally not open to inquiry.¡±


    ¡°Fine then¡­¡±


    Although Mo Hua still couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it and wanted to know what the Taoist Soldiers were really like, he couldn¡¯t just ignore the words of Elder Yu and Zhang Lan.


    In the following days, Mo Hua persisted in his Qi Refinement practice, as well as in practicing formations.


    One day, when Mo Hua grew tired from drawing formations, he sat down at an Eight Immortals Table in the eatery to flip through Formation Books and rest for a while.


    On the table, there was also a plate of pastries, flaky and crisp, newly tried out by Liu Ruhua.


    Mo Hua read the book while snacking on the pastries.


    After a little while, Zhang Lan arrived, saw Mo Hua, and seemed hesitant to speak.


    Mo Hua was slightly startled and then had a hunch, but still pretended not to see him.


    Zhang Lan lingered awkwardly for a moment before he approached Mo Hua and coughed, asking, ¡°Reading?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, chewing on a pastry and not speaking.


    Zhang Lan hesitated for a while, not knowing how to begin.


    Mo Hua pushed the pastries towards Zhang Lan and said unhurriedly, ¡°Uncle Zhang, would you like to try one? My mother just made them, they¡¯re really tasty.¡±


    Zhang Lan wasn¡¯t in the mood to eat, but he still tried a piece and his eyes lit up, finding them indeed delicious.


    After the two had eaten some pastries, Zhang Lan finally started to speak somewhat hesitantly:


    ¡°Mo Hua, could you help me out?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± Mo Hua replied briskly, his eyes slightly bright, and then asked, ¡°But is there a benefit for me?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°There is, it will be counted as merit with the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    Mo Hua let his mother know and then left the eatery with Zhang Lan. They walked out of Tongxian City and entered the outer reaches of Big Black Mountain.


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t say much on the way, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t ask.


    Zhang Lan stole a glance at Mo Hua, seeing him humming an indistinct tune, walking with a light step, his expression bright and eyes filled with anticipation, he couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°You seem¡­ quite happy?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Mo Hua cheerfully.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking me to see the Taoist Soldiers?¡± Mo Hua answered.


    Zhang Lan opened his mouth, unable to refrain from saying, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then listed the reasons to Zhang Lan:


    ¡°You hesitated at the door, clearly you had something to say, you previously refused, but now you seemed to have changed your mind.¡±


    ¡°I asked if there was any benefit for me, and you said it would count as merit with the Taoist Court, so it must be something related to the Court.¡±


    ¡°Elder Yu had told me that the Taoist Court had already allocated Taoist Soldiers.¡±


    ¡°You and Elder Yu both didn¡¯t want me to enter Big Black Mountain, but now without saying a word, you¡¯ve brought me to the outer mountain, and Taoist Soldiers act in secret¡­¡±


    ¡°After thinking it through, it could only mean the Taoist Soldiers dispatched by the Taoist Court have arrived at Tongxian City and are secretly stationed in Big Black Mountain, but they¡¯ve encountered some difficulties and want to consult me.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression was complex, the young brain was turning too quickly¡­


    But Mo Hua was happy, ¡°So we really are going to see the Taoist Soldiers?¡±


    Zhang Lan replied helplessly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua looked delighted but then puzzled, ¡°Did you and Elder Yu talk about this? He has been refusing to let me into the mountain recently.¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°We talked.¡±


    ¡°Elder Yu actually agreed?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    Zhang Lan sighed again. ¡°Elder Yu was dead against it at first, so I had to invoke the authority of the Taoist Court, even the commander of the Taoist Soldiers, and guaranteed him that no matter what, your safety would be ensured. Left with no choice, Elder Yu then nodded in agreement.¡±


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua and continued:


    ¡°Originally, I was also reluctant to let you into the mountain. However, some matters are more urgent than others, and right now we indeed need your help. As long as you don¡¯t enter the Black Mountain Stronghold and don¡¯t run into those in charge, relying on your Concealment Technique and the Water Passing Step, you are actually very safe, perhaps even safer than most of us cultivators.¡±


    After finishing, Zhang Lan felt somewhat emotional.


    He had been worried about Mo Hua before and did not want him to enter the mountain or take any unnecessary risks, but after thinking it over, their concerns for Mo Hua were already ¡°outdated.¡±


    The most worrisome time for Mo Hua was when he had sneaked alone into the Black Mountain Stronghold, constantly causing trouble and even coming face to face with one of the leaders.


    Now things had changed; Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, and it was likely that not even cultivators at that stage of Evil Cultivation could see through his Concealment Technique.


    Given Mo Hua¡¯s cleverness and familiarity with Big Black Mountain, together with his seamless Concealment Technique, he truly could be said to be like a fish in water there. Their current worries were, in fact, somewhat superfluous.

 Chapter 304 - 303 Leader Yang_1

    Chapter 304: Chapter 303 Leader Yang_1


    Zhang Lan had resolved not to allow Mo Hua into the mountain, but now that something had come up, he still needed Mo Hua¡¯s help, so he felt somewhat embarrassed.


    But Mo Hua was indifferent, the matters Zhang Lan asked for his assistance with, must be related to the eradication of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    As long as he could wipe out Black Mountain Stronghold and slaughter all the evil cultivators inside, he was very willing to help. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan led Mo Hua into the Inner Mountain and came to a desolate peak.


    The area around the peak was pockmarked, bearing numerous traces of confrontations between cultivators, though these marks were old, and there were still a few opened mine tunnels on the mountain.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    This peak was actually Nameless Peak.


    It was the same one they had contested with the Qian Family over for the small spiritual mine.


    The traces of battle surrounding it were left from when Monster Hunters fought with the Qian Family¡¯s cultivators; of course, most of them were from his Earth Fire Formation.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that Taoist Soldiers would quietly station here.


    Zhang Lan and Mo Hua arrived at the foot of the mountain, and within Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, he could already make out the vague figures in the tunnels of the peak.


    The aura of these cultivators was calm and disciplined, they must be the Taoist Soldiers dispatched by the Taoist Court.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua¡¯s expression tightened, someone had detected his Divine Sense!


    And it was a Foundation Building Cultivator!


    At the same time, at a cave entrance halfway up the mountain, a tall, sturdy cultivator with square features and a stern look suddenly appeared.


    His expression was solemn, his Divine Sense expanded, and his gaze was fierce with a hint of killing intent.


    When he spotted Zhang Lan and Mo Hua at the foot of the mountain, his expression eased slightly, he nodded at Zhang Lan, then turned and entered the cave.


    ¡°Established Foundation and still putting on airs¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan muttered disdainfully under his breath.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s voice was very soft, but Mo Hua still heard it and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, do you know each other?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡± Zhang Lan didn¡¯t want to elaborate and said to Mo Hua, ¡°Let¡¯s go up.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    In the bushes and rocks near the mine, there were many Taoist Soldiers wearing standard-issue armor and holding long spears, all on alert.


    Mo Hua had already seen these Taoist Soldiers with his Divine Sense, so he wasn¡¯t surprised.


    Zhang Lan was even more relaxed, as if he was a regular visitor here.


    The soldiers also seemed to know Zhang Lan, saluting him one after another: ¡°Court Leader Zhang!¡±


    A Taoist Soldier stepped forward and led Zhang Lan and Mo Hua into a stone chamber inside the mine.


    The stone chamber was spacious, suitable for accommodation and for discussion.


    Mo Hua remembered that when they were contesting the spiritual mine with the Qian Family, Elder Yu had stayed in this very chamber, and next to it was a smaller one.


    Back then, he had lived in the neighboring cozy little chamber, eating beef every day and drawing Formation Patterns.


    But now, this place had been turned into a temporary camp for the Taoist Soldiers.


    The layout of this large chamber hadn¡¯t changed, but the furnishings were completely different.


    There was a suit of gleaming silver armor and a red-tasseled spear surrounding the periphery, with a large table in the center, a sand table on it and a map on the sand table.


    The sand table, on the other hand, resembled the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    And standing in front of the sand table was the same imposing, stern Foundation Building Leader.


    When the Foundation Building Leader saw Zhang Lan, he nodded as a greeting, then frowned and said,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to bring a Formation Master? Where is the person?¡±


    Zhang Lan pushed Mo Hua, who was behind him, forward, ¡°Here.¡±


    The Foundation Building Leader paused for a moment, then with his beard blown up, his eyes widened angrily,


    ¡°Zhang Lan! Damn it, I¡¯m not smacking you because I¡¯m now at Foundation Building, and beating you would be unsporting. If you keep messing with me, I won¡¯t put up with it anymore!¡±


    Zhang Lan snorted confidently, ¡°You don¡¯t recognize Mount Tai when you see it, open your eyes wide and look¡ªthis kid is a bona fide Formation Master. He¡¯s usually very busy, if it weren¡¯t for my face, you might not have been able to invite him at all!¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡±


    Leader Yang scolded Zhang Lan, ¡°How much could such a young kid know about formations? You think I know nothing about formation methods?¡±


    Zhang Lan remained unfazed and replied, ¡°Then I¡¯ll just write a letter to my mother, telling her you accused her of ¡®spouting nonsense,¡¯ and see if she won¡¯t skin you¡­¡±


    The eyes of the Foundation Building Cultivator twitched, and he hurriedly said:


    ¡°Nonsense, I was scolding you, don¡¯t try to twist my words!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between scolding me and scolding my mother?¡± Zhang Lan argued righteously.


    ¡°The difference is huge, at your age, can¡¯t you be more shameless?¡±


    ¡°How am I old? A man at thirty is like a flower in full bloom, I am currently at the prime age of being tall and handsome, with dashing elegance¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded.


    These two grown men, bickering like this, were much more childish than he was.


    Zhang Lan and the other man argued for a while until they felt parched and sat down for a sip of tea each.


    Only then did the Foundation Building Leader realize, arguing with Zhang Lan, a Qi Refinement Cultivator, in front of a child, did indeed come across as rather unseemly.


    It was also Zhang Lan¡¯s fault for being so irritating that he had instinctively started arguing with him.


    The Foundation Building Leader cleared his throat and pretended as though nothing had happened, and asked Mo Hua in as kind a manner as possible:


    ¡°Little brother, are you really a Formation Master?¡±


    But his stern face probably came off too harsh normally, so he didn¡¯t look very friendly, but more like a conniving uncle¡­


    Mo Hua was unsure how to address him, so Zhang Lan offered to the side:


    ¡°His last name is Yang, just call him ¡®Leader Yang¡¯.¡±


    Mo Hua replied crisply, ¡°Leader Yang, Uncle Zhang is right, I am a Formation Master.¡±


    The Foundation Building Leader nodded, sighing to himself internally.


    Zhang Lan, that kid, really was creating trouble, entrusting such an important matter to a child.


    Seeing his young age, who knows how long he had studied formations, ¡­


    But at this point, he couldn¡¯t afford to be picky anymore, since he didn¡¯t understand formations himself. Not just him, among all the Taoist Soldiers here, fewer than a handful could understand formation patterns.


    Leader Yang took another sip of tea and then inquired:


    ¡°How far have you studied in formation methods?¡±


    Mo Hua modestly said, ¡°Not very far, just reached first-grade¡­¡±


    No sooner had he spoken, Leader Yang spewed his mouthful of tea directly onto the sand table and papers in front of him.


    Seeing this, Zhang Lan suddenly felt a wave of satisfaction and couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow, tauntingly saying:


    ¡°Look at you acting as if you¡¯ve never seen the world, is it really that surprising to encounter a first-grade Formation Master in his teens?¡±


    Zhang Lan spoke casually, though he could hardly suppress his glee inside.


    Leader Yang cursed at Zhang Lan, ¡°Bullshit, where in the Tao Cultivation World are there so many prodigious Formation Masters? A teenager at first-grade? And you just happened to come across one?¡±


    Zhang Lan said indifferently, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, then forget about it.¡±


    Leader Yang said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. Show me the formation that the kid drew.¡±


    Zhang Lan pointed to a paper in the center of the sand table and said, ¡°There it is.¡±


    What was placed in the center of the sand table was the strategic map of the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Leader Yang stared dumbfounded, then cursed again:


    ¡°What a load of nonsense. Didn¡¯t the documents reported to the Taoist Court say that ¡®Tongxian City¡¯s Taoist Court¡¯ risked grave dangers, infiltrated deep into enemy territory to gather intelligence on the Black Mountain Stronghold, and painstakingly drew up the map of their formation method? Now how did it become a map drawn by this kid?¡±


    Zhang Lan chuckled, then said to Mo Hua, ¡°Take out that waist token and show it to Leader Yang.¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily puzzled, but then he realized which waist token Zhang Lan was referring to, and he took out the bronze waist token issued by the Taoist Court from his storage bag.


    Leader Yang was stunned upon seeing it.


    Zhang Lan proudly stated, ¡°See? A bronze waist token. He is a cultivator from our Taoist Court; his map, isn¡¯t it the same as one drawn by our Taoist Court?¡±


    Leader Yang was left speechless and could only say:


    ¡°A bronze waist token is merely an auxiliary position¡­¡±


    ¡°An auxiliary position still belongs to the Taoist Court.¡±


    Leader Yang frowned, ¡°Well, if the map was drawn by this kid, it should count as a contribution. Why not just write it outright?¡±


    Zhang Lan curled his lips, ¡°Who would believe it if we did? Would you?¡±


    Leader Yang looked at the young Mo Hua, then at the map on the sand table with its rigid strokes, profound complexity, and many first-grade formation methods of the Black Mountain Stronghold, and he sighed silently.


    Any cultivator with the slightest bit of common sense in Tao Cultivation would hardly believe it.


    Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t believe it either.

 Chapter 305 - 304 Strong Soldier_1

    Chapter 305: Chapter 304 Strong Soldier_1


    ¡°`


    Although that was the case, the fact was right before his eyes, and Leader Yang ended up believing it, whether he wanted to or not.


    Because Mo Hua had already begun explaining the Formation on the Black Mountain Stronghold map to him.


    Where in the stronghold was which Formation drawn, what was the purpose of this Formation, what would happen if they forcefully broke the Formation, and what if they did not break it.


    There were also the overall strategic thoughts behind the construction of the Formation in the entire Black Mountain Stronghold, where the Formations were strong, where they were weak, and if they were to attack, which route would be best to take.


    Where there were hidden doors and escape routes that needed to be sealed in advance to prevent the Evil Cultivators from escaping¡­


    ¡­


    Leader Yang listened with growing astonishment.


    This level of expertise in Formation surpassed his understanding; many of the principles behind the Formations he could not grasp clearly, let alone understand the general idea¡ªhe found them quite challenging.


    He had this feeling last time when he was at the clan school, scratching his head while learning Formation from a Formation Master.


    Leader Yang sneaked a glance at Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan appeared much calmer, with a very composed expression, but rather than saying he was composed, it would be more accurate to say he was somewhat numb¡­


    It was like being in class where, no matter what the Instructor said, he could not understand, and over time, he had grown numb to it, as if everything went in one ear and out the other.


    Leader Yang also felt much more at ease in his heart.


    He thought so, Zhang Lan was only so-so, just like him.


    His own level in Formation was not up to snuff; the little he learned could not even be considered superficial in front of a real Formation Master.


    Even if Zhang Lan¡¯s level was a bit higher than his own, it was only by a limited amount; with this level of Formation, it was impossible for him to understand as well.


    Leader Yang silently scorned Zhang Lan, then focused intently, listening to Mo Hua explain the Formation in a clear and immature voice.


    He needed to understand the terrain and Formation layout of the Black Mountain Stronghold to target his tactics precisely.


    Some Formations he did not need to understand thoroughly, but he had to know their functions and what to watch out for when breaking them, to avoid falling into the traps of Evil Cultivators.


    A first-rate Compound Formation was beyond his understanding of Formation, but luckily Mo Hua was logical, detailed, and easy to understand; Mo Hua explained the points he paid attention to, and for those he did not notice, Mo Hua would also clarify carefully.


    Leader Yang listened more and more earnestly, even picking up a pen to jot down key points at times.


    By the time Mo Hua had spent most of the day explaining the Formation of Black Mountain Stronghold on the map, Leader Yang was shocked and his emotions were complex.


    He was shocked that Mo Hua, so young, actually possessed such profound knowledge in Formation. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What complicated his feelings was that, back in clan school, he had never listened to his Formation class so seriously; now, he was listening to a Junior Formation Master explaining Formation, concentrating so hard that he even took notes¡­


    Leader Yang¡¯s attitude towards Mo Hua became much more solemn unknowingly.


    This was respect for a first-rate Formation Master.


    Even compared to most of the first-rate Formation Masters he knew, Mo Hua¡¯s level in Formation was clearly a cut above.


    Leader Yang marveled in admiration, then ordered tea to be served, pastries to be brought out, and even had several plates of Spiritual Fruit and Spiritual Meat rich in Spiritual Energy delivered to entertain Mo Hua.


    ¡°Little Mo, please feel free to enjoy yourself, no need to be polite.¡±


    Leader Yang¡¯s tone was very courteous.


    ¡°Thank you, Leader Yang!¡±


    Mo Hua, after speaking for half the day, was also a bit thirsty, so he did not stand on ceremony and comfortably settled down to drink the sweet tea and picked some Spiritual Fruit and Spiritual Meat he had never tried before to taste.


    Leader Yang, holding the noted map, discussed something with Zhang Lan on the side.


    They did not avoid Mo Hua, so Mo Hua listened openly from the side.


    However, much of what the two men discussed was about the deployment of Taoist Soldiers, offense and defense transitions, and marching Formation strategies¡ªhe did not quite understand and only managed to take note of some details half-comprehendingly to see if they could be of use in the future.


    Mo Hua listened with interest while enjoying his meal.


    After the two men had finished discussing, and Mo Hua had eaten and drunk his fill, he asked the question he was most concerned about:


    ¡°Leader Yang, will we be able to eliminate Black Mountain Stronghold this time?¡±


    Leader Yang thought for a moment, reviewing the plan they had just discussed, and after a short pause, he declared confidently:


    ¡°We can!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Really?¡±


    Leader Yang nodded and explained to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Taoist Soldiers can be said to be the most elite Cultivators of the Taoist Court. The strength of the Taoist Soldiers does not lie in the Cultivation level of individual Cultivators, but in the harmony between the Armor, Spiritual Artifacts, Formation, and the Taoist Soldiers¡¯ Spiritual Roots, Cultivation Technique, and Taoist Skill.¡±


    ¡°A squad of Taoist Soldiers, usually consisting of ten individuals, is often selected based on having similar or compatible Spiritual Roots and complementary Cultivation Techniques. Equipped with fine Armor and wielding sharp weapons, with Armor and weapons inscribed with Patterns that resonate with morale and unity, they are nearly invincible against Cultivators of the same realm.¡±


    ¡°Even when facing Cultivators of a higher realm, they can hold their own in battle!¡±


    ¡°Can they win even with more Foundation Establishments?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    He knew that in Black Mountain Stronghold there were four Householders, which meant there were four Foundation Establishment stage Evil Cultivators.


    ¡°`


    And within Mo Hua¡¯s perception, among the Taoist Soldiers, there was only one Foundation Building Cultivator, Leader Yang.


    Leader Yang did not reply but instead asked Mo Hua,


    ¡°How does a Qi Refining Cultivator compare to a Foundation Building Cultivator?¡±


    Mo Hua remembered what Elder Yu had said and responded, ¡°Ten Qi Refining Ninth Level Cultivators can be exchanged for one at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°That is correct but not entirely so,¡± said Leader Yang. ¡°It is not any ten Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivators that can contend with one at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°General Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivators, if lacking sufficient combat experience and unable to coordinate with each other, even with more than ten people, can be exploited for their weaknesses by a Foundation Building Cultivator and defeated one by one.¡±


    ¡°Only those Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivators who have been through many battles, have rich experience, a resolute will, and work seamlessly together are capable of fighting beyond their level.¡±


    ¡°Is that what the Taoist Soldiers are like?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    Leader Yang nodded, ¡°Not only that, but the Taoist Soldiers also have specialized armor and are empowered by formations. When a team forms a formation for direct combat, they can even slay Foundation Building Cultivators!¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    It was no wonder that Black Mountain Stronghold had such a vast influence and yet operated so covertly; it was probably out of fear of being discovered and exterminated by the Taoist Court¡¯s soldiers.


    Even Qi Refining Ninth Level Taoist Soldiers, when forming a battle array, could match a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    If one Qi Refining Ninth Level could not oppose a Foundation Building one, then ten would team up; if ten were not enough, then a hundred.


    Once hundreds or thousands of Taoist Soldiers formed a battle formation and charged into the fray, just a few higher realm cultivators would not be able to withstand them.


    Mo Hua suddenly realized,


    ¡°This is similar to Formation. If the Formation Patterns are not strong enough, accumulate them to form a Single Formation, if that is not strong enough, accumulate Single Formations to form a Compound Formation, if even the Compound Formation isn¡¯t strong enough, then gather even more Single Formations to create an even more powerful Large Formation!¡±


    ¡°From sand a tower rises, from streams an ocean is made. Formations build from the few to the many, cultivators pool their weakness to overcome the strong, this too is a Law of the Heavenly Dao!¡±


    The more Mo Hua talked, the brighter his eyes shone.


    Although Leader Yang did not understand formations, he could not help but nod, feeling that it made sense. Having led troops in battle for years, he deeply understood this principle.


    Mo Hua still had a doubt, ¡°What formations do the Taoist Soldiers use?¡±


    Leader Yang hesitated for a moment, looking apologetic, and said,


    ¡°That is a secret of the Taoist Court and should not be disclosed to outsiders.¡±


    In fact, it was not that he couldn¡¯t say, but rather he also did not know.


    These formations were all centrally managed and directed by the Taoist Court before being distributed by the Taoist Soldiers Court. They were only responsible for using them, and they couldn¡¯t even repair them, let alone understand the embedded formations.


    But admitting he did not know would be too embarrassing, so he used an excuse to gloss over the matter.


    Mo Hua did not doubt him and also apologized, ¡°It was impertinent of me.¡±


    Indeed, it was not his place to pry into the secret formations of the Taoist Soldiers; he had simply been curious to understand how these formations compared to those he studied daily.


    ¡°These are trivial matters, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Leader Yang, a little sheepishly and waved his hand.


    After a brief chat with Leader Yang, Mo Hua prepared to rise and take his leave.


    Yet, Leader Yang looked hesitant, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is there something else, Leader Yang?¡±


    Leader Yang glanced at Zhang Lan and sighed,


    ¡°There is another matter. The Fog Formation in the deep mountains has changed, and we cannot find where Black Mountain Stronghold is.¡±


    He had asked Zhang Lan to invite a Formation Master to explain the formations on the map of Black Mountain and to enter the deep mountains to reassess the position of the Fog Formation, facilitating their assault on Black Mountain Stronghold.


    However, when he sent scouts to investigate, they found that the positions of the Fog Formations within the Foggy Forest had changed. Not only that, but the fog in the forest had also become denser.


    The map Mo Hua had previously drawn to navigate the Foggy Forest was now useless.


    With the map no longer valid, they could not find the entrance to Black Mountain Stronghold, and thus the idea of eradicating it was out of the question.


    Mo Hua hesitated, as he had promised Elder Yu not to enter the deep mountains.


    Moreover, the Third Householder was likely still mindful of him.


    But without a way through the Foggy Forest, there was no chance of taking down Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Mo Hua looked at Leader Yang and Zhang Lan, then asked, ¡°Will you be my bodyguards?¡±


    Leader Yang nodded, ¡°Zhang Lan and I will escort you there.¡±


    ¡°What if we encounter Foundation Building Evil Cultivators?¡±


    Leader Yang sternly said, ¡°I will call several more teams of Taoist Soldiers. If we encounter a Foundation Building Evil Cultivator, we will suppress them on the spot! We will keep you safe and not let a hair on your head be harmed.¡±


    Zhang Lan added, ¡°That¡¯s what I told Elder Yu as well. With the protection of the Taoist Soldiers, even if Foundation Building Evil Cultivators wanted to kill you, they would likely not be able to do so. That¡¯s why he agreed to ask for your help.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s go take a look at the Foggy Forest.¡±

 Chapter 306 - 305 Foggy Forest_1

    Chapter 306: Chapter 305 Foggy Forest_1


    Leader Yang allocated three teams of Taoist Soldiers, all clad in armor and wielding sharp weapons, with profound cultivation.


    Leader Yang sternly ordered them, ¡°This mission must ensure Mr. Mo¡¯s complete safety, otherwise military law will be enforced!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± the Taoist Soldiers replied in unison.


    Afterward, Leader Yang led the way with the three teams of Taoist Soldiers, escorting Mo Hua into the depths of the Foggy Forest, while Mo Hua and Zhang Lan followed behind.


    Along the way, Mo Hua secretly asked Zhang Lan, ¡°Uncle Zhang, are you and Leader Yang very close?¡±


    ¡°Fairly,¡± he replied.


    ¡°It seems like you have a good relationship.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense,¡± Zhang Lan retorted with a twist of his mouth, ¡°Where is it good?¡±


    ¡°It looks pretty good to me.¡±


    Zhang Lan glared slightly at Mo Hua and explained,


    ¡°Our Zhang Family and Yang Family have long-standing marital ties, with the elders related by blood and marriage, so there¡¯s frequent contact. He and I are about the same age, we¡¯ve known each other since childhood, and of course, we¡¯ve been at odds since then.¡±


    ¡°The way you bicker seems pretty enjoyable, it doesn¡¯t look like you don¡¯t get along¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°Are you badmouthing me in your head?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    Zhang Lan snorted softly.


    Then Mo Hua asked, ¡°Uncle Zhang, since you grew up together and are of similar age, why has Leader Yang reached Foundation Establishment while you¡¯re only at Qi Refining Ninth Level? Is it that your talent is not as good as his?¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Zhang Lan said in a lowered voice. ¡°This is called accumulating depth for a future breakthrough, not seeking momentary gratification, but aiming for the longer path of the Great Dao.¡±


    Mo Hua murmured quietly, ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan pinched Mo Hua¡¯s cheek in annoyance, ¡°Foundation Establishment is merely a milestone, if I wanted, I could reach it by tomorrow.¡±


    Mo Hua clearly didn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Foundation Establishment is not as common as cabbage, how could it be so easy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult for Loose Cultivators, but for the disciples of Noble Clans, Foundation Establishment is just a matter of course. The challenge is how to well polish the Taoist Foundation during the Qi Refinement phase.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, Mr. Zhuang and Zisheng Zixi had said the same.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°You¡¯ve been polishing it for quite a long time¡­¡±


    All the way into his thirties¡­


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°It¡¯s out of my control.¡±


    Mo Hua quietly moved closer to Zhang Lan, expressing concern, ¡°Uncle Zhang, if you have any worries, just tell me, I¡¯ll keep your secrets.¡±


    Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°You just want to hear stories, don¡¯t you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua gave an embarrassed laugh.


    Zhang Lan shook his head helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just that once I establish the Foundation, I¡¯ll have to marry for the clan, bound to wed a woman I don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°Do you have someone you like?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan scratched his head, ¡°You¡¯re still young, don¡¯t worry about these things, concentrate on cultivating and learning about Formations.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very dedicated to my cultivation,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°It¡¯s just boring on the road, so I chat with you to pass the time.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s face darkened, somewhat bemused, as if to say I¡¯m used as a time killer¡­


    The two of them chattered all the way.


    Upon reaching the edge of the Foggy Forest, the group found a large rock formation for concealment.


    Mo Hua poked his head out, took a look around, and then released his Divine Sense, borrowing Xiaobai¡¯s vision of Divine Sense to perceive the remnants of Spiritual Power on the other side.


    The moment Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, Leader Yang was stunned, then shook his head, muttering to himself, ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    After a while, Mo Hua withdrew his Divine Sense and nodded,


    ¡°The position of the Fog Formation has indeed changed, and the number has increased too.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression grew tense, ¡°Have they detected something?¡±


    Leader Yang said resolutely, ¡°If they have not detected us, we¡¯ll take them by surprise, but if they have, then we¡¯ll face them head-on and exterminate them all! Either way, our course of action remains the same.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, thought for a moment, and then said,


    ¡°Leader Yang, you stay here, I¡¯ll go in first to take a look, if I don¡¯t encounter any Evil Cultivators, I¡¯ll draw a map of the Foggy Forest paths. If I do find Evil Cultivators, I¡¯ll come back to get you, and we¡¯ll all secretly capture him and interrogate him harshly to see if we can learn anything.¡±


    Leader Yang hesitated, then refused,


    ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°If we go in together, the enemy is hidden and we are exposed, making it easy to startle the snake in the grass; if I go alone, the enemy is exposed and I am hidden, they won¡¯t be able to find me.¡±


    Leader Yang didn¡¯t understand, ¡°How are you hidden if you go in alone?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he was stunned because Mo Hua had vanished right under his eyes without a sound, not leaving a single trace.


    Leader Yang looked at Zhang Lan incredulously, ¡°Is that the Concealment Technique?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded.


    Leader Yang frowned and thought for a moment before shaking his head, ¡°The Concealment Technique has its flaws too, it can be detected by Divine Sense¡­¡±


    He stopped mid-sentence and froze.


    Because when he expanded his Divine Sense, there was no sign of Mo Hua within its field of vision.


    Connecting this to his earlier conjecture, Leader Yang¡¯s eyes widened, and his voice trembled slightly, ¡°Foundation Establishment Divine Sense?!¡±


    Zhang Lan tried to appear calm again as he nodded, patting Leader Yang¡¯s shoulder, and said with a frown, ¡°The way you¡¯re panicking, how can you ever be a good leader? Don¡¯t say I know you when we go out, I can¡¯t afford to lose that face¡­¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Leader Yang said in a lowered voice, ¡°Where the hell have I seen a Cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm with Foundation Establishment Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve seen one now, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Leader Yang¡¯s eyes still held a look of shock as he murmured, ¡°How did he do it¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask about that.¡±


    Zhang Lan suddenly thought of something and sternly cautioned, ¡°You mustn¡¯t speak of this to anyone. Mo Hua has an unfavorable background and might attract jealousy from others.¡±


    Leader Yang gave Zhang Lan a sidelong glance, ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not like you, unreliable in my actions.¡±


    Having said this, Leader Yang looked around and said to the Taoist Soldiers nearby:


    ¡°The conversation I just had with Supervisor Zhang is confidential. If you heard anything, keep it to yourselves and don¡¯t leak a word.¡±


    Leader Yang¡¯s expression was stern, and since these Taoist Soldiers were his close confidants, they all had serious looks on their faces as they bowed and said:


    ¡°We will follow your orders, Leader!¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°Not bad, you really do look quite the part of a leader now¡­¡±


    Leader Yang gave him a scornful look and ignored him.


    Mo Hua, still hidden, quietly entered the Foggy Forest.


    There, the Fog Formation became denser and the fog thicker, but these had little effect on Mo Hua.


    According to what Mr. Zhuang said, everything has an appearance and an essence.


    In this forest of fog, the fog was the appearance, and the Formation was the essence.


    Having already mastered the One-Pattern Ten-Lined Reversed Spirit Formation, the ordinary One-Pattern Nine-Lined Fog Formation seemed rather ¡°rudimentary¡± to him.


    Mo Hua took a quick look and immediately discerned the Formation within the foggy forest.


    Utilizing the Water Passing Step, Mo Hua climbed into a treetop, took out paper and pen, and marked out the positions of the Fog Formation within the forest. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From the outside to the inside, Mo Hua meticulously traced out the pathways through the mountains.


    Following the outskirts of the Foggy Forest, according to the position of the Fog Formation, all the way to the gates of the Black Mountain Stronghold, Mo Hua encountered not a single Evil Cultivator.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    Among the Evil Cultivators of Black Mountain Stronghold, only the third Householder was a One-Pattern Formation Master, and he personally laid out these formations.


    The third Householder had renovated the Fog Formation, could he have discovered something?


    But what exactly had he found?


    Did he discover the corner of the Black Mountain Stronghold¡¯s walls that had been dug out?


    Had he discovered the dismantled formations lying in pieces?


    Or had he uncovered Mo Hua¡¯s identity?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t figure it out for a moment, so he decided not to ponder it any further; in any case, once the Taoist Soldiers broke through Black Mountain Stronghold and annihilated the group of Evil Cultivators, everything would become clear.


    He definitely wouldn¡¯t go back to Black Mountain Stronghold. Having mapped out a guide through the Foggy Forest, he had achieved his objective.


    Mo Hua got up to leave, preparing to head back.


    Before he left, he turned for one last look at Black Mountain Stronghold.


    A doubt that had been buried deep in his heart for a long time resurfaced:


    How was such a vast Black Mountain Stronghold built to begin with?

 Chapter 307 - 306: Invitation_1

    Chapter 307: Chapter 306: Invitation_1


    On the edge of the Foggy Forest, Leader Yang had been waiting for a long time. With some concern, he asked, ¡°Nothing¡¯s gone wrong, has it¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and said, ¡°There¡¯s been no movement in the Foggy Forest; it should be fine.¡±


    Leader Yang nodded, then curiously asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be a bit worried if he went into Black Mountain Stronghold, but the Foggy Forest is so vast; he could run, he could hide. We¡¯re still here to back him up. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    Leader Yang hesitated, ¡°He¡¯s been to Black Mountain Stronghold before?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°The intelligence you¡¯ve received, all those pieces of information, were gathered by that kid as he sneaked in and eavesdropped around the corners¡­¡±


    Leader Yang gasped, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that this intelligence was provided by your ¡®Taoist soldiers Court¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Leader Yang didn¡¯t finish his sentence before he realized, ¡°Zhang Lan, you shameless guy, you¡¯ve claimed him as one of your Taoist Court¡¯s own again, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Zhang Lan corrected him, ¡°He originally is one of the Taoist Court¡¯s people, even if in an unofficial capacity.¡±


    Leader Yang fell into thought for a moment, then frowned and said:


    ¡°The intelligence was gathered by him, the map was drawn by him, the formation was broken by him. What have the other people in your Taoist Court actually done?¡±


    Zhang Lan was rendered speechless and after a bit, awkwardly laughed, saying:


    ¡°Well¡­ we reported the intelligence to the Taoist Court and had you all called over¡­¡±


    But even as he spoke, he himself had little confidence in his words, so his voice got lower and lower.


    Leader Yang looked at him with disdain, ¡°You guys are really something¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°There was no choice. By the time we found out, Mo Hua had already snooped around everything so thoroughly and also¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan then looked at Leader Yang with a serious expression:


    ¡°Apart from him, nobody else could infiltrate Black Mountain Stronghold undetected, nor could they draw a map of it.¡±


    Leader Yang paused, thinking it through more carefully; he had to admit it seemed true.


    To achieve all of that, one would need to know the Concealment Technique, the art of formations, possess strong Divine Sense, and also have courage and quick wit.


    Even the most experienced scouts among their group of Taoist soldiers couldn¡¯t infiltrate Black Mountain Stronghold and find out anything.


    Let alone the formations; that was definitely not something an average cultivator could master.


    The more Leader Yang thought about it, the more he was struck by admiration for the kid. Truly a talent indeed! Brave and strategic, decisive in action, versed in concealment, skilled in formations¡­


    Leader Yang kept silent, attentively pondering something.


    Zhang Lan looked at him suspiciously, ¡°Are you plotting something sneaky now?¡±


    Leader Yang shook his head expressionless, ¡°No.¡±


    Behind the rocks, bored out of their minds, Zhang Lan chewed on a grass root and imitated Mo Hua, drawing something on the ground.


    But whereas Mo Hua drew formations, he drew Leader Yang, fat and ugly, running around in disarray after being beaten up.


    Leader Yang ignored him, focusing intently on the Foggy Forest, on guard for any emergencies. The surrounding teams of Taoist soldiers were also fully alert.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Leader Yang¡¯s eyebrows twitched; he sensed someone approaching.


    Invisible to the eyes, imperceptible to the Divine Sense, but the faint sound of footsteps could be heard, and the pebbles on the ground appeared to be slightly sinking.


    It was as if someone was walking towards them, step by step.


    Soon, as the person came close to him, they materialized right before his eyes.


    Small and fair, with a clear and handsome visage, it was Mo Hua.


    Leader Yang breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua grinned, raised a hand towards him, holding a map with the forest paths and the various Fog Formations laid out.


    ¡°Done!¡±


    Leader Yang took a look and his eyes brightened, he couldn¡¯t help expressing his feelings:


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we have a Formation Master like you; otherwise, we¡¯d probably have no way of figuring out the ins and outs of this Foggy Forest.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled happily in response.


    Leader Yang put away the map, gazing at Mo Hua, then suddenly displayed a smile ¨C it was very kind, exceptionally warm, and even¡­ somewhat obsequious.


    This smile baffled Mo Hua; in his memory, Leader Yang wasn¡¯t that sort of person. It looked as though he had suddenly become possessed or something.


    Zhang Lan, watching from the side, felt his skin crawl as well.


    ¡°Little Mo, would you like to take a look at the formations our Taoist soldiers use?¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated, ¡°Aren¡¯t they classified? Can I really take a look?¡±


    Leader Yang quickly nodded, ¡°Though they are classified, there¡¯s absolutely no problem if you want to look.¡±


    Mo Hua looked skeptical, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really, truly!¡±


    Zhang Lan also asked, ¡°Truly?¡±


    Leader Yang spoke dismissively, ¡°You go aside, it¡¯s none of your business. Even if I showed you, you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    Zhang Lan retorted, ¡°Who would want it anyway.¡±


    Under the escort of Leader Yang and several teams of Taoist soldiers, Mo Hua returned to Nameless Peak, to the mining cave where the Taoist soldiers were stationed.


    Leader Yang truly took out a set of spare armor and a spear, handing them to Mo Hua: S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°These are spares; feel free to look them over. You can take them apart too. Just report the damages later, and we¡¯ll send them off to the Taoist soldiers Court for repairs.¡±


    ¡°Is that really okay to do?¡±


    Leader Yang waved his hand, ¡°There¡¯s nothing bad about it. Armor and weapons are meant to be used; it¡¯s normal for them to get damaged.¡±


    With those words, Mo Hua felt reassured. He glanced at the long spear and then touched the armor.


    Both were first-grade Spiritual Artifacts, forged from refined iron which had a higher content than the iron used by Monster Hunters, and were made with a more special forging technique, resulting in better quality.


    ¡°As expected of the standard Spiritual Artifacts of the Taoist Court¡­¡± Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    He exerted some effort, trying to disassemble the armor to examine the Formation inside, but found his strength inadequate to budge it.


    Mo Hua glanced at Leader Yang.


    Leader Yang personally stepped in to help Mo Hua disassemble the armor, revealing the Formation inside.


    However, as soon as the armor was taken apart, the brilliance of the Formation inside dimmed, indicating that it had also been damaged.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    Leader Yang then explained, ¡°This is a traditional Formation of the Taoist Court. To prevent the leakage of the Formation, once the armor is forcibly disassembled, the Formation inside is designed to be destroyed.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it is¡­


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding.


    Though the Formation was destroyed, the general layout of the Formation Patterns could still be made out.


    Spread out the armor, Mo Hua began to study the Formation within.


    The Formation embedded in the armor was of the Golden Series, and while it appeared to be a first-grade formation, it included more than nine Patterns.


    ¡°A Formation beyond first-grade?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, but after mentally simulating the flow of Spiritual Power, he realized that it was indeed just an ordinary first-grade formation after all, with only nine effective Patterns.


    The additional Patterns were redundant, probably intended as a decoy to protect the real Formation from being deciphered.


    Furthermore, this wasn¡¯t a Single Formation, but likely a part of a Compound Formation.


    After some thought, Mo Hua roughly understood.


    When Taoist Soldiers fought in unison, a team wearing identical armors would have their Single Formations combine to form a Compound Formation, enhancing the effect through resonance.


    The Single Formations used by Taoist Soldiers were not rare; they were just standard Five Elements Gold Series Formation Method. The most essential aspect was actually the pivot of this Compound Formation.


    Based on the proximity, it coordinated the Single Formations to resonate with each other.


    This pivot structure was something Mo Hua had never studied before and was very curious about.


    However, since a Taoist Soldiers team consisted of ten members, in other words, this pivot also connected ten sets of armor. To examine this pivot structure, he might need to take apart all ten sets of armor.


    Taking apart one set already made Mo Hua feel somewhat embarrassed; dismantling ten would be far too excessive.


    After finishing his examination, Mo Hua looked up and asked, ¡°Should this armor be sent for repair?¡±


    Leader Yang nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°May I try to fix it?¡± Mo Hua queried.


    Leader Yang appeared surprised, ¡°You want to fix it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    After some thought, Leader Yang agreed, ¡°Sure, feel free to repair it. It¡¯s already damaged anyway.¡±


    Mo Hua then took out a Formation Pen and Golden Series Spiritual Ink from his Storage Bag. Following the trajectory of the existing Patterns, he began to meticulously mend them.


    In just a short while, Mo Hua completed the repair.


    Leader Yang reassembled the armor and activated it with Spiritual Power, only to pause in astonishment, ¡°It¡¯s actually fixed?¡±


    ¡°Lucky guess,¡± said Mo Hua, bashfully.


    Leader Yang looked at Mo Hua with greatly increased interest and then asked,


    ¡°Mr. Little Mo, what do you think of this Formation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very intricate,¡± Mo Hua honestly replied.


    ¡°Would you like to learn it?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Is that something I can learn?¡±


    ¡°Of course! There¡¯s just one small condition¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s the condition?¡±


    ¡°Join the Taoist Soldiers Court!¡±


    Leader Yang¡¯s face revealed a warm and enthusiastic smile, ¡°As long as you join the Taoist Soldiers Court, you will naturally be able to learn these formations used by the Taoist Soldiers! And you can learn as much as you want!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Lan spat out disdainfully, ¡°So that was your game all along, kid.¡±


    Leader Yang snorted, ¡°If he can enter the Taoist Court, why can¡¯t he join the Taoist Soldiers Court?¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Soldiers Court isn¡¯t exactly a nice place, it¡¯s all about fighting and killing.¡±


    ¡°Better than your Taoist Court with its seniority system and internal scheming anyway.¡±


    Zhang Lan scoffed, ¡°As if your Taoist Soldiers Court is any better, still dominated by the noble clans. Without the right status and background, can anyone really make something of themselves?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only at the higher levels. The real brothers on the battlefield fight side by side, thick as thieves, their worth proven by true skill. The Taoist Court, on the other hand, is all about collusion and cronyism¡­¡±


    ¡°Quit spouting bullshit!¡±


    ¡°See, hit the nail on the head, now you¡¯re all riled up and embarrassed,¡± Leader Yang mocked and then suggested, ¡°As for status and background, that¡¯s not a big deal at all. As long as you marry into my Yang Family¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan spat again, ¡°What wild dreams are you having? If it comes to marrying into a clan, your Yang Family wouldn¡¯t be the first pick. My Zhang Family hasn¡¯t even spoken yet, has it?¡±


    Mo Hua is studying the Water Passing Step from his Zhang Family, so if there¡¯s going to be any marriage, it should be into the Zhang Family. What right does your Yang Family have? Because Yang Jiyong has a big face?

 Chapter 308 - 307: Annihilation_1

    Chapter 308: Chapter 307: Annihilation_1


    ¡°Joining the Taoist Soldiers Court, I¡¯ve got you covered!¡± Leader Yang slapped his chest in assurance.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a Foundation Building Cultivator, what big talk!¡± Zhang Lan scoffed.


    Leader Yang glared at Zhang Lan, ¡°Though I am only at the Foundation Establishment level, there are those who aren¡¯t even that.¡±


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t want to argue with him but said seriously:


    ¡°Mo Hua was born with a weak constitution; he cannot do Body Refinement. Joining the Taoist Soldiers, fighting in the chaos of a battlefield, is extremely dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t let him do such things,¡± Leader Yang said. ¡°In military operations, the most difficult part is ¡®know your enemy, know yourself.¡¯ He knows the Concealment Technique¡ªadvancing, he can use it to hide and scout for enemy intelligence, and retreating, he can also rely on the Concealment Technique to protect himself.¡±


    ¡°Scouting for enemy intelligence isn¡¯t dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not even talk about scouting for enemy intelligence,¡± Leader Yang said bluntly, taking a big step back, ¡°just Drawing Formation is fine.¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is the Taoist Soldiers Court also short of Formation Masters?¡±


    Leader Yang vaguely responded, ¡°Not that we are¡­ particularly short of them¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. Where in the Cultivation World are Formation Masters not scarce? Even those Evil Cultivators who built the Black Mountain Stronghold rely on that Evil Formation Master of the third Householder, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Not to mention a place like the Taoist Soldiers Court that is dirty, tiring, and constantly endangers one¡¯s life. Formation Masters are esteemed and generally wouldn¡¯t go there.¡±


    Leader Yang¡¯s face turned slightly red when Zhang Lan pointed that out, but he still insisted:


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why a Formation Master skilled in concealment and self-preservation is even more precious on the battlefield.¡±


    Leader Yang looked at Mo Hua with a serious expression and said, ¡°As long as you are willing to join the Taoist Soldiers Court, I can even apply to the higher-ups to make you the Deputy Commander.¡±


    ¡°By then, you¡¯ll just follow me; with the deep and extensive connections of the Yang Family in the Taoist Soldiers Court, with our Yang Family¡¯s care, no one would dare to bully you!¡±


    Mo Hua felt rather conflicted.


    It wasn¡¯t that he despised hardship, feared danger, or was unwilling to join the Taoist Soldiers Court, rather once he joined the Taoist Soldiers Court, he would have to leave his hometown and constantly be on the move.


    He still needed to study Formation with Mr. Zhuang, and when he grew up, he had to take care of his parents.


    Seeing Mo Hua frowning and looking troubled, Leader Yang hurriedly said:


    ¡°You are still young, there¡¯s no need to rush your decision. You can think it over. Even if you don¡¯t go now, if one day you change your mind, you can come find me in the Taoist Soldiers Court¡ªjust mention the name Yang Jiyong.¡±


    Yang Jiyong¡­


    Mo Hua silently nodded, remembering the name, and then expressed his gratitude:


    ¡°Thank you, Leader Yang.¡±


    Leader Yang smiled and said, ¡°No need to be so formal, just like you call Zhang Lan ¡®Uncle Zhang,¡¯ you can call me ¡®Uncle Yang.''¡±


    Mo Hua responded, ¡°Uncle Yang.¡±


    Leader Yang nodded with a smile blooming across his face.


    Zhang Lan sighed and said helplessly, ¡°Yang Jiyong, after so many years, you¡¯re still such a shameless fellow!¡±


    Leader Yang snorted, ¡°You¡¯re not much better.¡±


    The map for navigating Foggy Forest was ready, and so was the map of Black Mountain Stronghold. After that, Leader Yang and Zhang Lan spent a day making preliminary plans for the eradication of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The next day, several factions within Tongxian City gathered at the Taoist Court to discuss the eradication matters.


    Participants included Leader Yang of the Taoist Soldiers Court, the Elder Court Leader and Supervisor Zhang Lan of the Taoist Court, as well as Elder Yu from the Monster Hunting Guild, Mo Shan, Yu Chengyi, and others.


    Mo Hua brought a small stool to sit on and listen from the side.


    Leader Yang got straight to the point:


    ¡°The Formation in Foggy Forest has been altered. The Evil Cultivators probably sensed something. If we act directly, we might startle the snake and be unable to eradicate them in one fell swoop.¡±


    ¡°The best strategy is for Monster Hunters to feint an attack, lure the Evil Cultivators out, and then the Taoist Soldiers encircle and eliminate them, ensuring the complete destruction of the Evil Cultivators!¡±


    ¡°There are four Foundation Building Evil Cultivators in Black Mountain Stronghold. It¡¯s unlikely that all are within the stronghold, but we must prepare for the worst. Court Leader Zhou, Elder Yu, and I will each deal with one. I¡¯ll also assign two teams of the most elite Taoist Soldiers, equipped with the best armor and weapons, to eliminate another Foundation Building Cultivator.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°Once their Foundation Building cultivators suffer casualties, we¡¯ll be able to fight with a numerical advantage, establishing our victory.¡±


    ¡°As for the other evil cultivators, even if their cultivation techniques and Taoist skills are bizarre and ruthless, they are not a concern on a battlefield like this. Monster Hunters only need to delay them slightly. Once the Taoist Soldiers charge into battle, these evil cultivators will become nothing more than a mob¡­¡±


    After that, Leader Yang opened up the sand table, which displayed both the map of Foggy Forest and the topography of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Leader Yang began to discuss the details of the campaign, such as how to advance into the mountain, where the Monster Hunters should position themselves, and where the Taoist Soldiers would lie in ambush.


    He then explained how to attack the stronghold, to what extent the feigned attacks should carry on, and in case of a retreat, where to fall back to, where to cooperate with each other, and when should the Taoist Soldiers launch their assault¡­ and so on.


    Elder Yu and others also raised questions or suggestions. Leader Yang either answered them or considered them carefully. After discussing for half a day, the plan gradually became complete.


    Mo Hua just listened from the side.


    He was unfamiliar with these matters. Whether it was Leader Yang who had experience with military campaigns or Elder Yu of the Monster Hunting Guild, both had much more expertise than him.


    Every matter in the world is a matter of learning.


    Mo Hua just listened attentively, taking the opportunity to learn something new.


    After the discussion was over, everyone dispersed. Mo Hua lingered behind and quietly asked Zhang Lan:


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, won¡¯t there be any problems?¡±


    Zhang Lan patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, ¡°There are risks in everything, but the risks in this battle are already quite small.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°One is because of the intelligence you eavesdropped on, and two, the Taoist Court¡¯s Taoist Soldiers are actually stronger than you think.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Are they really that strong?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zhang Lan said, ¡°The Taoist Court¡¯s unification of the Cultivation World depends on its powerful Taoist Soldiers. Battalions of hundreds, or even larger-scale campaigns involving Taoist Soldiers, are completely different from ordinary cultivators¡¯ battles.¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua had never witnessed it himself and didn¡¯t fully understand, but he still nodded his head and felt somewhat relieved.


    Leader Yang was decisive, and once the plan was fully prepared, the cultivators were deployed within two days.


    Before 6 A.M., with the sky not yet bright, three hundred experienced Qi Refining Ninth Level Monster Hunters and three hundred well-trained Taoist Soldiers set out in the cover of the dim sky, led by Leader Yang, Elder Yu, and Court Leader Zhou, quietly advancing into the deep mountains.


    Mo Hua also wanted to go but was met with firm opposition from everyone.


    Not only did his father, Mo Shan, forbid him, but even Court Leader Zhou, Zhang Lan, Elder Yu, Yu Chengyi, and even Leader Yang did not want him to go.


    It wouldn¡¯t matter much if they suffered injuries, but it would be a serious matter if Mo Hua got hurt.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to stay put honestly at the Taoist Soldiers¡¯ camp on Nameless Peak.


    The camp was in Inner Mountain, relatively safer, and moreover, if they encountered any tricky Formation during the assault on Black Mountain Stronghold, they could come back and ask Mo Hua for advice.


    Some Taoist Soldiers also remained in the camp, both to guard the camp and to protect Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua stayed in the camp, unable to sleep all night. He practiced Formation on the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness until dawn when a stir finally came from afar.


    Even from a great distance, faint sounds of combat reached him, filled with grave murderous intent. Even without sensing with his Divine Sense, he could feel waves of intense Spiritual Power fluctuations.


    It was a large number of Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivators fighting fiercely, as well as Foundation Building Cultivators unleashing their full power!


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, beginning to worry.


    His father Mo Shan and many of his uncles, with whom he had good relations, were inside the deep mountains, battling those vicious evil cultivators.


    Mo Hua wanted to have a look but restrained himself.


    It seemed that going now wouldn¡¯t be of any help, and he might even add to the chaos.


    Mo Hua could only force himself to draw some Formations to calm his mind.


    The battle at Black Mountain Stronghold lasted for three days. After three days, news came through.


    The Taoist Soldiers and Monster Hunters suffered minor casualties. Most, including Mo Shan, Elder Yu, and Zhang Lan, were just wounded.


    And Black Mountain Stronghold, which had been entrenched in the deep mountains for hundreds of years, was completely conquered!


    ¡°`

 Chapter 309 - 308 Suspicion_1

    Chapter 309: Chapter 308 Suspicion_1


    Mo Hua once again stood in front of the entrance to Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Two days ago, Black Mountain Stronghold had been breached, with the majority of its evil cultivators eradicated.


    Of the four Foundation Establishment evil cultivators, the Fourth Householder died in battle, the Second Householder was seriously injured and captured, while the Head Householder and Third Householder escaped with severe injuries and are now being pursued by the Taoist Court and its soldiers.


    Hidden deep within the mountains, committing myriad acts of evil and once strong for a time, Black Mountain Stronghold was almost completely destroyed.


    The remaining evil cultivators would be wanted and hunted down.


    And the main force that destroyed Black Mountain Stronghold was the Taoist Court¡¯s soldiers.


    Just as Zhang Lan had said, the Taoist soldiers were indeed powerful.


    Mo Hua had not witnessed it firsthand but had inquired about it from her father, Mo Shan, afterward.


    It was said that during the battle, wherever the Taoist soldiers¡¯ spears pointed, they were invincible.


    Underneath their spears, the evil cultivators had hardly any challenger, falling either seriously wounded or dead within a mere moment of clashing.


    The Taoist soldiers were the sharp blades that maintained the authority of the Taoist Court, symbolizing its strength and majesty.


    With soldiers as powerful as these under its command, it¡¯s no wonder the Taoist Court has unified the Cultivation World and stood unyielding for twenty thousand years.


    And these were only the Qi Refinement Realm First-grade Taoist soldiers.


    Taoist soldiers of a higher grade must be even more terrifying¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of awe.


    However, although Black Mountain Stronghold had fallen, she still had many things that she couldn¡¯t understand.


    Mo Hua looked towards the mountain gate of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The Concealment Formation on the gate had failed, and the sinister, blood-stained gate had one of its pillars broken, leaving the entire Black Mountain Stronghold in a state of dilapidation.


    Mo Hua did not enter through the main gate but instead circled to the nearby high wall.


    The first time she entered Black Mountain Stronghold, she had undone a Formation at the high wall, dug a hole, and sneaked in that way.


    That small hole at the corner of the wall was still there.


    ¡°The evil cultivators didn¡¯t discover this spot?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, released her Divine Sense, felt through the high wall for a moment, and then her gaze sharpened suddenly.


    ¡°No, they did find it!¡±


    Behind the hole in the wall, several new Formations were added, including the Golden Bell Formation, Wood Binding Formation, and a few other types of Formations.


    The Golden Bell Formation was used for alerts, the Wood Binding Formation for trapping people, and the other few formations were put to similar uses.


    They found the hole and planned to lie in wait like a hunter!


    If Mo Hua were to enter through the hole again, she would trigger the Formations, alert the evil cultivators, and get trapped by the Formations on the spot.


    These Formations must have been set up by the Third Householder.


    Mo Hua hardly needed to think to know that the Third Householder must surely have ordered people to stand guard nearby. The moment the Formations were triggered, they would rush to capture her.


    But they didn¡¯t manage to wait for Mo Hua¡ªthe Black Mountain Stronghold was finished before that¡­


    At this point, there were no evil cultivators left in the stronghold, so Mo Hua had nothing to worry about.


    She took out the Thousand Jun Stick, enlarged the hole at the entrance even more, and in passing destroyed the Formations opposite it. Only then did she re-enter Black Mountain Stronghold through the hole in the wall.


    At this moment, Black Mountain Stronghold was still bloody but had become more desolate and dead, no longer feeling as oppressive.


    Mo Hua spent some time following the route she remembered from memory, browsing the front part of the stronghold roughly.


    Most of the buildings had collapsed, and the items inside had been cleared out, to be handed over to the Taoist Court.


    The stronghold¡¯s prison was eerily empty.


    The cultivators who had been captured and imprisoned there without exception had been killed by the evil cultivators.


    Perhaps the evil cultivators had killed them before the battle; perhaps during the stalemate to replenish their Blood Qi and Spiritual Power; or maybe in a fit of rage during their defeat.


    In any case, they did not leave a single survivor.


    The Court Officials and Taoist soldiers had already encoffined these corpses, sealing the coffins to be taken back to the Taoist Court, trying to verify their identities to give an account to their families.


    If they cannot verify the identities, they would find a nearby spot for burial, erect a makeshift grave, and place a nameless stone.


    These cultivators met with misfortune and died miserably.


    After death, they have no one to worship them, no one to remember them, not even anyone to know them, and their gravestones won¡¯t even bear their names.


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling somewhat disheartened.


    After checking the front part of the stronghold, Mo Hua proceeded to the rear part and frowned as she looked around.


    The Formations in the rear stronghold were dense and numerous, far more than when Mo Hua first visited.


    Formation Painting requires time, and only the Third Householder among the Black Mountain Stronghold knew how to paint such First-grade Formations, so these Formations had been placed well in advance.


    She estimated that soon after she left, the Third Householder must have begun setting them up.


    But why? Did they predict something?


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged on the high wall of the rear stronghold, gazing toward the front stronghold, contemplating inwardly.


    The front stronghold was too large, difficult to defend, so they concentrated the Formations in the rear stronghold. This way, it would be harder for the Taoist soldiers to attack.


    Mo Hua had inquired from Leader Yang that, indeed, during the three days of attacking Black Mountain Stronghold, two full days were spent breaking through the Formations of the rear stronghold.


    The actions of the evil cultivators were as if they knew they would be attacked and were no match, so they set up Formations in the rear stronghold in advance, wishing to resist to the death.


    The purpose was to¡­ buy time?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, ¡°What¡¯s the point in delaying? Isn¡¯t it just waiting for death in the end?¡±


    ¡°Could it be, delaying the time for Alchemy?¡±


    Mo Hua turned and headed toward the Pill Room again.


    Beast Gate was mostly destroyed, and the Formation in front had also been forcefully breached. It seems that the Taoist Soldiers had attacked as well.


    Mo Hua walked into the Pill Room; the main pillars were collapsing, the ground was cracked, and Foundation Building Cultivators had made their move here with all their might.


    Blood was splattered everywhere; it was uncertain whether it came from humans or demons.


    The central White Bone Pill Furnace was damaged too, first pierced by a long spear and then half of the lid was sliced off with a knife, revealing the bone barrier inside, as well as the bloody Evil Formation on the bone barrier.


    Inside the furnace was some fishy, thick pill fluid, likely the remnants of the Human Life Pill¡¯s concoction. Just a sniff was enough to make one feel nauseous.


    ¡°Really, can anyone actually ingest such a thing¡­¡± Mo Hua muttered to himself as he covered his nose.


    The Pill Furnace was destroyed, and the oddly shaped medicinal herbs that had been placed around it were also gone.


    They had probably been confiscated by the Taoist Court, to be handed over, or destroyed on the spot, never to remain in the world.


    After all, these herbs were for alchemy of Human Pills, detrimental to heaven and earth, and considered forbidden items.


    It seemed the pills were not successfully refined¡­


    Mo Hua then opened the hidden compartment, which was empty, with nothing inside.


    Neither had the Householder left anything here.


    Of course, this was normal. If after being stolen from once, you still hide things in the same place, that would indeed make the Householder a fool.


    Mo Hua looked around the stronghold again and discovered several concealed chambers, meant for secluded cultivation.


    There was also a treasury room, vacant, which had probably been a hoard of treasures but had been cleared by the Taoist Soldiers Court as well.


    Beyond that, there was nothing else special about the stronghold.


    Mo Hua pondered over the entire event carefully.


    Firstly, the Householder discovered the dug-open corner and the Formation that had been unlocked and began to harbor suspicions.


    As for how deep those suspicions went, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t know.


    But Black Mountain Stronghold had taken action.


    They first altered the Formation of Foggy Forest, laying down more Fog Formations, and then they strengthened the Formation of their stronghold.


    But it was to no avail.


    When the Taoist Soldiers came, it seemed like they delayed the attack briefly, but they didn¡¯t hold them off for long, and although they seemed to put up a defense, they didn¡¯t manage to hold out in the end.


    Black Mountain Stronghold, as expected, was decimated.


    Looking at it, everything seemed reasonable, but recalling it felt incongruous.


    Mo Hua thought long and hard, and then it came to him where the incongruity lay:


    Black Mountain Stronghold seemed to know that it was ¡°going to die,¡± and that it was certain to ¡°die¡±; after a slight struggle, they willingly ¡°went to their deaths¡±¡­


    Rather than saying they annihilated Black Mountain Stronghold, it was more like Black Mountain Stronghold was ¡°systematically¡± and methodically¡­ annihilated.


    It was as if an invisible hand silently pushed Black Mountain Stronghold to the edge of the knife, and then, naturally, Black Mountain Stronghold straightforwardly led itself to the execution, to be beheaded.


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows knitted tighter; he left the Pill Room and climbed to a high place to take in the entirety of Black Mountain Stronghold at a glance.


    Nestled between two encircling mountains, Black Mountain Stronghold covered a vast area.


    His earlier puzzlement resurfaced:


    ¡°How exactly was such a large Black Mountain Stronghold built?¡±


    The stronghold was enormous, with numerous Formations to construct, requiring a considerable amount of manpower and resources, especially in such a remote location in the deep mountains. Could those Evil Cultivators really have built it on their own?


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed.


    Behind Black Mountain Stronghold, could there be someone providing secret support?


    If there truly was someone offering covert support, it must be a power within Tongxian City, since it¡¯s the nearest to Big Black Mountain, making clandestine communication most convenient.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became more intense.


    The first suspect that came to his mind was the Qian Family.


    With the Qian Family¡¯s profound background and unscrupulous methods, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t be surprised at all if they were behind this.


    But upon further thought, it didn¡¯t seem right.


    At least for the time being, from what could be seen, there was no connection between the two parties.


    The Qian Family had no dealings with Black Mountain Stronghold, and among the stronghold, there were no Qian Family cultivators.


    If he were to blame the Qian Family simply because he had a grudge against them and despised them, it would be rather biased.


    But if not the Qian Family, then who else could it be?


    Besides the Qian Family, Tongxian City had other influential powers such as the An Family and Tongxian Gate.


    But supporting Black Mountain Stronghold didn¡¯t seem to benefit them in any way.


    Moreover, with their power, they might not be able to support it even if they wanted to.


    The An Family was constantly suppressed by the Qian Family and could only rely on running the Food Building to survive. If they were really nurturing such a large group of Evil Cultivators, they would have taken revenge on the Qian Family and regained their footing long ago.


    As for Tongxian Gate, they couldn¡¯t buy back their own Tongxian Peak, so how could they possibly spend their Spirit Stones to support Evil Cultivators?


    Unable to help himself, Mo Hua scratched his head, momentarily at a loss for an explanation.


    S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 310 - 309: Fireball Secret Manual_1

    Chapter 310: Chapter 309: Fireball Secret Manual_1


    Does Black Mountain Stronghold really have a hidden mastermind behind it?


    In the following days, whenever Mo Hua had time, he would ponder over this question, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn¡¯t come up with any leads. Even if he tried to investigate, he lacked clues and didn¡¯t know where to start.


    All Mo Hua could do was to focus on his own matters, strengthen his Divine Sense, master more Formations, and learn new things.


    Just in case something unexpected happened in the future, he wanted to be prepared and confident in his actions.


    As for Formations, Mo Hua practiced the Reversed Spirit Formation daily without fail.


    Besides that, what else could he learn?


    Mo Hua thought about it and suddenly remembered that he still had a secret manual for the Fireball Technique.


    This secret manual was obtained from the hands of the pale-faced evil cultivator who was on night watch at Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The pale-faced evil cultivator practiced Evil Skills that absorbed spiritual essence, and his Spells were actually quite ordinary, relying solely on this secret manual to make his Fireball Technique significantly powerful.


    Mo Hua¡¯s strategy of pitting one against another had led to the death of the pale-faced man, and afterwards, he picked up the spoils, obtaining this secret manual for the Fireball Technique.


    It was just that later on, Mo Hua had so many things to handle that he temporarily forgot about it.


    Mo Hua leaned over his small desk, took out his Storage Bag, and found the secret manual for the Fireball Technique.


    The manual was titled ¡°Understanding of Fireball Technique,¡± written by hand, with rough edges and many creased traces.


    It seemed not to be an orthodox Spell legacy but rather the personal cultivation insights of a Cultivator.


    Mo Hua opened the pages and skimmed through them, quickly grasping the general idea.


    The ¡°Understanding of Fireball Technique¡± was not originally that of the pale-faced man. It was probably also obtained by killing and robbing others.


    The original owner of the manual was a Cultivator with the surname Yang, just an ordinary Spiritual Cultivator.


    His talent wasn¡¯t high, his Spiritual Root was poor, and the Cultivation Technique he practiced was naturally not great either, so the only Spell he could learn was this Fireball Technique.


    But he didn¡¯t become discouraged and kept practicing and researching relentlessly. He even sought advice and discussed with various Cultivators skilled in the Fireball Technique. After spending most of his life, he finally figured out a special spell point for using the Fireball Technique.


    This spell point could enhance the power of the Fireball Technique, making this commonplace, unimpressive Spell, which was looked down upon by most Cultivators, quite lethal.


    The mystery of the spell point lay in the pathways of circulating Qi.


    All Spells, ultimately, rely on the Divine Sense to drive the Spiritual Power within the Qi Sea, moving it through specific pathways and then condensing into different Spells.


    Even for the same Spell, with identical effects, the inherited diagrams of pathways always have variations.


    Some differ in the main meridians, while others have slight deviations in the minor collaterals.


    The original owner of the manual spent countless hours and effort collecting various Fireball Technique diagrams. Eventually, he categorized and compared them one by one, and subsequently drew his own conclusions, forming the most complex yet most powerful Fireball Technique pathway diagram. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Additionally, he recorded all his insights and experiences regarding the use of the Fireball Technique within this diagram.


    But for some unknown reason, this manual of insights ended up in the hands of the white-faced evil cultivator.


    Mo Hua read the manual in one go and couldn¡¯t help but feel moved.


    This thin volume of insights¡­ how much effort must have been put in to write it¡­


    The Cultivator who wrote these insights, his perseverance, meticulous thoughts, and focused dedication made Mo Hua feel somewhat ashamed.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but think that there must be many Cultivators in this world with similar perseverance and talent.


    Yet, confined by their own origins, Spiritual Roots, and legacies, they could only waste or bury their talents.


    Mo Hua felt it was a great pity.


    The original owner of this manual should have also been a person of outstanding brilliance. However, his name was now unknown to history; even his death had gone unnoticed.


    Only a simple sentence was written at the end of the insights:


    ¡°The Way has no size, Spells have no strength or weakness, even a tiny spark can start a great blaze.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits were lifted after reading it.


    This manual of insights, when in the hands of the white-faced evil cultivator, was indeed a pearl cast before swine, a terrible waste of its potential.


    Mo Hua made a silent vow to study the Fireball Technique thoroughly and to master it to the extreme.


    In the future, he would let all Cultivators in the Cultivation World know the might of the Fireball Technique!


    Mo Hua began to learn the more powerful version of the Fireball Technique, according to the pathway diagram in the insights.


    The pathway diagram for this Fireball Technique was very complex, and Mo Hua originally thought it would be difficult to learn.


    However, he managed to learn it in just half a day¡­


    This time was much less than he had anticipated.


    Moreover, the Fireball Technique he produced was strange; its color was deeper, showing a dark red hue, and the fireball itself was noticeably smaller in size.


    It looked somewhat odd¡­


    For a moment, Mo Hua didn¡¯t know if he had truly learned it or not, or if he had learned it incorrectly¡­


    As for its power, Mo Hua didn¡¯t dare to try.


    He feared something might go wrong, and besides, his home was not the place to test Spells.


    After thinking, Mo Hua went again to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mountain residence, passed through the small bamboo forest, and arrived at the pond¡¯s edge, ready to practice on the fish in the pond as usual.


    The foolish fish in the pond were leisurely swimming, totally unaware of what was about to happen.


    Mo Hua focused his mind, channeled his Spiritual Power, and moments later, the deep red but small Fireball Technique took shape.


    Following that, Mo Hua pointed, and the peculiar fireball moved with his intent, swiftly plunging into the pond.


    A low explosion sounded.


    In an instant, the pond water evaporated, the aquatic plants charred, and only scorched fishbones remained of the fish in the pond.


    Mo Hua was stunned, his mouth gradually dropping open.


    The power of this Fireball Technique was so great¡­


    This level of power was completely beyond his expectations.


    He then suddenly wondered, ¡°The pond has been blown to this state, I wonder if Mr. Zhuang will be angry¡­¡±


    As Mo Hua was at a loss for what to do, he turned and saw Old Kui silently standing behind him, looking at the pond with an unexpectedly calm expression.


    ¡°Grandpa Gui¡­ this¡­¡±


    Old Kui said indifferently, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Then, with a wave of Old Kui¡¯s sleeve, the scenery in front of them flickered like ripples receding, and everything was restored to its original state.


    The pond was still clear, the aquatic plants remained lush, and the fish continued to swim slowly as if nothing had happened.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Where did you learn this Fireball Technique from?¡± Old Kui asked.


    Mo Hua took out the Understanding of Fireball Technique from his Storage Bag and handed it to Old Kui, ¡°I got it from the hands of evil cultivators.¡±


    Old Kui took it, glanced at it once, and then nodded, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Mo Hua was delighted¡ªOld Kui thought it was not bad, so the Fireball Technique must indeed be quite good.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°But the fireball technique I cultivated seems somewhat unconventional¡­¡±


    ¡°Unconventional?¡±


    Old Kui was slightly surprised and said, ¡°Show it to me again.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at the spotlessly clear pond before him, hesitating to start.


    Old Kui said, ¡°You need not worry.¡±


    Mo Hua was then reassured and cast the Fireball Technique once more toward the pond.


    A deep red fireball formed at Mo Hua¡¯s fingertips, and with a whoosh, it shot towards the pond.


    This time, however, there was no explosion.


    The fireball cast by Mo Hua flew into the pond, and the entire space around the pond began to distort, eventually dissolving the fireball as if nothing had happened.


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    What level of spell could have such an effect?


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s astonished expression, a hint of a smile that was not easy to detect appeared in Old Kui¡¯s eyes, and then he said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°It¡¯s unorthodox, but it¡¯s still a Fireball Technique.¡±


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Will there be any problems with using it?¡±


    Old Kui shook his head, ¡°No problems.¡±


    Mo Hua was relieved, but then felt puzzled again, ¡°Why did the color darken and the fireball shrink?¡±


    This question was beyond Mo Hua¡¯s own understanding, and even if he had figured it out, it might not be correct, so he might as well ask Old Kui directly.


    Old Kui, with his profound knowledge of spells, surely knew the secret behind it.


    Without a second thought, Old Kui replied:


    ¡°It¡¯s because you condensed the spell with your Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense condensing?¡±


    Old Kui nodded, ¡°The meridian map you saw is the method for condensing spells with Divine Sense. The more complex the meridians, the greater the consumption of Divine Sense, and the stronger the condensed spell.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to a Formation¡­¡± Mo Hua remarked.


    ¡°The ways of the Heavenly Dao are different but lead to the same destination,¡± Old Kui said lightly.


    ¡°But when I saw that pale-faced evil cultivator casting the Fireball Technique, it was just more powerful. The color wasn¡¯t as dark, and the fireball wasn¡¯t as small¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Divine Senses are different,¡± Old Kui stated succinctly.


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua said, ¡°Is it because my Divine Sense is too strong?¡±


    Old Kui nodded, ¡°A Divine Sense that has achieved Foundation Establishment will naturally condense spells that are different.¡±


    This completely reassured Mo Hua.


    Once he practiced the Fireball Technique to a higher proficiency, with the Concealment Technique for hiding, the Water Passing Step for self-defense, the Water Prison Technique for trapping enemies, and the Fireball Technique for attacking, his capabilities would be greatly enhanced.


    ¡°Thank you for the guidance, Grandpa Gui,¡± Mo Hua said with gratitude.


    Old Kui¡¯s expression remained stoic, ¡°I haven¡¯t provided much guidance.¡±


    Mo Hua just smiled and kept Old Kui¡¯s kindness in his heart.


    As Old Kui turned to leave, he suddenly asked, ¡°Would you like to play a game of chess?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised. Unless there was idle time, Old Kui rarely took the initiative to invite him for a game of chess.


    Mo Hua nodded and replied, ¡°Sure!¡±


    Beneath the gentle breeze of the bamboo forest by the compact chessboard,


    Mo Hua and Old Kui played a match that was again hard to break away from; yet after such a long time, neither¡¯s chess skills had improved at all.


    As the sunset dipped below the horizon and dusk approached, Mo Hua had to return home, and it was only then that he stood up to bid farewell to Old Kui.


    At the moment of parting, a rare hint of reluctance appeared on Old Kui¡¯s usually impassive face.


    Not just Old Kui; these days, Mr. Zhuang occasionally also showed moments of melancholy and distraction.


    A guess formed in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Mr. Zhuang¡­ might be leaving Tongxian City soon¡­


    Perhaps Mo Hua would no longer be able to ask the gentleman for his wisdom.

 Chapter 311 - 310 Heavenly Dao_1

    Chapter 311: Chapter 310 Heavenly Dao_1


    After learning the new Fireball Technique, Mo Hua devoted all his attention to Formations.


    A few days later, after Mo Hua had mastered the Reversed Spirit Formation, he went to seek advice from Mr. Zhuang, who pondered for a moment before suddenly asking:


    ¡°Huar, Cultivators seek the Heavenly Dao, do you know what the Heavenly Dao is?¡±


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua answered, ¡°Immortality?¡±


    ¡°Immortality is the result, not the Heavenly Dao itself.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t immortality and attaining the Dao the same thing?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Looking at Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang spoke with heartfelt sincerity:


    ¡°Cultivators attain the Dao and achieve immortality, only by comprehending the Great Dao and practicing the Heavenly Dao can they truly attain immortality in the end.¡±


    ¡°Without striving to comprehend the Heavenly Dao and practicing the Dao Laws, one who vainly desires immortality is abandoning the essence for the trivial and will inevitably stray onto the wrong path.¡±


    Mo Hua seemed to understand but did not fully grasp the concept, yet he still nodded, committing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words to memory.


    ¡°Then, do the Five Elements count as part of the Heavenly Dao?¡± Mo Hua thought further and asked.


    ¡°They do,¡± said Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°If the Five Elements count¡­¡± Mo Hua continued his line of thought, ¡°then do the Eryi, Three Talents, Four Symbols, Seven Stars, and even the use of Divine Sense, flesh, and Spiritual Power all count as aspects of the Heavenly Dao?¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit uncertain.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°In that case, isn¡¯t the Great Dao too complex¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°The Great Dao encompasses myriad things, embracing all under heaven. Everything in this world, a blade of grass, a tree, each flower, and each tree all accord with the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua did not fully understand, Mr. Zhuang further explained:


    ¡°Ancient Cultivators gazed upon the heavens and surveyed the earth, observing all manner of things in the world, and comprehended the laws of the forces of nature. Only then did they create Cultivation Techniques and Taoist Skills, as well as diverse categories of Tao Cultivation including Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune.¡±


    ¡°Everything in the world follows the Heavenly Dao, and the strength of Cultivators also stems from the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    Mo Hua thought hard and then questioned:


    ¡°If everything in the world follows the Heavenly Dao, what about those who defy it? Are they abiding by it, or are they defying it?¡±


    ¡°Those so-called defiers of the Heavenly Dao are actually also following the Heavenly Dao,¡± Mr. Zhuang explained. ¡°The Great Dao includes creation and destruction. Those who follow the Heavenly Dao abide by the Dao of ¡®creation¡¯, while those who defy the Heavenly Dao abide by the Dao of ¡®destruction¡¯.¡±


    Mo Hua had an epiphany and began to understand a bit more.


    The Heavenly Dao is divided into Eryi, conflicting yet complementing each other.


    Existence and non-existence give birth to each other; life and death shape one another; good and evil are counterparts.


    All things are part of the Dao; every action of man is in accordance with the ¡°Dao¡±. Some ¡®Daos¡¯ continue to thrive unceasingly, while others lead only to self-destruction.


    Mo Hua thought again, still slightly puzzled:


    ¡°If everything in the world follows the Heavenly Dao, then seeing and hearing are all part of the Dao. What then are Cultivators seeking in the Heavenly Dao?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°The Great Dao includes everything, but the fact that it includes everything also means it is fraught with chaos and complexity; there is good and evil, truth and falsity, appearances and essences.¡±


    ¡°Humans possess the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and the mind, while objects have color, sound, scent, flavor, tactile sensations, and characteristics. Each day¡¯s observations, mixed with good and bad, true and false, can over time submerge one in delusions and superficiality, making it difficult to perceive the essence of the Great Dao.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone slightly brighter, and then he said:


    ¡°Is it like studying a Contemplation Map, where one must see through the appearances to glimpse the essence?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at him approvingly and nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua was still a bit confused, ¡°Then what exactly constitutes the essence of the Great Dao?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°You have to figure this out yourself. Unless one has become an immortal, the Dao they understand is not the true Dao, and some may even be flawed or even erroneous.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled again, ¡°I haven¡¯t become an immortal either, so what I tell you is definitely not correct. What I think of as the essence might just be a deeper appearance, not the ultimate Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve understood, Gentleman,¡± Mo Hua nodded. ¡°The principles that one comprehends on their own are truly their own; otherwise, no matter how much or how correct others speak, if I do not comprehend it myself, I cannot grasp it.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, seeking the Heavenly Dao relies on one¡¯s own enlightenment. Even if the initial understanding is superficial, as long as one continuously ponders and contemplates, gradually discarding the false and preserving the true, one will eventually see the true nature of the Great Dao.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve spoken well.¡±


    Mo Hua gave a smile, then said with some uncertainty, ¡°Gentleman, I am only at the Qi Refinement stage, and I¡¯m already thinking about comprehending the Heavenly Dao. Isn¡¯t it a bit early¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, his voice gentle, ¡°Cultivation begins with Qi Refinement, and understanding the Dao also starts with small increments. Step by step, from low to high, from weak to strong, from shallow to deep, only then can one mold a Taoist Heart and truly comprehend the Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like observing this world from a height. If one looks down from a high position, they will be blinded by their own status, seeing only themselves. Only by starting from the bottom and observing the common people of the world, experiencing the hardships of Cultivators, can one see the most fundamental things in this world.¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully.


    But after all, he was young with limited experience. Though he roughly understood Mr. Zhuang¡¯s meaning, having not seen the broader Cultivation World outside Tongxian City, his understanding was not yet deep.


    Mr. Zhuang let out a slight sigh, ¡°These are the principles I didn¡¯t want to tell you now; telling you now is still too early¡­¡±


    But if I don¡¯t say it now, there may not be an opportunity to say it later¡­


    Mo Hua was startled, then understood Mr. Zhuang¡¯s meaning and nodded solemnly, ¡°Gentleman, I will remember them well!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave a faint smile, then said, ¡°Now that you understand this principle, I can teach you the usage of the Reversed Spirit Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat taken aback, ¡°The Reversed Spirit Formation is related to these matters?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°In the pursuit of the Heavenly Dao by a Cultivator, there are aspects related to the Taoist Heart, as well as to one¡¯s Cultivation. To seek the Great Dao, one needs both the Taoist Heart and Cultivation. Neither can be lacking.¡±


    ¡°What was said above relates to the Taoist Heart, and what I am going to teach you is related to Cultivation and Formation, or rather, the essence of the Heavenly Dao on the level of Spiritual Power.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone slowed, and his gaze deepened.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sharpened, and he sat up straight, listening earnestly.


    Mr. Zhuang gently exhaled and continued slowly, ¡°The fundamental source of the world is Qi. At the beginning of Chaos, one Qi emerged and spawned all things.¡±


    ¡°The initial Qi was called Chaos Qi, chaotic and powerful. Who knows after how many years, Chaos was cleansed, and it became the essence of all matter.¡±


    ¡°Among it, the most pure and concentrated, which can be refined and used by Cultivators, is Spiritual Energy. Spiritual Energy contains the power of the Heavenly Dao; this power is called Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of their differences, such as the metals, woods, waters, fires, earths, winds, thunders, ices and so on, all sorts of spells and Taoist Skills in the world fundamentally manifest Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°The spells of a Spiritual Cultivator, even the Blood Qi and Strength of a Body Cultivator, though their forms are vastly different, they too are forms manifested from Spiritual Power.¡±


    Mo Hua had an epiphany:


    ¡°So, the powers of the Five Elements, as well as spells, Blood Qi, and Strength, are all appearances. Spiritual Power is the true source of their strength?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded affirmatively, ¡°Correct, all Taoist Skills, whether spells or Martial Arts, are all constructed from Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°Is it the same for Formations?¡±


    ¡°It is the same for Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it and then understood.


    Formations require a Formation eye to supply Spiritual Power, which then flows through the Formation Patterns, ultimately manifesting the distinct powers of the Five Elements Formation.


    ¡°Then, what is different about the Reversed Spirit Formation?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang paused a moment, then said slowly:


    ¡°Ordinary Formations gather and construct Spiritual Power to form the powers of the Five Elements. The Reversed Spirit Formation, on the other hand, causes Spiritual Power to inverse and disassemble, producing a purer force, closer to the essence of the Great Dao¡¯s Power of Destruction.¡±


    ¡°The Great Dao generates and annihilates; gathers to produce life, disintegrates into destruction!¡±


    ¡°The Reversed Spirit Formation contains the Tao¡¯s Power of Annihilation! What it truly resolves is not the Formation itself, but the more essential Spiritual Power within the Formation!¡±

 Chapter 312 - 311 Calculation_1

    Chapter 312: Chapter 311 Calculation_1


    To break a Formation is to decipher the Formation Patterns, and through the mutual generation and restriction of Formation Patterns, one unlocks the entire Formation.


    Similarly, the Reversed Spirit Formation can break Formations, but at a deeper level, it directly dissolves Spiritual Power.


    Mo Hua may not understand, but it sounded very impressive.


    ¡°But how do we break it?¡±


    He was capable of breaking Formations, but dissolving Spiritual Power was something he had never even heard of.


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment before finally speaking slowly:


    ¡°Divine Sense Calculation.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned; this was another term he had never heard before.


    None of the Formation Books he had read, nor any Formation Master he had encountered, had ever mentioned ¡°Divine Sense Calculation.¡±


    ¡°Gentleman, is Divine Sense Calculation also an extremely profound knowledge of Formation methods?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded: ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How profound is it?¡±


    ¡°Ordinary Formation Masters might never learn it in their lifetimes.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned. ¡°A lifetime?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang emphasized again, ¡°A lifetime!¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t high-grade Formation Masters learn it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang laughed: ¡°High-grade Formation Masters merely have higher cultivation and stronger Divine Sense, so the class of Formation methods they learn is higher. When it comes down to the use of Divine Sense and the understanding of Formations, they might not surpass some low-grade Formation Masters.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    So there was such a viewpoint¡­


    ¡°Then, do Formation Masters not learn Divine Sense Calculation because it¡¯s unnecessary, or because it¡¯s too difficult?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Mr. Zhuang said: ¡°It¡¯s both because it¡¯s unnecessary and because it¡¯s too difficult.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed lightly, ¡°Formation knowledge is vast and profound. The deeper the Formation, the more it tries to seize the Heavenly Dao and reverse the Yin and Yang of the universe.¡±


    ¡°Compared with this, a cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense is much more insignificant. The deeper one goes into Formation studies, the more inadequate the Divine Sense becomes. It¡¯s considered good enough to comprehend Formations. Where would one find the surplus Divine Sense to calculate Formations?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his expression gentle as he spoke:


    ¡°Originally, Divine Sense Calculation is not something you should be learning now, but if I don¡¯t teach you now, perhaps no one else will in the future.¡±


    ¡°Your foundation in Divine Sense is so strong; it would be a real pity not to learn.¡±


    Mo Hua said with a tinge of sadness, ¡°Gentleman, are you going to leave?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed lightly: ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a feast that doesn¡¯t come to an end. I¡¯ve stayed in this place long enough.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s little face turned downcast.


    Mr. Zhuang gently patted his head, ¡°There¡¯s still some time. I¡¯ll teach you some more things, so learn them well.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Gentleman, I will certainly learn it well!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly and began explaining Divine Sense Calculation to Mo Hua:


    ¡°The Formation knowledge you have learned so far, whether it¡¯s Formation media, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivots, Formation eyes, Single Formations, or Compound Formations, is all based on the cognitive understanding of the Formation structure itself.¡±


    ¡°You must have noticed that, beyond the Formation structure, the essence of Formation effectiveness comes from the flow of Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°The Formation eye is the source of the flow of Spiritual Power, the Formation media is the carrier of this flow, and the Formation Patterns and Pivots are the trajectory of the flow.¡±


    ¡°The Heavenly Dao leads to the same goal by different paths, and just like other Cultivation Techniques and Taoist Skills, even in the practice of Tao Cultivation, Spiritual Power is the intrinsic essence.¡±


    ¡°The so-called Divine Sense Calculation is the deductive reconstruction of the Formation¡¯s Spiritual Power flow trajectory within the Sea of Consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Just as you would see someone else¡¯s state of Spiritual Power within your Divine Sense, Divine Sense Calculation is the detailed deduction of the Formation¡¯s Spiritual Power presence within your Divine Sense.¡±


    Mo Hua remembered that when he was in the Foggy Forest, he sensed the existence of the Fog Formation, which was why he could distinguish the directions.


    However, what he sensed at that time was only a vague impression of Formation Patterns, or more precisely, ghostly shadows of Spiritual Power in the form of Formation Patterns, and not the clear flow of Spiritual Power.


    Mo Hua timorously asked: ¡°What use is this?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, explaining patiently:


    ¡°First, it can deepen the understanding of Formations, letting you know what exactly Formation Patterns and Pivots are for, and how Spiritual Power passes through the Pivots and connects through the Patterns.¡±


    ¡°After all, Formation Patterns and Pivots are forms, and the flow of Spiritual Power is the essence.¡±


    ¡°If you understand this point, you would know why the same Formation, inherited differently and belonging to different schools, always varies slightly in the Formation Patterns¡¯ stroke work.¡±


    ¡°You would also understand why, for the same Formation, some Formation Masters¡¯ strokes differ every time they draw the Formation Patterns, without affecting the Formation¡¯s effectiveness; while for others, just one misaligned stroke can render the entire Formation useless.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up as he asked, ¡°So, although the former¡¯s Formation Patterns are different, they don¡¯t impede the flow of Spiritual Power, while the latter¡¯s single misaligned stroke disrupts the flow, causing the Formation to fail, right?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in approval and cautioned,


    ¡°Some conservative Formation Masters, who fail to grasp the essence of Formations, treat fixed Formation Patterns as if they were the Heavenly Dao itself, adhering rigidly to form and not allowing the addition or removal of a single stroke. Be sure not to follow in the footsteps of such blockheaded individuals.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded vigorously.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°Secondly, once you learn Divine Sense Calculation, by merely sensing the flow of Spiritual Power within a Formation with your Divine Sense, you can deduce its Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°Some Formations are deeply hidden, and you cannot discern their intricacies. Those Formations whose intricacies you cannot see are the most dangerous.¡±


    ¡°If you ever travel abroad and accidentally trigger someone else¡¯s Formation, being unable to see the Formation Patterns and guess the type of Formation, you would essentially have no choice but to sit and wait for death.¡±


    ¡°If you guess wrongly, mistaking a Killing Formation for an Illusion Array, the consequences would be equally severe.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly realized, ¡°So, learning to calculate, relying solely on the flow of Spiritual Power in the Formation, will allow one to see through any Formation, making it impossible for other Formation Masters to deal with you!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave a nod.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone as he whispered, ¡°Does that mean I could also sneakily learn other people¡¯s Formations?¡±


    If one could deduce the Formation Patterns simply from the Spiritual Power in the Formation, there would be no need for a Formation Diagram, and one could learn the Formation independently.


    In the future, if targeted by another Formation Master, one could even directly learn and use his Formation against him.


    ¡°Your Formation is powerful, but after a few glances, it becomes mine.¡±


    Mo Hua could already imagine the domineering air he would exude when uttering these words in the future.


    However, Mr. Zhuang shook his head.


    Mo Hua was sorely disappointed and asked regretfully, ¡°Can¡¯t I learn it secretly?¡±


    ¡°You can learn it, but it should not be termed ¡®learning secretly.''¡± Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled and said with righteous indignation, ¡°If it¡¯s acquired through one¡¯s own abilities and learned openly and aboveboard, how can it be considered ¡®learning secretly¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then also laughed, ¡°The gentleman is right!¡±


    ¡°The final use of Divine Sense Calculation, as I told you before, is to reverse-engineer the Spiritual Power through the Reversed Spirit Formation, causing the Formation Collapse, which unleashes destructive power that can only be described as terrifying.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze grew intense, and his tone became weightier.


    Mo Hua was shocked and curious, ¡°How powerful could it be?¡±


    ¡°It depends on the Formation¡¯s complexity. Ordinary Single Formations are not worth collapsing because their composition of Spiritual Power is too weak; common Compound Formations also do not need collapsing because their Formation Pivot structure is simple; only the more complex Compound Formations necessitate a collapse.¡±


    ¡°Based on this, the more complex the Formation and the stronger the Spiritual Power, the more formidable the power unleashed upon collapse.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, ¡°Can it overcome cultivators of a higher level? Could the collapse of a first-class Compound Formation kill a Foundation Building Cultivator?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua became excited, ¡°Then I¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Mo Hua felt an indescribable mix of emotions, ¡°Gentleman, I haven¡¯t said anything yet¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°I know what you were thinking without you saying it. You want to collapse a Compound Formation and harm a few Foundation Builders, right?¡±


    Mo Hua gave an embarrassed smile, ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible.¡±


    Seeing the puzzled look on Mo Hua¡¯s face, Mr. Zhuang said plainly,


    ¡°Your Divine Sense is not strong enough.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat shocked, ¡°Even the Divine Sense of a Foundation Builder is not sufficient?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°The reason so few Formation Masters learn Divine Sense Calculation is the sheer amount of Divine Sense consumed during Calculation, which is incredibly high.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m teaching you now because your Divine Sense has just barely reached the threshold for Foundation Establishment. But with your current Divine Sense, at most you could calculate simple first-class Compound Formations. The destructive power of such a collapse might injure Foundation Building Cultivators but would not be lethal.¡±


    The Divine Sense of a Foundation Builder, barely reaching the threshold¡­


    Mo Hua felt a tinge of disappointment.


    Mr. Zhuang said softly, ¡°I¡¯m teaching you Divine Sense Calculation not to have you collapse Formations, but to help you see through the essence of Formations, to better grasp them. This way, you won¡¯t endanger your life by falling into another Formation Master¡¯s Formation, unable to see through its intricacies¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then warmth filled his heart, and he said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, sir!¡±

 Chapter 313 - 312 Joyous Occasion_1

    Chapter 313: Chapter 312 Joyous Occasion_1


    Night had fallen, and after finishing his dinner, Mo Hua sat upright at his small desk.


    On the desk lay a first-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua began to utilize the Calculation Method of Divine Sense taught by Mr. Zhuang, starting to calculate the Formation Patterns of the Earth Fire Formation.


    There are two ways of Divine Sense Calculation: one is direct and the other, inverse.


    One method is to calculate the Formation Patterns into Spiritual Power.


    Based on the Formation Patterns of the Formation, one would calculate bit by bit, simulating the complete trajectory of the Formation¡¯s spiritual power flow within the Sea of Consciousness.


    This method of calculation allows one to clearly recognize the metaphysical Formation Patterns and the relationship with the inherent spiritual power, thus deepening the understanding of the essence of the Formation.


    After the calculation, one could even extrapolate from the Formation Patterns the cycle of birth and demise in the spiritual power flow of the Formation itself, much like capturing the essence of a painting or calligraphy, while ignoring its physical form.


    The other method of calculation is to derive the Formation Patterns from Spiritual Power.


    When encountering complex and tricky Formations, one could deduce the Formation Diagrams by sensing their spiritual power with Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help thinking that if he had known the Calculation Method of Divine Sense earlier, when he first entered the Foggy Forest, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to dig up tree roots to study the Formation, but he would have been able to deduce the complete Formation Diagram of the Fog Formation just by sensing the flow of its spiritual power.


    However, at that time his Divine Sense had not yet established a foundation, and he could not have learned to calculate.


    Divine Sense Calculation is an advanced method for utilizing Divine Sense and comprehending the Dao of Formations.


    Mo Hua planned to start with first-grade Formations, recalculating all the Formations he had learned one by one.


    This practice would not only exercise the method of calculation but also allow revisiting old knowledge to gain a deeper understanding of Formations.


    And the first Formation to recalibrate was the Earth Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua began to derive the trajectory of spiritual power of the Earth Fire Formation based on the Formation Patterns within his Sea of Consciousness.


    In the pale white Sea of Consciousness, faint blue trajectories of spiritual power emerged like fine threads, slowly but surely appearing, intertwining strand by strand, gradually sketching out an interconnected, cyclical and unending fledgling outline of the Formation¡¯s spiritual power trajectory.


    At the same time, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense poured out like a flood.


    The rate of consumption far exceeded Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    His Divine Sense seemed to be communicating with the profound and inscrutable Great Dao.


    The Great Dao is chaotic and obscure, full of everything and yet seemingly nothing, and just by sensing its presence, Divine Sense continued to pour out ceaselessly.


    Mo Hua was deeply shaken.


    While drawing Formations, he occasionally had this sensation.


    It seemed that he was not comprehending the Formation, but the embodiment of the Great Dao itself.


    The Divine Sense expended in learning a Formation was, in fact, in contemplation of some profound and elusive Great Dao.


    The more Mo Hua drew, the clearer this realization became.


    But his previous experiences were nowhere near as vivid as this current session of Divine Sense Calculation.


    And Mo Hua had never experienced such a rapid depletion of Divine Sense as now!


    By the time he had spent two hours and finally completed the calculation of the first-grade Earth Fire Formation, Mo Hua was shocked to discover that his Divine Sense had been completely exhausted.


    The Divine Sense of someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage was entirely spent on calculating a single Qi Refinement first-grade Formation¡­


    Mo Hua found it hard to believe.


    Mr. Zhuang had said that Divine Sense Calculation consumed a lot of Divine Sense, but Mo Hua had never imagined that it would consume so much!


    No wonder no Formation Masters bothered to learn it¡­


    Mo Hua felt somewhat contemplative, then a bit relieved.


    He was naturally weak and his Spiritual Root was lacking. The only strength he had was his Divine Sense, which even seemed a bit excessive.


    The method of calculating Formations consumed so much Divine Sense that others didn¡¯t have enough to learn it, but to Mo Hua, it was inconsequential, as he had plenty of Divine Sense to spare.


    This method of calculation was just right for him to learn.


    Mo Hua meditated to restore his Divine Sense, then reviewed what he gained and lost mentally. Afterward, he drew a new Earth Fire Formation and began to calculate it again.


    The structure of the Earth Fire Formation is uniform, with identical Formation Patterns, but the spiritual power flow of each actual drawing is different.


    Just as people all have two eyes and a nose, with similar layouts and structures, their specific appearances vastly differ.


    The same goes for Formations. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Therefore, each specific Formation has a different spiritual power operation, and needs to be recalculated.


    However, although the operation of spiritual power varies, in essence, it is the same Formation.


    Having successfully calculated one, the second one was much easier for Mo Hua to calculate.


    After that, Mo Hua tried to calculate several more Formations. When it was 1 p.m., he submerged his Divine Sense into his Sea of Consciousness and continued to practice the Reversed Spirit Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    He planned to practice calculations during the day and Formations at night.


    This was how Mo Hua had arranged his routine, but as he practiced, he suddenly rested his chin on his hand and mused to himself,


    ¡°The Taoist Stele can be used for Drawing Formations, I wonder if it can also be used for calculating Formations¡­¡±


    When calculating a Formation outside, the spiritual power trajectory materializes in the Sea of Consciousness.


    So if one were to calculate a Formation within the Sea of Consciousness, where would the spiritual power trajectory appear?


    Uncertain, Mo Hua decided to give it a try.


    He first drew a first-grade Melting Fire Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    The Melting Fire Formation was a new Formation that he had not yet calculated.


    Then Mo Hua sat in meditation, restoring his Divine Sense to fullness, and started to look at the Formation Patterns of the Melting Fire Formation, calculating them with his Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised to find that the Spirit Power Trajectory Diagram he had calculated appeared on the Taoist Stele!


    After a moment of thought, Mo Hua roughly understood.


    If this stele was called the ¡°Taoist Stele,¡± then what it displayed should be the essence, or the Dao of things, or say, formations.


    If the Formation Patterns could be displayed, then the essence of the spiritual power trajectories of the formations could naturally be displayed as well.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, then concentrated his mind and completed the calculation of the Melting Fire Formation.


    A complete Spirit Power Trajectory Diagram emerged on the Taoist Stele.


    Compared to the profound structures displayed by the Formation Patterns and Formation Pivot, the spiritual power trajectory was simpler, clearer, constantly flowing, endlessly cycling, with an indescribable charm of the Dao.


    Mo Hua gazed at the Spirit Power Trajectory Diagram on the Taoist Stele, lost in thought, and suddenly had a realization.


    Within the formation, the structural Formation Patterns and the essence of the spiritual power were an outer and inner layer, one complex, and one simple, one still and the other in motion, both complementing each other, like flesh and bone, constituting a complete formation.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, then hesitated before reaching out to erase the Spirit Power Trajectory Diagram.


    The moment the spiritual power trajectory disappeared, his surging Divine Sense retraced its path.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    His guess was indeed correct!


    If drawing formations on the Taoist Stele and then erasing them allowed for the retrace of Divine Sense, then calculating formations on the Taoist Stele and erasing the Spiritual Power Trajectory should also allow for the retrace of Divine Sense!


    If that was the case, then he could also go beyond the limitations of Divine Sense and tirelessly calculate more formations day and night!


    By constantly calculating, his understanding of formations would deepen without cease!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Divine Sense Calculation was difficult, but no matter how tough it was, as long as one kept practicing tirelessly day and night, there would eventually come a day of mastery.


    This was what Mr. Zhuang had taught him, and he must study well, so as not to disappoint Mr. Zhuang.


    At this thought, Mo Hua felt a twinge of sadness.


    Mr. Zhuang was leaving Tongxian City soon, and it was uncertain if they would ever meet again¡­


    Mo Hua sighed, hoping to master Divine Sense Calculation before his mentor¡¯s departure to surprise Mr. Zhuang.


    In the following half-month, aside from his cultivation practice, Mo Hua spent most of his time learning Divine Sense Calculation.


    There was one exception, however.


    That day, Ji Li and Fu Lan became Daoist partners.


    Everyone was happy, and after some hesitation, Mo Hua also happily gave himself a half-day off, following his parents to attend the Ji Family¡¯s wedding.


    With Black Mountain Stronghold destroyed and most Evil Cultivators executed, with any remaining ones being hunted, the turmoil seemed to be over, at least on the surface.


    For the foreseeable future, it was unlikely that Evil Cultivators could gain any significant strength again, perhaps not for at least one or two hundred years.


    Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City felt as if a burden had been lifted, and there were more caravans coming and going; the whole city became more bustling and prosperous.


    Ji Qingbai wished for his son Ji Li and Fu Lan to be married, fulfilling one of his own desires.


    For Cultivators to become Daoist partners was a significant event in their path of Tao Cultivation.


    The wedding was both solemn and intricate, and even for Loose Cultivators with modest means, while the ceremonies could be simplified, they could not be omitted.


    Moreover, the life of Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City had improved a lot.


    Although the Ji Family was from out of town, Ji Qingbai was strong in his cultivation, Ji Li was diligent and steadfast, and Fu Lan had work at the Fulu Building. In their time in Tongxian City, they had also managed to save some resources.


    As long as there was no oppression from Clans or exploitation from the Taoist Court, life would naturally get better and better.


    Ji Qingbai spent all his savings and, with the support of brothers and friends like Mo Shan, threw a lively and festive wedding for Ji Li at the Fulu Building.


    Mo Hua happily joined in the feast and festivities.


    This was his first time attending a Cultivator¡¯s wedding.


    The customs of welcoming the bride and the wedding procession were all new and festive to him.


    There were many customs Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand, but he didn¡¯t mind.


    He was simply there to join in the fun, following the crowd wherever it went, checking out wherever the festivities were liveliest.


    The small alley in front of the Ji Family¡¯s house was adorned with lanterns and bunting, filled with the sounds of drums and gongs, draped in red attire, lined with hanging lanterns, resounding with laughter, filled with joyous voices.


    Inside the Ji Family¡¯s main hall, Mo Hua watched as the newlyweds, dressed in red, performed the ceremonial bows.


    Ji Li was handsome and distinguished, while Fu Lan shone brightly.


    The two bowed to each other and exchanged glances, both flushed with red, looking well-matched.


    After bowing to heaven and earth, the banquet could begin.


    Just as Mo Hua was about to enjoy the feast, Ji Qingbai called out to him.


    Ji Qingbai told Mo Hua to sit properly and then called over Ji Li and Fu Lan, asking them to offer Mo Hua a cup of tea.


    Mo Hua was startled, about to get up, but Ji Qingbai held him down.


    ¡°Uncle Ji, how can I accept this?¡± Mo Hua said, troubled.


    Mo Shan also said, ¡°Brother Ji, Huar cannot accept such a tribute¡­¡±


    Ji Qingbai, however, shook his head, ¡°If he cannot accept it, then no one can.¡±

 Chapter 314 - 313: Wish_1

    Chapter 314: Chapter 313: Wish_1


    Ji Qingbai spoke with a solemn expression, continuing, ¡°Previously at Big Black Mountain, if it hadn¡¯t been for Mo Hua¡¯s assistance, our whole family might not have survived.¡±


    ¡°Later on, when Ji Li was nearly killed by a Sin Cultivator, it was also Mo Hua who saved him.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s Court Leader Lu and Kong Sheng, who died at Black Mountain Stronghold. Although I don¡¯t know what happened, I do know that it was Mo Hua who stepped in to help.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention, he drew so many formations for the Monster Hunters. Without those formations, the Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business wouldn¡¯t have been established, and the Monster Hunters going into the mountains to hunt monsters would have been much more dangerous¡­¡±


    ¡°Thanks to his formations, the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City are living better days, and we now have a safe place to live. Ji Li and Fu Lan, these two kids, were able to get married¡­¡±


    The more Ji Qingbai spoke, the more emotional he became, asserting firmly:


    ¡°This cup of tea must be offered!¡±


    Mo Shan declined, ¡°Brother Ji, Mo Hua is still young, he can¡¯t bear such honor¡­¡±


    Ji Qingbai insisted, ¡°He may be young, but he has achieved great things; he can handle the honor.¡±


    Mo Shan tried to refuse again, but Ji Li and Fu Lan had already solemnly brought the tea to Mo Hua.


    Unable to refuse, Mo Hua awkwardly accepted the tea and drank it.


    Only then did Ji Qingbai smile broadly and say:


    ¡°Mo Hua, you are the benefactor of our family. In the future, no matter what you need, even if it means walking through fire and boiling water, we will not hesitate to help.¡±


    Mo Hua, both amused and embarrassed, said, ¡°Uncle Ji, you flatter me too much.¡±


    Mo Shan also smiled somewhat helplessly.


    Fortunately, after the tea was drunk, there were no more formalities, and Mo Hua sighed with relief and happily went on to eat at the feast.


    The banquet was joyous and lively, with wine and meat abundant and delicious on the table.


    Mo Hua sat at a table with Da¡¯hu and three others, including Daping and Dazhu.


    The group of young friends were boisterous and thoroughly enjoyed their hearty meal.


    Amidst the clinking of cups, both hosts and guests were merry until the evening came, and then they dispersed.


    When Mo Hua was leaving, Ji Qingbai again personally saw him off with Ji Li and Fu Lan.


    Ji Qingbai was very happy and had drunk a lot. Ji Li and Fu Lan also held hands, their eyes brimming with smiles.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but think, if only everyone could always be this peaceful and joyful.


    Then he could also sponge meals with a happier heart.


    Ji Qingbai, having had too much to drink, repeated the thank-yous of the day over again. Ji Li was somewhat introverted and not good with words, but his eyes were full of gratitude when he looked at Mo Hua.


    Fu Lan then gave Mo Hua a wedding gift box:


    ¡°Here¡¯s a ¡®Wedding Cake¡¯ that I made with my own hands. If Mo Ge¡¯er doesn¡¯t disdain it, please take it home and try it.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled sweetly, ¡°Thank you, Sister Fu Lan!¡±


    Fu Lan saw Mo Hua happily accept the gift and smiled joyfully in return.


    The Wedding Cake was beautifully packaged and felt weighty.


    Mo Hua originally thought this ¡®Wedding Cake¡¯ was just one of the usual sweets found at weddings, something everyone would have, but upon returning home, he discovered that only he had received one.


    Liu Ruhua said, ¡°The Wedding Cake is handmade by the newlyweds, given to their most honored guests. The process is very complicated and the ingredients are carefully selected. Most cultivators might not get to taste a wedding cake in their whole life.¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Is it that precious?¡±


    Liu Ruhua nodded, ¡°It represents their deep sentiment and is also a blessing.¡±


    ¡°A blessing for what?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°Wishing that you will also find a harmonious and perfect marital match.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face turned a bit red, ¡°I¡¯m still too young for that, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°These things are best wished for early on.¡±


    ¡°So, do I eat it?¡± Mo Hua hesitated, ¡°Or should I keep it and treasure it?¡±


    He felt the sentiment behind the cake was so precious that he was reluctant to eat ¡ª it seemed better to keep it.


    Liu Ruhua laughed teasingly, ¡°A cake is meant to be eaten. It¡¯s your Sister Fu Lan¡¯s kind gesture, don¡¯t let it go to waste.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Mo Hua nodded, though still a little reluctant, he took out a piece and tried it, his eyes lighting up instantly.


    Delicious!


    The Wedding Cake, though plain on the outside, was soft and chewy on the inside. After biting into it, a variety of fillings were revealed, offering a rich and fragrant taste.


    It was both aromatic and sweet.


    Mo Hua offered a piece to his mother, ¡°Mom, you should try it too.¡±


    Liu Ruhua shook her head, smiling, ¡°As I¡¯m already married, there¡¯s no need for me to eat it.¡±


    ¡°Then, let it be a blessing for you and Dad to always be harmonious and joyful.¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s cheeks flushed, and she laughed, ¡°You¡¯re such a child¡­¡±


    But when Mo Hua insisted, she could not refuse and took a bite, nodding in approval:


    ¡°It really is good. Fu Lan is indeed deft and thoughtful.¡±


    Mo Hua also nodded in agreement; the Wedding Cake truly was delicious.


    Afterward, staring at the large box of Wedding Cake, he began to ponder how to share it.


    Such a rare treat deserved to be shared so everyone could enjoy the happiness.


    ¡°Mom has had hers; this piece will be for Dad.¡±


    ¡°Master Chen has been a bachelor all his life, I¡¯ll give him a piece and see if it might help him find a wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Feng probably won¡¯t be looking for a wife, but let¡¯s give him a taste too,¡±


    ¡°Elder Yu¡­ He¡¯s already got two sons, let¡¯s just forget it¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhang Lan, although he appears dashing, is actually a loner. He¡¯s a decent person, so let¡¯s give him one too.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Leader Yang, as the commander of the Taoist Soldiers, probably finds it hard to find a partner¡­ And since we¡¯ve given one to Uncle Zhang, naturally we should give one to him too, can¡¯t be biased¡­¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s Da¡¯hu and the others¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also Mr. Zhuang¡¯s place¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua muttered to himself, arranging for everyone to get one.


    Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sight.


    The next day, Mo Hua made a round trip through Tongxian City, distributing the Wedding Cake.


    Some simply found the Wedding Cakes delicious, others thanked Mo Hua for his well-wishes, there were also those with complex expressions, and of course, those who didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry¡­


    After Mo Hua had made his rounds, he still had about half left, which he packed into a gift box and delivered to Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Wedding Cake?¡± Mr. Zhuang was somewhat surprised.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It¡¯s said to wish people joy and harmony, and a blissful marriage.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused, his expression shifting several times.


    Mo Hua quietly observed and confirmed that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s reaction belonged to those who didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry.


    ¡°Gentleman, would you like to try some?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated, but in the end did not refuse Mo Hua¡¯s kindness and tried a piece, then nodded slightly:


    ¡°Indeed, it tastes good.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled.


    Mr. Zhuang wanted to say something more, but the corner of his eye caught the sight of the red gift box and the double ¡°happiness¡± character on it. His expression showed a moment of melancholy, and a trace of guilt flashed through his eyes.


    There¡¯s a story!


    Mo Hua was astonished; he rarely saw Mr. Zhuang display such emotion.


    Mo Hua really wanted to ask, but didn¡¯t quite have the nerve to.


    Even if he asked, the gentleman surely wouldn¡¯t tell.


    But not asking left Mo Hua extremely curious.


    Mo Hua held back his curiosity¡­ but ultimately couldn¡¯t resist. His eyes lit up, and he whispered, ¡°Gentleman¡­¡±


    Before he could ask, Mr. Zhuang tapped on his little head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, not in a tone of reprimand, but with a hint of helplessness.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua quickly took the hint and didn¡¯t ask any further.


    After leaving the bamboo hut, Mo Hua delivered the other half of the Wedding Cakes to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zisheng, who usually wasn¡¯t fond of sweets, also tried a piece and nodded in approval, ¡°It¡¯s really delicious.¡±


    The rest of the Wedding Cakes were given to Bai Zixi.


    After thanking him, Bai Zixi sat under a clean white pagoda tree, nibbling on the cakes. After a moment, she asked Mo Hua in a melodious voice:


    ¡°How are these Wedding Cakes made?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ it¡¯s quite complicated anyway.¡±


    ¡°Does Aunt Liu know how to make them?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes brightened.


    ¡°But my mother won¡¯t make them,¡± Mo Hua added.


    Bai Zixi was stunned, a puzzled look in her eyes, ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Wedding Cakes have a special significance, they are only made when cultivators marry.¡±


    Bai Zixi took another bite of the Wedding Cake and raised her head to ask:


    ¡°Is anyone getting married soon in your family?¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s expression showed a tinge of disappointment.


    She glanced at the cakes and then asked, ¡°Have you tasted them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a piece,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Tasting one piece was enough to partake in the happiness.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s fair little hand reached out, took a piece of cake from the box, and offered it to Mo Hua, ¡°Let¡¯s eat it together.¡±


    After running around all day, Mo Hua was a bit hungry, so he took the cake and started eating.


    The mountain breeze blew gently, rippling the water in the pond, smoothing the tender grass, carrying the tranquil fragrance of the pagoda tree through the mountain dwelling.


    Bai Zisheng lay on the grass, idly flipping through a book.


    Mo Hua and Bai Zixi, two children as delicate as carved jade, sat under the tree, quietly eating the Wedding Cakes.


    Snow-white pagoda blossoms floated overhead, and a big red gift box sat in front of them.

 Chapter 315 - 314 Collapse_1

    Chapter 315: Chapter 314 Collapse_1


    The days that followed were as calm as water. With tireless effort day and night, Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense calculation ability also grew by the day.


    Until one day, he suddenly thought of a question:


    ¡°Can I try to make the formation collapse?¡±


    Although Mr. Zhuang taught him divine sense calculation, it wasn¡¯t for him to collapse formations, but since he had learned calculation, he had to try it out.


    Mo Hua wanted to see what formation collapse was really like.


    Even Mr. Zhuang found the power of annihilation, which occurred during formation collapse, unthinkable. Just how strong could it truly be?


    The principle of formation collapse wasn¡¯t difficult; the challenging part was learning the Reversed Spirit Formation and Divine Sense Calculation.


    Mo Hua had now learned the Reversed Spirit Formation and, though not yet a master of divine sense calculation, he had become much more proficient after so many days of practice, and he had basically acquired the foundation needed to collapse a formation.


    Still not completely confident, Mo Hua went back to Mr. Zhuang and cautiously inquired about the precautions of formation collapse.


    Mr. Zhuang saw through the motive behind Mo Hua¡¯s questioning at a glance, but he didn¡¯t mind.


    Having curiosity is a good thing.


    If one had no curiosity about formations, no thirst for knowledge, it would be easy to become numb from the tedium of formations on the long road of Tao cultivation, losing the initial drive to explore the Dao of Formation.


    Besides, learning formation collapse wasn¡¯t that easy.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s current divine sense, being able to calculate and collapse a first-grade single formation would be impressive.


    The power of a first-grade single formation collapse, though not weak, was not overwhelmingly strong either. Even if he made a mistake while experimenting on his own, it was unlikely to pose a threat to his life.


    Mr. Zhuang then offered his guidance:


    ¡°Formation collapse is built upon the foundation of divine sense calculation.¡±


    ¡°First calculate the spiritual power trajectory of the formation, and then base on that trajectory, lay down the Reversed Spirit Formation on the formation pivot.¡±


    ¡°When you activate the formation afterward, the spiritual power will circulate through the formation pivot and be successively unraveled by the Reversed Spirit Formation, thereby inducing the great formation dissolution and generating a force close to the origin of the Great Dao, the power of annihilation¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mr. Zhuang explained everything in great detail.


    Mo Hua memorized Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words carefully, then found an opportunity to run into Big Black Mountain to begin experimenting with formation collapse.


    The formation he was collapsing was still the Earth Fire Formation of the first-grade.


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense was at Foundation Establishment, he couldn¡¯t calculate too complex of a formation; he had to start with a common first-grade formation method.


    Mo Hua set up the Earth Fire Formation, spending some time calculating the spiritual power trajectory. Following the trajectory, he then drew the Reversed Spirit Formation on the formation pivot in sequence.


    After a lot of effort, Mo Hua finally got everything prepared.


    Everything was ready, except for activating the formation.


    Mo Hua placed the spirit stones on the formation and then ran far away.


    He didn¡¯t know how powerful the formation collapse would be, so to be safe, it was better to stay far away.


    Mo Hua cast a Fireball Technique, precisely shattering the spirit stones, causing spiritual energy to overflow and enter the Earth Fire Formation.


    There was a flash of light on the formation, which then disappeared in an instant.


    From a distance, Mo Hua only noticed the formation light up briefly before everything went silent.


    There was no explosion, no sound, no sign of spiritual power fluctuations; it was as though he had lit a firecracker that failed to go off¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Had the collapse failed?


    Or was there an error in the calculation?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand and didn¡¯t dare to rashly approach. After waiting a while longer and seeing no changes, he released his divine sense but could not perceive even a hint of spiritual power circulation. Only then did he approach to check.


    With just one glance, Mo Hua furrowed his brows, his confusion deepening.


    The formation was gone!


    Nothing was left in its place.


    Only the stones that had carried the formation had turned into a pile of fine dust, which dispersed with a gust of wind.


    ¡°So this is¡­ a success?¡±


    The formation had collapsed, quite completely at that; everything was gone, including the formation media, which had turned to dust.


    But is collapse¡­ supposed to be like this?


    Uncertain, Mo Hua tried again.


    Once more, after setting up the formation and following divine sense calculation, he drew the Reversed Spirit Formation on the formation pivot before activating the formation.


    This time, Mo Hua didn¡¯t run far. He observed while releasing his divine sense, focusing intently on the changes occurring during the formation¡¯s collapse.


    This time, he finally saw clearly what happened.


    The moment the formation was activated, the spiritual power began to flow, starting from the formation pivot, connecting to the formation patterns. But when the spiritual power reached the Reversed Spirit Formation, it was disassembled.


    The pale blue spiritual power didn¡¯t become more subtle after disassembly. Instead, it turned into a completely different form of spiritual power, faintly edged with fine streaks of black, emitting an aura of oblivion, dissolving and subsequently annihilating everything it touched.


    The process was terrifying to the extreme and yet silent.


    No, even the sound had been annihilated! That¡¯s why it was so silent¡­


    Mo Hua was greatly shocked in his heart.


    This was unlike any form of spiritual power he had ever seen before.


    Cultivators typically use spiritual power to drive Taoist skills, forming mysterious forces such as the Five Elements and Three Wonders. If that process is in the positive direction, then the power of annihilation he saw now would be the reverse.


    It was a form of spiritual power that existed outside the usual framework of a cultivator¡¯s spiritual power.


    It was the Power of Annihilation that approached the source of the Great Dao, as Mr. Zhuang had said¡­


    When Mo Hua first heard this, he understood but did not comprehend fully; now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he could truly appreciate the terror of this Power of Annihilation that was close to the source.


    The only problem was, the range of annihilation was too small¡­


    When a Formation explodes, the spiritual power is dispersed outward; when a Formation collapses, the spiritual power concentrates inward.


    The Earth Fire Formation in front of him, if its normal explosion was the size of a large watermelon, then its range of annihilation would only be the size of a small hawthorn.


    To use this against an enemy, you must tie the enemy to the Formation itself; otherwise, it certainly won¡¯t hurt them.


    Even if it did cause injury, injuring an arm or a leg would not be of much significance.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    No wonder Mr. Zhuang had no hesitation in telling him about this dangerous annihilation method.


    With his current Divine Sense, he could only annihilate ordinary First-grade Single Formations.


    And just as Mr. Zhuang had said, ¡°Ordinary Single Formations are not worth annihilating because their spiritual power structure is too weak¡­¡±


    With a weak spiritual power structure, the power produced by the annihilation of spiritual power is indeed special, but the scale is too small to pose much threat.


    And Formations with a strong spiritual power structure are at least the more complex Compound Formations.


    With his current Divine Sense, he was unable to perform Calculations for Compound Formations.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed as he had initially thought that if the power of Formation Collapse was strong enough, he would have gained a much more lethal trump card.


    This way, even if facing a Foundation Building Cultivator, he wouldn¡¯t be helpless.


    The Householder of Black Mountain Stronghold and the third Householder still had not been captured to this date. If they were left to roam free, they would undoubtedly become a major hidden danger in the future.


    If he could learn to Collapse Formations, he would have some means of dealing with them when he encountered them.


    But now it seemed his thoughts were too simplistic.


    The power to threaten a Foundation Building Cultivator was not so easily obtained¡­


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    Since that was the case, he stopped dwelling on it and calmly practiced Divine Sense Calculation, to increase his understanding of Formations through Calculation.


    ¡°One should not be too greedy; it¡¯s good enough to learn Calculations well, and leave Collapse for later,¡± Mo Hua warned himself in his heart.


    That was what he had planned to do¡­


    Until two days later, at 1 p.m., when Mo Hua delved into his Sea of Consciousness and practiced Calculations on the Taoist Stele, he suddenly froze.


    Mo Hua looked at the Taoist Stele, slowly furrowing his brows.


    There were two Spirit Power Trajectory Diagrams on the Taoist Stele after Calculations.


    One was what he had just calculated, and the other was one he had calculated before but forgotten to erase.


    At that moment, both Spirit Power Trajectory Diagrams coexisted on the Taoist Stele.


    A question naturally emerged in Mo Hua¡¯s mind:


    ¡°Formation Painting requires ¡®conception in a single thought¡¯. Is Divine Sense Calculation the same?¡±


    What ¡®conception in a single thought¡¯ means is that all the Patterns of a Single Formation or the complete Pivot of a Compound Formation need to be drawn out continuously and in one breath by Divine Thought; otherwise, the Formation will not activate.


    Mo Hua, with preconceived ideas, always thought Divine Sense Calculation was the same, but now it seemed there was no such requirement for Divine Sense Calculation.


    You can perform Calculations for a Formation today and continue tomorrow. As long as what forms in the Sea of Consciousness in the end is a complete Spirit Power Trajectory Diagram, that¡¯s enough.


    In other words, for a Compound Formation, you could also carry out Calculations for each Single Formation one by one and then piece them together to form a complete Spirit Power Trajectory of the Compound Formation.


    Divine Sense Calculation does not need to be completed in one go. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thought about it and roughly understood.


    Because a Formation is an objective flow of spiritual energy, the Spirit Power Trajectory Diagram from Divine Sense Calculation is actually a recognition of the Formation.


    Whether or not you manage to perform the Calculation, the Formation exists. It¡¯s just that you might not be able to recognize the essence of the Formation.


    With this realization, Mo Hua was completely stunned.


    His Taoist Stele could trace back his Divine Sense.


    This meant that he could genuinely calculate Formations without limit by using the Taoist Stele.


    It also meant that not just Single Formations but even the most complex Compound Formations or Large Formations could be calculated bit by bit, given enough time.


    Being able to calculate Compound or Large Formations meant¡­


    He could cause Compound or Great Formation Dissolution, thereby truly possessing the tremendous power to annihilate a Foundation Establishing Cultivator!

 Chapter 316 - 315 Farewell_1

    Chapter 316: Chapter 315 Farewell_1


    But is it really that simple?


    Mo Hua went to ask Mr. Zhuang again.


    ¡°Gentleman, for Formation Calculation, don¡¯t you have to calculate it all at once?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    ¡°Can you calculate a little each day?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, ¡°You can.¡±


    That¡¯s indeed the case.


    Mo Hua sighed. He had jumped to conclusions and fallen into a trap. If he had asked Mr. Zhuang earlier, he could have understood this sooner¡­


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Then in that case, collapsing a Formation doesn¡¯t seem so difficult¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression became subtly complicated, and he couldn¡¯t help saying, Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You can say that here, but don¡¯t say it outside, or you¡¯ll get beaten up¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°Why?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said helplessly, ¡°The biggest difficulty in collapsing Formations lies in the Reversed Spirit Formation and Divine Sense Calculation.¡±


    ¡°A First Grade Reversed Spirit Formation has ten Patterns, exceeding ordinary Formation specifications. The same is true for Second Grade and above; there are only a handful of Formation Masters in this world who can master these Formations.¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense Calculation also requires a vast Divine Sense as a foundation. An average Formation Master doesn¡¯t have sufficient Divine Sense to even qualify for Calculation. If they force themselves to Calculate, their Sea of Consciousness will dry up instantly.¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense Calculation doesn¡¯t need to be done in one thought; you can calculate bit by bit, but even so, it requires an immense amount of Divine Sense and a great deal of time.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, for a Formation Master, if they don¡¯t know the Reversed Spirit Formation, they can¡¯t start to collapse a Formation. Even if they learn the Reversed Spirit Formation, they may not have the Divine Sense to Calculate; even if they have the Divine Sense to Calculate, they won¡¯t have enough time. If they can¡¯t Calculate, naturally, they also can¡¯t collapse it¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it that difficult?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, ¡°I thought, since Divine Sense Calculation doesn¡¯t need to be done in one thought, collapsing a Formation would be easy¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and sighed, ¡°You kid, now you¡¯re somewhat blithely uninformed¡­¡±


    Not everyone has such strong Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua smiled sheepishly.


    Then he asked softly, ¡°Gentleman, is there any danger in collapsing a Compound Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua in surprise, ¡°Have you collapsed a Formation before?¡±


    Mo Hua knew he couldn¡¯t deceive Mr. Zhuang, so he told the truth, ¡°I collapsed a First Grade Earth Fire Formation.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly.


    He had guessed that Mo Hua would learn quickly, but he hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua to actually learn this fast.


    He had only mentioned the method of collapsing Formations briefly, yet Mo Hua had managed to figure it out on his own.


    For a moment, Mr. Zhuang hesitated, not sure whether he should continue teaching.


    Divine Sense Calculation, Formation Collapse.


    This was already way beyond the standard¡­


    He had never thought that in his life he would teach these things to a disciple, especially to a Qi Refinement Realm nominal disciple¡­


    Mr. Zhuang was indecisive, looking at Mo Hua, conceiving of something. After a moment, his eyes slightly brightened, as if he had made a decision.


    ¡°Gentleman?¡± Mo Hua said softly.


    Mr. Zhuang snapped back to reality and thought for a moment before saying:


    ¡°To collapse a Compound Formation, the method is still the same. Just be careful not to get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°Not to get myself killed?¡± Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°Can just running away do the job?¡±


    ¡°Either run far away or leave yourself a Life-gate,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    ¡°Life-gate¡­ What does that mean?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Do you remember what I told you about the Great Dao giving rise to life and destruction?¡±


    Mo nodded.


    ¡°The Great Dao brings life as well as destruction; where there is destruction, there is life. The collapse of a Formation is destruction, and calculating the Life-gate is creation. A Formation Master can use a Formation to kill enemies, but if they don¡¯t leave a Life-gate, they¡¯ll be fools if they get killed by their own Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua definitely didn¡¯t want to be that fool, so he earnestly sought advice:


    ¡°How do I leave a Life-gate?¡±


    ¡°When calculating with Divine Sense, carefully sense where the Spiritual Power of the Formation Pivot is the weakest; that¡¯s the Life-gate. Don¡¯t form a Reversed Spirit Formation near the Life-gate.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and added, ¡°Does collapsing a Single Formation also involve a Life-gate?¡±


    ¡°A Single Formation has too weak a structure of Spiritual Power, and the force of collapse is too small. There is a Life-gate, but the range is also small; it¡¯s almost the same as not having one at all. Only consider a Life-gate when collapsing Compound Formations and above.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Gentleman!¡±


    Mo Hua had no other questions and didn¡¯t want to disturb the Gentleman¡¯s rest anymore. He stood up to take his leave.


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang sat in the bamboo chair in silence for a long time.


    Old Kui appeared silently behind Mr. Zhuang and said indifferently, ¡°If you keep teaching him, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to leave.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang responded with a wry smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to learn so quickly.¡±


    ¡°How much longer?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression grew somber, ¡°It should be¡­ soon¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you waiting for the kid Mo Hua to learn how to collapse Compound Formations?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°This is already beyond the scope of what he should be learning at this stage, it doesn¡¯t matter whether he learns it or not.¡±


    ¡°I was worried that once I left, there would be no one to teach him these things. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve taught him everything ahead of time. I just didn¡¯t expect that whatever I taught him, he could actually learn, and moreover, learn it really well¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was somewhat complex and full of emotion. He then continued in a different tone:


    ¡°However, the collapse of a Compound Formation is different, it requires the consumption of a great deal of Divine Sense. Mo Hua shouldn¡¯t be able to learn that in a short time.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Old Kui said woodenly.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded but stopped as the words reached his lips.


    Could he really not learn it?


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated, recalling all that Mo Hua had done so far, he was suddenly not so sure.


    This named disciple of his seemed indeed not to conform to common logic¡­


    After returning, Mo Hua began eagerly to try collapsing Compound Formations, as well as performing Calculations for the Life-gate.


    The harder the Formation, the more interesting it was.


    Moreover, the collapse of a Compound Formation was something that could harm Foundation Building Cultivators!


    However, Mo Hua only realized after trying that performing Calculations for Compound Formations indeed required too much Divine Sense.


    Even with the help of the Taoist Stele, which allowed retrospective tracking of Divine Sense after completion, it still required a lot of time, and was not something that could be finished overnight.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful, but quickly adjusted his attitude.


    If the power of collapsing a Compound Formation was truly that strong, then it was only right to spend more Divine Sense and time on it.


    Mo Hua then began patiently calculating the Formation Patterns of the Compound Formation, one by one.


    Several days later, Mo Hua was sitting in a food establishment calculating Formations when a burly Cultivator with square brows and eyes walked in.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense stirred, and he looked up to see, a bit surprised, ¡°Leader Yang?¡±


    Leader Yang revealed a friendly smile, ¡°Little Mr. Mo, Drawing Formations, I see?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, then called out, ¡°Leader Yang, please have a seat.¡±


    Leader Yang took a seat next to Mo Hua and pretended to be displeased:


    ¡°I¡¯ve said there¡¯s no need to be so formal, just call me Uncle Yang.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh,¡± Mo Hua remembered and smiled while calling out ¡°Uncle Yang.¡±


    Leader Yang grinned and nodded.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Uncle Yang, do you need something from me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to leave and wanted to hold a farewell banquet, so I especially came to invite you,¡± Leader Yang stated his purpose.


    ¡°Uncle Yang, you¡¯re too kind.¡± Mo Hua said, and then realized something was amiss, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we organize a banquet for you and then invite you?¡±


    How did it become you holding a banquet and inviting me¡­?


    Leader Yang waved his hand, ¡°That¡¯s a trivial matter, don¡¯t mind it.¡±


    Mo Hua looked puzzled and glanced at Leader Yang skeptically, ¡°Is there something going on?¡±


    ¡°A small matter, I¡¯ll tell you later.¡±


    Leader Yang didn¡¯t want to speak, so Mo Hua didn¡¯t press further.


    He remembered another issue and asked in a low voice, ¡°Were the Householder and the third one captured?¡±


    After Black Mountain Stronghold was destroyed, most of the Evil Cultivators were either killed or captured; the rest, being insignificant figures, even if they fled, couldn¡¯t stir up much trouble anymore.


    But the Householder and the third one were different.


    One was the leader of Black Mountain Stronghold, the main culprit who established the stronghold, gathered Evil Cultivators, and reigned over an area, committing evil deeds for hundreds of years.


    The other was a genuine Second Grade Evil Formation Master, with Foundation Establishment Realm strength, skillful in Drawing Evil Formations, and possibly other unknown techniques at his disposal.


    Without capturing these two, Mo Hua always felt somewhat uneasy.


    Leader Yang¡¯s expression darkened and he spoke in a lower voice to Mo Hua:


    ¡°We¡¯ve searched the mountains for days, capturing most Evil Cultivators, with hardly any slip-ups. But the Householder and the third one, not a single trace found.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he furrowed his brows, ¡°They¡¯re in the mountains, could they still have a place to hide?¡±


    Leader Yang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking too. But the mountain is vast, there are Second Grade Monster Beasts, and we are not familiar with the terrain, so we can¡¯t search too boldly.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, they¡¯re both at the Foundation Establishment, and if they want to evade our search, it¡¯s all too easy.¡±


    Leader Yang sighed, ¡°The deployment of the Taoist Soldiers has a time limit, and now that time is nearly up, we can¡¯t continue to search indefinitely.¡±


    ¡°The rest is up to the Taoist Court and Elder Yu.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I understand, thank you, Uncle Yang!¡±


    ¡°What are you thanking me for?¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his gratitude, ¡°Without Uncle Yang leading the Taoist Soldiers in this eradication of Black Mountain Stronghold, there would likely be numerous casualties among the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City. Now that we¡¯ve successfully breached the stronghold, naturally I owe a great deal of thanks to Uncle Yang.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I should do, there¡¯s no need for thanks!¡±


    Leader Yang appeared indifferent, but he was nonetheless pleased to be appreciated by Mo Hua, and the corners of his eyes betrayed a hint of pride he couldn¡¯t quite hide.


    After talking casually for a few moments, Leader Yang stood up to leave.


    ¡°Tomorrow at noon, at the Spiritual Meal Building in the north city, make sure you remember to come!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Certainly, certainly!¡±

 Chapter 317 - 316: Clues_1

    Chapter 317: Chapter 316: Clues_1


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua quite liked the idea of being able to eat and drink blatantly for free, so naturally he turned no one away.


    The next day at noon, Mo Hua set out to attend the banquet.


    Leader Yang seemed to have invited quite a number of people, including officials from the Taoist Court and the Taoist soldiers Court, as well as many Monster Hunters.


    Mo Hua¡¯s father, Mo Shan, also went, but he arrived early, as he left with Elder Yu, likely because they had matters to discuss.


    Mo Hua practiced his Formation Patterns a few times and calculated some Compound Formations before setting out, so he was a bit late, but he should arrive just in time for the start of the feast.


    As Mo Hua walked along the road, who would have thought that he¡¯d run into Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan was swinging around with a reluctant expression, seemingly heading in the same direction.


    Mo Hua greeted him, and upon hearing someone calling him and seeing it was Mo Hua, Zhang Lan perked up and joined him.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Uncle Zhang, are you also going freeload some food?¡±


    Zhang Lan corrected, ¡°It¡¯s called attending a banquet, not freeloading!¡±


    ¡°You can say it that way too.¡±


    Zhang Lan clearly disagreed, but then he thought for a moment and realized that attending a banquet and freeloading seemed to be pretty much the same thing.


    The streets were quite lively at noon.


    They strolled and walked together.


    Suddenly remembering something, Mo Hua quietly inquired:


    ¡°Is there any new news about Black Mountain Stronghold?¡±


    Zhang Lan was a bit surprised, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the second Householder arrested? Did he say anything?¡±


    Zhang Lan looked around, noting the busy surroundings and that no one was eavesdropping, then whispered to Mo Hua:


    ¡°The second Householder is bloodthirsty and has lost his sanity. He only reacts to a few names, and knows nothing else. After inquiring for about ten days, we got nothing from him.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    Zhang Lan raised an eyebrow, asking in a low voice, ¡°Do you still suspect something?¡±


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to check for safety, then also whispered:


    ¡°I suspect there are people behind Black Mountain Stronghold¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes narrowed, but he was not surprised.


    Mo Hua was taken aback. ¡°Uncle Zhang, do you think the same?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°The power of Black Mountain Stronghold is too great, and it has been entrenched here so long. It¡¯s hardly possible without local support.¡±


    Mo Hua directly asked, ¡°Could it be the Qian Family?¡±


    Zhang Lan queried, ¡°Do you know what exactly the Qian Family has done?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a while, then shook his head.


    He had also thought about it when he had spare time, but after much consideration, he found no connection between the Qian Family and Black Mountain Stronghold.


    There were no exchanges of Spirit Stones between the Qian Family and Black Mountain Stronghold, nor had the Qian Family hired Evil Cultivators of the stronghold to kill for them, and there were no cultivators from the Qian Family hiding in the stronghold.


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°In situations like this, anyone can be suspected, even the Taoist Court, Elder Yu, and even me, Zhang Lan. You should try to guess¡­¡±


    ¡°But when you come to a conclusion, you must be cautious and base your judgment on evidence, or else it¡¯s easy to make mistakes.¡±


    Mo Hua knew Zhang Lan was guiding him, and he nodded seriously, ¡°Uncle Zhang, I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    This child really catches on to things quickly¡­


    Zhang Lan nodded slightly, feeling gratified yet a little bittersweet.


    If it continued like this, he wouldn¡¯t have much left to teach Mo Hua, and naturally, he wouldn¡¯t have anything to show off in front of him either.


    It seems like I really need to reach Foundation Establishment soon. Otherwise, I won¡¯t just lose face in front of Mo Hua; even in front of that young fellow Yang Jiyong, I¡¯ll hardly be able to hold my head high¡­


    Zhang Lan lamented inwardly.


    Mo Hua, unaware of Zhang Lan¡¯s thoughts, was still troubled by the matter of Black Mountain Stronghold:


    ¡°If it¡¯s not the Qian Family, who could it be? What dealings could they possibly have with Black Mountain Stronghold? What exactly have they done to help Black Mountain Stronghold?¡±


    As Mo Hua walked and pondered, the two of them arrived at the Spiritual Meal Building.


    Mo Hua temporarily set aside his questions and went up the building with Zhang Lan.


    The farewell banquet was lavish, and many guests were present, most of them acquaintances of Mo Hua.


    Feeling at ease, Mo Hua took a seat and waited for everyone to start using their chopsticks before he happily began to eat.


    Leader Yang sat beside Mo Hua, leaned over and asked quietly:


    ¡°Mo Hua, have you given it some thought? Would you like to join the Taoist soldiers Court?¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at his father, Mo Shan.


    Leader Yang continued, ¡°I asked Brother Mo Shan, and he said it¡¯s all up to you. He won¡¯t interfere.¡±


    Zhang Lan then muttered, ¡°Still harboring ill-intentions, what a thick face!¡±


    Leader Yang said, ¡°This is a great opportunity¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about the Taoist soldiers Court?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than your Taoist Court anyway¡­¡±


    The elderly Court Leader from the Taoist Court kept to himself, pretending he hadn¡¯t heard a thing, yet he couldn¡¯t help but cough.


    Realizing his gaffe, Leader Yang apologized to the Court Leader:


    ¡°I meant Zhang Lan is lacking, not the Taoist Court. Lord Court Leader, please don¡¯t take offense.¡±


    The Court Leader didn¡¯t react, but Zhang Lan retorted:


    ¡°Yang, don¡¯t push it, or I¡¯ll spill your embarrassing incidents right in front of our Court Leader¡­¡±


    ¡°You think you don¡¯t have embarrassing incidents? Who¡¯s afraid of who?¡±


    The two resumed their bickering.


    Fortunately, with many guests around and everyone toasting and enjoying themselves, the atmosphere was generally harmonious.


    Initially, Mo Hua listened to their bickering, but realizing it was about trivial matters, and being hungry himself, he just ate to his heart¡¯s content, ignoring them.


    Leader Yang and Zhang Lan argued for a while before Leader Yang remembered that he had been so preoccupied with his spat that he had nearly forgotten the important matter.


    He looked intently at Mo Hua again.


    Engrossed in his meal, Mo Hua saw Leader Yang¡¯s look, felt obligated for the free meal, and had trouble outright declining, so he responded tactfully:


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Uncle Yang, I still want to study formations. Once I¡¯ve made progress in formations, then I¡¯ll consider whether or not to join the Taoist soldiers,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Mo Hua had thought that Leader Yang wouldn¡¯t be too pleased, but to his surprise, Leader Yang¡¯s eyes brightened, and he exclaimed in admiration,


    ¡°That is exactly how it should be! A Formation Master wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao, focusing on the study of formations, is truly following the Righteous Dao. Joining the Taoist soldiers Court can wait, and even if, in the future, you¡¯ve made achievements in formations and don¡¯t wish to join, it¡¯s not a big deal¡­¡±


    Leader Yang smiled kindly, revealing his hidden agenda:


    ¡°You could directly join the Yang Family as well¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan scoffed and spat disdainfully, ¡°Are you so drunk from a few cups of wine that you¡¯re dreaming in broad daylight? If he¡¯s joining anyone, it¡¯ll be the Zhang Family. When is it your turn?¡±


    ¡°My Yang Family is a major clan¡­¡±


    ¡°And the Zhang Family isn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue with you.¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯m eager to argue with you?¡±


    ¡­


    The two began to argue once again.


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly and resumed focusing on his own meal.


    When the feast ended, and everyone dispersed, Mo Hua left feeling quite full.


    As they reached the ground floor, the group exchanged a few pleasantries, about to part ways.


    In a few days, Leader Yang would lead his troops away. The long and arduous path of Tao cultivation lay ahead, and who knew when they would meet again.


    As their departure was imminent, Zhang Lan stopped arguing with Leader Yang.


    On behalf of the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City, Elder Yu presented some gifts to Leader Yang, cupping his fists in thanks,


    ¡°This time, it was all thanks to Leader Yang¡¯s strategic command, and the valiant and adept fighting of the Taoist soldiers, that the Black Mountain Stronghold was eradicated, securing the peace of Tongxian City.¡±


    ¡°It was but a trifle; Elder Yu is too courteous,¡± Leader Yang replied, returning the gesture.


    Then he added, ¡°Moreover, if we speak of this matter, we truly owe a great deal to Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but give him a reproachful look, ¡°Enough is enough¡­¡±


    Was he not just trying to coax Mo Hua into joining the Taoist soldiers Court with endless praise?


    ¡°I¡¯m not being long-winded,¡± Leader Yang said gravely,


    ¡°In combat, formations are of utmost importance. Without Mo Hua, the Formation Master, the eradication of Black Mountain Stronghold would have indeed been a great struggle.¡±


    Court Leader Zhou thought it over, sighed, and nodded in agreement, sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Leader Yang isn¡¯t wrong. We were fortunate that this young man is a Formation Master; otherwise, we never would have discovered the mountain path hidden among the cliffs, seen through the reality of Foggy Forest, or found the concealed gate to Black Mountain Stronghold, not to mention breaching the Stronghold fortified by layer upon layer of formations¡­¡±


    Court Leader Zhou followed with his own round of praise.


    Elder Yu nodded in proud agreement.


    Mo Hua, the child of a Monster Hunter, felt it inappropriate to join in the praises, so he simply nodded modestly in accord.


    Mo Shan was a bit embarrassed, ¡°You both give me too much credit.¡±


    However, as Mo Hua was his son, and hearing him praised by two of the Foundation Building Cultivators, he felt extremely proud inside.


    After bidding each other farewell, Mo Hua followed Mo Shan back home.


    The streets around them were bustling and noisy, with the market town laid out in a grid.


    Walking down the street, Mo Hua remembered the words of praise from Leader Yang and Court Leader Zhou, feeling happy inside and wearing a beaming smile on his face.


    But as he smiled, Mo Hua suddenly felt a throb of unease.


    Something didn¡¯t seem right.


    He felt as though he had realized something, but couldn¡¯t quite grasp the clarity of thought.


    Mo Hua thought over the words of Leader Yang and Court Leader Zhou again.


    ¡°¡­Without Mo Hua, the Formation Master, the eradication of Black Mountain Stronghold would have indeed been a great struggle¡­¡±


    Without a Formation Master¡­ eradicating Black Mountain Stronghold¡­ would be a great struggle.


    Without a Formation Master to discover the mountain path, see through the reality of Foggy Forest, find the gate to Black Mountain Stronghold¡­


    Without a Formation Master¡­


    A shiver ran down Mo Hua¡¯s spine as a thought suddenly hit him:


    Loose Cultivators lack Formation Masters.


    Among the Loose Cultivators, few studied formations, and it was even less likely for one to reach first-class.


    Mo Hua himself was an exception. He had the Taoist Stele, an extraordinary Divine Sense by birth, encountered Instructor Yan, and with a stroke of good luck, became a nominal disciple of Mr. Zhuang. By working tirelessly on Drawing Formation night and day, he managed to become a first-class Formation Master.


    Normally, it would be impossible for Loose Cultivators to produce a Formation Master.


    ¡°What would happen without a Formation Master?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows and pondered meticulously, feeling a growing coldness within.


    If there were no Formation Masters among the Loose Cultivators, then no one would be able to see through the Concealment Formation, discover the mountain path spanning over Thousands miles of Abyss, penetrate the illusory reality clouded by the Foggy Forest, nor would anyone locate the invisible gate of Black Mountain Stronghold, let alone learn of the existence of a terrifying nest of Evil Cultivators deep in the mountains!


    Black Mountain Stronghold could exist quietly on Big Black Mountain because of formations!


    As long as there were no Loose Cultivators skilled in formations, unable to break the Concealment and Fog Formations,


    They could settle there, murder, cultivate Evil Skills, refine Human Pills¡­ and no one would ever know!


    Mo Hua gasped in shock!


    He forced himself to calm down and contemplate.


    Not wanting the Loose Cultivators to learn formations¡­


    Mo Hua remembered, initially, Tongxian Gate could have taught formations.


    But later, when Instructor Yan left and no one could teach Formation Patterns, Tongxian Gate stopped offering formation courses, and at the same time, Mo Hua dropped out of Tongxian Gate because he couldn¡¯t learn formations¡­


    After that, it became nearly impossible for Loose Cultivators to learn formations, cutting off the path to formation mastery completely.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Mo Hua, indeed, there would be no Formation Masters among the Loose Cultivators.


    ¡°Instructor Yan left, and Loose Cultivators couldn¡¯t learn formations¡­¡±


    And why did Instructor Yan leave?


    Mo Hua frowned in thought, then slowly his eyes grew cold with realization.


    It was the Qian Family!

 Chapter 318 - 317: Provocation_1

    Chapter 318: Chapter 317: Provocation_1


    The Qian Family applied pressure, forcing Instructor Yan to leave, and Tongxian Gate no longer taught formations.


    In this way, the Qian Family could monopolize formations, and the Black Mountain Stronghold could also use formations to cover up their misdeeds.


    The loose cultivators of Tongxian City, because they did not understand formations, would never know what the evil cultivators had done with them¡­


    The more Mo Hua thought about it, the colder his heart felt, and a flicker of hesitation stirred within him.


    Could the Qian Family¡¯s conspiracy really be so far-reaching?


    Walking along, Mo Shan saw Mo Hua suddenly stop as if struck by a thought, his expression growing increasingly solemn, even revealing fear, which prompted him to ask with concern:


    ¡°Huar, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua snapped out of his reverie, pondered for a moment, then said solemnly, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go find Elder Yu.¡±


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t know what Mo Hua had realized, but guessed it must be some discovery, so he nodded and said:


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Mo Hua followed Mo Shan to the Yu Family.


    Elder Yu had just returned and was leisurely drinking tea in the hall. When he heard Mo Hua had come, he got up cheerfully, just about to say something when he saw Mo Hua¡¯s grave expression, with Mo Shan also looking very serious beside him.


    Elder Yu was taken aback, and his smile gradually faded as he asked:


    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡±


    Mo Hua gathered his thoughts and shared his speculations


    The Qian Family forced Instructor Yan to leave and stopped Tongxian Gate from teaching formations so that Black Mountain Stronghold could use formations to hide deep in the mountains, committing numerous evil acts undiscovered.


    Elder Yu frowned, tapping his slim fingers against the table surface, deep in thought, before slowly saying:


    ¡°It¡¯s quite possible, but still somewhat far-fetched¡­¡±


    It might simply be that the Qian Family monopolized formations to make a profit, not necessarily to cover for Black Mountain Stronghold.


    This was merely a clue, not conclusive evidence.


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°I know it¡¯s far-fetched, that¡¯s why I came to ask you.¡±


    Elder Yu asked, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°During the attack on Black Mountain Stronghold, you fought with the evil cultivators. Were there really no cultivators from the Qian Family inside?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Yu¡¯s gaze sharpened, pondered carefully once again, but still shook his head and said:


    ¡°At least those few householders were not from the Qian Family.¡±


    Mo Shan also added, ¡°The other Qi Refining Realm evil cultivators, I also did not notice anyone from the Qian Family.¡±


    ¡°What about the head householder? Do you know his identity?¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°He was masked with a black cloth, his face was unseen, and his aura was very unfamiliar, even not resembling that of a local Foundation Building Cultivator of Tongxian City.¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head, feeling uncertain again, ¡°Could I have guessed wrong?¡±


    ¡°The problem is precisely here.¡±


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°If the Qian Family were indeed the Black Hand behind the scenes and had ties to Black Mountain Stronghold, there would be no way the evil cultivators wouldn¡¯t include cultivators from the Qian Family, and among those householder positions, there would certainly be one from the Qian Family with a Foundation Establishment!¡±


    ¡°There couldn¡¯t be any exceptions?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Yu let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with the Qian Family for so many years; I¡¯m well aware of their modus operandi. If they were colluding with Black Mountain Stronghold, they would definitely try to infiltrate people, gradually permeate, and consume the stronghold for themselves.¡±


    ¡°And if the Black Mountain Stronghold was indeed established by the Qian Family, that head householder, even if not Qian Hong, would be some elder from the Qian Family.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Could it involve disguising or changing appearances¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head and said, ¡°No matter the disguise or transformation, the spiritual power and aura remain the same. I¡¯m very familiar with those few Foundation Builders from the Qian Family; just by them opening their mouths, I would know what they are up to, there¡¯s no way I could be mistaken.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disheartened, as he had thought he had discovered a connection between the Qian Family and Black Mountain Stronghold¡­


    Elder Yu patted his shoulder encouragingly and said:


    ¡°Your line of thinking is good, but we need more evidence. I¡¯ll have someone keep a closer watch on the Qian Family to see if they show any unusual behavior.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    On the way home, Mo Hua asked Mo Shan:


    ¡°Dad, do you think it¡¯s the Qian Family?¡±


    Mo Shan nodded, ¡°It does seem like it.¡±


    ¡°But, it seems like there really isn¡¯t any clue¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sounded a bit despondent.


    Mo Shan pondered and said, ¡°Truth cannot be hidden forever; there¡¯s no wall in the world that doesn¡¯t have cracks. If the Qian Family is really involved with Black Mountain Stronghold, they will eventually show their trails.¡±


    He then touched Mo Hua¡¯s head and said gently:


    ¡°Some things, it doesn¡¯t matter if they don¡¯t make sense at once, just keep an eye out and eventually the day will come when it all becomes clear.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mood improved slightly, and he silently nodded.


    In the following days, as Mo Hua practiced cultivation and drew formations, he considered this issue but made no progress.


    He wasn¡¯t discouraged; he remembered his father¡¯s words, that by staying alert, he would eventually find a clue.


    One day, Zhang Lan came to find Mo Hua and said:


    ¡°Be careful these days.¡±


    Mo Hua was stupefied, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Someone may be looking to trouble you.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°The Qian Family?¡±


    Could it be that he suspected the Qian Family, and the Qian Family found out, so they wanted to deal with him?


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly the Qian Family¡­ but it could be considered the Qian Family¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan spoke unclearly.


    Mo Hua looked at him suspiciously, ¡°Uncle Zhang, have you been drinking? Why are you talking in riddles?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, I haven¡¯t even started drinking yet!¡±


    Zhang Lan glanced at Mo Hua and gulped down a big bowl of wine before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s Qian Xing.¡±


    ¡°Qian Xing?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised; it had been a long time since he heard anything from Qian Xing.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Qian Xing mad?¡±


    ¡°He was mad only for a while, not his entire life,¡± said Zhang Lan. ¡°Besides, as the legitimate heir, the Qian Family has been seeking a cure for him. After so long, they finally succeeded.¡±


    Mo Hua rested his chin on his hand and pondered, ¡°He shouldn¡¯t still be looking for trouble with me, should he?¡±


    Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua with a half-smile, ¡°What do you think?¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua furrowed his eyebrows.


    Well¡­ it was really hard to say.


    Qian Xing was used to bullying others with his power and was notorious for seeking revenge for the smallest grievances. It was possible he wouldn¡¯t let Mo Hua off easily.


    Such debauchees usually have temperaments but no brains.


    After some thought, with a twinkle in his eye, Mo Hua whispered, ¡°What if¡­ I end up killing him¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan coughed and said with a complex expression, ¡°I am a Supervisor of the Taoist Court; isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to discuss this with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about a ¡®what if¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Even ¡®what if¡¯ doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°Uncle Zhang, you¡¯ve changed. When you pointed me to harm Qian Xing back then¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan quickly covered Mo Hua¡¯s mouth, ¡°I¡¯ve never guided you on that!¡±


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s say you didn¡¯t.¡±


    Zhang Lan really had no way of dealing with Mo Hua and said with a sigh:


    ¡°If he really comes to trouble you, just have someone beat him up, as long as it doesn¡¯t kill him. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain to the Qian Family.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Got it!¡±


    In the following days, Mo Hua started to wait for Qian Xing to show up.


    If his guess was right, Qian Xing would surely come looking for him.


    And as expected, Qian Xing didn¡¯t disappoint him. One evening, at the foot of a mountain, at a fork in the road, Qian Xing blocked Mo Hua¡¯s way again with a few underlings.


    Having not seen him for a long time, Qian Xing had lost much weight.


    His complexion was paler, cheekbones more prominent, and temperament had a touch of madness amidst its sullenness.


    Although he had changed a lot, the resentment in his eyes remained the same, along with his hatred for Mo Hua.


    Without any pointless talk, Qian Xing directly ordered his underlings:


    ¡°Attack together, cripple him first!¡±


    This time, for the sake of certainty, he brought five underlings with him.


    One at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, four at the Qi Refining Eighth Level, and with him, taking down Mo Hua, who was at the Qi Refining Seventh Level, should have been more than enough.


    Furthermore, he picked a secluded location, where there were neither Monster Hunters nor any other Loose Cultivators.


    This time, he was set on avenging his past disgrace and making that little bastard Mo Hua kneel before him, begging for mercy.


    As soon as Qian Xing¡¯s words fell, the a few Qian Family disciples moved to attack, and the one at the Qi Refining Ninth Level took the lead, lunging directly at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua stood his ground with an expressionless face, neither dodging nor evading, and raised his hand to unleash a Fireball Technique.


    The Fireball Technique was dark in color, not large in size, but extraordinarily fast.


    The disciple at the Qi Refining Ninth Level didn¡¯t have time to dodge, and by then, he also disdained dodging.


    Just a Fireball Technique after all.


    As a Body Cultivator with an Earth Spirit Root, he was tough and not afraid of such small Fireball Techniques, at most he¡¯d suffer minor injuries.


    And with Young Master Qian watching, it was a good opportunity to showcase his bravery and make a good impression.


    So, he took the Fireball Technique head-on with his chest.


    The crimson Fireball Technique exploded with a strange vibration.


    The hot and twisted Spiritual Power instantly shattered his chest armor, broke open his torso, and even evaporated the blood near his heart vessels.


    Intolerable pain swept through him.


    The unsuspecting Qian Family disciple at the Qi Refining Ninth Level rolled his eyes back and thumped down onto the ground with a thud.


    As quickly as he had charged in, he fell just as fast.


    The other advancing Qian Family disciples stopped abruptly, their hearts filled with fear and faces showing disbelief.


    This¡­ was this really a Fireball Technique?


    Just one Fireball Technique and the man was down?


    The noisy foot of the mountain suddenly went dead silent.

 Chapter 319 - 318 Incomparable Present and Past_1

    Chapter 319: Chapter 318 Incomparable Present and Past_1


    The disciples of the Qian Family were terror-stricken, but Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained as usual.


    With his Foundation Establishment Divine Sense, the Concealment Technique, and the Water Passing Step, he was invincible against ordinary Qi Refinement cultivators¡ªready to attack or retreat as he pleased. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, he also had spells and formations at his disposal.


    He was no longer the helpless junior formation master who knew no martial arts or spells and struggled to escape with his life.


    So when Qian Xing sought to provoke him, he didn¡¯t even need to call for help; he could handle it on his own.


    Just some Qian Family fodder who bullied the weak and feared the strong.


    They were neither sin cultivators notorious for killing like cutting grass nor bloodthirsty evil cultivators without complicity, and their uncoordinated attacks were easy to deal with.


    And Mo Hua also wanted to test the power of his Fireball Technique.


    He hadn¡¯t used it in real combat since he had learned it.


    Now that he¡¯s tried, the power was indeed formidable.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, quite satisfied.


    But then he thought, the power of the Fireball Technique shouldn¡¯t have been that great.


    The dumb Qi Refining Ninth Level disciple from the Qian Family, not sure what was wrong with him, did not dodge or avoid, and even took the specially crafted fireball to his chest, which led him to fall to the ground with severe injuries.


    Mo Hua had held back, not taking his life.


    He didn¡¯t want to cause a death and bring trouble to Zhang Lan or himself.


    But these disciples from the Qian Family were not good people either.


    Today they dared to bully him, a minor cultivator, following Qian Xing¡¯s lead; who knows where they would be committing outrages tomorrow?


    Even if he did not take their lives, some lessons had to be taught.


    Mo Hua raised his hand and began to conjure the Fireball Technique again.


    His spellcasting was swift, and the fireballs whizzed out in just a few moments.


    Some disciples of the Qian Family hadn¡¯t even realized what had happened before they were struck down by Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique;


    Others who understood tried to run but were too late, directly hit by the fireball and knocked unconscious to the ground;


    Some thought of fighting desperately and charged at Mo Hua, but their movement technique was clearly no match for his quick hands, as they were hit squarely by the fireballs and fell miserably;


    And there were those who ran quite far, only to be restrained by Mo Hua¡¯s Water Prison Technique, followed by a fireball that struck them down¡­


    Fireballs flew, and cries of agony rose and fell, with the disciples of the Qian Family dropping one by one.


    In an instant, only Qian Xing remained of the Qian Family.


    Qian Xing stood stupefied, as if he was trapped in a nightmare.


    What had just happened?


    Mo Hua, that little devil, hadn¡¯t moved an inch; he merely raised his hands a few times, casting several fireballs, and all the cultivators he had brought along fell, one after the other.


    Unable to get close, he couldn¡¯t approach! Trying to flee, he couldn¡¯t escape!


    Qian Xing¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    When had Mo Hua, that little devil, become so terrifying?!


    ¡°Am I still delirious, not yet awakened, and what I just saw was but a hallucination?¡±


    ¡°And this person before me isn¡¯t Mo Hua but a monster wearing human skin?¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s pupils shook violently, sinking into deep self-doubt.


    In his daze, Qian Xing looked up and saw Mo Hua smiling at him from a distance.


    The smile was innocent and bright but carried a touch of sinisterness, innocently terrifying.


    Qian Xing cried out, fell to the ground, and scrambled a few times but couldn¡¯t rise.


    By the time he struggled to his feet with great difficulty, Mo Hua was already standing silently before him.


    Qian Xing called out with a trembling voice, ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer! Don¡¯t eat me!¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.


    It seemed that Qian Xing¡¯s madness might have been cured, but not completely, as occasional paranoid delusions and remnants of his nightmarish dreams lingered in his mind, sometimes blending with reality.


    Mo Hua wanted to say something, but suddenly, he furrowed his brows, took out the Thousand Jun Stick, and swung it ¡°Like a Thousand Pounds¡± down.


    That strike landed on Qian Xing¡¯s arm, breaking his forearm and causing the runes he was holding to be knocked away.


    ¡°Playing these little tricks in front of me?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing with a smile that was not quite a smile.


    Qian Xing clenched his teeth against the pain, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, and he said in a trembling voice, ¡°You¡­ are you Mo Hua?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t believe it!


    He was only insane for a year or two, and when he came to, he found that Mo Hua was no longer the one he once knew.


    The little devil he once had by the throat could now toy with him single-handedly!


    And he, unable to beat Mo Hua himself, his disciples unable to beat Mo Hua, and even his little schemes seen right through by Mo Hua at a glance.


    How could this be possible?


    Mo Hua watched Qian Xing with a puzzled expression, ¡°Didn¡¯t your father ever tell you not to mess with me?¡±


    Qian Xing was furious, his face alternating between pale and purple.


    His father had told him.


    In fact, the first thing he was warned about upon regaining consciousness was his father¡¯s admonition:


    Do not provoke Mo Hua!


    Far from dissuading him, this warning only deepened his hatred.


    He was a direct descendant of the Qian Clan, his father the Family Head; within the bounds of Tongxian City, he had always done as he pleased.


    But now, time and again, he had fallen at the hands of a low-born loose cultivator.


    What¡¯s worse, his own father, Qian Hong, the Family Head of the Qian Clan, not only failed to help him take revenge but instead cautioned him not to cause trouble.


    This was baffling to Qian Xing.


    The more his father forbade him from provoking Mo Hua, the more resolute he became in killing Mo Hua to alleviate the hatred in his heart.


    But now, Qian Xing finally understood why his father told him not to provoke Mo Hua.


    Because he truly couldn¡¯t afford to provoke Mo Hua¡­


    The look on Mo Hua¡¯s face was unfathomable, and his methods struck fear into Qian Xing¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 320 - 318: Time Has Changed_2

    Chapter 320: Chapter 318: Time Has Changed_2


    Especially that innocent smile tinged with a trace of wickedness, whenever Qian Xing thought of it, he felt a chill in his heart.


    Mo Hua, holding the Thousand Jun Stick, sized up Qian Xing with his gaze, evidently pondering something.


    Qian Xing¡¯s face instantly turned pale, and he threatened harshly, ¡°I am the legitimate heir of the Qian Family, you can¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Qian Xing struggled to retreat, completely disregarding the pain of his severed arm, and muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer!¡±


    Mo Hua put on a deliberately sinister expression and said, ¡°I will ask you a few questions. If you answer truthfully, I will not kill you.¡±


    Although he hadn¡¯t intended to kill Qian Xing in the first place, only to intimidate him and ask some questions.


    Qian Xing gritted his teeth and nodded, ¡°Fine!¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then asked, ¡°Can outsiders enter your Qian family?¡±


    ¡°What outsiders?¡±


    ¡°People who are not from the Qian family.¡±


    Qian Xing said, ¡°As long as there¡¯s a blood relation, or some familial connection, it¡¯s fine, but the treatment won¡¯t be good; they are usually categorized as collateral branches.¡±


    Collateral branches are essentially Cultivators on the fringes of the family.


    ¡°Have you seen any strangers in your family?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    ¡°There are many people in the Qian family; it is impossible for me to know everyone.¡±


    ¡°Has there ever been a Cultivator who, at first glance, did not seem like one of your Qian family members?¡±


    Qian Xing frowned and said, ¡°What do you want with these questions?¡±


    Mo Hua gave Qian Xing a cold look, ¡°Are you questioning me?¡±


    A chill ran down Qian Xing¡¯s spine as he remembered that his life was in Mo Hua¡¯s hands; he had the right only to answer questions, not to ask them.


    Qian Xing replied resentfully, ¡°No.¡±


    Mo Hua asked carefully, ¡°You just said that it¡¯s impossible to recognize all of the Qian family members. How can you be so sure that there are no outsiders?¡±


    Qian Xing explained earnestly, ¡°It might be difficult to distinguish by looks alone, but it¡¯s apparent whether someone belongs to the Qian family, whether they live there all year round, and whether their actions comply with the family rules. Even if an outsider wears the clothes of the Qian family, their every move would still seem out of place¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression did not change, but he felt a tinge of regret inside.


    If Qian Xing hadn¡¯t lied and there were hardly any outsiders in the Qian family, then it was likely that no Evil Cultivators had entered, at least not openly.


    ¡°Then, have the Cultivators of your Qian family cultivated any strange cultivation techniques?¡±


    Qian Xing was slightly taken aback, ¡°Strange cultivation techniques?¡±


    ¡°Such as those that absorb people¡¯s spiritual power, drink their blood, or those related to replenishing from others¡­¡±


    Qian Xing scoffed, ¡°Even if I am ignorant, I know that these are Evil Skills, expressly forbidden by the Taoist Court. Why would the Qian family learn them?¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s tone was somewhat sarcastic.


    Mo Hua hit his head with the stick, displeased, ¡°What¡¯s with the sneer? Watch your attitude!¡±


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t activated the Formation, so the blow wasn¡¯t very powerful, just a bit painful.


    Qian Xing gritted his teeth again, evidently not quite subdued, but his tone was much more respectful as he dutifully said:


    ¡°The Qian family clan rules strictly prohibit the cultivation of Evil Skills. Violators will be expunged from the family records, stripped of their surname, and exiled from the family forever.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised; this didn¡¯t quite seem like something the Qian family would do¡­


    However, this could also be a measure superficially adopted to comply with the edicts of the Taoist Court, while what they did behind closed doors remained unknown.


    Mo Hua asked another question, ¡°Has your Qian family done any misdeeds¡­¡±


    Mo Hua stopped mid-question as he suddenly realized the question was pointless.


    The Qian family committed misdeeds every day.


    It would be odd if they didn¡¯t.


    Mo Hua proceeded to indirectly ask a few more questions, to which Qian Xing answered truthfully; he didn¡¯t seem to be lying. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Mo Hua still came away with nothing. He couldn¡¯t prove that Evil Cultivators had entered the Qian family, nor could he prove that anyone from the Qian family had been to Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Inwardly, Mo Hua sighed. It looked like he wouldn¡¯t get anything out of this.


    It¡¯s true though, even though Qian Xing is a direct descendant, in the end, he¡¯s nothing but a wastrel. Even if the Qian Family is colluding with the Black Mountain Stronghold, they wouldn¡¯t tell Qian Xing about it.


    Since he couldn¡¯t get any useful information, Mo Hua had no choice but to let Qian Xing go, while threatening him:


    ¡°I¡¯m letting you off this time, but if you cross me again, watch your life!¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s face showed joy, he hadn¡¯t expected that Mo Hua would truly let him go.


    Qian Xing quickly nodded, then, ignoring the injuries on his body and the Qian Family disciples lying on the ground, unknown whether dead or alive, he ran towards Tongxian City on his own.


    Mo Hua shook his head as he watched Qian Xing¡¯s retreating figure.


    Qian Xing truly doesn¡¯t treat people as humans.


    Not only does he not regard outsiders as people, but even the disciples of the Qian Family, he doesn¡¯t see them as people either.


    These disciples did his bidding, and now that they were seriously injured and passed out on the ground, he didn¡¯t even spare them a glance, only caring about saving his own skin.


    Bullying others on the strength of his position, blustering but cowardly inside, he himself is nothing but a big, empty bag.


    How could the Qian Family produce such a failure?


    Mo Hua felt somewhat emotional, then, a thought struck him, and he remembered the ferocious words Qian Xing had once said to him:


    ¡°All I have to do is bring him up the mountain¡­ let the Monster Beasts eat his flesh, one bite at a time, let him die in agony¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Big Black Mountain is dangerous, Qian Xing isn¡¯t the type to dare to venture into Big Black Mountain.


    Moreover, the Qian Family aren¡¯t Monster Hunters, they might kill people, but feeding people to Monster Beasts doesn¡¯t seem to be their style.


    Qian Xing was running desperately, but as he ran, he suddenly found he couldn¡¯t move anymore.


    Pale blue chains formed around him, completely locking him in place, Mo Hua teleported a few times and appeared right in front of him.


    Qian Xing said angrily, ¡°You said you¡¯d let me go!¡±


    ¡°I have one last question for you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew somber, ¡°Did you not say you wanted to drag me up the mountain to feed me to the Monster Beasts?¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s expression fluctuated, but he still managed to say through gritted teeth, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Have you done this kind of thing before?¡±


    Qian Xing hesitated and said, ¡°No.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised and asked again, ¡°So someone else from the Qian Family has done it?¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s heart trembled slightly, and he shook his head too, but his eyes were evasive.


    Mo Hua¡¯s certainty grew and his gaze sharpened, ¡°You¡¯ve seen members of the Qian Family doing this!¡±


    Trying to maintain his composure, Qian Xing insisted, ¡°I, I haven¡¯t!¡±


    But his guilty appearance was like trying to hide something but making it more prominent.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze firmed up, ¡°Who is feeding people to the Monster Beasts?¡±


    Qian Xing dared not look into Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, looking around anxiously, and kept saying ¡°No one,¡± even though Mo Hua tried to intimidate him, saying he would slaughter him, he didn¡¯t dare to reveal anything.


    Unable to get any information out of him, Mo Hua had a thought and took a step back, saying:


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t say who it is, but you have to tell me, what Monster Beast it is being fed to.¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s expression turned frantic, he was afraid to say who it was, but he feared that if he said nothing at all, Mo Hua might really take his life.


    This place is secluded, with no one around, convenient for taking action against Mo Hua, but now it was just as convenient for Mo Hua to take action against him.


    After hesitating for a long time, the fear of death finally overcame him, and with a faltering voice he said:


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a pig.¡±


    A glint flashed in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, ¡°What kind of pig?¡±


    Qian Xing stammered for a long time, unable to articulate.


    Mo Hua slowly said, ¡°Is it a pig that is both fat and big, dumb and silly, covered in bloodstains¡­¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s countenance was stricken with shock, his eyes revealing horror:


    ¡°How did you know?!¡±

 Chapter 321 - 319 Truth_1

    Chapter 321: Chapter 319 Truth_1


    How on earth did Mo Hua know? Had he seen that pig monster?


    But how could that be possible?


    Qian Xing¡¯s expression was one of shocked disbelief.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was expressionless, but his heart was even more shocked than Qian Xing¡¯s.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that someone from the Qian Family had actually been to Black Mountain Stronghold, and that person was Qian Xing!


    Who had taken him to Black Mountain Stronghold?


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Who took you there?¡±


    Qian Xing was unwilling to say.


    ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t know if you don¡¯t tell me?¡±


    Qian Xing replied defensively, ¡°If you knew, why would you ask me?¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily taken aback, realizing that Qian Xing wasn¡¯t a fool; he had become clever at this crucial moment.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, don¡¯t expect to return alive,¡± Mo Hua threatened again.


    ¡°If I say it, my great-grandfather won¡¯t let me off either!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Great-grandfather?¡±


    The color drained from Qian Xing¡¯s face in an instant.


    Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing with a complex expression.


    He had just internally praised Qian Xing for not being a fool, yet the fool had blurted out the truth himself.


    He had said his great-grandfather wouldn¡¯t let him off, meaning that it was his great-grandfather who had taken him into the mountains.


    Qian Xing¡¯s great-grandfather was¡­ the Qian Family elder!


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew increasingly cold.


    It was¡­ the Qian Family elder.


    If he remembered correctly, rumors from outsiders claimed that the Qian Family elder was halfway into the grave, almost dead.


    There is great fear in life and death.


    So was he refining Human Life Pills to save his own life out of fear of death¡­


    Qian Xing regretted and was afraid in equal measure, his voice trembling as he said:


    ¡°What exactly¡­ do you know?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing without answering, but instead asked, ¡°Have you been to Black Mountain Stronghold?¡±


    Qian Xing was somewhat taken aback, ¡°What place is Black Mountain Stronghold?¡±


    It seemed that Qian Xing didn¡¯t know where he had been¡­


    Mo Hua continued to inquire, ¡°Why did your elder take you into the mountains and let you know about his using humans to feed the Monster Beasts?¡±


    If Mo Hua wasn¡¯t mistaken, most of the Qian Family disciples probably didn¡¯t know about the matter of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Even many Qian Family elders might not be aware of it.


    The Qian Family elder, out of fear that the matter would be exposed, even kept it from the Qian Family disciples, fearing that any leaked information might reach the Taoist Court and lead to their annihilation by the Taoist Soldiers.


    But why then, did he tell Qian Xing about it?


    Although Qian Xing was of the direct line, he was dissolute, with a good Spiritual Root but a lazy nature, all of his thoughts focused on bullying others using his status; he didn¡¯t seem like a core disciple that the Qian Family put effort into nurturing.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell,¡± said Qian Xing, his face ashen.


    Mo Hua silently looked at Qian Xing and said, ¡°But you¡¯ve already spoken, you¡¯ve already told me the Qian Family¡¯s most confidential matter.¡±


    Qian Xing protested in panic, ¡°Impossible, how could this be a secret¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know what your great-grandfather has done?¡±


    Qian Xing was disoriented, muttering, ¡°It was just killing people, feeding the Monster Beasts, what¡¯s the big deal. If they¡¯re not from my Qian Family, whether they live or die, what does it matter?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him with a profound gaze, ¡°It seems you know nothing.¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s gaze was bewildered, ¡°Know nothing about what?¡±


    ¡°If I were to report this matter to the Taoist Court, your Qian Family could possibly be executed to the last man!¡±


    Qian Xing¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°It¡¯s impossible! It was just killing a person, just killing a person¡­ How could it possibly¡­¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, you might not live to see the day your Qian Family is executed¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing with a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°Because you leaked a secret, your elder might kill you first!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying to me!¡±


    ¡°Shall we make a bet?¡±


    Qian Xing was both fearful and angry.


    What was the use of betting? If he won, there were no benefits; if he lost, he would die.


    Qian Xing didn¡¯t believe Mo Hua¡¯s words, but deep down, he vaguely knew that Mo Hua was right.


    This was a matter not to be divulged. If outsiders found out, the elder would be the first to kill him.


    Even if he was the elder¡¯s great-grandson¡­


    So, kill Mo Hua. Then no one would know.


    As soon as this thought arose, Qian Xing quashed it himself.


    Mo Hua was no longer the person he used to be; he was entirely beyond Qian Xing¡¯s capabilities to provoke, and he was no match for Mo Hua. Even if he resorted to some schemes, they would surely be seen through by Mo Hua.


    In an instant, Qian Xing felt a sense of desperation, like a drowning man unable to catch his breath. Suddenly, he thought he had found a lifeline.


    Qian Xing appeared frantic, and with a plop, he knelt before Mo Hua, ¡°Mo Hua, save me! You¡¯re so smart, you must be able to save me!¡±


    Mo Hua remained unmoved, and in confusion said, S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind? Why should I save you? It¡¯s already good enough that I don¡¯t kill you.¡±


    Qian Xing hastily said, ¡°If you save my life, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flashed, ¡°Really?¡±


    Qian Xing nodded and said, ¡°Really, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua found a tree stump to sit on,


    ¡°Fine, then tell me about the matter of your ancestor murdering people to feed the Monster Beasts, from beginning to end.¡±


    Qian Xing hesitated.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°As long as you tell me, I¡¯ll teach you how to save yourself.¡±


    Qian Xing still hesitated, then after a moment of contemplation, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Alright!¡±


    Qian Xing recalled the sequence of events, his face turned pale, and he began,


    ¡°When I was seven years old, I went to my great-grandfather¡¯s place to play. Tired from playing, I fell asleep on the great-grandfather¡¯s bed. In a half-asleep state, I was awakened by some noise. When I opened my eyes, I saw a cultivator, impaled through the chest by my great-grandfather¡¯s arm¡­¡±


    ¡°Who was that cultivator?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    Qian Xing shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s been so many years, I don¡¯t clearly remember his appearance, but I heard him shouting, ¡®The Qian Family will not die a good death¡¯ and things like that.¡±


    That must have been someone seeking revenge on the Qian Family. With so many wrongful deeds over the years, the Qian Family had made quite a number of enemies.


    ¡°Was it someone at the Foundation Establishment level?¡±


    ¡°It should have been,¡± Qian Xing nodded and continued,


    ¡°Seeing the blood, I screamed in fright. Great-grandfather was also surprised; probably because my cultivation was too low and my presence too weak, he had not noticed me before. Then, great-grandfather warned me not to speak of what I had seen.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Someone seeking revenge, your great-grandfather killed the man, speaking out about it wouldn¡¯t be anything special, right?¡±


    Qian Xing shook his head, ¡°What great-grandfather told me not to speak of wasn¡¯t this matter.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Then what was it?¡±


    Qian Xing struggled with his expression, hesitated for a long time, but eventually admitted,


    ¡°Great-grandfather¡¯s end was nearing, his Spiritual Power gradually declining, and his body was aging. Normally, the great-grandfather I saw was old and kindly, with a declining appearance, but that night¡­¡±


    Qian Xing swallowed, his voice trembling, ¡°His eyes were red, his body was robust, and his hair was only half white. He looked very frightening¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was profoundly shaken.


    The Qian Family ancestor, he had indeed taken the Human Life Pill to extend his own life.


    ¡°What happened then?¡±


    Mo Hua asked further, wanting to know what happened next.


    Qian Xing said with lingering fear, ¡°Great-grandfather looked at me, with a hint of murderous intent in his eyes. I kowtowed to him, calling him ¡®Great-grandfather¡¯ and tearfully begged him, promising not to speak out. Great-grandfather seemed to be moved by compassion, but still hesitated, uncertain whether to spare me.¡±


    ¡°After thinking for a while, great-grandfather asked me, ¡®Do you want to be the Family Head of the Qian Family?¡¯ I said ¡®I don¡¯t want to,¡¯ and disdain clearly showed in great-grandfather¡¯s eyes. I immediately corrected myself, ¡®I do want to!¡¯ Only then did great-grandfather smile a little and said, ¡®Then follow me.''¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°Did he take you to Big Black Mountain?¡±


    Qian Xing nodded his head.


    ¡°Where in Big Black Mountain?¡±


    Qian Xing shook his head again, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was in a daze, and before I knew it, great-grandfather had taken me into a Pill Room. The Pill Room was red; the walls, the Pill Furnace, the herbs, everything I saw was red. The bricks on the ground looked like they were paved with blood, and the smell was nauseating. And in the Pill Room, there was a pig¡­¡±


    ¡°Great-grandfather, in front of me, fed that cultivator to the pig.¡±


    At this point, Qian Xing suddenly appeared in agony,


    ¡°But¡­ the cultivator was not yet fully dead¡­ he was eaten while still crying out in despair. I can¡¯t forget his appearance and his painful expression¡­¡±


    Having said this, Qian Xing was soaked in cold sweat, gasping for air heavily.


    He had kept this incident hidden in his heart for many years, never daring to speak of it.


    He would also have nightmares frequently, dreaming of the Pig Monster eating a person.


    That¡¯s why after being struck by the Illusion Technique, he became very severely delirious.


    Because in the Illusion Technique, what he saw was the most terrifying scene from his memory, of the Pig Monster eating a person.


    The Illusion Technique was so vivid, it was as if he experienced being devoured alive, bite by bite, by the Pig Monster and the despair of being swallowed into its belly.


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly, then frowned again and said,


    ¡°I see how you usually behave, arrogant and presumptuous, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re someone with a shadow in your heart?¡±


    Now that Qian Xing had bared his soul¡¯s secret, gone was his previously overbearing demeanor; he said with a pale face,


    ¡°It was great-grandfather, he told me there was no need to consider people as human beings.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Qian Xing explained, ¡°After that, I had nightmares every day, dreaming of the Pig Monster eating people, appearing dazed. Great-grandfather then told me¡­¡±


    ¡°You think of that dead cultivator as a human being, that¡¯s why you find it terrifying. If you don¡¯t consider him as human, it¡¯s just like a pig eating a dog, or a dog eating a pig, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Remember one thing, if you want to achieve great things, you don¡¯t need to consider people as human beings.¡±


    ¡°Besides people from the Qian Family, no, besides yourself, others may not necessarily be human. They are pigs and dogs, cattle and horses, they are laborers, they are tools, they are the stepping stones to lay the foundation for your Great Dao. You must step on them to achieve Dao and become immortal!¡±


    ¡°After listening to great-grandfather¡¯s words, I stopped thinking of other cultivators as human beings¡­ It was their duty to toil like oxen and horses for the Qian Family. The cultivator who was eaten by the pig, he was not a person either. His death was his own concern, being eaten was just for feeding pigs.¡±


    ¡°Thinking this way, my heart felt much better, and I stopped having nightmares so often.¡±


    By eradicating humaneness, naturally, one would no longer feel guilt.

 Chapter 322 - 320 Identity_1

    Chapter 322: Chapter 320 Identity_1


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, and for a moment she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    The secret of the Qian Family¡¯s ancestor was discovered by Qian Xing, who didn¡¯t want to kill his great-grandson, but feared he would leak the secret. So he simply told him some truths, hoping to cultivate Qian Xing as the next Family Head of the Qian Family.


    A Family Head of the Qian Family who regarded others as pigs, dogs, cattle, and horses.


    After finishing his words, Qian Xing¡¯s expression suddenly turned to one of terror, and he said, ¡°Mo Hua, save me!¡±


    Why hadn¡¯t his great-ancestor aged, and yet had to pretend to be frail and decrepit?


    Why, after killing people, did they have to feed the bodies to the pigs?


    Why did he warn him not to talk about it, and even for an instant, harbor the desire to kill his great-grandson?


    Qian Xing didn¡¯t know the answers to these questions and didn¡¯t dare to ask or probe, but he knew there must be some unspeakable secrets involved.


    He didn¡¯t know, but Mo Hua must know!


    If Mo Hua knew, she must have a way.


    Having been bested by Mo Hua many times, he knew that Mo Hua was clever and difficult to deal with. In other words, she must possess the ability to help him!


    If the ancestor learned that he had divulged these matters, his death would be certain!


    Even if not killed, there would be no place for him in the Qian Family anymore.


    Mo Hua looked at Qian Xing and then said:


    ¡°Pretend you know nothing.¡±


    ¡°Pretend?¡± Qian Xing was stunned, then he shook his head desperately, ¡°No, I can¡¯t, my guilt will show. The ancestor will see through it; I can¡¯t hide it from him!¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Then don¡¯t pretend, just pass out.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pointed to several Qian Family disciples lying around, ¡°Aren¡¯t they passed out?¡±


    Qian Xing was slightly taken aback.


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°It¡¯s understandable that you came to trouble me, although ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth; it¡¯s also reasonable that you overestimated your abilities and are no match for me; and if I knock you unconscious, with you knowing nothing, naturally no one will suspect what you might have said, or what I may have learned. All of these actions are reasonable¡­¡±


    Qian Xing tugged at the corner of his mouth, ¡°How long will I be unconscious?¡±


    ¡°Three or four days, then when you wake up, you just play the fool and pretend to be ill again, confining yourself indoors,¡± Mo Hua instructed. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°And after that?¡± Qian Xing was still not reassured.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became stern, ¡°You don¡¯t need to concern yourself with what comes after. Your ancestor won¡¯t trouble you again.¡±


    Qian Xing didn¡¯t understand, ¡°What exactly are you planning to do? The ancestor has strong cultivation powers, and he¡¯s not someone you can handle.¡±


    Mo Hua silently looked at him, ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    Qian Xing was about to nod but then, realizing the implications, replied with a terrified expression:


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me! Please, don¡¯t tell me anything!¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him approvingly, ¡°As long as you say nothing, no one will know what you¡¯ve said.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Qian Xing nodded repeatedly.


    At this point, he had no other options.


    In all his life, the greatest misfortune he suffered was learning things he shouldn¡¯t have known.


    This was a loss he did not want to experience a second time.


    Qian Xing thrust his head forward towards Mo Hua, bracing himself as he said:


    ¡°Go on then, hit me hard, make me stay unconscious longer, I don¡¯t want to know anything!¡±


    Mo Hua unceremoniously lifted the Thousand Jun Stick and with a clang, struck Qian Xing on the head.


    Qian Xing swayed and collapsed to the ground.


    Mo Hua followed up with a few more strikes, making sure not to kill him, but ensuring he would stay unconscious for a few more days.


    This was the best solution Mo Hua could come up with for the time being.


    Qian Xing couldn¡¯t be killed; if he were killed, it would be difficult to handle matters with the Taoist soldiers Court, and hard to explain to the Qian Family. Moreover, it would likely startle the enemy.


    Letting him go back was even less likely.


    With thoughts like his, he couldn¡¯t keep anything from the Qian Family¡¯s ancestor; what he had said and what Mo Hua had learned would be easily guessed by the ancestor.


    The only option was to knock him out first and then, in the coming days, find a way to deal with the Qian Family¡¯s ancestor!


    Mo Hua set off a firework, and after a while, some Monster Hunters came rushing over. Seeing the Qian Family Cultivators scattered all around, they looked startled.


    Mo Hua briefly explained the situation and asked a few uncles from the Monster Hunters to send these people back to the Qian Family.


    Then she returned to Tongxian City and found Elder Yu, asking him to discreetly arrange a meeting with a few people; it was urgent, and she had important matters to discuss.


    Elder Yu didn¡¯t understand why, but he followed Mo Hua¡¯s instructions and passed the message along.


    Before long, Zhang Lan from the Taoist Court, Yang Jiyong from the Taoist soldiers Court, and her father Mo Shan were meeting in Elder Yu¡¯s living room.


    There weren¡¯t many people, but all the influential forces were represented.


    Everyone had a grave expression, looking at Mo Hua with curiosity, unsure of what she was about to reveal.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, and seeing that there were no other Cultivators around, he lowered his voice and said:


    ¡°Qian Xing came looking for trouble with me¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan was taken aback, ¡°Did you kill him?¡±


    Mo Hua was speechless, ¡°No.¡±


    Zhang Lan let out a sigh of relief, ¡°You made it sound so serious, I thought you had killed Qian Xing and were looking for us to help you deal with the aftermath¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was complex, ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of person, am I¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan silently thought to himself, who knows what you¡¯re capable of?


    ¡°What did you do to Qian Xing?¡± Zhang Lan asked again.


    ¡°I knocked him out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°And four or five disciples of the Qian Family, I¡¯ve also injured them,¡± said Mo Hua.


    ¡°By yourself?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Zhang Lan exclaimed in surprise, ¡°You¡¯ve become that powerful now?¡±


    Mo Hua humbly replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I guess.¡±


    ¡°So then, what do you need us for?¡±


    ¡°Qian Xing will probably be out for three or four days.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded.


    ¡°During these three or four days, we need to figure out a way to take down the Qian Family¡¯s old ancestor!¡± Mo Hua declared with emphasis.


    The living room fell silent for a moment.


    Everyone exchanged glances, not quite sure what to say for a while.


    Zhang Lan wondered if there was something wrong with his ears, ¡°What¡¯s the connection between you knocking out Qian Xing and your wanting to take down the Qian Family¡¯s old ancestor?¡±


    Mo Hua explained, ¡°The old ancestor once killed a Cultivator, and then took the Cultivator to Black Mountain Stronghold, feeding him to that pig in the Pill Room.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression changed dramatically, ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Qian Xing told me,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Why would he tell you these things?¡±


    Zhang Lan found this unthinkable.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°It¡¯s kind of complicated to explain, but while he¡¯s unconscious for these few days, we can strike first. Once he wakes up and the Qian Family¡¯s old ancestor becomes aware, it will be hard for us to make a move.¡±


    Zhang Lan pondered for a moment, then looked over at Yang Jiyong, ¡°What does the Taoist Soldiers Court have to say about this?¡±


    Yang Jiyong said thoughtfully, ¡°I believe what Mo Hua says, but to mobilize the Taoist Soldiers, we still need solid evidence.¡±


    Mo Shan also frowned and said, ¡°Additionally, there¡¯s another issue, what exactly is the role of the Qian Family¡¯s old ancestor in Black Mountain Stronghold?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°If we can¡¯t clarify his identity, even if we catch him, it will be difficult to convict him.¡±


    ¡°Is he the Householder of Black Mountain Stronghold?¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°No, the aura doesn¡¯t match.¡±


    ¡°This is strange,¡± Zhang Lan said in confusion, ¡°If the Qian Family¡¯s old ancestor really visited the Pill Room and consumed the Human Life Pill, then he must be a core member of Black Mountain Stronghold. His identity would be no small matter. Yet of the four Householders, none are him.¡±


    For a while, everyone felt increasingly perplexed by the thickening mystery.


    The Qian Family¡¯s old ancestor clearly had ties to Black Mountain Stronghold, yet on their side, there wasn¡¯t a single identity that matched up.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then voiced his doubt, ¡°Is the big boss of Black Mountain Stronghold necessarily the Householder?¡±


    Elder Yu was taken aback, ¡°What do you mean by that¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Generally speaking, isn¡¯t the leader of a stronghold also called ¡®Camp Leader¡¯?¡±


    Zhang Lan furrowed his brow, ¡°If the old ancestor of the Qian Family is the Camp Leader, then who is the Householder?¡±


    If the Qian Family¡¯s old ancestor was the Camp Leader, it would be unlikely to have someone unrelated as the Householder, the public leader of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Elder Yu suddenly seemed to recall something, abruptly stood up, and said, ¡°The Householder¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder?¡± Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu with some confusion.


    Elder Yu¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, and he said in a shocked tone:


    ¡°The Householder¡­ could possibly be¡­ the Qian Family¡¯s Chief Elder!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Qian Family¡¯s Chief Elder the one who¡­¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Exactly, the one who was said to have died in the mountains over two hundred years ago, the Qian Family¡¯s Chief Elder!¡±


    All present were deeply shaken!


    If this was the case, then this Black Mountain Stronghold was in essence another Qian Family!


    A hidden Qian Family unknown to the public, not bound by blood ties¡ªa shadowy Qian Family!

 Chapter 323 - 321 Past_1

    Chapter 323: Chapter 321 Past_1


    Elder Yu frowned and said, ¡°When the Chief Elder of the Qian Family died, no, perhaps it¡¯s more accurate to say feigned death, I was still young, and my cultivation was not high. I only saw him from a distance a few times, witnessing him exchange blows with the now-deceased Monster Hunt Elder a few times.¡±


    ¡°In everyone¡¯s understanding, the Chief Elder of the Qian Family was dead, so when I encountered him at Black Mountain Stronghold, I didn¡¯t think in that direction at the moment.¡±


    ¡°But if, as Mo Hua said, the Patriarch of the Qian Family is indeed the Camp Leader of the Black Mountain Stronghold, then this Householder, is very likely, the supposed dead Chief Elder!¡±


    Elder Yu paused to reflect, then continued:


    ¡°Moreover, on the day we attacked the Black Mountain Stronghold, I fought with this Householder. He had one arm without spiritual power, like an iron limb fitted afterwards, and the Chief Elder of the Qian Family back then had lost an arm.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces looked as grim as water.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family is the Camp Leader, the Householder is the Qian Family¡¯s Chief Elder.


    That being so, everything made sense.


    The Qian Family concocted a deception, feigning the death of the Chief Elder to become the Householder of the Black Mountain Stronghold, recruiting sin cultivators, practicing evil skills, and refining Human Pills.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family then used the substantial family resources to secretly support and establish the vast Black Mountain Stronghold, allowing it to grow stronger step by step.


    This matter was known to very few in the Qian Family, and not many evil cultivators in the Black Mountain Stronghold were aware either.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family could thus stay hidden in the shadows, so that even if the Black Mountain Stronghold was eradicated and most evil cultivators were either killed or captured, no one would suspect him.


    Because most of the evil cultivators didn¡¯t know he existed.


    And if the Black Mountain Stronghold wasn¡¯t eradicated¡­


    Then the Patriarch of the Qian Family could use the Human Life Pill to extend his life, surviving in this world; meanwhile, the Qian Family would always have the support of the Black Mountain Stronghold in the shadows, establishing an undefeatable position.


    No matter how much loss the Qian Family suffered openly, with just a little endurance, they would always be able to rise again.


    Near Tongxian City, there were no forces capable of contending with the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    ¡°What a profound scheme¡­¡± Elder Yu lamented.


    Yang Jiyong and Zhang Lan also nodded with serious expressions.


    Elder Yu sighed again, ¡°The Patriarch of the Qian Family was eccentric and vengeful when he was young. In his later years, he became much more low-profile. I thought it was because he was nearing death, so his competitive spirit faded, but I didn¡¯t realize that he was biding his time, playing such a long game.¡±


    Mo Hua also pondered:


    ¡°So is this why the Qian Family has endured so many losses these past years, with much uproar but little impact, and lightly glossed over it¡­ all because they were afraid their secret would be exposed, so they remained low-profile and endured?¡±


    It began with Qian Xing getting injured by an explosion, which the Qian Family didn¡¯t investigate thoroughly;


    Losing the competition for spiritual mines afterward;


    Failing in the competition with Refinery Shops and Alchemist¡¯s Businesses;


    And lastly, failing to kill Mo Hua, with his exceptional talent for Formation¡­


    All of these setbacks were endured by the Qian Family.


    Because the foundation of the Qian Family wasn¡¯t the cultivators, the Spirit Stones, Artifact Refining and Alchemy businesses, or disputes over Formation; it was the Black Mountain Stronghold, nourishing hundreds of evil cultivators.


    The most important thing for the Qian Family was to keep this detail concealed.


    Once they let the situation escalate, attracting more attention, someone with a keen eye might detect this clue, unravel the mystery, and draw out their connection with the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The Taoist Court would surely dispatch Taoist soldiers to eradicate the Black Mountain Stronghold!


    And the Qian Family would be accused of collusion with evildoers, resulting in their assets being seized and their clan exiled, scattering to the winds!


    The hundreds of years of the Qian Family¡¯s operations would all be destroyed in an instant!


    Everyone felt both shocked and fearful, a chill in their hearts.


    Yang Jiyong remarked, ¡°This Patriarch of the Qian Family is fortunate to only be in the small place of Tongxian City, and also fortunate to only have reached Foundation Establishment. If he were in a higher-ranking state boundary, with a higher level of cultivation, I suspect he would be an inscrutable Demon Head.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    The cunning and shrewdness of the Patriarch of the Qian Family were far beyond what Qian Hong knew.


    In comparison, the only talent Qian Hong had was perhaps endurance, much like an old turtle¡­


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Uncle Yang, is it possible to mobilize the Taoist soldiers to deal with the Patriarch of the Qian Family?¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Jiyong contemplated for a moment, then slowly said:


    ¡°Originally, according to the orders from the Taoist soldiers Court, we were to set off tomorrow, but now, given the urgency, I will write to the Taoist soldiers Court and request a delay of a few days.¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, and Yang Jiyong continued:


    ¡°However, it¡¯s best to confirm once more if the Patriarch of the Qian Family is indeed the Camp Leader of the Black Mountain Stronghold and if he truly has a relationship with it, to avoid any misunderstanding.¡±


    Mo Shan thought for a moment, then said, ¡°We could try asking that Second Householder.¡±


    Zhang Lan shook his head and said, ¡°He¡¯s half mad, knows nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need him to tell us much, just need to confirm whether Black Mountain Stronghold has a Camp Leader or not. If he reacts to the mention of ¡®Camp Leader,¡¯ then it means Black Mountain Stronghold indeed has a Camp Leader, and the suspicion towards the Patriarch of the Qian Family grows stronger,¡± Mo Shan explained.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s eyes brightened, and he nodded, ¡°That could work.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a while and then said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go ask Old Master An. He¡¯s been in both open and secret conflict with the Qian Family for so many years; he must know something of the inner workings.¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°I will also ask some of the elders in the city to see if there are any clues.¡±


    After agreeing on their plan, everyone went their separate ways to carry it out.


    Yang Jiyong submitted a report to the Taoist soldiers Court, while the others went to gather information on their own.


    Mo Hua went straight to the An Family.


    The guards at the An Family recognized Mo Hua, respectfully leading him to the An Family¡¯s parlor. Someone presented a cup of high-quality tea, asking Mo Hua to wait for a moment.


    Mo Hua took a sip of the tea and found it delicious, but couldn¡¯t quite place why. He took a few more sips, still finding it utterly bewildering.


    And whenever Mo Hua finished his cup, someone would come over and personally refill it for him.


    After the second cup of tea was refilled, Old Master An finally came out and apologized:


    ¡°Busy with mundane affairs, I¡¯ve made you wait for quite some time.¡±


    Mo Hua also performed a greeting, and said, ¡°Old Master An, you are too polite.¡±


    Old Master An sat down and took a sip of tea before asking:


    ¡°For what matter does Mo Hua pay a visit?¡¯


    Mo Hua glanced around the room.


    Old Master An understood and proceeded to dismiss everyone nearby, making sure there were no outsiders in or around the parlor. He then said:


    ¡°Now, we can talk.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and asked, ¡°Old Master An, are you familiar with the Patriarch of the Qian Family?¡±


    Old Master An looked slightly taken aback, ¡°You could say that, but our relations are not good. The confrontations between the An Family and the Qian Family, whether openly or in secret, are well-known in Tongxian City.¡±


    ¡°Why has the An Family never beaten the Qian Family?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    A sour feeling arose in Old Master An¡¯s heart.


    He was unwilling to admit that the An Family couldn¡¯t beat the Qian Family, even if it was indeed the case, nor would he swallow such pride.


    On usual days, no other Cultivator dared to ask him such a question to his face.


    But Mo Hua was an exception. If he asked, then he asked.


    Old Master An sighed and said truthfully:


    ¡°The Qian Family is crafty and ruthless. Our An Family cannot bring ourselves to be as cruel, and so naturally, we cannot beat them.¡±


    ¡°Is the Patriarch of the Qian Family also ruthless?¡±


    Old Master An¡¯s gaze turned icy, ¡°The most ruthless of all, cold-hearted and vengeful, he has harmed countless lives¡­ but heaven sees everything. He¡¯s aging rapidly, his Blood Qi declining. Now, he¡¯s doing well just to keep breathing.¡±


    There was a hint of schadenfreude in Old Master An¡¯s tone.


    Mo Hua thought to himself that, in all likelihood, he¡¯s not only not aged, but his Blood Qi has not declined, and instead, his life has been extended; breathing just fine, indeed¡­


    Mo Hua fell silent for a moment, then asked the question he cared about most:


    ¡°Old Master An, have caravans from your An Family ever disappeared in Big Black Mountain?¡±


    Old Master An started, his eyes shone with incredulity as he looked at Mo Hua and said:


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Seeing Old Master An¡¯s expression, Mo Hua thought to himself that it was as he suspected, then said:


    ¡°Could you tell me the details of the incident? Afterward, I¡¯ll tell you how I came to know of it.¡±


    Old Master An¡¯s brow furrowed deeply, and after a long contemplation, he slowly exhaled:


    ¡°Very well, it¡¯s all old history now, no harm in telling you¡­


    Mo Hua cradled the teacup, listening attentively.

 Chapter 324 - 322 Assassination Plan_1

    Chapter 324: Chapter 322 Assassination Plan_1


    Old Master An also took a sip of tea before he began to speak:


    ¡°Back then, when my An Family was competing with the Qian Family for profits, it wasn¡¯t as if we were at a disadvantage from the start.¡±


    ¡°At first, both families had their victories and defeats, but the Qian Family was greedy, and their disciples were mostly selfish and greedy, while our An Family was harmonious, unified in spirit, and not as exploitative as the Qian Family. In our struggle against them, we gradually gained the upper hand.¡±


    ¡°At that time, within Tongxian City, our An Family controlled most of the Artifact Refining and Alchemy businesses¡ªso much so that the Qian Family was on the brink of defeat¡­¡±


    ¡°Was there some kind of mishap?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Old Master An nodded and sighed deeply before continuing:


    ¡°Indeed, a major mishap occurred¡ªthe An Family took on a certain business deal¡­¡±


    ¡°It was the largest deal the An Family had ever encountered. If we could secure this transaction, the Qian Family wouldn¡¯t be able to compete with us for at least a hundred years.¡±


    ¡°We had everything prepared; all that was left was to safely transport the goods out of Tongxian City and deliver them to Runan City nearby. With that, the deal would have been successfully completed.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, I specifically arranged for the only Foundation Building Elder in the An Family to lead the formation, with fifty of our elite disciples as escorts, accompanied by two hundred An Family cultivators.¡±


    ¡°The strength of these cultivators was not to be underestimated, even by the Qian Family. And the Qian Family wouldn¡¯t dare to engage us directly; the loss of life would lead to too great a loss, no matter how you look at it.¡±


    ¡°I thought I had been cautious enough and the preparations were adequately safe, but I never, never could have anticipated¡­¡±


    Old Master An¡¯s face showed a look of regret and agony.


    ¡°¡­I never could have anticipated that after they entered Big Black Mountain, they would never return!¡±


    ¡°Not a single one of them returned!¡±


    ¡°They all disappeared in Big Black Mountain!¡±


    Old Master An¡¯s face twitched, his emotions fluctuating violently.


    Mo Hua quickly poured him a cup of tea. After drinking it and catching his breath, Old Master An nodded slightly and continued:


    ¡°This was not just a crippling blow, but it also struck at the very root of the An Family¡ªlike cutting a chunk of flesh from my heart!¡±


    ¡°Afterward, I went into Big Black Mountain myself, but no matter how I searched, I could not find our Elder or any of the An Family disciples. It was as though they had evaporated from the earth.¡±


    ¡°I even braved the risks and ventured into the deep mountains, but the fog was heavy, and I couldn¡¯t find any trace. I dared not venture too deep, so I was forced to retreat.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever suspect the Qian Family?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Old Master An nodded. ¡°They were my first suspects.¡±


    ¡°But I paid attention, and on the day our An Family disciples went into the mountain, the Patriarch of the Qian Family and most of the Qian Family¡¯s Foundation Building Elders did not leave home, nor did they enter Big Black Mountain. They had no opportunity to act against my An Family¡­¡±


    ¡°However, I am positive that it was the Qian Family¡¯s doing!¡±


    Old Master An clenched his teeth, his eyes reflecting a chilly resolve.


    Mo Hua quietly asked, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Old Master An hesitated, not wanting to involve Mo Hua by sharing this information, but now it seemed that the young man might already know something.


    Moreover, these were all old issues from the past; it was unlikely they would bring up old grievances.


    Old Master An said, ¡°Originally, I wasn¡¯t certain whether the Qian Family was involved, but later on, over a Pill Furnace, the An Family had another falling out with the Qian Family.¡±


    ¡°Although the An Family was severely weakened, we didn¡¯t want to succumb to defeat, so I decided to oppose the Qian Family to the end. But then, the Patriarch of the Qian Family said something to me¡­¡±


    ¡°No one can outcompete the Qian Family. In Big Black Mountain, whoever I wish to disappear will disappear¡­¡±


    Old Master An sighed, ¡°From then on, I knew¡ªall of it was the Qian Family¡¯s doing. The strength of the Qian Family was greater than I had imagined, and their methods were more ruthless.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to bring the Qian Family down with us even if it meant mutual destruction, but the other disciples of the An Family still needed to live on. To confront the Qian Family head-on, they might not suffer much, but the An Family could be wiped out¡­¡±


    ¡°Then do you know,¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flashed as he spoke in a low voice, ¡°what exactly did the Qian Family do?¡±


    Old Master An shook his head, then suddenly his expression grew severe, ¡°Do you know?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Old Master An asked in astonishment, ¡°How could you know?¡±


    ¡°Are you aware of Black Mountain Stronghold?¡± Mo Hua continued.


    Old Master An slightly nodded, ¡°It is said to be a group of Evil Cultivators in the depths of the mountains, recently exterminated by the Taoist soldiers.¡±


    Old Master An then paused in realization, ¡°You mean to say¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and explained, ¡°Black Mountain Stronghold was established by the Patriarch of the Qian Family behind the scenes. It¡¯s likely the An Family disciples were killed by its Evil Cultivators. This way, the Qian Family Patriarch wouldn¡¯t have to dirty his hands and could avoid any direct involvement.¡±


    Old Master An realized the truth, then drifted into a somber daze, ¡°So that¡¯s how it was¡­¡±


    With that explanation, everything became clear to him.


    These An Family disciples, though not killed by the Qian Family, indeed died at the hands of the Qian Family.


    Old Master An¡¯s gaze turned sharp. ¡°You didn¡¯t come to me just to say these things, did you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to confirm with you the relationship between the Patriarch of the Qian Family and the Black Mountain Stronghold, and also to ask if you wish to seek revenge.¡±


    Old Master An¡¯s gaze grew more focused. ¡°Revenge?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded. ¡°The Patriarch of the Qian Family has extended his life with the Human Life Pill, and he can live for a much longer time. If he goes on living, he will sooner or later become a great calamity, so it¡¯s better to strike first.¡±


    Old Master An pondered, ¡°How many people are available?¡±


    ¡°Quite a few.¡±


    Mo Hua briefly counted. There were Monster Hunters, Taoist Court, and also the Taoist soldiers Court.


    Without hesitation, Old Master An said, ¡°Good, count the An Family in on this matter!¡±


    ¡°As long as that old dog of the Qian Family doesn¡¯t die, Tongxian City will never be at peace!¡±


    Mo Hua originally intended only to inquire about some information, to find evidence proving the association between the Patriarch of the Qian Family and the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the An Family to have such deep-seated grievances with the Qian Family, and that Old Master An was willing to lend a hand, which was an unexpected joy.


    After Mo Hua reported the matter to Elder Yu, Elder Yu also breathed a sigh of relief.


    Though the An Family¡¯s influence was modest, they were still the second-ranking clan in Tongxian City. With their help, they had a bit more confidence in dealing with the Qian Family.


    Another two hours passed, and Zhang Lan and Mo Shan returned as well.


    Elder Yu asked, ¡°How did the questioning go?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded. ¡°We sent someone to pose as Evil Cultivators, and talked with the second-in-command. He showed no reaction to other topics.¡±


    ¡°But when we mentioned ¡®the Householder is already dead,¡¯ the second-in-command opened his eyes and sneered, saying that¡¯s impossible; when we said ¡®the Camp Leader is also dead,¡¯ he scoffed again, saying that¡¯s even more impossible.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°From this, it¡¯s clear that there is indeed a Camp Leader in the Black Mountain Stronghold, and he is not the same person as the Householder!¡±


    After sharing Old Master An¡¯s words, Mo Hua asked Leader Yang, ¡°Are these evidences sufficient?¡±


    Yang Jiyong pondered, ¡°They aren¡¯t fully conclusive, but they are enough. When it comes to Evil Cultivators, it¡¯s better to wrongly kill than to let one escape; delaying any longer and letting the Qian Family become aware would mean missing our chance.¡±


    Elder Yu nodded in agreement. ¡°Whether the Camp Leader of Black Mountain Stronghold is the Patriarch of the Qian Family, we will know as soon as we make a move.¡±


    ¡°If it is him, we will execute him on the spot!¡±


    ¡°If not, I will apologize to the Qian Family. Anyway, I have thick skin. I have not spared them from my harsh words on regular days, so apologizing now won¡¯t be a loss.¡±


    Yang Jiyong nodded, ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s finalize the plan to move against the Qian Family and eliminate the Patriarch of the Qian Family!¡±


    The whole following day, everyone discussed strategies together.


    By evening, Old Master An, dressed in black, also came quietly.


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Old Master An disclosed some secrets of the Qian Family that were not known to the public¡ªabout the Qian Family¡¯s terrain, as well as the cultivation techniques, Taoist skills, and the preferred fighting methods of the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    Mo Hua listened attentively from the side.


    He did not understand Foundation Building Cultivators, was not familiar with the manipulation of spiritual energy above Foundation Establishment, and had no idea how to kill a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    His own skills could not harm those at the Foundation Building level.


    The only thing that might be lethal to a Foundation Building individual was causing a Compound Formation to collapse through Divine Sense Calculation.


    However, the calculations for such a Compound Formation took time, and Mo Hua, busy with investigating the Patriarch of the Qian Family, had not yet finished the calculations, nor had he actually used them, so it was of no use for the time being.


    Now, all Mo Hua could do was to listen and learn:


    How to design an execution of a powerful enemy cultivator.


    How to estimate the enemy¡¯s strength, including their cultivation, cultivation techniques, Taoist skills, spiritual artifacts, and so on.


    What strength his own side needed to successfully execute the plan.


    How to arrange manpower, how to deploy them, how to exploit the enemy¡¯s weakness and attack their shortcomings, and how to minimize casualties to the greatest extent.


    Whether it was Yang Jiyong, the leader of the Taoist soldiers, or Zhang Lan with his profound family learning, or the experienced Elder Yu, as well as battle-hardened Mo Shan, they were all fairly adept at this kind of thing, each with their own strengths.


    In discussing the plan, each expressed their opinions, playing to their strengths and compensating for each other¡¯s weaknesses.


    Mo Hua watched and listened silently, memorizing everything, pondering and adapting it for his own use.


    He might not need it now, but one day in the future, it might come in handy.


    Two days and one night later, everything was settled.


    The plan to eliminate the Patriarch of the Qian Family officially began.

 Chapter 325 - 323: Patriarch of the Qian Family_1

    Chapter 325: Chapter 323: Patriarch of the Qian Family_1


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family was a Mid Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    If he had taken the Human Life Pill and extended his life without a decline in Blood Qi or Spiritual Power, he would likely be the strongest Foundation Building Cultivator in Tongxian City.


    Moreover, he was certainly an Evil Cultivator, practicing strange but powerful Evil Path Skills.


    Therefore, the plan to eliminate the Patriarch of the Qian Family had to be both meticulous and prudent.


    The following evening, the Taoist Soldiers feigned departure from Tongxian City, breaking camp.


    At the middle of the night, they covertly returned, stayed overnight at Big Black Mountain, and at the break of dawn, they dressed as Monster Hunters, disguised themselves to enter the city, and stealthily hid in the houses surrounding the Qian Family¡¯s home.


    The hiding spot was provided by the An Family.


    Mo Hua rose early too, found a secluded house, climbed onto the roof, and watched the Qian Family¡¯s movements with his Divine Sense.


    His Cultivation was modest; he wasn¡¯t needed to strike at the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    And with such perilous matters, he couldn¡¯t show himself either.


    All he could do was to sketch the Formation Method Map of the Qian Family estate, aiding Leader Yang and the others in their ambush.


    For now, his only option was to watch from afar.


    Luckily, his Divine Sense was strong, his perception range wide, so even from a distance, he could roughly grasp the progression of events.


    The first step of the plan was to enter the Qian Family and probe the details concerning the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    The morning sunlight shone on the Blue Stone Street.


    The street was empty, scarcely any foot traffic in sight.


    Elder Yu notified all the Loose Cultivators in advance, telling everyone to stay indoors today.


    He himself, however, had arrived early at the grand entrance of the Qian Family, knocking on the door while loudly cursing.


    Elder Yu¡¯s curses were unsavory.


    For many years, this had been a common occurrence for Elder Yu.


    Before long, there was a stir inside the Qian Family, and a Qian Family Elder came out to argue with Elder Yu.


    The argument persisted, with Elder Yu stubbornly refusing to leave, casually lying about a Monster Hunter¡¯s death and blaming it on the Qian Family.


    The Qian Family Elder thought it was true.


    After all, such deeds weren¡¯t uncommon for the Qian Family, so initially, there was no suspicion that Elder Yu was lying.


    But the Qian Family would certainly not admit to it and instead accused Elder Yu of slandering them.


    Elder Yu indeed was slandering them, while continuing to curse even more vehemently, clamoring ceaselessly that he would report the matter to the Taoist Court and seek justice.


    The Qian Family Elder, provoked to irritation, said, ¡°Fine, then ask the Court Leader to come and we¡¯ll discuss the matter clearly!¡±


    The Qian Family went to summon the old Court Leader.


    The old Court Leader arrived leisurely, intentionally showing difficulty in the situation, urging both sides to value peace and not start more trouble.


    Elder Yu, face flushed, argued with the old Court Leader:


    ¡°The dead one isn¡¯t from the Taoist Court, that¡¯s why the Court Leader is indifferent.¡±


    The old Court Leader became angry and said, ¡°What do you want then?¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°I want that old tortoise Qian Hong to give me an explanation; if he isn¡¯t in charge, there¡¯s an even older tortoise in the Qian Family, I must have them give me an answer for this affair!¡±


    Given the circumstances, Qian Hong had no choice but to show himself.


    Afterward, Elder Yu and the old Court Leader went inside the Qian Family residence.


    The Qian Family had Formations that blocked detailed spying, so Mo Hua could not see clearly.


    However, if the plan proceeded smoothly, Elder Yu would escalate the situation, the old Court Leader would fan the flames, until it escalated to a point where the Patriarch of the Qian Family had to show himself, allowing them a successful encounter.


    Then at that moment, Elder Yu would suddenly attack, catching him off guard, and they would be able to test the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s skills, thus knowing whether he was concealing his abilities or harboring secrets that must not be disclosed.


    This task could only be carried out by Foundation Building Cultivators.


    Leader Yang couldn¡¯t do it; as the leader of the Taoist Soldiers, his presence at the Qian Family would raise suspicion.


    Old Master An wouldn¡¯t be suitable either, as he had a feud with the Qian Family, and they would not allow him entry.


    After much consideration, only Elder Yu was deemed appropriate.


    Although he was at odds with the Qian Family, he also frequented the Qian Family, entangling them in disputes and bargaining without alarming them or raising any undue precautions.


    Moreover, on this visit, he had to be joined by Court Leader Zhou, so the two could support each other.


    If the Patriarch of the Qian Family, who was at Mid Foundation Establishment, suddenly lashed out in violence, Elder Yu¡¯s life could be in danger.


    With Court Leader Zhou accompanying him, at least there was someone to assist.


    After Elder Yu entered the Qian Family, Mo Hua had no clue what transpired.


    About two hours later, a violent surge of Spiritual Power burst forth from the Qian Family; from a great distance, Mo Hua felt the vibrations.


    Simultaneously, a section of the Qian Family¡¯s house collapsed, dirt and rocks flying, Formations shattered.


    From afar, Mo Hua heard Elder Yu¡¯s piercing scream, shouting, ¡°Attack!¡±


    Before the sound faded, hidden An Family Disciples, Monster Hunters, Tribunal Cultivators, and the Taoist soldiers Court forces surged forward, charging towards the Qian Family.


    The Taoist Soldiers led the charge.


    The Qian Family¡¯s defensive Formations lit up layer by layer only to be shattered layer by layer by the Taoist Soldiers¡¯ spears, turning into gravel and dust.


    Other Cultivators followed the Taoist Soldiers, jointly launching an assault and entering the Qian Family residence.


    Mo Hua foresaw the weaknesses in the Qian Family¡¯s Formations, marked each one, and communicated them to Leader Yang, allowing the Taoist Soldiers¡¯ rapid breach of the Formations.


    Taken by surprise, the Qian Family Disciples surged out from all directions, wielding swords and blades, facing off against the attacking Cultivators.


    However, when they realized that their opponents were led by Taoist Soldiers, they all showed signs of shock, unsure of what to do.


    The Taoist Soldiers represented the strongest force of Tao Cultivation army, standing for the authority and dignity of the Taoist Court.


    Battling the Taoist Soldiers was akin to rebelling against the Taoist Court, a crime that led to the extermination of the entire clan!


    The Qian Family Disciples hesitated, uncertain.


    They couldn¡¯t help but shift their gaze towards the center, where Spiritual Power was vibrating and walls were collapsing, the place where the Patriarch of the Qian Family was in solitary cultivation.


    After the dust cleared, three figures appeared.


    One with a stern face and pale complexion was the elderly Court Leader of the Taoist Court;


    One who had lost an arm, with blood at the corner of his mouth and a gaunt face was Elder Yu, the Monster Hunter;


    And one more person, with half-white hair, blood-colored pupils, half of the withered skin on his face fallen off, emanating a powerful and dangerous aura.


    ¡°Who is this person?¡±


    The Qian Family Disciples looked at each other in confusion.


    Some of the Qian Family elders turned pale with shock, ¡°Is this¡­ the ancestor?¡±


    The Qian Family was instantly thrown into an uproar.


    ¡°The ancestor?¡±


    ¡°How could he look like this?¡±


    ¡°Why are his eyes blood red?¡±


    Some Qian Family elders had a terrible suspicion in their hearts and instantly turned ashen.


    Their Qian Family ancestor¡­ was actually an Evil Cultivator!


    Evil Cultivators are not tolerated by the Taoist Court.


    The atmosphere turned tense and confrontational in an instant.


    Leader Yang and Old Master An stood out, along with Elder Yu and Court Leader Zhou; four Foundation Establishment cultivators surrounded the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    Elder Yu coughed up blood, saying, ¡°Be careful, his cultivation technique is evil and can corrupt Blood Qi¡­¡±


    He had just launched a sneak attack, which the Patriarch of the Qian Family sensed, and after a fierce exchange, Elder Yu¡¯s arm was broken, and his Blood Qi turned turbid due to the corruption of the evil spiritual power.


    The old Court Leader also clashed with the Qian Family patriarch to aid him. Although he was not injured, his meridians suffered greatly.


    Leader Yang nodded.


    Old Master An, seeing the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s current state, was both shocked and angry:


    ¡°Who would have thought, you have become such a ghastly sight.¡±


    The Qian Family patriarch sneered, ¡°As long as it¡¯s for the pursuit of the Great Dao, what does this form matter?¡± Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Master An did not wish to waste words with him and said with hatred,


    ¡°Qian Old Dog, you must pay for the lives of my An Family disciples!¡±


    The Qian Family patriarch¡¯s blood-colored eyes revealed a mocking look, ¡°You want to kill me, the ancestor of the Qian Family, on Qian Family¡¯s own ground?¡±


    A tall and thin elder from the Qian Family shouted loudly, ¡°We cannot let them harm the ancestor!¡±


    A group of Qian Family disciples raised their swords, their eyes brimming with fighting spirit.


    Court Leader Zhou gave them a cold look, ¡°The Taoist Court has issued an edict, the Qian Family patriarch practiced Evil Skills, colluded with Evil Cultivators; his crimes are unforgivable, and by law, he must be executed!¡±


    ¡°Any Qian Family disciple who interferes will be killed without mercy!¡±


    ¡°If the Qian Family knew and still aided the tyrant, then the whole family will be executed!¡±


    Court Leader Zhou spoke with an authoritative and ice-cold tone.


    The Qian Family disciples grew fearful and hesitant.


    Seeing this, the Qian Family elder cursed angrily,


    ¡°The Taoist Court is not our Qian Family¡¯s Taoist Court, but the ancestor is our Qian Family¡¯s ancestor. Can¡¯t you see which is more important? We must ensure the ancestor¡¯s safety at all costs!¡±


    Before he could finish, another elder quickly said,


    ¡°Shut up! Do you want our entire Qian Family to be executed?¡±


    ¡°Qian Zhongli, are you abandoning the ancestor?¡±


    Qian Zhongli said, ¡°The ancestor is indeed our Qian Family¡¯s ancestor, but the Qian Family is not just the ancestor¡¯s alone. Do you wish to doom so many cultivators of our Qian Family?¡±


    ¡°You spineless coward!¡±


    ¡°You foolishly loyal idiot!¡±


    ¡­


    The two Qian Family elders were slinging insults at each other non-stop.


    Some Qian Family disciples became frightened and secretly abandoned their swords. With time, more and more disciples discarded their weapons.


    In the blink of an eye, most of the Qian Family disciples were unarmed.


    Some Qian Family disciples who intended to fight also abandoned their intentions.


    Elder Yu sneered, ¡°Qian Old Dog, you¡¯ve been abandoned by everyone.¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family shook his head and sighed, ¡°Indeed, I did not misjudge. When disaster strikes, even one¡¯s closest kin cannot be relied upon.¡±


    Elder Yu, with one arm severed, pointed his sword at the Patriarch of the Qian Family with his remaining arm, ¡°A person like you does not deserve kin.¡±


    ¡°I have one question that I haven¡¯t figured out until now¡­¡±


    The seemingly cornered Patriarch of the Qian Family did not panic but showed confusion instead.


    ¡°Black Mountain Stronghold has been secretive in its actions, whether it was murder or plunder. For over two hundred years, it has never been discovered. Those who knew about Black Mountain Stronghold either joined or were dead.¡±


    ¡°I also hid it very well. Apart from a scarce few, no one knew of my relationship with Black Mountain Stronghold, nor did anyone know I built this stronghold, raising so many Evil Cultivators, and even less so, what I used these Evil Cultivators for¡­¡±


    ¡°But why is it that all of a sudden, Black Mountain Stronghold has been discovered?¡±


    ¡°Why did the Taoist Soldiers arrive so fast?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how the news got leaked.¡±


    ¡°The only thing I know is that someone tampered with the formation array within the stronghold.¡±


    ¡°But who has the ability to tamper with Black Mountain Stronghold¡¯s formation map right under the noses of my four Mid Foundation Establishment Householders and hundreds of Evil Cultivators?¡±


    ¡°Who is it that unraveled the mystery and discovered my secret?¡±


    ¡°Who let my two-hundred-year effort in building Black Mountain Stronghold come to naught in an instant!¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family looked around, his blood-colored eyes shining intensely:


    ¡°I want to meet the person responsible for this!¡±


    The aura around the Patriarch of the Qian Family surged.


    Mo Hua, who was hiding at a distance secretly watching the drama, was stunned upon hearing this.


    The person the Patriarch of the Qian Family was talking about¡­ seemed to be himself?


    Startled, Mo Hua instantly shrank back.


    He had no wish to meet the Qian Family patriarch¡ªbest to be forever apart; if the patriarch died and he lived, then they would never meet¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself silently, but then doubt crept in.


    No, that¡¯s not right!


    How could the Patriarch of the Qian Family fail to guess it was him?

 Chapter 326 - 324_1

    Chapter 326: Chapter 324_1


    Mo Hua frowned, pondering the situation.


    The third Householder of Black Mountain Stronghold had seen him before.


    If the Householder informed the Patriarch of the Qian Family about his entry into Black Mountain Stronghold and provided a portrait, then the Patriarch would naturally recognize him.


    Having caused so much trouble for the Qian Family, and being a talented Junior Formation Master, it was impossible for the Patriarch of the Qian Family not to know his face.


    The Formation of the Black Mountain Stronghold had been tampered with.


    Mo Hua had entered Black Mountain Stronghold, and Mo Hua was a Junior Formation Master.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family would inevitably put two and two together, putting all the blame on Mo Hua for these events.


    But as it stood, the Patriarch of the Qian Family seemed unaware.


    Why?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew sharp.


    The only possibility was that the third Householder had only mentioned that the Formation of the Black Mountain Stronghold had been tampered with, but omitted the fact that he had encountered Mo Hua.


    The tampering with the Formation had made the Patriarch of the Qian Family wary.


    Black Mountain Stronghold had taken defensive measures.


    What they hadn¡¯t anticipated, however, was for the Taoist Court to take direct action, petitioning for the deployment of Taoist Soldiers to annihilate Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Their defenses were utterly futile in the end.


    Since the third Householder kept the encounter with Mo Hua a secret, the Patriarch of the Qian Family did not suspect Mo Hua.


    Although Mo Hua was a Formation Master, he was also just a young cultivator in his teens with a low realm of power, and the Concealment Technique and Water Passing Step he had learned were unknown to the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    Given only the incident of the Formation being tampered with, the Patriarch of the Qian Family would never think that it had anything to do with Mo Hua, even if he racked his brain.


    So, in the eyes of the Patriarch of the Qian Family, Black Mountain Stronghold had indeed been inexplicably exposed and suddenly crushed by the Taoist Soldiers.


    ¡°But why did the third Householder not disclose the fact that he saw me?¡±


    Could it be that this third Householder was actually an informant?


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family was unaware of the instigating Mo Hua behind the scenes, and Elder Yu and the others would have preferred it that way. They were certainly not inclined to reveal Mo Hua¡¯s involvement.


    Elder Yu only said in a cold voice,


    ¡°The nets of heaven are wide, but let nothing slip through. Men do their deeds, but heaven watches. Your evil deeds are many; you deserved this fate!¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family smiled faintly, ¡°Unfortunately, this retribution has come a bit late. Had it come sooner, perhaps not so many would have died.¡±


    The crowd was furious.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for idle chatter,¡± Leader Yang pointed his spear and shouted commandingly, ¡°Attack!¡±


    The Taoist Soldiers behind him cried out in unison, ¡°Attack!¡± Following the point of his spear, they charged at the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    The encirclement and attack on the Patriarch of the Qian Family began in earnest.


    During the attack, not a single disciple of the Qian Family lifted a finger to help.


    This was expected, yet the complete absence of assistance still surprised everyone.


    To stand against the Taoist Soldiers would be to defy the Taoist Court.


    The Qian Family was unwilling to commit such a grave offense, and at the critical moment of life and death, nobody in the Qian Family cared about their Patriarch.


    The Monster Hunters, officials from the Taoist Court, and the Qi Refinement cultivators from the An Family, for the most part, did not intervene. They stood watch over the Qian Family disciples as a deterrent, preventing any of the Qian Family members from harboring a change of heart or stirring up trouble.


    The main force attempting to kill the Patriarch of the Qian Family consisted of Elder Yu and four other cultivators in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, as well as several hundred Taoist Soldiers under Leader Yang¡¯s command.


    Mo Hua truly witnessed the scene of the Taoist Soldiers in battle for the first time.


    A squad of ten Taoist Soldiers, of similar Spiritual Roots and practicing the same Cultivation Technique, wearing standard-issue armor and wielding sharp spears, resonated their Spiritual Power through Formation Patterns. Their morale instantly surged.


    When they attacked, their movements were synchronized, their spears struck like dragons, aiming at the Patriarch of the Qian Family, and they retreated immediately after striking, not engaging in prolonged combat.


    At the same time, another squad of Taoist Soldiers launched their attacks in succession, forming a cycle of relentless assault, never-ending and giving the Patriarch of the Qian Family no chance to catch his breath.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family was wrapped in dense Blood Qi. As his hands moved, he drew streaks of blood in the air, neutralizing these attacks. However, over time, he began to struggle to cope.


    Leader Yang, Elder Yu, Old Master An, and Court Leader Zhou coordinated with the Taoist Soldiers, simultaneously attacking, trying to exhaust the Patriarch of the Qian Family to death.


    But after a long struggle, the Patriarch of the Qian Family was still full of vigor.


    Elder Yu could not help but yell angrily, ¡°Old Dog Qian, how many people have you killed, and how many Human Life Pills have you consumed?!¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family just sneered without responding.


    The assault intensified.


    Several Foundation Building cultivators tenaciously held the Patriarch of the Qian Family down, preventing him from escaping.


    Leader Yang, leading the Taoist Soldiers, maintained a relentless offensive, gradually depleting the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s Spiritual Power and aggravating his injuries, causing his Blood Qi to leak away.


    Mo Hua watched anxiously and urgently, while also coming to a realization.


    The law of the strong prevailing over the weak is the law of the Heavenly Dao.


    Yet the accumulation of the weak overcoming the strong is equally a law of the Heavenly Dao.


    When individual cultivators lack strength, they can employ this method of unity and concerted effort to fight against a formidable enemy.


    Just like a Formation, where each stroke accumulates into Formation Patterns, forming a powerful Formation, and thus resulting in extraordinary might.


    Human strength sometimes has its limits, but with enough people and a unified will, power can be endless and inexhaustible. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The fight to the death continued, and after several hours, the Taoist Soldiers started to suffer casualties, with Elder Yu and the others sustaining severe injuries.


    But at last, the Patriarch of the Qian Family weakened, his Blood Qi unable to sustain him.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family attempted several times to break through the encirclement, but each time Elder Yu and the others desperately blocked him, while the Taoist Soldiers contained him, plunging him once more into a dire situation of being besieged on all sides.


    The demeanor of the Qian Family¡¯s Patriarch was no longer as relaxed as before, but rather grew more tyrannical, with increasingly dense Blood Qi surrounding him. His eyes, infused with a crimson ferocity, resembled that of a trapped beast fighting for its life.


    Just when everyone thought that if the battle dragged on, they would be able to kill the Patriarch of the Qian Family, an unexpected change occurred.


    A profound aura suddenly emerged from a corner of the Qian Family¡¯s side and charged towards the battlefield.


    Elder Yu recognized the newcomer and cried out in shock and anger, ¡°Chief Elder!¡±


    The arrival was none other than the Chief Elder of the Qian Family, also the Householder of the Black Mountain Stronghold!


    The Qian Family was thrown into a commotion once again.


    ¡°Chief Elder?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Chief Elder dead?¡±


    ¡°What exactly is going on?¡±


    Only now did these Qian Family disciples realize that their Qian Family had so many secrets, and they, members of the Qian Family, were utterly oblivious.


    Upon the appearance of the Chief Elder, the Patriarch of the Qian Family tried to seize the opportunity to flee.


    He pushed back Leader Yang with a palm strike, dodged the long spears of the Taoist Soldiers, and with a backhand tear, horrifying bloody marks congealed, slicing through a group of Taoist Soldiers, killing several of them on the spot.


    Leader Yang was beside himself with rage.


    Although these Taoist Soldiers were his subordinates, they were also his brothers-in-arms.


    ¡°Old fool, die!¡±


    Leader Yang exerted all his strength, channeling golden Spiritual Power into his long spear. The spear trembled, bursting with dazzling light and gathering a terrifying force.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s expression trembled, ¡°High-grade Taoist Skill?¡±


    He tried to escape, but another group of Taoist Soldiers tangled up with him, preventing his departure.


    Moments later, Leader Yang¡¯s Spiritual Power was fully amassed, his aura erupted, and then he merged with his spear, the spear striking like a dragon and, in an instant, reached the Patriarch of the Qian Family, the spear, carrying massive force, piercing straight through the Patriarch¡¯s chest.


    The golden light wrapped around the spear flickered on and off, constantly eroding the Patriarch¡¯s Blood Qi and extinguishing his life force.


    Just as the Patriarch of the Qian Family was on the brink of death under the spear.


    At the critical moment, the Chief Elder¡¯s expression darkened, he forcibly took a blade from Elder Yu and clashed with a palm strike against Old Master An, taking advantage of the force to retreat backward. Ignoring his own injuries, he charged at Leader Yang and used an eerie palm force to force back Leader Yang.


    Leader Yang had no choice but to retract his move and withdraw.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family finally had a moment to breathe, swallowed two blood-red pills, and his chest flesh squirmed as his wounds gradually closed.


    However, such pills were only a temporary fix and not a complete cure. If the fight dragged on, he would surely die!


    He must escape¡­


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family exerted all his strength to activate a bloody escape technique, seeking to break out and flee once again.


    Leader Yang wanted to take action to keep the Patriarch down, but his prior use of the Taoist Skill had fully depleted his Spiritual Power.


    That spear technique, named Radiant Golden Spear, was a secret spear technique of the Yang Family, also a high-grade second-rate Taoist Skill.


    High-grade Taoist Skills are powerful but consume a lot of Spiritual Power and require a long charging time. One must seize the moment for a triumphant strike, or else they would either miss or be left in a vulnerable state due to the excessive depletion of Spiritual Power.


    His earlier spear technique took advantage of the fact that the Patriarch of the Qian Family couldn¡¯t escape, hitting him accurately.


    However, since the Patriarch was at the Middle Phase of Foundation Building and had consumed Human Life Pills, enhancing his Blood Qi, he sustained severe injuries but did not die.


    Elder Yu and others sought to stop the Patriarch, but they were halted by the Chief Elder¡¯s intervention.


    Other squads of first-rank Taoist Soldiers couldn¡¯t stop the Patriarch either and could only try their best to thrust their spears, leaving more wounds on the Patriarch¡¯s body.


    As the Patriarch of the Qian Family broke through the encirclement, he turned back silently, his blood-red eyes glancing at the Chief Elder, taking in everyone present before, without a word, transforming into a bloody escape light and directly charging out through the gates of Tongxian City.


    He fled towards Big Black Mountain!


    Everyone was already exhausted from the prolonged battle, powerless to stop him, and could only let the Patriarch of the Qian Family escape.


    But the Chief Elder of the Qian Family was left behind.


    The Chief Elder had no intention of fleeing, instead fighting until he had nothing left, until his life force was completely drained, finally half-kneeling on the ground, blood spilling everywhere.


    Elder Yu silently looked at him and sighed, ¡°Was it worth it?¡±


    The Chief Elder, expressionless, replied with self-mockery, ¡°A man on the verge of death, who should have died long ago, whatever he does is worth it.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he slowly closed his eyes.


    This Chief Elder of the Qian Family, who had ¡°died¡± long ago, had now truly passed away.


    The encirclement was thus concluded.


    Many were badly injured, and some had even died at the hands of the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    Meanwhile, the Patriarch had escaped with severe injuries, heading towards Big Black Mountain.


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged on the rooftop, watching all of this from a distance.


    His heart felt both pity and sorrow.


    Pity that they weren¡¯t able to kill the Patriarch of the Qian Family, and sorrow for the bloodshed and sacrifices made in the encirclement attempt.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but think:


    ¡°If I were a second-rank Formation Master, could I have completely trapped the Patriarch of the Qian Family with a second-grade formation and avoided so many casualties?¡±


    Mo Hua let out a small sigh.


    It seemed that his abilities were still lacking, and his mastery of formations needed further enhancement.


    The path of Tao Cultivation is long and arduous, formations profound and intricate; there is still so much to learn. As of now, I¡¯m still not strong enough¡­

 Chapter 327 - 325 Disposal_1

    Chapter 327: Chapter 325 Disposal_1


    The revelation that the Patriarch of the Qian Family was an Evil Cultivator quickly spread throughout Tongxian City.


    People felt surprised, yet it seemed somewhat expected.


    After all, the Qian Family¡¯s reputation was extremely poor, and they had far too many enemies.


    Because of the Qian Family Patriarch, the Qian Family was sealed off, and no Cultivator was allowed to leave; violators would be treated as conspiring with Evil Cultivators.


    Once the Qian Family Patriarch was found, his fate would be determined by the Taoist Court, and punishment would follow thereafter.


    ¡°What will become of the Qian Family?¡±


    In the Taoist Court, Mo Hua asked Court Leader Zhou while they were having tea.


    Mo Hua came to assist Court Leader Zhou at the Taoist Court.


    The Qian Family Patriarch had fled, but his cave dwelling remained. The Taoist Court cleared out his dwelling, confiscating all items to see if there were any other clues or evidence of his crimes.


    For anything related to Formations that Court Leader Zhou didn¡¯t understand, he asked Mo Hua to help examine.


    Commissioned by the elderly Court Leader, Mo Hua inspected each item, singled out the Evil Formations, and found other clues proving the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s connection to Black Mountain Stronghold.


    With such solid evidence presented to the Taoist Court, Court Leader Zhou¡¯s report was well-substantiated and easily composed.


    After a busy session, Court Leader Zhou invited Mo Hua for tea, and Mo Hua took the opportunity to ask him this question during their break.


    Court Leader Zhou, still pale and recovering from injuries, coughed once and slowly said:


    ¡°The Qian Family Patriarch must be caught and executed, to abide by the Taoist Law and serve as a warning to others.¡±


    ¡°As for the other Qian Family disciples¡­ the penalties may vary from light to severe.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°If the crime is considered severe, it goes without saying. I will report to the Taoist Court that the Qian Family colluded with Black Mountain Stronghold, conspired with Evil Cultivators, committed murder and plunder. Most of the Qian Family Cultivators will be executed. Even if they do not die, they will be exiled from Tongxian City, stripped of their family name and possessions.¡±


    ¡°If the penalty is light, it means that all the misdeeds related to collusion with Evil Cultivators were solely the act of the Patriarch of the Qian Family, and the other Qian Family disciples were unaware. In this case, even if the Taoist Court holds them accountable, the punishment won¡¯t be too severe. At most, they will lose their property, but the lives of most Qian Family disciples should be spared.¡±


    Court Leader Zhou explained patiently and kindly to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a lot of room for manipulation here? Wouldn¡¯t that breed corruption?¡±


    Court Leader Zhou choked a bit and coughed violently twice, annoyed:


    ¡°You child, what aren¡¯t you afraid to say¡­¡±


    Mo Hua laughed sheepishly.


    Helpless with Mo Hua, Court Leader Zhou conceded: ¡°Indeed, there is¡­¡±


    Court Leader Zhou sighed, ¡°That¡¯s why in this world, some Cultivators who commit serious crimes can still live in peace under the protection of the Taoist Court, while some Cultivators who commit minor offenses may face their entire family being executed for offending a Court Official.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you this not to encourage you to give or receive bribes but to make you aware of the way things work here. In the future, you should not be disadvantaged in this respect.¡±


    ¡°Some issues, if you know the way, can be very simple to resolve. But without the right approach, no matter how hard you work, you may face obstacles everywhere and end up in an embarrassing situation,¡± Court Leader Zhou said earnestly.


    Having been deeply involved in the Taoist Court for a significant part of his life, Court Leader Zhou knew the ins and outs very well.


    While these matters might not be profound or complex, Cultivators outside the Taoist Court might never understand them without guidance. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was internally grateful for Court Leader Zhou¡¯s advice and patted his chest, saying:


    ¡°Court Leader, if you ever need a Formation Painting, just ask!¡±


    Court Leader Zhou couldn¡¯t help but smile at this, then laughingly said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll depend on you, Junior Formation Master!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded confidently.


    Within the realm of First-grade Formation Method, he now strolled with his hands in his pockets, fearless, for there were no rivals in sight ¨C except Mr. Zhuang, of course.


    Then Mo Hua asked again, ¡°So, what will the final disposition be for the Qian Family?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Court Leader Zhou countered, with a cautious look in his eyes.


    Mo Hua held his chin in thought and said:


    ¡°I think that neither severity nor leniency is a good approach¡­¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s severe, there will be too many casualties. Moreover, even if there are many wicked Cultivators within the Qian Family, there will always be innocent people involved. A one-size-fits-all approach is not acceptable.¡±


    ¡°Leniency won¡¯t work either. The Qian Family won¡¯t learn their lesson and might become even more unscrupulous in the future.¡±


    ¡°It would be best to sift through old cases. Those with blood on their hands or a criminal record should be severely punished or captured as a warning to others. Then, confiscate their property. As for the remaining Cultivators, let them have some hard times, forcing them to engage in Artifact Refining, Alchemy, or Monster Hunting themselves¡­¡±


    ¡°Once a person becomes complacent, they tend to develop vile thoughts, but if they toil daily, collapsing into sleep as soon as they lie down, they will have no energy for wicked schemes.¡±


    Court Leader Zhou¡¯s eyes lit up as he listened.


    Neither vengeful nor deliberately compassionate, with a clear conscience about right and wrong, ensuring each is treated according to their deserts.


    Indeed, a good kid¡­


    Court Leader Zhou smiled, ¡°You speak well, though you sound like an old man who insists on the Median path without favoring any sides.¡±


    Mo muttered, ¡°If I¡¯m like an old man, then so be it¡­¡±


    As long as things are handled properly, that¡¯s all that matters.


    Mo Hua left the Taoist Court, ready to return home, only to encounter Master Luo on the way.


    Master Luo casually said, ¡°Little Mo, what a coincidence.¡±


    However, upon seeing his expression Mo Hua knew he came prepared. He didn¡¯t look at all as if it were a mere coincidence.


    ¡°Master Luo, do you need something?¡±


    ¡°Chance encounters are better than meetings. I have recently obtained a cake of Tuanlong Tea at my estate. I wonder if Little Mo would honor me by joining me in tasting it?¡±


    Though he had already had his fill of tea water, Mo Hua intended to decline, but it was hard to turn down Master Luo¡¯s enthusiastic invitation. Moreover, he was indeed curious about what Tuanlong Tea was like, so he nodded in agreement.


    Master Luo personally took Mo Hua to his cave abode, where he treasured and took out the tea cake, personally brewed the tea, and then personally handed it to Mo Hua.


    ¡°Please!¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at the tea. It was pale gold like dragon saliva, and after tasting a mouthful, he found it mellow like dragon musk.


    It was much tastier than the tea Court Leader Zhou had offered him.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but reflect that, by the looks of it, Master Luo¡¯s days were far more ¡°corrupt¡± than Court Leader Zhou¡¯s¡­


    ¡°Excellent tea!¡± Mo Hua praised.


    Although he didn¡¯t understand what made it good, the deliciousness was undeniable.


    Master Luo, pleased by Mo Hua¡¯s compliment, seemed elated as if basking in the spring breeze.


    After taking another small sip, Mo Hua leaned closer to Master Luo and asked, ¡°Is there something you need?¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all,¡± Master Luo said with an easy calm, ¡°just invited Little Mo for tea tasting.¡±


    Mo Hua gave Master Luo a look that said ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    Master Luo was helpless and a bit embarrassed. He coughed lightly, then lowered his voice and said:


    ¡°Master Qian wishes to see you.¡±


    ¡°Master Qian?¡±


    Master Luo sighed, ¡°The issue with the Patriarch of the Qian Family has caused quite a storm throughout the city. Now that the Qian Family is sealed, Master Qian is unable to leave and is worried. He does not know what fate lies for the Qian Family, hence he sent someone to invite you.¡±


    ¡°But why me?¡± Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Master Luo explained, ¡°The Qian Family is not well-liked. Though Master Qian is a Formation Master with wide connections, he is helpless in this matter and has no choice but to entrust you.¡±


    ¡°What does Master Qian want to say to me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But most likely, he wants to ask about the disposition of the Qian Family and such.¡±


    Master Luo let out a small sigh and remarked, ¡°Such a large Qian Family, on the verge of collapse in an instant.¡±


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Master Luo was overjoyed, ¡°Thank you, Little Mo!¡±


    Later, Mo Hua went to find Court Leader Zhou and got a token to allow him into the Qian Family. Then, he went to the Qian Family and met with Master Qian.


    Mo Hua used his Divine Sense beforehand to confirm there were no Elders from the Qian Family around, nor any Foundation Building Cultivators¡ªit was indeed just Master Qian. Then he began speaking with Master Qian.


    Master Qian asked nothing else, and as Master Luo said, he was only concerned about the safety of the Qian Family and the Taoist Court¡¯s decisions.


    For Mo Hua, this was a minor issue, but for Master Qian, it was a matter of life and death.


    However, ultimately the Taoist Court was the decider, and Mo Hua couldn¡¯t overstep his authority. He just gave a few simple remarks, saying:


    ¡°The Taoist Court is clear about right and wrong. They won¡¯t kick someone when they are down. The Qian Family may be guilty, but they will not be exterminated to the last.¡±


    Master Qian breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Do you know about the matter of Black Mountain Stronghold, Master Qian?¡±


    Master Qian gave a bitter smile and shook his head.


    He was just a Formation Master sequestered in his research. Even if he were given ten times his courage, he wouldn¡¯t dare get involved with the affairs of Evil Cultivators.


    Mo Hua nodded and then said, ¡°As long as you know nothing, you are safe.¡±


    Master Qian had the capability of a First-grade Formation Master. A true First-grade Formation Master was rare everywhere.


    Even if the Qian Family were to be severely punished and executed entirely, as long as Master Qian truly knew nothing, the Taoist Court would find a way to spare his life.


    Because he was a Formation Master.


    Even if the Taoist Court didn¡¯t say so, relying on the goodwill between Formation Masters, he would ask the old Court Leader to spare Master Qian.


    Upon hearing this, Master Qian looked at Mo Hua with gratitude.


    Master Qian walked Mo Hua to the gate and apologized, ¡°Being guilty, I can only accompany you this far, please don¡¯t take offense, Little Mo.¡±


    ¡°No need for such courtesy, Master Qian.¡±


    As Mo Hua turned to leave, he was called back by Master Qian.


    Master Qian bowed deeply to Mo Hua and said sincerely:


    ¡°I cannot thank you enough for your great kindness. Should you ever command me, I would not hesitate, even at the cost of my life!¡±


    ¡°No need for such formalities, Master Qian.¡±


    Mo Hua returned the bow, thinking to himself that he might indeed have need of Master Qian¡¯s help in the future.

 Chapter 328 - 326 Third Householder_1

    Chapter 328: Chapter 326 Third Householder_1


    The affairs of Black Mountain Stronghold had essentially come to a close.


    The identity of the Patriarch of the Qian Family had been exposed, and the Qian Family could no longer rely on Black Mountain Stronghold to commit evil acts.


    Without the support of the Qian Family, Black Mountain Stronghold could not develop further;


    without the backing of Black Mountain Stronghold, the Qian Family could not continue to grow.


    Even though the instigator, the Patriarch of the Qian Family, was still in hiding within Big Black Mountain, it was unlikely he could stir up any trouble in the short term.


    No matter how strong a Foundation Building Cultivator is, without the support of a clan or power, he is just a Foundation Building Cultivator, with great cultivation but nowhere to apply it.


    Besides, the seriously injured Patriarch of the Qian Family wouldn¡¯t have much strength left.


    But to completely wrap up the matter of Black Mountain Stronghold, there were two things left to do:


    First was to find the third householder.


    He was an Evil Formation Master who could draw Evil Formations and could not be left unattended, or he would undoubtedly bring endless disasters.


    Formation Masters were extraordinary to begin with, let alone the third householder who was an Evil Formation Master at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    Even if his talent was subpar and he was unwilling to put in effort, still being a first-grade Formation Master, he should not be underestimated.


    After all, without those Formations he drew, Black Mountain Stronghold might have been discovered long ago, and it wouldn¡¯t have been able to remain hidden in Big Black Mountain for so long.


    The second thing was to hunt down the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    Mo Hua always felt that the Patriarch of the Qian Family wasn¡¯t so simple.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family was very calculating, with more twists and turns in his mind than a rat¡¯s burrows.


    The day he was besieged, even though he seemed to be at his wit¡¯s end, the Patriarch of the Qian Family remained too calm.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand.


    Did he truly have something to rely on, or was it merely that he was very calculating, with emotions that never showed on his face, even if death was imminent, never exposing the desperate or cornered ugliness?


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know if he still had any conspiracies or schemes.


    However, as long as they caught or killed the Patriarch of the Qian Family, all these matters would ultimately settle.


    Even if he had any schemes, as long as he took them to his grave, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t mind.


    The first clue Mo Hua found was that of the third householder.


    The main householder, hiding within the Qian Family, had already been executed.


    And the third householder was very likely still hiding in the depths of the mountains.


    Taoist Soldiers were still searching the mountain, and for several days in a row, there had been no news of the third householder or the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    So, Mo Hua volunteered to help with the search.


    Ever since he learned the Calculation Method of Divine Sense, his perception of the spiritual power trajectories of formations became even more sensitive.


    If the third householder were hiding in the mountains, he would definitely set up formations, and as long as he deployed formations, the running of the formations would generate spiritual power trajectories, shining like bright fires in the dark night, unable to escape the detection of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Leader Yang, worried, decided to accompany Mo Hua into the deep mountains.


    The mountains were vast, and Black Mountain Stronghold was only a part of them; besides, there were many desolate, overgrown, and miasmic places without a soul in sight.


    Under Leader Yang¡¯s protection, Mo Hua observed his surroundings while extending his Divine Sense, searching for traces of formations. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A Formation Master who does not deploy formations is not a good Formation Master.


    As long as a formation is deployed, it can¡¯t hide from Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Half a day later, Mo Hua finally spotted traces of a formation on a cliff.


    And it was the familiar Concealment Formation!


    In the area near Tongxian City, other than himself, probably only the third householder could draw a Concealment Formation.


    ¡°Found it?¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua suddenly standing still with a glint in his eyes, Leader Yang asked.


    Mo Hua nodded and pointed to the cliff, ¡°It¡¯s nearby.¡±


    Leader Yang looked in the direction Mo Hua pointed, seeing the cliff adorned with either strange rocks or bushes, no different from the other cliffs he had seen along the way.


    How on earth did he locate that¡­


    ¡°Is it here?¡± Leader Yang asked for confirmation.


    ¡°Yes, a Concealment Formation is deployed here, hiding the traces.¡±


    Leader Yang released his Divine Sense again, but he still couldn¡¯t detect anything; the spiritual power of the formation patterns blended with the mountain mists, obscure and elusive; he was not a Formation Master and could not distinguish it.


    But he felt embarrassed to let Mo Hua know he couldn¡¯t see anything and so he nodded gravely in agreement, ¡°Indeed so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in first to take a look,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Leader Yang promptly stopped him, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    The third householder was an Evil Formation Master, and his hideout in the cave was concealed and filled with unknown dangers, so he feared for Mo Hua¡¯s safety.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll use my Concealment Technique to go in; he won¡¯t see me.¡±


    Leader Yang still disagreed.


    Mo Hua added, ¡°Uncle Yang, you don¡¯t know what formations are deployed inside. If you rush in recklessly, you¡¯ll either fall into a trap or startle the snake, allowing him to escape.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what formation is inside?¡± Leader Yang asked doubtfully.


    ¡°I just need to take a quick look, and I¡¯ll know,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Leader Yang hesitated.


    He couldn¡¯t recall other Formation Masters having such ability¡­


    To know the deployed formation just by looking?


    However, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s confident demeanor, he should have been sure of himself.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Leader Yang nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll wait here. If you run into danger, just shout, and I¡¯ll rush in to save you!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Afterwards, Mo Hua employed the Concealment Technique and disappeared from before Leader Yang¡¯s eyes.


    Leader Yang sighed. Although he had seen the Concealment Technique many times, he still found it unbelievable.


    He was only in the Qi Refinement Realm, yet he could already evade the perception of Foundation Building Cultivators¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go back and see if there¡¯s a suitable, beautiful, and gentle young lady in the clan; I need to find a way to lure Mo Hua to my Yang Family¡­¡±


    The straight-browed Leader Yang couldn¡¯t help but come up with some sneaky ideas¡­


    With his figure concealed, Mo Hua stepped along the hidden stairs beside the cliff and entered the concealed cave.


    The cave was surrounded by Formations, including the Concealment Formation, as well as some early warning, trap, and defense formations.


    Using Divine Sense Calculation, Mo Hua knew the range of the Formations and the types of Formation Patterns, and he deftly avoided each one without leaving a trace.


    The process was much easier than Mo Hua had anticipated.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but praise the Calculation Method that Mr. Zhuang had taught him for its effectiveness.


    Especially against Formation Masters, he could see through the details of their Formations at a glance.


    The cave was rather spacious and dim, lit only by the faint Bright Fire Formation.


    In the dim firelight, one could see Formation Books, Array Plates, brushes, and ink scattered around; there were also materials for Alchemy Furnaces and several large vats filled with human blood.


    And there, that third Householder was sitting before a stone table, concentrating on drawing something.


    Mo Hua quietly executed the Water Passing Step, making as little sound as possible, and tiptoed closer, just enough to see the tabletop without drawing the third Householder¡¯s attention.


    The engrossed third Householder had no idea that despite hiding in such a secluded cave, he still couldn¡¯t escape Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°prying eyes.¡±


    Mo Hua craned his neck curiously to take a closer look at the third Householder, hoping to find out what he was actually doing.


    After a while, he understood.


    The third Householder was drawing a Formation, and it was an Evil Formation at that!


    It was an Evil Formation again¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart grew cautious, and he became more alert, wanting to see what the Evil Formation actually looked like.


    After a while, Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed.


    Indeed, as Bai Zixi had said, the Evil Formation belonged to the dubious and unorthodox practices but wasn¡¯t any profound knowledge of Formation art.


    The Evil Formation derived from orthodox Formations. In the pursuit of quick success, it changed the Formation media, brushes, ink, and some Formation Pivot structures.


    Using flesh and blood as the Formation media could save on Divine Sense; using human blood as ink could enhance the power of the Formation. However, the essence of the Formation Patterns were oversimplified, cutting corners and thus shallow.


    The so-called Evil Formation was more like a ¡°shortcut¡± in the practice of Formations,


    a ¡°quick-fix¡± approach to Formation arts.


    Though they seemed profound and terrifying, the true ¡°Dao¡± behind them was crude, superficial, and scarcely commendable.


    Whether in the practice of Tao Cultivation or in Formation arts, seeking quick success may lead to a faster start, but ultimately, it is impossible to go far or to comprehend the ultimate Great Dao.


    Mo Hua tried to perform the Calculation in his mind again, and the patterns of the Evil Formation clearly emerged in his thoughts.


    No wonder Bai Zixi said he might ¡°learn it in one go.¡±


    Mo Hua lost interest.


    The insidious, evil tricks of the Evil Formation might look fierce, but in reality were not very interesting.


    The technical content was too low¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t bother to continue watching and tiptoed out.


    Outside the cave, Leader Yang was on full alert, staring intently at the cave entrance.


    Suddenly Mo Hua appeared beside him, giving him a start.


    ¡°When did you come out?¡±


    ¡°Just now¡­¡±


    Leader Yang coughed to cover his embarrassment and asked with feigned composure, ¡°Is the third Householder inside?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°He is inside. There¡¯s a secret passageway. You go in and catch him; don¡¯t let him escape!¡±


    Mo Hua took out some paper and a pen and drew a rough map of the cave, marking everything clearly.


    Where the Formations were, what they were, their function, the safest way to go to avoid traps and not alarm anyone, what mechanisms were inside the cave, and where the secret passageway was¡­


    Mo Hua told Leader Yang all of it.


    Leader Yang couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.


    He even wanted to keep Mo Hua like a Magical Treasure on him at all times.


    With him around, conducting military operations would be so much easier!


    But Leader Yang knew that this was just wishful thinking.


    Such a fanciful notion was utterly impossible.


    Having memorized the route, Leader Yang followed in Mo Hua¡¯s footsteps, sneaking into the cave. Soon after, the cave echoed with sounds of a scuffle and the third Householder¡¯s cries of alarm and anger.


    Some time passed, and the noises subsided.


    Inside the cave, Leader Yang called out, ¡°Mo Hua!¡±


    Mo Hua knew then that the third Householder had been subdued. Revitalized, he swaggered back into the cave.

 Chapter 329 - 327 Inquiry_1

    Chapter 329: Chapter 327 Inquiry_1


    The cave was a mess, with some of the Formations destroyed, books and Array Plates crushed by Spiritual Power, and several more holes in the walls, where blood was splattered all over the floor.


    The Third Householder had a long spear pierced through his shoulder, pinning him to the wall; both hands and feet were locked in silver shackles.


    These were shackles used exclusively by the Taoist soldiers Court, a Second Grade Spiritual Artifact, inscribed with a Spirit Locking Formation, designed specifically to confine prisoners.


    Leader Yang was a descendant of the Noble Clans and also commanded the Taoist soldiers. With numerous battles under his belt and personal strength and combat experience far beyond that of the Third Householder, it was no contest.


    The only thing the Third Householder was good at was Formations.


    But now, with Mo Hua¡¯s help, his expertise in Formations was utterly useless, and naturally, he was no match for Leader Yang.


    After about a dozen exchanges, he was captured by Leader Yang.


    Mo Hua walked into the cave.


    Upon seeing him, the Third Householder¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me!¡±


    The Third Householder struggled to rise but was pressed down by a slap from Leader Yang, rendering him immobile.


    The Third Householder winced in pain and gave up struggling, but said in disbelief,


    ¡°You¡­ are actually a Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°You figured it out?¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t deny it.


    The Third Householder¡¯s eyelids twitched, and a chill settled at the bottom of his heart.


    He understood everything now.


    Who had infiltrated the Black Mountain Stronghold, who had broken his Formations, who had destroyed his Contemplation Map¡­


    It was indeed this little devil who did all of it!


    But deep down, he found it unbelievable, ¡°How could it be? How could you have such a powerful Divine Sense?¡±


    Merely in the Qi-refining Realm, yet his Divine Sense almost rivalled that of the Foundation Establishment.


    This was far beyond his understanding of Tao Cultivation.


    Mo Hua just smiled slightly, not bothering to answer.


    He certainly didn¡¯t want to reveal his true abilities.


    If the Third Householder wanted to guess, then let him keep guessing.


    The Third Householder¡¯s expression changed, eventually revealing unwillingness, and he asked another question, ¡°Did you really break my Formation?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Mo Hua replied casually.


    To the Third Householder¡¯s dismay, these words turned his face ashen, and he looked utterly dejected.


    A strong Divine Sense might just be a testament to the little devil¡¯s talent, but being able to break his Formation meant that his understanding of Formations was far superior to his own.


    A small cultivator in his teens, with far superior mastery over Formations¡­


    The Third Householder¡¯s Taoist Heart even began to show cracks¡­


    This simply couldn¡¯t be possible!


    If such a person existed in this world, they should belong to those Noble Clans of Daoist heritage or the descendants of Ancient Sects ¨C not someone from such a remote place, not this lowly born Loose Cultivator.


    The look the Third Householder gave Mo Hua was initially one of disbelief, which then turned to despondency, followed by jealousy and resentment.


    ¡°You little lucky son of a¡­¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished his curse when Mo Hua drew the Thousand Jun Stick and struck him in the face with it.


    Mo Hua huffed coldly, ¡°It seems you still don¡¯t understand your situation.¡±


    Leader Yang also frowned and drove the spear deeper into the Third Householder, the cruel Spiritual Power eroding his flesh.


    The agony from the wound sobered the Third Householder somewhat.


    He suddenly realized that the little devil before him wasn¡¯t to be trifled with.


    This little devil dared to infiltrate the Black Mountain Stronghold boldly and, even after being discovered, managed to keep a straight face while dealing with him, cunningly deceiving him, and effortlessly killed several Evil Cultivators¡­


    Such courage and cunning was definitely not ordinary.


    Even if this little devil wasn¡¯t an Old Demon¡¯s reincarnate, he was still a sly little fiend.


    Offending him now was indeed unwise.


    Suppressing the various resentful emotions in his heart, the Third Householder tried to summon his composure.


    Seeing that the Third Householder knew his place, Mo Hua stopped beating him.


    Of course, his weak physique meant that even if he swung the Thousand Jun Stick with all his might, he could only express his dissatisfaction; it wouldn¡¯t inflict any serious injury on the Third Householder.


    Mo Hua then inquired about what concerned him:


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell your Camp Leader about me, did you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Mo Hua was puzzled.


    The Third Householder was reluctant to speak.


    Mo Hua huffed again, ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck!¡±


    After saying this, he lifted the Thousand Jun Stick again, preparing to hit the Third Householder¡¯s face, not to hurt him but simply to humiliate him further.


    Grinding his teeth, the Third Householder said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk!¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to be humiliated by a young cultivator in his teens.


    Mo Hua put away the Thousand Jun Stick, ¡°Speak.¡±


    The Third Householder hesitated a bit before saying, ¡°I¡¯ve discovered that the formations of Black Mountain Stronghold have been tampered with, and I suspect it was you who did it, but I¡¯m not sure. After all, solving formations is not something that a regular Formation Master could learn.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too young to have such a level of mastery in formations.¡±


    ¡°However, later on, I thought about how strong your Divine Sense is, and I felt that it was very likely you.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell your Camp Leader?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    The Third Householder sneered, ¡°If I had told him, and you fell into the Camp Leader¡¯s hands, then all your secrets would belong to the Camp Leader¡­¡±


    ¡°But if I don¡¯t tell him, and I catch you instead, I can probe the secrets of your Divine Sense and force you to divulge the spell point for solving formations. By doing so, I can enhance my own Divine Sense, and my formation level could soar significantly.¡±


    ¡°If it were you, how would you choose?¡± the Third Householder asked in return.


    Mo Hua stroked his chin.


    What he said seemed to make sense¡­


    Every man for himself, heaven takes the hindmost, let alone an Evil Cultivator like the Third Householder.


    ¡°Additionally, there¡¯s one more thing¡­¡± the Third Householder looked at Mo Hua, his gaze slightly intensifying as he said: ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll side with the Camp Leader.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Side with the Camp Leader?¡±


    The Third Householder coldly said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the way you solve formations. To tell you the truth, it makes me feel inferior and afraid.¡±


    ¡°Someone as young as you with such a powerful Divine Sense and deep formation mastery.¡±


    ¡°If the Camp Leader finds out, no matter what, he will invite you to join Black Mountain Stronghold. If you¡¯re unwilling, he¡¯ll use all sorts of methods, coercion, and inducements to make you one of the Stronghold¡¯s Evil Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°And once you join Black Mountain Stronghold, with two Formation Masters, there won¡¯t be room for both of us¡ªas the saying goes, ¡®A mountain cannot accommodate two tigers.¡¯ I think you understand this.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, you¡¯re so young. Your future in formations is boundless. Even if you wanted to kill me, the Camp Leader would probably do it himself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that exaggerated¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised¡ªhe didn¡¯t know he had such clout¡­


    The Third Householder sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve followed the Camp Leader for many years; I know him very well. As long as you are talented, you can pretty much have anything you want, but once you¡¯re useless, he¡¯ll discard you like a worn-out shoe.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    This also matched his impression of the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    As the Third Householder was talking, he suddenly came to his senses, his expression abruptly shifted and he asked,


    ¡°Wait, how do you know Black Mountain Stronghold has a Camp Leader?¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily speechless.


    This Third Householder was so slow to react¡­


    But judging by his reaction, he probably didn¡¯t know that the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s identity had been revealed, nor that the Patriarch had been besieged by the Taoist soldiers, seriously injured, and had escaped.


    In other words, he had been hiding here without any contact with the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    ¡°Your Camp Leader has already been slaughtered!¡± Mo Hua bluffed him.


    The Third Householder looked as if he had been struck by lightning, but then he regained his composure and scoffed, ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    The Third Householder sneered but did not wish to answer.


    ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of these Evil Formations you¡¯ve drawn?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    The Third Householder closed his eyes and remained silent, even as Leader Yang thrust his spear deeper and activated his Spiritual Power to twist the wound, the Third Householder just endured the pain without a word.


    It seemed that these issues were top-secret, and the Third Householder would not disclose them easily.


    Leader Yang said, ¡°Take him back and lock him up in the Taoist Prison for a severe interrogation.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, it seemed that was the only option for now.


    Leader Yang withdrew his long spear and prepared to escort the Third Householder back to Tongxian City. Just before leaving, the Third Householder suddenly asked,


    ¡°What exactly happened to the Camp Leader?¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it and decided not to hide the truth, saying plainly,


    ¡°His identity was exposed, he was besieged, and he fled with severe injuries. It¡¯s unlikely he¡¯ll stir up any trouble again.¡±


    The Third Householder showed a disappointed look.


    He probably still hoped that the Patriarch of the Qian Family would find him again, so that they could regroup and rise from the ashes, rebuilding another Black Mountain Stronghold.


    As if such good fortune were common.


    Mo Hua sneered in his heart.


    As the Third Householder was being escorted away by Leader Yang, his face was defeated, but just as he turned around, the corners of his mouth slightly curled up, revealing a subtle, sinister smile.


    This smile was very subtle, and Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t have noticed it if not for his sharp Divine Sense. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What was this crafty fellow, the Third Householder, smiling about?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    He went through the items in the cave again, from start to finish, but found nothing special.


    The Third Householder¡¯s Storage Bag, which he and Leader Yang had already searched through before, contained only some Spirit Stones, some Blood Ink, some Human Life Pills, and a damaged Contemplation Map.


    The Contemplation Map was missing the Little Green-faced Ghost that transformed into a Taoist Child¡ªbecause that ghost had been eaten by Mo Hua.


    Out of all the items, the only thing that caught Mo Hua¡¯s attention and seemed a bit special was the Evil Formation that the Third Householder had drawn.


    This Evil Formation¡­ what was it used for?

 Chapter 330 - 328 Evil Pill_1

    Chapter 330: Chapter 328 Evil Pill_1


    Mo Hua found a clean spot, sat down cross-legged, and began to ponder.


    The only place he had seen an Evil Formation was at the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The perimeter of the Black Mountain Stronghold was protected by a standard Five Elements Formation, not an Evil Formation.


    The Five Elements Formation, aligning with the Heavenly Dao Laws, was an orthodox formation, while the aura of an Evil Formation was corrupt. If laid out in excess, it could not be entirely concealed, even with a Concealment Formation.


    Therefore, the third Householder only set up some Evil Formations in the most secret blood-colored Pill Room at the back of the stronghold.


    One was the Bronze Beast Gate, and the other was the White Bone Pill Furnace.


    The Evil Formation of the Bronze Beast Gate served to guard the door, while the Evil Formation within the White Bone Pill Furnace was used for Alchemy.


    The third Householder surely wouldn¡¯t have delved into studying such an Evil Formation only to guard a door.


    If that was the case, then it had to be for Alchemy.


    To refine Pills of an evil path, naturally, one would need an evil Pill Furnace; and to create an evil Pill Furnace, one naturally required an Evil Formation.


    The Evil Formation that the third Householder was painting was very likely intended for pill refining.


    But what kind of Pills?


    Human Life Pills?


    At this point in time, was he still thinking of refining Human Life Pills?


    Was the third Householder that ¡°dedicated¡±?


    With the Black Mountain Stronghold collapsed and the Camp Leader on the run, would he still be earnestly studying an Evil Formation, ready to refine Pills for clinging to life?


    Unlikely¡­


    Mo Hua felt something was amiss, but for a moment, he could not grasp a clue.


    ¡°Should I ask Mr. Zhuang?¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After contemplating, Mo Hua shook his head.


    If he brought this Formation to his mentor, Mr. Zhuang might suspect he wanted to learn an Evil Formation.


    Moreover, as Mr. Zhuang valued purity, Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to disturb his mentor¡¯s serene cultivation with such a tainted Formation.


    Besides, Mr. Zhuang was probably about to leave; from now on, he would have to rely on himself for everything.


    With this thought, Mo Hua felt somewhat downhearted.


    Mr. Zhuang was going to leave, huh¡­


    He wondered if he would ever see his mentor again.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mood dipped for a while before he snapped out of it and perked up again, continuing to think things through.


    If he couldn¡¯t start with the Evil Formation, looking for clues in Pills would also suffice.


    Mo Hua took out paper and pen, sketched a rough drawing of the White Bone Pill Furnace, the blood-colored Pill Room, and some strange herbs from the third Householder¡¯s Storage Bag, all of which he put down on paper.


    Mo Hua went to the Alchemist¡¯s Business in the southern part of the city and showed these to Old Mr. Feng.


    Old Mr. Feng¡¯s face changed drastically, he exclaimed, ¡°These are¡­¡±


    ¡°Pills refined by Evil Cultivators!¡±


    Mo Hua recounted the whole story, including everything about Black Mountain Stronghold and the third Householder, as well as his own suspicions:


    ¡°Could they be refining some other Pills?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng took a breath, pondered for a moment, and then said:


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, these unusual herbs look similar but have different medicinal properties. They don¡¯t seem to be for refining the same batch of Pills¡­¡±


    Mo Hua eagerly asked, ¡°Do you know what Pills they are?¡±


    This posed a difficulty for Old Mr. Feng.


    Old Mr. Feng said tactfully, ¡°I am not an Evil Pill Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°What a pity¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Feng glanced at Mo Hua with a bit of annoyance and said:


    ¡°So if I were an Evil Pill Master, it wouldn¡¯t be a pity?¡±


    Realizing his blunder, Mo Hua scratched his head and sheepishly smiled.


    Old Mr. Feng couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the other Pill Masters in the Alchemist¡¯s Business to help you inquire.¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his doubts, ¡°If you don¡¯t know, how could they know?¡±


    Old Mr. Feng smiled gently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate anyone¡­¡±


    ¡°The world is full of diversity, and everyone has their own strengths. In this long journey of life, Cultivators live a lifetime; even those who seem ordinary have experiences that others may not have encountered, knowledge that others may not know, and insights that others might not understand.¡±


    ¡°How will you know they are not aware if you never ask?¡±


    Mo Hua, seemingly enlightened, nodded his head.


    After a while, Old Mr. Feng called over all the Pill Masters from the Alchemist¡¯s Business, a sea of faces filled the room.


    After Old Mr. Feng relayed the situation and showed everyone the drawings of the White Bone Pill Furnace and the strange herbs Mo Hua had sketched, there was an uproar.


    ¡°Patriarch of the Qian Family is really despicable.¡±


    ¡°To refine such Pills, they¡¯ve really lost all humanity!¡±


    ¡°They violate the heavens and harm reason; they¡¯re bound to end up feeding the pigs and dogs one day!¡±


    They only knew the Patriarch of the Qian Family was an Evil Cultivator and had done nefarious deeds in collusion with Black Mountain Stronghold, but they were not precisely aware of the specifics. Learning now of the Human Pill incident, they were all outraged.


    Pill Masters explore the Alchemy Dao to treat and save people, not to refine humans into Pills.


    This went against everything these Pill Masters stood for.


    Old Mr. Feng raised his hand, signaling for silence, and asked:


    ¡°Does anyone know what these herbs could also be used to refine?¡±


    The group of Pill Masters looked at each other with uncertainty. They were not Evil Pill Masters, had never refined pills of heretical paths, and were unfamiliar with these specimens.


    Old Mr. Feng then said, ¡°Even if you¡¯re not sure, you can still speak up, guesses are also fine; let¡¯s see if there are any clues.¡±


    Now the Pill Masters began to speak up.


    This was about Refining Evil Pills,¡±professional¡± knowledge was beyond their reach, but when it comes to ¡°unprofessional¡± experiences, they had plenty to share.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s the Blood Fiend Pill¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s the Human Element Pill.¡±


    ¡°How could it be the Human Element Pill?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only Evil Pill I know of; I can only guess this one¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you just guess?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t guessing just making a blind guess?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I once dealt with an Evil Pill Master who used the blood of his closest kin as a catalyst and refined a type of Blood Origin Pill¡­¡±


    ¡°Shamefully, an ancestor of mine was an Evil Pill Master; he refined several kinds of Evil Pills, and even unabashedly recorded the names of these Evil Pills in our family records. It¡¯s incredibly disgraceful and I¡¯ve been too embarrassed to even mention it until now¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Old Mr. Feng listened carefully and recorded the names and origins of the Pills.


    Before long, he had filled a whole page.


    Mo Hua leaned over to take a glance; the page was filled with characters such as ¡°ingest,¡± ¡°human,¡± ¡°blood,¡± ¡°evil,¡± and ¡°fiend¡± in the pill names, making it obvious these were no good Pills.


    However, upon closer inspection, none of these seemed quite like the Pills refined by the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    Old Mr. Feng also furrowed his brows.


    At that moment, a young Pill Master muttered, ¡°I¡­¡±


    He said, ¡°I¡± for quite a while but didn¡¯t get to the point.


    An impatient Pill Master beside him urged, ¡°What ¡®I¡¯, spit it out if you have something to say!¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­ heard a rumor.¡±


    Being young and junior, the Pill Master was somewhat uncomfortable speaking in front of so many people.


    The crowd waited patiently for him to continue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize these herbs, nor this Pill Furnace, but¡­ but I have heard a rumor.¡±


    Anxious, the Pill Master beside him blurted, ¡°Get to the point!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush him, let him take his time,¡± countered another.


    After the commotion subsided, Old Mr. Feng asked everyone to quiet down while he gently encouraged the young Pill Master:


    ¡°Take your time, there¡¯s no need to rush. It doesn¡¯t matter if you make a mistake.¡±


    The young Pill Master relaxed slightly, took a deep breath, and then continued:


    ¡°Years ago, while following my master around, we passed a decrepit temple. It was a cold night, and I fell asleep in my clothes. I awoke in the middle of the night, freezing, to find my master talking to a strange Taoist.¡±


    ¡°That Taoist had an odd voice; it clearly came from him, yet it sounded as if borrowed from another¡­¡±


    ¡°He told my master there exists a Pill, named the ¡®Lifespan Transformation Elixir¡¯, which uses a person¡¯s lifespan as a catalyst. It can convert a person¡¯s life into vitality and flesh, refine it into medicinal potency, and condense it into a Pill, which can break through cultivation boundaries¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened after?¡± asked a Pill Master.


    ¡°After that¡­¡± the young Pill Master said sheepishly, ¡°I was both hungry and cold, dozed off into a daze, and then fell asleep. I don¡¯t know what happened next¡­¡±


    The others felt disappointed.


    Someone inquired, ¡°What about your master?¡±


    ¡°He went inside.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The young Pill Master said softly, ¡°He was arrested and taken to the Taoist Prison¡­¡±


    The crowd: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°He was refining that¡­ Lifespan Transformation Elixir?¡±


    The young Pill Master shook his head, ¡°He hadn¡¯t started yet. He just used some connections to buy a few herbs, but the Taoist Court Officials discovered him, and then¡­ he was taken to the Taoist Prison¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Taoist Court cause you any trouble?¡±


    ¡°I was arrested too,¡± the young Pill Master replied. ¡°But when they questioned me, I knew nothing, so after about ten days, I was released.¡±


    With a sigh and a troubled face, the young Pill Master added:


    ¡°My parents spent Spirit Stones for me to apprentice under a master and learn some skills, so I could earn a living in the future.¡±


    ¡°But I hadn¡¯t learned much before my master was taken away¡­¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, I didn¡¯t acquire my master¡¯s skills; otherwise, I might have been taken away too¡­¡±


    ¡°After I returned, my parents told me to keep my mouth shut and never speak of this matter to anyone. But now seeing everyone discussing these things, I thought I might as well speak up. Maybe I could help¡­¡±


    Old Mr. Feng nodded, ¡°You indeed helped. However, it¡¯s still best not to mention this matter to outsiders in the future.¡±


    With Old Mr. Feng¡¯s praise, the young Pill Master showed a joyous expression and repeatedly nodded.


    The hot-headed Pill Master patted his shoulder and exclaimed:


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty lucky, kid, for not going down the wrong path, or your life would¡¯ve been ruined.¡±


    The young cultivator gave a sheepish smile.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression, however, became increasingly solemn.


    Human Life Pill¡­ Lifespan Transformation Elixir¡­


    Breakthrough in cultivation, enhancing cultivation¡­


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    If the Patriarch of the Qian Family was truly refining the Lifespan Transformation Elixir, then the trouble could be significant.

 Chapter 331 - 329 Collapse_1

    Chapter 331: Chapter 329 Collapse_1


    Mo Hua told Zhang Lan and Leader Yang about this matter.


    Both were from noble clans, so they should know something about it.


    ¡°Lifespan Transformation Elixir?¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s brows gradually furrowed, and his expression became solemn, ¡°I have never heard of such a pill.¡±


    Zhang Lan looked toward Leader Yang, who also shook his head, ¡°Neither have I.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised; this pill was so obscure that even Zhang Lan and Leader Yang had never heard of it.


    Zhang Lan then said, ¡°Copy the drawings of the pill furnace and the herbs for me, and I will take them back to my clan to ask around.¡±


    Leader Yang also said, ¡°Give me a copy too, and I will ask as well.¡±


    Mo Hua copied a set for each of them and asked:


    ¡°How long will it take to get a response?¡±


    Zhang Lan pondered, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, if it¡¯s quick, less than a week, if it¡¯s slow, maybe half a month.¡±


    ¡°With low cultivation, many means of communication aren¡¯t available, so it takes longer,¡± Zhang Lan added with a sigh.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    About six days later, Zhang Lan received a reply from his clan.


    Zhang Lan found Mo Hua, his expression grave, ¡°This is not an ordinary evil pill!¡±


    ¡°Lifespan Transformation Elixir, it refines the life of a cultivator, transforming cultivation into medicinal power; it is a pill passed down in some great demon sect traditions, a true demon path method!¡±


    ¡°These several herbs here, Soul-refining Herb, Life-extinguishing Vine, are indeed used to refine the Lifespan Transformation Elixir.¡±


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart, ¡°How could the Patriarch of the Qian Family possess such a pill recipe?¡±


    Zhang Lan shook his head, ¡°Maybe he obtained it unintentionally, or perhaps someone deliberately gave it to him. With so few clues right now, it¡¯s impossible to know.¡±


    The next day, Leader Yang also received a reply from his clan.


    The response in the letter was similar to what Zhang Lan had said, but with an additional point.


    ¡°The Lifespan Transformation Elixir, even within demon sects, is an extremely precious pill; the method for its alchemy is a secret of demon sects, and it is unlikely to leak out easily.¡±


    ¡°In refining this pill, one must commit grave acts of murder. First, people are refined into Human Life Pills, and then these pills are used as a catalyst. Human flesh and blood serve as the medicinal ingredients to transform lifespan and boost cultivation.¡±


    ¡°To refine a furnace of pills, it could take decades or even a hundred years of continuous killing and alchemy before the Lifespan Transformation Elixir is completed.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, even for a demon sect, refining this batch of pills is very strenuous.¡±


    A coldness settled in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    This tallied with the actions of the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family established Black Mountain Stronghold, raised evil cultivators, and murdered for alchemy.


    First, he refined Human Life Pills to extend his life and that of the Chief Elder of the Qian Family; then, using the Human Life Pills as catalyst, he crafted the Lifespan Transformation Elixir.


    Mo Hua asked Old Mr. Feng; although Human Life Pills could extend life, there were limits.


    If continuously taken, the medicinal power of the Human Life Pills would gradually wear off, the life extended would become shorter, and eventually, the medicinal power would fail completely.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family could not possibly rely on the Human Life Pills to live forever.


    So his goal was to cling to life with the Human Life Pills, hang on for another hundred years until the Lifespan Transformation Elixir was refined; then, he would take the Lifespan Transformation Elixir to boost his cultivation, break through realms, and become a late-stage Foundation Building cultivator.


    Breaking through from the middle phase of Foundation Establishment to the late stage could add a hundred years of life; thus, he would have another hundred years to live!


    And once in the late stage of Foundation Building, with a hundred years of time, he would no longer be limited to the area of Tongxian City. He could travel to a higher grade state boundary to seek the Core Formation method!


    In a hundred years, anything is possible!


    Zhang Lan and Leader Yang also realized this, and their expressions turned to shock.


    ¡°But there¡¯s one problem,¡± Zhang Lan said with confusion, ¡°The pill furnace in Black Mountain Stronghold was destroyed, doesn¡¯t that mean that his batch of pills has also been ruined?¡±


    Leader Yang pondered, ¡°It seems so¡­¡±


    But everyone¡¯s faces did not show any sign of relief.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family was immensely crafty; things probably weren¡¯t that simple.


    ¡°Does the Qian Family have a pill furnace?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°Yes, there are several pill furnaces in the cave dwelling of the Patriarch of the Qian Family. They were destroyed during the battle the day we tried to kill him.¡±


    ¡°What about the other pill furnaces of the Qian Family?¡±


    ¡°You mean those furnaces that, on the surface, look like legitimate pill furnaces?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Leader Yang nodded and said, ¡°I will have the Taoist soldiers go and destroy all pill furnaces of the Qian Family, without leaving a single one behind!¡±


    Zhang Lan continued, ¡°I will also go and speak to the Court Leader; all privately owned or family sects and alchemy businesses in Tongxian City must report their pill furnaces, to be checked one by one. We cannot afford to overlook any.¡±


    After speaking, Zhang Lan thought for a moment and then said to Leader Yang:


    ¡°The area around Black Mountain Stronghold needs another thorough search.¡±


    Leader Yang nodded, ¡°I will personally lead a team to search, we¡¯ll leave no stone unturned!¡±


    ¡°As long as we find and destroy the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s pill furnace, preventing him from completing the Lifespan Transformation Elixir, he won¡¯t be able to stir up any more trouble.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, feeling like he was overlooking something.


    Something very crucial¡­


    Zhang Lan noticed his serious expression and thought he was still worried, so he comforted him:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if the Patriarch of the Qian Family schemes in the shadows, it¡¯s all futile once everything is out in the open¡ªtheir tricks and conspiracies become useless.¡±


    Mo Hua had his concerns, but he still nodded his head.


    Afterward, the investigations of the Qian Family, the examination of pill furnaces, and the search for Black Mountain Stronghold went on methodically.


    These tasks were handled by the Taoist Court and the Taoist soldiers Court, and Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be of help, so he turned his attention to the collapse of the Compound Formation.


    Nearly a month passed, and Mo Hua, working on and off, finally completed the calculation of the Compound Formation¡¯s collapse.


    It shouldn¡¯t have taken this long, but with one thing after another cropping up, the delay was somewhat lengthy.


    Fortunately, it was now complete.


    Mo Hua was very curious whether the collapse of a Compound Formation could truly injure a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    He wanted to find an opportunity to test the power of the Compound Formation.


    But there was no way a Foundation Building Cultivator would let him test it, and a Second Grade Monster Beast wouldn¡¯t do either.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know whether his Concealment Technique could deceive the senses of a Second Grade Monster Beast.


    Monster Beasts differ from cultivators; in addition to vision and Monster Sensing, they have an acute sense of smell.


    Moreover, each species of Monster Beast has different innate talents, so their perceptions of the external world vary¡ªsome have keen eyesight, others have sensitive Monster Sensing, and some are responsive to Blood Qi. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if the Concealment Technique could fool one type of Second Grade Monster Beast, it might not work on others.


    After all, while human bodies are made the same, Monster Beasts vary greatly.


    Without prior understanding, rashly jumping in front of a Second Grade Monster Beast would be akin to courting death.


    In this case, a peak late-stage First Grade Monster Beast was the limit that Mo Hua could challenge.


    If anything unexpected happened, he might not be able to fight back, but he could still run away.


    Mo Hua proceeded to set up the Formation beforehand.


    This was a set of First Grade Earthfire Compound Formation.


    The power of a Compound Formation¡¯s collapse has nothing to do with the type of Formation, but it is dependent on the Formation¡¯s Divine Sense strength, the abundance of Spiritual Power, and the number of Formation Patterns.


    As long as the Formation is powerful enough, even a Concealment Formation can produce a formidable force when it collapses.


    Mo Hua chose the Earthfire Compound Formation to make a comparison.


    Mo Hua had tried before; when this Earthfire Compound Formation was triggered, it was capable of severely injuring a peak late-stage First Grade Monster Beast.


    Now he wanted to see the effect of the Compound Formation¡¯s collapse and its power.


    Would it be stronger than the explosion of an Earthfire Compound Formation? And if so, by how much?


    Once everything was prepared, Mo Hua saw a Black Bear Demon appear in his field of vision.


    The Black Bear Demon had black fur like bristles, eyes like copper bells, and a huge stature, making it one of the most powerful species in Big Black Mountain.


    It was also a type of Monster Beast that Monster Hunters greatly feared.


    But now, looking at it, Mo Hua didn¡¯t feel much fear at all.


    All fear stems from one¡¯s own weakness.


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s current cultivation couldn¡¯t be considered formidable, he had enough power to protect himself even against Foundation Building Cultivators, let alone a late-stage First Grade Monster Beast.


    He might not be able to kill this beast, but the beast also couldn¡¯t kill him.


    But that would soon change.


    What Mo Hua wanted to do now was to prove whether he could vanquish this peak late-stage First Grade Monster Beast by leveraging his mastery of formations and relying on the collapse of a Formation!


    Setting traps, deploying Formations, concealing tracks, using Demon Smelly Grass to mask the scent¡­


    The entire process was like second nature to Mo Hua.


    The Black Bear Demon, unguarded, walked along the path Mo Hua had anticipated.


    In Big Black Mountain, there weren¡¯t many cultivators or Monster Beasts that posed a threat to it¡ªit killed whatever it wanted to kill and ate whatever it wanted to eat.


    Moreover, it detected no abnormalities.


    Soon, it walked into the trap Mo Hua had set, triggering the Formation he had created.


    The moment the Formation was triggered, Spiritual Power reversed abruptly.


    The Compound Formation began to collapse!


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils shrank.


    Just like when he previously collapsed a Single Formation, the reversal of Spiritual Power followed by breakdown and annihilation was not dramatic, silent and noiseless.


    But differently, this time the collapse was much larger in scale, the reversal of Spiritual Power covering more than half of the Black Bear Demon¡¯s body.


    Half of the Black Bear Demon¡¯s body vanished in an instant, turned to black ash, obliterated from existence.


    It was as if suddenly someone had crushed the void, along with half of the Black Bear Demon¡¯s body, into nothingness!


    The formidable Black Bear Demon, left with only half a body, fell thunderously to the ground, dead on arrival!


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was shaken, and he was astounded, muttering:


    ¡°This¡­ is the true power¡­ of Formation collapse¡­¡±


    This is the true¡­ Power of Annihilation of the Dao!

 Chapter 332 - 330: Restless_1

    Chapter 332: Chapter 330: Restless_1


    Mo Hua calmed his emotions and thought carefully again.


    The Annihilation of the Dao might still not be considered complete, at most it is just the rudimentary form of the Annihilation of the Dao.


    After all, he was still in the Qi-refining Realm, only capable of drawing First-grade Formation Methods, and could only calculate and spur the Power of Annihilation fit for the Qi-refining First-grade.


    But that was enough.


    Mo Hua was already very satisfied with this power.


    The Black Bear Demon at the peak of the First-grade in its late stage was destroyed by the Formation Collapse, dying instantly, which had already surpassed the destructive power of an ordinary Qi-refining cultivator.


    ¡°If that is the case, then could the Compound Formation Collapse¡­ really injure a Foundation Building Cultivator?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help thinking.


    Who should he test it on?


    Considering its power, even a cultivator in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment could possibly die upon testing¡­


    Then he could only try it on some bad Foundation Builders.


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondering:


    ¡°How about sacrificing the Third Householder?¡±


    After all, he was very likely to be executed by the Taoist Court, so using him to test a Formation before his death would be making use of waste.


    But the Taoist Court may not agree.


    Beheading is a punishment according to the Taoist Law, using someone for testing a Formation could be seen as administering private punishment, which is probably against the rules.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful in his heart.


    If only he had learned it earlier himself.


    That way, during the attack on Black Mountain Stronghold, he could have found a way to secretly use it and test the power of Formation Collapse against Foundation Building Cultivators.


    The only Foundation Builder left in Black Mountain Stronghold now was the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    But the Patriarch was in the middle phase of Foundation Establishment and was cunning and calculating.


    Whether Formation Collapse could kill him, Mo Hua was not very sure, and even if it could, he might not be able to outsmart him.


    Otherwise, he might end up with a loss, falling into the hands of the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to confirm that the surroundings were safe and that the Black Bear Demon was indeed dead, then he ran forward to examine the detailed situation.


    One small half of the Black Bear Demon¡¯s body was intact, not a single hair damaged.


    However, the other half of the body had disappeared, turning into black powder that was dark and tasteless, devoid of any scent of blood or Spiritual Power, like the silent remnants of death after a life had faded away.


    This is the understanding of a Formation Master about Formations, the application of the power of the Heavenly Dao.


    ¡°Formation Masters are truly fearsome¡­¡±


    Mo Hua murmured, then nodded: S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Fortunately, I am a Formation Master!¡±


    Mo Hua felt a slight sense of relief.


    After that, he found a small grass in the black powder.


    This grass was intentionally left by Mo Hua, which was the ¡°Life-gate¡± he created.


    Mr. Zhuang told him that life and death cycle within the Great Dao, transforming between creation and annihilation; if there¡¯s annihilation, naturally there is also life.


    The power of Formation Collapse could annihilate everything, but within that annihilation, there was also a hint of life, which is the ¡°Life-gate¡± left through the Calculation of Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua wanted to test the power of the Compound Formation Collapse as well as the preserved Life-gate containing life force.


    And the location of this Life-gate was given to this small grass by Mo Hua.


    In the slight mountain breeze, this tender grass swayed with the wind; even in the midst of the Compound Formation¡¯s collapse, surrounded by the terrifying Power of Annihilation, it was still intact.


    This proved that Mo Hua had calculated correctly.


    He had not only calculated the power of Formation Collapse but had also pinpointed a Life-gate within that collapse.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help feeling happy.


    Afterwards, as long as he practiced Calculation more, attempted more collapses, and extrapolated more Life-gates, his skill in Formation would grow day by day.


    Someday, his level in Formation would be so profound that it would make other Formation Masters fear him.


    Happy for a while, Mo Hua then began to clean up traces.


    The traces of the Formation Collapse had to be erased, and the Black Bear Demon had to be skinned and deboned, to be sold for Spirit Stones. Even though the fur was damaged and most of the blood qi was gone, not earning many Spirit Stones, every little bit counts, and it should not be wasted.


    After cleaning up, Mo Hua summarized the uses of Formation Collapse and felt it was a pity.


    Although Formation Collapse was strong, it was not particularly easy to use.


    Collapse required prior Calculation, which consumed a great deal of Divine Sense and also required a lot of time.


    Without sufficient preparation, it was impossible to use Formation Collapse against an enemy.


    Moreover, for now, Formation Collapse could only be used like an Earth Fire Formation, as a trap.


    This also required advance setup and should not be detected.


    If used against Monster Beasts, its destructiveness is too great; after the collapse, most of the Monster Beasts turned to ash, and the remains could not be sold for a good price.


    It was basically a business that ran at a loss.


    To use it against Cultivators, the target could not be too smart, or too wary of oneself, and ideally should not know one is a Formation Master, to catch them by surprise.


    Otherwise, the opponent might not fall for the trap.


    Also, after the Compound Formation Collapse, the range of the Life-gate was relatively small, just one or two feet of space¡ªinsufficient for a person to survive.


    For now, this Life-gate was still of no use to him.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Thinking this way, the conditions for using Formation Collapse were indeed demanding.


    The Calculation was complex, the preparation time long, the Life-gate narrow, and the opponent ideally should be a fool, and if not a fool, at least not too clever.


    Indeed, the more powerful the force, the more limitations it has.


    Mo Hua lamented.


    However, even if there are many restrictions, having powerful strength is always better than not having any.


    One shouldn¡¯t be too greedy.


    Mo Hua nodded, packed up everything, prepared to leave and took one last look at that small grass.


    The surrounding soil, rocks, and vegetation had been annihilated by the Formation Collapse, leaving a desolate scene.


    Only that small grass remained, tender yet resilient, swaying in the wind as if containing endless vitality.


    Mo Hua was entranced as he looked and suddenly had an epiphany.


    Mr. Zhuang was right, this world, the principles of the Heavenly Dao fully embody both life and death, death and life.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua would visit Mr. Zhuang every day to seek his guidance on various issues.


    Sometimes it was indeed because of doubts about Formations that he needed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s advice;


    other times it was because his mother had made some delicious food, which he would take to Mr. Zhuang to try;


    and when he truly had nothing else to do, he would go chat with Mr. Zhuang about the local customs and stories of Tongxian City and the various customs of the Tao Cultivation states.


    Then, when he had the time, he would also play chess with Old Kui.


    Playing the simple and intellectual game of Five Elements Chess required no great effort, and the two of them enjoyed it immensely.


    Mo Hua cherished this period of time deeply.


    Because he knew that perhaps in half a year, maybe just a month, Mr. Zhuang would leave.


    The cultivation world was boundless, and the path of Tao cultivation was lengthy.


    Once gone for years, with such a long road ahead, it might not be possible to meet again.


    Whenever he thought about this, Mo Hua¡¯s expression would be filled with desolation.


    Mr. Zhuang would then gently pat his head, ¡°Practice diligently, and there will eventually be a day when we meet again.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded seriously.


    Encounters are fate, gatherings are fate, and partings are also a kind of destiny.


    After an encounter comes a departure, and only after parting can there be a reunion.


    The carefree Bai Zisheng also sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat unusual, and he asked Mo Hua, ¡°Is Mr. Zhuang leaving?¡±


    ¡°En,¡± Mo Hua did not hide it from him.


    A complex expression appeared on Bai Zisheng¡¯s face, while Bai Zixi¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but her eyes also dimmed a bit.


    ¡°When the gentleman leaves, will you be leaving as well?¡±


    Mo Hua inquired.


    Bai Zisheng seemed haughty but had the heart of a chivalrous man and had treated him well, while Bai Zixi had helped him a lot, sharing her knowledge and experiences with him about the path of cultivation.


    Even though they were all but nominal disciples, they were still half of the same sect, and Mo Hua still treasured this friendship.


    A look of dejection came over Bai Zisheng, ¡°Probably¡­¡±


    They visited Mr. Zhuang in the hope that he would take them as his direct disciples. As long as Mr. Zhuang left, no matter what, they would have to depart as well.


    Even if they wanted to stay here, Aunt Xue would not agree to it.


    The atmosphere turned a bit somber for a time.


    Mo Hua then brought out the wine, meat, and pastries made by his mother, saying, ¡°The path of cultivation is long, and if we¡¯re destined, we¡¯ll meet again.¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, but his expression was still listless, and the beef he ate tasted flavorless.


    Bai Zixi said nothing, just tasted a few pastries and found them less sweet than before.


    As they often visited Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua and the Bai siblings had spent more time together.


    Aunt Xue assigned fewer chores, and Bai Zisheng would practice his Taoist skills with Mo Hua when he had nothing else to do.


    Bai Zisheng was at the Qi-refining Ninth Level with profound cultivation and exquisite martial arts. In past sparring sessions with Mo Hua, he always suppressed his cultivation, competing solely in movement techniques or Taoist skills.


    But now that Mo Hua had his Divine Sense built upon his foundation, skills like the Water Passing Step, Concealment Technique, and Fireball Technique became even more powerful. He could now spar head-on with Bai Zisheng and didn¡¯t need him to hold back anymore.


    The two of them practiced with each other, exchanging blows back and forth in an even match.


    After tiring themselves out, they lay down to rest under the large pagoda tree.


    Mo Hua lay on the soft grass, his body drenched in sweat, heaving great gasps of breath.


    His Taoist skills, relying on powerful Divine Sense, actually had an advantage over Bai Zisheng.


    The problem was that his physical body and Spiritual Root were too weak.


    Often after a few exchanges, either his Spiritual Power was depleted or his limbs lacked strength, and Bai Zisheng would catch a flaw, closing in and controlling him.


    Bai Zisheng also lay on the ground gasping for breath.


    He thought that he could easily defeat Mo Hua by going all out.


    But it wasn¡¯t as simple as he had imagined.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Water Passing Step was slippery and elusive, making it impossible to grasp any flaws; his Fireball Technique was also extremely powerful, striking quickly and accurately, and not to be underestimated.


    Furthermore, Mo Hua still had a concealment technique he hadn¡¯t deployed, and if he used it to launch a stealth attack, he would be even harder to deal with.


    Bai Zisheng could only use a ¡°shameless tactic¡±, depleting Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual power until he could no longer sustain his physical strength, and only then could Bai Zisheng find a sliver of opportunity to get close and subdue him.


    Though he could win, it would indeed be a hollow victory.


    It seemed he had to push himself further. He couldn¡¯t allow Mo Hua to outstrip him, or else he would never be able to become his elder brother in this lifetime!


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s fighting spirit was ignited.


    The two lay under a tree, resting and staring at the blue sky and white clouds, their thoughts drifting freely.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua remembered the matter of the pill furnace.


    Over the past few days, both the Taoist Court and the Taoist soldiers had scoured both Tongxian City and Black Mountain Stronghold. All the pill furnaces with differing designs and obscure functions were summarily destroyed.


    Better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let one slip through; they aimed to eliminate any possibility of the Patriarch of the Qian Family concocting evil pills from the root.


    Zhang Lan also said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°All the suspicious pill furnaces are destroyed on the surface. Even if the Patriarch of the Qian Family wants to concoct, he has no pill furnaces to do so.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the Lifespan Transformation Elixir requires a hundred-year nurturing period, and the time to concoct it is too long to afford any mistakes. Sects specializing in crafting demon pills might not even be able to produce it, let alone the Patriarch of the Qian Family. Perhaps we are just worrying over nothing.¡±


    Mo Hua felt that Zhang Lan made sense and was somewhat reassured.


    Yet, he still harbored an indistinct unease.


    He always felt he was forgetting something, but could not recall what exactly he had forgotten.


    It was like the fog of Black Mountain, visible yet intangible, yet undeniably there.


    As Mo Hua pondered deeply, he suddenly realized that Bai Zixi was quietly watching him.


    Mo Hua turned to look. Their eyes met¡ªnot just any eyes, but a pair clear as water and as incisive as eyes that could cut through water.


    Both were slightly startled.


    The snow-white locust flowers fell, dancing between them.


    Time seemed to freeze.


    As they gazed at each other, how much time passed they did not know, before both silently looked away again.


    For some reason, Mo Hua felt an inexplicable sense of loss springing up within him, as memories surged uncontrollably. Bai Zixi¡¯s words, her crisp and melodious voice, also emerged sentence by sentence in his mind.


    There were times when she pointed out formation methods to him, times when she imparted secret techniques to him, and times when she praised his mother¡¯s pastries for their delicious taste¡­


    In the midst of fluctuating thoughts, suddenly a phrase surfaced abruptly in Mo Hua¡¯s mind:


    ¡°Evil Formations and Demon Formations generally use flesh and blood as the formation media, draw formation patterns with evil thoughts, and use defiance of the Dao as the pivot¡­¡±


    Generally use flesh and blood as the formation media¡­


    Use ¡°flesh and blood¡± as the formation media¡­


    Mo Hua was startled and suddenly stood up.


    He knew why he always felt something was wrong.


    He had indeed forgotten something.


    He had forgotten¡­ the fat and large pig in the blood-red pill room!


    Evil Formations use flesh and blood as the formation media¡­


    The pig covered in bloodstains was the media of the Evil Formation.


    The bloodstains on its body were not mere bloodstains, but the formation patterns of the Evil Formation.


    The Evil Formation was inscribed atop the pill furnace.


    This meant that the pig was the real pill furnace!


    Inside its body, the pill that could aid the Patriarch of the Qian Family in breaking through his cultivation level was being concocted¡­ the Lifespan Transformation Elixir!

 Chapter 333 - 331: Search the Mountain_1

    Chapter 333: Chapter 331: Search the Mountain_1


    Mo Hua gradually figured it out.


    Why, when Big Black Mountain Stronghold was breached and the Pill Furnace broken, the pig had vanished without a trace or a large pool of blood on the ground. It indicated that the pig had been moved beforehand and had never reappeared since then.


    Of the Evil Cultivitors in Black Mountain Stronghold, those who weren¡¯t killed were captured, none managed to escape, except for this pig.


    This suggested that the pig was extremely important, far more than Black Mountain Stronghold and all the Evil Cultivitors.


    And everyone, including Mo Hua, had overlooked this fact.


    Why did the Evil Cultivitors feed people to that pig? Because that pig was the actual furnace for Alchemy.


    Feeding people to the pig was tantamount to tossing humans into the Pill Furnace as ingredients.


    The continuous feeding of people to the pig by Black Mountain Stronghold suggested that the pill was still in the process of being refined.


    Or to put it another way, the Lifespan Transformation Elixir might have been in the making for a very long time and may even have been completed.


    After all, no one knew how long Black Mountain Stronghold had been feeding people to the pig.


    If it had been for over a hundred years, then the efficacy of the Lifespan Transformation could already be enormous!


    A chill surged through his heart as Mo Hua¡¯s expression fluctuated.


    Observing his demeanor, Bai Zixi asked with confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Coming back to his senses, Mo Hua hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ve remembered something, something very urgent!¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than he ran down the mountain.


    ¡°Are we not fighting anymore?¡± Bai Zisheng called after him with a tinge of regret.


    Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later¡­¡±


    Using the Water Passing Step, Mo Hua quickly disappeared from sight, leaving Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looking at each other, unsure of what had just happened.


    Mo Hua found Leader Yang and noticed that Zhang Lan was there too, and he blurted out, ¡°The pig!¡±


    Zhang Lan and the others were startled, ¡°You¡¯re not cursing us, are you¡­¡±


    Out of breath, Mo Hua shook his head and managed to say in broken sentences: Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That pig¡­ is¡­ the Pill Furnace!¡±


    Zhang Lan and Leader Yang both looked stunned, pondered for a moment, and their expressions changed dramatically!


    ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    After catching his breath, Mo Hua spoke with a grave tone:


    ¡°Flesh serves as the Formation media, bloodstains as the Formation Patterns, Demon Core as the Formation eye, bones comprise the Formation Pivot¡­¡±


    ¡°So that pig is the actual furnace for concocting the Lifespan Transformation Elixir! And it may well have been refining for over a century.¡±


    Leader Yang¡¯s pupils shrank drastically, and he glanced at Zhang Lan, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan blurted out, ¡°The pill¡­ is about to be refined?!¡±


    Leader Yang¡¯s face darkened, and he immediately called over a Taoist Soldier, commanding sternly:


    ¡°Quick, go and invite Elder Yu, Court Leader Zhou, and Family Head An. Tell them to come over at once, we have an emergency on our hands to discuss!¡±


    The Taoist Soldier acknowledged the order and set off posthaste. In less than half an hour, everyone had gathered together.


    Leader Yang repeated Mo Hua¡¯s words, and everyone¡¯s color drained from their faces, their hearts filled with alarm.


    ¡°Where is the Patriarch of the Qian Family now?¡±


    ¡°At Big Black Mountain.¡±


    ¡°But Big Black Mountain is so vast¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s highly probable he¡¯s deep in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s brow furrowed as he spoke coldly:


    ¡°We search! We must find the Patriarch of the Qian Family. Otherwise, if he takes that pill and advances to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, we will not be able to contain him.¡±


    Within the Second-Grade Prefecture Border, reaching the Foundation Establishment Late Stage represented the cultivation ceiling. One could come and go freely within this state boundary, beyond anyone¡¯s control.


    To kill him then would necessarily exact a terribly painful cost!


    And if we don¡¯t kill him, the entirety of Tongxian City will be faced with grave peril!


    Leader Yang nodded, ¡°Then let¡¯s gather all the Taoist Soldiers and search the deep mountains thoroughly and meticulously!¡±


    ¡°Taoist Soldiers alone won¡¯t suffice.¡± Court Leader Zhou shook his head, ¡°Taoist Soldiers Court, Monster Hunters, and all the cultivators from the families and Sects within Tongxian City must join the search. We cannot overlook a single blade of grass or pebble.¡±


    ¡°This matter concerns the security of the entire Tongxian City. We must all pull together and cooperate!¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Court Leader Zhou then turned to Mo Hua, ¡°We need your help with this matter.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Mo Hua agreed.


    After the discussion, they mobilized their forces. By the next day, they had entered deep into Big Black Mountain and began a thorough search.


    The Taoist Soldiers Court, Taoist Court, Monster Hunters, and all the cultivators from various families and Sects mobilized.


    A dense throng of cultivators started from the outer edges of the deep mountains and pushed inwards, leaving no nook unexamined.


    Meanwhile, under Mo Hua¡¯s arrangement, they removed the Fog Formations in the deep mountains one by one. At the same time, they placed stone needles painted with the Compass Child Formation made by Mo Hua in every corner of the deep mountains to monitor any stirring of the wind and grass.


    Mo Hua began the task of drawing the map of the deep mountains.


    He would draw every peak, every stone, every blade of grass, every tree on the map.


    He had done this work in the Outer Mountain and the Inner Mountain, and now, he was doing it all over again in the deep mountains.


    The deep mountains were once a taboo in Big Black Mountain, a place that instilled fear in all cultivators.


    And most of the fear comes from the unknown.


    As long as all the secrets hidden in the deep mountains are unearthed, and the mists dispelled, the deep mountains that once made the cultivators pale with fear would no longer be frightening.


    The process of searching the mountains progressed bit by bit.


    The map of the deep mountains was also being perfected little by little.


    But on the map, there were still several blank spots, locations where Second Grade Monster Beasts lived or had their nests.


    With so many cultivators searching the mountains, ordinary First Grade Monster Beasts had long since fled at the sight of them.


    But Second Grade Monster Beasts were different, robust with Blood Qi, surging with demonic power, not something Qi Refinement Realm cultivators could provoke.


    Even if they gathered the strength of many to kill one or two Second Grade Monster Beasts, the casualties would be quite heavy.


    Moreover, the pressing matter was to search for the whereabouts of the ancestor of the Qian Family, and they couldn¡¯t waste time entangled with these Monster Beasts.


    Therefore, when everyone searched the mountains, they could only avoid these Second Grade Monster Beasts.


    After nearly seven days, everyone worked together to search the whole of the deep mountains, but still, they found no trace of the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    ¡°Could the Patriarch of the Qian Family not be in the deep mountains?¡± Leader Yang wondered.


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°Impossible, if he went to other Immortal Cities, he would have been discovered by now. Big Black Mountain is secluded, the most suitable place for him to hide. Moreover, he has to take a pig with him and to refine Pills¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, there¡¯s only one possibility left¡­¡±


    Leader Yang looked towards the blank spaces on the map.


    The blank spaces on the map were areas that hadn¡¯t been searched, which means¡­ the lairs of Second Grade Monster Beasts!


    The expressions of everyone became grave.


    Second Grade Monster Beasts were powerful, and their lairs were deep and perilous.


    Monster Beasts of the same realm were much stronger than cultivators.


    Even Leader Yang, who was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, leading Taoist Soldiers into the lair, would likely suffer numerous casualties if they enraged a Second Grade Monster Beast.


    ¡°How could the Patriarch of the Qian Family think of this method?¡± Court Leader Zhou frowned.


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°Before he made his fortune, the Patriarch of the Qian Family was also a Monster Hunter.¡±


    Thus, using the Monster Beast¡¯s lair to fake the Chief Elder¡¯s death, using Monster Beasts as Pill Furnaces to cultivate Pills, all of these, bore some hallmarks of a Monster Hunter¡¯s practices.


    Court Leader Zhou said with regret, ¡°The Patriarch of the Qian Family indeed has clever means; it¡¯s just a pity, they were not used for the Righteous Dao.¡±


    ¡°Any clues from the third Householder?¡± asked Elder Yu.


    ¡°He¡¯s tight-lipped, not saying anything,¡± said Leader Yang.


    ¡°So what do we do?¡± Zhang Lan frowned, ¡°Shall we search the Second Grade Monster Beasts¡¯ lairs?¡±


    If they went to search, the loss would be heavy, possibly costing many lives.


    But if they didn¡¯t search, once the Patriarch of the Qian Family successfully refined the Lifespan Transformation Elixir, the number of cultivators dying at his hands could be even more.


    Whichever option they chose, it was a difficult decision.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°How about I go take a look.¡±


    Everyone was slightly stunned, with Leader Yang asking, ¡°What are you going to look at?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to look at the Formations.¡±


    ¡°Formations?¡± Leader Yang was somewhat puzzled.


    Mo Hua nodded, explaining:


    ¡°The Patriarch of the Qian Family relies on Formations for his actions, whether establishing Black Mountain Stronghold or using cultivators to refine Pills¡ªall have traces of Formations.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s hiding in the lair of a Monster Beast in these deep mountains, he would definitely have set up some Formations around, whether to hide, for early warning, or for defense.¡±


    ¡°I can see the traces of Formations.¡±


    ¡°If there are traces of Formations in the lair of Second Grade Monster Beasts, then it means a cultivator definitely has been in there. And someone who can enter the lair of a Second Grade Monster Beast in the deep mountains, that person is most likely the Patriarch of the Qian Family!¡±


    On hearing this, everyone¡¯s eyes lit up, and they agreed:


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try!¡±


    Elder Yu said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    He was a bit concerned for Mo Hua and didn¡¯t want him to take risks.


    Leader Yang shook his head, ¡°We few at Foundation Establishment will all go together.¡±


    Although Mo Hua was skilled at concealment and acted with astuteness, it didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t encounter danger.


    And in searching for the Second Grade Monster Beasts¡¯ lairs, the dangers faced were either the Second Grade Monster Beasts or, facing the Patriarch of the Qian Family himself.


    Leader Yang was also hoping to get Mo Hua to join his Yang Family; viewing Mo Hua, albeit presumptuously, as ¡®his person¡¯, he was therefore even less willing to let him get hurt.


    ¡°Sure!¡± everyone nodded in agreement.


    So a group of Foundation Building Cultivators surrounded Mo Hua, protecting him as they searched in the deep mountains for the lairs of Second Grade Monster Beasts¡­

 Chapter 334 - 332: A Sudden Change_1

    Chapter 334: Chapter 332: A Sudden Change_1


    Outside a gloomy and profound second-grade monster beast¡¯s lair, Mo Hua sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, pushing his Divine Sense to its limits, sensing the traces of Spiritual Power inside the lair.


    An hour later, Mo Hua opened his eyes and shook his head, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    A few Foundation Building Cultivators then surrounded Mo Hua, and according to the map¡¯s indications, they moved towards the next monster beast lair.


    After searching several lairs like this, Zhang Lan finally couldn¡¯t hold back and asked Leader Yang in a lowered voice:


    ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    Zhang Lan had come along as well.


    Although he was a Qi Refinement Cultivator, he was after all a Supervisor of the Taoist Court and came from a Noble Clan. Even if he encountered second-grade monster beasts, he had some means to protect himself, so he had followed along.


    ¡°How else can you tell?¡± Leader Yang also whispered, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s by using Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, do you need to tell me that?¡± Zhang Lan replied irritably, ¡°I¡¯m asking how Divine Sense can detect traces of formations.¡±


    ¡°If the Divine Sense is strong enough, that will do.¡±


    ¡°What do you call strong enough?¡±


    ¡°Foundation Establishment¡­ isn¡¯t this kid¡¯s Divine Sense already at the Foundation Establishment stage?¡±


    ¡°You are also at the Foundation Establishment stage of Divine Sense, can you see anything?¡± Zhang Lan doubted.


    ¡°That¡¯s natural¡­¡± Leader Yang said with a guilty conscience.


    Zhang Lan glanced at him, ¡°Lying will condemn you to a lifetime of bachelorhood.¡±


    Leader Yang was stunned, unable to help saying, ¡°You¡¯re damn harsh! How can you say something so malicious?¡±


    ¡°Can you really see anything?¡± Zhang Lan asked again.


    Leader Yang weighed this in his heart for a long time and felt that compared with a lifetime¡¯s big matter, this little bit of face he was fighting for in front of Zhang Lan was really insignificant.


    Leader Yang then honestly admitted, ¡°Can¡¯t see it¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan looked at Leader Yang with contempt.


    Leader Yang returned a disdainful look, ¡°You didn¡¯t see it either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Qi Refinement cultivator. It¡¯s normal for me not to see it. You are at the Foundation Establishment stage; it¡¯s a disgrace for you not to see it!¡± Zhang Lan stated confidently.


    ¡°Just a mere Qi Refinement cultivator, not ashamed but proud of it, bravo Zhang Lan. You really are shameless!¡± Leader Yang said with disdain.


    This kind of mockery had no devastating effect on Zhang Lan anymore.


    Zhang Lan remained composed and then doubted again:


    ¡°If it¡¯s not because of Divine Sense, what else could it be?¡±


    Leader Yang stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, and slowly said, ¡°Is it because Mo Hua is a Formation Master?¡±


    Because he is a Formation Master who deals with formations all year round, drawing Formation Patterns every day, so it¡¯s normal for his Divine Sense to perceive traces of the formations.


    Zhang Lan nodded slightly, feeling there was some reason to it.


    ¡°But,¡± Leader Yang doubted himself,


    ¡°Can other Formation Masters really perceive it?¡±


    This is a monster beast¡¯s lair, filled with surging Monster Qi, mixed with various kinds of Blood Qi and demonic power, enough to mask all traces of Spiritual Power.


    With his Foundation Establishment stage Divine Sense, he couldn¡¯t discern anything inside the lair.


    Even if other Formation Masters were stronger than him, they wouldn¡¯t be that much stronger.


    But Mo Hua was different. Whether there were formations inside the lair or not, his expression was very certain, even resolute.


    This showed that his Divine Sense had scrutinized the lair very clearly, and his perception of the existence of formations was as clear as day.


    Zhang Lan frowned and thought about it, but still couldn¡¯t figure it out. He decided not to think about it anymore, muttering:


    ¡°He probably learned some odd and bizarre things¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan had grown accustomed to this.


    Especially in terms of formations, he used to be able to ¡°advise¡± Mo Hua a few words, but now compared to Mo Hua, he has already become a ¡°illiterate¡± in formations¡­


    If he was an illiterate, then Yang Jiyong didn¡¯t need to think about it; he was definitely a big illiterate.


    For two formation ¡°illiterates¡± to consider such a question was really overestimating themselves.


    Zhang Lan demeaned Yang Jiyong in his heart again, and this made him feel a little better.


    After searching a few more lairs, they arrived at a desolate cave. Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, suddenly showing a startled expression.


    Everyone¡¯s expressions became serious, ¡°Did you find something?¡±


    Mo Hua looked up, his eyes slightly bright, ¡°There is a formation!¡±


    There really was one!


    Everyone was delighted and asked, ¡°Which formation is it?¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    After saying that, Mo Hua began to release his Divine Sense. Following the Spiritual Power trajectory of the formation, he calculated the Formation Patterns, stroke by stroke sketching the complete pattern in the empty Sea of Consciousness, in order to determine the type of formation.


    Two hours later, Mo Hua opened his eyes again, took out paper and pen, and briefly drew out several passages in the cave as well as the formations laid out along them.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time; I haven¡¯t calculated everything. There could still be oversights in the formation, but you can refer to this for a look,¡± he said.


    Elder Yu and others didn¡¯t understand the first thing about formations, so they didn¡¯t get much from the conversation but felt that Mo Hua was really reliable; he could solve any formation problems.


    Zhang Lan and Leader Yang, however, exchanged a look, each with a trace of astonishment in their eyes.


    ¡°Calculate¡±? What did that mean?


    They had never heard that formations could be ¡°calculated.¡±


    How do you calculate a formation?


    They were born into Noble Clans. Even if they didn¡¯t master formations, the foundation laid by their families, along with what they absorbed over time, meant they knew some basic principles about formations.


    However, in all their years, after interacting with so many Formation Masters, whether from Noble Clans, Sects, or hermits, no matter if they were high-grade or low-grade, learned or specialized, none ever mentioned ¡°calculating.¡±


    They never imagined that they would hear this rare terminology of formations from Mo Hua, who had only reached the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, whose formations skills were merely at the first grade, and who was just over ten years old.


    What exactly had Mo Hua been learning, and who had he been following?!


    Zhang Lan and his companion maintained an outward semblance of calm, yet inside, they were beset by a storm of shock and awe.


    For the first time, they truly felt the profound and unfathomable nature of the person who had advised Mo Hua on the Formation.


    At the same time, in their eyes, the seemingly insignificant Mo Hua had also taken on an air of profundity and mystery¡­


    But now was not the time for such musings.


    Capturing the Patriarch of the Qian Family was of utmost importance.


    Court Leader Zhou pointed to the map drawn by Mo Hua and said, ¡°These few passages lead to the depths of the lair; the Patriarch of the Qian Family should be hiding inside¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll split up to search. If you encounter anything unusual, don¡¯t act rashly. Send a signal, and the rest will converge on your location. We¡¯ll move together once we¡¯ve gathered.¡±


    Everyone nodded, each choosing a path. Before departing, Elder Yu turned his head and tenderly admonished Mo Hua, ¡°Hide yourself well, and be careful.¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Mo Hua nodded, his gaze drifting to Elder Yu¡¯s arm. With concern, he asked, ¡°Elder, your injury¡­ are you alright?¡±


    Previously, Elder Yu had tried to ambush the Patriarch of the Qian Family and sustained an injury from the Patriarch, resulting in the loss of an arm. Though he had been treated by Old Mr. Feng, the injury had left its mark, hindering his movements.


    It wasn¡¯t just Elder Yu; many had suffered various injuries during their attempt to surround and kill the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    The current strength of the Patriarch of the Qian Family was unknown, and a confrontation was likely to result in more peril than fortune.


    Elder Yu laughed freely and said, ¡°For all the years I¡¯ve opposed the Qian Family, I never dreamed that I would drive the Patriarch to this point. If I can slaughter the Patriarch of the Qian Family, then even if both arms were broken, even at the cost of this old life, it would be worth it.¡±


    The worry in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes deepened.


    Elder Yu gently patted his shoulder and sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, watching anxiously as everyone headed deep into the lair, disappearing into the darkness.


    Despite knowing the dangers ahead, they all went without looking back.


    ¡°Hopefully, nothing goes wrong¡­¡±


    Mo Hua concealed his form and quietly hid to one side, sighing softly to himself in his heart.


    Meanwhile, in the Forgetful Residence at South Mountain.


    Mr. Zhuang was not, as usual, reclining leisurely in a bamboo chair but was seated with a dignified and scholarly bearing at a table, sorting through some books and Jade Slips.


    ¡°Are these for Mo Hua?¡±


    Old Kui materialized silently at some point, his voice sounding flat.


    ¡°Mm.¡± Mr. Zhuang did not look up, still focused on a codex in his hands. ¡°I¡¯m compiling some thoughts on Formation Patterns for him. After I leave, he will have to study Formations on his own¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke evenly, yet for some reason, his voice carried a tinge of melancholy.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never put this much effort into your direct disciples,¡± noted Old Kui blandly.


    At those words, Mr. Zhuang slightly paused, memories of the past surfacing as a bitter smile emerged at the corner of his mouth:


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been a qualified master¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang then mocked himself, saying,


    ¡°Not only do I not deserve to be a teacher, but I don¡¯t even deserve to be a disciple; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang did not finish, but his expression grew even more desolate.


    Old Kui remained silent.


    ¡°Enough of that; old affairs are clouds passing by. Everything is lost to the past now, and dwelling on it is pointless.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang packed the codices and Jade Slips into a Storage Bag, then stretched out leisurely and lay down.


    ¡°What about those two children from the Bai Family?¡± inquired Old Kui.


    After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Zhuang sighed and said,


    ¡°Those two¡­ they are indeed good kids.¡±


    He found himself unexpectedly adding, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have imagined my selfish junior sister could raise such children.¡±


    ¡°Are you really not going to take them as your disciples?¡± Old Kui asked.


    ¡°No!¡± Mr. Zhuang shook his head decisively, his tone firm:


    ¡°With not much time left to live, I naturally wish for some peace before I go, to avoid getting entangled in karma and reducing my worries.¡±


    ¡°They might not give up.¡±


    ¡°And what if they don¡¯t?¡± Mr. Zhuang said expressionlessly, his gaze sweeping across the courtyard, over the mountains, and towards the distant horizon, adding dispassionately,


    ¡°The world is vast; it won¡¯t be that easy to meet again. Not all times bring such fate¡­¡±


    Nor is there always a place with a younger disciple named ¡°Mo Hua,¡± Mr. Zhuang silently added to himself.


    Seeing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s resolve, Old Kui said no more.


    With nothing further to say, Mr. Zhuang slowly closed his eyes, wishing to rest a bit longer.


    Suddenly, his brow furrowed; he opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, staring for a long time.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Old Kui asked.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s frown deepened, his voice taking on a grave tone,


    ¡°Why is the aura of the Great Dao so turbid?¡±


    Taken aback by his words, Old Kui turned to look at the horizon, his expression becoming one of shock.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang stood up slowly, his fingers forming gestures as he Calculated, his face displaying an expression of disbelief.


    ¡°A change in the Heavenly Dao?¡±


    His heart fluttered in his chest as he Calculated again, his face growing more incredulous.


    ¡°How could it be¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang murmured in disbelief, ¡°How could a small Immortal City in a corner of the Nine State provoke a change in the Heavenly Dao?¡±

 Chapter 335 - 333 Evil Path_1

    Chapter 335: Chapter 333 Evil Path_1


    Mr. Zhuang was aware of the changes in the Heavenly Dao, but Mo Hua had no clue at this moment.


    He found a hidden patch of grass at the entrance of the cave and used his Concealment Technique to hide within it.


    Even a Foundation Building Cultivator wouldn¡¯t be able to detect him.


    Mo Hua was somewhat worried about Elder Yu and the others, but after watching the entrance for a long time, there was no movement inside.


    ¡°Is there no Monster Beast in this nest?¡±


    Mo Hua felt puzzled.


    When he probed with his Divine Sense, he found that the nest had a faint Monster Qi, a depressing aura, and didn¡¯t seem like it housed a Monster Beast.


    Or to say, a Second Grade Monster Beast might have resided here, but now it was gone; otherwise, the Monster Qi inside wouldn¡¯t be so weak.


    What kind of Second Grade Monster Beast had lived here before?


    Mo Hua frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly got a shock, silently thinking to himself:


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be that Pig Monster¡­¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family wanted to refine the Lifespan Transformation Elixir, and refining Evil Pills required an Evil Formation, which in turn needed flesh and blood as Formation media.


    The flesh and blood to serve as Formation media was either human or demon.


    The Lifespan Transformation Elixir was difficult to refine and took a long time. Human Blood Qi was not enough to sustain such a lengthy alchemy process.


    Furthermore, to refine such pills, one had to continuously use humans as ingredients.


    It wasn¡¯t likely that the Patriarch of the Qian Family would actually force people to consume human flesh.


    Therefore, the most suitable to serve as a Pill Furnace was a Second Grade Monster Beast.


    Monster Beasts consume humans, their Blood Qi is strong and vast, and they have long lifespans, indeed, they are the most suitable candidates for the Pill Furnace for Lifespan Transformation Elixirs.


    Mo Hua gradually had a guess.


    This nest might belong to that Pig Monster.


    It might have fallen into the hands of the Patriarch of the Qian Family after being seriously injured, allowing the Patriarch to take advantage of its weakness.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family then took over this nest and turned it into his secret Pill Room.


    Even if a Second Grade Monster Beast was seriously injured, it wouldn¡¯t be something the Patriarch could deal with alone. Likely, the Chief Elder of the Qian Family also played a role in subduing the Pig Monster.


    In the process of subduing the Pig Monster, the Chief Elder of the Qian Family lost an arm to the beast and also suffered severe injuries, which would likely have not left him long to live.


    But with the Human Life Pill, it was different.


    The Human Life Pill used human life as a catalyst, which could both replenish Blood Qi and prolong life.


    However, if the Chief Elder consumed the Human Life Pill and recovered from his injuries, it would have raised suspicions.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family simply let the Chief Elder fake his death, deceiving everyone, and unnoticed by gods or ghosts, he hid in the mountains to build Black Mountain Stronghold, to recruit Evil Cultivators for him, to help him refine Human Life Pills, and at the same time to help him refine Lifespan Transformation Elixirs.


    Although these were only Mo Hua¡¯s speculations, the truth was probably not far off.


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly, ¡°This Patriarch of the Qian Family is truly meticulous.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at the nest in front of him, feeling increasingly uneasy.


    With the Patriarch of the Qian Family being so cunning and shrewd, what kind of dangers did he lay out in the depths of this nest?


    It was now night, the dew was heavy in the deep mountains, and the mountain breeze brought with it a wave of cold.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but shiver but then suddenly heard a soft sound of wind.


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback and listened carefully, realizing the sound came from inside the cave.


    It was the echo of the wind.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    With the nest being so deep, how could there be an echo when the mountain wind blew?


    Mo Hua concealed his form and carefully walked into the nest, using the sound to guide him, and eventually found that there was quite a large crack near the entrance¡¯s wall.


    Mo Hua touched the wall and felt that the soil and stones were fresh and had a faint dampness.


    When he applied a little force, the soil and stones crumbled.


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    This was an entrance that someone had recently covered up with soil and stones.


    And there were no Formations around the entrance.


    All of Mo Hua¡¯s attention had previously been on the Formations within the nest, so he had completely overlooked that there was another entrance here.


    Mo Hua was skilled in Formations, but precisely because of this, he was blinded by Formations and neglected places without them.


    The best swimmers may drown, the best riders may fall.


    Was this the so-called ¡®invisibility of the obvious¡¯?


    Mo Hua sighed and cautioned himself to be more vigilant next time.


    But what was this entrance for?


    It couldn¡¯t possibly be that the Patriarch of the Qian Family was hiding right behind this entrance.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, only to feel that the atmosphere behind the entrance was abnormally murky and the scent of blood was thick, making it impossible to discern anything.


    What to do?


    Mo Hua frowned and thought for a moment, but decided to take a look inside.


    He would not venture deep, just have a peek at the entrance, and just one look.


    If there was a special situation inside, he would exit and call for help.


    If there wasn¡¯t anything special inside, or if it was unrelated to the Patriarch of the Qian Family, he would still be able to leave quietly.


    The crack at the entrance was quite large, and since it was not sealed tightly, Mo Hua, who was of a small stature, directly crawled in.


    Behind the entrance was a dark downward staircase, at the end of which shone a dim crimson light.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened, sensing something was not right, but he still grimly continued down the staircase.


    After only a few steps, he heard harsh snoring sounds, along with the sound of an old conversation.


    These sounds, like the thick Blood Qi, seemed trapped in this space; they couldn¡¯t be heard from afar and were too noisy up close, as if some method had been employed.


    The staircase was narrow and deep, but not very long, and Mo Hua quickly reached the end.


    On the right side at the end of the staircase was a spacious stone chamber.


    Concealing his presence, Mo Hua hugged the stone wall and poked his small head around the corner for just a moment, glancing into the stone chamber.


    Then a chill ran down his spine as cold sweat broke out all over him.


    It¡¯s the Patriarch of the Qian Family!!


    This old fogey, he¡¯s actually here?


    Mo Hua calmed his heart and pondered carefully, his feelings becoming complicated thereafter.


    Encountering the Patriarch of the Qian Family had its pros and cons.


    The good part was that others wouldn¡¯t run into the Patriarch of the Qian Family and wouldn¡¯t face danger.


    The bad part, however, was that he had run into him¡­


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly.


    The deep Formation was just for misdirection.


    Everyone thought that the Patriarch of the Qian Family would definitely be hiding deep within the nest, but unexpectedly, he was hiding right at the entrance!


    This Patriarch of the Qian Family truly had an unconventional way of thinking, acting entirely out of the ordinary!


    Had the Patriarch of the Qian Family noticed him?


    Mo Hua tensed up inside but then realized that there was no Divine Sense probing around him, and the Patriarch of the Qian Family was talking to someone with an unaltered tone, which reassured him.


    It seemed his Concealment Technique hadn¡¯t been uncovered.


    Mo Hua sneaked another glance and noticed that the stone chamber was bloody and chaotic, filled with various odd medicinal herbs and porcelain bowls containing colorful herb juices.


    In the center of the stone chamber, a pig lay on the ground, emitting a grating snoring sound.


    Next to the pig, there were two Cultivators, one was the Patriarch of the Qian Family, and the other, astonishingly, was the Family Head of the Qian Family, Qian Hong!


    Mo Hua felt puzzled.


    The Qian Family was under lockdown, with all Cultivators forbidden to go out.


    How could Qian Hong be here?


    As the Family Head of the Qian Family, though without much real power, his status was second only to the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    The matters of the Black Mountain Stronghold, could they be related to him as well?


    Mo Hua thought it over but couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Regardless of the reason, it was better to slip away first.


    The pig was still breathing, which meant the pill hadn¡¯t been refined yet.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family hadn¡¯t taken the Pills, so he was still at the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment, and moreover, he was a severely injured Cultivator of the Middle Phase.


    He should first slip away, send out a signal, call people over, and together they could finish off the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    The issues with the Black Mountain Stronghold could be completely settled then.


    As Mo Hua turned to leave, he heard the Patriarch of the Qian Family sigh,


    ¡°Hong¡¯er, it hasn¡¯t been easy for our Qian Family¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently cursed inside, ¡°This old bastard really has no shame, if your Qian Family hasn¡¯t had it easy, does that make the life of the impoverished Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City easy?¡±


    Nevertheless, he stopped in his tracks, wanting to know what exactly the Patriarch of the Qian Family wanted to say.


    Was there a secret within that he was not aware of? S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, these Evil Skills and peculiar Pill Recipes were not something a regular Cultivator could obtain.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family continued, ¡°Do you know what this world is really like?¡±


    Qian Hong across from him did not answer.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family didn¡¯t seem to expect an answer either, as he carried on by himself,


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived for more than three hundred years, and only then did I understand a principle, a Cultivator¡¯s powers are always finite, to achieve great things, it is necessary to borrow the strength of others, to suck the blood of others.¡±


    ¡°In this world, it¡¯s the survival of the fittest, the big fish eat the small, and the small fish eat the shrimp.¡±


    ¡°The same holds true in the Tao Cultivation World, Loose Cultivators are exploited by small families, small families are oppressed by medium families, and medium families are suppressed by superior Noble Clans.¡±


    ¡°In other words, Loose Cultivators sustain small families, small families sustain medium families, and medium families sustain superior Noble Clans¡­¡±


    ¡°Ultimately, it all comes down to sucking the blood of Loose Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°With the shifting powers of the Taoist Court, the rise and fall of Noble Clans, the turnover of Sects, the only constant are the Loose Cultivators at the bottom, always at the bottom, always being drained of blood, and forever subjected to cold looks and contempt.¡±


    ¡°The prosperity of the Cultivation World is built upon the tears and blood of Loose Cultivators, yet this prosperity has no relevance to them.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, never be a Loose Cultivator!¡±


    ¡°This is the truth I understood back when I was still a Loose Cultivator.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to branch out and establish a Clan, to rely on the family to achieve the Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°But establishing a family was not possible either, I lacked Spirit Stones, lacked connections, relying solely on myself, I couldn¡¯t build up the Qian Family.¡±


    ¡°Relying on Monster Hunting, you can¡¯t earn many Spirit Stones in a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°Given that, the only option left was to go on a killing spree, to rob.¡±


    ¡°Even if the methods to start a family are dirty, once you achieve success, people will whitewash your history, sing praises for you, and others will attend to your needs and serve you loyally.¡±


    ¡°As the Qian Family was established and gradually grew, it still wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°The greatest benefits of this world are occupied by even more powerful Noble Clans and Sects, our small family, even if we scrape off another layer of skin from Loose Cultivators, won¡¯t gain much.¡±


    ¡°The growth of the family is limited, my Cultivation stagnates, and my end is less than a hundred years away¡­¡±


    ¡°I realized that if this continues, I would ultimately die insignificantly.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a way out from heaven, on one occasion I happened upon a mysterious Taoist, and after a conversation, he was delighted and gifted me several manuals of Evil Path Skills, along with Human Life Pills, and also the Pill Recipe for this Lifespan Transformation Elixir.¡±


    ¡°I cultivated Evil Skills, refined Evil Pills, entered the Demon Path, and suddenly saw the light.¡±


    ¡°Does this world have people?¡±


    ¡°It can, but it can also not, depending on how you view it.¡±


    ¡°If you regard others as people, then they are people, if you don¡¯t regard them as people, then they are not people.¡±


    ¡°Others are just tools for you to earn Spirit Stones, they are slaves who serve you, they are pigs and dogs for you to slaughter at will, they are Spirit Slaves and Blood Slaves for your Cultivation, they are the foundation stones that establish your Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°Only then did I understand that in this world, people prey on each other.¡±


    ¡°Not only the Demon Path preys, but the Righteous Dao as well.¡±


    ¡°Heretical Demons consume human flesh and blood, absorb human Spiritual Power, while those of the Righteous Dao also oppress and enslave Cultivators, sucking invisible blood, eating invisible flesh. It¡¯s just that people are blind and cannot see the truth.¡±


    ¡°Humanity¡¯s principle is to take from the insufficient to give to the surplus, to harm all beings to benefit oneself, thereby standing out, reigning supreme over all beings, and aiming for the Path of Longevity.¡±


    ¡°This, is the unassailable truth of this world!¡±

 Chapter 336 - 334 Confrontation_1

    Chapter 336: Chapter 334 Confrontation_1


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family spoke at length.


    Mo Hua listened in shock. He found some sense in the words, but also felt that something was not quite right, and for a moment, he was somewhat confused.


    Suddenly, he found something else strange.


    Those with deep schemes speak little.


    This Patriarch of the Qian Family should not be a talkative person, so why would he keep talking to himself for so long?


    Moreover, until now, it had been only the Patriarch himself who incessantly spoke; that Qian Hong seemed not to have said a word, had he?


    How odd¡­


    Mo Hua peeked out his little head again, stealing a glance. This time he looked longer and saw more clearly, but involuntarily, his pupils shocked.


    That Qian Hong, with his eyes closed, had a deathly pale face.


    His chest was marked with blood-red Formation Patterns, and it seemed as if all his blood was converging toward his heart through those patterns.


    But his blood was black, decayed.


    All of his skin was as pale and papery as his face, devoid of any sign of vitality.


    This Qian Hong was already a dead man!


    Mo Hua was startled.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family had been talking to a dead man all along.


    The dead do not speak; thus, it had been only the Patriarch who prattled on without pause.


    It seemed the Patriarch was waiting for Qian Hong¡¯s blood to coagulate, to form into an Evil Formation.


    With time to spare while waiting, he had the leisure to talk so much.


    Watching Qian Hong, the Patriarch said faintly,


    ¡°The Lifespan Transformation Elixir has a flaw. Using different people for alchemy results in a mixture of bloodlines too miscellaneous¡­¡±


    ¡°One needs the heart of a close blood relative to act as a catalyst to harmonize the various bloodlines within the pill. Only then can one consume the elixir without suffering from the rejection of its power.¡±


    ¡°I originally chose Xinger for this, but he was disappointing, so now I must ask you, his father, to take his place.¡±


    ¡°I had high hopes for you, made you the Family Head, but it¡¯s a pity. You have it all, yet you lack a little in each aspect. You are not cruel enough, not selfish enough, nor can you endure enough¡­ And you covet the position of Family Head, worrying about the survival of the Qian Family, even defying my orders because of it. That is both foolish and laughable.¡±


    ¡°In this world, beside oneself, everyone else is an outsider, even if they are your flesh and blood. You just didn¡¯t understand this principle¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua listened with a shocked heart. This Qian Hong must have had some disagreement, some dispute with the Patriarch of the Qian Family, which led to his current fate.


    As Mo Hua was pondering, he suddenly saw a sinister, blood-red light emanating from Qian Hong¡¯s chest.


    The Evil Formation had solidified!


    Before Mo Hua could react, the Patriarch showed no mercy. His palm pierced directly through Qian Hong¡¯s chest, plucked out his heart, and tossed it into the mouth of the Pig Monster.


    The Pig Monster, dull and foolish, swallowed the heart. Its aura surged powerfully, the blood traces on its body glowed, oozing more blood, and a bizarre demonic power began to circulate with the Evil Formation.


    The Evil Formation was forcibly activated, and the Pig Monster¡¯s blood flowed backward, emitting a more piercing, heart-wrenching shriek.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eardrums buzzed, his head throbbing, and he quickly crouched down, covering his ears.


    But the screeching invaded every aperture, continuing to reach Mo Hua¡¯s ears.


    The sound was mournful, gradually turning uncanny, as though it entwined with human voices, almost as if countless cultivators were screaming and struggling in the endless agonies of hell.


    Mo Hua endured the pain and discomfort forcibly, not knowing how much time had passed, before the Pig Monster¡¯s shrieks finally ceased.


    In their place came the Patriarch¡¯s ferocious laughter.


    Mo Hua calmed his emotions and looked over once more.


    Qian Hong¡¯s eyes were tightly shut, his chest wide open, his skin dry and pallid, he looked even more like a corpse than a dead man.


    The Pig Monster lay prostrate on the ground, seemingly lifeless, but through its flesh, one could see a faintly glowing redness in its chest, as if a heart was trembling madly with both evil and frenzy.


    Even from a distance, Mo Hua could feel the throbbing of the Pig Monster¡¯s heart.


    Thump after thump¡­


    With each beat, Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped.


    By that time, the Patriarch of the Qian Family had lost his composed appearance, his expression was ferocious, and he laughed arrogantly, saying,


    ¡°The Lifespan Transformation Elixir, my hundred years of effort, has finally succeeded!¡±


    Before his words fell, the Patriarch¡¯s hands turned claw-like, swift as the wind, casting a bloody glow as he tore open the Pig Monster¡¯s chest and extracted its heart.


    Mo Hua was appalled.


    This heart was the Lifespan Transformation Elixir!


    The Patriarch opened his mouth and directly consumed the bloody elixir.


    Events took a precipitous turn, and Mo Hua felt a chill run through his heart, thinking it was over.


    After ingesting the Lifespan Transformation Elixir, the Patriarch¡¯s aura became increasingly fierce, and he began to assimilate its power. Once he refined its energy, he would be able to break through his boundaries and become a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    By then, the cultivators of Tongxian City would be no match for him.


    Not only that, but everyone in this lair would likely die at his hands!


    What to do?


    Mo Hua forced himself to remain calm and began to think of a strategy.


    He had to interrupt the Patriarch now and prevent him from peacefully refining the Lifespan Transformation Elixir.


    Mo Hua took out the Earthfire Compound Formation.


    This Compound Formation was something he had calculated meticulously beforehand; the formation patterns were drawn on the Array Plate, easy to set up, and above the Formation Pivot, Mo Hua had already inscribed the Reversed Spirit Formation in advance.


    The Compound Formation had collapsed, and this was the only method he currently had that might threaten the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    Mo Hua laid out the Formation in front of him and then, mustering his courage, shouted loudly,


    ¡°You old bastard!¡±


    This crisp insult, when it entered the ears of the Patriarch of the Qian Family, caused him to be taken aback.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family turned his head and saw the somewhat nervous but determined Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua pointed at him and said, ¡°You old bastard, you¡¯re finished!¡±


    Immediately after, Mo Hua rang the copper bell of the Taoist Court, sending out a subtle wave of spiritual power.


    At the same time, Leader Yang and others who were searching inside the den sensed the abnormal sound of the copper bell and promptly became solemn, hurrying towards Mo Hua¡¯s location.


    This copper bell was a standard Spiritual Artifact of the Taoist Court, specifically for passing messages to one another.


    Before entering the den, everyone had one in their possession.


    After ringing the copper bell, Mo Hua felt slightly at ease and then watched the Patriarch of the Qian Family vigilantly.


    He considered several possibilities:


    If the Patriarch of the Qian Family remained unmoved, still refining the medicinal power, then he would do as Elder Yu had done, curse the eight generations of the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s ancestors, so he couldn¡¯t meditate in peace, delaying his time to refine the medicinal power;


    If the Patriarch of the Qian Family became furious and wanted to kill him, then he would turn and run, and the pursuing Patriarch of the Qian Family would run into a first-class Earthfire Compound Formation.


    The power of the broken Compound Formation, even if it could not kill the Patriarch of the Qian Family, could seriously injure him, or at the very least hold him back for a moment, allowing Mo Hua to escape.


    As long as they could buy some time and prevent the Patriarch of the Qian Family from refining the medicinal power and breaking through the late phase of Foundation Establishment, and wait for Elder Yu and Leader Yang to join forces, with more people they could kill the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    But the Patriarch of the Qian Family still exceeded Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    Even though Mo Hua, despite being such a junior, cursed him as an ¡°old bastard¡± to his face, the Patriarch of the Qian Family did not get angry at all.


    On the contrary, he just silently looked at Mo Hua.


    ¡°Is it you?¡± The Patriarch of the Qian Family recognized Mo Hua, somewhat surprised, ¡°How did you get in here without me noticing?¡±


    Mo Hua snorted coldly.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family slightly furrowed his brow, pondering for a moment, then suddenly realized, ¡°Did you learn a Concealment Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze tensed, and he suddenly became more alert, sensing something unusual.


    Someone was probing him with Divine Sense.


    It was the Patriarch of the Qian Family!


    However, this Divine Sense came quickly and retreated just as fast, touching and withdrawing instantly, making it hard to detect.


    At the same time, the Patriarch of the Qian Family, who retracted his Divine Sense, exclaimed in surprise,


    ¡°Such profound Divine Sense, I almost couldn¡¯t see through it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family had profound cultivation and many schemes; dragging this on, Mo Hua was sure he couldn¡¯t outplay him.


    Mo Hua wanted to anger him. Thinking of the words Elder Yu used when cursing, he began to insult, S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You old bastard, you¡¯re utterly devoid of conscience, you even killed your own grandson.¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s own grandson was Qian Hong.


    If Qian Hong was used as a medicinal primer, then he must have been killed by the Patriarch of the Qian Family himself.


    Still, the Patriarch of the Qian Family did not get angry. Instead, he looked at Mo Hua with interest,


    ¡°You¡¯re cursing me to provoke me to attack you, then fall into the Formation you¡¯ve laid out?¡±


    Mo Hua, his thoughts exposed, panicked inwardly but still tried to maintain a calm exterior.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family then said curiously,


    ¡°What kind of Formation have you laid that could threaten a Foundation Building Cultivator?¡±


    ¡°Why not give it a try?¡± Mo Hua said.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family thought for a moment and shook his head, ¡°Even when hunting a rabbit, a lion uses all its might. I will not underestimate you, even if you¡¯re only at the Qi Refinement stage.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    This Patriarch of the Qian Family was too difficult to deal with.


    You¡¯re at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, could you die from underestimating me for once?


    If he wouldn¡¯t come over, the Formation he set would be in vain.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family saw through Mo Hua¡¯s emotions and smiled slightly but then was suddenly stunned and slowly said,


    ¡°No, that¡¯s wrong!¡±


    His gaze upon Mo Hua grew more and more solemn, ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, feigning ignorance and denying, ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s you!¡± The Patriarch of the Qian Family shook his head, ¡°It was you, entering Black Mountain Stronghold, breaking the Formation, summoning the Taoist Soldiers to encircle the stronghold, discovering my identity, it was all you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right!¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family was gradually making sense of it all.


    ¡°You know Concealment Technique, Formation, have strong Divine Sense, and¡­ you also knocked out Xinger; you definitely learned something from him, in order to keep me from discovering, that¡¯s why you knocked him out¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, that explains it.¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family, with furrowed brows, muttered to himself, connecting all the dots.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    It was over, in the blink of an eye, everything he had done was guessed by the Patriarch of the Qian Family.

 Chapter 337 - 335 Different Paths_1

    Chapter 337: Chapter 335 Different Paths_1


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family suddenly realized but couldn¡¯t quite believe it:


    ¡°How could it be you? You¡¯re just a little¡­¡±


    Mo Hua stubbornly denied, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    But his denial was futile.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family looked at Mo Hua, his gaze already very certain, yet he did not seem angry.


    Besides feeling nervous, Mo Hua was also somewhat puzzled.


    He had fooled Black Mountain Stronghold and even duped the Patriarch of the Qian Family, yet there wasn¡¯t a trace of hatred in the patriarch¡¯s eyes. Was his temper really this good?


    ¡°Are you wondering why I¡¯m not angry?¡± the Patriarch of the Qian Family asked.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The gaze of the Patriarch of the Qian Family deepened, ¡°If you were an ordinary cultivator, whether a Monster Hunter, a Tribunal Cultivator, or a clan cultivator, having destroyed my hundred years of effort, I would have you torn to pieces.¡±


    ¡°But you are different,¡± the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s gaze showed surprise, ¡°You¡¯re just a child in your teenage years, capable of these feats, your courage, wisdom, and strategies are exceptional, which was beyond my expectation.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more important is that you are a Formation Master, and your mastery in formations is even much more profound than that of the third Householder at the Foundation Establishment Stage¡­¡±


    ¡°It is just a pity that you are not a member of my Qian Family¡­¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s tone carried a faint regret.


    ¡°So what if I were a member of the Qian Family?¡± Mo Hua asked with confusion.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s gaze hardened, ¡°If you were a member of the Qian Family, even just a side branch, with even the slightest trace of the Qian Family bloodline, I could make you an elder¡­¡±


    ¡°And even if you wished, I could go against all opposition, and make you the Family Head of the Qian Family!¡±


    Mo Hua curled his lips, ¡°You should find some more credible lies if you want to deceive people.¡±


    ¡°Everything in the Qian Family is up to me, if I say you can be the family head, then you would become the family head for sure!¡± the Patriarch of the Qian Family said.


    ¡°Being the family head isn¡¯t necessarily a good thing,¡± Mo Hua pointed to Qian Hong, lying on the ground, ¡°This family head just got killed by you¡­¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family was slightly stunned, then shook his head, ¡°You are different from him!¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s gaze grew somber, ¡°Hong¡¯er, in terms of talent, character, or means, is much inferior. The only value he had was his bloodline; my blood ran in his veins.¡±


    ¡°So he just serves as a primer for you?¡± Mo Hua taunted with indifference.


    But the Patriarch of the Qian Family was not angered, instead, he smiled lightly, ¡°Everyone has their talents, and everything has its use.¡±


    So you don¡¯t even think of your own grandson as a person¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s look towards the Patriarch of the Qian Family was even more contemptuous.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family frowned in thought, then his eyes suddenly lit up, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re not from the Qian Family. With your abilities, bloodline has become irrelevant.¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family looked at Mo Hua, ¡°You can come work for me; we¡¯ll build another Black Mountain Stronghold, and I¡¯ll make you the Chief Elder of Black Mountain Stronghold!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t show my face, and you¡¯ll be above millions as the leader of Black Mountain Stronghold, those evil cultivators will all follow your orders, with respect only to you!¡±


    Mo Hua opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.


    This Patriarch of the Qian Family really dared to dream¡­


    ¡°Black Mountain Stronghold is gone,¡± Mo Hua reminded him.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Black Mountain Stronghold of Big Black Mountain that¡¯s gone,¡± the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°but this world doesn¡¯t have just one Big Black Mountain, nor just one Black Mountain Stronghold.¡±


    ¡°Anywhere can be Big Black Mountain; wherever there are people, a Black Mountain Stronghold could exist.¡±


    ¡°What name it¡¯s called is just an intimidating title.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart grew cold.


    This Patriarch of the Qian Family had bigger ambitions than he had thought, his schemes were truly profound, and he cared not for temporary gains or losses, able to let go of past grudges.


    Should he succeed, he would surely become a demon path tyrant.


    Mo Hua was too lazy to beat around the bush with him and decisively said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to join you!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then found a somewhat cool reason to say, ¡°Our paths are different, we cannot plan together!¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family scoffed slightly, ¡°You¡¯re so young, what do you know of ¡®the path¡¯?¡±


    ¡°No matter what ¡®the path¡¯ is, it¡¯s definitely not the same as yours,¡± Mo Hua said.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s expression gradually faded, his tone growing cold, ¡°When you grow up, when you leave Tongxian City, you will see the world¡¯s suffering, witness the chaos of the mortal realm, and taste the despair of Tao cultivation. Then you will understand that what I say is right¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait until I¡¯ve seen it to say,¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t buy the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s bluff, ¡°How can I possibly know without seeing things with my own eyes?¡±


    Knowing he could not persuade Mo Hua, the Patriarch of the Qian Family stepped back, ¡°You have time to think over these matters, but for now, you could start by doing a task for me. Whatever you want, I will do everything in my power to provide.¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family spoke earnestly.


    The third Householder was locked up in Taoist Prison; he needed a Formation Master.


    In comparison to Mo Hua, the third Householder¡¯s formation skills were far inferior.


    If Mo Hua could help him, whether the third Householder lived or died was not of any concern to him.


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t wish to?¡± Mo Hua said coldly.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s not up to you,¡± the Patriarch of the Qian Family said lightly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze hardened, ¡°Do you intend to kill me?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you,¡± said the Patriarch of the Qian Family, ¡°but you must have parents and friends, right?¡±


    Mo Hua raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°You dare!¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family didn¡¯t want to anger Mo Hua or leave him with grudges. He wanted Mo Hua¡¯s willing help, so he spoke softly,


    ¡°As long as you help me, I can leave them unharmed.¡±


    Mo Hua sneered inwardly.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family asked, ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him with disdain, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    He had even killed his own flesh and blood, showing how ruthless and unprincipled he was. His words were nonsense, not a single one could be trusted.


    Even if he helped the Patriarch of the Qian Family, he would just be the second Householder.


    Useful when needed, discarded when not.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was unpersuaded, the Patriarch of the Qian Family also lost interest in convincing him.


    After all, once his cultivation broke through, he could threaten Mo Hua with his parents. He didn¡¯t believe Mo Hua would defy him then.


    And with Mo Hua¡¯s formation expertise, given time, rebuilding the Black Mountain Stronghold wouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    It would just take a little more time.


    Time erodes the mind, and Mo Hua, still young, couldn¡¯t have an unswerving Taoist heart.


    Deep within people¡¯s hearts lie great desires.


    He just needed to find a way to tempt Mo Hua onto the Demon Path; even if Mo Hua took only one step, he would never turn back.


    At that time, Mo Hua would have no choice but to willingly serve him.


    He would still be able to rebuild the Black Mountain Stronghold, harbor evil cultivators, and use formations for concealment and stealth.


    However, this time, with Mo Hua¡¯s formation enhancements, the Black Mountain Stronghold would be even stronger and forever hidden from discovery.


    After all, there wasn¡¯t likely to be another junior cultivator who could, like Mo Hua, excel in stealth and formations, be brave and strategic, daring enough to infiltrate Black Mountain Stronghold and steal its dark secrets.


    Mo Hua also understood the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s intentions and said unhappily,


    ¡°Unjust deeds will surely kill oneself; beware the retribution you invite.¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family thought Mo Hua was naive and scoffed,


    ¡°If there really was retribution in this world, I should have suffered it long ago, not lived til now.¡±


    Mo Hua wanted to say more but saw the Patriarch of the Qian Family smile faintly,


    ¡°Are you still thinking about buying time?¡±


    Mo Hua said righteously, ¡°Haven¡¯t I been delaying time all along?¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s gaze on Mo Hua grew more appreciative and also meaningful, ¡°Do you guess whether I am now assimilating the medicinal power or not?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, released his Divine Sense, and his heart shook.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s aura was gradually becoming stronger!


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family said calmly,


    ¡°I know you rang the bell to call for help, but this lair is complex. By the time they arrive, I will have just finished assimilating the medication, broken through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and will be ready to annihilate them, avenging the previous ambush.¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked; everything was within the calculation of the Patriarch of the Qian Family. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had been assimilating the power of the Lifespan Transformation Elixir in his body all along, just toying with him while conversing!


    A chill grew at the bottom of Mo Hua¡¯s heart, and panic set in.


    He forced himself to stay calm, to think of any possible solutions.


    But his thoughts were in disarray, and he couldn¡¯t come up with any ideas on the spot.


    Just as he was at a loss, Mo Hua suddenly stared blankly, then his face showed horror as he looked behind the Patriarch of the Qian Family as if he had seen a terrifying scene.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family thought Mo Hua was pretending to trick him and paid no attention.


    But Mo Hua had truly seen a horrific scene!


    He saw that the dead pig had silently stood up!


    It was already dead, its eyes were clouded white, and therefore it emitted no aura at all.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family didn¡¯t realize it.


    With an aura of deathly stillness, the pig silently walked up behind the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    Unaware, the Patriarch of the Qian Family sensed something was off because Mo Hua¡¯s terrified expression seemed genuine.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family thought to turn around and take a look, but it was too late.


    The Pig Monster with clouded white eyes opened its blood-filled mouth and in one bite, bit off the right side of the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s body.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s shocked expression lingered on his face, utterly unaware of what happened.


    As he struggled to turn his head, he then saw the dead pig, looking at him with cold, hollow eyes.


    ¡°How could this¡­¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family murmured.


    The Pig Monster chewed the half of his body briefly and directly swallowed it.


    Before the Patriarch of the Qian Family could utter another word, the gaping maw opened again.


    This second bite completely devoured the cunning and deep-thinking Patriarch of the Qian Family!


    Those who fed on humans ended up feeding the pigs.

 Chapter 338 - 336: The Present World_1

    Chapter 338: Chapter 336: The Present World_1


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart and spirit both quaked, filled with disbelief.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family¡­ was he truly dead?!


    Just moments before, Mo Hua had said that those who commit many injustices would eventually destroy themselves and that such actions would bring retribution.


    But that had just been an offhand remark.


    He had not expected that the retribution against the Patriarch of the Qian Family would actually come to pass, and so swiftly at that!


    Mo Hua¡¯s emotions were in turmoil, but what happened next was equally, if not more, shocking to him.


    After swallowing the Patriarch of the Qian Family, the Pig Monster¡¯s deathly pale eyes began to show fresh red.


    The blood in its body started flowing again, demonic power began to aggregate anew, and the bloodstains on its body changed from dark to bright red, even emitting a blinding red light.


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils dilated.


    This Pig Monster, it was refining the medicinal power!


    It was not only refining the power of the Lifespan Transformation Elixir but also the Blood Qi of the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    At the same time, an aura that could only be described as terrifying coalesced on the Pig Monster¡¯s body, causing one¡¯s whole body to shudder, even giving the illusion that the Great Dao was in chaos and a mutation was occurring!


    Mo Hua had no idea what was happening, but at that moment, he had only one thought:


    Run!


    Simultaneously, the Pig Monster turned its head, its blood-colored eyes gazing toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua felt his hairs stand on end as he pushed his Water Passing Step to its limit, racing toward the outside of the stone chamber.


    Only a few steps into his escape, Mo Hua noticed people ahead¡ªit was Leader Yang and Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan and Leader Yang appeared at the entrance to the cave, and upon seeing Mo Hua¡¯s deathly pale face, were about to say something when Mo Hua urgently interrupted them.


    ¡°Run for it!¡±


    They were taken aback, not yet understanding what had happened when they saw at the end of the stone steps, a blood-colored, fierce pig¡¯s head making its appearance.


    The two exclaimed in shock, ¡°What kind of monster beast is this?¡±


    The Pig Monster¡¯s head was stuck in the entrance of the stone chamber; its blood-red pupils rotated irregularly before glancing sharply at Mo Hua. It let out a shriek and lunged forward.


    The stone walls on both sides, which seemed as fragile as tofu, crumbled under the pressure of its massive body.


    Despite looking bulky, the Pig Monster was incredibly fast and was about to catch up.


    Zhang Lan and Leader Yang, with grave expressions, quickly placed Mo Hua behind them, hoping to hold off the Pig Monster for a moment, allowing Mo Hua to escape.


    But with the Pig Monster¡¯s terrifying presence, they had no confidence, and cold sweat seeped from their palms.


    Seeing that they were protecting him behind them, Mo Hua felt a mix of gratitude and urgency.


    He knew that Leader Yang and the others were no match for this aberrant Pig Monster and couldn¡¯t stop it at all.


    Trying to block it forcefully would result at best in severe injuries and at worst in being devoured like the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    In this critical juncture, a flash of inspiration struck Mo Hua.


    He suddenly remembered the Formation he had set up on the ground.


    When the Pig Monster charged in, the Formation hadn¡¯t been activated.


    Mo Hua pushed his Divine Sense to its limit and instantly completed the Divine Sense lock in the chaotic stone chamber, locating the Grade One Earthfire Compound Formation he had laid down.


    In less than the time it takes to breathe, Mo Hua focused his qi and formed the Fireball Technique.


    The fireball followed Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, flying out suddenly, tracing an arc, and precisely igniting the Formation.


    For a brief moment, the stone chamber was dead silent, as if even the sound had been annihilated.


    At the same time, the Grade One Earthfire Compound Formation began to collapse!


    Zhang Lan and Leader Yang witnessed an unbelievable scene.


    They saw Mo Hua casting a fireball at incredible speed to activate the corner¡¯s Formation.


    But instead of exploding, the spiritual power in the Formation began to invert and slowly collapse, producing intermittent black spiritual power.


    This collapsing spiritual power, like tiny black daggers, chipped away at the Pig Monster¡¯s flesh instantaneously, stripping and unraveling its flesh at a molecular level.


    First the outer skin, then the flesh, and finally the bones¡ªall were dissolved by the power of annihilation, turning into black powder.


    As the Formation collapsed, it was located at the right rear leg of the Pig Monster, and in an instant, one of the Pig Monster¡¯s hind legs vanished, as if the void had collapsed and erased that leg.


    Thrown off balance, the Pig Monster crashed to the ground, its lunging attack interrupted.


    However, in just a moment, Blood Qi began to condense where the lost leg was.


    First bone was formed, then flesh and blood vessels, and finally the outer skin.


    As quickly as the power of annihilation dissolved it, the power of flesh regenerated.


    Leader Yang and his companion were profoundly shocked:


    ¡°What kind of Formation is this? And what is this fine black spiritual power that can dissolve the flesh of a Second Grade monster beast?!¡±


    ¡°And what kind of monster beast is this? Why is its regeneration speed so incredibly fast?!¡±


    Seeing the two still dazed, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but clap their backs with both hands, one hand on each, and yell out:


    ¡°Run already!¡±


    The Pig Monster¡¯s hind legs had been eradicated by the inverse transformation of Spiritual Power, and though they had regenerated, its Blood Qi was not flowing smoothly, and it struggled to rise.


    If they didn¡¯t run now, it might be too late to run later.


    Leader Yang and his companion suddenly came to their senses, and together they hastened their movement technique, running towards the cave entrance.


    After a short run, the roaring of the Pig Monster could be heard again from behind them, as it had stood up.


    A sense of alarm rose in everyone¡¯s heart.


    Leader Yang decisively picked up Mo Hua with one hand, tucking him at his waist, and pulled Zhang Lan with the other, running forward with him.


    Being a Foundation Building Cultivator, his movement technique was much faster than Mo Hua¡¯s and the others.


    Within a few breaths, they had run out of the mountain cave.


    There were already people outside by then.


    Elder Yu, Court Leader Zhou, and Old Master An were all there.


    They had followed the bell¡¯s signal to the cave entrance, and before they could locate the exact position, they heard shaking and roaring from inside the cave.


    They were clueless and could only wait at the entrance of the cave.


    Seeing the panic-stricken expressions and pale faces of Mo Hua and the others, Court Leader Zhou frowned and asked,


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Leader Yang was about to say something when Mo Hua grabbed his sleeve.


    Mo Hua took a deep breath and said nothing else, still insisting only on, ¡°Run fast!¡±


    Court Leader Zhou and the others looked at each other, ¡°We have a few Foundation Building Cultivators here, even if it¡¯s the Patriarch of the Qian Family, we should be able to fight¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°The Patriarch of the Qian Family was eaten, it¡¯s not just us that need to run, all the cultivators searching the mountain must all flee the deep mountains!¡±


    His tone conveyed a deep terror.


    That pig was too terrifying.


    The aura on its body made Mo Hua feel both familiar and eerie.


    The familiar part was, its aura seemed similar to the Power of Annihilation from the Formation Collapse, as if both vaguely contained the force of the Heavenly Dao.


    The eerie part was, this aura was the complete opposite to the Power of Annihilation, resembling more of an endless regenerative force.


    Mr. Zhuang had said, from the Great Dao comes both creation and destruction, with creation comes annihilation.


    If the Formation Collapse is the Power of Annihilation, then this pig embodies the regenerative force!


    From death to life, clearly dead, yet it came back to life.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart; he didn¡¯t know exactly how formidable this pig was, but insights gained from his long practice of Drawing Formation and the inexplicable fear welling up in his heart told him that if they didn¡¯t run now, all of them would perish in the maw of this Pig Monster!


    Upon hearing this, everyone else also turned pale with shock. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family¡­ was eaten?!


    That cunning and profound cultivator, who in the midst of encirclement by several Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivators and Taoist Soldiers could still find a way to withdraw¡­ was eaten by this pig?!


    Without hesitation, Court Leader Zhou decisively said, ¡°We withdraw!¡±


    At that moment, another loud noise came from within the mountain cave.


    It seemed like the pig was ramming left and right, shattering the stone walls, and the aura emanating from the cave entrance became increasingly bloodthirsty and dreadful.


    Without further delay, everyone immediately withdrew.


    Leader Yang pulled along Zhang Lan, while Elder Yu carried Mo Hua on his back.


    As everyone retreated, they approached the camps along the way, passing the message:


    There is a disaster in the deep mountains; a great danger is coming. All cultivators must evacuate immediately!


    In the middle of the night, the silence of the deep mountains was broken, and the cultivators searching the mountain, after the initial panic, withdrew orderly from the deep mountains.


    Two hours later, all the cultivators, including Mo Hua, had gathered at the foot of the deep mountains.


    This was the border between the deep mountains and Inner Mountain, just a few steps away from Inner Mountain, which was relatively safer.


    Elder Yu put Mo Hua down, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    At that moment, an abrupt change occurred in the deep mountains.


    In the darkness of the night, a wave of Blood Qi shot into the sky, peaks crumbled, and a massive, bloodthirsty Pig Monster suddenly appeared, its horrid roars seeming to tear through the night.


    Not only Mo Hua and his companions saw this scene.


    At this moment, the cultivators far away in Tongxian City also sensed it, looking up to see the blood Qi soaring into the sky.


    The ferocity and Evil Qi caused all cultivators¡¯ hearts and minds to tremble.


    Some of the older Monster Hunters couldn¡¯t believe what they saw, shaking with fear and disbelief as they said,


    ¡°This is¡­ a Big Demon¡­¡±


    Elder Yu, standing beside Mo Hua and seeing the current form of the Pig Monster and feeling its presence, remembered the ancient rumors among the Monster Hunters, he felt as if he fell into an ice pit, exclaiming in a lost voice,


    ¡°A Big Demon has appeared¡­¡±


    Elder Yu turned pale, ¡°But this¡­ how is this possible¡­¡±

 Chapter 339 - 337 Big Demon_1

    Chapter 339: Chapter 337 Big Demon_1


    The deep mountains had become a true forbidden land.


    Day and night, one could see the blood qi shooting into the sky, and the figure of the blood-colored pig monster perched atop the peak.


    The pig monster was refining the potency of the Lifespan Transformation Elixir.


    To say it was refining, it would be more accurate to say it was assimilating.


    After all, this pill had been formed within its body, forcibly extracted, and now it was simply ¡°returning to its rightful owner.¡±


    The pig monster¡¯s refinement of blood qi was slow, and it seemed like it would take a long time, but no matter how long it took, there would come a day when it would be finished.


    As time slowly passed, the blood qi around the pig monster became denser and its aura more terrifying.


    The faces of all the cultivators in Tongxian City were clouded with gloom.


    Elder Yu and the others looked increasingly solemn.


    A storm was brewing, and a great catastrophe was approaching.


    Yet Mo Hua was utterly puzzled in his heart.


    What was a big demon, why had that pig turned into a big demon, and why did the arrival of a big demon signify a catastrophe?


    He had never come into contact with these cultivation secrets before.


    So, Mo Hua went to ask Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°The so-called big demon is a term used by Monster Hunters, referring to extremely powerful, non-human forces that can annihilate an entire city or state boundary.¡±


    ¡°What level of monster beast qualifies as a big demon, then? Something beyond Second Grade?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°Big demons are not simply classified by grade.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, ¡°Is it based on the grade of the state boundary, then?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded and explained to Mo Hua:


    ¡°In a Second-Grade state boundary, a big demon would be Second Grade, in a Third-Grade state boundary, a big demon would be Third Grade¡­ and so on. A powerful monster beast nearing the grade limit of a certain domain is called a ¡®big demon.''¡±


    ¡°But why could that pig become a big demon?¡± Mo Hua wondered aloud.


    That pig had only eaten an elder of the Qian Family and had even been on the brink of death at one point ¨C so why did it suddenly become a big demon?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that either,¡± Elder Yu said bitterly, ¡°Big demons have always been the stuff of legend. No one can say for certain how they come into being¡­ The last record of a big demon in Tongxian City was two to three thousand years ago.¡±


    ¡°Was that big demon killed?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°The big demon was not killed.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Then how did it die?¡±


    ¡°It starved to death.¡±


    ¡°Starved to death?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback.


    That was a manner of death Mo Hua had not anticipated.


    Elder Yu¡¯s eyes held a deep-seated fear:


    ¡°It had devoured all the cultivators of Tongxian City, all the monster beasts of Big Black Mountain, and everything edible. Finally, after more than a hundred years without food, it exhausted its blood qi and starved to death¡­¡±


    Mo Hua gasped, ¡°It ate¡­ all the cultivators of Tongxian City?!¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be killed?¡±


    If it could be killed, then the cultivators of an entire city wouldn¡¯t have all been devoured¡­¡± Elder Yu gave a wry smile.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it be killed?¡±


    Mo Hua was very puzzled.


    It was just a Second Grade monster beast, and no matter how strong, there was always a way to kill it.


    Even if Foundation Establishment wasn¡¯t enough, there was still Qi Refinement, and if Monster Hunters weren¡¯t enough, there were also Taoist Soldiers. So many cultivators working together could surely wear down the big demon, even if it meant a war of attrition¡­


    Elder Yu pointed to the horizon and said, ¡°Do you see that blood qi?¡±


    Mo Hua looked up and saw the towering blood qi of the pig monster over the deep mountains.


    ¡°Is it because¡­ the blood qi is too profound?¡± Mo Hua speculated after a moment¡¯s thought.


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°The attacks of the big demon are only slightly stronger than those of monster beasts of the same grade, but the most troublesome aspect is its blood qi¡­¡±


    ¡°The blood qi of a big demon is incredibly profound, almost equivalent to tens of times that of monster beasts of the same grade.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill down his spine as he listened, ¡°The blood qi is that profound?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the scariest part,¡± continued Elder Yu:


    ¡°The most terrifying thing is that it can replenish its blood qi by consuming humans. Trying to deplete a big demon with numbers is even more impossible.¡±


    ¡°With the profound blood qi of a big demon, hunting one down is bound to be a lengthy battle of attrition, with casualties being unavoidable.¡±


    ¡°But once there are casualties, it will replenish the big demon¡¯s blood qi. In such a give-and-take, all cultivators will end up in the mouth of the big demon, eaten alive!¡±


    ¡°Unless no one dies, the cultivators would merely be ¡®Blood Pills¡¯ for the big demon.¡±


    ¡°But with a big demon as fearsome as this, hunting down a ¡®big demon¡¯ without any death is impossible, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    A chill arose in Mo Hua¡¯s heart, and he asked with a furrowed brow:


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, his tone grave:


    ¡°Our only hope is that we are all mistaken, that the pig is not actually a big demon. In that case, the Taoist Court could send a message to the Taoist Court, requesting more Foundation Establishment cultivators to come for an extermination effort.¡±


    ¡°And if it is a big demon?¡±


    ¡°If the Taoist Court confirms that the pig is a big demon,¡± Elder Yu sighed, ¡°we can only¡­ look for a way to relocate the city.¡±


    ¡°Relocate the city?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback.


    ¡°Relocate the city,¡± Elder Yu nodded and said:


    ¡°All cultivators of Tongxian City must migrate elsewhere and seek a new livelihood. Otherwise, once the big demon has refined its blood qi and begins to hunt for food, starting with monster beasts and then humans, it will eventually, just like two or three thousand years ago, eat through all the cultivators of Tongxian City¡­¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s expression was full of bitterness, ¡°This is a natural calamity, even an undeserved disaster, and we have no way to deal with it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat distracted.


    He had not expected that things would really become this grave.


    He had previously thought that a ¡°Big Demon¡± was just a more powerful Monster Beast, and that as long as everyone worked together, there would always be a way to kill it. He had not anticipated that a Big Demon would truly signify a ¡°great calamity,¡± one that would force an entire city of Cultivators to relocate.


    But in his heart, Mo Hua knew that it was less ¡°relocation¡± and more akin to fleeing.


    ¡°Where will we relocate to?¡± Mo Hua asked, ¡°There should be no place nearby suitable for Cultivators to live anymore, right?¡±


    And even if a relocation was to be carried out, it would be impossible for just Tongxian City to move. All the surrounding Little Immortal Cities would need to relocate as well.


    If that were the case, there would be even more Cultivators moving, and fewer places available for them to live.


    ¡°Typically we would move southwards, closer to the barren frontier, which mostly consists of undeveloped wastelands inhabited by Monster Beasts and Barbarian Tribes.¡±


    Elder Yu sighed, ¡°But life will be very tough if we do that¡­¡±


    A long and arduous trek, living at the mercy of the elements along the way, dangers unpredictable, the difficulties at the journey¡¯s end are self-evident.


    Mo Hua, too, felt a sinking mood.


    Hopefully, that Pig Monster isn¡¯t a real Big Demon¡­


    But deep down, Mo Hua faintly knew that wasn¡¯t likely.


    Because he had seen the Pig Monster with his own eyes and had once damaged it with a Formation Collapse. He knew the regenerative power of the Pig Monster¡¯s flesh was mysteriously profound, out of the ordinary and close to the Dao, incomparable to any common Monster Beast.


    Three days later, a document arrived from the Taoist Court, which stated:


    ¡°Taoist Calendar twenty thousand and twenty-four, the Pig Monster causes chaos within the Second-Grade Black Mountain State Boundary.


    As verified by the Heavenly Observatory, this is a Big Demon, historically named Feng Xi.


    The local Taoist Court Officials should deliberate strategies for peace within their jurisdiction.


    If unable to counter the calamity, consider relocation matters.¡±


    Mo Hua learned the contents of this document from Zhang Lan.


    When the document arrived at the Taoist Court and Zhang Lan got the news, knowing there was no remedy, he felt rather frustrated and went to drink at a tavern, incidentally sharing the situation with Mo Hua.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Taoist Court have any other solutions?¡± Mo Hua asked Zhang Lan.


    ¡°If the Taoist Court had a solution, Big Demons would not be considered ¡®great calamities.''¡±


    Mo Hua still didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Can¡¯t the Taoist Court send Golden Core Cultivators to kill that Pig?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Feng Xi,¡± Zhang Lan corrected him, ¡°Once they become Big Demons, they receive a name that enters the history of Tao Cultivation. Historically, pig-like Big Demons are generally called ¡®Feng Xi¡¯.¡±


    Zhang Lan took a sip of his drink and sighed, ¡°Golden Core Cultivators cannot come.¡±


    ¡°Are they afraid of death?¡±


    Zhang Lan shook his head, ¡°Golden Core Cultivators, even if they can¡¯t kill a Second-Grade Big Demon, can still escape with their lives.¡±


    ¡°What they fear¡­¡± Zhang Lan pointed upwards, ¡°are the laws of the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with the laws of the Heavenly Dao?¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    Zhang Lan asked in return, ¡°The state boundary we are in now, what is it?¡±


    ¡°The Black Mountain State Boundary.¡±


    ¡°And the full name?¡±


    Mo Hua had studied geography of Tao Cultivation at the Tongxian Gate. He had learned diligently and remembered clearly, so even though he had left his studies incomplete, he still managed to answer:


    ¡°The Cultivation World is comprised of Nine States, with each state divided into territories, and within those territories are Immortal Cities.¡±


    ¡°Tongxian City belongs to the Li State¡¯s Big Black Mountain territory, omits the state name, simply called Black Mountain State Boundary.¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded and asked again, ¡°Which grade?¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated, then answered, ¡°Second Grade.¡±


    ¡°Why is it Second Grade?¡±


    ¡°Because the highest Cultivators here only have achieved Foundation Establishment¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt that Zhang Lan was asking the obvious, but also felt Zhang Lan would not be doing so pointlessly. After thinking it over, he slowly said:


    ¡°Golden Core is Third Grade, exceeding the upper limit of a Second-Grade state boundary, so they cannot come over?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that they can¡¯t come, but they can¡¯t use any Cultivation higher than Second Grade,¡±


    Zhang Lan explained, ¡°What¡¯s the point of Golden Core Cultivators coming without being able to use their Golden Core Cultivation?¡±


    ¡°What happens if they use it forcefully?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°If they use it forcefully, they will die!¡± Zhang Lan said gravely.


    ¡°Die?!¡± Mo Hua was startled.


    ¡°Die,¡± Zhang Lan nodded, pondered for a moment, then added, ¡°So when you say they are afraid of dying and that¡¯s why they dare not come, you¡¯re sort of correct.¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Mo Hua was still confused.


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°That is the rule of the Heavenly Dao. When the Taoist Court was established, it designated this place as Second Grade. Thus, all Cultivators here can at most use Foundation Establishment Cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°Once they surpass this limit, they will be eliminated by the Heavenly Dao!¡±


    ¡°Are there no exceptions?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Zhang Lan said decisively, ¡°None!¡±


    ¡°What about higher than Golden Core?¡±


    Zhang Lan replied, ¡°Don¡¯t even mention Golden Core, even those of the Mahayana level, unless they¡¯ve attained immortality, must abide by these Heavenly Dao restrictions. Once they defy these laws, no matter how advanced their Cultivation or how strong their power, they will be directly extinguished by the Great Dao, resulting in death and the loss of their Dao!¡±


    ¡°Even the Taoist Monarch who reigns over the Nine States, will not be an exception!¡±


    ¡°These are the laws of the Heavenly Dao!¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression became solemn as he said:


    ¡°The Heavenly Dao reigns supreme above all things and all the myriad Cultivators!¡±

 Chapter 340 - 338 Law_1

    Chapter 340: Chapter 338 Law_1


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, and then he slowly furrowed his brows:


    ¡°If we follow this Law, doesn¡¯t it mean that within a realm, cultivators simply cannot resist a Big Demon?¡±


    High-rank cultivators cannot intervene, and low-rank cultivators have no power to contend.


    Against a cultivator with high cultivation like Patriarch of the Qian Family, it¡¯s still possible to overpower him by sheer numbers, with all cultivators united and working together to subdue him.


    But facing a Big Demon like Feng Xi, more people are useless; after it drains their Blood Qi and consumes them, it can just recover.


    The more people there are, the Big Demon might actually grow stronger.


    Zhang Lan let out a long sigh and said,


    ¡°¡®Within a realm, a Big Demon is invincible¡¯ is basically a consensus in the Cultivation World. Otherwise, the Taoist Court wouldn¡¯t suggest relocating the city; it¡¯s truly a helpless move born out of desperation.¡±


    ¡°But Big Demons must die eventually, right?¡± Mo Hua said.


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°Of course, all things in the world, including demons, must experience life and death. Even the most powerful Big Demons are just that¡ªdemons, not immortals, so naturally, they will die.¡±


    ¡°How do most Big Demons die?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Zhang Lan thought for a moment and answered,


    ¡°Some starve to death after consuming all the cultivators in a realm; some die of old age after living for thousands of years; some are inexplicably struck down by Heavenly Dao Laws when they break through a boundary; and some are slain through the combined efforts of family clans and sects¡­¡±


    ¡°Combined efforts to slay?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s expression shifted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about that,¡± Zhang Lan guessed what Mo Hua was thinking and dismissed his idea,


    ¡°The clans and sects capable of slaying a Big Demon have legacies that span thousands or even tens of thousands of years, profound backgrounds, powerful sect disciples, and Protective Sect Arrays they can rely on. Only then can they slay a Big Demon¡­ And even so, they will be severely weakened, paying a terribly painful price.¡±


    ¡°If the Big Demon doesn¡¯t appear within their own sects or factions, directly threatening the roots of their Taoist heritage, they have no choice but to attempt the slaying. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t willingly take the risk.¡±


    ¡°This place, Tongxian City, simply lacks any power with such profound backgrounds.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, such events are extremely rare, and even in the records of Family Sects and Clans, similar accounts are few and far between.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed.


    As expected, any method he could think of, others had already thought of, and any method that could be used, others had already used.


    In over twenty thousand years of the Taoist Court¡¯s existence, there had been countless brilliant individuals, and not all other cultivators were fools; it wasn¡¯t possible that what you think of, others could not.


    But instead of decreasing, Mo Hua¡¯s doubts only multiplied.


    ¡°Then why even have assessments for state boundaries? If there were no assessment, wouldn¡¯t high-rank cultivators be able to slay Big Demons?¡±


    ¡°On what basis are these assessments determined?¡±


    ¡°Why is this place designated a Second-Grade Prefecture Border?¡±


    ¡°As for being struck down by Heavenly Dao Laws, what exactly are those Heavenly Dao, what rules, and how are they struck down?¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua, articulate, fired off questions rapid-fire.


    Zhang Lan felt his scalp tingle at the barrage of questions.


    That¡¯s why being too smart isn¡¯t such a good thing.


    Once someone is smart, they have many questions, and with many questions, headaches are bound to follow.


    When it comes to issues like the overall planning of the Taoist Court, the division of the Nine State, and the structure of heaven and earth, Zhang Lan had no answers, and he couldn¡¯t just make irresponsible guesses.


    First, it might mislead the younger generation, creating misconceptions in Mo Hua¡¯s understanding of the path of Tao Cultivation.


    Second, Mo Hua was no longer a novice in Tao Cultivation, and in fact, he knew much more about Formations than Zhang Lan did. If Zhang Lan were to blunder through an explanation, Mo Hua would likely spot the flaws easily.


    To know what one knows and what one does not know is true knowledge.


    Losing a little face was worth it.


    Zhang Lan could only tell the truth, ¡°I don¡¯t know about these things¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Mo Hua was somewhat regretful.


    Although Zhang Lan was from a Noble Clan, since he was still at the Qi Refinement stage, his ignorance was understandable.


    Nevertheless, Mo Hua still wasn¡¯t giving up:


    ¡°Is there really no way to deal with the Big Demon?¡±


    Zhang Lan patted his shoulder,


    ¡°In the face of the Heavenly Dao, cultivators are actually very insignificant. In the pursuit of the Dao for a lifetime, the more one seeks, the more one realizes the unfathomable depths of the Great Dao, which cannot be fully comprehended by human effort. The Great Dao¡¯s formidable disasters and variations cannot be countered by mere human power.¡±


    In other words, there was no way out.


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°So we can only relocate the city?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°In a few days, the Taoist Court will deliberate once more. If it really comes to it, we will have to head to the wildlands in the south.¡±


    But in reality, there wasn¡¯t much to discuss; it was just that nobody wanted to make the final decision until absolutely necessary.


    After all, once the decision to relocate is made, it means leaving one¡¯s home behind and leading a life of displacement, with an uncertain future ahead.


    Mo Hua felt unwilling and puzzled.


    He wanted to get to the bottom of this matter.


    The next day, he went to visit Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Gentleman, why do Big Demons exist, and how are the state boundaries assessed?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang silently looked at Mo Hua and asked, ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    Mr. Zhuang remained silent for a long time before finally speaking,


    ¡°I can tell you about the causality of the Great Dao involved here, but you must remember not to tell anyone else; otherwise, it will bring disaster upon you.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became grave, and he nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang let out a slight sigh and began to speak,


    ¡°All things in the world originate from the Dao.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°From Dao comes the One, from the One comes the Two, from the Two comes the Three, and from the Three come all things. Be it a Big Demon or the assessment, all are things derived from the Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°Defying the Heavenly Dao, catastrophes are born, thus leading to Big Demons;¡±


    ¡°The Heavenly Dao¡¯s checks and balances, the classification of regions in Nine State, this is why assessment exists.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke concisely and to the point.


    Mo Hua frowned slightly, contemplating carefully.


    Mr. Zhuang then explained further:


    ¡°What we call a Big Demon is one kind of calamity caused by the Great Dao. When a Cultivator acts against the heavens, violates natural affection, it breeds calamity.¡±


    ¡°Calamities that violate the Heavenly Dao are collectively referred to as Taoist Demons.¡±


    ¡°And a Big Demon, is one type of Taoist Demon.¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡®Taoist Demon¡¯ is a term used internally within the Taoist Court¡¯s Heavenly Observatory; it is not mentioned to outsiders. Because the Taoist Court fancies itself as acting in accordance with heaven¡¯s mandate, the existence of Taoist Demons would imply that the Taoist Court is at fault, in violation of the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was serious as he looked at Mo Hua and said:


    ¡°Thus, these words should go from my mouth to your ears and must not be known to others. Especially the term ¡®Taoist Demon¡¯.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was solemn as he nodded seriously.


    Then Mo Hua pondered and said slowly:


    ¡°So, that pig becoming a Big Demon is due to the deeds and desires of the Patriarch of the Qian Family, which harmed the nature and violated the Heavenly Dao. This nurtured the Taoist Demon within the Pig Monster?¡±


    After all, he had killed people for two to three hundred years, brewed Human Life Pills for over two hundred years, and nurtured the Lifespan Transformation Elixir for more than a hundred years, committing countless acts of slaughter.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, ¡°Simply put, that¡¯s the case, but there are others at play here, and it is better that you do not know now.¡±


    ¡°Is it a strange Taoist?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, his gaze sharpening, ¡°Who told you that?¡±


    ¡°The Patriarch of the Qian Family, and a young Pill Master at the Alchemist¡¯s Business, they both mentioned a Taoist.¡±


    Mo Hua recounted honestly, ¡°The Evil Skills and the pill recipe for the Lifespan Transformation Elixir were both given by a Taoist. But I don¡¯t know if the Taoist they speak of is the same person.¡±


    But Mr. Zhuang put a hand on Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, his expression grave, and said:


    ¡°Do not speak of it, do not even think about it, forget that Taoist.¡±


    Mo Hua wanted to ask why, but seeing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s face more stern than ever, he nodded in agreement and said:


    ¡°Yes, Gentleman.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua had never seen anyone who could make Mr. Zhuang so wary.


    However, since Mr. Zhuang did not want to talk about it, he didn¡¯t think further and turned to ask other questions:


    ¡°Gentleman, then what is the matter with the state boundary assessment?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua organized his thoughts and continued:


    ¡°Why does the Taoist Court assign assessments to state boundaries?¡±


    ¡°Without the assessment, there wouldn¡¯t be any limitation on cultivation, the Taoist Court could then dispatch high-ranking Cultivators to exterminate Big Demons, and it wouldn¡¯t lead to the annihilation of all living beings within the state boundaries.¡±


    ¡°Upon what does the Taoist Court base its assessment?¡± Mr. Zhuang countered.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°Annihilation by the laws of the Heavenly Dao?¡±


    Because if there were no forceful annihilation by the laws of the Heavenly Dao, even if Cultivators didn¡¯t act according to the state boundary classifications, it would have no impact.


    The so-called state boundary assessments would be rendered meaningless.


    ¡°What, then, are the laws of the Heavenly Dao?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked.


    Mo Hua was startled and muttered softly, ¡°How should I know that¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly, ¡°You know.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was one of surprise, ¡°I know?¡±


    When did I know that? How could I not know about it myself¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows and thought for a while, then suddenly his heart jumped and he exclaimed in astonishment:


    ¡°Could it be¡­ Formation?!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ where is the Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua had guessed it, but still couldn¡¯t understand.


    Mr. Zhuang pointed to the sky, and Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but look up. The sky appeared vast and infinite, with tumbling clouds, profound and endless.


    ¡°This sky, is itself a Formation!¡± Mr. Zhuang said in a heavy tone.


    Mo Hua was deeply shaken, blurting out in disbelief:


    ¡°This is¡­ a Formation?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, his gaze profound, ¡°And it¡¯s not an ordinary Formation, this is a Large Formation, the most powerful one known in this world!¡±


    ¡°The most powerful Large Formation¡­¡± Mo Hua was transfixed, murmuring, ¡°Does that mean¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, ¡°The Innate Large Formation, also called the Immortal Grade Formation in legends!¡±


    Mo Hua was immensely shaken inside and speechless for a long time.


    Heaven is just three feet above, and it turns out that the sky is the most powerful Formation in the world.


    It turns out that the most powerful Formation in the world has always been suspended above, covering every inch of the Cultivation World, concealing every Cultivator.


    What kind of transcendent craftsmanship this must be¡­


    Mo Hua looked up at the sky, feeling his own insignificance and the boundlessness of Formations.

 Chapter 341 - 339: Checks and Balances_1

    Chapter 341: Chapter 339: Checks and Balances_1


    Mr. Zhuang said with a reverent expression,


    ¡°This Formation contains the true laws of the Heavenly Dao. Under the Formation, all beings are equal; regardless of one¡¯s status or level of cultivation, any transgression against the prohibitions of this Formation will lead to their annihilation without distinction.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, this Formation is also named: ¡®Heavenly Dao Formation¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Heavenly Dao Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua murmured to himself, imprinting this name deeply in his mind while also feeling hopeful.


    He hoped that one day he himself would be able to draw such a formation that reached through heaven and earth.


    Unable to help himself, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Then, sir, who drew this Formation, was it an Immortal?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°At the very beginning of the establishment of the Taoist Court, this Formation already existed. No one knows the origin of this Formation, and no one knows by whose hand it was created. The person who drew this Formation, even if not an Immortal, must at least be a powerful Cultivator who has stepped onto the path of immortality.¡±


    ¡°Thus, people also call this Formation the Innate Large Formation, implying that it existed naturally since the beginning.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court has established the hierarchy of state boundaries based on this Heavenly Dao Formation. The Large Formation of a particular state boundary determines what realm is limited and will be given an assessment.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°However, Cultivators who know about the ¡®Heavenly Dao Formation¡¯ are few and far between.¡±


    ¡°Even many Formation Masters do not believe that this vast sky is actually a Large Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is it because there is no inheritance, so they do not know?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Even with records of inheritance, they don¡¯t believe.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Why?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang pointed to the sky and asked Mo Hua, ¡°What can you see in this sky?¡±


    Mo Hua tilted his head back and gazed at the sky for a long time until his neck grew sore, then hesitantly said,


    ¡°There are clouds¡­¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Nothing else.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded,


    ¡°Indeed, nothing else¡­ there are no Formation Patterns, no Formation Pivot, not even knowing what the Formation media is, and no Formation eye. How can one say it¡¯s a Formation then?¡±


    ¡°Sir, can you not see it either?¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said with a gentle smile, ¡°Like you, I cannot see anything either¡­¡±


    ¡°Not just me; there are Cultivators in this Cultivation World who have deeper cultivation and profounder Formation knowledge than I do, and they cannot see anything either.¡±


    ¡°If nothing can be seen, and nothing is there, then how can it be called a Formation?¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t there records in the Tao Cultivation Canon?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    ¡°Records in the world can have errors, and Tao Cultivation Canon should not be fully trusted,¡± Mr. Zhuang explained.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then looked up at the sky again, sensing the boundless expanse and the ethereal cloud trails, as if they contained infinite and ever-renewing mysteries.


    With a dawning understanding, Mo Hua declared with conviction,


    ¡°Sir, this must be a Formation!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly, ¡°Why?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I feel that it is.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was surprised for a moment, then patted Mo Hua¡¯s head gently and said,


    ¡°A Formation Master¡¯s intuition is an understanding of the Heavenly Dao, and sometimes it¡¯s very important. I hope that one day you really will be able to discern the Formation from this sky¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expectations filled Mo Hua with earnestness, and he nodded seriously.


    He then asked with curiosity,


    ¡°Sir, if there really is a Heavenly Dao Formation in this sky, what is the purpose of this Large Formation, or rather, what is the significance of such a law of the Heavenly Dao?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he spoke gravely,


    ¡°Heavenly Dao¡¯s balance.¡±


    Mo Hua seemed to have an insight, but couldn¡¯t fully comprehend it all at once.


    Mr. Zhuang looked up at the vast sky and slowly said,


    ¡°Like you, I also believe that the Heavenly Dao Formation exists. It¡¯s just that our Cultivators¡¯ Divine Sense is not enough and our knowledge of Formation is too shallow to see it.¡±


    ¡°Assuming the Heavenly Dao Formation truly exists¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and continued,


    ¡°Then if state boundaries are not assessed and cultivation is not limited, without the balance of the Heavenly Dao Formation, what would the Tao Cultivation World be like?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a while, then cautiously offered, ¡°Would it be chaotic?¡±


    ¡°What would cause the chaos?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked again.


    ¡°Would it be because the power of Cultivators is unrestricted?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded,


    ¡°Never overestimate humanity. Humans are a species that would kill for gain, for spite, or even simply for pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Without cultivation restrictions, high-level Cultivators would wantonly slaughter those of lower levels.¡±


    ¡°People¡¯s Taoist Heart is never firm; it is restless, wavering, indulgent, like duckweed on the surface of the waves, tossing with the current, with no fixed place. Even the most upright person can be tempted by evil thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Among a hundred high-ranking cultivators, even if only one harbors evil thoughts, it is a disaster for the lower-ranking cultivators.¡±


    ¡°Without the Heavenly Dao balancing the power, high-ranking cultivators can easily massacre the lower-ranking ones.¡±


    ¡°Qi Refinement cultivators might face slaughter from Golden Core, Feather Transformation, or even Heaven Void cultivators, leaving them utterly defenseless.¡±


    ¡°It is not uncommon for a Golden Core to massacre a city, a Feather Transformation to massacre a realm, or a Heaven Void to massacre an entire state.¡±


    ¡°Some leaders of the Demon Path also act without any inhibitions. For the sake of refining a Magical Treasure, they might sacrifice the lives of all beings within a state boundary¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed and continued, ¡°The strength of the Cultivation World lies in its high-ranking cultivators, yet its future depends on those at the bottom.¡±


    ¡°Once the lower-ranking cultivators are wiped out, leaving no one to follow, the Cultivation World will inevitably decline.¡±


    ¡°If this continues, the entire Cultivation World will be destroyed by slaughter in an instant.¡±


    ¡°But with the restriction of the Heavenly Dao Formation, high-ranking cultivators dare not act recklessly. Only then do low-ranking cultivators have a chance to survive, to thrive, and thus, the Cultivation World can flourish endlessly¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, beginning to understand the significance of the Heavenly Dao¡¯s balance.


    Take Tongxian City for instance, which is within a Second-Grade Prefecture Border. If some Foundation Establishment cultivators cause trouble, other Foundation Establishment cultivators will handle it, or at worst, Qi Refinement cultivators will unite against them.


    But without the Heavenly Dao balance, once violated by high-ranking cultivators, they would have no way to resist, no matter what.


    Mo Hua then asked:


    ¡°However, if a Taoist Demon arises, wouldn¡¯t the cultivators within the same state boundary also be powerless to resist?¡±


    Because a Taoist Demon¡¯s Blood Qi is too strong and they can strengthen themselves by killing others, they are, in a way, ¡°endlessly multiplying¡± as well.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded. ¡°Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. With the Heavenly Dao Formation, we can restrain high-ranking cultivators, but that also makes Taoist Demons invincible in a realm;¡±


    ¡°Without the Heavenly Dao Formation, though there are ways to subdue a Taoist Demon, it allows high-ranking cultivators to commit boundless slaughter¡­¡±


    ¡°When comparing two evils, we choose the lesser one. The havoc wrought by a Taoist Demon may destroy one jurisdiction, but rampant killing by cultivators could destroy the whole Cultivation World.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang let out a long sigh, speaking with profound significance:


    ¡°After all, in this world, the ones who kill the most are always humans, not Monster Beasts.¡±


    The ones who kill the most are always humans, not Monster Beasts¡­


    Mo Hua felt a complex mix of emotions upon hearing this.


    After pondering for a long time and hesitating for a while, Mo Hua eventually asked the question he cared about the most:


    ¡°Is there a way to deal with Feng Xi?¡±


    Having grown up in Tongxian City, he couldn¡¯t bear to see the cultivators of Tongxian City move to a desolate wilderness and become displaced.


    Nor could he bear to see Tongxian City destroyed by Feng Xi¡¯s calamity.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a touch of relief in his eyes, ¡°You already have an idea, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded. ¡°The only way to deal with Feng Xi is through a Large Formation¡­¡±


    From the canons Zhang Lan provided, he knew of clans and sects that had used Protective Sect Arrays to subdue Big Demons.


    Mo Hua looked up at Mr. Zhuang with a hopeful gaze, ¡°Sir, can I learn the Large Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang showed a momentary wistfulness.


    He knew this day would come, but he had not expected it to come so soon¡­


    Mo Hua, at the Qi Refinement Realm, wanted to learn the Large Formation.


    That wasn¡¯t unusual.


    The Large Formation is the ultimate goal for all Formation Masters. Every Formation Master in the world wants to learn it.


    Even if one cannot be the main Formation Master of a Large Formation, merely participating and adding a few Patterns is already a great honor.


    But what made Mo Hua different was, he truly qualified to learn the Large Formation.


    His Divine Sense strength, control over Divine Sense, experience in Formation, and proficiency were all top-notch among first-grade Formation Masters.


    But the Large Formation is not so simple¡­


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°You need to think it through.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Mr. Zhuang shook his head, his expression turning serious as he slowly said:


    ¡°The Large Formation is the most complex, most difficult, and requires the greatest construction effort among all Formation types. It is not something you can learn just because you want to, nor can you build it alone.¡±


    ¡°Building a Large Formation requires a tremendous amount of manpower and resources¡­¡±


    ¡°The formation media of the Large Formation need to be crafted by Artifact Refiners, built by Craftsmen; the Formation Pivot, you could learn to draw yourself, but within the Large Formation the thousands of Single Formations cannot all be completed by you alone, you will need the help of other Formation Masters.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the need for resources; the materials to build the formation media, the Spiritual Ink to draw the Formation Patterns, and the Spirit Stones to activate the Formations are all in immense quantities.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation is extremely challenging with a high consumption of Divine Sense. It¡¯s not something you can easily master.¡±


    ¡°Most crucially¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression grew heavy as he looked at Mo Hua and said slowly:


    ¡°Even if you pour all resources into building the Large Formation, what if it still cannot withstand Feng Xi? What if despite exhausting all these resources and Spirit Stones, Feng Xi cannot be subdued? What will the cultivators of Tongxian City do then? In such a scenario, relocating the city would hardly be possible, how will they survive?¡±


    ¡°Have you considered all these things?¡±


    With each statement Mr. Zhuang made, Mo Hua¡¯s heart cooled a degree, and he couldn¡¯t help but look down, disappointed and dejected.


    Mr. Zhuang gently touched Mo Hua¡¯s head again and said softly:


    ¡°Think these matters through, then decide whether or not you want to learn and build the Large Formation.¡±

 Chapter 342 - 340 Taoist Demon_1

    Chapter 342: Chapter 340 Taoist Demon_1


    Mo Hua silently nodded.


    He thought he had considered everything, but he hadn¡¯t expected that there were still so many things he hadn¡¯t contemplated¡­


    After Mo Hua left with a belly full of thoughts, Mr. Zhuang stared at the thick blood qi over the deep mountains, lost in a trance.


    After an unknown period, Mr. Zhuang murmured in a low, wistful voice:


    ¡°Is this my karma?¡±


    Old Kui silently appeared behind him and said indifferently:


    ¡°Not everything is about you, don¡¯t flatter yourself.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head.


    Old Kui glanced at him and said lightly, ¡°So, what? You don¡¯t want to leave anymore?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until this matter is settled.¡±


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    ¡°Once the dust has settled on this matter and the Taoist Demon¡¯s affair has a conclusion, I will set off and leave, no longer entangled in the karma of this place.¡±


    Old Kui reminded him, ¡°The Taoist has already been here.¡±


    ¡°It was just a Taoist, not him in person.¡±


    Old Kui frowned, ¡°This place is tainted with Taoist Demon¡¯s evil; the news has reached the Taoist Court, alarming the Heaven Shu Pavilion. Your whereabouts will also be calculated, and they have always been watching you closely¡­¡±


    ¡°Let them calculate, it¡¯s not like they haven¡¯t calculated before,¡± said Mr. Zhuang nonchalantly.


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t dissuade him, Old Kui realized that Mr. Zhuang, put in a nice way, was someone with firm convictions. Put bluntly, however, he was as stubborn as a bull and held to his own views.


    Old Kui snorted coldly, ¡°Good words can¡¯t persuade the damned ghost.¡±


    After saying that, Old Kui turned to leave, but Mr. Zhuang suddenly said in a low voice, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Old Kui was taken aback, ¡°Are you on the wrong medication?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said with a bitter smile, ¡°I always remember your kindness.¡±


    Old Kui frowned, puzzled, ¡°What? Do you think you¡¯re going to repay me?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, ¡°If there ever comes such a day.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the living who can repay kindness. What can the dead repay? The dead can only return to the ghosts.¡±


    Old Kui said without civility, then turned and left, his figure still carrying a hint of desolation.


    Inside the bamboo room, Mr. Zhuang was left alone.


    Mr. Zhuang still gazed quietly at the deep mountains, at the blood qi soaring to the sky. After a long while, he murmured in a low voice:


    ¡°Brother, aren¡¯t the sins you¡¯ve committed enough?¡±


    And at this very moment, in the center of the Nine State, in the center of Taoist State, in the most prominent high pavilion of the Taoist Court:


    An old man with white hair and beard was playing chess.


    In front of him, there was only a chessboard, with no pieces.


    Across from him, there was only a meditation cushion, with no chess player.


    Above the cushion, there was no one, just as above his chessboard, there were no pieces.


    The old man just sat in silence, staring at the empty chessboard, expressionless, his whole being in a state of ethereal nothingness.


    He seemed both present and absent in the void.


    After a while, the old man slowly said:


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    A cultivator in white, who had been waiting outside for a long time, stepped forward respectfully and placed a jade slip on the table before retreating with equal deference.


    The old man stared at the chessboard for a long time and couldn¡¯t help but complain:


    ¡°No one plays chess anymore¡­¡±


    He shook his head, then shifted his gaze away to look at the jade slip on the table.


    The jade slip was inscribed with words drawn in faint gold spiritual power, and it contained a brief message in two lines:


    North of Li State, Second Grade Black Mountain State Boundary, Tongxian City.


    A Taoist Demon has appeared, taking the form of a Big Demon, named Feng Xi.


    The old man glanced at it and then paid no further mind, continuing to stare at his empty chessboard. Moments later, he sensed something:


    ¡°Li State¡­ Tongxian City¡­¡±


    The old man spread out his right hand, his palm shining brightly with spiritual power, solidifying into a substance that became a Heavenly Dao compass of the Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches, Eryi, and Four Symbols.


    The compass spun and calculated layer by layer, then fitted together perfectly.


    The old man was slightly startled, ¡°Really here¡­¡±


    He then took out another jade slip marked with ¡°Nine State Map,¡± and according to the compass¡¯s calculations, he traced a clear trajectory and ordered softly:


    ¡°Pass it down.¡±


    The cultivator in white at the door stepped forward to receive the jade slip and then exited.


    Before long, the jade slip was in the hands of the high-ranking cultivators of the Heaven Shu Pavilion, all of whom showed a shaken demeanor and thoughtful expressions.


    After a brief moment, cultivators began to leave the Heaven Shu Pavilion one after another, with expressions of gravity, excitement, or malice.


    All the movements of the Heaven Shu Pavilion were as clear as day in the old man¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, but he remained indifferent, placing the first piece on the empty chessboard.


    After making his move, the old man grumbled:


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have let me calculate it, once calculated, it becomes troublesome for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay quiet? It would be good for you and for me. Instead, you just have to cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°Whether you live or die now depends on your own fate¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The old man muttered to himself, but there was no one to hear, and no one to respond.


    After finishing his words, the old man turned his head again, picked up the jade slip, and re-read the two lines of text, muttering to himself:


    ¡°Tongxian¡­ This name is somewhat interesting¡­¡±


    ¡°Feng Xi? Who is feeding the pigs this time?¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s only Second Grade¡­¡±


    The old man placed this jade slip alongside some others of the same shape.


    On the other jade slips, similar words were written:


    Qian State, Second Grade Wendao Mountain State Boundary, Thousand Lamps City.


    Taoist Demon emerges, takes the form of a Great Evil, ancient name Huapi.


    Annotation: Remnants of an Evil God hidden within the Contemplation Map, Thousand Lamps City has migrated.


    ¡­


    Gen State, Third Grade Dragon Spine Mountain State Boundary, Dragon Mountain City.


    Taoist Demon emerges, takes the form of a Great Ghost, ancient name Impermanence.


    Annotation: Ghosts without form, by the time of discovery it¡¯s too late, Dragon Mountain destroyed, turned into Ghost City, not a single Cultivator survived.


    ¡­


    Kan State, Fourth Grade Jingwei State Boundary, Three Rivers Ancient Ferry.


    Taoist Demon emerges, takes the form of a Big Demon, ancient name Xiang Liu.


    Annotation: Failed city migration, Xiang Liu¡¯s poison floods Three Rivers, over half of the moving Cultivators dead or injured.


    ¡­


    Kun State, Fourth Grade Azure Cloud State Boundary, Azure Cloud City.


    Taoist Demon emerges, takes the form of a Great Corpse, ancient name Drought Demon.


    Annotation: Azure Cloud State Boundary destroyed, turned into a sea of corpses¡­


    ¡­


    The old man gradually furrowed his brows.


    In recent years, the emergence of Taoist Demons has become more frequent.


    ¡°With Taoist Demons frequently emerging, chaos reigns between Heaven and Earth¡­ Is it because the Great Dao is too oppressive, the balance of Heavenly Dao disturbed, causing people to conceive evil, or is there someone, or something not human, secretly scheming?¡±


    The old man pondered in silence.


    In the end, he looked up at the sky and, after a long examination, couldn¡¯t help but mutter:


    ¡°I look at this sky every day, where is any Formation? Is that kid surnamed Zhuang deceiving me?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    In the Mo Family¡¯s eatery in Tongxian City,


    Mo Hua was still contemplating the Large Formation, but he noticed his parents had already started packing up.


    ¡°Mom and Dad, are we migrating now?¡±


    Mo Shan nodded with a sigh, ¡°The Taoist Court has already notified us, it¡¯s time to prepare in advance.¡±


    ¡°Is everyone leaving?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    Mo Shan said, ¡°The Court Leader is still discussing it, but it¡¯s likely to be south of Li State, either a wasteland or a barren mountain, places uninhabited by Cultivators. We will have to start anew and settle down there.¡±


    Mo Hua quietly said, ¡°It must be hard¡­¡±


    ¡°The cultivation itself is secondary, just a bit tough. What¡¯s most difficult is the journey, it probably won¡¯t be peaceful, and not all Cultivators will be able to safely reach the destination¡­¡± Mo Shan sighed.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Along the way, there might be places like Big Black Mountain, with dangerous terrain, poisonous miasma, Monster Beasts, Sin Cultivators, and even Evil Cultivators.


    Even some of the Clans, Sects and the Taoist Court along the way aren¡¯t necessarily benign.


    ¡°What about Uncle Ji¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re also coming with us,¡± Mo Shan replied, somewhat wistfully:


    ¡°Your Uncle Ji¡¯s family has no place to seek refuge. Initially, after arriving in Tongxian City, with Ji Li and Fu Lan married and the family together, they could live in peace for a while, but then the Big Demon appeared, and now they have to wander again¡­¡±


    And the future remained uncertain, with no guarantee of better days to come.


    After all, Qi Refinement Realm Cultivators stood at the very bottom of the Cultivation World, living a tough life, fragile and unable to withstand much risk.


    In the following days, all of the Loose Cultivators and former friends Mo Hua knew were preparing to migrate.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    The chances of learning and constructing the Large Formation were slim to none now¡­


    He guessed that he would have to migrate as well.


    Once the migration began, it would likely mean saying goodbye to Tongxian City forever, as well as saying farewell to Mr. Zhuang and his fellowship brothers Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi¡­


    Mo Hua felt somewhat downcast.


    In the evening, a guest suddenly came to the eatery, and it was Master Luo.


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°Master Luo? Aren¡¯t you preparing to migrate?¡±


    Master Luo shook his head helplessly, ¡°I do have to migrate, but not to the south of Li State. Instead, I¡¯m relocating to the Third Grade Lanling State Boundary in the north of Li State. I have old friends there, and quite a few Sects have invited me to be their Elder.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled.


    Master Luo explained to him:


    ¡°Not just me, Cultivators with status and position within Tongxian City won¡¯t be moving to the harsh lands with the city. Everyone has their connections.¡±


    Master Luo handed an invitation to Mo Hua: Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Young Master Mo, you also have connections.¡±

 Chapter 343 - 342: A Way Out_1

    Chapter 343: Chapter 342: A Way Out_1


    ¡°This is an invitation from Lanling Sect, a Second Grade Sect within the Lanling State Boundary.¡±


    Master Luo said, ¡°Lanling Sect is a well-known Sect within the Lanling State Boundary. It has Golden Core cultivators within its ranks and is just a bit of time away from becoming a Third Grade Sect. The Formation heritage¡­ is not bad.¡±


    Master Luo originally wanted to say ¡°The Formation heritage is profound,¡± but thinking of the unnamed, unfathomable Formation Master behind Mo Hua, he found the word ¡°profound¡± difficult to utter, so he could only say ¡°is not bad.¡±


    ¡°Lanling Sect was established on the mastery of Formations, and the ambience of Formation arts is especially strong there. It doesn¡¯t have as many entanglements and power struggles as other Sects do.¡±


    Master Luo continued, ¡°I have some connections with them, and it just so happens that I am also going to join Lanling Sect. So, I took the liberty of recommending Mr. Little Mo, and I hope Mr. Little Mo won¡¯t take offense.¡±


    Mo Hua quickly waved his hands and said, ¡°You are too kind, Master Luo.¡±


    Master Luo then handed the invitation to Mo Hua, ¡°Mr. Little Mo, please take a look.¡±


    Mo Hua politely accepted the invitation.


    The invitation paper was unknown, elegant, and exquisitely crafted, with text written in gold-flecked ink.


    Mo Hua opened the invitation and glanced over the document.


    The invitation was concise and courteously phrased. Its main intent was to invite Mo Hua to Lanshan Sect to serve as an Instructor and, upon breaking through to Foundation Establishment, he would be eligible to become an Elder.


    It was a highly formal official document of invitation from the Sect, not just some private agreement.


    This was quite a solemn offer.


    Mo Hua held the hefty invitation in his hand and could not help but frown.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expression, Master Luo hastily added, ¡°Mr. Little Mo, don¡¯t be hasty in rejecting it.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°I haven¡¯t said I¡¯d reject it yet¡­¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t be in a rush to accept, either.¡±


    Mo Hua was even more puzzled, ¡°Master Luo¡­¡±


    Master Luo smiled slightly, ¡°Everything is up for negotiation¡­¡±


    Master Luo was adept in the ways of the world, capable of adapting to all situations, and he had a very precise grasp on the intricacies involved.


    ¡°If Mr. Little Mo is considering accepting, I could negotiate the terms with them further.¡±


    Master Luo elaborated to Mo Hua, ¡°Within the Sect, not all Instructors are the same, just as not all Elders are the same. Even though the titles are identical, the actual authority and status can differ widely.¡±


    ¡°The invitation doesn¡¯t spell it out, but the positions of Instructor and Elder mentioned there are likely with the Outer Gate, which in terms of authority and treatment, does not compare to the Inner Gate.¡±


    ¡°Some fringe Guest Elders might not even hold a higher status than a well-established Inner Sect Instructor.¡±


    Master Luo looked at Mo Hua and said softly:


    ¡°Mr. Little Mo, your biggest disadvantage is actually your status as a Loose Cultivator.¡±


    ¡°As a Loose Cultivator, you are an ¡®outsider¡¯ to the Sects, not ¡®one of their own.¡¯ Even if the upper echelons of Lanshan Sect treat you well, some of the Disciples and Formation Masters below will still be resentful¡­¡±


    ¡°Do all the Sects in this world exclude outsiders?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the Sects in this world, but all people in this world that are exclusionary¡­¡± Master Luo said.


    ¡°In such cases, what¡¯s the best course of action?¡± Mo Hua asked earnestly.


    He wasn¡¯t actually keen on joining Lanshan Sect. He was just genuinely curious and wanted to hear Master Luo¡¯s perspective.


    Master Luo himself didn¡¯t care whether Mo Hua truly wanted to join the Sect.


    Mo Hua¡¯s willingness to ask him questions met his expectations.


    Mo Hua asked, and he answered. That counted as a favor, even if not a big one, and it could win him some favor in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    Master Luo patiently said:


    ¡°The best approach is not to become an Outer Gate Instructor. Instead, you should join the Inner Gate outright, accept some grievances, and start as an Inner Sect Disciple.¡±


    ¡°With Mr. Little Mo¡¯s talent in Formations, soon no one in the Inner Gate would be able to teach you anything new. In time, it would naturally be your turn to teach others. If you belong to the Inner Gate and have the capacity to instruct others, you would naturally become an Inner Gate Instructor.¡±


    ¡°At that time, various branches within Lanshan Sect will certainly try to win you over. You can choose one branch and show some goodwill, or you can choose none and simply focus on studying Formations.¡±


    ¡°Formation mastery is the foundation of your standing. As long as your Formation skills are unparalleled, you¡¯ll possess a transcendent status, and no one would dare to offend you.¡±


    ¡°Once you reach Foundation Establishment and become a Sect Elder, you¡¯ll be a powerful figure.¡±


    ¡°Besides, you are still so young. Even the Sect Leader of Lanshan Sect would try every means possible to win you over. Not just Lanshan Sect, but all renowned Cultivators within the Lanling State Boundary will give you some due regard¡­¡±


    Talking it through, Master Luo clicked his tongue, envying such a position in his heart.


    A renowned Formation Master in the area¡­


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the strength, the talent, nor the chance for such treatment.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to join the Inner Gate?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Master Luo was not surprised; in fact, he understood:


    ¡°Joining the Inner Gate means binding yourself to Lanshan Sect with many restrictions. If someday you want to leave or seek higher opportunities elsewhere, Lanshan Sect will surely not let you go easily, which could instead lead to enmity¡­¡±


    While others might desperately seek to be taken into Lanshan Sect¡¯s Inner Gate, Master Luo knew it didn¡¯t include Mo Hua.


    He understood the extent of Mo Hua¡¯s talent. Although Lanshan Sect was a major force within the Third-Grade State Boundary, in the grand scheme of the Cultivation World, it wasn¡¯t much.


    Lanshan Sect¡¯s pond might not be able to contain Mo Hua.


    Master Luo continued:


    ¡°If you don¡¯t wish to enter Lanshan Sect¡¯s Inner Gate but only seek temporary shelter, or wish to use Lanshan Sect as a springboard for pursuing a higher position¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s best to start as an Outer Gate Instructor and then become a Guest Elder. But you can push for more conditions and better treatment.¡±


    ¡°But if you do so, there¡¯s no need to get overly close to the Inner Gate of the Lanshan Sect, at least don¡¯t take the initiative to get close.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat confused, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we forge good relationships?¡±


    Master Luo shook his head, ¡°If you¡¯re too close, they¡¯ll perceive it as disrespect; too distant, and it¡¯s considered ingratiating. You don¡¯t need to deliberately alienate them, nor do you need to deliberately get close.¡±


    ¡°If you distance yourself from the Inner Gate, it will lead to their enmity; if you get close to the Inner Gate, it will lead them to look down on you. Even if they don¡¯t say it out loud, they will look down on you in their hearts.¡±


    ¡°Just focus on learning the Formation, try not to cause any troubles, be transcendental, and thus you won¡¯t offend anyone.¡±


    ¡°What if the Lanshan Sect gets involved in infighting, and I¡¯m forced to take sides?¡± asked Mo Hua, seeking guidance from Master Luo.


    ¡°That depends on the situation,¡± Master Luo said.


    ¡°Depends on what situation?¡±


    Master Luo spoke thoughtfully:


    ¡°It depends on whether you want to continue staying, who is pressuring you, whether their methods are excessive, and if it touches upon your principles.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s trivial, you can tolerate it appropriately. If the other party acts outrageously, then you can resign directly, using it as leverage.¡±


    ¡°Will that work?¡± Mo Hua was surprised.


    ¡°It may not work for others,¡± Master Luo silently added to himself, ¡°like me¡­¡±


    ¡°But it will definitely work for you!¡±


    Looking at Mo Hua, Master Luo continued:


    ¡°The point remains the same, as long as your Formation drawing is good, you¡¯ll be in demand wherever you go. If you offer to resign, it¡¯s they who will be afraid¡­¡±


    ¡°One is that skilled Formation Masters are truly rare and difficult to recruit; second, if others find out that they¡¯ve driven a Formation Master to resign through their overt and covert battles, then the Lanshan Sect will lose its dignity, and their reputation will suffer. Therefore, they won¡¯t dare to go too far¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then discovered a problem:


    ¡°Master Luo, didn¡¯t you say that the Lanshan Sect doesn¡¯t have that much ¡®entanglement of interests and intrigue¡¯? What you¡¯re telling me now seems like you¡¯re teaching me how to ¡®scheme¡¯¡­¡±


    Master Luo was at a loss for words; in speaking back and forth, he inadvertently contradicted his own statements.


    Master Luo smiled awkwardly and could only say:


    ¡°There aren¡¯t that many, but as long as there are people, intrigue is inevitable.¡±


    Mo Hua also smiled, knowing that what Master Luo said was the truth.


    He pondered for a moment and became somewhat hesitant.


    Going to the Lanshan Sect seemed like a good choice, but Mo Hua always felt that this shouldn¡¯t be the path he chose for himself.


    Master Luo added, ¡°Little Mo Gentleman, if you go to the Lanshan Sect, your honored father and mother can also go with you. The Lanshan Sect has agreed to give them positions within the sect. Although not very prestigious, they are leisurely and good positions.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, then became somewhat tempted.


    He didn¡¯t want his parents to suffer; being able to enter a sect and have a stable position also means they can enjoy some blessings.


    ¡°What about other Loose Cultivators from Tongxian City?¡±


    Master Luo sighed, ¡°Little Mo Gentleman, I¡¯ll tell you the truth, and you might not like to hear it¡­¡±


    ¡°The fate of other Loose Cultivators is not something we can consider. If we can take care of ourselves, that¡¯s already good enough.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, even though you are a Loose Cultivator, you¡­ are actually not really considered a Loose Cultivator anymore.¡±


    ¡°If you are willing, there will be plenty of sects to recruit you, numerous clans to ingratiate themselves with you. Your status and position are already different from other Loose Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°In times of great disaster, Loose Cultivators only have one way out, uncertain and full of thorns¡­¡±


    ¡°But Little Mo Gentleman, you are different; you have many possibilities, and whichever path you take, it¡¯s very promising¡­¡±


    Fluctuating emotions swept over Mo Hua, who fell silent for a long while and said nothing, his gaze gradually lowering.


    Master Luo observed Mo Hua¡¯s expression, and seeing that he wasn¡¯t angry, he finally put his mind at ease.


    These words carried the suspicion of ¡°sowing discord.¡±


    And his saying them did indeed have ulterior motives.


    In his eyes, Mo Hua was very important, far more so than other Loose Cultivators; while he had sympathy for the fate of other Loose Cultivators, it was not something he took to heart.


    However, what Mo Hua chose mattered a great deal to him.


    He hoped that Mo Hua would have a future as bright as brocade, a smooth path ahead, and one day become a Formation Master renowned throughout the region.


    In this way, he too could ¡°cling to a powerful thigh¡± and make further progress in the Formation.


    As for other matters, he was just a common Formation Master, who had neither the time nor the ability to concern himself with them.


    ¡°Little Mo Gentleman, you can take some more time to think it over. If you¡¯re willing to go to the Lanshan Sect, I will talk to them and strive for better treatment for you.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not willing, it¡¯s also no matter; I¡¯ll say some kind words and tactfully decline on your behalf.¡±


    Master Luo was very thorough in his considerations.


    Mo Hua nodded and thanked him, ¡°Thank you, Master Luo, for your efforts. Regardless of the outcome, I¡¯ll remember this favor.¡±


    Outwardly humble, Master Luo said, ¡°It¡¯s just a small effort; you are too kind, Little Mo Gentleman.¡±


    Internally, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    If Mo Hua went to the Lanshan Sect, and he was the intermediary, it meant he had rendered a great service; if Mo Hua didn¡¯t go, he would still remember his goodwill.


    No matter what, he would have done a good deed, and his thoughtfulness would not have been in vain.


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 Chapter 344 - 343: Choice_1

    Chapter 344: Chapter 343: Choice_1


    After Master Luo finished speaking, he stood up and took his leave.


    ¡°Little Mo, I¡¯ll take my leave now. You can think about this matter carefully; there¡¯s no need to rush into a decision,¡±


    After finishing, he sighed and added, ¡°The path I offer is one I think is quite good, but it may not necessarily be the best. You have many choices, just choose the best among them.¡±


    Master Luo was indeed considering Mo Hua¡¯s best interests.


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua also understood what Master Luo meant by ¡°many choices.¡±


    Major and minor Sects and families within the nearby state boundaries had all extended invitations to Mo Hua.


    Some invited Mo Hua to become a Formation Instructor; some promised him a position as an Elder outright; some forces, with fervent and impassioned words, invited Mo Hua to ¡°discuss grand undertakings and plot groundbreaking initiatives¡±;


    Then there were some families who wanted Mo Hua to marry into their families and attached portraits of young, either innocent or charming, female Cultivators to their invitations¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t say much, but Liu Ruhua was particularly angry.


    She threw all these portraits into the stove and said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Families with such crooked ideas, tempting people with beauty, are no decent families. You mustn¡¯t go to them!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re to find a partner, it should be a proper and chaste lady.¡±


    Mo Hua replied somewhat helplessly, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s still early for that¡­¡±


    ¡°Better safe than sorry!¡± Liu Ruhua said earnestly.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Mo Hua responded.


    A few days later, Zhang Lan also came looking for Mo Hua.


    ¡°There are a few things I want to discuss with you.¡±


    Zhang Lan sat in their usual spot in the restaurant, ordered a pot of wine and some dishes of meat, and while drinking, he said to Mo Hua,


    ¡°You¡¯re not trying to rope me in as well, are you?¡± Mo Hua asked in confusion.


    Zhang Lan, whose intentions were seen through, choked on a sip of wine, thought for a moment, then nodded, ¡°In a more subtle way, it¡¯s called setting up good karma, to put it bluntly, it¡¯s indeed roping in.¡±


    ¡°The Zhang Family?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°Not just them.¡±


    He then produced a document, ¡°This is a personal document from the Court Leader. You can join a Sect that is directly under the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°Directly under the Taoist Court?¡±


    ¡°Yes, those that are directly affiliated with the Taoist Court and train talents for the Taoist Court. They require internal connections within the Taoist Court to join, and a city Court Leader has a quota for recommendations, though very limited¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that quite valuable?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°This is also a gesture from the Court Leader. If he ever runs into trouble in the future, you mustn¡¯t stand by and watch.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a good relationship with the Court Leader; I will definitely help him!¡± Mo Hua assured.


    Zhang Lan nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°After completing studies in the Sect, can I enter the Taoist Court?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.


    Zhang Lan explained, ¡°It depends on the situation. Generally speaking, as long as one cultivates earnestly and one¡¯s character isn¡¯t too flawed, and one¡¯s conduct isn¡¯t extreme, after completing studies, they can take a position at the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not restricted by status,¡± Zhang Lan looked at Mo Hua, ¡°Outsiders, as Loose Cultivators, find it difficult to enter the Taoist Court, but it¡¯s much easier from these Taoist Court-affiliated Sects.¡±


    ¡°There are so many twists and turns¡­¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but complain.


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Zhang Lan took a sip of wine, his gaze becoming focused,


    ¡°Those who set the rules always leave some loopholes to benefit themselves. The Cultivators below don¡¯t know the rules and can¡¯t skirt around the barriers, and can only crash into them, bloody and bruised.¡±


    ¡°The Cultivators above are familiar with these twists and turns and can easily cross over these barriers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the Loose Cultivators at the bottom aren¡¯t informed; even if they have talent, they might not do as well as those mediocre but well-connected Cultivators from noble families.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Without Zhang Lan telling him, he would have had no idea about these things.


    ¡°What about the not-so-ordinary situations?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°There are two types of those situations,¡± Zhang Lan answered, ¡°One is if one¡¯s aptitude is too poor, and one¡¯s learning is dreadful, to the point of being hopelessly useless.¡±


    ¡°Such a person can enter a Taoist Court-affiliated Sect solely based on connections. Unless they use their connections again, they shouldn¡¯t even dream of securing a position with the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°The other situation is if one¡¯s aptitude is too good, and their learning is exemplary. Such Cultivators have the potential to enter the Taoist Court directly.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court?¡± Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Not the Taoist Court Office?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°The central Taoist Court, not the local Taoist Court Office.¡±


    Immediately after, Zhang Lan sighed, ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t dwell on that.¡±


    ¡°Is my Spiritual Root really that poor?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhang Lan said regretfully, ¡°Your talent in Formation is actually exceptionally good¡­¡±


    ¡°So good that I don¡¯t even know how to properly praise it¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan thought quietly to himself, then continued:


    ¡°But your Spiritual Root, as well as your physique, are indeed¡­ less than desirable¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan spoke somewhat euphemistically, but Mo Hua could tell by his expression that when he said ¡°less than desirable,¡± he really meant ¡°much less than desirable.¡±


    However, Mo Hua didn¡¯t blame him; those who know themselves are wise. He was aware that his Spiritual Root and physique were indeed his weak points.


    After Zhang Lan finished saying these things, he changed his tone and said:


    ¡°This is an invitation from the Taoist Court, whether to go or not is up to you. The following is my effort on behalf of the Zhang Family to recruit you¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan was straightforward, listing some conditions: including the status the Zhang Family would give him, what future prospects he would have, what inheritance he would receive in Formation, and so on. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°And about marriage, if you choose to stay with the Zhang Family, it¡¯s likely that marriage will be inevitable.¡±


    ¡°But if it¡¯s a regular marriage, your partner can only be found among the collateral branches, and the children would carry your surname.¡±


    ¡°However, if you¡¯re willing to marry into the family, you could wed a direct line female disciple. You and your future children would have to change your name, but in return, the family would treat you as one of their own, and you would truly become a person of the Zhang Family¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Zhang Lan explained everything about joining a family in great detail to Mo Hua.


    After speaking, Zhang Lan shifted his tone, ¡°These are the responsibilities I bear as a disciple of the Zhang Family and the words I should say¡­¡±


    ¡°The following words are my personal advice to you.¡±


    Looking at Mo Hua with a serious expression, Zhang Lan said:


    ¡°Do not marry into a family. Unless it¡¯s an absolute last resort, do not cling to a clan!¡±


    ¡°Marrying into a family is like abandoning your surname and losing your self to expedite your rise to success¡­ Unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, it¡¯s better not to do so.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t marry in, relying on your own abilities, the Cultivation World is vast with endless possibilities. But if you wed into a Noble Clan, you¡¯ll be stepping into a stagnant pond with unfathomable depths.¡±


    ¡°Better to be a wandering crane in the clouds, than a dragon trapped in stagnant waters.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more, in my eyes, there isn¡¯t a family worthy of you marrying in, and that includes my Zhang Family!¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised; he hadn¡¯t expected Zhang Lan to value him so highly, and he felt thankful for Zhang Lan¡¯s kindness.


    As Mo Hua gradually firmed up his decision to never join a Noble Clan or marry into one, who knew Zhang Lan would again change the direction of the conversation:


    ¡°Of course, if you really want to marry in, it should still be with my Zhang Family¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him with a complex expression.


    Zhang Lan said helplessly, ¡°Why let the good water flow into someone else¡¯s field¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t what you¡¯re saying a bit improper¡­¡± Mo Hua responded, somewhat speechless.


    Zhang Lan waved his hand, ¡°These are trifles, as long as the intention is clear, don¡¯t mind the details.¡±


    ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work out, then you can settle for the next best thing¡­ and even further down the line, you can consider the Yang Family¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression showed a hint of disdain.


    Mo Hua asked, puzzled, ¡°Is there some kind of feud between the Zhang and Yang Families?¡±


    ¡°The Zhang Family and the Yang Family have a very good relationship. It¡¯s just me and that kid Yang Jiyong who don¡¯t get along.¡±


    Zhang Lan spoke earnestly, ¡°Disciples of the Yang Family are brave and good at fighting, veterans of the battlefield, and they are worthy of respect¡­¡±


    ¡°Except for that kid Yang Jiyong¡­¡±


    ¡°With your mastery of Formation, you could indeed make a name for yourself on the battlefield. Joining the Yang Family and having their support could make you very successful in the Taoist Soldiers Court.¡±


    ¡°Only, campaigning with the Taoist Soldiers is much harder and far more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Think it over on your own¡­¡±


    After saying this, Zhang Lan also advised Mo Hua to consider it carefully, not to rush his decision, and then swiftly finished his meat and drink and stood up to take his leave.


    He was a Supervisor in the Taoist Court. Although he could usually slack off, now that Feng Xi had appeared in this world and the cultivators were migrating, he had much to attend to.


    Zhang Lan bid farewell to Mo Hua and left.


    But as he took his leave, he looked back at the eatery and couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit heavy-hearted.


    Coming here to eat and drink had become a habit for him.


    After the migration, he too would have to leave.


    As a disciple of a Noble Clan, he couldn¡¯t follow the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City; it was very likely he would return to his family or seek another position with brighter prospects.


    After his departure, he might never experience this simple and noisy atmosphere again.


    He might never taste this food and drink again, nor might he have another small Cultivator like Mo Hua to share light-hearted banter with¡­

 Chapter 345 - 344 Decision_1

    Chapter 345: Chapter 344 Decision_1


    ¡°Where should I go?¡±


    Mo Hua was indecisive, so he sat in the eatery, watching the cultivators come and go, observing the entirety of Tongxian City.


    Tongxian City was no longer bustling, but rather, it had a melancholic pre-storm silence.


    There were fewer cultivators on the streets.


    Those who could find a way out did so. The loose cultivators who couldn¡¯t find a way out had only one path:


    To follow the vast troop of loose cultivators migrating, moving to a destitute land in the wilds, to reclaim it, to build a place to settle anew.


    With the appearance of the Big Demon, even some of the Tao cultivation forces with great influence had no power to resist, let alone the loose cultivators.


    They had no choice.


    They lacked status, background, connections; nobody was willing to take them in. If they wanted to live, they could only seek new paths for survival, relying on their own strenuous efforts to endure, one step at a time.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Perhaps the world had always been this way.


    In any disaster, the upper echelon cultivators always have a way out.


    In the end, it is always these lower-tier cultivators who face all the hardships and bear all the pain.


    Even if this disaster was an undeserved calamity.


    Mo Hua went to see Elder Yu again.


    Elder Yu was going to migrate with the loose cultivators. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was a Foundation Building Cultivator, so in theory, he could have escaped it all.


    But precisely because he was a Foundation Building Cultivator, the only one among the loose cultivators, he had to protect them as they migrated south.


    Otherwise, without a Foundation Establishment powerhouse to provide protection, countless cultivators would perish or be injured along the way.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go,¡± said Elder Yu, who had been working day and night and looked somewhat weary upon seeing Mo Hua, speaking bluntly.


    Before Mo Hua could speak, Elder Yu added:


    ¡°We¡¯re migrating, not establishing a new city. Even once we arrive there, all is barren land, and we won¡¯t be needing your Formation Painting for a while.¡±


    Mo Hua knew what Elder Yu meant and was at a loss for words momentarily.


    Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua, speaking in a gentle voice:


    ¡°You should have a brighter future, learn more formations, do more in the future. There¡¯s no need to accompany us and suffer this hardship.¡±


    Mo Hua said in a low voice, ¡°The journey will be very dangerous, won¡¯t it¡­¡±


    ¡°Doing anything has its dangers, but that doesn¡¯t mean we shouldn¡¯t do it if it¡¯s dangerous. This concerns the lives of a city¡¯s worth of loose cultivators,¡± Elder Yu sighed.


    ¡°Maybe¡­I should go too,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Elder Yu glared at him irritably, ¡°What fuss are you joining? Even if you go, you won¡¯t change anything. The most important thing for you is to learn the formations well, not to join us in enduring these hardships.¡±


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t win the argument with the stubborn Elder Yu, Mo Hua turned away and took another look at the massive Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business, saying with some dejection:


    ¡°Will these all be wasted too?¡±


    Elder Yu sighed helplessly and nodded, ¡°We can¡¯t take such large Refinery Shops and Alchemist¡¯s Businesses with us¡­¡±


    ¡°Should they be sold off?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve already reached out to Court Leader Zhou. The Artifact Furnaces and Alchemy Furnaces here are inscribed with your formations, they¡¯re valuable goods. The Taoist Court officials will convert them into Spirit Stones as compensation for us. After all, we¡¯ll need them for migrating and reclaiming the land. Spirit Stones are the real currency.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right,¡± Elder Yu remembered something and handed a jade token to Mo Hua:


    ¡°This is the identity jade talisman for the storage. It contains more than ten thousand Spirit Stones; they¡¯re all for you. Go collect them when you have the time.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°Over ten thousand¡­ All for me?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°They are for your Foundation Establishment.¡±


    Looking at Mo Hua, Elder Yu had a touch of apology in his expression:


    ¡°We should have given you more. Without your formations, the loose cultivators in Tongxian City would not have fared well, and Black Mountain Stronghold wouldn¡¯t have been dealt with, but migrating consumes a lot of Spirit Stones. We can only give you this much¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s already a lot.¡±


    Taking the jade token, he felt its weight, and just as he was about to say something, Elder Yu cut him off:


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me some insincere speech about not wanting it. Anyone who gives you Spirit Stones, you take them. Anyone who doesn¡¯t take Spirit Stones when they can is a fool.¡±


    Mo Hua held the jade token, feeling inexplicably guilty.


    Elder Yu patted his shoulder, ¡°Whatever choice you make, just stand tall and do it with integrity. You don¡¯t owe anyone anything!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded slightly and walked away full of thoughts.


    Watching Mo Hua¡¯s departing figure, Elder Yu was somewhat reluctant to let him go but could only sigh helplessly.


    Mo Hua had already helped them a lot. They could not drag this boy down further.


    He should seek a broader world, learn more profound formations, and strive for a more distant path of the Heavenly Dao.


    Not to mingle with these struggling loose cultivators. There was no future in that.


    The matter with the Big Demon was precisely an opportunity.


    Elder Yu turned his head and glanced at the empty Refinery Shop and the Alchemist¡¯s Business, feeling a sudden sense of unreality.


    All of it, like a dream.


    Taking over the Spiritual mines, building the Refinery Shops and Alchemist¡¯s Business, enriching the lives of the Loose Cultivators, it all seemed like a dream.


    ¡°`


    The eradication of Black Mountain Stronghold, the threat of the evil cultivators, and even digging out the roots to extract the Patriarch of the Qian Family to completely eliminate a major concern, was yet another dream.


    Everything had been moving in a positive direction, and their days could have gotten better and better¡­


    But now, it all turned into nothing more than a dream.


    It was like waking up from a dream.


    Once awakened, they would have to leave their hometown, and Tongxian City might no longer exist.


    Elder Yu sighed deeply, his expression filled with bitterness.


    The life of a loose cultivator is tough¡­


    Those loose cultivators didn¡¯t even dare to hope for longevity, they just wanted to live a good life, peacefully for a hundred or two hundred years. Why was that so difficult to achieve?


    ¡­


    Mo Hua took another walk around, saw a circle of acquaintances, and after returning home, sat in the courtyard in silence.


    Everyone was about to leave.


    Elder Yu, his uncles Yu Chengyi and Yu Chengwu, as well as other familiar monster hunter uncles and uncles;


    Uncle Ji¡¯s family, Uncle Meng¡¯s family, Uncle Chu¡¯s family;


    Master Chen from the Refinery Shop, who had no children, would also move with them,


    Old Mr. Feng, advanced in years and highly respected, who had saved people with his alchemy for years, had many people thankful for his kindness and naturally had other options;


    But he was concerned that the loose cultivators would face hazards like poison and injuries without a pill master to care for them on their relocation, so he decided to go with them as well. No one could persuade him otherwise, nor did anyone dare to try;


    Da¡¯hu, who had grown up with Mo Hua, and Dazhu, who had fought alongside Mo Hua, and Daping, who he knew well, were also leaving with their parents¡­


    His parents would probably accompany him, but the others, the people Mo Hua was familiar with;


    Those who grew up with Mo Hua or watched him grow up;


    Those who Mo Hua had helped and who had also protected him.


    They would all leave Tongxian City and embark on an unknown path, moving to a strange place, beginning anew amidst hardships.


    Perhaps they would face the elements, suffer from cold and hunger, or face oppression from unknown clans, sects, or even the Taoist Court.


    And he would most likely not join them.


    He would be on a completely different path.


    Mo Hua pondered silently.


    Without any bottlenecks in divine sense and with plenty of spirit stones, he would be able to start the Foundation Establishment soon.


    He could choose to join a clan or a sect, or even the Taoist Court or the Taoist soldiers Court, and cultivate steadily until he reached Foundation Establishment. Then he could look forward to achieving Golden Core, step by step learning higher formation techniques and seeking even loftier realms¡­


    The road ahead for a loose cultivator was full of thorns, yet his own path was paved with flowers.


    ¡­


    But was this truly what he wanted?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but question himself again.


    Why did he learn formation techniques in the first place?


    He changed some things, but in the end, it seemed as though nothing had changed.


    In the face of disaster, he could save himself this time, but what about the next time?


    Each time he faced difficulties, would he continue to only save himself?


    ¡°If this continues, will I become numb and indifferent?¡±


    ¡°Will I forget my original intention, lose my true self, obliterate my Taoist heart, and become entirely selfish and self-serving?¡±


    Could such a person truly achieve immortality? Could he really seek the Tao?


    Could he truly understand the essence of formations and comprehend the ultimate Great Dao?


    If he lost his Taoist heart, even if he achieved success and fame, could he attain true immortality?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t make sense of it so he lay in the courtyard, looking up at the sky.


    ¡°What is my Taoist heart?¡±


    ¡°What is the Tao I seek?¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡­


    The sky was vast and the horizon boundless, as if it contained infinite vitality and reason.


    If there is a Tao, the sky is its manifestation.


    If there is a Large Formation, then the Heavenly Dao Formation is the ultimate Large Formation.


    And this is what a Formation Master should pursue!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gradually brightened.


    ¡°A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.¡±


    ¡°I may not be able to lay down such a heaven-reaching, earth-penetrating Large Formation, using the Heavenly Dao Laws to balance the cultivators of the world, allowing the cultivation world to flourish endlessly.¡±


    ¡°So, I will start with the simplest first-grade Large Formation, figure out how to learn it, and lay down the first first-grade Large Formation. I will eliminate a local Taoist demon and protect the peace of an Immortal City!¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly felt enlightened, his expression grew resolute, and his gaze shone like the stars.


    He lay in the courtyard, reaching towards the sky.


    His small palm seemed to grasp the entire firmament itself.

 Chapter 346 - 345 Large Formation_1

    Chapter 346: Chapter 345 Large Formation_1


    Mo Hua had made up his mind, he wanted to construct a Large Formation to kill Feng Xi!


    He had a way out himself, but he also wanted to create an escape for all Loose Cultivators, so they wouldn¡¯t have to leave their homes and wander aimlessly.


    Once he was determined, Mo Hua began to consider how to proceed.


    Constructing a Large Formation was an immensely complex Tao Cultivation project.


    It was difficult to learn and even more challenging to build.


    Mr. Zhuang had told him about the numerous difficulties of building a Formation, not necessarily to dissuade him, but possibly to make him consider everything more carefully and plan more thoroughly.


    A Large Formation required manpower and resources, but before anything else, it required time.


    Building a Large Formation needed time, and learning it also required time.


    Without time, nothing could begin.


    Mo Hua went to find Leader Yang and asked,


    ¡°Uncle Yang, how long will it take for that pig to assimilate the Blood Qi?¡±


    Leader Yang led the Taoist Soldiers, stationed at the edge of the deep mountains, constantly monitoring the Big Demon¡¯s movements. After thinking for a moment, he slowly said,


    ¡°Probably one to two months¡¯ time.¡±


    One to two months, huh¡­


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Learning the Large Formation and constructing it within this time frame seemed insufficient.


    But at the same time, Mo Hua also harbored some doubts and couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°Does it usually take so long for a Big Demon to assimilate Blood Qi?¡±


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family consumed the Lifespan Transformation Elixir and in less than half an hour, his Cultivation began to gradually rise.


    Could it be that this pig has poor digestion?


    Leader Yang mused, ¡°Normally, it shouldn¡¯t take so long. But this Feng Xi is somewhat special; it did not become a Big Demon on its own, but was forcefully fed by someone.¡±


    ¡°The Blood Qi in its body is extremely mixed and not its own; it has never assimilated it, so the process of assimilation now requires even more time.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, this Feng Xi has died once, so it needs even more time to digest the Blood Qi to maintain its vitality.¡±


    Leader Yang looked at the deep mountain¡¯s crimson Blood Qi with a grave expression and said,


    ¡°But once it finishes assimilating and regains vitality, begins to consume food, the trouble will be significant.¡±


    Mo Hua also frowned and asked, ¡°Is there a way to delay it a bit?¡±


    Leader Yang nodded, ¡°After a while, the Taoist Soldiers Court will send over some more Foundation Establishment Stage leaders, and we will join forces to disturb Feng Xi, delaying its assimilation progress, to buy time for the Cultivators of Tongxian City to relocate.¡±


    ¡°How long can the delay last?¡±


    ¡°Probably a month, I¡¯d estimate.¡±


    Then there were two to three months left, time which should just about suffice.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, ¡°Then that¡¯s not too bad.¡±


    Leader Yang was taken aback, ¡°What do you mean, not too bad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Uncle Yang. You go ahead with your work.¡±


    After receiving the news, Mo Hua waved his hand and then dashed away like a wisp of smoke.


    Watching Mo¡¯s retreating figure, Leader Yang couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°This kid, I wonder what he¡¯s up to again¡­¡±


    But no matter what he was doing, it was too late to make a difference now¡­


    Leader Yang turned back, looking at the deep red Blood Qi in the depths of the mountains, where a Big Demon lay in wait, emanating an awe-inspiring presence.


    This aura was also intensifying bit by bit. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This Pig Monster, clearly had died, yet somehow returned to life¡­


    A Taoist Demon that had risen from death, this was the first time he had seen or heard of such a thing.


    Leader Yang sighed, his demeanor growing even more somber.


    However, Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Two to three months was incredibly tight, but it was enough to give it a try.


    First and foremost, he needed to learn the Large Formation.


    This was the prerequisite for everything, otherwise it was all talk.


    Mo Hua immediately went to find Mr. Zhuang, saying solemnly,


    ¡°Gentleman, I wish to learn the Large Formation!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was somewhat surprised¡ªnot that Mo Hua wanted to learn the Large Formation, but that Mo Hua made his decision so quickly.


    ¡°Have you considered everything thoroughly?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes, I have considered it thoroughly.¡±


    The Large Formation was the ultimate aspiration of a Formation Master.


    A Formation Master who does not wish to construct a Large Formation is not a good one.


    Since he wanted to be a Formation Master, sooner or later, he would have to comprehend and construct a Large Formation.


    Not only that, he wanted to be the chief Formation Master of the Large Formation.


    To lead the design and construction of the Large Formation, to be at the very core of the Formation Master team, and not just a common Formation Master participating in the construction.


    But constructing a Large Formation was incredibly difficult, requiring vast amounts of labour and resources.


    Typically, the selection of the chief Formation Master is carefully chosen with the utmost scrutiny.


    Either one is widely respected, comes from a family with deep Formation Study, excels in Formation Study, or has an exceptional reputation.


    At the same time, it is essential to have experience in leading the construction of a Large Formation.


    All these requirements have nothing to do with Mo Hua.


    Leaving Tongxian City, there would be no power willing to take the great risk of hiring him, a Formation Master of Loose Cultivator origin, to lead the construction of a Large Formation that is vast in scale and massive in size.


    Right now was his first opportunity, not to talk idly on paper, but to actually learn and attempt to build a Large Formation.


    If he missed out, this first chance could very well be the only one in his life.


    The beginning is the hardest part.


    As long as he had the experience of leading the construction of a Large Formation, he could step by step comprehend and lead the construction of even higher grades of Large Formations.


    But if he didn¡¯t make the first step, without the experience of leading the construction of a Large Formation, he might never have a chance with Large Formations in his lifetime.


    So, whether for his own pursuit in the Formation Study or for Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City, he must take this step.


    Even if he was not successful, he must try his best.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was resolute, and Mr. Zhuang felt a slight sense of relief in his heart, but he still reminded him:


    ¡°Large Formations are very hard to learn.¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s hard, I must learn it!¡± insisted Mo Hua.


    ¡°Do you really want to learn?¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was somewhat meaningful.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°What if you can¡¯t learn it?¡±


    Mo Hua said frankly, ¡°If I can¡¯t learn it, then it¡¯s because of my insufficient abilities, and there¡¯s nothing to be said about it; but if I don¡¯t try to learn, then it means I fear the Formation, my Taoist Heart is timid, and it would be difficult to go far in the study of Formations.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, showing approval.


    Seeing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression, Mo Hua let out a slight sigh of relief, then whispered:


    ¡°Gentleman, I can actually learn the Large Formation, right?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Mo Hua explained, ¡°If I really couldn¡¯t learn, then you would have rejected me from the start instead of letting me go back to think it over.¡±


    ¡°Since you told me to consider it, that means it¡¯s within my abilities.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head helplessly, then took out a set of ten Jade Slips and placed them on the table, saying seriously:


    ¡°These are the Jade Slips for the Large Formation!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, his guess was right; Mr. Zhuang had indeed been prepared all along.


    ¡°Before you learn the Large Formation, there are some things I need to make clear to you first,¡± said Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua sat up straight and listened attentively.


    Mr. Zhuang started by asking, ¡°What is a Large Formation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a more complex and massive Compound Formation.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang had told him this before, and Mo Hua remembered it very clearly.


    ¡°And what about Compound Formations?¡±


    ¡°They are Compound Formations formed by connecting Single Formations through a Formation Pivot.¡±


    ¡°What is the essential difference between Compound Formations and Single Formations?¡±


    ¡°The Formation Pivot is different.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, ¡°The Formation Pivot of a Single Formation is simple, that of a Compound Formation is complex, and the Formation Pivot of a Large Formation is even more complex.¡±


    ¡°How exactly is it complicated?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°The Formation Pivot of a Single Formation needs to connect Formation Patterns; the Formation Pivot of a Compound Formation needs to connect Single Formations; whereas the Formation Pivot of a Large Formation needs to connect an immense number of Single Formations.¡±


    ¡°This leads to the Formation Pivot of a Large Formation requiring stronger Divine Sense, more Single Formations to connect, more complex tracks of Spiritual Power, while also considering the compatibility issues between the Pivots of the Large Formation and the Single Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua pondered carefully, then said:


    ¡°So the core of a Large Formation is actually the Formation Pivot. As long as I can master the Formation Pivot, facilitate the flow of Spiritual Power, and ensure the compatibility of Single Formations, I should be able to control the Large Formation, right?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded. ¡°That¡¯s about right.¡±


    ¡°What are the difficulties?¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense again¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°All problems of a Formation Master, in the end, boil down to insufficient Divine Sense.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat fortunate, grateful that his Divine Sense was decent.


    Though Divine Sense was his only strength¡­


    Then Mo Hua weakly asked, ¡°Is the Divine Sense of Foundation Establishment enough?¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense of Foundation Establishment is enough, but just barely so,¡± explained Mr. Zhuang. ¡°Divine Sense is intangible and cannot be precisely quantified, we can only have a rough reference.¡±


    ¡°The most objective criterion is based on the standards of Formation Masters, determined by the number of Formation Patterns they can draw before their Divine Sense is exhausted, to decide the strength of their Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°But even so, this reference standard is very difficult to fine-tune.¡±


    ¡°This leads to a situation where, superficially, two formations both require the Divine Sense of ten Patterns, but some formations are simple, and in reality, the actual requirement might be less than ten Patterns, while others are exceptionally complex and, in practice, the consumption of Divine Sense far exceeds ten Patterns, yet doesn¡¯t quite reach the level of eleven Patterns.¡±


    ¡°A Large Formation belongs to the kind of formation that starts with the Divine Sense of ten Patterns, but due to its complexity, requires much more Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense of ten Patterns to start with¡­¡± Mo Hua murmured to himself.


    And it sounded so complicated too¡­


    Mo Hua felt a bit of a headache coming on.


    ¡°So, as I said,¡± Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and spoke slowly:


    ¡°A first-grade Large Formation is actually not meant to be learned by a first-grade Formation Master.¡±

 Chapter 347 - 346 Teaching_1

    Chapter 347: Chapter 346 Teaching_1


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang, is there a Formation Master who can draw a First-Grade Large Formation just because he¡¯s at the First-Grade realm?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Mr. Zhuang said lightly, ¡°Of course there are, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have allowed you to learn.¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Mo Hua realized, nodding his head.


    Mr. Zhuang spoke earnestly and sincerely:


    ¡°For over twenty thousand years, the Cultivation World has thrived, with countless cultivators beyond measure and numerous talents of all kinds. It¡¯s rare, but there are indeed Qi Refinement practitioners who can construct First-Grade Large Formations.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua pondered seriously:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang, I understand! There are always people better than oneself, and the world is full of astonishing talents. I must always be wary and remain humble to continue improving in Formation Study.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m merely a Qi Refinement practitioner who was lucky to attain a Foundation Establishment Divine Sense. Even if I can draw Large Formations, I¡¯m still far behind the true favored children of heaven¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyelids twitched upon hearing this.


    No¡­ Having a Foundation Establishment Divine Sense during the Qi Refinement Realm already makes one an astonishing genius.


    Being able to draw a First-Grade Large Formation is even more exceptional than those favored by heaven.


    If you really can draw a Large Formation, it¡¯s not that you are far behind others, but rather others are far behind you¡­


    After all, a Formation Master who can initiate and actually construct a First-Grade Large Formation is truly a rare treasure.


    They need not only capability but also financial resources and manpower, as well as fortunate timing and the opportunity to construct a First-Grade Large Formation.


    Such cases, he had only seen recorded in the Sect¡¯s archives and heard about in tales from the Cultivation World.


    In reality, he had never once seen a Formation Master who could seize the right time, place, and people to accomplish this.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s original intention was to encourage Mo Hua to stay humble and not become arrogant and complacent.


    But now it seemed that Mo Hua was being a little too modest¡­


    However, being slightly more humble with regard to the Heavenly Dao and Formations is always a good thing, so naturally, Mr. Zhuang wasn¡¯t going to point it out. He pretended to be calm and nodded in approval:


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you can think this way.¡±


    Encouraged by Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua felt greatly inspired.


    He thought to himself that Formation Study truly was boundless, and he needed to work even harder.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t match other Formation Geniuses, the gap couldn¡¯t be too great, or he would lose the face of being Mr. Zhuang¡¯s registered disciple.


    He must learn to construct Large Formations!


    From the look in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, Mr. Zhuang could sense his thoughts, feeling both gratified and emotional for a moment.


    If he maintained this humble attitude towards seeking the Dao, Mo Hua¡¯s future achievements in Formations could indeed be frightening¡­


    ¡°What kind of registered disciple did I take on after all¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang felt a complex mix of emotions. Then, setting his thoughts aside, he continued to explain Large Formations to Mo Hua.


    ¡°A First-Grade Large Formation starts at the threshold of ten divine sense Patterns, meaning one must have a Foundation Establishment Divine Sense to learn to construct a First-Grade Large Formation.¡±


    ¡°But First Grade and ten patterns, with a Foundation Establishment Divine Sense, is actually the requirement for a Formation Master. Ordinary cultivators, who don¡¯t study Formations, who don¡¯t specialize in the manipulation of Divine Sense, after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, their Divine Sense is roughly between nine and ten patterns.¡±


    ¡°Much stronger than the nine patterns of the Foundation Establishment Stage, but still a little short of ten patterns.¡±


    ¡°The same goes for ordinary Formation Masters. After achieving Foundation Establishment, they still need time to strengthen their Divine Sense and learn Second-Grade Formations.¡±


    ¡°So the usual saying isn¡¯t that one needs to reach Foundation Establishment to learn how to construct a First-Grade Large Formation, but rather that only a true Second-Grade Formation Master can learn to construct a First-Grade Large Formation.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused, his gaze becoming intense: ¡°These above-grade Formations are generally referred to as ¡®Ultimate Formations¡¯ in the academic world of Formations.¡±


    ¡°Meaning a Formation that could serve as a Sect¡¯s Ultimate Technique, or one that is extremely difficult to learn, with nearly forbidden inheritance.¡±


    ¡°The Reversed Spirit Formation you are learning is an Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°Since a Large Formation¡¯s demands on Divine Sense exceed the grade, and the Formation knowledge surpasses the outline, it is also regarded as an Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°However, because a Large Formation is vast in scale and long-lasting, once established, cultivators can benefit from it for hundreds or even thousands of years, with profound significance. Thus, to emphasize its importance, it is given a distinct name and called a ¡®Large Formation,¡¯ not an Ultimate Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, silently counting the Formation concepts he knew:


    Single Formation, Compound Formation, Large Formation, Mystery Formation, Illusion Array, Ultimate Formation¡­


    Those who study Formation Theory really like to make up all these complicated names¡­


    Though Mo Hua was an expert in Formations and could distinguish between them clearly, he still couldn¡¯t help but internally complain.


    Mr. Zhuang gently tapped Mo Hua¡¯s head, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Your eyes are twinkling; it¡¯s clear you¡¯re criticizing something in your mind.¡±


    Mo Hua quickly shook his head, ¡°Not at all!¡± then hurriedly changed the subject, asking:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang, so does that mean it might be a bit easier for a Second-Grade Formation Master to learn a First-Grade Large Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s not that easy.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Divine Sense enough?¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense is just a threshold. Without sufficient Divine Sense, one doesn¡¯t even qualify to step through this door,¡± Mr. Zhuang explained:


    ¡°But having enough Divine Sense is just planting one foot inside the threshold. To truly learn, construct, and utilize a Large Formation, and to master it thoroughly, there¡¯s still a long way to go.¡±


    ¡°Are there other requirements for Divine Sense manipulation?¡± Mo Hua asked further.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just about the manipulation of Divine Sense,¡± said Mr. Zhuang with a slight sigh, ¡°Large Formations are too complex, involving too many Single Formations. One needs to observe meticulously the relationship between Formation Patterns and the effects of generation and restriction of Spiritual Power, opening and closing, along with other dynamics.¡±


    ¡°The use of Divine Sense must be skilled, the control of Divine Sense strong, and it¡¯s best to master some Divine Sense Calculation¡­¡±


    ¡°Large Formations of the same type are usually the culmination of that category of Formation. In other words, a Formation Master who can construct a Large Formation is also one who has mastered a category of Formation to the point of thorough familiarity and integration, a comprehensive Formation Master!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said, ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    ¡°I understand, Mr. Zhuang.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    Then he pondered seriously for a moment and voiced his doubt, ¡°The kind of Formation Master you describe¡­ seems like it¡¯s me?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly startled, and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he instinctively ruffled Mo Hua¡¯s hair:


    ¡°Be a little more modest.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua smiled sheepishly.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed inwardly.


    Actually, what Mo Hua had said wasn¡¯t wrong; he was indeed very suitable for learning Large Formations.


    He had a deep foundation in Divine Sense, was adept in its application, and had a sensitive control over it.


    In Formation Study, Mo Hua had drawn the Five Elements Formation countless times and could truly say he had mastered it.


    He had also dabbled in Compound Formations within the realms of Artifact Refining and Alchemy, achieving a level of integration.


    Taking all these into account, when Mo Hua approached Mr. Zhuang wishing to study Large Formations, Mr. Zhuang did not refuse him but clarified the pros and cons, allowing him to return and consider it.


    Because Mo Hua truly possessed the capital to study Large Formations.


    If he didn¡¯t attempt to learn Large Formations, even Mr. Zhuang would feel it a pity, to the point of harboring regret.


    But mastering Large Formations wasn¡¯t so simple, and this was only the beginning.


    Mr. Zhuang brought out a set of ten Jade Slips, unfolding them in sequence:


    ¡°These are the Large Formations I want to teach you!¡±


    ¡°These ten Jade Slips encompass the principles of the formation eye, the structure of the Formation Pivot, the distribution of the Formation Patterns, the construction of the Formation media, as well as the compatibility of Single Formations and cost estimation, among others.¡±


    ¡°This Formation is a trapping and killing type of Great Formation, which uses the power of the Five Elements Generation and Restraint to trap enemies and employs the Formation¡¯s offensive formations to annihilate formidable foes!¡±


    ¡°Among the Five Elements-based Great Formations, this set of Formations is particularly renowned for its offensive capabilities, sufficient to deal with Feng Xi.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang handed over the Jade Slips to Mo Hua.


    Accepting them, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense plunged into the Jade Slips, and what met his eyes were the strong and vigorous characters:


    Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation!


    The writing was as sharp as a hooked silver spike exuding an aura of slaughter.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart and carefully stored the Jade Slips.


    Large Formations were extremely precious forms of Formations.


    Though Mr. Zhuang had casually presented them, these Jade Slips would be considered Ultimate Techniques capable of sustaining a Sect or Clan.


    With utmost respect, Mo Hua gave Mr. Zhuang a deep bow.


    It was a gesture of thanks for Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teachings and gratitude for all he had done for the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City.


    Mr. Zhuang seemed to discern Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts and shook his head slightly:


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Since I have come here, and calamity has arisen in this place, there is causation involved. Within my means, I will not stand idly by.¡±


    Having said that, Mr. Zhuang waved his hand and added, ¡°You go back first. Study well, and if you encounter any problems, come to find me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Mo Hua bowed again with great respect before rising and taking his leave.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze followed Mo Hua¡¯s receding figure, extending into the distance.


    Even as Mo Hua¡¯s figure disappeared into the mountain landscape, Mr. Zhuang remained lost in thought, and after a long while, he frowned and asked:


    ¡°Do you think he can learn it?¡±


    There was no sound in the room, nor did anyone answer.


    Mr. Zhuang spoke helplessly: ¡°The Pavilion Elder has already calculated my end, you can¡¯t escape it either, playing dead is useless.¡±


    Old Kui revealed himself, shaking his head:


    ¡°You will end up bringing about your own demise sooner or later. To avoid being implicated by you, I want to hide further away.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang responded in disbelief: ¡°You¡¯re not even here; you¡¯re already hiding far enough. How much further do you want to go?¡±


    Old Kui remained silent.


    Mr. Zhuang then repeated his earlier question, ¡°Do you think Mo Hua can learn the Great Formation?¡±


    Old Kui gave Mr. Zhuang a faint look and replied, ¡°You are a Formation Master, I am not. I cannot guess.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you think of the boy¡¯s Formation paintings?¡±


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang suggested: ¡°I¡¯m already a broken man. Why not take him with you? Give it some time, and maybe he could be useful to you.¡±


    Old Kui seemed somewhat tempted but still shook his head, ¡°His cultivation level is too low, it¡¯s too long a journey.¡±


    ¡°He can be taught gradually.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Formations. How could I teach him?¡±


    ¡°You could hire a Formation Master to teach him.¡±


    Old Kui said indifferently: ¡°Don¡¯t push your responsibilities onto me.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, having his thoughts exposed, sighed.


    After a moment, Old Kui frowned and inquired:


    ¡°If you wanted to teach him the Great Formation, just teach him. Why make the extra effort, waste time to have him think it over?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a long time, his expression inscrutable. Then he slowly began to speak, as if addressing Old Kui yet also speaking to himself:


    ¡°Only in the face of true catastrophe can a Cultivator realize their true heart.¡±


    ¡°Only by making choices in significant matters can one firm their Taoist Heart.¡±


    ¡°If one doesn¡¯t establish and strengthen their Taoist Heart from the beginning, they will unwittingly stray further and further from the path, and no matter how successful they become, they will ultimately deviate completely from the Longevity Road.¡±


    A trace of self-mockery and loss appeared on Mr. Zhuang¡¯s face.


    ¡°The mistakes I¡¯ve made¡­ I don¡¯t want him to go through them a second time¡­¡±

 Chapter 349 - 348 Comprehension_1

    Chapter 349: Chapter 348 Comprehension_1


    Mo Hua was confused and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Bai Zisheng hesitated, ¡°The thing you drew¡­ is it a Formation Pivot?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What kind of Formation Pivot?¡±


    Bai Zisheng asked curiously, and Bai Zixi also looked at Mo Hua with curiosity.


    After thinking for a bit, Mo Hua played coy, ¡°You¡¯ll find out later.¡±


    Bai Zisheng muttered discontentedly, ¡°Stingy¡­¡±


    Then he remembered something, his expression worried, and he asked softly, ¡°Are you going to relocate the city?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s possible,¡± Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°If a Big Demon appears, isn¡¯t relocating the only solution¡­¡±


    Without thinking, Mo Hua asked, ¡°What if it¡¯s not the usual case? Is there another way?¡±


    He wanted to know what else Bai Zisheng knew, whether there were other methods to deal with a Big Demon.


    ¡°How would I know¡­¡± Bai Zisheng just shook his head, ¡°I asked Aunt Xue, and that¡¯s what she told me.¡±


    Bai Zixi also said in her clear voice:


    ¡°The Bai Family has cultivators serving in the Heaven Shu Pavilion, who have seen such records. Usually, with disasters like a Big Demon, being able to relocate is already the best option.¡±


    There are others who were eaten by the Big Demon, or turned into corpse slaves, or became ghosts and spirits¡­ All of these are human tragedies.


    Thinking about this, all three of them grew serious.


    Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi and asked:


    ¡°If the city is relocated, will you have to leave too?¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, ¡°Once the city is relocated, Mr. Zhuang will definitely go. From the looks of it, he doesn¡¯t seem willing to take me and Zixi as disciples.¡±


    ¡°But we must become his disciples!¡± Bai Zisheng declared with determination.


    ¡°Why?¡± Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Bai Zisheng hesitated, then glanced at Bai Zixi. Seeing she didn¡¯t speak up to stop him and had no displeased expression, he solemnly looked at Mo Hua again.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became serious, and he leaned in to listen.


    Bai Zisheng lowered his voice, whispering, ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, then looked at Bai Zisheng with disdain.


    Bai Zisheng quickly said, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished yet.¡±


    He lowered his voice again, ¡°Normally, this isn¡¯t something to be told to outsiders, but since we¡¯re from the same sect¡­ sort of, I won¡¯t hide it from you¡­¡±


    ¡°My mother instructed me and Zixi to find Mr. Zhuang and to take him as our master, to learn a special Formation.¡±


    ¡°This Formation can only be taught to direct disciples, not nominal ones.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    So that was it¡­


    No wonder Zisheng and Zixi were so insistent on taking Mr. Zhuang as their master.


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t them who were insistent, but their mother, or even, their family behind them, the Bai Family¡­


    Then this Formation must be of great significance¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask what Formation it is?¡±


    Bai Zisheng saw that Mo Hua just ¡°oh¡±-ed, seeming a bit dissatisfied, feeling his reaction was too calm, especially since he shared such a ¡°confidential¡± matter with him.


    Shouldn¡¯t you be a little shocked?


    Just an ¡°oh,¡± what does that even mean?


    Mo Hua glanced at him and said indifferently, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t know?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was taken aback, ¡°How do you know I don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°You just said yourself, ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯¡­ That should mean you don¡¯t know. What Formation you¡¯re supposed to learn from Mr. Zhuang¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, even if you knew, you couldn¡¯t tell me, could you?¡± Mo Hua added.


    Bai Zisheng, resting his chin in his hand, shook his head at Mo Hua and said:


    ¡°Mo Hua, this is no fun, we can¡¯t even have a conversation.¡±


    If you finish saying everything, how can I play coy?


    Bai Zisheng felt somewhat unsatisfied.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± After a moment, Mo Hua thought of something else and asked:


    ¡°So, if Mr. Zhuang leaves and doesn¡¯t take you as disciples, what do you plan to do?¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at each other and both sighed softly.


    Bai Zisheng said with a bit of bitterness:


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe we will just keep looking for Mr. Zhuang, until he is willing to accept us¡­¡±


    That¡¯s going to be tough, Mr. Zhuang is elusive like a dragon¡ªseen in head but not the tail¡ªand who knows where he might go.


    They would have to travel over mountains and through rivers, braving the wind and the dew. Forget becoming his disciples, even finding Mr. Zhuang would be fraught with difficulties.


    Mo Hua felt sympathy for them and harbored some dissatisfaction toward their mother and the Bai Family behind them.


    Such a large clan, yet they didn¡¯t handle their own affairs, instead relying on Zisheng and Zixi to find a master.


    To leverage these two children to soften Mr. Zhuang¡¯s heart.


    It seems An Xiaofu was right; the bigger the family, the thinner the kinship.


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment, then suddenly asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°Mo Hua, do you think Mr. Zhuang would take you as his disciple?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, pondered for a moment, and shook his head, ¡°You two have a history with the master, good family backgrounds, good talents. He¡¯s not willing to take you, so why would he take me?¡±


    Bai Zisheng murmured, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang treated Mo Hua much better than them¡­


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Root was really poor, he would¡¯ve suspected that Mo Hua was a blood-related descendant of Mr. Zhuang¡­


    But the descendant of Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t possibly have such poor Spiritual Roots!


    Therefore, Mo Hua definitely had no blood relation to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua stared at Bai Zisheng, like a displeased cat narrowing its eyes,


    ¡°Are you bad-mouthing me in your head?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was startled, ¡°You can know that too?¡±


    Mo Hua snorted, ¡°I learned it from Mr. Zhuang.¡±


    Every time he spoke ill of someone in his heart, Mr. Zhuang could tell what he was thinking, and over time, he learned to know when others were speaking ill of him too.


    Bai Zisheng said helplessly, ¡°What you¡¯ve learned¡­ what are all these things¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as it works!¡±


    ¡­


    The two of them bickered a bit more.


    Mo Hua happened to be restoring his Divine Sense, so chatting with Bai Zisheng was just the right rest he needed.


    As they talked, Bai Zisheng suddenly bowed his head, his expression somewhat forlorn.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Bai Zisheng glanced at the great pagoda tree, then at Tongxian City in the distance, and sighed,


    ¡°If the city is relocated, will all these be gone too¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mountain residence would be gone, the great pagoda tree gone, the bamboo groves, the pond, and the fish in the pond¡­ all gone.


    The Cultivators of Tongxian City would be gone, the eateries, the bustling streets, the bright fireworks, and the dramas of demon fighting¡­ all gone.


    And after they had parted, he might never again taste the wine and meat delivered by Mo Hua, or savor the pastries personally made by Aunt Xue¡­


    If they were to seek to become disciples of Mr. Zhuang, it would be a long and arduous journey. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If they returned to the Bai Family, it would be back to a dazzling but dull prison of still water.


    The days spent in Tongxian City were the happiest days of his life so far.


    If Tongxian City still stood, he could think about coming back for a visit.


    But if it were gone, he would lose even a place for his thoughts to linger on¡­


    The more Bai Zisheng thought, the more downcast he became.


    In Bai Zixi¡¯s bright, beautiful eyes, there was also deep desolation.


    For a moment, Mo Hua was at a loss for words.


    After thinking for a bit, he suddenly said with conviction, ¡°That won¡¯t happen!¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were both taken aback, ¡°What won¡¯t happen?¡±


    ¡°Tongxian City won¡¯t be gone!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mo Hua stood up abruptly, ¡°You¡¯ll understand after a while!¡±


    Having said that, he packed his things and dropped a line, ¡°I¡¯m going to find Mr. Zhuang,¡± then ran off again like the wind.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, brother and sister, looked at each other in confusion, unsure what Mo Hua was planning to do.


    Mo Hua went to Mr. Zhuang again, to consult about several problems on the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation, and then returned home to continue studying the Large Formation day and night.


    The city¡¯s relocation was still in the preparation phase.


    Before the actual moving of the city began, he must master the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation!


    As long as he mastered the Formation Pivot, it was like holding the core of the Large Formation.


    Subsequent issues such as compatibility with Single Formations and constructing Formation media could be addressed gradually while building, while also continuing to learn.


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua locked himself in his house, practicing Formation drawing over and over.


    His Divine Sense also unknowingly grew stronger bit by bit.


    The pattern of the Formation Pivot also became clearer and clearer in his mind.


    The Formation Pivots he drew became more and more complete with each stroke.


    But it still wasn¡¯t enough¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was still insufficient.


    Every time he came close to depletion, then he would backtrack and go on until he was exhausted again, repeating the cycle over and over.


    Yet he was still far from being able to draw the Formation Pivot completely.


    Mo Hua kept trying and failing repeatedly.


    He seemed like someone trying to cross a river, always able to see the other bank but drowning just short of it every time.


    ¡°Can the Divine Sense consumed by a ten-pattern Large Formation really be this substantial?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel despondent.


    But Mo Hua still didn¡¯t lose heart.


    He became like a puppet wound up, tirelessly, unceasingly, mechanically repeating the same actions.


    Drawing Formation Pivots, wiping them away, then drawing again, wiping away again¡­


    Monotonous, repetitive, and tedious.


    Yet Mo Hua still focused entirely, forgetting time, forgetting everything, utterly absorbed in Formation drawing.


    As the saying goes, hard work pays off. Finally, after a month, Mo Hua had an epiphany, and for the first time, he managed to draw out the complete Formation Pivot of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation on the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness!


    At that moment, Mo Hua was stunned.


    There was no joy in his heart, only numbness, and a trace of self-doubt.


    ¡°Did I really manage to draw it?¡±


    This couldn¡¯t be a dream, could it?


    Mo Hua looked over the Formation Pivot again.


    It was seamless, orderly, and the finely drawn patterns, layer upon layer, interwoven and filled, formed the grand mainframe of the Formation Pivot.


    Profound, abstruse, complex, yet there was an indescribable beauty in its complexity.


    Mo Hua emerged from his numb, mechanical ¡°puppet¡± state, and joy slowly seeped into his heart like rain.


    ¡°I finally managed to draw it!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart swelled with joy, his eyes bright.


    Being able to draw the complete Formation Pivot of the Large Formation on his own meant he had the ability to draw the Large Formation. He could officially start constructing the powerful Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation!


    To build the Large Formation, slay Feng Xi, and save Tongxian City!

 Chapter 350 - 349: 11 Patterns_1

    Chapter 350: Chapter 349: 11 Patterns_1


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment before regaining his calm.


    Although he had drawn the complete Large Formation Pivot, he still wasn¡¯t entirely reassured.


    Was this time just a coincidence?


    He erased the Formation Pivot and drew it once more, unable to help sighing.


    Indeed, it was just a moment of brilliance, a flash of inspiration, that had allowed him to draw the Formation Pivot. When he tried to draw it again, his focus was insufficient, his Divine Sense was somewhat lacking, and he failed to succeed.


    However, his Divine Sense was only lacking by a slight margin; he just needed to be more meticulous and gain a deeper understanding.


    If there is a first time for something, there will inevitably be a second.


    If he had succeeded once, he certainly could draw it a second time.


    Mo Hua continued to draw with focused attention.


    Time slowly passed by, and by the fourth attempt, he had finally drawn the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation Pivot completely and without a single error.


    Mo Hua let out a long sigh of relief.


    He withdrew his Divine Sense from the Sea of Consciousness.


    It was still not yet dawn, and the night was deep.


    Relieved, Mo Hua was overwhelmed by the exhaustion of relentless concentration and effort over the past month. He lay sprawled out on the bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.


    He slept straight through to noon, only waking up when he smelled the aroma of food.


    The room was already filled with dishes.


    Liu Ruhua saw that he had grown thinner over these days, his face no longer plump, and felt pity, so she prepared a table full of delicious food for him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mood instantly lifted.


    He heartily enjoyed the meal and then continued to draw the Large Formation Pivot.


    This time was different from drawing within the Sea of Consciousness; now, he needed to replicate the Formation Pivot on paper.


    The Formation Pivot in the Sea of Consciousness was essentially a formation condensed by his Divine Sense;


    In reality, however, the Formation Pivot was formed from tangible formations, with Formation Paper serving as the medium, and Spiritual Ink outlining the Formation Patterns.


    Condensing a formation in the Sea of Consciousness was easier;


    Drawing a formation on paper in reality was relatively more difficult;


    And when truly constructing the Large Formation, drawing on special media would consume more Divine Sense and would be even more challenging.


    Therefore, no matter what, Mo Hua needed to draw it on paper first.


    He had to present the Formation Pivot from his Sea of Consciousness onto real Formation Paper so that he could truly construct the Large Formation between heaven and earth.


    The Large Formation Pivot was sizable, necessitating larger pieces of paper as the media.


    In the courtyard, Mo Hua spread out sheets of paper larger than himself and began to draw the Formation Pivot stroke by stroke.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua watched Mo Hua draw, helping him lay out the paper, pass the brush, mix the ink, wipe his sweat, and serve tea.


    They didn¡¯t know exactly what Mo Hua was drawing.


    But seeing Mo Hua, who looked no older than a child in his early teens, drawing such a complex, seemingly profound, and large-scale formation with such earnestness and precise brushwork,


    both Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua felt shocked and simultaneously proud.


    Mo Hua drew all afternoon, spoiled two sheets of paper, and finally completed a Large Formation Pivot before dusk fell.


    Mo Hua asked his parents to carefully store the Formation Paper in the Storage Bag and then ran off excitedly to find Mr. Zhuang.


    Dusk had settled, and the mountains were deeply hued.


    Mr. Zhuang was sitting in the house, watching the Blood Qi of the Big Demon in the distant mountains, his fingers twirling in the air, seemingly calculating something.


    Seeing Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang looked somewhat surprised.


    It was evening, and Mo Hua rarely disturbed him at this hour.


    Mr. Zhuang was just about to say something when his expression suddenly became fixed, and a hint of astonishment flashed in his eyes, ¡°You¡­ have learned it?¡±


    Having run all the way there, Mo Hua nodded breathlessly.


    He took out the Formation Paper with the drawn Formation Pivot from his Storage Bag and carefully spread it out on the ground.


    A complete first-grade Large Formation Pivot unfolded slowly before Mr. Zhuang¡­


    Mr. Zhuang took a deep breath, restraining his emotions at the bottom of his heart.


    He stood up slowly, his gaze serious, and meticulously inspected the Formation Pivot, after which he felt a tremor in his heart.


    It was something he had anticipated.


    Yet, when the expected event actually occurred, he still felt extraordinarily shocked.


    Although he was the teacher and he had instructed Mo Hua to draw it,


    could this truly be the work of a youth in his early teens?


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind.


    The Cultivation World of the Nine State was boundless.


    He was just residing temporarily in a remote Little Immortal City, a corner of the Cultivation World.


    By a stroke of chance, he had taken in this nominally-disciplined disciple with an average Spiritual Root but good Formation aptitude, and who was clever and nimble, pleasing to the eye.


    Yet this nominally-disciplined disciple had turned out to be somewhat unexpected.


    With a remarkable Divine Sense and a fast learner in formations, practicing Heaven Yan Jue to break through Mystery Formations, using Contemplation Maps to establish a foundation in Divine Sense, and even learning Formation Calculation¡­


    Now, while only in the Qi Refinement realm and with only a rank one proficiency in formations, he had learned and drawn the Large Formation¡¯s pivot within a month.


    This aptitude for understanding formations, and the speed of learning them, was starting to seem¡­inconceivable¡­


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mind gradually clouded with doubts:


    In the Cultivation World, he did not question the existence of young Cultivators with exceptional formation talents.


    But why did he just happen to encounter this disciple?


    Why did he, who had decided never to take on a disciple, suddenly take a whim to accept this nominally-disciplined one?


    Are all these¡­ just coincidences?


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s face was as still as water, silent.


    Seeing Mr. Zhuang with a heavy heart, Mo Hua asked worriedly,


    ¡°Gentleman, have I drawn it incorrectly?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang snapped back to reality and couldn¡¯t help but take another look at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were clear and bright, like the untainted waters of a heavenly pool.


    Looking into Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, Mr. Zhuang was slightly startled, and the doubts in his heart gradually faded away.


    He spent his life recognizing people poorly and taking on unsuitable disciples.


    This recorded-name disciple might be a gift from the heavens, allowing him to have an obedient and clever little disciple in his life.


    As for whether it was a coincidence or some scheme, or whether it contained any heavenly secrets, why should he care?


    Since he had embarked on Tao Cultivation, he should naturally follow his heart¡¯s desires. What was there to fear or hesitate about at his age?


    Mr. Zhuang suddenly felt enlightened and took another look at the Formation Pivot that Mo Hua had drawn, expressing his satisfaction:


    ¡°Yes, very good indeed!¡±


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and couldn¡¯t help smiling, his eyes narrowing into crescents.


    For some reason, Mr. Zhuang also felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, revealing a faint smile.


    Suddenly, Mr. Zhuang was taken aback again.


    He had realized!


    Mo Hua was his recorded-name disciple.


    He had now drawn the pivot of a first-grade Large Formation, and with a bit more effort, he might actually be able to construct a first-grade Large Formation! S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A Qi Refinement Realm small-format Junior Formation Master capable of constructing a first-grade Large Formation.


    And this Junior Formation Master was his own recorded-name disciple¡­


    Mr. Zhuang straightened his back and felt his spirits soar.


    He had never managed to teach a good disciple when he was someone else¡¯s master.


    Now, merely acting as a mentor and taking on a recorded-name disciple, he could achieve such ¡°remarkable feats.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was calm, but inside he was filled with pride.


    Then, he felt a pang of regret.


    He had fallen on hard times.


    Those old acquaintances, those past friends, those brilliant rivals, and those with whom he shared deep discussions throughout the night, all had no more connections with him, and he feared he would never see them again in this lifetime.


    If he were to brag about this matter, he would be invincible and suppress all around him; no one would be able to hold their heads up in his presence.


    The more Mr. Zhuang thought about it, the more regretful he became, and he could not help but lament, ¡°What a pity¡­¡±


    ¡°A pity about what?¡± Mo Hua curiously asked.


    ¡°A pity¡­ it¡¯s nothing,¡± Mr. Zhuang said evasively.


    Boasting wasn¡¯t something he could tell Mo Hua about; it could set a bad example for him, negatively impact his influence, and tarnish his image as a transcendent figure in his disciple¡¯s mind.


    Mo Hua, unaware of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts, said somewhat nervously:


    ¡°Gentleman, can I start constructing the Large Formation now?¡±


    The foundation of constructing a Large Formation was knowing how to draw one. The key to drawing a Large Formation was mastering the Formation Pivot.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t familiar with Large Formations; although he had drawn the Formation Pivot, he still lacked confidence, which is why he sought confirmation from Mr. Zhuang.


    Hearing this, Mr. Zhuang became solemn. He thought through the intricacies of the Large Formation again and examined the Formation Pivot drawn by Mo Hua closely, pondering for a long while before nodding slightly in approval:


    ¡°You can!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes instantly lit up.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a tender gaze and said with some emotion, ¡°You can start considering how to construct the Large Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Gentleman!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, you¡¯ve learned well on your own¡­


    After a moment of thought, Mr. Zhuang went on to caution:


    ¡°However, don¡¯t be too happy too soon. Constructing a Large Formation might be even more challenging than drawing one.¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve told you before, building a Large Formation requires immense human and material resources, and a vast amount of Spirit Stones to keep the Formation running. These are tangible resources for Tao Cultivation, not so easy to gather¡­¡±


    ¡°Taking someone¡¯s resources is akin to endangering their life; it¡¯s not as if they will willingly hand over their assets to you just because you say a few kind words.¡±


    ¡°You need to think it through and be mentally prepared.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Gentleman, I have given it thought!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s good that you have a plan.¡±


    Afterward, Mr. Zhuang gave several more pieces of advice regarding the subsequent gathering of material resources, manpower coordination, external extension of the Formation Pivot, and issues with compatibility and parallel connection of Single Formations.


    Mo Hua remembered each piece of advice and then respectfully took his leave.


    Watching his disciple¡¯s determined retreating figure, Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and shake his head.


    It wasn¡¯t until the dead of night, in the silence of his bamboo chamber, that Old Kui¡¯s withered, wooden-like visage suddenly appeared.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s smile faded, and he couldn¡¯t help but grumble:


    ¡°Can¡¯t you appear more naturally? You don¡¯t have to make it so gloomy¡­¡±


    Old Kui ignored him and glanced toward the crimson Monster Qi in the deep mountains, saying indifferently:


    ¡°The Blood Qi has grown stronger, and now there¡¯s also the Qi of death.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang fell silent for a moment, then sighed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    With the presence of death Qi, things were problematic¡­


    ¡°A first-grade Large Formation with ten patterns ¨C can it really trap and kill this Big Demon?¡± Old Kui asked doubtfully.


    ¡°It can¡¯t,¡± Mr. Zhuang said flatly.


    Old Kui was taken aback, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Mr. Zhuang, thinking he had misheard:


    ¡°It can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t,¡± Mr. Zhuang repeated.


    Old Kui frowned, ¡°Then why still¡­¡±


    ¡°Ten patterns won¡¯t do.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused in the night, his calm gaze slowly revealing a sharp edge, as he quietly continued:


    ¡°That¡¯s why, what I gave him¡­ is not a ten-patterned Slaughter Demon Great Formation.¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s heart trembled, and his face expressed disbelief.

 Chapter 351 - 350: Changing Fate_1

    Chapter 351: Chapter 350: Changing Fate_1


    ¡°`


    ¡°Did you deceive him?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie,¡± Mr. Zhuang declared with confidence, ¡°I only said the Large Formation starts from a first-grade with ten Patterns, but I didn¡¯t say that the Large Formation given to him was a ten-Pattern one.¡±


    ¡°A Large Formation with eleven Patterns still counts as starting from ten Patterns!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang argued with reason.


    Old Kui¡¯s facial skin twitched, feeling that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s actions were outrageous, and he became even more incredulous:


    ¡°So, what he drew was actually not a first-grade ten-Pattern Large Formation Pivot, but¡­ a first-grade eleven-Pattern?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°That¡¯s why I was shocked.¡±


    ¡°The Jade Slip for the Large Formation was given by you, what are you shocked about?¡±


    ¡°Because I gave it to him, that¡¯s why I¡¯m shocked,¡± Mr. Zhuang said with a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s very difficult to draw, generally even a Second Grade Formation Master wouldn¡¯t be able to learn it.¡±


    Yet Mo Hua managed to draw it within a month¡­


    And given the looks of it, his technique is exceptionally skillful; who knows how many times he¡¯s practiced¡­


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so at the beginning?¡± asked Old Kui.


    ¡°What difference would it make if I had?¡± Mr. Zhuang replied indifferently.


    Mr. Zhuang turned his head, looking into the night where the deep mountains were stained with blood-red, and spoke thoughtfully:


    ¡°This Big Demon is not an ordinary one, a first-grade Large Formation with ten Patterns would not be able to trap and kill it, so we could only use one with eleven Patterns to kill it.¡±


    ¡°Ten or eleven Patterns, Mo Hua was determined to learn either way, so the specifics of the Large Formation were actually not that important.¡±


    ¡°If he could learn it and construct a Large Formation with eleven Patterns, he can attempt to trap and kill the Big Demon. If he can¡¯t learn it, he¡¯ll naturally give up without futilely wasting labor and resources in such a useless struggle.¡±


    Old Kui frowned, ¡°Can a Large Formation with eleven Patterns really kill it?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang said with a half-smile, ¡°In this world, is there anything that is certain? Even when a Formation collapses, there is still a slim chance for a Life-gate, so there¡¯s never a situation of certain death.¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation with eleven Patterns, in terms of lethality alone, is enough to trap and kill a Big Demon. But a Big Demon is a Taoist Demon, an anomaly of the Heavenly Dao, and no one knows what will happen until the very end¡­¡±


    ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t kill the demon?¡± Old Kui asked further.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mr. Zhuang assured, ¡°as long as the Great Formation is successfully constructed, even if the Big Demon is not ultimately killed, it will deplete most of its Blood Qi and leave the Big Demon severely wounded.¡±


    ¡°No one dares to provoke a full-strength Big Demon, but plenty are interested in a badly wounded one.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court, the Great Clans, and Sects would all try to take action, after all, this is a living¡­ Taoist Demon.¡±


    ¡°If all else fails,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, looking at Old Kui with a half-smile, ¡°you could also take action; it¡¯s just dying once after all.¡±


    ¡°A body in exchange for a Taoist Demon is still worth it.¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze lowered, he stood with his hands folded in his sleeves, and a hint of sharpness flitted through his downcast eyes.


    Mr. Zhuang muttered softly, ¡°Such an age, yet still not frank, what¡¯s the point of acting so profound¡­¡±


    Old Kui paused, sighed, and then asked him:


    ¡°You really don¡¯t want to take a Direct Disciple?¡±


    Now it was Mr. Zhuang who was caught off-guard, he hesitated for a long time before he finally sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve already said, in this lifetime, I will not take any disciples again.¡±


    Old Kui spoke indifferently, ¡°The number of times you¡¯ve gone back on your word, I can¡¯t even count. Why pretend your word is as good as gold¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused, then sighed,


    ¡°Talking to you really isn¡¯t fun, too easy to be exposed.¡±


    Old Kui ignored him.


    Mr. Zhuang thought of Mo Hua, his heart wavering for a moment.


    If it had been before, he would have taken this disciple, but now, things were different¡­


    After a moment of silence, Mr. Zhuang murmured to himself:


    ¡°It¡¯s enough to make him a registered disciple. Taking him as a Direct Disciple would harm him and me as well¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang stood shrouded by the vast night, enveloped in darkness, with the desolate moonlight spilling onto the ground but failing to touch his face.


    ¡°After all, the number of people who want me dead is countless¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After returning home, Mo Hua began to seriously consider constructing the Great Formation.


    He first sought out Elder Yu and immediately said:


    ¡°Elder, I want to slaughter that pig!¡±


    Elder Yu was taken aback, ¡°Which pig?¡±


    Mo Hua stretched out his small hand and pointed towards the deep mountains, indicating the sky-reaching and heart-throbbing aura of Blood Qi.


    Elder Yu gave a start, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    That was Feng Xi, the legendary Big Demon said to be capable of devouring an entire Immortal City. Such a creature was not something they could kill.


    Even if it could be killed, it wouldn¡¯t be their turn to do so as Loose Cultivators.


    They simply lacked the background and strength for it.


    ¡°It can be killed!¡± Mo Hua insisted.


    Elder Yu wanted to say something, but looking at Mo Hua, he suddenly fell silent.


    He knew that Mo Hua did not want to leave Tongxian City, nor did he want them to be uprooted from their homes.


    They too did not want to leave, but they had no choice.


    With the impending disaster, they, the Loose Cultivators, had no alternatives but to go with the flow¡ªthey could only depart from their homeland and seek other paths.


    Just as Elder Yu was about to speak again, he suddenly felt reluctant.


    Once the city was moved, he didn¡¯t know if he would see Mo Hua again.


    Although Elder Yu valued him because Mo Hua was a Formation Master, he also genuinely liked the boy.


    Elder Yu felt a hint of bitterness in his heart and patted Mo Hua on the shoulder, speaking earnestly:


    ¡°Take these Spirit Stones and find a good path near the state boundary. Establish your foundation securely. With your talents, you¡¯ll inevitably become a respected Great Formation Master in the future.¡±


    ¡°As for the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City, I¡¯ll look after them. You can rest assured.¡±


    ¡°Moving south will indeed be hard, but as long as we are self-reliant, hardship is bearable. After all, what Loose Cultivators fear the least is hardship.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 352 - 350: Changing Fate_2

    Chapter 352: Chapter 350: Changing Fate_2


    Elder Yu tried to console Mo Hua.


    But Mo Hua shook his head, speaking earnestly, ¡°Elder, I really do have a way to slay the Big Demon!¡±


    Elder Yu was startled and couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows, scrutinizing Mo Hua¡¯s expression carefully.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was calm, his composed demeanor paired with confidence. He did not seem to be joking, nor did it appear to be wishful thinking.


    Elder Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°You¡­ really have a way?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, responding directly, ¡°We can build a Large Formation to slay Feng Xi!¡±


    Elder Yu looked bewildered, ¡°A Large Formation¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the first time he had heard of Large Formations, but it was the first time in his life he had heard the words ¡°build a Large Formation.¡±


    In the past, he too had heard about Large Formations, that some state boundary, some Sect or Clan with deep foundations, even had powerful Protective Sect Arrays that remained unshaken for a thousand years¡­


    But such talk was just that ¨C talk. He didn¡¯t pay it much mind.


    They, as Loose Cultivators, couldn¡¯t even afford common formations, let alone Large Formations.


    Even those who spoke to him about it had only known of Large Formations, not likely having ever witnessed one themselves.


    Unless it was a moment of dire life or death, a Sect would not open its Protective Sect Array.


    Many Loose Cultivators and even many Cultivators from Clans or Sects might never see a Large Formation activated in their lifetime.


    Let alone personally ¡°building a Large Formation.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Such a thing was practically a flight of fancy.


    Elder Yu was dumbfounded for a long moment before he finally collected his thoughts and asked tentatively, ¡°What Large Formation?¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation!¡± Mo Hua declared authoritatively.


    Elder Yu was stunned. Just hearing the name of the formation felt like an overwhelming force of violent killing intent.


    And it indeed sounded as if it could crush a Big Demon¡­


    Still, his heart wasn¡¯t at ease, ¡°Can it really kill?¡±


    Mo Hua replied seriously, ¡°There¡¯s a high probability of success, barring any unforeseen circumstances.¡±


    Since Mr. Zhuang had handed him the formation, in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s estimation, the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation should be capable of subduing Feng Xi. Even if it couldn¡¯t slay, it should at least be able to contend with the Big Demon.


    Otherwise, Mr. Zhuang wouldn¡¯t have taught it to him.


    Having spent a lot of time with Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua had heard the gentleman¡¯s teachings that nothing in this world is ever absolutely certain, which is why he was somewhat cautious in his wording.


    Despite this, it was still enough to shock Elder Yu.


    A high probability of success.


    This was the Big Demon after all, a disaster that, according to the historical records of Tongxian City, was simply unstoppable, yet Mo Hua was saying there was ¡°a high probability of success¡±¡­


    Elder Yu was torn.


    He paced the room with his hands clasped behind his back, striding in circles while pondering, but still couldn¡¯t make up his mind.


    After several laps, Elder Yu stopped abruptly and inquired:


    ¡°This Large Formation¡­ who will draw it?¡±


    Mo Hua patted his own chest, ¡°Me!¡±


    Elder Yu thought as much, but still found it hard to believe as he said:


    ¡°You¡­ know how to draw a Large Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t conceal anything from Elder Yu, ¡°I¡¯ve mastered the key elements. I can learn the rest slowly, but preparations for building the Large Formation must start early, or we won¡¯t have enough time.¡±


    ¡°What is needed to build the Large Formation?¡±


    Elder Yu asked, only knowing that constructing a Large Formation was difficult without understanding the specifics.


    Mo Hua listed everything so Elder Yu could get a good grasp:


    ¡°Constructing a Large Formation requires a tremendous amount of manpower and resources.¡±


    ¡°The manpower includes Artifact Refiners and Craftsmen to construct the Formation media, a main Formation Master to draw the Formation Pivot, as well as other Formation Masters to assist in filling Single Formations. The more Body Cultivation practitioners there are to lend their strength, the better¡­¡±


    ¡°As for resources, Spirit Stones are the first necessity, followed by various Tao Cultivation materials like Fine Refining Iron, construction earth and stone, Spiritual Ink, and so on¡­¡±


    The more Elder Yu heard, the more shocked he became.


    With the immense expenses and complex processes needed to construct a Large Formation, no wonder he had lived so long without ever seeing a Large Formation, much less witnessing someone daring to build one.


    Elder Yu wasn¡¯t concerned about the formation aspect; he had a blind trust in Mo Hua.


    In the realm of Formations, what Mo Hua says, goes.


    Although he believed that drawing a Large Formation would certainly be difficult, since Mo Hua said he could do it, then he definitely could draw it, and Elder Yu didn¡¯t doubt this at all.


    The problem now was whether they were willing to invest so much manpower and resources to construct the Large Formation.


    Elder Yu frowned, recalling a problem:


    ¡°Even if the Monster Hunters exert all their effort and use up all the Spirit Stones, it still won¡¯t be enough to build the Large Formation, right¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°That¡¯s why we need to think of other ways, but I can only go talk to others after you¡¯ve agreed first.¡±


    The authority of the Taoist Court is great, and the attacking power of the Taoist soldiers is strong, but the Monster Hunters are the most numerous, most familiar with Mo Hua, and intimately related to this matter, even their lives are at stake.


    Therefore, only with Elder Yu¡¯s initial agreement could there be a foundation for the construction of the Large Formation.


    Elder Yu became even more conflicted. He started pacing in the hall, all the while pulling at his beard, his mind filled with indecision.


    This was a gamble.


    If they won, they could live and work in peace and contentment in Tongxian City.


    With various industries like the Refinery Shop and the Alchemist¡¯s Business still present, their days would only get better.


    If they lost, they would be left with nothing.


    At that time they could still relocate their city, only with limited supplies, the days would be even harder.


    If they didn¡¯t gamble, they were destined to leave their homeland.


    They would move to an unknown and desolate place, living a hard and possibly oppressive life.


    The only advantage was that they would still have some Spirit Stones in their hands.


    But even with these Spirit Stones, they couldn¡¯t last long if they were only consuming without replenishing.


    Moreover, traveling through mountains and waters, no one knew how many dangers they faced; whether these Spirit Stones could remain in their hands was still uncertain.


    Elder Yu turned to look at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was firm and bright, but he had become much thinner; during this time, he must have exhausted his mind and put in a lot of thought.


    And to think about the Large Formation he mentioned, he must have been tirelessly drawing the Large Formation while neglecting sleep and food.


    Why was he doing all this?


    He could have left, as he didn¡¯t have to suffer like these Loose Cultivators, he could steadily establish his foundation, find a promising power to rely on, and see no limit to his Tao Cultivation future.


    But this child was still putting in all his effort for them.


    Elder Yu¡¯s heart trembled, and he made a resolute decision.


    He wanted to take this gamble!


    To the Loose Cultivator, suffering a little or suffering a great deal actually made no difference.


    If one does not aspire to advance, the situation of suffering a little will sooner or later become suffering a great deal.


    But if he won the bet, then they would truly have changed the fate of Loose Cultivators.


    At least, they would have changed the fate of the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City.


    Elder Yu nodded solemnly, ¡°Alright, we will construct the Large Formation!¡±


    Mo Hua looked pleased, yet somewhat concerned,


    ¡°Do you not want to think it over a bit more?¡±


    ¡°He who hesitates is lost,¡± Elder Yu said, ¡°When it¡¯s time to be decisive in action, one must be resolute!¡±


    ¡°Besides, you would not have come to me without having considered everything in advance. You understand the Large Formation better than I do, so why should I bother myself further?¡±


    Mo Hua was relieved and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go find others.¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Just bring the people here, and we¡¯ll all discuss it together.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    With Elder Yu¡¯s help in persuasion, things should go more smoothly.


    Mo Hua stood up to take his leave and then proceeded to the Taoist Court.


    Elder Yu watched Mo Hua¡¯s departing figure, lost in thought, and he sighed in the end.


    Constructing the Large Formation to fight against the Big Demon was a gamble.


    He dared to gamble, but the Loose Cultivators who had something to look forward to might not be willing to gamble, if only they had the chance.


    Over the past thousands of years, there hadn¡¯t been a Junior Formation Master like Mo Hua, capable of drawing a Large Formation, willing to draw it for them, and willing to join them, the Loose Cultivators, in a struggle to change their fate¡­

 Chapter 353 - 351 Decision_1

    Chapter 353: Chapter 351 Decision_1


    Mo Hua then separately visited the Taoist Court and the Taoist soldiers Court, inviting Court Leader Zhou, Leader Yang, and Zhang Lan to Elder Yu¡¯s home, where he shared his plan:


    ¡°Build the Large Formation, kill Feng Xi.¡±


    As soon as the words ¡°Large Formation¡± were uttered, Zhang Lan and the other two fell silent.


    They had never imagined that the matter Mo Hua brought to them would be this.


    Elder Yu knew, but might not be fully clear on what a Large Formation was, yet they were well aware.


    Large Formations were something that every Sect, as well as Clans that had established households, in the Cultivation World dreamt about.


    With a Large Formation, the fundamental security of a Clan or Sect was assured.


    Under the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao Laws, activating a Large Formation meant virtually standing on invincible ground, absolutely unafraid of assaults from other forces or provocations from enemies.


    There are thousands upon thousands of Sects and powers in the Cultivation World, but actually not many have the heritage to construct a Protective Sect Array or Protective Clan Array.


    Exterminating a Big Demon is extremely difficult, but building a Large Formation wouldn¡¯t be easy either.


    For a moment, no one knew what to say.


    Finally, Zhang Lan tentatively asked, ¡°Can you draw a Large Formation?¡±


    ¡°I can!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    They fell silent again, unsure if Mo Hua was joking.


    It was as absurd as a Cultivator on the first level of Qi Refinement telling you that he had achieved Foundation Establishment the next day.


    But when it came to Mo Hua, it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible; after all, they had all witnessed Mo Hua¡¯s talent for formations.


    Moreover, it was not likely for Mo Hua to joke about such matters.


    Seeing their hesitation, Elder Yu expressed his position: ¡°Our Monster Hunters have already agreed¡­¡±


    Since he was the only Foundation Establishment Elder among the Monster Hunters, his agreement meant that all the Monster Hunters agreed.


    ¡°¡­However, this matter is of great significance, and we still need to discuss it with you all,¡± added Elder Yu as he sought their opinions.


    Zhang Lan and the others exchanged glances, thinking how much trust Elder Yu had in Mo Hua just to agree to such an issue without further ado.


    They trusted Mo Hua as well, but from the perspectives of the Taoist Court and the Taoist soldiers Court, they had many considerations.


    After a moment of hesitation, Leader Yang still asked Mo Hua, ¡°Can you genuinely draw it?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe it; the matter just seemed somewhat far-fetched.


    ¡°I can.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then ran into the hall, picked an empty space, and laid out the Formation Pivot of the Great Formation he had drawn on the ground.


    When Zhang Lan and the others saw it, their eyes were filled with astonishment.


    What kind of formation was this?


    They had never seen such an extremely complex, vast, and unfamiliar structure.


    ¡°This is the Pivot of the Large Formation; I tried drawing it,¡± Mo Hua explained.


    On hearing this, the three of them felt another shock.


    This was just the Pivot?


    What scale would the Formation that spread out from it be, could it really be a Large Formation?


    The three couldn¡¯t help but believe a little more.


    But such a matter was no trivial issue, they dared not make a hasty decision.


    Court Leader Zhou then said, ¡°We need to consider this matter further before we can decide.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    This was within his expectations, for the initiation of a Large Formation was difficult, and naturally, the decision-making process had to be cautious.


    ¡°But you¡¯d better decide quickly, that pig won¡¯t wait for anyone,¡± Mo Hua reminded them.


    Constructing a Large Formation would take time, and once Feng Xi assimilated Blood Qi and descended the mountain to feed, there would be no opportunity to build it anymore.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will have a decision in a few days,¡± Court Leader Zhou nodded.


    After everyone had left, Court Leader Zhou led Leader Yang and Zhang Lan to the Taoist Court and found a quiet room, where he asked in a deep voice:


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Zhang Lan had thought it over all the way, and with a solemn expression, he said carefully:


    ¡°We can give it a try!¡±


    Leader Yang looked surprised, ¡°You agree just like that? Isn¡¯t that a bit hasty?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hasty,¡± Zhang Lan shook his head, ¡°All the key points of this matter are crystal clear, and the stakes are understood. If we spend time considering, we¡¯re not really considering; we are just hesitating.¡±


    ¡°Ultimately, it¡¯s just that we don¡¯t dare to make the decision.¡±


    Court Leader Zhou and Leader Yang fell silent.


    From the perspective of a Loose Cultivator, indeed, taking a chance offered more hope.


    But from the perspective of the Taoist Court and the Taoist soldiers Court, especially given their positions, it was much harder to decide.


    If they failed, they would be held accountable by those above.


    Court Leader Zhou wanted to retire in the Taoist Court, while Leader Yang aimed to rise further in the Taoist soldiers Court. To take such a risk was not very sensible.


    Moreover, the premise of constructing the Large Formation depended on whether Mo Hua could truly draw a Large Formation.


    Even if he could draw the Pivot, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean he could build the Large Formation, and as for whether the Pivot was truly that of a Large Formation or if it would be effective, they, as non-Formation Master Cultivators, had no clue.


    It wasn¡¯t just them; even an average Formation Master would most likely not understand it.


    Formations were a profound Taoist Skill for ordinary Cultivators, and Large Formations were similarly esoteric for Formation Masters.


    Leader Yang asked, ¡°Do you trust Mo Hua that much?¡±


    Zhang Lan nodded, ¡°I trust him.¡±


    He looked at Leader Yang and said, ¡°You¡¯re familiar with Mo Hua, but not intimately so, and you don¡¯t know just how absurd his talent in formations is. I know it, and when it comes to formations, if he¡¯s confident about something, it¡¯s not guaranteed to be one hundred percent successful, but it¡¯s as close to a sure thing as it gets¡­¡±


    Leader Yang still had some doubts, ¡°Do you really think he can draw out a Large Formation?¡±


    But Zhang Lan shook his head, ¡°Although I trust Mo Hua, I don¡¯t think he can draw out a Large Formation.¡±


    Leader Yang couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at him, ¡°Do you want to listen to what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    Zhang Lan seriously replied, ¡°I believe that if Mo Hua has spoken, he must have a solution. If he says he can draw out a Large Formation, then he surely can, but the person who draws out the Large Formation might not necessarily be him¡­¡±


    As Leader Yang listened, he became somewhat confused, then suddenly a lightbulb went off, ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan said with profound meaning, ¡°Behind Mo Hua, there is a secret high person.¡±


    Court Leader Zhou and Leader Yang were momentarily stunned, then suddenly enlightened.


    That made sense!


    Even if Mo Hua¡¯s talent in formations was exceptional, the idea that he could draw a Large Formation was still somewhat fantastical.


    They might have been willing to believe it, but they didn¡¯t dare to fully accept it.


    But if Mo Hua couldn¡¯t draw it, someone else could.


    Behind Mo Hua, there was a mysterious and elusive mentor teaching him formations.


    To be able to teach a disciple like Mo Hua, this mentor¡¯s proficiency in formations must be unfathomable, and naturally, it would make sense that he could draw out a Large Formation.


    With the appearance of the Big Demon, this high person couldn¡¯t bear to see living beings suffer and so decided to construct the Large Formation through Mo Hua¡¯s hands, to combat the great disaster.


    Thinking this way, everything seemed logical and reasonable.


    At least, it sounded far more plausible than a teenager who was a Junior Formation Master drawing a Large Formation himself¡­


    The secret high person makes a move, drawing the Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    The three of them instantly felt much more at ease.


    Zhang Lan continued speculating, ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s mentor must not want to show his face, that¡¯s why he lets Mo Hua stand in front.¡±


    Leader Yang nodded seriously in agreement, ¡°That¡¯s how high persons are, unassuming and covert, not wanting their actions to be known.¡±


    Court Leader Zhou also sighed, ¡°This is indeed a blessing for the cultivators of Tongxian City.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still one issue though,¡± Leader Yang said with a hint of doubt, ¡°This high person seemingly has no connection with Tongxian City, so why would he go through the trouble of helping us construct the Large Formation to combat the Big Demon? Is it really just out of kindness?¡±


    Everyone furrowed their brows in thought.


    Court Leader Zhou thought for a moment, then his eyes brightened as he slowly said, ¡°The purpose of this high person is twofold: one is to care for the common people and save Tongxian City from calamity, and the second is to guide Mo Hua, letting him participate, and learn the construction of the Large Formation, with the aim that in the future, Mo Hua could become the chief Formation Master!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Lan and the others were moved.


    The mentor of Mo Hua held such great expectations for him!


    The chief Formation Master of a Large Formation isn¡¯t just any formation expert; it¡¯s a Great Formation Master who holds profound formation knowledge and stands as the leader of all formation masters!


    Court Leader Zhou continued, ¡°Therefore, constructing the Large Formation is both to aid the cultivators of Tongxian City and to help Mo Hua, allowing him to gain experience and understand the Large Formation during the process, laying the foundation for his future role as the chief Formation Master!¡±


    Becoming the chief Formation Master had extraordinary significance, especially since it was paving the way for Mo Hua.


    Leader Yang immediately nodded, ¡°I agree!¡±


    Then Court Leader Zhou nodded, ¡°Good! Then we all agree to construct the Large Formation!¡±


    Having made their decision, that very night Court Leader Zhou wrote a short note and had it sent to Mo Hua, with only four simple words: ¡°The Great Formation can be built.¡±


    It looked simple and hasty, but it bore the seal of Court Leader Zhou.


    It meant this was an official reply.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised; he thought he would have to wait a few more days, but he had not expected to receive a reply so soon.


    And moreover, Court Leader Zhou and the others had agreed so readily to build the Large Formation¡­


    Why was that?


    After much thought, Mo Hua still did not realize Mr. Zhuang¡¯s involvement and assumed that everyone simply trusted him unconditionally!


    Moved, Mo Hua felt an enormous sense of responsibility; his small shoulders heavy, he solemnly vowed in his heart,


    ¡°I must ensure the Large Formation is built, kill Feng Xi, and not disappoint everyone!¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But then Mo Hua wondered, what if he couldn¡¯t kill it?


    Mr. Zhuang had said that nothing in life is absolute, and there are always contingencies¡­


    If Feng Xi wasn¡¯t killed, wouldn¡¯t that be a huge problem?


    Mo Hua¡¯s brow furrowed.


    If everyone was putting their trust in him, he had to be thorough and leave no stone unturned.


    Even if there were unforeseen circumstances, he had to have a plan prepared in advance.


    After pondering for a while, an idea gradually formed in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    He had one more trump card ¡ª Formation Collapse.


    Mo Hua looked up towards the deep mountains, a cold light flickering in his eyes.


    If the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation failed to kill the Big Demon, then he would just cause the Great Formation to collapse, sending Feng Xi straight to heaven!

 Chapter 354 - 352 Fundraising_1

    Chapter 354: Chapter 352 Fundraising_1 S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua had tried it before, the collapse of the Compound Formation, and the ensuing inversion of spiritual power, could indeed harm the Feng Xi.


    However, the Blood Qi of Feng Xi was too strong, and its regeneration was swift; the collapse of formations in small areas wasn¡¯t enough to kill it, but the collapse of large-scale formations was completely different.


    If the entire Large Formation were to collapse, just how powerful would the resulting collapse energy be¡­


    Mo Hua tried to imagine it and couldn¡¯t help but feel a tremor in his heart.


    It would be best not to come to that¡­


    Building a Large Formation would be an arduous task that required an immense amount of manpower and resources; Mo Hua was reluctant to let it go to waste.


    However, if there was spare time, it would still be necessary to calculate the Large Formation with Divine Sense Calculation, to be prepared in advance.


    Even if not used for a collapse, using Divine Sense Calculation to enhance the understanding of the Large Formation would be greatly beneficial.


    After all, the real opportunity to draw a Large Formation was once in a lifetime.


    The construction of the Large Formation and the task of killing Feng Xi, once agreed upon by the Taoist Court, the Taoist soldiers Court, and Elder Yu, was officially announced to the cultivators of Tongxian City.


    The responses from the cultivators in Tongxian City were mixed.


    Some cultivators from smaller clans didn¡¯t believe that the Large Formation could be built and were unwilling to participate in its construction, so they packed their bags and quietly left overnight.


    Some cultivators with family assets or a special status also prepared early escape routes and naturally wouldn¡¯t risk staying in Tongxian City.


    There were also some Loose Cultivators who thought that building a Large Formation was a pipe dream; they left discreetly to seek other ways to make a living.


    Other cultivators with connections or a way out, regardless of their status or power, left if they could, dispersed if they had to.


    In contrast, the vast majority of Loose Cultivators and nearly all Monster Hunters chose to stay.


    They had lived in Tongxian City for generations, born and raised there, married and raised children there, growing old slowly in the city. All their emotions and joys were intimately connected with Tongxian City.


    It was hard to leave their homeland; they didn¡¯t want to abandon the city and flee.


    If there was even a glimmer of hope, they would fight for it.


    Moreover, after going through various trials, they believed in Elder Yu and even more so in Mo Hua.


    A significant part of their current lives benefited from the formations by Mo Hua.


    Now that Mo Hua wanted to build a Large Formation, they all wished to lend their strength to Mo Hua.


    Besides, this Large Formation was also being built for themselves.


    In addition, among the Artifact Refiners, Master Chen took the lead and most of them stayed; and as for the Alchemists, it was Old Mr. Feng who called the shots, and most Pill Masters also wanted to stay and contribute their efforts.


    Mo Hua was momentarily filled with emotion.


    In this crisis, most of the ¡°upper-class¡± cultivators in Tongxian City chose to abandon the city and flee;


    While the lower-tier cultivators, who had experienced hardships within Tongxian City, were wholeheartedly trying to protect it¡­


    But it didn¡¯t really matter if some cultivators ran away.


    With most of the Loose Cultivators staying behind, there was the manpower foundation necessary for constructing the Large Formation.


    Building the Large Formation required Formation media and craftsmen, so Elder Yu went to invite Master Ban.


    Upon hearing the request, Master Ban agreed without hesitation.


    He had received favors from Elder Yu and had been helped by Mo Hua before; he was utterly astonished by Mo Hua¡¯s level of mastery over formations.


    Now with a chance to give back, he agreed readily without much thought.


    Moreover, this was about building a Large Formation.


    He, including all the craftsmen he had dealt with in his lifetime, had never built a Large Formation; Master Ban naturally wanted to witness it.


    Master Ban thought to himself:


    ¡°This is a big undertaking. If we really manage to build the Large Formation, it will be an event that goes down in the history of the state boundary, something to brag about to descendants for a lifetime.¡±


    The group of craftsmen under Master Ban all nodded in agreement.


    With the manpower for the Large Formation settled, it was time to gather Spirit Stones and resources.


    Elder Yu donated almost all the profits from the Monster Hunting, including the Spiritual mines seized by the Monster Hunters, the earnings from the Refinery Shop and Alchemist¡¯s Business over the years, as well as some of his own savings.


    Other Loose Cultivators, more or less, also donated some Spirit Stones, retaining only what was necessary for basic cultivation expenses.


    Mo Shan donated as well, and Liu Ruhua gave away most of the Spirit Stones she had saved up since opening her food business.


    She was somewhat reluctant since these were for Mo Hua¡¯s future cultivation, buying a cave dwelling, and finding a Taoist partner.


    But now that Mo Hua was the one mainly building the Large Formation, these Spirit Stones were considered to be used according to his intentions.


    Mo Hua also donated the 10,000 Spirit Stones Elder Yu had given him, but Elder Yu refused to accept them.


    Elder Yu gruffly exclaimed, ¡°Stop adding to the commotion!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one building the Large Formation, of course I should donate some Spirit Stones,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not short of your contribution,¡± Elder Yu refused.


    Ten thousand Spirit Stones¡­ calling that a small amount¡­


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mo Hua wanted to say more, but Elder Yu cut him off:


    ¡°These are for your Foundation Establishment. Whether the Large Formation can be built or not, whether we can kill Feng Xi or not, it should not delay your Foundation Establishment.¡±


    Elder Yu spoke with a grave tone, ¡°Your Foundation Establishment is what¡¯s most important!¡±


    ¡°But first, we need to get past this immediate hurdle¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter whether we get past this hurdle or not, you must proceed with Foundation Establishment!¡± Elder Yu repeated.


    Seeing that Mo Hua wanted to argue further, Elder Yu sighed and said:


    ¡°If you really feel bad, after your Foundation Establishment, become a Second Grade Formation Master, and help us out whenever it¡¯s within your capacity.


    ¡°As a Second Grade Formation Master, your words will carry great weight, and everything will become easier for you.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, Elder Yu was right, but he didn¡¯t know whether he could build the Large Formation, which was equally important to him.


    He had to build the Large Formation to step by step comprehend even more profound formations.


    Mo Hua still insisted on giving the Spirit Stones to Elder Yu.


    Elder Yu sighed, eventually accepting them. After taking them, he quickly slipped them back into Mo Hua¡¯s chest when he wasn¡¯t looking.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve already donated, so I¡¯ll give you some more,¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of laughter and tears.


    ¡°Formation Masters creating formations, how can there be no compensation?¡± Elder Yu said with a stern face, ¡°You keep it well.¡±


    Mo Hua knew that Elder Yu was stubborn and had no choice but to accept it.


    The collection of Spirit Stones was proceeding in an orderly fashion, but relying solely on Monster Hunters and Loose Cultivators was clearly insufficient.


    Mo Hua went to find Court Leader Zhou again.


    Stroking his beard, Court Leader Zhou offered two methods:


    ¡°One is for me to submit a petition to the Taoist Court, to apply for some more Spirit Stone resources, with the reason being disaster relief and city relocation due to a shortage of Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Not directly stating it¡¯s for constructing a Large Formation?¡± Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    ¡°If you say it¡¯s for building a Large Formation, that¡¯s impossible to get approved,¡± Court Leader Zhou explained.


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.


    Court Leader Zhou then explained to Mo Hua:


    ¡°If I say it¡¯s for constructing a Large Formation, the Taoist Court won¡¯t believe it, much less approve it. Tongxian City is just a Little Immortal City, with hardly a few First-Grade Formation Masters, what means do they have to build a Large Formation?¡±


    ¡°Even if they believed and wanted to approve, they would have to send someone to investigate thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court bureaucracy is redundant, interests are intertwined, and without someone looking out for me up there, who knows how much time will pass with all the back-and-forth.¡±


    ¡°And the resources needed for constructing a Large Formation are like a bottomless pit; the Taoist Court may not be willing to part with that much either.¡±


    ¡°Better to find a known, surefire reason to apply for a batch, take what we can get, and it¡¯s no loss if it¡¯s less, but all the better if it¡¯s more.¡±


    ¡°As for the bulk of the Spirit Stones, we still need to think of other methods.¡±


    Mo Hua curiously asked, ¡°What other methods might there be?¡±


    Court Leader Zhou stroked his beard and with a smile that was not quite a smile, said, ¡°Guess.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua tentatively suggested:


    ¡°The Qian Family?¡±


    Court Leader Zhou nodded, ¡°Exactly, the Qian Family is wealthy, and mostly because of the Patriarch of the Qian Family, it can hardly be considered clean.¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking of confiscating the Qian Family¡¯s property?¡±


    Court Leader Zhou shook his head, ¡°Not to that extent. Given the emergency, as long as the Qian Family donates wealth, we can overlook the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s establishment of the Black Mountain Stronghold and collusion with Evil Cultivators.¡±


    Court Leader Zhou coldly stated, ¡°The matter with Feng Xi, ultimately, is to be blamed on the Patriarch of the Qian Family. If he hadn¡¯t used humans in Alchemy, using that Pig Monster as a Pill Furnace, such a great disaster wouldn¡¯t have arisen from the Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°Now, we¡¯re giving the Qian Family a chance to redeem themselves and make amends for their crimes. I hope they won¡¯t fail to recognize this opportunity¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and then said:


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see Old Master An again and see if he is willing to donate some.¡±


    The An Family is the second-largest clan in Tongxian City and also has many Spirit Stones.


    Court Leader Zhou hesitated a bit, ¡°The An Family conducts an honest business, and Old Master An might not agree to donate his family¡¯s wealth.¡±


    ¡°How will we know if we don¡¯t try? Maybe Old Master An is broad-minded and charitable,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Court Leader Zhou tugged at the corner of his mouth, clearly skeptical, but still said:


    ¡°You might as well try.¡±


    Mo Hua ran off to find Old Master An and, without beating around the bush, got straight to the point:


    ¡°Old Master, we¡¯re building a Large Formation. Would you like to donate some Spirit Stones?¡±


    Old Master An¡¯s expression showed neither joy nor anger as he spoke indifferently:


    ¡°What if I¡¯m not willing to donate?¡±


    Mo Hua replied nonchalantly, ¡°I¡¯m just asking. If you don¡¯t want to donate, that¡¯s fine. We have such a close relationship, I wouldn¡¯t pressure you.¡±


    Old Master An scrutinized Mo Hua¡¯s expression and, seeing no discontent, he sighed faintly, realizing he might have overthought it.


    He had thought Mo Hua was coming with a veiled threat.


    Building a Large Formation needed Spirit Stones, and the An Family had Spirit Stones, making the relationship very delicate.


    If something unforeseen happened, their An Family would become a natural reservoir of Spirit Stones.


    Having lived for so long, Old Master An knew that interpersonal relationships were superficial and fragile, while interests were cruel but resilient.


    The An Family had a bit of a relationship with Mo Hua, but no relationship could outweigh Spirit Stones, especially since their relationship with Mo Hua wasn¡¯t that deep to begin with.


    Old Master An¡¯s expression became more somber.


    He knew that the construction of the Large Formation was under Mo Hua¡¯s control.


    Although he couldn¡¯t understand how Mo Hua had persuaded Elder Yu, as well as Court Leader Zhou from the Taoist Court and Leader Yang from the Taoist soldiers Court, to take on such a significant task.


    Building a Large Formation was not so easy.


    Yet Mo Hua had managed it.


    With his unique status and extensive connections, Mo Hua, despite his youth, was actually the one orchestrating many matters in Tongxian City.


    Especially now, with the greatest powers of Tongxian City standing behind him.


    If he wanted to make things difficult for the An Family, they would undoubtedly face severe hardships.


    If he insisted on the An Family donating Spirit Stones, then they would have to comply; if they didn¡¯t, they surely wouldn¡¯t meet a good end.


    If Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to trouble the An Family, then neither the Taoist Court nor the Taoist Soldiers Court, nor even the Monster Hunters, would pressure them.


    It now seemed that Mo Hua had no intention of troubling the An Family¡­


    Old Master An secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then became puzzled again:


    ¡°You really don¡¯t want me to donate?¡±


    Mo Hua clarified, ¡°Of course, I wish you would donate, but whether you¡¯re willing to or not is up to you.¡±


    Old Master An nodded, and after a moment, he ventured tentatively:


    ¡°What if I said I want to donate?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up. He quickly calculated the prepared speech and began ¡°selling dreams¡± to Old Master An.

 Chapter 355 - 353 Quantity_1

    Chapter 355: Chapter 353 Quantity_1


    ¡°If you donate Spirit Stones, once the Large Formation is completed and Feng Xi is slain, we will erect a grand Demon Suppression Monument¡­¡±


    Mo Hua gestured with his hands to show just how big this pie¡­no, this stele would be and then said to Old Master An:


    ¡°At that time, we will carve your name in the first place, make it bigger, trace it in gold so that people can see it at a glance!¡±


    Erecting a Demon Suppression Monument is a tradition among Monster Hunters.


    Once they have slain a powerful Monster Beast that has been plaguing an area, the Monster Hunters would forge a Demon Suppression Monument and engrave the names of the Cultivators who participated in the monster hunting on it, to highlight their merits in monster hunting.


    It¡¯s just that no one had ever slain a Big Demon before, so naturally, no one had ever erected a Demon Suppression Monument for slaying a Big Demon.


    Old Master An calmly asked, ¡°What if it can¡¯t be killed?¡±


    Mo Hua candidly replied, ¡°Even business ventures can suffer losses, and monster hunting can fail sometimes, especially when it comes to slaying such a Big Demon, the risk is indeed enormous.¡±


    ¡°If it can¡¯t be killed, then it just can¡¯t be killed. We¡¯ll have to find another way, and naturally, your Spirit Stones would have been donated in vain.¡±


    Old Master An frowned, ¡°So, I¡¯m donating family wealth for a fame that may not come to fruition?¡±


    ¡°This is real reputation, not just empty fame,¡± Mo Hua corrected.


    ¡°How is it not empty?¡±


    Mo Hua explained, ¡°Once the Big Demon is killed and the Demon Suppression Monument is erected, it would be the most important monument of merit in the history of Tongxian City.¡±


    ¡°As long as Tongxian City exists, so does the Demon Suppression Monument, and so does your name. The An Family will always be remembered by the Cultivators of Tongxian City.¡±


    ¡°This honor is a rare opportunity that comes once in a thousand years. If you miss this chance, no amount of Spirit Stones spent later could buy it.¡±


    Old Master An was visibly moved and began to frown thoughtfully.


    Seeing his chance, Mo Hua whispered softly, ¡°Old Master, may I speak bluntly¡­?¡±


    Old Master An was slightly startled, then nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Mo Hua blinked and said in a low voice:


    ¡°The An Family is still considered prosperous now, and everyone knows you are the second biggest clan in Tongxian City, but what if someday, the An Family declines, and the family wealth is gone¡ªwho will remember who you were?¡±


    ¡°At that time, the An Family will be just like any other small clan in this world, lost in the crowd, no longer mentioned, no longer thought of, and even the descendants of the An Family may no longer take pride in the clan.¡±


    Old Master An¡¯s face stayed calm, but his gaze fell, knowing in his heart that what Mo Hua was saying was the truth.


    This is the fate of many small clans in the Cultivation World.


    What rises must fall.


    Small clans, with their shallow foundations, once in decline and their people scattered, find it very difficult to rise again.


    It¡¯s not just the small clans; even the big Noble Clans could gradually decline and eventually disappear from the history of the Cultivation World once they fall on hard times.


    Seeing Old Master An waver, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone, and he took the opportunity to say:


    ¡°But if your name is carved on the largest Demon Suppression Monument in Tongxian City, it becomes a different story. All the Cultivators in Tongxian City will remember your name, remember the history of the An Family, even if hundreds of years later, when the An Family is no more¡­¡±


    Old Master An¡¯s heart quivered, and he looked at Mo Hua with a deep and resentful gaze.


    What do you mean ¡®the An Family is no more¡¯?¡­


    Embarrassed, Mo Hua laughed sheepishly and rephrased his words tactfully, ¡°Even if hundreds of years later, if the fortune of the An Family declines and is no longer as affluent, the common people of Tongxian City will still remember your good deeds¡­¡±


    ¡°At such times, Spirit Stones are but fleeting; this reputation is what truly endures.¡±


    Mo Hua, with his articulate speech, gently persuaded him.


    Old Master An¡¯s brow gradually creased as he pondered deeply, and after a long hesitation, he let out a sigh and said slowly:


    ¡°Let me think about it.¡±


    Mo Hua was merely seeking Old Master An¡¯s opinion and did not want to force anything; he had other methods to gather Spirit Stones.


    It¡¯s just that the current situation of the An Family was indeed a dilemma.


    To donate or not to donate was a tough choice.


    That¡¯s why he had approached Old Master An, to suggest donating some Spirit Stones to secure a good name for the family¡¯s descendants.


    But the final decision was up to Old Master An.


    ¡°Then take your time to think about it. I will take my leave now,¡± Mo Hua said.


    With a courteous bow, Mo Hua then took small steps out of the An Family residence.


    Old Master An gazed after Mo Hua¡¯s departing figure, lost in thought.


    After a while, the screen stirred slightly and An Yonglu, the Family Head of the An Family came out from behind it. He approached Old Master An with light steps, respectfully poured a cup of tea for him, and asked cautiously:


    ¡°Father, what¡¯s the decision?¡±


    Old Master An, thinking of Mo Hua¡¯s confident demeanor during their exchange and seeing his son¡¯s timid appearance, bristled with anger.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? You¡¯re a Family Head after all¡ªand can¡¯t even handle a matter of this importance!¡±


    ¡°A child barely in his teens like Mo Hua could come to me openly and negotiate with sound reasoning.¡±


    ¡°As for you, the Family Head, you can¡¯t offer any help, can¡¯t say a word, only know how to hide behind and eavesdrop!¡±


    ¡°If the An Family truly falls into your hands, it¡¯s bound to be ruined!¡±


    ¡­


    An Yonglu was scolded till he was downhearted, feeling wronged inside:


    I wish I could step forward, but you were the one who didn¡¯t trust me¡­ sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet he dared not talk back.


    After Old Master An had scolded him, he felt a little better. He sighed deeply and said:


    ¡°Donate it.¡±


    An Yonglu said, ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by that kid Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Old Master An sighed, ¡°Mo Hua does have his own motives, but what he said is the truth. When disaster strikes, our An Family¡¯s wealth will be unsustainable¡­ It¡¯s better to exchange it for a good reputation.¡±


    An Yonglu was unconvinced, ¡°How can it be unsustainble?¡±


    Old Master An said coldly, ¡°With what will you defend it?¡±


    An Yonglu wanted to say he could defend it, but when the words reached his lips, he cowardly dared not to speak.


    Seeing him like this, Old Master An appeared somewhat weary and slowly said:


    ¡°I have thought for a long time these days, yet I still haven¡¯t found a good solution.¡±


    ¡°There are only two paths before our An Family: to leave or to stay.¡±


    ¡°If we leave, we could move the whole family to another Immortal City, but the other cities all have powers entrenched, and it¡¯s not likely they would make room for the An Family, let alone let us share in their spoils.¡±


    ¡°Besides, our An Family¡¯s Food Building has been established for a long time, and we¡¯ve always aimed for peaceful wealth. Among the younger generations, there are none ruthless and vicious enough. If we relocate, within three generations, we will inevitably decline.¡±


    ¡°If we move as Loose Cultivators, then our An Family will be like a piece of fat meat, and everyone would take a bite.¡±


    At this point, Old Master An was reminded of the past.


    Back then, a caravan guarded by direct disciples of the An Family was completely devoured by Evil Cultivators secretly instigated by the Patriarch of the Qian Family within Big Black Mountain, leaving none alive.


    Thinking about it now, Old Master An still felt a shiver down his spine.


    Upon moving, who knows how many Black Mountains one would pass, how many Black Mountain Strongholds one would encounter.


    Their An Family would trek all the way, only for their bones to be gnawed clean by others.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t leave, then the only option is to stay and build a Large Formation.¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯re staying to build the Large Formation, we must join forces. Even those poor Loose Cultivators have donated their Spirit Stones. How could our An Family selfishly keep our own interests, inviting contempt from others?¡±


    Old Master An had another unspoken thought.


    He, too, had his own private desire.


    His life was nearing its end, and his cultivation could no longer advance. His days were coming to a close, and although he held the impressive title of a Foundation Establishment Family Head in public, he hadn¡¯t accomplished much.


    Old Master An wasn¡¯t content either, unwilling to end his days in obscurity. He wanted to leave a name for himself and leave a good name for the An Family.


    Once his mind was made up, Old Master An felt much more at ease, ¡°Donate it.¡±


    An Yonglu was startled, ¡°All of it?¡±


    On hearing this, Old Master An¡¯s temper flared up again, ¡°Are you an idiot? If we donate everything, what is our big family going to do, survive on northwest wind? Can¡¯t you think before you speak?¡±


    An Yonglu meekly asked, ¡°Then how much should we donate¡­¡±


    Old Master An felt a headache brewing, but patiently said, ¡°Seven or eight parts out of ten, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± An Yonglu then ventured to ask, ¡°Should I tally it up properly and deliver it to Court Leader Zhou?¡±


    Old Master An nodded, then after a moment¡¯s thought, shook his head, ¡°No, you tally it up, draw up a list, and personally hand it to Mo Hua.¡±


    An Yonglu was slightly startled and somewhat reluctant, ¡°That¡¯s giving him too much credit¡­¡±


    After all, even if he could draw a Large Formation, he was just a kid in his early teens.


    An Yonglu wanted to say more, but seeing Old Master An¡¯s eyelids twitch with suppressed anger, the message was clear¡ªhe could hardly restrain himself from hitting An Yonglu¡­


    So, An Yonglu promptly shut his mouth, recognizing the situation.


    Old Master An spoke helplessly:


    ¡°When you go to find Mo Hua, remember to bring Xiaofu along. Aside from necessary matters, speak less, and be more respectful in your demeanor.¡±


    An Yonglu could only bow and agree, although he still seemed somewhat puzzled.


    Old Master An took a sip of tea, pondered for a moment, and then spoke earnestly:


    ¡°These Spirit Stones are being used to trade for reputation.¡±


    ¡°If we successfully kill the Big Demon, all descendants of the An Family will have a good name.¡±


    ¡°If we fail to kill it, the Loose Cultivators will also remember our kindness, especially with Elder Yu. Getting on good terms with him means that if the An Family ever falls into difficulty, Monster Hunters will also extend their aid.¡±


    ¡°But most importantly, these Spirit Stones are to exchange for a favor from Mo Hua.¡±


    ¡°That kid Mo Hua still values favor,¡± Old Master An eased up, then added thoughtfully:


    ¡°If the Large Formation truly gets built, Mo Hua will be the Primary Formation Master of a first-class Formation at just thirteen years of age. No matter what reputation, it is far less important than owing Mo Hua a favor.¡±


    An Yonglu was taken aback, ¡°Is it really that important?¡±


    Old Master An shook his head and muttered, ¡°You don¡¯t understand the weight of the three words ¡®Primary Formation Master¡¯. Especially when this Primary Formation Master is only thirteen, it¡¯s even more frightening¡­¡±


    An Yonglu¡¯s heart chilled, and he solemnly nodded.


    If Old Master said so, then being the Primary Formation Master must be even more formidable.


    But whether a first-class Formation Master or a Primary Formation Master, he felt it didn¡¯t make much difference¡­


    Seeing his expression, Old Master An knew he hadn¡¯t understood at all and sighed deeply once more.


    Two days later, An Yonglu finished tallying the Spirit Stones and some Formation materials, drafted a list, and personally delivered them to Mo Hua, along with An Xiaofu.


    Mo Hua was delighted, ¡°Thank you, Uncle An, and please tell Old Master An that Mo Hua remembers this favor!¡±


    An Yonglu nodded, considering his mission accomplished. He remembered Old Master An¡¯s instructions and refrained from any excess conversation, exchanging only a few pleasantries before leaving.


    On the other hand, Xiaofu stayed behind.


    He was simple-minded, not caring about the donation of Spirit Stones. He just heard there was something going on and that it involved Mo Hua, so he eagerly followed along, and not until after he had managed to get a free meal under the pretense of business did he return.


    After all, in his heart, the food at Mo Hua¡¯s house was the best.

 Chapter 356 - 354: Raiding the House_1

    Chapter 356: Chapter 354: Raiding the House_1


    The An Family donated several hundred thousand Spirit Stones, which, through Mo Hua¡¯s hands, were sent to the Taoist Court. They were piled up in the storerooms of the Taoist Court, saved for when the Large Formation was constructed, to be uniformly dispatched and used.


    As a result, the An Family received the gratitude of Elder Yu, as well as that of the Taoist Court and the Taoist soldiers Court, along with Mo Hua¡¯s personal favor.


    But still, the Spirit Stones were not enough.


    With a furrowed brow, Mo Hua looked at the Jade Slip of the Large Formation, calculating the required number of Spirit Stones, and discovered that there was still a shortfall of several hundred thousand Spirit Stones. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder:


    Does a normal Large Formation really require so many Spirit Stones?


    Mo Hua had an excellent memory; he remembered Mr. Zhuang saying that if all the Spirit Stones from a small-scale Spiritual mine were used, it could probably build a small-scale Large Formation.


    That was under the premise that one did not account for the Craftsmen¡¯s wages or the consumption of Spirit Stones when the Large Formation was operational.


    Yet now, so many Spirit Stones, equivalent to several small-scale Spiritual mines, and the budget was still insufficient.


    Was this really a first-grade, ten-pattern Large Formation?


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang wouldn¡¯t have deceived me, would he¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to himself in his heart.


    However, at this point, it was pointless to think about this.


    On the contrary, the higher the grade of the Large Formation, the stronger its power naturally was, and the more confident he could be in hunting down Feng Xi.


    Now, Mo Hua actually hoped that the grade of the Large Formation could be even higher.


    After all, he had already learned it.


    The biggest problem now was how to solve the shortfall of several hundred thousand Spirit Stones.


    After some thought, Mo Hua went to find Leader Yang of the Taoist soldiers Court and said:


    ¡°Uncle Yang, there aren¡¯t enough Spirit Stones.¡±


    Leader Yang sighed and said with some helplessness:


    ¡°All the Spirit Stones that could be gathered have been gathered. The Qian Family has also delivered their Spirit Stones, the An Family has donated theirs, and the Loose Cultivators who could donate have done so as well. The Taoist Court has applied for some, but it won¡¯t be much¡­¡±


    Leader Yang went on calculating, then suddenly looked up, saw Mo Hua¡¯s composed expression without a trace of urgency, and curiously asked:


    ¡°Do you already have an idea?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled.


    Leader Yang was a bit startled, ¡°You really have an idea? We¡¯re talking about several hundred thousand Spirit Stones.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t beat around the bush and whispered to Leader Yang:


    ¡°We could raid a household¡­¡±


    ¡°Raid a household?¡± Leader Yang was startled, ¡°The Qian Family has already turned in their Spirit Stones, raiding them again wouldn¡¯t be very nice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the Qian Family.¡±


    Leader Yang thought for a moment, then, with a hint of wariness in his eyes when he looked at Mo Hua, he said:


    ¡°It can¡¯t be the An Family¡­they have donated a lot, but they certainly have kept some at home too. If we search, there might still be something to scrape together, but¡­¡±


    But that¡¯s the way of trickery followed by violence, like eating without saving any leftovers, leaving no room for maneuver.


    This method was just too ruthless.


    Leader Yang looked at Mo Hua, a chill forming in his heart, not expecting Mo Hua to be so callous.


    Mo Hua said, speechless, ¡°What are you thinking? How could we possibly raid the An Family¡­¡±


    Leader Yang let out a sigh of relief.


    Exactly, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t that kind of person.


    ¡°Then who are you thinking of raiding?¡± Leader Yang asked curiously.


    Mo Hua fished out a standard-looking Jade Pendant from his Storage Bag, finely crafted and clearly valuable at a glance.


    Leader Yang was somewhat astonished, ¡°A Clan Jade Pendant?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then flipped the Jade Pendant over. On the front of the Jade Pendant was engraved the character ¡°Kong.¡±


    The Kong Family¡­


    Leader Yang thought for a bit, then, not understanding, asked, ¡°Is there a Kong Family in Tongxian City too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Tongxian City, it¡¯s the Kong Family from Qingxuan City.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became somewhat serious, his gaze narrowed, and a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expression, Leader Yang whispered, ¡°Did they offend you?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not that they offended me¡­it¡¯s that they¡¯ve done too many bad deeds.¡±


    Mo Hua told Leader Yang about the deeds of the Kong Family in Qingxuan City, including how they bribed officials in Qingxuan City¡¯s Taoist Court, colluded with others, hired assassins, and what happened to Ji Qingbai¡¯s family¡­


    Leader Yang was an upright person; upon hearing this, he became furious, ¡°Outrageous!¡±


    Then Leader Yang became puzzled again, ¡°But this Jade Pendant¡­¡±


    Mo Hua explained, ¡°This Jade Pendant belonged to Kong Sheng. Kong Sheng was a legitimate descendant of the Kong Family, a ne¡¯er-do-well, not a good sort¡­¡±


    ¡°I infiltrated Black Mountain Stronghold to gather information and discovered Kong Sheng was also inside, with a good relationship with the Evil Cultivators, suggesting the Kong Family¡¯s collusion with Black Mountain Stronghold!¡±


    The Evil Cultivators kept Kong Sheng in a separate room and even delivered him food, clearly indicating their relationship was indeed good.


    Kong Sheng wanted to deal with the Evil Cultivators to exchange for his life; saying there was collusion is not an exaggeration.


    Mo Hua fabricated convincingly.


    ¡°Then how did this Jade Pendant end up in your hands?¡± Leader Yang asked further.


    ¡°I picked it up!¡±


    Leader Yang looked at Mo Hua with suspicion, ¡°Picked it up?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Evil cultivators killed Kong Sheng and used his body to feed pigs, I just picked it up along the way¡­¡±


    Leader Yang pondered, ¡°Since Kong Sheng colluded with Black Mountain Stronghold, how could he be killed by evil cultivators and fed to pigs?¡±


    ¡°Evil cultivators act with no rhyme or reason, they love to kill their own kind; infighting wouldn¡¯t be out of the question¡­¡±, Mo Hua concocted an excuse.


    Leader Yang, however, found it quite plausible.


    If evil cultivators acted according to common sense, would they still be called evil cultivators?


    ¡°Alright, then¡­¡±


    Leader Yang knew that Mo Hua was definitely hiding something from him, that he had not spoken the whole truth about some details.


    But he didn¡¯t mind.


    With this jade pendant, it¡¯s proven that Kong Sheng was indeed in the Black Mountain Stronghold, so the Kong Family couldn¡¯t be disconnected from this.


    Later, he would go to Qingxuan City to investigate, list the crimes of the Kong Family, and then he could dispatch the Taoist soldiers to raid their estate directly. If anyone resisted, they would march in and suppress them by force.


    Such local powers were not typically interfered with by the Taoist soldiers Court, but now, faced with great disaster, their actions could afford to be less by-the-book.


    As long as the justification was sound on the surface, evidence and official documents could be supplemented afterward.


    Leader Yang weighed the jade pendant in his hand and nodded.


    Then he seemed to think of something and looked at Mo Hua strangely,


    ¡°You¡¯ve hidden this jade pendant for so long, have you been thinking of framing the Kong Family?¡±


    Previously the timing hadn¡¯t been right, and the jade pendant wouldn¡¯t have been of much use, but now at a critical juncture, it just happened to be suitable for making the cut.


    Mo Hua earnestly said,


    ¡°This is called ¡®Heaven¡¯s net is vast; though it is loose, nothing slips through.¡¯ The Kong Family violated the laws of the Taoist Court, and their home was raided by the Taoist soldiers Court. It¡¯s all logical and reasonable, what does it have to do with me? I did nothing¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pushed away all connection cleanly.


    Leader Yang was startled, then shook his head helplessly, lamenting in his heart,


    Mo Hua, this kid, is so clever and skillful in scheming. Hopefully, he doesn¡¯t stray onto the wrong path and fall into the demon path in the future; otherwise, the trouble would be immense.


    ¡°It seems I must find a way to have him join the Yang Family. The Yang Family has an upright tradition, which, with time, would surely prevent Mo Hua from making a misstep.¡±


    Leader Yang¡¯s thoughts circled back to this idea as always¡­


    The following matters required no involvement from Mo Hua.


    Leader Yang personally led the Taoist soldiers to Qingxuan City and raided the Kong Family¡¯s estate, but the outcome surprised Mo Hua.


    Not only was the Kong Family¡¯s estate ransacked, but the entire household was exterminated.


    According to Leader Yang, they had only surrounded the Kong Family to question their crimes, but unexpectedly, a disciple of the Kong Family took the initiative, attacked the Taoist soldiers brazenly,


    and even some other Kong Family disciples were inciting them.


    Whereas another part of the Kong Family disciples, realizing the implications, had already turned deathly pale and fled as if they were fleeing for their lives.


    The Taoist soldiers are a symbol of the Taoist Court¡¯s authority.


    Attacking Taoist soldiers unprovoked is akin to defying the Taoist Court.


    Leader Yang, his face as grim as water, did not show any mercy. With a command, his Taoist soldiers, like a long dragon, immediately started to execute the Kong Family¡¯s cultivators.


    The Kong Family only had two at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, and having become complacent after years of bullying, their combat skills were rusty. Naturally, they were no match for Leader Yang and his subordinated Taoist soldiers.


    One of the Foundation Building Elders of the Kong Family did not last a few exchanges before Leader Yang thrust his spear through his chest, kicked him down to the ground, leaving him gasping at death¡¯s door.


    The Kong Family Master, knowing he was not a match, made a decisive move and fled immediately.


    The other Kong Family disciples disintegrated in an instant.


    Although the Taoist soldiers were few in number and capable of defeating the Kong Family disciples, they could not keep them captive and had to let them scatter and flee.


    But unexpectedly, there was another turn of events.


    The scattered cultivators of Qingxuan City had deep grudges against the Kong Family.


    They had suffered under the Kong Family¡¯s oppression for many years, with nowhere to appeal and having shed many tears.


    But with the Kong Family¡¯s two Foundation Building cultivators at the helm, they were no match and helpless.


    But now, with both Foundation Builders of the Kong Family defeated by the Taoist soldiers, one dead and another fugitive,


    centuries of pent-up grievances, along with boundless fury, poured out all at once.


    The scattered cultivators of Qingxuan City began with eyes bloodshot, slaughtering the cultivators of the Kong Family.


    Any cultivator of the Kong Family wearing their clothes, once they fled the premises, would be caught by scattered cultivators who would then hold them down; other scattered cultivators would rush up and hack them to death one by one.


    The Kong Family Master might have escaped, but the scattered cultivators blocked him.


    Being a Foundation Building cultivator, he was not afraid of these Qi Refinement scattered cultivators; these scattered cultivators seemed not to fear death, pressing forward relentlessly like the tide.


    Many scattered cultivators didn¡¯t even use Taoist skills but relied on sheer bravado, rushing fearlessly to the Kong Family Master, trying to rip a piece of flesh from him or using their lives to hold him back, preventing his escape.


    The Kong Family Master killed one, then another came, killed one more, and another threw themselves at him. After killing more than a dozen¡­it did not instill fear in the scattered cultivators, but instead ignited their bloodlust and hatred even more.


    The scattered cultivators, desperate, intertwined with various angry curses:


    ¡°Give back my son¡¯s life!¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°My parents died at the hands of this beast!¡±


    ¡°Kong Family, you old dogs, you deserve to die! Even if I die, I will eat your flesh and drink your blood!¡±


    ¡­

 Chapter 357 - 355 Formation Master_1

    Chapter 357: Chapter 355 Formation Master_1


    The loose cultivators delayed for some time, and Leader Yang had also caught up. His spear gleamed with golden light as he pierced through the left shoulder of the Kong Family Master.


    The other loose cultivators, as if fighting with lives on the line, threw themselves at him, hacking away with one blade after another.


    The Kong Family Master, a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage, was thus hacked to death alive.


    With the death of the Kong Family Master, the situation momentarily spiraled out of control.


    Fury-filled loose cultivators stormed into the Kong Family residence, slaughtering anyone they encountered.


    It took Leader Yang and the Taoist Soldiers a long while to regain control of the situation.


    By then, the Kong Family residence had been reduced to rubble and ruin.


    Almost all of the young and strong cultivators in the Kong Family were killed or injured, leaving only some elderly, women, and children, who were protected by the Taoist Soldiers, thus sparing their lives.


    The loose cultivators who slaughtered the cultivators of the Kong Family gradually calmed down, but there was no trace of satisfaction from revenge on their faces, only numbness and painful tears.


    Blood stained the white walls, and corpses littered the ground.


    Seeing this scene, Leader Yang felt deeply shaken.


    How many sins had the Kong Family committed to meet such a fate¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua also felt a bitter taste upon hearing these events.


    ¡°How will this matter be handled?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat worried for the loose cultivators of Qingxuan City.


    ¡°What else can be done?¡± Leader Yang sighed, ¡°The law doesn¡¯t punish the masses. Besides, such an incident is somewhat understandable. The Kong Family¡¯s fate is deserved for their sins.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court won¡¯t make it hard for them anymore?¡±


    The Taoist Court in Qingxuan City had colluded with the Kong Family, forming a clandestine alliance which allowed the Kong Family to act so recklessly.


    Now that the Kong Family was gone, it wasn¡¯t certain that the Taoist Court of Qingxuan City would let the matter rest.


    ¡°The Taoist Court?¡± Leader Yang scoffed, ¡°They are in trouble themselves now.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°The Taoist Court will investigate?¡±


    Leader Yang nodded, ¡°With the Kong Family¡¯s defiance and the loose cultivators¡¯ riot, adding on the account of the Kong Family¡¯s collusion with Black Mountain Stronghold¡­ Producing so much turmoil on their watch, the Taoist Court of Qingxuan City won¡¯t escape unscathed.¡±


    ¡°What will be their fate?¡± Mo Hua was curious and asked persistently.


    Leader Yang said, ¡°Generally speaking, if held accountable from above, the positions of Qingxuan City¡¯s Court Leaders are surely untenable. If corruption and bribery, the abuse of law for personal gain are also uncovered, their lives might not even be spared.¡±


    ¡°As for Supervisors or Enforcement Leaders below, their hands are inevitably dirty. More or less, they¡¯ll have to face imprisonment.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, now he felt more at ease. He then asked, ¡°Have all the people in the Kong Family been killed?¡±


    Leader Yang shook his head, ¡°The young and able-bodied cultivators, and those with higher cultivation have all been killed. The loose cultivators bore too much resentment for the Taoist Soldiers to hold them back. Those who remain are just some of the old, the young, and women.¡±


    ¡°They can no longer stay in Qingxuan City, so the Taoist Soldiers will arrange for them to make a living elsewhere. However, they will be stripped of the ¡®Kong¡¯ surname, so the Kong Family is truly finished¡­¡±


    Listening to this, Mo Hua felt an inexplicable sense of solemnity yet found it to be as it should be.


    The greater the oppression, the more profound the backlash.


    Clans that grow powerful by draining the blood of loose cultivators can collapse in a mere instant.


    ¡­


    The Taoist Soldiers seized the Kong Family¡¯s assets, and most of the spirit stones were transported to Tongxian City, prepared for the construction of the Large Formation.


    The remaining spirit stones were distributed among the loose cultivators of Qingxuan City, so that their lives would not be so hard.


    Mo Hua thought that would be the end of the matter, but a few days later, Ji Qingbai, along with Ji Li and Fu Lan, came knocking.


    After seeing Mo Hua, Ji Qingbai expressed his gratitude:


    ¡°All the loose cultivators of Qingxuan City have asked me to extend their thanks to you.¡±


    Mo Hua quickly waved his hands, ¡°I didn¡¯t do much¡­¡±


    Ji Qingbai shook his head and, calling Ji Li and Fu Lan over, they all gave a deep bow to Mo Hua.


    Fu Lan¡¯s eyes were red. Her father had died at the hands of the Kong Family when she was young, and she, with her mother, struggled to survive. Just as she had grown up, her mother was also driven to death by the Kong Family.


    The Kong Family¡¯s destruction now meant she had finally avenged them, albeit she regretted not being the one to exact vengeance personally.


    Mo Hua could only sigh inwardly. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He hoped that from now on, whether in Tongxian City or Qingxuan City, such enmity and suffering would no longer exist.


    Enough spirit stones were probably collected, and the only thing left was to find a Formation Master to help with the Drawing Formation.


    As for the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation, Mo Hua could paint it himself, but for the numerous Single Formations under the control of the Formation Pivot, other Formation Masters would be needed to help.


    Otherwise, building the Large Formation in two months¡¯ time would be impossible.


    Thinking of this, Mo Hua sighed.


    Building a Large Formation was truly troublesome.


    Gathering resources, recruiting manpower, coordinating various tasks¡­ it all was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and challenging.


    But even so, he still had to press on firmly, step by step¡­


    For the matter of the Formation Masters, Mo Hua sought out Master Luo.


    He was the most famous First Grade Formation Master in Tongxian City, with wide connections and influence. Among the Formation Masters of Tongxian City, he had the highest prestige and most authority.


    Mo Hua paid him a visit and briefly explained the situation.


    Master Luo looked hesitant, thought for a moment and finally said:


    ¡°I will convey Gentleman Little Mo¡¯s intentions to all of Tongxian City¡¯s Formation Masters, but whether they are willing to help will depend on their own decisions.¡±


    Master Luo expressed his apology, ¡°Formation Masters hold a special status and are not subject to command. Though I have some reputation, I can¡¯t force them.¡±


    Mo Hua understood this and bowed in gratitude: ¡°Then I thank Master Luo for his efforts.¡±


    That Master Luo was willing to help was already good news.


    When constructing a Large Formation, the most crucial part was the Formation Pivot; other Single Formations, as long as they were drawn to specification, were not too difficult, and didn¡¯t require much from a Formation Master.


    After everything was drawn, the main Formation Master would still need to verify everything and make adjustments.


    The most difficult part would be undertaken by Mo Hua himself.


    The rest of the Formation, as long as there were Formation Masters willing to lend a hand, would be sufficient.


    After Mo Hua left, Master Luo gathered the Formation Masters of Tongxian City for tea and casually spoke about the Large Formation.


    The younger Formation Masters were mostly excited, eager to participate in the construction of the Large Formation.


    For many Formation Masters, being part of a Large Formation construction was a lifelong pursuit.


    The elderly Formation Masters remained mostly silent, and after returning home, they scoffed at the idea.


    ¡°Too ignorant of how vast the world is¡­¡±


    ¡°A bunch of loose cultivators and low-level Formation Masters who aren¡¯t even First Grade, and they dream of constructing a Large Formation? Such folly!¡±


    Those Formation Masters, having lived long and seen much, naturally understood the difficulties in establishing a Large Formation¡ªit was not something average Formation Masters could learn, nor something ordinary forces could accomplish.


    At the same time, they also harbored envy towards Mo Hua.


    These veteran Formation Masters had toiled for so many years, not only failing to become first-grade Formation Masters but even now, in terms of formation skills, they couldn¡¯t compare to a Junior Formation Master who, at best, had studied formations for less than ten years.


    They knew that Mo Hua was skilled at Formation Painting, but they also didn¡¯t believe that Mo Hua could truly construct a Large Formation, harboring the thought of watching him fail:


    ¡°The child is na?ve, getting carried away with his success!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s stepping too far, he¡¯s bound to stumble¡­¡±


    They dared not voice these thoughts aloud, but it didn¡¯t prevent them from sneering inwardly.


    In the end, about half of the Formation Masters in Tongxian City were willing to stay and help.


    This ratio was a bit higher than what Master Luo had anticipated.


    With so many Formation Masters, building the Large Formation should barely be possible, that is, if it really could be constructed¡­


    Master Luo then grappled with another problem: should he stay?


    He had already found a way out for himself.


    The Third Grade Lanshan Sect from the Lanling State Boundary was willing to hire him as an Outer Gate Elder. Although it was just a provisional title, with Instructor salary, he would only truly receive Elder benefits once his Cultivation reached the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    This offer couldn¡¯t compare to the treatment Mo Hua received.


    After all, whether in terms of formation skills, formation talent, or future formation prospects, he was not just a little behind Mo Hua.


    But this way out was good enough.


    Having the support of a big tree was pleasant; with Lanshan Sect as his backing, the latter half of his life, if not greatly ambitious, would at least be comfortable.


    But was this really enough?


    Didn¡¯t he desire to build a first-grade Large Formation?


    Master Luo questioned his own heart and found himself brought up short by his own question.


    In the face of disaster, it¡¯s human nature to seek advantage and avoid harm; finding an escape route for oneself was normal behavior.


    But this was a first-grade Large Formation!


    It could be his only chance in a lifetime to witness, even participate in, the construction of such a Formation.


    Master Luo sighed.


    Only Formation Masters knew how difficult it was to build a Large Formation.


    Those older Formation Masters knew, and with his even older experience, he was all the more aware.


    Not to mention how difficult it was to design the formation, finding a main Formation Master was a challenge.


    The sheer volume of work for the Large Formation itself was also extremely vast.


    Such large-scale Tao Cultivation construction projects are usually either directly orchestrated by the Taoist Court or constructed by deeply rooted Family Sects and Clans with a significant commitment of resources.


    In any event, it had nothing to do with an ordinary first-grade Formation Master like himself.


    He was completely out of his depth.


    It was only because Mo Hua was organizing the construction of the Large Formation that they were called upon.


    If it were the Taoist Court or Family Sects and Clans building the Large Formation, even if they offered Spirit Stones to chip in, they would just be giving a warm welcome to cold indifference¡ªothers simply wouldn¡¯t spare them a glance.


    Forget about helping Drawing Formations; even making a single stroke on the Large Formation was beyond their qualification.


    Master Luo felt a sense of loss, but suddenly his heart leapt.


    An opportunity now lay before him¡­


    An opportunity to personally partake in the construction of a first-grade Large Formation!


    If he were to miss it, he might never have hope for such a chance again in his lifetime.


    Once youthful, upon becoming a Formation Master, the simple aspiration and passion had gradually resurrected from within his numb body.


    Master Luo felt very unfamiliar with these emotions, yet joy welled up in him.


    Still, he forced himself to calm down.


    ¡°Can this Large Formation really be completed?¡±


    Master Luo believed in Mo Hua¡¯s formation skills but still couldn¡¯t believe he could design the core Formation Pivot of the Large Formation.


    After all, Mo Hua was just too young.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t draw the Large Formation, yet he intended to construct one.


    In that case, it meant that the Large Formation might not exactly be Mo Hua¡¯s work, but rather that of the unfathomable Gentleman behind Mo Hua.


    Master Luo let out a sigh of relief and began to feel reassured.


    If that was the case, then there was great potential in this endeavor.


    After some thought, Master Luo gradually understood.


    Besides not wanting to show his face, perhaps that Gentleman also intended to ¡°gild¡± his disciple.


    To give Mo Hua a dazzling formation career achievement at a young age as the main builder of a first-grade Large Formation.


    This was a common tactic among noble clans.


    To elevate a direct descendant of the family, they would create momentum for him, letting others do the work while he reaped the credit, crafting the image of a ¡®favored son of heaven.¡¯


    Indeed, Family Sects and Clans harbored many such favored individuals, but among them, there were no few whose accomplishments were fabricated inflations of merit, empty names with little substance behind them.


    Compared to them, Mo Hua was much superior.


    At least in Master Luo¡¯s view, Mo Hua¡¯s formation skills had reached the ceiling for a first-grade Formation Master.


    In time, it was indeed possible that he could, on his own merit, design a first-grade Large Formation.


    Gilding him a little now was also normal.


    After all, even fine wine fears a deep alley¡ªbeing a Formation Master without a renowned name didn¡¯t bode well for making one¡¯s way in the world.


    Thinking this through, Master Luo secretly made up his mind.


    He would stay and help build the Large Formation.


    Mo Hua was greatly surprised when he learned of it.


    He thought that with opportunities on either side and an escape route available, Master Luo should have quietly slipped away; but unexpectedly, he chose to take the risk and stay.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯ve underestimated Master Luo¡­¡±,


    Mo Hua nodded his head and looked at Master Luo with newfound respect.


    With Master Luo staying, some wavering Formation Masters also decided to stay. Consequently, there were now many Formation Masters available to help.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    With manpower and resources ready, and Spirit Stones gathered,


    everything was ready for the start of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation!

 Chapter 358 - 356 Slaughter the Monster Formation Pivot_1

    Chapter 358: Chapter 356 Slaughter the Monster Formation Pivot_1


    Before the official start of construction, a site had to be chosen for the Large Formation.


    Court Leader Zhou and Elder Yu specifically sought Mo Hua¡¯s opinion.


    Since the Large Formation was painted by Mo Hua and also designed and constructed by him, it was natural for Mo Hua to determine the site.


    After deep contemplation, Mo Hua ultimately decided to locate the Large Formation at the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation is a trapping and killing type of array rather than a defensive Protective Sect Array, so it cannot be placed in Tongxian City; in fact, it must be far from Tongxian City.


    Otherwise, once the Large Formation is activated, Tongxian City would suffer from the spiritual power unleashed by the Large Formation¡¯s attacks.


    The most suitable location is deep in the mountains.


    Killing Feng Xi directly in the deep mountains, preventing its entry into the city, is the best option.


    Among the deep mountains, the most suitable place is naturally the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The Black Mountain Stronghold is nestled between two mountains, easy to defend and difficult to attack. In other words, it is relatively enclosed and suitable for a trapping and killing formation.


    Patriarch of the Qian Family built the Black Mountain Stronghold here because the location was suitable for constructing arrays.


    Moreover, although the Black Mountain Stronghold has been destroyed, a foundation of formation patterns still exists. Building the Large Formation on this foundation can save a lot of effort.


    While Court Leader Zhou and Elder Yu were somewhat surprised, they both nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua then said to Leader Yang, ¡°Uncle Yang, we need to find a way to contain Feng Xi, to delay it for some time.¡±


    The construction of the Large Formation is guaranteed to take two months, but in case of unforeseen delays, it would be disastrous if the construction is not finished and Feng Xi starts foraging for food.


    Therefore, it was necessary to try to prevent Feng Xi from refining Blood Qi and to buy as much time as possible. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leader Yang nodded, ¡°Rest assured, I have used the Yang Family¡¯s connections to petition the Taoist Soldiers Court. I¡¯ve also requested the transfer of two more units of Taoist Soldiers. During this period, we will find a way to harass Feng Xi and slow down its speed of refining Blood Qi.¡±


    Afterward, everyone¡¯s tasks were clear: Court Leader Zhou would distribute the spirit stones and materials, Elder Yu would arrange the manpower, and Mo Hua would be fully responsible for the formation.


    The construction of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation officially began.


    The overall blueprint of the Large Formation was designed by Mo Hua based on the Formation Pivot and records of other arrays and after also considering the opinions of Craftsman Master Ban.


    The first step was to clear the remaining structures in the Black Mountain Stronghold and reconstruct the foundation and framework of the Large Formation, which was the responsibility of the craftsmen.


    At the same time, Refinery Shops in Southern City worked tirelessly day and night, with Artifact Furnaces operating non-stop, beginning to refine the array plates, formation locks, and formation gates needed as Formation media for the Large Formation.


    Alchemists were making pills for cooling, detoxification, miasma dispelling, and restoring physical and spiritual power, supplying them to the craftsmen building the Large Formation.


    Food from both the Fulu Building and the An Family¡¯s Food Building was supplied to everyone.


    Monster Hunters, led by Yu Chengyi and Mo Shan, blazed a trail through Big Black Mountain, starting from Tongxian City, passing through the inner and outer mountains, and leading directly to the old site of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The mountain road wound along the terrain, wide and smooth, facilitating the transportation of the many materials needed for the Large Formation.


    At the same time, the Monster Hunters were also responsible for driving away the Monster Beasts from the sides of the mountain road, to prevent them from attacking the Cultivators.


    A few days later, some Loose Cultivators from Qingxuan City also came to help, and Cultivators from nearby Immortal Cities, having heard that Tongxian City was building a Large Formation to combat Big Demons, also gathered to contribute their strength.


    The number of Cultivators building the Large Formation was growing, and the Tao Cultivation project became increasingly majestic.


    Mo Hua stood on a mountaintop of Black Mountain Stronghold.


    Looking down, one could see a continuous mountain road from the base of the Black Mountain Stronghold, meandering with the terrain of Big Black Mountain, extending all the way to Tongxian City.


    On the mountain road, a dense crowd of Cultivators methodically transported cultivation construction materials and various supplies.


    The foundations of the Black Mountain Stronghold beneath were unmade and rebuilt, and the frameworks for some basic Formation media were already established.


    Master Ban led a multitude of craftsmen, bustling among them, the shape of the Large Formation slowly taking form.


    And in the distance, Tongxian City buzzed with activity; the Refinery Shops were bustling, the Alchemist¡¯s Businesses had their fires burning brightly, and the Fulu Building¡¯s cooking smoke curled skyward.


    Prepared food boxes, pills, and Spiritual Artifacts were either handed directly to the various Cultivators or transported along the winding mountain roads into the deep mountains¡­


    Tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Cultivators, working together with one heart, were constructing the grand Taoist Large Formation ¨C the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    This scene filled Mo Hua with an inexplicable awe.


    ¡°Is this what a Large Formation is¡­¡± he mused.


    When a Single Formation is not strong enough, enough of them are gathered and connected through a core Formation Pivot to form a Large Formation.


    When a single Cultivator is not strong enough, enough Cultivators are gathered to work together with a common goal.


    Human power sometimes has its limits, but as long as there are enough people, the power becomes endless.


    In a trance, Mo Hua had a sudden enlightenment.


    He could paint the Large Formation, kill Feng Xi, and save the Cultivators of a city.


    Yet in truth, it was not just him saving others but everyone saving each other.


    Without him, no one could paint the Large Formation, but without so many Cultivators uniting, he could never build the Large Formation.


    Destiny is never changed by one person alone; it is only through the concerted efforts of all Cultivators that true defiance of fate can be achieved!


    In an instant, Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness trembled slightly, his Divine Thought became clear, and he felt a sudden understanding of the concept of the Large Formation.


    The formerly somewhat rough Formation Patterns of the Pivot seemed to be etched clearly into his Sea of Consciousness.


    With this newfound understanding, Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    He truly could build and control the entire Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation with ease!


    ¡°`


    Following behind Mo Hua, Master Luo was contemplating the complexity of the Large Formation when suddenly, looking up, he saw Mo Hua as if struck by sudden enlightenment, exuding an arcane aura that he found difficult to fathom.


    As though grasping some profound principle, his mastery over formations had improved yet again.


    There was even a faint sense of the demeanor of a grandmaster of formations.


    For an instant, Master Luo thought his eyes were deceiving him.


    He rubbed his eyes, and when he looked again, he found that Mo Hua had lost that profound aura and was back to being the simple little cultivator.


    As noon had arrived and someone shouted ¡°time to eat,¡± Mo Hua used the Water Passing Step to happily run off and grab a chicken leg¡­


    Master Luo stood rooted to the spot for a long while before he sighed with a complex expression and muttered doubtfully to himself:


    ¡°Did I just see things¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Ten days later, the foundational frame of the Formation media was completed.


    Thanks to the concerted efforts of all cultivators, this speed was much faster than Mo Hua had anticipated.


    Next, it was time to draw the official Formation.


    The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation takes the Formation eye as its source, the Formation Pivot for overall coordination, the Single Formation for layout, and the Formation media as the cornerstone.


    The Formation eye of the Large Formation is composed of multiple first-grade Gathering Spirit Compound Formations, used to refine Spirit Stones, draw in Spiritual Energy, and congeal Spiritual Power for the Formation, thereby providing a source of power for the operation of the entire Large Formation.


    The core of the Large Formation is the Formation Pivot, which centrally controls the opening, closing, starting, stopping, flow, and strong inhibition of Spiritual Power.


    Only after successfully drawing the Formation Pivot can one lay out the Single Formations that extend beyond it, in sequence.


    Similarly, within the entire Large Formation, the Formation Pivot is the most difficult to draw and also represents the core and most secretive part of the Formation. It must be personally drawn by the lead Formation Master.


    Or rather, only one capable of drawing the Formation Pivot qualifies to become the lead Formation Master, directing the completion of the Large Formation.


    Mo Hua chose a high peak as the location for the Formation Pivot.


    With its high elevation and good visibility, and being relatively far from the central area of entrapment and killing, this location is not only suitable for overseeing the entire Large Formation while in control, but also less likely to be affected by the flux of Spiritual Power when Feng Xi is being trapped and killed.


    The Formation media for the Formation Pivot is a huge Array Plate forged with fine iron, extremely sturdy and not easily damaged.


    Before Mo Hua started drawing, Master Luo and all the other Formation Masters withdrew.


    As the Formation Pivot is the core and secret of the Formation Master, it naturally needs to be drawn in secret.


    At the same time, Master Luo also knew that it might not necessarily be Mo Hua himself drawing the Formation Pivot; it could be his Gentleman who would begin the drawing, so he took all the Formation Masters out to prevent this matter from being exposed.


    Master Luo was quite ¡°considerate¡± in his considerations for Mo Hua.


    But what he didn¡¯t know was that the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation was indeed being drawn by Mo Hua himself.


    The Formation Pivot is difficult to draw.


    Even though Mo Hua had reached a thorough understanding, drawing the Formation Pivot was still challenging.


    When drawing the Formation Patterns on the Array Plate forged with fine iron as the Formation media, the consumption of Divine Sense was even greater.


    Due to insufficient Divine Sense, Mo Hua failed twice and had to use Spiritual Dissipation Liquid to erase the Formation Patterns and start over.


    Also, because of the overly intricate Pattern lines, he made mistakes in two places and had to start again.


    ¡­


    After failing five or six times, Mo Hua was not discouraged.


    Thanks to the understanding he had just gained, the Pattern lines of the Formation Pivot were clearly presented in his mind.


    He knew he could draw it out; he just needed to familiarize himself more and also needed some opportunities for trial and error.


    Five days later, after Mo Hua had made countless attempts, he finally managed to draw out the Formation Pivot of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    Threading his Divine Sense through the Formation Pivot, every Pattern line came forth distinct and clear, with the paths of varying Spiritual Powers also matching the records in the Large Formation Jade Slip.


    Not feeling reassured, Mo Hua checked it over from beginning to end several times before finally letting out a soft sigh of relief.


    He had succeeded!


    Mo Hua gazed at the profound and complex Formation Pivot before him, a surge of joy welling up inside him.


    The structure of the Formation Pivot was strict; the accumulated meticulous strokes formed sharp edges, creating a complex and arcane sense of beauty.


    The only drawback was that this was the first time Mo Hua drew the Formation Pivot on the Array Plate, and his strokes were not yet proficient; there were too many attempts, making it look somewhat unsightly.


    Although not visually pleasing, it was functional, and that¡¯s what mattered!


    Mo Hua felt that being pragmatic as a Cultivator was more important; practicality trumps everything.


    Once the Formation Pivot was complete, Master Luo led the other Formation Masters back in, and upon seeing the scene before them, they were all deeply shaken.


    So this was the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation¡­


    The complex Pattern lines were daunting, clearly beyond their ability to learn¡­


    After marveling for a while, Master Luo scrutinized the Formation Pivot for a long time.


    On one hand, he was amazed that this highly skilled person¡¯s mastery of formations was superb, actually managing to draw the Formation Pivot; on the other hand, he was puzzled by the seemingly inexperienced strokes of this ¡°highly skilled person,¡± reminiscent of a child¡¯s scribbles, with so many reapplyings¡­


    ¡°`

 Chapter 359 - 357: Completion_1

    Chapter 359: Chapter 357: Completion_1


    Once the Formation Pivot was completed, it needed to serve as the core, extending its Patterns outward to every corner of the Large Formation, linking thousands of Single Formations.


    These Single Formations were all of the Five-elements Formation Methods, with the lowest grade being the sixth-grade Formation Patterns and the highest being the first-grade nine Patterns.


    Given the sheer number of Formations, even if Mo Hua painted Formation Methods very quickly, it would be impossible for him to finish so many Formations alone within two months.


    Therefore, the assistance of other Formation Masters was indispensable.


    As the main Formation Master, Mo Hua had two tasks. The first was the overall design and planning of the Single Formations, deciding which Formation Methods to use where, how many copies were needed, and how to control them centrally through the Formation Pivot.


    The second task was the compatibility check of the Single Formations. Some Formation layouts might look flawless, but when Spiritual Power actually started to flow, they could easily conflict with each other.


    In such cases, it was up to the main Formation Master to adjust and modify them.


    Mo Hua handed over the tactical arrangement plans to Master Luo, asking for his help in distributing the tasks to specific Formation Masters.


    Being young, Mo Hua giving direct orders might not sit well with the other Formation Masters. Even if they didn¡¯t voice any objections, they would surely feel uncomfortable.


    Master Luo was a bona fide first-grade Formation Master with an esteemed reputation; thus, delegating this task to him was for the best.


    The tasks that Mo Hua had to personally take care of included filling the Single Formations, checking their compatibility, and adjusting the flow of Spiritual Power between the Single Formations and the Formation Pivot.


    Another task was the Calculation of the Formation Pivot.


    The Formation Pivot of the Great Formation was extremely complex, and he had to work quickly to thoroughly calculate it.


    In case of an emergency, if the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation failed to suppress Feng Xi, he could attempt to use Great Formation Dissolution to eliminate the Big Demon and prevent future troubles.


    This was an ultimate measure, not to be used unless absolutely necessary, but it was essential to prepare in advance.


    Using the Great Formation to slay the demon was not a task for him alone. It concerned not just Tongxian City, but the entire Black Mountain State Boundary, and the stability for hundreds or even thousands of years to come.


    Therefore, meticulous consideration was imperative.


    Thus, by day, Mo Hua painted Formation Methods, checked the ones painted by other Formation Masters, and adjusted the whole Great Formation based on compatibility and the flow of Formation strength.


    At night, when others rested, he sank his Divine Sense into the Sea of Consciousness, using the Taoist Stele to calculate the Spiritual Power trajectories of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation¡¯s Formation Pivot.


    As he continued calculating the Formation Pivot, his understanding of the Great Formation became clearer, and his daytime adjustments became much more proficient.


    In the past few days, Master Luo was also engrossed in painting Formations.


    With a vast number of Single Formations included and time being of the essence, he, too, had to pour all his effort into completing the planned Formation tasks on time.


    After he finished painting a Formation, Mo Hua would habitually ¡°inspect¡± it.


    During these times, Master Luo felt particularly anxious.


    It seemed as if he were recalling the days when he was just learning Formations, a mere Formation apprentice, handing in his work and waiting for his mentor¡¯s review with a sense of unease and apprehension. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To him, Mo Hua was like that mentor, and he had become an apprentice again, submitting work for Mo Hua to evaluate.


    Mo Hua conducted his ¡°reviews¡± swiftly.


    If he went from start to finish in one go, it meant the Formation was painted correctly, and Master Luo would silently breathe a sigh of relief;


    If Mo Hua paused at any point, it would make Master Luo tense;


    And if Mo Hua suddenly frowned while reviewing, Master Luo¡¯s heart would skip a beat, and he might even break out in a cold sweat.


    Despite constantly reminding himself:


    He was already a first-grade Formation Master; he was no longer the apprentice of the past.


    And although Mo Hua was good at painting Formations, after all, he was just a young Junior Formation Master who had not undergone the Taoist Court¡¯s assessment; there was no need for Master Luo to feel anxious or apprehensive¡­


    Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit on edge, worried that Mo Hua might indeed spot a mistake.


    He would dismiss the criticisms of other Formation Masters without a second thought.


    Because if other Formation Masters were not his equal, even if they pointed out a mistake, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean he was wrong.


    But Mo Hua was different. If he pointed out an error, it invariably meant there was a genuine mistake¡­


    Master Luo sighed and couldn¡¯t help but lament to himself:


    ¡°We are both first-grade Formation Masters, so why is the gap so big¡­¡±


    Before encountering Mo Hua, he had always thought that first-grade Formation Masters were more or less the same, their skill levels not varying widely.


    Now he understood that discerning the level of Formation Masters was like looking at a pool of water.


    Some were pond water, while others were ocean water¡ªunfathomably deep and immeasurable sea water.


    Master Luo¡¯s evaluation of Mo Hua grew even higher.


    Yet he vaguely felt something wasn¡¯t quite right, as if he had still misjudged something.


    So, he began to covertly observe Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua would also pick up the brush to paint Formations. Some Single Formations were personally crafted by him.


    His hands were as fair as an apprentice¡¯s, but the Formations they painted were strict and masterful, exhibiting a master¡¯s exquisite skill.


    Furthermore, Mo Hua painted extremely fast. His strokes were fluid and agile as if empowered with a life of their own.


    The lines, as if dancing off of Mo Hua¡¯s brush, followed their own logic and naturally formed Patterns.


    Master Luo watched in amazement.


    This level of skill could not be achieved without extensive practice with Formation methods.


    But it shouldn¡¯t be so¡­


    Mo Hua is so young, and even if he used all the time he had for sleeping, he couldn¡¯t possibly have become so adept.


    Master Luo was puzzled and continued to scrutinize Mo Hua.


    He then discovered an astonishing fact:


    All the adjustments to the Large Formation were being made by Mo Hua alone, and he controlled all the compatibility of the Single Formations by himself.


    Even when there were errors on the Formation Pivot, it was Mo Hua himself who erased and re-drew them.


    Thinking back to the scribble-like traces on the Formation Pivot, Master Luo suddenly realized:


    There were no experts substituting for Mo Hua; he had drawn the entire Formation Pivot himself, and he was in control of the entire Formation!


    Master Luo looked at the rosy-cheeked and pearly-toothed Mo Hua, feeling a coldness rushing to his crown.


    What kind of evil prodigy was this, who could truly, by his own power, control the construction of an entire first-grade Large Formation!


    Master Luo stood frozen on the spot, his face showing an expression of utter disbelief.


    This was a real, thirteen-year-old chief Formation Master!


    He had misjudged previously and guessed everything wrong¡­


    With such an inconceivable level of Formation Method, who would need to be gilded?


    In Master Luo¡¯s eyes, Mo Hua was entirely made of pure gold at this moment, his entire body radiating dazzling golden light¡­


    This was a bona fide first-grade Great Formation Master!


    A storm of awe and amazement surged in Master Luo¡¯s heart.


    From then on, Master Luo¡¯s demeanor towards Mo Hua became even more deferential, even bowing slightly when speaking to him.


    Mo Hua found it very odd, even thinking that Master Luo had become muddled from tiredness¡­


    And Master Luo became even more dedicated to the construction of the Formation.


    Some older Formation Masters were slippery characters who didn¡¯t take Drawing Formation to heart, repeatedly making mistakes, and before Mo Hua could say anything, Master Luo would already scold them furiously.


    This surprised the other Formation Masters.


    Usually, Master Luo wasn¡¯t like this; he was always polite, adept at playing both sides, and even when angry, he would not lose composure and curse at people.


    But now, he seemed like a changed person.


    Master Luo knew that Mo Hua truly had the potential to complete the Formation!


    And within this Formation, there were Diagrams that he had drawn.


    Not only did he want to witness the completion of the Formation he had participated in, but he also wanted to witness the birth of Mo Hua, the thirteen-year-old chief Formation Master!


    This might just be the most glorious achievement in his life as a Formation Master.


    Not just for him, but for all the Formation Masters present, this was the honor of a lifetime.


    Seeing Master Luo so earnest and serious, the other Formation Masters also straightened their thoughts and invested their whole heart into the construction of the Formation.


    ¡­


    The Cultivators worked together with one heart and one mind, and the construction of the Large Formation gradually progressed amidst the busyness, monotony, and tiredness.


    Despite Leader Yang bringing Taoist Soldiers repeatedly to interfere and delay Feng Xi¡¯s refining process, the Blood Qi congealing on Big Black Mountain was still growing heavier.


    At the same time, the outline of the Formation gradually emerged on the site of the old Black Mountain Stronghold, step by step solidifying into place.


    The structure was round on the outside and square on the inside, in accordance with the heaven¡¯s roundness and the earth¡¯s squareness.


    The interior was filled with channels and layers upon layers of Formations, forming a dense maze of Formation Patterns.


    The entire Large Formation was grand and solemn.


    All of the Cultivators who were part of the construction felt a chill in their hearts, their expressions momentarily dazed:


    They were truly building a Large Formation, and perhaps they could really¡­ complete the Large Formation!


    Then came several more nights and days of strenuous construction.


    Countless Cultivators poured out their sweat, contributing bricks and tiles to the best of their ability, until at last, the Large Formation was initially completed.


    After the initial completion, what remained was the assessment of the Formation.


    Mo Hua checked all the Formations again and began to channel Spiritual Power, testing the effects of the Spiritual Power flow within the Formation, as well as carefully investigating with Master Luo for several days, eliminating the many hidden dangers within the Formation¡­


    Having done all this, Mo Hua finally nodded slightly.


    His nod meant that the operation of the Large Formation had no issues.


    All the Cultivators standing behind Mo Hua felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from their hearts and breathed a sigh of relief, as if relieved of a heavy burden.


    Finally, the Large Formation was completed!


    ¡­


    In the Taoist Calendar, the year 20,025, on the twenty-third day of the tenth month.


    After marshaling the entire manpower and resources of Tongxian City for two months and five extra days.


    Within the deep mountains of Big Black Mountain, the first-grade Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation was officially completed!

 Chapter 360 - 358: The War Begins_1

    Chapter 360: Chapter 358: The War Begins_1


    Once the Large Formation was complete, the battle to subjugate demons could begin.


    But at the moment of truth, when the battle was about to commence, all the cultivators of Tongxian City felt doubts arising in their hearts.


    Was the Large Formation truly flawless? Could it really subdue Feng Xi?


    It wasn¡¯t just the Loose Cultivators; even the Formation Establishment Stage cultivators like Elder Yu were filled with anxiety.


    But they didn¡¯t dare to ask Mo Hua.


    One reason was fear of adding pressure to Mo Hua, and the other was that asking would be of no use.


    An arrow shot cannot be brought back.


    At this point, with the Large Formation already built, they had no choice but to brace themselves and start the demon subjugation.


    Mo Hua, from beginning to end, wore a calm gaze and composed expression.


    It was as if the defeat of the great demon within the Large Formation was a certainty.


    This unexpectedly steadied several Foundation Building Cultivators.


    Elder Yu sighed inwardly, thinking to himself that although they were cultivators who had lived for a century and weathered many storms, now they were less composed than Mo Hua, a mere child.


    However, another thought crossed his mind: although they had faced tribulations, they had never encountered a storm as great as a big demon¡­


    Since a Large Formation was still a formation, and since it was a formation, they didn¡¯t understand it; if they didn¡¯t understand, they might as well put their trust in Mo Hua.


    Not only Elder Yu, but practically all cultivators shared this thought.


    The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation was a constraint and slaughter formation. In order to trap and kill Feng Xi, they naturally had to lure Feng Xi into the formation first.


    This step was very dangerous, hence only Foundation Building Cultivators could undertake it, with Taoist Soldiers covering them from the sidelines.


    Among the Foundation Building Cultivators who would lure Feng Xi, Mo Hua was surprised to see Zhang Lan.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang, you¡¯ve reached Foundation Establishment?!¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Zhang Lan tried to look nonchalant, but his eyes betrayed his pride as he casually said, ¡°Not bad, I managed to seize some time to establish my foundation.¡±


    Mo Hua curled his lips. Seizing some time to establish his foundation¡­ he made it sound as easy as securing a marriage match.


    Is Foundation Establishment really that easy¡­


    But then he remembered what Zhang Lan had said before.


    For disciples of noble clans, Foundation Establishment indeed wasn¡¯t hard.


    Zhang Lan had been at the Qi Refining Ninth Level previously, first to consolidate his foundation, and second to avoid troubles from his clan.


    ¡°Have you properly consolidated your foundation?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    Zhang Lan casually replied, ¡°It¡¯s almost there, there¡¯s no need to keep polishing it.¡±


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve established your foundation, does that mean you¡¯ll have to go home for an arranged wedding?¡± Mo Hua curiously prodded.


    Zhang Lan¡¯s face darkened, ¡°You kid, can¡¯t you talk about something serious?¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled, feeling a sense of gratitude at the same time.


    He knew that Zhang Lan¡¯s action was actually for the cultivators of Tongxian City. After all, in facing a big demon, having an additional Foundation Building Cultivator meant more strength and security, which was why he was eager to break through his cultivation stage.


    Mo Hua silently noted Zhang Lan¡¯s kindness, thinking to himself:


    ¡°I must help Uncle Zhang if I ever get the chance!¡±


    The plan to subjugate the big demon had already been discussed and agreed upon before the Large Formation was completed. Now it was just a matter of confirming the candidates.


    The very next day, as the sky was still dim, Taoist Soldiers began to assemble.


    Yang Jiyong stood on a hilltop, gazing solemnly at the blood-colored big demon in the distance.


    Shortly after, another leader of the Taoist Soldiers clad in armor approached and said in a low voice, ¡°Big brother, everything is arranged.¡±


    This man was Yang Rong, a member of the Yang Family as well as the commander of the Taoist Soldiers who had been dispatched here to assist.


    Yang Jiyong nodded, but his brows remained knitted.


    The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, so Yang Rong tried to lighten the mood by striking up a conversation with Yang Jiyong.


    After talking about some trivial matters of their clan, Yang Rong suddenly looked puzzled and asked,


    ¡°Big brother, why did we only call over people from the Yang Family this time?¡±


    When requesting the deployment of Taoist Soldiers, one usually had to accept whomever the Taoist Court allocated. However, Yang Jiyong had used the Yang Family¡¯s connections to have Yang Rong and others transferred here.


    Moreover, it was not just Yang Rong; all the Taoist Soldiers who came had ties with the Yang Family, either sharing the Yang surname, being allied through marriage, or having received favors from the Yang Family; they were all considered ¡°our own people¡± by the Yang Family.


    ¡°I feel more assured when our own people handle matters,¡± Yang Jiyong answered.


    Yang Rong clearly didn¡¯t believe him, ¡°Big brother, tell me the truth, don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    Yang Jiyong gave Yang Rong a look, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said,


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you, but you must keep it to yourself, and don¡¯t let any of it slip to our men below.¡±


    Yang Rong¡¯s expression became serious as he nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, big brother.¡±


    Yang Jiyong said, ¡°The main reason I had you all come is for confidentiality. Regardless of whether or not the Large Formation is completed, whether we can kill Feng Xi or not, do not let the news leak out¡­¡±


    Yang Rong felt it would be difficult, ¡°But with such a large-scale formation being built, it¡¯ll be hard to keep it secret¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to keep the construction of the Large Formation a secret,¡± Yang Jiyong said. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to keep the one who¡¯s constructing it a secret.¡±


    Only then did Yang Rong feel puzzled and asked, ¡°Who constructed the Large Formation?¡±


    Upon their arrival at Tongxian City, they had been stationed near the big demon to prevent any unforeseen events, and did not interact much with the cultivators of Tongxian City.


    They were not involved in the construction of the Large Formation.


    As for Drawing Formation, they were even less informed.


    He only remembered seeing a group of Formation Masters, the most prominent of whom was an impressive-looking elder. But as for who was responsible for building the Large Formation, he had no idea.


    Yang Jiyong was about to speak but then shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know.¡±


    Yang Rong was taken aback and did not wish to ask further, but a sudden intense curiosity clawed at him.


    If Yang Jiyong was taking this so seriously, it must be far from ordinary.


    ¡°Big brother Yang, if you tell me, I¡¯ll know what to keep confidential. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t even know what¡¯s confidential, and I might accidentally let something slip,¡± he argued.


    Yang Jiyong was taken aback, ¡°Since when have you become so clever?¡±


    Yang Rong chuckled.


    After some thought, Yang Jiyong decided to tell him, ¡°Have you seen a young cultivator these few days?¡±


    ¡°A young cultivator?¡± Yang Rong was slightly startled.


    ¡°A cultivator with picturesque features, fair-skinned, handsome, who at first glance seems clever and adorable, but upon closer look, completely enigmatic¡­¡±


    Yang Rong furrowed his brow in thought, then suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Ah!¡± He had remembered.


    ¡°It¡¯s that young cultivator following behind a group of old Formation Masters.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it backwards.¡±


    ¡°Backwards?¡±


    Yang Jiyong stated indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s not that he was following behind the old Formation Masters, it¡¯s a group of old Formation Masters following behind him¡­¡±


    Yang Rong¡¯s mouth fell open in shock, ¡°No way¡­¡±


    Then he recalled what Yang Jiyong had mentioned about ¡°the person who built the Large Formation,¡± and for a moment he was befuddled before repeating, ¡°No way¡­¡±


    Yang Jiyong stopped there, not saying more, and only reminded him,


    ¡°Got it now?¡±


    Yang Rong was stunned for a long while before he figured it out, and shaking his head, he muttered, ¡°That¡¯s terrifying¡­¡±


    In this day and age, could such a young kid really build a Large Formation?


    Yang Rong then leaned closer to Yang Jiyong and said quietly, ¡°Big brother, this matter, we mustn¡¯t let the Li Family and Chang Family know.¡±


    Otherwise, they would certainly resort to any means to win him over.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I used the Yang Family¡¯s connections to get you guys over here.¡±


    ¡°But what if we can¡¯t keep it a secret?¡± Yang Rong was somewhat worried.


    ¡°No matter,¡± Yang Jiyong said calmly, ¡°as long as they don¡¯t see it with their own eyes, they won¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Yang Rong nodded.


    Actually, he had seen it with his own eyes but still found it hard to believe¡­


    But since his big brother had said so, he would just follow suit.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing that¡¯s most important¡­¡±


    Yang Jiyong looked at Yang Rong and further instructed:


    ¡°In this operation to subdue Feng Xi, success is uncertain, if we fail, by all means think of a way to ensure Mo Hua¡¯s safety.¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Yang Rong remembered the name and nodded, saying, ¡°Alright!¡±


    After he spoke, he looked toward the distant Feng Xi and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim,


    ¡°Such a huge Evil Monster, I get palpitations just looking at it, can we really kill it?¡±


    Yang Jiyong spoke with a grave tone, ¡°No matter what, we¡¯ve got to try.¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then sighed inwardly,


    He hoped that this time, not too many would die¡­


    The Taoist Soldiers who came this time were all trusted members of the Yang Family, and most were brothers who had shared life and death on the battlefield with him; he didn¡¯t want too many casualties.


    But what they were facing this time was a terrifying Big Demon.


    Within the state boundary, the Big Demon was invincible.


    Even with the Large Formation in place, contending with the Big Demon was certainly no easy task.


    Yang Jiyong¡¯s expression was calm, but his heart was filled with anxiety.


    After Yang Rong left, a while passed and then Zhang Lan found Yang Jiyong.


    Having reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, Zhang Lan¡¯s confidence had grown considerably. Seeing Yang Jiyong, he stood even straighter.


    After a brief handover about the matter with Feng Xi, Zhang Lan turned to leave, but he had only walked a few steps before Yang Jiyong called out to him.


    ¡°Zhang Lan,¡± Yang Jiyong called, and after a moment of silence, he said with difficulty, ¡°Don¡¯t die¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan paused, a hint of surprise in his expression, but his mouth was still not kind, ¡°I¡¯m not going to die, you son of a bitch, don¡¯t curse me.¡±


    Yang Jiyong¡¯s eyelid twitched, ¡°I¡¯m saying don¡¯t die, not telling you to go die!¡±


    Zhang Lan snorted coldly, ¡°Before a battle, words are always said in reverse, the way you said it, it¡¯s like I¡¯m about to die¡­¡±


    Any trace of concern Yang Jiyong had for Zhang Lan vanished in an instant, and he couldn¡¯t help but curse aloud:


    ¡°Goddammit, a dog can¡¯t spit out ivory, I really am, wasting kindness on a dog!¡±


    ¡°You have kindness?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore, eaten by you, a damn dog.¡±


    ¡­


    After trading insults for a while, they both fell silent again.


    Zhang Lan then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Large Formation was built by Mo Hua, he usually doesn¡¯t do things he¡¯s not certain of. As long as you don¡¯t seek your own death, you should survive¡­¡±


    Yang Jiyong didn¡¯t speak, but his mood wasn¡¯t as heavy anymore.


    ¡­


    At 6 A.M., everyone began to prepare as planned, to awaken Feng Xi and lure him into the Large Formation.


    Yang Jiyong took action first.


    He lifted his spear parallel to the ground, mustered all his strength, concentrated his Spiritual Power onto the spear, and then, as the spear blazed with a golden light, he thrust it fiercely into Feng Xi¡¯s belly.


    This was an advanced Taoist Skill passed down in the Yang Family¡ªthe Radiant Golden Spear.


    The Patriarch of the Qian Family, who was in the Foundation Establishment Middle Phase, had also been gravely injured by this spear technique.


    Where the spear passed, Feng Xi¡¯s abdomen was torn open by the Spiritual Power, creating a deep hole, but in an instant, Blood Qi condensed and new flesh grew back.


    The onlookers all gasped in admiration.


    Such a formidable spear technique, and such robust Blood Qi.


    To have cultivators kill such a powerful Big Demon was nearly an impossible task.


    Even if it just stood there motionless, letting these Foundation Building Cultivators attack until they were exhausted, they might not deplete even one-tenth or one-twentieth of its Blood Qi.


    However, this spear thrust did indeed cause significant injury to Feng Xi.


    With a pained roar, Feng Xi abruptly awoke, unleashing a ferocious howl that made the listeners¡¯ blood run cold.


    It opened its eyes, its pupils erratically shifting, finally locking onto Leader Yang. In an instant, a surge of malevolent energy exploded from its body.


    As it shakily stood up, Feng Xi, having refined Blood Qi for three months, resembled a small mountain, exuding a thick scent of blood, and charged directly at Leader Yang.


    Fortunately, the Pig Monster was clumsy, its Blood Qi not fully refined, and it was cumbersome in its movements.


    Yang Jiyong retreated, simultaneously luring Feng Xi towards the direction of the Large Formation as he moved back.

 Chapter 361 - 359 Opening the Formation_1

    Chapter 361: Chapter 359 Opening the Formation_1


    Yang Jiyong did not dare to confront Feng Xi head-on, so he could only strike and retreat immediately, causing Feng Xi to rage and drawing it away.


    Clumsily, Feng Xi moved, its massive body flattening forests and crushing rocks, startling the monster beasts in the depths of the mountains into scattering.


    However, as it moved, Feng Xi seemed to understand something. It suppressed the hatred in its eyes and crawled back to the ground, continuing to refine the Blood Qi.


    Yang Jiyong again circulated his Spiritual Power and executed his spear techniques, attacking Feng Xi.


    But having used the superior Taoist Skill Radiant Golden Spear, he had already expended most of his Spiritual Power. Now, with insufficient Spiritual Power, the power of his Taoist Skill was ordinary. Even though his spear¡¯s tip rained down like a shower, striking Feng Xi¡¯s body, Feng Xi paid it no mind.


    Feng Xi seemed to know that as long as it finished refining the Blood Qi, it could descend the mountain to hunt for food, not bothering with a momentary burst of anger.


    Yang Jiyong did not dare to continue attacking.


    Once he exhausted his Spiritual Power, he would be the one in danger. If consumed by Feng Xi, not only would his life end here, the pig would also gain a Foundation Establishment Stage ¡°Blood Pill.¡±


    Yang Jiyong stepped back, and Zhang Lan stepped forward.


    His whole body surged with Spiritual Power, and with a point of his finger, a pale blue Giant Sword materialized, sending forth sword Qi that cut through the air and directly pierced Feng Xi¡¯s head.


    The flesh on Feng Xi¡¯s head disintegrated, then slowly recongealed.


    This was also Zhang Lan¡¯s all-out effort with a spell. Having just reached Foundation Establishment, he had not yet learned the Zhang Family¡¯s superior Taoist Skills. However, the power of this spell was nevertheless remarkable, enough to make Feng Xi wary.


    Again angered, Feng Xi struggled to its feet, its pupils whirling, then fixated on Zhang Lan with a fierce roar before lunging towards him.


    Zhang Lan drew Feng Xi further away, his Spiritual Power nearly depleted, unable to cast any significant spells that would threaten Feng Xi.


    At this moment, Yang Rong¡¯s spear struck with the force of a dragon, delivering a full-powered blow and likewise striking and escaping, leading Feng Xi onward.


    When he was running low on Spiritual Power, Elder Yu, Court Leader Zhou, and Old Master An took turns entering the fray.


    One led the attack, Taoist Soldiers restrained, and others recovered their breath.


    Then, they took turns battling, step by step, drawing Feng Xi into the previous site of Black Mountain Stronghold, now the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    Two mountains embraced the area, with buildings densely packed and the Formation meticulously arranged.


    As Feng Xi stepped into the Large Formation, it suddenly became alert, letting out a roar in an attempt to retreat.


    Yang Jiyong immediately shouted, ¡°Close the gate!¡±


    At the entrance of the Large Formation, embraced by the mountains, two huge iron gates swung closed from left and right, forming an inner and outer iron barrier, blocking the Big Demon¡¯s escape route.


    Without hesitation, Feng Xi charged at the iron gate.


    The iron gate, cast from fine iron and forged by Artifact Refiners, was directly shattered by Feng Xi¡¯s impact, twisting and caving like mud, instantly ruined.


    Such was the terrifying force of Feng Xi!


    Everyone gasped in shock.


    Seeing that another charge by Feng Xi would break through the other iron gate.


    A golden light suddenly appeared above the iron gate, with Formation Patterns flickering, spread in every corner of the gate and reinforcing it.


    When Feng Xi charged again, it hit the Formation.


    The golden light on the Formation vibrated intensely, gradually dimming, until finally extinguished, yet the iron gate remained intact.


    Blocked by the Formation, Feng Xi was stalled, and during that brief moment, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, quickly connecting with the Formation Pivot using his Divine Sense. The entire Large Formation¡¯s Spiritual Power pathways intricately crisscrossed, vividly presenting themselves in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    With a slight stir of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua controlled the Large Formation through the Formation Pivot, instantly activating all Spiritual Power circuits.


    Mo Hua shouted coldly:


    ¡°Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, activate!¡±


    In an instant, the Formation eyes of the Great Formation lit up, Spirit Stones stacked upon the Gathering Spirit Compound Formation were instantly refined, transforming into a torrential rush of Spiritual Power, surging into the entire Great Formation.


    Spiritual Power surged violently, circulating rapidly, the Great Formation trembling, even emitting a deafening hum.


    It was as though a massive Tao Cultivation machine were working at full capacity, and like a giant Monster Beast, it was growling.


    A powerful aura of Spiritual Power shockingly burst forth.


    At the same time, all the Cultivators in Tongxian City felt their minds tremble in unison, raising their heads to look towards Big Black Mountain.


    Under the morning sun, they saw five-colored lights erupting skyward.


    One after another, Formation Patterns on the mountain lit up, connecting in clusters, weaving into a vast tapestry of multicolored light, where copious Spiritual Power gathered into rivers, flowing throughout the Great Formation.


    The Great Formation burst forth with dazzling light, enveloping the deep mountain, magnificently vast, suppressing the lingering stench of blood that had long plagued the upper parts of the mountain!


    At this moment, all the Cultivators stood there, dumbfounded and shocked, their hearts inexplicably stirred.


    This was the grandeur of a Great Formation¡­


    It was the Great Formation they had constructed with all their might¡­


    The Formation appeared as if it were the manifestation of the grand Heavenly Dao.


    Mighty enough to make hearts palpitate, dazzling enough to make souls yearn.


    This was the first time, and perhaps the only time in their lives, that all the cultivators of Tongxian City witnessed the full activation of a first-class Large Formation!


    On the secluded South Mountain.


    Mr. Zhuang also gazed wistfully at the vast formation deep in the mountains, his expression tinged with nostalgia.


    Behind him, Old Kui¡¯s face was wooden, and his eyes slightly focused as he muttered:


    ¡°It¡¯s really¡­ been completed¡­¡±


    Simultaneously, Feng Xi sensed a lethal danger and began to howl frantically.


    It used all four of its limbs, struggling vehemently, trying to break free from the Large Formation.


    However, once inside Mo Hua¡¯s formation, escaping was not so simple.


    Mo Hua merely gave it a cool glance, lifted her hand slightly, and a pattern at the center of the formation pivot flashed.


    The ground within the Large Formation suddenly turned into quicksand, swirling rapidly and gathering into a vortex toward the center. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Earth-series Trapping Formation¡ªQuicksand Formation!


    Feng Xi¡¯s eyes were fierce, and its limbs flailed, but with the ground turned to quicksand, there was no firm footing. It couldn¡¯t break free and was sucked towards the vortex¡ªthe quicksand dragged its massive body to the center of the Large Formation.


    And at the center of the large formation was the core of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation¡¯s trapping and killing:


    The Five Elements Cycle Compound Formation.


    The Five Elements Cycle Compound Formation, constructed by craftsmen with an Earth Stone Formation base as the formation media, resembles a labyrinth with a Five Elements cycle and is composed of the Five Elements positioned according to their directional affinities.


    The west corresponds to metal, the east to wood, the north to water, the south to fire, and the center to earth.


    In each direction, led by the main attribute of the Five Elements, a foundational Five Elements Formation filled with formation patterns is built, creating a Five Elements labyrinth.


    The fundamental principles are based on ¡°trapping¡± and ¡°killing.¡±


    The Golden Series Formation base to the left uses the Golden Lock Formation as a trapping formation and the Water Sword Formation as a killing formation because metal generates water;


    The Wood series Formation base to the right uses the Wood Prison Formation as a trapping formation and the Fire Rain Formation as a killing formation because wood generates fire;


    The Water Series Formation base to the north uses the Inundating Water Formation as a trapping formation and the Poisonous Wood Formation as a killing formation because water generates wood;


    The Fire-series Formation base to the south uses the Red Fire Formation as a trapping formation and the Earth Crack Formation as a killing formation because fire generates earth;


    The Earth Series Formation base at the center uses the Quicksand Formation as a trapping formation and the Golden Light Formation as a killing formation because earth generates metal!


    All Five Elements Formations are in place, interconnected in a cycle that never ceases, forming a complete system of trapping and killing.


    The trapping formations hold Feng Xi, impeding its movements, while the killing formations drain its Blood Qi, putting an end to its life.


    At the same time, they take advantage of the generative interactions of the Five Elements to strengthen the killing formations with the attributes of the trapping formations, maximizing the use of Spiritual Power to enhance the power of the killing formations.


    The foundational Five Elements Formations are interconnected at their borders, forming a labyrinth.


    Around the labyrinth, there are sturdy Earth and Wood constructions.


    Atop the buildings, there are reinforced Formation Patterns, primarily of Earth and Wood with the aid of the Golden Series and interspersed with Water and Fire Series formations. Supported by the formidable Spiritual Power of the Large Formation, they are indestructible.


    Feng Xi couldn¡¯t break through and found no way out. It could only follow the Five Elements labyrinth, dashing left and right, navigating through the cycles of the Five Elements Trapping and Killing Formations until it finally died, depleted of its Blood Qi.


    The cycle of the Five Elements, severing all chances of survival¡ªthat is the might of a first-class formation with eleven patterns, the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation!


    Having been drawn into the formation by the Quicksand Formation, Feng Xi¡¯s starting position was at the central Earth Series base.


    The surging Spiritual Power in the Large Formation, along with the roaring of the flow of Spiritual Power, made the simple-minded and fierce Feng Xi aware of a tremendous threat.


    It put all its strength into crashing against the walls of the labyrinth.


    There was a thunderous boom, but the wall, reinforced by the Spiritual Power of the Large Formation, did not shatter. Instead, the luminance of the formation patterns on it dimmed slightly, clearly having consumed quite a bit of Spiritual Power.


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts shifted slightly, her Divine Sense guiding the flow of energy. In an instant, new Spiritual Power flowed in for replenishment, and the luminosity of the formation patterns on the stone wall was restored.


    Feng Xi¡¯s attempts to break through the wall were fruitless, and it had no choice but to start fleeing through the labyrinth.


    But the Quicksand Formation had it trapped; the quicksand on the ground caused it to falter, and its movements were exceedingly slow.


    Meanwhile, the Golden Light Formation Patterns on both sides lit up one after another, coalescing into thousands of golden sword beams, which assailed it like a downpour, enveloping Feng Xi within and repeatedly grinding away its Blood Qi.


    The vast Spiritual Power and the ferocious aura of slaughter caused all the Foundation Building Cultivators outside the Large Formation to shiver with fear.


    ¡°Is this the might of a first-class trapping and killing formation¡­¡±


    Though the Large Formation was only first-class, and the formations were of the Qi Refinement level, the sheer number of such formations was terrifying!


    When the killing formations were activated, it was like tens of thousands of cultivators casting spells all at once, dense as a sudden downpour, leaving no place to hide or strategy to counter.


    Once trapped within such a formidable formation, even if more than a hundred Foundation Building Cultivators assembled as Taoist Soldiers, they would likely face a hopeless demise!

 Chapter 362 - 360: Quelling (Extra for Alliance Leader Ming! ~)_1

    Chapter 362: Chapter 360: Quelling (Extra for Alliance Leader Ming! ~)_1


    Zhang Lan also felt his scalp go numb.


    He knew the Large Formation was formidable, but he hadn¡¯t expected its killing power to be so terrifying.


    Despite being a mere First-grade Formation Method, it made him, a Foundation Building Cultivator, feel an overwhelming sense of despair that he couldn¡¯t resist.


    ¡°Is the Large Formation really that strong¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan and Yang Jiyong couldn¡¯t help but express their admiration, muttering to themselves.


    After speaking, both of them were taken aback, then looked at each other with disgust, as if they had swallowed flies.


    Zhang Lan disdainfully said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your Yang Family also have a Large Formation? Why are you making such a fuss, acting like you¡¯ve never seen the world before?¡±


    Yang Jiyong retorted, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Zhang Family have one? You¡¯re not any better, are you?¡±


    Zhang Lan said, ¡°Our Zhang Family has profound resources; there¡¯s no need to activate the Large Formation.¡±


    Yang Jiyong also said, ¡°Our Yang Family has fought far and wide, with a formidable reputation; no petty foes dare to offend us, so naturally, there¡¯s no need to activate the Large Formation.¡±


    Zhang Lan sneered, ¡°All that flowery talk, but isn¡¯t it just because you¡¯ve never seen the Large Formation activated?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, aren¡¯t you the same?¡±


    ¡­


    After half a day of bickering, they were both equally matched and could not mock one another.


    Thereafter, they both looked towards the center where the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation was situated, and each let out a slight sigh.


    Indeed, the activation of the Large Formation was a rare sight¡­


    Although the Zhang and Yang Families both constructed Large Formations, they would not activate them under normal circumstances.


    Activating the Large Formation requires a massive amount of Spirit Stones, and even if their families did own Spiritual mines, they could not afford such wastefulness.


    Only if powerful enemies attacked, or the clan faced a catastrophic disaster, would they activate the Large Formation to defend against the foes.


    Given the profound resources and vast power of the Zhang and Yang Families, no one dared to provoke them, and the Large Formation had not been officially activated for hundreds of years.


    Therefore, neither Zhang Lan nor Yang Jiyong had ever truly witnessed the activation of a Large Formation up close.


    The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation drawn by Mo Hua was the first time they saw a fully activated Large Formation.


    Although they knew Large Formations were powerful, they had no idea how powerful they really were until today, experiencing it firsthand, and realizing just how dreadful a Large Formation could be. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation was different from their families¡¯ Protecting Sect Formations; it wasn¡¯t simply a defensive Formation or one that focused on defense while incorporating offense.


    It was a Formation purely designed for slaughter.


    The power of such a Formation was even more formidable than they had imagined.


    This time, both of them remained silent for a long time until Yang Jiyong finally murmured:


    ¡°Formation Masters are truly terrifying¡­¡±


    This time, Zhang Lan did not refute, but softly agreed, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Yang Jiyong looked at the surging Spiritual Power and sky-high fighting spirit of the Large Formation, his heart filled with shock:


    ¡°On the battlefield, if such a Formation could be constructed, it would surely dominate all directions and annihilate all powerful enemies! Even Cultivators a realm higher might not survive!¡±


    He looked up towards a mountain peak in the distance.


    At that peak, sat the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation, where the young Mo Hua was in control of the entire Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    Yang Jiyong had never felt as profoundly aware of Mo Hua¡¯s inscrutability as he did now.


    A thirteen-year-old main Formation Master, and moreover, one who had laid down a Formation focused on killing.


    ¡°This child will undoubtedly become a great weapon of slaughter in the world.¡±


    ¡°He can build Large Formations to save tens of thousands of people, and naturally, he can also build Large Formations to kill tens of thousands¡­¡±


    Yang Jiyong¡¯s heart trembled with fear, and his gaze grew more solemn.


    At this moment, Mo Hua was completely focused, conscientiously controlling the Large Formation, manipulating the Five Elements Formation to entrap and kill Feng Xi.


    Meanwhile, Feng Xi had escaped from the entrapment of the Quicksand Formation and Golden Light Formation within the Earth Series foundation and fled along the stone wall into the Water Series foundation.


    Mo Hua connected with the Formation Pivot, cut off the supply of Spiritual Power to the Earth Series foundation, and then transferred the Spiritual Power refined at the Formation eye through the Formation Pivot to the Water Series foundation.


    With the infusion of Spiritual Power, the Inundating Water Formation and Poisonous Wood Formation were activated, and the ground was instantly covered in accumulated water.


    As Feng Xi waded through the water, each step became increasingly difficult.


    Around it, the air carried waves of dark green Wood Poison, which gradually eroded Feng Xi¡¯s skin, causing numbness and corroding its Blood Qi.


    Some of the Wood Poison mixed into the water, getting more potent by virtue of the interaction between the elements, where water can nourish wood, hence intensifying the toxicity.


    With each step through the water, Feng Xi¡¯s flesh was eroded by the Poison, and soon only bones remained. After the Blood Qi congealed, it was corroded again¡­


    Feng Xi was trapped in the Inundating Water Formation for several hours, and by the time it got out, its Blood Qi was visibly weakened.


    Awaiting it ahead were the successive formations constructed by the Golden Lock Formation, Water Sword Formation, Wooden Prison Formation, Fire Rain Formation, Red Fire Formation, and Earth Crack Formation.


    As long as it could not leave the Large Formation, it would remain trapped in an endless cycle of the Five Elements¡¯ entrapment and slaughter until it was gradually worn down by thousands upon thousands of Formation Patterns.


    All the cultivators witnessing this scene were deeply shaken, and a glimmer of hope also arose:


    Perhaps they could indeed, using the Large Formation, kill the Big Demon!


    The spirits of everyone soared.


    Afterward was a lengthy process of subjugation.


    The killing power of the Large Formation was formidable and highly effective against Feng Xi.


    But because Feng Xi¡¯s Blood Qi was so profound, in order to completely quell it, the Large Formation had to be kept in constant motion ¨C continuously driven, restrained, and depleting Feng Xi¡¯s Blood Qi until its demise.


    This was not an overnight feat.


    This suppression could last for days, or even tens of days.


    During this time, all cultivators had to remain diligent and vigilant, for if Feng Xi managed to escape, it would be difficult to lure it back into the Formation, and even more challenging to kill it.


    Mo Hua remained in front of the Formation Pivot, controlling the entire Large Formation.


    Whenever Feng Xi tried to smash through the walls, Mo Hua controlled the Spiritual Power to reinforce the stone walls.


    Wherever Feng Xi was trapped, Mo Hua would stimulate the Formation there, while also activating nearby Killing Formations.


    Mo Hua would cut the Spiritual Power to unnecessary Formations, saving some Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was in constant depletion.


    If Feng Xi was confined and could temporarily not escape, Mo Hua would sit in meditation to recover some Divine Sense.


    If Feng Xi escaped, Mo Hua would consume Divine Sense to control the Formation Pivot and stimulate the nearby Formations to restrain Feng Xi.


    Feng Xi was constantly manipulated within the Compound Formation of the Five Elements¡¯ entrapment by Mo Hua, restrained by the lock Formations and attacked by the Killing Formations.


    As Feng Xi never ceased, Mo Hua, too, was relentless in his efforts.


    Master Luo, watching from the side, was filled with admiration.


    How profound must one¡¯s foundation of Divine Sense be, and how swift must the recovery of Divine Sense be to achieve this¡­


    Master Luo was not surprised that one could control the Large Formation on their own.


    But to control the Large Formation on one¡¯s own, command it as effortlessly as one¡¯s own limb, while being tirelessly vigilant with an abundance of Divine Sense ¨C could a Qi Refinement cultivator truly achieve this¡­


    ¡°At least let him control the Large Formation; in just a few hours, he¡¯d probably be utterly exhausted.¡±


    Master Luo sighed.


    He had initially thought that if Mo Hua grew tired, he could take over for a while.


    But now that Mo Hua wasn¡¯t tired and he was just watching, he felt unbearably exhausted himself.


    Moreover, while the Formation Pivot looked complex, actually controlling it was even more so. One must have a thorough familiarity with all areas of the Large Formation to be able to open, close, transfer, and adjust it properly.


    Master Luo realized he had overestimated himself.


    This task, beyond his own abilities, could only be entrusted to the Master Formation Master of the Large Formation, which was Mo Hua.


    Watching Mo Hua, Master Luo felt a sense of admiration in his heart:


    ¡°Indeed, there is always someone better.¡±


    Mo Hua still meticulously controlled the Large Formation without distraction.


    With the Large Formation¡¯s vast expanse, errors were inevitable even with Mo Hua¡¯s precise control¡ªbe it a mistake in the flow of Spiritual Power, compatibility issues within a Single Formation, insufficient carrying capacity of the Formation media, or wear and tear causing Formation Patterns to break, and so forth.


    There would be moments when the Large Formation¡¯s supply of Spiritual Power was insufficient and the Formation would fail to activate.


    At such times, the Foundation Building Cultivators within the Large Formation and the stationed Taoist Soldiers needed to take action, even if only to briefly contain Feng Xi and prevent its escape.


    Feng Xi, trapped and being killed, was furious to the extreme.


    Taking action to contain it at such times was extremely dangerous.


    Therefore, Zhang Lan, Yang Jiyong, Elder Yu, and others were all on high alert, not daring to be careless. Everyone would strike only once and then retreat after a single hit before letting another take over.


    This way, they could both contain Feng Xi and prevent everyone from engaging in prolonged combat with it, avoiding showing any weaknesses that Feng Xi could exploit to devour them, costing them their lives and replenishing Feng Xi¡¯s Blood Qi.


    Zhang Lan and the others were under tremendous pressure and acted with extreme caution.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua was quick to adjust the Formation Pivot, restoring the operation of the Large Formation and once more trapping Feng Xi within it, activating the Formation, and killing it in turns¡­


    This process was exceedingly lengthy¡­


    Outside of the Large Formation, the mood of all the Cultivators in Tongxian City shifted from shock and joy to anxiety and agony.


    They did not know how long they would have to kill the Big Demon or if they could kill it at all; they could only fall into a long wait¡­


    In the following ten days, whether day or night, the colorful lights over the mountains never faded, and the strong fluctuations of Spiritual Power rose and fell.


    The roar of Feng Xi was also incessant, day and night.


    As its Blood Qi gradually faded, its ferocity intensified, staining the sky over the mountain crimson as if a gate to purgatory was slowly opening in the heavens.


    And the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation was like a five-colored shackle, firmly locking that purgatorial gate.


    Finally, after more than twenty days, Feng Xi¡¯s roars weakened, gradually quieting.


    And the blood-red in the sky also slowly darkened.


    Evening clouds spread down, coating Big Black Mountain in a golden glow, and a shred of hope rose in everyone¡¯s heart.


    Inside the Large Formation, after more than twenty days of relentless battle without rest, all the Cultivators were exhausted, and their supplies of Spirit Stones were nearly depleted.


    All the Cultivators worked together and finally drained Feng Xi of its Blood Qi completely!


    Feng Xi¡¯s Blood Qi dissipated, and it seemed feeble; it slowly collapsed to the ground.


    Elder Yu and the others were pale, gasping for air, clenching their teeth, having endured for over twenty days.


    When Feng Xi fell, everyone felt numbness filling their hearts. It took a long time before they gradually came to their senses, incredulous, they said:


    ¡°Dead?¡±


    ¡°Killed?¡±


    ¡°The Big Demon is dead, it¡¯s been killed¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Joy surged like a tide, and they couldn¡¯t help but shout out in celebration.


    Mo Hua also took a deep breath and collapsed to the ground.


    But before Mo Hua could relish the victory, a sudden unease gripped his heart.


    He scrambled up and looked down, his pupils shrinking involuntarily.


    The fallen Feng Xi, without noise, was slowly standing up again¡­


    Just like the Pig Monster that had died once before, it stood silently and suddenly, silently, swallowed the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    The cheers stopped abruptly, and the onlookers also saw this scene, exclaiming in shock:


    ¡°The Big Demon isn¡¯t dead?¡±


    ¡°Impossible, its Blood Qi was clearly depleted¡­¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    At the same time, the aura of Feng Xi changed; no longer did it carry the crimson hue of Blood Qi but was now enveloped in a black-grey aura of death.


    Its pig face twisted and deformed, reshaping and transforming into a huge human face.


    This human face was like a strange Taoist persona.


    He opened his mouth, without lips or teeth, and spoke in an indistinguishable gender.


    It sounded like one person speaking, yet also like many speaking together, eerie and noisy:


    ¡°Who is it? Who ruined my grand plan?¡±


    ¡°Ruined my grand plan!¡±


    ¡°Who dares?¡±


    ¡°Ruined¡­ my grand plan!¡±


    ¡­


    Many disordered voices mingled together, sounding as though they were both ringing in the ears and in the Sea of Consciousness.


    Zhang Lan and others turned pale:


    ¡°What is this thing?!¡±


    ¡°This pig¡­ is a person?¡±


    The moment Mo Hua saw the human face, enlightenment struck; he understood why the pig could die and then return to life.


    Because within it, there had always been another Divine Thought hidden.


    The Divine Thought of that strange Taoist persona!


    The Monster Sensing of Feng Xi had long since extinguished; what drove its rebirth was the Divine Thought of that Taoist persona.


    The person Mr. Zhuang prohibited him from asking about, thinking about, or mentioning¡­ that strange Taoist persona!


    Feng Xi revived, the human face emerged, evil spirits entwined, and Death Qi was heavy.


    In the mountain abode, Mr. Zhuang also wore a grave expression and muttered:


    ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­¡±

 Chapter 363 - 361 Planting Demon_1

    Chapter 363: Chapter 361 Planting Demon_1


    Old Kui sighed, ¡°I did not expect his ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯ to be cultivated to this extent¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang remained silent.


    Old Kui said, ¡°You¡¯re in big trouble now.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°Debts many worry not, lice plenty itch not, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±


    Old Kui let out a cold snort, then frowned, asking curiously, ¡°What on earth did he do?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    ¡°He is your senior brother, how could you not know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never cultivated ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯¡­¡±


    After thinking for a while, Old Kui said, ¡°Tell me the principles of ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯, and I¡¯ll grant you one request.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, ¡°Really?¡±


    Old Kui looked at him and spoke indifferently, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t know?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°I might know.¡±


    ¡°My word is my bond,¡± said Old Kui.


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, his gaze growing somber, and explained:


    ¡°The so-called ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯ is a demon spell that utilizes Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°This spell allows one to split their Divine Thought and nurture a Demon Seed, planting it atop someone else¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, destroying their Taoist Heart, driving them into the Demon Path, or causing their Taoist Heart to collapse, turning into a Walking Corpse, to be toyed with at will¡­¡±


    Old Kui frowned, ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound difficult.¡±


    ¡°Things concerning Divine Sense always sound easy, but are extremely difficult in practice. Otherwise ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be one of the ten great Forbidden Techniques of the Demon Path,¡± Mr. Zhuang stated.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the deal with Feng Xi? What has Gui Tao¡¯s people done?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke lightly, ¡°It¡¯s quite simple. He first implanted a Demon Thought in someone, had them go to Black Mountain Stronghold to die, and after their corpse fed the pigs, this strand of Demon Thought naturally entered the body of the Pig Monster.¡±


    ¡°Ordinarily within the body of Monster Beasts, a human¡¯s Demon Thought wouldn¡¯t last long. But someone kept feeding the pigs with humans, and this strand of Demon Thought survived by devouring human Divine Senses, so while it appeared to have one face, in truth it had many, and though it seemed to have one voice, there were many speaking.¡±


    ¡°Once the timing was ripe, it took over and commanded the entire Big Demon.¡±


    ¡°Within the state boundary, the Big Demon is invincible. With his Demon Thought controlling the Big Demon, he could do almost anything he wished, and even the Taoist Court and the Great Clans could not thwart him¡­¡±


    Old Kui remarked, ¡°Your senior brother is far smarter than you.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang faltered, then quickly thought again, ¡°He is smarter than me, but it¡¯s a pity that he fell into my disciple¡¯s hands¡­ Well, in other words, it¡¯s as good as falling into my own hands.¡±


    After saying this, Mr. Zhuang nodded to himself.


    Lucky for him to have had the foresight to accept Mo Hua as his nominal disciple and teach him the Great Formation.


    And indeed, Mo Hua actually learned and established the Great Formation himself and exhausted the Big Demon¡¯s Blood Qi using the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, forcing Gui Tao to reveal his Demon Thought.


    Therefore, he considered this a victory for himself.


    Old Kui couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Have some shame.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang ignored the comment.


    Old Kui furrowed his brow again, ¡°The Great Formation killed the Big Demon, but now it¡¯s alive again, shrouded in death energy, half-corpse and half-ghost. The cultivators of Tongxian City alone can¡¯t cope with it, can they?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°We can only delay.¡±


    ¡°Waiting for the Taoist Court to take action?¡± Old Kui¡¯s gaze grew sharp.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Within this half-dead Feng Xi¡¯s body is the Demon Thought planted by Gui Tao¡¯s people. The Taoist Court is bound to want to capture its Demon Thought for research, but¡­¡±


    But he did not know whether Tongxian City could hold out¡­


    Once the half-corpse, half-ghost Feng Xi entered the city, the cultivators of Tongxian City would likely still face a great calamity.


    Mr. Zhuang did not spell it out, but both men knew it well.


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze also grew somber.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyebrows arched as he spoke again, ¡°about the request I just made.¡±


    Old Kui had a bad premonition.


    ¡°If Feng Xi enters the city, you die once and give a hand,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Talking in circles, it turned out he was scheming against himself here.


    Old Kui looked conflicted, ¡°You Formation Masters have such filthy hearts.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang humbly said, ¡°It¡¯s said that water that is too clear has no fish, my heart is only slightly dirty.¡±


    Old Kui said, ¡°Tongxian City should have nothing to do with you, right? Why the good heart?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°I am, after all, a gentleman, and before leaving, I ought to do something for my disciple.¡±


    The cultivators of a city were either Mo Hua¡¯s kin or acquaintances.


    He could accept living with regrets himself, but he did not want his younger brother to experience the same bitterness.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze dropped, tinged with melancholy.


    Old Kui nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Mr. Zhuang said lightly.


    ¡°No need to thank me, I agreed only out of consideration for Mo Hua,¡± Old Kui stated.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression faltered slightly, ¡°What if it weren¡¯t for Mo Hua¡¯s sake?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have agreed.¡±


    ¡°About the request I just made¡­¡±


    ¡°Your single sentence in exchange for my life, do you think that¡¯s fair?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang eyed him suspiciously, ¡°Were you planning on breaking your word from the beginning?¡±


    ¡°A person is known by the company he keeps. I learned it from you. Going back on my word is simple,¡± Old Kui responded impassively.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°You too, have an unclean heart.¡±


    Old Kui paid him no attention.


    Mr. Zhuang, seemingly unconcerned, let out a silent sigh of relief inside.


    It was a good thing that Old Kui was willing to help. He did not want Mo Hua to be heartbroken, nor did he want his senior brother to commit more killing.


    Feeling somewhat weary in heart and mind, Mr. Zhuang lay on the bamboo chair, looking up at the sky, and then furrowed his brow, sensing something amiss.


    Old Kui looked at him, puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze narrowed, his fingers pinched, his thoughts fluttering rapidly, frown deepening.


    ¡°There¡¯s still uncertainty in Heavenly Dao¡­ but that¡¯s not right, why should there be any uncertainty?¡±


    ¡°Where does the uncertainty lie?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang faintly perceived something amiss and silently gazed toward the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation deep in the mountains, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.


    Within the Great Formation, cultivators had already begun to evacuate.


    Feng Xi had come back to life, yet he was half-dead, shrouded in a terrifying aura of death.


    The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation could still exhaust him to death.


    But there were no more Spirit Stones.


    The collected Spirit Stones had been depleted, and the few remaining could only activate the Great Formation for a few hours, insufficient to kill the resurrected Feng Xi.


    The other Foundation Building Cultivators were also exhausted, unable to continue fighting Feng Xi.


    At this moment, the only option was to retreat first and regroup for a long-term plan.


    Everyone¡¯s expression was grim, subtly revealing utter despair.


    They couldn¡¯t think of any method to kill Feng Xi again.


    Mo Hua stood on top of the mountain, looking at Feng Xi from a distance, her mind made up, her expression gradually firming.


    Elder Yu and the others approached her, helplessly saying, ¡°Let¡¯s retreat for now, rest for a while, and then think of other methods.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°You go first; I¡¯ll control the Great Formation and cover our retreat.¡±


    Zhang Lan and the others frowned and quickly said, ¡°How can this be possible? It¡¯s not your place to cover the retreat.¡±


    With all these Foundation Building Cultivators present, how could they possibly let Mo Hua, a junior cultivator, cover the retreat?


    Moreover, Mo Hua¡¯s status had changed by now.


    She had successfully constructed the Great Formation and had resisted Feng Xi; whether or not someone had lent a hand, she would inevitably become a famous Formation Master.


    Under such circumstances, they could not afford to take any risks.


    Mo Hua corrected them, ¡°It¡¯s the Great Formation covering the retreat, not me.¡±


    Zhang Lan and the others wanted to say more, but Mo Hua said,


    ¡°Hurry up and call everyone to retreat. Before evacuating, place the last of the Spirit Stones on the Gathering Spirit Formation at the Formation eye.¡±


    ¡°I will activate the Great Formation and cover the retreat; don¡¯t worry about what happens afterward¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s demeanor was too composed, her tone imbued with an undeniable calmness, and Zhang Lan and the others, with no reason to doubt her, nodded and did as Mo Hua instructed.


    Within the Great Formation, there were still cultivators operating it, including Formation Masters and Taoist Soldiers.


    They needed to maintain the formations and also transport Spirit Stones to provide Spiritual Power for the operation of the Great Formation.


    Most of the Spirit Stones had been consumed in the attempt to kill Feng Xi, leaving only a small portion, which Mo Hua had meticulously saved while controlling the Great Formation.


    These Spirit Stones were intentionally kept by Mo Hua.


    Lighting firecrackers requires a spark.


    Triggering the Great Formation¡¯s dissolution also requires Spiritual Power as a primer.


    These Spirit Stones were the ¡°spark¡± for the Great Formation¡¯s dissolution. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She intended to use these Spirit Stones as a lure, initiating the dissolution of the Great Formation, to eradicate the Big Demon completely!


    If she had said she would use the Great Formation to slay the Big Demon, then she must keep her word.


    She didn¡¯t know what this Big Demon now was.


    But regardless of whether the Big Demon was alive or dead, a body or a ghost, wrapped in Blood Qi or dead air, since it had entered her Great Formation, it was doomed!


    It would never leave the Great Formation to consume another person.


    Within the Great Formation, cultivators were gradually evacuating.


    Mo Hua, who had already calculated everything in advance, began to prepare to draw on the Formation Pivot, penning the Reversed Spirit Formation that would trigger the Great Formation¡¯s dissolution.


    Before she put pen to paper, Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, feeling a profound reluctance in her heart.


    This was the first Great Formation she had ever constructed¡­ and yet it could not be preserved in the end.


    Mo Hua sighed with a tinge of regret, then her small hand moved to draw, and she penned the first Reversed Spirit Formation.


    Almost simultaneously, Mr. Zhuang in his mountain dwelling felt a pang in his heart, suddenly perceptive, and murmured in bewilderment,


    ¡°What is this child Mo Hua trying to do¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Four hours later, the evacuation of the cultivators was complete.


    Mo Hua had also finished drawing the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    With a sweep of her Divine Sense, Mo Hua found that within the Great Formation, no one remained except herself, and the mountains were desolate and silent with no trace of cultivators, allowing her to feel at ease.


    The resurrected Feng Xi was still trapped within the Great Formation.


    Lacking Spirit Stones, Mo Hua had not activated the Killing Formation but merely used a trapping formation to confine it, preventing it from escaping the Great Formation.


    However, even the trapping formation would not last much longer.


    Within the Great Formation, many formations also began to fade due to the lack of Spirit Stones for sustenance.


    The pressure on Feng Xi was significantly reduced and, at that moment, he sensed the only cultivator¡¯s presence within the Great Formation.


    That presence was Mo Hua¡¯s.


    Feng Xi, as large as a small mountain and wrapped in deathly aura, staggered forward, inching closer to Mo Hua with each thundering step.


    Its eyes were pitch-black wells of fear.


    Eventually, Feng Xi stood before Mo Hua.


    Tiny Mo Hua looked down from her higher position, staring into the large, terrifyingly dark eyes of Feng Xi.


    Feng Xi¡¯s face was human, with various expressions and continued struggles and changes, finally revealing a Taoist¡¯s face. It began to speak, but it was as if different people were talking at the same time:


    ¡°Your aura?¡±


    ¡°Quite courageous¡­¡±


    ¡°Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°Very familiar¡­¡±


    All voices eventually merged into one question:


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The light in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes turned icy as she crisply replied,


    ¡°The one who will send you to heaven!¡±


    Then Mo Hua slightly closed her eyes, with one thought of her Divine Sense, she manipulated the Formation Pivot, reversing the Spiritual Power, triggering the dissolution of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation!

 Chapter 364 - 362 Collapse_1

    Chapter 364: Chapter 362 Collapse_1


    The remaining Spirit Stones instantly refined into spiritual power, driving the Large Formation to operate.


    When the spiritual power encountered the first Reversed Spirit Formation, it reversed instantly, disintegrating, bringing a black color of nothingness, forming a terrifying force of dissolution.


    Like a spark, the spiritual power followed the flow of the Large Formation, successively triggering Reversed Spirit Formations, leading to deeper, more complex layers of dissolution.


    In the end, these forces of dissolution, along with the operation of the Large Formation, reached every corner, reversing every Formation Pattern, accumulating an incredibly terrifying force that instantaneously triggered the complete collapse and self-destruction of the Great Formation!


    ¡­


    Outside the mountain, Cultivators were retreating towards Tongxian City.


    Mo Shan had a bad feeling. He searched through the crowd for Mo Hua¡¯s figure, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t find her. At that moment, he saw Zhang Lan and hurriedly approached, grabbing Zhang Lan¡¯s sleeve, and asked anxiously,


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mo Hua?¡±


    Zhang Lan, who was busy with the evacuation, was stunned before he realized and involuntarily turned his head to look towards the mountains.


    At that moment, the world suddenly went silent.


    It was as if all sounds were swallowed by boundless nothingness; Big Black Mountain became instantly quiet, yet it harbored the oppressive silence before a cataclysmic storm.


    Zhang Lan and Mo Shan¡¯s faces turned deathly pale in an instant.


    In Tongxian City, Liu Ruhua suddenly felt her heart palpitate, and as she looked towards Big Black Mountain, tears streamed down her face.


    A surge of black spiritual power fluctuated, shooting up into the sky, clearing away the clouds, a terrifying aura emerged.


    The potent spiritual power dissolved the depths of the mountain into flying ash bit by bit.


    Even though it seemed incredibly fearsome, there was not a single sound.


    It was as though the world was left with only the silent colors of black and white.


    At this moment, all the Cultivators in Tongxian City were looking on in shock.


    Not just in Tongxian City, but all the Cultivators from the Second Grade Black Mountain State Boundary were panickedly looking up, witnessing the dark energy of spiritual power dissolution in the distance, unable to help trembling all over.


    The Great Formation Dissolution was earth-shaking, terrifying all the Cultivators in the entire state boundary.


    They didn¡¯t know what had happened, but they felt an inexplicable terror.


    However, Zhang Lan and the others on the outer mountains saw first-hand what had happened.


    They saw the surging reverse transformations of spiritual power, the collapse of the Great Formation, the dissolution of Formation Patterns, and also Feng Xi within the force of dissolution.


    The force of dissolution, like a pitch-black, fine, razor-sharp blade, cut through Feng Xi¡¯s flesh time and time again, disintegrating his bones, breaking apart his Demon Thoughts, and erasing his deathly aura.


    It seemed determined to completely erase his existence from the world!


    This process was accompanied by extreme agony.


    Feng Xi was struggling, howling in rage.


    On its body, countless human faces were wailing, crying out, lamenting, begging.


    But it seemed even these sounds were being fully dissolved, not reaching the ears at all.


    Everyone was struck with inexplicable horror, and Zhang Lan¡¯s pupils shook violently.


    What kind of power was this?


    He had never heard of it, let alone seen it.


    Zhang Lan was stunned, suddenly recalling that this was perhaps the ¡°covering one¡¯s retreat¡± that Mo Hua had spoken of, and at this moment, Mo Hua was right in the midst of this self-destructing Great Formation.


    Zhang Lan was overwhelmed with boundless guilt and regret.


    At this time, Mr. Zhuang, watching the surging, pitch-black force of the Great Formation¡¯s dissolution in the sky, couldn¡¯t hide the shock in his heart.


    ¡°The Great Formation is dissolving¡­ How did he manage to do it¡­¡±


    Dissolving a Great Formation required an enormously large number of Calculations, consuming a tremendous amount of Divine Sense.


    How on earth did Mo Hua calculate it?


    Mr. Zhuang was perplexed and full of doubts.


    Old Kui was similarly struck speechless by shock.


    With his high realm and having lived so long, he had seen many grand events in his lifetime, but the shock brought by this scene might not be comparable to any he had seen before.


    This unbelievable dissolution of the First Grade Great Formation¡­


    After a while, Old Kui said seriously, ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem, right?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, frowning, did some Calculations in his mind and then breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°He left a Life-gate for himself.¡±


    There was a Life-gate, it seemed everything had been prepared in advance¡­


    Old Kui also felt slightly relieved, ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡± He turned to look at the sky again, saying in awe, ¡°The boy has some nerve.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Mr. Zhuang replied, his expression complex.


    Both of them were gazing at the terrifying and magnificent scene of the Great Formation¡¯s dissolution in the sky, unable to speak for a long time.


    As they watched, they both suddenly felt a chill in their hearts, their pupils constricting slightly.


    In the distance, thunderclouds were converging, within which hints of red could be seen.


    Old Kui, in disbelief, said, ¡°That is¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes went blank, and his voice trembled slightly as he said,


    ¡°Thunder Punishment?!¡±


    In the outer mountains, Yang Jiyong also noticed the anomaly and said in fright,


    ¡°Zhang Lan, what is that?¡±


    Zhang Lan looked up, his eyes filled with horror, ¡°How is that possible?!¡±


    It was the Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment!


    The unnamed, pitch-black spiritual power in this place was too powerful, having broken through the limits imposed by the Heavenly Dao Laws, and had drawn forth the eradicating thunder punishment that wiped out all things!


    But what was this thunder punishment meant to eradicate? Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Lan suddenly realized and hurriedly looked towards the deep mountains.


    Within the deep mountains, the Great Formation had completely dissolved, peaks had crumbled, flora and rocks had turned to black ash, dissipating with the spiritual power.


    Only one peak stood erect.


    Around the peak, full of pits and hollows, it looked like a pillar eroded by time.


    That was the Life-gate of the Formation.


    And at the top of the peak stood a slender figure.


    That figure was Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was pale, but his aura was calm.


    It seemed he hadn¡¯t been affected by the terrifying spiritual power just now.


    Mo Shan, Elder Yu, and all the others who had been worried about Mo Hua couldn¡¯t believe it, yet they were ecstatic. But before they could rejoice, they witnessed an even more terrifying sight.


    Above Mo Hua¡¯s head, thunderclouds gathered, and the crimson thunder punishment, carrying an aura of extinction, circled above.


    All hearts quaked with fear.


    The target of the thunder punishment, was it Mo Hua?


    The Heavenly Dao Laws were going to eradicate Mo Hua?!


    Despair showed in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    The Heavenly Dao Laws, supreme and inviolable. Cultivators could not contend with them; even the most powerful cultivators at higher realms were doomed under this thunder punishment!


    Just as everyone was losing hope, the situation took another turn.


    The crimson thunder punishment descended, but hesitated just as it was about to strike Mo Hua.


    It seemed even the thunder punishment had not anticipated that the one who had triggered the Heavenly Dao Laws, the one to be eradicated by the Heavenly Dao, was just a child in his early teens.


    Moreover, his cultivation was lowly, merely at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement.


    There was no other sinister aura on him either.


    The thunder punishment lingered by Mo Hua¡¯s side, as if confirming, hesitating, doubting, and finally seemed to decide there had been an error in the Formation, and slowly moved away from Mo Hua, returning to the thunderclouds¡­


    As the thunder punishment vanished, the Great Formation completely collapsed, and peace returned to heaven and earth.


    The terrifying fluctuations of the deep mountains disappeared.


    Whether it was Feng Xi, the Great Formation, or the thunder punishment, none remained.


    Within the deep mountains, there was only Mo Hua.


    At this moment, all the cultivators who had witnessed such horrifying sights all turned their gaze towards the deep mountains, towards Mo Hua on the peak.


    The Great Formation had collapsed, the world seemed destroyed, the deep mountains turned to ash, and only Mo Hua remained unharmed.


    About him, the mountain rocks crumbled, all was desolation.


    Big Demon Feng Xi, unrivaled in the realm, turned into nothing but dust at his feet, leaving only shapeless black ash remains.


    The crimson thunder punishment that eradicated all things had gathered above his head, had encircled and hovered around him, but ultimately dissolved by his side.


    Mo Hua stood atop the boundless Big Black Mountain, his form slight yet towering as if merged with the Heavenly Dao, surviving though heaven and earth crumbled and the thunder punishment fell without perishing.


    This incredible scene deeply etched itself into the hearts of all the cultivators of Tongxian City.


    At this time, Mo Hua looked up at the sky, his gaze trembling.


    He saw a sight even more shocking.


    He saw the thunder punishment, the thunderclouds, and above the thunderclouds, a Pattern of Formation!


    The Heavenly Dao had sought to eradicate him, but it had not done so.


    The thunder punishment came and went, and as it dissipated, it tore the sky open, and Mo Hua, gazing at the torn heavens above, laid eyes upon a Formation Pattern in the midst of the void!


    It was just a single Formation Pattern.


    Simple and primitive, grand and opaque, embedding the ultimate truth of heaven and earth, it also concentrated the power to eradicate all things, causing one¡¯s heart to palpitate and yearn.


    Mo Hua took a fleeting glance, wishing to remember this Formation Pattern.


    But his Divine Sense was too weak to comprehend the Heavenly Dao Formation. With just one look, his Divine Sense was exhausted in an instant, and excruciating pain of tearing spread through him, his Sea of Consciousness on the brink of collapse.


    In that critical moment, the Taoist Stele suddenly emerged, protecting Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    The Sea of Consciousness that was about to collapse was reconstructed.


    Mo Hua¡¯s awareness gained a moment of clarity.


    This brief clarity brought him an epiphany.


    He understood that his Divine Sense was limited and couldn¡¯t memorize the Formation Pattern.


    But the Taoist Stele could!


    If his Sea of Consciousness couldn¡¯t remember, then inscribe it on the Taoist Stele.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t remember the whole Formation Pattern, remembering just one stroke was sufficient!


    The thunder punishment was about to vanish in an instant, and the sky was about to close.


    Mo Hua looked up to the heavens, blood streaming from his eyes, and with all his might, he inscribed a stroke of the Formation Pattern onto the Taoist Stele within his Sea of Consciousness.


    It was only one stroke!


    But this one stroke of the Formation Pattern was profoundly mysterious and powerful!


    It was derived from the Heavenly Dao Formation that penetrated heaven and earth, categorized as Immortal Grade, the true Immortal Pattern!

 Chapter 365 - 363 Rest_1

    Chapter 365: Chapter 363 Rest_1


    Mo Hua noted down this Immortal Pattern, and afterwards, his Divine Sense was completely exhausted, and he collapsed to the ground.


    At the moment he lost consciousness, he vaguely felt many Cultivators shouting his name, rushing toward him.


    Their voices were incredibly anxious.


    There was his father Mo Shan, Zhang Lan, Elder Yu, Leader Yang, and many other familiar people.


    After that, he slipped into unconsciousness, fainting away.


    ¡­


    Zhang Lan and Mo Shan, among others, rushed to Mo Hua¡¯s side, saw the blood traces at the corners of his eyes, his faint breath, but stable pulse and smooth Blood Qi, all breathed a sigh of relief.


    Afterwards, everyone took Mo Hua for treatment to Old Mr. Feng¡¯s place.


    Meanwhile, Mr. Zhuang still stood outside the bamboo room on the corridor, watching the deep mountain¡¯s sky, silently reflecting.


    In that patch of sky, once there were Feng Xi¡¯s soaring Blood Qi, the Large Formation¡¯s majestic Spiritual Power, the collapsing Power of Silence, and also the terrifying power of Robbery Thunder.


    But now, everything had disappeared, the horizon was broad, and it was as if nothing had ever been.


    This is the sky, this is the Dao.


    Even if the world stirs dramatically, in a blink, it all becomes fleeting clouds; those departed thus leave not a trace.


    Mr. Zhuang gazed at the horizon, dazed, not knowing what he was thinking about.


    From dusk, he watched until deep into the night.


    Old Kui couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t rest, you will die.¡±


    ¡°Who will not die?¡±


    ¡°Then at least choose a more dramatic way to die, not so blandly.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t speak again, still silently reflecting.


    Old Kui was somewhat surprised, and fearing that he might really seek death, asked:


    ¡°What are you thinking about, thinking for so long?¡±


    ¡°I am thinking¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang said faintly, ¡°How long I can actually hide?¡±


    ¡°How long you can hide, just hide that long, haven¡¯t you always been doing that, muddling through?¡± Old Kui said coldly.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°But what¡¯s the point in that?¡±


    Old Kui furrowed his brows.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°Living like this, living one more day or one less day, makes absolutely no difference¡­¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze slightly hardened, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Mr. Zhaung didn¡¯t answer, still silently watching the horizon.


    There was once the figure of Mo Hua.


    The Large Formation collapsed, the Robbery Thunder dissipated, the figure of Mo Hua standing atop Big Black Mountain, deeply imprinted in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mind.


    The sky grew darker, and the night deepened.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s body was swallowed by the night, yet his eyes shone like starlight, burning with hope.


    ¡­


    When Mo Hua groggily woke up, he realized there was someone beside him, it was his mother, Liu Ruhua.


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes were marked with tear stains, her hand clenching Mo Hua¡¯s small hand unwillingly, seemingly having been taking care of him all along, but due to excessive exhaustion, she had fallen asleep beside Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua felt warmth in his heart, and a bit of heartache, stretched out his small hand, and gently wiped the tear stains from Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes.


    Liu Ruhua woke up startled, suddenly opened her eyes, and seeing Mo Hua¡¯s smiling face, gradually let her mind ease.


    She took a long breath, feeling a heavy weight lifted from her heart, and tenderly said:


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, what would you like to eat? Mom will make it for you.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he listed a bunch of food he wanted to eat.


    Liu Ruhua paused, then chuckled, ¡°Still so greedy.¡±


    Then she cautioned, ¡°Old Mr. Feng said your Sea of Consciousness was damaged, but it¡¯s not severe, just rest well for a few days.¡±


    ¡°But your eyes, I don¡¯t know what you saw, they were hurt, and during this period, there may be occasions when you might be temporarily blind, unable to see clearly, you must be a bit more careful.¡±


    ¡°Old Mr. Feng has already refined a few Pills for you to take every day, after some time, ask Old Mr. Feng to check again¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua chattered on and on.


    Mo Hua listened quietly, nodding repeatedly.


    After a while, Mo Shan also came in, and seeing that Mo Hua was awake, his face brightened.


    But his deep concern was hidden in his heart, he didn¡¯t know how to start talking, he just asked dryly, ¡°Are you alright¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Mo Shan also sighed with relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.


    What had happened in the deep mountains, what Mo Hua had done, neither Mo Shan understood, nor did they ask in detail, as long as Mo Hua was fine.


    Liu Ruhua frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t take such risks in the future¡­¡±


    Mo Hua reassured her, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve calculated everything, nothing will go wrong, it just looks a bit dangerous¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Listening on the side, Mo Shan¡¯s heart was helpless:


    Causing such a terrifying commotion, Feng Xi blown to ashes, Robbery Thunder even drawn, calling it ¡°just looks a bit dangerous¡±¡­


    Liu Ruhua also didn¡¯t quite believe it, skeptically asking, ¡°Really calculated?¡±


    ¡°Really!¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°The Formation doesn¡¯t lie, life is life, death is death, I left the Life-gate, so I definitely won¡¯t die.¡±


    Liu Ruhua didn¡¯t understand at all, but seeing Mo Hua so confident and assertive, she couldn¡¯t help but pinch Mo Hua¡¯s cheek, smiling gently:


    ¡°Alright, mother believes you.¡±


    Mo Hua also smiled, eyes crinkling like crescent moons.


    Beside them, Mo Shan watched his wife and child, his gaze becoming tender.


    Afterward, Zhang Lan, Elder Yu, Court Leader Zhou, and others came to see Mo Hua, bringing many gifts, mostly food, some nourishing blood, some calming nerves, some invigorating¡­


    Mo Hua was very grateful and very satisfied.


    When they asked about the collapse of the Large Formation, Mo Hua didn¡¯t use the obscure term ¡®collapse,¡¯ just said he found a way to make the Large Formation ¡°self-destruct.¡±


    The collapse is a secret heritage of the Formation, it¡¯s still better not to mention it casually.


    As for how it self-destructed, Mo Hua¡¯s explanation was ambiguous, mentioning some terminologies about Formation Pivot and Formation Patterns.


    Seeing Mo Hua speak as if he knew what he was talking about, everyone believed him.


    After all, whether Mo Hua was telling the truth or not, they couldn¡¯t understand either way.


    For a Formation Master, the Large Formation was already complex enough, let alone its collapse.


    And for non-Formation Master Cultivators, even ordinary formations were completely puzzling, let alone the Large Formation and its collapse.


    As long as they knew, the Large Formation self-destructed, the Big Demon was slain, Mo Hua was safe, that was enough.


    At this thought, everyone¡¯s hearts were moved, especially Elder Yu.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that when everyone united, they would actually manage to kill a Big Demon.


    This hadn¡¯t happened in Tongxian City for thousands of years.


    Much of this achievement was due to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had helped Tongxian City, and them¡­


    Elder Yu and others held this silently in their hearts.


    Later, in order not to disturb Mo Hua¡¯s rest, everyone left.


    Mo Hua¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t that severe, after resting for a few days at Old Mr. Feng¡¯s place, he went home a few days later.


    His Sea of Consciousness was slowly healing, and for a short time, he couldn¡¯t paint Formations, use Divine Sense sparingly, so Mo Hua could just be lazy and rest for a few more days.


    Aside from that, his eyes would occasionally go blind.


    It was like he had seen something he shouldn¡¯t have seen, viewed patterns containing the profound truths of the universe.


    So now, when he looked at other things, the visions would occasionally be illusory, like a layer of white, void-like phantoms overlaying reality, uncertainly true or false, hard to distinguish.


    Old Mr. Feng didn¡¯t know what Mo Hua saw, only gave advice based on the injuries, pragmatically saying:


    ¡°Your eyes have been burned by something, occasionally not seeing clearly is normal, it will get better after some rest.¡±


    Mo Hua was then reassured, he certainly did not want to be half-blind.

 Chapter 366 - 364: Waves_1

    Chapter 366: Chapter 364: Waves_1


    Mo Hua recuperated for a few days and, feeling that there was nothing seriously wrong, went to visit Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang was leaving.


    Mo Hua had previously thought about mastering Divine Sense Calculation and then giving Mr. Zhuang a surprise.


    Now it seems that this ¡°surprise¡± might be a bit too big¡­


    But Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t seem to care, not even bothering to ask.


    Mo Hua was a little puzzled and asked,


    ¡°Gentleman, aren¡¯t you going to ask what happened?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and shook his head slightly,


    ¡°I know what I need to know, you don¡¯t have to say it and I also don¡¯t need to know what I don¡¯t know, nor should you tell anyone else, let no one be aware of it.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly startled, but nodded in agreement.


    Mr. Zhuang cautioned him,


    ¡°You may use Divine Sense Calculation, but be discreet, and if someone takes notice, find a way to cover it up¡­¡±


    ¡°As for Formation Collapse, never use it again!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with utmost solemnity.


    Mo Hua hesitated and then asked in a soft voice,


    ¡°But what if¡­ it¡¯s absolutely necessary, and I have no choice but to use it?¡±


    After all, he didn¡¯t know what dangers he might encounter in the future. If calamity struck, he surely couldn¡¯t just sit and wait for death.


    ¡°If it¡¯s absolutely necessary¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang replied indifferently, ¡°then you must ensure that after using it, no living person knows about it.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart and nodded again.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his expression softening,


    ¡°These things are not meant for someone of your realm to learn. Once people find out, they will surely covet them and you¡¯ll be bringing trouble upon yourself.¡±


    Especially Formation Collapse.


    This legacy was an absolute secret among secrets.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed.


    He taught Mo Hua Divine Sense Calculation, hoping to give him a glimpse into its ways and make it easier for him to grasp formations, but he hadn¡¯t expected him to dissolve an entire Large Formation¡­


    That was something he hadn¡¯t anticipated at all.


    Great Formation Dissolution¡­


    Even now, the thought still made Mr. Zhuang¡¯s heart flutter.


    Mr. Zhuang knew that Mo Hua must have some special fate; he had sensed it early on, and this fate might be even greater than he imagined.


    But Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t want to delve any deeper.


    Every cultivator has their own destiny. What¡¯s more, this little cultivator who had such a destiny was also his disciple.


    Mr. Zhuang intended to keep Mo Hua¡¯s secrets.


    And the best way to keep a secret is to be unaware of it yourself.


    The divine sense of a person is ethereal and elusive.


    But however illusory the divine sense is, it always leaves traces.


    Once known, it will inevitably be discerned by others.


    So the best method is to know nothing from the start.


    When originally there is nothing, where can the dust alight?


    Mo Hua had initially planned to disclose the matters of the Thunder Punishment and Formation Patterns to Mr. Zhuang, but since Mr. Zhuang had said so, it was better not to mention it for now.


    Mo Hua thought of another matter and asked,


    ¡°Gentleman, are you really leaving soon¡­¡±


    After all, he had learned the Large Formation on his own, and the Feng Xi issue was also resolved, so it seemed there wasn¡¯t any reason for Mr. Zhuang to stay¡­


    And Mr. Zhuang¡¯s aura was also diminishing by the day.


    On the surface, his appearance and demeanor seemed unchanged from before, without any noticeable transformation.


    But Mo Hua, who was sensitive and had been with Mr. Zhuang for a long time, vaguely sensed that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s aura seemed to be gradually fading.


    It was a strange feeling,


    As if the very existence of Mr. Zhuang was slowly dissipating.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Will I have the chance to see you again in the future?¡±


    Mo Hua asked somewhat disheartenedly.


    Seeing the reluctance in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, Mr. Zhuang seemed to make up his mind, his tone gentle but firm,


    ¡°If it¡¯s meant to be¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After Mo Hua left, the shadowy figure of Old Kui materialized, looking at Mr. Zhuang with a frown and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by unnecessary?¡±


    Old Kui spoke in displeasure, ¡°You know what I mean, do I need to spell it out?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang fell silent, and after a moment, his eyes brightened as he said,


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking¡­ of taking Mo Hua as my direct disciple.¡±


    Old Kui inwardly thought as much and spoke with increased disapproval,


    ¡°You want to meet your own end, but don¡¯t drag the child into it. He comes from humble origins and shouldn¡¯t be entangled in such consequential matters.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°No, he has great destiny!¡±


    Old Kui frowned.


    Mr. Zhuang recalled the scene at Big Black Mountain, then added,


    ¡°Born from a Great Formation Dissolution and not dying when the Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment descended, that is great destiny!¡±


    Old Kui said with derision, ¡°Nonsense about great destiny, the Life-gate was calculated by himself, and the thunder was never meant to kill him. These events have their own causes and effects, unrelated to the illusory notion of destiny.¡±


    Destiny was something that might deceive unaware cultivators, but it was a stretch to deceive Old Kui.


    Seeing he couldn¡¯t sway Old Kui, Mr. Zhuang then said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s not say he has destiny, but at least he has a Taoist Heart, young in age but vast and resolute.¡±


    On this point, Old Kui did not object but just sighed and asked,


    ¡°Have you really thought this through?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    ¡°You carry no good karma,¡± Old Kui reminded him.


    It wasn¡¯t that there was no good karma, but rather¡­ all were ominous causes and evil consequences¡­


    Mr. Zhuang felt a bitter sweetness in his heart, sighed softly, and then looked into the distance,


    ¡°Therefore, I have to find a way¡­ to keep him untainted by these karmic entanglements.¡±


    ¡­


    Under the locust tree, Mo Hua was sharing food with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi from opposite sides.


    In front of them were delicately prepared pastries, snacks, various flavors of meat, and fermented beverages.


    All these were made by Liu Ruhua, who doted on Mo Hua and had prepared them by hand.


    Mo Hua, unable to finish all by himself, gave some to Da¡¯hu and the others; the rest he brought to share with Zisheng and Zixi.


    After all, Mr. Zhuang was about to leave, and the three sworn disciples would soon part ways.


    Having been together for so long, Mo Hua was somewhat reluctant to let go.


    Bai Zisheng was enjoying the food immensely when he suddenly remembered something and asked Mo Hua,


    ¡°If you get hurt, will Aunt Liu make delicious food for you?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Bai Zisheng appeared envious, and a hint of jealousy flashed in Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes.


    Mo Hua, puzzled, asked, ¡°Won¡¯t your mother make things for you to eat?¡±


    Bai Zisheng sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve grown so much, but have never even had a cup of water boiled for me by my mother, let alone food¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, curious, asked, ¡°What¡¯s your mother like?¡±


    He had rarely heard Bai Zisheng mention his mother.


    ¡°Very beautiful!¡± answered Bai Zisheng, then muttered, ¡°But she¡¯s cold as ice, and very strict with me and Zixi.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded silently.


    Zisheng and Zixi were both very good-looking, so it was natural that their mother was beautiful.


    Moreover, with their excellent talents and being born into a noble clan, strict demands seemed understandable¡­


    But why would she be so cold?


    Generally, with such children, one would expect parents to cherish them to the point of trepidation, bursting with happiness. How could they be cold?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand and asked further, ¡°What about your father?¡±


    This question seemed to touch a sore spot for Bai Zisheng. His expression changed, and he said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t have a father!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°No father, then no father.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was taken aback and asked, ¡°How can a person not have a father?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who said you didn¡¯t have one?¡±


    ¡°That was said in anger!¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the truth?¡± Mo Hua asked, curious.


    Bai Zisheng sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t know who my father is. My mother won¡¯t tell, and everyone else in the family avoids the topic like a taboo.¡±


    ¡°I guess he¡¯s either dead or has an identity that can¡¯t be revealed¡­¡±


    ¡°Things in your noble clan really are complicated¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng sighed, then confessed enviously, ¡°You have it better.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°In what way?¡±


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    Bai Zixi also silently observed Mo Hua, not speaking. However, her eyes, like autumn water, brimmed with deeper longing.


    Afterward, the three set aside their thoughts, ate their fill, practiced their lessons for a while, and then each headed home.


    ¡­


    The days in Tongxian City were as tranquil as still water, while the Heaven Shu Pavilion in the Taoist Court was stirring up waves.


    An elder in the high positions of Heaven Shu Pavilion, who was also a Pavilion Elder, now held a Jade Slip in his hand. Reading the content, his eyebrows furrowed into the shape of the character ¡°´¨.¡±


    The Jade Slip detailed the aftermath of the Taoist Demon in Tongxian City:


    To the north of Li State, within the Second Grade Black Mountain State Boundary lies Tongxian City.


    A Taoist Demon emerged, taking the form of a Big Demon by the name of Feng Xi.


    Appendix: Local cultivators constructed the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation (Note: Second Grade, eleven patterns), but the Great Formation collapsed, drawing the Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment, and Feng Xi perished¡­


    The Pavilion Elder understood each sentence, yet when put together, they made no sense to him.


    How did they construct the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation?


    Was such a Great Formation so easily constructed? Who could do it on a whim?


    Who aided them? And who was the main Formation Master?


    ¡°Great Formation Dissolution¡±¡­


    How could the Great Formation collapse?


    Collapse is not something an ordinary Formation Master would know, is it?


    Moreover, it was the collapse of an entire Great Formation¡­ Could that be the tactic of any ordinary Formation Master?


    ¡°Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment,¡± that¡¯s even less necessary to mention.


    Who initiated it? What was meant to be obliterated?


    ¡°Feng Xi¡¯s death,¡± the fact that seemed most surprising at first, now seemed the least surprising¡­


    Under the restrictions of Heavenly Dao Laws, it was nearly impossible to slay a Taoist Demon, and even if one was killed, it usually happened within the boundaries of noble clans.


    For a place like Tongxian City, a small Immortal City at the bottom rung, managing to come together to kill a Taoist Demon was astonishing¡­


    But in the face of ¡°constructing a Great Formation,¡± ¡°Great Formation Dissolution,¡± ¡°summoning Thunder Punishment,¡± Feng Xi¡¯s death seemed almost expected¡­


    The Jade Slip was concise.


    The Pavilion Elder had previously instructed the clerks of Heaven Shu Pavilion to be as succinct as possible and avoid superfluous words.


    But now, he found the report overly concise, making it somewhat difficult to understand¡­ S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Pavilion Elder sighed.


    ¡°A single Feng Xi¡­ why make such a fuss¡­¡±


    Just hearing about it made one anxious.


    Especially regarding the Thunder Punishment. Even at their level, it was something to be greatly feared and avoided at all costs.


    Initiating Thunder Punishment was indeed playing with fire¡­


    The Pavilion Elder shook his head slightly, frowning in thought. There was only one explanation that came to mind:


    That youngster surnamed Zhuang made a move.


    Otherwise, who could have constructed the Great Formation, and who could have caused its collapse?


    The only question was whether he was dead or alive after summoning the Thunder Punishment, or whether it was a person or a puppet that had perished¡­


    The Pavilion Elder then grew doubtful.


    Since when had that Zhuang youngster been so altruistic?


    It was just a tiny Immortal City, not out of the ordinary.


    In the Cultivation World, there are millions of such small Immortal Cities. Why would he care so much?


    Could there be some unknown reason behind it that he wasn¡¯t aware of?


    The Pavilion Elder resumed examining the Jade Slip, and at the end, he noticed an additional line:


    ¡°Feng Xi¡¯s flesh and blood, Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, suspected to be the doing of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­¡±


    The Pavilion Elder inhaled a breath of cold air, looked into the distance, his gaze sharpening, and murmured softly,


    ¡°This is troubling¡­¡±

 Chapter 367 - 365 Immortal Pattern_1

    Chapter 367: Chapter 365 Immortal Pattern_1


    The Great Formation collapsed, and the Big Demon perished.


    The Feng Xi, birthed by Black Mountain Stronghold, died atop the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation constructed above the Black Mountain Stronghold, and with the collapse of the formation, both were annihilated together.


    Tongxian City also gradually recovered.


    The Refinery Shop and the Alchemist¡¯s Business remained, the Refining Furnace and the Alchemy Furnace stayed intact, and other trades within the city were also unaffected.


    The deep mountains were almost destroyed in an instant, but the influences on the Outer Mountain and the Inner Mountain were minimal.


    Monster Hunters could still go into the mountains to hunt monster beasts.


    Monster Hunters hunted monsters, Artifact Refiners refined artifacts, Alchemists concocted pills, and then carried out trade¡­


    Soon everything returned to normal operation.


    Moreover, within Big Black Mountain, there was now a wide and convenient mountain road.


    This road was forged by all cultivators in order to build the Great Formation.


    With this mountain road, not only was it convenient for the cultivators of Tongxian City to enter and exit the mountains, but it also facilitated the traveling merchants to enter Tongxian City for trade.


    Gradually, Tongxian City recovered its vitality.


    The streets became more lively, and the number of cultivators coming and going increased.


    In the near future, perhaps it would become even more prosperous¡­


    ¡­


    Elder Yu was very busy, as he had to attend to the reconstruction of Tongxian City, the revival of Tao cultivation production, and the aftermath of the Feng Xi incident.


    Some places within the city also required the use of formations.


    But due to Mo Hua¡¯s injured Sea of Consciousness, he temporarily could not use his Divine Sense, and even less could he paint formations.


    Thus, other Formation Masters helped with the areas that required formations, with Mo Hua guiding them from the side.


    Where they drew correctly and where they did not, Mo Hua would tell them.


    If they had any difficulties with the formations, Mo Hua would also give them guidance.


    The other Formation Masters called Mo Hua ¡°Little Gentleman¡± and showed him half the respect due to a disciple, treating him with utmost respect and reverence.


    They knew the Great Formation was the work of the ¡°Little Gentleman¡± before them.


    Moreover, even as the Great Formation self-destructed, this Little Gentleman remained unharmed. Such a mastery of formations was simply unimaginable to them.


    Mo Hua was kind and approachable, without any air of superiority. They asked and he would most often answer.


    A few simple pieces of advice from him could enlighten them instantly.


    This was the grace of ¡°imparting knowledge, guiding a disciple, and resolving doubts.¡±


    It also filled them with immense gratitude.


    With his hands behind his back, Mo Hua ¡°guided¡± everyone in painting formations, but these formations were too simple, and he found it somewhat uninteresting.


    He wanted to paint some more difficult, more profound formations.


    A few days later, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had mostly healed.


    Although he could not overuse it in the short term and could not paint formations incessantly like before,


    if he controlled the consumption of his Divine Sense, he could begin trying to paint some complex formations properly.


    During the day, Mo Hua painted a few Reversed Spirit Formations for a light review.


    At night, at 1 a.m., Mo Hua could hardly wait to immerse his Divine Sense into his Sea of Consciousness, arriving before the Taoist Stele.


    On this stele was the Formation Pattern Mo Hua had long been contemplating.


    It was the Immortal Pattern from the Heavenly Dao Formation that he glimpsed amidst the Annihilation Tribulation Thunder!


    Mo Hua wanted to try to see if he could learn this Immortal Pattern.


    The Heavenly Dao Formation was too profound, too magnificent, and with Mo Hua¡¯s low cultivation level, he could not understand it at all, but he could try to begin comprehending it starting from a single Formation Pattern.


    A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.


    One Formation Pattern, one Formation, one Formation Painting, one Compound Formation, progressively advancing to grasp the entire Great Formation¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts were high, but reality poured cold water on him.


    Let alone comprehend, he couldn¡¯t even look at this Immortal Pattern.


    Though Mo Hua had recorded the Immortal Pattern on the Taoist Stele, he wasn¡¯t even looking at it directly. Merely sensing it briefly like skimming the surface, his Divine Sense rushed out, rapidly depleting.


    Mo Hua was stunned and couldn¡¯t help but complain:


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even started looking yet, and it¡¯s already deducting my Divine Sense, how stingy!¡±


    Then he sighed again, realizing that even just a single Immortal Pattern was still an ¡°Immortal¡± Pattern.


    It encompassed the creation of heaven and earth, and it was simply not something a Qi Refinement cultivator like him could grasp.


    If he forced himself to look, he feared his Sea of Consciousness would be injured again.


    Though protected by the Taoist Stele, the Sea of Consciousness would not collapse, but it would still be damaged, and over time, there might even be lingering effects.


    The Sea of Consciousness of someone at the Qi Refinement stage was still too fragile.


    The Dao of formations that the Formation Master seeks lay right before him, yet he could not learn it, he could not even look.


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly.


    It seemed he could only set it aside for now and wait to ponder over it once his cultivation improved.


    ¡°I must cultivate diligently and establish my foundation as soon as possible!¡±


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself, following which he became a little puzzled.


    Just what level, and how profound must one¡¯s Divine Sense be, to comprehend these Immortal Patterns?


    Foundation Establishment? Golden Core? Or an even higher realm?


    And what good would it do to master this Immortal Pattern?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    He hadn¡¯t considered this question until now. After mulling it over carefully for a while, he suddenly felt a chill.


    This Immortal Pattern was related to the scarlet-colored Tribulation Thunder.


    If one could truly master the Immortal Pattern, could they then control the Annihilation Tribulation Thunder and gain the power to erase all existence?


    Tribulation Thunder¡­


    Mo Hua remembered the blinding crimson, terrifying aura, and the silent deaths of all living things from the thunderstorms he saw that day, sending a shiver down his spine.


    At that time, his mind was consumed with the Great Formation Dissolution; the thunderstorm came and went, and the impression was fleeting.


    Now that he thought about it, he was frightened by his delayed reaction.


    A sudden feeling of relief washed over Mo Hua:


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing my realm is low and my cultivation weak, or perhaps I would¡¯ve been directly erased by the Tribulation Thunder¡­¡±


    Such terrifying Tribulation Thunder, Mo Hua did not wish to witness a second time.


    Of course, if there was a Tribulation Thunder that he could draw himself and control, then naturally, it would be a different matter.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart suddenly filled with anticipation¡­


    Unfortunately, when it came to Immortal Patterns, Mo Hua still had no clue.


    What exactly is different about Immortal Patterns, whether they can be learned, and if so, how¡­ S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if Immortal Patterns are profound, Mr. Zhuang, with his knowledge, should at least know something.


    But since this involves the Taoist Stele, and according to what Mr. Zhuang said, no one should be told, including himself, so Mo Hua couldn¡¯t ask him.


    Not just with Immortal Patterns, in the future, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to ask Mr. Zhuang any questions he encountered.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mood began to sink again.


    Mr. Zhuang was about to leave.


    Mo Hua feared that one day, when he visited Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mountain residence, he would find it empty and perhaps never see Mr. Zhuang again for the rest of his Tao cultivation life.


    Mo Hua was a bit scared.


    Therefore, he visited Mr. Zhuang¡¯s place every day.


    Mo Shan¡¯s couple also learned that Mr. Zhuang was about to leave, filled with regret.


    They had never met Mr. Zhuang, but deep down, they were ever grateful to him.


    Liu Ruhua said to Mo Hua, ¡°Mr. Zhuang took you as an honorary disciple and taught you about Formations. He has shown great kindness to our family. We must find a way to repay this kindness in the future.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded gravely, ¡°Mm!¡±


    Liu Ruhua also wanted to show her gratitude, but Mr. Zhuang lacked nothing, not Spirit Stones, and certainly not rank-one items like Spiritual Artifacts and Pills. After much thought, she decided to prepare some food and offer it to Mr. Zhuang to taste.


    Liu Ruhua studied the recipes that Zixi had given her and selected a few dishes.


    Mo Shan went hunting Monster Beasts in the mountains and asked other Monster Hunter friends to kill at least one of every type of Monster Beast they could find. Afterwards, he picked the tenderest and most flavorful parts to bring back for his wife.


    Liu Ruhua ended up preparing a ¡°Full Monster Feast¡± from Big Black Mountain.


    Chicken, duck, fish, beef, mutton, and dog¡ªthere was meat from all kinds of edible Monster Beasts, each with a unique flavor.


    Some were fresh, some were fragrant, some were numbing, and some were spicy¡­ a feast for the senses.


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded.


    After that, every day when he went to visit Mr. Zhuang, he would take some food with him, offering it for the gentleman to taste as a small gesture of his feelings.


    Mr. Zhuang initially thought to decline the bother, but upon further thought, he started to eat with a sense of rightful enjoyment.


    Besides Mr. Zhuang, Bai Zisheng was the happiest.


    In his life, he had eaten many finer things, but he had never tasted so many delicious foods at once.


    Especially since the variety of dishes and flavors were so numerous, and there were no duplicates.


    Bai Zisheng was immensely shocked, so he broached an old topic again, whispering to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Mo Hua, when you go back, could you ask Aunt Liu if she¡¯s lacking a foster son?¡±


    Mo Hua was speechless and shot him a look.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s crystal-clear eyes showed slight annoyance as she also glared at Bai Zisheng.


    Within the bamboo residence on the mountain.


    Mr. Zhuang lay in the bamboo chair, savoring meat and wine as he watched the rosy glow suffuse the ink-adorned forest, feeling all his worries and contemplations dissipating into nothingness.


    Old Kui asked him, ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°I have, but there¡¯s one problem¡­¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze turned serious as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°All this meat¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang glanced at the meat and wine on the table, touched his face, and remarked with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten fat from eating¡­¡±


    Old Kui: ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 368 - 366: Taking Disciples_1

    Chapter 368: Chapter 366: Taking Disciples_1


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting chubbier; your skin is just getting thicker¡­¡± Old Kui couldn¡¯t help but say.


    Mr. Zhuang denied it:


    ¡°Impossible, my skin has always been this thick.¡±


    Old Kui sighed, not wanting to bicker with him, and asked about serious matters, ¡°Have you thought about how to avoid karma? ¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°I have.¡±


    Old Kui silently looked at him.


    Mr. Zhuang took a sip of wine and said lightly:


    ¡°Karma is predetermined, just like this wine, you can¡¯t avoid it just by wishing not to. Once you drink it, you can¡¯t avoid getting the scent of it.¡±


    ¡°Since it can¡¯t be avoided, then use other karmas to confuse it.¡±


    ¡°By confusing the smell of the wine, others might not be able to smell it; by confusing karma, others might not be able to see through it.¡±


    Confusing karma¡­


    Old Kui frowned and thought about it, understanding, but still said,


    ¡°Won¡¯t this make karma even more complicated?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not me who¡¯s making it complicated¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, then his gaze became distant as he looked towards the courtyard.


    In the courtyard, under the large pagoda tree, three disciples were happily together.


    Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng were talking about something, and Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes were bright as she quietly listened, occasionally revealing a smile as faint and gentle as a crescent moon.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was deep, ¡°It¡¯s just that some karmas already exist.¡±


    ¡­


    The next day, as usual, Mo Hua went to visit Mr. Zhuang, bringing many edibles in large and small boxes.


    ¡°Gentleman, my mother asked me to bring these for you to try!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s tone was cheerful, his eyes bright as if filled with starlight.


    The morning sun was splendid, and the room was filled with a clear glow.


    Looking at Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor suddenly softened and gently said:


    ¡°Mo Hua, would you like to be my disciple?¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly startled, ¡°Aren¡¯t I already your disciple?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Not a nominal disciple, but a direct disciple!¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    His mouth hung open, for a moment, he couldn¡¯t believe his ears and thought he had misheard.


    ¡°Direct¡­ direct disciple?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly and nodded gently.


    Mo Hua was thrilled, but then he cautiously asked,


    ¡°Gentleman, you won¡¯t regret taking me as your direct disciple, right? My spiritual root is very poor¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought he was dreaming, but even if it were a dream, he had to agree to such a thing.


    Just as Mo Hua was about to agree, Mr. Zhuang stopped him.


    Mr. Zhuang said solemnly, ¡°You need to think it through.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything to think about?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, not understanding what there was to consider.


    Mr. Zhuang then said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving Tongxian City. If you become my disciple and learn formations from me, you¡¯ll have to wander with me.¡±


    ¡°Wandering without knowing the time, you should discuss with your parents, consider their feelings, and then decide whether you want to become a disciple.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s considerations were considerate and thoughtful.


    Mo Hua¡¯s small eyebrows knitted together, quite troubled.


    He wanted to acknowledge Mr. Zhuang as his master and learn higher formations, but he didn¡¯t want to leave his parents and worried they would be concerned.


    Mr. Zhuang gently said, ¡°Go ask your parents, think it over, and then give me your answer.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded seriously.


    After returning home, Mo Hua told his parents about the matter.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua both showed happy expressions, then both hesitated a bit.


    Mo Shan was about to say something with a frown, when Liu Ruhua said firmly:


    ¡°Huar, take Mr. Zhuang as your master.¡±


    Mo Hua was briefly taken aback, ¡°But¡­¡±


    But once he became a disciple, he would have to leave with Mr. Zhuang, and he didn¡¯t know when he would be able to return, when he could see his parents again¡­


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s demeanor was gentle, she shook her head and said:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about so much. If you have accomplishments in formations, the world is vast, and you can go anywhere. Don¡¯t mind the temporary separation.¡±


    ¡°To learn formations from Mr. Zhuang is an incredible opportunity that you must not miss!¡±


    ¡°We are just loose cultivators without name or gain, and despite that, Mr. Zhuang is willing to take you as a disciple, which is an immense kindness.¡±


    ¡°We have no way to repay this kindness.¡±


    ¡°By taking Mr. Zhuang as a master and attending to him, you would be showing some gratitude for his kindness¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s tone was gentle but firm.


    Mo Shan also nodded, ¡°Listen to your mother.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember!¡±


    Mo Hua seriously nodded.


    After Mo Hua returned to his room, Liu Ruhua¡¯s resolute expression disappeared, turning hesitant and anxious, torn with indecision.


    Mo Shan held her hand and softly said:


    ¡°Are you reluctant to let him go?¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes tinged with sourness, she nodded.


    How could she bear to let go of the child who had been by her side since childhood, especially one so caring and considerate¡­


    But there was no choice in the matter of reluctance.


    Liu Ruhua sighed,


    ¡°Huar¡¯s mastery of formations is so good that no one in Tongxian City can teach him anymore. Staying here his whole life, it¡¯s likely difficult for him to make any further progress¡­¡±


    ¡°I know he likes to study formations and wants to learn more, but he¡¯s also concerned about us and can¡¯t make up his mind.¡±


    ¡°Parents¡¯ love for their child leads them to plan for his future¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t delay his future just because I can¡¯t bear to let him go.¡±


    Mo Shan also found it hard to let go in his heart, but he didn¡¯t show it and just smiled to comfort her,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just traveling the clouds; it¡¯s not like he¡¯s not coming back. Who didn¡¯t travel when they were young?¡±


    ¡°Maybe after a few years, he¡¯ll come back.¡±


    ¡°By then, he might even bring back a little bride for you.¡±


    Liu Ruhua burst into laughter through her tears and scolded him, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    Seeing that his wife¡¯s mood had improved, Mo Shan held her hand tightly and reassured her,


    ¡°No matter where he roams, he will always have a day of return; as parents, we simply wait for him here¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s mood gradually stabilized, and she silently nodded her head.


    ¡­


    The next day, Mo Hua went to find Mr. Zhuang again, remembering his parents¡¯ instructions, he respectfully performed a deep bow and crisply said,


    ¡°Mo Hua is untalented and humbly requests Mr. Zhuang to accept me as a disciple!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was stunned.


    It was clear that he wanted to take a disciple, but Mo Hua came to respectfully request apprenticeship¡­


    A warmth arose in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s heart; he came forward to help Mo Hua up and even dusted off his clothes for him, ¡°No need for such big formalities, it¡¯s too stand-offish¡­¡±


    Mo Hua squinted his eyes and smiled.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s innocently joyful smile, Mr. Zhuang also smiled warmly, feeling a weight lifted from his heart.


    No matter what, he had finally accepted this disciple.


    No matter how the world may change, and how causes and effects evolve, this matter will remain unchanged.


    Since it had been decided, there was no need to hesitate or wander; it was best to proceed with firm steps.


    Mr. Zhuang suddenly felt much lighter in his heart.


    It seemed after so many years of uncertainty, he had finally found his bearings and the many years of sullen hardships had all gone with the wind.


    Mo Hua was happy for a while, then suddenly thought of something and became somewhat troubled again.


    He quietly asked, ¡°Gentleman, do you plan to take several disciples?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at him with a hint of a smile, ¡°What is it you want to ask?¡±


    Mo Hua felt it wasn¡¯t quite appropriate and hesitated before saying, ¡°What about Zisheng and Zixi? Aren¡¯t you going to take them as well?¡±


    If everyone was a nominal disciple together, but only he were to become Mr. Zhuang¡¯s direct disciple, it probably wouldn¡¯t sit well with them¡­


    Mr. Zhuang laughed, ¡°They have good aptitudes, and there¡¯s some connection with me; I¡¯ll accept them.¡±


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and was very happy.


    With this, everyone would start off as nominal disciples together and then become direct disciples together; then they would truly be of the same sect.


    Mo Hua then thought that Zisheng and Zixi were extremely talented and had a family heritage; maybe Mr. Zhuang had thought of accepting them as disciples long ago.


    Compared to them, he was born frail, with an inadequate spiritual root and a poor background; it was only his strong divine sense and his slightly better skill in formations.


    It was only natural for Mr. Zhuang to accept Zisheng and Zixi as disciples while taking him on seemed a bit like making up the numbers.


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t care; he was happy that Mr. Zhuang was willing to take him as a disciple.


    After Mo Hua left happily, Mr. Zhuang called Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi over and directly asked them,


    ¡°Are you willing to take me as your teacher?¡±


    Bai Zisheng and the others were also shocked.


    After a moment, Bai Zisheng¡¯s face lit up with excitement, and Bai Zixi also showed signs of delight.


    They originally thought Mr. Zhuang wouldn¡¯t accept them, but unexpectedly, there was a twist in the end, and the gentleman agreed to take them as disciples.


    The two immediately performed the rituals and respectfully said,


    ¡°We greet our master.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and said, ¡°Rise.¡±


    They respectfully stood up again.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°We¡¯ll choose an auspicious day to burn incense and offer tea before formally taking me as your master.¡±


    ¡°As for the rest, your mother should know everything and must have told you.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became profound, ¡°Since I¡¯ve agreed to take you as disciples, naturally I¡¯ll teach you everything I should, and give her an explanation as well.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi nodded in agreement.


    They just needed to become disciples; the rest was not for them to overly concern themselves with.


    Before becoming disciples, they followed their mother¡¯s arrangements; after becoming disciples, they would follow Mr. Zhuang¡¯s orders.


    The matters within, in fact, were not up to the siblings to decide.


    Or it might be said that in noble clans, these clan disciples, even though they might be direct descendants and exceptionally talented, often had no say in such matters.


    The more important the matter, the less room there was for change.


    After giving brief instructions, Mr. Zhuang sent them on their way.


    With her keen mind, Bai Zixi hesitated before leaving, but finally asked,


    ¡°Gentleman, about Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi didn¡¯t finish her question when Bai Zisheng caught on and also asked on her behalf,


    ¡°Gentleman, will you accept Mo Hua as your disciple too?¡±


    If everyone started off as nominal disciples, and now they had all become Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciples, it would undoubtedly weigh on Mo Hua¡¯s heart if he were left out, even if it went unspoken.


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, feeling an inexplicable sense of gratification, and nodded,


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The two of them were even happier now.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s face showed his elation, and Bai Zixi smiled gently, her smile blooming like a night-blooming cereus, beautiful and breathtaking.


    Seeing this, Mr. Zhuang reflected inwardly,


    This child¡¯s appearance is even better than her mother¡¯s. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One wonders if that will be a good thing in the future¡­

 Chapter 369 - 367 Little Junior Brother_1

    Chapter 369: Chapter 367 Little Junior Brother_1


    ¡°`


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi returned to the family estate and informed Aunt Xue of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s agreement to take on disciples.


    Aunt Xue was naturally overjoyed.


    She had taken the siblings through much hardship to become Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciples, and finally, her wish was fulfilled, allowing her to account for it with the lady of the house.


    However, after her initial excitement, she was puzzled:


    ¡°Why did Mr. Zhuang initially refuse to take on disciples, but has now suddenly changed his mind?¡±


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head, as he hadn¡¯t thought about it and couldn¡¯t fathom Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts.


    On the other hand, Bai Zixi seemed to be deep in thought and slowly said,


    ¡°Could it be because of¡­ Mo Hua?¡±


    Aunt Xue was startled and asked in confusion, ¡°Why?¡±


    Bai Zixi calmly said, ¡°Because the gentleman values him.¡±


    ¡°Values?¡±


    Aunt Xue didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Mo Hua did have a decent talent for Formation and was quite likable, but to say he was valued by Mr. Zhuang seemed a bit of a stretch.


    After all, both the quality of a Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Root and physical body are equally important, and Mo Hua was somewhat lacking in both aspects¡­


    Aunt Xue thought of a polite way to put it.


    Indeed, within the Bai Family, high-grade Spiritual Roots were common, and medium to low-grade ones, even among side branches, were considered insignificant.


    Yet Bai Zixi nodded and said, ¡°He values him a great deal.¡±


    Aunt Xue was still confused, ¡°Because of Formations? It¡¯s true that Mo Hua is quite skilled at Drawing Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Not just quite skilled,¡± Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°but extremely, extremely skilled!¡±


    Aunt Xue was taken aback, ¡°Extremely, extremely skilled?¡±


    It was the first time she heard such high praise from Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi never praised anyone because she was exceptionally talented, insightful, and diligent in her Cultivation ¨C an excellent prospect for Tao Cultivation ¨C and naturally, she was also exceptionally beautiful.


    Like an uncarved jade, pure and flawless.


    In terms of Cultivation or any other Tao Cultivation disciplines like Formation, none of her peers in the Bai Family could match her.


    Some of the Bai Family disciples, regardless of gender, even felt ashamed in her presence and dared not speak loudly.


    Bai Zixi was somewhat aloof and had few friends in the clan, and rarely praised anyone, for no one was worthy of her praise.


    But now, she was praising Mo Hua¡¯s Formation as ¡°extremely, extremely good¡±¡­


    Aunt Xue realized she might have overlooked something, but still uncertain, she said, ¡°Is it really that good?¡±


    Bai Zisheng then interjected, ¡°Aunt Xue, do you know about the Large Formation that killed the Big Demon?¡±


    Aunt Xue nodded, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s doing?¡±


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, ¡°It was drawn by Mo Hua.¡±


    Aunt Xue was shocked, ¡°How is that possible? How old is he?¡±


    Aunt Xue, born into the Bai Family, did not pay much attention to the happenings in a small place like Tongxian City.


    But she did not expect that Tongxian City would face such disasters repeatedly, even a Big Demon emerging.


    The appearance of a Big Demon surely meant foul play; such calamities would not just coincide in a little Immortal City.


    If not for Mr. Zhuang¡¯s presence, she would have taken Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi away long ago.


    A mighty demon of such scope was no match for ordinary Cultivators.


    Yet, what followed still shocked her.


    Tongxian City built a Large Formation, destroyed it, killed the Big Demon, and even attracted a heavenly tribulation.


    Such events were a rarity in her life.


    But because Mr. Zhuang was there, she took it for granted.


    Such feats must have been Mr. Zhuang¡¯s work.


    When Mo Hua was struck by heavenly lightning, Aunt Xue was initially very worried, but then thought it was not so serious.


    Since it was all part of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s plan, and Mo Hua followed his instructions, surely nothing would go wrong.


    As for why Mr. Zhuang would have Mo Hua perform such dangerous tasks¡­


    Aunt Xue guessed it was because Mr. Zhuang preferred not to be involved.


    And since Mo Hua was his disciple, a local Cultivator from Tongxian City, and proficient in Formation, who better to do it?


    However, now she realized she might have been wrong from the start.


    Mastery of Formation could no longer simply be called ¡°proficiency¡±¡­


    A primary Formation Master was already a distinguished figure among Formation Masters, especially at such a young age.


    ¡°Is the Large Formation truly drawn by Mo Hua?¡± Aunt Xue still found it hard to believe.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both nodded.


    Aunt Xue was somewhat stunned, the more she thought about it, the more unfathomable it seemed.


    Thirteen years old, a primary Large Formation¡­


    Aunt Xue couldn¡¯t help but sigh,


    ¡°No wonder Mr. Zhuang values him so highly.¡±


    Yet Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze flickered.


    She faintly felt that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s valuation of Mo Hua was not solely due to his Formation skills.


    That Mr. Zhuang treated Mo Hua well and valued him highly was a consensus between her and her brother.


    This matter was something she originally did not quite comprehend.


    Latterly, as Mo Hua¡¯s learning of Formation accelerated and his talent became more fearfully evident¡­


    Initially, she could teach Mo Hua; later, she could exchange insights on Formation with him; and eventually, the Formations Mo Hua drew, and his knowledge of Divine Sense spell points, had become beyond her comprehension.


    ¡°`


    Bai Zixi was a direct descendant of the Bai Family and had seen countless Bai Family classics since childhood.


    Some things, even if she didn¡¯t know how to use them, she wasn¡¯t completely ignorant of.


    However, the Formations that Mo Hua had mastered, as well as some Formation methodologies, she hadn¡¯t just not learned them¡ªshe hadn¡¯t even heard of them, let alone seen them recorded in the Bai Family¡¯s Scripture Pavilion.


    These abstruse teachings must have been taught by Mr. Zhuang and were extremely precious inheritances.


    Moreover, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s attitude towards his three disciples appeared to be the same, but it was clearly biased.


    Whenever Mo Hua wanted to visit Mr. Zhuang¡¯s bamboo room, he could do so, just as if it were his own home.


    Even if Mr. Zhuang was busy, Mo Hua could still sit on the threshold, casually read a book or fish in the pond.


    Both Mr. Zhuang and Old Kui showed nearly ¡°indulgent¡± goodwill towards Mo Hua.


    She had heard her mother speak of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s past.


    Mr. Zhuang had exceptional talent and a willful nature; he was never such an easygoing person.


    And he had never before treated a disciple this way, especially one who was just a named disciple¡­


    Aunt Xue also understood Zixi¡¯s meaning now.


    Mr. Zhuang wouldn¡¯t change his mind for no reason.


    Certainly, Mo Hua must have said something, done something, or perhaps Mr. Zhuang considered something on behalf of Mo Hua.


    Only then did Mr. Zhuang change his mind, initially accepting them as named disciples, and now taking them as Direct Disciples.


    Aunt Xue sighed.


    Unexpectedly, their Bai Family had received a great favor from this child, Mo Hua.


    If not for Mo Hua, they might not have been able to meet Mr. Zhuang, might not have become named disciples of Mr. Zhuang.


    And now it was even less certain they would have been able to become disciples of Mr. Zhuang.


    Aunt Xue then said to Zisheng and Zixi:


    ¡°Now that you have Mr. Zhuang as your teacher, you are of the same alliance from now on. Being from the same alliance, you must take good care of Mo Hua.¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng assured her while thumping his chest, ¡°Aunt Xue, don¡¯t worry, I will look after him from now on!¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded slightly, her eyes gradually lighting up.


    ¡­


    Several days later, Mr. Zhuang chose an auspicious day for a simple initiation ritual.


    Why it was an auspicious day, Mr. Zhuang did not say.


    Mo Hua flipped through a calendar and couldn¡¯t find what was special about that day.


    It was probably dependent on Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mood.


    The ceremony was indeed simple.


    It involved burning incense, bowing to heaven, presenting tea, and then the ritual of respecting the teacher was complete.


    The burning of incense was an offering to heaven.


    According to Mr. Zhuang, Formation Masters sought out the Heavenly Dao, they only bowed to heaven, not to gods, nor to humans.


    Mo Hua and the two other children lit incense, and after bowing three times to heaven, the ceremony was concluded.


    After that, each of them in turn presented Mr. Zhuang with tea, and then they were allowed to address him as ¡°Master.¡±


    A named disciple could only call him ¡°Gentleman,¡± but only a Direct Disciple could call him ¡°Master.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both called out ¡°Master¡± once.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua also happily called out ¡°Master.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded too, but his gaze flickered, betraying a different emotion.


    After the incense was burnt, heaven was bowed to, and the tea was offered, and they had called him Master.


    Mo Hua and the others were now truly members of the same alliance.


    But now that they were of the same alliance, the matter of seniority arose.


    The three began to argue.


    ¡°I¡¯m the oldest, I should naturally be the senior brother!¡± Bai Zisheng argued strongly.


    ¡°There is a sequence in learning the way, I entered first, I should be the senior brother!¡± Mo Hua humphed.


    Bai Zixi had a calm expression, but she had her own insistence:


    ¡°I want to be the senior sister!¡±


    ¡°In any case, I¡¯m the senior brother.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the junior brother, I¡¯m the senior brother¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the senior sister¡­¡±


    ¡­


    In the end, no one could persuade the other, and three pairs of bright eyes looked toward Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang was momentarily startled, his thoughts stirred, and then he said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°You¡¯re the youngest, take a little grievance and be the junior disciple.¡±


    Mo Hua was greatly disappointed, but since Mr. Zhuang had spoken, he naturally would listen and replied, ¡°Okay, Gentleman.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled, ¡°Are you still calling me Gentleman?¡±


    Mo Hua realized his error and smiled as he called out:


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, his eyes full of mirth.


    And so, the three named disciples under the great pagoda tree became Direct Disciples of Mr. Zhuang.


    There was a pair of siblings born of Noble Clans, with the grace of dragons and phoenixes, and dazzling talents as the senior brother and sister.


    And there was one of humble origin, with inferior Spiritual Root, who seemed to be ¡°making up the numbers,¡± the junior brother.

 Chapter 370 - 368: Legacy_1

    Chapter 370: Chapter 368: Legacy_1


    Mr. Zhuang would be leaving in a month.


    He had said this to Mo Hua and the siblings Bai Zisheng, asking them to prepare during this time and to handle their private affairs.


    After that, they would leave Tongxian City and wander elsewhere.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi didn¡¯t have much to prepare.


    The month was mainly for Mo Hua to say goodbye, to spend time with his parents and friends, and to settle some trivial matters.


    Mo Hua was going to leave¡­


    When Liu Ruhua made the decision, she was resolute, but now, as the departure approached and she realized that Mo Hua, who had been with her for over a decade, was about to leave, she suddenly felt heartache and reluctant to let go.


    She worried about him facing the hardships of travel, not having enough food, and not sleeping well.


    She was concerned about the long journey ahead of him, not knowing what dangers he would encounter, how much hardship he would endure¡­


    So, Mo Hua took more time to stay at home, to keep his parents company, and to reassure them.


    Elder Yu learned of this matter and, while he couldn¡¯t bear to part with Mo Hua, he was also happy for him.


    It was not easy for a monk to become a Formation Master, especially one as gifted as Mo Hua.


    But a dragon that swims in the shallows cannot soar to the nine heavens.


    Tongxian City was too small; being confined here would make it very difficult for Mo Hua to achieve greater accomplishments. Therefore, despite feeling regret, Elder Yu was also pleased to see him set out and become an apprentice to wander the lands.


    After Mo Hua left, there would be no Formation Masters among the Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City.


    Considering this, Mo Hua had made early preparations.


    He went to Master Qian and said:


    ¡°Master Qian, I have a request.¡±


    Master Qian hurriedly responded, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡±


    He neither dared to call himself ¡°Master¡± in front of Mo Hua, nor did he dare to accept Mo Hua¡¯s request, so he said:


    ¡°Little Master Mo, please tell me your command. As long as Qian can do it, I will not shirk.¡±


    After the Patriarch of the Qian Family was convicted by the Taoist Court, all the family property was donated; the clan fell apart, and the members scattered, living their separate lives. Not only would they not help each other, but sometimes they would even fight tooth and nail over petty gains.


    The Qian Family used to value profit over righteousness, and its disciples were like wolf cubs.


    Now in decline, with no benefits left, it was natural for clan members to drift apart and lose their morals.


    The Qian Family of today was no longer a clan but more like a group of Loose Cultivators sharing the Qian surname, and they weren¡¯t even as united as the Loose Cultivators.


    Master Qian was a Formation Master with a unique status; even without the protection of the Qian Family, he could still get by.


    But many changes had also made him reflect on the unpredictability of Tao Cultivation and the impermanence of the world, and his desire for gains had faded, turning his focus to the study of formations.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Master Qian, could you teach Loose Cultivators formation methods?¡±


    Master Qian looked astonished; he had never expected that Mo Hua would make such a request.


    Master Qian hesitated:


    ¡°Teaching is certainly possible, it¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    It¡¯s just that he had never considered this before, nor had he ever imagined that one day he might do such a thing¡ªto teach formation methods to Loose Cultivators¡­


    Mo Hua said, ¡°If you are willing, I can speak to Elder Yu. If you ever need help in the future or encounter any difficulties, Elder Yu will also help you.¡±


    Master Qian was slightly stunned, then slowly grasped the meaning.


    Mo Hua was offering him an opportunity as well as some security.


    With the Qian Family¡¯s fall, they faced hostility from many sides, and old debts were being settled, foreshadowing difficult days ahead.


    Although he was a Formation Master and didn¡¯t need to concern himself with such things, he was, after all, a Qian by surname and couldn¡¯t completely detach himself from these matters.


    Now Mo Hua was giving him an opportunity: by teaching formation methods to Loose Cultivators, he was forming an alliance with Elder Yu, easing their relationship.


    Should any difficulty arise in the future, Elder Yu would help him out of consideration for the formation teaching he provided.


    Behind Elder Yu were the Monster Hunters of the entire Tongxian City. With this connection to Elder Yu, he would be untroubled by others in Tongxian City.


    This arrangement was beneficial for both parties and had been thoughtfully considered.


    Master Qian then agreed, ¡°As long as Little Master Mo doesn¡¯t find my skills meager, I am naturally willing to share all I know.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Although the Qian Family didn¡¯t establish itself with formations, it still had a certain legacy in this field, particularly in imparting formation methods to disciples, and had experience to follow.


    Mo Hua was counting on this when he asked Master Qian to teach formation methods to Loose Cultivators.


    But this was not enough.


    Mo Hua then took out a book titled ¡°Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method¡± and handed it to Master Qian:


    ¡°This is a formation book I compiled in my free time. It records the drawing methods for common first-grade formations, lays out the learning process in a step-by-step progression, and includes some insights and experiences¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Please, Master Qian, review it. If there¡¯s nothing wrong, you can use this ¡®Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method¡¯ as the foundation to teach formation methods to the Loose Cultivator disciples¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spoke very politely.


    Master Qian smiled wryly upon hearing this, ¡°Little Master Mo is too courteous. I don¡¯t dare claim the word ¡®review¡¯¡­¡±


    With Mo Hua¡¯s level of expertise in formations, he truly had no place to ¡°review¡± anything.


    But Master Qian was curious about what kind of formation book Mo Hua would compile.


    He opened the ¡°Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method¡± and after a few glances, he was stunned.


    This was no ordinary formation book.


    It was a comprehensive guide to learning all the principles of first-grade formations and below, from a single formation pattern up to nine patterns, with depth and simplicity, progressively explaining the principles of first-grade formations and the laws of Spiritual Power operation.


    Plain yet profound, with a deep foundation in Formation knowledge.


    It¡¯s even more valuable because it isn¡¯t limited to basic Formation principles; it teaches how to advance further and learn more complex Compound Formations after mastering the Nine-Pattern Formation. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All of this is explained in this ¡°Comprehensive Explanation.¡±


    It means that this ¡°Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method¡± can not only help Cultivators who are unfamiliar with Formations to learn First-grade Formation Methods from scratch, step by step.


    But also for someone like me, a ¡°pseudo-First-grade¡± Formation Master who is stuck at the assessment threshold, it¡¯s beneficial, teaching higher-level Formations that can help me cross the threshold and gain the ability to pass the assessment and become a true First-grade Formation Master.


    This book represents a continuous and comprehensive transmission of Formation inheritance.


    Even the Formation tradition collected by the Qian Family over hundreds of years cannot compare to it.


    Master Qian¡¯s hands trembled, feeling the heavy weight of the book in his hands, he couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°Is this¡­ really for me to take?¡±


    He felt unworthy of it.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Formations, if hoarded selfishly, become nothing but stale knowledge. They only become true Formations when they are passed down, allowing more people to understand and benefit more Cultivators. This is how it conforms to the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were clear, and his tone sincere.


    In that moment, Master Qian even felt somewhat ashamed. He sighed and said solemnly,


    ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Mo, I will keep my promise and pass on these Formation Methods for the rest of my life!¡±


    Mo Hua felt greatly relieved and gave a bow,


    ¡°Then I must thank Master Qian for his trouble!¡±


    Master Qian hurriedly returned the bow, ¡°Mr. Mo, you are too polite!¡±


    After a moment of thought, Mo Hua said, ¡°There is one more thing, I¡¯d like to ask Master Qian for a favor.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t call it a ¡®trouble,¡¯ Mr. Mo, just let me know.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯d like to ask Master Qian to take in a child and teach him Formations personally.¡±


    Master Qian was slightly startled, ¡°Who is this child?¡±


    ¡°His last name is Chu, and his nickname is Zhouer. I once promised his father, Uncle Chu, to teach him Formations, but at that time, Zhouer was too young to learn.¡±


    ¡°Having made that promise, I cannot go back on my word.¡±


    ¡°I will be traveling and I don¡¯t know when I will return, so I¡¯d like to ask Master Qian to help and teach Formations on my behalf, so he will have a means to make a living in the future.¡±


    ¡°Chu Zhouer¡­¡± Master Qian repeated the name then nodded, ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Mo, I will teach him well.¡±


    ¡°Then I am very grateful to Master Qian!¡±


    Afterwards, Mo Hua got up to leave, and Master Qian respectfully saw him to the door.


    After leaving, Mo Hua went to find Master Luo and also gave him a copy of the ¡°Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method.¡±


    Master Luo treasured it, filled with gratitude.


    The basic Formation techniques inside didn¡¯t mean much to Master Luo, but the insights into Formations included in the appendix were invaluable to him and might even help him break through the bottleneck of becoming a First-grade Formation Master.


    Mo Hua mentioned to Master Luo his request for Master Qian to teach Formations to Loose Cultivators. Master Luo, somewhat surprised, thought for a moment, then nodded his approval, saying,


    ¡°That¡¯s a very good idea!¡±


    It passed on Formation knowledge and eased tensions as well.


    Seeing Master Luo relaxing at home, leisurely drinking tea, Mo Hua became curious and asked,


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to Lanshan Sect anymore?¡±


    Previously, when a Big Demon appeared and Tongxian City had to relocate, Master Luo found a way out by taking a position as an Outer Gate Elder at Lanshan Sect.


    Master Luo shook his head, ¡°Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. I know my own worth.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for no other choice, I wouldn¡¯t want to leave Tongxian City.¡±


    Master Luo smiled wryly, ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing to say to you, Mr. Mo, that here in Tongxian City, I am revered as a First-grade Formation Master. But outside, I would simply be an ordinary Outer Gate Elder, in a position neither high nor low and subjected to others¡¯ control. It may look impressive, but it¡¯s not comfortable. I would not subject myself to that hardship.¡±


    Mo Hua questioned, ¡°But aren¡¯t the Formation inheritances better outside? Don¡¯t you want to advance further?¡±


    ¡°Just because you want to progress further doesn¡¯t mean you can,¡± Master Luo shook his head. ¡°When a power grows large, so do the interests involved. And with more interests come inevitable backstabbing and scheming.¡±


    ¡°Formations, sometimes, are better pursued outside the limelight, seeking tranquility and distance. When your mind is disturbed, it¡¯s not easy to learn well, and you might even end up learning the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°Besides, getting a Formation inheritance from outside is not easy,¡± sighed Master Luo. ¡°You might exert a lot of effort to get just scraps and leftovers that can scarcely fill your stomach, all the while enduring disdain from others¡­¡±


    Then Mo Hua realized that Master Luo had his own story.


    Perhaps he too had once ventured out, weathered the storm, struggled bitterly, yet still ended with nothing and faced others¡¯ cold looks.


    That¡¯s probably why he returned to Tongxian City, to lie on his bamboo chair, drink tea, and live a steady and stable life.


    ¡°You don¡¯t feel resentful?¡± inquired Mo Hua curiously.


    ¡°Everybody has their fate; it cannot be forced,¡± Master Luo seemed at peace with this, ¡°and as for inheritance, sometimes it¡¯s a matter of chance¡­¡±


    He gently patted the copy of the ¡°Comprehensive Explanation of the First-grade Formation Method¡± that Mo Hua had given him, ¡°See, chance has just arrived, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, then couldn¡¯t help but laugh, finding Master Luo to be quite an interesting person.


    After sharing several cups of Master Luo¡¯s cherished tea and discussing some Formation knowledge, as the sky grew dark, Mo Hua got up to leave.


    Master Luo also stood up and personally saw Mo Hua out.


    Watching Mo Hua¡¯s retreating figure, Master Luo muttered to himself,


    ¡°To follow his mentor and travel, that¡¯s to receive personal instruction¡­¡±


    ¡°If he returns after learning well, having advanced even further in Formations, that would truly be¡­ boundless¡­¡±


    Master Luo murmured appreciatively, then with an expectant expression, watched Mo Hua¡¯s silhouette and whispered,


    ¡°Study hard¡­¡±

 Chapter 371 - 369 Descent_1

    Chapter 371: Chapter 369 Descent_1


    After bidding Master Luo farewell, Mo Hua felt at ease.


    Cultivation makes cultivators powerful, yet it does not involve production, and cannot make more cultivators wealthy.


    Only formations can make life somewhat better for loose cultivators.


    In Tongxian City, Mo Hua was the only one among the loose cultivators who knew about formations. Once he left, with no one to draw formation patterns for them, the lives of the loose cultivators might sink back into hardship in a few years, or perhaps a decade.


    Self-sufficiency brings ample food and clothing.


    Only if more formation masters who understand formations emerge among the loose cultivators.


    These formation masters also make a vow to learn formations and benefit the loose cultivators.


    This is the only way to truly improve the situation of loose cultivators.


    No matter how strong Mo Hua¡¯s formation abilities are, he is still just one person, capable of changing only the immediate circumstances.


    But the legacy of formations can be passed on to many people.


    Passed down from generation to generation, it can change the lives of loose cultivators for a very long time.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t want Tongxian City to revert to the old state of ¡°loose cultivators without a formation master¡± after he left. He hoped that when he returned, more loose cultivators would have learned formations and that everyone could live better lives.


    Once the matter of passing on formation techniques was resolved, Mo Hua had many farewells to say to acquaintances.


    The first was Leader Yang.


    With the Taoist soldiers Court¡¯s mission completed and the Big Demon subdued, it was time for him to return and report back.


    Before leaving, Leader Yang patted Mo Hua on the shoulder, repeatedly admonishing,


    ¡°If you ever want to join the Taoist soldiers Court, be sure to find me. No matter what happens, the Yang Family will protect you!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t wish to join the Taoist soldiers Court, then you must stay firm in your Taoist Heart, act cautiously, never stray onto the wrong path, and certainly do not fall into the Demon Path¡­¡±


    Leader Yang had witnessed the terror of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation up close and had felt it personally.


    In his life thus far, he had not seen another Trapping and Killing Formation with such a strong killing aura.


    Let alone the self-destruction of the Large Formation later on, the strange and horrifying phenomena generated by the change in spiritual power.


    Though a formation master¡¯s personal strength may not be formidable, once they complete a formation or construct a large formation, they can truly wield the power to change the heavens and earth or even destroy them.


    This was something he had not fully grasped before seeing Mo Hua.


    Only after seeing the Trapping and Killing Formation laid by Mo Hua and witnessing the deadly force produced by the destruction of the formation did Leader Yang truly realize the power and the terror of a formation master.


    So, he was truly worried about Mo Hua making a misstep.


    At only thirteen years of age, Mo Hua was already capable of constructing large formations on his own, confining Feng Xi.


    Given time, who knows what level his formation skills will reach.


    If he were to truly take the wrong path and build large formations to slaughter cultivators, it would undoubtedly bring calamity to a city, a realm, or even a whole state.


    Leader Yang was very afraid of witnessing that scene and could not bear to face Mo Hua in a battle.


    Mo Hua then reassured him, ¡°Uncle Yang, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a serious cultivator and won¡¯t do such bad things.¡±


    The world is full of changes; who can be certain about the future?


    Leader Yang remained worried but could do nothing more as his mission was complete and it was time for him to leave.


    Before departing, he also went to Mo Hua¡¯s food business and took away more than fifty pounds of beef.


    It was the first time he had tried this beef. After sampling it once at Mo Hua¡¯s, he couldn¡¯t forget about it, so he bought a lot before leaving, planning to enjoy it with wine on the road.


    After the Taoist soldiers set out, Leader Yang left along Big Black Mountain.


    Mo Hua waved his small hand, bidding farewell to Leader Yang.


    After Leader Yang left, Zhang Lan found Mo Hua, telling him he would also be leaving soon.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Is it because you¡¯ve succeeded in Foundation Establishment that you¡¯re returning to your clan?¡±


    Zhang Lan sighed, his expression forlorn, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua patted his shoulder, comforting,


    ¡°Just going back for a blind date isn¡¯t so bad. What if you meet someone suitable? It could be a kind of fate.¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s face darkened again, ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re still so young, is it appropriate for you to say such things?¡±


    Mo Hua earnestly replied, ¡°I may be young, but I¡¯ve heard a lot of things.¡±


    In his free time, he would often go to the Fulu Building to play with Xiaofu.


    Xiaofu enjoyed gossip and even spiced up the stories, commissioned storytellers to perform them in the Food Building. The place was always packed, popular among diners.


    Mo Hua had heard quite a bit.


    He especially liked stories about defeating demons or bizarre tales.


    He didn¡¯t have much taste for romance stories, but he wasn¡¯t picky and would listen when they were told.


    In those stories, noble family descendants like Zhang Lan, who were initially averse to blind dates, would go reluctantly, but upon meeting a beautiful girl, they would instantly become eager and start pursuing her¡­


    Mo Hua thought Zhang Lan seemed like the type who could do something like that.


    Zhang Lan listened with a headache ensuing.


    ¡°That¡¯s just a tale, embellished and not to be taken seriously.¡±


    Mo Hua insisted, ¡°¡®When the fake is used as the real, the real also becomes fake.¡¯ How can you be sure that what¡¯s told in the stories isn¡¯t true?¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡± Zhang Lan said helplessly.


    Mo Hua was quick-witted, and Zhang Lan indeed could not outtalk him.


    However, thinking that once he left Immortal City, he might not have a child as interesting as Mo Hua to banter and chat with anymore, Zhang Lan felt a pang of loss.


    Mo Hua then comforted, ¡°We will meet again if it¡¯s destined. Perhaps one day, we¡¯ll meet again.¡±


    Zhang Lan considered it and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right, if it¡¯s fated, we¡¯ll meet again.¡±


    ¡°If you ever pass through Kan State and reach the Zhang Family¡¯s domain, make sure to visit. Mention my name, and I¡¯ll host you properly and treat you well,¡± Zhang Lan said with a buoyant and confident expression.


    Mo Hua asked quietly, ¡°Uncle Zhang, do you hold a high position in your clan?¡±


    Zhang Lan didn¡¯t elaborate much, only saying, ¡°It¡¯s decent enough. As long as you come, you won¡¯t be disappointed. I¡¯ll treat you to some good food.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up and he quickly agreed, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Seeing this, Zhang Lan couldn¡¯t help but smile. Then, he suddenly remembered something important and lowered his voice,


    ¡°There¡¯s something most important to remember¡­¡± Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua looked puzzled.


    ¡°The Water Passing Step¡­¡± Zhang Lan reminded.


    Suddenly understanding, Mo Hua also spoke in a low, serious voice:


    ¡°Water Passing Step wasn¡¯t taught by you, Uncle Zhang. Rest assured, no matter what, I won¡¯t sell you out¡­¡±


    Zhang Lan¡¯s expression was complex.


    Mo Hua¡¯s silence was naturally a good thing.


    But the way you used the word ¡°sell out¡± makes it sound like we¡¯re colluding in disgrace, doing something nefarious¡­


    Zhang Lan had to hand things over to the Taoist Court, which would probably take about two months.


    During this time, if he was free, he would also come to drink and chat with Mo Hua.


    There was laughter and conversation, but there was already a faint air of parting.


    ¡­


    Additionally, Mo Hua took some time to see Manager Mo.


    It was from Manager Mo that Mo Hua, by drawing Formation Patterns, made his first sum of Spirit Stones and took his first step to becoming a Formation Master.


    Without Manager Mo, Instructor Yan might not have discovered his talent in formations, might not have recommended him to Mr. Zhuang, and he wouldn¡¯t have become a recorded disciple of Mr. Zhuang, nor would he have taken Mr. Zhuang as his master today.


    Manager Mo¡¯s business had improved a lot.


    The sign hanging in front of his door was the old one, bearing the three characters for ¡°Fated Gathering,¡± but the entire entrance and interior decorations had been completely renewed.


    Manager Mo also looked more spirited.


    When he saw Mo Hua, he was both surprised and delighted, quickly inviting Mo Hua into the house and pouring him a cup of tea.


    Mo Hua waved his hand and said, ¡°Manager Mo, there¡¯s no need for such courtesy.¡±


    ¡°You are an honored guest now; it is only right to observe the proper formalities.¡±


    Manager Mo watched Mo Hua sipping tea, feeling a wave of emotion in his heart.


    Once, the young Cultivator who pretended to be his older brother to draw Formation Patterns for Spirit Stones, had now become a Great Formation Master known throughout the city.


    He remembered Mo Hua¡¯s first visit, a young boy standing beneath the counter, poking his little head out.


    Now, he seemed not much taller, and his appearance was still cute and lovely, but his look and demeanor were completely different.


    The aura around him was even more inscrutable.


    The first time Manager Mo saw Mo Hua, he could only draw three Formation Patterns for the Bright Fire Formation. Two or three years had passed, and now he could create a top-grade Large Formation.


    The chasm between then and now was vast as a rift in the earth.


    He had no idea how Mo Hua had learned so much.


    Manager Mo shook his head, his heart full of wonder.


    After a while, he remembered something, stood up, went to the counter, and took out a maroon food box, setting it in front of Mo Hua.


    Inside the food box were an assortment of exquisite pastries.


    ¡°These were given to me by someone, very precious pastries. Have a taste.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, taking a bite. Soft, sticky, and sweet, his eyes lit up as he said, ¡°Thank you, Manager!¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua enjoyed the pastries, Manager Mo also started smiling.


    Such pastries had never been sent to him before.


    After receiving Master Luo¡¯s patronage, some Formation Masters were willing to draw formations for his store. With more formations in the store, more customers came, improving his business, and naturally, the gifts he received became more luxurious.


    Master Luo wouldn¡¯t help him for no reason; it must have been for Mo Hua¡¯s sake.


    He didn¡¯t say this, but he understood it in his heart.


    After they had tea for a while, Manager Mo asked,


    ¡°You didn¡¯t come just to have tea with me, did you?¡±


    Swallowing his pastry and taking a sip of tea, Mo Hua nodded and said,


    ¡°I am going to leave Tongxian City and go traveling.¡±


    Manager Mo was slightly stunned but not surprised.


    Young Cultivators always needed to go out and see the world, seek opportunities, witness the vastness of the Cultivation World, meet all sorts of Cultivators, and explore some unknown inheritances¡­


    However, for Mo Hua to go traveling at his age was somewhat early.


    But an extraordinary Cultivator does extraordinary things.


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°I came here, firstly, to see you and express my gratitude.¡±


    After all, if Manager Mo hadn¡¯t allowed him to earn Spirit Stones by drawing formations back then, his formation skills might not have reached this level.


    He also told Master Luo to continue looking after Manager Mo¡¯s business in the future.


    ¡°There¡¯s another matter,¡± Mo Hua¡¯s expression turned solemn, ¡°I want to ask about Instructor Yan¡¯s whereabouts.¡±


    Manager Mo was a bit startled, but also touched, ¡°You still remember him¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    Instructor Yan had bestowed upon him the kindness of enlightenment, and his opportunity to take Mr. Zhuang as his master was also thanks to Instructor Yan¡¯s recommendation.


    A drop of water should be reciprocated with a gushing spring.


    Now that his own mastery of formations showed slight success, he naturally wanted to inquire about Instructor Yan¡¯s whereabouts within the scope of his ability, to see if there was anything he could do to help Instructor Yan.


    Manager Mo sighed in his heart: What a good child.


    After a long hesitation, he still decided to lay out the truth:


    ¡°Actually, the matter is pretty simple. I and Instructor Yan are essentially fellow disciples from the same Sect. He entered the Sect earlier than I did, and we had some acquaintance, but since I joined the Sect not long before it encountered turmoil and was dissolved, I didn¡¯t learn much, so our relationship isn¡¯t that deep.¡±


    ¡°Turmoil?¡±


    Manager Mo nodded and said with a sad expression, ¡°Our master was an old Formation Master who treated his disciples kindly and taught tirelessly.¡±


    ¡°But he misjudged someone, taking in a disciple with wolfish ambitions who coveted the Sect¡¯s Sect Protecting Faction Formation. That person actually¡­¡±


    Manager Mo took a sip of tea to suppress the anger in his heart before continuing,


    ¡°He committed the act of murdering his master, stole the formation, and fled the Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Our Sect was originally a small one with not many people. Those who came to our master, they just wanted to learn formations to make a living. Once the master died, things naturally fell apart, and the whole Sect was gone¡­¡±


    Manager Mo had a look of bitterness on his face.


    ¡°He¡¯s truly a disgrace to all Formation Masters.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed as he listened, feeling somewhat angry, and asked,


    ¡°When Instructor Yan left, did he say he had personal matters to attend to, to seek out this disgrace¡¯s whereabouts?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Manager Mo said with some emotion, ¡°He entered the Sect early and had a deep bond with our master, so he couldn¡¯t accept it. He wanted to bring that traitor to justice to appease our master¡¯s spirit in heaven and also to retrieve the Sect Protecting Faction Formation¡­¡±


    Looking at Mo Hua, Manager Mo¡¯s eyes flickered, and he spoke slowly,


    ¡°That formation is known as the Spiritual Pivot Formation, a formation considered impossible for any Formation Master to learn¡ªa first-grade¡­ twelve-pattern formation!¡±

 Chapter 372 - 370 Assessment_1

    Chapter 372: Chapter 370 Assessment_1


    ¡°`


    First-grade, twelve patterns!


    Mo Hua was startled, he had never imagined that Instructor Yan¡¯s sect would have an inheritance with a first-grade formation of twelve patterns.


    The Reversed Spirit Formation that Mr. Zhuang taught him was only a first-grade with ten patterns.


    And although Mr. Zhuang had not explicitly stated, but according to Mo Hua¡¯s own estimation, the Divine Sense required for the Spirit Pivot of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation wouldn¡¯t exceed eleven patterns either.


    Now, from Manager Mo¡¯s words, he had actually heard of a first-grade formation with twelve patterns, which seemed to be a type of Single Formation.


    ¡°Spiritual Pivot Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently remembered this name and then out of curiosity, he asked:


    ¡°Does this formation have any special characteristics, to require such a strong Divine Sense of twelve patterns¡­¡±


    Manager Mo smiled bitterly and shook his head: ¡°No one has learned it, so naturally nobody knows.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head slightly, and then continued to muse to himself:


    ¡°Spiritual Pivot Formation doesn¡¯t sound like a Five Elements Formation. Since it contains the word ¡®spirit,¡¯ it must be related to Spiritual Power, probably similar to ¡®Spirit Gathering Array¡¯ or ¡®Reversed Spirit Formation,¡¯ a formation regarding the gathering or flow of Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    ¡°The name of the formation includes the word ¡®pivot,¡¯ which could either refer to Spiritual Power being the pivot or the uniqueness of the ¡®Formation Pivot¡¯.¡±


    ¡°The Formation Pivot of a Single Formation is typically simple in structure, but this Single Formation requires twelve patterns of Divine Sense; could it be because its Formation Pivot is complex and out of the ordinary?¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua muttered to himself, lost in thought for a long while.


    Manager Mo was dumbfounded as he listened.


    He hadn¡¯t said anything, just mentioned the name of the formation, and Mo Hua was able to infer so much¡­


    And he didn¡¯t even understand it himself.


    Manager Mo was secretly astounded.


    The way of formations, indeed profound and intricate, Mo Hua¡¯s level in formations was also truly impenetrable and advanced; no wonder even Master Luo had such admiration for Mo Hua¡­


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua still couldn¡¯t reach any firm conclusion.


    With just the name of a formation, indeed, not much could be discerned.


    He then asked: ¡°Manager Mo, do you know where Instructor Yan has gone?¡±


    Manager Mo came back to his senses, thought for a moment, took a piece of paper out of his Storage Bag, and handed it to Mo Hua. The paper had only one line of writing:


    ¡°Minor Wilderness State Boundary, South Yue City.¡±


    ¡°This is what I found out through someone I asked, a former sect acquaintance saw that traitor, who betrayed and murdered his mentor, in an Immortal City named South Yue, to the east of Li State, within Minor Wilderness State Boundary.¡±


    ¡°I have informed Senior Brother Yan about this. If I¡¯m not wrong, he should have gone to South Yue City as well.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head and carefully stored the piece of paper away.


    Manager Mo thought it over and still made a request:


    ¡°Mo Hua, I have an impolite favor to ask¡­ If you pass by that place and encounter Senior Brother Yan, I hope you can help him.¡±


    Mo Hua said with all seriousness, ¡°Manager, rest assured, I will definitely help Instructor Yan catch that traitor.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Manager Mo shook his head.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°What do you mean not it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to help him catch someone, I want you to persuade him for me, to find a companion, settle down and start a family¡­¡± Manager Mo said with resignation.


    Mo Hua was a bit confounded.


    Manager Mo sighed: ¡°Senior Brother Yan is actually quite talented¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course not comparable to you¡­¡± Manager Mo looked at Mo Hua and then continued:


    ¡°If he dedicated himself to studying formations, not to mention achieving great success, but at least to become a first-grade Formation Master and an Outer Gate Elder, that would be no problem.¡±


    ¡°A first-grade Formation Master, in most state boundaries, is also considered a remarkable person¡­¡±


    Manager Mo¡¯s tone carried some envy.


    Mo Hua also nodded; his initial dream when learning formations was to become a first-grade Formation Master.


    Manager Mo then sighed again: ¡°But these past years, Senior Brother Yan has been troubled and restless, unable to calm down, so he has always been unable to cross that threshold.¡±


    ¡°He joined the sect early and had a deep affection for his master, so he can¡¯t accept what happened. I understand that very well, but one should not waste one¡¯s entire life seeking revenge.¡±


    ¡°Even if he avenges the great wrong, in the end, being alone with white hair, it will be difficult to make any more progress in formations.¡±


    ¡°If you happen to meet him, just persuade him to be a bit more considerate of himself, no matter if he gets revenge, his master is already dead, and the sect has dispersed, the past gone with the wind, but he himself still needs to find a way to live well¡­¡±


    Manager Mo expressed his feelings earnestly, his tone mixed with some helplessness:


    ¡°He might not listen to these words from me, but he might listen if you say them.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement and also sighed internally, Manager Mo truly had Instructor Yan¡¯s best interests at heart, so he promised:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will talk to the Instructor.¡±


    Manager Mo then smiled happily.


    When Mo Hua was about to leave, Manager Mo took out a few boxes of expensive pastries and stuffed them into Mo Hua¡¯s arms:


    ¡°Take these and try them.¡±


    Mo Hua was unable to decline and had to accept them.


    After Mo Hua left, Manager Mo sat alone in the room, pouring and drinking tea by himself, drinking several cups. He looked somewhat melancholic as he mumbled to himself:


    ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t blame me for being meddlesome¡­¡±


    ¡°I told Mo Hua about the Spiritual Pivot Formation, don¡¯t be angry with me for that.¡±


    ¡°Our sect is gone, so the formation is no longer a secret.¡±


    Manager Mo was silent for a while, then looking at the floating tea leaves in his cup, he slowly continued:


    ¡°Moreover, I also want to know if it is really possible for anyone to learn that outlandishly extreme first-grade twelve-pattern formation¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua bid farewell to Manager Mo, taking with him the memory of the name ¡°South Yue City¡±.


    Thinking of Instructor Yan¡¯s charge to him, his expectations, and the somewhat desolate figure he had left behind.


    Mo Hua felt rather heavy-hearted for a moment.


    Unsure of where Instructor Yan was now, whether he was doing well, if he had encountered any difficulties.


    Whether he had found the mentor-killing traitor, and whether he might face any dangers¡­


    ¡°`


    But worrying now is useless; I hope I really can meet Instructor Yan in the future. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Then he thought of another issue:


    I originally studied Formation to become a First-grade Formation Master; now that I am about to set out on a journey, should I try to get assessed?


    Mo Hua went to ask Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang was not surprised and nodded, ¡°You can give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Mo Hua was suddenly nervous, ¡°What if I fail?¡±


    ¡°Just go and take the test; whether you pass or fail doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    That¡¯s what Mr. Zhuang said, but he thought to himself:


    ¡°You are now the lead Formation Master of a First-grade Large Formation; how can you possibly not pass the examination for a regular First-grade Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°With something like Formation, whether it¡¯s good or bad is clear at a glance, and an expert can see it right away.¡±


    ¡°For the assessment, even if there is foul play, they wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with you.¡±


    ¡°If they really dare to be ¡®blind with open eyes¡¯ and revoke your qualification for the First-grade, they will definitely regret it in the future¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, and after thinking, he agreed that a regular First-grade Formation really wasn¡¯t something to worry about.


    ¡°When should I go for the assessment then?¡±


    Mo Hua was clueless about the process of the assessment.


    ¡°Before you leave on your journey, you must finish the assessment,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I do it somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work,¡± Mr. Zhuang shook his head and patiently explained:


    ¡°The assessment of Formation Masters follows a recommendation system and is limited by state boundaries.¡±


    ¡°If you want to get assessed, not only do you need a recommendation letter, the number of First-grade Formation Masters allowed is fixed for each state, each boundary, and each city; some places have more quotas, some have less.¡±


    ¡°Here in Tongxian City, you have a recommendation; after the assessment, the quota for Tongxian City is taken.¡±


    ¡°Once outside, unfamiliar with the place, firstly no one is willing to recommend, and secondly, if you pass the assessment, you take up a quota from another Immortal City, which others are even less willing to give up¡­¡±


    ¡°That sounds troublesome¡­¡± Mo Hua recalled what Mr. Zhuang had said before and asked:


    ¡°Is all this complexity designed to set barriers and make a profit?¡±


    ¡°Part of it is,¡± Mr. Zhuang admitted.


    ¡°And the other part?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang wanted to explain but didn¡¯t; instead, he just said:


    ¡°You¡¯ll gradually find out in the future; knowing now is of no use.¡±


    Mo Hua, only partially understanding, nodded and asked again, ¡°Then how is the quota distributed?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°There are many factors, including the wealth of the state boundary, the number of Family Sects and Clans, personal connections, and so on¡­ The poorer the state boundary with a weaker Formation heritage, the fewer the quotas, and the more effort one has to put in to become a First-grade Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, in places with a deep foundation or entrenched power, there are many quotas given each year, and it¡¯s relatively easier to become a First-grade Formation Master.¡±


    Mo Hua clicked his tongue and said, ¡°That¡¯s really¡­ not very fair.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°The Heavenly Dao is fair, and the Formation stands as it is; knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing. What¡¯s unfair is actually people; some know but still can¡¯t become First-grade Formation Masters, while some don¡¯t know yet still wear the title of a First-grade Formation Master¡­¡±


    Reflectively, Mo Hua quietly asked:


    ¡°Then who should I ask for a recommendation?¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court, local Clans, Sects, or other powerful entities recognized by the Taoist Court can all qualify to recommend,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    ¡°As for you¡­ better go through the Taoist Court Officials. After all, don¡¯t you have a Bronze Waist Token from them? Your Court Leader would surely be very happy to recommend you.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang advised.


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Gentleman, you knew about the waist token too?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked composed, ¡°Such trifles, if I want to know, I naturally do.¡±


    Mo Hua marveled internally at Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mysterious prowess.


    ¡°Also,¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s slender fingers ruffled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, ¡°you should call me ¡®Master¡¯ now, not ¡®Gentleman.¡¯


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua realized and gave an embarrassed laugh.


    He had become accustomed to calling ¡®Gentleman¡¯ and hadn¡¯t managed to switch immediately.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was crisp and clear.


    Mr. Zhuang half-closed his eyes, his expression relaxed, and he nodded lightly.


    After that, Mo Hua went to find Court Leader Zhou.


    When the Court Leader heard that Mo Hua wanted to participate in the First-grade Formation Master assessment, he agreed without a second thought.


    If Mo Hua could get a recommendation from the Taoist Court and pass the assessment, becoming a First-grade Formation Master would also reflect well on him.


    Even if Mo Hua failed the assessment, Court Leader Zhou was more than willing to help with this favor.


    Although in his heart, Court Leader Zhou knew it was impossible for Mo Hua not to pass the assessment with his Formation expertise.


    But he also understood that the ins and outs of the assessment process were very complex.


    The Taoist Court¡¯s assessment determined not the grade of the Formation but that of the Formation Master, and it was not decided by the Heavenly Dao but by people with complicated interests.


    Unless one had an extraordinary network of connections, the outcome was uncertain to anyone.


    Zhou, the Court Leader, was only an official of a small Immortal City; he had some connections but couldn¡¯t influence the major decisions of the Heaven Shu Pavilion in the central Taoist Court, so all he could do was provide a recommendation. For the rest, Mo Hua had to rely on himself.


    Zhou, the Court Leader, checked the relevant documents, handwrote a letter of recommendation, and then said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°On the twenty-sixth of October, there will be an assessment for Second-grade Black Mountain State Boundary, held at the Azure Cloud Sect in Azure Mountain City. I will send someone to take you there.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The twenty-sixth of October, which was only seven days away, was very soon.


    ¡°It seems Mr. Zhuang¡­ Master has calculated even the timing of the assessment¡­¡±


    Mo Hua inwardly mused.

 Chapter 373 - 371 Azure Cloud Sect_1

    Chapter 373: Chapter 371 Azure Cloud Sect_1


    Several days later, Mo Hua followed the Taoist Court¡¯s carriage to Azure Cloud Sect in Azure Mountain City.


    Since he was only there to participate in the examination, the entourage was not large; only a few Enforcement Leaders from the Taoist Court and his father, Mo Shan, accompanied him.


    The carriage was exclusive to the Taoist Court, and the horses that pulled it were nurtured by cultivators, having ordinary bloodlines and not considered valuable.


    The carriage bore the Taoist Court¡¯s flag; traveling on main roads, it generally did not invite trouble.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first long journey.


    He sat inside the carriage, lifted the curtain, and stuck out his little head to watch the scenery along the way.


    Whenever he encountered anything novel or unfamiliar, such as strange and peculiar cultivators, he would turn his head to ask his father, Mo Shan:


    ¡°Dad, what mountain is this?¡±


    ¡°Why are there no fish in this river?¡±


    ¡°Why is that cultivator carrying a big sword?¡±


    ¡°And what are those red things being sold by the roadside?¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua kept asking questions throughout the journey, and Mo Shan patiently explained:


    ¡°This is Qingping Mountain, the river is poisonous so there are no fish, the cultivator carrying the sword works as a mercenary, and those sold by the roadside are the unsatisfying ¡®mountain delicacies¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked all the way, and Mo Shan answered all the way.


    The journey was bumpy, but also smooth sailing, and after three days, they reached Azure Cloud City.


    Azure Cloud City was larger than Tongxian City and the streets were more spacious, but it was not as bustling; although some of the goods sold on the street stalls were novel, most were similar to those in Tongxian City.


    After turning a few streets, they could glimpse in the misty clouds on Qingping Mountain, a majestic sect.


    Azure Cloud Sect.


    This was the largest sect in the Black Mountain State Boundary, a Second-Grade prefecture.


    The sect was Second Grade, with more than ten Foundation Building Cultivators, and it was said that the Supreme Elder was even in the late stage of Foundation Establishment.


    However, all this had nothing to do with Mo Hua; he was only there to take an exam.


    The Taoist Court¡¯s Formation Master Grading took place every few years at irregular intervals, on specific dates decided by the Heaven Shu Pavilion of the Taoist Court.


    The Heaven Shu Pavilion would select the examination venue, and Formation Masters who were eligible for grading would gather from each state to participate in the examination.


    Generally, the venue would be at a sect or a prominent clan.


    This year, the chosen site was Azure Cloud Sect.


    Upon entering Azure Cloud Sect and dismounting the carriage, disciples of the sect approached to inquire about their purpose.


    A young Enforcement Leader from Tongxian City said, ¡°We are here to participate in the Formation Master Grading.¡±


    The disciple¡¯s attitude became more respectful as he said, ¡°Please,¡± and led Mo Hua and others to an elegantly decorated hall on the left-hand side.


    Inside the hall were many cultivators sitting on rosewood chairs, drinking tea while waiting.


    ¡°Before grading, you must present a letter of recommendation, which will be registered by our sect¡¯s Elder. Once the Taoist Court¡¯s examiners confirm there are no errors, you may join the Formation examination at the main peak of Azure Cloud Peak, Wenxian Palace, the day after tomorrow.¡±


    The disciple reminded them and, after saying this and bowing, took his leave.


    Mo Hua and the others sat down to drink a cup of tea while waiting.


    Meanwhile, Formation Masters registered in turn.


    Having nothing better to do, Mo Hua was curious about what would be asked during registration, but despite straining his ears, he couldn¡¯t hear anything.


    Only when he expanded his Divine Sense did he realize that a Sound Isolation Formation was placed around the area.


    The formation was simple and posed no challenge for Mo Hua, but out of respect, he withdrew his Divine Sense and sat down properly, waiting quietly.


    After a while, about half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it was his turn.


    Accompanied by Mo Shan, Mo Hua handed over the letter of recommendation to the registering Elder.


    The Elder was of middle age, with a cultivation level of Qi Refining Ninth Level, seemingly not very senior, which suggested he had been recently promoted, hence he was assigned to do the registration work.


    He looked at Mo Hua with a hint of suspicion, took his letter of recommendation, and his eyebrows knit together instantly. After a moment of thought, he tentatively asked:


    ¡°Which one of you is Mo Hua?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Me.¡±


    The Elder asked again, ¡°Then which one of you is taking the exam?¡±


    Mo Hua replied again, ¡°Me!¡±


    The Elder glanced at Mo Hua, then at the letter of recommendation, back to Mo Hua, and once more at the letter of recommendation¡­ After a long while, he asked:


    ¡°How old are you?¡±


    Mo Hua declared, ¡°I¡¯m thirteen!¡±


    The Elder¡¯s expression became incredibly complex for a moment.


    He then looked toward Mo Shan and asked, ¡°Are you this child¡¯s father?¡±


    Mo Shan nodded.


    ¡°Do you know what he¡¯s here to do?¡±


    Mo Shan slightly frowned and said calmly:


    ¡°It should be clearly written on the letter.¡±


    The Azure Cloud Sect¡¯s Elder glanced at the letter of recommendation, which indeed spelled out clearly:


    ¡°There is a cultivator from Tongxian City, surnamed Mo and named Hua, aged thirteen, with profound knowledge in formations and already qualified for assessment. He is hereby recommended.


    Tongxian City Court Leader: Zhou Tiancheng.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was the official seal of the Taoist Court, as well as the private seal of Court Leader Zhou Tiancheng.


    The letter was real, but the more one looked at it, the faker it seemed.


    Who, at the age of thirteen, would participate in a grading assessment?


    ¡°Could it be a deception¡­¡±


    The middle-aged Elder felt uneasy and unleashed his Divine Sense, attempting to probe into Mo Hua.


    He was very subtle, sending out his Divine Sense and retracting it immediately, but as soon as it reached Mo Hua, it was instantly annihilated, leaving no trace behind, and he gleaned no information.


    Unfathomable?


    This Elder was shocked and as he raised his head, he saw Mo Hua silently looking at him, with a hint of displeasure on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been discovered!¡±


    A chill ran through the Elder¡¯s heart, and he quickly stood up, cupping his hands and saying:


    ¡°It was presumptuous of me. Please, no offense; I will register you now.¡±


    Mo Hua was not the type to be unreasonable, so he nodded and said:


    ¡°I appreciate it, Elder.¡±


    The Elder sat back down, relieved.


    ¡°That was a close call¡­¡±


    Unable to be probed by Divine Sense, he must be wearing a Spiritual Artifact that hinders it.


    Such artifacts are extremely valuable, usually only worn by those from noble clans with a background or by sect disciples.


    If that is the case, then this child¡¯s background should not be underestimated.


    If not, then it¡¯s even more frightening.


    The stronger the Divine Sense, the more deceptive it becomes.


    One¡¯s own Divine Sense cannot probe.


    This means that the child¡¯s Divine Sense is extremely powerful, perhaps much stronger than one¡¯s own, thus completely blocking one¡¯s probing.


    Even a mere glance of surveillance could be detected by him.


    With such a powerful Divine Sense, he indeed has the capital to study formations, and likely, the ability to participate in the grading and become a First-Grade Formation Master.


    Moreover, he is only thirteen years old.


    A thirteen-year-old First-Grade Formation Master¡­


    That would be truly terrifying¡­


    The Elder pondered deeply, growing more and more anxious.


    On the surface, he composed himself and diligently registered Mo Hua¡¯s name, stroke by stroke. Then he bowed and apologized once more:


    ¡°I was offensive just now, please forgive my impudence.¡±


    He then introduced himself:


    ¡°My surname is Li. I am an Outer Gate Elder of the Azure Cloud Sect, in charge of receiving duties for this Formation Master Grading. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.¡±


    Elder Li handed over a jade plaque, a map, and a jade token.


    ¡°This jade plaque is your credential. You must have it to participate in the grading assessment the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°This map is a simplified layout of the Outer Mountain, marking the buildings of the Outer Mountain, where you can and cannot go, and it is all marked on it.¡±


    ¡°Our Azure Cloud Sect is the largest sect within the Black Mountain State Boundary. When free, you may browse around according to the map and enjoy the views of the Azure Cloud Sect¡¯s Outer Mountain.¡±


    ¡°This is my identity token. All elders of the Azure Cloud Sect have one. If you encounter any trouble, showing this token can save you a lot of effort¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Li¡¯s attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, yet his words were quite warm.


    Mo Hua was pleasantly surprised and said with a smile:


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Li!¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s genuine smile, not bearing a grudge, Elder Li finally breathed a sigh of relief and personally escorted Mo Hua and Mo Shan out.


    The other Formation Masters waiting to register looked at each other in confusion.


    They had been waiting for a long time, observing for a long time.


    Elder Li carried out his duties in strict accordance with the rules, dealt with matters formally, and was not someone overly warm or given to superfluous words.


    Why was he so warm towards this father and son duo?


    A sense of bewilderment grew in their hearts.


    The registration area was equipped with a simple Sound Isolation Formation, so they couldn¡¯t hear clearly what Mo Hua and others had said, and naturally did not know what had transpired¡­


    At the same time, what made them more curious was Mo Shan.


    They didn¡¯t know his exact name or background, but saw that he had starry eyes and a noble presence, with surging Blood Qi around him. His clothing was not expensive, but he indeed carried an extraordinary air.


    However, although he had an extraordinary demeanor, he didn¡¯t seem like a Formation Master.


    He looked more like a Body Cultivator skilled in using swords rather than a Formation Master skilled in Drawing Formations.


    Furthermore, his participation in the Formation Master assessment along with his son¡ªwhat was that all about?

 Chapter 374 - 372 Assessment Evaluation_1

    Chapter 374: Chapter 372 Assessment Evaluation_1


    After arranging accommodation, Mo Hua, accompanied by Mo Shan, took a stroll around the outer mountains of the Azure Cloud Sect.


    At first, he only felt that the Azure Cloud Sect was vast, with many things to see, but after walking for several rounds, the novelty wore off, and each mountain, each water feature, each building, each platform, seemed to be much the same as the others, leaving not much left to explore.


    Mo Shan then went back to his room to calmly review Formation methods.


    However, common first-grade Formations were too simple and there was not much to review.


    Mo Hua could only draw the Reversed Spirit Formation a few times and review the Formation Pivot of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    When it was time to eat, he went to scrounge a meal at the Azure Cloud Sect.


    The Formation Master assessment was managed by the Dao Court Tian Shu Pavilion and conducted by the Azure Cloud Sect.


    The Azure Cloud Sect paid particular attention to it, daring not to be the slightest bit negligent.


    Otherwise, not only would they be profaning the Daoist Court, risking accountability from the Daoist Court Official, but they would also offend the Formation Masters coming to participate in the assessment, causing the sect¡¯s reputation among Formation Masters to deteriorate.


    Those who could partake in the assessment were all ¡°prospective first-grade¡± Formation Masters, and the Azure Cloud Sect dared not treat them lightly.


    Therefore, regardless of accommodation or food, all was meticulously arranged. They stayed in spacious accommodations and ate very abundant meals.


    Mo Hua ate many kinds of Spiritual Meat that he had never tried before.


    The texture of the Spiritual Meat was indeed finer, without the slightest hint of gaminess, and it was shrouded in dense Spiritual Energy. After eating and refining it, the Spiritual Power within his Qi Sea also increased slightly.


    Only, the taste was quite ordinary. Because of the rich Spiritual Energy, it was a bit like ¡°eating Spirit Stones,¡± and the flavor was nowhere near as delicious as what his mother cooked.


    But Mo Hua was not picky with his food.


    Furthermore, considering the preciousness of these Spiritual Meats, he would eat a little more.


    Mo Hua was well-accommodated and well-fed, and the disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect were all respectful and polite, so he did not encounter any trouble.


    After two days like this, the official assessment day arrived.


    The location of the exam was set in the Wenxian Palace on the main peak of the Azure Cloud Sect.


    The hall was broad and towering, solemn and majestic, with dozens of desks and cases inside.


    The desks and cases were made of rosewood, with wide surfaces, delicately carved with cloud beast Patterns, and they felt weighty with a gentle sheen; they were clearly very valuable.


    Around the desks and cases were Formations to isolate Divine Sense, sound, and sight.


    If a Formation Master made any inappropriate move, it would trigger a warning from the Formation, and the offender would be expelled from the exam hall and stripped of the assessment qualification.


    Mo Hua presented his Jade Slip to the examiner, entered the Wenxian Palace, found his desk, sat down quietly, and felt the solemn and serious atmosphere, which made him somewhat nervous.


    He looked around and suddenly felt less nervous.


    Mr. Zhuang was right; most of the people taking the exam with him were old Formation Masters with white hair, as well as some middle-aged Cultivators with strands of grey.


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself,


    ¡°These uncles and grandpas have been studying and taking exams all their lives and still face the prospect of failing; I¡¯m still young, and even if I don¡¯t pass this time, it¡¯s no big deal¡­¡±


    With this thought, Mo Hua completely relaxed.


    He then realized that everyone seemed to be secretly watching him.


    It started with the examiners at the door.


    His hair was half white, his demeanor stern, and his face rigid.


    He wore a white Taoist Robe embroidered with a Seven Stars pattern on his chest.


    The Seven Stars were in the shape of the Big Dipper, with the other six stars dim, only the chief star of the Big Dipper, that is, the Tian Shu star, shone brightly, emitting a soft starlight.


    This signified that he was a Cultivator from the Tian Shu Pavilion within the central Seven Stars Pavilion of the Daoist Court.


    He was also the chief examiner for the Formation assessment.


    When Mo Hua handed him the Jade Slip, he could clearly see the astonished look on the examiner¡¯s face.


    After looking at the Jade Slip and staring at Mo Hua for a while, he slowly nodded his head, admitting Mo Hua into the examination hall.


    Mo Hua entered the Wenxian Palace.


    Soon after, he noticed that everyone was staring at him, either openly or covertly.


    Watching him enter the door, walking through the aisle, approaching the desk, and sitting down straightforwardly.


    In an instant, a collective gasp arose.


    It seemed that they realized that this youngster in his teens was really here for the assessment, and all of the Formation Masters looked momentarily dumbfounded.


    This was an assessment for a first-grade Formation Master, after all¡­


    First-grade Formation Master!


    The crowd exchanged glances, at a loss for words for a moment.


    Even though Mo Hua had seen the collapse of Large Formations, at this moment, amid everyone¡¯s shocked, envious, or suspicious gazes, he too felt a bit out of place and embarrassed.


    Fortunately, after half an hour, everyone had arrived, and the examination was about to begin, so no one was surreptitiously watching Mo Hua anymore.


    Mo Hua also breathed a sigh of relief.


    A moment later, the sound of the Azure Cloud Sect¡¯s bell rang out.


    Everyone was silent.


    The examiner looked around solemnly and said,


    ¡°The Dao Court Tian Shu Pavilion, Second Grade Black Mountain State Boundary, Azure Cloud Sect¡¯s Wenxian Palace, the official start of the first-grade Formation Master assessment!¡±


    After finishing his speech, he raised an iron box with gold and jade inlay and announced solemnly,


    ¡°Now, in front of everyone here, I will unlock the Formation Seal of the exam questions.¡±


    The examiner manipulated several small Array Plates, combining them with the iron box, and after a flash of light, the Formation was unlocked, and the inlaid gold and jade all fell off.


    This was a one-time Formation; once activated, the gold and jade fell, irreparable, to prevent someone from opening it in advance and stealing the exam questions.


    The examiner opened the iron box to show everyone.


    Inside the iron box were several dozen Jade Slips, which contained the questions for the assessment.


    The examiner ordered the distribution of the Jade Slips, along with the Daoist Court¡¯s specified Formation Pen, Formation Paper, Spiritual Ink, inkstone, and other items.


    This meticulous and complicated process aimed to prevent cheating among Formation Masters.


    Afterward, the official assessment began.


    Mo Hua looked at the Jade Slip.


    The exam questions were in two parts: one part was Formation theory, which examined Formation methodology, including types of Formations, the origin stream of Formation Methods, the history of Formations, and interactions among Formation Patterns, etc.


    Mo Hua was not particularly skilled at these, but that was in comparison to noble family¡¯s sons like Bai Zixi with rich family education. Having studied Formations with Mr. Zhuang and absorbed them over time, he was familiar with the basic first-grade Formation theory.


    The second part was the actual Formation, which examined the depiction of practical Formations.


    Mo Hua glanced at the exam¡¯s Formations and completely relaxed.


    First-grade Melting Fire Formation, First-grade Golden Light Formation, First-grade Water Prison Formation¡­


    They were all Five-elements Formation Methods, and all were Formations that Mo Hua had drawn many times.


    The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation encompassed most of the confining and killing, as well as Architectural Formations within the Five Elements.


    Mo Hua had constructed the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, and he even drew out the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation, let alone the simple Single Formations used to fill it in.


    But Mo Hua remembered the teachings of his father, ¡°When hunting a rabbit, a lion must still use all its might.¡±


    The simpler the task, the more one must not be careless.


    Mo Hua first completed the Formation Theories, and then began to seriously draw the Formation.


    But no matter how serious he was, it was just an ordinary First-grade Nine Patterns Formation; frankly, there wasn¡¯t much difficulty.


    Mo Hua started with meticulous care, drawing stroke by stroke.


    As he drew, habit took over, his brush strokes became swift and powerful; with a few quick movements, the Formation was completed in no time.


    Then Mo Hua was stunned:


    ¡°I seem to have finished the exam¡­¡±


    He looked up at his surroundings; though the Formation obscured the view, he could still see vaguely.


    Most of the Formation Masters had just finished the Formation Theories and were then starting to earnestly draw the Formation with a solemn expression, as if facing a great enemy. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Mo Hua had already finished drawing his, and there was nothing left for him to draw¡­


    He checked his work again and found there wasn¡¯t much to check.


    It was just a First-grade Formation; he could see through it at a glance. What was there to check?


    Mo Hua thought about drawing some other Formations for fun to pass the time, but he had no extra Formation Paper left.


    Suddenly, he found he had nothing to do¡­


    Should he hand in his paper early?


    Mo Hua thought about it and then shook his head.


    That would be too showy, and it would also be disrespectful towards the ¡°First-grade Formation Master assessment¡±.


    ¡°The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.¡±


    His mere participation in the assessment at his age was already high-profile enough; it was better to keep a low profile at this time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait until everyone else hands in their papers, and then I¡¯ll hand mine in along with them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua decided.


    Afterwards, he sat up straight for a while but still felt extremely bored.


    The Formation Master examination provided a full day¡¯s time; he used to think this was good and ample. Now, however, he found it was perhaps a bit too generous¡­


    He certainly couldn¡¯t just sit here and do nothing all day.


    With nothing better to do, Mo Hua, without any ink or paper, leaned on the table, tracing Formation Patterns on the smooth surface idly with his finger to relieve the boredom.


    But it was really too boring¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s small face pressed against the table surface, and as he drew, his upper and lower eyelids began to fight, and soon he fell asleep with soft snores¡­


    His snores were light and gentle.


    But soon they were discovered by an examiner.


    The examiner¡¯s face was as still as water, silently muttering the name on the jade slip:


    ¡°Tongxian City, Mo Hua!¡±


    When Mo Hua entered, he had taken note of him.


    What kind of child, only in his teens, comes to take part in a Formation Master¡¯s assessment?


    What kinds of backdoors had he gone through?


    Whose connections had he relied on?


    He originally thought that this child was recommended by some noble family or Sect.


    He was planning to order the local Taoist Court to revoke their nomination rights for fifty years.


    But to his greatest surprise, it turned out that the child was recommended by the Taoist Court itself!


    To bribe the Taoist Court, what a hefty price that must have been, truly extravagant!


    During the assessment, it¡¯s unavoidable that some under-the-table dealings happen; usually, the Taoist Court turns a blind eye and lets it go.


    But they shouldn¡¯t go too far!


    Letting a child take part in an assessment, are they treating everyone as fools?


    The assessment for a First-grade Formation Master is an extremely serious matter; now it¡¯s been turned into child¡¯s play by these people, how preposterous!


    The examiner was furious inside.


    He didn¡¯t confront the situation immediately to avoid affecting the assessment of the other Formation Masters.


    Moreover, he still harbored a slim hope that this child might genuinely possess some talent for Formation and actually qualify for the assessment, so he intentionally or unintentionally kept an eye on Mo Hua¡¯s answers.


    The supervising position in the Wenxian Palace was a high platform. Standing on it, everything was in clear view,


    naturally including all of Mo Hua¡¯s behaviors.


    The child at first answered the Formation Theories with some seriousness.


    But it wasn¡¯t long before, whether he had finished or didn¡¯t know how to continue, he put the Theories aside and started drawing the Formation.


    His initial drawing of the Formation was also serious, stroke by stroke, with great precision.


    But as he drew, his true colors showed.


    He glanced at the Formation Diagram only once, then completely abandoned it, brushing with swift and fluid motions, as if he was doodling without a care.


    He quickly used up several sheets of Formation Paper¡­


    Having wasted all his Formation Paper, he became bored and started laying his head on the table, his little hands tracing something or another.


    While tracing, he actually¡­


    Actually!


    He fell asleep!


    The examiner¡¯s eyelids twitched violently with rage.


    How outrageous!


    This was a mockery of the Taoist Court, of Formations, of the examination hall, and him as an examiner!


    The examiner looked at Mo Hua again, thinking about getting angry, but seeing him sleeping so sweetly, looking so innocent, he felt a pang of softness in his heart, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh,


    ¡°A child, what does he know?¡±


    Then his gaze turned cold.


    This surely must be the scheme of the family or Sect behind this little cultivator, bribing the Taoist Court official to let this Junior Formation Master, who hadn¡¯t studied Formations for long, to take part in the First-grade Formation Master¡¯s assessment.


    The child probably came in a daze, unable to answer the questions nor draw the Formations, not sure what to do but to lie down and sleep.


    The examiner sighed and silently said to himself,


    ¡°Let him sleep for now; this matter can be pursued later¡­¡±


    Thus, during the First-grade Formation Master¡¯s assessment, after completing his exam, Mo Hua laid down on his desk and slept soundly, from beginning to end¡­

 Chapter 375 - 373: First Grade_1

    Chapter 375: Chapter 373: First Grade_1


    Mo Hua was awakened by the bell of the Azure Cloud Sect.


    He groggily opened his eyes and realized that he was participating in the assessment for a first-rank Formation Master, and there was only the time it took to brew a pot of tea left until the assessment ended.


    Mo Hua checked over his answer sheet again and, finding no problems, laid his head down on the table again, waiting to hand it in.


    The tabletop was smooth and cool to the touch, quite comfortable to lie on.


    The only issue was the examiner who kept staring at him, which made Mo Hua feel somewhat uneasy.


    But since he was the examiner, it seemed like there wasn¡¯t much of a problem with it.


    After the time it would take to sip a pot of tea had passed, the bell rang again.


    One after another, Formation Masters sealed their answer sheets and handed them over to the examiner.


    Mo Hua did as the others did, blending into the crowd and handing his own answer sheet to the examiner.


    Mo Hua thought he had kept a low profile, but all along the way, many Formation Masters looked at him.


    And that examiner, with a stern expression, didn¡¯t look at others and just kept his gaze on him, and he even seemed to hesitate as if wanting to say something.


    This left Mo Hua somewhat puzzled.


    It wasn¡¯t like he did anything wrong¡­


    Could it be because he slept during the exam?


    After handing in his paper, Mo Hua left the Wenxian Palace and suddenly felt a sense of relief wash over him.


    The assessment itself wasn¡¯t tiring, as he had finished quite quickly.


    It was rather the feeling of being watched by others that was exhausting.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was strong, and he could perceive anyone watching him.


    Whenever someone looked at him, his Divine Sense would react and, over time, it was indeed very tiring.


    After the examination, Mo Hua would still have to stay in the Azure Cloud Sect for three days.


    During these three days, examiners from the Heaven Shu Pavilion would mark the answer sheets and review the Formations, ultimately deciding who would be awarded the title of first-rank Formation Master.


    With nothing to do, Mo Hua practiced his formations, or he would go to Azure Mountain City with his father, Mo Shan, to browse around. If he found anything interesting, he would buy it thinking of giving it to his mother when he returned.


    Two days later, the answer sheets had already been reviewed.


    In the sealed hall, the answer sheets tentatively determined to be of first-rank were grouped together.


    The assessment had several examination halls, each with an examiner, and now these examiners were gathered together, discussing the final decisions:


    ¡°This Zhao Cheng from Qingxuan City, at the age of one hundred and ninety-six, has skilled penmanship. In my opinion, he can be awarded first-rank¡­¡±


    ¡°Conventional to a fault, lacking in Spirit Transformation, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s particularly good¡­¡±


    ¡°Azure Mountain City, Yang Xu, eighty-six years old, has a profound foundation in formation arts and can be considered exceptionally talented for his age.¡±


    ¡°The Yang Family¡¯s foundation is indeed not bad, but at eighty-six, he¡¯s still a bit young. We should give more spots to the older Formation Masters¡­¡±


    ¡°How many spots do we have left?¡±


    ¡°Not many. A few of the Great Clans have pulled some strings and secured a few spots, and some Sects have also reserved a few. There are also two spots donated by Golden Core Cultivators for their juniors in exchange for Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°All things considered, we¡¯re left with fewer than five.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­ it¡¯s tough making these decisions,¡± one of the examiners lamented.


    ¡°What else can we do? The higher-ups have sent their word, we can¡¯t afford to offend them, nor can we do nothing¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The examiners discussed amongst themselves.


    One examiner with a rigid face, however, was looking at an answer sheet with an expression of utter disbelief.


    ¡°Brother Zhao, what are you looking at?¡± asked one curious examiner.


    Coming back to his senses, the examiner named Zhao spread out the answer sheet in his hands and slowly said,


    ¡°Look at this formation¡­¡±


    Everyone leaned in to take a look, showing signs of amazement:


    ¡°Such good penmanship!¡±


    ¡°Such a solid foundation!¡±


    ¡°Effortless like clouds flowing in the sky, completed in one go, it even has a bit of a master¡¯s style¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not bad!¡±


    ¡­


    After the praise, another examiner expressed his doubts:


    ¡°How did we miss such a good formation?¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This mastery of formations isn¡¯t included in our provisional first-rank lineup?¡±


    A middle-aged examiner responded with a bitter smile:


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who excluded it¡­¡±


    The others asked with frowns, ¡°Why?¡±


    The examiner pointed to the name section in the margin of the answer sheet, ¡°Guess the age of this Formation Master?¡±


    The margin bore the name ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    Seeing this, everyone exchanged glances and began guessing:


    ¡°With such a profound foundation, he must be at least one or two hundred years old?¡±


    ¡°I guess over two hundred¡­¡±


    ¡°Below a hundred isn¡¯t impossible. After all, amongst Formation Masters, there are countless geniuses¡­¡±


    The middle-aged examiner slowly said, ¡°Thirteen years old.¡±


    Everyone was taken aback.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Thirteen.¡±


    ¡°What kind of joke is this?¡±


    ¡°At thirteen years old, how many formations could he have drawn, how many Formation Books could he have read?¡±


    ¡°One hundred and thirty years old is more like it¡­¡±


    The examiner named Zhao let out a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s thirteen years old.¡±


    The room went silent for a moment.


    ¡°Truly thirteen years old?¡±


    ¡°Impossible, right?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding us?¡±


    ¡°Did he really draw this himself, or could someone have drawn it for him¡­¡±


    ¡°There was someone proctoring the exam, how could he have someone else draw for him?¡±


    ¡°Who proctored this person?¡±


    The stern-faced, rigid examiner named Zhao said indifferently, ¡°It was me.¡±


    At that, everyone fell silent again.


    Someone asked, ¡°Brother Zhao, are you certain the formation was drawn by him himself?¡±


    The examiner named Zhao gave a wry smile, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He himself was unwilling to believe it, but the formation was right before his eyes, and he had no choice but to accept it.


    Previously, he had only intended to check Mo Hua¡¯s paper to see what nonsense he had scribbled. If it really was nonsensical, he was prepared to report it to the Heaven Shu Pavilion and hold the local Taoist Court accountable.


    But he hadn¡¯t expected that the formation would leave him feeling ashamed¡­


    Another question came to the middle-aged examiner, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, with the child drawing so well, why did you exclude him on your own?¡±


    The middle-aged examiner helplessly replied, ¡°He¡¯s too young¡­ For Formation Masters under one hundred, we have to consider carefully, not to mention, he¡¯s only thirteen¡­¡±

 Chapter 376 - 373: First Grade_2

    Chapter 376: Chapter 373: First Grade_2


    ¡°If we really give him first-grade, others will definitely say we have something fishy going on¡­¡±


    One examiner nodded, ¡°Without others saying it, I myself feel there¡¯s a fishy business.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­ The formation painting is truly well done, I am simply in awe¡­¡±


    Everyone felt somewhat regretful.


    Yet, the examiner surnamed Zhao said in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s give him first-grade.¡±


    The other Formation Masters were taken aback.


    The middle-aged examiners frowned and said:


    ¡°If we give him first-grade, we will surely be doubted and provoke criticism, and if Heaven Shu Pavilion investigates, we will be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Besides, he¡¯s too young; there will be plenty of opportunities for him in the future, there¡¯s no need to rush this moment.¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, the examiner surnamed Zhao said, ¡°Not giving him first-grade will bring us even bigger trouble.¡±


    The middle-aged examiners frowned, ¡°Brother Zhao, what do you mean by this?¡±


    The examiner surnamed Zhao slowly said, ¡°As everyone knows, to learn formation methods, one must have a mentor. Without a famous mentor guiding, one will surely find it difficult to make any progress.¡±


    ¡°At thirteen, to be at a first-grade level, he must have been taught by a master.¡±


    ¡°Who this master is, we do not know, but their identity and background, their expertise in formations, must be very profound; we can¡¯t afford to offend them¡­¡±


    ¡°That is just one thing,¡± the examiner surnamed Zhao held up a finger.


    ¡°Secondly,¡± he continued, raising a second finger and sighed, ¡°This child, we also cannot afford to offend.¡±


    Everyone was startled, then gradually came to understand.


    At thirteen, to have a first-grade formation level, he was extraordinarily gifted.


    If one day he became a Second Grade, or even higher grade formation master, remembered their enmity, dug up their past actions, and pursued their responsibility, who could endure that?


    ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s another point.¡±


    The examiner surnamed Zhao added, ¡°The talent of this child in formations is even more frightening than you now believe.¡±


    Everyone frowned, not understanding.


    The examiner surnamed Zhao was silent for a long time, and with a bitter sigh, he said:


    ¡°During the examination, he spent most of his time sleeping¡­¡±


    All the examiners were astonished in their expressions.


    ¡°Sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Inconceivable, he actually slept during the examination?¡±


    Seeing that they didn¡¯t understand, the examiner surnamed Zhao said helplessly:


    ¡°Which is to say, the first-grade formations he needed for the assessment, he completed in a very short period of time; then, out of sheer boredom, he slept until the end of the exam¡­¡±


    As the examiners pondered carefully and grasped the implication, they all felt their hearts clench and a chill ran through them.


    What kind of person was this?


    Was this even humanly possible?


    Where did this evil monster pop up from?


    ¡°Therefore,¡± the examiner surnamed Zhao looked around and said in a deep voice, ¡°we must, award him first-grade!¡±


    The examiners looked at each other, all speechless and silent, with nothing to say.


    By now, this first-grade, it had to be given whether they liked it or not.


    An examiner sighed and murmured:


    ¡°Thirteen years old, he¡¯s probably the youngest first-grade formation master in the Black Mountain State Boundary in a thousand years¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The next day when the results were released, Mo Hua saw his own name on the first-grade list.


    Mo Hua felt a surge of joy in his heart.


    ¡°Tongxian City, Mo Hua, first-grade formation master.¡±


    The list only showed the place of origin and name, without other information.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t shout ¡°I¡¯ve passed!¡± either.


    Therefore, the formation masters around him didn¡¯t know that he had passed the assessment and become a first-grade formation master.


    After the initial elation, Mo Hua felt it was unexpected, yet after some thought, not unexpected at all.


    What was unexpected was that there really wasn¡¯t any foul play.


    Unsurprisingly, the test was indeed too simple; becoming a first-grade Formation Master was truly not difficult for him now.


    His father, Mo Shan, was genuinely overjoyed from the bottom of his heart.


    Although he had long known that Mo Hua had the ability of a first-grade Formation Master, receiving official recognition from the Taoist Court held a different significance.


    Mo Shan then hosted a banquet at the Food Building in Azure Mountain City for several Enforcement Leaders he knew, both in gratitude and celebration.


    The Enforcement Leaders were honored to participate.


    This trip could indeed be said to have been a fruitful one.


    Freeloading meals, enjoying a trip, and successfully completing the assessment to become a first-grade Formation Master.


    After settling matters at Azure Cloud Sect, he could go home.


    Before departing, Mo Hua unexpectedly encountered the examiner who had proctored his test.


    Mo Hua approached, performed a respectful bow, and just as he was unsure how to address the other, the examiner said,


    ¡°My surname is Zhao, I am a study official at Heaven Shu Pavilion.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what a study official at Heaven Shu Pavilion did, but still respectfully said, ¡°Study official, sir.¡±


    Zhao, the study official, said frankly, ¡°I have an undue request.¡±


    ¡°Please speak, study official.¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Zhao, the study official, took Mo Hua to an empty hall, laid out Formation Paper, took out brush and ink, and said to Mo Hua, ¡°Could you draw another Melting Fire Formation for me to see?¡±


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°Is this a follow-up assessment for a first-grade Formation Master?¡±


    Zhao, the study official, shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s a personal request.¡±


    Mo Hua felt relieved, nodded, and then with a small hand gripping the brush, he painted effortlessly, swiftly completing the Melting Fire Formation.


    Although Zhao, the study official, had expectations, he was still profoundly moved.


    That day, this child¡¯s brush had danced like dragons and serpents, truly in the act of Drawing Formation¡­


    Only, his brushwork was too skilled, so natural, and he was so young, that it looked as if a child was scribbling randomly.


    An effortless creation, this is the manifestation of a first-grade Formation Method reaching perfection.


    How high was this child¡¯s comprehension, and how many times had he painted Formation Methods¡­


    Emotions surged within Zhao, the study official, and in the end, he could only sigh inwardly,


    ¡°There are heavens beyond this heaven, people beyond these people¡­¡±


    The demeanor of Zhao, the study official, suddenly became much more solemn and held a hint of respect as he clasped his hands and said,


    ¡°Thank you, young friend!¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what he was being thanked for but just habitually waved his hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re too kind, study official.¡±


    Zhao, the study official, nodded lightly, his eyes showing admiration, and then said,


    ¡°After this departure, if fate allows, we shall meet again!¡±


    Mo Hua also clasped his hands in farewell, then together with his father, Mo Shan, boarded the Taoist Court¡¯s carriage and slowly left Azure Cloud Sect, starting the journey home.


    Zhao, the study official, stood on the peak of Azure Cloud Sect, watching Mo Hua¡¯s carriage move away into the distance, his thoughts unknown.


    After a while, a disciple from Heaven Shu Pavilion arrived to invite Zhao, the study official, to Wenxian Palace for a meeting.


    Zhao, the study official, nodded, but did not move.


    The disciple was puzzled and, following the study official¡¯s gaze, saw the carriage about to disappear into the green mountains and asked somewhat in doubt,


    ¡°Study official, is this Mo surname junior Formation Master really that remarkable?¡±


    This disciple was surnamed Zhao as well, related by clan to Zhao, the study official, who had brought him along for this assessment to gain experience.


    Zhao, the study official, nodded and said, ¡°He is the most talented Formation Master I have ever seen up to this point.¡±


    The disciple was startled, frowned and said, ¡°It can¡¯t be possible that he has more talent than our Zhao Family¡¯s Seventh Young Master¡­¡±


    The disciple was somewhat unconvinced, ¡°The Seventh Young Master might have been assessed as first-grade at the age of twenty, but if the old ancestor hadn¡¯t asked him to consolidate his learning, he could have gone for the assessment earlier; not at thirteen, but at least by fifteen, he could have become a first-grade Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°And our Zhao Family has a deep foundation in Formation Study; the Seventh Young Master had to learn many things from childhood, which is what slowed his progress in the assessment.¡±


    ¡°When it comes to talent and prospects in Formation Method, this Brother Mo might not match our family¡¯s Seventh Young Master, right¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Zhao, the study official, shook his head.


    The disciple was puzzled, ¡°What don¡¯t I understand?¡±


    Zhao, the study official, looked into the distance again, sighed, and slowly said,


    ¡°The Seventh Young Master became a first-grade because he could, but this child became a first-grade because we, could only assess him as that¡­¡±

 Chapter 377 - 374 Immortal Fair_1

    Chapter 377: Chapter 374 Immortal Fair_1


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua officially became a One-rank Formation Master after the assessment.


    The news spread back to Tongxian City, and everyone was overjoyed.


    This was, so far, the first and only One-rank Formation Master from the loose cultivators of Tongxian City.


    Elder Yu decided to celebrate.


    The celebration was not only for Mo Hua becoming a One-rank Formation Master but also for the communal effort of Tongxian City in slaying the Big Demon Feng Xi.


    Moreover, Elder Yu had another purpose, which was to see Mo Hua off on his journey. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was about to set out and leave Tongxian City.


    And in the slaying of the Big Demon, preserving the peace of Tongxian City, Mo Hua could be said to have played a significant role.


    Elder Yu had no way to repay him, so he wanted to use a citywide festival as a farewell for Mo Hua.


    Elder Yu specially sought out Court Leader Zhou, and after several discussions, they set the first day of the eleventh month as the Tongxian Festival.


    Upon returning from the Azure Cloud Sect, Mo Hua saw that Tongxian City was decorated with lanterns and streamers, all in the spirit of the upcoming festival.


    After learning the reason, Mo Hua was delighted.


    After all, festivals are very lively.


    Although Azure Mountain City is big, it clearly isn¡¯t as lively as Tongxian City, and naturally, it isn¡¯t as interesting as Tongxian City.


    However, Mo Hua still had one concern:


    ¡°We built a Large Formation, and almost all of the Spirit Stones were used up. Do we still have Spirit Stones for the festival?¡±


    Elder Yu said calmly, ¡°We were even poorer before, but we still celebrated the festival, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    Mo Hua was a little stunned, feeling that it made a lot of sense.


    Elder Yu smiled and said, ¡°In any case, the festival has to be celebrated. When we are wealthy, we celebrate more lavishly, and when we are short on money, we go a bit frugal.¡±


    ¡°Although we used most of the Spirit Stones for the Large Formation, the remaining ones are still enough for our needs.¡±


    ¡°Besides, the Refinery Shop, Alchemist¡¯s Business, and the like are all here. Now, with the mountain pass, travel is convenient. In a few years, Tongxian City will become richer and richer.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, and then he was relieved.


    He then asked with some anticipation, ¡°Will the days ahead get better and better?¡±


    Elder Yu nodded, ¡°Rest assured, loose cultivators are not afraid of hardships. As long as we are not oppressed, life will always get better.¡±


    As long as we are not oppressed¡­


    Mo Hua felt mixed emotions upon hearing this.


    The ways of people, taking from those who lack to give to those who have plenty.


    In this world, there should still be many cultivators who are oppressed and exploited, and Tongxian City in the future¡­


    Elder Yu saw that Mo Hua seemed to be thinking about something with a small frown and patted his shoulder with a smile, saying:


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Work hard on your cultivation, keep your Taoist Heart, and just do what you can.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he nodded:


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Afterward, he happily celebrated the festival.


    He also invited Zisheng and Zixi to join in the fun.


    Mr. Zhuang agreed to accept disciples, and Aunt Xue, having completed her mission for the trip, specially gave the siblings time off.


    Moreover, they would soon be leaving Tongxian City, and whether they could return in the future was still unknown.


    So Aunt Xue wasn¡¯t strict with the two children, wanting them to enjoy themselves to their heart¡¯s content without any regrets.


    Bai Zisheng was extremely happy, and Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes shone like stars in the sky.


    On the day of the Tongxian Festival, Mo Hua, fulfilling his duty as ¡°host,¡± took Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi about for the day.


    The streets were bustling with activity during the day, and at night, they were brilliantly illuminated with lights.


    Mo Hua led the way at the front, with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi following behind him.


    Full of enthusiasm, Bai Zisheng looked around eagerly, and upon encountering something novel, he asked:


    ¡°Mo Hua, what is that?¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua, is that tasty?¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua, this bamboo dragonfly can actually fly¡­¡±


    ¡­


    As a Junior Brother, Mo Hua could only patiently answer.


    Bai Zixi didn¡¯t talk as much, but when she saw pastries she hadn¡¯t tried before, she would stop and silently gaze at them.


    Mo Hua understood, bought a few pieces over, and shared them with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, eating while they walked.


    Although it was ¡°buying,¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t need to pay with Spirit Stones.


    Because if he had, others would not have accepted them.


    Almost all cultivators on the street knew Mo Hua, aware that he was the Junior Formation Master who built the Large Formation and slew the Big Demon, and now recognized by the Taoist Court as a One-rank Formation Master.


    So no one accepted Mo Hua¡¯s Spirit Stones.


    Some stall-owning cultivators would even select the best of their goods and offer them to Mo Hua.


    If Mo Hua tried to refuse, they would get upset.


    The three of them walked the entire way, receiving a bunch of items without spending a single Spirit Stone.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were quite astonished.


    Bai Zisheng whispered, ¡°Mo Hua, if I didn¡¯t know you, I¡¯d suspect this whole street was owned by your family¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.


    The streets were bustling with people during the daytime, filled with noise and excitement.


    When night fell, and the curtains of darkness descended, lanterns were hung. Dots of light reflected each other, stretching into the distance, and Tongxian City revealed a different scene.


    The evening had more interesting activities.


    For example, the usual Monster Hunting play of Tongxian City.


    Because it was a celebration of the hunting of Feng Xi, the ¡°Monster Beasts¡± in the ¡°Monster Hunting play¡± became a Pig Monster, huge in size, looking rather dumb and silly.


    The Pig Monster was impersonated by Monster Hunters.


    Because of its large size, several Monster Hunters took turns pretending to be the Pig Monster.


    In addition to Da¡¯hu, Dazhu, and a few young men, adults like Yu Chengyi and Yu Chengwu also joined in the fun.


    ¡°`


    After watching the ¡°Demon Fighting Play,¡± they started eating the ¡°Pig Killing Feast.¡±


    Feng Xi had already been dissolved into black ash by Mo Hua using a Great Formation Dissolution, and the pig killed in this feast was other herbivorous Pig Monsters.


    The Monster Hunters killed quite a few Pig Monsters, which were then cooked by the Fulu Building, specifically for the feast day.


    To celebrate the killing of the Pig Monsters, naturally, they ate pork.


    Every cultivator in Tongxian City ate a portion.


    Afterward, it became a custom in Tongxian City, and every year on the first day of November, the Tongxian Festival, to celebrate the suppression of Pig Monster Feng Xi, every cultivator in Tongxian City would eat a portion of pork.


    After the Pig Killing Feast, there were fireworks.


    The Fireworks Formation this time was still designed by Mo Hua.


    He added new formations on the basis of the original Compound Formation.


    Combining the experience from the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, utilizing the principle of the Five Elements Generation and Restraint and the way of Divine Sense Calculation, he made the colors of the fireworks richer, their trajectories clearer, and they used fewer Spirit Stones.


    Before setting off the fireworks, Mo Hua took Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi up to a roof.


    ¡°This eaves belong to Elder Yu¡¯s house, and it¡¯s very suitable for watching the fireworks,¡±


    Mo Hua said to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zisheng was startled and secretly said, ¡°You¡¯re climbing onto Elder Yu¡¯s roof; won¡¯t he give you trouble?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I mentioned it to Elder Yu in advance.¡±


    At most, a few tiles would be broken, which wouldn¡¯t cost much.


    Bai Zisheng nodded, finally at ease.


    Thus, the three fellow disciples, a junior brother, a junior sister, and another junior brother sat side by side on the eaves, their little legs swinging, waiting to watch the fireworks in the sky.


    Mo Hua was also looking forward to it.


    Although he designed this formation, he used a different technique in drawing it, so he hadn¡¯t seen what it would look like when lit up.


    On the roof of Elder Yu¡¯s house, the three of them sat side by side.


    Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng each clutched a skewer of roasted pork in their left and right hands.


    Bai Zixi, on the other hand, was holding a box of pastries, which contained white, chewy, rabbit-shaped cakes.


    All three were somewhat expectant.


    In a short while, the fireworks burst forth.


    First came a clear whistle, as a streak of fire cut through the night sky.


    Then the light from the Five Elements Formation soared skyward, converging in the air and bursting into multicolored fireworks before scattering again, and then bursting anew, layer upon layer, creating a colorful canopy that filled the entire night sky with splendor and brilliance.


    It was as if a Great Formation was opening, with its light filling the skies.


    But in this magnificent scene, there was no aura of slaughter, just prosperity and peace.


    Mo Hua and the others also looked up together.


    This sky full of dazzling, multicolored fireworks imprinted itself into their clear eyes, forever remaining in their memories.


    At this moment, every cultivator in Tongxian City raised their heads, gazing at this incomparably beautiful fireworks display, utterly spellbound.


    All the Formation Masters in Tongxian City were also shaken by this spectacle, but couldn¡¯t help mumbling to themselves in their hearts:


    ¡°It¡¯s just fireworks¡­ is such a complex formation really necessary¡­?¡±


    ¡­


    The Tongxian Festival ended in a joyous and lively atmosphere.


    After the Tongxian Festival, Mr. Zhuang was to leave.


    One early morning, Mo Hua bid farewell to his parents outside the city.


    Elder Yu, Old Mr. Feng, Master Chen, Court Leader Zhou, Zhang Lan, as well as Da¡¯hu, Dazhu, and Daping were among those seeing him off¡­


    A sea of people crowded outside the city.


    Everyone watched Mo Hua with reluctance in their hearts.


    ¡°You must respect your teacher and cherish the Tao, and listen well to Mr. Zhuang,¡± Liu Ruhua instructed, ¡°And take good care of yourself¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded solemnly, his eyes feeling somewhat sore.


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t say much, just patted his head and looked at him with a gentle expression.


    The crowd also said their goodbyes, imparting words of concern.


    After a while, the Bai Family¡¯s carriage arrived.


    Mo Hua boarded the carriage and then stuck his head out again, waving goodbye to the crowd.


    He was not only waving to his parents, so many elders, friends, acquaintances, and companions,


    but also bidding farewell to his hometown where he was born and grew up.


    From then on, he would embark on a long journey to witness the various states of the world and to delve into the depths of formations, not knowing when he could return.


    The carriage took Mo Hua, gradually receding into the distance.


    Liu Ruhua stood in place, watching Mo Hua with longing, watching his figure until it disappeared at the end of the road, vanished behind the layers of mountains, and faded into the misty clouds until it could no longer be seen.


    Only then did she silently shed tears of parting.


    ¡­


    Six months later, at the foot of Big Black Mountain.


    A huge Demon Suppression Monument was completed.


    The monument was personally supervised for construction by Old Master An, made from high-quality stone that could endure wind and sun without perishing.


    On the monument were engraved the names of cultivators who made outstanding contributions in the battle against Big Demon Feng Xi in Tongxian City.


    Suppressing a Big Demon was the greatest feat in Tongxian City in hundreds, or even nearly a thousand, years.


    This stele was likewise the biggest Demon Suppression Monument in nearly a thousand years.


    As long as Tongxian City stands, so will the monument, and the names upon it will remain.


    At the head of the monument, in a prominent position, was engraved the name of Old Master An.


    The characters were powerful and vigorous, clear and forceful from afar.


    Above Old Master An¡¯s name, another even more prominent name was inscribed:


    ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    (End of Volume One ¨C Black Mountain Volume)

 Chapter 378 - 375 Wandering_1

    Chapter 378: Chapter 375 Wandering_1


    To the south of Tongxian City, on the mountain road outside Shangtai City, a horse-drawn carriage rolled along leisurely.


    Mo Hua, who was thirteen years old, sat in this carriage.


    Besides Mo Hua, there were also Mr. Zhuang, Old Kui, and his Junior Brother Bai Zisheng and Junior Sister Bai Zixi.


    Aunt Xue did not receive Mr. Zhuang¡¯s permission, so she did not follow.


    This carriage belonged to the Bai Family.


    It appeared ordinary on the outside, but it was exceptionally sturdy. Inside, it was not luxurious but comfortable, and quite spacious, able to accommodate five or six people.


    Since Mo Hua and the other two were still young and didn¡¯t take up much space, the interior of the carriage seemed even more roomy.


    However, they could only sit cross-legged and not lie down to sleep.


    Old Kui drove the carriage from the front, Mr. Zhuang drank tea inside, and Mo Hua and the other two leaned over a small desk, doing the coursework set by Mr. Zhuang.


    The coursework mainly concentrated on Formation, along with some secrets of cultivation.


    Occasionally, after traveling for a while, they would stop to rest.


    Mo Hua would then run down from the carriage, to a nearby hilltop, and pick some grass to feed the horses.


    This horse was also from the Bai Family, and it was a Spirit Beast with a gentle nature. Even when encountering Monster Beasts, it would not get frightened.


    According to Bai Zisheng, although the horse looked ordinary and its fur wasn¡¯t particularly white, it had a special bloodline, and it also had a very cool name that was something Cloud, something Dragon, something Steed¡­


    Mo Hua found it too much of a tongue twister, so he renamed the horse ¡°Big White.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was not satisfied with this name, thinking it weakened the animal¡¯s imposing manner and lacked dignity.


    But the horse seemed to like it very much; whenever Mo Hua called it ¡°Big White,¡± it would affectionately nuzzle Mo Hua with its head.


    Mo Hua grew increasingly fond of Big White. Consequently, whenever they stopped to rest, he thought about what to find for Big White to eat, and released his Divine Sense to search for grass to feed to the horse.


    Big White was not picky, eating whatever Mo Hua fed it.


    At that moment, as it neared noon, Old Kui stopped the carriage for a rest.


    Mo Hua, while feeding Big White, looked back at the overlapping mountains and the distant paths. They were far from Tongxian City now, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly.


    It had been more than half a month since he had left.


    Mo Hua had gradually adapted to the itinerant lifestyle.


    Contrary to what he had previously thought, wandering was not about having an ethereal aura, traveling all around, but rather about sleeping outdoors and enduring the hardships of travel.


    Fortunately, they had Big White to pull the carriage; otherwise, the journey would have been even more arduous.


    Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm weren¡¯t able to fly; thus, wandering thousands of miles meant traveling on foot.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t even seen a cultivator who could fly.


    It was probably because the state boundary he was in belonged to a Second-Grade Prefecture, where the highest cultivation level was only at Foundation Establishment.


    Flying was likely an ability of cultivators at the Golden Core Realm or above.


    If they were to fly in the Second-Grade Prefecture Border, they¡¯d fear using their cultivation; as they ascended, they would be struck down by thunderbolts in a flash, truly ¡°ascending to the heavens¡±¡­


    Flying in the sky¡­


    Mo Hua silently chanted to himself, filled with longing. Would there come a day when he could attain the Golden Core and travel through the skies and earth?


    Alas, the Golden Core was still far away; he hadn¡¯t even reached the Foundation Establishment yet.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat melancholic.


    As these thoughts crossed his mind, he got hungry.


    But thinking about what they had to eat for lunch, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t muster any enthusiasm.


    Along the road, they mostly ate Fasting Pills.


    Fasting Pills were straightforward and convenient for cultivators to stave off hunger, but eating them for an extended time inevitably became monotonous, and one¡¯s Blood Qi would not flow smoothly.


    However, given that they were on an expedition, they didn¡¯t fuss too much over this.


    Mo Hua could tolerate this bit of hardship.


    Besides Fasting Pills, Mo Hua actually had other food.


    Before departing, Liu Ruhua had made many pieces of dried meat, stored in the Storage Bag for him to take along.


    But Mo Hua couldn¡¯t bear to eat these.


    Only when he was sick of Fasting Pills would he take them out to eat, or on occasions when he missed home, he would have a piece.


    It was personally made by his mother, and as he wandered around, unable to return home, every piece he ate was one piece fewer; once it was gone, there would be no more¡­


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    Ahead, there was no village; behind, there was no shop.


    Thus, for lunch that day, everyone once again ate Fasting Pills.


    Bai Zisheng wore a gloomy expression.


    It¡¯s difficult to shift from luxury to frugality; having been used to the spicy flavors of beef, it was indeed hard to endure eating Fasting Pills every day.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s face was expressionless, but she didn¡¯t look happy either.


    Mr. Zhuang furrowed his brow and suddenly said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think about making something to eat yourselves?¡±


    All three of them, Mo Hua included, were taken aback before looking towards Old Kui.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at him too.


    Normally, it seemed that Old Kui should be the one cooking.


    Old Kui said indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t mind, as long as you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi looked at each other, not understanding what they should mind.


    The following midday, when Old Kui served up a pot of meat, they understood.


    Just the appearance of it was quite concerning¡­ Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Out of politeness, they tried a bite, but could not bring themselves to eat any more of it.


    Mr. Zhuang also sighed and said,


    ¡°The food I used to eat¡­ was actually like this¡­¡±


    Old Kui shot him a glance, ¡°You¡¯ve developed a fastidious taste now. How is that my fault? Either way, that¡¯s the flavor it¡¯s supposed to be. Whether you like it or don¡¯t, that¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Naturally, Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t stomach it. After pondering for a moment, he turned his eyes toward Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, their eyes lighting up, also turned to Mo Hua.


    Even Old Kui was looking at him.


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°I¡¯m not really good at it either¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang stroked his chin, ¡°Normally, cooking skills should be hereditary, right? Your mother¡¯s cooking is so good, you shouldn¡¯t be too bad either.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang offered a word of encouragement.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s expectant looks, Mo Hua reluctantly nodded.


    Afterward, Mo Hua recalled how his mother used to cook and tried making a meat soup.


    Mr. Zhuang tasted it and nodded slightly.


    Bai Zixi tried it and also nodded lightly.


    Bai Zisheng wolfed it down and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s still not as good as Aunt Liu¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you eat it so clean?¡±


    Bai Zisheng honestly said, ¡°I was hungry¡­¡±


    Although it wasn¡¯t particularly delicious, it was the best among the choices, so cooking naturally fell onto Mo Hua, the junior brother.


    Perhaps he really inherited Liu Ruhua¡¯s culinary talents, for Mo Hua learned cooking rather quickly.


    A few days later, his dishes already looked quite professional.


    But it¡¯s hard to satisfy everyone¡¯s tastes, and there were still a bunch of problems.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s blood qi was weak, so he wanted something light; Old Kui wanted something crunchy, something that made noise when chewed; Bai Zisheng wanted something spicy, preferably meat; Bai Zixi wanted something sweet, preferably pastries¡­


    Mo Hua scratched his head as he listened.


    Eventually, he came up with a solution, which was to build a separate stove.


    He created four formations, for four separate stove tops.


    One for steaming, one for dry frying, one for boiling, and one for steaming pastries.


    Mo Hua drew up the blueprints and designed the formations, then, passing through a little Immortal City, stayed a few days longer, spent some extra spirit stones, and commissioned an Artifact Refiner to forge the stove into being.


    After it was forged, the Artifact Refiner was puzzled:


    ¡°Young man, I can make this stove for you, but no one here can draw the formation for you.¡±


    Mo Hua said nonchalantly, ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll draw it myself.¡±


    And so, Mo Hua actually drew the formation right in front of him.


    The Artifact Refiner was greatly shocked.


    Even after Mo Hua had paid the spirit stones and left the Refinery Shop with the stove, he remained in awe¡­


    The formations on the stove were drawn by Mo Hua, but the spirit stones for its creation were merely fronted by him; it was Bai Zisheng who¡¯d paid for them in the end.


    Once the stove was ready, Mo Hua tried to use it four ways at once.


    He made a dish of steamed fish.


    The fish was from a spirit beast, otherwise, it couldn¡¯t be steamed properly and would remain tough.


    He fried a pan of pine nuts.


    The pine nuts were prepared for Old Kui, who enjoyed cracking them for their sound; he could skip meals, but not pine nuts.


    He boiled a pot of beef.


    This beef was monster meat, quite cheap, but took a while to stew, using many spices and having a strong spicy flavor.


    He also steamed a pot of pastries.


    Soft, glutinous, sweet¡­


    Not only Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, but even Mr. Zhuang and Old Kui were deeply impressed.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but wonder if teaching Mo Hua about formations had hindered his development in culinary skills¡­


    Bai Zisheng still finished every last bite, then sadly said, ¡°Still not as good as Aunt Liu.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t indulge him this time and snorted coldly, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you cook?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said boldly, ¡°I will cook!¡±


    He felt that even though he hadn¡¯t eaten pork before, he¡¯d seen pigs run.


    Besides, having eaten a lot of meat and seen Mo Hua¡¯s cooking process, he thought such a task should be nothing for someone with his aptitude.


    So Bai Zisheng tried to cook a pot of meat himself.


    But the meat he cooked turned out dry and stringy, flavorless, tough to chew, and even had a gamey taste.


    Bai Zisheng tasted it and his whole face scrunched up.


    Curious, Bai Zixi also tried to knead some dough, but it wasn¡¯t steamed thoroughly, limp like a clump of white mud¡­


    Both of them could only look longingly at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sighed and had to cook for them again.


    After some effort, Bai Zisheng, again eating the dishes made by Mo Hua, was moved almost to tears, especially when compared to his own attempt.


    Bai Zixi nibbled on the pastries, her eyes gleaming with delight.


    And so, as the carriage trundled along, unknowingly, another half a month passed by.


    During the day, they traveled and learned about formations from Mr. Zhuang on the carriage.


    When it came to mealtimes, Mo Hua cooked.


    If by night they hadn¡¯t come across an Immortal City, a small town, or some wild temples and small sects nestled in the mountains, they would have to camp out.


    The carriage was naturally reserved for Mr. Zhuang.


    As the master for the three of them, respecting and valuing the teacher was only natural.


    Moreover, since leaving Tongxian City, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s complexion had improved somewhat, but his breath was still somewhat weak.


    Mo Hua also hoped Mr. Zhuang could rest well.


    The three disciples would camp outside.


    Before camping, Mo Hua would set up stone formations around the perimeter and lay an Early Warning Formation to guard against monster beasts or bandits.


    Then, Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi would each cover themselves with a blanket and lie down on the ground.


    These blankets were also from the Bai Family, but Mo Hua had redrawn formations on them.


    They could warm up and let air through, cozy and not stuffy, very comfortable to cover with.


    The night fell, and the mountain moon shone coldly.


    Wrapped in their blankets, the three resembled little caterpillars, bathed in moonlight, sleeping quietly.

 Chapter 379 - 376: Supreme Divine Sense_1

    Chapter 379: Chapter 376: Supreme Divine Sense_1


    A few days later, Mo Hua and a few others arrived at Shangtai City.


    Shangtai City was but a Little Immortal City, even smaller than Tongxian City, with fewer Cultivators undergoing Foundation Establishment within it.


    The streets were not busy, and the Cultivators who came and went were dressed in humble clothes; their faces bore expressions of worry and suffering.


    Mo Hua let out a small sigh.


    It seemed that not only the Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City lived in hardship, but most Loose Cultivators in the world likely shared the same plight.


    And it was possible that their suffering was even more severe than that of others.


    The group entered the city and found an inn to rest.


    Mr. Zhuang took Mo Hua aside for a conversation.


    Sitting respectfully on a small stool, Mo Hua listened attentively to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words.


    Mr. Zhuang asked gently, ¡°Do you know what you need to do on this journey?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua answered,


    ¡°Learn Formation?¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Mo Hua thought for a bit, then added, ¡°Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°You are different from ordinary people, and from ordinary Formation Masters. The Cultivation Technique you practice is the Heaven Yan Jue, whose bottleneck lies in Formation mastery.¡±


    ¡°Your Formation skills and Cultivation are actually one and the same.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t master Formations well, you won¡¯t be able to decipher Mystery Formations; if you can¡¯t break through the bottleneck, your Cultivation won¡¯t improve.¡±


    ¡°If your Cultivation doesn¡¯t improve, you can¡¯t break through the boundary, and you won¡¯t be able to learn higher-grade Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more crucial is that the Formations you need to learn are much more profound than what others learn. Studying ordinary Formations won¡¯t enable you to solve Mystery Formations or break through the bottleneck¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, having anticipated these issues already.


    If he wanted to become a Great Formation Master, he must become a Great Cultivator; and if he aspired to be a Great Cultivator, he must also become a Great Formation Master.


    ¡°Master, what should I do before I attempt Foundation Establishment? Continue learning Formations?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    Mr. Zhuang affirmed with a nod, ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ which Formations should I study?¡± Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    He had mastered the Reversed Spirit Formation with Thirteen Stripes, and he had also learned the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Can I study Second-Grade Formations?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, seeing through Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, smiled and shook his head, ¡°No¡­¡±


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    Mr. Zhuang explained, ¡°The Spiritual Power structure of Second-Grade Formations is entirely different from that of the First Grade. You can¡¯t learn Second-Grade Formations until your Cultivation has reached Foundation Establishment, as you lack the mercury-like Second-Grade Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°Then, can I still learn Large Formations?¡±


    With an expression that was a mix of a smile and seriousness, Mr. Zhuang replied,


    ¡°How many Large Formations are there for you to learn? There aren¡¯t many First-Grade Large Formations to begin with, and most are highly confidential and exclusive. I don¡¯t have many in my possession either¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, even if you learn them, how will you construct the Large Formations?¡±


    ¡°The resources and manpower required for Large Formations are extremely vast.¡±


    ¡°Unless there is a Big Demon that appears, and Tongxian City is at risk ¨C and they all trust you, willing to work wholeheartedly with you ¨C otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be able to construct the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and upon reflection, realized that this was indeed the case.


    The cost and risks involved in constructing a Large Formation were too high, and within a state boundary, there were only a handful of forces that could possibly gather the resources to construct a Large Formation.


    These forces had either already established a Large Formation.


    Even if they hadn¡¯t, and wished to construct a new one, they wouldn¡¯t consider Mo Hua, a thirteen-year-old Junior Formation Master, as the main Formation Master.


    They would not place their trust in Mo Hua to be the main Formation Master of a Large Formation.


    Scratching his head, Mo Hua asked, ¡°So, what else can I learn?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Do you remember the Ultimate Formations I told you about?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a while and nodded,


    ¡°Formations above Thirteen Stripes of the First Grade that deviate from the Taoist Court standards, requiring Supreme Divine Sense and knowledge that surpasses the norm, are called Ultimate Formations.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in confirmation, ¡°To other Formation Masters, Ultimate Formations are unattainable, but for you, they are essential. You can and must learn them.¡±


    Mo Hua originally also wanted to learn more challenging Formations, but upon second thought, he meekly asked,


    ¡°Master, if I don¡¯t study Ultimate Formations, will I still be able to achieve Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied with a smile that was not quite a smile, ¡°Generally speaking, your current level of Divine Sense and Formation expertise is already sufficient for Foundation Establishment.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face brightened with delight.


    Mr. Zhuang then added, ¡°¡­But merely reaching Foundation Establishment is not enough.¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°Is it because my Divine Sense is not strong enough¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded his head and said, ¡°Compared to cultivators of the same realm, your Divine Sense is already very strong, but it¡¯s not strong enough.¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his doubts, ¡°Then how strong does it need to be to be considered strong enough?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became slightly intense as he slowly spoke:


    ¡°At least above thirteen stripes¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°Above thirteen stripes¡­ Is that the middle phase of Foundation Establishment?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Mr. Zhuang spoke gravely, ¡°At the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, Divine Sense ranges from ten to thirteen stripes. Above thirteen stripes, one enters the middle phase of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    After he finished speaking, Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment then added:


    ¡°Do you still remember what I told you about Divine Sense Foundation Establishment?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with an earnest expression:


    ¡°Foundation Establishment is the first major breakthrough of realms. After the breakthrough, the quality of Spiritual Power changes and Divine Sense multiplies.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, before Foundation Establishment, one must establish a solid foundation.¡±


    ¡°If you fall behind before Foundation Establishment, you¡¯ll be far behind after it, and as you continue to cultivate, the gap will only grow larger.¡±


    ¡°Many cultivators do not focus on their foundation, only blindly chasing progress in their cultivation, recklessly achieving Foundation Establishment, causing their foundation to be insufficient. Despite a glorious start, they will quickly fade into the crowd. Thus, simply achieving Foundation Establishment is not enough. One must choose their own path, lay down a foundation, and then forge their Taoist Foundation.¡±


    ¡°My path¡­ It¡¯s Divine Sense, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mo Hua still remembered what Mr. Zhuang had said about Divine Sense Proving the Dao.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°The disadvantages of your physical body and Spiritual Root are difficult to overcome, and you will never be able to compare with those Proud Sons of Heaven. However, your Divine Sense could potentially leave them all in the dust, making all peers look up to you in vain¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to enhance your Divine Sense to the extreme before Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°If you possess a Divine Sense above thirteen stripes, at the middle phase of Foundation Establishment, once you¡¯ve established your foundation and your Divine Sense has multiplied, you might directly step into the late stage of Foundation Establishment!¡±


    As Mr. Zhuang spoke, he too felt a tremor in his own heart.


    To have Divine Sense comparable to the late stage of Foundation Establishment right upon entering it.


    That would truly be an exceptional and monstrous talent.


    Divine Sense may seem obscure, not as direct and powerful as Spiritual Power or Blood Qi, but that¡¯s because other cultivators¡¯ Divine Senses aren¡¯t strong enough.


    If one¡¯s Divine Sense becomes extremely strong, then it is an absolute terror.


    Supreme Divine Sense, reigning over everything, is a fearsome force that can make all beings and creatures in heaven and earth submit and tremble.


    Although Mo Hua didn¡¯t fully understand how powerful this was, he was shocked speechless.


    Soon after, he asked with some anticipation:


    ¡°Then how can I strengthen my Divine Sense to above thirteen stripes¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang came back to his senses, his eyes twinkling slightly as he said, ¡°Still the old method, and it¡¯s a crude one¡­ Drawing Formations.¡±


    Comprehending Formations, refining Divine Sense.


    This task, other Formation Masters might not be able to do, but Mr. Zhuang knew that Mo Hua could.


    Mo Hua had some unidentifiable opportunity in him that even he could not clearly see.


    Mo Hua had drawn formations many times, far more often than other Formation Masters, surely practicing formations incessantly day and night.


    This was something many Formation Masters could not do.


    Moreover, when Mo Hua practiced formations, the growth of his Divine Sense seemed to be more than that of other Formation Masters.


    It seemed as if he had comprehended something profound in the process.


    So as long as he kept practicing formations, especially those that highly consume Divine Sense, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense would continuously grow.


    ¡°The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation is a first-grade eleven-stripes Large Formation,¡± Mr. Zhuang continued.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then thought to himself that it was indeed so.


    He had long suspected that Mr. Zhuang had deceived him¡­


    It wasn¡¯t deception, at least not entirely. He had hidden something and hadn¡¯t told him the whole truth.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°In other words, your Divine Sense is actually eleven stripes now.¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense at eleven stripes is stronger than that of cultivators who have just entered Foundation Establishment, and even some who are in the initial stage with shallow cultivation.¡±


    ¡°You are now at eleven stripes, so practicing the ten-stripes Reversed Spirit Formation won¡¯t increase your Divine Sense by much any longer.¡±


    ¡°You can practice formations at eleven stripes, but there is no opportunity for you to actually draw them, so it¡¯s not very meaningful¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, drawing the pivot of a Large Formation takes too long. It¡¯s a less efficient way to refine Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, you need to learn an Ultimate Formation that is at eleven stripes or even higher. This will enhance your understanding of formations, and by using formations, you will further refine your Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°The only bottleneck of Heaven Yan Jue lies in formations, and the key to formations lies in Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked deeply at Mo Hua and said:


    ¡°The stronger your Divine Sense, the better you¡¯ll learn formations. The better you learn formations, the smoother your cultivation, and the farther you¡¯ll go on the Path of Longevity¡­¡±


    ¡°Therefore, you must cultivate your Divine Sense to the utmost.¡±


    ¡°In the future, use your Supreme Divine Sense to Prove your own Dao!¡±

 Chapter 380 - 377: Ultimate Formation_1

    Chapter 380: Chapter 377: Ultimate Formation_1


    ¡°`


    Supreme Divine Sense, Achieving the Great Dao¡­


    Mo Hua slightly lost his focus.


    He had not expected Mr. Zhuang to have such deep expectations for him, planning so far ahead.


    Originally, he would have been satisfied with just achieving Foundation Establishment, and he had not yet considered anything beyond that¡­


    Mo Hua nodded his head, saying earnestly,


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve remembered it all!¡±


    His train of thought also became clearer.


    He would keep learning profound Formation methods, honing a stronger Divine Sense, becoming a higher-grade Formation Master, cultivating to even higher realms, and seeking the longer paths of the Great Dao.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes revealed his gratification.


    After a brief thought, Mo Hua asked,


    ¡°Master, where then should I go to learn the Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused, his gaze showing a hint of regret,


    ¡°I originally had some inheritances of Ultimate Formations, but due to unexpected events, most have been lost. Therefore, if you want to learn the Ultimate Formations, you have to learn to find them yourself.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and asked humbly, ¡°How should I look for them¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°The vast majority of Formation inheritances in this world are monopolized by the Taoist Court, Noble Clans, and Sects, and this includes Ultimate Formations as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s practically impossible to learn from them directly; even if you could, the price would be extremely high.¡±


    ¡°So if you want to learn Ultimate Formations, you can only search for those secret Formation methods lost in various corners of the Nine State, unknown to others.¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his confusion, ¡°If it¡¯s an Ultimate Formation, it must be valuable. If it¡¯s valuable, how could it be unknown to others?¡±


    ¡°Because ordinary people don¡¯t understand Formation Patterns, and even if they do, Formation Masters without the pertinent inheritance cannot probe the mysteries of Ultimate Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood but couldn¡¯t help being curious,


    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t the Taoist Court and the Family Sects and Clans collect these Ultimate Formations?¡±


    ¡°They do,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded. ¡°But the world is vast, and the intricacies of Formations are profound; no matter how much they collect, there are always some that will slip through.¡±


    ¡°Besides, some Ultimate Formations are so exquisite and subtle, they can¡¯t be recognized by ordinary Cultivators with mere fleshly eyes.¡±


    ¡°Even those born into the Taoist Court or those with inheritances from Family Sects and Clans, most of them are merely booksmart, unable to understand or even conceive of things that transcend their grade of learning.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression bore a trace of disdain.


    Looking at him with great admiration, Mo Hua asked stealthily,


    ¡°Master, what grade have you achieved?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang turned around, saw Mo Hua¡¯s shining eyes, and couldn¡¯t help but tap his forehead, speaking in a gentle tone, ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions recklessly.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua covered his forehead, thought for a moment, then asked again,


    ¡°So next, we are going to look for the Ultimate Formation?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it,¡± Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes conveyed a mix of emotions,


    ¡°I¡¯m going to visit a Sect, meet some old friends, have you learn their Formations, and en route, incidentally search for some Ultimate Formations.¡±


    Sect? Old friends? Formations?


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Master, which Sect is it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang did not answer, only saying,


    ¡°You will know when the time comes.¡±


    Mo Hua was still curious and couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°Then what Formations are we going to learn?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression stalled, tinged with a hint of melancholy, and he said slowly,


    ¡°It¡¯s a Formation that I, too, failed to learn back then¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked shocked, ¡°Master, even you didn¡¯t learn it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, ¡°Your teacher is only human, not yet an Immortal, naturally, there are things I have not learned.¡±


    Mo Hua said uncertainly, ¡°If even Master couldn¡¯t learn it, can I?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a gentle gaze, ¡°You should be fine.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a surge of joy but also some worry,


    ¡°If Master couldn¡¯t learn it, can I really learn it?¡±


    If he couldn¡¯t learn it, wouldn¡¯t he let down his Master¡¯s expectations and lose face for his Master¡­


    Mr. Zhuang, reading Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, shifted his gaze and smiled slightly,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t learn it back then and suffered their contempt. This time, taking you there is to have you avenge this old grudge for your teacher.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua was momentarily stunned.


    Contempt?


    They dared to show contempt towards my Master? S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face set in a stern expression, and his fighting spirit soared.


    He patted his chest, promising earnestly,


    ¡°`


    ¡°Master, rest assured, I will definitely master the Formation, slap them in the face, and then infuriate them to death!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was momentarily stunned, then couldn¡¯t help but laugh:


    ¡°Good, infuriate them to death¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Afterward, Mr. Zhuang entrusted Mo Hua with a few more words and pointed out some difficulties related to Formations, before showing signs of fatigue.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua stood up to take his leave and gently closed the door behind him.


    After Mo Hua left, walking through the corridor, his mind was filled with doubts.


    Why Mr. Zhuang had left Tongxian City and became an itinerant cultivator was something he hadn¡¯t known before.


    But it seemed that it was for the sake of teaching him Formation?


    A warmth filled Mo Hua¡¯s heart, followed by more doubts.


    Learning Formation was true, but there must be more to it than that¡­


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang mentioning that bizarre Taoist that he shouldn¡¯t talk about, think about, or better yet, forget about.


    And there was Feng Xi who returned from death, his face covered with overlapping faces, including one that resembled the appearance of a Taoist.


    Mo Hua vaguely recalled, as he looked directly into Feng Xi¡¯s cavernous eyes, the voice of the Taoist saying:


    ¡°Your aura?¡±


    ¡°Quite bold¡­¡±


    ¡°So familiar¡­¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡­


    These words, spoken by different speakers, in different voices, came out all at once, chaotic and eerie.


    But put together, they meant:


    ¡°Your aura¡­ is so familiar¡­ Who are you?¡±


    He had never met this Taoist before, so what about his aura made the Taoist feel it was familiar?


    Mo Hua thought it over and felt that it probably had something to do with Mr. Zhuang.


    Being a disciple of Mr. Zhuang, constantly in contact with him, and being taught Formation by him, as well as the Five Elements Formation he laid out, which was also provided by Mr. Zhuang, it was natural that he carried Mr. Zhuang¡¯s aura.


    And that Taoist said his aura was ¡°very familiar¡­¡±


    In other words, he was familiar with Mr. Zhuang.


    The mysterious Taoist and Mr. Zhuang must have some kind of old grudge.


    Moreover, it was certainly not a good one.


    The Taoist was undoubtedly not a good person, and his methods were strange and unpredictable. With Mo Hua¡¯s experience in Tao cultivation, he had no clue about the Taoist¡¯s realm, cultivation, or the spells he used.


    He was somewhat worried for Mr. Zhuang.


    Nowadays, Mr. Zhuang was weak in vitality, his Divine Sense ethereal. If he had a grudge with the Taoist and was being hunted, then he would be in danger¡­


    And in such a situation, it seemed he, too, had no means to deal with that mysterious Taoist¡­


    He couldn¡¯t possibly just collapse another Large Formation, could he?


    The key was, even if he wanted to, there was no Large Formation available for him to collapse.


    With his mind heavy with concerns, Mo Hua walked along the inn¡¯s corridor. As he walked, he looked up and saw a pretty little girl approaching from the opposite direction.


    Her face was somewhat unfamiliar, yet her aura felt recognizable.


    As they passed by one another, Mo Hua paused, then turned his head to test:


    ¡°Zixi?¡±


    The little girl turned her head, lifted her fair little finger, and corrected:


    ¡°You should call me senior sister.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and slowly said, ¡°Little senior sister¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded in satisfaction.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°How did you change your appearance like this?¡±


    ¡°I used an Illusion Technique to change my appearance to avoid trouble,¡± Bai Zixi said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s looks were outstanding; wherever she went, she drew crowds of onlookers, which could easily lead to trouble.


    Her current appearance, although still pretty, was just ¡°normally¡± pretty, not unbelievably so.


    ¡°How did you know it was me?¡± Bai Zixi was also curious.


    ¡°I guessed¡­¡±


    Mo Hua admitted truthfully.


    Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua skeptically but said nothing further.


    Still, she wondered how Mo Hua had recognized her now that her appearance was so greatly altered.

 Chapter 381 - 378: Small Town_1

    Chapter 381: Chapter 378: Small Town_1


    Mo Hua returned to his room and practiced the Reversed Spirit Formation for a while.


    He indeed felt the growth of his Divine Sense slowing down; it wasn¡¯t as fast as before.


    ¡°It seems that I need to find more difficult formations to learn,¡± Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    After practicing formations for a while more, until his Divine Sense was exhausted, Mo Hua rested for a short moment. Then he thought about it and opened his Storage Bag.


    With the travels ahead, he didn¡¯t know what he would encounter, so he decided to take an inventory of his possessions first.


    The first item was Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua carried over a thousand Spirit Stones on his person.


    There were also several thousand more Spirit Stones stored inside the carriage, sealed with a formation under Mr. Zhuang¡¯s care.


    These Spirit Stones were for Mo Hua¡¯s Foundation Establishment.


    He had earned some himself, some were saved by his parents, and some were given by Elder Yu.


    At the very least, they should be enough for Foundation Establishment.


    Additionally, there was a first-grade Spiritual Artifact, the Thousand Jun Stick.


    Mo Hua had Master Chen reforge this Thousand Jun Stick; its material was now more robust, and he had added a layer of Thousand Jun Compound Formation to it. It felt even more comfortable to use when dealing blows stealthily.


    Around Mo Hua¡¯s neck, he also wore a Pill Jade.


    This was a gift from Old Mr. Feng, with a faint warmth that could refresh and calm the mind.


    Although Old Mr. Feng said ¡°talk of merits is illusory and intangible,¡±


    the Pill Jade seemed to truly carry the merit of Old Mr. Feng¡¯s healing and saving lives, always emitting a gentle and moist luster.


    Every time Mo Hua looked at it, he felt it contained a lot of goodwill.


    Besides the Pill Jade, Mo Hua also wore a Monster Hunting Token around his neck.


    This Monster Hunting Token was given to him by Elder Yu, and every Monster Hunter had one.


    But Mo Hua found that his seemed a bit different.


    Other Monster Hunters, after killing Monster Beasts, would have a thin red blood streak appear on their tokens.


    After using the Great Formation Dissolution to kill Feng Xi, Mo Hua¡¯s Monster Hunting Token also gained a bloodstreak.


    However, this bloodstreak was half a finger thick and pale gold.


    Mo Hua asked Elder Yu about it, and Elder Yu also looked puzzled, saying that he had never seen anything like it before, and even the Monster Hunter literature had no records of it.


    A pale gold bloodstreak¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he decided to leave it be for now.


    Regardless of whether the bloodstreak on the Monster Hunting Token was red or gold, it didn¡¯t matter much; there were no benefits presently, so he would figure it out when he had the time in the future.


    Mo Hua also put the Bronze Waist Token from the Taoist Court in his Storage Bag.


    According to Court Leader Zhou¡¯s words, he had applied to the higher-ups, allocating a lot of Merit Points, which were now inside this token.


    The Taoist Court in Tongxian City made a great contribution for slaying Feng Xi.


    Court Leader Zhou, in his later tenure, received an unexpected major merit and was overjoyed beyond measure.


    This merit was largely thanks to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had a somewhat special identity; a thirteen-year-old first-grade Formation Master would raise disbelief if reported, so Court Leader Zhou did not make it clear to the Taoist Court. Instead, he subtly granted Mo Hua some extra benefits.


    These benefits were the Merit Points inside the Bronze Waist Token.


    Should Mo Hua need it when he was away from home, he could exchange the merits from the Merit Points for Spirit Stones or Spiritual Objects in case of emergency.


    As for how much these Merit Points amounted to and what they could exchange for, he hadn¡¯t tried yet and was unaware, but he imagined they wouldn¡¯t be few.


    Mo Hua tapped the token and felt more at ease.


    Furthermore, the most important item was the ring of a first-grade Formation Master.


    The ring was made of white jade inlaid with gold, simple yet luxurious.


    Named the Heaven Shu Ring, it was crafted by the Heaven Shu Pavilion of the Taoist Court and given to those who passed the assessment as Formation Masters.


    Nine star patterns were engraved on the ring, with three stripes on each star, symbolizing the nine ranks of formations, each with three levels.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Heaven Shu Ring now illuminated only one star, signifying that he was recognized by the Heaven Shu Pavilion as a Formation Master of the first rank. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Heaven Shu Ring served as a proof of identity as a Formation Master and was also a small storage ring.


    Like a Storage Bag, it could hold items, but its space was smaller and reserved for storing confidential and valuable objects.


    Mo Hua placed the Jade Slip of the Heaven Yan Jue and some rare Formation Diagrams in the Heaven Shu Ring, tied it to a string, and also hung it around his neck.


    He originally wanted to wear it on his hand, but it was too big for his fingers and could only fit his thumb, like a ring guard.


    Mo Hua was always afraid that it might fall off, so he strung it with a string and hung it around his neck.


    Now he had three items hanging around his neck, but thankfully they weren¡¯t heavy and didn¡¯t tire him to wear.


    After checking his belongings, Mo Hua sat in meditation and then started Drawing Formations again.


    Dinner was at the inn; everyone ordered a few simple dishes, not particularly delicious but not bad either, certainly not as good as the ones Mo Hua prepared himself.


    After dinner, everyone rested in the inn for the night, and they were to set off again the next day.


    Before departure, Mo Hua affectionately hugged Big White¡¯s neck, patted its back, and said,


    ¡°We¡¯re going to trouble you again.¡±


    Big White grunted a few times and nuzzled Mo Hua¡¯s face with its head.


    Mo Hua smiled happily.


    The morning glow spilled across the sky, casting its light on the road.


    The group set out on their journey, left the city gates, and took to the main road.


    After traveling the main road for a while, they passed through a mountain trail lined by towering peaks, with few travelers in sight, only the recurring sound of the horse hooves.


    Having walked for the better part of the day, they came upon a small town.


    Mo Hua looked up and from a distance saw the town¡¯s signboard:


    Thousand Families Town.


    As far as the eye could see, the scenes of the small town were fully in view.


    There were quite a few people in Thousand Families Town, but it was clear that they were all Loose Cultivators, and their clothes were covered in mud stains.


    In the distance beyond the town, there was a large expanse of connected Spirit Fields.


    Many Cultivators were bent over, working in the Spirit Fields.


    Mo Hua had heard from his father, Mo Shan, that in the way of Tao Cultivation there was a category called ¡°Spiritual Plant Master,¡± which involved farming and nurturing various Taoist crops, or growing herbs for a living.


    Those who farmed were generally known as ¡°Spirit Farmers.¡±


    These Cultivators working in the Spirit Fields must be the ¡°Spirit Farmers¡± his father, Mo Shan, had mentioned.


    Old Kui stopped the carriage.


    Mr. Zhuang lifted the curtain, glanced at the town, and nodded, saying:


    ¡°We are going to stay here for a while.¡±


    The three companions, Mo Hua, exchanged glances, not understanding why they needed to stay here.


    Remembering the words that Mr. Zhuang had spoken to him, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he asked:


    ¡°Master, does this town have an Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua looked over the town again.


    The houses were low and the bricks and stones worn, with many places showing signs of decay from years of neglect, clearly indicating that most Cultivators were not living well.


    There was one mansion in the town that was obviously opulent, likely the residence of the most affluent clan in the area.


    This was similar to other small towns Mo Hua had encountered on his journey.


    Where there is poverty, there is wealth, and of course, with wealth comes poverty.


    The residences in the town all had Formations drawn on them, but most were very rudimentary, with only a few Formation Patterns.


    Even the Formation used by that most opulent mansion was something Mo Hua could see through at a glance.


    In such a small town, where could there be an Ultimate Formation?


    Unable to understand, Mo Hua asked Mr. Zhuang:


    ¡°Master, how do you know that there¡¯s an Ultimate Formation here?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said inscrutably, ¡°I saw it.¡±


    Mo Hua continued to probe,


    ¡°How did you see it?¡±


    He was truly curious in his heart.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and gently said, ¡°Take a guess.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    Mr. Zhuang asked him to guess, not to simply suggest; that meant the method must be one he was aware of.


    Mo Hua cast another distant glance at the town.


    Since there were no obvious Formation Patterns, it meant Mr. Zhuang had not seen any specific Formation.


    Moreover, it was a stop made on the spur of the moment during their travels.


    This indicated that Mr. Zhuang hadn¡¯t known there was an Ultimate Formation here in advance.


    It was something he saw, or rather perceived, that made him decide to stay.


    What did he see, or perceive?


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, the world turned into a vast expanse of white, and then the multicolored Spiritual Power began to emerge one by one.


    After perceiving with his Divine Sense for a while, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up and he ventured,


    ¡°Was it calculated through Divine Sense?¡±


    Since the Formation Patterns could not be seen, it must be that he had deduced the Patterns through the spiritual force of the Formation and then determined the strength of the Divine Sense required for the Formation Patterns, thereby concluding that there is a lost Ultimate Formation here.


    Mo Hua faintly perceived some Formation energies, but they were too distant and obscure for him to calculate; he could only guess based on intuition.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded approvingly, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Then Mr. Zhuang patiently explained,


    ¡°An Ultimate Formation is different from ordinary Formations; it is a more subtle, more fundamental, and more sophisticated use of Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°A Reversed Spirit Formation is to reverse engineer Spiritual Power, a Large Formation accumulates Spiritual Power, and other Ultimate Formations also have some extraordinary features.¡±


    ¡°The world changes, the sea turns to mulberry fields, and things appear in various forms, constantly transitioning.¡±


    ¡°Some Ultimate Formations are thus buried underground, or sealed within ancient relics, or painted in some unknown corner of a small town, operating silently, unknown to anyone¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t find traces of the Formation by just looking with your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Eyes can deceive, but Divine Sense cannot, appearances can deceive, but the essence of Spiritual Power cannot.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, you must perceive with Divine Sense, calculate in the Sea of Consciousness, through an understanding of the Formation and the operation of Spiritual Power, to determine whether there is a lost Formation here¡­¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly saw the light and nodded repeatedly.


    Perceiving with Divine Sense, calculating with Spiritual Power, deducing Formation Patterns, seeking Ultimate Formations¡­


    With a point from Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    However, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi exchanged confused glances.


    They had no idea what Mo Hua and Mr. Zhuang were talking about¡­

 Chapter 382 - 379 Sun Family_1

    Chapter 382: Chapter 379 Sun Family_1


    As Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to probe, within the most luxurious residence in Thousand Families Town, a middle-aged cultivator with a harsh face and a lean figure suddenly opened his eyes, his expression slightly startled.


    He furrowed his brows and instructed:


    ¡°Call Zer here.¡±


    The servant complied and left. Shortly after, a frivolous-looking young man entered and casually said:


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s up?¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator¡¯s name was Sun Yi, and he was the Sun Family head.


    This young man was named Sun Ze, the legitimate eldest son of the Sun Family.


    Family head Sun Yi with a frown said, ¡°A cultivator is probing with Divine Sense.¡±


    Surprised, Sun Ze asked, ¡°A Foundation Establishment cultivator?¡±


    Sun Yi nodded, ¡°This Divine Sense is extremely subtle and profound. It simply swept by; had I not been engrossed in comprehending a Formation, focusing my Divine Sense, I might not have noticed it at all.¡±


    ¡°This person is undoubtedly a Foundation Establishment cultivator!¡± Sun Yi declared with certainty.


    Sun Ze also furrowed his brows:


    ¡°What would a Foundation Establishment cultivator be doing in Thousand Families Town?¡±


    Sun Yi pondered for a moment before speaking slowly:


    ¡°Whatever he¡¯s up to, we will treat him with hospitality. If we can avoid provoking him, we should. The sooner we send him on his way, the better.¡±


    Then he instructed, ¡°This Foundation Establishment cultivator, using Divine Sense to find the way, must be a cultivator from outside.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one road leading to Thousand Families Town from outside.¡±


    ¡°You take some people to greet him, invite them as guests, and make sure not to offend them.¡±


    Dissatisfied, Sun Ze said, ¡°Why go through such trouble? If he wants to come, let him come; if he wants to go, let him go. Why should we care about him?¡±


    Sun Yi chided, ¡°What do you know? Not all Foundation Establishment cultivators are equal. Our Sun Family lives in a remote location, it is natural for us to make connections with other cultivators. Even if we don¡¯t make connections, we need to understand what he came for and avoid offending him.¡±


    ¡°Besides, this Foundation Establishment cultivator might not be someone to be taken lightly.¡±


    This Divine Sense made him feel a deep sense of wariness.


    Chastised by Sun Yi, Sun Ze had no choice but to comply:


    ¡°Fine, dad, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    After Sun Ze left, Sun Yi still knitted his brows with a troubled mind, and his gaze gradually turned cold, ¡°I hope he¡¯s not here to cause trouble¡­¡±


    ¡­


    In Thousand Lamps Town.


    Old Kui was cracking pine nuts, driving a horse carriage.


    Big White was pulling the carriage, slowly moving along the streets of Thousand Lamps Town.


    Mo Hua leaned out, surveying the various Formations around him.


    However, the surrounding houses were low, and the Formations crude; there was not much to look at.


    After a while, several cultivators appeared ahead on the road.


    The one leading was a young cultivator dressed in brocade, with a frivolous face, but trying to look dignified.


    Old Kui stopped the carriage.


    The young cultivator smiled and greeted with clasped hands:


    ¡°We have not gone afar to welcome our distinguished guests.¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s expression was wooden as he replied indifferently, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The voice was grating like dry wood, clearly a human voice yet not quite like one.


    A shiver ran through the hearts of the Sun Family members.


    Sun Ze hurriedly said, ¡°I am Sun Ze, the eldest son of the Sun Family from Thousand Families Town.¡±


    Old Kui asked again blandly, ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    The hoarse voice made Sun Ze somewhat uncomfortable and also slightly resentful.


    Usually, it was he who asked others questions, and he was rarely addressed with such a cool tone.


    But his father had already spoken, and he dared not contravene.


    Just an old carter appeared so enigmatic; the cultivator sitting in the carriage must be even more extraordinary.


    If there was really a Foundation Establishment cultivator, then he was someone Sun Ze could not afford to offend.


    Thus, Sun Ze said respectfully, ¡°Thousand Families Town is modest, and we fear we may offend our distinguished guests. If our guests do not mind, may they please step over to the Sun Family, so that we may offer the modest hospitality of the host.¡±


    Old Kui remained silent.


    Inside the carriage, Mo Hua¡¯s three disciples looked at each other before all turning to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Outside, Old Kui then nodded and said, ¡°That would be acceptable.¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For some reason, Sun Ze felt relieved.


    This seemingly wooden carter consistently gave him a subtle sense of oppression.


    It also made him curious about who exactly was riding in the carriage.


    Leading the way, Sun Ze headed to the Sun Family¡¯s grand entrance with Old Kui driving the carriage, under the astonished eyes of the passerby, they slowly entered the Sun Family¡¯s magnificent gates.


    The carriage stopped.


    The Sun Family head, Sun Yi, personally welcomed them.


    But the cultivators that came out of the carriage surprised them all.


    First was a young boy with eyebrows like painted swords and stars for eyes, followed by a cute-faced young girl.


    Then came a little cultivator with clear eyes and well-defined features, who was helping a celestial-looking white-robed cultivator with no sense of energy on him, not even appearing like a cultivator.


    Sun Yi was momentarily at a loss.


    Among these people, who was the Foundation Establishment?


    Whose Divine Sense was that, probing in?


    Sun Yi frowned.


    Logically speaking, this white-robed cultivator looked most like a Foundation Establishment, but if he were in the Foundation Establishment stage, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to conceal his presence to the point of being undetectable.


    Unless he was above Foundation Establishment, a Great Cultivator of the Golden Core Realm.


    However, a cultivator of the Golden Core Realm wouldn¡¯t likely visit the remote and minor place of Second Grade state boundary.


    ¡°Could it be that I was mistaken?¡±


    Was there actually no Foundation Establishment cultivator spying?


    Sun Yi muttered to himself with some doubts.


    But now that the guests had been welcomed inside, it was impossible to turn them away, and it was also not appropriate to admit to his mistake.


    He could only pluck up the courage to say, ¡°May I inquire the esteemed name of this Taoist Friend¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, ¡°Surname Zhuang.¡±


    Sun Yi was taken aback. It was an unusual surname, sparing with words, and carried the demeanor of a noble expert.


    It just wasn¡¯t clear if it could be a fake.


    Still, there was no point in dwelling on these things now.


    Sun Yi bowed his hands and said, ¡°What brings our honored guest here?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone was still indifferent:


    ¡°Passing through your land, I will rest for a few days.¡±


    Sun Yi didn¡¯t quite believe it, but still smiled and said:


    ¡°Encounters are fate, and those who come from afar are guests. If you don¡¯t mind, please stay at my Sun Family residence for several days so that I may show a token of my hospitality.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang revealed a trace of a faint smile:


    ¡°Then I shall impose.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for courtesy,¡± Sun Yi said with a bow of his hands.


    Afterward, Sun Yi arranged for them to settle in and warmly said:


    ¡°If there is anything you need, just let the servants know. My Sun Family will do our best to fulfill it.¡±


    Once Mr. Zhuang and his party were settled, the smile on Sun Yi¡¯s face gradually faded once he returned to the living room.


    Sun Ze asked him, ¡°Dad, who is at the Foundation Establishment stage?¡±


    Sun Yi shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t figured it out yet.¡±


    Sun Ze was not satisfied, ¡°If there is no one at the Foundation Establishment stage, then weren¡¯t we busy for nothing? And you were so humble and obliging, do they even deserve it?¡±


    ¡°Say less of such ignorant remarks!¡± Sun Yi rebuked with a frown, ¡°A true man can bend and stretch. What¡¯s wrong with being humble and obliging?¡±


    The Sun Family living room was decorated regally.


    Sun Yi sat down, a beautiful maid came forward to offer tea, and after he took a sip, he pondered for a moment before slowly saying:


    ¡°Among this group of cultivators, even if there is no one at the Foundation Establishment stage, their identities must not be ordinary¡­¡±


    Sun Ze¡¯s gaze, reluctantly moving away from the maid¡¯s waist, nodded in agreement and said:


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that old man driving the cart, the young lad with an impressive bearing, and that pretty young girl, they all have an extraordinary temperament¡­¡±


    ¡°And that Mr. Zhuang, either he is a true expert with an air of immortality, or he¡¯s a real big fraud¡­¡±


    Sun Ze counted them all, but only Mo Hua was left out.


    To Sun Ze, Mo Hua only looked a bit more clever, not worthy of his attention.


    ¡°Dad,¡± Sun Ze leaned in and whispered:


    ¡°What are we going to do next?¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s eyebrows raised, he put down the tea cup and said in a calm voice:


    ¡°Observe for a few days. If they are beyond our reach, we treat them with courtesy¡­¡±


    ¡°What if they are within our reach?¡±


    Sun Yi looked at Sun Ze, his gaze somewhat secretive, ¡°¡­ then we must still treat them well.¡±


    Sun Ze also smiled.


    ¡­


    The Sun Family prepared two large guest rooms for Mo Hua and the others.


    One for Mr. Zhuang and Old Kui to stay in, and the other for the three children including Mo Hua.


    Although called large guest rooms, they were also exquisitely arranged with complete sets of porcelain, folding screens, and the burning of sandalwood, with smoke curling upwards.


    There were five or six beds placed side by side, each bed covered with soft blankets.


    Bai Zixi sat cross-legged, elegant and calm as she meditated.


    The two brothers of Mo Hua were lying on the beds, whispering to each other.


    ¡°That Sun surname doesn¡¯t look like a good guy.¡±


    ¡°Which Sun surname?¡±


    ¡°Is there any other Sun surname?¡±


    ¡°One father, one son¡­¡±


    ¡°Both don¡¯t look like good people.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, their smiles are too fake.¡±


    ¡°A smile that doesn¡¯t reach the eyes.¡±


    ¡°Too enthusiastic, they must be harboring ulterior motives.¡±


    ¡°No good deed goes unoffered without a hidden agenda¡­¡±


    ¡­


    As the two murmured among themselves, Bai Zixi found it impossible to continue her cultivation and could only open her eyes, wide as autumn waters, and look at them helplessly.

 Chapter 383 - 380: Plans_1

    Chapter 383: Chapter 380: Plans_1


    ¡°` S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zixi simply stopped cultivating, leaned comfortably against the edge of the bed on a padded blanket, and listened to her senior brother and junior brother talking.


    Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua were still muttering to each other.


    ¡°The Sun Family is too rich!¡± Mo Hua whispered.


    ¡°Rich? How so?¡± Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°This vast mansion, so many servants and maids, even the guest rooms are so well-furnished. Most things here are spiritual artifacts engraved with formations. Although the formations are somewhat crude, they are still very expensive¡­¡±


    Mo Hua mused.


    These items, if placed in a larger Immortal City, might be common, but here in the remote Thousand Families Town, they seemed out of place.


    In Tongxian City, even the Qian Family¡¯s mansion was not as luxurious as the Sun Family¡¯s.


    Bai Zisheng nodded, but he was always carefree and had little notion of the value of Spirit Stones.


    On the other hand, Bai Zixi seemed thoughtful.


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°So what do we do next?¡±


    Lying on the soft blanket, Mo Hua thought for a moment before saying,


    ¡°I need to find the Ultimate Formation hidden in this town.¡±


    ¡°What kind of Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t say, and I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    ¡°Does Mr. Zhuang know where it is hidden?¡± Bai Zisheng asked curiously.


    Mo Hua lowered his voice and quietly said,


    ¡°I guess Mr. Zhuang definitely knows, but since he isn¡¯t telling, it must mean he wants me to find it myself.¡±


    Bai Zisheng muttered, ¡°That¡¯s troublesome¡­¡±


    Then he asked again, ¡°Mo Hua, do you really need to study the Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Ultimate Formations are very difficult to learn¡ªtime-consuming, effort-intensive, and taxing on the Divine Sense. Moreover, some Ultimate Formations have obscure effects and limited applicability.


    In the standards set by the Taoist Court for assessment, Ultimate Formations are not even included.


    A typical Formation Master wouldn¡¯t deliberately study them.


    Yet, Mo Hua nodded earnestly, ¡°I need to learn it.¡±


    He counted on his fingers:


    ¡°Learn an eleven-stripe Ultimate Formation first, refine the Divine Sense to twelve stripes, then look for a twelve-stripe Ultimate Formation to comprehend, refine the Divine Sense to thirteen stripes, and then seek a thirteen-stripe Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s scalp tingled at the thought.


    Bai Zixi also looked at Mo Hua in amazement, speechless.


    ¡°Can you really learn it?¡± Bai Zisheng asked with concern.


    Learning up to eleven stripes was preposterous enough; aiming for thirteen stripes seemed out of the question¡­


    ¡°Even if I can¡¯t learn it, I must learn it. As long as I study, there will be a day I can master it.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Besides, my Spiritual Root is inadequate, and I can¡¯t do Body Refinement. This is the only path I can take.¡±


    Bai Zisheng, feeling a headache at the thought and some sympathy for his junior brother, declared as a proper senior brother, ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you!¡±


    After speaking, he sneakily glanced at his sister Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi also nodded her head.


    Bai Zisheng then said, ¡°Zixi and I will help you together!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourselves,¡± Mo Hua declined.


    Bai Zisheng was slightly displeased:


    ¡°You¡¯re a junior brother, no need for formalities. Just tell us if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Since that was the case, Mo Hua stopped being polite.


    ¡°This Ultimate Formation is either hidden in the Sun Family or somewhere in Thousand Families Town. Let¡¯s split up and search; you and senior sister can inquire within the Sun Family, and I¡¯ll look around town for clues,¡± Mo Hua shared his plan.


    The Sun Family was very warm towards Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, but somewhat dismissive of him.


    They probably noticed the air of Disciples of the Worldly Family on this senior brother and sister, with their clearly exceptional talents, and thus wanted to curry favor.


    If they made requests or probed into the Sun Family¡¯s assets, it would likely be much easier for them.


    Being young, if he tried to inquire within the Sun Family, he would certainly be perfunctorily handled, perhaps even slighted, and might not be able to uncover anything.


    Bai Zisheng nodded, then asked with confusion,


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡±


    ¡°I calculated it!¡±


    ¡°How did you calculate it¡­¡± Bai Zisheng was quite curious.


    ¡°By sensing the Spiritual Power of the formations, calculating the Formation Patterns through the Spiritual Power, and thereby deducing the location of the Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua explained it once.


    Bai Zisheng frowned, perceiving it as a highly complicated matter.


    ¡°Are you sure about your calculations?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat uneasy.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not sure that I need your help¡­ If I could be certain, I would already know where the formation is located¡ªI wouldn¡¯t need to go looking for it¡­¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve only learned half of it¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s half-learned, it¡¯s still very hard!¡±


    Mo Hua defended stoutly.


    Bai Zisheng paused, then on further thought agreed; although Mo Hua was but half-trained, he himself was not trained at all.


    The skill of Divine Sense Calculation was completely foreign to him.


    Let alone knowing it, if it wasn¡¯t for Mo Hua and Mr. Zhuang mentioning it, and the Bai Family¡¯s fairly deep Formation roots, he wouldn¡¯t have even heard of it.


    Bai Zisheng felt somewhat deflated, then his eyes brightened a little, ¡°Can I learn this Calculation?¡±


    After thinking, Mo Hua said, ¡°You can only learn it after reaching Foundation Establishment with your Divine Sense. By then, Master will likely teach you as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Bai Zisheng sighed.


    ¡°`


    He still had some time before Foundation Establishment.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua remembered another matter and asked Bai Zisheng,


    ¡°Did you take Mr. Zhuang as your master because you wanted to learn about Formations? Has the master taught you any?¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, ¡°He has.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°When did he teach you?¡±


    The three of them were almost always together, so how could Mr. Zhuang have taught them without his knowledge¡­


    Bai Zisheng hesitated for a moment but decided to tell the truth,


    ¡°It was when you went to pluck grass and feed Big White¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded.


    In that short amount of time, Mr. Zhuang actually gave them ¡°special lessons¡±¡­


    However, upon reflection, Mo Hua realized Mr. Zhuang seemed to have given him ¡°special lessons¡± too, which somewhat balanced his feelings.


    Bai Zisheng spoke with a tinge of regret,


    ¡°The master said that you must not learn this Formation, so you must not see it¡­¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I learn it?¡± Mo Hua wondered.


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, ¡°Master didn¡¯t say.¡±


    Frowning, Mo Hua¡¯s mind was busy with thoughts.


    Bai Zisheng thought he might hold a grudge and suggestively said, ¡°How about I secretly teach you?¡±


    After he spoke, he sneakily glanced at Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi blinked, pretending to be unaware.


    Mo Hua was touched by the gesture, yet still shook his head,


    ¡°The master must have his reasons. If I could learn, he would certainly teach me. Since he doesn¡¯t, there must be a reason.¡±


    After all, Mr. Zhuang has taught me very advanced knowledge about various Formations, such as Reversed Spirit Formations, Divine Sense Calculation, and Formation Collapse.


    Not teaching this particular Formation now probably means he really has some concerns.


    Even if Mr. Zhuang truly refuses to teach, it doesn¡¯t really matter¡­


    Mr. Zhuang has already been very good to me, teaching me plenty, and I mustn¡¯t be greedy.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both looked at Mo Hua in surprise, then both breathed a sigh of relief.


    As fellow disciples seeking knowledge in the same school, they felt somewhat guilty about secretly learning things behind Mo Hua¡¯s back, but spelling things out now made them feel much more at ease.


    Bai Zisheng then vowed earnestly,


    ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll find the Ultimate Formation for you. It¡¯s just the Sun Family, right? I¡¯ll turn the Sun Family upside down tomorrow!¡±


    Bai Zixi sighed helplessly.


    Mo Hua gave him an annoyed glance, ¡°If we¡¯re to search for something, we need to be discreet and not let them notice¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head, ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Then the three little heads came together again, whispering and muttering a bunch of things.


    They spoke about how to probe, what excuses to find, what the Formation was, its effects, and where it might be hidden.


    Of course, most of the talking was between Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng, with Bai Zixi just silently listening¡­


    Meanwhile, in the next room, Mr. Zhuang slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with wistfulness and satisfaction.


    The next morning, after breakfast, Mo Hua and the others began to act separately.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi subtly revealed their identities as members of a great clan.


    Sun Ze, elated beyond measure, volunteered to show the two around the Sun Family estate. On the surface, he appeared to answer all questions and was exceedingly thorough, but whether there was truth or falsehood in his words remained unknown.


    Mo Hua claimed he wanted to go out for a walk to find some food for Big White¡¯s horse.


    The Sun Family offered their own forage, but Mo Hua deemed it not good enough.


    The Sun Family then suggested finding someone to accompany Mo Hua, but he refused, and all other reasons were also decisively rejected by Mo Hua, resulting in them reluctantly watching as Mo Hua slipped out of the Sun Family¡¯s gate alone.


    Sun Yi frowned slightly, saying to Mr. Zhuang,


    ¡°This young brother is young; going out alone, he might encounter danger.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang simply responded, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    In the entirety of Thousand Families Town, the only Foundation Building Cultivator was the Family Head of the Sun Family before them.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s current abilities, outside of the Sun Family, there likely wasn¡¯t any Cultivator who could trouble him.


    As soon as Mo Hua left the Sun Family, the scenery before him seemed to change abruptly.


    The Sun Family estate was luxurious and splendid.


    But outside, the streets were desolate, covered with a layer of weather-worn frost.


    It was as if they were in two different worlds.


    Mo Hua sighed softly.


    Afterward, he walked down the main street, touring the whole town.


    Thousand Families Town wasn¡¯t large; in less than half an hour, he had taken in all the Formations in town.


    These Formations were profoundly rudimentary, mostly just three or four Formation Patterns, belonging to the introductory level for apprentices.


    Beyond that, there were no other special Formation traces.


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Mo Hua murmured to himself, pondering,


    ¡°Could it be that the Ultimate Formation is hidden within the Sun Family?¡±


    The Sun Family Head seemed to be a Formation Master, so having a collection of ancient and lost Formations would make sense.


    Moreover, the Sun Family was quite wealthy, so passing down an Ultimate Formation from ancestors could be plausible.


    Just as Mo Hua was about to head back, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the Spirit Fields.


    They were neatly arranged in blocks between two mountains.


    At this moment, the Spirit Fields were brimming with Spirit Rice.


    As the mountain breeze passed, it stirred the Spirit Fields, rippling the green expanse like a wrinkled lake surface.


    And above the Spirit Fields, lingered a faint Spiritual Energy.


    Mo Hua swept the fields with his Divine Sense, uttered a light ¡°hmm,¡± and strode toward the Spirit Fields that waved like the tide.

 Chapter 384 - 381 Spirit Field (Thank you to the Lord patron who left a tip~)_1

    Chapter 384: Chapter 381 Spirit Field (Thank you to the Lord patron who left a tip~)_1


    Tao Cultivation encompasses a hundred trades.


    In the vast Nine State, with its varied regional customs, Cultivators rely on the mountains and waters, adapting to local conditions to make a living through these trades.


    As Spirit Farmers who till and plant Spirit Rice crops, they indeed belong to one of the hundred trades of Tao Cultivation.


    Tongxian City, being mountainous and lacking arable land, sources its Spirit Paddy and Spirit Rice from an Immortal City to the west that lives off cultivating Spirit Fields.


    This was the first time Mo Hua had ever seen Spirit Fields as extensive as those stretching out before him.


    To the south of Thousand Families Town, the Spirit Fields stretched out in blocks, arranged like a grid and encompassing about a hundred acres.


    Amid the Spirit Fields were verdant rice seedlings, with misty water vapor enriching the space between them.


    The sky was high and distant, with clouds drifting lazily; the rice fields were lush and stretched out far and wide, like an emerald carpet unfurling towards the horizon.


    Where the distant blue sky met the Spirit Fields was a range of mountains shrouded in layer upon layer of clouds and mist.


    Mo Hua took a deep breath, the air crisp and refreshing. His spirits lifted, his eyes brightened, and he suddenly had an insight.


    All beings are born of nature, and the earth nourishes all.


    The heavens display the Great Dao, while the earth is an extension of it.


    And indeed, traces of Formation could be seen amongst these Spirit Fields.


    On the embankments of the Spirit Fields, there were hard soil and stones, upon which Formation Patterns were drawn.


    But these weren¡¯t Ultimate Formations; they were simple Cultivating Soil Formations, designed to nurture Spirit Rice and accumulate moisture.


    Mo Hua extended his Divine Sense and sensed only ordinary Cultivating Soil Formations. There was no special Formation aura, which was somewhat disappointing.


    Thinking it over, he decided to explore deeper into the fields.


    Near the Spirit Fields there were paths, and Mo Hua followed one for a while when he suddenly furrowed his brow.


    It was just morning time, the sun was bright and pleasant, and there were Spirit Farmers working the land.


    Most of these Spirit Farmers were older, their clothes tattered and stained with mud, their skin dark and lean, fingers rough and cracked.


    Bent at the waist, they seemed oppressed by something, struggling to breathe.


    In the bright morning sun, within the vibrant Spirit Fields,


    these stooped, expressionless Spirit Farmers looked terribly out of place.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    As he walked on, he encountered an elderly man by the side of a Spirit Field.


    The elder was probably also a Spirit Farmer, dried up and thin, his face as yellow as wax and carved wood, with a hint of despair upon it.


    A little grandson followed beside him, wiping his tears with dirty little hands.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart softened, so he asked,


    ¡°Old man, is something the matter?¡±


    The elderly man turned his head woodenly and, upon seeing a young, fair-looking Cultivator with clear eyes, he hesitated repeatedly before finally letting out a deep sigh,


    ¡°The field is ruined again¡­¡±


    His voice carried a thick bitterness and hardship.


    Mo Hua paused, concerned, and asked,


    ¡°How can the field be ruined?¡±


    The elder pointed to the embankment and said hoarsely,


    ¡°The Formation is broken. Without the Formation, the Spirit Field becomes barren, unable to retain water, causing the crops to wither. There¡¯ll be no harvest this year¡­¡±


    By the end of his sentence, the elder¡¯s voice was tinged with a slight choke.


    Turning his head, Mo Hua saw indeed that a Cultivating Soil Formation on the embankment had failed, its Patterns present but devoid of Spiritual Power flowing through them.


    Mo Hua exhaled in relief; he had thought it was something serious¡­


    It was only a simple six-Pattern Cultivating Soil Formation.


    ¡°This Formation is simple, I¡¯ll fix it for you,¡± Mo Hua offered.


    The elder was stunned, ¡°You¡­ you know Formations?¡±


    The child beside him looked at Mo Hua with eager eyes.


    Mo Hua nodded modestly, ¡°I know a little.¡±


    ¡°But that Formation is quite difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°I just happen to have studied it.¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s young age yet composed demeanor, appearing confident, the elder believed him somewhat, but he was still conflicted,


    ¡°What if it¡¯s worse off¡­¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s already broken,¡± Mo Hua pointed out.


    The elder was taken aback and thought it made sense. After all, it was already ruined, and they had no other options. Yet, since the Formation was crucial to their livelihood, he still couldn¡¯t let go of his worry.


    After hesitating and struggling with himself, the elder seemed to resign himself to his fate and said despondently,


    ¡°Young man, go ahead and draw¡­¡±


    He truly had no other solution.


    Mo Hua took out his Formation Pen and dipped it in ink.


    The elder¡¯s expression changed subtly. This young Cultivator seemed to know what he was doing¡­ S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look forward with anticipation.


    Then he saw Mo Hua approach the edge of the field, his small hand holding the pen. He casually drew a few strokes and then looked up, clearly saying to the elder,


    ¡°All done.¡±


    The elder hadn¡¯t even regained his senses, nor seen what Mo Hua had drawn, his expression one of disbelief,


    ¡°Is it¡­ is it really fixed?¡±


    Just a glance, a few strokes, and it was repaired?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It¡¯s quite simple.¡±


    The elder walked over to the field, examined the Formation, and indeed saw a faint yellow light glowing. He felt as if he were still in a dream.


    The water vapor in the field was accumulating again.


    The Spirit Rice no longer looked wilted, and their color turned a shade greener.


    The old man couldn¡¯t help but smile. As he was smiling, he seemed to think that with a harvest secured, neither he nor his grandson would starve to death. Then he squatted by the field and began wiping his tears.


    Mo Hua felt an inexplicable heartache.


    Some cultivators in this world live such humble lives.


    Merely being able to survive had already driven them to tears of joy¡­


    ¡°Thank you, young brother¡­¡±


    The old man said earnestly, filled with gratitude. Having dealt with the fields all his life, he was at a loss for words and could only utter a ¡°thank you¡±.


    Mo Hua asked:


    ¡°Your Formation broke, haven¡¯t you asked someone to fix it?¡±


    The old man replied helplessly, ¡°We asked, ten Spirit Stones to fix it once, but once fixed it breaks again, and when it breaks we repair it¡­¡±


    ¡°For the sake of repairing this Formation, I¡¯ve poured in all the remaining Spirit Stones in my home, and now I¡¯m in debt to the Sun Family for dozens of Spirit Stones¡­ If we continue repairing, even if we give this year¡¯s entire harvest to the Sun Family, I still won¡¯t be able to pay off the debt.¡±


    ¡°The Sun Family?¡±


    The old man pointed towards Thousand Families Town, ¡°The wealthiest Sun Family in town.¡±


    ¡°This Formation is their ancestral skill. The Sun Family says only they can draw it and only they can fix it. So, whatever amount of Spirit Stones they ask for, that¡¯s what we have to give.¡±


    Mo Hua asked with confusion, ¡°Haven¡¯t you asked another Formation Master for help?¡±


    The old man¡¯s face grew troubled. ¡°In Thousand Families Town, there are no other Formation Masters¡­¡±


    ¡°Occasionally, if a Formation Master passes through, they also wouldn¡¯t help us to stay in the Sun Family¡¯s good graces.¡±


    ¡°The Sun Family is like a local bully; those people don¡¯t dare to offend them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s feelings were complex.


    He looked again at the Formation in the Spirit Field and noticed that there had indeed been attempts to repair it, but it was done with the cheapest ink, costing next to nothing, and the craftsmanship was extremely crude, showing only the most basic level of expertise.


    It was likely the work of an apprentice or an unskilled Formation Master.


    Or perhaps, the Sun Family had intentionally done a shoddy job.


    Fixing it well meant it would be less likely to break again, which would mean they couldn¡¯t exploit Spirit Stones from repairs as easily.


    Ten Spirit Stones to fix it, just once¡­


    Over time, it¡¯s clearly not something an ordinary Loose Cultivator could afford to do.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°What if you can¡¯t repay the Sun Family¡¯s debt?¡±


    The old man sighed, ¡°Then we sell our sons and daughters to them. The boys become servants, the girls become maids.¡±


    ¡°Once they enter the Sun Family as slaves, they have to change their names, and they can no longer recognize their own parents. They can only work for them like cattle and horses¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew sharp.


    He finally understood where the numerous servants and maids serving the Sun Family had come from¡­


    As the old man spoke, he suddenly came to his senses and apologized:


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken up half the day with my complaints¡­¡±


    Then, as if recalling something, he showed a look of shame, ¡°For the spiritual stones to repair the Formation, I¡­¡±


    He wanted to offer them, but his home was so poor that he couldn¡¯t even produce a single Spirit Stone.


    Mo Hua waved his hand dismissively, ¡°It was nothing; don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    The old man still felt uneasy and said:


    ¡°Young gentleman, if you don¡¯t mind, please come to my home for a simple meal.¡±


    The look of guilt in the old man¡¯s expression was strong.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then agreed. He also had some questions he wished to ask.


    Along the way, the two of them chatted idle.


    Mo Hua learned that the old man¡¯s surname was Ding, and his family of four lived near Thousand Lamps Town in East Mountain Village, and was a lineage of Spirit Farmers.


    They could till Spirit Fields, but the income was meager, not enough to support a family.


    So his son and daughter-in-law had gone out to make a living, only returning about once every year or two.


    His grandson and he stayed home, subsisting on a few thin acres of land, enough to have a meal to eat.


    Old Ding brought Mo Hua home.


    As expected, Mo Hua saw that the home was indeed bare, very humble.


    Old Ding awkwardly said, ¡°This¡­ my home really¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, not minding it at all.


    Being a Loose Cultivator himself, he knew what poverty was like.


    Old Ding went to start a fire to cook.


    After a while, a bowl of porridge, a dish of salty vegetables, and one free-range chicken were placed on the table.


    The chicken was freshly killed.


    When Mo Hua entered the house, he had seen it clucking in the courtyard.


    Though this chicken was also raised by a cultivator and considered a Spirit Beast, it hardly contained any Spiritual Energy and wasn¡¯t worth much, which was why some Loose Cultivators would keep a few, just feeding them grass.


    But this was the only chicken Old Ding had.


    The pickled vegetables tasted bitter and salty.


    In the porridge bowl there were a few grains of rice, but this was only in Mo Hua¡¯s bowl.


    In Old Ding¡¯s and his grandson¡¯s bowls, the porridge was watery, without a single grain.


    People who tilled the land, yet had no rice to eat.


    Mo Hua fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°Loose Cultivators in Tongxian City have a hard life, but the vast majority of Loose Cultivators in the Cultivation World probably have it even worse than in Tongxian City.¡±


    This was something Elder Yu had said to him, but it was the first time Mo Hua truly felt its weight.


    He thought of the banquet the Sun Family had that morning, covering an entire table, as well as the remaining rice and meat that was disposed of without a second thought¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Without toiling the fields, they dressed in finery and ate sumptuously, while the hardworking peasants couldn¡¯t even fill their stomachs.

 Chapter 385 - 382 Formation_1

    Chapter 385: Chapter 382 Formation_1


    Old Ding¡¯s youngest grandson lay sprawled out on the table, sipping the clear porridge that was devoid of a single grain of rice, forcing himself not to look at the chicken on the table. Yet occasionally, he couldn¡¯t help but sneak a peek.


    The little grandson, around five or six years old, was named Ding Miao.


    His name was likely chosen in the hopes that he would grow up just as smoothly and healthily as the seedlings in the fields.


    The growth of the seedlings signified a year of abundant harvest.


    The growth of a child signified a life of peace and smooth sailing.


    Mo Hua finished the porridge in his bowl, ate a piece of chicken, then pushed the entire plate of meat towards Miao.


    ¡°I¡¯m full, let Miao have it.¡±


    Old Ding hurriedly said, ¡°How could we possibly accept this?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you some questions, and you answer them for me. That will serve as payment for the Formation Painting.¡±


    Old Ding said, ¡°Young master, ask whatever you need to, I¡¯ll speak without holding back. It¡¯s part of my duty, but this¡­¡±


    However, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t allow him to refuse. ¡°It¡¯s settled then.¡±


    But Ding Miao shook his head, his childish voice speaking up:


    ¡°Big brother, eat.¡±


    Mo Hua patted his head, speaking gently, ¡°You eat it.¡±


    Ding Miao intended to refuse.


    His grandfather had taught him to always treat guests well.


    But he was truly hungry, and it had been so long since he knew the taste of meat.


    He couldn¡¯t resist and took a bite of the chicken.


    Then, lost in the savory aroma of the chicken, he began to eat one piece after another¡­


    Mo Hua patted his little head again.


    Ding Miao looked up, eating the meat, his eyes bright and shiny.


    Old Ding watched, his heart aching.


    This was his own grandson, who often didn¡¯t even have enough rice to feel full, let alone meat¡­


    On one side, Ding Miao was wholeheartedly devouring a plate of chicken.


    Mo Hua then asked Old Ding:


    ¡°Old Ding, were all the Formations in this field painted by the Sun Family?¡±


    Old Ding nodded, ¡°It¡¯s been modified and improved across hundreds of years since the Sun Family ancestors started with it.¡±


    ¡°The ancestors of the Sun Family?¡±


    With some emotion, Old Ding began to recount:


    ¡°The Old Ancestor of the Sun Family, in particular, was a famously great Formation Master and a first-rate kind man.¡±


    ¡°He was originally a cultivator from elsewhere who ended up here by chance. Seeing the cultivators in Thousand Families Town struggle, he showed kindness by painting Formations in the Spirit Fields.¡±


    ¡°These Formations enriched the soil and water, ensuring a bountiful harvest of Spirit Rice, and kept us from worrying about food and clothes.¡±


    ¡°The cultivators of Thousand Families Town were extremely grateful and tried fervently to retain him, even building a mansion for him¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That¡¯s the very mansion belonging to the Sun Family now, though they¡¯ve renovated it several times at great expense, and it no longer retains its original appearance.¡±


    ¡°What happened afterward?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Later on¡­¡± Old Ding sighed, ¡°the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family died for unknown reasons. There are rumors that he died from overstudying Formation Patterns, which shattered his Sea of Consciousness, but this is just hearsay; the internal affairs are unclear to me¡­¡±


    ¡°After the death of the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family, we remembered the kindness of the Sun Family and remained grateful to them. Every harvest, we would send some Spirit Paddy their way.¡±


    ¡°Gradually, the descendants of the Sun Family came to take this for granted. They felt we owed the Sun Family and ought to offer up ¡®tribute¡¯ to them.¡±


    ¡°In years of poor harvest, when we gave less, the Sun Family would curse us, calling us ungrateful wretches.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s worse is that they later harbored ill intentions, demanding not just the crop yield but also the village¡¯s young women to serve as maids for them¡­ How could we possibly agree to that?¡±


    ¡°Thus, a kindly gesture turned into enmity¡­¡±


    ¡°As time went on, our conflicts with the Sun Family deepened. The Sun Family, relying on these Formations, started making exorbitant demands, and we ended up having to give them most of our annual harvest.¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t refuse. The land here is adjacent to the mountains and infertile; without the Formations, the Spirit Rice in the fields would soon wither away¡­¡±


    Old Ding heaved a deep sigh.


    Mo Hua listened, also feeling some emotion, and then asked:


    ¡°What about the Formations in the fields then? Are they the same as the ones painted by the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family, unchanged?¡±


    Old Ding scratched his head, trying to remember. He said:


    ¡°It seems not¡­¡±


    ¡°According to the elders among the cultivators in the village, the Formations painted by the Old Ancestor had no trace and needed no repairs, lasting for many years.¡±


    ¡°Most of the Formations now were painted by the Sun Family¡¯s descendants, often break, and need frequent repairs.¡±


    But he was unclear on the specifics.


    The matters of the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family were somewhat ancient, and what he knew was hearsay, and as for the workings of the Formations, he was completely ignorant and couldn¡¯t provide an explanation.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    This was strange.


    If they were indeed Formations, how could there be no trace?


    The descendants of the Sun Family should know the Formations their ancestor painted, so why repaint them?


    Was it simply to extort and exploit the cultivators who farmed the land?


    Did the Sun Family know what the Formations their ancestor painted were like?


    Unable to figure it out, Mo Hua thought of another question:


    ¡°The Sun Family wants you to sell your sons and use your daughters as servants, but they didn¡¯t ask you to sell them the land?¡±


    Normally, Spirit Fields are the most valuable.


    The Sun Family not seizing this large opportunity must have had a reason.


    ¡°The Sun Family has a family precept¡­¡±


    ¡°A family precept?¡±


    Old Ding nodded and said, ¡°The Old Ancestor of the Sun Family stipulated a rule long ago: No member of the Sun Family shall ever seize an inch of land from Thousand Families Town, or they would be stripped of their surname, their name removed from the family records, and cast out of the family!¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised and exclaimed, ¡°That Old Ancestor of the Sun Family truly was a broad-minded and good Formation Master, a pity that¡­¡±


    A pity the descendants were unworthy.


    On the other side, Ding Miao had finally finished eating the chicken. He looked at Mo Hua, his face flushed with embarrassment.


    The chicken was originally for Old Ding to entertain Mo Hua with, but he had eaten it all.


    Mo Hua then smiled and said:


    ¡°I¡¯d like to take a look at the fields, could you take me there?¡±


    The now full Ding Miao nodded vigorously, ¡°Mhm!¡±


    Afterward, Old Ding and Miao led Mo Hua to tour the Spirit Fields.


    Mo Hua asked some questions, and Old Ding answered them all.


    But Mo Hua still couldn¡¯t find a clue about the Ultimate Formation.


    Looking around, there were only Cultivating Soil Formations with six Formation Patterns in the Spirit Field.


    As dusk approached, Mo Hua made his goodbyes and returned to the Sun Family.


    After greeting Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua went back to his room to exchange information with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zisheng said,


    ¡°The Family Head of the Sun Family, Sun Yi, is an idiot!¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Bai Zisheng looked around and whispered,


    ¡°He¡¯s been studying Formations for seventy or eighty years, he¡¯s even reached Foundation Establishment, but his Formation skills haven¡¯t reached First Grade, and his Divine Sense hasn¡¯t reached ten Patterns¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°Is he blockheaded?¡±


    Bai Zixi glanced silently at Mo Hua and said indifferently,


    ¡°Not everyone learns Formations that fast.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned and whispered, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that slow¡­ What does he do all day?¡±


    Bai Zisheng curled his lip, ¡°Eating, drinking tea, watching women dance, and he even invited me and Zixi to watch¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he study Formations?¡±


    ¡°He does,¡± said Bai Zisheng. ¡°He practices one Formation Painting every day¡­¡±


    Mo Hua fell silent.


    No wonder¡­


    Practicing just one Formation Painting a day is less than a fraction of a fraction of what¡¯s needed¡­


    In what year of the monkey or month of the horse would he become a First Grade Formation Master?


    It seemed not a lack of aptitude, but an indulgence in ease and lazy temperament.


    ¡°What about the Formation skills of the other people in the Sun Family?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was even more disdainful, ¡°A bunch of cowards and incompetents.¡±


    ¡°With the Family Head like this, don¡¯t even think about the others; his son, Sun Ze, can only draw four Formation Patterns to this day¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    The ancestors of the Sun Family once had a true Second Grade Great Formation Master who could bring immense benefits to the Cultivators in the area.


    Moreover, this Second Grade Formation Master likely even comprehended an Ultimate Formation.


    Yet his descendants were bossing others around, indulging in pleasures.


    Even after reaching Foundation Establishment, they hadn¡¯t become First Grade Formation Masters.


    ¡°What about you, did you find anything out?¡± Bai Zisheng asked Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua reported what he had learned, including the matters of the Sun Family ancestors, the monopoly on Formation for profit, and the Spirit Farmers without rice to cook and so on.


    Listened and Bai Zisheng grew a bit angry, ¡°I didn¡¯t think he was not only an idiot but also a scoundrel.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the Taoist Court officials care about such things within the Sun Family?¡±


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t understand and looked toward Bai Zixi.


    After thinking for a moment, Bai Zixi said softly,


    ¡°Usually, they wouldn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court is established in the Immortal City and governs the territory of the Immortal City. The areas beyond the city are governed by the local Clans, Sects, or local Elders. They just have to pay some Spirit Stone taxes every year.¡±


    ¡°For small places like this, the Taoist Court has the right to intervene, but its reach is limited, and generally, they won¡¯t bother unless there¡¯s a serious issue.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The layers of the Taoist Court are strictly hierarchical, but there are many fragmented places below, where interests are intricately interwoven, and governance is relatively loose.


    As long as it doesn¡¯t affect the stability of the Taoist Court, many things are overlooked by those above.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but turn to Bai Zixi and praised,


    ¡°Senior Sister, you know so much.¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded slightly, her expression calm, but her long eyelashes fluttered, revealing a hint of pride amidst her prettiness.


    ¡°So, you still haven¡¯t found any clues about the Ultimate Formation?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    Mo Hua shook his head regretfully.


    ¡°What do you plan to do next?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some free time to go check out East Mountain Village and the Spirit Paddy again. I¡¯ve done the Calculations, and there should be some clues in the Spirit Paddy.¡±


    Even though the hundred-acre Spirit Paddy might not have it now, it was likely that the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family once painted an Ultimate Formation there.


    It was the ¡°traceless and markless¡± Formation that Old Ding mentioned¡­


    In the following days, when Mo Hua found the time, he would still visit East Mountain Village.


    The people from the Sun Family reported his movements to Sun Ze.


    Sun Ze then reported them to his father, the Family Head of the Sun Family, Sun Yi.


    ¡°Dad, what exactly does this brat want to do?¡± Sun Ze said unhappily.


    Sun Yi frowned, saying nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent people to ask around. A few days ago, the kid went into the Spirit Field, fixed a Cultivating Soil Formation, had a meal at an old man¡¯s house, and then wandered around the Spirit Field a few more times.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been going there almost every day these past few days.¡±


    A flash of brilliance crossed Sun Yi¡¯s eyes, ¡°You said he fixed a Cultivating Soil Formation?¡±


    Sun Ze nodded.


    Sun Yi found it hard to believe, ¡°This little brat is actually able to fix a Cultivating Soil Formation with six Patterns?¡±


    He then looked at his son with a mixture of frustration and disappointment, saying,


    ¡°If you spent a fraction of your attention on important matters, you could go beyond just being able to draw four Patterns, and not bring shame to our Sun Family!¡±


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re not much better yourself, not even a First Grade Formation Master after reaching Foundation Establishment¡­¡±


    Sun Ze muttered inwardly, but didn¡¯t dare to speak out or argue back. He then said,


    ¡°Dad, what exactly does this unassuming brat want to do?¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s expression became more solemn, and then a glint of shrewdness burst in his eyes,


    ¡°Formations¡­ He couldn¡¯t be targeting the Sun Family¡¯s Formation heritage, could he¡­¡±


    Sun Ze was also taken aback, and then he frowned, a bit disheartened, saying,


    ¡°But, dad¡­ What heritage does our family have to pass on?¡±


    Aren¡¯t they all just common goods?


    Deceiving those who don¡¯t understand Formations and only know how to farm.


    To say that the Formations in the fields must be repaired by our Sun Family.


    But anyone with clear eyes knows that they are just ordinary Cultivating Soil Formations.


    ¡°Dad, you can fool others, but don¡¯t delude yourself¡­¡± said Sun Ze.


    Sun Yi rebuked, ¡°What do you know? Our Sun Family has a secret heritage that isn¡¯t passed to outsiders!¡±

 Chapter 386 - 383: Provocation_1

    Chapter 386: Chapter 383: Provocation_1


    Sun Ze exclaimed in shock, ¡°Our Sun Family actually has such a legacy?¡±


    Sun Yi glared at him, ¡°Otherwise, what do you think our Sun Family¡¯s fortune comes from?¡±


    ¡°Our ancestor was a distinguished Second Rank Formation Master, how could he only pass down such little?¡±


    Sun Ze frowned, ¡°But where is this legacy?¡±


    From childhood to adulthood, he had neither seen nor heard of such a top-secret Formation within the Sun Family.


    Sun Yi¡¯s eyelids twitched as he sighed,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­¡±


    ¡°Our ancestor passed away mysteriously, without having the opportunity to make arrangements. Some of the Formation inheritances are also scattered and fragmentary.¡±


    ¡°Now, the foundation of our Sun Family is pieced together bit by bit from the scraps left in the old ancestor¡¯s manuscripts by your great-grandfather and grandfather.¡±


    ¡°There are a few Second-Grade Formations, but we can¡¯t learn them. Even among the First-grade Formations, they are all common Formations and nothing special¡­¡±


    Sun Ze couldn¡¯t help but sneer,


    ¡°Are we descendants really born from the old ancestor?¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s face turned cold as he rebuked,


    ¡°If you utter such disrespectful words again, go kneel in the ancestral hall for three days!¡±


    Sun Ze mumbled a few words, but dared not say it out loud again.


    Sun Yi¡¯s gaze became sharp.


    This thought, he had indeed doubted himself as well.


    The old ancestor¡¯s death came suddenly.


    But even then, he should have made some early preparations, organized some Formation inheritances to leave behind for his descendants.


    It shouldn¡¯t be like now, where they can only pick up scraps from the legacy left by their ancestors.


    Although they live comfortably by relying on these Formations and exploiting the Spirit Farmers,


    the way of Formation is vast and profound.


    Who wouldn¡¯t want to advance further?


    Let alone becoming a Second Rank Formation Master, even just getting an assessment to become a First-grade Formation Master, his current status would¡¯ve been drastically different.


    In the nearby Shangtai City, a First-grade Formation Master, even if only at the Qi Refinement stage, holds a status not much different from his as a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    The old ancestor didn¡¯t leave any Formation inheritance for their descendants.


    Could it really be because the descendants of the Sun Family do not actually bear the surname ¡°Sun,¡± and the blood flowing in them is not that of the old ancestor¡¯s lineage?


    But these speculations, Sun Yi only dared to ponder secretly.


    The Sun Family standing in Thousand Families Town and invocating authority is firstly relying on the Formations, and secondly on the grace from the Sun family ancestors.


    The grace of the ancestors gives them legitimate righteousness, which even resentful Loose Cultivators have to endure.


    If not for this, should real trouble arise, drawing public fury, their Sun Family might not expect any good outcome. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sun Ze thought for a moment, then said,


    ¡°If that kid really has his sights on our Sun Family¡¯s Formation that is not passed on outside, not even inside, not even passed on to anyone, what should we do?¡±


    Sun Yi sneered,


    ¡°Such a legacy, is it something a little brat can covet?¡±


    ¡°The utmost secret inheritance of a Second Rank Formation Master, even if placed in front of him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to comprehend.¡±


    ¡°Simply overestimating his own ability!¡±


    Sun Yi said disdainfully.


    He is a Formation Master; although not yet First-grade, he has deeply experienced the difficulty of learning Formations and the hardship of studying them.


    If he, a Foundation Building Cultivator, finds it so difficult to comprehend Formations, let alone that milk-fed little brat who is only at the Qi Refining Seventh Level.


    Sun Ze, who could only draw four Formation Patterns up until now, nodded his head in agreement.


    Indeed, it is difficult to learn Formation.


    Then he said, ¡°The kid might not understand, but what about his master?¡±


    Sun Yi was taken aback, thinking of the handsome and noble Mr. Zhuang. He furrowed his brows,


    ¡°His master¡­¡±


    He simply couldn¡¯t see through him.


    Whether that man had Blood Qi, any Cultivation, or even Divine Sense, he knew nothing.


    If it was all just an act of mystique, then he was nothing more than a swindler without much Cultivation.


    If he was one who had returned to simplicity by following the Great Dao, then he was an unfathomable master.


    Sun Yi was puzzled and asked,


    ¡°These past few days, following those siblings, what have you discovered?¡±


    Sun Ze said helplessly, ¡°Those two are exceptionally talented and knowledgeable with outstanding appearances, and both are very astute. No matter how indirectly I probe, I can¡¯t figure out their identities¡­¡±


    ¡°However, if they were truly Noble Family Descendants, in a Second-Grade Prefecture Border, there must be Foundation Building cultivators accompanying them.¡±


    ¡°If there are no Foundation Building cultivators with them, it means they are not Noble Family Descendants, and even if they are, they can only be destitute Noble Family Descendants¡­¡±


    ¡°A fallen phoenix is not a threat,¡± he continued.


    Sun Ze then asked, ¡°Father, have you figured out who among them is at Foundation Establishment? And whose was the Divine Sense you sensed that day?¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s brows knitted even tighter.


    These past few days, despite careful observation, he still hadn¡¯t found the source of that Divine Sense.


    The Cultivator with the surname Zhuang had never used Divine Sense.


    The old servant named Old Kui seemed as insensible as wood.


    Those two Noble Family Descendants, full of Blood Qi and Spiritual Power, already at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, had strong Divine Sense, but not strong enough to rival Foundation Building.


    As for that kid who ran to the Spirit Field every day, he was so young that Sun Yi didn¡¯t even bother to give him a second glance¡­


    ¡°Could it be that I was mistaken?¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps, this Divine Sense came from another Cultivator, unrelated to this group?¡±


    Sun Yi was racking his brains.


    Sun Ze glanced at his father indifferently, criticizing him internally, but dared not voice anything. He then changed the subject with a slightly stirred gaze,


    ¡°So, what should we do next?¡±


    Sun Yi frowned, pondered for a long while, and then said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see, clarify the full picture before making a move¡­¡±


    ¡°If they really have substantial backing, we still should treat them courteously.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s just mere pretense, without even a Foundation Building among them, then let¡¯s show them that our Sun Family¡¯s meal is not so easy to feast on.¡±


    Sun Yi spoke more quietly,


    ¡°After all, we¡¯re far from Shangtai City and unless anything major happens, the Taoist Court won¡¯t interfere.¡±


    ¡°By then I¡¯ll be the knife and they will be the fish on the cutting board.¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s eyes flashed with a chilling glint.


    ¡°And that kid?¡± Sun Ze asked again, ¡°He runs to the Spirit Fields for no reason and keeps Drawing Formations for those rustic peasants, causing a lot of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Daring to cut off the Sun Family¡¯s fortune¡­¡±


    Sun Yi sneered coldly, ¡°Keep an eye on him, see if he understands how things work. If he¡¯s sensible, we won¡¯t make it hard for him, but if he¡¯s not¡­¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s gaze turned frosty, ¡°Then teach him to be sensible.¡±


    ¡°What about his master?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Sun Yi said indifferently, ¡°If he meddles in the affairs of our Sun Family, we are the ones in the right.¡±


    ¡°We can also take this opportunity to probe their depths.¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s expression was meaningful.


    Sun Ze let out a sinister smile, ¡°Father, I understand.¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua still went to the Spirit Fields whenever he had the chance.


    His feelings were becoming clearer and clearer.


    The Ultimate Formation was hidden within the Spirit Fields.


    But where exactly, he still had no clue.


    Even with Divine Sense Calculation, he couldn¡¯t pinpoint its exact location.


    Mo Hua sighed in his heart:


    ¡°It seems I still need to practice the Calculation Method more; if only I could calculate the location of the Formation just by thinking about it like Master, it wouldn¡¯t be this troublesome.¡±


    Ding Miao followed Mo Hua around like a little shadow.


    Mo Hua went down to the fields, he followed; Mo Hua observed the Spirit Rice, he widened his eyes and watched too; Mo Hua began Drawing Formation Patterns, he grabbed clumps of grass and tried to imitate by drawing on the ground.


    Of course, he was doodling ineffectively, unable to comprehend, often moving from trying to Draw Formations to drawing buffaloes and chickens.


    Mo Hua asked him some questions.


    He would answer with his immature voice.


    He didn¡¯t understand complicated matters, nor was he aware of past events, but he was clear on some things he had witnessed in the fields.


    Mo Hua would also offer him pastries to eat.


    Ding Miao would symbolically refuse a few times but ultimately couldn¡¯t resist, crisply saying, ¡°Thank you, brother!¡±


    Then he politely accepted the pastry, clenched it in both hands, put it in his mouth, and ate slowly, his eyes beaming with delight.


    On this day, Mo Hua visited the Spirit Fields again, and just as usual, Ding Miao followed, hopping and skipping behind him.


    But what was different from usual was that many people were standing at the crossroads, seemingly waiting for him.


    These people were all Spirit Farmers from East Mountain Village.


    They were somewhat restrained, but still bowed to Mo Hua in unison.


    Then a burly man clasped his hands and said:


    ¡°Could I ask the young gentleman¡­ to Draw some Formations for us?¡±


    After speaking, the Spirit Farmers put the baskets and Storage Bags they had brought in front of Mo Hua.


    Some contained a few Spirit Stones, some offered bags of Spirit Paddy, some brought a chicken, while others had items like Jade Pendants¡­


    The burly man said, somewhat ashamed:


    ¡°The gifts are humble, I hope the young gentleman¡­ won¡¯t look down on them.¡±


    After saying that, the crowd bowed to Mo Hua again in unison.


    In this group of Cultivators, there were old and young, men and women.


    Some were in the twilight of their years, their hair white; some were in the prime of life, tall and strong; but without exception, all of them were bowing their heads to Mo Hua, pleading earnestly.


    And Mo Hua was just a thirteen-year-old little Cultivator.


    Life¡¯s pressures forced them to bow their heads to a much younger Cultivator.


    Or perhaps, they had to bow their heads to life itself.


    Mo Hua sighed silently in his heart and then nodded:


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll Draw them for you.¡±


    The burly man raised his head, seemingly not expecting Mo Hua to agree so quickly. His eyes first showed shock and then immense gratitude as he solemnly clasped his fists and said:


    ¡°Thank you, young gentleman!¡±


    The rest of the crowd also appeared overjoyed and thanked him in unison:


    ¡°Thank you, young gentleman!¡±


    ¡­


    Among them, some had offended the Sun Family and had the Formations in their Spirit Fields destroyed, yielding very little harvest of Spirit Rice;


    Some were too stubborn and would rather starve than ask for help from the Sun Family;


    The majority, like Old Ding, had repaired their Formations again and again, accruing debts to the Sun Family they could not repay¡­


    But without the Sun Family Drawing Formations, no one else would do it for them.


    Among the Spirit Farmers, there was simply no one who could draw Formations.


    Even if they wanted to learn, there was nowhere to go to learn.


    The burly man respectfully led the way in front.


    Following him, Mo Hua went to each family¡¯s Spirit Field, Drawing one Formation after another.


    These Formations that left them utterly helpless were but child¡¯s play for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s small hand held the brush, almost effortlessly, with just a few strokes, he outlined the Formations with ease.


    A crowd of Spirit Farmers watched in amazement.


    This was the first time they had seen someone draw Formations like this.


    Moreover, the one Drawing the Formations was a boy in his early teens.


    Ding Miao also gazed at Mo Hua¡¯s figure, her large eyes filled with admiration.


    Mo Hua was focused on Drawing the Formation Patterns, and the previously incomplete Formations in the Spirit Fields were gradually made whole by him.


    As he was Drawing, a commotion arose in the distance.


    Mo Hua turned to look and saw a group of haughty Cultivators striding arrogantly his way.


    As they walked, they shoved aside the Spirit Farmers in their path, carelessly destroyed the ridges, and ruined the Formation Patterns Mo Hua had just finished drawing, one after another.


    The leader of the Cultivators, dressed in brocaded clothes, with a flippant look on his face, was none other than Sun Ze.


    He approached Mo Hua and sneered:


    ¡°You little brat, you don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you.¡±


    Mo Hua slowly stood up, his clear eyes shimmering with a hint of sharpness:


    ¡°The one who doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for him is you.¡±

 Chapter 387 - 384 Suppression_1

    Chapter 387: Chapter 384 Suppression_1


    Sun Ze chuckled dismissively, ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve got quite the tough talk. I¡¯d advise you not to meddle in matters that don¡¯t concern you.¡±


    Mo Hua replied calmly,


    ¡°By Drawing Formation for these Loose Cultivators, am I interfering with the Sun Family¡¯s affairs?¡±


    Sun Ze sneered, looking up and proclaiming loudly,


    ¡°This Thousand Lamps Town belongs to my Sun Family. Without my family¡¯s permission, no one is allowed to Draw Formations for these Loose Cultivators!¡±


    His words seemed to be directed both at Mo Hua and at the Spirit Farmers of the surrounding Thousand Families Town.


    Sun Ze then glanced coldly at Mo Hua:


    ¡°Our Sun Family has treated you kindly, yet you show no appreciation, and instead, you overstep your bounds.¡±


    ¡°Drawing a single Formation for these people would be fine. We could turn a blind eye, pretend we do not see.¡±


    ¡°But I never expected you to overstep even further, meddling in our affairs.¡±


    ¡°A single Formation costs ten Spirit Stones. By Drawing so many Formations for them, our Sun Family has lost hundreds of Spirit Stones. How should this account be settled?¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at the Formation Patterns on the field edges, ¡°To Draw a single Formation, the cost is less than one Spirit Stone. Your Sun Family actually charges ten?¡±


    ¡°What do you know? This is the work of a Formation Master!¡± Sun Ze said arrogantly.


    ¡°Do you know the status of a Formation Master? These people could not afford one in their wildest dreams!¡±


    ¡°Our Sun Family is willing to Draw Formations for these Spirit Farmers, and it is an honor for them. Charging only ten Spirit Stones, they should be grateful! What else could they possibly be dissatisfied with?¡±


    Mo Hua looked calmly at Sun Ze, and there was an underlying sense of superiority:


    ¡°Someone like you deems himself worthy of the title Formation Master?¡±


    Sun Ze paused, taken aback, then his expression turned sinister, his eyes filled with menace.


    Mo Hua¡¯s words had hit a sore spot.


    He could only Draw four Formation Patterns, and strictly speaking, he was not even a Formation Master.


    Although he was too lazy to learn and Draw Formations and was poor at it, he would not tolerate others ridiculing him for not being a Formation Master.


    Especially when the one mocking him was a mere teenage Cultivator.


    Sun Ze¡¯s expression shifted, and after a moment of resolve, he smirked maliciously,


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve got some nerve. But you¡¯re young, inexperienced, and unaware of how treacherous the Cultivation World can be, how unpredictable the human heart is.¡±


    ¡°Today I¡¯m feeling particularly charitable, so I¡¯ll teach you a lesson on being sensible, as well as on how to conduct yourself!¡±


    Sun Ze¡¯s gaze turned icy as he signaled to several Cultivators at his side.


    Several tall and burly Cultivators of the Sun Family started to advance toward Mo Hua.


    Halfway there, however, they were stopped by a burly man.


    The burly man said, ¡°Sun Ze, if you have an issue, take it up with us, don¡¯t hassle the young Gentleman.¡±


    After saying this, he covertly signaled to Mo Hua, urging him to leave.


    But Mo Hua paid no heed.


    Sun Ze disdainfully said, ¡°Ding Da Chuan, don¡¯t stick your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong.¡±


    Ding Da Chuan replied, ¡°Sun Ze, don¡¯t think we¡¯re easy targets.¡±


    The other Spirit Farmers also gathered around, intending to block the Sun Family Cultivators.


    Sun Ze raised an eyebrow, ¡°Thinking of rebelling?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push us too far, Sun Family!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, picking on us is one thing, but the young Gentleman kindly helped us Draw Formations and you Sun Family even refuse that.¡±


    ¡°By acting this way, you¡¯re courting retribution.¡±


    ¡­


    The Spirit Farmers were abuzz with discussion.


    Sun Ze clicked his tongue in annoyance and cursed,


    ¡°A bunch of worthless bones that won¡¯t fall in line without a beating!¡±


    The tall, strong Cultivators of the Sun Family went straight to using force.


    Since Spirit Farmers only tended to the land and were not skilled in Taoist Skills, and given that most were elderly, they stood no chance against the Sun Family¡¯s Cultivators.


    Only Ding Da Chuan could hold them off for a while, but he too was soon beaten to the ground.


    Ding Da Chuan felt a bitter helplessness and urgently shouted,


    ¡°Young Gentleman, run!¡±


    It was a great favor already that Mo Hua was willing to Draw Formations for them, and naturally, they did not want their own conflict with the Sun Family to drag Mo Hua into trouble.


    However, Mo Hua stood still, his expression calm, merely watching Sun Ze thoughtfully.


    A few Cultivators from the Sun Family broke through the crowd and approached Mo Hua, closing to within a few yards.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened. Just as he was about to raise his hand, he suddenly paused. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He noticed that Ding Miao, who was supposed to be behind him, had positioned himself in front of him, spreading his small arms as if to protect him.


    Whether it was because Mo Hua had Drawn a Formation for his grandfather, had given him chicken to eat, or had provided him with pastries,


    Despite shaking with fear, Ding Miao still tensed his little face and stood in front of Mo Hua.


    ¡°What a good child¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought to himself with a slight smile.


    The leading burly man from the Sun Family, seeing the trembling yet defiant Ding Miao, sneered and reached out to grab him.


    But in the blink of an eye, he grabbed at air.


    Mo Hua had already pulled Miao back, gliding several steps away.


    The Sun Family¡¯s large man was taken aback.


    Mo Hua set Miao down, patted his head, and then looked over at the arrogantly strutting Cultivators of the Sun Family with a mild tone but eyes gleaming coldly,


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve taken action. My skills may be a little rusty, and I may not control my force very well. Please forgive me if I go too far.¡±


    Sun Ze laughed lightly and said,


    ¡°You little devil, spouting nonsense even as death approaches?¡±


    The burly man of the Sun Family also sneered and then forcefully stepped on the ground, borrowing the momentum to charge towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze remained calm as he gently raised his hand.


    In an instant, a deep red fireball condensed, even emitting a faint sound of scorching.


    With a slight movement of Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense, the fireball howled as it flew out, its speed extremely fast, tracing a dim line of fire in the air before forcefully striking the burly man¡¯s chest.


    Flames exploded, shredding the burly man¡¯s clothes and charring his flesh.


    The momentum of the burly man came to an abrupt halt.


    It was as if he had encountered a tremendous blow of spiritual power mid-charge, leaving him feeling a burning tightness in his chest.


    Amid the spreading glow of the fire, the burly man¡¯s eyes rolled back, and like a deflated ball, he slowly fell down.


    Suddenly, there was a dead silence all around.


    Sun Ze couldn¡¯t help but be utterly shaken.


    What the hell is this? Fireball Technique?!


    Several cultivators from the Sun Family sweated coldly on their backs, each turning their heads to glance at Sun Ze, asking with their eyes what to do next.


    In a moment of desperate ingenuity, Sun Ze quickly said,


    ¡°Fireball Technique! He is a Spiritual Cultivator!¡±


    ¡°Charge together and subdue him at close range, don¡¯t give him a chance to cast spells!¡±


    The cultivators of the Sun Family nodded and obeyed, splitting in five or six directions, from front and rear, simultaneously surrounding Mo Hua to kill him.


    Mo Hua still stood composedly, gently raising his hand, firing off Fireball Techniques one after another.


    The deep red fireballs, without exception, hit their mark.


    Each fireball inevitably struck a cultivator from the Sun Family and would surely cause serious injury.


    With divine sense at the Foundation Establishment level and the compressed, condensed Fireball Technique, even a Qi Refinement practitioner of the first rank was not to be underestimated.


    The fireballs howled; the flames exploded.


    Cultivators from the Sun Family dropped one after another.


    In the end, only two cultivators managed to reach Mo Hua.


    The two of them were overjoyed, but before they could make a move, the sight before their eyes blurred, and Mo Hua vanished.


    Looking again, Mo Hua was already five or six zhang away from them.


    What¡¯s this?


    A movement technique?


    The two of them stood there in a daze.


    But they didn¡¯t dare to keep charging forward.


    This distance of five or six zhang was enough for Mo Hua to cast five or six Fireball Techniques.


    Enough for them to fall five or six times over.


    They also didn¡¯t dare to flee, as that would leave their backs exposed to Mo Hua.


    So for a moment, the two of them were at a loss.


    Mo Hua, however, did not bother being polite with them, and with a little wave of his hand, whoosh, two Fireball Techniques took them down as well.


    Then Mo Hua felt it wasn¡¯t safe enough, and gave each person an additional shot for good measure.


    In the blink of an eye, only Sun Ze was left alone in the Spirit Field.


    Sun Ze stood pretty much by himself in the Spirit Field, surrounded by Sun Family cultivators lying scattered about.


    A sense of absurd fear bubbled up in his heart.


    What¡¯s going on?


    How could a mere seventh layer Qi Refinement cultivator take down so many of the Sun Family¡¯s cultivators?


    And what exactly is this Fireball Technique?


    So fast, so accurate, and so powerfully explosive?


    Is this really a spell a person can use?


    Sun Ze felt it was utterly ridiculous.


    All of a sudden, Sun Ze snapped back to reality, realizing that Mo Hua was watching him, his eyes sparkling and clear, with an indescribable meaning.


    He once thought this gaze was childish, but now, he found it terrifying.


    Sun Ze turned and ran, but after only a few steps, he twisted his body, lunging towards Ding Miao, who had witnessed the Fireball Technique and had her mouth agape with shock.


    He had figured it out; he couldn¡¯t escape.


    At this moment, he might as well fight with all he had left.


    It seemed this little brat had some relationship with Mo Hua; he could take her hostage to use as leverage, and it could also help him make an escape.


    But every move he made, every glance, every intention, was clearly perceptible within Mo Hua¡¯s divine sense.


    Before he could reach Miao, Mo Hua simply grabbed out with an empty hand from afar.


    Pale blue water-shaped spiritual power appeared out of nowhere, instantly solidified into chains, and tightly bound Sun Ze.


    Sun Ze was like a fish caught in a net, struggling desperately.


    When he finally broke free from the Water Prison Technique, a fireball flew at him from the corner of his eye and arrived in front of his face in an instant.


    Sun Ze had just enough time to cross his arms in front of his face before he heard a loud bang, felt dizzy and faint, and then he too collapsed, unconscious.


    Before passing out, his hazy thoughts lingered on,


    ¡°So this is what it feels like to be hit by a Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn, it hurts¡­¡±


    ¡­


    When Sun Ze opened his eyes again, he saw a pale, delicate face, yet one that caused him deep trepidation.


    Mo Hua held the Thousand Jun Stick in her hand, standing before his head, and spoke with a clear voice,


    ¡°I heard, you were going to teach me a lesson?¡±

 Chapter 388 - 385: Clue_1

    Chapter 388: Chapter 385: Clue_1


    Sun Ze tugged at the corner of his mouth, angrily said,


    ¡°You little devil, my Sun Family won¡¯t let this go¡­¡±


    Mo Hua showed no mercy, striking his head with a stick.


    Sun Ze only felt a buzzing in his forehead.


    ¡°Think carefully before you speak,¡± Mo Hua reminded him.


    Clenching his teeth and hardening his heart, Sun Ze thought a wise man does not eat loss at hand and begged for mercy,


    ¡°Young brother, I was wrong, I was foolish, I don¡¯t dare tell you what to do, please be magnanimous and let me go.¡±


    Mo Hua naturally didn¡¯t believe his words, but he didn¡¯t care and instead said,


    ¡°I will ask you a few questions, if you can answer them, I¡¯ll let you go. Otherwise, just have your father birth another son¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was just intimidating Sun Ze.


    Sun Ze, however, broke out in a cold sweat, his father didn¡¯t need to have another, as he already had two more sons.


    Being the legitimate eldest son, if he died, the second son would just take his place as the Family Head in due order.


    And since the second brother¡¯s Formation skills were better than his, his father would certainly be happy to see it happen and would just shed some crocodile tears at most.


    Sun Ze hurriedly said, ¡°Young master, please ask, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Sun Ze suspiciously, thinking how could this man¡¯s spine be so soft?


    He hadn¡¯t even hit him with the Thousand Jun Stick a few times before he became so compliant.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you, does your Sun Family possess ancestral Formations?¡±


    A jolt went through Sun Ze¡¯s heart, this little devil was indeed after the Sun Family¡¯s ancestral Formation secrets.


    Sun Ze quickly nodded and said, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    Sun Ze shook his head again, ¡°No!¡±


    Mo Hua hit him once more, ¡°Which is it, do you have it or not?¡±


    Sun Ze, enduring the pain, said,


    ¡°According to my father, the Sun Family does have this heritage, but also according to my father, the Sun Family has no clues to the Formation, and we can¡¯t find it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, puzzled, said, ¡°Didn¡¯t your old ancestor pass it on to you?¡±


    Sun Ze didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    Mo Hua then suddenly said, ¡°Oh, right, even if he passed it on to you, you wouldn¡¯t be worthy.¡±


    Monopolizing Formations, exploiting Spirit Farmers, and bullying others on the strength of their position.


    Moreover, with limited Formation skills, the Sun Family doesn¡¯t even have a first-class Formation Master. Even if they found the Ultimate Formation, they wouldn¡¯t be able to learn it; it would be just a waste of heaven¡¯s gifts.


    Sun Ze felt ashamed and annoyed in his heart, but he didn¡¯t dare to retort. His eyes shifted as he asked,


    ¡°Young master, what kind of Formation are you looking for?¡±


    Mo Hua stared at Sun Ze, seeing right through his thoughts, ¡°You think I would tell you if you tried to probe for clues? Do you think I would tell you?¡±


    Sun Ze laughed sheepishly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Yet in his heart, he cursed, this little devil was as cunning as a ghost¡­


    Before he could finish his curse, he received another blow to his head.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly as he said coldly,


    ¡°Are you cursing me in your head?¡±


    Sun Ze¡¯s head was in pain, his mouth twitched, and he hurriedly said,


    ¡°Not at all, I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±


    ¡°Then what else do you know about this Formation?¡± Mo Hua asked again, weighing the Thousand Jun Stick in his hand, threateningly saying,


    ¡°You¡¯d better be honest with your explanation. If I find out you¡¯re hiding anything, you¡¯ll suffer for it. If your answers satisfy me, I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    Mo Hua exercised both the carrot and the stick, giving Sun Ze a glimmer of hope.


    This interrogation method was something Mo Hua had already practiced several times.


    He had extracted from Diao Laosi the whereabouts of the Concealment Technique and from Qian Xing the scheming of the Patriarch of the Qian Family.


    When to strike, what to ask at what time, and when to give a glimmer of hope¡ªMo Hua was already quite adept at managing the rhythm of these elements.


    Sun Ze heard that Mo Hua was going to let him go, he didn¡¯t quite believe it, but he didn¡¯t dare disbelieve either.


    If he didn¡¯t believe it, who knows, Mo Hua might decide to send him to heaven with the Fireball Technique.


    He still had to become the Family Head of the Sun Family in the future, and he had many blessings to enjoy. He had no wish to hand over all that wealth and status to his second brother.


    So Sun Ze spilled everything he knew about the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family and the traditions passed down to the younger generations like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.


    Sun Ze didn¡¯t know much, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t hear many additional clues, but at least it confirmed his suspicions.


    Old Ancestor of the Sun Family had indeed hidden the Ultimate Formation in the Spirit Field.


    And he hadn¡¯t left the Formation with the Sun Family or passed it on to the descendants of the Sun Family.


    The specifics of where exactly the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family hid the Ultimate Formation, how it was hidden, and which Formation methods were used, however, remained unknown¡­


    Mo Hua flipped through some items and interrogated Sun Ze several times over.


    Sun Ze, dizzy and perplexed, struggled to answer.


    Though some details were missing here and there, for the most part, there was no contradiction, suggesting that he was likely telling the truth.


    Mo Hua decided not to make it harder for him.


    Sun Ze was the legitimate eldest son of the Sun Family.


    Although ignorant and oppressive towards Spirit Farmers, it was not good to kill him now.


    Otherwise, the Sun Family would certainly become desperate.


    The Family Head of the Sun Family was a Foundation Building Cultivator, and since they were currently on the Sun Family¡¯s territory, it was better not to utterly sever relations.


    ¡°You may go,¡±


    Mo Hua kicked Sun Ze away.


    Sun Ze forgot his shame and anger, instead asking in confusion, ¡°You¡¯re really letting me go?¡±


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to leave?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows raised, ¡°Or would you like to stay and take another beating?¡±


    Startled, Sun Ze hastily replied,


    ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go!¡±


    Without waiting for Mo Hua to say anything more, he scrambled up and limped away, running back the way he came.


    He didn¡¯t even glance at the other Sun Family cultivators. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This aspect was very much like the profligate young master of the Qian Family, Qian Xing.


    A friend in the dao would rather die than let a fellow daoist face poverty alone.


    Even if that ¡°fellow daoist¡± was a cultivator from their own family.


    As Sun Ze ran, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the waters in the Spirit Field.


    In the water, his disheveled reflection could be seen.


    One part of his face was blackened and another charred, with both arms completely burned, looking utterly pitiful.


    Sun Ze could hardly believe it.


    What kind of Fireball Technique was this kid using?


    How could it be so incredibly powerful?


    What was more infuriating, this Fireball Technique had nearly exploded directly on his face, potentially ruining his visage.


    Sun Ze thought about cursing out Mo Hua in his heart, but felt a chill and forcefully suppressed the impulse to insult others, pushing it down deep.


    He mustn¡¯t curse!


    If he cursed and that brat perceived it, dealing with him straight away with a Fireball Technique, then he would truly be at a loss.


    Impatience could spoil great plans.


    He had to rush back and tell his father about the incident.


    His father was at the Foundation Establishment level.


    The kid was only a Qi Refinement cultivator, his Fireball Technique may be sharp, but he surely wasn¡¯t a match for a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    Having thought it through, Sun Ze ran even faster, wishing he could use his arms as extra legs.


    Mo Hua guessed that Sun Ze would definitely go looking for his father, Sun Yi.


    Sun Yi was a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    But Mo Hua had the Concealment Technique, even if he couldn¡¯t beat them, he could always escape.


    If the Sun Family truly went too far and angered him, he could just sneak into the Sun Family estate, secretly set up a Compound Formation, and use the Reversed Spirit Formation to collapse it, turning their Family Head to dust and ashes.


    But it hadn¡¯t come to that point yet.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows again.


    His master, Old Kui, and his Junior Brother and Sister were all at the Sun Family¡¯s place.


    If he broke off relations with the Sun Family now, he didn¡¯t know how his master would handle it.


    While Mo Hua was pondering, he saw a carriage slowly approaching from afar.


    Old Kui was driving the carriage, and Big White was pulling it.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    It seemed that nothing could be hidden from his master.


    Or perhaps, all of this was within his master¡¯s expectations.


    Seeing Mo Hua from a distance, Big White neighed.


    Mo Hua immediately went up to him and hugged Big White¡¯s neck.


    Then, seeing Mr. Zhuang, he recounted how Sun Ze had come looking for trouble, and how he had beaten him up, as well as laid out seven or eight cultivators from the Sun Family.


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, ¡°A trivial matter, no harm done.¡±


    In a quiet voice, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Master, don¡¯t you think my actions were rash, and lacking forbearance?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°Showing forbearance when powerless is being cautious. Showing forbearance when capable is simply being cowardly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever teaching you not to fight back when attacked, or not to retort when insulted.¡±


    Mo Hua felt relieved and smiled.


    Looking at Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang spoke in a gentle tone:


    ¡°I brought you all on this journey for experience, and generally, I will not interfere in affairs, you must rely on yourselves.¡±


    ¡°But if you are truly in danger, even if the sky falls, your master will cover for you. Rest easy and do what you think is right.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded with a smile.


    Bai Zisheng, standing by, looked at the Sun Family cultivators sprawled haphazardly across the Spirit Field, feeling both regret and a sense of loss.


    Regret that he, as a senior brother, had not been able to protect his Junior Brother in time.


    A sense of loss that such a good fight had come and gone, and he had arrived too late to participate.


    Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua several times, noting his considerable expenditure of spiritual power, but seeing no serious injuries and a good complexion, with rosy cheeks, she slightly nodded.


    ¡­


    At the Sun Family mansion.


    Mr. Zhuang had excused himself to Sun Yi ahead of time, claiming he wanted to visit Thousand Families Town, and Sun Yi had no suspicions.


    It wasn¡¯t until Mr. Zhuang left and Sun Ze returned with a face covered in dirt that Sun Yi realized why Mr. Zhuang had departed¡­


    Sun Ze didn¡¯t dare to hide anything, recounting everything that happened in detail.


    As soon as he finished, Sun Yi was shocked and angered.


    ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    He smashed the table to pieces, eyes bulging:


    ¡°Eight or nine Sun Family cultivators were beaten into submission by a wet-behind-the-ears kid?¡±

 Chapter 389 - 386 Mysterious_1

    Chapter 389: Chapter 386 Mysterious_1


    Sun Ze scrambled to say, ¡°Yes¡­ ¡±


    Sun Yi was somewhat disoriented and murmured after a long while:


    ¡°I misjudged him¡­¡±


    He originally thought that the least conspicuous little cultivator was only good for serving tea and water, attending to his master as a junior disciple.


    But he had not expected that he not only knew about formations, but his spells were also so formidable.


    Moreover, his mind was nimble, facing many opponents alone with considerable experience in spell duels.


    Sun Ze said with hatred, ¡°Father, we must avenge this!¡±


    Sun Yi did not respond, but coldly looked at his son, ¡°Have you told him all about our Sun Family¡¯s secrets?¡±


    ¡°No! Father, you must believe me!¡± Sun Ze swore confidently.


    Sun Yi snorted coldly.


    He trusted this son too much; surely, he had told everything, both what should have been said and what should not.


    Sun Yi¡¯s eyes flickered, and after some contemplation, he slowly said:


    ¡°For now, we hold our forces.¡±


    ¡°But Father, I can¡¯t swallow this insult,¡± Sun Ze said with hatred.


    He had seen the Pill Master, who said that both his arms were severely burned by the fire, and he would not be able to use his spiritual power for a short period. Other parts of his body were also more or less injured.


    Especially his head, which had been hit several times by Mo Hua, was still buzzing.


    What was most important was that his appearance had been ruined.


    When the Fireball Technique hit his face, even though Sun Ze had covered his face, he was still injured by the flames, leaving several burn marks on his face.


    Sun Ze could not swallow this affront.


    ¡°You can¡¯t bear it, you have to,¡± Sun Yi snorted coldly.


    Sun Ze¡¯s anger had not subsided when he suddenly frowned.


    This was not like his father¡¯s usual way of doing things.


    In Thousand Families Town, the Sun Family always exacted revenge for the smallest grievances; when had they ever held back?


    ¡°Father, do you have some other plan?¡± Sun Ze asked.


    Sun Yi stroked his chin and counter-asked:


    ¡°Do you think that kid could really find the ancestral formation of our Sun Family?¡±


    Sun Ze immediately sneered, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Sun Yi gave him a cold look.


    Sun Ze settled down, used his head to think for a moment, and felt a thump in his heart:


    ¡°Seems like¡­ it¡¯s actually possible.¡±


    Sun Ze then pondered in detail:


    ¡°This kid¡¯s identity is not ordinary, his spells are not ordinary, and his mastery of formations seems to be also quite extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°I destroyed all the formations he had drawn. I didn¡¯t pay attention at that time, but now that I think about it, those formations were quite well drawn. And they were drawn both quickly and well, even better than you, Father¡­¡±


    Sun Ze stopped mid-sentence, not daring to continue.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Sun Yi snorted coldly.


    ¡°Better than you, Father¡­ they were drawn better¡­¡±


    Sun Yi was not angry; instead, his heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself that it was indeed so.


    This kid, with an innocent face, was actually a rare formation genius.


    Among this group, perhaps this kid was the real key figure.


    The key point was that he was still so young.


    ¡°There¡¯s always someone better,¡± Sun Yi sighed.


    ¡°So, Father¡­ are we just going to let this go?¡± Sun Ze ventured.


    ¡°Why let it go?¡±


    ¡°A formation genius¡­ Is it not wise for us to provoke him?¡±


    ¡°So what if he¡¯s a formation genius?¡± Sun Yi sneered, ¡°In this vast cultivation world with countless cultivators, there are innumerable geniuses. Even with great talent, if one cannot grow, they are no different from mediocrity.¡±


    Sun Ze was somewhat confused and questioned:


    ¡°Father, what exactly do you want to do?¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°We wait.¡±


    ¡°Wait?¡±


    ¡°We wait for that kid to find the ancestral formation of our Sun Family, then catch them all in one fell swoop, to reap the fisherman¡¯s benefit.¡±


    Sun Yi sneered, ¡°At that time, the Sun Family¡¯s formation will return to its rightful owner, and that kid capable of drawing formations will also serve our Sun Family.¡±


    Sun Ze was a bit worried:


    ¡°But what if there are Foundation Building Cultivators among them?¡±


    Sun Yi said, ¡°I have planned these past few days. Among them, even if there¡¯s a Foundation Building, there¡¯s at most one¡­¡±


    ¡°Within our Sun Family, there¡¯s me, a Foundation Building Cultivator, and in addition, there are hundreds of Qi Refinement disciples.¡±


    ¡°When the time comes to take action, I¡¯ll hold off that Foundation Building Cultivator, while the hundreds of Sun Family disciples, can they not handle the remaining few Qi Refinement cultivators?¡±


    Sun Yi snorted again, ¡°Even if that kid¡¯s spells are formidable, he can beat eight or nine at most, which would be the limit. Dozens, or even hundreds, of cultivators could exhaust his spiritual power just by attrition.¡±


    ¡°Once his spiritual power is exhausted, he won¡¯t be able to escape even with wings.¡±


    Sun Ze still had some reservations, ¡°Even if we catch him, will he listen to our Sun Family?¡±


    Sun Yi smiled and then continued:


    ¡°We¡¯ll capture them all and use his master, or his senior and junior fellow disciples as threats; we won¡¯t have to worry about him disobeying.¡±


    ¡°When he grows up a bit, we¡¯ll pick a girl from the Sun Family and force a marriage. Once they have a child, he¡¯ll be bound to our Sun Family.¡±


    ¡°With children carrying the Sun Family bloodline, connected by kinship, he¡¯ll be considered half a Sun Family member and naturally devote himself wholeheartedly to serving our Sun Family¡­¡±


    Sun Ze was shocked, ¡°Father, you¡¯re really cunning¡­ astute.¡±


    Sun Yi smiled complacently. He turned his head to look at the distant Spirit Fields, his eyes filled with anticipation:


    ¡°Keep looking, find that lost formation for our Sun Family¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was indeed searching for formations, but after half a day, he still had no clue.


    So, he went to ask Mr. Zhuang:


    ¡°Master, is the Formation in the Spirit Field?¡±


    Since the Sun Family could no longer be stayed with, Mr. Zhuang took up residence at Old Ding¡¯s house.


    Although Old Ding¡¯s house was poor, the courtyard was quite spacious.


    Mr. Zhuang then placed a set of bamboo chairs in the courtyard and sat leisurely on them when he had nothing to do, leisurely watching the green mountains and waters, the blue sky and white clouds.


    Upon hearing Mo Hua ask him, Mr. Zhuang smiled inscrutably, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I think it is.¡±


    ¡°Since you have a guess, then keep looking patiently.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke leisurely, not in a hurry at all.


    Mo Hua was somewhat worried.


    He had already been searching for many days, yet there were still no clues.


    In the Spirit Field, there were only the Cultivating Soil Formation with six Formation Patterns and some other water and soil-related Formations.


    There was not even a single first-level nine-pattern Formation, let alone an Ultimate Formation with more than nine patterns.


    Seeing Mo Hua frowning, Mr. Zhuang offered some guidance:


    ¡°What are the key elements of a Formation?¡±


    ¡°Formation media, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, Formation eye.¡±


    These were basic Formation questions, and Mo Hua naturally replied fluidly.


    ¡°Then you should continue to think from these perspectives, but don¡¯t limit yourself to the existing knowledge of Formations.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, and then he looked into the distance, his expression profound:


    ¡°Formation method is vast and profound; what you see and learn is still just the tip of the iceberg. There is much unknown mystery yet to be discovered.¡±


    ¡°You must learn to use existing knowledge to ponder, but you cannot be restricted by it.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang instructed.


    Mo Hua seemed to understand and slowly nodded.


    In the following days, Mo Hua still ran to the Spirit Field every day.


    Ding Miao followed behind him every day, running back and forth.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi had nothing else to do and also followed Mo Hua, helping him search for the Formation.


    Bai Zisheng would still go out for a stroll nearby when he was free, to see if the Sun Family would come looking for trouble again.


    Aunt Xue was strict in her discipline; she generally did not allow him to fight with others.


    Otherwise, back when they were in Tongxian City, he had wanted to follow Mo Hua into Big Black Mountain for Monster Hunting, eager to show his prowess.


    Now that Aunt Xue was not by his side, Mr. Zhuang did not indulge him but neither did he restrain him, Bai Zisheng had long wanted to find someone to spar with, to test his skills.


    Especially since as the eldest disciple, helping his junior in a fight was only natural, and Mr. Zhuang would not blame him.


    So Bai Zisheng had the air of being eager to try and wandered around the Spirit Field every day, occasionally looking up to see if any sensible cultivators from the Sun Family would trouble them and give him a chance to prove his mettle.


    Unfortunately, the Sun Family did not take the chance, and they never came.


    Since the Sun Family didn¡¯t come, naturally no one disturbed Mo Hua.


    But after searching for several days with no progress, he sat cross-legged by the edge of the field, supporting his small chin, lost in thought.


    Formation media, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, Formation eye¡­


    If there truly were an Ultimate Formation within the Spirit Field, then the boundaries of the field should serve as the Formation media.


    Stones piled atop the field boundaries are hard and suitable for inscribing Formations.


    Formation Patterns should also be present on top of the field boundaries.


    But Mo Hua had almost searched the entire Spirit Field and still had not found any trace of an Ultimate Formation.


    Besides, there was the Formation Pivot.


    The Formation Pivot of an Ultimate Formation should be somewhat different from ordinary Formations.


    Mo Hua could not find anything in the Spirit Field that indicated the presence of any special Formation Pivot.


    Most crucially, there was no Formation eye.


    A Formation needed a Formation eye to provide Spiritual Power, yet there was nothing in this Spirit Field that could serve as the Formation eye for an Ultimate Formation to operate.


    Mo Hua scratched his head, unable to figure it out.


    Looking at the basic framework of a Formation, there should be no other Formations within this Spirit Field. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, given Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor, Mo Hua was convinced that there must be an Ultimate Formation hidden within this Spirit Field¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts were a bit chaotic.


    A breeze blew by, waving the rice plants.


    The wind carried a hint of the fresh sweetness of the rice seedlings.


    Mo Hua calmed his heart and found a tree stick to start drawing something on the ground.


    He drew all the Formations involved in the Spirit Field, including the Cultivating Soil Formation, Water Storage Formation, Pest Extermination Formation, and so on, one by one.


    He wanted to find some connections among these Formations.


    But after looking them over again and again, these Formations were just as they were, with nothing special about them.


    Mo Hua sighed and looked up to see Ding Miao also sitting on the ground, clutching a stick and imitating Mo Hua, drawing something unknowable.


    However, what Miao drew seemed like a Formation and yet not like one.


    Mo Hua looked a few times, puzzled, and asked:


    ¡°Miao, what are you drawing?¡±


    Miao pointed forward with his small hand, ¡°Drawing the Spirit Field.¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua drawing Formations, he also followed along.


    But Formations are complex and Patterns are numerous; Miao couldn¡¯t draw them, so he just drew whatever else he could.


    He had drawn cows, chickens, and now it was the Spirit Field¡¯s turn.


    Miao was drawing the Spirit Field, but imitating Mo Hua¡¯s drawing style, what he created looked both like a Formation and not like one.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, then suddenly paused, a thought dawning on him.


    Formation¡­ Spirit Field¡­


    Mo Hua frowned, as if he was on the verge of grasping something.


    Just then, another breeze swept through the mountains, stirring the rice seedlings, creating waves of green that connected all the Spirit Fields into one, rippling off into the distance.


    All the Spirit Fields seemed as one, echoing each other.


    Mo Hua suddenly stood up, a tumult of realization rising in his heart.

 Chapter 390 - 387: Concealing Formations_1

    Chapter 390: Chapter 387: Concealing Formations_1


    ¡°`


    This hundred-acre Spirit Field, connected together, might itself be a Formation!


    Mo Hua suddenly saw the light.


    He had previously been preoccupied with the form of the Formation, limited to certain Formation Patterns, only seeing the surface patterns, hence was unable to see the forest for the trees.


    Whether it was the Cultivating Soil Formation or other Formations, they were all minor details, not the essence of the Ultimate Formation.


    The essence of this Ultimate Formation was the Spirit Field itself.


    Mo Hua then felt some doubts.


    If the Spirit Field is a Formation, then what are the corresponding Formation media, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, and Formation eye?


    Mo Hua sat back down on the ground, carefully pondering again.


    If the Spirit Field is the Formation, then the Formation media is not the stone embankments, but the soil where the Spirit Rice is planted.


    It is generally difficult for soil to serve as Formation media.


    Because of the texture being either loose or moist and because it is prone to erosion from dryness, it lacks a fixed shape and is not suited to carry Formation Patterns.


    ¡°Why would this Ultimate Formation use soil as its Formation media?¡±


    ¡°Or could this be the very mystery of the Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a while, found no clue, and decided to temporarily set this aside and continue pondering.


    If soil is the Formation media, then the Formation Patterns should be the embankments that crisscross and divide the Spirit Field.


    The Formation Pivot would be the layout of the entire Spirit Field.


    Then what is the Formation eye?


    How can the whole Formation be sustained in operation?


    Within the Spirit Field, there is no special area that might serve as the Formation eye.


    Mo Hua looked up at the sprawling Spirit Field with its crisscrossing embankments and was suddenly struck.


    This is not a Large Formation or Compound Formation, but a Single Formation instead.


    There are no special Spirit Gathering Arrays or Gathering Spirit Formations to provide Spiritual Power.


    The source of Spiritual Power for a Single Formation is the Formation Patterns themselves.


    The natural attraction of Spiritual Power by Formation Patterns provides the energy for the operation of a Single Formation.


    In other words, these intertwined embankments are both Formation Patterns and the Formation eye.


    So how is Spiritual Power supplied?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows in thought and soon understood.


    It¡¯s the Cultivating Soil Formation!


    The function of a Single Formation is relatively simple.


    Even if it¡¯s an Ultimate Formation with extremely strong effects, it cannot be all-encompassing.


    Hence, additional Formations are needed to enhance the effect.


    The Cultivating Soil Formation is such a supplementary Formation, used to assist the Ultimate Formation in nurturing the soil.


    However, if the Cultivating Soil Formation is integrated with the Ultimate Formation, it becomes a Compound Formation that includes the Ultimate Formation.


    Such Formation has high Divine Sense intensity and complex Formation Patterns; once damaged, besides the Old Ancestor of Sun Family himself, no one would be able to, or would even know how to, repair it.


    Hence, the Old Ancestor of Sun Family, with his independent Taoist Heart, separated the two types of Formations yet linked them together.


    The Cultivating Soil Formations and such were separately drawn and not connected to the Compound Formation, they¡¯re easy to draw and easy to repair.


    Even the half-baked Formation Masters of the later generations of Sun Family would be able to repair them.


    Nonetheless, it is related to the Ultimate Formation.


    Whenever the Spirit Farmer provides Spiritual Power to the Cultivating Soil Formation, a portion of it naturally overflows, in turn supplying the large Ultimate Formation. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Therefore, this Cultivating Soil Formation is both a filler Formation and an alternative ¡°Ultimate Formation eye¡±.


    The Spiritual Power provided by the Cultivating Soil Formation is actually quite limited.


    But this Ultimate Formation is an Earth Series nourishing array; it doesn¡¯t prioritize slaughter or entrap powerful enemies.


    Thus, it requires a constant trickle of energy¡ªa small but long-term supply of Spiritual Power is sufficient.


    From another perspective, the Old Ancestor of Sun Family¡¯s purpose was also to save Spirit Stones for the Spirit Farmers.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but admire him.


    The Old Ancestor of Sun Family¡¯s deep understanding of Formations, cunning use, and his broad-minded character, were all exceptionally extraordinary.


    No wonder that for hundreds of years, the Loose Cultivators of Thousand Families Town have been grateful for his benefaction.


    Grasping the Heavenly Dao to benefit all living beings.


    Perhaps this is what truly defines a Formation Master¡­


    With mixed feelings, Mo Hua thought to himself.


    Seeing Mo Hua standing there in a daze for quite a long time without speaking, Ding Miao couldn¡¯t help but call out softly:


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    Mo Hua returned to his senses, smiled, and patted Miao¡¯s head, saying:


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Without Miao¡¯s simple drawing, he would not have discovered the clues.


    The greatness in someone lies in not losing the innocence of childhood.


    The more na?ve a child is, the more pure and natural is their gaze, devoid of color, better able to see the true nature of things.


    Miao tilted his head in confusion:


    ¡°Did I help?¡±


    Mo Hua praised, ¡°You¡¯ve been a great help.¡±


    Miao immediately became happy, even though he didn¡¯t know what help he had provided.


    Mo Hua gave him another pastry.


    Miao held it with both hands and began to eat it, feeling completely justified.


    ¡°Brother said I made a significant contribution, so this time I am not eating in vain,¡± Miao nodded to himself in his mind.


    ¡­


    Knowing the essence of the Formation, one must try to restore the Formation Diagram.


    Mo Hua told Miao not to wander off and went to a high peak to take in the full view of the Spirit Field.


    He then began to re-calculate the Spirit Field, structured like a Formation, back into its original Formation, using a Formation Master¡¯s mindset and Formation Patterns¡¯ penmanship.


    While calculating, Mo Hua stopped.


    Something was wrong.


    He couldn¡¯t figure it out anymore¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    Many layouts of the Spirit Fields were too square and ordered, but they were not based on Formation principles.


    ¡°`


    Therefore, the Formation that was calculated turned out to be intermittent and fragmented.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    One trouble followed another¡­


    He ran down to the bottom of the mountain again and asked Ding Miao:


    ¡°Miao¡¯er, who in your village has lived the longest and knows the most?¡±


    Miao¡¯er furrowed her little brow, and her eyes suddenly lit up:


    ¡°The Elder!¡±


    East Mountain Village indeed had an Elder, but he was old and did not manage affairs, and his cultivation was only in Qi Refinement, not Foundation Establishment.


    The people had elected him Elder because he was of old age, with seniority, and able to command respect.


    Calling him Elder, was actually more like the ¡°Village Chief¡±.


    Little Miao¡¯er led Mo Hua to the Elder.


    Mo Hua stated his purpose, saying he wanted to ask a few questions.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua, the Elder showed a grateful expression and said:


    ¡°The young gentleman has been a benefactor to us, feel free to ask anything, this old man will leave no words unspoken.¡±


    ¡°The Elder is too kind.¡±


    Mo Hua exchanged pleasantries briefly and then asked respectfully:


    ¡°Elder, has the layout of the Spirit Fields changed over the past few hundred years?¡±


    The Elder pondered for a moment before slowly nodding:


    ¡°It has been changed.¡±


    ¡°What was it changed for?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    The Elder said, ¡°The land passed down by our ancestors, we generally wouldn¡¯t change it. This layout of the Spirit Fields has also been maintained for over a hundred years¡­¡±


    ¡°But later, the Sun Family reorganized some of the fields to facilitate their Formation Painting, so they reorganized some of the fields.¡±


    ¡°Now many fields are in a checkerboard pattern, each one neat and orderly.¡±


    ¡°After the reorganization, was there any change in the Spirit Fields?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    ¡°No major changes, just that the land has become poorer year after year,¡±


    The Elder sighed, ¡°I am old and can still feel these things, but the children born in the village after me don¡¯t know anything at all.¡±


    ¡°I still remember, when I was young, my grandfather told me, he said the soil hundreds of years ago was much more fertile than it is now.¡±


    After speaking, the Elder¡¯s eyes showed longing, ¡°At that time, everyone just had to quietly farm the land, and they could all have had enough to eat¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt complicated and then his gaze grew heavy as he gradually figured it out.


    The purpose of this Ultimate Formation was supposed to make the soil fertile and the Spirit Fields abundant.


    The layout of the Spirit Fields itself was the Formation Pivot of the Formation.


    After the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family died, the incompetent descendants of the Sun Family, for the sake of convenience in their Formation Painting, reorganized the Spirit Fields, changing the layout of the fields.


    As a result, they affected the Formation Pivot, causing the Ultimate Formation to gradually fail.


    Latterly, the Sun Family descendants, in order to exploit the Spirit Farmers, drew some inferior Formations on the field ridges, which constantly broke and needed repairing.


    Because the Formations were constantly breaking and repairing, the Spiritual Power supplied by the Spirit Farmers for the Cultivating Soil Formation was intermittent.


    This led to the Spirit Power supply of the entire Ultimate Formation also being unsustainable.


    Decades, even a hundred years later, the Ultimate Formation was completely ineffective.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    The Old Ancestor of the Sun Family had once established a family rule:


    Any descendant of the Sun Family must not encroach upon a single field in Thousand Families Town for their entire life. Otherwise, they will be stripped of their surname, eradicated from the family records, and expelled from the household!


    This rule was first to ensure that the Spirit Farmers had a means of livelihood.


    Secondly, it was to restrain the descendants from changing the layout of the Spirit Fields after encroaching upon them, which would consequently disrupt the Formation Pivot of the Formation.


    But he probably never imagined that the Sun Family descendants would be so incompetent.


    Out of greed, they did so many foolish things that they forfeited the benefits of the Formation and also cut off the transmission of the Formation.


    As the Spirit Fields changed, the Formation Pivot shifted position.


    Consequently, it was impossible to calculate a complete Formation Diagram anymore.


    Mo Hua frowned, but then his eyes flashed with inspiration, and he asked again:


    ¡°Elder, do you have the diagram of the Spirit Fields from hundreds of years ago?¡±


    The Elder hesitated for a moment, then nodded, ¡°There is, indeed¡­¡±


    ¡°May I see it?¡±


    The Elder found it difficult, as such documents are considered confidential and are generally not shown to outsiders.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°I want to find the Formation that the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family drew back then.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Elder was startled and exclaimed in a trembling voice:


    ¡°The Formation of the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The Elder quaveringly said, ¡°But the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family, he was a Second Rank Formation Master¡­¡±


    He looked at Mo Hua, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    Could this young gentleman comprehend the Formation drawn by a Second Rank Formation Master?


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°The Old Ancestor of the Sun Family was a Second Grade, but the Formation he left behind was actually First Grade, it¡¯s just a little difficult to paint, that¡¯s all.¡±


    The Elder did not understand, but was greatly shocked nonetheless.


    Just being able to comprehend such a Formation was already a remarkable feat.


    After thinking it over for a long time, the Elder said with determination, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you the diagram!¡±


    If this young gentleman could indeed find the Formation the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family had painted, it would be an immense blessing for them, the Spirit Farmers, and naturally, they would be immensely grateful.


    A few diagrams were not enough to fill their stomachs; they were barely surviving, so what was there to treasure?


    The Elder went into the inner room, opened the lowest box in the corner of the wall, and then drew a stack of yellowed parchment from the very bottom, handing it to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua saw that each piece of parchment depicted segments of Spirit Fields in a scale-like pattern.


    The Spirit Fields were naturally distributed, with orderly intersecting ridges.


    In addition, the parchment also recorded the Taoist Calendar years.


    Details such as the Spirit Farmer household registers, the distribution of fields, the fertility of the Spirit Fields, etc., were also clearly documented.


    This information indeed belonged to confidential records.


    No wonder the Elder had been hesitant before.


    Mo Hua flipped through a few more pages, compared the diagrams with the former layout of the Spirit Fields, and after some consideration, his expression gradually brightened.


    He hadn¡¯t guessed wrong.


    The real Ultimate Formation was hidden within these, within the centuries-old Spirit Field diagrams!

 Chapter 391 - 388 Thick Earth_1

    Chapter 391: Chapter 388 Thick Earth_1


    In the following days, Mo Hua buried himself in studying the Formation Diagrams, examining the changes in the Spirit Fields, and then comparing them with the current situation of the Spirit Fields to infer the structure of the Formation.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were also helping.


    Each of them took a portion of the Formation Diagrams to restore on their own.


    After restoration, they would compare their findings together, and ultimately Mo Hua would perform the final verification through Calculation.


    By doing this, they saved a great deal of effort.


    In the spacious hall, the three of them set up a table, drawing and calculating side by side.


    After five or six days of hard work, they finally managed to sort out and infer the preliminary Formation Diagram of this Formation.


    And indeed, this Formation contained eleven Formation Patterns.


    It was a genuine, first-grade, eleven-pattern Ultimate Formation!


    The Formation Patterns were primarily of the Earth Series, and the stylus technique was different from the usual Formation Patterns, carrying an ancient and profound sense.


    The Formation Pivot structure was also much more complex than that of ordinary first-grade Formations.


    Bai Zisheng marveled as he examined it:


    ¡°So this is an Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi was also so absorbed that she traced a few patterns with her delicate fingers inadvertently. But as she continued, she felt dizzy and her brow furrowed slightly as her body slowly collapsed.


    Mo Hua quickly caught her and expressed concern:


    ¡°Senior Sister, are you alright?¡±


    Bai Zisheng also hurriedly asked:


    ¡°Zixi, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Bai Zixi regained her composure, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said lightly:


    ¡°I used too much Divine Sense¡­¡±


    She had never seen an Ultimate Formation before, and Mr. Zhuang had not taught her either, so she was a bit curious and had tried to visualize it in her mind.


    But she had not expected that an Ultimate Formation would consume so much Divine Sense.


    She had only comprehended up to the ninth Formation Pattern, and after half of the next one, her Divine Sense was nearly depleted.


    Then Bai Zixi turned to look at Mo Hua with curiosity and asked:


    ¡°This Formation¡­ can you learn it?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°I can¡¯t learn it either¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi silently looked at Mo Hua, ¡°Tell the truth.¡±


    Mo Hua then admitted with slight embarrassment:


    ¡°Barely, I can learn a bit¡­¡±


    That means he can learn it¡­


    Bai Zixi sighed softly to herself.


    Her little junior brother¡¯s Divine Sense had become frighteningly profound.


    He also had a keen sense for Formations; he could infer such an Ultimate Formation from mere clues.


    No wonder their master valued him so much.


    Feeling the caring look from Mo Hua, warmth burgeoned in Bai Zixi¡¯s heart.


    Apart from her brother and Aunt Xue, this was the first time someone had looked at her with such clear and concerned eyes.


    Mo Hua was her only junior brother.


    He was also the first person to call her ¡°Senior Sister.¡±


    She felt she needed to live up to the responsibilities of a senior sister.


    Bai Zixi hesitated for a moment, then extended her fair little hand to pat Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, and spoke earnestly:


    ¡°You must study Formations well.¡±


    Mo Hua had joined their mentor together with her, learned things together, and they had spent quite a long time together.


    Bai Zixi was very familiar with Mo Hua.


    She knew that when it came to other areas of Tao Cultivation, even if her junior brother put in the effort and studied diligently, he would not make much progress.


    But Formations were different.


    Perhaps Mo Hua could truly rely on Formations to find his own place in the talent-filled Cultivation World.


    On his own, he could continue his Cultivation and seek the way to immortality.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s appearance had softened, and though she was not as stunningly beautiful as before, her eyes were just as lovely.


    In her otherworldly gaze, reflected was the image of Mo Hua, with a touch of concern and expectation.


    It was the look of a Senior Sister caring for her Junior Brother.


    Mo Hua was at a loss for words for a moment.


    Bai Zisheng also joined in the excitement, ¡°Listen to your Senior Sister, she¡¯s right!¡±


    Mo Hua rolled his eyes at him.


    Bai Zisheng appeared unconcerned.


    He glanced at the Formation Diagram again, and just by looking at it, he felt a headache coming on.


    Eleven Formation Patterns, with Divine Sense strength reaching the level of a Second-Grade Formation, it was hard to see what good learning it would do.


    Bai Zisheng frowned and realized a problem, he asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°The Old Ancestor of Sun Family is a Second Rank Formation Master, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he draw a Second-Grade Formation in the Spirit Fields? The effects of a Second-Grade Formation should be stronger, right?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then explained:


    ¡°A Second-Grade Formation would indeed be more powerful, but it would also require more Spiritual Power to operate and consume more Spirit Stones, something that a Qi Cultivation Loose Practitioner simply can¡¯t afford.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the effect of this Formation is unique, and ordinary Second-Grade Formations don¡¯t have this sort of function.¡±


    ¡°Even if there were such a Formation, it would have to be a Second-Grade Ultimate Formation, and the difficulty of that would be even greater¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded as if he suddenly understood, ¡°Then you better hurry up and learn it, see if it¡¯s of any use.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In the following days, Mo Hua began to study this Ultimate Formation.


    However, this Formation seemed somewhat special.


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua practiced several times during the day, with little progress.


    At night, meditating on the Taoist Stele allowed him to vaguely feel the flow of qi within the Formation, leading to a deeper understanding of it.


    After a few days, Mo Hua could perfectly outline the entire Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    But come daytime, when he tried to put pen to paper, the entire Formation seemed to lose its essence.


    Divine Sense indeed got consumed, and he drew all the Formation Patterns correctly.


    Yet the Formation on paper seemed to have only shape and no spirit; nor could he sense the flow of Spiritual Power.


    All three were puzzled.


    Bai Zisheng, resting his chin on his hand, said, ¡°Could it be that the calculated Formation is wrong?¡±


    Bai Zixi shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°So, it was drawn incorrectly?¡± Bai Zisheng guessed, then denied his own guess, ¡°No, it¡¯s not that either.¡±


    The Formations drawn by Mo Hua were always accurate; they couldn¡¯t be wrong.


    Besides, all three of them had checked it over and found no issues.


    The trio looked at each other in confusion.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°It seems we can only go and ask Master.¡±


    ¡­


    Mr. Zhuang was in the yard, sitting on a bamboo chair, basking in the sun.


    This chair seemed to be the same one Mr. Zhuang often sat on back at Forgetful Residence, a place he was nostalgic about, so he had brought the chair with him.


    In the spacious courtyard, Mr. Zhuang was either resting with his eyes closed or possibly contemplating the Dao.


    Mo Hua did not disturb Mr. Zhuang and waited beside him for a while.


    In less than a moment, Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes and beckoned to Mo Hua with a slight gesture.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he stepped forward to hand the Ultimate Formation he had drawn to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang took it, glanced over it, and with a slightly puzzled look but a hint of approval, said:


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Master, is it this Formation?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s confirmation meant he hadn¡¯t miscalculated.


    ¡°But why does it seem ineffective when I clearly drew it out?¡± Mo Hua voiced his doubt.


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang said with a slight smile, ¡°you don¡¯t know the name of this Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, ¡°Name?¡±


    The Sun Family¡¯s legacy did not mention it, or rather, the Sun Family simply did not have the transmission of this Ultimate Formation, so naturally, they did not know the name of this Formation.


    In Thousand Families Town, inside and out, there was not the slightest record of it.


    ¡°Master, what is the name of this Formation?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Mr. Zhuang did not play coy and slowly began to speak:


    ¡°This Formation is called¡­ the Thick Earth Formation.¡±


    ¡°Thick Earth?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua was somewhat confused, ¡°Why is it called that?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze grew serious, with profound meaning, ¡°The Formation contains the ultimate truths of heaven and earth.¡±


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s way is strong, constantly striving to become stronger; Earth¡¯s position is Kun, bearing all things with great virtue.¡±


    ¡°This Formation is named the Thick Earth Formation, and it is derived from the word ¡®thick¡¯ in ¡®bearing all things with great virtue.¡¯


    Mr. Zhuang looked at the distant, rolling Spirit Fields and the earing Spirit Rice, and said with emotion:


    ¡°Heaven creates all things, Earth nourishes all things.¡±


    ¡°Heaven is the Dao, and so is the Earth ¡±


    ¡°This Thick Earth Formation embodies ¡®Earth nourishes all things,¡¯ the Dao of the Earth, which can enrich the soil, nourishing everything within.¡±


    Understanding dawned on Mo Hua, but then he furrowed his brow again:


    ¡°But what does this have to do with the Formation being ineffective?¡±


    ¡°Think about it again,¡± Mr. Zhuang prompted but did not answer directly.


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua slowly said, ¡°Thick Earth Formation¡­ does that mean it has to use ¡®earth¡¯ as the Formation media?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly:


    ¡°More accurately, it¡¯s ¡®ground¡¯ as the Formation media.¡±


    ¡°In a Formation, the media is the most easily overlooked element, even by Formation Masters who often fail to pay enough attention to it, thinking it is just a carrier for the Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°But a Formation is whole, and the media is an integral part of it, containing its own Formation principle.¡±


    ¡°Especially when using ¡®ground¡¯ as the media, which is a type of comprehension of the Great Dao, not all Formation Masters can grasp it.¡±


    ¡°Heaven covers, Earth bears.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators are born into this world, each one with the heavens above their heads and standing upon the earth.¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°If you can learn the Thick Earth Formation and grasp the principle of ¡®bearing all things with great virtue,¡¯ knowing how to use ¡®ground¡¯ as the Formation media, then henceforth, whatever Formation you draw will have a bearing.¡±


    ¡°Then the media of the Formation will no longer limit you,¡± Mr. Zhuang said with an expectant look.


    Mo Hua had a sudden epiphany, deeply moved in his heart.


    He had thought that within the Spirit Fields, there was merely an Ultimate Formation for nurturing the land, but he had not expected the profound depth of Formation principle it contained.


    Within all things lies Formation, and within Formation, the Great Dao is concealed.


    Earth¡¯s position is Kun, bearing all things with great virtue.


    The Earth bears all things and can likewise bear Formations.


    By comprehending the Thick Earth Formation and understanding its principles, the boundless earth can serve as the media.


    Wherever the heavens stretch and the earth extends, Formation can be drawn!


    ¡°`

 Chapter 392 - 389: Short Path_1

    Chapter 392: Chapter 389: Short Path_1


    Mo Hua had another doubt.


    ¡°But, Master, isn¡¯t the earth unsuitable to be used as Formation media?¡±


    Generally, Formation Masters wouldn¡¯t use earth as the media for Formations.


    Because the earth¡¯s texture might be loose or moist, or it might erode and lose its shape due to dryness and weathering, making it difficult to maintain a fixed form over time and unsuitable to carry Formation Patterns.


    Mr. Zhuang corrected, ¡°It¡¯s not that it is unsuitable to be Formation media, but rather, most Formation Masters can¡¯t use it as such.¡±


    ¡°What they can¡¯t do, they fail to comprehend. Over time, most Formation Masters then come to believe that the earth is unsuitable to be Formation media.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and tentatively asked,


    ¡°Then how can the earth carry Formation Patterns?¡±


    He still didn¡¯t quite understand.


    ¡°What is the essence of the Formation Patterns in a Formation?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the physical manifestation of the trajectory of Spiritual Power flow.¡± Mo Hua answered.


    He had studied Divine Sense Calculation, had drawn a Large Formation, and had controlled the flow of Spiritual Power within the Formation Patterns through the Formation Pivot, so his comprehension was profound.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Do you remember what I told you? Some Formation Masters only know how to follow the clues from the Formation Diagram, tracing the Formation Patterns exactly as they are without daring to add or subtract a single stroke. Yet, their Formations still lack efficacy.¡±


    ¡°Because they have only the form without the internal flow of Spiritual Power, these Formations are nothing but empty shells.¡±


    ¡°Whereas some Formation Masters are not bound by form and draw as they please, and their Formations come out naturally perfect.¡±


    ¡°This is because these Formation Masters are using their Divine Sense to connect with the Great Dao and control the flow of Spiritual Power with Formation Patterns, not rigidly drawing the Patterns.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly realized and was a bit stunned.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and pondered before saying,


    ¡°Formation media need to carry Formation Patterns, but what¡¯s truly being carried is not the Patterns themselves but the Spiritual Power that the Patterns channel.¡±


    ¡°Abandoning the form, seeking the essence.¡±


    ¡°Patterns are merely the superficial aspect of a Formation. The internal flow of Spiritual Power is the essence of a Formation.¡±


    ¡°So by using ¡®earth¡¯ as Formation media, what the earth needs to carry is actually the internal Spiritual Power, not just the superficial Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°As long as the Spiritual Power of the Formation is in harmony with the earth, and the Formation Patterns become one with the earth, then even if the ground changes from dry to wet, the Formation will still exist.¡±


    The more Mo Hua spoke, the clearer his thoughts became, and his eyes shone brightly.


    Mr. Zhuang watched Mo Hua and thought silently,


    ¡°Understanding at first mention, this is his innate talent for Formations, and also¡­ an affinity with the Great Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°Master, is this correct?¡± Mo Hua asked intently.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled happily, but then he had another doubt,


    ¡°Many Formation Masters must understand this principle, so why haven¡¯t I seen others use the ¡®earth¡¯ as Formation media?¡± Mo Hua then added, ¡°¡­ aside from the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°The principles are clear, but actually doing it is entirely another matter.¡±


    ¡°Is it difficult?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Even if you understand these principles, what next? How do you make the earth carry Spiritual Power? How do you make Formation Patterns become one with the earth? And how do you go about drawing a Formation? Which Formation should you draw?¡±


    ¡°Principles are simple to speak of, but in practice, they are fraught with difficulties, to the point where one doesn¡¯t know where to begin.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, reflecting on the words, and after a moment, his eyes brightened again,


    ¡°So, the key is the Thick Earth Formation, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang raised his eyebrows slightly, signaling for Mo Hua to continue.


    Mo Hua went on thinking,


    ¡°Since the Thick Earth Formation is said to ¡®carry virtue,¡¯ it contains the Dao of the Earth and inherently uses ¡®earth¡¯ as Formation media.¡±


    ¡°Conversely, learning this Formation means learning to use ¡®earth¡¯ as Formation media and comprehending the Formation is to grasp the Dao of the Earth represented by ¡®carrying virtue.''¡±


    ¡°Once you have learned the Formation and grasped the Dao, you can naturally make the earth carry Spiritual Power and become one with the Formation Patterns.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said with a slight smile, ¡°Well said.¡±


    Mo Hua gave a bashful smile, ¡°You teach well, Master!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave a faint smile, shook his head, and then said slowly,


    ¡°In cultivating the Dao, emphasis is laid on enlightenment, which without substance can easily become ethereal and formless.¡±


    ¡°However, Formations are manifestations of the Heavenly Dao and serve as a bridge connecting Cultivators with the abstract Heavenly Dao.¡±


    ¡°By pondering Formations, applying them, combining the abstract with the tangible, only then can one truly understand the Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°A Formation Master thoroughly studying Formations draws near to the Dao, and by attaining the Dao, one may achieve immortality¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with profound and expectant eyes.


    ¡°Thoroughly studying Formations, drawing near to the Dao¡­¡± Mo Hua repeated softly, his gaze becoming clear and his expression increasingly resolute.


    He nodded solemnly and said with respect,


    ¡°Master, your disciple remembers!¡±


    After Mr. Zhuang finished speaking, his once profound gaze turned lazy, and he waved his hand,


    ¡°Study the Thick Earth Formation more, see if you can comprehend any part of it, and come to me if you have any questions.¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Mo Hua ran off to practice Formation again.


    In the courtyard, the mountain breeze blew.


    Old Kui silently appeared behind Mr. Zhuang and frowned, ¡°Should you be teaching him such profound matters?¡±


    ¡°If he can learn it, why not teach it?¡±


    After thinking for a while, Mr. Zhuang then sighed,


    ¡°Originally, I just wanted him to try searching for Formations, to exercise his Calculation spell point. I planned to reveal the truth to him when he truly couldn¡¯t find it.¡±


    ¡°But I did not expect him to find it on his own.¡±


    ¡°He even deduced the Formation Diagram¡­¡±


    ¡°These matters, although difficult, do not present a reason not to teach him if he can learn.¡±


    ¡°Time is short, and I wish to teach him more¡­¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly, ¡°Have you calculated all of this?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°it was just a coincidence. Before coming here, I did not anticipate finding the Earth Sect¡¯s Ultimate Formation hidden in this place.¡±


    After finishing his thoughts, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s my good luck or Mo Hua¡¯s fortunate destiny.¡±


    The Ultimate Formation of the Earth Sect is no ordinary Formation.


    Old Kui was puzzled, ¡°Is there a branch of the Earth Sect bearing the Sun surname?¡±


    ¡°Surnames are just that, merely labels; they can¡¯t be taken as truth,¡± Mr. Zhuang said indifferently.


    Old Kui nodded, his eyes slightly lifting to gaze at the continuous Spirit Fields, quite moved,


    ¡°Though not encompassing the heavens, it can ¡®penetrate the earth.¡¯ With such Formation proficiency, even being Second Grade, he must be more than an ordinary individual.¡±


    ¡°Such a person, to have died with his Sea of Consciousness shattered¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze also became slightly focused, yet he said nothing.


    Old Kui glanced again at Mr. Zhuang, ¡°Learning this Ultimate Formation, Mo Hua won¡¯t get into any trouble, will he?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang dismissively replied, ¡°What trouble would there be?¡±


    ¡°This Ultimate Formation is the Earth Sect¡¯s secret transmission.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang snorted, ¡°If they can¡¯t learn it, can they prevent others from learning?¡±


    ¡°Besides, he didn¡¯t steal it or rob it; if meat falls into your lap, why not eat it? To not take what is given by heaven is to invite misfortune,¡± Mr. Zhuang spoke confidently.


    ¡°What if the Earth Sect causes trouble?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already thought of solutions,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Old Kui was somewhat skeptical, ¡°Are they legitimate solutions?¡±


    ¡°If it works, who cares about legitimacy?¡± Mr. Zhuang remained composed, ¡°Moreover, the Earth Sect is in Kun State, which is tens of thousands of miles away from here; it¡¯s uncertain whether they could even find this place.¡±


    Old Kui indifferently said, ¡°As long as you are certain in your own mind.¡±


    The yard became quiet for a while, with neither of them speaking. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A moment later, Old Kui broke the silence,


    ¡°They are on their way here.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang wasn¡¯t surprised, ¡°With such a commotion in Tongxian City, if the Pavilion Elder couldn¡¯t calculate this, he might as well retire and go back home to spend his old age.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Old Kui inquired.


    Mr. Zhuang lay on a bamboo chair, watching the clouds shift, and said indifferently,


    ¡°Nothing in particular, we¡¯ll do what needs to be done as planned.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll catch up?¡±


    ¡°They can calculate, and so can I, every time I¡¯m one step ahead. It would take them at least a year or two to catch up to me.¡±


    ¡°What about Gui Tao¡¯s people? He won¡¯t let you off either,¡± Old Kui said.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, ¡°He never intended to let me go.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s craftier than you, plus he has succumbed to demons, sealed as a ¡®Taoist.¡¯ With his Taoist Heart planted with devils and having reached completion, his actions are even more unscrupulous,¡± Old Kui stated woodenly.


    ¡°After so many years, sector grudges must come to an end,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Old Kui sneered, ¡°How can you end it? If you meet him, you have no chance of survival¡­¡±


    Old Kui wanted to say more but was interrupted by Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gazed at the sky, his eyes distant and contemplative,


    ¡°I have everything planned out.¡±


    His expression was neither sad nor happy, his gaze steady, in a state beyond life and death.

 Chapter 393 - 390: Taoist Meaning_1

    Chapter 393: Chapter 390: Taoist Meaning_1


    ¡°`


    In the vast expanse of the Spirit Field, there was a secluded patch of land.


    Mo Hua sat on the ridge, beginning to practice the Thick Earth Formation on a patch of bare earth in front of him.


    The principles of the Thick Earth Formation itself, Mo Hua had already mastered with the help of the Taoist Stele.


    The only problem was that when drawn, the formation had no effect.


    Thick Earth espouses the virtue of vastness; it carries weight, cultivates, and nurtures all living things.


    This Formation must use the land as the Formation media to truly take effect.


    Mo Hua, holding his brush dipped in ink, began to draw the Thick Earth Formation on the ground.


    After a while, a mysterious and ancient Thick Earth Formation, containing eleven Formation Patterns, was completed.


    Mo Hua infused Spiritual Power, hoping to activate the formation.


    But the Spiritual Power entered the formation like water pouring into a bucket with a hole; it drained away in an instant.


    Mo Hua wiped the Formation Patterns with his hand, and they were easily erased.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He had failed.


    Mo Hua was not willing to give up and started to draw again.


    As expected, the second drawing also failed. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The third drawing did not succeed either¡­


    ¡­


    After his Divine Sense was exhausted, Mo Hua sat in meditation, waiting for it to fill up again before continuing to draw.


    But no matter how he drew, the Patterns could not merge with the land, and the Spiritual Power could not circulate.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows and thought:


    ¡°It seems Master was right, it sounds simple in theory, but in practice, it¡¯s totally different¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter how I draw, the Patterns cannot stay on the ground, and the Spiritual Power cannot resonate with the earth.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, after drawing so many times, there¡¯s still no progress¡­¡±


    ¡°Should I ask Master again?¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated, then shook his head.


    Better to contemplate it again.


    If Master had wanted to tell him, he would have done so already.


    Master¡¯s silence must mean something else, that he wanted him to figure it out on his own.


    There¡¯s an old saying, ¡°The master points the way, but the cultivation is up to the individual.¡±


    It¡¯s better to learn and think on one¡¯s own; the understanding is deeper that way.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, then pondered:


    ¡°I must not have drawn enough.¡±


    ¡°Draw a Formation a hundred times, and its meaning will reveal itself.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s draw a hundred times first, and if there¡¯s still no clue, then I¡¯ll ask Master.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded again, concentrated his breath, and resumed drawing the Thick Earth Formation on the land.


    He drew from morning to afternoon, and from afternoon to evening.


    Mo Hua did not need to sleep at night.


    When his Divine Sense was exhausted, or he felt tired, he would sink his Divine Sense into the Sea of Consciousness.


    Sitting quietly in front of the Taoist Stele for a while in meditation, his Divine Sense would be replenished, leaving him feeling refreshed.


    Mo Hua drew the Formation day and night without rest.


    Bai Zixi, with a young child in tow, brought food to Mo Hua.


    But seeing that Mo Hua was absorbed in drawing the Formation, she did not disturb him, simply leaving the food beside him quietly.


    When Mo Hua tired from drawing and took a break, he would casually eat a few bites upon seeing the meal box.


    After eating, he would continue drawing the Formation.


    Several days later, Mo Hua had drawn the Thick Earth Formation eighty to ninety times, but the Patterns still could not merge with the earth.


    Mo Hua began to doubt himself.


    Was the method incorrect?


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Is it that my own comprehension just isn¡¯t enough?


    Can¡¯t really have to draw it a hundred times, right¡­


    But according to this pattern, even if I drew it a hundred times, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any progress.


    Mo Hua frowned, propped his chin and silently thought.


    Had he overlooked something?


    The elements of the Formation: Formation media, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, Formation eye.


    He should have considered all of these¡­


    Besides these, there¡¯s the Spiritual Ink, Spiritual Power, Divine Sense¡­


    Mo Hua muttered each term, suddenly feeling a jolt in his heart.


    Divine Sense¡­


    Cultivators must use their Divine Sense to comprehend Formations.


    But he was also using his Divine Sense to comprehend Formations, wasn¡¯t he?


    Could it be that what he needed to comprehend wasn¡¯t just the Formation?


    The Formation is drawn upon the earth, with its profound ability to carry all things, the Dao of the Earth¡­ so in addition to the Formation, is there also the ¡°earth¡± to comprehend?


    Mo Hua sat down cross-legged with a try-and-see attitude, took a deep breath, and concentrated, starting to communicate with the earth through his Divine Sense.


    An hour passed.


    Nothing happened¡­


    Mo Hua felt a bit disheartened and puzzled.


    Suddenly he clapped his forehead, recalling something.


    Mr. Zhuang had just told him:


    ¡°For a cultivator to comprehend the Dao, simply having perception is not enough, it¡¯s easy to become intangible and abstract, formalistic, lacking substance.¡±


    ¡°And a Formation is the manifestation of the Heavenly Dao, the bridge that connects cultivators with the intangible Heavenly Dao.¡±


    The Formation is the bridge that connects cultivators with the Dao of heaven and earth.


    It¡¯s not sitting and daydreaming, but rather, using the Formation as a bridge, drawing the Formation while comprehending the Great Dao.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, then he dipped his brush in ink again and began to draw the Thick Earth Formation on the ground.


    Only this time, as he drew, he also unfolded his Divine Sense, communicating with the earth.


    As his brush moved, Mo Hua faintly felt that his Divine Sense seemed to be stirred.


    It seemed that the vast earth exhaled almost imperceptible breaths, which, as he replicated the Formation Patterns, gradually surfaced.


    With each additional stroke of the Pattern, the earth¡¯s breath grew thicker.


    The touch of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense became clearer.


    Once Mo Hua completed the Formation, he was certain in his heart that he had indeed sensed something.


    It was a vast, profound, and compassionate breath.


    But this was still just a sensation.


    After the sensation, the earth remained silent, without a trace of breath.


    Mo Hua looked down at the Formation he had drawn.


    Parts of the Formation Patterns had already begun to fuse with the land, but only a shallow layer had merged, able to absorb only a faint Spiritual Power.


    Despite this, Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    This meant his idea was correct.


    To comprehend the Thick Earth Formation, one must not only understand the Formation itself but also experience the Great Dao it contains.


    Only by combining the Formation with the Dao and using the ¡°earth¡± as the Formation media can this Ultimate Formation be drawn.


    He had now experienced some of its profound mysteries, but having drawn too little, and reflected for too little time, the intensity was still inadequate.


    What he needed to do next was to simply keep drawing.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone like stars.


    He rallied his spirits and continued to practice the Thick Earth Formation using the method he had just realized.


    The effect of this practice session was noticeably much better.


    With each additional Formation drawn, the Pattern became more integrated with the land.


    The perception of the earth¡¯s breath from his Divine Sense also gradually clarified.


    It was as if the boundless earth possessed its own will, ancient and unchangeable, silent and wordless, yet also broad-minded, nurturing all beings.


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua communicated with this ancient will, gradually comprehending, his Divine Sense forming an affinity with it.


    Hence, his understanding of the Thick Earth Formation became increasingly profound.


    Finally, after an indeterminate amount of time had passed, Mo Hua successfully completed the first Thick Earth Formation upon the earth.


    The Formation Patterns merged with the ground as one.


    Mo Hua ignited the formation with his Spiritual Power.


    In the deep night, the Thick Earth Formation emitted a warm and gentle luster.


    Within the formation, the Spiritual Power also went through a special transformation.


    It seemed to gain its own life, evolving independently, transforming into more delicate, more gentle Spiritual Power.


    This Spiritual Power was like fine spring rain, merging into the land, nourishing life, proliferating endlessly.


    Mo Hua could even feel a strong sense of vitality rising from the soil.


    ¡°The Earth¡¯s potential is fertile, its generosity sustaining all; is this the essence of the Thick Earth Formation¡­¡± he murmured, momentarily lost in thought.


    He finally understood why the Ultimate Formations were called as such.


    For the Spiritual Power circulation within Ultimate Formations had an essential difference compared to ordinary formations, bringing them closer to a deeper layer of the Dao.


    Mo Hua now mastered two types of Ultimate Formations.


    One was the Reversed Spirit Formation, the other was the Thick Earth Formation.


    The Reversed Spirit Formation caused Spiritual Power to unravel, while the Thick Earth Formation allowed Spiritual Power to reproduce.


    The unraveling of the Reversed Spirit signified death and destruction.


    The nourishing of the Thick Earth signified endless life.


    Both were transformations of Spiritual Power, distinct from each other, yet they both returned to the same origin, evolving within the Dao.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua had an epiphany. His mind became crystal clear, and his understanding of the Great Dao deepened.


    ¡°To exhaust all Formation Studies is to approach the Dao¡­¡±


    This saying of Mr. Zhuang was deeply etched into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    It was now past 1 a.m., and the night sky was filled with dense stars.


    The moonlight, like a gauze, lay over the Spirit Fields and mountains.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mood lightened considerably, and he let out a long sigh of relief.


    After spending so much time, he had finally mastered the Thick Earth Formation.


    Mo Hua wanted to rest for a while, but he felt lively and full of energy as if rest was unnecessary.


    He decided to further consolidate the Thick Earth Formation.


    So, Mo Hua once again drew the Thick Earth Formation on the ground.


    But this time, he felt something was amiss.


    Although the Formation Patterns merged with the ground, there were occasional interruptions; the Spiritual Power flow was not particularly smooth either.


    After pondering, Mo Hua realized the issue.


    Although he had sensed the breath of the earth, his understanding was still shallow.


    Therefore, this perception was intermittent, and so was the formation itself, occurring in fits and starts.


    Such a skill level could only be considered a forced learning, not mastery.


    At the very least, it was probably much inferior to the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family.


    Thinking of how the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family reconstructed the Spirit Field with the pattern of the Thick Earth Formation, Mo Hua was even further from achieving that.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    The root of the problem did not lie in the formation itself.


    Having drawn it so many times, Mo Hua had become sufficiently proficient in the Thick Earth Formation; he could complete it even with his eyes closed.


    The problem was the perception of the earth¡¯s breath.


    Once Divine Sense lost this perception, the Formation Patterns could not harmonize with the earth.


    Mo Hua closed his eyes and once again sought to connect with that breath using his Divine Sense.


    This time it was much clearer, yet still faint and elusive, beyond his grasp to perceive any deeper.


    No matter how much more he tried, this was as far as he could go.


    Resting his chin on his hand and furrowing his brows, Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts raced.


    He needed to find a way¡­


    ¡°`


    If one cannot clearly perceive this breath of the Dao, Divine Sense cannot communicate with the earth, and thus, one cannot draw the Thick Earth Formation accurately and with complete certainty.


    Nor is it possible to construct a Spirit Field.


    In that case, one cannot be said to have truly mastered the Thick Earth Formation.


    ¡°If my own Divine Sense is limited, what if I rely on the ¡®Taoist Stele¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts shifted, and as his gaze flickered, his Divine Sense plunged into the Sea of Consciousness.


    Within the Sea of Consciousness, the Taoist Stele emerged.


    Mo Hua, while drawing the Thick Earth Formation on the Taoist Stele, used it to sense the breath of the earth.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua felt a tremor within the Taoist Stele.


    It was as if Divine Thought from heaven and earth had descended, resonating with the Taoist Stele.


    In an instant, Mo Hua¡¯s mind and spirit were both shaken.


    It was as if his Divine Sense perceived an ancient and immortal colossal Divine Thought.


    This Divine Thought was compassionate and magnanimous, vast as the endless sea.


    And his own Divine Sense, faint and minuscule, was merely a grain within that sea.


    Moreover, the breath of this Divine Thought seemed faintly familiar.


    In a flash of realization, Mo Hua understood.


    During his drawing of the Thick Earth Formation, the breath he perceived originated from this Divine Thought.


    But his own Divine Sense was too weak, sensing only a trivial breath.


    Now, with the assistance of the Taoist Stele, what he perceived was the magnificent Divine Thought!


    This was the Divine Thought of the vast earth!


    This Divine Thought contained neither good nor evil, neither joy nor anger, nor any of the selfish thoughts of the mortal world.


    Just like the earth itself, bearing and nurturing all things, and yet allowing the cycle of life and death to unfold without interference.


    Rather than calling it a Divine Thought, it was more akin to the ¡°Dao¡± of the earth itself.


    With luck on his side, Mo Hua started to draw the Thick Earth Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    This time, the Thick Earth Formation was incredibly profound.


    Every stroke seemed to contain the power of the earth.


    Upon completion of the Thick Earth Formation, using the formation as a bridge, Mo Hua felt a faint connection with this Divine Thought.


    His Divine Sense and the earth¡¯s Divine Thought became increasingly harmonious.


    And through this Divine Thought, Mo Hua also personally grasped the ¡°Dao of the Earth.¡±


    A mere moment of comprehension, yet it was profoundly deep.


    Heaven births all things; the earth nurtures them all.


    The withering of grass and trees, the falling of ripe fruit¡ªlife¡¯s continuous cycle, passed down through generations.


    Upon the earth, the unfolding of countless lives was displayed.


    In a trance, Mo Hua felt a revelation.


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s law is learned from the earth; man¡¯s law from heaven.¡±


    It was as if he truly stood upon the vast earth and glimpsed the ¡°Dao¡± of the earth.


    His Divine Sense was in harmony with the Dao of the earth.


    Mo Hua faintly felt that one day, he truly would be able to use thought as his brush and ¡°earth¡± as his paper.


    Under heaven¡¯s expanse, within earth¡¯s reach, wherever Divine Sense travels, draw ground into Formation!


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Mr. Zhuang, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and saw Old Kui with a similarly shocked expression.


    That moment, they both sensed an unforeseen trepidation in the air.


    Mr. Zhuang whispered in disbelief:


    ¡°Who¡­ has touched upon Taoist Meaning?¡±


    Then both were shocked and looked towards the southeast direction of the Spirit Field.


    There in the Spirit Field, his young disciple had been contemplating the Formation all along.


    And at this very moment, within the Spirit Field, there arose a profound and indescribable breath, endlessly vigorous.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became increasingly incredulous¡­


    ¡°`

 Chapter 394 - 391: Draw the Line_1

    Chapter 394: Chapter 391: Draw the Line_1


    The connection with the Earth Divine Thought lasted only for an instant,


    before it completely severed.


    In that mental image, the vast earth disappeared, the phenomenon of all things withering and flourishing, the blooming and falling of flowers, all receded.


    That understanding of the Earth¡¯s ¡°Dao¡± was no more than a fleeting epiphany.


    Mo Hua himself benefited greatly, but when he looked back, he discovered the ¡°Taoist Stele¡± had turned gray.


    Mo Hua was startled.


    Done for, had it been overused?


    Mo Hua frowned in thought.


    He had borrowed the Taoist Stele to meditate on the Earth Divine Thought.


    The one that directly endured the ancient and vast Divine Thought of the earth was the Taoist Stele.


    While the Taoist Stele was indeed peculiar, it was not to the extent that it could connect to Earth Divine Thought and remain unscathed.


    Of course, there was another possibility: that Mo Hua¡¯s own Divine Sense was too weak. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Therefore, as the mediating Formation media, the Taoist Stele had to bear tremendous pressure.


    Otherwise, he would not have been able, to successfully communicate with the Dao of the Earth and connect with it.


    ¡°It could be that the load was too heavy, so it stopped working¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a twinge of distress.


    He touched the Taoist Stele, worriedly saying, ¡°You¡¯d better not have any issues¡­¡±


    The Taoist Stele remained silent, unresponsive, with only the surface of the stele turning gray.


    Mo Hua tried to draw a Formation Pattern on the Taoist Stele.


    The Patterns were intermittent, flickering on and off.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    The Taoist Stele was still valid, it was just that the Divine Thought load was overdone, and so it was ¡°temporarily out of contact,¡± needing some time to rest.


    Mo Hua then sighed again, taking a lesson to heart.


    With his own realm too low, trying to communicate Divine Thoughts and meditate on the Great Dao was something he shouldn¡¯t do next time without certainty.


    Even if he hadn¡¯t hurt himself, damaging the Taoist Stele was also bad.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat guilty and patted the Taoist Stele again, saying,


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, take a good rest.¡±


    The Taoist Stele still had no reaction, seemingly uninterested in dealing with Mo Hua.


    ¡­


    Exiting his Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua was invigorated and began Drawing the Thick Earth Formation again.


    This time, his experience Drawing the Thick Earth Formation felt completely different.


    Having meditated on Earth Divine Thought and contemplated the Dao of the Earth, his perception of the Earth¡¯s essence was now incredibly clear.


    Even without the aid of the Taoist Stele and only relying on his own Divine Sense, he couldn¡¯t gain further insight.


    But with his clear perception, Mo Hua could easily draw the Thick Earth Formation on the ground.


    And he did it with considerable ease and mastery.


    Previously, even with the ability to use Divine Sense to connect to the Earth¡¯s essence and draw the Thick Earth Formation on the ground,


    the Patterns he drew were like those in the mud.


    The Patterns didn¡¯t fit well, and the flow of Spiritual Power was obstructed.


    But now, Mo Hua could truly treat the ¡°Earth¡± as ¡°Paper¡±, with the Patterns drawn clearly and steadily, becoming one with the earth.


    It seemed as if the Patterns he drew were inherently part of the earth.


    Where the brush fell, there was the land, the Patterns were there, and the Formation was there.


    That is the benefit of contemplating the Great Dao.


    But the consequence was that the Taoist Stele had ¡°gone on strike.¡±


    For the time being, it seemed that the Taoist Stele couldn¡¯t be used for further Formation practice.


    ¡°No other way¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit helpless.


    For now, he had no choice but to furtively slack off in a righteous manner.


    The next day, Mo Hua went to seek Mr. Zhuang again.


    He had mastered the Thick Earth Formation, so he wanted to confirm with his mentor whether there was any problem with what he had drawn.


    But upon entering the courtyard, Mo Hua found that Mr. Zhuang was staring at him intently.


    Not just Mr. Zhuang, Old Kui was also looking at him.


    They gazed at him as if he were some rare curiosity, with bright, piercing eyes.


    Mo Hua was a bit confused and asked softly,


    ¡°Master, what are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang hesitated several times, searching for the right words, and asked, ¡°Did you sense something last night?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    Indeed, nothing could be hidden from Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua simply told of last night¡¯s event, but he omitted the part about the Taoist Stele.


    He mentioned only that while learning the Thick Earth Formation, he had realized that one needed to use Divine Sense to connect to the Earth¡¯s essence to draw Formations on the Earth. But after connecting, he had a fleeting perception of an ancient and tremendous Divine Thought, and couldn¡¯t sense anything afterward.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyelids twitched as he listened.


    Connecting to the Earth¡¯s essence and perceiving the Earth Divine Thought were worlds apart.


    Like climbing a mountain, one at the base, having taken just two steps, cannot see the mountain¡¯s entirety,


    while the other who has nearly reached halfway up the mountain has glimpsed the zenith.


    The perception of these two are entirely different.


    They sound similar, but there¡¯s a massive chasm between them, a huge rift.


    This chasm is the Divine Sense; this rift is the Great Dao.


    Even Old Kui, with his wooden expression, showed a clear sign of shock.


    Seeing their reactions, Mo Hua felt somewhat uneasy and asked,


    ¡°Is this a good or bad thing?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing, but it could also be a trouble.¡±


    ¡°Trouble?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said with a half-smile,


    ¡°At your young age, being able to contemplate the Great Dao, if others knew, they would surely want to catch you, dissect your Sea of Consciousness, and see what¡¯s inside¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, subconsciously covering his little head.


    ¡°So remember,¡± Mr. Zhuang patiently cautioned, ¡°mention this only here, this one time, and beyond this, tell no one!¡±


    ¡°Mm, mm!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Mr. Zhuang quietly sighed to himself.


    His little disciple seemed to be accumulating more and more secrets that must not be disclosed.


    Mo Hua, however, expressed his confusion and asked:


    ¡°Master, what exactly is the divine thought that I sensed? Is it the divine thought of the earth? Why does the earth have a divine thought? Is it alive too?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as he explained to Mo Hua:


    ¡°All things between heaven and earth possess thoughts, and where there¡¯s thought, there¡¯s consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Humans have divine sense, monsters have monster sensing, and other beings, whether they are birds, beasts, insects, fish, or flowers, grass, and trees, also have something akin to ¡®divine sense¡¯.¡±


    ¡°This kind of ¡®thought¡¯ is primal and simple, less complex than a human¡¯s divine sense.¡±


    ¡°But once such ¡®thought¡¯ becomes vast to a certain extent, due to its singularity and enduring nature, returning to simplicity and truth, it often comes closer to the Dao than a cultivator¡¯s divine sense, which is filled with personal desires.¡±


    ¡°The earth¡¯s thought is exactly like this.¡±


    ¡°We usually refer to the immense divine thoughts in all things between heaven and earth that contain Daoist Meaning as ¡®Taoist Meaning¡¯!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said slowly and with emotion.


    ¡°Taoist Meaning¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was deeply shaken in his heart.


    The divine sense he perceived with the help of the Taoist Stele, the Great Dao he contemplated, was¡­ the Earth Dao Meaning!


    Mr. Zhuang then silently watched Mo Hua, ¡°Remember what I just said.¡±


    Mo Hua quickly nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master, I won¡¯t tell anyone!¡±


    Only then did Mr. Zhuang nod his head.


    Mo Hua quietly asked, ¡°Master, does that mean that if one comprehends the Earth Dao Meaning, one can draw the Thick Earth Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head.


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°As long as one can slightly sense the breath of the earth, one can draw the Thick Earth Formation.¡±


    ¡°If it were necessary to comprehend the Earth Dao Meaning, then hardly anyone would be able to draw this Thick Earth Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua stroked his chin and pondered:


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean my enlightenment was a bit of a waste?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but tap Mo Hua¡¯s head lightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be aggrieved when you have an advantage.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua rubbed his head and smiled sheepishly.


    Mr. Zhuang appeared somewhat helpless, but a slight smile also appeared on his lips, as he said:


    ¡°To comprehend the Daoist Meaning is not just for drawing the Thick Earth Formation on the ground, but to be able to draw any formation on the earth.¡±


    ¡°As long as the ground where you draw the formation exists, then the formation exists.¡±


    ¡°This is also an extremely profound technique of a Formation Master.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, and after pondering a bit, he gradually understood.


    ¡°The soil falls under the Daoist Meaning, and initially it does not allow cultivators to draw formations.


    ¡°Because there is no recognition, the Taoist Meaning won¡¯t give you face.¡±


    ¡°Now that I have ¡®seen¡¯ it, as if to say hello, gotten a bit acquainted, everything becomes convenient. The Taoist Meaning then allows me to draw formations on its turf.¡±


    ¡°Master, is that what you mean?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was bewildered by Mo Hua¡¯s explanation. After a lengthy silence, he finally said quietly:


    ¡°If that¡¯s how you want to understand it¡­ Well, sure.¡±


    Mo Hua felt elated in his heart.


    To be able to draw any formation on the ground!


    That also means that anywhere in this world, as long as there is soil, there is formation media.


    And under the vast heavens, there is no shortage of thick earth.


    What¡¯s more important is,


    From now on, he would save money on paper when drawing formations!


    In other words, he could save quite a lot of Spirit Stones!


    Mo Hua thought to himself:


    ¡°Seems like sustaining a bit of damage to the Taoist Stele is worth it after all¡­¡±


    Then Mo Hua quietly asked Mr. Zhuang, ¡°Master, this Thick Earth Formation doesn¡¯t have a simple origin, does it?¡±


    It is an Ultimate Formation that connects with the breath of the earth, and through it, one might even contemplate the Earth Dao Meaning.


    Although contemplating the Taoist Meaning is mainly the contribution of the Taoist Stele,


    But to serve as a mediator between a cultivator and the Taoist Meaning, this Thick Earth Formation is pretty extraordinary as well.


    Mr. Zhuang also whispered back:


    ¡°It¡¯s the Ultimate Technique of the Earth Sect; don¡¯t spread this around.¡±


    Mo Hua whispered,


    ¡°What if someone discovers it?¡±


    ¡°You learned it secretly; just don¡¯t worry about the origins.¡±


    ¡°Is that really okay?¡±


    ¡­


    Old Kui watched the master and disciple duo whispering to each other with some speechlessness¡­


    Mr. Zhuang continued to speak to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Once you got here, you ¡®accidentally¡¯ saw it, ¡®unintentionally¡¯ learned it. It¡¯s neither stolen nor forcibly taken, completely legitimate; how could they fault you for that? Even if they argue until the end of time, you are in the right.¡±


    ¡°Besides¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang added, ¡°if you don¡¯t say anything, they might not even know that what you drew is the Thick Earth Formation.¡±


    ¡°How could they not know?¡± Mo Hua was puzzled.


    ¡°Because their own Formation Masters might not be able to learn it.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly surprised, ¡°Can they not learn their own things?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang corrected him: ¡°It¡¯s not their own thing; it¡¯s merely handed down by their ancestors, and they are just basking in their ancestors¡¯ glory.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s an Ultimate Formation, one of the ultimate techniques of formations. Even though it is only a first-grade, it contains Dao Laws and is not something that ordinary Formation Masters can comprehend.¡±


    ¡°You say this formation is yours, can you draw one to show me?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t draw it, what gives you the right to claim it as yours?¡±


    ¡°Though the Earth Sect was founded on formations, the majority of its cultivators are not likely to know Ultimate Formations.¡±


    ¡°If they themselves can¡¯t do it, what right do they have to accuse you?¡±


    Mo Hua said timidly, ¡°Isn¡¯t this, maybe, a little¡­ thick-skinned?¡±


    ¡°No matter, at times, being thick-skinned is what solves problems.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang had an unflappable demeanor, ready to face the collapse of Mount Tai without a change in expression or take scolding from ten thousand people indifferently.


    Mo Hua looked up at Mr. Zhuang, full of admiration, and then he couldn¡¯t help but touch his own cheek,


    ¡°It seems I need to thicken my skin a bit more¡­¡±


    Old Kui, standing to the side, couldn¡¯t help but sigh involuntarily.


    A perfectly good child, is about to be led astray again¡­

 Chapter 395 - 392 Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram_1

    Chapter 395: Chapter 392 Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram_1


    Mo Hua suddenly thought of another question:


    ¡°Master, is Earth Sect a very large sect?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    ¡°How large is it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Earth Sect is one of the largest sects in Kun State, but as for how large it actually is, you don¡¯t need to worry about that now. It¡¯s not something you can come into contact with at your current level of cultivation. When you encounter it, you will naturally understand.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and then asked:


    ¡°Is the Old Ancestor of Sun Family also someone from Earth Sect?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became slightly heavy as he pondered:


    ¡°Even if he is not a member of Earth Sect, he is related to it.¡±


    ¡°Then how did Earth Sect comprehend the Thick Earth Formation? Also through Divine Sense, communicating with the essence of the earth?¡±


    Mo Hua voiced his doubt.


    He wanted to know if there were other methods to comprehend the Taoist Meaning.


    Although one can comprehend Taoist Meaning for a short period using a Taoist Stele, it places a great burden on the stele.


    Unless absolutely necessary, Mo Hua did not plan to do so in the future.


    And the cultivators of Earth Sect presumably all lack a Taoist Stele.


    Without the assistance of a Taoist Stele, what methods do they use to contemplate the Taoist Meaning?


    After all, Earth Sect is named after ¡°earth,¡± so its core formation must be related to the earth; thus, it is also closely tied to the earth¡¯s Taoist Meaning.


    Mr. Zhuang did not explain in detail, simply hinting:


    ¡°Taoist Meaning needs Divine Sense to ¡®contemplate¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and then understood, ¡°A Contemplation Map?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Earth Sect possesses a Contemplation Map that has been passed down for ten thousand years, known as the ¡®Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram.''¡±


    Mo Hua was inwardly shocked.


    Emperor Heaven and Earth!


    Just by hearing the name, he felt its vast and majestic presence.


    ¡°Do you remember what I told you about Contemplation Maps?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang saying:


    Contemplation Maps reflect another¡¯s Divine Sense and their understanding of the Heavenly Dao; in other words, what is contemplated is someone else¡¯s ¡°Dao¡± or perhaps the ¡°Dao¡± of something non-human¡­


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua then said:


    ¡°Then does this Taoist Meaning belong to ¡®non-human¡¯s Dao¡¯?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, ¡°Exactly, non-human¡¯s Dao can be good or evil, righteous or nefarious. Some may seem good, but in essence, they are evil; others may appear righteous, yet their true nature is nefarious¡­¡±


    ¡°With your limited experience in Tao Cultivation, you might not be able to discern the right from the wrong. Rushing into contemplation can easily lead you to be deceived by appearances and fall into dangerous territory.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why at the beginning, I told you not to touch or even think about Contemplation Maps.¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but nod.


    Just like the Landscape Taoist Child Painting he saw.


    On the surface, it was an innocent Taoist Child, but in reality, it was a green-faced fanged Evil Ghost.


    If it weren¡¯t for his ability to manifest Divine Sense and Drawing Formation, and the fact that his Sea of Consciousness contained a Taoist Stele, he might have been possessed by the Evil Ghost¡¯s malevolence, losing control of himself and no longer being the same person.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Is the Contemplation Map of Earth Sect a map of righteous Divine Thought?¡±


    ¡°It should be,¡± Mr. Zhuang considered his words.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°It should be?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it, so I don¡¯t know the details, hence I say it should be.¡±


    ¡°But this diagram has been passed down by the ancestors of Earth Sect, and they have been contemplating it for many years without any issues. So there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±


    ¡°Even if there are problems, Earth Sect would not inform outsiders.¡±


    ¡°We are all cultivators, not having become immortals, so we are humans, not celestials. As humans, our Divine Sense is limited, and what we perceive as the true form may still only be an appearance.¡±


    ¡°The knowledge at the level of Divine Sense is the most elusive and difficult to grasp, especially for a Contemplation Map that has been passed down for over ten thousand years¡­¡±


    ¡°Thus, what the true nature of this map is, is difficult to say.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang furrowed his brows, expressing his sentiment.


    Mo Hua understood somewhat, nodded slightly, and then quietly asked:


    ¡°Master, if one day I come across this Contemplation Map, may I take a look at it?¡±


    This question left Mr. Zhuang speechless.


    Normally speaking, since Mo Hua could contemplate the Earth Dao Meaning, taking a look at Earth Sect¡¯s Contemplation Map seemed harmless.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was different from ordinary people¡¯s, and if he really looked at this Contemplation Map, it was uncertain what he might perceive.


    The most important thing was, Mr. Zhuang feared unexpected complications might arise.


    Just like with the Landscape Taoist Child Painting, where the Taoist Child turned into a ghost taking residence in the Sea of Consciousness.


    The Divine Thought of the Taoist Child was not strong, so Mo Hua was unharmed and even managed to ¡°devour¡± the Evil Ghost that the Taoist Child had become, refining its Divine Thought.


    But Earth Sect¡¯s ¡°Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram¡± was different.


    ¡°`


    The Divine Thought inside there was terrifying to the extreme.


    When the time comes, it¡¯s hard to say who will ¡°eat¡± whom¡­


    Mr. Zhuang then cautioned:


    ¡°If you can avoid looking, it¡¯s best not to look, but if you do look, be careful not to look too long, just steal a glance or two.¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram sealed with the Earth Dao Meaning of the great land?¡±


    Since it is the Earth Dao Meaning from heaven and earth, it should be the Divine Thought of the Righteous Dao¡­


    Mr. Zhuang corrected:


    ¡°It¡¯s the Dao Meaning that¡¯s sealed, and the Earth Sect uses it to contemplate, to gain insight into Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°But whether the sealed content is truly the Earth Dao Meaning, that¡¯s hard to tell, after all, outsiders have not seen it, and even if they have seen it, they might not be able to perceive the true nature¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a slight chill in his heart and nodded his head.


    ¡°Moreover, you won¡¯t be able to see the complete ¡®Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram,''¡± Mr. Zhuang added with a sigh.


    Mo Hua was somewhat taken aback, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang explained, ¡°The problem lies with the four characters ¡®Emperor Heaven and Earth¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You are from the Earth Sect, so the two characters ¡®after earth¡¯ are suitable for use¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang pointed towards the sky, ¡°But the two characters ¡®Emperor Heaven,¡¯ can you afford to use them?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled.


    If the Earth Sect could not afford the ¡°Emperor Heaven,¡± then who could?


    Mo Hua was slightly shocked, ¡°Taoist Court?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°That ¡®Heaven¡¯ is not something they from the Earth Sect can contemplate, so the diagram was split in two by the Taoist Court, the Earth Diagram is kept in the Earth Sect, and the Emperor Heaven Diagram is kept in the Taoist Court.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°If you go to the Earth Sect, you can at most only see the ¡®Earth Diagram,¡¯ you can¡¯t see the ¡®Emperor Heaven Diagram,¡¯ let alone the complete ¡®Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram.''¡±


    Mo Hua opened his mouth, then softly said:


    ¡°Is the Taoist Court¡­ robbing them?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang raised an eyebrow, appearing to smile but not smiling:


    ¡°The matters of the Taoist Court, when described from above, are called ¡®requisition,¡¯ and when described from below, they are called ¡®tribute,¡¯ if it¡¯s a ¡®mutual consent,¡¯ how can it be called robbing?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, somewhat surprised:


    ¡°The Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram has been passed down for ten thousand years, the Divine Thought within must be terrifying, right? Can it really be forcibly divided?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze grew sharp, and there was a hint of wariness in his expression:


    ¡°The Divine Thought inside the Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram is indeed terrifying, but within the Taoist Court, those who have lived for ten thousand years, whose Cultivation reaches the heavens, those old demons are even more terrifying¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart and quietly asked:


    ¡°Those old demons¡­ elders, what realm have they reached?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang merely rubbed Mo Hua¡¯s head and said gently:


    ¡°Don¡¯t aim too high and think about these matters; they are still too far from you.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head, then thought it over and felt it made sense.


    He hadn¡¯t even reached Foundation Establishment yet and had only been cultivating for about a decade; to think about these things was indeed too premature.


    Immediately he felt a bit of regret:


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯ll never get to see the full Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily so,¡± said Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    Mr. Zhuang said with evident amusement:


    ¡°If you can make the Earth Sect bow down and pay homage, stand shoulder to shoulder with the Taoist Court, and combine the Emperor Heaven Diagram with the Earth Diagram into one, then naturally you will be able to contemplate the true Emperor Heaven and Earth Diagram.¡±


    Mo Hua gave an embarrassed laugh.


    To be that powerful, one would surely have to become an immortal¡­


    Mr. Zhuang was right.


    One should not aim too high in the pursuit of Tao Cultivation.


    It¡¯s better to be down-to-earth and take things step by step, first figuring out a way to achieve Foundation Establishment.


    ¡­


    After saying goodbye to Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua began to think about what to do next.


    He had already learned the Thick Earth Formation with its eleven Patterns, and after grasping the Dao Meaning, he could paint it on the ground, integrating the Formation Patterns with the earth and aligning the Spiritual Power with it.


    What Mo Hua wanted to do next was to use the Thick Earth Formation to reconstruct the hundred acres of Spirit Field in Thousand Families Town.


    Firstly, he intended to use the Thick Earth Formation to enrich the soil so that the Loose Cultivators of Thousand Families Town could have enough to eat.


    Secondly, it was to apply what he learned by constructing the Formation within heaven and earth, to truly understand the mysteries of the Thick Earth Formation¡¯s application.


    Third, it was for the Earth Dao Meaning.


    Man imitates the earth.


    Through the Taoist Stele, he had contemplated the Earth Dao Meaning, becoming ¡°acquainted¡± with it and having a bit of ¡°rapport;¡± he could paint a Formation on the earth and merge the Patterns with it.


    In return, he would also have to reciprocate, bringing the Formation comprehended from his own Dao Meaning to the earth, enriching it so that it would thrive and endure endlessly.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 396 - 393: Self-Rescue_1

    Chapter 396: Chapter 393: Self-Rescue_1


    Mo Hua decided to reconstruct the Spirit Fields of Thousand Families Town with the Thick Earth Formation.


    But, he actually had no authority in this matter.


    The Spirit Fields weren¡¯t his, and he wasn¡¯t even from Thousand Families Town.


    The elders of East Mountain Village, although not possessing high cultivation, were of advanced age with deep experience and considerable respect.


    Their actual power might not be great, but generally, the elders had the final say in matters.


    So, Mo Hua went to ask one of them:


    ¡°Elder, would you like to have the Spirit Fields Drawing Formation re-done?¡±


    The East Mountain Village Elder had anticipated this but still couldn¡¯t quite believe it and said quivering:


    ¡°Re¡­ redo the Drawing Formation?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded. ¡°The same kind that was drawn by the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family.¡±


    The Elder¡¯s pupils shook.


    The Old Ancestor of the Sun Family was a Second Rank Formation Master, held in high esteem in Thousand Families Town, and always a mythical figure among cultivators.


    Redrawing the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family¡¯s Formation¡­


    The Elder¡¯s tone became even more respectful:


    ¡°The Formation of the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family¡­ Young Gentleman, have you learned it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned some, not daring to claim I have mastered it completely, but I have managed to grasp seventy to eighty percent,¡± Mo Hua modestly stated.


    The Elder was momentarily lost in thought, murmuring:


    ¡°The Old Ancestor of the Sun Family was a Second Rank Formation Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua explained: ¡°He was a Second Rank Formation Master, but the Formation he laid out was actually first-grade. Otherwise, Qi Refinement cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to afford a Second-Grade Formation with their Spirit Stones.¡±


    The Elder understood.


    Mo Hua further laid out the pros and cons for him:


    ¡°Drawing the Formation will require reconstructing some of the Spirit Fields and redrawing the Formations on the ridges of these fields.¡±


    ¡°I have inherited the techniques from the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family, so I can offer my services without charging for Spirit Stones in drawing the Formation for you.¡±


    ¡°However, the Formation itself also requires a considerable quantity of Spiritual Ink and quite a few Spirit Stones, along with certain manpower to re-cultivate and reorganize the Spirit Fields.¡±


    ¡°These manpower and resources will have to be provided by your village.¡±


    The Elder understood the implications and slowly nodded.


    In the end, Mo Hua said: ¡°I can draw the Formation, but whether or not to employ this Formation is ultimately up to you to decide.¡±


    After long contemplation, the Elder finally saluted with his hands and said:


    ¡°Young Gentleman, may I have some time to discuss this with everyone?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Such a decision couldn¡¯t be made by the Elder alone; it surely warranted a discussion with others.


    Mo Hua did not press the issue.


    If they were willing, he would draw the Formation for them.


    He would also be able to apply what he had learned and deepen his understanding of the Formation.


    It was for both his own sake and that of the cultivators of East Mountain Village, as well as for the land of Thousand Families Town.


    If they disagreed, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t force them.


    He would have to look for another opportunity to build the Thick Earth Formation from scratch and deepen his understanding of Formations¡­


    ¡­


    After Mo Hua left, the Elder summoned the Spirit Farmers and cultivators of East Mountain Village.


    He conveyed Mo Hua¡¯s intentions to them.


    The people looked at each other, perplexed.


    Most couldn¡¯t believe it:


    ¡°Has this young gentleman truly mastered the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family¡¯s Formation?¡±


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    ¡°How old is he?¡±


    ¡°At the Qi Refining Seventh Level, can someone really learn such a Formation? I see other Formation Masters are all old with white beards.¡±


    ¡°What do you know? There is no order in learning; respect goes to the competent.¡±


    ¡°Although this young gentleman is young, I think his skill in Formations is much higher than the current Family Head of the Sun Family.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, though I do not understand much, his Formation drawing is both fast and good.¡±


    ¡°Better than anyone from the Sun Family.¡±


    ¡°So why is he helping us?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what does he gain from it, and he isn¡¯t even taking our Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°If he wanted Spirit Stones, could you afford it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re so poor we can¡¯t even scrape the bottom of the pot¡­¡±


    ¡°The Old Ancestor of the Sun Family¡¯s Formation, could it be just an ordinary Formation? How many Spirit Stones would it take to draw such a Formation?¡±


    ¡°Even if we emptied out all the village¡¯s reserves, the gathered Spirit Stones might still be insufficient to pay the fee¡­¡±


    ¡°I just find it odd, this young gentleman seems too kind-hearted.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a cheap mentality? If this young gentleman were like the Sun Family, riding roughshod over us, would that be better?¡±


    ¡°Drawing this Formation requires reconstructing the Spirit Fields, but these fields are ancestral, untouchable.¡±


    ¡°Why are they untouchable?¡±


    ¡°Because they are ancestral; that makes them untouchable¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd was buzzing with discussion, some agreeing, some disagreeing, and others anxious and uncertain.


    They were Spirit Farmers, relying on the Spirit Fields for their livelihood.


    Anything concerning the Spirit Fields touched upon their lifeblood, so making a decision was complicated, fraught with concerns.


    The Elder listened to their argument, and after a long contemplation, he finally said slowly:


    ¡°We need to build this Formation.¡±


    The room fell silent for a moment.


    A Spirit Farmer frowned and said, ¡°But Elder, this matter is not without risk.¡±


    The Elder shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t want the descendants of East Mountain Village to suffer from hunger anymore.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, there is risk involved, but what doesn¡¯t carry risk? Can people like us, poor Cultivators, ever encounter risk-free good fortune?¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t take this risk, it will fall to our descendants to do so.¡±


    ¡°But our descendants may not get this opportunity.¡±


    The Elder¡¯s cloudy eyes shone with a glint of determination as he looked over everyone, his voice heavy with gravity:


    ¡°Although this young Gentleman is of young age, he is an expert in the art of Formations.¡±


    ¡°Him willing to help us is our opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Once he leaves, who else could understand such profound Formations, and even if someone does, who would be willing to help us draw them?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rely on luck, thinking the future will be better.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t seize the present, the future will only get worse.¡±


    ¡°This is our only hope.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t take this chance, our descendants will starve!¡±


    The Elder¡¯s voice was hoarse and heavy, and upon finishing, an old ailment flared up, causing him to cough violently while frowning deeply.


    Everyone fell silent.


    Some still looked hesitant, but the eyes of many became resolute.


    ¡­


    The next day, the Elder approached Mo Hua and relayed the villagers¡¯ decision.


    ¡°Everyone has agreed to contribute what they can, whether it be Spirit Stones or labor, to rebuild the Formation in the Spirit Field.¡±


    Afterward, the Elder gave Mo Hua a grave bow:


    ¡°I implore you, young Gentleman, save the Cultivators of Thousand Families Town from this famine!¡±


    Mo Hua could not accept such a grand gesture and hurriedly helped the Elder to his feet.


    The Elder looked at Mo Hua expectantly.


    But Mo Hua shook his head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t save you.¡±


    The Elder looked astonished.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°I can only help you draw the Formation, but if a Formation could really save you, the Formation painted by the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family would have already done so.¡±


    ¡°But it hasn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Over the years, you still live day to day, half-starved.¡±


    The Elder was visibly shaken, then reflective, his emotions fluctuating momentarily.


    Mo Hua continued:


    ¡°I can draw the Formation well, make the soil fertile, and the Spirit Field bountiful, so everyone can have enough to eat.¡±


    ¡°But what then?¡±


    ¡°The Sun Family is still there, still oppressing you.¡±


    ¡°The restored Spirit Field will still be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°The newly drawn Formations will still be eradicated.¡±


    ¡°Without knowing Formations, you are still at the mercy of others, exploited by the Sun Family.¡±


    ¡°With well-drawn Formations in the Spirit Field and fertile land, you might live better for a year or two, even five or six years, you¡¯ll have enough to eat.¡±


    ¡°But what about after ten years, decades, or even a century?¡±


    ¡°Will you not end up back where you started?¡±


    The expression in the Elder¡¯s face turned bitterly sorrowful, eventually morphing into an indissoluble gloom.


    Helplessly, he said, ¡°But the Sun Family, they have a Foundation Building Cultivator¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Only at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment, and he¡¯s half a Formation Master; he seldom engages in combat, his Taoist Skills are rusty.¡±


    ¡°Generally speaking, a dozen or so Cultivators at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement who are truly determined can make him wary.¡±


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°The Sun Family¡¯s tyranny relies on the weakness and complacency of the Spirit Farmers.¡±


    ¡°If you truly unite and stand together, they would not dare to be so reckless.¡±


    The Elder¡¯s face showed hesitation as he sighed:


    ¡°But¡­ this way, there might be bloodshed, lives lost¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s tone became somewhat solemn:


    ¡°If you shed blood, your descendants can eat their fill, but if you starve, your descendants will also starve.¡±


    Upon hearing these words, the Elder suddenly became distant.


    Mo Hua then reassured him, ¡°Actually, the Sun Family wouldn¡¯t dare go too far.¡±


    After all, the Taoist Court of Shangtai City exists.


    The local Taoist Court, although not directly intervening with matters outside the Immortal City, must step in if conflicts escalate.


    The Taoist Court operates according to Taoist Law.


    At least, that¡¯s what it appears to be on the surface.


    With the constraints of Taoist Law, and it being the duty of the Taoist Court, the Sun Family also dares not be too presumptuous.


    After all, the Sun Family is not the same as the Qian Family or the Patriarch of the Qian Family¡¯s Black Mountain Stronghold.


    They are merely leeches that suck blood for pleasure rather than ruthless executioners who kill without batting an eye.


    ¡°So I can only help you, not save you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked earnestly, his gaze clear as he spoke honestly, ¡°Only you can save yourselves.¡±


    With furrowed brows the Elder pondered for a long while, then slowly relaxed and bowed again to Mo Hua, speaking earnestly: S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Thank you, young Gentleman, I understand now.¡±

 Chapter 397 - 394 Thick Earth Formation_1

    Chapter 397: Chapter 394 Thick Earth Formation_1


    ¡°`


    The Elder had already decided to rebuild the Spirit Field.


    Mo Hua had also begun further planning of the Formation Diagram.


    In a typical Formation, the Formation Patterns are drawn on the Formation media, and while they fit together, they are independent of each other, with little connection.


    The Formation media is just a medium.


    But now, in drawing the Thick Earth Formation, the land itself is being reconstructed by the Formation.


    With the natural landscape as a guide, complemented by the carving of Formation Patterns, the overall scheme of the Formation will integrate with nature to become one.


    Cultivators learn about Formations from the myriad things in the world,


    And then they build those Formations into all things.


    Mo Hua appeared thoughtful, inspired, he looked up at the sky again.


    The Heavenly Dao Formation in the sky must also be based on this principle.


    By borrowing the heavens to comprehend Formations, and then merging Formations with the heavens, the heavens and the Great Formation become one.


    Now, as he constructed the Thick Earth Formation, he was also unifying the Formation with nature.


    However, the Formation was merely first grade, and the Spirit Field was only a hundred acres.


    A hundred acres of good land seemed vast, but when compared to the vast earth and the endless sky, it was insignificant.


    But a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.


    The Great Formation that reaches the heavens is also made up of individual Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was resolute.


    Bit by bit, he would comprehend, step by step, he would learn, grounded in reality, and one day, he would be able to glimpse the true essence of the Heavenly Dao Formation above the nine heavens.


    He would also use his own power, with supreme Divine Sense, to merge Formations with the heavens and the earth, to construct a Great Formation that connects heaven and earth.


    Bai Zisheng, who was nearby, saw Mo Hua looking at the sky, with an inexplicably determined look, and he couldn¡¯t help but look up at the blue sky too.


    But he couldn¡¯t see anything¡­


    Bai Zisheng stealthily asked Mo Hua, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Formation!¡±


    ¡°Where is there any Formation?¡±


    ¡°There is!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Master said so.¡±


    And he had seen it too.


    Bai Zisheng, half believing and half doubting, said, ¡°Can you see it now?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t see it, why do you keep looking¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng muttered, but a competitive spirit arose within him, and he also looked up, staring motionless at the sky.


    Bai Zixi passed by, equally puzzled, ¡°What are you two looking at?¡±


    ¡°Looking at the Formation!¡±


    Mo Hua and the others said in unison.


    Bai Zixi also looked up, saw nothing, but seeing Mo Hua and the others looked earnest, she too joined them in looking up.


    The sky was vast, with clouds changing forms.


    Below, the green Spirit Rice swayed with the wind, turning into rolling waves.


    Mo Hua and the others stood on the ground, looking up at the sky.


    They were tiny in form, but their aspirations soared high.


    ¡­


    The rebuilding of the Spirit Field was proceeding methodically.


    It took Mo Hua two days to design the Formation Diagram for the Spirit Field.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also helped.


    The newly constructed Formation Diagram made the Spirit Field no longer as neatly arranged as blocks of tofu, but shaped more naturally, flowing with the terrain.


    The ridges of the field intertwined to divide and yet connect the Spirit Field. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Near the ridges, the Formations to be carved were also marked out.


    These Formations were primarily Cultivating Soil Formations, intended to aid the Thick Earth Formation, nourishing the soil and water, while also providing Spiritual Power to the Thick Earth Formation.


    The ridges became Formation Patterns, the layout became the Formation Pivot, and as a whole, it was a complete, first grade Thick Earth Ultimate Formation with eleven patterns.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were both overwhelmingly amazed.


    Mo Hua then took the Formation Diagram to Mr. Zhuang for review.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in approval.


    Only then did Mo Hua find the Elder of East Mountain Village to discuss how to construct this Formation.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s hands were two diagrams.


    One was the Thick Earth Formation Diagram, the other was the current acreage diagram of the Spirit Field.


    What the cultivators of East Mountain Village had to do was to alter the acreage diagram of the Spirit Field so that its layout matched that of the Thick Earth Formation Diagram.


    This involved many issues.


    Which Spirit Fields to keep untouched, which ones to change.


    While the Spirit Fields may shift, the total acreage for each household must remain the same, and so on¡­


    The Elder consulted with others, made proper arrangements, and then instructed each Spirit Farmer to take care of their own part before carrying out a unified inspection.


    Besides that, they had to purchase Spiritual Ink.


    Spiritual Ink required Spirit Stones.


    The Spirit Farmers of East Mountain Village each contributed a bit of Spirit Stones, pooling enough together.


    About ten robust Spirit Farmers, carrying the Spirit Stones, made a trip to Shangtai City, bought the Spiritual Ink, and then delivered it back to the village.


    Mo Hua went along on this trip too.


    One reason was that the Spiritual Ink was of the utmost importance, draining nearly half of East Mountain Village¡¯s resources, and thus there could be no mistakes,


    The second reason was that the quality of Spiritual Ink varied widely, with prices ranging accordingly.


    The Spirit Farmers didn¡¯t understand Formations and could not distinguish between good and bad, so they were easily deceived into buying low-quality Spiritual Ink.


    The third reason was the Sun Family.


    The Sun Family would not let things rest.


    And just as Mo Hua had anticipated, on this trip, he indeed ran into cultivators from the Sun Family.


    More than a dozen Spirit Farmers had left East Mountain Village and had barely stepped out of Thousand Families Town when they were shadowed by several sneaky Sun Family cultivators.


    They wore the clothes of Spirit Farmers, thinking their disguise was good.


    But they couldn¡¯t possibly fool Mo Hua.


    With his eleven-pattern Divine Sense, comparable to Foundation Establishment,


    These men attempting to tail Mo Hua was like trying to steal while carrying a lantern; Mo Hua would find it hard not to notice them.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t bother to take action; he simply led the group down a few detours and shook off those Sun Family cultivators.


    On the return trip, the Sun Family sent even more cultivators to block the way,


    But Mo Hua led the group down a secluded mountain path, and they returned to the village safe and sound.


    This left the accompanying Spirit Farmers astonished.


    ¡°`


    Ding Dachuan even stealthily asked:


    ¡°Little gentleman, could you possibly know fortune-telling¡­¡±


    The whereabouts of the Sun Family cultivators, he knew everything like the back of his hand.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry:


    ¡°I just have a slightly stronger Divine Sense, that¡¯s why I discovered them in advance.¡±


    Ding Dachuan nodded, but clearly didn¡¯t believe him.


    The little gentleman is but in the Qi-refining Realm, so even if his Divine Sense is strong, how strong could it be.


    He felt that the reason of knowing fortune-telling seemed more reliable¡­


    After that, they began formally constructing the Formation.


    While the Formation was being built, some Spirit Farmers patrolled nearby to prevent the Sun Family cultivators from causing trouble.


    Among the most active was Bai Zisheng.


    Originally, Mo Hua wanted him to help with Drawing the Formation.


    He indeed did help.


    But not long after he started drawing, upon hearing that people were needed to patrol to guard against the Sun Family in case they caused trouble, he looked at Mo Hua with eager eyes:


    ¡°I want to go fight¡­ no, patrol!¡±


    Mo Hua disagreed, ¡°Drawing the Formation is the real business.¡±


    Bai Zisheng then sighed.


    Being the senior brother, if it were anything else, he wouldn¡¯t ask his junior brother Mo Hua, and would make decisions by himself.


    But now, as they were Drawing the Formation, even though he was the senior brother, he still had to listen to Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng continued Drawing the Formation, but his expression was listless, heaving sighs without spirit.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua, feeling somewhat helpless, said:


    ¡°Go patrol then. The Spirit Farmers of East Mountain Village may not be a match for the Sun Family cultivators.¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really.¡±


    Bai Zisheng felt a bit apologetic and hesitated:


    ¡°You don¡¯t need me to help you Draw the Formation anymore?¡±


    Mo Hua gave him a look, ¡°Alright then, how about you stay and Draw the Formation?¡±


    Bai Zisheng immediately sprang up, ¡°Never mind, I don¡¯t draw as well as you. You paint the Formation; I¡¯ll patrol and make sure those Sun Family villains don¡¯t disturb you!¡±


    Having said this, his expression was one of excitement as he ran off proud and vigorous.


    Mo Hua smiled to himself.


    Thereafter, Bai Zisheng patrolled around the Spirit Fields to see if any Sun Family cultivators came to make trouble.


    One evening, indeed, a few Sun Family cultivators sneaked over to scout around.


    Without a second word, Bai Zisheng, his movement technique swift as the wind, directly charged at them.


    These cultivators were no match for Bai Zisheng; he took care of them quickly and efficiently, leaving them bruised and swollen, scurrying away with their tails between their legs.


    Remembering Mo Hua¡¯s admonition¡ªhe could fight, but he should not strike fatally to avoid escalating the situation¡ª


    So Bai Zisheng simply made his point and spared their lives.


    The Sun Family cultivators who had been beaten black and blue by Bai Zisheng fled back to the Sun Family and met with Family Head Sun Yi.


    Sun Yi then asked, ¡°Did you find out anything?¡±


    But without waiting for his subordinates to answer, seeing their injuries, he had his answer.


    It was clear that they had found out nothing and had been given a thrashing.


    Sun Yi could only helplessly wave his hand and say:


    ¡°Go recover from your injuries.¡±


    The Sun Family cultivators withdrew, and Sun Ze walked in, saying to Sun Yi:


    ¡°Father, could it be that they really found our Sun Family¡¯s ancestral Formation?¡±


    Sun Yi looked solemn, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible¡­ That kid is not simple, and there¡¯s been such a big commotion at the Spirit Fields. I guess they really discovered something¡­¡±


    ¡°What should we do? Should we take action now?¡± Sun Ze asked, ¡°Our Sun Family¡¯s inheritance can¡¯t fall into outsiders¡¯ hands.¡±


    Sun Yi did not respond.


    Sun Ze said, ¡°Father, you can¡¯t still be waiting, can you?¡±


    Sun Yi frowned, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what they are doing right now.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the kid learned the Old Ancestor¡¯s Formation and wants to redraw it?¡± Sun Ze speculated.


    Sun Yi looked coldly at Sun Ze, ¡°What nonsense are you talking?¡±


    Sun Ze was puzzled, ¡°Isn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    Sun Yi scoffed, ¡°You have no idea just how profound our Old Ancestor of Sun Family¡¯s Formation is¡­¡±


    ¡°The Formation he left behind, is it something so easily learned?¡±


    ¡°Forget about that kid, who¡¯s barely in his teens. Even if he¡¯s been studying Formations for ten full years,¡±


    ¡°Even if he keeps studying for another few decades, the level of his Formation skills couldn¡¯t possibly match one-tenth of the Old Ancestor of Sun Family¡¯s.¡±


    Sun Ze said in shock:


    ¡°Was our Old Ancestor really that incredible?¡±


    Sun Yi looked down disdainfully at his son:


    ¡°You fail to apply yourself, having barely skimmed the surface of Formation knowledge. You have no clue about the depth of skill involved.¡±


    ¡°Even among First Grade Formation Masters, the discrepancy can be huge, let alone a Second Grade Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s Divine Sense, understanding of Formations, or Formation accomplishment, the differences are as vast as heaven and earth.¡±


    Sun Ze couldn¡¯t help but nod.


    He had originally thought that the Formation inheritance of the Sun Family had declined, and his ancestors couldn¡¯t be that great.


    Yet he had overestimated others and underestimated the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family.


    ¡°But what is that kid doing right now, and what kind of Formation is he Drawing?¡±


    Sun Yi thought for a moment, then shook his head:


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s wait until they¡¯re finished.¡±


    Sun Ze was a bit anxious, ¡°Are we really going to let this go unchecked?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t understand what?¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he said faintly:


    ¡°No matter what they¡¯re doing, in the end, it will only benefit our Sun Family.¡±


    Sun Ze paused, deep in thought.


    Sun Yi continued, ¡°These people are after all foreign cultivators. No matter how much they do, they will eventually leave.¡±


    ¡°Once they¡¯re gone, these Spirit Farmers will still be at our mercy.¡±


    ¡°Whatever benefits they give to the Spirit Farmers will remain in their hands and will ultimately fall into our Sun Family¡¯s possession.¡±


    ¡°This Thousand Families Town is our Sun Family¡¯s Thousand Families Town, and everything in it is ours!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the Formation in the Spirit Fields, ultimately, enriches the land.¡±


    Sun Yi let out a cold laugh, ¡°We just have to be patient. In the end, not only can we retrieve the ancestral Formation, but we can also rely on these fertile Spirit Fields to ensure that our Sun Family¡¯s descendants are provided for and carefree¡­¡±

 Chapter 398 - 395 Formation_1

    Chapter 398: Chapter 395 Formation_1


    Bai Zisheng led the Spirit Farmers on their daily patrols with great enthusiasm, while Mo Hua quietly sat on the ridge, diligently painting the Cultivating Soil Formation.


    Bai Zixi was also helping Mo Hua with the Formation Painting.


    She crouched next to Mo Hua, her fair hand holding the brush, her posture elegant and her demeanor serene, the Formation Patterns she drew were graceful and beautiful.


    Mo Hua stole several glances, greatly astonished, and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim,


    ¡°Junior Sister, the Formation you paint is really beautiful!¡±


    ¡°Beautiful?¡±


    A hint of doubt flashed in Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zixi glanced at the Formation she had painted, then at the one Mo Hua had done, and curiously said,


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it almost the same?¡±


    The Formations were the same, and the Patterns in them looked quite similar at first glance.


    But Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s different.¡±


    His own Formation Painting, due to excessive familiarity, was orderly and done with a composed brushstroke.


    However, his Junior Sister¡¯s painting was delicate and elegant, and the ink was perfectly balanced between thick and thin.


    Mo Hua took another covert glance at Bai Zixi and thought to himself, the saying goes, ¡°the style is the man,¡± could it also be that a Formation reflects the person?


    If a person is beautiful, does that mean the Formation they paint is also beautiful?


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s eyes blinking and unaware of his thoughts, Bai Zixi asked,


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi felt that Mo Hua was keeping something from her; her gaze flickered, and she said nothing.


    Then she stared at Mo Hua for a few moments before suddenly pointing at her own pale cheek.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, not understanding her meaning.


    Bai Zixi said, ¡°There¡¯s something dirty on your face.¡±


    ¡°Dirty?¡± Mo Hua was slightly stunned, ¡°Is it ink?¡±


    He wiped his face a few times, looked at his palm, and said in confusion,


    ¡°It¡¯s not dirty¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dirty,¡± Bai Zixi asserted.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll wash it later,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°I am your Senior Sister, let me help you clean it.¡±


    After saying this, she reached out her small hand and wiped Mo Hua¡¯s cheek.


    Her movements were a blend of pinching, wiping, and massaging¡­


    Her fingers were icily cool and tenderly soft.


    After rubbing Mo Hua¡¯s right cheek, Bai Zixi started on the left cheek.


    Mo Hua was bewildered, ¡°Is the left cheek dirty too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dirty!¡± Bai Zixi nodded.


    Mo Hua, helpless, let her continue rubbing his face.


    After a while, Bai Zixi finished and nodded, ¡°All clean now!¡±


    Mo Hua was skeptical, ¡°Really?¡±


    Bai Zixi pursed her lips, her gaze calm, and said,


    ¡°I am your Senior Sister, I wouldn¡¯t lie to you.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, without any suspicion, and resumed painting the Formation seriously.


    However, while he painted, he felt that his Junior Sister was occasionally glancing at him; although her expression was as usual, a hint of a smile sometimes peeked through her gaze.


    Mo Hua thought he must have been mistaken.


    His Junior Sister was usually calm, rarely showing her emotions.


    Mo Hua was puzzled for a moment, but since he had to focus on painting the Formation, he quickly pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind.


    It wasn¡¯t until he returned home in the evening that Mo Hua sensed something was amiss.


    Mr. Zhuang saw him and couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Bai Zisheng was even more exaggerated, holding his stomach and laughing non-stop, nearly tears of laughter streaming from his eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mo Hua still didn¡¯t understand.


    Still laughing, Bai Zisheng managed to say in between chuckles,


    ¡°Haha, big¡­ big painted face!¡±


    Mo Hua found a mirror, took a look, and then was stupefied.


    Both his left and right cheeks were covered in ink, making him look like a big spotted cat.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Who did this?


    Who could deceive his Divine Sense, and under his watch, paint his face?


    Then, in a flash of insight, he turned his head and looked at Bai Zixi.


    His Junior Sister was the one who had rubbed his face!


    Bai Zixi pretended to be composed, but her lips were tightly pressed, obviously trying to hold back laughter.


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    He had never imagined that Bai Zixi, his Junior Sister, would be capable of such a prank!


    Bai Zixi was usually elegant and serene, with a calm demeanor, and he hadn¡¯t expected her to play such a mischievous trick.


    ¡°Junior Sister!¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat angry, his eyebrows shooting up, which, paired with his big painted face, made him resemble an angry kitty.


    Finally, Bai Zixi could no longer hold it in and burst out laughing.


    ¡°`


    This smile, was like the splendid blooming of a night-blooming cereus.


    Even though his features had changed, there remained an ethereal beauty that was both clear and absolute.


    The eyes brimming with laughter were like hibiscus carrying the morning dew, and like the sparkling translucence of colored glaze, shimmering with flowing light. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang showed a slight hint of surprise.


    Mo Hua was somewhat startled.


    This was the first time he¡¯d ever seen Bai Zixi smile like that.


    Bai Zisheng paused, then felt a wistful pain. His heart held a mix of comfort yet also a twinge of heartache.


    His sister, how long had it been since she had last smiled this way¡­


    After a bout of laughter, Bai Zixi personally helped Mo Hua to wash his face clean.


    Mo Hua, facing the mirror, checked over and over again until he finally nodded in confirmation.


    Bai Zixi whispered softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    But the corners of her mouth still carried a brimming smile.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh, feeling somewhat helpless in his heart.


    Afterward, Bai Zixi kept smiling all day long, unable to hold back a purse-lipped smile every time she saw Mo Hua and thought of his cat-like painted face.


    Another day passed before it got somewhat better, and her expression returned to normal.


    Although her brows and eyes remained gently composed, they were much more open than before, and her gaze had softened a great deal.


    For some reason, Mo Hua also felt a sense of relief.


    ¡­


    The Cultivating Soil Formation was simple, and Mo Hua was extremely quick at drawing it. With Bai Zixi¡¯s help, a few days later, he completed the formation for the entire Spirit Field.


    The layout of the overall Spirit Field, thanks to the relentless labor of the Spirit Farmers night and day, complemented the Thick Earth Formation perfectly.


    After completing the Cultivating Soil Formation, the next step was to outline the Formation Patterns of the Thick Earth Formation.


    Mo Hua needed to use Spiritual Ink to connect all the field ridges, activating the Formation Patterns of the entire Thick Earth Formation.


    A hundred acres of Spirit Field formed a colossal Thick Earth Formation when connected.


    The Formation Pen required a large brush, consuming a great deal of Spiritual Ink. However, the consumption of Divine Sense was actually not much different from that of a small-scale Thick Earth Formation.


    The consumption of Divine Sense by a Formation is related only to the formation¡¯s complexity¡ªthat is, the number of Formation Patterns.


    The overall scale of the formation has an effect on Divine Sense consumption, but the impact is not significant.


    Therefore, the greatest challenge of truly connecting the Formation Patterns with Spiritual Ink to activate the Thick Earth Formation on the Spirit Field was not Divine Sense for Mo Hua, but rather physical strength and Spiritual Power.


    A Formation Painting requires seamless execution, a continuous stream of Divine Thought.


    Thus, when connecting the Thick Earth Formation, Mo Hua also had to traverse all of the Spirit Field¡¯s ridges in one go, simultaneously infusing Spiritual Power into the Spiritual Ink and drawing it along the ridges to create the Formation Patterns in one continuous flow.


    Looking at the vast expanse of the Spirit Field in front of him, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    This method was rather crude.


    To paint in such a manner was too ungainly, completely lacking the grace of a Formation Master.


    But he had no other way.


    With his Qi Refinement Realm cultivation and current abilities, he could only use this clumsy method to connect a large-scale Single Formation.


    ¡°I wonder if after reaching a higher realm in Qi Refinement, there will be other, more convenient methods of drawing formations¡­¡±


    Lost in thought, Mo Hua sighed again.


    Later, with focused concentration, Mo Hua started to paint the Thick Earth Formation in the Spirit Field according to plan.


    Carrying a large pen soaked in Spiritual Ink, he traced along the field ridges, drawing the Formation Patterns of the Thick Earth Formation from his Sea of Consciousness, connecting the whole Spirit Field.


    This process was rather lengthy and couldn¡¯t afford mistakes; otherwise, he would have to start all over again, which was time-consuming and laborious.


    Luckily, Mo Hua had rehearsed beforehand.


    He had also repeatedly practiced the route.


    He had considered the potential problems in advance and thought of ways to solve them.


    So overall, it went smoothly.


    Bai Zisheng, Bai Zixi, Miao¡¯er, and all the other Spirit Farmers from East Mountain Village gathered around the edge of the field, watching Mo Hua draw the Formation Painting.


    Mo Hua did not stop, walking from morning to night, then from night to morning again.


    With each step, he left behind a long, winding trace of clear ink marks on the ridges, filled with an enigmatic meaning and coursing with Spiritual Power.


    As Mo Hua traversed each ridge, he left stroke after stroke of Formation Patterns.


    With each ridge he covered, the number of Formation Patterns grew, linking more and more of the Spirit Field¡­


    By the time Mo Hua finally finished drawing, his physical strength and Spiritual Power were nearly depleted. He sat beside the field like a fish out of water, gasping for breath.


    At the same moment, a flash of light emerged from within the Spirit Field.


    A rich aura of vitality unfurled.


    The entire Spirit Field seemed unified, the Formation Patterns resonating from afar.


    From within the Spirit Field surged a continuous stream of the earth¡¯s essence, nurturing the land, nourishing the rice seedlings.


    All the Spirit Rice in the field, seemingly refreshed by the earth¡¯s essence, visibly started to thrive with vigor, their color turning a jade-like green.


    ¡­


    All the Spirit Farmers gathered around the field were stunned into silence.


    They knew the Formation was not simple, but they had not envisioned it to be mystically effective to such an extent.


    Was this the handiwork of the Old Ancestor of Sun Family from years past¡­


    The Elder of East Mountain Village, feeling the aura of the Spirit Field and observing the rice seedlings, was momentarily dazed, then overwhelmed to tears.


    Such a fertile Spirit Field, if preserved, could ensure their descendants would never starve again¡­


    Meanwhile, at the Sun Family household.


    The Family Head of the Sun Family, who was browsing through Formation Books, also vaguely sensed a strong surge of vitality, quickly standing up and looking towards the distant Spirit Field, his eyes filled with shock.


    ¡°Is this¡­ a Formation?¡±


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 399 - 396 Capture the Formation_1

    Chapter 399: Chapter 396 Capture the Formation_1


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua finished painting the Thick Earth Formation. Satisfied, he nodded in approval.


    It¡¯s only by applying what you learn that you can truly master it.


    Mo Hua stood amid the vibrant Spirit Fields.


    The mountain breeze caressed his cheeks, and the Spirit Rice gently brushed his palms.


    It was as if the land itself was expressing its gratitude to him.


    Mo Hua felt his connection to the breath of the earth, the Earth Dao Meaning, becoming ever clearer.


    Although he was completely exhausted, it was all worth it.


    Mo Hua smiled slightly, squinting his eyes.


    Having completed the Formation, Mo Hua was ready to leave.


    He had done what he came for, and now it was time to move on to the next place, to seek out other Formations.


    They didn¡¯t have many belongings, and they packed up quickly. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After resting for a night and organizing their things, they were set to depart in a carriage the next day.


    Before leaving, the Spirit Farmers of East Mountain Village came to see Mo Hua off.


    They didn¡¯t have many Spirit Stones left, so they brought some local specialties instead, which included Spirit Paddy, vegetables and fruits, and even home-raised chickens and ducks.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t refuse and had to pack them in his Storage Bag and put them in the carriage.


    With these ingredients, he could try to cook some dishes on the road to offer to Mr. Zhuang.


    Ding Miao clung to Mo Hua¡¯s sleeve, reluctant to part.


    Mo Hua then instructed him, ¡°Cultivate diligently and don¡¯t be lazy. And the things I gave you, make sure to study them well.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ding Miao nodded solemnly, ¡°Brother, rest assured!¡±


    Then he asked, a bit downcast,


    ¡°Will I be able to see Brother again?¡±


    Mo Hua encouraged him with a promise,


    ¡°As long as you cultivate well, you will definitely be able to see me in the future.¡±


    Ding Miao¡¯s little face instantly filled with anticipation, his eyes sparkling.


    Mo Hua then waved goodbye to the villagers of East Mountain Village and got into the carriage.


    Old Kui drove the horses, with Big White pulling the wagon. They set out on the road leisurely.


    They hadn¡¯t gone far before a group of Cultivators blocked their way.


    The leader was the Family Head of the Sun Family, Sun Yi.


    Behind him stood hundreds of Cultivators from the Sun Family.


    They spread out and surrounded the carriage, blocking the road completely.


    Mo Hua glanced at Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang was resting with his eyes closed, saying nothing as if he was unaware of anything.


    Mo Hua understood.


    The intent of his master was to let him handle the situation entirely.


    Mo Hua lifted the carriage curtain, stepped out, and stood atop the carriage, looking at Sun Yi calmly and contentedly from a distance.


    Even faced with the blockade of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and hundreds of Qi Refinement Cultivators, he was as confident as ever, with not a hint of panic.


    Sun Yi couldn¡¯t help but praise inwardly,


    ¡°Impressive composure!¡±


    At such a young age, he possessed such courage and calm, unflustered in the face of adversity.


    No wonder he had such prowess in Formation.


    Sun Yi then looked at his own son, Sun Ze.


    The moment Mo Hua appeared, his son had actually shaken visibly. If it weren¡¯t for the crowd bolstering him, he would have been close to running away in shame.


    Probably due to the trauma from the Fireball Technique.


    Or maybe the Thousand Jun Stick had knocked some sense out of him.


    Now Sun Ze couldn¡¯t bring himself to look Mo Hua in the eye, his gaze evasive.


    Sun Yi felt his eyelids twitch with frustration.


    Back home, Sun Ze was excited, loudly proclaiming his intention to seek revenge on this youngster, but now that they were face to face, he turned into a coward.


    And he was over twenty years older than this Junior Formation Master.


    It¡¯s true what they say: Comparisons are odious.


    Sun Yi looked at Sun Ze with disappointment.


    However, now was not the time for that.


    The most important thing at the moment was the ancestral Formation of his Sun Family.


    After sensing the energy in the Spirit Fields the day before, he was too excited to sleep. He convened the Sun Family Disciples overnight and blocked the major and minor roads of Thousand Families Town.


    The purpose was to stop Mo Hua from leaving.


    And when he secretly visited the Spirit Fields, and felt the intense vitality of the land up close,


    his heart leaped with astonishment, followed by ecstasy.


    A Spirit Field like this could produce over fifty percent more Spirit Rice in a year. In other words, his Sun Family could gain fifty percent more Spirit Stones.


    A Spirit Field like this was a treasure!


    And what was more valuable than the Spirit Field was that Formation.


    It enriched the soil and made the yields abundant.


    Such a Formation was truly a secret treasure, which was what the Old Ancestor of Sun Family should have passed down!


    At first, he was somewhat hesitant.


    The Formation left by the Old Ancestor might be difficult for him to learn, even though he was a Sun Family member and had reached the Foundation Establishment stage.


    But now his thoughts had changed.


    If this Qi Refining Seventh Level youngster could learn it, why couldn¡¯t he, a Foundation Building Cultivator, also learn it?


    Therefore, he was determined to possess this Formation!


    Sun Yi, accompanied by the Sun Family Cultivators, surrounded Mo Hua¡¯s carriage.


    Mo Hua faced them without fear.


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teaching: even posturing was a skill in Tao Cultivation.


    So Mo Hua said nothing.


    Because he intended to act like a high-level master.


    High-level masters never speak first. To do otherwise would be undignified; it¡¯s the underlings who start talking first.


    As expected, Sun Yi spoke up first:


    ¡°Young brother, hand over our Sun Family¡¯s Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua had anticipated this and was about to say something when he suddenly paused, looking behind him.


    But there was nothing behind him.


    Sun Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, wondering what sort of mystery this youngster was playing at. He followed Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, and after a short while, he too paused.


    Because not long afterward, behind Mo Hua, a group of Spirit Farmers appeared.


    Armed with knives and forks, and a few simple Spiritual Artifacts, they encircled the carriage, forming a protective ring around Mo Hua.


    The man leading them was Ding Dachuan.


    Remembering the Elder¡¯s instructions, despite feeling slightly intimidated facing the Foundation Establishment Stage Family Head of the Sun Family, Sun Yi, he still stood, his expression resolute:


    ¡°You Sun Family must not bully us too much!¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t let you harm our young gentleman!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Protect the young gentleman!¡±


    Other spirit farmers also raised their spiritual artifacts of various descriptions in their hands and shouted loudly.


    Sun Yi sneered, ¡°Quite bold, daring to actually rebel?¡±


    He sneered calmly, but deep down he felt somewhat chilly.


    Things were getting a bit bad¡­


    The reason he had not stopped Mo Hua and the others in East Mountain Village was precisely to avoid this situation.


    What he dreaded was not the spirit farmers.


    Among the spirit farmers, there were no Foundation Building cultivators and possibly not many more Qi Refining Ninth-Level cultivators than the Sun Family had.


    If it really came to a fight, they were no match for his Sun Family.


    What he feared was that the Sun Family would incur the wrath of the masses.


    The Sun Family still counted on these spirit farmers to toil with their faces towards the soil, and their backs to the heavens, to support them.


    If the spirit farmers were provoked to rebel and stopped tilling the fields, the Sun Family would lose their source of spirit stones as well as their lifestyle of luxury and comfort.


    Surely they couldn¡¯t expect the young of the Sun Family, exposed to wind and sun, to personally take to the fields.


    Moreover, once the wrath of the masses was incurred, the Taoist Court would not indulge them.


    The Taoist Court sought stability, and as long as there was order, the cultivators in Thousand Families Town could suffer and toil as much as they would; the officials would turn a blind eye.


    But should stability be threatened and large-scale unrest among cultivators occur without cause, then the Taoist Court wouldn¡¯t mind making an example of the Sun Family to deter others.


    If the Taoist Court were cold-hearted and merciless, uncaring of personal sentiment, they might even directly confiscate the Sun Family¡¯s property, earning a tidy profit while appearing generous to the spirit farmers, thereby demonstrating the Court¡¯s fairness.


    This would be killing two birds with one stone.


    The Taoist Court was capable of doing such a thing.


    And the most frightening thing was the generational resentment that came with incurring mass outrage.


    Now, with the Sun Family in power, they could still suppress the spirit farmers.


    But should one day come when the fortunes of the Sun Family declined, and no Foundation Building cultivator was there to hold sway, a bursting forth of pent-up resentment could potentially lead to the spirit farmers eradicating the Sun Family in a desperate act.


    Such things had happened before.


    The spirit farmers were timid; they wouldn¡¯t fight desperately as long as they had enough to eat.


    Thus, previously, even though he exploited the spirit farmers, he also left them enough to live on, not letting them starve.


    If the spirit farmers fell into debt, he just had them sell themselves to pay it off.


    This Mo child had shown kindness to the spirit farmers.


    He wanted to capture this Mo child but did not move against him directly in East Mountain Village. Instead, he waited until they were about to reach Thousand Families Town before stopping them.


    But he never expected that the usually meek spirit farmers would actually come out to protect the child.


    Sun Yi¡¯s expression turned solemn, and his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.


    Unless it was absolutely necessary, he did not wish for swords to cross and a large-scale melee to break out.


    Mo Hua was also not keen on seeing this happen.


    Coming together as one to face the external threat can sometimes be a deterrent.


    It¡¯s not always necessary to fight to the death.


    The spirit farmers had a hard life; even if they were to rebel, it should be for themselves, for their own homes and their families.


    They shouldn¡¯t die a bloody death just because of a momentary impulse.


    If they were to die, a family¡¯s mainstay might collapse.


    Leaving behind wives and children would make life even harder.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Sun Yi, what do you want?¡±


    Being called by his first name by a junior cultivator made Sun Yi lose face.


    But with Mo Hua standing amid a group of spirit farmers, who clearly also listened to him, even if his junior was young, he did have the qualification to negotiate with him.


    Sun Yi forced himself not to care about face and such trivial details.


    He said coldly, ¡°My demand is simple, give me the Sun Family¡¯s ancestral Formation and I will let you go, without making things difficult for anyone else.¡±


    After saying this, Sun Yi waited for Mo Hua to haggle.


    Unexpectedly, Mo Hua responded directly, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s train of thought was interrupted.


    He didn¡¯t know how to continue the negotiation.


    This boy, doesn¡¯t he haggle when doing business? Why did he agree so quickly?


    Sun Yi was stunned for a long time before he managed to grumble out:


    ¡°Don¡¯t play any tricks.¡±


    Mo Hua disdainfully said:


    ¡°You¡¯re an adult, and your thoughts can be dirty. I¡¯m a child, and my actions are honest. I disdain to play those petty tricks.¡±


    Sun Yi did not know what to say, frowning:


    ¡°Are you really going to hand over the Formation to me?¡±


    ¡°I mean what I say!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was clear and resolute.


    Sun Yi still did not believe it, ¡°Why?¡±


    Mo Hua thought Sun Yi, being a Family Head, was nagging¡­ but he still patiently explained with his little finger raised:


    ¡°First, this Formation originally belongs to your Sun Family. I learned it, and it¡¯s also considered a favor from the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family. Giving it back to you is merely returning the object to its rightful owner;¡±


    ¡°Second, Formations are not meant to be hoarded jealously but are to be used for the welfare of all beings. Especially this kind of Formation that nourishes the Earth, it¡¯s better the more people know it;¡±


    ¡°Third, although I don¡¯t fear trouble, I also don¡¯t want to cause trouble. If we both give a little, leave room for later, it will be easier to meet in the future¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spoke eloquently and with clear logic.


    Upon hearing this, Sun Yi sighed and glanced at his son who couldn¡¯t say a word beside him.


    Thinking to himself that indeed, nothing shows up a bad product like a good one, his son really wasn¡¯t worth keeping.


    After saying this, Mo Hua asked:


    ¡°How about it?¡±


    Sun Yi hesitated for a long time, still unsure of what to decide.


    With Mo Hua being so straightforward, he was at a loss for how to proceed, and after a while, he slowly said:


    ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not deceiving me, planning to fob me off with a fake Formation? Show me the Old Ancestor¡¯s Formation first.¡±


    Mo Hua, unconcerned, nodded and replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After saying this, he took out a booklet from his bosom and threw it to Sun Yi from a distance.


    Sun Yi was taken aback, somewhat in disbelief.


    He¡¯s really giving it to me?


    This boy seems clever, so why is it that everything he does lacks any guile?


    Scanning the booklet with his Divine Sense and confirming there was nothing wrong with it, Sun Yi cautiously opened the booklet, glanced at it, and then became completely stunned.


    The booklet indeed recorded a Formation.


    The Formation Patterns were complex and intertwined, the Formation Pivot¡¯s structure was extremely unfamiliar, the annotations for the Formation eye were dizzying, and the entire Formation included eleven Patterns, quite unfathomable¡­


    The superficial Sun Yi felt a tingling on his scalp.


    What is this?


    He couldn¡¯t understand any of it¡­

 Chapter 400 - 397 Zhens Deterrence_1

    Chapter 400: Chapter 397 Zhen¡¯s Deterrence_1


    He recognized the Formation Patterns, but when put together, he couldn¡¯t recognize them anymore.


    The Formation Pivot was very unfamiliar to him, beyond his understanding of formations and incomprehensible.


    How could this Formation Eye belong to any other formation?


    And this formation, clearly just a first-grade, how could it contain eleven Pattern Lines?


    Sun Yi, for a moment, felt a darkness before his eyes, completely baffled.


    Then he thought to himself:


    ¡°Is this kid deceiving me?¡±


    ¡°Did he give me a fake Formation?¡±


    Sun Yi speculated in his mind, and then he dismissed the thought himself.


    Impossible¡­


    Although he could not understand, he had a vague feeling that this was indeed a complete Formation, and moreover, a very profound one.


    More likely, it was the Formation left behind by the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family!


    In that case, it was normal for him not to understand.


    Because it was a Formation inherited from his revered ancestor.


    His own knowledge of formations was far inferior to that of the ancestor; it was normal for him not to learn it.


    But what he couldn¡¯t accept was this.


    He couldn¡¯t learn this Formation, but how could this Junior Formation Master with the surname Mo learn it?


    He was a Foundation Building Cultivator, whereas this kid was merely at the Qi Refinement stage.


    If he could draw the Formation left by the old ancestor, doesn¡¯t it mean that this kid¡¯s mastery of formations had reached a level comparable to that of the Sun Family¡¯s old ancestor?


    Great waves surged in Sun Yi¡¯s heart, and he murmured:


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    Sun Ze, standing by his side, seeing his father become completely dumbfounded upon seeing the formation and his ever-changing expressions, softly called out:


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    Sun Yi came back to his senses, but he was still shaken.


    Sun Ze asked, ¡°Dad, is it this formation?¡±


    Sun Yi, frowning, nodded slowly, and then shook his head.


    ¡°Dad, what do you mean?¡± Sun Ze did not understand.


    Sun Yi did not speak.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly declare in front of all these people that he couldn¡¯t understand and couldn¡¯t learn it, thus was unsure¡­


    Sun Ze pondered for a moment, then tentatively suggested:


    ¡°How about we detain this kid and interrogate him?¡±


    Sun Ze clenched his fist lightly, ¡°No matter how tough his mouth is, it¡¯s not as tough as a fist. Beat him up, and he¡¯ll confess everything.¡±


    Sun Yi was indecisive.


    Then Mo Hua¡¯s crisp voice came from the other side:


    ¡°I¡¯ve given you the formation, now it¡¯s time to let us through, isn¡¯t it? People who break their word won¡¯t end well!¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Sun Ze urged as well.


    Sun Yi¡¯s brows were tightly knit, his face struggling.


    He didn¡¯t dare, but he also couldn¡¯t bear it.


    If this child truly had such mastered formations to such a high degree, then he wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move.


    But to let them go just like that, he was extremely reluctant.


    He had previously thought to deceive the formation out of Mo Hua¡¯s hands first, then capture him and force him to marry into the Sun Family and work for them.


    But back then, he thought Mo Hua had just a good talent, believing that Mo¡¯s level of formation would not exceed his own.


    Now that he saw this formation, he suddenly realized that he had underestimated this young cultivator.


    And vastly overestimated himself.


    He had previously scoffed, thinking this kid could never learn the Formation of the Sun Family¡¯s old ancestor, but now it seemed, the one who truly couldn¡¯t learn was himself¡­


    Yet with just the seventh level of Qi Refinement, could he really draw such a Formation?


    Sun Yi still didn¡¯t believe it.


    Could this kid be deceiving me?


    Sun Yi frowned and asked:


    ¡°Kid, have you learned this Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Sort of.¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    After pondering for a moment, his face darkened, and he said with a feigned smile:


    ¡°This formation is a treasured family formation of the Sun Family and is not to be taught to outsiders. Since you have learned it, you are a member of the Sun Family. You will need to join the Sun Family and work for us to pay back the grace you have received.¡±


    Paying back grace was a ruse, the truth was to keep the person.


    Sun Yi decided to take a gamble.


    He had come to understand something.


    The Formation of the old ancestor was so profound and complex that he might never learn it for the rest of his life.


    He might not learn it, but this young man likely would.


    Even if he didn¡¯t, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Just with his talent in Formation Mastery, he wanted to make him marry into the Sun Family and father children with the blood of the Sun Family.


    A Formation Genius was not easy to come by.


    He wanted to retain this young man¡¯s talent in formation within the Sun Family and transmit it through generations with the blood of the Sun Clan.


    So regardless of whether this young Formation Master had learned the Formation or not, he had to keep him today.


    By saying this, Sun Yi was ready to go back on his word and show his true colors.


    The cultivators of the Sun Family were getting restless.


    The Spirit Farmer gripped their polearm tightly, on alert.


    Ding Dachuan also cursed angrily, ¡°The Family Head is such that his word means nothing, just like farting!¡±


    Sun Yi just sneered coldly and paid him no heed.


    He looked at Mo Hua and asked loudly, ¡°Young brother, what do you think? If you join the Sun Family, we will surely treat you well.¡±


    However, Mo Hua shook his head and said, ¡°Your Sun Family is too small, I¡¯m afraid it can¡¯t accommodate me.¡±


    Sun Yi was taken aback and said with a forced laugh,


    ¡°Our Sun Family is quite large, large enough for you to live in!¡±


    Mo Hua replied with restraint, ¡°I am also someone with status.¡±


    At such a young age, what status could he have?


    Sun Yi sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he replied with a feigned smile, ¡°No matter the status, our Sun Family can accommodate it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Mo Hua gave a faint smile, took out a ring, and put it on his delicate little hand.


    The ring, made of white jade inlaid with gold, was simple yet luxurious.


    Nine star traces were engraved on it, symbolizing the nine grades of Formation. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A burst of starlight above the star traces signified the acknowledgement by the Taoist Court as a true One-Rank Formation Master.


    Sun Yi¡¯s smile faded, and his pupils shook violently as he exclaimed,


    ¡°Heaven Shu Ring?!¡±


    Sun Ze, unaware of why his father was so shocked, asked in bewilderment,


    ¡°What is the Heaven Shu Ring?¡±


    Sun Yi said with a trembling voice, ¡°The Heaven Shu Ring¡­ he¡­ is a One-Rank Formation Master¡­¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, all the cultivators of the Sun Family took a sharp breath, displaying expressions of disbelief.


    The Sun Family had a legacy of Formation knowledge, although not much, but it was present.


    In the clan, there were also many Formation Masters.


    They were well aware of the difficulty in achieving a Formation Master Grading.


    In the remote state boundary, a Formation Master who had passed the assessment was as rare as a phoenix feather or a qilin horn.


    Even the Family Head, Sun Yi, with his Cultivation at the Foundation Establishment, had not managed to achieve One-Rank yet.


    But now this little cultivator in his teens was a One-Rank Formation Master?!


    Even if he started learning Formation from the womb, it still wouldn¡¯t be possible¡­


    After all, he was a One-Rank Formation Master.


    A Formation Master without an official grading was only considered ¡°self-proclaimed.¡±


    Only those who had been assessed by the Heaven Shu Pavilion of the Taoist Court and granted a ranking were considered real Formation Masters of esteemed status.


    In other words, once a Formation Master received their grading, they had the backing of one of the Central Tao Court¡¯s seven main pavilions, the Heaven Shu Pavilion.


    It was as if they had leapt over the dragon gate ¨C their status and identity were no longer the same as that of ordinary cultivators.


    ¡°Is that really the Heaven Shu Ring?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    ¡°If the Family Head says it is, then it probably is¡­¡±


    The Sun Family¡¯s cultivators whispered among themselves in hushed tones.


    Most of the Sun Family¡¯s Formation Masters, let alone getting graded, didn¡¯t even have the qualifications to be assessed, and naturally, they had never seen the Heaven Shu Ring before.


    Sun Ze also asked quietly, ¡°Dad, is that really the Heaven Shu Ring?¡±


    Sun Yi still looked shocked, but he nodded slowly.


    Armed with his status as a Foundation Building Cultivator and a quasi-Formation Master, he had visited a few One-Rank Formation Masters and seen these white jade inlaid golden rings, the distinguishing symbol of the Heaven Shu Grading, on their hands.


    He felt both envious and covetous at that time, hence the memory was deeply imprinted in his mind.


    Sun Yi dreamt that one day he himself would pass the grading and possess a Heaven Shu Ring of his own.


    But to his great astonishment, he had yet to achieve his grading, and here this young cultivator in his teens already possessed a Heaven Shu Ring.


    ¡°Could it be stolen?¡± Sun Ze asked again.


    Sun Yi¡¯s brows furrowed once more.


    He thought it should be stolen, but something in his heart suggested it was impossible.


    Formation Masters regarded the Heaven Shu Ring as their life; it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to steal.


    Nor was it likely that someone dared to steal the Heaven Shu Ring and brazenly flaunt it.


    Sun Yi looked towards Mo Hua again.


    Mo Hua¡¯s fair little hand, adorned with such a solemn and luxurious ring, appeared somewhat inconceivable.


    But the Heaven Shu Ring, indeed, seemed to resonate with his aura.


    Moreover, the demeanor and temperament he displayed while wearing the ring were, indeed, that of a One-Rank Formation Master.


    Sun Ze¡¯s eyes gleamed with greed, a cold light flashed, and he whispered,


    ¡°Dad, let¡¯s snatch the ring away!¡±


    This time Sun Yi couldn¡¯t hold back and slapped him directly.


    ¡°Are you ****ing looking to die?!¡±


    Sun Ze was stupefied by the slap, his gaze dazed, not understanding what taboo he had violated.


    Grinding his teeth, Sun Yi explained in a low voice,


    ¡°You ****ing aren¡¯t a bandit or a highwayman, you¡¯re a Clan cultivator!¡±


    ¡°With a name, a family, and property, and such a large mansion established in Thousand Families Town¡ªevery cultivator in our family is registered with the Taoist Court Officials.¡±


    ¡°You must have eaten the gall of a bear and the heart of a leopard to even think of robbing a One-Rank Formation Master¡¯s Heaven Shu Ring?¡±


    ¡°A One-Rank Formation Master is certified by the Heaven Shu Pavilion¡ªtheir support comes from the Central Taoist Court!¡±


    ¡°Robbing the Heaven Shu Ring means offending the Heaven Shu Pavilion, defying the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s an investigation from above, it¡¯s possible they could decimate our entire Sun Family!¡±


    ¡­


    As Sun Yi spoke, his anger grew, and he slapped Sun Ze again.


    Sun Ze was petrified and dared not speak.


    As Sun Yi¡¯s residual anger subsided, he sighed deeply, his expression wary,


    ¡°This young cultivator¡­ our Sun Family cannot afford to offend him¡­¡±

 Chapter 401 - 398 Legacy_1

    Chapter 401: Chapter 398 Legacy_1


    Sun Yi felt a pang of dread.


    This junior cultivator was a first-grade Formation Master, and they, the Sun Family, could not afford to offend him.


    Yet Sun Ze¡¯s gaze shifted, and he said,


    ¡°But Dad, we¡¯ve already offended him¡­¡±


    Sun Yi was taken aback.


    Sun Ze continued, ¡°Even if we let him go, he will hold a grudge against us¡­¡±


    Sun Yi¡¯s heart gradually grew colder.


    Indeed.


    Their Sun Family had already offended this junior Formation Master.


    At this point, hoping for peace was probably impossible¡­


    But to really take action and close the matter permanently?


    Sun Yi was not quite courageous enough to do that.


    After all, he was not from humble origins; he lacked the ruthlessness.


    Mo Hua sensed the struggle in the heart of the Family Head of the Sun Family and, with a slight move of his thoughts, released his Divine Sense to probe him.


    This act of probing was brazen and undisguised.


    Sun Yi, still tangled in his thoughts, suddenly sensed something, startled, and then his eyes widened dramatically.


    This Divine Sense?!


    He quickly turned towards Mo Hua, his voice trembling, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua did not reply, only silently watched him.


    Sun Yi felt an icy chill in the pit of his stomach.


    It was over.


    They had encountered a little monster.


    Could the Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment Stage he had initially felt actually belong to the junior Formation Master before him?


    At the Qi-refining Realm, yet with Foundation Establishment Divine Sense¡­


    The Sun Family had offended not just a first-grade Formation Master, but also a Formation Master with exceptionally strong Divine Sense, with an unknown future potential¡­


    Sun Yi¡¯s face turned ashen, and he stammered, ¡°I¡­ my Sun Family¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said nonchalantly, ¡°I can overlook it.¡±


    Sun Yi was shaken, ¡°Is this true?¡±


    ¡°I am not lying to you.¡±


    Sun Yi gritted his teeth, ¡°Alright!¡±


    There are proper ways in the world.


    And those who transcend the ordinary paths of Tao cultivation are either of extraordinary birth, gifted talent, or have a mindset and methods different from ordinary people.


    Such cultivators could only be treated with respect and kept at a distance.


    Otherwise, the Sun Family truly would face disaster.


    Fortunately, this young gentleman said he would not take it to heart.


    Whether he truly meant it or not, the Sun Family had to seize the chance to back down gracefully and send this deity away, to avoid escalating the situation further.


    And Sun Yi also remembered something even more terrifying.


    At the seventh level of Qi Refinement, with Foundation Establishment Divine Sense, and a first-grade Formation Master¡­


    That such a person was merely a junior brother.


    He had a senior sister, a senior brother, as well as a Master who was not ostentatious, and a seemingly insignificant, wooden-like coachman.


    What could their identities be, what kind of cultivators were they, and how prominent could their backgrounds be?


    Just thinking about it made Sun Yi¡¯s scalp tingle.


    He dared not even think about it any longer.


    Sun Yi immediately ordered loudly,


    ¡°Make way!¡±


    Sun Ze, understanding his father¡¯s intent, whispered,


    ¡°Dad, are you planning to pretend to let them go and then take them by surprise when they¡¯re off guard¡­¡±


    Sun Ze made a throat-slitting gesture.


    Sun Yi immediately grabbed Sun Ze¡¯s neck to silence him.


    At this moment, he truly wished he could strangle his own son.


    Although Sun Ze had spoken softly, Mo Hua had heard him and gave Sun Ze a meaningful glance.


    Sun Yi hastily apologized,


    ¡°My son is ignorant, speaks without thinking, and is unfit for great responsibilities. I ask for the Junior Master¡¯s understanding.¡±


    Ignorant, speaks without thinking, unfit for great responsibilities¡­


    That meant the next Family Head of the Sun Family would have nothing to do with Sun Ze.


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    Sun Yi breathed a sigh of relief, then bowed deeply and said respectfully,


    ¡°I respectfully see off the Junior Master, wishing the Junior Master a smooth journey!¡±


    The other Sun Family cultivators looked at one another, completely unaware of what had just happened.


    But they simply followed the Family Head¡¯s lead and likewise bowed respectfully, saying,


    ¡°We respectfully see off the Junior Master!¡±


    The Sun Family cultivators made way and bowed.


    The surrounding Spirit Farmers also felt a bit confused, but seeing the Sun Family treat Mo Hua with such respect, they too were relieved.


    Ding Dachuan clasped his fist and said, ¡°Junior Master, have a smooth journey!¡±


    Mo Hua waved his hand and smiled, ¡°Take care, everyone!¡±


    ¡°Junior Master, take care!¡±


    ¡°Have a smooth journey!¡±


    ¡°Good people are rewarded with good fortune!¡±


    ¡­


    The other Spirit Farmers also said their farewells, sincerely sending their best wishes.


    Likewise, under the respectful send-off of the Sun Family cultivators and the heartfelt farewells of the Spirit Farmers, Mo Hua left Thousand Families Town, setting off on the road towards distant lands.


    It couldn¡¯t be considered startling or dangerous.


    But with the matter resolved, Mo Hua also breathed a sigh of relief.


    Sun Yi might have been a bit slow when it came to formations, but he knew how to act appropriately.


    Being able to leave without a fight and with no casualties among the Spirit Farmers couldn¡¯t be better.


    The Thick Earth Formation had already been painted by Mo Hua.


    Provided that the land is nourished by the Thick Earth Formation to enrich the soil, Thousand Families Town would no longer suffer from famine in the future.


    From now on, it was up to them.


    Whether they could protect their Spirit Fields, safeguard the formations, resist the Sun Family, and ensure that their descendants had enough to eat¡­


    These were things Mo Hua could no longer manage.


    He was only a passing junior Formation Master and had done what he could.


    Bai Zisheng felt a hint of regret.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t end up fighting¡­ I wanted to test myself against someone at the Foundation Establishment stage.¡±


    He had been standing behind Mo Hua the whole time, waiting for the Sun Family to make a move, so that he could then step forward and put on a magnificent display of his brotherly prowess in front of his junior brother.


    Unfortunately, the Sun Family did not give him that chance.


    Bai Zixi didn¡¯t say much.


    But Mo Hua saw that she seemed to have pulled out a golden sword and stood silently behind him.


    Mo Hua felt a warmth in his heart, silently cherishing the kindness of his Junior Brother and Junior Sister.


    When he had time, he would make something delicious for them to eat.


    The Spirit Farmer from East Mountain Village had sent plenty of ingredients, not precious, but all specialties, not easily found in other places.


    Mo Hua turned his head back to look at Thousand Families Town once more, suddenly feeling a touch of emotion:


    ¡°Old Ancestor of Sun Family was such a powerful person, yet it¡¯s a pity, the younger generations neither inherited his Formation skills nor his way of being a person.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, who had been closing his eyes to rest, slowly opened his eyes, and softly sighed:


    ¡°The grace of the ancestors declines in the third generation, and is severed in the fifth.¡±


    Mo Hua asked in puzzlement, ¡°Master, must it always be the third generation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a general rule, but most of the time, it is a declining process from generation to generation.¡±


    Bai Zisheng muttered softly:


    ¡°Our Bai Family has been passed down for so many generations¡­¡±


    The Bai Family had been passed down for many generations, and it was still very prosperous, not having declined in the third generation, nor cut off in the fifth.


    But he felt that his words were like challenging his master, so he didn¡¯t dare to speak loudly.


    Mr. Zhuang responded with a gentle smile:


    ¡°The Bai Family has been passed down through many generations but didn¡¯t sever because your Bai Family¡¯s ancestors from one or two generations back, may not necessarily be dead¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi was shocked to hear this, and both Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng¡¯s mouths fell open.


    If the first and second generations haven¡¯t died, how many years have they lived?


    Bai Zisheng exclaimed in disbelief,


    ¡°Tomb mounds have been built, the dead have been buried, spirit tablets have been erected, and offerings have been made, they can¡¯t possibly be still alive¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, teasing, ¡°What, you really wish for your Bai Family¡¯s ancestors to be dead?¡±


    Bai Zisheng immediately covered his mouth.


    This was not to be spoken casually.


    It was alright to casually talk about other matters, but slandering the ancestors could get one a beating or confinement.


    Still, he was very curious in his heart and secretly asked,


    ¡°They can¡¯t really still be alive, can they¡­?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang just smiled enigmatically and did not answer.


    Bai Zisheng was filled with doubts in his heart.


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment and then asked Mr. Zhuang,


    ¡°Master, why is it that some small families, after more than ten generations, aren¡¯t considered prosperous but haven¡¯t declined either?¡±


    Small families like Bai Family, with ancestors who weren¡¯t high in cultivation and didn¡¯t live long, must have passed away after so many generations, but they remained stable, so it shouldn¡¯t be considered ¡°decline in the third and severance in the fifth.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed and said:


    ¡°It¡¯s not about how many generations a family has been passed down, but about the ancestral teachings and the family¡¯s moral principles¡­¡±


    ¡°If the forebears are selfless, establishing meritorious deeds, and the descendants adhere to the ancestral teachings and maintain the family¡¯s discipline, then it will naturally last for a long time.¡±


    ¡°The third and fifth generations are actually just like one generation.¡±


    ¡°If the descendants forget the ancestral teachings and the family¡¯s discipline deteriorates, then relying only on the previous generation¡¯s leftover benefits to bully and indulge in pleasures, the grace will fade after three generations, and after five, it will be severed.¡±


    ¡°Take the Sun Family, for instance; their Old Ancestor was a benefactor to Thousand Families Town.¡±


    ¡°But his descendants took advantage of these benefits to bully others and indulge themselves.¡±


    ¡°On the surface, the Sun Family still looks glorious, adorned in silks and feasting elegantly, but if they don¡¯t repent, the clan¡¯s downfall is only a matter of time.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang seemed to recall something, feeling somewhat emotional as he said:


    ¡°For a family, having little wealth or a shortage of cultivators in succession may not necessarily lead to a decline¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the degradation of family discipline that truly marks the beginning of its downfall.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, upon hearing this, became solemn and nodded in agreement.


    Being from a noble family, they had seen many varying sizes of clans and had a deep understanding.


    Mo Hua, originating from a Loose Cultivator background, though not fully comprehending, still nodded along.


    ¡­


    The carriage traveled leisurely, gradually leaving Thousand Families Town as Mo Hua looked back at the Spirit Field.


    The Spirit Field was fertile and brimming with life.


    The Thick Earth Formation operated silently, gently nourishing the land.


    But who knew how long the Formation could run and how long the Spirit Field could remain fertile.


    Bai Zixi followed Mo Hua¡¯s gaze and frowned slightly, ¡°The Sun Family won¡¯t just let things be, will they?¡±


    Such a fertile Spirit Field was like juicy meat by a wolf¡¯s mouth.


    Even if the Sun Family had a moment of conscience, it wouldn¡¯t last long.


    Eventually, they would not be able to resist salivating over it.


    The Sun Family would be wary of Mo Hua, a Grade One Formation Master, but they wouldn¡¯t fear these ordinary Spirit Farmers.


    In the end, this Formation might still fall into the hands of the Sun Family.


    However, Mo Hua looked at his Junior Sister with a smile and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Bai Zixi was a bit puzzled.


    Mo Hua just smiled again without speaking.


    ¡­


    At this moment in East Mountain Village, Ding Dachuan went to the Elder to recount what had happened. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Elder relieved, exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s good that we could leave safely, we really owe it to that young gentleman.¡±


    Ding Dachuan nodded in agreement.


    Then he turned his head and suddenly noticed Ding Miao drawing something on the ground, he couldn¡¯t help but be startled and asked,


    ¡°Miao¡¯er, what are you drawing?¡±


    ¡°Formation!¡± Miao¡¯er said in a tender voice.


    Ding Dachuan was taken aback, ¡°Where did you get a Formation?¡±


    Miao¡¯er took out a book from close to him, ¡°This was given to me by my brother, he told me to draw according to it and to teach others after I finished.¡±


    The high spirit in the Elder¡¯s heart trembled, ¡°Which brother?¡±


    Miao¡¯er pointed towards the Spirit Field, indicating the brother who had been Drawing Formations there.


    ¡°Can¡­ I take a look at it?¡± asked the Elder, his voice trembling.


    After pondering, Miao¡¯er nodded.


    The brother had said they could show it to their own, and the Elder was not an outsider.


    The Elder took the Formation Book with trembling hands.


    The Formation Book was compiled in simple and understandable terms; although he didn¡¯t understand Formations, he could still grasp the gist.


    It was an Earth Series Formation Book, containing various Earth Series Formations used in the Spirit Field.


    The Formations progressed from simple to complex.


    From simple Patterns that didn¡¯t require much use of Divine Sense to the six-Pattern Cultivating Soil Formation, and finally a Grade One eleven-Pattern Thick Earth Ultimate Formation, everything was documented and detailed.


    What level could learn what Formation, orderly and progressively deepening.


    From enlightenment to mastery.


    This was a complete book of Formation legacy, closely related to the Spirit Farmers.


    With this Formation Book, even without relying on the Sun Family in the future, these Spirit Farmers might be able to draw their own Formations.


    The Elder suddenly understood the meaning behind Mo Hua¡¯s words, ¡°One can only rely on oneself.¡±


    For a moment, the Elder¡¯s emotions surged, his cloudy eyes filling with tears.


    He was profoundly moved and filled with gratitude; despite his limited mobility, he solemnly turned towards the distant mountains and bowed deeply.


    Around the distant mountains, mists twined.


    Mo Hua¡¯s carriage, growing more distant with each passing moment, disappeared amongst the layers of mountains.

 Chapter 402 - 399: Travel Holidays_1

    Chapter 402: Chapter 399: Travel Holidays_1


    ¡°`


    On the mountain road, Big White pulled the carriage at a steady pace toward the destination predetermined by Mr. Zhuang.


    According to Mr. Zhuang, the place he intended to visit was a Sect with which he had old ties.


    Mo Hua asked what Sect it was.


    Mr. Zhuang played coy and did not say, only mentioning that they would know upon arrival.


    Mo Hua did not ask any further.


    Throughout the journey, Mr. Zhuang also instructed Mo Hua to pay close attention and use Divine Sense Calculation to search for traces of Formations.


    Along the way, Mo Hua indeed sensed some Formation auras and, utilizing Divine Sense Calculation, deduced the Formation Patterns, presenting them to Mr. Zhuang for review.


    Mr. Zhuang often nodded.


    Occasionally, he would point out some errors and advised Mo Hua to be mindful.


    Some of these mistakes were due to Mo Hua¡¯s lack of experience with Formations, incorrectly calculating the layout of the Formation Pivot;


    Others were due to carelessness, missing a few Pattern lines;


    And still, others were because the method of Calculation was incorrect, leading the trajectory of the Formation¡¯s Spiritual Power to deviate¡­


    Mo Hua took note of these issues one by one, repeatedly pondering them to ensure they would not be repeated next time.


    In this way, while traveling, sensing, calculating, and verifying,


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense Calculation became increasingly proficient.


    Regrettably, although some of the deduced Formations were new to Mo Hua, most were not rare as they only consisted of seven to nine Pattern lines.


    There were no Second-Grade Formations.


    Within a Second-Grade Prefecture Border, only First-grade Formation Methods were generally used.


    Second-Grade Formations, which consume more Spirit Stones, were mostly unaffordable for Clans and Sects below Second Grade.


    And Formation Masters capable of creating Second-Grade Formations mostly would not stay within the Second-Grade Prefecture Border.


    Moreover, there was no sign of the Ultimate Formation that Mo Hua sought.


    At first, Mo Hua thought he might have missed something.


    But since Mr. Zhuang did not have them stop, it was likely there wasn¡¯t one.


    It would be impossible for Mr. Zhuang to miss it.


    Upon reflection, Mo Hua felt this made sense.


    If Ultimate Formations were everywhere, they would be too common.


    How could such common Formations be called ¡°Ultimate¡±?


    Besides, Mo Hua had already learned the Thick Earth Formation.


    The Thick Earth Formation was an eleven-pattern Ultimate Formation.


    Mo Hua¡¯s current Divine Sense was also at eleven patterns, just enough to use the Thick Earth Formation to refine it.


    Whenever the carriage stopped for a break, S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua would jump off, release his Divine Sense to find some fresh tender grass, and gather it to feed Big White.


    Then, while watching Big White eat, he would practice the Thick Earth Formation on the ground.


    That was the only way to practice the Thick Earth Formation.


    Using the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua contemplated the Earth Dao Meaning, causing the stele to overload, which had not yet recovered.


    Mo Hua even thought it had broken.


    Fortunately, after observing it for a few days, he noticed the stele just turned a bit grayer, its surface remained intangible, with no other abnormalities.


    The aura of the Taoist Stele was gradually recovering, and it seemed it would be fine after some time.


    This relieved Mo Hua.


    But in the short term, he could not use the Taoist Stele to practice Formation Methods.


    And the Thick Earth Formation could not be drawn on paper.


    So Mo Hua could only wait for breaks to find a patch of land and squat down to draw Formations.


    While practicing Formations to comprehend the Taoist Meaning, he also strengthened his Divine Sense.


    Every time he drew a Thick Earth Formation on the ground, Mo Hua felt his Divine Sense merge more with the earth, deepening his understanding of the Earth Dao Meaning.


    With such marvelous comprehension, the growth of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was not slow.


    It was just that there was still some distance to a twelve-pattern Divine Sense.


    ¡­


    That day everyone was sitting in the carriage.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were reviewing the Formation that Mr. Zhuang had taught them.


    It was the Formation that even Mo Hua could not learn.


    Mo Hua was somewhat curious, but he refrained from looking because of his curiosity.


    Mr. Zhuang had his reasons for everything he did; it might involve some causes and effects that Mo Hua should not touch.


    As for himself, Mo Hua looked at the Formation Books while practicing Divine Sense Calculation.


    Mr. Zhuang was resting with his eyes closed.


    A moment later, Mr. Zhuang suddenly opened his eyes and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve.¡±


    All three disciples were startled.


    Mo Hua counted the days, and indeed, it seemed today was New Year¡¯s Eve.


    In the past, in Tongxian City, every festive season, the streets would hang red lanterns, the Market Town would display an array of goods, people bustled about, and every home wafted the scent of cooking¡­


    But now, there was neither a village ahead nor a shop behind.


    There was only a secluded mountain road, the cliffs on both sides, and the wild grass beside the road.


    Thinking of Tongxian City, Mo Hua sighed softly to himself.


    ¡°I wonder how everyone in Tongxian City is faring.¡±


    ¡°Are they festively celebrating the New Year again?¡±


    ¡°And my parents, are they healthy and safe?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if they missed me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered to himself, feeling homesick, with a hint of melancholy in his expression.


    Mr. Zhuang, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s look, showed a trace of compassion and said,


    ¡°When you¡¯re away from home, everything is simple. But since it¡¯s a holiday, we should still celebrate it in a simple manner.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, ¡°Are we going to celebrate too?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded gently.


    ¡°But¡­ we don¡¯t have anything,¡± Mo Hua murmured.


    ¡°Whatever you want, you can get from Old Kui,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment and turned to look at Old Kui.


    Old Kui also nodded, ¡°I have whatever you need.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits immediately lifted.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were also excited.


    The eyes of all three children sparkled brightly.


    As if touched by the mood, the corners of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s mouth also curled into a smile.


    ¡­


    So, with Mo Hua mainly leading the preparations,


    he counted on his fingers, speaking to Old Kui:


    ¡°Grandpa Gui, I want lanterns, firecrackers, ¡®may there be surplus every year,¡¯ there must be fish, ¡®may every step take you higher,¡¯ there must be cakes¡­¡±


    Mo Hua counted them one by one.


    Old Kui nodded and said, ¡°Wait here for a moment.¡±


    Then, right in front of Mo Hua, he disappeared.


    Within half an hour, Old Kui reappeared as silently as he had left, throwing several storage bags onto the ground.


    Mo Hua looked and found that sure enough, everything he had mentioned was there.


    And many of them were new, seemingly just purchased from some festive Immortal City.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Gui!¡±


    Mo Hua said with a beaming smile.


    Old Kui nodded and then handed over another storage bag.


    Mo Hua was a bit startled but looked inside.


    The bag was full of nuts like pine nuts, hazelnuts, and torreya nuts, most of which were raw.


    ¡°Fry some for me, I¡¯ve finished all the ones from before,¡± Old Kui whispered.


    Old Kui, who was always busy driving the cart and had nothing to do, liked to snack on pine nuts.


    So the pine nuts that Mo Hua had fried for him before were all gone.


    Thinking that since it was New Year¡¯s, he might as well treat himself.


    He had eaten plenty of pine nuts and wanted to try something new, so he bought a variety of them.


    These Qi Refinement foods were new to him, and he didn¡¯t know what they were, but since they were sold together, he guessed they were probably similar and bought them all.


    He just wondered if they would be crunchy when he cracked them.


    Old Kui looked at Mo Hua with some anticipation.


    Mo Hua smiled and nodded:


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    So that afternoon, they stopped traveling.


    The carriage was parked by the roadside.


    Mo Hua tied bright red lanterns on the carriage, pasted several ¡°Fu¡± characters, and even hung a big red flower around Big White¡¯s neck.


    Big White wasn¡¯t very willing, but couldn¡¯t resist Mo Hua¡¯s insistence.


    After all, ¡°one who takes the gift cannot refuse the asker.¡±


    It had eaten so much grass fed by Mo Hua.


    In addition, Mo Hua also prepared the firecrackers, set up the Fireworks Formation, and saved it for the evening display.


    Next on the agenda was preparing the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.


    Mo Hua first fried the pine nuts and hazelnuts for Old Kui.


    There were plain ones as well as ones flavored with various spices.


    Old Kui took out a portion, arranged them on the table for everyone, and sneakily stuffed the rest into his sleeves.


    Then it was time to cook the dishes.


    Some of the ingredients were bought by Old Kui, and some were gifts from the Spirit Farmers of Thousand Families Town.


    Bai Zisheng watched eagerly on the side, occasionally suggesting:


    ¡°Mo Hua, make this one, it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    ¡°This one should be fried, not boiled.¡±


    ¡°This one needs to be spicy to taste good, add more¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang wasn¡¯t so particular, he could eat anything, but he still requested a ¡°Steamed Bass¡± to prevent Bai Zisheng from ordering all spicy dishes.


    Lastly, it was time to steam the pastries.


    There were rice cakes, as well as various other pastries and sweets.


    Bai Zixi helped Mo Hua knead the dough, and as she did, she began to shape small pieces of it.


    Her fair little hands worked the pale dough, though it was unclear what she was making.


    Mo Hua, curious, asked:


    ¡°Senior Sister, what are you shaping?¡±


    Bai Zixi held an oddly shaped piece of dough in her palm and crisply said:


    ¡°A rabbit!¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Bai Zixi frowned. ¡°Does it not look like it?¡±


    ¡°It does¡­¡± Mo Hua lied through his teeth.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bit¡­ plump.¡±


    The little rabbit had turned into a little pig.


    Bai Zixi looked again at the ¡°little rabbit¡± in her hand, puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s not fat¡­¡±


    She thought it was quite cute.


    Mo Hua was busy all afternoon and finally finished preparing the dishes.


    The twilight faded, and the night began to deepen.


    It was time for fireworks.


    Before setting them off, Mo Hua was a bit worried, ¡°Won¡¯t it frighten the Monster Beasts in the mountains?¡±


    Old Kui glanced around and said lightly, ¡°It won¡¯t.¡±


    Mo Hua was then reassured.


    The Fireworks Formation was simple, as there was limited time, and Mo Hua hadn¡¯t made it too complex.


    Moreover, this formation was drawn directly on the ground.


    This was the first time besides the Thick Earth Formation that Mo Hua used the ¡°earth¡± as a Formation media for his Formation Painting.


    In the dark of the night, the fireworks were brilliant.


    And then it was time to eat.


    Everyone sat down to dine on the ground.


    Soft grass, covered with silk cloth, was laid out with a spread of food.


    With a variety of dishes and Mo Hua¡¯s improved culinary skills, the meal was delightful.


    Mr. Zhuang enjoyed it the most, Bai Zisheng ate with the greatest glee, Bai Zixi ate with utmost elegance, and Old Kui was the most focused, persistently cracking pine nuts and hazelnuts.


    Under the cool moonlight, amidst the tranquil mountains, there was a lively atmosphere of fireworks, noisy yet warm.


    After a satisfying meal, Mo Hua no longer felt homesick.


    He lay on the grass, counting the stars above.


    For Mo Hua, it might not have been the most lively year, but it was the first time he spent New Year¡¯s with his master, senior brother, senior sister, and Grandpa Gui.


    It was quite festive enough.


    For Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, from a big clan, the festival used to be glamorous yet personally cold.


    Full of worldly concerns and strict rules.


    Now, the simplicity and bustle were more appealing.


    Bai Zisheng also lay on the ground, chatting with Mo Hua off and on, occasionally tripping over his words.


    Bai Zixi looked serene and graceful, yet she doubted in her heart, whether what she shaped earlier was really a rabbit?


    Why did it turn into a little pig after being steamed?


    Mr. Zhuang, surrounded by his three disciples, felt comfort in his heart, but there was a fleeting moment of melancholy.


    This was probably the most lively New Year¡¯s he had celebrated in his few hundred years of solitary life.

 Chapter 403 - 400 Unexpected Guest_1

    Chapter 403: Chapter 400 Unexpected Guest_1


    ¡°`


    Thousand Families Town, East Mountain Village.


    Not long after Mo Hua had left, a group of uninvited visitors arrived outside the village.


    They stood on the mountain, gazing down at East Mountain Village, then took out a golden compass, as if searching for something.


    The needle on the compass wavered uncertainly, pointing in no clear direction.


    Frowning, they detected nothing and eventually left as quietly as they had come.


    The cultivators came quickly and left just as fast, without disturbing the local cultivators.


    The Spirit Farmers of East Mountain Village had no idea that outsiders had been spying on them.


    They were still preoccupied with the Spirit Fields, concerned with the harvest and livelihood, and were thinking of ways to compete with the Sun Family.


    Several days later, three more cultivators arrived.


    An emaciated old man, a middle-aged cultivator with a scholarly appearance holding a paper fan, and a young man in white with a clear and bright look.


    The emaciated elder flipped a Copper Coin into the air and caught it in his palm.


    He looked at the divination result of the Copper Coin and whispered something to himself, sighing after a long while,


    ¡°It seems to be here, and yet the divination is not clear¡­¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator said, ¡°Pavilion Elder has divined that the person is within this state boundary; it should just be a matter of time before we find him.¡±


    The elder let out a sneer, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator was taken aback.


    The elder sighed, ¡°Great sound is silent, great form is shapeless.¡±


    ¡°At his level, not to mention being in the same state, even if we were in the same Little Immortal City, if he concealed his movements, you would not detect him.¡±


    ¡°What has no sound cannot be heard, what has no form cannot be seen, what has no Tao cannot be known.¡±


    ¡°If he hides his vital energy, we stand no chance.¡±


    ¡°Heavenly secret Calculation, is it something we cultivators can truly fathom?¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator furrowed his brow,


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have the Three Talents Divination Copper Coins given by the Pavilion Elder?¡±


    The elder weighed the Copper Coin in his hand and sighed,


    ¡°These Three Talents Divination Copper Coins are valuable, but it also matters who uses them and on whom they are used.¡±


    ¡°My cultivation is not sufficient; I can use them to divine others, but using them to divine that person is just showing off in front of an expert¡­¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator did not understand. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it said that his Sea of Consciousness shattered, his Dantian destroyed, and his vital energy all but gone? Why is he still so difficult to deal with?¡±


    The elder glanced at him, ¡°Because he is a Formation Master, one whose natural talent is nearly monstrous, and whose understanding of Formations is close to attaining the Dao.¡±


    In the middle-aged cultivator¡¯s eyes emerged a deep wariness, followed by a sigh,


    ¡°Then why has he fallen to such a state?¡±


    ¡°You need not concern yourself with that, and you better not ask. Such matters are beyond our purview,¡± the elder stated indifferently.


    ¡°We just need to do the task we¡¯ve been given.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator scoffed, ¡°But if we go by what you say, if we can¡¯t divine his whereabouts, doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯ll never find him?¡±


    ¡°Even lions nap.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, we¡¯re not the only ones after him.¡±


    ¡°If we just follow along and muddy the waters, it¡¯s fine not to find him, but we can¡¯t let anyone else find him.¡±


    Having said that, the elder turned back and instructed the young man in white,


    ¡°Young Master, I didn¡¯t want to take you out originally, but your father wanted you to gain some experience and you wanted to see the world, so I reluctantly agreed to bring you along.¡±


    ¡°But unless absolutely necessary, do not take action.¡±


    ¡°You must be cautious in your actions. Even though you carry a special Eternal Life Rune, do not let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°Things here are overly complicated, involving too many powers. I might not be able to protect you¡­¡±


    The elder spoke gravely, aiming to ensure the young master kept to himself, not trying to be clever or doing anything inappropriate.


    Otherwise, he might not be able to cope.


    Immediately after, he regretted his involvement.


    Why did he have to deal with such a mess?


    The young master was only twenty-three, already a Second Rank Formation Master in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, his prospects limitless.


    Instead of treasuring him like a jewel at home, why send him out to gain experience?


    Cultivating the Tao is perilous; was it so easily gained through experience?


    For Loose Cultivators who are poor, it¡¯s one thing not to travel, endure hardship, and later struggle for food.


    You, however, a Noble Family Descendant, need not worry about food or cultivation; wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay safe and comfortable in your wealthy home?


    Yet you insist on wading into these muddy waters.


    And as for how deep these waters run, even he was unsure.


    If anything significant were to happen, the special Eternal Life Rune might not even be enough to save his life.


    Thinking of this, the elder wanted to smack himself.


    It was all because of his big mouth.


    After being plied with a few jars of fine wine by the young man¡¯s father, he got confused, and carelessly agreed to this task.


    He regretted it as soon as he sobered up.


    But by then it was too late¡­


    The young man in white, still unaware of the complexities, simply said earnestly,


    ¡°Rest assured, I have taken your words to heart.¡±


    The elder, looking at the young man as naive as a blank sheet of paper, couldn¡¯t bear to say more and just sighed.


    The young man¡¯s resolve shone through.


    His reasons for coming were two-fold: he wanted to gain experience and see what the Tao Cultivation World beyond the Noble Clans was really like.


    The other reason was to meet that renowned Mr. Zhuang.


    In his family, he was recognized as a Formation Genius.


    At a young age, he had already become a Second Rank Formation Master.


    He once self-satisfyingly believed that Formations were nothing much; that even if there were Formation Masters stronger than him, they could not be much stronger.


    High-grade Formation Masters were just older and had painted more Formations than he had.


    In time, he was certain he would surpass them all.


    That was until he inadvertently saw the Formation Patterns created by Mr. Zhuang in his early years and learned of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s deeds, that he realized his own insignificance and ignorance.


    There are heavens beyond heavens, and people beyond people.


    In this world, there exist profound Formations he had never studied, and brilliant Formation Masters he had never encountered.


    The way of Formation is vast and profound.


    What he had learned so far was but the tip of the iceberg.


    Beneath the iceberg lay the true nature of Formations, as well as the Great Dao contained within.


    With increased dedication to studying Formations, the young man in white had become a Second Rank Formation Master at such a young age.


    ¡°`


    He was the youngest Second-Rank Formation Master in the clan¡¯s eight hundred years.


    He was somewhat grateful to Mr. Zhuang and also full of longing, and his curiosity was growing.


    He wanted to know just what kind of bearing Mr. Zhuang had.


    Was he, as the rumors said, supremely talented, peerless, proud, and arrogant, looking down upon all creation?


    He also wondered if he could ever have a conversation with Mr. Zhuang¡­


    The young man was thinking quietly to himself.


    The gaunt old man cast the Copper Coins a few more times.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t figure out anything.


    He only vaguely knew that the person had been here.


    Why he had come, what he had done, and when he had left, all were mysteries with no clues.


    With no leads at this location, the three were ready to leave.


    Suddenly, the young man in white exclaimed with a ¡°huh¡±.


    The middle-aged cultivator asked:


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The young man in white pointed at a distant Spirit Field and said, ¡°There is a Formation there.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator frowned, ¡°That¡¯s a Spirit Field, there are naturally Formations inside¡­¡±


    The young man in white shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s different.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator was slightly taken aback and released his Divine Sense. After perceiving for a moment, his brow gradually furrowed.


    Indeed, it was somewhat different¡­


    Just a first-grade Spirit Field, why would it have such a rich vitality?


    This didn¡¯t seem like a result that a first-grade Formation could achieve¡­


    The gaunt old man also noticed the anomaly, but as he was not well-versed in Formations, he asked:


    ¡°What did you find?¡±


    This young master¡¯s talent for Formations was extraordinary, and Mr. Zhuang was also a Formation Master. Perhaps he really had discovered something.


    The young man in white frowned and shook his head:


    ¡°I only know that the Formation in this Spirit Field is out of the ordinary, but I can¡¯t see what¡¯s unusual about it. It will take some time to study it.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator asked the old man, ¡°Do we still have time?¡±


    The old man said, ¡°Whether we have time or not doesn¡¯t depend on us, but on his mood. If he wants to give us time, we have time; if not, then we don¡¯t.¡±


    After pondering for a while, the old man continued:


    ¡°Since you want to study it, go ahead and study it. Anyway, we¡¯re not in a rush these few days.¡±


    The young man in white showed a look of joy, ¡°Thank you, senior.¡±


    In the following days, the three of them stayed in Thousand Families Town.


    When he had nothing else to do, the young man in white also went to the Spirit Field. He wanted to know what kind of Formation was drawn there.


    But after a few days, there was still no progress. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What was drawn in the field were clearly simple Formations like the Cultivating Soil Formation, yet the entire Spirit Field radiated distinct vitality.


    The young man was baffled.


    It wasn¡¯t until one day, when he climbed a mountain and looked far off, taking in the entire Spirit Field at a glance, that he suddenly had a revelation, an epiphany.


    The entire Spirit Field turned out to be one large Formation!


    The young man in white told the old man and the middle-aged cultivator about this discovery.


    Both were equally astonished.


    The gaunt old man nodded and said:


    ¡°Indeed, this kind of unimaginable Formation is indeed like his handiwork.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator asked the young man, ¡°Do you know what kind of Formation this is?¡±


    The young man shook his head.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a first-grade Formation?¡± the middle-aged cultivator asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s first-grade.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator was somewhat surprised, ¡°You¡¯re a Second-Rank Formation Master, is there a first-grade Formation you don¡¯t know?¡±


    The young man spoke awkwardly, ¡°This should be a unique first-grade Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°Ultimate Formation?¡± The middle-aged cultivator didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Even if it¡¯s Ultimate, isn¡¯t it still just first-grade?¡±


    The young man in white shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s different.¡±


    But he didn¡¯t elaborate.


    Explaining such esoteric matters about Formations to cultivators who aren¡¯t Formation Masters is incomprehensible, no matter how you explain it.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± the middle-aged cultivator asked once more.


    The gaunt old man said, ¡°This Formation can prove that the person indeed came here. We just need to keep searching.¡±


    Then he muttered to himself:


    ¡°Being pursued by so many, yet still having the leisure to draw a Formation? The actions of a true expert are indeed inscrutable¡­¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator felt slightly disheartened, ¡°Spent all this time searching, isn¡¯t it the same as not having searched at all? What does one Formation prove?¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator brushed his sleeve and left.


    The old man said to the young man in white:


    ¡°He¡¯s impatient, don¡¯t mind it. Finding an Ultimate Formation is a great discovery in itself, and this is very likely a Formation personally laid out by him, which is extraordinary¡­¡±


    ¡°Carefully copy down the Formation Patterns, make no mistakes, and then we can set off.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± The young man in white nodded.


    Afterward, he spent a day copying down all the Formation Patterns of the Spirit Field, then, out of curiosity, he attempted to study them himself.


    But he found he couldn¡¯t master it in a short time¡­


    ¡°It seems this must be Mr. Zhuang¡¯s handiwork¡­¡±


    The young man in white sighed and put the matter aside for now.


    The next day, the three set out, leaving Thousand Families Town and continued their search in the direction pointed by the Compass and the Three Talents Divination.


    The accuracy of the Three Talents Divination Copper Coin might not be reliable, but it was their only clue.


    ¡­


    After the three had left, and some time had passed, a strange and oddly shaped person came walking up the mountain road to Thousand Families Town.


    He wore a conical hat, covering his face.


    There wasn¡¯t the slightest hint of breath around him.


    As he walked, his footsteps were uneven, as if someone on stilts hadn¡¯t gotten used to the bamboo poles under their feet.


    Passersby looked at him as if they saw nothing, as though he didn¡¯t exist at all.


    The person followed the mountain path, passed through Thousand Families Town, passed East Mountain Village, and arrived in front of the Spirit Field. He took off his conical hat and stripped off his straw coat.


    He revealed a Taoist¡¯s attire.


    At the same time, a strange breath emanated from him.

 Chapter 404 - 401 Taoist_1

    Chapter 404: Chapter 401 Taoist_1


    This eerie Taoist, standing motionless at the edge of the field like a scarecrow, did not move for a long time.


    Several cultivators were approaching from afar, cursing something as they walked.


    ¡°These Spirit Farmers really have some nerve¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re hard to deal with.¡±


    ¡°If this continues, our Sun Family is not going to have an easy time¡­¡±


    ¡°What does the Family Head even have in mind?¡±


    ¡°He seems quite wary of those few cultivators from outside¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The few cultivators from outside?


    Upon hearing this, the Taoist turned his head stiffly and gave them a glance.


    The cultivators of the Sun Family stopped in their tracks upon noticing him, seeing that the Taoist had a weak aura, shabbily dressed in peculiar attire, they questioned:


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The Taoist did not respond but let out a dull sound from his throat.


    It was like an aged drum leaking air, unable to produce a clear sound.


    ¡°Is he a mute?¡±


    ¡°Wearing a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat, could he be one of those Spirit Farmers from East Mountain Village?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right; he¡¯s also wearing a Taoist robe inside, looks like a Taoist¡­¡±


    ¡°Some outsider?¡±


    The several Sun Family cultivators discussed among themselves.


    Meanwhile, the Taoist continued to watch them in silence.


    One of the taller, thinner cultivators with a quick temper cursed:


    ¡°You poverty-stricken Taoist, what the hell are you looking at? Keep staring and I¡¯ll gouge your eyes out¡­¡±


    Before his words were finished, the Taoist suddenly pounced towards him.


    The tall, thin cultivator was startled and, in a rush, threw a punch, but just one punch knocked the Taoist to the ground.


    He steadied his heart and then sneered:


    ¡°And here I thought you had some skills, daring to lay hands on me with just that?¡±


    Then he walked over and started beating and kicking the Taoist, cursing while he hit:


    ¡°What trash? Hit me?¡±


    The Taoist struggled a few times but could not fight back.


    The other Sun Family cultivators cheered from the side.


    They would usually flaunt the power of the Sun Family to bully others, beating up anyone who crossed them like this.


    It was both an outlet for their anger and a way to uphold the dignity of the Sun Family.


    After the tall, thin cultivator finished beating him, he sneered coldly, ¡°That¡¯ll teach you to watch where you¡¯re looking!¡±


    Having said that, he kicked the Taoist and prepared to leave.


    However, the Taoist stretched out his withered hand and grabbed his foot.


    The tall, thin cultivator struggled to break free several times without success, growing furious, he drew his knife.


    He chopped off the Taoist¡¯s hand with one strike.


    But at the severed spot, only decayed flesh was present, with not a drop of blood.


    The tall, thin cultivator felt a bit disgusted and a bit chilly, and decided to take a closer look at who this Taoist was, and why he was so strange.


    He took a careful look at the Taoist¡¯s face.


    At this glance, he was startled.


    The Taoist¡¯s face was ordinary, but those eyes, pitch-black and hollow, like the eyes of a dead person.


    Just one look made his head swim.


    Suddenly, his Sea of Consciousness churned, he felt a headache and an urge to vomit.


    At the same time, it was as if something invisible, sticky, and wet, climbed onto his head, then little by little, it burrowed into his divine chamber, drilling all the way into his Sea of Consciousness.


    From inside the Sea of Consciousness, there came a sucking sound.


    As if something was feeding¡­


    The tall, thin cultivator felt an even stronger sensation of nausea and dizziness.


    Nevertheless, this discomfort was momentary.


    In the blink of an eye, he couldn¡¯t feel anything anymore.


    With lingering pain, the tall, thin cultivator¡¯s gaze filled with confusion.


    Gradually, his pupils deepened slightly, and his eyes no longer held any doubt.


    And the Taoist on the ground slowly collapsed, no longer clinging, no longer struggling, lifeless.


    The other Sun Family cultivators were taken aback at the sight:


    ¡°Sun Ji, did you kill someone?¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s dead, he¡¯s dead; it¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t killed before.¡±


    The thin, tall cultivator named Sun Ji spoke indifferently, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible hoarseness.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s the usual drill.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The group went to the roadside to keep watch, guard against any other cultivators passing by or having seen anything.


    Sun Ji dragged the Taoist¡¯s body to a nearby cliff and threw it over.


    But before discarding the corpse, he tore off the Taoist¡¯s robe and kept it for himself.


    The others exchanged glances. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You want the robe of a dead man?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to wearing it.¡±


    The rest were taken aback and cursed:


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking?¡±


    ¡°Used to wearing it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wearing a dead man¡¯s Taoist robe?¡±


    ¡°Put it on for us to see then?¡±


    Without waiting for a response, Sun Ji actually put on the Taoist robe.


    His tall, lanky figure clad in the dirty and old robe, with limbs sticking out awkwardly, looked utterly ill-fitting and somewhat sinister.


    Like a field scarecrow cloaked in human clothes.


    The other cultivators all showed signs of alarm.


    One of the Sun Family cultivators couldn¡¯t help but say:


    ¡°You¡¯ve actually got the guts to wear it? Damn, I really take my hat off to you.¡±


    Unperturbed, Sun Ji simply said:


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s head back.¡±


    The others glanced at the sky, the sun was still high, it didn¡¯t seem late at all.


    But, having killed someone, even though it was just a passing, nameless Taoist, it was still better to go back to the clan to lay low.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    As the group headed back, Sun Ji suddenly said:


    ¡°It seems like we took a wrong turn.¡±


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t.¡±


    Sun Ji pointed in another direction, ¡°That way is the way back home.¡±


    The others looked and had a moment of realization:


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Must¡¯ve drunk too much.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, they had taken the wrong path.¡±


    Then they walked down another road.


    They kept walking.


    But the end of this road¡­


    was a steep cliff.


    Below the cliff lay an abyss thousands of feet deep.


    They continued as usual, talking and laughing on their way home, walking onto the cliff, then plummeting to their deaths, with not a single bone left intact.


    Even as they fell, smiles remained on their faces.


    In the face of death, they remained oblivious.


    Only Sun Ji stopped at the edge of the cliff.


    He looked indifferently at the abyss below, then turned his head to gaze at Thousand Families Town and the prominent estate within it, before walking towards it with measured steps.


    Sun Ji wore an ill-fitting Taoist robe that showed both hand and foot.


    His steps were natural at first but began to falter as he walked.


    The cultivators on the road found him odd, but none dared to ask.


    Sun Ji made his way to the estate of the Sun Family.


    And then to Sun Yi¡¯s study.


    Inside the study, Sun Yi was still pondering over the Thick Earth Formation, deeply troubled.


    He soon became frustrated.


    Still at a loss.


    How does one learn a Formation of the first grade with eleven patterns?


    How on earth did that kid manage to learn it?


    Why, even though he had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, could he not grasp it after pondering for so long?


    Sun Yi was anxious.


    If he couldn¡¯t learn this Formation, he would no longer be able to use it to threaten the Spirit Farmer.


    Without the Spirit Farmer¡¯s support, the Sun Family would eventually run out of resources and decline.


    ¡°What if I pull man, and destroy the Spirit Field directly?¡±


    A cold glint flickered in Sun Yi¡¯s eyes.


    Destroying the Spirit Field would destroy the Thick Earth Formation.


    Without the Thick Earth Formation, those Spirit Farmers who didn¡¯t know Formations would still have to rely on the Sun Family.


    But the Formation belonged to the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family.


    If he destroyed this Formation, it would also be akin to defying the teachings of his forebear.


    It would be tantamount to forgetting his roots¡­


    Sun Yi was indecisive and his thoughts were in turmoil.


    Just then, someone knocked on the door.


    Sun Yi was extremely irritated and ignored it.


    But the person kept knocking.


    Knock¡­ Knock¡­ Knock¡­


    The sound was monotonous and numb.


    In Thousand Families Town, in the Sun Family, who dared to knock on his door like this?


    Pressing down his anger, Sun Yi said, ¡°Get in here!¡±


    The door slowly opened, and Sun Ji walked in wearing a dirty, old, and slightly too small Taoist robe.


    Sun Yi was taken aback when he saw it and couldn¡¯t help but say,


    ¡°What the hell is that you¡¯re wearing?¡±


    Sun Ji didn¡¯t speak.


    Sun Yi frowned, sensing something was off, ¡°What are you here for?¡±


    Sun Ji still made no sound.


    Sun Yi was about to say something more when he saw Sun Ji suddenly make a move, pulling out a waist knife and slashing at him.


    But how could he, at the Qi-refining Realm, be a match for Sun Yi, who had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage?


    Sun Yi caught the blade barehanded, channeling Spiritual Power, and with a twist, he warped the blade as if it were a sheet of iron, curling it up.


    Then Sun Yi struck back with a palm, sending forth a surge of Spiritual Power that knocked Sun Ji away.


    Sun Ji¡¯s chest was shattered by the force of the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Power, and he slumped to the ground, spitting blood.


    Sun Yi snorted coldly, stepped forward, grabbed Sun Ji by the collar, lifting him up, and said coldly,


    ¡°You ingrate, who sent you to kill me?¡±


    Sun Ji tried to say something, but instead coughed up a gush of blood from his throat.


    ¡°Who is it that gave you such a great offer to foolishly attempt to kill me?¡±


    Sun Yi stared into Sun Ji¡¯s eyes and said coldly, ¡°Speak!¡±


    Sun Ji couldn¡¯t speak, but the color of his eyes deepened.


    His pupils dilated, the whites shrank.


    Little by little, his entire eyes turned pitch black and hollow.


    Sun Yi felt a violent, nauseating pain in his Sea of Consciousness, furrowing his brow tightly before it slowly eased.


    He tossed Sun Ji to the ground, oblivious, and then slowly returned to his seat.


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± sat in the chair with a vacant look in his eyes.


    Amidst the flickering candlelight, he began recalling some memories.


    And he seemed to be searching for something in those memories.


    ¡°Thick Earth Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Ultimate Formation of the Earth Sect, first grade with eleven patterns, such a fine piece to end up here¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang¡­¡±


    ¡°My¡­ dear junior brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Barely breathing, looks like the wound won¡¯t heal¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, Old Kui is also here¡­¡±


    ¡°Took a disciple? That doesn¡¯t seem like you.¡±


    ¡°Bai¡­ Bai¡­ my sister¡¯s child?¡±


    ¡°Still clinging to the past.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°To draw the Thick Earth Formation?¡±


    ¡°Meddling in affairs that are none of your business¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± muttered to himself as he pondered.


    Suddenly, he paused, murmuring,


    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t right, I¡¯ve forgotten something¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve forgotten, it¡¯s that someone doesn¡¯t want me to know¡­¡±


    ¡°What did I forget?¡±


    Sun Yi began scratching his head in torment, then suddenly remembered:


    ¡°There was another disciple? Another disciple?¡±


    ¡°How could there be another disciple?¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I remember?¡±

 Chapter 405 - 402: Eighth Level_1

    Chapter 405: Chapter 402: Eighth Level_1


    ¡°Who is this person? What is his name?¡±


    ¡°I should remember¡­¡±


    ¡°But why can¡¯t I recall?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I recall?!¡±


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± muttered deliriously, tormented in thought.


    He clasped his forehead with both hands, grasping his scalp and scratching fiercely, until blood flowed from his head and his face was torn, yet he remained puzzled and distressed.


    A moment later, he slowly stopped.


    In his eyes, a glint of cold decisiveness flashed.


    With his finger dipped in his own blood, he shakily drew a Formation Pattern on his forehead.


    The Formation Pattern was sinister and bright red, not a standard Formation, but a Demon Pattern from the Demon Sect.


    Once the Demon Pattern was formed, it seemed to come alive, feeding on Sun Yi¡¯s Blood Qi and Divine Thought.


    Sun Yi gritted his teeth as his Blood Qi slowly weakened, but his thoughts became increasingly clear.


    The fog shrouding his memories also began to lift.


    He finally remembered something.


    ¡°There was another¡­ a little disciple¡­¡±


    ¡°A little disciple¡­¡±


    ¡°What was his name?¡±


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± wore an expression of pain as if enduring great torture, and finally piece by piece, he remembered:


    ¡°Mo¡­¡±


    ¡°Mo¡­ Hua!¡±


    Mo Hua!


    ¡°Sun Yi¡¯s¡± eyes first showed excitement, then confusion.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why was this name hidden so deep?¡±


    ¡°Who exactly is this child?¡±


    In Sun Yi¡¯s memories, the image of a smiling face surfaced.


    It was the smile of a little Cultivator, about ten years old.


    Innocent and naive, yet also warm and endearing.


    Simultaneously, his awareness of Mo Hua began to clarify.


    ¡°Qi Refinement, seventh level, a first-rank Formation Master, Foundation Establishment Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± trembled inside.


    Foundation Establishment Divine Sense?


    So that¡¯s how it was¡­


    ¡°With such terrifying talent, no wonder he needed to be hidden away¡­¡±


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± sneered, but as he laughed, his smile gradually faded.


    ¡°What was I just thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Who erased my memories?¡±


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± slightly angered, once again endured the intense pain in his Sea of Consciousness and sought the truth he had just forgotten amidst the fog.


    He remembered the name Mo Hua once again.


    And once again, he saw Mo Hua¡¯s smiling face.


    His cognition of Mo Hua once again became clear.


    ¡°Qi Refinement, seventh level, Foundation Establishment Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Before he could react, his memory stuttered, and he lost it again.


    ¡°Sun Yi¡¯s¡± gaze turned sharp.


    To have hidden this child so deeply¡­


    My fellow disciple, what exactly are you planning to do?


    He tried to think again, to remember.


    ¡°Qi Refinement, seventh level, Foundation Establishment Divine Sense¡­¡±


    But unexpectedly, at this point, his memory was wiped clean.


    With every wipe, the memories dimmed; with each dim, more blurriness ensued.


    After countless times, all that remained were the vague concepts of ¡°Qi Refinement, seventh level, Foundation¡­¡±


    ¡°Qi Refinement, seventh level, not yet Foundation Establishment¡­¡±


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± nodded to himself.


    Then it dawned on him; wasn¡¯t that stating the obvious?


    Qi Refinement, seventh level, naturally hadn¡¯t reached Foundation Establishment yet.


    But when he tried to ponder further, his thoughts grew hazy, unable to think of anything else.


    ¡°Is he just a filler disciple?¡±


    Sun Yi muttered to himself.


    He decided not to bother anymore, only remembering Mr. Zhuang, Old Kui, and the Bai siblings, and then nodded to himself.


    Sun Yi took off his outer clothes and wiped away the blood on his face and body.


    Then, he tore off the old and dirty Taoist Robe from the already-dead Sun Ji and put it on himself.


    ¡°Now it fits.¡±)


    Sun Ji was tall and thin, while Sun Yi had an average build and was slightly plump.


    The Taoist Robe fit him just right.


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± pushed open the door again, the sky was dimming, and he walked out alone.


    The disciples of the Sun Family were taken aback when they saw him.


    For he was wearing an old Taoist Robe, which looked very peculiar.


    Some disciples greeted Sun Yi respectfully, but he ignored them as if he had neither seen nor heard them, continuing to walk out with uneven steps.


    Sun Yi left the Sun Family¡¯s gate.


    Then he walked down the main road of Thousand Families Town, not looking back as he headed into the distance, disappearing at the end of the vast mountains.


    This was the last time the disciples of the Sun Family saw their Family Head.


    The Spirit Farmers of East Mountain Village also gossiped that the Family Head of the Sun Family, Sun Yi, wearing the robe of a dead man, limping away as if his soul had been hooked by something.


    Most people speculated that Sun Yi had violated the ancestral teachings, and the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family had taken him to the underworld for punishment.


    After that, Sun Yi never came back.


    Nor was he seen again.


    ¡­


    While ¡°Sun Yi¡± was deducing Mo Hua¡¯s identity, Mr. Zhuang in the carriage also opened his eyes.


    ¡°Master, would you like some tea?¡± Mo Hua asked with a crisp voice.


    Mr. Zhuang liked to nap, and after waking, he liked to drink some tea.


    The preferences of the master were well remembered by Mo Hua.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua then poured him a cup of tea.


    Mr. Zhuang seemed somewhat weary; after drinking the tea from Mo Hua, he felt a bit reinvigorated and then asked:


    ¡°Mo Hua, how does a person die?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Mo Hua who was startled.


    Even Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both looked puzzled.


    They didn¡¯t know why Mr. Zhuang would suddenly ask such a question.


    ¡°Uh¡­ If you¡¯re killed, you die?¡±


    Mo Hua said quietly.


    ¡°You can die from hunger, from old age as well¡­¡± Bai Zisheng also said.


    ¡°`


    ¡°What is the bottom line, then?¡±


    Mo Hua recalled what Mr. Zhuang had said about a cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power, Blood Qi, and Divine Sense and tried to express:


    ¡°A cultivator will die if the physical body exhausts, the Qi Sea shatters, or the Divine Sense perishes¡­¡±


    ¡°So, a cultivator¡¯s death ultimately relates to these three aspects?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    ¡°If someone wants to kill you, they will target one of these three, either wrecking your physical body, shattering your Qi Sea, or destroying your Divine Sense.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart, ¡°Master, is someone trying to kill me?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded, pondered for a moment, then asked doubtfully:


    ¡°Master, I understand how one can kill through the physical body and Qi Sea, as ordinary Tao Cultivation Martial Arts and spells damage the physical body, corrode the meridians, and ruin the Qi Sea, but killing through Divine Sense¡­ How does that work?¡±


    ¡°There are many methods,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    He looked at Mo Hua, then at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, and patiently explained:


    ¡°One type is Divine Sense spells, which form spells with Divine Sense, harming the Divine Sense of others.¡±


    ¡°Such spells are exceedingly rare; do not learn or use them casually, as prolonged use can also damage your own Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, these spells are ancient secrets, with requirements for innate talent, and are generally beyond reach.¡±


    ¡°The second type is Divine Sense parasitism, where one fragments their Divine Sense and inhabits the body of another cultivator.¡±


    ¡°This is a technique of the Demon Path; you should neither learn nor use it.¡±


    ¡°The third type is Divine Sense contamination, using ancient sinister Divine Thoughts, sealed since ancient times, to contaminate the Divine Sense of others, leading them to moral decay, derangement of Divine Sense, and even the collapse of the Sea of Consciousness, becoming something neither human nor ghost¡­¡±


    ¡°This amounts to killing by proxy. But by contaminating others, you also taint yourself.¡±


    ¡°If others¡¯ Divine Sense is tainted, yours will not remain clean; you would just be unaware of it.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, it¡¯s best not to use this method either.¡±


    ¡°There are other ways to kill with Divine Sense, but they are mostly sinister and unorthodox, and I do not know them in detail.¡±


    After Mr. Zhuang finished speaking, he looked at the three disciples and cautioned:


    ¡°I tell you this so that you may be on your guard.¡±


    ¡°The means to harm the physical body and Spiritual Power are mostly visible,¡±


    ¡°But the dangers of Divine Sense are often invisible.¡±


    ¡°In this world, there exists many unseen and indescribable terrors, it¡¯s just that a cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense is too weak to perceive them.¡±


    ¡°Hence, you must be extremely cautious with matters related to Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°Do not pry into people or things that should not be pried into.¡±


    ¡°When encountering someone strange, do not speak to them, do not entangle with them, and especially do not look into their eyes¡­¡±


    All three disciples looked serious and nodded.


    After a moment of thought, Mo Hua softly said:


    ¡°Master, if someone¡¯s Divine Sense has parasitized you, is there a way to kill the intruding Divine Sense?¡±


    Mo Hua thought back to the little demon in the Contemplation Map.


    It jumped into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, attempting to usurp his place and use Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness as its breeding ground.


    Although Mo Hua suppressed the little demon with the Taoist Stele after much trouble and eventually ¡°consumed¡± it,


    he was somewhat bewildered and ignorant of the ins and outs.


    The Taoist Stele was useful, but he couldn¡¯t rely on it too much.


    If the Taoist Stele were ever to malfunction, and he encountered another parasitic demon as before, it would be very dangerous. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Therefore, Mo Hua wanted to know if there were any other methods that could handle the parasitic Divine Thought without relying on the Taoist Stele.


    Formation seemed possible, but Drawing Formation was relatively slow, and one could only stay inside the Formation without stepping out, which was quite passive.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both looked at Mo Hua with surprise and curiosity.


    Their little junior brother really had¡­ unusual thoughts.


    Mr. Zhuang, however, was not surprised and simply nodded: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°I can¡¯t teach you now.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, a trace of disappointment in his voice, and then he looked forward with anticipation:


    ¡°Master, when can you teach me?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze held profound meaning:


    ¡°Wait until your Divine Sense is a bit stronger, and I will teach you.¡±


    ¡°Stronger?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°All measures to counter Divine Thought must be based on the strength of Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as the Divine Sense is strong enough, the perils within it naturally cease to be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°With a powerful Divine Sense, a thousand evils cannot invade!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang declared in a solemn voice.


    With a powerful Divine Sense, a thousand evils cannot invade¡­


    Mo Hua murmured to himself, and then nodded full of hope:


    ¡°Alright, Master!¡±


    ¡­


    From then on, Mo Hua practiced drawing Formations with even more diligence.


    Unable to use the Taoist Stele, he could only utilize every moment to practice the Thick Earth Formation.


    Every time the carriage stopped, he would draw Formations on the ground.


    This entire journey, rocks and soil bore the Formation Patterns he left behind.


    He even brought some soil onto the carriage to practice his drawing.


    Over and over, he practiced the level one eleventh pattern Thick Earth Formation.


    Through this, Mo Hua continually honed his Divine Sense.


    He subtly sensed a feeling of urgency.


    Mr. Zhuang never spoke without reason.


    The fact that he mentioned Divine Sense must mean he foresaw something.


    Divine Sense killing¡­


    That could mean someone might attempt to kill him using Divine Sense.


    And so, he had to take precautions before it was too late.


    With a powerful Divine Sense, a thousand evils cannot invade!


    Every increase in strength of the Divine Sense made him that much safer¡­


    Mo Hua practiced tirelessly, leading to a noticeable increase in his Divine Sense, but he was always just a little short of the twelfth pattern¡­


    No matter how he practiced Formation drawing, it seemed to yield little effect.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless.


    Early one morning, Mo Hua got up and started his routine cultivation to greet the dawn.


    Suddenly, the Qi Sea inside him trembled slightly.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, and then he was overjoyed.


    He quickly took out a Spirit Stone, ceaselessly absorbed the Spiritual Energy, refined the Spiritual Power, circulated it through his meridians, and accumulated Spiritual Power in the Qi Sea.


    After an unknown amount of time, the Spiritual Power solidified, and his aura grew stronger.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes and could not help but smile brightly.


    He had reached the eighth level of Qi Refinement!


    And there was more.


    After a breakthrough in realm, Divine Sense also grows.


    Although compared to his Foundation Establishment level Divine Sense, his realm was only at Qi Refinement, and the increase in Divine Sense from the breakthrough was not substantial.


    But these slight increases in Divine Sense bridged that small gap, pushing his Divine Sense over the threshold, successfully reaching the twelfth pattern!


    The morning glow splashed across the mountains, casting its light upon Mo Hua.


    At this moment, Mo Hua, at fourteen years old, was at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, with a Foundation Establishment level twelve pattern Divine Sense!


    ¡°`

 Chapter 406 - 406: 403

    Chapter 406: 403


    Mo Hua was already fourteen years old.


    Cultivators have a long lifespan, even an ordinary Qi-refining cultivator could live for approximately one to two hundred years.


    Being in one¡¯s teens was not considered old for a cultivator.


    Bai Zisheng told Mo Hua that in some large noble clans, any cultivator under the age of eighteen was still considered a child.


    Because members of noble clans generally had higher cultivation levels and longer lifespans, a decade or so was insignificant to them.


    However, in Tongxian City or other lower-tier immortal cities, many loose cultivators might never progress beyond the Qi-refining realm in their entire lives.


    Therefore, anyone over fifteen was regarded as a young lad.


    If one did not have access to the right avenues in Tao cultivation and couldn¡¯t advance one¡¯s cultivation level, one had to learn a Tao cultivation skill to become self-reliant in the future.


    That¡¯s what Da¡¯hu and Dazhu had done.


    Da¡¯hu and his two companions learned monster hunting, while Dazhu learned artifact refining.


    The purpose was to ensure they had enough to eat.


    Mo Hua had become a first-grade Formation Master, capable of supporting himself, but he still didn¡¯t look very old.


    One reason was that he was inherently weak and grew slowly, making him shorter than his peers.


    Another was that he had never practiced body refinement, which made him appear even thinner.


    People like Da¡¯hu and Dazhu were naturally big and tall and had practiced body refinement, so even though they were only three or four years older than Mo Hua, they were much taller than him.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    He too wished to be tall and strong.


    Unfortunately, he spent every day drawing formations, exhausting his mind and energy. He did eat quite a bit, but he didn¡¯t grow much in height¡­


    Now at fourteen, he was only a little taller than he had been at thirteen.


    His junior brother Bai Zisheng was a head taller than him, and his junior sister Bai Zixi, with her tall stature, was also half a head taller than him.


    Furthermore, with Mo Hua¡¯s delicate features and fair complexion, he resembled a porcelain doll, making him appear even younger.


    ¡°When will I grow taller?¡± Mo Hua pondered somewhat dejectedly.


    He glanced at Bai Zisheng sitting to his left and then at Bai Zixi to his right, silently thinking to himself:


    ¡°I at least need to be taller than my junior sister¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi gave him a puzzled look, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Nothing at all!¡±


    ¡­


    Besides that, Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation realm had reached the eighth layer of Qi Refinement.


    He was one step closer to Foundation Establishment.


    The advancement in his cultivation realm had made his body a bit stronger.


    But since he wasn¡¯t a body cultivator, this slight improvement was insignificant, like a mosquito¡¯s leg.


    His spiritual power had also increased.


    But his spiritual root was mediocre, and even though the cultivation technique he practiced was unique, its uniqueness lay in the use of divine sense rather than spiritual power.


    So the spiritual power he cultivated was not abundant, just mediocre.


    Just marginally inferior compared to the average cultivator.


    However, compared to his junior brother and sister or the descendants of other familial clans and sects, he was probably far behind.


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang saying that noble clans and sects relied on inheritance theories of spiritual roots, married generationally among each other, and thus birthed descendants with exceptional spiritual roots.


    The disciples from the large clans and great sects often had superior spiritual roots.


    In contrast, Mo Hua¡¯s mediocre spiritual root, which was on the lower end, truly wasn¡¯t impressive.


    But if it wasn¡¯t impressive, so be it.


    After all, he didn¡¯t rely on it to make a living.


    Mo Hua was a Formation Master, who should establish himself with formations as his foundation.


    Mr. Zhuang had also shown him a way, instructing him to ¡°Prove the Dao with Divine Sense.¡±


    Moreover, as a cultivator¡¯s spiritual root was innate and unchangeable, there was no point in fretting over it.


    After reaching the eighth layer of Qi Refinement, Mo Hua¡¯s spells had also strengthened.


    Firstly, his Concealment Technique.


    Now, cultivators in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment could hardly see through Mo Hua¡¯s Concealment Technique.


    The effectiveness of the Water Prison Technique had increased as well.


    It was cast faster, entrapped adversaries more accurately, and the duration of the constraint had been extended by a moment.


    Although it was just a moment, in life-or-death struggles, this brief time could make the difference between survival and demise.


    The power of the Fireball Technique had also intensified.


    Mo Hua had specifically tested it a few times.


    The color of the fireball had deepened slightly, and amidst the dark red was a hint of dazzling beauty, teeming with explosive spiritual power.


    It was unassuming yet resplendent, with danger lurking within its brilliance.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    If he continued to cultivate the Fireball Technique to its pinnacle, what would the effect be, and how strong could the power become?


    Mo Hua tried to imagine, but he couldn¡¯t conceive of it.


    The effects of the spells beyond the Foundation Establishment Realm were beyond his comprehension.


    When he had time, he would ask Old Kui.


    Old Kui should know.


    After all, his Fireball Technique was taught by Old Kui, as were the techniques for using spells.


    Then came the matter of divine sense.


    The divine sense with twelve patterns in Foundation Establishment was indeed much stronger than before.


    His divine sense was more acute, his calculations faster, and his perception of the surrounding spiritual power more distinct.


    Previously, drawing the Thick Earth Formation with eleven patterns was adept yet somewhat strenuous.


    Now, when drawing the same formation, it felt much easier. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The fact that he now had a twelve-pattern divine sense¡­


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then went to find Mr. Zhuang:


    ¡°Master, could you teach me how to use the Slaying Divine Thought method?¡±


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang saying before that once his divine sense grew stronger, he would teach him how to deal with parasitic divine sense.


    How to oppose, or even destroy, divine sense or divine thoughts¡ªor malicious intentions from others, when they invaded the Sea of Consciousness, whether they came from humans or non-humans.


    Now that his divine sense had reached twelve patterns, it should be considered strong.


    Mr. Zhuang calculated with his fingers and said:


    ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time, no rush, wait until your divine sense grows stronger.¡±


    ¡°It needs to be stronger¡­¡± Mo Hua muttered quietly.


    ¡°Haste makes waste,¡± Mr. Zhuang spoke gently.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    He continued to ask:

 Chapter 407 - 403: Ultimate Formation (Only one update today)_2

    Chapter 407: Chapter 403: Ultimate Formation (Only one update today)_2


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve already reached twelve patterns, and I¡¯m already tired of drawing the eleven-pattern Thick Earth Formation. Should I look for a twelve-pattern Ultimate Formation next?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, ¡°Your current Divine Sense is such that drawing ordinary Formations can no longer refine it in the slightest¡­¡±


    Qi Refinement Eighth Level, Foundation Establishment Twelve Pattern Divine Sense.


    This level of Divine Sense, like the Ultimate Formation, was seriously ¡°off the charts¡±¡­


    It was not something that could be improved by ordinary means.


    Moreover, there were no Cultivation Techniques for cultivating Divine Sense in the Cultivation World.


    Divine Sense was ethereal, intangible, and with each Cultivator distinct, the differences were substantial.


    To enhance Divine Sense was extremely difficult to begin with.


    The Contemplation Map was a trick, more like borrowing someone else¡¯s Divine Sense, and it was somewhat dangerous, so it was best not to use it.


    Mo Hua nodded, then remembered another question:


    ¡°Master, for a higher-level Formation Master learning these lower-level Ultimate Formations, would it be a bit simpler?¡±


    He had always been curious.


    The requirement of Divine Sense for Ultimate Formations was high.


    But this threshold was with respect to the same level of Cultivation.


    If it were a higher-level Formation Master with strong enough Divine Sense, then learning some lower-level Ultimate Formations should be much easier.


    But why, according to Mr. Zhuang, were there so few Masters who knew even a first-grade Ultimate Formation?


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°It would be somewhat easier, but not by much.¡±


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°Why is that?¡±


    A high-level Formation Master should have very strong Divine Sense¡­


    ¡°Divine Sense is the foundation of a Formation Master, the very essence,¡± Mr. Zhuang slowly explained, ¡°but having Divine Sense doesn¡¯t mean one can become a Formation Master, or that one can definitely learn Formations.¡±


    ¡°Having Divine Sense only gives you the qualification to learn Formations. To master them, you need to study, to think, to practice, to understand.¡±


    ¡°It requires perseverance, lots of time, energy, and focus.¡±


    ¡°Not all Cultivators are willing to do this, and not all can manage to do it.¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a small matter, maintaining it is very difficult.¡±


    ¡°Let alone something as abstruse and obscure as Formation principles; even many high-level Formation Masters struggle to persevere later on.¡±


    ¡°Ultimate Formations are as such, with special Pattern techniques, hard to learn, hard to draw.¡±


    ¡°Many Formation Masters have sufficient Divine Sense but might not be willing to practice, and naturally, they won¡¯t be able to learn.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed faintly.


    ¡°This is the first point: even with Divine Sense, without practice, naturally you can¡¯t learn.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like some people who, despite having the talent, are unwilling to make the effort and end up accomplishing nothing, squandering their potential.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused a moment, then continued:


    ¡°The second point is, even if you practice, you may still not learn it.¡±


    ¡°The way of Formations is based on Divine Sense. Only with Divine Sense can you practice, and only when sufficiently proficient can you start to understand.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary Formations, through diligent practice, you can learn the Formation Patterns, which don¡¯t require much understanding.¡±


    ¡°But Ultimate Formations are different. Any Ultimate Formation, exceeding the Formation Method Classification, inevitably has its specialties and invariably contains unique Formation principles¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, saying gently:


    ¡°You should have some experience with this.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    The two Ultimate Formations he learned, one was the Reversed Spirit Formation.


    A first-grade ten-pattern, containing the power of Spirit Energy inversion, required Divine Sense Calculation to bring out its effects.


    The other was the Thick Earth Formation.


    A first-grade eleven-pattern, embodying the power of Spirit Energy generation, required an understanding of Earth Dao Meaning to truly master.


    Both types of Ultimate Formations required more than just learning the Patterns.


    They also necessitated a deeper recognition of Spirit Energy, a more profound use of Divine Sense, as well as a clearer understanding of Taoist Meaning.


    If Mr. Zhuang had not provided guidance,


    Or if one didn¡¯t have a Taoist Stele,


    It was doubtful that one could learn and truly apply them.


    Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°Thus, many high-level Formation Masters, despite having enough Divine Sense and sufficient practice, because they lack that bit of understanding, often can¡¯t find the way, fail to have that moment of sudden insight, and ultimately still can¡¯t learn Ultimate Formations.¡±


    ¡°That bit of understanding is like the finishing touch.¡±


    ¡°Without that bit of clarity, the whole Formation is just a shell, without any charm or spirit.¡±


    Mo Hua had a sudden realization, ¡°Just like when I draw the Thick Earth Formation, if I can¡¯t perceive the Daoist Meaning, simply drawing it over and over again is futile.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled again, ¡°But once they¡¯re at a high level, and are high-level Formation Masters, could they really fail to comprehend?¡±


    ¡°The two are related, but they¡¯re actually two separate matters,¡± Mr. Zhuang explained. ¡°Some Cultivators have profound Cultivation but have only mastered the use of powerful Spiritual Power, and their understanding of Spirit Energy and the Great Dao is actually very superficial.¡±


    ¡°They can wield Spiritual Power to cast devastating Spells, dominating battles, but if you ask them to perceive the subtle changes in Spirit Energy to draw a first-grade Ultimate Formation, that would be difficult for them.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators cultivate by absorbing Spiritual Energy and accumulating Spiritual Power, casting Taoist Skills, thereby wielding outward power.¡±


    ¡°For general Cultivators, that is enough.¡±


    ¡°But for Formation Masters, they not only have to control external power but also understand the underlying principles. Merely knowing how to manipulate Spiritual Power for combat is far from sufficient.¡±


    To control the power, to understand the principles¡­ sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua seemed to grasp the concept and nodded earnestly.


    Seeing that Mo Hua understood, Mr. Zhuang felt slightly relieved and then said:


    ¡°These are the issues on the level of understanding Formations. Since Ultimate Formations contain special Formation principles, even high-level Formation Masters might not necessarily learn low-level Ultimate Formations.¡±


    ¡°Are there other reasons?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°The other reasons are more complicated¡­¡±

 Chapter 408 - 403: Ultimate Formation (Only one update today)_3

    Chapter 408: Chapter 403: Ultimate Formation (Only one update today)_3


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly:


    ¡°First is the issue of time.¡±


    ¡°Mastering Ultimate Formations requires time, and a Formation Master¡¯s time is very precious.¡±


    ¡°If you spend your time mastering low-grade Ultimate Formations, how will you learn high-grade Formations?¡±


    ¡°Formation Study is vast and profound, no Formation Master can be so adept that they have fully grasped the Formations of their current grade, and then go on to learn other things.¡±


    ¡°If there is one, that Formation Master must be substandard.¡±


    ¡°Because the more ignorant one is, the more they think they know everything. The more you know, the more you realize how little you actually know.¡±


    ¡°The same goes for Formations.¡±


    ¡°The deeper the understanding of a Formation Master, the more they know about the profundity of Formations and the infiniteness of the Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°High-grade Formations are difficult, and naturally, high-grade Ultimate Formations are even more difficult, while low-grade Ultimate Formations are also not simple¡­¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have the time to cover both.¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but nod his head. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then suddenly realized that he had a lot of time.


    Because he practiced Formations on the Taoist Stele at night, which was equivalent to not needing to sleep.


    This gave him twice the time compared to other Formation Masters.


    And with Divine Sense on the Taoist Stele that could be rewound, his Divine Sense was always replenished.


    By this calculation, he actually had several times more time to learn Formations than other Formation Masters.


    Other Formation Masters had limited time and couldn¡¯t manage both.


    Then, did he not need to choose, could he have them all?


    Mo Hua blinked, feeling a tiny bit of guilty pleasure, and a little embarrassed.


    As if he was cheating.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s eyes blinking, Mr. Zhuang knew he was having some crafty thoughts and couldn¡¯t help but smile faintly, but he did not probe further and continued:


    ¡°Besides that, low-grade Ultimate Formations are somewhat superfluous for high-grade Formation Masters.¡±


    ¡°Because of the lower grade, the effects of the Formation are greatly diminished.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time-consuming and labor-intensive to learn, and it¡¯s not very useful.¡±


    ¡°And the most troublesome aspect is that some Ultimate Formations themselves are inherited in grades, following a continuous lineage.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said solemnly.


    ¡°A continuous lineage?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°If the grades are broken, can¡¯t they be learned?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and slowly explained:


    ¡°Ordinary Formations don¡¯t fuss over these things.¡±


    ¡°For example, if you don¡¯t know a First Grade Melting Fire Formation, it doesn¡¯t matter; you can start learning from Second Grade.¡±


    ¡°These Formations are related, but they are also relatively independent of each other; there is no need to follow a fixed sequence.¡±


    ¡°But Ultimate Formations are different.¡±


    ¡°Many Ultimate Formations are linked grade by grade in a continuous chain.¡±


    ¡°You must start from First Grade and then learn Second Grade, followed by Third Grade, progressing from the simpler to the more complex.¡±


    ¡°And Ultimate Formations themselves are very rare, it¡¯s difficult to have a complete succession.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very possible that the succession of a full set of Ultimate Formations is scattered across the state boundaries of the Nine State, in different forces in different places.¡±


    ¡°First Grade in Li State, Second Grade in Kun State, Third Grade is missing, Fourth Grade in Qian State, and for the grades above Fifth, there are not even rumors¡­¡±


    ¡°Without the First Grade, you can¡¯t learn the Second Grade, and likewise, even if you have the Formation Diagrams for the subsequent Third and Fourth Grade Ultimate Formations, if the grades are broken, you fundamentally can¡¯t learn them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open.


    No wonder they are called ¡°Ultimate¡± Formations¡­


    Difficult to learn by their very nature, they require progressive grades, linked in succession; one mishap could result in the discontinuation of the lineage¡­


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua again and sighed:


    ¡°That¡¯s why during the Qi Refinement Realm, you should learn as many Ultimate Formations as you can, as many as possible, because most Ultimate Formations are based on the First Grade Ultimate Formations.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Master!¡±


    Mo Hua agreed and then expressed some concern, ¡°But what about later on¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang stroked his head gently and said calmly:


    ¡°Later on, you will have to learn how to find them yourself.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then somewhat understood.


    Why Mr. Zhuang brought him out and let him find Formations on his own.


    It was to guide him to become proficient in Divine Sense Calculation.


    So that in the future, relying on his own abilities, he could also find the Ultimate Formations hidden in various places of the Nine State.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed slightly, ¡°For the reasons mentioned above, there are very few Formation Masters in this world who can truly master Ultimate Formations.¡±


    ¡°But you are different; your Cultivation Technique is special, you must master Ultimate Formations, and you must be exceptionally proficient.¡±


    ¡°The more Ultimate Formations you learn, the better; the harder they are, the better.¡±


    ¡°The more you learn, the deeper your understanding of Formations, the stronger your Divine Sense becomes, and the further you¡¯ll be able to travel on your future path¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said to Mo Hua, his tone serious and his gaze full of expectations.


    Mo Hua nodded solemnly, committing his master¡¯s words deeply to his heart.

 Chapter 409 - 404 Minor Hidden Spirit Sect_1

    Chapter 409: Chapter 404 Minor Hidden Spirit Sect_1


    During the journey that followed, Mo Hua would occasionally stick his little head out the window to gaze at the scenery of heaven and earth.


    He looked amidst the mountains, at the Immortal Cities, and within the ruins of broken temples, searching for any shadows of formations.


    If there were any signs, he would release his Divine Sense to perceive them.


    He then immersed himself in calculation.


    If he deduced the trajectory of the spiritual power in the formation, he would halt the carriage and personally seek it out.


    He would inquire local cultivators, visit local Formation Masters, or ascend to solitary mountain tops to gaze upon an ancient stele towering above¡­


    In this way, with stops and starts, two months passed.


    Mo Hua indeed found some special formations, even two ultimate formations.


    But one was incomplete, and the other had only ten stripes, which were simple ones at that, containing rather elementary Taoist meanings.


    Even without the aid of the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua learned it in a few days.


    Afterward, there was no shadow of any ultimate formations to be found.


    There were none with the First Rank Thirteen Stripes, not to mention formations with the First Rank Eleven or Twelve Stripes.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    The Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness had ¡°gone on strike¡± and not yet recovered, and every day he practiced the formations far fewer times.


    He could only rely on drawing the Thick Earth Formation to enhance his understanding of formations and hone his Divine Sense.


    But his Divine Sense was already at twelve stripes.


    The eleven-striped Thick Earth Formation was too easy for him to draw; it no longer did much to hone his Divine Sense.


    These days, his Divine Sense had grown exceedingly slowly.


    He was far from reaching the thirteen-striped Divine Sense.


    By contrast, his cultivation progress was much faster.


    It was quite possible that by the time he reached the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Level, his Divine Sense would still be stuck at twelve stripes, not reaching thirteen stripes, let alone the mid-phase of Foundation Establishment Divine Sense.


    Establishing the Foundation with a twelve-striped Divine Sense¡­


    Mo Hua sighed again, this was much worse than expected.


    It seemed he needed to think of a solution¡­


    After a brief contemplation, Mo Hua went to find Mr. Zhuang and asked,


    ¡°Master, are the twelve-striped formations really that scarce?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang leisurely sipped his tea and said,


    ¡°Every ultimate formation is rare. Whether or not you encounter one depends partly on fate and partly on insight.¡±


    ¡°Without the right fate, you won¡¯t come across one; without the insight, even if you do, you won¡¯t recognize it.¡±


    ¡°Your encounter with the Thick Earth Formation shows you are deeply fated. It¡¯s not possible to find an ultimate formation in every place you visit.¡±


    ¡°Seeking formations requires a long time and patience.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then with a furrowed brow, he sighed and said,


    ¡°But at this rate, by the time I establish my foundation, my Divine Sense will only be at twelve stripes¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang tapped Mo Hua¡¯s forehead with a smile and said,


    ¡°Just speak directly, don¡¯t beat around the bush with your master.¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled, ¡°I have heard of a twelve-striped formation before.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°Master, do you remember Instructor Yan?¡± Mo Hua said.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°The Spirit Pivot Formation Chart?¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Master, you knew about it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s shocked expression, revealed a hint of amusement in his eyes:


    ¡°I have met Instructor Yan once. It was because of that formation that I saw him in a different light.¡±


    Mo Hua pondered and gradually understood.


    Mr. Zhuang, profound and unfathomable, lived reclusively in the mountains, concealing his traces. Ordinary cultivators couldn¡¯t possibly meet him.


    In Tongxian City, aside from himself, no one had seen Mr. Zhuang.


    Even Mo Hua¡¯s parents, Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua, only knew Mr. Zhuang¡¯s name but had never met him, much less knew what he looked like.


    But Instructor Yan was different.


    Mo Hua always thought that Instructor Yan¡¯s mastery of formations was extraordinary.


    But that was because he was once a disciple of Tongxian Gate, had received guidance in formations from Instructor Yan and felt grateful in his heart.


    In truth, Instructor Yan was just a Qi Refining cultivator, not even a First Rank Formation Master.


    Such mastery of formations was considered profound in a small Immortal City like Tongxian City.


    But in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes, it was probably negligible.


    Based solely on formation expertise, it was unlikely that Instructor Yan could have become acquainted with Mr. Zhuang.


    And it was even less likely that he recommended him as a named disciple to Mr. Zhuang.


    Now, it seemed Mr. Zhuang knew about the ultimate formation causality that Instructor Yan carried, which was why he regarded him differently.


    And it was due to this fortunate coincidence that Mo Hua became a disciple of Mr. Zhuang.


    Unable to help himself, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Master, is the Spiritual Pivot Formation really that powerful?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded,


    ¡°Every ultimate formation has its unique, extraordinary effects, inheriting some laws of spiritual power that are unusual and close to the Tao.¡±


    ¡°The Reversed Spirit Formation is like that, the Thick Earth Formation is like that, the Spiritual Pivot Formation is equally so.¡±


    ¡°The Reversed Spirit Formation signifies annihilation, the Thick Earth Formation signifies birth, whereas the focus of the Spiritual Pivot Formation lies in the word ¡®pivot¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Those who understand the Spiritual Pivot are the central hub of spiritual power, involving the essential structure of spiritual power¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang wanted to say more but suddenly stopped.


    Mo Hua, still eager to hear more, promptly asked, S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Master, why have you stopped speaking?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, ¡°The rest will be for you to comprehend on your own if you can obtain this Formation Diagram. If you can¡¯t obtain it, then speaking would be in vain.¡±


    Mo Hua grumbled inwardly, ¡°Master is being secretive again¡­¡±


    Having finished speaking, he was startled, and upon looking up, he indeed saw Mr. Zhuang looking at him with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile.


    Mo Hua gave an awkward laugh.


    It was over, he had grumbled about his master, and again he had found out.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head with an indulgent look but said nothing.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Master, does this Spiritual Pivot Formation Chart have a history? And what is the heritage of Instructor Yan¡¯s sect?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment before slowly saying,


    ¡°Instructor Yan¡¯s sect is called the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.¡±


    ¡°The origins of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect lie with the Formation Sect that had declined a thousand years ago, the Great Hidden Spirit Sect.¡±


    ¡°A thousand years ago, the Great Hidden Spirit Sect was destroyed, and the sect disciples scattered, their teachings disseminated across the land.¡±


    ¡°They did not wish for the sect¡¯s name to be lost, yet dared not arrogate the title ¡®Great Hidden Spirit,¡¯ thus they changed one word, calling it the ¡®Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.''¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, then added,


    ¡°Apart from the ¡®Minor Hidden Spirit Sect,¡¯ other sects that appear dilapidated with ¡®Hidden Spirit¡¯ in their names, like Little Hidden Spirit Mountain, Hidden Spirit Gate, Hidden Spirit Valley, and so on, could all be associated with the ¡®Great Hidden Spirit Sect.''¡±


    ¡°If by chance you encounter them, it might be worthwhile to pay a visit, to form ties, and see if there are any lingering teachings.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, committing the words ¡®Hidden Spirit¡¯ to memory.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly before continuing,


    ¡°The initial reason I was willing to meet Instructor Yan was actually to have a look at the Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s Spiritual Pivot Formation Chart.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect fell into ruin, and the Formation was stolen and lost.¡±


    ¡°Although I did not see the Formation Chart, Instructor Yan is upright in nature, and in dissemination of teachings, he does not withhold secrets, very much in the spirit of the Formation Masters of the old Great Hidden Spirit Sect.¡±


    ¡°I took a liking to him, and that is why I agreed to allow him to visit should he need to¡­¡±


    After Mr. Zhuang finished speaking, he silently reflected while gazing at the clear-eyed Mo Hua:


    ¡°Who knew that upon his next visit, he would bring me a disciple with astonishing talent and cleverness¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, unaware of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts, knitted his brows in thought before asking,


    ¡°Was there a specific incident that led to the downfall of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Since you know of the Spiritual Pivot Formation Chart, you should have also heard about the destruction of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It is said there was a traitor who killed his master and ancestors and stole the Formation Diagram.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat angry.


    Instructor Yan was kind, diligent in his duties, earnest in teaching, responsible, a good instructor.


    His master, therefore, must have also been a good Formation Master and a good master who valued the transmission of formations.


    That such people were killed by a disciple with the heart of a wolf and the lungs of a dog.


    And that disciple even stole the formation chart that protected the sect, causing a decent sect to fall apart and disperse¡­


    Mr. Zhuang lamented, ¡°Human nature is greedy, forgetting righteousness at the sight of benefit. This world has many cultivators like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t assume that all cultivators are like those in Tongxian City, where the customs are simple and loose cultivators help one another.¡±


    ¡°Among cultivators, there are good people, bad people, and those who vacillate between kindness and malice when faced with choices of interest.¡±


    ¡°The path of Tao cultivation is unpredictable, human hearts treacherous and inscrutable.¡±


    ¡°You must guard not only against wicked people, but also against good people who may turn wicked in the face of temptation¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang patiently continued his earnest instruction.


    Mo Hua nodded vigorously as he listened,


    ¡°Master, I understand. I will be good to those who are good to me; and I will not be good to those who are not good to me.¡±


    Hearing his somewhat childish words, Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but laugh, then asked,


    ¡°What if, those who are good to you are bad people, and those who are bad to you are good people?¡±


    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t do bad things, then those who are bad to me are naturally bad people, and those who are good to me are naturally good people.¡±


    Mo Hua declared with a clear voice.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded with a smile,


    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s the principle.¡±


    Mo Hua also smiled.


    Mr. Zhuang then continued, ¡°Since you¡¯ve brought up this matter, do you have any leads on it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Before departing, I went to find Manager Mo¡­¡±


    ¡°He too is from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, considered a junior brother to Instructor Yan.¡±


    ¡°He told me, Instructor Yan has gone to the Minor Wilderness State Boundary, South Yue City, presumably to find that traitorous disciple of the sect.¡±


    ¡°And in the hands of that traitor supposedly lies the Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s secret transmission, a first-grade twelve-patterned, Spiritual Pivot Formation Chart!¡±

 Chapter 410 - 405 Journey_1

    Chapter 410: Chapter 405 Journey_1


    Minor Wilderness State Boundary, South Yue City, Instructor Yan, traitor, Spiritual Pivot Formation¡­


    Mo Hua briefly organized his thoughts and then glanced again at Mr. Zhuang, asking softly,


    ¡°Master, is South Yue City on our way?¡±


    He had been wanting to ask this before.


    Instructor Yan had the kindness of enlightening him and providing him with opportunities.


    To repay kindness with great generosity is only proper.


    Mo Hua wanted to find Instructor Yan to see if there was anything he could help with.


    He also had a bit of a selfish motive, wanting to see what a First-Grade Twelve Stripe Spiritual Pivot Formation was really like.


    Whether he was capable of learning it, whether he could master it, and ultimately, whether he could use it to refine his Divine Sense to reach the realm of Thirteen Stripes.


    But he didn¡¯t know where the sect Mr. Zhuang intended to visit was located, and whether it was on the way.


    If it wasn¡¯t on the way, he couldn¡¯t just take the liberty to change Mr. Zhuang¡¯s plans.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s not on our way.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.


    ¡°But we can take a detour,¡± Mr. Zhuang added.


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned, ¡°Won¡¯t that delay our journey?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Mr. Zhuang said with a smile. ¡°As long as you can learn the Formation, it won¡¯t be a waste of time.¡±


    Mo Hua felt warm inside.


    After Mr. Zhuang had spoken, he sighed slightly,


    ¡°Moreover, I too want to see what is so special about the Spiritual Pivot Formation passed down by the Great Hidden Spirit Sect from those days.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Now he was reassured, but at the same time, he felt a bit puzzled.


    He always had the feeling that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s journey out into the world seemed to be for the purpose of teaching him Formation techniques¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    This doubt had plagued him for a while.


    Along the way, Mr. Zhuang was unhurried, claiming to be heading to a certain sect, yet he didn¡¯t seem particularly urgent about it.


    Instead, he spent the journey teaching him how to perform Calculation, how to derive, how to find Ultimate Formations, and how to comprehend them¡­


    Moreover, even upon reaching the destinations, it was also for the purpose of having him learn Formations.


    What about himself, then?


    What exactly did his master wish to do?


    Mo Hua stealthily sneaked a glance at Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was serene and detached, inscrutably profound, revealing nothing.


    ¡°Who knows what Master is thinking about¡­¡± Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    If his master had any wishes,


    maybe he could help fulfill them once his own cultivation was high enough.


    It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t know when that day would come¡­


    After all, he was still but a small cultivator in the Qi-refining Realm.


    Mo Hua let out a slight sigh.


    At that moment, Mr. Zhuang was unaware of the little thoughts running through Mo Hua¡¯s mind. Instead, he spoke to Old Kui, who was driving the carriage,


    ¡°Take a detour, to South Yue City.¡±


    Old Kui pulled on the reins, and Big White neighed, its hooves striking the ground as it turned its head, taking another path that led to the road towards the Minor Wilderness State Boundary¡­


    The Minor Wilderness State Boundary was also the Second-Grade Prefecture Border of Li State.


    The Heavenly Dao Formation beneath restricted the highest level of cultivation one could use to Foundation Establishment.


    Li State was ruled by the element of fire, and was filled with intense fire energy.


    Tongxian City to the north had a slightly better climate, with mountains and rivers, lush vegetation¡ªyet most of the year was quite hot, especially the spring and summer, which were particularly sweltering.


    However, the Minor Wilderness State Boundary was located to the east of Li State, in a southern position, and the climate was even drier.


    Along the way, there were grass and trees, but less in number, mostly in shades of brown and not growing densely.


    Cultivators live off the mountains and the waters.


    The few immortal cities en route mostly lived by Monster Hunting, and the next largest group was the Mining Cultivators.


    The so-called Mining Cultivators were those who mined for a living.


    Locally, they had other names, such as ¡°Stone Mason,¡± ¡°Stone Worker,¡± ¡°Miner,¡± and ¡°Mine Laborer,¡± among others.


    Cultivators of different regions had different customs and expressions.


    Among these Mining Cultivators, there were some who mined Spiritual Mines, but they were rare.


    The Spiritual Mines of the Minor Wilderness State Boundary were either under the control of the Taoist Court or occupied by some large Clans and Sects. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Spiritual Mines were extremely important, usually mined by practitioners from one¡¯s own faction, rarely assigned to these external Loose Cultivators.


    What these Mining Cultivators extracted were mines containing copper and iron.


    Copper and iron from the Cultivation World were incredibly tough and required Body Refinement cultivators, expending great effort to excavate.


    The mined copper and iron were used for Artifact Refining, construction, Alchemy, and other industries.


    Even the Formation Pen used by Formation Masters and Spiritual Ink occasionally contained a bit of copper or iron powder.


    The Minor Wilderness State Boundary wasn¡¯t rich in other resources, but it had plenty of mines.


    Therefore, local Loose Cultivators lived by selling their labor, excavating mines for sustenance.


    In the many trades of Tao Cultivation, though it was never explicitly stated, Mining Cultivators also belonged to the bottom ¡°vile trades¡± and were taken up only by impoverished Loose Cultivators.


    Mining was not simple; it had its own special techniques.


    Mo Hua, on the road, only glanced at them from afar, so he did not have a clear understanding.


    But in general, the Minor Wilderness State Boundary was indeed as desolate as its name implied.


    Due to the desolation, there were more bandits on the road.


    It wasn¡¯t long after setting out that the carriage would be stopped by some bandits.


    These bandits didn¡¯t spout nonsense like ¡°This mountain was opened by me, and this tree was planted by me, to pass from here leave some toll money.¡±


    The mountains were excavated by the Mining Cultivators, and the desolate mountains had no trees to plant.


    Instead, they got straight to the point by saying things like,


    ¡°Hand over your Spirit Stones,¡± ¡°Leave behind the carriage and horses,¡± ¡°and you can keep your lives,¡± and such.


    In these situations, Mo Hua generally treated them differently.


    That¡¯s because the composition of the bandits was also very complex.


    Some were genuinely poor, their families couldn¡¯t make ends meet, their wives and children were on the brink of starvation, and they had no choice but to cover their faces, arm themselves with knives, and rob passersby.


    Mo Hua thought that this wasn¡¯t right, but given that they were driven by necessity, he wouldn¡¯t blame them harshly.


    And these people knew how to behave themselves.


    Although they talked tough, most could be dismissed with just a few Spirit Stones.


    Often just a moment ago, they would be shouting, ¡°Hand over the Spirit Stones, and we¡¯ll spare your lives!¡± or similar harsh threats.


    Once Mo Hua gave them a few Spirit Stones, they would become extremely polite.


    Some, probably desperate to their limits and having not earned Spirit Stones in a long time, would even kneel and kowtow non-stop, repeating:


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, young brother!¡±


    These Cultivators didn¡¯t ask for much, just a few Spirit Stones to buy some coarse grains and bran, enough to feed a family for half a month.


    They weren¡¯t greedy; a few Spirit Stones relieved them of their burden, and they would leave.


    Watching this, Mo Hua felt both amused and a bit sad.


    Some Cultivators were just lazy and fond of pleasure, intending to rob homes to make a fortune.


    After Mo Hua gave them a few Spirit Stones, they would still be unsatisfied.


    That¡¯s when Mo Hua would stop being polite.


    With a Fireball Technique for each, he would knock them all down, letting them lie on the ground for a good ¡°reflection.¡±


    Such laziness always accompanied the neglect of cultivation.


    Therefore, these kinds of bandits generally didn¡¯t have high cultivation.


    Used to bullying the weak and fearing the strong, their martial arts and spells were both terribly lousy.


    None of them were a match for Mo Hua.


    Of course, there were also some ¡°tough cookies.¡±


    These were considered local ¡°habitual bandits,¡± organized but not strong, having rules but not strict.


    They simply had many people, each with a vicious and greedy nature.


    They relied on their numbers and, seeing Mo Hua as a little Cultivator, would demand an exorbitant ransom.


    After Mo Hua gave them Spirit Stones, they still thought it not enough.


    They wanted Mo Hua and his companions to leave behind their horses and carriages.


    The more outrageous thing was, they inadvertently caught sight of Bai Zixi and blurted out:


    ¡°The little girl stays!¡±


    The other few bandits also looked on with drooling faces, ¡°This little girl looks good, probably worth a lot of Spirit Stones if sold in the city.¡±


    ¡°At least a few hundred¡­¡±


    ¡°Worthless scum, she¡¯s worth thousands!¡±


    Mo Hua got angry.


    How dare they target his little martial sister?


    Bai Zisheng got even angrier.


    He didn¡¯t waste words, directly drawing his long spear, his pale golden Spiritual Power stirring as he moved like a phantom, easily penetrating the thighs of the bandits before him, forcing them to kneel.


    Then he sheathed his spear and started beating them with his fists.


    From drawing his spear to throwing his punches, it all happened in the blink of an eye.


    The bandits were in an uproar, which then turned into rage:


    ¡°What an arrogant brat!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get him together!¡±


    ¡°Take them down!¡±


    ¡°Sell them to the slavers!¡±


    ¡­


    The other bandits also rushed together.


    Some circled Bai Zisheng, while others charged at Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng remained calm, his Spiritual Power surging, his fist strikes formidable, fighting in all directions.


    As a descendant of a noble clan, at the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Level, with supreme Martial Arts and Spells, and often sparring with Mo Hua, he had little trouble dealing with these ragtag bandits.


    Though there were many bandits, they fought each individually, without coordination or strategy, and gradually, they were defeated one by one.


    Some came at Mo Hua as well.


    Mo Hua, riding on Big White, flicked his fingers, and Fireball Techniques flew out one after another, knocking down all the bandits who approached.


    There wasn¡¯t any bandit that a single Fireball Technique couldn¡¯t solve.


    If it didn¡¯t work, then another was on its way!


    Only one fish slipped through the net, managing to get within ten feet of Mo Hua in the gap between Fireball Techniques.


    But before he could act, Big White kicked out and sent him flying.


    The bandit was kicked like a sandbag, smashing into the mountain wall, and then falling to the ground with his bones shattered to pieces.


    Big White nuzzled Mo Hua with its head as if to take credit.


    Mo Hua embraced Big White¡¯s neck with a hand, smiling:


    ¡°Today we¡¯ll grab some extra grass to treat you!¡±


    Big White gave a contented ¡°whinny¡± in response.


    In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the group of bandits had been utterly defeated, all lying on the ground moaning in pain.


    A few who tried to run were fixed in place by Mo Hua¡¯s Water Prison Technique, then caught up with by Bai Zisheng, who impaled each one with his spear.


    Bai Zisheng was still unsatisfied, ¡°Dare to covet my sister?¡±


    He then beat up several leaders of the bandits once more.


    Mo Hua thought about it and decided he should exercise his muscles as well, so he drew out the Thousand Jun Stick and joined in on the beating.


    Though they weren¡¯t beaten to death, they were nearly there.


    After the beating, Bai Zisheng, seeing their pitiful state, wondered:


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too excessive?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not excessive for such scum.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, ¡°True.¡±


    Mo Hua raised his pinky finger, concluding:


    ¡°Speaking on a smaller scale, this is called ¡®punishing evil and promoting good, acting courageously for justice¡¯; speaking on a larger scale, this is contributing to the stability of the Minor Wilderness State Boundary¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng exclaimed in shock,


    ¡°Mo Hua, you sure can blather on. With your gift of gab, if you ever enter the Taoist Court, you¡¯re sure to do well.¡±


    He¡¯d beaten a group of bandits out of personal grudge, yet could spin it so righteously.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t pleased, ¡°I¡¯m being honest. I¡¯ve always told the truth¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fellow Sect members, who are you trying to fool?¡±


    ¡­


    Bai Zixi watched the two bickering with a gentle smile floating in her autumn-water-like eyes.

 Chapter 411 - 411: 406 South Yue City_1

    Chapter 411: 406 South Yue City_1


    ¡°`


    And so, we continued our journey, drawing formations as we went, beating up bandits, and feeding Big White. Along the way, we took in the local customs and practices.


    Several months later, Mo Hua and his companions finally arrived at South Yue City.


    South Yue City was larger than Tongxian City.


    Standing on a mountain peak outside of South Yue City, Mo Hua gazed into the distance and roughly estimated that South Yue City was about twice the size of Tongxian City.


    The city walls were taller but looked somewhat shabbier.


    The formations on them weren¡¯t particularly sophisticated either.


    Of course, that was from Mo Hua¡¯s perspective.


    The city walls were old and weather-beaten, showing signs of cracking and discoloration.


    Before entering the city, each person had to pay an entry fee of one Spirit Stone.


    Not all Immortal Cities charged an entry fee.


    Tongxian City didn¡¯t.


    And almost half of the cities they passed through on their way didn¡¯t either.


    Even for those that did charge a fee, it wasn¡¯t normally this much.


    One Spirit Stone was not a small sum for the average Loose Cultivator.


    Not to mention, the Minor Wilderness State Boundary seemed even poorer than other places.


    Mr. Zhuang, Old Kui, plus the three young disciples¡ªa total of five people in their group.


    Mo Hua paid five Spirit Stones.


    The gate guards accepted the Spirit Stones and allowed them to pass.


    They didn¡¯t dare to trouble Mo Hua.


    That¡¯s because he had the tall and imposing Big White standing beside him.


    A Cultivator who could afford to use such a Spirit Horse and ride in such a carriage was not someone they could afford to offend.


    Mo Hua and the others then passed through the city gates and entered South Yue City.


    Inside South Yue City, the streets were even wider.


    But the stone bricks on the ground were pitted and eroded by the wind, and there was a lot of dust. The Cultivators coming and going mostly wore simple clothing, and their faces showed signs of hardship.


    ¡°Master, where shall we go?¡±


    Mo Hua asked while sitting atop Big White.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find an inn to settle down first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mo Hua asked a few Cultivators for directions and then followed the streets, turning left and right until they arrived at a street corner.


    There was an inn at the corner. It had a weathered signboard hanging above, inscribed with the four characters ¡°Nanyue Inn.¡±


    Nanyue was just one character different from the city¡¯s name, South Yue.


    This inn was neither luxurious nor crowded, but it looked neat and clean.


    Mo Hua and his group decided to stay at the Nanyue Inn.


    They checked in, and the attendant served them tea.


    Mo Hua then said to the attendant:


    ¡°Could you feed Big White for me?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing!¡±


    The attendant called out and then asked, ¡°Young man, what kind of fodder would you like to use?¡±


    ¡°Is there a difference between the fodders?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s ordinary, superior, and top-quality fodder. The prices and qualities differ, but they¡¯re definitely worth the cost,¡± explained the attendant with articulate clarity.


    After inquiring about the price and finding that even the top-quality fodder was affordable, Mo Hua generously said,


    ¡°Feed him the best one!¡±


    The Minor Wilderness State Boundary was somewhat barren, and they hadn¡¯t found much good fodder during the journey. Big White hadn¡¯t eaten well and had gotten thinner.


    Although he still looked big and strong, Mo Hua knew that Big White had definitely lost weight.


    ¡°You got it!¡±


    The attendant cheerfully went to fetch the fodder.


    Mo Hua then went over to caress Big White, ¡°Wait for the good food, make sure you eat plenty!¡±


    Big White nodded his head and affectionately licked Mo Hua¡¯s face with his tongue.


    Mo Hua smiled back.


    After making sure Big White had something nice to eat, he also went for a meal.


    The inn provided food and drink.


    Mr. Zhuang and the others had already taken their seats.


    Bai Zisheng looked at Mo Hua with a mix of envy and curiosity, asking,


    ¡°Why is Big White so affectionate with you?¡±


    Mo Hua said with conviction, ¡°Because I feed him!¡±


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like Big White was willing to eat from just anyone. At least, when he tried to feed him, Big White seemed to despise it a bit.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Is it because the food you feed him is too bad, and that¡¯s why Big White despises you?¡± S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng frowned, ¡°Isn¡¯t it all just grass? What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a difference. Some grass tastes good, and some taste bad,¡± replied Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng frowned, ¡°I¡¯m not a horse, how would I know which grass tastes good and which tastes bad?¡±


    He then looked at Mo Hua in shock, ¡°You didn¡¯t taste it yourself before feeding it to Big White, did you?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Bai Zisheng with a touch of disdain, ¡°I¡¯m not you, why would I be so silly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your senior brother, and you¡¯re calling me silly?¡±


    ¡°Who said a senior brother can¡¯t be silly?¡±


    ¡­


    The two of them chatted back and forth, whispering and muttering.


    Bai Zisheng was still puzzled and couldn¡¯t help but ask again:


    ¡°How exactly do you know which grass tastes good and which tastes bad?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then whispered:


    ¡°I¡¯m only telling you because you¡¯re my senior brother¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°Mmm!¡± Bai Zisheng nodded repeatedly.


    Mo Hua then offered some pointers:


    ¡°There¡¯s a knack to pulling up grass.¡±


    ¡°The grass on the ground, when you look at it with your eyes, mostly looks the same color¡­¡±


    ¡°But when you use Divine Sense, the ¡®complexion¡¯ of each blade of grass is different.¡±


    ¡°Some grasses are pale blue, rich in Spiritual Energy; some are tender green, indicating they are fresh; some are dark green, signifying they are somewhat old; some are red, indicating they are somewhat evil; and yet others are purple or even black, which means they are poisonous¡­¡±


    ¡°When feeding Big White, you need to pull up the fresh grass. Even the dark green ones can¡¯t be too old, and of course, it would be best if you can pull up grasses containing Spiritual Energy¡­¡±


    Following that, Mo Hua gave Bai Zisheng an indifferent glance:


    ¡°The grass you pulled up may look the same, but the aura is red and green, some even poisonous. It¡¯s a wonder Big White doesn¡¯t mind you¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes were opened to a whole new world.


    Pulling grass can actually reveal so much knowledge.


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Mo Hua looked puzzled, ¡°How else to know? Just look with the eyes, sweep with Divine Sense, and you¡¯ll know, right?¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s expression was complicated.


    Okay then, his little junior brother had tricked him again¡­


    But then, his brows furrowed again.


    Is it really so?


    He seemed to have also swept with Divine Sense and had never seen the colorful aura Mo Hua described¡­


    Could it be that his Divine Sense was not strong enough?


    Bai Zisheng was grappling with the intricacies of pulling grass on one side.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua was blissfully enjoying his meal on the other side.


    After being busy for half the day, he was very hungry.


    As he ate, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and asked Mr. Zhuang:


    ¡°Master, may I go look for Instructor Yan?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang took a sip of his wine, nodding, ¡°You may.¡±


    Having said that, he instructed, ¡°Zisheng and Zixi, accompany him.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    After everyone finished eating, Mr. Zhuang rested at the inn while Old Kui attended to the carriage.


    Mo Hua, together with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, took a stroll in South Yue City to see if they could find Instructor Yan.


    Mo Hua started from the perspective of a Formation Master.


    Instructor Yan was a Formation Master, and if he had come to South Yue City, he would likely have interactions with other Formation Masters.


    Mo Hua asked the inn¡¯s servant and got directions to the residences of several famous Formation Masters in South Yue City.


    Some of them were First-grade Formation Masters who had passed the assessment.


    Others were capable of Drawing Formation of a First Grade Nine Pattern Formation but had not crossed the threshold and had not been assessed, so they were considered ¡°pseudo First-grade¡± Formation Masters.


    Mo Hua noted down the residences of these people and drew a line on the map of South Yue City, planning to visit them one by one.


    The threshold to become a Formation Master is high.


    Not just in terms of talent, but even the literal threshold in front of their residences is formidable.


    At least three junior cultivators like Mo Hua could not cross it.


    Despite looking exceptional, he was indeed too young and appeared too tender.


    The doorkeepers stopped them from entering, but they were still polite, simply saying:


    ¡°The gentleman is receiving important guests and cannot be disturbed at this time.¡±


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°When will he be finished receiving guests?¡±


    ¡°That, well, is hard to say¡­¡± the doorkeeper hesitated.


    After all, there were so many lining up to see their master, and it would take more than a month to get through them all.


    Moreover, whether the master had the time to see these three junior cultivators was not certain.


    He thought that Mo Hua and the others had come to apply as disciples.


    This was a common occurrence.


    The doorkeeper then tactfully said, ¡°Three young friends, please return for now.¡±


    Having no other option, Mo Hua took out the Heaven Shu Ring to declare his genuine identity as a ¡°First-grade Formation Master.¡±


    The moment Mo Hua produced the Heaven Shu Ring, he could clearly feel the doorkeeper trembling all over, and even his voice shook:


    ¡°You, you¡­ this¡­¡±


    He was somewhat at a loss for words, not knowing what to say.


    How could there be a First-grade Formation Master who was only about ten years old?


    The doorkeeper thought it was fake, but he didn¡¯t dare to bet on it.


    He too was a Formation apprentice, someone learning about Formations.


    If it were fake, stopping them would be fine.


    But if by chance it was real, he would have truly offended a First-grade Formation Master, and he really would have to pack up his belongings and leave¡­


    Moreover, even if it was a counterfeit, to know to use a ¡°Heaven Shu Ring¡± as a fake meant the identity was not ordinary; at least they were ¡°insiders.¡±


    The doorkeeper then respectfully said:


    ¡°Young brother, please wait a moment, I will go and report this.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take the time of one cup of tea for a Formation Master, dressed lavishly with half-white hair and beard, looking like the owner of the residence, to come out, smiling and saying:


    ¡°May I know which young friend here is a First-grade Formation Master?¡±


    Mo Hua showed him the Heaven Shu Ring again.


    The Formation Master glanced at the diminutive Mo Hua, then at the Heaven Shu Ring that was one size too large for his thumb, then again at Mo Hua, and once more at the Heaven Shu Ring¡­


    He was clearly at a loss for a moment¡­


    After the doorkeeper told him there was a visiting First-grade Formation Master of minor age, he naturally didn¡¯t believe it at first.


    Now, even though he saw the Heaven Shu Ring with his own eyes, he remained skeptical.


    It was only after he invited Mo Hua inside and personally saw Mo Hua effortlessly draw a First-grade Formation, and after exchanging a few words about Formation knowledge, that he was utterly convinced.


    His attitude towards Mo Hua then became exceedingly polite, even carrying a measure of respect.


    There is no seniority among scholars¡ªthe learned are accorded respect.


    This little gentleman truly possessed the knowledge of a First-grade Formation Master.

 Chapter 412 - 407 Old Friend_1

    Chapter 412: Chapter 407 Old Friend_1


    Mo Hua and several others were invited into the living room, where disciples served fresh fruit and tea enveloped in spiritual energy.


    The Formation Master introduced himself:


    ¡°My surname is Su, a first-rank Formation Master, and I have the honor to be an Elder of South Yue Sect. May I ask the young master¡¯s name¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°My surname is Mo, also a first-rank Formation Master, but no one has invited me to become an elder yet¡­¡±


    The Formation Master smiled, ¡°Young Master Mo speaks with quite a sense of humor.¡±


    With exceptional talents, Mo Hua was neither arrogant nor haughty. He spoke with an innocent tone and a charming, affectionate smile. The elder thus let down his guard, leisurely sipping his tea before inquiring:


    ¡°May I ask what brings the young master here?¡±


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Master Su¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, no need for formalities, just call me Elder Su¡­¡±


    Elder Su hastily gestured with his hands.


    As a fellow first-rank Formation Master, he was too modest to let anyone address him as ¡°Master.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and asked:


    ¡°Elder Su, do you know of a Formation Master surnamed Yan with a half-step First Rank cultivation or perhaps already at the First Rank?¡±


    Elder Su was taken aback for a moment, stroking his beard as he murmured:


    ¡°Surname Yan¡­¡±


    After pondering for a long time, he shook his head and finally said:


    ¡°I truly do not know of anyone.¡±


    ¡°The city of South Yue is both big and small, especially when it comes to the circle of Formation Masters. Anyone with some level of skill is bound to have crossed paths with others, more or less.¡±


    ¡°A Formation Master surnamed Yan¡­ there are a few in South Yue City, but half-step First Rank or already at First Rank¡­ I have not heard of any such person.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed and added:


    ¡°He is from outside.¡±


    Elder Su pondered:


    ¡°If he¡¯s an external Formation Master who stayed here a while and interacted with others, then I should¡¯ve heard of him.¡±


    ¡°If I haven¡¯t heard of him, it¡¯s possible he only stayed here briefly before leaving¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, if this Formation Master secluded himself upon arriving here and did not mingle with other Formation Masters, then it¡¯s normal that I haven¡¯t heard of him¡­¡±


    Mo Hua slowly nodded his head.


    Since Instructor Yan was on a quest to find a renegade from his sect, it was plausible for him to seclude himself and hide his traces after arriving here to avoid startling the quarry.


    Elder Su hesitated for a moment before asking:


    ¡°May I ask what is the relation between you and Mr. Yan?¡±


    After asking, he added with an apologetic tone, ¡°Of course, if it¡¯s inconvenient to disclose, please pretend I did not ask.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Yan is something of a predecessor and mentor to me. Since I happened to be passing by, I thought to pay him a visit,¡±


    Mo Hua provided just a brief explanation.


    Elder Su understood.


    Visiting one¡¯s mentor was a natural human sentiment.


    He then expressed regret, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I have never met this Formation Master and can¡¯t be of help to you, young master.¡±


    Mo Hua politely responded:


    ¡°You are too kind, Elder Su. We apologize for the intrusion.¡±


    Since he couldn¡¯t find out any news about Instructor Yan, Mo Hua stood up to take his leave, intending to inquire with other Formation Masters.


    Elder Su paused to think, then had a disciple fetch a name card, which he handed to Mo Hua, and said:


    ¡°This is my name card¡­¡±


    ¡°When visiting other Formation Masters, without showing the Heaven Shu Ring, it may be difficult to gain entrance.¡±


    ¡°However, the Heaven Shu Ring is valuable and not only draws attention but may also invite envy, so it¡¯s best not to reveal it lightly.¡±


    ¡°Having this name card will make it much more convenient.¡±


    Mo Hua took the name card, noticing the Elder Su¡¯s elegant and dignified signature, with golden specks on the ink and also bearing the emblem of South Yue Sect.


    It looked both precious and reputable.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Elder Su!¡± Mo Hua expressed his gratitude.


    Elder Su replied with a smile, ¡°If young master has some free time while staying in South Yue City, please feel free to visit my humble abode for tea and discussion on Formation theory.¡±


    Mo Hua thanked him again, yet hesitated, saying:


    ¡°Won¡¯t I disturb your entertaining of guests?¡±


    Elder Su, being a Formation Master and an Elder, would surely be busy with a host of guests.


    Elder Su shook his head, ¡°Not at all. Whenever you come, young master, you will be an honored guest.¡±


    Mo Hua then smiled, ¡°Thank you for your kind offer, Elder Su. I will definitely make time if I can.¡±


    Afterward, Elder Su personally escorted Mo Hua to the door.


    Only after watching Mo Hua walk away did Elder Su stroke his beard and mutter to himself:


    ¡°Seen a ghost I have, where does this junior Formation Master hail from? So young, surely he couldn¡¯t have been learning Formation from the womb, and yet, that doesn¡¯t seem right either¡­¡±


    The disciple who had been by Elder Su¡¯s side asked softly:


    ¡°Master, could he be an imposter?¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Elder Su shook his head:


    ¡°Formation skill doesn¡¯t lie. If it¡¯s genuine, it¡¯s genuine, if not, it¡¯s not. The moment he began Drawing Formation, I knew for certain that he must be a first-rank Formation Master!¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The disciple felt a twinge of jealousy, ¡°Even if he¡¯s a first-rank Formation Master, he¡¯s still young. Weren¡¯t you a bit too courteous to him?¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡±


    Elder Su glared at the disciple.


    The disciple didn¡¯t dare say another word.


    Elder Su knitted his brows in thought for a while before slowly saying:


    ¡°This young gentleman¡­ I cannot see through him.¡±


    ¡°Not only him, but I also cannot see through the two young Cultivators accompanying him, distinguished in appearance and temperament¡­¡±


    ¡°They seem like mere Qi Refinement Cultivators, yet Divine Sense reveals nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°I remain at Foundation Establishment, yet cannot see through Qi Refinement¡­¡±


    ¡°This suggests that they must be wearing some kind of Spiritual Artifact to conceal their aura.¡±


    ¡°Such Spiritual Artifacts cannot possibly be owned by Cultivators of ordinary status and background.¡±


    The disciple became solemn inwardly, ¡°Could these three young Cultivators be of no small origin?¡±


    Elder Su nodded, then shook his head, and suddenly looking perturbed, said to the disciple:


    ¡°Why do you care so much? Just focus on learning your Formation!¡±


    ¡°If you put even half that amount of attention into Formation, you wouldn¡¯t still be just an apprentice.¡±


    ¡°Of all the disciples I¡¯ve taken, you¡¯re the most blockheaded.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your mother¡¯s face, I would have told you to get lost a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Look at others, already a top-grade Formation Master at barely over ten years old. Now look at you, even if you live to be a hundred, you might still not amount to much¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Su gave the disciple a severe scolding.


    The disciple left sullenly, quickly saying:


    ¡°I know my mistake, I will go and work on Drawing Formations right away.¡±


    Then, he ran off hastily, though his expression did not show much panic.


    Seeing this, Elder Su sighed helplessly:


    ¡°Back in my day, why couldn¡¯t I control myself and avoid getting involved in such a romantic mess?¡±


    ¡­


    After leaving Elder Su¡¯s residence, Bai Zisheng asked:


    ¡°Shall we visit the other Formation Masters as well?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Though it¡¯s highly likely we won¡¯t find any clues, we should still make the trip, at least to become acquainted.¡±


    Being strangers in South Yue City, it was good for them to get to know more Cultivators.


    Moreover, these Cultivators were all Formation Masters.


    Local Formation Masters generally held prestigious positions.


    Building some rapport could be beneficial in the event of conflicts.


    Without any connections, the likelihood of resorting to physical confrontations in disputes was high.


    With connections, even if it¡¯s just a nodding acquaintance, negotiations tended to be easier.


    This was something he had learned from Master Luo.


    Master Luo was highly successful in Tongxian City, navigating among the Formation Masters with ease. Taking his advice was always the right decision.


    Bai Zisheng nodded.


    Afterward, several of them, holding Elder Su¡¯s name card, visited all the influential Formation Masters of South Yue City one by one.


    They both inquired about Instructor Yan¡¯s whereabouts and took the opportunity to socialize.


    Elder Su was a Foundation Building Cultivator, a top-grade Formation Master, and an elder of South Yue Sect, apparently even from the Inner Gate.


    His name card proved to be extremely useful.


    Mo Hua easily visited the residences of all the Formation Masters in South Yue City.


    Everyone was mostly polite and amiable.


    With the name card, Mo Hua did not need to reveal his status as a top-grade Formation Master, as it wasn¡¯t necessary.


    Elder Su¡¯s status was more than sufficient.


    Even if some Formation Masters were initially arrogant, after a few conversations and discussions about Formations, they became amicable.


    When Formation Masters interact with each other, communication is easier.


    Especially when discussing Formations, it quickly becomes apparent who is knowledgeable based merely on a few comments.


    Mo Hua¡¯s youth and knowledge of Formations impressed them.


    Mo Hua spent a whole day asking around and managed to make himself known.


    As the saying goes, a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake.


    Initially a mere ¡°Crossing River Dragon,¡± Mo Hua, after mixing in the social circles, had practically become a ¡°local snake¡± in the Formation community of South Yue City.


    Walking the streets of South Yue City, Mo Hua carried himself even more upright.


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t quite understand.


    He had seen with his own eyes; all Formation Masters, no matter how arrogant at first, ended up treating Mo Hua cordially in the end.


    It seemed that they were quite willing to give face to Mo Hua.


    Was this popularity simply too good to be true?


    Or was it because Mo Hua was a Formation Master?


    But Mo Hua hadn¡¯t said that he was a top-grade Formation Master. He had only mentioned he knew ¡°a little¡± about Formations¡­


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t grasp it.


    Mo Hua was unaware of what Bai Zisheng was thinking.


    He was still concerned about Instructor Yan¡¯s whereabouts.


    As expected, none of the Formation Masters he inquired about knew where Instructor Yan was, some haven¡¯t even heard of the man¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help frowning.


    Where on earth had Instructor Yan gone?


    Was he still in South Yue City at all?


    ¡­


    Upon returning, Mo Hua reported everything to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang was not surprised, as if he had anticipated this, and simply nodded slightly.


    ¡°Master, shall we continue our search?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    He didn¡¯t want to waste Mr. Zhuang¡¯s time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue searching,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Give it a few more days.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡­


    In the following days, apart from his daily cultivation routine and working on Formation Painting, Mo Hua, along with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, wandered the streets and alleys of South Yue City, sightseeing while inquiring about Instructor Yan¡¯s whereabouts.


    After five or six days, they still hadn¡¯t turned up any leads.


    While they hadn¡¯t found Instructor Yan, Mo Hua did bump into other acquaintances.


    One day, as Mo Hua was walking through the city, he saw a group of people in a dispute, among them a pretty female Cultivator who looked somewhat familiar.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but take a few extra glances.


    Bai Zixi curiously watched him.


    Mo Hua blinked his eyes and suddenly remembered, his eyes lighting up as he waved and called out:


    ¡°Sister Situ!¡±


    The woman was Situ Fang.


    Years ago, outside of Tongxian City at Big Black Mountain, she and Zhang Lan were apprehending Evil Cultivators when they came across Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua helped them find their way to the Evil Cultivators, and even modestly assisted them in subduing the Evil Cultivators, even going as far as to break one of their legs.


    Mo Hua remembered that Situ Fang had treated him well. Afterwards, she and Zhang Lan had even treated him to a meal at the Spiritual Meal Building.


    An entire table full of dishes!


    Situ Fang, dressed in a black Taoist Court uniform, was startled by the call, turned around and saw a young cultivator with rosy lips and white teeth waving at her, calling her ¡°sister¡± with a ringing voice.


    Situ Fang was puzzled for a moment before recognition dawned, and her mouth fell open:


    ¡°Mo¡­ Mo Hua?!¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 413 - 408 Disappearance_1

    Chapter 413: Chapter 408 Disappearance_1


    Situ Fang saw Mo Hua and was full of surprise.


    After explaining a few words to the arguing cultivators, she managed to get away and led Mo Hua and the others to a quiet teahouse by the road. They ordered a few cups of green tea, some dried fruits, and pastries.


    Curious, Mo Hua asked:


    ¡°Sister Situ, are you the Supervisor for South Yue City?¡±


    Situ Fang being a Supervisor wasn¡¯t surprising to Mo Hua.


    She wore the official robes of a Supervisor and her cultivation was not weak. Plus, coming from a clan background, it was natural for her to hold the position of Supervisor at the local Taoist Court.


    What puzzled Mo Hua was why she would be the Supervisor of South Yue City.


    South Yue City was quite far from Tongxian City. If she was the Supervisor of South Yue City, why would she have gone all the way to Tongxian City to capture evil cultivators?


    Situ Fang sighed and said, ¡°Clan training, we have to take turns serving everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua understood.


    The practices of the Situ Family seemed quite good, knowing to send disciples out to various places to serve and hone their skills.


    And it looked like this kind of training was rather exhausting.


    Even the idle Zhang Lan ended up busy as can be with one incident after another, what with the Black Mountain Stronghold and the Big Demon and all.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Situ Fang also asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    She looked around and then asked, ¡°Did Zhang Lan come with you as well?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head and laughed,


    ¡°Uncle Zhang didn¡¯t come. I¡¯m traveling with my master, and we just happened to pass by here. I wanted to visit an elder, and it just so happened that I ran into you.¡±


    ¡°Master, traveling?¡±


    Situ Fang was slightly startled.


    She remembered Zhang Lan briefly mentioning that Mo Hua was good at Drawing Formations and had a mysterious and profound master.


    She then glanced at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Both had extraordinary appearances and an otherworldly aura; they clearly looked like disciples of a remarkable person.


    Especially Bai Zixi, Situ Fang couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances, somewhat astounded by her beauty:


    ¡°This is your junior sister, isn¡¯t it? She¡¯s truly beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡± Mo Hua nodded, but inwardly thought to himself:


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even seen her at her prettiest¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi also smiled lightly and said, ¡°Sister also looks very beautiful¡­¡±


    Beautiful in appearance, pleasant to listen to, nice to talk to.


    Situ Fang grinned from ear to ear.


    A moment later, she asked again:


    ¡°What about Zhang Lan, is he still in Tongxian City?¡±


    ¡°He should have returned to his clan.¡±


    ¡°He reached the Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Situ Fang nodded and then suddenly asked:


    ¡°I heard that you all in Tongxian City killed a Big Demon, is that true?¡±


    Mo Hua quickly nodded, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°The Large Formation was drawn by me, and in the end, I also used the Great Formation Dissolution to send that pig soaring to the heavens!¡±


    Of course, Mo Hua did not say these words out loud; they were just thoughts in his heart.


    Situ Fang exclaimed in admiration, ¡°Truly¡­ that is no small feat.¡±


    Such an achievement, where a local cultivator constructs a Large Formation to subdue a Big Demon, was extremely rare even in the history of the Taoist Court.


    She didn¡¯t ask for more details.


    This kind of matter, which was related to the life and death of all the cultivators in the city, probably had nothing to do with Mo Hua, a young cultivator of about ten years old.


    Even if asked, he might not know.


    Mo Hua took a sip of tea, smacked his lips, feeling its bitterness and astringency, followed by a hint of sweetness.


    It was somewhat unpleasant yet slightly enjoyable, a strange sensation.


    He tasted each of the dried fruits and then the pastries, his eyes lighting up.


    They were delicious.


    He tasted a few more, silently guessing the methods used to make the dried fruits and pastries, wondering if he could replicate them.


    Dried fruits for Old Kui, pastries for his junior sister.


    Mo Hua ate and drank while pondering, when suddenly something occurred to him. He asked Situ Fang:


    ¡°Sister Situ, you were arguing with someone just now. What happened?¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s previously relaxed mood instantly vanished, leaving her with a sense of resignation as she replied:


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me about it?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, his eyes sparkling.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also looked at Situ Fang, clearly curious as well.


    Situ Fang considered for a moment, then sighed and said:


    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in telling you¡­¡±


    ¡°I was transferred here as the Supervisor for South Yue City¡¯s Taoist Court six months ago.¡±


    ¡°Around here in South Yue City, the clans hold the mines while most loose cultivators earn their living by mining, what¡¯s commonly referred to as ¡®mining cultivators¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Mining cultivators need to enter the mines, dig tunnels, and mine¡ªwhich is quite tough and very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Inside the mines, there¡¯s not only centuries-old Evil Qi but also other odd and sinister spirits, as well as monster beasts that burrow through the mountains.¡±


    ¡°If the Evil Qi invades the body, it can cause severe injuries at best, and at worst, death.¡±


    ¡°The mine¡¯s monster beasts, too, are man-eaters.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, if the mineshafts are poorly excavated or the Formations are crudely drawn, it can easily lead to the collapse of the mines.¡±


    ¡°Once a mineshaft collapses and rocks tumble down, cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm wouldn¡¯t be able to make it out alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why, every year in South Yue City, quite a few cultivators die within the mines¡­¡±


    ¡°So the cultivators just now, they were arguing with you because they had relatives who died in the mines?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Situ Fang nodded, ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not certain. They are just missing.¡±


    She then sighed again, ¡°Based on past experiences, those who went missing in the mines are most likely dead.¡±


    Mo Hua asked with confusion, ¡°But what does this have to do with you?¡±


    Situ Fang helplessly said, ¡°Their family members went missing, and they cried to the Taoist Court to file a report. The Taoist Court accepted the case, but they don¡¯t seem very willing to handle it.¡±


    ¡°Seeing their poverty and distress over their missing loved ones, who were washing their faces with tears day in and day out, I felt somewhat compassionate and took the initiative to take on the matter.¡±


    ¡°As a result, I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯ve run into trouble, huh¡­¡±


    Situ Fang gave a bitter smile, ¡°If the trouble was only from the Taoist Court¡¯s side, it would still be okay. But these victims, they are also a big headache.¡±


    ¡°At first, when I helped them, they were immensely grateful to me.¡±


    ¡°Gradually, they started to complain, blaming the Taoist Court for being ineffective, wondering why it¡¯s taken so long to find anyone.¡±


    ¡°Regarding compensation, they¡¯ve also made extravagant demands.¡±


    ¡°The Court Leader from that side also dislikes my meddling in affairs.¡±


    ¡°Caught between both sides, I¡¯m helpless and in an awkward position¡­¡±


    Deep helplessness showed on Situ Fang¡¯s face.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Ungratefulness for kindness is often the case.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t help them, they will beg you to help. Once you actually help them, they will think your help is not enough and they will blame you.¡±


    Situ Fang looked at Mo Hua in surprise, ¡°Then what do you think I should do?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said:


    ¡°If you really want to help, you should adopt an official and impartial attitude from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Unbiased, so they would plead for your help and naturally have a better attitude towards you.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, it will be troublesome.¡±


    ¡°If you get too close to them and show that you¡¯re considering their interests, they subconsciously think that, no matter what happens, you will side with them¡­¡±


    ¡°Consequently, they will take your kindness for granted, become even more demanding, and may even deceive you, treating you like a fool¡­¡±


    Situ Fang exclaimed in shock, ¡°How do you know all this?¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head, ¡°Uncle Zhang Lan told me¡­¡±


    Situ Fang was taken aback, ¡°Why would he tell you these things?¡±


    Recalling the past, Mo Hua crisply said:


    ¡°We had a drink together. Of course, it was mainly him drinking and me eating meat, and I also had some fruit wine¡­ He talked a lot when he was drunk and told me everything.¡±


    ¡°He said that in the past, even when doing good deeds, he ended up not pleasing anyone¡­¡±


    Situ Fang looked surprised upon hearing this.


    She was quite familiar with Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan seemed lethargic on the surface, but in fact, he was very astute and somewhat proud by nature, did not have many friends, and was also slightly at odds with his clan.


    She hadn¡¯t expected him to have such a good relationship with this child, Mo Hua, and to share everything with him¡­


    Situ Fang thought for a moment and then nodded.


    Mo Hua was right.


    She had been too soft-hearted, ending up with a mess on her hands. Now, with no progress being made, she was caught in a quagmire, facing daily complaints.


    With this thought in mind, Situ Fang let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Sister Situ, how did these mining cultivators go missing exactly?¡±


    Situ Fang shook her head, ¡°We haven¡¯t figured it out yet. There aren¡¯t any clues in that mine, and the families of these miners are being unreasonable, stirring up trouble for the sake of it, demanding an explanation and more compensation in spirit stones, but when asked about the specifics of the case, they¡¯re evasive, talking about their hardships¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became focused, ¡°There¡¯s probably something wrong here.¡±


    Situ Fang nodded, ¡°I also feel something is amiss, but I can¡¯t find any leads for the time being. Now, I¡¯m constantly being troubled by these miners¡¯ families, lost for what to do¡­¡±


    Mo Hua ventured, ¡°Why not lock them up?¡±


    Situ Fang was taken aback, ¡°Lock them up where?¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Prison¡­¡±


    Situ Fang fell silent.


    Even Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were silently looking at Mo Hua with gazes akin to looking at a bad person.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right¡­¡± Situ Fang said delicately. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Just to scare them a bit¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°They¡¯re taking advantage of your kindness, which is why they¡¯re overstepping their bounds. If this continues, you won¡¯t be able to find the missing people or solve the case, and you¡¯ll inevitably be in a difficult position.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good for anyone this way¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, they¡¯re definitely hiding something.¡±


    ¡°Lock them up for a few days, let them cool down and feel afraid, then they¡¯ll know not to go too far. When you ask them anything again, they¡¯ll speak honestly.¡±


    Mo Hua paused, then, remembering what Zhang Lan had said, nodded:


    ¡°For those who are reasonable, you can be gentler, but for those who are unreasonable, you need to establish your authority appropriately; otherwise, you will be bullied.¡±


    ¡°Being a goody-two-shoes doesn¡¯t solve problems.¡±


    After pondering for a long time, Situ Fang finally said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    After a few more pleasantries about turning to her if there were any troubles, and settling the bill, Situ Fang left.


    After Situ Fang left, Mo Hua took a sip of tea and suddenly realized Bai Zisheng was staring intently at him.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°We should also go to the Taoist Court Official¡¯s case.¡±


    Mo Hua pouted, ¡°What for?¡±


    Bai Zisheng hesitated for a moment, not willing to admit he just wanted to join in on the excitement.


    After thinking for a bit, he said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious? Why the mining cultivators disappeared, whether they are alive or dead?¡±


    ¡°If alive, where are they trapped, and can they be rescued?¡±


    ¡°If dead, how did they die? Could they have been killed by other cultivators, and why would they be killed¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng muttered on and on.


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua, who hadn¡¯t been very curious before, also became somewhat intrigued¡­


    Mo Hua then furrowed his eyebrows.


    He also had a vague sense that there was something strange about this matter, as if it were tied to complex causality.


    He couldn¡¯t clearly explain why he felt this way.


    But ever since he learned Divine Sense Calculation, he would occasionally get these premonitions.


    Perhaps Divine Sense Calculation could sense the causality of certain things.


    ¡°Could it be that my master taught me Calculation all along so that I could sense causality and seek good fortune while avoiding disaster?¡± Mo Hua wondered to himself.

 Chapter 414 - 409 Mine_1

    Chapter 414: Chapter 409 Mine_1


    The disappearance of the mining cultivators was something Mo Hua wanted to understand, but he had to wait until Situ Fang had gotten a clear answer.


    In the following three days, Mo Hua still sought Instructor Yan in South Yue City every day, but still without a clue.


    Instead, it was Situ Fang who came up with some news first.


    It was in that same small teahouse, Situ Fang invited Mo Hua for tea and then said to him,


    ¡°I went to ask the families of the missing mining cultivators what exactly happened; they wouldn¡¯t speak and were being obstinate and unreasonable, claiming that the Taoist Court and the Lu Family were in cahoots, oppressing the good people¡­¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family?¡±


    ¡°The mine belongs to the Lu Family.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Situ Fang continued, ¡°So I detained them for a few days, and once they got scared, they finally told the truth.¡±


    ¡°What did they say?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Situ Fang sighed and said,


    ¡°These missing mining cultivators disappeared while trying to steal from the mines¡­¡±


    ¡°Steal from the Lu Family¡¯s mine?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Situ Fang nodded. ¡°They told their families before they disappeared that they were about to strike it rich and wouldn¡¯t have to live in hardship anymore.¡±


    ¡°Then, under the cover of night, they left and never returned¡­¡±


    Mo Hua understood, ¡°They were afraid that if the Lu Family found out, the Lu Family wouldn¡¯t compensate them with spirit stones, so they didn¡¯t dare speak up, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Situ Fang seemed somewhat helpless.


    It was likely that the Lu Family would not only refuse to compensate with spirit stones but would also demand compensation from the families of the missing mining cultivators.


    Because stealing from the mine is a major taboo for mining cultivators.


    The ores they stole were nominally owned by the Lu Family.


    ¡°No wonder¡­¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    So that¡¯s why they were being obstinate and not telling the truth.


    Of course, part of the reason was that they saw Situ Fang had a soft heart, and they became pushy because of it.


    ¡°Sister Situ, what do you plan to do?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    Situ Fang pondered and said, ¡°I can keep quiet about the theft, but right now the most important thing is to find these missing mining cultivators, dead or alive, we need an explanation.¡±


    Situ Fang sighed, ¡°And if these mining cultivators really are dead, we also need to figure out a way to get some compensation from the Lu Family, otherwise, these mining cultivators¡¯ families, without income, won¡¯t be able to survive.¡±


    Mo Hua also felt some sorrow and couldn¡¯t help asking, S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Will the Lu Family compensate?¡±


    ¡°I have asked them, and the Lu Family said that unless the bodies of these mining cultivators are found in the mine, they won¡¯t compensate.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Has the Lu Family always done things this way before?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Situ Fang nodded. ¡°No body, no compensation in spirit stones.¡±


    She explained further,


    ¡°The Lu Family¡¯s approach is certainly uncompassionate, but before, there indeed were mining cultivators who faked their deaths to claim compensation, so it¡¯s difficult to fault them too much.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Then do these missing mining cultivators have any leads?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Situ Fang took out a map and handed it to Mo Hua.


    ¡°When these missing mining cultivators left and which hilltop they entered the mine from, I have marked on the map.¡±


    Situ Fang sighed again,


    ¡°These things, their families originally didn¡¯t want to speak of, now they¡¯re afraid, so they finally revealed it.¡±


    ¡°After all, once these things are said and the Lu Family knows about it, they will have leverage.¡±


    ¡°These missing mining cultivators, even if they are dead, will have died in vain, their families won¡¯t receive a penny of compensation.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll investigate secretly, without letting the Lu Family know,¡± Mo Hua whispered.


    Situ Fang nodded, but halfway through, she suddenly realized and corrected,


    ¡°I will investigate, not we. What are you, a child, doing getting involved in this kind of thing?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered, and he smiled, saying,


    ¡°Sister Situ, you¡¯ve been so kind to me; I want to help you too.¡±


    Situ Fang felt a warmth in her heart but then sensed something amiss and looked at Mo Hua skeptically,


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really!¡± Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    Still, Situ Fang refused,


    ¡°No, this matter is a bit strange, I can¡¯t involve you.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°It takes three stakes to fence in a hog, three helpers to make a hero great.¡±


    ¡°Me, as well as my senior brother and sister, will all help you. Besides, there are formations in the mine; you may not be able to find some places¡­¡±


    Situ Fang frowned, thinking to herself.


    Indeed, formations were a problem¡­


    There were indeed many formations in the mine, and without knowledge of formations, it¡¯s very easy to miss some key places.


    She herself knew a little bit about formations, but not much, and likely she couldn¡¯t unravel their intricacies.


    Asking another Formation Master didn¡¯t seem right either.


    In South Yue City, the Lu Family had the greatest influence, and they were also on good terms with other Formation Masters; no Formation Master would help her if she went to the mines.


    And although she didn¡¯t know how good Mo Hua¡¯s skills in formations were, Zhang Lan had praised them.


    Zhang Lan, born to a noble clan, had good judgment. If he praised Mo Hua¡¯s drawing formation skills, then Mo Hua¡¯s abilities in formations must indeed be exceptional¡­


    Situ Fang hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind,


    ¡°Alright, but you must be careful, the mines are no trivial matter, and you must not be negligent at any cost.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sister Situ,¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡­


    After discussing the plan, two days later.


    Situ Fang took Mo Hua, along with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, to the Lu Family¡¯s mines.


    The mining cultivators had gone missing, and the Taoist Court was conducting an inspection, so the Lu Family had no grounds to refuse, nor did they dare to.


    But the overseer in charge of the mine did not wear a welcoming expression.


    Thus, Situ Fang led the three of them, accompanied by a Lu Family cultivator, into the mine.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first time inside a mine.


    On the way there, he had only looked on from a distance, hearing the constant clang and clatter, a noisy and busy scene.


    Only upon seeing it up close did he understand the hardship of the mining cultivators.


    In the Minor Wilderness State Boundary, the weather was scorching hot, heating the rocks until they were searing.


    The miners, their skin darkened by the sun, were bare-armed, bent at the waist, their backs showing lash marks, as they mined the ore under the foreman¡¯s supervision, to the best of their abilities.


    The mine produced blue iron ore.


    This type of iron ore was cheap and hard, requiring a lot of effort to excavate.


    The mining cultivators had to toil for an entire day to earn just one spirit stone.


    Those who hadn¡¯t undergone body cultivation simply couldn¡¯t do this job.


    Even for the physically strong body cultivators, many might not be able to endure it.


    And this was just the outer mountains¡ªif one went into the deeper mines, which were dark, damp, and full of filthy qi, not only was it more strenuous, but it was also more dangerous. A single misstep could cost them their lives.


    Mo Hua felt uncomfortable at the sight.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi frowned as they observed.


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but say to Mo Hua, ¡°These mining cultivators, they¡¯re really suffering¡­¡±


    The accompanying Lu Family cultivator snorted dismissively, ¡°What suffering? People are born to different stations, high and low, noble and base. This is their fate, their lot in life.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, they should be grateful to our Lu Family. Without us, they couldn¡¯t earn even one spirit stone after a hard day¡¯s work.¡±


    After saying this, the Lu Family cultivator then gave a veiled warning, ¡°Young brother, please mind your words within our Lu Family¡¯s mine.¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked at him coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t like the tone of your voice. Speak to me like that again, and I¡¯ll twist your mouth sideway.¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator grew angry.


    Bai Zisheng displayed the imposing aura of a peak Ninth Level Qi Refining cultivator.


    The Lu Family cultivator turned pale and begrudgingly shut his mouth.


    Situ Fang was also somewhat surprised.


    This junior brother of Mo Hua¡¯s appeared to be only a few years older than Mo Hua, yet his spiritual power was so profound¡­


    It seemed that Mo Hua¡¯s mentor was indeed extraordinary.


    Therefore, his expertise in formations was likely to be high as well.


    ¡°I hope he can notice something and find those missing mining cultivators¡­¡± Situ Fang thought silently to himself.


    The group wandered around the outer mountain for a while, asked a few mining cultivators, but found nothing, and so decided to look in the deeper mines.


    The Lu Family cultivator said with a forced smile, ¡°You can go into the mine, but don¡¯t blame me for not warning you. It¡¯s very dangerous in there, not somewhere outsiders can simply¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng sent a sharp, knife-like glare his way.


    The Lu Family cultivator stopped speaking abruptly, not daring to say more.


    Afterward, everyone entered the mine.


    A mine is a general term for the internal tunnels, caves, and chambers within a mountain.


    The mine was cold, damp, and the air stifling.


    The stone walls were carved with formations which generally served to both reinforce the walls to prevent the mine from collapsing and provide functions like lighting, ventilation, and filth removal.


    Mo Hua glanced at the formations and shook his head.


    The formation patterns carved there were indeed very rough.


    They offered only minor reinforcement and dim lighting.


    As such, with external walls unstable and filthy qi accumulating inside, accidents were likely to happen easily.


    It seemed the Lu Family didn¡¯t hold the lives of these mining cultivators in high regard.


    ¡°The lives of loose cultivators don¡¯t seem to count for much¡­¡± Mo Hua sighed silently in his heart.


    The group progressed step by step along the mine.


    As Mo Hua walked, he studied the formation patterns and reconstructed the layout of the mine in his mind.


    The formations were extremely rudimentary.


    Mo Hua could see through them at a glance; he didn¡¯t even need to use Divine Sense Calculation. With just a few glances, he understood everything clearly.


    Understanding the formations naturally meant grasping the layout of the mine.


    The paths might be misleading, but the formations were not.


    Initially, the Lu Family cultivator led the way, but after a while, Mo Hua began leading instead.


    The Lu Family cultivator frowned.


    This young cultivator, clearly here for the first time, how could he be more familiar with this place than him?


    Situ Fang also watched with a puzzled gaze, somewhat astonished.


    Mo Hua led the group along the mine for half a day without any discoveries.


    The Lu Family cultivator started to get impatient, ¡°That¡¯s enough, isn¡¯t it? The mine is so vast, no matter how much you look¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Mo Hua stopped.


    He fixated on the wall in front of him, then took out his ink and brush, drawing several formation patterns.


    Then, with a flash of light from the patterns, they dissipated into each other.


    The stone wall trembled and crumbled, revealing a pitch-black opening.


    Situ Fang was slightly taken aback.


    The Lu Family cultivator turned stark white.

 Chapter 415 - 410 Death Condition_1

    Chapter 415: Chapter 410 Death Condition_1


    ¡°What is the meaning of this tunnel?¡± Situ Fang asked coldly.


    The Lu Family cultivator¡¯s face was pale, yet his mouth was firm, ¡°It¡¯s a mine, isn¡¯t it normal to have caves inside?¡±


    But his tone quivered slightly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in and have a look,¡± Mo Hua said indifferently, paying him no heed.


    The Lu Family cultivator¡¯s eyes flickered with panic, and he quickly stepped in front of the entrance, stretching out his arms to block everyone,


    ¡°This mine shaft is a secret of the Lu Family¡¯s mining operation. Outsiders are not allowed¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng kicked him directly, sending him tumbling into the hole.


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°He is a Lu Family cultivator, and he took the lead in going in. We have no choice but to follow.¡±


    Situ Fang stared at the two in stupor.


    She thought to herself, these two really are brothers from the same sect¡­


    Birds of a feather flock together.


    Mo Hua boldly stepped into the mine.


    The others followed him in as well.


    After entering, Situ Fang silently followed beside Mo Hua.


    She knew that Mo Hua was innately weak and was not a body cultivator, and it would be dangerous if someone or something got close to him.


    By staying close, she could protect Mo Hua in case of any emergencies.


    After all, Mo Hua was risking his own safety to help her by entering the mine; she didn¡¯t want him to get hurt.


    The Lu Family cultivator who had been knocked to the ground also got up, saying angrily:


    ¡°You¡­ cough¡­¡±


    He spit out a mouthful of dirt with a ¡°ptui¡± and continued, ¡°That¡¯s too much! I will report this to the Family Head¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± Bai Zisheng kicked him again, ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator was indignant, ¡°Impossible! I can¡¯t lead the way!¡±


    Because he actually didn¡¯t know the way either.


    Mo Hua looked around and then said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    He then took the lead deeper into the mine shaft.


    The others exchanged glances and also followed Mo Hua inside.


    The Lu Family cultivator¡¯s expression fluctuated uncertainly.


    Is this little devil a traitor from their Lu Family?


    How could he be so familiar with this mine shaft?


    He wasn¡¯t sure what was inside the mine, and he dared not venture deeper.


    But he also couldn¡¯t let the Supervisor from the Taoist Court Records Office inspect the mine at will.


    Otherwise, if the clan held him accountable, he would be in deep trouble.


    The Lu Family cultivator hesitated for a long time, but eventually could only grit his teeth and follow them inside, hard-headed¡­


    ¡­


    The shaft was as damp and gloomy as the outside, filled with a filthy stench.


    But there was an added scent of decay, a hint of death, and a bone-chilling coldness permeating the air.


    And all around were formations.


    As Mo Hua walked, he used his divine sense to perceive the formations on the stone walls, feeling inwardly surprised.


    The formations within the mine were mostly first-grade ones.


    Not only that, these first-grade formations were part of an entire set, complementing each other in a complex first-grade compound formation.


    This compound formation was intricately designed and executed with skilled strokes using high-quality spiritual ink, completely different from the crude formations outside.


    Clearly, they came from the hand of an expert, possibly even a veteran first-grade formation master.


    It seemed that the Lu Family didn¡¯t lack formation masters or the means to hire them.


    This was very strange¡­


    Mo Hua slowed his pace and began to use divine sense calculation to decipher the formation patterns and determine the types of formations.


    After a moment, he had a rough understanding.


    The compound formation included an Earth Stone Formation, an Early Warning Formation, a Sound Isolation Formation, and several other types that supported each other.


    The Earth Stone Formation was for reinforcement, the Early Warning Formation for precaution, and the Sound Isolation Formation to keep out noise¡­


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    What was the Lu Family¡¯s purpose for setting up such complete formations in this mine shaft?


    Mo Hua extended his divine sense further.


    What he perceived were the complex auras within the mine.


    There was the essence of earth and stone, filth, and traces of formations.


    These auras were mixed together, forming a natural barrier that interfered with divine sense perception.


    Everything and nothing¡­ there were no other findings.


    Mo Hua could only continue to walk forward.


    As they walked, several branched tunnel entrances appeared ahead.


    At the same time, there came an acrid smell.


    It was like the musty odor of rotting flesh.


    All of them frowned and covered their noses with their sleeves.


    The Lu Family cultivator found it unbearable and immediately hunched over, leaning against the wall, and started vomiting.


    Mo Hua glanced at him with contempt and then swept his divine sense around, noting that the branches were not deep and seemed safe. He then said:


    ¡°Let¡¯s split up and search.¡±


    Situ Fang and the others nodded and moved to check each tunnel entrance individually.


    The tunnels all appeared to have been freshly excavated.


    The formations on them were all newly drawn.


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua strode through several tunnels, only to halt abruptly; his pupils constricted as his brows deeply furrowed.


    He had found those Mining Cultivators.


    Indeed, they were dead, leaving behind only their corpses.


    But these could hardly even be called corpses¡­


    In the small space, the cave was littered with severed limbs, indistinguishable flesh and blood, and pools of blood everywhere.


    The blood had congealed and due to the dampness, had become half-sticky, half-thick, emanating a strong stench of decay that was nauseating.


    The Mining Cultivators had died a bloody and brutal death.


    As if something had gnawed on them¡­


    A chill seeped into Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    After a while, Situ Fang also entered.


    Upon witnessing this scene, her expression was one of shock.


    Then came a bout of retching, as she covered her face with her sleeve, unable to help vomiting a few times.


    Bai Zisheng also entered.


    He tried to hold back but ultimately failed and vomited as well.


    Bai Zixi heard the commotion and started walking over.


    Mo Huna heard footsteps and, seeing Bai Zixi enter, quickly stretched out his little hand to cover her eyes.


    Bai Zixi was taken aback, her confusion evident as she asked:


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t look,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I look?¡±


    ¡°If you do, you¡¯ll have nightmares¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Bai Zixi understood and nodded, staying quiet as Mo Hua covered her eyes.


    The last to arrive was the Lu Family Cultivator.


    He had just vomited before, and upon seeing this scene, his face was fraught with horror; he crumpled against the rock wall, almost vomiting out his intestines¡­


    Situ Fang frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk somewhere else.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Thus, the group made their way back, with Bai Zisheng dragging the Lu Family Cultivators by his collar.


    They didn¡¯t stop until they reached a slightly more open area.


    It was then that they finally took a breath of relief.


    Even though the air here still reeked, compared to the fetid stench by the tunnels, it almost felt ¡°refreshingly pleasant¡±¡­


    It took Bai Zisheng quite a while to recover, and seeing Mo Hua looking unaffected, he couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you throw up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Not only was he a Formation Master, but he was also a Monster Hunter.


    Though he was young, he had spent a long time around Big Black Mountain, witnessed Monster Beasts kill humans, and seen the bloody scenes of Monster Beasts devouring their prey, so he could barely tolerate it.


    Bai Zisheng gave a wry smile, at a loss for words.


    Situ Fang also regained her composure and sighed:


    ¡°Those Mining Cultivators¡­ they¡¯re still dead¡­¡±


    Even though they had anticipated it, her heart couldn¡¯t help but feel heavy.


    ¡°How did they die?¡± asked Bai Zisheng, puzzled. ¡°Were they eaten by the Monster Beasts in the cave?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and shook his head, ¡°It doesn¡¯t quite seem like it. Monster Beasts¡¯ teeth are typically long, and they mainly tear and bite when they eat humans, which is cleaner.¡±


    ¡°The way they are now¡­ it¡¯s more like they¡¯ve been gnawed or hollowed out¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was precise with his words.


    Bai Zisheng glanced at Mo Hua with a complex look in his eyes.


    Even Situ Fang looked at Mo Hua with some astonishment.


    You child, the things you understand¡­ have you gone off the beaten path a bit? Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What normal Cultivator would study these things?


    Situ Fang shook her head, resigned, ¡°Taoist Court has coroners who can examine the bodies. Have them come down later; they should be able to figure out what killed these Mining Cultivators.¡±


    After saying that, she turned to Mo Hua with concern:


    ¡°You should head back first. This place is dirty, no place for children like you to linger.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Now that the missing Mining Cultivators had been found, his task was essentially complete.


    However, there was one more thing to do before leaving.


    He pointed to the Lu Family Cultivator and said:


    ¡°Interrogate him to see if he knows anything.¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator was somewhat slippery.


    Normally, he might not tell the truth.


    But now, having witnessed the state of the Mining Cultivators¡¯ deaths and shaken to his core, he was in a state of utter disarray and his mental defenses had been breached¡ªit was an ideal time to interrogate him.


    Maybe they could ferret out something useful from him.


    Mo Hua wanted to know why the Mining Cultivators had died.


    He also wanted to know, what was the real purpose of this Mining Cave?


    Moreover, there was an even more eerie point¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow; in his eyes, a cold light condensed.


    He had sensed a whiff of the Ultimate Formation¡¯s aura on the bodies of the dead Mining Cultivators in the well¡­but this aura carried a certain malevolent taint.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 416 - 411 Cause of Death_1

    Chapter 416: Chapter 411 Cause of Death_1


    Situ Fang asked the Lu Family cultivator, ¡°What exactly is this mining cave used for?¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator¡¯s face turned pale, and he clenched his teeth, refusing to speak.


    Situ Fang threatened,


    ¡°Someone died in here, if you don¡¯t talk, the Taoist Court will investigate thoroughly, and your Lu Family definitely won¡¯t be able to escape involvement.¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator said, ¡°A few Mining Cultivators died, so they died. My Lu Family will compensate with Spirit Stones.¡±


    After he finished speaking, it seemed he figured it out and thus gained some confidence.


    ¡°Right, right! A few Mining Cultivators, my Lu Family will compensate with Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    He sneered, ¡°This mining well is intricately connected, and some abandoned entrances are nothing out of the ordinary.¡±


    ¡°These Mining Cultivators didn¡¯t know what was good for them, dug their way in, and were¡­ just eaten by Monster Beasts, what does that have to do with my Lu Family?¡±


    ¡°Just a few worthless lives, it serves them right to die!¡±


    Situ Fang, her anger surging, immediately wanted to beat him up.


    Mo Hua hurriedly stopped her, ¡°Sister Situ, getting angry is useless.¡±


    Situ Fang frowned, but still restrained herself.


    Mo Hua then turned his head and said to the Lu Family cultivator:


    ¡°Normally, the death of a Mining Cultivator is an accident; indeed, just compensating with some Spirit Stones would suffice, but this time it¡¯s different. This is murder, a violation of the Taoist Law¡­¡±


    The Lu Family scoffed, ¡°Then who killed them?¡±


    Everyone fell silent for a moment.


    The scene was bloody and terrible; indeed, no one knew who had killed them, or even if they had been killed by a person.


    The Lu Family cultivator laughed, ¡°Without a murderer, how can you call it murder? To me, it looks like these Mining Cultivators, arrogantly assuming too much, entered this mining cave wanting to steal from my Lu Family¡¯s mines, only to end up trapped and then eaten by Monster Beasts¡­¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator became more and more assured as he spoke, his demeanor growing increasingly haughty.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shifted, and with a suddenly bright smile, he falsely accused:


    ¡°I understand now; you committed murder for wealth, killing these Mining Cultivators!¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator was taken aback, ¡°You little ghost, what nonsense are you spouting? I don¡¯t even know them, plus they¡¯re just Mining Cultivators, all paupers; what wealth could they possess that would be worth my while to kill them for?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°The fact you don¡¯t know them makes it easier to act against them. Besides, wealth isn¡¯t always visible. If you didn¡¯t kill them, without searching their Storage Bags, how could you know they carried no wealth?¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator, annoyed, said, ¡°You¡¯re slandering me!¡±


    Nonsense, do I even need to say it? Mo Hua silently thought.


    Then he regretfully continued, ¡°Since you refuse to confess, we can only take you to the Taoist Court, lock you up in the Taoist Prison, and subject you to a severe interrogation¡­¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator sneered, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°The Court Leader and my Lu Family¡­¡±


    He halted mid-sentence, his face changing color, not daring to continue.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze flickered as he understood.


    Since the Lu Family was the largest Clan in South Yue City, possessing the most mines, they surely had dealings with the Court Leader.


    And judging by the looks of it, these ¡°dealings¡± were out of the ordinary.


    On the surface, the Taoist Court and the Lu Family each did their own thing.


    If there was an incident, the Taoist Court would also investigate and hold the Lu Family accountable.


    But behind the scenes, there would likely be some transactions.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then sneered, ¡°Even if the Court Leader has a relationship with the Lu Family, that doesn¡¯t concern you¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a minor cultivator in the Lu Family. For the lives of five Mining Cultivators, do you think the Lu Family would protect you, or would the Court Leader step in for you?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re worth it?¡±


    A chill ran through the Lu Family cultivator¡¯s heart, and the arrogance faded from his face.


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°We¡¯ll take you back, lock you up in the Taoist Prison, and publicly announce that you killed five Mining Cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you think the Lu Family will do? Will they provoke a public outrage to protect you, or will they let you take the fall to appease the situation?¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator¡¯s gaze trembled.


    Mo Hua, watching his reaction, sighed and pretended to be someone who didn¡¯t want to get involved, to avoid trouble: S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Actually, we didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter¡­¡±


    ¡°But those Mining Cultivators keep making trouble at the Taoist Court; the Court had no other choice.¡±


    ¡°The higher-ups need an explanation, and Sister Situ has to provide an answer.¡±


    ¡°Who killed those five Mining Cultivators, in reality, is irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°Nobody cares about the actual truth.¡±


    ¡°All that¡¯s needed is someone who can take the blame, admit the guilt, and quell the situation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua patted the Lu Family cultivator¡¯s shoulder, ¡°The decision from above is that this person is you¡­¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator jerked in reaction, ¡°You¡¯re lying to me!¡±


    But his tone trembled, lacking conviction.


    He didn¡¯t know Mo Hua¡¯s identity, but he knew of Situ Fang¡¯s.


    Situ Fang was indeed a Supervisor of the Taoist Court in South Yue City.


    On the surface, she appeared to be seeking the truth for the Mining Cultivators.


    But the waters of the Taoist Court were murky, and its officials corrupt; showing one face while keeping another hidden.


    He couldn¡¯t be sure which side Situ Fang was really on.


    And of all the Lu Family disciples, why was it him they chose to lead the way?


    Mo Hua gave Situ Fang a signal with his eyes.


    Situ Fang then darkened her face, her smile sinister, ¡°Take him back. It¡¯ll give the Court Leader something to report; and as for the Family Head of the Lu Family¡­ they surely won¡¯t miss a mere Qi Refinement Middle Phase Disciple.¡±


    Bai Zisheng reached out to grab him.


    Struggling, the Lu Family cultivator shouted, ¡°You have no evidence, you can¡¯t arrest me or convict me of any crime!¡±


    Mo Hua slapped his forehead, ¡°Right, we need to create some evidence.¡±


    After saying that, Mo Hua pulled out more than a dozen Spirit Stones, crushed them, and stuffed them into the Lu Family cultivator¡¯s hands.


    The Lu Family cultivator was stunned, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Mo Hua claimed brazenly, ¡°These Spirit Stones are the evidence of your murderous greed!¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator found it absurd.


    Was this little ghost no longer bothering to pretend?


    Could he be so blatantly framing him?


    The Lu Family cultivator hastily threw all the Spirit Stones on the ground, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, it wasn¡¯t me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sneered, ¡°You refuse the toast only to drink a forfeit?¡±


    The Lu Family cultivator asked, ¡°And what else can you do to me?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, and a faint sinister air appeared on his face, his voice low and tinged with eeriness:


    ¡°Locking you in this cave and sealing it with a Formation, forcing you to stay with these five dead Mining Cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°A few days later, when we come to check, everyone will find you right at the crime scene, along with the deceased. You¡¯ll have no explanation then.¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator said, ¡°I will say¡­ it was you who framed me!¡±


    Mo Hua instantly reverted to a face of innocent naivet¨¦, ¡°Who would believe that?¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator¡¯s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Mo Hua had another thought, ¡°You might not even live to see that day. Who knows what¡¯s in this cave? It devoured Mining Cultivators, it¡¯ll probably eat you too¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that you¡¯ll be devoured by it the day after you¡¯re locked in¡­¡±


    ¡°But that also works perfectly, we can say you were killed while trying to rob and murder, resulting in mutual destruction.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, whatever happens here, nobody else will ever know¡­¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator looked at Mo Hua in disbelief.


    What on earth was this young devil capable of? How could he scheme so expertly, one trick after another?


    Left with no choice, the Lu Family Cultivator nodded and said:


    ¡°Fine, I agree.¡±


    Before the words had fully left his mouth, he took advantage of Mo Hua¡¯s distraction to get up and run, but he didn¡¯t get far before feeling his body tighten, restrained by something.


    Looking down, he found his body bound by faint blue water-shaped lock chains.


    The Lu Family Cultivator was horrified.


    What kind of spell was this?


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, let out a cold laugh.


    Bai Zisheng quickly stepped forward and dragged the Lu Family Cultivator back.


    Pretending to lose patience, Mo Hua gestured to Bai Zisheng and said:


    ¡°Seal him inside. I¡¯ll draw the Formation.¡±


    Situ Fang hesitated for a moment but said nothing.


    Bai Zisheng arched an eyebrow and, gripping the collar of the Lu Family Cultivator, dragged him towards the foul and decaying cave¡ªthe site of the Mining Cultivators¡¯ tragic demise.


    The Lu Family Cultivator was terrified.


    Only now did he realize that this little devil meant business!


    Struggling, he pleaded hastily, ¡°Spare me! Spare me! I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±


    Bai Zisheng glanced at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng then dragged the Lu Family Cultivator back and dumped him in front of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you a few questions. Answer well, and I may spare you. If you hide anything, you¡¯ll join those Mining Cultivators¡­¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator¡¯s face turned ashen, and he nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of this mine shaft?¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator shook his head.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned frosty, ready to throw him in.


    The Lu Family Cultivator hastily said, ¡°I, I¡­ really don¡¯t know!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°Then what do you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I only know¡­¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator hesitated, sighed, ¡°I only know that the mine shafts were ordered to be built by the Family Head, and even the Formations inside were personally arranged to be painted by him.¡±


    ¡°After these shafts were constructed, they were sealed off, and no one has ever entered them¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°The Family Head has strictly ordered that the matter of the mine shafts must not be known to any Cultivator, nor is any Cultivator allowed to enter¡­¡±


    The Lu Family Head, huh¡­


    Mo Hua frowned, then asked further:


    ¡°How did these Mining Cultivators die?¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator mumbled, ¡°That I know even less¡­ How would I know they would sneak into these mine shafts?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t notice?¡±


    ¡°They came in the middle of the night when it¡¯s eerie and spooky¡ªwho would want to go into these mine pits?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°Eerie and spooky?¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator knew he had misspoken and remained silent.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°This cave might be damp or dark, but it doesn¡¯t seem ¡®eerie and spooky¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± the Lu Family Cultivator¡¯s gaze darted around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to talk?¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator nodded, then seeing Mo Hua¡¯s unfriendly expression, became alarmed and shook his head.


    ¡°Go on, why is it ¡®eerie and spooky¡¯?¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator hesitated, swallowing hard before slowly saying:


    ¡°It is said that at night, this mine is haunted by ghosts¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Ghosts?¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator nodded, ¡°Every night, waves of Yin energy and creaking noises fill the mine, the entire shaft vibrating subtly, as if someone is chiseling away at something¡­¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator wiped the cold sweat from his forehead:


    ¡°Some say they are the spirits of those Mining Cultivators who died unjustly within these pits. When the Yin energy is strong at night, they return to the mines as Ghost Cultivators and continue to dig as they did in life¡­¡±


    Mo Hua knitted his brows.


    It seemed that those Mining Cultivators had ventured into the mine to steal, and met some unknown ghostly specter at night, which led to their deaths.


    But even with this, there were still many unanswered questions.


    Mo Hua repeated his interrogation several times.


    The Lu Family Cultivator stammered his answers, consistent every time, which made him seem truthful.


    As a mid-phase Qi Refinement disciple of the Lu Family, he likely didn¡¯t know more confidential matters.


    Mo Hua also casually gathered some information about the Lu Family before finally nodding and saying:


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve been so cooperative, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡±


    A huge weight lifted in the Lu Family Cultivator¡¯s heart.


    Mo Hua then expressed his concern, ¡°But if the Lu Family finds out that you¡¯ve told me all this¡­¡±


    The stone that had just lifted in the Lu Family Cultivator¡¯s heart now sank back down, and he hastily said:


    ¡°Young friend, young master, dear ancestor¡­ please don¡¯t tell anyone¡­¡±


    If word got out, the Lu Family certainly wouldn¡¯t let him off easily.


    Mo Hua grudgingly said, ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    Then he sternly reminded, ¡°But you must behave. If I have questions in the future, I¡¯ll come to you¡­¡±


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    The Lu Family Cultivator, on the verge of tears, replied, ¡°Lu Ming.¡±

 Chapter 417 - 412: Cave Abode_1

    Chapter 417: Chapter 412: Cave Abode_1


    Lu Ming was tormented by Mo Hua and became completely docile.


    Situ Fang was a bit startled, she kept sneaking glances at Mo Hua on the way back, filled with confusion.


    Mo Hua seemed so innocent and naive.


    How could he be so skilled at framing, threatening, interrogating, and coercing¡­


    Who taught him all this?


    The group left the Lu Family¡¯s mine.


    The ensuing matters were to be handled by the Taoist Court.


    The cause of the mining cultivator¡¯s death, whether or not he was killed by a cultivator, the identity of the murderer, and the subsequent compensation, all were left to the Taoist Court to deal with.


    Situ Fang sighed with relief and said to Mo Hua,


    ¡°Thank you for this time, I¡¯ll treat you to something delicious when I¡¯m free!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Situ!¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then quietly said, ¡°Sister Situ, if the Taoist Court finds any clues about the murderer, could you tell me?¡±


    Situ Fang slightly furrowed her brows.


    Investigations by the Taoist Court were usually kept confidential.


    However, Mo Hua had been a great help in this case, and without him, they wouldn¡¯t have found even the body of the mining cultivator. Telling him seemed harmless.


    With this thought, Situ Fang suddenly asked with some curiosity,


    ¡°How did you find that mine tunnel?¡±


    She had wanted to ask when they were at the mine.


    Why would there be a formation on an ordinary-looking rock wall?


    And how did Mo Hua know that behind the rock wall was a cave?


    Mo Hua modestly said, ¡°I just have slightly stronger divine sense, and I know a little bit about formations, and I happened to discover it.¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s expression was complex, and for a moment, she couldn¡¯t tell whether Mo Hua was being truthful.


    But she didn¡¯t probe further, simply nodding and saying,


    ¡°I understand. If there¡¯s a clue, I¡¯ll secretly tell you.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Sister Situ.¡±


    Afterward, everyone bid farewell.


    Before leaving, Mo Hua gave Lu Ming a meaningful look, ¡°You understand what should be said and what shouldn¡¯t, right?¡±


    Lu Ming shivered with fear, nodding repeatedly, ¡°I understand, I understand!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.


    After leaving the Lu Family¡¯s mine, Mo Hua and the others returned to the Nanyue Inn and reported the incident at the mine to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang frowned and remained silent.


    In a low voice, Mo Hua said, ¡°Master, I suspect the murderer has clues to the Ultimate Formation on him.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly and asked, ¡°How did you come to that conclusion?¡±


    ¡°The deceased mining cultivator seems to have a trace of the Ultimate Formation¡¯s aura¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at each other in bewilderment; they lacked divine sense calculation and hadn¡¯t noticed anything.


    ¡°Do you know what Ultimate Formation it is?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked again.


    Mo Hua shook his head, looking somewhat disappointed, and said, ¡°The aura is too faint, and the traces of the formation are shallow, I can¡¯t calculate it¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mo Hua recalled something, his expression becoming one of startled doubt, ¡°This trace of the Ultimate Formation¡¯s aura is somewhat malevolent¡­¡±


    ¡°Malevolent¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became inscrutable.


    ¡°Master, are there Ultimate Formations within evil formations as well?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°In this world, where there¡¯s righteousness, there¡¯s evil, and formations are no different.¡±


    ¡°How is a malevolent Ultimate Formation different from regular Ultimate Formations?¡±


    Observing the curious Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang suddenly said with a smile,


    ¡°That kind of question, if you can figure it out yourself, then I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Figure it out myself?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and muttered quietly, ¡°But I haven¡¯t figured it out¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said with a laugh, ¡°If you can find this Ultimate Formation, you¡¯ll naturally understand.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°So, Master, there really is an Ultimate Formation hidden in South Yue City, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, then replied with an ambiguous smile,


    ¡°Who knows? I haven¡¯t left the inn, how could I know¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered, staring at Mr. Zhuang, then gradually became certain in his heart.


    There must be one!


    Whenever Mr. Zhuang showed this kind of teasing expression, it meant it was true.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly and patted Mo Hua¡¯s head, ¡°We might have to stay here longer, find a cave dwelling to settle in. The inn is noisy and not very convenient.¡±


    ¡°A cave dwelling?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat astonished.


    He had never lived in a cave dwelling.


    Cave dwellings in the Cultivation World were generally very expensive.


    In Tongxian City, only prominent or well-backed cultivators could afford the spirit stones to buy a cave dwelling. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Like Master Luo, a first-grade Formation Master, and the An Family¡¯s patriarch, Old Master An.


    Although Mo Hua himself was also a first-grade Formation Master, he wasn¡¯t as ¡°corrupt¡± as Master Luo; when drawing formations for people, he charged very few spirit stones.


    If he was dealing with loose cultivators like those from East Mountain Village, he even did it for free as long as they provided their own spiritual ink.


    He just treated it as free practice for drawing formations.


    So although he was not lacking in spirit stones now, he was also far from being wealthy.


    ¡°A cave mansion, that must be expensive¡­¡± Mo Hua said weakly.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expression, Mr. Zhuang revealed a smile and kindly said,


    ¡°As a first-grade Formation Master, it would actually be strange if you didn¡¯t live in a cave mansion.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about spirit stones,¡± Mr. Zhuang said. ¡°You can go and choose a cave mansion in the city with your senior brothers and sisters later.¡±


    Since Mr. Zhuang had spoken, Mo Hua could only nod and then asked,


    ¡°What kind of cave mansion should we pick?¡±


    ¡°Look at the spiritual energy, the location, the formations, the Five Elements,¡± Mr. Zhuang answered.


    Mo Hua was initially stunned, but then gradually grasped what his master was implying.


    The master was testing him.


    On the surface, it was about choosing a cave mansion, but in reality, it was a test of his understanding and comprehension of formations, spiritual energy, and various principles of Tao cultivation.


    ¡°Understood, Master.¡±


    In the afternoon, when he had some free time, Mo Hua followed Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi to the streets of South Yue City, looking to rent a cave mansion.


    Buying one would be too expensive, and since they were only staying temporarily, renting was sufficient.


    Mo Hua had never lived in a cave mansion, but he knew well how to find one and the intricacies involved.


    Having grown up in Tongxian City, he had always been popular among cultivators of the same age like Da¡¯hu and Dazhu.


    After becoming a Formation Master, he had built an extensive network among the adults as well.


    Having been exposed to the ways of the lower-ranking cultivators, he was familiar with them.


    Although South Yue City was not Tongxian City, the rules and customs of the loose cultivators at the bottom were much the same.


    Generally speaking, renting or purchasing a cave mansion relied on the services of a housing agency.


    The intermediaries at a housing agency were generally called housing agency workers.


    Mo Hua arrived at a housing agency and found a shrewd worker, expressing his intention to rent a cave mansion.


    The worker was confused and somewhat indifferent when he saw the three children, Mo Hua included.


    He thought Mo Hua was joking with him.


    Three kids, renting a cave mansion?


    Mo Hua handed over a spirit stone to him.


    The worker was surprised, weighed the spirit stone in his hand, and immediately plastered a smile on his face:


    ¡°Dear young friends, what kind of cave mansion would you like to see?¡±


    Whether these three kids rented or not, he had gotten his hands on the spirit stone.


    It didn¡¯t matter if they didn¡¯t buy.


    It was as if he had earned a spirit stone just for accompanying the children on a walk, and that wasn¡¯t a loss either.


    Unsure of what kind of cave mansion he wanted, Mo Hua said, ¡°Just show us around.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    The worker then enthusiastically led the way, taking them on a tour of the cave mansions listed in the housing agency¡¯s registry.


    As the worker led the way, he talked non-stop:


    ¡°This cave mansion is great, spacious and roomy¡­¡±


    ¡°This cave mansion is also good, compact and exquisite¡­¡±


    ¡°This cave mansion is great, located high up, very majestic¡­¡±


    ¡°This cave mansion is also good, located low, very low-key¡­¡±


    Anyway, everything was good according to him; big meant ¡°spacious,¡± small meant ¡°exquisite,¡± high meant ¡°majestic,¡± and low meant ¡°low-key.¡± There was always something positive to say¡­


    Mo Hua silently took note, thinking that he should learn this way of talking.


    Once learned, he could also praise others with such blatant flattery.


    At first, the worker retained some pretense, but then he realized that his clients were three children ¨C deceiving them felt pointless.


    Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t certain if they would rent or not, so gradually he started to relax and speak some blunt truths¡­


    ¡°This cave mansion is good, but it¡¯s just for show; it looks nice but is uncomfortable to live in¡­¡±


    ¡°This one, forget it, it¡¯s shoddy workmanship¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity about this cave mansion; the rockery and waters are fake, but the formations are complete. The only issue is that someone died here¡­¡±


    ¡°How did they die?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s curiosity was piqued.


    ¡°Not clear on that¡­¡± the worker shook his head and explained, ¡°Some say it was death from deviating during cultivation practice, their veins broken; some say it was an enemy seeking revenge, hacking them to death; others say they offended the Lu Family and were killed, then thrown into a mining pit¡­¡±


    ¡°Did the Lu Family really do that kind of thing?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡± The worker hesitated before abruptly realizing his blunder, then awkwardly chuckled, ¡°Just rumors, nothing more than rumors¡­¡±


    Moving on to the next cave mansion, he said:


    ¡°This cave mansion is also nice, elegant and luxurious in layout, the garden is equipped with the Flower Wood Formation; when activated by spirit stones, the garden blooms with clusters of flowers, fragrant and pleasing to the eye, a feast of beauty. But this one is better off not rented¡­¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    The worker spoke in a hushed tone, ¡°This belongs to a Court Leader from the Taoist Court, used for keeping a mistress¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked, ¡°You know about this?¡±


    The worker curled his lip, ¡°These kinds of rumors, outsiders may not know, but we insiders hear them all the time until our ears grow calluses.¡±


    Bai Zisheng also asked, ¡°And then what happened?¡±


    The worker appeared to revel in the misfortune, ¡°The affair got exposed, didn¡¯t it? The Court Leader¡¯s wife caught the mistress in the act, tore up the mistress¡¯s face, and even applied poison to the wounds, ensuring that she would be disfigured for life.¡±


    ¡°The Court Leader tried to intervene but failed, and he too ended up with his body all torn up¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned and after a while, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim,


    ¡°The life of a cultivator in South Yue City is quite colorful¡­¡±


    The worker hummed lightly, ¡°To those who are well-fed and warm, thoughts turn to lust; these cultivators of such status are not worried about food and drink, people give them spirit stones, so naturally they seek ways to find enjoyment. There¡¯s plenty of such messy affairs around¡­¡±

 Chapter 418 - 413 Chop Once_1

    Chapter 418: Chapter 413 Chop Once_1


    The housing agency worker chatted about the idle gossip of South Yue City while introducing the cave dwelling to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, while taking in the exterior layout of the dwelling, remembered what Mr. Zhuang had said.


    ¡°Look at the spiritual energy, look at the layout, look at the formations, look at the five elements¡­¡±


    Since the Taoist Court unified all, the cultivation world had developed for over twenty thousand years, and billions of cultivators had been born, yet nature¡¯s spiritual energy had gradually become diluted.


    Nowadays, the natural spiritual energy present between heaven and earth was no longer enough to support the cultivation of cultivators.


    But there was indeed still spiritual energy between heaven and earth.


    It¡¯s just that this spiritual energy was either too sparse, too mixed, or too tainted to be absorbed and refined by the cultivators.


    Mo Hua pondered silently in his heart: sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Master asked me to look at the spiritual energy, but what exactly am I supposed to look at?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about spiritual energy?¡±


    Mo Hua released his divine sense and observed the lingering spiritual energy above the cave dwelling, after a while, he gradually understood and realized something in his heart.


    What Mr. Zhuang asked him to look at was not the spiritual energy itself, but the flow of spiritual energy.


    If the spiritual energy flows, then the qi channels are unobstructed, making the dwelling suitable for living.


    Wind may not always be present, but the flow of spiritual power is constant.


    It¡¯s just that this kind of flow is very subtle and requires patience to sense and careful discernment to identify.


    The layout is also easy to understand.


    East, south, west, north, as well as the upper and lower directions.


    The location of the cave dwelling within the entire layout of the Immortal City, as well as its orientation, are all carefully considered.


    There¡¯s no need to mention formations.


    As a First-grade Formation Master and a First-grade Chief Formation Master who had constructed the Five Elements First-Class Demon Slayer Formation, had divine sense of twelve patterns, and had even learned the Ultimate Formation that surpassed first grade, Mo Hua found things related to formations the simplest.


    Especially the formations at the Qi Refinement Realm.


    This South Yue City was but a Second Grade Immortal City.


    The highest level of cultivation was only at Foundation Establishment, and the formation masters were at most first grade.


    The formations used in this dwelling were mainly first grade, with even the nine-patterned formations being rare¡ªmost were simple formations of six or seven patterns.


    These formations were so simple that Mo Hua didn¡¯t even need to calculate; he could see through them at a glance.


    To Mo Hua, six or seven patterned formations were practically no different from basic formation patterns.


    Lastly, the five elements¡­


    Mo Hua still remembered the principles of the Five Elements Generation and Restraint he dealt with when constructing formation diagrams for the Refinery Shop.


    In Tao cultivation architecture, different rooms and formations all involve the principles of the Five Elements Generation and Restraint.


    How to utilize metal to produce water and nurture water sources; use water to produce wood, to nourish flowers and plants; and use earth to produce metal, to strengthen buildings¡­


    Mo Hua looked, calculated, and confidently muttered to himself.


    The housing agency worker couldn¡¯t help but look at Mo Hua with surprise.


    This young cultivator didn¡¯t seem like an amateur.


    And he was very familiar with the formations in the dwelling¡­


    It seemed he had some solid foundations in formations.


    Could it be that he¡¯s an apprentice of some Great Formation Master, picking out a dwelling for his master?


    The housing agency worker¡¯s spirits lifted, and the smile on his face became even more sincere.


    A Formation Master, after all¡­


    Even if you couldn¡¯t curry favor with one, you must never offend one.


    ¡­


    The housing agency worker was very enthusiastic, leading Mo Hua and two companions to see all the cave dwellings the housing agency had.


    After Mo Hua looked around and reflected on them, he initially settled on three dwellings and asked Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi:


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Bai Zixi didn¡¯t say anything.


    However, Bai Zisheng was not quite satisfied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not large enough, not grand enough, there are too few rooms, and the facilities for alchemy and artifact refining are very basic.¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick one then?¡±


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment and then backed down:


    ¡°Never mind, Master asked you to pick, so you should do it.¡±


    All these matters of spiritual energy, layout, formations, and five elements just gave him a headache.


    If Mo Hua picked the wrong one, the master wouldn¡¯t punish him.


    But if he picked wrongly, it was another story; he might be punished to copy scriptures or draw formations hundreds of times¡­


    Bai Zisheng looked at Mo Hua again and mused in his heart:


    ¡°Could Mo Hua be a blood-related junior of Master? Otherwise, why would Master treat him so well?¡±


    Bai Zisheng speculated, then immediately denied it in his mind:


    ¡°Impossible. The descendants of Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t possibly have such poor spiritual roots as Mo Hua!¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, ¡°Are you bad-mouthing me again?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even said anything!¡±


    ¡°You were saying it in your mind.¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°Mo Hua, have you become a spirit? Can you know what other people are thinking?¡±


    Mo Hua snorted lightly and didn¡¯t speak.


    Since his divine sense had grown stronger and he learned calculations, he had developed a vague sense of some things.


    Of course, knowing what Bai Zisheng was thinking was mainly because he knew him too well.


    Bai Zisheng kept his guard up around strangers, but with acquaintances, especially his junior brother with whom he spent all his time, his thoughts were written all over his face.


    Bai Zisheng asked about the serious matter, ¡°So, which cave dwelling do we choose?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I picked according to the standards of spiritual energy, layout, formations, and the five elements that Master mentioned. These three are all similar, so choose whichever one you like.¡±


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head.


    He felt none were particularly good, but if he had to choose, they were all similar.


    Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zixi, ¡°Little senior sister, which one do you like?¡±


    Bai Zisheng also looked toward his sister.


    After considering for a moment, Bai Zixi lightly pointed her slender finger at a picture of a cave dwelling and said:


    ¡°This one.¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at it; there was nothing special about this dwelling except for a pond in the yard, a lawn beside the pond, and a big tree on the lawn.


    Although the layout was different, it bore some resemblance to their mountain abode in South Mountain of Immortal City where they had studied with Mr. Zhuang, especially the big tree in the courtyard.


    Mo Hua then nodded, ¡°Then this one it is.¡±


    Mo Hua showed the picture of the dwelling to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang only glanced at it and nodded, ¡°Good.¡±


    Mo Hua was delighted in his heart, it seemed that his earlier considerations were correct.


    Now that Mr. Zhuang had agreed, the next step was to go to the housing agency worker to rent the cave dwelling.


    The housing agency worker was quite surprised upon hearing this.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that Mo Hua and the other two were actually serious about renting.


    ¡°You really want to rent?¡± the housing agency worker confirmed again.


    Mo Hua nodded, but before he could speak, Bai Zixi¡¯s crisp voice rang out:


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not renting.¡±


    Not only was the housing agency worker stunned, Mo Hua was too.


    Bai Zixi said indifferently:


    ¡°We¡¯re buying.¡±


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°Sister apprentice, purchasing would require a lot of Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°Not a lot.¡±


    She gently patted the storage bag with golden silk and phoenix patterns at her waist and softly said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Before we left, Aunt Xue gave me all the Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    After saying this, fearing that Mo Hua would worry, she added:


    ¡°A lot, a lot¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat shocked.


    His little sister apprentice was actually a little rich girl¡­


    Immediately after, he felt a bit puzzled, ¡°Can this small Storage Bag hold that much?¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded, ¡°It can hold it.¡±


    Mo Hua understood.


    This Storage Bag must be an extraordinary Spiritual Artifact.


    The storage space in bags used by Loose Cultivators is limited, not able to contain too much.


    If one needs to transport large items, they would have to use storage boxes.


    But Mo Hua knew that some storage Spiritual Artifacts have very large inner spaces, which of course are also very expensive, at least too expensive for Mo Hua to afford.


    Mo Hua looked again at the gold-threaded phoenix Storage Bag, his curiosity piqued, really wanting to know how much it could hold inside.


    Yet, he felt it inappropriate to rummage through his little sister apprentice¡¯s Storage Bag.


    On the other hand, the worker from the housing agency was overjoyed upon hearing this.


    What was originally a rental had turned into a purchase.


    A large deal had become an even bigger deal.


    The housing agency worker immediately smiled and said, ¡°This cave dwelling¡¯s original price is forty thousand Spirit Stones. If you, young friends, wish to purchase, our agency can offer a discount price, thirty-eight thousand Spirit Stones!¡±


    Just as Bai Zixi was about to nod, Mo Hua spoke up indignantly:


    ¡°Hold on!¡±


    Thirty-eight thousand Spirit Stones?! Scamming who?


    A Loose Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment generally spends only about ten thousand Spirit Stones.


    That ten thousand Spirit Stones would require a Loose Cultivator to save up for over thirty years without eating or drinking.


    Moreover, how could a Loose Cultivator not eat or drink?


    And how can one¡¯s cultivation always go smoothly?


    If faced with an unexpected event requiring Spirit Stones, it¡¯s highly likely one would spend more than earn, never mind ten thousand Spirit Stones, they might not even save up a hundred.


    This cave dwelling costs thirty-five thousand Spirit Stones?


    Save for a hundred years without eating or drinking?


    Why would an ordinary cave dwelling be so expensive?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, feeling somewhat angry.


    The housing agency worker, feeling helpless, said, ¡°The market price is what it is; we can¡¯t do anything about it¡­¡±


    Then he said something more about the Taoist Court, clans, and land issues, implying that the cave dwelling was indeed expensive, but it wasn¡¯t their fault.


    ¡°The market price has always been like this for the past few years¡­¡±


    Seeing they really had difficulties, Mo Hua then said:


    ¡°Then give us a cheaper price.¡±


    Though he didn¡¯t need to pay the Spirit Stones himself, his little sister apprentice¡¯s Spirit Stones were still Spirit Stones.


    He also felt pained for her for the thirty thousand plus Spirit Stones.


    ¡°We can¡¯t reduce it any further¡­¡± the housing agency worker said with a troubled face, ¡°Young brother, you have a good eye. This cave dwelling you¡¯ve chosen may look unremarkable, but it has a nice setup and is an excellent choice¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°The Formation of this cave dwelling is flawed.¡±


    The housing agency worker was taken aback, somewhat displeased:


    ¡°The Formation here can be flawed? Let¡¯s not talk about other things, just this Formation alone, it integrates the Five Elements, it¡¯s good for both offense and defense, not only can it prevent theft and repel enemies, but it can also ventilate and cultivate one¡¯s Qi. Moreover, the classification of this Formation method is definitely first-grade, drawn by a great Formation Master himself, and it¡¯s almost brand new¡­¡±


    The housing agency worker was glib, praising to the skies.


    Mo Hua pointed to a spot on the ground and said: ¡°The Formation here is broken.¡±


    The housing agency worker was startled, ¡°Broken¡­ broken?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°The Earth Stone Formation, the second Formation Pattern¡¯s media is broken¡­¡±


    Mo Hua walked a few steps forward, looked up, and then said:


    ¡°The Formation painting here is incorrect.¡±


    ¡°The Bright Lamp Formation, the fourth Pattern, the fifth stroke is wrong¡­¡±


    The housing agency worker¡¯s mouth hung open.


    Mo Hua turned his head to look at the courtyard, ¡°Originally there were four Formations here, but they¡¯re no longer working and no one has repaired them, you probably didn¡¯t even know¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, the Formation here is wrong too¡­¡±


    ¡°The Formation here isn¡¯t incorrect, but it used low-grade Spiritual Ink, it will fail in two months.¡±


    ¡°And here, the Formations are conflicting with each other¡­¡±


    ¡°What is this drawing here¡­¡±


    ¡°Here¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The housing agency worker was completely dumbfounded.


    Who exactly was this young cultivator?


    He had never shown the Formation Diagrams of this cave dwelling to the young cultivator¡­


    Formations are confidential, and the diagrams are always sealed. They can¡¯t be revealed until the transaction is completed.


    But how did this young cultivator, after just a few glances, list all the defects in the cave dwelling¡¯s Formations as if he was reciting from a family treasure?


    Whether a cave dwelling looks good or is comfortable to live in, and whether the layout is nice¡ª


    These are subjective issues.


    One person may have one opinion, which can¡¯t be taken for certain.


    But issues with Formations are very real and can¡¯t fool anyone¡­


    And to have these issues pointed out so clearly and straightforwardly¡­


    The housing agency worker felt the soul knocked out of him, sweating profusely.


    After Mo Hua listed almost all the defects, his gaze flashed, and taking advantage of the worker¡¯s shock, he made a ruthless bid:


    ¡°Twenty thousand Spirit Stones!¡±


    He shot for a high price, determined to cut nearly half off.


    The housing agency worker trembled, nearly fainting¡­

 Chapter 419 - 414 Tangyuan_1

    Chapter 419: Chapter 414 Tangyuan_1


    ¡°`


    Cut the price in half and then slowly negotiate.


    This was something Mo Hua had learned in the Market Town of Tongxian City.


    The housing agency workers showed a bitter face, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ nobody bargains like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem with this Formation?¡±


    ¡°There is¡­¡± the housing agency worker said helplessly, then suddenly perked up, ¡°No, I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Being stubborn is of no use!¡±


    Mo Hua appeared confident, ¡°The words I just said, write them down and show them to other Formation Masters, and they will confirm they¡¯re not the slightest bit wrong.¡±


    The housing agency worker was at a loss for words, ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem with the Formation?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ yes, there is¡­¡±


    ¡°Is the problem with the Formation a major one?¡±


    ¡°It is¡­ I suppose.¡±


    ¡°So since this cave mansion has a major issue, why are you selling it at such a high price?¡± Mo Hua demanded righteously.


    The housing agency worker said bitterly, ¡°But it can¡¯t be that cheap?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say we can¡¯t negotiate. How much will you lower the price?¡±


    Bearing the pressure of Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, the housing agency worker tentatively said, ¡°Thirty-seven thousand?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Twenty thousand and five hundred.¡±


    ¡°Thirty-six thousand?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-one thousand¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After a back-and-forth of quoted prices, in the end, Mo Hua was only willing to pay twenty-nine thousand.


    The housing agency worker gritted his teeth, saying helplessly, ¡°I need to ask the owner. Please wait a moment.¡±


    ¡°Go on, go ahead.¡±


    Mo Hua waved him off.


    Bai Zisheng watched Mo Hua in wonder, ¡°You¡¯re really good at bargaining¡­¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    To a Loose Cultivator, every single Spirit Stone was valuable. Naturally, one should never be courteous when it was time to bargain.


    Having Spirit Stones was one thing,


    Not spending them unwisely was another.


    After a little while, the housing agency worker came back, holding a Spirit Pact, and with an apologetic smile, said:


    ¡°I reported back to the owner. The owner was also unaware of so many problems with the Formation in the cave mansion and feels deeply sorry. Therefore, he is willing to sell this cave mansion to the three young friends at a low price.¡±


    With both hands, the housing agency worker offered the Spirit Pact to Mo Hua:


    ¡°The price can be even more favorable, twenty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight, for good luck¡­¡±


    Mo Hua checked the Spiritual Energy. It was indeed twenty thousand, followed by a series of ¡°eights.¡±


    ¡°Your owner is so easy to talk to?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat skeptical.


    That¡¯s nearly ten thousand Spirit Stones cut¡­


    The housing agency worker laughed, ¡°Firstly, there are indeed issues with the cave mansion which you, young master, have noticed, and we have become a laughing stock; secondly, our owner also wants to make your acquaintance. You buying our cave mansion is also giving us face.¡±


    Mo Hua said suspiciously, ¡°Does your owner know me?¡±


    ¡°The owner has not yet had the pleasure of meeting you, sir.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s sparkling eyes turned as he asked again, ¡°Is the backing of your housing agency the Lu Family or South Yue Sect?¡±


    The housing agency worker was stunned, then replied:


    ¡°Not hiding anything from you, young master, there¡¯s both the Lu Family and South Yue Sect¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was also somewhat surprised, ¡°Your housing agency¡¯s background is this significant?¡±


    The housing agency worker chuckled, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not all that¡­ The Lu Family provides financial backing, and the owner who manages things is a direct disciple of the Inner Gate of South Yue Sect.¡±


    ¡°Although there is backing from both sides, it¡¯s not as significant as being an Elder or Family Head, so it is just a small housing agency¡­¡±


    The Lu Family, Taoist Court, South Yue Sect¡­


    It seems they are all wearing the same pants.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    However, since he was an outsider, he didn¡¯t ask too much for the time being and gave a fist salute, ¡°Please thank the owner for me.¡±


    The housing agency worker gave a respectful fist salute, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Afterward came the exchange of Spirit Stones, signing of the Spirit Pact, and handing over some Formation Diagrams and the Formation keys. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When signing the Spirit Pact, Bai Zixi said to Mo Hua, ¡°You sign.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Why should I sign?¡±


    Bai Zixi said, ¡°You picked it out.¡±


    ¡°But, the Spirit Stones were provided by junior sister¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi said, ¡°I can¡¯t sign.¡±


    Bai Zisheng also nodded on the side, ¡°Aunt Xue doesn¡¯t allow us to sign Spirit Pacts with others.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback for a moment, then understood.


    He guessed clan members of prominent families probably had some taboos ¨C signing Spirit Pacts could lead to being cheated or targeted.


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Mo Hua signed the Spirit Pact and, after signing, he gave the Pact to Bai Zixi, ¡°Junior sister, you keep it.¡±


    Bai Zixi intended to refuse, but after thinking it over, accepted it.


    After buying the cave mansion, it needed to be tidied up.


    Especially the Formation.


    The previous Formation was too shabby for Mo Hua¡¯s taste.


    And since it was going to be his place of residence, he felt more at ease setting up the Formation himself.


    Mo Hua spent some time restructuring the Formation Diagram of the cave mansion.


    This Formation Diagram now utilized mostly First-grade Formations and even included the Thick Earth Formation.


    Together with his junior brother and junior sister, Mo Hua renovated the Formation inside the cave mansion according to the Formation Diagram.


    Afterward, they had the housing agency arrange for someone to come over and clean up.


    The cave mansion was tidy and clean, with doors, windows, corridors, flowers and courtyards, every nook and cranny adorned with Formations. These Formations were interconnected, forming a sophisticated and complex First-grade Compound Formation.


    Only then was Mo Hua satisfied.


    After getting everything in order, Mo Hua and his companions returned to the inn, and brought Mr. Zhuang to the cave mansion.


    Mr. Zhuang, seeing the tranquil courtyard, the peaceful bamboo rooms, and the quiet pond,


    as well as the numerous, yet naturally integrated Formations matching each courtyard, each room, and every step with grass, nodded in pleased content.


    Dinner was enjoyed under the big tree in the courtyard.


    Mo Hua laid out a low table, with everyone sitting on the grass.


    The table was arrayed with various dishes.


    Because they had been to the mines, smelled the odors in the mine shafts, and seen the dreadful state of the deceased Mining Cultivators, Mo Hua and his companions had not had much of an appetite these days.


    Actually, Mo Hua was fine, since Bai Zixi had her eyes covered by Mo Hua and didn¡¯t see much.


    ¡°`


    The main issue was with Bai Zisheng, who couldn¡¯t be exposed to the slightest smell of meat.


    So, Mo Hua made some lighter vegetarian dishes and desserts.


    That day¡¯s staple food was soup dumplings filled with sesame paste.


    A gentle breeze passed, causing the tree leaves to rustle.


    As Mo Hua ate the soup dumplings, he asked Mr. Zhuang, ¡°Master, is the flow of spiritual energy very important?¡±


    Mo Hua had been puzzled about this before.


    Inside the cave dwelling, what could the flow of spiritual energy signify?


    He guessed it had something to do with the direction of the wind and the momentum, but these were only his speculations. He wasn¡¯t sure about the deeper reasons.


    Mr. Zhuang spoke succinctly,


    ¡°The flow of spiritual energy is related to the Spirit Vein.¡±


    ¡°Spirit Vein?¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, ¡°The so-called Spirit Vein refers to the vast streams of spiritual energy that flow through nature, forming patterns of energy.¡±


    ¡°Vast spiritual energy¡­¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°So now, does that mean there are no Spirit Veins anymore?¡±


    Because the spiritual energy in the world had already become extremely thin.


    ¡°There still are,¡± Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, ¡°it¡¯s just that ordinary cultivators can¡¯t see them¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused, took a bite of the soup dumpling, nodded, and then continued,


    ¡°The existing Spirit Veins are either in the Taoist Court or within some ancient noble clans or sects that have been passed down to this day and have not yet declined.¡±


    ¡°Some mid-level powers, if they have far-reaching plans and want to sustain their legacy, will also try to use Formation methods to artificially create Spirit Veins¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Artificial Spirit Veins?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Mr. Zhuang said reflectively, ¡°it takes a large amount of Spirit Stones and special Formation methods to construct a massive flow of spiritual power, thus forming an ever-flowing and everlasting Spirit Vein.¡±


    ¡°Using the spiritual energy within the Spirit Vein to cultivate for future generations.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that this is very difficult, and the cost is too great¡­¡±


    ¡°And what the general cultivator sees as a Spirit Vein is actually another form.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and slowly said, ¡°You¡¯ve seen it too.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his eyebrows and thought for a while, his eyes lighting up,


    ¡°Spiritual mines?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°The spiritual energy in the Spirit Veins, due to the changes in the terrain and buried underground, merges with the mountains, stones, and vegetation. Over the years, it forms Spiritual mines.¡±


    ¡°So Spiritual mines are actually a kind of ¡®immobile Spirit Vein,¡¯ a ¡®one-off Spirit Vein,¡¯ solidified ¡®Spirit Veins¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding, thought for a moment, then jumped in his heart, and asked,


    ¡°So, Master, if I can discern the flow of spiritual energy between the mountains, determine the direction of ancient Spirit Veins, would it be possible to calculate¡­ where there might be Spiritual mines?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled encouragingly,


    ¡°The principle is that indeed¡­¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense Calculation, perception of spiritual power, Formation energy trails, and the flow of nature¡¯s spiritual energy all have things in common and form a system.¡±


    ¡°But making it happen is very complicated in practice.¡±


    ¡°You should learn more and practice more, start from the flow of spiritual energy, from simple to complex, from shallow to deep. In the future, perhaps you could indeed deduce Spirit Veins from the flow of spiritual energy, and thus locate Spiritual mines¡­¡±


    Spiritual mines!


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining.


    If he really found a Spiritual mine, wouldn¡¯t that mean striking it rich?


    He could dig up so many Spirit Stones!


    Mo Hua revealed a greedy little look.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and shake his head.


    It wasn¡¯t that simple.


    After more than twenty thousand years of Taoist Court development, the Spiritual mines in the cultivation world that hadn¡¯t been discovered were already few and far between.


    Even if one was discovered, such a big prize attracted many would-be claimants, which often meant a storm of blood and violence¡­


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze flickered, and he sighed softly in his heart.


    Turning to look at Mo Hua, Mr. Zhuang suddenly hesitated again, showing an amused expression.


    His disciple seemed obedient but was also whimsical and mischievous.


    He was able to help a Loose Cultivator brazenly snatch a Spiritual mine from the Qian Family.


    If he really discovered a Spiritual mine in the future, perhaps he could take a cunning opportunity and reap a juicy reward¡­


    Afterward, there was no more talking, and Mo Hua concentrated on eating.


    His cheeks were stuffed full.


    The soup dumplings were fragrant and sweet.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but eat more, and turning his head, he saw Bai Zixi seated beside him staring blankly at the soup dumplings in her bowl.


    Mo Hua asked curiously, ¡°Don¡¯t they taste good?¡±


    He remembered that Junior Sister was supposed to love sweet things.


    Bai Zixi shook her head.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze held some confusion.


    Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua, then pointed at the soup dumplings in her bowl and said, ¡°They kind of look like you.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, then frowned.


    He looked at the soup dumplings in the bowl.


    White, round, and translucent.


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua asked uncertainly, ¡°Junior Sister, are you saying I look pale?¡±


    Bai Zixi shook her head again.


    Mo Hua was even more puzzled.


    Bai Zixi scooped up a snowy-white dumpling with her spoon, gently bit into it, and the black sesame filling oozed out¡­


    Mo Hua froze, and after a long while, he finally understood.


    Junior Sister was calling him scheming.


    A fair face on the outside, but with a little dark heart on the inside.


    Mo Hua muttered in dissatisfaction, ¡°Where am I scheming¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded and said, ¡°You are!¡±


    In the mines, there was threatening, framing, deceiving, and intimidating ¨C his methods were quite skilled.


    Bai Zisheng also nodded on the side,


    ¡°Exactly, you seem harmless on the outside, but you have so many cunning ideas in your heart¡­¡±


    Mo Hua glared at Bai Zisheng, ¡°Being scheming is better than being a fool!¡±


    Bai Zisheng was indignant, ¡°How dare you call your Senior Brother a fool!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, you admitted it yourself¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Under the big tree, Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng bickered endlessly in a lively manner.


    Mr. Zhuang looked on unperturbed, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.


    Bai Zixi then took another bite of her soup dumpling, squinting slightly, her gaze sparkling and clear.

 Chapter 420 - 415 Clue_1

    Chapter 420: Chapter 415 Clue_1


    After moving into the cave dwelling, Mo Hua had hoped for some peace, but within a few days, a stream of visitors began to arrive, presenting their calling cards.


    The first was from the owner of a Housing agency, who was said to be a direct disciple of the South Yue Sect.


    Mo Hua received him with simple hospitality.


    This owner, surnamed Zheng, wasn¡¯t very old, with a Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivation, dressed in brocade robes and a jade pendant, looking every bit the dandy.


    Mr. Zheng was very polite upon meeting Mo Hua, and after a brief conversation between them,


    Mo Hua understood the general situation.


    Mr. Zheng was a direct disciple of an Elder Lin of the South Yue Sect; his parents were in the Alchemy business and were quite wealthy, which helped him enter the Inner Gate of the South Yue Sect.


    But inside the Inner Gate, fights among the direct disciples were common.


    Worried about disadvantages befalling their son, his parents financed a Housing agency for him, so he could be the owner and make some Spirit Stones, which he could use to maintain good relations with the Sect and other local Tao Cultivation forces.


    However, without powerful backing, a Housing agency is hard to establish.


    His Dao companion came from the Lu Family, and a small part of this Housing agency also served as her dowry.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s young age, yet remarkable understanding of Formations, Mr. Zheng had the idea to build relations, and sold the cave dwelling to Mo Hua at a relatively low price.


    Part of these matters Mo Hua learned from Mr. Zheng himself.


    The rest he found out by spending two Spirit Stones to gather information from Housing agency workers.


    Since Mr. Zheng didn¡¯t seem to have any ill intentions, Mo Hua treated him with likewise courtesy.


    Mr. Zheng had no further business, and after a few cups of tea, he took his leave, saying before he left,


    ¡°I¡¯ll have my servant send over some fine tea to the young master later.¡±


    He probably thought the tea Mo Hua offered was not to his liking, but it would be impolite to say it outright.


    The tea must have tasted bad indeed, as Mo Hua had bought it for only a fraction of a Spirit Stone.


    Good tea is quite expensive.


    He usually just ¡°scrounged¡± for tea, seldom buying it himself.


    Only after purchasing the cave dwelling, for fear of visitors, did he reluctantly purchase some tea leaves to serve guests.


    Whether it tasted good or bad, it was all the same to him; Mo Hua wasn¡¯t picky.


    But since Mr. Zheng intended to send tea, Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to be curt and thus replied with a smile and a cupped-hand salute,


    ¡°Then I must thank Mr. Zheng.¡±


    Mr. Zheng, seeing Mo Hua accept his gesture graciously, seemed very pleased and left with a smile and a salute.


    Afterward, there were some other visits from Formation Masters, a bit of tea drinking, and some talk of Formation arts.


    And some neighbors stopped by to offer welcome gifts.


    Two days later, even Elder Su came by.


    Mo Hua served the tea Mr. Zheng had sent to Elder Su.


    After taking a sip, Elder Su commented,


    ¡°This is¡­ our South Yue Sect¡¯s tea?¡±


    Mo Hua asked in surprise, ¡°You could tell?¡±


    Elder Su chuckled, ¡°I drink it every day; I know just by the smell.¡±


    Elder Su pondered for a moment before asking again,


    ¡°Who gave this tea to the young gentleman?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°A Mr. Zheng.¡±


    Elder Su frowned, ¡°Mr. Zheng?¡±


    ¡°The one dressed extravagantly, wearing the jade pendant, and a tad chubby, who opened the Housing agency¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± recalled Elder Su, ¡°Zheng Yu, right?¡±


    ¡°He actually sent tea to the young gentleman?¡±


    Elder Su seemed surprised but soon noticed that within just a few days, Mo Hua had already made quite a few acquaintances among the Cultivators in South Yue City.


    When he entered, there were even many gifts piled up at the doorstep.


    ¡°Met them while buying the cave dwelling,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Elder Su nodded.


    Mo Hua then inquired about Instructor Yan¡¯s matter.


    Elder Su shook his head, ¡°I sent people to investigate further, but we still have no leads on this Mr. Yan.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Thank you for your effort, Elder Su.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a trifling matter, unworthy of mention,¡± Elder Su replied politely.


    Then, after pondering for a short while and hesitating, he still asked,


    ¡°Young gentleman, have you been to the Lu Family¡¯s mines?¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly astonished inwardly but maintained his composure, nodding as if nothing was amiss, ¡°I have been there.¡±


    Elder Su seemed about to say something but stopped.


    Mo Hua inquired, ¡°Is there something amiss?¡±


    Elder Su hesitated for a good while before finally saying,


    ¡°The water in the Lu Family¡¯s mines is somewhat deep; it would be better for the young gentleman not to get involved.¡±


    Mo Hua spoke in a lowered voice,


    ¡°Could it be that the Lu Family has some unspeakable secrets¡­¡±


    Elder Su waved his hands repeatedly, ¡°No, no, young gentleman, don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡±


    Elder Su continued, ¡°The mines of the Lu Family are legal and compliant, having passed the Taoist Court¡¯s inspection, and the Mining Cultivators are there voluntarily. They don¡¯t delay payments of Spirit Stones and compensate in the event of an incident; there¡¯s nothing unspeakable.¡±


    Mo Hua put on a face of someone who, although not personally affected, was quite curious, and whispered,


    ¡°I heard from a friend at the Taoist Court that five Mining Cultivators died horrifically inside the mine¡­ their deaths were particularly gruesome¡­¡±


    Elder Su exclaimed in surprise, ¡°You have friends in the Taoist Court?¡±


    ¡°You could say that,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    After all, he called Situ Fang ¡°sister¡± and had worked on assignments and dined together with her, which certainly qualified as friendship.


    Elder Su¡¯s expression was complex.


    This First-Grade Junior Formation master, wasn¡¯t it his first time in South Yue City? Yet not only did he know Zheng Yu, but he also had friends in the Taoist Court.


    However, all that was of no consequence to him and didn¡¯t really concern him.


    Elder Su just sighed before saying,


    ¡°People die in that mine every year; no death inside it is ever less than tragic.¡±


    ¡°Every year there are deaths?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°How many die?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say,¡± Elder Su pondered, ¡°There are always a few hundred, but if a major accident occurs, the deaths could climb into the thousands¡­¡±


    ¡°A major accident?¡±


    ¡°Mine collapses, Monster Beasts causing trouble, Filthy Qi leaks, and so on.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a pang of compassion, ¡°So many people die?¡±


    Elder Su sighed, ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, we rely on what the land gives us; here in South Yue City, there are only mines, and Cultivators have to make a living from them¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit better now; if people die, the Lu Family still compensates with Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°In the past, death meant dying for nothing¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°They didn¡¯t compensate with Spirit Stones in the past?¡±


    Elder Su nodded, ¡°For Loose Cultivators, who cares if a few die?¡±


    Mo Hua also sighed.


    Elder Su then realized that the topic had strayed a bit and said:


    ¡°In short, the situation with the mines involves the livelihoods of mining cultivators, clan interests, as well as the authority of the Taoist Court, it¡¯s very complicated¡­¡±


    ¡°As Formation Masters, we should stay above such mundane matters; there¡¯s no need to concern ourselves with these trifles.¡±


    ¡°Especially since you¡¯re an outsider, Young Master, it¡¯s even less appropriate for you to get involved¡­¡±


    Elder Su¡¯s words were indeed heartfelt.


    Mo Hua nodded:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder Su, I know my limits.¡±


    Elder Su then breathed a sigh of relief.


    He did not know whether Mo Hua was truly listening or just pretending to listen, but having heard these words was reassuring enough.


    After chatting a bit more, Elder Su took his leave.


    Mo Hua, however, rested his chin in his hand, somewhat puzzled.


    How did Elder Su know that he had been to the mine?


    If he wanted to inquire, he could certainly find out.


    But he and Mo Hua were neither relatives nor close acquaintances, so why would he investigate Mo Hua¡¯s whereabouts?


    Could this matter be related to the Lu Family?


    Mo Hua remembered that the South Yue Sect and the Lu Family were in close association¡­


    Sure enough, the next day, Mo Hua received an invitation.


    The invitation was personally sent by the head of the Lu Family.


    The wording was brief and did not specify any reason, merely asking Mo Hua to visit the Lu Manor to discuss Formation together.


    Discuss Formation¡­


    It seemed the Lu Family must have learned of his status as a First-Grade Formation Master; otherwise, the Family Head of the Lu Family wouldn¡¯t have personally sent an invitation.


    In a Second-Grade Prefecture Border, the status of a First-Grade Formation Master was still quite prestigious.


    And within South Yue City, the cultivators who knew of Mo Hua¡¯s First-Grade Formation Master status, as far as he could tell, included only Elder Su.


    It seemed Elder Su and the Lu Family had no shallow relationship.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    To go or not to go?


    Could there be any danger?


    Mo Hua thought about it and decided to pay a visit.


    Without any good reason, the Lu Family wouldn¡¯t dare and had no need to harm a First-Grade Formation Master.


    If they wanted to act, it would be in secret, unseen and unheard.


    Not by sending an invitation and openly welcoming him into the Lu Manor before making a move.


    Moreover, Mo Hua was somewhat curious.


    He wanted to know what type of person the Lu Family Head was.


    Mo Hua shared this matter with Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang merely nodded, not saying much.


    Mo Hua then felt at ease, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s lack of comment indicated there was no danger in this matter.


    Bai Zisheng wanted to go with him, but Mr. Zhuang kept him back.


    ¡°Practice the formation I taught you a hundred times first¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Bai Zisheng made a bitter face, watching Mo Hua leave the house with ease.


    Mo Hua arrived at the Lu Family¡¯s estate.


    There were disciples of the Lu Family who respectfully received Mo Hua at the entrance and led the way.


    Mo Hua took this opportunity to take in the Lu Family¡¯s manor.


    The first impression was that the Lu Family was very wealthy!


    If the Sun Family was a small-time wealthy owner, then the Lu Family was a grand landlord.


    The scale of their estate and the grandeur of their architecture surpassed even the Qian Family of Tongxian City in luxury.


    And it was the same with formations.


    The Lu Family likely had a complete transmission of formation knowledge, and there should also be a First-Grade Formation Master in the family, plus an abundance of Spirit Stones.


    Therefore, the entire estate¡¯s Architectural Formation was the best Mo Hua had seen so far, superior even to the formations he had designed for the Refinery Shop and the Alchemist¡¯s Business.


    Of course, it still fell far short of a real Large Formation like the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    The Lu Family disciple escorted Mo Hua to the Lu Family Head¡¯s study.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first encounter with the Lu Family Head.


    To his surprise, the Lu Family Head was an extremely gentle and refined middle-aged cultivator, bringing warmth like a spring breeze, handsome in appearance, creating an easily favorable impression.


    In their conversation, Mo Hua discovered the Lu Family Head had a profound understanding of formations; at the very least, he was a First-Grade Formation Master.


    Throughout the conversation, the Lu Family Head showed great admiration for Mo Hua.


    The two talked for two hours, only discussing formations and some trivial matters, local customs of South Yue City, and some experiences in Tao Cultivation.


    There was not a single mention of the mine.


    Mo Hua was shy and polite, while the Lu Family Head was enthusiastic and attentive.


    An air of mutual enjoyment between host and guest.


    Before departing, the Lu Family Head gave Mo Hua a large and small bundle of gifts¡ªFormation Books, Spiritual Ink, Formation Pens, some Spiritual Meat snacks, and specialty products from South Yue City.


    He then had Mo Hua escorted back to the entrance in the Lu Family¡¯s luxurious carriage.


    Mo Hua, riding back in the Lu Family¡¯s opulent and softly cushioned carriage, dumped the big and small Storage Bags in the courtyard of his home.


    Bai Zisheng gaped, ¡°Mo Hua, did you go scamming?¡±


    Mo Hua shot him a glance, ¡°I don¡¯t scam people.¡±


    Bai Zisheng shook his head, ¡°We¡¯re fellow disciples, there¡¯s no need to lie to me.¡±


    He then asked, ¡°All these, were they given to you by the Lu Family?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng frowned, ¡°Why would they do that?¡±


    Mo Hua mused, ¡°When someone is overly courteous without cause, there must be a problem.¡±


    But as for what the problem was, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t guess yet; he could only keep this matter in his heart for now.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    The pressing issue was to find a way to locate Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan had been a mentor to him in the transmission of his cultivation.


    Now, the situation in South Yue City seemed quite complex.


    With forces intertwined, mining cultivators dying tragically, and the sinister Ultimate Formation¡­


    If Instructor Yan really had come here, he may have encountered some misfortune.


    Mo Hua wanted to find Instructor Yan quickly to check on his safety. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But after much searching, he still had no clues, so he decided to ask Situ Fang for help.


    Situ Fang was a Supervisor at the Taoist Court and he had more ways of finding people than Mo Hua himself did.


    Situ Fang agreed to help.


    A few days later, Situ Fang came with news of two matters.


    One was that a cultivator bearing the surname Yan and resembling a gentleman did indeed arrive in South Yue City a few years ago, and rented a room near the mines on the south side of the city.


    But the room had not been inhabited for a long time.


    According to nearby cultivators, this Mr. Yan left his house one evening, headed towards the direction of the mine, and never returned¡­


    The second matter was that there were new leads regarding the five miners who had died tragically¡­

 Chapter 421 - 416: Burying_1

    Chapter 421: Chapter 416: Burying_1


    ¡°The coroner from the Taoist Court inspected the bodies in the mine shaft and concluded that these Mining Cultivators were killed by Monster Beasts, and then eaten by them¡­¡±


    ¡°People from the Lu Family said they would compensate with Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Once the family members of the Mining Cultivators received the Spirit Stones, they stopped causing trouble.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how things were left for the time being within the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    Situ Fang said helplessly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned slightly somber, ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, right¡­¡±


    Without mentioning anything else, those Mining Cultivators were definitely not eaten by Monster Beasts.


    Having dealt with Monster Beasts frequently at Big Black Mountain, Mo Hua was certain of this.


    Seeing there was no one else around, Situ Fang spoke in a lower voice:


    ¡°Right, that coroner told a lie.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°How do you know he lied?¡±


    Situ Fang replied, ¡°I gave him Spirit Stones, and he confessed to me himself.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Indeed, Spirit Stones could make people honest.


    After he had given two Spirit Stones to the housing agency workers who dealt with cave dwelling sales, they also spilled all the truth.


    Situ Fang continued:


    ¡°The coroner told me that these Mining Cultivators were first killed by someone, and then eaten by something unidentifiable¡­¡±


    ¡°The time of death was somewhat old, and the Filthy Qi inside the shaft was heavy, so the putrid and turbid scents blended together, making it difficult to distinguish what exactly ate the bodies¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart; he was also somewhat moved.


    To deduce the cause of death for those Mining Cultivators in such a state, that coroner certainly had some real skill.


    In Tao Cultivation, every profession, even those deemed unassuming or ¡®lowly,¡¯ had its special intricacies that should not be underestimated.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t this coroner speak the truth?¡± Mo Hua asked again, ¡°Did someone prevent him from doing so?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Situ Fang nodded, ¡°Court Leader Zhao from the Taoist Court discretely briefed him.¡±


    ¡°Court Leader Zhao?¡±


    Situ Fang spoke softly, ¡°He¡¯s more senior than I am, serving as a Supervisor in the Taoist Court of South Yue City for sixty or seventy years, deeply trusted by the Court Leader.¡±


    The Court Leader, huh¡­


    Mo Hua somewhat understood.


    That meant the Court Leader of South Yue City had instructed to downplay the incident, finding a ¡®suitable¡¯ reason to make a big issue small, a small issue gone.


    If a Cultivator kills, it¡¯s murder.


    If Monster Beasts kill, it¡¯s an accident.


    Since it¡¯s an accident, it¡¯s considered an inevitable risk.


    The Taoist Court wouldn¡¯t need to waste effort investigating, and the Lu Family wouldn¡¯t bear much responsibility, just needing to provide some Spirit Stone compensation.


    The family members of the Mining Cultivators would be compensated with Spirit Stones and would no longer continue to make a fuss.


    And so the matter was settled¡­


    At first glance, it indeed seemed ¡®appropriate.¡¯


    Mo Hua glanced at Situ Fang¡¯s expression, seeing her take it to heart, and quietly asked:


    ¡°Sister Situ, are you planning to keep investigating?¡±


    Situ Fang hesitated for a moment, then nodded:


    ¡°You¡¯re right, this matter isn¡¯t so simple. We have to find out who killed these Mining Cultivators and what ate their bodies.¡±


    Situ Fang sighed, ¡°If we don¡¯t figure it out, I¡¯m afraid more Mining Cultivators will die such tragic deaths¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Your Court Leader won¡¯t agree to your continued investigation, right?¡±


    Situ Fang carelessly replied:


    ¡°I¡¯m on a rotating duty. With the backing of my Clan, I just need to be polite to him outwardly, and I don¡¯t need to be overly concerned with him.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and praised, ¡°Sister Situ, you have a kind heart!¡±


    Then he thumped his chest and said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you investigate!¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Situ Fang looked at Mo Hua skeptically, ¡°Investigate what?¡±


    ¡°The cause of death for the Mining Cultivators.¡±


    Situ Fang, not understanding, said, ¡°It¡¯s my duty to investigate, but why would you get involved in this mess?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua replied:


    ¡°I want to find Instructor Yan; since he went missing in the mine as well, it might be related to the cause of death for the Mining Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, I want to uncover the truth and not allow these Mining Cultivators to have died in vain.¡±


    Of course, there was also a key point: the Ultimate Formation.


    Mo Hua had sensed the malevolent presence of an Ultimate Formation emanating from the bodies of the dead Mining Cultivators.


    He wanted to know what this Ultimate Formation was and why it carried an evil aura.


    And who exactly was using this Formation to harm people¡­


    However, he did not reveal the matter about the Ultimate Formation to Situ Fang.


    After pondering for a while, Situ Fang nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Then she added a word of caution:


    ¡°But you must be careful, this matter is probably more complex than it seems. If something goes wrong, you must run immediately.¡±


    ¡°Their power is great, but only within South Yue City.¡±


    ¡°Once you leave South Yue City, you¡¯ll be back in Tongxian City, your own territory, and you won¡¯t have to fear anything.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze flickered, indicating that Situ Fang had also sensed something.


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°All right!¡±


    ¡­


    Although determined to investigate, the clues were limited.


    Mo Hua wanted to first examine the bodies of the Mining Cultivators.


    He wanted to use his Divine Sense to feel the deathly Filthy Qi on the bodies and find out what it was and how it differed from the usual natural essences.


    He also wanted to perform further calculations, to see if he could obtain more clues about the Ultimate Formation.


    After the mine shaft was cleared, the bodies of the Mining Cultivators were sealed within the Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua followed Situ Fang to the Taoist Court, only to be informed that the bodies had already been cremated by the families.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became slightly focused.


    Situ Fang also frowned deeply, ¡°Who permitted this?¡±


    ¡°Who else?¡± The coroner curled his lips and, seeing no one around, pointed upwards with his hand.


    Upwards¡ªthat would be the Court Leader of South Yue City.


    Mo Hua quietly made calculations in his heart.


    To hastily dispose of the corpses like this¡­


    The problem with this Court Leader seemed quite severe.


    It also indicated that indeed, these corpses harbored some unspeakable secrets.


    Situ Fang¡¯s eyes flickered, evidently sharing the same thought.


    They hadn¡¯t considered confronting the Court Leader either, because such an action would be meaningless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go ask the families of the Mining Cultivators,¡± suggested Mo Hua.


    Situ Fang nodded in agreement.


    These Mining Cultivators lived in residential houses near the mines.


    Their houses were incredibly cramped, filthy, and in complete disarray, suffused with foul air.


    The Mining Cultivators living inside all had disheveled appearances and dirty faces.


    At this noontime, many were eating plain congee mixed with hard, black pickles.


    The congee was mixed with flour, and it contained but few grains of rice.


    Children, equally grimy, ran back and forth through the narrow alleyways.


    Situ Fang showed a look of pity.


    Even Mo Hua, accustomed to seeing Loose Cultivators in poverty, sighed lightly.


    Even among Loose Cultivators, these Mining Cultivators were almost the poorest of the lot.


    Mo Hua had always thought that the Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City had it tough.


    But the further one traveled and the more one saw, the more one encountered the depths of poverty.


    It appeared Elder Yu was right, ¡°The Loose Cultivators of Tongxian City suffer greatly, but beyond Tongxian City, those who suffer more than Tongxian¡¯s Cultivators are even more numerous¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became inscrutable as he silently pondered something.


    Situ Fang led Mo Hua to the front of a dilapidated house.


    The door of the house was closed.


    Situ Fang inquired with the neighbors and found out that after the Taoist Court had cremated the bodies and returned them, the household went to bury the deceased Mining Cultivator.


    The burial place was a large wasteland to the south.


    It was a mass grave.


    When Mo Hua and Situ Fang arrived at the mass grave, they saw the desolate ground scattered with many messy tomb mounds.


    Some had steles with the names of the deceased inscribed.


    Some had only a wooden plaque, weathered and decayed by the wind and sun.


    Most graves had no markers, leaving it unknown who was buried there or who had buried them.


    In the mass grave, there was a new tomb being buried.


    As Mo Hua and Situ Fang approached, they saw three or four households gathered together, dressed in white, burning paper money, and weeping softly.


    There was just one coffin.


    Situ Fang inquired and learned that the bodies of these five men had been mangled beyond recognition, making it impossible to distinguish their limbs.


    The Taoist Court had mixed them together and cremated them as one.


    The families of the Mining Cultivators could only inter the five men together in one coffin.


    Situ Fang said indignantly, ¡°How could this be done?¡±


    A woman, haggard and of middle age, clutching a thin child, spoke helplessly:


    ¡°Even if separated, we couldn¡¯t afford coffins. This single coffin was pooled together by four of our households.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it five households?¡±


    ¡°One family¡ªthe wife has already remarried with her son and no one is there to bury him.¡±


    Situ Fang was at a loss for words.


    The woman sighed and said:


    ¡°We don¡¯t blame her. A widow with an orphan, if she didn¡¯t remarry, she couldn¡¯t survive.¡±


    Situ Fang furrowed his brow, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Lu Family compensate with Spirit Stones?¡±


    ¡°We got a hundred, but by the time it reached us, only twenty were left. These twenty Spirit Stones won¡¯t last long.¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s expression turned cold, ¡°Who skimmed off the top?¡±


    The woman hemmed and hawed, unable to speak, her face filled with sorrowful sighs.


    Situ Fang asked again, but the woman only shook her head, remaining silent.


    Everyone fell somewhat silent.


    The desolate gravesite once again grew deathly quiet, with only the weak sounds of weeping intermittently rising and falling.


    After the graves were established, everyone offered incense.


    The incense smoke curled upwards, the graves lonely.


    The Mining Cultivators¡¯ family members had faces filled with sorrow.


    Life as a Mining Cultivator was tough, and it was uncertain how long they could survive.


    Who knows when an accident in the mine shaft might occur, adding another grave to this mass burial ground?


    And ultimately, these graves would remain nameless and unidentified amid the desolate hills.


    Unasked-about, unvisited for offerings.


    Just a collection of unknown mounds of earth and rocks.


    Mo Hua glanced around, feeling an inexplicable sense of desolation and melancholy.


    After a moment, Mo Hua was taken aback.


    He took another look at the families of the Cultivators and slowly furrowed his brows.


    He remembered that when these families of the Mining Cultivators had made a fuss, demanding an explanation from the Taoist Court and arguing with Situ Fang, there were several strong men by their side.


    But now, looking at these few households, there were only women and children, or the elderly.


    There were a few young Cultivators, but they were also frail and thin.


    Where had those strong men gone?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned slight cold.

 Chapter 422 - 417 Ruffian_1

    Chapter 422: Chapter 417 Ruffian_1


    Mo Hua secretly shared her doubts with Situ Fang.


    Situ Fang blinked, her eyebrows furrowing as she also realized something was amiss and recalled the scene, slowly saying,


    ¡°Those burly men were dressed in the attire of mining cultivators, with rough palms and dark skin. I thought they were family members of the missing miners, or at least their relatives and friends.¡±


    ¡°It was always them creating a ruckus, demanding huge compensations from the Lu Family.¡±


    ¡°But now that everything has settled and the Lu Family has paid the compensation, they suddenly disappeared. They didn¡¯t even show up for the burial, which is very odd¡­¡±


    Situ Fang pondered, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the family members of the mining cultivators again.¡±


    Mo Hua shook her head, ¡°They might not dare to speak.¡±


    From their demeanor just now, they seemed very submissive, probably fearing retaliation and not daring to say much.


    Situ Fang then said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll find some local mining cultivators and ask about their identities.¡±


    ¡°Even the mining cultivators might not tell the truth,¡± Mo Hua said.


    After all, they didn¡¯t hold much affection for the Taoist Court.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flashed, ¡°Leave this matter to me, Sister Situ. You draw the portraits of those few burly men¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave it to you?¡± Situ Fang was startled.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I know who to find.¡±


    Situ Fang hesitated, ¡°This is your first time in South Yue City, right¡­ How do you know so many cultivators?¡±


    Mo Hua humbly said, ¡°I have good social connections¡­¡±


    Situ Fang was momentarily at a loss for words.


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Situ Fang sighed and, drawing from memory, sketched the appearances of the burly men, though her hand was a bit unsteady.


    Mo Hua took it and added a few touches as she described.


    Situ Fang¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°That¡¯s it, you draw really well.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled.


    Being a Formation Master who deals with Formation Patterns every day, drawing some portraits was quite simple.


    Mo Hua carefully stored the portraits, then sneaked into the Lu Family¡¯s mine. She hid her presence and sat on a rock, lying in wait.


    At dusk, the shift change for the overseers occurred.


    A middle-phase Qi Refinement cultivator from the Lu Family strutted out of the mine arrogantly.


    Mo Hua called out, ¡°Lu Ming.¡±


    The cultivator named Lu Ming, startled, looked around. Not seeing anyone, he muttered in confusion,


    ¡°That¡¯s strange, who is calling my name¡­¡±


    He continued walking forward.


    After a few steps, he heard someone calling him again.


    It was a young, clear, child-like voice.


    Lu Ming paused and looked around. Still, no one was in sight.


    The arrogant expression on his face gradually faded, replaced by an utter seriousness and tension.


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    Those who guarded the mines knew that at night the mines were dangerous and eerie.


    But it was still dusk, not yet dark¡­


    Could it be¡­


    Cold sweat gradually seeped out of Lu Ming¡¯s back.


    Terrified, he suddenly turned and ran, but stumbled after just a few steps, as he found himself abruptly immobilized.


    Chains of blue watery Spiritual Power bound him tightly.


    The sensation was familiar, and Lu Ming quickly realized the situation.


    He turned his head and indeed saw another figure leisurely sitting on a large boulder on the other side.


    That young cultivator waved at him as well.


    Lu Ming felt like weeping but had no tears to shed.


    He was only at the middle phase of Qi Refinement, whereas this young cultivator was already at the later phase.


    Not only that, but this young cultivator also knew Formation techniques and possessed bizarre spells.


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t escape, Lu Ming reluctantly walked towards Mo Hua. Reaching her, he forced a smile and said,


    ¡°L¡­little master, what brings you here?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I came looking for you.¡±


    Lu Ming¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°Looking for me¡­ what for?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s smile seemed to hold a hint of menace:


    ¡°Did you, or did you not, tell your Family Head about me?¡±


    Lu Ming paled, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Tell the truth.¡±


    Lu Ming said nothing.


    ¡°If you tell the truth, I won¡¯t make it difficult for you,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Then she chuckled darkly, ¡°But if you lie, the creatures in this mine might have a full feast tonight¡­¡±


    Lu Ming thought of the dead mining cultivators and shivered, promptly confessing honestly:


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say it, but when the Family Head asked, I¡­ I didn¡¯t dare to not speak¡­¡±


    ¡°What exactly did you say?¡±


    Lu Ming meekly said, ¡°I just mentioned you knew Formation techniques, found the mine cave, and discovered the bodies of the miners. I didn¡¯t speak about anything else¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t dare to say¡­¡±


    Because of other matters, it¡¯s related to the Lu Family.


    These matters had been leaked by him.


    If the Family Head knew he had divulged the information, especially about the mine, he would certainly not let him off.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    He knew Formation, and discovering the mine was something that couldn¡¯t be concealed. The Family Head of the Lu Family knew, but it didn¡¯t really matter.


    As long as he didn¡¯t know that he was interested in the mine, that would be fine.


    ¡°Alright, now let¡¯s talk about the main issue.¡±


    Mo Hua took out the portraits of the few men drawn by Situ Fang and asked,


    ¡°Do you recognize these men?¡±


    Lu Ming looked over the portraits one by one, shook his head, and said,


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize any of them.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze slightly hardened.


    He picked three portraits from the group and said to Lu Ming,


    ¡°You¡¯re lying, you recognize these three portraits.¡±


    Lu Ming¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡±


    How had he seen through him?


    Could this young Cultivator also read minds?


    Mo Hua could not read minds.


    It was just that when Lu Ming looked at these three portraits, although his expression remained normal, his Divine Sense fluctuated slightly.


    Such a slight fluctuation of Divine Sense did not escape Mo Hua¡¯s perception.


    Expressions can lie, but Divine Sense does not.


    Thus, Lu Ming definitely knew these three men.


    Mo Hua¡¯s crisp voice carried a hint of coldness as he warned,


    ¡°Although I am young, I have a bad temper.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve lied to me once, I¡¯ll remember that. If you lie to me again¡­¡±


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you never have the opportunity to lie to anyone ever again!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s innocent smile concealed a hint of wickedness.


    He seemed both like an Immortal child beneath an Immortal¡¯s seat and like a little ghost from the Netherworld beckoning souls¡­


    Lu Ming shivered again, bitterness in his heart:


    What exactly is this little ancestor¡¯s identity?


    Mo Hua patted the three portraits with his small hand, ¡°Tell me, who are these three people?¡±


    Lu Ming sighed and said dejectedly, ¡°They are Mining Cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°Mining Cultivators?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s said that they are Mining Cultivators, but they aren¡¯t really Mining Cultivators¡­¡±


    Lu Ming explained, ¡°They are actually local ruffians in the city. Usually, they either do the bidding of sons of noble families, bully others with power, or extort from small merchants, exploiting the locals, or go outside the city to rob and scrape together some Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Once they have Spirit Stones, they indulge in lavish pleasures, gambling and visiting brothels.¡±


    ¡°Only when they really run out of Spirit Stones do they go to the mines to dig for a day or two¡­¡±


    ¡°So, although they are Mining Cultivators, they aren¡¯t really considered Mining Cultivators¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Do they also help deceased Mining Cultivators¡¯ families recover Spirit Stones?¡±


    Lu Ming was somewhat surprised, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua didn¡¯t respond, Lu Ming continued explaining,


    ¡°If a Mining Cultivator falls in an accident, they would notify the family, then take it upon themselves to recover the Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°The Spirit Stones they recover are mostly kept by themselves, and only a small portion ends up with the Mining Cultivator¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t anyone control them?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless,¡± Lu Ming said, ¡°They have a lot of people, and they are ruthless. Once you get involved with them, it¡¯s like dealing with a clingy stray dog, impossible to shake off¡­¡±


    ¡°The Cultivators above don¡¯t care about them, and the bottom Mining Cultivators dare not speak out.¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then asked,


    ¡°How do you know them?¡±


    Lu Ming was reluctant to say.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Tell the truth, I won¡¯t blame you.¡±


    Lu Ming then hesitantly said, ¡°I took their Spirit Stones, here in the mine, I provided them some conveniences¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze hardened slightly, ¡°What conveniences?¡±


    Lu Ming quickly said, ¡°Nothing much, just that they come and go as they please, and if there¡¯s something, I just turn a blind eye¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed, his mind somewhat puzzled.


    These ruffians rarely mined, so what was the purpose of this bribery?


    What were they really up to, that required the mine supervisor to ¡°turn a blind eye¡±¡­


    A suspicion began to form in Mo Hua¡¯s mind, and his gaze turned chilly.


    While the Loose Cultivators of Immortal City might be poor, the lower layers helped each other out. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But here in South Yue City, some Loose Cultivators, despite being at the bottom and being the weak, willingly trample even the weaker.


    ¡°What are the names of these three Cultivators?¡± Mo Hua asked coldly.


    Lu Ming said, ¡°This tall one is called Wang Hu, the one with half his hair burnt off is called Tang Huzi¡­¡±


    ¡°The leader, the one with the scar on his face, is called Wang Lai, but everyone privately calls him ¡®Cheeky Wang¡¯¡­¡±

 Chapter 423 - 418 Tracking_1

    Chapter 423: Chapter 418 Tracking_1


    Mo Hua relayed the information he had gathered to Situ Fang.


    Situ Fang, thinking of the destitute orphans and widows, furrowed her brows tightly in anger.


    ¡°How outrageous!¡±


    This was exploiting the deceased¡¯s wealth, ruining complete households!


    The next day, Situ Fang, accompanied by cultivators from the Taoist Court, found Wang Lai and his cronies at the gambling den, arrested them, and took them in for interrogation at the Taoist Court.


    She incidentally confiscated the Spirit Stones they had extorted.


    Situ Fang returned those Spirit Stones to the families of the mining cultivators, but she had no way to deal with Wang Lai and the others.


    Wang Lai and his group had forcefully demanded compensation for the miners and appropriated most of the Spirit Stones for themselves, which was not considered a grave offense.


    The judgment from the Taoist Court couldn¡¯t be too severe.


    Situ Fang wanted to dig up their past misdeeds and convict them on multiple charges.


    These hoodlums had been a blight on the township and undoubtedly had a track record of bad behavior.


    However, with the miners being weak and fearing retribution, no one dared to testify against them.


    Left with no choice, Situ Fang could only detain them for a month. She also resorted to corporal punishment; giving them thirty heavy strokes of the rod before releasing them.


    After being released from the Taoist Prison, the first thing Wang Lai and his thugs did was to band together with a bunch of other scoundrels, go to the deceased miner¡¯s house, and threaten and extort the family. They took back the Spirit Stones and even injured several people, brazenly declaring:


    ¡°If you dare report us to the Taoist Court again, we¡¯ll ensure your entire family is wiped out!¡±


    This was what Situ Fang told Mo Hua.


    In the courtyard of her dwelling, Situ Fang was so angry that she gritted her teeth.


    ¡°I was about to throw them back into the Taoist Prison when several older Enforcement Leaders stopped me¡­¡±


    ¡°They told me it was pointless, that they had seen such things happen many times over the years.¡±


    ¡°Unless we actually kill these thugs, they are like sticking plasters, impossible to get rid of.¡±


    ¡°Arresting them only to release them again and again¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, as a Supervisor of the Taoist Court, I¡¯m not afraid of them, but ultimately, it¡¯s the poor mining cultivators they bully who suffer¡­¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s expression was laden with helplessness.


    After talking for a while, Situ Fang left with a face full of worry.


    Mo Hua sat in the courtyard, frowning in thought.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi finished learning about Formation from Mr. Zhuang and, as they walked out, they passed by the courtyard and saw Mo Hua sitting under a large tree, deep in contemplation.


    Bai Zisheng ran up to Mo Hua and asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua told him about Wang Lai and the others¡¯ case.


    Hearing this, Bai Zisheng angrily said, ¡°Just slaughter them!¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s willow brows also knitted slightly.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Actions need to follow the rules, we must adhere to the Taoist Law, if they haven¡¯t committed a crime deserving death, it¡¯s not right to kill people casually¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng muttered, ¡°I think they deserve to die already¡­¡±


    Mo Hua gave him a look.


    Bai Zisheng said no more.


    Then he paused, looking at Mo Hua suspiciously, ¡°Are you scheming something bad?¡±


    Not pleased, Mo Hua said, ¡°Why would you call it scheming something bad?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely planning to trick people¡­¡± Bai Zisheng remarked.


    Bai Zixi also looked at Mo Hua with suspicion.


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly tricking people¡­¡± Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I plan to secretly follow them and see what they usually do, to find if there¡¯s something incriminating.¡±


    If these cultivators were guilty of repeated wrongdoings, they were bound to slip up somewhere.


    ¡°Follow them?¡± Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go,¡± said Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng was hugely disappointed, ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know a Concealment Technique.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not needed, right¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is!¡± Mo Hua raised his fine eyebrows, ¡°Only by concealing yourself can you follow them. To tail them openly is to make fools of them, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng lost his enthusiasm.


    Bai Zixi coughed softly to remind Bai Zisheng and then glanced subtly at Mo Hua.


    Realization dawned on Bai Zisheng, and he said to Mo Hua,


    ¡°Right, aren¡¯t you skilled in Concealment Formation?¡±


    ¡°My Concealment Formation isn¡¯t very effective¡­¡± Mo Hua demurred.


    Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°Your Concealment Formation works quite well, it¡¯s the Taoist Robe you use that isn¡¯t good.¡±


    Hearing this, Bai Zisheng also nodded vigorously:


    ¡°Exactly, exactly, you¡¯re my junior brother, how could your Formation skills be bad, it must be the Taoist Robe you¡¯re using¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a superior Taoist Robe for you, you draw up a Concealment Formation for us, and then we can go together to follow those bad guys.¡±


    Bai Zisheng figured confidently, then assertively said,


    ¡°As your senior brother, how can I let you venture alone? I would feel guilty.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him silently, ¡°Are you feeling ¡®guilty¡¯ or is it your ¡®desire to play¡¯ that can¡¯t take it¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng, his intentions seen through by Mo Hua, sheepishly said,


    ¡°Both, both.¡±


    He had been cooped up in the last few days by Mr. Zhuang, studying those complicated and profound Formations until his head spun.


    Naturally, he wanted to seize the chance to go out and have fun with Mo Hua.


    ¡°What about your master? Don¡¯t you need to keep learning Formation?¡± Mo Hua asked in doubt.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi had been studying Formation in the past few days.


    It was that kind of formation he couldn¡¯t learn.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Master hasn¡¯t taught new things in the past few days, I just need to review whenever there¡¯s time,¡± said Bai Zixi.


    Mo Hua was still somewhat hesitant.


    Bai Zisheng looked at him eagerly.


    The eyes of Bai Zixi were also shining brightly.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°Alright, but you must be low-key and cautious¡­¡±


    ¡°You must listen to me,¡± Mo Hua emphasized again.


    When the younger disciple said this, the elder brother and sister both nodded obediently.


    After that, Mo Hua began to draw the Concealment Formation.


    The Taoist robe was too cumbersome; they couldn¡¯t just wear another robe over their clothes. That would be fine when concealed, but too conspicuous when not.


    Moreover, it would be inconvenient for movement.


    Bai Zixi picked out several garments for Mo Hua.


    Mixing and matching with the formation, Mo Hua finally chose a cloak-style garment.


    This hooded type, worn over the outside, could keep one warm, block out the wind and dust, and when wearing the hood, could even hide one¡¯s face.


    In the Minor Wilderness State Boundary, the weather was hot, so Mo Hua chose three lighter cloaks.


    These cloaks were made with special refining techniques and were all top-notch Spiritual Artifacts,


    Mo Hua drew the Concealment Formation on them.


    Afterward, the three tried it out, to great effect.


    At least to the naked eye, it couldn¡¯t detect anything.


    Of course, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was too strong; he could still detect his elder brother and sister, but Bai Zisheng could not detect Mo Hua.


    Once they were prepared, the three began their surveillance.


    Their target was Wang Lai.


    Wang Lai, also known as Cheeky Wang, was regarded as the leader of these ruffians.


    He wasn¡¯t tall, but his cultivation was not low¡ªQi Refinement ninth layer peak, and amongst this group of rogue cultivators, he had the deepest cultivation level.


    An Earth Series Spiritual Root, he practiced the path of Body Refinement, using straightforward cultivation techniques. His specialty was wielding a ring-head blade called the Mountain Opening Blade.


    On ordinary days, he was idle and caused trouble.


    Whenever he had Spirit Stones, he would indulge in eating, drinking, prostitution and gambling, not short of anything.


    The street he often frequented was Jinhua Street, located to the north of South Yue City and was the most bustling area of the entire city.


    Naturally, it was also the most corrupt place.


    Qin Tower, Chu Pavilion, brothels, gambling houses, and all sorts of establishments were available.


    There were also some places that Mo Hua had never seen or even imagined¡­


    Mo Hua was a bit curious, but still refrained from going in to have a look.


    After all, they were definitely not good places.


    He might let it pass for himself, but with his elder brother and sister following, he couldn¡¯t lead them astray, otherwise his Master would surely knock on his little head.


    Although Jinhua Street was bustling, it also had its social stratifications.


    The places Wang Lai could afford were some secluded brothels, narrow gambling houses, and low-grade taverns.


    Living a life of drunkenness and debauchery, squandering the money he swindled from dead miners, Wang Lai began to ¡°make¡± Spirit Stones again.


    He had to ¡°make¡± Spirit Stones, as he also owed money to the gambling houses.


    A horse does not get fat without night grazing, a person does not get rich without windfalls.


    Just as Mo Hua expected, Wang Lai¡¯s methods for ¡°making¡± Spirit Stones were all underhanded.


    There was stealing, cheating, tricking, and robbing. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was being a lackey for a Noble Clans disciple of South Yue City, clearing the way for him to earn rewards; there was extorting protection money from small merchants;


    There was setting up cons in the gambling houses and tricking Spirit Stones from visiting cultivators; there were highway robberies and stolen goods;


    There was even finding a female cultivator from a brothel to perform petty tricks called ¡°tricky¡± to swindle Spirit Stones¡­


    Mo Hua truly had his eyes opened.


    The way Mining Cultivators earned Spirit Stones was only one: through hard, sincere effort, yet both bitter and tiring.


    And yet Wang Lai, without doing any proper work, spent each day in dissipation¡­


    The harder one worked, the more toil they endured, the more miserable their life became.


    This world truly bullied the honest cultivators.


    Mo Hua felt some emotion and at the same time, some doubts arose in his mind.


    He remembered Lu Ming saying that when these ruffians like Wang Lai truly ran out of Spirit Stones, they would join the mines as Mining Cultivators for a few days, dig some ore, and earn a few Spirit Stones.


    But during these days, Wang Lai indeed experienced times when his pockets were dry, without a single Spirit Stone to his name.


    However, he hadn¡¯t entered the mines once, nor dug any ore.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡± Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    This Wang Lai seemed to have nothing to do with the mines.


    This seemed highly unlikely.


    Mo Hua waited patiently, and after a few days, he found that Wang Lai was finally going to enter the mine.


    Because he found an elderly Mining Cultivator to whisper:


    ¡°There are top-grade ores hidden by the Lu Family in the mine, let¡¯s steal some, and we won¡¯t have to worry about food and drink for the rest of our lives¡­¡±


    Stealing from the mine¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils contracted.


    The five missing miners seemed to have died in the mine because of an attempt to steal ore¡­


    And stealing ore was a great taboo for Mining Cultivators.


    Why had those five unfortunate miners suddenly thought of stealing ore?


    Mo Hua looked at Wang Lai, his eyes brimming with a cold light.

 Chapter 424 - 419 Calculation_1

    Chapter 424: Chapter 419 Calculation_1


    ¡°Old Yu, what do you say?¡±


    Wang Lai spoke to the elderly, dark-skinned, and gaunt old cultivator.


    Old Yu was startled, waving his hands repeatedly: Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, no, I dare not steal from the Lu Family¡¯s mine¡­¡±


    Wang Lai let out a scoff, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? The bold thrive, and the timid starve. The Lu Family rides on our backs, making us suffer and slave away for them. They, on the other hand, enjoy their riches and luxuries while we can¡¯t even afford to eat. What does it matter if we steal a little ore from them?¡±


    Wang Lai appeared to be considering Old Yu¡¯s interests.


    Old Yu¡¯s gaze turned wary, and he shook his head again.


    Wang Lai¡¯s eyes showed displeasure as he continued patiently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Lu Family won¡¯t find out.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Old Yu cautiously asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go at midnight, unseen and unheard,¡± Wang Lai whispered. ¡°And besides, I¡¯ve bribed the Lu Family¡¯s cultivators to turn a blind eye¡­¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s a secret mine, the Lu Family¡¯s treasure trove, who knows how many good things are there.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t take much, just one or two pieces. Once sold, they could be exchanged for a large amount of Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Wang Lai enticed him bit by bit.


    Old Yu was visibly tempted, but after glancing at Wang Lai, he still shook his head.


    He did not trust Wang Lai¡¯s character.


    As for who Wang Lai was, Old Yu was all too aware.


    Wang Lai tried to persuade him again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you lacking Spirit Stones?¡±


    Old Yu nodded, ¡°In this mine, who isn¡¯t short on Spirit Stones?¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re different,¡± Wang Lai said, ¡°Your grandson has an excellent Spiritual Root, but what a waste it is without Spirit Stones to cultivate¡­¡±


    ¡°Just think, if he succeeds in his cultivation, he could leave the mines behind for a promising future in Tao Cultivation.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re so poor that without Spirit Stones for cultivation, no matter how talented he is, he¡¯ll end up just like you, unable to leave the mines for life, forever buried in these rotten stones, living a bitter existence until one day, dying in the pits¡­¡±


    Wang Lai sighed, ¡°If his Spiritual Root were poor, that¡¯d be another story. We¡¯d all share the same miserable fate, rotting in the mountains, left with nothing to say.¡±


    ¡°But your grandson is different, isn¡¯t it a waste of his talent if he doesn¡¯t cultivate and gamble on his future?¡±


    ¡°Spiritual Roots are innate. Your grandson being born with such a Spiritual Root is a rare blessing that comes once in a hundred years, not every family has the chance to have a child with such a good Spiritual Root¡­¡±


    Wang Lai¡¯s expression was sincere, and his tone was filled with regret.


    Old Yu listened, somewhat dazed.


    Seeing his chance, Wang Lai¡¯s eyes flickered as he whispered temptingly:


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to earn a batch of Spirit Stones, to give your grandson, to give your Yu Family a chance to rise above?¡±


    These words struck a chord in Old Yu¡¯s heart.


    He looked guilty, his heart ached, and his skinny old hands clenched tightly. His hunched body trembled slightly.


    He lived a hard life, but he didn¡¯t want his grandson to suffer the same fate.


    They, as mining cultivators, truly rotted away in the mountains, never lifting their heads for a lifetime.


    But as for stealing the ore, Old Yu had reservations and dared not agree too hastily.


    Seeing this, Wang Lai wore a mocking smile:


    ¡°The older you get, the less courage you have. Half in the grave and still so timid.¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Wang Lai sighed, ¡°I only gave you this opportunity because your grandson is talented. If he becomes successful in cultivation one day, I could share in the glory too.¡±


    ¡°But with you being such a disappointment as a grandfather, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    ¡°Wang Er and Tang Wu will be enough.¡±


    Wang Er and Tang Wu were other mining cultivators from nearby, with multiple siblings in their families. They didn¡¯t have proper names and were called by their birth order.


    Old Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°They¡¯re going too?¡±


    Wang Lai said, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s all been agreed upon. Otherwise, relying just on an old man like you, how much could we possibly steal?¡±


    After finishing his piece, Wang Lai got up and said, ¡°If you¡¯re not coming, then forget it. But don¡¯t speak of this to anyone, or there will be consequences.¡±


    Wang Lai made a show of leaving.


    Old Yu panicked inside and quickly grabbed his sleeve, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go!¡±


    Wang Lai looked none too pleased.


    Old Yu softened his tone, ¡°Master Wang, you¡¯re giving me this opportunity. I¡¯m willing to accept fewer Spirit Stones. If my grandson makes something of his cultivation someday, he will surely remember your great kindness.¡±


    Only then did Wang Lai break into a smile:


    ¡°That¡¯s the answer I was waiting for!¡±


    He patted Old Yu on the shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for being opportunistic. In a world without true kinship, one certainly doesn¡¯t get up early without prospect of profit. I¡¯m also looking for a glimmer of hope¡­¡±


    Old Yu laughed and echoed him, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Wang Lai nodded, whispered a few more instructions, then left Old Yu¡¯s house. Turning the corner and seeing that no one was around, he spat scornfully:


    ¡°Old fool, still daydreaming, believing anything you tell him¡­¡±


    ¡°Success in cultivation? Go dream on.¡±


    ¡°Born in the mines, you¡¯re destined for a lowly life, no matter how good your Spiritual Root is, it¡¯s still a lowly life you lead!¡±


    ¡­


    Wang Lai snorted coldly and walked away.


    On a nearby rooftop, three little cultivators dressed in cloaks, their figures hidden, lay in secret, their little heads huddled together.


    ¡°This guy is a bastard,¡± Bai Zisheng declared.


    Bai Zixi nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua also nodded.


    ¡°Should we take care of him first?¡± Bai Zisheng was eager to try.


    Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Not yet, let¡¯s see what they¡¯re up to.¡±


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Alright, you¡¯re the junior brother, we¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±


    The three of them moved stealthily, following Wang Lai.


    Walking proudly on the main road, Wang Lai, oblivious to the events behind him, was unaware that every move he made was being watched by the three little cultivators.


    Wang Lai left Old Yu¡¯s house and met with a few other mining cultivators.


    That is, the ones he mentioned, Wang Er and Tang Wu.


    ¡°Old Yu has agreed, will you go or not?¡±


    Wang Er frowned, ¡°He actually agreed?¡±


    ¡°Fortune comes with danger, how could he not understand that?¡± Wang Lai snorted coldly, looking at Wang Er and the others with slight contempt.


    ¡°An old man like him has more guts than you two, young and yet so timid?¡±


    Tang Wu was somewhat unconvinced and wanted to agree on the spot.


    But Wang Er pulled him and signaled him not to rush.


    Wang Lai¡¯s eyes darted around and he asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t got yourself wives, have you?¡±


    The two men looked a bit bashful.


    Wang Lai lowered his voice, ¡°The old lady Li who sells pastries in the city, her family has two or three young daughters, young and with tender, dewy faces¡­¡±


    ¡°Come with me to steal from the mine, earn some Spirit Stones, and I¡¯ll be the matchmaker for you.¡±


    Wang Er and the others were somewhat moved, their faces turning slightly red, ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± Wang Lai scorned, ¡°How can you start a family and marry without earning some Spirit Stones while you¡¯re young? Do you want to bring someone into suffering?¡±


    Tang Wu immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡±


    Wang Er was still hesitating, ¡°You could steal by yourselves, why involve us?¡±


    Wang Lai sighed, ¡°Old Yu is getting on in years and isn¡¯t strong enough, and my few men, although they have mined before, are inconsistent as they come. They¡¯re not familiar with the workings of a mine, hence I turned to you¡­¡±


    After finishing, Wang Lai turned serious and warned in a low voice:


    ¡°You must not let this matter out, otherwise the Lu Family won¡¯t let us off¡­¡±


    Wang Er and Tang Wu both turned solemn and nodded:


    ¡°Brother Wang, rest assured.¡±


    Wang Lai nodded, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled¡­¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow at 1 p.m., at the eastern end of the mine near the half-cut willow tree, I¡¯ll wait for you there.¡±


    After giving his instructions, Wang Lai left.


    After Wang Lai left, he didn¡¯t go out for his usual drinking and gambling but went straight home to sleep, seemingly to prepare and conserve his energy.


    Mo Hua and his two companions then returned to their cave dwelling.


    Back in the dwelling, entering the courtyard, the three removed their cloaks, revealing their figures.


    Bai Zisheng, still excited, said, ¡°Eavesdropping is so much fun!¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at him, ¡°This isn¡¯t for fun.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Bai Zisheng paused, then asked,


    ¡°What exactly do you think that Wang Lai is planning to do?¡±


    ¡°Murder?¡± Bai Zixi said.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I guess he wants to deceive the mining cultivators into the mine, then kill them and go to the Lu Family for compensation¡­¡±


    ¡°They deceive people, then kill them, and then profit from the dead¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was chillingly cold.


    Bai Zisheng frowned, ¡°That¡¯s evil!¡±


    He clenched his fists, ¡°Should we just take them out now? Scum like them don¡¯t deserve to live.¡±


    But Mo Hua appeared to be lost in thought.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Bai Zixi asked.


    ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not right?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua slowly said:


    ¡°Logically speaking, if they kill mining cultivators and fake their disappearance, then claim compensation from the Lu Family, they earn compensation in Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°But the Lu Family also has a rule, without a corpse, there¡¯s no compensation in Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°So to say, just killing the mining cultivators wouldn¡¯t be enough to claim any compensation.¡±


    ¡°Even if they could get some, it would be quite troublesome.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that Wang Lai would kill for such uncertain gains in Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°There must be something more to this affair¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng, propping his chin, stared at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°How come there are so many twists and turns in your little head?¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    Bai Zixi also nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua raised his little finger, declaring righteously:


    ¡°Master said, to plan ahead is the key to success, not to plan is to fail. Think deeply about matters, and prepare in advance¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡± Bai Zisheng said somewhat helplessly, ¡°I can¡¯t argue with you.¡±


    ¡°What do we do next?¡± Bai Zixi asked.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, let¡¯s play it by ear tomorrow.¡±


    ¡­


    The next day, at dusk.


    The sunset sank behind the mountains, and twilight thickened.


    Dressed in their cloaks and hiding their figures, Mo Hua and his two companions arrived early near the mine. They found a little mound to lie on, peeking out, waiting for Wang Lai and the others to arrive.


    As night deepened, Wang Lai and his people were the first to arrive.


    There were four of them, all local ruffians from South Yue City. After meeting, they nodded at each other, their mouths curving into ambiguous smiles, but they hardly spoke.


    Approaching 1 p.m., Old Yu, Wang Er, and Tang Wu finally arrived together.


    In the desolate mine, beneath the sinister and twisted half-cut willow tree.


    The two groups of cultivators met.


    In the darkness, a cold light flickered in Wang Lai¡¯s eyes:


    ¡°Tonight, I¡¯ll lead you to fortune!¡±

 Chapter 425 - 420: Murder Plan_1

    Chapter 425: Chapter 420: Murder Plan_1


    The night was pitch-black, the moonlight desolate.


    Outside South Yue City, a group of Cultivators stealthily made their way toward the mine.


    And behind them, three little Cultivators, also hidden, stealthily followed.


    They proceeded in silence, and before long, Wang Lai and his companions arrived at the outskirts of the mine.


    The mine did not operate at night, and its periphery was secured by several large iron gates.


    Wang Lai pressed against the iron gate, walked twenty steps to the right, crouched down, and searched with his hands in the veil of night, soon opening a low, concealed door.


    Old Yu and Wang Er exchanged glances, perplexed.


    They had mined for years and had no idea that such a secret entrance existed outside the mine.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Wang Lai whispered, then hunched over and led the way into the mine through the concealed door.


    Old Yu hesitated.


    A few rogues behind him gave Old Yu a push.


    Fortune favors the bold.


    Old Yu gritted his teeth and, like Wang Lai, stooped low to crawl into the mine.


    Once Wang Lai and his group had all entered the mine, the last rogue closed the concealed door.


    Mo Hua and his two companions arrived at the door, finding not only was it closed, but also wrapped with a chain which was secured with an iron lock.


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°Shall I split it open?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Too noisy.¡±


    ¡°Then how do we get in?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed to the lock, ¡°There¡¯s a Formation on this lock.¡±


    ¡°Can you unlock it?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly:


    ¡°For such a small lock, if I can¡¯t unlock it, I don¡¯t deserve to be a first-grade Formation Master¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng muttered, ¡°Not every first-grade Formation Master knows how to break Formations¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi raised her fair little finger and ¡°shushed¡± them to silence, then said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Hurry and unlock it.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, took out his writing brush and ink, made a quick Calculation in his mind, and then understood the Formation on the lock.


    An Iron Lock Formation of the first-grade, seven Patterns.


    Mo Hua casually sketched a few Formation Patterns; a glint of light flashed over the iron lock then faded away, and with a ¡°click,¡± it opened.


    His expertise was such that it was as if he was using his own key to open his own lock with ease.


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat astonished.


    Mo Hua felt a slight sense of pride, but as he carefully tried to push open the concealed door, it didn¡¯t budge after several pushes¡­


    The door was heavy and difficult for someone not practicing Body Cultivation to open.


    Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng understood, lightly pushed with his hand, and the concealed door opened; he then gave Mo Hua a smug smile.


    Mo Hua shook his head and was about to enter when Bai Zisheng stopped him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in first,¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t a Body Cultivator, and if he went first and encountered danger, it could be troublesome.


    Mo Hua paused, understanding Bai Zisheng¡¯s intent, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, nodded.


    Though he had already scanned the area beyond the door with his Divine Sense and found no danger, he still appreciated his Junior Brother¡¯s kindness.


    Bai Zisheng entered through the door first, and after a moment whispered:


    ¡°No danger, everyone come in.¡±


    So Mo Hua and Bai Zixi followed suit and entered the mine through the concealed door.


    Beyond the door lay the mine.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s second time in the mine.


    The first time was during the day when many Mining Cultivators were at work.


    The mine was hot and noisy.


    But now it was night, and the mine was completely deserted.


    The oppressive darkness enveloped the entire mine, rendering it eerie and deathly still.


    Before them, only the jagged rocks and pitch-black mine shafts were visible.


    No sign of Wang Lai and his party could be seen.


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense and then pointed down a path, ¡°Let¡¯s go this way.¡±


    Thus, the three of them, with the Concealment Formation activated to hide their tracks, quietly headed toward the mine shaft.


    Inside the pitch-black mine shaft, Wang Lai led the way.


    Old Yu, Wang Er, and Tang Wu were in the middle.


    Three rogues followed behind them.


    The mine shaft at night was damp and sinister; within the silent cavern, only the disordered footsteps of the few echoed, with occasional drips of water falling, near and far, unnerving those present.


    Tang Wu asked, ¡°Big Brother Wang, where is the ore?¡±


    Wang Lai replied, ¡°Just follow me.¡±


    Wang Lai walked ahead, his tone neutral and echoing in the shaft, carrying an indescribable inscrutability.


    Wang Er, trailing behind, felt something was off and cautiously asked:


    ¡°Big Brother Wang, do you often come here to mine secretly?¡±


    ¡°This is my first time.¡±


    ¡°But you seem so familiar with this route¡­¡±


    Wang Lai paused briefly, then slowly replied:


    ¡°I scoped out the place in advance, bribed the Lu Family Cultivators, and left the concealed door, so it¡¯s been smooth sailing¡­¡±


    Wang Er nodded, half-convinced.


    Old Yu walked in silence, not speaking much but feeling uneasy.


    He had started to sense that something was wrong.


    Wang Lai was too familiar with the mine, as if he had been there many times before.


    Yet he claimed it was his first time stealing ore.


    That was clearly not possible.


    Even if he had scoped out the place, he couldn¡¯t be this familiar with it.


    Old Yu kept his expression neutral, but inside he was beginning to regret his decision, and his steps slowed.


    Wang Lai noticed and turned around to give Old Yu a glance, ¡°We¡¯re almost there, pick up the pace.¡±


    But that one look made Old Yu¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    Wang Lai¡¯s glare was like that of a person looking at a dead man.


    What were they planning?


    Cold sweat dripped down Old Yu¡¯s back.


    But he still had to follow Wang Lai and the rest.


    They walked deeper into the mine, the deeper they went, the more silent and desolate it became.


    After a few steps, Wang Er suddenly stumbled and fell, muttering under his breath:


    ¡°Why is the ground so slippery?¡±


    Wang Lai said displeasedly, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    With an awkward smile, Wang Er said, ¡°Yes, Big Brother Wang.¡±


    His glance flickered slightly as he slowly stood up, deliberately lagging a few steps behind everyone else. When Wang Lai and the others weren¡¯t paying attention, Wang Er turned and ran, trying to escape to the entrance of the mine.


    Hearing the hurried footsteps, Wang Lai turned around fiercely, his expression ferocious:


    ¡°Catch him!¡±


    A big man quickly stepped forward, catching up to Wang Er in just a few steps. He grabbed Wang Er¡¯s collar, pulling him down to the ground. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wang Lai said coldly, ¡°Wang Er, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Wang Er¡¯s face turned somewhat pale: ¡°Nothing¡­ nothing at all¡­¡±


    ¡°Then why did you run?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t running.¡±


    Wang Lai¡¯s expression grew colder.


    Grinding his teeth, Wang Er said, ¡°You didn¡¯t bring us here to steal from the mine at all!¡±


    Wang Lai looked somewhat stunned before responding coldly,


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    Wang Er pointed towards the deeper parts of the mine and said, ¡°There is no ore here, nothing at all!¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Old Yu¡¯s face drastically changed. He stepped back a few times, intending to flee.


    But it was already too late. Wang Lai had already drawn his knife and slashed at Old Yu.


    Old Yu, aged and frail, was no match for Wang Lai, especially not with the surprise attack.


    He was struck by Wang Lai¡¯s knife in the shoulder, and after a harsh kick, he collapsed on the ground, leaning against the cold stone wall, gasping for air.


    Tang Wu was still somewhat dazed. He didn¡¯t understand why Wang Er suddenly tried to run, nor why everyone suddenly started fighting¡­


    ¡°Big Brother Wang, what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Before he could finish, a thug nearby suddenly punched him in the stomach.


    Tang Wu was pained, clutching his stomach, and slowly knelt down.


    Before he could react to what had happened, another thug struck him on the back of the head with a club.


    The blow, infused with spiritual power and full of strength, left the club bloodied. Tang Wu then collapsed to the ground.


    Anxiously, Wang Er shouted,


    ¡°Tang Wu!¡±


    Although they didn¡¯t share the same surname, they had grown up together, mined together, and were close friends.


    Wang Er had only thought of escaping alone in a moment of fear, instinctively wanting to run. But he hadn¡¯t anticipated that Wang Lai and the others would truly harm Tang Wu.


    Without any grievances, why deal such a deadly blow?


    Wang Er¡¯s eyes were split with rage as he yelled at Wang Lai:


    ¡°Cheeky Wang, you motherf¡­¡±


    A thug punched him in the face, cutting off his words, and similarly, someone hit him on the head with a club.


    Blood seeped from the top of Wang Er¡¯s head as it gradually drooped down.


    Collapsed on the ground, Old Yu spoke bitterly,


    ¡°Wang Lai, what exactly do you want?¡±


    Wang Lai shrugged, ¡°You poor devils, it¡¯s just suffering being alive. Better to die and suffer less. It also lets me make some money from spirit stones.¡±


    Old Yu¡¯s complexion turned ashen.


    He should have known.


    Wang Lai was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, sharing meat with a wolf is like seeking skin from a tiger, simply impossible.


    He should not have been greedy and believed Wang Lai¡¯s words.


    Frightened, Old Yu pleaded, ¡°Let us go, anything you want, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    Wang Lai let out a scornful laugh, ¡°What could you possibly have? All your worldly possessions might not even be worth a single spirit stone, what¡¯s there to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Tang Wu and the others are still young, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°The strong and young fetch a better price.¡±


    A thug said, ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s getting late, we can¡¯t stay here for long.¡±


    Wang Lai nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    He turned his head, gave Old Yu a sardonic look, and said,


    ¡°I told you, fortune comes with risk. Without danger, how can there be fortune? It¡¯s just that the risk is yours, the fortune is mine.¡±


    Old Yu¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°What good does killing us do you?¡±


    Wang Lai smiled, ¡°That¡¯s not for you to worry about.¡±


    The thugs took out iron chains from their storage bags and locked up both Wang Er and Tang Wu.


    Wang Lai instructed, ¡°Slice open the heart vessels, kill them without damaging the limbs, don¡¯t spoil the skin.¡±


    Then he looked at Old Yu again, ¡°I¡¯ll handle this old man.¡±


    As a cultivator with high skill and ruthless methods, Wang Lai could easily kill Old Yu without exerting much effort.


    At death¡¯s door, Old Yu was filled with fear and regret.


    He shouldn¡¯t have been greedy, dealing with someone like Wang Lai.


    Immediately, deep guilt filled his heart.


    Life as a mining cultivator was miserable. His son had died young, and he depended solely on his grandson.


    Once he died, leaving behind his grandson, alone and helpless, how would he survive¡­


    Would his beloved grandson still have clothes to wear, food to eat, or would he be bullied, perhaps starve to death on the streets at night¡­


    Old Yu felt a bitter hatred in his heart.


    Pained by his inability to care for his grandson and regretting his own greed.


    Shedding tears, he pleaded bitterly,


    ¡°Wang Lai, I beg you, spare my life, please¡­ my little grandson¡­¡±


    Wang Lai was unmoved. His right hand gripped the knife, raised high, a numb and ruthless smirk on his lips.


    Old Yu felt like he was falling into an ice cellar, he could only watch wide-eyed as the knife came down towards his chest.


    His elderly tears turned ice cold, his gaze filled with despair.


    Just then, a deep red flame flashed by in an instant, illuminating the pitch-black mine.


    The firelight was blinding, and the surging fire elemental spiritual power hit them head-on.


    Old Yu involuntarily closed his eyes, and after a moment, when he opened them, he found his chest intact, miraculously still alive.


    Staring blankly, Old Yu looked up to see Wang Lai¡¯s entire arm consumed by ferocious flames.


    The deep red flames licked at Wang Lai¡¯s arm, charring his right arm black. The knife from his right hand had already fallen to the ground.


    Wang Lai, suffering the torment of the fierce fire, knelt on the ground, struggling to make a sound.


    As Old Yu¡¯s numb senses gradually returned,


    he wondered¡­ Was that the Fireball Technique?

 Chapter 426 - 421 Rescue_1

    Chapter 426: Chapter 421 Rescue_1


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±


    The other ruffians, their eyes filled with terror, shouted loudly.


    Before they could react, they realized a cultivator had already closed in on them.


    This person was not tall, but his speed was incredibly fast, and his fists, wrapped in golden light, knocked one of the thugs to the ground, making him vomit blood. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another thug panicked, pulled out a knife, and slashed at the figure.


    But halfway through the swing, his forearm was caught.


    With a twist, the person broke the thug¡¯s forearm.


    The thug, in pain, cried out, but before he could scream much, he was kicked away, his chest roiling as if the river were overturned, spewing fresh blood.


    The last thug, with deeper cultivation, barely managed a few moves, but the more he fought, the more frightened he became.


    The identity of this cultivator was unknown; he was clearly practicing Qi Refinement, but his aura was incredibly dense, his movements fast and swift, his boxing method proficient, and it was evident that his rank was not low.


    With every exchange of blows, he felt his fists go numb from the vibration, as if the bones inside were about to shatter.


    Under the opponent¡¯s fierce offensive, he could only passively take hits, completely unable to fight back.


    And he couldn¡¯t hold on for long; having managed a few moves was already his limit.


    As expected, after a few exchanges, his knuckles were shattered, the pain unbearable, his form faltered, exposing his weakness.


    The opponent flashed to his side, the punch going from below to above, golden light overflowing, and with one punch, his arm was broken.


    The big thug groaned in pain, turned to leave, but was approached by the ghost-like cultivator and kicked, breaking his leg.


    He collapsed to the ground with a thud and passed out from the pain.


    In the blink of an eye, only Wang Lai remained among the thugs.


    Wang Lai, who had just put out the flames on his arm, had his right arm charred and hanging limply, obviously severely injured and no longer able to wield a knife.


    Wang Lai, looking around with a fearful expression, quickly said:


    ¡°Which cultivator from where?¡±


    In the silent mine, there was no response.


    Wang Lai turned and ran, but only a few steps later, a golden sword light flared up and flew past, piercing his right leg.


    Wang Lai staggered a few steps, then fell to the ground, clutching his right leg and howling in pain.


    His right leg, penetrated by the sword light, had a wound from which snow-white, flame-like spiritual power was toasting it bit by bit, causing him unbearable pain.


    But in just a few moments, Wang Lai and the other fierce thugs were all laid low.


    Old Yu found it unbelievable.


    His eyes shocked, he fell to his knees with a thud, fearfully saying:


    ¡°I don¡¯t know which expert it is, please¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, he saw a fair-skinned little hand supporting his arm, helping him up.


    Three small figures appeared before him.


    It was dark in the mine, and Old Yu could barely make out their faces, which left him even more astonished.


    The ones who easily subdued Wang Lai and the others turned out to be three young cultivators with clear brows and extraordinary appearances.


    ¡°You, who are you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua raised a piece of bronze waist badge in his hand.


    ¡°We are from the Taoist Court.¡±


    This bronze badge was specially applied for him by Zhang Lan and Court Leader Zhou when they were in Tongxian City.


    After all, traveling abroad, having multiple identities provides multiple paths.


    In the current situation, the identity of the Taoist Court came in handy.


    Old Yu still couldn¡¯t quite believe it.


    Could the Taoist Court really have such young cultivators?


    But the badge didn¡¯t look fake, and they had no need to deceive an old man like himself.


    Old Yu bowed his head in gratitude, ¡°Thank you, three young masters.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t let him bow, but handed him a Hemostatic Pill, saying:


    ¡°Take this first, and rest for a while.¡±


    Then he ran over to Wang Er and Tang Wu, feeding a pill to each one.


    He had just used his Divine Sense to check; the two men had only fainted, their scalps broken, their Sea of Consciousness suffered some shock, but their lives were not in danger.


    Mo Hua then leisurely approached Wang Lai.


    Wang Lai¡¯s right arm was injured by Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique, and his right leg by Bai Zixi¡¯s sword light, leaning against a corner, sweating profusely from the pain.


    He looked at Mo Hua, his eyes full of disbelief.


    He had never imagined that he would be brought down by a few children.


    Who exactly were these kids?


    How did they find him, and why were they in the mine?


    What exactly did they intend to do?


    ¡°You¡­are with the Taoist Court?¡± Wang Lai asked through his pain.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Then do you know¡­ Court Leader Zhao?¡± Wang Lai ventured.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows twitched, ¡°Are you familiar with Court Leader Zhao?¡±


    Wang Lai managed a weak smile, ¡°Not very familiar, but we have some acquaintances.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua said with a meaningful expression.


    Wang Lai couldn¡¯t see through Mo Hua¡¯s background, nor could he guess Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts. His Divine Sense could not probe, as if Mo Hua¡¯s entire being was shrouded in mist.


    Feeling uncertain, Wang Lai still asked:


    ¡°Young masters, may I know what brings you to this mine?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s smile was enigmatic, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Wang Lai awkwardly said, ¡°Please enlighten me, master.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him and said, ¡°You were murdering!¡±


    Wang Lai¡¯s face changed, and he immediately exclaimed:


    ¡°Wrongfully accused, young masters, I¡¯m wrongfully accused!¡±


    Holding up his uninjured left hand and pointing at Old Yu, he said:


    ¡°It was they who were trying to steal from the Lu Family¡¯s mine. I discovered them, subdued them, and was going to deliver them to the Taoist Court for judgment¡­¡±


    ¡°These mining cultivators may seem honest, but they are cunning at heart, greedy for petty gain, capable of anything.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be deceived by them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.


    Wang Lai was truly resourceful.


    In just a moment, he had concocted a story that turned black into white and smeared others with false charges.

 Chapter 427 - 421 Saving People_2

    Chapter 427: Chapter 421 Saving People_2


    No wonder he was thriving in South Yue City, it was also no surprise everyone called him ¡°Cheeky Wang.¡±


    Old Yu was furious, his finger trembling as he pointed at Wang Lai:


    ¡°You, you¡¯re shameless!¡±


    Unprovoked, it was clear that he wanted to silence a man by killing him, yet he still tried to turn the blame around.


    Wang Lai merely sneered without a word.


    Mo Hua smiled slightly, then said, ¡°Cheeky Wang.¡±


    At these words, Wang Lai¡¯s face changed dramatically, ¡°You know me?¡±


    If he didn¡¯t know his background, it would be impossible to know this nickname.


    Wang Lai thought it over carefully and a chill began to creep into his heart, his eyes narrowing as he said:


    ¡°So, you knew everything from the beginning, you came specifically for me, you¡¯ve seen everything here, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± replied Mo Hua indifferently.


    ¡°How much do you actually know?¡± Wang Lai asked.


    Mo Hua counted on his fingers:


    ¡°This month, you¡¯ve been to the Red Happy Building seven times, robbed people twice on the road, fought six times, dined and dashed five times, gambled the day before yesterday, and even lost thirteen and a third Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Wang Lai was shocked, ¡°How is that possible? How could you possibly know!¡±


    Mo Hua just smirked.


    I watch you every day, of course, I know everything.


    You¡¯re just too foolish with too weak a Divine Sense to notice.


    Of course, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t say these words but instead showed a profound smile, making Wang Lai even more baffled. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wang Lai felt panicked, ¡°What exactly do you want to do?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was clear:


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you a few questions, and you¡¯d better answer truthfully.¡±


    Wang Lai¡¯s gaze hardened, ¡°If I do, will you let me go?¡±


    ¡°If you speak, I won¡¯t kill you, instead, I¡¯ll hand you over to the Taoist Court, and let the Court Official decide your fate. If you don¡¯t speak, I will kill you right now!¡±


    Mo Hua threatened.


    Wang Lai sneered, ¡°Once I get to the Taoist Court, won¡¯t I still die?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Dying sooner or later still makes a difference, and you know Court Leader Zhao, right? Plead with him, maybe he will spare you.¡±


    Wang Lai¡¯s eyes flickered, sneering:


    ¡°If you know so much about me, then you must already know everything you want to, why bother asking me?¡±


    ¡°If you are asking me now, there must be something you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know, but I do, then I still have value, so you won¡¯t kill me!¡±


    Wang Lai said confidently.


    Bai Zisheng spoke discontentedly, ¡°He¡¯s still being stubborn.¡±


    Mo Hua gave him one last chance, ¡°Are you really not going to talk?¡±


    Wang Lai scoffed, ¡°I would die before I talk.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Good! I admire your spirit!¡±


    Then, Mo Hua pulled out the Thousand Jun Stick, glanced at Bai Zisheng:


    ¡°Beat him up.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was excited; he¡¯d been wanting to beat this bastard for a while, but Mo Hua had wanted to ask Wang Lai a few things, so he held back.


    Hearing this, Bai Zisheng was both happy yet somewhat worried:


    ¡°Is this okay?¡±


    ¡°What could go wrong?¡±


    ¡°What if you beat him to death?¡±


    ¡°If he dies, he dies, he was never a good guy to begin with.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, if he dies, won¡¯t you fail to get the information you needed?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let it be, besides, there are still three others¡­¡±


    ¡°That makes sense¡­¡±


    After Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng finished speaking, they approached Wang Lai with friendly smiles, step by step.


    Wang Lai felt a chill in his heart, couldn¡¯t help but use his hands to prop himself against the cold stone wall, moving backward until there was no retreat left, then he trembled:


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Mo Hua raised the Thousand Jun Stick high, ¡°Let¡¯s see whether your mouth is harder, or my iron stick!¡±


    Then, with one fierce swing, he smashed it down.


    Bai Zisheng showed no courtesy, kicking and punching as he advanced.


    Bai Zixi, reminded of Wang Lai¡¯s deeds, also felt a bit angry and condensed golden Sword Qi into the size of Golden Needles, stabbing them into Wang Lai one by one.


    Wang Lai gritted his teeth and endured, ¡°You bunch of little bastards, I¡¯ll remember this¡­¡±


    ¡°Still daring to talk tough?¡±


    Mo Hua raised an eyebrow and beat him even harder.


    After beating him for a while longer, Mo Hua remembered something, retrieved a pill, and fed it to Wang Lai.


    Bai Zisheng asked puzzledly, ¡°What pill is this?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Small Rejuvenation Pill, it¡¯s for hanging onto life, afraid we might beat him to death.¡±


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You¡¯ve thought this through¡­ very considerate.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    After more beating, when Wang Lai was barely breathing in but not out, Bai Zisheng frowned and commented,


    ¡°This Small Rejuvenation Pill isn¡¯t effective¡­¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head, somewhat confused.


    This was given to him by Old Mr. Feng, it should be good. Could it be that he had beaten him too harshly?


    Bai Zisheng then took out a bottle of pills, ¡°Try this, Bai Family¡¯s secret, Ten-Complete Great Restoring Pill, first replenish the blood, then continue the beating¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sniffed it and his eyes brightened, ¡°This is good.¡±


    He took one out and administered it to the half-dead Wang Lai.


    Wang Lai¡¯s complexion soon improved much, and his Blood Qi also gradually surged.


    Bai Zisheng rolled up his sleeves and said, ¡°Continue!¡±


    Mo Hua, not being a Body Cultivator, was already a bit tired, but he gritted his teeth and persisted,


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    And so, they subjected Wang Lai to another round of heavy beating.


    Even Old Yu, watching nearby, twitched uncontrollably at the sight.


    Finally, Wang Lai could no longer hold on.


    The fists were fierce, the iron stick was hard, and the Golden Needles hurt.


    The key was, these few youngsters truly didn¡¯t care about his life.


    At this rate, he was indeed going to be beaten to death.


    Wang Lai was no longer tough and began to beg intermittently,


    ¡°I¡­ was wrong, spare¡­ spare my life¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng seemed still unsatisfied, and Mo Hua also felt quite regretful, and couldn¡¯t help but say:


    ¡°Only honest after a beating, you shouldn¡¯t be called ¡®Cheeky Wang,¡¯ you should be called ¡®Cheap Wang¡¯ instead¡­¡±


    Wang Lai spat out a mouthful of old blood.


    ¡­


    After a beating, Wang Lai stopped being cheeky.


    Whatever Mo Hua asked, he answered honestly.


    Indeed, Wang Lai was a habitual offender.


    First, finding an excuse to lure Mining Cultivators to the mines, then killing them unnoticed, and contacting the families of the Mining Cultivators to demand compensation from the Lu Family.


    After the murder, he would also earn from the deceased.


    This sort of thing, Wang Lai had done many times, but because the mines were inherently dangerous and Mining Cultivators often disappeared, the Taoist Court was negligent in their duties and too lazy to investigate, so he had always managed to escape the law.


    But there was still a mystery to this.


    Because the Lu Family stipulated, no body, no compensation with Spirit Stones.


    So often, they couldn¡¯t get any compensation.


    Although Wang Lai was greedy, it was unlikely he would risk murder for uncertain gains of Spirit Stones.


    And Mo Hua remembered what Wang Lai had said earlier:


    ¡°Open the heart veins, kill them, do not damage the limbs, don¡¯t break the skin¡­¡±


    Why care so much about the murder method just to fake a disappearance?


    So there must be more to this, and Wang Lai was certainly hiding something.


    Wang Lai didn¡¯t want to talk.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew chilling as he pressed him repeatedly.


    Wang Lai realized that this interrogating cultivator was keen as a ghost.


    If he told even one lie, he would be detected, unable to deceive him. That¡¯s when he finally opened up:


    ¡°People pay Spirit Stones for the bodies of Mining Cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°We earn Spirit Stones by killing people and selling the bodies¡­¡±

 Chapter 428 - 422 Selling the Corpse_1

    Chapter 428: Chapter 422 Selling the Corpse_1


    Mo Hua and his companions exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock.


    Murder for corpse-trading?


    ¡°Who did you sell to?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Wang Lai hedged, ¡°A grey-clothed, masked Cultivator¡­ I don¡¯t know who it was¡­¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see his face?¡±


    ¡°I only want the Spirit Stones; I don¡¯t care about his appearance¡­¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    Wang Lai looked somewhat bewildered, ¡°What else is there?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°How did you meet him, how did you connect, how did you make the transaction, how did you murder, how did you sell the corpses¡ªtell me everything, without missing a detail.¡±


    Wang Lai tugged at the corner of his mouth.


    Mo Hua kicked him, and said fiercely,


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to deceive me. Your little tricks won¡¯t get past me. If I find out you¡¯ve lied to me, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it!¡±


    But his delicate, picturesque face didn¡¯t seem threatening when he tried to be fierce.


    Yet, Wang Lai didn¡¯t dare not speak.


    This young demon might look adorable, but his actions were anything but.


    Especially those eyes¡ªinnocent yet profound, as though they could see right through one¡¯s secrets¡­


    Besides, there was no need for him to hide anything anymore at this point.


    If he was to speak, then there was nothing he couldn¡¯t say:


    ¡°I met that grey-clothed Cultivator in a brothel on Jinhua Street¡­¡±


    ¡°He was average in height, lean, with his face covered, his features unclear, his Divine Sense impenetrable.¡±


    ¡°He always had a faint, odd smell about him¡ªI didn¡¯t realize at first, but after making a few deals, I understood. That scent, it was the smell of the dead, a cold, decaying odor.¡±


    ¡°The first ¡®deal¡¯ happened because I ran out of Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°I gambled away everything the previous night, and my creditors were pressing me hard, threatening to chop off my hands if I didn¡¯t pay up.¡±


    ¡°Desperate, he asked me, ¡®Do you want to make a deal?''¡±


    ¡°I scoffed. These days, with legitimate business, how can one earn Spirit Stones?¡±


    ¡°He then said it wasn¡¯t legitimate.¡±


    ¡°That piqued my interest, so I asked him about the deal. He asked if I had killed before, and I said yes. He then told me it was similar to killing, except this time, I was to give the bodies to him afterward.¡±


    ¡°It felt ominous, but without any Spirit Stones, I was worse off than a stray dog¡ªhungry and unable to fend for myself.¡±


    ¡°Poverty can be scarier than death.¡±


    ¡°Besides, it was others who were dying, not me. So I agreed to it.¡±


    ¡°The first time I did this job for him, I killed a passerby Cultivator. After killing him, I cut a few extra times before handing over the body. He frowned and said that except for the vital meridian, there couldn¡¯t be too many wounds, or I¡¯d have my payment deducted.¡±


    ¡°I was impatient¡ªit was just a killing, yet there were too many damn rules. But I needed the Spirit Stones, so I had no choice but to follow his rules.¡±


    ¡°He went on to explain the details to me¡­¡±


    ¡°A young and fit Cultivator¡¯s corpse, one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones;¡±


    ¡°An aged Cultivator¡¯s corpse, eighty Spirit Stones;¡±


    ¡°Gender doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Apart from the vital meridian, the body mustn¡¯t have any wounds.¡±


    ¡°If there are wounds, depending on the severity, ten to fifty Spirit Stones would be deducted¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°After a few sales, I realized this business wouldn¡¯t last long.¡±


    ¡°Kill one or two, and the Taoist Court might not bother. But if you kill too many, even fools will track you down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when the grey-clothed Cultivator suggested I target Mining Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°I hesitated at first; after all, my father was a Mining Cultivator, and I¡¯m half a Mining Cultivator myself. Even though I did no good, we would still see each other from time to time, and we weren¡¯t without rapport.¡±


    ¡°But he offered too much, I couldn¡¯t refuse¡­¡±


    ¡°For Cultivators, Spirit Stones are the only truth, while rapport is illusory.¡±


    ¡°Killing a Mining Cultivator, I could make roughly a hundred Spirit Stones per hit.¡±


    ¡°With so many Mining Cultivators in South Yue City, I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how many Spirit Stones I could earn if this continued to the end¡­¡±


    ¡°And more Mining Cultivators would be born, an endless cycle of potential targets¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if I didn¡¯t kill them, they would die of old age, exhaustion, mineral poison, oppression, or accidents in the mines¡­¡±


    ¡°Since they¡¯re bound to die anyway, why not let me make some Spirit Stones off it?¡±


    ¡°Besides, killing a Mining Cultivator could be very discreet.¡±


    ¡°Their lives were so miserable, any pretext of earning Spirit Stones would lure them.¡±


    ¡°The mines at night were quiet and deserted, perfect for murder.¡±


    ¡°Disguise it as a disappearance afterward, and no one could find out¡ªthe perfect crime.¡±


    ¡°Still, we were somewhat worried about being discovered.¡±


    ¡°So we approached the families of the deceased Mining Cultivators, offering to help them claim compensation.¡±


    ¡°First, to divert suspicion and reduce doubt¡ªas we claimed compensation on behalf of Mining Cultivators, no one would suspect us of being the killers.¡±


    ¡°Second, claiming the compensation allowed us to take a cut of the Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°One dead Mining Cultivator could earn two shares of Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Old Yu listened with eyes blazing red, wishing he could devour Wang Lai alive.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was icy to the extreme, ¡°The five Mining Cultivators who disappeared before¡ªthey were also your work?¡±


    Wang Lai hesitated for a moment, then nodded.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze intensified, ¡°Then how did they end up dead in the mine?¡±


    Wang Lai¡¯s expression showed a trace of fear, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I just killed them. But after I killed them, it seemed like there was some activity in the mine¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought of the rumors about the mineshaft and got scared, so I hid their bodies in a corner, covered them with rubble, and then planned to sneak the corpses out of the mineshaft when I had the chance.¡±


    Wang Lai swallowed hard, ¡°But¡­ but when I went back the next day, I found that the bodies of these five people¡­ were gone¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t know about the Lu Family mine?¡±


    These five corpses, they seemed to have been dragged into the mineshaft by something and then¡­ eaten¡­


    Wang Lai was perplexed, ¡°What mineshaft?¡±


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, peeking at the fluctuations in Wang Lai¡¯s Divine Sense, and found that he was not lying.


    Wang Lai¡­ really didn¡¯t know¡­


    ¡°How many years have you been in this trade?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    ¡°Thirty or forty years¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was expressionless, ¡°So you¡¯ve been killing Mining Cultivators for thirty or forty years, and you¡¯ve been selling the remains of Mining Cultivators for that long?¡±


    Wang Lai gulped, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°How about we just kill him¡­¡±


    Wang Lai was horrified, ¡°You promised to let me go.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze slowly turned cold, his expression inscrutable, his thoughts unknown.


    Chills ran down Wang Lai¡¯s spine.


    At that moment, Mo Hua¡¯s expression suddenly showed shock as he looked towards the mineshaft behind him.


    From within the mineshaft, the pervasive aura of death abruptly intensified.


    It was as if something was gradually awakening.


    Moisture condensed into droplets that fell with a rhythmic pitter-patter, the sound of water drops echoing eerily throughout the mineshaft.


    From the surrounding stone walls, minute and peculiar noises emerged.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said:


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng also sensed the danger and nodded to each other.


    Mo Hua glanced at Wang Er and Tang Wu, who were lying on the ground, and said to Old Yu, ¡°Wake them up.¡±


    Old Yu looked panicked.


    He, too, felt the abnormalities in the mineshaft.


    It was the dead of night, the most dangerous time within the mineshaft.


    Something unknown had come to life¡­


    Old Yu¡¯s legs went weak as he staggeringly stood up, walked over to Wang Er and Tang Wu, and slapped both of them, ¡°Get up quick!¡±


    The two were only knocked unconscious, and having consumed Mo Hua¡¯s Pills, their injuries were healing. With Old Yu¡¯s slap and his cry, they gradually opened their eyes.


    The scene before them seemed alien.


    The thugs lay on the ground spitting blood, Wang Lai was miserably curled up in a corner.


    In front of Wang Lai, stood three young Cultivators with an extraordinary bearing.


    The two were stunned at first, ¡°Old Yu¡­ what is this¡­?¡±


    Old Yu said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask, just run for your life!¡±


    Wang Er and Tang Wu then realized the urgency and scrambled to their feet.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Mo Hua said decisively.


    Just as they were about to run, Wang Lai pleaded:


    ¡°Save me! I don¡¯t want to die here!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze flickered, then he said to Bai Zisheng, ¡°Take him with us.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat reluctant.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°He still has his uses.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, secured Wang Lai with a chain, and dragged him as they ran outside.


    As for the remaining thugs, Mo Hua didn¡¯t care.


    If they could live through the anomaly in the mineshaft, that would be their good fortune. If they died, they deserved it, repaying the lives of the Mining Cultivators they had taken.


    And so, Bai Zisheng dragged Wang Lai, who was like a mangy dog, without slowing down, running out of the mineshaft.


    Mo Hua employed his movement technique and followed Bai Zisheng closely.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s steps were light as she followed beside Mo Hua.


    Behind them, Old Yu, Wang Er, and Tang Wu ran for their lives with desperation, possibly spurred on by the crisis, they were running quite fast.


    The atmosphere inside the mineshaft grew increasingly sinister, the aura of death gradually filling every corner.


    But fortunately, Mo Hua had detected it early, and their withdrawal was timely enough.


    So by the time a muffled roar emerged from the mineshaft, sounding eerily non-human, Mo Hua and the others had already escaped from within.


    Still, Mo Hua was not reassured, and led everyone through the secret passage away from the Lu Family mineshaft until they reached the edge of the mine. Only then did they stop.


    Wang Lai was dragged so violently that he was covered in wounds and passed out.


    Wang Er and Tang Wu had only just calmed their frightened souls and were gasping for air.


    The expressions on Bai Zisheng¡¯s and Bai Zixi¡¯s faces were also filled with astonishment and uncertainty.


    Mo Hua turned to look at the mine, his pupils shaking.


    At that moment, the mine burst forth with a terrifying presence, composed of numerous sinister auras.


    From deep within the mineshaft, there came grating and heart-wrenching noises, like some spectral beings scraping at something with their hands.


    It also sounded as if deceased Mining Cultivators were still laboring in the mine.


    And amidst the decay and the aura of death, that malevolent presence from the Ultimate Formation that Mo Hua had sensed became even more intense.


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed even more tightly.


    Who exactly set up this Ultimate Formation, and what was it? What exactly lay hidden in this gloomy mine¡­

 Chapter 429 - 423 Disappearance_1

    Chapter 429: Chapter 423 Disappearance_1


    The mine was showing abnormalities, we couldn¡¯t stay long.


    So Mo Hua and the others left the mine and reached South Yue City, where they found a place to rest for a while.


    Wang Lai was covered in wounds, looking miserable, but he was still breathing.


    Mo Hua woke him up and took the chance to ask him some more questions.


    As dawn was breaking and no further information could be extracted, Mo Hua handed Wang Lai over to Situ Fang.


    At the same time, he recounted all the actions of Wang Lai and these ruffians.


    Old Yu and the other two stood by as witnesses.


    Situ Fang was both shocked and enraged upon hearing this.


    She had never imagined that Wang Lai and these scoundrels could do such heinous things.


    Killing for Spirit Stones and then trying to swindle compensation.


    Situ Fang¡¯s brows furrowed with anger as she said:


    ¡°Leave the rest to me. I¡¯ll take Wang Lai to the Taoist Prison first, extract the names of his accomplices, and then round them all up!¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court¡­ there won¡¯t be any problems, right?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    The Taoist Court in South Yue City was different from the one in Tongxian City; its workings were murky, and the Court Leader was not necessarily a good person either.


    Situ Fang frowned, pondered for a moment, and then sighed:


    ¡°I¡¯ll just be careful. If I follow the procedures strictly, even the Court Leader shouldn¡¯t be able to object.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Okay, then be careful, Sister Situ.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Situ Fang nodded and then looked at Mo Hua and his companions with a sense of gratitude:


    ¡°We really owe you big this time.¡±


    Mo Hua waved his hand dismissively, ¡°It was nothing, no trouble at all.¡±


    Situ Fang gave his shoulder a pat, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal someday.¡±


    Then she left with Wang Lai in custody.


    Old Yu and the other two expressed their heartfelt thanks to Mo Hua.


    ¡°Thank you, all three young masters, thank you!¡±


    ¡°Many thanks to our benefactor!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for thanks. Go home and take care of your injuries,¡± Mo Hua said.


    After another round of deep bows, they finally left, feeling the fortune of surviving such an ordeal, their hearts unburdened.


    They had narrowly escaped death in the mine.


    And they had also narrowly avoided being eternally separated from their families¡­


    After the trio departed, Bai Zisheng asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, ¡°I need to go back to the mine.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was startled, ¡°Have you lost your mind? Are you going back to court death?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed towards the sky.


    The sun was hanging high in the sky.


    It was then that Bai Zisheng realized it was daylight.


    Even if the mine was ¡°haunted,¡± that would be an issue during the middle of the night.


    ¡°What are you going to do in the mine now?¡± Bai Zisheng inquired.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew deep, ¡°I want to see¡­ what has become of the corpses of those scoundrels¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s expression grew solemn, ¡°Then we should go together.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°No need, I can go alone. You don¡¯t know the Concealment Technique, and although our cloaks have the Concealment Formation, the formation isn¡¯t perfect. It¡¯s fine to use at night, but in daylight, there will still be faint traces, making it easy to be discovered.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat indifferent, ¡°So what if we¡¯re discovered? It¡¯s no big deal¡­¡±


    No one in this mine could stop him.


    But Mo Hua said, ¡°This mine belongs to the Lu Family. There could be Foundation Building cultivators stationed here during the day. If we¡¯re discovered by them, even if we escape, we¡¯ll alarm others and expose our whereabouts¡­¡±


    ¡°Once the Lu Family becomes vigilant, anything else we need to investigate will become inconvenient.¡±


    ¡°But if you go alone and encounter a Foundation Building cultivator, won¡¯t you be in danger?¡± Bai Zisheng countered.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°The Lu Family¡¯s Foundation Building cultivators won¡¯t detect me.¡±


    He knew the Concealment Technique and had the Concealment Formation, and with his Divine Sense of the Foundation Building twelve patterns, the Lu Family¡¯s Foundation Building cultivators couldn¡¯t find him.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Bai Zisheng nodded but still looked worried.


    Bai Zixi then said, ¡°You go in alone, and we¡¯ll cover you from the outside.¡±


    Mo Hua wanted to protest, but Bai Zixi just looked at him calmly, her voice gentle but firm:


    ¡°I am your senior sister.¡±


    Mo Hua had no choice but to agree.


    So after a bit more rest, they set off again and returned to the Lu Family mine.


    By then, the sky was fully bright, with the morning glow filling the heavens.


    The mine had already started its operations.


    Mining cultivators came to the mine one after another, enduring the heat, gripping their mining picks, and harvesting ore with each successive strike.


    The mine was once again a bustling and noisy place, devoid of the sinister quiet of night.


    Mo Hua, with his figure concealed, boldly walked into the mine.


    Indeed, there was a Lu Family Elder, a Foundation Building cultivator, sitting to one side in the shade drinking tea, watching the mining cultivators toil.


    Next to him was an attractive servant girl fanning him.


    Mo Hua passed by him leisurely.


    The elder was completely unaware, his eyes darting lasciviously over the curves of the servant girl.


    Mo Hua shook his head at this disgraceful sight as he passed by.


    He moved through the crowd, entered the mine, and walked deep inside, arriving at the spot where Wang Lai¡¯s murder attempt had taken place the night before.


    The area was deserted, not a mining cultivator in sight.


    There was no sign of anyone¡¯s presence.


    The disturbances in the mine from the night before, along with the ruffians Mo Hua had left there, had all vanished without a trace.


    No mining cultivators were around because this was a deep, secluded and quiet part of the mine, with no ore to be mined, so cultivators seldom came this way.


    But what about those scoundrels?


    Dead? No remains?


    They committed so many evils, their death is of no consequence, let alone the absence of their remains.


    But Mo Hua wanted to know, how exactly did they die¡­


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, in the void-like white vision, sensing everything around him.


    The stone walls were cold, showing a faint blackish-grey color.


    There was Blood Qi around, thin and weak, left from last night, and it had almost dissipated all but completely.


    Amidst the various traces of Blood Qi, some mingled with pitch-black Qi of death, meandering on the ground, extending along the stone walls into the distance.


    Mo Hua silently opened his eyes, his Divine Sense locked onto this trace of Blood Qi, following it along the stone wall, step by step.


    After walking the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the trail of Blood Qi ended.


    In front was a stone wall.


    A sweep of his Divine Sense and Mo Hua knew that there was a Formation on the stone wall.


    And behind the stone wall, surely, were the mine tunnels dug by the Lu Family.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became focused.


    ¡°From the traces¡­ these scoundrels were dragged by something, all the way into the mine tunnels¡­¡±


    What happened inside the mine tunnels, Mo Hua did not know.


    But with high probability, these scoundrels and those five missing Mining Cultivators were eaten by something¡­


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, wanting to unlock the Formation and take another look inside the mine tunnels.


    But as soon as his brush touched, he stopped.


    His Divine Sense twitched slightly, he calculated for a moment, then slowly put away the brush.


    ¡°They have actually¡­ reinforced the Formation¡­¡±


    The stone wall wasn¡¯t just sturdier, but there were also layers upon layers of Early Warning Formations drawn inside it.


    Mo Hua could unlock these Formations, but he wasn¡¯t sure if doing so would cause any disturbances, which might alert the Lu Family¡¯s Cultivators.


    Or perhaps, the Lu Family deliberately created Formations with the intention of setting a trap?


    Mo Hua weighed his options and decided it was better not to take any risks.


    If he were caught by the Lu Family inside the mine, it would be quite problematic.


    Mo Hua sighed and turned to leave, yet his mind was shrouded with doubt.


    What exactly were the Lu Family using these mine tunnels for?


    And what secrets truly lay within those mine tunnels¡­


    Frowning, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but eavesdrop on the conversation of nearby Mining Cultivators as he left.


    But he didn¡¯t hear anything useful.


    Moreover, the Mining Cultivators nearby had not noticed those scoundrels either.


    Those scoundrels had just vanished, just like those five Mining Cultivators, disappeared into the depths of the mine¡­


    ¡­


    After leaving the mine, Mo Hua met up with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    ¡°Found anything?¡± Bai Zixi asked.


    Mo Hua spoke of the scoundrels¡¯ affair.


    Bai Zisheng snorted, ¡°They got what they deserved!¡±


    Then he also wondered, ¡°Is the Lu Family up to some shady business?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s still unclear.¡±


    ¡°If not the Lu Family, then someone else?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t that Wang Lai mention a grey-clothed Cultivator?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°At this point, we can only start from that grey-clothed Cultivator.¡±


    The three of them then made their way back.


    On the way, Mo Hua¡¯s expression still seemed somewhat disheartened.


    Bai Zixi asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°I¡¯m worried about Instructor Yan¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Situ said that after Instructor Yan entered the mine, he disappeared without a trace, and since then no one has seen him again¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he might have been harmed by Wang Lai and the others¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but nod, ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua¡¯s worry intensified, his brows furrowing even more deeply.


    Bai Zixi gave her brother a light glare and said softly to Mo Hua:


    ¡°The righteous man will be protected by heaven, Mr. Yan may not have necessarily met with harm.¡±


    Bai Zisheng, realizing his blunder, scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly:


    ¡°I was just speaking off the cuff, don¡¯t take it to heart. Mr. Yan might have found other clues and left South Yue City to investigate on his own.¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua knew his siblings were trying to comfort him, and although he thought what they said didn¡¯t make much sense, he still felt a little better.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope Instructor Yan is indeed blessed by heaven¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently sighed.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was still not cheerful, Bai Zisheng changed the subject:


    ¡°That grey-clothed Cultivator, shall we investigate him?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°We must.¡±


    Without trade, there would be no slaying.


    It was the grey-clothed Cultivator who wanted to buy the bodies, thus he led Wang Lai and the others to kill the Mining Cultivators.


    The root of the problem lay with that grey-clothed Cultivator.


    Even if Wang Lai were taken out of the picture, there would be others¡ªZhao Lai, Qian Lai, Li Lai¡­


    As long as the grey-clothed Cultivator remained, other Cultivators would, for the sake of Spirit Stones, murder Mining Cultivators and sell their bodies.


    To eradicate evil, one must go to the root.


    Bai Zisheng nodded vigorously in agreement.


    Then he thought of another issue: ¡°Wang Lai said, he met with the grey-clothed Cultivator at a Brothel, so¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng asked seriously:


    ¡°Do we need to go to the Brothel?¡±


    This question also stumped Mo Hua.

 Chapter 430 - 424: Displaying Dust_1

    Chapter 430: Chapter 424: Displaying Dust_1


    Bai Zixi directly said, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go.¡±


    Mo Hua muttered softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to go¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng frowned, ¡°But if we don¡¯t go, how can we investigate that grey-robed cultivator?¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Bai Zixi, and Bai Zisheng also looked at her.


    The corners of Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes, which were as clear as autumn water, flickered slightly, ¡°It¡¯s alright, but I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    Bai Zisheng quickly shook his head.


    Mo Hua also said, ¡°Junior Sister, it¡¯s not appropriate for you to go.¡±


    Bai Zixi said, ¡°If you can go, I can too; we¡¯re just going to sneak in anyway.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated, about to say something, but when she caught Bai Zixi¡¯s crystal-clear gaze, she could only sigh and say,


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    So it came to be nighttime, at 22 p.m.


    As night fell, lanterns hung up, Jinhua Street bustling with carriage and pedestrian traffic, resounding with the noise of prosperity.


    The three, wrapped in cloaks, climbed to the building opposite the Hundred Flower Tower.


    Hundred Flower Tower, which was a brothel, was also the place where Wang Lai confessed to have hidden the body after the murder, and where he met with the grey-robed cultivator.


    Hundred Flower Tower was lavishly decorated.


    Flowers and bright colors adorned the entrance, with no one outside to pull in customers.


    But those who came to this place all knew why they were there.


    Bai Zisheng quietly asked Mo Hua, ¡°How are we going to get in?¡±


    Mo Hua released her Divine Sense, scrutinized the situation for a while, and frowned, saying,


    ¡°A brothel has actually put up an Expose Dust Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Expose Shadow Formation?¡± Bai Zisheng was slightly startled.


    ¡°Expose Dust Formation.¡± Mo Hua corrected.


    Bai Zisheng was puzzled, ¡°Is there a difference?¡±


    ¡°The principles of their Formation are different.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat perplexed.


    Mo Hua then explained, ¡°The Expose Shadow Formation reveals things, rendering any Concealment Formations and Concealment Techniques within its range ineffective.¡±


    ¡°The Expose Shadow Formation works better but is a First Grade Formation with at least Nine Patterns, requiring high Divine Sense, more difficult to learn, uses special ink, and is expensive to set up.¡±


    ¡°The Expose Dust Formation is an Earth Series Formation, a First Grade Formation with Seven Patterns, which is easier to set up and more cost-effective.¡±


    ¡°Unlike the Expose Shadow Formation, the Expose Dust Formation doesn¡¯t render concealment ineffective. Instead, it generates fine dust within the Formation. Once a cultivator under concealment passes through the Formation, they would get covered in dust, revealing their traces.¡±


    ¡°The Expose Shadow Formation nullifies concealment on a fundamental level,¡±


    ¡°While the Expose Dust Formation reveals the cultivator by indirect means, through an external substance.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat astonished, ¡°You¡¯ve researched this so thoroughly?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Mo Hua nodded with pride, ¡°The Dao of Formation is profound and intricate; naturally, I have looked into it thoroughly.¡±


    Bai Zisheng opened his mouth to speak, then asked, ¡°So, for a brothel to welcome guests and to use the Expose Dust Formation, making the guests dusty, doesn¡¯t seem very good, does it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Mo Hua looked closely at the Formation again and said,


    ¡°This dust is a kind of cheap spice. Ordinary cultivators, not versed in Formation, will only think they¡¯ve gotten some makeup powder on themselves and won¡¯t realize it¡¯s the work of a Formation.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the effectiveness of the Expose Dust Formation is limited, and this dust will only last the duration of a cup of tea before fading away¡­¡±


    ¡°A cup of tea¡­¡± Bai Zisheng frowned, ¡°So it¡¯s to prevent someone from sneaking into the brothel for voyeurism?¡±


    ¡°It seems so¡­¡± Mo Hua was then slightly puzzled, ¡°Who would be so idle as to peep into a brothel¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked at Mo Hua, glanced at Bai Zixi, and then looked down at himself, saying weakly,


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the three of us planning to sneak in and peep¡­¡±


    Mo Hua froze for a moment, pondered with a frown, and then said seriously,


    ¡°We are going to check for clues; it is a serious matter, not peeping.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, ¡°Makes sense!¡±


    Bai Zixi looked at the two with a somewhat helpless expression.


    ¡°Now that there¡¯s an Expose Dust Formation, how are we supposed to get in?¡±


    Bai Zisheng asked again.


    Mo Hua, too, found it tricky, ¡°I could dismantle the Formation, but doing so without drawing attention is a bit difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°So what do we do now, go back first?¡±


    After contemplating for a while, Mo Hua nodded,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back for now. There¡¯s a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the brothel, and if we keep watching here, he might notice us.¡±


    Mo Hua was not concerned about that.


    An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn¡¯t see through his Concealment Technique.


    But he couldn¡¯t say the same for his junior brother and junior sister.


    So the three of them sneakily left.


    On the way, Bai Zisheng muttered, ¡°A brothel even requires a Foundation Establishment cultivator to take a seat in power¡­¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for the presence of a Foundation Establishment, their actions would have been much more convenient.


    He didn¡¯t pay much mind to ordinary Qi Refining Cultivators.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°This indicates that the brothel deals with much trouble and also earns plenty of Spirit Stones.¡±


    Bai Zisheng thought about it and nodded.


    Mo Hua thought about the Mining Cultivators toiling in the mines, earning one Spirit Stone per day, and sighed softly.


    The more disreputable the business, the more Spirit Stones seemed to be earned¡­


    ¡­


    The grey-robed cultivator frequented the Hundred Flower Tower.


    Mo Hua wanted to enter the Hundred Flower Tower to investigate, but due to the rush of time, he couldn¡¯t immediately come up with a good method.


    With so many people going in and out of the Hundred Flower Tower, it was difficult to subtly blend in.


    The main problem was still the Expose Dust Formation.


    Dealing with the Expose Dust Formation was easy, but dealing with it without anyone noticing was challenging.


    What¡¯s more, besides the Expose Dust Formation at the entrance, it was estimated that there were many minute Expose Dust Formations in the brothel¡ªin the doors and windows, the corridors, and above the beams¡ªto prevent peeping.


    Mo Hua was somewhat disgruntled.


    Surely some cultivator had used Concealment Techniques for misdeeds.


    The result was that now, when he wanted to use Concealment Techniques to do something righteous and catch a wrongdoer, he found himself tightly guarded against.


    In the attempt to guard against the villains, the gentlemen were also prevented¡­


    Several days passed with no progress.


    Mo Hua then thought to probe indirectly and see if he could gather some clues from other cultivators.


    The best candidate was Elder Su.


    Being a First Grade Formation Master and a Foundation Establishment Elder of the South Yue Sect, he undeniably had wide connections and was likely to have access to much information.


    But Mo Hua wasn¡¯t sure if Elder Su was involved in this matter, so he asked in an oblique manner, also being very cautious in his conversation.


    ¡°Elder Su, is there anything fun on Jinhua Street?¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Su wasn¡¯t surprised.


    Although Mo Hua was a First Grade Formation Master, he was still quite young; it was only natural for a youngster to be bit more fond of entertainment when in a new place.


    Elder Su thus began to enlighten Mo Hua.


    Jinhua Street was the busiest spot in all of South Yue City.


    What festivals there were, what sights there were to see, where to find what delicacies¡­


    Which Food Building¡¯s dish is exquisite, which bar¡¯s wine is the tastiest, which teahouse¡¯s tea is the most mellow¡­


    As the conversation deepened, Elder Su couldn¡¯t help but digress.


    Like which gambling house¡¯s table was the easiest to win at, and which courtesan in a certain tower was the most¡­


    Elder Su¡¯s words stopped there.


    ¡°What is the most how?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Elder Su, sweating profusely, awkwardly said, ¡°That¡¯s not suitable for children, not suitable for children¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, doubtful, said, ¡°Elder Su, are you very familiar with this kind of thing¡­¡±


    Elder Su was greatly alarmed, ¡°No, that¡¯s not it, I haven¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t slander a man¡¯s clear reputation!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mo Hua obviously didn¡¯t believe him.


    Elder Su smiled awkwardly again.


    Mo Hua was still curious and wanted to inquire more, but then he saw a disciple approach and whisper something to Elder Su.


    Elder Su showed a troubled expression.


    Mo Hua then tactfully said, ¡°Elder Su, you¡¯re busy, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    Elder Su also hastily stood up to return the gesture, ¡°I have visitors, I¡¯m truly sorry, another day I will prepare a feast and apologize to the young gentleman.¡±


    Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°You¡¯re too polite, Elder.¡±


    His heart held curiosity, wondering what kind of feast Elder Su could prepare and if there would be anything delicious.


    As Elder Su escorted Mo Hua out, they were met by a cultivator in gorgeous brocade clothing, of medium age, with a handsome appearance and elegant demeanor.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, ¡°Lu Family Head?¡±


    The person was indeed the Lu Family Head who had once met Mo Hua.


    And the guest that Elder Su was about to entertain should be this very Lu Family Head.


    Mo Hua had learned from Elder Su that the Lu Family Head¡¯s name was Lu Chengyun.


    When Lu Chengyun saw Mo Hua, he was not surprised and greeted him with a smile and a gentle tone,


    ¡°Mr. Little Mo.¡±


    They greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries.


    Mo Hua briefly made small talk and then planned to leave, but Lu Chengyun detained him.


    ¡°Little gentleman, you could join us for some tea.¡±


    Mo Hua, puzzled, said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Elder Su discussing something important?¡±


    Lu Chengyun said, ¡°It¡¯s not so much an urgent matter, just an exchange of Formation insights. And since you are a Formation Master yourself, with notable achievements in Formation, why not join the discussion?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and agreed.


    There must be something wrong with the mines of the Lu Family.


    But he wasn¡¯t familiar with the Lu Family.


    Interacting with the Lu Family Head might provide some clues.


    However, being a Family Head, Lu Chengyun was naturally very astute. Throughout the half-day conversation with Mo Hua, he didn¡¯t mention a thing about the mines or Mining Cultivators; it was indeed just about Formation.


    And Lu Chengyun¡¯s Formation knowledge also surprised Mo Hua.


    The head of a family would be busy with numerous affairs and might not have the time or inclination to delve into Formation, but Lu Chengyun¡¯s Formation knowledge seemed even more profound than Elder Su¡¯s.


    No wonder he was so close with Elder Su.


    After talking more about Formation, Lu Chengyun became even more amiable towards Mo Hua, and his gaze held unmistakable admiration.


    Lu Chengyun paused for a moment, then suddenly asked,


    ¡°Mr. Little Mo, are you married?¡±


    Mo Hua was in the midst of drinking tea, and he choked at the question, ¡°Not¡­ not yet¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes brightened even more, ¡°I wonder¡­¡±


    Mo Hua coughed and said, somewhat awkwardly,


    ¡°I¡¯m still young, I¡¯m not considering it for the time being.¡±


    Lu Chengyun showed no displeasure but rather seemed to understand, and he secretly slipped a booklet to Mo Hua.


    ¡°This is part of the Lu Family¡¯s genealogy.¡±


    Lu Chengyun didn¡¯t say anything further and just gave Mo Hua a meaningful look.


    Mo Hua cautiously flipped through the genealogy, noticing that it contained the Lu Family¡¯s direct lineage, and all were suitable-aged women.


    Further back were portraits of beautiful female cultivators.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless.


    Lu Chengyun smiled nonchalantly, while Elder Su silently drank his tea, pretending to have seen nothing.


    After finishing their tea and discussing Formation, Lu Chengyun stood up to leave.


    Before leaving, Lu Chengyun patted Mo Hua and whispered,


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush, take your time.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what to say.


    As Lu Chengyun turned to leave, he seemed to suddenly remember something and turned back to Mo Hua, saying,


    ¡°I, Lu Chengyun, have a doubt, may I ask the young gentleman?¡±


    Mo Hua, slightly startled, nodded, ¡°Please ask.¡±


    ¡°It might be a bit presumptuous.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Lu Chengyun nodded and asked,


    ¡°Young gentleman, there is a concealed aura around you, making it impossible to probe with Divine Sense, could it be¡­ you possess a Spiritual Artifact that hides your aura?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze flickered, then sincerely he said,


    ¡°Yes, you have keen eyes, Family Head!¡±


    Lu Chengyun sighed in relief, then with a cupped fist said, ¡°I will take my leave. When time permits, I wish to discuss Formation with the young gentleman again.¡±


    Mo Hua also cupped his fist, ¡°Lu Family Head, take care.¡±


    After Lu Chengyun left, Elder Su also slowly exhaled, turning to Mo Hua to say,


    ¡°He is the Family Head, after all, it is his duty and within reason, but¡­¡±


    Elder Su hesitated.


    ¡°But what?¡± Mo Hua asked with curiosity.


    Elder Su thought for a moment, then sighed,


    ¡°The Lu Family is associated with plenty of controversies; if you can avoid involvement, it would be better not to get involved at all.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Su glanced at Mo Hua, his gaze intensifying slightly, his expression becoming a bit complicated as he slowly asked,


    ¡°Mr. Little Mo, you have come here with a purpose, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Elder Su said expressionlessly,


    ¡°In the past few days, you have come here, beating around the bush. You must be wanting to ask something¡­


    ¡°But since the matter is somewhat secretive, not easy to talk about openly, you didn¡¯t ask directly. Instead, you found various pretexts to chit-chat and tried to glean some information from me.¡±


    Mo Hua was silent.


    Elder Su¡¯s gaze became colder.


    He just knew that this Junior Formation Master must have had ulterior motives.


    Elder Su picked up the teacup, skimmed off the froth, casting a look as elusive as the drifting tea:


    ¡°Mr. Little Mo, what exactly do you want to do?¡±


    With the situation having reached this point, Mo Hua no longer needed to hide his intentions.


    He said seriously,


    ¡°Elder Su, I want to go to the Brothel!¡±


    Elder Su sprayed out a mouthful of tea.

 Chapter 431 - 425 Hundred Flower Tower_1

    Chapter 431: Chapter 425 Hundred Flower Tower_1


    Mo Hua had made up his mind.


    Since Hundred Flower Tower was equipped with the Expose Dust Formation, hiding oneself would reveal flaws, then why not just not hide at all and go in openly and aboveboard?


    Only, given his young age, others might not let him enter. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In that case, he needed to find a leader.


    In South Yue City, the person he was most familiar with was Situ Fang.


    But he couldn¡¯t possibly go to Sister Situ and ask her to take him into a brothel.


    She would definitely refuse.


    Moreover, she would probably think that he had been led astray, damaging his reputation.


    Though he was young, he was already a first-grade Formation Master, considered to be a reputable Cultivator, so the reputation was still very important.


    Apart from that, the one who was most familiar with Mo Hua was Elder Su, whom he often drank tea with.


    Also, whenever Elder Su talked about brothels, it was always in a jovial manner as if he was quite familiar with them; it was likely that he often visited them in private.


    Asking him was definitely the right move.


    Mo Hua watched Elder Su with a bright and intent gaze.


    Elder Su stiffened.


    Mo Hua¡¯s simple and direct response allowed all of Elder Su¡¯s conjectures about secretive schemes to collapse.


    This wasn¡¯t what he had expected¡­


    He had thought that Mo Hua was calculating, aiming for something secretive, unwilling to be known by others, and unspeakable.


    Yet, this matter turned out to be about going to a brothel¡ªhow should he approach this¡­


    It was actually reasonable¡­


    Elder Su was momentarily stunned and stroked his beard, then thought about it again.


    Seemingly¡­ there were no problems with it.


    It indeed was something secret, unwilling to be known by others, unspeakable, and required subtle inquiries¡­


    Only, this¡­


    Elder Su looked at Mo Hua, whose eyes were clear and innocent, and said tactfully,


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this matter a bit too ¡®early¡¯ for you¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face remained stern as he solemnly said,


    ¡°I have serious business.¡±


    Elder Su felt somewhat distressed.


    You say such a serious matter with such a serious face, it¡¯s hard for me to remain serious too¡­


    Elder Su thought for a moment then said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you look through the genealogy that Lu Family Head gave you, see if there¡¯s any girl that catches your eye, secretly tell me, and I¡¯ll go speak with Lu Family Head for you, to set an engagement early?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, ¡°I really have serious business!¡±


    Elder Su was taken aback, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua earnestly nodded.


    Elder Su felt a bit embarrassed and quietly asked,


    ¡°Can you tell me what the matter is? Of course, this is a private matter, you don¡¯t have to say.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then said,


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t I asking you to help me find a Gentleman with the last name ¡®Yan¡¯?¡±


    Elder Su was surprised, ¡°Is he into that sort of thing too?¡±


    Mo Hua silently looked at Elder Su.


    Realizing his slip of the tongue, Elder Su became somewhat flustered and quickly corrected himself,


    ¡°This Mr. Yan, is he also a fellow practitioner?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze towards him grew even more complex.


    Elder Su lightly tapped his mouth, realizing the more he spoke, the more mistakes he made, so he simply stopped talking about it and instead asked,


    ¡°Is there really a clue about this Mr. Yan in the brothels on Jinhua Street?¡±


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t too sure himself; there might be clues, but then again, there might not be.


    Mr. Yan had gone missing without a trace, and he didn¡¯t have any clues yet.


    Mo Hua¡¯s main purpose this time was to look for that gray-clothed Cultivator who had hired someone to kill and buy corpses.


    Mr. Yan had disappeared in the mines, and those mines were connected to the gray-clothed Cultivator.


    There could be a connection between the two.


    Of course, these things were not appropriate to mention plainly.


    So Mo Hua simply said, ¡°There should be.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Elder Su looked at Mo Hua and gradually felt relieved.


    So he was worried about his mentor and looking for clues.


    He really had misunderstood the kid before¡­


    Then Elder Su said, ¡°No problem, I¡¯ve got this covered. I¡¯ll take you there!¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°And my elder martial brothers and sisters that you¡¯ve met.¡±


    Elder Su hesitated for a moment but then also nodded,


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Su!¡± Mo Hua said with a smile and then added with some concern, ¡°We¡¯re young, so there¡¯s no problem with you taking us there, right?¡±


    Elder Su laughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, a brothel isn¡¯t only for romantic affairs, there are also performers; listening to songs and watching dances are quite enjoyable too.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head in agreement, feeling grateful in his heart.


    Elder Su had really helped a lot this time.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then decided to repay Elder Su¡¯s kindness, and whispered to him:


    ¡°Elder Su, the Formation you drew before had a slight issue, which I didn¡¯t mention to you, fearing you would feel embarrassed. However, acknowledging mistakes allows for improvement in Formation, so I will now secretly tell you where you went wrong¡­¡±


    Elder Su was stunned, his emotions incredibly complex, uncertain of how to react.


    He listened with a mix of amusement and disbelief as Mo Hua pointed out the problems with his Formation.


    As he listened, Elder Su¡¯s expression grew serious.


    Every word from Mo Hua was accurate; he had indeed made a mistake.


    Elder Su frowned slightly.


    But the issue was that the Formation he drew seemed to have been given only a fleeting glance by Mo Hua, who had not looked at it in detail.


    Just a glance, and the problem was found?


    Elder Su couldn¡¯t help feeling secretly alarmed.


    How profound must this young gentleman¡¯s mastery of Formations be¡­


    ¡­


    After Mo Hua left, he shared about the favor Elder Su had promised to him with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    ¡°We¡¯ll dress up as scholar boys and accompany Elder Su to the Hundred Flower Tower.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi nodded in agreement.


    Three nights later, as the lanterns were first lit, Jinhua Street glowed brightly.


    Mo Hua and his companions followed Elder Su to the Hundred Flower Tower.


    All three of them were dressed in the light cyan clothes of scholar boys.


    Mo Hua was delicately good-looking, Bai Zisheng tall and heroic, while Bai Zixi tied up her long hair, donning the guise of a young boy.


    Her complexion was fair, and while her appearance was more subdued than before, it was still exquisite. With a cool temperament and slender eyes, there was a captivating beauty to her nobility.


    Both Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng watched her with admiration.


    Elder Su was also momentarily taken aback, inwardly certain that Mo Hua¡¯s fellow disciples must have remarkable backgrounds.


    Such appearance and poise could not be ordinary.


    Elder Su treated them with much more respect.


    Jinhua Street bustled with opulence and indulgence.


    The trio followed closely behind Elder Su along Jinhua Street towards the Hundred Flower Tower.


    There was more than one brothel on Jinhua Street.


    Whenever they passed other establishments like Red Happy Courtyard, Yicui Tower, or similar places, there were always female cultivators smiling flirtatiously at Elder Su, exclaiming:


    ¡°Elder Su, it has been so long since you¡¯ve graced this one with your presence.¡±


    Elder Su felt excruciatingly embarrassed, wishing he could hide his face.


    It would have been one thing normally, but now he was in the company of these three youngsters; if he tainted his image in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, it would be disastrous.


    All the way, Elder Su tried to appear composed, but his old face reddened with embarrassment.


    However, the lights of the street were also red, casting everyone¡¯s faces in a rosy glow, so Elder Su¡¯s discomfort went unnoticed.


    After a torturous walk, Elder Su finally brought Mo Hua and his companions to the grand entrance of the Hundred Flower Tower.


    Indeed, a thinly-clad woman came out to meet them, frowning woefully:


    ¡°Elder Su, you haven¡¯t visited in so long¡­¡±


    Elder Su coughed, ¡°Today, I¡¯m just here to listen to music and watch the dance.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the woman quickly composed herself and greeted them with a pleasant smile:


    ¡°Very well, this way please, Elder Su.¡±


    Elder Su handed over a pouch of Spirit Stones, ¡°Prepare a pot of the best State Color Fragrant Wine, brew a furnace of fresh Emergent-Lotus Tea, and a box of the finest assortment of pastries from Hundred Flowers¡­¡±


    The woman beamed with joy, ¡°Certainly.¡±


    Elder Su glanced at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nodded in acknowledgment.


    Elder Su then led Mo Hua to a spacious and refined private seat in front of the flower hall, separated by a Shuixian and Hibiscus screen.


    Once they were seated, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help complimenting him:


    ¡°Elder Su, you¡¯re quite adept at this.¡±


    Elder Su smiled and was about to nod, but halfway through, he realized what he was doing and immediately shook his head:


    ¡°I¡¯m not, really not, this is only my first¡­ second time coming here.¡±


    He was too embarrassed to exaggerate too much.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua clearly didn¡¯t believe him.


    Under Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, Elder Su felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles and tried to change the subject, saying:


    ¡°Young gentleman, weren¡¯t you looking for someone? You could ask the ladies here.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and questioned:


    ¡°How should I go about it?¡±


    Elder Su coughed a few times, and a woman approached, smiling and bowing respectfully:


    ¡°Does the Elder have any instructions?¡±


    ¡°Summon some ladies who are well-mannered, discreet, lightly made-up without excessive powder, not too flamboyant, and younger¡­¡±


    Elder Su ordered with practiced ease, and the woman went to carry out his command.


    Composed and nodding, Elder Su turned to Mo Hua and saw a look of awe on his face, with those big eyes blinking admiringly.


    Just as Mo Hua was about to speak, Elder Su hastily said:


    ¡°I heard¡­ heard it from someone else, I¡¯m really not familiar, not at all¡­¡±

 Chapter 432 - 426 Female Cultivator_1

    Chapter 432: Chapter 426 Female Cultivator_1


    ¡°` S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Su had even become skilled at saying ¡°I¡¯m not familiar.¡±


    Mo Hua expressed understanding and nodded, saying,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder Su, I understand.¡±


    Elder Su sighed helplessly, feeling as if he had no way to defend himself.


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before a group of young female cultivators fluttered in like a flock of swallows.


    Elder Su breathed a sigh of relief.


    It was good to have young girls around.


    With young girls present, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t keep staring at him.


    Elder Su then asked Mo Hua with a smile, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Mo Hua began to size up the group of female cultivators.


    Indeed, as per Elder Su¡¯s instructions, they were all young, their makeup faint, with no pretense or coquettish gestures, standing in a row prim and proper.


    As Mo Hua sized them up, the group of young girls was also taking in Mo Hua and his companions.


    They were used to seeing Elder Su, nothing out of the ordinary there.


    What surprised them were the three little cultivators with Mo Hua.


    Their eyes shimmered as they looked at Mo Hua and the others.


    Mo Hua¡¯s features were picturesque, Bai Zisheng had sharp brows and starry eyes, and Bai Zixi possessed stunningly beautiful phoenix eyebrows.


    The female cultivators¡¯ gaze towards Mo Hua was filled with affection; towards Bai Zisheng, it held admiration;


    but when they looked at Bai Zixi, their faces would blush, and they even lowered their eyes, not daring to look directly, only casting furtive, rippling glances at her.


    This baffled Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua also stole a glance at Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi sensed it and turned to look at Mo Hua, asking with confusion,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned and muttered,


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    Despite wearing men¡¯s clothes and possessing an androgynous allure, one could still tell she was a woman from her eyebrows and eyes.


    Why were these female cultivators staring at their junior sister so intently?


    And even blushing at that.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    Bai Zixi saw Mo Hua frowning, thinking he felt unwell, so she moved closer. Side by side, Bai Zixi reached out her delicate hand and touched Mo Hua¡¯s forehead. After a moment, she said with slight concern,


    ¡°Your forehead is a bit hot.¡±


    Upon looking down, she asked in confusion, ¡°Why is your face also red?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s fair cheeks were flushed.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a bit stuffy,¡± Mo Hua replied evasively.


    Bai Zixi glanced around at the lush surroundings, thinking Mo Hua was overwhelmed by the scent of rouge, and said,


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t come to such places next time.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded softly in response.


    The sight of Mo Hua¡¯s blushing face was witnessed by Elder Su.


    Elder Su was pleased to nod his head.


    That was more like it.


    That was the way a young boy should look.


    Mo Hua, this little gentleman, was usually too shrewd, his speech watertight, his eyes lively and profound, making him inscrutable.


    Being stared at by him, even Elder Su felt a bit guilty.


    Now this shy and blushing appearance was much more comfortable to look at.


    Then again, Elder Su recalled that he, too, had been flustered and even redder than Mo Hua when he first came here.


    As Elder Su reminisced about the past and felt nostalgic, he remembered something and asked,


    ¡°Young Master, didn¡¯t you want to ask about something?¡±


    Mo Hua then remembered, stealthily took a sip of tea to calm his nerves, and began to speak,


    ¡°Ladies, I¡¯m trying to inquire about someone.¡±


    The female cultivators looked at each other.


    Those who come here are guests, and according to the rules of the establishment, they couldn¡¯t reveal the identities of guests.


    Elder Su said, ¡°If he asks, you just tell him, it won¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±


    After speaking, Elder Su placed a jade bracelet on the table and said, ¡°Whoever answers correctly will get this bracelet.¡±


    The bracelet was luxurious and exquisitely smooth, with the flow of spiritual energy around it, clearly a fine item.


    The eyes of the female cultivators lit up, and they all nodded their heads.


    ¡°Please ask, Young Master, if we know, we will surely tell you,¡± they responded.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Have you seen a gentleman who looks like a Formation Master among your patrons at the Hundred Flower Tower before?¡±


    The female cultivators paused, then all silently turned their gaze towards Elder Su.


    Elder Su exclaimed angrily, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me!¡±


    The female cultivators looked away bashfully.


    After reflecting quietly, a female cultivator in green spoke up,


    ¡°Although there are not many cultivators like that, there are still a considerable number. Does the Young Master have any other clues?¡±


    Mo Hua gave a brief description of Instructor Yan¡¯s appearance and demeanor.


    ¡°¡­His expression is serious, somewhat rigid, but conscientious and responsible.¡±


    The female cultivators all shook their heads.


    Mo Hua frowned and glanced at Elder Su again, apologizing as he spoke,


    ¡°Elder Su, may I ask them some questions alone?¡±


    Elder Su was slightly taken aback, realizing that there might be some secrets that required his absence, and nodded, saying,


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go next door to listen to some music. Take your time asking.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Su.¡±


    Elder Su got up and left.


    Mo Hua then wanted to inquire about the grey-robed cultivator, and began to say,


    ¡°You¡­ ¡±


    ¡°`


    Halfway through his questioning, Mo Hua sensed something and suddenly stopped. He rose to his feet, ran over to the screen, poked his little head around it, and called out to the room next door:


    ¡°Elder Su, no eavesdropping.¡±


    Elder Su was shocked. ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    He had been preparing to eavesdrop, but after having heard just two words, he was discovered by Mo Hua.


    He himself was a Foundation Building Cultivator, with a Divine Sense adequate for Foundation Establishment. Could it really be that even a brief instance of eavesdropping would be detected by Mo Hua?


    That Divine Sense of yours is somewhat outrageous, isn¡¯t it¡­


    Or does Mo Hua have other methods?


    Nonetheless, being caught eavesdropping was quite embarrassing.


    Elder Su¡¯s face turned red, and too embarrassed to deny it, he coughed and said sheepishly:


    ¡°Go ahead and ask, I¡¯m not listening anymore.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.


    After returning to his seat and confirming that Elder Su was no longer eavesdropping, and that no other cultivators were either, Mo Hua then asked:


    ¡°Have you seen any strange cultivators at the Hundred Flower Tower?¡±


    The female cultivators were all somewhat startled.


    ¡°What do you mean by strange?¡±


    The cultivators who frequented brothels varied widely, and although some might be considered strange compared to ordinary cultivators, within the brothel, such oddities were not particularly unusual.


    After all, this kind of place harbored all kinds of filth and degeneracy, so peculiar and bizarre cultivators were hardly a rare sight.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said:


    ¡°One with a strange scent.¡±


    ¡°What kind of strange scent?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze tightened, ¡°Cold, faint, like rot, as if¡­the smell of a dead person.¡±


    Hearing this, the crowd of female cultivators jumped in alarm.


    They hadn¡¯t expected that Mo Hua, at such a young age, would ask such a strange and eerie question.


    But a cold scent of decay, the smell of death¡­


    What kind of cultivator was this?


    The female cultivators all furrowed their brows but shook their heads one after another.


    Mo Hua looked somewhat disappointed and said:


    ¡°Thank you, sisters. You can go now.¡±


    Afterward, he warned them, ¡°But don¡¯t talk about our conversation with anyone else, okay? It would be very dangerous.¡±


    The female cultivators¡¯ hearts chilled, and they all nodded their heads.


    Mo Hua then gave each of them a Spirit Stone.


    They couldn¡¯t help but smile warmly, thanking him in unison: ¡°Thank you, Young Master,¡± and then filed out.


    As the female cultivators left, Mo Hua stopped the one dressed in green.


    ¡°Sister, could you brew a pot of tea for me?¡±


    Mo Hua asked with a smile.


    The woman in green was taken aback, but then she also smiled and said:


    ¡°I dare not refuse a command from the Young Master.¡±


    So the woman in green sat at the table, lit the fire, started the stove, poured the water, steeped the tea, and gently simmered it.


    Mo Hua then quietly asked her:


    ¡°You know about that cultivator, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression turned frantic, then she composed herself and said with a smile:


    ¡°Young Master must be joking.¡±


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°It¡¯s just us here, no one is eavesdropping, and your sisters don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve said. You can just tell me quietly.¡±


    The woman in green hesitated.


    Mo Hua then stuffed Elder Su¡¯s jade bracelet into her hand, ¡°This is for you.¡±


    The woman in green was startled, her face lighting up with happiness, and then she struggled with her emotions. After a moment of hesitation and a determined look in her eyes, she nodded and said:


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Sister, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Qinglan.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Sister Qinglan, have you ever seen that cold, rot-smelling cultivator?¡±


    Qinglan¡¯s expression became solemn, and she nodded.


    Mo Hua waited for her to continue.


    Qinglan then said, ¡°That person is a regular at the Hundred Flower Tower, always dressed in grey, often with his face covered, his features unclear¡­¡±


    ¡°He stays here often but vanishes like a ghost; I don¡¯t know when he comes in, nor when he leaves.¡±


    ¡°He carries an odd odor with him. At first, I only found it strange and couldn¡¯t identify it, but now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, Young Master, I realize that the scent does resemble¡­the smell of the dead¡­¡±


    Qinglan¡¯s face showed both fear and panic.


    Mo Hua poured her a cup of hot tea.


    After drinking the tea, Qinglan felt somewhat better.


    Mo Hua pressed on, ¡°How did you come to know him?¡±


    Qinglan stammered, ¡°I¡¯m close to Sister Yulan, and he used to stay with her. I¡¯ve seen him several times.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s somewhat eerie, so I was afraid and didn¡¯t interact with him much.¡±


    Mo Hua asked further, ¡°Does he always stay with Sister Yulan each time?¡±


    Qinglan nodded, ¡°He used to.¡±


    ¡°He used to?¡±


    Qinglan lowered her head, gripping her clothes tightly, her fingers turning white, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    Qinglan pursed her lips, trying to hold back, but tears still ran down her cheeks, ¡°Sister Yulan¡­ she¡¯s dead¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Dead?¡±


    Qinglan turned pale, ¡°Not just Sister Yulan. It¡¯s said that all the sisters who once served him died mysteriously in the end¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister Yulan is dead¡­¡±


    ¡°And next, it¡¯ll be my turn¡­¡±

 Chapter 433 - 427 Lonely_1

    Chapter 433: Chapter 427 Lonely_1


    ¡°Why did it fall to you?¡±


    Qinglan hesitated for a moment, then slowly said,


    ¡°I went to see Sister Yulan, and he saw me. He stared at me for a long time, with eyes like a venomous snake, sticky and disgusting¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess he harbors ill intentions.¡±


    ¡°And after Sister Yulan died, Mother also told me¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother?¡± Mo Hua was slightly startled.


    Qinglan looked around, and seeing no one else, she whispered, ¡°It¡¯s the female brothel keeper.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The female brothel keeper is the old matron of the brothel, whose girls she raises, referred to as ¡°Mother¡±.


    Qinglan continued, ¡°Mother also told me that there¡¯s a client who specifically asked for me¡­ I inquired who this client was, and Mother gave a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile and didn¡¯t clarify.¡±


    ¡°I asked her over and over, and Mother got angry, hit me, scolded me, saying that I¡¯ve grown too bold to question her like this, and even said I was a financial loss, that it would serve me right even if I died¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned and said, ¡°Your Mother is really mean.¡±


    Qinglan dared not speak ill of the female brothel keeper and just nodded slightly.


    ¡°What happened next?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Qinglan said, ¡°Then, I guessed that he must want me to accompany that man in gray.¡±


    ¡°After Sister Yulan died, there have been some other sisters who didn¡¯t survive either.¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­¡±


    Qinglan couldn¡¯t go on and silently wiped away her tears.


    Mo Hua poured her another cup of tea and comforted her softly,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen to you.¡±


    With tears on her cheeks, Qinglan clung to a lifeline, her eyes full of hope,


    ¡°I won¡¯t die¡­?¡±


    ¡°Everyone has to die,¡± Mo Hua said matter-of-factly.


    Qinglan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Mo Hua set her small face firmly, ¡°But before he harms you, he will definitely die first!¡±


    Although Qinglan felt that the words were somewhat ambiguous, she still felt comforted and slowly let out a sigh of relief.


    She didn¡¯t know the origin of this young gentleman, but seeing his young age and how even Elder Su respected him greatly, she assumed his status was extraordinary and a hint of hope grew in her heart.


    ¡°Have you told these things to anyone else?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Qinglan shook her head and said bitterly,


    ¡°Who would I tell? Sister Yulan is dead, the other sisters are living on borrowed time, and who knows when they¡¯ll displease a client and get beaten till they can¡¯t leave their bed, and Mother is¡­ not of a good temper¡­¡±


    Mo Hua listened with a frown, ¡°Is there no one in charge here?¡±


    Qinglan gave a bitter smile, ¡°We lowly people are only used for others¡¯ entertainment; who would care if we live or die?¡±


    Mo Hua felt uncomfortable hearing this, ¡°What about your parents?¡±


    Qinglan¡¯s eyes dimmed, ¡°I was sold here by my parents.¡±


    At this, Mo Hua was momentarily taken aback, and Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at her with sympathy.


    Mo Hua was silent for a while, then quietly asked,


    ¡°Do you hate your parents?¡±


    Qinglan shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t. They¡¯re already dead.¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qinglan nodded, ¡°They died of starvation.¡±


    With tears glistening in her eyes and a bit of a choke in her voice, Qinglan said,


    ¡°My parents¡­ sold me to the brothel so that I wouldn¡¯t starve to death. Even the Spirit Stone they got for selling me¡­ they secretly gave it to me, so that I could survive¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Mo Hua felt a pang of sorrow, ¡°Were they Mining Cultivators?¡±


    Qinglan nodded, ¡°Yes. My father mined for the Lu Family, and when the mine collapsed, he broke a leg and was invaded by Filthy Qi into his heart meridians, unable to mine anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°My mother struggled to support the family, toiled too hard, fell seriously ill. Both of them knew they wouldn¡¯t live long, so they sold me to the brothel, as a last resort to keep me alive¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze hardened, ¡°Is this brothel owned by the Lu Family?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Qinglan said, ¡°Not just this brothel, but most of Jinhua Street, the business of food, drink, prostitution, gambling, mostly belongs to the Lu Family¡­¡±


    ¡°Then do you want to leave the brothel?¡±


    Qinglan gave a sorrowful shake of her head, ¡°There¡¯s no way out.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, deep in thought, murmuring to herself,


    ¡°The Lu Family, huh¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng whispered to Mo Hua, ¡°This Lu Family doesn¡¯t seem like good news either.¡±


    He pondered, ¡°Qian Family, Sun Family, Lu Family¡­ these families, none seem to be good¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng suddenly startled, ¡°Our Bai Family wouldn¡¯t also be bad, would it¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes were sharp as she glanced at him.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t sure what to say to him.


    Bai Zisheng scratched his head, muttering, ¡°That¡¯s really hard to say¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook her head and then asked,


    ¡°Sister Qinglan, do you know what level of Cultivation that gray-clothed Cultivator is?¡±


    Qinglan furrowed her brow, ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure.¡±


    ¡°Not being sure is also okay.¡±


    After hesitating, Qinglan then said, ¡°I guess he might be a Foundation Building Cultivator¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Sister Yulan told me. She said his Cultivation was profound. Sister Yulan was in the later stages of Qi Refinement, so he must be at the Foundation Establishment level¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook her head slightly.


    If he¡¯s at Foundation Building¡­ that would be somewhat problematic.


    ¡°When does he usually come to the brothel?¡±


    ¡°He comes on the fourth and fourteenth of every month, then the duration of his stay varies.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded. She pointed to the jade bracelet in Qinglan¡¯s hand, ¡°Keep this bracelet safe. Don¡¯t let anyone see it. On the fourth, I¡¯ll come claiming you stole Elder Su¡¯s jade bracelet, and we¡¯ll come questioning you.¡±


    ¡°That way, whether we succeed or not, it won¡¯t implicate you.¡±


    Qinglan looked at Mo Hua and asked in a low voice,


    ¡°What are you guys planning to do?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±


    Qinglan nodded, looking at Mo Hua and the other two, her worries still evident,


    ¡°You are young; don¡¯t get caught up in that gray-clothed man¡¯s schemes in an attempt to rescue me. He¡¯s somber and sinister, likely devious in his actions¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He pointed to Mo Hua, ¡°You might not think much of him because of his age, but he¡¯s got no less cunning in his belly than anyone else¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was displeased, ¡°Who has a belly full of bad tricks?¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked skyward, pretending he hadn¡¯t said anything.


    Mo Hua muttered, ¡°A belly full of bad tricks is still better than being a fool¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re calling your senior brother a fool again?¡±


    ¡°And you were saying your junior brother is full of mischief?¡±


    ¡­


    The two bickered in hushed tones.


    Bai Zixi, helpless, slapped each of them on the back.


    The slap on Bai Zisheng was harder, while that on Mo Hua was gentler due to his frailty.


    Bai Zisheng grimaced in pain and said:


    ¡°Zixi, you¡¯re biased!¡±


    Bai Zixi ignored him and simply said to Mo Hua, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the matter at hand, head back earlier.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    Mo Hua acknowledged.


    Afterward, Mo Hua inquired about some details, then instructed Qinglan:


    ¡°Sister Qinglan, you go back first, don¡¯t talk about this to anyone, and don¡¯t show any signs. We will come looking for you in a few days.¡±


    Qinglan pursed her lips, nodded solemnly, and then left.


    Mo Hua went to seek out Elder Su.


    Elder Su was leisurely drinking wine, listening to music, and watching the female cultivators dance gracefully on stage.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua, Elder Su queried:


    ¡°Are you done asking?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Good.¡± Elder Su didn¡¯t probe further, as these matters were considered the private affairs of cultivators, and inquiring rashly was impolite.


    ¡°Little gentleman, will you stay to play for a while, or¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I should head home,¡± Mo Hua said.


    This statement made perfect sense coming from Mo Hua, but hearing it in a brothel at that time felt rather odd.


    Elder Su expressed his regret, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Mo Hua saw the look of unfulfilled desire on his face and whispered:


    ¡°How about this, we head back first, and Elder Su, you can stay a while longer?¡±


    Elder Su seemed tempted but hurriedly shook his head:


    ¡°No, no, no, what kind of person do you take me for? I¡¯m not familiar with this place and there¡¯s nothing¡­ no real fun to be had here¡­¡±


    Elder Su said insincerely.


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Su with a smile that was not quite a smile.


    Feeling Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, Elder Su felt somewhat sheepish.


    Soon, the group left Hundred Flower Tower, with Elder Su looking a bit downcast along the way.


    This was his first experience of such ¡°virtuous conduct,¡± passing through fields of flowers untouched.


    To thank Elder Su, Mo Hua presented him with some rare Formation Diagrams.


    Elder Su was somewhat shocked, ¡°Is this for me?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do.¡±


    Only then did Elder Su cheer up, forgetting all about the flirtatious beauties as he flipped through the Formation Diagrams, unable to put them down.


    As they walked, Mo Hua suddenly asked Elder Su:


    ¡°Elder, the girls in Hundred Flower Tower, are they all pretty miserable?¡±


    Elder Su paused, and the smile on his face gradually faded.


    He sighed. ¡°Yes, they are.¡±


    ¡°Most of them come from the mines, sold into the brothel, lives adrift like duckweed, rarely meeting a good end. Even if one wanted to help, it¡¯s not feasible¡­¡±


    Curious, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Have you thought about helping them?¡±


    Elder Su nodded and then looked rather embarrassed, ¡°Although I do have personal desires and occasionally linger here, it¡¯s always consensual, and I cannot bear to see them treated so poorly.¡±


    ¡°But I cannot help them.¡±


    ¡°Even if I could, I might only help one or two. With so many brothels on Jinhua Street and so many female cultivators, I can¡¯t help everyone¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, even if I could help them, it would be futile.¡±


    Elder Su sighed again.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Mo Hua queried.


    Elder Su pointed to the dark mines in the distance, his tone grave:


    ¡°The root of these brothels is not on this street but in the mines.¡±


    ¡°As long as the Mining Cultivators in the mines remain impoverished, forced to sell their sons and daughters, these brothels will stand forever, never lacking female cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, there are those who have fallen willingly, who do not cherish themselves, but they are a minority.¡±


    ¡°The majority of female cultivators abhor this life, not wishing to spend their days in such a quagmire¡­¡±


    Elder Su took a deep breath, sounding somewhat powerless:


    ¡°But this isn¡¯t a problem Foundation Building Cultivators can resolve.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze flickered as if contemplating something.


    Then he praised, ¡°Elder Su, you are a good man.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Su smiled and nodded, but after a moment, he paused, then quickly shook his head:


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that, it has nothing to do with me, all this is something I heard from a ¡®Taoist Friend¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°This ¡®Taoist Friend¡¯ you spoke of¡­¡±


    Elder Su waved his hand, ¡°It¡¯s not me, not me¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The issue of the brothel couldn¡¯t be solved for now, and Mo Hua decided to focus on tracking down the grey-clothed cultivator.


    After parting with Elder Su, Mo Hua and the three gathered in their cave dwelling to discuss.


    ¡°Should we slaughter that grey-clothed cultivator?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    Mo Hua clenched his small hand, ¡°Capture first, interrogate next, then execute!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to capture a Foundation Establishment, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a bit tricky, just the three of us.¡±


    ¡°So what do you plan to do?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then whispered conspiratorially, ¡°We report it to the Taoist Court Official¡­¡±


    ¡°Report?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua said assertively, ¡°This man hires killers and traffics bodies, violating the Taoist Law, utterly sinful. It¡¯s natural to report it to the Taoist Court Official. They¡¯ll capture him; why should we exert the effort?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°But if the Taoist Court Official catches him, won¡¯t we be unable to find out the information?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± Mo Hua said mysteriously, ¡°The Taoist Court has our people!¡±


    Bai Zixi was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Our people¡­ do you mean Sister Situ? She can¡¯t really be considered ¡®our people¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Whether she is or not doesn¡¯t matter; the result is the same.¡±


    As long as the Court Officials can extract the information, by asking Situ Fang, he would surely know everything clearly.


    With their good relationship, Situ Fang would definitely not hide anything from him.


    So, ending up in the hands of the Court is as good as being caught by them.


    Bai Zisheng then asked, ¡°What if the Taoist Court Official can¡¯t capture him?¡±


    Mo Hua said in a low voice, ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to let the snipe and the clam fight, and reap the benefits like the fisherman¡­¡±

 Chapter 434 - 428: Taking Action_1

    Chapter 434: Chapter 428: Taking Action_1


    The next day, Mo Hua went to the Taoist Court to make an accusation.


    He found Situ Fang and recounted how the grey-clothed cultivator hired an assassin to commit murder, hid in the brothel, and even caused the death of a female cultivator from the brothel.


    Situ Fang stared at Mo Hua in shock, ¡°How do you know so much?¡±


    The Taoist Court hadn¡¯t uncovered anything yet.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I went to the brothel, and by chance, I accidentally happened to overhear¡­¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You went to the brothel?!¡±


    ¡°Just to listen to the music, watch the dancing. It got late, so I went home¡­¡± Mo Hua said, a bit guiltily.


    Situ Fang¡¯s gaze grew stern, ¡°You can¡¯t go there again!¡±


    Walking by the river often leads to wet shoes. Situ Fang feared Mo Hua would pick up bad habits.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was there on serious business. Who would go to the brothel for no reason? I am very busy.¡±


    He had to cultivate, learn formations, cook for his master and fellow disciples, fry pine nuts for Old Kui, and indeed, he also had to feed grass to Big White.


    He was indeed very busy.


    Situ Fang sighed, ¡°Fine, as long as you are aware of what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Have you thought about how to capture that grey-clothed cultivator?¡±


    Situ Fang frowned, ¡°The Taoist Court will figure out a way to handle this, you don¡¯t need to¡­¡±


    ¡°Is the Taoist Court really up to the task?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was somewhat profound.


    Situ Fang paused, thought it over with patience, and seemed unsure.


    The grey-clothed cultivator had been hiring murderers and trafficking in bodies for decades. What was his identity, what background did he have, and what was his connection to the Taoist Court? She was not certain either.


    If there were any collusion with the internal members of the Taoist Court, reporting to the Court Leader would be like startling the snake in the grass. Even if they acted meticulously, it would likely be a case of wasted effort, bringing no fruitful result.


    After pondering for a moment, Situ Fang said, ¡°I will call over some people from my clan.¡±


    ¡°From the clan?¡±


    Situ Fang nodded, ¡°The Situ Family has a Foundation Building Cultivator in South Yue City. I¡¯ll ask him to make a move, and then report to the Taoist Court afterwards, to take action first and report later.¡±


    Mo Hua then felt at ease.


    He was a bit skeptical of the Taoist Court in South Yue City, but he trusted Situ Fang.


    Mo Hua relayed all the information about Qinglan to Situ Fang without missing a single detail and then discussed the timing, location, and method of the capture.


    After everything was agreed upon, Situ Fang thought for a moment and said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°On the fourth day of the month, you¡¯d better not go.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I need to be there, and besides, how would you contact Sister Qinglan without me?¡±


    Situ Fang hesitated, ¡°But the other party is after all at Foundation Establishment¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Mo Hua confidently, ¡°Even if he is at Foundation Establishment, he might not discover me. I could still escape if I wanted to, and besides, I have my fellow disciples.¡±


    ¡°Your fellow disciples are also just Qi Refinement, aren¡¯t they¡­¡±


    ¡°Although they are at Qi Refinement, they are very powerful.¡±


    Thinking of the profound spiritual power within Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, Situ Fang let out a sigh and conceded:


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    When Mo Hua made up his mind, all she could do is offer advice.


    The child¡¯s capabilities now seemed to surpass her own, at least in terms of formations.


    If he wanted to go, he must have a plan in mind.


    When the time came, she would just need to remind the Elder of the Situ Family to keep an eye on Mo Hua and prevent him from getting hurt.


    Even if there was a battle at Foundation Establishment, as long as Mo Hua kept his distance, he should be safe.


    And Mo Hua was very good at keeping out of harm¡¯s way.


    She had a profound memory of this from their time in Big Black Mountain.


    ¡­ Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After finalizing the plan, Situ Fang began to deploy her people and arranged some Enforcement Leaders to scout out the Hundred Flower Tower in advance.


    These cultivators were all trusted by her, and some were even from the Situ Family.


    At the same time, she also paid a visit to South Yue Sect and called out the Elder from the Situ Family who was a guest there.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua continued cultivating and practicing formations.


    And he specifically prepared a set of the unique Compass Parent-Child Formation.


    This formation would serve a great purpose for him.


    When the fourth day arrived and night fell, Mo Hua met with Situ Fang and they entered the Hundred Flower Tower together.


    The Enforcement Leaders of the Taoist Court had already infiltrated the place.


    The Elder from the Situ Family was already there, drinking wine inside the brothel.


    No sooner had Situ Fang entered than she was stopped.


    The one who stopped her was a middle-aged to elderly female cultivator, heavily made up, dressed in bold reds and greens, with a smiling face but sharp eyes, possibly over a hundred years old.


    This female cultivator was the female brothel keeper of the Hundred Flower Tower.


    The brothel keeper detained Situ Fang with polite manners, yet there was a sarcastic tone in her voice:


    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this the Supervisor from the Taoist Court, Situ Fang? What brings you to our Hundred Flower Tower?¡±


    The brothel keeper then pretended to be surprised:


    ¡°But¡­ aren¡¯t you a maiden? Oh, now I see, perhaps you are¡­ that kind¡­¡±


    She drew out the last word, then covered her face with a lover¡¯s fan and let out a few unkind laughs.


    Situ Fang¡¯s expression was stern, ¡°I am here on official business.¡±


    The laughter from the brothel keeper ceased, and her gaze turned hostile as she said:


    ¡°What official business?¡±


    Situ Fang glanced at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua then stepped forward, acting arrogantly and imposingly, ¡°Someone from your Hundred Flower Tower has stolen my belongings!¡±


    Theft¡­


    The female brothel keeper breathed a slight sigh of relief and said with a forced smile:


    ¡°Our Hundred Flower Tower conducts legitimate business, and the girls are all very proper. How could they steal anything? Does the Young Master have any evidence for such an accusation?¡±


    Situ Fang, standing to one side, felt her eyebrows twitching with irritation.


    Legitimate business? Proper girls?


    She wanted to tear the female brothel keeper¡¯s nonsense-spouting mouth to shreds.


    Mo Hua let out a cold huff, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a girl named Qinglan in your establishment?¡±


    The female brothel keeper was slightly taken aback but smiled:


    ¡°Yes, there is such a girl.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Mo Hua raised his eyebrows, ¡°She stole my jade bracelet, which was a gift from Elder Su!¡±


    ¡°Elder Su¡­¡±


    The female brothel keeper paused for a moment.


    She remembered that Elder Su from the South Yue Sect had indeed visited a few days ago, and this Young Master seemed to have been accompanying Elder Su at that time.


    And indeed, Elder Su had chosen Qinglan.


    The female brothel keeper frowned slightly, beginning to believe the accusation to some extent.


    These girls, accustomed to poverty and unfit for the public eye, might indeed take things that weren¡¯t theirs when they saw something valuable.


    The female brothel keeper cursed inwardly: ¡°This wretched girl has really caused me trouble!¡±


    However¡­


    The female brothel keeper was somewhat troubled, ¡°Qinglan is currently attending to a client and it is not convenient. I will interrogate her later; if she really took the Young Master¡¯s belongings, I will make sure she returns them¡­¡±


    ¡°This little wretch, ignorant of her place, will be severely reprimanded and taught a lesson¡­¡±


    The female brothel keeper gritted her teeth, her expression turning rather ugly.


    Mo Hua listened with a chill in his gaze, but his tone only grew more unyielding:


    ¡°That¡¯s unacceptable. How do I know you won¡¯t protect her? Call her over right now for an on-the-spot confrontation.¡±


    The female brothel keeper hesitated.


    Mo Hua sneered, ¡°That jade bracelet is extremely valuable. If it goes missing, you won¡¯t be able to bear the responsibility!¡±


    Having said that, Mo Hua added:


    ¡°I have asked Supervisor Situ to come as a witness. If your Hundred Flower Tower is protecting Qinglan and has embezzled my jade bracelet, then I will have no choice but to report to the Daoist Court and seek justice.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The female brothel keeper felt cornered.


    She did not wish to offend Elder Su, and with this Young Master¡¯s connection to Elder Su, she couldn¡¯t afford to offend him either.


    And the Daoist Court was something she wanted to provoke even less.


    Though the Hundred Flower Tower had been able to operate for so long by bribing the Daoist Court in South Yue City.


    But the higher-ups in the Daoist Court were a pack of insatiable wolves.


    Once alarmed, they would surely demand a hefty bribe. It would cost her not only Spirit Stones, but her girls would also be wearied for no gain.


    The female brothel keeper bit her lip, ¡°Fine, Young Master, wait a moment, and I will bring that wretched Qinglan here to find out the truth!¡±


    The female brothel keeper stomped off, swaying with feigned indignation.


    A short while later, a trembling Qinglan was brought before them.


    Mo Hua looked at Qinglan and noticed she had been freshly groomed, with damp hair, a pale complexion, trembling fingers, and faint whip marks on her neck.


    Mo Hua let out a cold laugh, pointing at Qinglan:


    ¡°You, come here. I have a question for you.¡±


    Hope flickered in Qinglan¡¯s pained eyes as she slowly made her way to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he spoke gravely:


    ¡°I ask you, is that ¡®jade bracelet¡¯ with you?¡±


    Qinglan pursed her pale lips and nodded earnestly:


    ¡°It is!¡±


    Mo Hua breathed a small sigh of relief and glanced at Situ Fang.


    Situ Fang caught the signal and picked up a wine pot from the table, throwing it to the ground in anger:


    ¡°This is outrageous!¡±


    The shattering of the wine pot echoed up to the floors above.


    The female brothel keeper frowned slightly, sensing something off in their conversation but, at that moment, couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was.


    While she was pondering, a powerful wave of Spiritual Power suddenly erupted from the back courtyard¡¯s upper floor.


    The female brothel keeper¡¯s face turned pale.


    Guests all stirred, rising in alarm and confusion.


    ¡°A Foundation Building Cultivator?!¡±


    A Foundation Building Cultivator was making a move in Hundred Flower Tower!


    The hall instantly fell into a clamor and chaos.


    In the midst of the chaos, Mo Hua gently pulled the shivering Qinglan behind him, while Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi stood on either side to shield her.


    Situ Fang¡¯s eyes glinted coldly as she drew her sword and said:


    ¡°Someone dares to cause trouble in Hundred Flower Tower? Follow me to quell this disturbance!¡±


    Hidden among the guests, the enforcement leaders of the Daoist Court stood up one after another, brandishing their gleaming blades and leaping toward the upstairs.


    The female brothel keeper¡¯s jaw dropped at the sight, a chill running through her.


    It was over; she had been outmaneuvered!

 Chapter 435 - 429: Corpse Blood Pill_1

    Chapter 435: Chapter 429: Corpse Blood Pill_1


    Situ Fang led the Enforcement Leaders of the Taoist Court into the back courtyard of Hundred Flower Tower.


    Moments later, Spiritual Power overflowed, the sounds of battle, cries of alarm, shouts, and the crashing of buildings were all intermingled. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was curious. After thinking for a moment, he said to Qinglan:


    ¡°Find somewhere to hide and don¡¯t come out, no matter what.¡±


    Qinglan was a bit nervous, but still nodded her head.


    Afterward, Mo Hua and two others also used their movement techniques to reach the second floor and looked out toward the back courtyard through a window.


    Hundred Flower Tower had a front and a back building, with a courtyard in between.


    The front building was the main hall, used for hosting banquets and where female cultivators sang and danced, while the back building contained private rooms for the brothel¡¯s business.


    In the center of the back building was a courtyard with mountains and water, full of blooming flowers.


    The courtyard was spacious and the scenery pleasant.


    Behind the courtyard was the back building. Three-story buildings surrounded the courtyard on three sides.


    The upper levels were connected by corridors, with exquisite rooms, red lanterns hanging in the passageways, and pink curtains; the heavy scent of makeup was overpowering.


    Various Formations were laid out between the corridors: there were reinforcing ones, soundproofing ones, dust-exposing ones, and even illuminating ones.


    The light pink glow illuminated the entire back building, casting an enchanting and romantic atmosphere.


    This made Mo Hua quite unhappy.


    In the mines, Mining Cultivators faced grueling work, with life and death hanging in the balance, yet the Formations painted there were exceedingly simple.


    Yet, here in Hundred Flower Tower, a place indulgent in pleasure, the Formations were so well established.


    They even used Formations to enhance the ambiance and romantic mood.


    It was indeed excessive.


    Suddenly, a surge of Spiritual Power erupted, bricks shattered, and sawdust flew about.


    Mo Hua looked toward the source of the commotion.


    He saw that on a second-floor room far away, the doors and windows had been completely smashed, and the surrounding Formations had also been utterly destroyed.


    On the corridor, two Foundation Establishment Cultivators were engaged in combat.


    One wore black garments, the other gray.


    The black-clothed Cultivator was a Foundation Establishment Elder of the Situ Family, named Situ Jin.


    And that masked figure in gray, with an aura that was dark and gloomy, was likely the person behind the scenes buying corpses in the mine that Mo Hua was looking for.


    Situ Fang, with the Enforcement Leaders from the Taoist Court of South Yue City, surrounded the area to prevent the gray-clothed Cultivator from escaping.


    They were all Qi Refinement Cultivators, unable to match the power of Foundation Establishment, but if they formed a battle array, they could trade a blow or two with a Foundation Establishment opponent and delay them briefly.


    The Taoist Court cultivators stood ready for combat.


    And on the corridor, Situ Jin exchanged a series of blows with the person in gray.


    After watching for a while, Mo Hua frowned.


    Bai Zisheng whispered:


    ¡°This gray-clothed Cultivator seems a bit weak¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but nod, ¡°He is quite weak¡­¡±


    His moves were deceitful, and his Spiritual Power was also very soft, but his cultivation was truly weak, even among ordinary cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, he was at the bottom.


    Of all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators that Mo Hua had seen, this gray-clothed one was the weakest.


    Even in Tongxian City, the aged Court Leader Zhou and Old Master An, who was not skilled in Taoist Skills, were stronger when they made a move.


    The gray-clothed Cultivator was a Body Cultivator, but his vital energy was not strong, and the martial skills he knew were also quite common.


    Besides, he seemed to have learned a spell or two.


    It looked like the Earth Poison Technique, but he clearly was not a Spiritual Cultivator, and while this spell could deal with Qi Refinement Cultivators, it really wasn¡¯t enough against peers of the same stage.


    From head to toe, the gray-clothed Cultivator exuded a half-baked air.


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed even tighter.


    How could he be so weak?


    Even he could hardly bear to watch anymore.


    The situation on the field was the same, with Situ Jin¡¯s palm strikes like a wind, constantly overpowering the gray-clothed Cultivator.


    The gray-clothed Cultivator struggled to cope and barely managed to hold on.


    He wanted to escape, but the surrounding Enforcement Leaders were blocking him. Every time he tried to break through, he was delayed and then entangled again by Situ Jin.


    After dozens more exchanges, the gray-clothed Cultivator, seeing that he was about to be defeated, leaped from the upper floor into the garden below. A gray light flashed around his body, and he suddenly disappeared.


    Situ Jin landed afterward, looking around with furrowed brows.


    Mo Hua was also surprised and turned to ask:


    ¡°What Taoist Skill is this?¡±


    Bai Zisheng hesitated and said, ¡°Is this¡­ an Escape Technique?¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded, ¡°It¡¯s the Earth Escape Technique from the Five Elements Escape Techniques.¡±


    ¡°Escape Technique?¡± Mo Hua blinked.


    Bai Zixi explained:


    ¡°An Escape Technique is actually a type of movement technique, but it¡¯s specifically for fleeing. When activated, Spiritual Power envelops the body and merges with the Five Elements of the world, thereby hiding their presence and escaping to safety.¡±


    The gray-clothed Cultivator left it until the last moment to use Earth Escape, just to avoid revealing his trump card.


    Once an Escape Technique is known, it¡¯s much easier for others to be on their guard and counter it.


    Mo Hua understood and sincerely praised:


    ¡°Junior Sister, you know so much!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple.¡±


    Bai Zixi said indifferently, with her slender eyebrows slightly raised and a faint pride in her eyes.


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but say:


    ¡°Mo Hua, you¡¯re really good at flattery.¡±


    Mo Hua said displeased:


    ¡°Telling the truth is not flattery. Besides, why don¡¯t I flatter you? It¡¯s because you don¡¯t know, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was at a loss for words.


    In terms of knowledge in Tao Cultivation, he indeed could not compare to his younger sister Zixi.


    Not just in the knowledge of Tao Cultivation, in fact, he couldn¡¯t compare to her in many aspects¡­


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t argue with Mo Hua anymore but frowned and said, ¡°Now that he has used an Escape Technique, is that guy going to escape?¡±


    Mo Hua said with a grin, ¡°He won¡¯t get away.¡±


    The Divine Sense of the gray-clothed Cultivator was only at ten Patterns.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was at twelve Patterns!


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became solemn, he closed his eyes, concentrated fully, and projected his Divine Sense to its utmost reach.


    In a vision of pure white Divine Sense, he searched for traces of the gray-clothed Cultivator.


    After a moment, Mo Hua opened his eyes, and with a flick of his fingers, a ball of fire condensed at the tip.

 Chapter 436 - 429: Corpse Blood Pill_2

    Chapter 436: Chapter 429: Corpse Blood Pill_2


    Then, with a casual gesture, the fireball soared into the garden in an instant, exploding on a patch of grass and turning the vegetation to flying ash.


    As the grass turned to ash, a blackened face emerged from the scorched earth.


    The monk in grey robes looked confused.


    Where did that Fireball Technique come from, and how did it hit him?


    This Fireball Technique also caught the attention of Situ Jin.


    With that, he also spotted the movements of the monk in grey robes.


    Situ Jin, who had been searching to no avail, was invigorated and summoned his Spiritual Power to strike at the monk with a palm.


    The monk in grey robes was too slow to dodge and was hit by the palm, revealing his tattered clothes and a face covered in black ash.


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique was quite powerful, it wasn¡¯t a significant threat to someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage, it merely made his movements appear disheveled.


    The monk in grey robes cursed and retreated several steps, then dove into the ground, disappearing from sight.


    Situ Jin frowned deeply as he once again could not find his quarry.


    Just then, another swift fireball flew through the air, landing in the garden and exploding a bush, forcing the monk in grey robes¡¯ movements to be revealed again.


    Situ Jin was stunned and looked up at Mo Hua, eyes filled with disbelief.


    How could this junior cultivator see through an Earth Escape Technique?


    Even as a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, he couldn¡¯t detect the monk¡¯s whereabouts.


    How did he do it?


    But now was not the time for astonishment.


    Situ Jin once again employed his movement technique, leapt forward, and attacked the monk in grey robes.


    Forced to show himself, the monk looked up and naturally saw Mo Hua standing on the building above.


    He was both shocked and enraged and exploded with a curse:


    ¡°Damn brat, spoiling my plans, I¡¯ll slaughter you¡­¡±


    But before he could finish, he was interrupted by Situ Jin.


    Situ Jin delivered a palm strike, saying coldly,


    ¡°Thief, meet your death!¡±


    The monk in grey robes resisted the blow but staggered backward, coughing up blood, and hastily took out a pill to swallow, stabilizing his breath before once again employing the Escape Technique to vanish into the ground.


    However, time after time, he was still hit by the Fireball Technique.


    Learning from experience, Situ Jin decided not to search on his own and instead struck wherever the Fireball Technique indicated.


    The monk in grey robes, like a mole, had just burrowed down when he was mercilessly forced to come back up, filled with extreme frustration.


    He almost coughed up blood in his heart.


    What was with this kid?


    How could he see through his Escape Technique?


    After being hit by a few more Fireball Techniques, the monk in grey robes had a sudden realization.


    It was Divine Sense!


    Had this little brat locked onto him using Divine Sense?!


    The monk in grey robes found the concept inconceivable.


    A cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage was being tracked by a little brat in the Qi Refinement Realm using Divine Sense?


    He didn¡¯t have time to be astonished; just confused for a brief moment, he was distracted, and a fireball struck him in the face.


    The monk in grey robes felt intense pain all over his face and cursed in hatred.


    That damned brat was getting more accurate with every shot¡­


    If this continued, he would fall here.


    At the same time, Situ Jin attacked with another palm strike, this time hitting the monk¡¯s left shoulder, tearing through his clothes with the force of the wind while also ripping off the black cloth covering his face.


    Below the black cloth was a chilling, pale face with no trace of color.


    Furious, the monk roared with a hoarse voice:


    ¡°You motherfuckers are asking for death!¡±


    He then took out a strange-looking bronze vial with blood patterns on it and fiercely poured the pills inside into his mouth.


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    As soon as he produced the vial, Situ Jin knew something was wrong and immediately acted, striking with a palm. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although he didn¡¯t know what the pill was, he had to prevent the monk from swallowing it.


    His palm struck the monk¡¯s chest, Spiritual Power tearing through flesh and the force flinging him backward, but it failed to stop the monk from ingesting the blood-colored pills.


    The monk lay on the ground like a dead body, motionless for a long time.


    For a moment, the scene fell silent.


    Situ Jin¡¯s gaze grew solemn, and he dared not act rashly, his expression wary.


    After a short time, a sudden change occurred.


    The monk lying on the ground began to convulse irregularly, his limbs deforming and twisting, his body gradually swelling, veins bulging, and he finally stood up in an odd posture, straight as a rod.


    His skin turned an ashen blue, his body robust, eyes showing only whites, resembling a corpse as a deathly aura surrounded him.


    Situ Jin inhaled a breath of cold air.


    The surrounding Enforcement Leaders also turned pale with fright.


    Just then, the grey-clothed Cultivator, who resembled a corpse, took a step forward and was instantly before Situ Jin, throwing a punch at his chest.


    Situ Jin gathered all his strength and used palm-energy to catch the punch.


    The spiritual power of the Foundation Establishment Stage oscillated, pulverizing the surrounding grass, trees, and rocks into dust.


    Situ Jin was no match for the grey-clothed Cultivator, and the punch sent him staggering seven or eight steps backwards, until he finally had to half-kneel on the ground, spitting fresh blood.


    Just as the grey-clothed Cultivator wanted to press forward and pursue his victory, a Fireball Technique suddenly appeared and struck the back of his head.


    The spiritual power exploded, making him stagger.


    The power was not great, but the humiliation was profound.


    The grey-clothed Cultivator slowly turned his head, his dead white gaze directed at the building above.


    Upstairs, Mo Hua made a mocking face at him.


    This face almost blew up the grey-clothed Cultivator, who had become like a corpse.


    In that instant, the grey-clothed Cultivator had only one thought.


    He must kill this brat, no matter what!


    He left Situ Jin behind and strode towards Mo Hua.


    Situ Fang was shocked and tried to block him, but the grey-clothed Cultivator knocked her flying with a punch.


    The other few Qi Refining Enforcers were also no match for him.


    The grey-clothed Cultivator arrived in front of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua stood on the second floor, looking down at him from above.


    The grey-clothed Cultivator, with a face as dark as iron, emitted a strange roar and then leaped up to the second floor.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s gaze turned cold, and he stepped forward to meet him. His hands crossed and clenched together, and a silver-white spear appeared. His body moved like the wind, while the spear struck like a dragon, with a brilliant golden glow. He attacked the corpse-like grey-clothed Cultivator.


    The skin of the grey-clothed Cultivator was dark green and his veins bulged, nearly impenetrable as an Iron Corpse. He countered Bai Zisheng¡¯s spear with just his body.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s spear could not penetrate his skin or flesh, and could not harm him.


    Despite his fierce momentum, he was still at a disadvantage.


    After all, no matter how gifted he was, he was still only at the Qi Refinement level.


    At that moment, Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes, clear as crystal, sparkled, and her fingertips condensed a sword pattern, blazing with snow-white flames.


    Her fair and slender hand pointed out, releasing several beams of sword light, each with a biting chill, breaking through the grey-clothed Cultivator¡¯s body. The snow-white flames also scorched his wounds.


    The grey-clothed Cultivator, in pain, let out an inhuman, bizarre howl.


    But that was all.


    The flesh torn by the golden light slowly healed.


    The snow-white flames gradually died out, leaving only a few charred scars.


    The grey-clothed Cultivator¡¯s expression turned fierce again, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of fear in his heart.


    What were these two young Cultivators capable of?


    He had taken a Corpse Blood Pill, his cultivation greatly increased, making his body as tough as an Iron Corpse and impervious to blades or spears.


    Yet, they were still within the Qi-refining Realm and could fight him alone.


    And they could break through his body with a spell?


    The grey-clothed Cultivator¡¯s heart chilled.


    He couldn¡¯t allow the battle to drag on, because once the power of the Corpse Blood Pill was exhausted, and he suffered from its backlash, he would be in trouble.


    Kill that brat to vent his anger, and then withdraw immediately!


    The grey-clothed Cultivator¡¯s mind was made up. He glanced around, and on that corpse-like, ferocious face, a sudden blankness appeared¡­


    Where was that brat?


    How did he vanish?


    Where had he gone?


    Had he turned invisible?


    The grey-clothed Cultivator¡¯s dead white eyes widened; he couldn¡¯t see anyone.


    He released his Divine Sense but detected no trace¡­


    A surge of anger swelled in the grey-clothed Cultivator¡¯s chest.


    That brat¡­


    He had seen through his Escape Technique, been ambushed by him, humiliated by him, even mocked by his taunting face, and now, he couldn¡¯t even see a trace of him¡­


    Not being able to see him, how was he supposed to kill him?


    It was like punching into cotton.


    And he hadn¡¯t even managed to hit the cotton.


    As time went by, the power of the pill was close to running out.


    The grey-clothed Cultivator, filled with rage yet nowhere to vent it, shook all over with fury. Gritting his teeth and with a hoarse voice, he roared to the sky:


    ¡°Come out!¡±


    ¡°You come out right now!!¡±


    This impotent fury was filled with frustration.

 Chapter 437 - 430 Cant Look_1

    Chapter 437: Chapter 430 Can¡¯t Look_1


    ¡°`


    He took drugs, he became stronger, but Mo Hua turned invisible.


    The gray-clothed cultivator didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Once the drug effects of the Corpse Blood Pill faded, he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave.


    The gray-clothed cultivator howled ferociously a few times. Despite his reluctance, he could no longer stay there.


    The humiliation and mockery from that brat could be avenged another day.


    He threw a punch to hold Bai Zisheng off, then quickly dashed toward the corridor, smashing through the walls and disappearing into the rooms at the back of the building.


    There was chaos in the room, with the sound of cultivators¡¯ screams piercing the air.


    Using his Concealment Technique, Mo Hua had delayed the gray-clothed cultivator until the effects of the drugs had worn off, seizing the chance to escape, before he slowly reappeared.


    Bai Zisheng asked him, ¡°Should we pursue?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Chase him a bit, but don¡¯t be too hasty, lest he becomes cornered and lashes out.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The three of them followed the path the gray-clothed cultivator had created by smashing through the walls.


    The gray-clothed cultivator fled towards the back building, frantically barging into rooms just like a headless fly, battering through the walls, leaving the entire back building riddled with holes.


    Having ingested pills, his physical body was strong and his power much enhanced. The Formation used by the Hundred Flower Tower was only average, so it couldn¡¯t withstand his assaults.


    As Mo Hua and the others pursued, they found themselves facing a scene of ruined doors and windows as well as damaged walls.


    They had no idea where the gray-clothed cultivator had escaped to.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, his brow slightly furrowed.


    Even with his Divine Sense, he could not detect anything.


    Could there be a hidden passage in this Hundred Flower Tower?


    Mo Hua remembered what Qinglan had said; she had mentioned that this gray-clothed cultivator ¡°often stayed here, appearing and disappearing mysteriously, no one knew when he entered or left¡­¡±


    In that case, as his drug effects waned, he could only think of escaping.


    And escaping would surely mean a hidden passage.


    Cultivators do have the ability to teleport, but such high-level techniques, involving spatial transitions, were clearly not within the power of Qi-refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    After contemplating for a short while, Mo Hua turned to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi and said:


    ¡°Let¡¯s split up and look, see if there¡¯s any mechanism or hidden passage.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi nodded.


    Bai Zixi said, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and then, having used the Concealment Technique to hide his presence, he moved towards the center.


    Bai Zisheng went left, Bai Zixi went right.


    While Mo Hua searched for traces of the gray-clothed cultivator, he kept his Divine Sense alert to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi¡¯s movements, afraid they would encounter danger.


    As he walked, he noticed Bai Zixi had stopped in front of a room.


    Mo Hua was slightly startled.


    Had the junior martial sister found something?


    He then turned back and headed towards where Bai Zixi was.


    As Bai Zixi looked at the scene before her, she frowned.


    There, a bed was forcibly broken through, revealing a dark hole beneath.


    This hole was probably the entrance to a secret passage.


    And under the bed lay a dead male cultivator, whose chest had a gaping bloody cavity, as if his chest had been pierced forcibly by an arm, destroying his heart and killing him.


    The handiwork was likely that of the gray-clothed cultivator.


    Beside the man, there were a few female cultivators shivering naked, without a thread on their bodies.


    Bai Zixi was considering whether to check the secret passage, when she heard Mo Hua¡¯s footsteps.


    Mo Hua¡¯s steps were light and familiar.


    ¡°Junior martial sister?¡±


    Mo Hua called out and was about to step into the room.


    Bai Zixi glanced at the unclothed females in the room, suddenly realized something, and quickly walked to the door, stretching out her delicate hand to cover Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You can¡¯t look!¡±


    Mo Hua felt the soft and delicate hands covering his eyes, with the breath of his junior martial sister close in front, and his face turned slightly red.


    Yet, he still asked in a low voice, puzzled,


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I look?¡±


    Bai Zixi crisply said, ¡°Just because you can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Mo Hua obediently let her cover his eyes.


    After a while, Bai Zisheng also arrived, about to say something.


    Bai Zixi gave him a gentle glare, ¡°No looking allowed!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng silently covered his own eyes.


    The female cultivators in the room, having regained their composure, grabbed some silk and covered their bodies, then quickly threw on some clothes, albeit haphazardly.


    They were still a bit exposed, but at least presentable.


    Only then did Bai Zixi let go of her hand.


    Mo Hua glanced at them and roughly understood, then asked,


    ¡°Was there a strange, corpse-like cultivator who came through here?¡±


    The female cultivators nodded, stammering,


    ¡°We were just loosening our clothes, prepared to serve Young Master Zhao¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Master Zhao?¡±


    One female cultivator pointed to the man lying on the ground with the chest wound and continued,


    ¡°Unexpectedly, that monster suddenly burst in¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Master Zhao lost his mood, spoke harshly in protest, and was then pierced through the chest by that monster with one claw.¡±


    ¡°After killing Young Master Zhao, the monster punched through the bedboard and crawled into the hole beneath the bed, disappearing somewhere¡­¡±


    ¡°Whose room is this?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    The female cultivators looked at each other, and finally one spoke up,


    ¡°It¡¯s Sister Yulan¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°This Young Master Zhao, he was once a client of Sister Yulan, drank a bit of alcohol, who knows how, but he suddenly remembered Sister Yulan who had passed away, then stubbornly dragged us here¡­¡±


    They hesitated to continue in front of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He checked the hole under the bed, which was pitch black.


    After probing with his Divine Sense, Mo Hua shook his head.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°It¡¯s been blocked.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°Can it be pierced through?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s a mechanism inside. Once activated, the formation will self-destruct and the earth and stones will completely block the passage. It seems to be designed for escaping and cutting off any pursuit.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°The needles I gave you, did you leave them in his body?¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, ¡°Three of them. One in his hair, one on his sleeve, and another one¡ªafter Zixi¡¯s Sword Qi tore through his flesh, I took the opportunity to drive it into his wound, melding it into his flesh and blood. From the looks of it, he shouldn¡¯t be able to detect it for a short period of time.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡±


    After a while, Situ Jin and Situ Fang came in with several Enforcement Leaders.


    They had all sustained injuries of varying degrees and had just taken their Pills, after a brief period of recuperation.


    Situ Jin, with grateful eyes, said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Thank you, young brother.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for Mo Hua on the upper floor, attracting the grey-clothed cultivator¡¯s attention with the Fireball Technique and delaying him with tactics, sapping both time and the strange power of his medicine,


    That would have allowed the gray-clothed cultivator to wreak havoc. The loss on this mission would have been disastrous.


    Even he might have ended up severely injured.


    Situ Jin then looked at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi with admiration in his eyes, full of praise.


    These are the true scions of a Great Clan.


    With only Qi-refining Realm cultivation, they could confront Foundation Building Cultivators head-on and even injure the gray-clothed cultivator who, after taking the medicine, had his strength vastly increased and was like a living corpse.


    What would happen once they established their Foundation?


    ¡°Indeed, worthy of being the legitimate descendants of a Noble Clan¡­¡±


    Situ Jin silently reflected.


    The Situ Family¡¯s power wasn¡¯t small, but there was much surplus when comparing downward, yet far from sufficient when looking upward, especially when compared to the Bai Family, a Great Clan.


    This was reflected in the strength of the clan¡¯s disciples.


    Mo Hua and the others exchanged a few courteous words, saying things like ¡°No need to be so polite¡± and ¡°It¡¯s what we should do.¡±


    Of course, Mo Hua did most of the talking.


    Bai Zixi was cold by nature, and Bai Zisheng was slightly arrogant.


    Such matters were better left to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua also thanked Situ Jin and then asked: S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Elder Situ, what will the Taoist Court do next?¡±


    Situ Jin glanced at Situ Fang, who thought for a moment and then said:


    ¡°We now know what the grey-clothed cultivator looks like. Next, we will report to the court, verify his portrait, and retrieve his native information to ascertain his identity.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, ¡°He¡¯s a bad guy though, can he still be found out?¡±


    Situ Fang said, ¡°Even bad guys aren¡¯t born bad.¡±


    ¡°Many Sin Cultivators and Heretical Demons were Serious Cultivators at first, but due to personal desires or mistakes, they strayed from the right path.¡±


    ¡°As long as one is a Serious Cultivator, the Taoist Court will record their native information.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Do I have native information too?¡±


    Situ Fang said helplessly, ¡°Are you a Serious Cultivator?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I¡¯m very serious.¡±


    ¡°Then naturally, you do. However, the native information of a general cultivator is quite simple and usually, the Taoist Court can check it,¡± said Situ Fang.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean one¡¯s background can easily be checked by others?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    In his memory, the Taoist Court was very easy to bribe.


    Once bribed, wouldn¡¯t anyone be able to check his background?


    ¡°It¡¯s like that for general cultivators.¡±


    Situ Fang said, and then she looked at Mo Hua with a smile and continued:


    ¡°However, if your cultivation becomes high in the future, if you are successful with formations, and if your status becomes noteworthy, the Central Tao Court will encrypt your native information, and the general Taoist Court will no longer have the authority to view it.¡±


    ¡°Also, each cultivator who inquires about your native information will be required to state a reason and will be recorded.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and then asked:


    ¡°After the grey-clothed cultivator¡¯s identity is confirmed, how will the Taoist Court capture him?¡±


    Situ Fang sighed, ¡°That¡¯s going to require some effort¡­¡±


    ¡°Generally, a wanted notice will be issued, a reward will be offered, and based on his identity, related cultivators will be sought out for investigation to unravel the truth layer by layer¡­¡±


    Situ Fang continued, but suddenly paused and looked at Mo Hua skeptically:


    ¡°Why do you ask these things?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled shyly, ¡°I¡¯m just learning.¡±


    Situ Fang laughed at this and shook her head, ¡°You can¡¯t learn everything¡­ Leave the pursuit to the Taoist Court, and you all head back first.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Mo Hua agreed, and then he seemed to remember something and asked:


    ¡°What about Sister Qinglan?¡±


    ¡°You mean that young girl?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He was worried that the brothel keeper would hold a grudge and take revenge on Qinglan.


    Women in the brothel often had lives as unstable as floating weeds.


    Since Qinglan had helped him, Mo Hua also wanted to consider her well-being and provide her with a way out.


    Situ Fang thought for a moment and then said:


    ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll go to the brothel keeper, obtain her deed of sale, and take her away.¡±


    ¡°Will the brothel keeper agree?¡±


    Situ Fang sneered, ¡°She has to agree even if she doesn¡¯t want to. I¡¯ll just say that Qinglan, this little girl, was colluding with the Sin Cultivator, and her Hundred Flower Tower is also under suspicion.¡±


    ¡°In order to absolve herself of suspicion, the brothel keeper will definitely toss Qinglan, this hot potato, over to me, and she wouldn¡¯t dare to keep the deed.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Then thank you, Sister Situ.¡±


    After that, the matters were concluded by Situ Fang and the Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua and the others then left the Hundred Flower Tower.


    Before their arrival tonight, the Hundred Flower Tower was a world of lavish splendor but upon departure, it was left in a state of disarray.


    Mo Hua looked back at the Hundred Flower Tower, and suddenly, a trace of doubt surfaced in his mind.


    He remembered that the Hundred Flower Tower was guarded by a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    With such commotion, the Lu Family¡¯s Foundation Establishment had never intervened.


    Were they not aware, and thus did not get involved, or did they know everything but pretended to be unaware?


    Mo Hua¡¯s brow furrowed again.


    The mine, the Ultimate Formation, the deceased Mining Cultivators, the Lu Family, the Hundred Flower Tower, the grey-clothed cultivator¡­


    And the missing Instructor Yan.


    Could there be a connection among these¡­?


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows knitted tighter for a moment.

 Chapter 438 - 431 Zhang Quan_1

    Chapter 438: Chapter 431 Zhang Quan_1


    Mo Hua felt that this matter was shrouded in deep suspicion; despite much thought, he found no clue.


    If only he could catch the gray-robed cultivator.


    Then everything could break through.


    After the battle at Hundred Flower Tower, Mo Hua had almost figured out the gray-robed cultivator¡¯s trump cards.


    It would be a lot easier to trap him next time.


    On the way back, Mo Hua pondered over his worries, and then he sighed.


    These days, his routine cultivation had resulted in a steady increase in cultivation.


    But the enhancement of Divine Sense had halted at Thirteen Stripes, proving difficult to make any further progress.


    First, it was because there were no formations of Thirteen Stripes for him to learn, which slowed the growth of Divine Sense;


    Second, it was because of the Taoist Stele.


    Ever since Mo Hua used the Taoist Stele to comprehend the Taoist Meaning, the stele had overloaded, and it had not fully recovered even now.


    The amount of formation practice Mo Hua did every day was greatly reduced, and the growth of Divine Sense was also negligible.


    At this rate, it was possible that Divine Sense wouldn¡¯t break through Thirteen Stripes by the time of Foundation Establishment.


    The slow recovery of the Taoist Stele and the scarcity of First Grade, Thirteen Stripes formations made them hard to find.


    Mo Hua had searched for so long yet had come up empty-handed. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Currently, his only lead was to find Instructor Yan.


    But where exactly was Instructor Yan?


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    Bai Zisheng appeared somewhat surprised and asked,


    ¡°Mo Hua, are you troubled by something?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°The growth of Divine Sense is too slow¡­¡±


    Without finding Instructor Yan, he couldn¡¯t find the Ultimate Formation; without the Ultimate Formation, he couldn¡¯t temper Divine Sense. And without tempering Divine Sense, he couldn¡¯t Prove the Dao with Divine Sense as Mr. Zhuang had said.


    To cultivate the ultimate Divine Sense, to exhaust the possibilities of formations, to aspire to dominate the Great Dao.


    Mo Hua¡¯s current Divine Sense was still far from the standard given by Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°How much is your Divine Sense now?¡±


    Bai Zisheng curiously asked.


    He only knew that Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was strong, up to the standard of Foundation Establishment, but he had never asked how strong it was.


    The Ultimate Formations that Mo Hua studied were ones he had not studied, nor could he possibly learn or even hope to understand.


    Mo Hua muttered, ¡°Just twelve stripes¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng was taken aback, ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Twelve¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng fell silent.


    Just twelve stripes¡­


    This was almost at the limit of Divine Sense for the early stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Generally, with ten stripes of Divine Sense, Formation Masters at the realm of Foundation Establishment can attempt to learn Second-Grade formations.


    Most Second Rank Formation Masters also start with Divine Sense around eleven or twelve stripes.


    This was the first time Bai Zisheng had heard of a Qi Refinement cultivator managing to possess twelve stripes of Divine Sense.


    And it seemed Mo Hua was quite displeased with it.


    He acted reluctantly and unsatisfied.


    Lucky and still acting coy!


    Bai Zisheng felt so annoyed that he couldn¡¯t help but scratch Mo Hua¡¯s head.


    Even Bai Zixi, standing by, couldn¡¯t restrain herself and joined Bai Zisheng in ruffling Mo Hua¡¯s hair.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless.


    But after all, since he was the junior brother, he decided not to fuss over it with his junior brother and junior sister.


    After the group returned to the cave dwelling,


    Mo Hua took out a Compass Mother Formation Disk.


    This disk depicted a Compass Mother Formation.


    And the corresponding Compass Child Formations, Mo Hua had inscribed with a technique of fine carving on fine needles made of refined iron.


    Mo Hua had given these needles to Bai Zisheng in advance, instructing him to imperceptibly stick them into the gray-robed cultivator¡¯s clothing, or on his body, during their fight.


    In this way, by referencing the Compass Mother Formation, he could determine the child formation¡¯s position, which would allow him to track down the gray-robed cultivator¡¯s whereabouts.


    This gray-robed cultivator, who had hired assassins to kill mining cultivators and then bought their corpses, was surely up to no good.


    The Pill that he consumed today to transform and increase his strength, which was bloody and maleficent, was likely refined from those corpses.


    Over these years, who knows how many mining cultivators have died because of this.


    Not to mention how many mining cultivator families had been torn apart because of it.


    Mining cultivators already lived a tough life, earning a living was not easy, and yet they fell victim to such twisted and evil schemes, dying without a whole corpse.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face went cold.


    So this gray-robed cultivator, he must be slaughtered!


    But before slaughtering him, Mo Hua wanted to ask if he knew about Instructor Yan¡¯s whereabouts.


    Instructor Yan had disappeared in the mines.


    The worst-case scenario was that he had been killed by people like Wang Lai, and his body sold to the gray-robed cultivator.


    There was also a possibility that Instructor Yan had discovered something, and by following the trail, had investigated further¡­


    If so, Instructor Yan likely had some interactions with the gray-robed cultivator.


    Regardless of the circumstances, Mo Hua needed confirmation.


    However, on the Compass Mother Formation Disk, there was no light indicating the gray-robed cultivator¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Is it broken?¡±


    Bai Zisheng furrowed his brows.


    Mo Hua checked the formation and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not broken.¡±


    ¡°So, that means¡­ he discovered your Compass Child Formation Needles?¡±


    ¡°Even if he did discover them, if the needles were discarded or damaged, the compass would have shown some reaction.¡±


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment and then slowly said,


    ¡°Because of the Escape Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and then understood.


    The gray-clothed cultivator knew the Escape Technique and could burrow into the ground, shielding the aura of the Formation and affecting the connection between the Compass Mother and Child Formations.


    If nothing appeared on the Mother Formation, it meant he was either still in the tunnels and hadn¡¯t come out,


    or the gray-clothed cultivator had used the Escape Technique and was somewhere underground.


    Mo Hua thought for a while and then said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait.¡±


    As a Monster Hunter, hunting prey required ample patience.


    This was something his father Mo Shan had taught him.


    Two days later, Situ Fang came over and told Mo Hua that the Taoist Court had identified the gray-clothed cultivator¡¯s identity.


    ¡°This man is named Zhang Quan, a cultivator from South Yue City. His family has been in the longevity material business for generations¡­¡±


    ¡°Longevity material?¡± Mo Hua was slightly startled.


    ¡°That¡¯s coffins.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua understood.


    Being in the coffin business¡­


    It did match the image, temperament, and actions of the gray-clothed cultivator quite well.


    Situ Fang continued,


    ¡°Thirty years ago, Zhang Quan¡¯s parents died, and he took over the coffin shop alone¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhang Quan¡¯s aura is somewhat gloomy; he does not converse with fellow cultivators, but since he¡¯s in the business of death, everyone has come to accept it as normal.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Quan occasionally gambles and frequents brothels¡­¡±


    ¡°I asked a few female cultivators from the Hundred Flower Tower, and from what they say, Zhang Quan often stays at brothels but rarely shows his true face.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators who knew Zhang Quan also had no idea that he actually was a Foundation Building Cultivator.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Have you been to Zhang Quan¡¯s residence?¡±


    Situ Fang nodded, ¡°We have. The shop was closed. We broke in and found that all the coffins inside had been burned, and other objects had been destroyed as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s uncertain whether he did it himself or if he has an accomplice helping him destroy evidence of his crimes.¡±


    ¡°The current question is, what exactly is he using the corpses he buys for?¡±


    ¡°Is the pill he took that day made from those corpses?¡±


    ¡°If so, where did he refine it, where is the pill furnace, how did he get the pill recipe, through what channels did he purchase the herbs for refining Evil Pills?¡±


    ¡°Did he refine them himself, or is someone helping him do it?¡±


    ¡°Besides, does he have any other unspeakable purposes¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After Situ Fang finished explaining everything, she sighed,


    ¡°The Taoist Court has issued a warrant. If we catch him, these things should come to light.¡±


    Then she looked at Mo Hua, still a bit worried,


    ¡°Be careful these days.¡±


    ¡°That day at the Hundred Flower Tower, he tried everything he could to kill you. Now that he has escaped to the shadows, he might make a move against you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Mhm, I am aware.¡±


    Still, Situ Fang felt uneasy.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m with my Senior Brother and Sister; they¡¯ll protect me.¡±


    Relieved, Situ Fang chatted for a moment, drank a few cups of tea, and then left.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew sharp.


    His own Divine Sense was strong, and he knew the Concealment Technique; it was impossible for Zhang Quan to find him.


    And now, it wasn¡¯t him looking for Mo Hua, but Mo Hua who was searching for him.


    Young Mo Hua was the hunter, and this Foundation Establishment Stage Zhang Quan was the prey.


    In the following days, whenever Mo Hua had time, he would take out the Compass Disk and check for any movements.


    Three days later in the afternoon, lights finally appeared on the compass.


    Two light points shone together, but another was somewhat dim.


    It seemed that Zhang Quan had found a needle, so he twisted it off and threw it away.


    The other two needles, he had not found, so they should still be on his person.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    Finally, he had made a mistake¡­


    Mo Hua then took out a map of South Yue City and saw that the location of the lights was in a deserted mine outside the city.


    There were many mines outside South Yue City.


    Some belonged to the Lu Family, some to South Yue Sect, some to the Taoist Court, and others were occupied by deceased individuals or various other clans and sects.


    Some mines were actively being extracted from; some had not been mined due to various reasons;


    And some mines were exhausted and abandoned.


    The place where Zhang Quan was hiding was one such abandoned mine.


    Mo Hua and his two companions, cloaked and concealed, left South Yue City and headed to the mine where Zhang Quan was hiding.


    It was a small and unkempt mine.


    Being abandoned, it lacked any sign of life.


    Instead, the area was permeated with the stale stench of death.


    With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew cold.


    Inside the mine, there were several sinister auras.


    Perhaps the corpses of the mining cultivators that Zhang Quan had purchased were hidden here.

 Chapter 439 - 432: Kidnapping_1

    Chapter 439: Chapter 432: Kidnapping_1


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°Shall we just make a move?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head and said,


    ¡°Although that Zhang Quan is injured and has suffered the backlash from pills, which greatly reduced his strength, this is his lair. We still need to make some preparations, to be as thorough as possible.¡±


    After speaking, Mo Hua took out several Array Plates.


    On the Array Plates were the Earth Prison Formations that Mo Hua had already drawn in advance.


    Ever since witnessing Zhang Quan¡¯s Earth Escape Technique, Mo Hua went back and pondered how to counter this kind of Escape Technique.


    His forte was formations, so naturally, he started from there.


    This Earth Prison Formation was something he had learned in the past few days, and then he took the time to draw some on the Array Plates, specifically to break Zhang Quan¡¯s Earth Escape Technique.


    Zhang Quan was a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    The Earth Prison Formation was only of the first grade, so the effect for trapping enemies would be greatly diminished.


    But in this kind of encirclement battle, if one can delay just for a few moments, it could be enough to tip the balance of the fight.


    Though the mine was not large, to seal it with formations, the Array Plates were clearly not enough.


    Mo Hua then personally drew several Earth Prison Formations on the ground.


    These Formations had a special technique; Spiritual Ink seeped into the soil and rocks, and the Formation Patterns integrated with the earth, a method Mo Hua learned after contemplating the Earth Dao Meaning using the Thick Earth Formation.


    Using the ground as the Formation media, he drew the ground into formation.


    These several Earth Prison Formations, being one with the earth, were more concealed and their effects were somewhat stronger.


    After the preparations were complete, Mo Hua discussed with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi the points of attention for dealing with Zhang Quan:


    ¡°We can¡¯t let him consume pills.¡±


    ¡°The moment he takes out a pill, we must interrupt him immediately.¡±


    ¡°Without consuming pills, Zhang Quan¡¯s physical body and spells are quite weak.¡±


    ¡°Be wary of his Earth Escape.¡±


    ¡°If he burrows into the ground, try to corner him in the direction of the Earth Prison Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°The Earth Prison Formation can trap him for a few moments; during this opportunity, beat him mercilessly!¡±


    ¡°Tao cultivation is treacherous; we can¡¯t be too reckless¡­¡±


    ¡°If the situation turns bad, we¡¯ll run and plan again from there¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After discussing, Mo Hua said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in first to have a look.¡±


    His Divine Sense was strong, and so was his stealth; Zhang Quan wouldn¡¯t detect him.


    But for Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, although their Divine Sense was not weak, they were still within the Qi Refinement Realm, and relying solely on the cloak¡¯s stealth, they could easily be discovered by Zhang Quan¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Bai Zisheng nodded.


    Bai Zixi whispered with caution, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Mo Hua then concealed himself, restrained his footsteps, and tiptoed into the abandoned mine.


    The outside of the mine was chaotic, but it was even more so on the inside.


    Abandoned mining tunnels, scrap iron, rusty mine carts, and stones scattered all over the place.


    The smell of rust, mustiness, and Filthy Qi intertwined with the aura of death.


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    This place ¡ª Zhang Quan could actually bear to stay here¡­


    Was it truly like being in an abalone shop, where one becomes accustomed to the stench over time?


    This mine was small, and the mine shafts were not deep.


    As Mo Hua walked a little while, he found at the end of the mine shaft, in a semi-sealed stone room, Zhang Quan ¡ª pale-faced, as if ¡°adding frost to snow¡± ¡ª was cultivating to regulate his breath, seemingly severely injured.


    Mo Hua touched his chin thoughtfully.


    Should he strike directly?


    But it¡¯s a bit risky inside the mine.


    And since this was where Zhang Quan had hidden, in the rush, Mo Hua had not thoroughly investigated and did not know what arrangements he had made.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then quietly retreated a little.


    ¡°`


    Then he began setting up some Earth Fire Formations around the stone walls of the mine.


    The Earth Fire Formation was quite useful; ever since the monster hunting at Big Black Mountain, Mo Hua had been using it regularly and had become quite adept.


    It was considered essential for home, travel, setting traps, ambushes, and designing enemy killings.


    Whenever he had nothing else to do, he would prepare some and keep them in his storage bag.


    Now, they just happened to come in handy.


    Mo Hua wanted to force Zhang Quan out.


    Or perhaps, cause the mine to collapse and bury Zhang Quan directly?


    ¡°A cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage, no matter how weak, shouldn¡¯t be buried alive, right¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then thought about using Zhang Quan as a test.


    After he had set up the Earth Fire Formation, he sneaked out of the mine and whispered to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi:


    ¡°We should run far away.¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked at him suspiciously, ¡°What did you do?¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled slyly:


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a welcoming gift for Zhang Quan!¡±


    The three of them ran far away and hid behind a large boulder.


    Mo Hua covered his ears, and Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, though puzzled, did the same.


    Soon after, there was a thunderous explosion, and the mine collapsed.


    The noise was tremendous.


    But fortunately, this place was remote, and it was in a mining area where blasting was common, so it did not attract the attention of other cultivators.


    The collapse of the mine raised a thick cloud of dust.


    When the dust settled, the entrance was blocked by large stones.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    Possibly due to the uniqueness of the mine, with its mixed aura and dangers, the Earth Fire Formation was more powerful than he had anticipated.


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°He hasn¡¯t been blasted to death, has he?¡±


    Mo Hua was not sure either, ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have. It¡¯s just a first-grade Earth Fire Formation, and the mine isn¡¯t that deep¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, there was a disturbance at the mine entrance.


    The noise grew louder and soon, the rocks blocking the entrance were shattered, and a cultivator with a dirt-smudged face and rags hanging off his body emerged.


    He bellowed angrily:


    ¡°Who? Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck is it?¡±


    ¡°Who dares to plot against me?!¡±


    This person was indeed the Foundation Establishment Stage Zhang Quan.


    The moment the Earth Fire Formation exploded, he had realized it, and then he ran desperately to get out, but was still blocked by the huge rocks.


    The Earth Fire Formation¡¯s power had greatly increased inside the mine tunnel. Although not fatal, it had blasted him until his skin was charred, he felt a thud in his head and ringing in his ears, and he was in a sorry state.


    This mining area was his hiding place.


    Under the rage of Zhang Quan, he couldn¡¯t think of anyone who could find him or who would dare to calculate against him like this.


    And moreover, using a formation!


    Formations were not something ordinary cultivators could learn.


    Just then, Zhang Quan was startled.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a flash of golden light.


    This speck of golden light was all too familiar.


    Zhang Quan hastily turned around, only to see a young boy in white, and at the same time, his long spear, as well as the dazzling golden light at the tip of the spear.


    A golden streak arrived first, followed by the thrust of the spear like a dragon.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s spear was fierce, aiming straight for Zhang Quan¡¯s throat.


    Zhang Quan was terrified.


    It was the young boy from the Hundred Flower Tower!


    He panicked.


    Back then in the Hundred Flower Tower, he had taken a Corpse Blood Pill, and his cultivation had increased, allowing him just barely to suppress this young cultivator in white.


    ¡°`


    He was severely injured and suffering from the backlash of medicinal power, undoubtedly no match for this young boy.


    Zhang Quan used his arm to block the spear.


    A bloodstain was immediately drawn on his hand, leaving a trickle of blood.


    Zhang Quan gritted his teeth and used the Earth Escape Technique, vanishing into the ground.


    Just moments after his disappearance, a fireball, with the speed of lightning that one couldn¡¯t cover one¡¯s ears in time, struck a pile of rubble.


    Bai Zisheng and Mo Hua were fellow disciples, having spent a long time together; even though they occasionally quibbled, they were extremely in sync.


    The moment Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique flew out, Bai Zisheng¡¯s gaze shifted.


    As the Fireball Technique hit the rubble, Bai Zisheng also made his move, thrusting his spear forward.


    Blood seeped from the ground.


    Then, a few mottled furrows appeared and spread outward, revealing Zhang Quan¡¯s disheveled figure.


    He covered his bleeding shoulder, his eyes red with rage.


    This Fireball Technique, he knew it all too well!


    That damned, sneaky little devil!


    Zhang Quan looked around and indeed saw Mo Hua sitting cross-legged on a large rock in the distance, watching him with a mocking expression on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!!¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes were about to split with fury.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me!¡±


    Zhang Quan clenched his teeth, but suddenly felt a tremor in his heart, and with a change of expression, asked:


    ¡°That needle, was it your doing?¡±


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°How did you figure that out?¡±


    Zhang Quan remained silent.


    He had discovered the needle on his clothes only after he had left the secret passage and changed his attire.


    He couldn¡¯t understand the purpose of this needle.


    But his years of experience in Tao cultivation told him that such things must not be kept, so he destroyed the needle and discarded it.


    And now, he had hidden in this remote mine, so well-concealed, and yet he had been discovered.


    Considering this, the needle must have been for tracking.


    Those who tracked him down were these three young cultivators.


    So, this needle had to be the work of these three young cultivators.


    Among these three, this youngest looking, seemingly innocent but most cunning little cultivator must be the instigator behind the needle.


    Zhang Quan ground his teeth in hatred.


    He wanted to rush over and slaughter Mo Hua right then and there.


    But then, he caught sight of Bai Zixi beside Mo Hua.


    That beautiful young girl with a cool demeanor, her sword emitting a brilliant glow and entwined with white flames.


    Back at the Hundred Flower Tower, that golden sword light had pierced his Iron Corpse shell.


    Zhang Quan, wary, couldn¡¯t help but curse:


    ¡°Shameless little devil, you bully others with your power! If you have the guts, come over and fight me head-on, instead of skulking around!¡±


    Mo Hua said, shocked:


    ¡°You¡¯re such an old cultivator, how can you have no shame, asking me, a little cultivator barely in my teens, to duel you one-on-one¡­¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m as foolish as you?¡±


    Zhang Quan angrily retorted, ¡°Sharp-tongued!¡±


    At that moment, Bai Zisheng stabbed with his spear again.


    Zhang Quan parried clumsily, and after a few exchanges, he began to struggle.


    With his injuries not yet healed, he would surely lose if this continued.


    Exerting all his strength, Zhang Quan took a hit from Bai Zisheng, shook him off with a palm strike, and then fled into the earth, attempting to escape outside.


    But he hadn¡¯t gotten far when he realized that the soil beneath him had changed, forming bars and creating a prison that trapped him.


    Zhang Quan was shocked.


    What was this thing?


    The Earth Prison Formation trapped Zhang Quan, who struggled fiercely. After a few moments, he broke the formation and escaped.


    But Bai Zisheng also rushed over, entangling him.


    Zhang Quan tried to flee, was trapped again, and was caught up with by Bai Zisheng.


    After several attempts, Zhang Quan understood.


    It was a formation!


    There were array plates laid on the ground around this area.


    They used the formation to counter his Earth Escape Technique.


    Indeed, it was a good strategy!


    Zhang Quan¡¯s heart felt a chill, but he was not particularly nervous.


    Now that he knew it was a formation, there was a way to deal with it.


    Though he did not understand formations, this did not mean he lacked experience in dealing with them.


    Moreover, he often dealt with Formation Masters. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The nearby Earth Series formations used the array plates as formation media, and the array plates on the ground were visible. As long as he avoided the array plates, he would avoid the formation.


    Zhang Quan burrowed into the ground, choosing a direction without array plates, and escaped.


    However, unexpectedly, he was trapped again.


    And this time, the Earth Series formation that trapped him was somewhat stronger, and it held him for even longer.


    This formation seemed to merge with the Earth, its presence profound.


    It was as if the will of this expanse of land wanted to imprison him.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    What kind of tactics were these?


    How could such a formation be laid out?


    Who laid out this formation, and how did they merge it with the Earth?


    Zhang Quan was completely baffled.


    While he was stunned, Bai Zisheng stabbed him in the back with a spear once again.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s heart turned cold, and he endured the pain, his embarrassment quickly turning into rage.


    He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. When had he ever been so humiliated, chased by a few Qi Refinement Realm juniors like a mangy dog, scurrying around in disgrace?


    Zhang Quan revealed his figure, bleeding profusely.


    His expression was full of gloom and ferocity.


    ¡°I must kill you all!¡±


    Zhang Quan took out a blood-patterned bronze medicine bottle.


    Even if he suffered from the backlash of the medicine or went mad from it, he wanted to kill these junior cultivators!


    But Bai Zisheng had been waiting for this moment. Seeing him take out the medicine bottle, preparing to take pills, Bai Zisheng immediately made a move, his spear slicing Zhang Quan¡¯s palm open and knocking the medicine bottle away.


    Zhang Quan was both shocked and furious, disbelief written all over his face.


    You bastards, won¡¯t you give me even a slight chance?! Escape techniques, Corpse Blood Pills, every tactic I¡¯ve used has been thwarted!


    Bai Zisheng, clad in white, majestic and tall, pointed his spear at Zhang Quan and said loudly:


    ¡°Use whatever means you have left!¡±


    These words were Mo Hua¡¯s idea for him to say.


    He was also told to strike an imposing and arrogant pose while speaking, to appear handsome and dismissive.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s complexion turned even paler, but his eyes began to show a dense network of blood vessels.


    Driven to desperation, he no longer needed to hide anything.


    ¡°These things, I never wanted any living person to see¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s voice was laced with bone-chilling venom.


    Bai Zisheng frowned slightly, and Mo Hua also had a concentrated look in her eyes.


    Just then, in the dead silence of the mines, a horrifying bell sound suddenly rang out.


    With the ringing of the bell, a chill wind blew by.


    The surrounding rocks trembled and fell away, revealing dozens of black coffins hidden among the rubble.


    From within the coffins came the sound of nails scraping.


    It was as if something had awakened¡­

 Chapter 440 - 433: Capturing the Corpse_1

    Chapter 440: Chapter 433: Capturing the Corpse_1


    The pitch-black coffin was gradually pried open.


    The corpses inside crawled out one by one.


    With hollow, lifeless eyes and decaying, festering skin, they stood densely packed on the mining grounds¡ªdozens of them, an ominous presence.


    Corpse Refinement!


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew cold as he looked at Zhang Quan and said icily,


    ¡°Have you turned to Demon Path?¡±


    Corpse Refinement is a truly demonic practice, unacceptable to the Cultivation World and contrary to Taoist Law.


    Cultivators who practiced Corpse Refinement would be executed by the Taoist Court.


    The Sects or Clans that practiced Corpse Refinement would also be obliterated by the Taoist Court.


    Thinking of these Walking Corpses, most of which were Mining Cultivators from the mountain.


    After a lifetime of hardship, they had died in vain, only to have their corpses refined into Zombies to be used for evil deeds.


    Mo Hua noted this in his mind about Zhang Quan.


    Once this affair was settled, he was determined to find a way to ensure that Zhang Quan would meet a horrific end.


    Zhang Quan sneered, ¡°So what if I have? I¡¯m a lone man with nobody to care for me. As long as I can achieve enlightenment, what does turning to Demon Path matter to me?¡±


    Mo Hua looked disdainful, ¡°You¡¯ve turned to Demon Path and still dream of enlightenment? Keep dreaming.¡±


    ¡°What would a brat like you know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being chased around by a brat like a rat scurrying for cover, and you think you understand better?¡±


    A surge of blood rushed to Zhang Quan¡¯s throat, which he forcefully suppressed to avoid spitting it out.


    He raged, ¡°Fine, fine, you have a glib tongue; I can¡¯t outtalk you. But once I¡¯ve killed you and torn your mouth apart to feed these Walking Corpses, let¡¯s see if you can still be so tough!¡±


    Mo Hua snorted,


    ¡°Forget it, you can¡¯t even catch me when you¡¯ve become a corpse yourself, and you¡¯re counting on these stupid Walking Corpses?¡±


    After that, Mo Hua quietly asked Bai Zixi, ¡°Senior Sister, what¡¯s a Walking Corpse?¡±


    Bai Zixi replied, ¡°They are low-level Zombies.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart settled, and he nodded repeatedly. Then, he lifted his head with an air of disdain,


    ¡°Nothing but low-level Zombies. All you, a Foundation Building Cultivator, have are these petty tricks. You¡¯d better crawl back into the womb and avoid embarrassing yourself in the outside world¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shouted loudly.


    Having come from a background of Monster Hunting, and having trained under Elder Yu, even if Mo Hua didn¡¯t know how to curse someone himself, he could recite the curses taught by Elder Yu.


    However, since his Junior Brother and Sister were there, he felt embarrassed to utter the more vulgar insults.


    Worried about spoiling his own image,


    he instead opted for some rather ¡°friendly¡± terms to test Zhang Quan.


    But Zhang Quan was finding it somewhat intolerable.


    He would normally ignore any insults from brats, knowing he could cut them down with a backward swipe.


    But Mo Hua, he couldn¡¯t kill.


    No matter how Mo Hua insulted him, he had to tolerate it, completely powerless against him.


    And all his moves were flawlessly defended against, leaving him indeed with nothing but these Walking Corpses.


    Zhang Quan glared at Mo Hua intently.


    If stares could kill, Mo Hua would have died by his glance ten times over.


    Mo Hua remained unabashed, hands on his hips, looking at Zhang Quan and saying,


    ¡°What¡¯s with the evil eye, little man? You think glaring with those tiny eyes will make me afraid?¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s scalp tingled with anger.


    His right hand trembled as he shook the Blood Rope Marked Copper Bell, shouting hoarsely,


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    The dozens of Walking Corpses, drawn by the bell, bared their fangs, claws like knives, and lunged madly towards Mo Hua and the others, emitting guttural breaths.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s delicate hands waved, and several streaks of Sword Qi flew out, severing the legs of a few Walking Corpses.


    Yet more of the Walking Corpses continued to advance relentlessly.


    Even those that had fallen, their legs chopped off, continued crawling towards Mo Hua, mindless of their condition.


    Mo Hua focused and conjured the Fireball Technique.


    One Fireball Technique after another flew out, burning the arms of a few Walking Corpses into charred stumps, turning them to ash.


    But as long as any limbs remained, the Walking Corpses would still struggle toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    A Rank-One Walking Corpse only had the strength of the Qi Refinement Realm, nothing to fear, but in large numbers, they were relentless and fearless of death¡ªfor they were already dead.


    As long as their limbs were intact, they would voraciously crave flesh and blood and kill on command.


    Indeed, they were somewhat bothersome.


    Soon the Zombies were upon Mo Hua.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He wanted to see Mo Hua torn apart and devoured by the Walking Corpses.


    But with a few unhurried steps, Mo Hua evaded the Zombies¡¯ claws and drifted back gracefully.


    A few more Walking Corpses appeared behind Mo Hua, snapping at him.


    But they too were narrowly dodged by Mo Hua.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s brows furrowed.


    He knows movement technique¡­


    This damn kid is so hard to kill!


    Zhang Quan smirked, ¡°Fine, keep dodging. I want to see how long you can last relying on that movement technique.¡±


    The Spiritual Power of the Qi Refinement Realm will eventually run out. Just one slip or when the Spiritual Power is exhausted, he would become food for these Walking Corpses.


    Zhang Quan chuckled sinisterly, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a flash of golden light.


    Startled, he hastily shook the copper bell.


    A few Walking Corpses positioned themselves in front of him, only to be pierced through by Bai Zisheng¡¯s spear.


    Zhang Quan quickly retreated.


    Bai Zisheng sent a few Zombies flying with his spear and then stepped forward, thrusting his spear again.


    Zhang Quan had no choice but to retreat further, calling for the Zombies to block the spears.


    Bai Zisheng fended off another attack, and launched his spear once more!


    After several exchanges, Zhang Quan was forced to continuously retreat, without a moment to ring his bell. The movements of the walking corpses also began to slow down.


    Some even stood still in front of Mo Hua, motionless.


    The walking corpses were stationary, and so was Mo Hua, who curiously eyed the zombies in front of him.


    He wanted to discern exactly how these zombies were being controlled.


    Pushed into a corner by Bai Zisheng¡¯s relentless assault, Zhang Quan had no choice but to muster all his spiritual power and use the Earth Escape technique to flee beneath a dilapidated shack in the mine.


    There was nothing under the shack.


    Zhang Quan stamped his foot, causing the rocks and stones to shift and dust to rise gradually.


    Afterward, an iron coffin appeared before him.


    Feeling that something was not right, Mo Hua shouted:


    ¡°Senior Brother!¡±


    Without needing a reminder from Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng harnessed his spiritual power and thrust his spear at Zhang Quan.


    Just then, the lid of the iron coffin flipped open, and a stiff hand suddenly shot out, grasping the tip of Bai Zisheng¡¯s spear.


    Bai Zisheng raised an eyebrow, his spiritual power surged forth in a burst of golden light, grappling with the hand.


    The iron-blue palm, struck by the golden spiritual power, began to crack and its grip loosened slightly.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s spear broke free as well.


    After freeing his spear, Bai Zisheng did not strike again, but instead his gaze sharpened, focusing on the iron coffin.


    A moment later, a zombie crawled out of the iron coffin.


    This zombie was different from the other walking corpses.


    Its skin had not rotted away; instead, it was a blackish-green, seeming as hard as iron.


    Its fangs were longer, its fingers sharper, and the aura around its body was all the more formidable.


    Mo Hua quickly whispered to Bai Zixi, ¡°Junior Sister, what is this thing?¡±


    When you don¡¯t understand something, you ask.


    And asking your junior sister certainly isn¡¯t shameful.


    Most of Mo Hua¡¯s knowledge in Taoist cultivation was concentrated on formations; his understanding of other areas was far inferior to Bai Zixi¡¯s.


    Even less than Bai Zisheng¡¯s.


    Bai Zixi said, ¡°It¡¯s an Iron Corpse, one rank higher than a walking corpse.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded vigorously, then lifted his head and said disdainfully to Zhang Quan:


    ¡°Just an Iron Corpse, do you have the ability to produce a Copper Corpse or a Golden Corpse?¡±


    After he finished talking, Mo Hua suddenly realized something and discreetly asked Bai Zixi:


    ¡°Junior Sister, there are Copper Corpses and Golden Corpses, right¡­¡±


    The Copper Corpse and Golden Corpse were something he had just blurted out.


    He didn¡¯t even know if they existed.


    Mo Hua was worried he might have exposed his lack of knowledge and be looked down upon by Zhang Quan.


    Bai Zixi nodded, ¡°They exist.¡±


    Mo Hua relaxed.


    Zhang Quan, upon hearing this, was greatly shocked.


    This kid knew so much, he must be from a Great Clan, a Great Sect.


    And from the way he spoke, were Copper Corpses and Golden Corpses nothing remarkable to him?


    Zhang Quan had to know, the effort it had taken him to refine this half-step Iron Corpse, capable of matching a Foundation Building Cultivator, was enormous.


    Until now, those who had seen this Iron Corpse all changed color in fear.


    Not many cultivators who had seen this Iron Corpse lived to tell the tale.


    Zhang Quan had not expected that not only was this kid not afraid, he actually looked down upon it.


    Zhang Quan was taken aback.


    Meanwhile, Bai Zisheng, with great enthusiasm, was already locked in a tight battle with the Iron Corpse.


    This Iron Corpse was not yet fully refined, so it could only be considered a half-step Iron Corpse.


    Its strength was a bit less than that of an average cultivator in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, but its flesh was as tough as iron, and in a real fight, it was slightly stronger than an average Foundation Building Cultivator.


    At least stronger than Zhang Quan, who didn¡¯t rely on drugs.


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat at a disadvantage but fought more vigorously as the battle went on.


    Previously, Aunt Xue kept close watch, strictly prohibiting him from taking any action, so Bai Zisheng, despite being capable, had no opportunity to show his true abilities, only able to spar with Mo Hua.


    Now, after having traveled outside and engaged in several battles, Bai Zisheng¡¯s Taoist skills had become increasingly refined, and his experience in fighting to the death was also growing.


    But as the fight continued, Bai Zisheng was gradually becoming exhausted.


    Because not only the Iron Corpse, but the other walking corpses as well, were desperately attacking him.


    Even if the walking corpses were pierced by his spear or their limbs were cut off, they still disregarded everything, clinging onto Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help mumbling:


    ¡°So annoying.¡±


    Just then, as Bai Zisheng dodged a strike from the Iron Corpse and impaled another walking corpse through the chest, his eyes lit up and he yelled:


    ¡°Mo Hua, the walking corpses have formation patterns on them!¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned, then his palms moved in a gesture, casting the Water Prison Technique to immobilize a walking corpse.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s Sword Qi swept through, shredding the clothes on the chest of the walking corpse.


    The chest of the walking corpse was rotten, with patches of decay, but there were no traces of formation patterns.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Junior Sister, peel off the skin!¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded, her slender hand moving, and Sword Qi swirling, slicing open the skin of the walking corpse.


    The flesh underneath the skin was stiffened, within which hidden blood patterns were visible, and the breath of a concealed formation rippled out.


    Mo Hua paused, then his expression became shocked, followed by great joy, his eyes sparkling as he said to Bai Zisheng:


    ¡°Senior Brother, help me catch zombies!!¡±


    The blood-colored formation carved upon this zombie was an Ultimate Formation!


    And at the very least, it was an Ultimate Formation of the first rank with more than eleven patterns!


    Catch zombies?


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Quan at first was startled, then something dawned on him, and his face turned pale in horror.


    This little devil, was he a Formation Master?!


    Had he seen through it?!

 Chapter 441 - 434 Corpse Formation_1

    Chapter 441: Chapter 434 Corpse Formation_1


    ¡°`


    How is that possible?


    Zhang Quan¡¯s pupils constricted.


    How could this kid be a Formation Master as well?


    Was it him who forced Zhang Quan to show himself by detonating the Earth Fire Formation in the mines and then used an Earth Series Formation to counter the Escape Technique, preventing Zhang Quan from running away?


    Zhang Quan looked at Mo Hua again.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were clear yet profound, bright and yet elusive.


    At first, he only felt that this gaze was sinister and detestable.


    Now, it seemed to indeed be a sign of exceptional intelligence and a powerful Divine Sense.


    Zhang Quan thought of someone.


    When that person got cunning and calculating, his eyes looked just like this.


    And that person was a Formation Master, too.


    This gaze did indeed resemble that of a Formation Master.


    A chill ran through Zhang Quan¡¯s heart.


    This is bad¡­


    If this kid is a Formation Master, he most likely has seen through the formations on these Walking Corpses.


    The problem now is, how much has he figured out?


    Does he, after all, know what kind of Formation this is?


    A cold light gradually appeared in Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes.


    The best approach now was to silence him by killing him.


    Once a person died, they would forever keep their mouth shut, and whatever they knew would be buried in the ground, never to be known by anyone.


    But Zhang Quan knew all too well.


    Under the current circumstances, he had no way to silence him by killing him.


    The young man in white had profound cultivation and was valiant in battle; Zhang Quan couldn¡¯t take him down.


    The beautiful girl¡¯s Taoist Skills were lethal and extremely dangerous; he didn¡¯t dare provoke her.


    On the surface, this kid was the weakest among them.


    But he was exceptionally cunning, full of schemes, and his methods were sinister and slippery, making him quite troublesome to deal with.


    What¡¯s more, Zhang Quan remembered that this kid could conceal himself.


    Whether it was by spell or Spiritual Artifact, his means of concealment were extremely clever, and even Zhang Quan¡¯s Foundation Establishment Divine Sense couldn¡¯t detect it.


    That being the case, Zhang Quan couldn¡¯t catch him at all.


    At this thought, Zhang Quan became angrily frustrated.


    To be repeatedly humiliated by this kid despite being a mighty Foundation Establishment Cultivator, yet unable to do anything about it, was infuriating!


    He couldn¡¯t kill any of the three of them.


    Since he couldn¡¯t silence by killing, he had to ¡°destroy the corpse and erase the traces.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t allow the traces of the Formation to remain!


    Zhang Quan¡¯s decision was firm, and his expression became grave.


    On the other side, Bai Zisheng had already started to help Mo Hua capture zombies.


    He dodged the Iron Corpse and instead attacked the ordinary Walking Corpses, flicking his long spear to send Spiritual Power surging, crippling the limbs of the Walking Corpses so they couldn¡¯t move.


    In a short while, four or five Walking Corpses were subdued by him.


    Mo Hua also began to take action, coordinating with Bai Zixi to capture zombies.


    Using the Water Prison Technique, Mo Hua immobilized the Walking Corpses, and then Bai Zixi would sever their limbs with her sword light.


    The trio acted quickly and accurately, and in an instant, quite a few zombies were subdued.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    He couldn¡¯t wait any longer!


    His gaze turned cold, and he shook the Blood Rope Marked Copper Bell in his hand.


    The copper bell summoned corpses, and a chilly wind blew in gusts.


    The situation on the battlefield abruptly changed.


    These Walking Corpses, with ferocious expressions, stopped attacking Mo Hua and the others and began to fight and cannibalize each other instead, aiming to destroy the Formation near their hearts.


    And that Iron Corpse began hunting the lower-level Walking Corpses, punching and clawing out their chests, leaving behind dark and black-blood oozing cavities.


    The zombies began self-destructing, obliterating any traces.


    Seeing this, Bai Zisheng angrily said:


    ¡°Damn you, can¡¯t you play fair?¡±


    Zhang Quan sneered, disregarding him, and kept shaking the copper bell in his hand.


    Mo Hua watched the copper bell intently, then pointed with his small hand and loudly said:


    ¡°There¡¯s a Formation within the bell, Brother, snatch his bell!¡±


    Zhang Quan was startled.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, and without bothering about the Walking Corpses, he teleported with his movement technique and thrust out with his spear, trying to knock the copper bell from Zhang Quan¡¯s hand. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Quan hastily retreated, avoiding Bai Zisheng¡¯s spear, and immediately put away the copper bell, cursing inwardly.


    This kid¡¯s eyes are really sharp!


    Dammit!


    If this keeps up, he¡¯ll probably see right through to his underwear!


    He couldn¡¯t drag this out any longer.


    Zhang Quan dared not expose the copper bell anymore, but instead kept it hidden in his sleeve, quietly shaking it to activate the Self-Destroying Formation of Walking Corpses and to drive the Iron Corpse to protect his escape.


    Bai Zisheng wanted to stop him, but with the Iron Corpse in the way, he couldn¡¯t.


    The scene became chaotic for a moment, and Zhang Quan finally managed to escape.


    Before leaving, Zhang Quan looked back at Mo Hua, recording the new and old hatreds in his heart.


    He said with a dark tone:


    ¡°Little devil, I will remember you!¡±


    ¡°One day, I will kill you, refine you into a zombie, and keep you by my side to serve me tea and water, toil like an ox or horse, and be enslaved by me for life!¡±


    After saying this, he ran off, not giving Mo Hua a chance to retort.


    He was afraid Mo Hua would say something else that he couldn¡¯t withstand.


    In this regard of infuriating people, he admitted he couldn¡¯t compare to this kid.


    Mo Hua curled his lips and muttered:


    ¡°Runs after cursing, what a coward.¡±


    He had already thought of what insults to hurl, but Zhang Quan ran too fast for him to get a word in.


    Mo Hua felt a bit of regret; it seemed he would have to wait for the next time.


    Once Zhang Quan escaped, the battle stopped.


    After an intensive battle, the mine was left in a complete mess.


    Rocks shattered, mine tunnels utterly destroyed.


    ¡°`


    The ground was littered with the remains of walking corpses, some of which had their heart meridians gouged out and were twitching unconsciously on the ground.


    Zhang Quan took the Iron Corpse away, and most of the remaining walking corpses killed each other, their chests destroyed, with only a few corpses¡¯ chests intact.


    Besides that, there were the coffins on the mine.


    These coffins should be used for corpse refinement and storage, totaling dozens of them.


    The Iron Corpse was hidden in an iron coffin, while most of the other walking corpses were in wooden coffins.


    After a fierce battle, Bai Zisheng was also very tired. He took a breath, recovered his Spiritual Power, and then asked:


    ¡°Should we continue the pursuit?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and shook his head:


    ¡°Not in a hurry, let¡¯s cast a long line to catch a big fish.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was slightly taken aback, ¡°Are there still big fish? Isn¡¯t Zhang Quan a big fish?¡±


    ¡°There are.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, pointing to the coffins and walking corpses on the mine, ¡°These are too few.¡±


    Bai Zisheng opened his mouth, ¡°Are these considered few?¡±


    Dozens of fearless walking corpses, in combination with the Iron Corpse, were likely more than a match for an average cultivator in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Although Bai Zisheng¡¯s Cultivation was profound, he too felt tired after fighting to this point, and the consumption of his Spiritual Power was also significant.


    If there were more walking corpses, other than fleeing, he would have been powerless.


    Otherwise, he would eventually be worn down to death.


    Mo Hua frowned and said:


    ¡°Zhang Quan has been hiring murderers for decades. In these decades, who knows how many mining cultivators have been killed, and then their bodies¡­¡±


    ¡°He must be buying these corpses for corpse refinement.¡±


    ¡°So many bodies couldn¡¯t possibly add up to just these few dozen zombies.¡±


    ¡°Elder Yu once told me about the cunning of the rabbit that has three burrows.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Quan, doing such Demon Path deeds that the Taoist Court would not tolerate, must have left himself several escape routes.¡±


    ¡°So I guess, he definitely has other hiding places, many many coffins, and inside those coffins, many, many zombies¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng opened his mouth wide, and then spoke indignantly:


    ¡°This Zhang Quan, really deserves to die!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    Then he added, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s another problem.¡±


    ¡°The Formation?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Zhang Quan, at first glance, doesn¡¯t know about Formations, but the bell he uses for corpse control, the zombies he refined, including these coffins, they are all full of Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°This shows that there is someone helping him draw Formations!¡±


    ¡°This person must have high accomplishments in Formation principles and might even have comprehended the Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Such an Ultimate Formation might not be a regular Formation but one of the Evil Formations within the Ultimate Formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had a somewhat grave expression.


    ¡°Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng also felt a chill in his heart, and looking at the zombies lying on the ground, he asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°Are the Formations on these walking corpses Ultimate Formations?¡±


    Mo Hua propped up his chin in thought and said:


    ¡°Possibly¡­¡±


    ¡°Possibly?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua looked at the zombies on the ground and nodded, ¡°Right now, it¡¯s hard to say, I need to study it first¡­¡±


    ¡­


    In the wasteland on the other side of the mine.


    The ground bulged, rocks rolled, and Zhang Quan¡¯s figure surfaced as he gasped for air, feeling a sense of relief in his heart.


    He had finally escaped.


    He had never thought that in his lifetime, he would be chased by three young cultivators like a dog that had lost its home.


    The surroundings were desolate, no other cultivators or Monster Beasts in sight.


    Zhang Quan took a moment to catch his breath, a trace of doubt arising in his mind.


    Why had he been found?


    He had clearly discarded that needle¡­


    Zhang Quan released his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings and suddenly, his gaze grew sharp as he fumbled through his messy hair, pulling out a fine needle after a long search.


    Could there be another one?


    Zhang Quan took in a sharp breath, panic setting in his heart.


    He immediately snapped the fine needle and threw it away, then used Earth Escape again, fleeing to another hillside creek, letting the Iron Corpse stand guard, before he began to feel a little safer.


    After that, he changed his clothes, washed the blood stains, bandaged his wounds, and examined himself with his Divine Sense. Finding nothing suspicious on the outside of his body, he finally completely relaxed.


    Zhang Quan was somewhat sentimental.


    Just a few kids, yet so deep in thought and so covert in action, it was impossible to guard against.


    Zhang Quan was troubled.


    Then he remembered something and became worried again.


    Although he controlled the zombies with the Blood Rope Marked Copper Bell and destroyed most of the Formation, there were still a few walking corpses left behind.


    Walking corpses left behind meant traces of the Formation were left behind.


    Zhang Quan frowned, remembering that person¡¯s admonition:


    ¡°This Formation must not be discovered by anyone. Once discovered, you must either kill the witness or destroy the corpses and the evidence!¡±


    That person¡¯s expression became terrifyingly stern when he said these words.


    Zhang Quan pondered for a moment, then chuckled lightly.


    He was worrying over nothing.


    ¡°A few zombies, a few pieces of incomplete Formation, probably won¡¯t reveal much¡­¡±


    Learning Formation was difficult.


    And this Formation for corpse refinement was even more abstruse, unfathomable, and transcending ordinary Formation principles.


    Even a Formation Master would hardly be able to learn it.


    That young boy, still in the Qi Refinement stage, understanding it would be strange.


    Zhang Quan sneered, unconcerned.


    Suddenly a mountain breeze blew, stirring the creek water, with the sunlight reflecting in the water shining brightly.


    The clear and profound gaze of Mo Hua flashed through Zhang Quan¡¯s mind.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he muttered to himself:


    ¡°He should¡­ not understand it, right¡­¡±

 Chapter 442 - 435 Erase Tracks_1

    Chapter 442: Chapter 435 Erase Tracks_1


    The cleanup at the mine was taken over by the Taoist Court.


    Cleaning up the mine, dealing with the walking corpses, confiscating the coffins, and subsequent investigations¡ªthese tasks were all entrusted to Situ Fang.


    Observing the chaotic scene, Situ Fang was also secretly shocked.


    That so many zombies could be subdued and Zhang Quan driven into panicked flight¡­


    You have to understand, Zhang Quan was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    Now it appeared that the matter of the Corpse Cultivator who had entered the Demon Path and refined an Iron Corpse was very dangerous and quite troublesome¡­


    Yet he was still beaten to the point of revealing his trump cards and fleeing in disarray.


    The capabilities of these few young cultivators from Mo Hua were much greater than she had expected.


    Then Situ Fang felt a bit helpless.


    They were the Taoist Court Officials, yet when it came to the pursuit of Zhang Quan, Mo Hua and his people always took a step ahead, leaving them only to wrap things up.


    And now the cultivators of the Taoist Court were indeed wrapping things up.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, strolled around with his hands behind his back, casually pointing here and there, seemingly like a little ¡°Supervisor¡± in action.


    Watching this, Situ Fang couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of amusement and frustration.


    After a while, when Mo Hua wandered over, Situ Fang was about to give him a piece of her mind.


    The Taoist Court of South Yue City wasn¡¯t established just to clean up messes!


    But before she could voice her thought, Mo Hua, sensing that something was amiss, immediately called out sweetly, ¡°Sister Situ,¡± and then sincerely said,


    ¡°Thank goodness you were here to help out a lot!¡±


    After saying that, he patted his little chest, looking genuinely relieved.


    ¡°So many zombies, they really scared me.¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s expression was complex, unable to say anything.


    Which part of you looked scared? Just now, when you were staring at the formations on the zombies¡¯ bodies, your face was more excited than anyone else¡¯s.


    So Situ Fang could only sigh helplessly again.


    Seeing she wasn¡¯t angry, Mo Hua quickly changed the subject, asking,


    ¡°Sister Situ, is this matter very serious?¡±


    Situ Fang was slightly startled, her expression becoming grave as she nodded and said,


    ¡°Very serious.¡±


    Then looking at the coffins and walking corpses all around, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh,


    ¡°And it seems to be getting more serious¡­¡±


    Mining Cultivators disappearing, hoodlums murdering, Zhang Quan buying corpses, and now brazenly engaging in Demon Path activities, extensively refining corpses¡­


    Situ Fang¡¯s face grew increasingly somber.


    She had begun to guess that what lay before her was likely just the tip of the iceberg.


    If just the tip of the iceberg had resulted in so many deaths and refined corpses,


    what about the entire iceberg?


    How many more would die, how many more corpses would be refined?


    Just thinking about it made Situ Fang feel a chilling dread.


    This could potentially be South Yue City¡¯s largest case in hundreds, or even a nearly a thousand, years.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze flickered as he asked,


    ¡°Has the Court Leader of South Yue City said anything about this case?¡±


    Situ Fang paused, then shook her head with a complex expression,


    ¡°The Court Leader hasn¡¯t said anything. I suppose he wants to keep things quiet. After all, if the situation gets blown up, he¡¯ll have to take responsibility. The best approach would be to play down major issues and dissolve the minor ones¡­¡±


    Such a serious matter, and still it could be diminished and dissolved¡­


    Mo Hua clicked his tongue and whispered quietly,


    ¡°Has he been involved in corruption and embezzlement, I wonder¡­¡±


    Situ Fang gave Mo Hua a slight glare, ¡°Don¡¯t put it so bluntly.¡±


    Mo Hua then softened his wording, ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s succumbed to ¡®irresistible courtesies¡¯?¡±


    Situ Fang was taken aback for a moment, ¡°Who taught you to speak like that?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhang¡­¡±


    Situ Fang was at a loss for words, ¡°Couldn¡¯t he teach you something more appropriate¡­¡±


    He had taught something good too.


    The Water Passing Step movement technique that Mo Hua used was taught by Zhang Lan.


    But on that matter, Zhang Lan had told Mo Hua not to mention it, so Mo Hua had no choice but to nod and say,


    ¡°He didn¡¯t teach me anything good!¡±


    Situ Fang silently took note, planning to go back and complain to a few uncles and elders of the Zhang Family.


    She would accuse Zhang Lan of speaking irresponsibly and leading children astray outside.


    Unaware of Situ Fang¡¯s thoughts, Mo Hua asked again,


    ¡°Sister Situ, what kind of person is the Court Leader of South Yue City?¡±


    ¡°What kind of person?¡± Situ Fang was briefly taken aback.


    ¡°Like¡­¡± Mo Hua thought for a moment and came up with several descriptors, ¡°Is he sly or cunning, greedy or not, deep or shallow, bad-natured or not¡­¡±


    ¡°Not a single good word in there¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a good person, so I didn¡¯t use good words.¡±


    Situ Fang felt helpless but thought it best to tell Mo Hua,


    ¡°The Court Leader of South Yue City, his surname is Qian¡­¡±


    ¡°Qian?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Situ Fang nodded, ¡°Coincidentally, his surname is Qian too, but he likely has no marital ties to the Qian Family of Tongxian City.¡±


    ¡°The Court Leader, he¡­¡±


    Situ Fang hesitated before lowering her voice and saying,


    ¡°It¡¯s not that he¡¯s outright bad, just greedy for wealth and pleasure-loving, coveting enjoyment, and not really concerned with the affairs of the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    Mo Hua roughly understood and said, ¡°So he¡¯s incompetent.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t really say he¡¯s incompetent¡­¡±


    ¡°So he only has the ability to amass wealth and enjoy himself?¡±


    Situ Fang nodded, ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then added, ¡°In that case, your Court Leader must have also accepted quite a few Spirit Stones from the Lu Family¡­¡±


    Situ Fang shook her head, ¡°I have no evidence, I can¡¯t just say anything. But logically speaking, it¡¯s impossible that he hasn¡¯t received any.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, mulling over something in his mind.


    Situ Fang grew curious, ¡°Why do you ask this?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shifted, and he replied with a sly smile, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Situ Fang couldn¡¯t figure out what Mo Hua was alluding to, and couldn¡¯t help but ruffle Mo Hua¡¯s hair in exasperation,


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of zombies? You should hurry back.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    Mo Hua bid farewell to Situ Fang with a smile and then departed.


    After Mo Hua left, he did not go back but went to the other end of the mine and sat on a large rock, seemingly waiting for something.


    A quarter of an hour later, Bai Zisheng came along with Big White, dragging a horse cart with him.


    This horse cart was new, fairly simple, and was used by cultivators to transport goods and store cargo boxes.


    Mo Hua waved, the cart stopped, and Bai Zisheng asked,


    ¡°You weren¡¯t discovered, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then ran behind the big rock, deactivated the Concealment Formation, revealing two coffins concealed beneath the formation.


    Each of these coffins contained several Walking Corpses.


    The formations on the chests of these corpses were relatively intact.


    Mo Hua wanted to take them back for thorough research.


    This matter had to be concealed not just from the Taoist Court but also from other cultivators, to prevent astute individuals from guessing their intentions.


    Although it might be an unnecessary precaution, being careful and meticulous in their actions was always safe.


    Bai Zisheng lifted the coffins onto the cart.


    Mo Hua cast a Concealment Formation, and the coffins disappeared from sight, hidden from others.


    But Big White was discontent.


    Big White was very reluctant to pull the cart with zombie coffins, those defiled objects.


    After a long time coaxing and offering some Spirit Grass to Big White, it finally relented for the sake of Mo Hua and the Spirit Grass.


    So Bai Zisheng drove the cart, with Mo Hua and Bai Zixi sitting inside, watching over the coffins.


    The three of them stealthily took away the coffins and zombies without anyone else knowing.


    When entering the city, they were interrogated by the Enforcement Leader.


    Mo Hua was acquainted with that Enforcement Leader, greeted him, and then handed him two Spirit Stones to get himself a drink.


    The Enforcement Leader glanced carelessly and then politely let them through.


    Once the horse cart entered the dwelling, Mo Hua found a quiet, secluded, and cool side room. After drawing Concealment, Defence, and Control Formations around it, he finally placed the coffins inside.


    ¡°Should we tell Master?¡± Bai Zisheng quietly asked.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°We should!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was sure to know about their actions.


    But knowing was one thing; they also had to dutifully inform Mr. Zhuang.


    Respecting the master and valuing the way was the disciples¡¯ duty.


    Mo Hua went to find Mr. Zhuang.


    Before Mo Hua could speak, Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, ¡°Study it carefully, and make sure to handle the aftermath cleanly. Such defiled objects should not be kept for long.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang indeed knew.


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t rush to start his research; he wanted to make some preparations first, reinforce the formations further, to prevent any mistakes that might let the zombies escape, dirty the courtyard, and disturb Mr. Zhuang¡¯s peace.


    Little did he know, before Mo Hua could get ready, Situ Fang came to him the next day, appearing guilt-stricken, as if she had something difficult to say.


    Mo Hua asked puzzled,


    ¡°Sister Situ, what¡¯s happened?¡±


    Situ Fang looked somewhat remorseful, and after hesitating for a moment, she finally said,


    ¡°They¡¯re all gone¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°What¡¯s all gone?¡±


    ¡°The zombies, the coffins, and all the evidence at the scene¡­ Everything¡¯s gone¡­¡±


    Situ Fang said through gritted teeth.


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s eyes held a cold spark, ¡°The Court Leader¡­ he claimed that the zombies were filthy and feared they might cause a corpse calamity, bringing disaster to all sides. Thus, he burned all the zombies, the coffins were all destroyed, and all evidence was reduced to ashes¡­¡±


    ¡°By the time I found out, it was too late¡­ Nothing was left.¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s voice was hoarse, filled with deep self-reproach.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze flickered. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Court Leader of the Taoist Court, huh¡­


    He patted Situ Fang¡¯s shoulder, sighed like an old soul, and comforted her earnestly,


    ¡°Life hardly ever goes as we wish, and some ups and downs are inevitable. We need to look ahead. Those zombies and such, if they¡¯re gone, then they¡¯re gone¡­¡±


    After all, I have them all.

 Chapter 443 - 436 Corpse Refinement_1

    Chapter 443: Chapter 436 Corpse Refinement_1


    Situ Fang couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry, ¡°Who taught you that line?¡±


    ¡°Elder Yu!¡±


    ¡°The Elder Yu from Tongxian City¡¯s Monster Hunting Guild?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Situ Fang sighed and agreed.


    ¡°Elder Yu isn¡¯t wrong in what he says, you should listen to Elder Yu more in the future and not to your Uncle Zhang.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded on the outside but privately mocked in his heart:


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯ve never heard Elder Yu scold people, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t say that¡­¡±


    Situ Fang hadn¡¯t really interacted with Elder Yu, so she was unaware of what kind of Elder he actually was.


    She probably thought that Elder Yu was the kind of elder who was respectable and notable, with a ¡°gentle and approachable¡± way of speaking¡­


    Mo Hua shook his head inwardly and then said:


    ¡°Let the zombie be burnt. Zhang Quan did many evil deeds; there should be other clues. Just keep looking.¡±


    ¡°However, this is not necessarily a bad thing,¡± Mo Hua thought again and said:


    ¡°At least now we know the Court Leader¡¯s true colors, so we can be more cautious next time.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Situ Fang nodded, her mood slightly improved.


    She had been busy the whole day yesterday and was quite exhausted. She had just rested for two hours, let her guard down a little, and the Court Leader had sabotaged everything behind the scenes, making all her efforts go to waste¡­.


    Situ Fang was anxious, self-blaming, and feeling guilty toward Mo Hua.


    But she didn¡¯t expect that Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind and was instead comforting her.


    Such a good kid¡­


    Situ Fang said earnestly:


    ¡°I was negligent this time, consider it a favor I owe you. If you need help with anything in the future, just ask.¡±


    Mo Hua grinned and said, ¡°Okay!¡±


    After coaxing Situ Fang away, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi stuck their heads out ¨C they had been eavesdropping the whole time.


    Bai Zisheng asked:


    ¡°We kept a few corpses; should we tell Sister Situ?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not mention it for now.¡±


    ¡°Why? She¡¯s on our side, right?¡± Bai Zisheng was puzzled.


    Mo Hua considered Situ Fang¡¯s situation and said:


    ¡°It¡¯s enough to have Sister Situ help with the aftermath. After all, she is only at the Qi Refinement level, while Zhang Quan was at the Foundation Establishment level, and also a Corpse cultivator. If they were to confront each other directly, Sister Situ would be in great danger.¡±


    After considering this, Bai Zisheng said, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Bai Zixi also nodded in agreement.


    However, the three of them didn¡¯t realize that they were at the Qi Refinement level as well¡­


    The matter of the zombies was put on hold for the time being.


    The Taoist Court destroying the bodies and obliterating the evidence meant that there were no leads left, and the investigation could not proceed.


    While it seemed to be a significant issue, it had fizzled out on the surface.


    But no one knew that Mo Hua had secretly kept a few corpses, nor did anyone know what Mo Hua was planning to do with the zombies¡­


    In a small compartment.


    In front of Mo Hua were two coffins.


    Inside the coffins were the zombies Mo Hua had stolen.


    He had drawn Formations all around.


    There were Formations like the Sound Isolation Formation, Energy Sealing Formation, Solid Earth Formation, Earth Fire Formation, Earth Prison Formation, Wood Binding Formation¡­


    Bai Zisheng glanced around and couldn¡¯t help asking:


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there a bit too many Formations¡­?¡±


    With a serious expression, Mo Hua said, ¡°Even when hunting rabbits, the lion uses all its strength. We must be meticulous in our work and not afford any oversights¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked at the Formation Patterns surrounding them again and was somewhat speechless.


    That¡¯s a little too ¡°meticulous¡±¡­


    It¡¯s like a spider¡¯s web¡­


    Mo Hua, now with twelve Divine Sense Patterns, had Formation skills far beyond the first-grade.


    These casually drawn first-grade Formations, laid out one after another at no cost, were piled up layer upon layer, quite a lot¡­


    Bai Zisheng felt that Mo Hua was just itching to draw Formations for fun.


    Mo Hua still seemed unsatisfied.


    He checked the Formations again and, finding a few empty spaces, added several more around the corners of the room until it was completely full.


    Now it looked comfortable¡­


    Mo Hua nodded with satisfaction, then began the ¡°coffin opening and corpse examination¡±.


    Bai Zisheng opened the coffin, and the zombies lay there rigidly, motionless.


    As Mo Hua didn¡¯t fully understand the nature of zombies, he asked Bai Zixi:


    ¡°Junior Sister, these zombies won¡¯t move, will they?¡±


    Bai Zixi explained, ¡°There are many types of zombies. Some are naturally formed from corpses, while others are intentionally refined¡­¡±


    ¡°With the accumulation of resentment, the convergence of Yin energy, the infusion of Filthy Qi into the body, over the years, they can turn into zombies naturally.¡±


    ¡°Those naturally formed zombies are ferocious, greedy for flesh and blood, and they will keep killing, eating people, and even other living creatures.¡±


    ¡°The zombies refined by people will be weaker and need cultivators to control them with Evil Artifacts. If uncontrolled, they mostly sleep in their coffins, nurturing Corpse Qi, with only some instinctual minor movements¡­¡±


    ¡°But if these intentionally refined zombies lose control, they become like naturally formed zombies, drawn to Blood Qi, killing and eating people¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Mo Hua nodded again and again, then pointed to the coffins and asked:


    ¡°So these haven¡¯t lost control, right?¡±


    ¡°They have lost control.¡± Bai Zixi said.


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°They have?!¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded, ¡°Yes, they have, but these low-level Walking Corpses are too weak, and they¡¯ve exhausted their Corpse Qi. Even if they¡¯re out of control, they can¡¯t move, unless¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless you feed them blood?¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Mm, anything with Blood Qi will do.¡±


    ¡°And after feeding them?¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, ¡°They will come back to life on their own, ceaselessly seeking flesh and blood to consume¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°That¡¯s still quite dangerous¡­¡±


    Immediately after that, he weakly asked:


    ¡°So, if you get bitten by a zombie, will you turn into one?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Why is it only possible?¡±


    Bai Zixi replied, ¡°Zombies carry corpse poison.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Corpse poison?¡±


    Bai Zixi raised her tiny index finger and explained:


    ¡°This so-called poison is essentially ¡®corpse qi¡¯, similar to spiritual energy but innately sinister.¡±


    Bai Zixi, looking at Mo Hua, added, ¡°This kind of corpse qi turns into corpse poison, which can taint a cultivator¡¯s blood qi and cause them to turn into a zombie.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s little corpse poison, or it¡¯s weak, the transformation is only partial.¡±


    ¡°Once the corpse poison is too strong or invades the heart meridian, then the cultivator will become a zombie.¡±


    Then she cautioned Mo Hua, ¡°You mustn¡¯t get bitten by a zombie. You are frail, and your blood qi is weak, so if you¡¯re poisoned, your injuries will also be more severe.¡±


    ¡°Mm-hm.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Then he began to ponder, thinking he should come up with a way to restrain zombies, so he wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard and panic when faced with danger.


    But this was not an urgent matter.


    ¡°Then how are zombies artificially refined?¡± Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked.


    ¡°It requires blood meals, filthy substances, some sinister herbs, and also a Corpse Refining Coffin, or what might also be called a Corpse Raising Coffin.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics of how to refine them, as I¡¯ve never done it,¡± Bai Zixi said with a clear voice.


    Disciples of the Worldly Family aren¡¯t allowed to engage with the knowledge of evil arts and the Demon Path, to prevent the rise of sinister thoughts and corruption of character.


    Only when they grow up and set out to travel or study are they carefully instructed by the elders at home, who inform them of the tactics of evil demons, allowing them to be vigilant and avoid falling into demonic traps, ending up with no place for their corpses.


    The Bai Family likely does not teach this knowledge either.


    Bai Zixi probably knows about it because she is a diligent student, with a rich knowledge of Tao Cultivation and wide-reaching interests.


    Mo Hua looked at Bai Zixi as if she were an elegant and exquisite ¡°Tao Cultivation Encyclopedia,¡± and couldn¡¯t help but admire her, saying:


    ¡°Junior Sister, you truly know a lot!¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s expression remained indifferent, but a pair of shining eyes revealed a hint of pride.


    Bai Zisheng curled his lips, ¡°Sycophant.¡±


    ¡°And you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng muttered.


    Zixi had great talent, a good memory, was serious about her cultivation, and had a breadth of knowledge.


    In terms of scholarship in the path of cultivation, he indeed couldn¡¯t compare with Zixi.


    Mo Hua patted Bai Zisheng on the shoulder and also nodded in praise:


    ¡°It¡¯s valuable to have self-awareness¡­¡±


    It took Bai Zisheng quite a while to catch on and he couldn¡¯t help but scratch Mo Hua¡¯s little head in response.


    After understanding the principles of corpse refinement, Mo Hua started to research formations.


    First was the coffin.


    This kind of coffin is called a Corpse Refining Coffin, or Corpse Raising Coffin.


    Combining refining, storing, and raising of corpses, it is a type of evil artifact in the realm of demonic arts.


    Each zombie has its own coffin.


    The type varies with the level, and the quality of the coffins differs as well.


    Zombies are categorized as Walking Corpse, Iron Corpse, Copper Corpse, Golden Corpse, etc., and the corresponding coffins are made of wood, iron, copper, and gold respectively.


    A corpse of a certain class should be placed in a coffin of the corresponding level.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but mock inwardly.


    In life, people are distinguished by rank and status, and even in death, as zombies, their coffins are segregated into gold, silver, copper, and iron.


    It¡¯s truly fussy even in death.


    Zhang Quan ran a coffin shop.


    He most likely crafted these coffins himself.


    However, the formations on the coffins were definitely not his own work.


    Zhang Quan was not a Formation Master and lacked the ability to do so.


    Mo Hua studied the formations on the coffins and frowned.


    The formations on the coffins were not Ultimate Formations but rather common Earth Series Evil Formations.


    The core of the formation was an Earth Series formation, only twisted in form; the ink was human blood mixed with bone powder, among other unnamed filthy substances.


    The Formation media were bone shards embedded in the coffin.


    The Formation eye was a decaying heart, which seemed treated or cured in some way¡ªmixing blood qi, filthy qi, and spiritual energy to provide power for the Corpse Formation to operate.


    This formation, while gruesome and bloody, had a somewhat crude underlying logic.


    Mo Hua was not too impressed.


    What truly caught Mo Hua¡¯s attention was the formation at the heart meridian of the zombies.


    If his guess was correct, this formation was indeed an Ultimate Formation.


    Mo Hua called out, ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, then, furrowing his brow and enduring the nausea, he took out a dagger and carefully sliced through the skin on the Walking Corpse¡¯s chest, revealing the formation integrated into the flesh.


    Mo Hua watched and took notes on paper.


    At the same time, he released his Divine Sense and engaged in Calculation, deducing the formation patterns.


    This process was slow and prone to mistakes.


    If a mistake was made, he had to start over.


    Mo Hua spent a whole day studying several corpses, comparing them, and finally managed to piece together a complete formation.


    Mo Hua looked at the formation on the paper, a serious expression on his face.


    As expected, this formation contained twelve distinct patterns.


    It was a proper First-grade Formation with twelve patterns, an Ultimate Formation!


    But he dared not study it because this twelve-pattern Ultimate Formation was very likely an Evil Formation used for Demon Path corpse refining¡­


    After all, he surely couldn¡¯t learn it to go and refine corpses¡­

 Chapter 444 - 437: Contempt

    Chapter 444: Chapter 437: Contempt


    ¡°`


    When in doubt, it¡¯s better to refrain from overconfidence and ask Mr. Zhuang for advice.


    Mo Hua then ran to the bamboo house to see Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang sat in a bamboo chair, brewing tea, enjoying the breeze, and squinting comfortably.


    After waiting outside for a while, Mo Hua suddenly looked up and saw Mr. Zhuang looking at him. His eyes lit up, and he ran forward, presenting the Formation he had restored, and asked:


    ¡°Master, can I learn this Formation?¡±


    Without even looking, Mr. Zhuang nodded and said:


    ¡°You can.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned, ¡°Isn¡¯t this an Evil Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression deepened as he asked:


    ¡°Do you know how an Evil Formation differs from a normal Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows in thought and shook his head honestly.


    He had never studied Evil Formations; he had only briefly glanced at a few Evil Formation Patterns and was unclear about the differences between them.


    To know is to know, not to know is not to know.


    Since he was unclear, he didn¡¯t feel comfortable making things up in front of Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°What about their commonalities?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang asked again.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and tried to say:


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s a proper Formation or an Evil Formation, the basic framework of the Formation is the same, consisting of Formation media, Formation eye, Formation pivot, Formation Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that the specific composition of the Formation is different, the Evil Formation is more bizarre, and the methods are more bloody and cruel.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, ¡°Not bad.¡±


    He then picked up the Ultimate Formation with the twelve Patterns that Mo Hua had restored, his eyes showing a hint of appreciation as he pointed out:


    ¡°So this Formation, apart from the White Bone Formation medium, Human blood Formation pattern, and Human heart Formation eye, the other parts of the Formation principle are indeed manifestations of the Heavenly Dao and fall within the range of normal Formations. In other words¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gradually brightened as he continued:


    ¡°In other words, is this actually a proper Ultimate Formation that someone used bizarre methods to draw?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with satisfaction, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned again, ¡°If it¡¯s a proper Ultimate Formation, why not use it correctly? Why resort to these heretical Demons¡¯ methods?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression grew obscure:


    ¡°Because he couldn¡¯t draw it the proper way¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.


    After a moment of silence, Mr. Zhuang sighed and said:


    ¡°Following the Righteous Dao is actually very difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°Among the so-called cultivators of the Righteous Dao, while there are those who seek fame and pretend to be virtuous, there are also truly determined and upright people.¡±


    ¡°Such cultivators have temperaments, methods, and breadth of spirit far beyond ordinary people, and the effort they put in, the refinement they experience, the hardships they endure, and the criticism they face are equally extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°It is the same with Formations.¡±


    ¡°The deeper one goes in the Formations of the Righteous Dao, the harder they become. You might put in ten times the effort and see only a tenth of the result.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, many cultivators start looking for shortcuts.¡±


    ¡°This shortcut is the Evil Formation.¡±


    ¡°If the Divine Sense is insufficient, they blindly visualize and borrow the Divine Thought of others and other objects without discernment and purification.¡±


    ¡°If the Formation is not well-practiced, they draw on skin compatible with Spiritual Power to reduce the difficulty of the Formation.¡±


    ¡°If the understanding of the Formation pivot is shallow, they use human blood as ink and human hearts as eyes to forcibly promote the flow of the Formation¡¯s power ¡­¡±


    ¡°The so-called Evil Formations, just like conventional Formations, are based on the same Formation principle.¡±


    ¡°However, some cultivators don¡¯t want to think, learn, practice, or comprehend. They take shortcuts by using human lives and flesh as the framework and pivot of the Formation to draw Formations they otherwise couldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    After finishing, Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and spoke meaningfully:


    ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t teach you the principle of Evil Formations before, to let you learn the Formations patiently, practice over and over, and not to be hasty or to think about taking shortcuts.¡±


    ¡°You have great talent and a high aptitude. If you think about taking shortcuts and learn Evil Formations, falling into the Demon Path, your level of Formation mastery might skyrocket rapidly, advancing by leaps and bounds daily.¡±


    ¡°But by doing so, once you taste the sweetness of shortcuts, you will no longer practice Formations diligently or be able to glimpse the true Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°Learning Evil Formations is like trying to help the shoots grow by pulling them upward¡ªit won¡¯t last long.¡±


    ¡°In front of a true Formation Master who understands the Heavenly Dao, these so-called Evil Formation Masters are just opportunistic small fry¡­¡±


    ¡°The so-called Evil Formations are merely filthy with blood Qi, superficial imitations, the Righteous cannot be overwhelmed by the evil, they are vulnerable!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes sharpened, and his entire presence became like a sheathed immortal sword, emitting an astonishing aura.


    ¡°You must remember, we cultivators do not follow the path of Heretical Demons, not because we cannot, but because we disdain it!¡±


    Mo Hua was deeply moved and full of admiration.


    Not following the Demon Path is not because we can¡¯t, but because we disdain it!


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words were deeply engraved in his mind. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was as if someone had inscribed these words onto his Taoist Heart with a sword.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew steadier, and his expression became more resolute.


    As he looked at the Evil Formation in his hands, he felt a great peace of mind; even though it was a Formation of heretical Demons, filled with oddities and eeriness, he remained calm and untroubled.


    ¡°Master, your disciple remembers!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly with a serious face.


    In the following days, Mo Hua began to study this Ultimate Formation.


    To extract the essence of the Formation principle and discard the dross.


    Focusing only on the most fundamental principles of the Formation itself while neglecting its opportunistic methods, like human skin Patterns, flesh and blood pivots, and human heart eyes.


    Thus, the difficulty of the Formation increased exponentially.


    For a first-grade twelve-Pattern Formation, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense strength had just reached the threshold.


    And Divine Sense was just the threshold.


    With this Divine Sense, one still needed to practice the Formation¡¯s Patterns, analyze the layout of the Formation, and grasp the principles of the Formation.


    This required a great deal of time and extensive practice.


    The process was tedious and dull.


    The Divine Sense would be exhausted over and over, then slowly recover, only to be exhausted again¡­


    With the Taoist Stele not yet restored, Mo Hua could only rely on his ability, taking more time and consuming more energy, to practice over and over, slowly comprehending.


    He kept Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teachings in mind, and though progress was slow, he was neither arrogant nor impatient.


    Cultivation requires perseverance, as if dripping water penetrates stone.


    It¡¯s the same with practicing Formations.


    Each practice session is a drop of water, each contemplation is like raindrops falling on the stone.


    ¡°`


    As long as one persists, even a dripping water drop will wear through a stone.


    The principles of Formation too could be deciphered, thoroughly understood, and mastered.


    After such contemplation over a number of days, Mo Hua gradually grasped some essence. He had gained some understanding of the ostensibly ¡°Corpse Refinement¡± Evil Formation.


    But this understanding wasn¡¯t profound; it was hazy, as though obscured by a layer of gauze, unclear.


    ¡°It seems that my practice is not sufficient, my thoughts are not deep enough, and my realizations are not profound enough¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly.


    Just when he thought he needed more time,


    a tremor suddenly echoed within the Sea of Consciousness, and the Taoist Stele began to slowly recover.


    Mo Hua was delighted and quickly sank his Divine Sense into the Sea of Consciousness.


    The grey on the Taoist Stele faded away gradually, and that ancient and profound aura began to fill the space with vigor once more.


    Mo Hua tried drawing a few Formations and found that the Taoist Stele was usable, although its effects were not as strong as before.


    After drawing the Formations and erasing them, he could only recover half of the Divine Sense he had used.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    It seems it hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet.


    Nevertheless, it could still be barely used, which was, at least, better than having nothing.


    Mo Hua touched the Taoist Stele and said affectionately,


    ¡°I won¡¯t put you through this again.¡±


    The Taoist Stele remained as silent as ever, seemingly a bit petulant, not accepting Mo Hua¡¯s apology.


    Now that he had the Taoist Stele, although it was only a ¡°incomplete¡± version, Mo Hua¡¯s practice of the Ultimate Formation saw a direct two or threefold increase.


    His comprehension of the Ultimate Formation sped up significantly as well.


    A few more days passed, and Mo Hua finally managed to draw the Ultimate Formation.


    Within the Formation, Spiritual Power transformed into fine threads, moving independently and yet complementing each other, converging¡­


    However, at the same time, Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    Something was off¡­


    ¡°This Ultimate Formation¡­ is incomplete¡­¡±


    Or rather, it was only a part of the entire Ultimate Formation.


    Mo Hua had drawn it, but still felt it was lacking something. The Spiritual Power could flow and undergo special changes, but it was quite disparate, as if it were an abandoned segment.


    ¡°Why is it incomplete?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    The Formation eye, Formation pivot, and Formation Patterns were all intact.


    And what exactly was the effect of this Ultimate Formation?


    Spiritual Power in the Formation was split into even finer filaments, like threads twisted together, each with a special flow.


    Looking fascinating yet baffling¡­


    What¡¯s the purpose of drawing this Formation on a Zombie¡¯s circulatory paths?


    Mo Hua could not figure it out and, thinking that two heads are better than one, went to consult Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi said with a slight frown,


    ¡°Perhaps, it¡¯s for Corpse control¡­¡±


    ¡°Corpse control?¡±


    Mo Hua asked doubtfully, ¡°Don¡¯t Corpse cultivators have their own methods to control zombies? Why would they need to use an Ultimate Formation?¡±


    If one strictly needed an Ultimate Formation to control zombies, then there wouldn¡¯t be many Corpse cultivators in the world, nor many Cultivators capable of refining zombies.


    After all, only a handful of Formation Masters know the Ultimate Formations.


    Yet, Corpse Refinement and Corpse control are a relatively prominent school on the Demon Path.


    Corpse cultivators engaged in Corpse Refinement are not rare in the Demon Path.


    Bai Zixi pondered and said, ¡°Controlling zombies is easy, but the quantity is an issue.¡±


    ¡°Quantity?¡± Mo Hua was slightly startled.


    Bai Zisheng, however, remembered something and nodded,


    ¡°Right, an ordinary Corpse cultivator can¡¯t control so many zombies.¡±


    ¡°A few dozen zombies, that Zhang Quan controls with ease, is indeed curious. Moreover, he may have refined even more zombies. That¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    Mo Hua became enlightened.


    If a Corpse cultivator could control so many zombies, then leveraging the tactic of a ¡®zombie sea¡¯, no other Cultivator of the same rank could possibly be his match.


    This was clearly too overpowering.


    Bai Zixi continued, ¡°Normally, a Corpse cultivator controls a few to a dozen zombies, never dozens like that.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    That said, Zhang Quan could possibly control so many zombies thanks to the Ultimate Formation.


    Where¡¯s the other part of the Ultimate Formation then?


    Mo Hua pondered briefly, then his eyes brightened:


    ¡°That copper bell?¡±


    Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng also nodded slightly.


    Zhang Quan uses a copper bell to control zombies. If the Ultimate Formation is incomplete, it¡¯s likely that the other part of the Formation is inscribed on the copper bell.


    As for the principle behind this Formation, one has to wait until Mo Hua can find the complete Formation and study it to understand it.


    ¡°It seems that I need to find Zhang Quan¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and muttered to himself.


    At the same time, he had another doubt.


    The Ultimate Formation for controlling zombies, with a rank of one and twelve patterns, could it be¡­ that Ultimate Formation of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, thinking carefully.


    A Formation with one rank and twelve patterns, exceeding limits, is extremely rare.


    It seems very unlikely for the Minor Wilderness state boundary to coincidentally have two Ultimate Formations of one rank and twelve patterns.


    Moreover, the Spirit Pivot Formation, the Spirit pivot, the Spiritual Power pivot point¡­


    It also sounds like the effect of controlling zombies.


    If this Formation truly is the Spirit Pivot Formation, then who drew it?


    Who can master an Ultimate Formation and is willing to draw it for Zhang Quan for corpse control?


    Could the one who drew the Formation be the traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect?


    Or perhaps¡­ Instructor Yan?


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled, his expression turning complicated.

 Chapter 445 - 438: Hiding_1

    Chapter 445: Chapter 438: Hiding_1


    The traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect deceived his master and annihilated his ancestors, likely falling into the Demon Path and refining corpses for others.


    As for Instructor Yan¡­ if his heart were set on revenge and he spared no means, it¡¯s also possible that he has gone astray.


    Mo Hua sighed, deeply worried about Instructor Yan.


    He hoped that Instructor Yan would be safe and sound, and also hoped that Yan wouldn¡¯t be blinded by obsession and stray onto the wrong path, committing some sort of misdeed.


    Instructor Yan was undoubtedly upright, but even the most upright person could momentarily be driven to desperate measures in a surge of anger.


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°Should we go look for Zhang Quan?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°We must.¡±


    Now, all the clues lay with Zhang Quan.


    The death of the Mining Cultivator, the method of Corpse Refinement, the hiding place for the corpses, the complete Formation Diagram of the Ultimate Formation, and Instructor Yan¡¯s whereabouts.


    All these, it was estimated, were related to Zhang Quan.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation, ¡°Then let¡¯s get going early, I want to slaughter him!¡±


    The thought of Zhang Quan¡¯s actions in refining corpses had been infuriating him these past few days.


    Bai Zisheng had deliberately learned a few Taoist Skills, planning to use Zhang Quan for practice.


    Then he grew somewhat worried,


    ¡°After so many days, can we still find him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, but there are still some clues.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and then took out the Compass Parent-Child Disk.


    On the disk, of the original three bright spots, only one remained.


    This meant that one of the Compass Child Formations was still on Zhang Quan.


    It could be that the needle was hidden so well that Zhang Quan had not discovered it.


    Alternatively, it could be that he did find it, but deliberately left it there as bait, luring Mo Hua to come over and walk into an ambush.


    Regardless, Mo Hua was determined to take a look.


    He put the zombie back into the coffin and drew both Golden Lock Formation and Cold Ice Formation on it to lock the coffin and use the Cold Ice Formation to store the Walking Corpse at a low temperature.


    It was precaution to prevent the Walking Corpse from escaping or decomposing.


    The next morning, as soon as dawn broke, Mo Hua called upon Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, and the three left Tongxian City. In a secluded place, they concealed their presence, then hastened towards the wild mountains west of South Yue City using movement techniques.


    Mo Hua had looked over the Map of South Yue City.


    The bright spot on the Compass Mother Formation Disk corresponded to the location of the wild mountains to the west of the city.


    These wild mountains, similar to mining mountains, bore no minerals to be excavated and had no other resources. Therefore, Cultivators seldom visited, leaving them desolate.


    The vegetation on the mountains was stunted, mostly pale green or gray-brown.


    The exposed mountain rocks were dry and white.


    Weeds rooted in the crevices of the rocks.


    Occasionally, unknown Monster Beasts would emit strange cries from who-knows-where, echoing through the empty mountains.


    Mo Hua crouched behind a large boulder, staring at the Compass Disk.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi leaned over to look as well.


    The moving point on the disk was extremely suspicious, constantly meandering through the mountains, unpredictably east and west, as if evading something or deliberately concealing itself, with no discernible pattern.


    What was this Zhang Quan up to?


    The three exchanged glances, all a bit puzzled.


    ¡°Could it be a trap?¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    ¡°If it were a trap, he should have stopped to set up an ambush, right? What¡¯s the point of running around?¡±


    ¡°True¡­¡± Bai Zisheng nodded, then speculated, ¡°Could it be that he discovered the needle, removed it, and then stuck it onto a mountain pig or some other Monster Beast?¡±


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, ¡°That¡¯s possible¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look. If it¡¯s Zhang Quan, we¡¯ll capture him. If it¡¯s a mountain pig, we¡¯ll see whether it eats meat or grass¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°What difference does it make whether it eats meat or grass?¡± Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°If it eats meat, then we¡¯ll just slaughter it, no need to worry further; if it eats grass, after slaughtering it, we¡¯ll need to bring it back, I feel like eating pork¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked at Mo Hua with anticipation.


    Bai Zixi sighed softly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was complicated, ¡°I¡¯m not going to cook it for you.¡±


    Bai Zisheng defended his position, ¡°I don¡¯t really mind, it¡¯s mainly to show filial respect to Instructor¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll slaughter the pig, you¡¯ll cook it, and then we¡¯ll give Instructor a taste. But obviously, Instructor can¡¯t finish it by himself and as a disciple, naturally, I have to relieve Instructor of his worries¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s calculation was making loud noises.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you cook it yourself?¡±


    ¡°If you cook, it¡¯s a show of respect to Instructor. If I cook, it¡¯s like I¡¯m poisoning Instructor¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng was quite self-aware of his own cooking skills.


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    The food in South Yue City was indeed mediocre, and Mr. Zhuang hadn¡¯t been eating much these days.


    Bai Zisheng was overjoyed and promptly said,


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s set off quickly.¡±


    The three concealed their presence and, guided by the Compass, searched for the location of the bright spot.


    Soon, beneath a hillside covered in shrubs, they found the position of the bright spot.


    What was hidden in the shrubs was Zhang Quan, not a mountain pig.


    It seemed that the Formation needle was still on Zhang Quan and not embedded in a pig.


    Bai Zisheng felt both relieved and somewhat disappointed.


    Zhang Quan was squatting in the shrubs, his gaze scanning around vigilantly as if he were on the lookout for something.


    Mo Hua and his companions stayed concealed, watching from a distance.


    After a while, Zhang Quan crept out of the shrubbery, made his way into the forest, changing directions several times, and vanished from sight.


    Mo Hua looked at the Compass and pointed in a direction.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi followed him to another mountain peak. From there, they looked down and saw Zhang Quan emerge from a cave entrance, taking another wary glance around before leaving a Formation in the spot.


    They were too far away for Mo Hua to make out the details of the Formation.


    However, based on the spiritual power calculations of the Formation, it seemed to be a type of trap Formation, with patterns ranking at grades one and two. It¡¯s somewhat obscure, but not highly ranked.


    Zhang Quan set up the Formation, then continued down the mountain path.


    After walking for a while, he turned onto a small path, burrowed into a forest, found a cave, and set up another Formation¡­


    He repeated the cycle, tirelessly and seemingly without purpose.


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°What¡¯s he doing¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment, ¡°It seems he is guarding against something, probably afraid of being followed.¡±


    ¡°Guarding against whom?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi pondered briefly before both casting a silent glance at him.


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Me?¡±


    Bai Zixi said, ¡°You can conceal yourself, he probably fears that you¡¯re invisibly following him.¡±


    Mo Hua clicked his tongue, ¡°Such heavy caution.¡±


    Meanwhile, Zhang Quan was in a state of panic.


    ¡°Why, why is there nothing?¡±


    These days, he¡¯d had a nagging feeling that something was off.


    It seemed like he was being watched.


    Every move he made, within someone else¡¯s grasp.


    But after searching himself thoroughly, he found nothing suspicious.


    Zhang Quan was utterly baffled.


    Yet the intuition honed from years skulking in the shadows wouldn¡¯t deceive him.


    Someone was definitely following him!


    But who could track him without his notice?


    After a moment, Zhang Quan had his answer:


    It was that brat!


    The one skilled in concealment, whose stealth even cultivators at Foundation Establishment couldn¡¯t detect!


    Among the cultivators he knew, only that brat could employ such covert tactics, untraceably sticking to him like a relentless parasite.


    ¡°Truly inexorable!¡±


    Zhang Quan cursed inwardly.


    He couldn¡¯t let that brat follow him!


    Zhang Quan released his Divine Sense, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t find any traces of other cultivators¡ªbecause initially, no one was indeed following him.


    But he still felt restless, so he resorted to various means, winding through caves and forests.


    He set down Formations, testing to see if anyone was following him.


    But the Formations were undisturbed, untouched.


    Zhang Quan was confused and at a loss.


    Had he guessed wrong, or was that brat¡¯s tactics too cunning, eluding his detection?


    ¡­


    Mo Hua also furrowed his brow.


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°Are you thinking of some cunning scheme again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking of any schemes!¡±


    Bai Zisheng humphed, ¡°You can deceive others, but you would deceive your senior brother too?¡±


    Ignoring him, Mo Hua expressed his doubt:


    ¡°This Zhang Quan, he¡¯s a bit too vigilant.¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Bai Zisheng spoke slowly:


    ¡°Having suffered so much and being in such a wretched state, it¡¯s not unreasonable for him to be extra cautious.¡±


    ¡°Being cautious is fine, but his caution seems a bit excessive.¡±


    Bai Zisheng observed Zhang Quan from a distance, unable to discern his expression but noticing his furtive actions, feeling they were overly suspicious.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly, ¡°Is he afraid something will be discovered?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, then looked around.


    The surrounding barren mountains stretched on, with no end in sight.


    In such a place, despite the desolation, the mountains concealed more than they revealed.


    ¡°Afraid of what being found?¡±


    With furrowed brows, the three of them fell into thought, until suddenly, they all looked up, their eyes brightening, having understood.


    ¡°It¡¯s the place where he refines and hides the corpses!¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°We¡¯ll quietly follow, without startling the snake in the grass.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both nodded in agreement.


    The three of them kept their eyes on Zhang Quan, intending to let Zhang Quan lead the way, hoping to trace back to his corpse lair.


    But Zhang Quan¡¯s patience turned out to be even more outrageous than they imagined.


    After another three or four days, he was still meandering in the mountains, darting about, ceaselessly testing with Formations and trail markers.


    Mo Hua watched in irritation, while Zhang Quan continued painstakingly.


    ¡°This Zhang Quan¡­ he really knows how to play it safe¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng complained.


    And it seemed like he could keep it up for a long time.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew serious.


    The more cautious Zhang Quan was, the more it indicated that his corpse refining and hiding place contained a great secret that couldn¡¯t suffer the slightest oversight.


    That was why he didn¡¯t dare take any risk.


    Every slight worry had to be thoroughly eliminated.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then said:


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow!¡±


    Bai Zisheng was slightly surprised, ¡°Why stop following?¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at the distant desolate mountains, his brows slightly raised, and said:


    ¡°We¡¯ve reached the doorstep. We can search on our own, no need for him to lead the way.¡±

 Chapter 446 - 439 Corpse Walking Stronghold_1

    Chapter 446: Chapter 439 Corpse Walking Stronghold_1


    Mo Hua took out the map of the wilderness surrounding South Yue City.


    It was called a map, but it was crudely made, the lines were simple, and it only roughly outlined some mountain terrains; nothing else was included.


    This wilderness was rarely visited, so there was no detailed map available.


    The one Mo Hua held was previously obtained from Situ Fang. It was a map of the mountainous terrain recorded by the Taoist Court Official of South Yue City.


    Mo Hua recalled the trajectory of the light spots on the Compass Disk and traced Zhang Quan¡¯s path on the map.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s movements seemed chaotic, but all his routes were concentrated within the forest between two peaks to the east of the wilderness.


    He came here to return to his lair.


    Therefore, the place where he refined and hid the corpses had to be nearby.


    And to avoid being tracked, he would certainly not linger near his lair.


    So the location of his lair was probably to the west of where he lingered.


    The two places were separated by a large mountain and faced each other from a distance.


    Mo Hua shared his deductions.


    Bai Zisheng asked doubtfully,


    ¡°How do you know this?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I am a Monster Hunter. I often track Monster Beasts in the mountains; this is the basics for a Monster Hunter.¡±


    ¡°But Zhang Quan is not a Monster Beast.¡±


    ¡°Close enough. Anyway, he can hardly be considered human anymore, I suspect his habits are very similar to those of Monster Beasts.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, then asked,


    ¡°What if you guessed wrong?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m wrong, then I¡¯m wrong. It doesn¡¯t really affect anything,¡± Mo Hua said indifferently.


    Bai Zisheng sighed, ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    After all, they needed to search, and having a direction was better than having none.


    Putting aside Zhang Quan for the moment, Mo Hua and the other two crossed over a mountain range to the west of the wilderness to look for Zhang Quan¡¯s hiding place.


    Mo Hua was not worried about Zhang Quan.


    After all, with the Compass Disk, Zhang Quan couldn¡¯t escape from his grasp. He could be left to his own devices, letting him play a game of hide-and-seek with himself.


    And as long as they found Zhang Quan¡¯s hiding place, they could even turn the situation around and lie in wait to catch him.


    To the west of the South Yue wilderness, there was nothing special.


    It was still the same withered grass, low trees, dry rocks, and steep mountains.


    The three searched together for a while, then split up to continue the search, but still came up empty-handed.


    At least on the surface, there was only barren grass and rocky hills.


    Further out, there were more continuous wilderness hills, but the distance was much greater, and with such a wide range, it was not easy to search.


    Bai Zisheng questioned doubtfully, ¡°There¡¯s nothing?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Not necessarily, we¡¯ve only searched once.¡±


    A Monster Hunter won¡¯t just search the mountains once.


    The first time is just to get a rough look at the terrain, to have an overall impression of the land in the Sea of Consciousness. Then, by comparing it with the map, one would have a clearer sense of the paths.


    Afterward, based on experience, one would choose a route and search carefully.


    Mo Hua recalled the terrain and speculated which places could be used for Corpse Refinement or as hiding spots, which locations had special terrain, and which places had a suspicious aura¡­


    He then took out a pen and marked a route on the map before continuing the search.


    This time, Mo Hua searched very meticulously.


    At every place, he would sit cross-legged, release his Divine Sense, and sense the sparse flow of Spiritual Energy between heaven and earth, as well as the circulation of various auras in the mountains.


    At the same time, he had to calculate in his mind to see if there were any traces of a Formation.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi protected him from any Cultivator or Monster Beast that might attempt an ambush.


    After Mo Hua finished searching, he opened his eyes and got up to move to the next location, searching one place after another.


    This kind of search was rather tedious.


    What¡¯s more, Calculation consumed a lot of Divine Sense.


    Luckily, Mo Hua was patient enough, his Divine Sense was strong, and he had mastered the Meditation Technique, so his Divine Sense recovered quickly.


    Stop and go, Mo Hua suddenly uttered a ¡°huh¡± next to a cluster of bald rocks.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Did you find it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, ¡°There¡¯s a Formation.¡±


    Bai Zisheng released his Divine Sense and swept around, then said helplessly, ¡°Where is it?¡±


    He didn¡¯t find anything.


    Mo Hua pointed to the group of bald rocks in front of them, ¡°All these are part of a Formation.¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked at the rocks, which were shiny and bald, massive in size, and numerous. They were piled up together, completely blocking off one side of the mountain.


    ¡°What kind of Formation is this?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks like¡­ some kind of Earth Series Illusion Technique. Just wait¡­¡±


    After saying that, Mo Hua sat down cross-legged on the ground again.


    He closed his eyes in contemplation, focused in thought, and found a tree branch to draw something on the ground.


    Half an hour later, Mo Hua opened his eyes and pointed to the pattern on the ground, saying,


    ¡°The Formation Patterns are like this.¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°You even figured out the Formation Patterns?¡±


    Mo Hua corrected him, ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Calculation,¡¯ not ¡®guess.''¡±


    ¡°Calculation¡± made it seem professional, like something a proficient Junior Formation Master should do.


    ¡°Guess¡± seemed too amateurish and hinted at a guesswork.


    Bai Zisheng clicked his tongue in wonder and asked,


    ¡°Did your master teach you the Divine Sense Calculation?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but feel envious.


    If one learned Divine Sense Calculation, one could see through Formations.


    The Formation Master in this wilderness had used Formations to hide their tracks, but because they had set up Formations, in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, it was as clear as day.


    Even through Calculation, they could deduce the specific Formation Patterns.


    It was really shameless¡­


    Bai Zisheng sighed.


    What a pity, his Divine Sense was not sufficient, hence he couldn¡¯t learn it.


    Of course, even if he could learn it, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to use it as well as Mo Hua did.


    In terms of Formations, his Junior Disciple was always a ¡°little freak¡± in his heart¡­


    Suddenly, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense stirred, and he looked at Bai Zisheng with an unfriendly gaze,


    ¡°Talking bad about me again?¡±


    Bai Zisheng felt completely helpless, ¡°I was praising you in my heart¡­¡±


    Mo Hua snorted, ¡°Do you think I believe that?¡±


    Bai Zisheng let out a sigh and had no choice but to apologize politely, then quickly changed the subject:


    ¡°How do we break this formation?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need to break it, this is just a decoy.¡±


    After releasing his Divine Sense and peeking through, he said:


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi nodded.


    Mo Hua walked straight up to a bare rock and then gently reached out, his fingers sinking into the stone.


    Mo Hua continued to walk forward, his entire body going directly into the rock.


    Bai Zisheng was startled, and Bai Zixi was also slightly taken aback.


    This bare rock was merely an illusion, not a real object.


    The two exchanged glances and followed Mo Hua inside.


    Once inside the rock, all was pitch-black, but Mo Hua seemed to know everything like the back of his hand, leading the way with ease.


    After walking for a moment, light appeared before them, revealing a large stone gate.


    The gate was gloomy, entwined with a sense of death, and a faint putrid stench lingered at the entrance.


    And on the gate, three mottled, crude characters were inscribed:


    Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    Mo Hua frowned, Corpse Walking Stronghold?


    The trio didn¡¯t charge in directly but concealed their forms and found a large rock nearby to squat under, huddled together with their heads close.


    ¡°Another stronghold in the mountains¡­¡±


    ¡°A stronghold in the mountains is naturally a mountain stronghold,¡± Bai Zixi said.


    ¡°Corpse Walking Stronghold¡­ Could this stronghold be used for corpse refinement¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This is a bit troublesome¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s a stronghold, it means that there isn¡¯t just one cultivator inside, there should be many of them¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhang Quan isn¡¯t a loner, he¡¯s likely a leader or at least a householder.¡±


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°So what do we do now, storm in and slaughter them all?¡±


    Mo Hua helplessly replied, ¡°Can you kill them all?¡±


    ¡°How would we know without trying?¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes shone excitedly, eager to rush in immediately and eradicate the stronghold.


    Bai Zixi silently twisted his arm, which made him behave.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°We must take precautions before it happens; we cannot act rashly. I¡¯ll go in first using concealment to check the situation.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going in alone?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I¡¯m familiar with this.¡±


    Back then, he had infiltrated Black Mountain Stronghold completely unnoticed, all by himself.


    At that time, sneaking into Black Mountain Stronghold was somewhat dangerous.


    But now things were different.


    Now his Divine Sense was deeper, his Concealment Technique stronger, and his knowledge of formations was far beyond that of an ordinary first-grade Formation Master. He did not fear even Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Although Mo Hua couldn¡¯t defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he could hide from them thanks to his skill at concealment.


    Bai Zixi disagreed, ¡°We should go together!¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded in agreement as well.


    Mo Hua shook his head and said, ¡°Your ability to conceal isn¡¯t good enough; you would be detected by Foundation Establishment cultivators.¡±


    Bai Zixi was still somewhat worried.


    So Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯ll go in, and you two stay here as backup. If something goes wrong, I¡¯ll set off fireworks, and you come in to help me.¡±


    Although he said this, it was very unlikely that such a situation would occur.


    After some thought, Bai Zixi had no better solution and could only nod in agreement.


    Bai Zisheng was a little disappointed and quickly reminded him:


    ¡°If there¡¯s trouble, don¡¯t be afraid. Just set off the fireworks, and I, your senior brother, will charge in and slay them¡­ no, I mean protect you!¡±


    Bai Zisheng was still thinking about fighting.


    Mo Hua was somewhat exasperated.


    Afterward, without saying anything more, Mo Hua concealed his form and quietly sneaked into Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    Before entering Corpse Walking Stronghold, he released his Divine Sense to ascertain the positions of several cultivators at the gate, then quietly avoided them and slipped inside.


    Then he found a hidden place and pushed his Divine Sense to the limit.


    Each time he only released it briefly, then quickly withdrew it.


    Like a dragonfly skimming the water, leaving no trace.


    After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, he released his Divine Sense again.


    After probing with his Divine Sense three or four times without noticing anything unusual, Mo Hua finally let out a slight sigh of relief.


    It seemed there were no Foundation Establishment cultivators in Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    Or even if there were, their Divine Sense was not strong enough to detect Mo Hua¡¯s surveillance.


    Mo Hua felt much more at ease.


    He began to scrutinize the layout of Corpse Walking Stronghold and the cultivators within.


    The Corpse Walking Stronghold was built against a mountain, its layout simple, with constructed wooden houses and carved out caves.


    What wasn¡¯t simple, was the dense Corpse Qi and the numerous deathly auras.


    With just a light scan, Mo Hua could detect many coffins.


    Most of these coffins were wooden, but there were a few that had an even heavier presence of Corpse Qi, crafted from refined iron and preserved with Evil Formations ¨C iron coffins.


    The corpses harbored within were likely the stronger Iron Corpses.


    In the entire stronghold, there were more dead people than living ones.


    Of the living cultivators, not all of them seemed to be Corpse cultivators.


    Those who could control corpses were few, donned in gray robes, with pallid skin.


    The rest looked more like bandits.


    Mo Hua was surprised by this discovery.


    Beyond this, there were the formations.


    As expected, there were numerous formations laid out around Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    The standards of these formations were mostly below the first grade, ranging from seven to eight Patterns, with the most complex having up to nine Patterns.


    After dismantling a few formations and examining them closely, Mo Hua suddenly paused in shock.


    He recognized the style of these Formation Patterns.


    Neat and meticulous, yet somewhat rigid.


    When he was learning about Formation Patterns at Tongxian Gate, it was with such Patterns as the template.


    These were¡­Formation Patterns drawn by Instructor Yan¡­

 Chapter 447 - 440 Instructor Yan_1

    Chapter 447: Chapter 440 Instructor Yan_1


    ¡°Instructor Yan is¡­ drawing formations for the Corpse Walking Stronghold?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s little face became anxious.


    Could Instructor Yan have gone bad?


    He wanted to find out, so he released his Divine Sense to see if anyone inside the Corpse Walking Stronghold was drawing formations.


    As his majestic Divine Sense unfolded, the outline of the Corpse Walking Stronghold dissolved.


    Within this expanse of void, pale blue, pale white, and dark gray auras intertwined and flourished.


    This was the true form of Spiritual Energy beneath the surface appearances of the world.


    Or perhaps, just a deeper layer of surface appearances.


    Mo Hua steadied his breath and concentrated, searching through each room, scrutinizing each cultivator.


    After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, he finally made a discovery.


    In a secluded and cramped room, a cultivator resided alone, at the Qi Refining Ninth Level, sitting at a desk, focused on drawing a formation.


    From the tip of his brush, neat formation patterns emerged one after another, and the formation beneath gradually took shape.


    It seemed to be a Spirit Gathering Array.


    While Mo Hua was spying on him with his Divine Sense,


    The cultivator felt something, paused his brush, looked around, then revealed a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Someone?¡±


    ¡°No, this is the Corpse Walking Stronghold. There can¡¯t be outsiders¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    He furrowed his brows.


    He had indeed sensed a faint breath just now.


    This breath was very familiar, like that of an old friend, but upon close inspection, it had vanished without a trace.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s just my imagination¡­¡±


    He shook his head as if reminded of something, sighed softly, and then continued to draw the formation.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes.


    It was the aura of Instructor Yan!


    He pondered for a moment, then hid his figure, employed his movement technique, and stealthily hopped to the roof of a building. He lay prone and poked out his little head to look inside.


    The interior of the cramped room was simply furnished, equipped with only a bed, a desk, and a chair.


    Apart from that were Formation Books and Formation Diagrams, as well as other miscellaneous items related to formation drawing.


    Someone inside was drawing a formation, dressed plainly, with a straight posture.


    He looked serious and tired, but his eyes were determined.


    It was Instructor Yan, whom Mo Hua recognized so well!


    Mo Hua felt a slight excitement in his heart.


    Ever since Instructor Yan left Tongxian City, Mo Hua had not seen him.


    Instructor Yan had enlightened Mo Hua in formations, and occasionally, Mo Hua worried about him.


    He wondered how Instructor Yan was doing, whether his path in cultivation was going smoothly, whether his formation skills had improved, and whether he had found a Tao companion¡­


    Later, upon arriving in South Yue City, when Mo Hua heard that Instructor Yan had gone missing in the mines, he had been somewhat anxious.


    Now that he saw Instructor Yan safe and sound, Mo Hua was relieved.


    Mo Hua thought for a while, decided not to rush out to meet Instructor Yan suddenly, but instead to observe and see what exactly Instructor Yan was up to.


    As time passes, hearts can change.


    Mo Hua was not sure if the current Instructor Yan was still the same person he knew before.


    Whether he had really helped the Corpse Walking Stronghold do evil deeds.


    Mo Hua calmed down and watched attentively with a stern little face.


    Instructor Yan continued to draw the formation, with a meticulous and serious attitude, unaware that his former student was ¡°peeping¡± at him.


    After finishing the formation, Instructor Yan then looked at some Formation Books, browsed through a few Formation Diagrams, and made some annotations.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly; this was how Instructor Yan had taught him in the past.


    To learn formations, one must be diligent.


    One should read a lot, learn a lot, think a lot, and also record a lot.


    After a while, Instructor Yan was interrupted by someone while reading his Formation Books.


    A corpse cultivator clad in gray with a deathly pale complexion knocked on Instructor Yan¡¯s door.


    ¡°Mr. Yan.¡±


    Instructor Yan frowned and showed displeasure; he did not like being disturbed while studying formations, but he still got up, opened the door, and said indifferently,


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The corpse cultivator said, ¡°The formation on the west side of the stronghold is broken¡­¡±


    Mo Hua knew about this because he had deliberately caused the damage!


    Instructor Yan furrowed his brow, ¡°Broken?¡±


    The corpse cultivator bowed and said, ¡°Please ask Mr. Yan to have a look.¡±


    Though the corpse cultivator said ¡°please,¡± his expression was indifferent, without the attitude of a request and seemingly not giving Instructor Yan the option to refuse.


    Instructor Yan nodded, ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Then he went back inside, picked a few brushes, chose several bottles of ink, and found a Formation Diagram, putting them all into his Storage Bag, before saying to the corpse cultivator,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The corpse cultivator led Instructor Yan out of the room.


    Before leaving, Instructor Yan locked the room and activated a formation.


    It seemed that he did not want others to enter this room.


    But no formation could prevent Mo Hua from entering.


    After Instructor Yan left, Mo Hua quietly disabled the room¡¯s formation and gently tiptoed down from the roof into the room.


    He did not touch anything, only scanning the room to judge what formations Instructor Yan had been drawing based on the aura and types of formation patterns.


    Most of the formations in the room were Five Elements Formations.


    Mo Hua was very familiar with the Five Elements Formations, so he could recognize them at a glance.


    They were standard and orthodox formations, not Evil Formations.


    Besides, there were a few rare formations that were not difficult either.


    A few Formation Diagrams were on the table, showing signs of being looked through frequently.


    These Formation Diagrams were for the Melting Fire Formation, Earth Stone Formation, and other formations consistently used in the Formation Master Grading assessments.


    It seemed that Instructor Yan was still working hard to become a First-Grade Formation Master.


    After looking at a few Formation Diagrams drawn by Instructor Yan, Mo Hua nodded subtly, initially judging that Instructor Yan had reached the standard of a first-grade Formation Master.


    Unfortunately, his exploration was not broad enough.


    If the Formation used in the assessment were more obscure and tricky, the difficulty of grading would be quite high.


    It would then depend on a bit of luck, or rather, fate.


    Besides, there were no Ultimate Formations, nor any Evil Formations.


    Mo Hua was both somewhat disappointed and very relieved.


    Disappointed that there was no clue to the Ultimate Formation.


    Relieved that Instructor Yan had not mastered the Ultimate Formation, nor had he become a confederate of evil by painting Evil Formations for the Corpse cultivators in the Corpse Walking Stronghold to help them with Corpse Refinement and corpse-raising.


    Mo Hua guessed that Instructor Yan had probably just been kidnapped.


    Because of his identity as a Formation Master, he had preserved his life; yet due to that same identity, he was coerced by the Corpse cultivators and had no choice but to join the Corpse Stronghold, painting various Formations for their camp¡¯s construction.


    After all, no matter where, Formation Masters are rare talents in the world of Tao Cultivation.


    That was even more the case for someone like Instructor Yan, who had a level of competency near that of a first-grade Formation Master.


    But this was just his own speculation. To know for certain, he would have to ask.


    Mo Hua then found a stool, sat in a corner, concealed his presence, and quietly waited for Instructor Yan to return.


    An hour later, Instructor Yan came back.


    The Corpse cultivator had escorted Instructor Yan all the way to the door, watched as Instructor Yan entered the house, and then turned to leave.


    After entering the house, Instructor Yan sighed and continued over to the table to read more Formation Books.


    While reading, Instructor Yan muttered to himself:


    ¡°How could a Formation just break?¡±


    Suddenly, he had a startled expression, feeling that something was amiss.


    A Formation could not just break for no reason.


    Then Instructor Yan was shocked, his pupils contracted slightly.


    It seemed that someone had been in his room!


    He immediately stood up and swept the room with his Divine Sense, but found nothing.


    Though the desk, chairs, and books seemed untouched, he had a strong intuition that someone had been in there, going through something.


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    And for what reason?


    Instructor Yan¡¯s brows knit tightly, his expression grave.


    Just then, a small hand gently patted Instructor Yan¡¯s shoulder.


    A chill ran down Instructor Yan¡¯s spine, his scalp tingling.


    Was there someone in the room?


    And was that person standing right behind him at this very moment?!


    While Instructor Yan was in turmoil, a crisp voice asked by his ear:


    ¡°Instructor Yan, why are you acting like a thief?¡±


    The voice was that of a child, crisp and pleasant to hear.


    Moreover, it was extremely familiar¡­


    Instructor Yan whirled around, his mouth agape, and it took him a moment before he could speak:


    ¡°Mo¡­ Mo Hua?!¡±


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, ¡°Instructor Yan, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Instructor Yan was completely stunned.


    He blinked, looking at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua still looked the way he remembered¡ªdelicate and cute, with clear eyes. He had just grown a few years older and a bit taller.


    Beyond the sparkling eyes, there was something unfathomable, like a deep and lustrous jade stone.


    Instructor Yan blinked again and looked at Mo Hua, then said with sudden realization:


    ¡°I must be dreaming¡­¡±


    Old people often like to reminisce.


    It seems he had recalled the events in Tongxian City, along with Mo Hua, the child¡­


    Instructor Yan relaxed somewhat, his expression somewhat wistful.


    Mo Hua was somewhat speechless, yet also somewhat helpless as he said:


    ¡°Instructor Yan, it¡¯s me. I came to find you.¡±


    Instructor Yan was momentarily stunned.


    As far as dreams go¡­


    That voice was strangely clear.


    The expression on Mo Hua¡¯s face was also too vivid.


    He focused his gaze, as though he could see Mo Hua¡¯s exquisite little face.


    Instructor Yan looked up again, saw the dim mountains, an overall chill, but there was indeed a sun hanging high in between the cliffs.


    In broad daylight, how could one have dreams?


    Instructor Yan was startled and then with trembling hands, gently touched Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, incredulously asking:


    ¡°Is it¡­ really Mo Hua?¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s voice was trembling slightly, and the corners of his eyes were moist.


    He had not expected that in his lifetime, he would really be able to see Mo Hua, his student, once again¡­


    Mo Hua, somewhat moved, nodded and said:


    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡±


    Instructor Yan suddenly became stern and he asked with concern:


    ¡°But how did you¡­ how did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I came to find you.¡±


    Instructor Yan was taken aback, ¡°To find me?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Not just you, I¡¯m also looking for Zhang Quan, the Zombies, and¡­ a Formation.¡±


    Instructor Yan listened, confused, and then remembering something, his gaze shook:


    ¡°You¡¯re also searching for¡­ the Spiritual Pivot Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, confirming his thoughts.


    It appeared that the Formation on the zombie was indeed the treasured Spiritual Pivot Formation of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, inherited from the Ultimate Formation of the Great Hidden Spirit Sect over a thousand years ago:


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation!

 Chapter 448 - 441: Spiritual Pivot Formation_1

    Chapter 448: Chapter 441: Spiritual Pivot Formation_1


    ¡°Instructor Yan, what exactly is the Spirit Pivot Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Just as Instructor Yan was about to answer, he suddenly paused, ¡°How do you know about the Spirit Pivot Formation?¡±


    Instructor Yan was somewhat surprised.


    The Spirit Pivot Formation Chart was supposed to be the ultimate technique of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect. How did Mo Hua come to know of it?


    ¡°Manager Mo told me!¡±


    Mo Hua immediately sold out Manager Mo.


    Instructor Yan¡¯s mouth twitched.


    He made a mental note of Manager Mo¡¯s indiscretion.


    This plump junior brother was so loose-lipped, he actually spilled such important information to Mo Hua.


    ¡°Instructor Yan, can you tell me?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was filled with anticipation, her big eyes twinkling.


    Instructor Yan didn¡¯t want to speak, but looking into Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, he couldn¡¯t refuse. He hesitated for a moment and then heaved a deep sigh.


    The Minor Hidden Spirit Sect had already perished; keeping these things secret was meaningless now.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Instructor Yan nodded as he looked at Mo Hua and began to speak about the origins of the Spirit Pivot Formation:


    ¡°When I was studying in the Sect, I was highly regarded by my master. Through casual conversations, I also heard some stories and secrets of the past¡­¡±


    ¡°The legacy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect was inherited from the ancient Great Hidden Spirit Sect.¡±


    ¡°Most of the legacies within the Sect are incomplete remnants from the predecessors, so it¡¯s not rare to have only bits and pieces of them¡­¡±


    ¡°Only this Spirit Pivot Formation, it¡¯s extremely profound and exceptionally difficult to grasp. It¡¯s truly a Formation that could be used as a Sect-protecting technique.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°However, this Spirit Pivot Formation is too mysterious, too difficult to comprehend. For hundreds of years, not a single cultivator of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect has been able to penetrate the mysteries of this Formation.¡±


    Instructor Yan sighed, ¡°First-grade Formations end at nine patterns, but this Spirit Pivot Formation actually has twelve¡­¡±


    ¡°Twelve patterns in Divine Sense, ah, only achievable by Foundation Establishment, and impossible without being a Second Rank Formation Master!¡±


    Mo Hua, who was at the eighth level of Qi Refinement with twelve patterns in her Divine Sense, silently didn¡¯t speak.


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua asked again:


    ¡°Did the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect ever have a Second Rank Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Instructor Yan nodded, ¡°Two hundred years ago, there was an Ancestral Master, at the Mid Foundation Establishment stage, who had attained the proficiency of Second Grade Initial Stage in Formation methods.¡±


    ¡°Did he not learn the Spirit Pivot Formation either?¡±


    Instructor Yan shook his head with regret: ¡°No.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned slightly, confused:


    ¡°A Mid Foundation Establishment cultivator should have around fourteen patterns in their Divine Sense, right? With that, he still wasn¡¯t able to learn the Spirit Pivot Formation? Is it so hard to learn?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan organized his thoughts, explaining to Mo Hua:


    ¡°For a Formation Master, Divine Sense is a threshold, a reliance, but that¡¯s all it is.¡±


    ¡°Without enough Divine Sense, one cannot learn a Formation.¡±


    ¡°With Divine Sense, you only have the qualification to learn a Formation, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can certainly master it.¡±


    ¡°You have to study more, practice more, think more, and comprehend more¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not diligent, no matter how good your natural gift for Divine Sense, you¡¯ll just be squandering time, wasting your talent, unable to become an extraordinary Formation Master.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang had taught her the same.


    Instructor Yan¡¯s gaze became intense as he continued with a sigh:


    ¡°And the Spirit Pivot Formation is a type that, even if one¡¯s Divine Sense is sufficient, is extremely hard to comprehend¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Is it because it involves understanding the Heavenly Dao and the origin of Spiritual Power?¡±


    Instructor Yan looked surprised and nodded:


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Then, he became reflective:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang truly is a remarkable man. Mo Hua, at such a young age, you already know about these deep levels of understanding in Formation techniques.¡±


    It seems that his choice back then was not wrong; otherwise, he would have really wasted such a talented Formation sapling.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°So that Second Rank Ancestral Master of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, did he fail to learn the Spirit Pivot Formation because he couldn¡¯t grasp the Great Dao origin of the Formation?¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded with a bitter expression:


    ¡°Yes, the Ancestral Master probably knew what the origin of the Spirit Pivot Formation was, but he just couldn¡¯t comprehend it, much less draw out the Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, even if he managed to draw it, it would be merely an empty shell without spirit; utterly ineffective.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding.


    When she first learned the Thick Earth Formation, she didn¡¯t know she needed to connect with the Taoist meaning of the earth. The Formation she drew only had the physical patterns but lacked the original effect of the Formation technique.


    It was like a pattern that had lost its soul.


    ¡°Then what effect does this Spirit Pivot Formation really have?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Instructor Yan said, ¡°The specifics, since no one within the Sect had mastered it, I¡¯m not quite clear on them¡­¡±


    ¡°But according to the Ancestral Master¡¯s deductions of the Sect, at the core of this Formation method should be the word ¡®control¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Control?¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, ¡°Control of Spiritual Power.¡±


    Mo Hua thought of Zhang Quan, who controlled corpses.


    It seemed her guess was correct; Zhang Quan was first refining corpses, then using the Spirit Pivot Formation to increase the number of corpses he could control.


    However¡­


    ¡°This¡­ doesn¡¯t seem that impressive,¡± Mo Hua said weakly.


    It was merely the effect of controlling Spiritual Power.


    Zhang Quan used it to refine corpses, and although the numbers of zombies he could control were significant and dangerous, it still wasn¡¯t something particularly fearsome.


    If it really came to a fight, there were still many methods that could be used to counter it.


    ¡°No,¡± Instructor Yan said with a grave expression, ¡°the Spirit Pivot Formation is actually very powerful.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Instructor Yan explained to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Controlling Spiritual Power is extremely important. Controlling corpses is just a minor application.¡±


    ¡°In other aspects of Taoist cultivation, from small wood and stone puppets to large mechanical beasts, and even giant Taoist soldiers, formations like the Spirit Pivot Formation are needed for central control.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary formations do not have such a strong effect on controlling Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°For an individual cultivator, the effect may not be obvious, but the more cultivators there are, the larger the power, the deeper the schemes, and the more massive the mechanisms, artifacts, and cultivation engineering involved, the more crucial the Spirit Pivot Formation becomes!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Mo Hua was shocked.


    It seemed she had underestimated its importance.


    The Cultivation World is vast with extensive territories; there are indeed many aspects of cultivation knowledge that she had not yet understood.


    The Spirit Pivot Formation was actually so formidable¡­


    ¡°Instructor Yan, do you know about Zhang Quan?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking.


    Instructor Yan¡¯s expression turned solemn, ¡°You¡¯ve seen him?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Instructor Yan frowned, ¡°This person is treacherous and ruthless; it¡¯s best not to have conflicts with him.¡±


    Mo Hua whispered:


    ¡°It¡¯s too late for that; now he probably dreams of killing me¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°You¡­ what have you done to him?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°It seems like not much, mainly because his mind is narrow, and he tends to hold grudges.¡±


    All I wanted was to catch him, but I failed, to snatch his bell, but didn¡¯t get it, and in the end, I only snatched away a few zombies.


    And that was with the help of my senior brothers and sisters.


    Who would have thought Zhang Quan would only target the weak and not hold a grudge against his senior brothers and sisters, focusing his resentment solely on me.


    Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    Instructor Yan didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Zhang Quan was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and a corpse cultivator to boot, having dealt with corpses all the time, his hands stained with countless lives.


    And now he bore a grudge against Mo Hua¡­


    Instructor Yan was filled with worry.


    Mo Hua then whispered, ¡°Instructor Yan, is the Spirit Pivot Formation stored on Zhang Quan¡¯s body?¡±


    Instructor Yan was slightly startled and slowly nodded, ¡°I had assumed so as well¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and seemed to remember something else. He asked, ¡°Instructor Yan, how did you end up at the Corpse Walking Stronghold?¡±


    Instructor Yan looked melancholic, pondered for a moment, and still spoke slowly,


    ¡°Two years ago, I went to South Yue City, seeking that traitorous deserter who dishonored our sect¡­¡±


    ¡°But there was no trace of that traitor in South Yue City.¡±


    ¡°I concealed my identity, sought for a long time with no news; just when I was about to leave, I noticed something strange about the mine. Thinking the traitor might be causing trouble, I rented a room near the mine, intending to investigate.¡±


    ¡°One night, I heard some noise, went out quietly, and after some trouble, discovered several cultivators transporting coffins near the mine¡­¡±


    ¡°I was very cautious, but never expected there to be Foundation Building cultivators among them.¡±


    ¡°Was it that Zhang Quan?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Instructor Yan nodded, then said with some embarrassment, ¡°I focused solely on studying formations, so my Taoist skills aren¡¯t polished. I was no match for them, had no hope of escape, and thus fell into their hands.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Quan searched through my storage bag, saw that I was a formation master, and made me work for them.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to help a tyrant, but with deep hatred for my sect to avenge, I had no choice but to¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s face showed shame, ¡°¡­ to compromise and survive, I joined this Corpse Stronghold and started drawing formations for them.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Then have you seen the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart on Zhang Quan¡¯s body?¡±


    Instructor Yan said helplessly, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it¡­¡±


    ¡°I suspect that the zombies he refined were marked with Spirit Pivot Formations, but Zhang Quan never let me draw formations for the zombies, nor allowed me to come into contact with those walking corpses¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Is he afraid of exposing some secret?¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, ¡°Very likely.¡±


    Mo Hua rested his little chin in his hand, contemplating for a while.


    This Zhang Quan harbored plenty of secrets; I must find a way to uncover them.


    The Spirit Pivot Formation Chart is crucial; I must find a way to obtain it.


    This Corpse Walking Stronghold, with its killing and corpse refining, must also be dealt with.


    Mo Hua planned what he needs to do next, and then said,


    ¡°Instructor Yan, stay a few more days. In a few days, I¡¯ll get you out of here.¡±


    Instructor Yan was astonished, ¡°How are you going to do that?¡±


    This place is the Corpse Walking Stronghold, with bandits, corpse cultivators, walking corpses and Iron Corpses, and Foundation Establishment phase Zhang Quan may return at any moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua assured.


    He wanted to take Instructor Yan out of there right then.


    The Corpse Walking Stronghold was, after all, no good place.


    But he had sneaked in while invisible, and didn¡¯t yet possess the strength to strike down all his enemies, even with the protection of his junior brothers and sisters. During a fight, he couldn¡¯t ensure Instructor Yan¡¯s safety.


    It was better to take the long view, to prepare thoroughly before acting.


    With the identity of a formation master, those corpse cultivators probably wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for Instructor Yan.


    Having decided on his plan, Mo Hua remembered something else and said with earnest concern to Instructor Yan,


    ¡°Instructor, the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect is gone; you shouldn¡¯t be fixated on revenge. Think more of yourself, live well, find a partner, and start a family¡­¡±


    ¡°What you just said¡­¡± Instructor Yan frowned, ¡°Why does it sound so familiar to me?¡±


    Mo Hua said crisply, ¡°Manager Mo asked me to tell you this.¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s expression was complex as his mind added another tally against Manager Mo.


    It wasn¡¯t enough for him to nag; he had to get Mo Hua to do it too.


    Later on, he would settle accounts with him slowly.


    After Mo Hua gave more instructions, he took his leave, ¡°Instructor Yan, I¡¯m going back now. I¡¯ll come find you again in a few days.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s tone was light and casual, leaving Instructor Yan feeling bewildered.


    It was as if this place wasn¡¯t the Corpse Walking Stronghold, but an inn in South Yue City, where Mo Hua would come visit again in a few days¡­


    And then, in front of Instructor Yan, Mo Hua disappeared from sight.


    Instructor Yan¡¯s pupils contracted.


    Although he had anticipated it, knowing that Mo Hua had a way to stay hidden, he was still taken aback.


    Mo Hua had arrived without his notice, and left without a trace.


    This method of concealment was remarkably clever.


    Who taught him?


    Mr. Zhuang perhaps¡­


    Instructor Yan stood quietly for a moment, then suddenly startled as he recalled a question:


    What did Mo Hua want with the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart?


    Mo Hua always had many questions, continuously asking them when at Tongxian Gate.


    As an instructor, Instructor Yan habitually answered them for Mo Hua.


    So whatever Mo Hua asked, he answered.


    But now, he suddenly realized.


    Why had Mo Hua gone to such lengths to find this formation chart?


    An unbelievable thought suddenly crossed his mind.


    That child Mo Hua wasn¡¯t really planning to learn it, was he?


    Impossible¡­


    A first-grade twelve-pattern, requiring divine sense¡­


    Instructor Yan froze.


    He realized that Mo Hua had entered the room completely undetected by his divine sense, and had left noiselessly.


    Moreover, his presence was obscure and unfathomable.


    This was a sign of powerful divine sense.


    Could it be¡­


    Instructor Yan looked at the empty room, towards the place where Mo Hua just disappeared, and felt a sudden tremor in his heart.


    ¡°The Spirit Pivot Formation¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan murmured, a flicker of hope glowing in his eyes.


    He, too, wanted to see if anyone could truly master this first-grade twelve-pattern Spirit Pivot Formation Method, the ultimate technique of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, that for hundreds of years, no one had managed to comprehend!

 Chapter 449 - 442 Behind the Scenes_1

    Chapter 449: Chapter 442 Behind the Scenes_1


    Mo Hua followed the roof, avoiding the Corpse Cultivators, left the gate of the Corpse Walking Stronghold, went under a large rock, and met up with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°Why did it take you so long?¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled and said, ¡°I found Instructor Yan!¡±


    ¡°Instructor Yan is alright, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll rescue Instructor Yan in a few days.¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked perplexed, ¡°Why wait a few days? Just rescue now. I¡¯ll rush in and slaughter all those Corpse Cultivators!¡±


    Mo Hua was indifferent, ¡°Sure, then you go.¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng paused, then scratched his head and said:


    ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re craftier. Let¡¯s follow your plan.¡±


    Mo Hua was displeased, ¡°You¡¯re the one full of crafty ideas.¡±


    Bai Zisheng muttered to himself:


    ¡°I wish I could have more crafty ideas. Sadly, my nature is too upright to think of such things.¡±


    Mo Hua murmured softly, ¡°I think you¡¯re just dull¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng ruffled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, ¡°You dare call your senior brother dull again?¡±


    ¡­


    The two bickered and argued incessantly.


    Bai Zixi picked up a stick and knocked each of their heads once, ¡°Focus on the matter at hand!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The two quickly complied.


    And so, the trio began to discuss what to do next.


    Bai Zisheng thought for a while and then said:


    ¡°We set up an ambush on the inevitable path, then capture Zhang Quan. With no leader, the Corpse Walking Stronghold will be in chaos, and we can take the opportunity to wipe it out¡­¡±


    Just as Mo Hua was about to nod, something suddenly occurred to him, and he shook his head and said:


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Bai Zisheng, puzzled.


    Mo Hua pondered, ¡°Behind Zhang Quan, there must be someone else.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The person drawing Formations for him.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew serious, ¡°The Formation Diagrams Instructor Yan drew for the Corpse Walking Stronghold were standard Five Elements Formations, and they were all for architectural purposes.¡±


    ¡°But the ones used for Corpse Refinement are completely different Evil Formations.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Quan cannot draw such Formations, and from what I¡¯ve seen, it seems that no one else in the Stronghold can, either.¡±


    ¡°At least from the Corpse Cultivators I¡¯ve seen, none can produce such Formations.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, these are the Spiritual Pivot Formations of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, which are not something ordinary Formation Masters can produce.¡±


    ¡°Without figuring out who this person is, killing Zhang Quan and razing the Black Mountain Stronghold won¡¯t solve anything.¡±


    ¡°Formations are the key, as long as this person knows about Formations, they will continue to kill people, buy corpses, refine corpses¡­¡±


    ¡°And,¡± Mo Hua paused, then sighed, adding:


    ¡°This Ultimate Formation is an inheritance of Instructor Yan¡¯s Sect, and I don¡¯t want any Cultivator to use it for evil¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Bai Zixi also slightly nodded and asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°Have you figured out what to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, then said:


    ¡°We¡¯ll let Zhang Quan return to the Corpse Walking Stronghold, then we¡¯ll spy on him to see who he meets with, who is helping him with Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°After clarifying these matters, we¡¯ll inform Sister Situ and join forces with the Taoist Court to take down the Corpse Walking Stronghold.¡±


    ¡°Then capture Zhang Quan, take his Corpse Controlling Bell, and restore the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart.¡±


    ¡°And best of all, we¡¯ll drag out the Cultivator behind him as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Eliminate the root to prevent future troubles¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua explained everything systematically.


    Bai Zisheng nodded his agreement but still expressed his concern:


    ¡°It probably won¡¯t go that smoothly¡­¡±


    ¡°Master always said to plan ahead and prepare for the unexpected, but plans can¡¯t keep up with changes. We¡¯ll have to adapt accordingly when the time comes,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    After the discussion, the three of them began to act according to their plan.


    The first step was to wait for Zhang Quan to return to the Stronghold.


    But this first step met with some unexpected trouble.


    Zhang Quan seemed overly cautious¡­


    He was still wandering around the desolate mountains, crawling into caves, hiding in the forest, setting traps, fighting a battle of wits with the air. He stubbornly refused to return to the Stronghold.


    Zhang Quan thought he was being thorough, but he didn¡¯t know that all his actions were being observed by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was puzzled by his behavior.


    Did he really need to be this cautious¡­


    And it seemed like he could keep this up indefinitely.


    Mo Hua was finding it exhausting just watching.


    Even someone as patient as Mo Hua was starting to run out of patience.


    So the three of them agreed to split up and proceed separately.


    Mo Hua went back to the Corpse Walking Stronghold first, to get a clear picture of the internal layout and map out the Architectural Formation, and also to chat with Instructor Yan to see if anything had been overlooked.


    Bai Zixi stayed outside the Stronghold to back up Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng went to find Situ Fang to discuss manpower arrangements in advance, to prepare for the extermination of the Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    It took a full five days before Zhang Quan returned to the Stronghold.


    He looked haggard and worn out, but inside, he felt a great weight lifted.


    After an intellectual struggle with an invisible, and actually nonexistent, pursuer, Zhang Quan expended a lot of wit and tricks and finally confirmed that he had shaken off Mo Hua¡¯s tracking. Only then did he dare to return confidently to his den of Corpse Refinement.


    Occasionally, he still felt a subtle sensation.


    As if something, like a bone-clinging maggot, was sticking to him.


    But after spending so much time and employing so many measures, even if there was something following him, it should have been thrown off by now.


    Zhang Quan sneered to himself.


    Having lived for so many years, his experience in Tao Cultivation far exceeded that of the greenhorn he was dealing with.


    That little ghost skilled in concealment would never be able to trace my steps again!


    Zhang Quan felt greatly relieved, filled with joy, and with big strides, he returned to his secret, unknown to others, and unspeakable Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    At this time, Mo Hua had already been waiting for him at his old home for a long time.


    Seeing Zhang Quan enter, Mo Hua felt even happier than Zhang Quan did.


    Staying in the Corpse Walking Stronghold these past few days, Mo Hua hid himself well, nearly having figured out everything about the stronghold, and he was starting to get bored, looking for things to do.


    He even counted how many coffins there were in the stronghold¡­


    Zhang Quan swaggered through the entrance of Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up as he executed the Water Passing Step, lightly leaping across rooftops, and then entered the deepest room. He climbed up onto the beam, sat cross-legged, and waited patiently.


    This room was spacious, concealed, and the formations were complete, and it was filled with everything related to Corpse Refinement.


    He guessed this was Zhang Quan¡¯s secret chamber.


    As expected, after a while, Zhang Quan walked into the room, right beneath where Mo Hua was perched.


    Mo Hua hid himself, even drawing a Concealment Formation nearby in advance.


    Zhang Quan was completely unaware.


    The room was silent; on the surface, it seemed that only Zhang Quan was present.


    Zhang Quan let out a long sigh of relief, then burned incense and bathed, changed into a respectable set of clothes, sat in meditation to regulate his breathing for a while before Corpse Cultivators came one after another to report the situation of the stronghold to him.


    The Corpse Cultivators reported respectfully; Zhang Quan sat elevated, listening intently, while Mo Hua, sitting above his head, pricked up his ears to eavesdrop.


    Most of the things reported by the Corpse Cultivators were minor affairs of the stronghold.


    That month, they robbed several traveling merchants, killed a few Cultivators, bought a few corpses¡­


    They refined several Walking Corpses, succeeded with a few, failed with several;


    spent many Spirit Stones, consumed numerous materials;


    which Corpse Refinement materials were running low and needed restocking, which Zombies had lost control and needed to be dealt with, and so on¡­


    These were all scattered details.


    Listening from above, Mo Hua gradually understood the operation and procedures of Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    The stronghold had bandits, had Corpse Cultivators.


    Ordinary bandits that dared to kill people, were willing to kill people, and had killed before, could join Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    But entering Corpse Walking Stronghold did not guarantee being taught the ways of Corpse Refinement.


    One had to go through an assessment, endure some seniority, and gain Zhang Quan¡¯s trust, to become a legit Corpse Cultivator.


    Corpse Cultivators were those who refined corpses and controlled corpses, the Corpse Path Demon Cultivators.


    Corpse Cultivators refining corpses required Cultivator corpses.


    The sources of corpses were several.


    One was through robbery and murder.


    The Cultivators within the stronghold, before joining, were either Sin Cultivators or bandits, accustomed to robbing and murdering.


    But this ¡°loot¡± included not just Spirit Stones and Spiritual Artifacts, but also the bodies of Cultivators.


    The bandits of Corpse Walking Stronghold would kill people, then bring the corpses back to be used for Corpse Refinement.


    The second was to buy.


    Employing people like Wang Lai to kill Mining Cultivators, buying corpses.


    Or to purchase them from tomb raiders who dug up graves.


    Of course, the main source was still the Mining Cultivators.


    After all, there were many mines in South Yue City and numerous Mining Cultivators, and in their eyes, Mining Cultivators¡¯ lives were cheap, not worth much Spirit Stones.


    After buying the corpses, came Corpse Refinement.


    Mo Hua had taken a cursory look at this before.


    The means of Corpse Refinement, indeed as Sister Situ said, required herbs, Corpse Raising Coffins, Corpse Controlling Bells, etc.


    But the specific techniques became somewhat complicated.


    Which herbs to use, in what proportions, to boil into a foul-smelling medicinal juice.


    Then, to soak the corpse in the medicinal juice.


    After enough soaking time, place it into a Corpse Raising Coffin for refinement.


    During Corpse Refinement, Corpse Cultivators would walk back and forth around the coffin every day, while walking, shaking the Corpse Controlling Bronze Bell.


    This process had numerous steps, but the division of labor was clear.


    Just like the herbs in Alchemy, the refined iron in Artifact Refining, the Corpse Cultivators of Corpse Walking Stronghold saw corpses as a ¡°material¡± for refining, not as people.


    Their expressions were cold and numb, as if it were perfectly natural.


    Mo Hua frowned as he watched.


    He even thought of directly drawing some Reversed Spirit Formations, to collapse the Corpse Walking Stronghold altogether.


    But upon reflection, he held back.


    Impatience could ruin grand plans; he could not act impulsively.


    The Corps Cultivators of Corpse Walking Stronghold, continued to report the minor matters of the stronghold, but did not touch on the formations related to Corpse Refinement.


    Mo Hua listened for several days without any clue, until after three days, he overheard something.


    A Corpse Cultivator, in a low voice, asked Zhang Quan,


    ¡°Householder, shall we send the corpses?¡±


    Hearing this, Mo Hua was intrigued.


    Send corpses?


    What corpses? Where to? Why send them?


    Could it be¡­ for Formation Painting?


    Mo Hua remembered that in Corpse Walking Stronghold, some of the newly refined Walking Corpses had no formations on the heart meridian.


    Since there were none, then they must be painted.


    Send corpses¡­ that means it¡¯s not that he himself would paint them, nor that they would be painted within Corpse Walking Stronghold, but instead they were sent out for someone else, for someone else to help him paint?


    Mo Hua strained his attention, very curious to know exactly where these corpses were being sent, to whom, and who would help Zhang Quan with the Formation Painting?


    But Zhang Quan just shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    That Corpse Cultivator looked a bit startled before hesitatingly saying,


    ¡°If we don¡¯t send them soon, it might be too late. Those Zombies¡­ can¡¯t be controlled¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s gaze turned cold, ¡°If they can¡¯t be controlled, then dispose of them, feed them to other Zombies. Do I need to teach you this?¡±


    That Corpse Cultivator quickly bowed his head and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After the Corpse Cultivator stepped down, Zhang Quan huffed coldly and began to meditate.


    Mo Hua, however, frowned slightly.


    This Zhang Quan, he seemed not very cooperative.

 Chapter 450 - 443 Discovery_1

    Chapter 450: Chapter 443 Discovery_1


    Zhang Quan guessed that he had been targeted, so to be safe, he dared not rashly enter Corpse Stronghold, fearing that he might lead the wolf into his house.


    He dared not to ¡°send corpses¡± either, fearing that it would reveal secrets.


    What he didn¡¯t know was the ¡°wolf¡± had already entered the house and was watching him from his rooftop at this very moment.


    Mo Hua was crouching on the roof beam, frowning in thought, and still decided to give Zhang Quan another chance.


    If Zhang Quan were to send corpses during this time, he could live a bit longer.


    Otherwise, Mo Hua would take action immediately.


    Report to the Taoist Court Official, gather people, take down the Corpse Walking Stronghold, capture Zhang Quan, send him to Taoist Prison, and interrogate him under torture, beat him severely, then kill him, to give an explanation to the Mining Cultivators who died at his hands, as well as the female cultivators from Hundred Flower Tower!


    Mo Hua thought viciously.


    While Zhang Quan was talking to a Corpse cultivator, he suddenly felt a chilling breeze behind him.


    He looked around, found nothing, and frowned.


    ¡°Householder, what¡¯s the matter?¡± asked that Corpse cultivator.


    Zhang Quan was slightly distracted, shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    But in his heart, he remained extremely wary.


    It was as if a powerful Divine Sense was coldly staring at him.


    ¡°It must be an illusion¡­¡±


    Perhaps it was because he had been ducking and hiding lately, being jittery, that he was overly sensitive to such feelings.


    Zhang Quan consoled himself.


    Seeing Zhang Quan¡¯s reaction, Mo Hua also felt a bit puzzled.


    He had only thought about killing Zhang Quan, and Zhang Quan had actually reacted?


    Was Zhang Quan¡¯s mind too sharp, or could Divine Sense itself intimidate and instill fear in others?


    If Divine Sense became powerful enough, could it also directly condense into a force of slaughter?


    In Mo Hua¡¯s memory, he had never seen an example of cultivators killing with Divine Sense.


    The Little Green-faced Ghost in the Contemplation Map could parasitize the Sea of Consciousness and consume the Divine Sense of others, which was akin to killing with Divine Sense.


    But that was because it was inherently a sinister and evil thought that could invade the Sea of Consciousness and harm another¡¯s Divine Sense.


    It seemed that ordinary cultivators could not employ this method¡­


    Mo Hua noted this doubt in his heart, planning to ask Mr. Zhuang when he had the time; for now, he still needed to keep an eye on Zhang Quan.


    However, in the following days, Zhang Quan was as cautious as ever, revealing not a single clue.


    Mo Hua was becoming impatient.


    Just as he was considering whether to take action directly and take down the Corpse Walking Stronghold or to wait and see if there were any other clues, Zhang Quan discovered the needle within his body.


    It was the Compass Child Formation Needle from the Compass Parent-Child Formation.


    Mo Hua had made it, inscribed the Formation on it and given it to Bai Zisheng.


    Bai Zisheng, during his confrontation with Zhang Quan, had taken the opportunity to stab him with it.


    There were a total of three needles, one on clothes, one in hair, and one inside a wound.


    Having found the first two, Zhang Quan had yet to discover the third.


    After consuming Corpse Blood Pills and fighting repeatedly, escaping in tatters, Zhang Quan had suffered bruises all over.


    Upon returning to the stronghold, preoccupied with many affairs, he could only rest briefly, slowing his recovery.


    One day, while cleaning his wounds, Zhang Quan suddenly sensed something was off. Some meridians felt obstructed as if something was lodged in his flesh and blood.


    Zhang Quan took out his dagger, cut open the wound again, and from within the flesh, extracted a silver-white fine needle.


    Watching him pluck out the needle, Mo Hua sighed silently.


    But Zhang Quan inhaled sharply in shock.


    How the fuck could there be another one??!


    When did this needle affair happen?


    Zhang Quan felt a chill in his heart, his expression astonished.


    ¡°That little ghost, he wouldn¡¯t already know my location, would he?¡±


    Or even worse, he hasn¡¯t already infiltrated Corpse Stronghold, has he?!


    Zhang Quan immediately stood up, his heart pounding with fear.


    The Corpse Stronghold had been discovered, and it was even possible that someone had covertly sneaked in!


    The little ghost had extremely clever methods of concealment. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Such unbelievable acts weren¡¯t impossible.


    Zhang Quan immediately shouted:


    ¡°Men!¡±


    A Corpse cultivator strode in, bowing and said: ¡°Householder.¡±


    Zhang Quan pointed at him, his voice trembling slightly:


    ¡°Martial law throughout the stronghold! Then go search!¡±


    ¡°Every inch inside and out, I want you to search thoroughly, to see if anyone has sneaked in!¡±


    That Corpse cultivator looked bewildered, ¡°This¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan, anxious, kicked him, ¡°Get the fuck going!¡±


    Only then did the Corpse cultivator flusteredly respond: ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Zhang Quan called him back, then took out a wooden box, put the fine needle inside, handed the box to the Corpse cultivator, and ordered:


    ¡°Find someone to get rid of this wooden box, cast it far away¡­ no, throw it into the river, where the current is swift, let it be carried downstream¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The Corpse cultivator took the order and left.


    But in just a short while, the entire Corpse Walking Stronghold erupted into noise.


    The Corpse cultivator led the bandits to patrol and search.


    Not a single room, coffin, or corner was overlooked.


    Mo Hua shook his head, feeling a bit of pity.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about Zhang Quan discovering him.


    Not a single cultivator in the entire Corpse Stronghold could surpass Mo Hua in Divine Sense so naturally, they couldn¡¯t see through his stealth.


    Moreover, Corpse Stronghold was a mountain stronghold with many buildings and formations within those buildings.


    In such a place with abundant formations, Mo, who excelled at drawing and deciphering formations, thrived as easily as a fish swims in water, having an inherent advantage and not fearing their searches at all.


    Mo Hua was disappointed because, by startling the snake, Zhang Quan definitely wouldn¡¯t send corpses anymore.


    He would also be unable to find out who exactly was helping him with the Corpse Refinement Drawing Formation.


    Additionally, with the stronghold on high alert and the Corpse cultivators vigilant, taking down the stronghold would require more effort.


    Mo Hua frowned, calculating his next move.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Quan was still fraught with paranoia.

 Chapter 451 - 451: Discovery 443_2

    Chapter 451: Discovery 443_2


    Even for a moment, he felt as if Mo Hua had not only infiltrated the Corpse Walking Stronghold but even entered his secret chamber, currently hidden somewhere, silently observing him.


    Zhang Quan broke out in a cold sweat, shaking his head repeatedly.


    Impossible!


    No matter how cunning that kid was, he couldn¡¯t possibly be that outrageous.


    At most, he might have reached the outskirts of the stronghold¡­


    Or perhaps, he only knew the general location and hadn¡¯t had the time to follow¡­


    At this moment, Zhang Quan both hoped that the corpse cultivators would find traces of Mo Hua and hoped they wouldn¡¯t.


    Soon, a subordinate came to report, ¡°Householder, there are traces.¡±


    Zhang Quan was startled, ¡°What kind of traces?¡±


    ¡°The Formation seems to have been tampered with.¡±


    ¡°Formation?!¡±


    Zhang Quan suddenly widened his eyes.


    That kid, indeed knew about Formations!


    ¡°Quick, take me to see.¡±


    Zhang Quan followed the corpse cultivator out the door.


    Mo Hua, hiding above a beam, touched his chin and pondered, ¡°Where have I left any traces?¡±


    Mo Hua remembered his actions had been quite clean this time.


    Curious, he quietly followed to see for himself where he had slipped up so that he could pay attention to it next time, fix the oversight, and improve his technique.


    A noisy group from Corpse Walking Stronghold was searching for Mo Hua.


    And Mo Hua was following not far behind Zhang Quan, stepping on the rooftops of Corpse Walking Stronghold, all the way to a wall.


    There were indeed traces of alteration on the wall¡¯s Formation.


    Mo Hua looked at it and came to a realization.


    He had indeed solved the Formation Patterns here and had redrawn some, but he had been somewhat careless, omitting a few Patterns. It wouldn¡¯t be noticeable ordinarily, but upon closer inspection, it gave him away.


    Mo Hua took this to heart.


    Formation work is precise; even the simplest Formation must be done meticulously and cannot be treated carelessly.


    Mo Hua understood, but Zhang Quan did not.


    He frowned and said, ¡°This¡­ what¡¯s been tampered with?¡±


    The corpse cultivators looked at each other.


    How could they know?


    They were corpse cultivators, adepts in Corpse Refinement, not in Formation Painting¡­


    Zhang Quan cursed, ¡°A bunch of good-for-nothings! Call Mr. Yan to have a look.¡±


    After a while, someone brought Instructor Yan over.


    Instructor Yan glanced at it and asked indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this Formation?¡±


    Zhang Quan asked, ¡°Has someone tampered with it?¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, ¡°I saw that this Formation was old, so I reinforced it.¡±


    Zhang Quan frowned, ¡°You drew it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Instructor Yan nodded, then said, puzzled:


    ¡°Is there a problem with this Formation?¡±


    This question stumped Zhang Quan.


    If he knew what was wrong with this Formation, he wouldn¡¯t have asked Instructor Yan.


    But his instincts still told him that there was something strange about this Formation.


    At that moment, a corpse cultivator suddenly said, ¡°If you claim it¡¯s for reinforcement, why is this wall so easily damaged?¡±


    After speaking, he struck the wall with a slash, and an obvious cut appeared.


    This was because Mo Hua had solved the Formation; the original Formation was no longer effective, and the wall, without the Formation¡¯s reinforcement, was easily marked.


    Instructor Yan wasn¡¯t flustered at all, but just glanced at the corpse cultivator lightly, ¡°How can it take effect if I haven¡¯t finished drawing?¡±


    The corpse cultivator was taken aback.


    Instructor Yan then pointed at the cut on the wall and said, ¡°Later, you fix this wall. Make it look exactly how it was before the slash, otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to draw the Formation.¡±


    The corpse cultivator, awkward and not knowing what to say. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Quan glared fiercely at the corpse cultivator and said to Instructor Yan with a clasped fist:


    ¡°My subordinate was rash, I apologize for the offense. Please don¡¯t take it to heart, Mr. Yan.¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded slightly.


    Zhang Quan hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering slightly, before he asked:


    ¡°Mr. Yan, do you think there could be someone sneaking into the stronghold?¡±


    Instructor Yan frowned, ¡°How would they sneak in?¡±


    Zhang Quan was momentarily stunned, ¡°This¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan said displeasedly: ¡°Both inside and outside the stronghold are covered by the formations I have laid. Unless the formations are broken, not even a mosquito could fly in, let alone a cultivator.¡±


    Zhang Quan said, ¡°What if that person¡¯s proficiency in formation is somewhat profound¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s expression turned solemn as he spoke coldly:


    ¡°Are you implying that I, Yan, am not skilled enough? That my formations are inferior to someone else¡¯s?¡±


    Zhang Quan gave an awkward smile, ¡°Why would you say that, sir¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan huffed disdainfully and said with arrogance:


    ¡°Not to boast, but although I am not yet recognized with an official assessment, my prowess is already that of a first-rank Formation Master. In South Yue City, although there are cultivators with formation skills surpassing mine, it is utterly impossible for anyone to break my formations without making any noise!¡±


    After he finished speaking, he glanced at Zhang Quan, ¡°Householder, could it be that you look down upon me, Yan?¡±


    The temperament of a Formation Master is indeed unbearably foul and rigid, and they are particularly difficult to offend.


    Zhang Quan grumbled to himself internally, but still politely said on the surface:


    ¡°Mr. Yan is taking my words too seriously. I¡¯m just preparing for every possibility.¡±


    However, since Instructor Yan said as much, Zhang Quan also felt reassured.


    Then he kicked the corpse cultivator with his foot, ¡°Apologize to Mr. Yan.¡±


    The corpse cultivator could only bow and say, ¡°Please forgive me, Mr. Yan.¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s countenance slightly cleared.


    Seeing this, Zhang Quan then smiled and said, ¡°Sir, I would like to ask you a question.¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, ¡°Householder, please speak.¡±


    Zhang Quan said, ¡°Suppose someone is adept at concealment and wants to infiltrate Corpse Walking Stronghold, how should we defend against it?¡±


    Instructor Yan was inwardly startled, but his expression remained normal as he said casually:


    ¡°Such trivial concealing techniques are hardly worth mentioning.¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s face brightened, ¡°Please enlighten me, sir.¡±


    Instructor Yan said, ¡°The Expose Shadow Formation would be best, for under it, no cultivator can hide, and all forms of concealment unravel themselves.¡±


    ¡°However, this Expose Shadow Formation is quite challenging, and the stronghold doesn¡¯t possess the necessary Spiritual Ink for it. Moreover, it¡¯s quite cumbersome to set up and hence not very feasible.¡±


    ¡°The best method would be to use the Expose Dust Formation.¡±


    ¡°Set it up at the stronghold¡¯s main gate and around its periphery. Any cultivator who sneaks in would reveal their tracks¡­¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Zhang Quan praised, ¡°You truly live up to your reputation, Mr. Yan.¡±


    Zhang Quan had not heard of the Expose Shadow Formation, but he was familiar with the Expose Dust Formation.


    Hundred Flower Tower had numerous Expose Dust Formations deployed to prevent those with peculiar proclivities from spying on intimate affairs.


    Zhang Quan said, ¡°May I ask if Mr. Yan could set up some Expose Dust Formations around the stronghold?¡±


    Instructor Yan feigned ignorance:


    ¡°Set up Expose Dust Formations to guard against whom?¡±


    Zhang Quan replied with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, ¡°That¡¯s not something you need to worry about, sir.¡±


    Instructor Yan showed slight displeasure, pondered for a moment, but made up his mind and slowly nodded:


    ¡°Since the Householder has commanded, I shall naturally comply.¡±


    Zhang Quan breathed a sigh of relief, showing a pleased expression:


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Mr. Yan.¡±


    Instructor Yan also gave a bow.


    Having handled Zhang Quan, Instructor Yan also let out a slight sigh of relief.


    Afterward, he looked at the formation on the wall, his expression becoming distant.


    This is¡­ deciphering the formation, right?


    Mo Hua, this child, can even decipher formations?


    And looking at his technique, so effortless and obviously very proficient, he must have devoted great effort to this.


    Instructor Yan became somewhat dazed.


    The formation that he had painstakingly and sincerely painted was casually solved by this child¡­


    Instructor Yan shook his head, feeling both shocked and comforted, and couldn¡¯t help murmuring to himself:


    ¡°To what extent has Mo Hua¡¯s skill in formations actually reached?¡±

 Chapter 452 - 444: Attack the Fort_1

    Chapter 452: Chapter 444: Attack the Fort_1


    Instructor Yan looked at Mo Hua¡¯s Formation, feeling somewhat shocked.


    Mo Hua, likewise, looked at Instructor Yan with equal shock.


    Instructor Yan, with his stern face, could deceive people without even batting an eye.


    Not only had he lied and deceived Zhang Quan, but he had also covered for himself and dispelled Zhang Quan¡¯s doubts.


    Indeed, appearances can be deceiving.


    Mo Hua realized he had underestimated Instructor Yan.


    But would Instructor Yan really help Zhang Quan set up the Expose Dust Formation?


    Mo Hua was curious.


    In the Corpse Stronghold, if the Expose Dust Formation were truly set up, Mo Hua could still find a way to sneak in, but it would be much more troublesome.


    Instructor Yan went back and prepared the ¡°Expose Dust Formation.¡±


    When Mo Hua followed him back, he understood immediately.


    What Instructor Yan was preparing was not the Expose Dust Formation at all but a rather obscure and also not very useful Earth Series Formation with five patterns.


    When this formation was activated, there would be some dust, but it had no concealing effects.


    It looked similar, but it was not the same at all.


    Instructor Yan was relying on the fact that most cultivators in the Corpse Stronghold were ¡°Formation Blind,¡± openly deceiving them¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s little face turned serious as he concluded in his mind:


    It really is necessary to read more, gain more knowledge, and learn more about Tao cultivation. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only then can one deceive others so blatantly without them realizing it.


    Otherwise, one might be fooled like an idiot without even knowing it.


    Mo Hua then felt a bit worried.


    It was risky for Instructor Yan to do this.


    Once discovered, attracting Zhang Quan¡¯s suspicion or even grudge, it would be difficult for Instructor Yan to escape, and he might even face danger to his life.


    Instructor Yan took this risk to cover for him¡­


    He needed to rescue Instructor Yan quickly, eradicate the Corpse Stronghold, capture Zhang Quan, and take his bell.


    Mo Hua nodded, then stealthily left the Corpse Stronghold without anyone noticing.


    After leaving the Corpse Stronghold, Mo Hua found Bai Zixi nearby.


    Bai Zixi was sitting under a stone, hugging her knees, her delicate fingers playing with a twig on the ground, occasionally looking up in the direction of the Corpse Stronghold.


    When Mo Hua approached invisibly, Bai Zixi suddenly looked up towards the empty space and softly asked,


    ¡°Junior Brother?¡±


    Mo Hua revealed himself, puzzled,


    ¡°Sister, can you see through my Concealment Technique now?¡±


    Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°I guessed.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite believe it but didn¡¯t inquire further. Instead, he turned his gaze to the ground.


    He remembered Sister had just been drawing something on the ground.


    The ground was covered with a layer of soft soil.


    What Bai Zixi had drawn were a series of smiling faces, each next to the other, with eyes but no eyebrows, mouths but no noses.


    ¡°Sister, what are these drawings?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Bai Zixi pointed at Mo Hua, ¡°You.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Zixi nodded slightly, ¡°One face for every two hours, wondering how long you would make me wait.¡±


    Mo Hua felt slightly embarrassed; he had spent more time inside listening in than he realized, forgetting that Sister was waiting outside for him.


    Then Mo Hua looked at the little faces on the ground again and muttered quietly,


    ¡°I¡¯m not that ugly, am I¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, sounding a bit annoyed,


    ¡°You think I drew it ugly?¡±


    Mo Hua quickly shook his head, ¡°Not ugly, not ugly at all.¡±


    Bai Zixi then nodded in satisfaction and asked,


    ¡°Did you find out everything?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and answered, ¡°I found out some things, but we were discovered. We need to act first now.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Bai Zixi took a final glance at Mo Hua, wiped away the faces on the ground, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, taking one last look at the ground.


    There was still one smiling face left, its lines simple, strokes natural, and the smile sketched at the corners of the mouth innocent and pure.


    It was a sight that filled one¡¯s heart with joy.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but wonder, What was Sister thinking when she was drawing these little faces?


    What expression did she have while drawing them?


    Was she smiling like these little faces?


    What did Sister look like when she smiled?


    Mo Hua was momentarily lost in thought.


    ¡°Junior Brother?¡±


    Bai Zixi turned around, seeing Mo Hua standing still, and called out to him.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua snapped out of his daze, squinting and smiling, then quickly followed her using his movement technique.


    After leaving the Corpse Stronghold, Mo Hua met with Situ Fang.


    Bai Zisheng had already told Situ Fang about the situation.


    Situ Fang said, ¡°I¡¯ve written back to the family and informed Elder Jin about this. The family has also agreed to eradicate the Corpse Stronghold¡­¡±


    ¡°This will be done in the name of the Taoist Court, but those actually called upon will be from my Situ Family.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Using the people from the Taoist Court didn¡¯t instill confidence, and to eradicate the Corpse Stronghold, their numbers surely wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    But the Situ Family¡­


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°How many cultivators will the Situ Family deploy?¡±


    ¡°Over two hundred.¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°That many?¡±


    South Yue City was just a small Immortal City, and even though Situ Fang was only there for her training, she could mobilize that many cultivators.


    And these were not ordinary cultivators but those skilled in warfare, able to participate in eradicating and proficient in Taoist Skills.


    Situ Fang said, ¡°I used my father¡¯s connections.¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his concerns, ¡°Isn¡¯t this calling too many people into play?¡±


    ¡°Over two hundred cultivators, is that good enough¡­?¡± Situ Fang asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Mo Hua thought for a moment, then spoke more bluntly:


    ¡°This matter doesn¡¯t really benefit the Situ family, does it¡­?¡±


    Among the clans, the family traditions were quite distinct.


    Some families were solely profit-driven, exploiting and bullying those beneath them.


    But there were also clans with honorable traditions, where members who despised evil were severely punished if they deviated from ancestral teachings or made a mistake.


    Even worse, they could be erased from the family records and expelled from the clan.


    But even if the Situ family acted uprightly, it was unlikely that they would mobilize so many people for something unrelated like the Corpse Stronghold in South Yue City.


    Situ Fang hesitated, feeling there was no need for secrecy, and said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°There¡¯s not much benefit for the Situ family, but there is a benefit for me.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit puzzled.


    Situ Fang then explained:


    ¡°The status of a family disciple isn¡¯t just about cultivation and talent.¡±


    ¡°Experience through trials is also a form of assessment.¡±


    ¡°Whoever performs well in these trials, earns great merits, and achieves much will be valued more highly and have a higher status in the clan in the future,¡±


    ¡°This time it was my father, considering my future, who used his connections to mobilize some family members.¡±


    ¡°If we can eradicate the Corpse Stronghold and earn significant merits, the Situ family would bypass the Taoist Court of South Yue City and report directly to the Taoist Court.¡±


    Of course, that was only part of the reason.


    Situ Fang glanced at Mo Hua and the other two.


    His father¡¯s agreement was, to a large extent, also influenced by the reputation of the three before him.


    A promising Formation Master and two great clan descendants¡ªeven without the intent to curry favor, it was necessary to establish good relations.


    With this in mind, Situ Fang said with some embarrassment:


    ¡°So I do have a personal motive in this matter¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding but didn¡¯t mind, and said assertively:


    ¡°As long as we can eradicate the Corpse Stronghold, it counts as doing a good deed. Reaping some benefits from doing good deeds is only rightful.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhang Lan once told me that in this world, some people do evil deeds and gain benefits, yet are admired; some do good deeds, gain some benefits, and are criticized instead¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely not right.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has their own motives, so Sister Situ, you shouldn¡¯t dwell on this matter too much.¡±


    Situ Fang was momentarily stunned by his words, somewhat reassured, then asked incredulously:


    ¡°Did Zhang Lan really say that to you?¡±


    Mo Hua repeatedly nodded, trying to salvage Zhang Lan¡¯s reputation:


    ¡°Uncle Zhang isn¡¯t always idle and irresponsible¡­¡±


    Situ Fang was taken aback.


    Are you praising him or criticizing him¡­


    Then Situ Fang remembered something and frowned, saying:


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know the strength of the Corpse Stronghold¡­ I wonder if these two hundred cultivators from the Situ family can eradicate it.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be a bit tough.¡±


    Situ Fang inquired, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I went in and looked around, even counting how many coffins there were,¡± Mo Hua stated matter-of-factly.


    Situ Fang was stunned, about to speak then sighed helplessly after a while:


    ¡°You really are bold.¡±


    And not lacking in skill.


    Going into a stronghold of corpse cultivators to gather intelligence¡­


    Situ Fang looked at the young Mo Hua, his gaze filled with disbelief.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what Situ Fang was thinking and continued, counting on his fingers the strength of the Corpse Stronghold:


    ¡°I¡¯ve figured it all out¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one Zhang Quan in the Corpse Stronghold who is at the Foundation Establishment level.¡±


    ¡°But there are four or five Iron Corpses.¡±


    ¡°These Iron Corpses, although a bit inferior in strength to those at Foundation Establishment, have skin as hard as iron and wouldn¡¯t be at a disadvantage in a fight.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, there aren¡¯t many living people in the Corpse Stronghold, only over two hundred.¡±


    ¡°Some of them are bandits, who bully the weak and fear the strong, and are easy to deal with.¡±


    ¡°The rest are corpse cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°Corpse cultivators who practice Corpse Refinement themselves have average cultivation and Taoist skills like Zhang Quan, but the tricky part is, they can control corpses¡­¡±


    ¡°Once a corpse cultivator controls corpses, even if each controls only two or three walking corpses, the strength of the Corpse Stronghold can double or even triple, making it much more troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Besides, there are formations inside the stronghold; these formations, although¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was about to say ¡°not very sophisticated¡±, but then he remembered the formations were set up by Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan already possessed the skill of a First Grade Formation Master, which was quite remarkable in a Second Grade state boundary.


    Mo Hua then revised his statement: ¡°Although¡­ they are quite thorny. With the formations in place, the whole stronghold is easy to defend and hard to attack. A direct assault would definitely result in many casualties¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua laid bare the entire secrets of the Corpse Stronghold.


    Situ Fang was left speechless, not knowing what to say.


    If she didn¡¯t know Mo Hua, she might have thought that Mo Hua was the ¡°Camp Leader¡± of the Corpse Stronghold.


    What on earth had this child done?


    To have scouted the Corpse Stronghold so thoroughly?


    But this clearly involved Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation technique or Taoist skill, and Situ Fang felt it was better not to ask.


    For Mo Hua¡¯s sake, the fewer people who knew about it, the safer it was, including herself.


    Then Situ Fang furrowed her brow again.


    By this calculation, to eradicate the Corpse Stronghold would not just be ¡°a bit tough¡±, but rather, the chances of success were extremely low.


    Even including the Taoist Court of South Yue City would not suffice.


    And even if there were a victory, it would probably be a pyrrhic one, with countless cultivators from the Situ family dead or injured.


    Situ Fang couldn¡¯t bear it.


    These cultivators were all mobilized through the connections her father had made.


    Though they were all Qi Refining Cultivators, the life of a Qi Refining Realm cultivator was still a life.


    They all had potential in the future to reach Foundation Establishment and even cultivate to Golden Core, becoming aides to the family.


    If they were all to perish here at the Corpse Stronghold¡­


    Situ Fang was frowning when she suddenly noticed Mo Hua¡¯s relaxed expression and asked curiously:


    ¡°Do you have another plan?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled, and with a bright smile, he nodded and said, ¡°There is!¡±

 Chapter 453 - 445: Engaging in Battle_1

    Chapter 453: Chapter 445: Engaging in Battle_1


    ¡°I¡¯ll infiltrate first, rescue Instructor Yan, and then dismantle the Formation at Corpse Walking Stronghold. Without its Formations for defense, attacking the stronghold will be much easier,¡±


    ¡°For the regular Corpse cultivators and Walking Corpses, although I can tamper with the Formation, there are too many of them and too little time, so I¡¯m not in a good position to make a move. That¡¯ll have to be left to you,¡±


    ¡°But as for those Iron Corpses, I¡¯ll figure out a way to deal with them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua planned methodically.


    Startled, Situ Fang asked:


    ¡°How do you plan to deal with the Iron Corpses?¡±


    Mo Hua raised two fingers, ¡°There are two methods¡­¡±


    ¡°The best one would be to steal Zhang Quan¡¯s Corpse Controlling Bell. Without the bell, Zhang Quan can¡¯t manipulate the Iron Corpses, which is akin to cutting off his own arms,¡±


    ¡°But since the Corpse Controlling Bell is extremely important, Zhang Quan will undoubtedly carry it on his person, so it might not be possible to steal it.¡±


    ¡°If I can¡¯t steal it, I¡¯ll tamper with the Formation on the Iron Corpses, making them go out of control. With such chaos inside the stronghold, everyone can then rush in and attack, ensuring the end of Corpse Walking Stronghold,¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s planning was clear and straightforward.


    Situ Fang furrowed her brows.


    It sounded simple enough, but the actual execution was likely to be fraught with considerable risk.


    She couldn¡¯t help but express her concern, ¡°Can it really be done?¡±


    Mo Hua calculated, ¡°Dismantling the Formation is easy, I¡¯m ninety percent confident¡­¡±


    Mo Hua actually wanted to say one hundred percent, because, for him now, solving a first-grade Formation, or even those just below first-grade, was trivial.


    However, one should never be overly confident. It¡¯s always good to leave some room for error, hence he claimed only ninety percent.


    ¡°¡­Stealing Zhang Quan¡¯s Corpse Controlling Bell has a very small chance, probably just ten to twenty percent confidence;¡±


    ¡°Tampering with the Iron Corpses has about a fifty to sixty percent chance, mainly because I¡¯m not clear on the specific Formations placed on the Iron Corpses, as I¡¯ve never studied them, and, secondly, the Iron Corpses are closely guarded, so I might not have an opportunity to approach them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was crisp and clear.


    Situ Fang felt somewhat embarrassed.


    This kid Mo Hua could gather intelligence, analyze it, and come up with strategies based on it.


    His thoughts were meticulous, and he conducted himself carefully and composedly.


    And he was a Formation Master¡­


    No wonder Zhang Lan said that Yang Jiyong was going to great lengths to recruit Mo Hua into the Taoist soldiers Court.


    Situ Fang nodded and said:


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do as you say.¡±


    Afterward, Situ Fang invited two elders from the Situ Family.


    One was Situ Jin, and the other was a slender Foundation Building Cultivator.


    They discussed the specifics, including the time of the attack, places to lie in wait, equipment of Spiritual Artifacts, purchase of Pills, and coordination of the Cultivators.


    Once everything was agreed upon, two days later, more than two hundred Cultivators from the Situ Family assembled and set off towards the desolate mountains near South Yue City at night.


    The wild mountain was shrouded in darkness, the moon cold, the forest deep.


    Dried grass and strange trees cast bizarre shadows.


    Occasionally, Monster Beasts would lowly moan, as if weeping and complaining, adding to the quiet solitude.


    Clothed in black, the group moved swiftly and silently, until around midnight, they arrived outside Corpse Walking Stronghold under Mo Hua¡¯s guidance.


    Sparse stone forests stood before them.


    In a low voice, Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯ll go in first and take a look. Wait for my message.¡±


    No sooner had he finished speaking than he vanished without waiting for Situ Fang to respond.


    Situ Fang was taken aback.


    The two elders from the Situ Family behind her also startled, then their eyes showed shock.


    Gone? Just like that, with no trace of presence, he disappeared?


    They were Foundation Builders, yet they had no idea how Mo Hua disappeared. Even with their Divine Sense, the area around them was utterly empty, without a single trace.


    Could they really not detect the concealment technique of a Qi Refinement Cultivator?


    What kind of Concealment Technique was this?


    While they were astonished, Mo Hua had already used the Water Passing Step to sneak into Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    In front of the gate of the Corpse Walking Stronghold, compared to the previous days, there were four or five more people guarding.


    It seemed that Zhang Quan was still not entirely at ease.


    And around the gate, a counterfeit version of Instructor Yan¡¯s ¡°Expose Dust Formation¡± had been laid out.


    Mo Hua, hidden from view, strolled past the ¡°Expose Dust Formation¡± and then, with light steps, leapt onto the roof and, knowing the way well, found Instructor Yan¡¯s room.


    The sky had darkened, and Instructor Yan was still reading Formation Books.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, saw that there were no people around, and then quietly entered, whispering to Instructor Yan:


    ¡°Instructor Yan, I will help you escape tonight. You should start packing.¡±


    Instructor Yan was intently reading his book when suddenly a whisper echoed from the dark corner, startling him.


    Once he recognized whose voice it was, he was surprised but didn¡¯t speak; instead, he remained calm and nodded. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Afterward, Instructor Yan began to get up and quietly gathered his Formation Books and Formation Diagrams.


    While Mo Hua took advantage of this time to dismantle the defensive formations of the Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    Mo Hua dismantled them quickly.


    Because he did not need to conceal traces nor worry about damage to the Formations, Mo Hua¡¯s strokes were assertive and rough.


    By dawn, when the great battle began, these Formations would all be destroyed.


    Thus, Mo Hua had no need to be polite.


    Whatever was convenient to dismantle, he dismantled a bit.


    For the more complex ones, which he was too lazy to dismantle, he drew some Reversed Spirit Formations.


    Once these Formations were activated, they would self-destruct due to the aberrant flow of Spiritual Power and chaotic Formation Patterns.


    However, this kind of destruction was minor and nowhere near the extent of Formation Collapse.


    Mo Hua¡¯s intention was also just to destroy the Formations,


    not to use them to injure the corpse cultivators of the Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    He did not have the leisure for that now.


    In the vast Corpse Walking Stronghold, Mo Hua, familiar with the paths, darted back and forth.


    Climbing walls, scaling rooftops, balancing on rafters, or wriggling through caves¡­


    He either dismantled or destroyed each Formation within the stronghold one by one.


    This route had also been planned by Mo Hua in advance, and he had simulated it several times in his mind.


    He aimed to invalidate as many Formations as possible in the shortest amount of time.


    After two or three hours, the Formations inside the Corpse Walking Stronghold had been almost entirely sabotaged by Mo Hua.


    Feeling a bit tired, Mo Hua rested for a while, thought it over, and made another trip to Zhang Quan¡¯s secret chamber.


    Zhang Quan was resting in meditation.


    His Corpse Controlling Bell was placed inside his Storage Bag, which was attached to his waist.


    Mo Hua had been observing him for many days; Zhang Quan never parted with his bell or his bag.


    The Corpse Controlling Bell, he always carried with him in the Storage Bag and it had never been taken out.


    Unless he was caught off guard, it was impossible to get the Storage Bag or steal the Corpse Controlling Bell.


    And since Mo Hua only had Qi Refinement, facing off directly, he definitely was no match for Zhang Quan.


    He did not possess the innate talent or Cultivation level of his Junior Brother and Sister.


    Even with a sneak attack, he would not be able to knock out Zhang Quan.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    It looked like his guess had been correct; under normal circumstances, stealing the Corpse Controlling Bell was impossible.


    Zhang Quan was no fool; he wouldn¡¯t give Mo Hua that chance.


    Mo Hua then made another trip to the Corpse Hiding Cave.


    The Corpse Hiding Cave was used by the Corpse Walking Stronghold for refining and cultivating Zombies.


    The coffins of several Iron Corpses were placed in the deepest part of the Corpse Hiding Cave.


    Mo Hua glanced over and saw several corpse cultivators guarding overnight, and nearby were Early Warning Formations, making it impossible to approach.


    These Iron Corpses were previously unguarded.


    It seemed that having suffered a loss, Zhang Quan had learned his lesson and did not dare to be negligent in the slightest.


    ¡°Now, this is troublesome¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    He couldn¡¯t steal the bell, and he couldn¡¯t lay a hand on the Iron Corpse.


    If they really started fighting, they would surely be at a disadvantage.


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua shook his head slightly.


    It seemed that for the time being, he couldn¡¯t solve the problem on his own.


    So, Mo Hua stood up and left the Corpse Walking Stronghold first.


    Outside the stronghold, he met with Situ Fang and reported truthfully:


    ¡°I¡¯ve broken the formation, but I couldn¡¯t steal the Corpse Controlling Bell, nor could I get close to the Iron Corpse.¡±


    Situ Fang was slightly startled.


    Being able to break the formation was already beyond her expectations.


    As for the Corpse Controlling Bell and the Iron Corpse, she had not dared to hope for them.


    ¡°No matter, breaking the formation is already very good,¡± said Situ Fang. ¡°Shall we proceed with the plan now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded. ¡°But we need not launch a strong assault; we¡¯ll mainly harass them, causing chaos within the stronghold.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Situ Fang.


    Mo Hua then glanced at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi and said:


    ¡°Let¡¯s take advantage of the chaos to rescue Instructor Yan first.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± both Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi nodded.


    So, taking advantage of the dawn not yet breaking and the weariness of the people,


    Situ Fang, along with two Foundation Building Elders from the Situ Family, led more than two hundred cultivators of the Situ Family, all clad in black, and stealthily infiltrated the Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    At the entrance of the stronghold, a few corpse cultivators were making a fire and drinking, muttering indistinctly among themselves.


    The Foundation Building Elders took the lead, leveraging their swift movement techniques; in an instant, they were beside these few corpse cultivators, and then they struck with all their might, with the swiftness of thunder, wiping out all the corpse cultivators keeping watch!


    Afterward, ensuring there was no one around, they signaled for the other Situ Family cultivators to follow.


    Despite killing several groups this way, they were eventually discovered by the corpse cultivators.


    The alarm bells of the Corpse Walking Stronghold rang loudly.


    In the pitch-black night, torches lit up one after another, illuminating the entire stronghold.


    The bandits drew their swords, and the corpse cultivators shook their Corpse Controlling Bells.


    One coffin after another shook, their lids were flung open, and walking corpses crawled out from within¡­


    A cold light flashed in Situ Fang¡¯s eyes as she said in a chilling voice:


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The cultivators of the Situ Family no longer hid their presence, drawing their swords and activating their spiritual power. They shouted loudly:


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The Corpse Walking Stronghold, in an instant, was filled with a murderous aura.


    The clash of swords and the explosion of spiritual power resonated through the air.


    Meanwhile, on another front, Mo Hua had already rescued Instructor Yan along with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Junior Brother, Junior Sister, you two escort Instructor Yan out first.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± asked Bai Zisheng.


    ¡°I have something else to do.¡±


    Bai Zisheng shook his head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous here. You and Zixi take Mr. Yan out, and I¡¯ll stay behind to cover the retreat!¡±


    Bai Zisheng spoke with righteous indignation.


    However, Mo Hua saw through his intentions at a glance. ¡°You just want to stay and fight, don¡¯t you¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng defended himself, ¡°Nonsense, am I that kind of person?¡±


    But as he said it, he still seemed somewhat guilty.


    Mo Hua then advised him, ¡°I¡¯m going to find Zhang Quan and keep an eye on him so he can¡¯t escape¡­¡±


    ¡°You get Instructor Yan to safety, then come back to find me. We¡¯ll join forces and capture Zhang Quan.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Bai Zixi then gave Mo Hua a concerned look and softly admonished:


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Instructor Yan also looked at Mo Hua with a worried expression. He wanted to say something, but Bai Zisheng was already pulling him away.


    The sooner they left, the sooner they could return.


    He was eager to come back and take down that bastard Zhang Quan.


    After Instructor Yan had left, Mo Hua looked around for a moment, his thoughts stirring. He then reinforced some formations within the room.


    That way, even if the corpse cultivators noticed something amiss and tried to break in, they¡¯d be in for a bit more trouble.


    After finishing with the formations, Mo Hua cast his Concealment Technique and slipped into Zhang Quan¡¯s secret chamber.


    For Mo Hua, Zhang Quan¡¯s secret chamber was as useless as a free inn¡ªcome and go as he pleased, easy access and exit.


    And Zhang Quan was still unaware of it.


    He was in deep concentration, discussing something with a few leading corpse cultivators in hushed tones:


    ¡°¡­ How could there be enemies?¡±


    ¡°¡­ How did they find our stronghold?¡±


    ¡°How many people are there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too dark to see clearly.¡±


    ¡°At least a hundred or two, perhaps as many as four or five hundred¡­¡±


    ¡°Which power are they from? The Taoist Court?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡­ They¡¯re dressed in black, their identities unclear.¡±


    ¡°Probably some other force.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, they¡¯re attacking us for no good reason! This is too much!¡±


    ¡°Are there any Foundation Establishment cultivators?¡±


    ¡°Seems like there are one or two¡­¡±


    ¡°Householder, what shall we do?¡±


    ¡­


    After contemplating for a moment, Zhang Quan sneered coldly, ¡°Do they really think our Corpse Walking Stronghold is such an easy target?¡±


    In his eyes flashed a hint of grim darkness:


    ¡°Send the order down, awaken all the walking corpses and Iron Corpses. Since they¡¯ve come, let¡¯s not let them leave. It¡¯s been a long time since our Corpse Walking Stronghold had to ¡®stock up,¡¯ and now¡¯s the time to bring in a batch of ¡®goods.¡¯


    One of the corpse cultivators hesitated:


    ¡°Householder, the few of us¡­ controlling the Iron Corpses may be somewhat strenuous. I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan fell silent, seemingly hesitating about something.


    After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said resolutely:


    ¡°No matter, I will start the ritual now, burn incense, and pay respects to the Ancestral Master¡¯s portrait, and perform the rites with the Corpse-controlling Blood Bell!¡±


    ¡°Let these petty invaders become food in the bellies of the Iron Corpses!¡±


    The few corpse cultivators were overjoyed, their expressions invigorated as they exclaimed, ¡°Householder is wise!¡±


    But Mo Hua was taken aback by their words.


    Start the ritual? Pay respects to the Ancestral Master¡¯s portrait?


    Could it be that he was going to bring out the bell?


    If he brought it out, could that not be his chance to steal it?


    After all, in a direct confrontation with these corpse cultivators and the fearless zombies, their side would surely suffer heavy casualties.


    If he could snatch the bell, they could reduce many losses.


    There was also another point that concerned Mo Hua greatly.


    Pay respects to the Ancestral Master¡¯s portrait?


    Who was this Ancestral Master?


    And what was this portrait?


    Could it be¡­

 Chapter 454 - 446 Screen_1

    Chapter 454: Chapter 446 Screen_1


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart stirred, his gaze sharp as he stared at Zhang Quan.


    He wanted to see how Zhang Quan would start the ritual, how he would offer the bell, and which Ancestral Master Image he would be worshipping.


    Moreover, where exactly was the altar that Zhang Quan intended to open?


    Mo Hua had scoured Corpse Walking Stronghold without finding any trace of an altar.


    Zhang Quan instructed a corpse cultivator:


    ¡°Prepare the offering.¡±


    The corpse cultivator took the order and left. In a short while, he brought in a bandit who was holding a pottery jar filled with blood-stained water.


    Zhang Quan nodded, then closed the door to the secret chamber.


    After checking around and confirming the absence of ¡°outsiders,¡± his expression turned solemn, and he walked over to a screen.


    The screen was old and placed against the wall, painted with withered landscapes in ink.


    Zhang Quan formed several hand gestures and muttered something.


    Mists of ink gathered at the top of the screen, rippling wave after wave until they dissipated into nothingness, revealing a hole.


    Mo Hua was slightly astonished.


    There was another secret chamber within this secret room?


    And he had not discovered it himself.


    It seemed he had underestimated Zhang Quan.


    This Zhang Quan, the secrets he kept were indeed not few¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    There was yet another secret chamber behind the screen.


    From his position on the roof beam, Mo Hua had a poor vantage point and could only glimpse a corner of the room, unable to see its entirety. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But even from this one corner, one could see the lavish decoration, the sinister candlelight, various bizarre furnishings, and a table draped with a golden cloth.


    Mo Hua switched to another roof beam, clinging to the timber, his small head dangling as he peeked inside.


    Now he could see more clearly.


    There was indeed an altar inside.


    An image was enshrined on the altar.


    It was too far away to see clearly, and Mo Hua dared not focus his gaze on it. With just a hurried glance, he moved his eyes away.


    The offering was placed on the stage.


    But they were not proper offerings.


    Three dishes, one holding hand bones, one foot bones, and the middle one containing a skull.


    It was uncertain whether these were the bones of an innocent cultivator or those of Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master.


    Candles were also lit on the altar.


    The candles were white, but the flame they produced was an eerie green, and as the candlewax dripped, it resembled human tears, hardening at the base of the table.


    Mo Hua guessed that this must be corpse oil.


    Besides, there were various strangely shaped objects.


    Mo Hua was not a corpse cultivator and did not understand them.


    And below the altar, a coffin was displayed.


    This coffin was snow white in color.


    Its material was neither wood nor stone, neither copper nor iron.


    Mo Hua observed for a long time before realizing that it must be a bone coffin.


    Immediately, he felt a slight surprise.


    Could this bone coffin also be used for Corpse Refinement?


    But what kind of corpse would a bone coffin refine?


    He had only heard of Walking Corpses, Iron Corpses, Copper Corpses, Silver Corpses, Golden Corpses; he had never heard of a¡­ Bone Corpse.


    What use could there be for a zombie that was only bones?


    Mo Hua inwardly scoffed.


    It was at this moment that he saw Zhang Quan and several corpse cultivators prostrate before the altar, then chanting something:


    ¡°With minor threats approaching, may the Ancestral Master demonstrate power¡­¡±


    ¡°Lend me your Divine Thought, to refine the Copper Bell¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­the Copper Bell drinks blood, leaving no bones behind¡­¡±


    ¡°Use the white bones to worship the Ancestral Master, and offer human consciousness for the feast.¡±


    ¡°Ancestors of the Zhang Family above, I, the junior disciple Zhang Quan, kowtow to you!¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua frowned upon hearing this.


    The ancestors of the Zhang Family?


    Then this painting must be dedicated to the forebears of the Zhang Family.


    If they were forebears, they were also Ancestral Masters.


    That would mean, from their ancestors, the Zhang Family had possessed the Corpse Refinement method and established their coffin shop, passing it down through generations.


    Following the ¡°borrow Divine Thought, refine the Copper Bell, offer human consciousness for the feast.¡±


    Mo Hua listened, feeling somewhat confused.


    At this moment, Zhang Quan opened the bone coffin, grabbed the blood-offering bandit with a pale hand, and threw him into the coffin.


    Although the bandit struggled, he was no match for Zhang Quan, a Foundation Building Cultivator. Unable to break free, he was forcefully shut inside the bone coffin.


    Inside the coffin, he pleaded, begging for mercy, his fingers tearing at the coffin walls, letting out a wretched cry.


    A moment later, the cries ceased, and there was no more movement inside the bone coffin.


    When Zhang Quan opened the coffin lid again, the bandit was bereft of life, his eyes wide open in terror, but motionless.


    His fingers, from scratching, were devoid of nails, covered in blood.


    Yet, apart from that, there was not a single injury on his body.


    Just like that, he became lifeless and still.


    As if someone had directly consumed his Divine Soul.


    A chill ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart, followed by a sudden realization.


    The so-called ¡°borrow Divine Thought, refine the Copper Bell.¡±


    It must refer to using the Divine Thought of the Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master to refine the Copper Bell and enhance its Corpse Control capabilities.


    Among these corpse cultivators, Zhang Quan was a Foundation Building Cultivator, who naturally found controlling an Iron Corpse to be a trivial matter.


    The other corpse cultivators, however, were only at the peak of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining.


    For them to control Iron Corpses, which were close to Foundation Establishment strength, was indeed somewhat forced.


    The only option was to employ this method to borrow Divine Sense, allowing the Divine Thought of the Zhang Family¡¯s ancestors, through refinement, to attach to the Copper Bell and assist them in controlling corpses.


    ¡°Offer human consciousness for the feast.¡±


    It meant to feed the Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master with human consciousness.


    On the surface, the high altar served as the sacrificial platform, with white bones as the offering.


    In reality, however, the bone coffin was the true platform, and the living person¡¯s consciousness served as the true sacrifice.


    ¡°So to speak, is this Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family in fact a¡­ Contemplation Map?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts flickered, and he blinked his eyes.


    The bandit was used as a sacrifice, his Divine Soul consumed, dying in horror.


    Zhang Quan pulled the bandit out of the bone coffin and tossed him aside, instructing:


    ¡°Take him later to feed the corpses.¡±


    Afterward, he mumbled something under his breath, and then from his Storage Bag, he took out a Copper Bell adorned with blood-colored, exotic Patterns.


    It was the very Corpse Controlling Bell that Mo Hua had been longing for!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    If his guess was correct, inside the Corpse Controlling Bell, there lay the Spiritual Pivot Formation with a first-grade twelve-Pattern design.


    I must think of a way to snatch that Copper Bell!


    And also that Contemplation Map¡ªI must find a way to snatch that too!


    But how to snatch them?


    It probably won¡¯t be easy with Zhang Quan right underneath one¡¯s eyelids.


    Mo Hua frowned and pondered.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Quan continued to offer the bell in front of the altar.


    He took out three iron cups, placed them on the platform, then put the Copper Bell into one of the cups, and poured blood water into it.


    Blood slowly seeped into the copper bell.


    It was as if the copper bell was drinking the blood.


    Mo Hua lay on the roof beam, his thoughts racing.


    ¡°Should I create some disturbance outside to lure Zhang Quan out¡­¡±


    ¡°Or should I call Junior Brother and Junior Sister to directly take it by force?¡±


    Before Mo Hua could decide, there was a commotion outside, and someone anxiously shouted:


    ¡°Householder!¡±


    Zhang Quan was somewhat impatient.


    The person outside then said loudly, ¡°Householder, something big has happened!¡±


    Zhang Quan was performing the ritual on the bell and cursed under his breath, instructing a nearby corpse cultivator:


    ¡°Go see what¡¯s happened.¡±


    The corpse cultivator followed the order and went out, returning with a look of panic:


    ¡°Householder, it¡¯s terrible!¡±


    Zhang Quan frowned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The corpse cultivator said tremulously, ¡°The formations¡­ they¡¯re all broken!¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes bulged, ¡°What the hell do you mean they¡¯re all broken??¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ they¡¯re all broken, and not a single one can be used¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan felt his blood rise and a piercing pain.


    He said in disbelief:


    ¡°How can not a single one be operable?¡±


    ¡°It seems¡­ someone has sabotaged them¡­¡±


    A chill settled in Zhang Quan¡¯s heart.


    He had originally thought that with the formations, the Corpse Walking Stronghold would be easy to defend and hard to attack, strong enough to keep enemies at bay.


    After completing the bell ritual and reviving the Iron Corpse, he thought he could go out and slaughter his enemies.


    At worst, relying on the formations, it should be no problem to defend the stronghold.


    But he never imagined that the formations he had put so much effort into were all destroyed?


    Without the formations, the Corpse Walking Stronghold would be without its external barriers.


    It would be much easier for others to attack and break in.


    But how could this be possible?


    Zhang Quan suppressed the shock and anger in his heart and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    But after he took a few steps, he furrowed his brows again.


    The bell altar ritual still needed some time to complete.


    This altar needed supervision, but he did not trust anyone else to guard it.


    Those who refine corpses are cold-hearted.


    Not just him, all corpse cultivators are.


    He couldn¡¯t trust anyone inside this stronghold.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s gaze swept around the room and looked over the few corpse cultivators present, one by one.


    The other corpse cultivators, when they met his gaze, silently lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.


    Zhang Quan snorted coldly and said slowly:


    ¡°You all follow me; let¡¯s go out and have a look.¡±


    One corpse cultivator¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and he asked in a low voice:


    ¡°Householder, shouldn¡¯t someone stay to guard the altar¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s gaze turned cold, ¡°Do you want to stay behind?¡±


    The corpse cultivator immediately said in fright, ¡°I dare not.¡±


    Zhang Quan let out a sneer, ¡°All of you go out. I¡¯ll close the door and seal the formation. Not even a mosquito will get in, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The corpse cultivator bowed and agreed with a somewhat disappointed look.


    Several corpse cultivators took the body of the robber and left the secret room.


    Zhang Quan was the last one to leave.


    When he left, he sealed the screen.


    He performed a gesture and chanted a spell, and the brushed ink on the screen shifted and then transformed back into a dry ink landscape painting.


    Zhang Quan still felt uneasy. He checked the area several times before he was reassured and cautiously left the room.


    Before he left, he also locked the main door.


    Mo Hua remained motionless on the roof beam.


    Sure enough, after a while, Zhang Quan came back.


    He checked inside the room again and, finding no trace of any outsiders, finally relaxed, locked the main door again, and his footsteps faded away in the distance.


    Mo Hua sneered in his heart:


    ¡°Do you think these little tricks can fool me?¡±


    Every move Zhang Quan made was within his divine sense.


    Once Mo Hua was certain through his divine sense that Zhang Quan was indeed far away, he gracefully dropped down from the roof beam.


    The room was silent, and the screen bore no hint of any special aura.


    It appeared to be just a regular screen.


    Mo Hua examined the screen closely and had a sudden realization.


    This screen unexpectedly turned out to be a high-quality spiritual artifact, and its refinement method was very special, no wonder it had eluded his perception.


    It probably was worth quite a lot of spirit stones¡­


    ¡°How did Zhang Quan get it?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat curious.


    Was it stolen, robbed, gifted, or passed down from his ancestors?


    But now was not the time to dwell on this.


    He had to find a way to open the screen, enter the altar, and steal the copper bell.


    Mo Hua remembered that before Zhang Quan entered the screen, he chanted some spells and performed some gestures, and then the ink on the screen opened up, revealing an entrance.


    Mo Hua also tried to mimic the spell, performing gestures and stomping his feet, mumbling gibberish.


    He himself did not know what he was chanting, just taking a blind chance.


    But obviously, this was not a matter of luck.


    The screen didn¡¯t budge.


    Mo Hua scratched his head.


    Was that incorrect¡­


    But he couldn¡¯t go and ask Zhang Quan to demonstrate the gestures and incantations again.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment.


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang once mentioned that everything has its appearance and its essence.


    Performing gestures and chanting spells was just the appearance.


    The essence was the circulation of internal spiritual power.


    So it seemed, the screen had its own essence of spiritual power circulation.


    And on a spiritual artifact, what controls the circulation of spiritual power is the formation¡­


    Mo Hua looked closely once more and finally found subtle formation patterns at the corners and edges of the screen.


    These patterns were very tiny and discreet.


    What made it more troublesome was that Mo Hua didn¡¯t recognize them.


    Even with divine sense, after deducing and calculating the complete patterns, Mo Hua still didn¡¯t know what formation it was.


    He could only roughly guess based on his knowledge of formations.


    The screen¡¯s formation seemed to be related to sound and visualization.


    Chanting spells represented sound, while performing gestures symbolized visualization.


    Only by getting both the spell and the gesture right, with correct sound and motion, could the formation be activated.


    But as for the specific principles of the formation used, whether it involved the Five Elements or other formation method rules, Mo Hua was unsure.


    ¡°Formations are profound and intricate; it seems there¡¯s still much I need to learn¡­¡±


    Mo Hua took out paper and pen, noting down the patterns for later study and contemplation when he had time.

 Chapter 455 - 447: Robbed_1

    Chapter 455: Chapter 447: Robbed_1


    The subsequent question was, how to break through this screen?


    Mo Hua silently pondered.


    Generally speaking, the screen is a Spiritual Artifact, and there are Formations on Spiritual Artifacts.


    If one could decipher the Formation, they could neutralize the Spiritual Artifact, rendering this screen inoperative.


    However, Mo Hua had no idea what Formation was depicted on this screen, nor did he know what the lifelike and inhibiting Formation Patterns were, so naturally, he had no means to break the Formation.


    If it couldn¡¯t be deciphered, should he just destroy it?


    Using a Reversed Spirit Formation to disrupt the Formation¡¯s structure, damage the Formation eye, and cause the Formation to self-destruct?


    Mo Hua contemplated this.


    At this point, he no longer needed to worry about being discovered. Whether he kept the screen was moot, and it didn¡¯t matter if his method was rough.


    Once the Formation self-destructed, the screen would be ruined.


    The opening in the screen might be revealed.


    It could also potentially seal the chamber permanently, barring anyone¡¯s entry.


    The best outcome would be, after destroying the Formation, that the bolstering effect of the Formation was no more, deactivating the screen and opening the chamber.


    He would then be able to slip inside, and pack up everything to take away. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The worst outcome would be the screen self-destructing, disallowing anyone¡¯s entry.


    If he couldn¡¯t get in, neither could Zhang Quan.


    That way, both the Corpse Controlling Bell and the Contemplation Map would be sealed inside.


    It didn¡¯t matter if he couldn¡¯t enter.


    But if Zhang Quan couldn¡¯t get in, without the Corpse Controlling Bell, he wouldn¡¯t be able to control the Iron Corpse, significantly reducing his strength.


    Without the Iron Corpse, the Corpse Walking Stronghold would have no Foundation Establishment combat power and would naturally crumble easily.


    However he considered it, there was no disadvantage for Mo Hua.


    Decisive, Mo Hua ceased his hesitation and began to work on the Formation on the screen.


    As the first Reversed Spirit Formation was drawn, the Formation on the screen flashed with blue light, Spiritual Power began to distort, emitting a piercing sound, and the Formation soon ceased to function, causing the screen to dim slightly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he continued to draw Reversed Spirit Formations.


    With each Reversed Spirit Formation drawn, a Formation was destroyed.


    The ink on the screen gradually faded.


    By the time Mo Hua had destroyed all the Formations, all the ink on the entire screen had faded, leaving only a grey smudge.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    Was it deciphered, or was it broken?


    Mo Hua swept his Divine Sense over it and found that the screen was indeed deactivated, and the barrier at the doorway had disappeared.


    It¡¯s just that the obstructing ink was still there.


    Mo Hua decisively took out his Thousand Jun Stick and started to wildly hammer the screen.


    He battered the already old screen to tatters.


    The screen made a ¡®creaking¡¯ sound as if lamenting, then completely lost its form and substance, erasing the ink images and revealing the opening to the chamber, and the altar within.


    Mo Hua sighed in relief, his heart leaping with joy as he stepped inside.


    Within the chamber, the atmosphere was even more sinister.


    The altar, laid out with golden silk, flickered with a green, grim candlelight.


    The Blood Bell, white bones, coffins, not one was missing.


    And on the altar, there was the worshiped Ancestral Master Image of the Zhang Family.


    Mo Hua lowered his gaze, avoiding the Ancestral Master Image. Instead, he quickly picked the copper bells refined with fresh blood from within the iron cup one by one, tossing them into his Storage Bag.


    He then rummaged through the chamber once more.


    Spirit Stones, offerings, and things like Spiritual Artifacts, as long as they looked valuable, or were engraved with Formations, or had some origins, or appeared odd or incomprehensible to him, all were swept away by Mo Hua like shearing a sheep.


    At last, it was time for the Ancestral Master Image.


    Mo Hua squinted his eyes, trying his best not to look at it, intending to carefully take down the image and then throw it into his Storage Bag.


    However, at the moment his fingers touched the image,


    An icy Divine Thought abruptly invaded Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    A seemingly old but resonant voice whispered in his ear,


    ¡°Young man¡­ your bones are remarkably unique¡­¡±


    ¡°You possess exceptional talent¡­¡±


    ¡°I offer you an opportunity¡­ to help you ascend to immortality¡­¡±


    ¡°Look here¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    This voice, seemingly real and illusory, tempted Mo Hua to look at the image.


    At the same time, something or someone within the image seemed to undergo a change, the skin starting to decay, on the verge of breaking out of the picture.


    Mo Hua, sensing a slight stagnation in his Divine Sense, quickly entered a state of Mental Concentration, meditated with a tranquil heart, and within a mere moment, he discarded all distractions, his spirit clear and bright.


    Regaining his senses, Mo Hua waved his left hand, toppling the altar.


    Then, with a casual pull, he tore down Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master Image and threw it to the ground.


    Afterward, he grabbed the incense burner, iron cup, candlestick, and a pile of other items, flinging them at the image. After smashing them, he even stepped on the image a couple of times.


    The image promptly became compliant¡­


    Mo Hua snorted coldly in his heart.


    ¡°Still trying to deceive me?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t fall for the same trick twice!¡±


    Seeing that the image was no longer stirring, Mo Hua folded it up, crumpled it haphazardly, and stuffed it into his Storage Bag.


    In just a dozen or so breaths, both the Corpse Controlling Bell and the image were in his possession.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Storage Bag was full to the brim.


    There was no time to lose, time to make a swift exit!


    Without any hesitation, Mo Hua quickly left the altar, flipped up to the beam, dismantled the Formation, and effortlessly escaped from Zhang Quan¡¯s chamber¡­


    And at that moment, Zhang Quan was still utterly unaware.


    He stood atop the outer wall of the Corpse Walking Stronghold, staring incredulously at the Formation before his eyes.


    The Formation is really completely destroyed!


    Some have failed, some have been destroyed, and some have self-destructed due to a short circuit of Spiritual Power when the Formation was activated.


    Why? Why did they break?


    They were all fine when he checked them two days ago.


    But in less than two days, all the Formations in the Corpse Walking Stronghold were destroyed, as if an entire layer of skin had been peeled off?


    Who did this?


    Who could have such great ability to destroy all the Formations in his Corpse Walking Stronghold in such a short time?


    A Formation Master?


    But in South Yue City, which Formation Master could have such high-level skills?


    Zhang Quan was both shocked and furious as he said in a harsh voice:


    ¡°Go and call Mr. Yan over!¡±


    A Corpse Cultivator hesitantly said:


    ¡°Mr. Yan¡­ we can¡¯t bring him over¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan glared fiercely, and said in a cold voice, ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Yan¡¯s room has been sealed off, we¡­ we cannot open it¡­¡± the Corpse Cultivator stammered.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s gaze turned cold, ¡°Take me there.¡±


    Soon, Zhang Quan arrived at Instructor Yan¡¯s room.


    There were mottled marks all around the room, showing signs of being struck, but the door remained tightly closed.


    It seemed that someone had reinforced the Formation from inside the room, making the walls sturdy and impervious to attack from the outside.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes turned cold as he struck out boldly, slamming his palm onto the door.


    The door cracked, but Zhang Quan¡¯s palm also tingled from the impact.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s expression became grave.


    Who had set up this Formation?


    A mere first-grade Formation was so tough?


    Zhang Quan exhausted all his strength, channeling Spiritual Power, the wind from his palm fierce, and his strength continuous. It took him a good half cup of tea¡¯s time to finally break the door.


    As the door shattered, Zhang Quan looked intently inside.


    There wasn¡¯t a single person in the room.


    Not only that, but all the belongings had also been tidied up and taken away.


    This Mr. Yan had actually run away?


    ¡°No Formation Master is a good thing!¡±


    Zhang Quan was so angry that he gritted his teeth, feeling his thoughts in disarray and chaos.


    How exactly did this Mr. Yan escape?


    Did he run away on his own, or did someone come to save him?


    And who would that be? How did they save him?


    Were the Formations at Corpse Walking Stronghold tampered with by this Mr. Yan?


    Did he collude with outsiders, intending to destroy the Corpse Walking Stronghold?


    And now, fearing the consequences of his crimes, he had fled.


    Or is it that someone in the shadows¡­


    Zhang Quan suddenly stopped in his thoughts.


    In the shadows¡­


    A Concealment Technique?


    To be able to sneak into the Corpse Walking Stronghold undetected even by Foundation Establishment Divine Sense, as far as he knew, there was only one person capable of that.


    That kid who knew the Concealment Technique?!


    Zhang Quan¡¯s brow furrowed tightly, but then he felt something wasn¡¯t right.


    Corpse Walking Stronghold was protected by the Expose Dust Formation; that kid shouldn¡¯t have been able to sneak in¡­


    ¡°No,¡± Zhang Quan suddenly shook his head, his thoughts racing:


    ¡°If Mr. Yan had ulterior motives, the Expose Dust Formation he set up definitely had issues, and it certainly wouldn¡¯t keep that kid out!¡±


    It was even possible that those two were in cahoots!


    Zhang Quan was uncontrollably furious and then felt his heart lurch.


    Concealment¡­ Concealment¡­


    His expression dramatically changed, ¡°The altar!¡±


    Zhang Quan remembered that if Mo Hua had really sneaked in with concealment, then everything he did might have been seen clearly.


    Even including, the ritual he had just conducted with the bell!


    Zhang Quan pushed his movement technique to the extreme, and in just a moment, he was back in his own room.


    The door lock was intact, and the Formation was undamaged.


    Zhang Quan breathed a sigh of relief, but as soon as he unlocked the door and entered the room, he saw the screen that had been smashed to tatters.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s legs went weak, and he nearly failed to keep his balance.


    It was over!


    He stumbled into the secret chamber and looked intently, his scalp tingling.


    The secret chamber was in disarray.


    The altar was overturned, and incense ashes scattered all over the floor.


    The candles were extinguished, and the iron dishes upset.


    Zhang Quan trembled as he searched the ground frantically, but no matter how he searched, it was nowhere to be found.


    The copper bell he used for the ritual was gone¡­


    Zhang Quan looked up again.


    The Ancestral Master portrait was also gone¡­


    Zhang Quan was so furious that his blood rushed to his head, and he roared:


    ¡°Where¡¯s my Corpse Controlling Bell?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s my ancestor?!!¡±

 Chapter 456 - 448 Fury_1

    Chapter 456: Chapter 448 Fury_1


    Zhang Quan was so furious he spat blood.


    By then, Mo Hua had already pocketed his Corpse Controlling Bell and his ancestors¡¯ treasures and was far away.


    In the pitch-black night, amid the chaos of cultivators clashing.


    Mo Hua used his Concealment Technique to hide his figure and the Water Passing Step to move fluidly like flowing water, shuttling through the Corpse Walking Stronghold, avoiding all attacks and spells, moving unhurt through a thousand flowers.


    Only upon reaching a rooftop did Mo Hua stop, release his Divine Sense, and locate Situ Fang.


    Situ Fang was engaging in combat with a few zombies controlled by corpse cultivators, alongside two Elders from the Situ Family.


    After repelling the enemies, they took a moment to catch their breath, only to hear a crisp voice shout:


    ¡°Sister Situ.¡±


    Situ Fang looked towards the empty space, and not long after, Mo Hua revealed his shape, smiling as he said:


    ¡°I¡¯ve snatched the Corpse Bell.¡±


    Situ Fang was stunned, ¡°You really managed to snatch it?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his little hand, holding three copper bells in his grasp.


    These bells were even more exquisitely made, tied with blood ropes, with even more complex patterns on them, clearly indicating that the zombies they controlled were also more powerful.


    Not only Situ Fang, but even Situ Jin and the other stern-faced Elder Situ were visibly shaken.


    They had snatched the enemy¡¯s trump card in the midst of battle?


    Initially shocked, Situ Fang then felt a surge of joy, her expression lifted as she said:


    ¡°Elders, let us make quick work of this fight and take down the Corpse Walking Stronghold!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡±


    The two Elders of the Situ Family nodded in agreement.


    Without the Iron Corpse, their reservations vanished, and they attacked without restraint.


    With two Foundation Establishment cultivators taking the lead, the Situ Family¡¯s cultivators were unstoppable, overpowering the enemy in an instant.


    There were corpse cultivators who had taken Corpse Blood Pills to drastically increase their cultivation, transforming them into the dead.


    But these corpse cultivators originally had only Qi Refinement cultivation, and their cultivation techniques and Taoist skills were mediocre; no matter how many pills they popped, they were no match for Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    They only lasted a little bit longer, that¡¯s all.


    Mo Hua then found Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, ¡°Let¡¯s capture Zhang Quan, don¡¯t let him get away!¡±


    Bai Zisheng was overjoyed, ¡°Good!¡±


    Zhang Quan indeed wanted to run.


    Corpse Walking Stronghold could not withstand anymore.


    The Formation was broken, and without the Corpse Controlling Bell to control the Iron Corpse, the fall of Corpse Walking Stronghold was just a matter of time.


    If something is beyond one¡¯s ability, there¡¯s no point in forcing it.


    As long as the green mountains remain, there will always be wood to burn.


    Zhang Quan collected some key items, then changed into the clothes of an ordinary bandit, blending into the crowd, trying to slip away quietly.


    The Corpse Walking Stronghold was in chaos, filled with cultivators chasing each other and others trying to escape.


    For the time being, no one noticed Zhang Quan.


    But while he could deceive others, he couldn¡¯t deceive Mo Hua.


    When Mo Hua realized Zhang Quan was missing, he gently stepped forward, sticking to the wall, and ascended to a tall pavilion within the Corpse Walking Stronghold, pushing his Divine Sense to the utmost.


    In the chaotic battle, the Spiritual Power of cultivators was distinctly visible. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Strong or weak, their colors, and their attributes were all crystal clear.


    Mo Hua looked around and spotted a rich aura of Spiritual Power in a corner.


    The aura was the color of muddy earth, gloomy with Filthy Qi, being severely suppressed as if fearful of being detected.


    With a flick of his little hand, Mo Hua pointed, ¡°Over there!¡±


    Bai Zisheng followed the direction of his pointing.


    Indeed, in a corner against a stone wall, a cultivator dressed like a bandit was crouching, pretending to be scared while casting ominous glances around, looking for a chance to flee.


    ¡°You son of a bitch, where do you think you¡¯re running?¡±


    Bai Zisheng shouted, swinging his right hand to draw out a long spear, its might powerful as he lunged towards Zhang Quan like a dragon.


    At the same time, Bai Zixi flicked her hand to form an incantation, and three golden Sword Qi converged, shining with a white fire, streaking through the air towards Zhang Quan.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s scalp tingled as he hastily got up to flee; but as he turned awkwardly, his right shoulder was still nicked by the tip of Bai Zisheng¡¯s spear, leaving a bloody mark.


    At the same time, Bai Zixi¡¯s Sword Qi arrived.


    Zhang Quan dodged two strikes but was pierced by the third through his shoulder. Sword Qi twisted in the wound, white Spiritual Fire searing, causing unbearable pain.


    ¡°You motherfuckers!¡±


    Zhang Quan was furious but also utterly helpless.


    He could only run; now that all his moves had been seen through and his trump card stolen, he was no match for these two young cultivators, a boy and a girl.


    Furthermore, with the enemy surrounding him, dragging this out meant certain death.


    Zhang Quan used his Earth Escape again.


    The Corpse Walking Stronghold was built against a mountain. With abundant earth and rocks on the ground and many houses and caves, combined with the pitch-black night and the extremely chaotic battle situation,


    his Earth Escape was even more secretive and difficult to detect.


    But before he could get far, a howling sound came, and a fireball appeared in an instant, striking the ground.


    Fire-series Spiritual Power passed through the ground to his body, causing a slight scorching sensation, but not very powerful.


    However, the Fireball Technique was merely a guide.


    Following it came a sharp long spear and a golden Sword Qi.


    Zhang Quan was stabbed by the spear again, and his back was struck by Sword Qi.


    He hastily exited his Earth Escape Technique, looked around, and, indeed, saw on a tall pavilion not too far away, a familiar, petite figure sitting cross-legged, condensing a fireball at the fingertips, smilingly watching him.


    Upon seeing this smiling face, Zhang Quan¡¯s head buzzed, and his scalp trembled.


    He felt all his Blood Qi rush to his head, so furious that he was lost for words.


    After a long while, he trembled as he pointed at Mo Hua, and angrily said:


    ¡°My¡­ my things¡­ did you steal them?¡±


    Mo Hua wore an innocent face, ¡°What things?¡±


    Zhang Quan angrily said, ¡°My Corpse Controlling Bell!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua seemed to ¡°recall¡± something, rummaging through his storage bag, and fished out several bells, confusedly saying:


    ¡°These things are yours? I saw them lying there as if unwanted, so I just ¡®took care¡¯ of them for a while.¡±


    Having said that, Mo Hua stuffed the bronze bell back into his storage bag.


    Zhang Quan watched with his own eyes as Mo Hua took out his Corpse Controlling Bell, and with his own eyes, saw him put his Corpse Controlling Bell into his own bag, his eyes becoming bloodshot in that instant.


    Zhang Quan gritted his teeth and said:


    ¡°Then my¡­ ancestor¡­¡±


    ¡°Ancestor?¡±


    Mo Hua rummaged through his storage bag again and after a while, pulled out a big clump of something resembling crumpled paper:


    ¡°Is this your ancestor?¡±


    Zhang Quan spat out a mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡±


    He repeated three ¡°goods,¡± his eyes bloodshot and veiny, his voice hoarse as he spoke:


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken my Corpse Controlling Bell, insulted Zhang Family¡¯s ancestor; today, even if it kills me, I will pulverize you to ashes!¡±


    After finishing his words, he flipped his right hand, taking out a bright red pill.


    This pill was even redder than the Corpse Blood Pill he had taken earlier, seemingly about to drip blood.


    The moment he took out the pill, Bai Zisheng sensed something, the spear in his hand moved to knock the pill away.


    Bai Zixi also condensed a Sword Qi, intent on slicing off his wrist to interrupt his pill consumption.


    Zhang Quan, clenching his teeth, used his left arm to block, taking the brunt of Bai Zisheng¡¯s spear technique.


    Then, slightly tilting his body, he also took the full force of Bai Zixi¡¯s Sword Qi.


    After that, he was ready to risk his life to swallow the Blood Abnormality Pill in his hand.


    But before he could consume it, a swift fireball roared towards him, hitting Zhang Quan¡¯s right hand with precision, charring his palm and turning the pill in his hand to ashes.


    Zhang Quan was beside himself with rage, completely losing his senses.


    Another Fireball Technique?! Again, it¡¯s this brat!


    Zhang Quan was almost numb with anger.


    Yet, Mo Hua was still mocking him:


    ¡°A small trick, and you dare to show off in my face?¡±


    ¡°If all you have are these pathetic little schemes, then your Corpse Controlling Bell is mine, and your esteemed ancestor¡­ will be gone too¡­¡±


    Esteemed ancestor, will be gone¡­


    Upon hearing these words, Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes nearly burst from their sockets, he wanted to say something more, but before he could speak, his eyes rolled back, blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, and he collapsed stiffly.


    Bai Zisheng walked forward, kicked Zhang Quan.


    Zhang Quan gave no response whatsoever.


    Bai Zisheng frowned and looked up, ¡°Mo Hua, you¡¯ve angered him to death.¡±


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled.


    He was, after all, a Householder, a corpse cultivator at that; his temperament shouldn¡¯t be so fragile.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those who refine corpses supposed to be cold-hearted? How could he die so easily of anger?¡± Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    ¡°No matter how cold-hearted, he couldn¡¯t stand you angering him like that¡­¡± Bai Zisheng said helplessly.


    Mo Hua scratched his head, ¡°I didn¡¯t really anger him, did I? I was just speaking the truth¡­¡±


    Was that your version of ¡°speaking the truth¡±?


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat speechless.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡±


    Mo Hua jumped down from the pavilion, extended his Divine Sense to check Zhang Quan¡¯s Spiritual Power aura, and breathed a sigh of relief:


    ¡°He just fainted from anger, he¡¯s not dead.¡±


    ¡°Find Sister Situ, have her seal his meridians with silver needles, then use the Taoist Court¡¯s iron locks to lock him up,¡± said Mo Hua after some thought.


    ¡°Also, feed him some pills to keep him barely alive; otherwise, he really might die from rage¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    With Zhang Quan, barely alive and captured, the Corpse Walking Stronghold was as good as conquered.


    What followed were the tasks of pursuing corpse cultivators, clearing the stragglers, tallying the loot, and dealing with the wounded and dead.


    These wrap-up tasks were mainly handled by Situ Fang and the cultivators from the Situ Family.


    Bai Zisheng volunteered to help, as he hadn¡¯t had his fill of fighting yet.


    Mo Hua took advantage of this time, along with Bai Zixi, to turn Corpse Walking Stronghold upside down again.


    Previously unentered caves, unopened doors, and unturned coffins were all carefully searched through once more by Mo Hua.

 Chapter 457 - 449 Deep Water_1

    Chapter 457: Chapter 449 Deep Water_1


    Mo Hua thoroughly searched the Corpse Walking Stronghold again, from top to bottom.


    All Formations were dismantled, not one was left;


    All storerooms were opened, not one was missed;


    All secret chambers were exposed, not one was overlooked¡­


    Mo Hua turned up quite a few things.


    Most of the Spirit Stones, Spiritual Artifacts, and Pills, Mo Hua did not take.


    These were considered war spoils, to be distributed among everyone.


    Moreover, some of the Spiritual Artifacts and Pills were filled with a sinister energy, unclean; they were of no use to Mo Hua.


    The war spoils from the clearing of the Corpse Walking Stronghold would be tallied by the Situ Family, then reported to the Taoist Court, and after that, the Taoist Court would distribute merit and rewards.


    In the end, there would certainly be a share that fell into Mo Hua¡¯s hands.


    Although there would be deductions at every level, the Spirit Stones he received wouldn¡¯t be many, but at least it was an aboveboard transaction.


    Moreover, it would also increase his Merit Points.


    Merit Points from the Taoist Court were more important than Spirit Stones.


    Aside from Spirit Stones and Pills, Mo Hua had no qualms about taking peculiar items, especially those related to Formations.


    Better to err on the side of caution, Mo Hua took everything.


    There were Ultimate Formations in the Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    Mo Hua conjectured that the Ultimate Formation was inscribed on the Corpse Controlling Bell.


    Now that the Corpse Controlling Bell was in hand, Mo Hua had not yet had the chance to examine it closely.


    It was uncertain whether the bell really contained the Ultimate Formation.


    But just in case, it was better to make extra preparations.


    The Ultimate Formation, if not in the bell, would still be in the Corpse Walking Stronghold. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua collected all items inscribed with Formations from the stronghold, to prevent any oversight when he came to calculate the Ultimate Formation later.


    Besides that, there were other Formations in the Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    For example, that Dry Ink Screen, on which was inscribed a Formation that diverged from the Five Elements, delving into a field of Formations unfamiliar to Mo Hua.


    Such items like the screen were plentiful in the stronghold.


    The Formations on these items also varied widely in style.


    Clearly they were not drawn by Instructor Yan, but it was also unclear who they originated from.


    So, in order to broaden his horizons on Formations, enhance his experience with them, and strengthen his knowledge, Mo Hua decided to take these items back to dismantle and study them carefully.


    Mo Hua continued to search and collect items.


    However, his Storage Bag was too small, and after a while, it could not fit anything more.


    Mo Hua was somewhat worried.


    Bai Zixi then produced a brand-new Storage Bag, embroidered with auspicious cloud and phoenix patterns, and crisply said,


    ¡°This bag is big.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he said with a smile,


    ¡°Thank you, Junior Sister!¡±


    Thus, Mo Hua no longer had any worries and released his Divine Sense, continuing to search and select Formation-embedded items within the stronghold.


    The items he picked were placed into Bai Zixi¡¯s Storage Bag.


    In this manner, Mo Hua selected, while Bai Zixi packed with the bag.


    The two made a round, thoroughly scouring the Corpse Walking Stronghold again.


    Only when the sky began to brighten did the two return, fully laden, stuffing a top-grade Storage Bag full to the brim.


    Meanwhile, Situ Fang led the cultivators of the Situ Family in nearly clearing out the Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    The Spirit Stones and such, Mo Hua had left to them.


    This time, the Situ Family had mobilized on a large scale.


    Mobilizing manpower required spending a considerable amount of Spirit Stones.


    Although the battle went smoothly, there were inevitably some cultivator casualties, who would also need Spirit Stones as consolation.


    Afterwards, everyone gathered together.


    Situ Fang, along with the two Elders of the Situ Family, expressed their gratitude to Mo Hua and the other two.


    Without the help of Mo Hua and his companions, the casualties in this battle would likely have been higher, and whether they could have successfully taken down the Corpse Walking Stronghold was still uncertain.


    After all, the stronghold¡¯s Formations were strong, and the Iron Corpses were impervious to sword and spear, making a direct confrontation very difficult.


    Mo Hua waved his hand and said, ¡°No need to be polite.¡±


    Then he asked, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    Situ Jin stroked his beard, pondering for a moment, and did not hide anything from Mo Hua, instead speaking frankly,


    ¡°After we tally up everything, we won¡¯t go through the South Yue City Taoist Court but will use the Situ Family¡¯s connections and influence to report to the Taoist Court in the name of the neighboring South Mountain City.¡±


    ¡°South Mountain City¡¯s Taoist Court?¡±


    Situ Jin nodded, ¡°The Court Leader of South Mountain City, his wife¡¯s surname is Situ.¡±


    Mo Hua then understood.


    Situ Jin continued, ¡°This merit will bypass the South Yue City¡¯s Taoist Court and be credited to Miss Fang.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Situ Jin looked at Mo Hua and added, ¡°Gentleman, it will also be credited to you, including not only Spirit Stones but also Merit Points distributed by the Court.¡±


    ¡°As to how many Merit Points, that depends on the operations on the Court¡¯s side.¡±


    After all, where there are people, there are divisions of interest.


    In a place like the Taoist Court, even if clear water flows through, they scrape off three layers of oil.


    Situ Jin went on, ¡°Besides this, the Situ Family also has some modest gifts for the Gentleman¡­¡±


    In the end, it was thanks to Mo Hua that they had this opportunity to earn this merit.


    Merit, at times, is something that cannot even be bought with Spirit Stones.


    With this merit, Miss Fang will also be valued by her Clan.


    In their branch, there are not many promising youngsters; Situ Fang is diligent in her Cultivation and serious in her affairs, standing out among them.


    Therefore, Situ Jin was truly grateful to Mo Hua.


    ¡°Where, where, Elder is too courteous¡­¡±


    Although Mo Hua modestly demurred with his words, he couldn¡¯t resist asking curiously,


    ¡°What kind of modest gift is it¡­¡±


    Situ Jin was caught off guard, and he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    This young Gentleman was straightforward and truly candid.


    Situ Jin smiled and said, ¡°Spirit Stones and such common things, the Gentleman may not care for, so the Situ Family will prepare some of the Family¡¯s Formation Books to give to the Gentleman, to build a good relationship¡­¡±


    Mo Hua wanted to say that he too was fond of mundane things like Spirit Stones.


    But saying that would seem like he was losing face.


    So Mo Hua felt too embarrassed to speak up.


    However, he was pleased with the prospect of studying Formations.


    He wondered what sort of Formation Books the Situ Family would send him.


    Mo Hua expressed his thanks:


    ¡°Thank you, Elder, and thank you, Sister Situ!¡±


    Situ Fang smiled upon seeing Mo Hua accept their Situ Family¡¯s goodwill and nodded slightly.


    Afterward, Zhang Quan was taken into custody by Situ Jin and sent to the Taoist Court.


    The zombies and coffins were all accounted for and handled by the Taoist Court.


    The Corpse Refining Coffins, being artifacts of the Demon Path, were to be destroyed.


    Zombies pose a great danger; if they lose control, they will rampage, wandering around and devouring the flesh and blood of the living.


    Corpse Poison can also easily cause cultivators to turn into zombies.


    So typically, zombies would be incinerated by the Taoist Court to prevent further calamity.


    But all of this had little to do with Mo Hua now.


    Situ Fang still had some loose ends to tie up, and she also had to wait for a handover of certain matters with the Taoist Court of South Mountain City, so she was going to be quite busy.


    Instructor Yan had already been escorted back to South Yue City ahead of time by the cultivators of the Situ Family.


    With matters at the Corpse Walking Stronghold resolved, Mo Hua took his leave, returning with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    By this time, the day had already brightened, and the morning glow filled the sky, spreading on the path.


    Mo Hua and his companions walked shoulder to shoulder on the mountain stones, draped in the glow of dawn, looking at the desolate yet somewhat wild scenery of the mountains, slowly making their way back.


    On the way, Bai Zisheng lamented,


    ¡°We didn¡¯t manage to slaughter Zhang Quan¡­¡±


    He had wanted to finish Zhang Quan off with a spear thrust while he was passed out from anger, but Mo Hua hadn¡¯t allowed it.


    ¡°Zhang Quan has someone backing him; we need to keep him alive to try to find out who that is,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Zhang Quan won¡¯t talk, though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to him anymore.¡±


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of interrogating Zhang Quan yourself, are you?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng hesitantly said, ¡°You¡¯d better not go¡­ ¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled. ¡°Why not?¡±


    Bai Zisheng replied, ¡°With how angry you made Zhang Quan, he¡¯d rather die a thousand deaths than tell you anything.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned. ¡°Surely he¡¯s not that narrow-minded.¡±


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but feel speechless. ¡°I say his tolerance is already quite great. If it were any less, you would have already angered him to death¡­ ¡±


    Mo Hua frowned and murmured in doubt,


    ¡°Am I really that infuriating?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t noticed it himself.


    Bai Zisheng sighed, ¡°It¡¯s that innocent face you make when you anger people that¡¯s the most infuriating.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t believe it and turned to ask Bai Zixi,


    ¡°Little Senior Sister, do I anger people?¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes shifted slightly as she spoke softly,


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling that his Little Senior Sister was right.


    Bai Zisheng could only look at his sister and helplessly shake his head.


    ¡­


    After walking alongside each other for a while, Bai Zisheng suddenly remembered something and asked,


    ¡°Just how many zombies were there in the Corpse Walking Stronghold?¡±


    Mo Hua replied without a second thought, ¡°Five Iron Corpses, six hundred and thirty-seven Walking Corpses.¡±


    ¡°Did you actually count them?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mo Hua nodded. In the Corpse Walking Stronghold, he probably knew the number of zombies better than Zhang Quan, the Householder.


    Bai Zisheng clicked his tongue, ¡°That¡¯s a lot¡­¡±


    But Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s not enough¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng was taken aback, ¡°Still not enough?¡±


    Mo Hua affirmed, ¡°Not enough!¡±


    Bai Zisheng was puzzled.


    Mo Hua then explained, ¡°Zhang Quan¡¯s method of refining corpses is passed down from his ancestors. He¡¯s been purchasing bodies and refining zombies for decades, if not over a hundred years. Given all these years, the number of zombies he¡¯s refined can¡¯t just be this amount¡­¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not just him refining; he established the Corpse Walking Stronghold, where bandits kill people and Mining Cultivators buy corpses. A couple of hundred Corpse Cultivators are also refining corpses. Over time, the number of zombies they¡¯ve refined is definitely not small.¡±


    Bai Zisheng frowned, ¡°Does he have other places to hide the zombies?¡±


    ¡°Not hiding, perhaps selling.¡±


    Mo Hua remembered Zhang Quan mentioning something about ¡°sending corpses.¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t be refining corpses to ¡°give¡± them to others; there must be some sort of transaction involved.


    It was still all a mystery for now, with no clear leads to follow.


    Bai Zisheng exclaimed, ¡°The waters are deep indeed¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and looked toward the other side.


    By now, they had reached South Yue City, and the opposite side of the road was a mine.


    It was late morning, and the dawn light had dissipated, leaving the sunlight searing.


    The mine was baking in the heat.


    The Mining Cultivators began their work under the scorching sun.


    Their heads bared to the fierce sunshine, feet on sizzling stones, bodies marked with lashings turned dark, hands cracked, backs bent, they toiled in hardship and numbness under the overseers¡¯ abuse.


    For them, every breath was an immense struggle.


    Like a person drowning in deep waters, gasping for air but unable to breathe.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze shifted slightly as he murmured,


    ¡°The waters of South Yue City are very deep¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why these Mining Cultivators live amidst such treacherous conditions¡­¡±

 Chapter 458 - 450 Opening the Coffin_1

    Chapter 458: Chapter 450 Opening the Coffin_1


    ¡°`


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi listened to Mo Hua¡¯s words and witnessed the arduous life of Mining Cultivators, both frowning in silence.


    The atmosphere became somewhat somber for a while.


    After some thought, Mo Hua suddenly pointed to the north and said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s first take a trip to the forest over there.¡±


    Bai Zisheng, puzzled, asked, ¡°What are we doing in the forest?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°You wanted to eat wild boar, didn¡¯t you? There¡¯s one there; we¡¯ll catch it and I¡¯ll cook it for you.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was momentarily taken aback, then overjoyed, and couldn¡¯t help but pat Mo Hua on the shoulder,


    ¡°You truly are a good junior brother of mine!¡±


    Bai Zixi also smiled faintly.


    The three of them went into the forest and captured a wild boar.


    A Late First Grade wild boar stood no chance against the three of them.


    After capturing the boar, Mo Hua brought it back, and using the cooking method his mother had taught him, he removed the gamey taste, cleansed the bloodstains, added spicy seasoning, and began to stew it in the pot.


    The pork was tough and chewy, and it took a long time to stew.


    It took a full day for the aroma to finally waft through the air.


    After Mo Hua sliced it, he plated it and brought it as food to accompany the drinks for Instructor Yan and Mr. Zhuang.


    Instructor Yan was temporarily living in the cave dwelling as well.


    Whenever he had time, he would visit Mr. Zhuang.


    The two sat in the courtyard, enjoying the breeze, drinking wine, eating meat, and chatting about the past of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect as well as the rise and fall of the Great Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Instructor Yan couldn¡¯t stop praising the wild boar meat.


    He never would have expected that Mo Hua, a student so proficient in formations, could also prepare meals that were quite up to standard.


    After Mr. Zhuang took a bite, he nodded slightly.


    Although the taste was somewhat inferior to what he had eaten in Tongxian City, eating it made his heart feel much warmer.


    After all, it was made by his own junior disciple.


    Under the courtyard¡¯s large tree, Mo Hua and the two others sat side by side.


    Bai Zisheng relished the meal, wishing he could eat up the entire pig.


    Bai Zixi, on the other hand, ate gracefully, her demeanor refined and her gestures delicate and elegant.


    After eating a few bites, Mo Hua also nodded in satisfaction.


    The weather was hot, but the shade under the tree was cool.


    A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, casting mottled shadows.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua felt that such days were quite nice¡­


    There was his master, senior brother, and senior sister.


    And old acquaintances like Instructor Yan would pay visits.


    He just didn¡¯t know how long such days could last¡­


    ¡­


    After eating their fill, Mo Hua started to focus on the serious matters at hand.


    He needed to deduce the Spirit Pivot Formation Patterns, comprehend the Spiritual Pivot Formation, and use the First Grade Twelve Stripes formation to temper his Divine Sense, so as to advance it further and step into the realm of the Thirteen Stripes.


    The Thirteen Stripes represented the limit of a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua would also be taking a crucial step towards Foundation Establishment.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation required deduction.


    The first thing to research was Zhang Quan¡¯s Corpse Controlling Bell.


    The Corpse Controlling Bell was an Evil Artifact of the Demon Path, unassuming on the outside with the formation hidden inside.


    Mo Hua not being very knowledgeable about Artifact Refining, had no idea where to start or how to dismantle it.


    Eventually, it was Bai Zixi who, after consulting a number of Tao Cultivation Canons, figured out the method of disassembly.


    Dismantling the Corpse Controlling Bell was a troublesome process that required profound knowledge in Artifact Refining and some special refining methods.


    Bai Zixi patiently explained to Mo Hua who, however, was utterly confused.


    Apart from formations, Mo Hua was not very skilled in other Tao Cultivation arts, surely not as accomplished as Bai Zixi.


    Therefore, dismantling the Corpse Controlling Bell could only be done by Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi retrieved a small and exquisitely styled Artifact Furnace from nowhere, crafted from expensive materials, with the furnace fire as concentrated as mercury.


    She then took out a series of Artifact Refining tools from her storage bag.


    There were golden scissors, silver tweezers, jade needles, and so on.


    Mo Hua had never seen these Artifact Refining tools before.


    He had only seen a big hammer¡­


    It was the large iron hammer that Master Chen swung when refining artifacts.


    Bai Zixi explained to Mo Hua,


    ¡°Different grades of Spiritual Artifacts require different refining tools. Swords and halberds are usually forged with hammers; rings, bells, and pendants require more delicate tools.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm.¡±


    Mo Hua looked on admiringly, nodding his head repeatedly.


    Then Bai Zixi began to demonstrate to Mo Hua how to dismantle the Corpse Controlling Bell.


    She first placed the bell in the furnace to heat it up to a certain point before taking it down, and with her fair hands, she alternated between golden scissors, silver tweezers, and jade needles, gradually separating the inner and outer layers of the bell.


    Bai Zixi worked with ease.


    Mo Hua watched, still somewhat puzzled.


    As he raised his head, about to ask a question, he saw Bai Zixi with her eyes as clear as autumn waters, focused intently, occasionally blinking, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly.


    Mo Hua found himself mesmerized, forgetting what he was about to say.


    After a while, Bai Zixi managed to dismantle the Corpse Controlling Bell and looked up at Mo Hua, asking in a melodious voice,


    ¡°Did you understand it clearly?¡±


    Feeling a bit guilty, Mo Hua averted his gaze,


    ¡°I understood¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded in satisfaction.


    The Corpse Controlling Bell was dismantled by Bai Zixi.


    Mo Hua then composed himself, focused, and began studying the formation on the bell.


    But soon, Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    The formation on the Corpse Controlling Bell was not an Ultimate Formation¡­


    It was based on the Five Elements Water Series Formation, transforming water into blood, and was a formation created from human blood that used a Blood Formation to control and manipulate an Iron Corpse.


    ¡°`


    But it was not the Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation that emphasized the control of Spiritual Power, as Mo Hua had previously speculated.


    Mo Hua was very disappointed.


    ¡°Is it wrong?¡± Bai Zixi asked.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zixi suggested, ¡°Do you want to look at the other formations in the Corpse Walking Stronghold?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Thus, Bai Zixi opened the Storage Bag and, with Bai Zisheng¡¯s help, laid out all the formation-related items of various sizes that they had previously scavenged from the Corpse Walking Stronghold in the courtyard.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Fortunately, he had prepared a strategy in advance.


    If the complete Spiritual Pivot Ultimate Formation was not in the Corpse Controlling Bell, then it must be within the Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    Now that he had brought all the formation secrets of the Corpse Walking Stronghold to himself, he refused to believe that he could not find it.


    So, Mo Hua started searching one by one.


    Formation Patterns that were obvious at a glance, he simply discarded back into the Storage Bag.


    For obscure formations, Mo Hua took note of the formation patterns.


    Some items had formations deeply hidden and abstruse, so he marked them separately to dismantle and study in detail later.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also helped.


    They lacked enough Divine Sense to learn the Ultimate Formation, but they could still discern.


    Like this, they kept searching all day.


    Still, they found nothing.


    Mo Hua obtained some rare and obscure formations, but these were not the Ultimate Formation.


    ¡°Very strange¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Could this formation not be in the Corpse Walking Stronghold?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s unlikely¡­¡±


    Formations are always needed.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation on the corpses was fragmentary; it was not possible that there were formations on the corpses corresponding to the corpse control methods without being augmented by the same formations.


    ¡°Did we miss something?¡±


    Mo Hua muttered.


    ¡°Everything even slightly related to formations in the Corpse Walking Stronghold has been taken by you, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Bai Zisheng said doubtfully, ¡°What could have been missed?¡±


    What could have been missed?


    Mo Hua replayed the encounter with Zhang Quan in his mind again.


    Hundred Flower Tower, Earth Escape Techniques, Corpse Blood Pill, Corpse Raising Coffin, Walking Corpse, Iron Corpse, Corpse Controlling Bell, Corpse Walking Stronghold, Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family¡­


    After thinking several times, Mo Hua suddenly realized:


    ¡°The Iron Corpse!¡±


    Bai Zisheng asked, puzzled, ¡°Iron Corpse?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded and quickly said:


    ¡°If there is a Spiritual Pivot Formation on the walking corpses, then naturally, there should be one on the Iron Corpse as well¡­¡±


    ¡°I previously thought the walking corpses and the Iron Corpse were both controlled by the Corpse Controlling Bell.¡±


    ¡°Then their body patterns should be the same, with perhaps only a bit of difference in the strength of the formations.¡±


    ¡°But now, since there¡¯s no Spiritual Pivot Formation on top of the Corpse Controlling Bell, then the formation controlling the corpses is very likely inscribed on the Iron Corpse!¡±


    ¡°Zhang Quan controls the Iron Corpse with the Corpse Controlling Bell, and then through the Spiritual Pivot Formation on the Iron Corpse¡¯s body, he radiates control over more walking corpses!¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes showed surprise.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s mouth fell open in shock, ¡°How did you think of that?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°The principle of formations is interconnected; once you learn many, it¡¯s natural to make such deductions.¡±


    Bai Zisheng pondered and said, ¡°It¡¯s very possible.¡±


    ¡°Where is the Iron Corpse?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°At the Taoist Court,¡± Bai Zisheng replied.


    Mo Hua immediately got up and said, ¡°There¡¯s no time to delay, let¡¯s go to Sister Situ and ask for an Iron Corpse.¡±


    The three of them went to find Situ Fang.


    Situ Fang was surprised, ¡°What do you need an Iron Corpse for?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°To study it.¡±


    Situ Fang was a bit bewildered.


    Was this something that could be studied¡­


    What was there to research?


    It¡¯s not as if they planned to study Corpse Refinement.


    Mo Hua promptly said, ¡°It¡¯s related to formations.¡±


    Situ Fang was slightly shocked, her mind cleared up a bit, but she still frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Mo Hua assured, ¡°I am a Formation Master, just draw a few more formations, and ensure that even if it loses control, it won¡¯t cause a stir.¡±


    After speaking, Mo Hua added, ¡°Once the study is done, I¡¯ll return it.¡±


    Situ Fang hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said:


    ¡°Alright, but you guys need to keep a low profile, don¡¯t let anyone find out.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Sister Situ!¡±


    His smile was clear and sincere.


    Situ Fang couldn¡¯t help but shake her head, she really had no way to deal with Mo Hua.


    There were a total of five Iron Corpses in the Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    Situ Fang gave Mo Hua one.


    The Iron Corpse was hidden in a coffin, which needed a horse-drawn carriage to transport.


    Mo Hua spent a long time sweet-talking Big White before they were able to secretly pull the coffin containing the Iron Corpse out from the Taoist Court and send it back to their dwelling.


    It was still in the same chamber.


    Mo Hua reinforced the formations once again.


    Because they had to imprison an Iron Corpse, Mo Hua was even more cautious, using at least first-grade Compound Formations this time.


    The formations, like spiderwebs, spread to every corner of the room.


    Once ready, Mo Hua moved to open the coffin.

 Chapter 459 - 451 Spirit Pivot_1

    Chapter 459: Chapter 451 Spirit Pivot_1


    Inside the iron coffin, an Iron Corpse was sealed.


    Iron Corpse was one level higher than Walking Corpses.


    Walking Corpses had pale and rotting flesh and contained Corpse Poison. Although fierce and fearless of death, their strength was quite ordinary. They primarily relied on their numbers and Corpse Poison to gain an advantage.


    The skin of an Iron Corpse was an iron blue, much like cast iron, and their strength was greater, comparable to that of a cultivator in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Crafting an Iron Corpse was more costly, and it took more time.


    Similarly, controlling an Iron Corpse was also more difficult.


    Only a Foundation Building Cultivator, relying on the Divine Sense of Foundation Establishment and using the Corpse Controlling Bell as a medium, could control an Iron Corpse with relative stability.


    For Corpse cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm, whose Divine Sense was insufficient, controlling an Iron Corpse for an extended period could easily lead to its loss of control and result in a backlash.


    That¡¯s why Zhang Quan intended to consecrate the bell, to enhance the stability of corpse control by borrowing Divine Thought.


    Mo Hua opened the iron coffin.


    An Iron Corpse with blackish-green skin and ferocious iron features lay inside with its eyes closed.


    There was a rich Corpse Qi emanating from it, and within its flesh flowed a greenish Corpse Poison.


    Bai Zisheng, gripping a long spear, placed the tip on the Iron Corpse¡¯s forehead to prevent it from losing control and lashing out, potentially injuring Mo Hua.


    Bai Zixi was also holding a golden longsword, standing by Mo Hua¡¯s side.


    Using a dagger, Mo Hua cut open the Iron Corpse¡¯s shirt to reveal its iron-blue, sinister chest.


    There was nothing on the surface of the chest.


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He had indeed sensed the aura of the Ultimate Formation.


    With the dagger, Mo Hua made several cuts on the Iron Corpse¡¯s chest, but the skin was so tough that not even a scratch was left.


    Mo Hua sighed and could only hand the dagger to Bai Zisheng, saying,


    ¡°Senior brother, it¡¯s up to you now.¡±


    Bai Zisheng took the dagger and said,


    ¡°Step back a bit.¡±


    Mo Hua obediently retreated several feet.


    Bai Zisheng then activated his cultivation technique, wrapping the dagger in golden Spiritual Power, and carefully started cutting into the chest of the Iron Corpse, peeling off the skin.


    Underneath the skin, the flesh was dark green, and the Corpse Poison was dense.


    And on top of the flesh was indeed a red Formation, complex and profound!


    ¡°Mo Hua, come take a look!¡±


    Bai Zisheng called out.


    Mo Hua hurried over and leaned in to take a closer look.


    After inspecting for a while, his eyes brightened.


    Yes, it was indeed the Spiritual Pivot Formation related to Walking Corpses, but the Formation Patterns were slightly different.


    He quickly took out paper and pen, and began to jot down the Formation Patterns.


    But as he recorded, Mo Hua¡¯s expression turned a bit grim.


    He glanced at the Iron Corpse and said in a serious tone,


    ¡°Senior brother, this Iron Corpse, it¡¯s about to lose control¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng was taken aback, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was profound, ¡°The Formation is operating, someone is controlling this Iron Corpse¡­ ¡®Losing control¡¯¡­¡±


    Startled by the words, Bai Zisheng immediately took out his spear and pinned the Iron Corpse within the iron coffin.


    Simultaneously, the Iron Corpse abruptly opened its eyes.


    Their red eyes were brimming with bloodthirst and ferocity.


    Its arms stretched forward, its iron claws sharp and long, tipped with Corpse Poison, as it rigidly tried to stand up.


    But its body was pinned down by Bai Zisheng¡¯s spear, making it unable to break free for the moment.


    As it struggled, the Blood Formation on the Iron Corpse¡¯s chest also became increasingly vivid.


    Between the Patterns, there seemed to be blood flowing, and as the blood moved, the sound grew louder, like a peculiar pulse.


    The redder the Patterns, the heavier the Iron Corpse¡¯s savage aura, and the stronger its struggle became.


    Bai Zisheng frowned and said,


    ¡°Step back, I can¡¯t suppress it any longer!¡±


    Bai Zixi quickly moved back gracefully with light steps.


    Mo Hua also stepped back a few paces.


    In just a few moments, the Iron Corpse let out a roar, with Corpse Qi surging from its body. Intense strength transmitted forth, shaking off Bai Zisheng and freeing itself from the spear¡¯s restraints.


    The Iron Corpse, freed from its bonds, had a fierce expression. It let out a deep growl similar to Monster Beasts, but it wasn¡¯t bloodthirsty or murderous.


    It seemed to know that it couldn¡¯t kill any cultivator in this room.


    With a leap, the Iron Corpse attempted to burst through the door.


    Once it escaped outside, entering South Yue City, it could feast to its heart¡¯s content, devouring flesh and blood to restore its Blood Qi.


    The Iron Corpse slammed against the door, intending to break out.


    But the Formation Patterns all around, dense as a spider web, lit up, and several Spiritual Power shackles appeared, directly binding the Iron Corpse and preventing it from escaping.


    Enraged, the Iron Corpse tore with its iron claws, damaging several Formations, attempting to break free.


    Before it could escape, Bai Zisheng¡¯s spear was already thrusting toward it.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s Sword Qi, too, was ignited with pure white flames, aiming straight for the Iron Corpse¡¯s head.


    And Mo Hua¡¯s fireballs flew precisely towards the joints of the Iron Corpse¡¯s legs.


    Inside the room, the Formation trembled, and Spiritual Power overflowed.


    Despite the Sound Isolation Formation being in place, such a commotion and the fluctuations of Spiritual Power still managed to seep out.


    In the courtyard, Instructor Yan was drinking tea with Mr. Zhuang.


    Upon hearing the noise, Instructor Yan looked puzzled and said,


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled indifferently and responded,


    ¡°No harm done, just children playing.¡±


    Instructor Yan looked doubtful but nodded, half believing, half unsure.


    Inside the room, the disturbance continued for the duration of a cup of tea before gradually calming down.


    The Formation inside the room was laid out too densely by Mo Hua, layer upon layer, like the Silk Cave, leaving no escape for the Iron Corpse.


    And the Taoist Skills of Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were extremely strong.


    Plus, Mo Hua was darting in opportunistically to attack.


    Thus, the Iron Corpse was quickly subdued.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s long spear had pierced through the Iron Corpse¡¯s throat, pinning it to the ground.


    But the Iron Corpse¡¯s limbs were still incessantly thrashing and clawing.


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°Junior brother, do you have a way to immobilize it?¡±


    Mo Hua stared at the Formation on the Iron Corpse¡¯s chest, thought for a moment, and said,


    ¡°Destroy this Formation.¡±


    Bai Zixi asked, ¡°Have you mastered it yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°But I¡¯ve memorized the Formation Patterns. I¡¯ll slowly comprehend it later.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Bai Zixi said crisply.


    Then, with a deft twist of her hand, several strands of golden Sword Qi coalesced and flew out simultaneously, piercing through the chest of the Iron Corpse and destroying the Blood Formation on it.


    The Iron Corpse struggled with its limbs for a while before gradually ceasing to move.


    All three of them breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°What should we do with this Iron Corpse?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    Mo Hua pondered and said, ¡°For now, we should seal it inside an iron coffin. I¡¯ll use a Formation to suppress it to prevent any further mishaps from it escaping.¡±


    ¡°And the Ultimate Formation?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve noted it down.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat incredulous, ¡°You¡¯ve remembered it in such a short time?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, his tone uncertain:


    ¡°This Ultimate Formation doesn¡¯t seem too hard¡­¡±


    ¡°Hard or not, who says Ultimate Formations are simple?¡± Bai Zisheng expressed concern, ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong and end up wasting our efforts.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, even if I remembered it incorrectly, Sister Situ still has four more Iron Corpses.¡±


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Bai Zisheng said, then suddenly furrowed his brow:


    ¡°The four Iron Corpses at Sister Situ¡¯s place¡­ could they have also lost control?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t,¡± Mo Hua asserted, ¡°Sister Situ and the others don¡¯t understand Formations. If they don¡¯t meddle with the Formations, the Iron Corpses won¡¯t lose control¡­¡±


    ¡°This Iron Corpse lost control because it was afraid something would be discovered.¡±


    ¡°Someone doesn¡¯t want me to see the Formation on the heart meridian of the Iron Corpse¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.


    Bai Zisheng nodded and said, ¡°Then study it well. I can¡¯t help with the Formation, but if you need to fight, you must call on me.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Mo Hua agreed.


    In the following days, Mo Hua devoted his time to studying the Formation patterns on the zombies¡¯ bodies.


    The Formation on the bodies of both the Walking Corpses and the Iron Corpse, combined, formed a rather complete and coherent system where Spiritual Power could circulate with a beginning and an end, and the Formation Patterns echoed each other ¨C a first-grade, twelve-patterned Ultimate Formation.


    This Formation was the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Several days later, Mo Hua sat in the courtyard, staring at a Formation in front of him, somewhat dazed.


    He had already mastered drawing this Ultimate Formation.


    This was far beyond Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    Mo Hua originally thought that mastering the Spiritual Pivot Formation would, at the very least, require time to understand the unique patterns of Spiritual Power circulation, not to mention any special Taoist meanings.


    But the Spiritual Pivot Formation came to him surprisingly quickly.


    After just a few days, he had mastered the Formation.


    Mo Hua tried inscribing the Spiritual Pivot Formation onto a toy wooden tiger. This tiger was a gift from Old Kui.


    Once the tiger had the Formation painted on it, Mo Hua inserted a Spirit Stone into it, activated it with Spiritual Power, and found that he could control the tiger¡¯s movements with his Divine Sense.


    It could walk, sit, run, leap, crouch, and jump; it was as lifelike as could be.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, upon seeing it, found it quite novel.


    Typically, toys in the Cultivation World could move on their own.


    In Tongxian City, Mo Hua had bought many such toys ¨C if you inserted Broken Spirit Stones into them, the dolls would clatter their way forward under the motivation of Spiritual Power.


    But their movements were mechanical and fixed.


    That was different from what Mo Hua had just created.


    This wooden tiger could perform many subtle movements under the control of Divine Sense.


    To an onlooker, the difference might not seem vast, but the involved Formations were worlds apart.


    One required only a few Formation Patterns and was a simple Formation.


    But the other needed a beyond-grade, first-grade, twelve-patterned Ultimate Formation.


    Mo Hua studied the principle of the Spiritual Pivot Formation more closely.


    He discovered that Instructor Yan was right. At its core, the Ultimate Formation was indeed about ¡°control.¡±


    It transformed Spiritual Power into finer strands to perform detailed controls through these threads of power.


    But was that all there was to it?


    Had he only grasped the surface of the Formation?


    Were there deeper elements to the Formation that he had not yet understood?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    Beyond understanding the rules of the Spiritual Pivot Formation, he also realized there was an issue with this Formation.


    It seemed like the Formation was still not the complete Spiritual Pivot Formation, even though it was already effective.


    Why did it seem incomplete?


    Mo Hua thought for a long time but could not figure it out.


    Not until he remembered the out-of-control Iron Corpse did he have a sudden epiphany.


    The Iron Corpse¡¯s loss of control was a ¡°loss of control¡± under the influence of the Formation.


    In other words, the Iron Corpse controlled Walking Corpses while also being controlled by something else.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation on both Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses could essentially form a Spiritual Power cycle, achieving the effect of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    However, atop the Iron Corpse, there was another tier of Spiritual Pivot Formations. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This tier of Spiritual Pivot Formation was a higher component of the overall structure.


    In other words, what Mo Hua currently understood was merely the intermediate and lower levels of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    This hierarchical structure of Formations exceeded Mo Hua¡¯s previous understanding.


    ¡°Formation mastery is indeed profound and vast,¡± Mo Hua sighed once more.


    If his conjecture was correct, the so-called Spiritual Pivot Formation was not simply a Single Formation.


    It was a special type of Formation system that branched down from one Formation into a hierarchical structure that spanned from top to bottom, from high level to low level.


    All Spiritual Pivot Formations belonged to the same category, yet controlled with distributed authority at different tiers.


    The one on the Walking Corpses was the lowest level of Spiritual Pivot Formation, with the least authority, capable only of being controlled by others.


    The one on the Iron Corpse was a level higher, with more authority able to control the Walking Corpses.


    Considering this, there had to be something controlling the Iron Corpses!


    Was it an Evil Artifact, a Cultivator, or another zombie that controlled the Iron Corpse?


    And this unknown item, person, or corpse, within the hierarchy of the Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation, held the highest authority, capable of dominating all others, controlling every zombie that had the Spiritual Pivot Formation on its heart meridian.


    It commanded all Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses!


    The mere thought sent a chill through Mo Hua.

 Chapter 460 - 452 Grudges and Resentments_1

    Chapter 460: Chapter 452 Grudges and Resentments_1


    ¡°The waters of South Yue City truly run deep¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    Behind the Corpse Walking Stronghold, what force was there, and behind Zhang Quan, who was there? Mo Hua had no clue yet.


    He could only wait and see if the Taoist Court could get anything out of Zhang Quan¡¯s mouth.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t go to ask.


    Because Zhang Quan certainly wouldn¡¯t tell him.


    Zhang Quan hated Mo Hua to death.


    And Mo Hua had almost angered him to death as well.


    If Mo Hua went to ask him, it would be good enough if he didn¡¯t anger Zhang Quan into a cerebral hemorrhage, let alone getting any information out of him.


    Now all the clues about the Spiritual Pivot Formation and Corpse Walking Stronghold were with Zhang Quan.


    Only by extracting some information from Zhang Quan¡¯s mouth could they continue the investigation.


    Only by finding out which cultivator or power was behind Zhang Quan could they locate a higher tier of Spirit Pivot Formation Patterns.


    Then Mo Hua could use this to restore the complete Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    And truly master the twelve-pattern Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    With the remaining time, Mo Hua still focused on comprehending the incomplete Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation was the key to this matter.


    A cultivator who could command Iron Corpses with the Spiritual Pivot Formation was definitely not to be underestimated.


    The conspiracy hidden within South Yue City must also be extraordinary.


    Prepare in advance, use formations to break formations.


    The more he understood about formations, the more solutions he would have when facing danger in the future.


    ¡­


    After drawing formations for the day, Mo Hua steamed some pastries and brought them to Mr. Zhuang to accompany his tea time, chatted for a bit, bid farewell, and then brought some to Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan was sitting in the courtyard, lost in thought, full of worries, his face showing signs of distress.


    Mo Hua placed the pastries on the table and poured a cup of tea for Instructor Yan, then couldn¡¯t help asking,


    ¡°Instructor, do you have something on your mind?¡±


    Instructor Yan hesitated, then shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, ¡°Is it about the traitor from Minor Hidden Spirit Sect?¡±


    Instructor Yan stiffened, then responded bitterly,


    ¡°You know about it?¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Manager Mo already told me.¡±


    Instructor Yan, feeling helpless, sighed,


    ¡°My junior brother, really can¡¯t keep his mouth shut¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Is that traitor in South Yue City now?¡±


    Instructor Yan didn¡¯t really want to say.


    Mo Hua then blinked his large eyes at him.


    Instructor Yan hesitated, then reluctantly said,


    ¡°Sect grudges, I don¡¯t want to drag you into it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, maybe I¡¯m already involved.¡±


    Instructor Yan was startled, then after some thought, he felt it was true.


    Corpse Walking Stronghold was eradicated under Mo Hua¡¯s leadership; his involvement was probably not shallow.


    But Instructor Yan was still hesitant.


    Mo Hua then said in a low voice,


    ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m quite familiar with South Yue City, the Lu Family, South Yue Sect, Taoist Court, Mining Cultivators, Hundred Flower Tower, I have some connections with all of them. I can help you gather information.¡±


    Upon hearing the key point, Instructor Yan¡¯s eyes widened, S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You¡¯re also familiar with Hundred Flower Tower?¡±


    Even though he had never been there, from its name, he knew it was a brothel.


    This kid, so young and not learning good things, why would he mingle in such places?


    Mo Hua hurriedly waved his hand,


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar, but I know an Elder named Su who is very familiar¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Su?¡±


    ¡°An Elder at the Foundation Establishment stage from South Yue Sect.¡± Mo Hua said.


    Instructor Yan was slightly taken aback.


    Having been in South Yue City for a few years, he knew only a few cultivators.


    Mo Hua had been here for only a few months, how did he come to know so many cultivators¡­


    Instructor Yan also recalled that he had heard from an Elder of the Situ Family that Mo Hua was now a first-grade Formation Master.


    A first-grade Formation Master¡­


    He had never imagined that in just two or three years, the student who once needed to consult him for three or four formation patterns had surpassed him and officially become a first-grade Formation Master¡­


    This talent was truly frightening¡­


    In his heart, Instructor Yan felt both exhilarated and wistful.


    Then he also realized that the current Mo Hua, albeit young, should not be treated as just any ordinary child.


    During the incident with Corpse Walking Stronghold, Mo Hua¡¯s actions were brave and strategic, moving like a ghost.


    All this was witnessed by Instructor Yan.


    Even the Corpse cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage were played in the palms of Mo Hua¡¯s hands.


    And his own escape from Corpse Walking Stronghold was also thanks to Mo Hua.


    With this in mind, Instructor Yan¡¯s attitude towards Mo Hua unconsciously became much more solemn.


    After a moment of contemplation and a soft sigh, he opened up to Mo Hua,


    ¡°That traitor is indeed in South Yue City¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I have seen the formations he drew in the city.¡±


    Instructor Yan sighed again, then continued,


    ¡°Even though so many years have passed, his formation skills have improved, and his drawing style is completely different, but his subtle strokes, I recognized them at a glance!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been asking around everywhere, and no one knows who is behind these formations, or where they came from¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s expression showed disappointment.


    ¡°What¡¯s the name of that traitor?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Instructor Yan seemed to recall painful memories, hesitated for a long time before slowly speaking,


    ¡°His surname is Shen, given name Cai.¡±


    ¡°Shen Cai?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t seem to know this person in South Yue City¡­¡±


    A person skilled in formations, with a formation strength close to or even above a first grade, and entrenched in South Yue City for a long time, must not be an obscure nobody.


    Mo Hua had seen or heard of nearly all the prominent Formation Masters in South Yue City.


    But there was no one by the name of ¡°Shen Cai.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Could he have changed his name and fled?¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded slightly, ¡°It¡¯s not just a change of name; he has likely disguised himself too¡­¡±


    ¡°Disguised himself¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan said through clenched teeth,


    ¡°He betrayed his master, destroyed his legacy; he¡¯ll be spat upon by everyone. That face of his, he probably doesn¡¯t dare to keep it either.¡±


    ¡°That complicates things¡­¡± muttered Mo Hua.


    With a changed name and face, and an unknown identity, knowing only similar Formation Diagram techniques, indeed, he¡¯s not easy to find.


    And if you inquire too much, you might startle the snake.


    The Cultivation World is so vast¡ªif he got away, finding him again would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.


    ¡°Are you looking for him to seek revenge?¡±


    Mo Hua asked cautiously.


    Pain flitted across Instructor Yan¡¯s eyes before it turned to deep bitterness:


    ¡°After so many years, the desire for revenge has faded. I just want to find him and ask him personally. Even if he stole the Spirit Pivot Formation, why did he have to kill our master? Our master treated him so well¡­¡±


    Having said that, Instructor Yan sighed deeply:


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡ªthe Spirit Pivot Formation Chart.¡±


    ¡°I hope to retrieve this Formation in my lifetime, to comfort the spirit of my master in heaven.¡±


    ¡°The Minor Hidden Spirit Sect is no more, but I hope that this Formation can be passed down and not be lost to time¡­¡±


    Spirit Pivot Formation Chart¡­


    Thinking for a moment, Mo Hua took out a Formation Chart and handed it to Instructor Yan:


    ¡°Instructor, is this the one?¡±


    Instructor Yan was startled, glancing at the Formation in Mo Hua¡¯s hand; he became stupefied.


    His hands trembling, he took the Chart from Mo Hua, his pupils shaking as he murmured:


    ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan looked at Mo Hua in disbelief, ¡°This¡­ how did you obtain this?¡±


    Mo Hua simply explained:


    ¡°It¡¯s reconstructed through Divine Sense Calculation, based on the Formation Patterns on the bodies of Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses¡­¡±


    Calculation¡­ Reconstruction¡­


    Instructor Yan was momentarily lost in thought.


    He didn¡¯t understand¡­


    Gradually realizing, Instructor Yan recognized that even though he held Mo Hua in high regard, he might still have underestimated Mo Hua¡¯s knowledge of Formation.


    Divine Sense Calculation, this level of knowledge about Formation, not even mentioned in a single word within the legacy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect¡­


    Mo Hua added, ¡°However, it¡¯s a pity that this is only a part of the Formation, not the complete one.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Instructor Yan looked down, noticing the incomplete Formation, his expression slightly disappointed.


    Then he seemed to think of something and, with a glimmer of hope, tentatively asked,


    ¡°Can you, learn it?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Not yet, I¡¯ve only learned a little.¡±


    Instructor Yan was taken aback, ¡°A little?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded, then took out a wooden tiger from his Storage Bag and placed it on the table.


    Instructor Yan was somewhat baffled, ¡°What is this¡­?¡±


    ¡°Inside this tiger, a part of the Spirit Pivot Formation is drawn.¡±


    Then, with his Divine Sense, Mo Hua controlled the wooden tiger.


    The wooden tiger came to life on the table, running and pouncing, rolling over, then standing upright, holding a teacup in its hands and delivering it to Instructor Yan, subsequently giving a bow.


    Instructor Yan, with his mouth agape, was at a loss for words.


    As a Formation Master, he knew too well that the actions of the tiger under the influence of the Formation contained extremely profound and complex Formation principles.


    Mo Hua gifted the wooden tiger to Instructor Yan.


    Even after Mo Hua had left, Instructor Yan still sat staring at the tiger, lost in a daze.


    After a long while, he finally came to his senses.


    It was the Spirit Pivot Formation¡­


    And it didn¡¯t contain any evil abnormalities, no shortcuts or cheating methods.


    It was the first time in his life that he had seen someone use the Spirit Pivot Formation to such an exquisite degree of spirit control.


    Instructor Yan was shocked in his heart.


    At the same time, he felt a sense of relief.


    It was as though the persistent, somber hardships of searching alone and holding onto vengeance for years had been alleviated.


    The grey, oppressive days now had a beam of light.


    He could finally see the path ahead, just a bit clearer.


    Looking up at the sky, Instructor Yan¡¯s face was complex as he muttered to himself,


    ¡°Master, our Minor Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s Ultimate Formation has finally been learned by someone¡­¡±


    ¡°And it has been learned properly, legitimately¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After leaving, however, Mo Hua was thinking about what Instructor Yan had said.


    The traitor of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    The vengeance for betraying the master.


    Instructor Yan said that his heart for revenge had faded over the years, but his eyes still held deep dedication.


    The hatred wasn¡¯t intense, but the dedication was heavy.


    That meant he no longer hated, but the traitor had to die.


    From the tone Instructor Yan used at that moment, it seemed that even if it meant dying with the traitor, he would be willing.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Although he was reluctant to admit it, Instructor Yan¡¯s Taoist skills were, in fact, quite weak.


    All his expertise was spent on Formation.


    Even if he were to confront his enemy, it would likely be difficult for him to bring about mutual destruction.


    If he truly went to take his revenge, in the end, the one in danger would still be Instructor Yan himself.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then nodded to himself.


    If Instructor Yan couldn¡¯t take his revenge, then Mo Hua would help him.


    Repay kindness with kindness, repay enmity with vengeance.


    Having received Instructor Yan¡¯s favor, helping him to take revenge was only right and proper.


    Moreover, Mo Hua was also curious to know if the Cultivator who drew the Spirit Pivot Evil Formation for Zhang Quan was indeed the traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.

 Chapter 461 - 453 Divine Thought Slaughter_1

    Chapter 461: Chapter 453 Divine Thought Slaughter_1


    Zhang Quan, the Spiritual Pivot Formation, the traitor of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    There must be a connection between these three.


    However, there aren¡¯t many clues, and it¡¯s not easy to investigate.


    For now, the Formation is what¡¯s important.


    In the courtyard where the gentle breeze blew, Mo Hua was still practicing the Spirit Pivot Formation.


    But as he practiced, he suddenly felt as if he had forgotten something.


    What had he forgotten?


    Mo Hua paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s ancestor was still tucked away in his Storage Bag¡­


    That Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family!


    The one depicted on the picture should be an ancestor of the Zhang Family.


    When Zhang Quan held a ceremony and burnt incense to worship the Ancestral Master Picture, he could borrow the Divine Thought of his predecessors to refine and control the Corpse Controlling Bell.


    The Picture contains Divine Thought.


    This indicates that the Ancestral Master Picture is very likely to be a Contemplation Map.


    And the offering for the ceremony is a person¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Therefore, the beings residing inside this Contemplation Map, even if not ghosts like the Little Green-faced Ghost, must be some foul and evil thoughts.


    Zhang Quan practiced Corpse Refinement.


    His method of Corpse Refinement was passed down from his own ancestors.


    Then, his ancestor must also be no good.


    Mo Hua touched the Storage Bag, his expression somewhat hesitant.


    ¡°Should I take a look?¡±


    There would probably be risks involved in looking at it.


    Just like in Black Mountain Stronghold, there might be some evil spirits in this Ancestral Master Picture waiting to invade his Sea of Consciousness.


    And the Taoist Stele has only recovered halfway.


    If the Taoist Stele can¡¯t suppress the evil spirit and he rashly allows it to invade, it would be like inviting a wolf into his house, which could lead to disaster.


    Possibly even risk exposing the secret of the Taoist Stele, making it even more dangerous.


    But not looking at it wouldn¡¯t be good either.


    This Picture can¡¯t be kept.


    If kept, once it falls into Zhang Quan¡¯s hands again, it would be helping the tyrant do evil.


    If it doesn¡¯t fall into Zhang Quan¡¯s hands and instead is obtained by other cultivators, it could also harm lives by providing Divine Sense for the evil spirit housed within the Picture to consume.


    If he keeps it himself, the risk is quite high.


    Who knows, at a critical moment of life and death, the evil thoughts within this Picture might emerge and cause trouble.


    So it can¡¯t be kept.


    If not kept, then it can only be destroyed.


    A fire would burn Zhang Quan¡¯s ancestral master to ashes and scatter them to the winds.


    If Zhang Quan knew about this, he would probably be angered to death.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sneer internally.


    But after some thought, Mo Hua felt somewhat reluctant.


    After all, Contemplation Maps are quite rare.


    So far, Mo Hua had only come across two:


    One was the Landscape Taoist Child Painting from the Black Mountain Stronghold.


    The other was this Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family.


    Both Paintings were extremely precious and deeply treasured, difficult for one to come by.


    To destroy it would be an awful waste.


    More importantly, if he could refine the Divine Thought within the Contemplation Map, it could enhance his Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua¡¯s strongest attribute was his Divine Sense, which was also what he lacked the most.


    His Divine Sense was far beyond that of a Qi Refinement cultivator and no inferior to that of an average cultivator in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, even slightly more profound.


    But this Divine Sense was still far from enough.


    He must find a way to break through his Divine Sense to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.


    That is, to the realm of fourteen Patterns.


    Then he would be able to establish his foundation and construct the Taoist Foundation of Divine Sense, and walk the path of Proving the Dao with Divine Sense.


    Currently, he lacked difficult Formations to refine his Divine Sense.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation was made of twelve Patterns, but it wasn¡¯t complete.


    It would probably take some trouble to acquire the complete Spiritual Pivot Formation Chart.


    Under these circumstances, if he could refine the Contemplation Map, his Divine Sense would progress much faster.


    And Mo Hua would be able to achieve Foundation Establishment sooner.


    After some thought, Mo Hua still went to ask Mr. Zhuang for advice.


    He placed the crumpled, incense-ash smudged, wrinkled Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family in front of Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at this dirty lump of a thing with an expression that was somewhat at a loss for words.


    ¡°How did it get crumpled like this?¡±


    Mo Hua, with a serious face, said:


    ¡°I was afraid it would bewitch me!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°Did it bewitch you?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°How did it bewitch you?¡±


    ¡°It praised my talent, promised me opportunity, and even wanted me to look at it¡­¡± Mo Hua snorted, ¡°It wishes!¡±


    ¡°And then¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I taught it a lesson, and it quieted down,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Mr. Zhuang took another look at the Painting.


    The Painting was creased from being crumpled by Mo Hua¡¯s small hands; it was covered in ash and even had a few little footprints on it.


    It looked indeed as if it had been ¡°taught a lesson¡±¡­


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    Mo Hua asked softly:


    ¡°Master, can I look at this Painting?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang thought for a moment, then shook his head:


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit disappointed, then his eyes lit up, and he asked:


    ¡°Not yet¡­ So, Master, when can I?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t answer but instead asked:


    ¡°How have you progressed with the Spiritual Pivot Formation?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned a little¡­¡±


    Mo Hua conveyed his insights and understanding of the Spirit Pivot Formation to Mr. Zhuang.


    After listening, Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Unable to restrain himself, Mo Hua said,


    ¡°Master, isn¡¯t this Spirit Pivot Formation a bit too simple¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused, and couldn¡¯t help but tap Mo Hua¡¯s forehead with his finger, ¡°Don¡¯t say that outside.¡±


    Otherwise, certainly, some Formation Masters would get annoyed and couldn¡¯t help wanting to beat you up.


    Mo Hua grinned sheepishly, but still puzzled, he said,


    ¡°Master, I thought the Spirit Pivot Formation would be more difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°Like the first-grade, ten-pattern Reversed Spirit Formation, or the eleven-pattern Thick Earth Formation, which require the comprehension of something deeper to master the Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°But this Spirit Pivot Formation doesn¡¯t seem to require much comprehension, and I just learned the basics¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled somewhat meaningfully, ¡°How do you know you haven¡¯t comprehended anything?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°What have I comprehended?¡±


    I don¡¯t even realize it myself¡­


    Mr. Zhuang asked, ¡°What is the core of the Spirit Pivot Formation?¡±


    ¡°Spiritual Power control,¡± Mo Hua blurted out.


    ¡°How to control it?¡±


    ¡°Through the Formation, decipher the essential structure of Spiritual Power, then parse the Spiritual Power, forming filaments. Divine Sense takes the Formation as the pivot, controlling the Spiritual Power filaments to manipulate external objects.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said with a profound smile,


    ¡°Does that sound familiar?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow in thought.


    Divine Sense controlling Spiritual Power¡­


    After a moment, Mo Hua suddenly came to a realization.


    ¡°Heaven Yan Jue!¡±


    Heaven Yan Jue is also a Cultivation Technique for cultivating Divine Sense manipulation.


    The more profound the practice of Heaven Yan Jue, the sharper the control by Divine Sense.


    ¡°Correct!¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°The Spirit Pivot Formation emphasizes Spiritual Power control. Heaven Yan Jue is about Divine Sense manipulation. They are related by the same origin¡­¡±


    ¡°When you studied the Spirit Pivot Formation, it¡¯s not that you failed to comprehend.¡±


    ¡°Rather, you have gradually comprehended these Formation principles while practicing Heaven Yan Jue over time.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, comprehending the Spirit Pivot Formation was actually not that difficult for you.¡±


    ¡°After comprehending the Ultimate Formation, it was just an everyday comprehension that deepened a bit, without the feeling of a Sudden Enlightenment¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded slowly, understanding in his heart.


    A moment later, he furrowed his brow again and asked,


    ¡°But Master, the control of Spiritual Power involved in the Spirit Pivot Formation and Heaven Yan Jue is still different, right?¡±


    There¡¯s still quite a disparity between the two.


    That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t think of this at the beginning.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at him approvingly and nodded,


    ¡°They take similar paths but to different ends. Their essence is similar, but their focuses are different¡­¡±


    ¡°Heaven Yan Jue emphasizes Divine Sense manipulation, focusing on the Divine Sense itself.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Spirit Pivot Formation emphasizes Spiritual Power control, focusing on Divine Sense manipulating objects, or rather, Divine Sense controlling Spirit, meticulously controlling Spiritual Power with Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°One is internal, the other external; they complement each other.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve practiced Heaven Yan Jue, and your Divine Sense control is strong, so you find it easier to understand the principles of the Spirit Pivot Formation and comprehend them more thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense Manipulation¡­¡± Suddenly, an idea struck Mo Hua, and he asked, ¡°Does this have anything to do with Divine Sense Manipulation in the Foundation Establishment Stage?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang explained,


    ¡°The principle is the same; both are about manipulation, but the forms are different. Divine Sense Manipulation is about strength, while controlling objects with Divine Sense is about finesse.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°So can I do Divine Sense Manipulation now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°You can only learn it upon reaching Foundation Establishment. Although your Divine Sense is sufficient, your Cultivation is not.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit disappointed, but after some thought, it made sense.


    The techniques of Foundation Establishment are not so easily learned by those in Qi Refinement.


    After listening to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s explanation, Mo Hua understood a lot, but he also had many questions.


    ¡°Master, what do these have to do with the Contemplation Map?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze grew concentrated as he said,


    ¡°Do you remember me saying I would teach you the spell point of Divine Thought Slaughter?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened, and he showed expectation, nodding again and again.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was profound as he spoke slowly,


    ¡°Divine Thought Slaughter is based on Divine Sense, manifesting form, and controlling objects with Divine Sense is the spell point.¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense as the base, manifesting form, and controlling objects with Divine Sense is the spell point¡­¡±


    Mo Hua quietly repeated these words.


    Mr. Zhuang asked, ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    Mo Hua honestly shook his head.


    He understood the words ¡°Divine Sense,¡± ¡°manifesting,¡± and ¡°controlling objects¡± when taken separately, but when Mr. Zhuang strung them together, he was somewhat confused.


    ¡°No matter,¡± Mr. Zhuang said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s take it step by step¡­¡±


    ¡°Divine Thought Slaughter is considered an extremely unorthodox method, and it is very difficult and extremely dangerous. Normal Cultivators don¡¯t learn it.¡±


    ¡°Even among Demon Path cultivators, not many can do it.¡±


    ¡°I am teaching you because you aim to Prove the Dao with your Divine Sense, and you will inevitably face deadly threats at the level of Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°In fact, you have already encountered it¡­¡±


    For example, the Little Green-faced Ghost in the Contemplation Map of Black Mountain Stronghold¡­


    Mr. Zhuang silently contemplated.


    He didn¡¯t know how Mo Hua had resolved it, and he didn¡¯t ask further.


    Some secrets are meant to be kept.


    Mr. Zhuang gave Mo Hua a meaningful look and admonished,


    ¡°Possession counts for advantage, but absence serves as utility.¡±


    ¡°External objects can be relied on, but should not be depended upon.¡±


    ¡°You must continually strengthen your Divine Sense, mastering the spell point.¡±


    ¡°Learn to rely on your own strength, to face the various dangers hidden within Divine Thoughts¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you who aims to Prove the Dao with Divine Sense, not any external object.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then enlightened, his young face serious, as he earnestly nodded.


    Seeing the clarity in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, Mr. Zhuang felt reassured and nodded slightly.


    Then he pointed to the table, at the bundle of wrinkled old ancestral pictures of the Zhang Family,


    ¡°Once you¡¯ve learned the spell point of Divine Thought Slaughter, you can use this picture for practice¡­¡±

 Chapter 462 - 454 Manifestation_1

    Chapter 462: Chapter 454 Manifestation_1


    ¡°Practicing with the Zhang Family¡¯s ancestor as a sparring partner?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s interest suddenly piqued, and then he asked:


    ¡°Master, how exactly does one perform Divine Thought Slaughter?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave a faint smile, took a sip of the tea brewed by Mo Hua, waited for the aftertaste to mellow, then sat up straight and began to speak slowly:


    ¡°As I mentioned earlier, one¡¯s Divine Sense is the basis, its manifestation forms the figure, and controlling objects creates the technique¡­¡±


    ¡°The so-called Divine Sense as the basis means that the strength of Divine Thought Slaughter is fundamentally dependent on the strength of the Divine Sense itself.¡±


    ¡°Even if a Qi Refinement Cultivator has strong abilities and numerous spell points, they would still find it difficult to surpass the Divine Thoughts of a Foundation Building Cultivator.¡±


    ¡°Of course, this is based on the premise of Divine Sense Manifestation.¡±


    ¡°Inside the Sea of Consciousness, if the Divine Sense isn¡¯t manifested, no matter how strong, it is merely fish on the chopping block, unable to resist and can only be slaughtered at someone¡¯s will.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang continued to give examples:


    ¡°A first-grade demon thought of a Qi Refinement ghost, if it invades the Sea of Consciousness of a Foundation Building Cultivator, uses the Foundation Building Divine Sense as a nurturing ground, consuming it daily to strengthen itself.¡±


    ¡°A Foundation Building Cultivator, if unable to perform Divine Sense Manifestation and knows no other exorcising techniques, can only let the Little Green-faced Ghost devour the Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t even know that his Sea of Consciousness had been invaded by external evil.¡±


    ¡°Unknowingly, he becomes the nourishment for the ghostly being.¡±


    ¡°His Divine Sense is consumed bit by bit by the ghostly being.¡±


    ¡°As this continues, he will suffer from the draining of Divine Sense, mental fatigue, eventually harboring delusional thoughts, besieged by desires, which leads to a major change in temperament, becoming neither human nor ghost, culminating either in entering demonic insanity and dying, or perishing from depleted Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°And after the ghostly being consumes his Divine Sense, strengthened by its malevolent thoughts, it can then continue to seek the next host to parasitize¡­¡±


    A chill rose in Mo Hua as he listened.


    If he hadn¡¯t forced back the Little Green-faced Ghost in his Sea of Consciousness using Formation.


    And suppressed it with the Taoist Stele, devouring it.


    The consequences would have been unthinkable.


    What if the Little Green-faced Ghost had parasitized him, turning him into something neither human nor ghost without him being aware of it, it would have harmed not only himself but also his parents and friends around him.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat scared after the fact.


    Divine Thought indeed harbors extraordinarily dangerous risks, and moreover, is almost impossible to guard against.


    The techniques of Divine Thought Slaughter must be thoroughly learned; anyone who dares to enter one¡¯s Sea of Consciousness without permission in the future shall be eliminated without exception!


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly and eagerly asked:


    ¡°Master, then how does one manifest Divine Sense?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°You can manifest your own form within your Sea of Consciousness, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    This was something he had been able to do naturally since birth.


    Ever since he was born, there had always been a manifestation of his own Divine Sense in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    He had previously thought all Cultivators were like this.


    It was only after encountering the Little Green-faced Ghost that he realized he was an exception.


    Not all Cultivators can manifest themselves in the Sea of Consciousness.


    Whether it was due to a distinctive talent in his Divine Sense or the presence of the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua was not quite sure.


    But since this belonged to innate Divine Sense Manifestation.


    Thus, Mo Hua was also unclear about how exactly this kind of manifestation came about.


    ¡°Those who know themselves are wise. A Cultivator who contemplates their own form thoroughly enough can manifest it.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said and then glanced at Mo Hua, pondering before he continued:


    ¡°You are able to manifest your Divine Sense because it is inherently strong, and you possess a pure heart with clear thoughts, which naturally led to the manifestation of your own form within the Sea of Consciousness.¡±


    Of course, there might be other factors too¡­


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became slightly focused, but he did not delve further and instead resumed speaking:


    ¡°Divine Thought Slaughter, with manifestation of oneself, is only the foundation.¡±


    ¡°Since one can manifest oneself, naturally, one¡¯s spells, Martial Arts, and Spiritual Artifacts can be manifested as well.¡±


    ¡°Being able to manifest spells or Martial Arts gives you the means to carry out Slaughter¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, finding all this a bit mysterious, then asked:


    ¡°Master, is this manifestation somewhat like ¡®fantasy¡¯ or ¡®delusion¡¯? Like daydreaming, turning whatever one thinks of into reality?¡±


    If you think you understand this Spell, then you have that Spell;


    If you think you¡¯ve mastered this Martial Art, then you¡¯ve mastered that Martial Art;


    If you think you possess a certain Spiritual Artifact, then you have that Spiritual Artifact¡­


    So if you imagine a dragon in your Sea of Consciousness, does that mean you have a dragon?


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled and shook his head:


    ¡°It¡¯s not that whatever you think of becomes reality. If it were so, Divine Sense Manifestation would be far too simple.¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense Manifestation is based on ¡®reality¡¯ to manifest the illusory Divine Thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Without an objectively real thing, you cannot manifest the illusion of it.¡±


    ¡°If you want to manifest a Spell, you must actually know that Spell.¡±


    ¡°If you want to manifest a Spiritual Artifact, you must truly possess that Spiritual Artifact¡­¡±


    ¡°And even then, it¡¯s not as if you can manifest it just because you know it or have it.¡±


    ¡°You must understand the Spell thoroughly, be extremely familiar with the object, and fully comprehend its essence to manifest it within the Sea of Consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Things you have never seen, don¡¯t understand, haven¡¯t grasped, or are unfamiliar with cannot be manifested.¡±


    ¡°Even if you did manifest them, they would only be unfounded and fragile illusions, unable to withstand a single blow.¡±


    ¡°Divine Thought Manifestation, the more real it is, the more powerful it is¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had a moment of enlightenment, deep in thought.


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment before explaining further:


    ¡°If you use your Divine Sense to manifest an almost real ¡®fire,¡¯ then this ¡®fire¡¯ can indeed burn another¡¯s Divine Thoughts¡­¡±


    ¡°If you manifest a sword, that sword can also injure someone¡¯s Divine Thoughts¡­¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood clearly.


    Mr. Zhuang looked again at Mo Hua, his tone becoming slightly solemn as he said:


    ¡°What you must learn is to first manifest Spiritual Power, then manifest spells, and ultimately¡­ manifesting Formations!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart gave a slight tremble.


    Manifesting Formations!


    But after pondering for a moment, he expressed his confusion:


    ¡°Master, it seems like¡­ I can already draw Formations in my Sea of Consciousness. Does that count as manifestation?¡±


    Initially, he had drawn a Formation while the little ghost was transforming, and it was this very act that deterred that Little Green-faced Ghost.


    ¡°That¡¯s just the tip of the iceberg,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Mo Hua was surprised in his heart and didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Mr. Zhuang said with profound eyes:


    ¡°Such Divine Sense Manifestation is somewhat superficial. What is manifested is merely the ethereal shadow of Formation Patterns formed by Divine Thought, not real enough, nor is its power strong enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Another problem is that it¡¯s too slow.¡±


    ¡°Slow?¡± Mo Hua was a little taken aback.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°In the clash of Divine Thought, life and death are but an instant. There¡¯s not always an opportunity to draw Formation, stroke by stroke, line by line¡­¡±


    ¡°Some malicious and brutal spirits won¡¯t wait for you to finish drawing the Formation; they¡¯ll likely have devoured you by then.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart went cold, and he frowned and said: S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°If a Formation isn¡¯t drawn stroke by stroke, then how should it be drawn?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze shifted, and with a stern expression, he said:


    ¡°Manifest Spiritual Power, control it with Divine Sense, and bring it into being in one thought ¨C Drawing Ground into Formation.¡±


    ¡°This way, without the need for pen and ink, with a mere movement of Divine Sense, in a moment¡¯s effort, a Formation can be constructed within the Sea of Consciousness¡­¡±


    Mo Hua gaped in astonishment, came back to his senses, and then furrowed his brows again, seemingly pondering something.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, and he gently inquired:


    ¡°What are you thinking now?¡±


    Mo Hua spoke carefully:


    ¡°Master, have you calculated all of this?¡±


    ¡°Calculated what?¡±


    Mo Hua, with furrowed brows, counted on his fingers and said:


    ¡°To learn Formation Visualization, one needs to know Heaven Yan Jue, needs to know Divine Sense Calculation, and also needs to master the Spiritual Pivot Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Learning Heaven Yan Jue makes the Divine Sense sharp, forming a foundation for spiritual control;¡±


    ¡°Learning Calculation is essential to deduce the trajectory of Spiritual Power within a Formation, allowing control of Spiritual Power to construct the Formation;¡±


    ¡°And by learning Spiritual Pivot Formation, one can understand the structure of Spiritual Power, discern the essence of Spiritual Power, thereby manifesting Spiritual Power, which also complements Heaven Yan Jue, further strengthening the control over Spiritual Power by Divine Sense¡­¡±


    The core of Spiritual Pivot Formation is control.


    But control is just the surface; only by understanding the structure of Spiritual Power and breaking it down into its strands can one achieve control.


    Understanding the structure of Spiritual Power makes it easier to manifest it.


    Spiritual Pivot Formation manifests Spiritual Power; Heaven Yan Jue controls Spiritual Power; with Calculation constructing the Formation.


    All three are indispensable.


    If he lacked any one of them, he would probably be unable to do as Mr. Zhuang said ¨C to draw a Formation with Divine Thought in the Sea of Consciousness and manifest the Formation.


    Mr. Zhuang, too, was surprised.


    He knew Mo Hua was clever, but he hadn¡¯t imagined his mind to be quite so keen.


    Mr. Zhuang felt reassured in his heart and smiled slightly as he said:


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I had calculated; it¡¯s just that you had good fortune, choosing Heaven Yan Jue as your Cultivation Technique, then you learned Calculation, and happened to encounter the Spiritual Pivot Formation. With everything in place, I simply continued to teach you accordingly¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    His admiration for Mr. Zhuang intensified.


    Tailoring teaching to the student¡¯s capabilities and also to the opportunity.


    how profound Mr. Zhuang¡¯s knowledge in Tao Cultivation and Formation skills was, went beyond measure.


    Mo Hua¡¯s bright, admiring eyes were fixed upon him, as Mr. Zhuang felt quite pleased, though his outward appearance remained that of a detached sage.


    He retrieved a small booklet from his sleeve and handed it to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua accepted it, noticing the title of six characters on the brochure:


    Divine Thought Manifestation Bullet Points


    The booklet was compact and thin.


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Master, is this all?¡±


    Divine Thought Manifestation should be very difficult.


    He had thought that such bullet points, if not voluminous, should at least fill a thick book.


    ¡°This is enough,¡± Mr. Zhuang said. ¡°Similar to Meditation Technique, Divine Sense Manifestation is just a means, a form, and not an essence.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you manifest that¡¯s important, it¡¯s what you manage to manifest, how much understanding you gain, and how much ¡®reality¡¯ you can achieve¡­¡±


    ¡°Divine Thought Manifestation is a tool, not the way.¡±


    ¡°Manifesting is like a sword, but the power of the sword does not lie in the sword itself, but in the person who wields it.¡±


    ¡°If you have ten units of strength, then the power of the sword is tenfold¡­¡±


    ¡°If you have a hundred units of Strength, then the power of the sword is a hundredfold!¡±


    ¡°How well you learn to manifest depends on your own visualization, practice, and comprehension.¡±


    ¡°The more you visualize, the deeper the comprehension, the truer the manifestation, the stronger the power of Divine Thought Slaughter!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a serious tone and expectant eyes.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, his voice ringing clear:


    ¡°Disciple remembers, thank you for the teaching, Master!¡±


    Mo Hua placed the thin Divine Thought Manifestation Bullet Points carefully into his Storage Bag.


    Divine Thought Slaughter was crucial.


    Mo Hua planned to study it well soon.


    He had already made his calculations.


    Once he learned to manifest, and had a modicum of success with Divine Thought Slaughter, he could attempt to practice on Zhang Quan¡¯s old forebear~

 Chapter 463 - 455 Opening Illustration_1

    Chapter 463: Chapter 455 Opening Illustration_1


    After Mo Hua left, in the quiet chamber, Old Kui slowly became visible again.


    He looked at Mr. Zhuang, whose expression was calm, and said discontentedly,


    ¡°The things you teach him, why are they all so devious?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang raised an eyebrow, ¡°Devious is about right, better for oneself to be devious than for the enemy to be.¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Kui frowned, musing to himself,


    ¡°If Mo Hua continues to learn like this, I¡¯m beginning to find it hard to understand¡­¡±


    Super Divine Sense, Divine Thought Slaughter, exceptional talent, Formation Visualization¡­


    Just thinking about it feels incredibly tricky.


    And I wonder whether cultivating Divine Sense like this is ultimately good or bad¡­


    Suddenly, Old Kui remembered something, and with a chilling tone, he said solemnly,


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll follow in your senior brother¡¯s footsteps to become the second Gui Tao¡¯s person?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang fell silent, his gaze somewhat dim, and after a long time, he responded slowly,


    ¡°Who can be certain about the future?¡±


    ¡°Cultivators have long lifespans, and so do their lives.¡±


    ¡°In this life, one will meet many people, encounter many things, face many choices; whether or not one can adhere to their original intentions and stay resolute in their Taoist Heart is something he must manage on his own, I¡­ can¡¯t accompany him for that long¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor was one of melancholy as he sighed,


    ¡°He is my little disciple.¡±


    ¡°All I hope for is that he can live well, keep cultivating, keep learning about Formations, keep adhering to his own heart, and pursue the Heavenly Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°To keep living is enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if he becomes the second ¡®Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯¡­ it¡¯s still better than becoming a Taoist who falls into Gui Tao¡¯s clutches¡­¡±


    To become the second Gui Tao¡¯s person, at least he would still be alive.


    But if he became a ¡°Taoist,¡± that would mean falling prey to Gui Tao, his Divine Sense annihilated, reduced to a puppet.


    Old Kui understood, and he too fell silent.


    After a moment, he sighed and said no more, gradually disappearing from view.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua then went back to his room to start learning Divine Thought Manifestation.


    His room was not big, but it was well-furnished, delicate and elegant, adjacent to his senior brother and sister¡¯s rooms, and with the same layout.


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged on the bed and first carefully read through the ¡°Divine Thought Manifestation Bullet Points¡± given to him by Mr. Zhuang, grasping the general idea.


    The key to manifestation was actually visualization.


    First, through visualization, one would discern external objects; then inside the Sea of Consciousness, Divine Sense would manifest their physical form.


    Having grasped the basic spell point, Mo Hua began attempting to manifest.


    He first tried to manifest others and discovered that it didn¡¯t work.


    Be it his parents, Mr. Zhuang, Junior Brother, Junior Sister, or Elder Yu of Tongxian City, Da¡¯hu, Dazhu, none could be manifested.


    So people don¡¯t work¡­


    No, that¡¯s not right; it¡¯s more that people other than oneself don¡¯t work.


    At least not for now.


    If people can¡¯t be manifested, what about Monster Beasts?


    Mo Hua thought of the Little Demon Cat he had captured, and the Big Tiger it had transformed into, only to find he still couldn¡¯t manifest them.


    Mo Hua thought about Feng Xi¡­ better not¡­


    If the Little Demon Cat doesn¡¯t work, then there¡¯s even less hope for a Big Demon.


    If Monster Beasts don¡¯t work, then what about Spirit Beasts?


    Mo Hua then thought of Big White.


    He tried, and found he couldn¡¯t manifest Big White either.


    Mo Hua sighed, realizing that for now he couldn¡¯t manifest any living things.


    So, he could only try to manifest inanimate objects.


    Mo Hua attempted to manifest objects in his room like stools, tables, screens, Formation Pens, Formation Paper, tea cups, and so on.


    But to no avail.


    Probably because he wasn¡¯t familiar enough with them.


    Mo Hua thought it over and proceeded to try manifesting the Thousand Jun Stick.


    He was very familiar with the Thousand Jun Stick; he had watched Master Chen forge it and had drawn all the formations on it himself. Mo Hua had also used the Thousand Jun Stick to land many a surprise blow.


    Mo Hua took out the Thousand Jun Stick, stared at it intently for a while, and memorized its shape, structure, and formations completely in his mind.


    Then he closed his eyes, sank into his Sea of Consciousness, and tried to manifest the Thousand Jun Stick.


    After a while, a shadowy image of a stick appeared in Mo Hua¡¯s hands.


    Mo Hua was delighted.


    Though it was only a shadow, it still marked significant progress.


    Now, within the Sea of Consciousness, he could hit people with a surprise stick as well.


    Mo Hua swung it a few times, trying out the moves ¡°Sweeping Thousands of Armies¡± and ¡°Like a Thousand Pounds,¡± feeling even more adept than when using it outside.


    After playing with it for quite a while, Mo Hua reluctantly put away the ¡°Thousand Jun Stick.¡±


    He had spent the better half of the day experimenting, confirming that among all external objects and people, he could only initially manifest a nascent form of the ¡°Thousand Jun Stick.¡±


    What he needed to attempt next was the manifestation of his own Spiritual Power and Spells, as well as Formations.


    Mo Hua first tried to manifest his own Spiritual Power.


    He visualized himself, simulating the circulation of Spiritual Power through his meridians, and soon felt a mysterious energy flowing around his body.


    Mo Hua was invigorated and concentrated further on visualizing and manifesting.


    Several hours later, Mo Hua in the Sea of Consciousness opened his eyes to find that his body was wrapped in a faint Spiritual Power.


    This power wasn¡¯t actually Spiritual Power.


    It was produced by Divine Sense Manifestation.


    On the surface, it appeared to be Spiritual Power, but its essence was still Divine Sense.


    Although it was Divine Sense, its effects closely resembled those of Spiritual Power.


    It was as if it were both real and fake, both solid and void.


    There was a profound sense in which one might see a mountain as a mountain, then as not a mountain, yet in the end, the mountain is still a mountain.


    Spiritual Power is the foundation of Spells.


    With Spiritual Power manifested, Mo Hua began trying to simulate Spells with it.


    It seemed as if, within the virtual image of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, he could see the light blue Spiritual Power flowing along the meridians in the Dantian and arms, converging at the fingertips, and eventually forming a Spell.


    However, the Spark from the Fireball Technique fizzled out after a few flashes.


    The first attempt had failed.


    Despite this, Mo Hua was not discouraged.

 Chapter 464 - 455 Open Map_2

    Chapter 464: Chapter 455 Open Map_2


    He tried several times, each time getting a little better.


    After countless repetitions, Mo Hua found his Divine Sense was exhausted.


    Divine Sense manifested Spiritual Power, without Divine Sense, there was no Spiritual Power, and thus, no ability to use spells.


    Mo Hua sat and meditated, and after recovering his Divine Sense, he continued practicing.


    After two days of relentless practice, foregoing sleep and food, Mo Hua finally succeeded in casting his first Fireball Technique.


    The power was not great; it was just an Ordinary Fireball Technique.


    But the significance was different.


    He could finally use spells in his Sea of Consciousness!


    If any sneaky or evil thoughts invaded his Sea of Consciousness again, he now had a basic means of attack.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    After that, he practiced the Water Prison Technique, the Water Passing Step, and the Concealment Technique.


    The Water Passing Step was effective.


    But as for the Concealment Technique, it was hard to say since in his Sea of Consciousness he could not tell if he was concealed or not; he would have to find an opportunity to test it.


    After manifesting these spells, Mo Hua felt a great sense of security.


    Now facing danger, he also had means to kill or slaughter.


    Next, it was time to manifest Formation.


    Mo Hua started with the relatively simple Seven-Pattern Earth Fire Formation.


    He first consumed his Divine Sense to manifest Spiritual Power, then controlled the Spiritual Power, and little by little began Drawing Formation according to the shape of the Earth Fire Formation Patterns.


    The pale blue Spiritual Power flowed naturally, meandering and twisting on the ground of his Sea of Consciousness, forming the Formation.


    But just after Drawing three Formation Patterns, he made a mistake.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense faltered, and he failed to control the trajectory of the Spiritual Power, rendering the Formation useless.


    ¡°Controlling Spiritual Power with Divine Sense alone seems indeed to be challenging¡­¡± Mo Hua murmured, frowning.


    He knew how to Draw Formation, but his Divine Sense just couldn¡¯t control the Spiritual Power well enough to make it flow and condense into a Formation according to his will.


    Mo Hua tried several more times, making little progress.


    And Drawing Formation like this was also very slow.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    This was not quite what Mr. Zhuang had said¡­


    Had he missed something?


    Mo Hua then linked the key points together and reviewed them.


    Heaven Yan Jue, Spiritual Pivot Formation, Divine Sense Calculation¡­


    Could it be the Spiritual Pivot Formation?


    Mo Hua recalled what Mr. Zhuang had said:


    ¡°The core of the Spiritual Pivot Formation is control, but control is just the surface; analyzing the structure of Spiritual Power is the essence of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.¡±


    Controlling corpses and objects might just be superficial applications.


    Its essence lies in understanding the structure of Spiritual Power.


    Mo Hua stopped trying to control Spiritual Power with his Divine Sense to Draw Formation.


    Instead, he calmed his mind and contemplated the Spiritual Pivot Formation, using his Divine Sense to penetrate the essence of Spiritual Power.


    After the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Mo Hua¡¯s mind trembled, and his thoughts became clear.


    He realized his Spiritual Power had changed.


    The Spiritual Power manifested by his Divine Sense had become more meticulous, as thin as threads.


    These Spiritual Threads were finer components under the structure of Spiritual Power.


    And these Spiritual Threads seemed to echo and integrate with his Divine Sense, becoming one.


    With the mind¡¯s intent, the Spiritual Power followed the Divine Sense, as naturally as moving one¡¯s arm, forming a flawless union.


    Controlling the Spiritual Threads with Divine Sense was as natural as breathing.


    Mo Hua was astonished.


    He only now realized the fundamental principles of Spiritual Power contained within the Spiritual Pivot Formation were so exquisite.


    He had learned the Spiritual Pivot Formation before and even applied the Formation but never deeply grasped the profundity within it.


    It was worthy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect¡­


    No, or perhaps it should be said, the secret heritage of the once Great Hidden Spirit Sect¡­


    To use such a Formation merely for corpse control was a waste of its true potential.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat emotional.


    He then tried again, controlling Spiritual Power with Divine Sense, turning Spiritual Power into Spiritual Threads, and using the Threads to Draw Formation.


    This time, the flow of Spiritual Power was much more flexible, precise, and swift.


    With just a thought from Mo Hua, the Spiritual Threads on the ground quickly coalesced to form a complete Seven-Pattern Earth Fire Formation in just a few moments!


    Without pen or ink, with a mere thought, Formation Patterns were created, forming a Formation.


    It was fast and convenient.


    With this, his Sea of Consciousness seemed devoid of any Formation, but with just a shift in Divine Thought, Formations could be established everywhere!


    Mo Hua was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t speak.


    This was, perhaps, too powerful.


    Though it was only a Seven-Pattern Formation, the speed of his Formation Painting was truly unfathomable.


    Mo Hua then felt a sense of regret.


    This technique could only be used within his own Sea of Consciousness; it was not applicable outside.


    ¡°I wonder if there will come a day when I, too, can form formations outside the Sea of Consciousness in an instant with strong Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but indulge in some wistful thinking.


    Of course, for now, he could only think about it¡­


    Having mastered the methods of Spell Manifestation and Formation Visualization, the next step was simply to keep practicing and improving. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The power of the Fireball Technique was still insufficient; he needed to practice it more.


    And the formations¡ªwhile he could paint Seven-Pattern Formations quickly, the more difficult Eight or Nine-Pattern Formations would slow him down considerably.


    Mo Hua wanted to find some first-tier Nine-Pattern Formations to practice within his Sea of Consciousness.


    So engrossed was he that he forgot to eat or sleep, and after one or two weeks of practice, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought Slaughter had finally seen some minor achievements.


    Next, it was time to test his skills.


    Mo Hua took out the Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family.


    To be safe, Mo Hua also called over Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi to protect him during his practice.


    ¡°Junior Brother, Junior Sister, you must not look at this picture!¡±


    ¡°No matter what sounds you hear, do not believe them!¡±


    Mo Hua began with these instructions, then continued:


    ¡°Later, I will sneak a peek at it and then close the picture¡­¡±


    ¡°If everything seems normal, then you don¡¯t need to do anything.¡±


    ¡°But if I become entranced by the picture and fail to close it, help me to close it and then throw the picture on the ground and stomp on it hard a few times.¡±


    ¡°If my mind changes drastically while I am looking at the picture, knock me out and then go call Master.¡±


    ¡°If the picture undergoes any strange changes, or something tries to come out of it, just burn it immediately! And scatter the ashes!¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua had considered all possible scenarios and made his instructions crystal clear.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi didn¡¯t quite understand, but they nodded anyway.


    With everything ready, Mo Hua unfolded the Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family.


    As the picture was revealed, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze skittered across it like a dragonfly skimming over water, glancing just once.


    With that single look, he saw the entirety of the picture.


    It was a group portrait, depicting the Ancestral Master teaching.


    The high halls were solemn, with smoke from incense curling in the air.


    In the center sat an elder with white hair and beard, radiating virtue and commanding respect, teaching and imparting wisdom.


    Beneath him, rows and rows of disciples were seated.


    These disciples were positioned according to their seniority, ranked from highest to lowest, seated in turn.


    All wore white robes, their postures upright and respectful.


    It was a solemn and serious image of the Ancestral Master teaching.


    But with the same, single glance, the scene in the picture began to change abruptly.


    The people in the picture seemed to come subtly to life.


    Mo Hua then heard the enticements of an elder:


    ¡°You are brilliantly gifted¡­¡±


    ¡°You have extraordinary talent¡­¡±


    ¡°Join my sect¡­ let me help you find the Way¡­¡±


    ¡°Join my sect¡­ let me help you become immortal¡­¡±


    ¡°Join my sect¡­¡±


    ¡­


    At the same time, the disciples seated below the elder suddenly turned their heads, as if by some unspoken agreement, looking directly at Mo Hua.


    They revealed faces that resembled those of zombies.


    Mo Hua was slightly alarmed in his heart.


    Was this old ancestor of the Zhang Family preaching to zombies?


    Or was it that the entire Zhang Family had turned into zombies?


    Before he could sort out his thoughts, a zombie disciple seated furthest from the Ancestral Master suddenly showed a ferocious expression, leapt from his seat, and lunged directly at Mo Hua¡¯s Heavenly Court, burrowing into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    For a moment, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became vacant, but then it became bright again in an instant.


    While the other zombies were snarling and attempting to invade his Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua reacted quickly, folding the picture shut.


    He trapped a group of zombies within the picture,


    And trapped a single zombie within his own Sea of Consciousness.

 Chapter 465 - 456 Eat and Be Eaten_1

    Chapter 465: Chapter 456 Eat and Be Eaten_1


    The Zhang Family zombie disciple, as soon as it entered Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, was shocked:


    ¡°What profound Divine Sense!¡±


    ¡°Innate Supplement!¡±


    Its voice was hoarse and thick, with a bit of air leaking through.


    Like a living person corrupted into a corpse.


    Then, it couldn¡¯t wait any longer and opened its ghastly wide mouth to fiercely suck in a mouthful of the abundant Divine Sense in the Sea of Consciousness.


    As the Divine Sense entered, the zombie disciple¡¯s eyes shone with excitement.


    Pure, rich, and delicious.


    This was the taste of top-quality Divine Sense!


    The zombie cackled madly.


    It couldn¡¯t help but indulge ravenously, suddenly consuming with vigor.


    As it devoured more Divine Sense, its body gradually became robust, and its stature grew taller by a few inches.


    As the zombie absorbed the Divine Sense, Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness also felt a faint pain.


    ¡°Is this what it feels like to have your Divine Sense eaten?¡±


    Mo Hua, concealed to the side, watching the zombie, silently said to himself.


    There was some pain, a bit of discomfort, but it was quite subtle.


    If you weren¡¯t paying attention, you indeed wouldn¡¯t notice.


    Even if you weren¡¯t witnessing it firsthand, you most likely wouldn¡¯t believe it.


    One would only think they were mentally drained, lacking in energy, their spirit scattered, their mood depressed, with many troubles and evil desires lingering in their heart.


    One would never think that their Divine Sense was being nibbled away by an evil being.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, remembering this feeling.


    ¡°In the future, I must be careful to guard against this!¡±


    The human heart is immeasurable and deceptive, and I may not always be able to detect every change in the Divine Sense.


    Therefore, I must step by step familiarize myself with the various signs of changes in the Sea of Consciousness, guard against the insignificant to prevent greater issues and eliminate unknown threats within the Divine Sense.


    So that in the future, no evil spirit can stealthily consume my Divine Sense without my knowledge.


    Besides this, Mo Hua also verified something else.


    That is, the Concealment Technique can be effective within the Sea of Consciousness.


    At least this zombie didn¡¯t discover him.


    Mo Hua slightly furrowed his brows.


    But what exactly is this zombie? Is it a person, or is it a zombie?


    After observing for a while, Mo Hua had a growing speculation.


    This zombie disciple must also be an ancestor of the Zhang Family.


    The Zhang Family had practiced Corpse Refinement for generations, their Divine Thoughts merging with the zombie; in their self-awareness, they were both human and corpse. Hence, after death, when the Divine Thoughts were sealed in the painting, it manifested as a zombie.


    However, whether it¡¯s human or a corpse, Mo Hua had no intention of letting it go.


    Mo Hua, concealing his presence, held the Thousand-Jun Stick in his hand and quietly approached the zombie disciple from behind.


    This zombie, mouth agape, was feasting merrily.


    It had no idea that every move it made was being watched by someone else.


    It was also completely oblivious to the impending danger.


    As Mo Hua approached the zombie from behind, he lifted the Thousand-Jun Stick high, and with all his strength in both hands, he smashed down fiercely!


    ¡°How dare you steal my Divine Sense!¡±


    This blow, immensely powerful, caused the zombie disciple¡¯s scalp to deform, and its form to become somewhat ethereal.


    The increase in height from consuming Divine Sense was reversed by the stick¡¯s blow, shrinking back.


    After the strike, Mo Hua was also somewhat surprised.


    He hadn¡¯t expected his blow with the Thousand-Jun Stick to be so powerful.


    And the zombie disciple, with its scalp numbing and heart aching, took a while to recover. Furious, it turned its head and saw behind it stood a small cultivator with handsome eyebrows and bright lips and white teeth.


    The zombie disciple was stunned.


    Then, it widened its eyes as if seeing a ¡°ghost.¡±


    ¡°No way! How can there be someone here?!¡±


    Mo Hua kept a straight face, his expression somewhat dangerous:


    ¡°You sneak into my Sea of Consciousness to steal, and you ask how there can be someone? Is my Divine Sense that delicious? I¡­¡±


    Mo Hua wanted to make a few more threats.


    But before he could finish, seeing the danger, the zombie disciple turned tail and ran.


    Its ugly face was filled with panic.


    As soon as it saw Mo Hua, it knew it was no match.


    This small cultivator was young and petite, but his form was crystal clear, and his aura was deep and unfathomable.


    This was a sign of an incredibly powerful Divine Sense.


    Moreover, it had just taken a hit from the Thousand-Jun Stick.


    The power of that stick left it apprehensive.


    The more powerful the strike, the stronger the Divine Thought.


    The zombie disciple was filled with fear.


    If the Divine Sense had not manifested, it could continue to steal. But once manifested, with such a disparity in Divine Sense, it had to flee or perish right there.


    The zombie attempted to escape from Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua certainly wouldn¡¯t let it get away, he stretched out his small hand, and with a backhand gesture, the materialized Spiritual Power condensed into the Water Prison Technique.


    Divine Thought shackles appeared out of nowhere, binding the zombie firmly in place.


    The zombie disciple struggled desperately to break free, but it simply couldn¡¯t.


    Its face was full of terror as it said in disbelief,


    ¡°A spell?¡±


    How could this be?


    Divine Thought can actually use spells?


    The old ancestor never mentioned this¡­


    Mo Hua leisurely walked up to it.


    The zombie knelt on the ground, pleading in panic, ¡°Junior, please spare my life!¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Spare your life? So that you can go harm others again?¡±


    The zombie disciple swore, ¡°Junior can rest assured, from now on, I will stick to my duty and never harm anyone!¡±


    Mo Hua asked with doubt, ¡°You are a zombie, right? Isn¡¯t it your duty to harm people? If you stick to your duty, how could you possibly not harm people?¡±


    The zombie disciple was taken aback and, seeing the playful expression on Mo Hua¡¯s face, knew that this little cultivator would never believe its deceit, and said furiously,


    ¡°The old ancestor won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered, and with a smile that was not quite a smile, he said,


    ¡°Do you think¡­ I will let your old ancestor go?¡±


    The zombie disciple was shocked and pale.


    This youngster, was actually, aiming at its esteemed ancestor?


    How dare he?


    And then, a chill went down the spine of the zombie disciple.


    This youngster¡¯s Divine Sense was domineering, full of tricks, unpredictable, and could even use spells; with a prepared mind against an unprepared one, the ancestor might be in danger¡­


    The zombie disciple felt both shock and rage.


    ¡°No, I must inform the old ancestor, otherwise he will be in peril!¡±


    The face of the zombie disciple suddenly turned ferocious, it bit off one of its own fingers and swallowed it, and then its body began to swell, a malicious aura growing around it, and in a flash, it turned into a green-skinned corpse.


    Just like Zhang Quan when he took the Corpse Blood Pill.


    ¡°I¡¯ll risk my old life to struggle against this little cultivator, then take the opportunity to escape and report to the ancestor. Even if I¡¯m severely weakened and maimed afterward, the ancestor, appreciating my loyalty, will surely protect me.¡±


    The zombie disciple thought to itself. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, it mustered all its strength to break free from the Water Prison Technique and pounced fiercely towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he lightly raised his hand, and a Fireball Technique began to form.


    The fireball was bright red and scorching hot, a false fire condensed by the Divine Sense, yet it looked incredibly real.


    At the thought of Mo Hua, the fireball suddenly shot out and struck the transformed zombie¡¯s chest.


    In a burst of fiery light, before the zombie disciple could reach Mo Hua or exchange even a single round, it was directly hit back into its original form by the Fireball Technique.


    It deflated like a punctured balloon, reverted from its transformation, its body caught flame, and it writhed on the ground in agonizing screams.


    It was as if real fire was burning on its body.


    Spreading along with the pain was boundless despair.


    It never expected that this little cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense would be so powerful.


    The displayed Fireball Technique had such a terrifying potency¡­


    Mo Hua also furrowed his brow, wondering,


    ¡°Why am I so strong?¡±


    He pondered for a moment and gradually understood.


    In reality, he was in the Qi Refinement stage.


    But in the Sea of Consciousness, he was at the Foundation Establishment stage.


    This zombie disciple was just an ordinary Walking Corpse, which to him amounted to Qi Refinement level.


    He was now using Foundation Establishment level abilities to fight Qi Refinement.


    It was like ¡°the big¡± bullying ¡°the small¡±.


    Mo Hua¡¯s back straightened up instantly.


    ¡°No wonder, I thought to myself why I suddenly became so powerful!¡±


    For Foundation Establishment to win against Qi Refinement was only to be expected.


    Mo Hua was pleased for a while, but then felt somewhat unenthused.


    This zombie disciple was too weak, failing to bring out his full strength.


    It seemed that he would have to pick out some of Zhang Family¡¯s ancestors with stronger abilities to practice his skills.


    One step at a time, he would progressively advance.


    Once he mastered his manifested techniques and fully grasped the Zhang Family zombies¡¯ methods, he would then make his move on Zhang Quan¡¯s old ancestor.


    In that way, it would be entirely foolproof.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s old ancestor had the highest Cultivation and the strongest evil thoughts, certainly a formidable zombie.


    And having lived for so long, it surely had many plots up its sleeve.


    Acting against it now still carried some risk.


    Moreover, it had so many ¡°disciples and grandchildren¡±; one could hardly fight off many with two fists, and if a group of zombies invaded the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t be able to cope.


    One must eat one bite at a time.


    Having made up his mind, Mo Hua decided to ¡°eat¡± his first ¡°bite¡±.


    This zombie disciple was already useless.


    Mo Hua planned to make use of it to the fullest.


    He launched a few more Fireball Techniques and directly blasted the zombie into ash.


    The ash dispersed, the form and thoughts of the zombie extinguished, turning into gray strands of Divine Thought.


    Mo Hua opened his mouth slightly and swallowed them all.


    This zombie, which had wanted to devour Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, ended up being ¡°eaten¡± by Mo Hua instead.


    Its malignant thoughts also bolstered Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.

 Chapter 466 - 457 Eat More_1

    Chapter 466: Chapter 457 Eat More_1


    Mo Hua eradicated the zombie disciple, ¡°ate¡± its evil thoughts, and then began to sit in meditation to refine them.


    Within the evil thoughts, there were some mottled memories.


    All were about corpse refinement, corpse raising, and corpse control.


    The Zhang Family¡¯s legacy throughout the generations was all about such sinister activities, ostensibly selling coffins but secretly practicing corpse refinement.


    This disciple was the same.


    He was also an ancestor of Zhang Quan.


    But his talent was mediocre; he was only in the Qi Refinement Realm, and he hadn¡¯t been exposed to zombies for long before the corpse poison seized his heart and turned him into a Walking Corpse.


    Fearing exposure, the Zhangs killed him and sealed his Divine Thought in the Ancestral Master Picture.


    Just like many other ancestors of the Zhang Family.


    While it was alive, it became a Zombie, and in death it remained a Zombie; thus, the evil thoughts it manifested posthumously were also those of a Zombie.


    The Zhang Family members themselves were half-human, half-zombie.


    As Mo Hua refined its evil thoughts, a cold, putrid, and deathly desire also tainted his Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua felt a bloodthirsty desire awaken in his heart.


    It was as if he had become a zombie himself, craving flesh and blood, with an urge to consume a living person.


    Once the evil thoughts entered his heart, Mo Hua immediately entered a state of Mental Concentration, meditated in stillness, and discarded all worldly desires.


    Mo Hua was far from panicked.


    As Mr. Zhuang had said, every time evil thoughts intruded, it was a test of one¡¯s Taoist Heart.


    Whether one can uphold their original intentions and maintain their Taoist Heart amid worldly desires and entanglements of evil thoughts is crucial for a cultivator.


    Once the Taoist Heart is breached and the original intentions are extinguished, it¡¯s easy to stray and deviate from the Heavenly Dao.


    People aren¡¯t born resistant to all evils.


    The Taoist Heart also needs to be strengthened bit by bit.


    Mo Hua planned to start with the smaller evil thoughts, to cultivate his will, enlighten his mind gradually.


    Bit by bit, to firm up his Taoist Heart.


    Until one day, he would be impervious to all evils.


    Even if an Evil God invaded his brain or a Heavenly Demon disrupted his mind, he would remain clear and untainted, like a flawless mirror.


    The zombie disciple was quickly refined by Mo Hua.


    Its minor evil thoughts were also discarded by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had also noticeably increased.


    This was the most pronounced increase in Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense in the past few months.


    But it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    Mo Hua smacked his lips with a sense of incompleteness lingering.


    The zombie disciple was only in the Qi Refinement Realm, and its Divine Thought wasn¡¯t strong; after refining out the evil thoughts, the Divine Sense obtained was minimal.


    That amount of Divine Sense was hardly enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.


    Mo Hua felt it was a pity, so he opened his eyes.


    Bai Zisheng was staring at him intently and promptly asked when Mo Hua opened his eyes,


    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Bai Zisheng let out a sigh of relief and then asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let me take another look, and you do what I told you earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm mhm.¡± Bai Zisheng nodded and said, ¡°Knock you out, call for the master, burn the drawing, and scatter the ashes¡­¡±


    Although it differed slightly from what Mo Hua had said, it was more or less the same.


    Mo Hua then reopened the Contemplation Map, which appeared to be the Ancestral Master Picture on the surface, but was actually the Zombie Image.


    He looked at it again.


    The same figure in the picture looked back at him with a zombie¡¯s face.


    Similarly, the zombies left their seats and leaped out of the painting, entering Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    This time Mo Hua released two zombies and then closed the drawing again. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These two zombies were still only in the Qi Refinement Realm; regarded as Disciples of the Zhang Family in human terms and only as Walking Corpses in zombie terms.


    After leaping into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, the two zombie disciples looked at each other, both showing ecstatic expressions.


    This Sea of Consciousness was too vast.


    The Divine Sense inside was too rich.


    Enough for them to feast on for a long time.


    They might even be able to evolve to Foundation Establishment directly by feeding here!


    Who would have thought that the Sea of Consciousness of this young cultivator would be a paradise for feeding?


    But their joy didn¡¯t last long.


    A Fireball Technique came whizzing in, exploding in an instant.


    It blasted one Walking Corpse away, the bright flames burning its body, causing it to suffer and struggle on the ground.


    The other Walking Corpse froze.


    What was that just now?


    Fireball Technique?


    Where did a Fireball Technique come from in the Sea of Consciousness?


    It quickly found out where the Fireball Technique came from.


    Because not far away, a young cultivator with delicate features was staring with profound eyes, revealing neither joy nor anger, casually pointing at it.


    Before the Walking Corpse could react, a fireball condensed between the fingers of the young cultivator.


    The fireball was incredibly fast, accurate, and vicious.


    In an instant, it flew in front of the zombie.


    The undead white pupils of the Walking Corpse were filled with the red glow of fire, and then its entire body was also blown away by the Fireball Technique, landing on the ground, enduring the agony of being incinerated.


    This pain was very real.


    The Walking Corpse almost forgot that it was already dead, no longer possessing a physical body.


    It was terrified in its heart.


    Who exactly was this young cultivator?


    But Mo Hua wasn¡¯t interested in wasting words.


    Time was limited, so a quick resolution was needed.


    This time, he wouldn¡¯t play the cat-and-mouse game; Walking Corpses at the Qi Refinement Realm wouldn¡¯t probe the depths of the Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master.


    Mo Hua simply and brutally used the Fireball Technique to obliterate the two Walking Corpses.


    After their annihilation, he refined the evil thoughts and strengthened his Divine Sense.


    Thereafter, Mo Hua replicated the process, opening the picture to release corpses, bombarding them with fireballs, and refining the evil thoughts.


    Although the evil thoughts from the Qi Refinement Realm were not strong, their cumulative effect meant that after ¡°consuming¡± several Walking Corpses, Mo Hua felt his Divine Sense had significantly increased once more.


    But it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    This time, he set his sights on a few of the higher-ranking ancestors of the Zhang Family.


    Those sitting in the front were also prominent, at least among the Zhang Family Elders.


    The evil thoughts of Elders should also be stronger.


    But how to lure them into his own Sea of Consciousness?


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, and his eyes sparkled slightly.

 Chapter 467 - 457: Eat More_2

    Chapter 467: Chapter 457: Eat More_2


    He took out two pieces of paper, one to cover the portrait of the Zhang Family¡¯s ancestor, and the other to cover the least important disciples at the bottom.


    Only the middle row was left, which seemed to comprise cultivators who looked like elders of the Zhang Family.


    Mo Hua randomly picked one, staring straight at him.


    Within just a few breaths of time, that ¡°person¡± also turned his head to look at Mo Hua.


    It was another zombie face.


    A hooked nose, drooping corners of the eyes, a fierce and sinister face, and an iron-blue complexion.


    It was an Iron Corpse!


    Upon seeing Mo Hua, it showed a malicious expression, and then a greedy look flashed through its pale eyes. With a swift movement, it dove into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    After entering Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, the Iron Corpse was taken aback.


    Even though it was an elder and had seen much of the world, it was still shocked by Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Then it burst into a wild cackle.


    Its laughter was hoarse, its throat damaged, grating and unpleasant to the ear.


    Mo Hua, who was hidden to the side, nodded to himself.


    It seemed that even the Iron Corpse Elder couldn¡¯t discern his concealment¡­


    Mo Hua then tiptoed up behind the Iron Corpse with his stick in hand, raised the Thousand Jun Stick high, and brought it down on the Iron Corpse¡¯s head with all his might.


    The Thousand Jun Stick struck the back of the Iron Corpse¡¯s head.


    Mo Hua even heard a ¡°clang¡± sound.


    It was like the noise of iron striking against iron.


    His palm, too, tingled slightly from the vibration.


    And that Iron Corpse Elder, after being hit, stumbled, its face twisted in a ferocious and somewhat dazed expression, turning around to see Mo Hua, looking even more surprised.


    After a moment, it regained its composure, its eyes becoming even greedier.


    Looking at Mo Hua was like eyeballing a millennium-old ginseng.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    It seemed that the Iron Corpse¡¯s strength was still considerable.


    The sneak attack hadn¡¯t done much damage.


    This Iron Corpse Elder, with a solid silhouette, wasn¡¯t like the common Walking Corpses that would disperse with a single hit.


    Even after getting hit by the stick, it only stumbled a few times, showed a pained expression, but sustained no real injuries.


    The two stood off against each other, neither making a move hastily.


    The Iron Corpse Elder couldn¡¯t fathom the extent of Mo Hua¡¯s abilities, and despite its covetousness, it also had its reservations.


    It scrutinized Mo Hua carefully, glancing around, and suddenly realizing, said in a hoarse voice,


    ¡°I was wondering why several disciples entered your Sea of Consciousness but couldn¡¯t leave, turns out they fell to your wicked hands!¡±


    Divine Thought Manifestation, profound Divine Sense.


    Not a bit inferior to this Iron Corpse Elder itself.


    Those disciples of the Zhang Family at the Walking Corpse realm were certainly no match for this young cultivator.


    Dying by his hand was nothing to complain about.


    Mo Hua remained noncommittal.


    The Iron Corpse Elder¡¯s expression turned fierce in a flash, ¡°You killed the Zhang Family disciples, what should be your punishment?¡±


    Mo Hua muttered in his mind,


    ¡°Not only do I want to kill your Zhang Family disciples, but I also want to kill your Zhang Family ancestors¡­¡±


    However, outwardly, he simply said with indifference,


    ¡°They wanted to eat me, and I killed them, it¡¯s their own fault.¡±


    The Iron Corpse Elder snorted coldly, ¡°They just wanted to nibble on a bit of your Divine Sense, yet you killed them. For someone so young, your methods are rather cruel.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°Have you become so rotten after turning into a zombie that you can even say such a thing?¡±


    The Iron Corpse Elder harrumphed. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In its mind, it was calculating Mo Hua¡¯s strength.


    This youngster¡¯s Divine Thought Manifestation must be an innate talent.


    But a clash of Divine Thought isn¡¯t that simple.


    Even with some talent, how could this youngster compare with the Corpse Path techniques inherited by the Zhang Family for hundreds of years?


    He might be able to take advantage of the weaker disciples.


    But now that it had entered the fray, this little cultivator would be a grand feast for all the disciples of the Zhang Family!


    The Iron Corpse Elder looked at the fresh and lovely Mo Hua, unable to resist licking its lips.


    Mo Hua also understood its intentions and scoffed in his mind,


    ¡°Who will be whose feast is not yet certain.¡±


    The Iron Corpse Elder, unable to contain itself, watched Mo Hua.


    It suddenly opened its wide mouth, revealing rows of sharp, ferocious fangs, smeared with stinking Corpse Poison. Its body turned into a streak of green light, lunging straight for Mo Hua with a bite.


    Its attack appeared swift, but every move had long been anticipated by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua performed the Water Passing Step, nimbly dodging the Iron Corpse Elder¡¯s onslaught.


    With a surge of effort, the Iron Corpse Elder attacked relentlessly with various claw strikes from different angles, all of which Mo Hua dodged one after the other.


    Mo Hua even stepped on the Iron Corpse Elder¡¯s head and smoothly retreated.


    The Iron Corpse Elder was both agitated and furious.


    This young brat dare to humiliate it?


    It made as if to lunge again but realized that Mo Hua, who had put some distance between them, pointed a finger from afar, and a flash of fire appeared.


    A fireball whistled toward it.


    The Iron Corpse Elder¡¯s pupils contracted, only having time to cross its arms over its face for protection.


    The Fireball Technique then exploded in front of it.


    The sleeves covering its arms were burned away, revealing the iron-blue, corpse-like limbs.


    On the burned arms, the flesh was singed black.


    And flames were still licking around its body.


    The Iron Corpse Elder inhaled sharply.


    Fireball Technique?


    How was it possible?


    How could Divine Sense condense into a spell?


    It realized something was wrong¡­


    This youngster didn¡¯t just have good luck or a natural talent for Divine Thought Manifestation.


    He must have inherited a spell point for Divine Thought!


    Manifesting spells within the Sea of Consciousness.


    This technique was extremely clever; having parasitized the portrait for so long and having consumed so many cultivators¡¯ Divine Sense, it had never seen such a thing before, or even heard of it.


    Even the ancestors probably didn¡¯t know of this method.


    The Iron Corpse Elder felt fear creeping in.


    ¡°We need to take a long-term approach¡­¡±


    Facing this youngster alone would be unwise.


    They would need to gather the full strength of the Zhang Family, make other plans, kill this youngster, and then feast on his Divine Sense.


    If the opportunity arose, they could even seize his inheritance!


    The Zhang Family¡¯s power would surely grow immensely!

 Chapter 468 - 457: Eat More_3

    Chapter 468: Chapter 457: Eat More_3


    The Iron Corpse Elder had made up his mind and thus began to think of retreating.


    Mo Hua immediately saw through its intentions.


    Since it wanted to run, then Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t be polite.


    He cast the Water Prison Technique with a flick of his wrist to hold the Iron Corpse captive, then launched the Fireball Technique again and again. Huge flames engulfed the Iron Corpse Elder in no time.


    A moment later, the fire receded, and smoke billowed in all directions.


    With an angry roar, the Iron Corpse Elder stepped out from the fire and smoke.


    Its eyes were blood-red, its body huge, and its skin an iron-blue darkening to black, showing clear signs of further corpse transformation. Its overall strength had climbed a notch.


    ¡°Brat, you¡¯ve angered me!¡±


    The Iron Corpse Elder, having undergone corpse transformation, was enraged.


    But to Mo Hua, it hardly made a difference.


    He still used the Water Prison Technique to control it, followed by bombarding it with the Fireball Technique.


    The Iron Corpse Elder had no way to apply its strength, forced to be suppressed by Mo Hua. Sensing the dire situation, it used all its power to resist the impacts of exploding fireballs and rushed towards Mo Hua.


    But upon looking up, there was no one there.


    Mo Hua had already used the Water Passing Step to withdraw gracefully, regaining the distance, then he used the Water Prison Technique to hold and the Fireball Technique to bomb again¡­


    Amidst the flying sparks, the Iron Corpse Elder¡¯s face was fierce, its figure in disarray, its heart filled with fear.


    After living for so many years, feasting on so many cultivators, was it truly no match for this young cultivator?


    Was it so thoroughly suppressed by his spells that it couldn¡¯t retaliate?


    Merely like a punching bag, held in place by spells, then hung up and beaten?


    The Iron Corpse Elder found it hard to believe.


    Mo Hua was also frowning.


    It seemed¡­ impossible to kill.


    After the Iron Corpse¡¯s further transformation into a zombie, its flesh had become too tough.


    Relying solely on the Fireball Technique, it could be suppressed, defeated, but killing it was difficult.


    If this stalemate continued, there was the possibility that his Divine Sense would be exhausted, the power of his spells would weaken, and it would find an opportunity to escape.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned cold, ¡°Need to find a way, to slaughter it.¡±


    The Iron Corpse Elder understood this as well.


    If it wasn¡¯t Mo Hua¡¯s match, it could only withstand his Fireball Technique, minimize the damage, and wait for Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense to be spent to have a chance to escape or even counterattack.


    Controlling with spells like this would also consume a considerable amount of Divine Sense.


    This brat, can¡¯t last much longer¡­


    As expected, shortly after, the Fireball Technique stopped.


    The Iron Corpse Elder¡¯s heart leapt with joy, but when it looked up, it saw Mo Hua with closed eyes, concentrating, apparently doing something.


    The Iron Corpse Elder was taken aback.


    What did this brat mean by this?


    Was he distracted? Or had he given up?


    Or perhaps, was there some issue with his Divine Sense?


    Should I flee now, or just rush over and kill him?


    During its moment of hesitation, it suddenly sensed something was amiss.


    The atmosphere around seemed to have changed.


    The Iron Corpse Elder suddenly looked down and saw that, at some point, many faint blue threads of Spiritual Power had appeared underfoot. These threads twisted and turned, moving on their own, connecting into mysterious patterns.


    The Iron Corpse Elder¡¯s eyes widened.


    What was this?


    Sensing danger, it tried to flee, but it was too late.


    Mo Hua had completed his first Formation.


    This was a Golden Lock Formation.


    The faint blue Spiritual Power formed patterns on the ground, which then emitted a golden light, solidifying into chains of Spiritual Power that tightly locked the Iron Corpse Elder in place.


    After several attempts, the Iron Corpse Elder couldn¡¯t break free.


    Then, after a while, the second Formation was also ready.


    This was a Melting Fire Formation.


    The moment the Formation Patterns formed, the faint blue Spiritual Power emitted a blinding red light. The ground turned into a sea of fire, like a blazing furnace, trapping and roasting the Iron Corpse Elder within it.


    Fear filled the heart of the Iron Corpse Elder.


    A Formation?


    This brat was a Formation Master?


    But were Formation Masters meant to draw Formations like this?


    Without pen or ink, relying solely on Divine Thought, to form a Formation so quickly?


    Formations obey the Heavenly Dao, the obsession and killer intent towards Divine Sense is the greatest.


    Moreover, it was such a vivid and powerful Formation.


    The Iron Corpse Elder¡¯s heart trembled.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, capsized in the gutter.¡±


    It was just starving for so long and wanted to come out for a bite to eat, only to be roasted by a formation set up by some unknown brat?


    The cultivation world is truly goddamn treacherous!


    Such a vicious brat.


    Facing death, the Iron Corpse Elder wanted to struggle with all its might one last time.


    For a moment, it broke free from the Golden Lock Formation, but was then immobilized by Mo Hua¡¯s Water Prison Technique on the spot. Moments later, the spiritual power of the Golden Lock Formation restored itself, turning back into golden locks and securing it firmly once again.


    And the Melting Fire Formation, like a furnace, ceaselessly scorched its body.


    A dull knife cutting through flesh will eventually finish.


    The Iron Corpse Elder fell into despair.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, was sizing up the Iron Corpse Elder and suddenly asked with curiosity, sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The technique of your corpse transformation, was it passed down from your ancestor?¡±


    Through gritted teeth, the Iron Corpse Elder replied,


    ¡°What if it was?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any other techniques?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    The Iron Corpse Elder, seething, remained silent.


    ¡°If you have no other techniques, you¡¯re going to die here today,¡± Mo Hua ¡°kindly¡± reminded.


    The Iron Corpse Elder was so angry it couldn¡¯t speak.


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondering.


    This Iron Corpse Elder seemed to have really run out of tricks, no other techniques left.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful and disappointed,


    ¡°That¡¯s all your ancestor passed down to you?¡±


    The Iron Corpse Elder sneered, ¡°Of course not. My ancestor¡¯s techniques are innumerable¨Chow could they be understood by a mere¡­ ¡±


    While speaking, it suddenly stopped, followed by a sudden jolt of alarm.


    Was this brat tricking him into talking?


    What did he mean?


    What did he want to know?


    Ancestor¡­


    He wanted to understand the ancestor¡¯s techniques, could it be¡­ he was after the ancestor¡¯s legacy?


    The Iron Corpse Elder was filled with fear.


    No, it¡¯s not possible.


    How could he, a mere brat, possibly¡­


    The Iron Corpse Elder paused, his face showing horror.


    No, it was possible!


    Given the brat¡¯s inconceivable abilities in the Sea of Consciousness, he really could plot against the ancestor!


    If he succeeded, and understood the ancestor¡¯s techniques, the ancestor, the ancestor¡­


    The ancestor would be in danger!


    The Iron Corpse Elder¡¯s heart trembled.


    Seeing his thoughts uncovered, Mo Hua lamented,


    ¡°Being an oblivious ghost would have been better for you.¡±


    Understanding everything meant he only had to slaughter you now.


    Although Mo Hua didn¡¯t plan on sparing his life in the first place.


    Mo Hua no longer wasted words, focusing on driving the formation to refine the Iron Corpse Elder, who was stricken with terror, and then swallowed it whole.


    The Divine Thought of an iron corpse would certainly be much stronger.


    After swallowing it, Mo Hua temporarily couldn¡¯t refine it completely and estimated that it would take several days to do so gradually.


    Occasionally, evil thoughts would bubble up from the depths of his heart.


    Mo Hua could only calm those thoughts through still meditation from now on.


    After exiting the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua opened his eyes and glanced at the Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture.


    The picture still contained many zombies, several iron corpses, and also Zhang Quan¡¯s ancestor.


    One by one, come then¡­


    None shall escape!


    It¡¯s just whether, after finishing them all in ¡°one pot¡±, his Divine Sense will directly reach Thirteen Stripes¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    Bai Zisheng asked, noticing his state, ¡°Are you¡­ all right?¡±


    Mo Hua came back to his senses and shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Yet Bai Zisheng frowned, sensing something amiss, ¡°It seems somewhat off¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes, like water, also stared at Mo Hua for a while, then asked puzzled,


    ¡°Your face, why does it seem a bit wicked?¡±


    Mo Hua rubbed his cheek, ¡°Ate something not so good, need to digest it a bit.¡±

 Chapter 469 - 458 Riot_1

    Chapter 469: Chapter 458 Riot_1


    After spending a few days, Mo Hua ¡°digested¡± the Iron Corpse Elder and purified its malicious thoughts, significantly increasing his Divine Sense.


    ¡°As expected of the Iron Corpse Elder, the Divine Sense is comparable to Foundation Establishment¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt great joy in his heart.


    With the enhancement of Divine Sense and the condensation of spells and formations during the manifestation of Divine Thought in battle, Mo Hua¡¯s control of Spiritual Power became even more precise, deepening his comprehension of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    But that was as far as he could go.


    No matter how Mo Hua practiced thereafter, and no matter how much he reflected, he could no longer gain any new insights.


    His understanding of the Spiritual Pivot Formation had reached a bottleneck.


    Mo Hua thought it over and felt that this shouldn¡¯t be his own issue.


    After all, studying the Spiritual Pivot Formation, whether in terms of Divine Sense expenditure or understanding of the Laws, had not reached a state of utter exhaustion and extreme difficulty.


    The current bottleneck likely lay with the Formation itself.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation in his possession was incomplete.


    An incomplete Formation could not fully grasp the fundamental principles of Spiritual Power.


    ¡°It seems I need to find a way to obtain the complete Spiritual Pivot Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently said to himself.


    In the time to come, he still had to deal with the Zhang Family¡¯s ¡°zombie¡± situation.


    He planned to ¡°eat¡± the zombies in the diagram, from the weakest to the strongest.


    With the strategy of nourishing warfare through warfare, devouring his disciples and grand-disciples to enhance his Divine Sense, he would eventually take on the zombies¡¯ Ancestral Master.


    That would be Zhang Quan¡¯s ancestor.


    However, according to what the Iron Corpse Elder had said, this zombie ancestor had many tricks up its sleeve.


    Knowing both your enemy and yourself, you will never be endangered in a hundred battles.


    He needed to find a way to fully understand its capabilities to develop a targeted strategy.


    Moreover, as for Divine Thought Manifestation, Mo Hua was still not very proficient with it.


    Even though he had repeatedly engaged in battle, and the manifestations of spells and formations were quite substantial, Mo Hua was still not quite satisfied.


    The manifested Spiritual Power wasn¡¯t realistic enough;


    The power of the manifested spells was slightly inferior;


    And the speed of manifested formations was still a bit too slow¡­


    This level of skill was more than adequate to deal with lesser zombies.


    It was just sufficient to suppress the Iron Corpse Elder.


    But when facing the Zhang Family¡¯s zombie Ancestral Master, Mo Hua lacked confidence.


    To the average cultivator, with the Zhang Family¡¯s evil thoughts and a whole family of zombies, having consumed who knows how many people, their strength was already extremely formidable.


    Being able to suppress Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses was already an achievement.


    But Mo Hua believed that he was a disciple of Mr. Zhuang.


    If his master had taught him Divine Thought Manifestation, then he must master it exceptionally well; otherwise, he would surely lose face for his master and let down his master¡¯s expectations.


    Therefore, his Divine Sense had to be cultivated to the extreme.


    Divine Thought Manifestation also had to be cultivated to the extreme!


    The manifestation of spells and formations required the manifestation of Spiritual Power as a foundation.


    Manifesting Spiritual Power required an intrinsic understanding of the nature of Spiritual Power.


    The deeper the understanding, the more authentic the manifestation, and the stronger the power.


    And the understanding of the nature of Spiritual Power had to do with the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Thus, apart from ¡°eating¡± zombies, Mo Hua had to start preparing to find the complete Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Besides, the Spiritual Pivot Formation was related to the traitor of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Instructor Yan had devoted most of his life to settling this grudge with the Sect.


    His lifelong obsession was to recover the Spiritual Pivot Formation and take personal revenge on the traitor who had betrayed and dishonored their ancestors.


    Instructor Yan had shown him great kindness.


    A drop of water should be repaid with a spring.


    If the Black Hand behind the Corpse cultivators in the mine turned out to be the traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t mind letting the deserving die a fitting death.


    ¡­


    The clue to the Spiritual Pivot Formation was hidden on Zhang Quan, who was detained at Taoist Court.


    During these days, Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts had all been focused on capturing zombies.


    But he had kept an eye on the news from the Taoist Court.


    When Situ Fang and Situ Jin came to present gifts, Mo Hua took the opportunity to subtly inquire about some information.


    The gifts from Situ Fang were Formation Diagrams and some Formation Books.


    This was previously agreed upon.


    It was both an expression of Situ Fang¡¯s gratitude and the Situ Family¡¯s goodwill.


    One can accept rewards for their services.


    He had indeed been a great help with the Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    Not to mention that the gifts were related to formations.


    Mo Hua thus accepted them with peace of mind.


    In addition, there were some brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, specialties of the Situ Clan¡¯s Spirit Fruits, as well as various types of Spiritual Meat.


    They weren¡¯t particularly valuable, but they were thoughtful.


    Mo Hua accepted those as well.


    The Spirit Fruits could be made into cakes for Junior Sister to eat.


    The Spiritual Meat could be stewed for Master and Junior Brother to enjoy.


    There were also some odd fruits, with unknown flavors, but looking crunchy and crisp, which Mo Hua planned to fry and let Old Kui try¡­


    After receiving the gifts and offering tea, exchanging a few polite words, Mo Hua asked:


    ¡°How are things with Zhang Quan?¡±


    Situ Jin hesitated somewhat.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Situ Fang shook his head and said,


    ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten anything out of him¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you used torture?¡±


    ¡°We have,¡± Situ Fang sighed, ¡°We¡¯ve broken five or six sticks on him, but he just won¡¯t speak, not a single word.¡±


    Mo Hua wondered, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he feel pain?¡±


    Situ Jin frowned and explained:


    ¡°It looks like a special cultivation technique that can make the flesh as stiff as a zombie and the senses numb, impervious to pain,¡±


    ¡°What about using other methods?¡± Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said:


    ¡°I remember Uncle Zhang telling me that the punishments of the Taoist Court are plentiful, ranging from pinching fingers to cutting meridians to poisoning eyes¡­¡±


    ¡°What on earth are you talking about that Zhang Lan told you¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan grumbled in her heart.


    She noted down what Mo Hua said.


    Next time she visited the Zhang Family to complain, there would be another ¡°crime¡± to add to Zhang Lan¡¯s list of offenses.


    After that, Instructor Yan said helplessly, ¡°We tried, but none of them worked.¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    ¡°I will think of another way and ask about it. If Zhang Quan says anything, I will tell you,¡± Instructor Yan said.


    ¡°Mhm, thank you, Sister Situ!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and responded.


    After Instructor Yan and Situ Jin left, Mo Hua began to wonder:


    ¡°How can we make Zhang Quan confess?¡±


    He wondered if formations could be used for torture¡­


    Before Mo Hua could think of anything, chaos erupted in South Yue City two nights later.


    The streets were bustling, sprinkled with light from fires.


    There were also noisy shouts from cultivators and dense fluctuations of spiritual power.


    Mo Hua heard the commotion, but he was busy catching zombies in his Sea of Consciousness and couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted, so he didn¡¯t pay it any mind. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next day, Instructor Yan arrived.


    She was injured and looked haggard.


    Mo Hua asked with concern, ¡°Sister Situ, what happened?¡±


    Instructor Yan regretfully said, ¡°Zhang Quan is dead.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Dead?¡±


    Instructor Yan sighed, ¡°Last night at 1 a.m., some cultivators broke into the prison wearing black robes, moving stealthily. By the time the Taoist Court noticed, it was already too late¡­¡±


    The Taoist Court had indeed been negligent in its defense.


    But the main issue was that they never expected someone would dare to break into the Taoist Court¡¯s prison.


    This was defiance against the Taoist Court.


    If caught, there would be severe punishment and consequences for all involved!


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression also grew solemn as he asked:


    ¡°Did they break into the prison to rescue Zhang Quan?¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°If it was to save Zhang Quan, how come he is still dead?¡±


    Instructor Yan explained, ¡°During the chaotic fight, someone stabbed Zhang Quan with a sword. Then they set a fire that burned down half of the Taoist Prison along with Zhang Quan¡¯s body¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Someone stabbed Zhang Quan with a sword¡­ That person must have been at the Foundation Establishment level.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Instructor Yan also frowned deeply, ¡°There were Foundation Establishment level individuals among the prison breakers, the Taoist Court, and other sects and clans that came to support when they heard of the chaos at the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°In the midst of the chaos, no one knows who killed Zhang Quan or who set the fire.¡±


    ¡°This matter¡­ is quite strange,¡± Mo Hua mused.


    Instructor Yan nodded, ¡°I suspect the prison break was a feint, and the real intent was to kill and silence him.¡±


    ¡°What happened to those cultivators who broke into the prison afterward?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Instructor Yan replied with resignation, ¡°They all died as well.¡±


    Mo Hua opened his mouth in surprise, ¡°All of them died?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ not a single survivor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Instructor Yan sighed helplessly, ¡°And it¡¯s not even certain that those dead bandits were actual robbers.¡±


    ¡°Their identities?¡±


    ¡°Still under investigation, but it¡¯s doubtful anything will come of it.¡±


    Mo Hua murmured with furrowed brows, ¡°So, they all died¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, the responsibility of the Taoist Court for this incident must be significant,¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Such a prison break should surely lead to a thorough investigation.


    After contemplating, Instructor Yan shook her head:


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say¡­¡±


    Indeed, two days later, the matter was brushed aside.


    Instructor Yan found Mo Hua, her expression a mixture of anger and helplessness.


    Mo Hua learned the outcome of the incident from Instructor Yan.


    In the report sent to the Taoist Court by Court Leader Qian of South Yue City, it was written:


    ¡°Taoist Calendar year 20,025, beginning of the fourth month¡­


    Unknown black-robed cultivators attempted a prison break, met with swift suppression from the Taoist Court, convict Zhang Quan died, and the bandits were all executed.


    Half of the Taoist Prison was damaged, one enforcement leader killed and ten injured¡­ A request for 2,836 spirit stones for compensation¡­¡±


    Although there had been a prison break, all the bandits died, and so did the convict.


    The Taoist Court paid a price but preserved its dignity.


    On the balance, the positives and negatives canceled each other out.


    Even if an investigation were pursued, there would be nowhere to go, as all were dead¡­


    At most, there would be some minor reprimands.


    Mo Hua was somewhat shocked.


    This was incredibly audacious and meticulous.


    They committed a brazen act like a prison break, but managed to resolve everything both above and below them.


    In the end, a big issue was played down, a small issue disappeared¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned speculative.


    The big fish behind the scenes had surfaced.


    But it had bitten the hook, taken the bait, snapped the line, and slipped away¡­

 Chapter 470 - 470: 459 Corpse Mine_1

    Chapter 470: 459 Chapter Corpse Mine_1


    Zhang Quan had died, leaving no evidence behind.


    The Iron Corpse had been stolen, and any leads had similarly vanished.


    Now, they could only start with the traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    After thinking, Mo Hua ran to ask Instructor Yan:


    ¡°Instructor, do you think that traitor is still in South Yue City?¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s gaze flickered, and he sighed:


    ¡°I¡¯ve searched for a long time and found no clues; perhaps he is no longer here¡­¡±


    But Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Instructor, you lied.¡±


    Instructor Yan was stunned.


    But Mo Hua was certain.


    Unable to resist, Instructor Yan asked, ¡°How do you know I lied?¡±


    ¡°I guessed!¡±


    Mo Hua spoke crisply.


    He looked at Instructor Yan with eyes clear and pure, absent of any impurity.


    With a gaze like Mo Hua¡¯s upon him, Instructor Yan felt he could not hide anything.


    Even guilt sprang up inside him.


    Instructor Yan was silent for a long time, internally struggling, before he finally sighed and said,


    ¡°That person is indeed in South Yue City¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you before because firstly, I didn¡¯t want to involve you, and secondly, it was just my guess. I didn¡¯t have proof, and I couldn¡¯t be sure.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked,


    ¡°Where in South Yue City?¡±


    Instructor Yan frowned, ¡°I guess, at the Lu Family.¡±


    The Lu Family!


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression shifted as he silently pondered.


    The traitor, named Shen Cai, had changed his name and likely his appearance too, lurking in South Yue City, most likely finding a power to attach to.


    It was improbable for him to be a Loose Cultivator.


    Firstly, because the life of a Loose Cultivator was difficult, and he certainly didn¡¯t betray his master to embrace hardship.


    Secondly, as a Formation Master with no ties mingling among Loose Cultivators, he would attract more attention, making his identity even more suspect.


    If not a Loose Cultivator, he had to find a power to rely on.


    If he were to cling to power, it could only be a major one.


    It was cool under a big tree, and with a crowd and various activities, it was easier to settle down.


    There were three major powers in South Yue City. One was the Taoist Court, the second the South Yue Sect, and the third was the Lu Family.


    The Taoist Court cherished origins, and without a clean¡ªor at least superficially clean¡ªidentity, one couldn¡¯t get in;


    The South Yue Sect was a Sect, and the Lu Family was a clan.


    Both of these, relatively speaking, could be infiltrated if you were capable.


    Being an Instructor, an Elder of the Outer Gate or a branch, a Guest Elder, or entering through marriage¡ªthere were many options and the positions were rather prestigious with good benefits.


    Mo Hua had earlier also guessed that if the traitor were hiding, he was either in the South Yue Sect or the Lu Family.


    But he was uncertain.


    And Instructor Yan also guessed the traitor was at the Lu Family¡­


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Why do you think he is in the Lu Family?¡±


    Instructor Yan said, ¡°You were right, previously¡­ I did lie to you once¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the traitor¡¯s Formation handwriting in South Yue City, when I told you I couldn¡¯t trace the origin of the Formation, I lied¡­¡±


    ¡°I have traced it¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s expression was somber, ¡°This Formation, it originates from the Lu Family.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s also that mine, the aura of the Formation within it is familiar yet obscure, carrying some malevolence¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess the Formation used in that mine is the Spiritual Pivot Formation.¡±


    ¡°That mine also belongs to the Lu Family.¡±


    ¡°I too suspected the Lu Family, and is why I rented a house near the mine, hoping to gather some information and find clues about the traitor¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan was somewhat helpless, ¡°But unexpectedly, I encountered Zhang Quan, got held hostage by him, and was trapped in the Corpse Walking Stronghold¡­¡±


    ¡°And you know the rest of the story¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan told everything.


    Mo Hua slowly nodded, ¡°Having said this, the biggest suspicion indeed falls on the Lu Family.¡±


    Instructor Yan also nodded slightly, then his expression grew dejected:


    ¡°The Lu Family¡¯s influence is too great, possessing several mines, with multiple Foundation Establishment Cultivators, operating brothels, gambling dens, taverns, owning most of the thriving Jinhua Street, ins deeply intertwined relationships within South Yue City¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the capability to investigate the Lu Family, even if I managed to get to the bottom of it, I fear that¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan sighed deeply.


    Mo Hua knew Instructor Yan¡¯s predicaments.


    With the Lu Family being such a significant local force, Instructor Yan, being an outsider and a Formation Master, couldn¡¯t do much.


    Even if he gained insights, Instructor Yan wasn¡¯t adept in Taoist Skills and couldn¡¯t take much action.


    If he were to report it to the Taoist Court, claiming someone from the Lu Family had betrayed their master,


    it was likely that Instructor Yan himself would be the one arrested.


    Mo Hua then comforted Instructor Yan saying:


    ¡°Instructor, Manager Mo was right, you should consider settling down yourself, find a Dao companion, and lead a peaceful and happy life.¡±


    Instructor Yan paused, somewhat helpless.


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°Good and evil will be repaid, who knows, maybe that person might just drop dead someday?¡±


    ¡°For these days, just stay here at ease, drink tea with Mr. Zhuang, chat, talk about formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Let the other matters take their natural course, don¡¯t lay it too much to heart.¡±


    Although he said this, Instructor Yan¡¯s dilemma was certainly not so easily resolved.


    But hearing Mo Hua¡¯s words, Instructor Yan¡¯s heart still felt somewhat warm.


    After all these years, he had been somber and somewhat aloof.


    It was rare for him to feel someone else¡¯s care.


    But then Instructor Yan realized something was off and suspiciously looked at Mo Hua, ¡°Are you¡­ planning to do something?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and shook his head:


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    What he planned to do, he couldn¡¯t tell Instructor Yan just yet.


    Later, he changed the subject and chatted briefly with Instructor Yan before running off to the Taoist Court to find Situ Fang.


    Speaking in the Taoist Court was inconvenient, so they found a secluded teahouse.


    Mo Hua lowered his voice and asked:


    ¡°Sister Situ, has your Court Leader ever accepted bribes from South Yue Sect?¡±


    Situ Fang was startled, thought for a moment, and nodded.


    ¡°And has he received bribes from the Lu Family?¡±


    Situ Fang nodded again.


    Mo Hua fell silent, then asked in a different way:


    ¡°Is there any sect or family within South Yue City that has not bribed him?¡±


    Situ Fang hesitated:


    ¡°There might be some, but such forces are likely already gone¡­¡±


    Mo Hua found it hard to believe, ¡°He¡¯s that greedy?¡±


    Situ Fang tactfully said, ¡°After all, he is my immediate Court Leader, and I shouldn¡¯t really discuss his rights and wrongs.¡±


    Mo Hua understood.


    It meant that his greed was beyond words.


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°He¡¯s so greedy, and no one handles him?¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Situ Fang coughed twice, and then whispered:


    ¡°The Taoist Court has power, and with power comes greed, it¡¯s just a matter of how much.¡±


    ¡°There are those who aren¡¯t greedy, but they are few and far between.¡±


    ¡°Power and money coexist.¡±


    ¡°As long as you have power, people will naturally bring Spirit Stones to you, even doing so without you lifting a finger.¡±


    ¡°And when you have Spirit Stones, you can naturally use them to exchange for power¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then looked puzzled:


    ¡°Sister Situ, your tone, why does it sound so much like Uncle Zhang Lan¡­¡±


    Situ Fang showed some disdain, ¡°That¡¯s what he told me.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Situ Fang sighed, ¡°He was afraid I was too honest, too naive, so when I first became a Supervisor, he told me all this.¡±


    Situ Fang initially didn¡¯t believe it.


    But after becoming a Supervisor and seeing more of what happens, she had to believe it.


    Mo Hua pondered for a while, then asked again:


    ¡°Which family has bribed Court Leader Qian the most?¡±


    ¡°That would definitely be the Lu Family.¡±


    ¡°Is the Lu Family the richest?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Situ Fang nodded and sighed:


    ¡°Most of South Yue City¡¯s mines are owned by the Lu Family, and most of the Mining Cultivators in South Yue City work for them, how could they not be rich?¡±


    Probably left out one line: Most of the Taoist Court in South Yue City might have been bought by the Lu Family¡­


    Mo Hua mused internally.


    Situ Fang glanced at Mo Hua, furrowed her brow, and suddenly cautioned:


    ¡°Don¡¯t go against the Lu Family¡­¡±


    ¡°The mighty dragon does not suppress the local snake. The Lu Family has a vast influence, deep connections, and complex relationships. Unless the Taoist Court intervenes, such local powers, even if they commit many misdeeds, could cover up everything completely with the help of the local Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t remove the roots by cutting the grass¡­¡±


    Their Situ Family, having arrived in South Yue City, also acted according to the rules.


    There were occasional conflicts of interest, but they wouldn¡¯t tear each other apart.


    The problems in South Yue City are deeply entrenched.


    They were not something the Situ Family could resolve just because they wanted to.


    Moreover, Situ Fang was just a Supervisor.


    Situ Fang and Mo Hua had a deep friendship and she feared he was unaware of the stakes, acting impulsively with his passion, and might not be able to extricate himself later.


    Mo Hua nodded and chuckled:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m aware.¡±


    Having confirmed the relationship between the Lu Family and the Taoist Court, Mo Hua visited the Lu Family¡¯s mine again.


    On the surface, the Lu Family¡¯s mine was as noisy and busy as ever.


    But Mo Hua noticed that the formations around had changed.


    The formations were more complete, and the guards were more strict.


    Many Expose Dust Formations were laid around the perimeter of the mine, and at the gate, even an Expose Shadow Formation was set¡­


    These formations seemed as if they were set against him¡­


    Meanwhile, the Cultivators guarding the mine had also changed.


    That Cultivator from the Lu Family named Lu Ming, was transferred away.


    The foundation establishments for the Lu Family in charge of the mine were increased to two.


    They no longer had beautiful maids fanning them, nor delicacies and fine wines, but sat quietly in meditation, their expressions solemn. Occasionally, they even released their Divine Sense to scan around as if they were guarding against something.


    ¡°Very problematic¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered internally.


    With Foundation Establishment, Expose Dust Formation, and Expose Shadow Formation, it was not easy to sneak in anymore.


    Mo Hua planned to check it out at night.


    But at night, those two Foundation Establishments were still there.


    Mo Hua swept his Divine Sense around and could even spot many Lu Family Cultivators hidden in various corners.


    There was no mining at night, yet their guard was tighter.


    They didn¡¯t give Mo Hua any chance.


    ¡°The problem is quite serious¡­¡±


    Mo Hua simply waited outside until midnight.


    Only around 1 p.m. did some noise finally come from inside the mine.


    A chilly aura wafted toward him.


    But unlike before, these noises were very subtle.


    The aura inside was also weak, hard to detect.


    It seemed deliberately contained, or perhaps, entirely concealed by some formation or other.


    It was starkly different from the dense, sinister, and heart-throbbing sensation Mo Hua had felt before.


    Now the mine¡¯s aura was weak, the noises slight.


    Even ordinary Cultivators passing by might not notice anything unusual about the mine.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew solemn.


    He sat down cross-legged, released his Divine Sense, and intently sensed the aura of the mine.


    A moment later, Mo Hua opened his eyes, confident in his heart.


    His guess was right.


    The aura inside the mine was that of zombies!


    He hadn¡¯t been sure before.


    But after dealing with Zhang Quan, going to the Corpse Walking Stronghold, snatching the Corpse Controlling Bell, seizing the ¡°Zombie Image,¡± and even ¡°eating¡± a few zombies.


    Mo Hua was now very familiar.


    That Death Qi was the Corpse Qi from a zombie¡¯s body.


    That rotting smell was the putrid stench from a Walking Corpse.


    The sinister formation was exactly the Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation painted on the zombies.


    Previously, the overwhelming aura that caused one¡¯s heart to thrill was because this mine contained countless, innumerable zombies!


    This mine of the Lu Family was a Corpse Mine!

 Chapter 471 - 460: The Lu Family_1

    Chapter 471: Chapter 460: The Lu Family_1 S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The ore from the Lu Family was from a Corpse Mine, which concealed zombies.


    The five Mining Cultivators who had disappeared earlier had met with a gruesome death, eaten by the zombies in the mines.


    Zhang Quan killed people, bought corpses, refined zombies, and delivered the refined zombies to the Lu Family.


    And the Lu Family hid these zombies in the mines.


    They also laid down a tight Formation, sealing the zombies away so that no one would notice them.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    What exactly did the Lu Family want to do?


    And what exactly was the identity of that traitor within the Lu Family?


    Mo Hua glanced at the tightly guarded mine.


    To mobilize so much manpower and resources, to set up a Formation, to guard the mine, that traitor in the Lu Family must at least be a real power-holding Elder, or perhaps a revered Guest Elder.


    As long as that traitor was pulled out, everything would be resolved easily.


    ¡°But who could this traitor be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had no leads for the moment and kept thinking about it after returning.


    Even during meals, he was somewhat distracted, daydreaming while eating.


    Bai Zixi nudged him with her elbow and said softly,


    ¡°Eat your food properly.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua came back to his senses and nodded.


    Bai Zisheng then leaned in and asked quietly,


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Mo Hua looked up at Mr. Zhuang, saw that Mr. Zhuang was drinking on his own without bothering to listen to their whispers, and then also spoke softly,


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the Lu Family¡¯s matter.¡±


    ¡°What matter?¡± Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, but feeling that there was no need to hide it, he told Bai Zisheng about the traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, the Lu Family¡¯s mines, and the cultivation of zombies.


    Bai Zisheng smacked his lips, ¡°I told you, the Lu Family is no good.¡±


    Then his brows furrowed again, doubting himself,


    ¡°Our Bai Family wouldn¡¯t also¡­ ¡±


    Bai Zixi said helplessly, ¡°The Bai Family was established on military achievements.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was stunned, then heaved a sigh of relief.


    Well, military achievements were still acceptable¡­


    That meant earning them through legitimate combat on the battlefield.


    Bai Zisheng then asked Mo Hua, ¡°What do you plan to do?¡±


    ¡°I want to find the traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect hidden within the Lu Family.¡±


    Mo Hua mused, ¡°The complete Spiritual Pivot Formation must be in his possession; the one who bought the zombies from Zhang Quan is probably him; the one directing the Lu Family to hoard zombies and establish the Corpse Mine should still be him¡­¡±


    ¡°Need help?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was eager to try.


    Bai Zixi also looked at Mo Hua, the implication clear.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then nodded,


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    It takes a good fence to make good stakes, just like it takes good comrades to support a hero.


    He indeed couldn¡¯t handle this matter alone; with the help of his Junior Brother and Junior Sister, it should go much smoother.


    Mr. Zhuang, drinking his wine, glanced at his three little disciples huddled together, murmuring and discussing something, his expression somewhat gratified.


    Then, a hint of nostalgia arose in his heart.


    For a moment, he even saw his three little disciples from years past, gathered together, cultivating and playing.


    But in the blink of an eye, all was gone, like smoke dissipated.


    Time flies, things change, and people change.


    Mr. Zhuang looked melancholic and let out a slight sigh¡­


    ¡­


    After the meal, the three of Mo Hua set out separately to gather information about the Lu Family.


    Mo Hua first went to find the Housing agency workers.


    That is, the articulate and seemingly clever Housing agency worker who sold the cave dwelling to him.


    When that Housing agency worker saw Mo Hua, his expression was respectful but tinged with a bit of fear.


    The Housing agency worker was a bit troubled when Mo Hua mentioned his name,


    ¡°Young gentleman, how about you choose someone else?¡±


    Mo Hua wondered, ¡°Why?¡±


    The Housing agency worker chuckled nervously.


    Last time he took Mo Hua to see the cave dwelling, Mo Hua¡¯s keen eyes found more than a dozen flaws, declared the Formation worthless, and cut the price almost in half.


    Now, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s clear yet somewhat profound gaze, he felt a bit intimidated.


    Although Mr. Zheng didn¡¯t blame him for this, it still made it impossible for him to lift his head in front of his colleagues.


    Now they had given him the nickname ¡°Half-Cutter.¡±


    It meant that when negotiating with him, one should start by cutting the price in half.


    The Housing agency worker thus declined politely, ¡°My abilities are insufficient, I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    Mo Hua slipped two Spirit Stones into his hand and consoled,


    ¡°I¡¯m just looking around, not buying.¡±


    The two Spirit Stones warmed the Housing agency worker¡¯s heart.


    The Housing agency worker hesitated for a moment but then anticipated, ¡°You¡¯re really just looking and not buying?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm,¡± Mo Hua answered sincerely, with an innocent look.


    The Housing agency worker couldn¡¯t resist Mo Hua, and of course, he couldn¡¯t resist the Spirit Stones in his hand either.


    Besides, Mo Hua had said he wasn¡¯t going to buy anything.


    Not buying was good.


    If he wasn¡¯t buying, he wouldn¡¯t haggle the price¡­


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The Housing agency worker agreed cheerfully.


    So, he took the lead, guiding Mo Hua through North Street in South Yue City, strolling among some houses.


    These houses were all part of the Lu Family¡¯s estate.


    Mo Hua also took the opportunity to inquire about some news concerning the Lu Family.


    As he was asking, the housing agency worker began to sense that something was wrong.


    But he didn¡¯t dare to ask directly, so he could only hint subtly,


    ¡°Young gentleman, are you, by any chance, holding a grudge against the Lu Family?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no grudge¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pretended to be somewhat embarrassed, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ the Lu Family Head wants me to marry a girl from the Lu Family, and I¡­ I¡¯m unfamiliar with this place, so I just wanted to discreetly inquire about the Lu Family¡¯s situation¡­¡±


    Marry a girl from the Lu Family?


    Marry into the family?


    The housing agency worker¡¯s expression showed both admiration and pity.


    For the Lu Family Head to personally speak out and propose a marriage, this young gentleman must really be something.


    But what a pity that it¡¯s just about marrying into the family.


    In this day and age, which competent cultivator would be willing to marry into a family?


    The housing agency worker actually held Mo Hua in some esteem.


    Although Mo Hua had hurt him deeply when it came to bargaining.


    The housing agency worker wrestled with his thoughts for a moment before advising,


    ¡°Young gentleman, these words may not be pleasant to hear, but the Lu Family¡­ is not exactly a good place. If you intend to join the Lu Family, it¡¯s better to be cautious¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze flickered, then he sighed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t really want to, but¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face turned slightly red, ¡°The young lady from the Lu Family is truly¡­ quite beautiful.¡±


    The housing agency worker was stunned, then he frowned and nodded.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Being beautiful is unquestionably a solid reason.


    For the sake of a pretty girl he fancies, marry into the family then.


    Mo Hua appeared na?ve and innocent.


    The housing agency worker did not doubt his sincerity.


    He even became more enthusiastic; now, without Mo Hua asking, he spilled everything he knew about the Lu Family as if pouring beans out of a bamboo tube.


    ¡°The most powerful person in the Lu Family is the family head. It is said he has already reached the Qi Foundation Middle Stage¡­¡±


    ¡°Below the family head, there are some elders with real power. One or two at the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, while the rest are mostly at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, all considered to be the family head¡¯s confidants and part of the main Lu lineage¡­¡±


    ¡°If you were to marry into the family, you should choose among these branches¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best to pick one related to the Lu Family Head. That way, you¡¯ll be favored by the family head, and your future will be brighter.¡±


    ¡°Besides them, there are also some guest elders.¡±


    ¡°They hold an aloof status, with varying degrees of power, mostly tied by blood or marriage to other clans or sects.¡±


    ¡°Of course, among these guest elders, there are some who keep a low profile and stay out of the public eye.¡±


    ¡°If you have a good eye and can form a marriage alliance with one of them, and marry under their name, you might find an unexpected fortune, inheriting some top-secret legacies.¡±


    ¡°Below the powerful elders, there are some ordinary elders.¡±


    ¡°The regular, powerless elders; members of side branches with only a thin blood connection; fringe guest elders; supporters without much ability, and so on.¡±


    ¡°These are not worth attaching yourself to¡­¡±


    ¡°Especially for a young gentleman such as yourself, a Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The housing agency worker paused, then added, ¡°Unless it¡¯s their younger female cultivators of exceptional beauty, capable of toppling empires and cities; that¡¯s a different story.¡±


    After pondering for a while, the housing agency worker advised,


    ¡°Even so, in my opinion, it¡¯s still better not to marry into any family.¡±


    ¡°Beauty cannot fill the stomach, and you shouldn¡¯t lose your way over it¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re to marry into a family, do it for power and benefits, and don¡¯t act impulsively based only on looks¡­¡±


    The housing agency worker spoke eloquently and sensibly.


    Suddenly he looked at Mo Hua, feeling it was a shame, and asked:


    ¡°Young gentleman, have you considered your Junior Sister?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Consider what?¡±


    ¡°Marrying, of course.¡±


    At this, Mo Hua¡¯s face truly reddened, his expression slightly irked, he said indignantly:


    ¡°She is my Junior Sister!¡±


    The housing agency worker mumbled to himself, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a Junior Sister, isn¡¯t she the best match¡­¡±


    Raised in the same sect, childhood sweethearts.


    And she is indeed very beautiful.


    Both dignified and lovely.


    Together, they looked like a match made in heaven, one with fine features and clear eyes, the other with bright eyes and white teeth, like a golden boy and a jade girl.


    But these words were only muttered internally.


    Afterward, Mo Hua asked about some other things related to the Lu Family, and even jotted down the elders, guest elders, and supporters he had learned about on a piece of paper.


    He planned to go back and scrutinize who was most likely to be the traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    The housing agency worker thought Mo Hua was pondering the marriage proposal and was filled with regret.


    Latter, Mo Hua went to the Nanyue Inn to find Qinglan.


    After the incident at the Hundred Flower Tower, Situ Fang asked the female brothel keeper for Qinglan¡¯s deed of sale and took her out, settling her into the inn.


    Qinglan helped with cleaning and cooking at the inn, becoming independent.


    She came from a poor Miner Cultivator background, down-to-earth and hard-working. Having left the Hundred Flower Tower and no longer having to ingratiate herself or serve others sexually, her spirit improved greatly.


    When she saw Mo Hua, Qinglan was both grateful and happy.


    She personally brewed tea and served pastries for Mo Hua to enjoy.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Sister Qinglan, may I ask you some questions? About the Lu Family.¡±


    Qinglan was slightly taken aback, then nodded and replied:


    ¡°Sure, you can ask. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua started asking questions beginning with Jinhua Street.


    Having spent a lot of time on Jinhua Street and having encountered many cultivators, Qinglan must have heard plenty of news.


    Qinglan pondered for a while, then slowly began to speak:


    ¡°The matters of Jinhua Street have to start with the now deceased Lu Family Old Ancestor¡­¡±

 Chapter 472 - 461 Capitalist Lu_1

    Chapter 472: Chapter 461 Capitalist Lu_1


    ¡°The Lu Family Old Ancestor, who went by the nickname ¡®Capitalist Lu¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Capitalist Lu?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled.


    Qinglan nodded, ¡°It means that he is greedy and selfish, extracting from mining cultivators ruthlessly as if he¡¯s peeling off their skin.¡±


    Qinglan sighed, ¡°This is what my parents told me¡­ when they were still alive¡­¡±


    ¡°At that time, I was young and took it as nothing more than a story, not understanding the heartache behind it¡­¡±


    ¡°It is said that several hundred years ago, the Lu Family was just an ordinary clan, owning a few mines, neither too powerful nor too weak, holding a position in South Yue City. But there were several other families more influential than the Lu Family, so the Lu Family wasn¡¯t much¡­¡±


    ¡°Until the Lu Family Old Ancestor came into power.¡±


    ¡°After he came into power, he collaborated with several other mining families to formulate the Spirit Pact, advancing and retreating together, collectively suppressing the compensation of the mining cultivators.¡±


    ¡°It used to be one five-part Spirit Stone per day¡­¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family established rules and nitpicked flaws, leading to the mining cultivators receiving fewer and fewer Spirit Stones, gradually depressing it to three parts, one part, and eventually only one Spirit Stone per day¡­¡±


    ¡°The mining cultivators¡¯ lives became even harder¡­¡±


    ¡°But the Lu Family earned more Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Having earned Spirit Stones, they then wanted to indulge in pleasure.¡±


    ¡°South Yue City was desolate with few places for entertainment, so the Lu Family Old Ancestor thought of building his own¡­¡±


    ¡°Thus Jinhua Street came into being.¡±


    ¡°Capitalist Lu, also known as the Lu Family Old Ancestor, dabbled in eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, so the gambling dens and brothels in Jinhua Street had everything one could wish for.¡±


    ¡°This is how they squandered the Spirit Stones earned through the life-risking work of the mining cultivators in the gambling dens and brothels¡­¡±


    The thought of her parents working hard to their deaths from starvation brought Qinglan to tears, her fingers turning white from clenching them so tightly.


    Mo Hua also frowned deeply as he listened.


    Qinglan composed herself, eyes red, and continued:


    ¡°Opening Jinhua Street, getting food and drinks, setting up gambling dens were easy¡­¡±


    ¡°But to open a brothel, they lacked girls.¡±


    ¡°The women of the families would never do such a thing; they wouldn¡¯t sell themselves in brothels, at least not openly.¡±


    ¡°So the Lu Family set their sights on the mining cultivators.¡±


    ¡°They mistreated the mining cultivators, didn¡¯t fix the Formations, didn¡¯t cleanse the Filthy Qi, and the Spiritual Artifacts for mining were also old and worn, all for the sake of causing injuries to the mining cultivators, or even their deaths.¡±


    ¡°Injuries need to be treated, and the dead need to be buried, all requiring Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Without Spirit Stones, they could only borrow.¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family then lent money at high interest rates, making the mining cultivators incur heavy debts of Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°When the mining cultivators couldn¡¯t repay their debts, they had no choice but to use their children to offset the debt, selling them to the Lu Family.¡±


    ¡°Boys would be made servants or attendants.¡±


    ¡°Girls were thrown into brothels, dressed up, and sent to¡­ entertain clients¡­¡±


    Qinglan found it difficult to continue, as tears welled up in her eyes again.


    Mo Hua felt a touch of heartache as well.


    He had not anticipated that the bustling prosperity of Jinhua Street was built on the suffering of the mining cultivators.


    The women of the brothels look joyous and smiling, yet beneath their fa?ades flow tears of blood.


    The harder the mining cultivators¡¯ lives, the more extravagant Jinhua Street became.


    Mo Hua asked again, ¡°Do the other families do these things too?¡±


    Qinglan nodded and then shook her head, ¡°At first, the Lu Family and a few other families did it together¡­¡±


    ¡°But the other families weren¡¯t as ruthless as the Lu Family, not as extreme in their methods, and gradually, they were either absorbed or had to sell their mines to the Lu Family and move to other cities¡­¡±


    ¡°Gradually, the Lu Family became the sole power in South Yue City¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned and said, ¡°Such actions by the Lu Family, they must have violated the Taoist Laws, hasn¡¯t the Taoist Court ever intervened?¡±


    Qinglan nodded, ¡°They did, but to no avail.¡±


    ¡°The previous Court Leader, who hated evil as if it was his enemy, simply couldn¡¯t compete with the Lu Family.¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family bribed the right people, and had him transferred away.¡±


    ¡°The successors at first made a show of action, but after frequenting the Lu Family brothels for several days and receiving a few chests of Spirit Stones, they ended up in collusion with the Lu Family.¡±


    Mo Hua understood. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This Court Leader must be the current Court Leader Qian.


    In league with the Lu Family.


    Mo Hua remembered something else and asked, ¡°Has the Lu Family Old Ancestor passed away?¡±


    Qinglan nodded, her expression somewhat pleased, ¡°Dead!¡±


    ¡°It is said that he committed too many evils and indulged in his pleasures without restraint, which bred wicked thoughts, leading to a mishap during his cultivation and he died after living more than two hundred years.¡±


    ¡°On the day he died, the mining cultivators took their money for food and bought fireworks instead, setting them off for the whole day¡­¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family couldn¡¯t stop it.¡±


    This old bastard had a fitting end, dying amidst such clamor¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    But having lived more than two hundred years before dying was already letting him off lightly.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°After the Lu Family Old Ancestor passed away, was it Lu Chengyun who became the next Family Head?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Qinglan nodded.


    ¡°Is Lu Chengyun bad?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Qinglan furrowed her brows, pondered for a while, and then said:


    ¡°So-so, I suppose. Not particularly good, but compared to other members of the Lu Family, he could be considered a ¡®good person¡¯.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t so harsh on the Mining Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°If a Mining Cultivator died, he would still have the Lu Family compensate with Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Many things weren¡¯t as excessive as the Lu Family Old Ancestor.¡±


    ¡°Although life was still hard for the Mining Cultivators, since they had always been suffering, they were used to it, so not many people cursed him.¡±


    ¡°Unlike the Lu Family Old Ancestor¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    This was almost identical to his impression.


    Lu Chengyun was gentle and refined, but his schemes ran deep, taking the Lu Family¡¯s interests as a guideline, acting stably without going too far, yet he would not forsake the benefits of the family mines to treat the Mining Cultivators kindly.


    Mo Hua asked further, ¡°Sister Qinglan, have you ever seen the Elders of the Lu Family in the Hundred Flower Tower?¡±


    Qinglan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve seen a few.¡±


    ¡°Do you think among them, is there anyone particularly suspicious?¡±


    Qinglan frowned slightly, ¡°What kind of suspicious?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°Someone who understands Formations but doesn¡¯t seem like a person from the Lu Family, or someone who sneaks around, with a different way of doing bad things than others¡­¡±


    After pondering for a while, Qinglan shook her head:


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, I¡¯ve only looked from a distance and haven¡¯t really interacted with them.¡±


    Then she added, ¡°But since you mentioned suspicious, that Elder from the South Yue Sect who brought you here last time is actually quite suspicious¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°The South Yue Sect? Elder Su?¡±


    ¡°Mhm mhm.¡± Qinglan nodded, ¡°His surname is Su.¡±


    Mo Hua asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s suspicious about him?¡±


    Qinglan said with puzzlement, ¡°He clearly is a regular, yet he insists on pretending to be unfamiliar, isn¡¯t that very suspicious?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shifted as he asked softly:


    ¡°Is Elder Su a regular of the Hundred Flower Tower?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he used to come often, almost treating the Hundred Flower Tower as his own home¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was astonished.


    He guessed Elder Su was familiar, but he hadn¡¯t thought Elder Su would be THAT familiar¡­


    Truly¡­ appearances can be deceiving.


    Qinglan glanced at Mo Hua and seemed conflicted, hesitating for a moment before finally lowering her voice and saying:


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you this, and you mustn¡¯t tell anyone else¡­¡±


    Curious, Mo Hua quickly nodded.


    Leaning closer, Qinglan whispered:


    ¡°That Elder Su, he once had a close relationship with Sister Shuixian in the building. He even wanted to buy her freedom at one point.¡±


    ¡°Later I heard that Sister Shuixian¡­ was even pregnant with Elder Su¡¯s child¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth wide.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Elder Su to have such a ¡°romantic affair¡±.


    ¡°What about the child?¡±


    Qinglan shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What about Shuixian?¡±


    Qinglan sighed, ¡°She died.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    Qinglan felt regretful and a bit sad, ¡°Sister Shuixian was a good person, beautiful, skilled with her hands, and treated people kindly¡­¡±


    ¡°But somehow, she ended up dead.¡±


    ¡°It seemed Elder Su was heartbroken for a while, wanted to investigate something, but in the end, it led nowhere¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s likely that nothing was discovered.¡±


    Qinglan lowered her head, ¡°People like us, our lives are cheap, dead is dead, the Taoist Court won¡¯t care, the Lu Family don¡¯t mind, and the brothel keepers will just regret losing a body that could earn Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Whether we live or die, they don¡¯t take it to heart, and in this world, no one will take it to heart¡­¡±


    Qinglan¡¯s voice got lower and lower, and her expression increasingly forlorn.


    Mo Hua felt a discomfort in his heart as well.


    Qinglan kept her head down. After a long while, seeing that Mo Hua also seemed downcast, she was startled, wiped away her tears, and said with a smile:


    ¡°Young master, forgive me, I shouldn¡¯t have talked about these things.¡±


    After saying that, she expressed her gratitude:


    ¡°Without the young master, I probably couldn¡¯t have escaped this abyss of misery¡­¡±


    ¡°I might still be in the Hundred Flower Tower, forcing a smile, serving men with my body, and then one day, dying without knowing it¡­¡±


    ¡°Now I need not care about other people¡¯s opinions, I can support myself, which is already better than anything else.¡±


    Qinglan¡¯s gaze was frank, her tone sincere.


    Though her eyes were red, her gaze was very determined.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat relieved in his heart.


    After leaving the inn, Mo Hua walked on the street.


    Looking south, there were the mines.


    Looking north, there was the resplendent Lu Family residence, and come nightfall, Jinhua Street would light up, a world of glitz and debauchery.


    Mining Cultivators toiled for them, their children became slaves and courtesans for their pleasure, tools for earning Spirit Stones.


    They also became bargaining chips for bribing the Taoist Court officials and wooing other powers.


    A cold light flickered faintly in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 473 - 462 Clues_1

    Chapter 473: Chapter 462 Clues_1


    Mo Hua finished gathering information and returned to the cave abode of the four disciples and their master.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi had also come back, and they shared the clues they had discovered with Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng had visited the bustling places like the market towns, teahouses, and restaurants, where he mostly heard about the Lu Family¡¯s misdeeds and scandals.


    Bai Zixi, on the other hand, had visited some female cultivators and cultivator¡¯s wives in South Yue City, and she mostly learned about the Lu Family¡¯s gossip and rumors.


    Mo Hua began to summarize the information and then listed the suspects.


    And he calculated, within the Lu Family, who was most likely to be the traitor?


    But the Lu Family was large, and the clan relationships were complicated and intertwined, making them difficult to investigate in a short time.


    There were not only native elders of the clan but also guest elders from outside.


    Some of the clan¡¯s native elders were not actually considered part of the clan, while some external guest elders might be distantly related by marriage¡­


    Mo Hua looked at the bewildering array of relationships and couldn¡¯t help saying,


    ¡°This is so chaotic¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s how clans are, the larger the family, the more complex the bloodlines, interpersonal relationships, and affections¡­¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family is still manageable, but if it were our Bai Family, it would be even more complicated.¡±


    ¡°Even during festivals and holidays, the rituals and gift-giving involved a whole lot of etiquette.¡±


    Mo Hua felt tired just listening and shook his head helplessly.


    Bai Zisheng glanced at the pile of Lu Family relationships in front of him and asked, sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Do you have the Lu Family¡¯s genealogy? If you have their genealogy, it would be clearer to understand. Otherwise, it would be just a wild guess regarding who is related to whom, who was born to whom, and who shares the same father¡­¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family genealogy¡­ Outsiders should not be able to get their hands on something like that¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, then suddenly paused.


    He remembered that the Family Head of the Lu Family, Lu Chengyun, seemed to have given him a special ¡°genealogy¡±.


    It was a genealogy that Lu Chengyun had secretly given to Mo Hua in an attempt to lure him into marrying into the family.


    Mo Hua opened his Storage Bag and searched through a pile of Formation Books and Formation Diagrams before he found the ¡°genealogy.¡±


    Bai Zisheng exclaimed in surprise, ¡°You actually have it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°it¡¯s only a part of it, but it might help us sort things out.¡±


    Mo Hua spread out the genealogy.


    The three of them gathered close together and looked at it.


    As they examined it, Bai Zixi realized something was amiss and looked up at Mo Hua with puzzled eyes, saying,


    ¡°Why does this genealogy only list young girls?¡±


    Bai Zisheng also nodded in agreement, ¡°And they all seem rather beautiful¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face turned slightly red, ¡°Lu Chengyun gave it to me; I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze became skeptical, ¡°Really didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Bai Zixi scanned Mo Hua¡¯s face, saw the honest look in his eyes as he met her gaze, and slightly nodded, not pursuing the matter further.


    For some reason, Mo Hua felt relieved.


    Afterward, the three began sorting through the relationships within the Lu Family.


    This genealogy was quite simple, only introducing the main lineage, collateral branches, and other women related to the Lu Family, detailing their blood relations and degrees of closeness.


    It also included portraits of the women.


    At the same time, it briefly introduced their Spiritual Roots and talents.


    These details would likely be considered family secrets.


    Had Mo Hua¡¯s talent for formations not been so exceptional, already achieving the rank of a first-grade Formation Master at a young age,


    Lu Chengyun would probably never have given him this genealogy.


    The genealogy was not complete; it only contained part of the Lu Family¡¯s clan relationships.


    But even this part was enough for the three of them to unravel the thread by thread, simplifying the clan¡¯s relationships among the cultivators.


    From it, Mo Hua eventually isolated five names:


    Lu Huaiyi, Lu Huaisheng, Lu Huaiyi, Pei Cai, and Jiang Long.


    The three with the surname Lu were all men who had married into the family.


    Moreover, each had at least a basic understanding of formations.


    They were quite valued within the Lu Family, wielded real power, and had all managed mines at some point, even occasionally overseeing them to this day.


    Pei Cai and Jiang Long, both with differing surnames,


    one a revered contributor and the other a guest elder,


    both held distinct positions within the Lu Family.


    One had married a woman from the Lu Family but was not considered to have married in,


    while the other taught formations within the family.


    All five appeared very much like the traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Let¡¯s start by thoroughly investigating these five individuals.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both nodded in agreement.


    Thereafter, they spent a month shadowing, following, and inquiring with no significant results.


    Lu Huaiyi, Lu Huaisheng, and Lu Huaiyi, despite the fact they had married into the family, had clear and traceable backgrounds before their marriage.


    There hadn¡¯t been much change in them, either.


    They had been meek before marriage but became arrogant and domineering afterward.


    This type of change was consistent with human nature and was not considered abnormal.


    As for Pei Cai and Jiang Long,


    one practiced cultivation quietly, minding his own business without concerning himself with worldly affairs,


    while the other taught formations by day and enjoyed himself on Jinhua Street at night, corrupted by the Lu Family¡¯s decadence yet indulging willingly.


    These men did not seem like the type to have deep schemes.


    There were no strange or bloody signs to detect.


    Mo Hua grew puzzled, ¡°Could I have guessed wrong?¡±


    In the days that followed, there were no further developments.


    Until this day, Elder Su sent another invitation, asking Mo Hua to have tea.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, felt a slight stirring in his heart, and agreed.


    Elder Su was on good terms with the Lu Family and had a deep relationship with Lu Chengyun.


    Before uncovering the traitor of the Lu Family, it was better to have fewer dealings.


    But with no progress at the moment, Mo Hua thought, why not go have tea with Elder Su and see if any clues might emerge.


    Mo Hua had an inexplicable intuition.


    He felt that Elder Su might be vaguely hiding some critical information.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    Ever since he learned Divine Sense Calculation and used it to deduce Formation principles, occasionally he¡¯d get a premonition that something would emerge within the depths of his mind.


    There was also an indescribable intuition in his heart.


    This intuition was very clear.


    But when he pursued it in detail, there was no thread to follow¡­


    It felt similar to when Mo Hua grasped the Taoist Meaning within Formations.


    It was like touching upon something faintly but separated by mountains and rivers, hazy and elusive, difficult to comprehend.


    Mo Hua remembered Mr. Zhuang once said that all things in heaven and earth converge with the Tao.


    If Formations conform to the Tao, and all things conform to the Tao, do Cultivators¡¯ actions and deeds also conform to the Tao?


    If so, by comprehending the Heavenly Dao, could one perhaps predict the future to a certain extent, attract fortune and avoid disaster?


    Mo Hua believed that Mr. Zhuang occasionally acted in a profoundly unfathomable manner.


    It seemed like a kind of premonition of the Heavenly secret.


    But how could one achieve such a thing?


    Keep studying Formations, keep understanding Formation Principles, keep using Calculation to penetrate the Great Dao?


    To discern the nature of things, predict fortune and misfortune, seek benefits and avoid harm¡­


    If he truly learned it, wouldn¡¯t he become a ¡°little religious con man¡±?


    Mo Hua mulled over it continuously in his heart.


    It wasn¡¯t until he arrived at Su Mansion, took a seat in the pavilion, and sipped Elder Su¡¯s fine tea that he was still somewhat lost in thought and not entirely present.


    Elder Su poured tea thoughtfully and asked, ¡°Young gentleman, are you troubled by something?¡±


    Mo Hua snapped back to reality and nodded, ¡°Just a bit, thinking about something.¡±


    Elder Su nodded in approval:


    ¡°Whether you walk, stand, sit, or lie down, whether you eat or drink, you never forget to ponder and meditate on Formations¡­ it¡¯s no wonder you, at such a young age, possess such profound expertise in Formations. Truly admirable¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt that Elder Su¡¯s praise was a bit awkward.


    And it wasn¡¯t quite right.


    But after all, he was praising him, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to say so outright.


    Moreover, even if the praise was off, being complimented still made him very happy.


    So Mo Hua returned the compliment:


    ¡°Elder Su¡¯s Formation skills are also very impressive! And moreover¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought of a word, saying, ¡°¡­very in tune with life.¡±


    Mo Hua still remembered his dalliances at the brothel, treating Hundred Flower Tower as if it were his home¡­


    But Elder Su, unaware of what Mo Hua was thinking, stroked his beard, exceedingly pleased, and kept insisting:


    ¡°Drink tea, drink tea! This tea is a treasure I¡¯ve kept hidden away for a long time, I wouldn¡¯t offer it to just any guest¡­¡±


    The tea indeed was excellent.


    The two drank for a while, and even when the tea was finished, they still felt a sense of longing.


    Elder Su then asked his disciple to brew another pot.


    The disciple who brewed the tea was the one who always followed Elder Su closely, a youth with a handsome appearance and a certain gentle elegance, though still carrying a touch of youthful stubbornness.


    Having visited frequently, Mo Hua was quite familiar with him.


    But this time, Mo Hua felt he looked even more familiar.


    After the disciple prepared the tea, Elder Su nodded and instructed:


    ¡°Shuisheng, you may leave now.¡±


    Shuisheng?


    Mo Hua was startled.


    He scrutinized the disciple more closely.


    The disciple¡¯s talent for Formation was actually mediocre, and he didn¡¯t show much respect to Elder Su, sometimes even being clumsy, so why did Elder Su always keep him by his side?


    Mo Hua looked at him a few times more.


    It was then he realized that the disciple bore some resemblance to Elder Su¡¯s features, and their Spiritual Power auras seemed to have some connection.


    Shuisheng¡­


    As Shuisheng walked away, Mo Hua continued to stare at his retreating figure.


    Elder Su noticed Mo Hua gazing at his disciple, his eyes growing brighter and brighter, and felt a bit jittery inside.


    ¡°Young gentleman, what¡­ are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking at your young disciple.¡±


    Elder Su laughed awkwardly:


    ¡°Just a young disciple, what¡¯s there to see¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently gave Elder Su a glance, then quietly asked:


    ¡°This young disciple, he wouldn¡¯t happen to be your illegitimate son, would he¡­¡±


    Elder Su choked on a mouthful of tea, coughed a few times, and hurriedly feigned composure with a self-deprecating smile: ¡°You jest, young gentleman.¡±


    Mo Hua whispered quietly:


    ¡°Shuixian¡­¡±


    Elder Su¡¯s hands trembled, knocking over his cup, and he looked incredulously at Mo Hua:


    ¡°How¡­ how did you know?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slyly like a little foxs, thinking to himself that it was indeed so.

 Chapter 474 - 463 Shuisheng_1

    Chapter 474: Chapter 463 Shuisheng_1


    Elder Su quickly looked around him.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Elder, rest assured, there¡¯s no one around, even Shuisheng isn¡¯t here¡­¡±


    Only then did Elder Su breathe a sigh of relief. He looked at Mo Hua, wanting to say something but hesitating. He couldn¡¯t understand how Mo Hua knew about Shuixian¡¯s affair.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t mention Qinglan but vaguely said:


    ¡°I heard it by chance at the Hundred Flower Tower.¡±


    Elder Su was startled and then nodded helplessly. Afterward, he seemed somewhat lost in thought.


    The name Shuixian, like a thorn piercing Elder Su¡¯s heart, rid him of his usual easygoing demeanor. He stared blankly, as if immersed in the past, overwhelmed with emotion, unable to extricate himself.


    ¡°Elder Su?¡±


    Mo Hua called out to him.


    Elder Su didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Elder Su!¡±


    Mo Hua raised his voice a notch, and Elder Su finally came back to his senses, his face showing apologetic, ¡°Sorry, I was lost in the past just now, somewhat entranced.¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively:


    ¡°Could you tell me about those past events?¡±


    Elder Su looked at Mo Hua with puzzlement, ¡°Why do you¡­ want to hear about this?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡±


    Elder Su immediately shook his head.


    How could he share his love life, especially one that is so painful to look back on, with a child¡­


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°It has a use for me.¡±


    ¡°What use?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say just yet.¡±


    Elder Su also gave a perfunctory response, ¡°They are all trivial matters of the past, it¡¯s not convenient for me to speak of them.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a while, then said:


    ¡°How about this, if you tell me, consider it a favor owed to you.¡±


    Elder Su chuckled, ¡°What use is a child¡¯s promise of a favor for me¡­ it couldn¡¯t be¡­¡±


    Elder Su stopped mid-sentence, suddenly freezing.


    This favor could be of great use!


    A favor personally promised by a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old First Grade Formation Master!


    Moreover, Mo Hua was serious, there was no sign of jest.


    Although everyone was a First Grade Formation Master and Mo Hua was still in the Qi Refinement stage, while he himself had already achieved Foundation Establishment.


    But precisely because he was in the Qi Refinement stage, this favor was even more precious.


    Qi Refinement First Grade, after a decade or two, who¡¯s to say he wouldn¡¯t be Second Grade?


    Second Rank Formation Masters are rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns in a Second-Grade Prefecture Border.


    Even in a Third-Grade State Boundary, they wouldn¡¯t be considered insignificant.


    Elder Su pondered for a moment, somewhat hesitant.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°It really is a favor, I mean what I say!¡±


    Elder Su was tempted and, after feigning indifference for a while, finally nodded and said:


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Although it was a regrettable part of his past, and perhaps even a tale of amorous exploits, it wasn¡¯t an unspeakable secret.


    Elder Su took a sip of tea, then began to speak slowly, telling Mo Hua everything about Shuixian.


    He included how he met Shuixian, how they fell in love, how he wanted to redeem her from the brothel, and how Shuixian eventually died, leaving behind a child whom he took by his side and named ¡°Shuisheng¡±¡­


    Of course, he omitted some content not suitable for children.


    After finishing his story, Elder Su felt thirsty and took another sip of tea.


    Mo Hua, upon hearing this, said in surprise:


    ¡°Were you and the Lu Family Head visiting brothels together?¡±


    ¡°Shush!¡± Elder Su looked around again before whispering:


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s an old story. Now he¡¯s the Family Head, and you mustn¡¯t talk recklessly about this matter, lest it ruins his reputation.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded, thinking to himself:


    No wonder Elder Su and the Lu Family Head have such a good relationship.


    It turns out they used to visit the Brothel together when they were young.


    After a pause, Mo Hua then asked with some sympathy:


    ¡°How did Sister Shuixian die?¡±


    Elder Su¡¯s expression turned melancholic, and he shook his head:


    ¡°Beauty is often ill-fated, I suppose. Her health was never good, and after suffering at the Hundred Flower Tower, she developed a chronic illness. Later, when she was with me, I had a Pill Master treat her, but it was merely symptomatic treatment¡­¡±


    ¡°During that time, it was also because of me¡­¡±


    ¡°I would say that I wanted to redeem her, but I was also hesitant.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ after all, am an Elder of the South Yue Sect and a Formation Master. Although not boasting of a lofty status, I am indeed a person of some influence in South Yue City.¡±


    ¡°In South Yue City, even clans and sects from other state boundaries have proposed marriage alliances.¡±


    ¡°Those who sought my hand for their daughters were all talented and well-bred, with respectable origins and excellent Spiritual Roots, ensuring that our offspring would be gifted.¡±


    ¡°Compared to them, Shuixian was just¡­¡±


    Elder Su bittered a smile, ¡°Perhaps Shuixian guessed what was on my mind and purposefully distanced herself from me, seemingly reluctant to trouble me.¡±


    ¡°But in her heart, she must have resented me. Whether she hated me, I do not know¡­¡±


    Elder Su sighed deeply.


    ¡°Under the weight of her grievances, her old ailments resurfaced, and then she was gone¡­¡±


    ¡°Back then, I was angry, convinced that Shuixian had been victimized, so I investigated for a long time but ended up finding nothing.¡±


    After a pause, he added, ¡°Later I realized that Shuixian¡­ actually died at my own hands.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid of my own guilt, of regretting and feeling remorseful, so I shifted the blame.¡±


    ¡°I hoped someone had killed Shuixian; then I could hate someone else, avenge her, and alleviate some of my guilt¡­¡±


    ¡°But no one had¡­¡±


    ¡°Her life was like a duckweed, hoping for solace from me.¡±


    ¡°But I broke faith, and so, she drifted away with the wind¡­¡±


    Elder Su¡¯s face bore a thick bitterness. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua felt saddened as well and asked:


    ¡°Throughout these years, haven¡¯t you taken a Dao companion?¡±


    Every time he visited this cave dwelling, aside from one or two maids boiling water and making tea, he hadn¡¯t seen any other female cultivators.


    Elder Su shook his head, saying with resignation:

 Chapter 475 - 463 Shuisheng_2

    Chapter 475: Chapter 463 Shuisheng_2


    ¡°Over these years, I¡¯ve also wanted to marry a Dao companion and forget Shuixian.¡±


    ¡°But people are just cheap¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter what, I can¡¯t forget¡­¡±


    ¡°Thinking of a Dao companion isn¡¯t so bad, but as soon as I do, my heart is filled with the shadow of Shuixian.¡±


    ¡°Later, I came to realize it didn¡¯t matter anymore. I had given all my affection to her in this lifetime. It was owed to her, and upon her death, that affection went with her¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had not expected Elder Su, who used to frequent brothels, to have such a painful and melancholic past.


    He had not expected Elder Su to be such a sentimental person.


    Indeed¡­ one can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.


    Mo Hua patted Elder Su on the shoulder but didn¡¯t say a word, offering silent comfort.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s pat on the shoulder, Elder Su suddenly shivered.


    That¡¯s not right!


    Why had he revealed everything?


    Although he planned to tell Mo Hua his past, he hadn¡¯t intended to divulge all these grievances and sorrows.


    He intended to rot these thoughts in his heart.


    Elder Su took another look at Mo Hua and felt a chill in his heart.


    This child was too deceptive in appearance.


    With an innocent face, friendly and lovable, one is unwittingly compelled to tell the truth.


    Before he knew it, he had poured out his heart¡­


    But what¡¯s done is done, what could he do now?


    Elder Su could only thicken his face and act as if nothing had happened.


    Seeing that Elder Su¡¯s mood had recovered, Mo Hua asked again:


    ¡°So Shuisheng is the child of you and Shuixian?¡±


    Elder Su was taken aback for a moment, then nodded helplessly: ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°After Shuixian¡¯s death, I kept the child by my side as my direct disciple, thinking that with my protection, the child could live safely, learn some formations, and, upon achieving success in his studies, his mother¡¯s spirit in heaven would be consoled¡­¡±


    ¡°When his mother was still pregnant with him, she hoped that he could become a Formation Master like me, to stand out from the crowd¡­¡±


    Elder Su said this, and again, he became somewhat angry.


    ¡°But this child, apart from resembling me a bit, is completely different in all other aspects. His talent for formations is lackluster, he refuses to work hard, is clumsy in his actions, and his temperament is not as gentle as his mother¡¯s¡­¡±


    Elder Su listed a slew of faults before suddenly falling silent again. After a long while, he said despondently:


    ¡°But his brows and eyes, his expressions¡­ they look very much like his mother¡­¡±


    Mo Hua also sighed upon hearing this.


    It¡¯s often after a loss that one learns to cherish.


    Especially when it comes to emotions.


    For a time, both Elder Su and Mo Hua looked somewhat despondent.


    Elder Su¡¯s mood stemmed from memories of the past.


    Mo Hua, young and without any romantic history, was simply making groundless sighs¡­


    Shuisheng walked in and saw the mood was a bit somber, suddenly unsure of what to say.


    After a moment, he finally spoke softly, ¡°Master, the Lu Family Head has arrived.¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family Head?¡±


    Elder Su was startled and quickly looked at Mo Hua, whispering:


    ¡°The things I just told you, you mustn¡¯t speak of them to anyone.¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily puzzled, ¡°What things?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Elder Su gestured to himself and then pointed outside, making a gesture towards the Lu Family Head.


    Mo Hua understood that it was about their joint visits to the brothel.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell!¡± Mo Hua assured.


    Only then did Elder Su feel relieved.


    Before long, Lu Chengyun entered, paid his respects to Elder Su, and then greeted Mo Hua with a refined and genteel manner.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s arrival did not surprise Mo Hua.


    When Elder Su invited him for tea, Lu Chengyun would occasionally come to visit.


    Having seen each other a few times, they were not strangers.


    The group drank tea together, chatted about formations, and then talked about the affairs of the South Yue Sect and the Lu Family.


    Drinking tea was fine, and so was discussing formations.


    But when it came to the internal affairs of the sect and the clan, Mo Hua found it inappropriate to listen in.


    Although he was very interested in eavesdropping, as there might be clues regarding the traitor of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect,


    there were certain basic courtesies to be observed.


    Mo Hua then stood up and said:


    ¡°Lu Family Head, Elder Su, please continue your conversation; I¡¯ll take a walk in the garden.¡±


    Elder Su said, ¡°Young Gentleman, please feel free.¡±


    Since Mo Hua often visited here, he was already quite familiar with the place and thus did not stand on ceremony.


    However, Mo Hua was not here just to stroll around for fun.


    Seeing that Elder Su and the Lu Family Head were engrossed in conversation, he stealthily made his way to Elder Su and Shuixian¡¯s secret child, the disciple known as ¡°Shuisheng.¡±


    Shuisheng was reading a book at a small table by the garden bridge.


    Shuisheng was somewhat older than Mo Hua and also taller.


    Mo Hua quietly approached him and asked,


    ¡°What are you reading?¡±


    Startled, Shuisheng hurriedly put away the book and was about to get angry, but upon seeing it was Mo Hua, he respectfully bowed and said,


    ¡°Young Gentleman.¡±


    Although Mo Hua was young, he was a guest of honor for Elder Su and was treated as an equal.


    Naturally, Shuisheng did not dare to offend him.


    Mo Hua sat next to him and patted the stool, saying, S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    Shuisheng did not dare to sit.


    Mo Hua glanced at him.


    Feeling awkward, Shuisheng then sat down.


    As he did, Mo Hua caught a glimpse of the book in his hands.


    It was a text explaining the basics of the Five Elements Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua was surprised; according to Elder Su, his disciple wasn¡¯t very diligent, and his skills at formations were not good.


    But now it seemed somewhat different.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Do you have any questions about this book?¡±


    Shuisheng was taken aback for a moment, then stuttered,


    ¡°I¡¯m not very good at drawing¡­¡±


    He opened the book and pointed at a few Golden Series Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua glanced at them; they were very basic patterns.


    He then began to explain to him how to draw these patterns, how to use the brush, how to use the ink, what the layout should be, how to wield Divine Sense, and what to do when Divine Sense was insufficient¡­


    As Shuisheng listened, he couldn¡¯t help but gape in awe, looking at Mo Hua with great admiration.


    These issues had troubled him for a long time; he could not figure them out no matter how he tried, but to his surprise, Mo Hua clarified them with just a few words, causing him to have a sudden realization.


    Mo Hua¡¯s inner world, however, remained undisturbed.


    This was, after all, the Five Elements Basic Formation.


    It was a very, very simple technique.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°These things, you¡­¡±


    He was about to say ¡°your dad,¡± but at the last moment he changed his words:


    ¡°¡­didn¡¯t your master explain them to you?¡±


    Shuisheng shook his head, ¡°Master didn¡¯t explain. He thought these were all too simple, the kind of things one would understand with a thought. When I asked him, he would just look at me with disappointment, as if I had failed to meet his expectations¡­¡±


    ¡°Over time, I stopped asking him and tried to figure it out on my own, to learn as much as I could on my own, and to let go of what I could not grasp¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    How could one learn formations like this?


    Elder Su probably had too high expectations for his only son.


    Once they were not met, disappointment would ensue in his heart.


    But people are different.


    Anyone learning formations has different conditions; they must progress step by step, and cannot subject others to harsh criticism because of their own excessive expectations or disappointments.


    Formations are inherently difficult; Elder Su¡¯s excessive expectations born out of his deep love for his son could, in fact, leave Shuisheng feeling at a loss.


    Mo Hua sighed, thinking that since he had drunk Elder Su¡¯s tea and owed him a favor, he then continued to teach Shuisheng for a while.


    A short while later, Shuisheng looked at Mo Hua with even more respect and gratitude.


    Young in age yet with high proficiency in formations, frank in interactions, lacking pretension, and willing to teach him.


    He seemed so much better than his own master¡­


    Shuisheng thought to himself.


    The two of them thus became more familiar with each other.


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua suddenly asked:


    ¡°Shuisheng, do you know who your mother is?¡±


    Shuisheng was taken aback, bowed his head, and nodded slightly.


    ¡°Then do you know who your father is?¡±


    Shuisheng looked at Mo Hua with some surprise and then also slowly nodded.


    Mo Hua felt a stir in his heart.


    It seemed that the boy named Shuisheng knew everything¡­

 Chapter 476 - 464: Secret_1

    Chapter 476: Chapter 464: Secret_1


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°What kind of person was your mother?¡±


    Shuisheng looked somewhat defensive, glanced at Mo Hua, saw his clear eyes and gentle demeanor, no ridicule, no mockery, then he slowly said:


    ¡°My mother, she¡­ she had a low status¡­¡±


    It was somewhat difficult for him to talk about his mother being a woman from the brothel.


    ¡°I know that, born in poverty, she had no choice¡­¡± Mo Hua continued, ¡°What else?¡±


    Shuisheng was caught off guard, then he relaxed, and his face showed a smile mixed with yearning:


    ¡°My mother treated me very well!¡±


    ¡°She made Hundred Flower pastries and crystal pork hocks for me to eat.¡±


    ¡°She had a lovely smile, spoke very gently, liked to stroke my head¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Shuisheng talked about many bits and pieces from life with his mother.


    This might have been his only warm memory from childhood.


    So when Shuisheng spoke of his mother, his face was smiling, innocent and full of longing.


    ¡°And your father?¡±


    The expression on Shuisheng¡¯s face instantly fell, and there was a trace of disdain in his look.


    It was as if his father couldn¡¯t even be compared to his mother.


    ¡°I¡­ my master, he¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t even want to call Elder Su ¡°father.¡±


    Shuisheng said, ¡°He was pretentious¡­¡±


    ¡°He knew everything, but he never told me, thinking I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I actually knew everything, but since he didn¡¯t say anything, I didn¡¯t say anything to him either¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought to himself:


    These two really are father and son¡­


    Both pretending to be confused when they understood everything, each knowing in their heart but refusing to speak.


    ¡°Master also wants me to learn Formation¡­¡±


    Shuisheng looked down and said, ¡°But I¡­ with my low status and no talent, Formation isn¡¯t something people like me should learn¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, Formation is very difficult, and I simply can¡¯t learn it well.¡±


    ¡°Among Master¡¯s disciples, I am the slowest learner, what they know, I don¡¯t; what they understand, I don¡¯t; the Formations they can draw, I can¡¯t draw¡­¡±


    ¡°Master would scold me, the worse I learned, the angrier he became.¡±


    ¡°But he values me highly, always keeps me by his side, the worse I learn, the more effort he puts in.¡±


    ¡°The other disciples, when they look at me, there is envy and rejection in their eyes¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like staying here¡­¡±


    Shuisheng¡¯s expression was somewhat downcast.


    Mo Hua nodded, showing understanding for Shuisheng¡¯s difficulties, and asked:


    ¡°Do you want to learn Formation?¡±


    Shuisheng hesitated for a moment, then nodded, ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me personally, but I want to make my mother happy. Her wish was for me to become a dignified Formation Master like my¡­ master.¡±


    ¡°That way, no matter my background, no one would look down on me.¡±


    ¡°My mother is gone, I can¡¯t see her anymore, but whenever I am learning Formation, whenever I think of becoming a Formation Master, I feel like my mother¡¯s spirit in heaven is silently watching over me, being with me¡­¡±


    Shuisheng choked up a bit, his eyes reddening.


    Mo Hua thought of his own mother as well.


    Even though he was now drifting, unable to eat the meals made by his mother or stay by her side,


    His mother was still waiting for him.


    After his journey, after mastering Formation, he could still go back and see his mother.


    But it was different for Shuisheng; he would never see his mother again in this lifetime¡­


    Mo Hua felt a little emotional, then patted his shoulder, encouragingly saying:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can learn Formation well.¡±


    Shuisheng was grateful and felt undeserving of such encouragement, stammering:


    ¡°I, my talent is too poor¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Su¡¯s talent wasn¡¯t much better than yours,¡± Mo Hua whispered.


    Shuisheng¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°No way¡­ my master is a top-tier Formation Master.¡±


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°You¡¯re father and son, how different could your talents be? If he can become a top-tier Formation Master, surely you can too.¡±


    Shuisheng wouldn¡¯t have believed this statement normally.


    Even among fathers and sons, talents can differ greatly.


    But coming from Mo Hua, who became a top-tier Formation Master in his teens, the credibility suddenly shot up.


    Shuisheng looked forward with some hope, mumbling:


    ¡°I¡­ can I really become a top-tier Formation Master?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes, but your foundations are weak, you need to work harder, take more time¡­¡±


    ¡°If not in twenty years, then in thirty years; if thirty years are not enough, then fifty years; if not in fifty, then a hundred years¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as you stay focused and keep going, you will definitely become a top-tier Formation Master, and your mother¡¯s spirit will be happy.¡±


    ¡°Top-tier Formation Master¡­¡±


    Shuisheng¡¯s eyes began to shine.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Shuisheng nodded earnestly.


    Mo Hua smiled with satisfaction.


    Shuisheng¡¯s talents, compared to Elder Su, were indeed lacking somewhat.


    But not to the extent that he couldn¡¯t learn Formation.


    Moreover, he had a master and father who was a Sect Elder with Foundation Establishment cultivation and a top-tier Formation Master.


    With inheritance and guidance, as long as he put a lot of effort and hard work into it, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to become a top-tier Formation Master in the future.


    The problem with Elder Su was that he was too eager for his son¡¯s success, and therefore lost his equanimity, which inevitably led to some overly aggressive teaching methods and improper education.


    As for Shuisheng, he was just a bit reclusive and stubborn.


    With a poor foundation and relentless rote learning without asking questions, it¡¯s natural that one would not learn well.


    This father and son have made simple matters complex, and that is why they are displeased with each other.


    Elder Su has a relatively clear mind, but when it comes to his only beloved child, it¡¯s inevitable to be trapped within the situation without realizing it.


    Mo Hua thought for a while and then instructed:


    ¡°Just remember, focus on learning the Formation, and do not concern yourself with anything else.¡±


    ¡°Whether your master praises you or scolds you, you don¡¯t need to mind either.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s something you don¡¯t understand, ask. If he¡¯s unwilling to explain, keep asking. Don¡¯t feel embarrassed; keep asking until you understand.¡±


    ¡°If he nags, complains, or reproaches you, take it as the wind by your ear.¡±


    ¡°The most important thing is just one, and that is, you must learn to master the Formation!¡±


    Shuisheng suddenly saw the light and looked at Mo Hua, nodding solemnly.


    Seeing that he had understood, Mo Hua also narrowed his eyes and smiled.


    A moment later, Mo Hua thought of something, reigned in his smile, and said slowly:


    ¡°Shuisheng, I want to ask you a question.¡±


    Shuisheng smiled and said, ¡°Gentleman Mo, feel free to ask me anything you want to know.¡±


    Mo Hua, with a hint of apology, asked:


    ¡°How did your mother die?¡±


    Shuisheng was stunned; his smile disappeared from his face, and his expression turned gradually to pain, then firmly said:


    ¡°My mother was murdered!¡±


    Mo Hua frowned slightly, ¡°Have you told your master this?¡±


    Shuisheng nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve said it many times. I¡¯ve always told him that my mother was murdered.¡±


    ¡°At first, he believed it, but gradually, he stopped believing¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°Do you know who killed her?¡±


    Shuisheng shook his head, his expression one of disappointment, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Then his gaze became hateful, ¡°But I know it must be the Lu Family!¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly shocked, ¡°The Lu Family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Lu Family!¡±


    Shuisheng said with a sad expression, ¡°Hundred Flower Tower is run by the Lu Family, not just my mother; many of the aunties and sisters there have sold themselves to the Lu Family.¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family would hit and scold them whenever they wanted.¡±


    ¡°Even if someone was tortured to death, the Taoist Court wouldn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°My mother, like the other aunties and sisters, definitely died at the hands of the Lu Family!¡±


    Shuisheng¡¯s eyes were red, his anger growing as he spoke.


    Mo Hua, feeling sympathy, then asked, ¡°Did you see it with your own eyes?¡±


    Shuisheng shook his head.


    ¡°Then do you have any evidence?¡±


    Shuisheng dropped his head, also shaking it silently, ¡°I have no evidence, and I don¡¯t have the ability to look for any. The master also forbids me from looking¡­¡±


    Elder Su was probably afraid he would face danger.


    Mo Hua frowned in contemplation.


    The Lu Family built Jinhua Street, compelled the Mining Cultivators to sell their daughters, and established Hundred Flower Tower, not only for their own pleasure and to earn Spirit Stones, but primarily to use sexual bribes to pull Cultivators from various powers to their side.


    The powers they enticed included the Taoist Court, the South Yue Sect, and other Clans and Sects.


    In this way, they were all in the same boat.


    Shuixian was just a bargaining chip.


    And Elder Su, being a Sect Elder with real power in the South Yue Sect, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and a first-grade Formation Master, was naturally a target for their enticement.


    It¡¯s just that it was unexpected for Elder Su to be so deeply in love.


    And yet Shuixian also met her fate due to her beauty.


    But is that really all there is to it?


    Could it be that Shuixian knew some secret of the Lu Family, which led to her death?


    Mo Hua thought for a while and then took out several portraits.


    These portraits were of the people Mo Hua suspected were the traitors from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Lu Huaiyi, Lu Huaisheng, Lu Huaiyi, Shen Cai, and Jiang Long. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Do you recognize these people?¡±


    Shuisheng looked at them and frowned, ¡°They seem vaguely familiar, but I don¡¯t know them¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there one that particularly stands out to you?¡±


    Shuisheng looked again for a while, then shook his head, ¡°No¡­¡±


    He asked in confusion:


    ¡°Gentleman Mo, what¡¯s the issue with these individuals?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Someone committed a serious crime, and all of these men are suspects. I want to investigate further.¡±


    Shuisheng asked quietly, ¡°What did they do wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, something I can¡¯t discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Shuisheng nodded.


    Suddenly Shuisheng looked puzzled again, ¡°These people don¡¯t seem to be of the same sort, so why are they all suspects?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said:


    ¡°Basically, they all understand the Formation, have married into power, hold positions within the Lu Family, and have overseen mining operations¡­¡±


    Shuisheng nodded, muttering softly:


    ¡°Oh, just like the Lu Family Head¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Just like the Lu Family Head?


    He asked swiftly, ¡°In what way are they similar?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ they¡¯re almost all alike,¡± said Shuisheng, counting, ¡°understanding the Formation, marrying into power, holding status, controlling the mines¡­¡±


    Mo Hua drew in a sharp breath, his face filled with disbelief:


    The Lu Family Head, married into the family?!

 Chapter 477 - 465: When the Map Ends, the Dagger Appears_1

    Chapter 477: Chapter 465: When the Map Ends, the Dagger Appears_1


    How is that possible?


    How could such a large family as the Lu Family allow a son-in-law who joined through marriage to become the family head?


    And Mo Hua had never heard any rumors about this before.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°How do you know this?¡±


    Shuisheng replied, ¡°My mother told me.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a slight shock in his heart.


    Shuixian knew about this¡­


    ¡°Does anyone else know?¡± Mo Hua quickly asked again.


    After thinking for a while, Shuisheng said, ¡°In the Hundred Flower Tower, Aunt Xuefang and Sister Danxiang seem to know as well.¡±


    ¡°Then they¡­¡±


    Shuisheng sighed, ¡°They are all dead.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze slightly hardened, ¡°Have you told anyone else about this matter?¡±


    Shuisheng shook his head, ¡°No. I don¡¯t have many friends, and I¡¯m not on good terms with my fellow sect members. I haven¡¯t even mentioned it to my master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua relaxed slightly, but then his expression grew serious again as he cautioned:


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever talk about this matter with anyone else, it¡¯s best to forget it and never bring it up again.¡±


    Although Mo Hua was not very familiar with the clan, he knew that it is generally taboo for a family head to be someone who had joined the family through marriage.


    Once this gets out, even Shuisheng could be killed to silence him.


    Shuisheng didn¡¯t understand, but seeing Mo Hua¡¯s serious expression, he nodded earnestly.


    Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he asked with a frown:


    ¡°Is my mother¡¯s death¡­ also because of this matter?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Not necessarily¡­¡±


    Though he said this, Mo Hua estimated in his heart that Shuixian¡¯s death was very likely related to the Lu Family Head as well.


    Mo Hua looked at Shuisheng and gave further instructions:


    ¡°During these days, stay at the mansion, follow your master, do not go out, do not speak indiscreetly, and concentrate on learning Formation techniques.¡±


    ¡°Mastering Formation techniques is the most important thing; your mother would be pleased at that.¡±


    Shuisheng fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded his head.


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze gradually turned colder, and his expression still showed some disbelief.


    The Lu Family Head¡­ Lu Chengyun.


    Joining through marriage¡­


    If it was true that he had joined the family through marriage, then this Lu Chengyun was very likely the traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect!


    But the question is, how is it possible?


    The Lu Family is so extensive, with numerous legitimate heirs, why would they do such a thing?


    Let someone who joined by marriage become the family head?


    Or perhaps¡­


    What did Lu Chengyun do to be able to go against all opposition and successfully become the head of the Lu Family?


    This matter is more complicated than previously thought.


    If the traitor from Minor Hidden Spirit Sect were merely an Elder or a sponsored guest, once exposed by Mo Hua, he could even use Lu Chengyun¡¯s hand to eliminate him.


    But now, this traitor could very well be the Lu Family Head himself.


    From what it looks like now, being enemies with Lu Chengyun is equivalent to being at odds with the entire Lu Family.


    Being enemies with the Lu Family¡­


    Should he take down the entire Lu Family?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, ¡°This is a bit troublesome¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was lost in thought for a long time, then suddenly remembered that right now Lu Chengyun was at the Su Mansion, ahead, discussing affairs with Elder Su over tea.


    ¡°I need to run first!¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua made a decisive decision in his mind.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s cultivation was profound, barely short of the middle phase of the Foundation Establishment stage.


    Not to mention he was the traitor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, he also understood Formation techniques, and was the Lu Family Head. Even if his Cultivation Technique and Taoist Skills weren¡¯t as sophisticated as those of his juniors born into noble clans, they certainly wouldn¡¯t be lacking.


    Being alone, it is better not to take risks when unnecessary; the best thing to do is to make a clean getaway.


    But he must not appear too anxious, lest he raise suspicion from Lu Chengyun.


    After reminding Shuisheng a few more times, Mo Hua got up and left, heading to the front courtyard, and took his leave from Elder Su with great composure:


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Elder Su. I¡¯ve had my fill of tea and should return to study Formation techniques, so I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡±


    Elder Su stood up and said:


    ¡°Gentleman, you may come and go as you please, I won¡¯t see you out.¡±


    Mo Hua bowed respectfully and said, ¡°Elder, you may stay.¡±


    He then bowed to Lu Chengyun and said, ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Lu Chengyun also bowed with a smile, ¡°Gentleman, you¡¯re too courteous.¡±


    So Mo Hua, pretending to understand nothing, left Elder Su¡¯s dwelling.


    Watching Mo Hua¡¯s small figure leave, Elder Su couldn¡¯t help but smirk and shook his head in jest:


    ¡°Although he¡¯s already a First Grade Formation Master, he¡¯s still a child at heart. He¡¯s probably tired of playing and thinking about going back¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun smiled gently as well.


    But halfway through his smile, his expression suddenly stiffened, the smile lingering on his cheeks, while his eyes had lost all traces of mirth.


    Once out of Su Mansion, Mo Hua began his trek back.


    Although it looked slow, he was moving quickly.


    Along the way, Mo Hua started planning his next steps.


    He needed to find a way to confirm whether Lu Chengyun really joined by marriage.


    If he did, then he was certainly the traitor from Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Then, he¡¯d have to think of a way to call forth people to take down the Lu Family.


    From his side, his master and Old Kui would probably not make a move.


    That left only him, his Junior Brother, and Junior Sister.


    At the Taoist Court, there was also Situ Fang.


    Behind Situ Fang, stood the Situ Family.


    But to stand against a force as powerful and deeply-entrenched as the Lu Family, the Situ Family might not be willing.


    Even if they were willing, it¡¯s unlikely they could mobilize enough cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage within the second-grade Minor Wilderness State Boundary.


    Besides, the Court Leader in South Yue City has been corrupted by the Lu Family, taking the same side as them.


    If he acted, he would definitely face their obstruction.


    Appealing to the Taoist Court to call upon Taoist Soldiers would be a good method.


    But this was not Tongxian City.


    The Court Leader wasn¡¯t on his side, so he expected difficulties.


    ¡°If all else fails¡­¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at the Lu Family and silently thought:


    ¡°Should I use Formation Collapse to send the entire Lu family to heaven?¡±


    But Mo Hua shook his head again, feeling that this was also not an ideal solution.


    Once the Formation collapsed and the spiritual power reversed, everything would be annihilated, and likely no one from the Lu Family would survive.


    Such killing was too heavy a sin.


    The Lu Family deserved death, but not every clan member did.


    Besides, his master had instructed him not to collapse Formations unless absolutely necessary.


    Even if he did use it, he should ensure no one saw.


    Mo Hua heaved a sigh.


    It seemed he could only go back and make new plans.


    Find a way to investigate Lu Chengyun¡¯s background, figure out how he rose to power, why he wanted to buy zombies, store corpses in the mines, and what his schemes were.


    Then find a way to plot his demise.


    Take the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart from his hands!


    Fetch revenge for Instructor Yan, settle the grudge with the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, learn the complete Spiritual Pivot Formation, and master the true First Grade Twelve Pattern Ultimate Formation, comprehend the central structure of spiritual power, and further enhance the prowess of Divine Thought Manifestation¡­


    Mo Hua was making meticulous calculations, walking and pondering at the same time.


    But as he walked, Mo Hua suddenly froze.


    He hesitated for a moment, then took a different path, making a big detour.


    After walking for a while, Mo Hua stopped short again.


    Then he turned left and circled another big round.


    But after several detours, Mo Hua realized that no matter how much he circled, there was a Foundation Building Cultivator waiting for him ahead.


    And unbeknownst to when, an Expose Shadow Formation had been set up all around him.


    In the spots without the Expose Shadow Formation, Foundation Builders blocked the way, holding a compass-like Spiritual Artifact.


    Mo Hua was not familiar with such a Spiritual Artifact.


    But he guessed it was probably used to detect Hidden cultivators.


    Eight Foundation Builders, more than ten Expose Shadow Formations, six sets of detection Spiritual Artifacts¡­


    Mo Hua, reading the situation, refrained from using the Concealment Technique.


    The street remained lively, with the surrounding cultivators oblivious to everything.


    Mo Hua gritted his teeth and continued walking forward.


    After a while, he saw Lu Chengyun not far ahead, sitting at a roadside tea stall, dressed in fine clothes.


    Lu Chengyun was calmly drinking tea, with two Elders standing behind him, both of whom were at the Foundation Establishment stage.


    Mo Hua brazenly pretended not to see him and walked forward on his own.


    Even as he passed by Lu Chengyun, he didn¡¯t so much as glance at him.


    Lu Chengyun put down his tea cup and said somewhat helplessly, ¡°Young Gentleman.¡±


    Mo Hua continued to pretend he hadn¡¯t heard.


    Lu Chengyun had no choice but to shake his head, and the two Foundation Builders behind him blocked Mo Hua¡¯s path and politely said:


    ¡°Young Gentleman, the Family Head requests your presence.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Family Head?¡±


    He turned around, pretending to have just noticed Lu Chengyun, and expressed surprise:


    ¡°Lu Family Head, what brings you here? Weren¡¯t you having tea with Elder Su?¡±


    The acting was somewhat clumsy.


    Lu Chengyun didn¡¯t quite know what to say.


    Mo Hua must have noticed him a long time ago. That was why he had taken such long detours, forcing him to circle around several times and set up several Expose Shadow Formations.


    Lu Chengyun didn¡¯t make an issue of it but instead chuckled:


    ¡°Young Gentleman, you don¡¯t want to see me?¡±


    Mo Hua feigned confusion, ¡°Why would the Lu Family Head think that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re avoiding me.¡±


    ¡°How could that be? Didn¡¯t we just meet?¡±


    ¡°Just now¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, just now I suddenly remembered I had forgotten to buy some things, so I took a different route to go shopping.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s hands were empty, but he lied without even blushing.


    Lu Chengyun gave up.


    This young gentleman was very shrewd and a bit of a cheeky rascal.


    Continuing this back and forth with him here, he probably wouldn¡¯t get a single serious word until evening.


    Lu Chengyun decided to be straightforward:


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask the Young Gentleman to do me a favor.¡±


    Mo Hua tactfully said, ¡°The Lu Family is vast, and you, Family Head, have considerable cultivation. I¡¯m just a minor cultivator, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t be of much help to you.¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head, ¡°This favor cannot be done without the Young Gentleman¡¯s help.¡±


    Mo Hua knew he couldn¡¯t dodge any longer, so he said:


    ¡°Alright, what favor would you like me to help with?¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze turned cold as he calmly said:


    ¡°I¡¯d like the Young Gentleman to help me with Corpse Refinement!¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°Refine stone?¡±


    He nodded immediately, ¡°Sure, what kind of stones are there on the mountain that you need my help with using a Formation to refine?¡±


    Lu Chengyun was taken aback.


    He really hadn¡¯t expected that Mo Hua, despite his young age, could be so impudent.


    Lu Chengyun sighed, ¡°Not refine stone, refine corpses.¡±


    ¡°Refine what?¡±


    ¡°Corpses.¡±


    ¡°Corpses?¡± Mo Hua continued to feign ignorance, ¡°What corpses? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Lu Chengyun said, ¡°You¡¯re being too modest, Young Gentleman. You stole an Iron Corpse, dismantled it to study the Formation, how could you not know what a corpse is?¡±


    Mo Hua inwardly panicked, realizing Lu Chengyun knew everything.


    He likely couldn¡¯t bluster his way through anymore.


    Mo Hua could only say, ¡°I only learn proper Formations, I don¡¯t know how to refine corpses.¡±


    ¡°No matter,¡± Lu Chengyun chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s easy to learn. With the Young Gentleman¡¯s talent, you¡¯ll get it in no time.¡±


    Mo Hua felt helpless.


    It seems having too much talent can be a nuisance too.


    No wonder they say a person dreads fame as a pig dreads fattening; once you¡¯re known, you become a target.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then puzzled, ¡°But if it¡¯s an Iron Corpse, you, Family Head, can refine it yourself. You shouldn¡¯t need my help.¡±


    Lu Chengyun fell silent for a moment, his graceful demeanor suddenly twisted into a sinister smile, revealing a row of white teeth, his eyes gleamed with chilling ambition:


    ¡°Not an Iron Corpse¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a corpse that stands above the Iron Corpse¡­ a stronger Zombie!¡±

 Chapter 478 - 466 Helping Zhou_1

    Chapter 478: Chapter 466 Helping Zhou_1


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled, and he asked with a frown:


    ¡°Above the Iron Corpse¡­ is it the Copper Corpse?¡±


    Lu Chengyun did not confirm or deny, but just smiled inscrutably and asked:


    ¡°Junior Gentleman, what do you think?¡±


    Mo Hua did not answer but furrowed his brows in thought before asking in return:


    ¡°Lu Family Head, how did you know that I knew?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s words were somewhat convoluted, but Lu Chengyun still understood and chuckled lightly:


    ¡°Your eyes.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°My eyes?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Lu Chengyun said, ¡°When you see me on regular days, although you are polite and courteous, there is much caution in your expression, and your gaze also carries some doubt¡­¡±


    ¡°But today, it¡¯s different¡­¡±


    ¡°Before I came here, your attitude towards me was the same as usual.¡±


    ¡°When you left, however, your look at me was unusually composed.¡±


    Lu Chengyun mocked himself, ¡°Ordinary people might not notice anything, but I am naturally suspicious, and I take any trace to heart.¡±


    ¡°The difference in your gaze before and after made me suspicious.¡±


    ¡°I thought about it and then I understood.¡±


    ¡°Your composed gaze indicates you no longer suspect me.¡±


    ¡°Not suspecting could mean you trust me, but it could also mean that you¡¯ve figured out my secrets, so there¡¯s no need for suspicion.¡±


    Lu Chengyun looked at Mo Hua, his smile tinged with ambiguity, ¡°I needed to confirm.¡±


    ¡°So I excused myself from Elder Su earlier and waited for you on your way back, as I wanted to have a private chat with you.¡±


    ¡°But you took a longer route, seemingly not wanting to meet me.¡±


    Lu Chengyun sighed, ¡°I¡¯m quite disappointed and then I understood.¡±


    Mo Hua was speechless inside.


    This Lu Chengyun, indeed a son-in-law who had married into the family, had such a suspicious and sensitive mind to this extent.


    Even a slight difference in his gaze could make Lu Chengyun suspicious.


    ¡°Then what if I had left Elder Su¡¯s residence without saying goodbye and sneaked away?¡± Mo Hua asked him.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyebrows rose, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be even more suspicious?¡±


    ¡°What if I didn¡¯t take the longer route?¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t take the longer route, wouldn¡¯t it be the same as now?¡± Lu Chengyun said with a light smile, ¡°You and I would sit down for tea, and I would ask the junior gentleman to lend me a helping hand.¡±


    Meaning, there was no escape either way¡­


    Mo Hua sighed and said with an innocent face:


    ¡°Why must Lu Family Head focus on someone like me, a young cultivator with low cultivation, weak strength, a basic understanding of formations, and no ill intentions, just thirteen years old?¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    In that sentence, probably only ¡°thirteen years old¡± was true.


    The rest were lies no one would believe.


    Lu Chengyun poured a cup of tea and took a sip, saying slowly:


    ¡°Junior Gentleman, I knew of your arrival in South Yue City the moment it happened.¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head, quite nostalgic, ¡°At such a young age, a first-grade Formation Master, even having lived so long, I¡¯ve never seen with my own eyes. You truly broadened my horizons.¡±


    ¡°There are always mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people¡­¡±


    ¡°This Cultivation World, indeed, has all kinds of talents.¡±


    ¡°A thirteen-year-old first-grade Formation Master, I knew your background must be no small matter, and you must have had a purpose in coming here.¡±


    ¡°You inquired everywhere for an Instructor named Yan.¡±


    ¡°To be frank, this Instructor Yan also has some acquaintance with me, and he has clues to an extremely secretive formation on him.¡±


    ¡°You, being a Formation Master, inquiring about his whereabouts, it must be for this formation.¡±


    Mo Hua neither confirmed nor denied.


    Lu Chengyun smiled faintly again, ¡°I didn¡¯t care much at first, but you kept digging deeper, learning more and more.¡±


    ¡°You investigated the mines, found Zhang Quan, even followed the trails to the Corpse Walking Stronghold, and together with the Situ Family, you eradicated the stronghold¡­¡±


    ¡°Meanwhile, you also discovered the formation on the zombies, and boldly took one back to study¡­¡±


    ¡°I could only activate the formation, letting the Iron Corpse go berserk, forcing you to destroy the formation¡­¡±


    ¡°And now, you¡¯ve peeled away the layers and discovered the person behind Zhang Quan is me¡­¡±


    At this point, Lu Chengyun sighed, saying with resignation:


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived so many years, but I¡¯ve never met a Formation Master as clever and troublesome as you.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind whirled quickly and he reviewed everything succinctly:


    In Lu Chengyun¡¯s mind, he was a formidable young Formation Master with a significant background, inquiring about Instructor Yan to find the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Investigating the mines, capturing Zhang Quan, destroying the Corpse Walking Stronghold, and in the end finding out that the cultivator behind Zhang Quan was him, the Lu Family Head.


    All of it for the sake of the formation.


    In other words, he didn¡¯t know about the relationship between himself and Instructor Yan, nor was he aware that he already knew about the past of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect or that he was the son-in-law of the Lu Family¡­


    Mo Hua breathed a slight sigh of relief.


    It seemed that Lu Chengyun, who was merely astute, relied on the Lu Family¡¯s power to be fully aware of the movements in South Yue City.


    But he didn¡¯t know everything.


    Now there was a way to deal with this¡­


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s eyes rolling around, Lu Chengyun wondered what he was thinking and asked:


    ¡°Junior Gentleman, have you made your decision?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to refine corpses for my Lu Family?¡±


    Mo Hua spoke righteously: ¡°I am a serious cultivator; I don¡¯t engage in such crooked and evil deeds.¡±


    Lu Chengyun replied with gentle and refined manners:


    ¡°On the surface, I too am a serious cultivator.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    Lu Chengyun continued: ¡°It is only convenient to carry out crooked and evil deeds when one appears respectable on the surface.¡±


    Mo Hua felt there was some truth to this.


    He then asked, ¡°What if I still disagree?¡±


    The expression on Lu Chengyun¡¯s face gradually turned colder.


    Mo Hua asked: ¡°Does the Lu Family Head want to kill me?¡±


    Lu Chengyun was momentarily stunned, then smiled warmly:


    ¡°Gentleman Mo is too talented for me to bear killing.¡±


    Now truly curious, Mo Hua proceeded to ask:


    ¡°Then, if I really don¡¯t agree, what does the Family Head plan to do?¡±


    Lu Chengyun smiled and said:


    ¡°The best outcome, of course, is for Gentleman Mo to lend me a helping hand. Feel free to state any demands you might have.¡±


    ¡°If you desire a title, I am willing to make you the actual power-bearing Elder of the Lu Family; you can act as you please, without restraint;¡±


    ¡°If you desire profit, I will give you a share of the mine¡¯s output, handfuls upon handfuls of Spirit Stones, ensuring a carefree path onwards;¡±


    ¡°If you desire combat power, you can command thousands of zombies; with a single command, enemies will be devoured to death, unmatched by anyone at the same level;¡±


    ¡°If you have a tender heart, yearning for the love of women, the female cultivators on Jinhua Street await to share your bed; you can also choose a lady from the Lu Family that pleases your heart, to be united in marriage and spend your life with¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun spoke fervently.


    Mo Hua felt himself swayed.


    With such a silver tongue, deceiving others would indeed be as easy as pie.


    Lu Chengyun then changed his tone and said:


    ¡°If Gentleman Mo feels that our paths are different and cannot work together, then that¡¯s very unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°Gentleman Mo comes from no ordinary background, and I would not wish to make an enemy of you.¡±


    ¡°The best course of action would be to ask Gentleman Mo to leave and never set foot in South Yue City again, not meddling with the affairs of South Yue City.¡±


    ¡°What you know should rot in your heart, never to be revealed.¡±


    ¡°Let us part on good terms, and my Lu Family will even present you with a modest parting gift as a token of our sentiment.¡±


    ¡°But if Gentleman Mo neither helps us nor leaves, then you are deliberately making things difficult for the Lu Family.¡±


    ¡°When it comes to clan interests, no matter how influential Gentleman Mo might be, my Lu Family would have no choice but to fight to the bitter end.¡±


    Lu Chengyun sighed:


    ¡°If it comes to life and death, we won¡¯t be able to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea together anymore¡­¡±


    There was regret and pity in Lu Chengyun¡¯s expression.


    But to Mo Hua, it seemed insincere.


    Lu Chengyun, a man who was outwardly gentle but inwardly profit-driven, surely wouldn¡¯t consider any emotional ties or feel any regret.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    At this point, he had to consider his options.


    Falling out with the Lu Family was not a wise decision.


    Leaving South Yue City would mean losing access to the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Moreover, once he left, reentering would become troublesome.


    After leaving, countless Mining Cultivators might die within the mines, and more Walking Corpses would likely arise;


    On Jinhua Street, who knows how many tears would be shed amidst the paper-thin splendor¡­


    After a moment of contemplation, Mo Hua nodded and said:


    ¡°I can agree to your request, but I have one condition.¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes brightened as he hastily responded, ¡°Please speak, Gentleman Mo.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, revealing a fierce edge:


    ¡°I want that Formation! The one etched into the heart meridian of the Iron Corpse, the one that controls the Walking Corpses!¡±


    Lu Chengyun was momentarily taken aback, then his smile grew even broader:


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    Looking at Mo Hua, Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes showed even greater appreciation:


    ¡°Fame and worldly profits are but passing clouds, and beautiful women are merely skins;¡±


    ¡°To a Formation Master, the Formation is the foundation of their existence and the Great Dao to immortality!¡±


    ¡°Gentleman Mo, capable of maintaining your Taoist Heart amidst worldly desires, it¡¯s no wonder you have achieved so much at such a young age¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun was generous with his praise. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua pretended to be nonchalant.


    Lu Chengyun said with a bow, ¡°Please, Gentleman Mo!¡±


    Mo Hua returned the gesture, ¡°After you, Lu Family Head!¡±


    Lu Chengyun was very pleased and led the way.


    Mo Hua followed close behind him.


    One moment, Mo Hua was considering wiping out the Lu Family, and the next, he transformed into a Junior Formation Master who was ¡°helping the tyrant¡± and followed behind Lu Chengyun.

 Chapter 479 - 467 Bad Thing_1

    Chapter 479: Chapter 467 Bad Thing_1


    Mo Hua followed Lu Chengyun to the Lu Family.


    On the surface, Lu Chengyun treated Mo Hua very well, considerate and meticulous, but he didn¡¯t allow Mo Hua to leave the Lu Family, and there were various other restrictions¡ªit was essentially ¡°soft imprisonment.¡±


    So Mo Hua found Lu Chengyun and said he wanted to return home for a bit:


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, just to let my Junior Brother and Junior Sister know, so they won¡¯t worry.¡±


    Lu Chengyun took out paper and pen, ¡°No need for such trouble, Little Gentleman. Write a letter, and I¡¯ll have someone send it over.¡±


    Mo Hua repeatedly waved his hands, ¡°A written letter might not convince my brother and sister, it would be better if I went back personally.¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head:


    ¡°Little Gentleman, you have many ideas, and I must be cautious. Writing a letter is better.¡±


    Mo Hua muttered, ¡°Is the Lu Family Head being too cautious¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be cautious.¡± Lu Chengyun looked at Mo Hua and slowly smiled:


    ¡°This time, it was I who set up the Expose Shadow Formation and mobilized several Foundation Establishment Elders, only then could we invite the Little Gentleman¡­¡±


    ¡°If we let the Little Gentleman go back with preparations made, I really might not be able to find you again, much less invite you.¡±


    Mo Hua helplessly said, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll write the letter.¡±


    Thus, Mo Hua picked up the pen and wrote a letter on the stationery provided by the Lu Family, addressed to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    The letter didn¡¯t say much, only that he was invited by the Lu Family Head to be a guest for some time and that they should not worry, to have meals on time, but they would have to cook for themselves.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t mention Mr. Zhuang¡¯s matter.


    Because he noticed that Lu Chengyun seemed unaware that the three of them were traveling with their master.


    Mo Hua even speculated that in Lu Chengyun¡¯s perception, there possibly wasn¡¯t even a person like Mr. Zhuang.


    Such a thing was quite baffling, but it seemed his master could indeed do such a thing¡­


    After the letter was written, he handed it over to Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun didn¡¯t even look at it and promptly called over his servants, instructing them to deliver the letter to Mo Hua¡¯s cave dwelling.


    It seemed as long as they retained Mo Hua, it didn¡¯t matter what was written in his letters.


    Afterward, Mo Hua stayed at the Lu Family for a few days.


    Lu Chengyun provided for Mo Hua with fine food and drinks.


    The ones serving him were all young and beautiful maidens.


    Mo Hua would also sit next to Lu Chengyun at some of the Lu Family¡¯s evening banquets.


    During the banquets, some of the Lu Family women, glamorous and painted, each outstanding in her own way, cast alluring glances at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua openly returned their gazes.


    After looking around, Mo Hua silently compared them in his mind and felt that none were as good-looking as his Junior Sister; then he lost interest and started eating on his own.


    To be fair, the meals at the Lu Family were very good.


    Only, the thought that all these delicacies were exchanged for the lives of mining cultivators for the Lu Family¡¯s enjoyment made the food lose its taste in his mouth.


    Even while eating cooked meat, he felt there was a bloody smell.


    Several days later, one evening, Lu Chengyun found Mo Hua, his figure concealed in the night, his expression indiscernible and his tone indifferent:


    ¡°Little Gentleman, I¡¯m taking you to a place.¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    Lu Chengyun smiled faintly, yet it seemed he didn¡¯t smile at all, ¡°A place you wish to go to.¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled but still followed Lu Chengyun out.


    Lu Chengyun led the way, with Mo Hua following him and two Foundation Establishment Elders behind Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua still remembered these two Foundation Establishment Elders.


    In their hands, they had compass spiritual artifacts used for reconnaissance and concealment.


    The group left the Lu Family, exited South Yue City, and arrived at the Lu Family¡¯s mine.


    It was the same mine where the five mining cultivators had died tragically.


    It was also the mine where a dark and stormy incident occurred at night.


    It was also the mine so tightly guarded by the Lu Family that Mo Hua had previously tried to sneak in but failed.


    If Mo Hua¡¯s guess was right.


    Within this mine, there were zombies hidden.


    All of Lu Chengyun¡¯s conspiracies and schemes were also hidden within this mine.


    Of course, the complete Spiritual Pivot Formation Chart must also be inside this mine.


    The mine was still guarded by Lu Family cultivators.


    Lu Chengyun arrived at the mine¡¯s entrance but didn¡¯t go in; instead, he led Mo Hua around the perimeter of the mine and finally stopped at a desolate place by a giant rock.


    It was now deep into the night.


    The dark and eerie silence of the mountains and the chilling mountain breeze blew around them.


    The giant rock stood tall and imposing, emanating a cold corpse Qi.


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Could this giant rock be the door?


    Mo Hua looked around and frowned. The giant rock appeared to be a natural formation without any marks of carving; it didn¡¯t seem like a door.


    He then released his Divine Sense to probe.


    There were no illusion arrays nearby.


    At that moment, Lu Chengyun took out a sinister-looking bell, pitch black in color, neither wood nor iron in appearance.


    He gently shook it, and its sound was deep, lacking the clarity of metal, but rather dull, like the heartbeat of the dead.


    As the bell rang, after a moment, the large rock trembled.


    Mo Hua watched in shock.


    This giant rock seemed to have been lifted by a tremendous force, revealing a gloomy passageway behind it.


    Behind the passage, the corpse Qi was even heavier, as thick as it could drip.


    Lu Chengyun glanced at the shocked Mo Hua, smiled slightly, and said kindly:


    ¡°Little Gentleman, please.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua came back to his senses, nodded, and followed Lu Chengyun towards the dark depths.


    The stench of decay and the dizzying, suffocating corpse Qi hit Mo Hua for a moment.


    After a short while, the intense smell dissipated, and the space in front of him suddenly opened up.


    Mo Hua fixed his eyes and was even more stunned.


    Behind this giant rock was a mine shaft.

 Chapter 480 - 467 Bad Stuff_2

    Chapter 480: Chapter 467 Bad Stuff_2


    ¡°`


    However, this mine shaft is a Deadman¡¯s Mine.


    Within the mine shaft, coffins were everywhere, casting an aura of death and decay.


    Mo Hua then turned back to look at the entrance.


    This natural boulder acted as the gate, with thick chains fixed to it, wrapping around and extending to an iron turntable.


    By the iron turntable stood two tall Iron Corpses.


    It was these two Iron Corpses who, under the control of the black Corpse Controlling Bell, pushed the turntable, pulling the chains and lifting the huge stone gate.


    Mo Hua frowned deeply.


    The boulder was massive and heavy; for the two tall Iron Corpses to push the turntable and lift the gate, their strength must be immense, and thus their lethal potential was also extremely high.


    Yet such powerful Iron Corpses were used by Lu Chengyun simply to open the gate.


    Was it because there were an extremely large number of Iron Corpses inside the Corpse Mine, rendering these two superfluous in battle strength?


    Or was it because the gate was of utmost importance?


    Within lay forbidden territory, strictly off-limits to outsiders and impermissible for their discovery or unwarranted intrusion.


    After a few people entered the mine shaft, Lu Chengyun shook the bell again.


    The two Iron Corpses, at his bidding, began to reverse the turntable.


    Behind Mo Hua, accompanied by the creaking of iron chains, the stone gate slowly descended, completely sealing off the inside from the outside.


    Even the cold moonlight could not find this silent Corpse Mine.


    Mo Hua was also left within this closed and silent mine shaft.


    An elder of the Lu Family lit a lantern.


    In the pitch-black mine shaft, there was now a faint yellow light.


    The light of the lantern cast Lu Chengyun¡¯s face in a fluctuating, indistinct light.


    He looked at Mo Hua, his eyes faintly betraying a sinister ambition, his voice also suppressed with excitement:


    ¡°Little gentleman, this mine shaft is the heart¡¯s blood of I, and the great enterprise of the Lu Family!¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked, but still furrowed his brow and asked:


    ¡°Lu Family Head, what exactly do you want me to help you with?¡±


    ¡°No rush,¡± Lu Chengyun said with a faint smile, ¡°Before that, let¡¯s meet an old friend first.¡±


    ¡°An old friend?¡±


    The Lu Family elder, holding the lantern, led the way.


    Mo Hua followed Lu Chengyun through the pitch-black mine shaft, slowly moving forward.


    They walked until they reached a cavern.


    The cavern had a door, on which were carved layers of Formation Patterns that were unclear, but under the light of the lantern, they appeared faintly blood-colored.


    Mo Hua knew right away that this was an Evil Formation.


    Lu Chengyun took out a stone talisman, inserted it into the lock, and disengaged the Formation.


    The Lu Family elder pushed open the stone door, and everyone entered the cavern.


    The cavern was much brighter inside, with many stone chambers, each adorned with the Bright Fire Formation.


    Inside the stone chambers, there were also some Cultivators, all wearing gray robes, pale-faced, and carrying the scent of Corpse Qi. They all seemed to be corpse cultivators.


    These corpse cultivators, upon seeing Lu Chengyun, all bowed their heads in salute.


    Lu Chengyun nodded slightly, leading Mo Hua all the way to a large hall inside.


    In the center of the hall was a stone table, but it was carved much more exquisitely.


    The furnishings around were complete and carefully selected, with skulls, bones, coffin nails, all exuding a kind of somber and deadly beauty.


    The hall was eerie, with coffins around, and in the middle sat a Cultivator, gaunt and covered with scars, clearly wounded and unhealed, his complexion pallid and sallow.


    It was Zhang Quan.


    Indeed, he was an ¡°old friend¡± of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua thought to himself: ¡°As expected.¡±


    Zhang Quan wasn¡¯t dead!


    The centipede wriggles even in death.


    Mo Hua had felt that Zhang Quan wouldn¡¯t die so easily.


    Moreover, the Zhang Family had a legacy, generations of expertise in Corpse Refining Techniques, which to Lu Chengyun, was also a rare ¡°talent.¡±


    Lu Chengyun would not let him die so readily.


    Upon seeing Lu Chengyun, Zhang Quan got up and bowed respectfully, his attitude reverent.


    After finishing his salute, just as Zhang Quan was about to say something,


    the fire in the hall flickered, and with a hurried glance, he suddenly saw the diminutive Mo Hua at Lu Chengyun¡¯s side.


    He thought he had seen wrongly.


    Zhang Quan blinked, and once he recognized Mo Hua¡¯s small face, his eyes bulged out in anger.


    He pointed at Mo Hua, trembling, ¡°Lu Family Head, this¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun introduced him:


    ¡°This little gentleman here is a remarkable Formation Master named Mo Hua.¡±


    Zhang Quan needed no introduction.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows and every smile, like a branding iron, were seared into his Sea of Consciousness, the mere recollection of which stirred in him a tormenting blend of fury and pain.


    The sole wish of his earlier life was to refine an unrivaled zombie.


    For the latter half, it was to let this zombie devour Mo Hua.


    Zhang Quan, having hidden here for so long, thought daily of killing Mo Hua.


    Never in his wildest dreams had he expected that he could personally lay eyes on the lively and bouncing Mo Hua here in the Corpse Mine.


    Zhang Quan, unable to hold back, glared with fury, ready to lash out and slay Mo Hua there and then.


    Detecting Zhang Quan¡¯s murderous intent, Mo Hua immediately hid behind Lu Chengyun, poking his little head out, and sticking out his tongue at Zhang Quan.


    Zhang Quan nearly fainted from anger again.


    ¡°`


    His mind slipped from his grasp, and he could bear it no longer, a palm striking toward Mo Hua.


    The force of the palm was solid, with spiritual power materialized, aiming to put Mo Hua to death.


    Yet this palm, halfway through its course, was blocked by Lu Chengyun.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, don¡¯t be impulsive,¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s expression was mild, but his tone was ice cold.


    Zhang Quan, filled with dread, finally calmed down, but with lingering rage barely subsiding, he said fiercely:


    ¡°Family Head, this brat¡­ he¡­ ¡±


    Lu Chengyun said indifferently: ¡°I know, you have grievances, but that¡¯s all in the past now¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan said in disbelief, ¡°Why?¡±


    Lu Chengyun slowly said:


    ¡°Because our grand endeavor requires the help of the little gentleman, the current Mr. Mo is our honored guest, and hence must not be offended.¡±


    Mo Hua also nodded and added:


    ¡°Exactly! Exactly!¡±


    Zhang Quan was infuriated, but helpless all the same.


    He glanced at Lu Chengyun, whose expression was cold and detached, his gaze filled with suppressed anger. After a while, his face flushed red and then turned pale, he gritted his teeth and said:


    ¡°Fine, I will let it go!¡±


    Having said that, Zhang Quan, pointing at Mo Hua, said:


    ¡°But he must return what he stole from me!¡±


    Mo Hua continued to feign ignorance, ¡°I don¡¯t remember stealing anything from you.¡±


    Zhang Quan, infuriated and itching to retaliate, said, ¡°The altar¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua blinked, ¡°those things were yours, huh? I saw no one wanted them, so I just took them. Even if they are trash, they shouldn¡¯t be wasted, right?¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s breath got caught in his throat, unable to speak.


    Lu Chengyun, somewhat exasperated, said, ¡°Little gentleman, stop provoking him.¡±


    So Mo Hua stopped talking.


    Lu Chengyun heaved a sigh and continued:


    ¡°It appears to be a misunderstanding. Why not return the items to their original owner and let bygones be bygones? Little gentleman, what do you say?¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said to Zhang Quan:


    ¡°Alright, I will do so in the face of the Lu Family Head.¡±


    Mo Hua began to look through his storage bag, finding the disassembled parts of the Corpse Controlling Bell scattered in a corner of the bag.


    The Corpse Controlling Bell, after being taken apart by his junior sister, was never put back together.


    Since there were no good Formation Patterns inside, Mo Hua had forgotten about it. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua took these fragments of the Corpse Controlling Bell and, with a rustling sound, presented them with both hands, scattering them on the table.


    Zhang Quan was dumbfounded at the sight.


    ¡°This is¡­ my Corpse Controlling Bell?¡±


    The blood cord, exotic Patterns, bell body, clapper¡­ all disassembled, as if it had been ¡°dismembered.¡±


    Zhang Quan glared at Mo Hua and demanded:


    ¡°Why did you disassemble it?¡±


    Mo Hua thought to himself that it was not him but his junior sister who had taken it apart.


    But what his junior sister disassembled was almost the same as if he had done it himself.


    So Mo Hua said, ¡°I found it amusing, just took it apart to study it a bit¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan felt numbness creeping up his scalp.


    After a long while, he regained his composure and said word by word:


    ¡°And¡­ my Ancestral Master Picture!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lu Chengyun¡¯s expression also stiffened, and his gaze betrayed a hint of desire.


    Mo Hua was somewhat reluctant but knew that he could not afford to jeopardize the larger picture at this time, so with reluctance, he took out the wad of the Ancestral Master Picture.


    Zhang Quan felt both guilty and ecstatic.


    Guilty for having, in a moment of carelessness, lost his ancestor, dishonoring his forebears.


    Ecstatic because now, having regained what was lost, he could finally appease the spirits of his ancestors in heaven.


    Zhang Quan immediately snatched the Ancestral Master Picture, unfurled it for a look, and a broad smile spread across his face.


    There was no mistaking it, it was his Ancestral Master Picture.


    But as he kept looking, the smile on his face froze.


    Something was wrong¡­


    Why did it seem like there were fewer people in the picture?


    Where are they?


    Where did they go?


    Zhang Quan looked at Mo Hua in disbelief, ¡°Where are my Zhang Family ancestors?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed at the picture in his hands, ¡°Aren¡¯t they sitting right there in the picture?¡±


    Zhang Quan angrily demanded, ¡°Why are there fewer figures?¡±


    Mo Hua shrugged, ¡°How should I know?¡±


    Zhang Quan, filled with rage, pressed on, ¡°The picture was in your hands, how could you not know?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°Perhaps they¡¯ve gone visiting¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°Visiting¡­ visiting?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, as if it were the most natural thing, ¡°After staying put for so long, they¡¯d want to move around a bit, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that, the Cultivation World is quite dangerous. If you go visiting, you might not come back. If you run into danger and get eaten by some ¡®nasty thing,¡¯ that¡¯s also possible¡­¡±

 Chapter 481 - 468 Planning_1

    Chapter 481: Chapter 468 Planning_1


    Eaten by ¡°bad things¡±?


    Zhang Quan flew into a rage, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, then forget it.¡±


    Zhang Quan suppressed his anger, ¡°You¡¯d better tell the truth.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Mo Hua said with a serious little face, ¡°I¡¯ll tell the truth. Actually, it was me who ¡®ate¡¯ your ancestor!¡±


    Zhang Quan was furious:


    ¡°You damn brat, spouting nonsense and mocking me, treating me like a fool?!¡±


    Mo Hua was helpless.


    He didn¡¯t believe a lie, nor did he believe the truth, there was really nothing she could do.


    It¡¯s your own choice to be a fool.


    Fearing Zhang Quan would get so angry that something bad might happen, Lu Chengyun said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Gentleman, it¡¯s getting late, perhaps it¡¯s time for a short rest¡­¡±


    ¡°I personally had a room prepared for the gentleman, and I hope he likes it.¡±


    Mo Hua sneakily glanced at Zhang Quan, pretending to be ¡°scared.¡±


    Lu Chengyun sighed and said to Zhang Quan:


    ¡°The gentleman is an honored guest, he must not be treated disrespectfully, disturbed, and certainly not with any other intentions¡­¡±


    His tone was not heavy, but his eyes were cold and left no room for refusal.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s mouth twitched, and he clenched his teeth and said:


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll remember that!¡±


    Lu Chengyun nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua also nodded proudly at Zhang Quan,


    ¡°Remember, I am an honored guest!¡±


    Seeing that Zhang Quan was about to get angry again, Lu Chengyun quickly said:


    ¡°Someone, take the gentleman to his room.¡±


    Mo Hua took the opportunity to slip away, bowing:


    ¡°Thank you, Lu Family Head, for the hospitality.¡±


    Then he placed a small hand behind his back and strutted out of the hall, following a corpse cultivator.


    The more Zhang Quan looked, the angrier he became, with his fingers gripping into the stone table, gouging out five finger holes.


    Lu Chengyun shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s just a child, Brother Zhang, there¡¯s no need to be so angry.¡±


    Just a child?


    Zhang Quan sneered in his heart.


    You have never been angered by him.


    If you had been angered by him, you might want to kill him more than I do and would stop uttering such cold, indifferent words like ¡°just a child.¡±


    Zhang Quan was about to say something.


    But Lu Chengyun shook his head at him slightly, ¡°A little patience can upset great plans.¡±


    Zhang Quan had no choice but to swallow his anger, but he still felt very unconvinced, and he said sinisterly:


    ¡°Brother Lu, this kid, he must have ulterior motives!¡±


    Lu Chengyun didn¡¯t seem to care, looking at Zhang Quan with a half-smile, ¡°Brother Zhang, don¡¯t you have ulterior motives as well?¡±


    Zhang Quan froze, his eyes flickered, and he said with a forced smile:


    ¡°Brother Lu jests.¡±


    Lu Chengyun, however, said indifferently:


    ¡°In this world, only oneself has no ulterior motives towards oneself. Besides that, between father and son, brothers, husband and wife, there are always ulterior motives, it¡¯s just a matter of degree.¡±


    ¡°You have ulterior motives, the gentleman has ulterior motives, the corpse cultivators in this cave, to some extent, all have other thoughts¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun smiled slightly, ¡°These are actually irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°As long as this gentleman can work for me, it doesn¡¯t matter if he has ulterior motives. To put it another way, it is normal for him to have ulterior motives.¡±


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t have ulterior motives, that¡¯s when I¡¯d become suspicious.¡±


    Lu Chengyun looked at Zhang Quan indifferently, ¡°You are the same, Brother Zhang.¡±


    Zhang Quan appeared calm, but cold sweat seeped out inside.


    Zhang Quan bowed, ¡°Family Head, rest assured, I will serve you with the loyalty of a dog and horse.¡±


    Lu Chengyun smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying.


    His gaze became focused as he looked at Zhang Quan and instructed:


    ¡°The gentleman will stay here for a while to help me. Before the matter is settled, I hope there won¡¯t be any more unpleasantness between you, and I certainly don¡¯t want to see any accidents befall him.¡± sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Do you understand, Brother Zhang?¡±


    Zhang Quan frowned, ¡°As Brother Lu says, I will naturally comply, but that boy, he¡¯s just a little brat in his teens. No matter how talented he is, he doesn¡¯t seem worthy of such esteem from Brother Lu¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun pondered:


    ¡°This gentleman is extremely skilled in formation drawing.¡±


    Zhang Quan obviously didn¡¯t believe it, ¡°How good can he be?¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhang doesn¡¯t understand formations, you wouldn¡¯t comprehend even if I told you¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan felt slighted, ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun looked at him, sighing slowly:


    ¡°I can only say that the formation mastery of this little gentleman far surpasses Brother Zhang¡¯s understanding of formations, and in some areas, even I must admit inferiority¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s gaze flickered slightly.


    He had not expected Lu Chengyun to hold this kid in such high regard.


    Lu Chengyun appeared gentle but was always proud; his praise in normal days was nothing but courtesy and deceit.


    But this time was different, his expression and tone did not seem fake.


    Could this kid truly be that skilled?


    Zhang Quan¡¯s brows furrowed even more tightly.


    Able to hide, skilled in that strange fireball technique, protected by a pair of apprentices with no ordinary cultivation, profound in formation knowledge, and now even Lu Chengyun was elevating him this much¡­


    Wouldn¡¯t killing him be even harder now?


    ¡°Playing me for a fool, destroying my family¡¯s business, insulting my ancestors, when will I ever be able to avenge these wrongs?¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s gaze grew dark as he silently said to himself:


    ¡°If it¡¯s not feasible in the open, it seems I must make covert moves.¡±


    However, he said aloud, ¡°Family Head, rest assured, I understand the limits.¡±


    Lu Chengyun gave Zhang Quan a glance, his gaze inscrutable, and said nothing.


    Meanwhile, a Corpse cultivator, leading Mo Hua, arrived at his own room.


    This room was a stone chamber.


    It was relatively hidden and safe but also easy to guard, even encircled with formations.


    This too was in keeping with Lu Chengyun¡¯s methods.


    Drawing me closer while keeping his guard up.


    The interior of the stone chamber was exquisitely furnished, adorned with floral screens and jade ornaments; it had everything one could need and was even perfumed to mask any smell of decay.


    Mo Hua even had the illusion.


    As if at this moment, he wasn¡¯t in a Corpse Mine filled with coffins and a chilly stench of decay, but rather in a beautifully arranged guest room of the Lu Family.


    Indeed, Lu Chengyun had been very attentive in this matter.


    But Mo Hua was far from moved.


    If Lu Chengyun treated him this well, he must be aiming for something even greater.


    Such a person, pretentious and self-serving, treats you kindly and meticulously as long as you are of value.


    Once that value is used up, you¡¯ll be kicked to the curb, and after kicking you, probably stab you in the back a few times to silence you for good.


    The very traitor of Minor Hidden Spirit Sect who could betray his master and steal the legacy.


    Who could hide his name and face, assume a new identity, and enter the Lu Family as a son-in-law.


    Who, as a son-in-law, could gain the approval of the Lu Family¡¯s Old Ancestor known as ¡®Capitalist Lu,¡¯ successfully be elected as Lu Family Head, and maintain the Lu Family¡¯s exploitation of Mining Cultivators, running the luxurious Jinhua Street.


    How could such a person be as amiable and cultured as he seemed.


    Moreover, he was still cooperating with Zhang Quan in Corpse Refinement.


    Establishing a Corpse Mine, drawing Evil Formations, hoarding zombies, refining Iron Corpses ¡ª what exactly was his scheme?


    What was the ¡°stronger zombie that stands above the Iron Corpse¡± Lu Chengyun had mentioned?


    All this must be clarified.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, pondering for a moment, and sorted out the things he had to do next.


    First, ensure his own safety.


    Then, figure out the layout of the Corpse Mine.


    Find a way to convey a message to Junior Brother and Sister, so they can provide support.


    Afterward, help with Lu Chengyun¡¯s errands to see what exactly he wants from me.


    If it involves Corpse Refinement, what kind of corpse.


    And find an opportunity to acquire a complete copy of the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart.


    And then there was Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture.


    Zhang Quan harbored a deadly animosity towards him; he had to find a way to trap him to death and then steal back his ¡°Zombie Image.¡±


    His Divine Sense still hadn¡¯t had its fill.


    And not a single good thing came from the Zhang Family full of zombies.


    One must eradicate evil to prevent future troubles.


    Mo Hua intended to destroy the ancestor of Zhang Quan and cut off his family¡¯s legacy, to prevent anyone else from refining corpses and harming others.


    On top of that, he needed to find a way to deal with the Lu Family¡­


    ¡­


    As Mo Hua tallied his tasks, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°I¡¯m so busy¡­¡±


    There were so many things to do.


    He felt a bit tired, lay flat on the bed, and rested for a while before regaining his spirit.


    ¡°One thing at a time¡­¡±


    First, he needed to understand the layout of the Corpse Mine.


    Upon reaching unfamiliar territory, it was imperative first to familiarize oneself with the surroundings, thereby seeking advantages and avoiding harm, dodging unknown risks.


    This was a basic principle for Monster Hunters.


    And a lesson from his father, Mo Shan.


    Mo Hua took it to heart.

 Chapter 482 - 469 Peeking_1

    Chapter 482: Chapter 469 Peeking_1


    I couldn¡¯t leave for the time being.


    Not to mention Lu Chengyun and Zhang Quan, even the two Iron Corpses guarding the door were not opponents I could face head-on.


    Moreover, when Mo Hua entered the room, he noticed that around the entrance, Expose Dust Formations were laid out.


    In some special places, there were also Expose Shadow Formations.


    The ink was fresh; it was clear they had been drawn not long before, specifically to guard against Mo Hua.


    ¡°When your trump card is known, it will be targeted¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, somewhat helpless.


    But as long as it was about Formations, it was no big deal.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t take this matter to heart.


    It was already past 1 p.m.


    Mo Hua pretended to lie down and sleep, but his Divine Sense sank into the Sea of Consciousness, practicing an incomplete Spiritual Pivot Formation on the Taoist Stele all night.


    The next day he awoke, he went through his routine Qi Refinement.


    ¡°Make the best of it,¡± he thought, not at all affected by external affairs or objects.


    Someone brought food to Mo Hua¡¯s door.


    Mo Hua ate when he should eat and drank when he should drink, not feeling constrained at all.


    A few days passed like this, Lu Chengyun never sought Mo Hua, but Mo Hua was already feeling bored, so he went to find Lu Chengyun and asked,


    ¡°Family Head Lu, is there anything you need me to do?¡±


    Lu Chengyun said with a smile,


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. We¡¯ll need a few more days to prepare. The gentleman can rest for now.¡±


    Speaking of rest, it was more like a ¡°gentle imprisonment.¡±


    Now that his secret was known, it was necessary to confine me, presumably to prevent me from causing trouble.


    ¡°All right,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Lu Chengyun added, ¡°If the gentleman finds it dull, you can wander around a bit.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Lu Chengyun said with a smile, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Since Lu Chengyun said so, Mo Hua certainly didn¡¯t stand on ceremony.


    The next day, he left his room and casually beckoned to a passing Corpse cultivator, ¡°Come here.¡±


    The Corpse cultivator came over and bowed, saying,


    ¡°Gentleman, what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Show me around.¡±


    The Corpse cultivator was taken aback but, remembering that Mo Hua was a respected guest of Lu Chengyun, didn¡¯t dare to neglect him.


    So, the Corpse cultivator took Mo Hua around for a tour.


    After the tour, Mo Hua realized that the place he was in was a massive Stone Palace, hewn from within a mine.


    The numerous chambers were all part of this Stone Palace.


    The Stone Palace was majestic, eerie but also rudimentary.


    Most furnishings were related to Corpse Refinement.


    At first, Mo Hua found it novel but after a few rounds, he found it dull.


    The Stone Palace was newly constructed; there wasn¡¯t much to see.


    Everywhere were monotonous chambers.


    Or dim, gloomy Corpse cultivators, pitch-dark coffins, and sinister Zombies.


    There were Formations, but they were not particularly clever.


    In some areas, the stone doors were tightly sealed. It was clear they contained secrets, but they were off-limits and inquiring further was prohibited.


    Mo Hua inwardly scoffed.


    This Lu Chengyun put on a show of generosity but in fact kept a tight watch, afraid of leaking secrets.


    It¡¯s like inviting someone to dine, saying ¡°Help yourself,¡± but only serving radishes and cabbages, without a drop of ¡°oil.¡±


    After spending a few days in the Corpse Mine, Mo Hua began to feel familiar with it.


    He even started to feel somewhat at ease.


    Apart from not being able to probe secrets, everything else was not bad.


    The Corpse cultivators dared not offend Mo Hua. They even tried to fulfill any of his requests, whether he wanted to eat, drink, study something, practice Formations or if he needed any ink, paper, or writing brushes.


    In these past few days, Mo Hua hadn¡¯t seen Zhang Quan.


    He probably stayed away intentionally, fearing he¡¯d become enraged.


    If he lost his wits and attacked me out of anger, it would be tantamount to defying Lu Chengyun and he certainly wouldn¡¯t come out of it well.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t seek out Zhang Quan.


    It was pointless to look for him now, as it wasn¡¯t the time to reclaim the ¡°Zombie Image.¡±


    Wandering around like this wasn¡¯t the solution.


    On the surface, Mo Hua had familiarized himself with the basic layout of the Stone Palace, but that wasn¡¯t enough.


    He needed to find a way to inquire about some hidden places.


    Mo Hua wanted to try using the Concealment Technique.


    The Expose Dust Formation and the Expose Shadow Formation were Formations not surpassing the first grade, and tinkering with them wouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    The challenge lay in how not to get caught by Lu Chengyun.


    After some thought, Mo Hua suddenly realized that not being discovered by Lu Chengyun was impossible.


    It made more sense to be discovered by him.


    Lu Chengyun was suspicious by nature; if I was too honest, it would surely raise his doubts.


    It would be better to make some minor movements under his watch.


    I thought I hadn¡¯t been detected by him, but in reality, he did detect it, so in turn, he wouldn¡¯t be suspicious.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze flickered, and he had an idea.


    He first put on a cloak, activated the Formation on it, and with the help of the Formation, concealed his figure.


    Then he went to the door and quietly disabled the Expose Dust Formation.


    The moment the Expose Dust Formation was disabled, it was indeed detected.


    A stream of Divine Sense descended and swept back and forth inside Mo Hua¡¯s room, searching for Mo Hua¡¯s figure.


    This Divine Sense belonged to Lu Chengyun.


    Mo Hua was familiar with it.


    In these past days, Divine Sense occasionally peered at Mo Hua.


    Gentle, subtle, with a hint of coldness, it was hard to notice.


    But in Mo Hua¡¯s perception, it was clear as day.


    This wisp of Divine Sense was identical to Lu Chengyun¡¯s aura.


    From this, Mo Hua deduced that Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense was also around the level of Twelve Stripes, and certainly not at Thirteen Stripes.


    Comparable to himself, but slightly weaker.


    Although Lu Chengyun¡¯s Cultivation was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage and he was also a Formation Master, it seemed that the strength of his Divine Sense was quite ordinary.


    Compared to the average Cultivator, of course, it wasn¡¯t weak.


    But compared to Mo Hua, it was somewhat inferior.


    Previously, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was a solid Twelve Stripes.


    Having refined several zombies from the Zhang Family ancestors, he was now nearing the peak of twelve stripes, but still hadn¡¯t reached thirteen.


    Moreover, to break through to thirteen stripes, he estimated that he still had a distance to go.


    Mo Hua immediately had some doubts:


    ¡°Lu Chengyun is at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage and also studies Formation every day, so why hasn¡¯t his Divine Sense reached thirteen stripes?¡±


    ¡°Could it be because he draws Evil Formations daily, seeking shortcuts and failing to properly temper his Divine Sense?¡±


    However, not having reached thirteen stripes was also good.


    In the Corpse Mine, Lu Chengyun had the highest cultivation and the strongest Divine Sense.


    His Divine Sense being weaker than thirteen stripes meant that, within the Corpse Mine, all the corpse cultivators, along with the Lu Family elders, would not have a stronger Divine Sense than him.


    Moreover, he had always kept from revealing to Lu Chengyun that his Divine Sense had already reached Foundation Establishment.


    Even Elder Su did not know.


    So, in Lu Chengyun¡¯s perception, his Divine Sense should conform to the limit of a Qi Refinement cultivator, between nine to ten stripes.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    With a weaker Divine Sense, and unaware of how strong his own was, that would be easy to handle.


    Mo Hua activated the Concealment Formation, then no longer restrained his Divine Sense but released a bit of presence instead.


    This bit of presence was enough for Lu Chengyun to perceive.


    Indeed, after a short while, Mo Hua detected a faint Divine Sense resting upon him.


    This strand of Divine Sense was Lu Chengyun¡¯s.


    Mo Hua pretended not to notice and then sneaked out the door.


    The Expose Dust Formation at the door was undone by Mo Hua, so it didn¡¯t reveal his figure.


    Mo Hua sneaked out of the door, looking around all the somewhat eerie chambers one by one.


    These chambers, though secretive, did not contain many secrets.


    Even if he discovered them himself, it was unlikely that Lu Chengyun would care.


    Indeed, after Mo Hua¡¯s lengthy investigation, Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense showed no fluctuations whatsoever.


    Mo Hua checked around, uncovered some superficial secrets, and then returned to the chamber, lying down on the bed again.


    A moment later, Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense withdrew.


    The next day, when Lu Chengyun saw Mo Hua, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    But Mo Hua acted as though he was feeling ¡°guilty,¡± his gaze somewhat evasive.


    Lu Chengyun appeared indifferent, and after Mo Hua left, the corner of his mouth revealed a smile as if everything was under control.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a Concealment Formation¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head slightly, ¡°A mere trifle, how could it deceive the heavens and cross the sea¡­¡±


    Indeed, Mo Hua¡¯s subsequent actions didn¡¯t escape Lu Chengyun¡¯s notice.


    After Mo Hua concealed his figure, wherever he went, Lu Chengyun knew every detail.


    After several days, Lu Chengyun also became a bit negligent.


    The places Mo Hua visited, the secrets he discovered, were utterly inconsequential.


    That night, Mo Hua invisibly went out as usual, strolling around, and upon return, found that Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense had already been withdrawn early.


    It seemed he had lost interest in Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua lay on the bed, not moving.


    Sure enough, after a short while, Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense returned.


    Mo Hua continued to feign sleep honestly.


    This went on three or four times until after 1 a.m. when Lu Chengyun finally settled down.


    Mo Hua felt a bit worn out.


    This Lu Chengyun really was extremely suspicious¡­


    For a good long while, there was no Divine Sense probing.


    Mo Hua then quietly got up from the bed, donned a cloak of invisibility, used the Concealment Technique, and with a double concealment, further constricted his Divine Sense to the utmost, and quietly left the room.


    A wary rabbit has three burrows, as Elder Yu taught him.


    By day, he roamed the Corpse Mine openly and honorably;


    By night, he activated the Concealment Formation to probe some trivial secrets right under Lu Chengyun¡¯s nose;


    When Lu Chengyun relaxed his vigilance, he then employed full concealment, unbeknownst to gods and ghosts, to peek at the true secrets within the Corpse Mine¡­


    Like, how many Iron Corpses are there in this Corpse Mine? How many Walking Corpses?


    What is the Formation used for Corpse Refinement?


    Where is the Spiritual Pivot Formation?


    What exactly is the Lu Family¡¯s conspiracy?


    ¡­


    Mo Hua wanted to know a lot of things.


    First, he went to several sealed chambers and quietly made a small opening to peek inside and indeed found iron coffins concealed within.


    Inside the iron coffins lay Iron Corpses.


    Similar sealed chambers like these, Mo Hua counted during the day; there were over ten of them.


    That is to say, there might be more than ten Iron Corpses, and possibly even more¡­


    Besides, there were also some secret rooms.


    Inside these secret rooms, there were also altars with offerings on them.


    However, the offerings were no longer the likes of Ancestral Master Pictures.


    Instead, they were various bizarre items, such as monster sculptures and zombie limbs.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    And there were some places, due to time constraints, that Mo Hua hadn¡¯t managed to visit.


    Wandering around, Mo Hua arrived at the main entrance.


    This main entrance was the door to the Stone Palace.


    What separated here was the Stone Palace from the outside mine shafts. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside the Stone Palace, there were many chambers for the corpse cultivators to reside.


    The corpse cultivators lived, refined corpses, and controlled corpses all within the Stone Palace.


    Outside the Stone Palace were the mine shafts.


    Mo Hua only glanced at it when he came in, a pitch-black expanse filled with coffins, very strange indeed.


    Mo Hua wanted to take a look at the mine shafts, but in front of him was the large door.


    Above the door, Formation was inscribed.


    After Divine Sense Calculation, Mo Hua found that he could unravel this Formation, but once he did, he would inevitably alarm Lu Chengyun, so he couldn¡¯t act yet.


    At that moment, Mo Hua heard the sound of bells coming from outside the door.


    After the ringing of bells, it seemed as if countless zombies were climbing out of their coffins, clinking and clanking, producing eerie noises, somehow busying themselves with something.


    These sounds, bit by bit, merged into a river.


    Even through the Sound Isolation Formation, it was jarringly loud and grating to the ear.


    It was as if in the dead silence of the netherworld, corpses worked as if they were alive; the discordance was unsettling.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    ¡°What exactly is this Lu Chengyun doing, refining so many zombies?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ he isn¡¯t mining with them, is he¡­?¡±

 Chapter 483 - 470 Little Tiger_1

    Chapter 483: Chapter 470 Little Tiger_1


    ¡°`


    ¡°I should visit the mine when I get the chance¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    He wanted to know what exactly these Walking Corpses were doing inside the mines.


    But for now, he couldn¡¯t leave.


    After leaving the entrance of the Stone Palace, Mo Hua took a brief look around and then went back to sleep honestly.


    In the following days, Mo Hua used the complete Concealment Technique, hiding from Lu Chengyun and familiarized himself with the interior of the Stone Palace.


    Indeed, there were many zombies here, and their strength was formidable.


    It was even stronger than the Lu Family¡¯s apparent strength on the surface.


    If one day the Lu Family stopped allowing Lu Chengyun to be the Family Head¡­


    With just one order from Lu Chengyun to control the Iron Corpses and the Walking Corpses, he could truly annihilate the Lu Family¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his eyebrows, pondering.


    Could it be that the Lu Family Old Ancestor was apprehensive of this and that¡¯s why he let Lu Chengyun become the Family Head?


    But that didn¡¯t seem quite right either.


    Constructing such a massive Stone Palace and refining so many zombies.


    It required many Body Cultivators, Formation Masters, Corpse Cultivators, as well as corpse refining herbs, coffins, Corpse Controlling Bells, corpses¡­


    The cost in manpower and resources was no small sum.


    Without the support of the Lu Family, Lu Chengyun could never have built this.


    There must be secrets between the Lu Family Old Ancestor and Lu Chengyun¡­


    However, with so few clues, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t guess for the time being.


    Mo Hua thought about it and felt it was time to contact his Junior Brother and Sister. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside and outside collaboration would make things more convenient.


    In case of an accident, they could also help him.


    Mo Hua took out a Map, which depicted the geographical layout of the Lu Family¡¯s mines.


    Mo Hua then took out another piece of paper and sketched out the entrance to the Corpse Mine and the approximate location of the Stone Palace from memory.


    Comparing the two, he roughly inferred the location of the Stone Palace within the mine.


    Then, based on the location, he speculated where the walls of the mine were thinnest, which would be the easiest for him to dig through.


    First off, his own room would not work.


    Mo Hua glanced at the Map and realized that his room was situated deep within the Stone Palace, the distance to the outside rock face being the thickest. Trying to dig out from here would take the most time.


    Moreover, there were Formations all around. Digging would trigger these Formations.


    These Formations could not be set off.


    Lu Chengyun was also a Formation Master, and his accomplishments in Formation were not shabby.


    It was fine as long as he didn¡¯t discover Mo Hua, who could make some alterations to the Formation without Lu Chengyun realizing right away.


    But now, being right under his watch, it would be a rash move to tamper with the Formation, and Lu Chengyun would definitely notice.


    Mo Hua also suspected that the Formations inside the Stone Palace were integrated.


    Lu Chengyun would definitely use some method to monitor the entire Stone Palace¡¯s Formations.


    Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for Lu Chengyun to detect him the moment he deactivated the Expose Dust Formation.


    Deactivating the Expose Dust Formation was done intentionally to be discovered by Lu Chengyun.


    Now, digging a tunnel had to be done without letting Lu Chengyun find out.


    At night, after deceiving Lu Chengyun, Mo Hua concealed himself and went to several unoccupied rooms on the right side of the Stone Palace.


    These rooms were empty and clearly freshly excavated. No one lived there, and there were no coffins placed inside.


    According to Mo Hua¡¯s estimates, the walls of these rooms were the thinnest, making it the easiest spot to dig through, and what was more, there were very few Formations in this area.


    It was the weakest point in the entire Stone Palace¡¯s Formations that Mo Hua had calculated.


    Digging a small tunnel would be sufficient.


    Mo Hua took out a little tiger.


    This was a wooden puppet given to him by Old Kui, made of a material resembling wood but exceptionally sturdy.


    The little tiger had a Spiritual Pivot Formation drawn on it by Mo Hua.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation was for control.


    Apart from that, its limbs and teeth bore Sharp Gold Formations drawn by Mo Hua, which could make the puppet¡¯s limbs sharp and capable of piercing through mountains as easy as turning the hand.


    Mo Hua wanted to use the little tiger to send a message.


    He himself couldn¡¯t leave just yet.


    So a small tunnel would do.


    Mo Hua found a secluded corner, placed the little tiger there, and then used his Divine Sense to control the Spiritual Pivot Formation on the little tiger, which in turn prompted the puppet to dig through the rock.


    The formation on the little tiger slightly glowed and sprang to life, running several circles around Mo Hua before finding a spot at the corner of a wall. Its tiny claws scratched away, and fine rock chips fell, quickly digging a fist-sized tunnel.


    The little tiger squeezed in and then continued to dig outward.


    Within the tunnel, rock debris and dust kept falling.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and drew another inconspicuous Earth Series Formation to dissolve all the rock fragments to prevent detection.


    After that, Mo Hua returned to his room.


    Whenever Lu Chengyun wasn¡¯t watching, day or night, Mo Hua controlled the little tiger from afar with his Divine Sense to dig the tunnel.


    In the deadly silent Corpse Mine, amongst the black-grey rocks¡­


    The little tiger kept digging, burrowing further and further away.


    A few days later, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense suddenly felt lighter, realizing there was nothing left to dig around him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve broken through!¡±


    Mo Hua rejoiced inwardly.


    Afterward, Mo Hua let the little tiger lie in the underbrush, waiting to be discovered by either his Junior Brother or Sister.


    ¡°`


    They must know that I¡¯ve left Tongxian City,


    If they were looking for me, they would likely search near the mines.


    And this Little Tiger, crafted by Old Kui, something I¡¯ve fiddled with many times, Junior Brother and Sister are both very familiar with it¡ªjust a sweep of their Divine Sense, and they¡¯d discover it.


    The area around the mine is open and barren, making it less likely to be picked up by other Cultivators.


    Mo Hua waited until dawn.


    After that, with just a slight stirring of his Divine Sense, he detected that Little Tiger had been picked up, and the aura of the person was very familiar.


    It was either Junior Brother or Sister.


    After Little Tiger was picked up, something seemed to have been stuffed into it, and a moment later, it was thrown back onto the mountain path.


    Mo Hua then controlled Little Tiger to crawl back.


    Little Tiger got to the entrance of the cave and quietly waited.


    Only after 1 p.m., when Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense departed, did Mo Hua conceal his figure and go to the entrance, picking up Little Tiger, covered in dust and looking quite dirty.


    There was a piece of paper stuffed in Little Tiger¡¯s belly.


    Mo Hua unfolded the paper; the handwriting was delicate and beautiful, bearing the message:


    ¡°Where have you gone?¡±


    There was a simple drawing at the end of the message.


    The drawing depicted a small face, with a stick on top of its head banging it.


    One glance and he knew it was Junior Sister¡¯s drawing¡ªthat small face was meant to be Mo Hua; he had seen her draw it before.


    The Mo Hua in the drawing was being hit on the head.


    It seemed Junior Sister was a bit angry¡­


    Mo Hua felt a bit helpless as he stuffed a piece of paper he had written in advance into Little Tiger¡¯s body; it explained the reasons for his actions along with information about the Corpse Mine and the Stone Palace.


    He also drew a small Formation on the paper. If someone else got hold of it, Mo Hua would make the paper self-combust.


    Mo Hua then placed Little Tiger back at the cave entrance.


    Little Tiger began scrabbling its way up the path again.


    The next evening, Little Tiger came scrabbling back.


    Mo Hua went to pick up Little Tiger again and saw that there was a new note. It simply read:


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    There was also a drawing of a small face that was expressionless, neither happy nor angry.


    But it seemed as if she was no longer angry¡­


    Mo Hua let out a slight sigh of relief and left Little Tiger in the mountain path to pass messages between him and Junior Sister.


    Mo Hua himself would not make any rash moves for now.


    Meanwhile, Junior Brother and Sister could be well-infor-med and make some preparations.


    Two days later, Lu Chengyun finally found Mo Hua, greeted him with a cupped fist and politely said,


    ¡°I have made the necessary preparations; please, Gentleman, lend me a hand.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes glinted as he asked,


    ¡°What do you need my help with, Family Head?¡±


    ¡°Please follow me,¡± Lu Chengyun said, gesturing an invite with his hand.


    Mo Hua followed him out, walking through the corridors of the Stone Palace, turning several corners, and arriving at the previous hall.


    Inside the hall, Zhang Quan was also present. He snorted coldly when he saw Mo Hua.


    But he said nothing, nor dared to strike at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua also ¡°hmmphed¡± in response, while calculating in his mind how to scheme against Zhang Quan and then steal his ancestor.


    Seeing the tension between the two but also their restraint¡ªneither fighting nor exchanging words¡ªLu Chengyun nodded slightly.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, open the door,¡± he said.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes focused, he nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, wondering to himself.


    ¡°Open the door? What door?¡±


    Where was there any door in this place?


    Mo Hua frowned, then watched as Zhang Quan walked up to a huge mural on the wall.


    The mural was carved with zombies displaying ferocious and cruel expressions, Cultivators with faces filled with horror, countless overturned coffins, and hands stretching out from within them.


    Zhang Quan began to chant and make hand seals in front of the painting.


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned.


    His actions looked so familiar.


    It was similar to what Mo had done in front of the Screen in the Corpse Walking Stronghold, though more complicated, and the incantations were longer.


    So this mural, like the screen, was the entrance to a secret chamber?


    Sure enough, moments later, the lines on the mural became chaotic and intermingled, turning into a puddle of ink. The ink gradually structured itself into clarity, forming a face that was half human, half zombie.


    This face was majestic yet harsh, with a gaze full of greed.


    And as part of a zombie, it bore ferocity and terror.


    After the half human, half zombie face materialized, it opened its mouth wide; the more it opened, the bigger it got, until the entire face became a gaping maw.


    The sharp fangs on either side of the mouth were as lethal as those of Monster Beasts.


    This mouth was the entrance.


    Lu Chengyun said, ¡°Gentleman, please!¡±


    After speaking, he walked towards the mural himself.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment before following him, entering the gaping maw of the zombie.

 Chapter 484 - 471 Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses_1

    Chapter 484: Chapter 471 Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses_1


    Mo Hua walked into the mural, into the mouth of the zombie, and into a secret passage.


    The passage was narrow and dark but not long.


    Less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, after passing through the secret passage, the space before Mo Hua suddenly opened up.


    What came into view was a massive altar.


    The altar was exquisitely arranged, resplendent with gold and glittering with jewels.


    The sandalwood was precious, the candle stands were of jade, the candles were gilded, and a giant incense burner engraved with gold beast patterns, with incense smoldering inside, wafting curls of smoke.


    Above the altar were placed five-color spirit flowers, as offerings alongside pigs, sheep, and spirit beasts.


    In front of the altar hung banners of golden yellow, with jiao dragon patterned lanterns suspended from them.


    In the middle of the altar stood an enshrined sculpture.


    It was covered with a yellow cloth, obscuring its appearance.


    But the material used for it was either gold or jade.


    The entire altar was both imposing and luxurious.


    Mo Hua clicked his tongue, silently murmuring to himself,


    ¡°This thing¡­ must¡¯ve cost a fortune in spirit stones¡­¡±


    As he looked down, his brow furrowed, his gaze becoming even more stunned.


    Underneath the altar lay a gigantic bronze coffin.


    The coffin bore greenish patinas of bronze rust, suggesting it had endured many years of decay, exuding an ancient and rotten aura.


    Around the huge bronze coffin were arranged numerous iron coffins.


    These iron coffins housed iron corpses and were slightly smaller in comparison to the bronze coffin, appearing blackish-green in color.


    Beyond the iron coffins, as far as the eye could see, were densely packed dark wooden coffins.


    There were thousands of these wooden coffins, so many that in just a moment, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t count exactly how many there were.


    Between the coffins, blood-red formation patterns connected them.


    First, they classified the wooden coffins, connecting them to above the iron coffins, and then through the iron coffins, with blood-red patterns, they led to the large bronze coffin in the center.


    On the ground among the multitude of coffins were drawn several sinister and strange formations.


    All of the evil formations were linked together.


    Sinister yet magnificent.


    A shiver ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Is this¡­ an evil path great formation?


    He suppressed the shock in his heart, focused his mind, and used his divine sense to deduce the formation pivot and number of formations, sighing with relief afterward.


    Not a great formation¡­


    Although they looked menacing, the number of single formations, the structure of the formation pivot, and the scale of the formations did not qualify as a great formation.


    At most, it could be considered a ¡°quasi-great formation.¡±


    In essence, it was still a compound formation, much less powerful than a great formation, yet much stronger than an average compound formation.


    This was the strongest compound formation Mo Hua had ever encountered.


    And it was also an evil path compound formation.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s shocked expression, Lu Chengyun felt quite pleased with himself, with a smile playing at the corner of his mouth, he asked,


    ¡°Young gentleman, what do you think?¡±


    Mo Hua had his own thoughts, pretending not to have seen through it, his expression changing uncertainly, until, utterly baffled, he said,


    ¡°Lu Family Head, you¡¯re actually constructing a great formation!¡±


    Lu Chengyun humbly said,


    ¡°It¡¯s not quite a great formation, just a compound formation of a larger scale.¡±


    But pride flashed in his eyes as he was clearly very proud of the formation he had laid out.


    Mo Hua then feigned as though he had seen very little of the world, saying in amazement,


    ¡°Such scale, and it¡¯s still not considered a great formation¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun smiled and asked,


    ¡°Young gentleman, haven¡¯t you seen a great formation before?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked.


    In his heart he thought, I can¡¯t just tell you that I¡¯ve not only seen one but have also been the lead architect of a Grade-One Eleven-Pattern Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, which I used to slay a big demon in the end¡­


    Even if he said so, Lu Chengyun probably wouldn¡¯t believe it.


    Hence, Mo Hua shook his head with a ¡°sincere¡± face, and longingly said,


    ¡°I have not seen one, I¡¯ve only heard my master mention it. A formation master capable of constructing a great formation must have extremely strong divine sense, wide knowledge of formations, profound expertise, and also manage the construction of the great formation, being a renowned figure of the region.¡±


    Mo Hua had the nerve to lavish himself with praise.


    Lu Chengyun nodded and said feelingly, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Becoming the lead architect and constructing a great formation was the lifelong pursuit of every formation master.


    Lu Chengyun was no exception.


    However, so far, he didn¡¯t possess the ability to construct a great formation, and this compound formation here was already his limit.


    Even so, he was far ahead of other formation masters.


    Once this formation was activated, the Lu Family could dominate the Minor Wilderness State Boundary.


    Whether it was personal power or formation accomplishment, he could take one step further.


    Given time, he could undoubtedly construct a true great formation.


    Ambition burned brightly in Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes.


    The thirteen-year-old Mo Hua, who had already constructed a great formation, was standing quietly on the side, watching him.


    When Lu Chengyun came back to his senses, Mo Hua softly asked,


    ¡°Lu Family Head, what exactly is this formation?¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes became focused as he slowly said,


    ¡°This formation is called¡­ Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.¡±


    ¡°Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly startled.


    ¡°Ten Thousand Corpses¡­¡±


    No, that¡¯s not right¡­


    This isn¡¯t the name of a single formation, nor is it likely to be the name of a compound formation.


    A mere compound formation could not possibly be named ¡°Ten Thousand Corpses.¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at the countless coffins below, and at the dense collection of evil formations, his gaze flickering.


    This Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses must be a great formation!


    It should be called the Great Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses!


    The current compound formation had been reduced from the original great formation.


    Lu Chengyun lacked the ability in formation arts, and the Lu Family couldn¡¯t possibly deplete their resources to construct a formation.


    So because Lu Chengyun couldn¡¯t build a great formation, he built this compound formation, reduced from the Great Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    But where did Lu Chengyun get the formation diagram?


    The inheritance of great formations was always a closely guarded secret.


    His Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation was given to him by his master.


    So, who gave Lu Chengyun the Great Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?


    Moreover, given that this was an evil path great formation, the ones capable of passing on such sinister formations must be either distinguished demon sects or powerful big demons from the demon path¡­


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart, and his gaze grew colder.


    ¡°Lu Family Head, where exactly did this formation come from?¡± Mo Hua asked quietly again.


    Lu Chengyun seemed on the verge of speaking, then stopped, looking at Mo Hua, he said with a smile,


    ¡°That¡­ is something I fear I cannot disclose.¡±


    Mo Hua also apologized with a smile,


    ¡°Family Head, my apologies, I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡±


    Immediately following that, his curiosity perked up as he asked,


    ¡°Family Head, what did you want to see me for? I can¡¯t do a Compound Formation, let alone, this Compound Formation is an Evil Formation and I haven¡¯t learned it. My master wouldn¡¯t allow me to learn it either.¡±


    Lu Chengyun gave a faint smile. ¡°Gentleman, rest assured, I will not make you do anything difficult.¡±


    ¡°Gentleman, please follow me¡­¡±


    After speaking, Lu Chengyun walked straight ahead.


    Following behind him, Mo Hua passed by numerous closely-packed coffins and layers upon layers of blood-red Evil Formations on the ground, arriving near the bronze coffin.


    Near the bronze coffin, there were some places that were blank, void of any drawn Formation Patterns.


    Lu Chengyun then said, S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I invited Gentleman over here not to draw an Evil Formation, but to ask Gentleman to help me build the Formation eye of this Compound Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Formation eye of an Evil Formation still an Evil Formation?¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head, ¡°It is not constructed using the methods of the Evil Formation but by the handiwork of the Righteous Dao Gathering Spirit, to construct the Formation eye.¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    You are constructing an Evil Formation, so why switch to a righteous way for such a critical part?


    Seeing the confusion in Mo Hua¡¯s expression, Lu Chengyun sighed and said,


    ¡°The Formation eye of the Evil Path Compound Formation would result in too many killings, something my Lu Family cannot bear to do¡­¡±


    Mo Hua inwardly cursed him for his pretense, but he praised him solemnly,


    ¡°Family Head Lu truly has a heart of compassion¡­¡±


    Speaking nonsense with his eyes open, yet his face remained serious.


    Lu Chengyun was slightly startled; he wasn¡¯t sure if Mo Hua was praising him or mocking him¡­


    Of course, he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°However¡­¡± Mo Hua showed some reluctance as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a Formation Diagram.¡±


    Lu Chengyun then handed Mo Hua the Formation Diagram of the Formation.


    Mo Hua glanced at it and instantly had a rough idea.


    The Formation Diagram was incomplete.


    It only contained the relevant parts of the Formation eye and the Formation Pivot.


    Indeed, one could use this to construct the Formation eye system of the Formation, but it was impossible to know the full picture of how Spiritual Power operates.


    Mo Hua looked over the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses Diagram again and gradually understood.


    The Evil Path Great Formation required vast amounts of Blood Qi and Evil Power to operate the Formation.


    In deriving from the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation requires less Blood Qi and Evil Power, but the total amount is still massive.


    According to the Formation Diagram, to construct the Formation eye of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, it was initially necessary to use a Blood Refining Formation and a Blood Spirit Formation as part of a Compound Formation.


    First, killing people and refining the cultivators¡¯ Blood Qi using the Blood Refining Formation, extracting the Spiritual Power from the cultivators.


    Then, through the Blood Spirit Formation, the cultivators¡¯ Blood Qi and Spiritual Power are fused to form Evil Power, which propels the operation of the Great Formation.


    By doing so, a multitude of cultivators would need to be killed.


    Mo Hua remembered what his junior female apprentice said.


    Some Demon Path Great Formations even massacre all the cultivators in a city, to refine their Blood Spirit and inject it into the Formation eye, driving the entire Great Formation.


    The Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation does not need to kill that many cultivators at once.


    But over time, as long as the Formation operates, people will need to be continuously killed, and Spiritual Power and Blood Qi must be constantly refined to sustain the Formation.


    South Yue City does not have so many cultivators to be killed so wantonly.


    Besides, the Lu Family also dare not kill like that.


    If they really did kill that many people, even a fool would notice something was wrong.


    It is also impossible for the Taoist Court to tolerate such acts.


    Unless the Lu Family truly wishes to rebel against the Taoist Court and the entire clan fall into the Demon Path, swearing allegiance to the Demon Sect, would they dare to do such a thing.


    But such conduct is far too malicious in nature.


    Once discovered by the Taoist Court, they would certainly be suppressed by Taoist Soldiers, and the whole clan slaughtered without leaving a single survivor.


    Mo Hua estimated that Lu Chengyun did not have the courage for this.


    Even if he did, not all the many people in the Lu Family were willing to be so reckless with their lives.


    Although it was an Evil Formation, the Evil Formation¡¯s eye could not be used.


    So they had no choice but to use the Spiritual Power Formation eye.


    Mo Hua estimated that Lu Chengyun intended to use the Gathering Spirit Array as the Formation eye and Spirit Stones as material to refine Spiritual Power.


    Once the Spiritual Power circulated, it would then be corrupted by the Evil Energies in the Evil Formation, turning the clean Spiritual Power into Evil Power, thus driving the entire Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation.


    ¡°Master was right; the formations of the Righteous Dao are the foundation, and those of the Demon Path are just opportunistic shortcuts,¡± Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    But this Lu Chengyun, his understanding of formations was also quite profound.


    He could actually think of such a method that mixes the righteous and the evil.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then hesitantly refused,


    ¡°Family Head Lu, Compound Formations¡­ I¡¯m not too familiar with them. I¡¯m afraid I may not be able to construct it¡­¡±


    Yet Lu Chengyun said, ¡°You can do it.¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I heard it from Elder Su,¡± Lu Chengyun replied.


    ¡°Elder Su?¡± Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Does this matter have something to do with Elder Su as well?¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head, ¡°It has nothing to do with him.¡±


    Lu Chengyun looked at Mo Hua and sighed,


    ¡°When chatting leisurely with Elder Su, he mentioned your insights on constructing Formation eyes were truly extraordinary. Upon hearing it, Lu Chengyun was deeply impressed!¡±


    ¡°With such insight, involving advanced Compound Formations and even the central structure of Great Formations, one could not have such an exceptional understanding without a profound inheritance of Formation knowledge and guidance from Formation experts.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, I had the idea to ask Gentleman to help me construct the Formation eye of the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua understood.


    It turned out to be Elder Su, who had slipped up.


    When Mo Hua taught him back then, he had instructed him not to tell others.


    Perhaps Elder Su did not regard the Family Head as an outsider¡­


    Or maybe, he wanted to brag about Mo Hua in front of the Family Head to give Mo Hua some credit but did not expect it to backfire.


    Elder Su probably did not anticipate that Lu Chengyun was not a good person.


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly.


    These insights regarding the Formation eye stem from his enlightenment when he constructed the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    The construction of the Formation eye of a Great Formation, if used on a Compound Formation, would naturally be more than sufficient.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s this sort of thinking was, in fact, normal.


    He tried to overestimate Mo Hua¡¯s level of proficiency in formations.


    However, his ¡°overestimation¡± was still, in essence, an underestimation.


    Mo Hua thought for a while, then showed a difficult expression,


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever engaged in theoretical discussion; I might not actually be able to construct it¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun appeared very forgiving,


    ¡°No matter, Gentleman, feel free to try. Trial and error are part of Formation construction. I believe with Gentleman¡¯s intelligence, you will not disappoint Lu Chengyun¡­¡±


    Implicitly suggesting, disappointing him would mean there would be consequences to face¡­


    Mo Hua understood Lu Chengyun¡¯s thoughts and sighed helplessly,


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try.¡±

 Chapter 485 - 472 Slacking Off_1

    Chapter 485: Chapter 472 Slacking Off_1


    ¡°`


    Lu Chengyun handed Mo Hua some more Formation Diagrams, Formation Patterns, and books on Formation Explanation.


    ¡°These albums should be helpful for the gentleman in constructing the Formation eye for the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation,¡± he said.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze showed neither joy nor anger, and then he said indifferently:


    ¡°I will give the gentleman three days. Within three days, draw a good design for the Formation Diagram of the Formation eye. We¡¯ll discuss it, take the essence and discard the dregs, improve it several times, and we should be able to construct a complete Spiritual Power Formation Eye Diagram.¡±


    Three days¡­


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief but also felt some unease, and cupped his hands in thanks:


    ¡°Let¡¯s do as the Lu Family Head said.¡±


    Mo Hua then left with some Formation Diagrams and books that Lu Chengyun had given him, his heart filled with ¡°worry and trepidation.¡±


    Not until Mo Hua had gone far did Zhang Quan speak in a gloomy tone:


    ¡°Brother Lu, that kid, he looks completely unsure of himself.¡±


    Lu Chengyun turned his head to look at him, ¡°If he isn¡¯t confident, are you, Brother Zhang?¡±


    Zhang Quan twisted his mouth, ¡°Brother Lu jests. I don¡¯t understand Formations¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun snorted lightly.


    Zhang Quan harbored doubts and with a provocative tone, he asked:


    ¡°This kid¡­ gentleman, can he really construct the Formation eye?¡±


    Lu Chengyun pondered for a moment, then slowly said:


    ¡°He has good talent, high comprehension, and surely has inherited knowledge from a prestigious master, with profound knowledge in formations¡­¡±


    ¡°The only problem might be that he hasn¡¯t dabbled broadly in formations, lacks experience, hasn¡¯t built many Formations practically, and is inexperienced¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun then sighed and said, ¡°However, it¡¯s not his fault. After all, he¡¯s still young. At the age of barely over ten, no matter how much he forsakes sleep and food, he can¡¯t have drawn too many Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°How can the experience of Formation masters, who have studied for over a hundred years, compare with his?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I borrowed his extensive Formation knowledge to design the Formation eye, while I supervise and make corrections, to compensate for his lack of experience in Formation crafting.¡±


    Zhang Quan frowned, ¡°Even so, why don¡¯t you design it yourself, Brother Lu?¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s expression turned slightly cold, and a trace of displeasure appeared in his eyes.


    He thought to himself:


    If I could design it myself, why would I entrust someone else?


    Lu Chengyun looked at the vast Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation, feeling a slight tremor in his heart.


    This is a Compound Formation that almost approaches a Large Formation!


    The structure of the Formation eye is almost that of a Large Formation.


    Large Formations and Single Formations represent entirely different systems of formation. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    My Divine Sense is sufficient, but my knowledge of formations is far too little.


    Without a profound formation heritage and guidance from a master, an ordinary Formation Master trying to study a Large Formation has no way to even begin understanding it.


    Relying solely on one¡¯s own research is like working blindly; it could take decades without necessarily figuring anything out.


    Moreover, I simply don¡¯t have that time.


    By the time I figure it out on my own, draw the Formation Diagram, construct the Formation eye, and form the Formation, the zombies in this mine will probably all have spoiled.


    This Zhang Quan, after all, is not a Formation Master. Talking to him is exhausting!


    Although Lu Chengyun was resentful in his heart, he still found an excuse for himself on the surface:


    ¡°I¡¯ve dabbled in the Evil Formation path. Now trying to reconstruct the Formation eye using a Righteous Dao method is a bit difficult.¡±


    Zhang Quan was slightly astonished when he heard this and unconsciously nodded his head.


    He did not understand Lu Chengyun¡¯s problem with formation learning and thought Lu Chengyun was deceiving him, so he only half-believed.


    But what Lu Chengyun said now, he understood.


    Having drawn Evil Formations, naturally, one can¡¯t draw a standard Formation properly.


    The opposition between righteous and evil is simple and understandable.


    Zhang Quan pondered for a moment and then his confusion resurfaced:


    ¡°But, is that young man¡¯s formation knowledge truly so extraordinary?¡±


    Lu Chengyun nodded, ¡°Naturally¡­¡±


    ¡°If there wasn¡¯t an excellent legacy and guidance from a superior mentor, relying solely on himself, even if his talent were exceptional, how could he possibly become a first-class Formation Master at such a young age?¡±


    After Lu Chengyun finished speaking, his expression became emotional:


    ¡°A first-class Formation Master appointed by the Taoist Court, ah, how many Formation Masters exhaust their entire lifetimes, studying with devoted concentration, to attain such an honor.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s already a first-class Formation Master at the age of thirteen¡­¡±


    Envy flashed in Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes.


    Why couldn¡¯t I be that lucky, to meet such an excellent mentor? Otherwise, my own level in formations wouldn¡¯t have been struggling for so many years, advancing slowly¡­


    A hint of wariness also appeared in Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s actually a first-class Formation Master¡­¡±


    He knew that Mo Hua was good at drawing formations, but he didn¡¯t realize how good.


    Then a greedy thought arose in him.


    It seemed a waste to kill a first-class Formation Master.


    I wonder if there¡¯s a way to keep him by my side to draw formations for me¡­


    Both harboring their own schemes, outwardly, they still appeared as if nothing was amiss.


    Later on, Lu Chengyun brought up the topic of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses again.


    After some thought, his eyes brightened as he said:


    ¡°Once this formation is successfully established, we will begin Corpse Refinement. Once the corpse is refined and can command the horde, both South Yue City and the entire Minor Wilderness State Boundary will be at our mercy.¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes also sparkled with excitement, and he said:


    ¡°I will follow Brother Lu¡¯s lead!¡±


    The two exchanged glances, both brimming with ambition.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°However, before that,¡± after a moment, Lu Chengyun¡¯s tone shifted, his gaze deepening, and he said:


    ¡°I would like to borrow Brother Zhang¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture for a look.¡±


    Zhang Quan was taken aback, his smile gradually fading, ¡°Didn¡¯t Brother Lu already see it before?¡±


    ¡°The Zhang Family ancestor has unparalleled elegance, I wish to admire it once more,¡± Lu Chengyun politely said.


    Zhang Quan scoffed in his heart.


    Admire?


    He¡¯s probably tasted the sweetness already.


    ¡°This Ancestral Master Picture, I¡¯ve just gotten it back¡­¡± Zhang Quan hesitated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only borrow it for half a month.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun said, ¡°I will give Brother Zhang an additional tenth of the Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses in the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes brightened, bargaining:


    ¡°Twenty percent!¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze hardened, he fell silent for a moment, and slowly said, ¡°Alright!¡±


    The deal was settled.


    Zhang Quan took out the Ancestral Master Picture, handing it over to Lu Chengyun with some reluctance, ¡°This picture has been quite spoiled by that little devil, it¡¯s significantly weakened, it probably needs people to nurture it¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun laughed, ¡°Brother Zhang, rest assured, nurturing the picture is no big deal, I have plenty of offerings, and I certainly won¡¯t neglect the Zhang Family¡¯s ancestor.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, I have prepared a very nourishing supplement¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun revealed a smile with unclear implications.


    Zhang Quan didn¡¯t know what he intended to do and frowned¡­


    ¡­


    After returning to his room, Mo Hua spent about two hours, including time spent looking at the Formation Diagrams and Formation Books, to complete the Spiritual Power Formation Eye Diagram for the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    Once completed, Mo Hua thought for a moment, then burned it.


    Afterwards, he drew another one with a similar underlying layout but with hundreds of mistakes in the details.


    This was even simpler.


    In the time it took to brew a pot of tea, Mo Hua finished the drawing.


    After finishing, Mo Hua began to slack off.


    Seemingly deep in thought, in reality, he was just dawdling¡­


    He spent all day lying on the desk, poring over piles of Formation Diagrams, Formation Books, Formation Patterns, looking, flipping, doodling, and correcting while frowning deeply.


    His mind, however, was on other things: what to eat for lunch, whether Little Tiger had sent any news, whether his junior sister had replied.


    What the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses was used for, what was inside the bronze coffin, and just where the Spiritual Pivot Formation really was¡­


    All of this was observed by Lu Chengyun.


    Unaware of Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, he simply believed that Mo Hua was diligent and responsible.


    Lu Chengyun gave Mo Hua three days.


    Mo Hua slacked off for those three days.


    On the evening of the last day, Mo Hua, with some ¡°nervousness,¡± handed the flawed Formation Eye Diagram to Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun glanced at it and was initially amazed.


    The overall layout of the Formation Eye was indeed correct.


    It really did have a shadow of a Large Formation.


    But upon closer inspection, he frowned.


    There were too many errors in the details.


    The specific arrangement of Formation Patterns, the construction of the nucleus, the conveyance of Spiritual Power¡ªall were crude and the conception was unfamiliar.


    ¡°The experience with formations is indeed lacking¡­¡± Lu Chengyun silently sighed to himself.


    He pointed out a few errors to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua acted as if he had an epiphany and exclaimed, ¡°As expected of the Lu Family Head!¡±


    Then he seemed to be somewhat disheartened and said in a low voice:


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t draw this Formation Eye properly¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun consoled him, ¡°You are still young, and to achieve this much among Formation Masters is already quite rare.¡±


    ¡°Constructing a Compound Formation Eye is not easy.¡±


    ¡°You must not lose heart or become discouraged, improve it a few more times, and you will certainly be able to create a perfect and complete Formation Eye Diagram.¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Lu Chengyun said kindly, ¡°It is natural.¡±


    Mo Hua seemed to regain confidence and nodded:


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try harder, correct the mistakes, and strive to revise it again!¡±


    Lu Chengyun felt reassured.


    His judgment of Mo Hua was further solidified in his heart.


    Clever, with high comprehension, serious about learning formations, but after all, a child¡¯s nature, easily trusting of others.


    The inheritance of the formation was extraordinary, and he had profound knowledge of formations, but he lacked practical experience, and his technique in constructing formations was raw.


    Talented and knowledgeable, but lacking practice and refinement.


    In every sense, a promising young candidate.


    But also, just a candidate¡­


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze shifted subtly, and he put his mind at ease.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 486 - 486: 473chapter so difficult_1

    Chapter 486: 473chapter so difficult_1


    ¡°`


    In the exquisitely furnished stone chamber.


    Mo Hua sensed Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense spying on him, and he pretended to be contemplating the design of the Formation eye.


    Once Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense had left, Mo Hua tossed the Formation Diagram aside and began doodling Little Tigers on paper to amuse himself.


    As he drew, Mo Hua calculated in his mind.


    What exactly was this Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses for?


    Corpse Refinement?


    What kind of corpse then?


    Considering the current state of the Formation Patterns and the flow of Spiritual Power, it appeared designed to utilize the Formation to harness immense Evil Power, refining Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses on a large scale and in batches.


    From the Zhang Family to the Lu Family.


    From small workshop-style Corpse Refinement to large clan-scale, Formation-intensive, systematic, industrialized Corpse Refinement.


    In this way, with the help of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, a greater number of Zombies could be refined in a short period of time.


    But was that really all there was to it?


    Once the Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses were refined, how would they be controlled?


    And what use would a vast number of Zombies be?


    It couldn¡¯t be possible that Lu Chengyun would abandon being the Family Head just to establish a Corpse Path Demon Sect and become its sect leader¡­


    Or was it that, like the Patriarch of the Qian Family, he intended to secretly use Zombies for marauding, killing, and pillaging to eliminate rivals, thereby strengthening the Lu Family¡¯s power and territory?


    Mo Hua thought again of the massive Bronze Coffin within the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation.


    In the partial Formation Diagram given by Lu Chengyun, there was no mention of the function of that Bronze Coffin.


    The Formation eye system designed by Mo Hua also didn¡¯t include that Bronze Coffin.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    ¡°What exactly is that Bronze Coffin used for?¡±


    ¡°And what exactly is inside it?¡±


    Fearing he might have missed something crucial, Mo Hua reviewed every detail he could recall from his encounters with Lu Chengyun.


    As he pondered, Mo Hua¡¯s expression turned pensive.


    He remembered Lu Chengyun saying:


    ¡°¡­please, Gentleman, help me with Corpse Refinement¡­¡±


    ¡°Not an Iron Corpse¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­but a stronger Zombie that surpasses an Iron Corpse¡­¡±


    Deducing from the principles of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Lu Chengyun controlled the Walking Corpses with an Iron Corpse, and then a stronger Zombie to control the Iron Corpses.


    With successive control like this, even if he refined a multitude of Zombies, he could dominate them all by himself.


    Given that, the stronger Zombie that would dominate the Iron Corpses and control the hordes must be the one refined by the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation.


    It was likely hidden in the Bronze Coffin at the center of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    Having thought it over again and again, Mo Hua felt he was more or less correct.


    There were many Evil Formations depicted within the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation.


    These Evil Formations, categorized and connected by bloody Patterns, linked the wooden coffins of the Walking Corpses to the iron coffins of the Iron Corpses, and then the iron coffins to the central Bronze Coffin.


    This was consistent with the principles of the Spiritual Pivot Formation¡¯s hierarchical progression and decentralized control.


    Lu Chengyun might deceive him, but the Formation would not.


    No matter what Lu Chengyun said, the depicted Formation was what it was, and could not fool him.


    The Formation revealed the truth.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Based on the principles and construction of the Formation, he had roughly calculated Lu Chengyun¡¯s intentions with the Formation.


    At the same time, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    The Zombie in the Bronze Coffin, controlling the Iron Corpses and then the Walking Corpses.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation within the Bronze Coffin would undoubtedly have the highest authority.


    If that were the case, the final Spirit Pivot Formation Chart must be hidden within the Bronze Coffin!


    ¡°I must find a way to get my hands on the final Formation Diagram¡­¡± Mo Hua mumbled silently, his chin resting on his hand.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua had already designed the Formation eye of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    But he still slacked off a few times, making a slight alteration each time, consulting Lu Chengyun for ¡°advice,¡± and then making further improvements.


    When it came to Large Formation eye designs, Lu Chengyun was an amateur.


    So deceiving him was easy for Mo Hua.


    After altering it four or five times, Mo Hua finally presented the Formation eye Formation Diagram that he had designed in two hours to Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun was ecstatic.


    No longer feigning a cultured demeanor, he laughed loudly. In the dim candlelight of the room, his gaze sparked with grim ambition.


    After a moment, he suppressed the excitement in his heart, put on a gentle demeanor again, and smiled as he praised Mo Hua:


    ¡°Little Gentleman, you truly haven¡¯t disappointed me!¡±


    Mo Hua smiled bashfully, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the ¡®guidance¡¯ of the Lu Family Head.¡±


    Lu Chengyun sincerely said:


    ¡°It¡¯s because the Gentleman is so talented and deeply knowledgeable in Formations that you could complete such a complex Formation eye design in such a short time.¡±


    Now Mo Hua felt somewhat embarrassed.


    He had finished drawing it in two hours, slacked off for over ten days, and had kept dragging it out until now.


    Yet Lu Chengyun was still overjoyed.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, acting as if he was struggling to speak.


    With Lu Chengyun¡¯s perceptive mind, he naturally asked:


    ¡°Gentleman, is there something you wish to say?¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated for a while before he showed a troubled expression and said:


    ¡°Lu Family Head, would it be possible for me to draw the Formation eye myself?¡±


    Lu Chengyun seemed surprised, his eyes narrowed, and he fell silent.


    Assuming a passionate and studious demeanor, Mo Hua reflected aloud:


    ¡°In recent days, I¡¯ve realized that my understanding of Formations is still lacking, and my conception of Formation is full of mistakes¡­¡±


    ¡°Because of this, I would like to draw the Formation eye by hand, to apply what I¡¯ve learned and see if it can enhance my comprehension of Formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua quickly glanced at Lu Chengyun and hurried to add:


    ¡°Of course, since this Formation is so important, if it¡¯s not convenient for the Lu Family Head, then never mind.¡±


    After a quick contemplation, Lu Chengyun smiled and nodded:


    ¡°Such a Formation eye is complex in structure, not only difficult to conceive but also demanding in actual depiction.¡±


    ¡°Having the Gentleman help would be most welcome.¡±


    Mo Hua also relaxed and laughed:


    ¡°Mo Hua shall not fail the expectations of the Family Head!¡±


    ¡°`


    Lu Chengyun smiled slightly and nodded.


    Thus, the task of Drawing the Formation eye of the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation was personally undertaken by Mo Hua.


    While Drawing, Mo Hua stealthily observed the nearby bronze coffin.


    It was precisely because of that bronze coffin that he had found an excuse to volunteer to draw the Formation eye of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered with such things.


    Since the Formation eye was located near the bronze coffin, by Drawing it himself, he would have a way to approach the coffin and thus steal the ultimate Spirit Pivot Formation Chart.


    However, the opportunity was hard to come by.


    The bronze coffin was tightly sealed, never opened, revealing not the slightest trace of Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to stall for time.


    With a serious face, yet careless in his strokes, he would deliberately make a few mistakes, erase them, and then redraw.


    After all, the Spiritual Ink being wasted belonged to the Lu Family.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t the least bit heartbroken about it.


    But no matter how he messed around, it would not be possible to make zero progress.


    Reluctantly, Mo Hua had to draw slowly, making a bit more progress each day to give Lu Chengyun some hope.


    Lu Chengyun was somewhat anxious, but he didn¡¯t rush Mo Hua.


    After all, such Formation eyes were indeed complex and difficult to draw.


    Even if he were to draw it himself, it probably wouldn¡¯t be much better than Mo Hua¡¯s work¡­


    And so, days passed by.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Formation eye was gradually being perfected, but there was still no opportunity to open the bronze coffin.


    The coffin remained sealed, exposing not even a wisp of aura.


    Mo Hua wanted to perform Calculations on the Formation Patterns, but he had no way to proceed.


    During the day, Lu Chengyun was always watching, and by nightfall, the murals were sealed, and Mo Hua couldn¡¯t get in¡­


    The ultimate Spiritual Pivot Formation was right in front of him, but he couldn¡¯t see it.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless.


    Just when he was at a loss, one morning, Lu Chengyun opened the bronze coffin in front of him, apparently to draw some sort of Formation.


    The moment the coffin lid was opened, a complex aura of Formation lingered in the air.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    It was indeed the Spiritual Pivot Formation!


    Moreover, unlike the Spirit Pivot Formations found on the Iron Corpses or the Walking Corpses, it had a stronger aura and a more complete energy flow.


    With just a trace of this aura, he could deduce that the Formation Patterns were more complex and involved a more profound structure of Spiritual Power.


    Mo Hua was itching with curiosity.


    He so wanted to take a closer look¡­


    On the other hand, Lu Chengyun had started Drawing a Formation.


    He was using a Bone Pen, the tip made from human hair and dipped in human blood, his eyes emitting a gloomy green light as he drew some Formation within the bronze coffin.


    Mo Hua slightly frowned.


    Were these the methods of Drawing an Evil Formation?


    Was Lu Chengyun using the methods of an Evil Formation to draw the Grade One, Twelve Patterned Spiritual Pivot Formation?


    Zhang Quan, who was standing to the side, saw Mo Hua in a daze and scolded coldly,


    ¡°Hurry up with the Drawing. Don¡¯t waste time!¡±


    A stubborn streak came over Mo Hua.


    You want me to draw? Well, I just might not draw anymore!


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua casually tossed aside his pen and boldly ran behind Lu Chengyun, poking out his little head to watch Lu Chengyun Drawing the Formation.


    After all, what he was currently doing was ¡°Helping the tyrant,¡± so he and Lu Chengyun could be considered to be on the same side.


    Watching him Draw the Formation didn¡¯t seem too inappropriate.


    If he angered him, Mo Hua could always shrug it off, claiming his young age and ignorance as an excuse.


    It was true that he was indeed young.


    Lu Chengyun was focused on Drawing the Formation, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.


    Mo Hua took a quick glance and roughly saw the scene inside the bronze coffin.


    Within the bronze coffin was a bronze sarcophagus.


    A big coffin enclosing a smaller one.


    The outer one was a bronze coffin, enclosing within it a bronze sarcophagus.


    The coffin was opened, but the sarcophagus remained sealed.


    Contained within the sarcophagus must be the stronger Zombie that Lu Chengyun spoke of, one that surpassed even the Iron Corpses!


    But Mo Hua couldn¡¯t see it.


    He could only see the Formation Patterns that Lu Chengyun was Drawing on the inner surface of the coffin and the sarcophagus.


    The pattern of this Formation was indeed the most important Spiritual Pivot Formation!


    Mo Hua had already mastered the Spirit Pivot Formation Patterns on the lower-level Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses by heart, so he recognized them at a glance.


    Meanwhile, noticing that Lu Chengyun was entirely absorbed in his work and unaware of his surroundings, afraid that the Formation would be exposed, Zhang Quan called out,


    ¡°Brother Lu!¡±


    This shout broke Lu Chengyun¡¯s state of complete concentration, rendering all the Formation Patterns he was Drawing useless.


    Lu Chengyun snapped back to reality, shooting an angry look at Zhang Quan before noticing Mo Hua peeking from behind him.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze darkened, but he did not get angry. Instead, he asked with a smile,


    ¡°Little Gentleman, do you want to see this Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly, ¡°I do.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for this Formation, he wouldn¡¯t have come to South Yue City.


    Lu Chengyun pondered for a moment and then nodded, ¡°Alright!¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his surprise, ¡°You¡¯ll really let me see it?¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Chengyun replied with a smile, ¡°Of course, it was agreed upon from the start. You help me with the Formation Painting, and I¡¯ll show you this top-secret Formation Chart.¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, ¡°The Lu Family Head is indeed a man of his word!¡±


    Lu Chengyun flipped his right hand, and a thin old album appeared in it. The album seemed quite old, full of creases, and covered with folds.


    With great care, Lu Chengyun spread out the album.


    Recorded within this album was the complete, intricately complex and yet exquisite, top-ranking Twelve Patterned Spiritual Pivot Formation Chart!


    Mo Hua¡¯s little heart thumped wildly.


    Lu Chengyun looked at him with a meaningful gaze and asked,


    ¡°Little Gentleman, what do you think?¡±


    Mo Hua paused, then came to a realization.


    At first, he was excited, his eyes showing an obsessive fascination, then upon scrutinizing the Formation, he seemed incredulous, furrowing his brows in deep thought. After a long time, as if struck by a revelation, he hung his head dejectedly, sighing softly,


    ¡°This Formation¡­ it¡¯s so difficult, I can¡¯t understand it¡­¡±


    While claiming to be unable to understand, on the inside, he was rapidly memorizing the Formation Patterns as fast as lightning¡­

 Chapter 487 - 474: Obtained_1

    Chapter 487: Chapter 474: Obtained_1


    Mo Hua frowned, pretending to be shocked.


    All the while, his thoughts flew rapidly, trying his best to memorize the entire Spirit Pivot Formation Chart in his mind.


    Mo Hua was completely absorbed in looking at it.


    Lu Chengyun felt something was amiss and was just about to say something when.


    Mo Hua suddenly clutched his small head, his expression pained as he muttered:


    ¡°My Divine Sense¡­ it¡¯s depleted¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun was slightly startled and quickly put away the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart, asking,


    ¡°Little gentleman, are you alright?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was pale, and he weakly replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    He glanced at the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart and shook his head in shock, saying,


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t realized that such a Formation requires such an immense amount of Divine Sense; I only looked at it for a while, and my Divine Sense is almost exhausted¡­¡±


    This was within Lu Chengyun¡¯s expectations.


    He nodded slightly and said, ¡°This Formation is called the Spiritual Pivot Formation, and it is indeed the Sect Protecting Faction formation of a hidden sect. The difficulty of this Formation is truly beyond imagination.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really difficult¡­¡± Mo Hua looked dejected.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s mouth curved into a smile, but his tone was comforting as he said,


    ¡°This Formation¡¯s consumption of Divine Sense is great, and it cannot be learned without Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°Little gentleman, you are but at the stage of Qi Refinement, lacking sufficient Divine Sense, so it is normal that you cannot learn it or draw it. There is no need to be discouraged.¡±


    ¡°The path of Tao Cultivation is long and the future is vast. As long as you continue to refine your Formation skills and enhance your Divine Sense, one day you will be able to comprehend this Formation.¡±


    Lu Chengyun was encouraging Mo Hua.


    Inspired, Mo Hua¡¯s expression brightened, and he nodded firmly:


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Lu Chengyun then smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late today, and the little gentleman¡¯s Divine Sense has been overly depleted, causing some discomfort. You can go back to rest for now. Once you¡¯ve rested well, you can come back to continue working on the Formation eye¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat guilty, ¡°I overestimated myself and delayed the Lu Family Head¡¯s major plans¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Lu Chengyun said, ¡°the way of Formations is long-standing and far-reaching; one cannot rush success in a moment. A century-long plan will not be affected by a single day¡¯s work.¡±


    A century-long plan¡­


    This Lu Chengyun, is he plotting for a century¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts shifted slightly, then he nodded, taking his leave,


    ¡°Then I will go back to rest for now.¡±


    Lu Chengyun nodded, ¡°Good.¡±


    Mo Hua then covered his small head, pretending to have a headache, and left the secret chamber. His steps were unsteady as he walked out of the hall and returned to his stone room, collapsing onto his bed.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense followed Mo Hua.


    Seeing that Mo Hua lay quietly and motionless, he withdrew his Divine Sense after a moment.


    Once Lu Chengyun retracted his Divine Sense, Mo Hua immediately sat up, his small face flushed with excitement.


    He rushed to the desk, took out paper and brush, and attempted to fully recreate the Spiritual Pivot Formation, from the Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, to the Formation eye, and other alike heavy-weight Formations, just as he had memorized them¡­


    ¡­


    Elsewhere, inside the mural of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, Zhang Quan frowned at Lu Chengyun and said,


    ¡°Brother Lu, wasn¡¯t that a bit abrupt?¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, ¡°What was abrupt?¡±


    ¡°The matter of the Spirit Pivot Formation¡­¡± Zhang Quan said, ¡°Did you let him know too soon¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan had always been wary of Mo Hua.


    Of course, he also harbored thoughts of killing him.


    Lu Chengyun said indifferently, ¡°He would have found out sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Zhang Quan was somewhat uneasy, ¡°What if he learns it?¡±


    Lu Chengyun scoffed coldly, ¡°It is a First-grade Formation with twelve patterns.¡±


    Zhang Quan was taken aback, ¡°So what?¡±


    A hint of disdain flashed in Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes.


    Talking to Zhang Quan, who was ¡°Formation Blind,¡± was really like playing the lute to a cow.


    Lu Chengyun patiently explained, ¡°First-grade with twelve patterns, ¡®First-grade¡¯ is the Formation Grade, and ¡®twelve patterns¡¯ refers to the Divine Sense requirement.¡±


    ¡°Meaning, this First-grade Formation requires the Divine Sense of twelve patterns to be learned.¡±


    ¡°Above ten patterns is the Divine Sense Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°And twelve patterns of Divine Sense is beyond the reach of many veteran cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s expression changed upon hearing this, ¡°A First-grade Formation that can only be learned with Foundation Establishment Divine Sense, is it that outrageous?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said, Formations are profound and vast.¡±


    Lu Chengyun glanced at Zhang Quan, ¡°My Divine Sense, just reached twelve patterns, while your Divine Sense is merely ten patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°So, what can this gentleman surnamed Mo use to learn?¡±


    Lu Chengyun stated flatly.


    Zhang Quan fell silent, his mind reeling with the implications.


    Formations indeed are complicated.


    First-grade with twelve patterns¡­


    That kid is only at the stage of Qi Refinement; he certainly can¡¯t learn it.


    But can he really not learn it?


    Zhang Quan frowned.


    The image of Mo Hua¡¯s young face surfaced in Zhang Quan¡¯s mind again.


    Looking adorable yet detestable, and at the same time, enigmatic, he was hard to fathom.


    Zhang Quan had been duped by Mo Hua countless times already, so upon seeing Mo Hua, mixed feelings of anger and some palpitations arose.


    He always felt that this little devil Mo Hua was not so simple.


    Moreover, he couldn¡¯t see through Mo Hua¡¯s Concealment Technique.


    The more Zhang Quan thought about it, the more uneasy he became, furrowing his brow and saying,


    ¡°Brother Lu, what if his Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun let out a cold chuckle, ¡°Are you trying to say what if his Divine Sense has reached Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Zhang Quan also felt somewhat unsure,


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ It¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun snorted coldly, showing some impatience,


    ¡°The difference between Divine Sense reaching Foundation Establishment and Divine Sense at the twelve patterns is enormous.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, even if his Divine Sense is sufficient, it¡¯s useless. Do you expect him to learn such a difficult Formation by just looking at it twice?¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold, ¡°A superior Formation requires both practice and enlightenment.¡±


    ¡°Even I spent decades of arduous practice and research to attain a mere inkling of understanding,¡± he added.


    ¡°Then I used the Evil Formation technique to lower the threshold¡­¡±


    ¡°Integrating evil thoughts to reduce the Divine Sense threshold; using human blood to draw the Formation, lowering the control spirit threshold; using corpses as a medium, lowering the drawing Formation threshold¡­¡±


    ¡°Only then could I master and apply this Spiritual Pivot Formation within the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation.¡±


    ¡°Without years of dedicated study and understanding of the Evil Formation, without merging evil thoughts into consciousness, without using bones as pens, without using blood as ink, and without using corpses as a medium, how could he possibly learn it?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that by memorizing the Formation Patterns and practicing blindly a few times, he could learn it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously underestimating Formation techniques!¡± exclaims Lu Chengyun with an icy tone.


    It seemed he was reflecting on the years of painstaking effort it took to learn this Formation.


    Sneaking into the Lu Family, enduring humiliation, seizing an opportunity for promotion, killing and refining corpses, extracting bones to use as pens, mixing blood for ink ¨C he resorted to extreme measures¡­


    His emotions surged for a moment.


    Not wanting to upset Lu Chengyun, Zhang Quan took a step back and said,


    ¡°Zhang is shallow in insight and unaware of the difficulties. Please forgive me, Brother Lu¡­¡±


    Regaining composure and knowing that he had been slightly agitated, Lu Chengyun returned to his genteel demeanor and said indifferently,


    ¡°Brother Zhang, you are too polite. It is always good to be considerate in everything.¡±


    Zhang Quan breathed a sigh of relief, but the shadow Mo Hua left in his heart was not easily dispelled.


    After pondering, Zhang Quan still voiced his concerns in a low voice,


    ¡°Brother Lu, even if that kid can¡¯t learn the Formation, is it necessary to show it to him? It increases the risk unnecessarily¡­¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t show it to him, how would he willingly stay?¡± Lu Chengyun said.


    Zhang Quan frowned.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s smile was indifferent as he continued,


    ¡°Everyone has their desires¡­¡±


    ¡°I crave power, and Brother Zhang craves beauty,¡± he said.


    ¡°But that young gentleman is different. He¡¯s not deeply involved and doesn¡¯t know how intoxicating the flavors of power, beauty, fame, and wealth in this world can be.¡±


    ¡°Not knowing the taste, he naturally won¡¯t yearn for it.¡±


    ¡°Spirit Stones, female company, and influence might not necessarily move him¡­¡±


    ¡°But Formations are different!¡±


    ¡°This young gentleman has an innate longing for Formations.¡±


    ¡°That is the pursuit of a Formation Master!¡± Lu Chengyun remarked with a touch of emotion.


    ¡°As long as it is for the sake of learning Formations, to learn advanced, complex, mystical Formations, he would be willing to do anything.¡±


    ¡°As long as I give him this hope, that in the future I would pass the Spiritual Pivot Formation on to him, he will willingly work for me!¡±


    ¡°This Spiritual Pivot Formation is the bait.¡±


    ¡°And this young gentleman is the fish.¡±


    ¡°A First-grade Formation Master of such a young age, with astonishing talent, and who is wholeheartedly dedicated to working for me, is more precious than dozens of Iron Corpses,¡± Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes glinted with determination.


    Envy, jealousy, and a touch of unwillingness flashed through Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes.


    Since Lu Chengyun valued that kid so much, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for Zhang Quan to act against him.


    But until the end, nothing was certain¡­


    Zhang Quan composed himself and said with a respectful bow,


    ¡°Brother Lu¡¯s strategic foresight is admirable!¡±


    Lu Chengyun looked at Zhang Quan with an indecipherable expression and finally replied with a sigh,


    ¡°You¡¯re too modest, Brother Zhang.¡±


    Both harboring their own thoughts, their expressions somewhat elusive¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the stone room, Mo Hua was smiling beamingly. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In front of him, a Formation Diagram was laid out.


    Within the Formation Diagram, there were three types of Formations that were of the same origin and essence, yet they differed in structure and had distinct levels of importance.


    The three types of Formations resembled each other and were interconnected, yet their levels were clearly defined.


    It looked intricate and profound, yet was meticulously beautiful.


    It was the complete, First-grade twelve-pattern Spiritual Pivot Formation Chart that Mo Hua had restored!


    Finally, the Formation Diagram was in his hands!

 Chapter 488 - 475 Great Achievement_1

    Chapter 488: Chapter 475 Great Achievement_1


    Lu Chengyun could never have imagined that by just glancing at the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart a few times, Mo Hua would memorize it and reproduce it.


    First grade, twelve patterns, a legacy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect passed down from the Great Hidden Spirit Sect over a thousand years ago ¡ª the Ultimate Formation, the Spiritual Pivot Formation!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed and, without delay, immediately began to comprehend it.


    The Corpse Mine was no place for a long stay.


    He needed to master the Spiritual Pivot Formation as soon as possible so that he could figure out a way to free himself sooner.


    There were also Lu Chengyun and the Lu Family.


    Once he mastered the Spiritual Pivot Formation, he could free up his hands to deal with Lu Chengyun and the Lu Family.


    No matter what schemes Lu Chengyun had, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t let him succeed.


    The Lu Family had been domineering for so many years, and it was time they received their retribution.


    The Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses must be destroyed, the Ancestral Master Picture must be seized; neither the Corpse Mine, the Iron Corpses, nor the Walking Corpses could remain, or else they would certainly be a source of endless calamity.


    And among these tasks, the Spiritual Pivot Formation was the key.


    With his mind made up, Mo Hua began to focus on studying the Formation.


    His progress in learning the Spiritual Pivot Formation was rapid.


    Previously, Mo Hua had already obtained parts of the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart from both the Walking Corpses and the Iron Corpses, and had roughly comprehended it.


    Having grasped the formation principles of the Spiritual Pivot Formation and having tried using it on Little Tiger, all he needed now was to fill in the gaps and deepen his understanding of the Spiritual Pivot Formation with the complete chart.


    Mo Hua took some time to memorize the Formation Patterns, then practiced them on paper several times.


    That night, at 1 a.m., Mo Hua fell asleep, his Divine Sense sinking into the Sea of Consciousness, where he continued to practice on the Taoist Stele.


    The next day, feigning excessive consumption of Divine Sense and feeling unwell with a pale complexion, he did not go to draw the Formation eyes for the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    Instead, he hid in his room, and while Lu Chengyun wasn¡¯t paying attention, he secretly practiced the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    On the third day, he pretended to be better and went to the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses to crouch among a group of coffins to draw the Formation eyes.


    After finishing, he came back at night and continued to practice the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    However, after several days, Mo Hua sensed that something was not right.


    This Spirit Pivot Formation Chart seemed to have been tampered with¡­


    On the surface, this Formation appeared to be complete.


    Controlled by the main Spiritual Pivot Formation of the highest weight, it would manage the subsidiary Spiritual Pivot Formations of secondary weight, which in turn controlled the even more minor base Spiritual Pivot Formations.


    But Mo Hua found that there were some omissions in the patterns of this main Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    It was as if someone had left a ¡°back door.¡±


    These few Formation Patterns were held in someone else¡¯s hands.


    Unless these few Formation Patterns were completed, the main Formation would have a back door.


    The main Formation would then not be the main Formation but only a secondary Formation.


    Others could use this ¡°back door¡± to bypass Mo Hua¡¯s main Spiritual Pivot Formation and then take control of all the subsidiary and base Formations he had laid out.


    In such a case, Mo Hua¡¯s painstakingly arranged Spiritual Pivot Formation might just become someone else¡¯s ¡°wedding dress.¡±


    ¡°Picking peaches!¡±


    ¡°How cunning¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    This contingency was undeniably left by Lu Chengyun.


    But he estimated that Lu Chengyun didn¡¯t leave this back hand just to guard against him.


    It was to guard against all Formation Masters who saw the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart, learned the Spiritual Pivot Formation, and attempted to construct a system of power for the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Whether it was Corpse Refinement, Artifact Refining, or even the making of puppets, Tao cultivation instruments, anything that used his Spiritual Pivot Formation, would ultimately be ¡°usurped.¡±


    Because Lu Chengyun possessed the main Spiritual Pivot Formation with the highest authority.


    ¡°Thank goodness I noticed, or else I really would have fallen into Lu Chengyun¡¯s trap¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit of aftershock, and then some confusion.


    What exactly were the missing Formation Patterns, and where might Lu Chengyun have hidden them?


    After pondering for a while, Mo Hua had no leads.


    As the Family Head of the Lu Family, with the vastness of the Lu Family and the Corpse Mine, hiding some Formation techniques couldn¡¯t be easier.


    ¡°Go undercover to shadow him?¡±


    Mo Hua considered and shook his head again.


    With his current level of Divine Sense and stealth, following Lu Chengyun was still a bit of a stretch.


    A normal Foundation Establishment might suffice, but Lu Chengyun himself was a Formation Master, an Evil Formation Master at that, and was very suspicious by nature; shadowing him discreetly would most certainly raise his suspicions.


    Such affairs should wait until his Divine Sense was stronger.


    ¡°But what should be done in the meantime?¡±


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation lay right in front of him; it wasn¡¯t as though he could just not learn it.


    Yet, once mastered and utilized, it would be akin to ¡°working¡± for Lu Chengyun, a loss not worth the gain.


    Even if one were to search, it would not be easy to find.


    Who knew where Lu Chengyun would have hidden those Formation Patterns?


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, and then it dawned on him: S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Bronze Coffin!¡±


    Lu Chengyun might set traps for others, but surely he wouldn¡¯t do the same to himself.


    His own drawing of the Spiritual Pivot Formation must be complete, without any flaws.


    The Formation he drew inside the Bronze Coffin must be complete!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    The next day, when Lu Chengyun was drawing the Formation inside the Bronze Coffin, Mo Hua quietly peeked in.


    Zhang Quan noticed and gave Mo Hua a warning glare.


    Mo Hua glared back defiantly, then turned his head back to continue observing.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation drawn by Lu Chengyun was different from his own.


    His Spiritual Pivot Formation used the techniques of an Evil Formation, using bone as the brush, blood as the ink, and corpses as the Formation media.


    Also, the manner in which he laid out the Formation was distinct.


    He repeatedly dipped into blood, applying the Spiritual Pivot Formation to the bronze funeral ark.


    The bloodstains would gradually fade, and the Formation would gradually merge with the coffin.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t too sure about the specifics of this technique.


    Fortunately, the underlying Formation Patterns and principles were the same.


    Mo Hua was still able to identify the intrinsic Formation Patterns of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes faintly shone with a green light, fully concentrated, and he didn¡¯t notice Mo Hua. When he occasionally caught a glimpse, he didn¡¯t seem to care much and simply asked with a non-smiling smile:

 Chapter 489 - 475 Great Success_2

    Chapter 489: Chapter 475 Great Success_2


    ¡°Little Gentleman, how do you find it?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned and shook his head:


    ¡°It¡¯s too difficult, I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    Despite not understanding, he continued to look.


    That¡¯s how Formation Masters are, the less they understand, the more they want to; the more they can¡¯t comprehend, the more they strive to¡­


    Lu Chengyun knew this feeling, so he didn¡¯t think anything was amiss.


    It was all the more natural for Mo Hua to be observing.


    As he watched, he critiqued in his mind:


    ¡°This Lu Chengyun draws way too slowly, I¡¯ve been waiting for ages, if it were me drawing, I would have finished long ago¡­¡±


    ¡°That stroke is wrong, and he hasn¡¯t even noticed¡­¡±


    ¡°Bone pen, blood ink, and using corpses as mediums¡­ making such a fuss¡­¡±


    ¡°Dawdling¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After muttering to himself for a while, Lu Chengyun suddenly flicked his wrist, and his pen moved swiftly, leaving behind several Formation Patterns.


    These Patterns were quite unfamiliar to Mo Hua.


    He matched these Patterns with the Spiritual Pivot Formation and found that they fitted perfectly, closing off the ¡°backdoor¡± in the Formation that was missing.


    On the surface, Mo Hua seemed confused, but his mind was as clear as a mirror. With a thought, he memorized these few Patterns.


    As soon as Lu Chengyun had put pen to paper, he subconsciously sensed something amiss, turned his head, and saw Mo Hua looking the same as ever, which put his mind at ease¡­


    The missing Patterns were now in hand.


    Back home, Mo Hua used these Patterns to fill in the gaps in the Spiritual Pivot Formation, sealing off the backdoor Lu Chengyun had left.


    After a few more days of contemplation and adjustments, Mo Hua finally mastered the Spiritual Pivot Formation completely.


    At the same time, his understanding of the Spiritual Pivot Formation deepened.


    The principle of the Spiritual Pivot Formation was to clarify the structure of Spiritual Power and meticulously control it through the pivot of the Formation.


    The key to this control was the Spiritual Thread.


    By breaking down Spiritual Power into even finer filaments and using these threads for more intricate manipulation.


    At the same time, similar Spiritual Pivot Formations would resonate with each other. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just like in the Compass Parent-Child Formation, where the Parent Formation resonates with the Child Formation, the Spiritual Power fluctuations detected by the Child Formation are reflected in the Parent Formation.


    Similar Spiritual Pivot Formations resonate and connect with each other.


    This connection is the control of Spiritual Power.


    The Main Formation controls the Sub-Formation, the Sub-Formation controls the Base Formation, allowing a small amount of Divine Sense to control a large number of Walking Corpses or puppets.


    This utility of the Formation was something Mo Hua had not discovered within the Five Elements Formation.


    ¡°The Ultimate Formation indeed involves the essence of Spiritual Power, seizing the creation of heaven and earth¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat shocked and silently said to himself.


    After learning it, he tried using the complete Spiritual Pivot Formation on Little Tiger.


    Mo Hua had a bunch of Little Tiger puppets on him.


    These were made by Old Kui, which Mo Hua asked for, intending to test the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    He picked one that was slightly larger, called it ¡°Big Tiger,¡± and then drew the Main Spiritual Pivot Formation on it.


    Afterwards, he drew the Sub-Spiritual Pivot Formations on six or seven other Little Tigers.


    With Divine Sense, Mo Hua controlled the Main Spiritual Pivot Formation, which in turn controlled Big Tiger through the Formation.


    Then, using the Main Spiritual Pivot Formation as a reference, it spread to the Sub-Formations on the other Little Tigers, controlling them through these Sub-Formations.


    All levels of the Spiritual Pivot Formation were displayed in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense shifted slightly.


    The Big Tiger clumsily started running on the table.


    Simultaneously, the Formation on its body turned Spiritual Power into threads, activating the other Sub-Formations, which in turn made the other Little Tigers begin to run as well.


    Seven or eight tiger puppets came lively to life, chasing each other on the table in a merry pursuit¡­


    Yet the Divine Sense expended to control these puppets was not substantial.


    This was only about controlling small puppets; if controlling zombies, with divided control through levels, it is conceivable that with one¡¯s Divine Sense alone, one could command thousands of Walking Corpses.


    One man, an army.


    That indeed was terrifying.


    Mo Hua clicked his tongue in wonder.


    Mo Hua thought for a while, then sank his Divine Sense into the Sea of Consciousness again.


    He wanted to see if there were any changes in the Spiritual Power manifested by Divine Thought.


    Inside the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua appeared, then closed his eyes and concentrated, manifesting Spiritual Power.


    Moments later, he found that the Spiritual Power he manifested became finer and finer, eventually taking the form of ¡°Spiritual Threads,¡± resembling faint blue cotton fluff, yet also like sticky lotus threads.


    Spiritual Power Silkification!


    It was just like the refined Spiritual Threads within the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    ¡°This is what Master said, the deeper the comprehension, the more genuine the manifestation.¡±


    As soon as Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense moved, almost effortlessly, these Spiritual Threads followed his will, flowing smoothly.


    Mo Hua brought his fingers together, and in an instant, a Fireball Technique condensed at his fingertips.


    This time, the Fireball Technique also carried some silkification within its flames.


    It looked like a large mass of intertwined fiery red cotton.


    Except this ¡°cotton¡± was made of flame Spiritual Threads, accumulated, entwined, compressed.


    The Spiritual Power surged yet was orderly.


    Mo Hua was a bit stunned.


    The Fireball Technique in reality and the Fireball Technique manifested in the Sea of Consciousness seemed to be completely different.


    In reality, the Fireball Technique was dark red, condensed with Spiritual Power, quite powerful, already showing faint signs of solidification.


    The Fireball Technique in the Sea of Consciousness, however, was still bright red, but the Spiritual Power was divided into threads, even finer, seemingly even stronger in division.


    For a moment, Mo Hua didn¡¯t know whether this was good or bad.


    Which one was more formidable?


    Should he make the real Fireball Technique conform to the one manifested in the Sea of Consciousness?


    Or should he manifest a more realistic Fireball Technique within the Sea of Consciousness?


    Mo Hua was uncertain.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Old Kui about it when I get out¡­¡±


    Besides the Fireball Technique, Mo Hua¡¯s Water Passing Step had also become more exquisite.


    The Water Passing Step relied on the control of Spiritual Power by Divine Sense.


    The stronger the control of Divine Sense, the more profound the steps.


    The Water Prison Technique in the Sea of Consciousness was now cast faster, with stronger binding capabilities.


    Previously it was Spiritual Power turned into locks, now it was Spiritual Power turned into threads, then into locks, enough to tightly entangle an enemy.


    Most importantly, the Formation.


    Mo Hua tried it out.


    With a thought of Divine Thought, the speed of Drawing Ground into Formation doubled.


    In a few breaths¡¯ time, with Mo Hua standing still, relying only on Divine Sense, he could manifest a complete First Grade Nine Pattern Formation.


    Mo Hua thought of a combination for himself:


    He could first use the Water Prison Technique to restrain the enemy. In a few breaths¡¯ time, manifest control formations like the Golden Lock Formation, Inundating Water Formation, Wood Prison Formation, Quicksand Formation, and bind the enemy.


    Once bound, the enemy would be a sitting duck.


    He could bombard them with the Fireball Technique.


    He could bomb with the Earth Fire Formation.


    He could even refine them with the Melting Fire Formation.


    This combination was tightly controlled and the form of the attack could be adapted to the ¡°enemy,¡± with many variations.


    As long as it was a Divine Thought Body of the Foundation Establishment Stage with Divine Sense not exceeding twelve patterns, one set of these moves would suffice to leave the enemy at their last gasp even if they didn¡¯t perish completely.


    Mo Hua nodded, very satisfied with himself.


    Use the Sea of Consciousness as a prison, Divine Thought as a weapon.


    Capable of trapping and killing.


    The self within the Sea of Consciousness was much stronger than in reality.


    Mo Hua snorted lightly: ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares to trespass my Sea of Consciousness now. Bring them on, one by one, I¡¯ll slaughter them!¡±


    But for now, the surroundings of the Sea of Consciousness were empty, devoid of evil spirits and ghosts, not one in sight.


    Mo Hua felt a bit like a hero with no place to use his prowess.


    Mo Hua felt an itch to fight, and as his eyes darted around, he thought:


    ¡°I need to find something to test my skills¡­¡±

 Chapter 490 - 490: 476

    Chapter 490: 476


    ¡°`


    The best practice subjects are, of course, still Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture, which represents the legion of zombie ancestors of the Zhang Family.


    Mo Hua has now greatly mastered the art of Divine Thought Slaughter.


    Apart from that hypocritical ancestor of the Zhang Family, the other ¡°people¡± in the picture, whether they are the disciples underneath or the Elders above, are no match for him.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s ancestor should not be a rival either.


    But according to the Iron Corpse Elder who was ¡°eaten¡± by Mo Hua, the Zhang Family¡¯s ancestor has lived a long time, is cunning, and has many tricks up his sleeve, so Mo Hua dares not to be too arrogant. Therefore, he must find a method to deal with him gradually and can¡¯t rush matters.


    The problem now is, where is the picture?


    Mo Hua rested his chin on his hand and pondered.


    At that time, he had returned the picture to Zhang Quan.


    So, it should be on Zhang Quan?


    Where would Zhang Quan keep it? Carry it with him always? Or set it up on a new altar for worship?


    Or perhaps¡­ he gave it to Lu Chengyun?


    Mo Hua remembered that when he took out the Ancestral Master Picture, Zhang Quan looked excited, and in Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes, there was also a hint of covetousness.


    The Ancestral Master Picture is a Contemplation Map.


    A Formation Master¡¯s lifeblood is his Divine Sense, and a Contemplation Map can enhance that Divine Sense.


    Every Contemplation Map, no matter what is inside, whether it is righteous or evil, good or bad, poses a great temptation to a Formation Master.


    Lu Chengyun couldn¡¯t possibly resist the temptation.


    Moreover, having colluded with Zhang Quan for so long, it¡¯s possible he has seen this Contemplation Map before.


    It¡¯s just that the map is still considered Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture, so Lu Chengyun wouldn¡¯t forcibly take it away.


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua felt that the only solution now was to track Zhang Quan.


    See if the picture is still with him.


    If it is, where has he hidden it?


    If not, to whom has he given it?


    Mo Hua has learned the Spirit Pivot Formation with its twelve Formation Patterns, and his Divine Sense has reached the peak of twelve patterns, just one step away from the Thirteen Stripes.


    But this step is the threshold before the door.


    Crossing it would still take some time, or perhaps some kind of opportunity.


    The peak of the twelve patterns means his Divine Sense is already very strong.


    And it¡¯s even less likely to be detected when hiding.


    If he were tracking Lu Chengyun, he¡¯d have to be a bit more cautious.


    Tracking Zhang Quan should be almost effortless.


    However, he needs to pick the right time, avoid Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense, and be a little careful to avoid the Expose Dust Formation and Expose Shadow Formation inside the Stone Palace.


    The Expose Dust Formation and Expose Shadow Formation are manageable, but the problem is Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun has a strong Divine Sense, understands formations, and is highly suspicious.


    However, since Mo Hua built the Formation eye for the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, Lu Chengyun has grown a bit more trusting of Mo Hua.


    And since Mo Hua saw the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart, showed an expression of ¡°shock,¡± said ¡°how difficult,¡± ¡°I can¡¯t understand,¡± ¡°I can¡¯t learn¡± and so on, Lu Chengyun¡¯s guard against Mo Hua has greatly reduced.


    Nor does he probe with his Divine Sense to guard against Mo Hua from time to time.


    Thus, Mo Hua¡¯s time to ¡°move freely¡± has increased.


    In the following four or five days, whenever Mo Hua had the chance, he would invisibly monitor Zhang Quan, gradually figuring out his routine.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s routine was very regular, and his actions were very transparent.


    Most of his days were spent building the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    The Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses requires a large number of Corpse Refining Coffins, all of which are refined by Zhang Quan himself. He then lets some Evil Formation Masters or Lu Chengyun inscribe them with Evil Formations before placing them in the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    Low-end formations are inscribed by other Evil Formation Masters.


    For higher-end ones, like the Iron Corpse for the iron coffins, Lu Chengyun personally handles the inscribing.


    And Zhang Quan is solely responsible for all the coffins.


    Having come from a coffin shop background, the tasks of making coffins, refining corpses, and nurturing coffins are considered his traditional trade.


    Zhang Quan also inspected the Stone Palace regularly.


    He checked whether there were any issues with the wood and iron coffins used for Corpse Refinement in the palace, whether the zombies were showing signs of corpse transformation, whether there was any loss of control, any deficiency in Corpse Qi, or any other abnormalities, and so on.


    Basically, he spent his days dealing with corpses, and his work revolved entirely around zombies.


    Zhang Quan also had a stone chamber.


    This chamber was roomier, but it was furnished and decorated much less extravagantly than Mo Hua¡¯s chamber.


    Surrounding the chamber were all kinds of objects for Corpse Refinement.


    The smell inside even carried a hint of the rotten stench of dead bodies.


    Zhang Quan, who dealt with refining corpses all day, no longer noticed the stench and thus did not care.


    Inside his own stone chamber, Zhang Quan either slept, meditated or occasionally behaved as if he were in a craze, showing worrying signs of mental instability, it was completely unclear what was going through his mind.


    Sometimes he murmured to himself, showed sudden fits of temper, and then shouted uncontrollably.


    He seemed to display symptoms of mental derangement.


    Mo Hua found this very puzzling.


    ¡°Could it be that dealing with zombies all day has made his brain be eaten by zombies¡­¡± Mo Hua silently criticized in his heart.


    But thinking about it, he felt it wasn¡¯t that simple.


    This seemed more like signs of gradual loss of humanity after demonic possession¡­


    Unaware of one¡¯s own humanity, not knowing what one is doing, with only evil thoughts flourishing within, a mind full of filth.


    Zhang Quan would alternate between these episodes of madness and lucidity, and after several cycles, he would calm down again, only his eyes appeared more vicious.


    Occasionally, Zhang Quan would also take out a chart to look at.


    At first, Mo Hua was excited.


    He thought that Zhang Quan had brought out the Ancestral Master Picture.


    But he quickly realized that it was not the case.


    It wasn¡¯t just one chart; it was an album.


    On the album, there were pictures of men and women, naked, wrestling in various positions.


    The key issue was not just looking at it once, but that Zhang Quan would look at it whenever he had free time.


    Mo Hua felt a profound disappointment, and even a sense of exasperation.


    Where is your Contemplation Map?


    ¡°`


    Where is your ancestor now?


    Spend all day looking at such things; you have no regard for your ancestors. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If I were Zhang Quan¡¯s ancestor, I would definitely curse him as an unfilial son and hang him up to beat him.


    After finishing these not-suitable-for-children albums, Zhang Quan would occasionally become furious, tear up the albums, and curse as if possessed:


    ¡°This damned place doesn¡¯t have a single woman.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t even get out¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    His eyes were bloodshot and red, his expression as ferocious as a zombie¡¯s.


    Mo Hua frowned slightly but soon understood.


    Those who cultivate demons, their humanity gradually fades away.


    Zhang Quan cultivates the Corpse Path, constantly dealing with corpse cultivators, the dead, and zombies, which twisted his nature and bred evil thoughts; he longed for human warmth, for an outlet for his vile desires.


    On regular days, it was still manageable, but once he was alone, the evil desires would spread.


    That¡¯s why he often lingered at brothels.


    It was not only because he was a lecher.


    It was more so because his demon-possessed nature made him act this way.


    And naturally, the female cultivators of the Hundred Flower Tower fell victim to his cruel hands.


    According to Qinglan, many female cultivators had been tortured to death by Zhang Quan.


    The Hundred Flower Tower was owned by the Lu Family, and Zhang Quan worked for Lu Chengyun, so the tragic deaths of these female cultivators naturally led nowhere.


    Born into poverty, fallen into a life of debauchery, dying humiliated without even a place to be buried¡­


    Mo Hua glanced at Zhang Quan indifferently and sneered inwardly:


    ¡°I¡¯ll slaughter you sooner or later!¡±


    Zhang Quan in the stone chamber suddenly felt a chill in his heart.


    He immediately stood up and looked around.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Zhang Quan released his Divine Sense, but the surroundings were empty with no sign of anyone.


    However, he was all too familiar with that feeling of coldness and the sensation of being watched.


    ¡°Is it that brat?¡±


    Zhang Quan, at the Foundation Establishment Stage, looked a bit panicked.


    He had been ¡°haunted¡± by Mo Hua.


    Once targeted by that brat, he was like an inescapable maggot at his feet.


    He looked around again, checked the formations, and found that neither the Expose Shadow Formation nor the Expose Dust Formation had been triggered, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I must be overthinking¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the Corpse Mine, with Lu Chengyun here, even that brat shouldn¡¯t be able to stir up trouble.¡±


    ¡°No matter how capable he is, he can¡¯t treat this Corpse Mine as his own backyard, going wherever he pleases.¡±


    ¡°The formations of the Corpse Mine were personally laid by Lu Chengyun, not like the Corpse Walking Stronghold¡­¡±


    Every time he thought of the Corpse Walking Stronghold, Zhang Quan experienced heart-wrenching pain.


    That was his foundation, built over decades with considerable influence, only to be inexplicably wiped out in one fell swoop.


    Later, Zhang Quan faked his death, was rescued by Lu Chengyun, and even sneaked back once.


    He saw that in the Corpse Walking Stronghold, all the secret chambers, mechanisms, hidden doors, and secret paths had been discovered, and the insides had been thoroughly looted.


    Picked clean!


    Not even leaving him a single coffin board, as if locusts had ravaged it through.


    The person who could do this, he knew without thinking, was who.


    The smiling face of Mo Hua emerged again in his mind.


    Zhang Quan suddenly felt his blood rush to his head and quickly reminded himself:


    ¡°Can¡¯t think about it, can¡¯t think¡­¡±


    Thinking too much will eventually lead to his death from rage.


    Zhang Quan calmed his emotions and regained a bit of reason.


    But with concerns in mind, he did not dare do anything else and just sat on the bed to meditate and regulate his breath.


    Mo Hua watched a while longer, then shook his head.


    Although Zhang Quan had a ¡°Chart,¡± it was not the ¡°Formation Chart¡± he was looking for.


    And most likely, the Ancestral Master Picture wasn¡¯t in Zhang Quan¡¯s hands.


    If it really were, he would at least find a place to enshrine it, offering incense in his spare time, to show some filial piety.


    Not like now, watching the undressed fighting pictures whenever he pleased.


    Where exactly is the Ancestral Master Picture then?


    In Lu Chengyun¡¯s hands?


    Or is it still in Zhang Quan¡¯s possession, just that he enshrined it somewhere unknown to himself?


    Suddenly, Mo Hua thought of the altar above the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    Something unknown was enshrined on it.


    Covered with yellow cloth, its details obscured.


    Could it be that Zhang Quan had placed the chart on that dazzlingly luxurious and extravagantly wasteful altar?


    ¡°I need to take a look¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered.


    Whether the Ancestral Master Picture was on that altar or not, he had to find a way to enter the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses when no one was around and take a closer look.


    During the daytime, with Lu Chengyun watching, it was not convenient to make any small moves.


    When there were no people around, it was easier to explore the truth and falsity.


    Examine the formations, deduce the complete Formation Patterns of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, check the corners for any hidden objects, and see what exactly was enshrined on the altar¡­


    ¡°But how to get in?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned slightly, and after pondering for a while, his eyes lit up.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation¡­

 Chapter 491 - 477 Little Zombie_1

    Chapter 491: Chapter 477 Little Zombie_1


    Mo Hua intended to deceive Lu Chengyun and Zhang Quan, sneaking into the sacrificial altar of the Corpse Formation. He had to get through two doors.


    One was the door to the hall.


    The other was that mural within the hall.


    The hall¡¯s door was manageable, but the mural posed a significant challenge.


    First of all, he didn¡¯t know what exactly were the hand seals and the incantations that Zhang Quan had used.


    And Zhang Quan wouldn¡¯t disclose them.


    Even if Zhang Quan were to tell him, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t certain that by simply imitating the process, the mural would actually open for him.


    That zombie mural, like the Dry Ink Screen of the Corpse Walking Stronghold, must be some sort of door lock type of Spiritual Artifact.


    If it was a Spiritual Artifact, then there must be a Formation inside.


    This sort of Formation wasn¡¯t a Five Elements Formation and didn¡¯t fall within the scope of Formations that Mo Hua was proficient in.


    Even if Mo Hua wanted to solve it, there was nowhere to start.


    Even if he could figure it out, Lu Chengyun would certainly know about it.


    Just by solving the Expose Dust Formation at the entrance, Lu Chengyun was able to detect it, let alone the secretive door-locking Formation above the zombie mural at the entrance to the altar outside the Corpse Formation.


    Forcefully breaking the Formation was out of the question.


    The screen within the Corpse Walking Stronghold was smashed by Mo Hua using the Thousand Jun Stick.


    But this place was different from the Corpse Walking Stronghold, such a hit-and-run tactic after taking something wouldn¡¯t work here.


    Moreover, with the Corpse Mine sealed, he couldn¡¯t escape.


    If he smashed the mural and barged into the altar, even if Lu Chengyun were a pig, he would know that Mo Hua harbored ulterior motives and had deceitful plans.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Mo Hua found himself in a dilemma.


    How could he bypass the mural and enter the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar?


    Whenever he had the chance, he pondered this question.


    But after a long time, he couldn¡¯t think of any good methods, until one day, when he was behind the mural, he saw Zhang Quan activate a mechanism to close the door of the mural.


    Mo Hua was startled.


    A mechanism?


    This mural has a mechanism?


    He previously hadn¡¯t even noticed.


    Mo Hua took another few glances and discovered that the mechanism was a simple stone sluice gate, unremarkable and overlooked when not in use by Zhang Quan.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    It meant entering from the outside was very difficult.


    You need to know the method, form the hand seals, recite the incantations, and open the mural to reveal the gaping mouths of zombies.


    But exiting from the inside was very simple, just pull down the sluice gate.


    It guarded against outsiders but not from within¡­


    Mo Hua thought about it and felt it made sense.


    Those who could enter were either Lu Chengyun or Zhang Quan.


    Even for Mo Hua, who was somewhat of an outsider, he was under their surveillance, leaving them with nothing to worry about.


    Thus, they only needed to guard against people coming in from outside, not those already inside.


    Setting a barrier outside was reasonable.


    Setting one inside would be superfluous.


    Mo Hua, being a Formation Master, had always focused on complex Formations, neglecting the possibility of such straightforward mechanisms.


    This was a case of not seeing what was right under one¡¯s nose.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, silently reminding himself.


    He shouldn¡¯t, just because he is a Formation Master, be biased and only focus on Formations.


    Complicated problems sometimes have simple solutions.


    To get into the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar, someone just had to pull down the sluice gate¡­


    But Mo Hua paused again.


    This problem seemed simple, but¡­


    How would he pull the sluice gate?


    Who would pull it for him?


    He certainly couldn¡¯t expect Lu Chengyun to pull the gate open for him.


    Mo Hua thought it over and realized that as a Formation Master, in most cases, he could still only use Formations¡­


    This seemingly simple problem seemed like it could only be solved with a complex Formation.


    ¡­


    Over the next several days, Mo Hua continuously looked for opportunities.


    Finally, on this day, Lu Chengyun had to step out halfway through drawing his Formation due to some urgent matters.


    Mo Hua immediately stood up, keeping a considerable distance from Zhang Quan.


    Zhang Quan frowned and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Keeping away from you,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll harm me,¡± Mo Hua declared righteously.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s resentment toward him was no secret, evident even to a blind man.


    Zhang Quan snorted coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not that petty.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s debatable. Though one may know a person¡¯s face, one cannot know their heart. You look deceitful, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯re even more so on the inside.¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s gaze turned icy, ¡°Little devil, you better not provoke me.¡±


    ¡°So what if I do?¡±


    Mo Hua scoffed and then performed the Concealment Technique right before Zhang Quan, gradually disappearing from sight.


    Zhang Quan was taken aback, then filled with surprise.


    What on earth was the boy trying to do?


    He looked around several times, but Mo Hua was nowhere to be seen.


    Even a sweep with his Divine Sense revealed no trace of Mo Hua.


    After a long wait, there was no movement at all.


    It seemed that he indeed turned invisible just to avoid him and not to be detected.


    Zhang Quan cursed inside:


    ¡°This brat is damn cautious, not giving me a chance!¡±


    Zhang Quan gritted his teeth and called out to the surroundings:


    ¡°Where are you?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Come out!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll heed Brother Lu¡¯s words, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you, you can rest assured¡­¡±


    ¡°Come out now¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Naturally, Mo Hua paid him no attention.


    At this moment within the Corpse Formation, in a secluded corner, the invisible Mo Hua silently opened a coffin.


    The Corpse Formation, although only a Compound Formation, originated from the Large Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses and was vast in scale.


    Within the Formation, many coffins were placed.


    Above the Formation was a lavish sacrificial altar.


    Mo Hua was young and small in stature. By concealing his figure and masking his breath, he could hide behind the coffins and the sacrificial altar without Zhang Quan noticing.


    Within one of the coffins, there was a small zombie, which Mo Hua had observed for several days and specifically chosen.


    ¡°`


    This Walking Corpse wasn¡¯t too old; it was probably only about seventeen or eighteen years old and had just been refined by Zhang Quan a few days before. The Spiritual Pivot Formation on its chest was still quite new, its Formation Patterns freshly painted.


    A seventeen or eighteen-year-old cultivator¡­


    Who knows whether he died a natural death, was killed by a Corpse Cultivator, or was murdered by the Lu Family.


    After death, to be turned into a zombie and be used for evil deeds, a puppet to a tiger¡¯s will.


    Mo Hua sighed softly in his heart.


    With limited time, Mo Hua stopped dwelling on the matter and began to calm his mind, making some secretive modifications to the Spiritual Pivot Formation located at the heart meridian of the young cadaver.


    Within the Spiritual Pivot Formation, there were some unique Formation Patterns.


    This was something Mo Hua hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    Since the Spiritual Pivot Formations he used to draw were generally of one type.


    It wasn¡¯t until he saw a complete Spirit Pivot Formation Chart that he realized, after secret observations of Lu Chengyun painting Formation and several comparisons, that there had been some oversights in his earlier understanding of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    He hadn¡¯t been aware of some detailed aspects.


    This detail was the Formation Patterns.


    Different types of Spiritual Pivot Formations, or even within the same type, have a unique Formation Pattern that sets them apart.


    Mo Hua had noticed it before but didn¡¯t think deeply about it.


    Because this Formation Pattern seemed to have no special meaning.


    No matter how it was drawn, it didn¡¯t seem to affect the operation of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    But after some research over these days and comparisons with most of the Spiritual Pivot Formations in the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, Mo Hua gradually understood.


    This Formation Pattern was extremely important; it was the Sequential Formation Pattern used for identifying the identity of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Similar to a kind of Formation ¡°code¡±.


    The same Spiritual Pivot Formation had the same type of Sequential Formation Pattern, that is, a Formation ¡°code¡±.


    The same type of Sequential Formation Pattern had a similar main body, with only slight differences in the details, such as the addition or reduction of strokes or the changes in orientation, to differentiate the sequence.


    Only when the Formation ¡°codes¡± matched, could the Spiritual Pivot Formation control based on hierarchy.


    Walking Corpses, Iron Corpses, and the zombies in the Bronze Corpse Coffins all used the same type of ¡°coding¡± Formation Pattern, with a layered hierarchy defining their weights, which is why they could be controlled systematically.


    The Little Tigers that Mo Hua drew were different, though.


    Indeed, Mo Hua had originally copied the Formation from the bodies of Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses.


    However, Lu Chengyun was using Evil Formation techniques, whereas Mo Hua, on the other hand, used orthodox Formation methods.


    Therefore, their Sequential Formation Patterns were different in an intangible way.


    Lu Chengyun could control zombies but not Mo Hua¡¯s Little Tigers.


    While Mo Hua could control the Little Tigers, he also couldn¡¯t control the zombies in the Corpse Mine.


    Unless¡­ he changed the Sequential Formation Pattern on the zombies.


    Changing the Sequential Formation Pattern was like changing the code, essentially changing the authority.


    What Mo Hua wanted to change now was the special Sequential Formation Pattern on the young zombie, which was used to differentiate authority and identity.


    Mo Hua had only chosen one small Walking Corpse.


    The Walking Corpse was not an Iron Corpse.


    Within the Corpse Mine, there were numerous Walking Corpses, and there were also many base-level Sequential Formation Patterns in their Spiritual Pivot Formations.


    Whether there was one more or one fewer, Lu Chengyun would never notice.


    The main reason, of course, was that Lu Chengyun never imagined that there would be another Cultivator capable of learning the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Let alone make secret modifications to his Formation ¡°code¡± right under his nose and among the hordes in the Corpse Mine.


    Easy for those who know how, impossible for those who don¡¯t.


    For Mo Hua, altering a basic Spiritual Pivot Formation Pattern was as easy as flipping his hand.


    With a flick of his small hand, a few strokes, Mo Hua had changed the Formation Pattern.


    Removing this small zombie from the Spiritual Pivot sequence of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    Then he added another Formation Pattern.


    This Formation Pattern was the one he used on the Little Tigers himself.


    ¡°`


    Having altered this Formation Pattern, the little zombie now is like a Little Tiger, controlled by the Spiritual Pivot Formation on the Big Tiger that Mo Hua manipulated.


    On the surface, it still looks like a zombie.


    But within the sequence of the Spiritual Pivot Formation, it¡¯s no longer a ¡°little zombie¡± but rather a ¡°Little Tiger.¡±


    After finishing the adjustments to the Formation Pattern, Mo Hua returned to his original spot as if nothing had happened, picked up the pen, and continued to draw the Formation eye of the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation.


    He was dragging his feet while drawing this Formation eye, delaying it for quite some time.


    Finally, it was also close to completion.


    Zhang Quan was still calling for Mo Hua to ¡°come out,¡± but in the blink of an eye, Mo Hua was already back in his place, fully focused on drawing the Formation.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s expression tightened, ¡°You¡¯re not running anymore?¡±


    Mo Hua disdainfully said, ¡°Why would I run? You wouldn¡¯t dare lay a hand on me anyway.¡±


    Zhang Quan, annoyed, ¡°Then what were you doing just now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said with a smile, ¡°I was a bit bored, just teasing you for fun.¡±


    Then he curled his lip, ¡°Who knew you¡¯d be so dull, like an idiot, completely unable to find me, it¡¯s really no fun.¡±


    Zhang Quan was about to fly into a rage.


    Lu Chengyun had already appeared at the doorway.


    Zhang Quan had to suppress his anger, just about to badmouth Mo Hua to Lu Chengyun, but then he thought, any words he said against Mo Hua, Lu Chengyun certainly would not believe.


    And indeed, it seemed Mo Hua hadn¡¯t really done anything¡­


    Invisible and toying with himself?


    Zhang Quan himself found it too embarrassing to say such a thing.


    Zhang Quan could only sullenly shut his mouth.


    Lu Chengyun, noticing the conflicting expressions of the two, wasn¡¯t surprised, and acted as if nothing had happened.


    Yet, within the immense Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, in a secluded corner, a common coffin contained a small Walking Corpse whose Sequential Formation Pattern had been tampered with.


    This was something Lu Chengyun could not possibly know.


    That evening, once Mo Hua shook off Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense surveillance, he concealed his form and quietly went to the hall.


    The door to the hall was locked.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, and seeing no one around, controlled the Big Tiger with his Divine Sense in secrecy.


    The Big Tiger had been left in the corner of the hall by him during the day.


    Now, under the guiding of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, the Big Tiger leaped to the door, pushed open the bolt, and unlocked the door for Mo Hua.


    The doors of the hall were quite simple.


    Opening them from the inside would not trigger the Formation.


    Mo Hua walked through the doorway, then approached the mural.


    Next, he controlled the Big Tiger using Divine Sense, and through the Spiritual Pivot Formation on the Big Tiger, activated the Spiritual Pivot Formation on the little zombie.


    The Sequential Formation Patterns matched, their ¡°codes¡± similar.


    The Big Tiger could control the little zombie.


    This indirect control was even more covert, less likely to be detected by Lu Chengyun.


    After a moment, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense stirred.


    He could sense the connection with the little zombie¡¯s Formation.


    Mo Hua then controlled the little zombie, which pushed the lid off the coffin, slowly climbed out, and walked to the entrance, pulling on a gate switch on the wall.


    At the same time, on the mural above, the ink merged chaotically, the layers becoming defined and materializing into a half-human, half-corpse face.


    This face appeared majestic yet mean, with a greedy gaze, exuding ferocity and horror.


    Its wide-open mouth formed the entrance to the mural.


    Mo Hua stared at this face for a moment, silently memorizing it, then his eyes brightened, and he stepped into the midst of the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar.


    Inside there was the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation, the Golden Sacrificial Altar, the Bronze Corpse Coffin¡­


    During the day, with people watching, he was restrained.


    But coming in at this time of night, unnoticed by gods or ghosts, he could do whatever he wanted.

 Chapter 492 - 478: Daoist Name_1

    Chapter 492: Chapter 478: Daoist Name_1


    ¡°`


    In the midst of the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar, blood patterns covered the ground, thousands of coffins were aligned, the candlelight was dim, and the atmosphere was eerily silent.


    There was not a single person.


    Except for Mo Hua.


    After Mo Hua had the small zombie close the gate, the mural behind him twisted and sealed off the way they had come from.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    This Spiritual Pivot Formation, truly worthy of being an Ultimate Formation, was much more practical than he had initially thought.


    He then began to scrutinize the altar.


    During the day, with Lu Chengyun and Zhang Quan around, Mo Hua hadn¡¯t felt anything peculiar.


    But now, at night, on his own, he felt the altar, despite its glittering gold, was much more sinister and odd, not to mention the coffins and zombies within them.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit nervous.


    He calmed his mind and started to do things one by one as he¡¯d planned.


    First, he studied the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    Although Mo Hua had designed the Formation eye, it only connected with the Formation Pivot to facilitate the flow of Spiritual Power.


    He was not clear about the complete picture of the whole Formation.


    The Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses was the culmination of many years of Lu Chengyun¡¯s efforts.


    He hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to look closely during the day to avoid offending Lu Chengyun¡¯s taboos.


    Moreover, according to Mo Hua¡¯s understanding of Formation principles, this Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses was likely not just a Compound Formation, but an Evil Path Great Formation!


    Mo Hua executed the Water Passing Step, gathering Spiritual Power under his feet, and walked along the walls to the ceiling, dangling his head down to get a better look.


    From his elevated position, he could see the entire Formation at a glance.


    Taking the Formation eye as the heart vein, the Formation Pivot as the skeleton, and the Formation Patterns as the flesh.


    Everything was in correspondence, the beginning and the end interconnected.


    Indeed, it was a complete, large-scale Formation.


    Mo Hua memorized the overall layout of the Formation in his mind, then walked down to start examining the Formation Patterns in detail.


    The surface of these Formation Patterns appeared to be Evil Patterns.


    But at their core, they were still an application of Formation principles of the Five Elements such as earth and water.


    Earth Series Formations integrated with the flesh of corpses;


    Water Series Formations mixed with blood and water.


    Further, by incorporating venomous juices of plants into the construction of Wood Series Formations, they harmonize flesh and blood to create the Patterns of the Evil Formation.


    Human flesh and blood naturally resonate with Spiritual Power.


    Therefore, Evil Formations often use human blood as ink and human flesh as a medium to enhance the effect of the Formation, as well as to lower the difficulty of the Formation.


    While this lowers the threshold, the included understanding of the Dao Laws is much shallower.


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Such shortcuts, forsaking the fundamental for the trivial, would not lead to mastery of the Dao of Formation.


    Nevertheless, to know his enemy as well as himself, Mo Hua still reviewed and sorted through the Formation Patterns, from start to finish.


    After sorting them out, combining them with the Formation Pivot, and the Formation eye he had constructed, he made some Calculations to clear the logic of the operation of Spiritual Power and Evil Power within the Formation.


    A complete Formation Diagram of Ten Thousand Corpses now emerged in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua transferred the Formation Diagram from his Sea of Consciousness onto paper and then looked down at it intently, falling silent in thought.


    A moment later, he sighed,


    ¡°It truly is the embryonic form of a Large Formation¡­¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And it was not that simplistic kind of Large Formation just cobbled together for numbers.


    It was a kind of Evil Path Great Formation that had been perfected over several generations, with complete Formation Patterns, a concise Formation Pivot, a robust power from the Formation eye, and an obvious mark of inheritance.


    ¡°Evil Path Great Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    ¡°Where on earth did Lu Chengyun get this Formation Diagram from?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the Lu Family, or within this Corpse Mine, there are Demon Cultivators who are well-versed in Demon Path Formations, with genuine Demon Sect heritage?¡±


    But in his time at the Corpse Mine, he had become quite familiar with the place.


    He had never seen such Cultivators, nor had he detected any trace of them.


    ¡°Could it be a chance encounter with some Demon Path rogue, who then gave it to Lu Chengyun?¡±


    Demon Path rogues¡­


    Mo Hua then recalled the mysterious Taoist that Mr. Zhuang had mentioned, who should not be seen, spoken of, and ideally not even thought about.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be such a coincidence¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered.


    If that were the case¡­


    The Taoist who passed the Evil Pill Recipe for lifespan conversion to the Patriarch of the Qian Family, and the Evil Path Great Formation Diagram of Ten Thousand Corpses to Lu Chengyun, probably also passed some spell points of forbidden Demon Path to some Cultivators with ill intentions¡­


    What was his aim?


    To create Taoist Demons?


    Are such natural disasters of heaven and earth really something that can be ¡°mass-produced¡± by human means?


    Or does this Taoist have some other, deeper scheme?


    Mo Hua frowned in deep thought.


    As he pondered, he became somewhat entranced.


    All of a sudden, an extremely cold and terrifying sense of dread surged up within him.


    A silhouette of a Taoist emerged in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    The silhouette of the Taoist was like black ink.


    All around were withered black lines.


    However, these lines began to coalesce and take shape.


    The face of the Taoist became clearer, and a pair of eyes slowly opened, deep and hollow, inching their gaze towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua did not know who he was, but in an instant, he knew the Taoist¡¯s name:


    ¡°Gui Tao!¡±


    The seeker of the Dao who was half-ghost and half-mysterious.


    Mo Hua was shocked and quickly calmed his mind to meditate, dismissing all thoughts.


    But the more he tried not to think about it, the more involuntarily he did, and the words ¡°Gui Tao¡± almost slipped from his lips.


    Mo Hua had a feeling that once he uttered the words ¡°Gui Tao,¡± he would be immediately discovered by this Taoist.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Don¡¯t recite it, don¡¯t recite it!¡±


    Mo Hua kept admonishing himself.


    But while he was strongly inhibiting his mind, his mouth suddenly moved on its own and he recited the first character ¡°Gui¡±¡­


    The Taoist¡¯s hollow gaze suddenly sparkled with life, silently turning his head, ready to focus his attention directly on Mo Hua.


    A chill went down Mo Hua¡¯s spine, and in his desperation, he quickly pinched his own cheek.


    The fair little face was marked with two finger imprints by his own pinching.


    Mo Hua winced in pain, hissing softly, and managed not to recite the full name ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people.¡±


    Since the name wasn¡¯t recited, Mo Hua had a moment to catch his breath.


    What to do?


    In a stroke of inspiration, Mo Hua quickly took out his Spiritual Ink, dipped his finger in the ink, and using his Divine Sense to connect with the Earth Dao Meaning, he began to draw the Thick Earth Formation on the ground.


    Once he began Drawing Formation, his Divine Sense became focused, no longer wandering aimlessly.


    He wouldn¡¯t even think about reciting any names.


    And the Earth Dao Meaning he was connecting with also occupied Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    A hint of ancient meaning began to diffuse, gradually overshadowing the aura of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in a hillside overgrown with withered trees.


    The sitting ¡°Sun Yi¡± opened his eyes.


    His body was filthy, clad in a dirty Taoist Robe that the deceased had worn, his eyes black and vacant, his voice hoarse and sticky:


    ¡°Who¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­desires to recite my name?¡±


    ¡°So familiar¡­¡±


    He closed his eyes to sense, then suddenly opened them again, his usually empty gaze carrying a hint of confusion:


    ¡°Earth Dao Meaning?¡±


    ¡°Disciple of Earth Sect?¡±


    ¡°How could it be¡­¡±


    In the Minor Wilderness State Boundary, where did a disciple of the Earth Sect come from, and why would he be reciting my name?


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± stretched out his right hand, with several fingers broken and twisted together in a strange shape as if calculating something.


    Some causes and effects began to connect:


    ¡°Earth Dao Meaning¡­¡±


    ¡°Thick Earth Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°There is a cultivator¡­¡±


    ¡°A Formation Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Short in stature¡­ No¡­ Very young?¡±


    And with that, the trail of cause and effect ended.


    It remained unclear and undefined.


    ¡°Sun Yi¡¯s¡± eyes began shedding tears of blood, his sparse hair gradually turned white, his Sea of Consciousness trembled, and his remaining Divine Sense tried its best at Calculation:


    ¡°Without the cover of Dao Meaning, within three breaths, this person would surely recite my name¡­¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s remove the cover of the Dao Meaning¡­¡±


    The eyes of ¡°Sun Yi¡± bled profusely, as his gray hair fell out one by one, his countenance visibly aging as if his life force was compensating for the insufficiency of his Calculation after his Divine Sense was exhausted.


    He counted to himself:


    ¡°One¡­¡±


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    Three breaths passed, and in the future he had Calculated, indeed someone had uncontrollably recited his name:


    ¡°Gui Tao!¡±


    The voice that recited his name was clear and pleasant.


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± was slightly stunned, his expression surprised, ¡°It¡¯s a child?¡±


    Why would a child recite my name?


    Who exactly is it?


    And what connection do I have with them?


    Sun Yi listened more intently, only to find that the voice had changed.


    From a child¡¯s voice, it gradually became clearer, turning into a young man¡¯s voice, then gradually grew deeper, turning into a middle-aged man¡¯s voice.


    Finally, it became a voice he was all too familiar with and longed for.


    The voice was crisp and scholarly.


    The words ¡°Gui Tao¡± turned into two:


    ¡°Senior brother.¡±


    Sun Yi opened his eyes, and in a daze, he saw a handsome, distinguished cultivator looking at him.


    His gaze was crisp, gentle, and his mouth held a smile that was elusive.


    It was indeed Mr. Zhuang.


    Moments later, everything faded away as if it were smoke.


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± could no longer remember who had recited his name.


    He only remembered that one call of ¡°senior brother.¡±


    He tried to calculate once more, only to find that the Sea of Consciousness of this body had cracked, his Divine Sense was utterly depleted, and not a single hair remained on his head¡­


    There was nothing left to calculate¡­


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± sat still for a long time, his expression peculiar, mumbling to himself:


    ¡°My good junior brother¡­ what exactly are you hiding?¡±


    ¡°Having fallen to such a state, what is still worth hiding?¡±


    The mountain forest was silent, no one answered.


    ¡°Enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Sun Yi¡± shakily got to his feet, wrapped in the Taoist Robe of the dead, walking lopsidedly towards the edge of the woods¡­


    ¡°Once I find you, I will know everything¡­¡±

 Chapter 493 - 479 Coveting_1

    Chapter 493: Chapter 479 Coveting_1


    ¡°`


    In the serene bamboo chamber of South Yue City,


    Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes; they had paled slightly and with a hint of helplessness, he said,


    ¡°Having a disciple too clever can also be a troublesome matter¡­¡±


    ¡°Once clever, they think too much, and without caution, they stumble upon matters they shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    Old Kui, who was carving a little tiger out of wood for Mo Hua, paused and frowned at these words:


    ¡°Calculated against again?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Almost.¡± He sighed softly, ¡°Fortunately, the child is clever¡­¡±


    He knew how to use the Earth Dao Meaning to mask his own aura; otherwise, if that person really saw his face, it would¡¯ve required more effort.


    Lost in thought for a moment, Old Kui said quietly:


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Mo Hua came back¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s face was slightly pale, but upon hearing these words, his eyebrows lifted slightly, and he smiled faintly:


    ¡°What, do you miss him?¡±


    Old Kui ignored him, silently continuing to carve the little tiger in his hands.


    Previously, Mo Hua had come to him, saying he might need a lot of little tigers and asked him to help carve some.


    Now he had carved quite a few little tigers, but Mo Hua had not come home.


    A moment later, Old Kui sighed, expressing his frustration:


    ¡°I¡¯ve run out of pine nuts, and there¡¯s no one to roast them for me.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang suggested:


    ¡°Why not let Zisheng roast them for you? He¡¯s my disciple and, by extension, your junior; it¡¯s only right for him to render such a service.¡±


    Old Kui was somewhat disdainful, ¡°Disciples of the Bai Family are only good for waving around blades and spears, nothing else.¡±


    ¡°You sure are picky¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang shook his head.


    Old Kui paid him no mind, only thinking about when Mo Hua would return.


    But he couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he asked Mr. Zhuang:


    ¡°How much longer?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang pinched his fingers and cast his gaze toward the distant mines, his eyes flickering as he slowly said:


    ¡°Soon, I think¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was profound.


    ¡°He has mastered the Formation.¡±


    ¡°That item is almost refined.¡±


    ¡°Corpse Qi is spreading, Heavenly secrets are sullied.¡±


    ¡°This calamity facing South Yue City is not minor; it remains to be seen how the child will handle it¡­¡±


    Old Kui nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang looked again towards the mines outside the city.


    Above the mines were the mining cultivators, toiling in their wretched fate.


    They knew nothing and still toiled diligently every day.


    Mr. Zhuang lamented, ¡°Whenever a great calamity befalls the heavens and the earth, it¡¯s always the cultivators at the very bottom who suffer the most¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being sentimental again.¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s voice sounded wooden.


    Mr. Zhuang laughed at himself:


    ¡°No helping it, I¡¯m getting old.¡±


    Old Kui looked at Mr. Zhuang, his eyes revealing deep regret and melancholy.


    He said nothing and continued to lower his head, carving the little tiger.


    Stroke after stroke, his technique was skilled, and the wood shavings fell as the little tiger¡¯s form became naturally defined.


    Then, the bamboo chamber became suddenly quiet.


    After a while, Old Kui suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ll kill your senior brother.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback.


    ¡°Kill him, and you could live a few more years,¡± Old Kui¡¯s voice was cold and sharp.


    Warmth surged in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s heart; a serene smile appeared on his refined face.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Then, with a hint of apology, he said:


    ¡°You¡¯ve helped me so much, and my days are numbered; I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be of help to you¡­¡±


    Old Kui shook his head, ¡°Even if you disregard the feelings of the Sect, I could use Heavenly Puppetry to kill him, and if you live a few more decades, you might still be able to help me.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a short while, then shook his head and sighed:


    ¡°He can¡¯t be killed anymore¡­¡±


    Old Kui frowned, ¡°Is Planting Devil in Taoist Heart truly that troublesome?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang stated calmly, ¡°He entered the Demon Palace, became a Taoist, and took the Taoist name ¡®Gui¡¯. The Divine Thought legacy he received, if cultivated deeply, is nearly on par with a Heavenly Demon.¡±


    ¡°He was cautious in the past, even the Pavilion Elders couldn¡¯t do anything against him.¡±


    ¡°Now, with his Planting Devil in Taoist Heart nearing completion and his Divine Thought taking the ¡®Gui¡¯ path, it is full of trickery and ever-changing; he can¡¯t simply be killed with cultivation or Taoist Skills¡­¡±


    Old Kui also fell silent, his aged eyes hiding indeterminate emotions.


    ¡°Without trying, how would you know?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°You could try, and he might die, but it¡¯s uncertain who would die in the end, and whether he truly died would be unknown to anyone¡­¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s brows furrowed tightly, ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart isn¡¯t considered the ultimate legacy of the Demon Sect, is it?¡±


    Why was it so terrifying?


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s face showed a complex expression, ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart isn¡¯t, but my senior brother, he¡¯s a cultivator of the utmost Divine Thought¡­¡±


    ¡°In this world, who knows who could kill him¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked helpless as he slowly closed his eyes.


    Suddenly, the innocent and cheerful face of Mo Hua appeared in his mind.


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly startled, then his gaze became elusive; after a long contemplation, he muttered:


    ¡°`


    ¡°It¡¯s still early¡­¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t get killed, surviving is enough¡­¡±


    ¡­


    In the Lu Family¡¯s Corpse Mine, within the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar.


    Not until the Thick Earth Formation was complete, his Divine Sense clear, and the eerie aura had dissipated without a trace, did Mo Hua finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    At the same time, his heart was filled with lingering fear, and cold sweat had seeped out on his back.


    ¡°How strange¡­¡±


    He hadn¡¯t spoken his name, nor mentioned his Taoist title, but just by thinking more profoundly, he was sensed by that Taoist, and even the image of him arose in his mind.


    His body also felt slightly beyond his control.


    To litigate his Taoist title, to convert to his Taoism.


    Exactly what kind of method was this? Could it be some form of Divine Thought Technique?


    Mo Hua dared not think further.


    He buried the words ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people¡± deep in his heart, trying as much as possible not to touch upon or think deeply about them.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua also felt somewhat dejected.


    He had previously believed that with his Divine Thought Technique fully accomplished, he could dominate in conflicts at the level of Divine Sense.


    Yet, he hadn¡¯t expected to be detected simply by exercising his thoughts.


    In the face of Gui Tao¡¯s elusive shadow, he felt utterly at a loss, incapable of resistance.


    Mo Hua exhaled:


    ¡°The path of Tao Cultivation still requires caution, one must not be arrogant or complacent.¡±


    ¡°There are mountains beyond mountains and heavens beyond heavens.¡±


    ¡°The methods of high-realm great cultivators penetrate the heavens and the earth, beyond the wildest imagination, completely unfathomable to someone who is merely a small Qi Refinement cultivator like me.¡±


    ¡°One must never become cocky!¡±


    Mo Hua silently reminded himself several times, then nodded.


    Then another thought occurred to him:


    If such a shadow is a technique of Divine Thought,


    Could he learn it in the future?


    To refine the ultimate in Divine Thought, to Prove the Dao with Supreme Divine Sense.


    Could he then, like this Taoist, employ inscrutable methods that leave others unable to guard against?


    Right now, he was only in the Qi Refinement stage, with merely twelve patterns in his Divine Sense.


    But if one day his Divine Sense became strong enough, and he mastered numerous Divine Thought Techniques, could he directly confront this ¡°elusive shadow¡±?


    If possible, would silently reciting ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people¡± and baiting his ¡°elusive shadow¡± to come mean that¡­


    He could directly ¡°consume¡± it?


    Eating its elusive shadow, could that enhance his Divine Sense as well?


    After refining it, might he even comprehend some Divine Thought Techniques?


    ¡­


    Mo Hua had only entertained the thought briefly when his Sea of Consciousness suddenly trembled, and a desiccated shadow of the Taoist appeared.


    Mo Hua jumped, quickly collecting his thoughts.


    In his mind, he silently chanted, ¡°I¡¯m not thinking anything, I¡¯m not thinking anything¡­¡±


    It was unknown how much time passed before his Divine Sense became clear and the shadow dissipated.


    Only then did Mo Hua finally breathe easy.


    He dared not indulge in such wild fantasies anymore but instead earnestly forgot all those recent thoughts, continuing to investigate the Formation and sacrificial altar before him¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in a remote desolate forest.


    Sun Yi suddenly sensed something, pausing abruptly.


    He then sneered, ¡°You dare to come again?¡±


    ¡°You think I wouldn¡¯t know if you¡¯re thinking of my name in your heart?¡±


    He sat down cross-legged, took a Blood Pill, and recovered his aura. Just as he was preparing to perform his Calculation, his heart suddenly quivered.


    He felt a palpitation.


    This palpitation came out of nowhere, vanished quickly, and seemed as if the Heavenly secret was stirring, birthing some malevolent Divine Thought.


    It had fixed its gaze on him with ill intent, and it appeared to include a shade of ¡°covetousness¡±¡­


    What did it mean?


    Who could, or who would dare, covet him?


    Sun Yi felt a twinge of anger.


    He wanted to trace it back.


    But this Divine Thought was as faint as a notion, extremely subtle.


    Like a fishhook thrown onto the water surface, barely stirring a ripple before sinking into the quiet depths, lurking in silence.


    The surface of the water returned to calm, leaving no trace. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As if someone had buried that thought deep inside their heart.


    And the heavens had their cycles, with all cause and effect already silently, secretly turning¡­


    Sun Yi¡¯s gaze grew profound, empty, but no longer indifferent; it now bore a layer of frost:


    ¡°Who is it¡­¡±


    The deep mountain was silent, with the eerie cries of a strange beast in the distance.


    Long afterwards, Sun Yi turned and continued on, limping along his preset path, his voice croaky with a hint of hatred and terror:


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me find you¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise¡­¡±


    His words were unfinished when they were swallowed by the deep, mysterious silence of the mountains.

 Chapter 494 - 480: Planning_1

    Chapter 494: Chapter 480: Planning_1


    Mo Hua was still studying the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation.


    The Formation eye of the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation was designed by him personally. Mo Hua had mastered it, so he spent most of his time on the Formation Pivot and Formation Patterns.


    After some research, Mo Hua more or less understood the function of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    The Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation, as well as the unaltered Large Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, served similar purposes but varied in scale.


    This Formation primarily had two uses:


    The first was for large-scale Corpse Refinement.


    Within the Formation, numerous coffins were embedded as Formation media, maintained by Formation Patterns, coordinated by the Formation Pivot, and powered by the Formation eye, thus enabling ¡°mass production¡± of Zombies.


    The second was to enhance Corpse control.


    With the Spirit Pivot Formation at its core, a whole set was constructed, centered around the Bronze Corpse, with the Iron Corpse as the pivot and the Walking Corpse as the foundation, establishing the Spirit Pivot Sequence Formation Method.


    Layer upon layer of cohesive control.


    This required quite a solid foundation in Formation knowledge.


    Though Lu Chengyun¡¯s schemes were not righteous, he had genuine talent and skill in Formation.


    It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t apply his thoughts to the Righteous Dao.


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    He had almost finished his research on the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, and next in line was the altar.


    The golden altar shone brightly.


    The Beast Gold Incense Burner emitted curling smoke.


    The Emerald Candle Holder was exquisite and luxurious, and the candlelight flickered.


    However, this candlelight was somewhat eerie, and the wax on the candles, which resembled corpse fat, seemed to have been made from who knows how many people¡¯s deaths.


    On the altar were placed Five-Color Spiritual Flowers, gold-bordered banners, and Jiao Dragon Patterned Lanterns.


    In front of the altar was presented the Spiritual Meat of pigs and sheep.


    This Spiritual Meat was quite precious.


    The Mining Cultivators outside fighting tooth and nail might not taste such luxury even once in their lifetimes.


    Mo Hua sighed softly.


    The items displayed on the altar, covered by a yellow cloth, were strangely shaped, resembling sculptures, Monster Beasts, or even desiccated corpses.


    Even Divine Sense couldn¡¯t probe them.


    It was impossible to distinguish exactly what they were.


    ¡°Should I lift it and take a look?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s hand reached halfway, then stopped.


    He hesitated within his heart.


    If he were to lift it, could there be any danger?


    And would Lu Chengyun discover it?


    What if what was presented was a dangerous entity such as a Zombie or Monster Beast, where unveiling would mean Unsealing?


    Although he could potentially escape using the Water Passing Step or Concealment Technique, suppressing it using his Cultivation would probably be impossible.


    If this dangerous entity made a commotion, it would certainly alarm Lu Chengyun.


    And if inside was not some dangerous entity but something like the ¡°Contemplation Map¡± with evil thoughts and ghosts attached to wooden sculptures or stone carvings, then he would still be in danger.


    Ever since encountering Gui Tao¡¯s people and their ¡°Gui Shadow,¡± Mo Hua had become much more humble.


    He no longer felt his Divine Thought manifestation could kill with abandon.


    It was better to be cautious when dealing with matters.


    Especially with unknown dangers, it was best not to act rashly without deep knowledge.


    Mo Hua was somewhat itching with curiosity,


    He really wanted to know what exactly lay under the yellow cloth on the altar.


    But he didn¡¯t dare to rashly uncover it.


    Mo Hua was conflicted for a moment and finally had to let it go.


    Better to be safe than sorry.


    Inside the Corpse Mine, it wasn¡¯t like South Yue City; there was no master to bail him out, no fellow disciples to help him.


    It was better to be ¡°cowardly¡± if possible.


    Reluctantly, Mo Hua shifted his gaze from the altar and turned it back to the center of the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation, to the Bronze Coffin above the Formation eye.


    This Bronze Coffin¡¯s Spiritual Pivot Formation contained the ultimate Sequential Formation Pattern.


    If the Formation assumed its designated importance, the Zombie within the coffin would possess the highest authority upon its refinement, capable of commanding Iron Corpses of the Foundation Establishment Stage and thereby wielding control over all the Walking Corpses in the entire Corpse Mine.


    Lu Chengyun, through the Spiritual Pivot Formation, would achieve grand mastery in Corpse control.


    He would not only be the Family Head of the Lu Family but also the Zombie supreme in the Minor Wilderness State Boundary.


    Mo Hua propped his chin, scheming thoughts bubbling within:


    ¡°What if I were to destroy this Bronze Coffin?¡±


    ¡°Or what if I collapsed the entire Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation?¡±


    ¡°Just be done with it once and for all¡­¡±


    ¡°Cut off Lu Chengyun¡¯s ambitions directly.¡±


    ¡°Let his century¡¯s worth of efforts go down the drain, his hard work turned to ash¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought it over and then shook his head slightly.


    Calculations would take time.


    Laying out a Reversed Spirit Formation also required time.


    Lu Chengyun, wary as he was, might not provide him such an opportunity.


    No¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and thought again.


    There was still a chance, as long as he was patient, an opening would eventually present itself.


    Lu Chengyun, as Family Head, had numerous affairs to attend to and could not possibly watch this place all the time.


    A moment¡¯s negligence would give Mo Hua the opportunity to trigger the Reversed Spirit Formation Collapse¡ªthen with a ¡°boom,¡± Lu Chengyun¡¯s century-long foundation would be destroyed¡­


    ¡°But what if the collapse were to happen¡­¡± Mo Hua continued to ponder.


    ¡°Would the Corpse Mine collapse as well?¡±


    Would he still be able to escape?


    So, should he set up the Reversed Spirit Formation first, find a way to flee, and then use puppets to induce the Formation Collapse?


    But this was deep inside the mine.


    If a collapse occurred, it could potentially result in an unpredictable explosion and cave-in, possibly leading to a chain reaction. Not just the Corpse Mine, but the entire mountain might be annihilated.


    By that time, not only will the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation collapse, but also the Corpse Mine will cave in, the corpse cultivators will die, and even the poor mining cultivators within nearby mines will lose their lives due to spiritual power shocks and mine collapses.


    Evacuate the mining cultivators in advance?


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and felt that it still wouldn¡¯t work.


    The mines belonged to the Lu Family. Evacuating the mining cultivators inside would certainly alarm the Lu Family.


    Once the Lu Family became suspicious, action would not be so convenient.


    Moreover, the power of the Great Formation¡¯s dissolution was immense.


    But this was a Compound Formation, perhaps its power wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as he thought.


    At most, it would collapse the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses and destroy the bronze coffin.


    But once the bronze coffin was destroyed¡­


    The highest Sequential Formation Pattern of the Spiritual Pivot Formation would cease to function.


    Would the other zombies lose control as a result?


    Once the zombies lost control, they would instinctively crave flesh and blood, choosing people to devour. With their large numbers, they would cause a Corpse Tide, spread Corpse Poison, and all of South Yue City would face catastrophe.


    Mo Hua himself could escape.


    Even if he were infected with Corpse Poison, he had ways to deal with it.


    But what about those poor Loose Cultivators?


    If they couldn¡¯t escape, they would become food for the zombies.


    Even if they were just bitten and had no Pills to cure them, the spread of the Corpse Poison and its erosion into their veins would cause them to undergo Corpse Transformation, becoming walking dead¡­


    Mo Hua tried to consider every aspect.


    It seemed that no matter what he thought or did, there would always be some oversight, making it very difficult to cover all bases.


    Things were getting problematic¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    ¡°What about tampering directly with the Formation on the bronze coffin?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at the bronze coffin before him.


    He often observed this coffin during the day, and even when Lu Chengyun was drawing the Spirit Pivot Evil Formation, he would peek from the side.


    An outer coffin and an inner casket.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s Formation was drawn on the inner bronze casket within the coffin.


    It wasn¡¯t drawn directly on the bodies of the zombies.


    But what exactly was inside the bronze casket, and whether there were any zombies at all?


    If so, what level of zombie were they?


    Walking corpses, Iron Corpses¡­


    Logically, what should follow would be Copper Corpses, Silver Corpses, and Golden Corpses¡­


    Bronze coffin¡­ could it be a Copper Corpse inside?


    But judging from Lu Chengyun¡¯s tone, it didn¡¯t quite seem the case.


    If it were a Copper Corpse, it should be quite powerful, perhaps with the cultivation of Foundation Establishment Late Stage.


    Could Lu Chengyun, who was only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, suppress a refined Copper Corpse?


    If he couldn¡¯t suppress it and still attempted refining, wouldn¡¯t that be seeking death?


    Those who are backfired by Corpse Refinement would definitely be devoured completely by the zombies, leaving no bones behind.


    Lu Chengyun was shrewd; he surely wouldn¡¯t make such a foolish mistake¡­


    But if it wasn¡¯t a Copper Corpse, then what type of corpse was it?


    After much deliberation, Mo Hua suddenly realized a fundamental question:


    He didn¡¯t even know the differences between Walking Corpses, Iron Corpses, Copper Corpses, Silver Corpses, and Golden Corpses¡­


    Aside from hearing these names from his elder martial sister, he had absolutely no understanding of Corpse Refinement!


    He was a complete layman.


    Just like a cultivator who doesn¡¯t understand Formations pondering issues of Formation based on experience.


    He was also just speculating on the categories of Corpse Refinement based on imagination.


    It¡¯s very easy to assume things when a layman tries to consider an expert¡¯s problems.


    Is there a distinction in quality among refined corpses?


    Are gold, silver, copper, and iron grades, or types?


    What are the effects and taboos of different corpses?


    He understood all of this vaguely¡­


    Dealing with ordinary Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses, his superficial knowledge might suffice.


    But Lu Chengyun was clearly using a more ¡°high-end¡± method of Corpse Refinement, and half-baked experience might not reveal anything¡­


    And so Mo Hua was concerned again.


    Practice brings true knowledge.


    But he certainly couldn¡¯t just learn Corpse Refinement and then refine corpses himself just to understand these things¡­


    Mo Hua thought about it and felt that it was impossible for him to actually refine corpses.


    But it might be necessary to steal some books on Corpse Refinement from corpse cultivators and read them when he had the time, to understand both himself and the enemy.


    The cultivation world is perilous.


    Cultivators need to possess various kinds of knowledge to survive in the cultivation world.


    Some things can be left undone, but not unknown.


    Otherwise, once you face a ¡°knowledge barrier,¡± no matter how intelligent you are, it¡¯s useless, and you might even outwit yourself, sealing your own fate, dying without knowing how you died.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, then attempted to open the bronze coffin.


    The bronze coffin was divided into an outer coffin and an inner casket; inside the casket was Corpse Refinement.


    He would only open the coffin and not the casket; like Lu Chengyun, the risk should be minimal.


    But Mo Hua had not anticipated that he wouldn¡¯t even be able to open the outer coffin.


    The entire bronze coffin seemed to be sealed shut.


    After several attempts, Mo Hua failed to open it and couldn¡¯t tell whether the bronze coffin was sealed by a Formation or locking mechanism.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    This trip yielded some gains, but they were less than he had hoped for.


    He had thoroughly studied the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    But as for what was offered on the altar or what was sealed in the bronze coffin, it was still unclear.


    ¡°It seems¡­ I need to think of another way¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze shifted slightly as he silently mused.


    S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 495 - 481 Corpse Studies_1

    Chapter 495: Chapter 481 Corpse Studies_1


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua stealthily slipped out of the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar.


    Before leaving, he painstakingly checked over everything again to confirm he hadn¡¯t left any traces that would be discovered by Lu Chengyun or Zhang Quan¡­


    The little zombie lay nicely in the coffin.


    Big Tiger remained well hidden within the hall.


    The Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, the Golden Altar, the Bronze Coffin, there were no evident traces.


    Mo Hua relaxed his mind, then concealed his form and quietly departed.


    The next day, Mo Hua returned to following Lu Chengyun as if nothing had happened, entering the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar to finalize the Formation eye of the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation.


    After entering the altar, Mo Hua observed closely and noticed that Lu Chengyun was as usual, seemingly unaware of anything, which secretly relieved him.


    Lu Chengyun was the Family Head, entangled in mundane affairs and beset with numerous issues.


    He had to secretly construct the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, control the progress of the formation¡¯s setup, coordinate with Corpse cultivators, and personally draw the Corpse Gate Evil Formation.


    Indeed, he was very busy.


    And these days, being occupied with his own matters, he hardly paid any attention to Mo Hua anymore.


    It seemed as though Mo Hua had vanished from his view.


    Sometimes when Mo Hua spoke to him, he would be lost in thought, paying little to no attention.


    Mo Hua appeared somewhat unhappy on the surface, feeling slighted, but inside he was overjoyed.


    He wished for nothing more than for Lu Chengyun to disregard him¡­


    Besides Lu Chengyun, there was Zhang Quan.


    Zhang Quan hated him.


    But he was Formation Blind, not understanding formations, and his Divine Sense wasn¡¯t strong.


    He was very easy to deceive.


    Mo Hua could be invisible right beside him, and he wouldn¡¯t notice.


    As for formations, it went without saying¡ªMo Hua could make mistakes right in front of him, mess them up, draw them in complete disarray and error-filled¡­


    He could even sketch a completely different formation, and with Zhang Quan¡¯s knowledge of formations, he might not be able to detect any problems.


    Mo Hua shook his head slightly.


    Really, one must read more books, learn more about Tao Cultivation knowledge.


    Otherwise, you could be played for a fool without ever realizing¡­


    Having gone unnoticed, Mo Hua felt at ease.


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua turned his attention to the Corpse cultivators in the Corpse Mine.


    He wanted to know exactly what kind of corpse was sealed within the Bronze Coffin.


    But being an amateur with insufficient knowledge of Corpse Refinement, he found it difficult to determine.


    He could only start with those who were ¡°experts¡± on the subject.


    These Corpse cultivators were clearly the ¡°experts.¡±


    Mo Hua used a small trick and stole some books on Corpse Refinement from several Corpse cultivators.


    For example: ¡°Basic Necromancy Method¡±, ¡°Corpse Blood Cultivation Method¡±, ¡°Detailed Explanation of Corpse Refinement¡±, ¡°General Discussion on Corpse Refinement¡±, ¡°Heavenly Craft of Necromancy¡±, ¡°Origin and Flow of the Corpse Gate¡±, ¡°Corpse Classification Theory¡±¡­


    The categories were diverse, including cultivation techniques, general discussions, miscellaneous essays, historical records, anecdotes¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were opened wide.


    To think that these Corpse cultivators could research so many aspects out of merely Refining Corpses.


    The Cultivation World was truly vast and complex.


    Mo Hua took the time to start reading these Corpse Path books.


    But after just a few days, he felt uncomfortable in body and mind.


    The books were filled with bloody and strange content; the accompanying illustrations were cruel and ugly, nauseating to behold.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless.


    ¡°Corpse Refinement is really not something for normal people to study¡­¡±


    ¡°Which normal cultivator would be interested in Corpse Refinement?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help shaking his head.


    But he still had to endure the disgust and continue reading.


    However, after reading quite a bit, he was still only halfway enlightened, with many parts being confusing and unclear to him.


    ¡°It seems I lack talent in the art of Corpse Refinement¡­¡±


    Mo Hua accepted this fact with some resignation and a trace of relief.


    He skimmed over these books for an overview and no longer forced himself to study further. Instead, he wrote down some of his questions, preparing to ¡°consult¡± a Corpse cultivator.


    This Corpse cultivator needed to be honest, obedient, and somewhat dim-witted.


    Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to get information out of him.


    Mo Hua ¡°scouted¡± among the Corpse cultivators in the Corpse Mine for several days and suddenly recognized a familiar face.


    A young member of the Lu Family with a somewhat harsh face, Lu Ming.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression shifted slightly.


    Lu Ming¡­


    He was the one who, when the disappearance of the five Mining Cultivators was first investigated, accompanied Mo Hua to the Lu Family Mine to show the way, encountered horrific corpses, vomited until he was dizzy, and under Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°intimidation¡±, divulged some of the Lu Family¡¯s secrets¡ªthat Lu Family Cultivator¡ªLu Ming.


    Lu Ming had lost the arrogant demeanor he once had.


    His complexion, like other Corpse cultivators¡¯, was pale as paper, his expression lifeless and hollow with not a hint of vitality. He didn¡¯t talk much, blindly following orders given by others and acting like a living Walking Corpse.


    Mo Hua observed Lu Ming for a few days.


    It seemed he¡¯d only recently arrived and was a newcomer here, one of the lower-level Corpse cultivators.


    He spent his days learning to Refine Corpses and performing menial tasks, obeying orders from others.


    At night, he would ¡°lie down like a corpse¡± on his bed, his expression dull, not knowing what he was thinking about.


    Lu Ming was still quite approachable for questioning.


    Mo Hua had asked him several questions before.


    After nightfall, Mo Hua stealthily left his room and went to Lu Ming¡¯s stone chamber, silently watching him.


    The stone chamber was quiet, with no one else around.


    Lu Ming lay on the bed with a numb expression that suddenly twisted into one of pain. He clasped his head with both hands, coiled up on the bed, and muttered to himself:


    ¡°¡­Why am I so unlucky?¡±


    ¡°To think it¡¯s Corpse Refinement¡­ I¡¯m done for¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never get married in this lifetime¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After wallowing in misery for a while, he then fiercely pounded the wall, complaining:


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of that brat!¡±


    ¡°All his fault!¡±


    ¡°His fault¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you blaming me for?¡± Mo Hua asked aloud.


    In the silent stone chamber, a voice suddenly emerged, eerie and childlike. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Ming was scared out of his wits.


    He flurried about in a panic and sat up, only to see on the chair by the wall, a small figure gradually becoming visible.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 496 - 481 Necroscience_2

    Chapter 496: Chapter 481 Necroscience_2


    ¡°`


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    Lu Ming¡¯s shout was abruptly cut off as he quickly covered his mouth with both hands.


    The cry came to an abrupt halt and was not discovered by other Corpse cultivators.


    Mo Hua picked up the teapot on the table, poured herself a cup of tea, sniffed it, found that it was of poor quality but devoid of blood or fishy smell, just regular tea, so she took a sip, smacked her lips, and then asked Lu Ming,


    ¡°What are you blaming me for?¡±


    The voice was crisp and familiar.


    Lu Ming, with his nerves somewhat settled, looked closely and recognized that it was Mo Hua, then slowly relaxed.


    It was a person, a ¡°familiar face¡±, not a ghost, nor a corpse.


    Lu Ming leaned back against the wall, gasping for breath.


    Seeing Mo Hua, Lu Ming was somewhat surprised, but not entirely unexpected.


    He had seen Mo Hua before in the Corpse Mine.


    Any Formation Master who had real talent and skill would be wooed by the Lu Family.


    Mo Hua was no exception.


    But he still hadn¡¯t anticipated that Mo Hua¡¯s status could be so high, to the point of being able to enter the Corpse Mine, not be required to engage in Corpse Refinement, be treated extremely well, and even be able to chat and laugh freely with the Lu Family Head.


    Even many Elders of the Lu Family did not enjoy such treatment.


    What he didn¡¯t understand was why Mo Hua would sneak into his room unnoticed.


    Lu Ming wanted to ask, but didn¡¯t dare.


    A Cultivator who was favored and well-treated by the Family Head, no matter how young, was not someone he, once a mere disciple of the Lu Family and now a small Corpse cultivator in the Corpse Mine, could question.


    He also didn¡¯t dare not to answer the questions Mo Hua asked him.


    Lu Ming hesitated, then murmured,


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have been¡­ sent in here¡­¡±


    Mo Hua took another sip of tea, nodded, and understood.


    Back in the mines, Lu Ming had told her some affairs of the Lu Family.


    Even though he later reported this matter to the Lu Family Head, his actions were still considered loose-lipped.


    Thus, he was punished and sent to the Corpse Mine to become a Corpse cultivator.


    Lu Ming wasn¡¯t too bad as a person, but not too good either.


    He probably couldn¡¯t accept something like Corpse Refinement, but he had no choice but to accept it due to his circumstances.


    So, he went about his days with a numb expression, like a Walking Corpse, only daring to vent some of his emotions when alone at night.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then suddenly asked,


    ¡°How is your Corpse Refinement coming along?¡±


    Lu Ming was taken aback, not knowing why Mo Hua would ask such a question, but still reluctantly answered,


    ¡°Average¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you refined a corpse yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet¡­ I¡¯ve only followed other Corpse cultivators, learning some of the knowledge of Corpse Refinement¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up slightly, ¡°How well have you learned?¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Lu Ming said evasively.


    Mo Hua took out a small piece of paper, coughed, and said seriously,


    ¡°Then I shall test you.¡±


    Lu Ming was startled, ¡°Why?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°I¡¯m testing you to see if you have the desire to improve. If you learn well, I will speak well of you to the Family Head, and maybe get you promoted in the future.¡±


    Mo Hua bluffed casually.


    Lu Ming was somewhat baffled by the trickery, but still asked,


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Mo Hua clicked her tongue, ¡°We have met once before, and it¡¯s because of me that you entered the mine and became a Corpse cultivator¡­¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t care if I didn¡¯t know, but now that I do, I naturally want to find a way to give you some benefits, to compensate you.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Lu Ming found it logical, yet it also seemed¡­ illogical.


    A fleeting acquaintance, speaking well of him for no reason?


    Lu Ming was still somewhat puzzled.


    He wanted to ask ¡°Why¡± again, but before he could, Mo Hua interrupted him.


    Mo Hua, with a stern face, said imperiously,


    ¡°You answer when I ask, no need for so much idle talk!¡±


    Lu Ming, intimidated by Mo Hua¡¯s demeanor, felt a bit guilty and slowly nodded.


    Mo Hua then began reading from the small piece of paper.


    The paper listed some Corpse Refinement ¡°knowledge¡± he hadn¡¯t understood, such as:


    ¡°How are the grades of Zombies classified?¡±


    ¡°What is the relationship between grade and rank?¡±


    ¡°What types of Zombies are there, and what abilities do they possess?¡±


    And so on¡­


    Lu Ming, not understanding why, answered honestly,


    ¡°The grade of Zombies is divided into both grade and rank.¡±


    ¡°¡®Grade¡¯ refers to First, Second, Third, Fourth Grade, equivalent to Cultivators at the levels of Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°¡®Rank¡¯ is the hierarchy of zombies, which is divided into ¡®Golden¡¯, ¡®Silver¡¯, ¡®Bronze¡¯, ¡®Iron¡¯, and the lowest, the Walking Corpse¡­¡±


    ¡°There is a distinction between the grade and rank of zombies, they are related, yet independent of each other.¡±


    ¡°Like with Monster Beasts and other categories, a zombie¡¯s strength is based on its ¡®grade¡¯.¡±


    ¡°First Grade Walking Corpse, Second Grade Walking Corpse, Third Grade Walking Corpse¡­ each possesses strength corresponding to the initial stages of major boundaries.¡±


    ¡°Above the Walking Corpse is the Iron Corpse, and with each rank ascended, there is a qualitative change in the zombie¡¯s abilities.¡±


    ¡°Their flesh becomes harder, their Corpse Poison more potent, and they even possess some special Corpse Path abilities¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was still somewhat confused and didn¡¯t understand very well, so he asked seriously,


    ¡°Give me an example to simply explain the relationship between a zombie¡¯s grade and rank.¡±


    Lu Ming felt as if he was being quizzed by an Instructor. His heart tightened, and after pondering for a long time, he finally spoke,


    ¡°A zombie¡¯s hierarchy is based on ¡®grade¡¯ as the foundation and ¡®rank¡¯ as the level¡­¡±


    ¡°A First Grade zombie generally only has two ranks, Walking Corpse and Iron Corpse¡­¡±


    ¡°A First Grade Walking Corpse is just a basic Qi Refining zombie.¡±


    ¡°A First Grade Iron Corpse, in terms of Cultivation, should be comparable to the peak of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, but with its copper head and iron arms, it can match some Cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°Second Grade zombies start at least as Walking Corpses, typically are refined into Iron Corpses, but at most can become Copper Corpses¡­¡±


    ¡°A Second Grade Walking Corpse has strength comparable to a First Grade Iron Corpse. However, due to their rotting flesh, they are at a disadvantage in actual combat.¡±


    ¡°A Second Grade Iron Corpse is quite powerful, equivalent to the middle phase of Foundation Establishment, and can easily defeat First Grade Iron Corpses from the initial phase of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°And a Second Grade Copper Corpse, with its thick Corpse Qi and body as sturdy as bronze and iron, is equivalent to the late stage of Foundation Establishment and is very strong.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    He had previously thought that all Iron Corpses were the same, all possessing Foundation Establishment strength.


    But Iron Corpses are also divided by grade.


    A First Grade Iron Corpse is only comparable to Foundation Establishment.


    A Second Grade Iron Corpse is at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, stronger than the strength of Cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Seen this way, the Iron Corpses in the Corpse Mine cannot be generalized.


    The two tall Iron Corpses guarding the door must be Second Grade Iron Corpses.


    The rest of the Iron Corpses are a mix of First and Second Grade.


    The overall strength of the zombies under Lu Chengyun¡¯s command is much stronger than Mo Hua had imagined¡­


    Mo Hua frowned. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He glanced at Lu Ming, then said, ¡°Continue.¡±


    Lu Ming nodded, ¡°Furthermore, there¡¯s Third Grade, but we haven¡¯t been able to refine them, so the records aren¡¯t very detailed¡­¡±


    ¡°Third Grade zombies start at Walking Corpse at a minimum, but at most can be refined into Golden Corpses.¡±


    ¡°Above Fourth Grade, the minimum is still Walking Corpse, and it¡¯s said it might even be possible to refine a real Celestial God Zombie¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Lu Ming explained in detail to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua roughly understood.


    All zombies are based on ¡®grade¡¯.¡±


    The zombies that are refined all start at Walking Corpse, but their limits differ.


    The higher the ¡®grade,¡¯ the higher the ¡®rank¡¯ limit becomes.¡±


    For First Grade, the limit is Iron Corpse, Second Grade limit is Copper Corpse, and Third Grade limit is Golden Corpse¡­


    The Corpse Refinement methods in the Corpse Mine, derived from the Zhang Family and passed down for hundreds of years, should be more or less accurate even if there were some discrepancies.


    So, what kind of corpse lies within that bronze coffin?


    A Copper Corpse, comparable to the late stage of Foundation Establishment?


    Foundation Establishment middle phase is one thing, but a zombie of the late Foundation Establishment phase, even if refined, couldn¡¯t be controlled by Lu Chengyun.


    This does not quite fit with Mo Hua¡¯s previous speculation.


    ¡°Are there any special kinds of zombies?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Mo Hua remembered that both ¡°Origin and Flow of the Corpse Gate¡± and ¡°Corpse Classification Theory¡± mentioned some specially functioning zombies, which although categorized by ¡®grade,¡¯ do not fall within the usual ¡®rank¡¯ categories.


    ¡°There are.¡±


    Lu Ming nodded seriously,


    ¡°There are some special zombies with unique functions, their use is specific, and their strength is not ranked by ¡®Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron¡¯.¡±


    ¡°For example, a Puppet Corpse is essentially a flesh and blood puppet, not human, not considered a corpse, but a puppet made of materials similar to wood or stone.¡±


    ¡°There are also companion corpses¡­¡±


    ¡°Turning people into human puppets, retaining the appearance, skin, and figure, soaked in the Spirit Water of Flowers and Plants, with no foul smell, skin cold yet tender as if alive.¡±


    ¡°Many Cultivators would pay a high price for them.¡±


    ¡°And there are also burial figurine corpses¡­¡±


    ¡°Killing a person and refining them into a burial figurine zombie.¡±


    ¡°These types of zombies are typically used for accompanying burials.¡±


    ¡°Not only the Demon Path, but in the past the Righteous Dao also made use of them.¡±


    ¡°Thousands of years ago, some Sect Leaders or Supreme Elders from the Great Sects or Clans would ¡®grant death¡¯ to some close Cultivators upon their own death, refining them into burial figurine corpses for the purpose of accompaniment.¡±


    ¡°However, such acts are not very humane and have been gradually phased out by the Taoist Court over the past thousands of years¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua listened with a frown.


    Human puppet-like companion corpses?


    Burial figurine corpses used for accompanying burials?


    When Cultivators become twisted, they truly become horrifying¡­

 Chapter 497 - 482 Corpse King_1

    Chapter 497: Chapter 482 Corpse King_1


    The intricacies of Corpse Refinement are so plentiful¡­


    It seems that outsiders see the excitement, while insiders know the manifold ways.


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts stirred slightly, and he spoke again in a deep voice,


    ¡°Then let me test you once more, suppose¡­ I refined a corpse that can be used to command a multitude of zombies, what should this type of ¡®corpse¡¯ be called?¡±


    ¡°To command a multitude of zombies¡­¡±


    Lu Ming furrowed his brows, thought for a while, and then said with some uncertainty, ¡°I can¡¯t quite remember¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°It¡¯s an open book exam; you can consult the texts.¡±


    Lu Ming was somewhat bewildered, ¡°Open book?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded, with a demeanor that showed he was lenient, not wanting to trouble you if you couldn¡¯t answer, and would even let you look it up in a book.


    Lu Ming felt a little touched.


    He immediately took out several books on Corpse Refinement from his storage bag, searched through them a few times, and then hesitantly said,


    ¡°There are¡­ a few kinds¡­¡±


    ¡°There is one called ¡®Corpse Bell¡¯, which involves embedding a Corpse Controlling Bell within the zombie¡¯s body to control other zombies¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one called ¡®Lantern Corpse¡¯, where the corpse is used as a lantern, burning ointment to lead the way¡­¡±


    ¡°And there is one, called ¡®Corpse King¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Corpse King?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression showed a trace of surprise.


    Lu Ming, somewhat unsure of himself, asked, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°it is the Corpse King, you¡¯ve answered correctly.¡±


    If it can command thousands of zombies, then what Lu Chengyun refined must be none other than a Corpse King¡­


    Corpse King¡­


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then asked,


    ¡°Let me test you once more, how is this Corpse King refined, and what effects does it have once created?¡±


    Lu Ming flipped through the books and then said,


    ¡°It seems to be more complicated than the normal Corpse Refinement¡­¡±


    ¡°The corpse selected for refining a Corpse King has to be particular; ordinary ones won¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°The multitude of zombies it commands should ideally have subjugated to it in life, under its control¡­¡±


    ¡°This way, after death, when turned into zombies, the residual instinct to submit makes them easier to control by the ¡®Corpse King¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°The chances of controlled zombies going rogue or rebelling are thus much reduced.¡±


    After pondering, Lu Ming gave an example,


    ¡°In the past, a powerful Corpse Cultivator obliterated a Sect, refined the Sect Leader into a Corpse King, then turned the Sect disciples into zombies.¡±


    ¡°As a result, these ¡®disciple¡¯ zombies were naturally under the control of the ¡®Sect Leader¡¯ Corpse King¡­¡±


    ¡°There are also records stating that small nations in the Southern Barbarian Land were slaughtered by Demon Cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°The monarch was killed and turned into a ¡®Corpse King¡¯, and the people of the nation were massacred and then transformed into zombies, thus turning the entire nation into a Corpse Kingdom¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face remained unchanged, but inwardly he couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    An entire Sect, even a whole nation of cultivators¡­


    All had parents and kin, yet met with a terrible fate, not even finding peace in death.


    Demon practitioners indeed wrought much slaughter.


    In their selfish and unscrupulous practice of cultivation, nothing was off-limits¡­


    Lu Ming continued,


    ¡°This type of monarch has the right qualifications to become a ¡®Corpse King¡¯, an excellent corpse prototype for refining a Corpse King.¡±


    ¡°But such means are the methods of powerful practitioners of the Demon Path; ordinary Corpse Cultivators with their crude methods of Corpse Refinement couldn¡¯t possibly do it¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua asked some more details, and Lu Ming answered them one by one.


    Pleased, Mo Hua nodded approvingly and praised,


    ¡°You have studied diligently; this puts my mind at ease. Tomorrow, in front of Lu Family Head, I will speak well of you, promote you, so that your Corpse Path prospers and you stand out from the crowd¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint my expectations¡­¡±


    As Mo Hua thought about Instructor Yan¡¯s manner, he put on a look of ¡®earnest instruction¡¯ on his face.


    But Lu Ming wore a troubled look, hesitating to speak.


    Mo Hua spoke displeasedly, ¡°What? You¡¯re still not satisfied?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Lu Ming stammered, not daring to say it.


    After an internal struggle, he finally pleaded earnestly, ¡°Gentleman, could you perhaps¡­ speak to Lu Family Head and let me out?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mo Hua asked in a grave voice.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Lu Ming replied with a bitter smile, ¡°I don¡¯t want to become a Corpse Cultivator¡­¡±


    Mo Hua deliberately frowned, ¡°How can you be so ungrateful?¡±


    Lu Ming grew anxious and quickly waved his hands,


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡±


    Mo Hua ¡®hmphed¡¯, ¡°Lu Family Head treats you so well, providing you with opportunities to become a Corpse Cultivator, to learn Corpse Refinement. This is your blessing, as well as your chance as a disciple of the Lu Family to contribute your efforts to the family. Yet you don¡¯t know how to cherish it?¡±


    Lu Ming felt like crying without tears:


    ¡°Once I become a Corpse Cultivator and enter the Demon Path, my whole life is over¡­¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t be able to find a partner, fulfill filial duties.


    No matter how high his cultivation, he could only hide in the shadows, deal with corpses all day, and would be hunted by the Taoist Court, shunned by society, and who knows, one day he might be exposed and then ¡°eliminated in the name of justice.¡±


    Thinking of this, Lu Ming regretted so much that his gut turned green.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    This Lu Ming, although a bit slow, still had some sense.


    Pretending to be hesitant, after much contemplation, Mo Hua slowly exhaled a sigh,


    ¡°Alright, meeting you is also a kind of fate. If you¡¯re unwilling to be a Corpse Cultivator, I won¡¯t make it difficult for you.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s probably impossible to persuade the Family Head to let you leave¡­¡±


    ¡°Once you¡¯re out, you¡¯ll surely leak the secrets of this Corpse Mine.¡±


    ¡°Just stay here peacefully¡­¡±


    Lu Ming¡¯s face was ashen.


    Without escaping, sooner or later, he would end up refining corpses.


    If he succeeded, he would be inseparable from the zombies.


    Should he fail, the zombies might lose control and devour him¡ªit was entirely possible.


    It was over¡­


    A chilling sense of dread filled Lu Ming¡¯s heart.


    Suddenly, he glanced at Mo Hua, who appeared calm and collected despite his young age. Even amidst the dread of the corpse mines, he seemed utterly composed, stirring a glimmer of hope in Lu Ming¡¯s otherwise bleak heart.


    He quickly got up and kowtowed to Mo Hua, saying,


    ¡°I beg young master to save me!¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, then asked in confusion,


    ¡°Why should I save you?¡±


    Mo Hua leisurely took a sip of tea before continuing,


    ¡°Promoting you is but a trivial matter, a mere word for me. I could mention it offhand and owe a favor, which is no big deal.¡±


    ¡°But saving you is much more troublesome, and I might even offend the Lu Family Head.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s words left Lu Ming speechless.


    Lu Ming was somewhat dazed.


    Indeed, with no blood or affection between them and a rather shallow relationship, why would this young gentleman save him?


    What did he have?


    He didn¡¯t have many Spirit Stones, he wasn¡¯t a young maiden in her twenties, his cultivation wasn¡¯t high, his talent wasn¡¯t great, and even if killed for Corpse Refinement, he wouldn¡¯t make for a high-quality zombie¡­


    A chill went down Lu Ming¡¯s spine, and he didn¡¯t even realize it.


    On ordinary days, he might occasionally bully others on account of his position, feeling good about himself, but he hadn¡¯t expected that when a real problem arose, he would turn out to be so worthless¡­


    Without any means, without any capability at all.


    Mo Hua added, ¡°If you can offer something beneficial, I¡¯ll consider, just consider, whether to save you or not.¡±


    A bitterness enveloped Lu Ming¡¯s heart.


    What could he offer?


    This young gentleman was of no ordinary status, with unfathomable means.


    What benefit could catch such a young master¡¯s eye?


    But with his life at stake, he was unwilling to give up and, holding onto a thread of hope, said,


    ¡°I am willing to pledge my life in service of young master, to climb mountains of swords and descend into seas of flames if that¡¯s what it takes!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    He had been waiting for those words.


    First, Mo Hua expressed his disdain, ¡°You, with your low cultivation and status, who is neither proficient in Taoist Skill nor Corpse Refinement, a mere disciple of the Lu Family, would be of little use to me, even if you served me.¡±


    These words struck Lu Ming with such embarrassment he couldn¡¯t lift his head.


    Mo Hua feigned contemplation, then sighed,


    ¡°However, who can blame me for being young with a kind heart? I¡¯ll test you. Do a small favor for me, and if you succeed, I¡¯ll save you once.¡±


    As if revived from a dead end, Lu Ming¡¯s expression lit up with immense joy, and he hastily said,


    ¡°Please, young master, give your commands!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s large eyes shifted, and he whispered,


    ¡°Help me inquire about the Lu Family Old Ancestor and the affairs of the Lu Family Head¡­¡±


    Lu Ming was taken aback, ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°Anything will do,¡± Mo Hua said. ¡°Gossip, anecdotes, rumors¡­ whether substantiated or hearsay, gather them stealthily and report them back to me¡­¡±


    Lu Ming felt doubtful and a bit frightened as he quietly asked,


    ¡°Why, why do you want to know these things?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face stiffened, solemnly responding,


    ¡°I want to confirm whether the Lu Family Head is a bad person or not¡­¡±


    Lu Ming gaped, ¡°Bad¡­ a bad person?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± proclaimed Mo Hua, ¡°In this world, the worse a person is, the more they can achieve.¡±


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m working for him, naturally the worse he is, the better.¡±


    ¡°The more wicked he is, the more he disregards kinship, shameless, thick-skinned, and unscrupulous; the greater his chances of success¡­¡±


    Lu Ming was bewildered.


    For a moment, he wasn¡¯t sure whether the young gentleman was praising or cursing the Family Head¡­


    ¡°Do you understand?¡± Mo Hua asked Lu Ming.


    Lu Ming feigned understanding and nodded.


    ¡°Good, go ahead and do it,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°but be discreet, do not get exposed, and remember, this matter has nothing to do with me. I am just a kind-hearted, innocent person who wants to help you escape suffering.¡±


    Lu Ming nodded, ¡°Yes, young master!¡±


    Afterward, he went to gather information.


    When Mo Hua had time, he would also release his Divine Sense to keep an eye on what Lu Ming was doing.


    Lu Ming wasn¡¯t very bright, and Mo Hua feared he might botch the task.


    Fortunately, although he was inquiring, he wasn¡¯t overly deliberate.


    Sometimes he just needed to start a conversation, letting other corpse cultivators chat among themselves while he eavesdropped. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Being of low status himself, a recognized Lu Family disciple, no one suspected him; in fact, nobody even cared about him.


    A few days later, Lu Ming reported back to Mo Hua with the information he had gathered.


    He had news about the Lu Family, the Lu Family Old Ancestor, and also about Lu Chengyun¡­


    The matters involving the Lu Family Old Ancestor were more or less the same as those Mo Hua had heard from Qinglan.


    Harsh, greedy, extravagant, and unpredictably temperamental.


    Not only did he exploit the mining cultivators harshly, but he was also especially cruel to his own disciples, frequently resorting to beating and berating them while living lavishly and treating others stingily.


    Aptly resembling his nickname ¡°Capitalist Lu.¡±


    Indeed, there are only mistaken names, not mistaken nicknames.


    And from Lu Ming¡¯s words, Mo Hua learned some rumors concerning the relationship between Lu Chengyun and the Lu Family Old Ancestor¡­

 Chapter 498 - 483: Beast_1

    Chapter 498: Chapter 483: Beast_1


    Lu Ming began by talking about the Lu Family Old Ancestor.


    Though he was a disciple of the Lu Family, he was quite peripheral, young, and inexperienced. These deep secrets he neither inquired about nor knew of, and as he spoke about them now, he found it somewhat difficult to begin:


    ¡°To say this is a bit disrespectful, but¡­ the Old Ancestor¡¯s behavior was extravagant and, well, somewhat¡­ lecherous¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was aware of this.


    Many brothels on Jinhua Street were built by ¡°Capitalist Lu¡± purely for his indulgence and pleasure.


    But there were things even Mo Hua didn¡¯t know¡­


    Lu Ming whispered, ¡°It¡¯s said¡­ the Old Ancestor¡­ he didn¡¯t even spare the women of his own family¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Women of the family? The Lu family?¡±


    Lu Ming nodded somewhat ashamedly.


    ¡°And then?¡±


    Lu Ming found it hard to continue and hesitated for a while before he lowered his voice and said:


    ¡°It¡¯s rumored that in the Lu Family, any female disciple who was beautiful, whether from the main line or a side branch, married or not, would be¡­ tainted by the Old Ancestor¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids twitched in reaction.


    How could someone do such things?


    He shouldn¡¯t be called ¡°Capitalist Lu,¡± but rather ¡°Beast Lu¡±¡­


    ¡°Of course, these are just rumors¡­ Not necessarily the truth.¡±


    Lu Ming tried to defend his Old Ancestor¡¯s reputation, though he didn¡¯t sound very confident:


    ¡°The Old Ancestor was a harsh man, others held grudges against him, and might spread false, unspeakable rumors out of resentment¡­¡±


    Yet Mo Hua felt that there was a high likelihood these rumors were true. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There is no smoke without fire.


    Flies don¡¯t land on an egg without cracks.


    Clearly, the Lu Family Old Ancestor was that cracked, smelly egg that the flies were attracted to.


    ¡°And then?¡±


    Mo Hua asked again.


    He wanted to know what exactly was the relationship between the Lu Family Old Ancestor and Lu Chengyun that would make him go against all objections and promote Lu Chengyun, a son-in-law who had married into the family, to the position of Family Head.


    Lu Ming said, ¡°This matter has to start with Miss Zhu.¡±


    ¡°Miss Zhu?¡±


    ¡°Lu Zhu, she is the Old Ancestor¡¯s great-granddaughter from the main line,¡± explained Lu Ming, ¡°the Old Ancestor dotes on this great-granddaughter immensely.¡±


    Lu Ming then whispered:


    ¡°It¡¯s said that Miss Zhu isn¡¯t actually the Old Ancestor¡¯s great-granddaughter, but his biological daughter¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face crumpled with an expression of ¡°this is too disgusting to see.¡±


    This was simply too beastly¡­


    Lu Ming too felt embarrassed and retorted weakly:


    ¡°Of course, this is also just a rumor¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened after that?¡± Mo Hua asked, suddenly wondering, ¡°This Miss Zhu, she isn¡¯t Lu Chengyun¡¯s partner in Tao Cultivation, is she¡­¡±


    Lu Ming nodded, ¡°Yes, she is.¡±


    ¡°Not only that,¡± Lu Ming said in a shocked tone, ¡°the Family Head¡­ is actually a son-in-law who married into the family.¡±


    It was incredible that their prestigious Lu Family, with such a strong hold over South Yue City, had a son-in-law as the Family Head.


    Lu Ming still found it hard to believe to this day.


    If he hadn¡¯t been in the Corpse Mine, associating with shady people and hearing about things that were not to be seen in the light of day, he would still be unaware.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, his expression not showing any surprise.


    Lu Ming exclaimed in astonishment, ¡°Gentleman, did you already know this?¡±


    Mo Hua remained indifferent and noncommittal, simply saying:


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    Lu Ming looked at Mo Hua, whose unfathomable depths seemed even more profound.


    He knew about such secret affairs¡­


    Lu Ming paused, then resumed his ¡°it is said¡± tone:


    ¡°It¡¯s said¡­ Miss Zhu happened to meet the Family Head outside of South Yue City one day and fell for him at first sight.¡±


    ¡°Traveling together, chatting joyfully and agreeing on so much, Miss Zhu then did everything she could to make the Family Head marry into the family and become her husband¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    This story was both melodramatic and clich¨¦.


    He¡¯d heard it countless times when listening to storytellers in Tongxian City.


    Rapists often used this trick to deceive women.


    And profligate playboys who lured respectable women also used this method.


    Yet, it was a highly effective tactic, almost always successful in ensnaring its target.


    Lu Chengyun, with his seemingly gentle and carefree demeanor, turned out to be a ¡°pretty boy¡± who rose to power by latching onto a woman.


    He must have spent a lot of effort in seducing Miss Lu.


    The timing, location, the words spoken, even every gesture, were probably meticulously planned out and rehearsed by him¡­


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s image plummeted in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    Lu Ming continued, ¡°Miss Zhu conveyed her feelings to the Old Ancestor.¡±


    ¡°The Old Ancestor didn¡¯t agree, feeling that though the Family Head was handsome, he had unsavory intentions and wasn¡¯t a suitable husband.¡±


    ¡°Spoiled by the Old Ancestor¡¯s indulgence, Miss Zhu had a willful personality; she had to obtain whatever she wanted and thus relentlessly pressured the Old Ancestor until he consented to have the Family Head marry in.¡±


    ¡°Refusing to eat, taking poison pills, cutting off her own meridians¡­ she used all sorts of unbearable methods¡­¡±


    ¡°Left with no choice, the Old Ancestor had to agree, unable to withstand Miss Zhu¡¯s persistence.¡±


    ¡°After the Family Head married in, he took the surname Lu, and the Old Ancestor even gave him a name, calling him Lu Chengyun.¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡­


    Mo Hua stroked his chin thoughtfully.


    Was the Lu Family Old Ancestor mocking him?


    This name seemed to have positive connotations: riding the clouds to ascend, gracefully reaching the realm of immortals, the pursuit and hope of one on the path of Tao Cultivation.


    But given Lu Chengyun¡¯s circumstances, it took on a different nuance.


    Lu Chengyun, being a son-in-law, did the term ¡°riding clouds¡± imply that he had climbed up in life by clinging onto the Lu Family?


    In his bones, the Lu Family Old Ancestor probably still despised Lu Chengyun, using this name to remind him to never forget the fact that he became a son-in-law, dependent on the Lu Family¡­


    One harboring ill intentions, and the other being sarcastic.


    These two truly were cut from the same cloth.


    Mo Hua asked further, ¡°How many people in the Lu Family know about this?¡±


    Lu Ming shook his head, ¡°Very few. I had been in the Lu Family for so long before I entered the Corpse Mine, and I had never heard even a whisper of it¡­¡±

 Chapter 499 - 483: Beast_2

    Chapter 499: Chapter 483: Beast_2


    Mo Hua mused, ¡°It seems they found a way to silence the matter¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Ming nodded. ¡°It was Miss Zhu¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Zhu doesn¡¯t allow anyone to mention the matter of the Family Head marrying into the clan.¡±


    ¡°Those in the know have all been silenced, forbidden to speak of it to outsiders. The personal maids and attendants have all been replaced as well.¡±


    ¡°To outsiders, they only say that the Family Head is from a collateral branch of the Lu Family, whose parents died early, but who has great talent, which is why the Old Ancestor had him marry Miss Zhu.¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his doubts: ¡°Is it permissible to marry within the clan if they share the same surname?¡±


    Lu Ming nodded, ¡°Within the same clan but different branches, beyond three generations, the blood relation is diluted. After verifying the family tree, marriage is possible.¡±


    Mo Hua slowly nodded, then asked:


    ¡°How did Lu Chengyun, a man who married into the family, become the Family Head?¡±


    ¡°Because of the mines.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly, ¡°The mines¡­¡±


    Lu Ming said, ¡°Miss Zhu is wholeheartedly devoted to the Family Head. With her support, the Family Head quickly gained some actual power and began to manage some mines¡­¡±


    ¡°At first, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference, but after a while, the profit from the mines managed by the Family Head was nearly one-tenth more than the other mines of the Lu Family¡­¡±


    One-tenth more¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned icy.


    For no reason at all, how could someone make one-tenth more than the others?


    Mo Hua thought of the zombies in the mines.


    Initially, he only suspected, but now he was almost certain.


    Lu Chengyun practiced Corpse Refinement indeed for mining!


    It¡¯s likely that from the moment he was in charge of the mines, Lu Chengyun secretly refined zombies and used them to mine¡­


    Others used the living for mining.


    Lu Chengyun would use the living to mine by day and the ¡°dead¡± by night, which naturally yielded higher profits for the mines.


    He also used this to gradually gain actual power within the clan.


    To the clan, profit was the most tangible thing.


    If Lu Chengyun could use zombies for mining and double the mine¡¯s profits, even the Lu Family Old Ancestor must have looked at him with new respect.


    As for the means used by Lu Chengyun.


    Given the character of the Lu Family Old Ancestor, even if he knew, he may not care.


    ¡°So, Lu Chengyun became the Family Head because of the high profit from the mines?¡±


    Lu Ming nodded slightly, ¡°It seems so.¡±


    ¡°It seems so?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, noticing that Lu Ming hesitated to continue, and said:


    ¡°Is there something else you want to say?¡±


    Lu Ming hesitated somewhat, his brow furrowed, and he slowly said:


    ¡°I also heard a rumor¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, signaling him to go on.


    Lu Ming said, ¡°It is said that the Old Ancestor¡­ indulged in excesses, depleted his vitality, damaged his foundation, and then was mortally wounded by a sneak attack from an enemy.¡±


    ¡°Before his death, the Old Ancestor wanted to decide on the next Family Head.¡±


    ¡°At first, the clan proposed, and the Family Head decided by the Old Ancestor was actually not Lu¡­¡±


    Lu Ming felt it disrespectful to directly call the Family Head by name, but seeing that Mo Hua showed little reverence for Lu Chengyun, he braced himself and continued:


    ¡°¡­it was not Lu Chengyun, but rather¡­ Elder An from within the clan.¡±


    ¡°Elder An was in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, not yet 150 years old, young and strong, with sufficient experience, acted in a steady manner, and held high prestige. Everyone unanimously thought that Elder An would become the Family Head.¡±


    ¡°But unexpectedly, something happened, and right before his death, the Old Ancestor suddenly changed his mind.¡±


    ¡°He stubbornly insisted on making Lu Chengyun the Family Head, and no one¡¯s opposition mattered.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Did Lu Ming strike some deal with the Lu Family Old Ancestor?


    What kind of deal could there be right before death?


    Given Capitalist Lu¡¯s selfish and profit-driven nature, this deal should not involve the interests of the Lu Family but be concerned only with his own benefits.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned cold.


    He thought of the bizarre thing on the golden altar, covered with yellow cloth and offered spiritual meat by an incense burner, which looked like a mix of human, demon, and zombie¡­


    A chill began to creep into Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    ¡°What about that Elder An?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    ¡°Gone missing¡­¡±


    ¡°Dead, or just missing?¡±


    Lu Ming shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve only heard that he went missing. It¡¯s said that after Lu Chengyun became the Family Head, Elder An, feeling marginalized and dissatisfied, never returned from an errand he went out on.¡±


    ¡°Some also speculate that the Family Head killed Elder An.¡±


    ¡°But with no evidence, the matter just faded away¡­¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    So, this Elder An must have died.


    Lu Chengyun, seemingly gentle, was actually vengeful, and would undoubtedly eliminate any threat, killing Elder An.


    He would likely not just kill him but also use his body for Corpse Refinement.


    Within those iron coffins of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, the remains of Elder An are probably placed.


    That was it.


    That was all the information Lu Ming had gathered.


    The rest were just minor, insignificant details, unrelated to the whole situation.


    Mo Hua took out a blanket and handed it to Lu Ming:


    ¡°I¡¯m honoring our agreement, I¡¯m saving your life.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t even think about escaping anytime soon. You won¡¯t get far, and you¡¯d better stay put for a while.¡±


    ¡°This blanket has a Formation on it that can conceal your presence.¡±


    ¡°Should anything unexpected happen within these Corpse Mines, find a corner, cover yourself with this blanket, and stay put.¡±


    ¡°After the storm passes, look for your chance to slip away.¡±


    ¡°Survival will be up to your own fortune.¡±


    ¡°This is as much as I can help you with.¡±


    Lu Ming clutched the blanket, feeling nervous, and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What¡­ what kind of unexpected event?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask; knowing too much could cost you your life.¡±


    Lu Ming shuddered with fear and expressed his concern:


    ¡°But is this blanket truly useful?¡±


    ¡°The Formation on it is my work; of course, it¡¯s useful.¡±


    Mo Hua responded confidently.


    Looking at Mo Hua¡¯s small face, Lu Ming felt inexplicably reassured.


    Mo Hua reminded him again:


    ¡°Forget about learning Corpse Refinement, and don¡¯t go refining any either. If you happen to kill someone and refine a zombie and fall into demonhood, I won¡¯t be able to save you. It¡¯s possible that one day, out of necessity, I might even have to slaughter you¡­¡±


    Lu Ming nodded repeatedly.


    After leaving Lu Ming, Mo Hua made another trip to the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar.


    It was deep into the night now, and no one was at the altar.


    Mo Hua still controlled Big Tiger, opened the doors of the hall, and used the small zombie to open the door of the mural, arriving before the golden sacrificial altar.


    This altar was glittering with gold, extravagantly luxurious.


    Mo Hua had not paid attention before.


    Now that he thought about it, all these things were very much in line with the tastes of the Lu Family Old Ancestor.


    Could it be that¡­the one enshrined upon this altar was none other than the Lu Family Old Ancestor?


    And the cruel and ferocious half-human, half-corpse face on the mural, could it also be him, ¡°Capitalist Lu¡±?


    It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t lift the yellow cloth.


    Otherwise, there might indeed be danger.


    But without lifting it, how can I confirm my guess?


    Mo Hua was in a quandary.


    At that moment, there was a disturbance at the mural by the entrance.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened, ¡°Someone¡¯s coming?¡±


    Who would visit the altar at this time?


    Zhang Quan or Lu Chengyun?


    Mo Hua made the small zombie lie honestly in the coffin, then, with Divine Sense scanning the surroundings, finding no trace of anyone, he concealed his form and reduced his breath to the bare minimum, stealthily hiding behind the altar.


    Soon, the ink on the mural began to ripple, forming an entrance.


    A cultivator clad in brocade robes, with a gentle face, walked in.


    It was indeed Lu Chengyun.

 Chapter 500 - 484: The Ungrateful Wolf_1

    Chapter 500: Chapter 484: The Ungrateful Wolf_1


    ¡°`


    Lu Chengyun walked into the altar and opened the bronze coffin to start drawing the Formation.


    As the Family Head, Lu Chengyun was busy on normal days. If something came up during the day and he got delayed, he would return to the altar at night to draw the Spirit Pivot Blood Formation.


    Mo Hua, seeing that he hadn¡¯t been discovered, let out a slight sigh of relief.


    It seemed that Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense was indeed weaker than his own. Without vigilance, he easily failed to see through his concealment.


    However, he couldn¡¯t afford to be careless and give himself away.


    Otherwise, should Lu Chengyun discover him sneaking into the altar in the dead of night, no amount of explanations would make him trust him again.


    He would likely kill him and refine him into a small zombie.


    Mo Hua conscientiously hid behind the altar.


    Lu Chengyun was still drawing the Formation.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly imagine that at this moment, another person was in the altar.


    In the silent altar, there was only the extremely faint sound of the brush wet with ink and the rustling of strokes.


    Once Lu Chengyun began drawing Formation, he would be completely engrossed.


    Mo Hua used his peripheral vision to sneak a peek at him.


    Lu Chengyun didn¡¯t notice.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation was very difficult to draw.


    Drawing the Spiritual Pivot Formation required intense concentration, a large consumption of Divine Sense, and all thoughts to be focused on the Formation Patterns, so he wouldn¡¯t get distracted by anything else.


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t dare to be too brazen. He simply gathered his spirit and focused his mind without any emotion, devoid of murderous intent or any miscellaneous thoughts, using a vacant and tranquil gaze to secretly watch Lu Chengyun drawing the Formation.


    With Divine Sense that was empty and clear, he was less likely to be detected.


    The Formation Lu Chengyun was drawing, although also an Evil Formation of the Spiritual Pivot, differed from his daytime techniques.


    Lu Chengyun was suspicious by nature.


    Despite thinking Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand or learn it, when drawing the Spiritual Pivot Formation in front of Mo Hua, he still held back.


    He included some unnecessary Formation Patterns and altered the structure of the Formation Pivot.


    Certain sinister techniques also had differences in the details.


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    Previously, when he watched Lu Chengyun drawing the Formation and noticed oddities in the Patterns, he thought Lu Chengyun had made a mistake, or that the methods of the Evil Formation were different from the standard ones.


    Only now did he realize.


    Lu Chengyun had been misleading him all along.


    ¡°Truly cunning¡­¡±


    What Lu Chengyun didn¡¯t know was that Mo Hua had already learned most of the Spiritual Pivot Formation beforehand.


    Later, when Lu Chengyun demonstrated the Spirit Pivot Formation Chart in front of Mo Hua, in just those few moments, Mo Hua had memorized the remaining parts of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    He didn¡¯t need to watch him draw, because Mo Hua had already learned it.


    Mo Hua watching him draw the Formation was purely to learn and improve, to check for any oversights and see if he left any back doors, not because he actually wanted to learn from him.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s petty tricks were like casting flirtatious glances at the blind¡ªa completely futile effort.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows again.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s carefulness was a wake-up call for him.


    The Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation was Lu Chengyun¡¯s core secret.


    He planned to use the Spiritual Pivot Formation to control the Corpse King and command the horde of zombies.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation was his lifeline.


    He would never teach it to anyone, including Mo Hua.


    Promises of teaching him the Spiritual Pivot Formation were nothing but empty words.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    Up to now, Lu Chengyun probably believed that in the entire Minor Wilderness State Boundary, he was the only one who knew the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    The complete set of Spiritual Pivot Sequences could also only be understood by him alone.


    He was the king among kings, controlling the Corpse King.


    Therefore, the fact that Mo Hua had learned the Spiritual Pivot Formation could absolutely not be known by Lu Chengyun.


    Once he found out that Mo Hua had mastered the Spiritual Pivot Formation and could destabilize his control over the Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses by altering the Sequential Formation Pattern,


    He would definitely kill him!


    Under no circumstances would he spare his life.


    No matter how talented he was or how useful to him¡ªnone of it would matter.


    ¡°Even if I were his father, I guess it wouldn¡¯t matter¡ªhe would still find a way to kill me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently mused.


    Someone who could kill his master and ancestors and refine corpses certainly couldn¡¯t be expected to have any conscience¡­


    Mo Hua took the opportunity to observe Lu Chengyun¡¯s technique in drawing the Formation again.


    At this moment, there were no outsiders in the altar, and Lu Chengyun no longer kept secrets; he devoted himself fully to drawing the Evil Formation of the Spiritual Pivot.


    He was still using a Bone Pen, dipped in human blood, to draw on the bronze sarcophagus.


    His eyes shone with a green light, as if he was using some sinister type of Divine Sense.


    Thanks to this, Lu Chengyun was drawing skillfully, and the speed was not slow either.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    Indeed, the techniques of the Evil Formation were useful.


    A Formation Master who couldn¡¯t realize it fully on his own, unable to complete the Formation Patterns, would use some unconventional means to help himself draw the Formation.


    Human skin, human blood, human bones, and so on.


    Cultivators are naturally attuned to Spiritual Power.


    Using human materials for drawing, serving as a medium for the Formation, could reduce the difficulty of drawing the Formation and increase its power.


    But these were merely methods to lower the threshold.


    Simply put, it was cheating.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    This Lu Chengyun, in terms of Formation skills, was still not as good as himself.


    After all, he, Mo Hua, had drawn the Spirit Pivot Formation earnestly without cheating!


    ¡°It seems that I am still very impressive¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua felt a smidgen of self-satisfaction in his heart.


    Lu Chengyun was still working on the Drawing Formation.


    From the corner of his eye, Mo Hua continued to stealthily watch him.


    As he watched, Mo Hua began to ponder another question with a hint of confusion:


    How exactly did Lu Chengyun refine the Corpse King?


    If the offering on the altar was the corpse of the Lu Family Old Ancestor, ¡°Capitalist Lu,¡± then what was sealed within this bronze sarcophagus?


    Lu Chengyun was drawing the Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation on the bronze sarcophagus.


    Over and over again.


    It must be that during the Corpse Refinement, he was deepening the Formation continuously.


    But with the corpse laid on top, where was the Formation he was intensifying on the coffin applied?


    Or could it be that the Corpse King was somewhat special?


    Was this a unique method of Corpse Refinement?


    As Mo Hua was contemplating, Lu Chengyun had finished a Formation, his Divine Sense exhausted, and he took a break.


    In the empty altar space, Lu Chengyun meditated to recover, and after just a short while, he suddenly furrowed his brows, abruptly opening his eyes with a piercing look, and coldly said:


    ¡°Are you watching me again?¡±


    Mo Hua jumped in fright.


    ¡°Was I discovered?¡±


    Lu Chengyun abruptly turned his head, his gaze icy cold, locking onto the altar.


    Mo Hua curled up his small body, calming his mind, concealing his breath, and remained silent.


    At the same time, Lu Chengyun slowly got up, walked to the altar, and with a sneer said:


    ¡°You just won¡¯t rest in peace, will you?¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned.


    Won¡¯t rest in peace? He¡¯s not talking about me?


    That is to say, Lu Chengyun hadn¡¯t discovered him¡­


    Mo Hua slowly exhaled in relief.


    ¡°Watching me again¡­ won¡¯t rest in peace¡­ the altar¡­¡±


    Mo Hua instantly understood.


    Lu Chengyun thought the Lu Family Old Ancestor was watching him!


    The one offered upon the altar was indeed the Lu Family Old Ancestor, and this Old Ancestor, having been duped by Lu Chengyun, indeed died with his eyes unshut.


    ¡°Old undying thing!¡±


    In the midst of the altar, where there was no one else, Lu Chengyun ripped away his cultured and genteel facade and suddenly became fierce and hysterical.


    ¡°Greedy fool!¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Old beast!¡±


    ¡°You looked down on me because of my marital entry into the family?¡±


    ¡°You belittled me!¡±


    ¡°In front of all the Elders, you cursed me as a dog raised by the Lu Family, an ungrateful cur¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s face revealed a sneer, ¡°But the Spirit Stones I mined with Corpse Refinement, you still took them, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°The ¡®dead meat¡¯ fetched by this hound of yours, you old beast, you still ate it, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Never content in your greed¡­¡±


    ¡°Even as your death approached, when I deceived you, saying you could attain transcendence through Corpse Transformation, living a thousand years, you actually believed it?¡±


    ¡°The Heavenly Dao is constant, there are limits to life and death, how could they be so easily deceived?¡±


    ¡°Thinking you could become immortal as a Zombie? Dream on!¡±


    After cursing a good deal and venting his emotions, Lu Chengyun then laughed coldly and darkly.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I should thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for incestuously birthing that bad and stupid daughter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your greed, which allowed me to become the Family Head of the Lu Family.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, even if I had learned the Spirit Pivot Formation, I couldn¡¯t have built the Corpse Mine, couldn¡¯t have constructed the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, couldn¡¯t have refined the Corpse King¡­¡±


    ¡°This Corpse Mine was built with the manpower of your Lu Family, this Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses was also made with your family¡¯s wealth.¡±


    ¡°Now, it all serves as a bridal gown for me!¡±


    Lu Chengyun couldn¡¯t help but let out a gloomy laugh.


    ¡°You never imagined, did you¡­¡±


    ¡°In life, you wielded great power, I listened to you, labored for the Lu Family, submitting to your word as law.¡±


    ¡°But in death, refined into a Zombie by me, you have to listen to me, becoming my servant, under my command, forever without the chance of revolt.¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family still bears the name Lu, but it¡¯s no longer the ¡®Lu¡¯ of Lu Tianliang, it¡¯s the ¡®Lu¡¯ of me, Lu Chengyun!¡±


    Having finished speaking, a slight tremble passed over the altar.


    Below the yellow cloth, the Corpse Qi was intense.


    It seemed as if a violent energy surged within it.


    The Lu Family Old Ancestor was dead, this violence merely the remnants of primal consciousness, the residue of Divine Thought.


    Lu Chengyun was not only unafraid but was also overjoyed and laughed:


    ¡°Good!¡±


    ¡°The angrier you are, the more intense the Corpse Qi, the more the refined corpse aligns with my desires!¡±


    The Corpse Qi surged, then seemed to contain a reluctance that gradually subsided.


    Lu Chengyun sneered softly:


    ¡°Your time is up, once refined into a corpse, controlled by the Spiritual Pivot Formation, you can only be my servant, forever at my mercy.¡±


    After that, Lu Chengyun ¡°hmphed,¡± brushed his sleeves, and left the altar to return to the bronze sarcophagus to meditate and recover his Divine Sense.


    His words, without omission, were all overheard by Mo Hua, who was hidden behind the altar.


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly and couldn¡¯t help but admire:


    Lu Chengyun was indeed a ¡°talent.¡±


    The Lu Family Old Ancestor truly picked up a ¡°gem.¡±


    Lu Chengyun and the Lu Family, such a perfect match, a white-eyed wolf entering a den of wolves, truly a match made by heaven.

 Chapter 501 - 485: Stealing

    Chapter 501: Chapter 485: Stealing ¡°Food¡±_1


    ¡°Capitalist Lu¡± was filled with vile deeds, chose a fine son-in-law, appointed a good Family Head, and even after his own death, he couldn¡¯t rest in peace and was turned into a Zombie.


    It could be said that he reaped what he sowed, thoroughly deserving it¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself in silence.


    After Lu Chengyun finished cursing the Lu Family Old Ancestor, he sat aside to meditate and regulate his breath.


    With no way to sneak out unnoticed, Mo Hua had no choice but to hide behind the altar, waiting patiently for Lu Chengyun to leave so he could seize the opportunity to slip away secretly.


    However, Lu Chengyun meditated for quite a long time, and his Divine Sense still had not fully recovered¡­


    Mo Hua was getting anxious on his behalf.


    ¡°Is Divine Sense recovery really that slow?¡±


    A brief period of meditation would suffice for me, yet this Lu Chengyun, like a turtle in meditation, has been sitting for half an eternity and his Divine Sense has hardly recovered at all¡ªthis is excessively slow¡­


    Could it be an issue with the Meditation Technique?


    Mo Hua frowned and pondered further.


    I learned the Meditation Technique from Mr. Zhuang; meditating in a serene state, hence my Divine Sense recovers quickly.


    Lu Chengyun does not practice meditation, harbors too many schemes, and even has a filthy mind, so is that why his Divine Sense recovers so slowly?


    Is it just Lu Chengyun that is this slow, or is it that all Formation Masters take this long to recover their Divine Sense?


    This was a question Mo Hua had not really compared the answers to before.


    ¡°It seems the Meditation Technique taught by my master is indeed a fine thing¡­¡±


    Gratitude towards Mr. Zhuang arose in Mo Hua¡¯s heart once more.


    After a while more of breath regulation, Lu Chengyun finally opened his eyes, appearing somewhat restless and agitated.


    Yet, his Divine Sense had only recovered by a small fraction.


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    ¡°What is Lu Chengyun trying to do?¡±


    How could he work on Formation Painting with his Divine Sense not fully recovered?


    To Mo Hua¡¯s surprise, Lu Chengyun did not proceed with Formation Painting but rather took out a scroll from his Storage Bag.


    The scroll was somewhat wrinkled, bore creases, and carried footprints that had not been fully wiped away.


    Mo Hua recognized it instantly.


    Because the footprints on it were from his own stepping.


    It was Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture!


    It was a depiction of a Zombie Image, and also a Contemplation Map!


    The scroll was indeed in the hands of Lu Chengyun!


    Zhang Quan, that unfilial wretch who ¡°forgot his ancestry,¡± actually gave away his ancestral portrait, causing me all this trouble in search.


    Mo Hua inwardly criticized, then stealthily speculated.


    Zhang Quan treasured this Ancestral Master Picture like a precious gem and was probably reluctant to part with it, agreeing only to lend it.


    There must be some sort of deal between him and Lu Chengyun.


    And in this deal, Zhang Quan definitely profited handsomely, otherwise, he certainly would not have lent out the painting.


    This is a Contemplation Map, which can strengthen Divine Sense.


    Zhang Quan may not be aware of its use, but Lu Chengyun most definitely is.


    Mo Hua then grew stunned.


    The purpose of a Contemplation Map is to strengthen Divine Sense¡­


    But how does it strengthen one¡¯s Divine Sense?


    I ¡°ate¡± it directly because if I didn¡¯t ¡°eat,¡± I would be ¡°eaten¡±¡­


    But other Cultivators, lacking a Taoist Stele in their Sea of Consciousness and not versed in Divine Thought Slaughter, should be incapable of ¡°eating¡± it.


    If they can¡¯t ¡°eat,¡± then what should they do?


    Would they not be ¡°eaten¡±?


    Or perhaps, what is the orthodox method of using a Contemplation Map?


    How do other Cultivators use the Contemplation Map to augment their Divine Sense?


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was filled with confusion for a moment, and then he cautiously peeked out his head to observe Lu Chengyun, wanting to see exactly how he would proceed, to learn from it.


    Outside the altar, within the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    Lu Chengyun first took out an Incense Burner and placed three sticks of incense on it.


    Afterward, with all due respect, he opened up the Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture, clasped his hands in prayer, bowed, then suspended the painting. Amid the drifting incense smoke, he sat cross-legged, maintaining a proper posture, gazed at the image, let his soul wander into nothingness, and quietly contemplated. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The aura of the man and the painting gradually merged into one.


    Lu Chengyun seemed to have fallen into a profound, indescribable state of gradual enlightenment.


    His Divine Sense, too, was gradually nourished, slowly restored, and subtly increased.


    ¡°Strange¡­¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    This painting seemed genuinely capable of contemplation, and indeed, after contemplation, it truly nourished Divine Sense.


    This was different from my experience¡­


    Mo Hua recalled.


    The first time I saw the Landscape Taoist Child Painting, the Taoist Child turned into a little demon, burrowed into my Sea of Consciousness, wanting to devour me.


    The second time, upon seeing the Zhang Family Ancestral Master Picture, the Ancestral Master turned into a Zombie, lunged into my Heavenly Court, again with the intention to devour me¡­


    There was no chance for me to contemplate and comprehend¡­


    Why is that?


    Why can Lu Chengyun respectfully burn incense, utilize the Contemplation Map, and enhance his Divine Sense properly?


    Yet my only choices are to ¡°eat¡± or be ¡°eaten¡±?


    There¡¯s another question:


    This Lu Chengyun, when he contemplated the Contemplation Map, did he not realize that these seemingly virtuous ancestors of the Zhang Family were actually zombies?


    He saw it, but he didn¡¯t care.


    Or is it because he simply didn¡¯t see through them, so he didn¡¯t know at all?


    In his eyes, is this just a dignified and solemn picture of the Ancestral Master teaching his disciples?


    Something is quite odd¡­


    Mo Hua pondered carefully:


    The evil thoughts in the Contemplation Map, wanting to ¡°eat¡± oneself but not Lu Chengyun¡­


    Is it because I saw through their true nature?


    Or is it because my innate Divine Sense is powerful, a great supplement for them?


    Or is it simply because they bully the weak and fear the strong, seeing that I am young and wanting to ¡°eat¡± me?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, feeling that all three reasons might be possible¡­


    Seeing through their true nature, being a great supplement for Divine Sense, and being easy to bully.


    If I were those malevolent spirits, I would also choose a child like myself to ¡°eat¡±¡­


    The good are bullied by ¡°ghosts¡±.


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Lu Chengyun, absorbed in contemplation of the Contemplation Map, seemed oblivious to the outside world.


    Mo Hua was then considering whether to slip away now or later.


    But as he thought about it, he hesitated again.


    Why run when the Contemplation Map is right in front of him?


    Lu Chengyun keeps it close to his body.


    If I don¡¯t try to snatch it now, who knows how long I¡¯ll have to wait for another chance?


    But how to snatch it?


    Force won¡¯t work.


    I¡¯m no match for Lu Chengyun.


    Stealing¡­ probably won¡¯t succeed either.


    Lu Chengyun is neither a fool nor a piece of wood.


    My Concealment Technique may fool him, but to steal something up close would be to not see him as a person.


    ¡°What to do?¡±


    Mo Hua thought hard but couldn¡¯t come up with a good plan, ultimately giving up in resignation.


    Suddenly, an idea sparked in Mo Hua.


    Can¡¯t snatch, can¡¯t steal¡­ but can ¡°steal¡± a taste!


    The map is in Lu Chengyun¡¯s hands and I can¡¯t take it back for the time being, but skimming off some interest, catching a few zombies for a feast, should be no problem.


    Mo Hua peeked out his head stealthily again.


    Where he was, blocked by Lu Chengyun, he couldn¡¯t see the whole of the Contemplation Map, only a part of it.


    But Mo Hua was very familiar with the map.


    Even with just this part, he could roughly infer the scene depicted in the Contemplation Map.


    Lofty halls, dignified and solemn.


    The Ancestral Master¡¯s teachings resonating, with an aura of immortality pervading.


    The disciples following his teachings, passing them on, mouth to mouth.


    Meanwhile, Lu Chengyun was focused, as if he had comprehended the profoundness from these teachings and felt the Great Dao, subtly and intuitively enhancing his Divine Sense.


    But Mo Hua knew better.


    This was not any ¡°resonating teachings¡±, but rather some hollow nonsense.


    Casual words like ¡°Dao,¡± ¡°fate,¡± ¡°truth¡±¡­


    Seemingly mystical, but actually empty and meaningless, absolutely nothing at all.


    Lu Chengyun was merely indulging in self-intoxication.


    However, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t care less about him. The more Lu Chengyun was immersed in it, the better. Hopefully he would be brainwashed by the zombie ancestors of the Zhang Family and never come out¡ªthat would be for the best.


    Mo Hua busied himself with his own matters.


    His gaze swept quickly over the Contemplation Map, deciding whom to choose, and finally set his eyes on an Elder of the Zhang Family.


    This Elder, sitting in a corner, while the rest were reverently echoing the teachings of the Ancestral Master, was somewhat distracted, mumbling something inattentively, just going through the motions.


    Even without it, no one would notice.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±


    Mo Hua stared intently at it.


    The Elder, mumbling a scripture, suddenly paused, as if sensing something, and turned its head slowly. In its murky eyes, it saw Mo Hua.


    As Mo Hua had predicted, changes began to unfold.


    Under Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, the Elder started to reveal its true form.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, clear and bright like daylight, scorched the Elder¡¯s visage, causing its skin to peel off gradually, revealing the true face of a zombie.


    The zombie Elder was both angry and pleased.


    Angry that an impudent brat dared to pry into its true appearance.


    Pleased that this brat¡¯s Divine Sense was profound, surely a delicious treat!


    A Qi Refinement child with a youthful face, was it not at its mercy to slaughter?


    With drooling anticipation and an insatiable hunger, the zombie Elder leapt up, jumping out from the picture and into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    It rejoiced, thinking a banquet of Divine Sense awaited.


    But little did it know that it was leaping into an abyss from which there was no return¡­

 Chapter 502 - 486: Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire_1

    Chapter 502: Chapter 486: Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire_1


    ¡°`


    In Mo Hua¡¯s pale and void Sea of Consciousness.


    The face of the Iron Corpse Elder, ghastly and zombified, was filled with disbelief.


    How could a Qi Refinement cultivator possess such abundant Divine Sense?


    Without a word, it took a fierce inhalation.


    Sweet, pure, crystal-clear, with an endless aftertaste, and even carrying a thread of profound and mysterious Taoist Meaning.


    The Zombie Elder immediately widened its eyes.


    Premium Divine Sense!


    It had never tasted such delicious Divine Sense in its life.


    And here, the Divine Sense was so plentiful, enough for it to feast on for a long time.


    If it could consume all of this youngster¡¯s Divine Sense and digest it, its Divine Thought would surely become more condensed, and its strength would skyrocket.


    Even the Ancestral Master would hold it in higher regard¡­


    With an ugly face and brimming with excitement, the Zombie Elder was about to take another bite when it was unaware of Mo Hua, who was watching it coldly from hiding.


    ¡°You¡¯ve eaten my Divine Sense, now vomit it all out!¡±


    Mo Hua brought his fingers together and launched a Fireball Technique, which flew swiftly and reached its target in an instant.


    The Fireball Technique surged with Spiritual Power.


    Manifested from Divine Thought, the bright red fire Spiritual Power entwined like threads, twisting together, carrying terrifying burning force.


    The Fireball Technique exploded instantly upon the Zombie Elder¡¯s body.


    The flames charred its clothes manifested from Divine Thought, eroding its true form.


    The thread-like fire Spiritual Power seeped into every pore, like a red-hot blade slicing through its flesh.


    The Zombie Elder¡¯s expression drastically changed.


    ¡°What is this thing?¡±


    A Spell?


    It suddenly underwent Corpse Transformation, growing in size, its veins bulging, cold Corpse Qi spreading around it, dispelling the scorching flames on its body.


    But even so, it was severely wounded.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    The Zombie Elder shouted angrily.


    Yet within that anger was a hint of panic.


    Mo Hua gradually revealed his shape on the side, small and delicate, with a cold little face, yet his aura seemed unfathomable.


    Seeing Mo Hua, the Zombie Elder was shocked.


    In this Sea of Consciousness, with thick and heavy aura capable of manifesting one¡¯s self and casting Spells ¨C this wasn¡¯t an ordinary brat¡­


    It had made a miscalculation.


    The boy¡¯s youthful appearance was deceptive; in reality, he was a tough nut to crack¡­


    The Zombie Elder respectfully said,


    ¡°Young friend, my sudden intrusion was impolite.¡±


    Mo Hua kept a straight face, ignoring him.


    The Zombie Elder¡¯s gloomy gaze flickered as it negotiated,


    ¡°However, there is a reason for my action¡­¡±


    ¡°To be frank with you, young friend, I¡¯ve been starving for over a month, without a single drop to drink. Might you, as the host, extend your hospitality and show some kindness to this elder by letting me consume a bit of Divine Sense to stave off my hunger, after which I will leave.¡±


    Its ugly face pleaded, eyes devious.


    Mo Hua said nothing.


    A Zombie indeed, with such thick skin.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to waste any more words.


    He was sneaking a bite, time was limited, and he needed a decisive victory using a lightning-fast approach to avoid being discovered by Lu Chengyun and complicating things.


    Mo Hua raised his hand and cast another Fireball Technique.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was implacable, the Zombie Elder couldn¡¯t help but fly into a rage,


    ¡°Shameless lad, abusing your power to bully others too much!¡±


    It wanted to dodge, but the Fireball Technique was both fast and accurate, and in the moment, it couldn¡¯t evade, so it had to endure the attack.


    The Fireball Technique exploded, and flames enveloped the Zombie Elder¡¯s body, charring its skin and causing its figure to fade slightly.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua clenched his small hand.


    The Water Prison Technique¡¯s thread-like energy directly transformed into hundreds of threads, tightly binding the Zombie Elder, and then the threads condensed into a barred cage, securing it firmly.


    The Zombie Elder¡¯s expression changed dramatically as it frantically struggled to break free.


    But before it could escape,


    Mo Hua pointed his finger and moved his Divine Thought, beginning to manifest the Golden Lock Formation below its feet.


    Starting from the Formation eye, golden Patterns spread outward like a peony blooming, covering the ground, and within a few breaths, they solidified into a shining golden Formation.


    Above the Formation, the light was brilliant.


    Spiritual Power formed chains locking the Zombie Elder in place.


    The Zombie Elder was greatly frightened.


    What kind of technique was this?


    A Formation?


    Was this really happening inside the Sea of Consciousness?


    Wasn¡¯t combat in the Sea of Consciousness all about clashing of Divine Thought? How could someone use a Formation?


    But it wasn¡¯t over yet.


    Mo Hua clasped his hands together, closed his eyes to focus, and stimulated his Divine Sense to the extreme.


    Outside the Golden Lock Formation, a sudden burst of red light and fire Spiritual Power slithered about like divine brushstrokes, at the same time forming three Earth Fire Formations.


    The intersection of the three Earth Fire Formations was right where the Golden Lock Formation bound the Zombie Elder!


    This was a Compound Formation designed by Mo Hua himself.


    Named the Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation.


    ¡°`


    It was a small-scale compound killing formation constructed based on the understanding of trapping and killing techniques within the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    It trapped the enemy with the Golden Lock Formation.


    Outside the Golden Lock Formation were three Earth Fire Formations, resembling three fiery lotuses. Upon explosion, the power of the three Earth Fire Formations overlapped at the site of the Golden Lock Formation, to injure ghosts and evil spirits.


    Once the formation was complete, the Zombie Elder¡¯s eyes revealed terror.


    ¡°Plea¡­¡±


    It wanted to beg for mercy, but Mo Hua didn¡¯t bother wasting words with it.


    ¡°Explode!¡±


    Mo Hua ordered crisply.


    The three-tier Earth Fire Formation exploded instantaneously.


    Three fiery lotuses bloomed, and scorching spiritual power spread.


    The roaring flames engulfed the Zombie Elder.


    After a short while, the flames dissipated. The Zombie Elder¡¯s hands and feet were burnt to a crisp, leaving no ¡°human¡± shape, its figure extremely dim, evidently heavily wounded.


    A combination of spells and formation in a single move had directly smashed the Zombie Elder to pieces.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    The power of the Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation also left him rather satisfied.


    What was important was that it integrated trapping and killing the enemy into one.


    Trap first, then kill.


    As long as he was capable of killing the enemy, they would certainly be killed; there was no escape.


    The Zombie Elder was barely clinging to life. Although it wasn¡¯t killed, it couldn¡¯t escape either.


    It cast a glance of disbelief at Mo Hua.


    Just who was this little devil to be so terrifying?


    With spells and formations emerging in quick succession, in just a few exchanges, an Iron Corpse Elder of the Foundation Establishment level, was bewilderingly subdued and didn¡¯t have the strength to fight back!


    Was it truly going to be wiped from existence today?!


    Filled with fear and reluctance, it mustered the last bit of its energy and said in a hoarse voice:


    ¡°You¡­ dare to kill an elder of the Zhang Family, our¡­ ancestors won¡¯t let you go¡­¡±


    Mo Hua smiled broadly, his grin innocent and pure:


    ¡°Coincidentally, I also have no intention of letting your ancestors go.¡±


    The Zombie Elder¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before it could finish speaking, Mo Hua sent it to its death with a few Fireball Techniques.


    The ferocious Zombie Elder was blasted into green smoke by Mo Hua.


    Using formations, Mo Hua trapped the green smoke, to refine it when he had the time.


    The timing wasn¡¯t right now, with Lu Chengyun still outside.


    Mo Hua exited his Sea of Consciousness, opening his eyes, his mind clear.


    Lu Chengyun was still there, contemplating the Contemplation Map, completely unaware of everything that had happened.


    There wasn¡¯t much change on the Contemplation Map, except that in one corner of the seating area, one of the Zhang Family ancestors was missing.


    Mo Hua tried to summarize the battle.


    It turned out there wasn¡¯t much to summarize.


    It was simple¡ªhis Divine Thought manifested spells and formations, trapped an Iron Corpse Elder of Foundation Establishment rank, and then slew it.


    A combination of spells and formations, seamless and smooth like drifting clouds and flowing water.


    The strong overpowering the weak.


    It looked like the weak bullying the strong, but in reality, it was the ¡°strong¡± bullying the ¡°weak¡±.


    Everything went according to plan without any twists.


    Yet, Mo Hua felt a small sense of satisfaction in his heart.


    Without a doubt, his ability for Divine Thought Slaughter was very strong.


    The affair with Gui Tao¡¯s people was purely an accident.


    Gui Tao was unfathomable, with unknown realm and means, not someone who could be judged by common sense.


    Apart from him, normal ghosts and ghouls shouldn¡¯t be a match for him in the Sea of Consciousness.


    He just had to be more careful, that¡¯s all.


    Silence reigned within the altar.


    Having secretly ¡°consumed¡± an Iron Corpse Elder, Mo Hua was content and didn¡¯t plan on making another move just yet. He quietly hid his presence, lurking behind the altar, waiting for Lu Chengyun to leave.


    An hour later, Lu Chengyun finished his contemplation, feeling his Divine Sense replenished, his face full of joy.


    The Contemplation Map was indeed a treasure for Formation Masters.


    After contemplation, it could nourish the Sea of Consciousness, enhance Divine Sense, and also improve understanding of the Great Dao.


    Lu Chengyun caressed the Ancestral Master Picture, unable to part with it.


    He carefully stowed the Ancestral Master Picture, but upon doing so, he suddenly paused.


    This picture¡­ why does it look so correct¡­


    He inspected it carefully again, furrowing his brows.


    It seemed like someone was missing from the picture?


    ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    Lu Chengyun felt puzzled.


    He continued to stare at the picture for a while, still unable to resolve his confusion.


    Did he see wrong?


    Or could it be that because he had contemplated it multiple times, it was too often, causing damage to the picture, which is why it wasn¡¯t displaying completely?


    Lu Chengyun nodded to himself, thinking that must be the case.


    This picture was in his possession, only to be seen and contemplated by him.


    If there was an issue, it certainly had to be his own.


    Lu Chengyun felt a bit of heartache, and then his gaze slightly darkened, a shadow of a sly smile crossing his face, he murmured:


    ¡°Looks like I need to find a way to feed someone to this picture¡­¡±


    sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 503 - 487 Zombie Mining_1

    Chapter 503: Chapter 487 Zombie Mining_1


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s voice was very soft, but Mo Hua still heard it.


    Looking for someone to feed the Contemplation Map wasn¡¯t an uncommon thing; Zhang Quan had done it before when they were at the Corpse Walking Stronghold.


    But Lu Chengyun¡¯s smile was too gloomy, which aroused Mo Hua¡¯s suspicions.


    If it was just a matter of killing someone to feed the Contemplation Map, it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal for Lu Chengyun. His expression should have been indifferent so as not to reveal the look he had now.


    Mo Hua touched his small chin.


    Looking for someone to feed the map?


    Whom would he want to find?


    ¡°Mining Cultivator? Corpse Cultivator?¡±


    ¡°Zhang Quan, and¡­ me?¡±


    Mo Hua jolted with fright.


    Thinking about it, it seemed to make sense.


    Each evil spirit that jumped into his Sea of Consciousness said that his Divine Sense was a great tonic, so using it to feed the Contemplation Map was naturally the perfect fit.


    Could it be that Lu Chengyun had ill intentions right from the start?


    Mo Hua pondered to himself.


    Although it was just his speculation, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down¡­


    After his Divine Sense had recovered, Lu Chengyun drew the Spirit Pivot Evil Formation again, and at 6 A.M., he sealed the Bronze Coffin and rose to leave.


    After Lu Chengyun left, Mo Hua waited for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, making sure Lu Chengyun was far away and wouldn¡¯t come back anytime soon, before he quietly left the sacrificial altar and approached the Bronze Coffin.


    The Bronze Coffin was sealed again.


    Mo Hua walked around the coffin, tapping and knocking, but still couldn¡¯t figure out how to open the coffin or how it had been sealed.


    He felt a bit of regret.


    He had not paid attention to how Lu Chengyun opened the coffin when he came.


    Nor did he remember to see how he sealed the coffin when he left.


    Now unable to open the Bronze Coffin, he had no way to find out the secrets inside.


    ¡°Next time then¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to himself and then also quietly left the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar.


    After returning to his room, Mo Hua immediately hopped onto the bed, crossed his legs in meditation, and his Divine Sense dived into his Sea of Consciousness.


    Inside the Sea of Consciousness, there was a vast whiteness.


    Within this vast white space, there was a Golden Lock Formation, locking a wisp of blue smoke.


    It was the Thought Body left behind after the Iron Corpse Elder had been blasted to death.


    Mo Hua seized the time, manifested the Melting Fire Formation, and roasted the wisp of blue smoke bit by bit, burning it until it was purified into pure Divine Thought, which he inhaled.


    Like this, he ¡°roasted¡± and ate.


    Until he roasted the entire wisp of blue smoke and swallowed it whole.


    Bloodthirsty, greedy, and evil thoughts emerged in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Mo Hua, well-accustomed to this, meditated in tranquility, his mind clear as a mirror, unstained, discarding and plucking out these miscellaneous and evil desires one by one.


    The evil thoughts gone, a pure stream of Divine Thought surged into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense grew a bit stronger.


    This slight enhancement moved Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense further up from the peak of the twelve Stripes, infinitely close to the thirteen Stripes, yet still falling just short¡­


    Mo Hua opened his eyes and sighed.


    It was so hard to increase Divine Sense.


    He had ¡°eaten¡± the Divine Sense of a Foundation Establishment, yet he still couldn¡¯t enhance his Divine Sense to thirteen Stripes.


    Could it be that this Foundation Establishment¡¯s Divine Sense was too weak?


    After refining it again, the Divine Sense left was reduced further, so it simply wasn¡¯t enough to ¡°satisfy¡± him?


    Mo Hua blinked.


    Could it be that he would need to ¡°consume¡± Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master to make his Divine Sense reach thirteen Stripes?


    But how to consume it?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes turned slyly, and he began to hatch a plot¡­


    Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture, preciously held close and treasured by Lu Chengyun, wasn¡¯t going to be easily obtained¡­


    So he would need to find a way.


    It¡¯s possible that he wants to use me to feed the map¡­


    Lying on the bed, Mo Hua kicked his legs back and forth while carefully scheming¡­


    As he thought, he suddenly remembered that it had been quite a while since he last communicated with his Junior Sister.


    Some matters needed to be discussed with Junior Sister and Junior Brother beforehand.


    Mo Hua hurriedly got out of bed, took out a piece of paper, and spread it on the table.


    Then he began to record some key clues.


    Like the relationship between Lu Chengyun and the Lu Family.


    The deal between Lu Chengyun and the Lu Family Old Ancestor.


    The Lu Family Old Ancestor being refined into a zombie.


    Some details about the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses¡­ and so on.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua carefully put away the note; at night, he stealthily located Little Tiger and stuffed the note into its mouth, instructing it to crawl outside and deliver the message to Junior Sister.


    The next day, Little Tiger crawled back, holding another note in its mouth.


    This paper was smooth and fine, with a faint gold pattern, commonly used by Junior Sister, which Mo Hua recognized at a glance.


    The return of the note meant that Little Tiger¡¯s message had been delivered. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua nodded and opened the note, eager to see what Junior Sister had written.


    However, upon unfolding the note, he saw that it contained only four simple words:


    ¡°Not coming back yet?¡±


    And there was a small face drawn at the end, with eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Only then did he realize that without knowing it, he had already spent a considerable amount of time in the Corpse Mine.


    Junior Sister and Junior Brother must be worried about him, hence their impatience.


    As for his master and Old Kui¡­ they probably weren¡¯t in a hurry.


    After all, his master¡¯s foresight was unquestionable; he probably knew everything he was doing.


    He just wondered how they were getting on with their meals.


    Was there anyone brewing tea for his master, anyone frying pine nuts for Old Kui¡­


    And Big White, he wondered if Junior Brother had been feeding it good fodder.


    And Instructor Yan¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua contemplated for a moment and then suddenly felt a longing for his master and the others; he also thought it was about time to figure out a way to leave the Corpse Mine sooner.


    Moreover, although Lu Chengyun was outwardly cultured and genteel, inwardly he was double-dealing. Although he was polite to him, he probably harbored bad intentions.


    It would be good to extricate himself earlier and stop playing his game.


    Mo Hua then replied with a note, which read:

 Chapter 504 - 487: Zombie Mining_2

    Chapter 504: Chapter 487: Zombie Mining_2


    ¡°It¡¯s soon, very soon!¡±


    Behind him, there¡¯s a little tiger¡¯s head drawn, looking very much like a tiger.


    Mo Hua used his Divine Sense to lead and let Little Tiger deliver the message.¡±


    Then he began to consider what he should do before returning.


    The Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, the Bronze Coffin, the Corpse Mine¡­


    All of these must be destroyed, otherwise they will surely leave an endless curse.


    The Corpse Cultivators in the Corpse Mine, who kill and refine corpses, also need to be completely eradicated.


    The Zombies inside must be properly dealt with as well, best if they can all be burned to prevent them from consuming flesh and blood and allowing the Corpse Poison to spread, poisoning South Yue City¡­


    ¡°But just how many Zombies are there in this Corpse Mine?¡±


    Mo Hua knew there were many, but he couldn¡¯t count exactly how many.


    The ones in the Stone Palace and those within the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses should only be a part of them.


    The Corpse Mine is bigger than the Corpse Walking Stronghold, and the formations inside are more complex. With Lu Chengyun watching over, he was hindered, so there were many places he couldn¡¯t explore.


    And outside the Corpse Mine, there are more mineshafts, and the number of Zombies inside them might be even greater¡­


    Know yourself, know your enemy.


    Without finding out how many Zombies there are, it is impossible to make a move.


    Even a Foundation Building Cultivator, if surrounded by hundreds or thousands of Walking Corpses and unable to escape, would undoubtedly die.


    Not to mention, there are numerous Iron Corpses inside the Corpse Mine.


    Even if the Taoist Court were to deploy Taoist Soldiers to suppress the Corpse Mine, without knowing the internal situation, it would be difficult to conduct operations.


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua decided to first take a look at the mineshafts outside.


    Outside the Stone Palace, there is a mineshaft, separated by a large gate.


    On this gate, there is a bloody Evil Formation.


    And at the same time, there is a key.


    This key is something Mo Hua discovered later on.


    The key, made of bones, was placed on one of the Corpse Cultivators guarding the gate.


    As for the formation, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t touch it for the time being ¨C afraid to startle Lu Chengyun ¨C but the key could be stolen.


    Mo Hua seized the opportunity when the gate-guarding Corpse Cultivator was preoccupied with refining corpses and unable to be distracted, manipulating Little Tiger to steal his key, and then stealthily used the key to unlock the great door of the Stone Palace.


    Outside the great door lies the mineshaft.


    Dark, damp, gloomy, the air is heavy with Corpse Qi, yet it¡¯s also extremely noisy.


    Mo Hua stepped out of the Stone Palace and walked along the mineshaft for a while, and then came upon a massive mining pit.


    It was just as Mo Hua had guessed, and yet also different.


    Walking Corpses were indeed mining, but there were far too many¡­


    The pit is extremely vast, and within it, densely packed, were all Walking Corpses.


    They are dressed in tattered clothes, their skin putrefied, each one holding a mining pick, mining in there!


    They are dead, yet they are doing the work of the living. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Most of them were miners in life, after death refined into corpses, they are still miners, even busier and more tireless than when they were alive.


    Countless Zombies mining¡­


    This noisy spectacle seemed like something from the world of the living, yet also from the netherworld.


    The Cultivators in the mines, while alive, are driven by life to numbness as if they¡¯re zombies.


    The Walking Corpses in the mine, clearly dead, but slaving away for the Lu Family as if they were still alive.


    For a moment, the daytime scene of Mining Cultivators laboring and the nighttime Zombies mining overlapping in Mo Hua¡¯s mind, confusing, seeming both real and unreal.


    He suddenly couldn¡¯t distinguish what was the true reality.


    Mo Hua was utterly shocked and stood still for a long while.


    In that instant, he seemed to have a vague enlightenment about life and death in this world, as well as the underlying ¡®path¡¯ of people at the most basic level.


    At the same time, another troublesome fact lay before Mo Hua.


    There were far too many Zombies in this Corpse Mine!


    Within this enormous pit alone, there appeared to be tens of thousands of Walking Corpses.


    And according to the formations around,¡± he estimated that the mineshaft was even larger than he had imagined, which meant that there were several mining pits within the mountain.


    Each mining pit was filled with countless Walking Corpses¡­


    Just thinking about it made Mo Hua¡¯s scalp tingle.


    ¡°`


    These Walking Corpses, if they were to break out of the Corpse Mine and form a Corpse Tide, using Corpse Poison to infect further, I¡¯m afraid not just South Yue City would be annihilated, but even the whole of the Minor Wilderness State Boundary might suffer the doom of all living beings.


    The Minor Wilderness State Boundary would become Minor Wilderness ¡°Corpse¡± Boundary.


    Mo Hua stopped reading.


    There was not much time left, and he again quietly slipped back.


    The gate leading outside was a natural boulder guarded by two Second-Grade Iron Corpses, surrounded by thick mountain walls.


    In a short time, he could not free himself; he could only go back first and plan ahead for the long term.


    When Mo Hua returned, that Corpse Cultivator guarding the gate had yet to finish refining the corpse.


    Mo Hua again controlled Little Tiger to return the key and then went back to his room, frowning in contemplation.


    This Corpse Mine was larger than he had thought.


    There were also more Walking Corpses in the mine than he had expected.


    With so many Walking Corpses, how about Iron Corpses?


    How many Iron Corpses were there?


    Within the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, Mo Hua had counted there were roughly twenty-four iron coffins.


    This meant there were twenty-four Iron Corpses.


    Inside the Stone Palace, in some of the secret chambers, there were also traces of Iron Corpses¡¯ presence; Mo Hua roughly estimated there to be seven or eight.


    There were also some Iron Corpses in the outer mines.


    So, by this count, were there at least forty-plus Iron Corpses throughout the Corpse Mine?


    Among the Iron Corpses, mixed First and Second Grade, the First Grade was slightly weaker, equivalent to weak Foundation Establishment, while the Second Grade was significantly stronger and could be considered at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.


    All together, were there nearly forty-plus Foundation Building cultivators?


    A chill ran down Mo Hua¡¯s spine.


    Forty-plus Foundation Builders was an immense force, not only for South Yue City but even when considering the whole Minor Wilderness State Boundary, it was a leading power¡­


    This strength was sufficient to look down upon the entire Second-Grade Prefecture Border¡­


    Suddenly, Mo Hua felt a little shocked and confused.


    Where did Lu Chengyun get so many corpses to refine this many Iron Corpses?


    To refine an Iron Corpse, one needed at least the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Level and the corpse of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator.


    Taking into account the success rate of Corpse Refinement, even more corpses would be needed to refine Iron Corpses.


    It¡¯s one thing to find those at the peak of Qi Refinement, but where did he get the corpses of Foundation Building Cultivators?


    Even if he killed for them, he couldn¡¯t have killed so many¡­


    Where did he get so many Foundation Establishment corpses?


    Mo Hua suddenly thought of the Lu Family Old Ancestor.


    In the Spirit Pivot Sequence of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, the Lu Family Old Ancestor was the ¡°Corpse King,¡± with the highest sequence position.


    The Corpse King needed to command hordes of corpses.


    Thus, the corpse used to refine the Corpse King was very particular; it had to be either a Sect Leader, a Family Head, or a ruler¡­


    Those under its command were either Sect Disciples, Clan Disciples, or citizens of a country.


    The Lu Family Old Ancestor was the ¡°Corpse King.¡±


    According to the principles of Corpse Refinement, those who are submissive to it should be¡­Lu Family cultivators?


    It¡¯s unlikely to be Mining Cultivators¡­


    Among the Mining Cultivators, there were almost no Foundation Building Cultivators.


    Moreover, although the Mining Cultivators were exploited by the Lu Family Old Ancestor, most harbored resentment; their grudges did not dissipate after death, and if refined into zombies that submitted to the Lu Family Old Ancestor, they could easily lose control.


    It could only be the Lu Family¡­


    Were most of these Iron Corpses refined from the corpses of Lu Family cultivators, or rather, the corpses of Lu Family Elders?


    But Lu Chengyun was the Family Head, and although he could kill one or two Elders, killing so many would definitely cause problems and arouse suspicion from the Lu Family.


    He wouldn¡¯t do such a thing, cutting off his own roots.


    So where did these corpses come from?


    Elder corpses¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s brow furrowed tightly.


    Suddenly he realized something, and a great alarm struck his heart:


    ¡°This Lu Chengyun, he couldn¡¯t have dug up the Lu Family¡¯s ancestral graves¡­¡±

 Chapter 505 - 488 Ambition_1

    Chapter 505: Chapter 488 Ambition_1


    After the Clan cultivators die, they are buried in the ancestral tombs. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Within these tombs lie the graves of generations of Family Heads, Elders, and cultivators with profound cultivation.


    The Lu Family is no exception.


    Within the tombs of the Lu Family, there inevitably lie the corpses of Foundation Building cultivators.


    Could it be that Lu Chengyun truly desecrated the Lu Family ancestral tomb and used the bodies of past Family Heads and Elders to refine Iron Corpses?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but take in a cold breath.


    This Lu Chengyun really dared to think and act¡­


    For the sake of Corpse Refinement, he even dug up the Lu Family¡¯s ancestral tomb.


    If the Lu Family Old Ancestor hadn¡¯t already died, he would probably be angered to death by this¡­


    Mo Hua frowned once more.


    But now this was going to be troublesome.


    Over forty Iron Corpses, tens of thousands of Walking Corpses.


    If they directly confronted Lu Chengyun, there would be no chance of victory.


    If they called for help with ¡°shaking people¡±¡­


    The Situ Family had a strong foundation, but they definitely couldn¡¯t mobilize enough cultivators to match these zombies.


    The Taoist Court in South Yue City was in cahoots with the Lu Family.


    If they didn¡¯t make a mess of things, that would be a stroke of luck.


    The largest sect in South Yue City, South Yue Sect, also had an intimate association with the Lu Family.


    Even if the South Yue Sect wasn¡¯t colluding with the Lu Family and was willing to oppose them, they would definitely not be a match for these zombies.


    Apart from that, they could only hope for the Taoist Court to dispatch the Taoist Soldiers to suppress the Corpse Mine¡­


    But the mobilization of Taoist Soldiers wasn¡¯t that simple.


    There were too many procedures, applying is difficult, and the military expedition of the Taoist Soldiers was also quite costly.


    Moreover, having too few soldiers would be useless, and the military force and financial resources needed to suppress the Corpse Mine would certainly not be a small number.


    The Taoist Court had the strength, but whether they were willing to pay the price was another matter.


    For a Second-Grade Prefecture border, a poor and remote Little Immortal City, spending a lot of Spirit Stones and mobilizing numerous Taoist Soldiers ¡ª the military expenses were certain to exceed the input¡­


    And their opponents would be zombies.


    Iron Corpses with bronze heads and iron limbs, Walking Corpses fierce and unafraid of death, consuming flesh and blood incessantly, along with contagious Corpse Poison¡­


    If an all-out war truly broke out, the casualties of the Taoist Soldiers would inevitably be extremely heavy.


    The Taoist soldiers Court might not be willing to take the risk.


    And if they were defeated, not only would the Taoist Soldiers suffer heavy casualties, but South Yue City would also be instantly engulfed by the Corpse Tide and become a city of death¡­


    Engulfed by a Corpse Tide¡­


    Imagining that scene, Mo Hua sighed.


    Life as a Mining Cultivator is already hard. If they were to become Walking Corpses, with parents and children, flesh and blood tearing at each other, life would be worse than death, death without closure¡­ it would be too tragic¡­


    Was there anything he could do?


    Mo Hua pondered in silence.


    Formation Collapse¡­


    He had considered it before, but it was not very appropriate.


    It could easily detonate the mines and affect the Mining Cultivators.


    If the ¡°Corpse King¡± was destroyed and the horde lost control, the danger could be even greater.


    At the same time, his master had also told him, unless absolutely necessary, not to collapse a formation, and even if he did, to ensure no one saw.


    Collapsing the Corpse Mine would create too much commotion and would definitely expose his own secrets, and it would also bring trouble to his master.


    Mo Hua shifted his thoughts and contemplated:


    ¡°If collapse isn¡¯t an option, then targeting the ¡®Corpse King¡¯ is the only way.¡±


    Capture the ringleader first in order to capture all his followers.


    Lu Chengyun could control the Corpse King using the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Since he could control it with the Spiritual Pivot Formation, so could I.


    If I could truly control the ¡°Corpse King,¡± I could settle the crisis at the Corpse Mine without bloodshed, and even use the ¡°zombies¡± to kill others, cutting down Lu Chengyun.


    ¡°But how to control the Corpse King?¡±


    Mo Hua thought deeply:


    To control the Corpse King, one needs to draw a Formation, and to draw a Formation, the bronze coffin has to be opened¡­


    But even if a Formation is drawn, how can it be kept hidden from Lu Chengyun?


    Lu Chengyun is not Zhang Quan.


    Zhang Quan has no understanding of formations, but Lu Chengyun is well-versed.


    He is a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator, a true First-Grade Formation Master, and his formation strength far exceeds that of an ordinary First-Grade.


    Only slightly less than my own.


    I should be able to outmatch him in formations.


    But to deceive him completely and meddle with the Formation he¡¯s actively drawing right under his nose, that would be a fool¡¯s dream.


    Unless he¡¯s not only blind but also an idiot.


    Lu Chengyun is clearly neither.


    A blind idiot could not possibly marry into the Lu Family, become its Family Head, and even dig up the family¡¯s ancestral tomb¡­


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t think of a good solution and felt helpless.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s first figure out a way to open the bronze coffin¡­¡±


    Let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside the bronze coffin first.


    However, he needs to pay attention to both ends of the matter.


    While he was busy, preparations had to be made outside as well.


    Mo Hua wrote a letter first, handing it to Little Tiger to pass on to his junior sister.


    The letter detailed the specifics of the Corpse Mine, including a map of the mine, the structure of the Stone Palace, the cultivation methods of Corpse cultivators, and the astonishing numbers of at least forty Iron Corpses and tens of thousands of Walking Corpses.


    And it urged them to make preparations early.


    It would be best if they could gather a group of Cultivators and, before the Corpse King¡¯s refinement was complete, root out the Corpse Mine to prevent future troubles.


    Although Mo Hua felt this was unlikely, he had to mention it beforehand.


    As for whether so many Cultivators could be assembled, that was beyond his control.


    What followed was the opening of the bronze coffin.


    The secret to opening it lay with Lu Chengyun.


    Whenever Mo Hua had the time, he still sneaked into the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar, waiting inside for Lu Chengyun, wanting to see just how he would open the coffin.


    But Lu Chengyun was very cautious and his actions were concealed.


    Mo Hua watched several times yet still could not see clearly.


    He could only roughly guess that to open this bronze coffin, one needed a key and a Formation, both were necessary.


    But he could not steal the key nor see the Formation.


    Just as Mo Hua was at a loss, unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, Zhang Quan and Lu Chengyun showed up at the altar together.


    The two were also whispering to each other.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, and he listened intently.


    ¡°¡­The Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses will soon be completed¡­¡±


    ¡°The Formation eye is ready¡­¡±


    ¡°Refining Spirit Stones to form Spiritual Power, then contaminating it with the evil Blood Qi to transform into Evil Power¡­ That¡¯s what will activate the Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°Soon, just a matter of days.¡±


    ¡°Lu Family Head is justly renowned for his strategies,¡± Zhang Quan complimented with a laugh.


    Lu Chengyun chuckled, ¡°Brother Zhang gives too much credit. Without the coffin you refined and the ancestral Corpse Refinement technique, how could I possibly construct this Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?¡±


    They were discussing the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?


    Mo Hua mused to himself and scrutinized them covertly.


    Lu Chengyun then glanced at the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, speaking with some emotion:


    ¡°I also must thank that young gentleman¡­¡±


    ¡°Using the Righteous Dao Formation to construct the eye, and the Evil Dao Formation to transform the energy, I only had such a thought initially, but I didn¡¯t expect it would really be feasible¡­¡±


    ¡°And this Formation eye is vast and complex in structure. I didn¡¯t expect that young gentleman would actually manage to build it despite stumbling along; his talent is indeed exceptional¡­¡±


    ¡°This Formation eye is quite difficult¡­¡± Lu Chengyun exclaimed with a sigh.


    But Mo Hua listened with some confusion.


    Difficult?


    He just held back his skill, intentionally drawing it slowly, but he didn¡¯t expect that Lu Chengyun would actually find this Formation eye difficult¡­


    What was difficult about it?


    He found it rather simple¡­


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Although Lu Chengyun was praising his own work, Mo Hua felt no sense of accomplishment from such praise for the Formation eye of a mere Compound Formation¡­


    Zhang Quan, who felt somewhat resentful, said sarcastically:


    ¡°The talent is decent, but he¡¯s quite sneaky¡­¡±


    Knowing that Zhang Quan held grudges, Lu Chengyun shook his head slightly and did not respond but turned his gaze back to the eye of the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation with complex emotions.


    This Formation eye was almost taking the shape of a Large Formation eye¡­


    The embryonic form of a Large Formation¡­


    Such talent, it¡¯s truly terrifying.


    Lu Chengyun silently exclaimed in his heart, then his gaze turned solemn, and with a slight smile on his lips, he murmured softly:


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­¡±


    On the other side, Zhang Quan was looking towards the bronze coffin, eyes filled with longing, and couldn¡¯t help asking:


    ¡°Lu Brother, how much longer until the ¡®Corpse King¡¯ emerges?¡±


    Lu Chengyun came back to his senses, also with a gleam in his eye, ¡°Soon¡­¡±


    ¡°Once the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses is complete, the torrent of Evil Power will surge, nourishing the bronze coffin. In less than a month, this ¡®Corpse King¡¯ will be refined and the coffin can be opened¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan was so excited that he trembled, and he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim:


    ¡°Excellent! Excellent!¡±


    He walked a circuit around the bronze coffin, and said with excitement:


    ¡°Without the Corpse King to command, we Corpse cultivators can only control one or two Walking Corpses at a time, even with the refinement of the Corpse Controlling Bell, at most three.¡±


    ¡°But once the Corpse King is refined, it can command all the Iron Corpses!¡±


    ¡°Releasing ten of them, or even dozens of Iron Corpses, coupled with tens of thousands of Walking Corpses, we will be able to move unobstructed across the Minor Wilderness State Boundary, wreaking havoc in all directions!¡±


    ¡°Beneath the level of Golden Core, there will be no rivals.¡±


    ¡°We could cover the sky with one hand, no, we, will be the sky of this Minor Wilderness State Boundary!¡± Zhang Quan declared, ambition aflame, his voice trembling with excitement.


    Lu Chengyun, on the other hand, was much calmer. He shook his head and said indifferently:


    ¡°Brother Zhang, your words are mistaken. This Corpse King will only stay in the Corpse Mine and will not venture out unless absolutely necessary, let alone wreaking havoc¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan frowned, ¡°Stay here for what purpose?¡±


    Lu Chengyun stated flatly, ¡°This is a mine, it will naturally stay here to mine.¡±


    Zhang Quan found it somewhat unfathomable, ¡°To mine?¡±


    Lu Chengyun nodded slightly.


    Zhang Quan was incredulous, bursting out in frustration:


    ¡°After all the painstaking efforts, after pouring our hearts and blood into this, after scheming for a century, killing so many and refining so many corpses, are we just to have them mine here?¡±

 Chapter 506 - 489: Covering the Sky with One Hand_1

    Chapter 506: Chapter 489: Covering the Sky with One Hand_1


    ¡°`


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Lu Chengyun nodded.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s face was full of anger.


    Lu Chengyun glanced at Zhang Quan indifferently, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    Zhang Quan suppressed his anger, his eyes brimming with ambition, as he said coldly:


    ¡°What else can we do?¡±


    ¡°With the Corpse King lying dormant, and the Walking Corpses mining, isn¡¯t it just like letting a fierce sword gather dust?¡±


    ¡°Once the Corpse King emerges, it should naturally command the horde, be invincible, and dominate the state boundary!¡±


    ¡°With the Corpse King, with so many Iron Corpses, and with so many Walking Corpses.¡±


    ¡°The entire Minor Wilderness State Boundary, no, perhaps even several neighboring state boundaries, which power could be our opponent?¡±


    ¡°Wherever the Zombie army goes, corpses will float everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Those who resist, annihilate them utterly!¡±


    ¡°Without any effort, we¡¯ll first occupy South Yue City, then step by step dominate the Minor Wilderness State Boundary, and gradually nibble away at the neighboring Second-Grade Prefecture Border¡­¡±


    ¡°We refine corpses and kill, then kill and refine more corpses!¡±


    ¡°Round and round it goes, we will endlessly expand our strength!¡±


    ¡°We could use this to establish a powerful Demon Corpse Sect, glorifying our ancestors, unequaled in one realm.¡±


    ¡°By then, you and I will be the Ancestral Masters who established the sect, so what¡¯s the position of a mere Family Head to us?¡±


    ¡­


    As if envisioning this scene, Zhang Quan¡¯s face turned crimson, his eyes red with blood vessels, his expression excited.


    However, Lu Chengyun remained unmoved, instead letting out a cold laugh and scoffing:


    ¡°Naive!¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s face darkened as he looked at Lu Chengyun with hostility.


    Lu Chengyun didn¡¯t care, instead he spoke indifferently:


    ¡°Your Zhang Family, although it has inherited the Corpse Path for generations, with some renown, is in the end a small clan, passing down from one generation to the next, a few people at best, which is why your vision is limited, and your pattern is small¡­¡±


    ¡°Dominate the state boundary, establish a sect, build a Demon Sect?¡± Lu Chengyun showed a mocking expression, ¡°You think this is child¡¯s play?¡±


    ¡°A single Second-Grade Corpse King and a few dozen Iron Corpses, what dominance can they claim?¡±


    ¡°Do you think the Taoist Court is a vegetarian?¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court unifies the Nine States, some Demon Path giants that have existed for ten thousand years still choose to hide and secretly plan, not daring to come forward. With our family¡¯s humble base, and these first and second grade zombies, what state can we take, what dominance can we claim?¡±


    ¡°Are we worthy?¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s face turned blue, then red.


    Lu Chengyun shook his head and sighed:


    ¡°You only know about corpse refinement, knowing so little about the Cultivation World, not understanding the strength of the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°If we act in secret, establish a Corpse Mine, raise some Walking Corpses, without showing off or leaking our presence, the Taoist Court might not bother with us.¡±


    ¡°Even if they want to intervene, they might not be willing to pay the price, to clash with us to the point where both fish and net are destroyed.¡±


    ¡°But if you make a big show of it, waving the banner of inheriting the Corpse Path, of establishing a Demon Sect, then you would have crossed the Taoist Court¡¯s red line!¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court would stop at nothing to annihilate us!¡±


    ¡°Once word gets out, not three days would pass before hundreds of Foundation Cultivation Taoist Soldiers would arrive, bearing silver spears, clad in golden armor, in vast formation, coming to our doorstep to kill.¡±


    ¡°They would utterly destroy you and me, along with all the Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses in this mine, reducing them to ashes!¡±


    ¡°Forget one Corpse King; even ten would be useless!¡±


    ¡°A Corpse King is just that, not a Big Demon, Great Ghost, or some Grand Calamity that comes once in a millennium. With what right and boldness could we provoke the Taoist Court and cross their taboo?¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid, or do you think you have too long a life?¡±


    Lu Chengyun spoke without a hint of politeness.


    ¡°`


    Zhang Quan was unable to utter a word, feeling a surge of anger bottled up inside him, he indignantly said,


    ¡°But we can¡¯t just¡­ only do mining¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°That¡¯s why I say your vision is too limited.¡±


    Zhang Quan was taken aback.


    Lu Chengyun let out a cold laugh, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with mining?¡±


    ¡°What do you exchange from mining?¡±


    ¡°You exchange for Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°In this world, who doesn¡¯t need Spirit Stones? Who would think they have too many Spirit Stones? Without Spirit Stones, how can you cultivate immortality, how can you seek the Way?¡±


    Zhang Quan frowned, deep in thought.


    Lu Chengyun said indifferently,


    ¡°The cultivators of South Yue City, alive, they mine for my Lu Family, and even in death, turned into zombies, they still have to mine for my Lu Family!¡±


    ¡°In life or in death, they are all slaves to my Lu Family!¡±


    ¡°By day the living mine, by night the dead mine.¡±


    ¡°This mine will keep producing, and my Lu Family will have an endless supply of Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°Spirit Stones are the foundation!¡±


    ¡°With these Spirit Stones, bribe the Taoist Court Officials, bribe all sides of power, raise them like ¡®pigs,¡¯ make them greedy, make them foolish, make them insatiable, make them only able to rely on us, the Lu Family, to survive. Only then can we truly have unbridled power within this Minor Wilderness State Boundary!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of being dominant?¡±


    ¡°Becoming a demon? What good will that do?¡±


    ¡°Under the unification of the Taoist Court, demon cultivators who dare to stand out have long since died without a place to be buried!¡±


    ¡°The true Demon Path is learning how to cling to the Taoist Court, monopolize industries, earn Spirit Stones, suck the blood of the cultivators in the state, enslave them with power and status, oppress them with identity, and extort them with Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Without relying on murder, without relying on Corpse Poison, without relying on Demon Skills¡­¡±


    ¡°Openly and honorably eat their flesh, drink their blood, and strengthen oneself!¡±


    ¡°Even if the Taoist Court were to investigate, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find a thing.¡±


    ¡°The local Taoist Court Officials are our people; the local sects are of the same alliance as us; the local clans look up to our breath;¡±


    ¡°Those miners below us, insignificant and weak, are trampled under our feet. They dare not speak, and even if they did, no one would believe them¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the way to use Spirit Stones!¡±


    ¡°This is the real hand that covers the sky!¡±


    Lu Chengyun spoke resolutely, his gaze profound.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s expression flickered uncertainly.


    Mo Hua, hidden behind the altar, listened with his heart pounding.


    Within the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar, there was silence.


    After a moment, Lu Chengyun said indifferently:


    ¡°Brother Zhang, do you understand now?¡±


    Zhang Quan came back to his senses, his eyelids twitching, he nodded, seeming to understand but not quite understanding.


    Lu Chengyun nodded slightly, then said with a deep meaning:


    ¡°With these zombies, if you command them to kill, the Taoist Court will kill us.¡±


    ¡°But if you command them to mine, earn Spirit Stones, give them to the Taoist Court, even to the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°Not only will they not kill us, but they will also wish for us to kill more people, refine more corpses, mine more, and deliver more Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Times have changed, even cultivating in the Demon Path isn¡¯t all about fighting and killing¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Zhang, think about it well¡­¡±


    After Lu Chengyun finished speaking, he patted Zhang Quan on the shoulder and turned to leave.


    In the center of the sacrificial altar, only Zhang Quan remained.


    Of course, there was also Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua hid behind the altar, profoundly shocked, his back soaked with cold sweat.


    This Lu Chengyun was even more sinister than he had thought.


    And his schemes were even more terrifying.


    If he truly succeeded, he would play both sides of good and evil, bribing everyone.


    Then this corpse mine could truly become like an ancient tree that has spread its roots far and wide, deeply entrenched in this mine, with interests as its roots, connecting top to bottom, firmly rooted and difficult to eradicate¡­


    Mo Hua inhaled a cold breath, but just then, he heard a voice.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    Mo Hua started.


    It was Zhang Quan¡¯s voice.


    After Lu Chengyun had walked off into the distance, Zhang Quan then angrily said:


    ¡°Utter nonsense!¡±


    ¡°To abandon the role of a great Demon Sect ancestor and instead submit to the Taoist Court, fawning over the Court Official, flattering all sorts of powers, becoming their dog, it¡¯s really nonsensical!¡±


    ¡°Letting zombies mine continuously?¡±


    ¡°Can they even be called zombies if they don¡¯t eat people or drink blood?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simply a disgrace to our Corpse Path ancestral masters!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s even more infuriating is that the spirit stones earned from mining are to be sent out?¡±


    ¡°Really, once a dog, always a dog!¡±


    ¡°And to think he said I had a small vision? I see that you, as the Family Head for too long, have been blinded by wealth and luxury, narrow-sighted, timid and skittish!¡±


    ¡°To scurry like a rat and live like a dog for hundreds of years, how can that compare to the grandeur of the Demon Path?¡±


    ¡°To establish the Demon Gate, to promote the Corpse Path, to honor our ancestors, to leave a legacy of infamy in the annals of the state boundary, to be renowned among fellow corpse cultivators, even if it is but a transient splendor, and in the end to be suppressed by the Taoist Court so that not even my bones remain, would still suffice!¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s expression was passionate, his gaze resolute.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua fell silent.


    This Zhang Quan had his own ideas¡­


    And also¡­ a belief and pursuit for the Corpse Path?


    Mo Hua found it hard to judge at that moment.


    After Zhang Quan cursed Lu Chengyun for a while and calmed his emotions, a moment later, he smirked coldly and whispered low:


    ¡°Lu Chengyun¡­¡±


    ¡°Corpse refinement is not for you alone to dictate¡­ ¡±


    ¡°¡­Once the Corpse King has been refined, you will no longer have a say¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not as timid and hesitant as you are.¡±


    ¡°I will certainly bring forth the Corpse King, let Iron Corpses massacre the city, turn South Yue City into a field of walking corpses, plunge the Minor Wilderness State Boundary into purgatory, make all cultivators of this world lose their courage at the mere mention, let them know what true corpse cultivation is!¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s voice was icy, and after he finished, he snorted coldly and then left.


    A glint flashed in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, chilly and sharp.


    Zhang Quan, Lu Chengyun¡­


    Though their methods differed drastically, neither was a good sort.


    Whichever of them took control of the Corpse King, the outcome would not be good.


    One would create a land strewn with floating corpses; the other¡¯s poison would reach far and wide.


    Mo Hua then thought of Zhang Quan¡¯s angered expression and his recent words, spawning a thought.


    Did Zhang Quan not get along with Lu Chengyun, and, judging by his intentions, did he also aspire to control the Corpse King?


    To control the Corpse King would surely require opening the bronze coffin.


    In that case, would this not present an opportunity for him?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered.


    He spent all his free time thereafter tracking Zhang Quan.


    When Zhang Quan was alone, he was indeed sneaky, even setting up a Formation to watch with Divine Sense, clearly preparing for something.


    Mo Hua, cautious not to startle the snake, did not dare to spy too closely.


    But he knew that Zhang Quan was sure to be up to something.


    He was acting just like Mo Hua himself did when planning mischief.


    Indeed, a few days later, one night, while Lu Chengyun was busy with clan affairs and had left the corpse mine, Zhang Quan snuck out as well.


    Mo Hua quickly made himself invisible, left his own room, and went straight to the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar to wait for him.


    In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhang Quan entered the altar.


    Mo Hua still hid behind the altar, secretly watching him.


    Seeing no one around, Zhang Quan, sneaky and a little on edge, removed a bronze coffin nail from his Storage Bag.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately understood.


    ¡°So it¡¯s the coffin nail!¡±


    This coffin nail was both a key and contained a Pattern.


    Normal coffin nails are for sealing coffins, but this one was for opening them.


    Zhang Quan took out the nail, measured along the coffin lid, found a spot three inches from the edge, and nailed it into the bronze coffin.


    Then, a flicker of aura appeared on the bronze coffin.


    It seemed that something had been unlocked.


    Zhang Quan was overjoyed and instantly lifted the lid, revealing the inside of the coffin, which was adorned with a Blood Formation. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Quan then took out a dagger, sliced open his palm, and allowed his blood to flow into the grooves of the coffin.


    Once the grooves were filled with blood, Zhang Quan took out a Corpse Controlling Bell.


    This Corpse Bell, neither stone nor wood, nor bronze nor iron, was pitch-black, with Pattern lines as sinister as those on the bronze coffin inside.


    Zhang Quan rang the Corpse Bell.


    The sound was muffled and strange, like a zombie whispering.


    After ringing the bell for a while, Zhang Quan continued with the blood feeding ritual, then rang the Corpse Bell again, taking bizarre steps around the bronze coffin in reverse.


    Feeding blood, ringing the bell, walking in reverse.


    He chanted under his breath.


    Though Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand, based on his prior research and what he had learned from Lu Ming about corpse refining, he guessed this to be a special Corpse control method within the Corpse Refinement arts.


    Indeed, after seven rounds of blood feeding, seven rings of the bell, and seven reverse circuits,


    the sound of a heartbeat emerged from the bronze coffin.


    This was the heartbeat of the dead.


    Distinguishable from the heartbeat of the living, it was sinister and eerie.


    Just listening to it made Mo Hua feel uncomfortable, his own heart feeling slightly suffocated.


    Fortunately, this heart only throbbed faintly for a moment and then stopped.


    Zhang Quan, however, was thrilled.


    He resealed the coffin, retrieved the coffin nail, looked around to be sure no one was there and that he hadn¡¯t left any other traces, then snorted coldly and left the vast, empty altar.


    Behind the altar, however, Mo Hua peeked out his head.

 Chapter 507 - 490 Coffin Nail_1

    Chapter 507: Chapter 490 Coffin Nail_1


    ¡°Coffin nail¡­¡±


    Mo Hua ran to the front of the bronze coffin, remembering the position measured by Zhang Quan, and indeed found a small groove at the edge of the coffin lid.


    The groove was closed.


    One must insert a bronze coffin nail to open the bronze coffin.


    Inside the groove, Formation Patterns were carved, but since it was closed, the patterns were hidden, so Mo Hua hadn¡¯t noticed them at first.


    How to open it?


    Ordinary coffin nails are used to seal wooden coffins.


    But this bronze coffin, contrary to typical practice, uses coffin nails to open the coffin.


    This coffin nail is the key.


    Lu Chengyun should have one in his possession.


    And it seems that Zhang Quan also has one.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    Lu Chengyun was suspicious by nature; he would definitely not keep two keys for something as important as the Corpse King¡¯s coffin.


    The key in Zhang Quan¡¯s hands must have been kept secretly by him.


    Mo Hua surveyed the bronze coffin once more.


    This bronze coffin, with its archaic style and verdigris patina, looked very old; it was probably used for refining ancient corpses, and if he hadn¡¯t guessed wrong, it should have been handed down from the ancestors of the Zhang Family.


    Zhang Quan gave this bronze coffin to Lu Chengyun to use but also kept back a trick by retaining a key, which is that bronze nail.


    It seems both men were harboring their own devious plans, each wary of the other.


    The coffin nail is the key to the bronze coffin¡­


    The problem now was, how could he acquire the coffin nail?


    Mo Hua delved into deep contemplation, frowning.


    There was no way he could get the one from Lu Chengyun.


    There was a slight chance to get Zhang Quan¡¯s, but the risk was great¡­


    Zhang Quan despised him to the bone, and especially after the incident at Corpse Walking Stronghold, when the Corpse Controlling Bell and the ancestral portrait were stolen, he would certainly carry important items with him to avoid another opportunity slipping by.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Being concealed had its disadvantages.


    When others were unguarded, his abilities worked without fail.


    But once they were on the alert, he faced obstacles everywhere.


    Unable to think of a good idea for the time being, Mo Hua could only go back for now and then repeatedly ponder the situation.


    But he really couldn¡¯t think of any methods.


    Neither Lu Chengyun nor Zhang Quan provided him with any opportunities.


    With no progress, Mo Hua was somewhat at a loss for a moment, casually thinking that maybe he should just return for now and make long-term plans?


    After thinking it over, he went to find Lu Chengyun and said,


    ¡°Family Head Lu, I¡¯ve completed the Formation eye of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses. I have stayed in this mine for quite some time, and it is both boring and dull; may I return first?¡±


    As expected, Lu Chengyun did not agree, but instead replied with a gentle smile,


    ¡°Junior Gentleman, please be patient. Although the Formation eye of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses has been constructed, the formation has not begun operating, and I don¡¯t know if there are any flaws. I request that Junior Gentleman stay for a few more days.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m worried that Junior Brother and Junior Sister might be concerned,¡± Mo Hua expressed, hesitating.


    Lu Chengyun chuckled,


    ¡°In just another half month, once the formation is operating, I will send Junior Gentleman back.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Family Head, you¡¯d better not break your promise¡­¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua said helplessly.


    Lu Chengyun nodded, ¡°Definitely.¡±


    Mo Hua then walked away somewhat dejectedly.


    Lu Chengyun, watching Mo Hua¡¯s back, completely let down his guard.


    He¡¯s really just a child¡­


    One who is heavily influenced by childish nature, can¡¯t stand loneliness, and is somewhat playful.


    Moods of happiness and anger are all visible in their expressions.


    Whether happy or unhappy, it¡¯s easy to tell.


    ¡°So young and inexperienced, with little depth in scheming¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably not fit to be a great vessel¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head.


    In this Tao Cultivation World, it isn¡¯t just having talent that smooths the path, nor is it a little bit of cleverness that transforms misfortune into fortune.


    One must endure hardships to be tempered.


    One must take a few tumbles to grow.


    It¡¯s just that if one falls here with me, there will be no opportunity for growth ever again¡­


    A subtle sneer appeared at the corner of Lu Chengyun¡¯s mouth.


    Afterward, Lu Chengyun became even more indulgent towards Mo Hua, even somewhat overindulgent.


    No matter what Mo Hua did, he would not get angry.


    He also seldom used his Divine Sense to keep an eye on Mo Hua.


    A trace of foreboding arose in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    This kind of indulgence was a bit like the indulgence given to a dead man.


    It was like the ¡°last meal¡± of a condemned prisoner, which was always more lavish than usual.


    Lu Chengyun harbored murderous intentions and regarded him as a dead man, so it didn¡¯t matter what he did.


    Mo Hua shook his head, inwardly mocking,


    ¡°This Lu Chengyun, appearing so magnanimous, yet who would have thought he could be so narrow-minded.¡±


    ¡°Even to me, a thirteen-year-old Formation prodigy who is as harmless as an animal, how could he bear to strike¡­¡±


    ¡°Or is it because my talent is too good that jealousy arises in his heart?¡±


    ¡°Really, only mediocrity escapes jealousy¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed internally and thought a bit conceitedly.


    Since Lu Chengyun would not let him leave, Mo Hua simply couldn¡¯t go for the time being and decided to stay, continuing to plot against the bronze coffin.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t let me leave, then I will overturn your coffin!¡±


    Mo Hua thought fiercely to himself.


    In the following days, Mo Hua would squat at the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar every night, secretly watching Lu Chengyun and Zhang Quan.


    The two of them, as if by agreement, alternated with one visiting one day and the other the next.


    Lu Chengyun would open the coffin to draw the Spirit Pivot Evil Formation.


    Zhang Quan would open the coffin, performing blood oaths and ringing bells to control zombies.


    Each had their own method of trying to control the Corpse King.


    It made Mo Hua quite curious as to whom the Corpse King would listen to once it was refined.


    Besides, Mo Hua¡¯s attention was mainly focused on that bronze coffin nail.


    He carefully memorized the size, length, material, and Formation Patterns on the nail.


    Whenever Zhang Quan opened the coffin, exposing the inside Pattern, Mo Hua would start his Calculations: first, to deduce what kind of Pattern it was that sealed the bronze coffin.


    Second, he deduced what kind of Formation was carved on the coffin nail?


    After several days of stealthy observation and secretive calculation by Mo Hua, he finally understood, but it also greatly disappointed him.


    He had thought that since the bronze coffin was sealed so tightly, the formation inside it must be some high-end formation.


    To his surprise, it turned out to be just two simple Bronze Lock Formations, one positive, one negative, neither higher than first grade, with seven Patterns.


    Mo Hua suddenly realized that he had overlooked something.


    This bronze coffin was passed down by the Zhang Family.


    The Zhang Family had inherited the Corpse Path, but they had no foundation in Formations.


    In other words, the entire family was ¡°Formation Blind.¡±


    What kind of high-end Formation could possibly be in something left behind by their ancestors?


    He had overestimated them¡­


    Mo Hua shook his head, deeply disappointed in the Zhang Family.


    Now that he knew the sealing Formation of the coffin and the construction for unlocking on the coffin nails, things would be much simpler.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and mused to himself:


    ¡°Since I can¡¯t steal the key, I might as well make one.¡±


    After all, the core was the Formation; as long as he understood Formations, everything else would naturally fall into place.


    The only question was whether the material of the coffin nails also mattered, whether they also needed to be cast from bronze¡­


    If that were the case, then there was no suitable Formation media at hand.


    Mo Hua decided to first try with something else.


    The coffin nails were, strictly speaking, a type of Evil Artifact.


    Mo Hua did not understand Artifact Refining, much less refining Evil Artifacts, so making a coffin nail by himself was definitely impossible.


    His only option was to ¡°borrow.¡±


    In the midst of the Stone Palace, with so many coffins and coffin nails, it should be alright to borrow from any old coffin.


    But there was a knack to ¡°borrowing.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t borrow from an Iron Corpse¡¯s coffin.


    Iron Corpses were sealed in iron coffins, which were rare. Borrowing a nail from an iron coffin meant it was easy to get caught and risk initiating a corpse transformation.


    Therefore, he had no other choice but to borrow from an ordinary wooden coffin first.


    Among the vast array of coffins within the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, Mo Hua chose one that was ancient and worn.


    There were seven coffin nails hammered into the wooden coffin.


    Inside the coffin lay a Walking Corpse.


    Using a Formation, Mo Hua first drained away the Evil Power of the Walking Corpse and dispelled its Corpse Qi. Then he drew a Wooden Prison Formation to temporarily seal its corpse so it wouldn¡¯t lose control if it transformed.


    Then came the task of removing the nails.


    The nails on an ordinary wooden coffin were iron and firmly hammered into the coffin lid.


    Mo Hua selected one that wasn¡¯t much different in size and tried to pull it out with his hands but couldn¡¯t budge it.


    That¡¯s when he remembered he was a Spiritual Cultivator, not a Body Cultivator; his strength was very weak.


    Helplessly, Mo Hua had no choice but to call over the little zombie.


    The little zombie pushed off the coffin lid, hopped and bounced over to Mo Hua, and effortlessly pulled out the iron nail from the wooden coffin according to Mo Hua¡¯s wishes.


    Mo Hua nodded, dipped a brush lightly in ink, and drew the unlocking Bronze Lock Formation on the coffin nail.


    Then he inserted the coffin nail into the hidden recess on the bronze coffin.


    The coffin lid fluttered slightly but did not open.


    Mo Hua observed for a moment.


    He discovered the size of the iron nail wasn¡¯t entirely fit; a little bit protruded on the outside, but it seemed to work. However, because of the size mismatch, the Formation Patterns of the Bronze Lock Formation didn¡¯t align, so the coffin couldn¡¯t be opened.


    Mo Hua removed the coffin nail, wiped off the Formation Patterns, adjusted slightly, and then redrew them.


    This time, it indeed worked.


    The bronze coffin gave a faint ¡°creak¡± as though an internal lock had fallen off, initiating some mechanism. Simultaneously, the Formations under the coffin lid also matched and unsealed.


    Mo Hua pushed the coffin lid and found it was still quite difficult, and somewhat exasperated, he had to call the little zombie over again for help.


    The little zombie hopped over again and helped Mo Hua lift the coffin lid.


    Underneath the lid was a bronze outer coffin.


    It was the same scene Mo Hua had witnessed when he sneaked a peek at Lu Chengyun drawing the Spirit Pivot Evil Formation.


    What was different this time were the Formations inside; they were darker in blood color and the lines were deeper.


    Mo Hua studied the bronze outer coffin carefully.


    He deduced each Formation on it, cogitated meticulously, and combined this with the Corpse Refinement techniques he had previously learned, forming a rough understanding in his mind.


    The method to refine a ¡°Corpse King¡± was indeed special.


    The heart and corpse were separate.


    Inside the bronze coffin was the heart of the Lu Family Old Ancestor.


    While covered with a yellow cloth on the sacrificial altar was the corpse of the Lu Family Old Ancestor with the heart removed.


    These two required different techniques.


    One was refining, the other was a ritual.


    The ritual needed an altar.


    Refining, on the other hand, required a coffin, human blood, and a Formation.


    Once the ¡°ritual¡± and ¡°refining¡± were complete, the Corpse King would be truly refined.


    What Lu Chengyun did was inscribe the Spirit Pivot Evil Formation on the zombie¡¯s heart vessels.


    He deepened the Formation repeatedly.


    To deeply imprint this Formation into the heart vessels of the Lu Family Old Ancestor.


    To have complete control over it.


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondering:


    ¡°If Lu Chengyun can inscribe it, doesn¡¯t that mean I can too?¡±


    ¡°But if I do so, he will surely discover it¡­¡±


    ¡°Then should I overwrite his Formation?¡±


    ¡°Draw the same Formation Patterns that he did, except he uses human blood and drives them with Evil Power, and I¡¯ll use ink and drive them with Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°Then cover his Formation, overwrite his Formation Patterns¡­¡±


    However, doing so, even though the Formation Patterns remained the same, the essence of them would change.


    It would shift from Evil Power to Spiritual Energy, which would be more subtle, but Lu Chengyun might still notice it if he was careful and vigilant¡­


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    Once Lu Chengyun discovered that someone had tampered with the bronze coffin, things would become complicated¡­


    Suddenly, Mo Hua paused in thought.


    He intended to fiddle with the inside of the bronze coffin.


    But Zhang Quan had already tampered inside it.


    His Divine Sense was strong, his concealment was powerful, he knew the Spiritual Pivot Formation, and he had a little zombie to open doors, all of which Lu Chengyun was completely unaware of.


    If Lu Chengyun was to be suspicious, he would probably suspect Zhang Quan.


    After pondering for a while, Mo Hua came up with a plan:


    First, overwrite it and see how Lu Chengyun would react.


    If he became suspicious, then stop.


    If he wasn¡¯t suspicious, then continue¡­


    To also add a layer of my control to the Corpse King!


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s Spirit Pivot Evil Formation, my own Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation, and Zhang Quan¡¯s Corpse Controlling ancient bell.


    Tripartite control over the corpse.


    Even if ultimately the control wasn¡¯t in my hands, it wouldn¡¯t fall entirely into Lu Chengyun¡¯s either.


    As long as he couldn¡¯t completely control the Corpse King, couldn¡¯t mobilize all the Iron Corpses at the same time, the overall strength of Corpse cultivation would be significantly diminished.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes glinted as he started to write, surreptitiously overwriting Lu Chengyun¡¯s Formation Patterns¡­

 Chapter 508 - 491 Little Yellow Sparrow_1

    Chapter 508: Chapter 491 Little Yellow Sparrow_1


    ¡°`


    The next day, at the hour of 2 a.m., Lu Chengyun returned to the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar, filled with coffins, to perform the Drawing Formation again.


    Mo Hua, however, hid behind the altar, secretly watching him.


    Lu Chengyun, as ever, opened a coffin, took up a Bone Pen, poured out Blood Ink, and began painting the Formation with blood. But as soon as the brush touched the surface, his brow furrowed.


    He stared at the Formation for a long time, his frown deepening, and finally murmured,


    ¡°No ¡­¡±


    ¡°No ¡­¡±


    ¡°This Formation ¡­ there¡¯s a problem ¡­¡±


    A chill went down Mo Hua¡¯s spine.


    He had indeed been discovered.


    Lu Chengyun continued, still puzzled,


    ¡°Who altered my Formation?¡±


    ¡°Who has the ability to change the Formation I¡¯ve drawn?¡±


    ¡°And who could slip into the Corpse Mine under my watch, sneak into the sacrificial altar, open the bronze coffin, and alter the Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation I drew, the first-class, twelve-pattern?¡±


    Doubt flickered in Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes.


    Suddenly, he jolted with realization,


    ¡°Could there be someone in this altar?¡±


    He quickly released his Divine Sense, scanning the surroundings.


    Mo Hua shrank his little head, earnestly concealing his presence.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense swept over the Formation, the coffins, the altar, and even over him, finding nothing.


    After scanning several times, Lu Chengyun finally began to relax.


    ¡°Am I being overly suspicious ¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun murmured with a frown.


    Such a thing seemed almost inconceivable ¡­


    If someone really could accomplish it, that person¡¯s Cultivation would surely be profound and their methods unfathomable.


    Such a senior Cultivator wouldn¡¯t need to resort to such underhanded tactics to deal with him; if they confronted him openly, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance ¡­


    ¡°The Formation ¡­ Mo Hua?¡±


    Lu Chengyun suddenly thought of Mo Hua.


    In the entire Corpse Mine, only Mo Hua possessed skills in Formation next to his own.


    Could it be Mo Hua who altered his Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation?


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t have the power,¡±


    Lu Chengyun declared decisively.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation of the first class with twelve patterns requires a twelve-pattern Foundation Establishment Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua, this small Cultivator, though strong in Divine Sense, is after all still in Qi Refinement, at most with ten patterns, perhaps not even that much.


    Divine Sense is the foundation of a Formation Master.


    Without twelve patterns in Divine Sense and without using evil methods or borrowing another¡¯s Divine Sense, he surely would not be able to draw out the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    And this little Cultivator, with an aura pure and flawless like uncarved jade, must not have cultivated Evil Skills nor ever drawn an Evil Formation.


    Besides, it was impossible for him to have learned the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    This was the Ultimate Formation of the first class with twelve patterns, transcending rank. Lu himself had researched it for nearly a hundred years, and even with the help of Demon Gate techniques to lower the difficulty, he had only just managed to complete the Formation.


    This little brat didn¡¯t even have a Formation Diagram. How could he learn it, how could he draw it?


    As for the Formation Patterns, he had indeed seen them ¡­


    But that was only a fleeting glance at the Formation Diagram, and occasionally seeing Lu Chengyun painting the Formation a few times when nothing else demanded his attention.


    If he could learn it that way, it would be an utter fantasy.


    No matter how high his talent, it can¡¯t be this effortless ¡­


    If he could learn just by looking a few times, then what was the point of his many years of study in Formations?


    Lu Chengyun shook his head.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be him ¡­¡±


    If not Mo Hua, then only one man was left ¡­


    ¡°Zhang Quan!¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze became gradually sharper.


    He looked again at the Formation on the bronze coffin, his thoughts stirring subtly.


    The energy in the Formation had changed, the evil aura had faded.


    But the patterns remained unchanged.


    This indicated that it was very likely not the Formation that had been altered, but rather someone had used other means to diminish his control over the Corpse King, thereby weakening the Formation¡¯s efficacy and diluting the Evil Power ¡­


    This was Corpse Refinement technique!


    Among all the Corpse cultivators in the Corpse Mine, it was naturally Zhang Quan who was most skilled in Corpse Refinement.


    Even this bronze coffin had been handed down from the ancestors of the Zhang Family.


    Zhang Quan knew it better than him, and it would make sense for him to fiddle behind Lu¡¯s back, appearing to be quite reasonable.


    ¡°Zhang Quan ¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze turned cold as he silently said the name.


    He was aware that Zhang Quan had ulterior motives.


    Moreover, the two had very different ideas on how to use the Corpse King.


    Zhang Quan had a narrow vision and limited understanding, just like other ordinary Corpse cultivators, only knowing to refine corpses and kill, kill and refine corpses, fixated on establishing a Demon Gate to ¡°bring glory to the ancestors¡±, blind to the true nature of this world.


    Originally, Lu Chengyun hadn¡¯t bothered about it.


    After all, the Corpse Refinement skills of the Zhang Family were still of great use to him.


    But if Zhang Quan dared overstep the bounds and covet the Corpse King, messing up his grand scheme, then no one could blame him for the consequences ¡­


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s smile turned sinister.


    Behind the altar, Mo Hua heard Lu Chengyun say he ¡°lacked the strength¡± and then listened to him speak Zhang Quan¡¯s name; a fox-like grin appeared on his face.


    But Lu Chengyun was clearly still uneasy ¡­


    The next day, he asked Mo Hua to adjust the Formation eye of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, and at the same time, he opened the bronze coffin and started painting the Formation.


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua, as usual, peeked stealthily into the bronze coffin.


    His gaze was full of curiosity and confusion.


    There was nothing else unusual.


    Lu Chengyun frowned, then asked, ¡°Little gentleman, what do you think of this Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It¡¯s very profound!¡±


    ¡°Can you understand it?¡±


    Mo Hua mumbled, ¡°I can understand¡­ a bit.¡±


    However, when saying this, he clearly seemed somewhat guilty.


    He probably didn¡¯t understand anything but wanted to save face, so he pretended to know a little.


    Lu Chengyun thought to himself.


    Then Mo Hua appeared to remember something, innocently saying:


    ¡°Right, Lu Family Head, you said that once the Formation eye is painted, you would teach me this Formation. Can you teach me now?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Lu Chengyun with clear eyes.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s expression was slightly startled.


    The look in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes was too pure¡­ sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So pure that even suspecting him made one feel guilty.


    ¡°This naive child really believes that I would teach him the Formation?¡±


    Lu Chengyun sighed to himself before saying gently:


    ¡°You can¡¯t learn it now. Wait until your Divine Sense becomes stronger¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed and left, but he would occasionally look back, his gaze lingering reluctantly.


    Seeing this, Lu Chengyun¡¯s suspicions were dispelled, and he firmly thought to himself:


    ¡°It must be Zhang Quan!¡±


    The person who tampered with the bronze coffin had to be Zhang Quan!


    Mo Hua, this little Cultivator, may be a bit clever, but his gaze is clear, and he¡¯s not scheming enough to play too many tricks.


    The only person who could pull off such maneuvers under his watch was Zhang Quan!


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes were sharp, his mind inscrutable.


    In a place he was not aware of, Mo Hua had his back to him, his silhouette seemingly disheartened, but the little face was secretly smiling¡­


    ¡­


    In the following days, Lu Chengyun kept his composure, but his gaze towards Zhang Quan was tinged with a hidden chill.


    Zhang Quan, feeling guilty, noticed none of it.


    But all this was seen by the seemingly innocent Mo Hua.


    ¡­


    One night, at the hour of 2 a.m.


    In the desolate and silent Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar.


    The mural rippled open, revealing a door, and Zhang Quan tiptoed inside.


    He looked around to ensure there was nobody in the altar before opening up the bronze coffin, cutting his hand with a knife, feeding the corpse with blood, walking backwards, chanting spells, and ringing the bell to summon the corpses¡­


    This series of Corpse Controlling spells, he had been casting for several days now.


    Inside the bronze coffin, the Corpse King¡¯s heartbeat grew more vigorous and powerful, filled with a might that struck fear and submissiveness in the other corpses.


    After finishing the ritual, Zhang Quan¡¯s face was pale, his forehead starting to sweat.


    This set of spells required more blood as it progressed, and the refining process became increasingly strenuous.


    But if he could control the Corpse King, it would all be worth it.


    Zhang Quan closed the coffin lid, sneered, and left the altar¡­


    The eerie altar returned to dead silence.


    A moment later, a figure slowly emerged from behind the altar, dressed in ornate clothes, his face gloomy.


    It was Lu Chengyun.


    He glanced at the mural before walking over to the bronze coffin, unsealing the lid, and inspecting the Formation on the bronze casket.


    The strength of the Formation had indeed weakened.


    At the same time, the heartbeat of the zombie grew slightly stronger.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes were cold as he silently took out a Bone Pen, dipped it in human blood, and reinforced the Formation to suppress the power of the Corpse Controlling Bell.


    After finishing, he sealed the coffin again.


    Lu Chengyun sneered as well, then left the altar.


    The altar became silent once more.


    Not long after Lu Chengyun left, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a small head peeked out from above the altar.


    The praying mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.


    Mo Hua was the little oriole.


    As Lu Chengyun hid behind the altar, watching Zhang Quan, he hid on the stone beam above Lu Chengyun¡¯s head, watching them both.


    Now that both Zhang Quan and Lu Chengyun had left.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze brightened slightly. He leaped down nimbly from the altar, then came before the bronze coffin and used his homemade coffin nail to unseal the Formation, opening the bronze coffin and then summoning a small zombie to help him push the lid off.


    Underneath the coffin lid was the casket.


    Atop the casket was the Formation Lu Chengyun had just reinforced.


    Mo Hua then took out his ink and brush, overlaying his own Formation onto Lu Chengyun¡¯s Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation¡­


    Zhang Quan was refining a corpse.


    Lu Chengyun was Drawing Formation.


    Mo Hua was overlaying a Formation.


    This scene played out in turns in the altar.


    Until more than half a month later, when the Corpse King was about to be refined and emerge from the coffin¡­


    And after receiving a message from Mo Hua, the undercurrents in South Yue City had been turbulent for more than half a month, with a sense of trepidation and gravity as if a mountain storm were about to break¡­


    Within the Minor Wilderness State Boundary.


    It appeared to be clear skies and sunlight, but in an instant, a storm was about to hit.

 Chapter 509 - 492: Undercurrent_1

    Chapter 509: Chapter 492: Undercurrent_1


    South Yue City, deep into the night.


    In the residence of the Situ Family, there appeared an elderly man with white hair.


    He sat at the table, his expression solemn; the tea on the table had cooled, yet he hadn¡¯t had the chance to take a single sip.


    Situ Fang, with her eyebrows slightly furrowed, asked,


    ¡°Elder Wang, what did the clan say?¡±


    The old man, known as Situ Wang, frowned and sighed,


    ¡°The clan can¡¯t spare any manpower¡­¡±


    Situ Fang furrowed her brows and said, ¡°Our Situ Family is, after all, a Third-Rank Clan; it¡¯s impossible that they can¡¯t even spare over ten Foundation Establishment cultivators. Could it be that the clan doesn¡¯t believe it?¡±


    Elder Situ Wang nodded his head, ¡°That¡¯s part of the reason.¡±


    He let out a sigh, ¡°Eighty Iron Corpses, tens of thousands of Walking Corpses, this¡­ it¡¯s preposterous¡­¡±


    The entire Second-Grade Prefecture Boundary might not be able to muster the strength to combat such a force.


    Situ Fang let out a small sigh.


    She didn¡¯t quite believe it either, or rather, she didn¡¯t dare to.


    But this news had been scouted by Mo Hua and was delivered by the siblings of the Bai Family; even if she didn¡¯t dare believe it, she also knew it was highly unlikely to be false.


    Mo Hua¡¯s actions were always unexpected.


    Though young, he was sometimes audaciously bold.


    Yet, his actions were often well-calculated and thought-out.


    Since knowing Mo Hua, the words he spoke and the actions he took were always reliable, and they shouldn¡¯t be false.


    It¡¯s just that others might not believe¡­


    Situ Wang said, ¡°I heard that this news was scouted by a young cultivator?¡±


    Situ Fang nodded her head.


    ¡°How old is he?¡±


    There was a pause from Situ Fang before she responded in a low voice, ¡°Thirteen¡­¡±


    Situ Wang looked somewhat at a loss, helplessly saying, ¡°Thirteen years old¡­ Even if I believed it, the clan wouldn¡¯t¡­ Thirteen years old¡­¡±


    Situ Wang shook his head.


    Cultivators have long lifespans.


    Cultivators from clans are even more so wealthy in reserves and advantageous in conditions.


    Generally, cultivators under the age of twenty all look quite young and are still considered children.


    A thirteen-year-old child uncovering such a major incident, even Situ Wang was uncertain.


    However, he and Situ Fang shared the same lineage, and he had watched her grow up since she was a child; knowing her character, he had made this trip personally to assess the situation.


    Situ Fang had no choice but to say,


    ¡°Mo Hua is a First-Grade Formation Master.¡±


    Situ Wang was startled, ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The young cultivator you mentioned.¡±


    Situ Wang¡¯s palm trembled, ¡°Thirteen years old? A First-Grade Formation Master?¡±


    Situ Fang nodded.


    Situ Wang, having lost his Elder¡¯s composure, couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice, ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Situ Fang helplessly replied, ¡°Would I really lie to you? If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Elder Jin.¡±


    Mo Hua was young, and his talents were too high, which easily attracted envy and hatred. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Situ Fang chose not to spread word about it widely; within the Situ Family, only Situ Fang and two Elders who had seen Mo Hua were aware of this.


    Situ Wang appeared somewhat lost in thought, then muttered to himself,


    ¡°Thirteen years old, a First-Grade Formation Master¡­ How on earth is that young cultivator¡¯s mind constructed¡­¡±


    Situ Fang said,


    ¡°Now, his words should carry some weight, right¡­¡±


    Situ Wang, with furrowed brows, pondered for a moment before he slightly nodded,


    ¡°If that is indeed the case, then we cannot regard him as any ordinary young cultivator. A First-Grade Formation Master, even in the Second-Grade Prefecture Boundary, is still a person of stature and wouldn¡¯t joke about such matters¡­¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s eyes brightened slightly, ¡°Then Elder¡­¡±


    But Situ Wang shook his head, ¡°I can only do my best to argue for it, but whether the clan agrees or not, it¡¯s not for me to decide.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of the Undead Calamity?¡± Situ Fang frowned and asked.


    ¡°Correct¡­¡± Situ Wang sighed, ¡°This matter is too dangerous¡­¡±


    ¡°Iron Corpses so strong, and that many Walking Corpses, if they are manipulated to form a Corpse Tide, it would be extremely terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Zombies are unlike ordinary cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°Facing cultivators in battle, being injured is usually not a big concern; find some way to treat it and usually, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°But fighting against zombies, once injured and bleeding, contaminated by Corpse Qi and the heart attacked by Corpse Poison, if it spreads, the consequences become completely uncontrollable¡­¡±


    There was a deep horror in Situ Wang¡¯s eyes.


    Situ Fang fell silent too.


    ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s another most important issue¡­¡±


    Situ Wang looked at Situ Fang, hesitant to speak, but after some thought, he still spoke bluntly,


    ¡°This matter, for our Situ Family, holds no benefits.¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s expression turned stagnant upon hearing this.


    Situ Wang said in silence, ¡°The Situ Family, generation after generation has been in charge, with ancestors starting from the Demon Suppressing Court of the Taoist Court, firm and upright in conduct, incorruptible¡­¡±


    ¡°But no matter what, a clan is still a clan, and its interest must come first¡­¡±


    ¡°This matter has few benefits.¡±


    Situ Wang paused, then added,


    ¡°At least, in the face of risk, this benefit is not significant¡­¡±


    Truly exterminating the Corpse Mine and suppressing the thousands of zombies does indeed confer great merit.


    But the cost and risk involved are manifold.


    In the Corpse Tide commanded by the Corpse King and the Iron Corpses, the cultivators sent by the Situ Family could completely perish¡ªit¡¯s a possibility.


    The Situ Family cannot afford this risk.


    ¡°Then the Taoist Court¡­¡± Situ Fang frowned.


    ¡°The Taoist Court is the same,¡± Situ Wang said, ¡°Even if the Taoist Court is aware and believes it, after weighing the pros and cons, they also might not take significant action.¡±


    Situ Wang spoke gravely, ¡°The Taoist Court is more complicated than our Situ Family, with the distribution of power, entanglement of interests, too convoluted to sort out¡­¡±


    Seeing that Situ Fang didn¡¯t quite understand, Situ Wang clarified,


    ¡°In terms of principle, according to the Taoist Law, annihilating zombies and eliminating demons is obligatory.¡±


    ¡°But practically speaking, this matter is fraught with difficulties.¡±

 Chapter 510 - 492: Undercurrents_2

    Chapter 510: Chapter 492: Undercurrents_2


    ¡°To eradicate the Corpse Mine, we¡¯ll need the deployment of Taoist Soldiers and Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Who will send the Taoist Soldiers? Who will provide the Spirit Stones?¡±


    ¡°If Taoist Soldiers set out, they¡¯ll require logistics; should they die or get injured, compensations must be provided. And all the mobilization of manpower and resources before and after can¡¯t be done without Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Should there be heavy casualties, a huge responsibility must be assumed.¡±


    ¡°Once the matter is successful, and credit is earned, suddenly many people will appear to share in the credit, even those unrelated will reach out, wanting a piece of the pie¡­¡±


    ¡°Taking huge risks, bearing great responsibility, paying a steep price to eradicate the Corpse Mine, and in the end, it¡¯s very likely the credit will go to someone else¡­¡±


    ¡°Who would be willing to do such a thing?¡±


    Situ Wang sighed and said,


    ¡°Unless the Lu Family really committed a tabboo, openly walking the path of Heretical Demons, enraging the Taoist Court enough to issue a decree for suppression, otherwise these Court Officials, both high and low, who are overstaffed and underworked, would never pick up this hot potato¡­¡±


    Situ Fang sighed in disappointment.


    Situ Wang looked at Situ Fang with a hint of pity.


    Though Situ Fang¡¯s talent was not outstanding, she was the most righteous, most eager to learn, and had the strongest sense of responsibility among their disciples of this lineage.


    Such a disciple was more worthwhile to nurture than those who had high talent but flawed characters.


    Moreover, as they came from the same lineage and she being an elder, Situ Wang was not very keen on letting her take risks.


    ¡°The waters of South Yue City are too muddy; even if we could wade through them, there¡¯s no need to soil ourselves¡­¡±


    Situ Wang pondered for a moment, then diplomatically said,


    ¡°Fang girl, if I were to have my way, you should take this opportunity to leave as well¡­¡±


    His brows were deeply furrowed:


    ¡°Should the situation really deteriorate and turn urgent, this whole South Yue City could turn into a living hell. By then, no one can guarantee your safety¡­¡±


    ¡°You should also cherish your path of Tao Cultivation¡­¡±


    Situ Fang was momentarily stunned, then gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Wang!¡±


    But after thinking it over, she shook her head:


    ¡°I am a Supervisor of South Yue City. Although my cultivation isn¡¯t high, I have duties to perform, and I must do what¡¯s expected of me.¡±


    Situ Wang frowned, ¡°But some tasks are impossible to carry out¡­¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s truly impossible,¡± said Situ Fang, ¡°then I¡¯ll consider leaving.¡±


    Situ Wang fell silent for a while, then sighed,


    ¡°It must be so, then.¡±


    He took out a Jade Slip, feeling helpless,


    ¡°I¡¯ll write another letter back to our clan, to urge them to consider the bigger picture and send some more people here if they can, and to make some moves on the part of Taoist Soldiers Court too¡­¡±


    ¡°But how much help there will be, that can only be left to fate¡­¡±


    Situ Fang was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed, ¡°Thank you, Uncle!¡±


    Seeing Situ Fang like this, Situ Wang felt both relieved and emotional, but upon thinking of the Corpse Mine, his gaze filled with concern, and his expression was far from optimistic.


    Eighty Iron Corpses, tens of thousands of Walking Corpses, ah¡­


    A single misstep could turn into a catastrophe for the entire state boundary¡­


    Situ Wang shook his head and sighed, ¡°Difficult, indeed¡­¡±


    ¡­


    In South Yue City, South Yue Sect, within an incense-filled tea room,


    The Sect Leader of South Yue Sect was in confidential conversation with Elder Su.


    The Sect Leader of South Yue Sect, named Zhao, was in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, over two hundred eighty years old, having reigned over the South Yue Sect for one hundred and ten years, and he held considerable prestige within the Sect.


    ¡°Have you heard about the Lu Family¡¯s matter?¡±


    After they finished their tea, Sect Master Zhao came straight to the point.


    Elder Su frowned, ¡°Which matter is the Sect Leader referring to?¡±


    ¡°The matter of the mine.¡± Sect Master Zhao said.


    Elder Su pondered for a moment, then slowly said,


    ¡°I¡¯ve only heard some rumors¡­¡±


    Sect Master Zhao drank his tea, staying silent.


    Seeing that he could not discern anything from Sect Master Zhao¡¯s face, Elder Su weighed his words and asked,


    ¡°Does the Lu Family¡­ really have problems?¡±


    Sect Master Zhao glanced at him and spoke indifferently,


    ¡°Does the Lu Family have no issues, being able to occupy so many mines, manage to open up Jinhua Street, earn so many Spirit Stones, and live a life of luxury and indulgence?¡±


    ¡°Without engaging in production but making a huge profit, it¡¯s likely there are issues in nine out of ten cases.¡±


    Elder Su¡¯s expression grew solemn, ¡°What issues could the Lu Family have?¡±


    Sect Master Zhao shook his head slightly, ¡°It¡¯s just some idle rumors without any solid information, I shouldn¡¯t speak carelessly.¡±


    He looked at Elder Su and continued,


    ¡°I know you have quite a relationship with Lu Chengyun, and I called you here to entrust you with some matters.¡±


    Elder Su said respectfully,


    ¡°Please, Sect Master, give me your instruction!¡±


    Sect Master Zhao nodded slightly, then lowered his voice and said,


    ¡°Our South Yue Sect, from top to bottom, has good relations with the Lu Family, is related by interests, and has received no small amount of Spirit Stones from them¡­¡±


    Elder Su frowned and asked,


    ¡°Does the Sect Master mean that, because we¡¯ve received Spirit Stones from the Lu Family, we should form an alliance with them?¡±


    Sect Master Zhao shook his head, his voice carrying significant meaning,


    ¡°What I mean is, even though we have accepted the Lu Family¡¯s Spirit Stones, we must not be single-minded and stand on the same boat with the Lu Family¡­¡±


    Elder Su was taken aback, ¡°Isn¡¯t that somewhat¡­ dishonorable?¡±


    Sect Master Zhao shook his head, ¡°Sect interests come before honor.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t the Spirit Stones from the Lu Family also interests?¡±


    Sect Master Zhao explained,


    ¡°Spirit Stones are indeed interests, but they are only short-term profits. The survival and continuation of the Sect are the fundamental interests.¡±


    ¡°The abundance of Spirit Stones can indeed bring temporary prosperity.¡±


    ¡°But if we compromise our moral and ethical stances on good and evil for Spirit Stones and it affects the life and death of our Sect, we must decisively forgo the lesser profits for the greater good!¡±


    Elder Su pondered deeply, struck by the realization.


    Sect Master Zhao sighed,


    ¡°Many Cultivators don¡¯t understand this principle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why in South Yue City, sects and families rise and fall, but only our South Yue City has survived for hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family won¡¯t last as long as we have.¡±


    Sect Master Zhao looked at Elder Su and reminded him,


    ¡°Speak of interests when it¡¯s time to discuss interests, and uphold principles when it¡¯s time to talk about principles.¡±


    ¡°Do not sacrifice principles for profits, or it will lead to great disaster!¡±


    Elder Su nodded solemnly, ¡°Sect Master, I have taken it to heart.¡±


    Sect Master Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed with satisfaction,


    ¡°I¡¯m past my prime, and the position of Sect Master will have to be passed on sooner or later. You might not be as cunning as others, but you are loyal and proficient in Formations. With some honing, perhaps the position of Sect Master of our South Yue Sect will be yours one day¡­¡±


    Elder Su never expected to hear such words, and couldn¡¯t help asking,


    ¡°Sect Master, are you¡­ just leading me on?¡±


    Sect Master Zhao glared at him, ¡°Do you think I make such gestures to just anyone? I have high hopes for you!¡±


    Elder Su quickly bowed and said,


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Afterward, Sect Master Zhao gave him a few more instructions.


    Before leaving, Elder Su was still somewhat puzzled,


    ¡°Sect Master, regarding the matter with the Lu Family, what exactly should our South Yue Sect do?¡±


    Falling out with the Lu Family would be unwise. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Acting in complete collusion with the Lu Family was not very secure either.


    Sect Master Zhao then gave specific advice,


    ¡°If the Lu Family doesn¡¯t cause a stir, we¡¯ll pretend as if nothing happened, continue to take the Spirit Stones, doing business as usual when it¡¯s time to discuss interests.¡±


    ¡°But if the Lu Family does stir trouble, we must distinguish ourselves clearly from them, and even be prepared to suppress them at all costs. This is adhering to principles when it¡¯s time to talk about principles¡­¡±


    Elder Su finally understood.


    He was truly worthy of being the Sect Master; he was very flexible in handling interests and principles.

 Chapter 511 - 493 Calculated_1

    Chapter 511: Chapter 493 Calculated_1


    ¡°I have already issued an order that, within one month, disciples and elders of our sect are forbidden to have dealings with the Lu Family. As for what to do afterward, we¡¯ll base our decision on how the situation develops¡­¡±


    Sect Master Zhao¡¯s expression was somber, and then he glanced at Elder Su:


    ¡°You also shouldn¡¯t interact too much with Lu Chengyun. He¡¯s too cunning for you to handle¡­¡±


    After Sect Master Zhao finished speaking, he promptly offered tea to see the guest off.


    Elder Su left the tea room with a slight sigh.


    In the past, he had had a favorable impression of Lu Chengyun. Both being Formation Masters, they got along well, often drinking tea together, discussing the Tao, and even enjoying pleasure quarters together.


    However, he never imagined that beneath Lu Chengyun¡¯s genteel appearance lay such a heart of darkness¡­


    Indeed, it is true that one can know someone¡¯s face but not their heart.


    Feeling a pang of regret, Elder Su thought of Mo Hua, and a sense of regret washed over him.


    If he had known this would happen, he would not have told Lu Chengyun all of Mo Hua¡¯s information and gotten himself into Lu Chengyun¡¯s schemes¡­


    The more Elder Su thought about it, the more regretful he became, causing him to look up towards the mines with a worried expression, muttering to himself:


    ¡°I wonder if Mr. Little Mo will be alright¡­¡±


    ¡°And whether we¡¯ll ever be able to have tea together again¡­¡±


    Elder Su sighed.


    ¡­


    ¡°Little Junior Brother won¡¯t be in trouble, will he¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng sat under the big tree in the courtyard, frowning, filled with concern.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t been back for a long time. I¡¯ve been so worried recently that I¡¯ve lost my appetite.¡±


    Bai Zixi looked at him helplessly:


    ¡°You just find the meals unpalatable and want him to come back to cook, don¡¯t you¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng responded with a guilty conscience, ¡°I¡¯m worried about his safety. The cooking is secondary!¡±


    Bai Zixi glanced at him indifferently and ignored him.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Bai Zisheng added:


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just barge in and rescue Little Junior Brother?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough manpower,¡± Bai Zixi shook her head.


    ¡°How many people do we have now?¡± Bai Zisheng asked curiously.


    Bai Zixi pondered for a moment, her beautiful eyes slightly blinking, and then replied:


    ¡°Not counting the Situ Family and the Taoist Court, we only have five at the Foundation Establishment level and sixty in Qi Refinement.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat disappointed, ¡°That¡¯s all¡­ Are they people from our Bai Family?¡±


    ¡°No, they were hired by Aunt Xue with Flower Spirit Stones,¡± Bai Zixi said.


    ¡°What about the people from our Bai Family?¡±


    Bai Zixi looked at him with irritation, ¡°Where would we find people from the Bai Family? We¡¯re in Li State, and the Bai Family is so far away. Given the short time, how could they possibly make it here?¡±


    Bai Zisheng frowned, ¡°But with so few people, we¡¯re no match for the Lu Family. How are we going to rescue Mo Hua?¡±


    Her gaze cool and contemplative, Bai Zixi said after some thought:


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to rescue him directly. As long as we make a move, Little Junior Brother should be able to find a chance to escape on his own.¡±


    Bai Zisheng thought about it and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    His Little Junior Brother was very clever and full of tricks. Although lacking somewhat in cultivation, he had many bizarre methods at his disposal.


    He could use the Concealment Technique and the Water Passing Step.


    With a strong Divine Sense and expertise in formations.


    Ordinary cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to detect him, and ordinary formations couldn¡¯t hold him.


    As long as there was an opportunity, he would definitely be able to slip away¡­


    Bai Zisheng breathed a little easier, muttering to himself:


    ¡°He should be fine¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded slightly, her brow furrowed.


    The smiling face of Mo Hua emerged in her mind.


    She suddenly felt uneasy, her delicate and fair hand unconsciously fiddling with the Little Tiger in her hand.


    ¡­ sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside the bamboo room, Old Kui spoke in a wooden voice:


    ¡°There aren¡¯t enough people, right?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Not enough.¡±


    Curious, Old Kui inquired, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡±


    ¡°Worried about what?¡±


    With a dry voice, Old Kui said:


    ¡°With insufficient manpower, how will you deal with the Lu Family, how will you resist the Corpse Tide? You don¡¯t really expect the kid Mo Hua to solve all of this on his own, do you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Mr. Zhuang looked into the distance, slowly adding:


    ¡°Sometimes human efforts reach their limits; great undertakings in this world are not the work of one person alone. Many things also cannot be resolved by a single individual¡­¡±


    ¡°Behind every hero stand many unsung individuals.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was reflective.


    Old Kui furrowed his brow, ¡°Say something useful.¡±


    With a click of his tongue, Mr. Zhuang was somewhat speechless:


    ¡°Can¡¯t you let me finish my reflections?¡±


    Old Kui said, ¡°You¡¯ve repeated them too many times; my ears have calluses.¡±


    Disappointed, Mr. Zhuang ¡°criticized¡±:


    ¡°Can¡¯t you learn from Mo? He listens very carefully when I speak these words to him!¡±


    Old Kui said in silence: ¡°He is your disciple and needs to show you respect. I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Mr. Zhuang said helplessly, sighing.


    Old Kui, wooden in expression, asked, ¡°So, what exactly do you plan to do?¡±


    This time Mr. Zhuang spoke candidly:


    ¡°If we don¡¯t have enough people, I¡¯ll call for some help.¡±


    Old Kui showed a surprised look, ¡°You will call?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded.


    With a complex expression, Old Kui said quietly, ¡°A loner like you still has people willing to help you?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang, displeased, retorted, ¡°Why am I a loner? I have disciples now, and not just one but three!¡±


    Old Kui acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard, his brow furrowed as he said:


    ¡°Who are you asking for help?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave a mysterious smile.


    He took out an ancient Copper Coin and tossed it gently into the air. The coin tumbled, stirring the qi, and finally descended slowly, returning to the palm of his fair, slender hand.


    The Copper Coin reversed, and the Heavenly secret shifted.


    A trace of qi, almost imperceptible, tugged at causality, rippling outwards.


    Old Kui was stunned, then his gaze gradually cleared¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, to the west of Minor Wilderness State Boundary.


    In a remote Immortal City, three cultivators were resting in an inn.


    An emaciated elder, a middle-aged cultivator, and a young man in white.


    In front of them lay a simple spread of food and drink.


    But none of the three had much appetite.


    The young man in white silently ate the unappetizing meal, the middle-aged cultivator drank to satisfy his hunger, and the emaciated elder rested with his eyes closed.


    After three rounds of drinks, the emaciated elder suddenly opened his eyes.


    Feeling a tremor in his heart, he quickly took out the Three Talents Divination Copper Coin, shook it for a divination, and after calculating once, his eyes revealed shock.


    The young man in white looked puzzled by this.


    The middle-aged cultivator asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The emaciated elder seemed dazed as he murmured, ¡°I¡¯ve actually¡­ pinpointed that person¡¯s location¡­¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator became excited, crushed the wine cup in his hand, and stared as he asked:


    ¡°Really?¡±


    The emaciated elder still found it hard to believe but nodded and said:


    ¡°Yes! With the Three Talents Divination Copper Coin¡­ the divination sign is clear, there¡¯s no mistake.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± the emaciated elder was still somewhat puzzled, muttering to himself:


    ¡°How did I manage to calculate it? How could I calculate it? How did I come to calculate it¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t have such ability¡­¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator took it for granted as he said:


    ¡°Even the wisest can overlook something. We¡¯ve been thieves for a thousand days, and that person has been guarding against thieves for a thousand days; no matter how meticulous, there¡¯s always a moment of negligence, exposing a flaw for you to calculate once, that¡¯s normal¡­¡±


    A gleam of astuteness flashed in the middle-aged cultivator¡¯s eyes, ¡°We must seize this opportunity!¡±


    He threw two Spirit Stones onto the table, then immediately stood up, ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose, let¡¯s set out now.¡±


    The emaciated elder nodded, but was still somewhat doubtful of himself.


    The young man in white, however, was invigorated, with longing in his eyes as he thought of the person he might soon meet.


    The three set off immediately, following the lead of the divination signs, heading eastward from the Minor Wilderness State Boundary.


    In just a few days, the trio arrived at the outskirts of South Yue City.


    The middle-aged cultivator asked, ¡°Is this the place?¡±


    The emaciated elder nodded, ¡°According to the divination signs, yes.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator fell silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The emaciated elder pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s enter the city first to see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t this alarm our quarry?¡± the middle-aged cultivator was somewhat concerned.


    The emaciated elder sneered, ¡°What are you thinking? By the time you thought of coming here, that person might have already known. Our being here is just to try our luck, to see if there are any clues, to see if that person wants to meet us¡­¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator looked astonished and couldn¡¯t help muttering:


    ¡°Is it really that mystical?¡±


    The emaciated elder shook his head with a look that said ¡°you cannot discuss the ice with a summer insect,¡± and then he looked at the young man in white and warned:


    ¡°Young master, remember what I told you: you can look, but speak little and do less. The causality here is too great, and we cannot afford to provoke it.¡±


    The young man in white¡¯s expression turned solemn, and he nodded his head.


    The three entered South Yue City, settled down in an inn, and did some inquiring.


    After their inquiries, the trio gathered again, all wearing puzzled expressions.


    ¡°Why are there so many familiar faces?¡±


    ¡°Xie family from Kun State, Tu Family from Li State, Yuan Family from Qian State¡­¡±


    ¡°Hidden Taoist Sect, Return Sword Sect, Ten Thousand Formation Mountain¡­¡±


    ¡°Did they all calculate it?¡± the middle-aged cultivator frowned.


    The emaciated elder thought for a moment, then suddenly realized:


    ¡°It turns out it¡¯s not just me who calculated it, but everyone did, or rather, that person let us all calculate it¡­¡±


    The emaciated elder suddenly felt a lot more at ease.


    In matters of Heavenly secret Calculation, it¡¯s not bad to be mediocre; it¡¯s unexpected complications that are feared.


    Being mediocre at most means failing to calculate anything, and that¡¯s no big deal.


    What¡¯s really feared is an accident:


    If you suddenly can¡¯t calculate something you normally could, or if you suddenly manage to calculate something you normally couldn¡¯t.


    That¡¯s when trouble might become serious¡­


    If someone interferes with the Heavenly secret or there¡¯s a shocking change.


    Knowing his own limits, the emaciated elder now saw that everyone was present and had also calculated, showing that his skill level had not changed, was just as before, comfortably ¡°mediocre.¡±


    The heavy weight on the emaciated elder¡¯s heart was finally lifted.


    Then he began to wonder again:


    ¡°That person, elusive as a dragon, why would suddenly reveal this bit of trace and entice everyone here? What¡¯s the purpose?¡±


    Not only was the emaciated elder curious, but all the cultivators who had converged on South Yue City shared this doubt.


    But despite their long search, they still found nothing.


    Not understanding, the emaciated elder relaxed his Divine Sense, scanning South Yue City.


    There was nothing unusual about South Yue City.


    He looked again at the mines outside the city.


    Still, he found nothing.


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    Not giving up, the emaciated elder set up the Three Talents Divination Copper Coin and cast a divination. This time, he indeed sensed something fishy.


    The elder pondered for a moment, then cast a spell, blue light gathering in his eyes as he stripped away the outer appearance and glanced once more toward the mine outside the city.


    This look turned his face pale, his heart filled with dread, as he cried out:


    ¡°A sky-high surge of Corpse Qi!¡±


    ¡°Damn, how many zombies must there be?!¡±

 Chapter 512 - 494: Birthing Evil_1

    Chapter 512: Chapter 494: Birthing Evil_1


    In South Yue City, various clans and sect cultivators related to the Heaven Shu Pavilion gathered, each with their means and powers. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It wasn¡¯t only the gaunt old man who could see this.


    Above the mine, corpse qi pervaded the air.


    Within it, countless types of corpses were bred.


    Although those present were from prominent powers and had seen much of the world, they all inhaled sharply in the face of the soaring corpse qi.


    With the Taoist Court united, the Demon Path gradually declined.


    Where today could one find such intense corpse qi, let alone so many zombies?


    For a time, everyone was frightened and appalled.


    ¡°Audacious to the extreme!¡±


    ¡°Who is refining corpses?¡±


    ¡°¡­ How many people have been killed?¡±


    ¡°Defying the Taoist Court, disregarding Taoist Law, this is outrageous!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Which Demon Sect¡¯s handiwork is this?¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd was abuzz with discussion, and eventually, someone asked:


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    At this question, everyone fell somewhat silent.


    A cultivator said, ¡°With an evil demon present, we cannot sit idly by. We must annihilate it!¡±


    ¡°There are too many¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t handle this¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget our main task. We came here not to meddle in unnecessary matters.¡±


    ¡°How can this be called meddling in unnecessary matters?¡±


    ¡°Exterminating demons and protecting the way is just and righteous!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, putting on a righteous appearance, who are you trying to impress¡­¡±


    ¡°You motherfucker¡­¡±


    Voices of argument rose within the inn.


    But it remained within the inn only.


    The entire Nanyue Inn had been booked by these cultivators, who set up measures to conceal sight and sound, keeping outsiders away. If one wasn¡¯t of their ilk, they couldn¡¯t enter this inn.


    After a long dispute, the gaunt old man, who practiced Three Talents Divination with Copper Coins, suddenly frowned and slowly asked:


    ¡°Do you know where that person is?¡±


    There was a moment of silence among the crowd, and then they all shook their heads.


    The gaunt old man continued:


    ¡°He let us calculate his location, drawing us here, but once here, his trace is nowhere found. Instead, we encounter a mountain permeated with corpse qi. Do you think this is a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°What are you implying?¡±


    The gaunt old man said, ¡°Perhaps it is because of this Corpse Mountain that he led us here.¡±


    Everyone exchanged glances, and someone else spoke:


    ¡°And then what?¡±


    ¡°Did he have a moment of compassion, hoping we would lend a hand?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s dragging us here to do the heavy lifting¡­¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps, is it a test for us? Whoever can solve this problem, he¡¯ll meet with them?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Our intentions aren¡¯t pure¡­ he is not some benevolent old man bestowing opportunities upon others.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ That person is arrogant, a genius with exceptional talents, thinking of no one as his equal. Why would he play such a boring game with us?¡±


    ¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡±


    The crowd looked at each other, each with their own ulterior motives, and remained silent.


    They eventually dispersed unhappily, leaving the matter unresolved.


    After the gaunt old man and two others returned to their room, they set up a Sound Isolation Formation and began a secret discussion.


    The middle-aged cultivator said, ¡°The corpse qi is too intense, and in a short while, it is likely to evolve into a Corpse Tide. This South Yue City is no place to linger.¡±


    The gaunt old man asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What else could I mean? Let¡¯s hurry and leave. If we don¡¯t go now and get caught in the Corpse Tide, we might not be able to get out.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator¡¯s tone was slightly heavy, ¡°Even without the Corpse Tide, anyone who can deceive the heavens and refine so many zombies with these methods is not someone easy to contend with.¡±


    ¡°What good does this thankless task bring us? Why should we wade into these muddy waters?¡±


    The gaunt old man was silent.


    The middle-aged cultivator asked in surprise, ¡°You don¡¯t plan to stay, do you?¡±


    The gaunt old man¡¯s brows were tightly knit, and he nodded slightly.


    The middle-aged cultivator clicked his tongue and turned to ask the white-clothed youth, ¡°What about you, young master?¡±


    The white-clothed youth nodded and said:


    ¡°With the Corpse Tide wreaking havoc and the lives of sentient beings at stake, I also wish to stay and offer whatever help I can.¡±


    Such youthful idealism and fiery words gave him a bit of a headache.


    But if he were to leave alone¡­ without the old man¡¯s Three Talents Divination with Copper Coins, he would be like a headless fly, bumping around aimlessly.


    The middle-aged cultivator, somewhat unwillingly, asked the old man:


    ¡°Do you really want to stay?¡±


    The gaunt old man nodded, as if pondering something serious, and after a moment, he slowly said:


    ¡°I¡­ have a premonition¡­¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator was taken aback, ¡°What premonition?¡±


    The gaunt old man took a deep breath, his gaze uncertain:


    ¡°These days, I occasionally feel a sense of dread.¡±


    ¡°It seems that there is a great terror ahead, extremely dangerous, with life and death uncertain.¡±


    ¡°Yet, if we can suppress the Corpse Mine and save this city, or even the cultivators in this prefecture border, perhaps we can establish a good karmic connection. In a future encounter with life-and-death adversity, there might be a glimmer of hope for survival¡­¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator furrowed his brows.


    He felt nothing, and naturally, he believed in nothing.


    But he also knew the saying: Heed others¡¯ advice, and you¡¯ll have enough to eat.


    In the Cultivation World, cultivators who live to an old age must trust even the most ethereal of premonitions.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stay too, but let me make it clear: the moment things look bad, I¡¯m out of here.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator said resignedly.


    The gaunt old man nodded, the white-clothed youth breathed a sigh of relief and smiled faintly.


    The next day, there were fewer people in the inn.


    Some had left South Yue City, unable to find any clues about Mr. Zhuang, and went elsewhere to search.


    Some, concerned about the outbreak of the Corpse Tide and unable to fend for themselves, left without a word.


    But there were also those who stayed.


    Some, like the gaunt old man, had a vague premonition of a thread of karma and mystery emanating from the Corpse Mine.


    There were also those who had no premonitions but were simply of upright character and wished to eliminate the zombies, hoping to do something for the local cultivators.


    The crowd discussed how to suppress the Corpse Mine.


    However, with countless zombies inside the mine, dealing with it was extremely tricky.


    ¡°With just us cultivators, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°We need to write a letter, to call for reinforcements from our clan or sect.¡±


    ¡°It will take some time¡­¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no other way, we can¡¯t just rush in unprepared like a brash young man and seek death¡­¡±


    ¡°We know nothing about the situation inside the Corpse Mine.¡±


    ¡°How many Iron Corpses, how many Walking Corpses, are there any other special zombies, and who is refining them? Are the local Tao Cultivation forces involved?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, there must be local forces involved. The construction of a Corpse Mine requires a lot of manpower and material resources. Without the support of local forces, it can¡¯t be built.¡±


    ¡°The Lu Family, perhaps¡­¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡±


    ¡°Any evidence?¡±


    ¡°Just a hunch, you can tell at a glance¡­¡±


    ¡°When the mighty dragon doesn¡¯t suppress the local snake, then we¡¯re in trouble.¡±


    A young cultivator said proudly:


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that this place is only a Second-Grade Prefecture Border. The Heavenly Dao limits us; Golden Cores cannot act. Otherwise, I would have my father come over and flatten this mountain with one sword!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, we know your father is a Golden Core¡­¡±


    ¡°Even a Golden Core coming over wouldn¡¯t be able to flatten it with one sword¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if it were flattened, these zombies wouldn¡¯t be exterminated in a short time. Once the zombies go out of control and invade South Yue City, then all the cultivators in the city would turn into zombies, resulting in an even bigger problem¡­¡±


    ¡°Young man, don¡¯t be too hot-tempered.¡±


    ¡°To solve problems, we can¡¯t do without military force, but relying solely on military force won¡¯t do either¡­¡±


    The young cultivator sat down sullenly.


    ¡°So what do we do?¡± someone else asked.


    After a moment of contemplation, someone slowly said, ¡°Taoist Court?¡±


    ¡°To request the mobilization of Taoist Soldiers?¡±


    ¡°That might be a solution¡­¡±


    ¡°Who has connections to the Taoist Soldiers Court?¡±


    ¡°There are a few uncles in my family who hold positions within the Taoist Soldiers Court¡­¡±


    An elder shook his head, ¡°Forget it, the Taoist Court won¡¯t send Taoist Soldiers. Even if they do, how many can they send?¡±


    ¡°The risk is too high, the cost too great.¡±


    ¡°Why would that be? Eliminating demons and purging evil is the fundamental principle of the Taoist Law, as well as the responsibility of the Taoist Court!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what is said¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t oversimplify the matter.¡±


    ¡°So much manpower and material resources can¡¯t just be mobilized at will.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, if you count everything from top to bottom, with all that gets skimmed off each layer, the actual cost could be even greater.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say such things¡­¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court has its own difficulties¡­¡±


    ¡°What difficulties? The kind that come from demanding bribes and kickbacks?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be snide¡­¡±


    ¡°Your mother¡¯s¡­¡±


    As the people talked, the conversation turned heated.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± an elder with a white beard and high seniority slowly said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the important matters.¡±


    The argument subsided.


    After a moment of silence in the room, someone else said:


    ¡°Why don¡¯t our families jointly submit a petition to the Taoist Court, clearly stating the pros and cons, bringing the matter into the open, so that the Taoist Court cannot ignore it¡­¡±


    The crowd nodded slightly in agreement.


    At that moment, the gaunt old man from the group suddenly stood up, his hands clutching a Copper Coin for divination, his face pale.


    The cultivators looked at each other, some puzzled.


    The white-bearded elder frowned and asked, ¡°Brother Wen, what has happened?¡±


    The gaunt old man¡¯s expression was panicky, his voice trembling as he said:


    ¡°Just now, I had a moment of inspiration and cast a divination with the Copper Coin¡­¡±


    ¡°The divination revealed¡­¡±


    ¡°It revealed¡­ the future scene of the mine.¡±


    Thinking of that vision, the gaunt old man was still somewhat shaken:


    ¡°The living mixed with the dead, the boundaries between life and death indistinguishable, the living like corpses, corpses like the living, and reigning above them, a Corpse King with dark gold blood in its eyes, not subject to the control of any man or corpse¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, the white-bearded elder¡¯s face turned pale.


    The other cultivators, however, were somewhat at a loss, ¡°What of it?¡±


    ¡°It means,¡± the gaunt old man said with a look of fear, slowly:


    ¡°That within this Corpse Mine, a Corpse King has been refined. If not suppressed and left unchecked, it will turn into a disaster within a hundred years. This Corpse King will become¡­ a Corpse Sin!¡±


    ¡°Which is to say, this Corpse Mine is actually nurturing a Taoist Demon!¡±


    At these words, all the cultivators were stricken with fear.


    ¡°Taoist Demon!¡±


    This was a term only seen in the Tao Cultivation Canon, signifying a disaster that human power could hardly resist.


    Even the clans or sects with a thousand years of heritage had records of being destroyed by a Taoist Demon¡­


    Nurturing a Taoist Demon?


    The voice of the white-bearded elder trembled involuntarily, ¡°Is this¡­ true?¡±


    The gaunt old man¡¯s heart throbbed, ¡°The divination is so¡­¡±


    After a pause, he added, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have calculated such a thing with my own abilities¡­¡±


    The implication was that someone else had made him calculate it or, rather, had conveyed it through his divination to everyone¡­


    Who that person was, everyone had a clear idea.


    The white-bearded elder fell silent for a moment, his face stern as he said:


    ¡°Report this matter to the Heaven Shu Pavilion, request the Pavilion Elders to calculate.¡±


    ¡°At the same time, also petition the Taoist Court, to request support from the Taoist Soldiers¡­¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s true as said, that within the Corpse Mine, a Taoist Demon is being nurtured, then we must mobilize all the cultivators we can, at all costs, to suppress the Corpse Mine, slay the Corpse King, and eradicate this Taoist Demon from its inception, leaving no future troubles!¡±

 Chapter 513 - 495: Refining_1

    Chapter 513: Chapter 495: Refining_1


    Time was of the essence. Without delay, everyone sent out messages to report the matter of the ¡°Taoist Demon¡±.


    The news set off a thousand ripples. Not only were various clans and sects shocked, but the Taoist Court was also shaken.


    Within the Heaven Shu Pavilion.


    The Pavilion Elder watched the celestial observatory, deducing in his mind, before slowly nodding and saying,


    ¡°It¡¯s a sign of the Taoist Demon¡­¡±


    He took out a Jade Slip, inscribed a few patterns, and then instructed a disciple, ¡°Give this to the Taoist Soldiers Court.¡±


    The disciple respectfully took it, sealed it in a secret box, and without delay, promptly delivered it to the Taoist Soldiers Court.


    The Taoist Soldiers Court urgently deliberated and then issued a mobilization order:


    From Li State, the boundary of Minor Wilderness State, as well as the nearby Black Mountain State Boundary, Li Mountain State Boundary, and Great Wilderness State boundary, to the borderlands of the barbaric territory, summon ten Foundation Establishment leaders and two thousand first-assessment Taoist soldiers. They were to march day and night to South Yue City in the boundary of Minor Wilderness State to suppress the Corpse Mine and quell the undead menace. Any who obstructed their path were to be executed without mercy!


    Meanwhile, the Central Tao Court also sent out a summons:


    Within a five-hundred-mile radius of Minor Wilderness State Boundary, any power acknowledged and assessed by the Taoist Court was to deploy at least one Foundation Building Cultivator to South Yue City to aid in the fight, to flatten the Corpse Mine, and to exterminate the Corpse King.


    After the matter was settled, rewards would be distributed according to merit.


    Should anyone disobey the command, their clan or sect would be demoted in rank, and they would be ineligible for promotion for a hundred years¡­


    With the order released, various powers were stirred, and cultivators moved about in alarm.


    The momentum of an impending torrential downpour was gathering over South Yue City¡­


    At the high pavilions of the Heaven Shu Pavilion,


    The Pavilion Elder stood alone, his gaze deep as he looked up at the sky. After a long while, he murmured softly,


    ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people, huh¡­¡±


    In his eyes, there was a hint of surprise.


    ¡°To actually rear a Taoist Demon¡­ within a hundred years¡­ another great demon will arise¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ is the Taoist Demon so easy to rear?¡±


    ¡°Is it the problem of Gui Tao¡¯s people or has the Heavenly Dao¡­ developed a problem¡­?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder silently gazed at the sky.


    Yet in the sky, where winds surged and clouds roiled, and within the daylight, no one could discern the mysteries secreted away; under the blazing sun, not a single sign could be seen.


    The frown on the Pavilion Elder¡¯s brow only grew deeper.


    ¡­


    Outside, the situation was rapidly changing, with undercurrents flowing in secret among various powers.


    Within the Corpse Mine, however, it was business as usual.


    Each evening, Zhang Quan would still ring his bell for corpse refinement, Lu Chengyun continued his Formation Painting, and Mo Hua shared the same routine, tracing over Lu Chengyun¡¯s Formation Patterns.


    Within the bronze coffin, the Corpse Qi grew denser, its presence more imposing.


    But within it, the triple layers of control slowly intensified¡­


    Until three days later, the Corpse King was about to be refined to completion.


    Within the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar, Zhang Quan could hardly contain his glee, and he burst into wild laughter, saying,


    ¡°Soon after the Corpse King awakens and comes under my control! The entire Minor Wilderness State Boundary will be littered with floating corpses, becoming a true Minor ¡®Corpse¡¯ Wilderness; and I, Zhang Quan, will become the old ancestor of the Corpse Path of this state boundary!¡±


    ¡°Lu Brother, Lu Chengyun!¡±


    ¡°I will make you realize who the real short-sighted one is¡ªit¡¯s you!¡±


    After laughing, Zhang Quan left.


    Once Zhang Quan had gone, Lu Chengyun made his appearance. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a calm expression, he reinforced the Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation and, looking in the direction Zhang Quan had left, sneered,


    ¡°Playing tricks under my nose? Courting death!¡±


    After sneering, Lu Chengyun, too, departed.


    The last to show himself was Mo Hua, with his big eyes twinkling.


    He smoothly opened the coffin, drew the formation, used the genuine Spiritual Pivot Formation to suppress Lu Chengyun¡¯s Evil Formation and increase his own control over the Corpse King.


    After finishing his work, Mo Hua¡¯s young face broke into a mischievous grin as he exclaimed playfully,


    ¡°Let¡¯s see who this big dumpling will listen to once it¡¯s refined!¡±


    Mo Hua earnestly completed the Formation Drawing, meticulously sealed the coffin, and tiptoed away from the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar.


    After leaving the altar, Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then, using Little Tiger, sent a note to his Junior Brother and Sisters.


    The note read:


    ¡°In three days, on the fifteenth of July, the Corpse King will be refined, and the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses will commence.¡±


    Mo Hua placed the note on Little Tiger.


    Obeying the command, Little Tiger ¡°huffed and puffed¡± as it climbed upward.


    In his heart, Mo Hua harbored some worries.


    With so many zombies within the Corpse Mine, he didn¡¯t know how many people his Junior Brother, Sisters, and Sister Situ had mobilized.


    If there weren¡¯t enough people, trouble was sure to follow.


    They wouldn¡¯t be able to control Lu Chengyun, subdue the zombies or suppress the Corpse Mine, and if an uprising occurred, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    But after considering every angle, Mo Hua also felt certain there wouldn¡¯t be enough people.


    Their current strength was no match for Lu Chengyun.


    He couldn¡¯t think of any other place to summon more cultivators from¡­


    ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s out of my hands now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly.


    He had done all that he could.


    What remained were matters that he, a mere Qi Refinement cultivator, had no power to change.


    All he could do was to make the best effort possible and leave the rest to fate.


    The most important thing now was to find a way to escape.


    Mo Hua had already planned ahead:


    ¡°As soon as someone attacks the Corpse Mine and the two sides clash, causing chaos, I¡¯ll find a way to slip away!¡±


    At that time, Lu Chengyun was too preoccupied with the formidable enemy at hand to care about me.


    Hiding myself and dismantling his Formation, I¡¯d be able to escape smoothly.


    As for the Contemplation Map¡­


    I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s a chance, but if not, so be it.


    The Contemplation Map is truly a valuable item, and I¡¯ve always been thinking about Zhang Quan¡¯s ancestor depicted in it.


    But life is more important; I can¡¯t risk it all for a mere Contemplation Map anymore.


    In this mine, with so many Zombies and the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses harboring dozens of Iron Corpses, Zhang Quan glaring at me like a tiger stalking its prey, and Lu Chengyun harboring ill intentions¡­


    It¡¯s better to be a coward when faced with danger at every turn.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    After escaping, I¡¯ll make a long-term plan¡­


    I¡¯ll slip out first, then find someone to help, and with backup, I¡¯ll sneak back in. Secretly controlling the Corpse King, maybe I can ¡°ambush¡± Lu Chengyun.


    Thinking it through and finding no flaws, he finally felt at ease.


    But what Mo Hua didn¡¯t anticipate was that things would still go awry.


    And this surprise came unexpectedly¡­


    The next day, he was still hiding behind the sacrificial altar.


    Zhang Quan was still ringing his bell to control corpses.


    However, after ringing the bell, Zhang Quan spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his pale face turning instantly ghastly white, yet he kept laughing as he chanted:


    ¡°Success! Success!¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    ¡°What¡¯s successful? Why is Zhang Quan so ecstatic?¡±


    Next, Zhang Quan walked straight to the front of the altar and suddenly pulled off the yellow cloth!


    Mo Hua was startled; he focused his gaze and saw that under the cloth was indeed a corpse.


    The corpse was ferocious and sinister, its face bearing a resemblance to that in the mural.


    It was indeed the Lu Family Old Ancestor, ¡°Capitalist Lu.¡±


    His eyes bulged with bloody streaks, ugly beyond compare, and his chest had been flayed open, forming a large hole with no heart inside.


    A shiver ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    He had guessed correctly.


    They were indeed refining the Lu Family Old Ancestor into the Corpse King!


    The bronze coffin was used for Corpse Refinement, refining the heart, while the Golden Altar was for the sacrificial ceremony of the corpse.


    Zhang Quan bowed and said:


    ¡°Elder Lu, that deceiving Lu Chengyun has tricked you and harmed you, making Zombies work the mines, making you oversee such laborious work.¡±


    ¡°This is an insult to you!¡±


    ¡°I, on the other hand, will make you the leader of ten thousand Zombies, the Corpse King of the Minor Wilderness State Boundary, striking fear into the cultivators of this state, ensuring your name is revered for a hundred years!¡±


    ¡­


    Zhang Quan passionately delivered his ambitious speech.


    Mo Hua frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it said that the Corpse King would be refined in three days?


    What did Zhang Quan mean now?


    He was opening the coffin early?


    Mo Hua sneakily glanced at Lu Chengyun, who was hiding behind the altar, and saw that his expression was also a bit excited, but not surprised.


    It seemed he too knew that today was the day the Corpse King would be refined.


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded.


    So, only I was unaware?


    On the fifteenth of July, the Corpse King will emerge from the coffin.


    This had been the unified story shared by Zhang Quan and Lu Chengyun.


    Both had conspired and said as much.


    Mo Hua, eavesdropping, had heard the same.


    Yet, he never expected that Zhang Quan was deceiving Lu Chengyun, who, fully aware, did not expose him; therefore, in the end, the only one deceived was the eavesdropping Mo Hua himself.


    Mo Hua was somewhat speechless and helpless:


    Who made me an amateur in Corpse Refinement? Amateurs are always easily deceived by the experts.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Quan had already opened the coffin and the bronze casket, lifting a dark green, sinewy heart enveloped in Formation Patterns, solemnly and respectfully, and shoved it into the chest cavity of the Lu Family Old Ancestor¡¯s heartless corpse on the altar.


    The eerie heart gave a bizarre twitch.


    A muffled sound echoed.


    Then, blood streaks formed, resembling threads, weaving on their own, fusing tightly with the corpse.


    The beating of the heart grew louder.


    Though the sound was not loud, it made Mo Hua feel an oppressive suffocation.


    Mo Hua hastily covered his ears.


    But the sound seemed to arise within his heart, filled with a frightening majesty, capable of commanding the dead.


    At the same time, Zhang Quan bowed down and murmured incantations.


    These were Corpse Path incantations.


    Dull and sinister, unlike any human voice.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand at all, but the chanting made him feel nauseous.


    Mo Hua struggled to endure. After an unknown period, the incantation and heartbeat sounds ceased simultaneously, and deathly silence fell over the altar.


    Zhang Quan suddenly looked frenzied.


    And atop the altar, the Lu Family Old Ancestor abruptly opened his eyes!


    Lu Chengyun, hidden in the shadows, grinned sinisterly, his eyes gleaming coldly.

 Chapter 514 - 514: 496

    Chapter 514: 496


    In the center of the altar, terrifying corpse Qi pervaded.


    The original Lu Family Old Ancestor had now been refined into a ¡°Corpse King.¡±


    Its eyes were pitch black, and within its pupils, a hint of blood red flared, and within that blood red, a streak of dark gold shone, making it look utterly different from the other zombies.


    The Corpse King¡¯s body was enwreathed with an almost tangible density of corpse Qi, resembling gray-black blood that twined around it.


    It suddenly swelled in size; its originally withered corpse flesh, as the blood vessels coagulated, gradually became burly, towering over nine feet tall.


    The Corpse King¡¯s body surged with evil power, and its aura was cold and dreadful, with an underlying brutality and a fearsome majesty which made people quake in fear.


    Zhang Quan looked on, eyes filled with obsession, muttering:


    ¡°Good! Good!¡±


    ¡°Worthy of being the Corpse King!¡±


    ¡°Worthy of commanding tens of thousands of zombies¡ªthe Corpse King has such an aura of corpse Qi, such an imposing presence, truly extraordinary!¡±


    ¡°I, Zhang Quan, have not let down the expectations of my ancestors, nor have I failed the bloodline of the Zhang family. I have finally refined the ultimate Corpse King of the Zhang Family¡¯s Corpse Path!¡±


    Zhang Quan fell to his knees with a thud and made several loud kowtows facing the empty ground on the other side.


    ¡°Ancestors above, your descendant Zhang Quan has brought glory to our lineage!¡±


    After bowing his head, Zhang Quan stood up, took a deep breath, and then took out the pitch-black Corpse Controlling Bell that was neither stone nor wood, neither bronze nor iron and shook the bell to command the Corpse King.


    At the sound of the bell, the Corpse King¡¯s gaze shifted, as if it had ¡°come to life.¡±


    Simultaneously, the iron coffins of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses began to stir.


    The coffin lids were thrown open, and one after another, dark cyan hands reached out from the coffins. Iron Corpses, obeying the orders of the Corpse King, climbed out of the iron coffins, bowing before the Corpse King and then turning to kowtow toward Zhang Quan.


    Zhang Quan was overjoyed!


    He could feel that through commanding the Corpse King, he could control these more than twenty Iron Corpses simultaneously!


    More than twenty Iron Corpses!


    That meant more than twenty Foundation Building combat forces under his command.


    And this was just the beginning, and there would be more in the future!


    As long as he controlled the Iron Corpses to group attack and kill Foundation Building Cultivators, and then refined their dead bodies into Iron Corpses, and used the Iron Corpses to kill more Foundation Builders¡­


    This cycle repeated itself, and he would have more and more Iron Corpses under his command.


    Without the Corpse King, he could only control one or two Iron Corpses at most at the same time.


    But with the Corpse King, even if there were hundreds of Iron Corpses, he could control them all at once.


    In this way, he would have an army of demonic ¡°Corpse soldiers¡± under his sole command, comparable to Second Grade Taoist Soldiers!


    In the Second-Grade Prefecture Border, this Corpse army could sweep away all before it, invincible!


    For a moment, Zhang Quan¡¯s heart blossomed with joy.


    But just as Zhang Quan was lost in his fantasies, he was completely oblivious to the fact that an Iron Corpse behind him had its stiff eyes rotate, its gaze slightly turning green as it slowly turned its head towards him.


    The Iron Corpse opened its mouth, displaying its dark cyan fangs.


    It silently moved behind Zhang Quan, opening its gaping maw, its fangs sharp and foul-smelling, coated with a yin-green Corpse Poison as it viciously bit down on Zhang Quan¡¯s neck!


    Cold, dangerous winds blew in waves!


    Zhang Quan jolted alert, feeling an icy chill on his back, as if something were standing behind him, its rotten breath spraying on the back of his neck, making his hairs stand on end.


    In the corner of his eye, he saw an ugly dark cyan corpse face and a pair of venomous fangs!


    Zhang Quan was horrified and quickly twisted his body to the side.


    But the reaction time was too short, and although he managed to avoid a fatal attack, his right shoulder was still grazed by the fangs of the Iron Corpse, leaving two bloody marks, tearing his clothing and soaking it with blood.


    The cold and strange Corpse Poison, following the wound, mixed into the bloodstream, spreading throughout his body.


    Zhang Quan felt that a bloodthirsty, non-human consciousness was gradually taking over his own.


    Iron Corpse Corpse Poison!


    Zhang Quan¡¯s heart trembled with fear, and he hastily retreated several yards, taking out a bottle of Pills and swallowing them to temporarily suppress the Corpse Poison in his body.


    Having suppressed the Corpse Poison, Zhang Quan breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze then turned cold as he looked towards the Iron Corpse.


    This Iron Corpse wanted to kill him?!


    But to his surprise, after biting him once, the Iron Corpse no longer moved and stopped in its tracks.


    Zhang Quan frowned, ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    He remained cautious, inching closer to take a look.


    He found that aside from his own blood on the fangs of this Iron Corpse, there was nothing else unusual about it.


    Zhang Quan tried to control it.


    This Iron Corpse¡¯s movements and retreats were completely under his command, without a hint of loss of control.


    Zhang Quan furrowed his brow.


    Just as he was puzzled and unable to understand, without any warning, another Iron Corpse¡¯s eyes moved, its pupils changed slightly, and it opened its ferocious fangs, lunging at Zhang Quan to attack.


    This time Zhang Quan was somewhat prepared, and he quickly rolled back to dodge, barely avoiding it.


    And this Iron Corpse, just like the other one, stopped after a single attack, its pupils turning dull and lifeless once again.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s face grew stern as his mind raced.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Intermittent loss of control?


    Was the Corpse King not well refined, or was there a problem with his Corpse control?


    Could it be that because there were too many Iron Corpses, he couldn¡¯t control them momentarily, leading to this feign-death situation?


    Zhang Quan was uncertain and apprehensive.


    But before he could think further, more Iron Corpses suddenly attacked, lunging from behind.


    This time it wasn¡¯t just one, but two, each attacking once before stopping, and after a brief moment, the number of ambushing zombies gradually increased to three¡­


    Zhang Quan was hard-pressed to defend himself, and the bite marks from the zombies on his body grew more numerous¡­


    But he was still clueless, utterly unaware of what was happening.


    Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, Lu Chengyun who was controlling the Iron Corpses, smiled malevolently.


    And Mo Hua, who had been watching everything, cursed Zhang Quan in his heart for being a fool.


    ¡°Lu Chengyun is playing you, How can your brain fail to figure out such a simple thing?¡±


    When Zhang Quan was played by Lu Chengyun to the point of being covered in wounds, he finally realized it.


    Someone was controlling these Iron Corpses!


    The Iron Corpses were under the control of the Corpse King.


    And in this corpse mine, who else could control the Corpse King?


    Zhang Quan clenched his teeth and shouted, ¡°Lu Chengyun!¡±


    ¡°You motherfucker¡­¡±


    ¡°Hiding your head while showing your tail, come out to me!¡±


    By now, Lu Chengyun no longer hid, but slowly came out from behind the altar.


    Zhang Quan was taken aback, then said with hatred, ¡°It really is you!¡±


    Lu Chengyun replied calmly, ¡°Brother Zhang, I¡¯ve been sincere with you, yet I never thought you¡¯d attempt to steal my Corpse King and ruin my grand plan behind my back?¡±


    Zhang Quan looked surprised and confused, frowning as he asked, ¡°When exactly did you find out?¡±


    Lu Chengyun smiled without giving an answer, instead said lightly, ¡°Does it even matter at this point?¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes twitched.


    Indeed, at this point, everything was out in the open, with both parties having torn their facades, engaged in a life-and-death struggle. Knowing these details was meaningless.


    Zhang Quan sneered, ¡°Since when did the Corpse King become yours? It was refined using my Zhang Family¡¯s bronze coffin and my Zhang Family¡¯s methods of Corpse Refinement. It should belong to the Zhang Family!¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head, ¡°Brother Zhang, you are mistaken. This Corpse King was made using the body of the Lu Family Old Ancestor.¡±


    Zhang Quan scoffed, ¡°What do you mean ¡®your Lu Family¡¯? You¡¯re just a son-in-law who climbed up by clinging to a woman and opportunistically sycophanting. What does the Lu Family have to do with you?¡±


    Those words seemed to strike a nerve in Lu Chengyun.


    His eyelids twitched, and his smile became colder. After a moment of silence, he sighed, ¡°Brother Zhang, I¡¯ve long known about your duplicity¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, everyone has their own ambitions, I don¡¯t blame you.¡±


    ¡°But you should never have meddled with the Corpse King.¡±


    ¡°The Corpse King is not something someone of your caliber can control!¡±


    Zhang Quan burst into mocking laughter, ¡°You are fit to control it? You, who seek after fame and fortune, conduct yourself in sneaky ways, have a spine of jelly, and go around bribing people with Spirit Stones¡­ What caliber do you speak of?¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s face twisted as he drew a slender sword. With a flash of the blade, he went straight for Zhang Quan¡¯s face.


    Zhang Quan spat out a curse and swallowed a Corpse Blood Pill. He underwent Corpse Transformation suddenly, his flesh turned iron-blue and his eyes crimson, and he clashed with Lu Chengyun.


    For a time, the sword light was overflowing and the Corpse Qi was rampant.


    The surrounding coffins were also shattered into fine dust by the sword Qi and the punch winds.


    Mo Hua looked into the distance and saw that the coffin of the little zombie under his control was far enough not to be affected by the battle. He breathed a sigh of relief and then continued to watch.


    The two had harbored grudges against each other for a long time, but each had been biding their time. Now that the old resentment had erupted, they spared no effort.


    However, Zhang Quan, who had taken pills, was clearly no match for Lu Chengyun, especially since he had previous wounds from being ambushed by Lu Chengyun with the controlled Iron Corpses. At the moment, he was barely holding on.


    After fighting for a while, Zhang Quan repelled Lu Chengyun with a punch and thought about controlling the Corpse King to kill Lu Chengyun.


    The Corpse King, under his control, constricted its pupils, and its blood color intensified.


    But at the same time, Lu Chengyun also moved his Divine Thought, using the Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation to control the Corpse King.


    Both were trying to control the Corpse King.


    The Corpse King¡¯s pupils flickered between brightness and darkness, its blood color deepened and lightened by turns, its killing intent waxing and waning. After a while, it became as motionless as wood or stone, silent and still.


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts stirred slightly.


    It seemed that when the control from both sides clashed, and neither could overpower the other, the Corpse King would not help either side.


    Unable to control the Corpse King, Lu Chengyun and Zhang Quan began trying to control the Iron Corpses through the Corpse King.


    Zhang Quan rang a bell, and Lu Chengyun controlled the Formation.


    After a standoff, they each controlled a portion of the Iron Corpses. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Quan managed to control eleven, while Lu Chengyun, being stronger than Zhang Quan, controlled thirteen Iron Corpses.


    Zhang Quan and Lu Chengyun went back to fighting each other.


    And the Iron Corpses they controlled started fighting to the death as well, making the scene even more chaotic.


    Mo Hua climbed further up the altar to keep away from the fray.


    From atop the altar, Mo Hua peered down to find the situation becoming increasingly clear.


    Zhang Quan, already weaker than Lu Chengyun and with two fewer Iron Corpses under his control, naturally fell at a disadvantage.


    After a fierce battle, Lu Chengyun¡¯s clothes were torn, but his demeanor was collected, and his breath steady.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Quan was in dire straits, covered in wounds, panting heavily.


    Mo Hua shook his head, thinking that if this continued, Zhang Quan would be finished.


    Once Zhang Quan was done for, Lu Chengyun would be unchallenged, making it less convenient for himself to fish in troubled waters.


    Perhaps he should help Zhang Quan?


    Mo Hua blinked, contemplating.


    Sneakily, he made some small moves¡­


    It was also a good opportunity to test whether the Spiritual Pivot Formation he had laid was effective.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, then he crossed his legs and sat down, holding his breath and concentrating, quietly sensing.


    Thus, amidst Zhang Quan¡¯s and Lu Chengyun¡¯s tumultuous fight, no one noticed an obscure Divine Sense silently connecting with the formation on the Corpse King¡¯s chest, stealthily controlling the Corpse King, and using it to control a portion of the Iron Corpses¡­

 Chapter 515 - 497 Ancestors_1

    Chapter 515: Chapter 497 Ancestors_1


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua communicated with the Spiritual Pivot Formation using Divine Sense, manipulating the Corpse King, and he instantly felt three forces of domination, co-existing yet disparate, within the body of the Corpse King.


    One was the Corpse control method commonly used by corpse cultivators, mediated by the Corpse Controlling Bell.


    Another was the Corpse control method of the Evil Formation, with the Spirit Pivot as its core.


    The last one was the orthodox Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation Spirit Controlling Method, which Mo Hua himself had set up, of the first rank and twelve Patterns.


    These three forces, forming a mutually restraining triangle, opposed each other, and in a short time, none could fully control the Corpse King.


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.


    He had wanted to fully control the Corpse King, manipulate all the Iron Corpses, join forces with Zhang Quan to slaughter Lu Chengyun, then turn around and kill Zhang Quan as well.


    To use a borrowed knife to kill someone, ¡°one corpse, two lives¡±.


    But now with the power divided, Mo Hua was uncertain if he could overcome the Corpse Controlling Bell and the Spirit Pivot Evil Formation, to completely dominate the Corpse King within a short period.


    However, this was also within his expectations.


    Mo Hua did not forcefully activate the Formation to dominate the Corpse King.


    This way, if his strike didn¡¯t succeed, he could avoid startling the prey and revealing his own methods left on the Corpse King.


    The Corpse King could not be controlled, but the Iron Corpses could.


    Like Lu Chengyun, he began to control the Iron Corpses indirectly through the Corpse King.


    Within the altar, there were a total of twenty-four Iron Corpses.


    Zhang Quan controlled eleven, and Lu Chengyun controlled thirteen.


    Mo Hua, by taking advantage of the Spiritual Pivot Formation on the Corpse King¡¯s Heart Pulse, surreptitiously transformed a portion of the Iron Corpses that Zhang Quan and Lu Chengyun controlled into his own forces.


    Mo Hua was subtle in his methods.


    Lu Chengyun and Zhang Quan were engaged in a fierce battle and thus completely unaware that some of their Iron Corpses had already ¡°defected¡±.


    Below the altar, within the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    Lu Chengyun had the upper hand, pushing Zhang Quan back step by step.


    Zhang Quan struggled desperately, his injuries growing more severe, and his controlled Iron Corpses also began to falter.


    Lu Chengyun let out a cold sneer and began to manipulate the Iron Corpses, together with himself, surrounding Zhang Quan, determined to kill Zhang Quan to eliminate future troubles!


    Zhang Quan must die!


    In this world, the only one who could control the Corpse King was himself!


    In Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes, a cold light surged, and the power of his Sword Qi soared.


    Zhang Quan, after undergoing Corpse Transformation, had a body hard as bronze and iron and managed to block several blows, but he was still pierced through the left shoulder by a sword. In pain, he exposed a weakness and was then sent flying by a punch from an Iron Corpse, crashing to the ground.


    With a distant gesture, Lu Chengyun manipulated the Iron Corpses to converge on Zhang Quan.


    Zhang Quan struggled to rise, but it was too late, and he could only weakly ring the bell, calling a few Iron Corpses to protect himself.


    But with his Blood Qi depleted and his injuries severe, he only summoned four Iron Corpses, completely unable to block the onslaught from Lu Chengyun¡¯s more than ten Iron Corpses.


    In Lu Chengyun¡¯s calm eyes, a murderous intent was brewing.


    His Iron Corpses, driven by bloodlust, charged straight for Zhang Quan. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Some were intercepted by Zhang Quan¡¯s Iron Corpses and tangled up in a struggle, but the rest reached Zhang Quan, their faces ferocious, opening their bloodied maws towards him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to die!¡±


    Zhang Quan was terrified.


    As death loomed, he used all his strength to push away one Iron Corpse and then kicked another flying.


    But the other Iron Corpses had already pounced close, seizing his limbs with their long sharp claws embedded deep into his flesh, holding him tightly in place.


    Another Iron Corpse, its claws swelling, radiated sinister Corpse Poison, aiming straight for Zhang Quan¡¯s heart.


    If this claw struck, his heart would be pierced, and certain death was guaranteed!


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes bulged with rage, yet no matter how he struggled, it was to no avail.


    Just as he was engulfed by terror, the lethal claws of the Iron Corpse about to take his life suddenly stopped.


    The sharp tips of the claws were merely a hair¡¯s breadth from his chest.


    He could even feel the sharp, cold, ancient intent to kill.


    Zhang Quan was stunned.


    Lu Chengyun was also taken aback.


    What happened?


    Was there a loss of control?


    Zhang Quan, narrowly escaping death, heaved a sigh of relief and then noticed that not only the Iron Corpse in front of him but also several nearby Iron Corpses had stopped moving.


    Though unsure why, Zhang Quan still felt a tremendous sense of relief. He immediately stood up, retreated several strides, and left the encirclement of Iron Corpses.


    Lu Chengyun frowned.


    His Divine Thought moved, and he began to control the Iron Corpses again.


    This time the Iron Corpses still moved according to his will, showing no abnormalities.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    Was it a control conflict, or was there a flaw in the Formation?


    Lu Chengyun couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he suppressed the doubts in his heart. The priority was to kill Zhang Quan first.


    Lu Chengyun once again manipulated the Iron Corpses, resuming the attack on Zhang Quan.


    But the subsequent events still defied his expectations.


    Every time an Iron Corpse was about to claim Zhang Quan¡¯s life, there would be a slight delay, allowing Zhang Quan to escape.


    After several instances, Zhang Quan realized what was happening.


    These Iron Corpses were showing mercy!


    Why?


    Why was it that whenever he was on the verge of death, they would spare his life?


    Zhang Quan furrowed his brow in thought, then suddenly it dawned on him.


    He understood!


    The reason the Iron Corpses spared his life at the critical moment was for only one reason:


    ¡°`


    It¡¯s the ancestors!


    In the depths of the unseen, the ancestors are aiding me!


    Zhang Quan¡¯s thoughts raced urgently.


    This Corpse King was cultivated from the bronze coffin of the Zhang Family and the ancestral Corpse Refinement technique, nurtured day and night.


    Now, this Lu Chengyun intends to use the corpse of the Zhang Family to kill him, the heir of the Zhang Family.


    The spirit of the ancestor in heaven couldn¡¯t bear to watch this, thus lending a helping hand in his most perilous moment, leaving behind a glimmer of hope for the Zhang Family.


    Zhang Quan was extremely grateful and immediately knelt down to the sky, knocking his head several times, and loudly said,


    ¡°Disciple Zhang Quan thanks the ancestors!¡±


    This kneeling stunned Mo Hua as well.


    After pondering for a moment and getting over the shock, he couldn¡¯t help but snidely think to himself,


    You shouldn¡¯t thank your ancestors; you should be thanking your ¡°junior¡± ancestor.


    Witnessing this, Lu Chengyun also showed a wary look, his heart slightly chilled:


    The Zhang Family truly is a family of corpse refiners with unthinkable methods, to be able to borrow the power of an ancestor to control an Iron Corpse.


    He had never heard of such a thing!


    Since that¡¯s the case, Zhang Quan must not be left alive!


    Lu Chengyun raised the thin sword in his hand, the sword light shimmering like water, sweeping across like a curtain, filled with relentless Spiritual Power, striking towards Zhang Quan once again.


    Zhang Quan, though still being forced back repeatedly, was now greatly invigorated.


    ¡°The ancestors are aiding me! I will not die!¡±


    Indeed, the spirit of his ¡°ancestors¡± in heaven was protecting him.


    Whenever his life hung by a thread, the Iron Corpse attempting to kill him would ¡°fall ill,¡± stuttering in place for a while.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s face showed even greater joy.


    Yet, Lu Chengyun grew more anxious and was even more wary of Zhang Quan¡¯s ¡°ancestors.¡±


    He decided not to rely on the Iron Corpse but to use his own Taoist Skill and the superior Sword Weapon in his hand to slowly wear down Zhang Quan, intent on slaying him!


    But he was so focused on killing Zhang Quan that he unwittingly revealed a large vulnerable spot on his back.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Now is the time!


    With a move of his Divine Sense, he pulled the Formation Pivot. At the same time, one of the Iron Corpses controlled by Lu Chengyun suddenly ¡°defected,¡± its pupils contracting, emitting a blue light, and its claws, swift as the wind, fiercely struck towards Lu Chengyun¡¯s back.


    This attack was swift, accurate, ruthless, and extremely sinister.


    The timing of the opportunity was also just perfect.


    Caught completely off guard, Lu Chengyun had no way to defend himself in time!


    The Iron Corpse¡¯s claw pierced straight through his back, thrusting violently, and after one swift motion, tore his robe to shreds.


    Mo Hua¡¯s plot was successful, and he smiled slyly, but halfway through his laugh, he heaved a sigh and was filled with disappointment.


    Lu Chengyun, ambushed by the Iron Corpse, coughed up fresh blood from his mouth, but there were no injuries on his body.


    His robe in tatters, he revealed the silver chainmail underneath.


    This chainmail was clearly also a superior Spiritual Artifact.


    The Iron Corpse¡¯s claws could not penetrate the chainmail, thus failing to injure Lu Chengyun¡¯s vitals; they only managed to shake him violently.


    Lu Chengyun, being at the Foundation Establishment stage, considered such an injury trivial, not to speak of a fatal blow.


    Mo Hua felt it was a pity.


    Lu Chengyun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his heart still trembling with fear.


    He almost capsized in the gutter! Without the silver chainmail on his body, the Iron Corpse¡¯s claw would have penetrated his back, the Corpse Poison invading his body, then facing the combined assault from Zhang Quan and the Iron Corpse, his odds today would have been slim!


    An eye for an eye, a vile and lethal attack!


    This Zhang Family ancestor was either a person, a corpse, or a ghost, but he certainly was a vicious character!


    Or could it be that the Zhang Family¡¯s Corpse control technique possesses some strange and unpredictable magical power?


    Lu Chengyun felt an icy chill in his heart.


    He must fight quickly and decisively to avoid further complications!


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s expression turned serious, putting his all into the fight, his sword light abruptly changed, the Spiritual Power darkening to a shade of light black-gray.


    Zhang Quan heard this and paled, ¡°The Lu Family¡¯s Opening The Mountain Sword Method! You¡¯ve actually cultivated it to such an extent?¡±


    Lu Chengyun gave a faint smile, ¡°You recognize this Swordsmanship?¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s expression was grave.


    Lu Chengyun spoke indifferently,


    ¡°Opening The Mountain Sword Method¡­ I found this superior Taoist Skill in a Jade Slip buried with one of the Lu Family elders when I dug up the Lu Family ancestral tomb. I have diligently practiced it for decades¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun raised the long sword in his hand, the Sword Qi dividing, sweeping outward to both sides, imposing as if splitting mountains and levelling plains.


    Lu Chengyun said coldly, ¡°I never use this Swordsmanship on ordinary days to prevent others from noticing. Today, being able to die by this Swordsmanship is a favor I bestow upon you.¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s gaze turned cold, and he gritted his teeth,


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s see today whether your Swordsmanship is stronger or my Corpse Technique is mightier!¡±


    The enmity between the two was like fire and water, deciding both their fates and the outcome of their battle.


    But Mo Hua couldn¡¯t stand listening any longer, cursing Zhang Quan in his heart:


    ¡°Idiot, his Swordsmanship is obviously stronger. Your Corpse Technique is shit in comparison; you can¡¯t even beat my Junior Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Facing death and you still don¡¯t think of running, insisting on fighting to the death here.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s using his trump card, and you still have no clue, still wanting to compare strengths, you¡¯re really beyond help!¡±


    ¡°When he was gathering strength for his attack, you should have run already, what are you putting on airs for?¡±


    ¡°Spending all day refining corpses, you must have refined your brain into stiffness too¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, this ¡°junior ancestor,¡± detested Zhang Quan¡¯s lack of competitiveness and internally showered him with scorn.

 Chapter 516 - 498 Who to Feed_1

    Chapter 516: Chapter 498 Who to Feed_1


    As Mo Hua expected, Zhang Quan was completely and utterly no match for Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s swordsmanship was profound and his moves were well-practiced.


    Zhang Quan still used the same old tactics, relying on his own Corpse Transformation and exchanging moves with Lu Chengyun in a straightforward manner, only to be pierced into a honeycomb by Sword Qi, blood pouring out of him as he fell to the ground.


    This lack of strategy and simplicity in tactics left Mo Hua sighing in amazement.


    Mo Hua had thought that if Zhang Quan dared to confront Lu Chengyun head-on, he must have had some sort of trump card, but it turned out he was only driven by a spirit of rage and fearlessness.


    And then he was really going to die¡­


    Mo Hua watched, shaking his head.


    If he were truly his ancestor, he would be so enraged that he¡¯d flip the lid of his coffin.


    Having secretly controlled the Iron Corpse to help him so much, yet this Zhang Quan still managed to disappoint completely!


    Without Zhang Quan as a pawn, he would have no way to kill Lu Chengyun¡­


    Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless.


    In the center of the sacrificial altar, Zhang Quan lay dying.


    His face was pale, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Knowing he was going to die, he didn¡¯t beg for mercy from Lu Chengyun but instead used all his remaining strength to say, falteringly:


    ¡°My¡­ my¡­ scroll?¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyebrows lifted, ¡°Are you talking about your Ancestral Master Picture?¡±


    Zhang Quan coughed up a mouthful of blood and said weakly:


    ¡°Exactly¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head, ¡°It belongs to me now.¡±


    Zhang Quan showed anger on his face, coughed up a few more mouthfuls of blood, and slowly said:


    ¡°Okay¡­ I concede, but¡­ Brother Lu, considering the many years I¡¯ve served you, before I die, let me take one more look¡­ at the Zhang Family ancestors¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze sharpened, showing no emotion, and he simply asked:


    ¡°And what will that change?¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s expression was ferocious as he rasped:


    ¡°I, Zhang Quan, have failed to continue the bloodline of the Zhang Family, causing the lineage of the Corpse Path to be severed. I want to kowtow¡­ to apologize to the ancestors!¡±


    Lu Chengyun seemed slightly moved and nodded, ¡°Alright!¡±


    He took out a scroll from his Storage Bag.


    The scroll was rolled up, the paper aged, with faint traces of dirt and footprints on it¡ªthe marks left by Mo Hua¡­


    Indeed, it was the Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s gaze was filled with eagerness.


    Lu Chengyun slowly unfurled the scroll.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s gaze was firmly fixed on the picture in Lu Chengyun¡¯s hands.


    When Lu Chengyun had unrolled half of it, his gaze turned icy. Seizing the moment when Zhang Quan was distracted, he suddenly thrust his sword through Zhang Quan¡¯s chest, killing him instantly!


    Zhang Quan looked at the sword in his chest, then lifted his eyes to Lu Chengyun, his face filled with disbelief as he angrily spouted:


    ¡°Lu you traitor, you¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Zhang Quan¡¯s breath ceased, and he slowly fell to the ground.


    Even in death, Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes were fixed on Lu Chengyun without closing.


    Lu Chengyun, looking at the already dead Zhang Quan, remained impassive. After confirming his death a moment later, he spoke in a gentle tone:


    ¡°Brother Zhang, I¡¯m sorry, but I feared you had some tricks up your sleeve. To be on the safe side, I had to let you die first¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about your family¡¯s affairs.¡±


    ¡°I will properly enshrine this Ancestral Master Picture.¡±


    ¡°One day, I¡¯ll take an adopted son and have him carry the ¡®Zhang¡¯ surname, to continue your family¡¯s legacy.¡±


    ¡°Your Zhang Family¡¯s Corpse Path will also flourish under my control¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Having finished speaking, Lu Chengyun wiped Zhang Quan¡¯s blood from his sword using Zhang Quan¡¯s corpse, then sheathed his blade, walked to the front of the altar.


    In front of the altar stood the nine-foot-tall, imposing Corpse King, standing tall like an abyss.


    Once Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense stirred, he could feel that this Corpse King was completely under his control, and the more than twenty Iron Corpses around were all at his command.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s heart was no longer calm, and he finally couldn¡¯t help but burst into uproarious laughter:


    ¡°From now on, this Corpse King, commanding the undead, will obey only my orders!¡±


    ¡°The cultivators of South Yue City, from birth till death, will mine for my Lu Family!¡±


    ¡°The whole of South Yue City will be under my dominance!¡±


    ¡°The skies of this Minor Wilderness State Boundary are about to change!¡±


    As Lu Chengyun laughed, he suddenly stopped; he remembered Mo Hua.


    Now that Zhang Quan was dead, the only other person who knew about the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar was Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had established the Formation eye of the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation and also seen the Formation he had drawn on the Bronze coffin.


    In the entire Corpse Mine, aside from himself, Mo Hua knew the most secrets about the Formation¡­


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze fluctuated, and his Divine Sense expanded, his expression subtly changing:


    ¡°Where has that gentleman gone?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and quickly held his breath, concentrating and suppressing his aura.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s Divine Sense swept across the Corpse Mine, suddenly realized something, and began to scan the altar again, but after a long while, he found nothing¡­


    Frowning with confusion, he mused:


    ¡°Where could he have gone?¡±


    At this moment, Mo Hua, who had been hiding behind Lu Chengyun and spying on him all night, dared not even breathe too loudly.


    Lu Chengyun pondered for a while but found no clues, becoming somewhat irritable. He again scanned the altar in detail with his Divine Sense.


    However, the altar was too large, and he had just been through a fierce battle, so after not searching for long, he began to feel his Divine Sense waning.


    Lu Chengyun stopped searching.


    Continuing the search might exhaust his Divine Sense, leaving him unable to control the Corpse King, which could lead to disaster if the Corpse King lost control¡­ S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Chengyun put away the Contemplation Map, ordered the Corpse King back into the Bronze coffin, commanded the Iron Corpses back into their coffins, then dragged Zhang Quan¡¯s corpse and tossed it into an empty nearby coffin.


    Though Zhang Quan was dead, his corpse could still be used for Corpse Refinement to serve him.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze turned cold, then he looked around, wondering about something before dusting off his sleeves and leaving the altar.


    Mo Hua let out a slight sigh of relief.


    He waited until Lu Chengyun was far away and showed no signs of returning.

 Chapter 517 - 498 Feeding Whom_2

    Chapter 517: Chapter 498 Feeding Whom_2


    Mo Hua stealthily left the altar and quietly returned to his own room, diving into his bedding to feign sleep.


    If Lu Chengyun came to inspect the room, he would claim he had been there all along, never having stepped out, pretending to know nothing.


    Lu Chengyun knew he was skilled in the Concealment Technique.


    Seeing through the Concealment Technique required Divine Sense.


    And after the fierce battle between Lu Chengyun and Zhang Quan, the former¡¯s Divine Sense was greatly depleted. He¡¯d likely think it was his own exhaustion that had prevented him from discovering him¡­


    Mo Hua thought about it, then suddenly shook his head.


    No, this excuse might work, but it still carried considerable risk.


    And the situation now was different from before¡­


    Now that Lu Chengyun had killed Zhang Quan and no longer had Zhang Quan as a shield, his attention would turn to him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts raced.


    He needed to flee!


    He couldn¡¯t escape head-on; natural boulders served as doors, and two Second Grade Iron Corpses stood watch.


    These two Iron Corpses were under control, and he, being physically weak, didn¡¯t dare to go close and alter the Sequence on their Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Waiting for other cultivators to attack the Corpse Mine and then escaping in the chaos might be too late.


    The Corpse King was refined ahead of schedule, Lu Chengyun made his move early; the crisis had come sooner as well. There was no time left to wait.


    Then the only option was to blow it up!


    ¡°How do I blow it up?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered.


    He couldn¡¯t use the Reversed Spirit Formation; with its Formation Collapse being extremely powerful but also too specialized, it was easy to reveal his cards and attract Lu Chengyun¡¯s attention.


    The Earthfire Compound Formation should be sufficient.


    He would set up the Earthfire Compound Formation at the mouth of the small tunnel dug by Little Tiger, where the rock wall was thin; it should be able to blow up a part of the Corpse Mine and give him a chance to escape¡­


    With his mind made up, Mo Hua decided to try it, but before he could start Drawing Formation, he was suddenly taken aback.


    His Divine Sense detected Lu Chengyun coming his way.


    Mo Hua quickly climbed back into bed, covered himself with the blanket, and pretended to be asleep.


    Soon after, footsteps sounded outside the stone chamber.


    The sound was very subtle, but Mo Hua could not be fooled.


    Lu Chengyun paced outside the room, hesitating as if uncertain about something before finally speaking up with a gentle voice:


    ¡°Gentleman¡­¡±


    Mo Hua ignored him.


    Lu Chengyun called out several more times with the same gentle and polite tone as a good old friend.


    Mo Hua sensed his Divine Thought was somewhat sinister as if harboring some wicked scheme, but there was no direct intent to kill. Stirring slightly, Mo Hua got out of bed and opened the door.


    Before opening the door, Mo Hua tousled his hair, then opened the door sleepily and upon seeing Lu Chengyun, feigned surprise saying:


    ¡°Lu Family Head, what brings you here?¡±


    After speaking, Mo Hua rubbed his eyes, his face full of confusion, acting as if he was still groggy from sleep.


    Lu Chengyun was slightly taken aback and asked:


    ¡°Gentleman, have you been in the room all this time?¡±


    Mo Hua asked with confusion: ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the night; if not in the room, where else could I be?¡±


    Then he showed a hint of displeasure, muttering under his breath, ¡°There¡¯s nothing fun around here anyway¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun hesitated.


    For a moment, he wasn¡¯t sure whether Mo Hua was acting or not.


    Could someone so young possess such depth and sophistication, and yet such pure and impeccable acting skills?


    Lu Chengyun furrowed his brows and fell silent.


    Mo Hua probed again:


    ¡°Family Head, it¡¯s so late, what do you need me for?¡±


    Snapping back to reality, Lu Chengyun suddenly smiled and said:


    ¡°I came to fulfill a promise to the gentleman.¡±


    ¡°A promise?¡±


    Lu Chengyun nodded, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? If you helped me construct the Formation Eye, I would teach you¡­ that Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s sleepiness vanished, his eyes lighting up:


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Lu Chengyun said with a smile: ¡°As the head of a family, naturally, I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡±


    Not go back on his word¡­


    The scene where Lu Chengyun promised Zhang Quan to see the Ancestral Master Picture, and then without unveiling the picture, cut down Zhang Quan with a sword, flashed across Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    Mo Hua internally scorned: I trust you for nothing!


    But on the surface, he still acted as if he knew nothing, ¡°Can I learn it now?¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head, ¡°Some preparations are needed.¡±


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°Preparations?¡±


    Lu Chengyun sighed: ¡°This Formation is extremely difficult; I too spent decades studying it to achieve a little success.¡±


    ¡°What makes this Formation most challenging is Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°The threshold for Divine Sense is too high¡­¡±


    ¡°Gentleman, your talent is extraordinary, but after all, you are still young. With your current Divine Sense, you probably won¡¯t be able to learn it, so before you study this Formation, we need to find a way to enhance your Divine Sense.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then pretended to be shocked: ¡°Enhance Divine Sense? Could it be that¡­¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Lu Chengyun nodded, ¡°Gentleman is perceptive and should know¡­ the Contemplation Map!¡±


    Mo Hua gasped in disbelief:


    ¡°You actually have a Contemplation Map, Family Head?!¡±


    Lu Chengyun nodded with a meaningful expression:


    ¡°This Contemplation Map is, in fact, one that the gentleman has also seen before¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it?¡± Mo Hua looked puzzled.


    Lu Chengyun said: ¡°It¡¯s Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth dropped open, feigning astonishment.


    Although his reaction was a bit exaggerated, Lu Chengyun was in the process of luring Mo Hua into a trap, so he didn¡¯t doubt him for the moment.


    After some thought, Mo Hua blinked and said:


    ¡°But when I saw that picture, my Divine Sense did not enhance¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun revealed a mysteriously wise smile, ¡°That¡¯s because gentleman, you used the wrong method.¡±


    ¡°There is another method?¡±


    Lu Chengyun nodded affirmatively, speaking gently:


    ¡°Gentleman, follow me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked puzzled but obediently followed Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun led Mo Hua to a secret chamber, which also contained an altar.

 Chapter 518 - 498 Feeding Whom_3

    Chapter 518: Chapter 498 Feeding Whom_3


    This altar was more simply furnished.


    Three dishes were offered on the podium.


    One held hand bones, another foot bones, and the middle one cradled a skull.


    Candles were also lit on the altar.


    The candles were white, but the flame cast a sinister green light, and the wax flowed like tears, solidifying at the base of the podium after dripping.


    Besides these, there were some strangely shaped utensils and a white coffin.


    These arrangements looked very familiar to Mo Hua; they were almost identical to the altar in Corpse Walking Stronghold where Zhang Quan used people¡¯s Divine Sense as offerings to the Ancestral Master Picture.


    Showing a ¡°frightened¡± expression, Mo Hua asked,


    ¡°Family Head, this is¡­?¡±


    ¡°This is an altar,¡± Lu Chengyun said.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s uneasy look, he smiled faintly and said,


    ¡°This Ancestral Master Picture is a bit special. It needs incense offerings to be made before Opening the Heavenly Eye to view its true form and comprehend the Dao Laws within to enhance one¡¯s Divine Sense.¡±


    Lu Chengyun pointed to the white coffin at the side and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared the incense and the offerings¡­¡±


    ¡°Next, I will place the Contemplation Map.¡±


    ¡°Before that, Little Gentleman only needs to lie in that coffin, let go of all burdens, disregard life and death, and then you will be able to contemplate the true essence of this map and improve your Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun spoke gently, his face wearing a soft smile, yet his gaze reflected the chilling green candlelight.


    Mo Hua felt scared. ¡°Is that¡­ really true?¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s voice deepened, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mo Hua glanced at the coffin.


    This coffin, similar in design to those in Corpse Stronghold, was crafted more delicately and was smaller.


    It seemed to have been tailor-made for himself¡­


    Mo Hua timidly said, ¡°I, I don¡¯t want to go in there¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s expression turned grim, his demeanor turning fierce as he commanded sternly:


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Mo Hua jumped in fright.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s smile was dark, ¡°Little Gentleman, don¡¯t let my kindness go to waste!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows furrowed tightly, and after much hesitation, she finally lay down slowly into the small coffin under Lu Chengyun¡¯s indifferent gaze.


    Lu Chengyun laughed coldly, took out coffin nails, sealed the coffin, and then solemnly retrieved Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture to respectfully offer it.


    Incense smoke curled and candlelight flickered.


    Lu Chengyun bowed and chanted:


    ¡°On this day we unveil the picture, offer incense with reverence¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­let white bones be the offering to the forefathers, and human consciousness the feast.¡±


    ¡°Zhang Family Ancestral Master above, your junior Lu Chengyun pays homage!¡±


    Mo Hua, lying in the coffin, immediately let out a cry of pain upon hearing this.


    He remembered when Zhang Quan offered human sacrifices to the picture; the noises from within the coffin were just like this.


    Not to mention the scratching at the coffin with fingernails, creating a harrowingly painful, desperately struggling sound of despair and torment.


    But Mo Hua was afraid of pain¡­


    And his little hands probably wouldn¡¯t make much noise anyway.


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua let out Little Tiger, asking it to scratch the coffin lid in his place.


    With Little Tiger¡¯s paws fluttering about, the coffin indeed began to produce a heart-wrenching ¡°squeak squeak yaya¡± sound.


    Mo Hua also shouted to go along with it:


    ¡°It hurts so much!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Such pain! Let me out!¡±


    ¡­


    Lu Chengyun was unperturbed.


    After a while of shouting, the coffin became quiet, without any further sound.


    Lu Chengyun stood for a long time, then sighed with regret, saying,


    ¡°Such great talent, truly a pity. The Cultivation World is perilous, and even prodigies can perish young¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head and left the altar.


    Mo Hua lay quietly in the little coffin, and seeing Lu Chengyun leave, he patted his chest softly, slightly relieved.


    Then he thought about the Ancestral Master Picture being presented on the altar above him at that moment, and couldn¡¯t help licking his lips, murmuring to himself,


    ¡°Is he using me to feed the picture, or is he using the picture to feed me?¡±


    S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 519 - 499 Sacrifice_1

    Chapter 519: Chapter 499 Sacrifice_1


    ¡°Are they using me to feed the picture, or using the picture to feed me?¡±


    Mo Hua licked his lips, and under the flickering candlelight, the Contemplation Map seemed to shiver.


    The coffin was icy cold, yet lying in it was quite comfortable.


    Mo Hua waited and waited inside¡­


    But after a long time, there was still no movement.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    What¡¯s the matter?


    We had an agreement that I¡¯d be the sacrifice, so why has no one come to ¡°eat¡± me?


    Waiting a bit more, there was still no response from the coffin.


    ¡°Is the coffin broken?¡±


    ¡°Or did Lu Chengyun chant the wrong spell?¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps, this Contemplation Map is picky, only accepting feedings from the Zhang Family¡¯s disciples?¡±


    That¡¯s not right either¡­


    A bunch of zombies, given something to eat, who would care who fed it to them?


    ¡°So¡­ could it be my problem?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and then focused his senses, indeed noticing something unusual within the coffin.


    There was a voice inside the coffin.


    The voice was faint, drifting and ethereal, fluctuating between distant and near¡­


    Concentrating hard, Mo Hua made out that an old man was speaking, his voice intermittent, filled with allure:


    ¡°You¡­ have an exceptional skeleton¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ a unique physique, your meridians conceal a top-grade Spiritual Root¡­¡±


    ¡°We share a destiny, I will impart to you the Great Dao¡­ and assist you in becoming an Immortal¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua sneered.


    If one could truly become an Immortal, why wouldn¡¯t you do it yourself instead of passing it to others?


    This voice was clearly that of Zhang Quan, the old ancestor of the Zhang Family.


    Mo Hua had heard it many times before.


    He thought it over carefully and suddenly felt a light shock.


    Could this voice be the key to the sacrifice?


    You have to believe his words to be included in the sacrifice?


    Because my Divine Sense is profound, my Taoist Heart steadfast, and I don¡¯t believe in its nonsense, it can¡¯t get into the coffin to ¡°eat¡± me?


    Mo Hua thought it might be possible¡­


    So he convinced himself to pretend to ¡°believe¡± the old man¡¯s nonsense.


    Sure enough, shortly after, the voice became clearer and seemed to resonate directly within Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    ¡°We are fated, I will help you become an Immortal¡­¡±


    ¡°Help you become an Immortal¡­¡±


    The voice was ancient, kind, compassionate.


    At the same time, Mo Hua¡¯s vision blurred, and an image faintly appeared.


    It was the Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family, a masterpiece Mo Hua had coveted for a long time!


    Unlike the real one, the Ancestral Master Picture at this moment was wreathed in clouds and mist, with curling incense smoke, and amidst the fleeting lights and shadows, golden radiance could be seen, with all the figures edged with gold.


    The historical forebears of the Zhang Family stood like Immortals amidst the clouds, each exceptional and removed from mortal concerns, their immortal aura billowing.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua¡¯s face lit up with longing, but inwardly he scoffed:


    ¡°You can fool others, but in front of your Zhang Family¡¯s ¡®little ancestor,¡¯ drop the act¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ignorant that you all are just a bunch of ¡®never-say-die¡¯ old zombies¡­¡±


    As Mo Hua inwardly sneered, looking at the Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family, he suddenly froze.


    Among these ¡°people,¡± he spotted a familiar face.


    This familiar person was none other than Zhang Quan!


    Standing at the end, his expression respectful, he looked towards Mo Hua with a mix of surprise, resentment, and greed.


    Mo Hua was somewhat taken aback.


    Was Zhang Quan not dead?


    No, or rather¡­


    His physical body was dead, but his Divine Thought was still alive, just like the ancestral spirits of the Zhang Family, his Divine Thought turned into an evil spirit, inhabiting the Contemplation Map¡­


    Mo Hua gradually came to understand.


    No wonder Zhang Quan wanted to see the Ancestral Master Picture of his family before he died.


    It was not as he claimed, feeling guilty for failing his ancestors and wanting to kowtow for forgiveness.


    Instead, he wished for his Divine Thought to enter the picture after death, to live on as a ghostly retainer in the Contemplation Map.


    Whether or not Lu Chengyun activated the picture didn¡¯t really matter, as long as he took the Contemplation Map out of the storage bag, it already gave Zhang Quan a chance.


    Mo Hua had to admit.


    He really underestimated Zhang Quan.


    Zhang Quan wasn¡¯t as dumb as he thought.


    And obviously, Lu Chengyun had not anticipated that Zhang Quan could be so cunning, nor that the Zhang Family could possess such mysterious and unfathomable methods.


    Mo Hua frowned again.


    ¡°However¡­ surely not every Cultivator who dies can receive this kind of ¡®treatment¡¯¡­¡±


    The terror of a dead body and lost path is immense.


    Many Cultivators on the brink of death, in their desperation to survive, will resort to any means necessary.


    The Old Ancestor of the Qian Family refining Human Life Pills, the Old Ancestor of the Lu Family turning himself into a Corpse, all out of the fear of death, the desire to continue living.


    If this picture can truly harbor evil spirits¡­


    Even without a physical body, old scoundrels like the Elder of the Qian Family and the Lu Family Old Ancestor, who have done many evil deeds, would certainly be willing to turn into wraiths and possess the picture¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t have much knowledge about the Cultivation of Dao related to paintings, but it surely wasn¡¯t this simple¡­


    ¡°Is it the special bloodline of the Zhang Family, or is this Contemplation Map itself somewhat special?¡±


    Mo Hua mused silently to himself.


    After pondering for a moment, he remembered now was not the time to consider these matters, for he still had to prepare a ¡°Hongmen Banquet¡± to entertain his ¡°guests.¡±


    And at this very moment, members of the Zhang Family had already entered Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Five people in total.


    Two Elders and three disciples, among whom was Zhang Quan.


    Zhang Quan was the most junior in the hierarchy but possessed considerable Cultivation, already at the Foundation Establishment Realm, making him the most prestigious among the disciples.


    However, facing his own ancestors, he kept a very low profile and spoke with great respect.


    After entering Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, Zhang Quan cautiously asked:


    ¡°Elder Song, Elder Si, should we enter first? Shouldn¡¯t our Ancestral Master have the honor first?¡±


    ¡°It matters not.¡±


    The Iron Corpse Elder known as ¡°Elder Song¡± calmly said, ¡°The Ancestral Master relies on the Divine Thought offerings connected by our bloodline. The stronger we descendants are, the stronger the Ancestral Master becomes. He doesn¡¯t need to personally involve himself in such acts of feeding and enhancing¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan expressed his admiration, ¡°Such is the glory of our Ancestral Master!¡±


    Elder Song nodded and said, ¡°The methods of the Ancestral Master are not something we later generations can fathom.¡±


    He looked at Zhang Quan and praised him, ¡°To Cultivate to Foundation Establishment and advance the Corpse Path is a great achievement indeed¡­ Even if you die in the process, your contribution is significant¡­¡±


    ¡°Talent, temperament, methods; in our Zhang Family disciples, you can certainly rank among the top.¡±


    ¡°Most importantly, your profound filial piety to the Ancestral Master is admirable.¡±


    ¡°The Ancestral Master holds you in high regard.¡±


    ¡°So, this offering is for you to consume first.¡±


    ¡°After you devour the Divine Sense and heal your injuries, gaining strength by leaps and bounds, you must serve the Ancestral Master and the Zhang Family even better!¡±


    With excited expression, Zhang Quan clasped his hands and said:


    ¡°Disciple Zhang Quan will certainly not fail the expectations of the Elders and our Ancestral Master!¡±


    Elder Song nodded in satisfaction.


    Zhang Quan looked up, his face now that of a zombie.


    Glancing at Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, with saliva on his sharp teeth, he greedily murmured:


    ¡°Kid, I never thought you¡¯d have your day¡­¡±


    The usually silent Elder Si asked upon hearing this:


    ¡°Do you know this offering?¡±


    Zhang Quan nodded with resentment and said:


    ¡°Truth be told, I have suffered countless losses at the hands of this brat! I¡¯ve always wanted to kill him quickly, but couldn¡¯t!¡±


    Elder Si frowned, ¡°Just a little Cultivator and you can¡¯t kill him?¡±


    Zhang Quan immediately explained:


    ¡°His Cultivation isn¡¯t high, his strength is mediocre, in a direct confrontation I could crush him to death with one hand!¡±


    ¡°But this brat has a deep understanding of Formations, a devious heart, is full of cunning schemes, and excels at hiding; moreover, he has supporters from all sides, making it impossible for me to lay hands on him¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan ground his teeth in anger.


    Elder Song frowned, trying to imagine what kind of brat could be so skilled in Formations, so adept at hiding, with such a scheming heart and full of cunning tricks¡­


    Was this a person or an Evil Monster?


    But he didn¡¯t care, for to them, whatever he was, he was merely meat on the chopping board.


    Elder Song reassured Zhang Quan:


    ¡°Now you needn¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve entered his Sea of Consciousness, he can¡¯t escape even with wings. He can only be slaughtered by you. In the Sea of Consciousness, we always call the shots. No matter how capable he is, he won¡¯t stir up any trouble¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan felt reassured and laughed:


    ¡°What Elder says is very true.¡±


    He paused, as if remembering something, then with a sigh, he added:


    ¡°But no matter how cunning this brat is, in the end, he was still sacrificed by Lu Chengyun like grinding an old ox¡ªfalling to his death, his path extinguished¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan spoke with fear:


    ¡°Lu Chengyun is truly frightful in both cunning and methods!¡±


    Elder Song sneered in disdain:


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to boost the morale of others and diminish our Zhang Family¡¯s prestige!¡±


    ¡°In the eyes of the Ancestral Master, all this counts for nothing.¡±


    ¡°This Lu Chengyun is but a pawn of the Ancestral Master.¡±


    ¡°When he makes offerings to the Ancestral Master, contemplating the Dao of our Ancestral Master, drawing on his Divine Sense to enhance his own Divine Sense, one day he will become a puppet of the Zhang Family¡¯s Corpse Path.¡±


    ¡°Neither alive nor dead¡­¡±


    ¡°Being external to our family, once his body undergoes Corpse Transformation and his Divine Sense can¡¯t enter this picture, he will either lose all awareness or become mere fodder.¡±


    Elder Song looked at Zhang Quan and said indifferently:


    ¡°You may have died, but you are still alive.¡±


    ¡°Though he lives, he can¡¯t avoid his death!¡±


    ¡°Descendants of the Zhang Family must not suffer indignities from outsiders. We, your ancestors and Elders, will seek justice for you!¡±


    Zhang Quan, elated, hurriedly bowed and thanked:


    ¡°Thank you, Elder, thank you, Ancestral Master!¡±


    Elder Song helped him up, speaking softly:


    ¡°You are a descendant of our Zhang Family, favored by the Ancestral Master; there¡¯s no need for such formalities. The urgent matter at hand is to replenish yourself and recover from your injuries¡­¡±


    Elder Song looked around, then at all the ¡°people,¡± his gaze hungry:


    ¡°It¡¯s time¡­ to dine¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, concealed on the side and having listened to their conversation for quite a while, also nodded. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He thought so too!

 Chapter 520 - 500 Very Strong_1

    Chapter 520: Chapter 500 Very Strong_1


    The opponent has five people; it¡¯ll be somewhat tricky to fight, so we need to find the right opportunity to strike first . . .


    Find a way to take down a few of them first!


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Quan and the Elders of the Zhang Family had already begun to draw upon the Divine Sense within Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Elder Song had only taken one breath when his eyes widened, and he exclaimed,


    ¡°This is the purest, most abundant, and profound Divine Sense I have tasted in hundreds of years . . .¡±


    Zhang Quan was also extremely shocked,


    ¡°This Divine Sense, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s reached Foundation Establishment . . .¡±


    Elder Song slowly nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Zhang Quan¡¯s heart trembled.


    Qi Refinement Realm with Foundation Establishment Divine Sense!


    No wonder¡­


    No wonder this kid is so troublesome, no wonder he learned formations so well, and no wonder I couldn¡¯t see through his Concealment Technique . . .


    Divine Sense breaking through realms, surpassing levels, what kind of strange creature is this . . .


    Elder Song frowned and asked,


    ¡°With such strong Divine Sense . . . what exactly is this kid¡¯s identity?¡±


    Zhang Quan shook his head, ¡°I only know that this kid is a Formation Master, and his mentorship seems not bad, but as for his exact identity, the disciple does not know . . .¡±


    Elder Song pondered for a moment and then shook his head,


    ¡°No matter, what his identity is, it doesn¡¯t matter. No matter how good his talent or how strong his Divine Sense, he is but meat on the chopping block for our Zhang Family.¡±


    ¡°The stronger the Divine Sense, the more succulent it is, for us, it¡¯s a blessing from heaven!¡±


    Zhang Quan also agreed, ¡°The Elder speaks the truth.¡±


    After saying this, he was a bit puzzled and asked,


    ¡°Elder Song, in the Ancestral Master Picture, some of our ancestors seem to have disappeared; where did they go?¡±


    Elder Song was slightly startled, his brow furrowing even more, ¡°This . . . I don¡¯t know either . . .¡±


    Zhang Quan was somewhat surprised.


    Elder Song said gravely,


    ¡°The ancestor calculated but could not determine any traces; they might be trapped by something, unable to break free temporarily, or they could have been slain, their form and spirit both extinguished . . .¡±


    Zhang Quan felt a chill in his heart, ¡°Slain?¡±


    He found it hard to believe.


    Among those missing ancestors were several Elders of the Iron Corpse Realm . . .


    What thing is capable of slaying an Iron Corpse Elder without leaving a trace?


    As Zhang Quan was in shock, he suddenly gave a start.


    He realized something was amiss . . .


    Without knowing when, many complex and mysterious Patterns had suddenly appeared around them; these Patterns subtly conformed to the Great Dao, intricate and beautiful, with a terrifying aura flowing within them.


    Zhang Quan quickly came to his senses and was immediately alarmed,


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    Both Elders also noticed and their expressions changed drastically as they tried to leave.


    But it was already too late!


    The first Golden Lock Formation was completed.


    Golden Spiritual Power manifested Spiritual Locks, trapping all of them.


    Then, in just a few moments, three Fire Formations materialized on their own around them, like three bright red lotuses ready to burst into bloom, surrounding the group.


    The Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Formation was established.


    In the corner, Mo Hua silently chanted in his mind,


    ¡°Explode!¡±


    The Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation suddenly exploded!


    Three lotuses bloomed, burst brightly and blinked out; as thin as threads, they surged and intertwined, enveloping Zhang Quan and the others.


    A moment later, the firelight dissipated.


    Within the Formation, the figures of Zhang Quan and the others were revealed.


    Their bodies grew taller, their clothes ragged, their skin an ashen blue, their pupils turned white, and their mouths sported hideous sharp teeth; they had completely transformed into ¡°corpses.¡±


    At the moment of the Compound Formation¡¯s explosion, they were bound by the Golden Lock Formation, with no means of escape; they could only forcibly undergo Corpse Transformation, relying on an iron-like body to withstand the damage.


    Even so, two normal disciples were still killed instantly, turning into two wisps of blue smoke.


    Elder Si had the worst luck, positioned at the center of the Formation¡¯s explosion, and sustained the most severe injuries, collapsing unconscious to the ground.


    Zhang Quan was a bit luckier but also covered in burn marks, with serious injuries.


    Elder Song was slightly dimmer in form, also heavily injured.


    The Compound Formation¡¯s explosion took out three ¡°people,¡± leaving only Zhang Quan and Elder Song.


    ¡°Who?!¡±


    Elder Song looked shocked.


    How could there be a Formation inside the Sea of Consciousness? And when was this Formation laid out?


    And how could anyone paint a Formation within the Sea of Consciousness?


    Elder Song didn¡¯t understand.


    This was completely beyond his understanding of Tao Cultivation . . .


    In the corner, a small figure gradually became visible.


    It was a small cultivator, with a fair and lovely appearance.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s eyes immediately became bloodshot as if he saw his father¡¯s murderer, ¡°Is it you??¡±


    Mo Hua disdainfully said,


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this obvious, if not me, then who?¡±


    Zhang Quan was so frustrated he itched to bite, ¡°How can you be in the Sea of Consciousness?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer him.


    Elder Song¡¯s heart tightened, and his eyes narrowed,


    ¡°Divine Sense Manifestation . . .¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This little cultivator, either had innate talents or had cultivated a Divine Thought spell.


    The former would be okay, but if it¡¯s the latter, that would be troublesome.


    He thought back to the complex Formation Patterns and the terrifying explosive power of the Formation¡¯s detonation, and a sense of foreboding came over him.


    This little Cultivator is definitely not a kind soul!


    This time, in their attempt to feast, they may have bitten off more than they can chew¡­


    Elder Song¡¯s thoughts shifted slightly as he said loudly, ¡°Little Taoist friend, let¡¯s talk this over.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows raised, ¡°What do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°You killed two of my Zhang Family disciples and severely injured Elder Si, but it¡¯s okay, we can let bygones be bygones¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder!¡± Zhang Quan said urgently.


    Elder Song gave him a look, signaling him to be quiet, and then continued:


    ¡°Let¡¯s live and let live, pretending nothing ever happened. Little Taoist friend, just let us leave and that will be fine¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s smile was ambiguous, ¡°Let you go so you can call more people to come and devour me, is that it?¡±


    Elder Song¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but his heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°This kid is indeed as Zhang Quan said ¡ª astute and crafty, not easy to deceive¡­¡±


    Elder Song responded, ¡°I swear, after leaving here, I will not trouble the little Taoist friend anymore.¡±


    Mo Hua snorted internally.


    These days, not even human words can be trusted, much less the words of a ¡°ghost¡±.


    Mo Hua frowned slightly, feigning hesitation, and asked doubtfully:


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Elder Song felt a glimmer of hope and hurriedly nodded, ¡°My word is as good as gold, of course I¡¯m serious!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Song was delighted, but in an instant of carelessness, he realized that fiery-red Formation Patterns had suddenly appeared under his feet.


    Elder Song was taken aback in shock and hastily retreated, but he still got caught by the blast of the Earth Fire Formation, the fire¡¯s Spiritual Power invading his body and aggravating his injuries.


    He couldn¡¯t help cursing loudly:


    ¡°You little devil, you¡¯re dishonest!¡±


    Mo Hua looked innocent, ¡°How have I been dishonest?¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯d let us out!¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°You said your word is as good as gold and that you were serious. I just said ¡®good,¡¯ but I never said I¡¯d let you go¡­¡±


    After speaking, Mo Hua muttered again:


    ¡°Could it be that living so long has made you hard of hearing? You can¡¯t even understand what is said¡­¡±


    Elder Song was enraged, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan hurriedly stopped Elder Song, suggesting from experience, ¡°Elder, don¡¯t talk to him!¡±


    Otherwise, he¡¯ll make you so angry you¡¯ll die, don¡¯t ask me how I know¡­


    Zhang Quan silently thought to himself.


    Elder Song was still seething with anger, yet he heeded the advice and did not foolishly engage Mo Hua in argument any further.


    Zhang Quan, on the other hand, glared at Mo Hua and said to Elder Song in a low voice:


    ¡°Elder, this little devil is cunning and sly; we can¡¯t deceive him, we must kill him, otherwise, keeping him will surely be a disaster!¡±


    Elder Song pondered for a moment before responding with hatred in his voice:


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll join forces to kill him! To flay him alive and consume him!¡±


    Zhang Quan was overjoyed, ¡°Good!¡±


    He had long wanted to kill Mo Hua, and now, in the Sea of Consciousness, with the experienced and profound Divine Sense of the Iron Corpse Elder to aid him, the timing couldn¡¯t be better.


    Zhang Quan charged at Mo Hua with all his might.


    In his mind, with his charge and Elder Song backing him up, the two of them together would surely be able to take down Mo Hua.


    Little Mo Hua, who only knows underhanded tactics like the Formation¡¯s Concealment Technique, would surely crumble in direct combat.


    However, reality turned out to be somewhat different from what he expected¡­


    Mo Hua raised his hand, and first came a Fireball Technique, fast and accurate, unavoidable, and exploding directly on Zhang Quan¡¯s face.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s figure staggered, his body igniting with intense flames, causing excruciating pain.


    Enduring the pain, he continued to charge forward, but within a few steps, he was immobilized by the Water Prison Technique.


    Then came another fireball.


    And again the Water Prison Technique, followed by another Fireball Technique¡­


    ¡­


    The Water Prison Technique controlled him, the Fireball Technique was fierce.


    Without even reaching Mo Hua, his Divine Sense was overwhelmed, and he knelt to the ground.


    From beginning to end, Mo Hua stood in his place without moving a step, just extending his little hand and casting a few spells, and Zhang Quan was brought to his knees.


    Zhang Quan felt a chill in his heart.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Why is this little devil so terrifying in the Sea of Consciousness?


    Even more horrifying than the impression given by Lu Chengyun.


    Could it be, he felt¡­ despair?


    How could there be such a huge gap between his Divine Sense and this little devil¡¯s?


    Zhang Quan was utterly baffled.


    Just then, another thought struck him:


    Where¡¯s Elder Song?


    Barely managing to look back, he only saw the frantic silhouette of Elder Song making his escape¡­


    He¡¯s running away?!


    Zhang Quan spewed out a mouthful of blood.


    We had agreed to join forces and kill this little devil, but while I charged in, Elder Song ran off!!


    Why?


    You, a dignified Elder, are you really that cowardly?

 Chapter 521 - 501: Helpless_1

    Chapter 521: Chapter 501: Helpless_1


    Elder Song was certainly afraid.


    Zhang Quan didn¡¯t understand, but he did.


    This kid looked young and still had an air of immaturity on his face, but his Divine Thought was solid, his aura was profound, and he could manifest spells and Manifesting Formations¡­


    This was clearly a legacy of Divine Thought from some Great Clan or Noble Clan.


    Moreover, he had lain in ambush beforehand, using Formation for surprise attacks, spells that could both trap and kill opponents.


    Obviously seasoned in countless battles, and rich in experience.


    Not to mention that they had been ambushed, two had died, one was crippled, and the remainder, including himself and Zhang Quan, were heavily injured and greatly weakened.


    Even if they had all been unscathed, with their full strength, facing this young Cultivator, it was more likely they would lose than win.


    He didn¡¯t know until now what other cards this kid had up his sleeve.


    Elder Song was anxious in his heart:


    Run!


    We must run!


    Not running would be a complete ¡°send-off.¡±


    As for Zhang Quan, he was a junior. It was only right for him to be the vanguard for his elders, even to the point of sacrificing himself. This was also a manifestation of his ¡°filial piety.¡±


    Under Zhang Quan¡¯s incredulous gaze, Elder Song¡¯s figure hunched and fled in panic, completely lacking the dignity of a prior generation elder.


    Just as Elder Song reached the edge of Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, about to escape¡­


    Mo Hua pointed with her finger, executing the Water Prison Technique.


    The blue filaments, like flowing water, formed into a prison, binding Elder Song in place.


    Elder Song¡¯s eyes widened.


    Such a fast spell!


    His turbid eyes shifted, his stature shrank, shedding skin and bones like a bamboo shoot peeling off its outer layers, slipping out of the binds of the Water Prison Technique.


    Mo Hua showed a slight look of surprise.


    Indeed, as a renowned elder of the Zhang Family, he had some skills.


    Mo Hua pointed again, and the Water Prison Technique surged to life, entangling Elder Song once more.


    Elder Song was trapped yet again and cursed inwardly:


    ¡°What the hell is this spell?¡±


    ¡°The spell doesn¡¯t focus on killing but on control.¡±


    ¡°How could there be a Cultivator in this world who specializes in such disgusting spells?¡±


    Elder Song shed his skin and bones again, becoming even shorter, and escaped once more.


    Mo Hua¡¯s little hand still pointed unremarkably forward, once again forming the Water Prison Technique, trapping the now smaller Elder Song.


    At the same time, beneath Elder Song¡¯s feet, golden Formation Patterns began to appear.


    In a few moments, they solidified into a Golden Lock Formation, the golden light flared intensely, with chains upon chains of the Golden Lock binding Elder Song tight.


    The path to freedom was right before his eyes.


    Just a few more steps, and he would have been able to escape.


    Then, he could report back to the ancestor, gather the Zhang Family¡¯s past elders, storm in together, slaughter this kid, and tear him apart!


    But it was these few steps that Elder Song found he couldn¡¯t take.


    It seemed no matter how hard he struggled, no matter how much force he exerted, he could not escape the control of this child¡¯s fingers.


    Elder Song was furious to the extreme and stopped trying to flee. His body swelled, his face turned ghastly with fangs, and his white eyes reddened and filled with blood.


    ¡°Good! Kid, you¡¯ve gone too far! Today, it¡¯s either you or me!¡±


    Elder Song¡¯s aura surged.


    Mo Hua also became serious seeing this.


    This Elder Song must be someone of high standing in the Zhang Family, with old credentials. Mo Hua wanted to see what kind of moves Elder Song still had up his sleeve¡­


    The battle was about to erupt¡­


    After the time it would take to drink a cup of tea.


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Song lying on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, his breath faint, and was speechless¡­


    You didn¡¯t have much of a trick up your sleeve, did you?


    From beginning to end, she had overwhelmed Elder Song with spells and Formation, hammering him between attacks, and further controlling him with the Water Prison Technique and Golden Lock Formation.


    Elder Song took a few steps, got trapped, then Mo Hua targeted him for the attack.


    After a few more steps, he was imprisoned again and continued to be bombarded by spells.


    He didn¡¯t even make it close to Mo Hua before being beaten down to lie on the ground, gasping for breath¡­


    And to think that he had earlier shown such a determined ¡°fight to the death¡± attitude.


    Mo Hua, in disbelief, couldn¡¯t help but say to Elder Song lying on the ground:


    ¡°I had too high an opinion of you; you¡¯re so weak¡­¡±


    The Elder Song lying on the ground spewed out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    He felt extremely frustrated.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was weak, but that he simply had no opportunity to use his strength.


    Controlled the whole way, unable to get close, without even a chance to strike, unable to use even a tenth of his strength¡ªanyone in his place would be decimated.


    Five ¡°zombies¡± from the Zhang Family had come in.


    Two had vanished into smoke, one was maimed, and now both Zhang Quan and Elder Song were lying on the ground¡­


    Zhang Quan saw Elder Song, a previous generation elder of the Zhang Family, being tied up and beaten without the power to resist, and his face turned utterly pale.


    Only then did he truly grasp the disparity between himself and Mo Hua.


    On the outside, Mo Hua was merely cunning and difficult.


    But inside the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua was downright terrifying!


    How had their Zhang Family antagonized this ¡°little ancestor¡±?


    After being bombarded by Earth Fire Formation and Fireball Technique, Elder Song was terribly battered and also felt his Taoist Foundation¡¯s energy slipping away, both desperately and angrily he said:


    ¡°Taoist Friend, what exactly do you intend to do?¡±


    Mo Hua hummed with a slight smile, ¡°What you intend to do, I intend to do.¡±


    Elder Song blanched, then his face changed drastically:


    This little devil, does it intend to devour him?!


    Elder Song¡¯s mind raced, he hastily said:


    ¡°Taoist Friend, you cultivate a Righteous Dao Technique, follow the genuine path. We, on the other hand, are evildoers, ghostly thoughts. Listen to this old man¡¯s advice, if you ¡®consume¡¯ us, it will taint your Taoist Heart, it will ruin your Taoist Foundation, it could greatly disturb your nature¡ªyou mustn¡¯t eat us!¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t¡­¡± Mo Hua laughed.


    In that smile, there was innocence laced with a hint of malevolence.


    No? Why not? Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zhang Quan thought harder, and a chill ran through him. He exclaimed in horror:


    ¡°The missing ancestors of the Zhang Family, were they all¡­¡¯consumed¡¯ by you?!¡±

 Chapter 522 - 501 Involuntary_2

    Chapter 522: Chapter 501 Involuntary_2


    The remnants of the Zhang Family ancestors¡¯ souls dwelt within the Ancestral Master Picture, and they would rarely venture out unless they were seeking sustenance.


    The Ancestral Master Picture was last in my hands, completely intact.


    After it was stolen by Mo Hua and later retrieved, several of the Zhang Family ancestors had already disappeared¡­


    They must have sought sustenance in this kid¡¯s Sea of Consciousness and then been ¡°eaten¡± by him¡­


    Just like what they¡¯re doing now¡­


    Zhang Quan¡¯s face turned deathly pale.


    Elder Song also showed a look of horror.


    After all this trouble, this kid isn¡¯t the feast.


    They are!!


    Mo Hua was momentarily startled, then smiled, revealing gleaming white teeth, ¡°You¡¯ve guessed it¡­¡±


    Zhang Quan and Elder Song shuddered.


    Elder Song said harshly, ¡°Offending our Zhang Family won¡¯t do you any good!¡±


    Yet there was a hint of bluster in his tone.


    Zhang Quan also spat out hatefully, ¡°The ancestors won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    Mo Hua remained unfazed.


    Moreover, he even licked his lips, his gaze somewhat intriguing.


    Zhang Quan was taken aback, followed by a horrified look in his eyes.


    No¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­


    This kid¡­ he wouldn¡¯t even think of ¡°eating¡± the Zhang Family¡¯s ancestor, would he?!


    Elder Song realized it too.


    In an instant, a great fear rose in their hearts.


    That was their Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master!


    Somebody actually had the audacity, the sheer gall, to contemplate their Ancestral Master.


    What frightened them even more was that.


    This young Cultivator, with profound Divine Sense, was unfathomable.


    And with deep strategies, his methods were terrifying.


    Facing the calculated without being aware, it was truly possible to endanger their Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master!


    Seeing the expressions on their faces, Mo Hua sighed:


    ¡°You know too much¡­¡±


    Then, under the terrified gazes of Zhang Quan and Elder Song, he flicked his finger, and a fireball burst into existence, Spiritual Power surging, blasting the two of them until only their specters remained, on the brink of dissolution¡­


    The Sea of Consciousness cleared up significantly in an instant.


    Mo Hua exhaled in relief, sat down cross-legged, and began to ponder a question:


    ¡°Should I ¡®eat¡¯ them or not?¡±


    Havi? them, his Divine Sense would strengthen, but it likely wouldn¡¯t reach Thirteen Stripes.


    From twelve to thirteen, a bottleneck exists in Divine Sense, not so easy to break through.


    Besides, after ¡°eating¡± them, it would take time to assimilate.


    He didn¡¯t have this time now.


    In the Ancestral Master Picture, there were still many Zhang Family ancestors, and if they broke in while he was assimilating, it would be bad news.


    He was alone, while the entire lineage of the Zhang Family was in that picture.


    It meant he was facing the collective might of the Zhang Family¡¯s ancestral Zombies.


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    One or two, or even three or four, he was not afraid, but once the numbers increased, it would become harder to manage, with no room for error.


    If he showed a weakness and got injured, and was then besieged, the trouble would be immense.


    This was happening in the Corpse Mine, not in his master and fellow disciples¡¯ cave residence, without his master¡¯s watchful eye, nor the help of junior brothers and sisters, having no one to back him up in case of danger.


    So he needed to be cautious, ever more cautious.


    Especially since, on the other side, there was the old Ancestral Master.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what trump cards this ancestor Zhang Quan held, nor had he ever fought him.


    But it goes without saying, having lived so long and eaten so many Cultivators, this Ancestral Master¡¯s Divine Thought was surely strong, his scheming undoubtedly profound, his methods numerous.


    Going on like this, not only was he outnumbered, but he was also beset by formidable opponents.


    Adding difficulty upon difficulty.


    And the danger was substantial¡­


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Mo Hua rested his chin on his hand, pondering for a moment, then his eyes suddenly brightened.


    Zombies!


    Corpse control!


    The Zhang Family ancestors across generations were Zombies.


    And since they were Zombies, they could be controlled!


    In his possession, he had a highly advanced, top-secret corpse control technique¡ªthe Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation!


    Mo Hua thought to himself:


    ¡°Using the Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation, take control of the Zhang Family¡¯s Zombie Elders and Zombie Disciples, making them attack the Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Zombie¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll sit back and watch the drama, pick up the pieces, and deliver the final blow¡­¡±


    ¡°It poses little risk and saves effort.¡±


    ¡°In this scenario, the outnumbered one would be the Zhang Family¡¯s ancestor, the one surrounded by formidable opponents, still him¡­¡±


    The tables turned, and with that, the dynamics of offense and defense changed!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed with light, and he nodded in approval.


    He then began his preparations.


    First, he needed to test whether the Spirit Pivot truly worked within the Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua glanced around, seeing three figures.


    Elder Song, Elder Si, and Zhang Quan.


    They were all Thought Bodies, zombie-like, trapped by Mo Hua¡¯s Formation and Spell, their Divine Thought grievously injured, their forms dim, collapsed and unable to arise.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, picked Zhang Quan and Elder Song, and with his Divine Thought, manifested Formation Patterns, drawing a Spiritual Pivot Formation on the core meridian of each.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation, once completed, flashed a bright blue and submerged into their bodies.


    After that, the Formation Patterns turned into filament-like strands, like blood vessels, tendrils, or threads, wandering, stitching, and merging within them, gaining full control.


    Mo Hua suddenly realized.


    So this is how the Spiritual Pivot Formation takes effect¡­


    He had only used the Spiritual Pivot Formation on a wooden puppet, Little Tiger.


    Being an inanimate object with a simple structure, the puppet was simpler to control.


    He had also used it on Zombies, one being a lesser Zombie, the other the Corpse King, but neither was complete. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the lesser Zombie, he had merely tampered with the Sequential Formation Patterns, not fully crafting the Spirit Pivot Formation anew.


    On the Corpse King, he had merely overlaid it, covering up Lu Chengyun¡¯s Evil Spiritual Pivot Formation, stealing his control, without really constructing it from scratch.


    Now, within the Sea of Consciousness, manifesting Formation Patterns with Divine Thought, taking control of an Iron Corpse¡¯s evil thoughts, thread by thread, his Divine Thought was vividly displayed.


    Only now could Mo Hua thoroughly observe the effects and construction of the Spiritual Pivot Formation and deeply understand the formation principles of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.

 Chapter 523 - 501 Involuntary_3

    Chapter 523: Chapter 501 Involuntary_3


    Mo Hua finally understood that his previous understanding of the Spiritual Pivot Formation had been somewhat crude and superficial.


    Only by applying his knowledge and materializing the Formation Patterns to control the Iron Corpse could he delve deeper and gain a more thorough understanding.


    This was a great opportunity to deepen his comprehension of the Spiritual Pivot Formation!


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits were greatly lifted, and he focused his attention thereafter, materializing Formation Patterns, observing the movement of Spiritual Threads, contemplating the structure of Spiritual Power, and training in the methods to control the pivot points of Spiritual Power¡­


    His mastery and understanding of the Spiritual Pivot Formation deepened bit by bit¡­


    Meanwhile, the heart vessels of the two zombies, Zhang Quan and Elder Song, were also marked by Mo Hua with the Spiritual Pivot Formation. Spiritual Threads spread throughout their limbs, taking complete control of them.


    With a thought from Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, he controlled the two to stand up.


    As per Mo Hua¡¯s intent, the two stood up straight.


    However, both kept their eyes closed, bereft of consciousness, like true puppets.


    Mo Hua controlled Zhang Quan to raise his hand and slap Elder Song. Then he made Elder Song slap Zhang Quan in return.


    He had them repeatedly slap each other.


    Neither of them resisted.


    Mo Hua then made them spar with each other.


    They did as commanded.


    Their movements were clumsy and lacked power because they were both seriously injured and under Mo Hua¡¯s control.


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    Too weak¡­


    This level posed no threat to the ancient ancestor of the Zhang Family.


    ¡°Should I wake them up?¡±


    Mo Hua decided to give it a try.


    He refined the Zhang Family¡¯s two disciples and the seriously injured Elder Si with the Melting Fire Formation, then fed them to Zhang Quan and Elder Song.


    Sure enough, their injuries healed, and their aura slowly increased in strength.


    A moment later, both Zhang Quan and Elder Song opened their eyes.


    They unexpectedly found that their injuries had healed, and they had recovered seventy to eighty percent of their strength.


    Then, to their surprise, they discovered that their ¡°bodies¡± were no longer their own.


    No matter what they wanted to do, their bodies wouldn¡¯t move an inch.


    On the side, Mo Hua looked at them with a smiling gaze.


    Coldness crept into their hearts.


    What mischief is this little devil concocting now?


    ¡°You are now ¡®my people,¡¯ and you must follow my orders!¡± Mo Hua instructed.


    Zhang Quan felt this was absurd inside.


    What is this brat saying?


    How could I possibly be your ¡°person,¡± how could I obey your orders?


    I¡¯d rather kill you and end this quickly!


    Mo Hua commanded, ¡°Zhang Quan, slap Elder Song.¡±


    Zhang Quan sneered inwardly, ¡°You expect me to slap him just because you say so? How could I possibly commit such an act of disrespect¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his thought, he found his hand slapping across Elder Song¡¯s face¡­


    Zhang Quan was shocked.


    Elder Song was even more shocked.


    Zhang Quan, a junior, actually followed this little devil¡¯s command and slapped his elder?


    Mo Hua was very pleased and then said to Elder Song:


    ¡°Now slap him back.¡±


    And Elder Song indeed slapped Zhang Quan.


    By then, both Zhang Quan and Elder Song realized something was amiss.


    Zhang Quan angrily said, ¡°You brat, what did you do to us?¡±


    Elder Song also exclaimed in fright and fury, ¡°What exactly do you want to do?¡±


    Mo Hua answered speechlessly, ¡°How could I possibly tell you? Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡±


    He then muttered to himself, ¡°I can¡¯t let them speak, or they¡¯ll expose my plan¡­¡±


    Can I make them shut up?


    With a thought from Mo Hua, a blue light shone faintly at the heart vessel of the two, revealing Formation Patterns which sprouted Spiritual Threads that climbed upwards and, like threads and needles, sewed the mouths of Zhang Quan and Elder Song shut.


    Zhang Quan and Elder Song¡¯s eyes widened in horror, but they could not utter a sound.


    Mo Hua narrowed his eyes and smiled.


    That was correct.


    Zombies should look the part, no need for chatter!


    Afterward, he concealed himself, sat down cross-legged, and prepared to wait for other zombies from the Zhang Family to come, so that he could test the control effects of the Spiritual Pivot Formation. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a while, another zombie Elder indeed came with two zombie disciples into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    As soon as the zombie Elder entered the Sea of Consciousness, without even having time to marvel at the depth and purity of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, he noticed Zhang Quan and Elder Song standing stiffly like wooden stakes.


    Their appearance was very strange.


    Their clothes were ragged, scorched, as if they had gone through a fierce battle.


    Yet their aura was steady and even quite balanced and harmonious, not at all reflective of having fought¡­


    ¡°Elder Song?¡±


    That zombie Elder asked with a frown.


    Elder Song remained motionless, his eyes wide open but with no response at all.


    Muttering to himself, the zombie Elder called out again, ¡°Elder Song?¡±


    ¡°What has happened?¡±


    ¡°Where is Elder Si? And those two disciples?¡±


    ¡°How come you look like this?¡±


    After asking for a long time with no response from Elder Song, the zombie Elder frowned more deeply.


    Just then, Elder Song suddenly lashed out. His fingers, sharp as talons, were swift as the wind as he targeted the zombie Elder¡¯s heart vessel.


    The zombie Elder was startled and quickly dodged, but a gash was still torn across his chest, spilling black blood.


    Enraged, the zombie Elder bellowed, ¡°Elder Song, what do you mean by this?¡±


    Elder Song¡¯s attacks became more frenzied, each move lethal, as if he had no regard for his own life.


    While the zombie Elder struggled to cope, he gritted his teeth and said:


    ¡°Zhang Song, what are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Are you aiming to betray us?¡±


    ¡°To kill your own Elder?¡±


    ¡°How will you explain this to the ancient ancestor?¡±


    ¡°Are you planning a rebellion?!¡±


    Elder Song¡¯s expressionless face masked inner turmoil:


    I don¡¯t want to be involved in fratricide either, I¡¯m not in control of myself¡­


    Don¡¯t blame me¡­


    Blame that vicious, hateful, despicable, devious, shameless little devil!


    It¡¯s him, preventing me from controlling myself!

 Chapter 524 - 502_1

    Chapter 524: Chapter 502_1


    Mo Hua hid on the side, manipulating Elder Song and engaging in combat with this newly-arrived Elder of the Zombies.


    Elder Song should have been stronger, but controlled by the Spiritual Pivot Formation cast by Mo Hua, he could not act as he wished and seemed only able to exert seventy to eighty percent of his strength, which is why after dozens of exchanges he gradually began to be overpowered.


    If one wasn¡¯t enough, then use two.


    Mo Hua had no honor in combat, as he took control of Zhang Quan as well, the two launching a pincer attack.


    With this, the newly-arrived Elder of the Zombies found himself in a difficult position.


    Mo Hua then observed its techniques.


    The Elders of Zombies from the Zhang Family passed down their methods through generations, all knowing only how to transform using Divine Thought into a Corpse, engaging in close combat.


    If they couldn¡¯t win that way, they would transform again with Divine Thought into a Corpse, their stature swelling, their skin turning to bronze and bone to iron, their faces ghoulish with lashing fangs.


    During such times, their speed increased, their strength amplified, and their fangs even more lethal.


    But this was hardly interesting.


    The first time Mo Hua saw it, he found it novel, but after watching it repeatedly, it became tedious.


    Apart from Elder Song, who knew how to shrink his skin and bones to escape, the other zombies were all quite similar.


    Mo Hua wondered if it was because they were uneducated and incompetent, or if their ancestors had been secretive and hadn¡¯t taught them other skills.


    This Elder of the Zombies had no new tricks either.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed.


    With limited time, he wasted no more, exerting full control over Zhang Quan and Elder Song, the two launching a joint assault that caused the Elder of the Zombies to retreat in defeat.


    The Elder of the Zombies became enraged, fighting with all his might, yet unable to prevail.


    Even after transforming into a stronger form, he still couldn¡¯t win.


    Furthermore, his injuries worsened bit by bit; continuing like this, his death was certain.


    The Elder of the Zombies¡¯ gaze flash darkly as he swallowed a mouthful of blood, his aura surging as he punched, driving Zhang Quan back, then repelled Elder Song, attempting to escape.


    But Mo Hua would not let him get away.


    With a light tap of Mo Hua¡¯s finger, water prison swiftly formed.


    The Elder of the Zombies, just as he thought to flee, was instantaneously shackled by spiritual chains, bound where he stood.


    The Elder of the Zombies was shocked.


    From a corner, Mo Hua¡¯s figure also gradually became visible.


    Though young, his Divine Thought was focused, his aura robust, and his depths unfathomable.


    The Elder of the Zombies glared with wide eyes, filled with terror as he asked:


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Mo Hua, feeling it beneath him to waste words with such an ordinary elder, directly greeted him with a Fireball Technique.


    A Fireball Technique whistled out, smashing onto his face.


    The Elder of the Zombies fell at the sound.


    Mo Hua, still not reassured, cast several more Fireball Techniques, booming loud, blasting the Elder of the Zombies into a state of near-collapse, lying on the ground, unable to move.


    Zhang Quan and Elder Song, looking on, had their eyelids twitching.


    Before they could pity each other, an even more startling scene took place.


    In front of Zhang Quan and the other man, Mo Hua began to deploy the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    With a discard of concentration, he pointed his finger at the heart meridian of the zombie Elder, whose consciousness was nearing collapse, his body immobilized.


    Using the heart meridian as the Formation eye, pale blue Formation Patterns unfolded, blossoming like a rare and beautiful orchid on the chest of the Elder of the Zombies, then spreading outward, rooting and proliferating throughout the flesh, layer upon layer, until there was a perfect integration¡­


    This Elder at the Iron Corpse Realm had thus become a living puppet.


    Zhang Quan and Elder Song watched with eyes wide with fright.


    What kind of Formation was this?


    Could this little devil be controlling the bodies through such a Formation?


    Had they too been implanted with such a Formation?


    What exactly was this Formation?


    This Formation was sophisticated, its technique so close to the Way, and that Way bordered on the sinister.


    It was beyond their comprehension, utterly bizarre.


    Zhang Quan was suddenly struck by a thought.


    This Formation, it somewhat resembled the Corpse Control Formation that Lu Chengyun treasured as though it was a priceless treasure¡­


    Except it wasn¡¯t as malevolent, and it appeared more complex, more mystical, and more profound.


    But wasn¡¯t that Formation said to be extremely difficult by Lu Chengyun? Didn¡¯t he say it had a high threshold? Wasn¡¯t the Formation principle incredibly intricate?


    Zhang Quan still remembered Lu Chengyun¡¯s words:


    ¡°¡­Without intense and solitary dedication, decades of study, no understanding of Evil Formation, no merging the sinister intention into consciousness, no using bone as the brush, no using blood as ink, no using corpses as a medium, how could he possibly learn it?¡±


    So when did this youngster learn it?


    Zhang Quan wanted to ask, but he couldn¡¯t open his mouth at all.


    He was already a Divine Thought puppet manipulated by others, without the autonomy of his own body¡­


    After Mo Hua had drawn the Spiritual Pivot Formation on the Elder of the Zombies, he refined the two zombie disciples he had just killed into blue smoke, and then fed it to the Elder to restore some of his strength.


    Moments later, the once vague form of the Elder of the Zombies gradually stabilized and he slowly opened his eyes.


    His gaze was lost, confused.


    What lingered in his memory was the fierce Fireball Technique from Mo Hua.


    It soon realized that its body was no longer under its control.


    It was manipulated by Mo Hua, standing together with Zhang Quan and Elder Song. Its mouth was also sewn shut with threads of spiritual power, so it could not speak but only exchange a simple glance with Elder Song.


    The emotions conveyed in that glance were extremely complex.


    It had finally understood Elder Song¡¯s dilemma.


    Their fate was no longer in their own hands.


    Instead, it lay in the hands of the cute-looking yet terrifying young monk beside them¡­


    With three Iron Corpses in hand, Mo Hua continued to lie in wait.


    He remembered Elder Song saying that the Zhang Family¡¯s ancestral zombie was sustained by the divine thoughts and bloodlines of its descendants and would not consume them directly.


    Although Mo Hua was unclear about the specifics of this sustenance, logically, the Zhang Family¡¯s ancestor should not enter his Sea of Consciousness.


    Unless he captured all the Zhang Family elders in one swoop¡­


    Before long, two more Iron Corpse Elders from the Zhang Family entered Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua followed suit.


    This time it was three against two, a chaotic melee.


    Once they had exhausted their tricks and the fight was nearly over, Mo Hua would make his move. Using the Fireball Technique, Water Prison Technique, and Earth Fire Formation concurrently, he would quickly resolve the two elders.


    Then he would repeat the old trick.


    Laying out the Spiritual Pivot Formation, he took control over the Zhang Family elders.


    As a result, the Zhang Family lost two more elders, while Mo Hua¡¯s hands were graced with two more Iron Corpses.


    Mo Hua fished as if he were angling.


    One by one.


    Each time he caught one, his basket held one more fish, and the river one less.


    In the Ancestral Master Picture of the Zhang Family, all elders at the Iron Corpse Realm were Mo Hua¡¯s fish¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, as Mo Hua ¡°fished,¡± there was also an undercurrent flowing through South Yue City.


    All kinds of cultivating forces were converging in the city.


    The streets were filled with many new faces.


    Unaware Qi Refinement cultivators still toiled for their daily bread, exhausting themselves for mere Spirit Stones.


    Those cultivators in the thick of things, however, bore a grave expression.


    A storm was brewing, and the tension was palpable.


    Yet, they only sensed the wind, the exact nature of the impending storm unknown to them.


    Situ Family.


    They gathered in a room that was modestly decorated, refined yet concealed.


    Powers from various factions came together. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These included the Taoist Soldiers¡¯ leaders mobilized by the Taoist Court, the Foundation Establishment Elders from the nearby Tao cultivating powers under the Court¡¯s command, and the clans and Sects associated with Heaven Shu Pavilion that followed Mr. Zhuang, including a gaunt old man, a youth in white, and a middle-aged cultivator.


    ¡­


    These clan forces arrived in secret, and the Taoist Soldiers were stationed in an abandoned mine outside the city to stay unseen, to deceive the Lu Family.


    At the same time, they also circumvented South Yue City¡¯s Taoist Court.


    The only Supervisor from South Yue City¡¯s Taoist Court present was Situ Fang.


    But she was there due to her status as a disciple of the Situ Family and her knowledge of many secrets, which allowed her to partake in this meeting.


    The leader of this gathering was a Taoist Soldiers¡¯ leader with the surname Yang, at the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, a man with a square face, stern brows and eyes, and a steady demeanor.


    Leader Yang spoke directly,


    ¡°I am Yang Jishan, serving as a Second Grade leader of the Taoist Soldiers,¡± he said.


    ¡°By the Taoist Court¡¯s decree, our mission is to suppress the Corpse Mine, arrest Lu Chengyun, seal the Corpse King, and destroy the mass of corpses. We must prevent a Corpse Tide, avoid a catastrophe of zombies, and not let South Yue City¡¯s inhabitants suffer a dire fate¡­¡±


    Leader Yang¡¯s gaze was severe as he looked around and said sternly,


    ¡°In South Yue City, the Lu Family holds great influence, and there are many zombies in the Corpse Mine.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, our actions must be cautious, or we¡¯ll surely invite disaster!¡±


    ¡°I ask all of you to follow commands. Should there be any lapses leading to misfortune, and the Taoist Court lays blame, none of us can bear the responsibility.¡±


    After Leader Yang finished speaking and saw no dissatisfaction, he nodded and continued,


    ¡°For this operation, we will divide into two groups:¡±


    ¡°One group will suppress the Lu Family;¡±


    ¡°Seal the Lu Estate, capture the Foundation Building Cultivators of the Lu Family, restrain their cultivation with Second Grade Spiritual Locks; confine and watch over common Qi Refinement disciples until the dust settles on the Corpse Mine affair, at which point their fate will be determined.¡±


    ¡°Innocents must not be killed indiscriminately.¡±


    ¡°However, should any descendant of the Lu Family resist, show no mercy!¡±


    ¡°The other group, the cultivators will assemble and, in conjunction with the Taoist Soldiers outside the city, launch a surprise attack on the Corpse Mine.¡±


    ¡°Move covertly, strive for a swift resolution, suppress the Corpse Mine, capture Lu Chengyun, and nip the zombie menace in the bud¡­¡±


    ¡°Next are the specific tactical arrangements¡­¡±

 Chapter 525 - 503 Prep for War_1

    Chapter 525: Chapter 503 Prep for War_1


    Leader Yang hung up several maps.


    Among these maps were terrain diagrams of the mines, the entrance to the Lu Family Corpse Mine, structural drawings of the stone palaces within the mine, as well as simple tunnel route maps.


    Many small characters were marked on the maps.


    The small characters explained matters that needed attention, including the Iron Corpses on guard, the locations of mechanisms, Corpse Poison traps, secret passages, secret rooms, and hidden doors, and so on.


    They even included Formation Diagrams:


    Defensive Formation, Early Warning Formation, Expose Shadow Formation, Trap Formation, Killing Formation, and Confinement Formation¡­ and the like, all marked very clearly.


    The detailed nature of these maps surprised everyone.


    Leader Yang arranged tactics in accordance with the maps.


    First was the division of teams, based on Cultivation Techniques and expertise in Taoist Skills, the Foundation Building Cultivators were divided into teams.


    Each team of Cultivators had different offensive and defensive capabilities, complementing each other¡¯s strengths and weaknesses.


    Those skilled in combat, sharp in Taoist Skills, would take the lead in attack; those physically strong and robust in Blood Qi, would take the lead in defense.


    There were also some Cultivators with unusual Taoist Skills that produced rare effects, serving as surprise troops to catch the enemy unawares.


    After dividing the teams, Leader Yang continued:


    ¡°The Taoist Court has allocated a batch of Pills. I will distribute them later¡­¡±


    ¡°These Pills include Poison Avoidance Pills, Spirit Revitalizing Pills, Blood Replenishing Pills, Serum Pills, and so forth¡­¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The rest are commonly used Pills. You may take them as needed without me saying more.¡±


    ¡°But these Serum Pills are different; they are specifically to counteract Corpse Poison, hard to come by, and must be used with caution. However, in a critical moment, make sure not to hesitate.¡±


    ¡°Once injured, bleeding, tainted by Corpse Poison, especially Second Grade Iron Corpse Poison, it must be taken immediately, else once the Corpse Poison reaches the heart, and live ones transform into Zombies, I can only bring myself to strike you down¡­¡±


    The expressions of the Cultivators present all grew serious.


    Leader Yang¡¯s expression turned solemn as he continued:


    ¡°Of course, if I am unfortunate enough to transform into a Zombie, becoming the Corpse King¡¯s living puppet, you must not hesitate to slay me, to burn my corpse, leaving no remains behind!¡±


    ¡°My members of the Yang Family might die in battle, but we must not become Zombies after death, aiding the tyrant¡­¡±


    Leader Yang finished speaking and then asked:


    ¡°Among us, is there any gentleman who knows Formations?¡±


    The crowd looked at each other, and then a few Cultivators stood up, their hair either graying or white, all of them quite aged.


    Leader Yang nodded.


    A young man dressed in white hesitated for a moment before standing up as well.


    The middle-aged Cultivator beside him tried to pull him back but didn¡¯t catch him, muttering discontentedly:


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of pushing into the limelight unnecessarily¡­¡±


    A gaunt old man beside them sighed and shook his head.


    Yet the young man in white remained resolute.


    Leader Yang saw his youth and was slightly surprised as he asked:


    ¡°This young friend¡­ are you a Formation Master?¡±


    The young man in white nodded: ¡°I am a Second Rank Formation Master.¡±


    A Second Rank Formation Master!


    As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room was shocked.


    ¡°A Second Rank Formation Master, so young?¡±


    ¡°Impossible, right¡­¡±


    ¡°Who would lie at a time like this?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his background?¡±


    ¡°Must be from a Noble Family Descendant¡­¡±


    ¡°How did a member of a Noble Family end up here?¡±


    ¡°Who knows¡­¡±


    ¡°He looks only about twenty or thirty years old. Such talent is truly terrifying¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m over a hundred and eighty and only a First Rank Formation Master, sigh, truly shameful¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The crowd whispered among themselves, abuzz with speculation.


    Leader Yang was also quite shocked, then seriously asked:


    ¡°What is the gentleman¡¯s esteemed surname?¡±


    The young man in white saluted with his hands: ¡°Leader Yang is too courteous, just call me Young Master Yun.¡±


    ¡°Yun¡­ the Young Master of the Yun Family?¡±


    Leader Yang was inwardly moved and nodded:


    ¡°Good, in this operation, I hope Young Master Yun will lend us a strong hand.¡±


    The Young Master Yun in white nodded, ¡°To rid the world of Demons and protect the Taoist way is my unshirkable duty.¡±


    The youthful spirit of the young man gave the middle-aged Cultivator beside him a headache.


    However, Leader Yang looked on with admiration and then commanded the Deputy Commander beside him:


    ¡°After the battle begins, you will follow Young Master Yun and protect him closely, ensuring his safety without fail.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The Deputy Commander acknowledged the order.


    Leader Yang displayed the mine¡¯s formation charts, pointing out several Formations that were designed as gate locks at checkpoints.


    Leader Yang asked:


    ¡°Young Master Yun, please look these over, how should these Formations be broken?¡±


    Young Master Yun shook his head: ¡°I haven¡¯t learned how to break them yet, I can only teach you how to destroy them¡­¡±


    Leader Yang was taken aback.


    To break the Formations, isn¡¯t there any difference between ¡°breaking¡± and ¡°solving¡±?


    Usually, when they, the Taoist Soldiers, speak of breaking and solving Formations, they mean the same thing¡­


    Yet he didn¡¯t feel it was appropriate to ask in detail, to avoid seeming unprofessional, so he vaguely replied:


    ¡°Either is fine.¡±


    Young Master Yun examined the Formation Diagram, pondered for a moment, and then began to indicate the weaknesses of the Formations, telling them where the Formation eye was, how the Formation Pivot operated, where the critical Formation Patterns were, and which was the weakest Formation media¡­


    As long as they forcefully destroyed these points with Spiritual Power or physical force, the Formation could be broken.


    Leader Yang was delighted, noting everything down and then instructed a few Taoist Soldier leaders:


    ¡°Remember what Young Master Yun said; at that time, make sure there is no deviation, and all these Formations must be broken!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Leader!¡±


    Leader Yang then discussed with everyone, looking for omissions and drawing from collective wisdom, refining the plan to suppress the Corpse Mine bit by bit¡­


    Once the discussion was over, someone suddenly asked:


    ¡°Leader, this intelligence is so detailed. Where did it come from?¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone was startled and turned their gaze toward Leader Yang.


    Leader Yang couldn¡¯t help but look toward Situ Fang.


    Situ Fang then rose to speak: ¡°It was two children of Noble Families who told me.¡±


    ¡°Noble Family children?¡±


    ¡°Which Noble Family?¡±


    ¡°How did they come by this information? Can we trust it?¡±


    ¡­


    Situ Fang frowned and declared in a loud voice: ¡°Our Situ Family can vouch for it.¡±


    Someone sneered, ¡°What use is the guarantee of the Situ Family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t trust you, but this matter is of great importance and must be handled with extreme caution¡­¡±


    Situ Fang¡¯s brows furrowed tightly.


    After pondering for a moment, Leader Yang said, ¡°How about this, please invite these two disciples over, and we can confirm their identities¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Situ Fang hesitated.


    Leader Yang asked, ¡°Is there any inconvenience?¡±


    ¡°I can only ask for them, but whether they come or not, I can¡¯t guarantee¡­¡± Situ Fang said.


    ¡°No matter,¡± Leader Yang said, ¡°Situ Supervisor can go and invite them.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Situ Fang nodded, clasped his hands in salute, and then took his leave.


    Leader Yang stared at the map, his brow furrowed in deep thought.


    It¡¯s indeed too comprehensive¡­


    Just like the intelligence leaked by an ¡°insider¡± within the Corpse Mine¡­


    No, even an ¡°insider¡± would not necessarily know the details this intimately.


    The topographical map and the layout of the Stone Palace are still okay, but this Formation Diagram, it¡¯s an absolute secret, not something an ordinary cultivator could get their hands on.


    I reckon that in the entire Corpse Mine, only Lu Chengyun would have it¡­


    Is this a conspiracy by Lu Chengyun, luring us into a trap?


    Or is it that the cultivator who gathered the intelligence is familiar with the inner formations and is a ¡°trusted aide¡± of Lu Chengyun?


    Leader Yang¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion, he turned his head and saw Young Master Yun also staring intently at the Formation Diagram, and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°Young Master Yun, what do you think?¡±


    Young Master Yun was slightly startled, thought seriously for a moment, and then said:


    ¡°I¡¯m not clear about other things, but at least this Formation Diagram, with its intricate principles and logical consistency, and matching with the topographical layout, it can¡¯t be fake.¡±


    Leader Yang nodded, feeling slightly relieved in his heart.


    As long as the Formation Diagram is real, that¡¯s good.


    The Formation Diagram is crucial.


    Even if Lu Chengyun intends to lure us into a trap, he wouldn¡¯t be so irrational as to expose such confidential information¡­


    As long as the Formation Diagram is accurate, even if there are some inaccuracies in other pieces of intelligence, they can adapt accordingly, and there shouldn¡¯t be major problems.


    Leader Yang soon became curious again.


    Who exactly are the two descendants of Noble Clans that Situ Fang mentioned?


    And what is the identity of the cultivator who obtained the intelligence?


    An hour later, Situ Fang led two cultivators in.


    It was Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    As soon as the two entered the hall, everyone present felt as if a light had shone before their eyes.


    Bai Zisheng had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, an imposing demeanor, and though only in the Qi-refining Realm, his spiritual power was profound, clearly indicating a deeply solid foundation.


    Bai Zixi was disguised, with merely a beautiful and delicate appearance, but her aura was crisp and clear, and her eyes were like shining ripples, dazzling like glittering glass, unforgettable to anyone who saw them.


    The spiritual power around her was surging, and compared to Bai Zisheng, she was certainly not inferior.


    At a glance, one would know they were from prominent families, with extraordinary and sublime Spiritual Roots, but at the same time, their aura was somewhat obscure, making it difficult for others to discern their true abilities.


    Some cultivators secretly tried to probe with their Divine Sense.


    But as soon as their Divine Sense extended, they felt it being absorbed by something and dragged into an abyss, disappearing without a trace.


    The cultivator who attempted to spy turned pale, a chill settling in their hearts.


    These two individuals¡¯ identities were clearly not to be trifled with by them.


    Leader Yang was taken aback for a long while before he finally opened his mouth to ask:


    ¡°May I know where the two young friends come from?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°Our surname is Bai.¡±


    Surname Bai?


    Leader Yang¡¯s heart gave a shiver, which Bai?


    In the Cultivation World of the Nine States, there are several significant clans with the surname Bai¡­


    But looking at their eminent identities, he did not delve further and turned to the main topic:


    ¡°I wonder where did you get the news about this Corpse Mine from?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°It was gathered by my junior brother.¡±


    ¡°Junior brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bai Zisheng said, ¡°My junior brother is an expert in formations, and was used by Lu Chengyun, who captured and trapped him in the Corpse Mine.¡±


    ¡°Then this intelligence¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s all information he gathered from inside.¡±


    Leader Yang frowned.


    An expert in formations? How expert could he be?


    This intelligence included a Formation Diagram, could that really be gathered as well¡­


    Leader Yang was half-convinced.


    He looked again at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, and his hesitations gradually eased as he thought to himself:


    ¡°If this junior brother is indeed the disciple of these two young Bai Family cultivators, he must have some exceptional abilities, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for him to accomplish things that ordinary people couldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, the silent Bai Zixi secretly tugged at Bai Zisheng¡¯s sleeve.


    Only then did Bai Zisheng, somewhat reluctantly, say:


    ¡°I have one more thing¡­ I would like to ask everyone here, to help rescue my junior brother¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng was usually not one to ask for help; if not for Mo Hua, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted to ask these people for assistance.


    But there were too many zombies in the Corpse Mine, and it wasn¡¯t easy for him to break in forcefully, and Mo Hua hadn¡¯t returned for a long time¡­


    Leader Yang said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    This junior disciple was the younger brother of these two Bai Family members, and also hijacked by Lu Chengyun for his use; he was clearly not an ordinary person in terms of both identity and strength.


    Furthermore, he had passed on such critical intelligence, helping them immensely, so they were definitely going to rescue him regardless.


    Leader Yang then asked:


    ¡°What does this young junior brother of yours look like? What are his features, and what is his name?¡±


    Bai Zisheng replied, ¡°He¡¯s thirteen years old, knowledgeable in formations, with a countenance like a painting, his name is Mo Hua.¡±


    Thirteen years old?


    So young?


    All those present were somewhat astonished.


    Leader Yang was also taken aback.


    Mo Hua?


    This name, why does it sound so familiar, as if I¡¯ve heard it somewhere¡­


    It seemed like someone had mentioned it to him before?


    Leader Yang couldn¡¯t recall at the moment, so he temporarily set it aside and solemnly said:


    ¡°Everyone, when we attack the Corpse Mine, if we encounter this young cultivator named ¡®Mo Hua¡¯, we must assist him and ensure his rescue!¡±


    All the cultivators present nodded their heads.


    They all remembered the name ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    However, they had no idea what this name really signified¡­

 Chapter 526 - 504 Zhang Family Ancestral Master_1

    Chapter 526: Chapter 504 Zhang Family Ancestral Master_1


    All plans being in place, Yang Jishan said in a deep voice,


    ¡°Troops will be mobilized tomorrow; cultivators will be gathered. The day after at 6 A.M., we begin the suppression of the Lu Family and the eradication of the Corpse Mine!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expressions were serious.


    The day the battle starts is when the torrential rain abruptly arrives.


    Inside South Yue City, the wind and rain are unsteady.


    What they are about to face is the deeply-rooted Lu Family and the vastness of the Corpse Mountain and Corpse Sea¡­


    As well as that body, with the potential of a Taoist Demon¡ªthe Corpse King!


    The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned somber¡­


    ¡­


    In the Corpse Mine, however, Lu Chengyun suddenly furrowed his brows.


    His heart felt a bit uneasy at that moment.


    It seemed as if something extremely dangerous had occurred, but he was completely unaware.


    What could possibly be so dangerous?


    Lu Chengyun calmed his mind and began to ponder slowly.


    Zhang Quan was already dead, and with him, the control over the Corpse King had vanished.


    In this world, the only person left who could dominate the Corpse King was himself¡­ sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had also used Mo Hua as a sacrificial offering to feed the Contemplation Map.


    Once his Divine Sense was consumed, leaving only an empty shell behind, he would refine him into a small zombie to stay by his side and serve him.


    After all, he was quite fond of the clever and adorable child.


    The only problem was his proficiency in Formations, knowing too much.


    The matter of the Corpse Mine was of utmost importance, related to the fate of the Lu Family and his own future path to the Great Dao. He had no choice but to eliminate all potential risks and nip them in the bud.


    A child too intelligent could not be left alive.


    A Zhang Quan, a Mo Hua.


    Both were discarded by him, once they had served their purpose across the river, like breaking up the bridge after crossing it, killing the donkey after grinding the wheat¡ªdealt with.


    Besides these two, who else could threaten him? Who else could make him feel so uneasy?


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s fingers tapped the tabletop woodenly, his expression cold.


    A moment later, he opened some incoming reports.


    These reports, gathered by the Lu Family cultivators, were about recent occurrences in South Yue City and the Corpse Mine.


    Lu Chengyun relied on these reports to observe the movements within South Yue City.


    ¡°The number of passing cultivators has increased¡­¡±


    ¡°Their faces unfamiliar, unable to discern their aura¡­¡±


    ¡°The South Yue Sect grew distant from our Lu Family, declined the delivery of Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court, on the other hand, did not err in collecting Spirit Stones, and the Brothel is still frequented.¡±


    ¡°The Court Leader indulges himself in pleasures within the brothel and has once again humiliated a female cultivator to death¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze slightly sharpened as he contemplated in silence.


    ¡°Nothing seems unusual¡­¡±


    ¡°Am I being overanxious?¡±


    ¡°More passing cultivators are a good thing. Within hundreds of miles, only our Lu Family¡¯s Jinhua Street is most luxurious, indulging in pleasure to the extreme. As they toy with the bodies of female cultivators, they are actually providing my Lu Family with Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing unusual on the Taoist Court¡¯s end.¡±


    ¡°If there was really something afoot, the local Taoist Court couldn¡¯t possibly be in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, they would have shown at least some restraint, even if they didn¡¯t tip us off.¡±


    ¡°Is the South Yue Sect putting on an act, desiring more Spirit Stones?¡±


    Lu Chengyun snorted coldly, ¡°It seems this Sect Leader is tired of his position!¡±


    Lu Chengyun reviewed the reports once more; in spite of everything, he still felt something was off, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint where¡­


    ¡°Could it be that the Corpse Mine¡¯s conspiracy has been leaked?¡±


    Lu Chengyun considered for a moment, then shook his head, ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    The only ones who knew the ins and outs were Zhang Quan and Mo Hua.


    Zhang Quan was already dead, and Mo Hua had been fed to the map by him.


    Beyond that, what those Corpse cultivators knew was merely superficial; they were clueless about the core aspects like the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, the Spiritual Pivot Formation, and the Corpse King within the altar.


    Even if they betrayed him, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    Finding a scapegoat would suffice; the Taoist Court wouldn¡¯t make a big fuss¡­


    Lu Chengyun, feeling heavily suspicious, was still somewhat uneasy.


    ¡°Should I personally take a look in the city?¡±


    He pondered for a while then shook his head again.


    The matter of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses still required his attention.


    This kind of complex Compound Formation, requiring constant operation, wasn¡¯t just set and done; it demanded inspection, maintenance, examination, ensuring that the Formation eye was intact, the Formation Pivot smooth, and the Formation Patterns error-free.


    Moreover, the Formation eye of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses was constructed by Mo Hua.


    Some ideas were ingenious, the circulation of Spiritual Power unique, not as simple as he had initially thought.


    Maintaining it was somewhat difficult for Lu Chengyun. Inspecting, identifying errors, and repairing were all time-consuming tasks.


    Not to mention other Formation Masters in the Corpse Mine¡ªwho would be fortunate if they could even understand it.


    Lu Chengyun sighed, somewhat regretting:


    ¡°It was too early to kill this gentleman¡­¡±


    He had no choice but to manage these tasks himself now, too busy to worry about anything else. Nevertheless, he was still not entirely reassured, so he ordered:


    ¡°In these days, strengthen the defense, patrol day and night. If there¡¯s any abnormality, report it immediately.¡±


    The Corpse cultivators acknowledged the command and passed along the orders.


    For a while, the entire Corpse Mine went into high alert¡­


    The Taoist Court was fully prepared, and the situation within the Corpse Mine extremely tense.


    The great battle was on the brink of breaking out¡­


    And within the sea of consciousness inside Mo Hua¡¯s white coffin, the ultimate enemy was about to arrive:


    The Ancestor Founder of Corpse Path from the Zhang Family!


    During this time, Mo Hua had been fishing non-stop.


    Until now, he had drawn all of the Zhang Family¡¯s ancestors and elders, along with the disciples, into his own sea of consciousness.


    Mo Hua waited at his leisure, first commanding the Iron Corpses to gang up on them. As they fought each other fiercely, exhausted their tricks, and suffered severe injuries, he would step in to finish them off.


    The elders were retained, controlled by the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    The disciples were refined to restore the elders¡¯ power.


    Among them, the strongest was the Chief Elder of the Zhang Family.


    With much effort and at the cost of losing two Iron Corpse Elders, Mo Hua finally subdued him.

 Chapter 527 - 504: Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family_2

    Chapter 527: Chapter 504: Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family_2


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    The control of Iron Corpse had reached its limit.


    Mo Hua then imitated Lu Chengyun, painting on the Chief Elder¡¯s body the same Spiritual Pivot Formation as the Corpse King, and endowed it with a high-permission Sequential Formation Pattern. On the other Iron Corpse Elders, he painted subordinate Sequence Formation Patterns.


    By controlling the Chief Elder, he thus commanded the ordinary Elders.


    Sure enough, he felt much lighter with his Divine Sense, and his control over the Iron Corpses became even more precise.


    With this, Mo Hua now had a total of eleven Iron Corpses in his hands!


    This was the entire number of living Elders of the Zhang Family.


    Originally, they were all Elders of the Zhang Family, obeying the orders of the Zombie Ancestor, but now they had become Divine Consciousness puppets of Mo Hua and were under his control.


    The situation had changed from being outnumbered to outnumbering the enemy.


    Using the enemies¡¯ tactics against them.


    Using the Zhang Family¡¯s Elders to fight the ancient ancestor of the Zhang Family!


    Mo Hua nodded with a smile, expressing satisfaction with his own cunning,


    ¡°I am truly remarkable!¡±


    Next, Mo Hua arranged the eleven Iron Corpses of the Zhang Family in a line, ready for battle, waiting for the arrival of the Zhang Family Ancestor.


    As for himself, he hid on the side, lying in wait, ready to watch the ancestors of the Zhang Family fight among themselves, reaping the benefits for himself¡­


    Zhang Quan, who saw all this, regretted it to his core.


    It was a big mistake; he should never have provoked this little ancestral master!


    Actually, had he been angered to death sooner, it would have been better.


    If he had been angered to death earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have been used to threaten the ancestors of his Zhang Family.


    Now, they had also fallen to the point of ¡°assisting a tyrant in his oppression¡±.


    Mo Hua was that little tyrant.


    Not only did he consume them, but he also turned them into wraiths to further harm the forefathers of his Zhang Family.


    Now, the Elders of the Zhang Family had all become the ¡°wraiths¡± of this ¡°little tyrant¡± and were about to harm their old ancestor!


    The old ancestor was in real danger!


    This little devil, Mo Hua, was far more fearsome than Lu Chengyun!


    Zhang Quan was both anxious and frightened.


    But now he was just a puppet, dominated by Mo Hua, obeying Mo Hua¡¯s commands, and completely powerless¡­


    ¡­


    After some time, Mo Hua, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.


    He felt the Divine Thought walls shake, as if something powerful was approaching¡­


    Moments later, mist swirled.


    An elder with an air of immortality descended on a cloud.


    This man, with white hair and beard, looked otherworldly and dignified; it was Zhang Quan¡¯s great ancestor, the Zombie Ancestor from the Ancestral Master Picture.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and a mischievous smile formed on his lips¡­


    ¡­


    The Zhang Family Ancestor had arrived.


    He had no choice but to come.


    Because no one in the Zhang Family was left.


    One by one, they had all disappeared without return.


    In just half a day, his disciples and grand-disciples had vanished.


    The once full Ancestral Master Picture now had only him left, the sole surviving ancestor.


    If he didn¡¯t show up, the corpse-path heritage of the Zhang Family would truly be at an end.


    There must be someone scheming a trap.


    This was about the bloodline and the heritage of the Corpse Path.


    He wanted to see who or what dared to plot against his Zhang Family?


    When the Ancestors of the Zhang Family arrived, he was first taken aback.


    Such a profound Divine Sense!


    Like the legendary lands of dense spiritual energy, the Divine Sense here was terrifyingly pure.


    Could it be that his disciples were voraciously indulging, so content that they didn¡¯t want to return?


    The Zhang Family Ancestor frowned, looking around in astonishment.


    There were no outsiders, no other evil spirits, or Divine Consciousness Entities.


    Only about a dozen of his Zhang Family Elders were lined up, standing like wooden stakes.


    The Zhang Family Ancestor with a frown said,


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    The group of Elders had obscure auras and dull eyes, and remained silent.


    The Zhang Family Ancestor sensed something was wrong.


    Just as he was about to step forward for a closer look, a sudden chill wind arose.


    The Zhang Family Chief Elder took the lead to strike, claws swelling with Corpse Poison, attacking the back of the Zhang Family Ancestor.


    ¡°An ambush?¡±


    The face of the Zhang Family Ancestor changed drastically as he grabbed the wrist of the Chief Elder, blocking his assault.


    At the same time, the other Elders also made their moves, aiming for vital spots: the heart, the eyes, the crown of the head, the groin, the joints¡­


    Each move was lethal, intending to kill their old ancestor!


    The Zhang Family Ancestor was furious.


    He could never have imagined that in such a short period of time, his disciples and grand-disciples not only vanished but also betrayed him, and were even plotting patricide, attempting to take the life of their old ancestor!


    ¡°A bunch of scourges!¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestor defended himself, parrying a few moves, but was overwhelmed by the numbers. His Taoist robe was torn, his arms were cut, and several strands of his white beard were pulled out¡­


    The Zhang Family Ancestor¡¯s gaze grew stern.


    During the combat, he noticed something unusual about these Elders.


    ¡°Were they controlled?¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestor¡¯s thoughts raced.


    Controlled by what?


    A spell?


    An Illusion Technique?


    Were they bewitched or brainwashed?


    The Zhang Family Ancestor¡¯s mind stirred, and he immediately chanted loudly, subsequently barking:


    ¡°The Ancestral Master is here, why haven¡¯t you converted yet?¡±


    ¡°Convert to my school, and seek eternal life¡­¡±


    ¡°Convert to my school¡­¡±


    ¡°Seek eternal life¡­¡±


    These words, both loud and distant, resonated in the ears and hearts of those present, possessing the power to enchant and compel conversion.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense also wavered momentarily.


    But after a brief moment, his mind cleared like a stream, and he was instantly awake.


    On the other hand, the Iron Corpses revealed looks of longing and desire.


    But they were controlled by the Spiritual Pivot Formation, their actions governed by Spiritual Threads, mere puppets, so what they thought didn¡¯t really matter.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 528 - 528: 504

    Chapter 528: 504


    Even if the Zhang Family Ancestral Master had bewitched their minds, their bodies remained honest, only obeying Mo Hua.


    Their onslaught continued unabated.


    These Iron Corpses had looks of longing, clearly shaken in spirit.


    But their attacks were still mercilessly fierce, not holding back in the slightest.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master felt a chill in his heart.


    What kind of control technique was this? He had never seen it before.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master called out loudly,


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    Being able to simultaneously control eleven Iron Corpses without being affected by his own Taoist sounds, such a skill could only belong to a true master.


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t make a sound, nor did he have any intention of revealing himself.


    The most ideal outcome was to avoid getting involved personally.


    To let these zombies slaughter each other within their clan.


    Wait until both sides were weakened, then go out and pick up the pieces.


    Depending on the superiority of numbers, to let this Zhang Family Ancestral Master be worn down by his own disciples and grandchildren, best if he didn¡¯t even know how he died, making the perfect confused ghost.


    This would save a lot of trouble.


    And the risk was lower, too.


    Even if he had to step in at the end, he wanted to force out all the Ancestral Master¡¯s techniques, making him reveal his hand, so that he would have something to guard against and could be more targeted in his approach¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind stirred, and he intensified the attack of the Iron Corpses.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master was extremely frustrated.


    Being attacked by his own disciples and grandchildren, he didn¡¯t even know who the hidden enemy was.


    At first, he refrained from being ruthless out of concern for the connection between ancestors and disciples, but as his injuries multiplied, he realized this couldn¡¯t continue.


    If it did, he would only die here!


    The expression of the Zhang Family Ancestral Master darkened, and his aura suddenly changed.


    The aura of his transcendent nature disappeared, and in its stead rose a dense Corpse Qi.


    His pupils turned vertical, changing from pitch black to a rusted copper color, his gaze cold and indifferent.


    His Taoist robe burst from his body, revealing skin of an ancient copper hue, with green veins twisting grotesquely over it, tough beyond compare.


    His stature also shot up suddenly, bulking up like copper and iron.


    Sharp claws elongated like fine swords, their tips glowing with a copper-red sheen.


    He looked terrifying, his aura violent and ferocious.


    Mo Hua involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air:


    A Copper Corpse!


    Despite some anticipation, he was still shocked.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that the Divine Thought manifested by the Zhang Family Ancestral Master would truly be a Copper Corpse!


    Only a Second Grade zombie could refine a Copper Corpse.


    The strength of a Copper Corpse was at least a middle-phase Foundation Establishment; with deeper cultivation, it could reach the late phase.


    In the case of the Zhang Family Ancestral Master, Mo Hua estimated that he was just a hair away from the later phase of Foundation Establishment.


    But because he was an Ancestral Master, influenced by the family¡¯s offerings and the faith of the Zhang Family disciples, his strength was also impacted.


    Now that the disciples of the Zhang Family had been either slaughtered or refined by Mo Hua for consumption, and the rest had become Mo Hua¡¯s puppets, they were in the midst of ¡°betraying and exterminating their ancestor.¡±


    Therefore, the Ancestral Master¡¯s strength was greatly diminished, and it seemed likely that he was at an intermediate level of the middle phase of Foundation Establishment.


    But even so, he was still very strong.


    Mo Hua estimated in his mind and felt that in a head-on clash, he would probably, most likely, not necessarily, be a match for the Zhang Family Ancestral Master.


    It was a fifty-fifty proposition.


    His chances of winning, he guessed, were probably even slimmer.


    A Copper Corpse, ah¡­


    Such a sturdy, thick-skinned creature with fast movements and deep Corpse Qi, how could it be defeated?


    Even if he could win, it would likely be a Pyrrhic victory.


    Mo Hua sighed in his heart, then felt a bit relieved, murmuring softly,


    ¡°Luckily, I don¡¯t have to do the fighting myself¡­¡±


    Mo Hua controlled the Zhang Family¡¯s Iron Corpses as they began a righteous siege¡­


    In his heart, he encouraged them:


    ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡°Annihilate your old ancestor!¡±


    ¡°Defeat him, and you¡¯ll become the ancestor!¡±


    ¡­


    Eleven Iron Corpses clashed head-on with a single Copper Corpse, locked in a desperate brawl.


    Fist to flesh, claw drawing blood.


    The fight was incredibly intense for a moment.

 Chapter 529 - 505: Fierce Battle_1

    Chapter 529: Chapter 505: Fierce Battle_1


    Transformed into a Copper Corpse, the Zhang Family Ancestral Master fought a fierce battle with the Iron Corpse Elder, who was being controlled by Mo Hua. Corpse Qi churned around them, strength overflowing in every direction.


    It looked like a clash of Body Cultivators engaging in physical combat.


    But because they were both zombies, when engaging in close combat, they also used claws and teeth, their movements even more savage, and their techniques even more vicious.


    Mo Hua¡¯s blood boiled with excitement.


    It felt like controlling a high-level monster, fighting against a major villain.


    Mo Hua had been enjoying the spectacle for a while when he suddenly realized he had pressing matters to attend to.


    So he gathered his thoughts, calmed his mind, and started observing the Copper Corpse Ancestral Master¡¯s attacking techniques.


    Checking whether the Copper Corpse favored punches, claws, or kicks.


    Making note of its combat habits.


    Such as following a right punch with a sweep kick, after a horizontal claw slash, there would be an upward rip, and after a ¡°Black Tiger Steals Heart¡± move, it would turn and connect with an elbow strike¡­ S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua silently observed, committing the Ancestral Master¡¯s combat habits to memory, one by one.


    Just like he used to study the movements of Monster Beasts and Cultivators to refine his Water Passing Step technique.


    Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated.


    Different enemies, different techniques, different combat habits.


    Beasts are not like humans, and humans are not like zombies.


    Therefore, one must become very familiar, anticipate in advance. In doing so, one can predict moves in a fight, avoiding being caught off guard.


    Against an ordinary opponent, it might not matter, but one must be more careful with a formidable foe like the Copper Corpse Ancestral Master.


    The more you know about your enemy, the better your chances of winning.


    This is a skill of a Monster Hunter.


    It was what his father, Mo Shan, taught him back on Big Black Mountain.


    The physical body of a Monster Hunter was far inferior to a Monster Beast¡¯s, but they still had to fight them in close combat, so they had to be extremely familiar with the beasts¡¯ movements and habits.


    Now, Mo Hua was doing the same against the Copper Corpse Ancestral Master.


    While observing, Mo Hua also simulated the Copper Corpse¡¯s combo attacks in his mind, trying to figure out how to counter them.


    Indeed, the Copper Corpse was formidable, facing eleven Iron Corpses and still gaining the upper hand.


    Each move was ruthlessly efficient, executed with heavy force.


    In a head-on confrontation, a single Iron Corpse was no match. Only the combined might of eleven Iron Corpses, coordinated by Mo Hua, attacking in succession and retreating after each hit as in a relay, could exhaust the Copper Corpse and put up a fight.


    For a moment, the battle was at a stalemate¡­


    The strength of the Copper Corpse lay in its power.


    While the Iron Corpses¡¯ strength lay in their fearlessness of death.


    Trading blow for blow, ready to perish together, they fought a desperate battle against the Zhang Family Ancestral Master.


    Using the Zhang Family¡¯s Elders against the Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master.


    Mo Hua felt no pity.


    Even if they all perished, it didn¡¯t matter¡­


    But the Zhang Family Ancestral Master did care!


    These were his descendants, the illustrious Elders of his Zhang Family clan, and as the senior Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family, if they all perished together, the Zhang Family would be finished.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep dragging this out¡­¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s gaze turned icy, his aura surged, and with a sweeping right fist, he pushed back several Iron Corpses and retreated a few steps to start forming hand seals.


    As the Iron Corpses closed in again,


    A sinister green Corpse Qi suddenly surged around the Zhang Family Ancestral Master.


    Iron Corpses enveloped by this Corpse Qi became sluggish in just moments, their footsteps slowed, and their vitality began to weaken.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    Corpse Poison?


    No, it looked more like some kind of spell.


    Corpse Poison Technique!


    By bursting out with Corpse Qi, one affected by this poison would become slow moving and continuously suffer from the toxic damage.


    The Corpse Poison of the Copper Corpse was indeed tricky¡­


    Mo Hua noted this internally and thought about being extra cautious.


    With the Zhang Family Ancestral Master using the Corpse Poison Technique, the situation changed.


    Affected by the Corpse Poison, the Iron Corpses slowed down dramatically. Their attacks lagged, their movements constrained, they couldn¡¯t get anywhere near the Ancestral Master, losing the ability to restrain him¡­


    ¡°It seems I have to make a move myself¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled slightly as he nodded.


    Hiding in the shadows, he waited for the perfect moment and pointed his finger, casting the Water Prison Technique.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master, who had been dodging Iron Corpses¡¯ attacks, suddenly felt his surrounding energy shift. A pale blue Spiritual Thread appeared, turning into chains that bound him in place.


    At the same time, an attack he should have dodged did not miss its mark.


    An Iron Corpse¡¯s claw stabbed directly into the left chest of the Zhang Family Ancestral Master, not piercing deeply due to the copper-like skin of the corpse, but still inflicting a noticeable wound.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master punched the Iron Corpse away and then, with a cold gaze, scanned his surroundings, shouting loudly:


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Who dares to ambush me?¡±


    Playing the part of the hidden master, Mo Hua said nothing.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s face darkened.


    His suspicions were indeed correct.


    Someone had set an ambush, betraying a group of Zhang Family Elders by brainwashing them, manipulating them to target him.


    And the mastermind behind the scenes was now hiding nearby, waiting to strike, wishing to take his life!


    Their intentions were extremely malicious!


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s expression turned frosty, ¡°I want to see which despicable vermin is skulking in the shadows with evil intentions!¡±


    He grasped with his right hand, his Divine Thought condensing.


    In just a short time, he manifested a glowing white White Bone Staff.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids twitched again.


    Manifest Spirit Artifact!


    This Zhang Family Ancestral Master was far more skilled at manifesting artifacts than he was.


    He could only manifest the Thousand Jun Stick.


    But that Thousand Jun Stick would still show some phantoms and was not as solid, nowhere near as lifelike as this White Bone Staff.


    However, it probably shouldn¡¯t be called manifesting a Spiritual Artifact.


    Rather, it was probably manifesting an Evil Artifact!


    This White Bone Staff was clearly an artifact refined through some demonic means with a white bone as the medium and an evil Artifact Furnace.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master chanted, and the skull at the tip of the White Bone Staff suddenly emitted a red glow.

 Chapter 530 - 505: Fierce Battle_2

    Chapter 530: Chapter 505: Fierce Battle_2


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s presence suddenly turned ominous.


    The Corpse Poison condensed, transforming into myriad serpentine dragons, hissing with flickering tongues, and slithering in all directions.


    Mo Hua¡¯s scalp tingled slightly.


    This ancestor of the Zhang Family, his devious methods were far too numerous.


    Practicing both Corpse Body and Spell Casting.


    Was he a Body Cultivator, or a Spiritual Cultivator?


    Or could it be that the Evil Demon¡¯s methods were unique, transcending both Blood Qi and Spiritual Power?


    As Mo Hua pondered, the serpentine dragons had already reached his feet, prompting Mo Hua to immediately perform the Water Passing Step, retreating swiftly.


    This slight movement sent a ripple through his Divine Thought, and though it was minute, it was still detected by the ever-vigilant Zhang Family Ancestral Master.


    The bronze vertical pupils of the Zhang Family Ancestral Master narrowed, and he pointed his White Bone Staff at Mo Hua.


    The surrounding serpentine dragons swarmed together like a tidal wave, carrying a chilling poisonous aura as they swept towards Mo Hua.


    With no other choice, Mo Hua revealed his form, retreating with light steps while quickly tapping his fingers together.


    One after another, the Fireball Technique materialized from his fingertips, whistling through the air.


    The bright red fireballs collided with the Corpse Poison serpents, exploding on impact.


    The flames of the Fire-series Spiritual Power detonated, the fire¡¯s Spiritual Threads shredding through them.


    Hordes of the poison snakes were obliterated by the fireballs, reduced to ash, the Corpse Poison incinerated, and within the crimson flames, even a hint of ghastly green could be seen.


    In less than the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, Mo Hua had burnt all of the Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s Corpse Poison serpents to death using the Fireball Technique.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master appeared nonchalant.


    The Corpse Poison Technique was broken, but he had flushed out the ¡°hidden observer.¡±


    Only, this ¡°hidden observer¡± made him feel both surprised and suspicious.


    It was just a kid¡­


    Had the mastermind been an exceptionally talented young Cultivator, a scheming middle-aged Cultivator, or even a grave and solemn old Cultivator, he would not have been surprised.


    But this kid with an innocent face, an unblemished demeanor, and yet profound eyes, gave him a shiver.


    Something abnormal must be a demon at work.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master frowned.


    This kid, with Divine Sense both pure and profound, was capable of manifesting his form as well as spells.


    An appearance of naivety, but methods full of cunning.


    Lurking unseen, watching in secret.


    Manipulating the Zhang Family¡¯s Elders like puppets.


    Even had it not been for his manifestation of the White Bone Staff and the strengthening of his Corpse Poison Technique, he would have been unable to coerce the kid out.


    The mastery he had over his own Divine Thoughts had taken hundreds of years to achieve, through the consumption of human divine senses, painstaking exploration, and integrating Corpse Path inheritance from his past life into his cultivation.


    This kid, with his childlike air, having hardly eaten enough rice for a few years, where did he acquire such deep cunning and such bizarre methods?


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s gaze grew heavy as he asked:


    ¡°Kid, what exactly is your background?¡±


    Mo Hua replied with a beaming smile, ¡°You guess.¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master did not show anger and asked again:


    ¡°How exactly did you take control of my Zhang Family¡¯s Elders?¡±


    Telling blatant lies, Mo Hua replied:


    ¡°I didn¡¯t control them, they did it all by themselves. After committing countless wrongs, they even thought of coming into my Sea of Consciousness to devour my Divine Sense. I kindly gave them some advice, and with sudden enlightenment, they cleaned up their act¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Mo Hua continued, ¡°they also said they wanted to atone for their sins by getting rid of you, the old ancestor.¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s eyes grew cold.


    This kid was full of nonsense, and it was unclear which words were true¡­


    Certainly not any sort of good nature.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s thoughts flickered, and he came up with a plan, saying:


    ¡°We have no grudges or resentments, can we call it quits here?¡±


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t want to fight with you. I can¡¯t beat you.¡±


    Once finished speaking, Mo Hua waved his hand at the Zhang Family Ancestral Master, ¡°You¡¯re free to go, I won¡¯t keep you around¡­¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master was momentarily stunned, then his expression shifted ambiguously, as he said faintly:


    ¡°Then, about these Elders of my Zhang Family¡­ ¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua waved his hand again, ¡°I told you, they¡¯ve had a change of heart, they¡¯ve mended their ways. They¡¯re not following you anymore, they¡¯re mine now, obeying my commands¡­¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master sneered, ¡°We agreed to stop this, young man, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re being very sincere?¡±


    ¡°Sincere about what?¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master said:


    ¡°You release the controls on them, I¡¯ll take them away. After that, we keep to our own paths, and my Zhang Family will no longer disrespect you. I also ask you to show some courtesy to my Zhang Family. What do you say?¡±


    Mo Hua pretended to be contemplative, frowning slightly:


    ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t beat you anyway, and if I allow these Iron Corpses to turn against me, what if you don¡¯t keep your word? Wouldn¡¯t I be in a very dangerous situation?¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master cursed inwardly.


    Such a suspicious kid!


    ¡°What do you propose?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes spun craftily, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll remove the control over these Iron Corpses, and you cripple your Divine Sense. You don¡¯t need to destroy too much, just about seventy or eighty percent will do. That way, without the Iron Corpses, and with you having less Divine Sense, we¡¯ll be even.¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s gaze turned icy, ¡°Kid, are you making fun of me?¡±


    Mo Hua was about to continue bantering when suddenly his expression drastically changed, revealing shock.


    He discovered that behind the Zhang Family Ancestral Master, a massive bronze coffin had emerged at some unknown time.


    This immense coffin, apparently also manifested, exuded an aura of olden times, covered in verdigris, its presence deep and profound, nearly identical to the one used for refining a Corpse King.


    The bronze coffin was huge, clearly out of the ordinary.


    Such a manifestation also must have cost a significant amount of time.


    The words of the Zhang Family Ancestral Master just moments ago, about ¡°calling it quits¡± and ¡°keeping to our own paths,¡± were all lies.


    He was merely biding time.


    So that he could finish manifesting this massive bronze coffin!


    Mo Hua exclaimed angrily, ¡°You old bastard, how devious, tricking me into chatting while secretly casting a spell!¡±

 Chapter 531 - 505: Fierce Battle_3

    Chapter 531: Chapter 505: Fierce Battle_3


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master sneered, ¡°Little devil, you¡¯re still too green to fight me.¡±


    Then he brought his palms together, his voice hoarse and fierce:


    ¡°Great Coffin Sealing Skill, activate!¡±


    The bronze giant coffin¡¯s lid flung open, revealing nothing but darkness inside. Yet, from that darkness emerged chains of corroded bronze.


    The chains extended in all directions, trapping the surrounding Iron Corpses and pulling them towards the coffin.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master said with a cold expression:


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use this move unless absolutely necessary¡­¡±


    ¡°The Great Coffin Sealing Skill, manifesting the bronze giant coffin, will transform all the Elders back into Iron Corpses. Their Divine Thoughts will be erased, their bodies reshaped, and all methods of control washed away.¡±


    ¡°However, once they lose consciousness, they¡¯ll no longer be Elders of my Zhang Family but merely Iron Corpses under my command.¡±


    ¡°They are Elders of the Zhang Family, my descendants. Refined by the bronze coffin, their consciousness erased, they really are just Iron Corpse puppets¡­¡±


    ¡°Even though they can still serve my Zhang Family, they will no longer address me as ¡®Ancestor¡¯¡­¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master felt a deep sadness, which soon turned to indignation as he glared at Mo Hua with rage.


    ¡°Little devil, this is all thanks to you!¡±


    ¡°Once I regain control over the Iron Corpses, I¡¯ll make sure they surround and slaughter you, devouring you bit by bit, until nothing is left!¡±


    ¡°To avenge my Zhang Family and quell the hatred in my heart!¡±


    Hate blazed in the eyes of the Zhang Family Ancestral Master.


    This little devil had placed him in deep crisis.


    If this standoff continued for too long, it would not be to his advantage.


    Better to use his trump card, pay the price, and extinguish this little devil once and for all to eliminate future troubles!


    Without control over the Iron Corpses, this little devil is no match for him.


    By using the Great Coffin Sealing Skill, he could refine eleven Iron Corpses anew.


    One Copper Corpse and eleven Iron Corpses are sure to slaughter this little devil.


    This is his Sea of Consciousness; there is no escape!


    Mo Hua¡¯s face showed fear.


    Delight filled the heart of the Zhang Family Ancestral Master.


    But soon, he sensed something was amiss.


    The little devil¡¯s gaze was calm and composed, without a hint of worry.


    The ¡°fear¡± on his face seemed to be feigned?


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master realized something was wrong and abruptly looked down to discover Formation Patterns spreading from beneath his feet all the way to the bronze giant coffin.


    They were intricate and overlapping.


    When the bronze giant coffin was opened, these Formation Patterns, like creeping vines, crawled up through the edges and directly inside the coffin.


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master instantly understood and angrily exclaimed:


    ¡°You little wretch, you¡¯re plotting against me?!¡±


    He had been deliberately talking nonsense to the little devil while secretly executing the Great Coffin Sealing Skill.


    Meanwhile, this little devil took advantage of his inattention during the spellcasting to lay down these Formation Patterns under the cover of the bronze coffin! sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua snorted, ¡°As the saying goes, one good turn deserves another!¡±


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s complexion changed drastically, and he immediately attempted to close the coffin.


    But Mo Hua was one step ahead, and with a movement of his Divine Thought, he crisply commanded:


    ¡°Burst!¡±


    An array of dense Earthfire Compound Formations exploded!


    From within the bronze giant coffin, the Formation Patterns lit up one by one, extending layer by layer outward, with waves of surging Spiritual Power spreading out wave after wave.


    The bronze coffin turned into a Flame Coffin.


    The Spiritual Power manifested by Divine Thought exploded and surged within.


    The timely activation of the Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s coffin caused the Earth Fire Formation Patterns to extend inside the bronze coffin, thus magnifying its destructive power.


    The flames raged and, in a moment, the bronze coffin trembled and fissured, fading into a faint illusion before vanishing completely.


    Simultaneously, the Iron Corpses sucked into the coffin were affected by the force of the formation, their forms dimming and rendered immobile.


    Within the Sea of Consciousness, spells manifested by Divine Thoughts are the Divine Thoughts themselves.


    With the destruction of the bronze coffin, the Zhang Family Ancestral Master also suffered a grave injury. His face pale, he vomited fresh blood, his Divine Thoughts significantly depleted, and his form shrunken by a few inches.


    Grinding his teeth in anger, the Zhang Family Ancestral Master said:


    ¡°Formation?!¡±


    This little devil, how is he a Formation Master?


    And his method of setting up formations, without pen or ink, what served as the medium, and how did he draw the formation?


    The Zhang Family Ancestral Master¡¯s gaze shook.


    Having lived for hundreds of years, he had never seen a Cultivator who could draw Formation Patterns in the Sea of Consciousness.


    Even less conceivable was such an unexpected, pen-and-inkless method of manifesting formations directly with Divine Thought, which was beyond belief.


    This child must either have a profound inheritance from his family¡¯s teachings or else he has had an extraordinary encounter and acquired an astonishing legacy!


    Mo Hua¡¯s face had also turned rather pale.


    In a single effort, he had manifested too many formations, consuming a great deal of his Divine Sense, and he was now somewhat struggling to maintain his Divine Thoughts.


    This ancestor from the Zhang Family was even more troublesome than he had imagined.


    Copper Corpse, Corpse Poison Technique, White Bone Staff, Great Coffin Sealing Skill.


    Had he not taken control of the Iron Corpses, outnumbering the Ancestor in battle, the outcome of a head-on confrontation would have been uncertain.


    Thankfully, he played it a bit cowardly¡­


    But at this point, with the Zhang Family Ancestral Master severely injured, there was no way Mo Hua could allow him to escape!


    Strike him while he¡¯s down!


    Of the eleven Iron Corpses affected by the Earth Fire Formation, six were on the brink of death, leaving only five still functional.


    Mo Hua then commanded these Iron Corpses to continue the assault.


    At the same time, he kept employing the Water Prison Technique to control and Fireball Technique to wear down the enemy.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good!¡±


    With the Great Coffin Sealing Skill thwarted, Divine Thoughts backlashing, and strength greatly reduced, the Zhang Family Ancestral Master felt a deep chill in his heart.


    This was a great calamity!


    Even him, Ancestor Founder of Corpse Path, the Copper Corpse incarnate, who had lived for hundreds of years, had never anticipated capsizing in this ¡°gutter¡± within Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    He had never imagined that after the Zhang Family inherited the Corpse Path and controlled corpses for centuries, their Elders would end up being controlled as zombies by someone else.


    What¡¯s even worse, that someone else also controlled them to betray and annihilate their Ancestor!

 Chapter 532 - 505: Fierce Battle_4

    Chapter 532: Chapter 505: Fierce Battle_4 sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, with a calculating mind preying upon an unguarded one, all his tactics had been countered.


    Completely outsmarted by this brat!


    The Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family, unable to contain his fury, with a twisted expression on his face, disregarded the Iron Corpses that were trying to kill him, and moved like the wind, heading straight for Mo Hua.


    Now that his own Divine Thought had been greatly damaged, killing this brat and devouring his Divine Sense was the only way he might survive.


    Even if it meant dying in the end, he would drag this brat to mutual destruction.


    Judging by the techniques the brat was currently using, he excelled in casting spells and was adept in Formation, but not skilled in close combat, which was why he kept his distance, using some treacherous tactics.


    As long as he got close to him, everything would be easily resolved.


    The eyes of the old ancestor of the Zhang Family turned ferocious, filled with bloodshot veins, and his Corpse Qi surged dramatically.


    This was his last chance for survival, and he had to go all out!


    Mo Hua sensed the intentions of the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family and felt a chill in his heart. While retreating, he continued to use the Water Prison Technique to restrict the Ancestral Master¡¯s movements.


    But as he had transformed into a Copper Corpse, the Ancestral Master moved quickly and with great force.


    Under the surge of rage, the Water Prison Technique could only trap him for a breath or two before he broke free.


    After a moment of chase, Mo Hua was caught up by the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family.


    The Ancestral Master was overjoyed, a fierce look flashing across his face. His fingertips grew sharp, cutting through the air with a chilling wind, aiming straight for Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Mo Hua, composed and unruffled, used the Water Passing Step, as gentle as flowing water, agilely bending his body to dodge the deadly claw.


    The Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family paused briefly in shock before continuing his attacks.


    His ghastly and ugly left hand, full of spines, smashed down furiously, aiming straight for Mo Hua¡¯s head.


    Like a drifting leaf, Mo Hua rose and fell inconsistently, seeming to leverage the void, gliding naturally like the ripples on water¡­


    The color drained from the Ancestral Master¡¯s face.


    What kind of movement technique was this? He could not trace its path at all.


    He continued to fight several more rounds, growing more and more alarmed with each exchange.


    He couldn¡¯t touch him!


    Not even a corner of his robe, let alone kill the brat.


    What was even more unbelievable to him was that the brat seemed to have anticipated all of his moves.


    Every punch and claw, advance and retreat, the brat seemed to have mastered all the nuances of his close combat skills!


    In this situation, even getting close was useless!


    Why?


    Why was the brat so familiar with his techniques?


    Could it be that from the very beginning, when he was fighting the Iron Corpses, every move he made was etched into the brat¡¯s memory?


    For the first time, the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family felt despair.


    He attempted to use Corpse Poison Technique, but Mo Hua was prepared.


    As soon as he raised his hand, Mo Hua quickly retreated, then maintained distance and suppressed him with the Fireball Technique, aided by Formation to trap and kill¡­


    Despite the prolonged struggle, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was also significantly drained, and both the Fireball Technique and the Formation had weakened.


    But the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family was at the end of his strength.


    He simply could not withstand being worn down by Mo Hua like this.


    Moreover, while Mo Hua was consuming his Divine Sense to form attacks that genuinely hit him, his own various techniques couldn¡¯t even touch Mo Hua¡¯s shadow.


    Meanwhile, the five Iron Corpses watched them eagerly from the side.


    Whenever there was an opening, they would trade injury for injury, life for life, entangling the Ancestral Master and never letting him escape¡­


    The Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family was extremely frustrated but powerless to change anything.


    Torn by Iron Corpses, bombarded with spells, ripped apart by Formation explosions, covered in wounds, and confined by Water Prison Technique, he wanted to kill Mo Hua but couldn¡¯t, wanted to flee but couldn¡¯t escape; he could only be worn down like this¡­


    And just like that, after countless rounds, the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family, the Ancestor Founder of Corpse Path, was truly worn to death¡­


    He knelt on the ground, half falling, with not a breath left in him.


    Even so, Mo Hua dared not approach.


    He first kept his distance, allowing the remaining two Iron Corpses to shield him, then he sat down for meditation to recover his Divine Sense.


    After restoring some of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua targeted the corpse of the Ancestral Master with the Fireball Technique.


    After blasting, he would go back to meditating to recover his Divine Sense.


    Then attack with the Fireball Technique again.


    Meditate again, and attack again¡­


    Repeating this process over and over, he blasted the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family beyond recognition, into a dense, black-tinged smoke. Only then did Mo Hua finally feel at ease¡­


    He let out a long sigh of relief, lying on the ground, panting heavily.


    The overall process went smoothly, but Mo Hua was not entirely satisfied.


    He realized that although the version of himself within the Sea of Consciousness was strong, it was just ordinarily strong.


    Weaker enemies could be easily killed with magic and Formation.


    But against stronger ones, like the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family, with his current methods, he couldn¡¯t decisively end the fight with a single blow.


    He could only first find a way to deceive them, uncover their trump cards, and then unravel them one by one.


    Then, relying on his movement technique, spells, and Formation, slowly wear them down¡­


    This was very tiring¡­


    And it took a long time.


    With time, complications are bound to arise, and with complications come risks.


    ¡°It seems I need to think of new ways, learn some more powerful techniques¡­¡± Mo Hua thought to himself.


    Afterwards, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.


    No matter what, he had finally dealt with the zombie ancestor of the Zhang Family!


    His eyes brightened as he looked at the thick, black-tinged smoke filled with intense Divine Sense. He couldn¡¯t help but feel expectant:


    ¡°I wonder how much my Divine Sense will increase after ¡®eating¡¯ this ancestor of the Zhang Family¡­¡±

 Chapter 533 - 506 Corpse Soldiers_1

    Chapter 533: Chapter 506 Corpse Soldiers_1


    ¡°Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master¡¯s Divine Thought is so strong,¡± if consumed and then refined, should definitely be able to break through the bottleneck and reach the level of Thirteen Patterns Divine Sense¡­¡± Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    Thirteen Patterns Divine Sense¡­


    For a cultivator in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, the limit of Divine Sense is thirteen patterns.


    Once he reached Thirteen Patterns Divine Sense, he¡¯d only be one step away from the requirement for Divine Sense Foundation Establishment that his master mentioned¡­


    Mo Hua felt a bit of anticipation.


    Then he hesitated.


    ¡°Eat it now?¡±


    The soul remnant of Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master was too strong, if consumed forcefully, it might be too filling and would take a long time to ¡°digest¡±¡­


    And Mo Hua still wasn¡¯t clear about the situation outside.


    He had indeed sent out the news about the Corpse Mine.


    But in South Yue City, there seemed to be no forces capable of contending with the Lu Family.


    Now that Zhang Quan was dead, with Lu Chengyun in sole control of the Corpse King, operating the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation, refining corpses and controlling corpses, his power would continue to grow, and within the Second Grade State Border, nobody could stop him¡­


    ¡°This is a bit troublesome¡­¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua decided to refine the soul remnant of Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master first.


    Meat that comes to the mouth must be eaten quickly.


    After consuming the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family, his own strength would also increase, and even if something unexpected happened, he¡¯d be more confident.


    Moreover, the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family was very resourceful.


    Although he had been blasted into green smoke by Mo Hua, it couldn¡¯t be guaranteed that he wouldn¡¯t have some method to come back to life and restore his Divine Thought.


    Such old villains are very cunning.


    Actions must be careful, must be thorough to remove all threats!


    Leave no trace and take no chances!


    Mo Hua immediately took action, transforming his Divine Thought into a formation, preparing to refine the Divine Thought of the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family.


    Just in case, he first used the Golden Lock Formation to lock the Ancestral Master¡¯s transformed green smoke, then manifested the Melting Fire Formation, using bright red flames to slowly roast it.


    After roasting for a while, Mo Hua suddenly remembered.


    The Zhang Family didn¡¯t just have an Ancestral Master, but also those Iron Corpse Elders.


    The once eleven Iron Corpses, now six were on the brink of death, leaving only ghostly forms. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The remaining five Iron Corpses, in the final battle of attrition, were also crippled by the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family, with four destroyed, leaving only one, the Zhang Family¡¯s Chief Elder, but he too was barely breathing¡­


    Mo Hua felt fortunate.


    The Divine Thought of Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master was strong, and his methods many.


    Fortunately, he was cautious¡­


    No, he was prudent!


    Using these Iron Corpses, he forced out the Ancestral Master¡¯s moves, drained the Ancestral Master¡¯s strength, and endured the harsh beating of the Ancestral Master¡­


    Then he ambushed this old zombie.


    Finally, he grinded him down to death.


    Otherwise, the outcome would really be hard to say¡­


    Controlling the Iron Corpses, converting the Iron Corpses to his own use, using the enemy¡¯s spear to attack the enemy¡¯s shield.


    ¡°The Spiritual Pivot Formation is really useful!¡±


    Mo Hua felt admiration.


    The Iron Corpses shouldn¡¯t be wasted¡­


    Mo Hua gathered these Iron Corpses as well, and together with the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family, threw them into the Melting Fire Formation.


    The Zhang Family, from its disciples to its ancestral founders, including generations of ancestors, were all stewed by Mo Hua in one pot¡­


    Until the green smoke ¡°stewed¡± into white smoke, Mo Hua then inhaled it in one breath and slowly refined it¡­


    This process took a long time.


    From when Mo Hua defeated and controlled Zhang Quan and the two elders ¡°Song¡± and ¡°Si¡±, set up an ambush, hunted the other Iron Corpse Elders of the Zhang Family, till controlling the Iron Corpses, hunting down the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family, and successfully subduing him¡­


    Five or six days had passed.


    Mo Hua, hidden inside the sealed small white coffin, knew nothing.


    And outside at this time, a great battle had erupted¡­


    Foundation Building Cultivators and Iron Corpses clashed, crushing mountains and splitting the earth.


    Mining mountains were ravaged by spells and strength, rocks shattered, slopes and paths pockmarked.


    Below Foundation Building were Taoist Soldiers forming long formations, engaging in slaughter with the Corpse Tide.


    Taoist Soldiers¡¯ formations were strict, their commands precise, killing decisively, with Walking Corpses all over the mountains, hideous and ugly, fiercely without fear.


    Both factions battled, grand and tragic.


    In the territory of South Yue City, the ground was covered with Walking Corpses, thousands of Zombies besieging the city.


    The city gates of South Yue City were tightly shut, Mining Cultivators gathered by the city walls, resisting the incoming Walking Corpses and those cultivators who, bitten by the Iron Corpses and infected by Corpse Poison, turned into Walking Dead.


    Dark clouds hung heavily over the city, an atmosphere of stern killing.


    Everyone was uneasy, unsure whether tomorrow would bring bright sunlight or a torrential downpour.


    If the Taoist Court triumphs in the future, suppressing the Corpse Mines and eradicating the Zombies, all would be well.


    If the Taoist Court is defeated, the surging Corpse Tide would instantly swallow South Yue City.


    At that time, the cultivators in the city would all become food for the Zombies.


    Some families and Sect cultivators in the city, unwilling to share fate with the city, secretly escaped, but most were ambushed by scattered Walking Corpses on their way.


    In the midst of fighting, once someone was wounded and bled, the scent of blood would spread out.


    Very quickly, large groups of Walking Corpses would smell the blood and come rushing.


    It could even attract Iron Corpses.


    Once Iron Corpses appeared, the fleeing cultivators hardly ever survived.


    Among the vast swathes of corpse groups¡­


    Even Foundation Building Cultivators could die at the hands of numerous First Grade Walking Corpses.


    A few days ago, during the chaotic battle, a Foundation Cultivation Taoist Soldier leader was injured by an Iron Corpse, broke away from his troops¡¯ formation, and was engulfed by the tide-like swarm of Walking Corpses.


    No matter how many Walking Corpses he killed, even more would surge over him, just like a drowning man, swallowed by the tide, struggling in vain, ultimately being torn apart and killed by the Walking Corpses¡­


    Yang Jishan¡¯s heart was tormented.


    These Taoist Soldiers were all his brothers-in-arms, but he never expected to witness their tragic deaths in such a manner.


    But he was powerless.


    There were too many Zombies, and they were too strong.


    Yang Jishan never imagined, despite being so thoroughly prepared, that he would still suffer such a huge loss.

 Chapter 534 - 506 Corpse Soldiers_2

    Chapter 534: Chapter 506 Corpse Soldiers_2


    Everything was going smoothly¡­


    Three days ago, they took action at 6 A.M., striking the Lu Family with lightning-fast measures.


    The Lu Family was suppressed.


    Even though some elders and disciples fought desperately, fleeing the city to seek refuge with Lu Chengyun,


    most of the Lu Family¡¯s descendants were too afraid of the Taoist Court to resist.


    The Lu Family elders had their cultivation sealed, the disciples were put under house arrest, and a Formation was set up at the door barring exit, leaving them to be dealt with later.


    Later, when the zombies besieged the city, some Lu Family disciples harbored other intentions, wanting to open the city gates secretly to let the zombies in, so they could defect to Lu Chengyun as well.


    But once the zombies entered the city, they did not recognize anyone; the first to be devoured were these very disciples of the Lu Family who opened the gates.


    Afterwards, the Taoist Soldiers and the Mining Cultivators, along with the cultivators from the local South Yue Sect, paid a considerable price to resist the Walking Corpses and reseal the gate.


    Yang Jishan, in a furious rage, selected a few Lu Family disciples and elders who had caused trouble and, before all the Lu Family cultivators, beheaded them all, thereby deterring everyone else.


    After that, the main Lu Family settled down quite a bit.


    The problem arose with the Corpse Mine¡­


    The battle at the Corpse Mine was more difficult than they had imagined.


    At that time, they split their forces in two, one suppressing the Lu Family, the other set out to eradicate the Corpse Mine.


    The intelligence was accurate, and the Formation Diagram posed no issue; knowing the layout of the Formation, breaking through it was convenient.


    More than twenty Foundation Building Cultivators, along with the Taoist Soldiers, acted together, shattering the nearby stone walls of the Corpse Mine gate, breaking the Formation Patterns, and causing the natural boulder gate to topple and misalign, revealing a gap.


    The two Iron Corpses at the gate, though powerful, were clearly no match for the crowd.


    After that, they pushed through all the way to the entrance of the Stone Palace.


    Yang Jishan, however, found that the Corpse Cultivators were fully prepared and waiting in strict Formation.


    Not only that, in the pitch-black mine, the Corpse Qi was pervasive, and countless red dots flickered on and off.


    These were the bloodthirsty eyes of zombies.


    This was within Yang Jishan¡¯s expectations.


    Though it was a surprise attack, direct confrontation was inevitable.


    Born in the Yang Family and leader of the Taoist Soldiers, Yang Jishan was a veteran of countless battles and naturally did not shy away from the fight.


    The Foundation Building leader charged at the front, the Taoist Soldiers formed up in battle Formation behind him, the other clan and Sect Foundation Building Cultivators flanked from the sides, while the regular Qi Refinement cultivators followed up with the assault.


    The Corpse Cultivation Techniques were sinister, but in a direct group battle, under the ferocity of the charge, they were a disorganized rabble, no match for the attackers.


    The zombies they summoned mostly fought individually, unable to contend with the Taoist Soldiers, unable to stop their charge.


    And once a Corpse Cultivator died, their zombies would lose control, turn frenzied, and attack any cultivator indiscriminately, including other Corpse Cultivators.


    The Taoist Soldiers were unstoppable for a time.


    That was until Lu Chengyun stepped forward.


    Behind him followed a huge zombie, with long fangs and blood-red eyes with a hint of dark gold.


    ¡°Corpse King!¡±


    Those who had heard the rumors of Taoist Demons felt a chill at the sight.


    They had either calculated it, heard about it, or had been secretly warned by cultivators of their Sect or clan.


    This Corpse King was the embryo of a Taoist Demon!


    With his heart racing, a flash of cold light shone in Yang Jishan¡¯s eyes.


    The embryo of a Taoist Demon must be strangled in its cradle!


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    With a wave of his hand, Yang Jishan ordered the Taoist Soldiers, clad in armor and armed to the teeth, to charge with shared hatred, their armor¡¯s Formation Patterns connecting breaths, resonating with one another, coalescing into the phantom of a fierce tiger.


    Lu Chengyun remained composed, spreading his arms wide.


    The Corpse King¡¯s chest Pattern lit up, it roared towards the sky, the sound reverberating through the mountains.


    Nearby, twenty iron coffins trembled, the lids flung open, and Iron Corpses leaped out stiffly.


    And from the mine, tens of thousands of Walking Corpses howled in unison, akin to a procession of myriad demons swarming forth, sending shivers down one¡¯s spine.


    A fierce battle erupted suddenly.


    Cultivators versus zombies, Blood Qi against Corpse Qi, spells against Corpse Manipulation, a fight to the death, resistance, and entanglement¡­


    This was the largest scale battle of cultivators in the Minor Wilderness State Boundary in nearly eight hundred years.


    After the intense battle, the Taoist Soldiers failed to capture the Corpse Mine, suffering numerous casualties instead.


    Lu Chengyun still controlled the Corpse Mine, commanded the Corpse King, and had dozens of Iron Corpses and tens of thousands of Walking Corpses under him; despite the ferocity of the Taoist Soldiers¡¯ attacks, they remained unmoved.


    After long being unable to take the mine and with his forces increasingly damaged,


    Yang Jishan had no choice but to order a retreat.


    Lu Chengyun, with mostly zombies under his command, did not fear attrition.


    But Yang Jishan could not afford to lose more living people.


    Not to mention, those cultivators who died would only strengthen Lu Chengyun¡¯s forces. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Jishan could only give the order to retreat, but after withdrawing, he commanded the Taoist Soldiers to encamp outside the mine, intending to besiege and starve out Lu Chengyun.


    In retaliation, Lu Chengyun released thousands of Walking Corpses to attack South Yue City, a tactic akin to besieging Wei to rescue Zhao.


    These thousands of Walking Corpses formed a Corpse Tide.


    Every living cultivator they came across on their way either became blood nourishment or was converted into a Walking Corpse, becoming a part of the Corpse Tide.


    Yang Jishan, left with no better option, had to divide his forces to defend the city.


    He also commanded that all Mining Cultivators, Loose Cultivators, and cultivators from the clans and Sects must stay and defend South Yue City, not allowed to leave.


    The matter of exterminating the Corpse Mine would have to be a long-term consideration.


    The first to be shaken were the Taoist Soldiers and the various forces of the Taoist Court, who encamped outside the mine, taking Pills to heal and recuperate.


    In the cave where matters were discussed, everyone¡¯s expressions were grave.


    Someone, dissatisfied, cursed aloud:


    ¡°That beast, Lu Chengyun!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s refined so many zombies and now allows the Walking Corpses to attack the city.¡±


    ¡°For his own selfish gains, he¡¯s caused so much slaughter. He truly deserves to die!¡±

 Chapter 535 - 535: 506

    Chapter 535: 506


    ¡°It¡¯s only normal for the Demon Path to act this way; you all are just not used to it¡­¡±


    ¡°So because it¡¯s the Demon Path, it¡¯s normal to do evil deeds? So, they shouldn¡¯t be cursed?¡±


    ¡°Why are you getting angry with me¡­¡±


    ¡°With your temperament, sooner or later you will also fall into the ways of the Demon Path¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡±


    ¡°All right, all right, stop arguing¡­¡±


    ¡°Alas, I have lived for so long, yet this is the first time I have witnessed such utterly conscienceless tactics, and also the first time I have seen someone able to refine so many zombies¡­¡±


    ¡°With the Taoist Court united, in this day and age, it¡¯s rare for Demon Cultivators to dare to act like this¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Demon Cultivators often operate in secret; you just don¡¯t see them.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    Someone snickered, ¡°Those who are bright and righteous in appearance, who seem virtuous¡ªis it not possible that they are cultivating the Demon Path behind their backs?¡±


    ¡°Just like the case with Lu Chengyun, if it hadn¡¯t been exposed, who would have known?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s accusing someone without proof!¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s because you can¡¯t see clearly¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The vast cave was filled with a cacophony of voices for a time.


    Yang Jishan called for everyone to be quiet, speaking gravely:


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss other matters later; the urgent task at hand is to pool our wisdom and find a way to take down the Corpse Mine!¡±


    ¡°The longer this drags on, the greater the disaster will be!¡±


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze was serious.


    After all, this Corpse King might be related to the most terrifying Taoist Demons¡­


    The crowd fell somewhat silent; many felt disheartened.


    Among those present, a portion were from small clans and sects, unfamiliar and anxious about being involved in such large-scale warfare, hesitant to say anything at the moment.


    Another portion did indeed come from great sects and noble clans.


    But clearly this was the first time they were facing such a large-scale battle.


    They too were at a loss.


    Moreover, their opponent was an innumerable horde of zombies.


    It was only when they truly crossed swords that they realized in the midst of such a large-scale melee, relying solely on individual cultivation, there was very little they could do.


    A cultivator asked, ¡°Leader Yang, there is something I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan nodded to indicate him to continue speaking.


    The cultivator said, ¡°Logically speaking, we have no small number of people. With Taoist Soldiers leading the charge in the offensive, even if we can¡¯t take down the Corpse Mine, we should at least be able to inflict heavy damage on these Corpse Cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°In group battles among cultivators, Taoist Soldiers are generally unbeatable.¡±


    ¡°But why is it that we have not only failed to achieve any exploits, but also ended up at a disadvantage?¡±


    The cultivators present also revealed looks of confusion.


    In the chaos of battle, with their blood boiling, they followed the fight, using whatever spiritual artifacts, martial arts, or spells came to mind.


    They followed Leader Yang¡¯s orders and advanced or retreated together.


    If they could beat the enemy, they fought; if not, they retreated.


    They paid little attention to other matters and didn¡¯t think much about them.


    Why they had the advantage, and why they couldn¡¯t win, were mysteries to them as well.


    Yang Jishan sighed and said with a furrowed brow:


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this Corpse King can control dozens of Iron Corpses and nearly ten thousand Walking Corpses at the same time.¡±


    The crowd looked at each other, ¡°So what?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that known from the start¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± Yang Jishan shook his head, ¡°This is not ordinary corpse control.¡±


    He knew the Taoist Court forbade the heritage of the Demon Path and normal cultivators did not engage with Demon Cultivators.


    Even those from powerful forces with heritage, their understanding of Demon Cultivators was just superficial.


    The deeper aspects, they simply did not comprehend.


    Yang Jishan then continued to explain:


    ¡°Ordinary corpse control is very crude and can only issue simple commands like ¡®kill¡¯, ¡®eat¡¯, ¡®attack¡¯, or ¡®defend¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, once they control more zombies, even though these zombies might have the same target, they still fight individually, just like headless flies.¡±


    Yang Jishan¡¯s expression was solemn, ¡°But the zombies this time are entirely different¡­¡±


    ¡°Zombies are still zombies, but the method of corpse control is very special, intricately detailed.¡±


    ¡°All of the zombies move uniformly, their offense and defense, their advances and retreats, are all coordinated, like they¡¯re following a set pattern; this is inconceivable¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if the zombies are still the same, the individual strength hasn¡¯t changed, but once they have a pattern and discipline, and move in unison, their collective strength is incomparable to before.¡±


    Yang Jishan sighed, ¡°These creatures are similar to Taoist Soldiers, what we usually call ¡®Corpse Soldiers¡¯ of the Demon Path¡­¡±


    Corpse Soldiers¡­


    The crowd¡¯s expressions changed upon hearing this.


    ¡­


    On the other side, as Lu Chengyun looked at the Corpse King before him, he nodded slightly.


    Zhang Quan was right, with the Corpse King, these zombies can indeed form ¡®Corpse Soldiers¡¯.


    In today¡¯s battle, the zombies became soldiers, and when contending with the Taoist Court¡¯s Taoist Soldiers, they were not at a disadvantage.


    And perhaps even stronger than Taoist Soldiers, since they do not fear pain or death.


    Lu Chengyun sneered.


    Despite not knowing why the Taoist Court caught wind of his actions and sent Taoist Soldiers to subdue him,


    this was within the Second-Grade Prefecture Border, with a Second-Grade Corpse King commanding Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses. For a time, they would have no hopes of overcoming the Corpse Mine.


    Even if the Corpse Mine were to be captured eventually, he had plenty of ways to escape.


    By then, just finding a scapegoat would do.


    He could rid himself of the eyesore that was the identity of Lu Chengyun, start anew, and rise again from the ashes¡­


    As long as he still had the Corpse King in his grasp.


    As long as he still controlled the Spiritual Pivot Formation¡­


    After all, formations are the foundation of a Formation Master.


    Lu Chengyun gave a mild smile, his eyes revealing a glint of cold light.


    Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and he remembered Mo Hua¡­


    Mo Hua was used as a sacrifice by him, fed to Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture.


    He wondered if after all this time, Mo Hua had been completely consumed¡­


    Lu Chengyun had planned to check earlier, but the Corpse Mine was under siege, and he was delayed, unable to leave for the moment.


    Lu Chengyun thought to himself:


    ¡°In a while, once he is completely devoured, I¡¯ll go take a look. I might as well refine that little cultivator¡¯s corpse into a small zombie to be at my service¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze turned somber.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that Mo Hua wasn¡¯t consumed; instead, he was nearly about to ¡°devour¡± the entire Zhang Family¡­

 Chapter 536 - 507 Thirteen Stripes_1

    Chapter 536: Chapter 507 Thirteen Stripes_1


    Mo Hua felt ¡°stuffed¡± from gorging.


    The Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family, manifesting Copper Corpses, even without descendants to offer tribute, still possessed the divine sense of a Cultivator at the Qi Foundation Middle Stage.


    The generations of Elders of the Zhang Family, manifesting Iron Corpses, also possessed the strength of divine sense at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    Despite going through a great battle, with the Zhang Family infighting under Mo Hua¡¯s control, descendants and the old ancestor slaughtering each other, both sides being injured, a lot of divine sense was depleted.


    But the remaining divine sense was still too much¡­


    Mo Hua ¡°stewed¡± everything in one pot, gulping it down, feeling stuffed¡­


    The Sea of Consciousness was brimming with the miscellaneous divine sense.


    These divine senses were initially refined after feasting on the nefarious thoughts of the Copper and Iron Corpses.


    Originating from different Divine Souls, tainted with an evil aura, be it chilly, fierce, demonic, or sly¡­


    Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gorging oneself recklessly, feasting on these ¡°nasty things,¡± was going to ruin one¡¯s mind¡­


    The wicked thoughts surged like tidal waves.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Taoist Heart was like a small boat ferrying through the waves, wobbling and drifting uncertainly.


    As if in the next instant, it would be submerged by the wicked thoughts.


    Once the Taoist Heart is extinguished, becoming tainted, the entire person would also undergo a drastic change in nature and degenerate into a monster with a corpse¡¯s heart in human flesh.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua had ¡°eaten¡± plenty of demons, and gradually became accustomed to these wicked thoughts.


    He calmed his mind in meditation, restraining and guarding his heart.


    Preserving that initial sincere thought.


    Letting the evil thoughts churn, the demons confuse, and the wicked desires grow, his heart remained clear as a mirror, unstained by any dust.


    And so he waited, kept waiting until 1 p.m., until suddenly, within the Sea of Consciousness, an ancient and obscure yet majestic and profound aura began to rise.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes and saw the ethereal Taoist Stele floating within the Sea of Consciousness, his eyes lighting up.


    With a touch of his fingers, using Divine Thought Manifestation, he began Drawing Formation on the Taoist Stele.


    This Formation was the First Grade Spirit Pivot Formation with twelve stripes!


    This Ultimate Formation demanded extremely high divine sense.


    Mo Hua would also practice regularly, but the speed of practice was slow because of the limited divine sense, often needing to rest after drawing one or two formations.


    But now his Sea of Consciousness was filled with an abundance of luxurious divine sense.


    With no concerns, Mo Hua¡¯s fingers moved swiftly, divine thoughts poured forth, creating Formation Patterns one after another, assembling the Spiritual Pivot Formation¡­


    Meanwhile, the aura of the Taoist Stele grew even more profound.


    The residual souls and wicked thoughts that Mo Hua had hastily consumed were settled through meditation, cleansed by the Taoist Stele, refined through the Formation, gradually becoming purified, and ultimately were thoroughly refined by Mo Hua and slowly absorbed¡­


    Draw the Formation a hundred times, and its meaning will reveal itself.


    Mo Hua focused single-mindedly on practicing the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    With each iteration, his understanding of the Spiritual Pivot Formation deepened little by little.


    Meanwhile, his originally profound divine sense was also gradually growing¡­


    ¡­


    At this very moment, outside the Corpse Mine, the battle was still unceasing.


    The various powers of the Taoist Court had organized several attacks, but all were repelled by the Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses formed into ¡°Corpse soldiers¡± by Lu Chengyun, preventing the capture of the Corpse Mine.


    Seeing that direct assault was ineffective, Yang Jishan ordered squads of elite Cultivators, complemented by Taoist Soldiers, to carry out surprise attacks and harassment, exerting pressure on Lu Chengyun.


    After many days of skirmishes, Yang Jishan had also come to understand Lu Chengyun¡¯s method of Corpse control:


    ¡°It¡¯s a Formation!¡±


    ¡°The Corpse soldiers maintain unity through the Formation, their offense and defense as one, their advances and retreats in unison.¡±


    But what kind of Formation it was, Yang Jishan did not know.


    He could only recognize some basic, commonly used Formations employed by Taoist Soldiers in battle, but he was completely clueless about the Corpse controlling Formations.


    So Yang Jiyong went to find Young Master Yun.


    Young Master Yun, being a Second Rank Formation Master and born into a Formation Method Aristocrat family, should know some details.


    Young Master Yun frowned in thought for a moment before asking:


    ¡°Leader Yang, is it possible to capture a few Zombies for examination?¡±


    ¡°Iron Corpse?¡±


    ¡°Iron Corpse would be best, but Walking Corpse will do.¡±


    Leader Yang nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Half an hour later, Leader Yang ordered the Taoist Soldiers to capture several Zombies, among which was an Iron Corpse with an arm severed, along with several others that were mere Walking Corpses.


    These Zombies were chained, struggling and emitting unintelligible low growls.


    Zombies are both bloody and hideous.


    Young Master Yun found the sight somewhat unsettling, but still bit the bullet and examined every part of the Zombies, their skin and limbs.


    However, he found nothing unusual.


    Young Master Yun¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, muttering, ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Young Master Yun explained, ¡°These Zombies should have Formations on them, but I haven¡¯t found anything¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°Could it be within their bodies? Since it¡¯s Corpse Refinement, the methods must be more concealed and not easily noticed.¡±


    Young Master Yun nodded, ¡°Possible.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s contemplation, Yang Jishan recalled the Zombies he had seen in battle over the past few days, and suddenly said:


    ¡°There were Zombies whose chests were smashed during the battle, and it seemed as though there were some blood-colored Patterns blending with the flesh¡­¡±


    Young Master Yun also said, ¡°Indeed, the heart vessels can serve as Formation media for Evil Formations.¡±


    Yang Jishan drew a blade and began cutting open the surface of the heart vessels of several Walking Corpses, finding that indeed, a few of them had blood-colored patterns resembling Formation Patterns.


    These Formation Patterns, with their malevolent aura blending with the flesh, were not easy to detect.


    Yang Jishan could not help but sigh:


    ¡°This Lu Chengyun, truly has some skill!¡±


    Young Master Yun had never seen the use of Evil Formations like this before, his expression became rather solemn.


    Yang Jishan, looking at the bloodied chests of the Walking Corpses, studied for a while but could not discern any particulars, and couldn¡¯t help asking:


    ¡°Young Master Yun, what kind of Formation is this?¡±


    Young Master Yun shook his head, ¡°The Formation Patterns are not clear, I can¡¯t make it out yet.¡±


    ¡°What about on the Iron Corpse¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yang Jishan then went on to open the chest of the Iron Corpse.


    With skin as tough as iron, the process was quite difficult, and it took half an hour of effort before Yang Jishan managed to slice open the surface with a Second Grade dagger, revealing the Formation beneath the skin.

 Chapter 537 - 507 Thirteen Stripes_2

    Chapter 537: Chapter 507 Thirteen Stripes_2


    The Walking Corpse¡¯s flesh rotted and fell apart, the Formation Patterns not clear.


    The Iron Corpse¡¯s flesh was hard, making the Formation much clearer.


    Comparing the two, Young Master Yun preliminarily restored a portion of the Formation.


    This Formation was incomplete, with many Formation Patterns incorrect, and the Formation Pivot layout also had errors; it only had a rough outline.


    Even so, Young Master Yun¡¯s eyes shimmered as he murmured,


    ¡°Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan frowned, ¡°Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Young Master Yun explained, ¡°It¡¯s a Formation that requires divine sense beyond one¡¯s grade, quantity of Formation Patterns beyond one¡¯s rank, and understanding of the Formation beyond the norm. Although it¡¯s a First Grade, it¡¯s not just a First Grade, it¡¯s an Ultimate Technique of Formation.¡±


    Yang Jishan was still baffled.


    Young Master Yun tried to simplify further,


    ¡°It¡¯s the most difficult type of Formation within the First-grade Formations¡­¡±


    With that explanation, Yang Jishan understood.


    But he had another question, ¡°How difficult can it be?¡±


    Young Master Yun then said, ¡°This completely exceptional Formation isn¡¯t part of the assessment for a First Rank Formation Master and moreover, many Second Rank Formation Masters cannot learn it¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Young Master Yun, you can¡¯t learn it either?¡±


    Young Master Yun hesitated.


    Out in the world, he didn¡¯t want to lose face for the Yun Family, but he hadn¡¯t studied it and truly didn¡¯t know whether he could learn it.


    After a moment of hesitation, Young Master Yun honestly said,


    ¡°The Ultimate Formation involves profound insights into Formation principles. I haven¡¯t studied it and don¡¯t know if I can learn it¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan nodded.


    If even a Second Rank Formation Master couldn¡¯t learn it, then the Formation must indeed be extraordinary.


    ¡°Then do you know what kind of Formation this is?¡±


    Yang Jishan asked again.


    Young Master Yun gazed at the restored Formation again and regretfully said,


    ¡°The patterns are missing; it¡¯s indistinguishable¡­¡±


    ¡°Only by restoring the Formation Patterns, then through the Patterns, infer the complete Formation Diagram, can we discern what kind of Formation it is¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan said, ¡°Then why not infer it?¡±


    Young Master Yun wryly smiled, ¡°Inferring Formation Diagrams involves Formation Calculation, which is an extremely sophisticated part of Formation knowledge. In our Yun Family, only the old ancestor knows it¡­¡±


    The old ancestor knows it?


    Yang Jishan¡¯s head began to ache with the information.


    Formations were really troublesome.


    There was the Ultimate Formation, surpassing grades, inferring and calculating¡­


    He decided to cut to the chase and asked,


    ¡°Is there a way to break this Corpse Control Formation?¡±


    Young Master Yun pondered long and slowly said,


    ¡°To break it directly¡­ not knowing the Patterns, one cannot grasp the Formation, so it probably can¡¯t be broken¡­¡±


    ¡°Only indirect methods can be used to interfere with the connections within the Formation, thereby influencing its control over the zombies¡­¡±


    ¡°As for how exactly to do it, I need to study it a bit¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan was anxious, but he also knew that haste wouldn¡¯t help, so he cupped his hands and said,


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble Young Master Yun¡­¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After not too long, Young Master Yun found Yang Jishan:


    ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out¡­¡±


    ¡°Zombies are driven by Corpse Qi.¡±


    ¡°This Ultimate Formation, drawn within the meridians, is used to control Corpse Qi, precisely directing the Corpse Qi¡¯s flow to manipulate Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses, to kill or to consume¡­¡±


    ¡°Currently, only Lu Chengyun knows this Formation and he alone has control over it; there¡¯s no solution for the moment, we can only try to destroy it.¡±


    ¡°After destroying the Formation, zombies will lose control due to the dispersal of Corpse Qi, and then we can decapitate them or sever their limbs; once their Corpse Qi dissipates, they will cease movement¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan nodded, ¡°So, we must first target their meridians, destroy their Formation, then sever their limbs and heads, and release their Corpse Qi¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Young Master Yun added,


    ¡°The Corpse Qi of the zombies is controlled by the Ultimate Formation, so we must destroy the Formation before severing the limbs.¡±


    ¡°Severing the limbs first is useless since the Corpse Qi would still be influenced by the Ultimate Formation, festering instead of dispersing¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan thought about it from a practical viewpoint and mused,


    ¡°That being the case, the Walking Corpses are easy to handle, but what about the Iron Corpses?¡±


    ¡°The Iron Corpses have skin and bones like refined iron, their meridians are not easy to destroy, their heads not easy to chop, limbs not easy to sever¡­¡±


    Young Master Yun also found it problematic, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go think on it some more¡­¡±


    After half a day pondering, Young Master Yun came back to Yang Jishan and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought it over and consulted a few senior Formation Masters, and I have devised a method¡­¡±


    ¡°Using the Chaos Spirit Formation, interfere with the fluctuations of Spiritual Power, thus affecting the Ultimate Formation¡¯s control over the zombies.¡±


    ¡°Chaos Spirit Formation¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan contemplated, ¡°Interfering with the fluctuations of Spiritual Power¡­ but don¡¯t zombies move due to an Evil Power like Corpse Qi? Will that work?¡±


    ¡°It will work,¡± Young Master Yun nodded, ¡°The effect will be weaker, but it will work. Whether it¡¯s Spiritual Power or Evil Power, they are both forms of the energy of the heavens and the earth, as well as the power of Tao Cultivation, similar in essence despite their differences.¡±


    Yang Jishan nodded, somewhat understanding.


    The Yang Family was a clan of Taoist Soldiers, only concerned with battle.


    In terms of Cultivation, they each practiced whatever made them strong, whatever Taoist Skill was powerful.


    They didn¡¯t bother to delve into such nuanced knowledge.


    Young Master Yun continued, ¡°Draw the Chaos Spirit Formation on a sharp Spirit Sword, and then stab it into the Iron Corpse¡¯s meridian. Even if it doesn¡¯t destroy the Formation, it will interfere with the flow of Evil Power, affecting the zombie¡¯s control.¡±


    ¡°However, this Chaos Spirit Formation must be Second Grade¡­¡±


    ¡°If I draw it alone, it will take longer¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan asked, ¡°Will First Grade not suffice?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t do,¡± Young Master Yun shook his head, ¡°A First-grade Ultimate Formation, surpassing First-grade Formations, is comparable to a Second-grade Formation. A First-grade Chaos Spirit Formation will have a minimal impact on such an Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°Only a Second-grade Chaos Spirit Formation can affect a First-grade Ultimate Formation.¡±

 Chapter 538 - 507 Thirteen Stripes_3

    Chapter 538: Chapter 507 Thirteen Stripes_3


    Yang Jishan heaved a sigh.


    Given the current situation, the Corpse Mine couldn¡¯t be taken down in a short period of time.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped then, slow it down a bit¡­¡±


    Afterward, without changing his expression, Yang Jishan continued to apply pressure on Lu Chengyun as always.


    The two sides had many encounters, each sustaining injuries, maintaining a delicate balance.


    It wasn¡¯t until Yang Jishan had crafted dozens of Spirit Swords, inscribed with Chaos Spirit Formation Patterns.


    And other Taoist Soldiers followed his instructions when engaging with the Walking Corpses.


    First, shatter their heart meridians, destroy their Formations, then sever their limbs and heads, dissipate the Corpse Qi, and they could be successfully subdued.


    When dealing with Iron Corpses, use the Spirit Sword to pierce their heart meridians.


    The effect of the Chaos Spirit Formation could only disrupt the flow of Evil Power and not completely isolate it, so Lu Chengyun was still able to control the Iron Corpses, but with a delay.


    Often when he ordered the Iron Corpses to kill,


    his thought would transmit, and after a few breaths¡¯ delay caused by the Chaos Spirit Formation, the Iron Corpses would then react.


    Albeit only for those few breaths.


    But on a battlefield where every split second counts, that was enough to be fatal.


    If the deployment of Corpse Soldiers was delayed by these few breaths, the attack of the Taoist Soldiers would become faster by that much. As a result of this give-and-take, vulnerabilities could be exploited.


    With the Corpse Formation destroyed and the control over the Iron Corpses obstructed,


    the situation quickly turned grim.


    In short order, the Corpse Soldiers suffered heavy casualties.


    Lu Chengyun urgently gave the order to retreat, pulling back to fortify the Corpse Mine.


    The outcome of the battle was clear; however, Yang Jishan refrained from mounting a strong attack, so as not to give Lu Chengyun an opportunity. Instead, he stationed his forces nearby, contemplating another method of assault.


    But the next day, new Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses emerged among the Corpse Soldiers.


    Yang Jishan furrowed his brow, saying:


    ¡°How can there be more?¡±


    An experienced old Formation Master, eyeing the Stone Palace with a solemn look, slowly said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses has begun its operation¡­¡±


    ¡°The Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?¡±


    The old Formation Master said, ¡°The young friend from before reported this Formation in the information he sent.¡±


    ¡°Though it¡¯s just a Compound Formation, it already shows the rudiments of a Large Formation.¡±


    ¡°Powered by Evil Power, using the Corpse Refining Coffin as the Formation media, it¡¯s a demonic Formation that integrates corpse raising, corpse refinement, and corpse control.¡±


    ¡°Once the Formation is activated, it has a significant cost.¡±


    ¡°But once it starts, zombies can be refined rapidly, on a large scale, in a production-like manner.¡±


    ¡°If this continues, our men will keep dying, while they¡¯ll keep refining more corpses¡­¡±


    Unable to help himself, Yang Jishan cursed aloud:


    ¡°Formations again! Where on earth does he get all these troublesome Formations from?¡±


    The old Formation Master was momentarily taken aback, then a sharp light appeared in his murky eyes as he said coldly:


    ¡°The Great Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses¡­ is not an ordinary inheritance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s likely that someone intentionally gave it to him, with the purpose of him raising a¡­¡¯Taoist Demon¡¯¡­¡±


    The words ¡°Taoist Demon¡± were spoken lightly by the old Formation Master.


    Yet when they fell on everyone¡¯s ears, they weighed heavy as lead.


    A chill crept up within Yang Jishan¡¯s heart.


    He glanced again at the dark Corpse Mine and the eerie Stone Palace within.


    In the Stone Palace, there was the Corpse King, a host of zombies, the Ultimate Formation, and the embryonic form of the Demon Path Great Formation¡ªthe Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses¡­


    All of these might just be the pieces and game arranged by someone manipulating from behind the scenes.


    That person wants to use the state boundary as a chessboard, using Formations as pathways, human corpses as pawns, to raise a dragon named ¡°Taoist Demon¡±!


    And within this state boundary, the people who are pawns, from their life to death, might know nothing at all.


    Even Lu Chengyun himself may not be clear on it.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s expression turned solemn, his heart clouded with brooding thoughts.


    How this game would end, whether in victory or defeat, whether in life or death, and what, in the end, would be raised, no one knew¡­ Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    In the Stone Palace, atop the Ten Thousand Corpses Sacrificial Altar.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze was faintly icy as he surveyed his surroundings.


    The Corpse King stood behind him, guarded by Iron Corpses on his left and right.


    And beneath Lu Chengyun¡¯s feet, the Ten Thousand Corpses Compound Formation was running at full capacity.


    Tremendous Spiritual Power surged from the Formation eye, corrupted by Blood Qi and Yin Qi to form Evil Power, which circulated through the Formation Pivot and flowed onto the Formation Patterns.


    The Patterns glowed an eerie red, feeding Evil Power into the coffins and nourishing the innumerable zombies inside.


    ¡°Truly worthy of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses!¡±


    Lu Chengyun was full of ambition.


    He still remembered the words spoken by the person who had given him the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses:


    ¡°Killing is a sin; refining people into corpses.


    Through sin one attains the Path; from corpses one crowns a king.¡±


    He didn¡¯t dwell on the temporary defeat.


    As long as he had the Corpse King, the loss of some Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses mattered little.


    And with the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses at his disposal, he could keep refining corpses and raising more indefinitely, securing an invincible position!


    The more corpses he refined, the stronger the Corpse King would become.


    And as he controlled the Corpse King, commanding the submission of ten thousand corpses, he would naturally become stronger as well.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s laughter gradually sounded out, his voice shedding its gentle disguise to become cold and eerie, like a night owl in the deep mountains, chilling to the bone¡­


    At this very moment, in a secret chamber within the Stone Palace, there was another altar.


    Atop the altar was placed an ¡°empty¡± Contemplation Map.


    Below the altar, a small white coffin was set.


    Inside the coffin lay a young Cultivator.


    This young Cultivator slowly opened his eyes.


    For a moment, his pupils were alight with brilliant starlight, awe-inspiring and dazzling. Moments later, this radiance gradually receded and hid deep within his eyes.


    His pupils became even darker, deeper.


    Amid the depth, there was a restrained brilliance.


    This was an indication of an extremely profound Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua had now completely assimilated the massive Evil Thoughts from the Zhang Family¡¯s zombies.


    His Divine Sense had successfully broken through its bottleneck, advancing further, reaching the peak of a Cultivator at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment:


    Thirteen Stripes at their pinnacle!

 Chapter 539 - 508 Escape_1

    Chapter 539: Chapter 508 Escape_1


    Thirteen Stripes, pinnacle of Divine Sense!


    Enough to utterly crush most cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.


    On the level of Divine Thought, he could be considered on par with the very top cultivators among those at Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    Compared to before, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was more profound, and the control over it, more sensitive.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was profound as he released his Divine Sense, and the virtual-white field of vision of his Divine Sense kept expanding¡­


    The range of his perception became wider, and the number of things he could perceive increased.


    Every tree and stone, every flower and bush, the living cultivators, and the dead walking corpses, Iron Corpses, through their exterior material shell, the essence could be glimpsed.


    The world¡¯s myriad things, the intrinsic Spiritual Energy, Corpse Qi, and various other natural energies, their trajectories also became clearer by a margin.


    What the naked eye sees is the surface.


    Only within the field of vision of the Divine Sense can the intrinsic nature of all things be discerned.


    With every increase in strength of the Divine Sense, the essence perceived went deeper¡­


    Furthermore, Mo Hua¡¯s understanding of the Spiritual Pivot Formation had also become more thorough.


    In the Sea of Consciousness, borrowing the Divine Thought of the Zhang Family¡¯s zombies, Mo Hua practised the Spiritual Pivot Formation on the Taoist Stele hundreds upon thousands of times in one go¡­


    The originally complex Formation Patterns had long been committed to memory.


    Closing his eyes, all he could see was the image of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Mastering the Spiritual Pivot Formation, dividing Spiritual Power, forming Spiritual Threads, and controlling mediums became effortless.


    In addition, his other techniques also improved by leaps and bounds.


    Mo Hua¡¯s abilities, whether it be Formations or Spells, were all closely related to his Divine Sense.


    Now that Divine Sense had been enhanced, his mastery over Formations naturally advanced as well.


    All sorts of Spells, whether it be the Water Passing Step, Fireball Technique, Water Prison Technique, or Concealment Technique, their effects would be superior by a margin.


    It was just that he was trapped in a coffin and momentarily unable to leave, so there was no opportunity to try them out.


    Mo Hua was extremely joyful and couldn¡¯t help but squint his eyes and smile.


    As he smiled, his smile suddenly faded.


    He¡¯d realized something quite awkward.


    His Divine Sense was very strong, exceedingly strong, comparable to the pinnacle of the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.


    But his physical body was still weak, and his Cultivation hadn¡¯t increased.


    At the eighth layer of Qi Refinement, his physique was frail.


    There was no way to get out of this small coffin¡­


    This small coffin, made of neither stone nor iron, had a tough texture and had been nailed shut from the outside, hence the impossibility of escape¡­


    To forcibly break free with a Spell would also harm himself.


    Mo Hua sighed, somewhat helpless.


    This issue needed to be taken seriously.


    Although he was inherently weak and couldn¡¯t practice Body Refinement, he still had to figure out some way to make up for some Body Refinement techniques¡­


    However, this was a problem to be considered later.


    The urgent task at hand was to figure out a way to escape.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense again, observing the movements outside, and suddenly felt something strange.


    Inside the Corpse Mine, it seemed to be under martial law, yet there was some chaos.


    And in the distance, the dense, disorderly breaths of energy, jumbled together, tangled, clashed, flickering on and off.


    It was as if many cultivators were in a melee¡­


    ¡°What exactly is happening outside?¡± Mo Hua wondered.


    Someone had attacked into the Corpse Mine.


    But who could it be?


    There shouldn¡¯t be any power within South Yue City capable of contending with the many Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses inside the Corpse Mine¡­


    Mo Hua frowned.


    If a melee erupted, the Stone Palace would become rather dangerous.


    He needed to think of a way out sooner¡­


    And there was Lu Chengyun, who still hadn¡¯t come over; he wondered if he¡¯d been delayed by the battle and had forgotten for the moment.


    If he happened to remember and came to check, it would be quite unfortunate.


    Hiding in the coffin, he might be able to deceive Lu Chengyun, but given Lu Chengyun¡¯s cautious temperament, the likelihood was not great, better not to take this risk. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So Mo Hua began to ponder how he could escape.


    But after a long time, he couldn¡¯t come up with any good method.


    The Little Zombie was in the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, too far away to control it to come and open the coffin for him.


    And Little Tiger hadn¡¯t been left outside either.


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    The preparations had not been sufficient, and there were oversights.


    It seemed he could only wait patiently and see if there was an opportunity.


    Over the next few days, Mo Hua would often release his Divine Sense to sense the activity outside, looking for a chance to escape.


    The melee outside the Stone Palace was still ongoing, with no clear opportunity presenting itself¡­


    Until three days later, Mo Hua suddenly sensed two familiar auras, discretely hovering around.


    It seemed they were concealing themselves, avoiding others in the chaos, and quietly searching for something inside the Stone Palace¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    It was Junior Brother and Junior Sister!


    Were they looking for him?


    Mo Hua exerted his Divine Sense to its limits, perceiving these two figures, and at the same time, faintly overheard them speaking in hushed voices:


    ¡°¡­been searching for so many days¡­ no trace of him¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think¡­ where could Junior Brother be?¡±


    The voices were intermittent, along with Bai Zisheng¡¯s sighs.


    ¡°Let¡¯s search a little longer¡­¡±


    The voice was clear and pleasant¡ªJunior Sister¡¯s.


    Bai Zisheng looked dejected, ¡°Zixi, do you think our Junior Brother¡­ he hasn¡¯t had an accident, has he¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi remained silent.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart warmed.


    It seemed that while he had been locked in this coffin, Junior Brother and Junior Sister had been anxiously searching for him.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense openly, spying on the two.


    Bai Zisheng and his companion sensed it and both felt a chill in their hearts.


    Had they been discovered?


    Then they both felt a surge of joy.


    This aura, it was Junior Brother!


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s face showed joy for a moment, then he frowned and said:


    ¡°That¡¯s not right, Junior Brother¡¯s Divine Sense isn¡¯t this profound¡­¡±


    ¡°The aura seems correct.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, this aura, it shouldn¡¯t be fake¡­¡±


    ¡°Has he ¡®eaten¡¯ something again¡­¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be, how could he ¡®eat¡¯ every day? Isn¡¯t he afraid of ¡®eating¡¯ his little brain to pieces?¡±

 Chapter 540 - 508: Escape_2

    Chapter 540: Chapter 508: Escape_2


    ¡°`


    ¡°¡­His little head was always a bit naughty¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a look¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was unceasing.


    Bai Zisheng and another were perceptive of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense. Cloaked with a concealing cape and with their figures hidden, they found the secret chamber amidst the chaos of the Stone Palace.


    The secret chamber was cramped but exquisitely crafted, with a sinister sacrificial altar situated above.


    Atop the altar lay bones, burning white candles dripped with corpse oil, casting a ghostly light.


    Below the altar was a white coffin.


    The Divine Sense of Mo Hua emanated from within the coffin.


    When Bai Zisheng saw the white coffin, his expression was one of astonishment. Then, with a pained look, he cried out:


    ¡°Little junior brother, he¡¯s dead!¡±


    Bai Zixi shot him a glance, ¡°How could his Divine Sense emit from him were he dead?¡±


    Bai Zisheng paused, his pained expression faded as he scratched his head and begrudgingly said:


    ¡°Oh, right¡­¡±


    In a clear voice, Bai Zixi said:


    ¡°Open the coffin.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded. After inspecting the coffin for a moment and understanding its structure, he pulled out the nails from the four corners with brute strength. Then he broke the fastenings of the lid and slowly lifted it.


    Inside the coffin lay a familiar figure.


    It was indeed their junior brother, Mo Hua!


    Mo Hua¡¯s complexion was somewhat pale, his eyes deeper than before, and there seemed to be a lustrous light within them, both familiar and somewhat strange.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s face first showed joy, then became stern:


    ¡°How can you prove you¡¯re my junior brother?¡±


    Mo Hua gave him a look, ¡°Idiot!¡±


    Bai Zisheng heaved a sigh of relief and calmed down.


    That demeanor and the familiar tone were indeed those of his little junior brother¡­


    In a soft voice, Bai Zixi said, ¡°Are you alright¡­?¡±


    Her expression was calm, but her eyes shone like a brook under the autumn sun, warm and radiant.


    Mo Hua was momentarily lost in thought, then replied with a bright smile:


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Bai Zixi blinked and nodded her head.


    Curious, Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°How did you end up locked in there?¡±


    ¡°Lu Chengyun wanted to dispose of me once I¡¯ve served my purpose,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Bai Zisheng became furious, ¡°That¡¯s outrageous! Bullying my junior brother is bullying me, trying to kill my junior brother is akin to trying to kill me!¡±


    He pounded his chest and assured Mo Hua:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll slaughter him for you!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s at Foundation Establishment¡­¡±


    ¡°Foundation Establishment, still slaughter!¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t sure if he was bluffing, but he still felt grateful at heart.


    ¡°But what does ¡®dispose of me once I¡¯ve served my purpose¡¯ entail?¡± Bai Zisheng asked, curious again. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It means using me as a sacrifice, feeding his Contemplation Map with my Divine Sense,¡± Mo Hua explained succinctly.


    ¡°Where is that map?¡±


    ¡°I ¡®ate¡¯ it¡­¡±


    ¡°How did you ¡®eat¡¯ again¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng uttered with a mix of frustration and resignation, then muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t decide if you¡¯re the offering, or if the map is your offering¡­¡±


    ¡°So has your Divine Sense grown stronger again?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Mo Hua nodded modestly:


    ¡°Got a bit stronger, thirteen stripes¡­¡±


    Even Bai Zixi was taken aback by this revelation.


    Bai Zisheng opened his mouth wide in astonishment and said helplessly:


    ¡°If this keeps up, you¡¯ll truly become a little monster¡­¡±


    Qi Refinement at the eighth level, Foundation Establishment with thirteen stripes Divine Sense¡­


    Even among the Bai Family¡¯s ancestors, he had never come across such a record.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes flickered as she cautioned, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng also came to his senses, nodding as he said:


    ¡°Right, you mustn¡¯t tell anyone. Otherwise, there are those who¡¯d want to crack open your head to see what¡¯s inside¡­ People can be very malevolent.¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked and nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡±


    Bai Zisheng had more to say, but Bai Zixi spoke up, ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place first.¡±


    The Corpse Mine was no place to linger in.


    She and her brother had come here to find Mo Hua, and now that they had found him, naturally, they wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Within the Corpse Mine, cultivators and zombies battled fiercely.


    Swords were blind, spells were aplenty, the ground was rife with Corpse Poison¡­ There were even Foundation Establishment cultivators fighting hand-to-hand with Iron Corpses.


    Getting caught in the crossfire was still very dangerous.


    The three of them cloaked themselves with invisibility and left the secret chamber.


    Before leaving, Mo Hua thought for a moment and set up an Earth Fire Formation around the secret chamber, blowing it up, destroying the entire altar and the coffin with it.


    Although he hadn¡¯t died, he still needed to destroy the ¡°corpse¡± and erase the traces.


    Or rather, because he hadn¡¯t died and wanted to be cautious, it was necessary to ¡°destroy the corpse and erase the traces.¡±


    At the same time, he also took the blank Contemplation Map with him.


    All the ancestors of the Zhang Family that had been within the Contemplation Map were ¡®eaten¡¯ clean by Mo Hua.


    The map was now blank.


    But Mo Hua felt that the map was very peculiar, capable of containing the spirits of the Zhang Family¡¯s deceased, who, after death, became evil spirits manifesting in bodily form and living within the map.


    Clearly, this was not a feat that ordinary Tao Cultivation items could achieve.


    Mo Hua kept the blank Contemplation Map with him.


    He would study it himself later or ask his master for advice.


    ¡­


    The Taoist Court was still attacking the Stone Palace, with the Taoist Soldiers leading the charge and the other cultivators providing cover.


    With a way to restrain the Corpse Soldiers, the threat was reduced.


    Lu Chengyun then used the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses for Corpse Raising and Corpse Refinement, constantly replenishing his forces, engaging in a war of attrition against the Taoist Soldiers.


    Both sides were in a stalemate, with the situation inside the Stone Palace chaotic.


    Foundation Building Cultivators, Qi Refining Taoist Soldiers, Iron Corpses, and Walking Corpses fought to the death¡­


    Such a situation was momentarily beyond the resolution of the three Qi Refinement cultivators.


    The immediate priority was to escape the Corpse Mine, and plan for the long term thereafter.


    The three of them, invisible, circled around the edge of the battlefield and retreated towards the outside of the Corpse Mine.


    Despite their caution, the Corpse Mine was too chaotic. There were many cultivators, even more zombies, and in a moment of inattention, they inadvertently revealed themselves and were discovered by a Corpse cultivator.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 541 - 508 Escape_3

    Chapter 541: Chapter 508 Escape_3


    Several corpse cultivators commanded an iron corpse and about ten walking corpses, besieging them from all directions.


    Bai Zisheng guarded the rear, swinging his long spear, fending off the zombies.


    Mo Hua and Bai Zixi, each using spells and sword qi to restrain, the three of them did not fancy the fight, retreating while battling.


    Later, other cultivators came to aid them, and after fighting a chaotic battle for two hours, they finally escaped from the corpse mine and withdrew to a cave where they had set up camp.


    Inside the cave, Yang Jiashan, Young Master Yun, a withered old man, a middle-aged cultivator, and the other cultivators were all inside, discussing the eradication of the corpse mine.


    On the way there, Mo Hua had already asked and understood the situation.


    He learned that it was the Taoist Court that had ordered the suppression of the corpse mine and the eradication of the Corpse King, which was why so many cultivators had gathered.


    Therefore, seeing so many people didn¡¯t surprise him.


    A Taoist Soldier took Mo Hua and the other two to Yang Jiashan.


    Yang Jiashan, upon seeing Mo Hua and learning of his identity, was clearly surprised.


    He had heard from Bai Zisheng that it was his ¡°Junior Disciple¡± who had obtained the information on the corpse mine and relayed it out. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since he was a Junior Disciple, he was naturally expected to be young.


    But he never could have imagined he would be this young.


    Mo Hua¡¯s tender face still held traces of childishness.


    He looked not much older than those newly initiated disciples in his Clan¡¯s cultivation enlightenment.


    Could such a child have been used by Lu Chengyun? Could he have been confined to the corpse mine?


    And was he able to gather intelligence while inside and then send it out from the heavily guarded corpse mine?


    How did he achieve this?


    Yang Jiashan¡¯s eyebrows knitted into the character ¡°´¨¡±.


    The other cultivators, upon seeing Mo Hua, also had complex expressions, unsure of what to say.


    The cave became momentarily silent¡­


    However, Mo Hua was looking at Yang Jiashan, looking here and there, finding him somewhat familiar, and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°Commander, do you know an uncle named Yang Jiyong?¡±


    Yang Jiashan was taken aback, ¡°You know my fifth brother?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°A little acquainted. Uncle Yang even told me to visit the Yang Family when I have time¡­¡±


    Yang Jiashan frowned, muttering ¡°Mo Hua¡± twice, then suddenly his eyes brightened as he said:


    ¡°Mo Hua! I knew this name sounded familiar. Before the year¡¯s end, my fifth brother mentioned meeting a very talented Junior Formation Master¡­¡±


    Very talented¡­


    Yang Jiashan thought again.


    Back then, his fifth brother had said something different.


    With a serious face and taking the matter seriously, he said that he had met a Junior Formation Master with ¡°terrifying talent¡±¡­


    When he asked how the talent was terrifying, he didn¡¯t elaborate, only saying that he had to keep it confidential.


    Yang Jiashan didn¡¯t take it to heart then.


    Yang Jiyong and he were equally matched in Formation knowledge; what distinction could he make about whose talents were superior? So at the time, he only listened casually to Yang Jiyong¡¯s words and didn¡¯t pay much attention.


    Upon arriving in South Yue City, hearing the name Mo Hua struck him as familiar.


    Now that Mo Hua mentioned Yang Jiyong, he suddenly remembered.


    Yang Jiashan¡¯s attitude immediately warmed.


    Although he couldn¡¯t discern the degree of talent in Formation, he remembered his fifth brother also saying that upon meeting this Junior Formation Master, he should say thanks on his behalf and treat him well, and it would be best if he could persuade him to join the Yang Family.


    His fifth brother had a somewhat foul temper and a bit of pride, but he was generous in spirit and valued loyalty. It wasn¡¯t often he praised someone so highly.


    If this young cultivator was held in high esteem by his fifth brother, regardless of anything else, at least his character must be excellent.


    Moreover, being so young and already a Formation Master.


    Even if his talent wasn¡¯t considered ¡°terrifying¡±, it was certainly quite remarkable.


    On top of that, he risked his life to gather information about the corpse mine, which was a great help.


    Yang Jiashan immediately said amicably:


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the fright you¡¯ve experienced, young friend. I will have someone prepare some drinks and Spiritual Meat. Eat your fill and have a good rest.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Thank you, Commander!¡±


    Yang Jiashan waved his hand, ¡°No need for such formalities. You¡¯re familiar with my fifth brother, just call me Uncle Yang.¡±


    Following his cues, Mo Hua cheerfully called out:


    ¡°Uncle Yang!¡±


    Yang Jiashan nodded with a smile.


    The others looked on, somewhat stupefied.


    How had they established a relationship so quickly without many words spoken¡­?


    He entered as ¡°Leader Yang,¡± and in less than the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, he became ¡°Uncle Yang¡±¡­


    The normally right-angled and stern-faced Yang Jiashan was now all smiles, as if basking in the spring breeze.


    The incongruence was as stark as could be.


    Just who was this young cultivator?


    The others whispered to each other.


    Then Yang Jiashan said to Mo Hua: ¡°You go rest with your older brother and sister first; we still have matters to discuss here¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°All right, then I won¡¯t disturb you any further, Uncle Yang.¡±


    Yang Jiashan gave a slight nod.


    Mo Hua bowed and took his leave.


    Yang Jiashan watched Mo Hua leave with a kind expression, then turned back, his face becoming serious again as he said to the people:


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue¡­¡±


    A deputy commander-like Taoist Soldier continued the earlier discussion:


    ¡°¡­The zombies are being refined in greater numbers, and we are understaffed. We can¡¯t sustain this attrition, we need to find a way to break the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses¡­¡±


    ¡°Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?¡±


    Just as he reached the doorway, Mo Hua¡¯s ears perked up, hearing these words and momentarily froze.


    The deputy commander had lowered his voice, but due to Mo Hua¡¯s peak Thirteen Stripes Divine Sense, even though the voice wasn¡¯t loud, he still overheard it.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then turned back and asked:


    ¡°Uncle Yang, are you discussing the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?¡±


    Yang Jiashan¡¯s expression was one of astonishment as he asked:


    ¡°Young friend, do you know about the ¡®Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    Yang Jiashan was taken aback, then he remembered that Mo Hua was the one who sent out the intelligence, so it wasn¡¯t odd that he knew about the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    ¡°So, are you familiar with this Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?¡±


    Yang Jiashan asked with a glint of hope in his eyes, anticipating an affirmative answer.


    Mo Hua hesitated slightly, then slowly said:


    ¡°I¡¯m fairly¡­ familiar with it.¡±


    How could he say that the central Formation eye of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses was crafted by him¡­

 Chapter 542 - 509: Breaking the Formation_1

    Chapter 542: Chapter 509: Breaking the Formation_1


    ¡°Am I familiar with it?¡±


    Yang Jishan couldn¡¯t understand what level of ¡®familiar¡¯ was being implied. He probed further, asking:


    ¡°Then, young brother, do you know how to break the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?¡±


    All the cultivators present turned their gaze towards Mo Hua.


    After pondering for a moment and sizing up everyone, especially the strengths of the cultivators from the Taoist Court, Mo Hua nodded:


    ¡°There is one way.¡±


    Yang Jishan was overjoyed, ¡°What method?¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Do you still have the map of the Stone Palace?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Yang Jishan immediately ordered someone to spread the map on the stone table in the hall.


    Mo Hua marked several spots on the map. These spots were located deep within the Stone Palace in areas that were slightly secluded and unremarkable, and the stone walls were solid with no special features.


    A puzzled look crossed Yang Jishan¡¯s face.


    Mo Hua then explained:


    ¡°These places are sealed vaults, which contain many Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Spirit Stones?¡± Yang Jishan frowned.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°The Spirit Stones that Lu Chengyun made the zombies mine as slaves, a large portion of them, are hidden in these sealed vaults within the Corpse Mine.¡±


    He had found this out the previous night after sneaking around invisibly and eavesdropping here and there.


    ¡°What then?¡± Yang Jishan asked once more.


    ¡°Destroy these Spirit Stones, and you can break the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Yang Jishan fell silent.


    The expressions of the others were also somewhat complicated.


    Some even showed disappointment.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand why.


    On the contrary, a senior Formation Master, intending to be helpful, reminded:


    ¡°Young brother, you¡¯re young and probably aren¡¯t aware that Evil Formations differ from normal formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Normal formations refine Spirit Stones to convert Spiritual Power and drive the formation¡­¡±


    ¡°But Evil Formations, they¡¯re powered by Blood Qi, flesh and bones, Divine Souls and lifeforce, resentment from living beings, and Filthy Qi from nature and other types of Evil Power.¡±


    ¡°That makes the formation strange and its power greatly enhanced. It also pollutes the flesh and Spiritual Power of cultivators to an even greater degree¡­¡±


    ¡°Lu Chengyun¡¯s Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses is the same.¡±


    ¡°This formation isn¡¯t driven by Spiritual Power, so even if you destroy the vault and the Spirit Stones, it won¡¯t help. At most, it will only result in Lu Chengyun losing some of his Spirit Stone assets¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    The senior Formation Master was momentarily taken aback.


    The other Formation Masters were also a bit astonished.


    Mo Hua explained further:


    ¡°Lu Chengyun¡¯s Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses evolved from the Large Formation of Corpses. It has the structure of a Large Formation but not its scale; thus it is a Compound Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Even so, the required Evil Power is vast.¡±


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t carry out a massacre in the city, and without being able to refine Evil Power from blood, resentment, and hatred, he resorted to a compromise.¡±


    ¡°He constructed the Compound Formation eye to refine Spirit Stones, using Spiritual Power to drive the formation, then polluted the Spiritual Power with Blood Qi, creating Evil Power to drive the entire Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses.¡±


    The senior Formation Master¡¯s expression was shaken, and the other Formation Masters looked at each other with surprise and uncertainty.


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    Mo Hua continued:


    ¡°By destroying the vault and the Spirit Stones, you¡¯re essentially cutting off the supply for the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, rendering its Formation eye useless, and naturally breaking the formation.¡±


    ¡°And since the Formation eye has already been constructed, it cannot be modified in a short time.¡±


    ¡°Once the Spirit Stones are gone, even if Lu Chengyun wanted to resort to killing and plundering a city to use the blood and flesh for Evil Power to drive the formation, it would be impossible.¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After Mo Hua finished, everyone¡¯s expressions changed, but they remained silent.


    Ordinary cultivators, either not understanding formations or only having a rudimentary grasp, couldn¡¯t fully comprehend.


    The few Formation Masters who did understand, after Mo Hua¡¯s explanation, felt that he made a lot of sense. Still, they were somewhat uncertain¡­


    This matter concerned the orders of the Taoist Court, the suppressing of the Corpse Mine, the extermination of the Corpse King, and the eradication of the Taoist Demon.


    Such matters were no trifling affair.


    They dared not be careless.


    The senior Formation Master carefully asked:


    ¡°Young brother¡­ Gentleman, how do you know this?¡±


    Because I drew the Formation eye¡­


    Of course, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t say that out loud.


    Instead, he vaguely responded, ¡°I was detained by Lu Chengyun in the Corpse Mine. By chance, I happened to see the Formation Diagram for the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses¡­¡±


    Formation Diagram for the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses?


    The senior Formation Master trembled inwardly, ¡°Really?¡±


    Knowing the Formation Diagram would change everything.


    Mo Hua considered briefly, then nodded, ¡°How about I draw it for you to see¡­¡±


    The senior Formation Master was startled, ¡°Draw¡­¡±


    You mean, after seeing it, you can replicate it?


    Yang Jishan immediately commanded, ¡°Bring paper and ink.¡±


    The senior Formation Master promptly said:


    ¡°I have it, I have it!¡±


    After saying that, he personally took out paper and ink. Other Formation Masters helped, laying out the Formation Paper and mixing the Spiritual Ink on the table.


    Everything was ready, and all eyes were eagerly on Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat uncomfortable but still took the brush, dipped it in ink, and began to draw Formation Patterns on the paper.


    His brushwork was refined and measured, each stroke and pattern drawn freely yet with an inherent order.


    The Formation Masters seated there were taken aback, exchanging looks and whispering praises among themselves:


    ¡°Despite his young age, he already exudes the demeanor of a great master!¡±


    ¡°Without years of meticulous practice, one couldn¡¯t possess such expert brush skills¡­¡±


    ¡°Most impressive, most impressive¡­¡±


    Even Young Master Yun, observing Mo Hua, had a continuous glimmer of admiration in his clear eyes.


    Of course, Mo Hua didn¡¯t draw the entire Formation Diagram of Ten Thousand Corpses.


    He merely outlined the movements of the Formation Pivot to make it easier for everyone to understand the flow of Spiritual Power.


    He also sketched the core of the Formation eye so that everyone could see how Spiritual Power passed through the Formation eye, connected with the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, and then mixed with Blood Qi and Filthy Qi to form Evil Power¡­


    Before he finished, Mo Hua stopped drawing.


    The group of Formation Masters, left wanting more, saw Mo Hua put down his brush and urged:


    ¡°Continue drawing, why have you stopped?¡±

 Chapter 543 - 509 Break the Array_2

    Chapter 543: Chapter 509 Break the Array_2


    Mo Hua scratched his head, feeling guilty:


    ¡°That¡¯s all I remember¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t keep painting, for if he went on, he would reveal the entire formation eye¡­


    Everyone looked left and right, scrutinizing Mo Hua¡¯s sketch of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, and they all frowned.


    A Formation Master sighed:


    ¡°Lu Chengyun, indeed, is quite talented¡­¡±


    Someone snorted coldly, ¡°So what if he has talent? Isn¡¯t he still a heartless scoundrel?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t saying he wasn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Without talent and virtue, one is merely mediocre, but with talent and no virtue, that¡¯s often the greater disaster.¡±


    ¡°As long as one¡¯s character is corrupt, no matter how talented, they should be condemned!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Lu Chengyun, with all his talent, hasn¡¯t used it on the right path, this formation eye is extremely exquisite¡­¡±


    The old Formation Master shook his head, ¡°This formation eye might not have been constructed by Lu Chengyun¡­¡±


    ¡°Not by Lu Chengyun?¡± The crowd was astonished.


    The old Formation Master nodded and said:


    ¡°Although this is a First Grade formation eye, it uses the framework of a Large Formation, and its underlying pattern employs the Five Elements in an orderly fashion; this is indeed a method deeply rooted in the authentic and righteous Dao of formations¡­¡±


    ¡°With such an understanding of formations, one would disdain to learn Evil Formations and sully themselves with the likes of Lu Chengyun.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, this Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses might have been built by Lu Chengyun, but this formation eye may have been made by someone else¡­¡±


    Mo Hua listened with a hint of surprise in his heart.


    This old gentleman with a beard, though also just a First Grade Formation Master, had such a sharp eye. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He could actually discern this¡­


    Hearing this, the other Formation Masters also nodded their heads.


    Then someone asked, ¡°Who, then, drew this formation eye? Could it be that Lu Chengyun has a high-level formation expert behind him?¡±


    ¡°Is this formation expert also a First Grade Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°No, this formation eye is Large Formation craftsmanship, probably Second Grade¡­¡±


    With this statement, everyone¡¯s expressions turned somber.


    The Ultimate Formation and the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses were already problematic enough.


    If there was also a high-level formation expert standing behind Lu Chengyun, the situation would become even more severe.


    Suddenly, the old Formation Master asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°Young gentleman, do you know who created this formation eye? Or perhaps, do you know who this expert is?¡±


    Mo Hua kept a serious face and shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t possibly admit it was me¡­


    You probably wouldn¡¯t believe me if I did.


    Seeing that everyone was still mired in this issue, with gloomy and troubled expressions, Mo Hua had no choice but to say:


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see any other Formation Masters in the Corpse Mine¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps this Formation Master was threatened by Lu Chengyun, forced to complete the formation, and then ¡®disposed of after use¡¯.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both silently glanced at Mo Hua.


    The old Formation Master was taken aback, then nodded in agreement.


    Lu Chengyun was highly suspicious; such a thing wasn¡¯t beyond possibility.


    He sighed, ¡°If that¡¯s true, it would be such a pity¡­¡±


    Seeing that they had been discussing for so long and still seemed confused, Yang Jishan decisively asked,


    ¡°Gentlemen, can this Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses be broken?¡±


    The old Formation Master hesitated for a moment, then slowly said,


    ¡°If the formation eye is indeed as such, then this strategy might indeed be viable.¡±


    ¡°Is this formation eye genuine?¡± Yang Jishan asked further.


    The old Formation Master remained silent and hesitant.


    The other Formation Masters also frowned, saying nothing.


    They believed it to be genuine, but the formation knowledge involved exceeded their mastery; they dared not make a definitive judgment.


    If the reality proved different, they could not bear the responsibility.


    Yang Jishan then turned to look at Young Master Yun.


    Young Master Yun was hesitant; after pondering for a while, he slowly nodded:


    ¡°It should be correct.¡±


    He thought for a moment, then added:


    ¡°This formation corresponds with what we currently know about the Corpse Mine, and the level of formation knowledge is very high; beyond what Lu Chengyun could fabricate.¡±


    Yang Jishan breathed a slight sigh of relief.


    He patted Mo Hua on the shoulder and smiled, ¡°Young brother, you¡¯ve been a great help again!¡±


    Mo Hua also smiled happily.


    ¡°Since the formation is real, then that¡¯s good. Let¡¯s discuss how to destroy these Spirit Stones and cut off the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses¡¯ supply¡­¡±


    Afterwards, Yang Jishan and the others discussed the specific methods.


    How to deploy Cultivators, when and where, who would lead the assault, who would provide cover, how to destroy these Spirit Stone storerooms¡­


    These Spirit Stones couldn¡¯t be moved.


    They had to find a way to destroy them.


    To allow them to turn into Spiritual Energy, to scatter back into the heavens and earth, so they would not be used for evil by Lu Chengyun.


    After the discussion was over, Mo Hua left.


    Young Master Yun stared at the departing figure of Mo Hua for a long time, lost in thought. After a while, his eyes brightened slightly.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was placed in a quiet stone room.


    The room had simple furnishings: only a stone table, stone chairs, stone bed, clearly a makeshift setup without much consideration for comfort.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind; what he cared about was the table full of food.


    There were Spirit Fruits, and chicken and duck Spiritual Meat.


    He had been locked in a coffin, starved for many days, and now, ravenous, it was a feast fit for a king, a fruit in one hand, a chicken leg in the other, eating with delight.


    Cultivators can go without food for a long time, but they still feel hungry and deplete their Blood Qi.


    Going without food for too long can still lead to starvation and death.


    Bai Zisheng sat aside, legs crossed, shaking his head and tapping his foot, seemingly pondering something.


    Bai Zixi was quietly reading a book, occasionally lifting her eyes. Seeing Mo Hua eating with gusto, her long lashes fluttered, her gaze becoming serene.


    Mo Hua looked up and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡±


    ¡°You go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mo Hua made no fuss and, after eating his fill, lay comfortably on the bed, patting his full belly contentedly.

 Chapter 544 - 509 Break the Array_3

    Chapter 544: Chapter 509 Break the Array_3


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°You should take a walk after eating to aid digestion, don¡¯t just lie down.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua responded with a somewhat lazy tone, but still remained lying down without moving.


    Bai Zisheng shook his head. After a moment, he seemed to remember something and asked,


    ¡°Are you going to see your master again?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked and replied, ¡°After sorting out the matters here, then I¡¯ll go back to see Master!¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Are you going to take out Lu Chengyun?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t stand those who were sanctimonious, bullied with their power, practiced Demon Skills, murdered, and bullied his sister and little junior brother.


    And Lu Chengyun had nearly all these traits.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Bai Zisheng thought for a while, then frowned slightly, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to make a move, is it? There are so many Walking Corpses, Iron Corpses, and the Corpse King¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sat up and said in a low voice,


    ¡°Step by step. First, we will weaken Lu Chengyun¡¯s power, push him into a tight spot, and then get close to that Corpse King¡­ and he will be doomed!¡±


    ¡°Corpse King?¡± Bai Zisheng was taken aback, ¡°Did you do something to his Corpse King?¡±


    Mo Hua shook her finger, corrected him, ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®his¡¯ Corpse King¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t understand.


    Mo Hua played coy, whispering,


    ¡°It¡¯s top secret. You¡¯ll find out when the time comes.¡±


    Bai Zisheng was not very happy.


    After contemplating for a moment, Mo Hua relented slightly and said, ¡°When the time comes, I guarantee you¡¯ll get the chance to take down Lu Chengyun.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was skeptical.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°You are my senior brother, I wouldn¡¯t lie to you!¡±


    Bai Zisheng immediately became happy again.


    Bai Zixi glanced at her older brother, shaking her head slightly with a hint of helplessness.


    ¡­


    The next day at 6 A.M., the Taoist Soldiers began their assault on the Stone Palace.


    Yang Jishan led the charge from the front, tying up most of the Iron Corpses, but this was merely a feint.


    The other two elite teams of cultivators, following Mo Hua¡¯s guidance, took a detour to sneak in and broke through the defensive formation of the storeroom, penetrating the stone walls. As expected, they found a storeroom filled with blindingly brilliant Spirit Stones.


    Under military orders, they did not hesitate. Using Spiritual Artifacts, Runes, and Taoist Skills, they destroyed the large store of Spirit Stones within the storeroom.


    The destroyed Spirit Stones turned into a vast surge of Spiritual Energy that spilled out from the Corpse Mine, pervading the surroundings before returning to nature.


    Even outside the Corpse Mine, Mo Hua could sense this thick presence of spiritual power.


    ¡°So this is Spiritual Energy¡­¡±


    Mo Hua murmured pensively, her mind slightly stirred.


    It¡¯s said that over twenty thousand years ago, nature was teeming with dense Spiritual Energy.


    However, once the Taoist Court united the Cultivation World, the rapid development led to the reckless extraction of Spiritual Energy, which gradually depleted its presence in nature.


    Only Spirit Stones mined from the spiritual mines below ground remained.


    Cultivators relied on Spirit Stones to practice cultivation.


    Places with remnants of nature¡¯s spiritual energy, like secret mountain sanctuaries, were rare, the stuff of legends. They were occupied by the Cultivation World¡¯s powerful forces.


    It was the same situation with Spirit Stones.


    Over the twenty thousand plus years of the Taoist Calendar, nearly all of the Cultivation World¡¯s spiritual mines had been carved up and seized by the Taoist Court, the Noble Clans, and the Great Sects.


    The vast majority of Spirit Stones also ended up in their hands.


    The majority of the lower-class cultivators actually had access to very few Spirit Stones.


    Let alone breathing in the real nature¡¯s spiritual energy¡­


    Now the Spiritual Energy that overflowed from the Corpse Mine, although dense, was ephemeral, dissipating in mere moments.


    Although it was Spiritual Energy, it was not quite the real thing.


    After it dissipated, the world was still left dry and barren of Spiritual Energy.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat moved.


    She looked up at the sky, silently pondering,


    ¡°I wonder if there will ever be a day when this world sees the revival of Spiritual Energy¡­¡±


    ¡­


    As the storeroom was blasted open, the Spirit Stones destroyed, and the Spiritual Energy diffused into the world, Lu Chengyun felt it too.


    His heart ached sharply as if pricked by needles.


    These were Spirit Stones! Collected through hard labor, enslaving Mining Cultivators, controlling zombies, mining, and his accumulated wealth!


    With these Spirit Stones, he could bribe officials of the Taoist Court, buy support from various powers, strengthen the Lu Family, obtain various Cultivation World resources, and elevate his own cultivation level!


    Yet now, they were all destroyed!


    What was even harder for him to accept was the situation with the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses!


    With the Spirit Stones destroyed, the Formation eye of the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses would be cut off from its supply.


    Although it could still barely operate on the remaining Evil Power, within ten days, as the Evil Power was exhausted, the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses would halt.


    Without the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses running to continuously refine zombies, how could he contend with the Taoist Soldiers?


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s gaze turned icy. ¡°It looks like I need to find another solution¡­¡±


    But then he was puzzled.


    How did the Taoist Court figure out that he powered his Evil Formation with Spiritual Power?


    And how did they learn that his Spirit Stones were hidden in the secret storeroom?


    Was there a traitor within the Corpse Mine who leaked all its secrets?


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head.


    Those in the know had either been killed by him or sacrificed by him.


    The rest were just Corpse Cultivators.


    These Corpse Cultivators had been with him for a long time, killing and refining corpses, with blood-stained hands.


    As long as they practiced Corpse Path cultivation techniques, they would have fallen into the Demon Path, and it was impossible for them to switch allegiance to the Taoist Court.


    Even if they did switch sides, it would be a death sentence.


    They couldn¡¯t have leaked secrets¡­


    ¡°So, someone at the Taoist Court saw through the bluff of the Corpse Mine and also through the Formation I laid out?¡±


    A cultivator with such capabilities and Formation attainments must be a remarkable person. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But who could this person be?


    When did they set their sights on him?


    Lu Chengyun furrowed his brow.


    A sudden premonition came over him.


    It was as if someone had long ago spun a web around him, tightly ensnaring him, and was now watching him eagerly, closing in step by step¡­


    Who was this person?


    And what exactly was this web?


    Lu Chengyun was confused.


    Behind him, the fierce and majestic Corpse King remained silently loyal.

 Chapter 545 - 510: Pursuit_1

    Chapter 545: Chapter 510: Pursuit_1


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s Spirit Stone warehouse was destroyed, severing the supply of Spirit Stones, causing the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses to operate sluggishly, and the speed of Corpse Refinement also became slower and slower.


    Yang Jishan was overjoyed.


    The other Cultivators all breathed a sigh of relief.


    In the battle, what Lu Chengyun was losing were Zombies.


    What they were losing, however, were living human lives.


    Now that the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses had been reduced and gradually stopped, getting rid of this endless loss was good news for their side.


    Taoist Soldiers and Cultivators from all sides couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful to Mo Hua.


    Next, it would be a head-on battle.


    The leaders of the Taoist Soldiers, along with the various squads and Cultivators, engaged in a fight to the death with Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses.


    Yang Jishan issued orders and coordinated the strategy, while Mo Hua followed by his side, watching the battle.


    Inside the Corpse Mine, the battle was fierce.


    The Cultivators¡¯ swords clashed with the Zombies¡¯ claws, and Spiritual Power intertwined with Corpse Qi. Corpse Poison spread, Spells flew across, one after another Cultivators fell, and corps after corps of Zombies were slaughtered.


    It was both tragic and magnificent.


    Mo Hua watched, shocked.


    Although he had previously seen Cultivators fighting Zombies sporadically, and had fought Zombies himself when escaping, standing at the peak and overseeing the entire battlefield, he still found the scene of the fight to the death before him extremely brutal and shocking.


    Soon after, Mo Hua also felt a pang of pity.


    These Taoist Soldiers were also people.


    Even though their Cultivation was low and they could only serve as insignificant soldiers in this war,


    they had parents and possibly wives and children.


    Dying here, there would be those who grieved deeply for them.


    And these Zombies, who were humans in life, were likely suffering Miners in their past.


    Oppressed by the Lu Family during their lives, they were conscripted as cannon fodder even after death, helping the tyrant.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    This could not go on.


    If the battle continued like this, who knew how many more Cultivators would be injured or even lose their lives¡­


    South Yue City might also face a catastrophe.


    Mo Hua observed the situation and frowned in contemplation, using Divine Sense Calculation to determine the main and secondary Sequence controlled by the Spirit Pivots among the horde, and then said to Yang Jishan:


    ¡°Uncle Yang, that tall Iron Corpse, that one-armed Iron Corpse, and that fat Iron Corpse, we need to kill them first.¡±


    Yang Jishan was momentarily stunned, ¡°Why?¡±


    He didn¡¯t quite understand why, amidst the dozens of Iron Corpses on the battlefield, Mo Hua insisted on killing those particular few first.


    These Iron Corpses didn¡¯t appear to be the strongest either.


    Mo Hua explained:


    ¡°The Zombies on the field can be divided into two types.¡±


    ¡°One type is controlled by the Corpse Cultivators, using the Corpse Controlling Bells.¡±


    ¡°The other type is controlled through Formation, by Iron Corpses.¡±


    ¡°Zombies controlled by Corpse Cultivators are few and fight individually, posing little threat; but those controlled by Formation are different¡­¡±


    ¡°These three Iron Corpses, the Formations on their bodies, control the most Walking Corpses. Kill them, and nearly half of the Walking Corpses will become a disorderly mob, driven only by instinct, without coordination, not forming Corpse Soldiers, making them easy to deal with.¡±


    Yang Jishan was taken aback, ¡°How do you know this?¡±


    Young Master Yun was also somewhat surprised.


    They knew that these Zombies were controlled through Formations.


    But as for how the control was managed, and what the principles behind it were, they were unclear.


    Mo Hua vaguely replied, ¡°I have seen the Formations Lu Chengyun designed, so I was able to calculate it.¡±


    Yang Jishan nodded with an understanding that was not quite understanding.


    However, Young Master Yun was stunned.


    Calculate?


    ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    He had some guesses, but he found it hard to believe for the moment.


    Yang Jishan then called someone over and instructed:


    ¡°Pass down the command, gather three squads of Taoist Soldiers, ignore the other Zombies, and only kill those three Iron Corpses!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The Taoist Soldier took the command and passed the order.


    In a moment, three Foundation Establishment leaders, each leading a squad of Taoist Soldiers, suddenly charged out and headed straight for the three Iron Corpses on the battlefield.


    It was the prepared against the unprepared.


    In less than half an hour, the three Iron Corpses were slayed, and their heart meridians shattered.


    With the death of the three Iron Corpses, the majority of Corpse Soldiers on the field suddenly rioted, buzzing around like headless flies, dashing left and right, seeking to devour people.


    This was a sign of them acting on instinct after losing control, drawn by Corpse Qi.


    To ordinary Cultivators, out-of-control Zombies were quite tricky.


    But in such a battle among Cultivators, Zombies losing control was like loose sand. Even if they were violent and bloodthirsty, their threat was greatly diminished in the face of well-coordinated Taoist Soldiers.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s spirit was lifted.


    ¡°It¡¯s really effective!¡±


    He immediately waved the command banner and ordered the Taoist Soldiers to form an array, grinding away as they slaughted the disordered horde of Zombies.


    Once the Walking Corpses were slain, the remaining Iron Corpses posed no threat in the face of the team of Taoist Soldiers.


    A general without his soldiers was no longer a general.


    And an Iron Corpse without Corpse Soldiers was just a common Iron Corpse.


    The Taoist Soldiers were like mowing scythes, charging through the battlefield, reaping Walking Corpses one after another.


    The situation soon became clear.


    The Taoist Court¡¯s advantage became increasingly apparent, while the loss of Corpse Soldiers grew heavier.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Lu Chengyun to order the mass of Zombies to retreat.


    The siege on the Corpse Mine was protracted.


    This was merely one of many battles over the days, and also one clear victory among the many outcomes.


    But this victory was the most definitive of them all.


    Yang Jishan heaved a long sigh of relief. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the subsequent battles, Yang Jishan always took Mo Hua with him.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, scanned the battlefield, and after a moment¡¯s Calculation, told Yang Jishan which Walking Corpses were controlled by which Iron Corpses, and killing which Iron Corpse would cause which Zombies to disperse.


    Not just that.


    Some troublesome Corpse Cultivators, what techniques they were using.


    Some intense Corpse Poisons, how to counteract them.


    Some nefarious Formations, how to break them.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua recited them as if they were common knowledge, explaining them one by one.

 Chapter 546 - 510 Pursuit_2

    Chapter 546: Chapter 510 Pursuit_2


    Anything related to Formation, he could see through at a glance;


    as for the Corpse Mine, it was during his concealment, eavesdropped secretly;


    and regarding Corpse Refinement, some knowledge was gained from books on corpse refinement, while others, were summarized through combat with the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family, along with the successive Elders¡­


    The more Yang Jishan listened, the more shocked he became.


    He almost suspected that Mo Hua had built the Corpse Mine himself, that the Formations were drawn by him, that he had recruited these corpse cultivators, and that these zombies were refined by him and under his control¡­


    Even Mo Hua himself was like a little Demon Head of Corpse Path¡­


    Otherwise how could he be so familiar?


    Of course, Yang Jishan was just pondering, he knew it was impossible.


    ¡°Probably figured it out while in the Corpse Mine¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan marveled inwardly.


    Now he finally understood why his fifth brother Yang Jiyong held this little brother in such high esteem.


    Proficient in Formations, brave and resourceful, with a pure Taoist Heart.


    And he could gather such detailed intelligence without anyone knowing¡­


    Wasn¡¯t that precisely the talent that the Taoist Soldiers Court needed most?


    Yang Jishan looked at Mo Hua with eyes full of vitality, wishing he could snatch Mo Hua back to the Yang Family¡­


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Lu Chengyun¡¯s face was overcast with clouds.


    He had never imagined that the situation would take such a sharp downturn in just a few days.


    It seemed as if all his secrets had been laid bare.


    The layout of the Stone Palace, the arrangement of Corpse Soldiers, the operation of the Formations¡­


    The enemy was also seizing flaws, nibbling away at him bit by bit.


    Lu Chengyun felt the pressure, even a trace of suffocation.


    It was as if the net he had woven early on was gradually tightening, becoming tighter and tighter. Once it closed completely and trapped him, he would end up on the chopping block, left to be slaughtered at will.


    ¡°The Corpse Mine can¡¯t last much longer¡­¡±


    To persist would be pointless.


    He who hesitates is lost.


    Lu Chengyun harbored thoughts of retreat:


    ¡°Need to find a way to slip away unnoticed and look for another way out.¡±


    ¡°As long as I escape, there¡¯s still a chance.¡±


    ¡°To flee, change my name, and then find a new Clan or Sect to rely on¡­¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯m not young, this face shows no signs of aging, still looks gentle and refined¡­¡±


    ¡°With my abilities, if I can marry into one family, I can do it a second time.¡±


    ¡°Worst comes to worst, I¡¯ll marry someone older¡­¡±


    ¡°With so many foolish women in this world who judge by appearances, I can surely deceive another.¡±


    ¡°If the Corpse soldiers are reduced, I can refine more.¡±


    ¡°If the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses is gone, I can rebuild it.¡±


    ¡°As long as the Corpse King is still under my command, I can always make a comeback with a new identity!¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s expression darkened, his eyes gleamed with a cold light.


    After that, the offensive by the Corpse troops intensified.


    They pushed back desperately, seemingly determined to go down together.


    Yang Jishan furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Lu Chengyun, is he fighting to the death?¡±


    Mo Hua, however, shook his head, ¡°No, he¡¯s trying to escape.¡±


    He understood Lu Chengyun well.


    Such a self-serving person would definitely prioritize his own life; how could he choose to die with the Corpse Mine?


    The Minor Hidden Spirit Sect of the past, the Lu Family now, he never took them to heart.


    Even if the Lu Family were annihilated and the Corpse Mine destroyed, Lu Chengyun would still slip away unnoticed and find another power to leech onto.


    And sure enough, a few days later during a chaotic battle,


    Mo Hua suddenly sensed a familiar presence among the corpse cultivators.


    The presence was very subtle, but it didn¡¯t escape the peak Divine Sense of Mo Hua¡¯s Thirteen Stripes.


    There were Mid Foundation Establishment Cultivators present whose Divine Sense was stronger than Mo Hua¡¯s, but they were not familiar with Lu Chengyun, so they did not notice.


    Mo Hua followed this presence and saw,


    indeed, a corpse cultivator with a covered face, looking familiar yet acting sneakily.


    With one glance, Mo Hua knew it was Lu Chengyun. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua pointed his little hand and quickly shouted:


    ¡°Uncle Yang, that person is Lu Chengyun, he¡¯s trying to run!¡±


    Yang Jishan was stunned, then his expression changed. With a wave of the command flag, pointing at Lu Chengyun, he shouted harshly:


    ¡°Catch him!¡±


    Several squads of Taoist Soldiers formed a line and charged towards Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun was startled, cursing under his breath.


    But he was also secretly shocked. Having concealed his cultivation, he appeared to only be at the Qi Refining Ninth Level on the surface. How had he been recognized?


    Lu Chengyun didn¡¯t understand, but now that he had been discovered, he couldn¡¯t escape, so he had to withdraw back into the Stone Palace.


    The battle subsided, and Lu Chengyun did not escape.


    ¡°Fleeing at this time?¡±


    Mo Hua found the timing curious and his Divine Sense swept over the Stone Palace, noticing a change in the formation¡¯s aura within.


    Mo Hua calculated in his mind and realized what was going on.


    In the Stone Palace, Lu Chengyun had set many Earth Splitting Formations.


    If he were to escape, he would activate the Earth Splitting Formations, destroy the Stone Palace, collapse the Corpse Mine, and bury all the corpse cultivators and Cultivators from the Taoist Court together.


    Even if the Foundation Building Cultivators could escape,


    the multitude of Qi Refining Cultivators would die within the Corpse Mine.


    And all these Cultivators who died in the Corpse Mine, including the Taoist Soldiers, corpse cultivators, and the Clan and Sect Cultivators, would become his material for Corpse Refinement.


    In the future, he would turn these deceased cultivators into Corpse Soldiers.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze grew cold.


    ¡°Lu Chengyun, this person, is truly vicious!¡±


    Mo Hua also felt a chill.


    Afterward, wary of the Earth Splitting Formations, they dared not press too hard.


    Mo Hua also spent some time deducing the position of the Earth Crack Formations, marking them one by one and passing the information to Yang Jishan.


    Whenever the Taoist Soldiers gained the upper hand and repelled the Corpse Soldiers, someone was sent to destroy part of the Earth Splitting Formations.


    The Earth Splitting Formations were slowly reduced in number.


    Frustrated, Lu Chengyun launched the remaining Earth Splitting Formations one night when the Taoist Soldiers had withdrawn, causing the Corpse Mine to tremble.

 Chapter 547 - 510: Pursuit_3

    Chapter 547: Chapter 510: Pursuit_3


    ¡°`


    The Earth Crack Formation had its limitations; it wasn¡¯t very powerful but it did trigger chaos.


    Then, with the Corpse King and the Iron Corpse as his escorts, Lu Chengyun fought his way out of the Corpse Mine.


    Groups of Walking Corpses, recklessly fearless of death, formed a Corpse Tide to cover the retreat of Lu Chengyun.


    Yang Jishan, leading his Taoist Soldiers and cultivators from various factions, pursued them relentlessly.


    The battle moved from below the Corpse Mine to above the Corpse Mountain.


    Across the mountains and fields, cultivators and zombies engaged in a fight to the death.


    Many zombies, having lost control, became Walking Corpses, wandering throughout the mountains¡­


    The battle continued for an entire day, until at last Lu Chengyun fled to a desolate and gloomy mountaintop a hundred miles away from South Yue City.


    The mountaintop was desolate and vast, devoid of human life.


    All that could be seen were rugged rocks and withered black grasses.


    Yang Jishan flipped through the Map and found the name of this place marked upon it:


    Graveyard Mountain.


    His expression instantly turned grave.


    Other cultivators also had a sense of foreboding.


    This place was obviously not a good omen.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze became sharp.


    Whether they could capture Lu Chengyun, slaughter the Corpse King, and exterminate the hordes of corpses all depended on this single battle.


    He ordered, ¡°Proceed with caution, into the mountain!¡±


    The Taoist Soldiers divided into teams and marched toward Graveyard Mountain.


    But as soon as they entered the mountainous area, the ground pulsed, rocks shook, and zombies began crawling out from the earth.


    These zombies, more ancient, bore stronger Corpse Poison.


    Among them were several Iron Corpses as well.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face was as still as water.


    More?


    Just how many years had this Lu Chengyun been refining corpses, and how many had he made?


    Could it be that Graveyard Mountain, like the Corpse Mine, was another of his Corpse Refinement facilities?


    Yang Jishan frowned deeply.


    The Taoist Soldiers had been chasing for a long time and were growing weary. Just as they were about to catch up with Lu Chengyun, new zombies emerged.


    It seemed never-ending¡­


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s scheming was indeed profound.


    Yang Jishan had no choice but to station the group outside Graveyard Mountain to keep a constant watch on the movements inside, to prevent his escape.


    The group discussed what to do next.


    ¡°The problem now is, how many zombies are there exactly inside Graveyard Mountain?¡±


    One middle-aged cultivator sighed.


    ¡°If there are too many, we will undoubtedly be no match for them.¡±


    ¡°Not knowing their number, we will surely fall into an ambush¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough hands¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan furrowed his brow, his expression stern.


    They had already lost many soldiers in battle.


    Most of the remaining cultivators were injured, and some had to use Serum Pills to suppress the Corpse Poison, rendering them incapable of fighting.


    The strength that remained was now less than one-third of its original.


    And it was still unknown how many zombies Lu Chengyun had at his disposal.


    If Lu Chengyun was only feigning defeat to lure them into a deep chase for an ambush, they would surely suffer a significant loss.


    But Graveyard Mountain was lonely and eerie, with a toxic miasma permeating the air.


    How could they find out exactly how many zombies were inside?


    After some thought, Mo Hua said, ¡°Capture a Walking Corpse, then capture an Iron Corpse.¡±


    Yang Jishan looked slightly startled.


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°Let me take a look at the Formation Patterns on their bodies, and I can estimate roughly how many Zombies Lu Chengyun still controls.¡±


    Yang Jishan was somewhat stunned.


    The other Formation Masters were also exchanging glances.


    Yet Young Master Yun¡¯s gaze became focused, as if deep in thought.


    ¡°You can estimate that?¡± Yang Jishan asked uncertainly.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Yang Jishan didn¡¯t quite understand, but considering there were no better options, he pondered for a moment and nodded, saying,


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    He took action personally, along with a few leaders of the Taoist Soldiers, capturing three Walking Corpses and one Iron Corpse and restraining them with iron chains.


    The Zombies were howling and struggling.


    Corpse Poison, like blood, flowed from the Zombies, soaking into the iron chains and emitting a pungent, rotten smell.


    These Zombies were noticeably more violent and toxic.


    Bai Zisheng stood in front of Mo Hua to prevent the Zombies from getting out of control and hurting Mo Hua.


    Bai Zixi, on the other hand, was behind Mo Hua, her fair fingertips condensing Sword Qi, quietly on alert.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Uncle Yang, cut open the chest.¡±


    Yang Jishan nodded.


    This was something he had done once before, so he went about it quite efficiently.


    Shortly after, the outer layer of the Zombie¡¯s cardiac vessels was cut open, revealing the Formation patterns connected to the flesh and blood within.


    Mo Hua took out paper and pen, traced the Formation, and after briefly differentiating, identified a few special Sequential Formation Patterns.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation uses Sequential Formation Patterns to ¡°code¡± the Zombies.


    By deducing the Sequential Formation Patterns, one can reverse-engineer the ¡°coding¡± to find the total number of sequences in the entire Spiritual Pivot Formation system, in other words, the total number of Zombies.


    Mo Hua had not been able to do this before.


    Because such a Calculation was rather complex, it not only consumed Divine Sense but also tested one¡¯s understanding of Formation technique.


    But ever since assimilating the Contemplation Map and reaching the peak of Thirteen Stripes with his Divine Sense, and after drawing the Spiritual Pivot Formation hundreds of times, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had grown powerful, and his understanding of the Spiritual Pivot Formation was crystal clear. Thus, he could attempt such a Calculation.


    Mo Hua looked at the Sequential Formation Patterns with furrowed brows, deeply engrossed in the Calculation.


    Yang Jishan and the others, watching Mo Hua fully concentrated, couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious, not even daring to let out a breath.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Mo Hua finally came back to his senses, taking a long breath and looking slightly pale.


    Yang Jishan asked anxiously, ¡°How is it?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered before saying,


    ¡°I can only roughly estimate, it¡¯s not particularly precise¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine,¡± Yang Jishan said. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua then continued, ¡°¡­Based on the Sequential Formation Patterns, there are roughly over forty Iron Corpses and five thousand Walking Corpses inside this graveyard, under the control of the Corpse King.¡±


    Yang Jishan nodded and furrowed his brows.


    The situation was quite severe.


    The Walking Corpses were manageable, but the over forty Iron Corpses were indeed beyond his expectation and not easy to handle.


    However, Yang Jishan was more curious about another matter:


    ¡°How¡­ exactly did you calculate this?¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head and, pointing to a Pattern, said,


    ¡°These Patterns are interconnected and have an intrinsic sequence. With a bit of Divine Sense, you can calculate it out¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan didn¡¯t understand.


    He turned his head to look at the other Formation Masters and realized they were just as confused.


    Only Young Master Yun stood there in a daze, murmuring to himself,


    ¡°Calculation¡­¡±


    Was this¡­ a Divine Sense Calculation technique that only the ancient forebear of the Yun Family¡¯s Formation Masters knew?


    So young, and he¡¯s already capable of Calculation?


    Was this something a person of his age should be able to learn?


    Watching Mo Hua, with his childlike face, Young Master Yun¡¯s thoughts were turbulent.

 Chapter 548 - 511 Signs of Whats to Come_1

    Chapter 548: Chapter 511 Signs of What¡¯s to Come_1


    Yang Jishan pondered for a moment, sighed, and said, ¡°If there really are more than forty Iron Corpses and five thousand Walking Corpses, this must be Lu Chengyun¡¯s final reserve¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze swept across those present as he said in a deep voice:


    ¡°This is the final battle. Whether we can kill Lu Chengyun and eradicate the Corpse King depends on this battle. I plead with all of you, don¡¯t hold back any longer.¡±


    Hold back?


    Mo Hua was startled upon hearing this.


    The expressions of the others also varied.


    Someone discontentedly said, ¡°Leader Yang, why make such a statement? We have put our full effort into this battle and suffered many casualties. How can you say we are holding back?¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡±


    ¡°Leader Yang¡¯s words chill our hearts¡­¡±


    Yet Yang Jishan¡¯s expression remained resolute as he said:


    ¡°Among us here, many are from big families or major Sects of the Taoist State, Qian State, Kun State, etc., or they are affiliated with the Taoist Court¡¯s Seven Stars Pavilion. With deep ancestral heritage and traditions, naturally, everyone has some trump cards at the bottom of the box¡­¡±


    ¡°These methods, derived from either family heritage or personal opportunities, are not to be used unless absolutely necessary.¡±


    With those words, nobody spoke.


    It¡¯s undeniable that every Cultivator has their opportunities and trump cards.


    Yang Jishan continued:


    ¡°Now, killing the Corpse King has reached a critical juncture.¡±


    ¡°If we win this battle, we will all rejoice.¡±


    ¡°But if we lose, letting Lu Chengyun escape and the Corpse King survive, and the Taoist Court holds us accountable, I, Yang, will naturally be the first to bear the brunt and face the Taoist Court Officials¡¯ punishment. But everyone present here¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan looked around, ¡°I¡¯m afraid will not escape responsibility either!¡±


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze darkened, ¡°¡­if the Taoist Court assigns blame, the Noble Clans and Sects, their advancement in ranks for the next century, will be significantly delayed.¡±


    ¡°And among you, some who hail from the Taoist State and have connections to the Heaven Shu Pavilion should know what it truly means if the Corpse King survives.¡±


    ¡°If the situation fails, the responsibility will be great. The families of all present will be pursued by the Taoist Court!¡±


    ¡°Would your clan vent their anger on you, remove you as Elders, reduce your treatment, and strip your rights?¡±


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze turned solemn, his tone icy, ¡°And that¡¯s not even the worst-case scenario¡­¡±


    ¡°The worst-case scenario is that Lu Chengyun, driven mad, lets the Corpse King run wild, triggering a real, large-scale Corpse Tide that wipes out South Yue City and even the entire state boundary.¡±


    ¡°By that time, should the state boundary become a domain of corpses, all living creatures would perish¡­¡±


    ¡°And within the Corpse Tide, if several Iron Corpses coincidentally transform into Copper Corpses, I¡¯m afraid not many among us could leave the Minor Wilderness State Boundary alive!¡±


    Yang Jishan said coldly, ¡°At that time, your trump cards will only serve to press down the bottom of your coffins¡­¡±


    ¡°And you might not even have coffins, either devoured alive, leaving no bones behind, or reduced to Walking Corpses, which would be worse than having no remains¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan¡¯s speech turned everyone¡¯s faces pale.


    Although his words were somewhat alarmist.


    Yet looking at the current situation, these things were not impossible¡­


    ¡°Leader Yang, what do you intend to do?¡± an old Cultivator among them asked.


    He was very old, with white hair, but he was not concerned for himself, but for the younger generations of his clan.


    If they won this battle, his merits would pave the way for the clan¡¯s advancement within a century.


    This group of Disciples would certainly be valued.


    But if they lost and the Taoist Court sought accountability, causing a decline in their ranking, the efforts of three generations of Cultivators over several hundred years would have been in vain.


    And the future prospects of the younger Disciples of this group would no longer be valued by the clan.


    So even if he died, this battle had to be won!


    Yang Jishan said with firm conviction:


    ¡°Relying on the resources of Noble Clans, no longer hiding our cards, bringing out all our trumps, we will directly kill Lu Chengyun, eradicate the Corpse King, and quell the corpse menace!¡±


    As he finished speaking, he took out a long spear from his storage bag.


    This spear was golden and shimmering, with gold-patterned grooves; Spiritual Power condensed around it, faintly emitting an imposing aura.


    As soon as the spear appeared, Cultivators in the know changed their expressions.


    Yang Jishan said, ¡°This is my Yang Family¡¯s Second Grade superior Spiritual Artifact, the Sunset Spear!¡±


    ¡°This spear is precious, made through a special forging process, and extremely powerful. Used in conjunction with Yang Family Spear Technique, a single strike holds the power of the peak of Foundation Establishment, but it is easily worn out and can only be used three times.¡±


    Yang Jishan looked at the golden spear, seemingly reluctant, but still said solemnly:


    ¡°This Sunset Spear was bestowed by my grandfather for the purpose of saving my life, not to be used unless in a life-and-death situation.¡±


    ¡°But in this battle where victory and defeat decide life and death, I will use this spear to execute Lu Chengyun and kill the Corpse King!¡±


    The crowd was somewhat moved.


    Mo Hua was also surprised; though he didn¡¯t know the backstory of the Sunset Spear, seeing the expressions of the others, he understood the spear was no small matter.


    It was very likely that even if they won this battle, the merits gained might not be worth as much as the spear.


    Yang Jishan set an example, and other Cultivators also fell into thought.


    Yang Jishan, coming from the Yang Family and leading the Taoist Soldiers, was proficient in warfare and knew well how Cultivators fought.


    If he had to use his trump card, it meant that unless they took swift and decisive action, they would face tremendous peril!


    When it was not the time to economize, one must not skimp at all.


    Otherwise, one might even economize one¡¯s life away¡­


    After some Cultivators reflected, one spoke up:


    ¡°Since Leader Yang has put it this way, I will not hide my cards either¡­¡±


    With a flip of his hand, he took out a black jade box, proudly saying:


    ¡°I come from the Tang Family, possessing a set of Second Grade Spiritual Artifacts known as the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles. The box hides the needles, which, once released, rain down with Spiritual Power like showers, piercing like pear blossoms. It may be somewhat lacking against strong enemies, but thrown into a horde of corpses, its lethal force is immense¡­¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 549 - 511 Omen_2

    Chapter 549: Chapter 511 Omen_2


    ¡°`


    Once someone started, the rest of the cultivators all went with the flow.


    Even those who initially claimed they had no secrets revealed their trump cards.


    ¡°I hail from the Han Family and possess a Spirit Enhancement Pill. After consumption, my cultivation will increase to the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhang Family, Zhang Zifan, my ancestor gave me a Fiery Flame Burning Sky Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Dou Family, Dou Changbao, I have a Second-Grade Spirit Binding Net that can hold four Iron Corpses at the same time¡­¡±


    ¡°I come from a humble clan, merely chanced upon a High-Grade Second Rank Spirit Explosion Jade Rune by coincidence, which possesses the power of a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator¡¯s spell¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I have a Clear Wind Screen that can purge¡­ the Corpse Poison of Iron Corpses of Second Grade and above¡­¡±


    Someone finally couldn¡¯t help cursing, ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you bring it out sooner?¡±


    ¡°This is for saving my own life, how could I bear to part with it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really damn stingy!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you now¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­ brother, big brother, I was wrong, just pretend I was farting¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Amidst the noisy quarreling¡­


    Essentially all the cultivators present, from different state boundaries, noble clans, and sects, displayed one or two trump cards.


    Yang Jishan silently took notes and nodded his head.


    He knew everyone must still be holding back, but that¡¯s only human nature. In managing a coordinated effort, it¡¯s inevitable that each person harbors their own intentions.


    The trump cards currently revealed were already sufficient.


    Mo Hua likewise widened his eyes in amazement.


    During the previous battles led by the Taoist Soldiers, these clan and sect cultivators performed modestly while providing cover.


    He had thought these clan cultivators, if not totally inept, were at least somewhat mediocre.


    Only now did he understand why:


    First, battles involving groups of cultivators are indeed different from solo combat, and many techniques are hard to utilize.


    Second, they all had their own little calculations, and they didn¡¯t plan on using their good items for the extermination of the Corpse Mine.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    This was like reaping wool, as long as you were willing to reap, there would always be rewards.


    These matters, if not mentioned by Leader Yang, he himself would have no knowledge of them.


    Mo Hua felt as if his knowledge had grown¡­


    ¡­


    The cultivators present had various trump cards.


    There were Spiritual Artifacts, Pills, Runes, Formations, Spells, and more.


    Yang Jishan categorized them and coordinated arrangements.


    He was determined to employ these methods precisely, to swiftly eradicate the horde of the undead and suppress the Corpse King!


    Once everything was settled, Yang Jishan¡¯s next task was to understand the topography of the Graveyard Mountain.


    Several cultivators from the Taoist Court with powerful Divine Senses began to scan the mountain with their Divine Senses.


    However, after scanning for a long time, they still couldn¡¯t uncover much.


    Just like the mines, the Graveyard Mountain was heavy with Filthy Qi, which hindered the Divine Sense.


    Furthermore, there were Formations everywhere.


    The auras of these Formations were obscure and intertwined with the Filthy Qi of the mountains, making them difficult to distinguish.


    Thus, the map that was drawn was quite rudimentary.


    It could only roughly outline the topography, indicate where the Corpse Qi was dense, where there might be Formations, and the likely type of Formation, etc¡­


    These vague details weren¡¯t very helpful.


    Yang Jishan furrowed his brows and suddenly thought of Mo Hua. He approached Mo Hua with the map and asked:


    ¡°Little brother, can you discern what kinds of Formations are present within this Graveyard Mountain?¡±


    ¡°Let me see¡­¡±


    Mo Hua took the map, then looked towards the distant, gloomy and dark Graveyard Mountain, his Divine Sense stirring slightly as he began to calculate.


    As he calculated, he muttered to himself and then commenced drawing on a piece of paper, altering and correcting his work.


    He drew things that Yang Jishan couldn¡¯t understand.


    Yang Jishan didn¡¯t dare interrupt Mo Hua, so he silently watched from the side.


    After an unknown amount of time, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze brightened as he started to make marks on the map.


    His markings noted the names of Formations, as well as the Formation Method Classification, Formation Patterns, and the important details about the Formation eye, Formation Pivot, and Formation media used.


    He even roughly indicated the numbers of Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses in areas with dense Corpse Qi.


    The entire Graveyard Mountain was clear at a glance. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Jishan was stunned.


    He really wanted to ask Mo Hua how he managed to figure it out, but on second thought, asking such questions made him, the leader, seem rather inept.


    And even if Mo Hua explained, would he understand it?


    At least he hadn¡¯t understood a thing Mo Hua said before¡­


    Let it be, distrust those you do not employ, and trust those you do.


    Yang Jishan sighed, feeling a sense of relief.


    It was fortunate that on this journey, they had this young cultivator; otherwise, the eradication of the Corpse Mine might not have gone so smoothly.


    After Yang Jishan left, Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    There was something that puzzled him.


    With the Graveyard Mountain full of Zombies, setting aside the Walking Corpses, how did those Iron Corpses come to be?


    Several neighboring state boundaries were all Second Grade.


    In a Second-Grade Prefecture, cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage were the limit.


    From where did Lu Chengyun obtain these dozens of Foundation Building bodies to refine into Iron Corpses?


    Furthermore, these Iron Corpses were clearly refined a long time ago.


    The older the year, the more potent the Corpse Poison.


    Mo Hua frowned and pondered, suddenly a thought struck him.


    Minor Hidden Spirit Sect!


    He remembered Instructor Yan mentioning that the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect was once a quite powerful Formation Sect in the region, having produced many Foundation Building Cultivators, but gradually fell into decline.


    Until later, when Lu Chengyun betrayed the Sect, murdered his master, and stole the Formation, causing the Sect to disband.


    But even after disbanding, the Sect¡¯s graveyard remained.


    Within it lay the bodies of generations of Foundation Building Cultivators from the Sect.


    Thinking this, Mo Hua felt a chill.


    During his observations of the past few days, he noticed that besides the intense Corpse Qi, the physical bodies of the Iron Corpses in the Graveyard Mountain were not particularly strong. Moreover, their arms were symmetrical, and their fingers slender.


    Apparently, most of them had been Formation Masters in life¡­


    It could be that Lu Chengyun¡¯s act of killing his master was not an impulsive one but had been premeditated for a long time.

 Chapter 550 - 511 Omen_3

    Chapter 550: Chapter 511 Omen_3


    This scheme included not only the Spiritual Pivot Formation but also involved the fall of the Sect and the dispersion of its disciples. It even called for the use of the Sect Leader¡¯s and Elders¡¯ corpses, left un-worshipped in their graves, from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    To slay the master and extinguish the ancestors, to bring the Sect to ruin, and to refine corpses from the Sect¡¯s predecessors¡­


    In Mo Hua¡¯s deep gaze, a cold light slowly began to gather:


    ¡°Lu Chengyun¡­ courting death!¡±


    ¡­


    Yang Jishan had acquired the detailed Cemetery Map and the Formation Diagram, so he began to make comprehensive plans, hoping to accomplish his task in one fell swoop by eradicating the Corpse King and putting an end to the zombie menace.


    Everything was ready, and suddenly Mo Hua sought out Yang Jishan and said:


    ¡°Uncle Yang, let me come along too.¡±


    Yang Jishan was somewhat astonished, ¡°What would you do there?¡±


    ¡°I want to help out,¡± said Mo Hua.


    Yang Jishan was slightly taken aback, then felt warmth in his heart.


    Such a good child, with great capabilities and a kind heart, no wonder my fifth brother speaks so highly of him.


    But Yang Jishan still shook his head:


    ¡°I would like you to come, but this battle is a matter of life and death. We¡¯ll be facing the Corpse King, and there are so many Iron Corpses, it¡¯s too dangerous. Even I might be more likely to face misfortune than luck, I can¡¯t guarantee your safety¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Uncle Yang, don¡¯t worry, my Junior Brother and Junior Sister will protect me.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Jishan hesitated, ¡°Your Junior Brother, Junior Sister, they are only Qi Refiners, aren¡¯t they¡­?¡±


    ¡°Although they are Qi Refiners, their cultivation is very strong,¡± Mo Hua declared proudly.


    Still, Yang Jishan disagreed, ¡°This is a fight to the death, a messy battle against zombies, it¡¯s different¡­¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll use my Concealment Technique to escape¡­¡±


    Concealment¡­


    Yang Jishan was startled by these words.


    No wonder!


    No wonder he was able to fish in troubled waters within the Corpse Mine, gathering intelligence. So he had a method of concealment.


    This was something Mo Hua had not mentioned before, so Yang Jishan was unaware.


    Yang Jishan looked at Mo Hua with shining eyes.


    Concealment¡­ what a skill¡­ truly wonderful¡­


    Then he was struck by a question, ¡°You¡¯re only at the level of Qi Refinement, how did you manage to conceal yourself from Lu Chengyun?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled with narrowed eyes but did not respond.


    Yang Jishan then realized his impropriety.


    Such sensitive details about a cultivator¡¯s abilities should not be discussed carelessly.


    Yang Jishan promptly said, ¡°Sorry, it was impertinent of me to ask.¡±


    And so Mo Hua asked, ¡°So, can I go?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Yang Jishan was still reluctant; he suddenly paused, then asked with suspicion:


    ¡°Your visit to the cemetery, does it have another purpose?¡±


    Mo Hua did not hide it and nodded, asserting directly:


    ¡°I have a personal grudge with Lu Chengyun, I want to see him die!¡±


    Yang Jishan was stunned.


    A personal grudge?


    Was it a grudge formed when he was locked up in the Corpse Mine, or was there another reason?


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze became somber.


    Regardless of the reason, he was reluctant to let Mo Hua, a young cultivator of such an age, risk his life.


    In fact, he was considering whether to have someone take Mo Hua out of South Yue City first, so that if the battle failed and South Yue City fell, Mo Hua would not be in danger.


    Eradicating Corpse Sin was a decree from the Taoist Court and the duty of Taoist Soldiers, and it had nothing to do with Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was knowledgeable in formations and had a good nature; he was a promising young cultivator who should not be exposed to such risks!


    Yang Jishan nodded to himself.


    But just as Yang Jishan was resolute in his decision and about to voice his refusal, a sudden premonition shook his heart.


    In his Sea of Consciousness, an image emerged out of nowhere:


    The sky in the image was dyed red with blood.


    Lu Chengyun was dead.


    But all the cultivators present were also dead.


    And he himself had lost an arm, pinned beneath the foot of a zombie with eyes full of despair.


    This zombie was huge, with blood-colored pupils that faintly glimmered dark gold, and its aura was terrifying.


    It raised its arm and let out a roaring howl.


    All around the mountains and fields, countless zombies bowed in submission¡­


    ¡­


    In an instant, everything disappeared.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s back was soaked with cold sweat, and he was filled with immense terror:


    ¡°Just now¡­ what was that?¡±


    Was it the intuition honed from many years on the battlefield?


    A sign from the unseen world?


    Or had someone allowed me to see this scene¡­


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face was pale, his eyes full of fear and uncertainty.


    ¡°Uncle Yang?¡±


    A young voice brought Yang Jishan back to his senses.


    Yang Jishan looked up to find Mo Hua¡¯s concerned face.


    ¡°Uncle Yang, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mo Hua asked with worry.


    After a moment of contemplation, Yang Jishan forced a smile, ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just a bit tired¡­¡±


    Feeling apologetic, Mo Hua then said:


    ¡°Then you should rest well, Uncle Yang, I won¡¯t bother you any longer.¡±


    Yang Jishan nodded slightly, and just as Mo Hua was about to leave, he suddenly called Mo Hua back.


    ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    Mo Hua turned back with a puzzled look.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze was firm as he said, ¡°You can go.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then overjoyed, ¡°Really?¡±


    Yang Jishan nodded, ¡°But be careful, stay close to me, don¡¯t wander off, and don¡¯t be impulsive even if you see Lu Chengyun.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Yang!¡±


    Mo Hua left happily.


    And ever since Yang Jishan had agreed and allowed Mo Hua to accompany them,


    The bloody, terrifying, and desperate image in his Sea of Consciousness had disappeared¡­


    The terror in Yang Jishan¡¯s heart gradually subsided, and he no longer felt the icy chill in his limbs.


    It was as if some terrifying cause and effect had been severed.


    Still, Yang Jishan was unsettled for a long time.


    Watching Mo Hua¡¯s retreating figure, his eyes flickered with astonishment as he wondered to himself:


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­ What exactly is the identity of this young cultivator?¡±

 Chapter 551 - 512 Rebellion_1

    Chapter 551: Chapter 512 Rebellion_1


    ¡°`


    Two days later, at 6 A.M., as day and night converged, the dawn cracked with morning light.


    The light of dawn, piercing through the poison and Corpse Qi, spilled onto the graves but took on a dim, ashy luster, gloomy and deathly still.


    The Taoist Court¡¯s side, all out on strike, began the final battle of suppression.


    Everything was ready.


    First, dozens of Second Grade Runes with immense destructive power were activated.


    The surging Spiritual Power coalesced into massive killing force, forming blade Formations, gathering into fireballs, or turning into water arrows, sweeping towards the top of the grave mounds.


    The Zombies on the grave mounds were directly obliterated by the spiritual might of the Runes.


    Batches of Zombies were sliced by blades, scorched by fire, soaked by water, and ultimately annihilated by the power of the Runes.


    Then, a large wave of Walking Corpses surged forward.


    Yang Jishan waved his hand, and a line of Cultivators stepped out, conjuring various Spiritual Artifacts.


    These Spiritual Artifacts transformed into hundreds of flying swords, condensed into thousands of silver needles, or stirred up a sky full of flames, slaying towards the tidal wave of Walking Corpses.


    One by one, the Walking Corpses fell, pierced by Spiritual Artifacts, or turned into ash.


    Yet more came, like a tide.


    After that, the Taoist Court¡¯s side again used Runes and Spiritual Artifacts together.


    Batch after batch of Walking Corpses were eradicated¡­


    The side of the Taoist Court, mostly from Clans or Sects with long traditions and profound backgrounds, were far from being comparable to Lu Chengyun, who relied on marrying into power and clinging onto others.


    Their true cards in play were not something these Zombies could withstand.


    Under the cover fire of Spiritual Artifacts and Runes, packs of Walking Corpses could only be wiped out.


    Even the few Iron Corpses could not escape being slain.


    However, these ultimate reserves were extremely precious and limited in number; they would eventually run out.


    An hour later, a portion of Zombies were exterminated, and the enemy¡¯s strength was weakened, it was time for a frontal assault.


    Yang Jishan glanced at Mo Hua beside him, his look somewhat worried.


    Mo Hua nodded at him, indicating there was no need to worry.


    Following the mixed crowd and being taken care of by senior brother and sister, being careful wouldn¡¯t pose a danger.


    Yang Jishan sighed and then looked forward, his expression stern, and said solemnly,


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The Taoist Soldiers behind him also raised their swords and shouted,


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The Formations on the Taoist Soldiers¡¯ armor were activated, the Spiritual Power surged, and responded with each other in clusters.


    Their voices thundered over mountains and forests, and morale soared to the skies.


    Taoist Soldiers charged in Formation, clashing intensely with batches upon batches of Zombies.


    Like cold water into boiling oil.


    The top of the grave mounds boiled tumultuously for a moment¡­ Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi, who were following Yang Jishan, focused mainly on self-preservation and did not attack recklessly to avoid being swept into the Corpse Tide and unable to free themselves.


    Only at critical moments did they cast some spells to relieve the pressure on the surrounding battles.


    This fierce battle lasted an entire day¡­


    Cultivators were constantly wounded or killed, or attacked by Corpse Poison, falling into becoming Walking Corpses.


    Similarly, large numbers of Zombies also fell, including a few Iron Corpses and a multitude of Walking Corpses.


    But the number of Zombies was still substantial.


    And Lu Chengyun was still nowhere to be seen.


    Yang Jishan then took the lead, charging into the depths of the grave mounds, where Lu Chengyun hid.


    The other Foundation Building Cultivators also followed Yang Jishan into the battle.


    The deeper into the grave mounds, the more desolate and eerie it got.


    The denser the group of corpses.


    There were more Iron Corpses, and the Corpse Poison was heavier.


    But with everyone¡¯s methods in full force, the hordes of corpses couldn¡¯t stand against them.


    By evening, forces from all sides broke into the depths of the grave mounds at a chaotic burial ground, where they saw Lu Chengyun and the Corpse King behind him.


    Dozens of Iron Corpses were guarding him in the vicinity.


    And outside, thousands of Walking Corpses still poured in, seemingly protecting their ¡°king.¡±


    Taoist Soldiers raised their shields, forming human walls, resisting the peripheral Walking Corpses.


    Yang Jishan and others began to confront Lu Chengyun face-to-face, preparing for the final encirclement and suppression.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s face was slightly pale, but his expression remained calm.


    He glanced at Yang Jishan with a cold gaze and scanned the crowd, sighing,


    ¡°Not bad for soldiers under the Taoist Court, so many Zombies, yet they can¡¯t stop you¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan said in a deep voice,


    ¡°Lu Chengyun, you are at the end of your rope. Surrender the Corpse King and surrender now.¡±


    Lu Chengyun shook his head, ¡°With the Corpse King, I still have a way out. If I surrender the Corpse King, death is certain for me.¡±


    Yang Jishan sneered, ¡°You¡¯re determined to fight to the death?¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t fight to the death, where¡¯s my way to live? The Taoist Court won¡¯t let me go, neither will you.¡±


    Lu Chengyun raised his eyebrows and suddenly said oddly,


    ¡°But before the final battle, there¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    His gaze cooled as he scrutinized everyone,


    ¡°I really want to know, among all those present, who exactly uncovered the secret of the Corpse Mine and saw through the Formation I laid out? Who could push me to this state?¡±


    The Cultivators looked at each other and remained silent.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze darkened slightly, and he was also somewhat startled inside.


    Mo Hua¡¯s actions, Lu Chengyun knew nothing about?


    Yang Jishan looked around, seeing Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi by his side, while Mo Hua had disappeared without a trace.


    Was he hiding?


    ¡°Can this concealment even hide from me?¡±


    Yang Jishan was secretly astonished.


    Seeing no one confess, Lu Chengyun scoffed,


    ¡°I thought it was a mastermind without fail, but it turns out to be a coward who shows his face and hides his tail!¡±


    Hidden in the crowd, Mo felt disdainful when he heard this.


    Such an aggressive method was too childish and couldn¡¯t ruffle a feather in his heart.


    The things he said to insult people were definitely more infuriating.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he said coldly,


    ¡°Lu Chengyun, you¡¯re no match for us, content to have a moment of verbal satisfaction. That¡¯s all you¡¯re capable of.¡±

 Chapter 552 - 512: Mutiny_2

    Chapter 552: Chapter 512: Mutiny_2


    Lu Chengyun released his Divine Sense, scanning the crowd once again, but still found nothing.


    Among the cultivators present, there were those with profound cultivation, those with exceptional Divine Sense, and a few who were clearly masters of Formation.


    But not a single cultivator gave off that eerie and pressing feeling.


    None resembled the cultivator who had woven the snare and was steadily closing in on him.


    Lu Chengyun shook his head.


    It¡¯s no use, the matter has reached this point, knowing or not knowing doesn¡¯t matter anymore.


    A true battle of life and death calls for real strength; minor tricks are inconsequential.


    Lu Chengyun looked at Yang Jishan, his eyes revealing a chilling light, and said,


    ¡°You underestimate this Corpse King¡­¡±


    ¡°This Corpse King is mine; no one can take it away!¡±


    ¡°Today, all of you will be buried here!¡±


    ¡°Your flesh and blood will become sacrificial offerings for the Corpse King.¡±


    ¡°To let this Corpse King complete its true metamorphosis, becoming the true Lord of Evil, the King of Corpses!¡±


    Lu Chengyun appeared invigorated, with a touch of madness in his eyes.


    Yang Jishan frowned, feeling a sense of foreboding.


    Just then, the Corpse King behind Lu Chengyun suddenly changed its aura, turning bloodthirsty and furious. Its exposed skin shifted from an iron blue to a gradually lightening hue, transforming into a deep bronze color¡­


    Copper Corpse!


    Yang Jishan¡¯s heart trembled.


    Lu Chengyun intended to refine the Corpse King into a Copper Corpse!


    Copper Corpse denotes the rank, while Corpse King indicates the status.


    Once the Corpse King fully transformed into a Copper Corpse, its power would surge dramatically, and it would be able to command an army of the dead. The people here would have no means of dealing with it.


    With a Copper Corpse King at his protection, they would also be unable to kill Lu Chengyun!


    Yang Jishan drew out his Sunset Spear and yelled, S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Go all out! Slay all the zombies, including Lu Chengyun!¡±


    The others, recognizing the seriousness of the situation, no longer held back and attacked Lu Chengyun together.


    Foundation Establishment cultivators clashed with Iron Corpses. Their Spiritual Power was formidable, and the Corpse Qi intense. Even the mere aftermath was enough to shake the mountains and crack the stone.


    As Yang Jishan advanced on Lu Chengyun, the half-transformed Copper Corpse King blocked his path.


    Its eyes were crimson, with bronze skin and iron bones, elongated fangs, and fingertips oozing with a thick, dark green Corpse Poison.


    Each move carried a gust of foul wind.


    Yang Jishan, even when fighting with all his might, was still suppressed by the Corpse King.


    Several nearby Foundation Establishment cultivators rushed to assist seeing the situation.


    Among them was a gaunt old man with a solemn expression and a middle-aged cultivator who appeared reluctant.


    It took several Foundation Establishment cultivators working together to just barely match the half-transformed Copper Corpse King in combat.


    For a moment, everyone was somewhat taken aback.


    If they allowed the Corpse King to complete its transformation into a Copper Corpse, they might all perish here.


    After dozens more exchanges, Yang Jishan felt a chill in his heart and knew they couldn¡¯t continue this way, so he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Kill Lu Chengyun first!¡±


    Lu Chengyun sneered upon hearing this.


    The Qi Refining Taoist Soldiers had the Walking Corpses to restrain them, Foundation Establishment cultivators had the Iron Corpses, and Yang Jishan¡¯s few high-combat Foundation Establishment were suppressed by the Corpse King.


    How could they kill him?


    Yang Jishan¡¯s gaze turned icier as a red glow flashed in his hand. The Sunset Spear erupted in flames, its power astounding.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    ¡°Hold it off!¡± shouted Yang Jishan.


    He then retreated a few steps, leaving the attack range of the Corpse King and reaching a safe position. His Qi Sea surged as he stimulated all his Spiritual Power, integrating it into the Sunset Spear.


    The Sunset Spear was enveloped in flames, burning fiercely.


    And behind Yang Jishan, the flames condensed as if congealing into a miniature sun.


    Lu Chengyun was startled and immediately commanded the Iron Corpses to move towards Yang Jishan,


    ¡°Stop him!¡±


    The surrounding Iron Corpses, baring their fangs and claws, advanced on Lu Chengyun.


    The Corpse King also roared and charged towards Yang Jishan.


    The gaunt old man shouted, ¡°Protect Leader Yang!¡±


    He then took out several Copper Coins, wedged them between his fingers with Spiritual Power, and flung them all out, hitting the Corpse King¡¯s joints.


    The Copper Coins turned into ropes, binding the Corpse King.


    The middle-aged cultivator sighed, reluctantly producing a jade-inlaid and gold-trimmed folding fan. He stimulated it with Spiritual Power, waved it a few times, and a wall of wind formed, guarding Yang Jishan¡¯s side.


    With each wave, one spine of the fan broke off.


    The charging Iron Corpses were blocked by the wind wall and couldn¡¯t get close.


    Meanwhile, the other Foundation Establishment cultivators also made their moves. Some repelled Iron Corpses with Spiritual Artifacts, while others used spells to restrain the Corpse King.


    A few moments later, the Sunset Spear trembled.


    All the surrounding flames were suddenly pulled in, compressing into the spear.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face turned pale, but his eyes shone brightly.


    The gaunt old man quickly said,


    ¡°Subdue the Corpse King, everyone else back off!¡±


    The cultivators near the Corpse King immediately withdrew.


    The other Foundation Establishment cultivators each used Spiritual Artifacts like Golden Locks, Wooden Prisons, and Water Nets to immobilize the Corpse King, while several Spiritual Cultivators suppressed it with spells, preventing it from moving.


    Yang Jishan raised his spear horizontally, then, with man and spear united as one, his energy piercing the heavens, he thrust forward with tremendous force towards the Corpse King¡¯s chest.


    Upon touching the Corpse King, the surging flame of Spiritual Power exploded.


    A thunderous roar sounded as the ground was blasted into a deep pit.


    Cracks in the rocks spread far and wide.


    The shockwave of the burst of power repelled all nearby cultivators and Iron Corpses.


    Fire and dust filled the air.


    As the smoke cleared, those who looked were shocked.


    The Corpse King was still not dead.


    At the critical moment, it had used its arm to block the spear.


    The Sunset Spear had pierced through its arm, the tip grazing its chest but clearly lacking the force to puncture its chest, not even breaking the skin.


    The Corpse King¡¯s body was charred, heavily damaged.


    Its aura weakened considerably, but in the blink of an eye, the Corpse Qi began to recover¡­

 Chapter 553 - 512 Rebellion_3

    Chapter 553: Chapter 512 Rebellion_3


    Everyone was alarmed.


    Such a powerful Corpse King!


    Yang Jishan¡¯s heart also trembled, and immediately he exclaimed,


    ¡°Quick, take this chance to kill Lu Chengyun!¡±


    The Corpse King was injured and temporarily immobile; this was the time to hurry and kill Lu Chengyun!


    Otherwise, once the Corpse King recovered, they would be stuck in a deadlock again.


    All the cultivators also came back to their senses, throwing caution to the wind, with swords and spells all launching towards Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun was greatly startled.


    What kind of spear was this?


    Could it really suppress the Corpse King?


    As he saw people coming to kill him, Lu Chengyun tried to run, but without the Corpse King, his power greatly diminished, and he hadn¡¯t gone far when he was immobilized by the copper coins of a gaunt old man and entangled by several nearby Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Yang Jishan wanted to pull out the Sunset Spear, but its tip was firmly stuck in the Corpse King¡¯s arm and couldn¡¯t be pulled out right away. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He gritted his teeth, painfully abandoning the Sunset Spear, and took out an ordinary long spear to go after Lu Chengyun.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s Opening The Mountain Sword Method, although powerful,


    seemed somewhat inferior in front of so many Taoist Court cultivators.


    Even with the help of the Iron Corpse, he could barely hold on.


    It was then that Yang Jishan made his move.


    Using the Sunset Spear was extremely draining.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face was pale, his breath somewhat weaker, but still he clenched his teeth and waved the long spear, seizing Lu Chengyun¡¯s lapse and breaking his swordsmanship, kicking him to the ground with one foot.


    Then, raising the long spear high, he aimed it at Lu Chengyun¡¯s heart and stabbed down fiercely.


    Yang Jishan wanted to end Lu Chengyun with a single thrust of his spear!


    But that thrust did not land.


    Midway, it was deflected by a few copper coins, the spear¡¯s direction slightly altered, only grazing Lu Chengyun¡¯s ribs and scratching through a layer of skin.


    Lu Chengyun took the opportunity to break free and was once again protected by the Iron Corpse.


    Yang Jishan was furious, his gaze sharp as a sword, as he turned to question the gaunt old man,


    ¡°Old Wen, what do you mean by this?¡±


    Without those copper coins, he would have stabbed Lu Chengyun to death just now!


    The gaunt old man, however, looked terrified, ¡°We can¡¯t kill him!¡±


    Yang Jishan frowned and asked coldly, ¡°Why not?¡±


    The gaunt old man pointed towards the big pit with the Corpse King, pierced through the arm by the Sunset Spear, unmoving, and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Its blood, it has already turned pale gold¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan was shocked and looked hurriedly.


    Only then did he notice that from the Corpse King¡¯s arm pierced by the spear, blood was flowing, seeping along the spear and dropping onto the ground.


    The blood was originally a dark green color.


    Now, however, it was tinged with a faint and eerie gold.


    Yang Jishan felt a sudden chill in his heart.


    ¡°A demonic mutation?¡±


    ¡°How can it be so rapid?¡±


    The gaunt old man¡¯s voice was filled with terror,


    ¡°It has already developed its own consciousness, killing Lu Chengyun would be like removing its shackles, and that would be the most terrifying thing¡­¡±


    The preceding scene of total annihilation, with the Corpse King¡¯s bloodcurdling scream, once again flashed in his mind.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face turned ghostly pale, his teeth clenched, a cold sensation repeatedly rising in his heart:


    ¡°It¡¯s all been calculated!¡±


    ¡°If the affair of the Corpse Mine isn¡¯t leaked, Lu Chengyun will continue his corpse refinement, the sins piling up, and after decades, or even a century, the Corpse King will transform into a Taoist Demon¡­¡±


    ¡°If the affair of the Corpse Mine is leaked, Lu Chengyun will be besieged by the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°A large-scale battle between cultivators and zombies, cultivators dying, zombies consuming humans, amidst life and death, Blood Qi and Corpse Qi converging, will similarly expedite the Corpse King¡¯s transformation¡­¡±


    ¡°The death of Lu Chengyun is the final key!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the key to unlocking the shackles, transforming the Corpse King into a Taoist Demon!¡±


    ¡°Once Lu Chengyun is killed, the Corpse King will break free from its shackles, instantly becoming the true ¡®king¡¯ of corpses, commanding thousands of zombies and transforming into a real Taoist Demon!¡±


    ¡°What a venomous scheme, what profound plotting!¡±


    ¡°The key is, there are no traces of these events, everything is happening naturally¡­¡±


    And Lu Chengyun, including those present, were all pawns¡­


    This was a checkmate!


    The gaunt old man had also realized this, which is why he looked so terrified.


    Among the other cultivators, some had also understood, and in their eyes, there was an involuntary flash of despair.


    Yang Jishan felt both nervous and afraid, his mind in turmoil.


    However, he was the leader of the Taoist Soldiers, battle-hardened, and more importantly, he had to take responsibility for the lives and deaths of his brothers fighting alongside him.


    The more dangerous the situation, the calmer one must be.


    Yang Jishan forced himself to calm down, and after a moment of contemplation, gritted his teeth and said:


    ¡°At this point, we can only capture Lu Chengyun alive.¡±


    ¡°Capture Lu Chengyun and use him to control the Corpse King, then we can make long-term plans!¡±


    That was the only way left.


    The gaunt old man knew it too.


    But killing Lu Chengyun was one thing, capturing him alive was another entirely¡­


    Just then, suddenly, a vicious low growl was heard.


    All eyes followed the sound, only to see the Corpse King¡¯s aura reviving, as it slowly stood up again.


    The air of the tomb hill was filled with Blood Qi, Corpse Qi, Filthy Qi, and the Qi of death.


    Its injuries were healing remarkably quickly.


    The Corpse King¡¯s gaze was ice-cold as it pulled out the Sunset Spear from its arm, tossed it aside, and with a few flashes, stood behind Lu Chengyun once more.


    For a moment, the cultivators felt bitter, the look of despair on their faces deepening.


    Feeling the devoted Corpse King silently standing behind him again, Lu Chengyun was much relieved.


    And having witnessed what had just unfolded, Lu Chengyun had also come to understand.


    He looked at Yang Jishan, and with a smug smile he said:


    ¡°You don¡¯t dare to kill me!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you don¡¯t dare to kill me!!¡±


    ¡°If you kill me, the Corpse King will be out of control.¡±


    ¡°If the Corpse King is out of control, it means that all the Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses in South Yue City will also lose control.¡±


    ¡°The Corpse King will become a Copper Corpse, commanding the Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses, forming a terrifying Corpse Tide that will slaughter the city, kill people, eat people, and turn the dead into zombies!¡±


    ¡°This Corpse Tide will gradually grow stronger, sweeping across the entire Minor Wilderness State Boundary and spreading to the surrounding Second Grade state boundaries¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a catastrophe!¡±


    ¡°The reason this hasn¡¯t happened is because of what?¡±


    Lu Chengyun pointed to his chest,¡±Because I¡¯m still alive!¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m alive, the Corpse King obeys my command, and that¡¯s why it hasn¡¯t committed so many killings!¡±


    ¡°The cultivators of South Yue City have been able to cling to life!¡±


    ¡°The entire Minor Wilderness State Boundary has been spared from a living hell!¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes gleamed with madness, his tone impassioned as he said:


    ¡°All of this is because, I am still alive!¡±


    ¡°I am still alive!¡±


    ¡°But once I am dead¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s words came to a sudden halt, and the smile on his face gradually faded as he looked down to see sharp fingertips piercing through his chest.


    On the fingertips, there was fresh blood and dark green Corpse Poison.


    Yang Jishan, the gaunt old man, and all the other cultivators stared in shock.


    They saw a zombie take advantage of Lu Chengyun¡¯s carelessness and claw right through his chest.


    And the silent assassin, who had just launched the surprise attack from behind, was none other than the ¡°loyal¡± Corpse King himself!


    Had the Corpse King actually ¡°betrayed¡±?!

 Chapter 554 - 513 Kneel Down_1

    Chapter 554: Chapter 513 Kneel Down_1


    The Corpse King ¡°betrayed¡± and stealthily attacked; everyone was shocked.


    More shocked than Yang Jishan and the others, was Lu Chengyun himself.


    His chest had already been pierced by the zombie¡¯s sharp claws, with blood gushing out. Corpse Poison merged with the blood, flowing into his meridians, attacking towards his internal organs and heart.


    His hands and limbs were gradually becoming unresponsive.


    His consciousness was also somewhat blurred, and a craving for blood was slowly clouding his judgment.


    The Copper Corpse¡¯s Corpse Poison was fierce and took effect very quickly.


    Lu Chengyun endured the intense pain, and with a backhanded palm strike, repelled the Corpse King.


    The claws of the Corpse King, pulled from Lu Chengyun¡¯s back, left several trails of blood that sprayed out, falling to the ground and gradually turning green.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s hands trembled as he took out various bottles and jars from his Storage Bag; those for stopping bleeding, treating Corpse Poison, revitalizing Spiritual Energy¡­ He stuffed any and all pills into his mouth without discrimination.


    Those who refine corpses, surrounded by zombies, would often be contaminated with Corpse Poison and must guard against the zombies¡¯ transformation, so they always carried many pills with them.


    Lu Chengyun was no exception.


    After taking the pills, he temporarily suppressed the Corpse Poison, and his pale complexion also improved slightly.


    Meanwhile, the Corpse King stayed three zhang away, silent and motionless, still appearing ¡°utterly loyal.¡±


    It seemed that it was not the one that had just launched the stealthy attack.


    Lu Chengyun tried to control the Corpse King, but found that it was still under his command, with no abnormalities at all. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But having nearly died at the hands of the Corpse King a moment ago, if he still thought there was no problem with it, then he must be out of his mind.


    Frightened and enraged, Lu Chengyun looked around and roared,


    ¡°Who has taken control of my Corpse King?!¡±


    Yang Jishan and the others all changed their expressions.


    Someone else could control the Corpse King?!


    This person could control the Corpse King and assault Lu Chengyun in secret?


    Who was this person?


    Could it be the Black Hand behind the scenes, nurturing the Taoist Demon?


    All of the cultivators gripped their weapons tightly, activated their Spiritual Artifacts, formed spells, and looked around with vigilant expressions. Yet, cold sweat couldn¡¯t help but seep down their backs.


    But the surroundings were desolate.


    No one answered.


    There were only the suppressed breaths of the cultivators and the low growling of the zombies.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s anger intensified, but a deeper chill settled in his heart.


    ¡°The Corpse King is mine!¡±


    ¡°Only I, and only I alone, can control it!¡±


    ¡°The only person in this world who can command it, can only be me!¡±


    But why?


    Why would the Corpse King act on its own and attack him?


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes showed fear as he frowned deeply.


    Apart from himself, who else could command the Corpse King?


    The only person who had tampered with the Corpse King was Zhang Quan.


    But Zhang Quan had been killed by him, and his body had been refined into a zombie. In the previous fight, it had fought for him and had been slain by the Taoist Soldiers, leaving no remains.


    Apart from Zhang Quan, who else could there be?


    And by what means had they taken control of the Corpse King?


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s thoughts churned, but he couldn¡¯t figure out who could, right under his nose and unbeknownst to him and Zhang Quan, override his Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation and Zhang Quan¡¯s Corpse control techniques to secretly command the Corpse King?


    Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation¡­


    Lu Chengyun felt a jolt in his heart and quickly looked at the Corpse King¡¯s chest.


    But he saw that around the blood-colored Evil Formation on the Corpse King¡¯s chest, there were faint blue patterns emerging.


    These patterns were all too familiar to Lu Chengyun, similar to the Evil Patterns yet distinctly different in essence.


    Righteous, mysterious, profound¡­


    Lu Chengyun took in a sharp breath.


    ¡°Spiritual Pivot Formation?!¡±


    Spiritual power as the pivot, with a clear and pure origin.


    This was indeed the true Spiritual Pivot Ultimate Formation, conceived from a deep understanding of Formation mysteries, drawn with spiritual power and utmost sincerity!


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes widened with panic.


    Could there really be someone in this world capable of laying down a true Spiritual Pivot Ultimate Formation?


    And moreover, to use such an authentic Spiritual Pivot Ultimate Formation to overwrite his own Spiritual Pivot Evil Formation?!


    ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun looked lost and muttered under his breath.


    Suddenly, a shocking speculation rose in his mind:


    The Minor Hidden Spirit Sect!


    It was the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect!


    ¡°I betrayed my master and ancestors, causing my Sect to decline, severed the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s lineage, and even desecrated the Sect¡¯s tomb by stealing the corpses of past Sect Leaders and Elders to refine zombies¡­¡±


    ¡°It must be them, the ancestors must be aware and demanding I pay my blood debt with blood!¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Spiritual Pivot Formation, the Ultimate Technique of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, can only be learned by the ancestors of my Sect, it must be so, it has to be so¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun looked around in panic, swearing to the heavens,


    ¡°Honored predecessors, in consideration of my past status as a disciple of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, spare me this one life!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, I was compelled¡­¡±


    ¡°My master, who was so honorable in appearance, always talked about passing on the Formation, but he only taught us the superficial stuff, making us waste our time learning and practicing¡­¡±


    ¡°He selfishly kept the Spiritual Pivot Formation to himself because of his greed.¡±


    ¡°I pleaded with him for a long time, but he wouldn¡¯t teach me, so I had no choice but to kill him and find a way to obtain this Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°My intentions were sincere; I did it for the legacy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect!¡±


    ¡°This Formation, in the hands of my master, was a pearl cast before swine, a waste of heaven¡¯s gifts. Only I could learn it and make the best use of it, for the benefit of the world!¡±


    ¡°Only then could the world appreciate the exquisite art of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s Formations!¡±


    ¡­


    It was only then that Yang Jishan and the others came to know the hidden story, their gaze toward Lu Chengyun filled with contempt.


    Betraying one¡¯s master and ancestors, stealing inheritance, desecrating the Sect¡¯s tomb, showing disrespect to the Ancestral Master¡ªall were major taboos in the Cultivation World.


    Lu Chengyun, a man like this, did not deserve anything but death!


    The Corpse King remained motionless.


    But just at that moment, two Iron Corpses beside Lu Chengyun suddenly launched an attack.


    Their claws sharp as swords, one slashing from left to right towards Lu Chengyun¡¯s head, the other from right to left aiming straight for Lu Chengyun¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 555 - 513 Kneel Down_2

    Chapter 555: Chapter 513 Kneel Down_2


    ¡°`


    The maneuvers were cruel and the timing was precise.


    At this moment, Lu Chengyun¡¯s entire attention was focused on the Spirit Pivot Formation on the chest of the Corpse King. Guilt-ridden and fearful, he was repenting to the heavens, so he was somewhat caught off guard.


    However, the strength of the Iron Corpse was, after all, inferior to that of the Corpse King, which had undergone Half-Bronze Corpse Transformation. Its movements were also a bit slower, giving Lu Chengyun a chance to escape.


    Feeling the danger, he immediately moved to the side, dodging a claw aimed at his heart meridian, and then ducked his head to avoid a slice aimed at his neck.


    Even so, his hair bun was still sliced off.


    Lu Chengyun, with his hair disheveled, was in a pitiful state.


    He looked at the two Iron Corpses with a face full of terror, retreating continuously as he pleaded,


    ¡°Elders, spare my life!¡±


    These two Iron Corpses were indeed the Elders of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect in their previous lives.


    After death, Lu Chengyun had dug up their graves and turned them into zombies.


    Thinking that it was the ancestors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect coming for his life, Lu Chengyun was scared out of his wits.


    But then, a thought struck him, and he realized something was amiss.


    Somewhere in the darkness, he could sense a Divine Sense, using the Corpse King as the hub, pulling at the two Iron Corpses!


    This Divine Sense was profound, elusive, and carried a hint of familiarity.


    ¡°Someone is up to mischief, trying to take the opportunity to kill me!¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes turned cold. He traced this Divine Sense and then, with a fierce look, suddenly released a burst of Sword Qi, aimed straight at the open space beside Yang Jishan.


    The Sword Qi was about to strike the ground.


    Suddenly, a young man in white holding a long spear appeared. He stood with his spear horizontal, his aura surging forth to block the attack and dissipate the Sword Qi.


    This young man in white was none other than Bai Zisheng.


    Lu Chengyun was inwardly alarmed.


    A mere Qi Refinement Cultivator had blocked his sword strike, a strike from a Foundation Building Cultivator!


    When Bai Zisheng stepped back, a small figure also became visible behind him.


    With features as refined as a painting and eyes as bright as starlight.


    It was Mo Hua.


    Lu Chengyun was stunned and then his expression changed dramatically,


    ¡°You¡¯re not dead?!¡±


    Mo Hua narrowed his eyes and smiled, not responding.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes flickered, and then his expression shook, as he exclaimed in disbelief,


    ¡°Could it be you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken control of my Corpse King?¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone, including Yang Jishan, was shocked, their eyes filled with disbelief as they looked at Mo Hua.


    But Mo Hua shook his head and corrected him, ¡°Not ¡®your¡¯ Corpse King.¡±


    Then with a grasp of his hand, the Formation Patterns on the chest of the Corpse King suddenly brightened, extending pale blue Spiritual Threads that gradually spread over the entire body of the Corpse King.


    ¡°It is now my Corpse King!¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s face turned pale with fear, ¡°No!¡±


    He immediately concentrated all his efforts, desperate to regain control over the Corpse King by activating the Spirit Pivot Evil Formation with all his might.


    Bloody Formation Patterns emerged on the chest of the Corpse King.


    Red Evil Power, like blood threads, began to spread outwards as well, entangling with the pale blue Spiritual Threads, battling and extinguishing each other continuously.


    The Corpse King, caught between the red and blue strands, struggled back and forth, roaring hideously.


    On its chest, the two opposing colors of Formation Patterns, good and evil, light and dark, alternated.


    In just a moment, the blood threads were suppressed by the Spiritual Threads, crumbling away step by step.


    The Evil Formation on the chest of the Corpse King gradually dimmed as well.


    Lu Chengyun broke out in cold sweat, feeling his Divine Sense weakening. The Evil Power blood threads born from the activation of the Spirit Pivot Evil Formation also weakened.


    Meanwhile, the Spiritual Power threads continued to flow unceasingly, filled with abundant Divine Sense Power!


    Lu Chengyun felt it was inconceivable.


    He realized a terrifying truth:


    Mo Hua, the little devil, was not only proficient in the Spirit Pivot Formation, but his mastery of the Formation far exceeded his own, and even his Divine Sense was overwhelmingly more powerful!


    How could this be possible?!


    He was just at the eighth level of Qi Refinement!!


    Watching his Corpse King gradually slipping from his grasp,


    Lu Chengyun felt both heartache and terror, glaring at Mo Hua and asking through clenched teeth,


    ¡°When exactly did you learn the Spirit Pivot Formation?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, while still controlling the Corpse King, replied with a puzzled expression, ¡°Didn¡¯t you teach me?¡±


    Lu Chengyun was taken aback.


    Mo Hua, looking innocent, said,


    ¡°Have you forgotten? The Spirit Pivot Formation Chart was shown to me by you. You even drew it several times in front of me, and I just¡­ learnt it by watching¡­¡±


    Lu Chengyun roared in disbelief, ¡°Impossible!!¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    His expression was verging on madness.


    ¡°This is the Spirit Pivot Formation, one of the top twelve-pattern Ultimate Formations!¡±


    ¡°I spent nearly a hundred years, day and night, immersed in its study, enduring endless hardship, and I had to use methods of the Evil Dao, drawing with human bones, dipped in human blood, on human skin, to learn this formation¡­¡±


    ¡°And you learnt it just by looking a few times??¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot, and his mind was in disarray. Even his Taoist Heart showed signs of cracking.


    Mo Hua immediately gave Bai Zisheng a look.


    Bai Zisheng understood instantly, and with a flicker of movement, his spear shot forward like a gust of wind, aiming straight for Lu Chengyun¡¯s chest.


    Because the Corpse King was under control, the surrounding Iron Corpses were motionless.


    Lu Chengyun¡¯s Taoist Heart was disturbed, his emotions out of control; he was completely unaware of Bai Zisheng¡¯s ambush and was struck in the chest by the spear.


    But Bai Zisheng, after all, was but at the level of Qi Refinement, while Lu Chengyun possessed the level of Foundation Establishment.


    The spear strike was swift, yet it only broke the surface of Lu Chengyun¡¯s skin and did not penetrate, let alone manage to kill him.


    Lu Chengyun spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, stumbling backward but quickly regained his senses.


    He must escape!


    His once-reliable Corpse King was about to belong to someone else.


    If he didn¡¯t flee now, he might really die here.


    Lu Chengyun used his movement technique, dodging Bai Zisheng¡¯s spearmanship while retreating.


    Though Bai Zisheng was only at the level of Qi Refinement, his cultivation was profound and his Taoist skill sharp.


    With Lu Chengyun seriously injured and surrounded by formidable enemies, and the Corpse King on the verge of ¡°betrayal,¡± he could only be chased by Bai Zisheng, desperately fleeing among the motionless Iron Corpses like a wooden stake.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 556 - 513: Kneel Down_3

    Chapter 556: Chapter 513: Kneel Down_3


    The surrounding cultivators were unclear about the situation and momentarily unsure of what to do.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s expression also darkened slightly.


    He too began to feel puzzled.


    The person secretly controlling the Corpse King turned out to be Mo Hua??


    This young cultivator, the black hand behind the scenes?


    The one who arranged the ritual to create the Taoist Demon?


    How is that possible?


    But if not him, how did he manage to override Lu Chengyun and cause the Corpse King¡¯s ¡°betrayal¡±?


    Just what is his identity?


    A disciple of a righteous Dao¡¯s eminent figure, or¡­ a Demon Path¡¯s Saint Heir?


    In Yang Jishan¡¯s heart, a chill gradually set in, his expression becoming more hesitant.


    Meanwhile, Lu Chengyun was still fleeing. His movement technique wasn¡¯t bad, and for a short time, Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t do anything to him.


    For a moment, the situation became a stalemate.


    Just then, an intense Yin energy surged behind Lu Chengyun.


    The Corpse King, whose chest had fully transformed into the shape of pale blue Spirit Pivot Formation Patterns, suddenly appeared behind him, its claws like the wind, grasping the back of Lu Chengyun¡¯s neck.


    Its sharp nails firmly clutched Lu Chengyun.


    The look on Lu Chengyun¡¯s face was one of panic as he struggled, unable to break free.


    The Corpse King had completely lost control.


    No, it was he who had lost control over the Corpse King.


    The Corpse King was fully under Mo Hua¡¯s control!


    After Mo Hua commanded the Corpse King to seize Lu Chengyun, he immediately said:


    ¡°Senior brother, kill him!¡±


    Just as Bai Zisheng was about to act, Yang Jishan came to his senses, his expression one of shock as he hastily said:


    ¡°No!¡±


    The emaciated old man also urgently said, ¡°Don¡¯t kill!¡±


    Bai Zisheng hesitated for a moment, looking toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned icy, and he said in a deep voice:


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Caught between the Taoist Court cultivators and Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng would, of course, listen to his own junior brother.


    With Lu Chengyun locked down by the Corpse King and the opportunity rare, he would naturally go all out, piercing through the renegade Lu Chengyun with a spear!


    Bai Zisheng charged his spear, his aura ascending.


    ¡°Stop him!¡±


    Yang Jishan said, before leading the charge to intercept Bai Zisheng.


    The situation wasn¡¯t clear yet, and Lu Chengyun couldn¡¯t die.


    If he died now and the Corpse King lost control, resurrecting the Taoist Demon, everything would be over.


    The emaciated old man took out a Copper Coin, but before he could make his move, his expression changed dramatically. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yang Jishan, who was beside him, also stopped in his tracks, his eyes becoming sluggish.


    In front of them, Bai Zisheng¡¯s aura continued to escalate, spiritual power howling around him, with hints of dragon roars.


    On his long spear, an awe-inspiring and majestic Azure Dragon phantom had also formed!


    Dragon!


    The emaciated old man said with a trembling voice, ¡°Returning Dragon Spear technique?!¡±


    Everyone heard and their faces changed.


    ¡°The technique of the Dragon¡­ from Qian State¡¯s¡­ that millennial great clan, the Bai Family?!¡±


    The might of the Azure Dragon phantom and the influence of the Bai Family from Qian State caused those Foundation Building cultivators to feel a creeping dread, becoming utterly disoriented.


    Mo Hua, too, opened his mouth in astonishment.


    Bai Zisheng, dressed in white, with a gaze sharp as a sword, with the Azure Dragon phantom moving around him, appeared majestic and valiant.


    He hadn¡¯t expected his junior brother to look so¡­ handsome.


    And when the Returning Dragon Spear¡¯s force was fully accumulated, Bai Zisheng¡¯s spiritual power surged around him.


    Then, truly merging man with spear, the spear strike was like a dragon, and with a piercing dragon roar, he turned into a dragon shadow, surging forward.


    This spear strike, nearly exhausting all of Bai Zisheng¡¯s spiritual power, was terrifyingly powerful.


    In Lu Chengyun¡¯s eyes, filled with extreme terror, the spear pierced through his chest.


    The spiritual power that contained the might of the dragon vibrated his meridians and organs, squeezing out Lu Chengyun¡¯s life force, bit by bit, until it was utterly extinguished!


    The traitor of Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    The Family Head of the Lu Family from South Yue City.


    The mastermind behind the murders, setting arrays for corpse refinement, and building the Corpse Mine, thus met his end!


    The entire graveyard fell quiet.


    Dozens of Iron Corpses, thousands of Walking Corpses, their energies dwindled, motionless.


    After dozens of breaths and no anomalies, Yang Jishan finally took a breath of relief.


    Since Mo Hua appeared, there had been continuous shocking developments.


    His heart had been tossed up and down several times in less than two hours.


    With Lu Chengyun dead and the zombies motionless.


    This was good news¡­


    Having exerted all his strength to activate the Returning Dragon Spear and killed Lu Chengyun, Bai Zisheng also seemed a bit drained, his face pale, but he looked very excited and somewhat proud.


    Bai Zixi, a little helpless, shook his head and took out a pill from the Phoenix Pattern Storage Bag, handed it to Bai Zisheng, and instructed him to take it and rest.


    Mo Hua, standing by, had a calm expression but suddenly furrowed his brows.


    Yang Jishan appeared hesitant and was just about to say something to Mo Hua when his expression suddenly changed as well.


    In the silent graveyard, a sound of gnawing suddenly arose.


    This noise was strange and sinister.


    The group followed the sound and witnessed a chilling sight:


    Lu Chengyun, who had been killed by Bai Zisheng, was being devoured by the Corpse King!


    Seemingly afraid of being discovered, the Corpse King ate quickly, taking large bites and savoring them. In a short time, it had swallowed Lu Chengyun whole!


    Its mouth and chest were covered in dripping blood and flesh.


    The red in its eyes became more intense, and within the red, the dark gold became more prominent.


    The emaciated old man turned pale and said in a trembling voice:


    ¡°The Corpse King¡­ devouring its master, is this the awakening of the Taoist Demon?¡±


    Everyone was startled, a great fear rising in their hearts.


    At the same time, the aura of the Corpse King suddenly turned terrifying, and within it was a hint, faint and twisting, of Taoist Meaning.


    Yang Jishan shouted sharply:


    ¡°Everyone, attack with all your might, kill it before it fully awakens!¡±


    A surge of Foundation Building cultivators¡¯ spiritual power rose.


    Whether it was spells, spiritual artifacts, or runes, every method was used to the fullest, in a desperate attempt to nip the Corpse Sin in the bud!


    Above the graveyard, various colors of Foundation Building spiritual power intertwined, creating a massive atmosphere.


    But as these attacks were about to strike the Corpse King, they were all blocked by the Iron Corpses.

 Chapter 557 - 513 Kneel Down_4

    Chapter 557: Chapter 513 Kneel Down_4


    These Iron Corpses, fierce and fearless, guarded the Corpse King.


    As the originally quiet swarm of zombies suddenly erupted into chaos, their eyes red and shrieking wildly, they charged at the cultivators with reckless abandon, as if they would tolerate no one who dared offend their ¡°King!¡±


    On the hill of graves, in an instant, a more intense battle of life and death ensued.


    Bai Zisheng, clutching his long spear, wanted to fight again, but was stopped by Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi brought Bai Zisheng to Mo Hua¡¯s side and stood in front of them both, her slender fingers forming sword techniques, condensing beams of sword light wrapped in crystal-clear white fire, protecting the three of them.


    Any zombies that touched the sword light were incinerated by the white fire.


    Mo Hua then cast a distant glance at the Corpse King.


    The aura of the Corpse King gradually strengthened, and the twisted Taoist Meaning on its body also became increasingly pronounced.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze condensed slightly, and then she drew a Thick Earth Formation under her feet and began to meditate with closed eyes, communicating something with her Divine Sense.


    Batches of Foundation Building Cultivators charged towards the Corpse King,


    only to be blocked time and again by the Iron Corpses.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s face was pale, his heart burning with urgency.


    The Corpse King was gradually awakening, transforming into a Taoist Demon.


    If they didn¡¯t kill the Corpse King, everyone would die!


    The Minor Wilderness State Boundary would also suffer untold disasters.


    Yang Jishan picked up the Sunset Spear, took a Spirit Revitalizing Pill, and another Big Restoring Pill, expending the last of his Spiritual Power to reinvigorate the Sunset Spear.


    This thrust was equally formidable.


    The firelight converged, and the spear was like a blazing sun.


    Yang Jishan couldn¡¯t reach the Corpse King upfront, so he threw his spear with all his might, transforming it into a long rainbow that stirred up flames, aiming for the Corpse King.


    But this thrust, too, was blocked by the body of an Iron Corpse, and though it eventually reached the Corpse King, it was caught by one of its hands.


    The Corpse King twisted it, breaking the Sunset Spear, its skin instantly transforming into a bronze color.


    Then the Corpse King howled to the sky.


    Corpse Qi surged to the heavens, obscuring the sun.


    The horizon faintly bled red.


    This howl was like a command.


    At this moment, not only the entire hill of graves but also the mines and the entire boundary of South Yue City felt the wave. All zombies, as if hearing the command, converged towards the Corpse King, as if to worship their ¡°King.¡±


    Yang Jishan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.


    All cultivators felt their scalps go numb.


    Many faces displayed despair.


    An emaciated elder said, ¡°Leader Yang, we must try to break out while we can, save as many as possible!¡±


    Yang Jishan gritted his teeth, helpless, he said, ¡°Alright!¡±


    But he knew that under the command of the Corpse King¡¯s zombie tide, even if they fled, they couldn¡¯t escape.


    This was just a glimmer of hope.


    But to not flee would leave them without even that glimmer.


    The cultivators retreated under the cover of the Taoist Soldiers while Mo Hua remained stationary.


    Upon seeing this, Yang Jishan immediately shouted, ¡°Young brother!¡±


    He wanted to urge Mo Hua to flee, but in that instant, Mo Hua had already been surrounded by Iron Corpses.


    Yang Jishan wanted to save him, but it was too late.


    Yang Jishan was in a great panic, then he was stunned again.


    He noticed that the Iron Corpses only surrounded Mo Hua but dared not approach him.


    Bai Zixi stood in front of Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng, her expression calm, yet her gaze still somewhat solemn.


    At that moment, Mo Hua opened his eyes, took a step forward, shielding his junior brother and sister behind him.


    And as Mo Hua stepped forward, the Iron Corpses showed signs of horror and retreated en masse.


    In their instincts lingered fear, the fear of being dominated.


    The Corpse King was their ¡°King.¡±


    But now Lu Chengyun was dead.


    Mo Hua was the only one who could control the Corpse King, he was the king of their King!


    The horde of corpses settled slightly.


    The cultivators were able to catch their breath momentarily. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And through the crowd of zombies, the majestic and ferocious gaze of the Corpse King fixed on Mo Hua.


    It had not yet turned into a Taoist Demon.


    Because it had not truly ¡°devoured its master.¡±


    Lu Chengyun was the master, but not truly the master.


    Its true master was this young cultivator!


    A master¡¯s master is not a master.


    A king¡¯s king is not a king.


    Only by consuming this young cultivator could it truly devour its master, truly break free from the chains, escape the shackles of Heavenly Dao, become the unique ¡°Corpse King,¡± and become the Taoist Demon that devours heaven and earth!


    Turn this territory into Blood Flesh Purgatory!


    In the eyes of the Corpse King, the blood surged, turning into a beam of blood light, rushing straight towards Mo Hua.


    Everyone was shocked, and Yang Jishan¡¯s expression changed drastically as well, ¡°This is bad!¡±


    Mo Hua remained calm, her gaze sharp as a sword. She pointed forward with a little hand.


    The Corpse King¡¯s forward charge came to an abrupt stop!


    From its chest burst forth countless Spiritual Threads, like silk, weaving outward, suppressing the Corpse Qi of the Corpse King and tugging at its body.


    In the eyes of the Corpse King, there was no longer dignity, only brutality and unwillingness.


    It struggled with all its might, its Blood Qi growing stronger.


    The Corpse Qi grew more vigorous, the gray and white mixed with traces of blood, surging in layers.


    At the same time, the twisted mutant Taoist Meaning spread.


    Feeling this breath, all cultivators felt a tremor in their hearts as if a cold Divine Sense were watching them, erasing their thoughts, making them surrender.


    This distorted Taoist Meaning also enveloped Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart stirred slightly.


    This breath was very familiar.


    In the past, the Big Demon of Tongxian City also possessed a similar breath.


    However, at that time, she had no understanding of Taoist Meaning and could not distinguish the details of this breath.


    But now she understood.


    This was the breath of a Taoist Demon, the twisted, karmic mutation of Taoist Meaning.


    Because it contained the karmic mutation of Taoist Meaning, these disasters were called Taoist Demons.


    Mo Hua realized this, and then began to use the Thick Earth Formation to connect with the Earth Dao Meaning of the ground.


    Those unrestful in the earth are corpses.


    The essence of corpses originates from the earth but is filled with blood, hatred, and resentment.


    Mo Hua wanted to use the Earth¡¯s Dao Meaning to suppress the Corpse King¡¯s essence.


    The land is Kun, carrying things with great virtue.


    Perhaps the meaning of the earth also did not wish to see the growth of Taoist Demons.


    The Earth Dao Meaning that Mo Hua connected with this time was extremely intense, although still incomparable to when she utilized the Taoist Monument Meditation, it was sufficient to suppress the half-step Taoist Demon Corpse King.


    The aura of the Taoist Demon was neutralized.


    Mo Hua concentrated fully.


    Her Divine Sense at the peak of the Thirteen Patterns operated at its utmost.


    On the Spiritual Pivot Formation, thousands of Spiritual Threads bloomed, resembling the blossoming of night-blooming cereus, dense and intricate, completely strangling, suppressing, infiltrating, refining, stitching, and gradually dominating the Corpse Qi¡­


    The Corpse King resisted fiercely, its gaze brutal, its flesh torn apart by the Spiritual Threads and yet regenerating¡­


    No one knew how long the standoff lasted.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression suddenly changed, a bright light in her eyes, her voice crisp yet filled with authority as she shouted:


    ¡°Evil beast!¡±


    ¡°Kneel down!!¡±


    The Corpse King, full of reluctance, roared with all its might.


    But its body, still entangled and pulled by thousands of Spiritual Threads, trembled as it slowly began to kneel down.


    With every inch it knelt, the rocks on the ground cracked further!


    The entire burial mound trembled!


    Tens of thousands of zombies, also with crimson eyes, screaming in reluctance.


    The entire South Yue City, across all hills and ridges, filled with the howls of the zombies, as if descending into the hell of the ceaseless suffering, lamenting like hundreds of ghosts.


    Tides of corpses surged, their Corpse Qi roaring.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze remained steady, her small figure, immovable.


    Still using the power of Divine Thought to drive the Spiritual Pivot Formation, gradually dominating the Corpse King.


    The Corpse King, pulled by countless Spiritual Threads, was suppressed by the majestic Earth Dao Meaning.


    The knee of the Corpse King, amidst its defiance and struggle, ultimately still knelt down on the ground!


    The ferocious and terrifying noise between heaven and earth, came to an abrupt end.


    The masses of corpses quieted down.


    The trembling crowd looked up.


    They saw atop the burial mound, beneath the sky-covering blood-red Corpse Qi.


    The majestic and huge Corpse King, half-kneeling before the little Mo Hua.


    And with the Corpse King¡¯s kneeling.


    The brutal aura of the corpse herd gradually receded.


    Dozens of Iron Corpses, the blood in their eyes fading, revealing a look of reverence, slowly knelt down to Mo Hua.


    Then it was the entire Walking Corpses of South Yue City, over all hills and ridges, yielding before the wind, also prostrating themselves to Mo Hua.


    With the Corpse King¡¯s kneeling, the Iron Corpses surrendered, and thousands of corpses worshipped!


    All cultivators were speechless in horror.


    The emaciated old man who was well-versed in Heavenly Secret Calculation was even more shaken in his Taoist Heart.


    He witnessed a scene he had never imagined in his life, nor dared to imagine:


    A Taoist Demon disaster, knelt down to a little kid¡­

 Chapter 558 - 514 Benefiting_1

    Chapter 558: Chapter 514 Benefiting_1


    ¡°`


    In South Yue City.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head with a sense of helplessness and said, ¡°Every time he stirs up such a commotion, this child really doesn¡¯t give people peace of mind¡­¡±


    Old Kui glanced at him, ¡°You seem quite pleased¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but smile a little, ¡°Quite alright.¡±


    After all, he is my disciple!


    Old Kui was speechless, then frowned and said, ¡°Kneeling down as a Taoist Demon¡­ This involvement in karma is going to be massive¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head and corrected him, ¡°First, this is not yet a Taoist Demon¡­¡±


    ¡°My brother set up a scheme to turn the Corpse King into a Taoist Demon under two conditions.¡±


    ¡°One is that South Yue City continues to refine zombies for another hundred years, gradually accumulating killing karma, and in the mix of Corpse Qi, Filthy Qi, and the resentment of death Qi, let the Corpse King slowly awaken.¡±


    ¡°The second is that once the matter is exposed, forcing the Corpse King to devour its master, it can then immediately transform into a Taoist Demon.¡±


    ¡°But evil cannot prevail over good, the Soul Pivot Evil Formation cannot overpower the Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, Lu Chengyun was never fully the master of the Corpse King from beginning to end. The true master of the Corpse King has always been Mo Hua, this child.¡±


    ¡°If it can¡¯t devour Mo Hua, it can¡¯t devour its master.¡±


    ¡°So, this Corpse King can only be considered a half-step Taoist Demon or, rather, a Taoist Demon¡¯s troubled fetus, which hasn¡¯t transformed into a Taoist Demon¡¯s body.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang then looked at Old Kui again and continued, ¡°Secondly, even if it were a Taoist Demon, it wouldn¡¯t matter much.¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua, this child, made it kneel down by his own ability.¡±


    ¡°Since it has knelt, it means submission. This mark will be engraved within the karma and Taoist Meaning, unchangeable.¡±


    ¡°For Mo Hua, this is actually an opportunity¡­¡±


    ¡°As for how to use such defy-the-heavens karma, he¡¯ll have to learn that later.¡±


    After finishing his words, Mr. Zhuang also felt somewhat emotional,


    ¡°However, although it¡¯s a bit of fortuity and coincidence, the ability to make a Taoist Demon kneel down is still¡­ a bit too preposterous¡­¡±


    Old Kui said quietly, ¡°You didn¡¯t figure it out?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with displeasure, ¡°I¡¯m not one of those religious con men who can figure out anything and everything¡­¡±


    Old Kui silently looked at him, contemplating something.


    A moment later, Old Kui¡¯s gaze sharpened as he said solemnly, ¡°This child¡¯s Divine Sense has already reached the peak with Thirteen Stripes.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded in agreement, both gratified and somewhat surprised,


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a lot faster than I expected¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you plan to do next?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, then raised his head, his gaze crossing mountains and rivers, looking into the distance, and calmly said,


    ¡°Go to the place where I should go¡­¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s brow furrowed deeply, ¡°Really going?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Past grudges and kindness must be settled.¡±


    Afterward, he looked again at the courtyard.


    In the courtyard, the grass and trees were lush, the pond water clear.


    The large tree blocking the wind and rain swayed with the breeze, with leaves fluttering down.


    Under the big tree, Mo Hua and his Junior Brothers and Sisters would often gather together to cultivate, meditate, learn Formations, or simply chat and play about. These scenes emerged one by one¡­


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression carried a touch of reluctance and melancholy.


    ¡°This journey, too, has come to an end¡­¡±


    ¡­ S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Atop the burial mound.


    Mo Hua stood with his hands behind his back, beginning to direct the zombies to temporarily return to the mines and sleep deep within them.


    The Corpse King bowed its head, following behind Mo Hua.


    The Iron Corpse, like a guard, protected in front of Mo Hua.


    And the tens of thousands of Walking Corpses orderly marched and made their way deep into the mine¡­


    As if miners busy all day were returning home at sunset.


    Amidst the bloodshed and brutality, there lay a semblance of tranquility and peace.


    Zombies returned to their mountain, and the order was maintained throughout the entire night.


    Until dawn broke and the morning sun rose, with the rosy clouds sprawling across the sky, casting a radiant glow upon the peaks surrounding South Yue City.


    The cultivators all seemed to snap out of a trance.


    It was as if they had all had a nightmare.


    In the dream were a terrifying Corpse King, a ferocious Corpse Tide, and struggles and bitter fights between life and death.


    Now that they had awoken from the dream, the sun rose as usual, and everything had vanished.


    But they knew, it was not a dream.


    They still vividly remembered the blood-soaked night, the sky shrouded with Corpse Qi, the Corpse King¡¯s horrifying roar, and the twisted, terrifying presence of the Taoist Demon.


    They also remembered¡­


    Such a terrifying Corpse King was eventually subdued, forced to kneel halfway, submitting to a junior cultivator.


    Mo Hua is the master of the Corpse King.


    At the same time, he is like a mysterious and unfathomable little Demon Head.


    The Corpse King kneeling, the group of corpses paying their respects.


    This incredible scene was shockingly vivid, imprinted in their Sea of Consciousness, unforgettable even if they wished to forget.


    They looked at Mo Hua, still unnerved,


    Grateful for Mo Hua¡¯s life-saving grace, but also wary of the horror of Mo Hua commanding a horde of corpses.


    Now, the fate of all zombies in South Yue City depends on his Divine Thought.


    Life, death, fortune, and disaster all rest upon his will.


    Everyone tensed up their minds.


    But to Mo Hua, it was as if nothing had happened.


    All his aura was withdrawn, making him appear just like an ordinary, adorable junior cultivator.


    As if everything that had occurred had nothing to do with him, even to the point where he still asked Yang Jishan:


    ¡°Uncle Yang, do you have any food? I¡¯m hungry¡­¡±


    His control of the zombies returning to their nests had greatly exhausted his Divine Thought, and now that he had calmed down, he realized he was hungry.


    He had some jerky in his Storage Bag.


    But that was made by his mother, and he typically could not bear to eat it, always saving it.


    Yang Jishan was caught off guard upon hearing this.


    The crowd at that moment didn¡¯t know what kind of expression to make¡­


    ¡­


    It took a whole night.


    Under Mo Hua¡¯s control, all zombies, including the Corpse King and Iron Corpse, had temporarily returned to the mines and settled deep within the shafts.

 Chapter 559 - 514 Benefit_2

    Chapter 559: Chapter 514 Benefit_2


    Mo Hua quickly set up a Formation.


    Yang Jishan also issued a strict order that, without permission, no Cultivator was allowed to enter the mine.


    This mine was a veritable Corpse Mountain.


    Moreover, in the mountain, the Corpse King still lay dormant.


    After placing the horde of zombies, some Taoist Soldiers were left to guard, and the other Cultivators returned to the city to rest for a while.


    Mo Hua returned to the cave dwelling with his fellow senior brothers and sisters.


    Having controlled the undead for an entire evening, the strain on his Divine Thought was considerable, and he was quite exhausted. Now that the issue had been resolved, he slept soundly.


    It was only upon awakening that Mo Hua realized Uncle Yang had been waiting for him outside for a long time.


    Unlike Mo Hua, Uncle Yang hadn¡¯t dared to sleep at all.


    Every time he lay down, he would recall the terrifying Taoist Demons, the powerful Corpse King, the ferocious horde of zombies, the broken Sunset Spear, and the Taoist Soldiers and Cultivators who had met their end in the zombies¡¯ jaws.


    He thought of the Black Hand nurturing the Taoist Demon.


    He thought of the seemingly innocent, yet utterly inscrutable Mo Hua.


    He remembered the shocking moment on the grave-mound, when the Corpse King knelt down.


    He thought again of the thousands of zombies now controlled by Mo Hua¡­


    His head throbbed intensely.


    His mind was in complete chaos.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s complexion was pale, his breathing weak, and there were dark circles under his eyes.


    In contrast, Mo Hua had just the opposite appearance: after sleeping, he looked energetic, his eyes shone brightly, and even his cheeks were full and round.


    ¡°Uncle Yang, is there something wrong?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously upon seeing Yang Jishan.


    How could there not be something wrong!


    Yang Jishan felt a bitterness inside, but for a moment he didn¡¯t know how to start.


    ¡°Is it about those zombies?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Yang Jishan nodded, and finally, with some nervousness, he asked, ¡°What do you plan to do with them?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment but said nothing.


    Yang Jishan tried to appear calm, but his heart was in his throat.


    A Corpse King, dozens of Iron Corpses, tens of thousands of Walking Corpses.


    To form Corpse soldiers, what a formidable force that would be!


    He was afraid that Mo Hua would make some excessive demands.


    Or perhaps he would simply, with his ¡°corpses,¡± gain independence, take the wrong path, and become a thorough little Demon Head.


    Yang Jishan was fraught with uneasy thoughts.


    It was at this time that Mo Hua asked, ¡°Uncle Yang, how does the Taoist Court normally handle such a Corpse Tide?¡±


    Yang Jishan was startled, pondering for a moment before slowly answering:


    ¡°When dealing with a Corpse Tide, the Taoist Court usually hunts down the primary culprits.¡±


    ¡°Corpse Cultivators who practice Corpse refinement and create zombies are the first to be apprehended and questioned. If they resist, they are executed without discussion.¡±


    ¡°If captured alive, they are all thrown into the Taoist Prison, and their sentences are determined by the severity of their crimes. The lightest sentence is exile to the Southern Wilderness, to be used as cannon fodder in wars, while most are sentenced to death. The only difference is the method of their execution.¡±


    ¡°The heavier the crime, the slower and more painful the death.¡±


    ¡°Besides Corpse Cultivators, all zombies will be burned to ash.¡±


    ¡°Because zombies do not die and carry Corpse Poison, once they come into contact with blood, the Corpse Qi changes and they will rise again to kill and devour humans, and the spread of Corpse Poison is also a great harm¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, all Evil Artifacts and Evil Formations used for Corpse Refinement must be utterly destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Those who shelter Corpse Cultivators, condone Corpse refinement, or assist in the practice are considered accomplices and share the same guilt¡­¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    Yang Jishan told Mo Hua all this in great detail.


    After listening, Mo Hua pondered and said, ¡°So, these zombies, they all need to be burned, right?¡±


    Yang Jishan, somewhat anxiously, nodded faintly:


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°then let¡¯s do it that way.¡±


    Yang Jishan was taken aback, ¡°Burn them?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yang Jishan found it hard to believe. ¡°The Iron Corpses and the Corpse King too?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Otherwise?¡±


    With shock in his heart, Yang Jishan still could not help but ask in a low voice:


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to keep them?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°They are harmful things, what use do I have for them? Besides, keeping them poses a great risk. The Corpse King is especially prone to losing control. Naturally, it¡¯s better to burn them, to completely eradicate evil, to bring this to a close¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan¡¯s mouth opened slightly, his heart so touched he nearly cried.


    What a deeply principled child!


    He had previously thought Mo Hua might have ulterior motives. Hence, he was uneasy. It turned out he had thought too small.


    ¡°However¡­¡± Mo Hua then said.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Usually, after ¡°however¡±, there¡¯s rarely good news¡­


    His anxiety returned.


    ¡°I have some tasks for these zombies,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Yang Jishan¡¯s heart sank slightly, but he still asked solemnly:


    ¡°What tasks?¡±


    Mo Hua answered, ¡°I want to command these zombies to build a mine.¡±


    ¡°A mine?¡± Yang Jishan furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°to build a mine¡­¡±


    ¡°The ones who suffered the most from this Corpse Tide are actually the Mining Cultivators of South Yue City.¡±


    ¡°They already have a hard life, the Spirit Stones are scarce, and living day-to-day is tough. After death, they are refined into zombies and forced to do evil, dying with their eyes wide open.¡±


    ¡°In life, they are exploited by others; in death, they are still enslaved¡­¡±


    ¡°After this Corpse Tide, the mine has largely collapsed, the mines inside are damaged, the Formation is broken, the Corpse Qi is dense, and evil and filth abound. It can no longer be used.¡±


    ¡°Without the ability to mine, the Loose Cultivators of South Yue City lose their livelihood.¡±


    ¡°If we were to leave things as they are, they wouldn¡¯t be able to survive.¡±


    ¡°So I thought, what if we constructed a bigger mine, connecting several mountains, established a more comprehensive Formation, reinforced the mountain body, cleared the Corpse Qi, purified the evil, and found ways to increase the mine¡¯s output¡­¡±


    ¡°To give the Loose Cultivators of South Yue City a safe place to make a living, so they don¡¯t have to risk their lives and live in constant fear, and won¡¯t be buried in a mine by accident, leaving orphans and widows alone and helpless¡­¡±

 Chapter 560 - 514 Benefiting_3

    Chapter 560: Chapter 514 Benefiting_3


    ¡°However, this would require a great deal of material and manpower.¡±


    ¡°I have a way with materials, but manpower is somewhat limited.¡±


    ¡°Building new mines and connecting the mountains inevitably leads to encounters with the monster beasts of the deep mountains, or inhaling the pollution and filthy qi from the depths of the mines, which is very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°These tasks are impossible for Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm to accomplish without risking their lives.¡±


    ¡°But zombies can.¡±


    ¡°Most of these zombies were mining cultivators from South Yue City in life¡­¡±


    ¡°In the city, they may still have parents, relatives, or friends they knew well.¡±


    ¡°I want them to do one last good deed for their living relatives and friends, for their descendants, before their true death¡­¡±


    Yang Jishan was deeply shaken.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look at Mo Hua, seeing his gaze as clear and sparkling as water.


    The golden sunlight filtered through the trees, spilling over his body.


    Yang Jishan took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and bowed solemnly to Mo Hua.


    ¡­


    The following developments proceeded according to Mo Hua¡¯s plans.


    The zombies were to be destroyed.


    The Corpse King, being a calamitous spawn of a Taoist Demon with three masters and a history of turning on them, Moore, was not planning on keeping it, despite the fact that he was ultimately the last master.¡±


    Otherwise, it would have been a disaster sooner or later.¡±


    The other Iron Corpses and Walking Corpses naturally had to be destroyed as well.¡±


    To destroy zombies, a Corpse Burning Formation was needed.¡±


    This Formation, it is said, was crafted by a great Formation master of the Taoist Court, specifically designed to eradicate the threat posed by zombies.¡±


    It could incinerate both the corpses and the corpse poison, leaving no trace.¡±


    Mo Hua studied the Formation, which truly was ingeniously constructed, using both fire and earth Pattern elements of the Five Elements Formation to conceal with earth and purge with fire, and it was indeed very practical.¡±


    Mo Hua took a second look and secretly learned it¡­¡±


    However, the number of zombies in South Yue City was too high.¡±


    This was a large-scale zombie disaster, and correspondingly, the scale and number of Corpse Burning Formations needed were considerable.¡±


    But all this was the responsibility of the Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±


    His only task was to figure out how to construct large mines.¡±


    This measure had also been agreed upon by Yang Jishan and supported by the presence of numerous Cultivators from the Taoist Court.¡±


    Among them, some genuinely sympathized with the plight of the Loose Cultivators of South Yue City and wished to do something good.¡±


    Others were simply looking to curry favor with Mo Hua.


    There were also those who were reluctant in their hearts, but could not forget the scene where Mo Hua made the Corpse King kneel and feared him, daring not to oppose him.¡±


    The last group, seeing that everyone else had agreed, did not want to stand out and thus went along with the agreement¡­¡±


    Despite the variety of motives and the complex situation, they eventually came to a consensus.¡±


    Yang Jishan had connections with the Taoist Soldiers Court, and the other Cultivators were descendants of Cultivators from Sects and Noble Clans from the states of Taoist, Qian, and Kun.¡±


    With their endorsement, the implementation of this task became much easier.¡±


    Constructing large mines required manpower and materials.


    The manpower had been resolved.¡±


    The zombies were their ¡°manpower.¡±


    This might be the most meaningful thing they had done since becoming zombies.¡±


    Besides that, there was the issue of materials.¡±


    The resources for building the mines partly came from the Taoist Court in South Yue City.¡±


    The Taoist Court of South Yue City, from the top down, was extremely corrupt.¡±


    Especially the Court Leader of South Yue City had taken who knows how many bribes from the Lu Family.¡±


    Confiscating it all back, it was estimated to be a large sum of Spirit Stones.¡±


    Of course, the Court Leader of South Yue City had already been dismissed from his post and thrown into prison; after the measure of his crimes, he was certain not to survive.¡±


    It was just a question of how he would die.¡±


    Beyond that, there was the Lu Family.¡±


    The Lu Family had been raided.¡±


    The confiscated wealth was all utilized for building the mines.¡±


    These Spirit Stones and assets were originally extracted layer by layer from the mining cultivators, and now they were simply returning to their rightful owners, to be reinvested in the miners.¡±


    Take from the people, use for the people.¡±


    Mo Hua had considered all these matters before, but the actual raiding and confiscation still depended on Yang Jishan and the soldiers under his command.¡±


    Yang Jishan was not polite.¡±


    The Taoist Soldiers were well-versed in raiding.¡±


    The collected Spirit Stones were incredibly numerous, amounting to several million, which even shocked Yang Jishan of the great Clan background, who couldn¡¯t help but exclaim:


    ¡°This Lu Chengyun, no, this Lu Family, is actually this wealthy?¡±


    ¡°And this Court Leader actually embezzled nearly a million¡­¡±


    However, Yang Jishan was also clear in his mind.¡±


    In this world, wealth does not come without a cause.¡±


    The wool surely comes off the sheep¡¯s back.¡±


    The poorer the Loose Cultivators of South Yue City became, the richer they grew.¡±


    The richer they became, the poorer the Loose Cultivators grew.¡±


    Their immense wealth indicated just how impoverished the Loose Cultivators of South Yue City had been over the years¡­¡±


    This amount of Spirit Stones was too large to be kept.¡±


    The Taoist Court would find a way to confiscate it, then layers of officials would skim off the top, enriching each handler.¡±


    But this matter was too massive.¡±


    It involved Taoist demons and implicated many powerful families; no one dared to siphon off wealth under such intense scrutiny.¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, to quell the disaster and with Yang Jishan¡¯s approval,


    this batch of Spirit Stones ultimately stayed in South Yue City.¡±


    Now with both manpower and materials ready, Mo Hua began the formal construction of new, large mines that connect several mountains.¡±

 Chapter 561 - 515 Cow and Horse_1

    Chapter 561: Chapter 515 Cow and Horse_1


    First came the design of the mine.


    This large mine had to penetrate the mountain range, connecting the mountains, while also establishing a structurally rigorous and functionally complete Formation System.


    Which mountains to mine, and how to connect them.


    Which Formations to construct, and how to layout them.


    All these were considerations.


    Mo Hua first studied the structure of the various mines around South Yue City according to maps from past generations.


    Then, he sought the opinions of a few Noble Clans and Sect Elders.


    These Elders¡¯ clans or sects also had mining industries.


    They had managed Tao Cultivation-related businesses, defended mines, or participated in mine construction.


    When Mo Hua asked them, they did not hold back any secrets.


    Not only did they want to plan welfare for the impoverished Mining Cultivators, but they were also grateful to Mo Hua for suppressing the Corpse King and quelling the Corpse Menace.


    Once Mo Hua became familiar with the mine structure, he spent several days drafting a large Formation Diagram.


    There was no need for a Large Formation within the mine, nor was it feasible to use one.


    Large Formations are grand and uniform.


    Whereas the Formations in a mine are fragmented.


    They need to fulfill various functions and must be as simple, solid, and durable as possible. Even if damaged, they must be easy to repair.


    If a Large Formation were used and it broke, hardly anyone could fix it after Mo Hua left.


    Therefore, the Formations within the mine were just a cluster of Compound Formations that included some basic-use Single Formations.


    Simple, fundamental, yet practical.


    Yet the workload was not small.


    Additionally, Mo Hua integrated the underlying structure of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, using the principle of Five Elements Generation and Restraint to streamline and optimize these disparate Formations.


    He made the Formations clearer and more concise, while also removing some redundant Formations, lowering some of the costs.


    Despite the large number of Formations used in the mine, their complexity was not high.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t even need to show his work to Mr. Zhuang; he just presented it to Bai Zixi. The two of them got together, reviewed the Formation Patterns, sorted out the Formation Pivots, and after patching up any omissions, the design was perfected.


    He then presented it to Formation Masters of the Taoist Court to consult, and after some discussion, it was finalized.


    Although there were many Formations, Mo Hua, despite his speed at Drawing Formations, was still just one person and couldn¡¯t draw them all, so he needed the help of these Formation Masters from the Taoist Court.


    They all agreed to help.


    After Mo Hua left, an older Formation Master sighed in admiration, ¡°This Formation is well-constructed¡­¡±


    A younger Formation Master expressed doubt, ¡°But it¡¯s all commonplace Formations, just average, right?¡±


    The old Formation Master glared at him, ¡°What do you know? The trickiest part is making good use of common Formations.¡±


    He pointed at the Formation Diagram on the table, ¡°These Formations seem simple, but the layout is concise and efficient, and they complement each other well. One more would be too many, one less would be insufficient. To achieve this balance, one must have a deep foundation and robust basics¡­¡±


    The old Formation Master continued to praise Mo Hua.


    The young Formation Master nodded, although he still seemed somewhat unconvinced.


    Simple Formations, after all, were just that¡ªsimple. Even if used to their fullest, they seemed rather plain.


    The old Formation Master couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Young Master Yun, looking at the Formations before him, fell silent, his brow furrowed in thought.


    As a Second Rank Formation Master with deep family knowledge, he saw things more profoundly.


    The disposition of these Formations appeared simple yet grand and imposing, as if derived from¡­ a Large Formation?


    Large Formations make the complex out of the simple, integrating various parts seamlessly, while these Formations exemplified the essence of simplification.


    The design was indeed exquisite, but¡­


    Young Master Yun was somewhat puzzled.


    Why use only the most basic and simple Formations?


    Why not use some with stronger effects, First Grade or even higher than First Grade?


    Young Master Yun thought over it, confused. When, days later, Mo Hua began to draw the Formations, Yun approached Mo Hua somewhat sheepishly and rather apologetically.


    Mo Hua was intently Drawing Formations when he saw Young Master Yun and asked curiously,


    ¡°Young Master Yun, is there something you need?¡±


    Mo Hua naturally recognized him as the sole Second Grade Formation Master among the various powers of South Yue City¡ªespecially one so young¡ªeven though they hadn¡¯t really chatted before and weren¡¯t familiar with each other, mainly because the urgency of the Corpse Tide left no time for such interactions.


    Being looked at by Mo Hua¡¯s innocent, wide eyes, Young Master Yun felt somewhat out of his element but still managed to compose himself and voiced his queries,


    ¡°These Formations¡­ there are better choices, right? So why choose the most basic ones?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Because these Formations are meant to be used.¡±


    ¡°Used?¡± Young Master Yun was slightly startled.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°My master taught me that Formations must be learned for practical application¡­¡±


    ¡°The Formations in this world, when drawn on paper, are one thing, but when actually put to use, the situation is varied.¡±


    Young Master Yun looked thoughtful.


    Mo Hua let out a small sigh, then continued,


    ¡°This is a mine, and inside are Formations for Mining Cultivators to use.¡±


    ¡°Mining Cultivators are very poor.¡±


    ¡°Using fancier Formations might yield better results, but once they break, no one will be there to fix them for them.¡±


    ¡°Even if they could repair them, they couldn¡¯t afford it.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, simple, durable, sturdy, easy-to-repair Formations are what¡¯s best for them.¡±


    Young Master Yun was taken aback.


    No one had ever put it to him that way before.


    Every Formation Master was studying more advanced Formations, mastering more difficult ones, to elevate their own level of Formation knowledge and to seek a grander daoist future.


    Nearly no one had thought to make these most basic Formations widely accessible to the most common Cultivators¡­


    He hadn¡¯t realized this either.

 Chapter 562 - 515 Cattle and Horses_2

    Chapter 562: Chapter 515 Cattle and Horses_2


    Young Master Yun¡¯s face suddenly flushed a shade of red, his expression somewhat abashed.


    Mo Hua looked at him in surprise as well.


    He had assumed that someone as young as Young Master Yun who had already become a Second Rank Formation Master would surely be haughty and arrogant. However, he did not expect him to be so shy, with even thinner skin than himself.


    He guessed that Young Master Yun had probably always stayed within his clan and hardly ever went outside, lacking worldly experience.


    It seemed as though Young Master Yun remembered something and hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.


    But it was almost as if his thoughts were written all over his face.


    Seeing it clearly, Mo Hua asked:


    ¡°What else do you want to ask?¡±


    Young Master Yun hesitated for a moment, then said with an apologetic tone:


    ¡°Perhaps, this might be a bit presumptuous¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°Ask away.¡±


    Young Master Yun made up his mind and slowly asked:


    ¡°The Formation on the Corpse King, was it drawn by you? Is it¡­ an Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head, admitting frankly:


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Even though Young Master Yun had already guessed as much, his expression still changed dramatically at the confirmation.


    Other cultivators, even some other Formation Masters, probably did not understand what the Ultimate Formation truly meant.


    Qi Refinement at the eighth level.


    Mastery over a First-grade Formation with twelve patterns.


    This kind of thing defied the common knowledge he had as a Formation Master.


    Young Master Yun felt a sense of defeat.


    In the Yun Family, and even throughout the entire state boundary they resided in, he was recognized as a Formation Genius.


    But only now did he understand.


    There are differences between geniuses, and those differences can be as vast as the heavens and the earth.


    Some people are so extraordinarily gifted they seem like evil monsters.


    He looked again at Mo Hua, whose face still held traces of youthful innocence, and heaved a sigh internally.


    This was a little evil monster indeed.


    Mo Hua, seeing that Young Master Yun¡¯s expression was somewhat defeated, did not know what he was thinking.


    Suddenly Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he spoke softly:


    ¡°Young Master Yun, do you know what this Formation is called?¡±


    Young Master Yun shook his head honestly, asking with curiosity:


    ¡°What Formation?¡±


    ¡°The Spiritual Pivot Formation,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    ¡°The Spiritual Pivot Formation¡­¡±


    Repeating the name a few times, Young Master Yun nodded and praised, ¡°Indeed an Ultimate Formation, just the name itself is extraordinary¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Mo Hua blinked, tempting him, ¡°do you want to learn it?¡±


    Young Master Yun¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his mouth fell open.


    He thought Mo Hua was teasing him, but upon looking up and seeing the clear and sincere look in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes without any hint of mockery, he suppressed the excitement in his heart and slowly nodded:


    ¡°I do¡­¡±


    No Formation Master could resist the temptation of a Formation.


    Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Young Master Yun was even more surprised, ¡°You¡¯re willing to teach me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Formations need to be passed down to endure and flourish. If one hoards their knowledge, no matter how precious the Formation is, it will eventually be lost.¡±


    ¡°Once lost, no matter how precious the Formation is, it is useless.¡±


    ¡°Since you wish to learn, I will teach you, but you must promise me not to use it for evil deeds.¡±


    Young Master Yun couldn¡¯t help but nod repeatedly, ¡°Okay, I promise you!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡­¡± Mo Hua continued, ¡°After you¡¯ve learnt it, you¡¯ll have to help me with something.¡±


    ¡°Help you?¡± Young Master Yun was taken aback.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed, ¡°I need to construct some things that will be controlled by the Spiritual Pivot Formation. I can¡¯t manage it alone and need your assistance.¡±


    This had been his plan all along.


    There are limits to manpower.


    Although he was proficient in Formation Study, there were many things that he could not accomplish alone, and it would take up a lot of time.


    Having help would make a difference.


    Moreover, the project would involve the use of the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    The Ultimate Formation with twelve Pattern Patterns was complex, and the demands on Divine Sense were high, almost no one in South Yue City could learn it.


    But Young Master Yun should be able to. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As a Second Rank Formation Master and a Formation Genius, his Divine Sense and comprehension ought to be sufficient.


    Mo Hua had been coveting his abilities for a long time.


    Now that he had ¡°offered himself,¡± it was the perfect opportunity for Mo Hua to take advantage and ask for his help.


    ¡°Well, I could¡­¡± Young Master Yun thought for a moment and asked curiously, ¡°But what exactly do you need help with?¡±


    ¡°Help me with drawing Formations.¡±


    ¡°The Formations in the mine?¡±


    ¡°Among others, you¡¯ll find out in due time¡­¡±


    Mo Hua left him hanging with that cryptic hint.


    Thus, it only seemed natural that Young Master Yun would become Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°menial worker.¡±


    The mine required the layout of some preliminary Formations to construct the Formation framework and to pre-fill some foundational Formations.


    Afterward, zombies would begin mining.


    Once mining was complete and the mine shaft was excavated, the subsequent Formations would be filled in.


    These Formations were quite complex.


    They included a defensive formation, Solid Earth Formation, Illumination Formation, Ventilation Formation, Filth Removal Formation, and some that were to be used for dealing with Monster Beasts on the spot, like the Gold Blade Formation and Earth Prison Formation, among others.


    Mo Hua taught him the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    While Young Master Yun was learning, he would occasionally help Mo Hua draw Formations when he had free time.


    Being a Second Rank Formation Master, Young Master Yun was very quick at drawing First-grade Formations.


    But what he found unbelievable was that Mo Hua was even faster!


    While drawing Formations, he had to refer to the Formation Diagram to confirm the Formation Patterns.


    Yet Mo Hua did not even need to look; he simply relied on memory, his fair wrist twisting and turning, his brush strokes vigorous and fluid. One Formation Pattern after another appeared under his pen.


    Though it seemed casual, the Formations he drew were neat, precise, and impeccably accurate, even carrying a special charm.


    How many times had he drawn these to reach such proficiency¡­


    Young Master Yun was secretly amazed, and at the same time, he felt somewhat relieved.


    Even though talent was important, this kind of painstaking effort was something not every Formation Master could achieve.


    Days passed by.


    Young Master Yun was not quick at learning the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    The main issue was the limitation of his Divine Sense; he could not practice it many times a day, so inevitably the Formation Patterns were unfamiliar to him, and his comprehension was much slower.


    What took him a week to cover, Mo Hua could finish in just one or two days.


    That his progress was slower was only to be expected.

 Chapter 563 - 515 Cow and Horse_3

    Chapter 563: Chapter 515 Cow and Horse_3


    When Mo Hua had some free time, he would also ask Young Master Yun for some knowledge about Second-Grade Formations.


    His current level of Formation expertise had already far surpassed that of a First-grade Formation Master.


    But Ultimate Formations seemed to be completely different from Second-Grade Formations.


    Mo Hua wanted to know what exactly the threshold was for a Second-grade Formation Master as well as for Second-Grade Formations.


    Young Master Yun, repaying favor with favor, answered diligently:


    ¡°Upon reaching the Second Grade, both Formation Masters and Formations are divided into three stages¡ªthe initial, middle, and high stages, corresponding to the realms of the Foundation Establishment Initial, Middle, and Late Stages.¡±


    ¡°My current level of Cultivation is only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, so my level as a Formation Master is also just at the Second Grade Initial Stage.¡±


    ¡°Second-grade Formations are just as difficult to learn and require a great deal of time and effort.¡±


    ¡°Generally, the level of a Formation Master falls behind their own cultivation realm.¡±


    ¡°For example, at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, one is only a First-grade Formation Master; at the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, one qualifies as a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master; by the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, one becomes a Second Grade Middle Stage¡­¡±


    ¡°For someone like me, achieving Second Grade Initial Stage as a Formation Master while only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage is already considered¡­¡±


    Young Master Yun intended to say ¡°a genius,¡± but upon glancing at Mo Hua, he said instead: ¡°¡­quite good¡­¡±


    Mo Hua curiously asked, ¡°Can a Qi Refinement Cultivator become a Second-grade Formation Master?¡±


    Young Master Yun shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°Because of insufficient Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°Typically it¡¯s due to insufficient Divine Sense, but there¡¯s another reason, which is Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°Spiritual Power?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Young Master Yun explained, ¡°between Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment, there is a difference in the ¡®quantity¡¯ of Divine Sense, but there is a ¡®quality¡¯ difference in Spiritual Power. Likewise, the Formation principle involved in First-grade and Second-Grade Formations, as well as the Spiritual Power driven by the Formations, also differ in ¡®quality¡¯.¡±


    ¡°So, Qi Refinement Cultivators cannot learn Second-Grade Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    He had thought that if perhaps his Divine Sense were strong enough, he might try learning Second-Grade Formations.


    It appeared that the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao categories were indeed very strict.


    Within the same grade, one could step beyond others and learn faster.


    But no matter how one exceeds the grade, they cannot surpass the category¡­ sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Reversed Spirit Formation, the Thick Earth Formation, and the Spiritual Pivot Formation, these Ultimate Formations, although surpassing the grade, are still within the First Grade category; they are First-grade Formations, not Second-Grade Formations.


    Essentially speaking, they shouldn¡¯t be considered truly ¡°beyond category¡± but rather, significantly beyond the stage¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of the concept of grades.


    Afterward, he asked some other questions.


    Young Master Yun answered each one.


    Mo Hua was forthright with people, and Young Master Yun, not being very worldly or cunning, and both being Formation Masters, found a lot to talk about as they became more familiar with each other, their conversation flowing effortlessly.


    Mo Hua taught Young Master Yun the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Young Master Yun was extremely grateful. Thinking that he had no way to repay, he secretly taught Mo Hua some of the Yun Family¡¯s inherited Formations.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat uncomfortable, ¡°Is this alright?¡±


    Young Master Yun blinked, ¡°Just don¡¯t say I taught you.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned.


    These words sounded somewhat familiar, similar to Uncle Zhang Lan.


    When he learned the Water Passing Step from the Zhang Family, it seemed that Zhang Lan had instructed him the same way¡­


    Some time passed, and the initial Formations had been drawn in the mines. Young Master Yun¡¯s Spiritual Pivot Formation was also roughly understood.


    Mo Hua then awakened the Corpse King and commanded it to lead the Iron Corpse and tens of thousands of Walking Corpses out of the Corpse Mine and into each of the mines.


    The sight of zombies filing into the mines en masse, obeying Mo Hua¡¯s commands in an orderly fashion, was both bizarre and harmonious.


    To avoid any unexpected changes with the zombies, all Mining Cultivators remained inside Tongxian City.


    Taoist Soldiers were stationed all around.


    Yang Jishan and a few other Cultivators with profound Cultivation levels were on alert, watching the Corpse King, fearing it might rebel and turn into a Taoist Demon.


    The mine once again became a busy place.


    However, this time the workers were not Mining Cultivators, but zombies.


    Their movements were mechanical and repetitive, pickaxing away at the mines, little by little.


    For the wellbeing of their descendants, they chiseled out a home where they could be well-fed, clothed, and live in peace¡­


    Under Mo Hua¡¯s control, the Corpse King did not transform, the Iron Corpse heeded each command, and all Walking Corpses took it upon themselves diligently.


    Everything was carried out in an orderly fashion.


    Over a month later, the excavation of the mine was completed.


    The mine was connected to several mountains; it was of immense scale, with broad corridors and sturdy walls, free of filthy Qi, making it both safe and somewhat comfortable.


    Mo Hua then ordered the zombies to return to the Corpse Mine to rest.


    The Formation Masters from the Taoist Court, as per Mo Hua¡¯s Formation Diagrams, completed the subsequent Formations within the mine.


    These Formations were simple; it made no difference whether Mo Hua drew them or not.


    Mo Hua needed to draw something else.


    He called over Young Master Yun and went to a workshop in the city.


    In the spacious courtyard were arrayed several wooden puppets resembling bulls and horses, made of hardwood.


    Young Master Yun was a bit astonished, ¡°These are¡­¡±


    ¡°Puppets,¡± Mo Hua said. ¡°With the Spiritual Pivot Formation drawn on them, they can be controlled by Divine Sense to move and transport ore, reducing the labor of Mining Cultivators and improving mining efficiency¡­¡±


    Young Master Yun snapped back to reality, ¡°The help you need from me, is it related to this?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded. ¡°Many Spiritual Pivot Formations need to be painted, and I can¡¯t manage them all alone, so I need your help to paint them.¡±


    Young Master Yun nodded slightly, his heart stirring with emotion.


    This was the true essence of understanding Formations and applying knowledge to practical use.


    Having learned Formations, they were being used to their fullest, to benefit more Cultivators¡­


    Before this, he seemed to have never done such a thing.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Young Master Yun said, readily agreeing.


    Then he hesitated, a bit puzzled, ¡°Do these puppets have names?¡±


    ¡°They do!¡± Mo Hua smiled brightly, ¡°You can call them ¡®Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses¡¯!¡±

 Chapter 564 - 516 Little Zombie_1

    Chapter 564: Chapter 516 Little Zombie_1


    These Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses are just simple puppets.


    Their structure is very basic, capable of only mechanical forward movement, backward movement, and turning.


    Even the Little Tiger designed by Mo Hua is more complex than these, but for the purpose of transporting ore, they¡¯re sufficient.


    Due to their simplicity, only the most basic Spiritual Pivot Formation is needed.


    Unlike the Corpse King, there¡¯s no need to draw complex Sequential Formation Patterns, and build hundreds or thousands of Spirit Pivot tiers for layered control.


    Therefore, even Young Master Yun, who was just beginning to learn the Spiritual Pivot Formation, could draw it.


    And with Young Master Yun¡¯s help, the progress was much faster.


    But after the drawing was completed, things weren¡¯t that simple.


    These Spiritual Pivot Formations and Ox and Horse Puppets still had to be used in practice and adjusted accordingly.


    Mo Hua took some time to test them in the mines, to see if these Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses could function normally.


    Adjusting was not difficult, but it was tedious.


    During the test mining and ore transport, manpower was needed to assist.


    Adjusting the Formation, modifying the Formation, as well as repairing these Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse puppets also required ¡°people¡± to lend a hand. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua decided to use zombies for this labor.


    Mo Hua then drew a group of zombies from the Corpse Mine, had them mine the ore, loaded it on the carts, and then pulled it out with the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses.


    Among these zombies was a small one.


    It was not tall and had a pale face.


    It was the small zombie that Mo Hua had first modified with Sequential Formation Patterns in the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses, the one that secretly opened the door for Mo Hua every night.


    Part of the Corpse Mine had collapsed, and the Formation of Ten Thousand Corpses had been destroyed.


    While clearing the zombies and coffins from the Formation, Mo Hua found that this small zombie was still there.


    Because it was so small and weak,


    Lu Chengyun had not sent it out to fight with the Taoist Soldiers.


    So, in the midst of the surging Corpse Tide and the fierce battle on both sides, it had quietly remained in its own coffin all along.


    This small zombie was probably about ten years old, which should be older than Mo Hua, but it probably also came from a poor background, given its skinny build. It didn¡¯t look much bigger than Mo Hua.


    It¡¯s just unknown how it died at such a young age, and how it ended up in the hands of Lu Chengyun, to be refined into a zombie.


    At the age of ten, its life had just begun.


    If its family was poor, it might not have even enjoyed much happiness in life.


    Mo Hua felt some sympathy and regret for it.


    During the adjustment of the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses, Mo Hua specifically kept it by his side.


    The other zombies mined, dug and transported the ore.


    This small one, on the other hand, followed Mo Hua around, moving things, sweeping the mine tunnels, and exploring the mountain paths.


    Or, when a Wooden Ox or Flowing Horse malfunctioned, it listened to Mo Hua¡¯s commands, took the puppet apart for Mo Hua to inspect, or handed Mo Hua brushes and ink to repair the Formations¡­.


    All these lighter labor tasks were done by the small zombie.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also saw this small zombie and were somewhat surprised.


    Bai Zisheng was mainly angry:


    ¡°Lu Chengyun, that bastard, didn¡¯t even spare such a young Cultivator. I should have stabbed him a few more times!¡±


    Bai Zixi, looking at the small zombie, furrowed her brow.


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°Sister, is there something wrong?¡±


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment and slowly said,


    ¡°This small zombie has only Corpse Qi on its body, no Blood Qi.¡±


    No Blood Qi?


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback but soon understood.


    Only having Corpse Qi, without Blood Qi, meant that it had died and was turned into a zombie, but it hadn¡¯t had the chance to eat human flesh or drink blood yet.


    That wasn¡¯t much of a surprise.


    This small zombie was somewhat weak; it probably couldn¡¯t kill a person.


    Even if it had the opportunity to eat flesh and drink blood, it wouldn¡¯t be able to compete with other zombies.


    It could only rely on the nefarious Qi in the Corpse Raising Coffin to nourish its Corpse Qi.


    Bai Zisheng glanced at Mo Hua, puzzled, ¡°You¡¯re not planning to keep it by your side forever, are you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed and shook his head,


    ¡°Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; since it has become a zombie, it has its own destiny.¡±


    Bai Zisheng curled his lip and muttered,


    ¡°Such a young age, yet speaking so morbidly.¡±


    Mo Hua snorted, ¡°You won¡¯t get any beef tonight!¡±


    Bai Zisheng immediately softened, ¡°Junior Brother, I was wrong, what you just said was not wrong at all, very right, it makes a lot of sense!¡±


    Bai Zixi let out a slight sigh and looked at Bai Zisheng with some disdain.


    After a while, Bai Zisheng asked,


    ¡°So what are you planning to do with this small zombie? Burn it? The Corpse Burning Formation of the Taoist Court is almost ready¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat conflicted and after pondering for a moment, he sighed,


    ¡°I¡¯ve drawn Formation Patterns on it, and it has helped me. We¡¯re connected by fate. Once everything is over, I¡¯ll let it be laid to rest¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both nodded in agreement.


    ¡­


    Over ten days later, the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses were properly adjusted.


    All of the Ox and Horse Puppets had been marked with the Spiritual Pivot Formations.


    As Mo Hua had predicted, the Spirit Stones were not greatly depleted, the controls were simple, the wood was durable, and they had enough strength; transporting ore was more than manageable.


    The only issue was, once damaged, there was no one to repair them.


    To fix these puppets, mastery of the Spiritual Pivot Formation was required.


    When both Mo Hua and Young Master Yun leave, no one in South Yue City would know the Spiritual Pivot Formation, so naturally no one would be able to repair these Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses.


    Therefore, they must be well-maintained during regular use.


    With proper use, the natural wear and tear, these Ox and Horse Puppets would have a long lifespan.


    Mo Hua entrusted this matter to the new Court Leader in South Yue City.


    The Taoist Court Officials in South Yue City were almost completely replaced, from top to bottom.


    The new Court Leader, a member of the Situ Family named Situ Shen, who seemed to be of the same branch as the former Elder Situ Jin, were particularly courteous to Mo Hua and even showed some respect.

 Chapter 565 - 516 Little Zombie_2

    Chapter 565: Chapter 516 Little Zombie_2


    His attitude was very solemn.


    In South Yue City, he found an opportunity for himself, as well as for the Situ Family.


    The Corpse Mine incident was of significant importance.


    If he failed to handle it properly, it would be the Situ Family¡¯s reputation at stake.


    Likewise, if he managed to settle the aftermath properly, it would be a great accomplishment, earning him a good reputation within the clan and accumulating substantial Merit Points for a promotion within the Taoist Court.


    Moreover, Mo Hua was a Formation Master and also the ¡°Master¡± of the Corpse King.


    Dealing with the Corpse King and its horde required Mo Hua¡¯s consent.


    Constructing new mine shafts and improving the lives of South Yue City¡¯s Cultivators also depended on Mo Hua¡¯s support.


    Therefore, to Mo Hua, he was almost beseeching and demanding.


    Whatever Mo Hua said, he would agree without hesitation and spare no effort in executing.


    Mo Hua felt reflective in his heart.


    It seemed that the competition within the family was indeed fierce, and the pressure was substantial.


    Eating from the same pot, if one did not make an effort or think things through, one might not even get to sip the broth.


    ¡­


    The Wooden Ox and Flowing Horses were built, and so were the mine shafts.


    Then, it was time to start work.


    Situ Shen organized the Mining Cultivators to resume work.


    The Mining Cultivators were hesitant and uneasy. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were still scared from the previous Corpse Tide that had besieged the city.


    Although the Corpse Tide had receded, there could still be remnants left behind, especially within the mine shafts¡ªdark and polluted, the perfect hiding places for Zombies.


    They dared not start work.


    They were scared of poverty, suffering, and encountering Zombies, risking their lives.


    But they dared not refuse to work either.


    Because they were truly poor, without Spirit Stones even food was unaffordable.


    If they started working and encountered Zombies in the mine, at most one of them would die.


    But if they did not work, their whole family would starve to death.


    Their hearts were filled with trepidation and insecurity.


    Yet, it wasn¡¯t until they entered the mine that they realized everything had changed.


    The mine shafts were larger, more spacious, brighter, and there was even a breeze¡ªneither cold nor hot, just pleasantly cool.


    Gone was the eerie atmosphere, gone was the sense of oppression.


    The Filthy Qi was also much less intense.


    Staying inside felt much more comfortable.


    It was not as grueling as before.


    And there were Formations everywhere, some even specifically designed to prevent Monster Beasts, which were very reassuring to see¡­


    ¡°Is this really the mine of South Yue City¡­¡±


    The Mining Cultivators found it hard to believe.


    Afterward, they gathered together, thanking the Court Leader profusely.


    Since the founding of South Yue City, these Mining Cultivators, along with their ancestors, had never worked in such safe mine shafts.


    In the mine, the Formations that had been set up for the protection of these Mining Cultivators over hundreds and thousands of years, if all combined together, would not amount to the number of Formations now present in this single mine shaft.


    They were immensely grateful.


    The Court Leader told everyone to stand up and said,


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank Little Mo Gentleman. It was he who quelled the Zombie plague and built these mine shafts for everyone.¡±


    The Mining Cultivators then thanked him in unison,


    ¡°Thank you, Little Mo Gentleman!¡±


    But they did not know who this Little Mo Gentleman really was¡­


    Afterward, Situ Shen set some new regulations.


    For instance, Mining Cultivators could not work in the mines for more than four hours a day.


    Their daily wages could not be less than one Spirit Stone.


    No Clan or power in the locality could withhold Spirit Stones from the Mining Cultivators for any reason¡­


    Moreover, Jinhua Street was also shut down.


    All establishments related to eating, drinking, prostitution, and gambling were closed.


    The female Cultivators from the Brothels had their contracts revoked and were allowed to start fresh.


    Those who coerced Cultivators into selling themselves, causing them to lose their dignity and lives, were dealt with severely.


    Situ Shen and Mo Hua stood on the city wall, watching Jinhua Street being demolished.


    Some managers, gamblers, crooks, female brothel keepers, and thugs who had the Lu Family¡¯s backing and were notorious for their misdeeds, were escorted to the Taoist Prison by the Enforcement Leader of the Taoist Court, along the way facing public scorn, being pelted with stones and rotten vegetables.


    Some broke free from misery and wept bitterly with their loved ones.


    There were also those who were lonely and secretly heartbroken.


    Most people, however, were righteously indignant, clapping their hands in approval.


    For decades, the glamourous Jinhua Street, established by Capitalist Lu, glossy on the surface but concealing tears and blood, was now being torn down in broad daylight.


    Situ Shen reflected,


    ¡°Under the bright sun, the filth and darkness have nowhere to hide.¡±


    Mo Hua, however, discerned the implications in his words, ¡°Are places untouched by sunlight still the same?¡±


    Situ Shen was somewhat surprised.


    He had not expected Mo Hua to be so perceptive.


    The subtle thoughts that he had harbored were captured by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was profound, his thoughts penetrating, and he had even shown kindness to Situ Shen and the Situ Family. Thus, Situ Shen decided to be candid and share some heartfelt words.


    ¡°Mr. Little Mo,¡± sighed Situ Shen, his voice growing somber,


    ¡°Since I was thirty years old, I have been serving in the Taoist Court, starting from a lowly Enforcement Leader to becoming a Supervisor, Deputy Court Leader, and I have also served as the Court Leader in several Little Immortal Cities¡­¡±


    ¡°This kind of thing¡­ I¡¯ve seen it quite a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°Or to say, across the entire Cultivation World, such things are all too common.¡±


    ¡°This issue could be resolved, simply because it was brought into the open.¡±


    ¡°Matters exposed to the public are always carried out with propriety and grandiosity, but if they are not brought to light, the scene is completely different.¡±


    ¡°To put it in hurtful terms¡­¡±


    Situ Shen looked at Mo Hua and said in a low voice,


    ¡°Today, as the Court Leader of South Yue City, I can act uprightly and advocate for these unfortunate Cultivators, sweep away these Brothels and gambling dens, appearing righteous and dignified.¡±


    ¡°But if I had come to be the Court Leader of South Yue City before this¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely that I would have done the same things as the previous Court Leader.¡±


    ¡°Frequenting Brothels, squandering thousands of gold, using the bodies of these unfortunate women for pleasure, and indulging in a life of luxury and debauchery.¡±

 Chapter 566 - 516: Little Zombie_3

    Chapter 566: Chapter 516: Little Zombie_3


    ¡°`


    ¡°Together with the Lu Family, oppressing, squeezing, and playing with these cultivators¡­¡±


    Situ Shen¡¯s gaze was murky as he shifted the topic and said:


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m just saying¡­¡±


    ¡°The Situ Family has its family disciplines, at most I¡¯ll keep to my own sense of integrity, I won¡¯t really sink into the mire with them.¡±


    ¡°But most people, even if they talk the talk of righteousness, when they actually get to that position, they act no different than Court Leader Qian¡­¡±


    ¡°And if this incident hadn¡¯t blown up, with local Taoist Court Officials covering for each other, the matters involving the Lu Family would most likely have been quietly dropped.¡±


    ¡°In this world, light and dark alternate, and human hearts are complex¡­¡±


    ¡°Those who stand in the light often shine bright, but once they step into the dark, who knows what they turn into¡­¡±


    ¡°It is not always light everywhere, and you too might inevitably find yourself walking in darkness¡­¡±


    Looking at Mo Hua, Situ Shen spoke earnestly:


    ¡°Mr. Mo, you must be careful in the future.¡±


    Be wary of others, but also of yourself¡­


    These were things Situ Shen could see and understand clearly, but he couldn¡¯t resolve them.


    He didn¡¯t want Mo Hua¡¯s pure Taoist Heart, to get entangled in the mire of fickle human hearts, lost in the sinister currents of worldly desires, and thereafter suffer in confusion.


    Mo Hua seemed pensive and then nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Thank you, Court Leader Situ!¡±


    Situ Shen had spoken these heartfelt words out of real concern for him.


    Mo Hua was well aware of this in his heart.


    Situ Shen smiled and nodded slightly.


    He turned his head, looking down at the demolished Jinhua Street, and sighed softly.


    This bustling marketplace, bright as pouring gold under the night lights, now revealed its true form under the daylight, showing a sordid mess.


    In the Cultivation World, despite many places still being dark and unjust,


    there was ultimately a beam of light that shone upon this place¡­


    With the destruction of Jinhua Street, many cultivators regained their freedom.


    Qinglan made a special visit to thank Mo Hua, bringing along Hundred Flower cakes she made herself.


    In South Yue City, she no longer had any family.


    Qinglan was alone and, although capable of supporting herself, life was still somewhat difficult.


    Situ Fang decided to take her under her wing; she could teach Qinglan cultivation, and in turn, Qinglan could prepare her meals and take care of her daily needs.


    As a Supervisor, Situ Fang was quite busy on a regular basis and had no time to care for herself.


    And behind Situ Fang stood the support of her clan.


    With her, Qinglan would be more stable, not adrift like duckweed with the current.


    Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi sat in the courtyard, eating Hundred Flower cakes and chatting with Qinglan for a while.


    Bai Zixi gifted her a cultivation technique.


    It was not rare in the Bai Family, but very precious to Qinglan.


    Before departing, Qinglan bowed deeply in gratitude, saying:


    ¡°If there¡¯s ever a way for Qinglan to be of help to the Young Master and Miss Bai, I will not hesitate even at the cost of my life!¡±


    Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°Sister Qinglan, you speak too seriously.¡±


    ¡­


    After seeing Qinglan off, Elder Su paid a visit the next day.


    Elder Su brought some fine tea for Mo Hua to taste.


    The two sat in the courtyard, sipping tea with a gentle breeze coming through, the air moist and fragrant with tea.


    Elder Su apologized, saying:


    ¡°Young Gentleman, I¡¯m sorry, I had no idea that the Lu Family Head¡­ Lu Chengyun, had such ruthless ambition, a loose tongue, and that¡¯s what got you, Young Gentleman, caught in his scheming¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright.¡± Mo Hua did not mind.


    If Lu Chengyun did not act on his own ideas, then he, too, would not yet learn about the Spiritual Pivot Formation, could not exhaust the Contemplation Map, and would not be able to thoroughly solve South Yue City¡¯s zombie plague, nor help them rebuild the mines.


    The Loose Cultivators of South Yue City, they suffered, too.


    Mo Hua was also a Loose Cultivator by origin, and he still remembered his mother¡¯s words.


    If you come across a Loose Cultivator struggling to get by, help them out within your capabilities if you can.


    Elder Su sighed and said, ¡°Young Gentleman, you truly have a broad heart¡­¡±


    Although Elder Su¡¯s flattery always seemed a bit awkward, Mo Hua still felt quite pleased when he heard it.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was smiling, but he humbly said:


    ¡°Not at all, not at all.¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua held no grudges against him, Elder Su¡¯s heart settled down.


    The atmosphere became much warmer as a result.


    The two of them chatted about Formation Arrays as usual and talked about mundane matters.


    As they talked, the conversation turned to Jinhua Street and the Hundred Flower Tower¡­


    Elder Su expressed his gratitude:


    ¡°I have to thank you for what happened at Jinhua Street.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head but then seemed puzzled, ¡°Jinhua Street has been demolished, Elder, so you can¡¯t go to the Hundred Flower Tower to listen to music anymore, right? You¡¯re thanking me for this?¡±


    Elder Su¡¯s face turned red, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, I¡¯m really not familiar¡­¡±


    Mo Hua obviously did not believe him.


    Seeing the keen look in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, Elder Su knew that he knew everything and no longer hid anything, but his expression turned wistful:


    ¡°The music is soothing to the ears, and the ladies are pleasing to the eye.¡±


    ¡°Not being able to hear or see it is indeed a regret.¡±


    ¡°But these are just minor personal desires, they don¡¯t count for much.¡±


    ¡°What I hope for more is that no one in this world will have to live a life adrift in the dust, and no young woman will have to suffer misfortune like Shuixian¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then lifted his teacup and crisply said:


    ¡°I shall drink this tea in place of wine to honor the Elder.¡±


    Elder Su, caught between laughter and tears, still raised his cup and drank tea with Mo Hua¡­


    ¡­


    The affairs of South Yue City had essentially come to a close.


    The mines were built, and the Formation Arrays perfected.


    The Mining Cultivators of South Yue City could now earn Spirit Stones through their own efforts, make a living, and live a steady and secure life.


    Apart from that, the countless zombies also had to be burned.


    The Corpse Burning Formation of the Taoist Court had been built.


    The Corpse Burning Formation was a Compound Formation, constructed atop the cemetery hill, made up of many Fire-series Single Formations, covering a vast area. When activated, the flames surged upwards, turning the entire cemetery hill a crimson red as if it had become a Flaming Mountain.


    All the zombies of South Yue City queued up to be cremated.


    Mo Hua controlled the Walking Corpses, leading them into the Corpse Burning Formation in batches, burning away their bodies, dissipating the Corpse Qi, and eliminating the Corpse Poison.


    All the zombies had to be cremated.


    This process took a long time.


    And the only one not cremated was that little zombie.


    It had not touched any bloodshed, had committed no evil acts, and had even helped Mo Hua. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, with a sense of compassion, laid down a Formation Array, vented its Corpse Qi, and buried it on a secluded but serene little hill in the cemetery.


    The hill was desolate, yet tranquil, undisturbed by anyone.


    When evening came, and the sun set in the west, the afterglow would scatter over the hill and over the little grave that Mo Hua had erected for the tiny creature¡­

 Chapter 567 - 517 Go Die_1

    Chapter 567: Chapter 517 Go Die_1


    Atop the burial mound, the flames of the Corpse Burning Formation blazed fiercely. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Apart from the tiny zombies, all Walking Corpses, Iron Corpses, including the Corpse King, had to be thoroughly purified within the Corpse Burning Formation, eradicating the evil that had been wrought.


    There were too many Walking Corpses; thus, after cremation, their ashes were mostly buried together.


    The Lu Family was raided and fell into disarray.


    Among the Iron Corpses, the elders of the Lu Family were ignored; after being burned, they were buried haphazardly, with a simple mound erected. No one paid respects, and some even looked down upon them. Every time Cultivators from South Yue City passed by, they would spit upon the graves.


    Some Foundation Building Cultivators from other families or Sects would be claimed after cremation and buried in their ancestral graves.


    Mo Hua also solemnly collected the bone ashes of past Elders of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect; these would later be handed over to Instructor Yan for a proper burial.


    Having learned the Spiritual Pivot Formation, I received a favor from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Therefore, I also wanted to show some heartfelt gratitude.


    The Corpse Burning Formation continued for more than ten days, incinerating all walking and iron corpses until only the Corpse King remained.


    But the Corpse King could not be incinerated.


    Even though the fire in the Compound Formation used to purify the Corpse King was of a Second-Grade Formation, with flames so intense they resembled molten iron, it still could do no harm to the Corpse King.


    The Corpse King kept its eyes closed, hands crossed over its chest, situated amidst the surging flames, letting the fierce fire burn. Its coppery-red body showed no signs of incineration.


    Several days passed, and the body of the Corpse King remained unaffected by the fierce fire.


    Yang Jishan frowned.


    The crowd¡¯s expressions were grave.


    Cultivators in-the-know were even more startled.


    The Corpse King was a Taoist Demon¡¯s disaster; it had the potential to evolve into a Taoist Demon and was extremely vexing.


    Now that it had submitted to Mo Hua, losing the possibility to become a Taoist Demon and temporarily in slumber, yet if it wasn¡¯t killed, no one could say if it might undergo a perverse transformation later on.


    Yang Jishan and the others tried various methods.


    Spiritual Artifacts, Spells, Runes, and even other more powerful Second-Grade Formations, but at most, they only harmed the Corpse King¡¯s flesh, unable to completely incinerate it.


    Out of options, Yang Jishan had no choice but to seek Mo Hua, hoping Mo Hua might have a solution.


    The Corpse Burning event was managed by the Taoist Court, and Mo Hua did not interfere much.


    He merely controlled the Corpse King to enter the Corpse Burning Formation, leaving the rest unattended.


    Now that Yang Jishan asked him, Mo Hua made a special trip to check on the situation.


    Atop the burial mound, the flames were like a sea of fire.


    And the Corpse King was immersed in this sea of fire, body unharmed by the intense flames.


    Mo Hua also furrowed his brows, puzzled.


    Logically speaking, with the power of a Second-Grade Formation, after refining for so long, even if the Corpse King was a Copper Corpse, it should have melted into a pool of ¡°copper water.¡±


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to sense more carefully; after a moment, he noticed a faint Taoist Meaning entwined around the Corpse King.


    A Copper Corpse couldn¡¯t resist the incineration of the Corpse Burning Formation.


    But this Corpse King wasn¡¯t just a Copper Corpse; it was also a Corpse King.


    This strand of Taoist Meaning shared similarities with the Great Dao¡¯s Taoist Meaning that Mo Hua had sensed before from the earth.


    However, it was malformed, mutated, vicious, and a perversion.


    This was the twisted ¡°Taoist Meaning¡± of a Taoist Demon.


    It was the source of the Taoist Demon.


    This twisted Taoist Meaning prevented the Corpse King¡¯s body from being purified and was also fostering the emergence of the Corpse King¡¯s autonomous consciousness.


    As Mo Hua clearly perceived this strand of Taoist Meaning, the Corpse King suddenly opened its eyes.


    Its eyes were pitch-black and empty, gazing coldly at Mo Hua.


    At the same time, a fierce phantom appeared in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    This phantom was both the Corpse King and yet not entirely the Corpse King.


    Wrapped around it was a faint, mysterious, and terrifying air, filled with profound hatred and indignation, watching Mo Hua with enmity.


    This was the air of a Taoist Demon.


    It seemed to harbor venomous resentment towards Mo Hua for thwarting its destiny.


    Mo Hua remained unruffled, looking back at it calmly.


    When the ¡°Corpse King¡± met Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, it suddenly appeared internally fearful despite its ferocious front. Beneath its venomous demeanor, there was deep-seated fear.


    It was as though a fierce servant longed to devour its master, but the malicious intent it harbored was discovered by the master.


    Therefore, underneath its fierce exterior, there was hidden cowardice.


    Mo Hua understood in his heart.


    The Corpse King had submitted to him, and naturally, the Taoist Meaning within it also feared him.


    It wanted to devour the master.


    Only by devouring the master, could the Taoist Meaning grow, and the Corpse King evolve into a Taoist Demon.


    But as long as it couldn¡¯t devour the master, it had to follow his commands to the letter!


    Since it had to obey him, that made things easier.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes turned cold as he commanded in an uncompromising, icy voice:


    ¡°Wicked beast, die.¡±


    Yang Jishan and the others trembled at the words.


    And within the eyes of the Corpse King, terror emerged.


    When the master orders death, his servant must die!


    As Mo Hua issued the command, the Taoist Meaning within the Corpse King transformed into a fierce corpse shadow, with red eyes and a ferocious face. It twisted, howled, and screamed.


    But no matter how unwilling or how much it struggled, it had to obey Mo Hua¡¯s command to die as per the laws of the Great Dao.


    Its figure gradually faded, and the atmosphere of the Taoist Demon dissipated.


    Simultaneously, the Corpse King let out a roar. The flames of the Corpse Burning Formation shot up to the sky and, under the astonished gaze of onlookers, the flesh withered, the face collapsed, and the ferocious fire gradually reduced it to ashes¡­


    The Corpse King truly died¡­


    The Cultivators looked at Mo Hua with a hint of fear in their eyes.


    The Lord of Ten Thousand Corpses, a manifestation of a Taoist Demon, actually died just because of Mo Hua¡¯s single command¡­


    But as to how this had happened, the crowd knew nothing.


    They wanted to ask, but were at the moment restrained by Mo Hua¡¯s commanding presence as he ordered the Corpse King to its death, and they didn¡¯t dare to inquire.


    Only the gaunt elder had a solemn expression, showing a thoughtful look.

 Chapter 568 - 517 Go Die_2

    Chapter 568: Chapter 517 Go Die_2


    ¡°`


    But no matter what, with the Corpse King dead, the troubles with the corpses had truly come to an end.


    This matter could finally be considered closed.


    Everyone let out a sigh of relief.


    Through twists and turns over these days, continuous life-and-death battles, and multiple unexpected changes, they had hovered on the brink of death and witnessed scenes both bone-chilling and inconceivable. Now, they could finally ease their burdens and relax.


    Mo Hua also breathed a sigh of relief.


    He turned and left with light steps.


    But, just as he turned around, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.


    Within the darkness, he had a premonition.


    It seemed as though something fierce had taken residence within him.


    This thing was malformed and cruel, like the Taoist Meaning, but extremely twisted, akin to the Corpse King¡¯s vile thoughts, brimming with loathing and glaring at him menacingly.


    Yet, as soon as he attempted to perceive it, it would, as though startled, vanish without a trace, its hiding place unknown¡­


    This sensation was exactly the same as the mutated Taoist Meaning on the Corpse King.


    ¡°But hasn¡¯t it dissipated already?¡±


    Mo Hua wondered, baffled.


    Concerned about the Taoist Demon, Mo Hua had to be more cautious.


    Upon returning, he sought the advice of Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Master, the Taoist Demon that died seems to have latched onto me¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was somewhat surprised, yet not taken aback; reclining in his bamboo chair, he said leisurely,


    ¡°You ruined its chance of becoming a Taoist Demon, so of course it hates you, and thus its Taoist Meaning has fused into your cause and effect.¡±


    ¡°Fused into cause and effect?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    Mr. Zhuang then explained,


    ¡°Everything in the world has its cause and effect, from the grass and the trees to every drink and peck, none can escape the realm of causality.¡±


    Mo Hua felt like he understood Mr. Zhuang¡¯s explanation, but upon closer thought, he was still confused.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard; cause and effect is just a form of the Great Dao¡¯s rule. Everything operates according to its own rules; this is causality.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same with people.¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°A person¡¯s past actions, thoughts, and desires are all formed by the cycles of causality.¡±


    ¡°And all of a person¡¯s past forms the cause, and everything that happens later forms the effect based on those past causes.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, cause and effect also make up a person¡¯s fate.¡±


    ¡°The fate of the past is set, unchangeable, but the fate of the future, based on your previous life, is subject to myriad changes¡­¡±


    Mo Hua seemed to have an epiphany and nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, hope shining in his eyes, ¡°As for matters of causality, it¡¯s good that you understand them now; thinking too much is pointless¡­¡±


    ¡°When your Divine Sense grows stronger, your experiences more diverse, and your understanding of the Great Dao, Formation, and all things more profound, then you can study further¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Master, is this ¡¯cause and effect¡¯ thing really useful?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°It might be useless, but it could also be extremely useful; it all depends on how deeply you understand it.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered as he asked,


    ¡°Master, so the Taoist Demon infusing into my cause and effect, is it a good thing or a bad thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a good thing,¡± Mr. Zhuang said.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    ¡°But it¡¯s also not necessarily a bad thing,¡± Mr. Zhuang added.


    Mo Hua, with his mouth agape, couldn¡¯t help but mutter,


    ¡°Master, what you¡¯ve said is¡­ as good as saying nothing¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gently tapped Mo Hua¡¯s head and chuckled,


    ¡°In this world, everything has its pros and cons, misfortune and fortune go hand in hand; there¡¯s no such thing as absolute good or bad.¡±


    ¡°So what should I do?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently, ¡°Just keep a normal heart, uphold your Taoist Heart, and there¡¯s no need to worry or fear. Don¡¯t even think about it; once your Divine Sense is powerful, everything will be easily solved¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, recalling Mr. Zhuang¡¯s previous words,


    ¡°If the Taoist Heart is clear and the Divine Thought is strong, then all evil will not invade¡­ Is that right, Master?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded with approval.


    Mo Hua thus let go of his concerns.


    However, he didn¡¯t notice the solemn weight in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s lowered gaze.


    As Mo Hua stood to take his leave, Mr. Zhuang suddenly said,


    ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang with some confusion.


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment before asking,


    ¡°How did this mutated Taoist Meaning fuse into your causality?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then replied truthfully,


    ¡°It seems that¡­ I ordered it to die, and it tried to, but didn¡¯t fully succeed, and then it hated me¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze froze, his fingers hidden in his sleeves quivering, and his heart couldn¡¯t help but flutter.


    ¡°You¡­ ordered it to die?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded and asked worriedly, ¡°Master, is there any trouble?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes became inscrutable as he smiled faintly,


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, just remember what I¡¯ve just told you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Master!¡±


    If the Master said it didn¡¯t matter, then there probably wasn¡¯t anything wrong.


    Mo Hua left cheerfully and at ease.


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang sighed deeply and frowned.


    Old Kui¡¯s figure appeared, and he said in a soft sigh,


    ¡°Too bold¡­¡±


    Uncharacteristically, Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t retort but instead nodded in agreement,


    ¡°Yes, too bold¡­¡±


    To actually order a Taoist Demon to die¡­


    Fearless due to ignorance.


    And the troubling part is that the Taoist Demon really followed his command to die¡­


    Mr. Zhuang said helplessly,


    ¡°The Corpse King wasn¡¯t quite a Taoist Demon. Making the Corpse King kneel was just touching upon a great causality, but now that he directly ordered a Taoist Demon to die, it¡¯s like he swallowed this great causality whole. Truly¡­ recklessly audacious¡­¡±


    Old Kui glanced at Mr. Zhuang contemptuously, ¡°Weren¡¯t you quite proud before? Feeling remorse now? What do we do?¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 569 - 517: Go to Die_3

    Chapter 569: Chapter 517: Go to Die_3


    Mr. Zhuang sighed.


    He had calculated that everything would end once the Corpse King was subdued.


    Yet unexpectedly, complications had arisen at the last minute.


    If he had known, he would have swallowed his pride and not put on airs, issuing more warnings to Mo Hua, telling him to stay out of idle affairs.


    Let the people from the Taoist Court worry about the cremation of the Corpse King.


    Old Kui frowned and said:


    ¡°However, even if the Taoist Demon is integrated into cause and effect, it doesn¡¯t really matter, does it? It¡¯s not a true Taoist Demon, just a strand of twisted Taoist Meaning.¡±


    ¡°The problem lies exactly here¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°Mo Hua is embarking on the ¡®Divine Sense Proving the Dao¡¯ path. Once his Divine Sense becomes strong enough and his comprehension of the universe deepens, he will inevitably nourish his own Taoist Meaning.¡±


    ¡°But with the presence of the Taoist Demon¡¯s aura entangled in cause and effect.¡±


    ¡°What he might cultivate could no longer be Taoist Meaning, but rather¡­ his own flesh and blood nourishing the ¡®Taoist Demon¡¯ within him¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Old Kui¡¯s face turned somewhat pale.


    Becoming the embodiment of a Taoist Demon!


    Then he would indeed become a Demon Head, more terrifying than Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Old Kui frowned and said, ¡°This child, Mo Hua, possesses a nature of purity and clarity. It shouldn¡¯t come to that, should it?¡±


    ¡°It seems so now¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang lay down slowly, his eyes uncertain, ¡°but as for the future, who can be sure?¡±


    ¡°Especially now¡­ while he is still young and can maintain a mind free of distractions.¡±


    ¡°But as he grows up and experiences more, it¡¯s inevitable his mind will become cluttered with various thoughts. If his feelings change because of emotions, and one thought turns demonic, then¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s voice gradually faded to inaudibility.


    Old Kui raised his eyebrow, ¡°Are you referring to the Bai Family?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang arched an eyebrow but didn¡¯t elaborate.


    Both of them, however, understood very well.


    The shared daily life between the two children might have fostered naive and indiscernible affections, but these two elders saw everything clearly.


    ¡°The Bai Family¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head with a hint of disdain, yet his eyes betrayed a deep wariness.


    Old Kui¡¯s expression was as cold and severe as if it were carved from stone.


    The Bai Family¡¯s depths were truly unfathomable¡­


    Looking into the distance, Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°This child, Mo Hua, is a person of utmost sincerity and emotion. The more so, the easier he is wounded. Even without that young girl, an accident involving his parents or friends might equally provoke a change in his nature¡­¡±


    Old Kui knitted his brow and glanced at Mr. Zhuang before shaking his head:


    ¡°I disagree, the child¡¯s nature may be upright, but he¡¯s not rigid. He¡¯s clever, occasionally crafty, his thoughts thorough, and he knows how to adapt. He should not reach such a state.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang sighed.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you make this clear to him?¡± Old Kui asked.


    ¡°Even if I explained, it would be futile¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang shook his head.


    ¡°Speaking plainly about matters like the Taoist Demon and Taoist Meaning might just disrupt his thoughts and ruin his state of mind.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to let him believe that with a clear Taoist Heart, he will be invulnerable to all evil. Focused solely on cultivating his Divine Thought, he might indeed become immune to all evil¡­¡±


    ¡°After all, what he needs to do remains the same, to cultivate his Divine Sense to perfection, unencumbered, more readily forging ahead.¡±


    Old Kui nodded slightly.


    Mr. Zhuang closed his eyes in thought and, after a moment, as if struck by a revelation, opened them and added:


    ¡°Also, this might not necessarily be a bad thing¡­¡±


    Old Kui, resonating with his thoughts, slowly said:


    ¡°You mean, Gui Tao¡¯s people?¡±


    Demon Sect Cultivators who practice Gui Tao.


    You must not think of them, not speculate, and even less speak their taboo names.


    Yet, Old Kui showed no concern as he directly called out the name of ¡®Gui Tao¡¯s people,¡¯ with not a single anomaly around him.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, his gaze profound:


    ¡°The Taoist Demon has form, has spirit.¡±


    ¡°The Corpse King was the embryo of a Taoist Demon, and after its form perished and its spirit died, the resentful remnant of the Taoist Demon¡¯s aura merged with cause and effect.¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Taoist Demon at the level of cause and effect is nearly indestructible and exceedingly difficult to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Even for my senior brother, it¡¯s the same.¡±


    ¡°But for Mo Hua, it¡¯s a bit different.¡±


    ¡°Although partly a twist of fate, he subdued the Taoist Demon on his own, commanding it to die.¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua is the Master of the Taoist Demon.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Demon hides within Mo Hua¡¯s cause and effect, certainly harboring a vengeful spirit, desperately seeking to devour its master. But as long as it cannot consume its master, it must protect him!¡±


    ¡°Thus, it is a double-edged sword.¡±


    ¡°Turned inward, it may corrupt Mo Hua¡¯s Taoist Meaning, but turned outward, it truly might make him invulnerable within cause and effect!¡±


    ¡°For in his fate, lurks a most vile and sinister Taoist Demon!¡±


    ¡°As the Taoist Demon is the ultimate evil, so he becomes invulnerable to all evil!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was sharp.


    Old Kui was inwardly shocked.


    If such were truly the case, then Mo Hua, this seemingly inconspicuous little cultivator, might actually be a grand terror within the Heavenly Secret Calculation.


    His fate masked with Taoist Demon, an unfathomable, inestimable, and inviolable abyss!

 Chapter 570 - 518: Farewell_1

    Chapter 570: Chapter 518: Farewell_1


    The matters of causality and fate were completely unknown to Mo Hua.


    He only remembered one phrase:


    ¡°With a steadfast Taoist heart, no evil shall invade.¡±


    As long as he concentrated on learning Formations, comprehended the Great Dao, and remained resilient in his Taoist heart, continuously refining his Divine Sense to its ultimate strength, with thoughts profound and insights penetrating the principles of all things, then all malevolent spirits would pose no threat.


    Mo Hua continued to cultivate and learn Formations just as before.


    But the Taoist Demon clearly refused to give up.


    The shadow of the Corpse King occasionally appeared inexplicably within his Sea of Consciousness, its gaze blood-red, looking at Mo Hua with a cruel expression.


    This kind of existence was completely different from that of the Little Green-faced Ghost and the Divine Thought Body of the Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family.


    It seemed existent yet nonexistent.


    Palpably real yet illusory.


    It didn¡¯t seem like a real Divine Thought, and as Mr. Zhuang had said, it was more like a lingering thought of karma, residing in the past.


    The shadow of the Corpse King appeared repeatedly.


    At first, Mo Hua was somewhat surprised and worried, but then he recalled Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words:


    ¡°Just maintain your equanimity, hold fast to your Taoist heart, you need not worry or be afraid, you don¡¯t even have to think about it¡­¡±


    And so, Mo Hua became nonchalant about it.


    In his Sea of Consciousness, the Corpse King was just a Copper Corpse.


    He had killed Copper Corpses before.


    The Ancestral Master of the Zhang Family was consumed by him, though it was a situation of many against few and somewhat dishonorable, but now it was different.


    Now, he was at the peak of the Thirteen Stripes of Divine Sense, far from what he used to be.


    Even in a fair fight, one-on-one, he could subdue the Copper Corpse incarnate of the Zhang Family¡¯s Ancestral Master.


    And this Corpse King, he had controlled it once with the Spirit Pivot Formation.


    ¡°In life,¡± it was under his command.


    ¡°In death,¡± it couldn¡¯t escape the palm of his hand.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know much about the matters of causality.


    Fearing nothing from ignorance.


    Because of ¡°ignorance,¡± there was ¡°no fear.¡±


    And because of fearlessness, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was unyielding, his aura strong, not giving any regard to this Corpse King tinged with the breath of a Taoist Demon.


    The Corpse King let out a roar.


    Mo Hua frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother me!¡±


    Scolded by Mo Hua, the Corpse King instinctively trembled, then became infuriated, its gaze fierce, but it truly couldn¡¯t do anything and could only growl lowly again, retreating unwillingly¡­


    Every now and then, the Corpse King would surface in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    But Mo Hua paid it no heed, often full of disdain, occasionally even telling it to get lost.


    The Corpse King could only glare violently and lurk in the shadows.


    After that, the appearances of the Corpse King became less frequent¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness also became much clearer.


    But what he didn¡¯t know was that his own causality and fate had thereby become much more dangerous¡­


    ¡­


    After the events of South Yue City, the Corpse King was subdued, Lu Chengyun died, and the Spirit Pivot Formation was learned. It was also time to leave.


    Before leaving, Mo Hua entombed the ashes of the past Elders of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect in the Gold Inlaid Black Jade Urn and handed it to Instructor Yan.


    Grasping the ashes, Instructor Yan looked moved.


    Then with a mixture of sighs and feelings of guilt, ¡°I, as a disciple, failed to protect our Sect¡¯s Elders from this disaster¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan¡¯s eyes reddened, tears welled up, and his emotions took a long time to calm down.


    The anger, confusion, hardship, loneliness, and despair he had felt over the years surged in his chest.


    Bringing the traitor to justice, reclaiming the legacy Formation of the Sect.


    These were things he thought about day and night for so many years.


    But he had never imagined the day when his dreams would indeed come true.


    Instructor Yan turned to look at Mo Hua, filled with gratitude and self-reproach, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh:


    ¡°I owe it all to you for this matter¡­¡±


    Investigating the traitor, discovering his identity, disrupting his schemes, making him pay with his blood, comforting the spirit of his master and the ancestors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect in heaven¡­


    These were things that he was supposed to do himself.


    But it was all thanks to Mo Hua that this grudge was settled.


    This matter also involved the Lu Family, the Corpse Mine, the Corpse King, and even lead to the Taoist Court, forcing them to dispatch Taoist Soldiers for suppression.


    How much danger was involved, Mo Hua didn¡¯t say, but he could guess.


    These dangers were originally his to bear¡­


    Yet they all fell upon the young Mo Hua.


    He himself had hardly done anything.


    Overwhelmed with shame, Instructor Yan lamented, ¡°As an Instructor, I truly am ashamed to show my face¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Instructor, you¡¯ve done a lot already.¡±


    Instructor Yan was taken aback, then spoke with a wry smile:


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to comfort me¡­¡±


    Yet Mo Hua shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not comfort, the master told me before, everything in this world has its causality, every drink and every peck has its rule.¡±


    ¡°The subjugation of Lu Chengyun and the quelling of the corpse calamity result from the seeds of virtue you planted, which brought about this virtuous outcome.¡±


    Mo Hua had just learned the basics of causality from Mr. Zhuang and was now using it to console Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan frowned, ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it does!¡±


    Mo Hua explained confidently:


    ¡°Without your initial teaching, I might not have chosen the path of Formation; without your introduction, I could not have taken Mr. Zhuang as my teacher; without taking Mr. Zhuang as my teacher, I wouldn¡¯t have been so proficient in Formations, nor would I travel everywhere in search of them.¡±


    ¡°And going to South Yue City was to seek Formations, but also to find you.¡±


    ¡°Had you not been in South Yue City, I would not have come.¡±


    ¡°It was your clues that allowed me to unravel the mystery step by step, find out about Zhang Quan, Corpse Walking Stronghold, Corpse Mine, along with Lu Chengyun and the Corpse King¡¯s schemes¡­¡± Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Finally, I was able to kill Lu Chengyun, subdue the Corpse King, allay the corpse disaster, and reclaim the stolen legacy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.¡±


    ¡°And with the Corpse King killed by the Spirit Pivot Formation, Lu Chengyun can be said to have died under the legacy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.¡±

 Chapter 571 - 518 Farewell_2

    Chapter 571: Chapter 518 Farewell_2


    ¡°Every event, every instance, is part of the cycle of cause and effect,¡±


    ¡°Without your initial adherence to principles, the transmission of Formation knowledge, and planting good causes, none of this would have happened. The Corpse Mine incident wouldn¡¯t have the outcome it has today¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan looked somewhat dazed, lost in contemplation for a long time.


    Good causes, good effects¡­


    After a while, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh and say,


    ¡°You, child, have always had a way with words.¡±


    And the thing was, his words made sense, leaving him unable to refute.


    When he thought about it, it was indeed because he had valued Mo Hua as a child, taught him about Formations, and given him an opportunity that Mo was able to help him so much today, settling the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s longstanding grievances.


    Thinking about it that way, did he not also accomplish something worthwhile?


    Instructor Yan felt a sense of poignancy, his eyes filled with satisfaction as he looked at the earnest Mo Hua.


    Perhaps not letting Mo Hua¡¯s talents go to waste was the most correct thing he had done in his life¡­


    Instructor Yan felt the knot in his heart slowly start to unravel.


    His brow unfurled.


    But what followed was an empty sense of loss.


    Lu Chengyun was dead, the vendetta was avenged, and his wishes fulfilled.


    Suddenly, he didn¡¯t know what to do anymore.


    Revenge had been his obsession, the driving force behind his will to live all these years, and with the great vendetta settled, he suddenly felt adrift.


    Mo Hua seemed to understand, his eyes shimmering slightly, he asked in a low voice,


    ¡°Instructor, how would you like to handle the ashes of the predecessors from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect?¡±


    Instructor Yan was taken aback, then after a moment of contemplation, he sighed,


    ¡°The Minor Hidden Spirit Sect is no more, and the gates have been sold off; we can¡¯t go back¡­ I plan to find a place to build a mausoleum, to lay the predecessors to rest properly, and sweep their graves during festivals¡­¡±


    And for himself, to live out the rest of his life in peace and quiet.


    Mo Hua then asked,


    ¡°Where will the burial be?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan hesitated, not having decided on a specific location for the burial.


    These days, finding a good piece of land wasn¡¯t easy, and it would cost quite a few Spirit Stones.


    ¡°Why not bury them in Tongxian City?¡± Mo Hua suggested.


    ¡°Tongxian City?¡± Instructor Yan was a bit astonished.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded, patted his chest confidently, and said,


    ¡°I¡¯m very familiar with Tongxian City. Court Leader Zhou, Elder Yu, Old Master An, and Master Luo¡­ I have some connection with all the notable Cultivators there¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll write a letter for you to bring back. Explain the situation, and they will help you.¡±


    ¡°When the time comes, you can bury the predecessors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect wherever you wish.¡±


    Instructor Yan was stunned.


    A single letter could help him?


    Your connections aren¡¯t just ¡®some¡¯, they¡¯re ironclad¡­but that¡¯s not right.


    If he remembered correctly, Cultivators like Court Leader Zhou, Elder Yu, and Old Master An weren¡¯t just Foundation Building Cultivators, they also held high statuses in Tongxian City.


    And Master Luo was an even more senior first-grade Formation Master¡­


    How did Mo Hua get so close to them?


    Even if he was a young and promising first-grade Formation Master, his network shouldn¡¯t be this extensive¡­


    Instructor Yan was somewhat dazed.


    What exactly had happened in Tongxian City during the two or three years he was gone?


    Had Mo Hua¡¯s influence grown so powerful?


    ¡°Instructor?¡± Mo Hua called out.


    Instructor Yan snapped back to the present. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Instructor Yan hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°Tongxian City¡¯s mountaintops aren¡¯t that affluent, this¡­¡±


    Mo Hua played coy,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tongxian City has changed a lot since then, you¡¯ll see when you get back.¡±


    Instructor Yan was puzzled, but didn¡¯t press for details.


    Under the current circumstances, burying the predecessors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect in Tongxian City was the best option.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Instructor Yan nodded.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression brightened, then he continued to ask, ¡°Instructor, do you want to rebuild the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect?¡±


    Rebuild¡­ the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect?


    Instructor Yan¡¯s heart quivered; he turned, looking incredulously at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Of course, this isn¡¯t something that can be rushed, but can be done step by step¡­¡±


    ¡°You can start by teaching Loose Cultivator about Formations in Tongxian City, and when there are more Disciples learning Formations, then gradually start rebuilding the Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Yu would definitely be willing to help you with this.¡±


    ¡°Taoist Court will be no problem either.¡±


    ¡°As for Formation Masters, Master Luo and Elder Qian will also support you¡­¡±


    ¡°It will take time, of course ¨C rebuilding a Sect is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires long-term perseverance, perhaps even the effort of several generations¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mo Hua laid it all out plainly.


    For a while, Instructor Yan felt a wave of emotion, yet he was still somewhat indecisive, clearly burdened with many concerns and uncertain about his decision.


    Mo Hua spoke earnestly,


    ¡°By rebuilding the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect and carrying forward the legacy of Formation knowledge, more and more disciples will come to pay homage to these predecessors from the Sect¡­¡±


    Carrying forward the legacy of Formation knowledge and having more disciples pay homage¡­


    Instructor Yan¡¯s heart throbbed intensely.


    In his eyes, the uncertainty dissipated, giving way to hope and yearning.


    Mo Hua said no more.


    He knew that Instructor Yan had made his decision; there was nothing more for him to say.


    Instructor Yan, who held teacher-disciple relationships and the transmission of Formation knowledge in high regard, had never given up pursuing the traitor Lu Chengyun for all these years. Now that the chance to revive the Sect and pass on the Formation knowledge lay before him, he wouldn¡¯t let it slip by.


    No matter how difficult the endeavour might be, he would find a way to overcome it.

 Chapter 572 - 518 Farewell_3

    Chapter 572: Chapter 518 Farewell_3


    Several days later, Instructor Yan set off on his journey.


    He was going back to Tongxian City to find a scenic spot, where he would lay to rest the ancestors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    At the same time, the idea of rebuilding the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect and passing on the Formation skills was gradually taking root in his heart.


    Mo Hua had given him many Formation Books and also shared some of her personal insights into Formations.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation diagrams were meticulously broken down by Mo Hua, from simple to complex, shallow to deep, with clear and detailed annotations.


    They were both easy to learn from and to teach.


    Instructor Yan took these diagrams with great seriousness, his hands trembling slightly as he accepted them.


    Additionally, Mo Hua had given him some special products from South Yue City, as well as provisions for the road, and some Pills for avoiding danger such as Miasma Repelling Pill, Poison Repelling Pill, and Monster Repelling Pill.


    Mo Hua had escorted Instructor Yan all the way to the outskirts of the city.


    Along the way, she chattered non-stop, giving him advice:


    ¡°You should first get an assessment¡­¡±


    ¡°Things will be much easier for you after the assessment.¡±


    ¡°There are many insiders in Tongxian City, so the assessment should go smoothly, and the Taoist Court even offers a shuttle service¡­¡±


    ¡°Once the assessment is done, first try to establish your Foundation. It¡¯s okay to get some Spirit Stones on credit¡­ You can look for Elder Yu¡­ no, Elder Yu is rather poor, look for Old Master An; the An Family is rich, and their young master, An Xiaofu, is also acquainted with me¡­¡±


    ¡°Once you become a Foundation Building Cultivator with Divine Sense reaching the Twelve Patterns, you can start learning the Spiritual Pivot Formation.¡±


    ¡°Learn it bit by bit; don¡¯t rush, start with the simplest and progress step by step¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan chuckled, feeling a mix of amusement and warmth.


    He benefited greatly from Mo Hua¡¯s words.


    As an Instructor, he was now going to learn Formation skills from his own disciple¡­


    It was a thought that filled Instructor Yan with mixed emotions and a sense of contentment.


    Having finished talking about Formations, Mo Hua started discussing other matters:


    ¡°When you get back, please send my regards to my parents¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell them I¡¯m safe and sound, eating well, sleeping well, getting plump and well-taken care of, and that I¡¯m learning Formations quite well. I haven¡¯t encountered any danger, so they don¡¯t need to worry¡­¡±


    ¡°And Elder Yu, Grandpa Feng, Master Chen, the Uncles and Uncles from the Monster Hunters¡­¡±


    ¡°And Da¡¯hu, Dazhu, and the rest¡­ Pass on my greetings to them too¡­¡±


    Mo Hua listed a bunch of names in one breath.


    ¡°Alright, take it slow¡­¡± Instructor Yan¡¯s head was spinning, he sighed internally. The child had such an extensive network of acquaintances¡­


    Unnoticed by them, they had reached the city gate.


    A thousand miles of escort must end in farewell, and it was time for Mo Hua to part ways with Instructor Yan.


    At the actual moment of parting, words failed them, and the atmosphere turned silent for a while.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered with reluctance.


    Instructor Yan gazed at Mo Hua deeply, as if to imprint her image in his heart.


    After a moment, he gave Mo Hua a pat on the shoulder and said with expectation,


    ¡°Study hard!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Instructor Yan then waved his hand with a warm voice,


    ¡°Alright, go back, I¡¯m off now.¡±


    Shouldering his travel bag, he stepped onto the mountain path, leaving South Yue City. Occasionally, he would look back to see Mo Hua still standing at the city gate, and he would wave, signaling her to go back. After a few steps, he would turn and wave again¡­


    The wilderness was vast and boundless.


    Instructor Yan¡¯s figure grew more distant as he vanished into the rugged mountains.


    Mo Hua watched solemnly toward the distant mountain range, bowing deeply¡­


    Just like the day they had parted at the foot of the mountain in Tongxian City.


    ¡­


    After bidding farewell to Mo Hua, leaving South Yue City and walking alone along the mountain road towards the northwest, Instructor Yan passed several peaks and came upon a range of connected mines.


    In the mines, there was a vast mining shaft.


    Mining Cultivators were working the mines, their noisy activity filled with a certain liveliness.


    Despite the hardship, the faces of the Mining Cultivators in the mine no longer bore signs of suffering, repression, or pain.


    Instead, there was now a look of hope.


    The hope of living a better life through their own efforts.


    This was starkly different from the scene he had encountered upon his arrival.


    Instructor Yan thought again of what Mo Hua had said, ¡°Sow good seeds, and you will reap good fruits.¡±


    Could the mine also be considered a kind of good fruit?


    If he had not sown good seeds back then, would the mine still be the same as before, with people living like zombies during the day, and zombies laboring like humans at night?


    Perhaps then, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see the scene before him now¡­


    Instructor Yan felt some relief.


    ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t accomplished nothing after all¡­¡±


    His abilities were indeed limited; he could not help many people.


    He did not understand Taoist skills and could not kill the wicked.


    His Formation abilities were mediocre; he did not know any profound Formations, nor could he construct large ones.


    What he could do was pass on the knowledge of Formations.


    To let those with a talent for Formations not waste their time.


    To let those capable of benefiting others not be buried in obscurity.


    As long as he could plant more good seeds, naturally, he would harvest even more good fruits¡­


    With this thought, Instructor Yan¡¯s eyes suddenly cleared.


    His lifespan was limited, but there were still many things he could do!


    He looked back again, towards the direction of South Yue City.


    The mountains blocked his view, and he could no longer see Mo Hua in front of the city gates.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s figure was still imprinted in his mind.


    This was the first and only cultivator in the Qi-refining Realm who had managed to learn the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s Sect Protecting First Grade Twelve Patterns Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Who knows what achievements this child will reach in the future¡­


    Instructor Yan¡¯s eyes were full of hope.


    ¡­


    Several days later, inside South Yue City.


    Instructor Yan had left, and Mo Hua was about to leave as well.


    He had already said his goodbyes to Elder Su, Situ Fang, Qinglan, and Yang Jishan among others.


    Elder Su was quite reluctant to see him go.


    He really liked Mo Hua and had given him a pile of fine tea.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°You¡¯re giving me so much?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elder Su said wistfully, ¡°Take it all. There¡¯s no pleasure in drinking it alone once you¡¯re gone; these fine teas will lose their taste.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Drinking less tea is good, too. You should spend more time focusing on your son.¡±


    Elder Su¡¯s face reddened, ¡°What son?¡±


    Mo Hua silently looked at him.


    Elder Su then chuckled awkwardly and sighed,


    ¡°The past cannot withstand recollection; it always comes to collect its debts.¡±


    Yet in his gaze, there was still a hint of tenderness. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Situ Fang and Qinglan also gave Mo Hua some gifts and extended an invitation,


    ¡°Do visit the Situ Family when you have the chance; let me show you the hospitality of a host.¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Certainly.¡±


    Yang Jishan felt a sense of regret.


    What a great talent.


    If only he could join the Taoist soldiers Court, how wonderful it would be!


    The people of the Yang Family had a somewhat uniform way of thinking.


    He expressed sentiments similar to those of Yang Jiyong,


    ¡°If you ever consider joining the Taoist soldiers Court, use the Yang Family¡¯s name. We¡¯ve got your back!¡±


    Mo Hua thanked him with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Yang!¡±


    With all preparations complete, Mo Hua, his Junior Brother and Sister, Old Kui, and Mr. Zhuang boarded the cart pulled by Big White, setting off on a new journey to the sound of steady hoofbeats.


    The road was rough, but the ride inside the cart was stable.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Master, where are we going next?¡±


    ¡°Southward.¡±


    ¡°Southward?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡±


    He looked at Mo Hua with a distant gaze,


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to establish your foundation¡­¡±

 Chapter 573 - 519 Cannot figure out_1

    Chapter 573: Chapter 519 Cannot figure out_1


    ¡°Foundation Establishment!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    He had waited for this day, waited for so long!


    Just the thought of being close to Foundation Establishment made Mo Hua smile with his eyes squinted, his little face showing a simple and honest expression, like a carefree cat basking in the sun.


    Watching him, Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze was gentle, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.


    Bai Zisheng then curled his lips and said,


    ¡°How unambitious, getting so excited over mere Foundation Establishment¡­¡±


    ¡°As my junior brother, you should set your sights farther, aiming for at least the Golden Core, or even Feather Transformation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered with him.


    He was in a good mood now, so he decided not to quibble with his junior brother.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua warmly, his smile gentle, then he slowly said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited too soon; your Foundation Establishment is not like others¡¯, and it probably won¡¯t be that easy¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and whispered,


    ¡°Is it because of the bottleneck in my Divine Sense?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua frowned and pondered deeply.


    According to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s previous explanation, his path of cultivation should start with advancing his Divine Sense to around fourteen Formation Patterns of the Qi Foundation Middle Stage.


    Then he should use the breakthrough in his cultivation to double his Divine Sense, leaping a major phase in one fell swoop to drastically increase it to the realm of Foundation Establishment Late Stage.


    Whether it would be Seventeen Patterns, Eighteen Patterns, or Nineteen Patterns was uncertain.


    However, even Seventeen Patterns would be quite astonishing.


    To have Late Stage Foundation Establishment Divine Sense in the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    This meant that, right upon entering the Second Grade of the Formation path, Mo Hua would have sufficient Divine Sense to study High-Grade Second Rank Formations!


    And Mo Hua¡¯s abilities relied on his Divine Sense.


    With a strong Divine Sense, not only Formations but also movement techniques and spells would benefit.


    But this was only Mo Hua¡¯s speculation.


    Whether this was truly the case was yet to be seen.


    As Mr. Zhuang said, there are few cultivators who Prove the Dao with Divine Sense, lacking sufficient precedents to reference, making it unclear what changes and challenges lie ahead on this path.


    Moreover, the bottleneck from Thirteen Stripes to Fourteen Patterns was much more difficult than Mo Hua had anticipated.


    The gap from Thirteen to Fourteen Patterns seems minimal.


    But it is the bottleneck from the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage to the Qi Foundation Middle Stage.


    And Mo Hua was still at the stage of Qi Refinement.


    Now he was practicing Formation Patterns daily, and his Divine Sense was gradually strengthening, but no matter what, it remained at the pinnacle of Thirteen Stripes.


    The divide from Thirteen to Fourteen Patterns seemed as vast as the heavens.


    No matter how much the Divine Sense strengthened, it seemed like a drop in the bucket.


    He couldn¡¯t break through the bottleneck to reach the realm of Fourteen Patterns.


    Mo Hua wondered how long he would have to paint before he could advance to Fourteen Patterns, and even though he had learned the Ultimate Formation of Thirteen Stripes, the progress was expected to be very slow¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Seeing this, Mr. Zhuang looked at him with a gentle smile and serenely said,


    ¡°The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the rough and distant road ahead make you waver.¡±


    ¡°If this is the path you choose, there¡¯s no need to hesitate. What you need to do is focus solely on taking each step, moving forward one step at a time¡­¡±


    ¡°Many things will become clear to you as you go along.¡±


    ¡°And many opportunities and turning points can only be discovered on the journey.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened slightly, and he nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang then turned to look at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, his voice warm as he said,


    ¡°The situation with the Bai Family is complicated, and I shouldn¡¯t say too much, but these words apply to you both just the same.¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    But while Bai Zixi seemed thoughtful, Bai Zisheng still seemed somewhat puzzled.


    ¡­


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua continued Drawing Formations.


    Tedious, mechanical, repetitive.


    It seemed monotonous.


    But with every iteration, his understanding of the Formation Patterns improved, growing more familiar and more profound.


    Opportunities come naturally and shouldn¡¯t be forced.


    But practicing Formations was within his control.


    Mo Hua gradually settled his mind.


    All the days and nights before, he had spent painting this way.


    For the long time ahead, Mo Hua would continue to paint in the same way¡­


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words.


    The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.


    He just needed to focus and keep walking step by step, keep painting time after time¡­


    ¡­


    After Mo Hua left, South Yue City gradually calmed down.


    The assorted cultivators from the Taoist Court who had been ordered to suppress the Corpse Mine had also gradually dispersed.


    Only a group of cultivators, including a gaunt old man, a middle-aged cultivator, and Young Master Yun, remained gathered.


    They were not there for the Corpse Mine in the first place.


    The gaunt old man sighed and said,


    ¡°Now it can be confirmed that we did not calculate his whereabouts, but that person intentionally revealed his causality, luring us here.¡±


    ¡°To say he lured us, it¡¯s more like he summoned us¡­¡±


    One of the cultivators said discontentedly, ¡°Does he think we are spirit pets to be summoned at will?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stating the truth.¡±


    ¡°What truth? I think it¡¯s nonsense.¡±


    ¡°The key issue is, he summoned us and it turned out to be a wild goose chase¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you call it a wild goose chase? The Corpse King, the Taoist Demon, how great was that causality? If not resolved, how much disaster would it have brought?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I see it as a good thing¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say, but are you really content being played like this?¡±


    ¡°What else can you do? What¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡­


    Amidst the noise in the hall, the venerable elder with white hair signaled for everyone to calm down, then spoke in his hoarse voice,


    ¡°Regardless, that person brought us here to suppress the Corpse Mine and resolve the chaos caused by the Taoist Demon, preventing disaster to the living beings across the state boundary, thereby following the will of heaven and practicing virtue.¡±


    ¡°In this battle, everyone contributed.¡±


    ¡°As for that individual, even if he appears superior and arrogant, looking down on other beings, he still seems to be a person with a sense of justice.¡±

 Chapter 574 - 519: Cant Figure it Out _2

    Chapter 574: Chapter 519: Can¡¯t Figure it Out _2


    Among the crowd, some agreed and others were scornful.


    It was Young Master Yun who earnestly nodded in agreement.


    The white-haired elder continued, ¡°The real question now is, where on earth did that person go?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other, their brows furrowed in deep thought.


    Someone asked, ¡°Is there any trace of that person in South Yue City?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ at least, I haven¡¯t found anything.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t found any clues either¡­¡±


    ¡°Not a single trace¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as if no cultivator in the entire South Yue City has ever seen that person¡¯s face or knows his whereabouts¡­¡±


    ¡°So, has he really been here or not?¡±


    ¡°It seems like he hasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°If he hasn¡¯t come, how did he know about the Corpse Mine?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think that he can only know about these things by coming here in person, by seeing with his own eyes, do you? You¡¯re seriously underestimating him¡­¡±


    Quite a few cultivators nodded silently.


    A cultivator said, ¡°I¡¯m just wondering, could all this be within that person¡¯s calculations?¡±


    ¡°Including the mutation of the Corpse King, the battle to suppress the Corpse Mine, Lu Chengyun¡¯s scheme, and that Junior Formation Master who made the Corpse King submit; could his every move be within that person¡¯s calculations?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, it¡¯s terrifying¡­¡±


    ¡°If so, we might never see that person in our entire lives.¡±


    ¡°Be content, even Heaven Shu Pavilion has been searching for hundreds of years without finding a trace of that person. Now that we¡¯re gathered here, experiencing all of this, it¡¯s already the closest we¡¯ve ever been to him.¡±


    ¡°His schemes are too deep¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, that Junior Formation Master is no ordinary person either.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Such a powerful Junior Formation Master, I wonder where he comes from¡­¡±


    The crowd marveled in amazement.


    ¡°Speaking of the Junior Formation Master¡­¡± someone pondered with a frown, ¡°¡­ isn¡¯t there also a Junior Formation Master in Tongxian City who set up a Large Formation and executed the Big Demon Feng Xi?¡±


    The crowd fell silent for a while.


    Someone said seriously, ¡°Would you rather believe that story instead of believing that I am the reincarnation of a Taoist master?¡±


    ¡°Reincarnate my ass, do you think you¡¯re worthy?¡±


    ¡°You dare curse me?¡±


    ¡°So, about the Junior Formation Master setting up a Large Formation, what do you think a Large Formation is?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, a Large Formation is no trifling matter.¡±


    A cultivator frowned and said, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ve heard an elder from Heaven Shu Pavilion say that in Tongxian City, within the domain of Black Mountain State at Second Grade, indeed a Big Demon emerged, and indeed someone set up a Large Formation, which subdued the Big Demon¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? The cause and effect of that person surfaced in Tongxian City. So, it¡¯s not just about a Junior Formation Master setting up a Large Formation to kill the Big Demon, it¡¯s that person working behind the scenes¡­¡±


    He suddenly stopped talking midway.


    Everyone present also realized something was off; after pondering for a moment, their faces turned pale.


    In Tongxian City, that person was behind everything¡­


    The happenings in South Yue City were also instigated by that person¡­


    There is a Junior Formation Master in Tongxian City, as well as in South Yue City¡­


    An astonishing suspicion emerged in everyone¡¯s mind:


    Could this Junior Formation Master be¡­ that Junior Formation Master¡­


    If that¡¯s the case, then the person behind this Junior Formation Master¡­ could it be the person they were looking for?!


    What is their relationship?


    A middle-aged cultivator swallowed hard and said tentatively:


    ¡°Could it be¡­ that this Junior Formation Master has a teacher?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s hearts skipped a beat.


    A teacher?!


    Is this Junior Formation Master, the disciple of that person?!


    What do you mean no clues?


    What do you mean no traces?


    That person¡¯s disciple brazenly appeared in front of them all, joined them in suppressing the Corpse King, quelled the corpse calamity, and even chatted and dined with them.


    Before leaving, they even bid him farewell??


    The cultivators on site struggled to accept this reality.


    After a while, someone finally said:


    ¡°Could it be that Mr. Zhuang has been in the city all the time?¡±


    ¡°You should call him ¡®that person,¡¯ not Mr. Zhuang, otherwise he¡¯ll know.¡±


    ¡°By calling him that way, he won¡¯t know?¡±


    The crowd fell silent, and then they all sighed.


    Let it be, Mr. Zhuang it is. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Them calling ¡°that person¡± is just like deceiving themselves by covering their ears while stealing bells¡­


    ¡°Do you remember when the young gentleman left South Yue City in a carriage pulled by that big white horse, was Mr. Zhuang¡­ could he have been in the carriage¡­¡±


    These words were better left unsaid.


    Once spoken, everyone¡¯s hearts were filled with bitterness and profound regret.


    The person they were looking for was right before their eyes, who left in front of them in a carriage.


    And they bid him farewell without knowing anything.


    One cultivator was incredulous, ¡°Impossible, it can¡¯t be such a coincidence.¡±


    Yet the gaunt elder shook his head, ¡°With Qi Refinement cultivation, able to draw a First Grade Ultimate Formation, aside from Mr. Zhuang, no one else can teach such a disciple.¡±


    Young Master Yun¡¯s expression also carried a touch of emotion.


    ¡°Besides,¡± the gaunt elder continued, ¡°this young gentleman also has a pair of siblings with the surname Bai as fellow disciples.¡±


    ¡°These two young cultivators have astonishing talent, yet they are inscrutable.¡±


    ¡°The girl is fierce and dignified, unassuming, but certainly not simple. As for the young boy¡­¡±


    The gaunt elder¡¯s gaze filled with deep wariness, ¡°The Taoist Skill he uses is the Returning Dragon Spear!¡±


    ¡°The method of the dragon, the Bai Family from Qian State, I suppose I don¡¯t need to say much, you all should understand what that implies¡­¡±


    The hearts of everyone present trembled.


    The Bai Family from Qian State, that¡¯s truly a behemoth¡­


    ¡°But what does the Bai Family have to do with that person?¡± a cultivator asked.


    The gaunt elder sighed, ¡°Indeed, there are some connections between the Bai Family and Mr. Zhuang, but we¡¯d best not inquire about it. The Bai Family is not something we can afford to provoke.¡±

 Chapter 575 - 519 Cant Figure It Out_3

    Chapter 575: Chapter 519 Can¡¯t Figure It Out_3


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that this young gentleman is indeed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple?¡±


    The emaciated elder was somewhat shocked and had some difficulty believing it, sighing as he said:


    ¡°It must be so¡­¡±


    The atmosphere turned even more silent for a moment.


    They had a mission to find Mr. Zhuang and somehow uncover the secrets he possessed.


    But after what they had experienced in the Corpse Mine, deep down, they did not wish to be enemies with this young gentleman.


    Suddenly someone asked:


    ¡°What exactly is the background of this young gentleman? Where does he come from? Does he have a family or a Sect? Why did Mr. Zhuang take him as a disciple? If I remember correctly, Mr. Zhuang hasn¡¯t taken any disciples for a long time, right¡­?¡±


    Everyone frowned.


    ¡°This young gentleman¡­¡±


    Someone had just begun to speak when they suddenly paused, ¡°¡­what is this young gentleman¡¯s name again?¡±


    ¡°Have you gone mad? This young gentleman¡¯s surname is¡­¡±


    Another person also suddenly got stuck.


    What was his surname again?


    ¡°Bai?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the surname of his senior brothers and sisters.¡±


    ¡°Strange, I remember his senior brothers and sisters, so why can¡¯t I remember him?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t recall his name, and his appearance is also unclear to me¡­¡±


    Someone suddenly looked stunned, ¡°What exactly did this young gentleman do?¡±


    This question completely baffled everyone.


    An image emerged in their Sea of Consciousness:


    Under a sky dyed with blood, hordes of corpses danced chaotically, and the Corpse King confronted this young gentleman.


    They still remembered the feelings of heart palpitations, shock, and disbelief, but as for what this young gentleman had actually done, and what happened afterward, everything had become hazy.


    The white-haired elder thought for a moment and sighed:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang has woven a mist into the fabric of cause and effect, and our Divine Senses are insufficient to pierce through it¡­¡±


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s expression turned to one of great alarm.


    ¡°There is such a method?¡±


    ¡°Does this mean we have no clues at all?¡±


    ¡°Senior, is there no way?¡±


    The white-haired elder, with a thoughtful frown, then said slowly: ¡°Heavenly Secret Calculation might be possible, to glimpse a leopard through a tube, to see one spot¡­¡±


    ¡°Could you possibly¡­¡±


    The white-haired elder shook his head, looking helpless:


    ¡°I am old, my Divine Sense has declined, I can¡¯t do the calculations¡­¡±


    People exchanged glances.


    Someone looked at the emaciated elder, ¡°Senior Wen, perhaps you could try a calculation?¡±


    The emaciated elder was startled, ¡°Me, calculate?¡±


    That person nodded, ¡°Currently, you are the one most proficient in Calculation here.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± The emaciated elder looked troubled.


    That person continued, ¡°You also have the Three Talents Divination Copper Coins to aid you, it might be impossible to calculate Mr. Zhuang, but calculating his young disciple shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?¡±


    Others also chimed in, ¡°Senior Wen, we¡¯d be indebted to you.¡±


    The emaciated elder internally lamented.


    The harborer of a complaint should be the first to voice it.


    How did this unfortunate task fall upon him?


    The emaciated elder wanted to decline, but with so many Cultivators present, all with respectable status, hailing from Noble Clans or Sects, to offend them could invite petty grudges.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do the calculation.¡±


    Moreover, he himself wanted to know the origins of this young gentleman.


    Who could have impressed the exceedingly selective Mr. Zhuang to take as a disciple?


    And to make Mr. Zhuang cast a mist to hide his causality.


    The emaciated elder took out a Copper Coin and poured out his Divine Sense, chanting firmly as he flipped the coin randomly until it finally came to a stop.


    The emaciated elder held the Copper Coin to his forehead and closed his eyes to sense it.


    However, in the realm of his Divine Sense, there was only a fog.


    After a long while, he still knew nothing.


    The emaciated elder opened his eyes, sighed, and said helplessly, ¡°The Heavenly secrets have indeed been obscured, concealed by a fog, I can¡¯t calculate anything, it must be Mr. Zhuang¡¯s handiwork¡­¡±


    Hearing this, everyone felt a tinge of disappointment.


    This young gentleman might be harboring a clue to Mr. Zhuang.


    And it could be crucial.


    But if it was impossible to calculate, then there was nothing to be done.


    A middle-aged Cultivator frowned, ¡°I can understand not being able to calculate Mr. Zhuang, but why couldn¡¯t even his disciple be the least bit discernible¡­¡±


    ¡°Senior Wen, could you try calculating from a different angle?¡±


    ¡°Right, not him, but try to calculate his parents, friends, and others close to him, or else his past, where he lived, where he has been?¡±


    ¡°Any trace would do.¡±


    The emaciated elder cursed them all in his heart.


    He was being made to take on all this unpleasant work alone.


    He was not without temper.


    The emaciated elder spoke up: ¡°My abilities are limited, if you want me to continue calculating, I will need to borrow your Heavenly Circulation spiritual artifacts.¡±


    At this request, some began to hesitate.


    Spiritual Artifacts that held the principles of the Circulation and could aid in Calculation were valuable, and not things one would easily lend to others.


    Seeing their expressions, the emaciated elder scoffed inwardly.


    It was easy to ask for help from others, but they were unwilling to pay a price. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just then, the white-haired elder spoke:


    ¡°I am willing to lend my Zen Dhyana Mat to Brother Wen¡­¡±


    The emaciated elder was surprised.


    The white-haired elder then addressed the others: ¡°The secrets on Mr. Zhuang are tremendous and of great importance; surely none of you would be so stingy with a mere object and neglect the bigger picture.¡±


    Everyone fell silent and, after pondering for a moment, made up their minds as one by one they began to offer:


    ¡°I have a Second Grade Heavenly secret disk¡­¡±


    ¡°I can contribute a stick of Nourishing Spirit Incense¡­¡±


    ¡°This hairpin is a Dry Wood Hairpin, it can accelerate mental calculations¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Soon, a collection of Spiritual Artifacts had piled up in front of the emaciated elder.


    The emaciated elder looked at these Spiritual Artifacts with some surprise but then also a bit of excitement.


    These were all fine Spiritual Artifacts used for calculations.


    Many of them were secret artifacts of Noble Clans or Sects, not usually given to outsiders.

 Chapter 576 - 519: Cant Figure It Out_4

    Chapter 576: Chapter 519: Can¡¯t Figure It Out_4


    The gaunt elder suddenly became spirited.


    In his life, he had never undertaken such a ¡°wealthy¡± Heavenly Secret Calculation.


    With the aid of these calculating tools, he might indeed stand a slight chance against Mr. Zhuang.


    To part the fog laid out by Mr. Zhuang and glimpse that trace of the hidden Heavenly Secret.


    The gaunt elder¡¯s spirit was boosted.


    After resting for a moment and waiting for his Divine Sense to replenish, he solemnly lit the Nourishing Spirit Incense, donned the Dry Wood Hairpin, seated himself on the Zen Viewing Mat, and on the heavenly secret disk, he arranged the Copper Coins of the Three Talents Divination¡­


    With the support of so many Spiritual Artifacts, his Divine Sense was exceptionally full, his train of thought extraordinarily clear, his eyes as if glowing, seemed to peer through the past and infer the future.


    The gaunt elder sat up straight and began the Calculation.


    Despite being ¡°fully equipped,¡± he still took no chances.


    He wasn¡¯t greedy, not trying to calculate too much at once, only a little bit at a time, wishing to see the past of that Junior Formation Master shrouded in fog¡ªto look at some momentary experiences, to find some clues, and to peer into the causes and consequences.


    Even if the fog laid by Mr. Zhuang was profound, it still wouldn¡¯t be without blind spots.


    The gaunt elder sat patiently and calculated meticulously.


    After an unknown period, he finally penetrated a layer of mist from within a sea of confusion and the unknown!


    The gaunt elder was overjoyed and just as he was about to look, a sudden intense thump in his heart, a warning emerged.


    As if beneath the fog lay something extremely horrifying.


    Merely touching it made his heart pound with fright, cold sweat drenched him.


    Even within the fog, there was a thread carrying a bloodlike, ferocious, chilling aura.


    This aura, though obscure, exuded a hair-raising presence of death.


    Like a bucket of cold water, poured over his head.


    The gaunt elder snapped to a realization:


    What am I doing?


    Who gave me the courage to peer into the fog laid by Mr. Zhuang?


    Am I worthy?


    What is my ability?


    And what level is Mr. Zhuang at?


    The gaunt elder¡¯s hands shook, and his heart trembled.


    ¡°Damn that was close!¡±


    ¡°I almost let these Spiritual Artifacts deceive me, became overconfident, overestimated myself, and lost sight of my place.¡±


    One must know one¡¯s place as a person, and also in Calculation.


    To calculate as much cause and effect as one¡¯s abilities allow.


    If you cannot calculate it, it simply means your abilities are not yet sufficient.


    If you are not skilled enough and forcibly calculate, you will face retribution from causes and consequences beyond your abilities, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if even death or obliteration ensued.


    The gaunt elder took a deep breath.


    However, his heart still fluttered wildly, seemingly not yet recovered from the shock of the warning.


    The gaunt elder was filled with retrospective fear and a sense of relief as if he had narrowly escaped disaster.


    Thankfully he knew his limitations, understood how ¡°inexperienced¡± he was; otherwise, he would have almost brought about a catastrophe.


    Upon seeing a look of enlightenment on the gaunt elder¡¯s face, other Cultivators approached and asked:


    ¡°Senior Wen, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°Did you figure it out?¡±


    I figured out your mother¡¯s big ghost head!!


    The gaunt elder cursed inwardly.


    Figured out nothing; I almost lost my life in the process.


    But he couldn¡¯t say that outright, as it would not only offend everyone, but also make him lose face.


    So the gaunt elder sighed and said, ¡°Indeed, Mr. Zhuang is a prodigy; his methods¡­ are beyond my comprehension¡­¡±


    The crowd sighed in disappointment.


    The lead had gone cold again.


    Some questioned, ¡°With so many calculating tools to aid you, it¡¯s impossible that you couldn¡¯t figure it out, Senior Wen. You aren¡¯t trying to keep this secret to yourself, are you?¡±


    The gaunt elder looked coldly at him, ¡°How about I give you all the calculating tools, and you try?¡±


    The man quieted down and shut his mouth.


    It was just talk; if he were actually put to the test, he wouldn¡¯t know how to do anything.


    The gaunt elder returned the calculating tools, expressing his gratitude:


    ¡°I am insufficient in my abilities and have let down everyone¡¯s kindness.¡±


    An elder with white hair knew the difficulty and danger of the task and showed understanding, saying:


    ¡°Brother Wen has worked hard.¡±


    The other Cultivators nearby also showed pity and said:


    ¡°We are grateful for Senior Wen¡¯s effort.¡±


    ¡°Senior Wen, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    ¡­


    They, too, were just trying their luck; if they couldn¡¯t figure it out, it was expected, for there were few Cultivators in this world more skilled in Heavenly Secret Calculation than Mr. Zhuang.


    This matter would need further long-term consideration.


    Everyone went back to rest.


    The gaunt elder also put away his Three Talents Divination Copper Coins.


    But as he picked up the coins, he discovered that the edge of one Copper Coin¡­ now had a tiny crack.


    The gaunt elder was startled, then reflected quietly.


    Suddenly, he was engulfed by immense fear.


    He now realized, it wasn¡¯t that he had the sense of his own limits.


    It was the Copper Coin that had, at a critical moment, blocked a deadly threat, saving his life! Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That¡¯s why the warning arose!


    That¡¯s why he thought to retreat, that¡¯s how he escaped the calamity!


    His had truly been a close call!


    The gaunt elder felt weak in his limbs, slumped onto the chair, his heart, which had just calmed down, was again pounding with terror, and his back soaked with cold sweat.


    Fear lingered in his eyes.


    What exactly lay beneath the fog?


    How terrifying was this junior gentleman¡¯s fate?


    He had only tried to see a corner, no, not even managed to take a look, and was nearly obliterated?!


    What exactly resides within his life¡¯s destiny¡­

 Chapter 577 - 577: I love you

    Chapter 577: I love you


    ¡°Do not pry, the unpryable.¡±


    The emaciated elder recalled what his master had said to him years ago.


    The unpryable¡­


    He thought of Mr. Zhuang again, thought of that layer of fog.


    The fog laid down by Mr. Zhuang was perhaps not just about keeping a secret but also about protecting all those who rashly sought the cause and effect of the young gentleman.


    For hidden within that cause and effect lay great peril.


    But no matter how he struggled to comprehend, he could not understand why such a young Junior Formation Master would be tainted with such grave and ferocious karma.


    What on earth had happened?


    The emaciated elder furrowed his brow, deep in perplexed thought.


    ¡°Enough, enough, ignorance is bliss¡­ Knowing such dangerous matters is not a good thing¡­¡±


    The emaciated elder sighed with lingering fear in his heart.


    All things related to Mo Hua were becoming vague in his mind.


    He only remembered, beneath the blood-red sky and amidst the Corpse Tide, a small, unyielding figure standing faintly in the distance.


    Young Master Yun couldn¡¯t remember clearly either.


    He remembered the Spiritual Pivot Formation, remembered that he had made friends with a Junior Formation Master.


    But who this person was, he had only a hazy recollection, and no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn¡¯t remember.


    Only a clear, smiling face remained in his memory¡­


    ¡­


    Elsewhere, the leader of the Taoist Soldiers, Yang Jishan, was writing a report to the Taoist Court.


    He wanted to commend Mo Hua for his service.


    In the battle of the Corpse Mine, suppressing the Corpse Tide, subduing the Corpse King, executing Lu Chengyun, quelling the undead menace, and improving the lives of the cultivators and citizens of South Yue City, this young gentleman, Mo Hua, contributed immensely.


    But as he wrote, everything suddenly became hazy again.


    Yang Jishan tried to write the two characters ¡°Mo Hua,¡± but as soon as he started, he froze.


    The name Mo Hua was obscured by fog.


    He could not remember the young gentleman¡¯s family or given name.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Yang Jishan was deeply shocked.


    How could I have forgotten his name?


    Soon he realized, it was not just the name, even the face, and voice of the young gentleman were becoming indistinct and unreal.


    The matters of the Corpse Mine were also discontinuous and incomplete.


    Within the Corpse Mine, atop the graves, what exactly had happened?


    Yang Jishan frowned.


    His mind only remembered two images:


    One was the Corpse King howling towards the heavens under a blood-red sky, with thousands of corpses bowing in worship.


    The other was the Corpse King roaring unwillingly amidst blazing flames, turning to ashes.


    What actually happened in the end?


    Yang Jishan had completely forgotten.


    How was such a powerful and fierce Corpse King subdued and turned to ash?


    Yang Jishan could not recall at all.


    In his Sea of Consciousness, he only vaguely remembered a small figure that changed the heavens and earth, commanding the submission of thousands of corpses¡­


    ¡°Who was that little cultivator?¡±


    Yang Jishan frowned, murmuring to himself.


    ¡­


    As things settled down,


    All the cause and effect gradually wrapped themselves in fog.


    The various factions of cultivators from South Yue City also gradually dispersed.


    But half a month later, another group of uninvited guests arrived.


    They were four odd-looking cultivators.


    A young man, exquisitely handsome, but with a pale complexion as if wearing a deathly, finely crafted, flawless mask.


    An old man carrying a Sword Box, expressionless, with only the whites of his eyes showing.


    A big man, burly in stature, with sharp fingertips and bloodshot eyes.


    And an old crone, antiquated and babbling.


    They stood on a desolate hilltop, gazing distantly at South Yue City and the surrounding mines.


    The Sword Box Elder spoke in a hoarse voice,


    ¡°Such a great gesture, what a pity!¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The pale youth sneered, ¡°Nothing more than raising a first-grade Taoist Demon, and not even successfully at that¡­¡±


    The big man with fangs bared a savage smile, his face resembling that of a fierce wolf, ¡°Your father has always wanted to do it, yet he hasn¡¯t raised even one in half his lifetime.¡±


    The pale youth arrogantly said,


    ¡°Either raise something above third or fourth grade, a real Big Demon, Big Undead or Big Sin. Raising first or second-grade Taoist Demons is meaningless.¡±


    The hoarse and indifferent voice of the Sword Box Elder sounded like slowly flowing sand,


    ¡°With such words, you truly don¡¯t understand what a Taoist Demon is¡­ A Taoist Demon is an anomaly, not measured by grade.¡±


    The pale youth scoffed, clearly dismissive.


    The fanged big man looked around once more, sniffed the stench in the air, and said with emotion,


    ¡°Too bad we¡¯re late, otherwise we could have feasted.¡±


    He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, which unsettlingly had barbs on them.


    The Sword Box Elder nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a pity, had this Taoist Demon not met an early demise, the entire state boundary could have become a breeding ground for the Demon Path.¡±


    ¡°Whose doing was it?¡± the fanged big man asked.


    ¡°Who else could it be?¡± the Sword Box Elder retorted.


    A hint of wariness flashed in the eyes of the fanged big man.


    Clearly, even they were reluctant to mention that Taoist¡¯s name.


    The pale youth laughed sardonically, ¡°I wonder who it was that spoiled Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s good fortune¡­¡±


    Disdain flickered across his bloodless face.


    The Sword Box Elder said sternly,


    ¡°You best show some respect. Don¡¯t think that just because you have your father backing you, that Taoist won¡¯t dare to touch you.¡±


    The pale youth¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°My father¡¯s cultivation is higher than his.¡±


    The Sword Box Elder shook his head, ¡°You still don¡¯t understand what the title ¡®Taoist¡¯ implies¡­¡±


    The pale youth remained somewhat unconvinced.


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s eyes, filled only with whites, coldly gazed at the youth, his voice chill,


    ¡°If that Taoist wanted you dead, not even your father could save you.¡±


    ¡°Whether you live or die is trivial, but don¡¯t drag us down with you. If you do, we won¡¯t let you off either¡­¡±


    The pale youth was indignant but did not speak out in rebuttal.

 Chapter 578 - 578: I Love You

    Chapter 578: I Love You


    His teeth bit through his lips, but it seemed as though they had merely pierced a layer of skin, and not a single drop of blood flowed out.


    The other three present paid him no heed.


    The man with wolf-like teeth, like some wild beast, sniffed the air of the mountains once more, his gaze sinking slightly as he spoke,


    ¡°Many zombies, many cultivators, the scent of Taoist Demons is heavy, it was on the verge of completion, but then there was an unexpected turn¡­¡±


    ¡°It must have been that person who acted, right?¡±


    The Sword Box Elder nodded, ¡°Except for that one, nobody could have spoiled the Taoist¡¯s plan.¡±


    The man with wolf-like teeth frowned,


    ¡°What exactly is that person hiding? The Taoist Court, Heaven Shu Pavilion, all the Noble Clans, Sects, and even us from the Evil Sects and scattered cultivators, Demon Gate, Taoists, everyone is looking for him?¡±


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s smile hinted at mockery, ¡°Now that you know, what next?¡±


    The man with wolf-like teeth was taken aback.


    The Sword Box Elder said, ¡°Without a Golden Core, without Feather Transformation, even if given this opportunity, what can you do with it?¡±


    ¡°Can you withstand the repression of the Taoist Court or the pursuit of the Demon Sect?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re a pawn, then do what a pawn must do.¡±


    ¡°With our level of cultivation, we¡¯re far from considering whether to control the black or white pieces¡­¡±


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s words were cutting.


    The man with wolf-like teeth was not offended; instead, he extended his blood-red tongue, licked his upper lip, and sneered,


    ¡°I cultivate the demonic arts; if I see flesh, wanting a couple of bites is only natural, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The Sword Box Elder looked distant, his voice insinuating,


    ¡°The flesh of immortality, once eaten, there goes your life.¡±


    The flesh of immortality¡­


    A glint passed in the eyes of the man with wolf-like teeth.


    The pale-faced youth also showed an abnormal flush.


    At that moment, all three harbored their own devious thoughts.


    The old crone, who had been silent all along, suddenly opened her eyes wide, her gaze manic as she screamed,


    ¡°My child, my child!¡±


    The man with wolf-like teeth frowned, ¡°What madness is she spouting now?¡±


    The old crone, ignoring everything else, laughed strangely,


    ¡°I have found it¡­ my own flesh and blood, my child is not dead¡­¡±


    With a flicker, she swiftly moved toward a mountain peak to the south.


    The group of three, including the Sword Box Elder, had no choice but to follow her.


    The four eventually stopped atop a small hill.


    The hill, secluded and desolate, was nevertheless serene, and as the sunset descended, it bathed the area in a glow of twilight.


    Atop the hill, there was a small grave mound.


    The old crone, focused, dug through the soil and stone with hands like iron, uncovering a coffin buried within the grave.


    With a gentle scratch of her fingers, she broke off a corner of the coffin and then forcefully lifted the lid, which instantly shattered into pieces.


    Inside the coffin lay a small zombie.


    The old crone, trembling, cradled the small zombie into her arms as if comforting her own child.


    ¡°My child, my child¡­¡±


    The pale-faced youth frowned, ¡°Is this a zombie? Weren¡¯t all the zombies nearby burned by the Corpse Burning Formation? How could there be one that escaped?¡±


    The man with wolf-like teeth looked around and raised an eyebrow, ¡°It seems someone intentionally left this zombie behind, burying it here¡­¡±


    ¡°Was it the zombie¡¯s kin?¡±


    ¡°Why bury it here, and for what purpose?¡±


    ¡°Who knows¡­¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be for the purpose of Corpse Refinement, can it?¡±


    ¡°This zombie is too small, with weak strength; what use would refining it have? To serve tea and water?¡±


    ¡­


    However, the Sword Box Elder looked grave, ¡°This small zombie is a good specimen for Corpse Refinement. It has only Corpse Qi, no Blood Qi, clean and untainted.¡±


    ¡°What makes it a good specimen?¡±


    ¡°A Jade Corpse¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The Sword Box Elder did not continue, ¡°You don¡¯t refine corpses; even if I told you, you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    The pale-faced youth looked displeased.


    But the man with wolf-like teeth had some realization, ¡°Now that you mention it, could this old crone be a Corpse Cultivator?¡±


    Amongst them, he knew the origins of the Sword Box Elder and the pale-faced youth, but he was not familiar with this old crone.


    The Sword Box Elder nodded slightly, ¡°Her son died early. To resurrect her son, she learned Corpse Refinement and turned her own son into a zombie.¡±


    ¡°But she refined it wrongly, creating a special kind of Blood Zombie.¡±


    ¡°It needed to eat human flesh and drink human blood every day.¡±


    ¡°She killed people to feed her son. Eventually, the Taoist Court discovered this, and they executed her Blood Zombie son before her eyes. She completely lost her mind and fell into the darkness of Corpse Cultivation.¡±


    ¡°For years, she specially hunts men who have been unfaithful, as well as cultivators from the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°At the same time, she is also keen on turning children into zombies.¡±


    ¡°All the zombies she refined are her children¡­¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s gaze became more focused, ¡°This small zombie might be quite special¡­¡±


    The old crone also held the small zombie dearly in her arms, as if coaxing her own flesh and bone.


    The pale-faced youth clicked his tongue and suddenly made a surprised noise, ¡°It seems like there is a Formation on this small zombie¡¯s chest?¡±


    ¡°A Formation?¡± the man with wolf-like teeth was slightly startled.


    The pale-faced youth curiously said, ¡°It¡¯s not just any ordinary Formation¡­¡±


    He called out loudly, ¡°Old crone, let me have a look at that small zombie.¡±


    The old crone acted as if she heard nothing.


    The pale-faced youth repeated his request.


    Still, the old crone remained indifferent.


    The pale-faced youth grew angry, ¡°Old hag, ungrateful for the kindness shown¡­¡±


    He reached out to grab the small zombie from the old crone, but this action seemed to have touched a raw nerve in her. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The old crone¡¯s presence abruptly intensified, her features twisting ferociously, her pupils becoming vertical slits. Her withered yellow skin turned a bronze color as she underwent Corpse Transformation into a Copper Corpse.


    Her right hand tore through the air, and with an eerie gust, she ripped open the pale-faced youth¡¯s arm.


    Bright red blood flowed.


    A sinister Corpse Poison seeped in.


    The pale-faced youth¡¯s complexion became even paler, but due to shame and anger, his cheeks bore an eerie crimson hue.

 Chapter 579 - 520 Immortal Child_3

    Chapter 579: Chapter 520 Immortal Child_3


    ¡°Old thing, you¡¯re looking for death!¡±


    The old woman clutched the zombie child tightly, shrieking at the pale youth, her long fangs bared.


    The pale youth¡¯s expression darkened, and he was about to make a move, but the Sword Box Elder stopped him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t provoke her.¡±


    The pale youth seemed to have a tinge of wariness toward the Sword Box Elder, and with a cold snort, he reined in his aura.


    The old crone shed her corpse transformation, returning to a normal old woman, holding the child in her bosom, her expression serene and calm.


    The Sword Box Elder looked up at the sky and then said,


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, it¡¯s time to set out.¡±


    He turned his head, looked at the other few people, his expression indifferent, but his tone was solemn as he said,


    ¡°We do what we must, mind not the rest.¡±


    The elder adjusted the sword box on his back.


    The sword box trembled slightly, emitting a bloodthirsty yearning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty¡­¡±


    The elder thought silently to himself.


    ¡°Once we find that person, the real storm will come¡­¡±


    And it would be a terrifying one, a bloody tempest¡­


    ¡­


    The four of them gradually departed.


    The old crone also took the zombie child away.


    In the following days, many Cultivators with gloomy auras, wearing strange attire, and acting unpredictably arrived at South Yue City,


    They all came from the Demon Gate, shocked by the human-fueled Taoist Demon, and lamenting its untimely demise.


    But they did not enter the city, nor did they kill or eat anyone, nor did they do anything out of the ordinary.


    South Yue City had already entered the cycle of cause and effect.


    If they got involved, there was a very good chance their secrets could be exposed, putting themselves at risk.


    Undercurrents surged in secret.


    Yet these dangerous currents all went around South Yue City, flowing into the distance.


    The Cultivators of South Yue City, after several twists and turns, also welcomed a long-missed peace¡­


    The Cultivators lived their day-to-day lives.


    In Elder Su¡¯s cave.


    Shuisheng was sprawled over a small stone table Drawing Formation; Elder Su beside him was nattering on as he taught him:


    ¡°Why do you use the brush like this? It¡¯s too wasteful of Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°This Formation Pattern, taught so many times, yet you still don¡¯t get it¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t draw it like that¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Shuisheng paid no heed to him, absorbed in his own Drawing Formation.


    If there was something he didn¡¯t understand, he would ask, and after receiving an answer, he let Elder Su¡¯s remaining chatter enter one ear and out the other, completely ignored.


    All of his focus was on the Formation.


    Even if he learned slowly, even if his drawing wasn¡¯t good, he kept on trying.


    If one attempt failed, he would try twice.


    If two attempts failed, he would try three times.


    As he kept on drawing, slowly, he started to get it¡­ S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was what that little Gentleman had taught him.


    Shuisheng remembered it well.


    Elder Su continued to grumble on the side but suddenly stopped speaking.


    Shuisheng¡¯s appearance resembled Shuixian very much, and his present concentrated demeanor was very similar to his own in bygone years¡­


    Elder Su fell silent for a moment, but then his expression became relieved and he smiled contentedly; looking at Shuisheng, his eyes brimmed with tenderness.


    ¡°I owe that little Gentleman a huge favor¡­¡±


    Elder Su mused in his heart.


    ¡­


    The life of the Mining Cultivator had also improved a lot.


    They could feed themselves, support their families, and gradually, even have some Spirit Stones to spare for their own cultivation or their children¡¯s.


    The Lu Family, which used to loom over them, had already crumbled and was no longer a threat.


    They had also heard some rumors about the Corpse Mine.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that that bastard, Lu Chengyun, killed people and then used their bodies for Corpse Refinement, forcing them to mine for him. In the end, he got his comeuppance, eaten alive by the very zombie he created.¡±


    ¡°And that zombie wasn¡¯t just any ordinary zombie¡ªit was the old ancestor of the Lu Family, Capitalist Lu!¡±


    ¡°That goddamned Capitalist Lu, never letting go even in death, turning into a zombie just to bring disaster upon South Yue City¡­¡±


    ¡°So many zombies, it was horrifying.¡±


    ¡°Even now, thinking about it makes my scalp tingle.¡±


    ¡°On the day the zombies surrounded the city, I stood on the city wall and looked down to see a horde of zombies, snarling and swarming¡­¡±


    Someone jumped with fear, ¡°You don¡¯t think there are still zombies in the mine, do you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, with so many zombies, how could they have been completely wiped out all at once?¡±


    ¡°What do we do then?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even got married. What if I get bitten by a zombie? Wouldn¡¯t that be the end for me?¡±


    ¡°I have elderly and children depending on me¡­¡±


    Some of the people became anxious.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we,¡± a cultivator suggested, ¡°make an offering to that little Immortal child in the Corpse Mine¡­¡±


    Someone didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Little Immortal child? Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A reincarnation of a disciple of an Immortal.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The one who suppressed the Corpse Tide, subdued the Corpse King, and helped us by drawing Formation Paintings and constructing the mine¡ªthat little Immortal child.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°True, I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen it?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± The Mining Cultivator nodded, ¡°This little Immortal child, with three heads and six arms, impervious to blades and spears, knocked down the Corpse King with a single punch¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you blabbering about?¡±


    ¡°Right, who ever looks like that?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, that little Immortal child was really good-looking, so fair and tender, with sparkling eyes and such an adorable smile¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense too. How could such a young cultivator defeat the Corpse King?¡±


    ¡°Did you see it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I saw that day on the city wall, amidst the Corpse Tide, this little Immortal child was nine feet tall, broad-shouldered and wide-waisted, with boundless strength. His punches created a gust of wind. Tens of thousands of zombies couldn¡¯t get close to him!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about a ¡®strongman¡¯, not an ¡®Immortal child¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, make your tall tales believable at least.¡±


    ¡­


    The discussions were varied, but in the end, there was no consensus.


    Finally, an older Mining Cultivator declared:


    ¡°Since it¡¯s an Immortal child, he can¡¯t be very old. Since we don¡¯t know what he looks like, we won¡¯t attempt a detailed representation. Let¡¯s just use ink to paint a silhouette.¡±


    ¡°Since he suppressed the Corpse Tide, it shows the zombies must fear him. By hanging this portrait of the little Immortal child in the mine, we can suppress evil spirits. The zombies should not dare to cause trouble anymore¡­¡±


    He sighed before finishing, ¡°This little gentleman has given us immense help. To us Mining Cultivators, he has been a savior. Even if he can¡¯t suppress the zombies, we should bow to him and wish him smooth sailing on his path of Tao Cultivation, a successful cultivation journey, to live as long as the heavens and the earth, and to benefit all living beings!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    The Mining Cultivators nodded in agreement.


    They commissioned someone to paint several ink paintings of the Immortal child, and hung them around the mines.


    From then on, before entering the mine in South Yue City, the Mining Cultivators would bow to the painting of the Immortal child.


    On the painting, there was a small ink silhouette.


    With clear black and white contrast, the aura was mysterious and profound.


    Worshiping the painting of the Immortal child could ward off evil spirits and settle the zombie troubles.


    They prayed for their own safety and, in their hearts, they wished for Mo Hua¡¯s safety as well.


    At a place that bred such Taoist demons, the cultivators offered incense, and their wishes, blending mysteriously into the karma of Mo Hua¡¯s fate, formed a counterbalance.


    But Mo Hua knew nothing of this.


    Several hundred miles away, on a mountain path.


    Mo Hua rode on Big White, admiring the mountain landscape enveloped in

 Chapter 580 - 521 Si Water_1

    Chapter 580: Chapter 521 Si Water_1


    South of South Yue City, at the Second Grade Si Water state boundary.


    Si Water stretches from beginning to end, connecting the land¡¯s boundaries.


    The winding river flows along its course, babbling towards the distance.


    Mo Hua, tired from drawing Formation Paintings, flipped open the curtain and peered outside at the green mountains and clear waters, a vast and hazy vista stretching before him, feeling refreshed and elated.


    After watching for a while, he retracted his gaze and settled back into the carriage.


    Outside the carriage, Old Kui cracked pine nuts, listening to their crunch as he drove the carriage.


    Inside, Bai Zisheng was meditating and cultivating, Bai Zixi was quietly reading.


    Mr. Zhuang, leaning against a blanket, rested with eyes closed, bearing an elegant and leisurely posture.


    However, his breath had grown even weaker.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, filled with worry.


    Ever since leaving South Yue City, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s health seemed to decline day by day. Although his gaze remained as gentle and carefree as ever, his complexion had visibly worsened, and the time he spent resting each day had increased.


    Mo Hua had asked Mr. Zhuang if there was anything wrong.


    Mr. Zhuang simply patted Mo Hua¡¯s head and, smiling, said he was fine and that there was no need to worry.


    But his breath didn¡¯t seem fine at all.


    Mo Hua could only sigh inwardly. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was the hour of the sheep; noon had passed, and the bright sunlight induced a certain lethargy.


    Mo Hua brewed a pot of tea.


    The tea leaves were a gift from Elder Su, the brew fresh and tender with a rich taste. Mo Hua added some Spirit Grass, ginseng, and jade dates, which could regulate a cultivator¡¯s Blood Qi and nourish the meridians.


    Though it might not greatly benefit Mr. Zhuang, it was a kind gesture.


    Once the tea was ready, steam curled up and the fragrance filled the air.


    Mo Hua first poured a cup for Mr. Zhuang, then for Junior Brother and Junior Sister each.


    Only then did he pour himself a cup, sipping it bit by bit.


    Bai Zisheng, feeling drowsy and thirsty after midday, downed his cup in one gulp, as if devouring a peony.


    Bai Zixi, like Mo Hua, had a graceful demeanor, slightly parting her red lips, taking delicate sips and savoring the tea slowly.


    Mr. Zhuang, lured by the scent of the tea, also slowly opened his eyes. With a gentle smile, he took the cup and drank it, his eyes brightening as he seemed to perk up a bit.


    Mo Hua poured another cup for Mr. Zhuang, then turned to gaze at the scenery outside, and suddenly asked,


    ¡°Master, where exactly are we headed?¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, upon hearing this, paused their drinking and turned to look at Mr. Zhuang.


    Seeing the three pairs of bright eyes, Mr. Zhuang felt at ease, took a moment to think, and then replied,


    ¡°Southward, to the Dali Mountain State boundary.¡±


    ¡°Dali Mountain?¡±


    Mo Hua murmured to himself, before asking further,


    ¡°If we go there, will I be able to achieve Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, ¡°Once your Cultivation reaches the Nine layer perfection of Qi Refinement and your Divine Sense has Fourteen Stripes, you can undertake Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°Cultivation is like water flowing into a channel; proceed methodically, no need to rush excessively.¡±


    ¡°But to get Divine Sense to Fourteen Stripes, that¡¯s not easy¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly in his heart.


    It is not just difficult¡­


    For a Qi Refining cultivator, it¡¯s agonizingly difficult.


    Even the records of prodigious cultivators in the Tao Cultivation Canons hardly ever mention a Divine Sense of Fourteen Stripes during Qi Refining¡­


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his thoughts churning.


    Still preoccupied with Foundation Establishment, Mo Hua asked,


    ¡°Then, Master, if we reach the Dali Mountain State Boundary, will my Divine Sense break through to Fourteen Stripes?¡±


    ¡°One can only say, there is that opportunity.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was not very specific.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°So, does the Dali Mountain State Boundary have an Ultimate Formation of Second Grade Thirteen Stripes?¡±


    According to what Mr. Zhuang had said before, one could strengthen Divine Sense by studying Ultimate Formations and practicing them.


    The more complex the Formation, the stronger the Divine Sense required, and the deeper the training of the Sea of Consciousness, the faster the growth of the Divine Sense.


    Now Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had reached a peak of Thirteen Stripes.


    Although he practiced the Thick Earth Formation and Spiritual Pivot Formation daily, as he became more proficient in these Formations, his Divine Sense grew increasingly slower¡­


    It was time to find Thirteen Stripe Formations to study.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Correct.¡±


    It seemed the master had plans all along.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were bright with curiosity as he asked,


    ¡°Master, what kind of Ultimate Formation is it there at Dali Mountain?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Not just one¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment, a faint smile playing on his lips, ¡°It¡¯s five of them.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, exclaiming,


    ¡°Five of them!¡±


    Mo Hua opened his mouth in surprise, then looked at Mr. Zhuang, puzzled,


    ¡°Five of them¡­ doesn¡¯t that make them common as cabbages?¡±


    Being Ultimate Formations, they should be rare.


    How could there be five of them all of a sudden?


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you guess why?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, propped his chin in his hand, and after a moment of thought hesitantly said,


    ¡°Five¡­ does it have something to do with the Five Elements?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded approvingly, ¡°Exactly!¡±


    His tone was a bit wistful, ¡°This is a set of Five Element Ultimate Formations, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth; one for each Element, but the fundamental principles are the same. Therefore, all five are considered a single set.¡±


    Mo Hua listened, feeling an itch of curiosity like a kitten¡¯s scratch.


    He was eager to know what these Formations were like, how their Formation Patterns looked, what the Formation Pivot¡¯s structure was, and the effects they would have once mastered.


    But he still had one major doubt.


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated and asked, ¡°Even if I master a Second Grade Thirteen Stripe Formation and practice every day, my Divine Sense might not break through the bottleneck to reach Fourteen Stripes and achieve the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment, right?¡±


    He had only recently realized this.


    The further one progresses, the slower and harder the Divine Sense grows.


    He was now at the peak of Thirteen Stripes, but the gap to Fourteen seemed just a sliver away.

 Chapter 581 - 521 Si Water_2

    Chapter 581: Chapter 521 Si Water_2


    But this threshold seemed like a chasm in the heavens.


    Relying on Drawing Formation to cultivate Divine Sense every day was like a cup of water.


    This cup of water, upon entering the chasm, would instantly disappear without a trace.


    To fill up this heavenly chasm and break through the bottleneck, who knew how many years and months it would take¡­


    The Ultimate Formation with twelve stripes offered only limited enhancement of Divine Sense.


    Even if one learned the Formation with thirteen stripes, it probably wouldn¡¯t be much better.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became focused as he spoke slowly,


    ¡°The enhancement of Divine Sense is just one aspect¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if your Divine Sense cannot be enhanced to fourteen stripes, building your Foundation Establishment with the thirteen stripes Divine Sense, this set of Formation, is something you must learn!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone was solemn, his expression serious.


    Mo Hua felt a slight chill in his heart, ¡°Master, is there something special about this set of Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang did not answer directly but instead asked,


    ¡°Mo Hua, what do you think sets you apart from Zisheng and Zixi?¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were both somewhat astonished, then looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua scratched his head.


    The differences between him and his Junior Brother and Junior Sister were too many to count.


    The only similarity might be that they were all Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciples.


    ¡°Junior Brother and Junior Sister come from Noble Clans, with good talent, good Spiritual Roots, and good inheritance?¡±


    Mo Hua said meekly.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and sighed,


    ¡°You might not feel it deeply now, but when you venture into the broader Cultivation World, you will understand that family background, Spiritual Roots, and inheritance are all cold and cruel barriers that separate the upper Noble Clans from the lower Loose Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°There are some things Noble Family Descendants can do, but Loose Cultivators cannot.¡±


    ¡°Paths they can walk are inaccessible to you.¡±


    ¡°They are born with good Spiritual Roots, without worries for food and clothing, abundant Spirit Stones, rich in Spiritual Objects, only needing to cultivate, with others handling any troubles that arise, and someone to plan their Tao Cultivation path.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his gaze warm but tinged with pity,


    ¡°But you can¡¯t, you must walk your future path on your own; earn your Spirit Stones on your own; if you offend others, there¡¯s no one to back you up; if you encounter trouble, you have to resolve it by yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°However, your talent in Formation is extremely good, and your comprehension is also very high. In the future, you will inevitably intersect with the many Proud Sons of Heaven from the Great Clans, Great Sects, and even the Central Tao Court, and perhaps even have a decisive contest.¡±


    ¡°When the Proud Sons of Heaven contend, not having a Clan or a Sect is your greatest disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°And you can¡¯t even do body refinement, the dangers you will encounter in the future are immense¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew solemn.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua, worry in their eyes.


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment, made a silent resolution, and said,


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry, as the Junior Brother, I will definitely protect our Junior Brother! He is my disciple brother and is also considered a member of our Bai Family; I won¡¯t let anyone bully him!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly startled, looking at Bai Zisheng with both surprise and relief.


    The Bai Family¡­ could actually raise such a child¡­


    It is indeed rare.


    Mr. Zhuang patted Bai Zisheng¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s good that you have this intention¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words were implicit, as there were some things he did not say outright.


    Because the Noble Clans have always been devoid of warmth.


    And the Bai Family was no exception.


    In the future, it¡¯s possible that both children, Zisheng and Zixi, may struggle for self-preservation¡­


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was complex, his heart sighing.


    But these worries, of course, lay with the children¡¯s mother to be concerned about; he couldn¡¯t manage so much.


    Mr. Zhuang then turned his gaze back to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua frowned in thought, his clear, large eyes blinking, then suddenly brightened as he looked at Mr. Zhuang and asked,


    ¡°Master, are you saying all this because it¡¯s related to the Formation I¡¯m going to learn next?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang felt a pang of emotion.


    What a bright child, he grasped it instantly.


    He nodded, ¡°Correct.¡±


    Outside the window, the Si Water roared incessantly, meandering off into the distance.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°The Proud Sons of Heaven of the Cultivation World¡¯s Nine States are as numerous as fish crossing a river¡­¡±


    ¡°Without exception, they all cultivate their own techniques, study their own Taoist Skills, all their abilities geared towards enhancing their own prowess in combat.¡±


    ¡°They contend with each other, each wanting to rely on their own strength, to surpass the many geniuses, to be unrivaled.¡±


    ¡°This is extremely difficult.¡±


    ¡°It requires exceptional Spiritual Roots, a profound family background, unique opportunities, to cultivate a deep foundation, strong Taoist Skills, and superior Spiritual Artifacts, to outshine fellow cultivators and become a Proud Son of Heaven¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment and glanced at Mo Hua, S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t do this.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang enumerated Mo Hua¡¯s shortcomings once again,


    ¡°Your Spiritual Roots are lacking, your background inadequate, natural frailty, simple Spiritual Artifacts; although your Cultivation Technique is special, it doesn¡¯t enhance Spiritual Power, only your Formation is stronger than theirs.¡±


    ¡°You have no advantage in direct contention.¡±


    ¡°And some extremely rare Cultivation resources can only be obtained through direct contention.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, you can¡¯t follow the same path as them, when contesting for opportunities, you can¡¯t rely on your own combat abilities like they do.¡±


    ¡°You need methods of combat, but you can¡¯t focus mainly on offense.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t rely on your own strength to overpower the Proud Sons of Heaven.¡±


    ¡°So you must take a different path, not focusing on offense but assisting it¡­¡±


    ¡°Assisting offense?¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, not quite understanding.


    Mr. Zhuang explained, ¡°To put it simply, it means enhancing the power of others¡¯ Taoist Skills.¡±


    Mo Hua started to understand, but was still not entirely clear.


    Main offense, assisting offense, what¡¯s the difference?

 Chapter 582 - 582: 521 Si Water_3

    Chapter 582: 521 Chapter Si Water_3


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, his words carrying profound meaning:


    ¡°If you mainly cultivate in slaughter, you are competing with the Proud Sons of Heaven. You become their enemy, and they won¡¯t treat you kindly.¡±


    ¡°But if you assist in slaughter, you can help them compete with other Proud Sons of Heaven, and then they will have to regard your opinion.¡±


    ¡°The stronger your methods in assisting slaughter, the more they will hesitate to offend you.¡±


    ¡°In this way, even though you lack a Noble Clan for support, any Noble Clan can become your assistance; and without a Sect for backing, any Sect can become your background.¡±


    ¡°Among the utilitarian and power-driven forces of Tao Cultivation, and amidst the many exceptional cultivators with outstanding Spiritual Roots, Cultivation Techniques, and Taoist Skills, you too will have a place!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed.


    ¡°The first beam exposed to the weather rots first.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stand out, nor do you need to.¡±


    ¡°Learn to hide in the shadows, learn to ride the currents of power. Only by navigating smoothly through the forces of Cultivation, where barriers are strict, interests clash, and competition is fierce, can you truly go far, progressively refining your Cultivation, mastering Formations, and seeking the true Great Dao¡­¡±


    Having finished, Mr. Zhuang looked somewhat emotional.


    When he was young, he simply hadn¡¯t grasped this concept.


    Always striving to suppress his peers, arrogant and disdainful of the world, he was too rigid and eventually suffered a great loss¡­


    Mo Hua suddenly saw the light.


    Assisting in slaughter, avoiding the limelight, hiding in the shadows, learning to leverage.


    Only by doing so could one secure a foothold in the closely guarded, interest-conflicted, fiercely competitive world of Cultivation forces.


    His master had truly considered his future so far ahead¡­


    Moved in his heart, Mo Hua was extremely grateful.


    But all these seemed premature for him.


    He hadn¡¯t even begun to establish his Foundation, let alone compete with the Proud Sons of Heaven.


    Mulling things over, Mo Hua asked:


    ¡°Master, is the Five Element Ultimate Formation at the Li Mountain State Boundary an auxiliary formation for slaughter?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°At its core, the Five Element Ultimate Formation is a means to intensify the Five Elements Spiritual Power.¡±


    Five Elements Spiritual Power Intensification!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, eager to ask more specifics, but Mr. Zhuang just smiled faintly, playing coy: S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when the time comes.¡±


    Mo Hua pouted.


    But he didn¡¯t dare to reproach Mr. Zhuang in his heart.


    If he did, Mr. Zhuang would know for certain and would knock on his little head.


    Mo Hua could only ask other things:


    ¡°Master, what grade is the Dali Mountain State Boundary?¡±


    ¡°Third-Grade.¡±


    Mo Hua was astonished, it was actually Third-Grade!


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean there will be Golden Core Cultivators?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°There are some, but not many. Dali Mountain is a rather remote area within the Third-Grade State Boundaries. The resources for Tao Cultivation are not abundant, and although it is ranked as Third-Grade, it cannot sustain many Golden Cores¡­¡±


    ¡°Only some larger Clans and Sects have Golden Core Cultivators at their helm.¡±


    ¡°For ordinary cultivators, Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement are still the main focus.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded in understanding.


    He wanted to ask more about the Five Element Ultimate Formation and the Dali Mountain State Boundary, but noticed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s weary expression, seemingly tired, so he said with concern:


    ¡°Master, you should rest for a while.¡±


    Looking outside, Mr. Zhuang appeared reflective:


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, maybe later, there¡¯s a Dragon Spring Waterfall up ahead that I want to see.¡±


    ¡°Master, have you been here before?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, his expression turning somewhat wistful and nostalgic: ¡°I have, but it was¡­ a very long time ago¡­¡±


    A very long time¡­


    Just how long ago was that?


    His master didn¡¯t seem that old¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    Looking up again, he saw Mr. Zhuang appeared fatigued, his gaze somewhat forlorn, lost in thought.


    ¡°Master, how much longer until we reach the Dragon Spring Waterfall?¡±


    Mo Hua asked softly.


    Mr. Zhuang came back to his senses and contemplated:


    ¡°I estimate, another two hours or so¡­¡±


    After considering for a moment, Mo Hua suggested: ¡°Then Master, you should sleep for a bit. When it¡¯s time, I¡¯ll wake you.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked surprised, then his expression softened with reassurance, and he acquiesced:


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang closed his eyes peacefully and fell into a steady sleep.


    Mo Hua sat upright, calculating the time while looking out the window.


    He too wanted to see what Mr. Zhuang¡¯s described Dragon Spring Waterfall was like.


    The carriage was quiet inside, while outside the Si Water was bustling.


    The horse-drawn carriage followed the rushing water, heading south along the road, moving ever forward¡­

 Chapter 583 - 522 Nine Layers_1

    Chapter 583: Chapter 522 Nine Layers_1


    Two hours later, Mo Hua caught sight of the Dragon Spring Waterfall.


    Si Water cleaves the landscape, with green mountains and black cliffs.


    The turbulent river water, like white silk ribbons, cascades and hangs inverted, forming the waterfall, which is then torn by rocks, spilling down like scattered silk.


    Exquisitely spectacular.


    Mo Hua and his two companions stared in amazement, their eyes shining brightly.


    Tongxian City is relatively dry, with more mountains and fewer rivers.


    Mo Hua had never seen such a large waterfall before.


    Although Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi came from noble clans, they were raised within their families as children, and when they went out, they took main roads and traveled quickly, so they rarely saw such natural wonders.


    Water droplets splashed on the rocks from the waterfall, round and smooth like jade.


    The clouds between the mountains and the mist from the waterfall blurred into one, interweaving the sunlight into a gorgeous spectrum of colors.


    Mo Hua was mesmerized, but soon a question arose:


    ¡°Master, why is this waterfall called the Dragon Spring Waterfall?¡±


    It was just a waterfall, with neither dragons nor springs to be seen.


    And it didn¡¯t look like a dragon, either.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze skimmed across the waterfall, looking towards the colorful mists, his expression somewhat wistful:


    ¡°There was once a sword hidden here, named Dragon Spring, so the waterfall was called after it.¡±


    ¡°The Dragon Spring Sword¡­¡±


    Mo Hua quietly repeated the name to himself and then asked, ¡°Is it a good sword?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was momentarily startled, his gaze inscrutable as he murmured:


    ¡°It is a good sword, well suited to its master¡­¡±


    It seemed he was recalling some past events, his gaze filled with both distant longing and unspeakable regret.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, instantly understanding.


    There must be a story here!


    But he didn¡¯t ask; even if he did, his master certainly wouldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°The Dragon Spring Sword¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently noted down the name of the sword.


    ¡­


    After passing Dragon Spring Waterfall, the group continued southward.


    The Dali Mountain State boundary was still far away.


    The Cultivation World was vast, divided into the Nine States. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Each of the Nine States was expansive, stretching as far as the eye could see.


    Within the Nine States, boundaries were also delineated according to ranks.


    Each state boundary had different mountains and rivers, and cultivators built cities according to the terrain, their diets and customs varying, each with its own characteristics.


    As Mo Hua traveled, he broadened his horizons and increased his knowledge.


    When encountering some special ingredients, Mo Hua would buy them, ask the local cultivators how to prepare them, and then try cooking some dishes for Mr. Zhuang and his senior fellow disciples to taste.


    Though not all were delicious, they certainly had distinct flavors and were quite special to eat.


    Old Kui didn¡¯t like these meals.


    He only enjoyed nuts like pine nuts and hazelnuts.


    Sometimes, when Mo Hua found them, he would buy some and roast them for Old Kui.


    Or, if Mo encountered unknown pine nuts, seeds, or fruits on some ancient trees in the mountains that weren¡¯t poisonous, he would pick some and roast them for Old Kui to taste.


    In return, Old Kui often gave Mo Hua pointers on his spells:


    ¡°Your Fireball Technique is well-learned, and you use it well, but it¡¯s a bit impure.¡±


    Mo Hua also had this question.


    The Fireball Technique he used in the real world was dark red, showing signs of becoming denser.


    But the Fireball Technique he visualized in his Sea of Consciousness was bright red, with the Spiritual Power like threads, layered upon each other, forming a flame tangle intertwined with Spiritual Threads.


    After explaining this to Old Kui, Mo Hua asked:


    ¡°Grandpa Gui, which direction should I choose for my cultivation?¡±


    Whether to deepen his Spiritual Power or pursue Spiritual Power Silkification.


    Old Kui shook his head:


    ¡°When two choices are presented before you, don¡¯t rush to pick one. Instead, consider if you can choose both.¡±


    ¡°If you can choose both, then do so.¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t, then make a choice.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators who think about choosing one or the other from the start are blockheads.¡±


    Mo Hua opened his mouth in surprise.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Old Kui, who was usually so serious, to say something like that.


    ¡°What if I can¡¯t choose either?¡± Mo Hua asked quietly.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no use in dwelling on it. Things that can¡¯t be chosen, even if you consider them, are meaningless and just waste time,¡± Old Kui replied.


    Mo Hua nodded, finding these words to be very true.


    He then remembered something else and frowned:


    ¡°Grandpa Gui, what if someone forces me to make a difficult choice?¡±


    Old Kui replied straightforwardly: ¡°Then you just kill that person!¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Old Kui continued: ¡°Kill that person, and no one will force you to choose, and then you can have it all.¡±


    ¡°What if I can¡¯t beat him, what if I can¡¯t kill him?¡±


    ¡°Then you can only blame your own incompetence,¡± Old Kui said hoarsely, ¡°In such a situation, being forced into it, it really doesn¡¯t matter how you choose.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°So you really need to be strong, that way you can choose what you want in the future¡­¡±


    After pondering deeply for a moment, Mo Hua suddenly realized he had strayed off-topic and brought the conversation back to the matter of spells:


    ¡°Grandpa Gui, can I choose both forms of the Fireball Technique?¡±


    Old Kui nodded, ¡°A deep red fireball represents the state of Spiritual Power, and a thread-like fireball represents the form of Spiritual Power. They are not in conflict and can both be chosen, but¡­¡±


    Old Kui glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°it¡¯s difficult.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Old Kui was hesitant; he didn¡¯t want to say much initially, but considering the empty pine nut shells he had cracked, he felt a bit obliged and said:


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit early for you to learn this, but you can start getting an idea.¡±


    Mo Hua immediately sat up straight, listening attentively.


    But instead of speaking, Old Kui took out a tuft of cotton from nowhere.


    This tuft of cotton was just ordinary cotton.


    With a clench of Old Kui¡¯s palm, the cotton was pressured, compressing and twisting on its own into a cotton thread.

 Chapter 584 - 522 Nine Layers_2

    Chapter 584: Chapter 522 Nine Layers_2


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, as if in deep thought.


    After creating the wad of cotton, Old Kui took out another bunch of cotton and processed it the same way, compressing it before twisting it into another cotton thread¡­


    Until he had formed more than a dozen threads.


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze turned cold, and his Divine Sense made a move.


    The dozen or so cotton threads twisted and tangled instantly, seemingly chaotic yet rhythmically coming together, weaving into a ball of thread.


    This ball of thread was the same size as the previous wad of cotton.


    But the inner structure was completely different.


    Old Kui looked at Mo Hua and asked, ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned and honestly said:


    ¡°I understand¡­ a little bit¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter, remember what you¡¯ve seen,¡± he responded.


    Old Kui raised his hand, and the freshly twisted ball of thread instantly vanished into ash, leaving no trace in his palm.


    ¡°The principles of complex spells often hide in the simplest, most mundane things.¡±


    ¡°Like this ball of thread.¡±


    ¡°And like every mountain and river, every cloud and rain, every grass and tree in this world¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said frankly:


    ¡°Grandpa Gui, I¡¯ll remember it, but I don¡¯t quite understand it yet¡­¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s mouth curled slightly into a smile that didn¡¯t quite look like a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, observe more, learn more, think more, and the day you understand will come.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Hua nodded seriously.


    Old Kui thought for a moment and then said:


    ¡°I¡¯ll demonstrate this spell technique just once, watch carefully.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    Old Kui spread his palm open, and a fireball appeared, gaseous and pale red in color. Then, as Old Kui guided with his Divine Sense, the Spiritual Power compressed inward, solidifying into a strand of deep red fire.


    The fire strand, containing astonishing Spiritual Power, hovered in midair.


    Then another fireball formed in Old Kui¡¯s palm.


    And again, the fireball solidified into a fire strand.


    After more than ten rounds, Old Kui¡¯s palm no longer held fireballs but instead bore over a dozen deep red, fiercely hot fire strands.


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze deepened, and his Divine Thought took action.


    The fire strands entwined together, condensing into a small fireball.


    This Fireball Technique, woven with fire strands, looked less like a fireball and more like a Spiritual Power ball woven from flames.


    Multiple compressions, reconstruction of Spiritual Power.


    It seemed like a simple Fireball Technique, yet it emanated an astonishing aura.


    With a casual flick, Old Kui sent the fireball flying swiftly into the raging river nearby.


    An ear-piercing noise erupted.


    Like cold water poured into hot oil, the surface of the river boiled over immediately.


    Mo Hua looked in the direction of the sound, his mouth agape.


    A large river, the vast surface of the water, was evaporated by the tiny Fireball Technique, creating a huge cavity.


    Mists formed around it from the evaporated water, and steam billowed.


    After a short while, the river water rushed back in.


    The sound of surging tides broke out. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The river poured into the void, and a massive whirlpool formed on the previously calm surface.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mood, like the river water, couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time.


    The Spiritual Power Old Kui had just used was merely Qi Refinement, and the Spell he wielded was only a first-grade Fireball Technique.


    But could a Fireball Technique really produce such immense destructive power?


    Mo Hua looked at Old Kui, his expression full of shock and admiration.


    Old Kui appeared comfortable, but his expression remained indifferent.


    He patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Remember this, practice and learn more.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded somewhat dazedly.


    Old Kui left contentedly.


    Aside, Mr. Zhuang complained to him, ¡°Why teach him such a thing?¡±


    ¡°If he can learn, why shouldn¡¯t I teach him?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re teaching him even though he doesn¡¯t know what this is?¡±


    Old Kui didn¡¯t speak for a while but finally said quietly:


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid if I don¡¯t teach him now, I won¡¯t have the chance later¡­¡±


    Old Kui turned his head to look at Mr. Zhuang again, ¡°Don¡¯t you think the same?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang paused at these words, staying silent for a long time before letting out a helpless sigh.


    ¡­


    Yet Mo Hua¡¯s expression was exhilarated.


    Such a powerful Fireball Technique!


    This power completely exceeded his understanding.


    Eager to try it himself, Mo Hua immediately attempted to reproduce it but found that he couldn¡¯t do it at all.


    The principle seemed simple: Spiritual Power was like cotton, first condensing Spiritual Power into fine threads, then weaving those threads into a ball¡­


    But in reality, it was not the case.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was already very strong, at the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment with Thirteen Stripes, having cultivated the Heaven Yan Jue and learned the Spiritual Pivot Formation; even his control over Spiritual Power was not weak.


    However, even with such strong Divine Sense and such intricate control, he couldn¡¯t even turn Spiritual Power into a thin thread.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, somewhat disappointed.


    But after thinking about it, he felt it was normal.


    If a spell of such great power could be learned so easily, that would truly be daydreaming.


    Mo Hua imprinted every detail of Old Kui¡¯s spellcasting completely in his mind.


    Whenever he had free time, he pondered over it, hoping that one day he too could wield a Fireball Technique with such terrifying power¡­


    Mo Hua looked forward with expectation.


    Whether it was Formation or Spell.


    There was still so much he had to learn.


    As long as he continued to study, one day he would be able to integrate everything, master profound Formations, and control powerful Spells.


    ¡­


    The rest of the journey passed mostly without incident.


    Even though they traveled day and night, enduring wind and dew, it was not too harsh.


    Mo Hua used what was available locally, making a variety of meals; his culinary skills improved daily, and the food he made became more and more delicious.


    The carriage moved leisurely along.


    Mr. Zhuang rested on the carriage, while Mo Hua and the other three gathered around a small table, either Drawing Formation, reading books, or doing various Tao Cultivation exercises.


    Occasionally, during a rest, when they had ample time, Mo Hua would play a few games of chess with Old Kui.

 Chapter 585 - 585: 522

    Chapter 585: 522


    They still played the simple game of Five Elements Chess.


    The two played joyfully.


    Although Mr. Zhuang had seen it all before, he was still somewhat surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected that Mo Hua could really engage in a game of chess with Old Kui.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, however, were somewhat confused.


    Sometimes, when Mo Hua went shopping for vegetables, walked Big White, or was looking for Formation materials, they too played several games with Old Kui.


    But without exception, they were all scorned by Old Kui.


    Old Kui found Bai Zixi too clever. When playing Five Elements Chess, she was also extremely cunning, never giving up a single piece.


    He found fault with Bai Zisheng for being too rash.


    It was fine that he ate every day, but when it came to playing Five Elements Chess, he only knew how to ¡°capture¡± without any true skill.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, was different.


    When he played chess, it was a natural process.


    He neither deliberately overthought each move, nor was he recklessly greedy.


    Of course, the main reason was that both their skills in chess were ¡°evenly matched,¡± without the desire for profit or victory, playing purely for fun.


    Mo Hua played chess with Old Kui.


    And Old Kui would carve some puppets for Mo Hua.


    At first, it was just small and large tigers, but as Old Kui¡¯s cough got worse, he began to accept Mo Hua¡¯s various requests.


    All sorts of strange and unusual Monster Beasts¡ªwolves, insects, tigers, leopards.


    Whenever Mo Hua saw one, he would pester Old Kui to carve one for him.


    After the carving was done, Mo Hua would then draw the Spiritual Pivot Formation on them.


    Then he could control a bunch of Monster Beast puppets, chasing, frolicking, and play-fighting on the grass, both novel and lively.


    Since Old Kui had carved for Mo Hua, he felt it wouldn¡¯t be right to favor one over another. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He also carved some puppets for Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    For Bai Zisheng, it was an Azure Dragon; magnificent, yet unable to fly. Even with the Spiritual Pivot Formation, it could only crawl on the ground.


    For Bai Zixi, it was a colorful phoenix.


    Besides the Spiritual Pivot Formation, the phoenix¡¯s wings were also adorned with the Five-Color Formation by Mo Hua.


    Once the feathers were spread out, it resembled a peacock¡¯s splendid tail¡ªvibrant and glittering with spiritual light, and very gorgeous¡­


    Afterward, whenever they were idle, Bai Zisheng would frolic on the grass with Mo Hua, controlling his Azure Dragon, engaging in a fierce battle with Mo Hua¡¯s control of small and large tigers and numerous Monster Beasts.


    Bai Zixi, on the other hand, would hold the beautiful phoenix to the side, watching Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng play happily, her eyes clear like autumn water, cupping a shallow smile¡­


    ¡­


    And so, the group continued on their way.


    They crossed mountains, forded streams, witnessed the sunrise and sunset, and watched the clouds roll by.


    Along the way, they also encountered many people and events.


    Some were shortsighted Bandit Cultivators, vicious Sin Cultivators, and those who did not follow the Righteous Dao, the Evil Cultivators.


    But most of them were not highly Cultivated, nor were their Taoist Skills strong.


    Bai Zisheng, alone with his spear, could hold them off.


    Mo Hua watched from the sidelines, occasionally controlling the scene with the Water Prison Technique or supplementing with the Fireball Technique, easily defeating them.


    Mostly, though, were the poor and distressed Loose Cultivators.


    Just like in Tongxian City, South Yue City, and the other ordinary Little Immortal Cities.


    The life of a Loose Cultivator was often not easy.


    Those standing at the top only see beautiful and splendid views.


    Only those who truly set foot on the ground know how fickle the world can be and how much suffering the people endure.


    A Formation Master should comprehend the Heavenly Dao and benefit all beings.


    Mo Hua kept these words in mind, and when he encountered people in poverty and suffering, he did what he could, drawing Formations to help them.


    Through the long journey, with the steady pace of horse hooves.


    Half a year later, Mo Hua finally arrived at the Dali Mountain State Boundary of the Third Grade.


    By this time, Mo Hua was fourteen years old, and his Cultivation, through cumulative practice, had reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    He was only a step away from Foundation Establishment.

 Chapter 586 - 523 Li Mountain City_1

    Chapter 586: Chapter 523 Li Mountain City_1


    At fourteen, Qi Refinement Ninth Level, Divine Sense with Thirteen Stripes.


    From Qi Refining Eighth Level to Ninth Level, although his realm broke through and his Divine Sense also grew a bit,


    this kind of growth, after all, was only within the Qi-refining Realm. In front of a Foundation Establishment Divine Sense, it seemed rather unimpressive.


    It was tasteless, but too precious to discard.


    It was also insufficient to break through the bottleneck and reach the Fourteen Stripes of Foundation Establishment.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense still peaked at Thirteen Stripes.


    It wasn¡¯t even much stronger than the previous peak at Thirteen Stripes.


    Inside the carriage, Mo Hua sighed.


    It seemed this bottleneck was yet another tough threshold.


    Similar to the threshold from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, from Thirteen to Fourteen Stripes was the barrier from the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment to the Middle Stage. It appeared to be a difference of only one Stripe, but the gap between them was unfathomably deep.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t see the bottom.


    So tough at Foundation Establishment, then what about the Golden Core Realm?


    Mo Hua poked his head out and glanced at the sky.


    The territory he was currently in was the Third-Grade Dali Mountain State Boundary.


    In the Third-Grade State Boundary, the upper limit of Cultivation that a cultivator could utilize was the Golden Core Realm!


    ¡°The Third-Grade State Boundary, huh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    This was the first time he had come to a state boundary above Second Grade.


    Mo Hua took a deep breath and felt that the atmosphere around him was different ¡ª the earth was more expansive, and the sky seemed higher.


    Of course, it could be that the Third-Grade State Boundary was indeed larger.


    Or it might just be his own illusion¡­


    Mo Hua looked up at the sky again.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see it now, there was a Large Formation in the heavens.


    When he obliterated Feng Xi, he had seen it with his own eyes: blood-red lightning descended, frighteningly enigmatic, roaming above his head, and then gradually dissipated.


    As the lightning faded, within the clouds, there were inconceivable Formation Patterns.


    One of these Patterns he had memorized onto a Taoist Stele.


    This Pattern was an Immortal Pattern.


    Far beyond what Mo Hua¡¯s current realm could comprehend.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t even dared to look at it, fearful that a single glance would drain his Divine Sense, crack his Sea of Consciousness, and bring endless trouble.


    Furthermore, this was an Immortal Pattern from the lightning tribulation, containing the Laws of annihilation.


    Laws are unreasonable.


    If he looked too much and triggered the Immortal Pattern, getting annihilated on the spot, even his master, no matter how powerful, would probably be unable to save him¡­ S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He would leave it for later, when his realm was higher and his Divine Sense stronger, to cautiously comprehend.


    Mo Hua looked down at his little hand again.


    Now, flowing within his body was the Spiritual Power of Qi Refinement Ninth Level!


    At Qi Refinement Ninth Level, the Spiritual Power had deepened a bit.


    At the same time, his Spell¡¯s power had also grown stronger.


    Even relying solely on ¡°Divine Sense compression¡±, with the ¡°Only speed is unbeatable¡± Fireball Technique, he could generally defeat other cultivators at the Qi Refinement Ninth Level.


    Of course, that excluded his Junior Brother and Junior Sister.


    They could hold their own against those in Foundation Establishment.


    Currently, Mo Hua was no match for Foundation Building Cultivators.


    Unless he utilized the Formation Collapse¡­


    Otherwise, it¡¯d be a fifty-fifty chance.


    And it¡¯s the kind of fifty-fifty where ¡°one stands on invincible ground¡±.


    He couldn¡¯t kill them, they couldn¡¯t chase, catch, or even see him¡­


    ¡°Just not sure if after my Foundation Establishment, when my Divine Sense improves further and my spells become stronger, can I face off against other Foundation Building Cultivators directly¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ponder it in his heart.


    His facial expression changed by the moment¡ªsometimes happy, sometimes expectant, sometimes worried, and sometimes frowning in deep thought¡­


    Mr. Zhuang watched with interest and smiled gently,


    ¡°Thinking about Foundation Establishment again?¡±


    Mo Hua came back to his senses and nodded with a smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, ¡°Cultivate a bit deeper, reach Nine-layer perfection, and then you can attempt Foundation Establishment. As for the Divine Sense, don¡¯t force it ¡ª let it be¡­¡±


    Looking at it now, a Qi-refining Cultivator reaching Fourteen Stripes of Divine Sense was indeed too difficult.


    Even Mo Hua might find it somewhat impossible¡­


    After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work out, peak Thirteen Stripes at Foundation Establishment is also acceptable.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful and worried,


    ¡°Won¡¯t that be less powerful?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment, looking at Mo Hua with a complex gaze,


    ¡°You¡¯re currently at Qi Refinement Ninth Level with peak Thirteen Stripes of Divine Sense, which is very¡­ impressive already¡­¡±


    Which family¡¯s Qi-refining Cultivator could have the Divine Sense of the peak of the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment?


    It¡¯s Divine Sense, after all, which is elusive and difficult to cultivate, strengthen, and enhance¡­


    Not simply nurtured by Spirit Stones like Spiritual Power.


    To have Divine Sense advance by a whole realm is already inconceivable.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua scratched his head.


    If master says it¡¯s impressive, then it should be okay.


    Then, he thought of another question,


    ¡°Master, shouldn¡¯t I polish my realm?¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, ¡°Like my Junior Brother and Junior Sister¡­¡±


    He had heard from Zhang Lan that descendants of Noble Clans need to lay a solid foundation before Foundation Establishment so that their Cultivation is stable and they can go further in the future.


    Zhang Lan himself had taken a long time to refine his foundation in the Qi-refining Realm.


    Despite being from a noble clan, he was of such age and still only at Qi Refinement Ninth Level; only later, for the sake of battling the Big Demon and being safe, did he break through to Foundation Establishment.


    Of course, Mo Hua figured that he probably had a falling out with his clan and was a bit rebellious, hence he deliberately stagnated, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have waited so long to establish his Foundation.


    But for his Junior Brother and Junior Sister, it was a different story.


    The three of them spent their days together.


    Mo Hua watched them cultivate every day; each time they practiced, their Spiritual Power became more condensed, their Cultivation deeper, their auras stronger.


    Accumulating day by day, though their realms hadn¡¯t increased, their Cultivation was exceptionally solid.


    It was even comparable to Foundation Establishment¡­


    Mo Hua reminisced for a moment.

 Chapter 587 - 523: Li Mountain City 2

    Chapter 587: Chapter 523: Li Mountain City 2


    ¡°`


    When we first met, I was only at the Qi Refinement third level, while they were already in the later stages. Now I¡¯ve reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level, and they are still at the same level.


    ¡°The talent of my fellow disciples is so strong, yet they have suppressed their realm for such a long time.¡±


    ¡°With my poor Spiritual Root, not suppressing at all¡­ is that not quite right¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang somewhat puzzled.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression then became subtle.


    After some thought, he decided to tell the truth:


    ¡°This¡­ you don¡¯t need to suppress¡­¡±


    ¡°Your senior brothers and sisters, they have Heavenly¡­ top-grade Spiritual Roots, the Cultivation Techniques they practice are high-grade ones that cycle perfectly through the meridians, and the Taoist Skills they learn are the ultimate techniques passed down by their Noble Clan¡¯s Sect Protecting Faction¡­


    ¡°For a Noble Clan like the Bai Family, there¡¯s not much difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining¡­¡±


    ¡°The Clan¡¯s expectations of them are not merely to reach Foundation Establishment, but to ensure a solid foundation to break through to higher levels of Cultivation.¡±


    ¡°The Clan¡¯s heritage is enough to support their Cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Once they reach the perfection in Qi Refinement and have built a solid foundation, the quality transformation of their fully cycled Spiritual Power will lay the foundation for the Great Dao.¡±


    ¡°In the future, they¡¯ll have sufficient Spiritual Power to wield powerful high-grade Taoist Skills and enough foundation to seek higher realms¡­¡±


    ¡°That is the path of the Noble Clans¡¯ Proud Sons of Heaven; they have to refine their realm¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°For you, it doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Trying to be tactful, Mr. Zhuang still said somewhat painfully:


    ¡°Your Spiritual Root is somewhat poor, your physique rather weak, and you can¡¯t compare to them in terms of inheritance, so you don¡¯t need to worry about that. Whether or not you refine your realm, it doesn¡¯t really make a difference¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Just keep cultivating, and break through when you can. Even though you have less Spiritual Power and weaker Blood Qi, at least your Divine Sense is strong¡­¡±


    ¡°A single excellence can cover many faults¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as your Divine Sense is strong, everything else can be managed¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was complex.


    For a moment, he didn¡¯t know if his master was praising him or belittling him¡­


    Mo Hua sighed and then thought that maybe this was for the best. There was no need to painstakingly refine his cultivation level, which would save him worry, effort, and Spirit Stones.


    After all, his Spiritual Root was what it was, and the situation was just so; it couldn¡¯t be changed. So, make do with what he had, and being able to achieve Foundation Establishment would be good enough¡­


    Mo Hua leveled his frame of mind.


    No matter how good others were, that was their fortune.


    It had nothing to do with oneself.


    Just cultivate your own Tao.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became serene, and he nodded slightly.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expression, Mr. Zhuang was slightly taken aback, then nodded gently, and thought to himself:


    ¡°This child, his temperament is truly good¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The carriage traveled on, journeying over ten more days. They finally passed through the mountain roads of the Dali Mountain State Boundary and arrived at Li Mountain City.


    Li Mountain City, a Third Grade Immortal City, was picturesque, with its city walls grand and awe-inspiring. The city¡¯s caves and buildings glowed with gold, displaying a kind of air.


    Most Cultivators in the city were of the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment stages, with some at the Golden Core, though not many.


    The destination of this trip was the largest and the only Third Grade Sect in the entire Li Mountain City:


    The Five Elements Sect.


    Before heading to the Five Elements Sect, Mo Hua and his companions checked into an inn for a brief rest.


    Mo Hua first made sure Big White was settled, instructing the innkeeper to feed it top-grade fodder. Watching it eat contentedly, he patted Big White¡¯s mane before leaving.


    He then ordered some dried fruits, refreshments, and tea, bringing them to Mr. Zhuang¡¯s room.


    Old Kui was nowhere to be found.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi sat respectfully, listening to Mr. Zhuang speak of something.


    Mo Hua placed the meals on the table.


    These dishes were all personally selected by Mo Hua.


    The way they were prepared and the flavors were all based on Mo Hua¡¯s instructions.


    Food that the Master, fellow disciples, and Old Kui all enjoyed.


    Famished from a day¡¯s travel, Bai Zisheng smelled the fragrance of the dishes and couldn¡¯t help but take a glance, then quickly composed himself again and listened attentively to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly, and then said:


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up, his respect mixed with excitement as he said:


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    While eating, Mo Hua chatted with his fellow disciples about their observations in the city.


    They talked about the various distinctive Cultivators they had seen, the different local customs, and the Market Town where all sorts of eye-catching Spiritual Artifacts, Pills, and Formation Books were displayed.


    Mo Hua marveled inwardly.


    Sure enough, a Third Grade Immortal City was different.


    On the streets, he saw many Foundation Building Cultivators.


    The Spiritual Artifacts and Pills displayed in the Market Town included not a few of Second Grade quality, and Mo Hua even saw a Second Grade Formation Book.


    He wanted to flip through it, but the stall owner wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    The owner even said things like, ¡°What¡¯s a child doing looking at Formation Books? These books aren¡¯t for you to read, don¡¯t exhaust your Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua harbored no ill will, letting the matter go.


    He was indeed not at the level to learn Second Grade Formations, perusing would be futile.


    What¡¯s more, these Second Grade Formation Books were quite expensive, and the formations recorded inside, just by their names, were all rather common and not worth the waste of Spirit Stones.


    He was nearing Foundation Establishment, and needed to conserve his Spirit Stones¡­


    However, Mo Hua also noticed something odd.


    It seemed like most of Li Mountain City was occupied by Cultivators running stores, Market Towns, and market stalls selling various items for Tao Cultivation.


    Most Loose Cultivators were also traders.


    There weren¡¯t those Loose Cultivators engaged in labor, earning Spirit Stones as Spirit Farmers, Mining Cultivators, Monster Hunters, or Craftsmen.


    Mo Hua found it somewhat puzzling and asked Mr. Zhuang about it.


    Mr. Zhuang said: ¡°That¡¯s the nature of a Formation Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Sect?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°The Five Elements Sect is an orthodox Sect founded on Formations. Most Cultivators within the Sect are Formation Masters.¡±

 Chapter 588 - 523 Li Mountain City_3

    Chapter 588: Chapter 523 Li Mountain City_3


    ¡°The Cultivation World esteemed Formations.¡±


    ¡°While Cultivation emphasizes slaughter, only empowering oneself, Formations, on the other hand, can influence thousands of Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°This is even more so for those Cultivation clans with significant strength and a multitude of Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°Five Elements Sect, skilled in Formations, settled here, drawing numerous Cultivators, clans, and Sects to seek Formations, with some Cultivators even choosing to reside here permanently.¡±


    ¡°Some Cultivation powers, in order to curry favor with Five Elements Sect, would station an Elder here, presenting gifts and paying visits during holidays and festivals.¡±


    ¡°As interactions increased, the price of the residences here soared.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with some emotion, ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by its remoteness; the caves in this city are really beyond what ordinary Cultivators can afford.¡±


    ¡°The high cost of caves leads to soaring prices for everything else.¡±


    ¡°The Loose Cultivators of Li Mountain City rely on the blessings of their ancestors, barely scraping by in shelters, barely getting by; otherwise, they would not survive.¡±


    ¡°In the long run, the number of Cultivators in the whole Li Mountain City has dwindled¡­¡±


    Mo Hua expressed his doubts, ¡°I see the streets bustling though.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Cultivators live long lives, so one shouldn¡¯t just look at the present but must take a longer view.¡±


    ¡°Hundreds of years ago, I came here, and there were many more Cultivators than now.¡±


    ¡°These days, the number of Cultivators is fewer¡­¡±


    ¡°The bustling pavilions and towers are only surface-level prosperity; without people, they are ultimately just as fleeting as the moon reflected in water or flowers in a mirror.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully.


    Then he asked, ¡°But all this has nothing to do with Five Elements Sect, right? They can¡¯t control others buying caves at high prices¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Five Elements Sect has been fanning the flames¡­¡±


    ¡°Fanning the flames?¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Mr. Zhuang explained, ¡°Hundreds of years ago, Five Elements Sect had fallen into decline. It was the founder of Five Elements Sect who, wanting to revitalize the Sect, moved the Sect to the remote Li Mountain City.¡±


    ¡°Li Mountain City is remote and free from disturbances.¡±


    ¡°The founder of Five Elements Sect wanted the disciples to focus on their studies of Formations without distraction and also attract other Formation Masters to exchange and study Formation knowledge, making Li Mountain City a place for Formation Masters to pursue their studies, truly a city of Formation Study.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, this move had a significant effect.¡±


    ¡°Five Elements Sect steadily grew stronger, the atmosphere of Formation Study intensified, and Li Mountain City flourished, becoming a favored place among Formation Masters.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, ¡°But later on, it was no longer so¡­¡±


    ¡°As Formation Masters gathered, the value of residences skyrocketed, and Li Mountain City became worth its weight in gold.¡±


    ¡°Their founder¡¯s painstaking efforts ultimately proved of less importance than real Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°The later generations of Five Elements Sect disciples began to have other ideas; they tore down buildings that were once for the use of Formation Masters to study and exchange ideas, and built luxurious caves instead, which they sold and rented out at high prices to make enormous sums of Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t have to do anything, Spirit Stones simply rolled into their accounts.¡±


    ¡°This abundance of easily acquired Spirit Stones led the Sect¡¯s disciples to become indolent and indulgent, no longer devoted to studying Formations or seeking the truths of the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    ¡°However, while Five Elements Sect seemed to profit immensely from this, that wealth was bought with the hardships of their ancestors and their prospects for the future.¡±


    ¡°The lifework of their ancestors was also lost in the process.¡±


    ¡°Caves became too expensive, ordinary Cultivators couldn¡¯t afford them, and gradually left.¡±


    ¡°And the talented Formation Masters from modest backgrounds who couldn¡¯t afford such expensive residences had no choice but to leave as well.¡±


    ¡°The disciples of Five Elements Sect, being all too rich in Spirit Stones and indulging in luxury, also stopped bothering to learn Formations.¡±


    ¡°The Formation atmosphere in the entirety of Li Mountain City thinned as well.¡±


    ¡°The standard of Formations at Five Elements Sect declined time and again, and some Formations were lost¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression turned grave as he remarked:


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s Formation Masters or Formation Sects, in the end, they must root themselves in Formations and not be short-sighted in the pursuit of profit; otherwise, once prosperity fades, what remains is desolation.¡±


    Mo Hua also felt a chill in his heart.


    A place where Formation Masters converged to study¡­ What kind of scene that must have been¡­


    Mo Hua both longed for and regretted it, prompting him to ask:


    ¡°Teacher, didn¡¯t Five Elements Sect think about changing?¡±


    A Sect that large, with so many Formation Masters¡ªyou¡¯d think that while some may be profit-driven, there would still be those who could see the bigger picture.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed:


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to turn back now¡­¡±


    ¡°The entire Sect, accustomed to making Spirit Stones with ease, from top to bottom, is entrenched in their interests; whoever thinks about change, faces the opposition of the whole Sect.¡±


    ¡°They lack both the courage and the ability to do so.¡±


    ¡°Even if there is someone with the ability to change, they might not wish to, because those with the power to make a change are likely those who have profited the most¡­¡±


    Changing longstanding habits is a painful process that starts with oneself.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    The affairs of this world are indeed complex.


    Still, one matter weighed on his mind.


    Mo Hua inquired, ¡°Teacher, you mentioned that Five Elements Sect was in decline, and it was the old founder who moved the Sect to Li Mountain City¡­¡±


    ¡°What was Five Elements Sect like before its decline?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s demeanor became solemn as he reflected:


    ¡°That was thousands of years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Back then, even if Five Elements Sect wasn¡¯t considered the top Sect, it was still one of the paramount Formation Sects in the entire Cultivation World.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth hung open in surprise.


    He had never imagined that the ancestry of Five Elements Sect was so illustrious!


    A premier Formation Sect in the entire Cultivation World.


    That level of prestige¡­


    ¡°Was their inheritance that formidable?¡± Mo Hua asked in amazement.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Mr. Zhuang nodded:


    ¡°What Five Elements Sect was best known for, and what they relied upon, was a complete set of Formations ranging from low to high grade, capable of amplifying the Spiritual Power of the Five Elements!¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua with a grave expression:


    ¡°And it is precisely the set of first-grade Thirteen Patterns Five Element Ultimate Formation that you must go learn and master.¡±

 Chapter 589 - 524 Five Elements Sect_1

    Chapter 589: Chapter 524 Five Elements Sect_1


    ¡°Teacher, with this Five Element Ultimate Formation being so important, will they really let me learn it?¡±


    Mo Hua asked with worry.


    Mr. Zhuang calmly said, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare not to let you learn!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and couldn¡¯t help asking,


    ¡°Teacher, do you have some kind of connection with the Five Elements Sect?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze seemed distant, ¡°Let¡¯s say there is¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was filled with curiosity.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were also looking at Mr. Zhuang.


    After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, ¡°There¡¯s no harm in telling you¡­¡±


    ¡°Precisely speaking, it¡¯s not just me who has a connection with them, but our entire sect has some connections with the Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Our sect?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat astonished, then asked softly, ¡°Teacher, do we still have a sect?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Mo Hua was very curious.


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment, speaking with a cryptic look, ¡°It¡¯s declined, better left unsaid.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes hid different emotions as he continued,


    ¡°The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect had a deep connection with our lineage.¡±


    ¡°Our sect¡¯s Ancestral Master once saved the Five Elements Sect from a desperate situation.¡±


    ¡°Out of gratitude for this debt, they imparted the Ultimate Formation of the Five Elements Sect to us.¡±


    ¡°Since then, each generation of disciples from our sect has been able to study the Five Element Ultimate Formation at the Five Elements Sect, but the time was limited to only seven days.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, this formation is the foundation of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s creation; the Ancestral Master also didn¡¯t wish to take advantage of them and thus decreed that only Qi Refinement disciples could comprehend this formation¡­¡±


    Listening, Mo Hua nodded again and again, ¡°Our Ancestral Master and the elders of the Five Elements Sect were both righteous, making concessions and not taking undue advantage.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang spoke with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, ¡°That¡¯s only the surface.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°The surface?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°This story, I heard it from my master. At first, I had no doubts, but after coming into contact with the Five Elements Sect, I realized that things weren¡¯t as they seemed.¡±


    ¡°In fact, this was a transaction.¡±


    ¡°A transaction¡­¡±


    Mo Hua opened his mouth slightly, thought for a moment, and then realized, expressing disbelief, ¡°Could it be that our Ancestral Master wanted the Ultimate Formation of the Five Elements Sect and used this as leverage to save them?¡±


    ¡°And the Five Elements Sect, for the survival of their sect, had no choice but to agree?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Indeed, it was a transaction, the Five Elements Sect¡¯s exchange of the Ultimate Formation for survival.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang then cautioned Mo Hua,


    ¡°The affairs of the world are hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and one shouldn¡¯t completely believe the words of one side, even if the speaker is the Ancestral Master of our Sect.¡±


    ¡°The Ancestral Master also had personal desires and would speak favorably for themselves.¡±


    ¡°This matter, in the Five Elements Sect, is told in another way.¡±


    ¡°In the eyes of the Five Elements Sect, it was our Ancestral Master who took advantage of their plight to make an excessive demand, and only then did they have to hand over their Sect Protecting Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Sect was dissatisfied with this.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the Five Elements Sect also made a condition¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone slightly, ¡°Is it that one can only learn it during the Qi Refinement state?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°At the Qi-refining Realm, one can at most become a first-grade Formation Master; even if one learns it, they can only reach first-grade. If a first-grade Ultimate Formation were leaked, it would have some impact but not be too serious.¡±


    ¡°Without this restriction, any number of high-grade Formation Masters from the ancestors of our Sect could easily unveil the entire foundation of the Five Elements Sect.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, this Five Elements Formation, with its Thirteen Stripes at first-grade, is extremely difficult to learn.¡±


    ¡°Foundation Establishment might still have a chance to master it, but at the Qi Refinement level, it is almost impossible.¡±


    ¡°With these conditions, the Five Elements Sect would reluctantly agree to the Ancestral Master¡¯s demands.¡±


    ¡°The Ancestral Master didn¡¯t think too much about it.¡±


    ¡°Being able to learn the Sect Protecting Ultimate Formation was good enough; the Five Elements Sect having these conditions was reasonable, so he didn¡¯t haggle.¡±


    ¡°In the Ancestral Master¡¯s estimation, our faction, priding itself on Formations, had innumerable geniuses. To find a disciple in the Qi-refining Realm who could master the Five Element Ultimate Formation shouldn¡¯t be too easy, but neither should it be too hard¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression became subtle.


    ¡°The Ancestral Master was mistaken.¡±


    ¡°This was no ordinary first-grade Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°Thirteen Stripes at first-grade far exceed the nine Divine Sense patterns typical of the Qi-refining Realm.¡±


    ¡°In reality, when one goes to study, the Five Elements Sect would also create all sorts of obstacles.¡±


    ¡°Thus, to this day, none of the Proud Sons of Heaven from our lineage have managed to learn this Five Element Ultimate Formation from the Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, ¡°So, this burden has fallen on your shoulders.¡±


    Mo Hua instantly felt the weight on his slight shoulders. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He said weakly, ¡°Teacher, what if I also fail to learn it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°This formation is crucial to you, and of course, you must learn it if you can.¡±


    ¡°However, if you really can¡¯t learn it, there¡¯s nothing to be done.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang consoled, ¡°Do your best, and if you can¡¯t learn it, don¡¯t worry¡ªthere will always be a way¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Having said this, Mo Hua frowned and lowered his head, lost in thought.


    Mr. Zhuang asked, ¡°What are you thinking about now?¡±


    Mo Hua carefully thought about his wording,


    ¡°Was our Ancestral Master, in doing so, taking advantage of a disaster? Surely the Five Elements Sect held some grudges¡­¡±


    Coveting their Ultimate Formation, seizing the opportunity during the Five Elements Sect¡¯s crisis to make demands, thus forcing the Five Elements Sect to agree to the transaction, using the Sect Protecting Ultimate Formation to negotiate for a chance at survival.

 Chapter 590 - 524 Five Elements Sect_2

    Chapter 590: Chapter 524 Five Elements Sect_2


    Even so, there was a possibility:


    The crisis the Five Elements Sect faced back then, could it have been instigated by the Ancestral Master behind the scenes¡­


    Even if not actively manipulating, could he at least have turned a blind eye?


    Mr. Zhuang gently touched Mo Hua¡¯s head and said kindly,


    ¡°These are the grudges of our predecessors, you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with them.¡±


    ¡°The matters of the past are so distant; it¡¯s hard to clarify righteousness and grudges.¡±


    ¡°Even if the Ancestral Master had his biases, the fact that he saved the Five Elements Sect stands true.¡±


    ¡°The safety of the Sect and the importance of inheritance, weighing which is more significant, the Five Elements Sect has already made its choice and struck a deal.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to have any concerns.¡±


    ¡°And because of these grudges, the Five Elements Sect won¡¯t be friendly towards us, so you don¡¯t need to be polite either. Go ahead and learn boldly and confidently.¡±


    ¡°If you truly manage to learn all of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s secrets, that would be a testament to your skills, and they wouldn¡¯t dare to say anything¡­¡±


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°They have Golden Core cultivators in their Sect, don¡¯t they¡­¡±


    ¡°If I really do learn, they surely won¡¯t become anxious and prevent me from leaving, will they¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked down and said, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and felt much more at ease.


    ¡°By the way, Master, what is the name of this Formation?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Mr. Zhuang paused for a moment, then slowly said,


    ¡°Five Elements Spirit Formation.¡±


    ¡°Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­¡± Mo Hua repeated, mumbling, ¡°The name sounds a bit common¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head and said,


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand the principle behind it, which is why you find it common¡­¡±


    ¡°A Spirit Formation, containing the word ¡®spirit¡¯, signifies that such Formation is related to the essence or the characteristics of Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°The Gathering Spirit Formation, although simple, is an essential part of the Formation eye, the driving force of a Formation.¡±


    ¡°The Inverse Spirit Formation is an Ultimate Formation, involving the reversal and collapse of Spiritual Power; the Spirit Axis Formation is also an Ultimate Formation, dealing with the central control of Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Spirit Formation is no different.¡±


    ¡°What it involves is the amplification of the Five Elements Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°A set of five parts, encompassing the Five Elements, includes the Gold Spirit Formation, Wood Spirit Formation, Water Spirit Formation, Fire Spirit Formation, and Earth Spirit Formation. It¡¯s catered to amplify and strengthen the power of corresponding elemental Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua listened intently, thoroughly engrossed.


    However, Mr. Zhuang suddenly stopped.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Master, please continue.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t say any more; you need to figure out the rest on your own¡­¡±


    If he had continued, there would be no challenge left.


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed, but could only say,


    ¡°Alright, Master.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and then added,


    ¡°This set of Five Elements Spirit Formation of the Five Elements Sect is arranged from low to high grade, a complete set of Five Element Ultimate Formations.¡±


    ¡°But the higher-grade portions have most likely been lost. What remains in the Five Elements Sect nowadays is probably only Second or Third Grade Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonetheless, having Second or Third Grade is sufficient.¡±


    ¡°An Ultimate Formation like this must be learned from the basics, starting with the lower grades.¡±


    ¡°One leads to two, and two leads to three¡­¡±


    ¡°Master the First Grade, establish a solid foundation, and then you can progressively understand the subsequent Formations step by step¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words faltered, silently adding,


    ¡°However, the subsequent Formations, you¡¯ll have to find on your own¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, his gaze filled with a touch of melancholy and reluctance, but these emotions quickly disappeared.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze returned to being gentle as water.


    Mo Hua frowned, still contemplating the Ultimate Formation, and for the moment didn¡¯t notice this slight change. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    After a night¡¯s rest, Mr. Zhuang imparted some words of advice.


    The next day, the group set out, officially heading towards the Five Elements Sect.


    In half an hour, the carriage reached the entrance of the Five Elements Sect.


    The Five Elements Sect had towering pavilions that were splendid and magnificent. Aside from the Formation Pavilion, there were the Alchemy Room, Artifact Refining Room, Cultivation Hall, Tao Discussion Room, and Spirit Steaming Tower¡ª they had built quite a lot of everything.


    There was an abundance of construction, suggesting no shortage of Spirit Stones.


    The entrance to the Five Elements Sect was forbiddingly high, with tall, long steps.


    At the gate were several disciples wearing the Taoist Robes of the Five Elements Sect.


    The carriage was stopped by these gatekeeper disciples.


    They were cold and arrogant, saying without courtesy,


    ¡°Which Cultivator is this? Don¡¯t you know that carriages are not allowed inside the Five Elements Sect?¡±


    Mo Hua lifted the carriage curtain, hopped down, and in the astonished gaze of the gatekeeper disciples, presented a Jade Slip.


    One of the disciples frowned, ¡°Who are you? And what is this Jade Slip?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was also cold.


    He had a temper too.


    He would be polite only if others were polite to him.


    These gatekeeper disciples, all snooty, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered with them and simply lifted his head high, instructing,


    ¡°Give it to your Sect Leader, he¡¯ll know what it is when he sees it.¡±


    The gatekeeper disciples all wore unpleasant expressions.


    In Li Mountain City, few Cultivators dared to be so disrespectful at the entrance of the Five Elements Sect, and even in their tone, there was no reverence for their Sect Leader.


    Especially when the person was just a green young kid.


    One of the disciples sneered,


    ¡°Kid, open your eyes and look around, where do you think you are?¡±


    ¡°This is the Third Grade Sect, the Five Elements Sect!¡±


    ¡°Our Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect is not someone you can meet whenever you wish!¡±


    Mo Hua did not reply, but merely extended his right hand and flipped his thumb up.


    On the thumb, there was a large-sized ring made of jade, with a nine-star radiance engraved on it, exquisite and luxurious.


    In a Sect that established itself with Formation knowledge and had many Formation Masters, even if these disciples were not the sharpest, they could recognize that this was a symbol of a Formation Master¡¯s status, the rare First Grade Heaven Shu Ring.

 Chapter 591 - 524 Five Elements Sect_3

    Chapter 591: Chapter 524 Five Elements Sect_3


    Cultivators who possessed the Heaven Shu Ring were truly accredited by the Taoist Court, formally assessed and recognized as Formation Masters.


    To be certified, even as a Third Grade, one¡¯s attainment in Formation should not be underestimated.


    But the problem is, this ring was worn on the hand of a little cultivator who was just about ten years old.


    This seemed, somewhat ridiculous¡­


    However, the disciple guarding the gate, though arrogant, was not completely without brains.


    They were accustomed to fawning over the strong and trampling over the weak, but a Third Grade Formation Master was certainly not someone they could afford to look down upon.


    Even if this Third Grade Formation Master could possibly be a fake.


    A gatekeeper disciple frowned and said, ¡°Little¡­¡±


    The words ¡°little brat¡± were swallowed back down.


    His tone also took on a bit of seriousness, ¡°¡­young brother, are you truly a Third Grade Formation Master?¡±


    Mo Hua lifted his head and puffed out his chest, ¡°Indeed!¡±


    This gatekeeping disciple, still found it somewhat unbelievable.


    Mo Hua cast a cold glance at him, ¡°Are you not going yet?¡±


    Due to Mo Hua¡¯s poor attitude, these few gatekeeping disciples, on the contrary, did not dare to neglect him any longer.


    This little cultivator must truly have some confidence to act so boldly if not genuine courage.


    Moreover, he had come in a carriage.


    Outside the carriage, there was an old man driving, who seemed perfectly ordinary, yet inscrutable.


    And as for who was inside the carriage, and what their status was, they did not yet know.


    But, to make a Third Grade Formation Master come down to clear the way, the cultivator inside the carriage must be even more extraordinary.


    The leading gatekeeping disciple bowed with his hands folded in front and said:


    ¡°Young brother, please wait a moment. I will report to the Sect Leader immediately.¡±


    Whether true or false, it would be for the Sect Leader to decide.


    If this little cultivator was truly a Third Grade Formation Master, then they should treat him with due respect.


    If not¡­


    If anyone dared to bluff their way in front of the Five Elements Sect, they would certainly not enjoy the consequences!


    The demeanor of the gatekeeping disciple turned cold, and he went to make his report.


    Mo Hua flipped onto Big White and waited, absentmindedly scratching the beast to pass the time.


    In less than the time it takes for a pot of tea to brew, there was a stir within the Five Elements Sect.


    Bursts of presence suddenly arose.


    The noise also gradually grew louder.


    After a while, these presences all converged towards the gate.


    Sitting on Big White, Mo Hua looked up and saw that, unbeknownst to when, the long steps in front of the gate were already filled with many cultivators.


    Each one of them was deeply profound in presence, their faces as still as water, staring intently at the carriage, looking as if they were facing a great enemy.


    Soon after, the crowd parted.


    Out came a figure wearing a golden crown, clad in an even more exquisite Taoist robe embroidered with Five Elements patterns, his face exuding more authority. He appeared to be the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect.


    With a serious face yet a hint of anticipation, he walked up to the carriage and bowed, saying:


    ¡°I am the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect. I extend a warm welcome to Mr. Zhuang.¡±


    Upon these words, those within the Five Elements Sect who were in the know revealed a cold glint in their eyes.


    Those who were unaware showed shock and astonishment.


    Just who exactly was in the carriage that could make the esteemed Third Grade Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect bend down to pay respects, addressing them as ¡°senior¡±?


    From inside the carriage, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s indifferent voice emerged:


    ¡°How many generations have passed?¡±


    The Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect folded his hands and replied, ¡°Not to conceal from the senior, it has been three generations since then.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang made a sound of acknowledgment.


    The Sect Leader¡¯s eyes flickered, and then he stepped aside, saying, ¡°Please, senior, come inside.¡±


    Old Kui turned his head and glanced at Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang, through the curtains, looked at the threshold of the Five Elements Sect, then looked up slightly to take in the entire Sect at a glance, silently contemplating and making calculations, remaining silent.


    After a long time, it seemed he had finally made up his mind.


    The path one ought to walk must eventually be tread.


    That day would always come¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone hid a trace of complex and indiscernible resoluteness.


    Old Kui nodded, glanced at Mo Hua, and then Mo Hua patted Big White.


    At the command, Big White began to pull the carriage into the Sect.


    After walking a few steps, it encountered the towering threshold.


    The high threshold barred the carriage from entering.


    The cultivators of the Five Elements Sect, from the highest to the lowest, watched with cold eyes, some sneering as if they intended to intimidate Mr. Zhuang into submission.


    Mo Hua raised an eyebrow and patted Big White again.


    Big White instantly understood, raising its head to neigh and lifting its front hooves high, fiercely stomping down, shattering the threshold of the Five Elements Sect. Afterwards, the creature affectionately nuzzled Mo Hua¡¯s hand with its big head.


    Mo Hua smiled radiantly, praised Big White, and smoothed its mane.


    With its head held high and chest puffed out, Big White calmly led the carriage into the Five Elements Sect.


    Faces of the entire Five Elements Sect were filled with anger, yet they also dared not voice their outrage.


    Only the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s gaze shimmered with a subtle and inscrutable gleam.

 Chapter 592 - 525 Chief Elder_1

    Chapter 592: Chapter 525 Chief Elder_1


    Mo Hua and his companions had settled down temporarily in the Five Elements Sect.


    The place they stayed in was the most honorable guestroom in the entire sect, with an elegant style and luxurious furnishings.


    The standard of food and accommodations was the highest.


    Spiritual meals, delicacies, century-old wines, cloud-mist teas, various flower cakes, everything was available¡­


    The Five Elements Sect provided a very thoughtful reception, but their attitude was not friendly, just superficially polite with insincere smiles and cold gazes, keeping a distant demeanor.


    Although the food was good and the drinks plentiful, Mo Hua was not there for leisure, he was there to learn about Formation.


    He was concerned about the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    However, the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect kept making excuses:


    ¡°It goes without saying, since it¡¯s a promise made by our ancestors, we naturally have no reason to break it¡­¡±


    ¡°But after all, it has been hundreds of years¡­¡±


    The Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect showed a troubled expression, ¡°Some of the senior elders in the sect have passed away, and we, the younger generation, are not clear about the specifics of the old promise, so we need to discuss and deliberate on the matters.¡±


    ¡°We ask for Mr. Zhuang¡¯s understanding.¡±


    ¡°During this time, please rest for a bit at the Five Elements Sect and experience our sect¡¯s heritage and the great scenery¡­¡±


    ¡°We will discuss the matter of learning Formation as soon as possible.¡±


    The Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect, surnamed Liao, wore a golden crown and jade robe, had a fair face without any beard, and an elegant appearance that befitted the leader of a sect.


    His words were just as such.


    It was as though he hadn¡¯t said anything at all.


    Mo Hua pursed his lips, about to say something, when Mr. Zhuang said:


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to trouble Sect Leader Liao.¡±


    Sect Leader Liao appeared flattered and hastily replied:


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s the least we juniors can do.¡±


    After some more polite small talk, Sect Leader Liao stood up to take his leave.


    After Sect Leader Liao left, Mo Hua voiced his doubts:


    ¡°Master, are they playing tricks on us?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°The Sect Protecting Ultimate Formation would not be easily taught to others. Delaying is quite normal¡­¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t go back on their word, will they?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t, and they wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°So should we wait?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s wait.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua, who was frowning, smiled gently and said:


    ¡°The journey has been tiring, it¡¯s a good opportunity to rest. You can also take this time to enjoy yourselves in the Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Enjoy ourselves?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat confused.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°The scenery of the Five Elements Sect is pretty good. You can take this chance to look around. There is no need to rush about the Formation.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang appeared to have his own plans.


    Mo Hua, unable to guess what they were, could only say, ¡°Okay then¡­¡±


    He decided to follow his master¡¯s advice and enjoy himself for a while¡­


    ¡­


    After leaving the guest room, Sect Leader Liao walked along the spacious corridors, past the ornate carved beams and painted rafters but somewhat deserted pavilions and towers, through the lavish but insubstantial variety of palatial rooms, to a quiet mountain peak.


    On the mountain peak, there was a cave abode.


    The cave abode was somewhat ancient, obviously built earlier, but the materials used for the details were equally expensive, only more understated in appearance.


    Sect Leader Liao, with a respectful expression, rang the carved jade bell at the entrance of the abode.


    The crisp and pleasant sound of the jade bell rang out, penetrating into the cave.


    Sect Leader Liao stood solemnly and waited.


    After an indefinite amount of time, a flash of light appeared before the cave, the Formation was lifted, and the door opened wide, an old voice came from inside:


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Sect Leader Liao, invigorated, straightened his Taoist robe, and walked into the cave.


    Inside the cave, everything was also refined and luxurious.


    In the main hall, there sat an old man with snow-white hair, exuding a formidable presence and great authority.


    This person was none other than the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect.


    And the only remaining Golden Core Realm Great Cultivator in the Five Elements Sect.


    Sect Leader Liao bowed in greeting, ¡°I apologize for disturbing the Chief Elder in his seclusion.¡±


    The Chief Elder opened his eyes, his gaze was sharp, ¡°Has that person arrived?¡±


    Sect Leader Liao bowed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Chief Elder furrowed his brows, his expression somber, silent, seemingly pondering something.


    Sect Leader Liao spoke softly:


    ¡°The Formation¡­ Should we pass it on?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze turned icy, ¡°We cannot pass it on!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao hesitated, ¡°This is a promise made by our ancestors, wouldn¡¯t it be¡­ difficult to explain if we don¡¯t fulfill it¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± the Chief Elder said gravely, ¡°The Five Elements Sect is not what it used to be. It¡¯s not the time to be rigidly adhering to the decrees of our ancestors.¡±


    Sect Leader Liao was puzzled, but he didn¡¯t dare to contradict the Chief Elder and could only bow in agreement.


    The Chief Elder looked at Sect Leader Liao and sighed inwardly.


    The Five Elements Sect had truly declined.


    There used to be a time when the sect was filled with powerful cultivators. How could someone at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage possess the merit to lead the Five Elements Sect? S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even I, a Golden Core, was only an Elder back then¡­


    But things have changed, it¡¯s no use complaining.


    This is already the most talented disciple among the younger generation of the Five Elements Sect.


    There are some things that still need to be made clear to him.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze darkened and he began to explain:


    ¡°Our Sect¡¯s prosperity, the building of our cave abodes, and the good fortune we brought to the Sect, all of this was possible because of our Formation knowledge.¡±


    ¡°It is only with the Formations that our Five Elements Sect was able to establish itself.¡±


    ¡°Due to the Formations, cultivators seeking knowledge gathered here, making Li Mountain City flourish, and making our Sect¡¯s land exponentially valuable.¡±


    ¡°Even if we disciples of later generations do nothing, we still earn Spirit Stones.¡±


    The Chief Elder frowned:


    ¡°The current issue is that the Five Elements Sect¡¯s knowledge of Formations is deteriorating¡­¡±


    ¡°Earning Spirit Stones has been too easy, the profits too large, we¡¯ve had our fill, top to bottom, everyone has stopped striving for progress, neglected cultivation, and no longer studies Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as those cave abodes out there exist, the Five Elements Sect will have a never-ending inflow of Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Without the need to strive, we can still earn Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Who would bother putting in the effort then?¡±

 Chapter 593 - 525 Chief Elder_2

    Chapter 593: Chapter 525 Chief Elder_2


    ¡°Our Five Elements Sect has stopped establishing our reputation with Formations, instead, we are now known for Earth and Wood.¡±


    ¡°But by doing so, the mastery over Formations within the entire Five Elements Sect has plummeted dramatically!¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s not even talk about a Second Grade Formation Master, being able to have a few First Grade Formation Masters is already quite an achievement¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao said solemnly:


    ¡°The juniors also deeply agree with this concern and have already thought of ways to solve it.¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Sect has decided to rectify the atmosphere, reform the cultivation industry, encourage disciples to delve into Formation Study, cultivate Formation Masters, and ensure that the Five Elements Sect once again becomes a great sect of Formations¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao spoke sincerely.


    However, the Chief Elder¡¯s face remained calm, even somewhat indifferent.


    These platitudes had been spoken for over a hundred years.


    Interests are deeply entrenched, and touching one thing affects the whole Sect; no one dares to take action.


    The Sect¡¯s disciples have scattered Taoist Hearts; expecting them to go through hardship and relearn Formations is like daydreaming.


    The reality of self-interest is not easily changed.


    The atmosphere surrounding Formations, being related to the Taoist Heart, once corrupted, is extremely difficult to rectify.


    And in all these years, besides myself, the Chief Elder, the one who has benefited the most from this, is none other than the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect.


    The knife to kill the pig is held by the pig itself.


    How could this flesh possibly be sliced away.


    The Chief Elder said indifferently:


    ¡°This isn¡¯t something that can be resolved overnight¡­¡±


    ¡°The immediate priority is to find a way to protect the inheritance of our Five Elements Sect.¡±


    ¡°Especially the core of our Sect¡¯s establishment, the Five Elements Spirit Formation, must not be passed on to outsiders!¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze turned icy:


    ¡°This Ultimate Formation must be firmly held in our hands, monopolized by our Five Elements Sect.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if we cannot learn it, but outside of the Five Elements Sect, there cannot be anyone who learns it, even if it were to decay, it could only decay within our Five Elements Sect!¡±


    ¡°Even if it is lost, it must not fall into the hands of others.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, it would surely undermine the very foundation of our Five Elements Sect!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°The Chief Elder is far-sighted and has considered well!¡±


    This flattery was neither painful nor itchy.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s expression was noncommittal.


    Sect Leader Liao pondered for a moment before saying:


    ¡°However, this Formation is extremely difficult in itself; over the years, only a few people in our Five Elements Sect have managed to learn it, most of whom were the former Elders.¡±


    ¡°Since the former Sect Leader passed away, no disciple among the later generations has truly mastered this Five Elements Spirit Formation.¡±


    ¡°If our disciples from the Five Elements Sect struggle with it, can these outsiders really learn it?¡±


    A flicker of apprehension crossed the Chief Elder¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°They can!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao showed a hint of surprise.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyebrows twitched, ¡°You don¡¯t know, that man surnamed Zhuang nearly succeeded in learning the Five Elements Spirit Formation!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao looked shocked, ¡°How could that be possible?¡±


    The Chief Elder, recalling the past, was still shaken:


    ¡°Back then, I was just an ordinary disciple, witnessing that man¡¯s exceptional talent and extraordinary brilliance. In front of the Sect Leader and all the Elders of the Five Elements Sect, he started to piece together the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation, discerning its Formation Pivot, gradually penetrating the Formations of the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°He was just a bit short of truly mastering it; if not for¡­¡±


    If not for¡­


    The Sect Leader and Elders of that time had interfered; otherwise, he really would have mastered it¡­


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze became intense as he swallowed the rest of his sentence.


    Sect Leader Liao still found it hard to believe, ¡°Qi Refinement?¡±


    ¡°Qi Refinement!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao frowned, ¡°The Five Elements Spirit Formation, First Grade with Thirteen Stripes, could he really have the Divine Sense of Thirteen Stripes at the Qi Refinement Realm? That¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder sighed, ¡°His Divine Sense wasn¡¯t at Thirteen Stripes, but he almost learned it¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao found it inconceivable:


    ¡°With insufficient Divine Sense, he could learn this Formation?¡±


    The Chief Elder said solemnly:


    ¡°Their lineage possesses a heritage that allows them to comprehend the Formation Method Origin Stream. Mastering one thing is mastering everything; even if his Divine Sense is insufficient, he can still comprehend some Formations that they would not usually grasp!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao was dumbstruck, ¡°Such a heritage exists?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s expression was one of reverence:


    ¡°This is among the very top tier of legacies within the Formations, requiring exceedingly high comprehension and supreme spiritual roots. It¡¯s not something ordinary cultivators can learn, let alone master.¡±


    ¡°And he was the best among all the disciples of his generation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why, being only at the Qi-refining Realm, he could break the norm to comprehend, and he almost grasped the Five Elements Spirit Formation that is First Grade with Thirteen Stripes!¡±


    The Chief Elder lamented:


    ¡°Although our Five Elements Spirit Formation is extremely rare in our Five Elements Sect, when compared to such truly secret and unimparted knowledge, it still falls short¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao lowered his head, with greed and desire in his eyes.


    But he couldn¡¯t hide his little ambition from the Chief Elder.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s face darkened as he said icily:


    ¡°Do not harbor ill intentions, their lineage, no matter how down and out, is not something we can afford to provoke!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s heart chilled as he bowed in agreement.


    Yet there was still some skepticism in his gaze.


    Sect Leader Liao thought for a moment and then said:


    ¡°Chief Elder, but this time, it isn¡¯t him learning it¡­ He came here probably to have his disciples learn. Do we need to be so cautious?¡±


    The Chief Elder said lightly: ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡±


    Sect Leader Liao nodded, ¡°What the Chief Elder says is true¡­¡±


    He recalled the scene at the mountain gate and remarked:


    ¡°Among his disciples, that Junior Formation Master, who looks to be only about a dozen years old, is already a First Grade Formation Master with confirmed assessment, truly gifted¡­¡±


    ¡°Who knows where he found such a promising disciple¡­¡±


    Why can¡¯t our Five Elements Sect have one?

 Chapter 594 - 525: Chief Elder_3

    Chapter 594: Chapter 525: Chief Elder_3


    Sect Leader Liao harbored some resentments.


    ¡°A First Grade Formation Master at just over ten years of age¡­¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Chief Elder frowned and shook his head, ¡°Such talent is quite good for an ordinary cultivator, but within their faction, it¡¯s just common.¡±


    ¡°Especially compared to that Mr. Zhuang of the past, it¡¯s not even worth mentioning.¡±


    Sect Leader Liao was slightly startled, feeling that the Chief Elder was really pompous!


    A First Grade Formation Master, yet not worth mentioning¡­


    But he didn¡¯t dare to contradict him.


    He was only at Foundation Establishment, indeed not as world-wise as the Golden Core Stage Chief Elder.


    After pondering for a moment, the Chief Elder suddenly advised:


    ¡°More than this Junior Formation Master, what you should be cautious of are his senior brother and sister.¡±


    ¡°Senior brother and sister?¡±


    Sect Leader Liao thought of the other two disciples around Mr. Zhuang.


    One with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, the other as fresh as a hibiscus emerging from water.


    They looked like a brother and sister, although separated by a Spiritual Artifact that hindered Divine Sense from probing, but their demeanor of a Great Clan, the robustness of their cultivation, and their distinguished aura¡­


    They were flawless!


    Exemplary seeds for Tao Cultivation!


    And at a glance, it was clear that they were not the kind of disciples that the Five Elements Sect deserved to have.


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s expression also became solemn:


    ¡°Chief Elder, do you mean that they are the true inheritors of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s Formation knowledge?¡±


    The Chief Elder nodded affirmatively, ¡°Correct.¡±


    The Chief Elder thought for another moment, his eyes lighting up as if he had seen through Mr. Zhuang¡¯s intentions:


    ¡°That Junior Formation Master is just leading the way.¡±


    ¡°Just over ten, at the Qi Refinement Ninth Level, a First Grade Formation Master, he aims to give us a warning.¡±


    ¡°But this Junior Formation Master probably isn¡¯t that important.¡±


    ¡°If he were really important, he wouldn¡¯t personally debase himself to clear the path.¡±


    ¡°Clearly, the truly troublesome ones are this little Formation Master¡¯s senior brother and sister.¡±


    ¡°His senior brother and sister, hailing from Noble Clans with deeper cultivations, naturally possess even more profound knowledge of formations!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, there are two of them.¡±


    ¡°If they really were to learn, there¡¯s a good chance that they might completely master our Five Elements Sect¡¯s Ultimate Formation!¡±


    ¡­


    The Chief Elder wore a serious gaze, and Sect Leader Liao also appeared worried.


    ¡°Then, Chief Elder, what should we do? It can¡¯t be possible to actually stop them from learning formations, can it?¡±


    Acting on this would equate to breaking off relations.


    The outcome would be unpredictable.


    The Chief Elder thickened his face, ¡°Delay them first, drag it out as long as possible until they lose patience.¡±


    ¡°And if we can¡¯t hold them off?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyes gleamed sharply, ¡°If we can¡¯t hold them off, then we¡¯ll use other methods¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s expression flickered, and he nodded slightly.


    ¡­


    The Five Elements Sect began to stall for time.


    Mr. Zhuang, however, appeared nonchalant and not in a rush at all.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to follow his master¡¯s orders and, along with his junior brother and sister, started to ¡°play¡± within the Five Elements Sect.


    The Five Elements Sect was vast, with many cave abodes; there were even more abodes than disciples¡­


    It seemed that there was a time when they were very wealthy, with Spirit Stones so abundant they couldn¡¯t use them all up, which is why they were so extravagant, building cave abodes everywhere.


    Apart from the cave abodes, other Tao Cultivation structures like practice rooms, meditation chambers, Alchemy Rooms, Artifact Refining Rooms, Formation Pavilion, etc., were all readily available.


    Some buildings, which were entirely unused, were also built in great numbers.


    These buildings, neither occupied by cultivators nor used by them, and even without any function, had their doors closed ¨C empty and desolate, it was unclear what they were built for¡­


    Like most other sects, the Five Elements Sect was divided into Inner Gate and Outer Gate.


    The Inner Gate is the essence of the Sect.


    Inner Sect Disciples are one with the Sect, sharing in its glory and misfortunes.


    They learn the orthodox heritage of the Five Elements Sect, follow the master-disciple hierarchy of the Sect, and are bound to the Sect, with shared interests.


    The Sect¡¯s assets are also managed by Inner Sect Disciples.


    The Sect¡¯s core positions are also held by Inner Sect Disciples.


    Generally speaking, Inner Sect Disciples are not allowed to leave the Sect.


    The Outer Gate Disciples, on the other hand, are less formal.


    They are mostly freelancers who study formations.


    Their relationship with the Sect includes a lineage but is not stringent; they have grace, but it is not close-knit.


    As long as they pay Spirit Stones, they can learn if they want to, and if they decide not to, they can also leave; the Sect does not bind them.


    The Outer Gate is more like an industry of the Sect.


    The Sect shares part of its heritage with the outside world, teaching it to expand its influence and earn cultivators and Spirit Stones.


    As a Third Grade Sect, the Five Elements Sect has a great reputation, and the tuition is very expensive¡ªat least for Mo Hua, who could not afford it.


    Mo Hua and the two walked together, strolling leisurely within the Five Elements Sect.


    Most of the people they saw were Elders and Disciples of the Inner Gate.


    The Elders within the gate ignored them.


    On the contrary, some Disciples, although cautioned by their Instructors, didn¡¯t know the full story and would point and discuss them behind their backs, buzzing with talk.


    Mo Hua had strong Divine Sense, so he clearly heard what they said behind his back.


    What surprised Mo Hua was that the male disciples harbored animosity towards them, while the female disciples were relatively fine with them.


    The male disciples generally spoke discontentedly:


    ¡°That¡¯s the brat who rode in on a big horse, crushed the doorstep, and swaggered into the mountain gate, leaving all the Elders inside without face!¡±


    ¡°Too arrogant!¡±


    ¡°Relying on his status as a First Grade Formation Master, he¡¯s so conceited!¡±


    ¡°His senior brother, that one in white clothes, is even more conceited than him!¡±


    ¡°I heard that several brothers in the Sect wanted to challenge him, but he ignored them completely.¡±


    ¡°No, I heard that some brothers who tried to spar with him were thoroughly beaten by him!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because he concealed his true strength; it was not a fair fight!¡±


    ¡°Although he is in the Qi Refinement stage, he has the strength of Foundation Establishment, yet he deliberately didn¡¯t reveal it!¡±


    ¡°Truly despicable!¡±


    ¡­


    The male disciples were indignantly furious.


    The female disciples, on the other hand, said something else:


    ¡°That white-robed youth is so handsome!¡±


    ¡°I heard he¡¯s from a Noble Clan too¡­¡±


    ¡°No wonder, his demeanor is different at just one glance.¡±


    ¡°I wonder which Noble Clan he comes from, whether it¡¯s far away, and if I marry there, will I be able to come back to visit¡­¡±


    ¡°And that little Formation Master, so fair and delicate, he¡¯s quite adorable too!¡±


    ¡°I heard he¡¯s a First Grade Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°So impressive!¡±


    ¡­


    The male disciples also heard these comments.


    As a result, Mo Hua and his companions were even more scorned by the male disciples¡­


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly.

 Chapter 595 - 526: Confidential_1

    Chapter 595: Chapter 526: Confidential_1


    Although it is a Sect, and a Sect that established itself through the use of Formation Arts, the disciples have a poor attitude towards learning.


    These Five Elements Sect disciples, instead of studying Formation Arts day by day, are all about gossiping.


    No wonder the Formation Arts of the Five Elements Sect have declined¡­


    However, what puzzled Mo Hua was that, although these female disciples were praising themselves and the Junior Brother, their eyes, glistening like autumn waters, were all fixed on their Junior Sister.


    Mo Hua turned his head and glanced at the Junior Sister.


    Bai Zixi, for the sake of convenience in her activities, dressed as a man, her hair tied into a ponytail. She had a valiant and spirited appearance, with clear eyes and long eyelashes, and a cold kind of beauty.


    But she didn¡¯t deliberately disguise herself as a man.


    Even though she was in men¡¯s clothes, at first glance, she still appeared to be a woman.


    ¡°But why are the female cultivators of the Five Elements Sect staring at their own Junior Sister?¡±


    Previously on Jinhua Street in South Yue City, even the female cultivators in the Hundred Flower Tower seemed to exhibit this behavior.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, thoroughly puzzled.


    At first, he thought it was just his imagination.


    In the following days, Mo Hua secretly observed and indeed found this to be true.


    These female cultivators, daring to look openly at the Junior Brother, would blush and have a love-stricken look in their eyes as soon as they turned to the Junior Sister.


    When the Junior Brother looked at them, they smiled cunningly and enchantingly.


    But when the Junior Sister glanced at them, they hurriedly averted their eyes, tidied their hairpins, and lowered their gaze in shyness.


    After that, there were female cultivators who secretly sent invitation cards, fresh flowers, pastries, jade hairpins, or sent paintings to the Junior Sister.


    This time, Mo Hua was truly confused.


    Was it because he was too young and naive, or was it that he was inexperienced and ignorant¡­


    What exactly were these female cultivators thinking?


    Unable to figure it out, Mo Hua finally decided to ask the Junior Sister.


    ¡°Senior Sister¡­¡±


    When the surroundings were empty, Bai Zixi sat in the pavilion, watching the fish in the pond, lost in thought, and Mo Hua asked softly.


    Bai Zixi turned her head and looked at Mo Hua, her voice soft:


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Mo Hua considered his words: ¡°Why do those female cultivators only give gifts to you?¡±


    Bai Zixi appeared somewhat astonished, her expression becoming slightly complex. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Is it inconvenient to say?¡± Mo Hua asked softly.


    Bai Zixi was silent for a moment, her eyes shining as if she had made up her mind, and slowly said:


    ¡°This matter, I haven¡¯t told anyone else¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was about to say, if it¡¯s inconvenient to mention it, then let it be.


    But Bai Zixi had already spoken: ¡°It¡¯s about the bloodline¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Bloodline?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Bai Zixi nodded gently, ¡°My bloodline¡­ is somewhat special¡­¡±


    Special?


    Attractive to other women?


    What use could such a bloodline have?


    Mo Hua was somewhat bewildered.


    ¡°The specifics, I can¡¯t tell you¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s lips curved slightly, sharing a faint smile, her voice quiet:


    ¡°The matter of the bloodline, my mother instructed me not to tell anyone, so¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°You must keep it a secret for me.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly:


    ¡°Senior Sister, don¡¯t worry, I wouldn¡¯t divulge it even under pain of death!¡±


    In that moment, Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes radiated the charm and brilliance of the spring sun.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart involuntarily skipped a beat.


    At the same time, his emotions were mixed.


    His Senior Sister had confided her secret to him, so in the spirit of reciprocity, he should reveal some secrets too, right? Wouldn¡¯t it be somewhat¡­ improper not to?


    Secrets are to be exchanged!


    But what secrets did he have?


    He definitely couldn¡¯t mention the Taoist Stele¡­


    But apart from the Taoist Stele, it seemed he had nothing else¡­


    Bloodline¡­


    He didn¡¯t have any special lineage¡­ his parents were just ordinary Loose Cultivators.


    Innate weakness¡­ was not a special bloodline.


    After pondering for a while, Mo Hua brightened up and said softly:


    ¡°Senior Sister, I¡¯ll also tell you a secret that I haven¡¯t shared with anyone else.¡±


    Bai Zixi smiled gently, leaning closer to Mo Hua, curious about what secret he could possibly have.


    Mo Hua pointed up at the sky, his face serious as he said:


    ¡°Senior Sister, there are really Formations in the sky.¡±


    Bai Zixi was momentarily taken aback, pondered for a moment, and then said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention that before?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s different¡­¡±


    ¡°When I told you before, it was because our Master said so.¡±


    ¡°But now, I¡¯m telling you because I¡¯ve really seen it!¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes widened in surprise, and after a moment of thought, she realized:


    ¡°You saw it during the thunder tribulation?¡±


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly.


    His Senior Sister was just too clever¡­


    Mo Hua nodded: ¡°Yes, when the tribulation thunder descended, then receded, I saw the Formation Patterns through the clouds!¡±


    Bai Zixi was indeed surprised.


    She hadn¡¯t expected that there really were Formations above the nine heavens, and that Mo Hua had actually seen them with his own eyes¡­


    The Heavenly Dao Formation¡­


    Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua, her lips pursed with a shallow smile:


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep your secret too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Now, with one secret each, they were even.


    Thinking of Mo Hua¡¯s words, Bai Zixi couldn¡¯t help but raise her head to look at the sky.


    The sky above the Five Elements Sect was clear and as blue as a wash, with no sign of any Formation, but Bai Zixi still gazed upward.


    Mo Hua also habitually raised his head to look.


    When he had nothing else to do, he would also look up at the sky.


    Wondering when he would be able to comprehend the true Heavenly Dao Formation.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see any Formations at the moment, just looking at the vast sky would make him feel the infinite nature of the Heavenly Dao and the profound mysteries of the Great Dao.


    It also made him feel at ease.


    Any gains or losses, any trials and tribulations, would not linger in his heart.


    In the small pavilion.


    Mo Hua and Bai Zixi sat side by side, looking up at the clear blue sky together.

 Chapter 596 - 526: Keep a Secret_2

    Chapter 596: Chapter 526: Keep a Secret_2


    After a while, Bai Zisheng came running over, full of excitement.


    He had just gone to spar with a disciple from the Five Elements Sect and returned triumphantly, ready to show off to Mo Hua. However, he saw Mo Hua sitting at the railing, gazing into the distance with a far-off look in his eyes.


    Zixi was doing the same.


    So Bai Zisheng sat down too, following their lead, and looked up at the sky.


    After a while, there was still nothing in the sky.


    Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Junior Brother, what are you looking at?¡±


    Mo Hua replied lazily, ¡°Looking at the sky.¡±


    ¡°The sky?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing there, so what are you looking at?¡±


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t quite understand, but he couldn¡¯t help joining his sister and his junior brother in sitting and staring at the clear sky for a long time¡­


    ¡­


    After sitting for a long time, Bai Zisheng eventually couldn¡¯t stand the boredom and said,


    ¡°Junior Brother, let me teach you a Taoist skill!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°A Taoist skill?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Zisheng nodded proudly, ¡°I created it myself, a Tao Cultivation martial art!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not learning it.¡± Mo Hua declined decisively.


    Bai Zisheng was stunned, ¡°Why won¡¯t you learn it?¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°One, I don¡¯t practice body refinement; two, I don¡¯t study martial arts; three, if you created it, it certainly won¡¯t work.¡±


    Bai Zisheng said with displeasure, ¡°How can it not work just because I created it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only in the Qi Refinement Realm, what kind of impressive Taoist skill could you create?¡±


    ¡°Let me show you!¡±


    Bai Zisheng grasped his spear, ready to demonstrate to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua quickly gestured with his hands, ¡°Forget it, take a break¡­¡±


    ¡°Not happening!¡±


    Mo Hua sighed in resignation, ¡°Fine then, demonstrate and let¡¯s see.¡±


    The three found an empty space, surrounded by artificial mountains and green waters, the scenery tranquil.


    Bai Zisheng was serious, holding the spear with both hands, gathering momentum as the wind howled and the vegetation trembled.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression also became more serious.


    ¡°This is a spear technique that descends from the heavens!¡± Bai Zisheng declared.


    After gathering his spiritual power, he suddenly leaped into the air, assuming a very imposing pose and shouted:


    ¡°Dragon Soaring in the Sky!¡±


    Then, like a rainbow, the spear plunged downward, fiercely stabbing into the ground and kicking up a bit of dust¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned for a long time, feeling uncomfortable with the awkwardness.


    It felt as if ants were crawling over his body.


    Bai Zixi also covered her mouth, struggling to suppress her laughter.


    After the demonstration, Bai Zisheng, having lost his earlier pride, said with some embarrassment, ¡°Isn¡¯t it good?¡±


    Mo Hua said helplessly,


    ¡°The charge-up time is too long, there are too many openings in the movements, it consumes too much spiritual power, and the power it unleashes is too weak¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re fighting a spiritual cultivator, jumping into the air makes you an easy target.¡±


    ¡°Against a body cultivator, your long charge-up would have gotten you slashed already.¡±


    ¡°And this name¡­¡±


    Dragon Soaring in the Sky¡­


    A Qi Refinement Realm technique with such a name made Mo Hua so embarrassed he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    But Bai Zisheng insisted, ¡°The name is the essence, you can criticize everything else, but not this name!¡±


    Mo Hua asked skeptically, ¡°You didn¡¯t create this fancy but impractical technique just for the name, right¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng, feeling guilty, ¡°Of course not!¡±


    Indeed, he had impulsively created this technique because he thought the name sounded cool.


    Bai Zisheng then said, ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad¡­ I¡¯ve used this technique against those Inner Sect Disciples of the Five Elements Sect, hit every single one accurately, hardly finding an equal in a match!¡±


    Mo Hua replied helplessly, ¡°That¡¯s because your cultivation level is too high. Even without using any Taoist skills, they would find it hard to resist you¡­¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Bai Zisheng was only in Qi Refinement, he was already capable of facing a Foundation Establishment head-on.


    The Qi Refinement disciples of the Five Elements Sect naturally stood no chance against him.


    Furthermore, the Five Elements Sect was rich in Spirit Stones, too comfortable, with disciples¡¯ Taoist Hearts scattered and their strength itself quite ordinary.


    That¡¯s why Bai Zisheng was able to triumph using this merely ¡°flashy¡± Taoist skill¡­


    Bai Zisheng felt unhappy after being criticized by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua paused, then comforted him, ¡°It¡¯s not good now, but if you refine it more, who knows, it might really become a Taoist skill that will shake the world and be passed down for generations!¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes lit up and he immediately said,


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll teach you!¡±


    Mo Hua waved his hands, ¡°I don¡¯t need to learn it, I¡¯m a Spiritual Cultivator, I need to use spells¡­¡±


    ¡°The more skills, the better!¡± Bai Zisheng insisted.


    ¡°I already know enough, can¡¯t afford to dabble in too many¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°Learning this technique will be beneficial.¡±


    ¡°What benefit?¡± Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    Bai Zisheng with a serious face, ¡°It¡¯s very impressive!¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of your future,¡± Bai Zisheng said earnestly,


    ¡°You¡¯ll definitely want to find a Taoist companion in the future. Although you are quite good-looking, clean and fair, you are nonetheless not from Noble Clans. Actually finding a good Taoist companion will be difficult.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that the women from noble families are mostly very materialistic; they look at lineage, at Spiritual Roots, at the wealth of Spirit Stones, at whether you have a cave dwelling or not¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be at quite a disadvantage there.¡±


    ¡°Also, the Taoist skills you¡¯ve learned are mostly just Concealment Techniques, Water Prison Techniques, the more sinister kind.¡±


    ¡°In a battle, you¡¯d sneak around, hide far away and throw fireballs, not standing out in the fight.¡±


    ¡°Though this way of fighting is very effective, not standing out puts you at a disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°Not standing out means you are not impressive, and if you¡¯re not impressive, it¡¯s hard to attract women¡¯s interest.¡±


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s gaze was intense, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m teaching you this technique!¡±


    ¡°When it comes time to play the hero and save the beauty, first use the Fireball Technique to cripple the other guy, so he can¡¯t resist, and then finish off your opponent with Dragon Soaring in the Sky, looking fierce and imposing!¡±

 Chapter 597 - 526 Confidential_3

    Chapter 597: Chapter 526 Confidential_3


    ¡°`


    ¡°In this way, you¡¯ll not only look impressive but also dashing.¡±


    ¡°Who knows, you might even find yourself a dao companion.¡±


    Bai Zisheng had planned thoroughly.


    Mo Hua was speechless, ¡°Why are you always thinking about such things¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need these thoughts¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, ¡°This is your elder brother¡¯s painstaking efforts, planning for your future!¡±


    Mo Hua still didn¡¯t want to learn.


    Bai Zisheng was unhappy, ¡°You¡¯re my disciple, so I teach you. Others wish to learn, but I won¡¯t teach them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua remained adamant about not learning, so Bai Zisheng nagged and cajoled.


    Ultimately, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t stand up to Bai Zisheng and reluctantly agreed to learn.


    The move was called Dragon Soaring in the Sky.


    But in fact, it had nothing to do with dragons and wasn¡¯t very powerful; aside from jumping up into the sky and being an ¡°eye-catching target,¡± it had no other significance¡­


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t a body cultivator, so the power of this technique was mediocre when used by him.


    However, he didn¡¯t want to ignore his elder brother¡¯s kindness and studied seriously, not as a Tao cultivation martial art, but purely to refine his movement technique.


    Executing the Water Passing Step, he leaped into the air, then descended holding the spear.


    Thus, when Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng used it, it looked completely different.


    Bai Zisheng was imposing and heroic, with broad and sweeping movements, like an Azure Dragon raising its head.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, moved with a light and graceful body technique, as elegant as a startled swan and as nimble as a swimming dragon.


    On the beautifully scenic grassland.


    Bai Zixi took out a book and read quietly, occasionally lifting her head to watch the two of them, imprinting the twin figures in her eyes¡­


    ¡­


    Time, like a breeze through the mountains, neither fast nor slow, gently flowed by.


    Several days later, Mo Hua had visited all the accessible places within the Five Elements Sect.


    The remaining places were either the residences of the Inner Sect Disciples, the elders¡¯ caves, the Book Pavilion, the Pill Pavilion, the Formation Pavilion¡ªthese places not open to the public.


    Or they were the sect¡¯s critical forbidden areas, locked and heavily guarded by cultivators.


    Other than these, there were the formations of the Five Elements Sect.


    If Mo Hua wasn¡¯t mistaken, within the Five Elements Sect lay a Large Formation!


    Moreover, this Large Formation was ancient, with a profound aura and meticulously arranged Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua had tried to perform calculations, but he couldn¡¯t deduce anything at all. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua then went to inquire with Mr. Zhuang:


    ¡°Master, is there a Large Formation within the Five Elements Sect?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°There is.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it First-grade?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze flickered slightly, ¡°It¡¯s Second-grade.¡±


    Second-Grade Large Formation!


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    Up until now, he had rarely seen Second-Grade formations, and here he encountered a Second-Grade Large Formation!


    The ability to construct a Second-Grade Large Formation showed the profound legacy and deep knowledge of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s ancestors in formation study.


    ¡°Master, what¡¯s the name of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Large Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became more serious, ¡°Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.¡±


    ¡°Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation¡­¡±


    Five Elements¡­


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart, ¡°Master, is this formation related to the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was surprised at first, then chuckled, ¡°To say they are related wouldn¡¯t be wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation is focused on offense, while the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation is focused on defense. Both formations rely on the Five Elements, and both have some origins with the Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect also once laid out the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, completely exterminating a Demon Path¡¯s Monster Gate, and vanquishing the monster cultivators within.¡±


    ¡°However, the current Five Elements Sect might not have this capability.¡±


    ¡°When a sect is flourishing, it can focus on offense, but when it¡¯s in decline, it can only maintain defense¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly, ¡°This Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation is also a legacy left by the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°In a Third-Grade state boundary, constructing this Second-Grade Large Formation, basically, it can ensure that the Five Elements Sect remains unassailable amid the turbulent winds of the cultivation world.¡±


    Of course, that is generally the case.


    No matter how impregnable the Large Formation is to outsiders, if it rots from the inside, then there¡¯s nothing that can be done¡­


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts stirred, and his gaze became profound.


    Mo Hua also reflected on this.


    ¡°Mo Hua, I¡¯ll test you,¡± Mr. Zhuang suddenly said.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Master, please say.¡±


    ¡°Spend some time, try to deduce the structure of the Formation Pivot of the Large Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Master, this is a Second-Grade Formation, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, ¡°You can start trying to work with Second-Grade Formations.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Contact with Second-Grade Formations¡­starting with a Second-Grade Large Formation?


    Is it like trying to fly before learning how to walk?


    Does Master¡­think too highly of me¡­


    Mr. Zhuang saw Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts and smiled gently, ¡°Second-Grade Formations, compared to First-grade Formations, will have fundamental changes in Patterns, but their Formation Pivot structures do share similarities.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to deduce the Patterns, just observe the structure and grasp the overall context.¡±


    Mo Hua had an epiphany, ¡°Alright, Master!¡±


    After Mr. Zhuang finished instructing, Mo Hua excitedly ran off, dragging his elder brother and sister to study the Second-Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation of the Five Elements Sect.


    The house was quiet for a moment.


    Old Kui appeared, frowning, ¡°You really are in no hurry.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes were clear, looking at the distant undulating mountains, the towering caves, and the Large Formation hidden within, and he spoke calmly,


    ¡°Wait for it, I¡¯ll wait until the preparations I need to make are all in place¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang then glanced at Mo Hua, who was walking away, and fell silent in his heart.


    ¡°Let me spend a little more time with these children¡­¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 598 - 527 Life-gate_1

    Chapter 598: Chapter 527 Life-gate_1


    Mo Hua began to study the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Mountain Protection Array.


    But this Large Formation, after all, was a Second-Grade Formation, and Mo Hua, having no foundation whatsoever, found the study extremely challenging.


    However, after pondering it for a long time, Mo Hua did discern some insights.


    Second-Grade Formations differ from First-grade Formations.


    Their Formation Patterns are more complex and profound, the Spiritual Power required to activate the Formation is stronger, and the nature of the Spiritual Power circulating within the Formation also fundamentally differs from that in a First-grade Formation.


    This difference is somewhat similar to the disparity between the Spiritual Power of Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment.


    The Spiritual Power of Qi Refinement is still vaporous.


    While the Spiritual Power of Foundation Establishment is like mercury.


    Spiritual Power like mercury, as if condensed into a liquid like quicksilver.


    The Spiritual Power within a Second-Grade Large Formation is precisely such.


    Divine Sense Calculation isn¡¯t effective either.


    Although Mo Hua possesses a peak Thirteen Stripes Divine Sense, reaching the limit of the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, due to the qualitative difference in Formation Patterns between the Second-Grade Formation and the First-grade Formation.


    Therefore, after Calculation, the Formation Patterns that emerged in his Sea of Consciousness were a mass of profound, complex, and dense patterns, utterly indecipherable.


    Fortunately, while the Formation Patterns were difficult to understand, the structure of the Formation Pivot was generally consistent.


    Mo Hua was unable to deduce specific Formation Patterns, but by comparing them to the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation and drawing on his experience, he could still deduce the basic layout of the Second-Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    After several days, Mo Hua had a superficial understanding of the skeleton of the Mountain Protection Array.


    But as for the more specific and profound details of the Formation, Mo Hua was none the wiser.


    Nevertheless, this was enough.


    At least Mo Hua had a preliminary grasp and understanding of the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    As its name implies, the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, is primarily defensive.


    The multitude of Single Formations connected within it are, most of them, of the Earth and Wood of the Five Elements, and also include the Golden Series Second-Grade Formations.


    The purpose is to fortify the Sect, shelter disciples, and defend against external enemies.


    As Mr. Zhuang had said, by establishing such a Second-Grade Large Formation within a Third-Grade State Boundary, no matter what kind of power invaded, as long as the Large Formation was activated, one could basically be invincible.


    There are cultivation restrictions of the Heavenly Dao Formation.


    Within the Third-Grade State Boundary, with Mo Hua¡¯s limited experience in Tao Cultivation, he could not conceive of any method that could break through this Mountain Protection Array.


    Beyond that, Mo Hua discovered another issue. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This Large Formation seemed to have been renovated.


    Five Elements Sect¡¯s construction of caves and palaces, which involved the Sect¡¯s foundations, naturally affected the Large Formation.


    Now, this Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation appeared to have been modified in many places.


    Mo Hua went to ask Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and sighed:


    ¡°Indeed, they don¡¯t appreciate the Formation left by their ancestors¡­¡±


    Mo Hua glanced back at Mo Hua and asked:


    ¡°How is your study coming along?¡±


    Mo Hua then told Mr. Zhuang about the Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, and some Formation structures he had deduced.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded his head in approval and praised:


    ¡°You¡¯ve made good observations.¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled.


    Mr. Zhuang then asked, ¡°Do you still remember the Life-gate?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded.


    He remembered Mr. Zhuang saying that within the Formation Principle, where there is life, there is death, and within death, there is also life.


    Via the Reversed Spirit Formation, when causing Formation Collapse, it is the ¡°death¡± within the Formation principle, yet within the deathly state of the Formation¡¯s collapse, there exists a sliver of life, which is the ¡°Life-gate¡± within the Formation.


    Thinking of this, Mo Hua startled and whispered:


    ¡°Master, you¡¯re not planning to bring down the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Formation, are you¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, then couldn¡¯t help but laugh:


    ¡°Where did your mind wander off to¡­ Causing a Formation Collapse has significant destructive power and is harmful to the heavenly harmony; we can¡¯t just use it casually.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang drew a mountain diagram on paper, traced several lines along the mountain¡¯s contours, and instructed:


    ¡°These are the main veins of the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation¡¯s Pivot Structure that I¡¯ve outlined, memorize them.¡±


    ¡°When the Formation is in motion, there will be a Life-gate above the Formation Pivot.¡±


    ¡°Although this small section is a Second-Grade Formation Pivot, it is similar to the layout of the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, and with your Divine Sense being sufficient, you should be able to calculate the Life-gate yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°All right, Master.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    But he was somewhat puzzled.


    Why was his master asking him to calculate the ¡°Life-gate¡±?


    Mo Hua thought about it and expressed some concern:


    ¡°Master, could it be that the Five Elements Sect is planning to use the Formation against us?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang appeared slightly startled, then tousled Mo Hua¡¯s hair, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just being prepared for any eventuality.¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua was still somewhat anxious, Mr. Zhuang explained:


    ¡°A Second-Grade Large Formation isn¡¯t available everywhere; this is a rare opportunity. I¡¯m just taking this chance to teach you some key points about Second-Grade Large Formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he gratefully said:


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, nodded, and then imparted some key points about Second-Grade Large Formations.


    There were no specific drawing methods, only some concepts about Formation Pivots, Formation eyes, and some overarching strategic ideas.


    Mo Hua listened with keen interest.


    He had already constructed a First-grade Large Formation.


    Regarding Second-Grade Large Formations, without delving into specific Formations, just from the perspective of Formation principle, he could understand the concepts.


    It¡¯s just uncertain whether he would ever have the chance to truly construct a Second-Grade Large Formation.


    After Mr. Zhuang had finished teaching, he instructed:


    ¡°Remember these words well, think about them when you have time, and go see the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Large Formation again to verify them for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Also, the section of the Formation Pivot that I have outlined, make sure to repeatedly calculate it and find the Life-gate.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression became somewhat stern.


    Mo Hua did not understand the reason, but he still nodded earnestly.


    In the following days, Mo Hua, following Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teachings, began to observe the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Second-Grade Large Formation.

 Chapter 599 - 527 Life-gate_2

    Chapter 599: Chapter 527 Life-gate_2


    Meanwhile, whenever there was a chance, Mo Hua began the calculations for the section of the Large Formation¡¯s Formation Pivot that Mr. Zhuang had pointed out on the mountainside.


    Searching within the ever-rotating Formation Pivot for that constantly shifting Life-gate¡­


    By the time Mo Hua had observed enough and honed his calculation skills thoroughly,


    Mr. Zhuang called over Sect Leader Liao and instructed,


    ¡°We are well-rested now, you can fulfill the agreement.¡±


    Sect Leader Liao was taken aback.


    The agreement¡­


    Naturally, it referred to the arrangement of allowing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple to learn the Five Element Ultimate Formation.


    Sect Leader Liao said with a smile, ¡°There is still time, Elder could rest a few more days while I consult with the Inner Gate Elders again¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said indifferently,


    ¡°What I have just said was a notification, not a discussion.¡±


    Sect Leader Liao, thick-faced, still wanted to make excuses, but suddenly felt a sinking feeling in his heart. Looking up, he saw Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze withdrawn, his entire presence like an unparalleled sharp sword, his aura majestic and peerless. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no fluctuation of Spiritual Power, no trace of Spell use.


    But there was an extremely strong oppressive feeling.


    Rendering him utterly unable to harbor any thoughts of resistance.


    In Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes seemed to lurk thousands of sword glints, as if capable of directly piercing through Sect Leader Liao¡¯s veil of secrets, causing his heart to tremble and making him lower his head, unable to look him in the eye.


    A moment later, everything dissipated like smoke and clouds.


    No might, no pressure.


    The breeze blew gently as if nothing had ever happened.


    But Sect Leader Liao was drenched in cold sweat, his voice trembling,


    ¡°Elder, please calm your anger, I will¡­ report back to the Chief Elder right away¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Sect Leader Liao left in a state of panic and soon reported the matter to the Chief Elder in the cave dwelling behind the mountain.


    The Chief Elder slammed the table in anger, ¡°This is outrageous!¡±


    ¡°The pressure of Divine Sense!¡±


    ¡°Do they really think the Five Elements Sect is without capable people?!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao thought to himself, isn¡¯t our Five Elements Sect exactly without capable people¡­ but he harbored not a hint of resentment.


    He just didn¡¯t understand.


    How could a person without Spiritual Power and a shattered Sea of Consciousness exert such a terrifying Divine Sense pressure?


    It seemed that without lifting a finger, just one look was enough to shatter his courage and kill him!


    Sect Leader Liao was deeply frightened.


    This was when that person was down and out, with only a tenth of his Cultivation and power. If he were in his prime, what an overpowering presence he must have had¡­


    No wonder so many people, in their efforts to deal with him, had to be extremely careful and use all their wits¡­


    This person was truly fearsome!


    Sect Leader Liao calmed his mind and asked about the crux of the matter,


    ¡°Chief Elder, what should we do now?¡±


    The Chief Elder glanced at Sect Leader Liao with an emotionless face, but felt irritated inside:


    ¡°The moment something happens, you ask what to do. Do you look anything like a Sect Leader at all?¡±


    ¡°How can you shoulder great responsibilities and revitalize the Five Elements Sect in this manner?¡±


    The Chief Elder said, ¡°Postpone¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Sect Leader Liao interjected with a wry smile, ¡°We can¡¯t postpone any longer¡­¡±


    Just one look from that person is enough to make me tremble in fear.


    If we keep delaying and he looks at me a few more times, my courage might not shatter, but my Taoist Heart might.


    How can we dare to delay further?


    The Chief Elder frowned.


    Sect Leader Liao stood to the side, holding his breath, and after a long moment said slowly,


    ¡°Why not just let them learn?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    The Chief Elder firmly replied.


    He looked at Sect Leader Liao with an icy gaze, ¡°We must never allow them to learn!¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, this Formation, even if it becomes obsolete, must only perish within our Five Elements Sect!¡±


    ¡°Even if no one can master it, even if it¡¯s lost forever, it must not fall into the hands of outsiders!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao was somewhat troubled, ¡°Then¡­¡±


    We cannot allow them to learn, but we also dare not refuse them outright.


    We in the Five Elements Sect cannot afford to offend that person¡­


    The Chief Elder also understood the dilemma, and with a flicker in his murky eyes, said, ¡°We shall set some trials.¡±


    Trials?


    Sect Leader Liao hesitated, ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be such a rule within the Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°There is one starting now,¡± said the Chief Elder casually.


    As expected of the Chief Elder, he has lived long and has a thick skin.


    Sect Leader Liao muttered to himself and then asked,


    ¡°But these trials¡­ How shall we conduct them? Who should be tested? Mr. Zhuang, or his disciple?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyes turned cold, ¡°Would you stop and think? Mr. Zhuang¡­ who can test him? Who is qualified to test him?¡±


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s eyes grew cold, but he didn¡¯t become angry. He just nodded slightly.


    That meant his disciple would be the one to be tested.


    ¡°Chief Elder, what exactly do you plan to test him with?¡±


    The Chief Elder spoke gravely, ¡°Host a Tao Discussion Meeting.¡±


    ¡°A Tao Discussion Meeting¡­ to compare formations?¡±


    The Chief Elder nodded.


    Sect Leader Liao was hesitant, ¡°But who will compete?¡±


    The Chief Elder frowned and said,


    ¡°The Elders and Instructors within the Sect obviously won¡¯t do, for that would clearly be bullying the weak, and Mr. Zhuang would definitely not agree. Therefore¡­ it must be a comparison of formations amongst disciples¡­¡±


    ¡°The Inner Sect Disciples will compete¡­¡±


    ¡°His disciple must win over all our Five Elements Sect¡¯s Inner Sect Disciples in formation arrays, in order to learn our Sect Protecting Five Elements Spirit Formation!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao said quietly, ¡°Chief Elder, are you serious?¡±


    The Chief Elder looked displeased.


    Sect Leader Liao reminded him, ¡°Apart from everything else, his young disciple is already a First-Rate Formation Master¡­¡±


    A genuine, value-for-money First-Rate Formation Master at that¡­


    At present, none of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Inner Sect Disciples could reach such position during the stage of Qi Refinement.


    How could they possibly compete?


    Do you intend to let him publicly embarrass our Five Elements Sect?


    And are we voluntarily presenting our face for him to slap¡­


    Sect Leader Liao was somewhat speechless.


    But the Chief Elder shook his head, ¡°Not at all!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao didn¡¯t understand.


    The Chief Elder retorted, ¡°Amongst the Inner Sect, aren¡¯t there some disciples who are of First-Rate standard but have repeatedly failed their assessments?¡±


    Sect Leader Liao nodded, ¡°There are.¡±


    The Chief Elder sighed in relief, ¡°Then that will do.¡±

 Chapter 600 - 527 Life-gate_3

    Chapter 600: Chapter 527 Life-gate_3


    Sect Leader Liao asked, ¡°You mean to say¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder mused, ¡°The Taoist Court¡¯s assessment has a limited number of quotas, and the waters can run deep or shallow.¡±


    ¡°In some remote areas, where Formation Masters are scarce, the assessment standards are looser, and the quality of Formation Masters might be lacking.¡±


    ¡°And then there are the sons and daughters of certain clans, young cultivators, who for the sake of being known as a genius, pull strings using their connections, and even if their standards fall short, they are guaranteed a First Grade.¡±


    ¡°Such First Graders often contain even more watered-down ability.¡±


    Sect Leader Liao frowned, ¡°Are you saying that Junior Formation Master surnamed Mo is one of these First Grade Formation Masters?¡±


    The Chief Elder nodded slowly, ¡°Even if he didn¡¯t take any shortcuts, he was most likely given a First Grade in some backwater small place.¡±


    The Chief Elder continued, ¡°It¡¯s different for our Five Elements Sect.¡± sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Within the Dali Mountain State Boundary, there are many sects that are established based on the Formation, and this place was once a stronghold for Formations. Even though times have changed, the foundation still exists, and there are many Formation Masters.¡±


    ¡°To be assessed in this state boundary is extremely difficult!¡±


    ¡°Even achieving a First Grade feels as arduous as ascending to heaven.¡±


    ¡°Because for assessment, you don¡¯t compete with cultivators of your age, but with all Qi Refinement, and even some Foundation Establishment Formation Masters; it¡¯s merit-based.¡±


    ¡°Others have been cultivating for longer than you, their Divine Sense is stronger, having immersed themselves in Formation for many years, drawing more Formations than you, how can these ordinary disciples compare?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s normal that they are not assessed.¡±


    ¡°At the same time, don¡¯t think that just because they are not assessed, their Formation skills are insufficient.¡±


    ¡°Placed in some Little Immortal City or Second-Grade Prefecture Border, they would already be genuine First Grade Formation Masters.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, some disciples within our sect who haven¡¯t been assessed might not necessarily be weaker in Formation strength than that little disciple of Mr. Zhuang who has already achieved a First Grade!¡±


    Chief Elder¡¯s words were well-founded, making Sect Leader Liao see the light.


    Sect Leader Liao praised, ¡°Worthy of our Chief Elder, so thorough in your considerations!¡±


    ¡°With this understanding, that First Grade Junior Formation Master isn¡¯t necessarily as brilliant, Maybe he was just lucky to be assessed¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao pondered again, ¡°Indeed, although talent is important for a Formation Master, proficiency comes with practice, and diligence can compensate for lack of skill. That Junior Formation Master is just around a teenager; even if he started drawing Formations from the womb and did so every day without rest, how many Formations could he possibly have drawn?¡±


    ¡°With so few Formation drawings, his comprehension would naturally be shallow.¡±


    ¡°No matter how high his talent is, without rigorous practice, it is ultimately as untenable as a castle in the sky.¡±


    This struck a chord with the Chief Elder.


    The Chief Elder nodded in agreement but also cautioned, ¡°However, we shouldn¡¯t be careless. Even when catching rabbits, a lion uses all its strength. We mustn¡¯t underestimate him¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao bowed and said, ¡°The Chief Elder is absolutely right.¡±


    Following that, he frowned, ¡°The Junior Formation Master is easy to deal with, but his senior brothers and sisters¡­¡±


    Thinking of the pair of siblings with profound cultivation and unmatched Spiritual Roots, appearing almost celestial in their bearing, the Chief Elder¡¯s expression also turned gravely serious.


    After a moment, the Chief Elder sighed and said slowly, ¡°In that case, we will have to seek assistance¡­¡±


    ¡°Assistance?¡±


    The Chief Elder nodded, ¡°In the Dali Mountain State Boundary, many Formation Sects and clans have close relations with our Five Elements Sect. Among them, there are quite a few talented individuals with an exceptional aptitude for Formations. We can borrow their support to bolster our presence and take the wind out of that person¡¯s sails!¡±


    ¡°Can they win against that pair of siblings?¡±


    ¡°By gathering the entire Dali Mountain State Boundary¡¯s Formation Genius, there should be no problem¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao nodded but couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously:


    ¡°But can they win against Mr. Zhuang from back then?¡±


    The Chief Elder snorted coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it; no matter how talented they are, they can¡¯t hope to beat that man¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze filled with fear as he was forced to admit,


    ¡°How many like Mr. Zhuang exist in this world?¡±


    Sect Leader Liao still hesitated, ¡°Won¡¯t it be obvious?¡±


    The Chief Elder shook his head, ¡°They are guests from afar, not members of the Five Elements Sect. How could anyone discern whether they are our disciples?¡±


    ¡°Then, can we really persuade these talents?¡±


    ¡°Just offer them benefits.¡±


    ¡°The cost won¡¯t be small¡­¡±


    ¡°If a problem can be solved with Spirit Stones, it¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    Sect Leader Liao winced at the cost but still nodded.


    With the planning completed, the Chief Elder also breathed a sigh of relief and said coldly,


    ¡°At the Tao Discussion Meeting, when it comes to comparing Formations, if those disciples under that man cannot surpass our cultivators of the Five Elements Sect, with his arrogant nature, he probably won¡¯t have the effrontery to request learning our Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao was still not entirely reassured:


    ¡°Such an obvious scheme, will that man agree?¡±


    The Chief Elder sneered, ¡°If he wants his disciples to learn the Formations of our Five Elements Sect, he will have to agree!¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t refused; we¡¯ve just made a fair and reasonable request.¡±


    ¡°If they can¡¯t win against the disciples of the Five Elements Sect, what right do they have to learn the Ultimate Formation of the Five Elements Sect?¡±


    ¡°In other words, if they can¡¯t win against the disciples of the Five Elements Sect, even if they went to learn the Ultimate Formation, they would certainly be unable to master it!¡±


    ¡°By saying this, I¡¯m saving both our times; it¡¯s for the good of the Five Elements Sect as well as his¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The Chief Elder put on a righteous fa?ade.


    But in his heart, Sect Leader Liao sneered.


    The older they get, the thicker their skins become.


    It¡¯s only because the Five Elements Sect has these old, scheming parasites that it has been gradually declining.


    However, he had no other options in this matter.


    Just he didn¡¯t know whether Mr. Zhuang would agree¡­


    Feeling uneasy, Sect Leader Liao went to see Mr. Zhuang to explain the situation.


    Unexpectedly, Mr. Zhuang was not surprised, nor did he show anger; he remained indifferent and nodded,


    ¡°Good!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao felt relieved.


    Agreement boded well.


    At least he had an explanation to provide.


    But the more he observed Mr. Zhuang, the more inscrutable and mysterious he seemed to be.


    He simply could not fathom what Mr. Zhuang was truly thinking or planning¡­


    ¡­


    After Sect Leader Liao took his leave, Mr. Zhuang called over Mo Hua and the others.


    ¡°In a few days, you will be comparing Formation skills with the disciples of the Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°No, not you¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and smiled faintly, ¡°Mo Hua, you alone will suffice.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang wore an expression of looking forward to a good show,


    ¡°You take the lead, and at the same time, support your senior brother and sister¡­¡±


    ¡°And also make your master proud¡­¡±

 Chapter 601 - 601: 528

    Chapter 601: 528


    Taking the lead? Holding up the show? Saving face?


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also looked at each other in dismay.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Master, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Mr. Zhuang said with a light smile, ¡°you just go and compete with them. If you win, you¡¯ll get to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation.¡±


    ¡°Compete in First-grade Formation Methods?¡±


    ¡°First-grade.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    When it came to First-grade Formation Methods, he feared no one, of course, besides Mr. Zhuang.


    But he would not be careless.


    Mo Hua frowned and said, ¡°Master, what if the Five Elements Sect plays dirty and I lose?¡±


    It actually didn¡¯t matter much if he lost himself.


    Personal victory or defeat was trivial.


    The Five Element Ultimate Formation, though important, was something he would learn sooner or later.


    The key issue was, if he lost, he would lose face for his master.


    His master¡¯s prestige was the big deal!


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became somewhat serious.


    Mr. Zhuang felt a hint of warmth in his heart, then raised an eyebrow and said:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As my disciple, what do they have to win against you?¡±


    This statement was somewhat subtle, but Mo Hua actually felt it made a lot of sense, and he couldn¡¯t help but nod his head. Still, he looked somewhat apprehensive.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze shifted, and he continued:


    ¡°Do you still remember the words I told you at the beginning?¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit puzzled, unsure which words Mr. Zhuang was referring to.


    Mr. Zhuang feigned regret as he sighed:


    ¡°Back then, when I went to the Five Elements Sect, I wanted to learn that Ultimate Formation, but for various reasons, I didn¡¯t manage to learn it, and accordingly, they looked down on me and I lost a lot of face¡­¡±


    ¡°This old score, I can no longer settle.¡±


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m counting on you to reclaim this stage for your master¡­¡±


    Looked down upon, lost face?


    Mo Hua¡¯s little face tensed up, and she immediately bristled with fighting spirit, saying:


    ¡°Master, rest assured! I will certainly reclaim this stage for you and crush them into utter defeat!¡±


    ¡°And then I¡¯ll learn their Sect-Protecting Ultimate Technique and drive them crazy with grief!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but smile proudly, ¡°Good, leave them in utter defeat, and drive them crazy with grief!¡±


    Old Kui, outside the door, shook his head upon hearing this.


    Despite his age, he¡¯s still as puerile and competitive as a child.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°Master, should I show them any mercy?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Not only should you not, but you should also be more arrogant.¡±


    ¡°Arrogant?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°use that set of pretentious skills I taught you.¡±


    ¡°Pretentious?¡±


    Mo Hua had somewhat forgotten.


    Mr. Zhuang demonstrated for Mo Hua once more.


    He let go of his gentle demeanor, his brows and eyes becoming sharp, his expression turning indifferent, proudly holding his head high, like an ancient sword sealed and undisturbed, with an air of grandeur, as if he were an Azure Dragon looking down upon the world.


    His grace and demeanor made others dare not look directly at him.


    Mr. Zhuang quickly concealed his demeanor again, his expression becoming gentle once more, ¡°Remember now?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone, and then he too imitated the posture.


    He held his head high, hands on his hips, with a nobody-in-my-eyes look on his tender little face.


    Except he didn¡¯t resemble a dragon, but rather a fierce Little Tiger.


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but pet Mo Hua¡¯s head and said:


    ¡°It lacks a bit of style, but it¡¯s passable for now. You¡¯ll need to practice more in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Mo Hua obediently responded.


    Old Kui looked at this mentor-disciple pair, his expression even more speechless¡­


    Mr. Zhuang then instructed Mo Hua:


    ¡°In a few days, you will take the lead and also stand in for your senior brothers and sisters. Only those who win against you will qualify to compete in Formation Methods with your senior brothers and sisters.¡±


    With Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words, Mo Hua understood:


    ¡°I am the threshold!¡±


    Whoever wanted to compete with his senior brothers and sisters had to cross his threshold first.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded approvingly.


    This child was indeed clever.


    Bai Zisheng felt a bit guilty on the side, ¡°Master, my Formation skills are not as good as my junior brother¡¯s¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng was quite self-aware. Although he was a senior brother, his level in Formation skills was far from Mo Hua¡¯s.


    If someone did manage to win against Mo Hua, he most certainly wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Bai Zixi was better off, her Formation skills, albeit not as strong as Mo Hua¡¯s, were still quite high.


    But his own flaws would be exposed.


    Mr. Zhuang said with a light smile, ¡°That¡¯s alright. This threshold your junior brother presents, it is quite a high one¡­¡±


    And moreover, it was an insurmountably ¡°high¡± one.


    Mr. Zhuang thought of Mo Hua¡¯s level in Formation methods as a cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm, still somewhat astonished in his heart.


    Mo Hua, praised by Mr. Zhuang, had a smiley face again.


    ¡­


    In the ensuing days, the Five Elements Sect appeared calm on the surface, but there was a buzz of activity behind the scenes: dispatching messengers, sending letters, bargaining¡­


    Sect Leader Liao was busy with receptions and farewells.


    The Elders moved about frequently.


    Some unfamiliar disciples also appeared silently within the Five Elements Sect¡­


    Mr. Zhuang sat by the window, watching all this unfold, unflustered and unshowy.


    A few days later, Sect Leader Liao came to invite Mr. Zhuang, respectfully saying:


    ¡°The Tao Discussion Meeting is about to begin. Mr. Zhuang and several esteemed disciples, please proceed to the Formation Pavilion.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and stood up, turning towards Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi, and said:


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡­


    The Tao Discussion Meeting.


    It was a grand assembly for cultivators to discuss the Tao.


    It was also a general term for various kinds of meetings among cultivators.


    Cultivators gathered to discuss cultivation, scholarly matters, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Formations, and even about rearing Spirit Beasts, keeping cats and dogs.


    The Tao Discussion Meeting of the Five Elements Sect was mainly for verifying Formations.


    The Formation Pavilion was the place within the Sect for storing Formation knowledge and artifacts.


    Stored within were Formation Books, Formation Diagrams, precious inks, ancient brushes, valuable Formation Papers, and a series of Tao cultivation items related to Formation methods. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Formation Pavilion was a place of secrecy and also one of the important venues for Tao discussion meetings within the Sect.

 Chapter 602 - 528 Formation Pavilion_2

    Chapter 602: Chapter 528 Formation Pavilion_2


    The Five Elements Sect once established itself with Formation methods, but now it prospers with Earth and Wood, hence the Formation Pavilion is quite expansive and luxurious.


    The Formation Pavilion has four floors.


    The venue for the Tao Discussion Meeting is on the widest floor, adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, glittering with gold and jade.


    At this moment, ink, brushes, desks, and documents are all prepared, and the disciples of the Five Elements Sect have taken their seats.


    The chief seats are occupied by the Chief Elder and Sect Leader Liao of the Five Elements Sect, along with various Elders and Guest Elders.


    The Chief Elder, who had been in seclusion for a long time, has emerged from his retreat.


    By the Chief Elder¡¯s side are two elders dressed in brocade clothes and adorned with golden crowns and jade ornaments, their presence profound and unmistakably that of two Great Cultivators of the Golden Core Realm.


    At this moment, the Chief Elder was discussing in a low voice with these two elders:


    ¡°¡­The gentleman¡¯s surname is Zhuang, and he comes from an imposing background, not suitable to be detailed¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an agreement made by our ancestors, we have no choice but to abide¡­¡±


    ¡°But the Sect is in decline, not as it used to be¡­being bullied to this extent¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­coveting our Five Elements Sect¡¯s ancestral Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°I ask you two old friends, you must! Lend the Five Elements Sect a helping hand!¡±


    The Chief Elder feigned distress, his words earnest and sincere.


    The other two elders both replied with ¡°Certainly, certainly!¡± but their expressions were dull and they seemed somewhat indifferent.


    The Chief Elder cursed them in his heart.


    Truly, the older they get, the more cunning they become!


    The older they get, the more worldly-wise.


    No one would wake up early without benefit, as stingy as two iron roosters.


    The Chief Elder bowed with his hands clasped, ¡°Sect Leader Chu, Brother Shen¡­once this matter succeeds, a generous reward will be offered¡­¡±


    The hands of the Chief Elder, hidden in his sleeves, secretly gestured a number of Spirit Stones for the two elders to see.


    Both of their eyes lit up.


    The elder surnamed Shen was the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family from the nearby Si Water City, an aristocrat of Formation Method, in the early stages of the Golden Core Realm.


    His originally indifferent face immediately blossomed into a smile, and his tone became much friendlier:


    ¡°The Chief Elder is too kind, it would be disrespectful to refuse, truly disrespectful¡­¡±


    Afterwards, the Old Ancestor of Shen Family said solemnly:


    ¡°With the Taoist Court unifying all, cultivators must act according to the law, no matter how prominent the background, one must still abide by the rules. As the saying goes, ¡®even a mighty dragon cannot crush a local serpent.¡¯ Chief Elder, rest assured, I will uphold justice for you!¡±


    He is the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family.


    The Shen Family is vast and wealthy, with many disciples and a great consumption of Spirit Stones; they could never have too many.


    The Chief Elder internally cursed, ¡°Money-grubbing old fool,¡± while outwardly smiling and clapping his hands, he praised:


    ¡°Brother Shen¡¯s heart is as warm as the ancient roads, I admire you!¡±


    On the other hand, Sect Leader Chu, dressed impeccably, pondered for a moment before saying:


    ¡°Brother, I do not want these Spirit Stones.¡±


    Not wanting Spirit Stones¡­


    The Chief Elder wasn¡¯t happy about this, rather he was on alert.


    Not wanting Spirit Stones doesn¡¯t mean he truly doesn¡¯t want anything.


    It¡¯s very likely that Spirit Stones simply aren¡¯t to his taste.


    This Sect Leader Chu was the Supreme Sect Leader of the Formation Mysterious Sect, venerable in years, and had already abdicated his position, holding a nominal title. Yet in the Sect, he was still deeply respected, his word carrying great weight.


    The Formation Mysterious Sect, being adept in Formation methods, did not place much importance on Spirit Stones.


    As expected, Sect Leader Chu continued:


    ¡°Your Five Elements Sect doesn¡¯t easily earn Spirit Stones, how could I have the heart to kick you when you¡¯re down¡­¡±


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family beside him felt displeased within.


    What does he mean? Wanting Spirit Stones is kicking them when they¡¯re down?


    But he had lived long enough to possess the skill of containing his emotions.


    His wrinkled old face gave nothing away, showing neither joy nor anger.


    The Chief Elder frowned, ¡°Then, Brother Chu¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Chu continued, ¡°All I ask for is to take a look at the Formation Diagram of your Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s color changed abruptly and he quickly interjected:


    ¡°No, absolutely not!¡±


    The Formation Diagram of the Mountain Guarding Formation?


    What are you thinking!


    To look at the Formation Diagram of the Large Formation, isn¡¯t that like revealing your entire foundations?


    This old coot!


    The Chief Elder internally cursed.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family, in a sarcastic tone, added:


    ¡°Spirit Stones are external possessions, but Formation methods are the foundation of one¡¯s existence. Getting some Spirit Stones is good enough; coveting someone else¡¯s foundations is rather shameless¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Chu did not get angry, instead he negotiated:


    ¡°I would be satisfied with just seeing a First Grade Formation.¡±


    ¡°Even a First Grade is not permissible.¡±


    ¡°I would just look at the simplified diagrams, not the actual Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°Brother Chu, please do not make this difficult for me¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Chu¡¯s face became stern, ¡°Brother, do you not trust me?¡±


    ¡°This is not a question of trust¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Chu knew the Chief Elder¡¯s concerns and said:


    ¡°There is a vast difference between a First Grade Large Formation and a Second Grade Large Formation, the Formation Patterns are as different as heaven is from earth. Even if the Formation Pivots bear some resemblance, their essence is entirely different¡­¡±


    ¡°What the Five Elements Sect has laid is a Second Grade Large Formation.¡±


    ¡°Seeing only a First Grade Formation Diagram would actually have no real effect on your Five Elements Sect.¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Chief Elder hesitated, ¡°This¡­¡±


    Sighing, Sect Leader Chu expressed:


    ¡°In this life, Chu has no other desires than to expand his knowledge of Formation Diagrams.¡±


    ¡°Now that your Five Elements Sect faces peril, I step forward to vent this frustration for you, if for nothing else, for the sake of the old times between our two Sects¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, with such a minor request, you hesitate and evade me, Brother, it really chills my heart¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Chu looked disappointed.


    But the Chief Elder knew that this was him using reverse psychology, leveraging the situation to pressure him.


    If he did not show the Formation Diagram, he would stand by and not help the Five Elements Sect.


    The key issue was that the Formation Mysterious Sect, grounded in Formation methods, was very powerful.


    While the Five Elements Sect was on the decline, the Formation Mysterious Sect was striving vigorously, with numerous Formation geniuses among its disciples.


    If this Chu did not help, the outcome of the contest was indeed uncertain.


    Depending solely on the disciples of the Five Elements Sect and the talents from the Shen Family and a few other Noble Clans, it was really uncertain whether they could outperform Mr. Zhuang and his pair of high-level siblings.

 Chapter 603 - 603: 528

    Chapter 603: 528


    The Chief Elder pondered for a moment, then said through gritted teeth,


    ¡°Fine! In consideration of the centuries of friendship between our two sects, I agree to your terms!¡±


    Sect Leader Chu¡¯s expression brightened.


    The Chief Elder added, ¡°However, you can only look at this Formation Diagram here in the Formation Pavilion, and you can only look for one day. You may not take it away.¡±


    Sect Leader Chu frowned, ¡°What can one discern in just one day?¡±


    Though it was only First Grade, it was still a Large Formation after all¡­


    The Formation Patterns were complex, the Formation Pivot profound, and the Single Formations numerous.


    Even though he was of the Golden Core Realm, he was merely a High-Grade Second Rank Formation Master and did not have much confidence that he could master the intricacies of a First Grade Large Formation within a single day.


    After thinking it over, Sect Leader Chu felt not that he didn¡¯t have much confidence, but rather, he had no confidence at all¡­


    ¡°Three days!¡±


    Sect Leader Chu said, ¡°Give me three days just to look at this Large Formation Diagram!¡±


    The Chief Elder cursed inwardly.


    Three days?


    Was that what one called a glance?


    That seemed an extraordinarily long time for just ¡®a look¡¯.


    ¡°Two days!¡± the Chief Elder said.


    Sect Leader Chu immediately tried to push his luck further. ¡°Two and a half days!¡±


    The Chief Elder firmly replied, ¡°Two days is it! If that doesn¡¯t work for you, then forget it. I will find someone else¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± Sect Leader Chu readily agreed, ¡°Two days! Just two days!¡±


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family could not stand it any longer, speaking in a tone that was neither salty nor light,


    ¡°We are Golden Core Cultivators and leaders of our sects, not peddlers in a market town haggling over every trifle, squabbling over petty profits¡­¡±


    Though his voice carried a strange tone, in his heart, he regretted immensely.


    If only he had known, he would have bargained as well!


    All under heaven are bustling for profit.


    All hustle and bustle draw them to gain.


    For the sake of Spirit Stones, it¡¯s not demeaning.


    To take this opportunity and use some glib words to gain more benefits was better than anything else.


    How regrettable, it was too late¡­


    He couldn¡¯t very well go back and renegotiate the terms after agreeing to them.


    One might shamelessly break one¡¯s word, but there are limits to such shamelessness¡­


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family sighed.


    He was also somewhat curious; Sect Leader Chu, in exchange for a sizable amount of Spirit Stones, went for two days of looking at a First Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation. What was he really up to?


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family looked at Sect Leader Chu with an inscrutable gaze but did not pursue the matter further.


    Now that the matters of interest were settled, the Chief Elder began discussing the next arrangements,


    ¡°That person has a total of three disciples.¡±


    ¡°Among them, the youngest disciple is already a First Grade Formation Master at a tender age.¡±


    ¡°The other two are siblings with astonishing talent; their depths are unfathomable, and their level of skill in formations is unknown, but since they are the senior disciples, they are undoubtedly even more mysterious than the little student.¡±


    ¡°At the very least, they are also First Grade!¡±


    ¡°And they must be seasoned First Grade Formation Masters!¡±


    The Chief Elder was somewhat reluctant to admit it, but still said,


    ¡°Now, that Junior Formation Master, with the strength of our Five Elements Sect, we can still manage.¡±


    ¡°But those two, with their shockingly brilliant abilities, we are out of our depth¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder saluted Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family with a cupped fist gesture and said,


    ¡°I must request assistance from the Formation Mysterious Sect and the esteemed Proud Sons of Heaven from the Shen Family to take action and help us win the formation matchup, ensuring the inheritance of our Five Elements Sect!¡±


    Sect Leader Chu nodded and said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    He too wanted to use this opportunity to showcase the Formation Mysterious Sect¡¯s prowess in formations.


    Let everyone know that the Five Elements Sect had not fallen behind, but it was their Formation Mysterious Sect that truly stood at the pinnacle of Formations.


    The Five Elements Sect sets the stage, and they would perform the play.


    It couldn¡¯t be more perfect.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family, remembering the large sum of Spirit Stones and the First Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation Diagram, yet somewhat puzzled, asked the Chief Elder with a frown,


    ¡°Are that person¡¯s disciples really so formidable as to warrant such a significant expense on your part?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyebrows twitched.


    If this had been in the past, with the Five Elements Sect¡¯s abundance of talent, they naturally wouldn¡¯t fear a comparison with Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciples¡ªunless these few disciples really possessed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s unparalleled perceptiveness and talent¡­


    The Chief Elder sighed in his heart.


    Objectively speaking, they couldn¡¯t compare with Mr. Zhuang.


    But that being said, there has only been one Mr. Zhuang for so many years.


    The disciples of Mr. Zhuang, after all, aren¡¯t Mr. Zhuang. Even if they are formidable, there will always be a limit.


    It was then that the Chief Elder took up the idea of organizing a debate conference to compare Formations.


    Although the Five Elements Sect was not up to par, the Chief Elder wasn¡¯t willing to admit it, which would hurt his own face and dampen his dignity. So he said:


    ¡°Their talents are exceptionally good, and how their Formation skill truly measures up can only be known after they compete¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that they might not even be a match for the disciples of our Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder began to pat himself on the back, and then he said diplomatically:


    ¡°However, this matter relates to the Sect¡¯s lineage inheritance, which is of great concern. I must act cautiously and meticulously to prevent any accidents that could cause our Sect¡¯s lineage to fall into the hands of others.¡±


    ¡°Even if it means paying a certain price, it is worth it!¡±


    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family both nodded in agreement.


    Even if they looked down on the Formation skill level of the Five Elements Sect now, the Chief Elder¡¯s considerations were faultless.


    When it concerned the Sect¡¯s top-secret inheritance, being as cautious as possible was the correct approach.


    Sect Leader Chu then said, ¡°Chief Elder, rest assured, the Five Elements Sect, known for the Five Elements Spirit Formation, will ensure that this Ultimate Formation will remain within the Five Elements Sect, and no one will be able to learn it!¡±


    The Chief Elder was overjoyed, ¡°Thank you, Sect Leader Chu!¡±


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family frowned and said, ¡°However, those who dare covet the Ultimate Formation must be disciples of no ordinary talent.¡±


    Sect Leader Chu calmly said, ¡°No matter.¡±


    He gave a cold laugh, ¡°The study of Formations is profound and limitless, requiring both talent and hard study. Even with talent, it¡¯s impossible to be proficient in everything.¡±


    ¡°Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, Formation eye, Formation principle, as well as some advanced Formation Taoist Skills, they can¡¯t be proficient in every aspect.¡±


    ¡°Every ruler has its strengths, and every inch has its weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for even the most gifted Formation Masters.¡±


    ¡°If these disciples of Mr. Zhuang are of mediocre strength, we shall win over them with dignity, teaching them a lesson to appreciate the vastness and depth of Formations, the profound and unpredictable nature of Formation principles.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make them understand that there are always higher skies and other people beyond themselves.¡±


    ¡°However, if they indeed have extraordinary talent and outstanding Formation skill¡­¡±


    ¡°Then we will use our strengths to target their weaknesses!¡±


    ¡°With so many disciples, each with their own specialties, we will certainly have areas where we are stronger than them. In such a comparison, we can also overcome them.¡±


    ¡°While it may seem somewhat unsporting, the matter of the Sect¡¯s inherited legacy is of great importance, and we need not fuss over these details.¡±


    ¡°Winning is winning, losing is losing.¡±


    ¡°Since they dare to come and learn Formations, they should be prepared for this. If their skills are inferior, they have no grounds to argue!¡±


    ¡­


    The Chief Elder nodded in approval, ¡°Good!¡±


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family also stroked his beard and praised, ¡°Well said.¡±


    After discussing their plans, they sat upright and waited for Mr. Zhuang and his party.


    The bustling disciples of the Formation Pavilion gradually quieted down¡­


    Half an hour later, Mr. Zhuang, accompanied by Mo Hua and two others, entered the Formation Pavilion in front of everyone.


    The Formation Pavilion instantly became even more silent, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three Golden Core Elders who were meditating with their eyes closed all opened their eyes. Their aged gaze, filled with a glint of sharpness, fell upon the newcomers.


    So this is Mr. Zhuang!


    Truly a figure of immortal grace and unparalleled presence.


    The man and woman following behind¡ªare they the siblings?


    Indeed, they possess a regal bearing and flawless charisma.


    And the one at the back¡­


    All three were taken aback.


    Doesn¡¯t he seem rather young?


    Although they had all been previously notified of a youngster in his teens¡ªan established First Grade Junior Formation Master¡ªseeing it firsthand was still inconceivable.


    He¡¯s so young¡­


    Is this truly a First Grade Formation Master?


    Are you kidding me¡­


    They had earnestly discussed strategies for so long, and this is what they faced¡ªa mere child.


    To compete against him, wouldn¡¯t it be bullying?

 Chapter 604 - 529: Competition_1

    Chapter 604: Chapter 529: Competition_1


    Mo Hua followed Mr. Zhuang into the Formation Pavilion.


    Upon entering, they saw the grand and splendid Formation Pavilion, filled with cultivators.


    On the platform, three old men with white hair exuded a strong sense of spiritual power that brought an overwhelming sense of pressure.


    Golden Core!


    It was Mo Hua¡¯s first time seeing Golden Core cultivators, which made him somewhat nervous.


    However, he then thought of himself as a disciple of Mr. Zhuang and didn¡¯t want to let his master¡¯s momentum falter, so he straightened his little head and acted arrogantly, just like Mr. Zhuang.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, on the other hand, were completely calm.


    For the Bai Family, a powerhouse in its own right, a few Golden Core cultivators were not enough to cause any disturbance.


    The Chief Elder raised his hand to signal for silence, then stood up and greeted from a distance, ¡°Mr. Zhuang.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly in response.


    The Chief Elder said, ¡°Please!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang then sat down on the opposite high platform, facing the three Golden Core Masters directly.


    Mo Hua and the other two stood respectfully behind Mr. Zhuang.


    After seating himself, the Chief Elder got straight to the point:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang, may we begin the Tao Discussion Meeting?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied indifferently, ¡°We may.¡±


    ¡°Quite the attitude¡­¡± The Chief Elder felt displeased in his heart but kept his expression serene. Turning to the disciples, he proclaimed loudly:


    ¡°Our Five Elements Sect is founded upon Formation methods.¡±


    ¡°Today we have esteemed guests who have come from afar. To sit and discuss the Tao by exchanging knowledge on formations is indeed a fortunate event¡­¡±


    ¡°Since we are discussing the Tao through formations, we have rules that follow ancient traditions.¡±


    ¡°First to compare Formation principles, second Formation patterns, and third Formation study. Formation principles encompass all things, Formation patterns hold the universe, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivots, Formation eyes, all complementing each other, Formation study¡­¡±


    This introductory speech by the Chief Elder was dry and lengthy.


    Mr. Zhuang became somewhat weary and simply said, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    The Chief Elder paused, and the other cultivators also showed signs of surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s too troublesome,¡± Mr. Zhuang shook his head and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s keep it simple¡­¡±


    His gaze sharpened as he looked around, and even though his tone was calm, it contained a hint of disdain:


    ¡°Let all the Qi Refinement disciples present, everyone, whether from the Five Elements Sect or not, come forth¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatever the challenge, if any of you can surpass my disciple in even one aspect, we will no longer study this Five Elements Spirit Formation.¡±


    The Formation Pavilion fell into utter silence.


    Then there was an uproar from the entire hall.


    Arrogant!


    It was truly too arrogant!


    The Chief Elder¡¯s face turned red with anger.


    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family also revealed cold lights in their eyes.


    All the Formation Masters in the seats were filled with righteous indignation.


    This simply disregarded the Five Elements Sect¡­ no, all the Formation Masters in the entire state boundary of Dali Mountain!


    Mo Hua, standing behind Mr. Zhuang, couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth in shock.


    So this was what his master was like¡­


    Such arrogance¡­


    He had been with Mr. Zhuang day and night and thought that his master had always been gentle, elegant, amiable, and approachable¡­


    In contrast, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were not surprised at all.


    ¡°Good!¡±


    The Chief Elder was seething with rage and gritted his teeth.


    You¡¯re seeking your own death! Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Don¡¯t blame us for bullying then!


    The assembly was a gathering of hundreds of disciples and Proud Sons of Heaven from all over the state boundary of Dali Mountain, representing clans and sects, and nearly all the Formation talents.


    You think your mere three disciples can win against so many?


    Foolish dreams!


    ¡°Who will come first?¡± the Chief Elder asked coldly.


    A disciple in a blue robe stood up and said, ¡°I am but a novice, and I wish to exchange knowledge on formations with the distinguished guest.¡±


    This had already been arranged beforehand.


    This disciple was nearly at the strength of a First-grade Formation Master and ranked within the top five among the Five Elements Sect¡¯s younger generation of Formation Masters.


    The Chief Elder nodded slightly and looked to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly and patted Mo Hua on the shoulder.


    Mo Hua stepped forward and said in a crisp voice, ¡°I will compete!¡±


    Although expected, the Chief Elder still asked, ¡°What about your senior brother and sister? Aren¡¯t they competing?¡±


    In front of the Golden Core Masters, Mo Hua still felt a bit nervous.


    ¡°Can¡¯t lose face for Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t lose face for Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua repeated this to himself twice, then, imitating Mr. Zhuang¡¯s manner, he held his head high and feigned ¡°arrogance¡± as he said:


    ¡°You are not yet worthy to compete with my senior brother and sister!¡±


    ¡°Get through me first, then we¡¯ll talk!¡±


    A little kid, with such big words!


    The disciples from all sects and clans in the seats grew even angrier.


    The three Golden Core Master cultivators, however, remained composed.


    Mo Hua¡¯s words might have been arrogant, but he was clearly nervous and lacked confidence.


    After all, he was young and inexperienced. Facing these old foxes, he showed a hint of fear.


    For this reason, the three Golden Core Elders looked down on Mo Hua a little bit more.


    The Chief Elder turned to Mr. Zhuang to inquire:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang, what shall we compare?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang articulated nonchalantly, ¡°Anything will do.¡±


    The Chief Elder sneered internally, ¡°All right, then we will follow the rules of the Five Elements Sect!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with a First-grade Formation Method!¡±


    Skipping the verbal debate over Formation principles, they would get straight to the point with Drawing Formation, where the true quality would be revealed in the strokes. The first challenge would be a First-grade Formation Method to test the waters and see just how much ability this little Formation Master had.


    ¡°A First-grade Heavy Water Formation, time limit of two hours, to see who can draw it better.¡±


    After the Chief Elder finished speaking, he looked at Mo Hua and asked, ¡°What do you think, young brother?¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment.


    Heavy Water Formation?


    What kind of formation is that?


    He was quite sure he had never learned it¡­


    But as long as it was a First-grade Formation, it should be fine¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    The Chief Elder nodded slightly in return.


    Even though this was merely a test, there was a method to it.


    This Heavy Water Formation was a treasured First-grade Formation held by the Five Elements Sect, with a rare function, not widely known or learned because of its difficulty.


    Apart from the disciples of the Five Elements Sect, other Formation Masters would generally not know it.

 Chapter 605 - 529 Competition_2

    Chapter 605: Chapter 529 Competition_2


    He had deliberately chosen this to be the exam question.


    If Mr. Zhuang¡¯s young disciple had learned it, then there was nothing to be done, it would simply mean his Formation experience was indeed vast.


    Everyone competed using Formations, to decide victory or defeat.


    But if he did not know it, then he was almost certain to lose without a doubt.


    Two hours, including both learning and Drawing Formation, was simply not enough time.


    The Chief Elder snorted coldly.


    Originally, choosing this Formation as the test was somewhat ¡°winning without honor.¡±


    But now that Mr. Zhuang was so arrogant, making such bold statements, it was no longer unfair for him to take advantage of this unconventional question, given the circumstances.


    Mo Hua and the blue-robed Sect Disciple from the Five Elements Sect went to the center of the field, each sitting at a desk, several yards apart, shielded by a Formation. They could neither see each other clearly nor spy with their Divine Sense.


    Of course, with three Golden Core Cultivators and around ten at the Foundation Establishment level present, there was no chance for any foul play. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a while, the Formation Diagrams were distributed.


    Upon receiving the Formation Diagram, Mo Hua frowned.


    Heavy Water Formation¡­


    He truly had never learned it.


    The Formation Patterns were somewhat rare; the Formation Pivot was rather simple; the demand for Divine Sense was a bit higher than usual, with more than nine Patterns but less than ten.


    The overall difficulty was about the same as the first rank Melting Fire Formation.


    Mo Hua assessed it for a moment and then felt a surge of relief¡ªand a bit of excitement.


    He hadn¡¯t expected to learn a new Formation during a competition¡­


    What a gain!


    Mo Hua then started to concentrate intensely, staring at the Heavy Water Formation Diagram, memorizing the Formation Pivot and Patterns, while calculating the trajectory of the Spiritual Power in his mind.


    Meanwhile, the blue-robed disciple had already started drawing.


    The Heavy Water Formation was one of the treasured Formations of the Five Elements Sect. He had learned it long ago, and these past few days, under the Chief Elder¡¯s mentoring, he had practiced it over and over, knowing it like the back of his hand.


    It was as if the examiner had leaked the questions before the test and allowed him to memorize the answers more than ten times.


    So right now, he drew the Heavy Water Formation with ease and skill.


    Mo Hua was examining the Formation Diagram while the blue-robed disciple was Drawing Formation.


    The Chief Elder could see everything clearly from above and nodded slightly.


    He was now sure that this young Formation Master had never learned the Heavy Water Formation!


    Good!


    The Chief Elder was inwardly thrilled.


    A swift and first victory.


    This first match, they should have won.


    Once this young Formation Master lost, it would be his Senior Brothers¡¯ and Senior Sisters¡¯ turn.


    He was curious to see just how skilled Mr. Zhuang¡¯s prized disciples truly were in Formations.


    ¡­


    Time trickled by, second after second¡­


    An hour later.


    The blue-robed disciple had already completed the majority of the Formation.


    Mo Hua had at last finished looking over the Heavy Water Formation.


    And after studying, he began to draw.


    The moment Mo Hua made his move, the Chief Elder noticed and mused to himself,


    ¡°Does he know he doesn¡¯t have enough time and has to bite the bullet and draw it?¡±


    The Chief Elder understood all too well.


    When he had taken his Formation Master Grading and encountered unknown Formations, he had acted the same way.


    As the time was nearly up, he couldn¡¯t leave a blank paper.


    He had to draw as much as he could.


    Perhaps he could even guess a few Formation Patterns correctly¡­


    The experienced Chief Elder felt he understood thoroughly.


    But as he watched, a flicker of surprise crossed his mind:


    ¡°This young Formation Master¡­ Not to mention anything else, at least the way he moves his pen and the momentum of his Formation Painting are quite professional¡­¡±


    Another half-hour passed.


    The blue-robed disciple had finished and carefully checked his work once more, nodding in satisfaction.


    The Formation was complete, the Patterns smooth.


    Everything that should be there was there.


    Though there were minor imperfections, they were like trivial flaws on white jade, not significant.


    He had outperformed himself, living up to the Chief Elder¡¯s expectations!


    The blue-robed disciple was filled with pride.


    On the other side, Mo Hua had also finished drawing, and after inspecting it once, he shook his head slightly.


    It was his first time drawing it, and while his pen technique wasn¡¯t skilled enough, he drew strictly according to the Formation Diagram, with excessive precision but lacking in artistic spirit; it was missing something.


    But it was passable.


    He might as well submit it and see.


    The two of them sealed their Formations and handed in their papers.


    The two sealed Formations were then placed in front of the three Elders, including the Chief Elder.


    The Chief Elder glanced at Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Please have a look.¡±


    The Chief Elder nodded and first examined the Formation submitted by his Sect¡¯s Disciple.


    After just a glance, he was reassured.


    Well drawn!


    Even better than when he was teaching it.


    He had indeed put in a lot of effort.


    Then he eagerly opened Mo Hua¡¯s Formation.


    But after a glance, he frowned.


    Where was the Formation?


    Why was there only the Formation Diagram?


    He flipped through it and was taken aback again.


    Two identical Formation Diagrams?


    Upon careful examination, the Chief Elder realized that one of them was freshly inked, the ink was different, and while the penmanship was extremely meticulous, the Patterns were exactly the same without a hair¡¯s breadth of difference, as if carved from the same mold. At first glance, it looked like there were just two Formation Diagrams.


    A tremor went through the Chief Elder¡¯s heart.


    Could the young Formation Master have painted a Formation exactly identical to the sample Formation Diagram?


    Cheating?


    But how could he cheat in the presence of three Golden Core Cultivators?


    The Chief Elder looked carefully again and, after a thorough confirmation, had to admit that these precise and meticulous Patterns were indeed hand-drawn by the young Cultivator¡­


    The Chief Elder took a deep breath and looked at Mo Hua with a more solemn gaze.


    To draw to this extent, he must have practiced this Formation countless times.


    And to be able to master such an obscure Formation to this level of proficiency¡­


    He was truly worthy of being Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple; he had some real skills.


    But then he thought of what had happened earlier and felt displeased.


    ¡°This cunning kid, staring at the Formation Diagram earlier, pretending not to know it all this time¡ªwas he playing me?¡±


    ¡°Mocking me?¡±


    Such a nasty character!


    Though talented, he lacks virtue!


    The Chief Elder internally assessed.

 Chapter 606 - 529: Competition_3

    Chapter 606: Chapter 529: Competition_3


    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family, upon seeing Mo Hua¡¯s Formation, were also secretly astonished.


    ¡°Though meticulously executed with surplus neatness, it lacks in charm, having a bit too much of a craftsman¡¯s air. But for someone of such a young age to be able to draw to this extent, with such precision, is already very commendable.¡±


    At the very least, it¡¯s better than those drawn by the disciples of the Five Elements Sect. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Chief Elder then compared it to the Heavy Water Formation drawn earlier by the disciple in the blue robe and let out a slight sigh.


    Although their disciple drew well, it was merely drawing.


    There were quite a few flaws in his brushwork.


    It didn¡¯t seem too bad until the comparison was made.


    But once compared, it just didn¡¯t hold up.


    When it comes to Formations, good is good, bad is bad.


    In front of so many Formation Masters, and especially in front of Mr. Zhuang, the Chief Elder could only concede:


    ¡°This round¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder paused for a moment, thought hard, and then finally remembered the name of the young Formation Master.


    It seemed like this name was very easy to overlook and hard to remember.


    ¡°¡­Mo Hua, is slightly superior.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression brightened.


    The disciple in the blue robe, however, had a defeated look on his face, unable to comprehend how he lost, and where exactly he fell short.


    After drawing the Formation and warming up, Mo Hua was no longer nervous.


    The first victory was a success, earning face for his master.


    Moreover, he had learned a new Formation ¨C the Heavy Water Formation was a free lesson provided by the Five Elements Sect.


    Mo Hua was very pleased in his heart and looked forward with even greater anticipation to the upcoming competitions.


    In the glittering Immortal City filled with cultivators.


    Mo Hua leaned on a tall desk, swinging his legs and asked with shining eyes:


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s brow twitched, feeling a faint pressure emanating from the innocent and lively Mo Hua.


    His gaze hardened slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, he said solemnly:


    ¡°Speed of drawing!¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then understood.


    It¡¯s about who can draw faster.


    The speed of a Formation Master¡¯s drawing is important.


    The faster the Formation is drawn, the more Formations there will be. This speed matters in the construction of large-scale Tao Cultivation projects, production, Taoist Soldiers expeditions, fights to the death between Cultivators¡­


    In any situation involving the application of Formations.


    Being one minute faster in drawing a Formation could mean having an advantage.


    Especially when Formation Masters are in confrontation, if your opponent has finished setting up their Formation while you¡¯re still huffing and puffing drawing Formation Patterns, then the Formation you haven¡¯t finished can only be drawn in your next life¡­


    But speaking of speed of drawing, this is also Mo Hua¡¯s strength.


    Heaven Yan Jue enhances Divine Sense control.


    Back in Tongxian City, constructing the Artifact Refining Workshop and Pill Refining Workshop, as well as later building the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, all those Formations were done almost single-handedly by him.


    Not to mention now, he has also comprehended the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    Mo Hua said expectantly.


    He wanted to know if the Five Elements Sect would let him learn any Formation for free this time.


    The Chief Elder frowned, sensing something amiss, but still clenched his teeth and waved his hand.


    A disciple in a gold robe stepped out from the crowd and sat opposite Mo Hua.


    Lean and tall, with an upward tilt at the corners of his eyebrows, he seemed quite arrogant.


    The Formation Diagrams were distributed.


    Mo Hua took a glance and felt a bit disappointed.


    It was a Sharp Gold Formation.


    He had already studied this Formation.


    He didn¡¯t manage to freeload a new Formation¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat regretful.


    Since he had learned it already, there was no time to waste; best to make it quick¡­


    After the Chief Elder said ¡°begin,¡± Mo Hua and the disciple in the gold robe both started drawing at the same time.


    The disciple in the gold robe was very fast.


    His Spiritual Root was special, affined to gold Spiritual Power, and so he was extremely adept at drawing any Gold-series Formation Method, twice as fast as anyone else.


    In the entire Five Elements Sect, no disciple could draw the Gold-series Formation Method faster than him.


    He was therefore highly regarded by the Chief Elder.


    The disciple in the gold robe, full of confidence, wrote with vigor¡­


    But before he had drawn many Patterns, he heard a crisp and slightly immature voice say:


    ¡°I¡¯m done!¡±


    The hand of the disciple in the gold robe shook, pressing down a brushstroke that smeared a wide swath of gold ink on the paper.


    But he couldn¡¯t afford to attend to that.


    He stiffly turned his neck to see Mo Hua sitting on the chair, gently swaying, eagerly waiting to hand in his work.


    The disciple in the gold robe could hardly believe it.


    How long had it been?


    And he was finished already?


    When Mo Hua¡¯s completed Formation was laid out in front of everyone, the Chief Elder¡¯s expression became even more somber.


    Down to the last detail, it was indeed the Sharp Gold Formation.


    The Chief Elder was incredulous.


    And even Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family beside him couldn¡¯t snap back to reality.


    It was too fast.


    All they saw was Mo Hua pick up the brush, dip in the ink, make the stroke, and then with a swishing sound, as though playing around, he finished drawing the Sharp Gold Formation in just a few motions¡­


    This was a First-grade Formation Method.


    Could a First-grade Formation Master draw a First-grade Formation Method so quickly?


    Is this really the skill level a First-grade Formation Master should have?


    The three Golden Core Elders fell into a prolonged silence, unable to utter a single word.


    Mo Hua, however, was getting a bit bored waiting and asked:


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    Once the competition was over, he could help his master regain his pride, and then he would be able to learn the Ultimate Formation with Thirteen Stripes.


    What else is there to compare?


    In Mo Hua¡¯s crisp voice, there was an air of ease.


    This time, not only the Chief Elder, but also Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family felt the pressure emanating from the young Qi Refinement cultivator in the room¡­

 Chapter 607 - 530 Who Else_1

    Chapter 607: Chapter 530 Who Else_1


    ¡°` S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    The Chief Elder and two others began to communicate with Divine Sense.


    ¡°Our Five Elements Sect has already fought the opening battles and lost two in a row, it¡¯s not suitable to continue fighting. Next up should be the Formation Mysterious Sect and the Proud Son of Heaven from the Shen Family to show their skills¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder spoke with subtlety.


    Sect Leader Chu and the Elder of the Shen Family were well aware of what he implied.


    The Five Elements Sect was out of options.


    Among the Qi Refinement Disciples, those two who fought earlier were already the best they could offer, yet they were effortlessly defeated by the Junior Formation Master.


    Unless they allowed a Foundation Establishment First or Second Grade Disciple to step forward.


    Otherwise, sending any more of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s inferior disciples would only result in further embarrassment.


    But asking a Foundation Establishment disciple to fight would be completely bullying the weak, shameless. Such an act would be even more embarrassing to make public.


    ¡°Chief Elder, rest assured, I always do as I promise,¡± Sect Leader Chu said with an air of ease.


    ¡°Next, let one of my Formation Mysterious Sect¡¯s disciples meet this Junior Formation Master.¡±


    The Formation Mysterious Sect was unlike the Five Elements Sect.


    While the Five Elements Sect had been declining, the Formation Mysterious Sect was gradually flourishing.


    Several geniuses in the sect possessed talents that were even superior to what I had in my youth.


    Sect Leader Chu glanced at Mo Hua, who was sitting leisurely in the great hall, and slowly said:


    ¡°Young brother, let¡¯s compete with a First-grade Formation Method.¡±


    ¡°A First-grade Formation Method?¡± Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°Didn¡¯t we already compete with that?¡±


    ¡°This time it¡¯s not about who draws better or faster; it¡¯s about who draws the more difficult one¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Chu¡¯s eyes flashed with a sharp light. ¡°I will send out a disciple from Formation Mysterious Sect. Each of you will draw a Formation. Whoever¡¯s Formation is more difficult, requires stronger Divine Sense, contains more Formation Patterns, will be the victor.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Who will it be?¡±


    Amidst the crowd, a Formation Mysterious Sect Disciple clad in a Five Elements Sect Taoist robe stepped forward.


    Their previous conspiracy was to let the talented Formation geniuses pretend to be Five Elements Sect Disciples for the competition.


    But now that Mr. Zhuang has exposed them and everyone present had sharp eyes, continuing the charade would only be self-deceptive and ridiculous.


    This Disciple, full of talent, cupped his fists and said:


    ¡°I am Chu Xuan, a Direct Disciple of the Formation Mysterious Sect.¡±


    Mo Hua also cupped his tiny hands and said, ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    Then, feeling he missed a bit of grandeur without adding a title, he continued, ¡°¡­ a Direct Disciple of my master!¡±


    He thought this statement was imposing enough.


    Yet Chu Xuan found him somewhat childish and couldn¡¯t help shaking his head.


    Afterward, the two started Drawing Formations.


    Chu Xuan showed confidence in his strokes, as if inspired by the divine.


    But Mo Hua was entangled in thoughts.


    Competing on difficulty?


    What level of difficulty should he choose for his Formation then?


    Should it be the nine-patterned Reversed Spirit Formation, the eleven-patterned Thick Earth Formation, or the twelve-patterned Spiritual Pivot Formation?


    If it¡¯s moderately difficult, he might not win.


    If it¡¯s too difficult, though, it might be too ostentatious.


    It¡¯s better to keep some of the real strength hidden¡­


    Mo Hua discretely measured up Chu Xuan, calculating that he only needed to draw a slightly more difficult Formation to win. This Chu Xuan seemed quite polite, with proper speech and demeanor.


    A little more difficult, win by a bit, leave him some face.


    If it¡¯s significantly more difficult, it would show too much of a gap between them, which could be seen as impolite.


    Mo Hua was thoughtful and considerate in his deliberation.


    But how to know the difficulty of the Formation he could draw?


    After some thought, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened a bit.


    He could calculate it.


    After all, each was drawing their own, so sneaking a few glances wouldn¡¯t count as cheating.


    Mo Hua took a look at Chu Xuan, slightly activated his Divine Sense, made a few calculations, and then he understood.


    Although he didn¡¯t know which Formation Chu Xuan was drawing, he deduced from the trajectory of the Spiritual Power that it was likely above nine patterns and very close to ten patterns, but not quite there yet.


    It had a hint of the flavor of an Ultimate Formation.


    But just a hint.


    Mo Hua, who drew Ultimate Formations daily, was very sensitive to their essence.


    This Disciple named Chu Xuan was drawing a Formation very close to an Ultimate Formation, but not exactly one.


    However, it was still very impressive.


    This was one of the most gifted First-grade Formation Masters Mo Hua had ever seen.


    Such a Formation Master should be well encouraged, not too harshly criticized.


    The young Mo Hua felt a sense of appreciation for talent and nodded slightly, beginning to draw his own Formation.


    ¡­


    Atop the grand hall, the Chief Elder looked at Chu Xuan with some surprise.


    ¡°Is this¡­ the Dry Wood Reviving Spring Formation?¡±


    Sect Leader Chu nodded, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°The Dry Wood Reviving Spring Formation, is it not the hereditary ten-patterned Ultimate Formation of your Formation Mysterious Sect?¡± the Old Ancestor of Shen Family also frowned slightly.


    Sect Leader Chu sighed, ¡°The hereditary one is an Ultimate Formation, but this child Chu Xuan¡¯s drawing doesn¡¯t count as one.¡±


    He paused, then calmly explained:


    ¡°A ten-patterned Formation requires Foundation Establishment Divine Sense to learn.¡±


    ¡°But a Qi Refinement Disciple doesn¡¯t have Foundation Establishment Divine Sense and hence absolutely cannot learn it.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, generation after generation of our Sect¡¯s Elders have been dedicatedly researching how to simplify this Ultimate Formation so that Qi Refinement Disciples can also learn it.¡±


    ¡°After the painstaking efforts of four generations of Sect Leaders, my generation has finally seen some results.¡±


    Sect Leader Chu spoke modestly, but his face couldn¡¯t hide the pride, clearly very pleased with himself.


    ¡°Now, although this Formation¡¯s effectiveness has been reduced a bit, it is infinitely close to an Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more important is that Qi Refinement Disciples can truly learn it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that the Divine Sense required is extremely high, far surpassing the demands of the average ten-patterned Formation, and the difficulty is also exceedingly high¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Chu stroked his beard in contemplation.


    Though he spoke humbly, everyone could see he was boasting.


    But there was nothing they could do about it, even though it was obvious.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family shook his head.


    The Chief Elder was envious, jealous, and a little disheartened.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 608 - 608: 530

    Chapter 608: 530


    The standard of formations at Formation Mysterious Sect was rising by the day.


    However, the Five Elements Sect was in decline, generation after generation¡­ Neglecting formations, building the sect on mere earth and wood, its prosperity waning, it would sooner or later fade away.


    At the same time, he felt somewhat relieved.


    A Qi-refining cultivator, an intricate formation very close to an Ultimate Formation, a first-grade formation with nine peaks of patterns, and the limit of Divine Sense for someone at the realm of Qi Refinement¡­ The odds of winning this competition were very high.


    The inheritance of the Five Elements Sect might be preserved after all.


    The three Golden Core Elders sitting at the top all had their own thoughts.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s attitude was calm, without the slightest ripple.


    In the center of the grand hall, Mo Hua and another person were each painting their formations.


    After an unknown amount of time had passed, both finished their formation paintings almost simultaneously, sealed them, and handed them in.


    The Chief Elder first looked at the ¡°Dry Wood Reviving Spring Formation¡± drawn by Chu Xuan, his expression one of sentiment and amazement.


    This was a ¡°Pseudo-Ultimate Formation¡±.


    An intricate formation almost at the level of an Ultimate Formation.


    It was a ladder for a Qi-refining cultivator to touch upon the echelons beyond grade, reaching for the Ultimate Formation.


    Naturally, the cultivator who drew this formation was extraordinarily talented.


    But to be able to simplify this formation for use was the true reflection of a sect¡¯s foundational strength in formations.


    However, these had nothing to do with the current Five Elements Sect anymore¡­


    The Chief Elder sighed, then immediately flipped to the formation drawn by Mo Hua. After one glance, his hands involuntarily trembled¡­


    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family noticed the Chief Elder¡¯s unusual behavior and also looked over, their gazes moving from his astonished expression to the formation in his hands, causing both their hearts to shake and their brows to furiously twitch.


    Ten patterns!


    An Ultimate Formation?


    Could this young lad truly draw an Ultimate Formation?!


    And it was not a simplified Ultimate Formation.


    It was the real deal, not a single line amiss, an Ultimate Formation containing ten Formation Patterns!


    All three of their expressions grew solemn.


    ¡°Is this¡­ an Ultimate Formation?¡±


    ¡°First-grade with ten patterns, undoubtedly an Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°What kind of Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Sect Leader Chu frowned, ¡°Our Formation Mysterious Sect doesn¡¯t have this kind of inheritance; I can¡¯t recognize it¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder and Old Ancestor of the Shen Family were also puzzled.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family transmitted with Divine Sense, his voice trembling:


    ¡°To be able to draw a first-grade formation with ten patterns, doesn¡¯t that mean that this youngster, despite having only Qi-refining cultivation, possesses Foundation Establishment Divine Sense?¡±


    Sect Leader Chu was extremely startled.


    There are great limits in the cultivation path.


    A Qi-refining cultivator refines Qi for Spiritual Power, solidifies Qi for Divine Sense; these are the shackles of the Heavenly Dao.


    In his whole life, he had never seen a Qi-refining cultivator possess Divine Sense at the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    At most, he had only heard of it.


    And it was the kind of hearsay that bordered on legend.


    After a moment of contemplation, the Chief Elder shook his head, ¡°Not necessarily¡­¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Sect Leader Chu asked.


    The Chief Elder frowned and pondered, ¡°The realm of Qi Refinement, Divine Sense of Foundation Establishment, how could that be so easily achieved? Even Mr. Zhuang of years past, with his exceptional talent, never broke through in Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess, this young cultivator can draw a first-grade formation with ten patterns because, like Mr. Zhuang, he has learned that inheritance!¡±


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What inheritance?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze turned serious, ¡°The supreme inheritance of the Innate Formations that can integrate all the origins of formations, to understand one is to understand them all!¡±


    Both Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family gasped.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart also sank.


    He had misjudged!


    He had previously thought this Junior Formation Master was merely someone Mr. Zhuang had used to set the stage, and even as a first-grade Formation Master, his strength was just somewhat strong and might not even be highly regarded by Mr. Zhuang.


    Now it seemed, he was greatly mistaken!


    This Junior Formation Master had a profound mastery of formations, an immense strength in formation arts!


    Even, he might have been taught that orthodox and supreme inheritance of Innate Formations by Mr. Zhuang!


    It showed that this Junior Formation Master was highly favored by Mr. Zhuang.


    And this Junior Formation Master was merely the junior-most disciple; above him, there was a pair of senior brother and sister.


    If he could draw a first-grade formation with ten patterns, what about his senior brother and sister?


    Could they draw eleven patterns, or even¡­ twelve patterns?


    The Chief Elder broke into a cold sweat.


    No wonder that Mr. Zhuang was so arrogant!


    He truly had the capital to be arrogant.


    Sitting down below, Mo Hua, seeing their hesitance, then inquired, ¡°How is it?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, a bitter tone in his voice:


    ¡°Chu Xuan¡¯s drawn formation, the Dry Wood Reviving Spring Formation, a peak of a first-grade with nine patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s drawn formation, a first-grade with ten patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­ wins.¡±


    First-grade with ten patterns?!


    Chu Xuan, who had thought the victory was in his grasp, immediately stood up, looking at Mo Hua in disbelief.


    The other disciples were also abuzz with discussion:


    ¡°Isn¡¯t a first-grade just nine patterns, how can there be a formation with ten?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know this?¡±


    ¡°You must be from the Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget learning formations¡­¡±


    ¡°A first-grade with ten patterns is an Ultimate Formation, an extraordinary formation that is generally unattainable.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t he just Qi-refined, how can he learn a ten-pattern formation?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ask?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A disciple whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the Chief Elder¡¯s face? It looked like a pig¡¯s kidney, he¡¯s obviously not happy. Who would dare ask at this time and risk stirring him up?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dead meat now, the Chief Elder is a Golden Core, he must have heard what you said¡­¡±


    The disciple¡¯s face turned white, covering his face with a sleeve, hoping the Chief Elder wouldn¡¯t see him.


    ¡­


    Chu Xuan was overwhelmed with emotions, his face showing defeat and reluctance, but at last, he let out a sigh, shed off the pride he had on his face, and respectfully gave Mo Hua a bow.


    Mo Hua returned the gesture, nodding silently in his heart.


    This Chu Xuan, he had a good temperament, indeed had the potential to be crafted.


    Amidst some noise in the Formation Pavilion, and after a while when things settled down a bit, Mo Hua began to soul-searchingly inquire:


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±

 Chapter 609 - 609: 530

    Chapter 609: 530


    No one dared to answer.


    The disciples in the hall all looked towards the three Golden Core Elders sitting above them.


    The expressions of the three Golden Core Elders were gloomy.


    They had clearly underestimated this Junior Formation Master.


    Their initial plan had been to use the disciples of the Five Elements Sect to deal with this Junior Formation Master, as a test.


    Then, the Formation Mysterious Sect and the Shen Family would send out their talented disciples to handle the brother and sister who were like dazzling dragons and radiant phoenixes.


    But now, they were close to being defeated by this ¡°test water¡± Junior Formation Master¡­


    Whether it was due to naturally strong Divine Sense or a heritage in the art of Formations, this Junior Formation Master was a tough nut to crack.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family transmitted a message, ¡°What should we do?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze shifted as he said in a deep voice,


    ¡°At this point, this competition is no longer just about the loss or gain of a single sect; it¡¯s about the honor and disgrace of an entire state boundary. In our Dali Mountain State boundary, Formation geniuses are plentiful. If we even fail to defeat this Junior Formation Master, wouldn¡¯t that be a huge embarrassment?¡±


    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family frowned.


    What the Chief Elder said was deliberately alarmist to drag them into this.


    But they couldn¡¯t deny it either.


    That was indeed the fact.


    However, Sect Leader Chu had reservations, ¡°Even if we win against this Junior Formation Master, there are still his senior brothers and sisters¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise,¡± the Chief Elder¡¯s eyes flashed with a thought, ¡°I suspect that this Mr. Zhuang might be bluffing¡­¡±


    ¡°This young Cultivator already has an astonishing talent.¡±


    ¡°Such talented Formation Masters are not cabbages; they can¡¯t be found just anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Even if his senior brothers and sisters are stronger than him, I estimate they can¡¯t be that much stronger¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Chu and the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family both nodded.


    When put that way, it really did make some sense.


    Once the bow has been drawn, there¡¯s no turning back. At this point, they had to bite the bullet and press on.


    ¡°Being capable of a First-grade Ultimate Formation means the foundation within the realm of first-grade Formations must be extremely deep. Any further tests on our part are unlikely to give us any chance of winning.¡±


    ¡°Many of our earlier arrangements are now redundant.¡±


    ¡°We can only test with some more unconventional methods¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After discussing through Divine Sense transmission, the Chief Elder then addressed Mo Hua:


    ¡°Junior Gentleman¡­¡±


    His form of address also became a few degrees more respectful.


    Being able to draw a First-grade Ultimate Formation in the Qi-refining Realm, he was as deserving of the title ¡°Gentleman¡± as Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Do you understand how to decipher Formations?¡± asked the Chief Elder.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Somewhat.¡±


    Sect Leader Chu nodded.


    Then, another disciple stepped forward from the crowd and with a cupped fist salute said,


    ¡°Junior Chu He, with only average accomplishments in Formation arts but a fondness for ¡®Formation Explanation¡¯. I have a bit of insight, although my skills are not refined. I would like to ask for guidance from this Junior Formation Master.¡±


    Indeed, Formation Explanation is a niche art within Formations.


    Apart from descendants of Noble Clans or Sect disciples who have inherited Formation methods, few Formation Masters spend time studying Formation Explanation.


    Most Cultivators focus on breaking Formations rather than explaining them.


    Breaking a Formation is noisy but straightforward, whereas explaining a Formation is discreet but complex and profound.


    Although Mo Hua was very adept at Formation Explanation and used it quite often, having mastered it thoroughly,


    he also remembered what Mr. Zhuang had said. Mr. Zhuang had stated that Formation Explanation was a way for Formation Masters to ¡°augment intelligence¡± and ¡°recreate,¡± difficult and niche, with few learners.


    Now, Mo Hua knew that what Mr. Zhuang called ¡°augment intelligence¡± and ¡°recreation¡± was definitely not the same as what ordinary people would consider.


    In truth, Formation Masters proficient in Formation Explanation are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.


    The Examination posed by the Chief Elder was also extremely straightforward.


    Explain a Compound Formation.


    See who gets it right and who does it faster.


    Mo Hua felt rather unenthusiastic upon seeing the Compound Formation.


    It was indeed too simple.


    It was just a Compound Formation consisting of three Single Formations, with only one of them being a nine-pattern Formation, while the others were a seven-pattern and an eight-pattern Formation.


    This didn¡¯t even qualify as an appetizer.


    Mo Hua looked up.


    The Formation Pavilion was bustling with many more disciples.


    Continuing this competition, who knew when it would end.


    It needed to be ¡°quickly resolved¡± once again.


    So, while that disciple named Chu He was still explaining the first Formation, Mo Hua had already swiftly and effortlessly completed his explanation. Then he casually said,


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    The Chief Elder and the others were startled once more, their hearts becoming somewhat numb by now.


    Mo Hua had undeniably won the Formation Explanation.


    Mo Hua said bluntly, ¡°Just come at me, and make it quick. I¡¯m short on time¡­¡±


    He was eager to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation and then focus on Foundation Establishment.


    His words came across as rather arrogant.


    Everyone present was angry.


    Soon, disciples who were not satisfied stood up to challenge Mo Hua in Formations.


    Yet no matter what they tried, they were quickly defeated. When it came to Formations alone, none of the First-grade Formation Masters present were a match for him.


    Gradually, everyone present lost their anger, replaced only with gravity.


    A tinge of panic began to surface in their hearts.


    He was skilled at drawing Formations, quick at it, knew Ultimate Formations of the First-grade, and was an expert at Formation Explanation.


    He could even be considered impeccable¡­


    In the Dali Mountain State boundary, disciples of Formation Masters gathered from all around, but surely not one of them could defeat this young cultivator¡­


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family no longer kept his own counsel and instructed,


    ¡°Shen Wen.¡±


    A disciple stood out, his eyes blazing, as if he had been holding back for a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll compete with you in Calculation!¡±


    The Chief Elder was greatly surprised, and Sect Leader Chu was also shaken.


    Even Mr. Zhuang appeared slightly astonished.


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family sighed deeply.


    This was his trump card, something he had hoped to keep hidden.


    Originally, he did not want to reveal it.


    Shen Wen was his great-grandson, born with keen Divine Sense and meticulous thoughts. By chance, he had been taken in by a Great Formation Master and taught the Divine Sense Calculation Method.


    The Great Formation Master had instructed him that Formation Calculation was a matter of secrecy, not to be disclosed, and he should be careful not to let any information leak out.


    Thus, he had always kept his lips sealed.


    But now, at the critical moment, he had no choice but to reveal it.


    Calculation, huh¡­


    This Golden Core Cultivator, a High-Grade Second Rank Formation Master himself, did not know this Formation knowledge. Perhaps this Junior Formation Master would at last¡­


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family¡¯s thoughts were interrupted halfway when he heard Mo Hua casually say,


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The Old Ancestor of the Shen Family¡¯s recently eased heart was clenched with tension again.


    No way¡­


    You, this child, know Divine Sense Calculation too?


    Thus, the Old Ancestor of the Shen Family quickly found out that not only did Mo Hua know it, but he also performed the calculations quickly and accurately, with a relaxed and effortless demeanor.


    The two were simultaneously calculating the Spiritual Power trajectories of a Formation.


    Just as Shen began his calculations, Mo Hua had already finished.


    Shen was defeated quickly and thoroughly, his face a complete loss of soul. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Similarly, Mo Hua started asking again,


    ¡°Anything else to compete in?¡±


    The entire place fell deathly silent.


    Seeing no one speaking, Mo Hua changed his question, ¡°Anyone else?¡±


    All the disciples were pale-faced.


    Even the three Golden Core Elders were too shocked to speak.


    They had never imagined that what was supposed to be a grand event would conclude so swiftly.


    This Junior Formation Master, merely sitting quietly at the desk, became an impregnable gate, against whom none could prevail, truly defeating all the genius Formation Masters of the entire state boundary¡­


    Just like Mr. Zhuang years ago¡­


    No, there were some differences.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s painful memories surfaced one after another.


    Mr. Zhuang in those days was like a sharp sword bared for all to see, one they couldn¡¯t look at directly.


    But this Junior Formation Master surnamed Mo, he had a reserved edge, a congenial temperament, like a naturally formed uncut jade.


    He was simply an evil monster!


    ¡­


    The Formation Pavilion was silent for a long time, and an eerie stillness fell among the disciples.


    The three Golden Core Elders were also at a loss.


    After what seemed like an eternity, Mr. Zhuang slowly stood up and said indifferently, ¡°Are we done competing?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart quivered, but he couldn¡¯t find the words to reply.


    Mr. Zhuang gave him a look, and with an unquestionable tone, said,


    ¡°The winner has been decided. Tomorrow, we shall come to the Formation Pavilion to learn the Five Element Ultimate Formation!¡±

 Chapter 610 - 531 Immortal Sky Formation Flow_1

    Chapter 610: Chapter 531 Immortal Sky Formation Flow_1


    ¡°`


    The Tao Discussion Meeting had ended.


    Mo Hua had dominated all four corners.


    The Five Elements Sect was utterly defeated.


    Mr. Zhuang left the Formation Pavilion with his usual composed demeanor, shrouded in a solitary pride with a hint of calm nonchalance.


    It seemed that such a minor scene was not worth his emotional investment.


    But Mo Hua knew Mr. Zhuang well and was aware that although his expression appeared calm, he was certainly very pleased inside.


    With Mr. Zhuang happy, Mo Hua also felt the trip had not been in vain, and he couldn¡¯t help but stand tall and proud, following behind Mr. Zhuang.


    Seeing his junior fellow disciple gaining the limelight, Bai Zisheng nodded slightly, his face expressing a reflected glory.


    Bai Zixi also glanced at Mo Hua, her eyes like rippling water, her lips holding a faint smile.


    ¡­


    The master and disciples left the Formation Pavilion and returned to their lodgings.


    Mr. Zhuang then praised Mo Hua, saying:


    ¡°Well done!¡±


    Mo Hua grinned and said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Master¡¯s excellent teaching!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang felt very gratified.


    Having an obedient disciple really made a difference.


    Mr. Zhuang added:


    ¡°Rest for today, and tomorrow you¡¯ll start learning the Five Elements Spirit Formation.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded fiercely, full of anticipation.


    Then he suddenly remembered something and seemed a bit worried, ¡°Master, will the Five Elements Sect allow me to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became slightly stern, ¡°Considering the legacy of the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, I have already given them enough respect¡­¡±


    ¡°The rules were set by them, the examination questions were devised by them, and they were even allowed to seek outside help, yet they lost fair and square¡­¡±


    ¡°If they still prevaricate and do not honor the promises of the past, then they cannot blame me for disregarding past affection¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt reassured, but still harbored some concerns:


    ¡°Even if they let me learn, they will probably create obstacles, right?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°That is to be expected, but such sneaky tactics are tolerable as long as they are not too excessive; otherwise, I won¡¯t bother myself with it.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and gently patted his shoulder:


    ¡°You will encounter such petty schemes often in the future, learn to deal with them on your own.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked a bit tired and closed his eyes to rest for a while before opening them again and continuing:


    ¡°Tomorrow, you and your fellow brothers and sisters go to the Formation Pavilion together and see if you can grasp the Five Elements Spirit Formation.¡±


    After Mr. Zhuang finished speaking, he also addressed Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi:


    ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense is sufficient to learn the Formation with Thirteen Stripes.¡±


    ¡°As for you two, since your Divine Senses are not enough, try using the method I taught you¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi respectfully nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression shifted subtly, hesitating to speak, but in the end, he remained silent.


    However, Mr. Zhuang noticed his expression.


    After advising his disciples, Mr. Zhuang paused, then called back Mo Hua as they were about to leave.


    ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    Mo Hua, who had reached the threshold, turned back with a puzzled look, ¡°Yes, Master?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gestured him closer.


    Mo Hua walked up to Mr. Zhuang.


    After a moment of silence, Mr. Zhuang asked:


    ¡°You¡­ Do you want to ask something?¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated, then shook his head.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze softened, seemingly penetrating Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, and he gently said:


    ¡°If you want to ask something, go ahead.¡±


    Knowing he could not hide from Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua no longer concealed his curiosity and quietly asked:


    ¡°Master, what exactly did you teach my elder brothers and sister?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    He was indeed very curious.


    Mr. Zhuang looked thoughtful and instead of answering, he posed a question:


    ¡°You¡­ Why didn¡¯t you ask me before?¡±


    Mo Hua honestly replied, ¡°Master is far-sighted and strategic, and naturally you have your own plans. If something is meant to be shared, you would surely tell me. If you do not speak of it, it¡¯s obviously better that I remain unaware¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was momentarily taken aback, then warmth surfaced in his heart, like a spring stream warmed by sunlight, gently flowing through his thoughts.


    His gaze was tender as he softly asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel that I favor your brothers and sister over you?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Master has already been very good to me!¡±


    Everything that should have been taught, could have been taught, and even some material that was beyond the syllabus and shouldn¡¯t have been taught had been imparted to him.


    He often asked the most questions.


    And Master never grew tired, always answering with the utmost detail.


    Normally, his brothers and sister held more reverence towards Master.


    While Master treated him with more closeness.


    Upon reflection, Mo Hua felt that Master still favored him a bit more.


    Mo Hua looked at Mr. Zhuang, his gaze clear and untainted, filled with the crystal-like trust and reliance of amber.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes were moist, and the feelings in his heart were hard to articulate.


    He took a deep breath, his expression earnest as he said:


    ¡°Mo Hua, you must remember the next words very carefully, but do not mention them to anyone else.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tensed, and he nodded seriously.


    Mr. Zhuang gestured with his hands and lightly swept them aside.


    There was no visible change around them.


    But Mo Hua faintly felt that within the confines of this dwelling, an area of several feet seemed to have been isolated.


    Isolated from sound as well as from cause and effect.


    Mr. Zhuang said solemnly:


    ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed and his pupils contracted.


    Nothing happened around them.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mr. Zhuang knew that Mo Hua had understood and continued:


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, our lineage has a sect.¡±


    ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people, Zixi and Zisheng¡¯s mother, and I, all come from the same sect, we are fellow Taoist brothers and sisters.¡±


    ¡°Now, you, Zisheng, and Zixi are also disciples of this sect.¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This sect has an ancient heritage.¡±


    ¡°I am the forty-ninth Sect Leader of this sect.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t tell you the name of this sect, nor must you know it.¡±


    ¡°The teachings of this sect are numerous, and among them, the most important and orthodox, which is reserved only for the direct line of the Sect Leader, is a type of Formation Flow. It is the same legacy that I have taught your elder brothers and sister¡­¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 611 - 531 Immortal Sky Formation Flow_2

    Chapter 611: Chapter 531 Immortal Sky Formation Flow_2


    ¡°This legacy is known as¡ª¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was solemn as he articulated each word, ¡°Immortal Sky Formation Flow!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Innate Formation Flow?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Not Innate¡­¡±


    He took out a brush and wrote a character on paper, ¡°It¡¯s Immortal Sky.¡±


    Immortal Sky¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat incredulous, ¡°Immortal as in becoming an Immortal?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang slightly nodded, ¡°This legacy is highly confidential. Outsiders have only heard about it but have never seen its script, so they have always assumed that this set of inheritances was called ¡®Innate Formation Flow.¡¯ However, its real name is ¡®Immortal Sky Formation Flow¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Immortal Sky Formation Flow, that¡¯s the Immortal Sky Formation Origin Flow.¡±


    ¡°Since the creation of heaven and earth, when Immortals attained the Dao, they engraved Taoist meanings, resulting in the formations of the heavens. Hence, all formations in the world derive from the Dao and ultimately return to the Dao, all sharing a unified origin stream.¡±


    ¡°The Innate Formation Flow represents the origin stream that encompasses all formations in the world.¡±


    ¡°Master one, understand all, unite a myriad of formations into one.¡±


    ¡°After learning the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, one will be able to comprehend the origin flow of the majority of the world¡¯s formations. When studying other formations thereafter, progress would be greatly accelerated, and one might even surpass the barriers of Divine Sense to comprehend certain formations that are extremely difficult and require exceptional Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open.


    This wasn¡¯t just an inheritance; it was like a cheating device gifted by the Heavenly Dao.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°the Innate Formation Flow is capable of interacting with creation, and its functions are exceedingly powerful, but it is also extremely difficult to learn, demanding high comprehension and an excellent Spiritual Root.¡±


    ¡°Your fellow disciples can learn this legacy, but, you cannot.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of my inferior Spiritual Root?¡± Mo Hua asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Yes, but not entirely,¡± Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°An inferior Spiritual Root would, at most, make it difficult to excel in learning it, but it shouldn¡¯t be entirely prohibitive. However, you, you simply cannot learn it!¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes held an obscure light as he warned, ¡°Remember, you must never learn it!¡±


    ¡°This legacy is entangled with tremendous karma that you must not touch¡ªat least not with your current level of Cultivation. Even if one day you reach the stages of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core, you still must not meddle with this karma!¡±


    Not even with a Golden Core¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone with determination as he nodded solemnly:


    ¡°Master, I have remembered!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang inspected Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, ensuring that he truly took the words to heart and committed them to memory, before he finally relaxed slightly.


    ¡°There¡¯s another reason¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang continued, ¡°You don¡¯t need to, or rather, you should not learn the Immortal Sky Formation Flow.¡±


    Now Mo Hua was genuinely confused.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed:


    ¡°Immortal Sky Formation Origin Flow, unifying myriad formations into one, master one and understand all, able to comprehend the origin flow of all formations and methods in the world¡­¡±


    ¡°These words have also been passed down by the ancient ancestors of our Sect¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, understanding: ¡°The ancient ancestors wouldn¡¯t lie!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he nodded:


    ¡°This saying has been passed down through generations by our Sect¡¯s ancient ancestors, but whether it¡¯s true or false, and to what extent, is not clear.¡±


    ¡°So far, it seems true that the Immortal Sky Formation Flow can enhance one¡¯s comprehension of formations, as the ancestors described.¡±


    ¡°But what about later on? When one advances further and comprehends higher aspects, that remains unknown.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, even if the Immortal Sky Formation Flow includes the origin stream of all formations under heaven, at the end of the day, it is still the ¡®Dao¡¯ summarized by someone else.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that this ¡®person¡¯ might possibly be an ¡®Immortal.''¡±


    ¡°Even whether they are an Immortal, and what kind of Immortal, is hard to say¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gazed expectantly at Mo Hua:


    ¡°Zisheng and Zixi wish to learn the Immortal Sky Formation Flow to comprehend formations because their Spiritual Roots are exceptional but their Divine Sense is lacking, so they must rely on such methods to study advanced formations.¡±


    ¡°But you are different¡­¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Your Divine Sense is stronger than anyone¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°You can rely solely on your Divine Sense to learn, to practice, and to comprehend on your own. Though it may be harder, more fraught with hardship, and require more time and effort, what you gain will be uniquely yours, and your understanding will be deeper.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t prejudge and learn the Immortal Sky Formation Flow impulsively.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rashly attempt to comprehend the origin streams of the myriad formations of this world without mastering the formations of the heavens.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, any comprehension of formations will be nothing but castles in the air, and what you believe to be the origin stream may not be the true origin stream at all.¡±


    ¡°You have to learn your own formations, walk your own path¡­¡±


    Walk your own path¡­


    Struck by enlightenment, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    He said nothing but solemnly bowed to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes shone with gratification, filled with a touch of sentiment.


    He had found himself a worthy disciple in this lifetime¡­


    Despite a life of trials and an uncertain future, heaven had been kind to him¡­


    Memories surfaced in his mind.


    A tumult of emotions swirled.


    Mr. Zhuang sighed, looking at Mo Hua as his thoughts gradually soothed.


    ¡­


    The next day, Mr. Zhuang took Mo Hua and the other two disciples to the Formation Pavilion.


    At that time, the Formation Pavilion was much less crowded.


    The vast Formation Pavilion was quiet and solemn.


    Between the carved beams and painted rafters lay countless books and charts of formations, showcasing rigor and ornate beauty.


    Greeting Mo Hua and his fellow disciples were only the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect and Sect Leader Liao.


    The Chief Elder looked slightly unwell.


    It seemed the events of the previous day were still fresh in his mind.


    He could even hear Mo Hua¡¯s questions in his dreams: ¡°What else is there to compare?¡±, ¡°Anyone else?¡±¡­


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

 Chapter 612 - 531 Immortal Sky Formation Flow_3

    Chapter 612: Chapter 531 Immortal Sky Formation Flow_3


    This junior formation master, despite appearing innocent, is actually a genuine formation monster!


    He is like a ¡°miniature¡± Mr. Zhuang.


    Even more detestable than Mr. Zhuang.


    The chief elder was in great distress.


    The Five Elements Sect had lost, and today, its core inheritance was to be shared with others for learning.


    Although the First-grade Thirteen Stripes Five Elements Spirit Formation is very difficult to learn.


    But facing Mr. Zhuang, and Mo Hua, this inscrutable junior formation master, the chief elder felt uncertain, which showed in his pale face tinged with slight anxiety.


    Meanwhile, Sect Leader Liao seemed unbothered, as if it were no big deal to him whether the Ultimate Formation of the Five Elements Sect would be learned by others or not.


    As soon as everyone was present, the chief elder, with a stern face, reluctantly said to Mr. Zhuang,


    ¡°Please.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly with indifference.


    The group proceeded along the stairwell up to the Formation Pavilion.


    The Formation Pavilion of the Five Elements Sect had four floors.


    The first floor was spacious with a great hall, desks, bookshelves, and it mainly housed First-grade Formation Methods for disciples to borrow, study, and ponder over Formation Books and Formation Diagrams, as well as for gatherings and discussions.


    The second floor was smaller and, though not luxurious, was more quaint, primarily storing Second-Grade Formation Diagrams and was generally not open to the public.


    The third floor was even smaller, meant for the storage of Third Grade Formation Methods.


    The settings were somewhat antique, even slightly shabby, yet the atmosphere was ancient and profound, commanding more reverence than the flashy but insubstantial great hall on the first floor.


    Third Grade Formation Methods!


    Mo Hua smacked his lips.


    The heritage of the Five Elements Sect was indeed profound.


    Now, he hadn¡¯t seen many Second-grade Formations, let alone Third-grade ones.


    He was eager to look through the Third-grade Formation Diagrams to see what a Third-Grade Formation looked like.


    How many Patterns there were, how the Formation Pivots circulated, how the Formation eyes were constructed, how to learn them, and what effects they produced¡­


    Alas, Mo Hua knew that the chief elder of the Five Elements Sect was as frugal as they come.


    With his stingy nature, he would certainly be reluctant to let him browse the Third-Grade Formations within the Formation Pavilion.


    And true to form, not only was he not allowed to browse, he wasn¡¯t even allowed to linger.


    The chief elder led Mo Hua and a few others up the stairs, crowded with Formation Patterns, unlocking them with an elder¡¯s talisman, and went straight up, bypassing the second and third floors to the fourth.


    First floor for First-grade, second floor for Second-grade, third floor for Third-grade.


    Since the Five Elements Sect apparently had no Fourth-grade inheritance, the fourth floor must be housing the Sect¡¯s ultimate array, the set of five Ultimate Formations¡ª the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Mo Hua, following behind Mr. Zhuang, stealthily poked his head out, glancing left and right.


    The fourth floor of the Five Elements Sect was even narrower.


    The surrounding furnishings were simpler, with wooden beams and windows all around.


    In the center was a Shrine.


    Underneath the Shrine, there were five meditation cushions.


    The walls and floor were marked with a Formation, but this Formation had its Patterns concealed, and its aura was profound and obscure, at least Second-grade, or possibly even Third-grade¡­


    Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t even doubt if it were Fourth-grade.


    Mo Hua began to regard the Five Elements Sect with a hint of reverence.


    Although the current Five Elements Sect, once stripped of its glorious facade, was nothing but a hopeless mess.


    But its ancestors had an extremely profound legacy.


    This fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion, even if it only used ordinary wood as Formation media, the array set up still commanded respect and was not to be underestimated.


    The chief elder also felt somewhat nostalgic, but after a moment, he composed himself and said to Mo Hua and the others,


    ¡°The Five Elements Spirit Formation is hidden within this Shrine.¡±


    ¡°Sitting on these meditation cushions and Pondering the Shrine, if one has sufficient comprehension, the Formation Diagram of the Five Elements Spirit Formation will be revealed.¡±


    Pondering?


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then turned to look at the Shrine.


    So this Shrine was a kind of alternative Contemplation Map?


    By pondering it with enough understanding, one would be able to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation?


    It couldn¡¯t be that simple, could it¡­


    Mo Hua sneaked a glance at the chief elder and, as expected, saw a hint of mockery and cunning flash through the depths of the elder¡¯s eyes.


    Not just a miser,


    But an old fox as well¡­


    Mo Hua mumbled to himself.


    S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 613 - 532 Shrine_1

    Chapter 613: Chapter 532 Shrine_1


    ¡°My Five Elements Sect always keeps its word, willing to accept a loss if the bet is lost.¡±


    The Chief Elder cast a wary glance at Mo Hua, then continued, ¡°Several young friends, you may study here, the Five Elements Sect¡¯s highest inheritance¡ªthe Five Elements Spirit Formation.¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Spirit Formation, with its Thirteen Stripes, is a top-notch Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°The value of this Formation need not be overstated.¡±


    ¡°However, there are some rules to learning this Formation that must be followed¡­¡±


    ¡°First, you may only study for five days, four hours each day. If you can learn it, the Five Elements Sect has no objections, but if not, please be aware of the consequences¡­¡±


    ¡°Second, during the study period, you must not damage any bricks or wood within this room, and none of the furnishings may be moved;¡±


    ¡°Third, you must show respect to the Shrine and not disgrace the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect;¡±


    ¡°Fourth, whether you master the Formation or not, no matter how much you learn, you must not divulge it to outsiders!¡±


    ¡°Fifth¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder then rambled on, spouting a bunch of nonsense and laying out a litany of rules.


    Mo Hua found it tedious, but for the sake of the Five Elements Spirit Formation, he endured.


    After finishing, the Chief Elder cast another look at Mr. Zhuang, suggesting politely,


    ¡°The third floor is prepared with the exquisite Li Mountain Mist Tea, please, Gentleman, move there to rest and sample it.¡±


    This was clearly a dismissal.


    No outsiders were allowed in front of the Shrine during the study of the Formation.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, his gaze sweeping across the faces of Mo Hua and the others as he instructed, ¡°Study well.¡± He then flicked his sleeve and went downstairs for tea.


    The Chief Elder also followed Mr. Zhuang out.


    As the Chief Elder left, he lit the Incense Burner and gave Mo Hua and the others a meaningful look, then locked the door before leaving.


    In front of the quiet and solemn Shrine, only Mo Hua and the others remained.


    They had only five days, with four hours a day, to comprehend the Thirteen Stripes Five Elements Spirit Formation of the Five Elements Sect.


    They had to make the most of their time.


    In front of the Shrine, there were five cushions.


    ¡°Sit on the cushions, ponder the Shrine, and comprehend the Formation,¡±


    That was what the Chief Elder had said.


    Moreover, he also specifically mentioned that the ¡°sitting¡± on the cushions was ¡°kneeling and sitting.¡±


    But kneeling was out of the question.


    The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect meant nothing to Mo Hua, and he was not about to kneel before them. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thus sat cross-legged on top of a cushion.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi exchanged a glance with Mo Hua and did the same, sitting cross-legged on their cushions.


    Mo Hua sat in the middle, with Zixi on his left and Zisheng on his right.


    The three of them began to concentrate and ponder the Shrine.


    The Shrine was made of dark wood and gold lacquer, magnificent and yet simple and solemn.


    It featured gilded relief sculptures depicting ancestral figures, Spirit Beasts drawing chariots, precious flowers and herbs, carved beams and painted rafters, various Magical Treasures¡­


    Mo Hua was dazzled by the sight but did not quite understand the purpose of these engravings¡­


    Only the center of the Shrine seemed to house a Taoist Field.


    In the center of the Taoist Field, a giant Array Plate was displayed.


    Around it, Formation Masters gathered, their expressions deferential.


    Above the field, an elder stood, solemn, pointing to the heavens as if imparting teachings and spreading the Great Dao.


    The Shrine preached the Dao.


    The Taoist Field Array Plate.


    This was, on the whole Shrine, the place most closely connected to the Formation.


    ¡°Could it be that the Five Elements Spirit Formation is engraved on the Array Plate in the center of the Shrine?¡± Mo Hua guessed and then quieted his heart and Divine Sense, focusing on the Array Plate at the center.


    Indeed, after a short while, the sound of a chanting bell seemed to arise.


    In front of the Shrine, the smoke from the Incense Burner twirled, floating before Mo Hua, and then, strand by strand, enveloped the front of the Shrine, condensing into Patterns that manifested on the Array Plate.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    ¡°Indeed it is so!¡±


    Just as he was about to concentrate on the Formation Patterns, an ancient voice echoed in his ear:


    ¡°I shall impart unto you the Formation¡­¡±


    This sensation was all too familiar.


    Previously in South Yue City, when Mo Hua had stolen the Ancestral Master Picture from Zhang Quan, these ethereal, ancient voices incessantly murmured in his ear with phrases like, ¡°I impart unto you the Great Dao,¡± ¡°Help you ascend to immortality,¡± ¡°Long life and enduring vision¡±¡­


    Instinctively, Mo Hua felt a revulsion.


    Another charlatan!


    His gaze sharpened, Divine Sense stirred, he cleansed his mind, discarding the illusions.


    A moment later, everything vanished like smoke.


    Above the Incense Burner, the smoke wafted.


    But now, it was just ordinary smoke, no longer forming Patterns, no extraordinary phenomenon.


    The ancient voice in his ear also disappeared.


    The Shrine remained as it was.


    And the Array Plate, empty.


    It seemed everything, due to Mo Hua¡¯s rejection, had dissipated into nothing¡­


    When Mo Hua looked again, the Shrine was still just a Shrine.


    No Formation, nothing left¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    He pondered the Shrine for a long while, but still, no changes occurred.


    Mo Hua muttered to himself:


    ¡°Could it be that I outsmarted myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Was that voice indeed trying to transmit a Formation to me?¡±


    ¡°In the Incense Burner, the smoke swirled, and what it condensed into was indeed the sophisticated Five Elements Formation Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°Yet by seeing through the illusion, did I offend the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, making them unwilling to teach me?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua tried several more times, but it was all in vain.


    It seemed as though the Shrine truly didn¡¯t wish to teach him the Formation anymore.


    The smoke was just smoke, no longer condensing into Formation Patterns¡­


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly.


    Was he to blame for having too keen a Divine Sense, too steadfast a Taoist Heart, for being too sensitive to the shifts of Divine Thought?


    Mo Hua turned to look at his Junior Brother and Junior Sister.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both sat cross-legged, their postures upright, their gazes intense, fixed on pondering the Array Plate in the center of the Shrine.


    In their eyes, the light of Formation Patterns flickered, seemingly engrossed in comprehension.

 Chapter 614 - 532 Shrine_2

    Chapter 614: Chapter 532 Shrine_2


    ¡°`


    The two seemed to be studying the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to bother them.


    Mo Hua tilted his head to the right and glanced at Bai Zisheng.


    Then he tilted his head to the left, staring at Bai Zixi for a while, and couldn¡¯t help but feel:


    The little martial sister is really beautiful!


    With her fair skin, delicate brows and eyes, her eyes were like the stars in the sky, serene and sparkling.


    This was even after she had changed her appearance, hiding her true face.


    If it were her original appearance, she would be even more beautiful¡­


    Mo Hua watched for a while longer, then snapped back to reality:


    ¡°I almost forgot, the important thing is the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua began to concentrate again, pondering the Shrine.


    But no matter how he contemplated, the Shrine didn¡¯t show the slightest change.


    Even when he tried to ¡°play dumb¡± by sealing his Divine Sense and silently chanting, ¡°Come and bewitch me, I won¡¯t see through you,¡± it was useless.


    The Shrine still ignored him.


    Mo Hua sighed. He looked at the Shrine for a while longer and a doubt inevitably arose:


    Is there any connection between this Shrine and the Contemplation Map?


    Within a Contemplation Map, some Divine Thoughts reside.


    These Divine Thoughts come in all varieties.


    They contain both the understanding of the Great Dao, the perception of the Heavenly Dao, and also some cultivators¡¯ Divine Sense remnants after death, as well as the evil thoughts of ghosts, zombies, etc.


    Till now, Mo Hua hadn¡¯t seen a proper Contemplation Map.


    The ones he¡¯d seen were all improper ones.


    And those maps were all inhabited by dirty and unclean spirits.


    So, could this Shrine be a proper ¡°Contemplation Map¡±?


    Mo Hua also remembered his master mentioned that the so-called Contemplation Map is just a general term. Not all objects of contemplation are ¡°maps.¡± Every grass and tree, every brick and tile, Spiritual Artifacts, Magical Treasures, all may contain the Great Dao, or house Divine Thoughts, or be parasitized by evil spirits.


    ¡°So does this mean, this Shrine is an alternative type of ¡®Contemplation Map''¡±?


    ¡°Only, while other Contemplation Maps are ¡®maps,¡¯ this one is a ¡®shrine''¡±?


    ¡°Could it be that there is something residing within this Shrine?¡±


    ¡°Is it some kind of Divine Thought? Or is it the spell point of the Five Elements Spirit Formation?¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s a good thing¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, followed by some disappointment.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that it¡¯s too big to move¡­¡±


    ¡°And the Five Elements Sect certainly won¡¯t let me move it.¡±


    Mo Hua murmured to himself:


    ¡°If I could move the Shrine, everything would be solved. I could study it every day, contemplate day and night, and I would definitely learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­¡±


    Alas, that was just wishful thinking.


    To move the Shrine of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s ancestors would indeed be going too far¡­


    But the current problem is, how can I learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­


    Mo Hua was a bit troubled, staring blankly at the Shrine.


    Inside the Incense Burner, the smoke gradually dissipated.


    Time also passed little by little¡­


    Unconsciously, the hour had arrived.


    The incense in the burner was also slowly burning out.


    It was only then that Mo Hua realized that four hours had passed, and he hadn¡¯t learned a single Formation Pattern¡­


    It was like being in an exam, with time running out to hand in the paper, but he hadn¡¯t written a single word¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled.


    He then realized that this trial lasted five days, and if he hadn¡¯t learned it today, there were still four days left. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.


    The incense had burned out.


    All of the misty scent had dissipated.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi came back to their senses, blinked, their eyes slightly bright, as they emerged from the state of contemplation.


    They simultaneously glanced at Mo Hua and found that he looked like he had sat through a class and learned nothing, and then simply gave up, which startled them for a moment.


    At that moment, the Chief Elder opened the door.


    His gaze swept over the faces of the three Mo Hua, asked nothing, but simply said:


    ¡°The time for today has come. Come back tomorrow.¡±


    Mo Hua and the others respectfully bowed and followed Mr. Zhuang out.


    Back in the room, Mo Hua said with some guilt:


    ¡°Master, I didn¡¯t learn anything¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was somewhat surprised and curious, and said with interest:


    ¡°What did you see?¡±


    Mo Hua replied truthfully: ¡°I saw the Formation Patterns on the Array Plate, and I heard an old man speaking. Then habitually, I brushed aside all distractions, and after that¡­ I couldn¡¯t see anything¡­¡±


    Apart from spending a little time sneakily watching the little martial sister, the rest of the time was spent contemplating the Contemplation Map and daydreaming¡­


    ¡°Why is that, master?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, then sighed: ¡°Perhaps your Divine Sense is too strong¡­¡±


    A Divine Sense too strong sees through the essence.


    A Taoist Heart clear and undisturbed, immune to bewitchment.


    But as a result, he couldn¡¯t see the illusion of the Shrine, nor could he see the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect.


    Mo Hua muttered: ¡°The Five Elements Sect is too outrageous, how could they use such a strange way to pass down the Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua in silence, thinking it wasn¡¯t the Five Elements Sect that was outrageous, but his Divine Sense.


    In the Qi-refining Realm, to have Thirteen Stripes of Divine Sense.


    The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect probably had never anticipated this¡­


    Mr. Zhuang then asked Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, ¡°How about you two?¡±


    Both nodded their heads.


    Bai Zisheng said: ¡°We¡¯ve both learned. Sitting on the meditation cushion, pondering the Shrine, Formation Patterns would appear on the Array Plate at the center of the Shrine Taoist Field¡­¡±


    ¡°There was also an elder speaking about the key points of learning the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Draw it for me to see.¡±


    Bai Zisheng hesitated, ¡°I didn¡¯t learn it all¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter,¡± Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°Draw as much as you can.¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded, then took out paper and ink and started to draw the Five Elements Formation that he had learned from the Shrine.


    Bai Zixi, with a graceful posture, held the brush and followed suit in drawing.


    After finishing, they handed their drawings to Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 615 - 532: Shrine_3

    Chapter 615: Chapter 532: Shrine_3


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at it and nodded, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s a first-rate, thirteen-stripe Five Elements Spirit Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua also leaned in to take a look.


    The Formation that Bai Zisheng drew was an incomplete Fire-series Ultimate Formation, but it should be the Fire Spirit Formation within the Five Elements Spirit Formation series.


    The Formation drawn by Bai Zixi was a Wood-series Ultimate Formation, with thirteen complete patterns, not one less, a complete Wood Spirit Formation.


    Clearly, Bai Zixi¡¯s talent for Formations was quite a bit better than Bai Zisheng¡¯s.


    A complete first-rate thirteen-stripe Wood Spirit Formation, ah¡­


    Although she used the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, within four hours, she memorized it in its entirety.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°Junior Sister, you are amazing!¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded her head, accepting Mo Hua¡¯s compliment, her eyes sparkling.


    Bai Zisheng curled his lips, not satisfied with Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°sweet talk,¡± but still expressed concern,


    ¡°Junior Brother, if you can¡¯t see the Taoist Field Formation Diagram, doesn¡¯t that mean you can¡¯t learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation?¡±


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation was actually just icing on the cake for him and Zixi.


    They didn¡¯t rely on Formations.


    But it was different for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had to follow the path of Formations, had to continuously learn Formations, and had to constantly strengthen his Divine Sense.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation was crucial for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    He didn¡¯t have any good solutions.


    If the Formation Diagrams never appeared within the Shrine Taoist Field, then there was indeed nothing he could do.


    He couldn¡¯t just smash the Shrine¡­


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment, her beautiful eyes lighting up, ¡°Brother and I will teach you!¡±


    Bai Zisheng was startled at first but then understood,


    ¡°Right, Zixi and I will go learn it, and after mastering it, we¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly shocked and then pondered for a moment, his eyes brightening up.


    It seemed¡­ not impossible.


    To learn is to learn, no matter from where.


    His Junior Brother and Sister teaching him Formations was rightfully so.


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that be considered imparting it to outsiders?¡±


    According to the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect, one could only learn and practice by oneself.


    Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not considered imparting it to outsiders.¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it, nodded, feeling she was right. Since they were all from the same Sect and all qualified to learn Ultimate Formations, exchanging knowledge naturally didn¡¯t count as imparting to outsiders.


    So Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng began to teach Mo Hua the Wood Spirit Formation and Fire Spirit Formation.


    Bai Zixi was calm.


    Bai Zisheng, on the other hand, was full of excitement; it was rare for him to have the opportunity to teach Mo Hua Formations.


    As they taught the Formation Patterns, they also conveyed the key points and insights they had heard from the Elder to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua concentrated on learning, noting down the patterns while listening to the explanations, raising questions whenever he had any.


    By evening, Mo Hua had finally roughly mastered the patterns of both Wood Spirit Formation and Fire Spirit Formation.


    However, even though Mo Hua could draw these patterns, they had no effect.


    Like other Ultimate Formations, they seemed to lack some important elements, possessing only the form of the patterns but not the essence of the Formation Method.


    This was within Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    But what concerned him was another issue:


    ¡°Why are there only Wood Spirit Formation and Fire Spirit Formation?¡±


    Where were the other three series of Five Elements Spirit Formations?


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi looked at each other and both shook their heads.


    ¡°What I saw was only this Spirit Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have to learn one Formation at a time, and only after mastering one, can you learn the others?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s step by step, then why is the sequence different? There¡¯s Wood, there¡¯s Fire, how is this order determined?¡±


    The three could not understand.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°We can only check again tomorrow¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng also said, ¡°That¡¯s the only way.¡±


    Bai Zixi also frowned, her eyes showing confusion.


    Mr. Zhuang watched the three of them, smiling slightly, without saying a word.


    ¡­


    At this moment, in front of the solemn shrine on the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion,


    the Chief Elder lit three sticks of incense and placed them in the incense burner.


    Incense smoke curled up gently.


    After a while, one incense stick burned shorter than the other two. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The one on the left side burned the most, leaving the shortest length, but there was still a long piece left.


    The incense on the right burned some, but not too much.


    The incense stick in the middle remained untouched.


    The Chief Elder was pleased in his heart and nodded,


    ¡°Not mastered, good¡­¡±


    It was not just unmastered; it was completely unmastered!


    The Chief Elder felt somewhat relieved and also a bit emotional.


    There was talent, a solid foundation in Formation arts, and he had learned the correct things, but after all, he was too young. Studying too much leads to confusion, and his understanding was somewhat lacking¡­


    He didn¡¯t grasp any part of the Ultimate Five Elements Formation.


    It seemed his guess was correct.


    His Junior Brothers and Sisters were indeed stronger than him.


    But even if they were stronger and more talented, truly comprehending the Five Elements Spirit Formation was still far off¡­


    Except for the middle one, the other two sticks of sandalwood incense in the burner were still far from being completely burned through¡­


    The Chief Elder let out a sigh of relief.


    He bowed to the shrine and devoutly said,


    ¡°¡­bless our Five Elements Sect, may the inheritance not be lost, and let the Way of Formations flourish!¡±


    There was no response from within the shrine.


    But the wooden carving of the Elder in the Taoist Field opened its eyes.

 Chapter 616 - 616: 533

    Chapter 616: 533


    On the second day, the Chief Elder opened the door and burned incense.


    Above the shrine, the smoke wafted.


    Mo Hua, just like the previous day, sat upright on the meditation cushion, his mind focused and serene, pondering the shrine.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi quickly attained mental concentration and continued to visualize the Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua was still unable to visualize anything, just like the day before.


    To him, the shrine was just a shrine.


    Above the Taoist Field, Formation Masters gathered, all like wooden statues or clay figures, utterly lifeless.


    Above the Array Plate, the air was thick with smoke, but not a single Formation Pattern was to be seen.


    Mo Hua sighed, lay on the ground, and watched his Junior Brother and Junior Sister ponder the Shrine.


    After half an hour, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi opened their eyes, exchanged a glance, then turned to look at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shimmered with anticipation, ¡°How did it go?¡±


    Bai Zixi said, ¡°It¡¯s the same as yesterday. What I saw was still the Wood Spirit Formation Diagram. Even after learning it, what emerges in the Taoist Field is still only the Wood Spirit Formation; there are no other Five Elements Formation Diagrams.¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded and added, ¡°I only saw the Fire Spirit Formation as well, but I didn¡¯t learn it completely yesterday. Today I finally mastered it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation comprised five Ultimate Formations of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.


    Now that they had the Wood and Fire Spirit Formations, where were the others hidden?


    Mo Hua scanned the entire fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion once more, his gaze finally resting on the meditation cushions on the ground.


    Five meditation cushions¡­ Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­


    Bai Zixi also noticed and asked, ¡°Could it be related to the meditation cushions?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully,


    ¡°That stingy old man¡­ the Chief Elder, warned us before coming in, saying we must not damage anything in this room, not a brick nor a piece of wood, and we must not move any object¡­¡±


    ¡°Not move any object¡­¡±


    ¡°Could he have been referring to these meditation cushions?¡±


    ¡°There is certainly something strange about these meditation cushions¡­¡±


    Mo Hua peered at the cushions again, his eyes beginning to brighten, ¡°Learning different Formations because of¡­ sitting on different meditation cushions¡­¡±


    ¡°Sitting on different meditation cushions reveals different Five Elements Spirit Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Five meditation cushions, perfectly corresponding to five Formations!¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes also lit up, ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try!¡±


    Bai Zixi took a seat on the cushion furthest to the left, and Bai Zisheng sat on the one furthest to the right.


    Both continued to settle their minds and observed the Shrine, visualizing the Formation Diagrams.


    Two hours later, Bai Zisheng was still visualizing.


    Bai Zixi finished visualizing and emerged from her state of mental concentration, turning to Mo Hua and saying,


    ¡°It¡¯s the Gold Spirit Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua instantly understood.


    It seemed his guess was correct. The Five Elements Spirit Formation corresponded to five meditation cushions. One had to sit on different cushions to visualize the various Five Elements Spirit Formations.


    Still, Mo Hua was somewhat surprised. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Junior Sister, have you mastered the Gold Spirit Formation?¡±


    To have learned it after just two hours of visualization?


    Bai Zixi nodded, ¡°One stream leads to another; mastering one teaches you about many.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly realized.


    This must be what Master referred to as the supreme heritage of Formations¡ªthe Immortal Sky Formation Origin Flow.


    With the help of the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, one could comprehend some very profound Formations.


    And with Junior Sister¡¯s Flawless Constitution combined with the Supreme Immortal Sky Formation Flow, the effect was even more pronounced, mutually enhancing.


    That¡¯s why she was able to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation quickly.


    Bai Zixi then said to Mo Hua, ¡°Make way, please.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled.


    Bai Zixi pointed to the cushion he was sitting on.


    Only then did Mo Hua realize that one cushion corresponded to one Formation, and the only one left that they had not learned from was the one he was seated on.


    Mo Hua stood up and stepped aside.


    Bai Zixi walked in front of Mo Hua and sat down lightly and elegantly.


    As Junior Sister sat quite close, Mo Hua could even smell a faint fragrance, a fresh and exquisite scent lingering in the nose and twining around the heart.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face blushed slightly, suddenly feeling somewhat at a loss.


    Bai Zixi looked at him with puzzled eyes, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, are you uncomfortable?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head and made up an excuse, saying earnestly,


    ¡°I¡¯m just embarrassed that I can¡¯t learn the Formation¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi was silent for a moment, hesitated for a long time, and then made up her mind, slowly reaching out and patting Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder with the composure of an elder sister:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll learn it for you!¡±


    Mo Hua felt warmth in his heart and smiled brightly, ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister.¡±


    Bai Zixi, looking at Mo Hua¡¯s clear, beaming smile, felt strange emotions welling up within her, and couldn¡¯t help but compose herself with a solemn expression:


    ¡°I¡¯m about to learn the Formation. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, then sat cross-legged behind Bai Zixi, sitting upright and keeping watch for his Junior Sister.


    Bai Zixi knew Mo Hua was watching her, which made her a bit unsettled.


    In a trance, she felt as if Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was like the winter sun, shining upon her, clear and warm, comforting, yet also discomfiting for someone unused to such warmth.


    She closed her eyes, taking quite some time to calm her mood, and then opened them, her eyes calm as still water, focusing her mind to ponder the Shrine and grasp the last of the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡ªWater Spirit Formation.


    Mo Hua just silently sat there, watching his focused Junior Sister without feeling bored.


    The shrine was tranquil, and time quietly slipped away¡­


    Four hours later, the incense burned out once again.


    With no more sound in the shrine, the Chief Elder opened the door again and simply stated,


    ¡°The hour has come.¡±


    The three from the Formation Pavilion returned to their guest rooms, flopped down at the table, and gathered together to discuss and summarize:


    ¡°I¡¯ve mastered the Earth Spirit Formation!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve mastered the Gold Spirit Formation. I¡¯ve learned more than half of the Water Spirit Formation. I remember the Formation Diagram, but I¡¯m still somewhat puzzled by the essence of the Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Earth Spirit Formation, Gold Spirit Formation, Water Spirit Formation¡­

 Chapter 617 - 533 Zafu_2

    Chapter 617: Chapter 533 Zafu_2


    With the addition of the previously learned Wood Spirit Formation and Fire Spirit Formation,


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation was nearly complete.


    ¡°But¡­ can it be this simple?¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    A Second Grade Thirteen Stripes Ultimate Formation couldn¡¯t possibly be mastered so easily¡­


    ¡°Shall we try out its effects?¡± Bai Zisheng suggested.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and nodded.


    Formation Study emphasizes the application of what is learned.


    If drawing a formation yields actual use, it means one has truly grasped the essence of the formation.


    If the formation is useless or fails, then it means they haven¡¯t truly learned the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation can strengthen the properties of the Five Elements, amplify Spiritual Power of the Five Elements, and thereby enhance the power of Five Elements type Spiritual Artifacts, machinery, Taoist Skills, and spells.


    Bai Zixi took out a spirit sword blank.


    This was a blank spirit sword, freshly forged with no formations on it, which she used to practice Artifact Refining¡ªjust for fun.


    On the sword blank, Bai Zixi drew a Gold Spirit Formation, then, using Spiritual Power, she activated the formation before executing swordsmanship.


    Golden sword light condensed at the tip of the sword, slashing towards the ground.


    When the sword light met the ground, the formation was damaged, bricks shattered, and a sword mark carved into the ground with remnants of radiant gold Spiritual Power lingering.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°It has enhanced a bit, but only slightly.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    ¡°Try something else,¡± Bai Zixi said.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    After that, besides the Gold Spirit Formation, they tried the Wood Spirit Formation, Fire Spirit Formation, Water Spirit Formation, and Earth Spirit Formation¡ªall of them.


    Those who knew the corresponding Five Elements Spell used it for testing.


    But there were some they didn¡¯t know.


    For example, Wood Spirit Formation and Earth Spirit Formation.


    Although Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi had good Spiritual Roots, limited by their attributes, they didn¡¯t know the related spells, and in these cases, Mo Hua promptly learned two Five Elements Spells, ¡°Quicksand Skill¡± and ¡°Wood Poison Art.¡±


    He possessed the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root and could learn all Five Elements Spells.


    However, since he learned them on the spot, his usage wasn¡¯t proficient, the power was lesser, useless in real combat, but sufficient for testing the formation.


    All three tried, and in the end, they were quite disappointed.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation seemed to be effective, but its utility was negligible.


    Mo Hua sighed lightly.


    Though disappointed, this was within expectations.


    The reason why an Ultimate Formation is considered ultimate lies not only in its complex patterns and high Divine Sense requirements but also in certain changes to the nature of Spiritual Power or special formation inheritances. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only by grasping certain principles can one comprehend an Ultimate Formation.


    The Reversed Spirit Formation requires Calculation.


    The Thick Earth Formation needs perception of the Earth Dao Meaning.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation requires a profound understanding of the central structure of Spiritual Power, transforming spirit into threads, to intricately and minutely control Spiritual Power.


    So, what does the Five Elements Spirit Formation require?


    How to discern the essence of Spiritual Power in the Five Elements Spirit Formation and truly master this Ultimate Formation?


    All three were confused and puzzled.


    At 1 a.m.


    Mo Hua lay in bed, his Divine Sense submerged in the Sea of Consciousness.


    The Taoist Stele appeared before Mo Hua.


    On the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua practiced the Five Elements Spirit Formation over and over again.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was Thirteen Stripes.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation was also a Thirteen Stripes threshold.


    Furthermore, although the Five Elements Spirit Formation was an Ultimate Formation, its origin lay in the Five Elements. Having drawn the Large Five Elements Formation, Mo Hua had a profound understanding of the Five Elements Formation structure, so learning it wasn¡¯t too difficult.


    After practicing more than a dozen times, Mo Hua could draw the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    But that was all he could do.


    He simply drew the pattern, cleared the Formation Pivot, and constructed the Formation eye.


    He had drawn the frame without grasping the essence.


    He couldn¡¯t truly be said to have mastered it.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation surely had deeper secrets.


    ¡°Where is this secret hidden?¡±


    Mo Hua folded his arms under his head, lying on the ground in the white expanse of his Sea of Consciousness, and began pondering over the people and events of the Five Elements Sect from the beginning¡­


    The Chief Elder staunchly adhering to the tradition, the detached Sect Leader Liao, a bunch of Elders with no presence, hard to distinguish who was who, along with the disciples for whom Formation Study had fallen into decline¡­


    Formation as the basis for establishing the Sect, grand construction in Earth and Wood¡­


    Second Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation¡­


    Thinking this way, Mo Hua¡¯s train of thought began to wander.


    He always felt there was some indescribable disharmony within the Five Elements Sect.


    But as to where exactly the disconnect lay, he still couldn¡¯t see through it¡­


    Mo Hua shook his head, refocusing his attention on the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation was the most important matter.


    According to his master¡¯s words, mastering the Five Elements Spirit Formation was crucial to establish a foundation for oneself before proceeding to the Foundation Establishment.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation was kept in the Formation Pavilion.


    In the Formation Pavilion, there was a Shrine.


    In front of the Shrine, there were five cushions.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s intention was not to let himself, along with his older martial brother and sisters or even his master¡¯s lineage, learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    He didn¡¯t want the Five Elements Spirit Formation to be disseminated outside.


    Thinking the reverse¡­


    It implied that within this Shrine, indeed, there lies the inheritance of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    If the Chief Elder did not obstruct it, it¡¯s really possible that someone could learn it and leave with the knowledge.


    Mo Hua then considered from the perspective of his Sect¡¯s ancestors:


    If I were the venerable ancestor of the Five Elements Sect¡­


    The first order of business wouldn¡¯t be worrying about the inheritance being learned by others, but to find a way to allow my disciples to truly comprehend the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect.


    If I can¡¯t learn it, the Sect will eventually perish.


    As long as I master it well, even if others learn just a little, it does no significant harm.


    So, saying that¡­


    The Shrine must be the handiwork of the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect.


    The inheritance of the Five Elements Sect is sealed within the Shrine.


    The younger disciples of the Five Elements Sect, by pondering the Shrine, could comprehend the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    If that¡¯s the case, then this inheritance encompasses not just the Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation but also the true mystery that lies within.

 Chapter 618 - 533 Meditation Cushion_3

    Chapter 618: Chapter 533 Meditation Cushion_3


    This mystery might be a kind of Taoist Meaning, perhaps a type of Divine Sense spell method, or perhaps an insight into the rules of a Formation Method.


    The Formation Diagram of the Five Elements Spirit Formation is merely the frame.


    This mystery is the essence of the heritage.


    And this mystery must lie within the Shrine.


    Otherwise, no one in the Five Elements Sect would be able to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation!


    ¡ªAlthough now, no one in the Five Elements Sect can learn it anymore¡­


    Mo Hua pondered again and nodded his head.


    It must be so!


    It wasn¡¯t that he was arrogant.


    In terms of studying and comprehending an Ultimate Formation of the first grade, there were probably few others whose experience was as rich as his, nor were there many first-grade Formation Masters whose Divine Sense was stronger than his.


    Now even he could not learn it.


    Let alone the younger disciples of the Five Elements Sect.


    Therefore, within the Shrine, there must still be something hidden¡­


    ¡­


    On the third day.


    The Chief Elder, as always, burned incense, offered worship, and then closed the door.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi took turns sitting on the meditation cushions, pondering the Shrine Taoist Field.


    It was to consolidate the Formation Patterns they had learned before, to check for leaks and fill in gaps, and also to see if they had missed any details.


    Mo Hua, as always, neither meditated nor engaged in contemplation.


    Because he couldn¡¯t contemplate anything.


    It seemed that the Shrine didn¡¯t want to show him anything.


    Mo Hua was doing something else.


    He was examining the layout, formations, and the specific construction and purpose of the Shrine on the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion.


    While examining, Mo Hua thought to himself:


    If he were the founding ancestor of the Five Elements Sect, how would he arrange the formations, how would he construct the Shrine, and how would he design the form of inheritance in such a way as to allow his disciples to learn the true teachings of the Five Elements Sect?


    And at the same time, prevent disciples from other Sects with ill intentions¡ªlike himself¡ªfrom stealing these teachings?


    The first would be the formations.


    Defensive, sound-isolating, and consciousness-obstructing formations would certainly be indispensable.


    Mo Hua looked around at his surroundings.


    There were some extremely abstruse, profound, and powerful sensations of formation energy around, which should be the measures laid down by the ancestral founders of the Five Elements Sect.


    Mo Hua¡¯s experience was limited, but he blindly guessed that these formations were at least of the Third Grade.


    Third Grade formations were beyond Mo Hua¡¯s comprehension.


    Mo Hua could only choose to ignore them for now.


    Next, the Shrine.


    Mo Hua stared at the Shrine for a long time, combining his musings from the day before, and gradually began to understand some issues:


    The Shrine built by the Five Elements Sect might not necessarily worship ancestors.


    A family¡¯s Shrine worships ancestors, revering the bloodline.


    A Sect venerates the transmission of teachings, so what it should worship is the heritage itself.


    Therefore, within this Shrine, although there are the names of ancestors and the Formation Master Wooden Carving,


    The core is the Taoist Field.


    The implication of the Taoist Field is the transmission of teachings.


    Its purpose is to allow all disciples of the Five Elements Sect, when facing the Shrine, to feel as if they are present in the Taoist Field, hearing the teachings of the ancestors, listening to the true explanations of formations, and understanding the mysteries of the Great Dao.


    But how to listen?


    Mo Hua looked again at his Junior Brother and Junior Sister.


    They just sat upright on the meditation cushions, looking at the Shrine, contemplating the Formation Diagrams that emerged within the Taoist Field.


    The meditation cushions¡­


    Mo Hua then examined the meditation cushions further.


    This meditation cushion was just an ordinary one. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the material was special and Mo Hua could not understand it, its interior had no formations, and Divine Sense scanning revealed no anomalies, meaning the meditation cushion itself was not key.


    ¡°But when contemplating, one must indeed sit on the meditation cushion¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then recalled what the Chief Elder said:


    ¡°All furnishings must not be moved¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart shivered.


    Not to be moved implies that the meditation cushions shouldn¡¯t change position, which in other words, suggests that the most critical aspect of the meditation cushion lies in its position¡­


    His master once said that all things in the world have a surface and an inside, both emptiness and solidity.


    The appearance of the meditation cushion is solid; the reality is empty;


    The emptiness of position is solid.


    It¡¯s not by sitting on the meditation cushion that one can contemplate the Shrine and comprehend the Ultimate Formation.


    It is by sitting in the position of the meditation cushion that one can see the essence of the Shrine.


    The Five Elements position¡­


    These five positions are used to learn the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Could it be that there are other positions?


    By sitting at these positions and contemplating the Shrine, could one see the true mystery of the Shrine and comprehend the real Taoist Meaning hidden within the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation?


    Inspired, Mo Hua began to take out pen and paper to mark out all the positional layouts on the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion.


    That included the Shrine and the five meditation cushions corresponding to the Five Elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.


    Mo Hua looked at the diagram, his gaze sharpening.


    The meditation cushions correspond to the Five Elements.


    Each meditation cushion corresponds to a set of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    These Five Elements Spirit Formations seem to share a special formation relationship with the Shrine.


    This relationship, imbued with formation principle, seems like something that can be derived from Divine Sense Calculation¡­

 Chapter 619 - 534 Astral Projection_1

    Chapter 619: Chapter 534 Astral Projection_1


    ¡°`


    But this kind of Calculation, involving the Ultimate Formation, is not particularly difficult, but very time-consuming.


    By the time four hours had passed, Mo Hua still hadn¡¯t figured out any clues.


    The three of them left the Shrine and returned to the guest rooms at the Five Elements Sect.


    Mo Hua sat down for a simple meditation, resting for a moment, waiting for his Divine Sense to replenish before continuing to calculate the relationship between the Five Elements Spirit Formation and the Shrine.


    On the Formation Diagram of the Shrine, Mo Hua drew five separate Five Elements Spirit Formations according to their positions.


    Then, based on the results of the Calculations, he continued to sketch between the Formations.


    Line after line, crisscrossing, connecting, interweaving¡­


    Although Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were versed in the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, they lacked the skills of Calculation and could only watch as Mo Hua calculated and sketched on his own.


    Mr. Zhuang was also silently watching, offering no hints or conversation.


    Clearly, he wanted to let Mo Hua independently rely on his own abilities to solve the puzzle, break the enigma, and comprehend the Formation.


    Because he knew that he couldn¡¯t help Mo Hua for the rest of his life.


    Even, he might not be able to help him for much longer¡­


    Mo Hua worked tirelessly, calculating the Formation, and at night his Divine Sense plunged into the Sea of Consciousness, continuing the calculations on the Taoist Stele.


    Within the Taoist Stele, Divine Sense could be traced back.


    The efficiency of the Calculation was thus higher.


    Finally, by the next morning, Mo Hua had calculated the relational map of formations in the Five Elements Formation Diagram of the Shrine.


    In the structural diagram of the Shrine, with the Shrine as the core and the Five Elements Spirit Formations as its wings, the Formation Patterns were precise, spiritual power trajectories intricately woven, forming a complex and profound Spirit Path map.


    These spiritual power trajectories had a total of six convergence points.


    Five of which were the locations of those five meditation cushions, and one more was a hidden position.


    This position, on the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion, was hidden with no meditation cushion nor any other markers.


    Even Mo Hua suspected that this location might not even be known to the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect¡­


    Because calculating it was too complex.


    Moreover, it had to be extremely accurate; not even the slightest error was permissible.


    The Method of Divine Sense Calculation for calculating the pathways in the Ultimate Formation might not have been anything special to the Five Elements Sect of the past.


    But times have changed, and for the current Five Elements Sect, it might really be as incomprehensible as a ¡°heavenly script.¡±


    Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief.


    Regardless, having calculated this position, he had taken one step closer to the essence of the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­


    ¡­


    On the fourth day.


    After the Chief Elder had finished burning incense and left, the apparently meditating Mo Hua immediately stood up, took out the calculated Shrine¡¯s Five Elements Diagram, and then, following the calculated Spirit Path, looked for the correct position.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were also helping to search.


    The entire floor of the fourth level of the Formation Pavilion was covered in a single, complete stone tile.


    The stone tile was smooth, without patterns or any reference points, so determining the position took some time.


    After a cup of tea had passed, Mo Hua dropped a dot of ink on a spot that looked very ordinary.


    This dot of ink was the convergence point of the Five Elements Spirit Path.


    It was also the sixth ¡°meditation cushion¡± for Ponder the Shrine.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°The forebears of the Five Elements Sect really were quite cunning.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua and said nothing, but they both muttered in their minds:


    ¡°Cunning as they were, they weren¡¯t as crafty as you¡­¡±


    All the forebears¡¯ elaborate tricks and deeply hidden secrets were still unearthed by you¡­


    ¡°Try pondering.¡±


    Urged Bai Zixi.


    There wasn¡¯t much time left, it was already the fourth day, and the deadline of five days was approaching. They couldn¡¯t afford to waste a single moment.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then sat cross-legged, positioned at the convergence point of the Five Elements, ¡°sitting¡± on the sixth imaginary meditation cushion to Ponder the Shrine.


    This time, what he saw was no longer the Taoist Field.


    It was a gate.


    The gate of the Shrine!


    The gate was profound and simple, with five types of complex Patterns engraved on it.


    These Patterns were very familiar to Mo Hua, precisely the Thirteen Stripes of the first-grade Five Elements Spirit Formation¡¯s Patterns.


    But¡­ the gate was closed tight¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He finally understood how the Five Elements Spirit Formation of the Five Elements Sect got lost.


    This gate was designed to block both villains and the virtuous.


    It guarded against outsiders and insiders alike¡­


    The Patterns on it were clear, obviously a Mystery Formation.


    The pathway of the Formation had been tampered with, as if ¡°encrypted.¡±


    One needed proper Calculation to solve the Formation and open the gate.


    How could an average Formation Master possibly do that?


    Maybe the Five Elements Spirit Formation wasn¡¯t even meant to be learned by first-grade Formation Masters?


    The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect must have had some quirks in their thinking¡­


    They wrapped their own legacy tightly, like a zongzi, completely secure.


    Mo Hua was somewhat speechless.


    But it was clearly not the time to be critical. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He immediately spread out the paper, took out the ink and brush, and seriously, stroke by stroke, copied the entire Five Elements Mystery Formation from the gate into a Diagram.


    After the copying was done, almost four hours had passed.


    Mo Hua then wiped away the ink mark he had made.


    Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t long before the Chief Elder arrived.


    ¡°Time is up, please leave now.¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s tone was polite, but within his gaze was a hint of a mocking smile.


    Mo Hua and the others could only go back.


    Mo Hua could calculate and solve the Five Elements Mystery Formation on the Shrine gate on his own, but it would take some time.


    But before that, he still went to consult Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua showed the copied Formation Diagram to Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang appeared surprised, but not shocked.


    Mo Hua had his guess confirmed:


    ¡°My teacher must have encountered this Mystery Formation before, perhaps even solved it himself and entered the Shrine.¡±

 Chapter 620 - 534: Out-of-Body_2

    Chapter 620: Chapter 534: Out-of-Body_2


    But the master certainly wouldn¡¯t give any pointers to himself.


    Mo Hua then asked something else:


    ¡°Master, were these methods laid down by the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was somewhat emotional, ¡°Suppose so¡­¡±


    ¡°Why go to such lengths?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said with interest, ¡°To guard against thieves.¡±


    ¡°Guard against thieves?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback before saying, ¡°To guard against me¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, ¡°Yes, you count as well.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ even to guard against thieves, isn¡¯t this too troublesome, isn¡¯t it making a mountain out of a molehill?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°No, what they are guarding against is the disciples of our Sect from generations past, not making a mountain out of a molehill! Our¡­ the cultivators of this Sect, from ancient times to the present, all have exceptional spiritual roots and are brilliant talents¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and paused for a moment.


    Mo Hua had quite a bit of self-awareness, ¡°Master, apart from me¡­ all have exceptional spiritual roots and are brilliant talents¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a moment before saying tactfully:


    ¡°Your spiritual root is a bit inferior, but in formations, you are still¡­ a brilliant talent¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Master, please continue.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang recalled where he had stopped and then continued:


    ¡°The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, if they didn¡¯t set the threshold high enough, didn¡¯t make the puzzles hard enough, it would be too easy to see through¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually reasonable that they use it to guard against us¡­¡±


    ¡°However, as a result, the later generations of the Five Elements Sect suffer.¡±


    ¡°Once the Sect declines, if the later generation of disciples are not outstanding, hardly any of them can unravel the mystery barriers and learn the inheritance.¡±


    ¡°These formations could only be lost¡­¡±


    At this point, Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and said earnestly:


    ¡°In the Cultivation World, Sects and Noble Clans that rely on formations as their foundation, they all hide their inheritances very deeply.¡±


    ¡°The way the Five Elements Sect hides formations is quite unique.¡±


    ¡°It seems simple but is yet obscure.¡±


    ¡°Although obscure, all of them conform to the principles of formations.¡±


    ¡°You should pay more attention and learn more. After breaking through, you will be enlightened by analogy. When you encounter similar formation inheritances in the future, with the reference of the Five Elements Sect, you can decipher and comprehend them on your own.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone became slightly solemn, ¡°In the Cultivation World for tens of thousands of years, Noble Clans have risen and fallen, Sects have fluctuated¡­¡±


    ¡°Some powers may seem insignificant, but their ancestors¡¯ inheritances should not be underestimated.¡±


    ¡°These inheritances are often hidden in inconspicuous things.¡±


    ¡°Tao Cultivation values opportunity. For some people, opportunity comes from luck.¡±


    ¡°And for others, opportunity comes from insight¡­¡±


    ¡°Luck is innate and unpredictable, but insight is acquired and can be learned, observed, and pondered upon¡­¡±


    ¡°The Great Dao favors the persistent. In the future, you must be more observant¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze, implicit and restrained, was filled with profound emotion.


    ¡°Mhm!¡± Mo Hua nodded solemnly.


    He understood that his master was teaching him a method through the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect.


    Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching a man to fish.


    The master hoped that he could find his own opportunities in the future through his own horizons, knowledge, and insight, to seek out formations, to explore the Great Dao¡­


    Mo Hua looked at the frail Mr. Zhuang, feeling a mix of melancholy and complexity.


    ¡­


    That night, Mo Hua still went on calculating Formation Patterns and deciphering the Five Elements Mystery Formation without rest.


    Thanks to the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua¡¯s calculations were getting faster and faster¡­


    And at this moment, in the Formation Pavilion,


    The Chief Elder once again lit three sticks of incense before the Shrine.


    One stick of incense burned one-third, another a quarter, the one in the middle didn¡¯t catch fire, remaining motionless.


    The Chief Elder felt reassured but also somewhat surprised. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reassured because the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect had been preserved!


    Only one day, four hours left.


    They could never comprehend the Sect Protecting Ultimate Formation of the Five Elements Sect¡ªthe Five Elements Spirit Formation!


    The surprise was that the Junior Formation Master had indeed not gleaned even the slightest hint of the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡¯s methods from the Shrine¡­


    The Chief Elder sneered scornfully.


    Youth may be impressive, but greatness does not always follow.


    For all the brilliance in his youth, what else is there to talk about when one¡¯s potential is exhausted?


    ¡°That Junior Formation Master, I guess I overestimated him¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder turned and left.


    He didn¡¯t notice that the wooden elder in the Shrine Taoist Field also smirked enigmatically¡­


    ¡­


    The Mystery Formation on the great doors, although complex, shared the same principle with the Five Elements convergence Formation Patterns before the Shrine; one was converging, the other was diverging.


    Mo Hua, familiar with the path, spent the night deriving the Spirit path of the formation.


    On the fifth day, the last day allocated by the Five Elements Sect to comprehend the Five Elements Spirit Formation, Mo Hua entered the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion somewhat nervously, along with his Junior Brother and Sister as always.


    The Chief Elder lit incense and closed the door before going to the third floor to drink tea with Mr. Zhuang.


    It was quiet in front of the Shrine.


    Mo Hua reconfirmed the direction, and then started to Ponder the Shrine.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were guarding on his left and right.


    The instant Mo Hua Pondered the Shrine, the door drenched in Formation Patterns reappeared.


    Mo Hua, with his Divine Sense, activated the formation according to the Spirit path diagram he had derived the day before, bit by bit restoring the Formation Patterns to their original state, redistributing the converging Spirit paths back to their rightful positions.


    Before long, the elaborate Formation Diagrams on the Shrine door became clear and understandable.


    These were distinctly five sets of Five Elements Formation Diagrams.


    In the center of the Formation Diagrams, there was a Tai Chi-shaped lock.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought stirred, and the Tai Chi slowly rotated, the Shrine door turned accordingly, the Five Elements circulated, forming a vortex.

 Chapter 621 - 534 Out of Body_3

    Chapter 621: Chapter 534 Out of Body_3


    Within the vortex, it was pitch black.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled slightly. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before he had time to ponder, he felt a suction force emerging from the void, tugging at his Sea of Consciousness, seemingly pulling his Divine Sense out of his body.


    Mo Hua immediately stilled his mind, focusing his spirit, manifesting his true self.


    As soon as he manifested himself, his Divine Thought form was sucked through the gate, leaving the Sea of Consciousness, pulled into the gate, and entered the Shrine.


    The moment his Divine Sense left his body, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lost their luster, slowly closing, and his body limply collapsed.


    Bai Zixi saw this and immediately wrapped his arms around Mo Hua, then with a frown, tried Mo Hua¡¯s breathing, his brow furrowing even more.


    Bai Zisheng was startled and quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly, ¡°It looks like¡­ Divine Sense Out-of-Body?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was shocked, ¡°But he¡¯s only at the Qi Refinement stage¡­ Divine Sense out of the body can be deadly!¡±


    Bai Zixi immediately said, ¡°Soul-Peacing Pill and Qi-guarding Pill!¡±


    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Bai Zisheng frantically rummaged through his storage bag, and after a moment, took out two bottles of Pills, picked one from each, and handed them to Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi, with his fair fingers, picked up the Pills and fed them to Mo Hua¡¯s mouth.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face, which had been growing pale, regained its rosy complexion.


    There was also gradually a steady breath from his nose and mouth.


    Bai Zixi breathed a sigh of relief.


    Bai Zisheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°How could it be Divine Sense Out-of-Body?¡± He looked at Bai Zixi again and asked,


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    Bai Zixi glanced at the Shrine and said indifferently,


    ¡°Wait and see¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng had no other choice but to sigh, ¡°That¡¯s all we can do¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi laid Mo Hua flat on the ground, placed a soft blanket under his head, then sat down beside him, hugging his knees, silently watching over Mo Hua.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua only felt a pain in his Sea of Consciousness and a lightness in his Divine Sense.


    When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a vast square surrounded by predecessors and ancestors, all in the form of wooden carvings and clay molds.


    Beyond that, Spirit Beasts competed in splendor, flowers bloomed in profusion, carriages flowed like water, and palanquins floated like clouds.


    There were also treasure vases and flowers, painted beams, and carved rafters.


    Each step revealed a different scene, too beautiful for words.


    All these scenes, Mo Hua had seen them all above the Shrine.


    This square was the Taoist Field within the Shrine.


    However, from the outside, each scene, each pavilion, each person, and each object was a relief or wooden carving.


    But now as he looked, they were lifelike, almost deceptively real.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, looking around, then furrowed his brows.


    No, that¡¯s not right!


    Everything here was fake, but there was one thing that was not!


    He turned his gaze to the space above the Taoist Field.


    Above the Taoist Field stood an elder.


    The elder was a wooden carving, his features rigid, draped in wood clothing, his beard and hair were all etched with wooden patterns.


    But in the instant that Mo Hua looked at him, he changed.


    His wooden clothes took on color, his stiff face came to life, his beard and hair turned white, and his eyes deepened, gazing down from the Taoist Field towards Mo Hua.


    After a moment, a hoarse voice emanated from the Taoist Field,


    ¡°There are actually people¡­ who can come in¡­¡±


    Mo Hua did not know his identity, but seeing his venerable age and the respect he commanded, he greeted him with great politeness, bowing his hands and saying,


    ¡°Junior Mo Hua, pays respect to the senior. May I ask who the senior is¡­¡±


    The elder slowly stood up, his expression becoming more animated, his Taoist Robe taking on brilliant colors, ultimately forming a pattern of the Five Elements, similar to a Five Elements Taoist Robe.


    His voice was authoritative and heavy, resounding with gravity,


    ¡°I¡­ am the Tao Teaching Elder of the Five Elements Sect, the twenty-third generation!¡±

 Chapter 622 - 535 Preaching_1

    Chapter 622: Chapter 535 Preaching_1


    The Tao Teaching Elder of the Five Elements Sect?!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled.


    The Tao Teaching Elder was responsible for imparting knowledge. Within the Sect, their status was unique. Although they might not hold the greatest power, they inevitably possessed the most detached status and were the most familiar and profoundly understanding individuals of the Sect¡¯s legacy.


    So this wooden-carved elder was the Tao Teaching Elder of the Five Elements Sect¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts raced.


    The Tao Teaching Elder looked at Mo Hua, and his gaze suddenly became intense, ¡°You are not a disciple of my Five Elements Sect!¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat curious, ¡°How did you tell?¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder spoke with a profound look, ¡°Divine Sense is powerful, Divine Thought manifests¡­¡±


    ¡°My Five Elements Sect is no longer what it used to be. Our legacy has declined, and we cannot teach a disciple like you anymore¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, thinking the reason was quite sensible, and then he inquired:


    ¡°You are the Tao Teaching Elder. Is the ¡®Tao¡¯ you transmit the Five Elements Spirit Formation?¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder did not hide it, ¡°Indeed¡­¡±


    He looked off into the distance towards the Array Plate in the center of the Taoist Field, ¡°Though my body is dead, my spirit survives, stationed at the Shrine. Should there be a disciple who receives the consent of the Five Elements Sect, sits on the meditation cushion, and ponders the Shrine, I will manifest in the center of the Taoist Field and reveal the Five Elements Spirit Formation. I will impart the Formation Patterns and the key points of the Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded upon hearing this and asked, ¡°Then have you seen me before?¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder slowly nodded, ¡°I have, five days ago when you first came, I saw you.¡±


    Mo Hua continued to inquire, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you teach me when I pondered the Shrine that day?¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Tao Teaching Elder¡¯s expression turned cold, and he said irritably:


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know why?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    The Tao Teaching Elder¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°Your Divine Sense was too strong, you saw through the Array Plate, how could I teach you then?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    The Tao Teaching Elder then grew somewhat sentimental, ¡°Over these many years I have been guarding the Taoist Field, you are the first cultivator to see through the Array Plate of the Taoist Field, making me want to teach, yet unable to teach¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a disciple of the Five Elements Sect. Would you still like to teach me?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    The Tao Teaching Elder said with a sigh:


    ¡°Those who come before this Shrine to ponder the Taoist Field are either disciples of the Five Elements Sect, have a deep connection with the Five Elements Sect, or perhaps, there is a fateful opportunity bestowed by the heavens.¡±


    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s all due to a fortuitous meeting.¡±


    ¡°I am the Tao Teaching Elder, so naturally I teach without discrimination.¡±


    ¡°As long as the ¡®Tao¡¯ of my Five Elements Sect can be passed down, that is enough¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a surge of solemn respect and asked directly:


    ¡°Then can you teach me the Five Elements Spirit Formation?¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder pondered for a moment, then conceded, ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°Over these hundreds of years, not to mention entering the Shrine, even the number of disciples who qualify to enter the Formation Pavilion to ponder and comprehend before the Shrine has dwindled¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no Tao to pass on¡­¡±


    ¡°If this continues, I, the Tao Teaching Elder, will truly become just a wooden or clay statue, withering here, never to see the light of day.¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder then looked at Mo Hua again and gave a nod of approval:


    ¡°You have good talent, strong Divine Sense, and a clear Taoist Heart. The inheritance of the Five Elements Sect would not be disgraced in your hands.¡±


    ¡°However, there is one thing¡­¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder said seriously, ¡°If you learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation and if the opportunity arises, you must work to make the Formation flourish.¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°If the Five Elements Sect ever faces difficulties, please offer your help to repay this karmic debt.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was solemn as he earnestly said, ¡°Definitely!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± The Tao Teaching Elder felt reassured, then asked, ¡°Have you learned the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    The Tao Teaching Elder was surprised, and with a wave of his sleeve, writing brushes and ink materialized on the Taoist Field.


    ¡°Draw them for me to see.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Mo Hua dipped the brush in ink and drew separate depictions for gold, wood, water, fire, and earth¡ªeach a representation of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    The Tao Teaching Elder¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, but he still suppressed the shock in his heart, and praised with a nod:


    ¡°Very good, not bad at all. To have learned the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Ultimate Formation so well and accurately in such a short period is truly remarkable¡­¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder then said seriously, ¡°¡­but you should also know, the Ultimate Formation is not about the category or form¡­¡±


    ¡°Learning the Formation Patterns does not mean you¡¯ve mastered the Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°To truly understand the Five Elements Spirit Formation, just knowing how to draw the Formation Patterns is far from enough¡­¡±


    Mo Hua humbly said, ¡°Junior understands, please enlighten me, Senior.¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder nodded with satisfaction, stroked his beard, ¡°You are teachable, so I will instruct you on how to truly grasp the Five Elements Spirit Formation. Listen well¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and listened intently.


    The Tao Teaching Elder spoke earnestly, slowly saying:


    ¡°The Five Elements Spirit Formation is a top-notch Formation of the Five Elements class!¡±


    ¡°The difficulty, depth, and breadth of Formation principles it involves can even compare with that of a Large Formation!¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Formation has its magnificence, while the Five Elements Spirit Formation has its profundity.¡±


    ¡°Back in the day, our Five Elements Sect rose to prominence precisely because of this Five Elements Spirit Formation. It strengthened the Five Elements to aid in slaughter, increased the efficiency of Spiritual Artifacts, and amplified the power of Spells, thus achieving the status of a top-tier Formation Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°The amplification of Spiritual Power in the Five Elements Spirit Formation hinges on understanding the nature of the Five Elements Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°The essence of this nature lies in the word ¡®strength¡¯.¡±


    ¡°The same Five Elements Spiritual Power, when enhanced through the Formation, can be amplified by ten to twenty percent, and so the might of your Spiritual Artifact, Tao Cultivation Martial Arts, or Spells will be ten to twenty percent greater¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°But how exactly should I comprehend this?¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder said, ¡°It¡¯s simple to say, but hard to do. I can only tell you the principle of the Formation; ultimately, you need to comprehend it yourself.¡±

 Chapter 623 - 535 Preaching_2

    Chapter 623: Chapter 535 Preaching_2


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The Tao Teaching Elder said, ¡°The enhancement of the Five Elements essentially lies in the variation of Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    ¡°It requires the use of Formation Patterns to decompose Spiritual Power, then reconstruct it, generate life from it, and afterwards amplify it using the principle of the Five Elements generating each other.¡±


    ¡°In this way, Spiritual Power itself will be strengthened.¡±


    ¡°By divine transformation¡­¡±


    ¡°One begets two, two begets three¡­ endlessly deriving.¡±


    ¡°This contains the Formation principle of ¡®birth¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°With ¡®birth¡¯, one naturally grows unceasingly¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The words of the Tao Teaching Elder were profound and meaningful.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow even tighter, clearly unable to understand for the moment.


    The Tao Teaching Elder nodded slightly, ¡°Remember these words, ponder over them, and comprehend them carefully. If you understand, then try drawing the Five Elements Spirit Formation. If you integrate the Formation principle with the Formation Patterns, you will gradually understand the mysteries within¡­¡±


    ¡°Think about it well.¡±


    After the Tao Teaching Elder finished speaking, he began to meditate with closed eyes.


    Mo Hua frowned in deep thought, pondering for a long time before suddenly looking up at the Tao Teaching Elder, his gaze somewhat meaningful.


    The Tao Teaching Elder sat upright and dignified, emanating an aura of a sage.


    Mo Hua sneakily stretched out his little hand, casting a Fireball Technique that struck the Tao Teaching Elder.


    The meditating Tao Teaching Elder, caught off guard, was directly toppled over by Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique.


    The Tao Teaching Elder stood up in a rage, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was even more determined, heedless of consequences, his fingers rapidly tapping, unleashing the Fireball Technique again and again.


    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!


    One fireball after another barraged the Tao Teaching Elder.


    ¡°Stop¡­ stop it!¡±


    ¡°Ignorant child¡­¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder was infuriated and embarrassed.


    ¡°Arrogant!¡±


    ¡°Dare to¡­¡±


    ¡°Showing no respect for your teacher or the Tao, this is the utmost disrespect¡­ I will see to it that you¡­ die without a place to be buried!¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder threatened angrily.


    Mo Hua was not only fearless, but he also snorted coldly, contemptuously saying:


    ¡°What kind of trash, daring to deceive me?¡±


    ¡°Spouting nonsense right to my face?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen plenty of such tricks, minor skills of carving insects, yet you have the audacity to show off?!¡±


    The Tao Teaching Elder wanted to say something, but Mo Hua¡¯s quick and fierce Fireball Techniques kept suppressing him, leaving him unable to catch his breath.


    Soon, he was riddled with holes from the fireballs.


    His face was mutilated, his body was mutilated, his Taoist Robe was mutilated.


    But after a moment, his entire being melted into a puddle of golden liquid, eventually re-solidifying into shape, revealing his true form.


    It was not the Tao Teaching Elder.


    It was a weird-looking little ghost.


    The only thing that remained the same was the five-colored Taoist Robe they both wore.


    The five-colored Taoist Robe symbolized the Five Elements.


    This was a Little Five Elements Ghost.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost revealed its true form and glared at Mo Hua with disbelief, saying:


    ¡°How did you see through me?¡±


    In the Taoist Field, it had a natural advantage, blending its aura with the entire field¡¯s atmosphere. Other ¡°people,¡± or ghosts, Evil Gods, and even all Thought Bodies, should not have been able to see through its disguise.


    Its energy field had been responding for hundreds of years.


    It was both the Little Five Elements Ghost and the Tao Teaching Elder.


    Mo Hua snorted, ¡°Because you were talking nonsense, you don¡¯t understand the Five Element Ultimate Formation at all. If you don¡¯t understand the Five Element Ultimate Formation, how could you possibly be the Tao Teaching Elder?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, but you do? If you understand, then why come here to learn?¡±


    Mo Hua spoke calmly, ¡°I may not understand the Five Elements Spirit Formation, but I do have some knowledge of the Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    He began to criticize line by line:


    ¡°Within the Ultimate Formation, the decomposition of Spiritual Power is not called decomposition, but accurately speaking, it is called reverse decomposition.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary decomposition does not constitute an Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°But reverse decomposition signifies a completely different Ultimate Formation.¡±


    ¡°Spiritual Power reconstruction involves the Spirit Pivot, a type of Spiritual Power Control Formation, rather than a Five Elements attribute Formation.¡±


    ¡°The generation from Spiritual Power is only one of the Five Elements, the Earth Series Ultimate Formation, but it is entirely different from the Five Elements Spirit Formation. What it generates is not one¡¯s own Spiritual Power. This type of Ultimate Formation is not for strengthening Spiritual Power, but for nourishing all things¡­¡±


    ¡°Within Formation principle, ¡®strength¡¯ and ¡®birth¡¯ are different concepts. They are related, but should not be confused.¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Formation is about ¡®strength¡¯, not ¡®birth¡¯.¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Furthermore, Spiritual Power will not increase by itself.¡±


    ¡°Your understanding of ¡®one begets two, two begets three¡¯ is also wrong.¡±


    ¡°The form of Spiritual Power can change, but its essence is conserved.¡±


    ¡°The enhancement of the Five Elements does not magically produce more Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if the Five Elements Spirit Formation amplifies, it is not about becoming more or stronger by itself, but about using some external force to fortify oneself.¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua articulated eloquently, speaking incessantly.


    But the Little Five Elements Ghost was completely baffled.


    What was this little ghost talking about?


    What was reverse decomposition? What was the Spirit Pivot? What was generation?


    ¡°Strength¡± and ¡°birth¡±, how are they different again?


    The conservation of Spiritual Power, conserving what exactly?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost pondered thoroughly, then his heart sank with a ¡°thump¡±.


    It was out of its depth; it had encountered an expert¡­


    The knowledge of Ultimate Formations was indeed profound and this little ghost truly understood it!


    The Little Five Elements Ghost found it hard to believe.


    This concocted story of the lineage of the Five Elements Spirit Formation was a patchwork of things it had heard and gathered haphazardly.


    It had used this story to deceive people for many years, tricking both humans and spirits without any issue.


    Because no one truly understood the Ultimate Formation.


    Others at most did not believe or could not comprehend but dared not question it.


    But it never imagined that it would capsize its ship today.


    Just who was this Junior Formation Master, to have such a deep understanding of Ultimate Formations?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost looked at Mo Hua, shaken to the core.


    Mo Hua, however, was unwilling to waste time, and pointed towards the Little Five Elements Ghost, locking it with his Divine Sense.

 Chapter 624 - 535 Preaching_3

    Chapter 624: Chapter 535 Preaching_3


    ¡°Where is the inheritance of the Five Elements Spirit Formation?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost sneered, ¡°Arrogant! Do you think I would be afraid of you?¡±


    With a flick of Mo Hua¡¯s fingertip, a bright red fireball whooshed out.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost tried to dodge, but found itself firmly locked in by the Junior Formation Master¡¯s Divine Sense, and unless he could run faster than the Fireball Technique, there was no escaping it.


    It was hit by the Fireball Technique again.


    The Divine Sense Manifestation fireball exploded on its body, the flames scorching its flesh. Though the fire was a manifestation of Divine Thought and void of substance, the searing pain felt vivid and real.


    Time was of the essence, so Mo Hua showed no mercy.


    One Fireball Technique after another, bombarding the Little Five Elements Ghost without giving it a chance to fight back.


    It wanted to rush toward Mo Hua, but that meant facing a barrage of fireballs.


    On the rare occasions it broke free from the suppression of the fireballs, it would be bound by the Water Prison Technique.


    If it didn¡¯t close in on Mo Hua, it could only be worn down by Mo Hua¡¯s long-range fireball attacks.


    And the problem was that this Fireball Technique was wickedly effective ¨C fast, accurate, and with formidable power.


    After about a dozen exchanges, the Little Five Elements Ghost felt utterly disheartened.


    It realized that it was no match at all.


    It was just a little ghost.


    While the one it faced was a ¡°monster.¡±


    Everyone has their limits, and ghosts were no exception.


    Only the wise can recognize the situation and act accordingly, and that includes becoming a ¡°sage among ghosts.¡±


    Thus, the Little Five Elements Ghost, formerly masquerading as the Tao Teaching Elder, fell to its knees with a plop and called out:


    ¡°Young friend, spare my life!¡±


    Seeing that its voice was loud and clear, signaling it still had plenty of energy, Mo Hua didn¡¯t stop the assault, thinking to further deplete its strength.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost became anxious and hastily elevated Mo Hua in status:


    ¡°Young man, young master, little ancestor!¡±


    ¡°No more beating, please spare my life!¡±


    When Mo Hua heard ¡°little ancestor¡± come out of its mouth, he grudgingly ceased the attack and then repeated:


    ¡°Where is the inheritance of the Five Elements Spirit Formation?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hesitated unwillingly to speak.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t indulge it and sent another fireball hurtling over.


    Only then did the Little Five Elements Ghost get honest, looking uneasily at Mo Hua¡¯s expression and said:


    ¡°I¡­I really don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Mo Hua showed displeasure, a trace of cold light flickering in his eyes.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hastily said:


    ¡°Little ancestor, truly! I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been in this Taoist Field for so long, masquerading as the ¡®Tao Teaching Elder,¡¯ and you don¡¯t know anything?¡±


    Mo Hua clearly didn¡¯t believe it.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost said, ¡°I was just an ordinary ghost, living inside a broken painting, drifting all over the place. Later, I was captured by the old Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect, who suppressed my malicious spirit and threw me into this shrine to impersonate the ¡®Tao Teaching Elder¡¯ and deceive cultivators who wanted to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯ve stayed in this Taoist Field for a long time, I know very little about formations.¡±


    ¡°As for the Five Elements Spirit Formation, such a profound Ultimate Formation, I am completely ignorant.¡±


    ¡°Little ancestor, you must believe me!¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost spoke flippantly about being a common ghost residing in a broken painting, drifting around¡­


    The truth was certainly not that simple.


    Mo Hua still remembered the first Contemplation Map he saw with the Little Green-faced Ghost in it.


    That ghost¡¯s lingering memories included transforming from a person to a ghost, then going around misleading cultivators and devouring their Divine Sense.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost was probably not much different.


    It definitely hadn¡¯t been short on bad deeds!


    But the immediate priority was the Five Elements Spirit Formation. Other matters could be settled later.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew serious.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s demeanor became even more cringing.


    It didn¡¯t seem to be lying.


    And what it said made sense.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation, a top-tier Ultimate Formation with Thirteen Stripes, would be inscrutable without the right methods. Even if this little ghost spent centuries pondering the formation, it would still be clueless¡­


    But if it didn¡¯t know, then where was the inheritance of the Five Elements Spirit Formation hidden?


    Mo Hua looked around, his gaze shifting, then suddenly asked:


    ¡°Was this Taoist Field like this when you came here?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost nodded.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, ¡°Were there also Tao Teaching Elders?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost shook his head, ¡°No, there weren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So, when you impersonated a Tao Teaching Elder, the spot you took, there was originally no one there?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost felt a tremor in his heart and nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua then slowly walked to the center of the Taoist Field and discovered a meditation mat on the ground, and the Little Five Elements Ghost had impersonated a Tao Teaching Elder, sitting right there on that ¡°meditation mat.¡±


    Another meditation mat!


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted as he slowly approached, examining it for a moment, he found this meditation mat was almost identical to the one outside the shrine.


    The Tao Teaching meditation mat!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone with a hint of brightness as he sat down on the meditation mat, and then he looked straight ahead, feeling a sudden clarity before him.


    Everything within the entire shrine came clearly into view.


    He could even see his Junior Brother and Junior Sister outside the shrine.


    The Junior Brother appeared bored and slightly worried.


    The Junior Sister was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees, silently staring at the ¡°herself¡± whose Divine Thought had exited the body, leaving only her physical form lying flat on the ground.


    Beyond that, Mo Hua could also see the meditation mat outside the shrine.


    No, to be precise, the location of the meditation mat.


    Between reality and illusion, each position of the meditation mat was inscribed with a Formation.


    This was the Five Elements Spirit Formation, more complete and meticulous in Formation Patterns.


    Some differed from the Formation Patterns he had already obtained.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then understood.


    It seemed that this impostor ¡°Tao Teaching Elder¡± had also tampered with the Formation Patterns, the ones learned from observing the shrine, compared to the true Five Elements Formation Patterns, were erroneous.


    The purpose was still to prevent others from learning the true Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Mo Hua immediately compared the Formation Patterns in his mind with those he saw now, then, applying a slight Calculation with his Divine Sense, arrived at the true Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    But that still wasn¡¯t enough¡­


    The Formation Patterns were still just a form.


    To paint the dragon, the eyes must be dotted.


    Mo Hua lacked just that final brushstroke to truly comprehend the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    But what was that brushstroke, exactly?


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Tao Teaching¡­ meditation mat¡­


    Manifesting Formation¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed, and he immediately manifested a complete Five Elements Spirit Formation on the Array Plate in the center of the Taoist Field.


    He wanted to discern some clues from it.


    As he finished manifesting the true Five Elements Spirit Formation¡¯s Formation Patterns, the meditation mat on which he sat suddenly emitted a faint Divine Thought.


    This Divine Thought was without master or awareness, like a blank, pure Thought Body.


    This Divine Thought slowly flowed into the Array Plate, merging with the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Above the Five Elements Spirit Formation, five-colored lights suddenly burst forth, dazzlingly bright.


    Mo Hua was startled.


    What did this mean?


    Was this Divine Thought telling him something?


    Or maybe, was it demonstrating something to him?


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua suddenly looked up at the Little Five Elements Ghost and asked urgently:


    ¡°Where did you hear those words about the Ultimate Formation?¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua deep in thought, the Little Five Elements Ghost tried to slip away, but then Mo Hua asked him this question.


    Not daring to show any peculiarity, it replied:


    ¡°From many people¡­¡±


    ¡°Who all?¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect, Elders, some Disciples chatting idly, and other, qualified Cultivators and Formation Masters who came to learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost counted them off one by one.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Was there any phrase that came from the mouth of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s past Sect Leader or an Elder?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost frowned in thought for a while, then suddenly said, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost paused, his expression became sober, and he slowly said:


    ¡°This phrase came from the lips of an Elder of the Five Elements Sect, the oldest and most obscure one¡­¡±


    ¡°He, when alone facing the shrine, once said these words slowly:¡±


    ¡°Divine Sense¡­ becomes the Tao!¡±

 Chapter 625 - 536: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao_1

    Chapter 625: Chapter 536: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao_1


    Divine Sense Becomes the Dao?!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled as he asked, ¡°Divine Sense Becomes the Dao, what does that mean?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost pulled at the corner of his mouth, offering a bitter smile, ¡°How would I know that?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned unfriendly.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost quickly explained, ¡°I really don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not a Tao Teaching Elder, and I don¡¯t understand Formations. Asking me about this, aren¡¯t you just making it difficult for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, these words¡­I¡¯ve only heard them mentioned¡­¡±


    Mo Hua inquired, ¡°Which Elder spoke these words?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know that either. He¡¯s very old, his face all wrinkles, his Blood Qi constantly in decline, hardly able to open his eyes. I¡¯ve never seen him on normal days.¡±


    ¡°But the old Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect, as well as a crowd of Elders, treat him with great respect, obviously due to his seniority.¡±


    Obviously due to his seniority¡­


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    Someone with such seniority might know the mystery of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Mo Hua turned his head again to look at the Taoist Field.


    In the center of the Taoist Field, the Five Elements Spirit Formation shone brilliantly.


    The scene from just moments before came back to Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    He had manifested the Five Elements Spirit Formation, but the Formation Patterns were dim.


    The formless, unintentional Divine Sense, flowing from atop the meditation cushion into the Five Elements Spirit Formation in the Taoist Field, caused the Five Elements Spirit Formation to light up¡­


    A manifested Formation lighting up signifies the Formation taking effect.


    This was identical to what was inside the Taoist Stele.


    On the Taoist Stele, when the Formation Patterns light up, it signifies the successful activation of the Formation.


    Mo Hua propped his chin up, quietly pondering¡­


    Divine Sense infused into the Five Elements Spirit Formation, the Patterns lit up¡­


    This appeared to be a demonstration.


    It was also the last link in the inheritance.


    The five meditation cushions outside the Shrine taught the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    The sixth ¡°cushion,¡± which only had a position, opened the door to the Shrine.


    Inside the Shrine, atop the Taoist Field, this meditation cushion¡ªthe seventh cushion¡ªrevealed the mystery of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Divine Sense Becomes the Dao¡­


    Conservation of Spiritual Power¡­


    From one, two arises; from two, three springs forth¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, and he suddenly enlightened.


    Spiritual Power is conserved; the amount of Circulation Spiritual Power condenses an equal amount of Spells.


    And the power of the Five Elements can amplify the might of Spells. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Spiritual Power itself does not increase or grow stronger. From where then does this amplified portion of Spell might come?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    It was Divine Sense.


    The old Elders of the Five Elements Sect had mentioned about Divine Sense Becomes the Dao, meaning to integrate Divine Sense into Taoist Skill, merging it with Spiritual Power.


    Only by doing this could one enhance the power of the Five Elements without changing the amount of Spiritual Power.


    But Drawing Formation requires the expenditure of Divine Sense¡­


    What was the difference between the two?


    Mo Hua recalled once again the image of Divine Thoughts merging into the Spirit Formation from atop the cushion, and his understanding gradually deepened.


    Typically, when Drawing Formation, the Divine Sense consumed isn¡¯t used within the Formation itself, but rather seems to be¡­


    Required to comprehend the Great Dao, to connect with the obscure Taoist Meaning of the cosmos, expending mental effort just to draw out the Patterns.


    This type of Divine Sense is the depletion of contemplation.


    But the Five Elements Spirit Formation is different.


    Apart from the Divine Sense consumed by the Formation itself, one must also infuse an additional part of Divine Sense into the Formation, merging it with Spiritual Power.


    In such a situation, the power of Divine Thoughts and Spiritual Power converge toward the same path, both considered a form of Tao Cultivation power.


    Divine Sense Becomes the Dao.


    Only by uniting Divine Sense with Spiritual Power can one draw out the true Five Elements Spirit Formation!


    But precisely because of this, the Ultimate Formation required significantly more Divine Sense than just the Thirteen Stripes.


    The Thirteen Stripes worth of Divine Sense represented merely the threshold for understanding the Patterns.


    But while Drawing the Patterns, one must also divide some Divine Sense and merge it into the Formation, amplifying the Spiritual Power, activating the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    As a result, this intensified the consumption of Divine Sense.


    On the surface, the Five Elements Spirit Formation may seem like a Thirteen Stripes Ultimate Formation, but it demands substantially more Divine Sense than the average Thirteen Stripes Formation.


    Mo Hua was somewhat speechless.


    No wonder, this Ultimate Formation was almost lost to time.


    Not only is it difficult, but the inheritance process is so troublesome.


    Even more outrageous is that for a first-grade Thirteen Stripes, this level of Divine Sense requirement, high enough as it was, turned out to be effectively ¡°undervalued.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    At this juncture, there was no point in fretting over these.


    The current question was, how exactly to merge Divine Sense with Spiritual Power?


    It was not enough to merely think for oneself; Mo Hua decided to try it out following the demonstration taught by the meditation cushion.


    He sat on the cushion and tried again to draw the Gold Spirit Formation on the Array Plate in the Taoist Field.


    As he drew, he also separated a part of his Divine Sense to merge with the Patterns.


    He had only drawn a few strokes before he failed.


    Divine Sense had to comprehend the Formation while merging into the Patterns, a task of divided focus that proved quite difficult.


    Mo Hua tried a few more times.


    After several attempts, Mo Hua gradually understood the knack.


    He realized that this was also a method of Divine Sense application:


    ¡°Dual-minded, Diverting Divine Sense.¡±


    One had to be distracted yet merged at the same time, a high demand for Divine Sense.


    However, with the cultivation technique of Heaven Yan Jue as his foundation and having comprehended the Spiritual Pivot Formation, both complementing each other, Mo Hua¡¯s control over Divine Sense and his manipulation of Spiritual Power had reached a highly nuanced level.


    Managing Divine Sense was not an issue.


    Knowing the method, after several more tries, it wasn¡¯t too difficult.


    As Mo Hua continued drawing, he couldn¡¯t help but frown:


    To learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation, one needs a strong Divine Sense, must perform Divine Sense Calculation, learn Heaven Yan Jue, comprehend Spiritual Pivot Formation, and also clearly grasp the Formation principle of the Ultimate Formation¡­


    All of these, he coincidentally knew.


    Was it a coincidence, or was it a deliberate arrangement by his master?


    Mo Hua became increasingly grateful for Mr. Zhuang¡¯s painstaking care and silently declared in his heart:


    ¡°Since it¡¯s like this, I must learn the Five Elements Spirit Formation thoroughly and not let my master down!¡±


    Mo Hua focused his spirit and whole-heartedly drew the Gold Spirit Formation.


    The drawing was somewhat strenuous.


    The consumption of Divine Sense also gradually intensified.

 Chapter 626 - 536: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao_2

    Chapter 626: Chapter 536: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao_2


    But his Divine Sense was at the peak of Thirteen Stripes.


    Though not quite reaching Fourteen Stripes, it was still a lot stronger than Thirteen Stripes.


    If his deduction was correct, with his Divine Sense, he should be able to draw a single Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­


    Time passed, and finally, when his Divine Sense was about to run out, Mo Hua stopped his brush and took a long sigh of relief.


    In front of him was a complete Gold Spirit Formation.


    And above the Formation, the golden light shone brilliantly!


    The ethereal Divine Sense fused with the manifested Spiritual Power, flowing like liquid gold between the Formation Patterns.


    This was the enhanced Golden Series Spiritual Power. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was the true Enhanced Power of Five Elements.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, a clear smile brimming on his face.


    Standing beside him, the Little Five Elements Ghost showed an astonished look, which quickly turned into pupil-shaking shock.


    What is this?


    A Golden Spirit Ultimate Formation?!


    How did this junior cultivator manage to draw it out?


    When did he become capable of doing this?


    When he just came in, wasn¡¯t he still completely clueless?


    After sitting for a while on the cushion and studying the Array Plate, he learned the Ultimate Formation in the time it took to drink a cup of tea?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost found this unbelievable.


    After all, it had sat on this cushion for hundreds of years and stared at this Array Plate for equally long without learning a thing¡­


    And this junior cultivator learned it just by sitting down?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost stared blankly, lost in thought, thinking to itself:


    ¡°I¡¯ve been pretending to be a Tao Teaching Elder for so long, I¡¯ve seen so many Formation Masters, but I¡¯ve never seen such an evil monster with a monstrous aptitude¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this junior cultivator really human?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was shocked inside, and suddenly a sense of alarm surged.


    It raised its head and saw that Mo Hua was watching it, and his gaze carried clear malice¡­


    Like¡­ looking at five-colored pastries?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost couldn¡¯t help but shiver, its voice trembling:


    ¡°What¡­ what are you going to do?!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was somewhat cold, as he pondered how to deal with this Little Five Elements Ghost¡­


    Logically, it should be killed.


    These ghostly and monstrous thoughts, although seemingly harmless on the surface, belong to a sly and different kind, with inherently other intentions.


    His Divine Thought was strong and adept at slaughter, which was why this Little Five Elements Ghost appeared so cowering.


    If his Divine Thought had been weak, at best it would have deceived him under the guise of a Tao Teaching Elder, playing tricks and toying with him, or at worst, it would have revealed its true form and swallowed him whole.


    Moreover, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was still not strong enough.


    Such evil Thought Bodies, he should ¡°eat¡± as many as he could¡­


    Looking at the Little Five Elements Ghost, Mo Hua was like a cat eyeing a mouse, his gaze growing brighter¡­


    A shadow loomed over the Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s heart.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost barked fiercely, ¡°You can¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve helped you!¡±


    ¡°What have you helped me with?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s mind raced, and it quickly said, ¡°I taught you the Five Elements Spirit Formation!¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t understand Formations and couldn¡¯t do the Five Elements Spirit Formation? If you can¡¯t do it yourself, how can you teach me?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was at a loss for words, but then quickly retorted:


    ¡°Without me, you wouldn¡¯t have known about ¡®Divine Sense Becomes the Dao¡¯ and wouldn¡¯t have been able to comprehend the Five Element Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua paused, thought for a moment, and felt that made some sense.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost had indirectly helped him¡­


    He was about to say something else.


    But the Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s expression suddenly turned fierce, its mouth revealing sharp fangs as it pounced toward Mo Hua, aiming to bite his neck.


    Its movement technique was very fast, getting close to Mo Hua in an instant. Then, with great joy and greed in its eyes, it opened its mouth wide to bite fiercely.


    In matters of life and death, it couldn¡¯t care less about words.


    It couldn¡¯t leave its life and death to the mercy of others.


    So it struck first.


    From the previous combat, it felt it had seen through Mo Hua¡¯s moves¡ªmanifestation of Divine Thought, mastery of spells, and throughout the fight, always keeping the distance.


    If so, he must be skilled in long-range spells but weaker in close-quarter combat.


    As long as it got the chance to get in close and land a bite, just one bite, the poison of the Five Elements would enter the body, and this junior would have no place to be buried!


    The Little Five Elements Ghost got its wish, getting close to Mo Hua, beneath its sinister fangs lay Mo Hua¡¯s tender neck.


    It bit down ferociously!


    The very next instant, it instead felt a painful clack as its upper and lower teeth snapped together.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s jaw numbed, a chill rising from within.


    It bit the air¡­


    And when it looked up,


    somehow, Mo Hua had already drifted away like a fish, serenely resting afar, his expression composed and calm, yet with a hint of regret,


    ¡°I just found some excuses to spare your life, yet you sought your own death¡­¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s eyes revealed fear and confusion.


    What happened?


    How did this junior escape?


    It didn¡¯t have time to ponder and lunged at Mo Hua once more.


    But with a hollow grip of his left hand, Mo Hua formed the Water Prison Technique, and with a point of his right, the Fireball Technique materialized.


    In an instant, the Little Five Elements Ghost was frozen in place by the Water Prison Technique, subject to a relentless bombardment of fireballs¡­


    Its body burningly painful, its heart bitter.


    Why was it so unlucky to have encountered this little disaster star!


    Watching its form begin to fade, it quickly pled for mercy again:


    ¡°Little ancestor, I was wrong!¡±


    Mo Hua ignored it, gave no ear to explanations, and continued the indiscriminate barrage of fireballs.


    Seeing that it was getting desperate, the Little Five Elements Ghost gritted its teeth and said:


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, I¡¯ll tell you a secret!¡±


    Mo Hua stopped attacking, unable to resist asking, ¡°A real secret or a fake one?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost clutched at this lifeline and quickly replied:


    ¡°A real one!¡±


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it first.¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hesitated, its eyelids twitching, then said:


    ¡°If I tell you, will you let me go?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression cooled, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost sneered, just about to speak in scorn when it saw Mo Hua¡¯s imposing stance¡ªthe gesture of condensing spells suggested that if it didn¡¯t reveal the secret, he would show no hesitation in dispatching it to the heavens.

 Chapter 627 - 536: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao_3

    Chapter 627: Chapter 536: Divine Sense Becomes the Dao_3


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was startled and quickly said, ¡°I dare not, I dare not!¡±


    It grumbled in its heart.


    This little ancestor, how could he neither be soft nor hard, and not make any sense?


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression cleared slightly and said,


    ¡°You speak first, I will listen and then consider whether to let you go.¡±


    ¡°Under the eaves, people must bow their heads.¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hesitated, sighed, and had no choice but to say,


    ¡°This secret, I discovered it by myself, over the centuries, in secret¡­¡±


    It glanced at Mo Hua, pointed to the surroundings where Formation Master Wooden Carvings were gathered, Formation Patterns were everywhere, and the Array Plate was expansive, a strict Taoist Field, and said solemnly,


    ¡°This Taoist Field, it¡¯s actually a fake Taoist Field¡­¡±


    ¡°Hidden within the Shrine, there¡¯s another¡­ a real Taoist Field!¡±


    A real Taoist Field?


    Mo Hua clearly didn¡¯t believe it and was about to continue to torment the little ghost with charcoal.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost immediately swore and promised,


    ¡°Really, if I speak untruths, may my soul vanish, my spirit disperse, and may I die without a burial place!¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    To make such a harsh vow?


    He thought for a moment and nodded slightly, ¡°Tell me carefully.¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost breathed a sigh of relief and then said,


    ¡°This Shrine might seem simple, but it is actually a dwelling of the divine, a repository for Divine Thought, only accessible by Great cultivators with high realms and profound Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°How could such a refined Shrine simply be used to teach an Ultimate Formation?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost whispered,


    ¡°For the years I¡¯ve been trapped in the Shrine, guarding the Taoist Field, I¡¯ve seen many Five Elements Sect¡¯s cultivators, heard many secrets of the Five Elements Sect, and alone in the Shrine, I¡¯ve managed to find that there are two different Taoist Fields within the Shrine¡­¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost pointed to the ground, ¡°This Taoist Field we see now is a ¡®Skill Transmission¡¯ Taoist Field, which transmits the Five Elements Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another Taoist Field¡­¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°The real ¡®Heritage¡¯ Taoist Field.¡±


    ¡°Within the Heritage Taoist Field, there lies the Five Elements Sect¡¯s real inheritance, never shown to others!¡±


    Having said that, the Little Five Elements Ghost sneakily glanced at Mo Hua.


    It thought that after saying this, Mo Hua would be overjoyed, excited, greedy, or at least curious¡­


    But Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained calm as water.


    He countered, ¡°What is the Five Elements Sect¡¯s real inheritance?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hesitated and shook its head.


    ¡°Have you been to the real Heritage Taoist Field?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost shook its head again.


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°You say this inheritance has never been shown to ¡®people¡¯, so how do you know about it?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a ¡®ghost¡¯?¡±


    That joke was cold.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost couldn¡¯t laugh and simply shook its head.


    ¡°Good!¡± Mo Hua nodded, his gaze turning dangerous, ¡°To save your life, you weave tales, stall for time, and you want to keep deceiving me!¡±


    The Five Elements Sect having the Five Elements Spirit Formation was already quite impressive.


    Beyond that, what could there be of this so-called ¡°real inheritance¡±?


    Not even his master had ever mentioned it.


    How would this little ghost know about it?


    Even if, in a remote chance, there was such an inheritance, this Five Elements little ghost, who knows nothing of formations, would not be able to distinguish it.


    It has been sitting on this Taoist Field¡¯s meditation cushion for centuries.


    It has seen the ¡°Divine Sense Becomes the Dao¡± demonstration in the Five Elements Spirit Formation countless times, and still, it¡¯s blind to the process, knowing nothing.


    With such a standard, how could it be aware of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s ¡°real inheritance¡±?


    I¡¯m afraid that even if the inheritance were placed right in front of it, it would be as blind as a bat, as if reading a heavenly script, knowing nothing.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost, all mouth, and no truth, is useless to keep around.


    Murderous intent appeared in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    Seeing the look in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, the Little Five Elements Ghost was greatly alarmed and finally revealed its trump card:


    ¡°It¡¯s true, I know the entrance!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze hardened, ¡°The entrance to the real Heritage Taoist Field?¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hurriedly nodded.


    Mo Hua was non-committal, simply saying,


    ¡°Show it to me.¡±


    After a lot of hesitation, the Little Five Elements Ghost finally said helplessly,


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    It walked into the Taoist Field, to the area above the Field, approached the meditation cushion, and then with a slight sigh, picked up the cushion, flipped it over, and laid it back in its place.


    ¡°Flip over the meditation cushion and sit on it again, and you¡¯ll see the real Heritage Taoist Field!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost might be telling the truth¡­


    Transmission through the meditation cushion, one side for teaching, one for inheriting.


    One for Skill Transmission, one for Heritage.


    On the surface, it was just an ordinary Shrine, simply another Taoist Field, but within the meditation cushion, it contained its own universe.


    Such ingenious planning, truly exquisite and unparalleled¡­


    Mo Hua glanced again at the Little Five Elements Ghost, still keeping his guard up.


    The Taoist Field might be real, but he still couldn¡¯t be at ease about this little ghost.


    But time was running out¡­


    Although Mo Hua had not calculated exactly, he knew that it had been almost four hours since he entered the Shrine Taoist Field.


    Once the time was up, he would have to leave.


    Once he left, he feared he would never be able to enter the Formation Pavilion of the Five Elements Sect again.


    Mo Hua really wanted to know whether the Five Elements Sect actually had this Heritage Taoist Field¡­


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ just take a look?¡±


    Mo Hua stepped forward, drawing closer to the meditation cushion, but still hesitating.


    Just at that moment, a sudden change occurred.


    A staggering aura erupted around him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened, and from the corner of his eye, he saw the Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s expression change, no longer timid but cold and ferocious.


    Its body burst with brilliant five-colored light.


    At the same time, its sharp claws lunged straight for Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Had this Little Five Elements Ghost been hiding its true strength?


    Mo Hua frowned, but remained fearless in the face of danger, executing the Water Passing Step. In a critically close moment, he dodged the Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s lethal claw.


    But as he retreated and dodged, one foot could not help but step onto the meditation cushion.


    The cushion suddenly exerted a strong suction force, dragging at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua felt as if the world was turning upside down, the scenery blurred and shifting, and then he fell into a void¡­


    His figure also completely vanished from the Skill Transmission Taoist Field.


    The Taoist Field was empty and silent.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost laughed triumphantly:


    ¡°Good!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡±


    ¡°All my acting and enduring in silence has not been in vain!¡±


    It glanced at the spot on the cushion where Mo Hua had just disappeared, sneering:


    ¡°No matter how clever and crafty you are, you will be trapped to death in this Shrine Taoist Field, never able to free yourself!¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost then rejoiced wildly:


    ¡°After centuries, I¡¯m finally going to escape to freedom!¡±


    At that moment, the incense had burned down.


    The four hours were up.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost hesitated no longer, turning into an escape light, fleeing from the Shrine¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, at this very moment, Mr. Zhuang, who was sitting on the third floor drinking tea for rejuvenation, suddenly opened his eyes.


    The Chief Elder rose to his feet, smiling composedly:


    ¡°The hour has come; it¡¯s time for me to invite the senior¡¯s disciples out. I wonder how well they have learned¡­¡±


    But Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡±


    The smile on the Chief Elder¡¯s face gradually faded. ¡°Senior, what do you mean by that?¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± Mr. Zhuang replied indifferently. ¡°This tea is quite delightful. Join me for a little while longer.¡±


    The Chief Elder, slightly angry yet hiding it with a smile, said:


    ¡°Senior, you¡¯ve already been drinking for four hours. Even if the tea is excellent, surely you¡¯ve had enough?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough, but I have a Taoist friend who hasn¡¯t,¡± said Mr. Zhuang with a slight smile.


    ¡°A Taoist friend?¡±


    The Chief Elder was taken aback. Then, shifting his gaze, he noticed that the seat to his right, which had been empty, was now occupied by a dour and wooden-looking old man.


    This person was Old Kui.


    The Chief Elder exclaimed indignantly, ¡°Mr. Zhuang¡­¡±


    But before he could finish, he saw Old Kui lift his head and give him a glance.


    That look pierced through to his soul, sending a shiver down his spine, as if he¡¯d been cast into an icy pit.


    The Chief Elder staggered a few steps before steadying himself and quickly changed his tone to a polite and mild manner:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang, please, as you wish, there¡¯s no rush, no rush at all¡­¡±


    After speaking, the Chief Elder wiped the cold sweat from his brow, still feeling alarm.


    He wanted to take another look at Old Kui but didn¡¯t dare; fear swelled within him.


    What level of Cultivation did this old man possess¡­


    The Chief Elder was terrified internally but dared not say anything else.


    But fortunately, the incense had already burned out, the Shrine was closed, and the Dao could not be manifested.


    Those little ghosts, although they stayed inside, wouldn¡¯t be able to learn much.


    It didn¡¯t matter much if they stayed a bit longer¡­


    The Chief Elder breathed a sigh of relief, consoling himself.


    Mr. Zhuang remained calm on the surface, but his heart stirred, and he began forming gestures beneath his sleeve. After a moment, his eyes widened in surprise.


    His young disciple seemed to have discovered something extraordinary¡­


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment, his expression growing serious.


    What secrets did the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect still hold back¡­

 Chapter 628 - 537 Formation Flow_1

    Chapter 628: Chapter 537 Formation Flow_1


    ¡°`


    Formation Pavilion, before the Shrine.


    The incense had burnt out, leaving only ashes behind.


    Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng stood guard over Mo Hua¡¯s body during ¡°Divine Thought¡¯s departure,¡± their faces filled with worry.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up, why hasn¡¯t Mo Hua awakened?¡± Bai Zisheng expressed his concern.


    Bai Zixi frowned as well.


    Just then, ¡°Mo Hua¡± murmured something and opened his eyes.


    Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng¡¯s expressions brightened with joy.


    Bai Zixi softly asked, ¡°Are you okay¡­?¡±


    The gaze of ¡°Mo Hua¡± held a moment of confusion, then slowly cleared up as he sat up and nodded with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    At the sight of ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s¡± smile, Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze turned cold, and instantly she brought her hand down like a knife on the back of ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s¡± head, knocking him unconscious.


    Bai Zisheng was shocked. ¡°Zixi! Why did you strike Mo Hua?¡±


    Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°Something¡¯s off about him.¡±


    ¡°Off?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was taken aback, then looked closely at Mo Hua, his brow furrowing as he too noticed something amiss.


    ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s¡± aura had changed¡­


    His face no longer looked as adorable as before.


    The smile just now felt somewhat out of place.


    This wasn¡¯t his junior brother.


    Bai Zisheng then remembered something Mo Hua had instructed long ago:


    ¡°If you find anything wrong with me, knock me out immediately!¡±


    Bai Zisheng slightly nodded, puzzled, ¡°An evil spirit has invaded his Sea of Consciousness?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­¡±


    ¡°But that can¡¯t be right¡­ how could there be an evil spirit inside the Shrine?¡±


    Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°What about Mo Hua then?¡±


    Bai Zixi turned her head, staring at the Shrine, her eyes like glimmering glass, deep and inscrutable.


    Bai Zisheng opened his mouth, ¡°He can¡¯t still be inside, can he¡­?¡±


    He was getting anxious, ¡°The incense is gone, the Shrine is sealed, how will our junior brother¡­ get out?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Bai Zisheng pondered with a furrowed brow, ¡°we should find the Chief Elder, have him light another stick of incense, open the Shrine, and let junior brother out?¡±


    Bai Zixi slowly shook her head, ¡°No.¡±


    The Shrine was connected to the core heritage of the Five Elements Sect, the Chief Elder definitely wouldn¡¯t agree.


    Junior brother must have discovered some secret of the Shrine¡­


    Otherwise, with his cleverness, he shouldn¡¯t be unable to come out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer,¡± Bai Zixi said calmly.


    Bai Zisheng was still worried, ¡°But the time is already up¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes narrowed, her thoughts racing, ¡°The time is up, but the Chief Elder hasn¡¯t come, which must mean Master has foreseen some complication and kept the Chief Elder detained.¡±


    ¡°Master is buying time for junior brother.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait here, make sure junior brother is safe until he comes out¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s voice was clear yet cold.


    Bai Zisheng, who always listened to his sister and knew she was smarter than him, readily nodded in agreement.


    ¡­


    Inside Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was jumping up and down in fury.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°How was I detected?¡±


    But having only said two words and smiled, it was seen through and promptly knocked unconscious¡­


    Why?


    Why did the girl recognize at a glance that he was an imposter?


    Even as fellow Sect disciples, living side by side, it shouldn¡¯t have been possible to notice at first sight¡­


    Something was fishy¡­


    The Little Five Elements Ghost felt apprehensive.


    This Sect, from top to bottom, from junior brother to senior sister, was indeed extraordinary; not only were they talented and quick-witted, but their minds were sharp and clear as well.


    If this continued, it would be unable to escape¡­


    It hadn¡¯t planned on occupying Mo Hua¡¯s body forever, for that was simply impossible.


    The junior brother¡¯s master was a fearsome entity.


    Its own guise would be instantly seen through.


    It only wanted to borrow Mo Hua¡¯s body to escape from the Shrine and the Formation Pavilion.


    But it never expected to be exposed not by the junior brother¡¯s master but by his junior sister instead.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was confused.


    It had impersonated a Tao Teaching Elder, yet this junior cultivator saw through it.


    It had impersonated the junior cultivator, yet his senior sister saw through it.


    Was its acting really that bad?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost furrowed its brows, anxiety filling its heart.


    Now it was in a difficult position.


    Trapped inside Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Unable to leave if it wanted to, and certainly unable to stay.


    It didn¡¯t believe it could truly deceive everyone.


    It still needed to find a way to leave¡­


    The Little Five Elements Ghost sat cross-legged, surveying its surroundings again, and couldn¡¯t help but marvel:


    ¡°This junior brother¡¯s Sea of Consciousness is truly a blessed paradise ¨C vast, resilient, with a pure and profound aura. Even though Divine Sense has departed, the remnant Divine Sense is exceptionally pure and profound¡­¡±


    ¡°This is not a Qi Refinement cultivator¡¯s Sea of Consciousness¡­ It¡¯s comparable to, no, even surpasses an ordinary Foundation Establishment¡­¡±


    ¡°He really is an evil monster¡­¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost shook its head.


    Suddenly its expression changed.


    No, something¡¯s not right! S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This Sea of Consciousness feels off!


    It sniffed the air, its pupils dilating in shock.


    The aura of the Great Dao!


    This was¡­ an aura closer to the source than the Five Elements Qi!


    There was something ancient and terrifying hidden within this junior brother¡¯s Sea of Consciousness!


    Greed flashed across the eyes of the Little Ghost, but that was soon replaced by deep fear.


    It had lived in the Shrine for hundreds of years, witnessed the evolutions of formations countless times, and had a faint premonition about the Heavenly secret.


    The current premonition made it inexplicably tremble with fear.


    As if staying any longer, by midnight when something ¡°awakens,¡± that ancient and powerful aura of the Great Dao would grind it down, bit by bit, into dust, erasing it completely, never to transcend to the afterlife!


    The Little Five Elements Ghost quivered, its limbs going weak.


    ¡°I¡¯m done for, I¡¯m going to die!¡±


    ¡°I need to think of a way to escape quickly!¡±

 Chapter 629 - 537 Formation Flow_2

    Chapter 629: Chapter 537 Formation Flow_2


    ¡°`


    ¡°If I don¡¯t run¡­ it¡¯s over¡­¡±


    Though this was an opportunity, it was clearly not meant for me.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost forced itself to calm down.


    It¡¯s all right¡­


    There¡¯s still time¡­


    Later on, as I control the little cultivator¡¯s body, as long as I can move, I¡¯ll immediately run out. Running out of the Formation Pavilion, I¡¯ll find any cultivator from the Five Elements Sect to possess, completely breaking free from this terrifying Sea of Consciousness.


    Once I¡¯m out, the sky is the limit.


    Not confined to the shrine and able to feed on the Divine Thoughts of cultivators, I¡¯ll live a free and easy life.


    And as long as I feed enough, my Divine Thoughts strong and capable of digesting the Five Elements Qi, one day I will also achieve enlightenment.


    I might even ascend to the station of a Heavenly Demon, the stage of an Evil God¡­


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s mood stabilized, its eyes brimming with ambition.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, at this very moment, inside the Shrine, within the true Taoist Field.


    The world upside down, with everything in reverse.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes and recovered his Divine Sense.


    The Taoist Field before him was the same, yet everything was different.


    The surrounding wood carving Formation Masters, seemingly like living people, were mechanically, meticulously following some rules, constantly Drawing Formations and Formation Patterns.


    All the decorations within the Shrine¡ªSpirit Beasts, chariots, precious Flowers and Herbs, carved beams and painted rafters, all kinds of Magical Treasures¡­


    All had shed their outer forms, revealing the Formations within.


    The appearance of all things concealed Formations within.


    Everything was false, only the Formation was true.


    Mo Hua felt both shocked and perplexed:


    ¡°Is this the Heritage Taoist Field of the Five Elements Sect?¡±


    Was that Little Five Elements Ghost deceiving me?


    There is indeed a Taoist Field, but does it truly contain the real heritage of the Five Elements Sect?


    What is the true heritage of the Five Elements Sect?


    A Formation even rarer than the Five Elements Ultimate Formation?


    That shouldn¡¯t be the case¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat baffled.


    And that Little Five Elements Ghost, it tricked me into coming here, trapped me in this place, did it want to escape the Shrine?


    How can I get out?


    It seems there¡¯s no exit around the Taoist Field.


    Four hours should be up by now, I wonder what¡¯s happening outside the Shrine¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts were abundant, but after a moment, he shook his head and calmed his mind.


    Worrying about these things is useless now.


    Since I¡¯m here, I might as well make the best of it.


    I need to figure out the true situation of this Taoist Field first.


    Mo Hua began to extend his Divine Sense, carefully observing the Taoist Field, trying to see if this was truly a ¡°Heritage¡± Taoist Field and if it really contained the true heritage of the Five Elements Sect¡­


    After some investigation, Mo Hua pondered:


    First, there was not a single person within this Heritage Taoist Field.


    Or rather, not a single ¡°living¡± Divine Thought, Divine Sense, or even a shadowy ghost.


    The surrounding wood carving Formation Masters, although like living people, were incessantly Drawing Formations. Yet they were still just wood carvings, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, they were more like puppets.


    The Formations they Drew were diverse, but they were all Five-elements Formation Methods.


    The Drawn Formation Patterns were rigid and meticulous.


    Mo Hua stared at them for a moment, his eyes filled with confusion:


    ¡°Rather than saying they¡¯re Drawing Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to say they¡¯re recording Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Painstakingly recording the process of Forming Formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked again at the Formation Patterns they Draw, his expression even more puzzled.


    These Formation Patterns, though they fell under the category of Five Elements, were different from the standard Patterns and seemed to have been specially processed, gradually evolving until they were summarized and concluded¡­


    Aside from the Formations Drawn by the wood carving Formation Masters, everything in the entire Taoist Field, including the large Array Plate in the center, encompassed this kind of special Formation.


    It was this ¡°summarizing¡± type of Formation Pattern.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    What kind of Formation was this?


    Or, perhaps the Formation itself was not the key point, and the method of ¡°summarizing¡± was the essence?


    Mo Hua scrutinized it again in great detail, one by one.


    When he did, he was taken aback.


    He found many Formations here that he couldn¡¯t understand at all.


    Because these Formations were not First-grade Formations!


    They were Second Grade, Third Grade, and even above Third Grade!


    These Formations contained Patterns that were more complex, with more robust strokes and more obscure techniques, and the number of Patterns was much greater than in the First-grade Formations.


    Following along with just a few glances and a bit of contemplation, Mo Hua felt as if his Divine Sense was pouring out like water.


    Mo Hua internally braced himself, swiftly safeguarding his mind, reminding himself:


    ¡°Do not reach beyond your grasp, do not reach beyond your grasp¡­¡±


    Once his thoughts settled and his Divine Sense replenished, Mo Hua continued his observation, but this time with self-awareness, focusing solely on the First-grade Formations.


    Mo Hua was thoroughly familiar with the First-grade Five Elements Formations.


    His understanding of the principles of Five Elements Formation was also profound.


    Therefore, it was not difficult for him to observe.


    Mo Hua compared the Five Elements Formations he had mastered, his own understandings of the Five Elements Formation principles, with the special, variant Five Elements Formations within the Taoist Field, scrutinizing them closely.


    Again and again, he observed the techniques used by the wood carving Formation Masters in Drawing Formations¡­


    Delving into the extensions of the same Formations and the evolution of the Patterns¡­


    After an unknown amount of time, Mo Hua suddenly started, then had an epiphany, and exclaimed: S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Could this possibly be¡­ Calculation?!¡±


    Unlike the Divine Sense Calculation taught by his master, this was a completely different method!


    His master taught him to use Formation Patterns to calculate Spirit Traces, deducing the more fundamental trajectories of Spiritual Power when the Formation operated.


    Conversely, it was also possible to use the Formation¡¯s Spirit Traces to calculate the specific Patterns.


    The former goes from the surface to the core to deepen one¡¯s understanding of the Formation;


    The latter goes from the core to the surface to perceive the real Patterns.


    But the Calculation Method within the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Heritage Taoist Field was entirely different.


    It seemed to be calculating not the relationship between the Patterns and the Spirit Traces.

 Chapter 630 - 537 Formation Flow_3

    Chapter 630: Chapter 537 Formation Flow_3


    It was purely an induction and calculation of the changes in Formation Patterns and the transformations of Formations.


    From the complex to the simple, from two to one, deepening the understanding of the common characteristics between different Formations and Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua suddenly had a moment of clarity.


    Could this method of calculation be the true inheritance of the Five Elements Sect?


    Although Mo Hua only understood a fraction of it, he felt it was profound and extraordinary.


    This was Calculation¡­


    He had to learn it!


    As the saying goes, it¡¯s better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.


    Formations are the ¡°fish,¡± Calculation is the ¡°fishing.¡±


    By learning Calculation, one could better learn and comprehend Formations.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    A special Calculation Method!


    It¡¯s indeed a tradition from a once long-standing and first-rate Formation Sect!


    Mo Hua was excited. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But then, he encountered some difficulty, how should he learn this Calculation Method?


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense again, searching every corner of the Taoist Field.


    Within the Taoist Field, there were only Formations, with no other methods of inheritance such as Secret Manuals, canons, written words, or insights.


    Mo Hua then rested his chin in his hands, pondering:


    Judging from previous events, the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect were somewhat traditional, stubborn, and obscure in their practices.


    When teaching, they didn¡¯t like to do so directly; they preferred to simplify complexity.


    They didn¡¯t like verbal or written instructions; they preferred to demonstrate directly.


    ¡°Demonstrate¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone as he realized something while watching the wood-carving Formation Master that never stopped carving Formations. They were demonstrating.


    What they were demonstrating was exactly how to do this kind of Calculation.


    Step by step, from simple to complex, from basic Formation Patterns changing and alternating, gradually evolving, transforming, and merging¡­


    It meant¡­


    Watch and learn by oneself.


    What you can learn is what you get.


    What you understand is what you¡¯ve truly comprehended.


    What others say is not yours; what you realize on your own is much more profound.


    Mo Hua sighed with realization.


    The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect indeed had the style of true masters!


    Without delay, Mo Hua watched the wood carvings Drawing Formations, personally inducing and learning this special Calculation Method from the Five Elements Sect.


    The Formation Paintings by the wood carvings were more than just first-grade.


    But Mo Hua could only learn first-grade.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t greedy, aware that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; he¡¯d first master the first-grade, and save the advanced ones for later.


    Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day, what you can eat is what you have¡­


    Within the Taoist Field, time passed bit by bit.


    Mo Hua concentrated deeply, immersing himself, learning the Calculation Method of the Five Elements Sect bit by bit with the mechanical movements of the wood carvings.


    Formation Patterns were calculated and transformed in his mind¡­


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Mo Hua finally grasped the essence of it.


    Mo Hua also tried to calculate a few Formation Patterns himself and compared them with those in the Taoist Field, finding no errors before nodding in satisfaction.


    He had strong Divine Sense and, with the Calculation Method taught by Mr. Zhuang as a foundation, he had been calculating for fun, calculating Formations, Large Formations, and Ultimate Formations, becoming extremely proficient in Calculation¡­


    The Calculation Method of the Five Elements Sect, although special, was not exceptionally difficult.


    Mo Hua learned quickly.


    Just speaking of the first-grade Formation Method Calculation, he had already learned the bulk of it; any flaws could be slowly refined and comprehended over time.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    A special Calculation Method!


    Although that Little Five Elements Ghost had tricked him, he had not lied; this Taoist Field indeed contained a higher level of Formation inheritance!


    By mastering this type of Calculation, his visit was worthwhile.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Then, he became curious:


    What exactly is this Calculation for?


    What use are these varied Formation Patterns?


    Learn to apply¡­ If it¡¯s not applicable, what is the point of learning it?


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, falling into deep thought:


    ¡°Could it be that I¡¯m missing something?¡±


    Mo Hua then revisited this type of Calculation, meticulously revising his thoughts from beginning to end:


    Divine Sense Calculation, Formation transformations¡­


    Turning the complex and diverse Five Elements Formations and various Formation Patterns into a unified, comprehensive Pattern¡­


    Simplifying complexity, uniting the many into one¡­


    And then what?


    Uniting the many into one¡­ does one lead to understanding all?


    Mo Hua was stunned, then as if struck by lightning, he was profoundly shaken.


    One leads to all¡­ Is that not Immortal Sky Formation Flow?


    No, it should be called Five Elements Formation Flow?


    Five Elements Formation Flow?!


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils shook.


    Does that mean that the Calculation I just learned is the method to induce the Formation Method Origin Stream?


    The results of the Calculation, are they Formation Flow?


    The true inheritance of the Five Elements Sect is a Formation Flow?!


    Mo Hua opened his mouth in shock, overwhelmed with astonishment.


    He had never imagined!


    The ambition of the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect was so immense!


    They established this Taoist Field, intending to conduct Calculations akin to the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, aiming to personally induce and pass down through the generations¡­ the Formation Method Origin Stream of the Five Elements Formation?!

 Chapter 631 - 538

    Chapter 631: Chapter 538 ¡°Pastry¡±_1


    Mo Hua then realized that his vision had been too narrow¡­


    The inheritance of the Five Elements Sect far exceeded his expectations!


    But the confusion in his heart only grew:


    What was the difference between the Five Elements Formation Flow and the Immortal Sky Formation Flow?


    If the Immortal Sky Formation Flow governed all the formations under the heavens and aligned with the Dao of Formation, did it include the Five Elements Formation Flow?


    Did the Five Elements Formation Flow contain some Formation principles that the Immortal Sky Formation Flow had never touched upon?


    Or were they completely different inheritances?


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    Besides that, there was an even more important question:


    The Five Elements Sect built a Shrine, established a Taoist Field, calculated Formations, simplified complexity, and united the multitude into one, in an attempt to deduce the deepest and most abstruse Formation Flow within the inheritance of formations.


    Had they, in the end, calculated it?


    If they had, where was this Five Elements Formation Flow?


    Or rather, what exactly was the Five Elements Formation Flow, and in what form did it exist?


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment.


    It was then that he realized he truly had no idea what a Formation Flow actually was.


    He had never studied the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, not even seen it, only grasping a vague concept, understanding only half of it.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, contemplating with doubt in his heart:


    ¡°What exactly is the so-called ¡®Formation Flow¡¯ as an inheritance?¡±


    ¡°Is it a Cultivation Technique? A Taoist Skill? A formation arrangement? A string of thoughts? An insight? A Divine Thought?¡±


    ¡°Or is it like the Five Elements Spirit Formation, a display of some Formation principle?¡±


    Mo Hua searched the Taoist Field once again with great detail but still found nothing¡ªthe only anomaly, the Formation Patterns in the central Taoist Field.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed them before, but now that he had learned the Five Elements Calculation Method and applied it to deduce, he discovered many of the Patterns in the center of the field were actually incomplete.


    It was as if they had premises but no conclusions.


    There were Calculations but no Formation Flow.


    Mo Hua sighed with a hint of regret.


    It seemed that they hadn¡¯t figured it out¡­


    But after thinking it over, this seemed normal.


    If the Five Elements Sect truly had calculated the Five Elements Formation Flow and used it as their inheritance, they would have greatly flourished in the way of Formations, ascending to the ranks of a top Formation Sect, and their descendants wouldn¡¯t have fallen into decline like this.


    It appeared that a Formation Flow was exceedingly difficult to calculate.


    Probably, the Five Elements Sect had wanted to accomplish everything in one stroke, expending massive human and material resources, as well as the mental power of Formation Masters, only to fail in the end, unable to calculate the Formation Flow, leading the Sect to waste its time, deplete its foundation, and suffer greatly, gradually leading to its decline¡­


    They gambled on their fortune but lost¡­


    Such a pity¡­


    Mo Hua felt a touch of regret.


    He genuinely wanted to experience for himself what the true Five Elements Formation Flow was like.


    But on second thought, being able to learn the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Calculation Method was already quite an accomplishment.


    One must not be too greedy.


    Moreover, having learned this Calculation, did it mean¡­


    When his Divine Sense was strong enough and his study of Formations was deep enough in the future, he could try to calculate the Formation Flow himself?


    To deduce my own Formation Flow?


    A spark of excitement leaped in Mo Hua¡¯s heart, his eyes shone brightly, filled with anticipation.


    Mo Hua gazed at the Taoist Field once more.


    This Taoist Field, which recorded the method of Formation Flow deduction, was the true Heritage Taoist Field of the Five Elements Sect.


    But this was as far as he could learn.


    After all, the Shrine belonged to the Five Elements Sect, not to him; he could not continue studying there indefinitely.


    He needed to find a way to leave.


    Mo Hua circled around once more and found that the key to leaving was still the meditation mat.


    When he came in, Mo Hua had noticed that there were Formation Patterns on the meditation mat within the Heritage Taoist Field, but these Patterns were Variant Formation Patterns.


    At first, he didn¡¯t understand them.


    Now that he had understood the unique Calculation Method of the Five Elements Sect, he got it.


    The Calculation Method, itself, was the method of opening the way.


    He flipped over the meditation mat, then started to calculate and deduce, summarizing the Formation on the mat into a single Pattern, and drew that Pattern at the center of the mat.


    The scenery around him twisted and merged, inside and out, upside down.


    Mo Hua felt dizzy and his head swelled. After a moment, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself out of the Heritage Taoist Field.


    Now, he was in the Skill Transmission Taoist Field.


    The surroundings were adorned with wooden carvings and clay sculptures, figures of chariots and Spirit Beasts, and decorative motifs of treasure vases and flowers, no longer the Taoist Field¡¯s original array of Patterns.


    All was empty around him.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Ran away, huh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became sharp and focused.


    To trap him in the Taoist Field and then look for a way to escape and survive?


    He took note of this debt!


    Mo Hua looked around once again.


    Now, the Skill Transmission Taoist Field was silent as the grave.


    Four hours had passed, the incense had burned out, the Shrine was sealed, no entry from the outside, no exit to the inside, and he could no longer see the scenery outside.


    Mo Hua made his way along the exterior of the Taoist Field to the Shrine¡¯s door. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had entered through this door before.


    Now, the door was tightly shut, surrounded by a dense array of Formations, like layers of chains, completely locking the door and isolating the inside of the Shrine from the outside.


    But Mo Hua let out a breath of relief.


    For him, a problem with Formations wasn¡¯t really a problem.


    To try to confine him with Formations was impossible.


    Mo Hua frowned in thought.


    ¡°Which method should I use to open the door?¡±


    To break the Formation?


    That seemed too much effort.


    To decipher the Formation?


    The Formations on this door were crafted by the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, probably for the sake of inheritance. Therefore, they were only of first grade, but the methods were very special and ancient.


    It would be quite time-consuming to actually go through and decipher each Formation.


    With little time to spare, better to try a different solution¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    Formation Collapse!


    Ever since he had annihilated Feng Xi using Great Formation Dissolution, it had been a long time since Mo Hua had attempted a Formation Collapse.


    His master had cautioned him not to use collapse lightly and never to let others discover it.


    But now he was inside the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Shrine, where there was no one else, not even a ¡°ghost¡± to be found, so a secret ¡°collapse¡± should go unnoticed.

 Chapter 632 - 538

    Chapter 632: Chapter 538 ¡°Pastries¡± _2 S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t necessary to use it.


    It was just that his hands were a bit itchy.


    If he didn¡¯t make too much noise and did it stealthily, breaking a door should have no impact¡­


    Moreover, Mo Hua also wanted to see what a Formation that had Divine Sense Manifestation would look like after it collapsed.


    Mo Hua confidently completed the Formation Calculation on the Shrine¡¯s door and then, according to the Formation Pivot and the Spirit Traces, set up a Reversed Spirit Formation.


    Immediately after, he hid far away and cast the Fireball Technique at the door.


    The fireball spell struck the Shrine¡¯s door, causing the Formation to activate on its own.


    The Formation on the Shrine was manifested by Divine Thought and was also driven by Divine Thought.


    The power of Divine Sense flowed along the Patterns, passing through the Reversed Spirit Formation, triggering a collapse. Then, one by one, the Patterns dissolved, little by little the Divine Sense gradually inverted, shattered, and was extinguished into nothingness.


    The scale of the collapse was not large, but the power of the inversion after the collapse was silently terrifying, which was startling.


    The Shrine¡¯s door seemed to have been bitten by an annihilating Monster Beast, leaving behind a pitch-black gaping hole.


    Divine Sense Collapse!


    Mo Hua was startled in his heart.


    This was the true power of ¡°God Destroying Path Obliteration.¡±


    Spiritual Power could collapse; Divine Sense could as well¡­


    Spiritual Power and Divine Sense were different, yet seemingly, they also had something in common.


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation required the integration of Divine Sense into Spiritual Power;


    To cause Formation Collapse, both Spiritual Power and Divine Sense could serve as the medium¡­


    Mo Hua then recalled the four words spoken by the very old Elder of the Five Elements Sect:


    Divine Sense Becomes the Dao.


    These four words seemed to have a deeper meaning, but with his current Cultivation and understanding, he couldn¡¯t grasp it¡­


    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll think about it slowly in the future.¡±


    Now that the Shrine¡¯s door had been broken open, he could leave.


    He needed to settle accounts with that little ghost.


    Mo Hua licked his lips.


    Plus, he was getting hungry¡­


    ¡­


    On the third floor of the Formation Pavilion.


    Mr. Zhuang, Old Kui, and the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect were still having tea.


    Suddenly, the Chief Elder of the Five Elements Sect felt a twinge of unease.


    He had the feeling that something extremely precious had just vanished¡­


    ¡°The Shrine¡­ it couldn¡¯t possibly have a problem, could it?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart tightened, and then he secretly let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Impossible, how could there be a problem with the Shrine?¡±


    ¡°That was something built by our ancestors, with densely laid Patterns and profound mysteries¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, there is that thing inside guarding it¡­¡±


    ¡°There can¡¯t be a problem¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder gradually calmed down, and sneakily glancing up, he looked at Mr. Zhuang with dissatisfaction, then at Old Kui.


    But he dared not overstep, inwardly sneering:


    ¡°If you can¡¯t learn, you just can¡¯t learn!¡±


    ¡°The Ultimate Formation is not something one can comprehend without accumulated effort and deep contemplative study. How could you possibly understand it just by stalling for a little while?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re taking the inheritance of my Five Elements Sect too lightly¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang and Old Kui sat drinking their tea unperturbed by the Chief Elder¡¯s behavior.


    But the tea had become somewhat tasteless.


    Old Kui then asked, ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    He asked very casually, without avoiding the Chief Elder, but the Chief Elder beside him was like a fool, hearing nothing, seeing nothing.


    Mr. Zhuang made a Calculation with his fingers, and his eyes briefly sparkled: ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Did you learn it?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze grew intense, ¡°What was supposed to be learned has been learned, and what was not supposed to be learned¡­ is almost learned¡­¡±


    Old Kui was taken aback and curiously asked, ¡°Does Five Elements Sect really have other inheritances? What are they?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, saying helplessly:


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know about that¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts stirred, and suddenly his brow furrowed.


    The real inheritance¡­


    Perhaps back in those days, the ancestor of his sect sought this inheritance, ¡°took advantage of a crisis,¡± and out of gratitude and scheming, came to this arrangement with the Five Elements Sect?


    Mr. Zhuang fell into deep thought¡­


    Old Kui raised his eyebrows and glanced at Mr. Zhuang, asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice back then?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated, ¡°This¡­ everyone makes mistakes, it¡¯s unavoidable,¡±


    Old Kui looked on with some disdain.


    Mr. Zhuang coughed, ¡°Also, the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect were too crafty. I was young at the time; not noticing is excusable¡­¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua did notice.¡± Old Kui stated flatly.


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback again, then quickly adjusted his thoughts, and affirmed with conviction:


    ¡°Mo Hua is my direct disciple. If he noticed, it¡¯s as good as if I had noticed!¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s tone was indifferent, ¡°You¡¯ve got a thick skin.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang remained unfazed, sipping his tea and appearing nonchalant.


    But as he drank, Old Kui¡¯s words still seeded a trace of doubt in him.


    Mo Hua had noticed¡­


    Was it really because the boy was exceptionally talented, had a good nature, and fortunate opportunities¡­


    Or was it because there was a destiny predetermined by the heavens?


    Mr. Zhuang sighed softly, his gaze uncertain.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua, after breaking the Shrine¡¯s door, left the Shrine in the blink of an eye and returned to his own Sea of Consciousness.


    As expected, at this moment, the Little Five Elements Ghost was occupying his Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua did not startle the snake in the grass but instead, concealed his presence and stealthily approached behind it to see what it was actually doing.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost squatted on the ground, drawing some complex patterns while its expression changed unpredictably, at times happy, at times furious, constantly muttering:


    Sometimes complaining, sometimes cursing, sometimes scheming¡­


    ¡°¡­Why hasn¡¯t he awakened yet?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be by 1 p.m.; I need to escape sooner¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trapped for hundreds of years; I don¡¯t want to go back to that godforsaken Taoist Field ever again in my life¡­¡±

 Chapter 633 - 538

    Chapter 633: Chapter 538 ¡°Pastries¡±_3


    ¡°I¡¯m not at a loss either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going out to eat and kill to my heart¡¯s content¡­ to make up for all the losses of these past centuries¡­¡±


    ¡°Sooner or later, once I¡¯ve comprehended the Five Elements¡­¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost gave a dark chuckle but didn¡¯t continue. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Filled with curiosity, Mo Hua asked,


    ¡°Comprehend the Five Elements, then what?¡±


    In the silent Sea of Consciousness, a voice appeared out of nowhere. The Little Five Elements Ghost was so scared that it jumped up and frantically looked around, bellowing,


    ¡°Who is it?!¡±


    Mo Hua did not hide his presence and slowly appeared.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°You?! How did you¡­ how did you get out?¡±


    It shook its head, muttering to itself,


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible! The incense has burned out, the Shrine is sealed, and you were trapped in the Taoist Field¡­ how could you possibly get out?¡±


    With a serene expression, Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯m a Formation Master; don¡¯t think you can trap a Formation Master with a formation.¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s eyelids twitched, angrily retorting,


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    What¡¯s that got to do with being a Formation Master?


    Even if you are a Formation Master, being locked in the Shrine and trapped in the Taoist Field means you definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.


    Clearly, there is something off about you, little cultivator!


    In its long life, it had never seen such an absurd Junior Formation Master.


    To have solved the mystery of the Taoist Field and broken the locks of the Shrine, and to have escaped from the Shrine after the incense had burned out¡­


    Are the ways of formation that deep?


    Could a first-grade Formation Master know so much?


    The Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s heart sank. Without dwelling on those thoughts, it countered,


    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled amiably, yet his eyes gleamed fiercely.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was alarmed and quickly said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk this out; I won¡¯t linger here. Just let me go, and we can talk about everything¡­¡±


    Mo Hua gave no clear response.


    Pleading for mercy, the Little Five Elements Ghost said,


    ¡°I had no choice but to do this, trapped in the Shrine for hundreds of years, dutifully guarding the Taoist Field, enduring the tedium¡­ the misery is beyond words¡­¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to escape, to see the vast world, and incidentally¡­¡±


    ¡°Incidentally ¡®eat¡¯ a few people, right?¡± Mo Hua said nonchalantly.


    The Little Five Elements Ghost was startled, then its expression grew colder, ¡°You heard all that?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Stop pretending. Deceitful and demonic creatures lack humanity. I could tell at a glance what you are made of.¡±


    The Little Five Elements Ghost withdrew its cowardice and pleading demeanor, baring its fangs with a sinister smile,


    ¡°You¡¯re forcing my hand.¡±


    ¡°I intended to save this move for after leaving the Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    Before the words were finished, the Little Five Elements Ghost¡¯s aura suddenly intensified.


    Its body grew larger, and its flesh became as hard as iron, with bulging veins.


    At the same time, formation patterns began to emerge on its body!


    And they were none other than the Five Elements Spirit Formation!


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation strengthened the Five Elements and amplified Spiritual Power, also greatly enhancing the Evil Power within the Little Five Elements Ghost.


    The Five Elements fostered growth, and the evil spirit became powerful.


    Its claws were made of metal, its bones of wood, its blood of water, its breath of fire, and its flesh of earth.


    Boosted by the Five Elements Spirit Formation, the Little Five Elements Ghost transformed into a huge, fierce Five Elements Fierce Ghost with an overwhelming aura of malevolence!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost roared at Mo Hua.


    However, it didn¡¯t know that no matter how ferocious it was, it was still just a small fry.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained unchanged, not the least bit afraid.


    Not only was he unafraid, but his gaze also held a hint of deep interest.


    Watching the transformation of the Little Five Elements Ghost into the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, he nodded and said,


    ¡°You¡¯re not right!¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was taken aback.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and slowly said,


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Formations!¡±


    ¡°But now, you have manifested a Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°To manifest a Formation, one needs a profound understanding of Formation principles. You, a ghost who knows nothing of Formations, are not familiar with the Patterns, and don¡¯t comprehend the principles. How could you possibly manifest a Formation?¡±


    ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s not just any Formation, but the Five Element Ultimate Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze darkened as he declared,


    ¡°There¡¯s a big problem with you!¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost felt somewhat guilty, with cold sweat beading.


    Mo Hua thought again, then continued, ¡°That¡¯s not all¡­¡±


    ¡°Trapped in the Shrine for centuries, you couldn¡¯t possibly be ignorant of everything¡­¡±


    ¡°That Heritage Taoist Field¡­¡±


    ¡°You must have entered it at some point!¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have plotted to deceive me into entering and getting trapped inside¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    ¡°But after you went in, how did you manage to get out?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand Formations, let alone Calculation. There¡¯s no way you could have gotten out¡­¡±


    ¡°But you did¡­ so you must have taken something that allowed you to escape from the Heritage Taoist Field.¡±


    Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    This Little Five Elements Ghost was a thief!


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was sharp as a blade, ¡°What did you steal from the Taoist Field?¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was horrified and hurriedly said,


    ¡°Nothing, I didn¡¯t steal anything!¡±


    But its defense was feeble and unconvincing.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was clear and piercing as he watched it.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost felt extremely uncomfortable under Mo Hua¡¯s scrutiny.


    It felt that this gaze, bright and penetrating like the Demon Revealing Mirror, laid bare its true form, leaving it nowhere to hide and no secrets to keep.


    Profound in Formation knowledge, intelligence bordering on the demonic.


    What on earth was this little creature?


    Why was it so troublesome?


    Just then, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze suddenly paused as if he remembered something, murmuring to himself,


    ¡°No, that¡¯s still not right.¡±


    ¡°Nothing could allow a ghost who doesn¡¯t understand Formations to suddenly comprehend the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless that thing is¡­¡±


    The Five Elements Formation Method Origin Stream!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled.


    So that was it¡­


    He had underestimated not only the scope of the Five Elements Sect ancestors¡¯ vision but also far underestimated their Formation accomplishments!


    The Five Elements Sect had actually figured it out!


    By dedicating the power of an entire sect, with the Divine Sense Calculative abilities of all its Formation Masters, they truly derived the Five Elements Formation Method Origin Stream!


    And this Five Elements Formation Flow, although its form was unknown, could very well have been stolen by this Little Five Elements Ghost from the Taoist Field and is now on its person.


    And now, this Little Five Elements Ghost, along with the Five Elements Formation Flow, were inside his own Sea of Consciousness¡­


    The eyes of Mo Hua lit up like stars, growing brighter and brighter.


    He looked at the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, unable to help himself, and licked his lips again.


    He had not expected¡­


    What he thought was just an ordinary pastry,


    Turned out to be filled!


    And filled with five-colored assorted fresh meat at that!

 Chapter 634 - 539 Source Pattern_1

    Chapter 634: Chapter 539 Source Pattern_1


    The Little Five Elements Ghost felt a great shock inside.


    This Junior Formation Master¡­ saw through it?


    He discovered that I was peeping at the ancient legacy of the Five Elements Sect?


    A fierce glint flashed through the Little Five Elements Ghost.


    He had to kill him!


    At any cost, he had to kill him!


    This matter must not be leaked, the Five Elements Sect must not find out, otherwise, my opportunity will be lost!


    Insights into the Five Elements Dao, ascending to the position of the Heavenly Demon, the stage of the Evil God, will all become delusions!


    The Little Five Elements Ghost used all his strength to stimulate the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    His body shone with five-colored radiance, dazzling and brilliant, entirely formed by the surging power of the Five Elements, emitting an astonishing might.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became focused.


    Is this the effect of the ¡°Five Elements Formation Flow¡±?


    Being proficient in the Dao of the Five Elements, amplifying the power of the Five Elements, using the Formation Flow to master the Five Elements, and enhance oneself¡­


    The Little Five Elements Ghost, boosted by the Five Elements Spirit Formation, transformed into a fierce ghost, ghoulish in appearance, and pounced fiercely toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua remained calm and unhurried, executing the Water Passing Step as he retreated. At the same time, he tried to constrain it with the Water Prison Technique and attack the Five Elements Fierce Ghost with the Fireball Technique.


    But his spells, upon hitting the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, suddenly became ineffective.


    The Water Prison Technique couldn¡¯t hold it for long.


    The power of the Fireball Technique was also drastically reduced.


    Fireball after fireball burst upon the fierce ghost¡¯s body, blocked by the Formation Patterns that manifested on it. The attacks could only stagger it, impeding its offensive, but they couldn¡¯t cause much damage.


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed slightly.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost, however, was overjoyed. It knew full well what was happening, and while intensifying its assault, it cackled:


    ¡°Formations are profound, containing an essential understanding of the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    ¡°Formations manifested by Divine Thought are even more powerful.¡±


    ¡°At such a young age, you can manifest spells, which is indeed impressive, but in the face of Formation Visualization, you are ultimately inconsequential¡­¡±


    ¡°Today, you are undoubtedly going to die!¡±


    The countenance of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost turned ferocious.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze remained peaceful, and suddenly, he pointed his finger rapidly, ¡°swoosh swoosh swoosh¡± unleashing a barrage of Fireball Techniques, suppressing the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, and then he retreated to gain distance, closing his eyes to concentrate.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost crossed its arms in front of it to block the Fireball Techniques, also manifesting Formation Patterns to resist the shockwave of the explosions, but its figure was still slightly disheveled.


    When it raised its head, it saw Mo Hua with his eyes closed, unaware of what he was up to.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost snorted coldly, ¡°Bluffing!¡±


    Then it suddenly accelerated, fiercely lunging at Mo Hua to attack.


    A chilling wind whipped up!


    Just as the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was about to pounce in front of Mo Hua, Mo Hua suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze slightly cold, and he crisply said:


    ¡°Lock!¡±


    The forward charge of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was abruptly seized by some force.


    It looked down and its pupils quivered.


    There was a formation on the ground!


    A golden formation had locked it in place!


    Simultaneously, at the instant when the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was locked, golden and red Formation Patterns on the ground began to flow like water, winding and rapidly shifting, forming Patterns to piece together four formations.


    One of them was the Golden Lock Formation, with golden Formation Patterns turning into chains to firmly entrap the fierce ghost.


    The three surrounding it were Earth Fire Formations, intense like blazing flames, highly lethal in nature.


    This was a set known as the Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost inhaled sharply.


    Damn it!


    I¡¯ve been tricked by this brat again!


    He can also manifest formations?!


    Is this kid really only in his teens? How could he possibly possess such a profound understanding of Formations?


    Manifesting formations with Divine Sense alone in the Sea of Consciousness!


    Aren¡¯t these techniques only used by those old undying Sect Leaders and Elders of Formation Sects?


    How does he know these techniques?


    Without time for further thought, the Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation was complete.


    A formation that upholds the Heavenly Dao also has the strongest killing power against Divine Thought.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost cried out in alarm, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±


    But Mo Hua decisively said, ¡°Explode!¡±


    The Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation exploded instantly!


    The Golden Lock Formation trapped the enemy while the Earth Fire Formation killed the enemy.


    The triple Earth Fire Formation, like three fiery lotuses blooming together, ignited a fierce blaze that completely enveloped the Five Elements Fierce Ghost.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost struggled in agony within the flames. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a torrent of raging fire, it began to die down gradually.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression, however, was far from relaxed.


    Indeed, moments later, as the fire and smoke cleared, the figure of a ¡°ghost¡±¡ªthe Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡ªemerged.


    Its figure was disheveled, but the injuries weren¡¯t severe, and its shadow hardly dimmed, indicating that the consumption of Divine Thought wasn¡¯t significant.


    The horror-stricken Five Elements Fierce Ghost then burst into ecstatic laughter.


    It almost forgot that it was no ordinary ghost.


    It had comprehended the Five Elements Formation Origin of the Five Elements Sect and had extremely high resistance to the Five Elements; ordinary Five Elements Formations would have their lethality greatly reduced against it.


    This Gold Fire Compound Formation, although powerful, didn¡¯t depart from the scope of the Five Elements, so it couldn¡¯t erase it.


    It couldn¡¯t even cause it any serious harm!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost laughed loudly and then looked at Mo Hua with a menacing gaze, ¡°Little brat, you¡¯ve used up all your tricks, haven¡¯t you? Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re going to do now!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression condensed.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost sneered and lunged forward, continuing its pursuit to kill Mo Hua.


    With a sigh, Mo Hua continued to use the Water Passing Step, dodging by a hair¡¯s breadth the ghost¡¯s claws as he fought desperately to survive.


    They were locked in a chase with no end in sight.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost wasn¡¯t angered but rather showed a mocking smile, as if it were a cat toying with a mouse:


    ¡°Just keep running.¡±


    ¡°If you make a single mistake, you¡¯ll fall into my hands!¡±


    ¡°I want you to kneel down and beg for mercy!¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost laughed wildly.


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained calm, eyeing the chasing Five Elements Fierce Ghost with a trace of amusement suddenly appearing in his look.

 Chapter 635 - 539 Source Pattern_2

    Chapter 635: Chapter 539 Source Pattern_2


    After dozens more rounds, Mo Hua seized the opportunity and repeated his old trick.


    He started with the Fireball Technique to suppress the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, hampering its movements and buying himself a little time. Then he closed his eyes to concentrate, manifesting the Formation.


    ¡°Again?¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost sneered.


    But this time, it strode forward without fear.


    Soon, the Golden Lock Formation materialized under its feet. The Formation Patterns spread and transformed into chains, locking the ghost in place.


    This was within its expectations.


    However, the Formation that manifested next wasn¡¯t the Earth Fire Formation.


    It was still the Golden Lock Formation.


    A second Golden Lock Formation added another layer of constraint.


    Then came the third, and the fourth¡­


    Five layers of the Golden Lock Formation tightly bound the Five Elements Fierce Ghost.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua continued to concentrate, forcefully manifesting something¡­


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost paused.


    What does this mean?


    Just trapping without killing?


    Is this kid stupid?


    Or does he intend to trap me here and then take the opportunity to escape and seek reinforcements?


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s expression was contemptuous as it snorted coldly. Then, the Five-colour Spirit Formation on its body burst forth with a dazzling light.


    The power of the Five Elements was further strengthened.


    The ghost¡¯s body grew larger, and its strength became greater.


    With a sudden effort, it broke several of the chains and shattered a few Formation Patterns. Then, with a ferocious roar, it continued to exert force.


    One by one, the five layers of the Golden Locks broke.


    The dense golden Formation Patterns also dimmed one by one.


    Finally, as the Five Elements Fierce Ghost howled to the sky, it completely broke free from the constraints of the five layers of Golden Lock.


    ¡°Little demon, if you kneel and beg for mercy now, I might let you die a quick death!¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost laughed viciously, its tongue blood-red and fangs ominous.


    Yet Mo Hua¡¯s calm face suddenly broke into a radiant smile, pointing at the Five Elements Fierce Ghost and crisply commanding:


    ¡°Kneel!¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was taken aback, then laughed instead of getting angry, ¡°Kid, have you lost your mind, you¡­¡±


    Before it could finish, the smile on its face froze.


    It had discovered a terrifying fact:


    Its body was involuntarily, slowly, bit by bit, bending its knee to this little demon?!


    I can¡¯t control myself?!


    I¡¯m kneeling?!


    The ghost¡¯s face was filled with fear, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    In a frantic look down, it saw at its chest, a complex blue Formation had appeared at its heart meridian out of nowhere.


    This Formation was profound and complex, and it didn¡¯t belong to the Five Elements¡ªit was unlike anything the ghost had ever seen.


    What was more terrifying was that this Formation had twelve Patterns!


    A first-class Formation with twelve Patterns!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost cried out in disbelief, ¡°An Ultimate Formation?!¡±


    It looked at Mo Hua with incredulity, ¡°You can use other Ultimate Formations?!¡±


    Moreover, a non-Five Elements Ultimate Formation!


    It had gained some comprehension of the Five Elements¡¯ origin and could resist Formations of the Five Elements, but not those that weren¡¯t of the Five Elements, let alone an Ultimate Formation!


    The Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect!


    Mo Hua smiled composedly.


    He had first used the five layers of the Golden Lock Formation to bind the Five Elements Fierce Ghost. Then, while it was solely focused on breaking free, without any distractions, he secretly inscribed the Spiritual Pivot Formation on its chest!


    And now, the Spiritual Thread from the Spiritual Pivot Formation was gradually spreading, eroding and slowly taking control of the ghost¡¯s body until having it completely under his control!


    ¡°No!¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost exclaimed in horror.


    Although it didn¡¯t know the specific purpose of the Spiritual Pivot Formation, it vaguely sensed that it was increasingly becoming ¡°not its own master.¡±


    This was a control-type Formation.


    Once fully controlled by it, it would become this little demon¡¯s plaything!


    It would be like a fish on a chopping board, to be slaughtered at will!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost struggled desperately, resisting with all its might.


    It must not kneel!


    It must not submit!


    But such matters weren¡¯t up to it to decide.


    If even the Half-step Taoist Demon Corpse King had to kneel, what was it, just a mere ghost?


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost clenched its teeth, its expression ferocious. Despite its strong resistance, it was still pulled by the pale blue Spiritual Threads, trembling all over and slowly inching towards a kneel before Mo Hua.


    Finally, it knelt completely before Mo Hua!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s face turned ashen.


    Mo Hua smiled slightly, touching a point with his finger.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation on the ghost¡¯s chest instantly bloomed with thousands of Spiritual Threads, weaving through its body, and turned it into a puppet, completely dominated!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost exclaimed in shock:


    ¡°You, what are you going to do?¡±


    Mo Hua smirked cunningly and commanded again:


    ¡°Now, kill yourself!¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s eyes widened in horror as it looked at Mo Hua.


    It suddenly realized something.


    It was not actually a fierce ghost; It was the adorable smiling little demon in front of it who was the true Evil Ghost!


    So treacherous and utterly despicable!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost wanted to refuse Mo Hua¡¯s command, but it was futile; it could no longer control itself.


    Under the control of the Spiritual Threads, the Five Elements Fierce Ghost involuntarily raised its claws and stabbed itself, repeatedly and relentlessly maiming its own body¡­


    Mo Hua smiled contentedly and remarked:


    ¡°The Spiritual Pivot Formation is really useful¡­¡±


    Then he lay down on the ground, cross-legged, resting and rejuvenating while leisurely watching the Five Elements Fierce Ghost harm itself¡­


    Much later, when the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was covered in wounds, its form pitiful, and its Divine Thought dim, Mo Hua finally let it stop.


    As soon as the Five Elements Fierce Ghost stopped, it was gasping for breath but still glaring furiously at Mo Hua, ¡°You damn brat¡­¡±


    Mo Hua curled his lips, ¡°Kneel down!¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost ¡°thudded¡± to its knees once more.


    ¡°Slap your face!¡±


    Mo Hua ordered.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost, with its fan-like palm, slapped itself across the face.


    It slapped itself more than twenty times.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Stop.¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost halted.

 Chapter 636 - 539: Source Pattern_3

    Chapter 636: Chapter 539: Source Pattern_3


    Mo Hua looked at it and spoke calmly, ¡°Are you being honest now?¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost nodded angrily but honestly.


    Only then did Mo Hua feel satisfied and then asked the important question:


    ¡°What exactly did you steal from the Heritage Taoist Field?¡±


    The color of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s face changed, ¡°If I tell you, will you let me go?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, ¡°If I say I will, would you believe me?¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    I believe you my ass!


    ¡°Sooner or later I will die, why should I tell you?¡± the Five Elements Fierce Ghost said gravely.


    Without further ado, Mo Hua pointed a finger, and the Spiritual Thread spread out, once again controlling the Five Elements Fierce Ghost to kill itself.


    Stabbing oneself with one¡¯s own claws really hurts.


    If this continues, I will truly die!


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost, in a panic, immediately said:


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Go on.¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost helplessly said, ¡°From the Taoist Field, what I stole was¡­ a Formation Pattern.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°A Formation Pattern?¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost nodded.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew intense, ¡°You¡¯re lying to me again? How could it be just a Formation Pattern?¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost cursed internally.


    This damn brat, he¡¯s so suspicious.


    But at this point, it dared not tell another lie.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost sighed helplessly and said:


    ¡°This isn¡¯t an ordinary Formation Pattern, it¡¯s called a ¡®Source Pattern.¡¯ It¡¯s formed by five colors representing the Five Elements, and five strokes of brushwork, all condensed into this one Pattern.¡±


    ¡°The five colors correspond to the Five Elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Each stroke contains a stream of the Five Elements.¡±


    ¡°This ¡®Source Pattern¡¯ symbolizes the origin of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Formations, condensing the blood, sweat, and tears of the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect. It is the inheritance of the complete Five Elements Formation Compendium!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and after a moment of thought, he asked the question he was most concerned about:


    ¡°So where is this Formation Pattern now?¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost mumbled, ¡°I¡­ damaged it¡­¡±


    ¡°Damaged it?¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost said, ¡°At first, I was just in the Skill Transmission Taoist Field, pretending to be the Tao Teaching Elder, deceiving others¡­ Later, by chance, I mistakenly entered the Heritage Taoist Field and saw that Pattern in the center of the Taoist Field¡­¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s eyes shone with yearning, ¡°That Pattern, with the five colors swirling, was glittering and dazzling¡­¡±


    ¡°I have no knowledge of Formations, but just one look, just one glance, and I felt like I had grasped most of the Five Elements Formations in this world¡­¡±


    ¡°I knew then that this was the top inheritance of the Five Elements Sect.¡±


    ¡°It is a secret of the Five Elements Sect that must not be divulged!¡±


    ¡°It is a secret inheritance that even the current Five Elements Sect doesn¡¯t know of!¡±


    ¡°The Pattern was too beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°So, I sat on the cushion, just looking and looking. Although I still did not understand Formation principles and could not construct Formations, it seemed that I could instinctively manifest various Five Elements Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Including the Five Elements Spirit Formation!¡±


    ¡°But as I watched, greed grew within me.¡±


    ¡°I felt that such a treasure should not be hidden away.¡±


    ¡°If I could take it out, ponder it every day, comprehend it daily, and meanwhile, consume some humans to replenish my Divine Sense, then one day when my Divine Thought becomes strong, wouldn¡¯t I be able to grasp and manifest all the Five Elements Formations in this world?!¡±


    ¡°This Pattern is mine! I wanted to take it out of the Taoist Field!¡±


    ¡°But this Source Pattern was embedded within densely woven Formation Patterns, as if it had originated from them, echoing each other, connected together, and could not be taken out alone¡­¡±


    ¡°I have no knowledge of Formations, do not understand Calculation, and did not know what to do. In the end, I simply forced my way through the Formation, destroying all the surrounding Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°But when I destroyed the Patterns, the ¡®Source Pattern¡¯ seemed to dim as well, and the power of the Five Elements dispersed gradually until it was extinguished¡­¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was filled with regret and heartache.


    ¡°With the Source Pattern extinguished, I only grasped a small portion of the Five Elements Formations. Fearing discovery by the Five Elements Sect, I could only sneak away from the Taoist Field and then figure out how to escape alive and leave the Shrine¡­¡±


    ¡°If I had the ¡®Source Pattern¡¯ in hand, I¡­¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost stole a glance at Mo Hua.


    Though it didn¡¯t speak plainly, the look in its eyes was clear.


    The implication was that if it had the Source Pattern in its possession, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against it.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, somewhat puzzled.


    He felt that there were many questionable points in what the Five Elements Fierce Ghost had said, but its gaze and expression seemed to indicate that it wasn¡¯t lying.


    This was quite peculiar¡­


    Mo Hua reflected again on the situation in the Taoist Field, and the abrupt, incomplete Formation Patterns in the center, which seemed to indeed have been forcefully destroyed, leading to their absence¡­


    If what the Five Elements Fierce Ghost had said was true, then the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect had truly been extinguished¡­


    Source Pattern¡­


    Mo Hua stared at the Five Elements Fierce Ghost a few more times, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly started, a shock going through his heart as he said in a deep voice:


    ¡°You¡¯re deceiving me!¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost hurriedly said:


    ¡°I¡¯m not deceiving you.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°No, not that you¡¯re deceiving me, you¡¯ve been deceived as well¡­¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was startled, ¡°Deceived by whom?¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression turned solemn, ¡°Deceived by the Formation Patterns!¡±


    ¡°No, how can that be possible?¡± The Five Elements Fierce Ghost shook its head, ¡°What are you talking about exactly?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice grew colder, ¡°How did you come to know about ¡®Source Pattern¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Source Pattern¡­¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost paused, mulling it over carefully, and then its eyes showed a look of horror.


    Right, how did I know about it?


    Who told me?


    Where did I hear it from?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he continued:


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard the term ¡®Source Pattern¡¯, and my master has never mentioned it¡­¡±¡±It must be an extremely obscure and ancient inheritance.¡±¡±Since it is a lost ancient inheritance of the Five Elements Sect, then it¡¯s almost impossible for anyone in the current Five Elements Sect, including that of a few hundred years ago, to know of it¡­¡±¡±If no one knows, no one would talk about it¡­¡±¡±You are a little ghost who knows nothing of Formations; with no one telling you, how could you possibly know?¡±¡±No one told you, unless¡­¡±Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened slightly as he slowly said, ¡°The ¡®Source Pattern¡¯ told you!¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost¡¯s pupils constricted.


    ¡°Or rather¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s tone became severe:


    ¡°You¡¯ve been parasitized by that ¡®Source Pattern¡¯!¡±


    ¡°The you now is actually a puppet of that ¡®Source Pattern¡¯!¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was stunned and confused, then broke into a hollow laugh, murmuring:


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°How could I be parasitized without knowing it myself¡­¡±


    ¡°How could this¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t finish speaking when suddenly it became still, then its body began to shake uncontrollably, and it started to twist irregularly.


    A five-colored pattern suddenly lit up on its forehead at the location of the Heavenly Gate.


    This pattern was ancient and profound.


    It contained five strokes, corresponding to the Five Elements, divided into five colors; splurgingly vivid, strikingly bright, with shapes both ancient and strange, resembling the eyes of five different mythical beasts.


    Within those eyes lay the cruelty and indifference of the Heavenly Dao.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze shook.


    This was the ¡°Five Elements Source Pattern¡± that the Five Elements Sect had struggled to calculate thousands of years ago!

 Chapter 637 - 540: Digging Away_1

    Chapter 637: Chapter 540: Digging Away_1


    ¡°`


    The Five Elements Source Pattern resembled five elongated pupils of five different colors gathered together like the petals of a flower.


    Within each pupil, ancient and profound patterns were visible¨Cbeautiful yet ominous. They even blinked occasionally, as if they possessed their own life.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost, not understanding why, widened its pupils in surprise and fear.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°Who am I?¡±


    ¡°My forehead, what is that on it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost didn¡¯t finish speaking before a sudden change occurred.


    The weird, pupil-like ¡°Source Patterns¡± abruptly widened as if the ¡°pupils¡± themselves, with their stark and dazzling patterns.


    One by one, the dense Formation Patterns, like colorful ants, emerged from the Source Patterns. They crawled down from the forehead of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, across its shoulders to the limbs, and even to the heart meridians, gradually covering the entire body of the fierce ghost.


    The body of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was completely ¡°crawled over¡± by Formation Patterns.


    From the inside out, densely covered in Formation Patterns.


    Its consciousness, too, was completely devoured by the ¡°Source Patterns,¡± becoming a true ¡°Five Elements Puppet.¡±


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost had turned into a puppet.


    Its eyes became pitch-black and hollow, while the five pupils on its forehead grew increasingly bright. Finally, they trembled slightly as if the patterns, like pupils, were unanimously ¡°looking¡± at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed abruptly.


    He stepped back instantly, withdrawing at once.


    At the same time, the spot where he had just been standing was now covered with Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    This ¡°Source Pattern,¡± like a plague, spread Formation Patterns as its toxins. Once it encountered a divine sense Thought Body, it would parasitize and devour it, eventually gaining control¡­


    Just like the Five Elements Fierce Ghost.


    Now the Five Elements Fierce Ghost was entirely dominated by the ¡°Source Patterns,¡± and had become a kind of ¡°toxin source¡± itself.


    Even more troublesome was that this ¡°plague¡± was now within his own Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became serious.


    He manifested a Formation under his feet to protect himself and then tried to activate the Spiritual Pivot Formation in the chest of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation dealt with the essence of spiritual power.


    It was not a Five Elements Formation and was an Ultimate Formation of superlative grade; although it was suppressed by the Formation Patterns derived from the Five Elements Source Pattern, it was not extinguished.


    With a thought from Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, the Spiritual Pivot Formation suddenly lit up.


    The chest of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost shone with a pale blue light.


    Threads of Spiritual Thread spread from its chest, like silk strands, weaving into a cocoon, trying to trap the fierce ghost and seal the Five Elements Source Pattern within the body of the ghost.


    Yet, these Spiritual Threads, though they restrained the fierce ghost, couldn¡¯t suppress the Formation Patterns.


    The Five Elements Fierce Ghost was constrained by the Spiritual Threads, unable to move.


    But the pattern on its forehead, resembling ¡°five-colored eyes,¡± kept multiplying and leaking out more Formation Patterns, eroding the ghost, corroding the Spiritual Threads and gradually spreading throughout Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Mo Hua looked grave.


    If he allowed these Formation Patterns to proliferate endlessly until they filled his Sea of Consciousness, would he too become a puppet, lifelessly possessed by the ¡°Source Pattern,¡± just like the Five Elements Fierce Ghost?


    His master was right.


    Indeed, the Sea of Consciousness harbored great dangers!


    And most of these dangers were unforeseeable, unpredictable, and elusive.


    While Mo Hua controlled the Spiritual Pivot Formation to contend with the Five Elements Source Pattern, he forced himself to stay calm, his mind racing as he pondered a solution¡­


    This Source Pattern must be the result of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Calculation of the Formation Flow.


    The question was whether they had calculated correctly or not.


    What exactly was this thing they had calculated?


    How could a Formation inheritance possess its own will?


    How could it even parasitize?


    Had the once first-grade Formation Sect, the Five Elements Sect, gradually declined because it calculated this thing out?


    A multitude of doubts arose in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Such ancient secrets were beyond Mo Hua¡¯s limited understanding at present, so he temporarily set them aside and continued his contemplation:


    The Five Elements Sect¡¯s Calculation of Formation Flow used a special Calculation Method.


    All the Five Elements Formation Patterns were jointly calculated, induced into variations, and amalgamated from many into one, condensing to form this ¡°Source Pattern.¡±


    Amalgamating the many into one¡­


    Although there was only one Pattern, it encapsulated and contained nearly all of the Five Elements Formations passed down by the Five Elements Sect.


    These Patterns followed its will.


    And now, it was releasing these Patterns¡­


    If the Source Pattern is the toxin source, are the toxins the ¡°compiled¡± Formation Patterns within it?


    Then to stop the spread of the ¡°Source Pattern,¡± would he have to do the opposite and recalculate these Patterns, ¡°compiling¡± them back into the Source Pattern?


    Is this calculation the special Calculation Method unique to the Five Elements Sect?


    Is it the method recorded in the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Heritage Taoist Field for inducing Formation Flow?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    He was unsure, but lacking other options, he had to give it a try.


    The ¡°eye¡± of the Source Pattern was still spinning, and the Formation Patterns were seeping out from this pupil, flowing into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    All these Formation Patterns were First Grade.


    Within the ¡°Source Pattern,¡± it included Five Elements Formations, and certainly not just First Grade ones. But it seemed the spread of the Source Pattern happened in an orderly progression.


    Without releasing the First Grade completely, the Second Grade could not surface¡­


    However, that was a relief. If Second Grade Patterns were present, Mo Hua would have been utterly helpless.


    Without delay, Mo Hua focused his mind and began to calculate these Formation Patterns, which moved like water snakes through his various thoughts.


    Mo Hua concentrated fully, calculating quickly.


    ¡°` S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 638 - 540 Digging Away _2

    Chapter 638: Chapter 540 Digging Away _2


    ¡°`


    In just a moment, Mo Hua had calculated a small segment of Five Elements Formation Patterns.


    Having done the calculations, then what?


    Mo Hua frowned slightly and released his Divine Sense to sense these Formation Patterns.


    These Formation Patterns were not static.


    Neither were they fixed.


    The lines of these Formation Patterns, resembling ink marks, seemed to be alive.


    The Divine Sense could control and change their patterns.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment before controlling a small part of the Formation Patterns with his Divine Sense, altering their shapes and twisting the Formation¡¯s setup.


    He made the Formation¡¯s setup comply with the Calculation Method he had deduced.


    The instant the Formation setup changed, the Formation Patterns transformed.


    They stopped spreading.


    Not only that, they began to shrink and condense.


    As if time were reversing, the Formation Patterns retraced their spread the way they had extended before.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    This method was feasible!


    To untie the bell, the person who tied it must be the one to untie it.


    The ¡°Source Pattern¡± of the Five Elements Sect still required the ¡°Calculation¡± of the Five Elements Sect to contain it.


    Without delay, Mo Hua immediately pushed his Divine Sense to the limit, and like the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect who deduced the Formation Flow, he also gradually incorporated these Formation Patterns into one, calculating it into ¡°Source.¡±


    It was only a small step, but it was the first step in calculating the Great Dao.


    The Formation Patterns gradually shrank¡­


    The Source Pattern suddenly trembled incessantly, its five-colored eyes and fierce patterns revealing anger.


    Could there still be someone?


    The ancestors of the Five Elements Sect were all dead.


    It had not expected that, thousands of years later, there would still be someone who mastered the Calculation Method that could suppress its Formation Patterns!


    The Source Pattern ¡°stared¡± fixedly at Mo Hua.


    From within its eyes flowed more and more dense Formation Patterns.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s calculations became more and more adept.


    His understanding of the Five Elements Formation was unlike that of ordinary cultivators. Within the scope of the First-grade Formation Method, even if he was not comparable to the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, he would not be far behind.


    Furthermore, he now had the peak Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment Thirteen Stripes.


    With the aid of Heaven Yan Jue, Mo Hua¡¯s calculation speed was extremely fast.


    Within his Sea of Consciousness, Formation Patterns spread and gathered simultaneously, with two opposing forces deadlocked.


    Mo Hua calculated faster and faster, and during this time, his understanding of the secret Calculation Methods of the Five Elements Sect deepened, becoming increasingly proficient in its application.


    Finally, the spreading speed of the Source Pattern could not keep up with Mo Hua¡¯s calculation speed.


    The spreading Formation Patterns began to retrace.


    Mo Hua calculated bit by bit, gradually incorporating them.


    Like a small fisherman, pulling in the net, scooping up all the fish that leaped out of the pond¡­


    The Formation Patterns gradually contracted and eventually gathered together, transforming into one and recondensing, sealed within the Source Pattern. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Five Elements Source Pattern¡¯s eyes dimmed, its luster retracted.


    The puppet-like Five Elements Fierce Ghost also became motionless.


    Inside the Sea of Consciousness, all became much quieter suddenly.


    Mo Hua sat down on the ground and took a long breath.


    In a short time, he had calculated a great number of Five Elements Formation Patterns, which was utterly exhausting.


    But fortunately, he had curbed the proliferation of the Five Elements Source Pattern.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to rest when he suddenly felt a sinking feeling. Looking up, he saw the Five Elements Fierce Ghost cracking inch by inch, seemingly unable to withstand the immense burden with this shell of Divine Thought.


    At the same time, a layer of blackness covered the five-colored eyes of the Five Elements Source Pattern.


    The five Source Patterns slowly protruded.


    It seemed as if something was about to break free from its shackles, emerging from within the eyes¡­


    Mo Hua felt a terrifying presence.


    This was an extremely strong and evil Divine Thought.


    It even somewhat resembled a high-grade Taoist Demon¡­


    This Divine Thought was immensely powerful.


    And it held deep malice towards Mo Hua.


    Just revealing a hint of its presence caused Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought to waver, his emotions to become unstable, and even caused his Sea of Consciousness to ache sharply, with a vague sense of shattering¡­


    ¡°This Source Pattern wants to shatter my Sea of Consciousness?¡± Mo Hua was shocked.


    At that moment, an ancient and profound aura suddenly emerged.


    This ancient aura filled Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness and also enwrapped his Divine Thought, seeming to protect him, not allowing outer evil to harm him.


    In the center of the Sea of Consciousness, the Taoist Stele stood tall and imposing, profound as an abyss and vast as the cosmos, suppressing all evil spirits!


    The strange and terrifying presence vanished in an instant!


    The moment the Taoist Stele appeared, the Five Elements Source Pattern, seeing the ¡°ghost,¡± shook violently, its Formation Patterns trembling like pupils.


    It immediately recoiled, concealing all its presence and generating some Formation Patterns to restore the hands and feet of the Five Elements Fierce Ghost, then tried to flee!


    Mo Hua was furious.


    ¡°Trying to run?!¡±


    Bearing the pain, he scrunched up his little face and, using the Water Passing Step, approached the Five Elements Fierce Ghost in a few rapid movements, reaching out to grab at its five eyes!


    His body was imbued with the aura of the Taoist Stele.


    The Source Pattern was startled and immediately ¡°closed its eyes,¡± contracting into the Fierce Ghost¡¯s forehead.


    But it was still a step too late.


    Mo Hua was quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbing it directly.


    The Source Pattern was furious and about to resist.


    But with the protection of the Taoist Stele on Mo Hua, the aura was frightening, and as soon as the Source Pattern ¡°opened its eyes,¡± it immediately shrank back in fear, closing them tightly again.


    Mo Hua scornfully said, ¡°Cowardly bone!¡±


    The Source Pattern trembled, angry but not daring to open its eyes.


    After suppressing the ¡°Source Pattern,¡± the Taoist Stele slowly disappeared into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness again.


    It seemed the minor scuffle was not something the Taoist Stele wanted to bother with; Mo Hua himself was to resolve it.


    But the Source Pattern tried to bully the ¡°small¡± with its ¡°size,¡± and that it would not allow.


    With the backing of the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua straightened his back.


    He held the palm-sized Five Elements Source Pattern in his hand, rubbing, pinching, and tugging at it, fiercely venting his anger.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 639 - 540 Digging Away_3

    Chapter 639: Chapter 540 Digging Away_3


    Seeing no reaction from it, Mo Hua began to scrutinize it carefully.


    The closed Five Elements Source Pattern was like a jade pendant, feeling neither soft nor hard, neither cold nor warm in his hand, and it was both illusory and real.


    It was a condensation of Divine Thought.


    It was a crystallization of the Divine Sense computational power of the Five Elements Sect.


    Although the typical Divine Thought Body appeared lifelike, it was still slightly hazy, like a gaseous illusion; even Mo Hua¡¯s form, though solid, still had some of that hazy quality.


    It felt like a real person, but wasn¡¯t one.


    But this Source Pattern was nearly a real object.


    ¡°The more ¡®illusory¡¯ it goes, the more ¡®real¡¯ it becomes¡­¡± Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    From illusory to real, could this be the path to powerful Divine Thought? Was it also the path he must take to Prove the Dao with his Divine Sense?


    Mo Hua shook his head and decided to go back and ask his master.


    The current issue was how to deal with this Source Pattern.


    This Source Pattern seemed to hide many secrets.


    It was not only a Formation Flow but also a top-tier Formation inheritance, invaluable in itself.


    At the same time, it surely held the truth behind the decline of the Five Elements Sect.


    Most importantly, within the Source Pattern lay a strong and strange aura.


    What exactly was this aura?


    Furthermore, why would this inheritance ¡°come to life,¡± spawn Formation Patterns, cling to Divine Thought, and command zombies?


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua was still confused; he couldn¡¯t help sighing,


    ¡°I really need to read more books.¡±


    ¡°Tao Cultivation knowledge is also a part of a cultivator¡¯s strength.¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He looked again at the Five Elements Source Pattern in his hand, which resembled a jade pendant, with some difficulty,


    ¡°Where should I put this Source Pattern?¡±


    It was definitely not feasible to place it within his Sea of Consciousness.


    This Source Pattern was like a plague, capable of self-propagation, parasitic feeding, and harbored unknown malevolent thoughts. Even with the Taoist Stele suppressing it, it was still too dangerous.


    A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall.


    He couldn¡¯t plant a mine in his own Sea of Consciousness.


    If it couldn¡¯t be stored in the Sea of Consciousness, then it had to be placed outside.


    A object for storing Divine Thought? A shrine could work.


    But the shrine belonged to the Five Elements Sect, and since he couldn¡¯t take it with him, storing the Source Pattern inside would leave him empty-handed.


    Moreover, with the Source Pattern now having its own will and having entered his Sea of Consciousness and seen the Taoist Stele, he couldn¡¯t let it run free.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t ¡°kill¡± it or ¡°consume¡± it, he must keep it in his own hands.


    For storage¡­


    Mo Hua supported his chin in thought when suddenly his eyes lit up.


    The Contemplation Map!


    Zhang Quan¡¯s Ancestral Master Picture could store Divine Thought.


    Zhang Quan¡¯s family of zombies, from the elders to the disciples, had been ¡°devoured¡± completely by Mo Hua, leaving behind an Ancestral Master Picture without the Ancestral Master¡¯s image.


    This blank Ancestral Master Picture seemed like it could be used to store the Five Elements Source Pattern.


    ¡°But how do I put it in there?¡±


    Lacking experience, Mo Hua thought of trying first.


    His Divine Sense withdrew from the Sea of Consciousness as his consciousness gradually awakened.


    Mo Hua in front of the shrine slowly opened his eyes.


    Bai Zixi was at first elated, then her pretty face grew serious, her white hands forming a knife-like gesture behind Mo Hua¡¯s head, as if she was ready to knock him down again without further ado.


    Bai Zisheng¡¯s expression was also solemn.


    As Mo Hua opened his eyes, sensing the odd atmosphere, he asked in a low voice,


    ¡°Junior Sister, what¡¯s wrong¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi looked intently into Mo Hua¡¯s eyes and, seeing his clear and water-like gaze reflecting her form, nodded and said softly,


    ¡°It¡¯s Junior Brother.¡±


    Bai Zisheng exhaled a long breath of relief, then remembering something, hastily asked,


    ¡°The Five Elements Spirit Formation, have you learned it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded with a smile.


    Bai Zisheng was overjoyed, then puzzled,


    ¡°What exactly did you encounter inside that took so long? And just now¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi, however, said with a deep gaze, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡±


    Bai Zisheng immediately nodded, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go outside first.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°I have something else to do¡­¡±


    He opened his Storage Bag and, after rummaging around, finally found that crumpled, incense ash-sprinkled Ancestral Master Picture in a corner.


    As Mo Hua unfolded the Ancestral Master Picture and was about to consider how to store the Five Elements Source Pattern inside it, he felt a pain in his Sea of Consciousness.


    The Five Elements Source Pattern, not waiting any longer, hurried out of his Sea of Consciousness and dove into the blank picture.


    It seemed it could not stand to be in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness for another moment¡­


    The Five Elements Source Pattern entered the Contemplation Map.


    On the blank picture, a burst of five-colored brilliance appeared and clearly revealed five-colored lines. These five lines encompassed the Five Elements Formation, containing the essence of the Five Elements.


    This Contemplation Map had thus become an embodiment of the legacy of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Formations through the generations¡ªthe Five Elements Formation Flow Chart!


    In an instant, the entire picture¡¯s aura transformed.


    A deeply concealed, profound, and robust Five Elements Qi emanated from the picture, spreading out from the Formation Pavilion at the center in all directions.


    The ordinary disciples of the Five Elements Sect felt nothing.


    But the various Sect Leaders and Elders were alarmed.


    ¡°What is this?!¡±


    ¡°Such thick Five Elements Qi!¡±


    ¡°Profound, primal, and extraordinary!¡±


    ¡°Does our Five Elements Sect still have such a legacy?¡±


    ¡°What legacy is this?¡±


    ¡­


    The Chief Elder, sipping tea on the third floor, was especially shocked.


    Being closer, he sensed it more clearly.


    The shrine?! What¡¯s going on?


    What has happened?


    The Chief Elder felt a tremor in his heart and suddenly stood up, wanting to go to the fourth floor to see what had happened¡­


    Mr. Zhuang beside him also showed a subtle change in expression, appearing stunned and lost in thought, murmuring to himself,


    ¡°The essence of the Five Elements¡­¡±


    ¡°What exactly has this child Mo Hua found¡­


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t have unearthed the entire foundational legacy of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Formations accumulated over thousands of years, could he¡­¡±

 Chapter 640 - 541 Depths_1

    Chapter 640: Chapter 541 Depths_1


    ¡°`


    The Chief Elder had already risen hastily, with a solemn expression, and hurriedly made his way to the fourth floor.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze turned slightly heavy, and within his pupils, patterns began to spread, mysterious and unfathomable. At the same time, he twirled a Daoist hand seal, flicked his sleeve, and seemed to erase something out of thin air¡­


    Once the Heavenly secret was severed, the cause and effect were erased.


    The Sect Leaders and Elders of the Five Elements Sect suddenly froze.


    The Chief Elder also abruptly stopped in his tracks, dumbfounded and lost in thought. After a moment, he muttered confusedly:


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I feel like I just¡­ forgot something?¡±


    ¡°What did I forget¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s mind went blank; he furrowed his brow and pondered hard but couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    It was as if something astonishing had just happened.


    But then again¡­ was it all just his imagination?


    Like a brief nap in the afternoon, waking up at 1 p.m., everything seemed to be no more than a lingering dream upon waking.


    After the rain, no trace remained, hazy and imperceptible.


    The Chief Elder looked at Mr. Zhuang with suspicion.


    Mr. Zhuang was still drinking tea, relaxed and composed, exuding an air of casual elegance, appearing as if nothing had happened.


    Noticing the Chief Elder¡¯s gaze, Mr. Zhuang looked up and asked as if nothing was amiss:


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    The Chief Elder hesitated, beginning to doubt himself.


    Did Mr. Zhuang do something?


    But it didn¡¯t seem like it¡­


    What could he have done?


    The Chief Elder looked around again; everything in the surroundings, the furnishings, tables, chairs, cups, screen, and Formation Pavilion looked exactly as he remembered, without any change.


    There were no traces of external influence.


    The Chief Elder shook his head slightly.


    ¡°It must have been an illusion¡­¡±


    In recent days, dealing with Mr. Zhuang had been like haggling with a tiger, so the Chief Elder was on guard. He was also worried that the heritage of the Five Elements Sect might have been stealthily learned by someone.


    His concern was excessive, hence the illusion.


    That their heritage had been learned by someone else¡­


    At this thought, the Chief Elder¡¯s heart trembled.


    He wanted to check the Shrine, but as he took a step, he stopped himself abruptly.


    The Chief Elder turned and looked at Mr. Zhuang with displeasure, ¡°Mr. Zhuang, it has been over an hour since the due time, isn¡¯t it about time?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang feigned difficulty.


    The Chief Elder glanced warily at Old Kui but dared only to take a quick look before turning his attention back to Mr. Zhuang and insisted:


    ¡°More than an hour has passed, and my Five Elements Sect has already made concessions. I would ask that you, Sir, know when to stop¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment and sighed: Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Well, whether they understand it or not, it¡¯s all up to those children¡¯s own fortune, and one cannot force it.¡±


    The Chief Elder clasped his hands and said, ¡°Mr. Zhuang deeply understands the greater good¡­¡± He then extended his hand and made a ¡°please¡± gesture:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang, please come with me to have a look.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Leading the way, the Chief Elder took Mr. Zhuang to the fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion, opening the big door with some apprehension, and looked inside.


    The meditation cushion hadn¡¯t been moved, and the Shrine appeared normal at first glance.


    The incense in the incense burner had long since burned out, leaving only the cold ash behind.


    The three Junior Formation Masters from Mo Hua were all inside.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were fine, but Mo Hua was holding his little head with a pained expression, furrowing his brows as if¡­


    He had overextended his Divine Sense?


    ¡°He didn¡¯t learn it?¡±


    The Chief Elder felt a twinge of anticipation.


    Mo Hua looked up, saw Mr. Zhuang, and hesitated, not sure what to say.


    Immediately, Mr. Zhuang sighed:


    ¡°Well, if he didn¡¯t learn it, then he didn¡¯t learn it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and then displayed a ¡°disappointed¡± look, hanging his head, ¡°Master, I¡­ I have let you down¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked regretful, but remained silent.


    Seeing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression, the Chief Elder was taken aback, then heaved a long sigh of relief.


    He then felt a sense of vindication, his old face blooming like a chrysanthemum, barely able to suppress his smile.


    He ¡°hehe¡± chuckled twice and pretended to console:


    ¡°The Five Elements Spirit Formation is the Sect Protecting Formation of my Five Elements Sect, a first-class Formation with Thirteen Stripes, incorporating the essence of creation. It¡¯s as hard to comprehend as ascending to the heavens¡­¡±


    ¡°Although your distinguished disciples are exceptionally talented and quick-witted, they are still young and learning the profound formations of my Five Elements Sect. It¡¯s normal not to grasp it; don¡¯t take it too much to heart.¡±


    ¡°The journey of Tao Cultivation is long, and they have a long road ahead¡­¡±


    ¡°Experiencing setbacks can better temper their nature.¡±


    The Chief Elder stroked his beard.


    Mo Hua, mimicking Mr. Zhuang, sighed and said, ¡°Chief Elder speaks very truly.¡±


    The Chief Elder raised his eyebrows and glanced at Mo Hua.


    This genius, arrogant and defiant, had put Junior Formation Masters of the entire Dali Mountain State boundary to shame. Yet now, facing the heritage of the Five Elements Sect, he seemed crestfallen due to defeat.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart was as sweet as honey.


    He had rarely been this delighted in his life.


    The Chief Elder even said:


    ¡°If Mr. Zhuang does not mind, you could stay longer in my Five Elements Sect, allowing us to extend our hospitality a bit more¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang seemed somewhat disinterested, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    He waved his sleeve and left.


    The three from Mo Hua exchanged simple salutations with the Chief Elder, offered a bow, and followed Mr. Zhuang out.


    The Chief Elder watched their departing figures, the smile fading from his face, as he snorted to himself and scoffed:


    ¡°Tasted bitter fruit, have you?¡±


    ¡°The heritage of my Five Elements Sect isn¡¯t something just anyone can learn.¡±


    ¡­


    On the way back, there were no members of the Five Elements Sect around.


    Mo Hua¡¯s dejected expression changed, and he couldn¡¯t help but beam with joy.


    Smiling, Mo Hua then frowned again, rubbing the back of his head, and wondered aloud:


    ¡°`

 Chapter 641 - 541: Foundation_2

    Chapter 641: Chapter 541: Foundation_2


    ¡°My head, why does it feel a bit sore?¡±


    Bai Zixi paused, her cheeks blushed slightly as she said:


    ¡°It was me who hit you¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Bai Zixi, with a hint of apology, said softly, ¡°You woke up earlier, but something seemed off, so I knocked you out¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it and understood.


    He had been trapped in the Shrine Taoist Field before, and the Little Five Elements Ghost had escaped to his Sea of Consciousness, intending to take over and seize the chance to break free.


    Luckily his little junior sister was smart and knocked him out¡­


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t help but rub his head, muttering to himself:


    Little junior sister¡¯s punch hurts¡­


    Has she been practicing Body Refinement along with her spells¡­


    Noticing Mo Hua rubbing the back of his head nonstop, Bai Zixi realized she might have hit him too hard and said with a touch of concern:


    ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Not so much anymore¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi thought for a moment and then said softly, ¡°Let me help you rub it.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face reddened slightly, ¡°No need¡­¡±


    But before he could finish speaking, he felt his junior sister¡¯s fingers rubbing his forehead, cool and soft, soothing the pain away in an instant.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but flutter, and his face became even redder.


    After a moment, Mo Hua realized there was another hand on his head. He turned his head to see that Bai Zisheng was also rubbing it.


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°I¡¯m helping you rub it.¡±


    Mo Hua refused, ¡°No need!¡±


    Bai Zisheng, fidgety and careless, messed up his hair.


    Bai Zisheng said discontentedly, ¡°This is an elder brother¡¯s affection for his younger brother!¡±


    ¡°No need¡­¡±


    ¡°To not know the blessings you live in! You¡¯re actually complaining?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The two of them bickered and teased.


    Mr. Zhuang walked behind them, watching his three disciples with a gentle gaze, his lips slightly upturned.


    A breeze blew by, and Mr. Zhuang looked up slightly at the Mountain Protection Array of the Five Elements Sect; the smile in his eyes gradually faded.


    After a moment, his gaze became gentle again.


    But within that gentleness, there was both regret and wistfulness.


    ¡­


    After the group returned to the guest rooms and rested briefly, Mr. Zhuang asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°Have you learned the Five Elements Spirit Formation?¡±


    ¡°Mm!¡±


    With the Chief Elder not there, Mo Hua didn¡¯t hide anything and nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Not only that, I also saw something else in the Shrine¡­¡±


    Mo Hua recounted everything he experienced in the Shrine to Mr. Zhuang, sparing no detail.


    Mr. Zhuang was quite surprised:


    ¡°Source Pattern?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded, then asked:


    ¡°Master, is this Source Pattern the Five Elements Formation Flow? Does every Formation Flow have a ¡®Source Pattern¡¯?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and sighed softly:


    ¡°In principle, I shouldn¡¯t tell you about Formation Flows at this time¡­¡±


    ¡°But since you¡¯ve seen it and learned the Calculation Method, I¡¯ll briefly explain¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sat up straight, listening attentively.


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°The so-called Formation Flow, its full name is ¡®Formation Method Origin Stream,¡¯ which seeks the commonality and essence of a certain type of Formations.¡±


    ¡°The form of a Formation Flow is diverse.¡±


    ¡°Some are a versatile set of Formation Formations, which act like a skeleton. Once mastered, it makes drawing similar Formations much more efficient;¡±


    ¡°Some are a kind of Taoist Meaning. After grasping this Taoist Meaning, similar Formations can be easily understood by analogy;¡±


    ¡°Others are embodied in physical objects: there are swords, diagrams, sculptures, and even mountains and rivers¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, there are also what you mentioned, a Formation Pattern.¡±


    ¡°Simplify the complex, unify the many, condense thousands of Formations into a single ¡®Source Pattern¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Such Formation Flow inheritances are more difficult and more complex, and the Divine Sense consumed in Calculation is also the most.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said this, shook his head, and his expression turned contemplative:


    ¡°I never imagined that the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect would have such great ambition, to expend the power of an entire Sect in Calculation of the ¡®Source Pattern,¡¯ to create a Formation Flow, with the desire to make the Sect¡¯s Formations flourish and become a giant in the Formations field¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help asking:


    ¡°Master, how is the Five Elements Formation Flow different from the Immortal Sky Formation Flow?¡±


    ¡°Does our Sect¡¯s Immortal Sky Formation Flow contain the Five Elements Formation Flow?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment before slowly speaking and explaining:


    ¡°Formation Flow signifies the Formation Method Origin Stream.¡±


    ¡°But this so-called ¡®Origin Stream¡¯ might not necessarily be the true ¡®Origin Stream.''¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled, frowning, then his eyes brightened:


    ¡°The Origin Stream is comprehended by people, and even if it approaches the Great Dao, it might not be the true Great Dao?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes brightened with approval as he nodded:


    ¡°That¡¯s right, so the so-called Formation Method Origin Stream might not necessarily be the true origin, but rather the Formation Master¡¯s comprehension and summary of the ¡®Origin Stream¡¯ for a Formation Flow.¡±


    ¡°As such with the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, so with the Five Elements Formation Flow. The same principle applies.¡± S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°In other words, the Formation Flow formed by the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Calculation of the Five Elements Formations is called ¡®Five Elements Formation Flow.¡¯


    ¡°Other Sects that comprehend the origin of the Five Elements Formations can also call it ¡®Five Elements Formation Flow.¡¯


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua again with a profound meaning:


    ¡°Someday, if you comprehend the essence of the Five Elements and create your own Formation Flow, it can also be called ¡®Five Elements Formation Flow.''¡±


    Mo Hua had an epiphany:


    ¡°So, the Immortal Sky Formation Flow, encompassing the Formation Method Origin Streams of all heavens, even if it includes the Five Elements Formations, may differ from the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Five Elements Formation Flow, and might even be completely different?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded and said:

 Chapter 642 - 541: Foundation_3

    Chapter 642: Chapter 541: Foundation_3


    ¡°Formation Flows each have their strengths and weaknesses, but they all share common drawbacks.¡±


    ¡°The Immortal Sky Formation Flow contains an extremely profound understanding of formation arts, so much so that it could be held as a standard by any Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°But no matter how profound, it is still just one perspective.¡±


    ¡°Blind faith is worse than no faith at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I urged you not to rush into learning Formation Flows, but to step by step comprehend and learn the world¡¯s formations, to apply what you learn, and to integrate and understand them. Eventually, you will form your own Formation Flow and use it to seek the true Great Dao.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said with profound meaning:


    ¡°Using the law to attain the Dao.¡±


    ¡°All laws are but rafts.¡±


    ¡°Formation Flows are ¡®laws¡¯, they are ¡®rafts¡¯, not the ¡®Dao¡¯.¡±


    Mo Hua felt he understood some but not all, so he carefully remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words. When he had an epiphany in the future, he would verify and slowly comprehend them.


    But after hearing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s words, Mo Hua also roughly understood the concept of ¡°Formation Flows.¡±


    Formation Flows are the summary and understanding of the origin stream of formations.


    All the Formation Flows in the world, including the Immortal Sky Formation Flow and the Five Elements Formation Flow, touch on the source of formation arts. On one hand, they are extremely profound and mystical; on the other hand, they each have their own strengths, and it is difficult to distinguish the true from the false.


    One must learn and use them on their own.


    Unity of knowledge and action, to apply what you learn, to discern and adopt in practice.


    Blindly venerating ¡°Formation Flows¡± will make one a puppet of the Flow, mistaking the ¡®raft¡¯ for the ¡®Dao¡¯, and enduring a self-imposed confinement with no hope of seeking the Dao.


    The gleam in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes grew brighter.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.


    Mo Hua had some clarity, then he frowned and asked about another matter:


    ¡°Master, do ¡®Source Patterns¡¯ have their own will?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze sharpened, his tone grew heavier, ¡°Their own will?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°They evolve on their own, spread on their own, can parasitize and dominate. Though they cannot speak, the Formation Patterns are like eyes, possessing human-like emotions¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression became solemn, ¡°Are you speaking of that ¡®Five Elements Source Pattern¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s face was grave, his fingers tapping on the table, his thoughts turbulent. After a long while, he finally spoke:


    ¡°Generally, Source Patterns don¡¯t have that¡­¡±


    ¡°Legacy is simply legacy, which is the understanding and perception of Cultivators. It is a spell point, it has no will.¡±


    ¡°The ones with will are the people who control the legacy.¡±


    ¡°An ¡®aberration¡¯ in the Source Pattern¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang frowned and pondered aloud:


    ¡°Did something go wrong with the Five Elements Sect back then, a miscalculation that caused the Source Pattern to mutate?¡±


    ¡°Or did they face a catastrophe, with evil spirits invading?¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps, were they schemed against, nurturing something¡­¡±


    ¡°The decline of the Five Elements Sect, could it be because of this ¡®Source Pattern¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    He thought the same.


    He was truly his master¡¯s disciple, thinking alongside him!


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze turned sharp and he asked Mo Hua, ¡°Where is that Source Pattern now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve hidden it inside a painting.¡±


    ¡°A painting?¡±


    Mo Hua took out the Contemplation Map.


    Previously, this Contemplation Map was the Zhang Family¡¯s Zombie Ancestor Picture. Now, without the zombie but possessing the Source Pattern, imprinted with the legacy of formation, it had become the ¡°Five Elements Formation Flow Map.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang took out a few Copper Coins, arranged them on the table in a formation pattern that Mo Hua could not understand, and then placed the map within the formation, slowly unfolding it.


    On the map, there was a Five-Colored Formation Pattern.


    The Formation Pattern was sealed, its luster subdued, but its aura was ancient.


    ¡°Be careful, Master, it will open its eyes.¡±


    Mo Hua whispered a reminder.


    Open its eyes?


    Mr. Zhuang was slightly stunned, looking at the Five Elements Formation Flow Chart, but noticed that the Formation Patterns were completely still, showing no signs of ¡°opening their eyes,¡± very calm, even one could say¡­


    Obedient?


    Mr. Zhuang asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°It probably moved home from the shrine and hurt its vitality, so it doesn¡¯t dare to surface.¡±


    How its vitality was hurt, it concerned the Taoist Stele, and Mo Hua did not elaborate.


    Mr. Zhuang also had a rough understanding and did not delve deeper but still glanced at Mo Hua silently, thinking to himself that his little disciple, though seemingly harmless to humans and animals, did not seem to go easy on ¡°people¡± when bullying them¡­


    That put his mind at ease.


    Mr. Zhuang took another look at the ¡°Five Elements Formation Flow Chart,¡± his thoughts stirring, he performed some calculations, and the more he calculated, the more surprised he became, finding it somewhat incredible:


    ¡°Is this really¡­ the bedrock of the Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°The bedrock?¡± Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was complex as he looked at Mo Hua, saying helplessly:


    ¡°The foundation of thousands of years¡­ isn¡¯t that the ¡®bedrock¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth opened slightly, in disbelief.


    The foundation of thousands of years¡­


    He pointed at the Five Elements Source Pattern, struggling to understand:


    ¡°Just this thing?¡±


    The Five Elements Source Pattern quivered with indignation, but ultimately it still didn¡¯t dare to ¡°open its eyes.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Turning the many into one, with the Calculation Method of the Source Pattern, the Five Elements Sect compiled the Formation of the entire sect into this Source Pattern theory¡­¡±


    ¡°In other words, this Source Pattern contains all the Formation heritage of the Five Elements Sect over thousands of years¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was flabbergasted.


    He knew that this Source Pattern was a product of Formation Flow evolution and should be extraordinary, but he never imagined it would be extraordinary to this extent!


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mo Hua was a bit puzzled, ¡°How is this ¡®Source Pattern¡¯ used?¡±


    He really didn¡¯t understand Formation Flow.


    What the purpose of this Source Pattern was, he also wasn¡¯t quite sure.


    It couldn¡¯t possibly be used as a ¡°pathogen¡± to infect someone else¡¯s Sea of Consciousness¡­


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°There are two possibilities¡­¡±


    ¡°First, if you can¡¯t suppress the will of the ¡®Source Pattern,¡¯ don¡¯t look at it, don¡¯t study it, because once the ¡®Source Pattern¡¯ settles in, changing the master of the Sea of Consciousness, the consequences would be unimaginable¡­¡±


    ¡°The second¡­¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°If you have a way to suppress this ¡®Source Pattern,¡¯ then you can try to reverse calculate and disassemble the ¡®Source Pattern¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Reverse Calculation, disassemble the Source Pattern?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Mr. Zhuang gave a nod, continuing:


    ¡°You¡¯ve learned the Calculation Method of the Five Elements Sect, which can deduce Formation Patterns, reduce complexity to simplicity; conversely, it can also turn simplicity to complexity, and disassemble the deduced Formation Patterns back out¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang remarked with a sigh:


    ¡°Within this Source Pattern lies all the Five Elements Formation heritage of the Five Elements Sect, by disassembling it, you would obtain the Formation Diagrams of these Formation methods¡­¡±


    The entire Formation heritage of the Five Elements Sect¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, then as if remembering something, his heart suddenly trembled, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly, giving an affirmative nod:


    ¡°Indeed, this includes the heritage of the Five Elements Spirit Formation!¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not just any heritage¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s tone revealed his amazement:


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely a complete set of precious, nearly lost, ancient Ultimate Formation heritage from First Grade to Second Grade, and even Third Grade and above!¡±


    ¡°This is the true foundation of the Five Elements Sect accumulated over thousands of years!¡±

 Chapter 643 - 542 Zhen Deterrence_1

    Chapter 643: Chapter 542 Zhen Deterrence_1


    ¡°`


    Including a complete set of inheritance for the Five Element Ultimate Formation, from the first rank and above!


    And it was the ancient heritage of the once first-rate Formation Sect, the Five Elements Sect!


    Mo Hua was beside himself with excitement.


    After Mo Hua finished celebrating, Mr. Zhuang smiled slightly:


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not that simple¡­¡±


    ¡°I knew it¡­¡± Mo Hua muttered to himself, pondered briefly, and then asked Mr. Zhuang:


    ¡°Master, this foundation must be hidden very deeply, right?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, saying in a grave tone:


    ¡°Getting the foundational inheritance of the Five Elements Sect is not that easy¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Firstly, as I just said, one must have a way to suppress the ¡®Source Pattern¡¯. If one cannot suppress it and rashly attempts to calculate the Source Pattern, they will inevitably be parasitized by the ¡®Source Pattern¡¯, leading to death and the dissipation of one¡¯s spirit¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if one can suppress it, they must still be extremely careful.¡±


    ¡°This Source Pattern is too ancient and contains endless and inscrutable computing power of Divine Sense; it is unknown exactly what anomalies have occurred.¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Sect of those days, with such great power, so many Formation Masters, and such profound knowledge of formation study, still could not deal with it in the end.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, if you truly wish to comprehend and calculate the ¡®Source Pattern¡¯, you must be extremely cautious and fully confident!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was solemn.


    Mo Hua nodded gravely, ¡°Master, I will be careful. I will ¡®play it safe¡¯ when necessary!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang couldn¡¯t help but smile, then continued:


    ¡°The second requirement is Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°The Source Pattern involves calculation, which consumes a great deal of Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, it is reverse calculation, and what you are calculating is a ¡®Source Pattern¡¯ that has condensed countless amounts of computational power, so the requirements for Divine Sense are extremely high.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at the Five Elements Formation Flow Chart again, fixing his gaze on the five closed-eyed, multicolored ¡®Source Patterns¡¯, and said slowly with profound eyes:


    ¡°This ¡®Source Pattern¡¯ contains all the Five Elements Formation methods treasured by the Five Elements Sect, including the Five Elements Spirit Formation, akin to a Formation ¡®Taoist Repository¡¯.¡±


    ¡°But most of the formations inside are ¡®encrypted¡¯ through variations of Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°Without sufficient Divine Sense, they cannot be calculated.¡±


    ¡°With your current Divine Sense, even if you attempt to calculate, you¡¯d only see the tip of the iceberg¡­¡±


    ¡°The rest of the ¡®Taoist Repository¡¯ is inexhaustible, and you must wait until the future, when your cultivation improves, and your Divine Sense becomes stronger before you can uncover and comprehend it.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang closed the Formation Flow Chart and handed it to Mo Hua.


    ¡°This Source Pattern encompasses the myriad phenomena of the Five Elements¡­¡±


    ¡°It is the core formation inheritance of the entire Five Elements Sect, and looking across the Cultivation World, it can be said to be as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, invaluable beyond measure¡­¡±


    ¡°You must keep it safe, and remember, you must not reveal it, else it will surely attract covetous eyes!¡±


    Mo Hua felt the chart in his hands as heavy as a thousand catties and nodded solemnly.


    Mr. Zhuang patted Mo Hua¡¯s head, letting out a slight breath of relief.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang added, ¡°The Five Elements Spirit Formation needs a new name.¡±


    ¡°A new name?¡± Mo Hua was startled. ¡°Does it not sound good?¡±


    Although he felt that the name Five Elements Spirit Formation lacked dominance and sophistication, seeming like a common and somewhat rustic formation, he didn¡¯t think it was necessary to change the name¡­


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head with a smile, ¡°The name of a formation is related to its principles and generally isn¡¯t chosen haphazardly.¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements Spirit Formation, with the word ¡®Spirit¡¯, may sound ordinary, but to the knowledgeable Formation Master, it signifies that this formation involves the essence of the Five Elements¡¯ Spiritual Power, markedly different from ordinary formations.¡±


    ¡°I suggest you change the name because I want to avoid drawing connections, not wishing to link you with the Five Elements Sect.¡±


    ¡°Five Elements Spirit Formation is closely related to the Five Elements Sect, and your mastery of it inevitably implies that you have ties to the Five Elements Sect.¡±


    ¡°Possessing treasure incurs guilt.¡±


    ¡°In the eyes of those with intentions, you are like someone holding a treasure, flaunting your name and parading in the streets.¡±


    Realizing the point, Mo Hua nodded repeatedly:


    ¡°Master is right!¡±


    ¡°Keeping a low profile while making a fortune is the best way!¡±


    ¡°Though we study openly and honestly, being too showy can easily attract jealousy and trouble.¡±


    ¡°Besides, that Chief Elder is old and narrow-minded. If he knew I had learned their Sect Protecting Formation, it would probably infuriate him to death. To avoid giving him a coronary, I¡¯ll just keep it from him!¡±


    Mo Hua said thoughtfully.


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled, then after a moment of reflection, he instructed:


    ¡°The causality of the Cultivation World is determined by destiny. This Source Pattern, though obtained by your own ability, is after all a favor from the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect.¡±


    ¡°If there is a chance in the future, you can repay this causality and do some good deeds for the Five Elements Sect lineage, but not now¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡±


    Then he asked, ¡°Master, the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­ If I were to change its name, what should I rename it to?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied gently: ¡°Think about that yourself. There are very few Formation Masters who know this method¡ªwhat others lack, you possess, which shall become your foundation. Even if the name is unattractive, it¡¯s yours to use.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned pensively.


    This indeed was a serious consideration that required thoughtful deliberation and could not be rushed.


    But there was no urgency at the moment.


    The pressing matter at hand was to see whether he could, as he initially hoped, suppress the Source Pattern and invert-calculate all the Five Elements Formations, including the Five Elements Spirit Formation, from it.


    After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua returned to his room, wanting to start contemplating the ¡®Source Pattern¡¯.


    But upon reflection, he still felt it was unwise.


    He had promised his master to ¡®play it safe¡¯ a bit more.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 644 - 542 Zhen Deterrence_2

    Chapter 644: Chapter 542 Zhen Deterrence_2


    Mo Hua then set up a Formation around, with some that isolated their aura to prevent detection, and created control-type Formations to prevent himself from running amok if he were to be ¡°parasitized.¡±


    The Formations within the room were dense and intricate like a spider web.


    Mo Hua patted his hands together, feeling considerably more at ease.


    But he still wasn¡¯t completely reassured, so he ran next door and knocked.


    Bai Zixi opened the door, looking at Mo Hua with confusion.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Senior Sister, if I act abnormally later, stop me and then call for Master.¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Should I knock you out too?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s head started to throb subtly, but he still clenched his teeth and said, ¡°Knock me out!¡± Then he added:


    ¡°But, could you¡­ go a bit easier?¡±


    Bai Zixi nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be gentler.¡±


    After entrusting her with the task, Mo Hua returned to his room and placed the ¡°Five Elements Formation Flow Map,¡± which held the Five-elements Variant Source Pattern, in front of him.


    Just as Mo Hua was about to open it, he hesitated once more, feeling that he could still be a bit more ¡°cowardly¡±¡­


    Mo Hua checked the sky, it was already 22 p.m, and before long, it would be 1 p.m.


    At 1 p.m, within his Sea of Consciousness, a Taoist Stele appeared.


    With the Taoist Stele as his support, he would proceed to comprehend the Map.


    ¡°A delayed sharpening doesn¡¯t slow the chopping of wood, just wait a bit more¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged, calming his mind and spirit.


    As 1 p.m. struck, Mo Hua suddenly opened his eyes, then opened the Map, calmly visualizing and focusing intently on the Calculation.


    The Source Pattern closed its eyes, with no anomalies, it was just the usual Formation Flow.


    It was the Formation Method Origin Stream formed by summarizing various Formations.


    Following the Calculation Method of the Five Elements Sect, Mo Hua began to calculate in reverse.


    Indeed, at the edge of the Source Pattern within his Sea of Consciousness, tiny bits of the Formation Patterns slowly separated, evolved, and eventually formed various complete Formations.


    Mo Hua was very familiar with these Formations.


    They were all commonly used Five Elements Formations within the realm of the First-grade, and while the methods were a bit different due to their ancient heritage, the Formation Patterns had some alterations, they were largely the same.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirit was lifted.


    Master was right; reverse Calculation was feasible.


    This Source Pattern was a Taoist Repository, a treasure of Formations that contained countless Five Elements Formations.


    Once one learned to perform Calculations, it would be possible to reverse engineer and obtain various Five Elements Formation Diagrams.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he continued his Calculations.


    The Sea of Consciousness was silent, Mo Hua¡¯s mind was undistracted.


    After spending most of the night on it, Mo Hua had finally understood another point. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The reverse computations were related to the strength of the Divine Sense.


    The stronger the Divine Sense, the higher the grade of the Five Elements Formations he could calculate.


    With his Divine Sense at the peak of Thirteen Stripes, the Formation Patterns he derived were also below Thirteen Stripes.


    Formations above Thirteen Stripes were beyond his ability to ¡°decode.¡±


    As for which specific Formations he could derive, it was up to fate.


    So far, the Formations that Mo Hua had derived from the ¡°Source Pattern¡± were varied, although all categorized under Five Elements, encompassing complete representations of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, ranging from Formations with three or four patterns to First-grade Formations with nine.


    It was like drawing lots; whatever you drew was what you got, without any particular pattern.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    According to his deduction, the process of Calculating the Source Pattern and deriving the Formation Flow was complex. Such a large ¡°Tao Cultivation project¡± must certainly follow specific protocols and rules.


    These Formation Patterns must also be arranged in a given order and framework, coming together to form the Source Pattern, and could not possibly be in a state of chaos.


    However, Mo Hua was not yet clear on this and would have to continue his comprehension in the future¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but admire the situation again.


    Thousands of years of heritage¡­


    How many Formations could be contained within this Source Pattern?


    What would it look like if it was completely Calculated and fully ¡°decoded¡±?


    What if he could learn all the Formations contained herein?


    Being knowledgeable in both Formations and Calculation,


    Wouldn¡¯t he become like a ¡°Human-shaped Source Pattern¡±?


    Mo Hua entertained these thoughts wildly, filled with anticipation in his heart.


    As his mind wandered, he suddenly felt sleepy, as though the prolonged Calculation had made him weary, and his Divine Sense was also significantly depleted.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids were fighting each other, and he was vaguely dozing off, his little head nodding repeatedly¡­


    Maybe a little sleep¡­


    That was what Mo Hua thought, but suddenly, he was jolted awake.


    Sleep? What sleep?


    This was in his own Sea of Consciousness, in front of the Taoist Stele; he never felt sleepy!


    ¡°Something¡¯s off!¡±


    When Mo Hua opened his eyes, he saw that the ¡°Source Pattern¡± on the Five Elements Formation Flow Map had somehow opened its eyes!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he braced himself entirely, examining his own Divine Sense.


    Sure enough!


    Inside his Sea of Consciousness, there was an intricate array of Formation Patterns.


    This ¡°Source Pattern¡± was restless again, harboring ill intentions, taking advantage of his focused Calculations and his exhausted Divine Sense to create an Earth Series Sleeping Formation, intending to make him drowsy and fall asleep.


    Meanwhile, its Formation Patterns, like ants or tentacles, were secretly infiltrating his Sea of Consciousness!


    ¡°It still wants to parasite itself on me?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    Not right!


    Following the Formation Patterns, Mo Hua realized with a start:


    ¡°The Source Pattern¡¯s target is the Taoist Stele?¡±


    ¡°Does it have the audacity to parasite onto the Taoist Stele?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, his mind racing, and he soon grew solemn:


    ¡°No, it wants to¡­ assimilate with the Taoist Stele?¡±


    Mo Hua was suddenly enlightened.


    The Taoist Stele, formless and in line with the Great Dao, carried the essence of the Great Dao on itself.


    Did this ¡°Source Pattern¡± want to assimilate with the Great Dao and merge with the Taoist Stele?!


    ¡°This Source Pattern wants to be a ¡®concubine,¡¯ cleaving to the Taoist Stele?!¡±


    Does it even qualify?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrow twitched, intending to use the Calculation to reorganize the Formation Patterns and force the Source Pattern back into the Five Elements Formation Flow Map.


    However, his Calculation was still a bit too slow. Several five-colored Formation Patterns had already spread through Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, latching onto the central Taoist Stele.

 Chapter 645 - 542 Zhens Deterrence_3

    Chapter 645: Chapter 542 Zhen¡¯s Deterrence_3


    The Five-Colored Formation Pattern imprinted itself upon the ethereal surface of the Taoist Stele.


    The ¡°eyes¡± of the Source Pattern suddenly widened.


    The ancient aura of the Great Dao made it tremble, yet it seemed to excite it immensely.


    It was being eroded by the Great Dao bit by bit, but at the same time, it was approaching the essence of the Great Dao, undergoing a transformation¡­


    Mo Hua tried to use the Calculation Method to suppress the Formation Patterns, but his Divine Sense was limited, and inevitably, his speed was still too slow¡­ S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A sense of heaviness crept into Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    It was at that moment a silent and annihilating aura suddenly emerged from atop the Taoist Stele.


    This aura, equally ancient, was more domineering, filled with a cold and dead silence that seemed capable of erasing everything.


    Above the Taoist Stele, crimson Formation Patterns lit up!


    It was the Immortal Pattern containing the power of tribulation lightning that Mo Hua had glimpsed and memorized through the cracks of the Heavenly Dao when he broke the Large Formation, executed Feng Xi, and triggered the Heavenly Dao Formation to bring down heavenly retribution.


    With the presence of the Immortal Pattern, a scarlet hue of tribulation lightning appeared atop the Taoist Stele.


    In a flicker of lightning, all the spreading Formation Patterns from the ¡°Five Elements Source Pattern¡± were erased!


    The vitality of the Source Pattern was greatly damaged, its ¡°eyes¡± trembling with inexplicable terror.


    Immortal Pattern?


    Tribulation lightning?


    If the Taoist Stele signified the Great Dao that encompasses everything,


    then that tribulation lightning symbolized the pure ¡°Killing Path¡± that annihilates all things.


    The Source Pattern would have never imagined that within Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, there was an Immortal Pattern inscribed, a tribulation lightning engraved, hiding a shocking lethal tribulation!


    The Source Pattern, with the speed of lightning that leaves no time to cover one¡¯s ears, shrank back into the ¡°Five Elements Formation Flow Map.¡±


    Now its ¡°eyes¡± closed even tighter, shaking tremulously like a thin line, daring not to open even a slit for fear of ¡°seeing¡± something terrifying again.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat speechless.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just being masochistic? Without a beating, you never learn¡­¡±


    Now the ¡°Source Pattern¡± did not even dare to get angry, it could only hide in the chart, silently playing dead.


    Mo Hua shook his head, but also breathed a sigh of relief.


    With the Taoist Stele¡¯s suppression and the Immortal Pattern¡¯s deterrence,


    the Five Elements ¡°Source Pattern¡± should now be thoroughly honest and dare not harbor any more cunning thoughts.


    It would also be much safer for him to deduce Five Elements Formation Patterns in the future.


    But at the same time, Mo Hua developed a new curiosity:


    What is the relationship between the Immortal Pattern and the Source Pattern?


    Could it be that the Immortal Pattern itself is a kind of higher-end ¡°Source Pattern¡±?


    If that were the case¡­


    By deducing the ¡°Source Pattern,¡± one could gain the compiled Five Elements Formation from within the Source Pattern¡­


    Then, if one day, my Divine Sense grew powerful enough to deduce the ¡°Immortal Pattern,¡± what would be derived from the ¡°Immortal Pattern¡±?


    Heavenly tribulation?


    Thunder Formation?


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart raced with excitement.


    However, these matters were mere conjecture, and he was not yet certain of them.


    He must wait until his cultivation was higher, his Divine Sense stronger, and his mastery of formations deeper, to validate these ideas¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    His cultivation was not yet high enough, his Divine Sense not yet strong enough¡­


    It seemed he needed to expedite his cultivation and achieve Foundation Establishment sooner.


    There were so many more powerful formations waiting for him to learn!


    His spirits lifted, Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    ¡­


    On the other hand, in front of the shrine, the Chief Elder was frowning.


    Mo Hua and his two companions ¡°frustrated,¡± Mr. Zhuang ¡°defeated,¡± the Chief Elder had indeed exhaled in contentment for a few days.


    But a few days later, the more he thought about it, the more it felt off.


    Mr. Zhuang¡­ renowned for his meticulous schemes, did not seem to be the type to fail so simply¡­


    Regarding his three disciples:


    As for the siblings, he didn¡¯t know much about them, so he would not comment.


    But speaking only of the Junior Formation Master named Mo, whose talent was astonishing and whose flair for formations was indeed extraordinary, the biggest problem was his lack of virtue!


    His schemes were too wily!


    Would such a scheming Junior Formation Master really be so dejected simply because he couldn¡¯t learn a formation?


    Or rather, it would be normal for him not to learn it easily, but with his talent, to not learn anything at all was abnormal¡­


    The Chief Elder felt that he might have been played by Mr. Zhuang and his disciple!


    What was worse, he had taken it all for true!


    The Chief Elder felt his blood boil with anger.


    He offered incense before the shrine once more.


    This time, the incense burned without any anomaly, finishing steadily.


    Yet, the Chief Elder¡¯s brows knitted even tighter.


    No anomaly meant no sign.


    Where was the sign?


    What happened to the little demon housed in this shrine? Where had it gone?


    After examining the shrine for a while, the Chief Elder suddenly froze.


    The shrine seemed normal, but below it was a dark spot where¡­ a door seemed to be missing?


    Who had broken the great door of the shrine?


    No way¡­


    Inside the shrine lay the heritage of the Five Elements Sect.


    The great door of the shrine was broken, and the little demon inside was gone.


    The Chief Elder felt a tremor in his heart, an unbelievable thought surfacing:


    ¡°Could it be that the hidden heritage of my Five Elements Sect has been completely plundered¡­¡±


    ¡°No way¡­¡±

 Chapter 646 - 543 Bottleneck_1

    Chapter 646: Chapter 543 Bottleneck_1


    ¡°`


    The Chief Elder called for Sect Leader Liao.


    Sect Leader Liao stared at the Shrine for a long time before expressing his confusion,


    ¡°It seems¡­ indeed, a door is missing¡­¡±


    Both furrowed their brows, quite perplexed.


    This Shrine, handed down from the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, was a Divine Thought Taoist Field containing the transmission of the Five Elements Spirit Formation.


    Born from the hands of the Sect¡¯s forefathers, the Shrine was profound and unfathomable.


    Who on earth had the ability to forcibly break open the doors of the Shrine?


    And how did they do it?


    Were the ones who broke the door Mr. Zhuang¡¯s three disciples, or that little ghost inside?


    Sect Leader Liao knew about the matter of the little ghost.


    It was a secret of the Five Elements Sect.


    To prevent the loss of the Formation¡¯s knowledge, hundreds of years ago, an old Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect had specifically captured a little ghost and placed it within the Shrine to nurture, letting it create illusions to bewilder outsiders and prevent the core heritage of the Five Elements Sect from leaking out¡­


    But now, with the Shrine¡¯s doors broken and the little ghost missing¡­


    Sect Leader Liao exclaimed with concern, ¡°The transmission of the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder shook his head and sighed,


    ¡°I do not know¡­¡±


    He then raised his eyes to take another look at the Shrine and said with a frown,


    ¡°Over these hundreds of years, I¡¯ve always felt that within this Shrine, there is a special significance¡­ as if it¡¯s also hiding some particularly special heritage¡­¡±


    ¡°But now, with a door of the Shrine missing, this significance has suddenly disappeared¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as if the contents have been emptied by someone unknown¡­¡±


    The Shrine now stood as an empty shell, like a deserted pavilion, empty and cold.


    Sect Leader Liao asked in astonishment, ¡°Chief Elder, what other heritage does our Five Elements Sect have?¡±


    The Chief Elder remained silent.


    Because he did not know either.


    Sect Leader Liao shook his head and sneered inwardly.


    To embellish one¡¯s own face with gold, besides the Five Elements Spirit Formation, what other heritage could the Five Elements Sect have?


    Even the Five Elements Spirit Formation was in name only, with nobody able to learn it, and utterly unattainable¡­


    However, these were thoughts that he naturally wouldn¡¯t express aloud.


    A glint of light flashed in Sect Leader Liao¡¯s eyes as he said in a low voice,


    ¡°Chief Elder, could it be that Mr. Zhuang and his disciples have stolen our Five Elements Sect¡¯s heritage?¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart trembled, his brow even more furrowed.


    This was precisely his worry¡­


    With Mr. Zhuang being inscrutable, and his disciples possessing exceptional talent, if the master and apprentices had orchestrated a scheme and stolen the heritage of his Five Elements Sect, it would be endless trouble.


    The key question was, what exactly was this heritage?


    The Five Elements Spirit Formation?


    If it was the Five Elements Spirit Formation, they had no grounds to object, as it was something they were supposed to learn, and they had rightfully mastered it.


    But what if it wasn¡¯t just the Five Elements Spirit Formation?


    Not just the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­


    What else could it be?


    What else had the old ancestors of the Five Elements Sect left behind for them?


    The Chief Elder was completely bewildered.


    Sect Leader Liao had other ideas and so he asked, ¡°What do you plan to do?¡±


    ¡°What to do?¡± The Chief Elder¡¯s gaze darkened, ¡°What do you mean by that¡­¡±


    ¡°If there is indeed other heritage within the Shrine, it must be extraordinary, and we must investigate!¡±


    ¡°Investigate¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao raised an eyebrow, ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    The Chief Elder hesitated.


    Sect Leader Liao continued, ¡°With the Shrine damaged and the heritage lost, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciples are the prime suspects, so¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao moved closer to the Chief Elder and spoke in a lowered voice,


    ¡°We must find a way to keep them here!¡±


    ¡°Keep them here¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder mused thoughtfully.


    Sect Leader Liao nodded and suggested,


    ¡°We start with an investigation within the Five Elements Sect, then look into that missing little ghost, and then Mr. Zhuang and his disciples¡­


    ¡°Before the investigation is clear, we must make sure to detain them!¡±


    ¡°If the heritage is in their hands, we must find a way to take it back; if not, we apologize, make amends, and let it pass¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Chief Elder sneered, ¡°As if it would be that easy to let it pass¡­¡±


    Who do you think you¡¯re keeping?


    Mr. Zhuang is not so easy to deal with.


    Moreover, that wooden-like elder beside him, his Cultivation is even more unfathomable.


    Sect Leader Liao knew what the Chief Elder was worried about and said persuasively,


    ¡°We proceed with courtesy before force, first inviting them to stay with our Five Elements Sect for a little while longer, to linger a few more days.¡±


    ¡°Since there¡¯s an ancestral connection, visiting as guests and exchanging knowledge about Formations is a reasonable and appropriate request¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°They might just decide to stay.¡±


    ¡°This is the ¡®courtesy¡¯ part. If they do not agree, then we resort to ¡®force¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang and the elder may possess extraordinary Cultivation, but his disciples are only at the Qi Refinement level. Throughout these days, they have crossed hands with our Five Elements Sect disciples. Though stronger than Qi Refinement, perhaps even comparable to Foundation Establishment, they are still only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, and cannot turn the tables on our Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang seems indifferent, but he obviously cares quite a bit about those disciples, especially that one named Mo, who he dotes on greatly.¡±


    ¡°We just need to control that little disciple, no, even any single disciple, and use that to threaten Mr. Zhuang, and he will have no choice but to submit.¡±


    ¡°If that still doesn¡¯t work¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao pointed skywards and spoke with a solemn voice, ¡°We still have¡­ the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation!¡±


    The Chief Elder was shocked, ¡°To activate the Large Formation?!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao nodded, ¡°Once the Large Formation is activated, we won¡¯t worry about keeping them!¡±


    ¡°Even if their Cultivation is strong, they wouldn¡¯t dare to Transcend the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao, and they would inevitably be trapped within the Large Formation!¡±


    The Chief Elder frowned in thought. He felt that Sect Leader Liao might have a point, but he still lacked confidence in his heart.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 647 - 543: Bottleneck_2

    Chapter 647: Chapter 543: Bottleneck_2


    He still didn¡¯t dare to make an enemy of Mr. Zhuang.


    Especially within the gates of the Five Elements Sect, within the Mountain Protection Array, to confront Mr. Zhuang head-on.


    ¡°To tear off the face like this¡­ isn¡¯t that a bit too harsh?¡±


    The Chief Elder expressed his concern.


    Sect Leader Liao took a step back and said softly,


    ¡°Chief Elder, it¡¯s not that we must tear off our face with Mr. Zhuang¡­¡±


    ¡°If we treat him with great kindness and he decides to stay, wouldn¡¯t that be even better?¡±


    ¡°Even if we must activate the Large Formation and come to arms, we don¡¯t need to fight to the death. We just need him to hand over our Five Elements Sect¡¯s inheritance; even if it¡¯s only half, it¡¯s better than losing it all to outsiders¡­¡±


    ¡°We would also have something to report back to our ancestors in the sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Chief Elder¡­¡±


    Sect Leader Liao looked at the Chief Elder, his tone earnest as he said, ¡°The inheritance is of great importance!¡±


    The inheritance is of great importance!


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart trembled.


    ¡°Indeed, all this is for the inheritance of the Five Elements Sect!¡±


    Even if there were risks, they had to be taken.


    The Chief Elder took another look at Sect Leader Liao and nodded inwardly.


    This Sect Leader, although his realm and vision were somewhat limited, still had some measure and could come up with some tactics when it mattered.


    ¡°Alright!¡± the Chief Elder nodded, ¡°Then go ahead and prepare. We must keep them in the Five Elements Sect!¡±


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s face lit up with joy as he clasped his hands in agreement.


    Once the two had finished discussing, the Chief Elder still stayed in front of the Shrine, contemplating and full of anxious worries.


    Sect Leader Liao left the Formation Pavilion alone.


    Night had fallen, and outside the Formation Pavilion, there was a sight of carved beams and painted rafters, glittering gold and resplendent.


    As Sect Leader Liao stepped out of the Formation Pavilion, he looked back at it and couldn¡¯t help but sneer.


    ¡°The inheritance is of great importance?¡±


    ¡°Inheritance my ass!¡±


    ¡°What inheritance does the Five Elements Sect have at this point?¡±


    The study of Formations had declined, and Formation Masters had been lost.


    The Five Elements Sect now, built on Earth and Wood, was merely superficial, just like that Shrine, nothing more than an empty shell that shone from the outside.


    Without people, without Formations, what use was just an empty shell?


    The revival of the sect was a joke.


    Sect Leader Liao sneered with disdain, then twirled the jade ring on his finger.


    But it was not all loss¡­


    Over the years, he had reaped many benefits from it, squeezing every last bit of value from this decaying wood and beams, making a fortune. Now, the time had come to flee¡­


    The mess was someone else¡¯s problem.


    Spirit Stones were his own!


    As for the Five Elements Sect¡­


    Sect Leader Liao snorted coldly.


    Although he was indeed a man of the Five Elements Sect, it was just a title after all. Changing alliances was not a big deal.


    But before he left, the Five Elements Sect still had one last use¡­


    Sect Leader Liao took in the entire mountain gate of the Five Elements Sect, his mouth curling into a trace of cold intent.


    ¡­


    Two days later, Sect Leader Liao visited Mr. Zhuang.


    He still had a frank look, without any hint of scheming, earnestly saying,


    ¡°I have long admired Senior Zhuang, and I apologize for the difficulties and accusations made earlier. Please forgive me¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang did not express agreement or disagreement. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sect Leader Liao continued,


    ¡°¡­Now that the inheritance matters are settled, and the timing is right, I humbly ask that you spend some more time as a guest in the Five Elements Sect, allowing me, as the host, to show a bit of hospitality.¡±


    Sect Leader Liao¡¯s words seemed sincere, but he was very nervous inside.


    He couldn¡¯t fathom Mr. Zhuang¡¯s intentions, couldn¡¯t penetrate Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts, and felt like he was on pins and needles under Mr. Zhuang¡¯s deep gaze, sweating profusely.


    Sect Leader Liao anxiously awaited Mr. Zhuang¡¯s response.


    After pondering for a moment, Mr. Zhuang suddenly said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    This one word ¡°alright¡± relieved Sect Leader Liao immensely.


    He felt lighter by quite a bit and couldn¡¯t help but smile, saying,


    ¡°I am deeply grateful for Senior¡¯s favor.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and said nothing more, taking up his teacup to drink.


    Sect Leader Liao knew to take a hint, so he clasped his hands and said,


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb Senior¡¯s cultivation any longer, I take my leave.¡±


    After Sect Leader Liao left, Mr. Zhuang called Mo Hua over, thought for a moment, and then instructed,


    ¡°During this time, practice diligently. You¡¯ll establish your foundation here in the Five Elements Sect.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Here?¡±


    The Five Elements Sect was not exactly a safe haven.


    From the top down, there was both jealousy and hatred toward him; if not outright hostility, at least the attitude was unfriendly.


    But Mr. Zhuang affirmed confidently, ¡°No matter, establish your foundation here!¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too soon¡­¡±


    Since reaching the Qi Refining Ninth Level, it had only been a few months, and his Qi Sea was not yet stable, his foundations were not solid, and his Cultivation was not firm¡­


    Establishing his foundation now felt too premature.


    Mr. Zhuang said gently, ¡°Your Spiritual Root¡­ is not that great, and no matter how you refine your Spiritual Power, that¡¯s pretty much it, so you don¡¯t need so many requirements. Don¡¯t bother polishing your realm, it doesn¡¯t matter if the foundation is not solid; as long as you can break through, that¡¯s good enough¡­¡±


    Although he spoke softly, his words still stung.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and then asked, ¡°Master, what about my Divine Sense? Is that sufficient too?¡±


    ¡°Does drawing the Five Elements Spirit Formation enhance your Divine Sense?¡± Mr. Zhuang asked.


    ¡°It does, but not much¡­¡± Mo Hua replied truthfully.


    ¡°Can you break through to the Thirteen Stripes?¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it and shook his head, ¡°It feels very difficult¡­¡±


    He had been drawing the Five Elements Spirit Formation whenever he had the chance.


    Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth ¨C he drew the Spirit Formations of the five elements again and again.


    Drawing by day, and even at night on the Taoist Stele.


    His Divine Sense was indeed growing slowly, and at a considerable rate, stronger than when he was drawing the Spiritual Pivot Formation.


    Although the requirement for the Five Elements Spirit Formation was Thirteen Stripes, since ¡°Divine Sense Becomes the Dao,¡± part of the Divine Sense needed to be separated and merged with the Formation, becoming one with the Spiritual Power.

 Chapter 648 - 543 Bottleneck_3

    Chapter 648: Chapter 543 Bottleneck_3


    ¡°`


    So the Divine Sense actually consumed was a bit more than that of thirteen stripes.


    And the Spiritual Pivot Formation only had twelve patterns.


    If the Divine Sense strengthened by the Spiritual Pivot Formation were a small stream,


    then the Divine Sense strengthened by the Five Elements Spirit Formation would be a small river.


    But be it a small stream or a small river, in front of the threshold from thirteen to fourteen stripes, both seem somewhat insignificant.


    It¡¯s like channeling water into a ravine; the water is not a little, but the ravine is unfathomably deep and can never be filled¡­


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Then forget it, just build the foundation with the peak Divine Sense of thirteen stripes¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to reach fourteen stripes?¡± Mo Hua asked weakly.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head and sighed,


    ¡°No more forcing it. Although fourteen stripes are good, they are indeed too difficult¡­¡±


    And plans cannot keep up with changes; there¡¯s not much time left¡­


    There was a fleeting look of melancholy in Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze before he then instructed,


    ¡°You just build your foundation with the peak Divine Sense of thirteen stripes. Although it isn¡¯t extremely supreme, it is already very good¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang originally wanted to say ¡°very strong,¡± but he hesitated for a moment and still didn¡¯t want Mo Hua to become arrogant.


    However, in all fairness, having the Divine Sense at the peak of thirteen stripes in Qi Refinement is extremely rare in his recognition, even considered to be at the limit¡­


    Going beyond that is truly too difficult.


    Mr. Zhuang said gravely, ¡°If you build your foundation with the peak Divine Sense of thirteen stripes, theoretically, you should overcome the obstacles, and your Divine Sense should increase manifold, reaching the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, between fourteen and sixteen stripes.¡±


    ¡°As for the exact amount, it will depend on the Taoist Skill¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked curiously, ¡°Master, if the Divine Sense multiplies, why isn¡¯t it twenty-six stripes?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was taken aback and lightly tapped Mo Hua¡¯s forehead,


    ¡°What are you thinking? The increase of Divine Sense isn¡¯t simply arithmetic.¡±


    ¡°The number of patterns is just a scale.¡±


    ¡°Between two scales, the amount of Divine Sense can differ as much as heaven is from earth.¡±


    ¡°Nine stripes in Qi Refinement, and ten stripes in Foundation Establishment, are already a substantial difference, a full double.¡±


    ¡°Twenty-six stripes, that¡¯s already the Golden Core¡­¡±


    ¡°Such good fortune doesn¡¯t just happen¡­¡±


    Mo Hua smiled sheepishly, then curiously asked again,


    ¡°Master, is the disparity in Divine Sense also a full double between the initial and middle stages of Foundation Establishment?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang replied, ¡°Not necessarily. The Divine Sense disparity between the early and middle phases of Foundation Establishment is significant, but it won¡¯t be as much as a full double.¡±


    Mo Hua, with his keen mind, immediately found another question,


    ¡°Then why can my Divine Sense only reach the middle stage of Foundation Establishment after it increases upon my breakthrough?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang took a sip of tea and continued to explain to Mo Hua,


    ¡°Because the further you go with Divine Sense, the slower and more difficult its growth becomes.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, your situation is quite special; your current Divine Sense is already very strong, so your realm breakthrough will lead to a great increase in Divine Sense, but it may not necessarily double.¡±


    ¡°Heavenly Dao maintains balance, always with limits and often with many restrictions¡­¡±


    If it weren¡¯t limited, your Divine Sense would truly become ¡®unruly and untamed¡¯¡­


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and silently sighed to himself.


    Mo Hua nodded as if he understood.


    ¡°Alright, focus on your cultivation¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua again and said with a gentle smile,


    ¡°I estimate that in less than a month, your Cultivation will be nearly adequate. Try to break through the realm and see what the bottleneck of the Heaven Yan Jue is, then we can find a way to break through the bottleneck and build the Taoist Foundation!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, his eyes sparkling.


    Though he couldn¡¯t reach fourteen stripes, and that was a pity, he was still very happy to be on the verge of Foundation Establishment.


    Without the fourteen stripes, so be it¡­


    Man follows the earth, the earth follows the heavens, the heavens follow the Tao, and the Tao follows nature.


    Tao Cultivation is about following the natural course of things, without forcing anything.


    You should not bite off more than you can chew. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For the next month, Mo Hua focused entirely on his cultivation, tirelessly absorbing Spirit Stones.


    Even when studying Formation, he only did it at the Taoist Stele at 1 p.m., and during the daylight hours, he mostly used his time to meditate and assimilate Spirit Stones.


    Normal cultivation requires a steady pace, like the constant dripping that wears away a stone.


    Persistence every day, with practice making perfect.


    But now, on the verge of Foundation Establishment, it is necessary to spend more time and more Spirit Stones, to use both time and Spirit Stones on the ¡°cutting edge.¡±


    Mo Hua cultivated with single-minded devotion, preparing for Foundation Establishment.


    Bai Zixi and Bai Zisheng, knowing that Mo Hua was about to build his foundation, did not disturb him, and silently protected their junior brother to prevent any mishaps in his cultivation or disturbances from others.


    And Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation was progressing smoothly.


    Spirit Stones were consumed one after another, and Spiritual Power was increasing bit by bit.


    Finally, after a month.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Cultivation reached the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Level.


    At the same time, he also touched upon the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment¡­


    ¡°`

 Chapter 649 - 544 Mystery Sky_1

    Chapter 649: Chapter 544 Mystery Sky_1


    That day, Mo Hua was cultivating as usual when suddenly his Qi Sea trembled and filled up on its own.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression brightened with joy.


    The ninth layer had reached perfection, and spiritual power overflowed.


    He had touched the threshold of Foundation Establishment!


    The abundant spiritual power began to condense within the Qi Sea and circulate, gradually solidifying like a layer of mist, damp and moist.


    This was a precursor to spiritual power becoming as quicksilver, as well as a prerequisite for Foundation Establishment.


    Spiritual power like quicksilver, ascending to Foundation Establishment.


    But before spiritual power could be refined to that quicksilver state, a bottleneck had to be overcome.


    This bottleneck varied from person to person, mainly depending on the cultivation technique and the cultivator¡¯s spiritual root.


    Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation technique was the Tianyan Jue.


    So, according to the Tianyan Jue, the bottleneck for Foundation Establishment resided within the Sea of Consciousness.


    Sure enough, moments later, that overflowing spiritual power turned into gossamer threads of spiritual silk, flowing out from the Qi Sea, following the meridians to converge at Baihui, then seeping inward at the Heavenly Gate, entering Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    The spiritual power entering the Sea of Consciousness transformed into filaments and began to weave into Formation Patterns.


    This scene was not unfamiliar to Mo Hua.


    He had experienced this when breaking through from the early phase to the middle phase of Qi Refinement, and again, from the middle phase to the late phase of Qi Refinement.


    This time was no different.


    The spiritual threads outlined patterns and drew Mystery Formations, covering the Sea of Consciousness.


    The one thing Mo Hua worried about was whether this Mystery Formation would exceed a first-grade nine-patterned, turning into a ten-patterned or even higher pattern that Mo Hua had never seen or learned before¡ªthe Ultimate Formation.


    Overcoming this bottleneck by solving the formation would then be extremely difficult.


    His attempt at Foundation Establishment would also become much more challenging.


    Mo Hua watched the spiritual threads somewhat nervously, observing as they wove Mystery Formations like weaving flowers. After a short while, he let out a sigh of relief¡­


    It was only a Compound Formation, and they were all fairly simple.


    With his current level of Formation mastery, breaking the Compound Formation was still well within his capabilities.


    He was also fortunate that his master had taught him many advanced Formation theories and instructed him to establish himself with Formations, and to Prove the Dao with Divine Sense. His knowledge of Formations far surpassed that of an average first-grade Formation Master.


    Otherwise, even just breaking a Compound Formation would be quite troublesome.


    Now, to establish his Foundation smoothly, it seemed he would face many more difficulties.


    Hard work always yields rewards.


    Mo Hua celebrated in his heart.


    However, after a while, his expression froze, and his face grew more and more solemn.


    Something was wrong¡­


    The Mystery Formations continued to appear¡­


    And there was no sign of stopping.


    One Compound Formation after another slowly came into existence and connected together.


    As more Mystery Formations accumulated, like snowflakes in the depths of winter, layer upon layer, they covered the entire Sea of Consciousness.


    When the creation of the Mystery Formations was complete.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth dropped open, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    What was¡­this?


    The spiritual power, dense like silk threads, wove an entire world of Formations, like an enormous cocoon that completely and thoroughly enshrouded his Sea of Consciousness.


    This was¡­a Large Formation composed of Mystery Formations?!


    Mo Hua was profoundly shaken.


    A Large Formation like a cocoon, concealing the Sea of Consciousness.


    Would he end up trapped, or would he break free like a butterfly from its cocoon?


    Mo Hua fell silent for a long time and was at a loss for words.


    This was¡­too outrageous¡­


    How could there be such a bottleneck for Foundation Establishment?


    Mo Hua glanced over the enormous Mystery Formation again, his Divine Sense sweeping across it, roughly counting the formations, his gaze shaking.


    The entire Large Formation contained tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Mystery Formations!


    Was he supposed to solve each and every one of them?


    Would that take until the end of time?


    Mo Hua frowned and tried to solve a few Mystery Formations. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Mystery Formations were not difficult to solve.


    It was just the sheer number of them that was overwhelming!


    Mo Hua made an estimate.


    Solving ten formations a day, it would take about ten to twenty years to completely dismantle this Mystery Formation that had entrapped him like a cocoon.


    After solving a few more Mystery Formations and looking up again, Mo Hua sighed deeply, overcome with a sense of powerlessness.


    Before him was an endlessly vast sea of formations.


    And the few Mystery Formations he had just solved were nothing but a drop in the ocean.


    Just thinking about all the Mystery Formations left to solve made Mo Hua¡¯s scalp tingle.


    And this wasn¡¯t even the most troublesome part.


    If these Mystery Formations made up a Large Formation, then the most difficult aspect would lie in its Formation Pivot.


    What structure could the Formation Pivot of a Mystery Formation have?


    And how should it be solved?


    Mo Hua was completely clueless.


    This was not a problem one person could solve on their own.


    Constructing a Large Formation required an immense amount of manpower, and solving it would demand an even greater amount of Divine Sense computation¡ªbreaking a Formation was much more troublesome than constructing one¡­


    What should he do?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    Aside from solving, the only other method he could think of was ¡°disintegration.¡±


    The Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation had been completely disintegrated by his use of the Reversed Spirit Formation, leaving nothing behind.


    But the problem was that this was happening in his own Sea of Consciousness.


    If he disintegrated the Large Formation, he would likely be destroyed along with it.


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    ¡°I can only ask my master for guidance¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The next day, Mo Hua hurried to find Mr. Zhuang without delay.


    Mr. Zhuang was drinking tea when he heard the news, his action paused, and he slowly looked up, ¡°A Large Formation?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Many, many of them, all covering my Sea of Consciousness, with intricate patterns and densely woven spiritual silk, like a pale blue cocoon¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s pupils constricted, ¡°A cocoon¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded again, then asked with concern:


    ¡°Master, will I still be able to establish my Foundation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became focused, and then he smiled faintly, saying warmly:


    ¡°When was Foundation Establishment ever easy?¡±


    ¡°Bottlenecks are bottlenecks because they are hindered by the Great Dao and are difficult to surpass; otherwise, everyone in this world would face no impediments in Tao Cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Since you are a cultivator, aspiring to seek the Heavenly Dao, whether it is difficult or not, it should not hinder your Taoist Heart.¡±

 Chapter 650 - 544 Mystery of the Heavens_2

    Chapter 650: Chapter 544 Mystery of the Heavens_2


    ¡°You will be establishing your foundation tomorrow, and you must still continue your cultivation and decode formations, even if it takes ten or twenty years to establish your foundation, the same tasks await: cultivation and formation decoding¡­¡±


    ¡°As cultivators, we seek the Great Dao without concern for success or failure.¡±


    ¡°The tasks at hand remain the same; do not let fear of gain or loss make you timid.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s state of mind suddenly became clear, and all his doubts dissipated.


    Right, worrying is pointless¡­


    If this bottleneck really takes one or two decades to break through, then so be it. Could it be that I would give up on decoding formations and breaking through, to remain a mere Qi Refinement cultivator for a lifetime?


    Once a matter is determined, looking to the past and future is meaningless.


    After all, the things that must be done are always the same.


    I am a Formation Master; all I need is to focus solely on learning and decoding Formation Methods.


    My Taoist Heart must not be disturbed by the difficulty, success, or failure of my tasks.


    Mo Hua¡¯s initially anxious heart gradually calmed down; his breath steadied, and his gaze became resolute.


    Mr. Zhuang felt reassured within and nodded gently, saying with a smile,


    ¡°Good, it¡¯s good that you understand. But there¡¯s no need to rush; it won¡¯t take that long to fully decode the Mystery Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±


    After their conversation, Mo Hua stood up to bid farewell, ready to return and ponder over the Mystery Formation some more, but Mr. Zhuang suddenly called out to Mo Hua, pausing briefly before speaking:


    ¡°Mo Hua, show me part of the Mystery Formation you¡¯ve worked on.¡±


    Mo Hua, puzzled but obedient, took out paper and brush, and drew a part of the Mystery Formation and its Formation Pivot.


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°Good.¡±


    After Mo Hua left, Mr. Zhuang looked at the section of the Mystery Formation that Mo Hua had drawn, and his expression became increasingly grave.


    Old Kui appeared, took a glance at the Mystery Formation, and furrowed his brows as well.


    ¡°What is this thing?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you¡­¡± said Mr. Zhuang, somewhat distracted.


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze darkened, shaking his head, ¡°I have never seen this before.¡±


    It was plainly a First-grade Formation Method and also a Mystery Formation, but in his many years of Tao Cultivation experience, there was not a trace of recollection.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Mr. Zhuang murmured, ¡°I thought I would never see this kind of formation again in my lifetime¡­¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s expression turned solemn, ¡°What exactly is this formation?¡±


    ¡°This formation is called¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang fell silent for a long while, his eyes showing struggle, before finally speaking:


    ¡°Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s eyes widened with shock, ¡°Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded with a bitter smile.


    Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    Old Kui¡¯s expression shifted, hesitating several times as if wanting to speak, but in the end, he swallowed his words and just stared blankly, saying:


    ¡°How could it be¡­¡±


    How could it be the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    Old Kui¡¯s brows were tightly knitted, he didn¡¯t delve deeper but instead asked:


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between this Mysterious Heaven Great Formation and a regular Mystery Formation?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s different¡­¡±


    ¡°A Mystery Formation can constitute a Large Formation, but such a Large Formation is merely a collection of simple mystery arrays. It has the scale of a Large Formation but lacks the essence; strictly speaking, it isn¡¯t considered a true Large Formation¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang took another look at the Formation Method drawn by Mo Hua earlier and sighed:


    ¡°The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation is different¡­¡±


    ¡°It is an extremely special Large Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°So unique that it¡¯s utterly unclear what the essence of this formation truly is.¡±


    ¡°The existing Mysterious Heaven Great Formations are used to seal away secrets that are unknowable¡­¡±


    ¡°The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation holds mysteries as vast as the sky¡­¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The principles of the formations involved are also bizarre and extraordinary¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang stared at Old Kui, as if asking for his opinion or perhaps questioning himself:


    ¡°A Mystery Formation is just a trick for decoding, so how can it constitute a Great Formation?¡±


    ¡°And how can it even become a Great Formation?¡±


    ¡°All Great Formations coordinate myriad formation methods, emphasizing a unison of origin, whether it be to kill, trap, or defend.¡±


    ¡°So, what does a Mystery Formation coordinate? What is its common origin, what is the source, and what does it advocate for? Is it simply the concept of a ¡®mystery¡¯?¡±


    ¡°And who is capable, bold enough, and possesses strong enough Divine Sense Calculation to build a Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?¡±


    ¡°Moreover, what is the purpose of constructing a Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?¡±


    ¡­


    Mr. Zhuang pondered for a long time, then came to a sudden realization, murmuring to himself, ¡°I was wrong; from the very start, I was mistaken¡­¡±


    ¡°There is a major problem with the Tianyan Jue Cultivation Technique!¡±


    ¡°Constructing the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation within the Sea of Consciousness¡­¡±


    ¡°This technique is very likely not intended for ¡®humans¡¯ to practice at all¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, it was genuinely meant for some kind of ¡®evil monster,¡¯ as the literal interpretation suggests¡­¡±


    ¡°Who exactly created this technique?¡±


    ¡°Or should I say, is this truly a technique that ¡®humans¡¯ could have created?¡±


    ¡°Can ¡®humans,¡¯ relying on a cultivation technique, construct a Mysterious Heaven Great Formation within the Sea of Consciousness of a cultivator¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s brow furrowed further.


    Ancient Cultivation Technique¡­


    Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    Tianyan¡­


    ¡°The Great Dao has fifty paths, Tianyan has forty-nine, and humans evade one¡­¡±


    He felt as if he had glimpsed something significant amid the haziness as if he were caught in the ¡°Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡± itself.


    ¡°Enough¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang sighed.


    I no longer have much time to consider these problems.


    Now, the issue is this child, Mo Hua¡­


    ¡°Can the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation be decoded?¡± Old Kui asked.


    ¡°Even though it¡¯s the ¡®Mysterious Heaven,¡¯ it¡¯s still a Mystery Formation, and it¡¯s only first-grade. With that child Mo Hua¡¯s proficiency in formation methods, it can be decoded. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    It¡¯s just that it really might take about a decade.


    And that¡¯s if everything goes smoothly.

 Chapter 651 - 544: Mystery of the Sky_3

    Chapter 651: Chapter 544: Mystery of the Sky_3


    ¡°`


    If the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation were to undergo some unfathomable changes, resulting in unknown accidents, then achieving Foundation Establishment would truly be as difficult as reaching the heavens¡­


    It is quite possible to waste decades of effort¡­


    ¡°I need to think of a method¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said silently, his eyes flickering with calculating patterns, as the Heavenly secret ebbed and flowed within them. After a long while, he seemed to find a trace of opportunity.


    This opportunity was extremely subtle and incredibly dangerous.


    But it was indeed graspable.


    Mr. Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief, looked up at the sky, and showed a bitter smile.


    Man¡¯s plans are inferior to those of Heaven.


    Everything was calculated well, but an accident occurred nonetheless¡­


    Now it will require more effort.


    ¡°I originally thought I could see Mo Hua establish his Foundation and fulfill a wish, but now it seems, I won¡¯t have enough time¡­¡±


    My journey ends here¡­ S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze was full of sentiment, which then turned into acceptance.


    What is destined to come, will always come¡­


    Old Kui watched him silently, his gaze inscrutable before gradually disappearing into the dark.


    ¡­


    After returning, Mo Hua would immerse himself in the Sea of Consciousness whenever he found the time, unlocking the Mystery Formations one by one.


    Although there were many Mystery Formations, he was neither arrogant nor impatient.


    But as he solved them, he noticed that these Mystery Formations seemed different from those he had encountered before.


    The previous Mystery Formations were ¡°dead,¡± rigid, and would disappear once solved.


    Whereas this current Large Formation had Flowing Formation Patterns, it seemed ¡°alive.¡±


    Furthermore, vast areas of Compound Formations interconnected with each other, echoed each other, and coexisted in symbiosis.


    One had to tackle the Compound Formation to solve a large area at once.


    Otherwise, after solving a Single Formation, more Single Formations would continue to be produced.


    Mo Hua could only seek further instruction from Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang seemed to have been prepared for a long time, handing over a stack of thick Formation Books and Formation Diagrams to Mo Hua, saying directly:


    ¡°The Large Formation in your Sea of Consciousness is named ¡®Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Remember this name, but don¡¯t speak of it to others.¡±


    ¡°These are some records about the ¡®Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡¯ and the insights I¡¯ve compiled. Take good care of them, study them thoroughly, and they should help you with solving the Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt grateful in his heart, yet he sensed something incongruous.


    It seemed as though his master was in a rush to make arrangements for something¡­


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Mo Hua said softly.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, not allowing him to continue, and whispered:


    ¡°Go on, study hard.¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, murmured an acknowledgment, and respectfully left. Yet on his young face hung an indelible worry.


    There were certain things he knew.


    He knew his master was avoiding someone.


    He also knew that his master said that this travel¡¯s destination was the Five Elements Sect.


    So, after arriving at the Five Elements Sect and learning about the Five Elements Spirit Formation, what then?


    His master had not said.


    Mo Hua had speculated about some matters long ago, but not until now did he realize with a shock that even though he was reluctant, what was destined to come would still arrive¡­


    The unease in Mo Hua¡¯s heart grew heavier.


    Meanwhile, the Five Elements Sect on the surface seemed tranquil as ever.


    That is until Mo Hua met a familiar face.


    One day, while Mo Hua was studying Formation techniques with Junior Brother and Junior Sister, leaning over a table, he suddenly heard the faint sound of footsteps. Looking up, he saw at the doorway a gracefully standing woman wrapped in a veil, her demeanor cool and distant.


    Mo Hua was startled, then delighted, ¡°Aunt Xue!¡±


    Aunt Xue, upon seeing Mo Hua, smiled pleasantly. Her gentle eyes took him in for a moment before she nodded and said:


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, and you¡¯ve grown taller.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face beamed with joy.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were also very pleased.


    After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Mo Hua asked in puzzlement, ¡°Aunt Xue, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Bai Zisheng said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Master say you shouldn¡¯t come along?¡±


    ¡°It was Mr. Zhuang who summoned me here,¡± Aunt Xue replied.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    The three of them looked at each other with confusion.


    Aunt Xue nodded, ¡°Mr. Zhuang did not allow me to join you, but I couldn¡¯t help worrying about your safety and followed from a distance. Mr. Zhuang knew about it and did not blame me, which was tacit approval.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been outside Li Mountain City these days. A few days ago, I wanted to write a letter to Madame, and I saw the ink move without a brush, soaking into the paper, forming a ¡®come¡¯ character.¡±


    ¡°I knew then, that it was Mr. Zhuang¡¯s intention, he wanted me to come¡­¡±


    ¡°But why did Master summon you here?¡± Mo Hua was still puzzled.


    Aunt Xue shook her head, unclear about the reason herself.


    ¡°Has Mr. Zhuang rested?¡± Aunt Xue asked.


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Master has rested, he¡¯s now having tea.¡±


    Aunt Xue nodded and stood up to visit Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua and the other two followed.


    In the ancient and aromatic dwelling, filled with the fragrance of tea, Mr. Zhuang sat with an elegant and straight posture, sipping the tea Mo Hua had brewed for him.


    Upon seeing Aunt Xue, Mr. Zhuang showed no surprise.


    Aunt Xue bowed respectfully to Mr. Zhuang, who nodded as a sign of acknowledgment.


    Then, Aunt Xue asked softly, ¡°May I know why Gentleman summoned me here, is there an order?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was silent for a moment, his gaze deep, taking in the sight of Mo Hua and the others before he slowly said:


    ¡°Take these three children away¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave the Five Elements Sect, leave Li Mountain City, and do not come back¡­¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 652 - 545: Deadly Game_1

    Chapter 652: Chapter 545: Deadly Game_1


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Mo Hua and the other two were startled.


    Aunt Xue¡¯s expression also changed, she said hurriedly, ¡°Mr. Zhuang¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°I have taught you everything I should, this place is a land of disputes, you can no longer stay.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang had a cold expression and a decisive look in his eyes.


    This was the look of a mind made up.


    Everyone knew that Mr. Zhuang was unfathomable, and he had his own judgment in his actions; there was nothing they could do to interfere.


    Aunt Xue, feeling helpless, sighed and asked:


    ¡°Gentleman, when should I take them to leave?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang had anticipated this, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯d say.¡±


    Aunt Xue bowed and agreed. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua had eyes full of reluctance, she wanted to say more, but seeing Mr. Zhuang shake his head, he spoke softly:


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired and would like to rest for a while. You and your senior brother and sister should start packing, and leave tomorrow.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat heartbroken, but still sensibly nodded, ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    The three returned to their room, each with a somewhat dejected expression.


    Bai Zisheng said in confusion, ¡°Why is Master suddenly sending us away?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not sudden¡­¡± Mo Hua said with a dejected look, shaking her head, ¡°Master must have been planning this for a long time.¡±


    The Five Elements Sect was the final destination of their wandering journey this time.


    Bai Zixi also lowered her gaze, her stunningly beautiful eyes flashed a hint of dejection; then she lifted her head to look at Aunt Xue and asked:


    ¡°Aunt Xue, did mother send you?¡±


    Aunt Xue was momentarily taken aback.


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°Zixi, Aunt Xue is here following mother¡¯s orders to protect us, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Bai Zixi shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s different. I mean¡­ is mother also coming? Are you following Master¡¯s orders on behalf of mother, leading the way for her?¡±


    Aunt Xue looked into Bai Zixi¡¯s beautiful eyes and realized something for a moment.


    Miss Zixi¡­ bears such a resemblance to the lady¡­


    Equally beautiful, equally intelligent, and also, equally sharp-minded and decisive.


    Perhaps even more so.


    Aunt Xue did not want to hide it and nodded, ¡°Yes, the lady will come.¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s expression paled slightly.


    Bai Zisheng still did not understand, ¡°So what if mother comes?¡±


    Bai Zixi pursed her lips tightly, her gaze darkening, ¡°Master and mother are disciples of the same sect, close as siblings; but for so many years, Master has been unwilling to see mother.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Bai Zisheng asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Bai Zixi paused for a moment, then said gravely, ¡°Mother¡­ is plotting against Master.¡±


    ¡°Plotting?¡±


    Bai Zisheng jumped in shock.


    The siblings were close, and Bai Zisheng, being open-minded, had not noticed certain things, but the delicate-minded Bai Zixi was fully aware.


    ¡°Previously, mother couldn¡¯t plot against him, so she dared not meet Master, but now that she¡¯s coming, it means that Master can¡¯t leave¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°Even if mother comes, it doesn¡¯t matter, right? Is she really going to harm Master?¡±


    ¡°Master has many enemies¡­¡± Bai Zixi looked down and sighed, ¡°If mother can foresee it, so can his enemies. If Master can¡¯t leave, that naturally means he¡¯ll have to face many adversaries¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Does Master have that many enemies?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Bai Zixi nodded, looking at Mo Hua, ¡°Quite a lot. Some have old grievances, while others simply covet what they shouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Does Master have something on him that others covet?¡±


    Bai Zixi frowned and looked at Aunt Xue.


    Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment, then sighed:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang bears a great secret. The Taoist Court¡¯s great cultivators know it, the ancestors of the Demon Gate know it¡­¡±


    Aunt Xue gave a wry laugh, ¡°But it isn¡¯t something that I am privy to.¡±


    These cultivators and powers were too far out of Mo Hua¡¯s league. As a Qi-refining loose cultivator, Mo Hua had little concept of such conflicts; he was only concerned for Mr. Zhuang.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Aunt Xue, can¡¯t Master free himself?¡±


    Aunt Xue looked into Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, feeling a bit too sympathetic to be blunt, yet she had to say:


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for a dire situation, Mr. Zhuang probably wouldn¡¯t ask me to take you all away¡­¡±


    The three of them lowered their heads in disappointment.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind raced, but no matter how he thought about it, he realized that he was utterly powerless.


    He was only in the Qi Refinement stage.


    Merely a first-grade Formation Master.


    Even if he could set up an Ultimate Formation, it was only a first-grade one.


    His Divine Sense might be at the Foundation Establishment level, but it was just that, Foundation Establishment.


    He knew Calculation, but he couldn¡¯t see through the causal chains or calculate the Heavenly Secrets like his Master.


    He could set up Large Formations, but he couldn¡¯t rely on his own strength to construct them to turn the tide¡­


    He could neither help nor protect his master¡­


    Mo Hua let out a disheartened sigh.


    As he furrowed his brow, racking his brain but still at a loss, he suddenly looked up, his expression abruptly changing.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s unusual reaction, Aunt Xue couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned without responding and ran out of the room to the corridor, looking up at the sky.


    Aunt Xue, Bai Zisheng, and Bai Zixi exchanged glances and followed Mo Hua outside, raising their eyes towards the sky from between the eaves and painted rafters.


    But the sky was clear blue, and there was nothing abnormal to see.


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°Mo Hua, what happened?¡±


    Mo Hua gazed up at the sky, his expression serious, ¡°The sky¡­ it¡¯s been ¡®covered¡¯ by something¡­¡±


    Aunt Xue¡¯s face changed color and she looked up again; after a moment, her eyebrows furrowed tightly.


    She still couldn¡¯t see anything¡­


    The sky was bright and clear.


    Not a cloud in sight.


    But she knew that although Mo Hua had a mediocre Spiritual Root, he was gifted with an exceptional Divine Sense and expertise in Formations. Being favored by Mr. Zhuang, he must have truly noticed something abnormal.

 Chapter 653 - 445: Deadly Trap_2

    Chapter 653: Chapter 445: Deadly Trap_2


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became solemn.


    Ever since he had seen the heavenly thunder and the Immortal Patterns, he would often gaze at the sky.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see anything, he could faintly sense a subtle breath from the heavens, just like the Taoist Meaning of the earth.


    Every time he looked up at the sky, he could feel the Heavenly Dao¡¯s strength, constantly thriving and never ceasing.


    But now, he could no longer sense this implication.


    It was as if something was blocking it.


    Mo Hua looked up, his gaze intently fixed on the sky, and after a moment, his pupils shuddered as he murmured,


    ¡°They are coming¡­¡±


    Aunt Xue suddenly felt a palpitation and abruptly looked up, only to see the originally clear blue sky suddenly surged with a tide of blood from the horizon!


    A blood-red Soul Banner, like a tide, blocked the sun, slowly drawing together from the horizon, spreading, and covering over¡­


    It seemed to envelop the entire Five Elements Sect, no, the entire Li Mountain City within it!


    Aunt Xue¡¯s pupils contracted as she exclaimed,


    ¡°A Demon Path treasure, the Soul Refining Banner?!¡±


    ¡­


    Sudden anomalies appeared, and the sky turned blood-red.


    The whole Five Elements Sect instantly fell into chaos.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Where did this bloody sea in the sky come from?¡±


    ¡°Such strong Demonic Qi!¡±


    ¡°Is this¡­ a Golden Core Stage Demon Cultivator?!¡±


    The Elders were both shocked and enraged:


    ¡°Under the broad daylight and clear skies, they dare to offend our Sect with Demon Path atrocities, it¡¯s utterly contemptible!¡±


    ¡°The comers mean no good¡­¡±


    ¡°Not just no good, they are a great calamity!¡±


    ¡°Do they think the Five Elements Sect is without protectors?!¡±


    ¡°Chief Elder¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s expression was grave.


    At that moment, within the sea of blood in the sky, a giant Demon Sword emerged, its blade bearing a vast blood-covered vertical pupil.


    Within the pupil, myriad faces could be seen.


    They were wailing, in agony, struggling¡­


    As if they were resentful spirits and fierce ghosts, unable to find peace after being devoured by the Demon Sword.


    With the sword¡¯s appearance, the bloody Qi of the sky condensed into Sword Qi, tangible and imbued with a terrifying force of slaughter!


    ¡°Another Demon Path Golden Core treasure?!¡±


    The Soul Banner traps; the Demon Sword kills!


    Every member of the Five Elements Sect was terrified and trembling.


    The Chief Elder shouted loudly, ¡°Quick! Activate the Large Formation!¡±


    ¡°Activate the Large Formation!¡±


    ¡°Activate the Large Formation!¡±


    The Elders, heeding the command, hurriedly passed down the orders.


    After a while, the Five Elements Sect¡¯s mountain trembled, Spiritual Power surged, and above the vast Sect, numerous Formation Patterns lit up one by one, accompanied by astonishing spiritual pressure, forming one gigantic Array.


    Five-colored lights soared into the sky.


    The Second Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation was fully activated!


    After more than six hundred years, the Sect¡¯s Mountain Protection Array finally saw daylight once more.


    A vast amount of Spirit Stones were instantly consumed, and like water, Spiritual Power flowed through the Formation Pivot, surging powerfully.


    Mo Hua was within the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, his heart inexplicably shaken.


    This was¡­ the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation!


    It was a Second Grade Formation!


    The Patterns were more complex, the Pivot more profound, the five colors dazzling and blinding, and Spiritual Power circulated like rivers¡­


    Both beautiful and grand.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled with emotion, and he suddenly started in alarm.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    The Soul Banner and Demon Sword were treasures of Golden Core Demon Cultivators.


    The Demon Cultivators defied the Taoist Court and made a sudden move; their target would naturally not be the Five Elements Sect but rather his master, who was currently within the Sect!


    Mo Hua had just turned around when he realized that Mr. Zhuang was already standing behind him.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Mo Hua looked worried.


    Mr. Zhuang affectionately patted his head, smiled slightly, then looked up at the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation and remarked,


    ¡°This Formation is a good thing, what a pity¡­¡±


    Mo Hua also looked up, only to see the terrifying Demon Sword had materialized thousands of bloody Sword Qi streaks, attacking the Large Formation like a sudden, ferocious storm.


    The Demonic Qi, along with the Sword Qi, surged forward, one after another, striking the Spirit Screen of the Large Formation.


    The entire Formation emitted an intense humming sound.


    The whole Five Elements Sect shook, stones trembled, and the Sect quivered.


    Caves collapsed, wood and stone all cracked.


    The Spiritual Power of the Formation was rapidly depleting, but at the same time, more Spirit Stones were being refined by the Spirit Gathering Array, flowing into the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation like river water, stabilizing the Formation base and aiding the Formation.


    The assault of the Demon Sword ceased.


    Although the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation suffered substantial damage, it still held.


    All the Cultivators of the Five Elements Sect heaved a sigh of relief.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s suspended heart also settled down. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°We held on¡­ holding on is good¡­¡±


    As long as they held on, there was a chance for reversal.


    Within this world under the heavens, all is the ¡°Dao¡± land.


    This world belonged to the Taoist Court.


    Even though these Demon Path evildoers unexpectedly dared to provoke the Five Elements Sect with such audacity, as long as they held on, the Taoist Court or other Righteous Dao reinforcements would arrive, and they could thwart this great disaster.


    The Chief Elder glanced again at the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation outside the Sect¡¯s gates, his heart filled with sighs.


    ¡°The Large Formation truly is the foundation of the Sect!¡±


    ¡°In the face of life and death, this is indeed a life-saving treasure¡­¡±


    If not for the Large Formation, the Golden Core Sword Qi released by the Demon Sword would have been enough to slaughter half of the Cultivators of the Five Elements Sect.


    As the only remaining Golden Core in the Five Elements Sect, old and weakened, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand it.


    ¡°But how could these Demon Path evil monsters dare to so openly attack my Five Elements Sect?¡±


    The Chief Elder frowned in confusion.


    ¡°Could it be that their target is¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder pondered and before he could think deeper, his expression changed drastically, and he looked toward the Large Formation, his heart filled with alarm:


    ¡°Wrong!¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with this Mountain Protection Array!¡±


    The Chief Elder suddenly stood up, looked around, and shouted loudly, ¡°Where is Liao Tiande?¡±

 Chapter 654 - 654: 545

    Chapter 654: 545


    Sect Leader Liao was the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect.


    The Elders and Disciples of the Five Elements Sect looked at each other in confusion, only now realizing that a great disaster was upon the Sect, but no one had seen any sign of the Sect Leader.


    Where had Sect Leader Liao gone?


    The Chief Elder felt a chill in his heart as he looked up at the Large Formation with eyes wide in horror.


    For the originally five-colored Spiritual Power circulating Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation had gradually begun to turn blood red!


    This blood red was the color of blood.


    Atop the Formation, an evil and ominous aura surged forth.


    This wasn¡¯t the Mountain Protection Array of the Five Elements Sect!


    It was an Evil Path Great Formation!


    Why?


    When had the Large Formation been tampered with?


    The Chief Elder¡¯s expression changed as his thoughts raced, slowly coming to an understanding.


    A great effort was put into construction!


    The Five Elements Sect had been busy with massive construction efforts for their cave dwellings, which would inevitably lead to changes in the layout of the Sect and alterations to the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation. Amongst these changes, someone had covertly tampered with the Formation Pivot and had secretly changed the Large Formation.


    Someone had turned the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Mountain Protection Array into an Evil Path Great Formation!


    Those who could tamper with it had to be from the upper echelons of the Five Elements Sect.


    The one with the greatest suspicion was none other than the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect¡ªLiao Tiande!


    His authority within the Sect was second only to his own.


    When he was in seclusion, all matters of the Sect were managed by him, and he benefited the most from the grand construction and the establishment of the cave dwellings!


    Now that disaster had struck, he had run away!


    ¡°Liao! Tian! De!¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyes nearly burst with rage as he clenched his teeth in hatred.


    This ungrateful beast had long since abandoned the Sect!


    While he was angry, he was also baffled and confused.


    How could this Liao Tiande have the capability to tamper with the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Mountain Protection Array?


    The Second Grade Five Elements Formation, let alone the mere Foundation Establishment Realm Liao Tiande, even he, as the Golden Core Stage Chief Elder, lacked the Formation expertise to alter it.


    After contemplating thoroughly, the Chief Elder¡¯s heart suddenly grew cold.


    There had to be an expert from the Demon Path!


    This person must have had profound knowledge of Formations.


    He was the one secretly instructing Liao Tiande to change the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation. While construction was underway, he had embedded Evil Path Patterns atop the Formation base of the Five Elements Sect.


    On the surface, the Sect¡¯s Large Formation still appeared to be the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    But as soon as the Formation was activated and the Spiritual Power loss intensified due to the infiltration of Demonic Qi, the dormant Evil Path Patterns would be triggered, gradually stripping away the Spiritual Power and transforming into a Demon Path Great Formation!


    The intricacies involved in this formation were profound.


    The Chief Elder didn¡¯t understand it at all, but he knew that to covertly change a Large Formation with such a maneuver, it had to be the work of an expert from the Demon Path!


    And it was very likely that this person¡¯s Cultivation was not limited to the Golden Core!


    The Chief Elder felt as if he was plunged into an ice cellar.


    Only now did he realize that this was all a scheme!


    The Five Elements Sect was the chessboard, and Liao Tiande was but a chess piece.


    The Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation was a big dragon.


    Someone had schemed for hundreds of years, covertly placed their pieces, and plotted this killing formation.


    The target was not the Five Elements Sect, but could only be¡­


    The Chief Elder turned his head to gaze into the distance, looking towards Mr. Zhuang, who was in the ornate corridor.


    It was him!


    The Demon Sect had set a trap to kill Mr. Zhuang!


    Meanwhile, the Spiritual Power above the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation had been completely polluted, turning a crimson blood color.


    All within the Formation, enveloped in the bloody light, felt dizzy and disoriented as their Blood Qi seemed to be slowly draining away.


    This drained Blood Qi slowly rose, merging into the Formation, gradually empowering it.


    The Chief Elder felt the despair in his heart:


    ¡°Is this¡­ the Five Elements Blood Killing Formation?¡±


    This was a Second Grade Demon Path Trapping and Killing Formation!


    The Cultivators trapped within this Formation were unable to escape and could only be refined to death by the gradual extraction of their Blood Qi!


    These Golden Core Demons from the Demon Path intended to use this Formation to trap Mr. Zhuang!


    Just then, from a distance within the boundless blood sea surrounding the Five Elements Sect, there came a deep and indifferent voice:


    ¡°Demon Path, Feather Transformation Realm, Xuan Sanren.¡±


    ¡°Requesting an audience with Mr. Zhuang.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Feather Transformation Realm? Xuan Sanren?¡±


    The Chief Elder, struck by the words ¡°Feather Transformation,¡± eventually regained his senses, muttering the name ¡°Xuan Sanren,¡± and suddenly felt an utter sense of terror:


    ¡°Xuan Sanren¡­ Could he be the Mystery Demon Ancestor from back then?¡±


    Could it be his doing?


    The Chief Elder felt his strength leave him, his heart turning to ash:


    Today, my Five Elements Sect may face eradication!


    Flags of blood covered the skies, and the sea of blood was boundless.


    From within it once again came the voice of Xuan Sanren:


    ¡°Demon Path, Feather Transformation Realm, Xuan Sanren.¡±


    ¡°Requesting an audience with Mr. Zhuang¡­¡±


    Inside the Five Elements Sect.


    Mr. Zhuang snorted coldly upon hearing this, ¡°Not seeing you, begone!¡±


    His voice was not loud, but it echoed through heaven and earth.


    The world fell silent.


    Xuan Sanren remained silent for a long while. His cold speech carried undertones of anger:


    ¡°Under my Five Elements Blood Sha Great Formation, it is not up to you!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang chuckled coldly:


    ¡°How presumptuous!¡±


    He then gently flicked his sleeve, with no signs of Spiritual Power or Divine Sense fluctuations, yet the world suddenly changed.


    In the midst of the blood-red sea above, the Patterns of the Evil Path Great Formation one by one changed and dissolved.


    The Large Formation, once steeped in Blood Qi, was gradually cleansed with Spiritual Power.


    The Patterns transformed, and the Formation Pivot reversed.


    It was as if causality was suspended, and time rewound.


    The five-colored lights shone again, brighter than before.


    The Five Elements Blood Killing Formation, having its Formations reversed, had once again become, the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, safeguarding all the Cultivators of the Five Elements Sect within! S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What kind of mastery was this?


    The Entire Five Elements Sect watched in stunned silence.


    Outside the Five Elements Sect, below the sea of blood.


    A black-robed Cultivator with white hair like a child¡¯s, deep and sinister eyes, suddenly had his pupils contract.


    ¡°Immortal Heaven Reversal¡­ truly as legendary¡­¡±

 Chapter 655 - 546 Entrusting_1

    Chapter 655: Chapter 546 Entrusting_1


    The black-robed devil cultivator, with hair as white as a crane¡¯s and a youth¡¯s complexion, was none other than Xuan Sanren, the venerable ancestor of the Demon Path in the Feather Transformation Realm.


    And standing behind him were several Golden Core Stage devil cultivators:


    A youngster, extremely attractive but pale-faced as though veiled by a meticulously sculpted, flawless mask of a dead person¡¯s skin.


    An old man with a sword box, his expression wooden, his eyes devoid of all but the whites.


    A brawny monster cultivator, his fingertips sharp, with threads of blood in the depths of his eyes.


    These three were precisely the trio of devil cultivators who had appeared outside South Yue City.


    The only one missing was that decrepit old crone, babbling on and on.


    ¡°This Mr. Zhuang really has some ability,¡±


    the pale-faced youth said with a cold sneer.


    The monster cultivator scoffed, ¡°Without understanding Formations, do not speak recklessly. What do you mean ¡®ability?¡¯ This is one of the most profound Formation techniques in the Cultivation World. No one in your Blood Refinement Gate could possibly understand it.¡±


    The pale-faced youth was slightly angered, yet the Sword Box Elder spoke:


    ¡°Be discreet with your words, Mr. Zhuang is not someone we can criticize.¡±


    The pale-faced youth was displeased but said no more.


    Under the vast Soul Refining Blood Banner, amidst a sea of blood.


    The Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, its radiance swirling, spiritual power surging, resisted the omnipresent killing intent and the overwhelming Demonic Qi, standing its ground.


    The Sword Box Elder licked his lips, a hint of bloodthirsty intent showing in his eyes as he said to Xuan Sanren:


    ¡°Venerable, the Demon Sword requires more killing of living beings, to absorb sufficient human blood before it can break through this Large Formation.¡±


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s gaze was somber. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly shook his head and said:


    ¡°No hurry; even if we broke the Formation, we couldn¡¯t do anything to him at the moment. It¡¯s better to just trap him for now.¡±


    He then gave a soft, sinister laugh, ¡°I¡¯ve been planning for hundreds of years, altering the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation with the Blood Sha Formation Flow, yet I never expected that he would undo it with a flip of his hand¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ it is Mr. Zhuang, who has the potential of a half-step Celestial Being¡­¡±


    ¡°But all the machinations come to an end here.¡±


    ¡°This place has already been sealed by the Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal which blocks the heavenly secrets. For a short time, the Taoist Court cultivators will not be able to detect anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Within three days, once the Soul Refining Banner Blood Sea covers the sky and completely seals Li Mountain City, with the Demon Sword suspended in the heavens, devouring flesh and blood, the entire Li Mountain City will become a purgatory, with no living being able to escape.¡±


    ¡°Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal, Soul Refining Banner, Chaotic Demon Sword, these three sacred treasures of the Demon Path are enough to trap any cultivator to death.¡±


    ¡°Even Mr. Zhuang is no exception!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, times have changed. He is no longer the domineering Mr. Zhuang of the past¡­¡±


    The Sword Box Elder and the others cupped their fists in assent, ¡°Venerable is wise.¡±


    Xuan Sanren closed his eyes to rest, as if calculating something.


    The Sword Box Elder and the others did not dare to disturb him and, after bowing, retreated.


    Once they had moved aside, the monster cultivator¡¯s eyes shone with excitement as he asked the Sword Box Elder in a low voice:


    ¡°Do you think we will catch him this time?¡±


    The Sword Box Elder replied gravely, ¡°We are simply following orders; we need not concern ourselves with success or failure.¡±


    The monster cultivator felt snubbed and snorted, ¡°Putting on airs, I don¡¯t believe you wouldn¡¯t be tempted by a chance to ascend to immortality laid right before your eyes.¡±


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s eyes twitched slightly, ¡°Such an opportunity is not for you and I to covet.¡±


    He lowered his voice again and said, ¡°Our task here is to act as pawns under the command of the Demon Sect¡¯s Nether Ancestor¡­¡±


    ¡°Taking the opportunity to kill some people to feed the Demon Sword, just carry out your duties, accumulate some Merit Points, and in the future, you may progress beyond your position as the Ten-Thousand Demons Elder¡­¡±


    ¡°This is what is truly practical.¡±


    ¡°The matter of ¡®immortality is for the Nether Ancestor to contemplate, it¡¯s not something for those of our realm to even fantasize about.¡±


    ¡°Above the character ¡®immortal¡¯, one shares longevity with the heavens and the earth; below it, lies an abyss.¡±


    ¡°One false step, and we could end up with no place to bury our bodies¡­¡±


    The monster cultivator replied perfunctorily, ¡°Alright, alright, I get it.¡±


    But in his heart, he scorned, ¡°With the chance for immortality before your eyes, I don¡¯t believe you wouldn¡¯t be tempted¡­¡±


    A gleam flashed through the brawny man¡¯s eyes.


    The pale-faced youth nearby also showed a covetous look, his ambition growing.


    Even the solemn Sword Box Elder, beneath his grave demeanor, felt an emotional tumult¡­


    Immortality¡­


    The three men each harbored different thoughts, and for a moment, it grew quiet.


    After a while, the monster cultivator suddenly asked with curiosity, ¡°What about that old crone? Why isn¡¯t she here?¡±


    The Sword Box Elder paused, then frowned, ¡°She¡¯s likely gone to refine corpses.¡±


    The monster cultivator was puzzled, ¡°Is corpse refinement more important than what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand what kind of corpse she¡¯s refining¡­¡±


    The Sword Box Elder¡¯s eyes sharpened, ¡°Given time, if that corpse is refined, it truly¡­ would be extraordinary¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Just a zombie¡­¡± the brawny man shook his head.


    The pale-faced youth also showed disdain.


    ¡­


    Within the Five Elements Sect, underneath the Mountain Protection Array.


    The Chief Elder, upon seeing Mr. Zhuang, had a conflicted expression and hesitated for a long while before bending his waist to bow and say:


    ¡°Five Elements Sect thanks Mr. Zhuang for the life-saving grace!¡±


    He was very reluctant in his heart.


    The disaster of the Five Elements Sect was a consequence of Mr. Zhuang¡¯s involvement.


    But at its core, it was because of the traitor Liao Tiande.


    Liao Tiande was the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect.


    The Sect Leader colluded with the Demon Sect, altered the Formation, and plotted against Mr. Zhuang. From this perspective, the Five Elements Sect was also to blame.


    The Five Elements Blood Killing Formation was a second-grade formation of the Evil Path that could refine all the cultivators¡¯ flesh and blood within it.


    This Golden Core Cultivator couldn¡¯t resist it, let alone the other disciples of the Five Elements Sect.


    If not for Mr. Zhuang, today the Five Elements Sect would have faced annihilation.


    The disciples would have been almost completely killed or injured, becoming nourishment for the Evil Formation, dying under the very Large Formation that their founding ancestors had left to protect their sect¡¯s disciples.


    C

 Chapter 656 - 546 Entrustment_2

    Chapter 656: Chapter 546 Entrustment_2


    Therefore, although the Chief Elder was reluctant, he still had to bow his head and express his gratitude to Mr. Zhuang.


    There was another reason: he wanted to preserve the foundation of the Five Elements Sect.


    Outside the Five Elements Sect.


    Blood banners obscured the sky, and a sea of blood was pervasive.


    The demon sword was suspended high, with a murderous aura running rampant.


    Moreover, there was a Mystery Demon Ancestor of the Feather Transformation Realm.


    This was a dead end!


    Despair filled the Chief Elder¡¯s heart.


    He racked his brains in meditation, yet could find no way to break the deadlock. He could only pin his hopes on the unfathomable Mr. Zhuang.


    He hoped Mr. Zhuang could show them a way to survival, a way for the disciples of the Five Elements Sect to live on.


    However, after the numerous difficulties he had caused earlier, he was now too ashamed to speak.


    It seemed Mr. Zhuang had seen through the Chief Elder¡¯s thoughts and said indifferently:


    ¡°I can save you.¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart trembled, and his eyes showed hope, but he was also puzzled, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, ¡°My disciple has inherited your legacy, which is a favor from your sect. The cycle of cause and effect, one act of kindness deserves another. I save you once, show you a way to live. It¡¯s both settling karma and giving an account to the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect.¡±


    The Chief Elder was overjoyed but felt an inner conflict, struggling to speak.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression remained indifferent, and he said nothing more.


    After a long hesitation, the Chief Elder, unable to let go, asked the question that had been plaguing him for a long time:


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang¡­ exactly what inheritance from my Five Elements Sect has your disciple acquired?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang smiled faintly, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The Chief Elder furrowed his brows, pondering:


    ¡°The Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­ I fear it¡¯s not just that¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if you knew, what could you do?¡±


    The Chief Elder was taken aback.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°The Five Element Ultimate Formation, none of you could learn it. The other inheritances, even if attained, what use would they be to you?¡±


    These words struck deep into the Chief Elder¡¯s heart.


    But he had no power to refute them.


    Over the years, the younger disciples, indulging in comfort and not striving for progress, it had been a long time since anyone could learn the Five Element Ultimate Formation.


    The pearl was covered in dust ¨C it was their own fault.


    The Chief Elder sighed deeply.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s gaze became intense as he added, ¡°Should my disciple, if proficient in Formations someday, wish to pass down this legacy, it could be given back to your Five Elements Sect!¡±


    The Chief Elder was startled and asked earnestly:


    ¡°Gentleman, is that really your wish?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, ¡°But there is one condition you must agree to.¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s brow furrowed. He knew there was no such thing as a free lunch but since it concerned their legacy, he still said:


    ¡°Please speak, sir.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said in a serious tone, ¡°You must not mention my disciples¡¯ affairs to anyone, especially¡­ my youngest disciple.¡±


    ¡°Keep silent about the business of the Five Elements Sect, the legacy, and even the fact that he visited and you met him¡­ Never speak of these again¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder was stunned, ¡°This¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang had a profound look in his eyes, his demeanor serious.


    A chill went through the Chief Elder¡¯s heart, and he quickly understood that this seemingly trivial matter could be very significant.


    ¡°Agreed!¡±


    The Chief Elder nodded solemnly.


    Mr. Zhuang looked penetratingly at the Chief Elder, nodded slightly, and instructed:


    ¡°The Soul Refining Banner will be completed in two days, at which point a sea of blood will engulf heaven and earth, sealing off the whole of Li Mountain City.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang opened up a map of Li Mountain City and lightly traced a line with his finger:


    ¡°Tomorrow at noon, all the elders and disciples of your Five Elements Sect should leave from the southwest corner along this line, and do not come back¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder was slightly astonished, ¡°The Demon Sect would probably not let us off so easily¡­¡±


    ¡°That is not your concern.¡±


    The Chief Elder nodded obediently but then expressed his reluctance, ¡°Then what about the foundation of my Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s look turned colder:


    ¡°If the Formation is standing and the people live, the Sect remains; if the Formation is lost and the people perish, the Sect perishes. These ruins are not the foundation. The true key is the people, the Formation is the foundation.¡±


    The Chief Elder had a sudden revelation and said with a look of shame:


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, sir.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, his words coming to an end.


    The Chief Elder then respectfully stood up, gave a deep bow to Mr. Zhuang, and left.


    Mr. Zhuang then summoned Aunt Xue and three Disciples, saying:


    ¡°The Five Elements Sect will leave tomorrow. You should leave with them, but before you go, there are some matters I need to instruct.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang left Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi behind, handing them two Jade Slips:


    ¡°These contain the complete Formation Diagrams of the Immortal Sky Formation Flow. Keep them safe, comprehend them well, and don¡¯t fail this legacy.¡±


    ¡°This is also something your mother kept in mind¡­¡±


    ¡°She was unable to learn it, so she yearned for it, hoping you two could master this supreme Formation Method Origin Stream¡­¡±


    ¡°As for other matters¡­ you have your Clan and your mother¡¯s arrangements, so I suppose I need not worry too much.¡±


    The two accepted the Jade Slips, both falling silent for a moment.


    Bai Zisheng lowered his head, feeling somewhat ashamed.


    After a brief hesitation, Bai Zixi spoke softly, ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry, mother, she¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang just smiled faintly, ¡°That was the affair of the previous generation, it has nothing to do with you¡­¡±


    He looked at the two children kindly, reassuringly:


    ¡°Your characters and talents are both quite good. The Immortal Sky Formation Flow was taught to you according to my own intentions, not merely because of your mother¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, with tears in their eyes, respectfully kowtowed three times to Mr. Zhuang. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Zhuang graciously accepted their gesture, and then sighed softly:


    ¡°In the future, take good care of yourselves.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    ¡°Take good care of your youngest disciple¡­¡±


    ¡°We will!¡± Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both nodded solemnly.


    Afterward, they left reluctantly.

 Chapter 657 - 546 Entrustment_3

    Chapter 657: Chapter 546 Entrustment_3


    ¡°`


    Mr. Zhuang called Mo Hua in alone.


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes grew sore.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled gently, waved his hand, beckoned Mo Hua to his side, and handed him a ring.


    This ring was simple, yet it exuded an ancient and grand aura.


    ¡°Your senior brother and sister have clans, backgrounds, and even an extraordinary cultivator as a mother ¨C they lack for nothing. Therefore, as your master, I¡¯ll favor you a little by leaving this with you¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a Storage Ring.¡±


    ¡°Like a storage bag, it can hold things, but it¡¯s more concealed than a storage bag.¡±


    ¡°Although you come from the life of a Loose Cultivator without many treasures, you do possess some secret items, especially the Jade Slip of ¡®Tianyan Jue¡¯ and that ¡®Five Elements Formation Flow Chart¡¯¡­ You must keep these safe, and they absolutely must not be lost.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang personally placed the Storage Ring, with great care, onto Mo Hua¡¯s hand.


    The Storage Ring was of a normal size, but Mo Hua¡¯s hand was small, so it could only fit on his thumb.


    ¡°This ring must be ¡®bound by blood¡¯ to its owner.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang said, and then with a flick of his finger, a cut appeared on Mo Hua¡¯s left thumb, and fresh blood flowed into the Storage Ring.


    The Storage Ring seemed to come alive, greedily absorbing Mo Hua¡¯s fresh blood.


    The wound was very painful, but Mo Hua pursed his lips and endured without making a sound.


    After a moment, the pain subsided, and Mo Hua looked down to see that the Storage Ring on his thumb seemed to have disappeared, but within his Divine Sense, a faint connection was formed.


    It was as if the ring still existed on his thumb.


    Only now, no one else could see it.


    Seeing that the ring did not reject him, Mr. Zhuang completely relaxed. He looked at Mo Hua again and asked gently:


    ¡°Have you remembered everything I taught you?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang began to quiz him one by one.


    From Divine Sense Calculation to the various Formation principles, from the Reversed Spirit Formation and the Thick Earth Formation, to the large formations and the intricacies of the Formation Pivot¡­ Mr. Zhuang tirelessly went over them all again.


    It seemed like this was the last time he would be teaching his young disciple.


    So he patiently and gently repeated everything, big or small.


    Listening, Mo Hua felt his nose prickle and his vision blur.


    After finishing, Mr. Zhuang patted Mo Hua¡¯s head and then asked:


    ¡°You know about Gui Tao¡¯s people, right?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and nodded slightly.


    ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­¡±


    ¡°He was my senior brother, and could be considered¡­ your Uncle.¡±


    ¡°He has fallen to demonhood, and what he cultivates is one of Gui Tao¡¯s spell points¡­¡±


    ¡°His heart is cold, his methods are extremely strong, and he¡¯s also extremely arrogant, but he¡¯s a master of the Divine Thought Technique, and his use of Divine Sense has reached the pinnacle¡­¡±


    ¡°If you ever meet him, you must be very careful¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were moist as he nodded.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and, after a moment of thought, his expression apologetic but frank:


    ¡°As your master¡­ I have fateful opportunities and astoning secrets¡­ but these, I cannot pass on to you, nor can I even tell you about them.¡±


    ¡°To pass them on to you would bring you great disaster.¡±


    ¡°Even knowing about them would taint you with karma.¡±


    ¡°So you should know nothing, and you should not want to know anything¡­¡±


    ¡°The Immortal Sky Formation Flow is a unique inheritance, which I cannot teach you¡­¡±


    ¡°What I can teach you are only some obscure and complex Divine Thought Techniques, along with the principles of formations.¡±


    ¡°In the future, you will have to learn each formation one by one, and understand each point bit by bit, all on your own¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s difficult, even if there are a hundred setbacks, you must follow your own path, establish your own Formation Flow, cultivate supreme Divine Sense, and verify your own Tao!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was serious as he nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll remember that, Master¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang nodded, looking at Mo Hua, feeling as if he had a thousand words to say, but found himself unable to utter a single one, ultimately all that remained was a long, lingering sigh.


    Mo Hua¡¯s head drooped as well.


    After a moment, Mr. Zhuang seemed to make up his mind, a slight smile appeared on his face as he said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Tired, aren¡¯t you? Rest for a while.¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, about to say ¡°I¡¯m not tired,¡± wanting to spend more time with his master, but as he began to speak, his words trailed off, heavy with drowsiness¡ªindeed, he was too tired, having not closed his eyes for several days, thoroughly exhausted.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids fought each other, and unknowingly, he fell asleep.


    His breathing was even, his small face as peaceful as a painting, innocent and charming, yet his little brows were tightly furrowed, as if worrying about something.


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua reluctantly, as if he wanted to engrave his image into his heart forever.


    He reached out and gently stroked Mo Hua¡¯s forehead, smoothing out the furrowed brows as he murmured softly.


    It seemed these words could only be spoken while Mo Hua was asleep:


    ¡°In my life, the thing I¡¯m most gratified by is taking you as my disciple¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that I won¡¯t be able to see the day your mastery over formations is achieved¡­¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This is the last gift I¡¯m giving you¡­¡±


    ¡°You must live well¡­¡±


    ¡­


    When Mo Hua awoke, it was still dark, and his master was still beside him, only his breathing had become fainter still.


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, concerned.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled gently.


    ¡°I¡­ fell asleep¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat ashamed.


    Mr. Zhuang shook his head, ¡°Go get ready. After dawn, leave with your Junior Brother and Junior Sisters.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, unable to let go, he asked:


    ¡°Master, can¡¯t you come with us?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang didn¡¯t answer, simply stroked Mo Hua¡¯s head and said softly:


    ¡°Go on¡­¡±


    Mo Hua could only leave with reluctance.


    After the sky brightened, Mo Hua left Li Mountain City with Aunt Xue, his Junior Brother, Junior Sister, and all the cultivators of the Five Elements Sect.


    Before leaving, he and his fellow disciples visited Mr. Zhuang again.


    However, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s door was tightly closed; it seemed he would no longer see them.


    Mo Hua knocked, but there was no response.


    When the hour came, he had no choice but to leave.


    Mo Hua followed the group of cultivators leaving the Five Elements Sect, looking back every few steps, hoping to see his master, to have one more glimpse of him.


    But even as they left the Five Elements Sect, he still couldn¡¯t catch a glimpse of his master.


    ¡°I won¡¯t see Master again¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s tears flowed uncontrollably.


    Meanwhile, atop a tall building in the Five Elements Sect, unseen,


    Mr. Zhuang watched Mo Hua leave the entire time.


    He watched the little figure of Mo Hua constantly turning back, wiping away tears, getting farther and farther away until finally disappearing among the pavilions and towers.


    In his gentle, warm gaze, endless expectations were revealed:


    ¡°I entrust the past of the Sect to your Junior Brother and Junior Sisters¡­¡±


    ¡°But the future of the Sect, I entrust to you¡­¡±

 Chapter 658 - 547: Leaving the City_1

    Chapter 658: Chapter 547: Leaving the City_1


    The Soul-refining Blood Banner sealed the city as the overwhelming Demon Sword swept through.


    Li Mountain City had become ruins.


    The intricate carvings and paintings of yesterday were now reduced to rubble and broken walls, and the once splendid opulence was left in disarray.


    Big White was pulling the cart, walking ahead.


    Mo Hua and Junior Brother, Junior Sister, and Aunt Xue followed behind, accompanying the large group of cultivators from the Five Elements Sect as they left the sect¡¯s territory, exited the Mountain Protection Array, and entered the desolate Li Mountain City.


    Seeing the surroundings, Mo Hua realized that Li Mountain City had long been an empty shell, with many of its resident merchants actually being concealed Demon Cultivators.


    True cultivators were few and far between.


    And when disaster struck, most of these cultivators either died, got injured, or fled.


    The merchant cultivators were not locals.


    They came for profit, and left when there was none.


    No one wished to share the fate of Li Mountain City, and no one cared about the survival of Li Mountain City.


    A flower without soil blooms resplendently, but withers in an instant.


    The once precious and prosperous Li Mountain City revealed its desolate true nature of earth and mud sculptures, as its prosperity waned.


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t care about these things.


    He walked on the road, occasionally looking back, hoping that one of these glances would allow him to see his master again.


    But in the end, he saw nothing.


    Mo Hua lowered his head in sadness.


    Bai Zisheng was also very upset and patted Mo Hua on the shoulder.


    Bai Zixi held Mo Hua¡¯s hand.


    Aunt Xue had a look of surprise, but her expression was complex, and she sighed softly without saying anything.


    The group continued toward the outskirts of Li Mountain City.


    The Chief Elder and the elders of the Five Elements Sect took the lead in showing the way.


    Although the sky was covered with a sea of blood and filled with Sword Qi.


    Inside Li Mountain City, everything was blood-red with Demonic Qi overflowing.


    Yet the journey was without wind or waves.


    There were no Demon Cultivators, no murderous intentions, no dangers.


    Just as Mr. Zhuang had said, it was indeed a path to life.


    The Chief Elder found it somewhat unbelievable but also felt a great sense of relief, sighing inwardly,


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang truly is a lofty figure, he has shown great kindness to my Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    As the group walked, it was only a moment before they reached the great gate of Li Mountain City.


    To exit through this gate was to leave Li Mountain City.


    It was also to leave this place of disputes and purgatorial suffering.


    The Chief Elder breathed a sigh of relief.


    But when he looked up, the breath he had just exhaled tightened back up.


    A chill went down his spine.


    Before them, the city gate was suddenly enveloped by the sea of blood, sealing off their way forward.


    And atop the city gate, at this very moment, stood a group of strangely-shaped cultivators.


    In the middle, a figure in a black robe, with white hair and a youthful face, had a deep, gloomy gaze. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was the Mystery Demon Ancestor!


    By his sides stood an ashen-faced old man holding a strange sword box, a young man without a beard wearing a mask that resembled the delicate face of a dead man, and another man with sharp fangs and blood-red eyes.


    Behind these few were a group of Demon Cultivators with at least Foundation Establishment cultivation, all exuding a sinister aura.


    The Chief Elder¡¯s eyes showed horror, and he was scared out of his wits.


    The cultivators of the Five Elements Sect also turned pale.


    Xuan Sanren smiled gloomily, ¡°Under the Blood Banner, the spirits and ghosts cannot be reborn; not a single remnant soul will be left. How could I possibly let you go?¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court is strict; I haven¡¯t slaughtered a city in hundreds of years¡­¡±


    ¡°Today presents a rare opportunity; allow me to indulge¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The Chief Elder felt desolate.


    An Old Demon from the Feather Transformation Realm!


    The Five Elements Sect was doomed!


    With a sorrowful face, the Chief Elder was about to say something when he saw Xuan Sanren¡¯s gloomy smile fade, as if he had seen something that made him turn stern.


    Following Xuan Sanren¡¯s gaze, the Chief Elder saw an elder sitting on a rooftop not far to the west, his face weathered, his body like dead wood.


    It was the unfathomable elder known as ¡°Old Kui¡± who was with Mr. Zhuang.


    A glimmer of hope rose in the Chief Elder¡¯s heart.


    Xuan Sanren, facing Old Kui with a grim expression, clasped his hands and said,


    ¡°Who is this distinguished person?¡±


    Old Kui glanced at him indifferently, ¡°You¡¯re not qualified to know. I¡¯ll spare your life; now begone.¡±


    Xuan Sanren, furious, gave a cold laugh, ready to take action. He suddenly hesitated, as if remembering something, his face changed drastically, and he blurted out in shock,


    ¡°You are¡­¡±


    Old Kui¡¯s gaze was icy.


    Xuan Sanren quickly shut his mouth, trembling and not daring to speak.


    Suppressing the terror in his heart, his face twitching, he bowed to Old Kui, and his figure gradually faded from above the city gate, then disappeared.


    The group of Demon Cultivators behind Xuan Sanren was also stunned and shocked,


    ¡°What is the identity of this elder?¡±


    ¡°Even Xuan Sanren shows him such respect?¡±


    But they didn¡¯t dare to voice their questions.


    Fearing to speak disrespectfully and offend the mysterious elder, and also fearing to incur Xuan Sanren¡¯s wrath with improper remarks.


    If Xuan Sanren did not dare to stop them, they dared even less, so the group of Demon Cultivators had no choice but to retreat.


    The Demon Cultivators dispersed.


    The Chief Elder sighed with relief and, looking at Old Kui from a distance, bowed respectfully.


    All the cultivators of the Five Elements Sect also looked solemn and bowed to Old Kui.


    Old Kui flicked his finger, and a pitch-black fireball flew out.


    The great gate of Li Mountain City shattered, the Demonic Qi was burnt to nothingness, and the Blood Banner burned with a gaping hole, while the sea of blood seemed to have been torn apart, revealing a passage.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    Old Kui said just one word and then continued to rest with his eyes closed.


    Filled with gratitude, the Chief Elder bowed deeply once more, then looked back and gestured. Leading the cultivators of the Five Elements Sect, they followed the path opened by Old Kui out of Li Mountain City¡­


    Mo Hua also glanced at Old Kui and couldn¡¯t help muttering to himself,


    ¡°Grandpa Gui¡­¡±


    Old Kui seemed to hear Mo Hua¡¯s voice, slowly opened his eyes, and, glancing at Mo Hua, his lips curled up, revealing a slight smile.

 Chapter 659 - 547 Leaving the City_2

    Chapter 659: Chapter 547 Leaving the City_2


    This was the first time Mo Hua had seen Old Kui laugh.


    It was the smile of a marionette.


    Although it was stiff and slightly unnerving, it was very gentle.


    Old Kui¡¯s hoarse and kindly voice also rang in Mo Hua¡¯s ears:


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you off¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s nose felt sour as he waved his hand vigorously, saying goodbye to Old Kui.


    Old Kui ¡°smiled¡± again, then said softly, ¡°Go now¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, took another look at Old Kui, and then reluctantly shifted his gaze away, walking toward the city gates. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Kui watched Mo Hua¡¯s small figure with some regret.


    What a pity¡­ I won¡¯t get to eat the pine nuts fried by this child for me again¡­ Nor will I have the chance to instruct him in spells or play chess together¡­


    Then he mocked himself:


    ¡°Even my Taoist heart has wavered¡­¡±


    Old Kui shook his head and closed his eyes again, resuming his withered sitting posture.


    ¡­


    And Mo Hua just kept walking, through the city gate, leaving Li Mountain City, leaving behind the city shrouded in blood, filled with Demonic Qi, dangers, and the intent to kill.


    He also left behind the Li Mountain City where his master resided¡­


    When Mo Hua looked back.


    The Soul-refining Blood Banner had been fully activated, completely shrouding the entire Li Mountain City.


    Before his eyes were the surging sea of blood, the fierce Demon Sword, and the sky filled with bloody Sword Qi.


    Mo Hua etched all this in his heart, with a slightly chilly look in his eyes.


    ¡°Dare to scheme against my master¡­¡±


    One day, I will slaughter all you Evil Demons and monsters, tear this Soul Banner to shreds, smash this Demon Sword to pieces, and crush all the Heavenly Secret Cause and Effect of the Demon Path¡­


    Whatever Mystery Demon Ancestor, whatever Golden Core Demon Cultivator, whatever treasures of the Demon Path¡­


    You all just wait for me¡­


    ¡­


    At that moment in Li Mountain City, Xuan Sanren, who had just recovered from Old Kui¡¯s intimidating presence, suddenly felt his heart quake again.


    He quickly pulled a bone Compass from his bosom.


    In the Compass was sealed a lock, soaked with black blood, engraved with ancient Formation Patterns; in its center was embedded a demonic eye that looked vicious and blinked continuously.


    This was the treasured Heavenly Secret Cause and Effect of the Demon Path: Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal.


    Xuan Sanren frowned:


    ¡°Just now, this Heavenly Mechanism Seal¡­ trembled?¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°What is it afraid of?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to fear?¡±


    Xuan Sanren bit his finger, smeared it across his forehead, leaving a trail of blood that began to wriggle on its own, his Divine Sense becoming increasingly sharp.


    He formed a gesture with his hand, meticulously conjecturing, but after a while, he was still baffled.


    I can¡¯t figure anything out¡­


    It¡¯s all a mystery.


    Yet there seemed to be a vague hint of an ominous sign.


    It was as if, by a fluke, he had released a batch of fry into the river.


    But among these fry, there seemed to be a tiny and ferocious ¡°crocodile.¡±


    Looking closer, however, the river stretched boundlessly, waves rippling, a sea of vagueness, and nothing could be seen.


    Xuan Sanren blanked out for a moment, then shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s just an illusion¡­¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be such a coincidence¡­


    ¡­


    About dozens of miles outside Li Mountain City, there was a fork in the road.


    Mo Hua and people from the Five Elements Sect were about to part ways here.


    The Chief Elder glanced at Mo Hua, his expression complex.


    The true inheritance of the Five Elements Sect lay with this child.


    The future fortunes of the Five Elements Sect might also reside with him.


    Although he didn¡¯t know what the true inheritance of the Five Elements Sect was, nor what its future fortunes could be, this was what Mr. Zhuang had told him, and he could only believe it.


    But¡­


    Whether the Five Elements Sect could have that fortune in the future was another matter¡­


    The Sect was in tribulation; the hearts of its people scattered.


    From now on, they would have to lead a life under others, which would not be easy.


    These disciples would probably leave one after another.


    How many could stay in the end was hard to say.


    As long as he was alive, perhaps it might be better, after all, he was also a Golden Core Cultivator, but what about a hundred years, two hundred years later? If he were to die, and the Five Elements Sect had no successor, would it then be erased from the history of the Cultivation World¡­


    The Chief Elder sighed, his heart full of worry.


    He looked at Mo Hua and bid farewell with clasped hands: ¡°Young Gentleman, take care!¡±


    Mo Hua also paid his respects: ¡°Chief Elder, please take care!¡±


    ¡°Hopefully there will be a day when we meet again¡­¡±


    The Chief Elder¡¯s heart was filled with melancholy, then he saluted Mo Hua once more, leading the people of the Five Elements Sect mightily onto the road of uncertainty¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, took another path.


    This was a broad mountain road.


    Big White, pulling a cart, saw that Mo Hua seemed to be in a bad mood, affectionately nuzzled Mo Hua with its head, as if trying to comfort him.


    Mo Hua hugged Big White too, but his expression was still a bit downcast.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also felt somewhat sad.


    As they walked, Bai Zisheng suddenly asked Aunt Xue, ¡°Aunt Xue, can you find my mother and get her to save Master?¡±


    Aunt Xue replied bitterly, ¡°People at Mr. Zhuang¡¯s level are involved in matters we simply can¡¯t intervene with¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if it were Madam, there¡¯s little she can do to change many things.¡±


    Moreover, the Madam¡­ was also making her own calculations against Mr. Zhuang¡­


    Aunt Xue didn¡¯t articulate this last thought.


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat discontented.


    Bai Zixi then asked, ¡°Aunt Xue, where are we heading now?¡±


    Aunt Xue mused: ¡°First, let¡¯s see the Madam; she¡¯s also concerned for your safety. Afterward, we should probably head back to the Bai Family¡­¡±


    ¡°Back to the Bai Family¡­¡± murmured Bai Zixi, involuntarily glancing at Mo Hua.


    Bai Zisheng, suddenly remembering something, his desolation abating somewhat, looked at Mo Hua and asked, ¡°Apprentice brother, will you come back with us to the Bai Family?¡±


    ¡°The Bai Family?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Zisheng nodded, ¡°Come with me to the Bai Family. I¡¯ll take care of you, and you won¡¯t have to worry about cultivation, inheritances, Formations, we¡¯ll have it all¡­¡±

 Chapter 660 - 547: Leaving the City_3

    Chapter 660: Chapter 547: Leaving the City_3


    ¡°Although far from comparable to Master, it¡¯s still quite good,¡± Bai Zisheng said.


    Mo Hua remained silent.


    He turned his head again and glanced at Li Mountain City.


    He still wanted to see his Master.


    But he couldn¡¯t¡­


    Golden Core, Feather Transformation¡­ S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Such levels of cultivation were simply beyond his reach.


    He was just in the Qi Refinement stage¡­


    Mo Hua sighed dejectedly, hesitated for a moment, and then said, ¡°I want to go back to Tongxian City to see my parents¡­¡±


    He had been away from home for a long time and wanted to go back to see how things were.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Bai Zisheng nodded, ¡°I too want to go back and see Uncle Mo and Aunt Liu, and afterward, you can come with me to the Bai Family¡­¡±


    ¡°With such high comprehension and skill in Formation, even in the Bai Family, no one would dare to look down upon you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated, ¡°But, isn¡¯t that inappropriate¡­¡±


    He wasn¡¯t a member of the Bai Family¡­


    Bai Zisheng sternly said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? You are my Junior Brother, which makes us family. As your Senior Brother, it¡¯s natural that I should look after you!¡±


    ¡°Once we¡¯re at the Bai Family, if anyone looks down on you, they¡¯re looking down on me! If anyone bullies you, they¡¯re bullying me! I¡¯ll knock their teeth out!¡±


    Mo Hua was touched but still shook his head.


    Bai Zisheng said, ¡°No rush, take your time to think about it.¡±


    Bai Zixi also glanced at Mo Hua, her voice clear but resolute, ¡°At the Bai Family, no one will dare to bully you!¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly startled, then smiled, ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s smile was like a clear spring, pure and transparent, flowing warmly from the heart.


    Bai Zixi subtly averted her gaze.


    Aunt Xue saw everything, her eyes filled with both relief and tenderness, and yet a hint of reluctance.


    Some things are simple and pure.


    But the Cultivation World is cold and cruel¡­


    Mo Hua still shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll go back to see my parents first, and¡­ we¡¯ll see about the rest later.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t made up his mind about the rest.


    He had to achieve Foundation Establishment and uncover the secrets of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.


    The Formation was difficult to unravel.


    It might take one or two years, or perhaps, ten to twenty years¡­


    But no matter what, he had to unlock the Formation, and then step by step, as his Master had instructed, he had to cultivate his Divine Sense to the extreme, to achieve the Supreme Divine Sense and Achieve the Great Dao!


    The process would definitely be difficult and most certainly arduous.


    He had many secrets¡­


    Although he was reluctant to leave his Junior Brother and Junior Sister, the Bai Family¡­ might not be such a good place to go¡­


    The Dali Mountain State boundary is vast.


    Once they left Li Mountain City, the continuous undulating Dali Mountain range unfolded, with layers of mountains and winding paths.


    Mo Hua and his companions walked along the mountain paths, getting farther and farther from Li Mountain City.


    The mountains were like jade, the clouds like steamed and colorful clouds.


    The magnificent scenery diluted their melancholy, yet left them with endless wistfulness.


    In the hearts of Mo Hua and the others, there existed an emptiness.


    After walking for several days, Aunt Xue¡¯s eyebrows knitted together.


    Bai Zisheng asked, ¡°Aunt Xue, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Aunt Xue pondered for a moment and shook her head, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    After another five or six days, Aunt Xue¡¯s expression became more and more serious.


    The others then realized that something was amiss.


    Bai Zixi said, ¡°Aunt Xue, what happened?¡±


    Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment and then told the truth,


    ¡°Ten days ago, I sent a message to the Madame through the Jade Slip, explaining the situation, but all this time the message hasn¡¯t gotten out. It seems that it¡¯s not just Li Mountain City; the entire Dali Mountain appears to be locked down, hiding the heavenly secrets and cutting off communication¡­¡±


    All of them looked solemn.


    Mo Hua looked up and indeed felt that the sky was hazy. He could see the sky, but also ¡°saw¡± that it wasn¡¯t quite the same as before.


    It was as if something was blocking it.


    ¡°Aunt Xue, what¡¯s covering the sky?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Aunt Xue frowned, ¡°It might be the¡­ Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal¡­¡±


    ¡°Heavenly Mechanism Seal?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Aunt Xue nodded, ¡°The Heavenly Mechanism Seal is a type of magical treasure that can conceal heavenly secrets, lock cause and effect, and even isolate messages, preventing other cultivators from seeing, detecting, or divining anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Both the Righteous Dao and the Demon Path have such treasures.¡±


    ¡°However, to block heavenly secrets on such a large scale and isolate the entire Dali Mountain, such a treasure must be extraordinary. It¡¯s very possible that it¡¯s one of the Demon Path¡¯s supreme treasures, the Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal¡­¡±


    ¡°Demon Path¡¯s supreme treasure, Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal¡­¡± Mo Hua nodded, committing the name to memory.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Bai Zisheng asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head out first, leave Dali Mountain¡­¡± Aunt Xue said with a frown, but her expression remained grave.


    After several more days, just as they were about to leave Dali Mountain, a group of cultivators suddenly appeared before them.


    These cultivators came without warning but seemed as if they had been waiting there for a long time.


    Some wore black robes, others wore bloodied garments; their appearances were diverse.


    There was a gaunt Taoist with burn scars covering half his face, a fat Buddha with eyes that could barely open from smiling, a glamorous female cultivator with blood-red lips and protruding fangs, and a corpse driver with a corpse on his back¡­


    These dozen or so people exuded a sinister and profound aura, yet it was restrained.


    They were all, without exception, Golden Core stage Demon Cultivators!


    Among the crowd, the only person Mo Hua recognized was a cultivator in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, wearing a five-colored Taoist robe and a golden crown¡ªLiao Tiande from the Five Elements Sect, the former Sect Leader.


    The once Sect Leader was now bending the knee and obsequiously smiling.


    Liao Tiande pointed at Mo Hua and the others, addressing a young man wearing extravagant blood-colored clothing, extremely handsome, with a sinister blood mark on his brow,


    ¡°Saint Heir, these are Mr. Zhuang¡¯s direct disciples¡­¡±

 Chapter 661 - 548: Eternal Life Rune_1

    Chapter 661: Chapter 548: Eternal Life Rune_1


    Aunt Xue¡¯s face changed immediately.


    Saint Heir??!


    She looked at the handsome youth, incredulous:


    ¡°You¡­ are the Demon Path¡¯s Saint Heir?!¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both had serious expressions on their faces.


    Only Mo Hua looked confused.


    What on earth is a Saint Heir?


    Bai Zixi knew he didn¡¯t understand, so she quietly explained:


    ¡°The master of the Demon Sect, self-proclaimed Demon Monarch, refers to the ones who are eligible to succeed as the Demon Monarch as Saint Heirs¡­¡±


    ¡°The Saint Heirs compete against each other, and the final victor will become the next Demon Monarch.¡±


    ¡°Most Saint Heirs have extraordinary bloodlines and talents, and they cultivate the most orthodox Demon Sect Cultivation Techniques. Despite their young age, their statuses in the Demon Sect are extremely high.¡±


    Mo Hua took another look at the ¡°Saint Heir¡± in front of him.


    He really wasn¡¯t old, probably around twenty or so, and his Cultivation was already very high, at least Foundation Establishment, and possibly even Golden Core.


    He was dressed in crimson finery, his skin was pale, and his appearance handsome yet demonic. His pupils were cold and arrogant, with an archaic blood stain between his brows.


    In this group, only this youth had a blood stain between his eyebrows.


    Could this be the mark of a ¡°Saint Heir¡±?


    As Mo Hua sized up the Saint Heir, the Saint Heir was also looking at him.


    Liao Tiande whispered something in his ear, and the Saint Heir smiled faintly, pointing at Mo Hua and said:


    ¡°This kid, leave him behind for me!¡±


    Bai Zisheng and the others were somewhat taken aback.


    Mo Hua was even more puzzled, why did this effeminate demon single him out, wanting him to stay behind?


    Aunt Xue pulled Mo Hua behind her and said firmly: S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°We are from the Bai Family¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re from the Bai Family¡­¡±


    The Saint Heir sneered, ¡°You¡¯re from the Bai Family, and the siblings next to you are from the Bai Family¡¯s core lineage, so I gave you some face.¡±


    ¡°You may leave, but that kid¡­¡±


    The Saint Heir sneered, ¡°He must stay behind!¡±


    Aunt Xue frowned, ¡°You want Mo Hua to stay behind, what for?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much¡­¡± The Saint Heir¡¯s eyes, full of ambition, ¡°I want to meet Mr. Zhuang, but I need some leverage in hand, and his little disciple here is just right.¡±


    Mo Hua finally understood, they wanted to capture him to use as leverage against his master!


    Bai Zisheng understood as well and angrily said, ¡°Demon, don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    The Saint Heir¡¯s face trembled slightly, revealing anger and ferocity in his eyes.


    No one had ever dared to insult him to his face as he¡¯d grown up.


    He looked at Bai Zisheng with a venomous gaze.


    Bai Zisheng met his gaze resolutely and unafraid.


    The Saint Heir was somewhat surprised and nodded, ¡°Worthy of being a disciple of the Bai Family, you do have some backbone¡­¡±


    However, as he said this, he couldn¡¯t hide the murderous intent in his eyes.


    The Golden Core Stage Fat Buddha saw this and ingratiatingly said, ¡°Saint Heir, let me kill this brat for you.¡±


    The Saint Heir neither agreed nor disagreed, remaining silent.


    On the other side, a gaunt Taoist with half his face burnt scathingly said:


    ¡°Buddha of Ghosts, if you¡¯re going to suck up, use your brain. The core descendants of the Bai Family have their special Eternal Life Rune. Do you dare to attack them and seek death?¡±


    Fat Buddha¡¯s face trembled with rage, yet shock was evident on his features.


    ¡°A special Eternal Life Rune?¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat bewildered.


    What was this rune? He had never heard of it¡­


    The half-faced, burnt Taoist continued to mock the Buddha of Ghosts:


    ¡°The special Eternal Life Rune, created by Heaven Void Ancestors and above using their personal true essence, is imprinted within the vital energy of the direct descendants. When they face mortal danger, it activates automatically, killing all external enemies and ensuring the survival of the descendants.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s their ¡®Death Exemption Token,¡¯ a one-time ¡®lifesaver¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the additional ¡®life¡¯ for these noble clan¡¯s direct descendants!¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, why would the clan elders dare to let their extraordinarily talented and exceptional descendants go out and temper themselves?¡±


    The skinny Taoist looked at the Buddha of Ghosts with scorn, ¡°I¡¯ve lived so long and have never seen what this ¡®special Eternal Life Rune¡¯ looks like. Why don¡¯t you make a move and force these two young cultivators to reveal their runes, so I can also have a glimpse?¡±


    Buddha of Ghosts¡¯s face turned alternatively green and white.


    Make a move?


    Make your mother¡¯s move?


    If it involved the means of the Heaven Void Ancestor, ¡°able to kill all external enemies,¡± wouldn¡¯t my action be courting certain death?


    Dammit!


    The Buddha of Ghosts seethed internally.


    He had joined the path halfway through, had fed on humans to become a demon, and his lineage was not pure, which is why he was utterly ignorant of these high-level Cultivation knowledge.


    The special Eternal Life Rune, the Heaven Void Ancestors¡­ these were things he¡¯d never heard of before.


    Now he¡¯d made a fool of himself right as he tried to gain attention.


    And in front of the Saint Heir¡­


    The enraged Buddha shot the Taoist a venomous look.


    The Taoist kept sneering proudly.


    Both of them were Golden Core Great Demon Cultivators, and if they hadn¡¯t come together, they would be considered ¡°Ancestors¡± in their own right, with immense authority; naturally, neither would want to submit to the other.


    The eyes of the Saint Heir were cold and detached as his thoughts whirled.


    The Taoist was not wrong¡­


    On one hand, he was wary of the Bai Family, so he dared not make a move against the siblings.


    The Bai Family was an enormous entity.


    These two young cultivators were from the Bai Family¡¯s direct core lineage, and attacking them would provoke the Bai Family directly.


    Even though he was a Demon Path Saint Heir, without a huge benefit, he saw no need to make such a formidable enemy.


    On the other hand, he did indeed fear the special Eternal Life Rune.


    With that rune in place, he couldn¡¯t do anything to the siblings.


    Therefore, the only one he could truly target and the only one he could use to gain leverage was the one without any power, background, support, with a bad Spiritual Root, weak Cultivation, without the special Eternal Life Rune to protect him, who also happened to be the direct disciple of Mr. Zhuang ¡ª Mo Hua!


    The Saint Heir glanced at Bai Zisheng and his companion, ¡°I won¡¯t trouble you¡­¡± Then he turned his gaze back to Mo Hua, ¡°But this kid is mine!¡±

 Chapter 662 - 548: Eternal Life Rune_2

    Chapter 662: Chapter 548: Eternal Life Rune_2


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    Aunt Xue also said in a deep voice, ¡°The elders of the Bai Family are nearby, so please, Saint Heir, do as you see fit.¡±


    The Saint Heir smiled slyly, ¡°Don¡¯t act as if I don¡¯t know, the Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal obscures the heavenly secret and locks cause and effect, isolating this place from the external world for a short duration.¡±


    ¡°Your Bai Family doesn¡¯t know, and those fools from the Taoist Court are even more clueless.¡±


    Aunt Xue felt a chill in her heart, her face as still as water.


    As expected, everything had been calculated perfectly.


    The Saint Heir did not wish to waste any more words either, and with a casual wave of his hand, a few Golden Core Demon Cultivators behind him dashed out like ghosts, moving towards Mo Hua to capture him.


    The one in front was a seductively charming female cultivator with sharp fangs and a bewitching and elusive movement technique. In just a few breaths, she closed in on Mo Hua and the others.


    She emanated a strong and pungent scent of rouge and powder.


    Aunt Xue tensed up, gritting her teeth and focusing her gaze.


    Her eyes shimmered with a dance of seven-colored rays.


    The Demon Path female cultivator locked eyes with Aunt Xue and froze for a moment, then, with the operation of her evil power, she grinned, her eyes turning red, showing sinuous blood vessels.


    The radiance in Aunt Xue¡¯s eyes faded, and she stumbled back several steps, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    The Demon Path female cultivator chuckled and said, ¡°You dare use an illusion technique at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage against a Golden Core? Aren¡¯t you afraid of backlash?¡±


    Aunt Xue¡¯s face turned deathly pale, but she also looked desperate.


    Between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core lies a vast difference in realms; even if her illusion technique was exquisite, it would not make her a match.


    The remaining Golden Core Demon Cultivators charged at Mo Hua but were blocked by Bai Zisheng who brandished a long spear.


    Yet Bai Zisheng, still only at Qi Refinement, held the imposing spear which was effortlessly pinched by two fingers of a Demon Cultivator.


    Then, with a light flick, the spear was sent flying.


    Undeterred, Bai Zisheng charged forward with empty hands, determined not to let them capture Mo Hua.


    The few Golden Core Demon Cultivators looked disdainful, but they didn¡¯t dare to strike Bai Zisheng for fear of triggering the special Eternal Life Rune, so they could only humor him in this charade.


    The charming female cultivator took the opportunity to approach, extending a pale hand with five crimson, elongated nails, reaching for Mo Hua.


    The charming female cultivator was at Golden Core, while Mo Hua was only at Qi Refinement.


    No matter how exquisite his Water Passing Step, he couldn¡¯t dodge it.


    Just then, Bai Zixi flashed in front of Mo Hua, blocking him.


    The female cultivator¡¯s expression condensed, and with a ¡°tsk,¡± she forcibly halted her assault, her crimson nails stopping short in front of Bai Zixi.


    ¡°Sister¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, his feelings complex as he muttered.


    Bai Zixi simply said, ¡°I am your sister! I promised Master I would take good care of you!¡±


    The charming female cultivator scoffed contemptuously.


    The Saint Heir showed a look of surprise.


    The scene unfolding before him greatly exceeded his expectations.


    In his original plan, as the Saint Heir accompanied by more than a dozen Golden Core Great Demon Cultivators, even if the Bai siblings would not flee in trepidation, at least they would be wary enough to hand over their junior brother¡­


    These two hailed from a Great Clan.


    And this ¡®Mo¡¯ kid, inconspicuous and likely of humble origin, perhaps just a Loose Cultivator picked up by Mr. Zhuang from some remote corner.


    The Bai siblings would surely not risk much to protect this kid.


    But now, he realized he was wrong¡­


    To stand against him, the Saint Heir, and face off against more than a dozen Golden Core Demon Cultivators in direct confrontation, were they indeed willing to defend this ¡°junior brother¡±?


    Why?


    Was this kid really that important?


    The Saint Heir became interested, chuckling, ¡°Just don¡¯t kill them. If they don¡¯t sustain fatal injuries, it won¡¯t trigger the ¡®Eternal Life Rune.¡¯


    ¡°Subdue them and bring that kid over to me!¡±


    ¡°I want to see just what is so extraordinary about this kid.¡±


    A few more Golden Core Demon Cultivators from the Saint Heir¡¯s side took action, closing in on Mo Hua.


    The charming female cultivator also cracked a gruesome smile, reaching for Bai Zixi.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze intensified, and she drew a golden long sword from her hand. With each swing, the sword¡¯s light was clear and bright, mingled with snow-white flames.


    The charming female cultivator¡¯s eyelid twitched, and she thought in shock, ¡°This swordsmanship¡­¡±


    But after observing for a while, she calmed down, ¡°Good, it¡¯s only Qi Refinement¡­¡±


    She focused, blood Qi emanating from her claws, dissolving Bai Zixi¡¯s golden and white fiery swordsmanship, and then, bypassing Bai Zixi, she reached towards Mo Hua right behind her.


    At that moment, Bai Zixi clenched her teeth, inverted the sword tip to point at her own heart meridian.


    This was the posture of someone intending to commit suicide.


    The charming female cultivator paused, halting her motion.


    The distant Saint Heir was taken aback, then chuckled, ¡°Have you gone mad, girl?¡±


    But gradually, as he came to understand, he couldn¡¯t help but stop laughing.


    Not just the Saint Heir, the other Golden Core Demon Cultivators also came to a realization, faces revealing shock.


    The smile on the Saint Heir¡¯s face faded, his expression turned serious, saying:


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    You wouldn¡¯t¡­ be thinking of triggering the ¡°Eternal Life Rune¡± yourself, would you?


    Standing before Mo Hua, Bai Zixi¡¯s cold gaze conveyed, ¡°Whoever touches him will have to die!¡±


    The Saint Heir stood shocked for a long time, before he finally slowly shook his head and laughed in disbelief, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡±


    ¡°How precious is the Eternal Life Rune, I don¡¯t believe you¡¯d be willing to trigger it yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°As a disciple from a Noble Clan, what does it mean to lose your Eternal Life Rune? I think you know better than I do¡­¡±


    ¡°Trigger the Eternal Life Rune yourself?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡±


    The Saint Heir¡¯s gaze turned icy as he commanded, ¡°Capture that kid!¡±


    A few Golden Core Demon Cultivators hesitated for a moment but still continued to reach for Mo Hua. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s luminous gaze revealed a hint of determination and resoluteness.


    Seeing this look, the Saint Heir instantly understood and was instantly filled with an unbelievable shock and fear:

 Chapter 663 - 548: Eternal Life Rune_3

    Chapter 663: Chapter 548: Eternal Life Rune_3


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi clenched her sword in her delicate hands and plunged it forcefully toward her heart.


    This strike, a sword Qi sweeping across, was one made with the resolve to die, yet it halted a hair¡¯s breadth from her chest.


    A layer of golden light suddenly appeared on Bai Zixi¡¯s body.


    Between her eyebrows, a bright and sacred ¡°Rune¡± took shape.


    This Rune, crafted by the Heaven Void Ancestor himself, was the Heaven-reaching Rune, the special Eternal Life Rune, explicitly created to ensure that a noble clan¡¯s direct descendants would not meet death¡ª


    The personal Eternal Life Rune!


    All the Demon Cultivators in attendance wore expressions of utter shock.


    They were as pale as death, struggling to flee for their lives, yet behind Bai Zixi, a colossal Golden Body Dharma Phase had already manifested.


    It was an elder with an unclear face.


    But the spiritual power emanating from him flowed like a vast ocean, his golden luminance obscuring the sun and blanketing the sky!


    Refining God and Returning to the Void, Heaven Void Dharma Phase!


    Between heaven and earth, as if the solemn sounds of the Great Dao were resonating, a commanding and trembling voice belted out:


    ¡°Who dares to bully my descendant?¡±


    The Dharma Phase protected Bai Zixi, following her intentions.


    The light in Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes shifted, and with a delicate finger-pointing forward, she spoke in a crisp voice:


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    In that moment, more than ten Golden Core Great Demon Cultivators, all of whom were once dominant in their own right, now trembled all over, terrified as if they were mere ants.


    The Taoist with half his face scorched wished more than anything to tear his own mouth to pieces.


    ¡°Prophetic words!¡±


    ¡°I had just finished speaking, and damn it, I really have witnessed the Eternal Life Rune!¡±


    ¡°Why the hell is my mouth so cheap?!¡±


    In a life and death crisis, hanging by a thread.


    The assembly of Golden Core Demon Cultivators scattered like birds and beasts, desperately running for their lives, but they could not escape the grasp of the Dharma Phase.


    With Bai Zixi¡¯s clear and piercing command ¡°Kill!¡±, the Dharma Phase, majestic and aloof, pointed a finger. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A Golden Core Demon Cultivator, without any warning, instantly exploded to death!


    The other Demon Cultivators were even more terrified, their souls nearly scattering!


    Then the Dharma Phase pointed again, another Demon Cultivator exploded and died, and with another pointed finger, yet another Cultivator met their end, turning into pools of blood mist.


    In a brief moment, five consecutive Golden Core Demon Cultivators had been violently killed, and then dark clouds gathered on the horizon, a terrifying fluctuation approaching.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes held a hint of regret.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled.


    Was this¡­ the Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment?


    Dark clouds coalesced, and a crimson thunderbolt descended from the sky, arriving in an instant, erasing the Golden Body Dharma Phase without leaving a trace.


    The Dharma Phase of the Heaven Void Realm had already exceeded the domain limitations of the Third-Grade State Boundary of the Heavenly Dao.


    Naturally, it could not escape the fate of being eradicated by the thunder punishment.


    All this happened in a flash, in the blink of an eye.


    The Dharma Phase appeared, and within a few moments, it had slain five Golden Core Great Demon Cultivators!


    And in just a short span of time, it was wiped out by the thunder punishment.


    Mo Hua only saw the appearance of the Dharma Phase, the Demon Cultivators exploding, the thunder punishment descending, and then disappearing.


    But this time, the thunder punishment did not strike him.


    So in the blink of an eye, he had no time to observe closely, nor did he see any Formation Patterns, only shaken by that familiar and terrifying Power of Silence Annihilation of the Grand Dao.


    It truly seemed capable of eradicating everything¡­


    Even the Dharma Phase was no exception.


    At this moment, the mountains were deathly quiet.


    Nobody had expected that Bai Zixi would actually be able, and indeed dare, to trigger her personal Eternal Life Rune on her own!


    That was the Eternal Life Rune, wasn¡¯t it?!


    The Saint Heir was far enough away to be unaffected, but his heart was a mix of shock and anger.


    This girl, how dare she?!


    Five Golden Core Demon Cultivators, instantly killed! How was he supposed to explain this upon his return?


    The Saint Heir¡¯s expression was furious as he looked towards Bai Zixi, but as he did, he suddenly froze.


    Triggered by her personal Eternal Life Rune, Bai Zixi¡¯s Yi Rong had faded away, revealing her true appearance.


    Skin like creamy jade, eyes like shining stars.


    Despite her young age, her face was devastatingly beautiful and flawless, with skin like frost and bones made of jade, her gaze as cold and clear as ice and snow, possessing an extraordinary grace and splendor.


    Everyone present was left breathless, not daring to breathe.


    They even felt a sense of shame in comparison.


    The Demon Path¡¯s Saint Heir was left speechless.


    He was himself a handsome man and had seen many beautiful women.


    But in his life, he had never before seen someone so unbelievably beautiful, so breathtaking.


    And it wasn¡¯t just her beauty.


    That chilling demeanor, the courage to disregard life and death, the resolute determination, combined with her stunning beauty and the cold clearness of her icy gaze, all melded together¡­


    The Saint Heir felt his heart tremble and couldn¡¯t help but shudder.


    But soon after, his expression turned icy cold again.


    He saw Mo Hua, whom Bai Zixi was protecting behind her, the remnants of the golden light of the Eternal Life Rune draped over both of them, their eyes conveying mutual understanding, like a perfect pair of golden boy and jade girl.


    For some reason, a bitter jealousy welled up in his heart.


    ¡°That brat, he must be captured, and then, he must die!¡±


    Jealousy brought the Saint Heir back to his senses.


    Of the ten-plus Golden Core Demon Cultivators, now five were dead, leaving eight remaining.


    Though the losses were heavy, it was enough!


    They now had no power to resist, and as long as that brat was captured, not only would he have a bargaining chip against Mr. Zhuang, but even¡­


    That young girl¡­


    The Saint Heir¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but race.


    But then, just a moment later, he suddenly sensed something amiss, feeling another presence near him.


    The Saint Heir turned his head and saw a young man in white with starry eyes and eyebrows shaped like swords standing beside him.


    It was Bai Zisheng.


    Somehow, Bai Zisheng had taken advantage of his moment of distraction and approached unnoticed.


    He held a dagger, without any hesitation, aimed at his own heart, and venomously said:


    ¡°Die, useless Saint Heir!¡±


    The Saint Heir¡¯s calculations came to an abrupt halt, and immense terror surfaced in his eyes once again.


    The dagger stopped in front of Bai Zisheng¡¯s chest as the golden light flared brightly.


    Another Eternal Life Rune appeared.


    Another vast surge of golden spiritual power unfolded from Dali Mountain, piercing the heavens and shaking the earth.


    Another Golden Body Dharma Phase materialized between heaven and earth.

 Chapter 664 - 549 Arrival_1

    Chapter 664: Chapter 549 Arrival_1


    As the Golden Body Dharma Phase appeared, spiritual power surged, its aura peerless. With an expression of neither sorrow nor joy, the golden figure pointed a finger towards the terrified Saint Heir.


    Under that one finger, its power was astounding.


    The Saint Heir¡¯s face distorted under the force, his limbs gradually snapping, his flesh and blood slowly blurring.


    But in just an instant, he returned to his original state, unharmed.


    At his brow, a blood mark shone brightly, emitting a deep and pitch-black luster.


    Simultaneously, behind the Saint Heir, a massive bloody silhouette emerged.


    This figure, like a bloodied person soaked in tainted blood, had surging vital energies, soul-snatching, its oppressive might terrifying.


    This was a Bloody Dharma Phase!


    It was the Heaven Void blood shadow of an ancestor from the Demon Path.


    It was also a rune!


    A powerful life-saving talisman, similar to the special Eternal Life Rune!


    Bai Zisheng took advantage of the Saint Heir¡¯s distraction, approached stealthily, then self-destructed his special Eternal Life Rune, triggering the Golden Body Dharma Phase, wishing to utterly annihilate this Demon Path Saint Heir!


    And with one point of the Dharma Phase, the Saint Heir was on the brink of death.


    The life-saving rune on the Saint Heir¡¯s forehead was also forcibly activated, contending with the Golden Body Dharma Phase and saving his life.


    One ¡°life¡± for another ¡°life¡±.


    One rune for another rune.


    In the Dali Mountain.


    The Righteous Dao¡¯s Golden Body Dharma Phase clashed with the Demon Path¡¯s Bloody Dharma Phase, fingertip to palm, shattering the heavens and splitting the earth.


    Golden and bloody spiritual powers swept across the land.


    Mountain peaks crumbled, vegetation uprooted, earth and stones turned into dust, and the Monster Beasts suffered the aftermath, crushed into ash.


    Bai Zixi still stood in front of Mo Hua.


    The lingering power of the Eternal Life Rune followed Bai Zixi¡¯s intent, protecting both Mo Hua and Aunt Xue nearby.


    Mo Hua was unaffected.


    He stood there, dumbstruck, watching the two Dharma Phases clash, his heart filled with inexplicable shock.


    ¡°This is¡­ the power of a true Cultivator¡­¡±


    ¡°To move mountains and seas, to destroy the sky and obliterate the earth¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the true cultivation that reaches through the heavens and the earth¡­¡±


    ¡°Heaven Void Realm¡­¡±


    In Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, there was both shock and longing, and he couldn¡¯t help tightening his small hands.


    One day, he too would hold the power to reverse the heavens and the earth.


    With a flip of his hand to cover the sky, with a turn of his hand to level the ground!


    Then, no one would dare to scheme against his master, no one would dare to bully his Junior Brother and Junior Sister! No one would dare to harm the people he cherished!


    ¡­


    The clash between Dharma Phases was momentary, yet shook the heavens and the earth.


    Shortly after, thunderclouds returned to the sky.


    The celestial tribulation descended a second time.


    Scarlet tribulation lightning fell from the sky with a cold fury, aiming to annihilate both the Righteous Dao Golden Body Dharma Phase and the Demon Path Bloody Dharma Phase!


    Everything returned to calm once more¡­


    ¡­


    But before that, when the first Eternal Life Rune shattered.


    The heavenly secrets here had already been disturbed.


    The seal of the Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal was obliterated by the tribulation lightning, and the heavenly secrets leaked out, revealing cause and effect.


    The tremendous fluctuation in spiritual power generated by the Golden Body Dharma Phase also spread from Dali Mountain, stirring up Cultivators far and wide.


    A thousand miles away, in Liyuan City.


    A middle-aged white-robed Cultivator sensed the breaking of the first special Eternal Life Rune and also felt the Dharma Phase fluctuations of the Heaven Void Realm, his heart trembling. Momentarily careless, he crushed the teacup in his hand to powder.


    ¡°The special¡­ Eternal Life Rune?¡±


    ¡°Shattered¡­ Shattered?!¡±


    Even though he was a late Jindan stage Cultivator and had held a high position for two hundred years, his sophisticated demeanor couldn¡¯t prevent his face from turning instantly pale.


    He was the Court Leader of Liyuan City¡¯s Taoist Court.


    Liyuan City is the largest Immortal City in the entire Dali Mountain State boundary.


    And the Taoist Court of Liyuan City is the largest in scale, with the most Cultivators, and the highest authority in the entire Dali Mountain State boundary.


    As the Court Leader, he was responsible for the safety and security of the entire Dali Mountain State boundary.


    The greater the power, the greater the responsibility.


    But now, at this very moment, while he was merely drinking tea, without any warning, he had sensed the fluctuations of the Heaven Void Dharma Phase.


    And that a special Eternal Life Rune had shattered¡­


    The white-robed Cultivator felt a chill in his heart and a bitterness in his mouth.


    ¡°Which noble Clan¡¯s prized heir came to Dali Mountain to play and accidentally shattered their own Eternal Life Rune¡­¡±


    A special Eternal Life Rune¡­ Is that an ordinary talisman?


    Those who plant a special Eternal Life Rune¡­ Could they be from an ordinary family?


    And someone who is allowed to receive a special Eternal Life Rune¡­ Could they be an ordinary disciple?


    Without a life-and-death crisis, could a special Eternal Life Rune shatter?


    What does this imply? S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It implies that there are serious security issues within the Dali Mountain State boundary!


    If any issue arises, he, as the Court Official responsible for the entire state boundary, would surely be held accountable!


    A black-iron lump weighed on his head¡ªnot a pot but still something ending up as his responsibility!


    The noble Clans wouldn¡¯t listen to explanations; a pot needed to be carried, and someone always had to bear their wrath.


    This was merely an Eternal Life Rune shattering.


    If the prized heir who received the Eternal Life Rune met with an accident¡­


    The white-robed Cultivator¡¯s face turned ashen as he immediately stood up, barking out an order:


    ¡°Someone come!¡±


    An Enforcement Leader entered, bowing and asking, ¡°What instructions does Court Leader have?¡±


    The white-robed Cultivator glanced in the direction of the spiritual power fluctuations, considered the structure of the Dali Mountain State boundary, and after contemplating for a while, he vaguely recalled a location:


    Li Mountain City¡­


    ¡°Send a message to Li Mountain City¡¯s Taoist Court, ask what happened over there.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Enforcement Leader left to deliver the order and came back after a short while, his expression grave, ¡°Court Leader, there¡¯s no reply from Li Mountain City¡­¡±


    The white-robed Cultivator frowned, ¡°No reply?¡±


    Anger rose in him as he cursed, ¡°Negligence of duty? Such laxness and neglect to the point that¡­¡±


    The white-robed Cultivator suddenly paused, a chill creeping into his heart.


    No reply¡­


    Was it a lack of response, or¡­ could no one respond anymore?


    Could something have happened to Li Mountain City¡¯s Taoist Court¡­?


    Under the Taoist Court, a clear and bright world¡ªit couldn¡¯t be possible, right?


    Who would dare to be so audacious?

 Chapter 665 - 549: Coming_2

    Chapter 665: Chapter 549: Coming_2


    The white-robed cultivator¡¯s face was as still as water before he gave the command:


    ¡°Send the orders down: within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, all Deputy Court Leaders and Enforcement Leaders within Liyuan City at the Golden Core Stage must come to see me!¡±


    ¡°Everyone! No one is to have any excuses!¡±


    ¡°One incense stick¡¯s time, whoever dares not come, get the hell out of the Taoist Court immediately!¡±


    Upon hearing this, the Enforcement Leader was greatly shocked and knew that this matter must be of great importance.


    This was the first time he had seen the normally unflappable Court Leader show such a stern expression.


    The Enforcement Leader immediately passed on the orders.


    By the time the incense had burned down, all the Golden Core Cultivators from the entire Liyuan City Taoist Court had gathered in front of the white-robed cultivator.


    Their expressions were grave, with a mix of confusion.


    ¡°Court Leader, what exactly has happened?¡±


    The white-robed cultivator waved his hand, ¡°Immediately set out with me, to Li Mountain City!¡±


    ¡°All of us?¡± A Deputy Court Leader was taken aback.


    After thinking for a moment, the white-robed cultivator casually pointed to one of the Golden Core Cultivators, ¡°You stay behind to hold the fort; the rest will all go.¡±


    The crowd looked at each other in bewilderment.


    Still, the Deputy Court Leader couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Court Leader, what exactly happened?¡±


    The white-robed cultivator was annoyed, yet seeing everyone¡¯s puzzled faces, he still put it succinctly:


    ¡°A special Eternal Life Rune has broken; we¡¯re going to take a look.¡±


    ¡°A special Eternal Life Rune?!¡±


    The crowd was shocked, murmuring amongst themselves:


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Runes?¡±


    ¡°Is it that important?¡±


    ¡°Worthy of such a grand mobilization?¡±


    ¡­


    The white-robed cultivator paused, speechless.


    After all, Liyuan City was quite remote, and these Golden Core Cultivators, though of decent births, mostly came from less significant Noble Clans and Sects, knowing little of such grand legacies.


    ¡°Court Leader, isn¡¯t this¡­ making a big fuss over a small issue?¡± someone tentatively said.


    A single rune, such a big deal it had made, mobilizing all of the top Golden Core Cultivators from the biggest Taoist Court within the Dali Mountain State boundary?


    The Deputy Court Leader also voiced his confusion:


    ¡°Court Leader, is this Eternal Life Rune really that urgent?¡±


    The white-robed cultivator could hardly suppress his anger and could only grit his teeth and say:


    ¡°You all know shit!¡±


    ¡°I can only tell you, one special Eternal Life Rune is worth more than my damn life! Way! More! Precious! Heavy!!¡±


    At these words, everyone¡¯s faces changed.


    Only then did they realize that the matter might be far more grave than they had thought.


    ¡°Quit the nonsense!¡± the white-robed cultivator shouted, ¡°Dress in your Taoist Robes, bring your Magical Treasures, prepare your Pills, and set off now!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The crowd responded solemnly and with a heavy tone.


    The white-robed cultivator nodded, about to say something but suddenly sensed something, his heart skipped a beat, and he looked skywards with eyes wide in alarm.


    The Deputy Court Leader was hesitant, pointing to the distance and fumbling, ¡°Court Leader, when the Eternal Life Rune breaks, does it¡­ look like that¡­?¡±


    The white-robed cultivator whirled around, took one look, and his legs nearly gave out beneath him.


    In the distance, the sky was flooded with golden light, and the presence was terrifying.


    ¡°Another one¡­ has broken?¡±


    No, not just one¡­


    The white-robed cultivator stared intently.


    In the far horizon, a beam of golden light and a beam of red light stood in opposition.


    Although far away and not quite clear, the profound aura was unmistakably¡­ two Dharma manifestations?


    And among them, that blood shadow¡­ was it from the Demon Path¡¯s Heaven Void?!


    From the Demon Path¡­


    An Undying Rune?!


    In just a short span of time, two special Eternal Life Runes, and a Demon Path¡¯s Undying Rune had broken?


    ¡°What¡­ exactly has happened?¡±


    The white-robed cultivator¡¯s gaze was filled with horror.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, far away, in the Taoist State, the Central Tao Court.


    The Heaven Shu Pavilion.


    A Pavilion Elder was playing chess with a Supervisor.


    The Pavilion Elder had completely white hair, an old face, but his eyes were profound; the Supervisor had half-white hair, a face like jade, and a humble look in his eyes.


    The two alternated moves in chess.


    After a moment, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.


    A disciple of the Heaven Shu Pavilion rushed to the door, then stopped abruptly, suppressing the urgency in his heart, and respectfully knocked on the door.


    The Pavilion Elder ignored the knocking, continuing the game as if nothing had happened.


    The disciple outside was burning with impatience but could only wait respectfully.


    Seeing that the Pavilion Elder did not respond, the Supervisor finally whispered, ¡°Pavilion Elder¡­ ¡±


    It was only then that the Pavilion Elder came back to his senses, sighed softly, and shifted his gaze from the chessboard, speaking slowly, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The disciple, as if hearing sacred sounds, although eager, still entered the room with light steps, making no noise at all.


    Bent over, he presented a Jade Slip to the Pavilion Elder, saying respectfully:


    ¡°Pavilion Elder, the calculation is done. In the Third Grade Dali Mountain State boundary, Li Mountain City¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    The Pavilion Elder nodded slightly but gave no further instruction.


    The disciple was at a loss for a moment.


    Seeing no alternative, the Supervisor shook his head, took the Jade Slip, and said to the disciple:


    ¡°The Pavilion Elder is informed; you relay the message. This matter has been a long time in the making and is well organized. Do what needs to be done as planned¡­ ¡±


    The disciple breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully took his leave.


    After hesitating for a moment and looking at the content of the Jade Slip in his hand, the Supervisor was somewhat moved, murmuring, ¡°Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Blood flags sealing the city, a Demon sword hanging over lives?¡±


    ¡°A special Eternal Life Rune¡­ has shattered¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Undying Rune¡­ Demon path¡¯s Saint Heir?¡±


    ¡­


    Muttering to himself, with varying expressions, the Supervisor could not help but call out, ¡°Pavilion Elder¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The Pavilion Elder replied indifferently.


    The Supervisor looked at the Pavilion Elder with a look of astonishment, ¡°Did you know all along?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder was fixated on the chessboard, not taking his eyes off it, and did not answer.


    With care, the Supervisor said:


    ¡°The Shangguan Family, the Yun Family, the Taoist Mysterious Gate¡­ they asked you for calculations a while ago, and you said you couldn¡¯t calculate it, were you putting them off?¡±


    ¡°Did you¡­ already know about what¡¯s happening in Li Mountain City?¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You¡­¡±

 Chapter 666 - 549 Coming_3

    Chapter 666: Chapter 549 Coming_3


    The Pavilion Elder lifted his head, displeased, ¡°How can you not focus when playing chess?¡±


    The Supervisor was taken aback, and couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile.


    The winds rose, and clouds surged, with the mystery of the immortals ebbing and flowing.


    Is now really the time to be playing chess¡­


    The Pavilion Elder shook his head, sighing, ¡°This won¡¯t do. Your mind is restless and impatient, lacking steadiness. With such a disposition, you¡¯ll never make progress in chess in your lifetime¡­¡±


    The Supervisor silently glanced at the chessboard.


    On the board, most of the Pavilion Elder¡¯s pieces had already been ¡°captured¡± by him.


    That was because he had considered the Pavilion Elder¡¯s dignity and couldn¡¯t bear to make a move, allowing the Pavilion Elder many pieces out of pity.


    Though to say so might seem disrespectful.


    But as everyone knows, the Pavilion Elder of Heaven Shu Pavilion is famously a ¡°lousy chess player¡± far and wide.


    Now the Pavilion Elder is saying that he ¡°will never make progress in chess in his lifetime,¡± and really, he didn¡¯t quite know what to say¡­


    The Supervisor felt somewhat tired at heart, but still asked helplessly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried at all?¡±


    ¡°Worried about what?¡± the Pavilion Elder said with an air of indifference.


    ¡°About¡­ the Taoist Mysterious Gate and them¡­¡±


    A chill suddenly flashed through the aged eyes of the Pavilion Elder.


    ¡°Are you eager for them to rush to their deaths?¡±


    The Supervisor was startled, his expression becoming more solemn, ¡°Have you calculated something?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder completely lost interest in chess, placed a piece, effectively ¡°sacrificing¡± a large group of his pieces, and said coldly:


    ¡°Not calculating would be for their own good.¡±


    ¡°Without calculations, they wouldn¡¯t rush to their deaths.¡±


    ¡°Calculating slower, they¡¯ll die slower.¡±


    The words of the Pavilion Elder were laden with deep meaning.


    The Supervisor¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°Is it really that dangerous?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder neither affirmed nor denied.


    The Supervisor asked in confusion, ¡°Have you told the Shangguan Family and people from the Taoist Mysterious Gate all of this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth it¡­¡±


    The Pavilion Elder shook his head, aimlessly fiddling with the chess pieces on the board, ¡°Even if told, they wouldn¡¯t believe it. They might think I¡¯m exaggerating to scare them, suspecting I have ulterior motives, and would end up blaming me instead.¡±


    ¡°So if I can delay it, I will¡­¡±


    The Pavilion Elder sighed, ¡°I¡¯m getting old, senile; how can I still calculate so quickly, so accurately?¡±


    ¡°Then them¡­¡±


    ¡°Life and death are predestined, let nature take its course,¡± said the Pavilion Elder indifferently, then looked at the Supervisor and slowly continued, ¡°Before a moth flies to the flame, it never thinks it will die.¡±


    ¡°Can you stop a moth from flying into the fire?¡±


    The Supervisor frowned, ¡°Is this matter truly so perilous?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder silently gathered the chess pieces and put the board in place, ¡°Not everyone is capable of playing chess, and not everyone can play in this game¡­¡±


    The Supervisor acknowledged with a solemn nod.


    The Pavilion Elder meant that this matter involved the Heavenly secret and was of great significance; one should not lightly wade into these muddy waters.


    But the Supervisor also faintly felt that the Pavilion Elder¡¯s words had a double meaning, and they contained a message for himself as well.


    Implying that he wasn¡¯t qualified to play chess with him.


    Even though, dear Pavilion Elder, your own chess skills are terribly lacking¡­


    The Supervisor shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then said: ¡°The Taoist Court is full of capable people, geniuses are everywhere, surely it couldn¡¯t be that¡­¡±


    ¡°Geniuses?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder¡¯s gaze grew slightly cold, ¡°What is a genius?¡±


    That question left the Supervisor speechless.


    He intended to say, ¡°One with an excellent Spiritual Root, exceptionally intelligent, extraordinarily talented, with stunning brilliance,¡± but the words felt too superficial as they reached his lips.


    That obviously wasn¡¯t the meaning hidden in the Pavilion Elder¡¯s words.


    It seemed the Pavilion Elder didn¡¯t really expect an answer from the Supervisor, but just gazed into the distance and sighed softly:


    ¡°Grasping the world¡¯s benefits for one¡¯s own selfish desires, no matter how genius, what use are they?¡±


    ¡°The more ¡®geniuses¡¯ there are, the more corrupt the Taoist Court becomes, the more the Cultivation World deteriorates¡­¡±


    The Supervisor was puzzled, but the Pavilion Elder said no more.


    A silence settled atop the pavilion.


    After some thought, the Supervisor still asked: ¡°Pavilion Elder, I still don¡¯t understand. If we really wade into these troubled waters, where lies the danger?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder, with an inscrutable gaze, countered with a question, ¡°Who are we plotting against?¡±


    The Supervisor hesitated, ¡°Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that young man surnamed Zhuang is so easy to plot against?¡±


    The Supervisor was taken aback and then frowned again, ¡°Even if he was extraordinary back then, after so many years, with his Taoist Foundation shattered, could he still be so troublesome?¡±


    The Pavilion Elder scoffed, ¡°He is at the end of his life, his Heavenly secret calculations exhausted, powerless to overturn fate, otherwise he would not be in such dire straits, and furthermore¡­¡±


    A serious look flickered in the Pavilion Elder¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°The most terrifying thing is not actually him, but his senior brother¡­¡±


    A chill ran down the Supervisor¡¯s spine, ¡°You mean, the Tricky¡­¡±


    The Supervisor held back, refraining from uttering the full name, then shook his head again, ¡°The Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, it¡¯s not considered as one of the top Demon Path inheritances, is it¡­¡±


    The Pavilion Elder glared at him, ¡°When you stop talking big, I¡¯ll worry less.¡±


    The Supervisor was somewhat chagrined.


    The Pavilion Elder sighed as if reminiscing, the depths of his eyes harboring a hint of trepidation:


    ¡°Their entire sect is filled with Evil Monsters.¡±


    ¡°That young man surnamed Zhuang is one, and his senior brother, naturally, is as well.¡±


    ¡°One Thought, Two Methods, Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­¡±


    ¡°Compared to ¡®calculating,¡¯ none of you can out-calculate that young man named Zhuang; and if it¡¯s about ¡®playing,¡¯ you¡¯re even less of a match for his senior brother.¡±


    ¡°When you plot against that young man named Zhuang, he considers sentiment and won¡¯t strike fatally¡­¡±


    ¡°But that senior brother of his is a different story¡­¡±


    ¡°Should you really encounter him, nine times out of ten, you will all be played to death¡­¡±


    The Pavilion Elder looked solemn.


    The Supervisor¡¯s expression gradually grew serious¡­


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    In Dali Mountain.


    After the heavenly tribulation, the golden and crimson lights dissipated together.


    The Saint Heir was in utter disbelief:


    ¡°My Undying Rune¡­ shattered?!¡±


    That brat surnamed Bai, trading ¡°life¡± for ¡°life,¡± has actually eroded my natal Undying Rune?!

 Chapter 667 - 549 Came_4

    Chapter 667: Chapter 549 Came_4


    ¡°What the hell, who are all these people?¡±


    ¡°Is this how you use a special Eternal Life Rune, you motherfucker?¡±


    ¡°This is an Eternal Life Rune!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a life!¡±


    Wrath seized the Saint Heir, a mouthful of blood stuck in his throat, unable to spit it out or swallow it.


    The forest had been overturned, leaving devastation all around.


    Bai Zisheng, seeing that the Saint Heir hadn¡¯t been killed, felt quite disappointed.


    Only then did he realize that this damned Saint Heir also had something like an ¡°Eternal Life Rune¡± to save his life.


    But it was the same for everyone, no loss, no gain.


    Bai Zisheng retreated back to Mo Hua and Bai Zixi¡¯s side.


    The Saint Heir glared at the three of them with venomous eyes, fury welling up, ¡°Damn you! You destroyed my ¡®Undying Rune¡¯, I will not let you off the hook!¡±


    Bai Zisheng snorted coldly, ¡°Your lackeys are all dead, what can you do to us?¡±


    Bai Zixi¡¯s Eternal Life Rune shattered, her Golden Body Dharma Phase killing five Golden Core Demon Cultivators.


    Bai Zisheng, upon activating the Eternal Life Rune, didn¡¯t intentionally kill anyone, but the Spiritual Power of the Dharma Phase was so strong that the Golden Core Demon Cultivators caught in it were either dead or crippled.


    A few remaining Demon Cultivators lost their lives due to the ripple effects of the Saint Heir¡¯s own ¡°Undying Rune.¡±


    The dozen or so Golden Core Demon Cultivators had almost been entirely wiped out.


    The two or three left were lying on the ground, their fates unknown.


    When Bai Zisheng approached the Saint Heir, he discovered that the spiritual power emanating from him was only at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, not yet reaching Golden Core.


    Without his Demon Path lackeys, what could one solitary Saint Heir do?


    Therefore, Bai Zisheng was calmly unafraid, even contemplating hurling a few more insults at the Saint Heir.


    However, Mo Hua immediately said, ¡°We must leave, quickly!¡±


    Bai Zisheng was startled but then understood; now was indeed not the time for verbal sparring.


    Bai Zixi nodded in agreement.


    The three of them exchanged glances, and just as they were about to make their move, they heard the Saint Heir laugh coldly:


    ¡°Trying to leave? Do you think you can?¡±


    Before the Saint Heir¡¯s voice had fallen, the atmosphere in the woods changed abruptly.


    Powerful surges of Demonic Qi suddenly descended, landing around the Saint Heir.


    As the Demonic Qi dissipated, it revealed various sinister-looking Demon Cultivators.


    Moreover, they were all Golden Core Demon Cultivators!


    They wore identical blood-colored Taoist robes, seeming to be from the same Demon Gate.


    The one leading them was an Old Demon in the Late Jindan Stage, his face creased with wrinkles, hunched over as he bowed to the Saint Heir:


    ¡°This slave arrived late to rescue the master, please forgive me, Saint Heir!¡±


    Dali Mountain was sealed off by Demon Cultivators.


    The huge commotion caused by the earlier Dharma Phases also attracted reinforcements from the Demon Cultivators.


    More than twenty Golden Core Great Demon Cultivators stood behind the Saint Heir, all deferential to him.


    The Saint Heir let out a fierce laugh, then with a cold expression, he turned his gaze towards Mo Hua and the others:


    ¡°Today, none of you will leave!¡±


    ¡°You shattered my Undying Rune; you must pay the price!¡±


    The Saint Heir glanced at Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, sneering, ¡°Previously, I gave face to your Bai Family and let you go, but you insisted on overestimating yourselves and opposing me¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, your Eternal Life Runes are also shattered, without the power to protect yourselves, you are merely fish on the chopping board to me!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you escape now!¡±


    In his gaze, there was anger, jealousy, and a subtle trace of greed.


    The crowd of Demon Heads looked on fiercely, their eyes filled with bloodthirst.


    Aunt Xue bit her lip, shielding the three children behind her.


    But her silhouette was exceptionally frail, her beautiful eyes unable to conceal the despair.


    In the face of Golden Core Demon Cultivators, Mo Hua also pursed his lips, feeling helpless.


    The disparity in cultivation was too great!


    His brows tightly furrowed, he was deep in thought when suddenly, his face froze with shock as he slowly turned his head towards the western entrance, his eyes trembling, goosebumps all over his body.


    Noticing Mo Hua¡¯s reaction, Bai Zixi turned to look as well, but the entrance was empty and desolate, with nothing there.


    Seeing this, the Saint Heir let out a scoff, about to say something when the blood-robed Old Demon behind him, with a grave expression, interrupted:


    ¡°Saint Heir, someone is coming¡­¡±


    The Saint Heir¡¯s demeanor turned serious, his gaze darkening.


    All around, silence reigned. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A few moments passed, and only then did the other Golden Core Demon Cultivators sense the anomaly, turning their heads to look towards the western entrance.


    The entrance was devoid of anyone.


    Sometime later, the sound of footsteps approached, heavy and light, seemingly uneven.


    A figure appeared at the entrance, disheveled and covered in mud, dirty and with a stiff expression, wearing a Taoist Robe that looked as if it were stripped from a corpse, ill-fitting!

 Chapter 668 - 550 Who is the Taoist_1

    Chapter 668: Chapter 550 Who is the Taoist_1


    ¡°`


    The sky was dimming, bathed in the afterglow of sunset.


    A trace of the dying day¡¯s light shone upon the eerie Taoist, casting a cadaverous sallow over him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s breath hitched, his heart pounding wildly.


    Even though he had never seen this Taoist before, the aura was eerily familiar.


    The Big Demon Feng Xi of Tongxian City who had been resurrected from death.


    The half-step Taoist Demon of South Yue City, king of ten thousand corpses.


    And that shadowy, deathly still figure that arose in his Sea of Consciousness whenever he silently recited the Taoist¡¯s name¡­


    All had an aura identical to this man¡¯s.


    A tremor ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    This was the person, the Demon Sect Cultivator whom his master had forbidden him to think about, let alone mention¡ªthe one of extreme cruelty and ferocity¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people!!


    Elsewhere, the Golden Core Demon Cultivators beheld the Taoist with expressions ranging from solemn, to puzzled, to disdainful.


    Not all among them knew of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    But the old demon in the blood robe did.


    He was the servant of the Saint Heir, at the Late Jindan Stage, with old seniority and broad knowledge¡ªeven if he had not seen him with his own eyes, he was deeply knowledgeable about some of the Demon Sect¡¯s taboos.


    Gui Tao¡­


    The honorific title of ¡°Taoist¡± is no small matter, not simply granted for high cultivation or heinous killings.


    To say nothing of his title bearing the word ¡°Gui.¡±


    The old demon in the blood robe became grave.


    He didn¡¯t know what Gui Tao intended, making a sudden appearance at this moment, but he greeted with a clasped-fist salute,


    ¡°Predecessor¡­¡±


    Gui Tao acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard, his footsteps not halting, still lurching unevenly toward the crowd.


    The old demon¡¯s face was stony.


    One Demon Cultivator sneered, ¡°Is this man Gui Tao?¡±


    ¡°Why does he look so disheveled?¡±


    ¡°Like a beggar¡­¡±


    ¡°Judging by his cultivation, he seems no more than at the Foundation Establishment?¡±


    ¡°Could he be a walking corpse?¡±


    ¡°Pretentious nonsense¡­¡±


    The group of Demon Cultivators wore looks of scorn.


    The Dali Mountain State boundary was a Third-Grade State Boundary, where Heavenly Dao imposed limits, with Golden Core as the upper limit.


    This group of Heretical Demons, with more than twenty practitioners at the Golden Core Realm, roamed recklessly in this state boundary.


    Unless they possessed transcendent objects like special Eternal Life Runes, they were without concerns.


    But two Eternal Life Runes were already shattered.


    The Golden Body Dharma Phase had been erased by the Heavenly Dao.


    Such treasures were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, and it was improbable for there to be several.


    Therefore, these Demon Cultivators did not fear Gui Tao.


    Even their words were disrespectful, assuming that the Taoist could do nothing to them.


    But this Taoist, like a dead man, seemed oblivious to everything and simply kept walking forward.


    His step was shaky, his Blood Qi depleted.


    The old demon frowned, his own doubts creeping in.


    ¡°Is this person really Gui Tao?¡±


    He scrutinized this ¡°person¡± for a long time, even sweeping over him with Divine Sense, but detected nothing unusual.


    Weak Divine Thought, frail cultivation, and a broken body.


    Nothing at all like the revered figure of a Demon Sect ¡°Taoist.¡±


    ¡°Could we be mistaken¡­¡±


    The old demon frowned.


    The Saint Heir was also hesitant and directly asked,


    ¡°Are you Gui Tao?¡±


    The Taoist still did not reply, continuing on his way alone.


    An irate Demon Cultivator with a red face couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. He barked, ¡°Hey you, Taoist! How dare you ignore the Saint Heir¡¯s question?¡±


    There was still no response.


    Unable to hold back, the red-faced Demon Cultivator marched forward and with a mere kick, sent the Taoist tumbling to the ground.


    Although his kick was not forceful, it still broke the bones of the Taoist¡¯s body.


    Struggling on the ground, the Taoist attempted to rise, his limbs uncoordinated as if he were a praying mantis with its body twisted¡ªif not for the context, his figure would be comical and laughable.


    The group of Demon Cultivators burst into uproarious laughter.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi frowned, puzzled.


    But Mo Hua couldn¡¯t find it within himself to laugh; on the contrary, his gaze deepened, and his expression became more serious.


    The Taoist continued to struggle, his form wretched and grotesque.


    The old demon¡¯s expression was cold and indifferent.


    The Saint Heir smirked with disdain at the sight.


    Feeling emboldened, the red-faced Demon Cultivator strode forward and repeatedly stomped on the Taoist¡¯s limbs, breaking them. Then, as if still not satisfied, he pulled out a Ghost blade and hacked the Taoist until he was a mangled mess of flesh and blood.


    A Demon Cultivator complained, ¡°Why make such a bloody mess?¡±


    ¡°You really have too much time on your hands¡­¡±


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator sneered, ¡°What do you know? This is ¡®Gui Tao,¡¯ the Taoist of rumors. Shouldn¡¯t he at least die with some dignity?¡±


    ¡°The one I killed is Gui Tao!¡±


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator laughed savagely, ¡°Killing Gui Tao will surely bring glory and fame, echoing through the Demon Path. The next Taoist will undoubtedly be me!¡±


    ¡°Cut the bullshit! What nonsense are you spouting?¡± another Demon Cultivator with slanted eyes cursed.


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator¡¯s pupils darkened, ¡°You questioning me?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to question? You think you¡¯re worthy?¡± the slanted-eyed Demon Cultivator sneered.


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator glanced hollowly at him, ¡°You aspire to be a Taoist too?¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What Taoist¡­¡±


    The slanted-eyed Demon Cultivator didn¡¯t finish his thought when he suddenly stiffened, his expression vicious, ¡°Nonsense, who doesn¡¯t want to be a Taoist?!¡±


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator¡¯s voice was hoarse, ¡°Delusions of grandeur, there can only be one Taoist!¡±


    The slanted-eyed Demon Cultivator¡¯s face twisted strangely as he sneered, ¡°That¡¯s right, and that person can only be me¡­¡±


    Enraged, the red-faced Demon Cultivator cleaved with his Ghost blade, Demonic Qi surging, and immediately slashed at the slanted-eyed Demon Cultivator, ¡°You goddamned worthy?!¡±


    The slanted-eyed Demon Cultivator parried with his Yin Ghost swords, his body swirling with an aura of gloom, and charged at the red-faced Demon Cultivator, ¡°If I am unworthy, what makes you, this pathetic wretch, worthy?¡±


    Both brimming with ferocity, their weapons clashed, and they began to Fight to the Death as if no one else was present¡­


    The Saint Heir was utterly baffled.


    What imbeciles, fighting over what?


    Fighting over the title of Taoist at this moment?


    Have their brains been devoured by pigs?


    ¡°Stop!¡± the Saint Heir said impatiently.


    But not only did the two not cease their fighting, they became even more furious and brutal, each blow lethal as if intent on sending the other to their death.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 669 - 550 Who is the Taoist_2

    Chapter 669: Chapter 550 Who is the Taoist_2


    The other Demon Cultivators watched the fight with cold sneers.


    Demon Cultivators were inherently unruly, and even though they were from the same sect, they connived and competed against each other, fighting openly and covertly. Now seeing two of their own in a life-and-death struggle, the others remained indifferent.


    But as the two red-faced Demon Cultivators fought with all their might, the Demonic Qi of the Golden Core Realm roiled around them, inevitably affecting bystanders.


    A Monster Cultivator with a face full of horizontal scars and a massive body was careless for a moment and had his Taoist Robe cut by the bloody blade Qi of the red-faced Demon Cultivator.


    Enraged, the Monster Cultivator bellowed, ¡°Son of a bitch, are you seeking death?!¡±


    The red-faced Demon Cultivator, whose eyes had turned entirely black, glanced at the Monster Cultivator with a hoarse and cold voice, seemingly devoid of human emotion:


    ¡°Do you also wish to become a Taoist?¡±


    ¡°Become your mother¡¯s Taoist!¡±


    The multiple horizontal scars on the Monster Cultivator¡¯s face trembled wildly, clearly furious. His body suddenly swelled larger, his muscles became knotted and as hard as fine iron, and with surging Monster Qi, he aimed a punch straight at the red-faced Demon Cultivator.


    But at that moment, his expression changed, and so did his words:


    ¡°Who the hell doesn¡¯t want to be a Taoist?¡±


    The Monster Cultivator, overflowing with Monster Qi, also joined the fray.


    The Saint Heir frowned and shouted harshly, ¡°Stop!¡±


    But the few locked in combat did not heed his words.


    Not only that, but more and more Golden Core Demon Cultivators, affected by the battle, were inevitably dragged into this absurd and bizarre slaughter¡­


    Only then did the Saint Heir realize something was amiss, and a chill crept into his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but glance at the Blood Refining Old Demon.


    The Blood Refining Old Demon¡¯s eyelids twitched as he guarded the Saint Heir and slowly stepped back a few paces.


    And yet, this bloody battle grew more and more uncontrollable¡­


    ¡°I am a Taoist!¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not worthy, I am!¡±


    ¡°Kill you all, and I¡¯ll be the Taoist!¡±


    ¡­


    The words ¡°Taoist¡± seemed to possess a magic that took root in the deepest desires, gradually drawing all the Golden Core Demon Cultivators:


    ¡°I practice the Mysterious Yin Demon Skill, refine the Yin Banner, I should be the Taoist!¡±


    ¡°Mysterious Yin Demon Skill is worthless!¡±


    ¡°I cultivate the Monster Path, eat human flesh, drink human blood, I am the Taoist!¡±


    ¡°Whoever lives is the Taoist!¡±


    ¡°Whoever dies is but an ant!¡±


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    ¡°Kill!!¡±


    ¡­


    All the Golden Core Demon Cultivators seemed to have lost their minds, falling into an endless, unfathomable madness of self-murder¡­


    Demonic Qi swept across the land, blood spattered everywhere.


    The sunset at the horizon seemed to be dyed red by blood.


    The flesh contended with Evil Techniques.


    Blood Qi solidified into blades, Monster Qi turned into swords.


    The Demon treasures flew: skulls, blood banners, ghost blades, nether swords, soul-coffins, corpse-suppressing towers¡­ each displaying the divine powers of the Demon Path.


    In their quest to become a ¡°Taoist¡±, the Demon Cultivators seemed to unleash their most primal ¡°Demon Thoughts¡±, filled with immense malice, resenting and despising each other, hurling insults and rebukes¡­


    Even biting and tearing at each other, refusing to cease until death¡­


    They fought fiercely, screamed at the top of their lungs, and laughed hideously.


    The whole of Dali Mountain looked like a living demon prison¡­


    The Blood Refining Old Demon, being far away and still in possession of his sanity, was shocked by the scene before him, and despite his extensive experience, he trembled with fear and disbelief:


    ¡°Taoist Heart¡­ Planting Devil?¡±


    The Saint Heir also had an expression of terror.


    ¡°Taoist Heart Planting Devil¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this¡­ Taoist Heart Planting Devil?¡±


    No, this wasn¡¯t right.


    What he understood about Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart was nothing like this¡­


    It was nowhere near as powerful or terrifying¡­


    Twenty Golden Core Demon Cultivators, without any warning and unbeknownst to themselves, were infused with Demon Thoughts, slaughtering each other endlessly¡­


    Like pigs and sheep in a slaughterhouse, manipulated by others¡­


    Not even knowing how they died.


    Is this the doing of Gui Tao¡¯s people?


    ¡­


    The slaughter among the Golden Core Demon Cultivators, from the absurd to the intense, from the fierce to the cruel, and finally to a standstill¡­


    The forest was left in chaos, like hell.


    The contest for the title of ¡°Taoist¡± had also come to an end.


    Of the twenty Golden Core Demon Cultivators, almost all were dead or injured.


    Only one was left, a tall and thin Golden Core Demon Cultivator, with an average appearance.


    He walked to the ¡°Taoist¡± who had been slain earlier by the red-faced Demon Cultivator, and peeled off the bloodstained, dead man¡¯s Taoist Robe, draping it over himself.


    An eerie smile of victory spread across his face.


    ¡°I am a Taoist!¡±


    As soon as he uttered these words, an inexplicable chill surged in everyone¡¯s heart.


    The Taoist moved his limbs awkwardly, like a puppet, making the ill-fitting Taoist Robe look even more incongruous and sinister.


    Then, just as before, he walked towards the Saint Heir.


    As if to finish the path that had been left incomplete before.


    But this time, his footsteps were much lighter.


    The Blood Refining Old Demon gritted his teeth and stepped in front of the Saint Heir, his voice grave:


    ¡°Elder, please show mercy!¡±


    Seeing that the Taoist was unmoved, the Blood Refining Old Demon continued with a trembling voice:


    ¡°Elder, he is the Saint Heir!¡±


    ¡°You and I are both from the Demon Path, you should know the Saint Heir¡¯s esteemed status!¡±


    ¡°The Saint Heir has noble bloodline¡­ having the qualifications to compete for the Taoist title, to succeed as the Demon Monarch. It is very likely that he will be the future Demon Monarch of the Demon Path, he cannot be subjected to any mishaps!¡±


    ¡°The Saint Heir¡­¡±


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    But no matter what he said, the Taoist kept on walking.


    As if he was moved by his own thoughts alone, and everything and everyone else was of no concern to him.


    Seeing that there was no turning back, the Blood Refining Old Demon¡¯s gaze turned cold.


    ¡°Very well, since you fail to appreciate kindness, don¡¯t blame this old man for being rude!¡±


    He summoned an ancient bronze Soul Protecting Bell to guard his spirit and then chanted a curse. The Blood Refining Robe around him seemed to come to life, turning into a pool of flowing blood to protect his flesh.


    A pitch-black Demon sword hovered in front of him.


    This was his own Magical Treasure, as well as the most powerful, most evil, most rank among the standard weapons for Golden Core Stage Cultivators in the Demon Path:


    The Black Demon Sword.


    The Soul Protecting Bell guarded his heart, the Blood Refining Robe protected his body, and the Black Demon Sword was used for killing.

 Chapter 670 - 550 Who is the Taoist_3

    Chapter 670: Chapter 550 Who is the Taoist_3


    Within the Dali Mountain State boundary, bound by the constraints of Heavenly Dao.


    The late-stage Golden Core Old Demon in a blood robe, wielding these three Demon Path treasures, approached the pinnacle of a Cultivator¡¯s combat power under the restrictions of Heavenly Dao!


    The Old Demon in the blood robe gazed at the Taoist with an authoritative voice:


    ¡°He who offends the Saint Heir shall be killed without mercy!¡±


    Such might seemed to subdue the Taoist.


    The Taoist stopped in his tracks, dark eyes shifting from the Old Demon in the blood robe to the Saint Heir, uttering a cold and indifferent sentence:


    ¡°Are you protecting him?¡±


    His voice was hoarse, like dry wood, as if leaking air through his throat, sounding somewhat distorted.


    ¡°Naturally¡­¡± said the Old Demon in the blood robe.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Is he worthy?¡±


    Emotions flickered across the Taoist¡¯s face as he began to speak more¡­


    Though coming from a single individual, the voices seemed different, as if multiple people, with distinct tones, spoke through one mouth in unison.


    The intonation was nonchalant, yet intermixed with the world¡¯s spectrum of sorrow and rage.


    Anger, resentment, hatred, ridicule, contempt¡ªsuch intense emotions, thick as liquor, dense as ink, all fermenting together:


    ¡°You are a Golden Core, a grand Demon Cultivator!¡±


    ¡°Why would you risk your life to protect this junior?¡±


    ¡°Just because he¡¯s the Saint Heir?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the Saint Heir?¡±


    ¡°What makes him the Saint Heir?¡±


    ¡°What gives him the right to order you around, to make you bend the knee, to make you grovel and call him master?¡±


    ¡°Just because of his Saint Heir bloodline?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about bloodline?¡±


    ¡°After death, isn¡¯t it just a pool of blood, a heap of decomposing flesh, what¡¯s so special about bloodline?¡±


    ¡°Why, some people are born as Saint Heirs?¡±


    ¡°And others born to be slaves and servants?¡±


    ¡°Just because of that decayed skin, that dried-up pool of blood?¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    All the voices from the Taoist coalesced, cacophonous and piercing, and yet they seeped into the heart to question:


    ¡°Why can¡¯t the Saint Heir be you?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t the Demon Monarch be you?¡±


    ¡°Does the Demon Monarch Holy Master have true nobility?¡±


    ¡°Nothing but a pool of flesh and blood¡­¡±


    ¡°Living is the same, and so is dying¡­¡±


    ¡­


    As the enchanting voice of the Taoist entered his ears, the Old Demon in the blood robe trembled, shuddering all over, desperately trying to steady his mind:


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not right, he¡¯s the Saint Heir, he has the Saint Heir¡¯s bloodline¡­¡±


    The voice of the Taoist slowed again, but maintained an otherworldly coldness and endless seduction:


    ¡°Then eat him¡­¡±


    ¡°Eat his flesh, drink his blood!¡±


    ¡°Devour his bloodline!¡±


    ¡°You will become the Holy Master!¡±


    The Old Demon in the blood robe¡¯s legs went weak; he could not help but stagger backward, his eyes wild, his conviction wavering.


    No!


    That¡¯s not right!


    This Taoist is deceiving me!


    Yet¡­


    He clearly knew, the Taoist was deceiving him!


    But in his heart, a boundless desire and impulse still surged forth.


    Yes, the Taoist was deceiving him¡­


    But¡­ was he really deceiving him?


    Was he wrong in what he said?


    Why?


    Why must I, a grand Golden Core Demon Cultivator, be a lowly old servant, bend the knee, grovel for mercy?


    Aren¡¯t practitioners of the Demon Path supposed to be lawless and act as they please?


    What¡¯s the big deal about eating a person?


    Eating a Saint Heir¡­ what¡¯s the big deal about that?!


    With a ¡°clang,¡± the Soul Protecting Bell shattered.


    The Old Demon in the blood robe had lost his soul¡¯s defense¡­


    Fear flashed in his eyes.


    He felt his Divine Sense split in two, one part ¡°sanity¡± remained, knowing what he must not do, the other part filled with terrible instincts and desires.


    This instinct drove him, eyes greedy, step by step towards the Saint Heir, as if he really wanted to¡­


    Devour the Saint Heir alive!


    ¡°No!¡±


    The Old Demon in the blood robe struggled with his rationality.


    He must not harm the Saint Heir!


    The Old Demon in the blood robe¡¯s expression twisted from the struggle, his face reflecting great fissures of pain, but eventually, sanity returned slightly, and he began to control his body again.


    But it was only partial control.


    He controlled his left leg while his right leg still moved toward the Saint Heir, he fell to the ground, controlling his left arm, but his right arm scraped the earth, crawling toward the Saint Heir.


    No matter how grotesquely the Old Demon in the blood robe struggled, he could not control himself, step by step, he closed in on the Saint Heir.


    And the closer he got to the Saint Heir, the stronger the murderous intent in his heart, the deeper the hunger.


    And the Saint Heir had been scared into foolishness, standing there motionless. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I must not harm the Saint Heir!¡±


    ¡°The Saint Heir is noble and must not suffer harm!¡±


    With a hardened heart, the Old Demon in the blood robe angrily severed his meridians, crippling his hands and feet.


    But as a Golden Core, even with severed meridians, and crippled limbs, he still had Blood Qi, Demonic Qi, his own Magical Treasure¡­


    As long as he lived, the Saint Heir would surely die.


    Despair appeared on the face of the Old Demon in the blood robe.


    ¡°Is this¡­ the work of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­¡±


    He glanced at the Saint Heir, let out a mournful smile, and then with a fierce look, he formed claws with his fingers, severed his heart meridian, while reversing his Spiritual Power, destroying his Golden Core!


    The Golden Core exploded with great force.


    In a flash, Demonic Qi surged and a blood fog filled the sky.


    The Old Demon in the blood robe contained the force of self-destruction within his own flesh, all to avoid harming the Saint Heir. Thus, the blood fog was thick and the momentum enormous, but the unleashed force was not strong.


    The Old Demon in the blood robe passed away.


    All present were utterly shocked.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people remained unaffected, showing disdain for the death of the Old Demon in the blood robe:


    ¡°Brave enough to die, but not to rebel, enslaved by nature¡­¡±


    Having said that, he walked towards the Saint Heir, his gaze indifferent, as if looking at dregs.


    As if someone as exalted as the Saint Heir were nothing more than a pile of decayed bones and rotten flesh.


    The terrified Saint Heir finally came to his senses, stumbled to the ground, and began to scramble backward.


    More than twenty Golden Core Demon Cultivators, all dead at the hands of Gui Tao¡¯s people!

 Chapter 671 - 550 Who is the Taoist_4

    Chapter 671: Chapter 550 Who is the Taoist_4


    And the deaths were strange, cruel, without warning, utterly unpredictable.


    On the Saint Heir¡¯s face, there was no longer any arrogance or indifference, only endless fear.


    ¡°I¡­ I am the Saint Heir¡­ you can¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°Please, not Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t plant the devil!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to become something neither human nor ghost!¡±


    But Gui Tao¡¯s people simply didn¡¯t listen. Within a few steps, they had approached the Saint Heir, and a pair of slender, pale hands smeared with blood slowly stretched towards him.


    The Saint Heir felt as if his liver and gallbladder were splitting. He racked his brains, desperately begging for his life:


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°I am the Saint Heir, I might become the Demon Monarch in the future!¡±


    ¡°My father is the master of the Ghost King Sect, my mother is the Blood Jade Rakshasa¡­¡±


    ¡­


    But these words couldn¡¯t stop Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Just then, the Saint Heir yelled, ¡°I have the bloodline of the Blood Taoist, I am a descendant of the Blood Taoist¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s hands stopped.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew sharp at this moment.


    He heard another Taoist¡¯s name:


    ¡°Blood¡± Taoist.


    Perhaps because of the Blood Taoist, Gui Tao¡¯s people lowered their hand and spared the Saint Heir.


    After the ordeal, the Saint Heir gasped for air, only then realizing that his whole body was soaked in cold sweat.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people had brought him an unprecedented sense of oppression and fear.


    And now, these crises had passed.


    The Saint Heir also deeply understood the weight of the two words ¡°Taoist¡±.


    He secretly glanced up, looking at Gui Tao¡¯s people with fear. Although his voice was still shaky, he respectfully said:


    ¡°The Blood Taoist is my ancestor, an ancient grand Demon Cultivator, and you also bear the Taoist title. Therefore, should I respectfully call you ¡®Ancestor Uncle¡¯?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people completely ignored him.


    They turned their head, looking towards Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi. In their pitch-black pupils, a flicker of unusual emotion appeared.


    Then, they took step by step, walking towards Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    Their voice, although somewhat intermittent and stiff, had lost its strangeness and had become normal:


    ¡°Are you the disciples of my junior brother?¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Or¡­ the children of my junior sister¡­¡±


    ¡°I need you to lead the way, take me to see¡­ my junior brother.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi turned pale.


    Aunt Xue was even more terrified.


    She knew that this was by no means as simple as ¡°leading the way¡±.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were after Zisheng and Zixi, to use them as bargaining chips!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s actions were unpredictable and ruthlessly brutal.


    They would not care even for a shred of past affection.


    Once taken by Gui Tao¡¯s people, one¡¯s fate would be uncertain, fortune or disaster would be hard to guess, and more likely than not, they would never return¡­


    Even if they did, they would probably have been subjected to Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, dominated, and life would be worse than death¡­


    Aunt Xue felt agony in her heart and was extremely anxious, ¡°Elder¡­¡±


    But quickly, she found she could no longer speak, she couldn¡¯t even move a finger.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, too, were unable to move.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people steadily approached them, their expression indifferent, reaching out their long and bloody palms, attempting to grasp the two of them in their hands¡­


    In her extreme anxiety, Aunt Xue couldn¡¯t help but spit out blood.


    The surroundings were as silent as death.


    Just then, a crisp, albeit abrupt voice rang out:


    ¡°Uncle¡­¡±


    This voice broke the deadly silence.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people turned around, only to discover that not far away stood a young Cultivator, his demeanor tranquil, his gaze clear, with a hint of depth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mo Hua, their gaze cold, and uninterested.


    Suddenly, they felt a jolt in their heart.


    Uninterested¡­


    How could I¡­ not care?


    How could I¡­ just¡­ overlook this little one?


    Watching Mo Hua closely, after calculating, the fog seemed to clear, the chaos of cause and effect sorted, and a small figure gradually emerged in their mind.


    ¡°This is¡­ someone my junior brother has hidden¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s pitch-black eyes trembled slightly.


    ¡°Good¡­¡± A lively yet strange expression appeared on Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s face, ¡°Come with me¡­¡±


    Having you is enough¡­


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Junior brother!¡± Bai Zisheng exclaimed in urgency.


    Bai Zixi also shook with emotion, calling out urgently, ¡°Mo Hua!¡±


    Aunt Xue bit her lip, powerless.


    Mo Hua smiled gently at them, waving his hand and said:


    ¡°Junior brother, junior sister, you go back first. I will go with Uncle to see Master¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mo Hua with a surprised gaze, then turned around and began to walk forward, swaying from side to side.


    Mo Hua followed behind.


    The sun had set.


    Two figures, one large, one small, one eerie, one innocent, step by step, walking back the way they had come¡­

 Chapter 672 - 672: 551 - Peer_1

    Chapter 672: 551 ¨C Peer_1


    Dawn had broken.


    Amidst the verdant mountains and rivers.


    The sky was azure and vast, the forests lush like a screen.


    A brook babbled along.


    Two figures, one leading the other, walked onward.


    The person in front, tall and thin, wore an ill-fitting Taoist robe stained with blood, moving stiffly and oddly like a marionette pulled by strings.


    The one behind, petite with picturesque eyebrows and eyes, stepped lightly.


    These two were none other than Gui Tao¡¯s people and Mo Hua.


    They had been walking all night and now into the morning.


    Gui Tao walked slowly, seemingly in no hurry.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to follow at his pace, calmly and steadily.


    He was following Gui Tao¡­


    Gui Tao was cruel and unpredictable.


    Deeply scheming, adept at beguiling the hearts of men.


    The Big Demon, Feng Xi from Tongxian City, and the Corpse King, the Taoist Demon from South Yue City, both stemmed from Gui Tao¡¯s plotting.


    Just now, twenty Golden Core Demon Cultivators had also fallen to his ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart,¡± slaughtered to the last man.


    Mo Hua followed behind him, initially tense and uneasy at heart.


    But after half a day and a night of walking, he had grown numb, found relief, and gradually adapted.


    He thought about it and felt that he should be safe, at least for the moment.


    Although uncertain of Gui Tao¡¯s intentions, as long as he intended to bring him to his master, it was inevitable that he wouldn¡¯t kill him before they met.


    Moreover, it seemed unlikely that he would be subject to ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    If he were, his master would surely detect it, knowing he was no longer his little disciple, leaving Gui Tao without leverage.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    At least before he saw his master, he should remain ¡°unharmed.¡±


    As for what might happen after that¡­ well, that was yet to be seen¡­


    But first, he must meet his master.


    Mo Hua heaved a long sigh.


    He wished to see his master one more time; otherwise, he feared he might never see him in this lifetime¡­ S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But he didn¡¯t know what secret burdened his master, how many people, how many powers, were plotting against him.


    Now the Demon Sect had laid out a killing scheme.


    An old ancestor from the Feather Transformation Realm had taken action.


    The Golden Cores, once thought unattainable, now cropped up everywhere like leeks.


    His ¡°Uncle,¡± Gui Tao, had reaped over twenty with ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    In such a situation, those at Foundation Establishment were mere ants.


    Let alone him, a mere Qi Refinement cultivator.


    With Demon Sect cultivators everywhere in Dali Mountain, he, on his own, couldn¡¯t go back to Li Mountain City, break the Soul Refining Banner, enter the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, and see his master.


    Only by following Gui Tao could he sneak in.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    Gui Tao wanted him to lead the way and find his master.


    He, too, wished to have this ¡°Uncle¡± ¡°protect¡± him as he went back to see his master once more.


    Although his Uncle might also kill him,


    As it stood, as long as he stayed by his side, no one else could harm him.


    After all, he was a ¡°Taoist¡± of the Demon Sect who could nurture a Taoist Demon¡­


    The thought of seeing his master again


    Made Mo Hua¡¯s steps considerably lighter.


    The Gui Tao walking ahead, however, narrowed his eyes slightly.


    He didn¡¯t know what Mo Hua was thinking.


    Initially, there had been a trace of insecurity in Mo Hua¡¯s expression.


    But after walking a while, he seemed to come to some realization, easing into a relaxed demeanor, swaggering behind him.


    As if¡­ he was on his way to make a casual visit?


    This youngster¡­ quite bold¡­


    Didn¡¯t he know who he was dealing with?


    Gui Tao remained silent, continuing to lead the way.


    Mo Hua, with hands clasped behind his back, followed.


    Walking along, Mo Hua began to feel bored.


    His ¡°Uncle¡± was limping, walking too slowly¡­


    At this rate, getting to Li Mountain City would take forever.


    Mo Hua wanted to ask but didn¡¯t quite dare; he feared provoking his Uncle¡¯s ire.


    Yet, after some time, he could no longer restrain himself and moved closer, whispering:


    ¡°Uncle, aren¡¯t you in a hurry?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you walking, just a bit too slow¡­?¡±


    ¡°At this rate, my master will end up caught by those Demon Heads¡­¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you walk a bit faster?¡±


    ¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s pace faltered, but he did not respond, simply continuing forward.


    Seeing no reaction but no anger either, Mo Hua felt reassured and grew bolder.


    ¡°Probably I haven¡¯t struck the right chord, so my Uncle couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then picked some other topics to inquire about:


    ¡°Uncle, what do you want to do when you find my master?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, are you on bad terms with my master?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, are Taoists really powerful?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, does everyone who undergoes ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡¯ surely die?¡±


    ¡°Uncle¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Chattering non-stop like a little chatterbox, Mo Hua talked incessantly.


    At last, Gui Tao couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and looked at Mo Hua with his pitch-black pupils.


    Mo Hua immediately fell silent.


    Afterward, the remainder of the journey was silent; they passed through a small mountain village.


    The village was sparsely populated, usually inhabited by poor Loose Cultivators living off Spirit Plants, secluded and undisturbed.


    On the right-hand side of the road, there was a small noodle shop.


    Amidst the green mountains and rivers, the aroma of noodles wafted out.


    Mo Hua halted.


    Gui Tao walked on, then noticing Mo Hua had stopped, turned back with a vacant and cold gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, I can¡¯t go any further¡­¡± Mo Hua stated truthfully.


    He had been walking for a day and a night now.


    He was not a Body Cultivator, and with little strength, he had sustained himself on the tension of the journey and hadn¡¯t felt fatigued.


    But now that he had relaxed and smelled the enticing fragrance, he felt ravenously hungry and couldn¡¯t walk another step.


    Gui Tao looked at Mo Hua, his expression becoming complex.

 Chapter 673 - 673: 551 Peer_2

    Chapter 673: 551 Chapter Peer_2


    Kill¡­ but cannot kill¡­ S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To plant the devil in the Taoist heart¡­ also cannot do¡­


    If he doesn¡¯t eat his fill, he won¡¯t be able to move on¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s person stood desolate for a long while. There wasn¡¯t any facial expression or movement, but it seemed as if he indeed sighed. Then he turned around and began to walk towards the small noodle shop.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately followed with a beaming smile.


    The small noodle shop was run by a couple who were Qi Cultivation Loose Practitioners.


    With their low cultivation, they ran a noodle shop by the road to make a living for themselves.


    Mo Hua had previously swept the place with his Divine Sense, confirming that it was simply an ordinary noodle shop, and the couple were merely ordinary cultivators.


    There were a few patrons, mostly Loose Cultivators from nearby, nothing unusual.


    Mo Hua and his companion entered.


    The store owner, plain-looking and dressed in coarse clothing, came up to greet them enthusiastically and asked,


    ¡°What would the two honored guests like to eat?¡±


    After he finished speaking, just about to glance at Gui Tao¡¯s person,


    Mo Hua quickly stepped forward, waved his small hand to draw his attention, preventing him from looking at Gui Tao¡¯s person. Then he took out two Spirit Stones and said with a clear voice,


    ¡°Two bowls of noodles, and quick, please!¡±


    Mo Hua had thought it through.


    The Spirit Stones for the noodles had to be paid by himself.


    With Uncle in this state, it was unlikely he would offer to pay¡­


    He also dared not let Uncle pay¡­


    Uncle¡¯s moods were unpredictable.


    If he accidentally angered him and he gave in to planting devil in the Taoist Heart, killing everyone in the small shop, then it would be his own fault.


    Seeing the Spirit Stones, the shopkeeper¡¯s eyes brightened, but he also looked a bit troubled:


    ¡°Young brother, two Spirit Stones are a bit much, two bowls of noodles don¡¯t cost that much¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Mo Hua waved his hand. ¡°Just add some extra toppings.¡±


    With that, the store owner happily accepted with a thousand thanks.


    Watching the shopkeeper¡¯s expression, Mo Hua felt inexplicably emotional.


    To him now, two Spirit Stones really weren¡¯t much, but for these low-level Loose Cultivators, it might represent a whole day¡¯s earnings¡­


    In this world, some people are so rich in Spirit Stones that they squander without a second thought.


    Others pinch and scrape, carefully living day by day¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s expression shifted slightly, casting a surprised look at Mo Hua.


    Afterward, the two of them took their seats.


    A few more patrons were scattered inside the shop.


    Mo Hua deliberately chose a secluded corner and even used his small body to block Gui Tao¡¯s person so that he wouldn¡¯t watch others and they couldn¡¯t see him.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person appeared indifferent, seemingly unconcerned.


    These Loose Cultivators were like ants, not worth his attention.


    Soon, the shopkeeper brought their noodles over.


    The portion of noodles was hearty, and the toppings plentiful¡ªwith even two slices of meat.


    It looked like Monster Beast meat rather than Spiritual Meat, slightly gamey but not overpowering, not too tender but edible.


    Of course, it couldn¡¯t compare with what mother used to make.


    But the flavor was good, the noodles aromatic, the soup robust.


    Mo Hua was never picky, and famished, he held the bowl and slurped the steaming hot noodles.


    After eating for a while, Mo Hua looked up to find that Gui Tao¡¯s person hadn¡¯t touched his chopsticks.


    Mo Hua continued to eat the noodles while pondering¡­


    This ¡°Uncle¡± of his, who planted devil in the Taoist Heart and is using someone else¡¯s body, should be considered a ¡°dead man.¡±


    Of course, a dead man doesn¡¯t need to eat.


    Mo Hua frowned, his mind turning to other questions¡­


    Uncle¡­ where was he residing before?


    Was he following the traces of my master?


    When did he start tracking the master¡¯s location and begin to plan?


    And¡­


    His appearance on Dali Mountain was just too coincidental¡­


    When did he pin down the whereabouts of Junior Brother and Sister?


    After a few bites, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help it and stealthily glanced at Gui Tao¡¯s person, whispering:


    ¡°Uncle¡­¡±


    ¡°Back on Dali Mountain, were you already nearby?¡±


    ¡°Then watched as that Saint Heir surrounded us?¡±


    ¡°Waiting until Junior Sister and Junior Brother shattered their special Eternal Life Runes, losing their means of protection, before you acted¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it that, even you couldn¡¯t do anything about the Eternal Life Runes?¡±


    ¡­


    As Mo Hua spoke, he nodded, feeling his conjectures were fairly reasonable.


    Finally, Gui Tao¡¯s person couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. His pitch-black eyes gazed at Mo Hua and uttered his first words of the journey:


    ¡°Eat your noodles¡­¡±


    His voice was flat and indifferent, seemingly a bit displeased¡­


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua obediently lowered his head and continued eating his bowl of noodles.


    Until all the noodles in his bowl were finished, Mo Hua did not speak again.


    Then he looked up at Gui Tao¡¯s person, and involuntarily glanced at the untouched bowl of noodles in front of him, licking his lips.


    Every grain and drop should be appreciated for its hard-won journey.


    It must not be wasted.


    Mo Hua silently reached out with his small hand, shifted Gui Tao¡¯s noodles to his side, and then buried his head and huff, huff, huffed them down¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s usually expressionless face stiffened for a moment.


    His pitch-black eyes watched Mo Hua, somewhat in disbelief¡­


    ¡­


    After finishing two bowls of noodles, the two set off again.


    Mo Hua felt slightly stuffed, his belly round and full, so he walked ahead, strolling to aid digestion.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person followed behind, looking puzzled at Mo Hua¡¯s retreating figure.


    This little thing¡­ is quite strange¡­


    He found it somewhat inscrutable.


    It seemed as though his junior brother had laid some trick, hidden some secret, obscured some cause and effect¡­


    What exactly had his junior brother hidden in this child?


    What consequence had he obscured?


    And why had he hidden the child so preciously, covered him up so thoroughly, keeping it all from him¡­

 Chapter 674 - 551 Peers_3

    Chapter 674: Chapter 551 Peers_3


    If it had not been for him stepping forward, I wouldn¡¯t have even realized that my junior brother had actually taken in such a young disciple¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people took another look at Mo Hua and couldn¡¯t help frowning.


    Spiritual Root very poor, physical body extremely poor.


    No special bloodline either.


    Divine Sense¡­ though obscured by something, hazy and not clear, but barely passable.


    Beyond that, there is a certain cleverness, and indeed the actions are somewhat¡­


    unexpected¡­


    With such aptitude, what exactly did junior brother see in him?


    Moreover, the most peculiar thing is¡­


    I always feel the aura on this child is both foreign and familiar¡­


    It seems that this should be the first time we¡¯ve met, but it also feels like I¡¯ve dealt with him many times before, as if there are many ties of karma¡­


    A hint of confusion flashed through Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s hollow eyes.


    What dealings could I possibly have had with a mere Qi-refining junior cultivator?


    What ties of karma?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mo Hua, their pupils darkening a few shades.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Once I see junior brother, everything will become clear¡­¡±


    ¡­


    On the road outside Li Mountain City, the two of them were still walking.


    They walked slowly, but step by step, they were getting closer to Li Mountain City.


    The closer they got to Li Mountain City, the thicker the Demonic Qi became.


    Outside Li Mountain City, there were hardly any local cultivators left.


    Most of them were Demon Cultivators.


    Besides them, there were some very unfamiliar faces, dressed in fine clothes with unique Spiritual Artifacts, diverse Cultivation Techniques, and rare and superior Taoist Skills, all coming from Taoist Court¡¯s Noble Clans and Sects.


    These cultivators were definitely from out of town.


    Possibly, they came directly from the central Taoist State where the Taoist Court headquarters is located.


    There were many of them, and their realms were high.


    If they were not at Foundation Establishment, they were at Golden Core, with not a single Qi Refinement practitioner among them.


    The whole Dali Mountain, seemed to have turned into a chess game, and all the cultivators still here were like pieces on the board.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help frowning.


    ¡°Is the secret on master¡¯s person really that momentous?¡±


    What exactly do they want to get from my master?


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    All of this, he knew nothing about.


    He also remembered what his master had admonished:


    ¡°I have a great fortune, and a shocking secret¡­ but these, I cannot pass on to you, nor can I tell you.¡±


    ¡°Passing them on to you would bring you a calamity of epic proportions.¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Even knowing them would entangle you in karma.¡±


    ¡°So you shouldn¡¯t know anything, and you don¡¯t need to know anything¡­¡±


    Not knowing, then, is just fine.


    Seeing master again will be enough¡­


    Mo Hua silently told himself.


    But as they approached Li Mountain City, the journey started to get treacherous.


    The outer cultivators were still restraining themselves.


    However, the closer we got, the heavier the killing intent.


    Mo Hua, following Gui Tao, saw nothing but bloodshed and chaos, countless cultivators engaged in deadly battles.


    On the surface, it was mostly Taoist Court cultivators slaughtering Demon Sect cultivators.


    In secret, there were also Demon Cultivators brutally killing each other.


    And among those from the Taoist Court, some, because of benefits or past grudges, took the opportunity to plot against each other.


    After killing, they would fabricate the scene, pinning the blame on Demon Cultivators.


    This was a scene he had never witnessed before.


    The Righteous Dao is upright, and the Demon Path is demonic, but at this moment, there seems to be little difference between righteousness and demonism¡­


    Mo Hua watched and shook his head.


    The human heart is indeed very complex¡­


    And his own situation was also becoming delicate.


    Because he was following Gui Tao.


    Gui Tao¡¯s aura was gloomy and strange, and without looking, it was clear that he was a Demon Cultivator.


    Mo Hua was a child, innocent and na?ve in appearance, but in this place of blood and gore, following a bizarre-looking Taoist around, it was plainly abnormal.


    Virtually no one among the present righteous and demonic forces recognized Mo Hua.


    He was just a minor Qi Refinement cultivator after all.


    No one cared about his allegiance, no one cared about his stance, and certainly, no one cared about whether he lived or died.


    So along the way, every now and then, someone would try to kill Mo Hua.


    The Righteous Dao was better, after all, they followed some rules and wouldn¡¯t easily commit murder.


    But the Demon Path was different.


    There were those who saw Mo Hua¡¯s tender skin and wanted to devour him;


    those who saw something off about Mo Hua and wanted to eliminate him swiftly;


    those who saw Mo Hua as a child and wanted to use him for Alchemy;


    even shameless female Demon Cultivators, finding Mo Hua handsome and cute, wishing to replenish from him¡­


    At such times, Mo Hua would immediately hide behind Gui Tao, seeking protection from Uncle.


    And Gui Tao refused no one.


    Any cultivator who dared stand before him, righteous or demonic, was subjected to Planting Devil in Taoist Heart by him, leading to mental collapse, either committing suicide or turning on each other¡­


    Mo Hua just hid behind and watched.


    These scenes might have been bloody, might have been cruel.


    But as a Monster Hunter by origin, he had seen many a gruesome hunt, so he was not afraid.


    Mo Hua then watched Gui Tao, standing against the wind, with eyes dark and cold, not lifting a finger, yet playing those ferocious and overbearing Demon Cultivators to their deaths, utter slaughter¡­


    No matter how many times he saw it, Mo Hua found it tremendously shocking.


    But as he watched, he couldn¡¯t help but ask himself a question:


    ¡°This Planting Devil in Taoist Heart is so powerful¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I learn it?¡±

 Chapter 675 - 552 Planting Devil in Taoist Heart_1

    Chapter 675: Chapter 552 Planting Devil in Taoist Heart_1


    ¡°`


    Can I learn it?


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and shook his head.


    No, it¡¯s probably not possible¡­


    ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡±¡­ It sounds like a technique from the Demon Path.


    I am a Serious Cultivator, I cannot stray into crooked and evil ways, learning unethical Demon Sect Taoist Skills.


    What if I master it, lose myself, fall into the Demon Path, and become a little Demon Head¡­ What then?


    ¡°However, just because I can¡¯t learn it, does that mean I can¡¯t study it?¡±


    At this thought, Mo Hua reconsidered.


    He also remembered his master¡¯s warning about ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people¡± on the night they parted:


    ¡°He has already become a demon, and what he cultivates is the Technique of ¡®Gui Tao¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°His nature is indifferent, his methods are extremely strong, and he is an extremely arrogant person; but he is proficient in Divine Thought Technique, and his use of Divine Sense has reached the pinnacle¡­¡±


    ¡°If you encounter him in the future, you must be very careful¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Be very careful if I encounter him in the future¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    Did his master¡¯s words carry another, deeper meaning?


    Did his master anticipate, or perhaps foresee, that I would encounter Gui Tao¡¯s people, and that¡¯s why he told me to be careful?


    But how should I guard against him?


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then uncertainly said to himself:


    ¡°Know yourself and know your enemy?¡±


    Only by understanding ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± can I guard against ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    If I know nothing of ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart,¡± I might be ensnared by the ¡°Uncle¡¯s¡± scheme in the future and become his puppet, out of control and oblivious to it.


    Moreover, my master said that Gui Tao¡¯s people had ¡°reached the pinnacle in the use of Divine Sense¡­.¡±


    If even my master said ¡°reaching the pinnacle,¡± then Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Divine Sense technique must be extremely refined and frighteningly powerful.


    I need to at least take a good look and learn what I can from it.


    As for the Righteous Dao and Demon Path¡­


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, deeply contemplating.


    The so-called Righteous and the so-called Demon are both manifestations of the ¡°Dao,¡± expressions of the Great Dao.


    Like with Formation.


    Evil Formation and Righteous Dao formations appear to be distinctly different, but they both conform to the fundamental principles and framework of Formation.


    However, Righteous Dao formations aim to comprehend the Heavenly Dao, to grasp the essence of the operation of Spiritual Power.


    Demon Formations seek quick success and pursue potency, hence they are quickly established by using human blood as ink, human bones as pivots, skin and flesh as media, and oceans of Blood Qi and Qi Sea as focal points.


    Existence and nonexistence generate each other, difficulty and ease complete each other, and righteousness and evil are contrary yet also validating each other.


    Could it be the same with ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡±?


    Learn its techniques, understand its principles, discern its path.


    Even if I cannot use the technique of ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart,¡± by analogy, I can understand the principles of using Divine Sense and learn the methods of its application.


    At the very least, I can also know myself and the enemy, in order to guard against the ¡°Uncle¡± harming me in the future.


    However, I must maintain my Taoist Heart, not lose my true nature.


    It¡¯s easy to go from the Righteous to the Demon, but to change from Demon to Righteous is difficult¡­


    Mo Hua nodded reflexively.


    I must not be beguiled by ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    I cannot become a little Demon Head!


    Determined, Mo Hua began to follow Gui Tao¡¯s people, peeping out with his little head, spying on how Gui Tao¡¯s people used ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± to manipulate people and slaughter Cultivators¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people acted without restraint, killing widely, and frequently used ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    Having seen it many times, Mo Hua, with his understanding of Divine Sense and experience in Divine Thought Slaughter, also gained a rough grasp of ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    This was a technique that sounded ordinary, looked peculiar, seemed horrifying upon reflection, and was executed with a cold and cruel efficiency that made it nearly unsolvable¡ªit was a Demon Path Divine Thought technique.


    Blood Qi harms the flesh.


    Spiritual Power harms the meridians.


    But ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± damages the Divine Sense itself.


    It is about turning one¡¯s own Divine Sense into Demon Thought, and after differentiation, spreading like an epidemic, residing in other people¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    It is similar to the hauntings in the Contemplation Map, but far more powerful.


    The hauntings parasitize, slowly consuming the Sea of Consciousness with many limitations and taking effect slowly.


    ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart,¡± however, takes effect rapidly, and Cultivators ¡°seeded¡± with Devil by Gui Tao¡¯s people can hardly extricate themselves after a few moments, as the Demon Thought is deeply implanted.


    The hauntings are an external evil invasion.


    But ¡°seeded Devil¡± is more like an internal contamination, directly causing the Cultivator¡¯s Taoist Heart to deteriorate and demonize.


    It is not that Gui Tao¡¯s people control them.


    It¡¯s more like they themselves can¡¯t control their own Demon Thoughts.


    Even though they are being controlled by someone else, it¡¯s as if they are acting according to their own wishes and desires.


    Planting Demon Thought within the Taoist Heart¡­


    From this perspective, what ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± erodes and damages is actually the Taoist Heart!


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart, but then a suspicion surfaced as he observed Gui Tao¡¯s people:


    ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, Demonic Thought Differentiation¡­ But where is the true ¡®Gui Tao¡¯s people,¡¯ or rather, the original Demon Thought of Gui Tao¡¯s people?¡±


    ¡°If that Demon Thought is not killed, does that mean Gui Tao¡¯s people will not die?¡±


    ¡°Is it even possible that, unless all the Demon Thoughts are erased, even if the original Demon Thought is killed, ¡®Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯ might not die?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean they would be truly¡­ immortal?!¡±


    Mo Hua was deeply shaken.


    This ¡°Uncle¡± of mine seems to be far more terrifying than I thought¡­


    Upon this thought, Mo Hua considered further: Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°With such a terrifying Uncle, such a powerful ¡®Planting Devil in Taoist Heart,¡¯ I must study it closely¡­¡±


    Compelled by his thoughts, Mo Hua involuntarily nodded his little head and then continued to stealthily observe Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Only this time, he watched even more carefully, discovering even more¡­


    Firstly, ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± requires a medium.


    Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind¡ªall can be mediums.


    Form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena¡ªall are the pathways.


    Some Cultivators were ¡°seeded¡± just by giving Gui Tao¡¯s people a glance; others by hearing them speak;


    some by smelling the blood scent emanating from Gui Tao¡¯s people; others by tasting their blood;


    ¡°`

 Chapter 676 - 552 Planting Demon in Taoist Heart_2

    Chapter 676: Chapter 552 Planting Demon in Taoist Heart_2


    ¡°`


    Some had fought Gui Tao¡¯s people and came into contact with their deathly pale, slightly decomposing flesh, which caused their Taoist Heart to collapse, turning them into puppets.


    Therefore, one must not look, listen, smell, touch, or even think.


    Otherwise, it would create a medium for planting the devil, and unconsciously, the Sea of Consciousness would be impregnated with the embryo of Demon Thought, becoming the soil for its proliferation, thus dying under the ¡°Planting devil in the Taoist Heart¡±¡­


    And those cultivators who died under the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart each met different fates.


    For cultivators with low realms, just one glance could taint their Taoist Heart, leading them to slaughter each other.


    The insignificant demon cultivators along the way were all killed by Uncle this way;


    Those of higher realms would have the Demon Thought parasitize through close contact.


    Like those more than twenty Golden Cores that were killed earlier,


    they were impregnated with Demon Thought, desiring to become ¡°Taoists,¡± and died slaughtering each other;


    For even higher realms, like the old man beside the Saint Heir, who manifested a bell, wore a blood robe, and held a black demon sword, his nature was firm, and his cultivation was high, making him not easy to deal with.


    Uncle had no choice but to speak.


    With words, he disturbed his mind, broke his defenses, destroyed his Taoist Heart, and unleashed his demonic desires.


    Unable to bear it, the old man brought about his own demise¡­


    But what if there are those with even higher cultivation?


    With the Demon Thought Uncle now harbors, is there really nothing he can do? Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thought about it but couldn¡¯t understand.


    The blood-robed old man in the Late Jindan Stage was the highest realm cultivator Mo Hua had seen die under the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart.


    He had not yet seen Uncle take action against cultivators of higher realms.


    With no reference, he could not analyze further.


    However, this was too far removed from him, so Mo Hua didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    The pressing matter was to start from the basics and examples, and analyze the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart little by little.


    Having seen much, Mo Hua gradually became more acquainted with the methods of using the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart.


    Although its outward appearance was complicated and unpredictable,


    its essence was still the manipulation of Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua experienced a moment of clarity but still felt vaguely that he had not crossed that threshold, not having fully grasped the concept of Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart.


    He needed to observe more, learn more, think more¡­


    Every time Gui Tao¡¯s people killed someone with the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart, Mo Hua¡¯s understanding of it deepened.


    Initially, Gui Tao¡¯s people were completely unaware.


    Only later, after using the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart to kill a few demon cultivators and noticing Mo Hua¡¯s unusual silence, did they turn around to find Mo Hua, with his wide eyes staring intently at them.


    Seemingly taking notes, calculating, learning, and summarizing something¡­


    At first thoughtful, then gradually enlightened, his eyes becoming brighter and brighter¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s pitch-black pupils trembled, thoroughly shocked.


    What on earth was this little creature stealthily learning??!


    Stealth learning the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart?


    Where on earth did his junior find such a crazily vicious little disciple?!


    The expression on Gui Tao¡¯s wooden face changed, but eventually, it calmed down again.


    He said nothing, but from then on, he became much more restrained in his actions.


    No longer killing recklessly.


    The Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart was also used very sparingly.


    Even when used, only the simplest and most rudimentary methods were employed.


    Mo Hua noticed this and tentatively asked,


    ¡°Uncle, these demon cultivators are after the Master, aren¡¯t you going to kill them?¡±


    But Gui Tao¡¯s people were indifferent, completely ignoring him.


    Mo Hua sighed, understanding that Gui Tao¡¯s people were guarding against him.


    Hiding it away, not letting him see!


    Mo Hua felt a little put out and grumbled to himself, ¡°Uncle is really stingy¡­¡±


    How could they not let him see?


    He hadn¡¯t fully understood yet¡­


    But there was nothing Mo Hua could do.


    ¡°If they won¡¯t let me see, then they won¡¯t¡­¡±


    He could only commit to memory the scenes of the Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart he had witnessed, and when he had nothing else to do, he would turn them over and over in his mind, meticulously speculating, trying to discern some Divine Sense manipulation spell points from the ¡°Reaching the Pinnacle¡± methods of their Uncle, learning just the rudiments¡­


    ¡­


    The two were still on the road to Li Mountain City.


    A few days later, one evening.


    Mo Hua followed Gui Tao¡¯s people to an old temple.


    No one knew whom this temple was dedicated to; it was long neglected and in ruins, with broken doors and windows.


    And for some reason, Gui Tao¡¯s people were insistent on staying in this dilapidated temple for the night.


    As the evening approached, the moonlight was cool and clear.


    When the mountain breeze passed, it carried a chilling coolness.


    Mo Hua drew a Warm Fire Formation on the ground to bake a fire for warmth and also to roast wild sweet potatoes, wild yams, and a few fish he had caught along the way on it.


    While roasting, he heard several footsteps.


    Apparently, a few people were approaching the temple.


    At the same time, there were some indistinct voices:


    ¡°¡­ might as well go back¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ are you willing?¡±


    ¡°No choice¡­¡±


    ¡°Near Dali Mountain, the situation is chaotic. It¡¯s no longer a place we can stay, and besides, Young Master Yun can¡¯t afford any mishaps¡­¡±


    Young Master Yun?


    Mo Hua was startled.


    The voices of those people got closer.


    Mo Hua recognized them somewhat, one elderly, one middle-aged, and one youthful.


    It seemed to be the same three people he had encountered in South Yue City, accompanying Young Master Yun.


    ¡°Senior, you don¡¯t have to worry about me, I¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Your father entrusted you to my care. How will I explain to him if you lose your life¡­¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, if we act cautiously, we might still have an opportunity¡­¡±


    That was the middle-aged cultivator¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just calculate our way out of danger?¡±


    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t capable of calculation, I wouldn¡¯t want to stay here.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 677 - 552: Planting Devil in Taoist Heart_3

    Chapter 677: Chapter 552: Planting Devil in Taoist Heart_3


    ¡°These days, I¡¯ve been feeling nervous and jittery, as if a great disaster is about to occur. I¡¯ve been unable to sleep at night, which is why I wanted to leave¡­¡±


    ¡°After departing, we would lose the opportunity¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t indulge in wishful thinking, here in Dali Mountain, the real Demon Head hasn¡¯t arrived yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it that our Taoist Court has no Great cultivators?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same, you¡­¡±


    While they were talking, they walked into the dilapidated temple, and just as they looked up, they were startled to see Mo Hua and another person.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sat in the shadows, indistinct and unclear.


    Mo Hua was drawing a Warm Fire Formation, roasting by the fire, his small face lit by the firelight, flushed red, with sweet potatoes stuffed in his mouth and his cheeks puffed.


    The gaunt old man, Mo Hua remembered, seemed to be surnamed Wen. Upon seeing Mo Hua and his companion, he clasped his hands in greeting after his moment of surprise:


    ¡°We were passing through and hoped to stay for the night. We apologize for the intrusion!¡±


    After speaking, the gaunt old man glanced at Mo Hua, somewhat puzzled.


    He couldn¡¯t help feeling¡ªthe night was dark and windy, the lamp dim, the temple broken. Mo Hua, this child, seemed eerie roasting his food, eating nonchalantly.


    Yet at the same time, he felt that Mo Hua looked somewhat familiar.


    It seemed he had seen him somewhere before, and the impression should have been very deep.


    But he couldn¡¯t recall where.


    Mo Hua was also a bit astonished.


    These three didn¡¯t recognize him.


    But it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Under the circumstances, pretending not to recognize each other was better.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t speak; he just nodded slightly.


    The gaunt old man clasped his hands in thanks again, while the middle-aged cultivator haughtily seated himself.


    As for Young Master Yun, he too looked confusedly at Mo Hua, but after a brief gaze, still not recognizing him, he ended up giving a polite bow as a way of expressing his thanks.


    Mo Hua remembered Young Master Yun quite clearly.


    A Second Grade Formation Master, thin-skinned and somewhat shy, but kindhearted and enthusiastic, open about his formation skills.


    They had a good relationship.


    Mo Hua turned his head and stole a glance at Gui Tao¡¯s people, feeling a bit worried.


    ¡°Could my ¡®uncle¡¯ intend to kill these people?¡±


    He held the sweet potato, not eating it, instead carefully observing Gui Tao¡¯s people, checking if his aura was stable, managing his presence and senses in a subdued state, showing no signs of initiating Planting Devil in Taoist Heart. He finally relaxed a bit.


    Mo Hua, seizing the moment, finished his sweet potato and then dimmed the light of the Warm Fire Formation slightly.


    The darkness deepened, shrouding Gui Tao¡¯s figure even more obscurely.


    Mo Hua nodded subtly.


    Now, Young Master Yun and the others couldn¡¯t see ¡°uncle¡¯s¡± figure.


    On the other side, Young Master Yun and the others found a clean spot, sat down, and began talking softly.


    It seemed they were wary of Mo Hua overhearing, so they kept their voices low, and their words were veiled.


    With his superior Divine Sense, Mo Hua managed to catch a bit of the conversation, though it was quite muffled.


    It seemed the gaunt old man wanted to leave, the middle-aged cultivator disagreed, and Young Master Yun wavered, wanting to leave yet hesitating over something, seeming reluctant.


    The middle-aged cultivator then mocked the gaunt old man, ¡°The older one gets, the more cowardly.¡±


    The gaunt old man retorted, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of being cautious that I¡¯ve lived so long.¡±


    He glanced at the middle-aged cultivator and scoffed, ¡°You may not live to my age¡­¡±


    The two argued briefly, then shifted to discussing the matters of the Taoist Court and the Demon Sect, saying a great deal which seemed critical, but Mo Hua, with limited knowledge, didn¡¯t recognize the titles.


    Something about a Venerable, some Fairy, some Rakshasa, some Valley Master, some old ancestors¡­


    Who these people were, what their statuses were, and what grievances they had.


    They chattered on for quite a while.


    To Mo Hua, unaware of these people and hearing such talk¡ªmostly about family marriages, clan promotions, ancestor commemorations, burials¡ªit all seemed so mundane, and he began to doze off.


    Half-asleep, Mo Hua suddenly heard them mention:


    ¡°That person¡­ What does he really have on him?¡±


    Mo Hua snapped to awareness in a jolt.


    That person¡­


    Were they talking about¡­ Master?


    Mo Hua looked up covertly.


    The gaunt old man¡¯s expression was grave, his words hesitant.


    The middle-aged cultivator¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°You actually know?¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The gaunt old man remained silent.


    The middle-aged cultivator became impatient, ¡°It¡¯s come to this, just speak up¡­¡±


    Young Master Yun also seemed curious.


    After struggling internally for a long time, the gaunt old man finally sighed, ¡°I¡­ also heard it. You all know it now, but do not mention it to outsiders¡­¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The gaunt old man sighed, then continued:


    ¡°Our sect¡¯s former leader, an expert in Calculation, highly experienced, sadly suffered from mental decline before his death, hence sometimes his words were¡­unconsidered¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to disrespect his predecessor, so he spoke very euphemistically.


    ¡°One day, he inadvertently revealed something, which I happened to overhear¡­¡±


    ¡°He said, the secret that person carries¡­ involves the¡­ Back Ruins Heaven Burial¡­¡±


    Back Ruins Heaven Burial?


    What did that mean?


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Suddenly the atmosphere around changed; Mo Hua startled, turned towards Gui Tao¡¯s people, and his expression was one of shock.


    Under the darkness of the night, Gui Tao¡¯s people had opened their eyes, their pupils were deeper than the darkness itself, fluctuations in their aura, and a mutation had occurred in the Six Dusts.


    He¡­ harbored a killing intent!

 Chapter 678 - 553 Ten Thousand Demons_1

    Chapter 678: Chapter 553 Ten Thousand Demons_1


    ¡°`


    The gaunt old man suddenly felt a pang of inexplicable panic.


    But soon after, the panic dissipated without a trace, as if it were just a momentary illusion on his part.


    The old man set his heart at ease, feeling a sudden onset of fatigue, and considering that dusk had fallen and the morrow would undoubtedly require an exhausting round of intense thought and complication, he decided to squint his eyes and nap for a while.


    However, as he drifted between wakefulness and sleep, just as he was about to doze off, he suddenly felt hungry and couldn¡¯t help but take out several Fasting Pills from his storage bag and chew them¡­


    But Mo Hua, watching from the side, grew increasingly shocked.


    Because he could see clearly that what the gaunt old man was chewing on was not Fasting Pills, but his own fingers!


    He was chewing on his fingers, putting them into his own mouth!


    Blood was already dripping from the corners of his mouth.


    The bones were showing through on his chewed fingers.


    Meanwhile, the middle-aged cultivator was distracted, drawing a knife and placing it against his own neck.


    Young Master Yun took out his sword to stab at his own chest.


    It was the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!


    ¡°Uncle wants to kill these three!¡±


    In his hurry, Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts raced as he recalled everything he had learned about ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± these past few days, and with a grave look, he swiftly made a few strokes, altering the Formation Patterns of the Warm Fire Formation on the ground.


    Once the Warm Fire Formation Pattern was altered, it immediately conflicted and self-destructed in an instant.


    With a ¡°boom,¡± the formation exploded, emitting a piercing sound.


    At the same time, flames soared, spreading a bright crimson glow in the darkness of the night, strikingly glaring and obstructing Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s line of sight, distracting him.


    It also broke his Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.


    Startled by the commotion, the three gaunt old men came to their senses, all appearing somewhat dazed.


    The gaunt old man felt a sharp pain in his hand and, upon glancing down, saw his fingers bloody and mangled, with stark white bones showing, causing a surge of panic in his heart.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡±


    He looked around, just in time to see the child across from him looking at them with slight urgency, his little mouth opening and closing, apparently saying something without making a sound, as if wary of something.


    Despite the pain, the gaunt old man concentrated, furrowing his brow as he watched for a while, and then made out from the child¡¯s lip movements what he was saying.


    He was saying two words:


    ¡°Leave quickly!¡±


    ¡°Leave quickly!¡±


    Leave quickly?


    The gaunt old man was initially startled, then his eyes widened.


    He recognized him!


    This child was the Junior Formation Master from South Yue City!


    That is, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s little disciple!


    Now with an urgent look, he was silently signaling them¡­ to leave quickly?!


    A shiver ran through the gaunt old man¡¯s heart, and a chill surged up like a tide. He immediately thought of the Taoist hidden in the shadows upon entering the door.


    He wanted to turn his head to look, but forcibly restrained himself.


    A cultivated intuition from years of Calculation whispered that this person was insidious and must not be looked at!


    Instinctively, the gaunt old man reached for the Three Talents Divination Copper Coins in his storage bag, but upon touching them, he felt them scattered and fragmented, and upon closer examination, his pupils dilated in shock.


    Broken?!


    The Three Talents Divination Copper Coins¡­ completely shattered?!


    Had this life-and-death crisis been so severe that even the Three Talents Divination Copper Coins could not withstand it?


    ¡°Leave quickly!¡±


    The gaunt old man, with trembling hands, firmly grabbed the middle-aged cultivator and Young Master Yun, still with undeclared terror in his eyes.


    Young Master Yun and the middle-aged cultivator, not understanding what was happening, just when they were about to ask, the gaunt old man shook his head at them.


    Startled, they realized that their behavior had been abnormal and that there was danger and eeriness in this dilapidated temple; thus, they solemnly nodded in agreement.


    Without delay, the three of them restrained their energy and hurriedly got up. Without making a sound, they discreetly left.


    Gui Tao¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, but even after the three had left, no more peculiarities occurred; he merely glanced meaningfully at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua scratched his head and gave a sheepish smile, ¡°Uncle, I didn¡¯t master the formation well, it was a slip of the hand¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s face was indifferent, clearly not believing Mo Hua¡¯s nonsense.


    But he didn¡¯t say anything else and closed his eyes to continue his meditation.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Fortunately, Uncle was wary of him, using only the simplest and most superficial ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡±. The effect on Young Master Yun and the others was not deep. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he had used a more profound ¡°Devil Planting¡± technique, that would have been troublesome.


    Even if he wanted to save them, it would have been beyond his ability.


    Seeing that the three of them had walked far away, Mo Hua also felt relieved, but then he remembered what the old man had said¡­


    ¡°Back Ruins Heaven Burial¡­¡±


    What place is Back Ruins?


    What does Heaven Burial mean?


    Does it relate to an enormous opportunity, some ancient secret, a legacy, a Cultivation Technique, or perhaps¡­


    A Formation?


    Mo Hua shook his head, puzzled.


    ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s best not to aim too high¡­¡±


    His master had said that such opportunities involved vast karma, and a moment¡¯s carelessness could lead to fatal trouble; it was better for him not to know for now.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    He then looked down at the remains of the Warm Fire Formation with regret.


    The self-destruction of the formation had also meant the burning of his roasted sweet potatoes, potatoes, wild fruit, and even a big fish, all turned to charcoal¡­


    The big fish was almost ready, and he could already smell its fragrance. After cooking for so long, he didn¡¯t get a single bite¡­


    ¡°My fish¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a little heartbroken and couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    He then drew a new Warm Fire Formation and took out the remaining sweet potatoes from his storage bag, unbothered, and continued to roast them¡­


    ¡­


    The trio of gaunt old men left the broken temple in a hurry, disregarding the darkness of the night, and walked for two hours, stopping only when they were sufficiently far away.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 679 - 553 Demon Among Thousands_2

    Chapter 679: Chapter 553 Demon Among Thousands_2


    The emaciated elder¡¯s back was soaked in cold sweat.


    The middle-aged cultivator took a breath and asked, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Blood was still dripping from the elder¡¯s hand.


    He took out some medicinal powder, sprinkled it on his hand, and swallowed some pills. Only then did his complexion improve a bit.


    Recalling the events at the dilapidated temple still sent shivers down his spine. He turned to look at the two men and said in a trembling voice,


    ¡°The Three Talents Divination Copper Coin shattered¡­¡±


    ¡°The three of us¡­ nearly died¡­¡±


    Young Master Yun was startled.


    The middle-aged cultivator furrowed his brows and said, ¡°It can¡¯t be that sinister¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the child warming himself by the fire in the broken temple?¡±


    ¡°The child warming himself by the fire?¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator paused, his brows knitting together as he thought, then his expression changed as he remembered:


    ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s the Junior Formation Master?!¡±


    Young Master Yun also remembered, his eyes lighting up, ¡°That¡¯s Brother Little Mo!¡±


    Then he muttered to himself, ¡°Strange¡­ why couldn¡¯t I remember before?¡±


    The emaciated elder sighed:


    ¡°This child is very likely to be his disciple. Despite his young age, he is certainly extraordinary¡­¡±


    ¡°In the broken temple, we were unwittingly afflicted by a heart demon¡­¡±


    ¡°It was this child who made an unusual noise, waking us up.¡±


    ¡°Later, it was also him who reminded us to ¡®run fast¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, this time, it would probably have been¡­ more bad luck than good¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The middle-aged cultivator was somewhat skeptical, ¡°What kind of danger was there in that broken temple?¡±


    The emaciated elder was also full of doubts.


    What was the danger?


    Why were they afflicted with a heart demon?


    Was it a trap set by that Taoist?


    Why were they completely unaware?


    The elder racked his brain and suddenly felt a jolt, recalling the Taoist sitting in the corner of the temple, hidden in the shadow, not clearly visible. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A taboo title emerged in his mind.


    The emaciated elder trembled like a sieve.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± the middle-aged cultivator asked curiously.


    The elder swallowed the words ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people¡± in his throat, only saying, ¡°That person¡­ is a Taoist¡­¡±


    ¡°A Taoist?!¡±


    The Demon Sect¡¯s ¡°Taoist¡± is no ordinary individual.


    Every single one of them is indeed a truly vicious Demon Head!


    The middle-aged cultivator looked solemn, but inwardly he was still very curious, ¡°Exactly which Taoist is it?¡±


    The emaciated elder glanced at him coldly, ¡°If I speak his name, all three of us will die, and the death will surely be very ugly!¡±


    The scenes in the broken temple once again floated in his mind.


    The middle-aged cultivator attempted to commit suicide with his sword, Young Master Yun tried to kill himself with a sword, and the emaciated elder bit his own flesh¡­


    Just the thought of it made all three a bit pale.


    The middle-aged cultivator dared not ask any further.


    The emaciated elder frowned in thought, then suddenly as if struck by a revelation, he exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator was taken aback, ¡°What is it?¡±


    The elder¡¯s emotions fluctuated as he quickly said, ¡°Do you remember, when we entered South Yue City and sensed the Corpse Qi over the hills, after my divination, what I said?¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator thought for a while and then shook his head:


    ¡°You rambled on and on, talking about gods and ghosts, you said so much, how could I remember which words you¡¯re referring to?¡±


    However, Young Master Yun seemed thoughtful, ¡°Senior Wen, are you talking about¡­ a good deed?¡±


    He vaguely remembered the elder¡¯s words:


    ¡°These days, I occasionally feel a terrifying premonition¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems like there is great terror ahead, extremely dangerous, with unpredictable life and death.¡±


    ¡°Yet, if we can suppress the Corpse Mine, save the city of South Yue City, even the cultivators across the state boundary, perhaps we can accumulate a good deed. That might give us a glimmer of hope when facing a life or death situation¡­¡±


    The elder¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°Now it seems, this cause and effect, has manifested through this child!¡±


    ¡°Had we not offered our help in South Yue City, calmed the chaos, and earned this good deed, not known this child¡­¡±


    ¡°Then today, without this child¡¯s rescue¡­¡±


    ¡°We would have died without a place to bury our bodies!¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator and Young Master Yun were greatly shaken.


    The elder felt somewhat emotional, ¡°The workings of cause and effect, and good and evil, are like eating and drinking. Mr. Zhuang gave us a chance to choose then, and it was also a lifeline for us¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡­


    All three felt both wonder and complexity in their hearts.


    A moment later, Young Master Yun remembered something and suddenly said urgently,


    ¡°If that Taoist is a Demon Head, then Brother Little Mo¡­¡±


    The elder shook his head and said with a bitter smile, ¡°Forget it, we can hardly protect ourselves, let alone think about saving that child¡­¡±


    Young Master Yun showed a look of shame.


    Then the elder comforted him:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he is Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple, he should be fine¡­¡±


    In the broken temple, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were bright and shiny, his little face flushed as he roasted fish and sweet potatoes, that scene reemerged in their minds.


    The elder sighed in his heart.


    He is indeed Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple, with such a strong nature¡­


    To be traveling with a Demon Head like that Taoist and still have the leisure to roast things to eat¡­


    And even though they had offended that ¡°Taoist,¡± saving themselves, that ¡°Taoist¡± didn¡¯t get angry and even let them go¡­


    The elder found it somewhat incredulous.


    Their lineage, proficient in the divination of heavenly secrets, had long heard of that Taoist¡¯s notorious cruelty.


    That Taoist was never easy to deal with.


    He had never seen him be so ¡°tolerant,¡± or so ¡°indulgent¡± to anyone¡­


    The elder sighed, ¡°The righteous may have the protection of the heavens. We should¡­ just return from here.¡±

 Chapter 680 - 553 Ten Thousand Demons_3

    Chapter 680: Chapter 553 Ten Thousand Demons_3


    Young Master Yun was still burdened with heavy worries.


    The middle-aged cultivator was startled, ¡°Go back? Back where?¡±


    The skinny elder said annoyedly, ¡°Go back the way we came!¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator was anxious, ¡°What about the opportunity? You don¡¯t want it anymore? After all the trouble we¡¯ve gone through¡­¡±


    The skinny elder sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? This matter is no longer within our reach¡­¡±


    ¡°Or rather, it was never within our reach in the first place!¡±


    ¡°We were just pawns sent to gather information, and now that the news has been sent back, naturally, those above us will plan the next move.¡±


    ¡°The territory of Dali Mountain will sooner or later turn into a slaughterhouse.¡±


    ¡°If we stay any longer, we really won¡¯t have a single path to life left!¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator frowned, ¡°Because of Mystery Demon Ancestor?¡±


    The skinny elder sighed, ¡°Not only that¡­¡±


    He turned to glance at the dilapidated temple, his gaze covered with a layer of gloom and fear.


    ¡°The presence of Taoists means that the real Demon Heads of the Demon Path are also coming¡­¡±


    Although the Demon Sect was suppressed by the Taoist Court and lay dormant for many years, its power was profound; it certainly wasn¡¯t limited to just one Feather Transformation Realm old demon like Mystery Demon Ancestor.


    All three of them understood this.


    Yet, faced with the opportunity, the middle-aged cultivator was still somewhat hesitant.


    The skinny elder snorted coldly, ¡°Whether you leave or not, I don¡¯t care, but I am leaving.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator was taken aback, then frowned, ¡°How can you leave? We had an agreement, and I gave you a lot of Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give the Spirit Stones back to you.¡±


    The middle-aged cultivator wore a conflicted expression, struggling inwardly for a long time, before he finally sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m reluctant to part with the Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go.¡±


    He knew that with the elder¡¯s divination, they had been able to turn danger into safety along the way.


    Without the elder, he wasn¡¯t sure he could make it out of Dali Mountain alive on his own.


    He didn¡¯t want the Spirit Stones either; he thought of it as establishing good karma.


    The middle-aged cultivator was somewhat dejected, ¡°I originally thought I could get an opportunity to change my fate, but now¡­ sigh, I might as well return to Qian State and be my disciplined Instructor¡­¡±


    He then followed behind the elder, heading back.


    After a few steps, the skinny elder suddenly stopped, turned to look at the dilapidated temple, and bowed deeply with a solemn expression, sincerely praying in his heart,


    ¡°May the young friend turn danger into safety, and have an immeasurable path!¡±


    ¡°If there is a chance one day, I must repay this life-saving grace!¡±


    Young Master Yun also bowed sincerely.


    The middle-aged cultivator sighed and, although somewhat reluctant, still reverently performed a bow.


    Afterward, the three of them gradually moved further away, leaving Dali Mountain and the place of controversy¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was just the opposite.


    He not only couldn¡¯t leave but had to follow Gui Tao¡¯s people step by step towards Li Mountain City, entering deeper into the bloody storm.


    After leaving the broken temple, it took another dozen of days before Mo Hua finally arrived in front of Li Mountain City.


    He was still tens of miles away from the city, and from a distance, he could see the sky-obscuring blood flags and the towering sea of blood.


    Just like the scene he had seen when he left Li Mountain City that day.


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt worried and turned to ask Gui Tao, ¡°Uncle, are we going to enter the city now?¡±


    Gui Tao looked impassive.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t surprised; he had grown accustomed to his Uncle¡¯s reticence, especially when it came to talking to him.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind.


    When you can¡¯t change another person, you have to learn to adapt to them.


    He had learned to somewhat understand what his Uncle wanted to say from his hollow and indifferent expression, and those pitch-dark eyes.


    Like now, Uncle¡¯s face was dark, and he looked displeased, which meant,


    ¡°Not entering the city.¡±


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Not entering the city? Where are we going then?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s pitch-black eyes glanced at Mo Hua.


    ¡°Into the mountains?¡± Mo Hua guessed.


    Gui Tao¡¯s expression paused.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°What are we doing in the mountains?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s pupils darkened, and his expression grew even darker.


    Mo Hua understood.


    Uncle wanted him to be silent.


    Mo Hua nodded obediently and quietly followed behind him without saying anything more.


    Indeed, Gui Tao led him into the mountains, to a cliff.


    This cliff was outside of Li Mountain City.


    The surrounding rocks were rugged, and the vegetation was withered.


    Mo Hua reviewed the Map and discovered that according to the markings on it, this place was called ¡°Dry Wood Cliff.¡±


    Although the surroundings were lush with green mountains and grass, this particular spot was barren of vegetation.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to investigate the surroundings and found that the energy here was isolated, as though it hid a sinister force, which was why the rocks were bare and devoid of life.


    ¡°Why has Uncle brought me here?¡±


    Mo Hua turned to look at Gui Tao.


    Gui Tao paid him no mind but walked straight to the edge of the cliff.


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Does Uncle intend to jump off the cliff?¡±


    He then saw Gui Tao step forward, the world turned upside down, and the mountains and rivers flipped.


    What was originally the ground beneath his feet suddenly twisted and floated in the sky, forming a massive Stone Palace with stern buildings and looming demon shadows.


    Mo Hua was shocked, ¡°Is this an Illusion Array?¡±


    And it was almost indistinguishable from reality, surely a Second Grade, or perhaps a Third Grade Formation.


    Was this Illusion Array concealing a Demon Palace?


    Was this a lair for Demon Cultivators? S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, it seemed that the Demon Palace had been there for quite some time; it appeared that someone had established this Demon¡¯s Cave on Dry Wood Cliff outside the Five Elements Sect long ago.


    Gui Tao glanced at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua realized that Uncle meant ¡°Follow me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded obediently and followed Gui Tao up the stone steps and into the Demon Palace.

 Chapter 681 - 553 Endless Demons_4

    Chapter 681: Chapter 553 Endless Demons_4


    Upon entering the Demon Palace, the stench of blood and an eerie gloom prevailed.


    Moreover, gusts of chilling air swept through repeatedly.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat uncomfortable, but what astonished him even more was the multitude of Demon Cultivators inside.


    These Demon Cultivators, with their hideous and malevolent appearance, were not only numerous but also possessed extremely high cultivation levels. Demonic Qi wrapped around them, clearly indicating that they practiced superior Demon Path Skills.


    The knowledge of these Demon Cultivators also seemed to be significantly higher.


    Some of the Demon Cultivators on the periphery, upon seeing Gui Tao¡¯s people, mostly showed disdain and even glared maliciously, taking the initiative to attack.


    However, the Demon Cultivators within the Demon Palace, when encountering Gui Tao¡¯s people, mostly appeared solemn and demonstrated fear, as if they could discern the identities of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people wore indifferent expressions, disregarding their gazes.


    Their gazes, whether filled with suspicion, probing, or indifference, all landed on Mo Hua¡­


    It seemed rather strange to them that Gui Tao would be accompanied by such a child with a low realm of cultivation, who did not practice Demon Skills, had an upright aura, and still wore an innocent face.


    Feeling the stares of numerous Demon Heads, Mo Hua felt a bit guilty.


    However, after thinking it over, he decided he couldn¡¯t lose face for his master and his ¡°Uncle,¡± so he forced himself to appear calm, raising his head and puffing out his chest, although he couldn¡¯t help but inch closer to Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    He felt that by Gui Tao¡¯s side, he might be safer.


    Gui Tao faced the gazes of the crowd and walked straight to the center of the great hall, finding a place to sit. Mo Hua stood by his side and asked in a low voice,


    ¡°Uncle, what have we come here to do?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s expression was cold.


    Mo Hua stealthily stared at his face, observing for a long while, but could not decipher what he really wanted to say.


    He guessed that it was a long story and not easily explained in a moment, so perhaps Uncle preferred not to speak of it.


    However, Gui Tao¡¯s silence didn¡¯t stop other Demon Cultivators from whispering among themselves.


    Listening in secret, Mo Hua after a while finally grasped some key terms:


    Terms like Nether Ancestor, Demon Monarch, as well as Venerable, Ancestral Master, and then there was¡­


    The Ten Thousand Demons Gathering!


    ¡°The Ten Thousand Demons Gathering?¡±


    A shiver ran down Mo Hua¡¯s spine.


    A gathering of the old demons from the Demon Sect?


    Has Uncle come to the Demon Palace of Dry Wood Cliff to participate in the ¡°Ten Thousand Demons Gathering¡±?


    With his mind stirring slightly and a trace of fear, Mo Hua said in a soft voice,


    ¡°Uncle, is it really appropriate for me to join this ¡®Ten Thousand Demons Gathering¡¯¡­?¡±


    I am a Serious Cultivator.


    Not a little demon.


    And only at the Qi Refinement stage.


    Participating in such a gathering, that doesn¡¯t suit my age, my realm, my identity as a great Demon Head, would it not be a bit impolite?


    Gui Tao¡¯s pupils darkened.


    Mo Hua immediately fell silent.


    Yet in his heart, he couldn¡¯t stop pondering:


    ¡°This Ten Thousand Demons Gathering¡­ what is its purpose?¡±


    ¡°Could it be targeting my master?¡±


    ¡°Who among the Demon Cultivators will attend? At least those with a Golden Core? Will Xuan Sanren, who¡¯s at the Feather Transformation Realm, also come?¡±


    ¡°Could there be even more formidable Demon Heads?¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Gui Tao¡­ ¡®Uncle,¡¯ what is his intention in joining this Ten Thousand Demons Gathering?¡±


    ¡°Does he plan to use the ¡®Ten Thousand Demons Gathering¡¯ to join forces with some scattered cultivators, some Venerables, or perhaps some old Demon Ancestors, in order to confront the Taoist Court, plot against my master, and seize that supposed ¡®tremendous fortune¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Could he possibly¡­ kill my master?¡±


    As these thoughts troubled Mo Hua, he felt increasingly worried¡­


    Inside the Demon Palace, the atmosphere was heavy, bloddied, and oppressive.


    Bones served as rafters, and human skin as paintings.


    As time passed, more and more Demon Heads entered the Demon Palace, and the air within became ever more solemn¡­


    Mo Hua gradually shifted from being tense and apprehensive to numb and lethargic.


    Finally, he leaned against Gui Tao¡¯s stone chair, standing and dozing off.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, a chilling wind blew by, causing Mo Hua to shudder awake, his sleepiness vanishing in an instant.


    At this very moment, within the Demon Palace, many ¡°people¡± were already seated.


    To call them ¡°people,¡± yet not quite resembling humans.


    Some were half-corpse, half-demon, some like beasts, like monsters.


    Even those who looked human, upon closer inspection seemed not human at all.


    Some had pallid complexions, like the dead; some had beautiful features with bright red lips and teeth; some were fat with snakes entwined around them; others were emaciated with demonic patterns inscribed on their backs¡­


    The entire Demon Palace was gloomy and solemn; so quiet you could hear a pin drop.


    Deadly silent.


    ¡°Has the Ten Thousand Demons Gathering begun?¡±


    A chill grew in Mo Hua¡¯s heart as he saw that several figures had slowly emerged upon the towering white bone seats that held terrifying energy.


    These several figures emitted an extremely fearsome aura.


    Deep as abysses, vast as seas.


    Merely a fraction of their aura released was suffocating for Mo Hua, making it difficult for him to breathe.


    Among these figures, Mo Hua recognized one very well¡ªit was none other than Xuan Sanren, who wielded the Blood Cloth Banner and the Hanging Demon Sword, sealed off Li Mountain City with a vast sea of blood, and trapped his master in the Five Elements Sect¡ªthe Mystery Demon Ancestor!


    A coldness emerged in Mo Hua¡¯s heart, and his gaze intensified.


    Could it be that those few seated on the bone thrones, capable of sitting on an equal footing with Xuan Sanren, were all Demon Ancestors at the Feather Transformation Realm?!

 Chapter 682 - 554: Begin Killing_1

    Chapter 682: Chapter 554: Begin Killing_1


    Feather Transformation Realm¡­


    Mo Hua silently counted on his fingers:


    Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Feather Transformation¡­


    He himself was a full three major realms away from the Feather Transformation Realm, and these three realms were like a chasm¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    In what year and month could he possibly cultivate to such a realm?


    And with his Spiritual Root, could he really cultivate to Feather Transformation¡­


    Mo Hua sighed again, feeling somewhat powerless.


    At this moment, atop the bone-white throne with fang-like protrusions, several figures had fully revealed themselves.


    One was a black-robed individual with white hair but a youthful face, with an ominous appearance¡ªa Demon Cultivator, known as Xuan Sanren, the ¡°Mystery Demon Ancestor.¡±


    Besides him, there were three Featherization Old Demons.


    An old man with purple-green lips known as ¡°Poison Venerable¡±;


    A tall and dark Monster Cultivator as burly as a black bear, called the ¡°Black Arhat¡±;


    And a heavily made-up woman who, despite her beauty, had layered on too much makeup, greasy and slick, named ¡°Madam Miao.¡±


    Poison Venerable, Black Arhat, Madam Miao¡­


    Mo Hua had overheard these names before.


    Initially, he didn¡¯t know who they were, guessing they might be monikers of some great Demon Cultivators. But now, seeing these three Feather Transformation Realm Demon Heads and their appearances, he matched the names to their faces.


    Including Xuan Sanren, that made four great Feather Transformation Realm beings.


    On top of that, within this entire Demon Palace, there were hundreds of Golden Core Demon Cultivators.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled slightly.


    Such power of the Demon Path could destroy an entire state boundary¡­


    Not to mention the Third-Grade Dali Mountain State Boundary, even a Fourth-Grade state boundary, if attacked by these Demon Cultivators, would likely face a calamity.


    And these Demon Heads, gathering here for the ¡°Ten Thousand Demons Gathering,¡± their objective was¡­ his master?


    Mo Hua felt a surge of nervousness, and he clenched his fists tightly.


    Above the bone-white throne, Xuan Sanren got straight to the point,


    ¡°I have locked the Heavenly Secrets of this place with the Nether Heavenly Mechanism Seal, but the cause and effect have still leaked out. Now, all factions from the Taoist Court have gathered around Dali Mountain. A major battle is about to erupt at any moment, which is why I called the ¡®Ten Thousand Demons Gathering¡¯, to invite fellow cultivators to convene at Dry Wood Cliff, to discuss this matter¡­¡±


    ¡°Black Arhat¡± sneered, ¡°What¡¯s there to discuss? Kill them one by one as they come¡­¡±


    He licked his lips, his tongue bright red, with barbs like those of Monster Beasts, his gaze fierce and greedy.


    ¡°It¡¯s been hundreds of years since I¡¯ve had my fill of eating humans¡­¡±


    Poison Venerable mockingly said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat everything, watch out you don¡¯t break your teeth.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Black Arhat grinned, showing his ghastly fangs, ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ve been eating humans for six hundred years, and these two teeth have never once been damaged.¡±


    Poison Venerable¡¯s expression was indifferent, betraying neither joy nor anger:


    ¡°From the Taoist Court¡¯s side, there are Feather Transformation Realm Cultivators coming this time.¡±


    ¡°Did you get the news?¡±


    Poison Venerable remained silent.


    Black Arhat thus understood.


    The Poison Venerable, no, the Myriad Poison Gate must have spies within the Taoist Court.


    Such inside information was surely not to be disclosed openly.


    Black Arhat then asked, ¡°The Feathered Immortals from the Taoist Court? Who are they?¡±


    Poison Venerable was somewhat displeased, but he did not conceal it, ¡°Not to mention the others, at least that woman from the Bai Family is sure to come¡­¡±


    ¡°That woman from the Bai Family?¡±


    ¡°Bai Qiancheng?¡±


    Madam Miao was startled upon hearing this, her heavily made-up face betraying both envy and hate.


    Black Arhat¡¯s eyes gleamed ferociously, ¡°It is said the Feathered Immortal from the Bai Family lives up to her name with skin like jade and a beauty that can topple kingdoms and cities. I wonder if it¡¯s true?¡±


    Mo Hua was also taken aback upon hearing this.


    Bai Family¡¯s Bai Qiancheng? A beauty that can topple kingdoms and cities?


    Feathered Immortal?


    Does she have any relation to his junior sister?


    Poison Venerable sneered, ¡°Put away those crooked thoughts. Unless you want to die, don¡¯t even think of touching her.¡±


    Black Arhat said, ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a Bai¡­¡±


    Black Arhat scoffed, ¡°So she¡¯s a Bai, what of it? How could the Noble Clans of the Taoist Court interfere with the actions of our Demon Path?¡±


    Poison Venerable glanced at him indifferently, ¡°Your life is your own. I just wanted to remind you. If you¡¯re not afraid of the Bai Family, feel free to make your move.¡±


    Black Arhat retracted his ferocious look, chuckling sinisterly, ¡°The greater good is more important; naturally, I wouldn¡¯t make trouble at this time.¡±


    Still, he couldn¡¯t help but drool inwardly.


    He wondered, would the flesh of such a beautiful woman taste more tender¡­


    Madam Miao¡¯s expression changed as she asked Xuan Sanren:


    ¡°How do you know for sure that she will come?¡±


    Xuan Sanren said, ¡°That Mr. Zhuang bears the Heavenly Secret, finding himself in dire straits, and as they come from the same sect, whether for emotional reasons or self-interest, she will certainly come.¡±


    ¡°The same sect¡­¡±


    Mo Hua glanced covertly at Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    If they were from the same sect, that would be his master¡¯s junior sister and Gui Tao¡¯s person, which meant his own uncle¡­


    So it turned out that not only did he have a Demon Head as an uncle, but he also had a Feather Transformation Realm uncle?


    If his uncle was in the Feather Transformation Realm, then as his master, Gui Tao should be at least at the Feather Transformation Realm, right?


    So, what realm would his own master be in then¡­


    Mo Hua pondered silently, somewhat shocked.


    While Gui Tao continued to rest with eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to his own ¡°junior sister.¡±


    After Madam Miao heard Xuan Sanren¡¯s words, she seemed both secretly pleased and resentful, her gaze harboring a hint of venomous spite.


    She seemed tormented by some deep grudge.


    Poison Venerable¡¯s gaze sharpened as he brought up a serious matter, ¡°The Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation hasn¡¯t been broken yet?¡±


    Xuan Sanren shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    Black Arhat was astonished, ¡°Just a Second-Grade Formation, and it¡¯s this difficult to breach?¡±

 Chapter 683 - 554 Start Killing_2

    Chapter 683: Chapter 554 Start Killing_2


    Xuan Sanren, who was proficient in arrays, and Poison Venerable, who had a slight understanding of arrays, both looked at the Black Bear Demon Cultivator with disdain.


    ¡°This is a Second Grade Large Formation¡­¡±


    Xuan Sanren said impatiently, ¡°A Large Formation is fundamentally different from ordinary formations. Moreover, this is the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, originating from the forebears of the Five Elements Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more important is that, at this moment, the person presiding over the formation is surnamed Zhuang!¡±


    With a solemn expression, Xuan Sanren continued, ¡°In the entire Cultivation World, there are few who have the confidence to break his formations in his presence¡­¡±


    Black Arhat was stunned; as a demon cultivator, he usually only cared about ¡°killing¡± and ¡°eating,¡± understanding nothing about arrays, but at that moment, ridiculed by Xuan Sanren, he didn¡¯t want to lose face and thus spoke in a cold voice,


    ¡°No matter how powerful, it is still just Second Grade¡­¡±


    Poison Venerable laughed out loud, his voice harsh, like a night owl.


    He pointed at the sky, ¡°This is a Third-Grade State Boundary. The limits of Heavenly Dao are strict. Even if it¡¯s a Golden Core, a Second Grade Large Formation is indestructible. A Golden Core Cultivator alone would find it hard to break through unless¡­¡±


    Looking at Black Arhat with a mocking tone, Poison Venerable said, ¡°You¡¯re willing to trade one for one with the formation, using the power of Feather Transformation to break the formation and then be annihilated by the Heavenly Dao.¡±


    ¡°To sacrifice oneself for the Dao, to show loyalty to the Demon Monarch, would also be a death well met¡­¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Black Arhat¡¯s face darkened further, and he snorted coldly without speaking.


    He was not a fool to risk his life for a Second Grade Large Formation.


    But he still had doubts, frowning as he spoke,


    ¡°The thing about being annihilated by Heavenly Dao, is it true or false?¡±


    Clearly skeptical, Black Arhat queried, ¡°If I use the Cultivation of the Feather Transformation Realm, will there really be a Heavenly Dao to annihilate me?¡±


    Poison Venerable looked at him with disdain and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try and see?¡±


    Anger surged in Black Arhat.


    Xuan Sanren merely sneered coldly.


    On the contrary, Madam Miao frowned, ¡°Annihilation by Heavenly Dao has only been seen in Taoist records and spoken of by cultivators. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone experiencing it personally¡­¡±


    Xuan Sanren responded somewhat speechlessly, ¡°Is there a possibility that those who have experienced it in person have all been annihilated¡­¡±


    Below them, Mo Hua slightly shook his head.


    ¡°Not all¡­¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t annihilated!¡±


    It was just that, in his case, it was a twist of fate. The Great Formation Dissolution had triggered the restrictions of Heavenly Dao, but with his low Cultivation, the tribulation thunder merely ¡°hesitated¡± for a moment, not truly attempting to kill him, thus leaving him with his ¡°little life¡±¡­


    Mo Hua reflected in his heart:


    Annihilation by Heavenly Dao has always been taboo.


    Most cultivators follow this rule, but might not truly understand the terrifying nature of it.


    Just like the foolish Black Arhat and the delicate-looking Madam Miao, who after hearing Xuan Sanren¡¯s words, were still somewhat dubious.


    It seemed they did not truly believe in the existence of the so-called Heavenly Dao¡­


    However, they didn¡¯t seem to dwell on this matter.


    After a moment, they went back to the matter at hand, discussing the affairs of the Taoist Court¡­


    ¡°What about the cultivators of the Taoist Court?¡± Xuan Sanren asked.


    ¡°What else can be done?¡± Black Arhat scoffed coldly, ¡°The Demon Sect¡¯s actions have always been straightforward, it¡¯s all about one word: ¡®kill¡¯!¡±


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s gaze grew colder, ¡°What I meant was, how exactly do we kill?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Poison Venerable said, ¡°Let them into the Soul Refining Banner, seal the Heavenly secret, set up the Blood Sha Great Formation, open the Demon Sword Evil Eye, and then we can all join forces, wiping them out completely!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they too stupid to do that?¡±


    ¡°Stupid or not depends on whether the stake is high enough.¡±


    ¡°As long as the benefit is large enough, even the shrewdest of people will be foolish.¡±


    ¡°With Mr. Zhuang inside the Large Formation, as long as you dare to unfurl the banner, they will inevitably dare to rush in at all costs.¡±


    ¡°Compared to the chance for immortality, what¡¯s a few people¡¯s death¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°What about the Feathered Immortals of the Taoist Court?¡± Xuan Sanren pursued.


    Poison Venerable replied, ¡°Due to the limits of Heavenly Dao, the Feathered Immortals from the Taoist Court, like you and me, dare not use their full power. Thus, the main force of this battle will still be the Golden Cores¡­¡±


    ¡°Feathered Immortals, who don¡¯t use the power of Feather Transformation, are only a bit stronger than Golden Cores¡­¡±


    His eyes swept across the room, and a cold smile emerged on his lips, ¡°This Demon Palace is gathered with hundreds of Golden Core Demon Cultivators, practicing orthodox demon skills, refining top-notch evil techniques. With Evil Treasures in hand, they all have blood on their hands, killing like it¡¯s nothing. They are far from comparable to those pampered cultivators from the Taoist Court who live in high positions of comfort.¡±


    ¡°Golden Core Demon Cultivators, formed into Demon Soldiers, will surely wreak havoc in all directions! Making the Taoist Court greatly weakened!¡±


    ¡°We will surely, for the Demon Monarch, seize that transcendent fate buried in the Back Ruins!¡±


    All four Feather Transformation Demon Heads had fanatical looks in their eyes.


    But within those gazes, personal greed began to surge.


    ¡°When will the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation be broken?¡± Poison Venerable asked.


    Xuan Sanren shook his head, ¡°It can¡¯t be broken, we can only wear it down.¡±


    ¡°Wear down?¡±


    Xuan Sanren nodded affirmatively, ¡°Yes, that man¡¯s mastery of array is exceptional. With him at the helm of the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, it can¡¯t be broken. We can only think of ways to exhaust it¡­¡±


    ¡°Deplete the Spirit Stones, wear away his life force.¡±


    ¡°His oil spent and his lamp extinguished, his days numbered, keep wearing him down, and the Five Elements Formation will inevitably falter¡­¡±


    ¡°Once the Large Formation is broken, with demons surrounding the mountain, no matter how extraordinary and unrivaled he may be, he will ultimately fall into our hands.¡±


    Poison Venerable nodded slightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed an approach¡­¡±


    Everyone fell silent for a moment, when the Black Arhat mockingly said, ¡°That being said, this man really is abandoned by all; the Demon Sect wants to kill him, and the Taoist Court won¡¯t let him off either¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems that in this world, not a single person wants to save him.¡±


    Poison Venerable sneered, ¡°He was too prominent back in the day, offended too many people, and now bears such great fortune that everyone is envious. Now that he¡¯s cornered, who would think of saving him?¡±

 Chapter 684 - 554 Start Killing_3

    Chapter 684: Chapter 554 Start Killing_3


    Mo Hua was quite displeased to hear that.


    After Poison Venerable spoke, he suddenly seemed to recall something, with an insinuating tone, said:


    ¡°It is said that this person also has a senior brother, who not only broke with him but also betrayed their Sect, surrendered to the Demon Path, and was even titled as, ¡®Taoist¡¯ by our Demon Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Becoming the only ¡®Demon Cultivator¡¯ in our Demon Sect, who was titled ¡®Taoist¡¯ without reaching Heaven Void!¡±


    Poison Venerable¡¯s cold gaze swept towards his subordinates, landing on Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    This look was filled with disdain.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze, following Poison Venerable¡¯s, turned to Gui Tao¡¯s people, and onto the small figure of Mo Hua behind them.


    Watched by four Feather Transformation ancestors and a host of Golden Core Demon Cultivators, eyes brimming with predation.


    The pressure was too great for Mo Hua, who couldn¡¯t help but hide a bit more behind his ¡°Uncle.¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people, with pupils dark as pitch and an indifferent demeanor, acted as if no one else was present.


    The four Feather Transformation beings¡¯ gazes were icy cold.


    The Taoist title contained the character ¡°Dao¡± and was, apart from the ruler beneath the Demon Ancestor and outside the Demon Monarch, the most supreme and transcendent title in the Demon Sect.


    Ordinary Demon Cultivators only knew of it but did not understand why.


    They couldn¡¯t comprehend the weight behind the two characters ¡°Taoist.¡±


    But these four, having reached the Feather Transformation Realm, were all too clear.


    These two characters were something they could aspire to but never attain.


    Yet now, a mere Righteous Dao cultivator, one who betrayed his Sect, forgot his roots, deviated to the Demon Path halfway, and whose realm was barely at the Feather Transformation stage, could be titled ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s person?!¡±


    They had long harbored dissatisfaction in their hearts.


    Black Arhat scoffed, ¡°So it seems that person was at least once your junior brother. Do you truly, not spare a little sentiment?¡±


    Madam Miao covered her mouth, giggling, ¡°So ruthless, no wonder the Righteous Dao couldn¡¯t bear you and you had to become a Demon Head.¡±


    Her eyes shifted slightly and spotted Mo Hua hiding behind Gui Tao¡¯s people. Her eyes brightened, and she quietly praised in her heart:


    ¡°This youngster does look quite handsome¡±


    ¡°Most importantly, his eyes are clear and his demeanor is gentle, a raw jade, not even trained in Demon Skills and untainted by the slightest filth. Raising him by my side until he¡¯s older and then Replenishing from him would surely be a unique delight¡­¡±


    Madam Miao¡¯s heart stirred with desire, but her expression remained cold as she scornfully said:


    ¡°This is the ¡®Ten Thousand Demons Gathering.¡¯ Those present are either Demon Ancestors or great Demon Cultivators who strike fear in all directions. Although you hold the title ¡®Taoist,¡¯ bringing with you such a little cultivator, untrained in Demon Skills, to attend this Ten Thousand Demons Gathering, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re taking us too lightly?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person remained stiffly seated, not uttering a word.


    Even Xuan Sanren now frowned and sneered, ¡°Just a Demon Seed avatar, but quite pompous¡­¡±


    If Gui Tao himself were present, Xuan Sanren might have shown some respect.


    He might have even treated him as a distinguished guest, sitting side by side with the Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors at the Bone Throne, above all others in the Demon Sect.


    But now, he was just a puppet parasitized by a Demon Seed!


    And still so dismissive?


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s gaze remained empty, devoid of any emotion.


    Mo Hua wanted to speak for him, ¡°Uncle means he doesn¡¯t want to bother with you¡­¡±


    But he felt it was inappropriate to speak out of turn in such a situation, so he silently swallowed his words.


    The atmosphere at the scene became somewhat tense.


    Just when Mo Hua was worried about whether they would actually make a move against ¡°Uncle,¡± the elder Poison Venerable with greenish lips stepped in to smooth things over:


    ¡°Enough. Since we¡¯ve joined the Demon Gate, we¡¯re all part of the same alliance¡­¡±


    ¡°Our current enemy is the Taoist Court, our goal is that Mr. Zhuang; it¡¯s not suitable to fall out at this time¡­¡±


    The atmosphere in the hall finally eased slightly.


    Mo Hua secretly curled his lip.


    This old man must be a crafty fox.


    He was the one who started the provocation, and he also became the peacemaker in the end.


    Being elderly and of high status, Poison Venerable¡¯s words seemed to carry weight. The surrounding Demon Cultivators withdrew their attention from Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Yet the mood remained somewhat delicate.


    Black Arhat¡¯s eyes bore ill intent towards Gui Tao¡¯s people, Xuan Sanren looked displeased, and although Madam Miao wasn¡¯t looking at Gui Tao¡¯s people, her gaze lingered on Mo Hua¡ªwith greed and pity intermingling, her mind evidently scheming¡­


    With everything that needed to be said already spoken and the plans arranged,


    Poison Venerable said:


    ¡°This Ten Thousand Demons Gathering is hereby concluded. I hope everyone will work together with one heart, loyal to the Demon Ancestor, faithful to our Demon Monarch, for the prosperity of our Demon Path, to strive until the end!¡±


    ¡°For the prosperity of our Demon Path!¡±


    ¡°To strive until the end!¡±


    The Demon Cultivators present shouted in unison, and then they all stood up to pay their respects.


    Their salute was strange, seemingly forming a spell of the Demon Path with their hands, the meaning of which was unclear. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua neither could learn it nor bothered to.


    Having saluted, the crowd prepared to disperse.


    But just as someone approached the door, their expression changed. Gradually more and more Golden Core Demon Cultivators showed signs of shock and began whispering.


    Poison Venerable frowned, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Xuan Sanren released his Divine Sense to investigate for a moment, then looked startled. ¡°The Ten Thousand Demons Hall has been sealed by a Formation?!¡±


    A Formation sealing the exit? Are we trapped?


    The Demon Cultivators in attendance all changed color.


    At that moment, a Monster cultivator went mad all of a sudden, unsheathing his blade to split a Demon Cultivator elder beside him in two, then, beyond all reason, started to slash with bloodthirsty ferocity¡­


    An unexpected change occurred, sending the assembly into an uproar, not knowing what had happened.


    The four Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors looked at each other, then after a moment as if coming to a realization, frowned and turned their gaze towards Gui Tao¡¯s person.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person still sat rigidly.


    But his pupils were pitch black!


    Standing behind him, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth in disbelief:


    ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­¡±


    ¡°Is Uncle¡­ starting a massacre behind closed doors?¡±

 Chapter 685 - 555 Are You Worthy?_1

    Chapter 685: Chapter 555 Are You Worthy?_1


    It wasn¡¯t just about killing¡­


    It was about striking with ferocity, sealing the hall with a Formation, committing a massacre!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart was shaken.


    Worthy of being my Uncle.


    Then his eyes brightened, and his heart swelled with joy.


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!


    Uncle had once again, right before his very eyes, executed the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!


    And this time, it was the real thing¡ªa large-scale, merciless, and unrestrained Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!


    Mo Hua watched the Golden Core Demon Cultivators who were planted with Demon Thought descend into madness, losing control over themselves, while observing the techniques of Gui Tao¡¯s people executing the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, he couldn¡¯t help but praise with satisfaction:


    ¡°Uncle is truly generous!¡±


    On the other hand, the four Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors of the scattered cultivators, Xuan Sanren, all had expressions of angry indignation.


    ¡°Such audacity!¡±


    ¡°To commit such blatant slaughter of our kin!¡±


    ¡°Arrogance!¡±


    But that¡¯s all they said¡ªdespite their words, there was a bit of dread in their hearts regarding the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, and they didn¡¯t act rashly.


    The chaos underneath them was still escalating.


    Golden Core Demon Cultivators inexplicably fell into a frenzy of battle¡ªsome were furiously angry, some terrified, and some revealed blood-thirsty smiles.


    The demonic nature of everyone was being stirred up.


    For the moment, it was impossible to tell who had been planted with a Demon, and who had not.


    Demon Path Magical Treasures soared through the air, Blood Qi and Demonic Qi intertwined, and the skull spirits howled hideously in agony.


    Inside the Ten Thousand Demons Hall, a true pandemonium began.


    Some Demon Cultivators with a shred of sanity left attempted to flee. They exerted all their strength, employing their Magical Treasures, attacking the gates, the surrounding stone walls, trying to break an opening to escape out of there.


    But as soon as Magical Treasures and Demonic Qi came into contact with the Stone Palace, they disappeared as if sinking into a deep sea, dissipated one after another.


    When they dissipated, pitch-black and eerie Formation Patterns became visible.


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s gaze trembled as he exclaimed:


    ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation?!¡±


    The Poison Venerable¡¯s complexion didn¡¯t look too good, and even Black Arhat and Madam Miao beside him had grave expressions on their faces.


    ¡°When exactly did he set it up?¡±


    ¡°And we were completely oblivious¡­¡±


    Poison Venerable asked, ¡°Can this Formation be broken?¡±


    Xuan Sanren shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to break.¡±


    He glanced up at the surroundings of the Demon Palace and said gravely: ¡°Don¡¯t forget, he is Mr. Zhuang¡¯s older fellow disciple¡­¡±


    ¡°Both take one positive and one weird approach and are among the few Great Formation Masters in the Cultivation World.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang¡¯s Formation skills are shocking and extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°As Gui Tao¡¯s older fellow disciple, even if not as outstanding as Mr. Zhuang, the difference is not much, and in some aspects, he might even be stronger¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s gaze became slightly more concentrated, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that just a mere Demon Seed incarnation could set up such a Formation without making a whisper or shadow¡­¡±


    Xuan Sanren thought to himself in silence.


    Black Arhat let out a sinister laugh, ¡°If the Formation isn¡¯t easy to break, then kill the person who set it up¡­¡±


    Before the sound of his voice faded, Black Arhat suddenly struck, blood flowing from his palm congealing into a massive Black Blood Skeleton, drenched with the stench of blood and foulness.


    With a wave of his hand, the Black Blood Skeleton opened its terrifying maw and viciously attempted to devour Gui Tao.


    This blood shadow of a skeleton was incredibly fast.


    Gui Tao seemed oblivious, sitting emaciated in his original spot, allowing the skeleton to engulf him.


    Mo Hua was also swallowed by the great maw of the skeleton in the process.


    After a moment, the blood shadow of the skeleton dissipated.


    Mo Hua was left unharmed.


    He blinked, slightly stunned.


    He had been observing his Uncle¡¯s technique of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, not knowing what happened when suddenly, a skeleton swooped towards him. Before he could even fear, the skeleton vanished, and it seemed some Formation Patterns protected him, thus he was unscathed.


    Mo Hua looked at the dark and complex Patterns around him that were in harmony with Gui Tao, his heart shaken.


    ¡°This is¡­ Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Uncle¡¯s Formation¡­¡±


    Different from the Five Elements Formation and other Spiritual Power-type Formations.


    Mo Hua pondered in his heart, then suddenly startled as he realized he couldn¡¯t move.


    The Gui Tao Patterns protected him, but at the same time, trapped him.


    Though he was inside the Formation, he felt as if he was isolated outside of it.


    Unless the Formation was broken, he couldn¡¯t leave.


    Yet, so long as the Formation wasn¡¯t broken, he wouldn¡¯t be harmed.


    ¡°Is this¡­ Uncle¡¯s doing?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but look at Gui Tao again, only to discover that all that remained in Gui Tao¡¯s seat was a skeleton.


    As if it had been stripped of flesh and blood by that skeleton blood shadow.


    Mo Hua was startled.


    ¡°Is Uncle dead?¡±


    He then silently shook his head.


    Having traveled together with his Uncle, he was very familiar with his Uncle¡¯s aura.


    Uncle¡¯s flesh was gone, but that peculiar aura remained, and moreover¡­ it was slowly spreading, gradually intensifying, and filling every corner of the Demon Palace¡­


    As for Black Arhat, upon seeing ¡°Gui Tao¡± turned into a skeleton by his own attack, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a cold laugh. However, he barely laughed twice before he couldn¡¯t laugh anymore.


    He too, realized that Gui Tao was dead, yet not dead.


    He had killed that physical body, eliminated the flesh and blood, turning it into a skeleton.


    But that action seemed to have released something from the flesh, spreading bit by bit throughout the Demon Palace.


    It was like a plague of Divine Thought.


    This pathogen had originally been contained within that Taoist flesh.


    Now that the flesh had been destroyed by him, the plague began to spread¡­


    Black Arhat muttered to himself in shock:


    ¡°What the hell is this Gui Tao?!¡±


    The expressions of the four venerable Feather Transformation ancestors also grew more and more solemn.


    Because inside the Demon Palace, the bizarre and frenzied aura intensified violently following Gui Tao¡¯s ¡°death¡±¡­ S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All Golden Core Demon Cultivators were plunged into an endless slaughterfest against each other.

 Chapter 686 - 555: Worthy?_2

    Chapter 686: Chapter 555: Worthy?_2


    The Demon Palace was like purgatory.


    The Demon Cultivators were like evil ghosts.


    Human faces were like drawing paper, on which ferocity, terror, cruelty, bloodthirst, greed¡­ all sorts of expressions, like thick and splattered ink, painted a ghostly scroll of purgatory.


    In the midst of cruelty, there was a kind of special, Gui Tao¡¯s flavor.


    It sent a shiver down one¡¯s spine.


    This strange madness, along with the demonic slaughter, left the four Feather Transformation Ancestors at a loss for how to intervene¡­


    And when the clamor ended, and the dust settled,


    this depiction of a demonic purgatory was finally completed.


    All dead!


    Hundreds of Golden Core Demon Cultivators, without a single survivor, all died tragically!


    Anger was written on the faces of the four Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors.


    Poison Venerable said with a quivering voice, ¡°Good! Very good!¡±


    He sneered harshly, ¡°True to the name of the newly advanced ¡®Taoist,¡¯ you kill your own kind without cause, with such sinister and ruthless methods! It really proves the saying, ¡®Those not of my way are surely of different minds!''¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see how he explains himself to the Demon Monarch!¡±


    But Xuan Sanren frowned, ¡°Could this person from Gui Tao really have gone mad, killing so many Golden Cores? What exactly for?¡±


    A fierce light flashed in Black Arhat¡¯s eyes, ¡°Does he intend¡­ to monopolize that opportunity?!¡±


    Madam Miao sneered, ¡°Quite an appetite¡­¡±


    As the four spoke, they suddenly paused.


    They noticed that the atmosphere inside the Demon Palace had suddenly become even colder. The Golden Core Cultivators were all dead, but that pervasive, eerie feeling had grown even stronger.


    The four wore solemn expressions and remained silent.


    Moments later, in the silent Demon Palace, rustling sounds emerged.


    A cold wind blew suddenly.


    One after another, these slain Golden Cores twisted and slowly stood up.


    They were mutilated and drenched in blood, but without exception, their pupils had turned pitch-black and hollow. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One ¡°person from Gui Tao¡± was dead.


    But hundreds of people from Gui Tao stood up¡­


    The Golden Core Demon Cultivators in this Demon Palace, dead and then ¡°reborn,¡± had all become people from Gui Tao!


    They gazed at the Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors atop the bone thrones with dark and ghastly eyes.


    All four Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors felt a chill.


    An unbelievable suspicion arose in their minds¡­


    This person from Gui Tao, not satisfied with killing hundreds of Golden Cores, couldn¡¯t possibly be¡­ planning to kill even the four of them, the Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors, right?!


    This¡­ was no longer described as presumptuous.


    It was simply¡­ audacious to the extreme!


    Black Arhat laughed in extreme anger, ¡°You want to kill me? Fine! Then let me see just how you, this person from Gui Tao hiding your head and showing your tail, a parasite, plan to kill me?¡±


    But Poison Venerable¡¯s gaze was elusive, his heart chilled.


    No, it¡¯s possible¡­


    Being of Feather Transformation was revered, with few precedents of dying at the hands of Golden Cores.


    Because there weren¡¯t that many Golden Cores.


    Nor did they have the guts.


    But in reality, once there were enough Golden Cores, and they were willing to sacrifice their lives, even Feather Transformation Cultivators, when besieged, could be in danger of falling.


    What¡¯s more, this was within the Third-Grade State Boundary.


    They, as Feather Transformation Cultivators, were not allowed to use the power of Feather Transformation.


    To manipulate Golden Cores, to besiege Feather Transformation!


    This seemed impossible, but was indeed, a set-up for slaughter.


    Only they had never imagined¡­


    They had believed the enemy to be the Taoist Court, to be Mr. Zhuang, but they had never expected that the real threat would come from this person from Gui Tao!


    Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation blocked the escape route.


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart controlled the Golden Cores.


    Using Golden Cores, to besiege Feather Transformation!


    Herding wolves, to devour a fierce tiger!


    The more Poison Venerable thought about it, the colder his heart felt.


    They were calculated against!


    Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to gather so many Golden Core Demon Cultivators.


    Nor would the four great Feather Transformation Ancestors normally come together.


    Yet at this very moment, all the conditions were met.


    So while this seemed audacious, in reality, it was extremely meticulous and sinister, catching them completely off guard!


    ¡°As expected of¡­ a person from Gui Tao¡­¡±


    Poison Venerable internally reflected.


    Xuan Sanren asked, ¡°Venerable, what should we do now?¡±


    Poison Venerable glanced at the surrounding Golden Core Demon Cultivators, controlled by Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, eager to devour someone, and sighed, ¡°We are all from the Demon Path, part of the same alliance. I am reluctant to strike them down; the best course of action is to try and forcibly break through Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation, to escape the Demon Palace. We can plan our next steps afterwards¡­¡±


    Xuan Sanren agreed, ¡°The Venerable speaks sense.¡±


    Thereafter, the four executed their various methods, intending to forcibly break through Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation.


    Black Arhat still used black blood, condensing into skeletons;


    Madam Miao¡¯s tool was a delicately flesh-colored and exquisite Beauty Fan;


    Xuan Sanren wielded a Demon Sword;


    And Poison Venerable utilized a dark earthen jar-shaped Snake Gu, from which Evil Power in the form of venomous snakes spread out, gnawing at the Formation.


    The large Demon Palace, with mottled and neglected stone walls, was instantly riddled with holes.


    Exposed beneath were numerous, eerily black-gray Formation Patterns.


    These Patterns, like living creatures, would regenerate and differentiate themselves after destruction, naturally evolving to maintain the operation of the Formation¡­


    ¡°Impossible¡­ it can¡¯t be broken through?¡±


    The four Feather Transformation Demon Ancestors furrowed their brows.


    Only then did they realize how tricky the Formation of the person from Gui Tao was¡­


    But Mo Hua¡¯s heart was greatly shaken.


    This Formation!


    It was not an ordinary Formation!


    Other Cultivators might not understand, and even high-grade Formation Masters, limited by their knowledge, might not grasp its intricacies.


    But Mo Hua was different.


    He was a disciple of Mr. Zhuang, and also a disciple-in-law of the person from Gui Tao.


    His understanding of Formations had been taught by Mr. Zhuang.


    He had studied the Calculation Method, and had even received the teaching of the Calculation Method from the legacy of the Five Elements Sect, so he was well-versed in it.


    He could tell that this Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation was no ordinary Formation!

 Chapter 687 - 555 Also Worthy?_3

    Chapter 687: Chapter 555 Also Worthy?_3


    It was based on a special type of Formation, founded upon the ¡°Calculation¡± spell point!


    That¡¯s why the Formation Patterns could differentiate themselves and evolve autonomously!


    That¡¯s why this Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation was invincible!


    Calculation!


    Mo Hua was both greatly startled and overjoyed.


    He had not expected that his uncle possessed so many treasures!


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, as well as this special Calculation¡­


    Could it be that they were all part of what master referred to as ¡°Reaching the Pinnacle¡± in the use of Divine Sense?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly, and his heart thumped excitedly.


    He had an innocent look on his small face, but his Divine Sense inside that little head kept churning.


    Taking advantage of the chaos in the Demon Palace, unnoticed by others, Mo Hua sneakily observed the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, all the while dissecting the Calculation Method within the Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation, busy and overjoyed¡­


    Meanwhile, the chaos in the Demon Palace continued¡­


    Unable to break Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation, the four Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors could not avoid a great battle.


    Hundreds of Golden Core, with deep black pupils, marched forth in succession to attack the Feather Transformation elders they once could only bow down to.


    The Black Arhat punched through a Golden Core Demon Cultivator with one blow.


    Madam Miao fanned her enchanting fan, emitting a pink radiance that dissolved Golden Core cultivators into white bones.


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s Demonic Qi surged, his Sword Qi overflowing, slicing into pieces the Demon Cultivators who had been affected by the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.


    And the Poison Venerable no longer spoke of ¡°belonging to the same Demon Path, being of the same alliance, reluctant to harm each other.¡± When it came to personal safety, he attacked with more ferocity than anyone else.


    Out from the Snake Gu, numerous venomous snakes wriggled out, hissing.


    The snakes burrowed into the bodies of the Golden Cores, tearing their flesh and sucking away their Evil Yuan.


    The four Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors clearly had the upper hand.


    However, the multitude of Golden Core Demon Cultivators fought fearlessly to their deaths. Even with severed limbs and split open chests, turning into mere skeletons, they still charged at the Feather Transformation cultivators, biting off flesh, inflicting one injury after another¡­


    At this moment, the four of them also realized that Gui Tao¡¯s people aimed to wear them down to death!


    Although they were Feather Transformation cultivators, they dared not use the power of Feather Transformation due to the constraints of Heavenly Dao.


    The pack of wolves ran amok.


    The mighty tiger, however, had to restrain its own claws and teeth. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fear and anger rose in their hearts.


    Unable to break through the Heaven Sealing Formation, unable to eliminate all of Gui Tao¡¯s Golden Cores¡­


    At this rate, could it be that they, the lofty Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors, would really be nibbled to death by a group of Demon Path Golden Cores alive?!


    This manner of death was something they had never considered in their lifetimes.


    But it was indeed approaching them, bit by bit¡­


    While the Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors were slaughtering the Golden Cores, these Golden Cores didn¡¯t care at all about ¡°death,¡± because they were already ¡°dead.¡±


    The Golden Cores were now merely toys of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    And the four Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors kept killing, kept killing, until their hands grew weak¡­


    No one knew how long they had been fighting when a sudden change occurred.


    A Feather Transformation Realm Devil Ancestor died.


    The one who died was the Black Bear Demon Cultivator¡ªthe Black Arhat.


    He was killed by heavenly punishment.


    The Black Arhat had been restraining his own Feather Transformation Realm¡¯s cultivation, also having to keep slaughtering endlessly, and accidentally used the power of Feather Transformation¡­


    His Blood Qi crystalized, both sinister and beautiful.


    Within the Blood Qi floated tiny, sparkling flecks of Spiritual Power like feathers.


    This was Spiritual Power Feather Transformation.


    Every Golden Core Demon Cultivator that encountered this Feather Transformation power was shredded to pieces, reduced to ash.


    The Golden Core Demon Cultivators still marched forth relentlessly, unaffected by fear.


    The one who truly feared was the Black Arhat!


    He suddenly realized he had touched upon the Heavenly Dao¡¯s taboos!


    At the same time, an immense terror enveloped him from above.


    He looked up to see a crimson thunderbolt, carrying a dreadful silence, suddenly descending to completely obliterate him!


    The Black Arhat didn¡¯t even have time to react before he was utterly annihilated, body and soul!


    His last thought was only:


    ¡°So, there really is¡­ heavenly punishment for violating the Heavenly Dao¡­¡±


    The heavenly punishment came quickly and left just as fast.


    It arrived with inexplicable terror and left without a trace.


    And the remaining three Feather Transformation Devil Ancestors felt, firsthand, the true terror from Heavenly Dao!


    This fear, the deeper the cultivation, the more profound the sensation.


    Madam Miao lost all color in her face, murmuring, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ really true¡­¡±


    The Poison Venerable¡¯s expression shifted, his aged eyes filled with unsettled dread.


    Xuan Sanren seemed to be in a daze.


    At this moment, all three of them realized.


    Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing was the first step;


    The Golden Core Siege Killing was the second step;


    And the annihilation by Heavenly Dao was Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s final, deadliest move in their calculations!


    Forced into a corner with no way out, they had to either be worn down to death or, amidst endless exhaustion, use the power of Feather Transformation and be completely eradicated by the heavenly punishment!


    But the Heavenly Dao is supreme above all.


    In the face of the Heavenly Dao, even as Feather Transformation cultivators, they were helpless!


    The siege by the Golden Core Demon Cultivators continued¡­


    The second one to die was Madam Miao.


    She had to restrain her own cultivation level while enduring endless death battles and exhaustion, completely worn out.


    The Poison Venerable then angrily said, ¡°A fight to the death might still offer a chance of survival! As mighty Feather Transformation beings, even if we fall, it¡¯s better than dying in such a disgraceful manner!¡±


    Madam Miao gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Fine!¡±


    The Poison Venerable said, ¡°Let¡¯s use our Feather Transformation power together, just for an instant. We can break open Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation and escape!¡±


    ¡°Once we escape, we can all use our own lifesaving techniques. Whether we live or die, let fate decide!¡±


    By now, there were no other options.


    Even facing the threat of heavenly tribulation, they had to make a desperate move.


    Madam Miao and the Poison Venerable¡¯s aura began to rise together, slowly mobilizing the power of Feather Transformation, preparing to invoke Feather Transformation Realm¡¯s Taoist Skill, apparently planning to break the Formation together.


    But as both their auras climbed to a certain height, nearing the edge of the Feather Transformation Realm, they both stopped simultaneously.

 Chapter 688 - 555 Also worthy? _4

    Chapter 688: Chapter 555 Also worthy? _4


    The two exchanged a glance and cursed each other:


    ¡°Bitch, you deceived me!¡±


    ¡°Old ghost, you tricked me!¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both wanted to trick the other into using the power of Feather Transformation to break the Formation, endure the heavenly lightning, and then flee.


    Madam Miao wanted to curse some more, but unexpectedly, Poison Venerable made the first move, striking her with a fierce palm.


    This palm, though not as powerful as Feather Transformation, was still the force of a Golden Core at its peak.


    Madam Miao, caught off guard, hastily took the blow, but in her carelessness did not contain her cultivation. A pink aura enveloped her, showing the signs of Feather Transformation.


    Madam Miao, in shock and dismay, turned around, intending to drag Poison Venerable to death with her.


    But before she could act, storm clouds gathered, and heavenly punishment descended. A crimson lightning bolt flashed, and Madam Miao¡¯s life dissipated.


    With the death of Madam Miao, Poison Venerable looked up, overjoyed.


    ¡°Just as I expected! The arrival of heavenly punishment breaks open Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation Pattern, revealing a gap in the Formation, which is my chance to escape!¡±


    Poison Venerable leaped towards the gap, attempting to escape both the Demon Palace and the enclosure of Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation.


    But suddenly a hand reached out, grabbing him.


    Poison Venerable¡¯s movement halted as he fought to break free, but the person holding him was highly cultivated. He struggled several times before breaking free and continued to escape.


    However, during this delay, Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation regenerated and closed completely on its own.


    Poison Venerable, enraged, turned back and shouted:


    ¡°Xuan Sanren, what do you mean by this?¡±


    The person who suddenly grabbed him was indeed Xuan Sanren.


    Xuan Sanren remained silent.


    Poison Venerable looked closely and was horrified.


    Xuan Sanren¡¯s eyes had turned black!


    ¡°You¡­¡± Poison Venerable exclaimed in shock, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Xuan Sanren smiled slightly, his pupils pitch black, his face showing a vivid and eerie smile.


    ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­¡±


    Poison Venerable looked incredulous:


    ¡°No¡­ impossible, you are in the Feather Transformation Realm. How could Planting Devil in Taoist Heart affect you? Separated by a whole realm, he, being a Golden Core Demon Seed, could not possibly erode your Taoist Heart¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless¡­¡±


    Poison Venerable remembered something, suddenly widened his eyes, ¡°Mystery Demon Foetus?!¡±


    At that, Xuan Sanren had already donned a Taoist Robe.


    This Taoist Robe, as if peeled off a dead person, was stained with mud and dirt ¨C exactly what Gui Tao¡¯s people wore.


    Poison Venerable was both shocked and enraged. He couldn¡¯t help but curse furiously:


    ¡°Xuan Sanren, you cowardly beast, how dare you use a Mystery Demon Foetus to take your place?!¡±


    The transformation of the Mystery Demon Foetus is a supreme Demon Skill.


    One body, two foetuses, real and fake indistinguishable.


    Poison Venerable never imagined that for such a significant event as sealing Mr. Zhuang and seizing the secrets of the Back Ruins Heaven Burial, Xuan Sanren, fearful of death and greedy for life, would let his real self come in the guise of a Mystery Demon Foetus, indecipherable in truth and falsehood!


    If it hadn¡¯t been for this, he could have already escaped to the heavens by now!


    The Mystery Demon Foetus might have two lives in one body, but its own Taoist Heart is divided.


    It has the cultivation of Feather Transformation Realm, but not a complete Taoist Heart of that realm.


    This gap was exactly what Gui Tao¡¯s people took advantage of!


    Thus, the Devil in the Taoist Heart was planted, and they completely stole the demon foetus of a Venerable in Feather Transformation Realm!


    Now, Gui Tao¡¯s person was in the Feather Transformation Realm!


    A thread of terror spread through Poison Venerable¡¯s heart.


    This Gui Tao¡¯s person¡­ could it be that he long noticed that Xuan Sanren¡¯s real body was merely a Mystery Demon Foetus?


    So, this too was in his calculations?


    Donning the ¡°Taoist Robe,¡± Xuan Sanren had turned into ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s person.¡±


    With childlike features and white hair, handsome in appearance, his dark and profound gaze was now lively and no longer as stiff as before, perhaps because of the Feather Transformation Realm body.


    Poison Venerable¡¯s expression was grave, ¡°What exactly do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s person¡± smiled indifferently, ¡°When the Demon Path acts, naturally there¡¯s only one word ¨C ¡®kill¡¯.¡±


    Poison Venerable coldly said, ¡°You want to kill me?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person remained noncommittal.


    Poison Venerable sneered, ¡°Fine! I would like to see how you plan to kill me today. After the fierce battle just now, hundreds of Golden Core Demon Seeds have been reduced by eighty percent, with only the remnants remaining.¡±


    ¡°Or do you plan to take action yourself?¡±


    ¡°We are now both in Feather Transformation.¡±


    ¡°Do you really wish to use this Feather Transformation Demon Seed to perish together with me?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person struck with a palm, and Poison Venerable, startled, snorted coldly, striking with his own palm to neutralize Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s palm force, even forcing Gui Tao¡¯s person back several steps.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person coughed up a mouthful of black blood.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Poison Venerable showed a trace of disdain.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, but the way he looked at Poison Venerable was like looking at a dead man.


    Poison Venerable suddenly realized something was amiss.


    He felt an extremely terrifying presence gathering above his head.


    ¡°Heavenly punishment?¡±


    Poison Venerable¡¯s voice trembled.


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be!¡± Poison Venerable cried out in horror, ¡°I clearly did not use the power of Feather Transformation!¡±


    The corners of Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s mouth revealed a mocking smile, ¡°In front of me, what makes you think, what you think is real?¡±


    Poison Venerable turned deathly pale.


    ¡°I¡­ have also been planted with Devil in Taoist Heart?!¡±


    He scrutinized himself and discovered a speck of darkness in his Taoist Heart.


    It was only a small planting¡­


    But this tiny bit of Demon Thought threatened to defy the taboos of the Great Dao!


    He would be eradicated by the Heavenly Dao!


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to die yet, I should not die, I still have great plans for the Demon Gate, thousands of disciples, I¡­¡±


    Poison Venerable¡¯s expression twisted fiercely.


    But before he could finish, the scarlet heavenly punishment descended.


    The horrific heavenly punishment, imbued with the ruthlessness of the Great Dao, obliterated Poison Venerable completely!


    With the dispersal of the lightning punishment, dust settled on everything.


    Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing, no escape to be found, dead silence within the Ten Thousand Demons Hall.


    The Golden Core Demon Cultivators died, leaving no intact corpses.


    The Feather Transformation Demon Ancestor, annihilated in body and spirit!


    Gui Tao¡¯s person stood atop the Corpse Mountain and the sea of blood, clad in black, with white hair draped over his shoulders, his pupils dark and profound, his voice lofty and icy cold:


    ¡°What kind of trash are you, to covet¡­ my junior brother?!¡±

 Chapter 689 - 556: Understood_1

    Chapter 689: Chapter 556: Understood_1


    In the Demon Palace, silence enveloped ten thousand demons.


    Mo Hua was shocked to his core.


    So this was his ¡°Uncle¡±¡­


    So powerful¡­


    He had actually slaughtered all the demon cultivators in the palace to the last one!


    Using Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation to seal the Demon Palace, and with Planting Devil in Taoist Heart to slaughter Golden Cores, then manipulating the Golden Cores to besiege the Feather Transformation, forcing it to die under the heavenly tribulation!


    These changes were tumultuous and so rapid they were difficult to follow.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s heart, they left a profound impression.


    ¡°This is ¡®Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Carefully calculated and unpredictable, not a single word wasted, trapping when it¡¯s time to trap, killing when it¡¯s time to kill!¡±


    ¡°All the heavens are the Tao.¡±


    ¡°The heavenly tribulation is also a murder weapon!¡±


    All this greatly broadened Mo Hua¡¯s horizons and was immensely beneficial to him.


    It was the first time he realized that actions could be taken in such a way, that killing could be done¡­ like this.


    What surprised him even more was the Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation.


    This formation was entirely different from any he had learned before.


    It didn¡¯t belong to the Five-element Formation System and wasn¡¯t part of the Eryi, Three Talents, Four Symbols, Seven Stars, or Eight Trigrams formation systems either.


    Even the basic elements of formations: formation media, Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, and formation eye were very obscure and difficult to understand.


    What was the formation media? Was it the Demon Palace itself?


    But it seemed not to be just that¡­


    Beyond that, Mo Hua could see the Formation Patterns but also couldn¡¯t understand them.


    These Patterns were constantly evolving, continuously deriving, and the formation principles contained within were extremely complex.


    There seemed to be no Formation Pivot, and the formation eye, Mo Hua also couldn¡¯t penetrate.


    Mo Hua had previously calculated that Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation was based on a special ¡°Calculation Method.¡±


    But now, thinking about it, something seemed wrong.


    Calculation was about understanding, dissecting, contemplating, and comprehending a formation.


    But this formation seemed more like it was constructed relying on ¡°Calculation¡±¡­


    This Calculation seemed to help the Formation Patterns to differentiate themselves, to engage in autonomous derivation, constantly generating, which was extremely special and a bit eerie.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    His master taught him a Calculation Method called Divine Sense Calculation.


    But that was the most basic one.


    Through Mo Hua¡¯s observation, he found that by mastering this Calculation Method to a deep extent, one could, like his master, calculate Heavenly secrets and infer causality.


    Then this kind of Calculation would be more aptly called ¡°Heavenly secret Calculation.¡±


    It¡¯s just that, currently, his own skills were limited, unable to calculate Heavenly secrets, that¡¯s all.


    Additionally, by a fortunate coincidence, Mo Hua had learned another kind of Divine Sense calculation method.


    It was the Five Elements Sect¡¯s method of summarizing Formation Patterns.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Calculation Method was called, but if he were to name it himself, it should be called the ¡°Source Calculation Method,¡± which seemed more appropriate.


    It summarized Formation Patterns, regulating their original streams.


    It was a kind of Divine Sense calculation method that summarized Source Patterns. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, what should his Uncle¡¯s type of ¡°Calculation¡± be called?


    How was this Calculation different? What was its essence? What were its principles?


    Mo Hua tilted his little head back, his eyes bright and sparkling, as he stared at the Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation overhead, completely lost in thought.


    The transformations of all the Formation Patterns manifested one by one in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Formation Patterns were broken by demon cultivators, and yet they repaired themselves;


    Formation Patterns were erased by the lightning of tribulation, and yet they derived again;


    Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation, layer upon layer, Pattern upon Pattern, blossoming like flowers of the King of Hell, one after another, both ghostly and magnificent, eerie and profound¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know how long he had been watching when suddenly his eyes widened, the reflections of the myriad changes of the Formation Patterns shimmering within his pupils, as he came to a sudden realization in his heart.


    ¡°I understand now!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!¡±


    This Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation was the same as Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart sows the Demon Seed, and the Demon Thought will spread and parasitize on its own.


    Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing lays down Formation Patterns, and the Formation Patterns will also evolve and proliferate autonomously.


    The so-called Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation, in essence, was a large-scale, formation-style ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    Planting the Demon Seed within the Formation Pivot of the formation, the Demon Seed generates Formation Patterns, allowing the entire formation to grow complex Patterns interdependently, constantly in flow and difficult to break.


    ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart within a formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered this, then furrowed his brows again.


    ¡°That¡¯s still not right¡­¡±


    The scenes within the Demon Palace replayed over and over again in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people exerted their full strength to employ Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, contaminating all the Golden Core Demon Cultivators, inducing madness, thus gaining complete control¡­


    This entire process included¡­


    Dividing the Demon Seed¡­


    Parasitizing the Taoist Heart¡­


    And¡­ the derivation of the Demon Seed, contamination, domination¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart raced with a sudden epiphany.


    He had gotten it backward!


    It wasn¡¯t that in Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was being used.


    Instead, the technique employed by Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was the core Divine Sense Calculation of Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation!


    Both stemmed from the same origin, both based on this special, eerie Divine Sense Calculation.


    They were both applications of Divine Thought that were exquisitely sophisticated and had reached the pinnacle!


    Mo Hua then remembered the Saint Heir, who upon seeing Gui Tao¡¯s people employ Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, wore an expression of disbelief.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was not what he recognized as Planting Devil in Taoist Heart!


    This method of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was completely different from ordinary methods of implanting Demon Seed.


    Because his Uncle¡¯s Planting Devil in Taoist Heart relied on that eerie, special Divine Sense calculation method.


    To put it another way, his Uncle¡¯s ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡±¡­


    Contained the supreme method of Divine Thought Calculation!


    Mo Hua thought, his shock deepening.


    The more he reflected, the clearer it became.


    His gaze grew increasingly bright, like the stars in the sky, shining splendidly and dazzlingly.


    Mo Hua still looked up, staring at the Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation overhead, but as he watched, something felt amiss, as if a presence had appeared beside him without him knowing.


    Mo Hua looked down, only to find his Uncle standing right beside him.

 Chapter 690 - 690: 556

    Chapter 690: 556


    He looked up, staring at the Formation, while his Uncle invisibly fixed his gaze on him.


    At this moment, the Gui Tao¡¯s people had already used the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart to take residence inside Xuan Sanren.


    Crane-haired yet with a youthful face, his eyebrows and eyes strikingly handsome, his expression cold and detached.


    Caught ¡°stealing a lesson,¡± and now under his Uncle¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, Mo Hua felt a bit guilty and said with an obedient smile:


    ¡°Uncle, you¡¯ve become even more handsome!¡±


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people stretched out a slender finger, flicked it gently, and touched Mo Hua¡¯s forehead.


    Mo Hua collapsed softly and fainted, lying on the ground.


    His little face was pale, lashes dark, breathing fine and evenly spaced.


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mo Hua, their eyes shifting in thought, emotions turbulent.


    Disciple¡­ what exactly did you teach this little thing?


    How did you manage to teach such a¡­ perplexing disciple?


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people thought back to the gaze of Mo Hua just a moment ago.


    Clear, transparent, bright, and also faintly revealing a trace of enlightenment towards the Great Dao¡­


    What exactly did this little thing see in Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation?


    What did he come to understand?


    Could it be¡­


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people furrowed their brows, their gaze indifferent, pondering for a moment before slowly shaking their heads.


    Impossible.


    I¡¯ve seen before that although this little thing¡¯s skill in Formations is passable, he has not learned the Immortal Sky Formation Flow.


    The Immortal Sky Formation Flow is the most orthodox inheritance of our sect.


    If my Disciple did not teach him, it shows that he is not the most orthodox core disciple.


    And since he hasn¡¯t learned the Immortal Sky Formation Flow and lacks the Formation Method Origin Stream as a foundation, to understand one and know all, and to study the Formations extensively, it naturally becomes impossible for him to learn the Heavenly Secret Calculation.


    If he can¡¯t perform the Calculation, what could he possibly understand?


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s gaze flickered slightly.


    However, no matter what this little thing has understood.


    We can¡¯t let him look any further.


    Who knows what this strange and unusual little thing could figure out¡­


    The Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s gaze became focused, they reached out to pick up Mo Hua, and slowly walked out of the Ten Thousand Demons Hall.


    Upon exiting the Ten Thousand Demons Hall, the Gui Tao¡¯s people waved backhandedly.


    The Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation reversed, the Formation Patterns became deceptive, swallowing the entire Demon Palace, along with the demon cultivators buried within the hall, slowly fading into obscurity¡­


    Then, without a backward glance, the Gui Tao¡¯s people stepped towards Li Mountain City, towards the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, and also towards the Disciple who had been separated for hundreds of years within the Large Formation¡­


    ¡°The grudges of hundreds of years¡­ it¡¯s time to end them¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Outside Dali Mountain.


    A white-robed Cultivator in the Late Golden Core Stage, along with a dozen or so Deputy Court Leaders and Enforcement Leaders at the Golden Core Stage, was escorting Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi to the nearby Azure Mountain City.


    The white-robed Cultivator was the Court Leader from Liyuan City.


    He was also the highest-ranking, most powerful Court Leader across the Dali Mountain State boundary.


    Upon entering Azure Mountain City, Aunt Xue gave her thanks with a bow:


    ¡°Thank you, Court Leader Shangguan, for guarding us along the way; otherwise, with demon cultivators running rampant, the journey would have been incredibly difficult.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    The white-robed Cultivator, surnamed Shangguan, with a kind-looking face, also gave a cupped fist salute: ¡°It¡¯s a relief that Young Master Bai and Miss Bai are safe¡­¡±


    Court Leader Shangguan let out a long sigh of relief inwardly.


    Thank goodness¡­


    Thank goodness these two VIPs are unharmed.


    Although their special Eternal Life Runes are shattered, they are unharmed, and the demon cultivators encountered along the way have all been dealt with.


    Now that they are safely escorted to Azure Mountain City, and with the Bai Family cultivators coming to receive them, there should be no further worries.


    ¡°The Bai Family¡­¡±


    Court Leader Shangguan¡¯s heart sank slightly, ¡°To think that they are¡­ children of the Bai Family¡­¡±


    The Bai Family is a colossal entity within the Cultivation World.


    While the Shangguan Family also holds a not-so-low status, they ultimately cannot be compared with the Bai Family. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Court Leader Shangguan was somewhat apprehensive.


    ¡°I hope the Bai Family doesn¡¯t hold a grudge against me¡­¡±


    After all, those were two special Eternal Life Runes!


    Only ancestors of Noble Clans who have little life left, no hope in furthering their Cultivation, and who will have no more advancements in their lifetime, would spend their own Cultivation to refine such Runes.


    The ancestors of Noble Families capable of planting such Runes are few and far between.


    And the Noble Family Descendants privileged enough to receive such Runes are even rarer.


    Once a personal Eternal Life Rune is shattered, finding an elder to plant a new one is as difficult as scaling the heavens¡­


    And if left unseeded, these Proud Sons of Heaven will face great danger upon stepping into the Cultivation World.


    The trouble to come will be substantial¡­


    Court Leader Shangguan frowned, deep in thought for a long time before he realized he was not in a position to worry about these matters¡­


    He shook his head and settled Bai Zisheng, Bai Zixi, and Aunt Xue in the largest inn in Azure Mountain City.


    Only waiting for the Bai Family to come to safely take these two VIPs away, he would be at ease.


    As for himself¡­ he may not have merit, but he has suffered hardship.


    Even forgetting about merit, as long as he is not to blame, it¡¯s enough¡­


    But the incident happened suddenly; the Bai Family will likely not be unreasonable and overly blame him.


    After several days at the inn, people from the Bai Family arrived.


    A white-clothed, masked female Cultivator, accompanied by a group of Bai Family Cultivators, entered the inn.


    Their figures seemed both real and illusionary, both solid and ethereal.


    Although the people around clearly looked at them, it seemed as if they saw nothing at all¡­


    Court Leader Shangguan was originally puzzled as to who would come from the Bai Family, but when he lifted his head and saw the figure of the female Cultivator, his heart trembled, and he immediately bowed his head, respectfully saying:


    ¡°I am Shangguan Jing, serving as the Court Leader of Li Mountain City, I greet the True Man!¡±


    This woman¡¯s face was masked, so her features were unclear, but her demeanor was coldly aristocratic with a peerlessly graceful presence.


    More importantly, her breath was elusive and profound, unfathomable.


    Feather Transformation Realm!


    This woman was a True Man of the Feather Transformation Realm!


    Court Leader Shangguan bowed his head even lower, fearing the slightest offense might displease the True Man.

 Chapter 691 - 556: Understood_3

    Chapter 691: Chapter 556: Understood_3


    The young woman nodded slightly, her voice pleasant yet commanding:


    ¡°Thank you for your efforts, Court Leader Shangguan.¡±


    Court Leader Shangguan let out a sigh of relief.


    Standing to the side, Aunt Xue bowed and said respectfully, ¡°Madam.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also showed looks of affectionate longing and called out together, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    This woman was indeed the mother of Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.


    She was also the Feather Transformation Realm True Woman of the Bai Family¡ªBai Qiancheng.


    At the sound of ¡°Mother,¡± Bai Qiancheng¡¯s heart trembled slightly, but she still managed to maintain her composure and nodded indifferently.


    Court Leader Shangguan was also taken aback.


    These two children actually had a mother in the Feather Transformation Realm.


    No wonder they were imbued with the special Eternal Life Rune¡­


    ¡°Now that the young masters and miss are safe and sound, I am relieved and will not disturb you further,¡± said Court Leader Shangguan with tact.


    Bai Qiancheng nodded slightly.


    Court Leader Shangguan then took his leave.


    The room was left with only Bai Qiancheng, Bai Zisheng, Bai Zixi, and Aunt Xue.


    Bai Qiancheng waved her hand gracefully, dispelling the veil covering her face, revealing a beauty that could overturn states and cities.


    Similar to Bai Zixi, with skin like ice and bones like jade, a flawless appearance, and a beauty that was heart-stoppingly stunning. She only lacked a bit of Bai Zixi¡¯s youthful naivety and had more mature, poised beauty to her, along with the dignity of the Feather Transformation Realm.


    Aunt Xue¡¯s face showed a look of shame. ¡°Madam, I am incompetent, the Eternal Life Rune¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng shook her head. ¡°This is not your fault¡­¡±


    A dozen or so Golden Core Demon Cultivators.


    The Demon Path Saint Heir.


    And¡­ the calculations of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    In such a situation, no one could have protected those two Eternal Life Runes.


    Bai Qiancheng looked again at her twin children, her icy gaze softening slightly, and asked, ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi nodded, but they both seemed a bit restrained.


    After hesitating for a moment, Bai Zisheng began, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression remained calm. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Bai Zisheng was somewhat hesitant. He had always been somewhat afraid of his cold mother and didn¡¯t know how to start¡­


    However, Bai Zixi spoke up. ¡°Mother, please save Mo Hua.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Mo Hua?¡±


    Aunt Xue then said, ¡°Yes¡­ the junior disciple taken in by Mr. Zhuang, and also the juniors¡¯ Big Junior Brother¡­¡±


    A flash of astonishment passed across Bai Qiancheng¡¯s stunning face.


    A junior disciple?


    My Senior Brother actually took on a disciple?


    Impossible¡­


    How could he possibly take on another disciple?


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze turned cold as she looked at Aunt Xue.


    Aunt Xue was shocked and quickly lowered her head, saying, ¡°Mr. Zhuang, he didn¡¯t want me to tell you¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng paused, then her expression cleared slightly.


    Her Senior Brother indeed always disliked others prying into his affairs.


    Whether he took on a disciple or not, he naturally wouldn¡¯t want her to know¡­


    Bai Qiancheng felt somewhat conflicted. After a moment, she asked, ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    Bai Zixi answered, ¡°He was¡­ captured by Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng nodded on the side. ¡°He was taken because of me and Zixi. The ones they really wanted to capture were the two of us¡­¡±


    Having said that, Bai Zisheng hung his head in guilt.


    It seemed that he felt some self-reproach for not being able to protect his junior disciple well.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but his heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people!


    So that was it¡­


    She had been wondering, with the abilities of Gui Tao¡¯s people, that is, her ¡°Big Senior Brother,¡± Zisheng and Zixi¡¯s shattered special Eternal Life Rune would surely end up in his hands.


    She had been deeply worried about this before.


    But she never imagined that Big Senior Brother would actually let Zisheng and Zixi go¡­


    Bai Qiancheng would never understand before, but now she knew that Big Senior Brother had found a ¡°substitute.¡±


    That is, the ¡°Mo Hua¡± little disciple taken in by Senior Brother Zhuang¡­


    But why?


    Why was this little disciple so important?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people, would they actually let Zisheng and Zixi go just because of this?


    Senior Brother Zhuang¡¯s actions were always well thought out, deeply and far-sightedly calculated.


    On this little disciple, could there be hidden some unspeakable secret?


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze became a bit more concentrated.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± Bai Zixi said softly.


    Bai Qiancheng came back to her senses, turned her head to look at Bai Zixi, and upon meeting her gaze, her heart suddenly trembled with complicated and indescribable thoughts.


    But her expression was still cold as she simply nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Bai Zisheng wanted to say something more but was quietly pulled back by Aunt Xue.


    She knew that enough had been said at this point, with the lady¡¯s temperament, further words might backfire.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi glanced at Bai Qiancheng and swallowed their words.


    Afterwards, Aunt Xue detailed the whole journey to Bai Qiancheng.


    Bai Qiancheng listened and nodded, her voice pleasant but somewhat icy as she said:


    ¡°Rest here for tonight and follow me when we leave tomorrow¡­¡±


    Her words were light, but obviously not open to refusal.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi somewhat disappointedly withdrew.


    ¡­


    As the evening arrived, the moonlight was stunningly beautiful.


    Bai Qiancheng sat in the room with a Heavenly secret Compass before her, on which the entanglements of cause and effect, the rise, and fall of destiny played out.


    Bai Qiancheng frowned, and after a long while, she sighed.


    ¡°Heavenly secret Calculation¡­ I still can¡¯t surpass my senior brothers¡­¡±


    No matter how she calculated this Heavenly secret, she couldn¡¯t understand it.


    What then would be the fate of the senior brothers¡­


    Bai Qiancheng shook her head, and suddenly the name ¡°Mo Hua¡± surfaced in her mind again.


    She thought back to the day when Zisheng and Zixi, the two children, pleaded with her, her feelings complicated.


    Zisheng was somewhat brusque and rash, but also very proud.


    He always looked down on his fellow Proud Sons of Heaven in the clan and it was rare to see him so concerned about someone else.


    And Zixi¡­ sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The way she called her ¡°Mother,¡± the expression when she asked her to save her little junior brother, returned to her thoughts.


    Those eyes, usually so cold, detached, and as pure and elegant as a snow lotus, actually showed a hint of¡­ pleading?


    How could she, as a mother, fail to understand the affection brewing in that glimpse of a glance?


    But how could this be possible?


    She had always understood her daughter¡¯s temperament¡­


    Yet for that very reason, her heart felt all the more shocked.


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze intensified slightly as she silently noted the name.

 Chapter 692 - 557 Opening_1

    Chapter 692: Chapter 557 Opening_1


    The next day, Bai Qiancheng sent Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi to Anshan City, located hundreds of miles north of Azure Mountain City.


    In Anshan City, there was a mansion temporarily purchased by the Bai Family.


    This place was far from the mountain city, away from disputes and strife, and with several Golden Core cultivators from the Bai Family for protection, it was very safe.


    ¡°Stay here for now. Once I¡¯ve taken care of things, we¡¯ll return to the Bai Family together. You¡¯ve been away from home for so long, the old ancestor misses you too¡­¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After Bai Qiancheng finished speaking, she turned and left.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng turned back and saw two pairs of eyes filled with longing and desire, and her heart felt sour.


    Zisheng and Zixi, these two children, had never shown such obvious concern and care for anyone before¡­


    Even including her, their mother¡­


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng said faintly.


    After that, she no longer looked at her two children, turned around, and left, while her heart was full of worries.


    Li Mountain City, that¡¯s where the real storm of blood and carnage was about to begin.


    Even if she wanted to, she might not be able to save the child known as ¡°Mo Hua¡±.


    Besides, he was in the hands of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    Taking food from the jaws of a tiger, was never easy¡­


    Two days later, Bai Qiancheng arrived at a newly established Tao Cultivation camp outside Li Mountain City.


    On the outside, the camp was encircled by Second and even Third Grade Formations.


    Inside, there were Taoist Soldiers stationed from the Taoist Court.


    At the same time, various powers from Taoist State also dispatched high-ranking cultivators with real authority from their clans, gathering here.


    In the camp, inside a large hall marked with Sound Isolation Formation and other formations preventing others from sensing what was inside.


    Nine cultivators with profound auras sat together, whispering and discussing spiritedly.


    As Bai Qiancheng entered, everyone briefly fell silent, nodded at her, and then continued the discussion they had been having¡­


    ¡°¡­A few days ago, Heavenly Dao Thunder Punishment appeared in the direction of Dali Mountain¡­¡±


    ¡°After that, the auras of several Demon Cultivators in the Feather Transformation Realm disappeared¡­¡±


    ¡°Not just that, the presence of numerous Golden Core Demon Cultivators has also not been detected again¡­¡±


    ¡°Could it be¡­ that the Heavenly Dao has opened its eyes and directly annihilated these Demon Cultivators?¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking? There must be some hidden circumstances behind this¡­¡±


    ¡°Internal strife within the Demon Path? Killing each other?¡±


    ¡°At this time?¡±


    ¡°¡­Has Senior Situ calculated anything?¡±


    ¡°A fog of mystery, the Heavenly secret is puzzling; the Calculation isn¡¯t clear¡­¡±


    ¡°Does this mean you haven¡¯t calculated it?¡±


    ¡°No, it means I have calculated it¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Heavenly secret is puzzling¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Gui Tao¡¯s person¡­¡±


    Everyone was momentarily stunned, and then someone said:


    ¡°Did this Gui Tao¡¯s person make a mistake? At this critical point, to kill his own Daoist comrades?¡±


    ¡°Who can understand the intentions of Gui Tao¡¯s person?¡±


    Some looked solemn while others furrowed their brows and said:


    ¡°¡­Switching back, aren¡¯t you curious how Gui Tao¡¯s person managed it?¡±


    ¡°What exactly did he do to slaughter four Demon Cultivators in the Feather Transformation Realm and hundreds of Golden Cores?¡±


    ¡°That was within the Third-Grade State Boundary¡­¡±


    ¡°The appearance of Thunder Punishment, was it¡­ using Heavenly Punishment?¡±


    ¡°How to use it? Those Demon Cultivators aren¡¯t idiots, wouldn¡¯t they run? Suppressing Cultivation, unable to undergo Feather Transformation, they should know about these taboos¡­¡±


    ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m not Gui Tao¡¯s person.¡±


    ¡°Probably, they were driven to desperation by Gui Tao¡¯s person, and in that inevitable situation, they used the power of Feather Transformation, and therefore, under the Heavenly Punishment Thunder, they were turned to ash¡­¡±


    ¡°On what basis does Gui Tao¡¯s person do this?¡±


    ¡°On the strength of his own power¡­ how is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?¡±


    ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart comes from the Illusory Demon Sect¡¯s Sect Protecting Demon Technique, but I¡¯ve experienced this Demon Skill, it¡¯s merely somewhat troublesome and difficult to deal with, but not really that powerful¡­¡±


    ¡°Some heart-clearing tranquility Cultivation Techniques, Magical Treasures, Spiritual Artifacts, all can suppress the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­¡±


    ¡°If only it were that simple¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­If it were that simple, he wouldn¡¯t have been sealed by the Demon Sect as ¡®Taoist¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so different about his Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?¡±


    Everyone was puzzled, but their expressions became more solemn by several degrees.


    ¡°Regardless, cultivators in the Feather Transformation Realm should not act rashly¡­¡±


    ¡°If we can¡¯t act, what are we, Feather Transformation cultivators, even here for?¡±


    ¡°What use is it if you do act?¡±


    ¡°In the Third-Grade State Boundary, even if you are a True Man, you¡¯re just a slightly stronger Golden Core!¡±


    ¡°Without Feather Transformation, unable to ascend to the heavens, if you can¡¯t exhibit even a tenth of your full strength and constantly face the risk of being eradicated by Heavenly Punishment¡­¡±


    ¡°Those four old Demon Heads from the Demon Sect, with origins in the Demon Path, vicious and extremely evil, living for so many years, didn¡¯t they fall prey to Gui Tao¡¯s person, wiped out by Heavenly Punishment?¡±


    ¡°Those were four big Demon Heads in the Feather Transformation Realm!¡±


    At this point, everyone felt a shudder in their hearts.


    Heaven Void does not emerge in the world.


    The highest realms that major Tao Cultivation forces possess, when walking on the outside, are generally those of the Feather Transformation Realm.


    But cultivators of the Feather Transformation Realm generally wouldn¡¯t come to state boundaries below Third Grade.


    Because the risk is too high.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that this incident was of great importance, linked to Mr. Zhuang who calculated the Heavenly secrets, there wouldn¡¯t be as many as ten Feathered Immortals from the Taoist Court gathered outside Li Mountain City!


    But now because of Gui Tao¡¯s person, the situation has become delicate.


    They, as Feather Transformation cultivators with powerful Cultivation, dare not make a move.


    Heavenly Dao eradication.


    These four words, like a bloody guillotine, were always hanging over their heads, waiting for any misstep, and they would ferociously chop down, claiming their lives.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    A Feathered Immortal, feeling extremely frustrated, slammed the table in anger.

 Chapter 693 - 557 Opening Move_2

    Chapter 693: Chapter 557 Opening Move_2


    ¡°You are a true supernatural being, a True Man. Please mind your image, consider your speech¡­¡±


    ¡°I damn well please, what the hell do you care?¡±


    ¡°Your damn self-cultivation is so poor¡­¡±


    ¡°You, what the fuck, aren¡¯t you also cursing?¡±


    ¡°What comes around goes around, now I¡¯m damn cursing you!¡±


    ¡­


    The two lost their composure and started arguing noisily.


    Someone couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, ¡°In front of so many people, can you both fucking mind your manners and stop cursing?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking cursing too, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡­


    Someone coughed, ¡°True Man Bai is here¡­¡±


    ¡°What the fuck Bai¡­¡±


    The person stopped mid-sentence, suddenly cutting off to look up at the high seat¡ªBai Qiancheng, clothed in white, supremely beautiful with a clear and cold temperament¡ªhis old face flushed, and he swallowed back his words.


    The crowd also quieted down, coughing a few times, clearing their throats, sitting up straight, and paying attention to their own image.


    Bai Qiancheng acted as if she had heard nothing, her gaze unwavering.


    The oldest person sitting at the highest seat shook his head helplessly.


    His face was lined with age, wearing black robes; he had the family name Situ, a master calculator, and the Chief Elder of Mystery Valley, known as True Man Situ.


    He was the person with the highest cultivation, oldest age, and longest experience sitting there, a Real Being who had undergone Feather Transformation.


    True Man Situ looked around and slowly opened his mouth:


    ¡°No matter what, those of you who have undergone Feather Transformation and become true supernaturals, do not fight hastily again!¡±


    ¡°Feather transform sky-flying, difficult to achieve¡­¡±


    ¡°True supernatural beings, if anything goes wrong, it will be a loss for our Taoist Court and a disaster that could annihilate the sects you belong to!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, please cherish yourselves!¡±


    True Man Situ spoke with deep sincerity.


    Everybody clasped their hands and said, ¡°Senior Situ, your words are very true.¡±


    Some questioned though, ¡°Senior Situ, logically, the Back Ruins Heaven Burial is of great importance, but why¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did those top noble clans and sects in Taoist State not send any high-level cultivators this time, only sending some Golden Core cultivators to make up the numbers?¡±


    As soon as these words came out, people exchanged looks.


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡±


    ¡°The Heaven Void Ancestor does not emerge in the world; it¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t come¡­¡±


    Even if he had come, he would be nothing but an oversized ¡°Golden Core¡±, also facing the risk of falling¡ªit would not be worth the loss.


    ¡°¡­But why didn¡¯t even cultivators at the Feather Transformation Realm come?¡±


    ¡°This really doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The gathered cultivators who had undergone Feather Transformation whispered among themselves and then silently turned their eyes towards Bai Qiancheng, who was seated higher up.


    Among the many powers present, only the Bai Family was a true behemoth.


    Although not located in Taoist State, but dominating their own territory, they were strong enough to compete with the ancient noble clans of Taoist State.


    Among the True Men who had undergone Feather Transformation present, only Bai Qiancheng was from the biggest clan and had the deepest background.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression remained cool and indifferent, and she didn¡¯t say a word.


    The others, feeling helpless, wanted to ask but did not dare to.


    True Man Situ then said, ¡°Each noble clan has its own arrangements, and the elders of each family have their overall strategies. We should focus on our own tasks, and other matters are not for us to inquire into.¡±


    Everyone frowned, but since True Man Situ had spoken, they did not pursue the matter further.


    After the group of cultivators who had undergone Feather Transformation dispersed, Bai Qiancheng also got up to leave but was stopped by True Man Situ.


    ¡°True Man Bai¡­¡±


    Although True Man Situ was a respected elder, his tone was extremely polite towards Bai Qiancheng.


    Not just because of her family, but also because of her extraordinary talent; she broke the barrier to Feather Transformation at a few hundred years old, becoming a True Man who could fly through the heavens¡­


    More importantly, it was because of the various causes and effects she was involved with.


    Mr. Zhuang, Gui Tao¡¯s people, and her two children with Heavenly Spirit Roots¡­


    Some matters, others did not know.


    But True Man Situ, skilled in the algorithms of the Great Dao and having controlled Mystery Valley for many years, naturally knew more about some inner details than others.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression was cold and slightly proud, but she was still very respectful towards True Man Situ and nodded, saying:


    ¡°Senior Situ.¡±


    True Man Situ hesitated for a moment before finally speaking:


    ¡°Before True Man Bai came here, did the ancestor of the Bai Family give any instructions?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed, ¡°Senior Situ, what do you want to ask?¡±


    True Man Situ didn¡¯t want to inquire too deeply, but sighed and said:


    ¡°At my age, I fear death, so, I just ask about good or bad fortune.¡±


    It was about the Heavenly secret and the chance of the Great Dao.


    No matter what, he had to come this time. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But at this moment, he found that the opportunity was very peculiar; no matter how he calculated or deduced, the path ahead was a blur.


    Having lived for so many years and becoming crafty with age, he wanted to leave a contingency plan to protect his foundation at this time.


    The estate of Mystery Valley was large, and the younger generation¡¯s learning of calculations was not refined; they still relied on him to support everything. He could not afford to give up his life here¡­


    Bai Qiancheng was somewhat surprised; she didn¡¯t expect True Man Situ, as a senior, to be so candid.


    After thinking, she said, ¡°The ancestors didn¡¯t want me to come¡­¡±


    ¡°But because of some reasons¡­ I had to come¡­¡±


    ¡°Before I left, the ancestor only gave me one instruction, telling me to¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng paused, then slowly revealed four words: ¡°Stand by and watch¡­¡±


    ¡°Stand by and watch?¡±


    True Man Situ was momentarily stunned, shocked in his heart.


    Why would it be¡­ stand by and watch?


    They didn¡¯t care anymore, didn¡¯t ask, didn¡¯t seek, no longer pursuing that¡­


    True Man Situ¡¯s face showed varying expressions, overcome with emotion.


    Having said as much as she wished, Bai Qiancheng clasped her hands and said, ¡°Junior takes her leave.¡±


    Until Bai Qiancheng had walked far away, True Man Situ remained motionless, standing in place, his brow deeply furrowed, murmuring to himself:


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±

 Chapter 694 - 557 Starting Move_3

    Chapter 694: Chapter 557 Starting Move_3


    ¡°How could they possibly be so unhurried?¡±


    ¡°At this final moment, when placing the last piece determines the winner in this grand chess match, how could they suddenly become timid turtles, withdrawing and pulling out?¡±


    ¡°Those old immortals who are nearing their end must certainly be more anxious than I am¡­¡±


    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t right!¡±


    ¡°Unless¡­ they¡¯ve calculated something, or perhaps, are they wary of something?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe, this chess game isn¡¯t quite what I thought it was¡­¡±


    Doubts surfaced in True Man Situ¡¯s mind as he stroked his beard and paced back and forth in the hall, losing count of how many circles he had walked when he suddenly stopped, his heart quivering:


    ¡°Could it be that there¡¯s been a change in this game?¡±


    ¡°The current state of the game¡­ is not the end but merely the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Beginning with Mr. Zhuang¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°Taking the appearance of Back Ruins Heaven Burial as the first move in a grand strategy that spans heaven and earth?¡±


    Throughout the two thousand years since the establishment of the Taoist Court, fragments of deeds and rumors surfaced in his mind, linking together¡­


    True Man Situ found it somewhat unbelievable.


    ¡°Impossible, right?¡±


    ¡°Who could have, such a grand scheme?¡±


    The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, as if a boundless abyss had opened a giant maw, emitting an alarming breath.


    True Man Situ¡¯s body couldn¡¯t stop trembling.


    What exactly was hidden inside?


    Or was he just overthinking it?


    True Man Situ slumped into the chair, silent for a long time, before he finally sighed deeply:


    ¡°Forget it, I should just focus on staying alive for now¡­¡±


    Even if there were some conspiracy, it was still far from him. If not a millennia, then at least a thousand years, and perhaps by then, he might already be dead and gone¡­


    True Man Situ suddenly felt relieved.


    For now, he still had to consider the matters at hand.


    The Old Ancestor of the Bai Family telling Bai Qiancheng to ¡°stand aside and watch¡± must have his reasons.


    That suggests that all of these people, once involved, would face a life-or-death crisis.


    Where would they die?


    Without thinking, he knew it would definitely be Gui Tao¡¯s people, inevitably related to ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡±¡­


    The title of Taoist was not simple.


    True Man Situ frowned and pondered for a moment before summoning a disciple and instructing:


    ¡°Send down the order to set up the Clear Heart Formation, Solidifying Spirit Formation, and Dustless Formation around the camp¡­¡±


    ¡°Strengthen the guard on all sides, and if anyone looking like a ¡®Taoist,¡¯ or any oddly shaped cultivator approaches, let me know immediately¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell all cultivators in the Feather Transformation Realm not to go out indiscriminately¡­¡±


    ¡­


    True Man Situ reeled off a lot in one breath. After he finished giving instructions, he finally took a breath of relief, then began to doubt himself again:


    ¡°Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?¡±


    ¡°No matter how strong Gui Tao¡¯s people are, they can¡¯t possibly kill all ten of us in the Feather Transformation Realm, can they¡­¡±


    No sooner had True Man Situ finished speaking than he immediately caught himself, lightly smacking his own mouth.


    He mustn¡¯t jinx it!


    He studied causality, he should not speak such ill-fated words!


    After True Man Situ¡¯s arrangements were put in place, it wasn¡¯t long before other Feathered Immortals heard about it and came to see him, starting with:


    ¡°Senior Situ, aren¡¯t we overreacting a bit?¡±


    ¡°No matter how strong Gui Tao¡¯s people are, they surely can¡¯t¡­¡±


    The razor-sharp gaze of True Man Situ immediately silenced him.


    ¡°Better safe than sorry!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Gui Tao¡¯s people!¡±


    True Man Situ spoke with a heavy tone.


    Seeing the solemn expression on True Man Situ¡¯s face, everyone else figured the matter was serious and said no more. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    And a few days later, a disciple reported.


    ¡°Ancestor, a ¡®Taoist¡¯¡­ has come¡­¡±


    True Man Situ felt a chill in his heart and immediately got up to take a look outside.


    But the surroundings were empty with formations densely arrayed, and mountains looming; there was no sign of the ¡®Taoist.¡¯


    True Man Situ frowned.


    ¡°Strange, I¡¯m certain I saw a ¡®Taoist¡¯¡­¡±


    The reporting disciple mumbled quizzically.


    ¡°Where did the ¡®Taoist¡¯ go?¡±


    ¡°Could he be hiding?¡±


    ¡°Or could it be that¡­¡±


    A moment of silence followed, and then the disciple¡¯s voice became hoarse and wooden:


    ¡°¡­I am the Taoist?¡±


    True Man Situ heard this and was startled, breaking out in a cold sweat.


    As he turned his head to look, he saw the disciple¡¯s pupil turn pitch black.

 Chapter 695 - 558 Meeting_1

    Chapter 695: Chapter 558 Meeting_1


    ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?!¡±


    True Man Situ was shocked and immediately acted, confining the disciple with jet-black pupils with a magical artifact resembling a golden bell, isolating the disciple¡¯s aura.


    He had just breathed a sigh of relief when he turned his head and saw that around the camp, many cultivators suddenly started behaving abnormally, like puppets on strings, trembling and contorting as they slowly turned their heads, their pupils all pitch-black!


    True Man Situ gasped in cold air.


    Anomalies in Taoist Heart, the Demon Seed spreads.


    ¡°When exactly did Gui Tao¡¯s people make their move?!¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Other Feather Transformation True Men sensed the abnormality in the aura and also flashed out one after another. Seeing that the surrounding cultivators and Taoist Soldiers had lost their senses, their pupils pitch-black, they too were shocked.


    True Man Situ said sternly, ¡°Release your magical artifacts and guard your Divine Thoughts!¡±


    Those still retaining their senses were shaken and quickly summoned their magical artifacts to guard their Sea of Consciousness.


    True Man Situ sighed and flipped his right hand, taking out a glittering and translucent glass lamp.


    This lamp, named Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, was the Sect Protecting Treasure of Mystery Valley, combining Divine Sense extensions and concentration to drive away evil.


    True Man Situ sacrificed the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, and its clear light swept across, scattering the gloom. The strange aura of Heavenly Dao¡¯s anomalies filling the air was also gradually dispelled.


    The brilliant lamp light, like a screen, protected everyone.


    It also isolated those cultivators who had been ¡°Planted with Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    Within the light of the Clear Light Lamp, some cultivators unknowingly had Demon Thought implanted in them.


    But as soon as their Demon Thought grew, it would be ¡°scorched¡± by the clear light, causing black-grey energy to fill the air.


    True Man Situ would then drive these cultivators out, to prevent them from infecting more cultivators.


    Inside the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, with clear light overflowing, the cultivators all sat tensely in meditation, guarding their spiritual arteries.


    But outside the Clear Light Lamp, it was like hell.


    Cultivators fought each other, kin slaying kin.


    Family cultivators, fellow disciples, and familiar Taoist Friends, their Taoist Hearts collapsed, their expressions hideous, engaged in mutual slaughter.


    Some Feather Transformation True Men could not bear it and wanted to take action, only to be stopped by True Man Situ:


    ¡°If you don¡¯t go over, they will die. If you do go over, they will still die ¨C and perhaps¡­ even more will die!¡±


    After all, if a Feather Transformation cultivator was Planted with Devil in Taoist Heart, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    That Feather Transformation True Man was filled with hate, yet he was powerless to do anything but sit back down, close his eyes in pain, and not look at the tragic scene outside¡­


    The expressions of everyone were solemn.


    True Man Situ also knitted his brows.


    Time passed, unknown how long, when suddenly his spirit quivered and he looked up.


    He saw a Daoist not far away, holding a small cultivator and slowly approaching.


    The Daoist had a youthful face with white hair, eyes cold and sinister. It was Xuan Sanren, but at this moment, his expression was indifferent, surrounded by Gui Qi, obviously no longer Xuan Sanren, but instead should be¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people!


    True Man Situ was on high alert.


    The other cultivators were also terrified.


    Yet Gui Tao¡¯s person seemed to pay them no heed, nor did he spare them a glance.


    It seemed that Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was just a matter of convenience for him.


    If he could kill them, then he would.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Thus Gui Tao¡¯s person, clad in black, carried Mo Hua and walked past thousands of Taoist Soldiers, hundreds of Golden Cores, and ten Feather Transformations as he boldly and nonchalantly passed in front of everyone.


    He was heading to Li Mountain City.


    The cultivators around fought each other, like haunting specters.


    And he was the ¡°specter¡± itself.


    The Taoist Court side didn¡¯t dare to make a sound.


    All around was deathly silence.


    Some Feather Transformation cultivators, filled with indignation, wanted to act but were stopped by True Man Situ.


    True Man Situ shook his head slightly, his eyes stern.


    He sensed that aura imbued with a Tricky Calculation Divine Thought.


    He knew that anyone present who made a move would surely die!


    No matter who it was.


    They were powerless.


    Even though they were Feather Transformation True Men from various powerful factions of the Taoist Court, they could only watch as Gui Tao¡¯s person walked past them.


    They watched as the black silhouette of Gui Tao¡¯s person grew more distant, disappearing in the direction of Li Mountain City, into the surging sea of blood¡­


    All the Feather Transformation cultivators present gnashed their teeth in fury.


    Only Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze was slightly concentrated.


    She saw the child that Gui Tao¡¯s person was holding.


    If she guessed correctly, that should be the ¡°junior brother¡± that Zisheng and Zixi spoke of¡­


    And as Gui Tao¡¯s person entered the sea of blood, it also meant that this calculation against the brother was about to fully unfold¡­


    Bai Qiancheng frowned and then rose, giving a simple bow to True Man Situ before summoning her Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella and stepping out of the Clear Light Lamp.


    The cultivators affected by the Demon Seed rushed at Bai Qiancheng to attack, but were each repelled by the umbrella.


    Bai Qiancheng followed the path taken by Gui Tao¡¯s person, heading toward Li Mountain City, entering the vast sea of blood.


    True Man Situ sighed helplessly.


    Inside the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, three Feather Transformation cultivators developed mutinous thoughts. They exchanged glances, each summoned their magical artifacts, and then without a word, they left the Clear Light Lamp and chased after Gui Tao¡¯s person.


    The remaining Feather Transformations were somewhat tempted, and looked to True Man Situ, ¡°Senior Situ, this¡­¡±


    True Man Situ¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold as he sat unmoved, only saying sternly:


    ¡°Everyone has their destiny, and it cannot be forced.¡±


    But in his heart, he silently thought, ¡°If you want to die, go die on your own¡­¡±


    These Feather Transformation True Men, knowing the profundity of Mystery Valley¡¯s Mystery Calculation Method, also understood the saying ¡°Ignorance of the elder¡¯s advice leads to trouble ahead,¡± and so they all reined in their restlessness and sat down to meditate steadily.


    Yet True Man Situ continued to look in the direction where Gui Tao¡¯s person had left, his brows tightly locked.


    In his eyes, there was deep concern.


    This was Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­

 Chapter 696 - 558 Meeting_2

    Chapter 696: Chapter 558 Meeting_2


    No, is this the Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    The path of Divine Sense, pushing boundaries and evolving, one thought embodies two methods, Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation.


    He had never imagined that Gui Tao¡¯s people would cultivate the Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation to such a degree; even in his Sect, which was known for producing evil monsters, this was unprecedented¡­


    Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation, cultivated to perfection.


    Divine Thought transformed monstrously, undying and indestructible¡­


    Without gathering the forces of the Righteous Dao for a thorough extermination of Gui Tao¡¯s people, if left uncheck, he would inevitably become a Great Demon Head that pierces the heavens and earth.


    But¡­


    How to kill him?


    Mr. Zhuang is at his last gasp, and the Heavenly Secret Calculation has been lost¡­


    Who in this world can still see through the heavenly secrets and contend with Gui Tao¡¯s people?


    The undying and indestructible Divine Thought of Gui Tao¡­


    Who truly has the power to kill him?


    True Man Situ, with a cold expression, couldn¡¯t help but heave a deep sigh¡­


    ¡­


    Inside Li Mountain City.


    The broken walls were dyed thoroughly red by a sea of blood.


    The remaining Demon Cultivators also instantly turned on each other, slaughtering one another under the influence of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, dying clean.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person walked straight up to the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    He reached out to touch the formation, but his fingertip was immediately dissipated into a plume of blood mist by the overwhelming power of the Large Formation.


    However, within a blink of an eye, the blood mist reversed its flow, and flesh and blood reformed.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s hand was as good as new.


    With a tap of his finger, strange, dark grey Formation Patterns began to crawl over the Large Formation, eroding it from the outside in.


    But the faster the erosion, the quicker the Large Formation repaired itself.


    Unable to break through the Large Formation¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s person, with an indifferent look, then lifted the unconscious Mo Hua, shaking her in front of the Large Formation.


    From within the Large Formation, there seemed to come a sigh of resignation.


    Shortly after, there was a flash of light.


    The five-colored light curtain of the Large Formation opened by itself, revealing an entrance.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person sneered, hauling Mo Hua, and walked into the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    ¡­


    Not long after, Bai Qiancheng also arrived outside the Large Formation and saw the open entrance to the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    The entrance had not yet closed.


    After hesitating for a moment, she too entered the Large Formation.


    After Bai Qiancheng stepped into the Large Formation, the light curtain flickered, the Formation Patterns writhed, and the entrance gradually closed.


    Just as it was about to close, three Feathered Immortals from the Taoist Court also arrived at the scene. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the entrance closing, the three hurriedly made their move. Blades and swords flashed, impeding the closure of the Large Formation.


    Then, they too entered the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation through the narrow entrance.


    Afterward, the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation closed completely.


    Outside was the Soul Banner Blood Sea, inside, the Mountain Protection Array.


    Outsiders could not tell what exactly was happening inside the Large Formation, within the old site of the Five Elements Sect¡­


    And after an unknown amount of time, the unconscious Mo Hua slowly came to¡­


    His forehead felt heavy and foggy.


    He could vaguely feel tremendous Spiritual Power fluctuations around him.


    Such Spiritual Power was vast like rivers and seas.


    And he himself, like a tiny boat engulfed by a tempestuous wave, felt insignificant and powerless.


    His surroundings were blurry, and there were people talking.


    These voices¡­ they were all familiar¡­


    Mo Hua squinted his eyes and it took him a long time to come to his senses, before he realized that he was already within the Five Elements Sect, standing in front of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Formation Pavilion.


    All around him was a scene of devastation. Once beautifully sculpted beams and painted rafters were now broken stones and rubble; everywhere he looked, he saw ruin, with remnants of astonishing magical aura suggesting a great battle had taken place.


    Nearby were three people who had been corroded into white skeletons.


    Clearly, they were dead.


    And their bones were crystal clear, delicately etched with crystalline traces of Feather Transformation.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart jolted.


    ¡°Yet another three Feathered Cultivators¡­dead?¡±


    He looked up and saw Old Kui.


    Old Kui was wrapped in a blood garment, his body disintegrating, but as the flesh dissolved, no blood or muscle were beneath the skin, only brown, mottled wood patterns.


    ¡°Blood of Destruction Path¡­¡±


    ¡°Good, you actually colluded with that undying Blood Taoist¡­¡±


    Old Kui coughed, ¡°¡­colluded with that undying old Blood Taoist¡­¡±


    The indifferent-looking Gui Tao¡¯s person bowed to Old Kui, ¡°Senior, please forgive me, I could not deal with the senior otherwise¡­¡±


    Old Kui glared like a sword, his voice sharp, ¡°Then who told you how to find my life gate?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person remained silent.


    Old Kui laughed out of extreme anger, ¡°Very well, blurring lines between righteous and demonic, what Dao are these Tao Cultivators really following?!¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person spoke gravely, ¡°Senior, may you find peace.¡±


    As soon as the words fell, the blood garment exuded an even darker and death-like blood light.


    Slowly, bit by bit, it wrapped around Old Kui, eroding him¡­


    And step by step, it devoured Old Kui¡¯s vitality.


    Old Kui, gazing at Gui Tao¡¯s person, coldly said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you again, otherwise, I¡¯ll surely kill you!¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person bowed slightly, ¡°Junior will bear it in mind.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Gui¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart ached as he muttered under his breath.


    Hearing this, Old Kui, being eroded by the blood garment, gave Mo Hua one final look, his gaze growing gentle.


    It softened, carrying hints of apology and regret.


    In the end, he turned entirely into what seemed like a wooden sculpture, mottled and lifeless.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person glanced sideways at Mo Hua, furrowing his brow.


    Grandpa Gui¡­


    Old Kui actually allowed this child to call him ¡°Grandpa Gui¡±¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s person only pondered with a frown for a moment before stepping forward, heading inside the Formation Pavilion.


    Heavenly secret calculated to the utmost, Demon Cultivators punished, the Taoist Court shaken, and even Old Kui had been dissolved by Blood Taoist¡¯s Undying Blood¡­


    All obstacles before him were now entirely eliminated.


    Ahead was only his junior brother whom he had not seen for hundreds of years¡­

 Chapter 697 - 558 Meeting_3

    Chapter 697: Chapter 558 Meeting_3


    Just then, an icy yet clear voice rang out:


    ¡°Big Senior Brother¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people turned their heads and saw Bai Qiancheng standing to the side.


    Bai Qiancheng had been standing aside all along, witnessing with her own eyes as three Feathered Immortals of the Taoist Court were killed by Gui Tao¡¯s people, and then watched as Gui Tao¡¯s people used the Undying Blood to melt Old Kui.


    She could only stand by idly.


    No one could stop what her Big Senior Brother wanted to do.


    Whoever tried would die, including herself.


    However, she still remembered the request of her twin children, so in the end, she wanted to save Mo Hua from Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s hands.


    No matter what, the child was innocent after all.


    Moreover, he was indeed a disciple accepted by Senior Brother Zhuang, and shouldn¡¯t be involved in this right and wrong, to lose his life because of it¡­


    ¡°Big Senior Brother¡­ give me that child¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked up, glanced at the Formation Pavilion, apparently thinking of something, and casually tossed Mo Hua to Bai Qiancheng.


    Bai Qiancheng instantly caught him, involuntarily examining Mo Hua, and silently said in her heart:


    ¡°Is this¡­ the little disciple Zixi is concerned about¡­¡±


    The Spiritual Root is very poor¡­


    Compared to Zixi, it¡¯s really like heaven and earth¡­


    She then looked at his appearance.


    He does look quite good¡­


    His features are picturesque, he¡¯s lovable, with a pure and ethereal temperament, invoking an instinctive fondness when seen.


    And his eyes are clear, revealing at a glance that his nature is also good¡­


    It¡¯s just¡­ the Spiritual Root is poor, and the bloodline is even worse¡­


    Bai Qiancheng frowned.


    ¡°Why did Senior Brother Zhuang accept such a young disciple?¡±


    Furthermore, what surprised her the most was Big Senior Brother¡­


    Big Senior Brother was once gentle and elegant, kind and tender to people, but since he turned into Gui Tao¡¯s people, he became sinister, terrifying, cold, and heartless.


    This was the first time she saw Big Senior Brother carrying a small child, not letting go the entire way.


    And in her view, the two seemed to get along very casually, even a bit ¡°close¡±?


    Bai Qiancheng furrowed her brows in confusion. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua looked up and also saw Bai Qiancheng.


    With just one glance, he was amazed.


    So beautiful¡­


    After a second glance, he felt that the woman¡¯s eyes and brows resembled those of his little sister-disciple¡­


    ¡°Are you the mother of my little sister-disciple?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Bai Qiancheng was slightly taken aback, then involuntarily nodded.


    Mo Hua silently calculated, ¡°The mother of my little sister-disciple is also Uncle¡¯s sister-disciple, and also my master¡¯s sister-disciple¡­ So I should address you as¡­ ¡®Aunt¡¯?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng was startled.


    This child is so smart and seems a bit¡­ overly familiar?


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng nodded again.


    ¡°Disciple Mo Hua, greetings to Aunt,¡± Mo Hua said politely.


    A warmth blossomed in Bai Qiancheng¡¯s heart.


    She looked at Mo Hua once more and noticed that Mo Hua had no injuries, wasn¡¯t ¡°Planted with Devil in the Taoist Heart,¡± his eyes were clear and upright, without any abnormalities, and she breathed a sigh of relief.


    After hesitating for a moment, Bai Qiancheng then said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Good child, stay here and don¡¯t run around. I¡¯m going to check on your master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua immediately said, ¡°Aunt, may I go in as well?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng was taken aback.


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°I also want to see my master¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng felt a bitter tug in her heart but still declined, ¡°It will be very dangerous for you to go in¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, disappointed yet understanding.


    Bai Qiancheng left Mo Hua behind and walked towards the Formation Pavilion. After taking a few steps, she looked back and saw Mo Hua standing there, all alone, feeling a touch of heartache and worry.


    If Gui Tao¡¯s people came out, this child might still be in danger¡­


    But now she couldn¡¯t manage that much anymore.


    Her Senior Brother¡¯s life was hanging by a thread.


    The opportunity related to the Back Ruins Heaven Burial, although the old ancestor told her to ¡°stand idly by,¡± when the time actually came, she couldn¡¯t possibly just sit back and do nothing.


    ¡°Well, let fate take its course¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression was solemn; he clenched his teeth and also entered the Formation Pavilion¡­


    And Mo Hua, he just stood there alone.


    He wanted to go in, but he couldn¡¯t.


    It seemed that there was some kind of barrier in the Formation Pavilion. Uncle and Senior Uncle had high cultivation and deep mastery in formation, hence they could disregard the barrier and enter the Formation Pavilion.


    But he couldn¡¯t get in¡­


    Yet, staying here didn¡¯t seem safe either.


    Once everything settled down and Uncle came out, he would probably kill him too.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    It was at this moment that a buzzing sound came from the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation around him.


    Mo Hua was startled and looked up.


    He saw that within the Large Formation, one of the main Formation Pivots was operating on its own, dazzlingly bright.


    ¡°Is this¡­ the Formation Pivot?¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered what his master had said to him when he first arrived at the Five Elements Sect.


    He remembered that at that time, he and his master had talked about the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    His master then drew a mountain map on a piece of paper, outlined several lines along the mountain¡¯s profile, and instructed him, saying:


    ¡°¡­ This is the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, the main formation pivot¡¯s meridians; you remember this.¡±


    ¡°When the formation circulates, there will be a life-gate on the formation pivot.¡±


    ¡°Although this small section is a second-grade Formation Pivot, it is similar in pattern to the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, and with your Divine Sense being sufficient, you should be able to calculate the life-gate on your own¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was racked with agonizing thoughts.


    ¡°Calculating the life-gate¡­¡±


    Did his master have arrangements in place all along¡­


    Did he anticipate that I would be captured by Uncle and brought back to the Five Elements Sect, so he told me the life-gate of this section of the formation in advance?


    Did he want me to calculate the life-gate of the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation, and then leave on my own, staying away from this place of imminent danger¡­


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes welled up with tears.


    He didn¡¯t want to go; he wanted to see his master one more time.


    But¡­


    Even if he saw his master, what could he do?


    What could he do himself?


    With such low cultivation, not strong enough Divine Sense, and formation skills not yet mastered, in such a perilous place, he could hardly keep himself safe¡­


    The Large Formation buzzed again.


    It was as if the master was urging him to leave¡­


    Mo Hua felt desolate, wiped away his tears, and then sat down on the ground. Using the Calculation Method taught by his master, he step by step calculated the entire Formation Pivot of the Large Formation, found the position and determined the life-gate.


    After determining the life-gate, Mo Hua looked up at the Formation Pavilion.


    It was as if his master was inside, silently watching him.


    It seemed to say, ¡°Go on¡­¡±


    Mo Hua hung his head, his figure full of desolation, and walked silently to the section of the mountain range marked by Mr. Zhuang and to the formation in front of the mountain range.


    Following the life-gate he had set, Mo Hua stepped forward and walked into the middle of the Large Formation.


    The Large Formation turned into a Spirit Screen, with Spiritual Power flowing like blades, airtight.


    However, the life-gate was where the Formation Pivot¡¯s key lay, also the space reserved for life.


    Mo Hua stepped into the life-gate as the surging Spiritual Power rapidly circled around him, like a boundless river or a galloping herd of thousands of horses, yet it did not harm him.


    On the contrary, this Spiritual Power was protecting Mo Hua.


    It shielded Mo Hua all the way, allowing him to leave the Mountain Protection Array unharmed¡­


    ¡­


    Fourth floor of the Formation Pavilion.


    Mr. Zhuang just sat there silently, watching Mo Hua walk out of the Large Formation all alone.


    A moment later, the Formation Pavilion shook.


    The Five Elements Formation on the fourth floor was eroded by pitch-black Formation Patterns, torn open, and a figure walked in.


    With white hair cascading down his shoulders and an indifferent expression.


    It was Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s breath was weak, his face pale as paper, but his expression was tranquil, as if confronting his destiny, revealing a composed smile.


    ¡°Long time no see¡­¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother.¡±

 Chapter 698 - 559 Sect_1

    Chapter 698: Chapter 559 Sect_1


    ¡°`


    Gui Tao¡¯s people had an expression as indifferent as ever.


    He looked at Mr. Zhuang, at this junior brother he had not seen for hundreds of years. His dark pupils showed a trace of vigilance and solemnity, but then they became blank again.


    Here, there was nothing.


    No arrangements, no murderous intents.


    And his junior brother, burnt out and exhausted, was utterly different from the unrivaled, untamed genius he remembered.


    In Gui Tao¡¯s heart, a sense of anger welled up for no reason, his voice also carried an eerily chilling coldness:


    ¡°Where is your Heavenly Secret Calculation?¡±


    ¡°Where is your Immortal Sky Formation Flow?¡±


    ¡°All your cultivation, abilities, methods, and strategies, where are they?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang gave a bitter smile, ¡°I¡¯m at the end of my path and powerless to return to the heavens, why would I bother wasting those efforts¡­¡±


    Violent colors surged in the eyes of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    ¡°So, you are just waiting here to die?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang was silent, then let out a light sigh, ¡°All beings are born, and all must die¡­¡±


    ¡°Alive, we believe we can triumph over heaven; dead, we finally realize how powerless we are to return to the heavens¡­¡±


    ¡°I am the same, big senior brother¡­¡±


    In the dark pupils of Gui Tao¡¯s people, a hatred for his lack of struggle showed, ¡°Even if you have to die, you can certainly die later. Your Heavenly Secret Calculation can surely foresee some chance of survival¡­¡±


    ¡°Foresee it, then what?¡± Mr. Zhuang countered.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people was stunned.


    Mr. Zhuang smiled, his tone revealing deep weariness, and his breath was extremely faint, ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of dying sooner or later¡­¡±


    ¡°Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Dao leaves one behind¡­¡±


    ¡°I am the forty-ninth Sect Leader, destined by the Heavenly Dao¡¯s limit, the sect ends here, and so does my life.¡±


    ¡°No matter the calculation, the result is the same.¡±


    ¡°The Heavenly Secret Calculation is an inevitable number, unchangeable¡­¡±


    The expression of Gui Tao¡¯s people became more and more severe, and after a while, all emotion settled again, his demeanor returning to indifference.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people said indifferently:


    ¡°Fine, then I will fulfill your wish.¡±


    The pale right hand of Gui Tao¡¯s people clenched, and an ancient sword appeared out of nowhere. It had a bronze-colored body with mottled and obscure patterns, a blend of reality and illusion.


    ¡°The Sumeru Sword¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang murmured, a look of reminiscence on his face, as well as a calm acceptance of death.


    Just then, nearby Formation Patterns trembled, the barrier broke, and Bai Qiancheng, who had deployed the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella, revealed her figure.


    She saw Mr. Zhuang, pale as paper, resigned to his fate.


    She also saw Gui Tao¡¯s people, his face full of murderous intent, holding the long sword.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s heart trembled, ¡°Big Senior Brother!¡±


    The sword tip of Gui Tao¡¯s people stopped in front of Mr. Zhuang. He turned to look at Bai Qiancheng, his expression cool and enigmatic as he said indifferently:


    ¡°The master is dead, the sect is gone.¡±


    ¡°I am not your big senior brother anymore, and you are no longer a junior sister¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s heart was bitter, ¡°I beg big senior brother to show mercy¡­¡±


    The indifferent expression of Gui Tao¡¯s people gradually faded, replaced by a sneer on his enigmatic face.


    This sneer was extremely strange, as if it had been taken from many faces and pieced together on one.


    The voice of Gui Tao¡¯s people also became noisy.


    As if many people were sneering and speaking together.


    ¡°Mercy¡­¡±


    ¡°At this point, what talk of mercy is there?¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Bai Qiancheng and said indifferently:


    ¡°If I don¡¯t kill him, how can I get the Back Ruins Picture?¡±


    ¡°Without taking the Back Ruins Picture, how can your Bai Family seize this picture? Without seizing this picture, how can you find the Heavenly Burial Ground?¡±


    ¡°Before you came here, did the old man of the Bai Family tell you to ¡®watch from the sidelines¡¯?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t want you to intervene, they would be happy to see this happen.¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°They also want me to, kill my junior brother!¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°You keep asking me to show mercy, but what about your heart?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you, too, calculating against him?¡±


    ¡°You want to seize the inheritance of the Innate Formation Flow on his body, you want to steal the secrets of the Back Ruins Heaven Burial to make merits for the Bai Family, to pave a path to immortality for your children with Heavenly Spirit Root.¡±


    ¡°You call him brother with your lips, but have you ever truly seen him as a brother in your heart?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s complexion turned pale, she wanted to say ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡±, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out, and a deep sense of guilt arose within her.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people glanced at Mr. Zhuang again, his eyes complex, and said calmly:


    ¡°I have pursued you for hundreds of years¡­¡±


    ¡°This junior sister of yours, whom you treated like a real sister, has also been planning against you all her life¡­¡±


    ¡°Previously, you took in many disciples, all of them prodigies, but in the end, all deserted you, not one wished to stay by your side¡­¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court wishes to kill you, strip your Innate Taoist Bone.¡±


    ¡°The Demon Sect wants to kill you, take your Dao Picture.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the master whom you always greatly respected¡­¡±


    A sneer appeared on Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s face.


    ¡°How was your Qi Sea shattered?¡±


    ¡°And how did your Sea of Consciousness become exhausted?¡±


    ¡°Who could have laid such a heaven-defying conspiracy to scheme against you?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­ the master¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s pupils shook violently, and her face showed disbelief at something she had never heard of before.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked fiercely at Mr. Zhuang and continued:


    ¡°It was the master, exploiting you! From the very beginning, from the moment he took you in as his disciple, it was all his calculation.¡±


    ¡°The master¡­ in accordance with the sect¡¯s ancient teachings, from the very beginning, was looking for someone with Innate Taoist Bone!¡±


    ¡°He searched his whole life, and finally found you.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression was indifferent.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sneered, talking to himself: ¡°Because the Innate Taoist Bone is the key¡­¡±


    ¡°The secret of Back Ruins Heaven Burial is hidden in a drop of the ¡®Blood of the Heavenly Man¡¯, passed down since the ancient times tens of thousands of years ago.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 699 - 559 Sect_2

    Chapter 699: Chapter 559 Sect_2


    ¡°This drop of blood, undying through myriad calamities, cannot be obliterated.¡±


    ¡°So, it must contain the opportunity to become immortal.¡±


    ¡°For tens of thousands of years, no one has been able to unravel the mysteries of this drop of blood.¡±


    ¡°But he, Master, he figured it out¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s expressions were grave, and their eyes trembled slightly.


    ¡°This drop of Blood of the Heavenly Man, undying and indelible, harbors mysteries unfathomable. Thus, the only option is to merge it into a person¡¯s bloodstream, to incubate it¡­¡±


    ¡°And the one worthy to merge with this drop of Blood of the Heavenly Man is none other than a person of exceptional talent and Innate Taoist Bone¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people gazed at Mr. Zhuang, speaking slowly, ¡°That is, you, Junior Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Master never truly saw you as a disciple, and not even as a ¡®person¡¯¡­ ¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°In his eyes, you were just a piece in the Calculation of the Heavenly Secret, a tool, a vessel for nurturing the Blood of the Heavenly Man, a fetus to comprehend the Back Ruins Heaven Burial¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to incubate Ancestral Blood?¡±


    ¡°Right, you know¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people said with a mocking look, ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t know before, by now you should¡­¡±


    ¡°Master imparted to you the entire Sect¡¯s inheritance, to make you a Tao Cultivation genius without equal in this world, and once your cultivation was complete, he then designed to kill you!¡±


    ¡°First to shatter your Qi Sea, causing you to lose cultivation;¡±


    ¡°Then to break your Sea of Consciousness, severely damaging your Divine Sense;¡±


    ¡°Ordinary people, whether it¡¯s their Qi Sea or Sea of Consciousness, would generally perish along with their Tao after shattering, but not you, because you have Innate Taoist Bone, and you carry the Blood of the Heavenly Man.¡±


    ¡°Once both your Qi Sea and Sea of Consciousness are broken, the Innate Taoist Bone becomes your Sea of Consciousness and Qi Sea, sustaining your life.¡±


    ¡°This is ¡®forcing the shoots to grow faster¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°By depriving the Innate Taoist Bone of support from Qi Sea and Sea of Consciousness, it rapidly absorbs the Blood of the Heavenly Man, growing excessively fast, and thus accelerating the fusion of the Taoist Bone with the Heavenly Blood.¡±


    ¡°Once the fusion is complete, the Blood of the Heavenly Man will be refined.¡±


    ¡°And on your Taoist Bone, will appear, hidden within the Blood of the Heavenly Man, the secret of the Heavenly Man! That is, the very Formation Diagram, the Back Ruins Heaven Burial Diagram!¡±


    ¡°At that time, to kill you¡­¡±


    ¡°To peel away your Taoist Bone¡­¡±


    ¡°And to obtain, this complete diagram, containing the ancient opportunity, the Back Ruins Heaven Burial Diagram!¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s face grew paler and paler.


    She never imagined that her Master, who always seemed kind and affable, harbored such profound and¡­ ruthless schemes¡­


    Master adopted Big Senior Brother and treated him like his own child.


    But it was with the calculation of ¡°a tiger devouring its own offspring.¡±


    And in her eyes, Senior Brother Zhuang, who was a peerless genius hailed by all, was just a ¡°tool¡± being used by Master¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mr. Zhuang, their tone somewhat sorrowful and tinged with mockery:


    ¡°You are a master of the Calculation of the Heavenly Secret, unmatched in this lifetime, yet from the beginning to the end, from birth to death, you are constantly being schemed against¡­¡±


    ¡°Those people, they respect you, they fear you, but no one cares about you.¡±


    ¡°Whether it is the Taoist Court or the Demon Sect, everyone just wants you dead!¡±


    ¡°They all want to kill you, to rip open your heart, to dismantle your Taoist Bone, to see what fortune hides within you!¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s face carried a hint of desolation, but even more so, resignation.


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡±


    He looked at Gui Tao¡¯s people again, as if trying to see the once gentle and affable, always smiling Big Senior Brother in that sinister face.


    But he could no longer see it¡­


    He had gradually forgotten what the Big Senior Brother used to be like.


    Mr. Zhuang felt a twinge of regret and sighed softly.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mr. Zhuang, their eyes filled with an indescribable fury and disappointment!


    After saying so much, he still kept the appearance of being without desires and understanding of life and death.


    The ferocious face of Gui Tao¡¯s people, a tumult of faces, appeared and mixed together, finally merging into one and then fading away, their gaze becoming merciless and cold.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people raised the Sumeru Sword, pointing it at Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°Big Senior Brother, stop!¡±


    Bai Qiancheng cried out in alarm, urging him to halt.


    She wanted to step forward, but was restrained by Gui Tao¡¯s people with a counter-hand Formation Pattern.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze sharpened, she summoned the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella, and as it spun, brocade luminescence flowed, but these lights were dissipated one by one by the strange Formation Patterns.


    Without using the power of Feather Transformation, she couldn¡¯t break free.


    Bai Qiancheng felt bitterness in her heart.


    In cultivation, Divine Thought, Formation, and even calculating with Divine Sense, she was no match for the once Big Senior Brother, now Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    All she could do was watch helplessly.


    As she watched Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Sumeru Sword pierce into Senior Brother Zhuang¡¯s chest, then slice open his heart channel, and extract a piece of his Innate Taoist Bone, seeming crystalline as jade and supporting the desiccated Sea of Consciousness and shattered Qi Sea¡­


    Not a single drop of blood flowed out.


    Because all the blood was completely disintegrated by the Sword Qi of Sumeru.


    The Taoist Bone was crystal clear.


    It seemed to have extremely complex, colossal, ancient, and profound Patterns, a form of innate formation merged with blood and bone, engraved on this ¡°Innate Taoist Bone.¡±


    This diagram, resembling a Formation Diagram.


    Was indeed the coveted Back Ruins Heaven Burial Diagram, sought after by cultivators and powers from all sides!


    The moment the Innate Taoist Bone was stripped away, Mr. Zhuang¡¯s vitality began to fade rapidly.


    His face turned even paler, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed, and his entire presence slowly became nebulous, almost void¡­


    Bai Qiancheng felt a pain in her heart.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people also stared at Mr. Zhuang, lost in thought.


    They knew this scene would eventually occur.


    But it seemed they had still not anticipated that this scene would truly take place¡­

 Chapter 700 - 559 Sect_3

    Chapter 700: Chapter 559 Sect_3


    He had killed his junior brother with his own hands¡­


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s breath was already faint, but he still held onto a last gasp of air, as if he still had some concerns.


    The Blood of the Heavenly Man, the Innate Taoist Bone, the Back Ruins Heaven Burial ¨C these, he didn¡¯t care too much about¡­


    ¡°Big Senior Brother¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang murmured softly, ¡°For the sake of our brotherhood, please don¡¯t trouble¡­ my few young disciples¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people stared in shock, then turned cold again, about to utter a mockery.


    Just then, several golden chains suddenly appeared in the sky.


    These chains, adorned with majestic and rough Great Dao Formation Patterns, appeared and formed into a cage, seemingly intended to lock Gui Tao¡¯s people inside.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sneered, ¡°Old fool, coveting a windfall!¡±


    His gaze hardened as he swallowed the Innate Taoist Bone and then his body was covered in black-gray Formation Patterns. These patterns, from the outside in, devoured his flesh, dissolving it¡­


    And the figure of Gui Tao¡¯s people also gradually faded, gradually scattered¡­


    In the void, an old and vigorous voice rang out:


    ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Escape¡­ thinking of fleeing?¡±


    The golden light in the sky grew stronger as the chains layered.


    But it seemed that nothing could stop the escaping method of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    His body faded bit by bit, vanishing from sight, but as he was leaving, he gave Mr. Zhuang one last look.


    That look was extremely complex, with a trace of pain, and finally, only determination remained.


    After that, Gui Tao¡¯s people disappeared.


    A cold snort sounded in the sky, followed by the dissipation of golden light, also vanishing without a trace, as if some unknown powerful being had followed the thread of Tricky Calculation in pursuit of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    In the Formation Pavilion, only Mr. Zhuang was left.


    Having lost the Back Ruins Heaven Burial map, the dying Mr. Zhuang was no longer cared for by anyone¡­


    Nobody cared about his life or death.


    Bai Qiancheng stepped forward, lifted Mr. Zhuang up, but found Mr. Zhuang¡¯s body lighter than willow fluff, thinner than paper, and couldn¡¯t help but shudder in his heart.


    ¡°Big Senior Brother¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang slowly opened his eyes, took a look at Bai Qiancheng, his gaze gentle, a faint smile on his face, but he did not speak.


    It seemed he no longer had the strength to talk.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression grew tense, ¡°Big Senior Brother, you can¡¯t die!¡±


    After a while, Mr. Zhuang finally spoke, his voice light and weary: S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I have calculated all my life, I¡¯m tired, I want to sleep for a while¡­¡±


    Pain wracked Bai Qiancheng¡¯s heart, ¡°Big Senior Brother, you can¡¯t die! Isn¡¯t there anything in this world you still want to do, anyone you still want to see?¡±


    Mr. Zhuang hesitated for a moment but still shook his head, murmuring:


    ¡°No more, there¡¯s no one left in this world I want to see¡­¡±


    After he spoke, Mr. Zhuang slowly closed his eyes, no matter how Bai Qiancheng called out to him, there was no response.


    The last trace of color faded from his face.


    The faint spark of life, like a spring seeping into the desert, gradually dried up¡­


    Bai Qiancheng watched Mr. Zhuang¡¯s expression, his face filled with bewilderment.


    He had never imagined he would witness this scene.


    Seeing his own Big Senior Brother die in front of him.


    That was Senior Brother Zhuang¡­


    Such a prodigious talent, so magnificent and peerless, so invincible.


    Whatever happened, he had a plan for everything; no matter what mistakes he made, he would be forgiving; whatever he wanted, Senior Brother would figure it out for him.


    The Big Senior Brother was right.


    He was also scheming against his Big Senior Brother.


    But¡­


    He always thought that no matter how much he schemed, Big Senior Brother would still be Big Senior Brother, the one adept at Heavenly secret Calculation, confident in everything.


    And not like this, pale-faced, devoid of life¡­


    ¡°Big Senior Brother¡­ going to die?¡±


    A great terror spread throughout his body.


    Bai Qiancheng trembled all over.


    Everybody dies eventually.


    But having lived for hundreds of years, he had never realized, never thought, that one day, his Big Senior Brother, who treated him like a younger sister, always indulgent and caring for him, would¡­ die?


    He felt as if his chest was constricted, his heart torn by a knife.


    Tears flowed silently down his face.


    Bai Qiancheng wiped his cheeks, looking at the teardrops on his fingertips, murmuring: ¡°So it turns out, I can still cry¡­¡±


    Death¡­


    Bai Qiancheng was suddenly shocked.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t die!¡±


    ¡°Big Senior Brother¡­ he cannot die!¡±


    Master had died¡­


    Big Senior Brother had turned into a demon¡­


    If Big Senior Brother were to die too, then all those who had ever cherished him in this world would be gone¡­


    ¡°Big Senior Brother can¡¯t die!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ how to save him, what do I have to save him with?!¡±


    With the Qi Sea shattered, the Sea of Consciousness exhausted, the Taoist Bone stripped, and life fading away¡­ in such a state, no Pills would be of use¡­


    Bai Qiancheng felt suffocated, involuntarily clutching his chest, enduring the agony, his mind racing.


    Moments later, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he suddenly said:


    ¡°True Man Situ¡­ the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp¡­¡±

 Chapter 701 - 560: Eternal Mysterious Flame_1

    Chapter 701: Chapter 560: Eternal Mysterious Flame_1


    ¡°`


    Outside Li Mountain City, the Tao Cultivation camp.


    The clamor had subsided.


    Cultivators were dead or wounded all over.


    These cultivators had all been influenced by Gui Tao¡¯s people with a Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, and had killed each other.


    True Man Situ, using his fingers for Calculation and with the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, illuminated every corner of the camp to ensure there were no more Demon Seeds, nor the eerie presence of Gui Tao¡¯s people. Only then did his expression slightly relax.


    Afterwards, the dead cultivators were encoffined.


    The other cultivators were still in shock, each tending to their recuperation.


    In the room, True Man Situ was restless, his brows furrowed in thought.


    A moment later, there was a flash of a figure, and Bai Qiancheng, dressed in white, burst through the door and immediately said,


    ¡°Senior Situ, I have a matter for which I need your assistance.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression was urgent.


    True Man Situ was taken aback, then furrowed his brows, sensing that this was no small matter.


    Moments later, he followed Bai Qiancheng into a secret chamber within the camp, where he saw Mr. Zhuang lying inside, his vital energy nearly dissipated. His heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    True Man Situ pointed at Mr. Zhuang, his fingers trembling.


    ¡°The Back Ruins Picture has been taken by Gui Tao¡¯s people, my senior brother¡¯s lifeforce is slipping away, he is on the brink of death. Please, Senior, save my teacher¡¯s life!¡± pleaded Bai Qiancheng earnestly.


    True Man Situ gave a wry smile.


    Was this really a matter of whether to save or not to save¡­


    ¡°True Man Bai, I¡¯m not a Pill Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Pill Masters can¡¯t save him.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng said, ¡°I wish to ask Senior, to use the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, to sustain my teacher¡¯s life!¡±


    True Man Situ¡¯s heart leaped, and he immediately refused, saying, ¡°No, no!¡±


    Then, seeing Bai Qiancheng¡¯s frosty expression, he explained,


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I am miserly, but the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp is not the Seven Stars Everlasting Lamp, it¡­ it can¡¯t sustain life!¡±


    ¡°It can!¡±


    Bai Qiancheng stated decisively.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    True Man Situ was halfway through his objection when Bai Qiancheng interrupted him:


    ¡°My ancestor once mentioned to me that the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, in times of crisis, could temporarily sustain life¡­¡±


    True Man Situ¡¯s face darkened.


    He had forgotten that detail¡­ This young lady was from the Bai Family, with a profound family knowledge and knew the secret of this treasured artifact; he couldn¡¯t deceive her¡­


    Still unwilling to agree, True Man Situ then asked,


    ¡°Do you know how to use it?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but you certainly do!¡±


    True Man Situ was taken aback.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze sharpened as she continued,


    ¡°You are the Chief Elder of Mystery Valley, respected and revered, with great mastery over Calculation. You definitely know how to sustain my teacher¡¯s life!¡±


    ¡°I have not mastered the art¡­¡±


    But Bai Qiancheng had a firm look in her eyes, not listening to his objections.


    Helpless, True Man Situ decided to tell the truth,


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I disagree, but the price is too high¡­¡±


    ¡°This Qiankun Clear Light Lamp contains the Heavenly secret, expels evil and wards off disasters, it¡¯s Mystery Valley¡¯s most precious treasure, passed down through over a dozen generations¡­¡±


    ¡°This treasured artifact is not like the Seven Stars Everlasting Lamp; it¡¯s not meant for sustaining life.¡±


    ¡°If you use it as an Everlasting Lamp, it will wear out quickly, and before it saves someone¡¯s life for long, this Lamp may well expire¡­¡±


    ¡°I do not consider myself a selfish man, but no matter what, I could not destroy the Sect¡¯s treasure just to save the life of someone unrelated¡­¡±


    True Man Situ shook his head repeatedly.


    Bai Qiancheng bit her lip and said, ¡°I will find a Heavenly secret treasure to present to Mystery Valley in exchange for the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp.¡±


    ¡°A Heavenly secret treasure¡­ Where could you easily find such a thing¡­¡±


    True Man Situ disagreed.


    ¡°Then consider it a great favor owed by the Bai Family,¡± said Bai Qiancheng.


    ¡°Is it the Bai Family that owes the favor, or do you, True Man Bai, owe it?¡± asked True Man Situ.


    If it was a favor owed by the Bai Family, he might consider it.


    But if it was just a favor from a Feather Transformation True Man¡­


    Although a favor from a Feather Transformation True Man was valuable, it was certainly not so valuable as to exchange the treasure of Mystery Valley for it¡­


    True Man Situ could not agree in any case.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze became a bit hostile.


    True Man Situ was startled, his heart skipped a beat, wondering if she meant to forcibly take it¡­


    He had heard that the Bai Family¡¯s young miss was arrogant and willful, acting capriciously, but that was all over a hundred years ago¡­


    By now, having become a True Person and with a pair of children, she should have become more stable.


    But if she really resorted to force¡­


    Not even force would make him give it up!


    The Qiankun Clear Light Lamp certainly could not be lent out! S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as True Man Situ was about to reject her firmly, he paused.


    The scenes of the Daoist Court being Planting Devil in Taoist Heart floated before his eyes¡­


    The pitch-black pupils of that disciple.


    The cultivators from Daoist Court, influenced by Demon Thought, killing each other.


    The Taoists from Gui Tao casually walking past them.


    And that overwhelming presence of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    True Man Situ felt a chill in his heart.


    If Mr. Zhuang truly died, who else could contain Gui Tao¡¯s people?


    Without the Heavenly secret Calculation, how would they contend with Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?


    The art of Heavenly secret Calculation is different from cultivation.


    No matter how powerful one¡¯s cultivation, without knowledge of the Heavenly secret, one can still be schemed to death.


    Although the Divine Sense Calculation of Mystery Valley was indeed profound, no matter what, it could not compare to One Thought, Two Methods, Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    And if one day, Gui Tao¡¯s people truly became the Great Demon Head, founded on Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, using Planting Devil in Taoist Heart as a technique, slaughtered Mystery Valley, exterminated the Calculation of Mystery Valley, what would he do?


    How to defend?


    How could they possibly defend?


    True Man Situ became more frightened the more he thought.


    This thread of thought was not unfounded.


    Those who see the Heavenly secret and are skilled in Calculation, the myriad thoughts in their Sea of Consciousness, fleeting glimpses of light¡ªthese are all omens.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 702 - 560: The Everlasting Mysterious Flame_2

    Chapter 702: Chapter 560: The Everlasting Mysterious Flame_2


    These were all the fragments of possible futures in the causality, like illusions conjured by mirrors and water.


    In a hazy vision, he seemed to witness the scene of Gui Tao¡¯s people slaughtering those in Mystery Valley.


    The mountain gate was gloomy; a strange Qi Qi lingered all around.


    The disciples of the sect, with pitch-black eyes, had become walking corpses who killed each other¡­


    Annihilation of the entire sect!


    True Man Situ shuddered with fear.


    Facing such overwhelming tricky calculations, where the life force was utterly extinguished, it wasn¡¯t a matter of whether one Qiankun Clear Light Lamp would help¡ª even ten would be of no use¡­


    True Man Situ took another look at Mr. Zhuang, whose breath was feeble and life force was fleeing, and he sighed deeply.


    If anyone in this world could contend with Gui Tao¡¯s people, it was only the equally exceptional and similarly taught Mr. Zhuang¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a gamble¡­¡±


    Although he might not live to see that day, he still had to seek wellbeing and forge a good karma for the future disciples of Mystery Valley¡­


    ¡°Alright!¡± True Man Situ nodded and said, ¡°I agree to your request.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng was startled; she had been prepared to take it by force, but did not expect True Man Situ to suddenly change his mind.


    ¡°However, I have a few conditions¡­¡± True Man Situ spoke again.


    Bai Qiancheng nodded, ¡°Senior, please speak.¡±


    True Man Situ said with a sigh, ¡°This will be considered a favor the Bai Family, or at least True Man Bai, owes to our Mystery Valley¡­¡±


    ¡°Should our Mystery Valley face peril in the future, I hope True Man Bai will lend a hand!¡±


    Bai Qiancheng agreed, ¡°Of course.¡±


    True Man Situ continued, ¡°In lieu of the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp, should True Man Bai come across another treasure of the Heavenly Secret in the future, please present it to this old man as compensation for the loss to Mystery Valley¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°One more thing¡­¡± True Man Situ looked serious, ¡°Do not mention to anyone that I have intervened to help¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang had too many enemies, and the causality was too great.


    True Man Situ feared he could not bear the consequences.


    Bai Qiancheng nodded solemnly.


    True Man Situ breathed a sigh of relief. Although reluctant, he took out the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp and said to Bai Qiancheng:


    ¡°As you and Mr. Zhuang come from the same lineage, you should know that Mr. Zhuang¡¯s Qi Sea is exhausted, his Sea of Consciousness shattered, beyond the healing of pills and beyond the help of mortals¡­¡±


    ¡°I can only use the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp as the Formation eye, consuming the lifespan of this lamp to set up the Mysterious Fire Everlasting Formation and lock Mr. Zhuang¡¯s causality.¡±


    ¡°Without the cause of ¡®death,¡¯ the effect of ¡®death¡¯ will not come.¡±


    ¡°By locking the causality, Mr. Zhuang is, for the moment, not considered ¡®dead.''¡±


    ¡°But you must know, this is just an extension of life by bending fate; it does not save a life and cannot.¡±


    ¡°Once the lamp extinguishes and the Formation breaks, the causality will resume its place, and Mr. Zhuang will still die¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng painfully acknowledged, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Even if it was just locking the causality, not being counted as dead, at least it was a sliver of hope¡­


    Better some hope than none¡­


    True Man Situ sighed and began to light the Clear Light Lamp, setting up the Mysterious Fire Formation, igniting the eternal flame, and temporarily locking the causality, sealing Mr. Zhuang¡¯s ¡°death.¡±


    Bai Qiancheng sighed in relief. After guarding Mr. Zhuang for several days, she suddenly remembered she had forgotten about Mo Hua.


    With her Divine Sense, she scanned Dali Mountain and spotted Mo Hua wandering along a mountain road outside Dali Mountain, lost and unsure of direction.


    Bai Qiancheng felt a pang of heartache and brought Mo Hua before Mr. Zhuang. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon seeing her master who had patiently taught her, smiled at her, stroked her head, and cared for her deeply, lying there cold, unconscious, and unaware of life or death, tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.


    In the following days, Mo Hua neither ate nor drank, remaining by Mr. Zhuang¡¯s side.


    ¡­


    In the Qiankun Lamp, light radiated in all directions.


    Within the Mysterious Fire Everlasting Formation, the Patterns were profound.


    Mr. Zhuang lay within the Formation, his breath as faint as mist, elusive and intangible, seemingly alive and dead, with only the thinnest thread of life lingering.


    He had thought he was already dead, doomed to eternal sleep.


    But in a hazy state, he still perceived a familiar, worrisome presence.


    Mr. Zhuang finally opened his eyes and took one last look at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was guarding in front of him, her head drooping, her figure desolate, her eyes red and swollen, incessantly wiping away tears with her sleeve.


    Mr. Zhuang felt both pained and relieved.


    There were still people who truly cared for him¡­


    He imprinted Mo Hua¡¯s figure in his mind and silently thought:


    ¡°Live well¡­¡±


    ¡°Cultivate diligently, learn Formation Patterns well¡­¡±


    ¡°Study well¡­¡±


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s thoughts stalled, and he felt his life force faltering; this thought seemed to be just a fleeting resurgence, a lingering notion as he clung to life¡­


    But that was enough¡­


    Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua and closed his eyes contentedly.


    Mo Hua suddenly started and looked up only to find that Mr. Zhuang had already closed his eyes.


    Mo Hua rubbed her eyes, but they were sore, and she couldn¡¯t see clearly whether her master had awakened, whether he had glanced at her.


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart ached, and tears flowed once more.


    ¡­


    Three days later, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi also arrived.


    Their expressions were dejected. Seeing Mr. Zhuang, their hearts grew even heavier, their eyes red with grief.


    Only after seeing that Mo Hua was unharmed did they feel somewhat better.


    They sat beside Mo Hua, steadfastly guarding Mr. Zhuang, refusing to leave no matter what.


    Bai Qiancheng felt helpless but could do nothing about it.


    She had not realized that her children, along with Mo Hua, their little Disciple, had such depth of feeling for their senior brother¡­


    All she could do was to instruct Aunt Xue to prepare some food or Pills that could replenish Blood Qi, making sure these three children ate a bit every day, preventing them from diminishing their Blood Qi.

 Chapter 703 - 560 Mysterious Eternal Flame_3

    Chapter 703: Chapter 560 Mysterious Eternal Flame_3


    Apart from that, Bai Qiancheng¡¯s biggest concern was still Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    This matter seemed to have settled, but she always felt a lingering fear, as if Gui Tao¡¯s people still had some schemes up their sleeves.


    She went to ask True Man Situ, and True Man Situ also frowned without understanding.


    The actions of Gui Tao¡¯s people were mysterious and inscrutable.


    Yet it seemed, now that they had the Back Ruins Heaven Burial map in their possession, Gui Tao¡¯s people had achieved their goal and probably had no other intentions.


    Moreover, he had already made inquiries before.


    It seemed that the Pavilion Elders of the Taoist Court Seven Pavilions, using the Golden Light Heavenly Instrument, had locked onto the aura of Gui Tao¡¯s people and had been hunting them down continuously.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were too busy fending for themselves and would likely not risk doing evil again.


    Bai Qiancheng breathed a sigh of relief.


    After that, Bai Qiancheng planned to leave.


    She needed to ensure Mr. Zhuang was settled properly, not to let the Everlasting Lantern extinguish, and also to send Zixi and Zisheng back to their clan.


    At the same time, Mo Hua, this child, she also needed to find a way to send him back home.


    The Taoist Court and various Cultivators stationed outside Li Mountain City were also going to leave.


    But the night before their departure, a change occurred.


    As they were about to part ways, True Man Situ simply arranged a banquet as a farewell gesture.


    However, after just three rounds of drinking, a disturbance erupted in the camp, accompanied by cries of terror, hideous laughter, frantic shouts, and the sounds of combat¡­


    True Man Situ¡¯s heart trembled, ¡°Is this, Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?!¡±


    Everyone else¡¯s expression changed dramatically.


    They rushed out immediately and saw several Taoist Soldiers indeed enveloped in Demonic Qi, having lost their senses, with ferocious expressions as if choosing people to devour¡­


    It was exactly like the signs of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart they had witnessed previously.


    True Man Situ, as if facing a great enemy, quickly subdued those possessed disciples, then turned to alert everyone, but upon looking up, he furrowed his brow.


    There was no aura of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    This meant that Gui Tao¡¯s people were not present¡­


    True Man Situ was somewhat surprised.


    Were these Taoist Soldiers just previously tainted with the Demon Seed, erupting only now?


    This type of Demon Seed was extremely weak and not contagious, posing very little threat.


    True Man Situ released his Divine Sense, scanned the area, and found no anomalies, finally heaving a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I was overly concerned¡­¡±


    The others also breathed a sigh of relief.


    They had thought Gui Tao¡¯s people had come back for revenge¡­


    The crowd then thought of returning to continue drinking, to calm their nerves, but halfway there, Bai Qiancheng suddenly paused, halting in her steps.


    True Man Situ was puzzled, ¡°True Man Bai?¡±


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡± Bai Qiancheng frowned, murmuring.


    True Man Situ was a bit taken aback, ¡°What¡¯s not right?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng said, ¡°Master¡­ every move Gui Tao¡¯s people make is calculated, they would never, without reason, scatter these few sporadic Demon Seeds here, they must have another motive for doing so¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Bai Qiancheng suddenly turned pale, ¡°Zisheng, Zixi!¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her body light as a falling feather, her feet swift as the wind, after a few flashes, she arrived in front of the secret chamber.


    Zisheng and Zixi were both holding bowls, looked after by Aunt Xue, drinking nourishing medicinal soup.


    Seeing Bai Qiancheng rushing over hurriedly, both were somewhat puzzled, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng pulled them in front of her, gave the children a thorough examination, probed the aura of both with her Divine Sense, and checked their eyes, only then did the stone in her heart fall.


    ¡°Mother, has something happened?¡±


    Bai Zixi asked.


    Bai Qiancheng shook her head, about to say something, when suddenly her expression changed, ¡°Where¡¯s Mo Hua?¡±


    Bai Zixi replied, ¡°Mo Hua was too exhausted and fainted, so Aunt Xue took him back to the room to rest for a while¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s face turned deathly pale.


    Bai Zixi also sensed something was amiss, her voice trembling, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait here for me¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng instructed, and then her figure flashed, graceful as a startled swan, and in an instant, she arrived at Mo Hua¡¯s room.


    Mo Hua¡¯s small body lay on the bed, resting quietly on his side.


    Bai Qiancheng let out a sigh of relief but remained somewhat uneasy, so she gently called out, ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t seem to be asleep, and upon hearing movement, he straightened himself, then slowly sat up.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you go back to sleep for a while¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng had not finished speaking when she suddenly stopped short.


    At that moment, Mo Hua had already turned his head around.


    His face was innocent, but his pupils were pitch black.

 Chapter 704 - 561 Stealing Learning_1

    Chapter 704: Chapter 561 Stealing Learning_1


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?!


    ¡°Big Senior Brother, is this to¡­ completely eradicate the roots?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng felt a shiver in her heart.


    Such a ruthless intention!


    At this moment, several other Feathered Immortals also hurried over.


    Although Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi had been told not to move, they couldn¡¯t help but follow over due to their concerns. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They all saw Mo Hua.


    They saw Mo Hua¡¯s unusual expression, pitch-black and hollow pupils, a youthful face, and an aura of Gui Qi.


    True Man Situ¡¯s eyes flashed:


    ¡°The Demon Thought is deeply planted!¡±


    How long had this young cultivator been in contact with Gui Tao¡¯s people?


    Why had such a deep Demon Thought been planted in him?


    And this strand of Demon Thought¡­


    It actually carries a whiff of the Original Demon Seed¡¯s aura¡­


    True Man Situ was greatly alarmed.


    What deep karma did Gui Tao¡¯s people have with this young cultivator to plant such a profound Demon Thought and completely obliterate him?!


    The other Feathered Immortals also looked gravely concerned.


    ¡°Senior Situ, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°This young cultivator is carrying a Demon Seed¡­¡±


    ¡°To prevent spreading and endless disasters, should we¡­ eliminate him first?¡±


    There was a hint of murderous intent in his gaze.


    Bai Zixi¡¯s eyes turned cold, and she said crisply:


    ¡°Who dares?!¡±


    All the Feathered Immortals were startled, overawed by Bai Zixi¡¯s imposing manner; they felt a moment of unease followed by indignation.


    Being highly cultivated elders, revered in their sects, when had they ever been so rudely disrespected by a Qi-refining Realm young girl?


    The group looked at Bai Zixi with displeasure.


    Bai Zisheng stood firmly in front of Bai Zixi, and said fiercely, ¡°Who dares to bully my sister? Who would harm my junior brother?¡±


    ¡°Impudent boy! You¡­¡±


    A Feathered Immortal was furious and about to scold him, but was pulled by someone next to him.


    Turning his head, he then saw Bai Qiancheng with an expression as cold as frost and eyes sharp as swords, quietly swallowing his words¡­


    He dared not offend the Bai Family, and especially not True Man Bai.


    Furthermore, these two children were the legendary Heavenly Spirit Roots.


    Don¡¯t bully the young when they¡¯re poor¡­


    One couldn¡¯t let momentary emotion cause trouble with an incautious remark.


    But this young cultivator needed to be dealt with¡­


    ¡°Senior Situ, what do you think¡­¡±


    He passed the problem on to True Man Situ.


    Bai Qiancheng also looked at True Man Situ, her gaze suggestive, but clearly asking if there was any way to save Mo Hua¡­


    True Man Situ felt caught between a rock and a hard place.


    Save¡­ how could he possibly save him?


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart by Gui Tao¡¯s people destroys the Taoist Heart and damages Divine Sense, incurable by medicine, unsalvageable by anyone¡­


    The best solution, of course, was to end the pain quickly, kill him soon to prevent the spread of Demon Thought¡­


    But¡­


    True Man Situ stroked his beard.


    Killing a young cultivator ¨C he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it.


    Not killing, yet, could lead to endless troubles.


    And even if one had to kill, who would do it?


    Although the child seemed to have no particular status or background, he was Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple¡­


    Seemingly with a lowly Spiritual Root and average talent, likely a disciple in name only, but anything related to Mr. Zhuang carried significant karma.


    He didn¡¯t dare to truly strike at the child¡­


    Moreover, if the child were so simple, Gui Tao¡¯s people wouldn¡¯t have made special efforts to implant the Demon Seed in his Taoist Heart, creating distractions and killing a child in his early teens¡­


    True Man Bai was right; Gui Tao¡¯s actions always had intent.


    There must be some mystery involved.


    True Man Situ furrowed his brows, glanced at Mo Hua again, and sighed helplessly:


    ¡°This child has a deeply planted Demon Thought, but from the looks of it, he hasn¡¯t gone mad, nor has he completely lost his mind. And being at Qi Refinement, his cultivation is limited; even if he goes mad, he can¡¯t kill anyone¡­¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, we should confine the child for now and observe the situation¡­¡±


    If it really came down to it, the Demon Thought would have to be nipped in the bud¡­


    True Man Situ didn¡¯t say this outright, but everyone understood what he implied.


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s gaze hardened slightly as she said, ¡°Then let¡¯s follow Senior Situ¡¯s advice.¡±


    She indeed had no solution for Planting Devil in Taoist Heart and could only think of dragging things out for now.


    Hopefully, Mo Hua, being a fortunate child, would turn the bad into good¡­


    Since True Man Situ¡¯s Qiankun Clear Light Lamp was now being used as a lamp, Bai Qiancheng summoned the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella, enveloping Mo Hua inside to isolate his aura.


    It was to prevent Mo Hua from going mad and his Demon Thought from spilling out.


    It was also to protect Mo Hua.


    Around Mo Hua, True Man Situ drew the Mystery God-Deifying Formation from Mystery Valley, trapping Mo Hua and Gui Tao¡¯s Demon Seed firmly within, to prevent any untoward incident.


    ¡°Zisheng, Zixi, you go back first¡­¡± Bai Qiancheng said softly.


    Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi both shook their heads.


    They wanted to stay here, guarding their junior brother!


    They had promised their mentor to take good care of him!


    Bai Qiancheng had no choice but to remain with the two children, standing guard in front of Mo Hua.


    ¡°Junior brother¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi looked at Mo Hua¡¯s pitch-black pupils, felt a pang in her heart, tightly pursed her lips, and her face turned pale.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was confined under the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella, quiet and still, not making any trouble.


    Surrounded by the Mystery God-Deifying Formation, his Qi was cut off. His pupils were pitch-black, his expression slightly vacant, seemingly oblivious to everything.


    Yet inside his Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    He sensed a tremendous terror.


    A powerful, pitch-black, bizarre, grey shadow, like swirling ink, suddenly appeared within his Sea of Consciousness.


    Soon after, a void and distorted figure gradually emerged.


    His features were unfamiliar, hazy, carrying vague afterimages.


    But his aura was unmistakably familiar.


    Mo Hua knew without looking.

 Chapter 705 - 561 - Learning Stealthily_2

    Chapter 705: Chapter 561 ¨C Learning Stealthily_2


    This person was his Uncle.


    And the real¡­ Gui Tao¡¯s people!


    Or rather, a strand of thought close to the source of Gui Tao!


    Mo Hua was somewhat nervous, but not panicked.


    Because, at this moment, Gui Tao¡¯s people were still outside the boundary of his Sea of Consciousness.


    Between him and Gui Tao¡¯s people lay the grand scale, layer upon layer, intricate and ever-changing, as intricate as a cocoon¡­


    Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!


    The bottleneck of Heaven Yan Jue was the obstacle of Foundation Establishment, but now it had become the natural barrier of Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, keeping Gui Tao¡¯s people ¡°out of the gate.¡±


    Gui Qi lingered, and Gui Tao¡¯s people transitioned from illusion to reality, gradually manifesting.


    As soon as he condensed, he looked up and saw tens of thousands of Formations, lying between him and Mo Hua, and couldn¡¯t help but be stunned and lost in thought.


    ¡°Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?¡±


    ¡°How could it be¡­ Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?¡±


    How could a Cultivator¡¯s Sea of Consciousness form the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­ S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was fundamentally beyond his expectations.


    Through the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, Gui Tao¡¯s people, with profound gaze, looked towards Mo Hua, his expression cold with a hint of confusion.


    This Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­ who laid it out?


    Who has the ability, within a Cultivator¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, to lay out the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    And for what purpose?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people took a glance at Mo Hua, frowning in thought.


    At such a young age, to be able to manifest Divine Thought¡­


    The Sea of Consciousness is resilient, Divine Sense powerful¡­


    To be taken as a Disciple by my junior brother, he must have outstanding qualities.


    Within his Sea of Consciousness, there must be a tremendous secret¡­


    Junior brother¡­


    In order to conceal this secret, to protect his young Disciple, to prevent me from spying on the truth, he went to great lengths to lay out the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    He wanted to use the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation to safeguard his little disciple¡¯s secret¡­


    ¡°So that¡¯s it¡­¡±


    ¡°His Heavenly secret Calculation, actually used here¡­¡±


    ¡°To¡­ construct the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!¡±


    The larger the Formation, the greater the secret it hides¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s pitch-black pupils slightly trembled, and his expression also quite excited.


    Mo Hua had no idea what he had thought of, but also knew himself that he was no match for this Uncle of Gui Tao with immeasurable abilities, so he said:


    ¡°Uncle, as you can see, there¡¯s a Large Formation between us. I can¡¯t get out, you can¡¯t come in.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t entertain you, so please come and go early¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sneered, ¡°Just a mere first-grade Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, and you think it can stop me? Junior brother, oh junior brother, you underestimate me too much!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled.


    Did Uncle mean he could break the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    But¡­ this is the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    To break the Formation, even if it¡¯s Uncle, wouldn¡¯t it take at least ten or eight years, how could it be done in just one or two years¡­


    Does Uncle intend to squat in his own Sea of Consciousness and not leave?


    He knew he couldn¡¯t afford to entertain him¡­


    Just at this time, Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed, and he looked intently, his heart greatly shaken.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s features gradually blurred, twisted, and turned into a mass of Gui Qi, which then split into multiple aberrant, vaporous human forms.


    These Gui shadows spread out in all directions and then began¡­


    To erode the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    What was this?


    Was this¡­ Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?


    No, that wasn¡¯t right¡­


    According to Mo Hua¡¯s previous observations and understanding, the so-called Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was essentially a special spell point based on the use of Divine Thought.


    Mo Hua looked more carefully.


    Now, within his Sea of Consciousness, there were no external forms, everything manifested in its truest Divine Thought state, so, Mo Hua could see clearly.


    These divided Gui shadows were based on the derivative of Divine Sense Calculation¡­


    ¡°From Tao comes One, One gives rise to Two, Two gives rise to Three, Three generates all things¡­¡±


    And the divided Gui shadows were not ¡°eroding¡± the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation. Essentially, they were using the symbiosis and rivalry of Formation Patterns, their strengths and weaknesses, mutual neutralization, and devouring¡­


    So, their essence was to¡­


    Crack the Formation!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were resolving the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation right in front of him!


    And the foundation for cracking the formation was that special kind of Gui Tao calculation¡­


    Mo Hua overheard Uncle Bai and that old Mr. Situ talking about Uncle¡¯s Divine Sense Calculation, which came from the same origin as the Master¡¯s, but each was different.


    This Divine Sense Calculation was also¡­


    Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation!


    That is to say¡­ Uncle was using Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to solve the bottleneck of his Heaven Yan Jue¡ªMysterious Heaven Great Formation!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart was greatly shaken, and then a thought crossed his mind.


    This¡­


    Could it also be his Master¡¯s arrangement¡­


    Perhaps the Master disapproved of his slow progress in resolving formations, so he had Uncle come and help him crack the Formation, help him break through¡­ the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment!


    He wished for him to establish his foundation a bit sooner¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart turned sour, and his eyes grew moist.


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua murmured.


    Then a thought struck him, and he was startled again.


    No, it wasn¡¯t that simple¡­


    The Master¡¯s purpose was maybe¡­ not just to have Uncle help him break the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation and overcome the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment. He might also want him¡­


    To learn Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, and then it began to beat thumpingly fast.


    To learn Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, to know oneself and the enemy, so that in the future when he encountered Uncle, he wouldn¡¯t be completely baffled, at someone else¡¯s mercy, led by the nose¡­


    Moreover, Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation could crack the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!


    Then he could use Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to break the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation himself in the future!


    Mo Hua was somewhat dazed.


    The Master¡­ was he thinking so far ahead for him¡­


    Mo Hua felt a pang of sadness, and then his expression brightened.


    He must not let his Master¡¯s expectations down!


    He would follow Master¡¯s instructions and study well!


    To learn all of Uncle¡¯s skills without missing a thing!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes also gradually brightened, shining like stars.

 Chapter 706 - 561: Sneaky Learning_3

    Chapter 706: Chapter 561: Sneaky Learning_3


    ¡°`


    This is the best time to learn ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡±! S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside his own Sea of Consciousness, Uncle spared no effort in splitting his Divine Thought without any concealment, right before his own eyes, to solve the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.


    The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation contains tens of thousands of Formation Formations.


    To unravel each one means to solve tens of thousands of times¡­


    Every time the people of Gui Tao unraveled a Formation, it was equivalent to providing a practical demonstration of how to master and apply the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to break through all the Formations under the heavens!


    Tens of thousands of times!


    Even if Mo Hua were a fool, he would be able to grasp the general idea.


    But he is not a fool.


    He has exceptional Divine Sense, is a Direct Disciple of Mr. Zhuang, skilled in Calculation, profound in Formation knowledge, transparent in understanding the Formation principle, and has even comprehended the Taoist Meaning and grasped the Ultimate Formation.


    Previously traveling with the people of Gui Tao, he had seen Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, Gui Tao sealing the heavens, which was like ¡°pre-studying,¡± laying a foundation for understanding the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.


    Now to study again, it¡¯s twice the result with half the effort.


    The people of Gui Tao decipher the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation right before his eyes.


    It¡¯s like bringing the meal right in front of Mo Hua¡­


    Or even, feeding it directly into Mo Hua¡¯s mouth.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits were greatly lifted, and thereafter, he stared intently as one Divine Thought after another ¡°eroded¡± and solved one Formation after another.


    He imprinted each of these scenes firmly in his mind, constantly remembering, comprehending, calculating, replicating¡­


    Until he finally integrated and understood everything.


    Mo Hua studied eagerly, with undivided attention.


    Like a big tiger-cat that had fallen into a fish hold, feasting to his heart¡¯s content, wishing he could fill his belly¡­


    ¡­


    The intricacies of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, with its vast array of patterns, were not simple to unravel.


    Even for the people of Gui Tao, he had to concentrate fully when using the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to split Divine Thoughts and erode the Formation.


    Occasionally he raised his head and saw Mo Hua, furrowing his brows.


    This little thing¡­ looks very strange¡­


    With a tense little face, concentrating hard, not knowing what he¡¯s looking at or pondering, only the glint in his eyes suggested he was ¡°calculating¡± something¡­


    But on closer inspection, he found Mo Hua was tense, as if ¡°afraid.¡±


    The person of Gui Tao hesitated.


    An illusion¡­?


    How could a little Cultivator in his teens know how to calculate?


    And how could he possibly learn the techniques of Divine Sense?


    Even his own prodigiously talented disciple needed the Blood of the Heavenly Man and the Innate Taoist Bone to achieve that¡­


    What could this little thing possibly rely on?


    The gaze of the person of Gui Tao turned slightly cold.


    ¡°No matter what, as long as I break through the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation and take a look inside this kid¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, I¡¯ll know everything¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll also understand why my disciple hid this little apprentice so deeply¡­¡±


    The Divine Sense of the person of Gui Tao stirred, the Gui Qi churning.


    Many Divine Thoughts accelerated the ¡°erosion¡± of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, which resembled a cocoon made of Spiritual Threads¡­


    One Pattern after another, one Formation after another, all dissolved under the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.


    And the more the person of Gui Tao solved, the more Mo Hua watched, the more he learned, the more he understood, and the deeper his comprehension became¡­


    Every form of Gui Dao, with its myriad transformations, was caught in his sight.


    The tricks of Heavenly secret, the ups and downs of the Great Dao, were all absorbed into his Divine Sense.


    Time trickled away bit by bit¡­


    Outside the Sea of Consciousness, Bai Qiancheng, Bai Zisheng, Bai Zixi, and a host of others undergoing Feather Transformation were all waiting anxiously¡­


    Mo Hua remained quiet and still, his pupils pitch black.


    The situation had not worsened, but there was also no sign of improvement.


    Meanwhile, inside the Sea of Consciousness, the person of Gui Tao was solving the Formation, and Mo Hua was learning¡­


    It is unknown how much time had passed.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness trembled, his Divine Sense became clear and bright.


    The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, with its thousands of Formations and spells, was swept away in one fell swoop, and those intricate threads that were like silkworm cocoons also dissolved completely.


    Mo Hua distinctly felt the bottleneck to his Foundation Establishment¡­ had disappeared!


    And the omnipresent Gui Qi once again condensed into a human figure.


    The person of Gui Tao stepped forward and entered Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, standing in front of Mo Hua.


    Before he could feel any joy, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, and a chill went through his heart.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    This is Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    This is the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    The complex and extensive Mysterious Heaven Great Formation was unraveled just like that¡­


    The Large Formation that would take oneself years or even decades to solve was simply unknotted by ¡°Uncle¡±¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s person had an indifferent expression, his right hand lifted lightly, and materialized an ancient bronze-colored long sword.


    It was precisely the sword that had pierced through Mr. Zhuang¡¯s chest and extracted the Innate Taoist Bone, the Sumeru Sword.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    Uncle¡­ truly wanted to kill him!


    Once Divine Sense dies, Divine Consciousness disappears, and even if the body remains, it¡¯s just an empty shell!


    Gui Tao¡¯s person revealed a murderous intent.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t waste words, raised his hand and cast Fireball Technique, blasting it directly at Gui Tao¡¯s person.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person swept his Sumeru Sword across, the sword light split the fireball in two, dissolving the spell, but his expression revealed a hint of surprise.


    Spell Manifestation¡­


    Moreover, the power of the spell was quite remarkable, indicating that this youngster¡¯s Divine Thought Power and his application method were far stronger than those of an average Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Next, Mo Hua¡¯s offensive moves continued nonstop, focusing with one finger, fiery red Formation Patterns appeared, then they exploded.


    The Earth Fire Formation exploded, flames erupted, engulfing Gui Tao¡¯s person in an instant, yet likewise, they couldn¡¯t harm him in the slightest.


    Yet Gui Tao¡¯s person couldn¡¯t help but be startled.


    Formation Visualization¡­


    He glanced at Mo Hua, furrowing his brows.


    Who taught him all these things?


    He¡¯s so young, yet he already knows how to use these Divine Sense techniques?


    No wonder my junior brother valued him so highly¡­


    I seem to have, underestimated this youngster¡­


    ¡°However, the tricks are still too immature¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s expression remained cold.


    His Demon Seed, merely at the peak of Foundation Establishment.


    That was to deceive and elude those Feather Transformation and Golden Core Cultivators.


    It was also to avoid, a Demon Seed above Golden Core being too strong. Once planted, upon entering the Sea of Consciousness, it would likely shatter Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness instantly.


    If the Sea of Consciousness shatters, Mo Hua would die, and I would no longer be able to probe to the bottom of it.


    If this brat dies, it would not matter, but if the Sea of Consciousness is destroyed, I wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out what secrets my junior brother has hidden within this little Disciple of his.


    This Demon Seed of the Foundation Establishment Peak included a thread of my innate Gui Tao essence.


    To deal with this youngster, it¡¯s overkill, more than sufficient!


    ¡°Manifesting Formation is all, just child¡¯s play¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s person pointed the tip of his sword, Gui Qi filled the air, dark gray Gui Tao Formation Patterns suddenly appeared, locking down Mo Hua, and bit by bit, started to erode his Divine Thought!


    This Gui Tao Formation was very strong, endlessly generating, impossible to break free from.


    Divine Thought was also being ¡°eroded¡± little by little¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart grew cold, he caught a glimpse of the Formation Patterns from the corner of his eye. In a flash of inspiration, he immediately put to use what he had just learned, using his own Divine Sense to manifest Formation Patterns, dissolving Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s Formation Patterns one by one, and then he found an opening, making his escape promptly¡­


    After breaking away, Mo Hua took a deep breath of relief.


    However, Gui Tao¡¯s person was left standing there, incredulously frozen on the spot.


    ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?!!¡±


    He looked at Mo Hua, his pitch-black pupils shaking as if he encountered something utterly baffling, ¡°How can you¡­ Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?!¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit guilty and then said, ¡°My teacher taught me!¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Gui Tao¡¯s person gritted his teeth, ¡°Your teacher doesn¡¯t know it!¡±


    This Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was a supreme Divine Sense technique, an esoteric and untransmittable art, known only by him in the entire world.


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s eyes were fierce, he wanted to say something more, but the events that had just unfolded replayed before his eyes.


    Mo Hua¡¯s focused little face, his bright and spirited eyes, that thoughtful expression¡­


    And the bits and pieces of their journey together¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s person¡¯s pupils shockingly dilated, his thoughts bordering on disbelief:


    ¡°You actually¡­ stole the knowledge of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®stolen¡¯!¡±


    Mo Hua boldly corrected.


    He had learned it in broad daylight, openly and honestly, right in front of Uncle¡¯s face!


    How could you call something so upright and outright ¡®stealing¡¯?


    ¡°`

 Chapter 707 - 562 Dont Look_1

    Chapter 707: Chapter 562 Don¡¯t Look_1


    As expected!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people felt somewhat absent-minded, subsequently still finding it hard to believe.


    Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation, could it be so easily stolen and learned?


    Watching how after only having used it a few times, this little thing had actually managed to learn and apply it so skillfully?


    What¡¯s more, in front of oneself, having planted a devil in one¡¯s Taoist Heart, hanging by a thread, he still had the audacity to steal one¡¯s Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    What exactly had his junior brother taught¡­


    At a glance, he appeared harmless to humans and animals, but was actually quite strange¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s gaze turned ice-cold.


    No matter what, having learned the Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation meant certain death!


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression also grew solemn.


    He too sensed the intense intent to kill in Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s eyes.


    However, the current situation was a life-or-death struggle, to begin with.


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, corroding the Sea of Consciousness.


    Looking at Uncle¡¯s appearance, he hadn¡¯t planned on sparing him either.


    He must find every possible way to survive his encounter with Uncle¡­


    In the Sea of Consciousness, silence prevailed, only the intent to kill solidified.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s expression remained cold and detached as he held the Sumeru Sword horizontally, the eerie Sword Qi coalescing.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were bright and piercing, as he focused and conjured spells.


    The two engaged in a real contest of Divine Thought within Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people, this incarnation of Demon Thought, were at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, with powerful Divine Thought and profound methods.


    While Mo Hua, although his Divine Sense only had Thirteen Stripes, had condensed Divine Sense and several Divine Sense techniques; having survived numerous perilous Divine Thought Slaughters, he could barely be considered battle-hardened.


    Divine Thought Slaughter was imminent.


    Black Sword Qi swept through, with bright red fireballs flying about.


    After several exchanges, Mo Hua realized a terrifying truth:


    Doomed¡­


    He was simply no match for his Uncle¡­


    His Uncle was just too strong!


    His presence was as deep as an abyss, surrounded by swirling Gui Qi, his methods unfathomably deep.


    His own Fireball Technique and Manifesting Formation couldn¡¯t harm a hair on Uncle¡¯s head; all attack methods had barely approached him before being dissolved by a couple of his sword moves.


    And his Sword Qi was extremely powerful, wounding upon contact.


    Mo Hua dared not take it head-on.


    He could only try to contain, to delay, and then find a way to survive¡­


    The two kept clashing.


    After dozens of rounds, Mo Hua had always been at a disadvantage, his form disheveled, chased about haphazardly by the Sword Qi, but, to his surprise¡­


    He had actually held out under his Uncle¡¯s hand¡­


    Though still in a sorry state, he barely managed to ¡°cling¡± on to life.


    Not struck dead by Uncle¡¯s sword¡­


    ¡°Am I that amazing?¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, his thoughts stirring, as he came to a realization.


    His speed was faster than Uncle¡¯s!


    He found that the speed at which he manifested spells and Formations seemed to be a bit faster than Uncle¡¯s¡­


    Uncle was fast in his moves because he was extremely powerful.


    And his own speed was fast because of the boost to Divine Sense from the Heaven Yan Jue, because of the use of Divine Sense in the Spiritual Pivot Formation, because he practiced Drawing Formation every day, honing Divine Sense over time.


    His moves were slightly faster than Uncle¡¯s.


    It was precisely this slight advantage that allowed him to barely hang on under his Uncle¡¯s hand.


    In the world of spells, only speed is unbeatable!


    ¡°Grandpa Gui was right all along!¡±


    Mo Hua steadied his heart and started to focus, grappling with Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people maintained a consistently cold demeanor but felt a hint of surprise in his heart.


    ¡°This little thing¡­ how can his moves be so rapid? Could it be Old Kui¡­¡±


    This set of techniques closely followed the lineage of Old Kui.


    The art of applying myriad methods lies entirely in one¡¯s mind.


    Once mastered deeply, they are both fast and difficult to handle¡­


    Just like this little fellow¡­


    The Fireball Technique was fast and fierce;


    The Water Prison Technique was fast and precise;


    The Water Passing Step was fast and unpredictable¡­


    How much more did he know?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    Originally, these techniques could all be resolved by employing his Tricky Calculation to seal the heavens.


    But he never expected that he would be seen through by this little nephew, having his Planting Devil in Taoist Heart exposed and his Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation stolen.


    Now if he tried to seal him with a Formation, he could just counter it with Tricky Calculation.


    Truly elusive¡­


    ¡°Could it be that I can only keep this up?¡±


    The moment this thought surfaced, Gui Tao¡¯s people were startled, and then anger arose.


    He, contending with a junior nephew in the Qi Refinement Realm, incapable of overwhelming with force, had to rely on ¡°exhaustion¡±?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people found it utterly ridiculous!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s expression turned chilling, but he suddenly sensed something amiss. His anger dissipated, giving way to furrowed brows.


    This little nephew was outrageous¡­


    In the clash of Divine Thought, he seemed entirely at ease. Although his methods still seemed immature, they were extremely practiced as if he had experienced numerous Divine Thought Slaughters.


    But how could this be possible¡­


    He was still so young.


    Incarnation of Divine Sense, Manifesting Spells, Manifesting Formation¡­


    If he put himself in his place, if it were not for his own incarnation of Demon Thought, based on Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation, the Demon Thought of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­


    Any usual Foundation Establishment Thought Body would hardly be his match¡­


    Such Divine Thought, did it really need the protection of Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, was it to protect this little fellow¡¯s Divine Thought from being slain, or to protect others¡¯ Divine Thought from entering and being slain by him?


    Guard against Planting Devil in Taoist Heart?


    That¡¯s not right¡­


    If it was to counter Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, his junior brother could have taken other measures to guard against him, not having to go to the trouble of setting up the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    Moreover¡­


    Did his junior brother truly have the ability to set up the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    In Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s mind, the image of his junior brother, pale as paper, breath feeble, utterly lifeless surfaced¡­


    Burnt out, even if he exhausted every bit of Heavenly Secret Calculation, he might not be able to set up such a Formation, even a first-grade one, but one of immense scale like the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!

 Chapter 708 - 562 Dont Look_2

    Chapter 708: Chapter 562 Don¡¯t Look_2


    Gui Tao¡¯s people felt a tremor in their hearts.


    ¡°Did I¡­ guess wrong?¡±


    This Mysterious Heaven Great Formation wasn¡¯t set up by my junior brother to protect his little disciple¡­


    Instead, it¡¯s something that was originally in this little thing¡¯s Sea of Consciousness!


    As Gui Tao¡¯s people realized this, a slight shock crossed their mind.


    ¡°In the Sea of Consciousness¡­ originally there?¡±


    That¡¯s even more impossible¡­


    Who has a Mysterious Heaven Great Formation in their Sea of Consciousness?


    What is this Great Formation used for?


    Countless experiences in Tao Cultivation, Tao Cultivation Canons, flipped through their minds one by one¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked at Mo Hua, piecing together his Cultivation, and suddenly had an epiphany:


    Qi Refining Ninth Level, breaking through to Foundation Establishment¡­


    If there really is a Mysterious Heaven Great Formation in the Sea of Consciousness, then most likely, it¡¯s the bottleneck for Foundation Establishment!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were shaken.


    Did my junior brother want me to help his little disciple break through the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment?!


    For a moment, they didn¡¯t know whether to be angry or to laugh.


    But then again, their heart turned solemn.


    Cultivation Technique¡­


    What kind of Cultivation Technique uses ¡°Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡± as the bottleneck for Foundation Establishment?


    A Cultivation Technique with the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation as the bottleneck, is that intended for people to learn?


    What kind of person can actually learn this Cultivation Technique¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people watched the young Mo Hua, who was only in his teens, seriously executing the Water Passing Step, forming the Fireball Technique, and manifesting the Earth Fire Formation to try and constrain them. Despite appearing clumsy under their Sword Qi, he remained calm and composed, with measured advance and retreat. Muttering to themselves, Gui Tao¡¯s people said:


    ¡°This little thing¡­ is actually¡­ a little monster¡­¡±


    And it¡¯s not just that¡­


    The Cultivation Technique he¡¯s learning is definitely not simple¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s gaze grew heavy.


    ¡°Then¡­ he can¡¯t simply be killed¡­¡±


    ¡°He must be caught, and interrogated thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°The details of this Cultivation Technique must be completely clarified!¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people suddenly stopped their attack, retracting the ancient bronze-colored Sumi Longsword in their hands.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then his expression grew even more serious.


    Indeed, after only a moment, Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s aura underwent a drastic change.


    A thick black Qi, mixed with dense Formation Patterns and containing powerful and strange forces, began to rise from around them.


    Mo Hua was startled.


    ¡°Not good, Uncle is angry!¡±


    He immediately executed the Water Passing Step, tapping the ground with the tip of his toes, and swiftly moved far away.


    Then Mo Hua fixed his gaze and saw the black Qi first rise, then contract, and condense around Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people donned a strange, pitch-black Taoist Robe.


    This robe looked completely different from their previous one. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The robe was like woven from black mist, with numerous suffering, struggling faces on it, bizarre and terrifying.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense fluttered slightly, and he was shocked in his heart.


    This robe contained an even more profound ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation,¡± Soul-devouring and Spirit-possession, going against the heavens.


    But this Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was too profound.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand it at all¡­


    He just knew that his Uncle was truly enraged and was probably going to stop at nothing to kill him!


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were heavy when he suddenly jolted.


    He sensed a familiar aura¡­


    At the same time, Gui Tao¡¯s people, draped in the remnants of soul faces and the pitch-black Taoist Robe, with a terrible aura about to act against Mo Hua, were also startled.


    An imposing aura spread throughout Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people trembled all over, filled with excitement, anticipation, and fear.


    Could it be¡­


    Is it¡­


    The Aura of the Original Source of the Dao?!


    How is that possible?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people turned hastily, and in the center of the Sea of Consciousness, they saw a Taoist Stele appear out of nowhere.


    The Taoist Stele was ethereal, a vast expanse of Chaos.


    Broad and unpretentious, oddly-shaped and incomplete, as if there were profound and obscure auras fluctuating, in the trance it seemed as desolate as empty space, utterly void¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s pupils violently shook.


    So that¡¯s how it is¡­


    The real secret of this little thing is this¡­


    Is this fragmented stele that contains the Aura of the Original Source of the Dao!


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression drastically changed, turning pale.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sneered, abandoning Mo Hua, and walked towards the Taoist Stele.


    The Taoist Stele trembled as an ancient, mysterious, and primal aura instantly spread out all around.


    This aura was pressing down, erasing Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s existence.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s expression grew solemn; their black Taoist Robe billowed in the wind, black and gray Formation Patterns covered the strange faces. They interlaced into Dao Patterns and Demon Thoughts, seemingly using the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to give life to incomplete souls, transform into human thoughts to obscure the source and conceal the Heavenly secret, in an attempt to avoid being eroded by the aura of the Dao.


    Their Taoist Robe began to wear down bit by bit.


    The Gui Tao black Qi around them dissipated little by little.


    One by one, the faces turned to ash under the power of the Dao¡­


    But Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s figure was persistently approaching the Taoist Stele step by step¡­


    They wanted to see what secrets lay upon the fragmented stele within this little thing¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Why did this fragmented stele have the Aura of the Original Source of the Dao?!


    Mo Hua was utterly terrified and hastily said:


    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t look!¡±


    But Gui Tao¡¯s people paid him no heed, their figure flickering in and out of view, steadily advancing toward the Taoist Stele¡­


    Mo Hua hardened his resolve and with rapid movements of his fingers, he directed fireballs that howled towards Gui Tao¡¯s people to drive them back.


    But no matter how many Fireball Techniques he used, upon encountering Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s black soul Taoist Robe, they were all extinguished, vanishing without a trace.


    Mo Hua then cast the Water Prison Technique.


    The Water Prison Technique, too, only managed to delay Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s steps, having a minimal effect.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew sharp, and he began forming a Formation.


    Shortly after, he pointed towards Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Golden red Formation Patterns writhed and conjoined at Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s feet, harmonizing with each other, solidifying into the Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation.


    The Golden Lock Formation trapped Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    The Triple Lotus Earth Fire Formation, responding to one another like three fiery lotuses, suddenly unfurled, accompanied by roaring flames that engulfed Gui Tao¡¯s people.

 Chapter 709 - 562 Dont Look_3

    Chapter 709: Chapter 562 Don¡¯t Look_3


    This Compound Formation Mo Hua had been suppressed by Gui Tao¡¯s people before, he never had a chance to use it.


    Now that Gui Tao¡¯s people were coveting the Taoist Stele and not paying attention to Mo Hua, Mo Hua finally found the opportunity to fully manifest the Manifestation Killing Compound Formation.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were not afraid of the power of such a Formation, but now all his mind and all his Tricky Calculations were used to resist the aura of the Taoist Stele.


    Caught off guard and with no way to avoid it, he was still injured by the Golden Lock Three Lotus Earthfire Compound Formation.


    The Taoist Robe trembled, and the Gui Qi flickered on and off.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people took a few steps back and were then pushed back by the overpowering Great Dao aura emanating from the Taoist Stele, forcing him to retreat another dozen steps or so.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked up, their faces showing dark Qi, but their eyes were somewhat astonished.


    Manifesting the Killing Compound Formation¡­


    This little thing¡¯s Formation craftsmanship is indeed somewhat unexpected. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Being able to draw a Compound Formation and being able to manifest one are worlds apart, and the understanding of Formations that they imply are as different as clouds are from mud.


    This little devil¡¯s standard in Formation far exceeds his age.


    Could it be¡­ all because of this broken stele?


    Gui Tao¡¯s people looked up at the Taoist Stele.


    Yet Mo Hua was standing in front of the Taoist Stele at some point, arms outstretched and a tense expression on his face, as if he wanted to block the Taoist Stele to prevent Gui Tao¡¯s people from seeing it.


    But his small body couldn¡¯t possibly cover the Taoist Stele.


    ¡°Uncle, you can¡¯t look!¡±


    Mo Hua said seriously with a small face.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people sneered, but in their hearts, they were certain.


    This stele must have great secrets, and surely it must be related to Formations!


    This is also likely why his fellow disciple used Heavenly secret Calculation to cover up and prevent this little disciple from being discovered by himself¡­


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I must take a closer look!¡±


    The pupils of Gui Tao¡¯s people were pitch black as their hold on the situation grew stronger.


    Mo Hua gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and concentrated, putting his Divine Sense to the utmost and started to manifest the Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation.


    This set of Formations originated from the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    However, it¡¯s only Second Grade.


    Moreover, it¡¯s just a part of the Mountain Protection Array, something Mo Hua simplified himself while studying the Second Grade Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation.


    But this was already the strongest defensive Compound Formation he had mastered.


    While manifesting it, Mo Hua subconsciously used the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation technique, so this set of Compound Formation was manifested very quickly.


    Five-Colored Formation Patterns overlapped in layers, forming a Spirit Screen, protecting the Taoist Stele in the middle.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people revealed a fierce look.


    Just a mere Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation wants to stop me?


    He took a step as usual, and at the same time, black Taoist Robe turned into ghost faces that scattered and started ¡°gnawing¡± at Mo Hua¡¯s Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation.


    It looked like ¡°eating,¡± but in essence, it was ¡°resolving.¡±


    The Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation was being eroded bit by bit¡­


    Despite this, Mo Hua looked steady and continued to manifest the Formation, seemingly wanting to compete with ¡°Uncle¡± on the strength of Formations¡­


    One after another, Five Elements Formations were created.


    And one after another, they were devoured by the corrupted souls of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people in their black soul-filled Taoist Robe, against the eroding Great Dao, broke through Mo Hua¡¯s Formations, step by step, closing in on the Taoist Stele.


    The Formation Patterns that Mo Hua had just manifested were broken, and the Formation kept losing ground.


    With the strength of his Divine Sense, skill in Divine Thought spell points, and knowledge in Formations, competing head-on with Gui Tao¡¯s people, even if it was just one of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Foundation Establishment Demon Thought, was extremely difficult.


    Mo Hua frowned deeply, his face white as paper.


    And who knows how long the stalemate lasted.


    The Five Elements Mountain Protection Formation finally disintegrated completely¡­


    The Taoist Stele was then fully exposed in front of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    Mo Hua still tried to condense a Spell, but Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s expression turned cold, and with a sweep of their Taoist Robe, corrupted ghost souls with ferocious faces tore towards Mo Hua.


    The corrupted souls were fierce, and the Gui Qi was chilling.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to perform the Water Passing Step to avoid the corrupted souls of Gui Tao¡¯s people.


    But the relentless corrupted souls still pounced on Mo Hua, forcing him to retreat several feet¡­


    Mo Hua was driven away, and at this moment, Gui Tao¡¯s people were but a stone¡¯s throw away from the Taoist Stele.


    ¡°Uncle¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face showed ¡°despair.¡±


    Faced with Mo Hua¡¯s repeated obstructions, Gui Tao¡¯s people, seeing the ¡°despair¡± on Mo Hua¡¯s little face, completely let down their guard, no longer suspicious and looked at the Taoist Stele without any defense¡­


    Upon the Taoist Stele, the aura was both bright and dim, illusory and real, appearing to embrace everything while at the same time all was void.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were first startled, then upon a careful look, their expression turned to one of shock instantaneously.


    Because on the void and chaotic surface of the stele, there was suddenly an alarming, scarlet, terrifying Formation Pattern!


    This Pattern radiated a breath that could annihilate all, a breath of sheer extinction!


    Threads of fresh red, devastating Thunder Patterns, shocking to the eye, moved vaguely upon it, containing the supreme Law of eradication from the Great Dao¡­


    This is a¡­


    A Pattern that erases everything¡­ Immortal Heavenly Thunder Pattern?!!

 Chapter 710 - 563 Half Positive and Half Weird_1

    Chapter 710: Chapter 563 Half Positive and Half Weird_1


    Immortal Heavenly Thunder Pattern, erase everything!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people only took one glance, and they felt their whole body tremble, terrified and panic-stricken.


    This was fear coming from the Great Dao.


    At the same time, the black soul Taoist robe he wore, which spells couldn¡¯t break, Divine Thought couldn¡¯t invade, and Formations couldn¡¯t destroy¡ªthe dark Taoist robe, woven with Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and the remnants of fierce souls, was instantly torn apart by the tribulation lightning, turning into ash!


    ¡°Uncle, I told you not to look¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s tone was one of sighs, but his face was all smiles, like a sly little fox.


    ¡°¡­ looking will turn you into ashes!¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people couldn¡¯t believe it.


    This innocent, harmless little thing, he¡­


    He turned out to be a little swindler!


    Not just him¡­


    There was also his junior brother¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people only then understood.


    His junior brother pretended to be despondent, disillusioned, with no desire to live, resigned to death¡­


    But he had already calculated everything very clearly!


    Gui Tao¡¯s people were stunned as his junior brother¡¯s last words before his death re-emerged in his mind:


    ¡°Senior brother¡­ for the sake of our brotherhood, please don¡¯t make it hard¡­ for my few disciples¡­¡±


    At first, he only felt disdain for his once high-minded junior brother.


    His life hanging by a thread, he lacked ambition and wanted to entrust his disciples¡¯ lives to the mercy of others.


    Now that he¡¯s turned demonic, indifferent and heartless, he would surely kill if he must, pleadings were useless.


    But now it seems that his junior brother must have been well aware of this.


    Pleading was utterly useless¡­


    So his words¡­ they weren¡¯t a plea to me.


    He was¡­ baiting me?


    He deliberately mentioned ¡°my disciples¡± to make me not harm them, in fact reminding me:


    He cared greatly for his disciples, for they harbored secrets¡­


    He naturally led me to act, to let me Plant Devil in my Taoist Heart and enter this little thing¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    And then, quite naturally, help his disciple solve the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, breaking through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck.


    Even this Divine Sense¡¯s deadly tribulation, he had calculated!


    He may not have known what this deadly tribulation was, may not have known about this broken stele, may not have known about this tribulation thunder, but he must have known that once I entered¡­ I would die here in his disciple¡¯s Sea of Consciousness!


    Knowing that death was certain, he set up a trap from the very beginning¡­


    Seemingly having calculated everything with the Heavenly secret, but it was all strategic deception.


    ¡°Heavenly secret Calculation, it was used here¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s eyes were dark and cold, with an angry look, still retaining a hint of terror, but the corners of his mouth slightly curled upwards¡­


    ¡°Dead, yet still scheming against me¡­¡±


    Gui Tao¡¯s people muttered to himself and then turned his gaze back to Mo Hua.


    All sorts of recollections about Mo Hua surfaced before his eyes.


    Immense Divine Sense, exquisite control, refined spells, Manifesting Formation, diligent learning and deep reflection, astonishing understanding, full of tricks and deceit¡­


    The junior brother was no more, but there was still this little thing¡­ Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Taoist robe shattered, his body inch by inch was annihilated.


    HIs last look was towards Mo Hua, his expression bizarrely content as he smiled faintly, his voice ethereal and breaking:


    ¡°Little nephew, we will¡­¡±


    ¡°meet again¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Gui Tao¡¯s people were completely erased by the tribulation lightning, his Demon Thought dissipated!


    Mo Hua frowned, released his Divine Sense, and sensed his own Sea of Consciousness.


    Not until he confirmed that the Devil Planting of the Taoist Heart¡¯s Demon Thought by ¡°Uncle¡± was smashed by the tribulation lightning, scattered to bits, completely vanished, did he finally sit down on the ground and took a long breath.


    Uncle¡¯s Demon Thought was too strong.


    This was the most powerful Divine Sense entity Mo Hua had encountered so far, and probably would for a very long time¡­


    Merely at the Peak of Foundation Establishment, yet the oppression was pervasive.


    In a head-on fight, he stood no chance.


    Mo Hua could only act, tricking Uncle into taking a look at the Heavenly Dao Thunder Pattern.


    This was also what he had learned from ¡°Uncle.¡±


    On Dali Mountain, at Dry Wood Cliff, inside the Ten Thousand Demons Hall.


    In his presence, Uncle used tribulation lightning to execute a cultivator on the Demon Path who was undergoing Feather Transformation.


    Mo Hua had an extremely profound impression of this.


    ¡°Heavenly tribulation can also be a weapon!¡±


    At this moment, he had just made use of it, utilizing a stroke of Immortal Pattern containing tribulation lightning to trap and kill Uncle¡¯s Demon Thought.


    ¡°There¡¯s still so much to learn from Uncle!¡±


    Whether it¡¯s Planting Devil in the Taoist Heart or Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation,


    Or the approach of using Heavenly Dao rules to suppress a formidable enemy, they had profoundly benefited Mo Hua¡­


    He must remember the teaching ¡°by example¡± of Uncle!


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    Then he blinked and looked at the elegant, abundant Divine Sense floating in his Sea of Consciousness, licking his lips involuntarily.


    As the tribulation lightning eradicated the Demon Planting of the Taoist Heart¡¯s Demon Thought, shattering its intent, there were remnants left behind. Not pure, but thick and immensely powerful Gui Tao Divine Sense.


    This Gui Tao Divine Sense was a dark gray color.


    Ground down by the Great Dao and erased by the tribulation lightning, it contained changes of Gui Tao and powerful masterless Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    ¡°This is what Uncle ¡®gave¡¯ to me, so naturally, it counts as mine!¡±


    ¡°Uncle is really a good person!¡±


    Mo Hua gratefully thought to himself, and then his eyes sparkled.


    If he could refine this powerful Gui Tao Divine Sense, could his own Divine Sense break through the long-standing bottleneck¡­


    Mo Hua felt a warmth in his heart and immediately sat down to meditate.


    He began to devour these Demon Thoughts bit by bit.


    As the Taoist Stele had ground down for him, and the tribulation thunder had erased for him, these Demon Thoughts should be safe, no need for him to Manifest Formation again, to burn them afresh¡­


    The thick Divine Sense like the sea filled the air all around.


    Mo Hua concentrated, holding his breath, opening his mouth slightly.


    Strands of dark gray Divine Sense, along with some bizarre aura, were inhaled into Mo Hua¡¯s belly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind was shaken and he couldn¡¯t help but open his eyes.


    Something¡­ was not quite right with these Divine Senses.


    They seemed to contain some of the variations of the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and insights into the Divine Sense of Gui Tao¡­


    These insights seemed to be Uncle¡¯s¡­


    Although Mo Hua did not know what use such enlightenment had, after thinking about it, he was sure that since Uncle was so formidable, this sort of enlightenment must also be extraordinary.


    Even if it couldn¡¯t immediately lead to a great awakening, it would certainly deepen his understanding of the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart rejoiced, and he started to calm his mind, absorbing, exhaling, refining, and assimilating, while experiencing and comprehending the understanding.


    He slowly settled all the subtle and indescribable, yet ever-changing enlightenment in his heart, solidifying above the Taoist Heart¡­


    Time trickled by.


    The remnants of Gui Tao¡¯s people¡¯s Divine Thought were also gradually being devoured by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, too, was growing stronger bit by bit.


    His understanding of the Gui Tao was deepening, little by little¡­


    Mo Hua felt his Sea of Consciousness was ¡°bulging,¡± as if he had ¡°eaten¡± too much, but he still bore it, quietly refining.


    This was an opportunity that came once in a thousand years.


    Uncle wouldn¡¯t be giving him ¡°gifts¡± every day.


    The next time Uncle might ¡°give¡± something, he might not dare to accept it.


    This time was a combination of the right time, place, and people. Without Uncle¡¯s defense, he managed to upset the boat in the small ditch.


    He would not have such good luck next time¡­


    So when it was time to eat his fill, he definitely couldn¡¯t be polite!


    Mo Hua, ¡°ravenous and thirsty,¡± did not stop refining the Divine Thought, strengthening his own Divine Sense.


    Endless Divine Thought, bit by bit, poured into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, filling in the chasm between Thirteen Stripes and Fourteen Stripes.


    Who knows how long it had been.


    Who knows how long it took to fill¡­


    Finally, the gap between the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage and the Qi Foundation Middle Stage was completely leveled!


    The impassable gap vanished, and Divine Thought ascended a level!


    Suddenly, Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness trembled, and he felt his Divine Sense suddenly expand, spreading outward, his Divine Thought becoming more profound.


    His Divine Sense finally crossed the threshold, reaching the Qi Foundation Middle Stage¡ª


    Fourteen Stripes Divine Sense!


    ¡­


    Simultaneously, outside the Sea of Consciousness.


    At the moment of breakthrough, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought suddenly overflowed, the Fourteen Stripes Foundation Establishment Divine Sense caused violent fluctuations, spreading out in all directions.


    All the Feathered Immortals present were startled.


    ¡°What was that just now¡­¡±


    ¡°Foundation Establishment Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°Foundation¡­ Middle Phase?¡±


    They turned to look at Mo Hua, shielded beneath the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella.


    The fluctuations of a Foundation Establishment stage Divine Sense were indeed not strong for them, the Feathered Immortals; in fact, it could be said to be¡­ insignificant¡­


    But it also depended on who was emitting this Divine Sense¡­


    ¡°The Divine Sense fluctuation just now, was it¡­ from this little cultivator?¡±


    A Feathered Immortal murmured in question.


    ¡°Seems like it¡­¡±


    The others were somewhat uncertain.


    If it wasn¡¯t, with so many Feathered Immortals watching, there definitely wouldn¡¯t be a mistake.


    But if it was¡­


    The Divine Sense of the Qi Foundation Middle Phase¡­


    They looked at Mo Hua again.


    Was this the strength of Divine Sense that someone his age, in his realm, at his level should have?


    Even Bai Qiancheng showed surprise, his expression becoming dazed for a moment.


    True Man Situ¡¯s face, however, was somber.


    That moment¡¯s Divine Sense fluctuation was indeed the Foundation Establishment Divine Sense.


    But when the Divine Sense fluctuation dissipated and True Man Situ used his senses to probe again, he found an enshrouding fog around Mo Hua, all chaos and mystery, unable to perceive anything at all.


    This was clearly the work of someone, or something, concealing the qi movement and even the causality.


    If it were Mr. Zhuang, it might be alright, but if it were¡­ Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    True Man Situ¡¯s expression became solemn, his gaze intensifying.


    Divine Sense fluctuations did not occur without reason.


    Unless something unusual had happened within this child¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Now that he was afflicted with Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, that one anomaly could very likely be¡­


    Gui Tao¡¯s people swallowing this child¡¯s Divine Sense?!


    True Man Situ¡¯s heart chilled, knowing that something was amiss.


    At that moment, Mo Hua suddenly moved.


    He held his head, showing signs of pain, discomfort, and confusion¡­


    All were shocked, their expressions changing, and they became as if facing a formidable enemy!


    Had Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­ awakened?


    Some drew their knives, others drew their swords, and some conjured Magical Treasures¡­


    But for the moment, out of respect for Gui Tao¡¯s dignity and the fear of the complexities of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, no one dared to act rashly.


    The room was silent; you could hear a pin drop.


    Beneath the Brocade Mountain and River Umbrella, Mo Hua¡¯s pupils remained pitch black.


    Before everyone¡¯s eyes, he shook his head, and after his Divine Sense partially recovered, he raised his little hand, rubbing his eyes.


    When he opened them again.


    The blackness in his eyes gradually receded, and his eyes became clear once more.


    Everyone stood frozen in place.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart was a sure death sentence, at best leading to insanity, at worst, to both physical and mental destruction, with no place for burial!


    How could he be unharmed?


    True Man Situ stared at Mo Hua¡¯s eyes for a moment, noticing the distinct black and white, clean and clear, vivid and spirited, he couldn¡¯t help but draw a breath of cold air.


    ¡°How is this possible¡­¡±


    ¡°Can Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­ actually self-heal?¡±


    It was unheard of!


    True Man Situ was shaken inside.


    Just who was this little cultivator?


    His gaze flickered with unease, then looking back at Mo Hua, his expression paused, and in a daze, he noticed that Mo Hua seemed somewhat different than before.


    His face was still innocent and childlike.


    But his gaze was profound, half clear, half mysterious, the two intertwined.


    Half positive and half weird, naturally as one¡­

 Chapter 711 - 564 Departure_1

    Chapter 711: Chapter 564 Departure_1


    Half positive and half weird?


    True Man Situ thought he had read it wrong, so he couldn¡¯t help but blink. When he looked again, Mo Hua appeared as usual¡ªobedient and adorable¡ªwith a hint of confusion, showing no other abnormalities.


    ¡°What¡­ exactly is going on here?¡±


    True Man Situ was puzzled, murmuring to himself.


    On the other side, Bai Qiancheng also found it unbelievable.


    The Planting Devil in Taoist Heart resolved¡­


    ...


    Did Big Senior Brother show mercy?


    This is impossible¡­


    Bai Qiancheng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mo Hua¡­ are you, alright now?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Uncle, I am fine.¡±


    The crowd looked at each other, then a Feathered Immortal probed, ¡°Young friend, have you seen a Taoist with an odd aura?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Mo Hua replied truthfully.


    The crowd¡¯s hearts turned cold, then someone else asked, ¡°Where is that Taoist now?¡±


    ¡°He left,¡± Mo Hua said.


    The crowd was stunned, ¡°He left?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Master taught me the Meditation Technique. When evil thoughts invade the body, meditating calmly can conquer oneself and guard the heart, suppressing the evil thoughts¡­¡±


    ¡°I meditated for a while, and that Taoist¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nearly let slip ¡°Uncle¡± but held back, correcting himself, ¡°¡­that Taoist¡­ seeing that my Taoist Heart was firm and impregnable, left¡­¡±


    The group of Feathered Cultivators listened as if hearing a fantastical tale.


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­ is this how it is resolved? S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet the young Cultivator before them had a clear gaze and coherent thoughts, clearly free from the control of Demon Thought.


    ¡°The Meditation Technique, huh¡­¡±


    The Feathered Immortals became curious. Could this also be a spell point of Mr. Zhuang?


    They wanted to ask, but it was somewhat inappropriate to inquire about such matters.


    However, True Man Situ was frowning.


    Bai Qiancheng was even more startled.


    Others might not know, but she, having come from the same Sect as Mr. Zhuang, was well aware of what the Meditation Technique was used for. It was meant for calming the mind, disciplining the heart, and discarding scattered thoughts.


    It could also restore Divine Sense.


    But to say it could conquer oneself and guard the heart, dispelling the Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, was clearly nonsense¡­


    Bai Qiancheng glanced at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s small face was serious, earnestly ¡°honest,¡± with a hint of bewilderment that did not seem deceitful at all.


    This made Bai Qiancheng doubt herself.


    Perhaps she hadn¡¯t learned well, or hadn¡¯t learned the right thing?


    Was there deeper knowledge in the Meditation Technique?


    Bai Qiancheng was puzzled.


    But no matter what, the fact that Mo Hua was safe and sound was a good thing.


    Everyone also heaved a sigh of relief.


    If they really had no choice, they would not want to harm a young Cultivator in his teens.


    Moreover, this young Cultivator had a somewhat special status.


    Still, they remained somewhat worried, fearing that the Demon Thought in Mo Hua had not been extinguished and the Demon Seed was lying dormant, suddenly corrupting his mind, and if he went mad, they would have to confine him to a room and observe him for a time.


    After several days, Mo Hua was normal and showed no strange Demonic Qi.


    Only then did everyone truly relax and let Mo Hua out.


    Only True Man Situ occasionally looked at Mo Hua thoughtfully, his gaze carrying a trace of worry.


    He couldn¡¯t forget the look in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes that he had glimpsed that day.


    The eyes that were half clear and half strange, yet oddly natural, were somewhat unfathomable.


    The clarity was still acceptable¡­


    But this strangeness¡­ the more he observed, the more it resembled Gui Tao¡¯s people¡­


    He always feared that one day Mo Hua might suddenly undergo a change in Divine Sense, his pupils darken, turning into a mini version of ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s people¡±¡­


    Fortunately, thereafter, Mo Hua appeared as usual, showing no abnormalities.


    And so, True Man Situ finally found peace of mind.


    And with this, the matter of Gui Tao¡¯s people came to a close, concluding that chapter.


    The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation had been unraveled, and the bottleneck in Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation of the Heaven Yan Jue was broken; he could now consider embarking upon his Foundation Establishment.


    But before establishing his foundation, there were still some preparations to be made.


    He needed to nurture his meridians and Qi Sea for a while, purchase some Pills for later use, get ready Spirit Stones, and most importantly, completely refine any remaining Gui Tao thoughts, ensuring heart and body were as one, flawless, otherwise he would not feel at ease.


    However, other Cultivators would be leaving first.


    The crowd of Feathered individuals, the Taoist Court¡¯s various Clan powers, as well as Bai Qiancheng.


    For Mo Hua, Foundation Establishment was a major event.


    But for the other Cultivators, especially those Feathered Immortals, it was a trivial matter of no consequence.


    They would not change their scheduled journey.


    No one cared whether a minor Qi Refinement Cultivator like Mo Hua established his foundation or not¡­


    In the following days, the Feathered Immortals departed one after another.


    Three days later, Mr. Zhuang was to be sent to the Bai Family.


    Mo Hua then temporarily put aside his Foundation Establishment.


    He feared that he might never see his master again, so he stayed by Mr. Zhuang¡¯s side every day these past few days.


    The once spring-breeze-like, tender master now lay there cold and still.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart ached.


    How much he wished his master could open his eyes and look at him one more time, speak to him, but all these wishes were in vain.


    Sometimes when Mo Hua was tired, he would lie down and sleep beside him.


    The dim light from the ever-burning lamp, its warm glow draped over him, seemed like someone comforting him, but Mo Hua was unaware.


    That day, as Mo Hua slept, he heard voices in his hazy state.


    It was True Man Situ and Uncle Bai.


    Perhaps thinking Mo Hua was asleep, they did not avoid him.


    ¡°¡­Can he be saved?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult¡­¡±


    Hearing this elderly voice, Mo Hua knew it was True Man Situ.


    ¡°¡­Aside from the severed Heavenly secrets, his very flesh¡­sigh, with the Qi Sea shattered, the Sea of Consciousness depleted, the Taoist bones extracted, and the lifeblood burned by the Sword Qi, there¡¯s no way to compensate¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if, in the future, there exists some against-the-heavens treasures that can repair this body, that¡¯s only the first step¡­¡±

 Chapter 712 - 564 Li Departure_2

    Chapter 712: Chapter 564 Li Departure_2


    ¡°Divine Sense is the most troublesome¡­¡±


    ¡°This involves Heavenly secrets and karma¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s face was pale, ¡°Is there really not the slightest chance¡­?¡±


    True Man Situ shook his head, ¡°These matters, just like becoming immortal¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there a chance to become immortal? Certainly, but in the vast Nine States, amidst the myriad of living beings, for tens of thousands of years, not one has attained immortality¡­¡±


    ¡°There is a chance, but it is so remote that it¡¯s almost the same as having none¡­¡±


    ...


    Bai Qiancheng sighed.


    True Man Situ hesitated for a moment before offering some advice, ¡°What I am about to say, True Man Bai¡­ you might not like to hear¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng was startled, ¡°Please speak, senior¡­¡±


    True Man Situ measured his words, ¡°Now, Mr. Zhuang has just ¡®died¡¯¡­¡±


    True Man Situ paused here, feeling that it wasn¡¯t quite right.


    To say ¡°dead,¡± but in fact there was still a glimmer of life, yet to say ¡°not dead,¡± was in reality almost the same as being dead¡­


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang¡¯s life is hanging by a thread¡­¡±


    True Man Situ changed his expression and then continued, ¡°You have lost your senior brother, and your heart is in mourning, but this grief is only temporary.¡±


    ¡°You wish to save Mr. Zhuang, but this sentiment¡­ it is also just for a moment¡­ as time goes by, the emotions will fade¡­¡±


    True Man Situ sighed deeply like one who had been through it all:


    ¡°Cultivators live long lives, and the fleeting time is enough to erase all regrets and pain; people go on living until they become numb, and there is nothing they can¡¯t let go of¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± True Man Situ sighed, ¡°True Man Bai, you should still cultivate yourself, take care of your own affairs, and do not forcefully pursue the rest¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng was somewhat silent.


    She knew that True Man Situ was right.


    In her life, she had also felt regret and pain, and thought life was not worth clinging to, but as long as she persevered through the years and crossed that threshold¡­


    As time passed, the once sharp pain and setbacks faded, like healed scars, unsightly but no longer painful.


    Just like her senior brother¡­


    Her heart ached now, but over time, perhaps she too would become numb and forget¡­


    Bai Qiancheng pursed her lips, ¡°What if I insist on saving him?¡±


    True Man Situ frowned, ¡°It will be very difficult then¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang¡¯s karma is huge, he has too many enemies, and there are intertwined interests¡­¡±


    ¡°In this world, how many people want Mr. Zhuang dead? Neither the Taoist Court nor the Demon Sect would probably want to save him.¡±


    ¡°If you try to save him, you will encounter endless obstacles.¡±


    ¡°To ¡®resurrect the dead¡¯¡­ It¡¯s very difficult, you need a vast number of Spirit Stones and Spiritual Objects, and more importantly, persistent, unwavering determination. Along the way, you will be tormented and in pain, accompanied by unceasing hope and despair. It¡¯s very hard to endure¡­¡±


    ¡°It requires an extremely tenacious Taoist Heart to remain true to your original intent and persevere¡­¡±


    ¡°And even that¡­ is not enough.¡±


    ¡°Even if the body is revived, if the Heavenly secret is dead, he still cannot live¡­¡±


    ¡°One must have a Formation imbued with the Great Dao of life and death to possibly mend the lost Heavenly secret of Mr. Zhuang and exchange it for a glimmer of life¡­¡±


    ¡°To covertly alter Yin and Yang, to seize creation, to reverse life and death¡­¡±


    ¡°Such Formation Diagrams are extremely profound, extremely powerful, and extremely ancient, mostly obliterated in Ancient Daoist sites or the forbidden realms of extinct cultivators. Where will you find a Formation Diagram?¡±


    ¡°Even if you have a Formation Diagram, who can learn it?¡±


    ¡°Not learnable¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s learned, who has the ability to truly construct it?¡±


    True Man Situ¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed as he lamented sincerely:


    ¡°Common folk often say ¡®Formation is vast and profound,¡¯ but only those of us who truly delve deep into our study of Formation truly understand just how vast and profound it is!¡±


    ¡°There are mountains beyond mountains, skies beyond skies.¡±


    ¡°But beyond those skies, there are still unreachable heavens¡­¡±


    ¡°Some Formations in this world are so complex and harsh to the extreme that they are simply not intended for ¡®humans¡¯ to learn¡­¡±


    A look of despair even surfaced on True Man Situ¡¯s aged face.


    ¡­


    Bai Qiancheng also looked terrified, but after a moment of silence, she still clenched her teeth and obstinately said:


    ¡°I will not give up!¡±


    True Man Situ sighed and nodded his head.


    Whether she truly wouldn¡¯t give up or not, he had said all he needed to say and would not speak further.


    Mo Hua, who had been lying on the side, had heard everything.


    ¡°To covertly alter Yin and Yang, to seize creation, to reverse life and death¡­¡±


    He memorized this phrase in his heart.


    As the sky gradually lightened, True Man Situ and the uncle master finished discussing matters and left.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes and slowly sat up.


    He looked once more at Mr. Zhuang, memorized the appearance of his master, and made a secret decision.


    ¡°If others can¡¯t save my master, I will save him!¡±


    ¡°If others can¡¯t learn the Formation, I will learn it!¡±


    ¡°Even if everyone in this world wants my master dead, I will ensure that my master is revived and continues to live well!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s youthful face was serious, his gaze resolute, as he engraved this vow deep within his Taoist Heart. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The rising sun cast its light on the master and disciple.


    Mo Hua murmured:


    ¡°Master, you just sleep for a while¡­¡±


    ¡°When the time comes, I¡¯ll call you¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Three days later, Bai Qiancheng was about to leave.


    She was to take away Mr. Zhuang, locked in the thin line between karma and life or death, and also to bring Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi back to the Bai Family.


    Bai Zixi then approached Bai Qiancheng, with a resolute gaze:


    ¡°Mother, I want to take little junior brother back to the Bai Family¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng also nodded, ¡°Mother, please take Mo Hua back with you¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s expression was somewhat indifferent, ¡°Why?¡±

 Chapter 713 - 564 Parting_3

    Chapter 713: Chapter 564 Parting_3


    Bai Zixi¡¯s gaze was complex, and her heart was heavy with emotions she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°I¡¯ve promised Master to take good care of Junior Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Bai Zisheng nodded as well.


    They invoked Master¡¯s name, hoping that their mother would listen to reason.


    But Bai Qiancheng shook her head, ¡°How exactly will you take care of him?¡±


    Both of them were taken aback.


    Bai Qiancheng continued, ¡°Once in the Bai Family, if he encounters any danger, who will be there to protect him?¡±


    ...


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°With just Qi Refinement, what can you do? Even if you reached Foundation Establishment, then what?¡±


    ¡°In the Second Grade Cultivation World, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator can command the winds and summon the rain, but in the Bai Family, a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator, who can you really protect?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng looked at the two children, her heart aching for them, yet she didn¡¯t sugarcoat her words:


    ¡°Moreover, you are descendants of the Bai Family, you rely on the Bai Family, not on yourselves. You want to protect him, but what if one day¡­¡±


    ¡°The Bai Family wants to harm him?¡±


    ¡°What will you do? What can you do?¡±


    ¡°Can you defy the clan?¡±


    ¡°With your Cultivation, how can you stand against the Bai Family, an ancient lineage of ten thousand years?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t defy them, are you prepared to watch¡­ your little Junior Brother die before your eyes?¡±


    Bai Qiancheng¡¯s words were icy cold and realistic.


    Bai Zixi and the other¡¯s faces turned pale, they hung their heads low, clenching their fists tightly, but they couldn¡¯t find any words to say.


    They couldn¡¯t protect anything¡­


    Neither Master nor their little Junior Brother¡­


    Bai Qiancheng looked at the two children, her gaze softened slightly, and her tone was a bit more gentle:


    ¡°Cultivators, ultimately, must rely on their own Cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you have deep feelings for each other as fellow disciples, but bringing that child, Mo Hua, back to the Bai Family is not helping him, it¡¯s harming him¡­¡±


    ¡°The Bai Family is too vast, its karma too profound, it¡¯s also too complicated¡­¡±


    Bai Zixi said with a trembling voice, ¡°Mother, then¡­¡±


    Bai Qiancheng hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended her hand and touched Bai Zixi¡¯s head, sighing, ¡°Go¡­¡±


    ¡°To forget your little Junior Brother is the best protection you can give him¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The little Senior Brother and Senior Sister were leaving.


    They were going to Liyuan City, where they would take the Flying Cloud Ferry and leave the Dali Mountain State boundary.


    Mo Hua came to see them off.


    It was his first time visiting Liyuan City and encountering the Cloud Ferry.


    The Cloud Ferry was huge, extravagantly ornate, docked at the ferry port like a colossal kun fish with wings in the sky. It was said that once it took flight, it was like a great ship in the sea of clouds, with incredible speed, capable of crossing state boundaries.


    The principle of the Cloud Ferry seemed to be based on harnessing the flow of Spiritual Energy and rising among the clouds.


    Mo Hua was very curious, but because of the imminent departure, his mood was somewhat downcast, and he wasn¡¯t in the mood to study the Cloud Ferry¡­


    Bai Zisheng was worried that Mo Hua was unhappy, and babbled on and on.


    He spoke of the famous attractions of Qian State, like some sky-touching Taoist constructions, ancient, atmospheric temples and monasteries, the hanging Sword Qi Waterfall, the Bai Family¡¯s ancient pavilions, Three Clear Spirit Mountain¡­ and many others.


    Mo Hua listened with great interest.


    Bai Zisheng also told Mo Hua to be sure to visit the Bai Family someday.


    But he warned him to improve his Cultivation before going.


    There were many villains in the Bai Family, who might harm him¡­


    Mo Hua gave Bai Zisheng a gift, a great dragon controlled by a Spirit Pivot Formation, no longer a crawling reptile compared to before.


    Mo Hua added two wings to it, and flapping them, it could lift off the ground. Although it couldn¡¯t ¡°fly¡± high, it was much better than crawling on the ground.


    But adding wings made it look a bit ugly.


    Mo Hua also promised, ¡°When I¡¯ve learned more about Formations, I¡¯ll craft one for you, a dragon that can fly without wings!¡±


    Bai Zisheng was overjoyed and then asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°That technique I taught you, have you been practicing it?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Which technique?¡±


    Bai Zisheng looked unhappy and enunciated every word, ¡°Flying! Dragon! In! The! Sky!¡±


    Mo Hua remembered the move Bai Zisheng had created himself, leaping into the sky, striking a pose, then wielding a long spear and descending from the heavens with that spear technique¡­


    Mo Hua felt a bit embarrassed, ¡°That¡­ Can I not learn it¡­?¡±


    Purely a showy sequence of movements, completely useless.


    ¡°No way!¡± Bai Zisheng insisted, ¡°This is a move I created myself, and I¡¯m only teaching you. In the whole world, only the two of us brothers will know it! You must learn it well!¡±


    Mo Hua said helplessly, ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Bai Zisheng saw Mo Hua agree and nodded in satisfaction, then he seemed to remember something and became a bit downcast.


    ¡°I originally wanted to go back to Tongxian City to see Uncle Mo and Aunt Liu, but now I can¡¯t go there. Qian State is so far away, I don¡¯t know if there¡¯ll be another chance¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The food Aunt Liu makes is so delicious.


    Bai Zisheng missed the carefree and well-fed days in Tongxian City terribly.


    Mo Hua consoled him, ¡°There will be a chance.¡±


    Bai Zisheng perked up a bit and nodded.


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua asked, ¡°What about junior sister¡­¡±


    All this way, he hadn¡¯t seen the junior sister¡­


    Bai Zisheng paused, sighed, and said, ¡°She originally wanted you to go to the Bai family too, but now that you can¡¯t, she might feel a bit embarrassed to face you¡­¡±


    What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about¡­


    Mo Hua said in a low voice, ¡°Is junior sister throwing a tantrum?¡±


    Bai Zisheng thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°I guess so¡­¡±


    But he knew that it probably wasn¡¯t the case.


    Ever since she heard Mother¡¯s words, Zixi had locked herself in her room, seeing no one, as if afraid that encountering Mo Hua again would make her heart ache.


    Bai Zisheng didn¡¯t quite understand and shook his head.


    Feeling sad after parting is normal.


    That¡¯s exactly why we should see each other more¡­


    Thus, Bai Zisheng couldn¡¯t help but chat with Mo Hua for a long time, until someone urged them, saying the Cloud Ferry was about to depart. Only then did he bid Mo Hua farewell, looking back three steps at a time as he boarded the ferry.


    ¡°We¡¯re really¡­ parting now¡­¡±


    Just before entering the Cloud Ferry, Bai Zisheng¡¯s eyes suddenly felt a bit sore.


    The moments they spent together day and night, the three fellow disciples, laughing and playing, bickering and making noise, all rushed to his heart¡­


    Bai Zisheng tried hard to hold back his tears, took a final look at Mo Hua, and committed his junior brother¡¯s image to memory. Then, he stepped into the vast expanse of the Cloud Ferry.


    Mo Hua stood at the ferry port, feeling reluctant to let go, but still silently watched his senior brother and the unseen junior sister depart.


    Inside the Cloud Ferry.


    Bai Zisheng knocked on Bai Zixi¡¯s door, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to see junior brother?¡±


    There was silence inside the room.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t see him, you might¡­ never see him again¡­¡±


    Despite his words, there was still no response from behind the door.


    Bai Zisheng shook his head helplessly, clutching the large dragon his junior brother had given him as a parting gift, and turned to leave.


    In the room, Bai Zixi sat silently, her dark eyelashes quivering, her beautiful eyes revealing a trace of melancholy.


    The clear sunlight poured in, her cheeks slightly pale, which added a mournful beauty to her originally cold and flawless visage.


    There she sat quietly, her thoughts unknown, her emotions complex and unsettled.


    Moments later, the Cloud Ferry¡¯s massive humming sound began.


    Bai Zixi suddenly felt alarmed, and Bai Zisheng¡¯s words echoed in her mind:


    ¡°You might¡­ never see him again¡­¡±


    Her heart trembled, and she quickly got up, left her room, and walked onto the deck of the Cloud Ferry.


    But by then, the Cloud Ferry had already set sail.


    The sky was clear, and the Cloud Ferry, grand and splendid, lifted off among the clouds, rolling up layers of cloud waves.


    When Bai Zixi looked out again, the sea of clouds stretched out endlessly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s small figure had been obscured by the vast clouds, completely vanishing from her sight¡­


    Never¡­ to be seen again¡­


    A sharp pain struck Bai Zixi¡¯s heart, as if carved with a knife, and a single tear, clear as ice and snow, slowly slid down her pallid cheek¡­


    The white clouds surged like great waves, and the flowing clouds like the sea carried the Cloud Ferry, sailing into the wind, farther and farther into the endless sea of clouds¡­


    The Great Dao is boundless, seas of clouds lie between.


    This parting, who knows when we will meet again.

 Chapter 714 - 565 Foundation Establishment_1

    Chapter 714: Chapter 565 Foundation Establishment_1


    Junior Brother and Junior Sister have both left. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was left alone.


    Without Master, without Grandpa Gui, without Junior Brother, and without Junior Sister, the road ahead had to be traveled alone¡­


    After feeling lost for a while, Mo Hua began to rally his spirits.


    He had to start preparing for Foundation Establishment.


    Having lived through these successive upheavals, Mo Hua had gained a deep understanding that cultivation was the foundation of a cultivator.


    ...


    To learn the Formation of ¡°Stealing Yin and Yang, Seizing Creation, Reversing Life and Death,¡± he must have sufficiently high cultivation.


    Only with cultivation as the foundation could he seek the Great Dao, learn about Formation, and thereby seek a sliver of life in the dead end of heavenly secrets, altering Master¡¯s fate, reversing death into life¡­


    And Foundation Establishment was the first step in establishing the Great Dao.


    Before Foundation Establishment, Mo Hua thought things over carefully, even making a list to make sure he had considered everything and was fully prepared¡­


    First was the need for an ample supply of Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua already had quite a few Spirit Stones in hand.


    There were tens of thousands of these Spirit Stones, accumulated by his parents over the years for him, earned from his Drawing Formation, and secretly given to him by his Junior Brother and Sister.


    The better the Spiritual Root and the higher the grade of the Cultivation Technique, the more Spirit Stones are needed for Foundation Establishment.


    And since Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Root was not excellent, he would need fewer Spirit Stones, so these tens of thousands were more than enough.


    Moreover, Mo Hua had also bought some Pills and Spiritual Objects in Liyuan City in case of unexpected needs.


    These were not for breaking through bottlenecks but rather for emergency situations during the breakthrough, if any mishaps should injure his foundation. They were for replenishing blood and Spiritual Power, nurturing the meridians, and sustaining his life force.


    It all seemed like an excess of caution.


    But he had only one life, and he couldn¡¯t afford to be negligent.


    Next, he needed to find a safe, serene, and undisturbed place for Foundation Establishment.


    After completing Foundation Establishment, he would return to Tongxian City to surprise his parents.


    But before that, there was one thing that Mo Hua was particularly concerned about¡­


    Mo Hua turned his head to look at the content old man drinking tea beside him, and asked with a skeptical expression:


    ¡°Senior Situ, why are you still here? Aren¡¯t you going back to Mystery Valley?¡±


    True Man Situ leisurely sipped his tea and sighed deeply:


    ¡°Not in a hurry, it¡¯s rare that I get to come out, so I¡¯ll relax my mind before returning. The valley is quite dull, with too many annoying matters, I¡¯m not in a rush to go back¡­¡±


    It¡¯d been decades since he¡¯d been out.


    Of course, he wanted to rest and enjoy the scenery.


    Of course, the most important thing was that he had used the Qiankun Clear Light Lamp from Mystery Valley as a long-burning lamp to extend Mr. Zhuang¡¯s life¡­


    It was likely that in a few decades, or maybe a hundred years, it would be rendered useless.


    Such a treasure of the Mystery Valley¡­


    He needed to come up with an excuse first to save face and then think about returning.


    There was no rush for the moment.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    True Man Situ glanced at Mo Hua¡¯s list, meticulously detailed with various Pills and Spiritual Objects, and asked:


    ¡°You¡¯re preparing for Foundation Establishment?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua looked at True Man Situ, who seemed to have all the time in the world and appeared quite idle. He asked softly:


    ¡°Senior Situ, are you busy right now?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat, is there something you need?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he pulled out the list, offering it respectfully as he said very politely:


    ¡°This is the preparation for Foundation Establishment. Could you take a look for me? See if there¡¯s anything I¡¯ve overlooked or need to add?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were bright and earnest, and every word he spoke was imbued with courtesy.


    True Man Situ nodded slightly, not opposed to the notion.


    The child Mo Hua had left a deep impression on him.


    Honestly, he was quite fond of the kid¡­


    Although his Spiritual Root was somewhat lacking, he was cute, very polite, a pleasant speaker, clever, and he respected his elders and the teachings, truly a good child.


    Otherwise, the Bai Family¡¯s two haughty children wouldn¡¯t go out of their way to protect their little Junior Brother¡­


    He was free anyway.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    True Man Situ took the paper from Mo Hua and glanced over it, quickly grasping the essentials. With a casual flick of his finger, he added a few Spiritual Objects and a couple of Pills without using ink to the back of the paper.


    ¡°These are for clearing the meridians, invigorating the body, as well as calming the mind and spirit. Though auxiliary in nature, they are greatly beneficial for Foundation Establishment, and also not expensive¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at the additions and gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Situ!¡±


    True Man Situ hesitated but said, ¡°Just ¡®Senior¡¯ is fine, drop the ¡®Elder¡¯¡­¡±


    As one gets older, being called ¡°old¡± can be a bit sensitive¡­


    ¡°Oh, oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, though in his mind he complained that Senior Situ was odd, not pleased when given the respect due to an elder¡­


    True Man Situ took another sip of tea, finding it tasteless, after all it was only Third-Grade Spiritual Tea from the Third-Grade State Boundary, feeling somewhat flat in the mouth¡­


    Suddenly, he looked puzzled as he gazed at Mo Hua and asked, ¡°The Pills and Spiritual Objects you¡¯ve prepared don¡¯t include anything to break through bottlenecks, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    His bottleneck had already been broken.


    It was Uncle who had broken it for him¡­


    He didn¡¯t spell it out but vaguely mentioned, ¡°My Spiritual Root isn¡¯t good, and my Cultivation Technique is average. Although I cultivate less Spiritual Power, the bottlenecks are straightforward and can be broken through quite easily¡­¡±


    True Man Situ nodded, not prying further, but he pondered internally¡­


    That¡¯s not very likely!


    This young fellow must be deceiving me¡­


    He is Mr. Zhuang¡¯s disciple, and even if his Spiritual Root was poor, with Mr. Zhuang¡¯s character of preferring deficiency over excess, he wouldn¡¯t let him choose a Cultivation Technique with ¡°simple bottlenecks¡± that could be easily overcome.

 Chapter 715 - 565 Foundation Establishment_2

    Chapter 715: Chapter 565 Foundation Establishment_2


    This is too casual, not something Mr. Zhuang would do.


    Unless¡­ this cultivation technique doesn¡¯t require spiritual objects and pills when breaking through a bottleneck¡­


    Not needing spiritual objects and pills means the bottleneck is likely not in the Qi Sea or meridians¡­


    Not in the Qi Sea or meridians?


    Where else could it be?


    It surely can¡¯t be in the Divine Sense¡­


    ...


    True Man Situ suddenly had a moment of realization.


    He was a cultivator of the Feather Transformation Realm, and also the Chief Elder of Mystery Valley, skilled in calculation, having lived for many years and experienced much, a very unfamiliar and somewhat obscure but preposterous term surfaced in his mind¡­


    ¡°Divine Sense Proving the Dao¡­¡±


    Divine Sense¡­ Prove the Dao?!!


    True Man Situ was shocked and suddenly widened his eyes.


    No way?


    Could there really be someone with such grand ambition, to use the Divine Sense that cannot be enhanced by cultivation techniques, to Prove the Dao?!


    True Man Situ glanced at Mo Hua.


    Poor Spiritual Root, weak Blood Qi¡­


    Why did Mr. Zhuang take on such a disciple?


    With Mr. Zhuang¡¯s talent to shape heaven and earth, what kind of Dao path is he planning for this disciple?


    There is only one answer¡­ Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao!


    True Man Situ also recalled the intense Divine Sense that he had felt from Mo Hua that day, not belonging to someone of his age or realm¡­


    The more he thought about it, the more possible it seemed.


    ¡°Divine Sense Proving the Dao, huh¡­¡±


    True Man Situ was astounded in his heart.


    Seeing True Man Situ with eyes wide and stunned for a long while without reacting, Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled and expressed concern:


    ¡°Senior, what¡¯s the matter? Did the hot tea choke you?¡±


    True Man Situ came back to his senses, looked at Mo Hua, and silently thought to himself:


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t choked by the hot tea, I was shocked by you¡­¡±


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao¡­


    It¡¯s one who dares to teach and one who dares to learn¡­


    This is no ordinary feat.


    This child, he wouldn¡¯t really cultivate into a second ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s person¡±, right¡­?


    True Man Situ felt a slight trepidation in his heart, but after some thought, he shook his head.


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao and Demon Thought Gui Tao are still very different¡­


    And if this child really had flaws in his nature, Mr. Zhuang, with his temperament, would certainly not teach him Divine Sense Proving the Dao.


    ¡°Let nature take its course, and observe the changes¡­¡±


    True Man Situ silently thought to himself.


    Suddenly he clicked his tongue and became curious again.


    ¡°Can this child really achieve Divine Sense Proving the Dao?¡±


    He was eager to see it¡­


    Having lived for so long, he had never seen a cultivator who could Prove the Dao with Divine Sense and make a name for themselves¡­


    True Man Situ¡¯s enthusiasm was suddenly kindled, and he said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°If you have any doubts beyond Foundation Establishment, feel free to ask me.¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, but still politely asked, ¡°Won¡¯t that be a disturbance to you?¡±


    True Man Situ waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I have nothing else to do.¡±


    Mo Hua then asked without reservation all the details about Foundation Establishment, including the areas he was worried about.


    True Man Situ, being a Feathered Immortal and an elder, had a thorough understanding of Foundation Establishment.


    Mo Hua, lacking inheritance, asked mostly elementary questions, but True Man Situ still patiently and wholeheartedly answered Mo Hua¡¯s inquiries¡­


    He also said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Foundation Establishment is about both effort and destiny¡­¡±


    ¡°Though it is so, the more you perfect every detail, the higher the probability of successful Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, this ¡®destiny¡¯, as long as you understand it well enough, can also be altered by human effort¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua benefited greatly.


    He remembered what he had overheard True Man Situ and the Uncle-Master saying: the tool that had helped the Master lock in causality and extend his life was Mystery Valley¡¯s Qiankun Clear Light Lamp.


    The Mysterious Fire Everlasting Formation was also personally set up by True Man Situ.


    Without True Man Situ, the Master might not have had even a sliver of a chance¡­


    Mo Hua felt deeply grateful and bowed seriously:


    ¡°Senior, I will remember your great kindness and grace in my heart!¡±


    True Man Situ saw the young Mo Hua with a serious little face, speaking earnestly, and could not help but smile a little.


    A Qi-refining Realm child like you, what use is your gratitude to me¡­


    But he did not voice this thought, and suddenly felt a ¡°thud¡± in his heart.


    As Mo Hua bowed.


    True Man Situ¡¯s heart trembled, he felt as if some causality had begun to shift in the unseen world¡­


    ¡°Divine Sense Proving the Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be, really this mysterious, can it¡­¡±


    True Man Situ opened his mouth but immediately changed what he was about to say:


    ¡°Good! Very good! Remembering kindness and seeking to repay it, that¡¯s a good child!¡±


    He seemed nonchalant on the surface but emphasized the words ¡°remembering kindness and seeking to repay it¡± heavily, afraid that Mo Hua did not hear it clearly and would forget about him¡­


    Afterward, whenever Mo Hua had a doubt, he would go ask True Man Situ.


    True Man Situ provided answers to each one.


    When all the doubts were cleared and all the necessary spiritual objects and pills were prepared, Mo Hua began to officially initiate Foundation Establishment in a rented cave dwelling in Liyuan City.


    The cave dwelling was large, quiet, and luxurious.


    It was one that Mo Hua could not afford to rent.


    The cave dwelling was specially rented by True Man Situ for Mo Hua¡¯s use in Foundation Establishment.


    Mo Hua was somewhat embarrassed.


    True Man Situ put on a stern face, ¡°I am your senior, a lofty Feathered Immortal, the Chief Elder of Mystery Valley, this little thing is the least of my efforts, why are you being polite with me?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Senior!¡±


    Mo Hua said with a smile, quietly noting True Man Situ¡¯s kindness in his heart.


    True Man Situ nodded in satisfaction, then gave some advice:


    ¡°As for Foundation Establishment, there¡¯s not much to say, just be prepared. If all goes well, everything will naturally fall into place; if not, don¡¯t be discouraged, you can always try again.¡±


    ¡°For the Disciples of the Worldly Family, Foundation Establishment is not difficult; the challenge is building a good Taoist Foundation.¡±

 Chapter 716 - 565: Foundation Establishment_3

    Chapter 716: Chapter 565: Foundation Establishment_3


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°When one builds a good Taoist foundation, will there be any extraordinary phenomena?¡±


    The concept of the Foundation Building Phenomenon was something Mo Hua had heard from others.


    They said that noble clans and sects spoke of once-in-a-millennium geniuses, who, during their foundation establishment, would be accompanied by phenomena between heaven and earth, with auspicious radiance filling the sky and the ringing of dragons and phoenixes that serve as proof of the Great Dao¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not that exaggerated¡­¡± True Man Situ said helplessly, ¡°These statements are concocted by noble clans to pretentiously inflate their value with grandiose fabrications, mostly to elevate the status of their own disciples¡ªit¡¯s all a lot of opaque mystification¡­¡±


    ¡°The Foundation Building Phenomenon isn¡¯t that obvious, but it does indeed exist.¡±


    ¡°Generally speaking, as long as the foundation is solid and the Taoist foundation is complete, there will indeed be some special phenomena¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡°You just focus on building your foundation properly, don¡¯t worry about these unnecessary distractions¡­¡±


    True Man Situ instructed.


    ¡°Hmm, I understand,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Afterward, Mo Hua began to sit in meditation for foundation building in his cave dwelling.


    He leveled his mind, collected his energy, followed the procedures methodically, step by step¡­


    First, he took some pills to nourish and limber up his meridians and loosen his skeleton. Then he burned incense, calmed his mind, and, when his body and heart were unified and his thoughts undispersed, he began to refine spirit stones.


    The Foundation building began, and the Qi Sea surged wildly, like a gaping mouth incessantly devouring spiritual energy.


    One spirit stone after another was quickly refined.


    Streams of spiritual energy flowed into the Dantian Qi Sea.


    Tens of thousands of spiritual stones were consumed like water.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spiritual power also grew stronger with each circulation, and the Qi Sea gradually became more substantial¡­


    Thanks to True Man Situ¡¯s guidance and Mo Hua¡¯s detailed preparations, this process went quite smoothly.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, the Qi Sea finally became stable and the spiritual power thickened and congealed like flowing mercury.


    Condensing spiritual energy, spiritual power like mercury!


    This is the Foundation Building spiritual power!


    Mo Hua opened his eyes and felt the spiritual power in his Qi Sea, cloudy like fog, circulating like water, thick like mercury, and he could not have been more delighted.


    He had finally built his foundation!


    He was now a Foundation Building Cultivator!


    But Mo Hua knew that this was not enough.


    For him, the real Foundation Building was just beginning¡­


    His path was that of ¡°Divine Sense Proving the Dao,¡± and the enhancement of Divine Sense was the key.


    According to his master, when cultivators build their foundation, spiritual power undergoes a qualitative change, and Divine Sense doubles.


    His spiritual power had now changed qualitatively.


    Next, it was time for his Divine Sense to double! S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A Divine Sense at the Fourteen-Pattern Qi Foundation Middle Stage, after doubling, might break through the limit and advance by leaps and bounds to the Seventeen-Pattern Divine Sense of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage!


    This was the Taoist Foundation that Mo Hua truly aimed to build!


    Mo Hua felt anxious, but even more so, he was filled with anticipation.


    A moment later, the Sea of Consciousness trembled, and then Mo Hua felt his Fourteen-Pattern Divine Sense grow at a rapid pace!


    It was as if from the boundless Great Dao, endless Divine Sense was born, and as realizations dawned in Mo Hua¡¯s mind, Divine Thoughts like springs flowed continuously into the Sea of Consciousness, augmenting Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense!


    The Sea of Consciousness of Mo Hua also expanded little by little.


    Enhanced Divine Sense inevitably resulted in the expansion of the Sea of Consciousness.


    A vast Sea of Consciousness is necessary to accommodate more Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua had not deeply experienced this before because the enhancement of his Divine Sense had mostly been gradual and accumulative over days and months.


    But now, breaking through to Foundation Building and experiencing the doubling of Divine Sense, Mo Hua could clearly sense his Sea of Consciousness expanding rapidly¡­


    At the same time, more Divine Sense flowed into the Sea of Consciousness.


    Rivers flowing into the ocean¡­


    The realm of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense also climbed step by step¡­


    From Fourteen Patterns, it reached Fifteen.


    Then it reached Sixteen Patterns.


    Sixteen Patterns is the peak of Divine Sense in the Foundation Establishment Middle Phase¡­


    After this point, any further increase of Divine Sense would hit the bottleneck of the late phase of Foundation Establishment.


    This bottleneck was also deep like a chasm and not to be transgressed.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, with a very strong foundation, kept flowing into that chasm like a river after doubling, continuously pouring into and striking against the bottleneck.


    The Sea of Consciousness of Mo Hua also began to ache slightly.


    But he bore the pain, calmed his mind for meditation, discarded irrelevant thoughts, and steadfastly maintained his Taoist heart.


    He sought to Prove the Dao with his Divine Sense!


    Finally, after an indeterminable amount of time, Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness suddenly opened up.


    The bottleneck shattered, and the chasm was filled.


    The surging Divine Sense flowed into the Sea of Consciousness, and Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense reached¡­ Seventeen Patterns!


    Seventeen Patterns represent Divine Sense at the late phase of Foundation Establishment.


    And it did not stop there.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense continued to grow, climbing upward unceasingly, bit by bit, strand by strand, merging into rivers, gathering grains to build a high tower¡­


    Finally, it settled at Eighteen Patterns!


    Eighteen Patterns of Divine Sense at the late phase of Foundation Establishment!


    Mo Hua was shocked in his heart, then overjoyed, and he let out a long sigh of relief.


    His master was right.


    He could indeed¡­ Prove the Dao with his Divine Sense¡­


    He had just entered Foundation Building and already had a full Eighteen Patterns of Divine Sense, just one step away from the complete Nineteen Patterns of Divine Sense of a perfect foundation!


    ¡°I have finally lived up to my master¡¯s expectations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt both joy and a tinge of melancholy.


    Eighteen Patterns were already very powerful!


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, and just as he was about to stop meditating and end the foundation building, his expression suddenly changed.


    He sensed that something was off.


    There was a dignified aura of the Great Dao spreading in his Sea of Consciousness, as if he had made some mistake, touched upon a ¡°taboo¡± of the Great Dao¡­


    Back when he had broken the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation and executed Feng Xi, with the tribulation lightning overhead, he had felt this same sensation.


    What taboo?


    Was his Divine Sense too strong?


    Mo Hua was stunned and before he had the chance to think it through, he felt his Divine Sense touch some kind of barrier, like¡­ the limits of the Heavenly Dao.


    The Great Dao seemed¡­ to forbid him from having such strong Divine Sense¡­

 Chapter 717 - 565: Foundation Establishment_4

    Chapter 717: Chapter 565: Foundation Establishment_4


    Soon, the restrictions of the Heavenly Dao descended, and Mo Hua¡¯s originally expanding Sea of Consciousness was as if squeezed by something, suddenly contracting.


    Mo Hua¡¯s head ached unbearably, but what was even more unbelievable to him was that his realm of Divine Sense was rapidly falling.


    From Eighteen Patterns, he dropped to Seventeen Patterns¡­


    Then from Seventeen Patterns, he fell to Sixteen Patterns¡­


    And yet, it didn¡¯t stop there¡­


    Sixteen Patterns, Fifteen Patterns¡­ all the way down to the initial Fourteen Patterns!


    ...


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    But it wasn¡¯t over yet.


    Following the fall of his realm, what came next was an even more severe cracking of his Sea of Consciousness, the agony of his shattered Divine Sense!


    Mo Hua suddenly realized that although his Sea of Consciousness had contracted and his realm of Divine Sense had fallen, the Divine Sense that had been strengthened before was still there!


    This Divine Sense was being infinitely squeezed due to the contraction of the Sea of Consciousness.


    As a result, the Sea of Consciousness was being squeezed by the Divine Sense, gradually cracking, while the Divine Sense was being oppressed by the Sea of Consciousness, gradually shattering¡­


    What to do?!


    In desperation, Mo Hua could only endure the severe pain, on one hand, meditating to stabilize his mind, casting aside the agony, while on the other hand maintaining his damaged Divine Sense with Heavenly secret Calculation and accelerating the consumption of Divine Sense with Tricky Calculation.


    But this was not a solution¡­


    Sooner or later, his Sea of Consciousness would be completely destroyed, and his Divine Sense would vanish like smoke!


    At the critical moment, in Mo Hu¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, there suddenly emerged a vast and endless, densely packed, layered Formation Patterns.


    These Formation Patterns were flickering on and off, appearing and disappearing, forming into a whole piece that seemed to be branded in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, profound and mysterious.


    Is this¡­ the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?!


    Is this the bottleneck of the Heaven Yan Jue?


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    The moment the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation emerged, those Divine Senses that were restricted by the Heavenly Dao and pressed by the Sea of Consciousness, with nowhere to hide, began to cluster along the Formation Patterns one strand at a time.


    One by one, one formation after another, in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, with Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, retraced and were woven into a¡ª


    Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!


    Mo Hua was incredible shocked, and gradually a realization dawned in his heart.


    ¡°This is¡­ the mystery of the Heaven Yan Jue¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the true meaning of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, which is the bottleneck of the Heaven Yan Jue?¡±


    ¡°Divine Consciousness Reconstruction?¡±


    ¡°Reconstructing Divine Sense with the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?!¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What kind of ¡°Divine Craftsmanship¡± was this?


    Mo Hua had never heard of this before, and even his wildest dreams had not conjured such a possibility¡­


    The restrictions of the Heavenly Dao, the contraction of the Sea of Consciousness, the oppression of Divine Sense, torn and shattered, and then automatically permeated into the Formation Patterns of the previously manifested Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, solidifying into a Formation, reconstructing Divine Sense¡­


    This was a spontaneously generated process.


    The only problem was, the reconstruction of Divine Sense was too painful¡­


    And the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation was so large that forming bit by bit was so slow¡­


    Mo Hua clenched his teeth and persevered, but he was still young and feared he might not be able to hold out.


    ¡°I have to think of a solution¡­¡±


    Enduring the pain, Mo Hua¡¯s mind raced.


    If generation by itself was too slow, then¡­ why not actively form the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    This Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, his uncle had deciphered with Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, so now should he do the opposite and reconstruct with Tricky Calculation?


    The Large Formation was vast, consuming huge amounts of Divine Sense.


    But now in Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, there was an abundance of Divine Sense between Fourteen and Eighteen Patterns, which was ample to the point of seeming inexhaustible, with no worry of running out.


    And during the process of forming, he could simultaneously use Heavenly secret Calculation to gain insight into the true essence of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?


    This was as if he was ¡°applying his study,¡± learning anew, the versatile and immensely profound ¡°Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡±?!


    Mysterious Heaven Great Formation!


    A jump went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart, and then his eyes shone brightly.


    Without delay, he immediately set to work. With a somewhat unfamiliar and clumsy method, he attempted to use Tricky Calculation to divide his Divine Sense, multitasking to expedite the formation of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, and in doing so, accelerated his own Divine Consciousness Reconstruction!


    Meanwhile, he learned as he drew.


    With Heavenly secret Calculation, he gradually deduced, comprehended, and discerned the essential nature of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, the Divine Thought solidified, grand and ancient, abstruse and profound Mysterious Heaven Great Formation was being generated on its own, while also being actively formed by Mo Hua¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was being consumed rapidly like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea.


    The pain in the Sea of Consciousness was also gradually relieved, as if by a spring breeze and a gentle rain.


    Yet Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was undergoing unbelievable changes, step by step¡­


    After an unknown length of time, the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation was fully formed, then gradually dissolved, merging into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, and vanished without a trace.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes.


    He discovered that his Sea of Consciousness was still that of the Fourteen Patterns realm.


    But within the Sea of Consciousness, there was a hazy mist, swirling clouds and fog.


    Mo Hua activated his Divine Sense and found that his Divine Sense had become incredibly concentrated, like water vapor, as if it had been compressed by the Sea of Consciousness, and reconstituted by the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, undergoing a¡­


    Transformation?


    Divine Consciousness Transformation?!


    Mo Hua was inexplicably shocked. After a brief contemplation, he suddenly had an epiphany.


    The truly powerful aspect of the Heaven Yan Jue cultivation technique lied in¡­ causing the Divine Sense to undergo a transformation?!


    With a transformed Divine Thought, the foundation was solid, and manipulation became exceedingly keen.


    The manipulation of Divine Sense was just an additional benefit.


    And the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, while seemingly a bottleneck, was in essence the key to reconstructing Divine Sense and achieving a transformation!


    Divine Consciousness Transformation¡­


    Mo Hua looked at his own small hand.


    Divine Thought was ethereal, no matter how solidified it seemed, the essence remained an illusory phantom.


    But now, the hand manifesting from his Divine Thought, though hazy, was veiled with mist, as if a slight condensation of¡­ blood¡­


    ¡°This is¡­ Divine Consciousness Transformation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was lost in a trance.


    His Divine Sense was henceforth entirely different.


    And thereby, he had established the foundation for the Supreme Divine Sense!

 Chapter 718 - 565: Foundation Establishment_5

    Chapter 718: Chapter 565: Foundation Establishment_5


    ¡­


    Outside the cave dwelling for Foundation Establishment of Mo Hua, True Man Situ was somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­¡±


    He had just felt a surge, insignificant to him, but exceedingly abundant in terms of Divine Sense fluctuations for a Foundation Building Cultivator.


    This also confirmed his guess about ¡°Divine Sense Proving the Dao.¡±


    Yet, for some reason, that surge quickly converged, vanished, and left no trace¡­


    ...


    The aura of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought hadn¡¯t seemed to increase.


    ¡°Did it fail?¡±


    True Man Situ frowned.


    He then waited outside¡­ Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After a long time, Mo Hua emerged, his steps light, even somewhat¡­ springy?


    He was clearly in a good mood¡­


    True Man Situ could not help but ask, ¡°Did you establish your foundation?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Hua nodded and smiled.


    True Man Situ gave Mo Hua a discerning look.


    His aura had indeed become much more solid¡­


    But as for Spiritual Power, it was quite average, and his Blood Qi, pitifully weak¡­


    His Divine Sense, he couldn¡¯t ascertain clearly, but it felt similar to the Divine Sense Realm before his own Foundation Establishment¡­


    This¡­ that¡¯s all for Foundation Establishment?


    And¡­


    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t there any phenomenon at all¡­¡±


    True Man Situ was somewhat puzzled.


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao, no matter what, there should have been a slight sign, even the smallest hint would have given him some clue.


    But it seemed, there really wasn¡¯t any.


    True Man Situ shook his head, somewhat unable to understand.


    But Mo Hua was ready to bid True Man Situ farewell:


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance during these days, senior. I have been away from home for a long time, and I will return tomorrow¡­¡±


    True Man Situ nodded, ¡°It was but a trifle, do not mind it.¡±


    But he still advised, ¡°The path of Dao Cultivation is long, if you pass by Mystery Valley in the future, remember to drop a greeting card; I will treat you, show you around, and let you experience the heritage of my Mystery Valley¡­¡±


    Mo Hua smiled broadly, ¡°Definitely!¡±


    The two chatted a lot more.


    The next day, Mo Hua set out on his journey, a small figure walking on the Great Dao, waving at True Man Situ from a distance.


    True Man Situ watched the figure of Mo Hua and suddenly felt somewhat reluctant, pausing longer than intended, watching Mo Hua disappear into the distance.


    Mo Hua, alone on the Great Dao, though small in figure, had a steadfast Taoist Heart, fearless, and pressing forward.


    True Man Situ thought to himself:


    ¡°I hope you, child, have a boundless Dao journey!¡±


    ¡°Maybe if fate allows, we will meet again¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Having seen off Mo Hua, True Man Situ should also return to Mystery Valley.


    Yet, before leaving, his mind was still concerned.


    ¡°How could there be¡­ no phenomenon at all?¡±


    ¡°Was I mistaken?¡±


    He hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked into the cave dwelling where Mo Hua had established his foundation.


    The interior of the cave dwelling was luxuriously decorated.


    Luxury wooden furniture, auspicious cloud screens, Spirit-embroidered porcelain¡­ all present, but just as always, no different from before.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    True Man Situ scanned with his Divine Sense, then suddenly paused.


    He reached out and gently touched the porcelain that was ¡®turning green with spirit stone,¡¯ and ¡®turning red with copper,¡¯ beautifully adorned with green and red colors.


    As soon as he touched it, the porcelain instantly shattered.


    Simultaneously, the surrounding masonry settings all cracked, their interiors already turning into fine powder!


    No scent of Blood Qi.


    No external force.


    No remnants of Spiritual Power.


    Could it be¡­ Divine Sense?


    Were these bricks, mortar, and porcelains, inadvertently smashed by the overflowing Divine Sense?


    True Man Situ gasped sharply.


    Divine Sense¡­ shattered¡­


    What exactly did this small cultivator establish?


    ¡­


    At this moment, in an unknown void.


    Yin souls wailed harshly, Gui Qi pervading.


    With remnants of souls everywhere, weaving a terrifyingly enormous web.


    This web, covering heaven and shielding the earth, seemed like a vast shadowy Large Formation, containing endless Gui Tao trickeries and the deadly aura of extinction.


    At this moment, a dreadful shadow opened its eyes.


    Within his eyes, pitch-blackness.


    As if countless Deceit Patterns were condensed within.


    ¡°Back Ruins Heaven Burial is now in my hands¡­¡±


    ¡°But my Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­ is missing¡­ a trace of its origin¡­¡±


    ¡°Was it¡­ erased¡­¡±


    ¡°Or was it¡­ consumed¡­¡±


    He hadn¡¯t spoken aloud, but numerous yin souls seemed to do it on his behalf.


    Clustered voices, intermingling, indistinguishable in their sharp and piercing nature, potentially harmful to Divine Thought.


    ¡°Evil God, or Heavenly Demon¡­ dare to consume¡­ my Demon Thought?¡±


    The shadow calculated with his fingers, a Dao robe of Void appearing on him, densely flowing with Deceit Patterns.


    A name emerged¡­


    ¡°Mo¡­ Hua¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Who is it?¡±


    The shadow¡¯s dark gaze condensed, trying to calculate again, only to find the Heavenly secret obscured, clouded, indistinct.


    ¡°Is it¡­ my junior brother¡­¡±


    ¡°But you¡­ are already dead¡­ can¡¯t hide it anymore¡­¡±


    The shadow¡¯s gaze became fierce. Amidst fear and struggle, the numerous yin souls were devoured by the Dao robe of Void, turning to ash, while his Tricky Calculation of Heavenly secret advanced further.


    In the vague mist, he almost saw a small human face¡­


    Just then, a Corpse King with a warped and twisted aura due to karmic mutation leapt out from the obscure causality, its eyes blood-red, its face fierce, biting fiercely into the shadow.


    This bite swallowed countless yin souls and also severed the causality.


    The shadow startled, slightly incredulous.


    ¡°This is¡­ my nurtured Taoist Demon?¡±


    ¡°It¡­ is biting me?¡±


    This Corpse King, hidden in the obscure causation, seemed to be ¡°protecting its master¡± as well as ¡°protecting its food.¡±


    Not allowing others to covet its ¡°master,¡± nor allowing others to covet its ¡°food.¡±


    A trace of vindictive spirit appeared in the shadow¡¯s eyes, then gradually calmed down.


    A Taoist Demon, a being of Great Dao¡¯s karmic mutation.


    Conforming to the Dao yet defying it.


    Hidden in causality, perilously unpredictable, and elusive.


    This Taoist Demon he had nurtured, he could not kill it now¡­


    The shadow fell silent, an all-encompassing deathly stillness, then his Deceit Pattern faded, retracting his Dao robe, returning to normal.


    ¡°We will meet again¡­¡±


    His pitch-black pupils, irregular Deceit Patterns flickering between light and shadow.


    In the land of void, thousands of yin souls, fiercely wailing, simultaneously shouting the name that knows neither cause nor effect:


    ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    (End of the Wandering Volume)

 Chapter 719 - 566 Returning Home_1

    Chapter 719: Chapter 566 Returning Home_1


    ¡°`


    A hundred miles outside Tongxian City, the mountain forests were lush, and streams babbled.


    On the mountain path, a caravan of more than ten people, pulling several storage carts, moved slowly forward.


    Mo Hua sat on one of the caravan¡¯s carts, swinging his legs leisurely while looking at the nearby familiar yet slightly unfamiliar mountain scenery. He thought of his parents, the acquaintances, and childhood friends back in Tongxian City, feeling excited yet suddenly seized by a nervous trepidation as he neared his hometown.


    From the Third Grade Dali Mountain State boundary to Tongxian City.


    The journey had been long and arduous. Mo Hua stopped along the way, visiting Formation Masters, seeking out Formations, taking nearly half a year. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Now he was fifteen years old.


    A First Grade Formation Master, at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment, with fourteen patterns in his Divine Sense, his Divine Thought had undergone a qualitative change, becoming as concentrated as mercury.


    Compared to when he left home, Mo Hua had grown a bit taller.


    His eyebrows and eyes had also broadened, carrying a trace of heroic spirit between them.


    However, at the tender age of early teens, he was still too young for a Cultivator.


    Mo Hua had achieved Foundation Establishment early. Even though he had gone through many experiences, he still appeared as an uncut jade, naive and carefree.


    ¡°Mo lad, your parents really trust you to travel alone¡­¡±


    An elder from the caravan couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    On this trip, he must have asked this question at least seven or eight times.


    The elder was the boss of the caravan, who had traveled far and wide, trading Spirit Stones and Pills to make a living.


    His surname was Zheng, with a sharp look in his eyes, everyone else called him Old Zheng.


    Tongxian City was growing more prosperous, and the number of Cultivators and traders coming and going had increased. Old Zheng¡¯s caravan was specifically there to sell some Tao Cultivation merchandise.


    Only, the caravan had been attacked by Monster Beasts on the way, and the Formation on the cart was damaged.


    Mo Hua came across them and helped fix the Formation. They were very simple Formations, around First Grade four or five patterns; it barely counted as lifting a finger.


    But Old Zheng was amazed.


    This young Cultivator was so young, yet he could already repair a Formation with five Formation Patterns¡­


    His future was bound to be immeasurable!


    In gratitude to Mo Hua, Old Zheng treated him well with food and drink. Learning that Mo Hua¡¯s destination was also Tongxian City, he offered Mo Hua a lift along the way.


    Mo Hua, tired from the journey, conveniently took the opportunity to hitch a ride.


    Along the way, there was food, drink, and company for conversation, so it was not dull.


    Anyway, they were already very close to Tongxian City, and it would only cause a few days¡¯ delay.


    But every time Old Zheng looked at Mo Hua, his expression was one of incredulity.


    Just a kid, yet with such talent in Formations, did his parents really feel reassured, letting him travel alone?


    If it were him, he wouldn¡¯t bear to let go.


    Mo Hua spoke softly, ¡°When I traveled, there were others with me. Now on my return, I¡¯m by myself¡­¡±


    As he said this, a hint of melancholy was hidden in the depths of Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    Old Zheng nodded and did not ask further.


    Among the steep mountains and ridges, the caravan followed the winding mountain roads step by step, heading for Tongxian City.


    Mo Hua looked up and saw the rolling Big Black Mountain range in front of him, and the outline of Tongxian City, partly hidden by the mountains and mists, emerging faintly in the distance. He silently breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°No matter what, I¡¯m nearly home¡­¡±


    Since he left home, only a few years had passed.


    A Cultivator¡¯s lifespan is long, and a few years do not count for much, but to Mo Hua, it felt like a very long time had gone by¡­


    At last, he was finally returning home.


    A slight sourness welled up in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Several more days passed, and after traveling tens of miles, Mo Hua saw acquaintances.


    They were several uncles who were Monster Hunters.


    Dressed in iron armor and wielding Pu Blades, their faces stern, they were all fully alert, tracking Monster Beasts, and happened to come across the caravan Mo Hua was with.


    They were midst pursuing a Monster Beast, their armor and blades covered in blood, their faces bearing an aura ready for a fight to the death.


    Seeing this, the other Cultivators of the caravan also became alert, their expressions tense.


    Old Zheng felt a chill in his heart.


    It was their first time trading in Tongxian City, and in this desolate Black Mountain region, encountering Monster Hunters with bloody blades and stern expressions, they couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy.


    Fearing that a misunderstanding might lead these Monster Hunters to rob and kill them¡­


    Such incidents, they had encountered and heard of plenty during their travels.


    What was more troublesome was that these Monster Hunters were clearly very powerful.


    The caravan had hired guards, but these guards were merely at the latter stages of Qi Refinement, not exceeding the ninth level.


    They could handle ordinary Mole Gangs, but compared to these Monster Hunters with profound cultivation, exquisite Spiritual Artifacts, and rich experience in combat, and moreover, those covered in blood, they were clearly outmatched.


    Although nervous, Old Zheng tried his best to smile apologetically:


    ¡°Fellow Taoist friends, my name is Zheng, and I am on my way to Tongxian City to do some modest trade. I hope you would be lenient¡­¡±


    He started to calculate in his mind how much ¡°toll¡± he would have to pay to pass safely and minimize his losses.


    The Monster Hunters remained silent.


    They were on the hunt for Monster Beasts, and speaking little was a rule among Monster Hunters.


    Seeing that they did not respond, Old Zheng¡¯s forced smile grew ever more stiff.


    Just then, one of the Monster Hunters, by chance, glanced at the carriage and saw a child with fine features, looking at him kindly with a smiling face.


    He was shocked, widening his eyes in disbelief, and exclaimed:


    ¡°Mo¡­ Mo Hua?!!¡±


    The other Monster Hunters glared at him angrily.


    ¡°What are you doing? Yelling and startling everyone like that?¡±


    ¡°Your voice is so loud; what if it alerts the Wind Listening Wolf?¡±


    ¡°Being a veteran Monster Hunter, don¡¯t you know the rules?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ It¡¯s Mo Hua!¡±


    ¡°What Mo Hua? Even if it¡¯s Mo Hua, you can¡¯t¡­¡±


    This Monster Hunter was interrupted halfway through his sentence, then he too froze, ¡°Mo Hua?!¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 720 - 566: Homecoming_2

    Chapter 720: Chapter 566: Homecoming_2


    ¡°You must be out of your mind, Mo Hua is not¡­¡±


    Then he turned his head and saw, from within the caravan, that same beaming, innocent-looking Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua waved at them, smiling, ¡°Uncle Zhao, Uncle Sun, Uncle Zhou¡­ I¡¯m back!¡±


    Everyone was taken aback, before their faces turned to rapture.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a mistake!¡±


    ¡°It really is Mo Hua!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Mo Hua!!¡±


    ¡°Keep it down, don¡¯t scare the wolf off¡­¡±


    ¡°Who cares about that darn wolf, let it be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit bemused.


    ¡°Mo Hua, wait for us. We¡¯ll finish up here and escort you back to Tongxian City¡­¡± the Monster Hunters said enthusiastically.


    Mo Hua looked at them, noticing the blood on their swords and armor. Though they had steely eyes and weathered faces, clearly having pursued the Monster Beasts for quite some time, it seemed they were nearly done with the hunt.


    Mo Hua shook her head and said:


    ¡°Uncles, go on with your Monster Hunting, no need to bother. I¡¯ll be fine returning with the caravan.¡±


    ¡°Drop by our place later; I¡¯ll treat you to a drink!¡± Mo Hua added, patting her little chest.


    The group of Monster Hunters chuckled, but they weren¡¯t prissy about it.


    Indeed, with Mo Hua¡¯s abilities, they really didn¡¯t need to escort her.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll slaughter this wolf and head back. We¡¯ve got some fresh Monster meat, all freshly killed, to let you try,¡± said one of the Monster Hunters, smiling.


    ¡°Mhm, mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Afterward, the group parted ways.


    Mo Hua waved her little arms, bidding farewell to her Monster Hunter uncles and grand-uncles.


    Old Zheng, who had narrowly escaped danger, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead; his look towards Mo Hua was a mix of gratitude and astonishment.


    ¡°Young man, you know these Monster Hunters?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Mo Hua, nodding. ¡°They are all my uncles and grand-uncles. They used to take care of me when I entered Big Black Mountain. We¡¯re quite familiar¡­¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You entered Big Black Mountain?


    Old Zheng looked at Mo Hua¡¯s small arms and legs, not sure what to say.


    But it¡¯s good¡­ to know people.


    Connections make things easier.


    Old Zheng felt fortunate in his heart.


    Lucky indeed, to have bumped into this young man. Otherwise, without knowing any Cultivators out here in the wilderness, meeting a troop of Monster Hunters, with blood on their blades, anything could happen¡­


    Old Zheng¡¯s manners toward Mo Hua became even more courteous.


    But as they continued marching forward, he noticed something wasn¡¯t quite right.


    The closer they got to Tongxian City, the more Monster Hunters they encountered.


    And each and every one of these Monster Hunters, upon seeing Mo Hua, first showed shock then joyous faces.


    One moment solemn and murderous, the next that of joy as if it was New Year¡¯s¡­


    Old Zheng gazed at Mo Hua, his mouth agape, and said in a daze:


    ¡°These Monster Hunters¡­ you know them all?¡±


    How do you know all the Monster Hunters in these mountains?


    Mo Hua nodded.


    But you seem¡­ to know them too well¡­


    Old Zheng still found it hard to believe.


    Mo Hua grinned, ¡°I¡¯m just well-liked!¡±


    Old Zheng was skeptical but continued to speculate silently.


    This young Cultivator must have an unusual identity, perhaps a child of a high-ranking Elder in the Monster Hunting Guild.


    Or maybe, the young master of a big family in Immortal City?


    Old Zheng kept guessing as they went on.


    The sky began to darken as they continued their journey.


    The day neared dusk, the evening sky dyed with the glow of sunset.


    Old Zheng flipped through the Map, estimating the distance, and furrowed his brow, ¡°It¡¯s getting a bit late. If we don¡¯t hurry, it seems we¡¯ll end up spending the night in the mountains¡­¡±


    Spending the night in the mountains would be dangerous¡­


    A newly constructed mountain road now stretches from the Inner Mountain through the deep woods of Big Black Mountain, straight to Tongxian City.


    The Monster Beasts in Inner Mountain are fierce.


    Those in the deep mountains are even more bloodthirsty, and occasionally, Second Grade Monster Beasts appear.


    It¡¯s fine during the day, but once night falls, staying in the deep woods, encountering Monster Beasts in the pitch-black night and treacherous terrain, it¡¯s feared that everyone might become a feast for the beasts.


    ¡°Shall we take a shortcut while it¡¯s not yet dark?¡±


    At least to get out of the deep woods.


    Someone suggested.


    Old Zheng pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement, ¡°We need to move fast to reach Tongxian City sooner. Better not to have long nights full of dreams.¡±


    Mo Hua looked up, scanning the surroundings. They were located deep within the mountains of Big Black Mountain. The mountain path had been refurbished, and the terrain had altered slightly, which was unfamiliar to her.


    Changes in the mountain¡¯s shape¡­


    Apparently, the change was due to the sheer power when she dissolved the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, which had nearly leveled half of the deep mountain, altering the whole landscape.


    The mountain was the same, but it had changed shape; the roads were no longer the same.


    For a moment, Mo Hua was unable to discern the exact location.


    One of the traders in the party then said:


    ¡°I¡¯ve been to Tongxian City a few times and know a shortcut, but it¡¯s a bit late, and we might encounter Monster Beasts¡­¡±


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Old Zheng replied with a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s better than spending the night in the deep woods. You lead the way, and everyone, stay alert.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Old Zheng.¡±


    So the trader took the lead and the caravan turned onto a narrow path.


    It was an old mountain trail.


    Mo Hua vaguely remembered it, seemingly an old road leading from the outside of Big Black Mountain to Tongxian City.


    It became less traveled and gradually fell into disuse.


    The journey was indeed full of twists and turns.


    Some rocks had collapsed a few years earlier due to the Great Formation Dissolution; while people could pass, the vehicles and goods had some difficulties.


    And then there were the Monster Beasts


    However, most of them were just middle to late First Grade.


    The guards in the caravan could handle them, so Mo Hua just gave them early warnings and did not take action herself.


    With everyone¡¯s cooperation, they slew a Kui Wood Wolf and a Red-eyed Demon Sheep. The rest of the journey became much smoother.


    Just as they were about to leave the deep woods, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense stirred, her brows furrowed, and she spoke up:


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Old Zheng was taken aback, and the other Cultivators in the caravan were somewhat puzzled.

 Chapter 721 - 566: Returning Home_3

    Chapter 721: Chapter 566: Returning Home_3


    The sky was gradually darkening, and they could already vaguely see Tongxian City in the distance; stopping now would surely delay their journey.


    Though Mo Hua¡¯s voice sounded tender, there was a hidden aura of unyielding authority that demanded attention.


    Especially since throughout the trip, all the Monster Hunters had treated Mo Hua warmly and kindly. Such ¡°popularity¡± shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Little brother¡­¡± Old Zheng hesitated.


    Mo Hua raised his finger to his lips and ¡°shushed¡± him, signaling him to be silent.


    Old Zheng was puzzled.


    ...


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to scout the surroundings for a moment. His expression gradually turned solemn as he muttered, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a Second Grade Monster Beast¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Old Zheng¡¯s legs went soft, and he said with a trembling voice,


    ¡°Se¡­ Second Grade?¡±


    The other trader Cultivators also had a horrified look in their eyes, then one by one, they began to discuss:


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    ¡°Second Grade Monster Beasts, with their strong Blood Qi, can be seen from afar¡­¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t notice anything¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Before they had finished speaking, a suppressed and terrifying growl emerged from the gloomy forests on the right.


    This low growl contained Evil Qi and a blood-chilling Blood Qi.


    Their faces instantly turned deathly pale.


    It was a Second Grade Monster Beast!


    A Monster Beast stronger than Foundation Establishment!


    Such a beast could feast on all of them!


    With the speed of a Second Grade Monster Beast, there was no escaping!


    Everyone drew their weapons, but the hands clutching the hilts couldn¡¯t stop shaking, and their faces were filled with despair.


    It was then that Mo Hua cautioned,


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Old Zheng also snapped back to reality and hurriedly spoke in a low voice, ¡°Put away your swords, don¡¯t show any killing intent, don¡¯t look into the Monster Beast¡¯s eyes.¡±


    At this point, all he could do was pray that the Monster Beast was full and would overlook them.


    If they didn¡¯t provoke the Monster Beast, they might have a slim chance of survival.


    Otherwise, it seemed likely that today would be their memorial day.


    As everyone was on tenterhooks, the dark shadows of the trees stirred.


    From the woods emerged a Monster Beast as tall as a man, with deep brown pupils and an intricate mix of dark and white patterns on its body, and a regal ¡°king¡± Character on its head.


    ¡°A Second Grade Tiger Demon¡­¡±


    Old Zheng felt bitter inside.


    This was the end¡­


    Unfortunately, it was one of the bloodthirsty and savage Tiger Demons, known for their formidable strength among Monster Beasts¡­


    And Tiger Demons had large appetites.


    The faces of everyone present were as white as paper.


    But Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Big Tiger?


    Why does it look so familiar¡­


    Mo Hua looked intently for a few moments and suddenly realized something, with a flash of understanding.


    Was this¡­ the Big Tiger raised in the Black Mountain Stronghold for bloodsucking? The one he once fed dried fish to, the Little Demon Cat?


    It was an old acquaintance!


    No, an old ¡°demon¡±!


    The Big Tiger¡¯s gaze wandered through the crowd, then settled on Mo Hua. There was a moment of bewilderment, followed by confusion, and then it seemed to recognize Mo Hua. Its big eyes blinked, and the ferocity in its eyes faded away.


    It seemed not to be looking for food, but had come over simply because it sensed a familiar presence.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he quickly said,


    ¡°Old Zheng, give me that Monster meat.¡±


    Old Zheng was flabbergasted, ¡°Monster meat?¡±


    ¡°The two we killed earlier¡­¡±


    They had killed two Monster Beasts on the road, a Kui Wood Wolf and a Red-eyed Demon Sheep. Some of the materials were harvested, and some of the meat was also kept.


    ¡°Oh, oh¡­ Okay!¡±


    Old Zheng nodded repeatedly.


    Mo Hua took the Monster meat and said, ¡°You all go ahead, I¡¯ll feed it.¡±


    Old Zheng looked stunned, ¡°Feed¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I¡¯m familiar with this Monster Beast¡­¡±


    Old Zheng opened his mouth wide and looked from Mo Hua to the fearsome Second Grade King-Character Tiger Monster before him, incredulous:


    You say you¡¯re good with people, but this¡­ surely can¡¯t be called ¡®people¡¯ connections, right¡­?


    A Second Grade Tiger Demon¡­


    This is¡­


    Old Zheng¡¯s emotions were complex, difficult to express in words at the moment.


    Mo Hua waved his little hand at him, ¡°Hurry up and go, otherwise it will get dark¡­¡±


    Old Zheng couldn¡¯t wait to leave, but he looked at Mo Hua and hesitated, ¡°Then little brother, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua said.


    This Big Black Mountain was like his own backyard.


    It was only that the yard had been renovated, and due to his unfamiliarity, he felt a little estranged for the moment.


    Old Zheng looked at the sky and said through clenched teeth, ¡°Little brother, for this great kindness, I shall be in your debt!¡±


    ¡°In our group, we¡¯ll be staying at the Orchid Inn, right opposite the Fulu Building¡­¡±


    ¡°If you come into the city, you must come find me there!¡±


    Orchid Inn?


    Was it newly opened?


    He didn¡¯t recall such an inn in Tongxian City before¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    Old Zheng bowed to Mo Hua, and the other Cultivators also showed their gratitude with a salute before carefully making their way towards Tongxian City.


    The Second Grade Tiger Demon indeed ignored them entirely and allowed them to leave.


    Such a thing was unimaginable with a Second Grade Monster Beast¡­


    Old Zheng found it hard to believe.


    He couldn¡¯t help but glance back at Mo Hua, thinking in shock:


    ¡°Who on earth is this young Cultivator¡­¡±


    ¡­


    As the trading caravan departed, there was no one around except for Mo Hua. The Big Tiger was no longer menacing but instead circled around Mo Hua twice, making a ¡°roar¡± sound at him.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t understand, but he could roughly get its meaning.


    It seemed to be saying, ¡°Follow me¡­¡±


    Having reached Foundation Establishment, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had undergone a qualitative change, making him even more sensitive to killing intent. Sensing no ill will from the Big Tiger, he decided it wasn¡¯t dangerous and followed the Big Tiger using his movement technique, walking through the dim forest.


    The Big Tiger would take a few steps, look back at Mo Hua to make sure he was following, and then continue forward.

 Chapter 722 - 566: Return Home_4

    Chapter 722: Chapter 566: Return Home_4


    ¡°`


    Just like that, he brought Mo Hua all the way to a cave.


    The cave was spacious and somewhat damp, and it didn¡¯t seem like a permanent dwelling for the tiger, but more like a temporary shelter.


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised.


    A Big Tiger also practices ¡°having more than one lair.¡±


    It couldn¡¯t really have become a spirit, could it¡­


    ...


    The Big Tiger glanced at Mo Hua, motioned for him to wait there and then burrowed deeper into the cave. Soon after, it returned with about ten storage bags in its mouth.


    These storage bags, both new and old, varied in design¡ªsome were even very exquisite.


    It was unclear whether the bags were collected or taken from slain victims.


    The tiger placed the storage bags in front of Mo Hua.


    After a long moment of stunned silence, Mo Hua slowly began to understand.


    This Big Tiger¡­ was it repaying a kindness?


    He had saved it twice, and it had kept that in mind, gathering these storage bags to offer as gifts when they met again?


    Mo Hua felt unexpectedly moved for a moment.


    He looked at the storage bags again, most of which were not ordinary, and their designs differed from those of Monster Hunters, so Mo Hua felt relieved.


    Mo Hua took out some Kui Wood Wolf monster meat and tossed it to the Big Tiger.


    The Big Tiger sniffed it, found it sufficiently fresh, and began eating with relish, seated with the meat held in its two front paws.


    Mo Hua watched the Big Tiger for a long time, finding the sight quite novel.


    It had patterns of white and mystical, with a ¡°king¡± character on its forehead.


    He had asked his father Mo Shan, Elder Yu, and some other veteran Monster Hunters, but never heard of a tiger-shaped monster beast like this.


    Mo Hua also asked Mr. Zhuang.


    Mr. Zhuang¡¯s eyes sharpened, clearly knowing something but never said it outright¡ªonly commenting that ¡°it¡¯s somewhat rare, indeed unusual.¡±


    To this day, Mo Hua still didn¡¯t know exactly what kind of monster beast this was.


    Moreover, it seemed that it truly didn¡¯t eat humans¡­ S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And it was very clever¡­


    Mo Hua watched the Big Tiger for a while longer, then shook his head, clueless.


    He looked outside at the darkening sky and said to the Big Tiger,


    ¡°I have to go. In a few days, I¡¯ll come to see you again and bring you some dried small fish¡­¡±


    The Big Tiger clearly looked disdainful, as if it felt that its dignity as a Second Grade Big Tiger was being underestimated by Mo Hua.


    Nevertheless, it did not refuse.


    Mo Hua collected the storage bags and tucked them away.


    After all, it was a kind gesture from the Big Tiger, it would be disrespectful to decline.


    Plus, Mo Hua was quite curious about what the storage bags contained and to whom they belonged.


    Afterward, Mo Hua waved goodbye to the Big Tiger and then began his journey alone, walking along the mountain path toward Tongxian City.


    As he left the deep mountains and reached the Inner Mountain, the scenery became very familiar to him.


    Memories from the past all surfaced.


    Spiritual mines, the Qian Family, Big Demons¡­ and the days when he followed his father to run up and down the mountains, getting to know Big Black Mountain, drawing maps, and setting up Formations¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help feeling sentimental.


    It felt like a long time had passed, yet it seemed like just yesterday.


    The sky had completely darkened, so Mo Hua quickened his pace. Relying on his mastery of the Water Passing Step, he took shortcuts, quickly passing through the Inner Mountain, and arrived at the Outer Mountain.


    Along the way, he avoided monster beasts, miasma, and poison marshes.


    Then he trekked for several more hours.


    By the time he reached Tongxian City, the night was deep.


    The sky was dotted with stars, and the lights of Tongxian City were faint.


    Mo Hua slowed his steps and as he approached the city gate, he suddenly stood still, as he saw a familiar figure waiting there.


    Graceful and gentle.


    It seemed that ever since she had news from the Monster Hunter, she had been standing there at the city gate, eagerly watching the distant mountain road, expecting the small form she longed for day and night to appear.


    Even as the sun set and the night draped over her, she continued her silent vigil.


    Waiting for her child to come home.


    Mo Hua saw her, but she hadn¡¯t noticed him; her face was full of expectation mixed with anxious longing as she stared into the distance.


    A tremor went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart, and his eyes became misty.


    He ran toward the city gate like the wind.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Liu Ruhua, hearing this voice, trembled, turned around, and gazed fixedly at Mo Hua running towards her, feeling as if she were in a dream.


    When Mo Hua reached her, she saw his face, which although slightly unfamiliar, was the face that haunted her dreams. His countenance was smiling, but tears could not help streaming down.


    Liu Ruhua held Mo Hua tightly in her embrace, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world.


    ¡°Safe, you¡¯ve returned¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua¡¯s voice trembled slightly, but it was soft, like a warm breeze.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were glossy with tears, and he nestled in his mother¡¯s embrace, nodding.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m home.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 723 - 567: First Intentions_1

    Chapter 723: Chapter 567: First Intentions_1


    Mo Hua returned home and has also completed his Foundation Establishment.


    This news quickly spread throughout Tongxian City.


    All Cultivators in Tongxian City, whether they heard the rumors early or learned of them later, were both shocked and overjoyed.


    They had not expected that Mo Hua, after a few short years of travel, would have already established his foundation.


    And since Mo Hua excelled so much in his studies of the Formation, given time, perhaps he could even become a Second Grade Formation Master.


    A Second Grade Formation Master, ah, such a figure might not appear in Tongxian City even once in hundreds of years.


    ...


    Elder Yu was so delighted, he couldn¡¯t close his mouth.


    He had known early on that the child Mo Hua was highly talented and kind-hearted, and he was sure to have boundless prospects, but he didn¡¯t expect this ¡°future¡± to come so soon.


    A few years felt like closing and opening his eyes, and just like that, Mo Hua had established his foundation.


    Now that Mo Hua had returned home, the usually somewhat stingy Elder Yu specially took out the Spirit Stones he had saved for a long time to hold a ¡°welcome back feast¡± for Mo Hua.


    Mo Shan knew that although Elder Yu was a Foundation Building Elder, he had taken care of most of the Loose Cultivators over the years and ended up with little savings, having not accumulated many Spirit Stones.


    However, Tongxian City was no longer the same as before; the Loose Cultivators were now living more comfortably, and naturally, they could not allow him to spend his own money.


    So Mo Shan said, this should be considered Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°Foundation Establishment Banquet,¡± and there was no need for Elder Yu to provide the Spirit Stones.


    In Tongxian City, a Foundation Establishment Banquet is basically the most grandiose feast.


    For Loose Cultivators, establishing a foundation is fraught with difficulties.


    Success in Foundation Establishment is the greatest celebration, and it usually involves hosting a grand banquet and inviting a wide array of guests.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua had also fantasized in the past about one day holding a ¡°Foundation Establishment Banquet¡± for their son, Mo Hua.


    But until then, it was just wishful thinking.


    It¡¯s not easy for Loose Cultivators to establish their foundation¡­


    Mo Hua was born frail, his Spiritual Root neither good nor bad, and his path to cultivation was sure to be filled with hardships.


    Even if Mo Hua truly had the day when he established his foundation, they might not live long enough to see it for themselves, to witness Mo Hua in the act of Foundation Establishment¡­


    But what they never expected was that their fifteen-year-old Mo Hua had already succeeded in Foundation Establishment.


    Mo Shan and his wife were surprised and overjoyed, and to this day, they still find it somewhat unbelievable.


    Even when Mo Hua, who had already established his foundation, stood before them, it still felt like a dream¡­


    Then came the preparations for the ¡°Foundation Establishment Banquet.¡±


    Liu Ruhua took out a considerable number of Spirit Stones and held a banquet at the Fulu Building.


    These Spirit Stones were saved over the years for Mo Hua, originally intended to be used for when he would take a wife in the future.


    But now that Mo Hua had established his foundation, Liu Ruhua was so happy that she decided to spend some to celebrate.


    After all, Mo Hua was still young, and it was too early for him to marry. She could always save up more later on.


    Besides, half of the Fulu Building belonged to Mo Hua.


    With Mo Hua away, that half was all Liu Ruhua¡¯s.


    The ¡°manager¡± of the Fulu Building, An Xiaofu, even called Liu Ruhua ¡°master.¡±


    An Xiaofu was also very close to Mo Hua.


    So holding it at the Fulu Building was almost like holding it at their own home, and it wouldn¡¯t cost too many Spirit Stones.


    On the day of the Foundation Establishment Banquet, the place was bustling, with nearly every Loose Cultivator in the city in attendance.


    These Loose Cultivators either watched Mo Hua grow up from a young age, had a particularly close relationship with Mo Shan, or had benefited from Mo Hua¡¯s kindness¡­


    Some of the prominent Cultivators in the city were also present, including members from the An Family, Master Luo, Master Qian, and some smaller Clans¡­


    There were too many people, and the Fulu Building couldn¡¯t accommodate everyone.


    An Xiaofu then rented out the entire street¡¯s storefronts temporarily.


    Everyone feasted and drank merrily.


    The whole Tongxian City was as if celebrating the New Year.


    Cultivators who were traveling merchants from other regions, unaware of the occasion, thought Tongxian City was celebrating some festival.


    Once they learned it was a ¡°Foundation Establishment Banquet,¡± and that the Cultivator who had established the foundation was a First Grade Formation Master as recognized by the Taoist Court, they were all astounded.


    A Foundation Building Cultivator, a First Grade Formation Master.


    In a Second Grade Immortal City like Tongxian City, this truly signifies a person of immense influence and renown.


    These merchants also understood the principle of paying respects when arriving in a new place.


    They prepared some ¡°modest gifts,¡± delivered them personally, to share a drink and bask in the joy, hoping to become acquainted as well.


    Some merchants even spent a bit to personally offer toasts and congratulations to Mo Hua.


    Since this was already a joyous occasion, they didn¡¯t mind these little considerations.


    Old Zheng, using some connections, held a cup of wine, nervous about his encounter, and raised a toast to Mo Hua.


    But when he looked up, he found that the ¡°First Grade Formation Master,¡± the ¡°Foundation Building Dignitary,¡± was actually the young Cultivator who had traveled with him, chatting away the entire journey. His mouth opened so wide, it could fit a duck egg¡­


    During the Foundation Establishment Banquet, the toasts and drinks flowed endlessly.


    Elder Yu was very happy, his face full of smiles, but in his eyes, there seemed to be a trace of melancholy.


    Time urges one to age.


    In the past, Tongxian City had only him as a Foundation Building Cultivator. He had to bear the pressure and stand against the powerful Qian Clan; Elder Yu could not afford to fall no matter what.


    That¡¯s why he was tough, harsh in scolding, and ruthless in his methods.


    But now, with the living standards of Loose Cultivators improving, Elder Yu breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly felt somewhat old.


    That spirit, no matter what, couldn¡¯t rise up as before.


    Now watching Mo Hua, who had established his foundation at just fifteen, Elder Yu felt gratified, and somewhat startled, though he remained composed on the surface. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua, now with strong Divine Sense and sharper observational skills, noticed Elder Yu¡¯s concerns.


    He then went to have a drink with Elder Yu.


    Mo Hua drank fruit wine, personally brewed by his mother, which was warm and sweet to the taste, had a hint of alcohol, but was not harsh.

 Chapter 724 - 567: Initial Intention_2

    Chapter 724: Chapter 567: Initial Intention_2


    Elder Yu was still drinking strong liquor.


    After drinking for a while, Mo Hua whispered,


    ¡°Elder, why are you still at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage¡­¡±


    Elder Yu was startled and couldn¡¯t help but glare at Mo Hua, ¡°The Foundation Establishment Realm is like climbing a mountain step by step. How could it be easy to cultivate?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Yu suddenly sighed and said with a bitter smile, ¡°I¡¯m old, I can¡¯t cultivate anymore¡­¡±


    ...


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°How can you call yourself old? Think about it, if you break through to the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment, you can live another hundred years, and if you break through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, another hundred years¡­ If you keep breaking through, won¡¯t you never grow old¡­?¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Yu couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as you think¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what is easy?¡± Mo Hua asked, ¡°Opposing the Qian Family is not easy, and neither is making a living as a Loose Cultivator. Even if it¡¯s difficult, you still have to do it.¡±


    ¡°If something needs to be done, then do it.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s easy or hard, successful or not¡­¡±


    Elder Yu became reflective, and after a moment, asked confusedly, ¡°Who told you all this?¡±


    Mo Hua patted his chest, ¡°Myself!¡±


    Elder Yu clearly didn¡¯t believe it.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face turned serious, ¡°Elder, I¡¯ve already traveled outside. I am a Foundation Building Cultivator who has ¡®seen the world¡¯.¡±


    Elder Yu saw that although Mo Hua had reached Foundation Establishment, his expression and manner were still the same as always¡ªsomewhat reasonable yet adorable. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head with a smile.


    Then he thought to himself, ¡°What does it matter if I¡¯m old¡­¡±


    ¡°I was too tired to cultivate before, but now that I can catch my breath and have some free time, isn¡¯t it the perfect opportunity to focus on pursuing higher realms and advancing my cultivation?¡±


    ¡°Cultivators, Cultivators, cultivate oneself and establish one¡¯s purpose.¡±


    ¡°Without cultivating and tempering oneself, how can one even be called a Cultivator?¡±


    ¡°So what if I¡¯m old?¡±


    ¡°So what if I¡¯m of great age?¡±


    ¡°In a human lifetime, as long as one does not die, one should steadfastly pursue the Taoist Heart, single-mindedly seeking the Tao¡­¡±


    Elder Yu suddenly had a realization, and his eyes gradually became sharp again, filled with a hint of fierceness and a trace of stubbornness.


    Mo Hua ¡®reassuredly¡¯ nodded, then said, ¡°Elder, this time you scrounged a meal from me, next time it¡¯ll be my turn to scrounge from you.¡±


    ¡°Scrounge a meal?¡±


    Elder Yu was taken aback, then realized that Mo Hua was talking about the ¡°Foundation Establishment Feast.¡±


    ¡°What meal do you want to scrounge from me?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face became solemn, ¡°I want to scrounge the ¡®Golden Core Feast¡¯!¡±


    Elder Yu spat out a mouthful of old wine.


    I¡¯m this old and only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, and you¡¯re already thinking of scrounging my ¡°Golden Core Feast¡±?


    Boy, you really dare to dream bigger than I do.


    But after a pause, he thought, why can¡¯t one dare to dream? By what right should one not dare to dream?


    If one doesn¡¯t even have this aspiration, what is the point of cultivating the Tao?


    Elder Yu gritted his teeth and cursed,


    ¡°Fine! To hell with it, the Golden Core it is!¡±


    Elder Yu¡¯s voice was a bit loud, with a ¡°to hell with it¡± that everyone around him could hear, causing them to look over in astonishment.


    Only then did Elder Yu realize he had spoken out of turn.


    But he had a thick skin and pretended as if he had said nothing, clinking glasses with Mo Hua and drinking.


    The others also tactfully turned their heads away, pretending nothing had happened.


    But not far away, Yu Chengyi was a bit lost in thought.


    His father¡­ hadn¡¯t cursed at anyone for a long time¡­


    Ever since their days in Tongxian City became better, his father¡¯s temper had become much ¡°milder,¡± and he hardly ever cursed like before anymore.


    He was so mild that it even made Yu Chengyi feel a bit estranged.


    But now, Yu Chengyi heard his father cursing again¡­


    Though blunt and simple, with just a raw ¡°to hell with it¡± that was all emotion and no finesse,


    He felt inexplicably more at ease in his heart.


    Indeed, this was the father he was familiar with¡­


    Yu Chengyi silently thought.


    Mo Hua actually wanted to curse along, but the words were already on the tip of his tongue when he looked up and saw his mother, Liu Ruhua, looking at him, so he swallowed his words back down.


    I am a good child, I don¡¯t curse¡­


    Mo Hua silently told himself.


    ¡­


    After the Foundation Establishment Feast, Mo Hua got busy for a while.


    Mainly because he was too well-known in Tongxian City, with too many acquaintances, and just wandering around took up several days unconsciously.


    He met with Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan was busy with Manager Mo, working on rebuilding the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Starting from scratch, building a sect from the ground up is difficult, but Instructor Yan¡¯s will was firm, and he would not give up.


    The bodies of the ancestors and sect leaders of past generations of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect had been turned into Iron Corpses by the traitor Lu Chengyun, helping the tyrant oppress others.


    After the issue with the corpses was settled, these bodies that had undergone Corpse Transformation were cremated, and Instructor Yan brought them back to be buried on a hill near Tongxian City.


    Lush green mountains and clear waters became the resting place for the ancestors of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Mo Hua went to offer incense and paid his respects.


    Having learned the Spirit Pivot Ultimate Formation from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect and benefitted from their heritage, of course, he had to pay his respects to show his gratitude.


    Instructor Yan, looking at the now-grown Mo Hua, felt gratified, but being a man of few words, didn¡¯t say much.


    After they chatted over tea for a while about the formation aspects, Manager Mo quietly pulled Mo Hua aside.


    Manager Mo took out a stack of drawings and handed them to Mo Hua, saying with a worried expression,


    ¡°I¡¯ve been stressed to death over this for days, help me think this through¡­¡±


    As soon as Mo Hua looked at the drawings, he realized they were all portraits of female cultivators.


    Mo Hua felt both familiar and unfamiliar with them.


    Familiar because he had often received such ¡°beauty portraits¡± sent to him privately by sects and clans, trying to entice him to marry into their families.

 Chapter 725 - 567: Original Intention_3

    Chapter 725: Chapter 567: Original Intention_3


    At that time in South Yue City, Lu Chengyun had done such a thing.


    What he wasn¡¯t familiar with was the portrait of the woman, which was obviously more ¡°mature¡±, and didn¡¯t match his age at all.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Manager Mo, acting like a thief, whispered, ¡°Helping my senior brother find a Dao Companion¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought to himself, as expected, and whispered back:


    ¡°Such a thing¡­ shouldn¡¯t you let the Instructor pick for himself?¡±


    ...


    Manager Mo curled his lips, ¡°Dense as wood, an iron tree that won¡¯t bloom, asking him is pointless¡­¡±


    He flipped through several portraits, laying them out before Mo Hua, ¡°Help me take a look too¡­¡±


    ¡°How about this one? A woman of a certain age, yet still charming, enticing in appearance, and reportedly living alone with plenty of Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spotted a blind spot:


    ¡°These Spirit Stones of hers¡­ how did she come by them?¡±


    Manager Mo was stunned, then slapped his own head, ¡°Right, right, this won¡¯t do¡­¡±


    ¡°That was close, almost misled by appearances.¡±


    ¡°If I had shown this to my senior brother, he would have been furious¡­¡±


    Manager Mo then pointed to another one, ¡°This girl isn¡¯t as beautiful, but she comes from a good family background ¨C the daughter of the Song family from a hundred miles away¡­ it¡¯s just, reportedly, she has a terrible temper, which is why she hasn¡¯t married for a hundred years¡­¡±


    ¡°A bad temper wouldn¡¯t suit the Instructor, right¡­¡±


    Manager Mo nodded, ¡°Right, if my senior brother really married her, a mismatched personality would probably cause even more trouble¡­¡±


    He shook his head and continued to mutter:


    ¡°This is the daughter of a Sect Elder, could probably help my senior brother if he wants to rebuild the sect¡­¡±


    ¡°This one¡­ no, too worldly¡­¡±


    ¡°This one¡­ the portrait is too fake, the artist was probably given a lot of Spirit Stones as a ¡®tip¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°This one, makeup too heavy, a face painted deathly pale¡­¡±


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    Manager Mo ruled out several, finding none suitable, then suddenly his eyes lit up:


    ¡°This one¡¯s good! Although she looks ordinary, she has great temperament, and she¡¯s passionate about Formation. She hasn¡¯t married for over a hundred years, quite similar to my senior brother¡­¡±


    Mo Hua leaned in to take a glance, saw a woman with her hair tied up and plain-faced, without any makeup, not particularly attractive, but her temperament was intelligent ¨C indeed, she seemed to be a good match for the Instructor.


    Manager Mo also felt more and more that she was suitable, but after a while, he murmured:


    ¡°It¡¯s just that with my senior brother¡¯s stubbornness, her blockheadedness, others might not take to him¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my blockheadedness?¡±


    A cold voice suddenly rang out.


    Manager Mo looked up and found Instructor Yan looking at him with an indifferent face.


    Finished¡­


    A chill ran down Manager Mo¡¯s spine.


    Only then did he realize that while he and Mo Hua had been sneaking around to pick a ¡°Dao Companion¡± for Instructor Yan, Instructor Yan had been standing right behind them, silently watching¡­


    The criticisms he had spoken were most certainly overheard¡­


    Mo Hua surreptitiously observed the situation, keeping silent.


    His Divine Sense was strong, and he actually knew early on that Instructor Yan was coming, but seeing Manager Mo getting too absorbed in the task, with undivided attention, he didn¡¯t have the heart to interrupt¡­


    Instructor Yan¡¯s face looked quite unpleasant.


    Noticing the unfavorable situation, Manager Mo stammered:


    ¡°I just remembered¡­ I¡­ I still have some matters at the Formation Pavilion, I should head back¡­¡±


    After saying that, he swiftly fled like the wind.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t even know that the plump Manager Mo had such impressive movement technique¡­


    With Manager Mo gone, Mo Hua also felt it inappropriate to stay, so he got up and bowed respectfully:


    ¡°Instructor, I¡¯ll be heading back, I¡¯ll come to visit you another time.¡±


    Instructor Yan nodded, looking at Mo Hua expectantly, but also admonished, ¡°Don¡¯t pick up that fatty¡¯s bad habits¡­¡±


    The ¡°fatty¡± Instructor Yan referred to was naturally Manager Mo.


    ¡°Yes, Instructor!¡±


    Mo Hua agreed with a mouthful of assurances and then made his escape as well.


    After Mo Hua had left, Instructor Yan sighed helplessly and bent down to pick up the scattered portrait papers, collecting them one by one.


    But when picking up one of them, Instructor Yan suddenly paused.


    The portrait was of a woman, her hair tied up with a plain face, no makeup applied, her gaze focused, immersed in her own world, a female Formation Master concentrating on researching Formation, capable of drawing a nine-Pattern Formation¡­


    Instructor Yan was momentarily lost in thought¡­


    ¡­


    After bidding farewell to Instructor Yan, Mo Hua went to visit Old Mr. Feng.


    Old Mr. Feng had done Mo Hua a great favor.


    As a child, Mo Hua had been weak and deficient in Blood Qi; it was Old Mr. Feng who had cared for him with Pills.


    Later, when his mother fell severely ill, it was through the good fortune of relying on Old Mr. Feng that she had no serious trouble.


    Old Mr. Feng had not attended the Foundation Establishment feast.


    Old Mr. Feng was a Pill Master, holding a position at the Apricot Forest Hall, treating and saving people, constantly busy, and moreover, he preferred quiet over noise due to his old age.


    Liu Ruhua prepared some delicate and light dishes for Mo Hua to take to Old Mr. Feng to taste.


    Mo Hua also gave Old Mr. Feng some pill books and Pill Recipes he had collected on his travels, as a gift for their reunion.


    Old Mr. Feng was overjoyed, stroking his beard and nodding incessantly.


    He then looked at Mo Hua and could not help but feel a flood of emotions.


    Mo Hua had truly grown up under his watchful eyes, from a tiny child, slowly growing up, and now although he was only fifteen years old, still not very old, he had become a famous first-grade Formation Master and a Foundation Building Cultivator¡­


    And he had also used Formation to help so many Cultivators in Tongxian City.


    ¡°Good child¡­¡± Old Mr. Feng¡¯s eyes were filled with satisfaction.


    Apricot Forest Hall was bustling with activity, and Old Mr. Feng was quite busy.


    Mo Hua did not wish to bother any further, and after a short chat, and confirming that Old Mr. Feng was well, got up to take his leave.


    Just before he left, Old Mr. Feng seemed to remember something, hesitated a moment, then spoke earnestly:


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    ¡°At such a young age, to have such cultivation and mastery of Formation is truly rare, and your future is boundless¡­¡±


    ¡°But even if, in the future, your cultivation reaches such heights that all the countless Cultivators and all the living beings in this world are but lowly ants, mere dust beneath your feet¡­¡±


    ¡°You must never forget your original aspirations, never become aloof and indifferent.¡±


    ¡°Do not forget, the most humble of people are still people, alive with joys and sorrows¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then with eyes shimmering with understanding and a pure smile, he reassuringly said:


    ¡°Alright, Grandpa Feng, I¡¯ll keep that in my heart!¡±

 Chapter 726 - 568 Scarcity_1

    Chapter 726: Chapter 568 Scarcity_1


    Afterward, Mo Hua paid a visit to Court Leader Zhou.


    Court Leader Zhou was very enthusiastic and grateful.


    He was of advanced age, and had served in his position for many years. Though diligent, his accomplishments had been modest, and he had been considering retirement to enjoy his remaining years in peace.


    Yet, to his surprise, in just the last few years, Tongxian City had undergone remarkable changes.


    With the opening of Refinery Shops, the establishment of Alchemist¡¯s Businesses, the construction of Large Formations, the slaying of Big Demons, and the safeguarding of the region, his achievements as Court Leader could truly be described as ¡°remarkable.¡±


    Even with his busy schedule, Court Leader Zhou still found time to take out his treasured tea, brew and taste it with Mo Hua, chatting for a while.


    ...


    They mostly talked about the various big and small stories of Tongxian City during Mo Hua¡¯s travels over the past few years.


    Mo Hua chatted casually with Court Leader Zhou and after a while, he couldn¡¯t help but ask about Zhang Lan.


    He was quite concerned about Zhang Lan, the ¡°passing, unnamed, kindly¡± uncle.


    Court Leader Zhou, somewhat comforted, told Mo Hua everything there was to know about Zhang Lan.


    Zhang Lan had returned to his clan.


    The Zhang Family was far from Tongxian City.


    Zhang Lan had chosen to settle in the remote Little Immortal City of Tongxian to avoid his clan¡¯s complicated affairs.


    Now that he had achieved Foundation Establishment, there was no avoiding it; he had to return.


    As for what happened after his return, Court Leader Zhou didn¡¯t know the details of the Zhang Family¡¯s internal affairs.


    Mo Hua felt regretful.


    He really wanted to see Uncle Zhang Lan again and ¡°by the way,¡± show off that he had achieved Foundation Establishment too¡­


    But now that he had returned to his clan, there¡¯s no telling when they could meet again.


    He wondered whether, by the time they met again, Zhang Lan would have found a Dao companion¡­


    Hopefully, he hadn¡¯t been forced into marriage by his family, only to marry a woman he didn¡¯t love and then fall for another woman he couldn¡¯t have on the outside¡­


    As Mo Hua chatted with Court Leader Zhou, his little head began to work, recalling clich¨¦ romance stories he had read and vividly imagining a dramatic love and hate saga for Zhang Lan¡­


    After a while, when the tea was finished, Mo Hua rose to take his leave.


    With Court Leader Zhou busy with his duties, Mo Hua did not want to impose any longer. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Court Leader Zhou personally saw Mo Hua to the door and went back to his official duties. Moments later, he thought of Mo Hua and shook his head with a mix of regret and concern.


    ¡°Boundless prospects¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Tongxian City¡¯s waters are too shallow to nurture a great dragon¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After parting with Court Leader Zhou, Mo Hua made time to visit some childhood friends who had grown up with him.


    Most of them had become Monster Hunters and were gradually maturing and taking on responsibilities.


    Dazhu was still apprenticing under Master Chen in Artifact Refining, becoming increasingly skilled, to Master Chen¡¯s great satisfaction.


    Da¡¯hu and the others were no longer in Tongxian City, though.


    Upon asking Dazhu, Mo Hua learned the reason why.


    As Tongxian City grew more prosperous and more Cultivators passed through, a Sect Elder saw the trio, noticed their aptitude for Body Refinement, and took all three as Disciples to the Sect for cultivation.


    The name of the Sect, it was said, was the Great Wilderness Sect, located south of Li State, bordering the barbaric lands, and so far away they could only return once every few years or even a decade.


    ¡°Great Wilderness Sect¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently noted the name, unsure if he would ever have the chance to go there and meet Da¡¯hu and the others again¡­


    ¡­


    After wandering for several days and meeting everyone he intended to, with nothing particular to do, Mo Hua thought of the Big Tiger.


    He had his mother prepare a heap of ¡°big¡± dried fish.


    The Little Demon Cat had transformed into a Big Tiger, a Second Grade Monster Beast, and small dried fish were hardly enough for it to munch on, so they had to make large ones.


    Tongxian City was rich in mountains, but scarce in water; they couldn¡¯t produce big fish.


    The fish, brought in from outside, varied in size, with the largest being taller than Mo Hua and the smallest at least a foot or two in length.


    The fish had thick scales, looked peculiar, and had a strong fishy smell.


    Cultivators seldom ate them, so they were plentiful and cheap.


    Based on his experience as a Monster Hunter, Mo Hua guessed that the big feline-like tiger would like them.


    Living creatures couldn¡¯t be put into Storage Bags.


    Dead fish could.


    Mo Hua used several large Storage Bags to pack several large bundles and, taking advantage of the early morning light, with the sunrise on his back and the dried fish slung over his shoulder, he entered Big Black Mountain.


    After searching the deep mountain for a while, Mo Hua found the tiger in a cave, gnawing on the bones of some unknown Monster Beast.


    Sensing the presence of an outsider, the Big Tiger instantly became alert, its gaze fierce.


    When it saw it was Mo Hua, the Big Tiger hesitated for a moment before returning to its bone.


    Mo Hua offered it the dried fish. The Big Tiger sniffed it, wrinkled its brow, and even let out a ¡°roar,¡± seeming somewhat repelled.


    It was a Big Tiger, not a big house cat.


    Big Tigers have their pride.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t suit your taste¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit puzzled.


    He remembered that when the Big Tiger was younger, it quite liked eating small dried fish.


    But the Big Tiger didn¡¯t want to bother with him, continuing to lick the bones.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t insist and, with nothing better to do, just sat at the entrance of the cave, observing the mountain scenery.


    As the Big Tiger licked the bone, unable to find any meat on it, it eyed the fish in front of it, hesitated for a long time, then smelled Mo Hua not looking its way and stealthily grabbed a fish, gulping it down¡­


    It swallowed too quickly to taste anything, glanced at Mo Hua, then tried another fish¡­


    Then, unable to resist, it tried yet another one¡­


    Munching along, the Big Tiger looked up to find Mo Hua staring at it, smiling broadly.


    The Big Tiger¡¯s gaze flitted about, and it quietly covered the fish by its mouth with its paws, hiding them from Mo Hua¡¯s view¡­


    Mo Hua threw the rest of the fish to it, saying with a smile:


    ¡°Eat it slowly. Next time I have the chance, I¡¯ll bring you some more¡­¡±

 Chapter 727 - 568 Scarcity_2

    Chapter 727: Chapter 568 Scarcity_2


    Big Tiger was no longer reserved, chewing on the dried fish with big bites, its eyes squinting into slits, even rubbing its fluffy big head against Mo Hua¡­


    ¡­


    In this way, the days of Mo Hua in Tongxian City gradually settled down.


    Daily cultivation, learning formations, spending time with his parents, meeting friends for tea, occasionally going into the mountains to relax, and feeding Big Tiger some dried fish.


    But sometimes when he was alone, there would still be a hint of desolation in his eyes.


    This hint of desolation could be hidden from others, but not from Liu Ruhua.


    ...


    After pondering, Liu Ruhua asked softly,


    ¡°Huar, you came back alone, what about Zisheng and Zixi?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, his gaze downcast, ¡°Elder martial brother and elder martial sister, they went home, to the Bai Family, very far away¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua was somewhat regretful and asked again,


    ¡°Then¡­ what about Mr. Zhuang?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, not knowing how to start, and only after a long time did he speak in a low voice,


    ¡°Master he¡­ has also gone to a very distant place, it¡¯s very likely that he¡¯ll never come back¡­¡±


    In Liu Ruhua¡¯s eyes, a trace of tenderness appeared.


    She gently embraced Mo Hua and comforted him,


    ¡°You are still young, and you have a long path ahead of you. If it¡¯s meant to be, you will meet again¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Mo Hua agreed softly.


    The loss in his heart was slightly eased.


    ¡­


    The next day, he went to South Mountain outside of Tongxian City.


    South Mountain was secluded with beautiful scenery.


    Atop South Mountain, there was the ¡°Forgetful Residence.¡±


    Mr. Zhuang used to live in seclusion there, and Mo Hua and his martial siblings had also come here to study.


    But now, everything was gone.


    The path leading to the former abode was empty and desolate.


    Without the mountain residence, without the large locust tree, without the bamboo forest, without the pond, and without the fish in it.


    On the path up and down the mountain, he could no longer bump into his elder martial brother and sister.


    Nobody else would be resting in the Bamboo Residence on the mountain anymore, waiting for the breeze to blow over and wake them from their slumber, to teach him formations or to answer his many questions¡­


    Beneath the locust tree, he and his elder martial brother would spar and frolic, with his elder martial sister reading on the side¡­


    The master would be taking a nap, Old Kui playing chess¡­


    These scenes gradually became blurry.


    As if they were all just a dream, shrouded in a layer of fog that seemed both real and illusory.


    The events of the past were all but forgotten¡­


    With complex feelings in his heart, Mo Hua¡¯s clear eyes were tinged with a layer of faint melancholy, which then dissolved in a moment,


    Like the morning mist driven away by the rising glow of the dawn.


    ¡°We will meet again¡­¡±


    Mo Hua murmured to himself.


    There was still so much he had to do¡­


    The road was long, the Great Dao was vast, and what he needed to consider now was the path after Foundation Establishment¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua sat quietly on the mountaintop, after calming his emotions, he fell into deep thought.


    He had now established his foundation¡­


    His Divine Sense had only fourteen patterns, mid-stage Foundation Establishment, but due to the qualitative change in his Divine Sense, refined like mercury, his Divine Sense was different in ¡°quality¡± compared to that of other cultivators.


    As for the use of this difference, Mo Hua had not yet studied it in detail.


    But at least, it laid the foundation for his ¡°Divine Sense Proving the Dao.¡±


    And it was completely different from other methods of Proving the Dao with Divine Sense.


    Beyond Divine Sense, however, Mo Hua found that his Foundation Establishment was basically ¡°a complete mess.¡±


    His Spiritual Power was very weak.


    His Spiritual Root was not strong, and his cultivation technique did not focus on Spiritual Power.


    Therefore, although he had established his foundation, compared to cultivators of the same realm, his Spiritual Power was much weaker.


    Not to mention comparing with naturally gifted individuals like his martial brother and sister¡­


    Weak Spiritual Power, even weaker physical body.


    This did not come as a surprise to Mo Hua.


    Born with a weak constitution, now after Foundation Establishment, his Blood Qi had strengthened, but it was only a slight improvement compared to Qi Refinement. Among Foundation Establishment cultivators, he was basically at the bottom.


    Besides, the spells of Foundation Establishment were also troublesome.


    Mo Hua followed the path of a Spiritual Cultivator, who relied on ¡°Spells¡± to survive. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Being a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he naturally had to learn Second Grade spells.


    But he had nowhere to learn Second Grade spells¡­


    So far, the only Second Grade spell he had learned was the Fireball Technique¡­


    Because the Fireball Technique was a basic spell, ubiquitous and the least scarce among all grades of spells.


    In any state boundary, as long as there are certain grades, there will inevitably be corresponding grades of Fireball Technique.


    When Mo Hua returned from the Dali Mountain State Boundary, he collected some Fireball Technique Secret Manuals along the way, cross-referenced them, comprehended on his own, and learned the Second Grade Fireball Technique.


    Although it had not reached the level of perfection like his First Grade Fireball Technique, its power had increased, and it was barely usable.


    He would study it further later and refine it.


    Other than the Fireball Technique, none of the spells Mo Hua was adept at could be upgraded.


    The Water Passing Step was the ultimate technique of the Zhang Family.


    When Zhang Lan taught him, he only taught the First Grade, without considering the Second Grade.


    At that time, Zhang Lan was only at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, and he did not expect that Mo Hua would advance to Foundation Establishment so quickly.


    The Water Prison Technique was very obscure.


    Mo Hua did not have a Second Grade Water Prison Technique Secret Manual.


    The Concealment Technique was even more obscure.


    Mo Hua also did not have a Second Grade Concealment Technique Secret Manual.


    The strength of a cultivator is generally based on their realm.


    First Grade spells, although usable, would greatly reduce both power and effectiveness when compared to Second Grade spells.


    A First Grade Water Passing Step, no matter how exquisite, when executed, could at most rival the lowest of the Second Grade low-tier movement techniques.


    A First Grade Water Prison Technique could trap a Qi Refinement cultivator and bind them for a few moments.


    But against a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would last only a moment, serving only as a disruption, unable to bind or limit their movements.

 Chapter 728 - 568: Scarcity_3

    Chapter 728: Chapter 568: Scarcity_3


    The First-Grade Concealment Technique is actually decent enough.


    Because the core of the Concealment Technique relies on the Cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense is extremely strong, so the effect of the Concealment Technique is also strong and not easily detected by others.


    But with Mo Hua¡¯s current perspective at the Foundation Establishment level, he could see that his Concealment Technique still had many flaws.


    It was usable, but only just passable.


    If there¡¯s a chance, he still needs to find a way to learn the Second-Grade Concealment Technique.


    ...


    Second-Grade Water Prison Technique, Second-Grade Concealment Technique, Second-Grade Water Passing Step¡­


    These spells are either obscure or Ultimate Techniques; Mo Hua wants to learn them, but there¡¯s no way he could.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He once again deeply realized the importance of ¡°inheritance¡± for a Cultivator.


    A typical Clan or a Sect and other Tao Cultivation forces would have ¡°Scripture Pavilions¡±, ¡°Book Pavilions¡±, ¡°Formation Pavilions¡±, and other Tao Cultivation buildings to extensively collect and treasure Cultivation canons ranging from low to high grades, all-encompassing, rare, ancient, or obscure from their Taoist Repositories.


    Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, Formation Methods, Pill Recipes, Artifice Manuals, and everything else you could think of¡­


    The larger the force, the wider the collection, the more complete the trove, the deeper the inheritance¡¯s foundation.


    Clan or Sect Disciples could then cultivate with a single-minded focus, not needing to seek high and low, painstakingly searching for these rare Tao Cultivation tomes.


    But a Loose Cultivator could not.


    They had to find all the canons for Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, Formation Methods, and everything else on their own and learn them by themselves. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if some were found, wanting to learn them often came with a considerable cost.


    Noble Clans monopolized these inheritances to profit, while also cutting off the paths of most Loose Cultivators in the world from seeking immortality and asking about the Tao, thereby consolidating their own power above the Loose Cultivators, remaining undecayed through thousands of years.


    Without inheritance, progress is difficult.


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    Although he knew about these things before, he hadn¡¯t taken them to heart. Now, as his Cultivation improved and he became exposed to more of the world, he felt this even more deeply.


    Apart from spells, the situation with Formation Methods is similar, yet somewhat unique.


    Mo Hua does inherit extremely profound knowledge of Formation Methods.


    Heavenly Secret Calculation, Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation, Half positive and half weird, exhausting all of the Heavenly Secrets, are not just applications of Divine Sense, but also the supreme spell point for insight and control over Formation Methods.


    This is a method that can be used at any grade.


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s realm is low and his experience shallow, and he hasn¡¯t attained high proficiency in Formation Methods to use them to their extremes,


    Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and Heavenly Secret Calculation surely have even more profound knowledge.


    Yet being able to study both Heavenly Secret Calculation and Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation is already considered incredibly outlandish.


    Not to mention Heavenly Secret Calculation for now.


    Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation is the basis of Gui Tao¡¯s people, which is to say the foundation of Gui Tao¡¯s cultivation belonging to Mo Hua¡¯s Uncle.


    Demon Sect¡¯s Gui Tao¡¯s people are proficient in Gui Tao, with extraordinary Formation Methods, capable of planting devils in the Taoist hearts of Taoist Court Cultivators, making them lose their nerve at the mere mention.


    Even having learned just a little has brought significant benefits.


    Not to mention, Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation could never be considered ¡°just a little¡±¡­


    Beyond the applications of Divine Sense, Mo Hua also possesses the Five Elements Formation Flow Map¡­


    Stored within are the ¡°Five Elements Source Patterns¡± deduced by the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect through the Back Origin Calculation method.


    The Source Patterns contain a vast Formation System that encompasses the Five Elements.


    All of these elements are, without exception, among the most top-notch Formation inheritances.


    But the problem is, they are too top-notch.


    What Mo Hua now lacks is the most basic and simple type of inheritance, which is¡­


    Introduction to Second-Grade Formation Methods¡­


    He needs to understand what exactly a Second-Grade Formation Method is.


    How to draw Formation Patterns, how to arrange the Formation Pivot, how to construct the Formation Eye.


    What is the essential difference between a Second-Grade Formation and a First-Grade Formation?


    Although he has some understanding of these matters, his grasp is not deep.


    Now that it has come to this point, Mo Hua has realized he still has many gaps and deficiencies.


    And he, too, must find a way to become a Second Rank Formation Master, to draw out a truly Second-Grade Formation¡­

 Chapter 729 - 569 Second Grade_1

    Chapter 729: Chapter 569 Second Grade_1


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao, using Divine Sense as the foundation and establishing oneself with Formations.


    To learn Second-Grade Formation and become a Second Rank Formation Master was the only capital to establish oneself in the vast Cultivation World, across the Vast Nine Continents.


    But Mo Hua lacked the basic inheritance of Second-Grade Formation.


    After some thought, he decided to visit Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan hailed from the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect.


    Although the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect had declined, it had still produced Second Rank Formation Masters before, so it should have passed down some Formation Diagrams and Formation Books of Second-Grade Formations.


    ...


    However, Mo Hua came up empty¡­


    Instructor Yan was not home, and only Manager Mo was leisurely drinking tea alone.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Instructor?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Manager Mo shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, these past few days, the Instructor seemed preoccupied, muttering to himself, and he¡¯s been leaving early and returning late. I have no idea what he¡¯s busy with¡­¡±


    ¡°Then when will the Instructor be back?¡±


    ¡°Later¡­¡± Manager Mo said, and then looked at Mo Hua with curiosity, ¡°Do you need the Instructor for something?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I wanted to ask about some things regarding Second-Grade Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Second-Grade Formation, huh¡­¡±


    Manager Mo was a bit surprised and somewhat envious.


    When he first met Mo Hua, Mo Hua could only draw a Bright Fire Formation with three Formation Patterns, coming to his Formation Pavilion to draw some Formations and earn some hard-earned money.


    He even lied about his age and fabricated a non-existent older brother due to his youth.


    Little did he expect, in just a few years, Mo Hua was already about to learn Second-Grade Formation¡­


    In those same years, his own understanding of Formations hadn¡¯t even improved by a single Pattern.


    Yet Mo Hua had made leaps and bounds, skipping over an entire major grade¡­


    Indeed, comparison is the thief of joy¡­


    Manager Mo grumbled to himself.


    ¡°Manager Mo, do you know how to draw Second-Grade Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Manager Mo was Instructor Yan¡¯s junior brother and also a disciple of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, and by rights, he should also be considered a proper Formation Master with a sect background. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Manager Mo hurriedly shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me, I struggle even with drawing Formations that have seven or eight Patterns¡­¡±


    He was a normal Cultivator, also a normal Formation Master.


    He couldn¡¯t compare himself to the likes of ¡°little monsters¡± like Mo Hua¡­


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    Manager Mo stroked his chin, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned Second-Grade Formation, I do remember a Formation Master who was not very skilled, spoiled nine out of ten Formation Diagrams, couldn¡¯t afford to compensate with Spirit Stones, and ended up giving me an ancestral Second-Order Formation Pattern Atlas as compensation¡­¡±


    ¡°Second-Order Formation Pattern Atlas?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Manager Mo nodded, ¡°It contains some basic Second-Grade Formation Patterns and variants related to these Patterns.¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Isn¡¯t that quite precious?¡±


    Manager Mo shook his head, ¡°Not really, this kind of material is something any family with a Formation inheritance would have; it¡¯s considered a kind of¡­ more niche Formation knowledge.¡±


    ¡°May I take a look?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Just wait here¡­¡±


    Manager Mo put down his teacup, heaved his plump belly, and got up, ¡°I¡¯ll go look for it. It¡¯s been a while, and I don¡¯t remember where I kept it¡­¡±


    Manager Mo hurried back, and only after about two hours did he return with an ancient book in hand.


    ¡°Take a look¡­¡±


    Manager Mo handed the book over to Mo Hua.


    ¡°Thank you, Manager!¡± Mo Hua said happily.


    The cover of the book had ¡°Second-Order Formation Pattern Catalog¡± neatly handwritten on it.


    Mo Hua opened the book and skimmed through it quickly.


    Indeed, it contained several Second-Grade Formation Patterns, mainly focused on Five Elements Patterns and interspersed with other systems of Patterns that Mo Hua had never come across before.


    Besides, it detailed the differences between First-Grade and Second-Grade Formation Patterns and the variations that evolve from First-Grade to Second-Grade Patterns.


    With illustrations and text, while not profound, it was very detailed.


    The owner of the catalog must have been a very conscientious and meticulous Second Rank Formation Master.


    However, the legacy of their ancestors was probably thin.


    So, any bit of Formation knowledge was meticulously recorded and treasured.


    It ranged from simple to complex, rich and detailed.


    This was a great help to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua thanked Manager Mo again.


    Manager Mo waved it off quickly, ¡°No problem, it¡¯s nothing!¡±


    But being able to help Mo Hua also made Manager Mo very happy.


    Afterward, Manager Mo drank tea while Mo Hua read the book.


    After a while, Instructor Yan came back, bustling about. Seeing Mo Hua, he looked somewhat surprised.


    Mo Hua explained his purpose.


    Instructor Yan considered for a moment, then nodded, ¡°I do have them, just wait¡­¡±


    He went back to his room and after searching for the time it took to burn a stick of incense, he found two Formation Books.


    One was ¡°Introduction to Second-Order Formation¡±, and the other was ¡°Illustration of Second-Order Formation¡±.


    ¡°The ¡®Introduction¡¯ talks about the basic knowledge of Second-Grade Formations, it¡¯s about the Formation principle; the ¡®Illustration¡¯ is about explaining through practical Formation Diagrams on how to draw Formation Patterns and form Second-Grade Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°These are the legacy of the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, orthodox Formations techniques. Though perhaps a bit lean compared to those of the great clans and Great Sects, but they won¡¯t have any errors¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pity¡­¡±


    Instructor Yan sighed, ¡°After all these years, no one in the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect has been able to use them¡­¡±


    Including himself.


    Instructor Yan handed over the two Formation Books to Mo Hua reverently, reminding him:


    ¡°Read them well and learn well¡­¡±


    Passing on these legacies to Mo Hua was sort of repaying Mo Hua for helping the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect remove a traitor and retrieve the bones of their ancestors.


    Instructor Yan silently thought to himself.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    With the Formation Pattern Catalog and the ¡°Introduction¡± and ¡°Illustration¡± of Second-Grade Formations, he should be able to get an initial understanding of how exactly Second-Grade Formations were drawn.


    However, before that, there was one thing that Mo Hua was quite curious about¡­

 Chapter 730 - 569 Second Grade_2

    Chapter 730: Chapter 569 Second Grade_2


    ¡°Instructor, where did you just¡­ go?¡± Mo Hua asked in a hushed voice. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The normally stern and rigid Instructor Yan showed a moment of guilt in his expression.


    Looking into Mo Hua¡¯s bright, curious eyes, Instructor Yan coughed and averted his gaze, mumbling ambiguously,


    ¡°Nothing¡­ just needed to clear my mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked puzzled, but he did not press further.


    ...


    ¡­


    After returning, Mo Hua began to study the method of drawing Second-Grade Formations by consulting three Formation Books.


    Second-Grade Formations are composed of more than ten Second-Grade Formation Patterns.


    Second-Grade Formation Patterns are somewhat similar to First-Grade Formation Patterns but are different.


    By perusing the Second-Order Formation Pattern Catalog, Mo Hua found that Second-Grade Formation Patterns are more like the fusion of two First-Grade Formation Patterns into one, through a peculiar form, similar to Daoist Skill.


    The Second-Grade Formation Patterns are more complex, more profound, with more lines and strokes, encompassing more variability and stricter requirements on directionality than the First-Grade Formation Patterns.


    Drawing Second-Grade Formation Patterns also consumes twice the Divine Sense as ordinary First-Grade Formation Patterns.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± Mo Hua murmured to himself.


    After Foundation Establishment, the Divine Sense doubles.


    In Formation arts, going from nine patterns of the First Grade to ten patterns of the Second Grade, the required amount of Divine Sense also doubles, as does the power and effect of the Formation.


    Under the standard Formation Method Classification, a ten-pattern Formation is by default considered a Second-Grade Formation.


    A First-Grade Formation Pattern cannot form a Formation with more than ten patterns due to its simpler structure.


    Only Second-Grade Formation Patterns, with more sophisticated Divine Sense requirements, stronger structures, and more complicated pathways, can serve as the foundation for a Formation containing more than ten patterns.


    Ultimate Formations are an exception¡­ They contain Dao Laws and transcend category limitations, differing from ordinary Formations¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    By this logic, a First-Grade Ultimate Formation and a Second-Grade Formation might have the same number of patterns, but the grades of the patterns are vastly different.


    For example, a First-Grade Ultimate Formation with ten patterns like the Reversed Spirit Ultimate Formation and a Second-Grade Formation with ten patterns are both ten-pattern Formations, but one is composed of First-Grade Formation Patterns while the other is built with Second-Grade Formation Patterns.


    Clearly, Second-Grade Formation Patterns require twice the Divine Sense as the First-Grade Formation Patterns.


    However, for these two ten-pattern Formations, the required Divine Sense seems not to differ much.


    After pondering for a while with no conclusion, Mo Hua decided to set the issue aside for now.


    He thought that once he truly learned the Second-Grade Formations, he would carefully compare the differences at the level of Divine Sense between the First-Grade Ultimate Formations and the Second-Grade Formations.


    Next came the actual learning of the Second-Grade Formations.


    To learn Formations, one must first learn the patterns.


    Mo Hua first went through the Second-Order Formation Pattern Catalog several times, memorizing several basic Second-Grade Five Elements Formation Patterns in his heart and making simple sketches of them on paper.


    Then he began to attempt to draw the first Second-Grade Formation based on the Illustration of Second-Order Formation:


    The Second-Order Bright Fire Formation.


    The Bright Fire Formation, a Fire-series Formation, is used for heating and lighting and is essentially one of the most basic of all ranked Formation Formation.


    The first formal Formation that Mo Hua ever drew was also a Bright Fire Formation.


    But that Bright Fire Formation, with its three Formation Patterns, did not qualify for ranking.


    Now, the Bright Fire Formation was a Second-Grade Formation with no fewer than ten Formation Patterns.


    Of course, for Mo Hua, now with a Divine Sense quality change at fourteen patterns, ten Formation Patterns were not particularly difficult.


    The challenge lay in his still rudimentary understanding and mastery of the Second-Grade Formation system.


    Mo Hua focused and memorized the Formation Diagram of the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation.


    At ten minutes past 1 p.m., he practiced the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation on the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness.


    Alone, with a stele, with a Formation.


    As it had been when he first learned to draw Formations.


    Mo Hua felt a momentary trance.


    It was as if he had learned many, many Formations, yet it seemed as though he had not learned many at all.


    The more he learned, the more he realized how little he knew.


    Now that his Formation skills were nearing the Second Grade, everything was starting anew.


    He had to learn entirely new Formation Patterns, understand deeper Formation principles, and delve into the more ancient aspects of the Great Dao¡­


    Mo Hua took a deep breath, calming his emotions, maintaining a humble and tranquil state of mind, and with his original aspiration intact, he started drawing his very first Second-Grade Formation on the Taoist Stele:


    The Bright Fire Formation.


    Second-Grade Formation Patterns are more intricate, require more precision in drawing, and consume more Divine Sense.


    The structure of the Formation also involves many more variations.


    Starting off unfamiliar, Mo Hua made errors multiple times.


    Either a stroke of the pattern was off, the Formation Pivot conflicted, or the layout was not controlled well¡­


    Mo Hua had no choice but to erase the Formation Patterns, retract his Divine Sense, and continue drawing.


    Again and again.


    Tedious and mechanical.


    But Mo Hua was long accustomed to it.


    His drawing became increasingly skilled, his understanding of the Formation Pivots deepened, and his grasp of the composition of Second-Grade Formations progressively became clearer¡­


    If he did not know, he would learn; if he was not skilled, he would practice.


    Draw the ¡®Formation¡¯ a hundred times, and its meaning will reveal itself.


    Mo Hua continued drawing, over and over, until he had drawn the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation dozens of times, having stumbled into every possible pitfall, before feeling a sense of Sudden Enlightenment.


    Pattern and Pivot merged seamlessly.


    The details of his strokes became clear in his chest¡­


    His pen moved more confidently, with purpose and measure.


    Finally, after who knows how long, Mo Hua made the last stroke, and the Formation was complete.


    On the Taoist Stele, the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation¡¯s Patterns glowed, shining brilliantly, flickering with bright light.


    This light was more refined, dazzling.


    Just as before, it lit up the first step of the path for Mo Hua, the Second Rank Formation Master¡­


    Mo Hua sighed in relief, a smile spreading across his face.


    Second-Grade Formation!


    He had finally drawn one!


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit of pride as he admired the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation he had drawn on the Taoist Stele, before reluctantly erasing it, awaiting the retraction of his Divine Sense, and continuing to draw.

 Chapter 731 - 569 Second Grade_3

    Chapter 731: Chapter 569 Second Grade_3


    Once a stranger, twice familiar.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s first attempt at drawing, and it was quite clumsy with many mistakes.


    Because the Second-Grade Formation differed significantly in its Formation Patterns from the First-Grade, it took quite an effort to master. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But after completing the first drawing, with his strength in Divine Sense and aptitude for Formation Methods, his speed increased considerably on subsequent attempts.


    Subsequent drawings of the Bright Fire Formation came naturally to Mo Hua, as he drew with ease and proficiency.


    There is a cognitive barrier to Second-Grade Formation Methods.


    ...


    Mo Hua¡¯s own understanding of Second-Grade Formations was also lacking.


    Otherwise, drawing the ¡°Ten Patterns of the Second Grade¡± Bright Fire Formation would actually be simpler than drawing the ¡°Ten Patterns of the First Grade¡± Reversed Spirit Ultimate Formation.


    Mo Hua continued to draw, over and over, until the Bright Fire Formation was ingrained in his heart, only then did he emerge from his Sea of Consciousness.


    By this time, dawn had broken, and the sky was filled with the glow of sunrise, painting Mo Hua¡¯s cheeks a rosy hue.


    Mo Hua was in high spirits, his face beaming with a smile.


    Having successfully drawn the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation, he crossed over a minor threshold.


    Next, he needed to actually draw the Bright Fire Formation into existence.


    Creating it upon the Taoist Stele, using hands as the pen, Divine Sense as the ink, and the Stele as the media, did not truly count as ¡°drawing¡± it.


    Nor could it be considered truly ¡°mastering¡± it.


    Mo Hua got out of bed, laid out the paper on the table, picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and prepared to try drawing the Second-Grade Bright Fire Formation.


    But as soon as he moved the pen, Mo Hua paused, dumbstruck.


    He suddenly realized a serious problem:


    The Bright Fire Formation was a Second-Grade Formation¡­


    But he had no Second-Grade Spiritual Ink!


    It was not only Spiritual Ink; he lacked a Second-Grade Formation Pen, Formation Paper, or other formation media as well!


    Without the necessary materials, how could one cook a meal?


    With neither pen, ink, nor paper, how could he draw a Formation Method¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He had miscalculated¡­


    He had not worried about ink, paper, and other such matters for a long time, so it didn¡¯t occur to him until now.


    ¡°But¡­ where can one find Second-Grade Spiritual Ink?¡±


    ¡°Stores?¡±


    Mo Hua specifically visited various stores in Tongxian City and strolled through the market town, but to no avail.


    There were no Second Rank Formation Masters in Tongxian City, so naturally, nobody would draw Second-Grade Formations, hence no Second-Grade Spiritual Ink!


    Even if some clans or stores had some in stock, it had been stored for too long and the Spiritual Ink had lost its efficacy, rendering it useless for drawing Formations.


    Helpless, Mo Hua thought for a moment and then decided to seek out Master Luo.


    Master Luo had been a First Rank Formation Master for a long time, with significant experience and numerous connections. Having studied Formation Methods for many years and aspired to become a Second Rank Formation Master, he would surely have some Second-Grade Spiritual Ink prepared.


    When Mo Hua arrived at the Luo Mansion, he learned that Master Luo was not there.


    He had gone to have tea with Master Qian¡­


    Mo Hua had no choice but to head to the Qian Mansion instead.


    The once-great Qian Family had long since fallen into decline, and the family members had gone their separate ways.


    The vast Qian Mansion had been divided into multiple independent courtyards.


    The courtyard where Master Qian now lived was located in the southwest corner of Qian Mansion, covering the largest area and offering the most spacious surroundings; however, the signboard at the door had changed to ¡°Qian Family¡¯s School.¡±


    This served not only as Master Qian¡¯s residence but also as an academy he had established to teach Formation Methods.


    Master Qian still remembered his agreement with Mo Hua, committed to studying Formation Methods deeply, and started teaching Formation Patterns to the Loose Cultivator children of Tongxian City.


    Whenever Master Luo had spare time, he would come here for a visit.


    Sharing tea and discussing Formation Methods with Master Qian, he would occasionally offer guidance to other disciples as well.


    When Mo Hua entered, both Master Luo and Master Qian were enjoying tea in the tranquil and pleasant courtyard. Surprised and delighted to see him, they both stood to greet him warmly:


    ¡°Gentleman Mo, what a rare guest¡­¡±


    Even though Mo Hua¡¯s mastery of Formation Methods had already surpassed theirs, and now that he had achieved Foundation Establishment, his status was even higher. They did not dare neglect him.


    Mo Hua greeted them with a smile as well.


    ¡°Master Luo, Master Qian, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    Master Luo looked Mo Hua over and saw that despite having achieved Foundation Establishment, with his profound gaze and stronger Divine Sense, and his deeper understanding of Formation Methods, he was still kind and genuine, seemingly unchanged from before, which inspired admiration.


    Master Luo said with embarrassment, ¡°Gentleman, I dare not accept the title of ¡®master¡¯ in your presence.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t seem to mind it much.


    After they were seated, Master Qian poured tea for Mo Hua and asked, ¡°Youthful Gentleman, do you have any important matters for coming here?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Masters, do you have any Second-Grade Spiritual Ink?¡±


    ¡°Second-Grade Spiritual Ink!¡±


    Master Luo and his companion exchanged glances, both somewhat surprised, ¡°Youthful Gentleman, you can do Second-Grade Formations now?¡±


    Though Mo Hua felt he was very familiar with the Second-Order Bright Fire Formation, he had never actually drawn it, so he did not want to boast and modestly said:


    ¡°A little, I want to try my hand at drawing.¡±


    When Mo Hua said he knew a little, naturally Master Luo did not think it was just a ¡°little.¡±


    A bitter smile crossed Master Luo¡¯s face, and he didn¡¯t quite know what to say for a moment.


    He was now over a hundred years old and still only a First-Grade Formation Master, but Mo Hua, so young, was already going to learn Second-Grade Formation Methods¡­


    Although Mo Hua becoming a second-grade formation artist was good news for him, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel a sourness in his heart.


    ¡°Spiritual Ink, eh¡­¡±


    Master Luo pondered for a moment and nodded, ¡°I do have some Second-Grade Spiritual Ink, but not much, only two bottles¡­¡±


    Master Qian also said, ¡°I also have some, from the Qian Family¡¯s old reserves, but only five bottles. If the Youthful Gentleman does not mind, please feel free to take them for your use.¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, ¡°Thank you, Master Luo, thank you, Master Qian!¡±


    ¡°The Youthful Gentleman is too polite¡­¡±


    Master Luo and Master Qian took out the Spiritual Ink and handed it to Mo Hua.


    This Spiritual Ink, also comprised of the Five Elements, was contained in jade bottles, with a stirring aura, containing astonishing Five Elements Spiritual Power.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°This Spiritual Ink, it¡¯s quite expensive, isn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    Master Qian nodded, ¡°Ordinary First-Grade Spiritual Ink, around ten Spirit Stones per bottle, depending on its quality or scarcity, there may be some variation, the cheaper ones, about two or three Spirit Stones per bottle, and the more expensive ones, dozens of Spirit Stones per bottle¡­¡±


    ¡°Second-Grade Spiritual Ink typically, even for the cheaper ones, would be about a hundred Spirit Stones per bottle.¡±


    ¡°And for the more expensive ones, several hundred to a thousand¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°That expensive?!¡±


    A hundred Spirit Stones per bottle¡­


    In his hands, these small five bottles were worth at least five hundred Spirit Stones¡­


    Master Qian sighed, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why learning formations is not easy, and the higher you go, the more so¡­¡±


    ¡°With this small bottle of Spiritual Ink, a hundred Spirit Stones, even if you successfully draw a formation with absolute certainty and no mishaps, you can only draw two sets of Second-Grade Initial Stage formations¡­¡±


    ¡°And to truly master a formation, at the least it takes dozens of attempts, and at most hundreds of attempts¡­¡±


    ¡°To learn a single Second-Grade Formation, just the consumption of pen and ink Spirit Stones is not a small amount¡­¡±


    ¡°For the Great Clans and Great Sects, it doesn¡¯t matter, this amount of Spirit Stones is a drop in the bucket, what they eat for three meals a day is more than this¡­¡±


    ¡°For the mid-level Family Sects and Clans, it¡¯s not a big deal either.¡±


    ¡°But for small families and minor sects, it will be much harder to support a Second-Rank Formation Master¡­¡±


    ¡°As for the Loose Cultivators¡­¡±


    Master Qian gave a bitter smile.


    Loose Cultivators could hardly support themselves, let alone afford a Formation Master of the Second Grade or higher.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open, and he looked again at the few bottles of Spiritual Ink in his hands, frowning and asking:


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Spiritual Ink just mixed with Monster Blood? Why is it so expensive?¡±


    Master Luo was silent for a moment and then said slowly:


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to hunt Second-Grade Monster Beasts, and Blood Drawing is also hard.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not the main reason¡­¡±


    Master Luo¡¯s voice dropped a few notches.


    ¡°Even though Second-Grade Monster Beasts are hard to kill, for making Spiritual Ink, only the blood is used, not the scarce items like the inner core, heart, or Monster Marrow¡­¡±


    ¡°In theory, it should not be so costly.¡±


    ¡°But, the formulas for making Spiritual Ink, the techniques, along with some rare Spirit Grass, are all in the hands of the Great Clans and Great Sects.¡±


    Master Luo pointed upwards, ¡°Since they have the monopoly, they naturally get to dictate the terms.¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s ten Spirit Stones, a hundred, or a thousand, or ten thousand¡­ it¡¯s not something we can decide.¡±


    ¡°Those who actually hunt monsters, draw the blood, and mix the ink, they actually don¡¯t earn Spirit Stones at all; most of the profits are skimmed off by the noble clans and families¡­¡±


    ¡°With their actions, one reason is to make a profit, and another is¡­¡±


    Master Luo paused for a moment but then decided to clarify a bit more, considering Mo Hua¡¯s background as a Loose Cultivator.


    ¡°¡­to prevent too many Formation Masters from rising from the lower ranks, thereby shaking their¡­ foundations.¡±

 Chapter 732 - 570

    Chapter 732: Chapter 570 ¡°Windfall¡±_1


    Master Luo said no more, having reached the extent of his advice.


    ¡°As the saying goes, ¡®Only through enduring the most bitter hardships can one become the best amongst men.¡¯


    If Mo Hua were to join the Family Sects and Clans in the future, becoming ¡®the best amongst men,¡¯ then these words would be of no use.¡±


    If Mo Hua upholds his Taoist Heart and remains true to his original aspirations, with his intelligence, he ought to know what to say, and naturally, he will have a measure in his heart.¡±


    Master Luo looked at Mo Hua and saw his furrowed brows, a reflective look upon his face.


    Knowing that he understood his meaning, he nodded slightly and said nothing more.


    ...


    The discussion among the few then returned to Formation Mastery. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Luo said:


    ¡°Second-Grade Formations are categorized by the Divine Sense of a Cultivator during the initial, middle, and late stages of Foundation Establishment into initial, intermediate, and high stages.¡±


    ¡°Upon entering Foundation Establishment, a ten-pattern is the entrance-level Second-Grade Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Entrance-level Formations are relatively simple, and though they are Second Grade, they are not considered within a stage¡­¡±


    ¡°In the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, from eleven to thirteen patterns are considered Second-Grade Initial Stage Formations;¡±


    ¡°In the middle phase of Foundation Establishment, from fourteen to sixteen patterns are considered Intermediate-level Second-Grade Formations;¡±


    ¡°In the late phase of Foundation Establishment, from seventeen to nineteen patterns are considered High-Grade Second-Grade Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Formation Masters are categorized the same way, into initial, intermediate, and high stages.¡±


    ¡°The threshold for a First-Grade Formation Master is very high, focusing only on the rank and not on the stages, but in truth, all First-Grade Formation Masters should be considered ¡®High Stage First-Grade Formation Masters,¡¯ it¡¯s just that these detailed divisions have been eliminated by the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°The categorization becomes more detailed and stringent at the Second-Grade Formation level.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to become a Second-Grade Formation Master, and advancing from there is even harder, involving an assessment with each advancement¡­¡±


    Master Luo frowned, sighing deeply.


    Master Qian felt equally helpless.


    If passing the First Grade assessment is already difficult, what more for the Second Grade¡­


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°So, to become a Second-Grade Junior Formation Master, is it enough just to know how to arrange the Second-Grade Initial Stage Formations?¡±


    Master Luo shook his head and said with a wry smile:


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. The Second-Grade Initial Stage Formations encompass those with eleven to thirteen stripes, and the difficulty varies greatly within them¡­¡±


    ¡°With each additional pattern, the Formation¡¯s difficulty increases significantly.¡±


    ¡°One must master the most difficult Thirteen Pattern Formation at the initial stage, and not just one or two sets.¡±


    ¡°According to the Taoist Court rules, one must learn at least four or five sets of the Thirteen Pattern Formations before they can apply for assessment and be promoted to a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master¡­¡±


    ¡°The same applies to the subsequent stages.¡±


    ¡°Mastering the Sixteen-Pattern Formation advances one to Middle Stage Second Grade; mastering the Nineteen-Pattern Formation advances one to High Stage Second Grade¡­¡±


    ¡°Therefore, any Formation Master who truly passes step-by-step assessments and advances to a High-Stage Second-Grade Master is incredibly rare and exceptionally proficient in Second-Grade Formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then said, ¡°So basically, at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, one can become a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master?¡±


    His statement was somewhat conservative.


    Because his Divine Sense had already reached thirteen patterns, if judged by Formation standards, learning a Fourteen-Pattern Second-Grade Formation would bring him to the threshold of a Middle Stage Second-Grade Formation Master¡­


    Master Luo, however, shook his head and said:


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case¡­¡±


    ¡°Generally speaking, it¡¯s only possible to become a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master during the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment, a Middle Stage Second Grade in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, and as for a High Stage Second Grade Formation Master¡­¡±


    Master Luo paused and sighed:


    ¡°¡­either one has already broken through to the Golden Core stage or one¡¯s cultivation has stagnated for too long in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, unable to make further progress, and thus, spends a hundred or two hundred years painstakingly learning Formations to be promoted to a High-Stage Second Grade Formation Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua opened his mouth in surprise, ¡°Is it that difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°Difficult indeed¡­¡±


    Master Luo¡¯s eyebrows knitted together in a ¡°´¨¡± shape.


    Even though he considered Mo Hua exceptional, not bound to common convention, some fundamental ¡°common sense¡± of Tao Cultivation still needed to be understood by him.


    He is who he is, and others are who they are.


    Not everyone is a little monster like him.


    ¡°Even if one¡¯s Formation skill is only a small realm behind one¡¯s cultivation level, such a Cultivator can still be considered a highly talented Formation Master. Ordinary Cultivators start learning First-grade Formations at Foundation Establishment and only go on to Second-Grade Formations at the late stage of Foundation Establishment or even the Golden Core stage. That¡¯s also normal¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Is it because their Divine Sense isn¡¯t strong enough?¡±


    Master Luo nodded, saying weakly, ¡°Yes, the Divine Sense isn¡¯t enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Blood Qi and Spiritual Power can be enhanced through Cultivation Techniques, but not Divine Sense.¡±


    ¡°Most Cultivators cannot train Divine Sense; aside from those born with an extraordinary Divine Sense, generally, they possess a Divine Sense matching their stage of cultivation, and rarely more than that¡­¡±


    ¡°At the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, one can have at most a Divine Sense of thirteen patterns. To become an initial stage Formation Master, one must learn a Thirteen Pattern Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Learning this way can be very strenuous.¡±


    ¡°The consumption of Divine Sense is immense, and recovery is extremely slow. Moreover, learning Formations this way is like groping one¡¯s way across a river by feeling the stones, careful and cautious, with no room for error. One wrong step could even lead to the hazard of Divine Sense depletion.¡±


    ¡°Even so, after completely exhausting Divine Sense for a whole day, one might only be able to practice it two or three times¡­¡±


    ¡°The Second Grade Thirteen Pattern Formations are complex and profound. Practicing only two or three times a day¡ªhow could that be enough?¡±


    ¡°By the time one truly comprehends it, how long will it take¡­¡±


    Master Luo said bitterly.


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    He had the Taoist Stele, allowing him to practice Formations far more often, sometimes even twenty or thirty times in a single night.


    Two or three times a day was indeed too little, hardly enough to even fill the gaps between his teeth¡­


    With such a low frequency of practice, it would indeed be difficult to grasp the essence of Formations.


    Moreover, Cultivators needed to cultivate and earn Spirit Stones.


    Even for Cultivators of noble clans and sects, it¡¯s unlikely they would have the leisure to focus solely on Formations every day, as they would be preoccupied with various tasks within their Clan or Sect.

 Chapter 733 - 570

    Chapter 733: Chapter 570 ¡°Windfall¡±_2


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    Master Luo continued, ¡°Sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of firewood. First, elevate your realm and strengthen your Divine Sense, then go back to learning formation methods. With a full Divine Sense, learning will become easier.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his little head and then his eyes shone brightly:


    ¡°That means, if I reach the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment and become a Second Grade Junior Formation Master, that would be¡­ pretty impressive, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Foundation Establishment Initial Stage¡­ Second Grade Initial Stage¡­¡±


    ...


    Master Luo was taken aback, somewhat not wanting to converse with Mo Hua.


    But then he thought about it and realized that such a possibility wasn¡¯t entirely out of the question for Mo Hua¡­


    A sense of anticipation grew in Master Luo.


    If Mo Hua, at such a young age, reached the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment and became a Second Grade Junior Formation Master, perhaps he could achieve even greater feats in the future¡­


    Master Qian also praised, ¡°If the little gentleman becomes a Second Grade Junior Formation Master at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, even among the Noble Clans, he would be considered a rare formation genius¡­¡±


    ¡°Only¡­¡±


    Master Qian sighed, a tinge of regret in his voice:


    ¡°In Tongxian City, the heritage and resources for Second-Grade formations are far too scarce¡­¡±


    Formations were rare, and the costs of brush, ink, and paper were exorbitant.


    Considering Mo Hua¡¯s family background, if he really wanted to continue learning, the difficulties would be immense.


    Master Luo also felt a sense of regret for Mo Hua.


    After discussing formations, everyone had more tea.


    As noon approached, the disciples from the school began to leave class and respectfully said their farewells to Master Qian before heading home for a meal.


    Suddenly, a five- or six-year-old child in the crowd caught sight of Mo Hua and brightened up, dashing into Mo Hua¡¯s embrace and calling out in a babyish voice:


    ¡°Brother Mo!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and then realized that the child was actually Zhouer.


    Zhouer, with the surname Chu, was the child of Uncle Chu, a Monster Hunter skilled in using traps who had taught these trapping techniques to Mo Hua.


    Zhouer¡¯s mother, Aunt Jiang, had been helping in Mo Hua¡¯s family restaurant.


    Years ago, Uncle Chu suffered grievous injuries and was unable to continue Monster Hunting. He had asked Mo Hua to teach his son some formation methods so that in the future, he could earn a living without risking his life in battle.


    Later, when Mo Hua went on a journey, he entrusted Zhouer to Master Qian.


    Seeing Zhouer behave this way, Master Qian helplessly said:


    ¡°No manners, not proper at all.¡±


    Zhouer then hid behind Mo Hua, only his little head peeking out.


    Master Qian was strict in tone, but his expression was devoid of blame, showing that he was quite fond of this little disciple.


    Mo Hua patted Zhouer¡¯s head and asked Master Qian:


    ¡°Master Qian, how is Zhouer¡¯s formation studies coming along?¡±


    Master Qian responded, ¡°He is young and just started. He should first memorize some text to understand the principles of formations. Learning one or two Formation Patterns will suffice for now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in acknowledgment. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As it was nearing noon, having asked all he wanted, Mo Hua stood up and took his leave.


    Zhouer clung to Mo Hua, so Mo Hua took him home, picked out some tasty and easily digestible food from the restaurant, and fed Zhouer until he was full before letting Aunt Jiang take him back home.


    ¡­


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua began to practice Second-Grade formations with undivided attention.


    Every time night fell, he would sit upright on his bed, his Divine Sense delving into his Sea of Consciousness, ceaselessly practicing formations atop the Taoist Stele.


    During these days, the formation he practiced was the ¡°Second-order Thorn Formation.¡±


    The Thorns Formation is part of the Wood series.


    Once activated, it produces vines and thorns, trapping enemies; it is one kind of the Five Elements Trapping Formation.


    The Thorns Formation includes eleven Formation Patterns, making it one of the simpler Second Grade Initial Stage formations.


    This formation was one that Mo Hua had deciphered and created by reversing the source from the ¡°Five Elements Formation Flow Map.¡±


    This was the only Second-Grade formation suitable for Mo Hua that he had decoded in reverse from the source so far¡­


    The ¡°Five Elements Formation Flow Map¡± originates all of the Five Elements Sect¡¯s Five Elements Formations from a single, eccentric ¡°Five Elements Source Pattern.¡±


    However, these formations have solidified into one ¡°Source Pattern.¡±


    This Source Pattern is very bizarre and dangerous. But since it has been suppressed by the Taoist Stele, it has become much more subdued¡­


    Nonetheless, for Mo Hua to ¡°decode¡± the Five Elements Sect¡¯s formation legacy from this Source Pattern is still very challenging.


    Firstly, this kind of reverse sourcing is very consuming of one¡¯s Divine Sense.


    As Mo Hua still needed to study formations and his Divine Sense was powerful but finite, he could only partake in this process in his spare time, or when he was bored with his pattern drawing.


    Secondly, the formations ¡°decoded¡± from the Source Pattern are random¡­


    Mo Hua did not know the principles or laws by which the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect had managed to distill the Five Elements Formations into this Source Pattern.


    So the formations he derived in reverse were disordered, chaotic.


    It was like a ¡°lottery draw¡­¡±


    The Five Elements were varied, with First and Second Grades mixed in.


    Mo Hua had no idea what formation he would ¡°decode¡± next, what properties of the Five Elements it would be, if it would be First Grade or Second Grade, or how many Formation Patterns it would contain¡­


    Mo Hua could only guess.


    The only thing he could deduce was that the ¡°Decoded¡± formation¡¯s upper limit was related to the strength of his Divine Sense.


    The number of patterns in Divine Sense corresponds to the maximum number of patterns he could ¡°decode.¡±


    With a fourteen-pattern Divine Sense, in theory, Mo Hua should be able to ¡°decode¡± up to a fourteen-pattern Five Elements Formation.


    But theory is just theory, and reality is reality.


    So far, the best formation Mo Hua had deciphered was the ten-plus-pattern Thorns Formation he was practicing.


    This was still acceptable, but what truly baffled Mo Hua was that this ¡°Source Pattern¡± guaranteed nothing!


    Its lower limit was even alarmingly low!


    Most of what he had deciphered so far were First-Grade formations, including a great number of formations without grading and even one, with just three patterns, the most basic Bright Fire Formation!

 Chapter 734 - 734: 570

    Chapter 734: 570 Chapter ¡°Windfall¡±_3


    ¡°`


    Although the Five Elements Source Pattern encompassed various Five Elements Formations, it was normal for these lower-tier formations to be included as well.


    However, Mo Hua still felt that some of the formations were just filler added by the ancestors of the Five Elements Sect, meant to ¡°contaminate¡± the Source Pattern¡­


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling somewhat helpless.


    His only option was to continue practicing formations while hoping that one day he would have a stroke of great luck and be able to draw¡­


    No, it was to ¡°decipher¡± a Fourteen Pattern Second Grade Five Elements Formation!


    ...


    Until then, he could only hone his skills with these Ten Pattern and Eleven Pattern formations¡­


    Mo Hua collected his thoughts, then spent the entire night practicing formations on the Taoist Stele.


    When he awoke in the morning, he still felt unfulfilled.


    Unfortunately, the few bottles of Second Grade Spiritual Ink given to him by Master Luo and Master Qian were used up, preventing him from actually drawing formations anymore.


    Seven bottles of Spiritual Ink were not enough; it was nowhere near sufficient for Mo Hua¡¯s use, and even with the utmost frugality, they wouldn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°Learn to put into practice¡­¡±


    Mo Hua firmly remembered Mr. Zhuang¡¯s teaching.


    Having the Taoist Stele, ¡°learning¡± was not a problem.


    With his Divine Sense submerged in the Sea of Consciousness, practicing on the Taoist Stele did not require pen or ink, nor paper, and his Divine Sense could even backtrack, allowing for training that was ten to dozens of times more than others.


    Upon reflecting on this, Mo Hua felt somewhat fortunate.


    ¡°Thank goodness I have the Taoist Stele¡­¡±


    Not only could he practice formations, but he could also temper his Divine Sense.


    As long as he relentlessly persisted in practicing, he would learn more and more formations, his Divine Sense would grow stronger, and then he could go on to learn even more formations¡­


    This cycle would continue, like a ¡°snowball¡± effect, constantly enlarging his Divine Sense as well as his expertise in formations.


    However, he was now able to ¡°learn,¡± but unable to ¡°use.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just the Spiritual Ink; the pens and paper were also a big issue.


    Mo Hua had bartered for a few Second Grade ¡°Formation Papers¡± from Old Master An, but they were barely a stopgap and quickly ran out.


    Such Second Grade Formation Papers were expensive.


    They were difficult to acquire, yet all too easy to use up¡­


    Even so, Formation Paper was the cheapest of the formation media.


    Other formation media, such as Spiritual Artifacts, Array Plates, and Formation Flags, were even more expensive, far beyond what Mo Hua could afford.


    Besides Formation Paper, there was also the Formation Pen.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t expected Formation Pens to be more expensive than Formation Paper, and furthermore, Second Grade Formation Pens wore out more easily than First Grade ones.


    The Spiritual Ink of the Second Grade contained a stronger concentration of Spiritual Power and Blood Qi from Monster Beasts.


    A Formation Pen soaked in Spiritual Ink would wear down faster.


    Inferior Formation Pens, often used until they went ¡°bald,¡±¡­


    Whereas those long-lasting, top-quality Formation Pens were made of lavish materials and had a prohibitive cost¡ªselling himself wouldn¡¯t cover their price.


    ¡°Is there any way to draw formations without using paper or pens?¡±


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondering briefly.


    He had some vague ideas but needed more time to research them.


    But even if he didn¡¯t use paper or pens, ink was essential¡­


    ¡°Second Grade Spiritual Ink is made with Second Grade Monster Blood¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought of the Big Tiger.


    Drawing blood from the Big Tiger¡­ definitely not an option; he had a pretty good relationship with the Big Tiger and couldn¡¯t entertain such thoughts.


    Then, perhaps¡­


    Find a way to work with the Big Tiger to hunt other Second Grade Monster Beasts in the Big Black Mountain?


    It would eat the meat, while I drew the blood?


    Mo Hua nodded silently, feeling that this plan was feasible.


    Then Mo Hua was suddenly struck by a realization.


    The Big Tiger¡­


    Only then did he remember that the Big Tiger had also given him some ¡°gifts,¡± those unclaimed Storage Bags.


    After returning home, Mo Hua had so many people to greet that he had temporarily forgotten about them.


    ¡°`


    ¡°I wonder what exactly is inside these storage bags¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, feeling curious, pulled out the storage bags from under the bed and opened them one by one.


    Some of these bags were still stained with blood, some were gorgeously exquisite, and others were grey, dirty, and somewhat eerie.


    After laying out all the storage bags and carefully going through them, Mo Hua finally understood.


    Some of the bags had belonged to serious cultivators, and others to demon cultivators.


    In addition to the standard spirit stones, spiritual artifacts, and pills, there were also some demon path skills for blood-sucking, spirit-draining, and replenishing from others, as well as spells for soul capturing and corpse refinement¡­


    These demon path skills and spells were deeply harmful and definitely couldn¡¯t be kept. Mo Hua planned to burn them together later to prevent them from harming others.


    There were also some righteous dao cultivation techniques and spells¡­


    As for cultivation techniques, Mo Hua had already learned the Heaven Yan Jue, which he didn¡¯t need¡­


    Most of the spells were for body refinement within Tao cultivation martial arts, and a few were second-grade spells, but they all seemed to be common techniques.


    However, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t picky and thought he might study them when he had some free time¡­


    There were plenty of spirit stones, totaling up to tens of thousands!


    If not for the limited capacity and inconvenient transport of these storage bags, there might have been even more.


    There was also a rich variety of pills, those that revitalized the spirit, replenished blood, resisted poison, dispelled miasma, and even second-grade Small Rejuvenation Pills that could save one¡¯s life¡­


    Mo Hua frowned.


    All these added up to a hefty ¡°windfall¡±!


    Mo Hua was both shocked and delighted, but also somewhat puzzled. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Who were the owners of these storage bags, and how did they end up in Tongxian City? How did they die? And how did Big Tiger come to pick up these bags?


    Mo Hua searched through the storage bags to find some clues.


    After searching for a long time, he found a few scrolls with phrases like ¡°personally initiated by the family head¡± and ¡°seen and reported to the sect master¡± written on them. After reading them, he finally realized.


    ¡°These cultivators came to Tongxian City for their master¡­¡±


    Some were from the Taoist State clans or their affiliated smaller families, sent by their family heads or sects to Tongxian City to investigate their master¡¯s whereabouts¡­


    Some were people from the Demon Sect.


    But they were probably not from any great sects, just smaller forces.


    Once they arrived at Tongxian City, they fought each other at Big Black Mountain.


    Then, in the fierce battle, either they perished outright or, grievously wounded, they fell victim to Big Tiger¡¯s opportunism.


    A few of the storage bags were torn, bearing the traces of tiger teeth.


    Presumably, Big Tiger had torn open the bags and consumed whatever spiritual objects were inside. After assimilating them, it broke through a realm and became a second-grade monster beast.


    The rest of the storage bags, in recognition of some indebtedness, were left for itself.


    After thinking it through, Mo Hua felt that this was probably the truth of the matter. Even if there were some deviations, they likely weren¡¯t significant.


    ¡°Since they harbored ill intentions towards the master, their deaths are of little consequence¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt justified in taking the ¡°windfall¡± for himself.


    Later, he sorted through the items in the storage bags, categorizing them, but then he inadvertently noticed a map.


    The map was extensive, encompassing the Nine State.


    In the Cultivation World¡¯s Nine State, ¡°Taoist State¡± is the core, situated in the center, also the location of the Central Tao Court.


    Beyond the Taoist State, the other eight states are named after the ¡°Qian,¡± ¡°Kun,¡± ¡°Kan,¡± ¡°Li,¡± ¡°Gen,¡± ¡°Zhen,¡± ¡°Xun,¡± ¡°Dui¡± Bagua positions, arranged according to the Bagua to suppress the earth and heavens and to protect the central Taoist State.


    ¡°A map of the Nine State?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and examined it closely.


    Although the map captured all of the Nine State, the other states were only marked with main mountain ranges, and the specific state boundaries were vague.


    Only ¡°Qian State¡± had clearly defined borders and detailed mountains and rivers.


    Within Qian State, one boundary was circled in red ink, with a small note saying:


    Qian State, Dragon Path Mountains, Fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary.


    A coveted destination for the cultivators of Nine State seeking knowledge.


    Many sects flourished here, gathering the proud sons of heaven.


    A pinnacle of inheritance for formations, pill, artifact, rune, skills, martial arts, and spells.


    It is the foremost state boundary within the Cultivation World, unparalleled and the premier place for pursuing the way and seeking knowledge!

 Chapter 735 - 571: Storage Ring_1

    Chapter 735: Chapter 571: Storage Ring_1


    Dragon Path Mountains¡­ fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary¡­


    ¡°A place of seeking knowledge¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked slightly dazed.


    With Sects emerging one after another, and Proud Sons of Heaven gathering, could the gathering of the great achievements of Formations mean having a complete foundation of Tao Cultivation and inheritance of all categories of Formations?


    Mo Hua had only learned the Five Elements Formation so far.


    But besides the Five Elements, there are many other categories of Formations, each with their own systems.


    ...


    Such as Eryi, Three Talents, Four Symbols, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams, and others.


    Mo Hua had only seen a few brief mentions of these Formation systems in Formation Books; the descriptions vague, not to mention a true and specific inheritance.


    Mo Hua pondered deeply.


    The Formations of categories like Eryi, Four Symbols, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams¡ªhis master must also know them, but he did not teach them to Mo Hua, teaching only Five-elements Formation Methods instead.


    Presumably because the Five Elements Formation is the most basic and also the most widely applicable Formation.


    Biting off more than one can chew is never good; mastering the Five Elements Formation and laying a solid foundation first, then learning other systems of Formations for easier cross-referencing seemed wiser.


    But the biggest reason, he guessed, was¡­


    His master¡­ knew that he didn¡¯t have much time left, and there were many things he wanted to teach, but he no longer had the time¡­


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew somewhat dim.


    After a moment, he finally rallied his spirits and continued his examination of the map of Qian State.


    The map marked a large number of Sects.


    And in the Qianxue State Boundary, there were mostly ¡°Tao Cultivation Sects¡±.


    The so-called ¡°Tao Cultivation¡± Sects are different from Industry Sects, Hidden Sects, and Spiritual Merchant Sects.


    Hidden Sects keep to themselves, avoid worldly affairs, and are relatively secluded.


    Industry Sects and Spiritual Merchant Sects prioritize profit, earning Spirit Stones and profits by managing Tao Cultivation industries or operating various stores selling Formations, Pills, Artifacts, Runes.


    They also accept disciples, but that is not their main activity.


    However, Tao Cultivation Sects are founded on principles of teaching Taoist Skill, with their primary operation being to ¡°instruct Cultivators in Cultivation, imparting Taoist methods,¡± mainly benefiting from the Spirit Stone donations of their disciples. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tao Cultivation Sects have some industry, but not much.


    These things, Mo Hua learned while traveling, heard from the mouths of others.


    Mo Hua also realized that there are quite a few differences between Sects.


    Some impart knowledge and instruction, while others are purely profit-driven.


    Tao Cultivation Sects¡­


    ¡°Teaching Cultivation, imparting methods¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡°Can I go there?¡±


    He thought for a moment, then shook his head.


    The Qianxue State Boundary is a fifth-class state boundary; the Tao Cultivation Sects inside should be quite expensive to join, right¡­


    That ¡°windfall¡± I came across, I wonder if it¡¯s enough to make a donation.


    Even if I can afford the donation, would they accept someone like me?


    Proud Sons of Heaven gathering¡­


    These Sects should have strict criteria for accepting disciples, right?


    Mo Hua flipped through the map and found that it contained sparse text, no other markings, and nothing more detailed.


    ¡°Should I ask someone about it?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, pondering for a long time before feeling that the most suitable person to ask was Court Leader Zhou.


    Zhang Lan should know, but he had already returned home.


    Court Leader Zhou also came from a Clan, though not a large one, but he must have experience and insight; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to serve as a Court Official of the Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua went back to the Taoist Court and handed the map over to Court Leader Zhou to see.


    ¡°Qianxue State?¡±


    Court Leader Zhou was somewhat surprised to hear this.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Court Leader Zhou thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Wait for a moment¡­¡±


    He then rummaged through his Storage Bag and pulled out several booklets. Mo Hua glanced at them and saw titles like ¡°History of Tao Cultivation¡±, ¡°Overview of Nine States¡± on the cover pages.


    ¡°Qian State is too vast and too far from here; I don¡¯t remember some things very clearly¡­¡±


    After looking carefully through the books, Court Leader Zhou finally nodded, saying:


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right¡­¡±


    ¡°The Qianxue State Boundary is indeed the premier place for Tao Cultivation learning in all of Nine State, with numerous Sects, and a thriving academic atmosphere¡­¡±


    ¡°Across the lands of Nine State, most talented Cultivators who have reached Foundation Establishment before the age of twenty will go to the Qianxue State Boundary and choose to enter a Sect, where they can find great teachers, befriend Proud Sons of Heaven from the various states, while studying Taoism and laying a foundation for their future path¡­¡±


    ¡°Why do they all go to the Qianxue State Boundary?¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit puzzled, ¡°Because it¡¯s a fifth-class state boundary?¡±


    ¡°Not entirely,¡± Court Leader Zhou looked at Mo Hua and explained patiently, ¡°Although Cultivation is classified into nine grades, this is an ancient classification, with nine being the ultimate number of heaven and earth, belonging to Immortal Grade.¡±


    ¡°Ever since the Taoist Court, nature¡¯s spiritual energy has been gradually depleting, and it¡¯s been a long time since anyone has become immortal.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention the ninth grade, even the seventh and eighth grades are unattainable for Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°A fifth-class state boundary, for ordinary Cultivators, is already out of reach¡­¡±


    ¡°However, the reason why Qianxue State Boundary is the premier learning destination isn¡¯t just because it¡¯s a fifth-class¡­¡±


    Court Leader Zhou paused, then continued:


    ¡°In Tao Cultivation, one speaks of ¡®Wealth, Skill, Companionship, and Place¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Wealth refers to Tao Cultivation resources like Spirit Stones, Spiritual Objects, and other assets;¡±


    ¡°Skill refers to Tao Cultivation methods: Cultivation Techniques, Spells, Tao Cultivation Martial Arts, as well as all kinds of secret techniques not passed to outsiders, including Formations, Pills, Artifacts, Runes, and such methods related to the hundred trades of Tao Cultivation;¡±


    ¡°Companionship refers to Taoist Friends with shared paths and interests, with firm Taoist Hearts, who engage in exchanges and mutual feedback, reflecting and progressing together in their Cultivation;¡±


    ¡°Place refers to renowned mountains and rivers, the foundation of Taoist Sects¡­¡±


    ¡°With a confluence of Wealth, Skill, Companionship, and Place, Qianxue State Boundary has it all, and with nearly ten thousand years of Taoist learning history, numerous Sects stand to teach the Tao, hosting complete arrays of heritage; that¡¯s why it is the foremost Tao Cultivation State Boundary of the Nine States!¡±


    As Mo Hua listened, he felt yearning and involuntarily asked:

 Chapter 736 - 571 Storage Ring_2

    Chapter 736: Chapter 571 Storage Ring_2


    ¡°Court Leader, are the requirements for apprenticing at the Qianxue State Sects very strict?¡±


    ¡°Naturally¡­¡± Court Leader Zhou nodded, ¡°Before one turns twenty, one must achieve Foundation Establishment, which is only the basic requirement¡­¡±


    ¡°Beyond that, it also depends on what kind of Taoist Foundation you have established.¡±


    ¡°Noble Clans and Sect Disciples grind their realms, consolidate their cultivation, circulate their Spiritual Power to the utmost limit, and then they establish foundation at the age of seventeen or eighteen.¡±


    ¡°That kind of Foundation Establishment is what truly counts as Foundation Establishment.¡±


    ¡°Ordinarily, cultivators from smaller powers are greedy for quick success and are rash, with uncondensed Blood Qi and thin Spiritual Power, hastily establishing foundation at the age of fifteen or sixteen. That kind of Foundation Establishment naturally doesn¡¯t count¡­¡±


    ...


    Court Leader Zhou finished speaking and fell into a momentary stupor, casting a glance at Mo Hua, who was fifteen and had both scant Blood Qi and Spiritual Power, he said somewhat guiltily:


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, no worries.¡±


    Mo Hua was very generous and didn¡¯t take offense.


    His weak Blood Qi and low Spiritual Power were facts obvious at a glance, there was no need to be reticent.


    Moreover, he was proving the Dao with Divine Sense and had forged a Divine Sense Taoist Foundation, so Blood Qi and Spiritual Power didn¡¯t really matter to him.


    Seeing that Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind, Court Leader Zhou finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued:


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    ¡°And that¡¯s just for Foundation Establishment, other requirements are also exceedingly strict¡­¡±


    ¡°First is the Spiritual Root, in the Qian Xue State, the general sects only accept those with top-grade Spiritual Roots¡­¡±


    ¡°Some sects with great power, long inheritance, ranking within the top ten, even only accept disciples with superior top-grade Spiritual Roots¡­¡±


    Mo Hua opened his mouth, ¡°Not accepting anyone without a superior top-grade¡­ Are the requirements really so harsh?¡±


    Court Leader Zhou nodded, also feeling helpless, ¡°Spiritual Roots are the foundation of a cultivator, the better the Spiritual Root, the higher grade of Cultivation Techniques one can practice, and the deeper the Spiritual Power one can cultivate. It becomes easier to break through realms in the future, and one can journey further on the path of Tao Cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°However, that said, they are all top-grade Spiritual Roots, and the difference between superior top-grade and top medium-grade is just a sliver, so the disparity isn¡¯t that huge.¡±


    ¡°Those sects, the reason they only accept superior top-grade, is simply because there are too many prodigies, and the competition is too fierce.¡±


    ¡°This threshold has been raised time and again¡­¡±


    ¡°Thousands of years ago, some with a middle-grade Spiritual Root, as long as they possessed a firm Taoist Heart and had some specialty, could also be apprenticed in those sects, and might even become an Instructor or even an Elder.¡±


    ¡°But now¡­¡±


    Court Leader Zhou sighed, ¡°There are no people from high-class sects who come from humble families, let alone Loose Cultivators. With poor Spiritual Roots, you can¡¯t even enter the gate¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why cultivators often say, in this world, once you¡¯re born and your Spiritual Root is determined, your fate is also determined¡­¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s just talking about Spiritual Roots¡­¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Court Leader Zhou continued, ¡°There are also considerations of family background, lineage, inheritance, and so on.¡±


    ¡°Without a notable birth or a distinguished family, entering such sect is even more difficult.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, some sects even investigate the parents of those seeking to enter, what kind of Spiritual Roots they have, what their level of cultivation is, and who they are¡­¡±


    Mo Hua found it extreme to the utmost and couldn¡¯t help sighing, feeling somewhat disheartened.


    It seemed that there was no chance for him in the Qianxue State.


    Not to mention anything else, just the condition of middle to lower Five Elements Spiritual Root blocked him firmly from entering any doors.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became a bit downcast.


    Court Leader Zhou looked at Mo Hua, and with a sense of pity, said:


    ¡°There are also some smaller sects that don¡¯t require one to have an exceptionally high-grade Spiritual Root, but¡­¡±


    But their inheritance was doubtlessly shallow.


    Even if you entered their ranks, you might not be able to learn anything valuable.


    Court Leader Zhou sighed softly.


    Loose Cultivators had indeed too fragile a foundation, with Foundation Establishment being the ceiling for them.


    He still hoped that Mo Hua could apprentice at the Qianxue State Sects, systematically learn Tao Cultivation knowledge, increase his experience, and fill in his shortcomings so that he could go further in the future¡­


    But he also knew that in such places, where Noble Clans gathered and prodigies clustered, the barriers between formal sects were extremely deep.


    Even just stepping over the threshold was exceedingly difficult.


    Especially for a Loose Cultivator like Mo Hua¡­


    Court Leader Zhou said no more, only offering a few words of comfort to Mo Hua, speaking some pleasantries. Beyond that, there really wasn¡¯t much else he could help with¡­


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed, but after giving it some thought, he didn¡¯t take it too much to heart.


    Having the chance to go to the Qianxue State to seek apprenticeship was, of course, good.


    But even without such an opportunity, it didn¡¯t matter.


    One shouldn¡¯t force what¡¯s not meant to be in this world.


    Mo Hua returned home, as usual, read for a while, studied Formation for a period, and when his Divine Sense was exhausted, he felt a bit weary, so he spread the map of the Qian Xue State and looked at it again.


    After perusing it a few times, Mo Hua put it away.


    Since his Spiritual Root wasn¡¯t sufficient and he couldn¡¯t even secure entry, it was pointless to look any further; thus, Mo Hua placed the map into his storage pouch.


    Then after a moment¡¯s thought, considering the map of the Nine States to be somewhat valuable and perhaps useful in the future, he decided to take it out of the storage pouch and once more put it into his Storage Ring.


    The Storage Ring was small, but Mo Hua¡¯s hands were smaller, and he could only wear it on the thumb of his left hand.


    This ring was a gift from his master, and Mo Hua had performed a blood recognition ritual on it. Its design was simple and unremarkable.


    Mo Hua could see it, but others could not.


    This Storage Ring was a concealed storage bag.


    However, Mo Hua also felt that this ring could hide his aura, preventing others from seeing through his true strength.


    It was very similar to the Spiritual Artifacts on his junior brothers and sisters that ¡°obstructed the probing of Divine Sense¡±.


    Beyond that, it served no other purpose.


    But because it was a gift from his master, Mo Hua treasured it.


    After placing the Qian State map into the Storage Ring, Mo Hua checked the other items inside the ring, then he suddenly froze.


    Within the Storage Ring, there was an extra Jade Slip.


    Mo Hua had no recollection of this Jade Slip.


    He had never seen this Jade Slip before when he put things into the Storage Ring.


    ¡°Why would there be an extra Jade Slip?¡±

 Chapter 737 - 571: Storage Ring_3

    Chapter 737: Chapter 571: Storage Ring_3


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled as he took out the jade slip which was grey and dull, its appearance ancient, as if it had existed for many years.


    With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua saw that on the jade slip, three big characters were engraved:


    ¡°Qian Taoist Sect.¡±


    There was also a line of smaller characters beneath it:


    ¡°Those holding this order to enter the sect shall not refuse.¡±


    ...


    The tone used was that of an ¡°imperial command¡±¡­


    Did it mean that anyone who held this token and sought to join the sect could not refuse?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Qian Taoist Sect¡­¡±


    This name seemed somewhat familiar¡­


    Mo Hua once again took out the map of Qian State from the Storage Ring and upon scanning it briefly, he found that in the Qianxue State Boundary, there indeed was a sect named ¡°Qian Taoist Sect¡±.


    Moreover, it was one of the Four Great Sects within the Qianxue State Boundary!


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    Mo Hua was startled.


    This was¡­


    The Sect-Entering Order of the Qian Taoist Sect?!


    ¡°How did this jade token end up in the Storage Ring¡­ is this what Master left for me?¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat dazed.


    The Storage Ring was given to him by his master, and only he knew about it.


    No one else could open it.


    If there was something inside, it could only have been left by his master¡­


    ¡°The Sect-Entering Order of the Qian Taoist Sect¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then understood his master¡¯s intention.


    His master had given him this token, and on the token was the name of a sect.


    If he had the chance and knew what this sect was and where it was located, then he could rely on the token to join the sect himself.


    But if he was clueless about it all, then it meant he had no such fate.


    With or without this jade token, it would be the same.


    ¡°This is¡­ a path out that Master left for me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Although he had learned the Heavenly secret Calculation and had stealthily studied the Tricky Calculation, possessed the Five Elements Formation Flow Chart, his foundation was weak, his Formation techniques unorthodox, only versed in the Five Elements.


    He needed to join a sect to learn more comprehensive Tao Cultivation knowledge.


    To understand the formations beyond the Five Elements, other systems of formations.


    To pursue higher realms of cultivation¡­


    All these¡­ Master had anticipated¡­


    Mo Hua felt a sourness in the corners of his eyes.


    He opened the map of Qian State again and located the destination indicated by the Sect-Entering Order.


    ¡°Fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary, Qian Taoist Sect, huh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was very clear in his heart.


    By only cultivating behind closed doors, his progress in Cultivation and his mastery over formations would inevitably be slow.


    After Foundation Establishment, exactly how to cultivate, how to stabilize the Taoist Foundation, enhance one¡¯s Cultivation, breakthrough to Golden Core, and beyond Golden Core, how to undergo Feather Transformation¡­


    He was completely ignorant about these profound realms of Cultivation.


    Cultivation is the foundation of a Cultivator.


    Without sufficient Cultivation, he would forever remain a Foundation Building Cultivator, forever just a first or at most a Second Grade Formation Master.


    He would also never learn the extremely profound formations that snatch the creation of heaven and earth, reverse the causality of life and death¡­


    And thus, he would never¡­ be able to save his master¡­


    Or repay the kindness his master had shown him.


    But Mo Hua felt conflicted within his heart.


    He knew that sooner or later, he would have to leave Tongxian City.


    ¡°But, what about father and mother¡­¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows and sighed deeply.


    What would happen to his parents if he left?


    In the following days, Mo Hua was somewhat listless.


    Liu Ruhua noticed Mo Hua¡¯s expression and one day, after finishing dinner and tidying up, she asked him:


    ¡°Huar, do you have some worries on your mind?¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, hesitated, but in the end, he shook his head.


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua shook her head and looked at Mo Hua gently.


    ¡°`


    No one knows a child better than their mother.


    Mo Hua was her child, and even though he was clever and skilled at painting formations, there were some things he couldn¡¯t hide from his mother.


    Mo Hua, hesitation in his eyes, finally talked about the Qian Taoist Sect.


    ¡°Qian State¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua murmured, ¡°Are Zisheng and Zixi also in Qian State?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°But Qian State is very large, and they¡¯re far apart. It¡¯s not certain that we¡¯ll meet.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua sounded slightly regretful, then after a moment of thought, her gaze became resolute, ¡°Then go.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°But, mother¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua shook her head, ¡°The love of parents for their children means planning for their long-term future¡­¡±


    ¡°You have already completed your Foundation Establishment. Staying in Tongxian City, although I would be happy, I also know that this would be your future.¡±


    ¡°If you were a hundred years old, two hundred years old, I wouldn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re only fifteen now¡­ You can¡¯t be trapped here for a lifetime¡­¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯m reluctant, I also don¡¯t want to see you waste your talent.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s Mr. Zhuang¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua sighed, ¡°You haven¡¯t made it clear, but I know that Mr. Zhuang must have encountered some calamity, and he might be in a life or death situation, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have returned alone¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhuang has shown great kindness to you, no, to our entire family.¡±


    ¡°A favor as small as a drop of water should be returned with a spring.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what cultivation level Mr. Zhuang has, but I imagine it¡¯s not low. With your current realm, you certainly can¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°But you must remember this favor.¡±


    ¡°Even if you can¡¯t help now, you must keep it in your heart, and repay Mr. Zhuang¡¯s kindness when your cultivation is higher. Even if it¡¯s beyond your capability, you must do your best!¡±


    The gentle look on Liu Ruhua¡¯s face was filled with determination.


    ¡°Alright, mother!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded solemnly.


    ¡°But what about father¡­¡±


    Mo Hua still had some concerns.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about your father at all¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua stroked Mo Hua¡¯s head, her voice gentle:


    ¡°Your father is a Monster Hunter. Hunting monsters is his livelihood. When you were young, he would spend years in the mountains, fighting Monster Beasts, accumulating scars after scars, earning Spirit Stones to raise you.¡±


    ¡°He silently bore the burden of this family from a very early time¡­¡±


    ¡°Though he is only at the Qi Refinement stage, it¡¯s not yet time for you to worry about him.¡±


    ¡°What he regrets the most is that he can¡¯t give you the best, neither in cultivation techniques nor formations, he can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°If you truly have the ambition to seek and learn the Dao, he won¡¯t say much, but he will surely be happy for you in his heart¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua looked at Mo Hua and smiled slightly:


    ¡°Although you¡¯ve completed your Foundation Establishment, you¡¯re only fifteen years old. It¡¯s not time for you to worry about your parents.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You just do what you want to do.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate, just go forward¡­¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s one thing¡­¡±


    Liu Ruhua cautioned, ¡°Huar, you must remember, to your parents, your life is the most precious.¡±


    ¡°No matter what, take good care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Hua, moved, nodded and said, ¡°Mother, rest assured, no one can kill me!¡±


    His eyes suddenly flashed, innocence and cunning merged together, one eye foresaw the Heavenly secret, the other was filled with oddity, and within his fate lurked the terrifying blood-red Corpse King.


    In the far-off South Yue City, Mining Cultivators burned incense, beseeching strength, and Karmic Protection.


    Liu Ruhua was taken aback.


    She always felt that Mo Hua was somewhat different just now, but on closer inspection, he seemed the same.


    Still the child who was her heart and soul.


    Liu Ruhua chuckled softly and pinched Mo Hua¡¯s tender cheek.


    ¡°There you go, talking big again¡­¡±


    Mo Hua squinted his eyes, smiling happily.


    With both parents¡¯ approval, he didn¡¯t need to hesitate anymore.


    He had made up his mind. He would go to the Fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary, join a Sect, cultivate in the search for the Dao, and learn all the formations in the world!


    He would forge a Golden Core, achieve Feather Transformation.


    Step by step in the future, He would aim for the pinnacle of the Great Dao.


    He would learn formations that others couldn¡¯t learn, and save a master that others couldn¡¯t save!


    But one must prepare for a rainy day.


    Before going to Qian State, he would take some time to plan carefully, prepare thoroughly, and make sure all was in order¡­

 Chapter 738 - 572 Drawing Ground into Formation_1

    Chapter 738: Chapter 572 Drawing Ground into Formation_1


    Mo Hua knew clearly in his heart that he only possessed a lower-middle-grade Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, and although he had a Sect-Entering Order for his journey to the Qian Learning State Boundary to seek knowledge, it was not guaranteed to be smooth sailing. There would inevitably be some bumps and obstacles.


    Nevertheless, it was imperative to go to Qian State. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The path of Tao Cultivation was never easy.


    Meet the soldier head-on when he comes, cover with soil when water flows, do not fear setbacks, and advance valiantly. If one hesitates out of fear, they will surely lose their Taoist Heart and no longer make progress.


    And since he was going to the Qian Learning State Boundary, he must be well-prepared.


    In the Qian Learning State Boundary, Sects abound, and it is a gathering place for the Proud Sons of Heaven.


    ...


    Mo Hua was a Loose Cultivator without a notable origin or background, and his Spiritual Root wasn¡¯t exceptional. If he really wanted to join a Sect in Qian State, he would inevitably face cold looks, be underestimated, and be ostracized.


    With an inherently frail body unable to undergo Body Refinement and a lower-middle-grade Spiritual Root with weak Spiritual Power, a head-on confrontation would be extremely disadvantageous.


    Therefore, he needed to take a different approach¡­


    Mo Hua remembered his master¡¯s admonitions:


    ¡°In the Cultivation World of the Nine States, geniuses emerge in great numbers¡­¡±


    ¡°You specialize in offensive cultivation, making you an enemy to these geniuses; they will not show you any kindness.¡±


    ¡°But by assisting in offensive strategies, you can help them compete with other geniuses, and they will instead have to take your feelings into account.¡±


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    ¡°The stronger your means of assisting them, the less they dare to offend you.¡±


    ¡°This way, even without a Noble Clan, any clan can become a force that helps you¡­¡±


    ¡°Without a Sect, any Sect can become your background.¡±


    ¡°Among the profit-minded and opportunistic forces of Tao Cultivation, amidst the numerous geniuses with exceptional Spiritual Roots and proficient in Cultivation Techniques and Taoist Skills, you too will have a place and not be looked down upon!¡±


    Mo Hua touched his chin thoughtfully:


    ¡°Assisting in offense¡­ means amplifying Spiritual Power, also known as the Five Elements Spirit Formation.¡±


    The Five Element Ultimate Formation obtained from the Five Elements Sect is the basis for his stance among the numerous genius-filled Cultivation Sects of Qian State¡­


    He doesn¡¯t need to compete with the geniuses to be supreme.


    His Spiritual Root aptitude does not allow him to engage in such attention-grabbing behavior.


    As long as he can establish himself in the Academic World of Qian State, avoid being bullied, cultivate properly, and learn Formation thoroughly to compensate for his weaknesses; laying a solid foundation for forming his Golden Core and the subsequent Feather Transformation is good enough.


    Five Elements Spirit Formation!


    Spiritual Power amplification, assistance in offense!


    As long as he possesses the Five Element Ultimate Formation with the ability to assist in offense, even if he is not a Proud Son of Heaven himself, other geniuses will have to consider his opinion.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    However, the Five Elements Spirit Formation¡­


    Needs a new name.


    This was also instructed by his master previously.


    In the Qian Learning State Boundary with its profound heritage, and being a Second-Grade state boundary, naturally, it is not lacking in Great Cultivators with high cultivation levels, extensive experience, and broad knowledge.


    The name Five Elements Spirit Formation would reveal its origins to them immediately upon hearing it.


    The fact that he had inherited the tradition of the Five Elements Sect would likely also be unable to escape their notice.


    And his master¡¯s ultimate entrapment took place in the Five Elements Sect. The inquisitive could probably trace the connection between him and his master.


    This would be troublesome.


    Therefore, the name had to be changed.


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua decided to rename the Five Elements Spirit Formation as the Five Elements ¡°Source¡± Formation.


    If anyone asked about its origins, he would claim as his own discovery.


    If anyone asked how he learned it, he would say he learned it in a confused state.


    If anyone didn¡¯t believe it and persisted in inquiring, he would have to reluctantly admit that he was a Formation Genius that appeared only once in a hundred years¡­


    After all, Qian State should be no stranger to geniuses¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    Five Elements Source Formation.


    Born from the Five Elements Source Pattern, it involves the essence of the Five Elements and amplifies the Five Elements¡¯ Spiritual Power.


    After learning the Second-Grade Formation, Mo Hua had made comparisons. All First-Grade Ultimate Formations were effective for Foundation Building Cultivators, and the Formation effects didn¡¯t diminish significantly compared to Second-Grade Formations.


    The First-Grade Five Elements Source Formation was no exception.


    Mo Hua contemplated and speculated that the reason might be related to the number of Formation Patterns.


    While the Ultimate Formation is classified as First-Grade, the number of Formation Patterns is within the scope of Second-Grade Formations.


    Therefore, the Ultimate Formation is applicable in the Foundation Establishment Realm as well.


    But this presented another issue.


    Second-Grade Formation Patterns, derived from the fusion and transformation of two First-Grade Patterns, require twice the Divine Sense of First-Grade Patterns.


    If so, the Divine Sense required for the same number of Patterns in a First-Grade Ultimate Formation should only be half that of a Second-Grade Formation.


    Because the First-Grade Ultimate Formation uses First-Grade Patterns.


    And Second-Grade Formations use Second-Grade Patterns.


    But in practice, Mo Hua found that the Divine Sense consumed by a First-Grade Ultimate Formation was not less than that of a Second-Grade Formation with the same number of Patterns.


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    Why?


    Where was the extra Divine Sense consumed by the Ultimate Formation being ¡°wasted¡±?


    With Mr. Zhuang not around, Mo Hua encountered problems that he had to solve on his own.


    After long contemplation, Mo Hua had some clues.


    If his conjecture was correct, the additional Divine Sense consumed by the Ultimate Formation was used to comprehend, visualize, or connect with a certain type of Great Dao Law, or a powerful Taoist Meaning.


    Half of the Divine Sense spent on drawing an Ultimate Formation was dedicated to the Patterns, the other half to the Laws.


    That¡¯s why Ultimate Formations were unique and so difficult to execute¡­


    That¡¯s why a First-Grade Ultimate Formation could almost compare with a Second-Grade Formation, and its effect did not wane¡­


    ¡°The Great Dao is truly relatively fair; although Ultimate Formations are difficult, they hold their value for the challenge¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently reflected.


    With the Five Elements Source Formation amplifying the power of Spells, Mo Hua had also tried it.


    The only offensive Spell Mo Hua knew was the Fireball Technique.


    The Fireball Technique is a Fire-type Spell that needs the Fire Origin Formation for amplification.

 Chapter 739 - 572 Drawing Ground into Formation_2

    Chapter 739: Chapter 572 Drawing Ground into Formation_2


    And the Second-Grade Fireball Technique, with the amplification of Spiritual Power from the Fire Origin Formation, saw its power increase by nearly twenty percent.


    The power of a spell is difficult to enhance, and the methods to do so are often harsh.


    An increase of twenty percent was already quite terrifying.


    It was roughly equivalent to raising the Fireball Technique¡¯s spell tier by one level, giving a lower-tier spell the power close to that of a mid-tier spell.


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed worthy of the Thirteen Stripes Ultimate Formation and the Five Elements Sect, which has relied on this sect-protecting formation for thousands of years¡­¡±


    For a cultivator in single combat, such an increase in power was already very strong.


    ...


    And the more cultivators there are, the more apparent this increase becomes.


    In a war of Tao cultivation, with the exchange of Taoist Soldiers, if blessed by the Five Elements Source Formation.


    Then a disadvantage could turn into even odds.


    Even odds could turn into an advantage, even a complete, crushing victory¡­


    No wonder the Five Elements Sect held such an extraordinary status back then.


    Under such circumstances, even though Mo Hua had only just entered the Foundation Establishment phase and was not yet proficient in the Second-Grade Fireball Technique, with the amplification from the Fire Origin Formation, its power was still considerable.


    Mo Hua had tested it on late-First-Grade Monster Beasts in Big Black Mountain.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co


    Basically, a Fireball Technique amplified by the Fire Origin Formation could slay a late-First-Grade Monster Beast, and for those with tougher hides, if not killed, they would be severely injured by the Fireball Technique, on the verge of death.


    As for Second-Grade Monster Beasts¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s movement technique was still somewhat lacking; he was not yet willing to take on a Second-Grade Monster Beast alone.


    The problem with the Five Elements Source Formation had been resolved.


    What came next was the issue of the pen, ink, and paper.


    Without ink, a pen, or paper, even if Mo Hua practiced diligently at the Taoist Stele, mastering the Second-Grade Formation perfectly, it would be meaningless if he couldn¡¯t put it into practice.


    It¡¯s best to be prepared for unforeseen events.


    If he waited until reaching the Qian Learning State Boundary to consider this issue, it would be somewhat late.


    Moreover, the Qian Learning State Boundary is fifth-grade, so the cost of living would undoubtedly be higher, and Mo Hua definitely couldn¡¯t afford the expenses for pen, ink, and paper there.


    ¡°Ink is indispensable¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s necessary to consider a method of Drawing Formation that doesn¡¯t use a pen or paper and could save a substantial amount of Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered.


    ¡°Just like in the Sea of Consciousness¡­¡±


    ¡°Without a pen, then use Divine Sense as the pen; without paper, then take the earth as the medium¡­¡±


    This was a method of Drawing Formation that Mo Hua had been envisioning from an early stage.


    He had now reached Foundation Establishment.


    Foundation Building Cultivators have their Divine Sense greatly increased, their Divine Thought strong enough for Object Manipulation.


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had not doubled, the Divine Sense of a Middle Phase Foundation Building Cultivator with fourteen stripes was already strong enough.


    Above that, thanks to the Heaven Yan Jue and the restructuring of Divine Thought by the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, his Divine Sense had undergone a qualitative change.


    Therefore, ¡°Divine Sense Manipulation¡± was not a difficult task for Mo Hua.


    What Mo Hua needed to do now was not just ¡°Divine Sense Manipulation¡± but the more advanced ¡°Divine Consciousness Control Ink.¡±


    Foundation Building Cultivators manipulate with Divine Sense, typically using hard and sharp objects for moving and slaying.


    Like Sword Control. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qi Refinement Sword Cultivators are generally modest in strength.


    But Foundation Building Sword Cultivators, with Divine Sense Sword Control, undergo a transformation in combat power.


    Even without controlling swords, wielding flying knives or needles as Spiritual Artifacts is also quite powerful.


    But Sword Weapons are also expensive, so Mo Hua wasn¡¯t considering them for the time being.


    What he wanted to do was to replace the Formation Pen with Divine Sense and directly manipulate the Spiritual Ink to solidify into formations.


    Spiritual Ink is as fluid as water, ever-changing in form.


    Generally, Foundation Building Cultivators can manipulate swords and blades with Divine Sense, but they absolutely cannot control water or ink.


    But Mo Hua was different.


    With strong Divine Sense and transformed Divine Thought, he could manipulate with precision in myriad changes.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense could control the formless flow of Spiritual Ink like water.


    It was still very difficult, though.


    And in actual manipulation, the Divine Sense was somewhat stiff, requiring much practice.


    Besides that, there was the matter of using the earth as the medium.


    Mo Hua had practiced the Thick Earth Formation, which connects with the Earth Dao Meaning when drawn on the earth¡¯s surface.


    Previously, Mo Hua practiced the Thick Earth Formation every day.


    His perception of the Earth Dao Meaning became increasingly clear, and his integration with the Dao Meaning deepened.


    He had now reached the point where he could draw other Five-elements Formation Methods on the ground.


    But this method of drawing also required much practice.


    Using thought as the pen, the earth as the paper.


    Covered by the heavens, extending across the earth.


    With Divine Consciousness Control Ink, Drawing Ground into Formation!


    After reaching Foundation Establishment, Mo Hua could finally start experimenting with his initial idea of Drawing Formation, unbound by external objects, which came after learning the Thick Earth Formation.


    While the idea was good, it still required execution.


    What followed was the need for extensive practice¡­


    Practicing ¡°Divine Consciousness Control Ink, Drawing Ground into Formation¡± definitely couldn¡¯t be done at home, and it wasn¡¯t quite appropriate in Tongxian City either.


    It was best to find a secluded place, free from other people.


    Mo Hua then went deep into Big Black Mountain and, using several bags of dried fish, ¡°bribed¡± Big Tiger, and near its cave, he found an open space to practice the formation.


    Big Black Mountain was peaceful, especially serene in its deep reaches.


    Since Big Tiger was a Second-Grade Monster Beast with formidable strength, there were neither other Monster Beasts nor Cultivators around, avoiding disturbances and making it suitable for testing formations.


    The first step was Divine Consciousness Control Ink.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t have Second-Grade Spiritual Ink, so he had to practice with First-Grade Spiritual Ink.


    It didn¡¯t go smoothly at first.


    Controlling ink with Divine Sense, its fluid form without support or anchor, was very easy to lose control of, spilling the Spiritual Ink on the ground.


    After several attempts by Mo Hua, the results were not good.


    He thought for a while and, like ¡°Divine Thought Manifestation,¡± began to imagine his Divine Sense as a paintbrush.


    The end of the Divine Thought transformed into fine brush hairs, merging, absorbing, and guiding the Spiritual Ink, drawing it through the air in sinuous flows at his will.


    Although it was still clumsy and occasionally failed, it indeed got better with each attempt.

 Chapter 740 - 572 Drawing Ground into Formation_3

    Chapter 740: Chapter 572 Drawing Ground into Formation_3


    After learning the Heaven Yan Jue, Mo Hua mastered the Spirit Pivot Formation.


    This kind of meticulous control was something Mo Hua had a good understanding of.


    And after the transformation of Divine Consciousness, this intricate manipulation also underwent a qualitative change.


    Mo Hua practiced for a day or two and gradually figured out the principles. After that, practice after practice, Divine Consciousness and Spiritual Ink became more and more in sync.


    The Divine Thought became the brush, merging with the Spiritual Ink, and then controlling it.


    The Spiritual Ink seemed to become an extension of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Consciousness, floating in the air according to his will, condensing into various free-floating lines and complex patterns.


    ...


    After practicing for several more days and mastering ¡°Divine Consciousness Control Ink,¡± Mo Hua began ¡°Drawing Ground into Formation.¡±


    His pale little hand pointed vaguely, toward the ground.


    Influenced by his Divine Consciousness, the Spiritual Ink solidified into thin threads, automatically spilling out of the bottle, following the tips of Mo Hua¡¯s fingers, seeping into the ground bit by bit.


    Then, as Mo Hua moved his fingers, the ink gradually wriggled, flowed, moved, and condensed into Formation Patterns, finally forming a formation based on the Formation Pivot layout!


    Without pen or paper, a complete formation was thus drawn on the ground.


    A flash of light, and the formation was activated!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, thrilled with joy.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co


    He had succeeded!


    He then suppressed his excitement, maintaining a humble and steadfast attitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s still just a simple First-grade Melting Fire Formation¡­¡±


    He needed to continue practicing¡­


    Starting with the ordinary First-grade Formations, he would progress from the simple to the complex, step by step, formation after formation, mastering Divine Consciousness Control Ink, using the ground as the medium to draw the Ultimate Formation, and then moving on to Second-Grade Formations!


    In this way, not needing a pen or paper, he would be able to save a great deal of Spirit Stones in the future!


    But that wasn¡¯t all.


    This method of Formation Painting had relatively few restrictions.


    It was faster, more convenient, and more covert.


    Even in the midst of battle, if there was a spare moment, one could imperceptibly use thought as the brush, the ground as the paper, and lay down a formation!


    Of course, Mo Hua¡¯s current abilities were still far from sufficient.


    He needed to practice more, to achieve the realm where the ink would follow his heart¡¯s desire, handling it with ease.


    In time, he would be able to do as he wished, Pointing to the Ground to Form a Formation!


    Mo Hua thought about how one day, like the Divine Sense Incarnation in his Sea of Consciousness, he could do as he pleased, form a formation with just a point of his finger, and he was overjoyed at the thought.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was all smiles; then he gathered his thoughts and began to focus, continuing his practice.


    He wanted to master this technique as soon as possible, to reach perfection!


    Mo Hua squatted on the ground, Drawing Formation.


    Big Tiger lay by the side, leisurely chewing on a large dried fish; occasionally stealing glances at Mo Hua, seeing him concentrating on something, becoming curious, it quietly brought its head over to see what Mo Hua was up to.


    On the ground, Formation Patterns wriggled, forming a complex array.


    Big Tiger watched for a while but couldn¡¯t understand, all confusion in its big eyes, so it lay back down and continued to nibble on the dried fish with a shake of its head¡­


    In the secluded mountains, a person and a tiger lived together, peacefully and harmoniously.


    ¡­


    More than half a month later, after relentless practice, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Consciousness Control Ink had become quite proficient, and Drawing Ground into Formation was done with ease.


    The formations he drew weren¡¯t limited to First-grade Formations; they now also included the Thirteen Stripes Five Elements Source Formation.


    This was also the most profound formation Mo Hua had mastered so far.


    However, using Divine Consciousness Control Ink to draw the Five Elements Source Formation consumed a lot of Divine Consciousness.


    And the speed of drawing the formation was relatively slow.


    It was far from the effect Mo Hua had anticipated.


    The consumption of Divine Sense is large but still manageable, as Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense is inherently profound and powerful, so he doesn¡¯t mind using a bit more.


    But the slow speed, that¡¯s more troublesome. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At least in real combat, there isn¡¯t time to draw it out.


    Unless one is well-hidden enough and has plenty of time to prepare.


    ¡°How can I draw a bit faster?¡±


    With his thoughts slightly stirred, Mo Hua began to ponder once more.


    After thinking for a long time, the only method he could think of was the ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.¡±


    But as for how to achieve it, and use the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation like Uncle to transform Divine Thoughts and utilize the techniques of Gui Tao¡¯s Divine Thought, Mo Hua was still very confused.


    After all, he had only stealth-learned it, imitating without truly understanding.


    He didn¡¯t have the inheritance, and figuring it out by himself was extremely difficult.


    After a long time, Mo Hua had no clue and could only put this problem aside for the moment.


    Since he already knew the basics of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, he would slowly ponder the various changes in the future. One day, he would understand it.


    The duck in his pot was bound to get cooked eventually, and it couldn¡¯t fly away!


    Next, what turned out to be more troublesome were the Second-Grade Formations.


    He needed to find several more Second-Grade Formations, learn them, and keep them as a reserve.


    Inside Tongxian City, there were hardly any Second-Grade Formation Diagrams.


    The Second-Grade Formations that Mo Hua currently mastered were only the Ten Stripes Second-order Bright Fire Formation and the Eleven Stripes Second-order Thorn Formation.


    He had drawn these two Formations to the point of perfection.


    It would be ideal if he could find a more challenging Second-Grade Formation. After learning it, he could try to get some Second-Grade Spiritual Ink and test ¡°Drawing Ground into Formation¡± with the technique of ¡°Divine Consciousness Control Ink.¡±


    He wanted to see what his current limit was.


    Through this technique of Divine Consciousness Control Ink, what rank of Formation could he draw¡­


    The only way for Mo Hua to get a Second-Grade Formation, as it seemed now, was from the Five Elements Formation Flow Map¡¯s Five Elements Source Pattern¡­


    This Source Pattern, Mo Hua would decipher whenever he had the chance, but up until now, the best Formation he had obtained was the Second-Grade Eleven Patterns Five Elements Formation.


    His Divine Sense had undergone a ¡°Transformation¡± to Fourteen Patterns.


    In other words, his limit should be Fourteen Patterns!


    Mo Hua felt a bit dissatisfied.


    No matter how bad his luck was or how down on his luck he might be, after all this time, he should have been able to reverse-engineer a decent Second-Grade Formation¡­


    Not many, just a Twelve Strip one would be enough¡­


    Mo Hua decided to have another try.


    Before deciphering, to show his sincerity, Mo Hua burned incense and even washed his hands, silently chanting in his mind:


    ¡°Second-Grade Formation, Second-Grade Formation, Second-Grade Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Twelve Stripes, Twelve Stripes, Twelve Stripes¡­¡±


    After the chanting, Mo Hua began the Calculation.


    Above the Source Pattern, mystical transformations took place.


    One by one, the Patterns were decrypted, and one after another, the Formations were logically deduced¡­


    After what seemed like an eternity, finally, a flash of light appeared before Mo Hua¡¯s eyes!


    A Formation Diagram, clearly different from the others, shining with a red glow and more eye-catching, emerged from the Source Pattern.


    Mo Hua¡¯s breath hitched, and he looked closely.


    It was a Formation with which he was extremely familiar, yet it was mysteriously complex and somewhat unfamiliar.


    ¡°Earth Fire Formation¡­¡±


    Second Grade¡­ Thirteen Patterns!

 Chapter 741 - 573 Killing Formation_1

    Chapter 741: Chapter 573 Killing Formation_1


    ¡°`


    Second-grade Earth Fire Formation!


    And it exceeded expectations, with Thirteen Stripes in the Formation!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Indeed, fortune is conserved; no matter how unlucky one might be, there will always come a time when the tide turns.


    Although it wasn¡¯t Fourteen Stripes, Mo Hua was already very satisfied.


    ...


    Moreover, the Earth Fire Formation was related to the earth and was also a Killing Formation Method!


    This also fit Mo Hua¡¯s current Formation needs.


    Without delay, Mo Hua immediately took an imprint of the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation Diagram, carefully observed it, thoughtfully calculated, and intently comprehended.


    The Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, with its basic framework, was similar to the First-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    The Formation Patterns were Second-grade Fire-series Formation Patterns.


    The Formation Pivot structure was optimized and expanded on the basis of the First-grade Earth Fire Formation, to accommodate more complex and powerful Formation Patterns with stronger effects.


    Mo Hua had thoroughly mastered the First-grade Earth Fire Formation, so now studying the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation amounted to achieving twice the results with half the effort.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co


    It didn¡¯t take long for Mo Hua to commit the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation Diagram to memory.


    At night, on the Taoist Stele, Mo Hua began formal practice.


    Everything is difficult at the beginning.


    The Formation advanced from First-grade to Second-grade, and there was a lot more to learn from scratch, so it would be slower.


    But Mo Hua had already mastered two Second-grade Formations and had ¡°entered the door,¡± gradually becoming familiar with the Second-grade Formation system.


    What¡¯s more, the Earth Fire Formation was a Five Elements Formation, which Mo Hua had derived in reverse from the ¡°Five Elements Source Pattern.¡±


    And what Mo Hua was most proficient in was the Five Elements Formation.


    Therefore, studying it now was much easier than before.


    After practicing it only four or five times, Mo Hua drew the Thirteen Stripes Second-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    Once activated, a red light flashed, and the Earth Fire Formation¡¯s flames flowed, seemingly containing a formidable Formation power.


    This was a Second-grade Formation!


    And not just any Second-grade Formation.


    Thirteen Stripes Second-grade, which was almost the most powerful and challenging Formation that a Second-grade Junior Formation Master could master.


    And after mastering a few more Thirteen Stripes Second-grade Formations, Mo Hua could even proceed to assessment and become a Second-grade Junior Formation Master.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know if, here in Tongxian City, one can be assessed for Second-grade Formation Masters¡­¡±


    Mo Hua practiced the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation over a dozen times on the Taoist Stele, ensuring that every stroke, every line was clear in his heart, every Pattern and Pivot thoroughly understood, before he finally put down his pen.


    Mo Hua rested for a moment, then pondered:


    ¡°The Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, I¡¯ve learned it, but without Spiritual Ink, I can¡¯t draw it out, and I don¡¯t know its power¡­¡±


    As a Cultivator, one must have a clear understanding of the power of their spells and Formations.


    That way, one won¡¯t misjudge the situation.


    When the time comes to kill, and one is capable, one will not hesitate due to overestimating the enemy¡¯s strength, letting the opponent flee to the mountains.


    Neither will they rashly engage when they are less powerful than the opponent, thinking ¡°the advantage is mine,¡± only to lose their life.


    Neither of these scenarios is acceptable.


    Precise judgment, decisive action.


    This is also fundamental for a Monster Hunter.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    Before going into the mountains, Mo Shan, his father, had repeatedly advised him on this.


    If you have the advantage, kill without mercy.


    If you¡¯re no match, then run without hesitation.


    Therefore, I need to draw out the Earth Fire Formation and test its power. That way, I¡¯ll have a better idea of its strength, and when I encounter an enemy, I¡¯ll be able to make decisive choices about whether to fight or flee.


    ¡°Spiritual Ink¡­¡±


    Inside Tongxian City, Second-grade Spiritual Ink had been almost completely gathered by Mo Hua.


    Even if there were ways to purchase it, buying it once or twice would be fine, but doing so frequently would surely be more than Mo Hua could afford. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the rate at which Mo Hua studied and drew Formations, Spiritual Ink was used up as fast as water¡­


    This was a bottomless pit, no amount of Spirit Stones would be enough.


    If buying was not viable, then the only option was to mix it himself.


    To mix it, Second-grade Monster Blood was needed¡­


    After giving it some thought, Mo Hua had an idea and asked his mother to prepare a few bags of dried fish, even making them into spicy, flavorful, and fresh varieties.


    Early in the morning, Mo Hua, carrying the dried fish, headed to Big Black Mountain and found Big Tiger.


    Big Tiger¡¯s eyes lit up as it caught the scent of fish but then tried to appear restrained with a ¡°roar,¡± indicating it was a tiger, not really fond of fish.


    ¡°Mhm, mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, ¡°I understand.¡±


    He then stealthily handed the dried fish to Big Tiger.


    Big Tiger was satisfied.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Big Tiger, do you have ¡®enemies¡¯ in these deep mountains?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not ¡®enemies,¡¯ perhaps¡­ ¡®monster enemies¡¯?¡±


    Although Big Tiger couldn¡¯t speak, it was cunning enough to understand the gist of Mo Hua¡¯s words.


    Upon hearing ¡°enemies,¡± Big Tiger nodded its head, then looked at Mo Hua with confusion.


    Mo Hua slapped his chest, ¡°I¡¯ll take revenge for you!¡±


    Big Tiger was stunned and then looked at Mo Hua, who was just a ¡°little one¡± compared to itself, visibly doubtful.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m very strong¡­¡±


    Big Tiger laid down to sleep, ignoring Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua cajoled and bribed with ¡°dried fish,¡± finally convincing Big Tiger.


    A Second-grade Monster Beast in Big Black Mountain had virtually no natural enemies.


    And the only ones who could deal with Second-grade Monster Beasts were other Second-grade Monster Beasts.


    Mo Hua decided to join forces with Big Tiger, to hunt down Second-grade Monster Beasts; then Big Tiger would eat the meat, and he himself would extract the blood to use for Drawing Formation.


    So, a little Cultivator and a Big Tiger started to ¡°join forces¡±¡­


    Big Tiger¡¯s ¡°enemy¡± was a Second-grade Kui Wood Wolf.


    Big Tiger led Mo Hua near the den of the Kui Wood Wolf, crouching in the bushes, glaring with anger in its eyes.


    The den was spacious and damp but not very deep.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 742 - 573 Killing Formation_2

    Chapter 742: Chapter 573 Killing Formation_2


    Inside, there were various limbs of monster beasts, even bones of cultivators.


    The Kui Wood Wolf was in the lair, feasting on some unknown flesh and blood.


    This second-grade Kui Wood Wolf had thick demonic power and a massive body.


    Its fur was black-green in color, its claws and teeth were sharp, and they carried a pale green hue of demonic power.


    The demonic power of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon belonged to the Wood element, was poisonous, and once someone was wounded by it, the invasive demonic power would spread and breed its poison, making it very difficult to eradicate.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know, what kind of grudge Big Tiger and this Kui Wood Wolf had¡­


    ...


    Perhaps it was bullied when it was young?


    Generally, the strength of a Tiger Demon was supposed to be stronger than that of a Wolf Demon.


    But this second-grade Kui Wood Wolf had obviously lived longer, and although it was only in the early stage of the second grade, its aura was more terrifying, its gaze more sly, and its fur, deeper in color.


    The most critical was its teeth.


    Soaked in human blood, they were so red they appeared black, clearly having fed on many people, and its saliva reeked of the stench of rotten flesh.


    After some thought, Mo Hua felt that he had just entered Foundation Establishment, his formations were not perfect, his combat was also not systematic, lacking in many tactics.


    So, he could only resort to a ¡°hard-on-hard¡± approach.


    Of course, the main reliance was on Big Tiger.


    He could only resort to some small tricks and take the opportunity to deal the finishing blow.


    Mo Hua was a Monster Hunter, very familiar with the habits of monster beasts, and the Kui Wood Wolf was no exception.


    He spent some time observing nearby fur and bloodstains, gaining a rough understanding of the Kui Wood Wolf¡¯s movement patterns and daily habits.


    On the path the Kui Wood Wolf was bound to take, Mo Hua spread out herbal powder to mask the scent and set up a Concealment Formation, letting Big Tiger lie in ambush within it.


    As for himself, he ran far away and found a small pit with a large rock as cover to settle in, there, he guided ink with Divine Consciousness, first establishing a Concealment Formation, and then, he drew a First Grade Thirteen Stripe Fire Origin Ultimate Formation on the ground.


    After that, both man and tiger waited patiently.


    Two hours later, the Kui Wood Wolf, having eaten its fill, started to come out of its lair as if going for a walk to digest its meal.


    This was its territory.


    All living beings, whether monsters or humans, were its food.


    As usual, it walked along the deathly silent mountain path, with not a single movement around, nor the slightest sign of anything abnormal.


    It was just then that the wind suddenly picked up.


    From an empty space by the roadside, where there was nothing, a Big Tiger suddenly sprang out!


    Big Tiger opened its huge mouth, both sinister and swift, with a difficult angle, biting at the throat of the Kui Wood Wolf.


    The Kui Wood Wolf¡¯s vertical pupils showed both shock and ferocity as it quickly tried to dodge, but it was too slow, and Big Tiger managed to bite into its forearm, tearing off a large, bloody wound.


    The eyes of the Kui Wood Wolf turned blood-red, its body¡¯s fur bristled, and it bared its crimson fangs, but there was also a hint of doubt in its gaze.


    It couldn¡¯t understand how this second-grade Tiger Demon had suddenly appeared beside it.


    But Big Tiger, taking advantage of its weakness, went for its life, eyes gleaming with ferocity, and with a roar, it lunged at the Kui Wood Wolf again.


    The two second-grade monster beasts fought to the death, with an earth-shaking commotion.


    As demonic power surged, their roars shook the mountains and their terrifying presence spread far and wide.


    The nearby birds and beasts trembled with fear and scattered in all directions.


    Monster Hunters in the distance turned pale and sent messages far away, reporting that two second-grade monster beasts were fighting to the death, advising everyone to quickly withdraw.


    In the midst of the fierce battle, it became clear that Big Tiger was at a disadvantage.


    Even though it got the first move and injured the Kui Wood Wolf, it was still inexperienced and no match for such an old Wolf Demon.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua, hiding at a distance, finally found his chance.


    First, he closed his eyes and with the strength of Fourteen Stripes, he firmly locked onto the second-grade Kui Wood Wolf.


    Then he opened his eyes, concentrated his Qi, pointed with his finger, and cast the second-grade Fireball Technique, while at the same time activating the Fire Origin Ultimate Formation beneath his feet.


    Above the Fire Origin Ultimate Formation, flames flowed.


    Mysterious aura gathered from above the formation, then flowed into Mo Hua, stimulating his meridians and making his spiritual power surge and amplify.


    Five Elements Amplification, spiritual power boiling!


    With a flick of Mo Hua¡¯s finger, the second-grade fireball condensed, spiritual power materialized, showing some liquidity like mercury made of flames.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, the Fireball Technique whistled out, flying towards the Kui Wood Wolf Demon that his divine consciousness was locked onto!


    The Kui Wood Wolf Demon was in the thick of battle with Big Tiger.


    Suddenly, a surge of firelight flashed, and a fast and fierce fireball struck its waist.


    Powered by the Fire Origin Ultimate Formation, the second-grade Fireball Technique had considerable force.


    Flames burst open, the Kui Wood Wolf Demon instantly suffered a deep charred wound, causing not a small injury.


    The Kui Wood Wolf howled in rage.


    Even Big Tiger was taken aback, seemingly not expecting that this small fireball could pack such a punch.


    Throughout the entire Immortal City of the second grade, including the whole of Big Black Mountain, it was rare for any cultivator to cast such a powerful spell.


    After all, there weren¡¯t many cultivators in Tongxian City who had achieved Foundation Establishment, and spiritual cultivators were even rarer.


    Big Tiger only hesitated for a moment before snapping back to reality, excitedly licking its lips, and pounced again on the Kui Wood Wolf Demon.


    Big Tiger engaged in the frontal fight, acting as a distraction. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And Mo Hua, at a distance, attacked one fireball after another, wearing down, inflicting damage.


    With divine consciousness to lock on, and the Fire Origin Formation to amplify, Mo Hua¡¯s fireballs were both accurate and vicious.


    Being far away, with the large rock as cover and using Concealment Technique to stay hidden, he did not fear the Kui Wood Wolf Demon discovering or pursuing him.


    The Kui Wood Wolf Demon was extremely angry.


    Besieged by attacks from near and far, the injuries on its body grew ever more severe.


    It wanted to kill Big Tiger, but repeatedly, the Fireball Technique hindered it, it wanted to break free and leave, but Big Tiger restrained it.


    Until now, it had no idea what it was, whether a cultivator or a monster beast, casting such a fireball technique that even monster beasts found disgusting¡­

 Chapter 743 - 573 Killing Formation_3

    Chapter 743: Chapter 573 Killing Formation_3


    As time passed, the Kui Wood Wolf Demon finally suffered heavy injuries, fighting like a trapped beast.


    Big Tiger no longer pressed closely but instead focused on containment, occasionally trading wound for wound, to prevent the Kui Wood Wolf Demon from escaping.


    And Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique became even swifter, more precise, and was handled with even greater ease¡­


    The Kui Wood Wolf Demon tried to flee but couldn¡¯t.


    It tried to feign death, but in the face of the astute Big Tiger and the crafty Mo Hua, such tricks were obviously ineffective.


    Thus, the Second-grade Kui Wood Wolf Demon was slowly worn down by the coordinated efforts of a man and a tiger¡ªone from a distance and the other up close¡ªlike a slow knife cutting through flesh, until it was finally killed¡­


    ...


    And Mo Hua for the first time, had killed a Second-grade Monster Beast!


    Although he mainly relied on Big Tiger taking the brunt of the attack, his contribution was nevertheless indispensable!


    After the death of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon, man and tiger began to ¡°divide the spoils.¡±


    Mo Hua started by using the Blood Drawing Art to extract the Monster Blood of the Second-grade Kui Wood Wolf Demon.


    After reaching Foundation Establishment, Mo Hua who could now perform Divine Sense Manipulation, used the Blood Drawing Art to extract the blood of the Monster Beast much faster.


    The reddish Monster Blood of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon, tinged with a faint green, was drawn by Mo Hua using Divine Sense, flowing into the jade bottles he had prepared in advance.


    He drew a total of twenty bottles!


    Afterward, the blood of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon gradually became dull, congealed, and its potency greatly decreased, making the extraction more difficult.


    Mo Hua carefully stored the twenty bottles of Second-grade Monster Blood into his Storage Bag, unable to help but smile happily.


    Twenty bottles!


    That would yield even more when made into Spiritual Ink, enough for his own use for a while.


    Mo Hua was thoroughly satisfied.


    Then it was Big Tiger¡¯s turn to feast.


    Big Tiger dragged the corpse of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon into its cave to savor slowly.


    Seeing Big Tiger covered with wounds, Mo Hua took out some Pills, ground them into powder, and treated its injuries.


    Big Tiger lay on the ground eating meat.


    As Mo Hua lay on its back, he sprinkled the cooling medicine powder on its wounds to help detoxify and stop the bleeding.


    The demonic power of the Kui Wood Wolf Demon was poisonous, which wasn¡¯t a big deal for Big Tiger, another Second-grade Monster Beast, but if left inside the body, it could still cause some complications.


    While eating wolf meat, Big Tiger felt a cooling sensation on its body, and its wounds began to improve, prompting it to narrow its eyes and shake its big head contentedly.


    After finishing with the medicine, Mo Hua turned his head to see that Big Tiger was eating something strange in its mouth.


    It was a ball, crimson with streaks of green, round and heart-like in shape, that still twitched slightly.


    ¡°Is this¡­ a Monster Beast Inner Core?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    This was his first time seeing a Monster Beast Inner Core.


    Monster Beasts with rare bloodlines are born with an inner core, but such Monster Beasts are extremely rare.


    Typically, Monster Beasts cultivate blood at the First Grade, form the rudiments of an inner core at Second Grade, and at Third Grade, they form a true inner core.


    The inner core is like a Cultivator¡¯s Qi Sea, the repository of a Monster Beast¡¯s demonic power.


    This inner core belonged to the Second-grade Kui Wood Wolf Demon. It had the shape of an inner core but had not yet formed into a true core; it could only be regarded as an inner core embryo¡­


    Mo Hua watched with curiosity.


    Yet Big Tiger gulped down the inner core in one bite.


    Then, the aura on Big Tiger¡¯s body suddenly deepened, its demonic power growing more intense, and its fur even seemed to darken a few shades¡­


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    Was Big Tiger cultivating by swallowing an inner core?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, somewhat confused.


    As far as he knew, Monster Beasts would consume other Monster Beasts¡¯ inner cores, but it was simply a form of ¡°eating,¡± not something that should have such a significant effect.


    Then Mo Hua recalled the time at Black Mountain Stronghold, when the second Householder wanted to consume human blood and, in the absence of human blood, would drink from Big Tiger, claiming it was because it had a ¡°special bloodline with extraordinary talent¡±¡­


    Swallowing inner cores, increasing demonic power¡­


    No wonder its cultivation had grown so rapidly, and no wonder, in a short period of time, it went from Little Demon Cat to a fully grown Big Tiger¡­


    Mo Hua silently took note.


    When he gains more experience, he must figure out what kind of Monster Beast Big Tiger really is.


    Swallowing inner cores, getting stronger with each one consumed¡­


    If it kept on eating, what might happen?


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Setting aside the matter with Big Tiger for now, he had to start preparing the Spiritual Ink and learn to paint the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation with Divine Consciousness Control Ink.


    If the Earth Fire Formation was powerful enough and he could draw it quickly enough, it would become a powerful move during his initial stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Later, when he went to kill Second-grade Monster Beasts and extracted their blood, it would be much easier.


    He wouldn¡¯t have to rely on Big Tiger¡¯s trading blows to contain the enemy and use his Fireball Technique to whittle it down, in a painstakingly slow and laborious battle that took half a day¡­


    Mo Hua first tried blending the Spiritual Ink.


    He didn¡¯t have a formula for Second-grade Spiritual Ink.


    He could only adjust and roughly modify the formula for First-grade Spiritual Ink that his Junior Sister had given him to make do.


    The formula was different, but the pharmacological principles were the same.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t aiming for perfection; he just wanted something functional.


    There was another problem.


    The Kui Wood Wolf Demon was a Second-grade Wood series Monster Beast, and its blood carried some wood properties, which weren¡¯t quite suitable for painting the Earth Fire Formation.


    Blood from Fire-series Monster Beasts would have been ideal.


    But fortunately, within the principle of the Five Elements Generation and Restraint, wood generates fire, so it wasn¡¯t too conflicting.


    Faced with limited conditions, Mo Hua didn¡¯t seek perfection; something adequate would suffice.


    So Mo Hua managed with what he had, taking two days to finally blend a few bottles of Second-grade Spiritual Ink. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He first used this ink to paint a Second-order Thorn Formation and discovered it worked, and the effect wasn¡¯t bad, only slightly less than expected, which was quite satisfactory.


    Afterward, Mo Hua began formally painting the Earth Fire Formation.


    He chose a spot deep in the mountains, near Big Tiger¡¯s cave, just a little farther away.

 Chapter 744 - 573 Killing Formation _4

    Chapter 744: Chapter 573 Killing Formation _4


    Afterward, Mo Hua held his breath and concentrated his spirit, beginning to draw this attack-oriented Second-grade Formation with his thoughts as the brush and the ground as the paper.


    Given that it was a Second-grade Formation and not yet mastered, Mo Hua drew it rather slowly and with some difficulty.


    Moreover, during the process, he failed several times and wasted a bottle or two of Spiritual Ink.


    Heartache filled Mo Hua, so he could only sit in meditation. After calming his mind, he began to draw again. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The interwoven green and red Spiritual Ink followed the movement of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought, floating in the air before merging into the ground and solidifying into the Formation¡­


    Big Tiger watched Mo Hua with a stern expression on his little face. After mulling it over for a long while but seeing no movement, Big Tiger couldn¡¯t help but grow curious and stared at him with wide eyes.


    ...


    After an indeterminable amount of time and several failures, Mo Hua finally managed to complete the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    His Divine Sense had been greatly depleted, leaving his complexion somewhat pale, yet his eyes still shone with excitement.


    Once the drawing was completed, it was time to activate the Formation and test its power.


    The Earth Fire Formation was rather dangerous.


    Mo Hua immediately ran far away, taking shelter beside Big Tiger, then watched expectantly as he slightly stirred his Divine Thought, lighting up the Formation Patterns and activating the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation with Thirteen Stripes.


    Three breaths later, all was calm.


    Nothing happened.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Did I draw it wrong?¡±


    Impossible, how could his own Formation be incorrect?


    He had checked it several times before.


    If it had been wrong, he would have definitely noticed¡­


    ¡°Could it be¡­ a problem with the Spiritual Ink?¡±


    ¡°After all, it¡¯s not Fire-series Spiritual Ink, and the materials used were cheap and the methods crude, so perhaps there was some¡­ poor contact with the Spiritual Power?¡±


    Just as Mo Hua was uncertain in his speculations, suddenly his Divine Sense stirred, and his expression changed.


    His Divine Sense detected that nearly a hundred Spirit Stones used to stimulate the Formation eye on the Earth Fire Formation had instantly evaporated, vanishing without a trace.


    After that, on the Earth Fire Formation, the fire¡¯s brilliance was vividly red and piercing.


    The flow of Spiritual Power resembled molten red bronze.


    In less than an instant, an astonishing explosion sounded.


    An extremely violent, even scorching Spiritual Power suddenly ignited, sending heatwaves sweeping outwards in all directions.


    The nearby vegetation turned to ash, and the rocks melted.


    In the center of the Earth Fire Formation¡¯s explosion, the Spiritual Power churned and roiled like the magma in the earth¡¯s veins, containing fearsome might¡­


    The explosion startled Big Tiger, who leaped up and quickly backed away. After landing, he dug his claws into the ground and his fur stood on end.


    Even after the Earth Fire Formation had finished exploding and the Spiritual Power had dissipated, leaving the surroundings charred and in a mess, Big Tiger still felt the aftermath of the shock.


    In silence, it turned its head to look at the small figure of Mo Hua, its large eyes filled with astonishment.


    It couldn¡¯t fathom how such a small Cultivator could cause such a terrifying commotion¡­


    Mo Hua was equally shocked, murmuring absent-mindedly:


    ¡°So this is¡­ the power of the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation with Thirteen Stripes¡­¡±


    Formations contain the principles of the Great Dao.


    The higher the grade, the stronger the power.


    The power of a Second-grade Killing Formation far exceeded Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    At this rate, the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation with Thirteen Stripes could severely injure any cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage!


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and pondered once more.


    Drawing the ground into a Formation seemed to be more effective than he had thought¡­


    Especially when drawing a Killing Formation!


    The power of the Formation was great, but setting it up was cumbersome.


    If he could draw Formations unrestrictedly, with a single thought bringing the Earth Fire into being¡­


    Then, in the real world, it would be the same as within the Sea of Consciousness.


    Laying down Formations would be as simple as casting Spells¡­


    Even if his own Spiritual Power was not strong, but relying on his Divine Sense to lay down Formations, he would possess sufficient power to protect himself, to intimidate, and to inflict heavy casualties in actual combat¡­


    The condition was that he could draw quickly enough¡­


    The faster he drew, the stronger it would become, and he might even catch the enemy off guard and bury them in the blaze of the Earth Fire¡­

 Chapter 745 - 574: The Tricksters Robe_1

    Chapter 745: Chapter 574: The Trickster¡¯s Robe_1 S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But the problem is, I still can¡¯t draw fast enough¡­


    Divine Consciousness Control Ink consumes a lot of Divine Sense, and Drawing Ground into Formation is difficult, so it¡¯s hard to draw quickly.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    For now, it seems that I can only prepare in advance, to strategically ambush with a prepared mind against an unprepared one, unable to deploy on the fly like a ¡°spell¡±.


    Unless the opponent is an idiot.


    Another problem is that it¡¯s too expensive¡­


    ...


    To activate the Formation eye of a Second-Grade Formation, at least seventy to eighty Spirit Stones are required.


    For an Earth Fire Formation like this, with Second-grade Thirteen Stripes, an advanced beginner-level formation, at least a hundred Spirit Stones are needed.


    That¡¯s no small sum.


    Every time a Earth Fire Formation is detonated, it means a hundred Spirit Stones are burned away¡­


    For a Sect Disciple from Noble Clans and Family Sects, these Spirit Stones might not amount to much.


    But for Mo Hua, it feels very ¡°extravagant¡±.


    Besides Spirit Stones, there¡¯s also Spiritual Ink.


    A Second-grade Earth Fire Formation requires the use of Second-grade Spiritual Ink.


    Converted into Spirit Stones, it¡¯s also quite expensive.


    Mo Hua is currently using his own mix of cheap, inferior-quality Spiritual Ink for Drawing the Earth Fire Formation.


    If I used higher-quality Spiritual Ink, the power of the Earth Fire Formation would likely be stronger, but at the same time, the cost would be much higher¡­


    For a Cultivator practicing Tao Cultivation, ¡°Dharma, Wealth, Companion, and Land¡± are indeed essential.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    ¡°Forget it, take it one step at a time¡­¡±


    I¡¯ll think of ways to earn more Spirit Stones later.


    The urgent task at hand is to put the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation into practice.


    The power of the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was far beyond Mo Hua¡¯s expectations, which delighted him.


    Similarly, his subsequent plans are likely to go more smoothly.


    ¡°Using the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, I can trap and kill the Second-grade Monster Beasts from Big Black Mountain, then extract their Monster Blood to mix with the Spiritual Ink, and use the Ink to layout the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, kill more Second-grade Monster Beasts, draw more blood, and mix more ink¡­¡±


    This way, a virtuous cycle is formed.


    The output of Spiritual Ink, its use, and its production increase, and the more Ink I have, the more accumulates.


    Practice with formations, their application, and more practice make the usage of formations more proficient.


    The only cost is the hundred Spirit Stones consumed to power the Formation eye.


    Detonating an Earth Fire Formation burns nearly a hundred Spirit Stones.


    Mo Hua felt some heartache.


    However, Tao Cultivation always involves some sacrifice.


    Compared to his proficiency with Spiritual Ink and formations, those costs don¡¯t amount to much.


    In the following days, like when he first entered Big Black Mountain, Mo Hua began to hunt Monster Beasts using the Earth Fire Formation.


    After some thought, Mo Hua decided not to call for Elder Yu and the others.


    Hunting Second-grade Monster Beasts is still very dangerous.


    Even if Elder Yu is at the Foundation Establishment level, facing a Second-grade Monster Beast head-on can easily lead to mishaps.


    Big Tiger is different, though.


    It is a Second-grade Monster Beast, and as a tiger, its flesh is incredibly tough, capable of both taking and dealing hits.


    Mo Hua would first sweep the mountain with his strong Divine Sense to spot Second-grade Monster Beasts, then observe their habits, and choose a suitable ambush site on their inevitable path.


    Then, with Divine Consciousness Control Ink, he would draw a Second-grade Earth Fire Formation on the ground.


    Next, Mo Hua and Big Tiger would find a place to hide covertly, sticking out their heads, one large and one small, focusing on the trap on the ground and attentive to the surroundings.


    Outside the Earth Fire Formation, Mo Hua also set up a Second-order Thorn Formation.


    Once a Second-grade Monster Beast entered, it would be ensnared by the Thorns Formation, and after a few moments, swallowed by the Earth Fire Formation.


    The Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was very powerful.


    Once triggered, explosive noises would erupt, and flames would billow.


    Within the Earth Fire Formation, the flames of Spiritual Power surged like waves, bright red as magma.


    Upon seeing this, Big Tiger would still get a bit startled, but after seeing it many times, it gradually got used to it.


    After the explosion of the Earth Fire Formation, the Second-grade Monster Beast inside would generally be injured.


    The physical bodies of Monster Beasts are much stronger than those of Cultivators, so even if they are engulfed by the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, they wouldn¡¯t be killed outright but would suffer varying degrees of injury.


    The severity of these injuries depends on the type of Monster Beast.


    If it excels in defense, like those of the Earth Series or Golden Series, the injuries are usually minor to moderate.


    For Monster Beasts with average defense, the injuries are usually moderate.


    Only those with weak physical bodies would be critically injured.


    Being able to inflict such injuries on Second-grade Monster Beasts was already quite formidable.


    After that, it was Big Tiger¡¯s turn to take action.


    In battles between Monster Beasts, one who has fallen into ambush and is already injured versus one who is fully rested and full of Blood Qi¡ªthere is not much suspense in the outcome.


    Moreover, Mo Hua was there to deplete the enemy¡¯s strength and deliver the final blow with the Fireball Technique.


    A man and a tiger, well-coordinated.


    Usually, the battle would come to an end in less than an hour.


    Then Mo Hua would collect the blood, and Big Tiger would feast on the flesh.


    After resting and preparing for a few days, they would repeat the process.


    No matter how strong the Second-grade Monster Beasts were, they couldn¡¯t withstand the killing set-up combining both Cultivator and Monster Beast, formations and spells, traps, and ambushes.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Ink, bottle after bottle, kept accumulating more and more¡­


    Big Tiger consumed one inner core after another, amassing more and more¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s Earth Fire Formation became increasingly proficient, and Big Tiger¡¯s strength also clearly grew.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Spirit Stones were also being consumed rapidly.


    Mo Hua began to worry.


    ¡°I need to find a way to earn some Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    The Spiritual Ink I¡¯ve mixed is a bit crude; it¡¯s alright for my own use, but if I were to sell it, I probably wouldn¡¯t get much for it.


    Moreover, in places like Tongxian City, no, perhaps not just in Tongxian City but throughout the whole Big Black Mountain State Boundary, there might not be any Second Rank Formation Masters.


    I doubt anyone would buy it.


    Furthermore, I¡¯m using ink like water, and this Spiritual Ink, while seeming plentiful now, may not withstand my own consumption¡­


    Drawing Formations for others to earn Spirit Stones¡­


    I¡¯m very busy right now and don¡¯t have the time for that.


    Unless absolutely necessary, I¡¯d rather not ask my parents for Spirit Stones.

 Chapter 746 - 746: 574

    Chapter 746: 574


    He also wanted his parents to keep more Spirit Stones, so that they, too, could successfully reach Foundation Establishment¡­


    Mo Hua frowned in contemplation, then suddenly paused, glancing toward Big Tiger¡¯s cave and the scattered Monster Beast bones within¡­


    Big Tiger had swallowed the inner core and eaten the monster meat, but the bones of these Second Grade Monster Beasts remained.


    Not just bones, but also some claws and fur.


    Pointing at these Monster Beast materials, Mo Hua asked Big Tiger, ¡°Do you still want these?¡±


    Having filled its belly, Big Tiger lay lazily on the ground, its round belly facing the sky, completely content.


    ... S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hearing Mo Hua speak, Big Tiger lifted its head, glanced at Mo Hua, then at the leftover bones, and got up to pick up a large bone with its mouth, placing it in Mo Hua¡¯s arms.


    It seemed to mean, ¡°I don¡¯t want it anymore, it¡¯s all yours.¡±


    Overjoyed, Mo Hua then took out several Storage Bags and began packing away the various bits and pieces, the Second Grade Monster Beast materials like broken bones and claws, into them.


    Still, he left a few large bones for Big Tiger to gnaw on.


    Afterward, Mo Hua, with bags great and small slung across his shoulder, headed home.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in Big Black Mountain, the Monster Hunters were feeling uneasy.


    It wasn¡¯t just the Monster Hunters; travelling merchants and wandering Cultivators also felt unsettled.


    Recently, within the deep mountains, strange disturbances had been occurring frequently.


    There were startling explosions and powerful, scorching waves of Spiritual Power constantly being emitted.


    The roars of Second Grade Monster Beasts shook the forest.


    Occasionally, overpowering demonic power and surging Blood Qi would whirl and thrash about before finally settling down after a long time¡­


    It was as if Second Grade Monster Beasts were engaged in a fight to the death.


    And not just once¡­


    Inside Tongxian City, Elder Yu¡¯s expression was grave.


    Yu Chengyi, Yu Chengyong, and Mo Shan, among others, also furrowed their brows.


    ¡°Second Grade Monster Beasts fighting to the death?¡±


    ¡°The surge of demonic power is terrifying¡­¡±


    ¡°Could it be that a rare treasure has appeared?¡±


    ¡°What kind of rare treasure could there be in the poor and treacherous Big Black Mountain?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why has this sudden change happened?¡±


    ¡°Everything was fine before¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyi pondered, ¡°It¡¯s not just the Monster Beasts, there has also been an extremely strong wave of Spiritual Power. Could it be¡­ other high-level Foundation Establishment experts have come to Big Black Mountain to hunt for Second Grade Monster Beasts?¡±


    ¡°To hunt Second Grade Monster Beasts, you¡¯d need at least seven or eight Foundation Establishers, right¡­?¡±


    Elder Yu shook his head, ¡°With so many Foundations, and such a large formation, it¡¯s impossible for us not to know¡­¡±


    Mo Shan also nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right, and lately, there haven¡¯t been any foreign Foundation Builders in Tongxian City¡­¡±


    ¡°Foreign Foundation Builders¡­¡±


    Yu Chengyong thought for a moment, ¡°If we really had to say, there was one¡­¡±


    Mo Shan blinked, frowning, ¡°Who?¡±


    Everyone paused, then silently looked at Mo Shan:


    ¡°Your son¡­¡±


    Mo Shan looked bewildered.


    Oh right, Huar has reached Foundation Establishment¡­


    This was something he had been happy about for quite a while.


    But since Mo Hua had reached Foundation Establishment and yet seemed no different from before, still like a child, enjoying good food every day, studying formations daily, he subconsciously overlooked it¡­


    He had forgotten that his son was now a ¡°Foundation Building¡± Cultivator.


    And indeed, Mo Hua had just recently returned from outside¡­


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­ what has he been doing lately?¡± Elder Yu asked tentatively.


    Mo Shan shook his head.


    He really didn¡¯t know.


    His only hope was for Mo Hua to do what he wanted, whether it was Cultivation or Drawing Formations. As long as it wasn¡¯t against the Righteous Dao and Mo Hua liked it, he would not interfere.


    All he wanted was for him to be safe and happy.


    And Mo Hua was a First Grade Formation Master¡­


    He didn¡¯t understand formations at all, so even if he asked, he¡¯d be lost.


    Moreover, with his own Foundation Establishment imminent and his work at the Monster Hunting Guild keeping him quite busy, he really was quite occupied.


    After pondering for a moment, Elder Yu still felt it unlikely but decided to ask:


    ¡°Did Mo Hua¡­ go into the deep mountains during this time?¡±


    Mo Shan thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°Occasionally, he would, bringing a bunch of dried fish, saying he was going to feed a cat¡­¡±


    ¡°Feed a cat¡­¡±


    Everyone was somewhat stunned.


    What cat is there to feed?


    What kind of cat could you feed in the deep mountains?


    The atmosphere became slightly awkward.


    ¡°The disturbances in the deep mountains, they couldn¡¯t have been caused by that kid Mo Hua¡­¡± someone timidly suggested.


    Mo Shan chuckled, ¡°How could that be¡­¡± but then he paused, and his smile faded.


    The other Monster Hunters fell silent.


    It seemed impossible¡­


    But when it came to Mo Hua, somehow, nothing seemed impossible¡­


    After all, Mo Hua had once exploded a Large Formation in the depths of Big Black Mountain, altering the entire landscape¡­


    But this was not a matter to be concluded lightly, so Elder Yu simply asked Mo Shan to go back and ask Mo Hua, and everyone dispersed.


    Mo Shan returned home, filled with doubts. Liu Ruhua was cooking.


    Mo Hua was following his mother around, saying, ¡°Mom, I want this¡­¡± ¡°Beef is delicious¡­¡± ¡°Make this one a bit spicier¡­¡±


    Then, like a little glutton, he took a bite here and a taste there.


    It was impossible to tell that he was a Foundation Building Cultivator¡­


    Mo Shan looked at him with affection yet felt helpless, unsure of how to start the conversation.


    At dinner, there was a table full of delicious dishes.


    Mo Hua ate with great delight.


    Suddenly he remembered something, pulled out a Storage Bag, and asked, ¡°Dad, do you think I could sell these for Spirit Stones?¡±


    Mo Shan was taken aback, thinking it was a formation and was about to say he couldn¡¯t understand it, but when he took it and looked inside, he realized it was Monster Beast materials.


    Monster Beast materials were something he was very familiar with.


    Mo Shan reached in, took out a few Monster bones, and after examining them, his brow furrowed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen these before¡­¡±


    There were Monster Beast materials in Big Black Mountain that he had never seen?

 Chapter 747 - 574: The Mysterious Robe_3

    Chapter 747: Chapter 574: The Mysterious Robe_3


    Mo Shan examined it closely for a moment, then suddenly his eyes widened, his mouth agape in disbelief.


    ¡°Is this¡­ the bone of a Second Grade Monster Beast?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Mo Hua, nibbling on a chicken leg, nodded and said, ¡°Dad, you really do have good eyesight!¡±


    Mo Shan didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Was it really a matter of good eyesight¡­


    Remembering the strange events in the deep mountains, he asked:


    ...


    ¡°How¡­ where did you get this from?¡±


    After some thought, Mo Hua decided not to hide the truth, ¡°I needed Spiritual Ink for my Formation Painting, so I bribed a Big Tiger with some dried fish. Then we teamed up to kill a Second Grade Monster Beast; it ate the meat, and I collected the blood¡­¡±


    ¡°These bones, these teeth, were all left over after the Big Tiger had its fill¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought they might sell for Spirit Stones, so I brought them back¡­¡±


    What Mo Shan heard sounded like a fantasy.


    Bribing a tiger with dried fish?


    Hunting a Second Grade Monster Beast?


    This tale sounded like something a child would concoct; who would believe it if he told others¡­


    But Mo Shan couldn¡¯t help but believe it¡­


    Mo Shan fell silent for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°How many¡­ how many Second Grade Monster Beasts have you killed?¡±


    Worried that his parents would be anxious, Mo Hua said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who killed them, it was the Big Tiger. I just helped out a tiny bit¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t keep count of how many were killed¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems there were at least eight or nine¡­¡±


    ¡°And there are a lot more bones that I¡¯ve left in the yard¡­¡±


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua looked at each other, momentarily lost for words¡­ S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Second Grade Monster Beasts¡­


    Once upon a time, Second Grade Monster Beasts roamed unchecked in Big Black Mountain.


    It was possible that not one would die over the course of a hundred or two hundred years¡­


    Yet since Mo Hua¡¯s return, in just a short span of one or two months, eight or nine had died¡­


    Mo Shan sighed and looked at Mo Hua helplessly.


    Well, it might be for the best to go to Qian State for study¡­


    He was only fifteen after all; if he grew up a bit more, and his knowledge of formations improved even further, Tongxian City, the entirety of Big Black Mountain, even the entire Big Black Mountain State boundary might not be able to withstand his antics¡­


    ¡­


    Later, Mo Shan helped Mo Hua sell the materials from these Second Grade Monster Beasts.


    The fur was damaged by the Big Tiger¡¯s claws, the bones had all been gnawed on, and the claws and teeth had some damage from the combat, all considered ¡°substandard goods.¡±


    But as they were indeed materials from Second Grade Monster Beasts, the price was still quite good.


    In Big Black Mountain State boundary, there were no Second Grade Formation Masters.


    But there were a few Second Grade Artifact Refiners.


    These materials could be used to craft Second Grade Spiritual Artifacts.


    Having estimated their value, Mo Shan figured that selling all of them would bring in approximately five to six thousand Spirit Stones, though they had to be sold in batches since other stores or passing merchants couldn¡¯t take in so much at once.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    This way, the problem of the Spirit Stones needed for the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was also solved.


    Learning formations, painting formations, using formations¡­


    Not only would he not be at a loss, but he would also earn some Spirit Stones, as well as accumulate a large amount of Spiritual Ink.


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s happiness didn¡¯t last long before he noticed something was amiss¡­


    The Second Grade Monster Beasts in the deep mountains had suddenly become much scarcer, as if they were all hiding, afraid to show their faces¡­


    In the past, Second Grade Monster Beasts would stroll through the deep mountains, swaggering fearlessly.


    But now, when they saw the Big Tiger or Mo Hua, they would flee as if they¡¯d seen a ghost, early on¡­


    Even their movements became cautious; they were afraid of stepping into an Earth Fire Formation.


    During their hunting, they also preferred to make it quick, a hit-and-run.


    After being seven or eight parts full, they would immediately return to their dens to hunker down, hiding deep within, terrified of being detected by Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat helpless and a little angry.


    ¡°To think that Second Grade Monster Beasts have no backbone at all!¡±


    But with things as they were, he had no choice but to carefully store the already prepared Spiritual Ink and use it sparingly.


    The timidity of the Second Grade Monster Beasts was also a good thing, in its way.


    At least from now on, the Monster Hunters heading into the mountains would have a much safer time.


    When Elder Yu learned about Mo Hua¡¯s deep mountain hunts of Second Grade Monster Beasts, he was both shocked and, after thinking about it, not so surprised.


    Hunting Second Grade Monster Beasts¡­


    Such a thing, he himself wouldn¡¯t have dared to even contemplate before.


    But over these four or five years, all the things he hadn¡¯t dared to dream of had come true one by one¡­


    Elder Yu felt a touch sentimental, then regained a determined look.


    ¡°The pursuit of Tao Cultivation is endless. I¡¯m not old yet and must continue to cultivate. The Golden Core may be far, but there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t dare to dream of¡­¡±


    The deep mountains became quiet.


    The Monster Hunter of Big Black Mountain, too, returned to his routine days.


    Mo Hua squatted in the deep mountains for several days, but since he hadn¡¯t seen any traces of Second Grade Monster Beasts, he had to give up temporarily and turn to studying the Earth Fire Formation again¡­


    He was about to leave Tongxian City, yet the speed at which he laid out Formations with his Divine Sense was still not fast enough¡­


    He wanted to paint faster.


    ¡°But how can I paint any faster?¡±


    Mo Hua had already tried his best.


    His Divine Sense had fourteen patterns, which were already incredibly profound, and after being restructured by the Heaven Yan Jue, it was as condensed as mercury. His control over it was already very strong.


    He had learned the Spiritual Pivot Formation, and his control over Spiritual Power with Divine Sense was also meticulous.


    Heavenly secret Calculation deepened his understanding of formations.


    At his level, it was not possible for anyone to paint faster than him¡­


    But it was still not enough¡­


    Grandpa Gui once said, ¡°In all spells, only speed is unbeatable.¡±


    The same principle applies to laying out Formations with Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua furrowed his handsome brows, his eyes reflecting deep thought.


    He had tried every method he could think of, except for¡­


    ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had never seen his master paint Formations; to date, the fastest person he had seen lay out a Formation was his own master¡¯s senior, Gui Tao¡¯s person.


    And the formations of Gui Tao¡¯s people were based on ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡±.


    If he learned it, could he lay out the Earth Fire Formation faster with Divine Consciousness Control Ink?


    Mo Hua always felt that his understanding of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was not profound enough.


    The Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation he had mastered was still very far from his master¡¯s senior¡­


    ¡°Learn from Master¡¯s senior?¡±


    A thought flickered through Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    In the Sea of Consciousness, the scene where Gui Tao¡¯s person sealed the Ten Thousand Demons Hall with ¡°Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation¡± and massacred the Feather Transformation and Golden Core Demon Cultivators reemerged.


    The scene where Gui Tao¡¯s person broke the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation in a short time with ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡± also replayed over and over.


    ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­¡±


    Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, Demonic Thought Differentiation, can quickly solve formations.


    Naturally, it can also quickly lay down Gui Tao¡¯s Heaven Sealing Formation¡­


    After thinking for a moment and finding no clue, Mo Hua suddenly had a burst of inspiration.


    Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and Planting Devil in Taoist Heart are opposites of each other.


    If his understanding of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was insufficient, should he reflect on the principle of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart in reverse to contemplate that of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?


    ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡­¡±


    Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, based on Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, transformed one¡¯s body into a demon, differentiating one¡¯s Demon Thought, forming a Demon Seed, and planting it in someone else¡¯s Taoist Heart.


    Being a Serious Cultivator, he couldn¡¯t perform ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡± or differentiate Demon Thought¡­


    So, if one does not differentiate Demon Thought but instead one¡¯s Divine Thought, could that also work?


    The method should be the same.


    Not turning to demon, it naturally wouldn¡¯t count as ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart¡±¡­


    ¡°Differentiating Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try¡­¡±


    Mo Hua started to close his eyes, imitating Gui Tao¡¯s person, using the method of Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, based on the logic of Gui Tao, to differentiate a portion of his own Divine Thought.


    This differentiation, rooted in Tricky Calculation, was intricate and mystical.


    Mo Hua could only ¡°draw a gourd based on the scoop¡±, recalling over and over his master¡¯s senior¡¯s scenes of laying out and solving formations.


    After an unknown period, Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    As Gui Tao¡¯s ways opened up to him, his Divine Thought began to differentiate¡­


    Within the Sea of Consciousness, on the Incarnation of Divine Sense of Mo Hua, suddenly there appeared fine, pitch-black patterns.


    These patterns seemed like Divine Thought peeling off Mo Hua himself, and yet, they also resembled the extension of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought based on certain Dao Laws.


    The Gui Tao differentiation of Divine Sense¡­


    It was similar to the previous reconstruction of Divine Sense, yet different.


    This differentiation seemed like recompiling and evolving one¡¯s Divine Sense through Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.


    Mo Hua felt both pain and wonder.


    In a state of confusion, he seemed to feel his Divine Thought fitting with Gui Tao¡¯s ways bit by bit¡­


    Only after a long time had passed did the process of Demon Thought Differentiation come to an end.


    When Mo Hua opened his eyes, he found that his body was shrouded in a misty layer of Gui-colored ink shadows, producing afterimages with every movement.


    This layer of ink shadow, draped over his body, seemed like an illusion.


    And also like a piece of¡­


    Pure, pitch-black, Ink Taoist Robe!

 Chapter 748 - 575 Departure_1

    Chapter 748: Chapter 575 Departure_1


    Contrary to what Mo Hua expected, the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation does not produce a ¡°clone¡± but a ¡°shadow of ink.¡±


    Simultaneously illusory and real, layers of shadows piled upon one another, they draped over Mo Hua like a Taoist robe.


    This ¡°Taoist Robe¡± appeared similar to that of Gui Tao¡¯s people, yet different.


    Pitch black but still very clean.


    Free of filth, free of bloodshed, it exuded a trace of eeriness that seemed untainted by the secular world.


    The eyes of Mo Hua had also become more profound, emitting a somber shadow of Gui Tao¡¯s path, yet it did not feel empty or terrifying; instead, his Divine Sense was brilliant and vibrant within.


    ...


    His pupils were pitch black, filled with splendor.


    He dominated the people of Gui Tao, rather than being enslaved by the Gui Tao.


    ¡°This is¡­ Uncle¡¯s Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­¡±


    ¡°And this is¡­ the true form of the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation?¡±


    Mo Hua looked around at himself.


    The ¡°Taoist Robe¡± on his body was just a thin layer, far from Uncle¡¯s, yet he seemed to have¡­ truly entered the door?


    He entered the door of the Gui Tao?


    Mo Hua was shocked again and began to worry.


    Would he really become a ¡°Little Devious Path Person¡± in the future¡­


    As Mo Hua pondered for a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    That shouldn¡¯t be the case¡­


    The Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and the Heavenly secret Calculation come from the same root, both originating from an orthodox, unique Divine Consciousness Calculation Technique.


    The reason Uncle¡¯s Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was so evil and frightening was that he had fallen to the Demon Path, turned bad, and mixed the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation with demonic practices and various tortured spirits and souls¡­


    As long as one does not let one¡¯s Divine Sense descend into demons, does not transform one¡¯s Divine Sense into Demon Thought, does not use Demon Thought as a seed to parasitize in others¡¯ Taoist Heart,


    To simply use Tricky Calculation to split one¡¯s Divine Sense does not constitute ¡°Planting Devil in Taoist Heart.¡±


    Mo Hua set his mind at ease.


    His Uncle had become demonized, a Demon Head.


    But he was different¡­


    He cultivated through a formal Cultivation Technique and nurtured the Righteous Divine Thought.


    Still, he would have to be more careful in the future to avoid falling to the Demon Path and to prevent himself from becoming a ¡°little Demon Head¡±¡­


    Mo Hua exhaled in relief, then his expression turned excited.


    With the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation creating ink shadows and donning the ¡°Taoist Robe,¡± would his speed in Drawing Formations improve?


    Eager to find out, Mo Hua immediately tried activating the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.


    His eyes started showing signs of Gui Tao, revealing a deep ash-black color.


    Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Divine Sense Incarnation clothed in a ¡°Taoist Robe,¡± splitting into ink shadows.


    Meanwhile, his Divine Sense circulated swiftly, more than doubling its speed, and the speed of setting up a Formation soared as if aided by divine help, with Formation Patterns flowing smoothly like water¡­


    On the ground, the Spiritual Ink meandered quickly, connecting rapidly to form an array.


    While Mo Hua himself was Drawing Formation, the separated ink shadow, as an external embodiment sharing the same origin and mind, also assisted in Drawing Formation.


    However, the consumption of Divine Sense also intensified, like rivers breaking their banks and gushing miles away. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The rate at which Divine Sense was drained was exceedingly alarming.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was incredibly profound and condensed, so he was still able to withstand it.


    Mo Hua clenched his teeth and persevered, ink shadows overlapping and Formation Patterns moving like swift horses¡­


    This process, though painful, was brief.


    In just over a dozen breaths, the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation had been fully drawn!


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had been exhausted, his Sea of Consciousness ached, his scalp tingled, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    The Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, dividing the Divine Sense.


    This way of Drawing Formation was extremely fast, but the consumption of Divine Sense was also incredibly great.


    Mo Hua¡¯s fourteen-pattern Divine Sense, which was more than sufficient for Drawing Thirteen Stripes Formation, now felt extremely taxing after using Gui Tao¡¯s splitting technique.


    But Mo Hua was still very happy.


    To him, the large consumption of Divine Sense and the mild pain in the Sea of Consciousness were actually trivial.


    Compared to that, the formation completion time of just over a dozen breaths was already much faster than before.


    Although it still wasn¡¯t quick enough to be deployed suddenly in combat,


    If there was a way to buy some time, to get just over a dozen breaths to covertly employ Divine Consciousness Control Ink and lay down a Formation, it was still possible.


    And this was just the beginning¡­


    He only split one ink shadow, only draped a single, thin layer of the Taoist Robe.


    If in the future, he could split thousands of ink shadows and the Taoist Robe could cover the skies and earth, wouldn¡¯t he be able to¡­


    Create a Large Formation with a single thought?


    This idea startled Mo Hua himself.


    He then quickly dismissed it.


    ¡°I must not aspire for too much too soon¡­¡±


    He must focus steadfastly on gradually enhancing his Divine Sense, studying the Divine Sense Calculation Technique, practicing Divine Consciousness Control Ink, constructing Second-Grade Formations, and then gradually Draw better, faster¡­


    Continuously reducing the time for Drawing Ground into Formation¡­


    Until, in the heat of battle, at the critical moment, he could instantly create a Formation and turn the tide of battle¡­


    This was what he needed to do at present.


    The extravagant thought of instantly Creating a Large Formation could only be buried deep in his heart for now¡­


    This concluded the planning phase for Mo Hua.


    He already had the Spiritual Ink, and he had also learned the Formations.


    If he continued to stay, he wouldn¡¯t learn much else¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Although reluctant, he knew it was time for him to leave¡­


    He was to go to Qian State to continue his studies.


    Otherwise, without advancement in cultivation, sticking to old Formation ways, and lacking Tao Cultivation resources¡­


    He might never be able to cultivate the Supreme Divine Sense and reach the pinnacle of the Dao of Formation in his lifetime.


    Let alone save his mentor¡­


    ¡­


    Two months later, there would be a Cloud Ferry setting sail from the neighboring Second-Grade Qingyuan state boundary, traveling from south to north, passing through Kun, Dui, and Qian states, before finally reaching Kan State in the north.


    Mo Hua planned to catch the Cloud Ferry from Li State, disembark in Qian State he traveled through.


    Court Leader Zhou informed Mo Hua of this.


    Court Leader Zhou, who was in charge of Tongxian City, knew the information about these Cloud Ferries better than Mo Hua.


    At the same time, he gave Mo Hua a Cloud Crossing Order, made of white jade, exquisite and luxurious.

 Chapter 749 - 575 Departure_2

    Chapter 749: Chapter 575 Departure_2


    The Cloud Crossing Order, equivalent to a ferry ticket for crossing clouds.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Court Leader, this must be quite expensive¡­¡±


    Court Leader Zhou nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not cheap¡­¡±


    The main issue is that it¡¯s difficult to obtain.


    This kind of cross-state Cloud Crossing requires connections, otherwise, it¡¯s impossible to get.


    Not to mention, a lot of Spirit Stones would be spent on it, both directly and indirectly.


    ...


    ¡°However, it doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± Court Leader Zhou sipped his tea, ¡°It can be reimbursed¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°This can be reimbursed?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this¡­¡± Court Leader Zhou shook his head, ¡°In a place like the Taoist Court, all sorts of messy, irregular matters can be reimbursed. Why wouldn¡¯t sending you to Qian State for studies¡ªa proper matter¡ªbe reimbursed?


    ¡°But I¡¯m not really a person from the Taoist Court, am I?¡±


    ¡°How are you not?¡± Court Leader Zhou said discontentedly, ¡°You have a Bronze Waist Token from the Immortal City. Although you¡¯re not officially on the roster, you can still be considered one of us.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only then did Mo Hua remember.


    His Uncle Zhang Lan had given him a Bronze Waist Token before.


    That token was more for show; he hadn¡¯t used it for a long time, so it had slipped his mind.


    ¡°There should be quite a few Merit Points in that token of yours. If you find yourself short on funds in Qian State, you could exchange some for Spirit Stones or Spiritual Objects in an emergency¡­¡±


    ¡°But if it¡¯s not necessary, try not to use them.¡±


    ¡°Once your Cultivation has improved and you get to know higher-ranked Cultivators from the Taoist Court, those Merit Points will be very useful¡­¡±


    Court Leader Zhou advised.


    ¡°What can they be used for?¡± asked Mo Hua.


    Court Leader Zhou candidly replied, ¡°I¡¯m not in the higher echelons of the Taoist Court, so I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then nodded, ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    After some thought, Court Leader Zhou lowered his voice and said,


    ¡°That being said, you can use that Bronze Waist Token, but don¡¯t rely on it too much. After all, you¡¯re an unofficial member. If something goes wrong, no one will cover for you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, then nodded to show he understood.


    With the Bronze Waist Token, he would barely be considered ¡°one of their own¡± by the Taoist Court¡­


    But on the other hand, when it¡¯s useful, he¡¯s ¡°one of their own,¡± and when it¡¯s not, he¡¯s just an ¡°unofficial member¡±¡­


    Court Leader Zhou was clearly on Mo Hua¡¯s side, having advised him on what he should and shouldn¡¯t do.


    Then, after taking another sip of his tea, he leisurely continued,


    ¡°You¡¯re going to the Qian Learning State Boundary to study, to enhance your Cultivation, broaden your knowledge, and advance in Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°The Qian Learning State Boundary gathers the Proud Sons of Heaven from various states. If you happen to make a name for yourself, it would be a matter of pride for our Big Black Mountain State Boundary.¡±


    ¡°So, you are fully deserving of this Cloud Crossing Order.¡±


    Mo Hua felt moved, but also the weight of ¡°great responsibility,¡± so he asked in a low voice,


    ¡°But what if¡­ I don¡¯t make a name for myself?¡±


    Court Leader Zhou gave Mo Hua a stern look, ¡°What do you think the ¡®Proud Sons of Heaven¡¯ from various states are? Cabbages?¡±


    ¡°The Proud Sons of Heaven, the favored by the heavens, are not ones to be easily surpassed, are they?¡±


    ¡°In Qian State, filled with Sects and Proud Sons of Heaven, it¡¯s normal not to make a name for oneself. Actually making a name would be extraordinary¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, ¡®making a name¡¯ can be big or small¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage now; if you go to Qian State and come back at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, or even just the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, won¡¯t that also be termed ¡®making a name¡¯ for yourself?¡±


    ¡°Or, if you¡¯re currently a First Grade Formation Master and you reach Second Grade upon returning from Qian State, wouldn¡¯t that be ¡®making a name¡¯ for yourself, and a significant one at that!¡±


    ¡°So, don¡¯t feel pressured¡­¡± continued Court Leader Zhou, ¡°What does it matter to us how many geniuses Qian State has?¡±


    ¡°No matter how high their Cultivation, they won¡¯t protect us, nor will their superior Formations be drawn in our stead¡­¡±


    ¡°Similarly, no matter how well you learn, they might not treat you as a ¡®treasure¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you just focus on learning. As long as you learn something, regardless of the renown, that¡¯s bringing honor to our state boundary, and we will all be happy for you!¡±


    Mo Hua felt much relieved and couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Thank you, Court Leader!¡±


    Court Leader Zhou nodded slightly, clearly pleased, and continued to enjoy his tea.


    When Mo Hua heard Court Leader Zhou mention ¡°Second Grade Formation Master,¡± he asked, ¡°Court Leader, can one be certified as a Second Rank Formation Master here in Immortal City?¡±


    ¡°Second Rank Formation Master?¡± Court Leader Zhou was startled, then shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°A Second-Grade Prefecture Border doesn¡¯t have the credentials to certify a Second Rank Formation Master; at least a Third-Grade State Boundary or above is required¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded in acknowledgment.


    Court Leader Zhou lifted his teacup, about to take a sip, when he suddenly paused, the cup trembling, ¡°You¡­ became a Second Rank Formation Master?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head.


    A Second-grade Junior Formation Master required mastery of the Second-grade Thirteen Patterns Formation.


    Although Mo felt it wouldn¡¯t be difficult, he had only learned one Second-grade Earth Fire Formation so far, still some way off from becoming a true Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master.


    So, he couldn¡¯t be counted as a Second Rank Formation Master.


    ¡°Not yet, I was just asking,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Court Leader Zhou nodded slightly, calming his emotions.


    Just asking, and he had given himself a scare¡­


    He thought as much, a Second Rank Formation Master would be too outrageous¡­


    Fifteen years old and a First Rank Formation Master was already impressive. If he became a Second Rank Formation Master, that would be somewhat¡­inhuman¡­


    Afterward, Court Leader Zhou handed the Cloud Crossing Order to Mo Hua, instructing him to take good care of it. The crossing would start on the first day of the month two months later, and he must not miss it.


    Mo Hua held the cool Cloud Crossing Order, feeling both the weight and an unavoidable sense of solitude.


    ¡°I¡¯m really going to¡­ leave, huh¡­¡±


    He was about to bid farewell to Immortal City, to his parents, to his relatives and friends, and set off for an unfamiliar state boundary, embarking on an unknown journey¡­


    Mo Hua felt a sense of guilt.


    Especially towards his own parents.


    But he had to go to Qian State¡­

 Chapter 750 - 575 Departure_3

    Chapter 750: Chapter 575 Departure_3


    Mo Hua sighed.


    In the following days, Mo Hua mostly stayed at home, spending time with his parents.


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua were reluctant for Mo Hua to leave, but for cultivators seeking the Dao, encountering such an opportunity was too precious to pass up, no matter the reluctance.


    But still, concern and aching hearts were inevitable.


    Mo Shan reduced his monster hunting expeditions and stayed home more to keep Mo Hua company.


    Liu Ruhua also made many delicious dishes for Mo Hua.


    ...


    At the same time, she packed Mo Hua¡¯s luggage, organizing his belongings in a storage bag, stuffing it with lots of jerked meat, candied fruits, and rice wine.


    There were also quite a few spirit stones.


    Mo Hua refused them, but could not escape her insistence and ended up taking only half.


    He wanted his parents to keep some spirit stones to cultivate properly, so they could reach the Foundation Establishment Realm or even form a Golden Core, living happily and contentedly.


    When the packing was nearly done, Liu Ruhua suddenly remembered something and handed Mo Hua a wooden box.


    ¡°This belongs to Court Leader Zhang; he left it on the table at the tavern that day, forgot to take it, and the next day, I heard he had left Tongxian City to return to the Zhang Family. There¡¯s no way to return this box to him now¡­¡±


    ¡°Court Leader Zhang probably won¡¯t come back. You keep it, and if you meet him in the future, you can give it back to him.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°A wooden box?¡±


    He took it and saw it was just an ordinary wooden box, but made of sturdy material and sealed by a formation. He wondered what was inside.


    ¡°Okay, Mom, I¡¯ll keep it for now and return it to Uncle Zhang when I see him.¡±


    But he still felt a bit puzzled.


    Uncle Zhang Lan, although known for being idly carefree and a work-shirker who liked to slack off, was actually meticulous and wasn¡¯t the type to lose things¡­


    Why would he leave a wooden box at a tavern?


    Mo Hua looked at the box and suddenly paused.


    The box was sealed with a formation.


    This type of formation was an entry-level compound formation, simple and straightforward¡ªthe very foundation formation he first learned from the ¡°Initial Understanding of Compound Formation.¡±


    When Mo Hua first met Zhang Lan, he had asked him about this compound formation¡­


    This matter should only be known to him and Uncle Zhang Lan.


    ¡°Was this wooden box left for me by Uncle Zhang?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He examined the formation again and couldn¡¯t help thinking¡­


    It was terribly drawn¡­


    Mo Hua could tell that the person who drew the formation had tried hard, but their understanding of formations was just too poor¡­


    Mo Hua roughly confirmed it.


    It was Uncle Zhang Lan¡¯s handiwork.


    ¡°Uncle Zhang intentionally used this compound formation to seal the box. Was he trying to hide something?¡±


    Mo Hua was curious. After some thought, he decided to open it.


    With a tap of his finger and a slight movement of his divine sense, the Mo patterns emerged, and he instantly unlocked the formation on the box, which opened.


    Inside the box, there was a scroll.


    The scroll was old, seemingly handwritten.


    Nothing was written on the title page.


    But inside were arcane meridian charts and detailed text. Others might be confused, but Mo Hua recognized at once that this was¡­


    The Second Grade Water Passing Step Secret Manual!


    This was left to him by¡­ Uncle Zhang Lan¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned, then deeply moved.


    He flipped to the end of the secret manual and found a line of small characters. Although the writing was deliberately obscured, Mo Hua, proficient in formations and familiar with penmanship, could still tell it was Zhang Lan¡¯s writing:


    ¡°Do not disgrace the esteemed family spell point.¡±


    ¡°Left by a passing, unnamed, kind-hearted uncle.¡±


    Warmth bloomed in Mo Hua¡¯s heart as he smiled brightly.


    He etched Zhang Lan¡¯s kind gesture in his memory, planning to repay him with a great gift if they met again in the future.


    Then Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    This movement technique had helped him immensely; it had resolved his pressing need.


    Without a movement technique, a spiritual cultivator is like a steamed bun without legs¡ªeveryone can take a bite, and it can¡¯t run away.


    Choosing a new movement technique to learn would be more troublesome, and certainly not as effective.


    Like formations, whether it¡¯s cultivation techniques, spells, or movement techniques, all follow the principle of lineage continuity.


    First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade¡ªstarting from the basics, it¡¯s a gradual process.


    Learning in this manner is twice as effective with a solid foundation, deeper understanding, and stronger effects.


    With the Second Grade Water Passing Step, even if he went to Qian State, he would have enough capability to protect himself against Foundation Establishment Realm prodigies!


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Afterwards, he began to learn the Second Grade Water Passing Step.


    He was extremely proficient in the First Grade Water Passing Step, so it wasn¡¯t too difficult for him to pick up the Second Grade.


    As time passed, Mo Hua¡¯s Water Passing Step improved towards the standard of Second Grade Foundation Establishment.


    And the Second Grade Water Passing Step, compared to the First Grade, had many more changes and complexities.


    But just as Mo Hua had yet to grasp the many intricacies of the Second Grade Water Passing Step, he learned of something that made his jaw drop¡­


    Instructor Yan was getting married!


    This was what Instructor Yan had told him.


    Manager Mo, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expression, nodded and said, ¡°When I heard the news, I had the same look as you¡­¡±


    ¡°Instructor Yan¡­ who is he marrying?¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s that woman we saw the other day, the one with her hair tied up and plain face, not particularly striking in looks, but with an intelligent and dignified air¡­¡± Manager Mo explained at length.


    Mo Hua remembered.


    It was that graceful and serene female Formation Master¡­


    Speaking of which, she did seem quite a match for Instructor Yan.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mo Hua frowned, genuinely baffled, ¡°How did Instructor Yan meet that woman, and how did it come to marriage?¡±


    Manager Mo wore an expression that said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it if I told you¡­¡±

 Chapter 751 - 575 Departure_4

    Chapter 751: Chapter 575 Departure_4


    ¡°This lady¡¯s surname is Shen, given name Ru, a woman from the Shen family near the state boundary.¡±


    ¡°It was my senior brother, he personally visited to pay his respects and said he wanted to meet the lady face to face to discuss their understanding of formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, they talked and enjoyed each other¡¯s company, and after some time, they arrived at the point of discussing marriage¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    Visiting personally¡­


    Was this the Instructor Yan he knew, obsessed with formations, serious and rigid?


    ...


    Manager Mo clicked his tongue in wonder, ¡°One shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover¡­ I never would have imagined my senior brother doing such a thing, admirable, admirable¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was also shocked but deep down, he was happy for Instructor Yan.


    Instructor Yan, for the sake of the grudges and disagreements within the Minor Hidden Spirit Sect, to pursue the traitors of the Sect, to reclaim the Sect¡¯s heritage, had led a life full of hardship and bitterness.


    Now that he was able to find a beloved partner and join in matrimony for a lifetime of happiness, it was naturally the best possible outcome.


    Plus, there would be a wedding feast to enjoy. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was already calculating in his heart what delicious foods there would be at the wedding feast¡­


    Instructor Yan was quick to set his engagement and even quicker to get married.


    Half a month later, he got married in Tongxian City and held a wedding banquet.


    Mo Hua joined in the excitement, basked in the joyous occasion, and ate his fill.


    At the wedding, Mo Hua also met Shen Ru, Instructor Yan¡¯s wife.


    Shen Ru, dressed in red, kept a simple and dignified air even at her wedding, without too heavy a makeup.


    Mo Hua went up to offer his congratulations.


    Shen Ru saw Mo Hua¡¯s face was as lovely as a painting, her smile pure and lively, warm and adorable, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling delighted.


    And when she heard from Instructor Yan that Mo Hua also studied formations, she esteemed him even more, deliberately sealing a large red envelope for Mo Hua and praised him, saying:


    ¡°This child is clever and quick-witted; study well, and you will certainly become a first-rank Formation Master!¡±


    Instructor Yan, with an embarrassed expression, whispered:


    ¡°He¡­ is already a first-rank Formation Master¡­¡±


    Shen Ru was stunned, turned her head, looked at Instructor Yan in disbelief, her face filled with wonder, and it took her a long time to recover¡­


    The wedding was boisterous and joyful.


    After the wedding, Manager Mo also had a satisfied look on his face, as if he had resolved a concern.


    ¡°True to my senior brother¡­¡±


    Manager Mo sighed.


    When he really set his mind to do something, he was decisive and efficient, without any dawdling.


    Manager Mo felt moved and said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°You should also learn from this in the future, let go of what should be let go of, not clinging to it, and utterly don¡¯t let go of what should be grasped!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Grasp what?¡±


    Manager Mo had the look of someone who had been there before:


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you grow up¡­¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, somewhat puzzled.


    ¡­


    In the days that followed, life was as peaceful and harmonious as flowing water, but like water, it slipped away bit by bit¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t feel much time had passed, but before he knew it, the day of departure had arrived.


    Mo Hua was somewhat reluctant, but still packed his bags and set off on his journey.


    Before leaving, Mo Hua earnestly instructed Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua:


    ¡°Dad, Mom, you must cultivate properly!¡±


    ¡°No slacking off!¡±


    ¡°The road ahead is still long, you must not be negligent¡­¡±


    ¡°Cultivate to Foundation Establishment, then cultivate to Golden Core¡­¡±


    ¡°Then live a long and safe life, happy and fulfilled¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait for me to master formations in Qian State and then I will come back to see you¡­¡±


    Mo Shan and Liu Ruhua couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.


    Weren¡¯t these the words they, as parents, should be saying to their child?


    But the sadness of parting was somewhat alleviated because of it.


    Later, Mo Hua rode a carriage, about to leave Tongxian City for Cloud Crossing City.


    The carriage stopped outside the city.


    Like when he left before, many cultivators from Tongxian City came to see off Mo Hua, their gazes full of hope and wishes.


    Mo Hua also smiled and waved to them.


    In this world, everyone has their own story and their own life to live.


    Mo Hua hoped that everyone in Tongxian City would have peaceful and happy lives and that their life stories would be fulfilling and colorful.


    As for himself, he was about to embark on a journey, stepping onto an unknown path in search of his own way¡­


    The carriage gradually moved further away, leaving Tongxian City, and entered Big Black Mountain.


    While passing through the deep mountains, Mo Hua suddenly paused, walked outside of the carriage, and waved towards the distant forest.


    In the forest, there was a Big Tiger.


    The Big Tiger had come to see him off, too.


    A few days earlier, Mo Hua had already bid farewell to Big Tiger.


    His journey to Qian State would involve riding the Cloud Ferry, crossing the Nine State, and Big Tiger, being a Monster Beast living in the deep mountains, couldn¡¯t possibly accompany him.


    Mo Hua was worried that Big Tiger would not have enough to eat, so he asked his father, Mo Shan, when entering the deep mountains, to bring some big dried fish, and if he encountered a big tiger with black and white patterns, to feed it on his behalf.


    With this farewell, he didn¡¯t know when he would see Big Tiger again.


    Mo Hua stood on the carriage, waving to Big Tiger from afar.


    The Big Tiger silently watched Mo Hua, its gaze somewhat empty, until Mo Hua¡¯s small figure disappeared into the distance, and only then did the Big Tiger, with a drooping head, turn and walk into the forest, its silhouette somewhat lonely.

 Chapter 752 - 576 Journey_1

    Chapter 752: Chapter 576 Journey_1


    A few days later, Mo Hua boarded the Cloud Ferry.


    This Cloud Ferry was smaller and more austere than the one Mo Hua had seen before, which his Junior Brother and Junior Sister had taken.


    However, it still carried an impressive aura.


    As the Cloud Ferry took off, it stirred layers of clouds into a magnificent spectacle.


    In about three months, the Cloud Ferry would enter Qian State.


    Mo Hua also needed to arrive at Qian Taoist Sect, located within the fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary of Qian State more than five months later, or before September, to try to gain entry into the sect.


    ...


    The Cloud Ferry floated in the sky, flying amidst the clouds.


    Although it is referred to as ¡°flying,¡± it wasn¡¯t really ¡°flying,¡± at least not in the same way that cultivators fly through the skies.


    Above in the sky, there are oceans of clouds, within which flow veins of clouds, and within these veins, there are currents. These currents form fierce winds that surge tumultuously among the clouds of Nine State before all converging in Xun State.


    The Cloud Ferry utilizes these air currents within the cloud veins to travel between state boundaries. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At first, Mo Hua found this all very novel, but after a few days, once the novelty wore off, he started to feel bored.


    Aboard the Cloud Ferry, each cultivator had their own guest room.


    The guest room was small, meant for cultivators to practice and rest.


    Mo Hua spent most of his time in his own small guest room, quietly cultivating and studying formations.


    Being alone, to avoid trouble, he seldom went out.


    He only ventured out when it was time to eat.


    The Cloud Ferry had a large cabin, where various items were for sale.


    There were all kinds of meals, but they were expensive. Although Mo Hua could afford them, he wouldn¡¯t eat there often, only occasionally indulging a craving.


    He wasn¡¯t short of Spirit Stones, but he understood that when traveling, it was best to economize.


    After all, there would be plenty of places to spend Spirit Stones once he reached Qian State.


    Within the large cabin, cultivators could also rent stalls to sell local specialties and various types of Spiritual Artifacts, Pills, Formations, and so on.


    Mo Hua occasionally browsed around, broadening his horizons.


    It was his first time seeing various kinds of Spiritual Artifacts.


    There were Mother-Child Blades, long spears, long halberds, flying needles, Pear Blossom Needles, Red Silk, iron chains, and so forth¡­


    Among these, the most expensive were swords.


    The sword was known as the king of a hundred Taoist tools.


    Practices involving Sword Weapons, Taoist Skills, and Artifact Refining were numerous and profound. Even Sword Cultivators were distinguished from Spiritual Cultivators and Body Cultivation practitioners and were specifically referred to as ¡°Sword Cultivators.¡±


    Many cultivators had a passion for practicing swordsmanship.


    However, Sword Cultivators value both their cultivation techniques and swordsmanship. The method of refining Sword Weapons is a closely guarded secret, heavily relying on inheritance and deep foundations.


    Therefore, around Big Black Mountain, there were hardly any cultivators who used swords.


    The cultivators near Big Black Mountain mostly used blades.


    Even those who did use swords, in fact, treated ¡°swords¡± as ¡°blades.¡±


    They used swords as typical Spiritual Artifacts for slashing, and could not be considered true ¡°Sword Cultivators.¡±


    The only Sword Cultivator Mo Hua had ever seen should be Zhang Lan.


    His extremely heavy ancient sword had a simple pine pattern, and just by holding it, Mo Hua could tell it was cumbersome, indicating it was very valuable.


    Furthermore, there were said to be different types of Sword Cultivators.


    Some Body Cultivators used swords for close combat, where the Sword Qi blended with their Strength and could split mountains and seas.


    There were also Spiritual Cultivators who wielded swords from a distance, controlling them with Divine Sense to kill enemies from a thousand miles away¡­


    But Mo Hua had never seen any of this with his own eyes, so he wasn¡¯t sure if it was true.


    ¡°Sword Cultivator¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had also thought before that with his strong Divine Sense, if he were to practice the ¡°Sword Control Technique,¡± he could command thousands of flying swords with a mere thought, forming a rain of swords. Wouldn¡¯t that be both cool and powerful?


    But after seeing the prices of Sword Weapons at the Cloud Ferry stalls, he silently dismissed this unrealistic idea.


    Spirit Swords were too expensive!


    Even a random Spirit Sword would cost seven or eight thousand Spirit Stones.


    Slightly better ones would cost tens of thousands.


    These Sword Weapons were prone to wear and tear.


    If they broke, he would have to buy new ones all over again.


    Not like those from noble clans and major sects, where top-quality Spirit Swords were ancestral, made from precious materials, durable, constantly maintained, one with the wielder, and astonishingly powerful when used.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Forget it, he might as well stick to studying his own formations¡­


    Swordsmanship was something he needn¡¯t bother learning.


    It was beyond his reach¡­


    In the large cabin of the Cloud Ferry, aside from food and Spiritual Artifacts, there were also various Pills and Formations.


    As for Pills, Mo Hua didn¡¯t pay them much attention.


    Old Mr. Feng, fearing Mo Hua would have some mishaps, had prepared quite a few for him, including both first-grade and second-grade Pills.


    These second-grade Pills were made by a second-grade senior Alchemist at the request of Old Mr. Feng.


    They included Spirit Revitalizing, Detoxification, and Avoiding Epidemic.


    What interested Mo Hua the most were the Formations.


    But this turned out to be greatly disappointing.


    Most of the stall owners were first-grade Formation Masters, with very few second-grades.


    Even when occasionally a cultivator was selling a second-grade Formation Diagram, the price was exorbitantly high and not considered rare. It was not a good deal.


    Rather than spending Spirit Stones on these Formation Diagrams, it was better to try his luck at pondering the Five Elements Formation Flow Map, deciphering the Five Elements Source Patterns, or randomly drawing a Five Elements Formation¡­


    Moreover, Mo Hua saw cultivators of various kinds.


    The Cloud Ferry passed through Li State, Kun State, Dui State, Qian State, and finally arrived at Kan State.


    Cultivators from these states would appear on the Cloud Ferry, bustling about, with their diverse clothing and dissimilar Cultivation Techniques and Spiritual Roots.


    These wandering cultivators had different customs, appearances, and behavioral habits.


    There were even some with Spiritual Root attributes Mo Hua had never seen before.


    Although he was curious, he did not converse with anyone.


    He feared there were bad people who might harbor ill intentions towards him.


    After all, you can¡¯t judge a person¡¯s heart by their appearance. As a lone, minor cultivator out in the world, it was wiser to be cautious.


    Along the way, some cultivators noticed Mo Hua was young and approached him with a false smile:


    ¡°What a cute little brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Little brother, are you traveling alone?¡±


    Afterward, they would either say, ¡°I have an opportunity¡­¡±

 Chapter 753 - 576 Journey_2

    Chapter 753: Chapter 576 Journey_2


    ¡°Or maybe they¡¯d say, ¡®Sister has a nice surprise for you¡­''¡±


    Mo Hua was young, but he had traveled enough to barely qualify as an ¡°old hand¡± in the Martial World. How could he not see through their insidious intentions?


    In such situations, Mo Hua would pretend not to notice and simply ignore them.


    After all, with a Great cultivator stationed in Cloud Ferry, these people wouldn¡¯t dare cause trouble or create a disturbance.


    Usually, when Mo Hua paid them no attention, they got the hint and, feeling snubbed, stopped bothering him.


    That¡¯s how Mo Hua spent his days, secluding himself in a small room, practicing his cultivation routine every day, persisting in learning about Formations, and at night, continuing to practice Second-Grade Formations on the Taoist Stele to further enhance his fourteen Pattern Divine Sense.


    ...


    When he had some free time, he would delve into the Five Elements Formation Flow Map, deciphering some of the Five Elements Formations. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he felt cooped up, he would go out on deck to gaze at the vast sea of clouds.


    The days passed by, stable and peaceful.


    Eventually, even this lifestyle became somewhat monotonous.


    And so, with caution and carefulness, the three months slowly passed, and Cloud Ferry finally arrived in Qian State.


    When Cloud Ferry docked, Mo Hua packed up his belongings and disembarked alone.


    However, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit nervous and apprehensive.


    Just off Cloud Ferry, Mo Hua was suddenly struck with awe as he looked up, his gaze filled with amazement.


    In the Nine State world, though the sky was one vast expanse,


    The sky above each state boundary was different for the cultivators there.


    This difference was something most cultivators couldn¡¯t see, but Mo Hua knew about the Heavenly Dao Formation in the sky from personal experience, so he had a vague sense of it¡­


    The Large Formation in the sky above Qian State was strikingly different from that over Li State.


    This meant that this part of the Heavenly Dao Formation had different Formation Patterns and structures.


    As to the specifics of these differences, Mo Hua¡¯s realm was too low to make out the details.


    Mo Hua looked up again at the sky.


    Qian State.


    Qian, which means Heaven.


    The laws of Heaven stress strength, inspiring gentlemen to relentlessly improve themselves.


    No matter where you go, the sky above and the earth below are constant; with the permanence of the Heavenly Dao Formation above and the substantial Earth Dao Meaning below.


    He should likewise grasp Formation knowledge, pursue the Heavenly Dao, and continuously strengthen himself¡­


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    The strangeness of being in a foreign land, along with the unease and nervousness, also began to recede.


    With his Storage Bag slung over his shoulder, he walked off the deck with his head held high, stepping onto the land of Qian State against the vast expanse of the sky.


    ¡­


    Qian State was vast, with many state boundaries.


    The boundaries varied in size and grade, from low to high, among which one of the most famous was the fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary, known for its abundance of Sects and a flourishing academic atmosphere.


    Where Cloud Ferry landed, Cangdu City lay within the Third-Grade Cangdu State Boundary.


    Cangdu State Boundary was a considerable distance from Qianxue State Boundary.


    Cangdu City blossomed into an Immortal City due to the prosperity brought by Cloud Ferry, with convenient transportation and frequent comings and goings of cultivators.


    In the city, one could also see many young men and women who seemed to be cultivators from various states, taking Cloud Ferry to Qian State to seek knowledge.


    However, they were all escorted by their Clan¡¯s Elders or Elders.


    Only Mo Hua was alone.


    After resting for a night in Cangdu City, Mo Hua set off the next day, leaving Cangdu City alone to head for Qianxue State Boundary.


    Other cultivators seeking knowledge either rode horses, took carriages, or traveled by cloud chariots.


    To save Spirit Stones, Mo Hua could only go by foot.


    He planned a route for himself.


    This route took him from Cangdu City, trekking mountains and rivers, passing through two Second-Grade state boundaries before reaching the Fifth-class Qianxue State Boundary.


    Though it was a roundabout way, as the state boundaries were all Second-Grade, it was safer.


    When traveling in foreign lands, it¡¯s better to be cautious.


    In Second-Grade state boundaries, where the limit was on Foundation Establishment cultivators, Mo Hua, with his initial-stage Foundation Establishment strength, could thrive with his mastery over Formations and Spells.


    If he encountered anyone he couldn¡¯t defeat, he could always rely on his Concealment Technique and Water Passing Step to make his escape.


    But venturing into a Third-Grade State Boundary, if luck turned against him and he ran into some unrighteous Golden Core cultivator wanting his life, it would spell doom.


    Against a Golden Core cultivator, he, a mere cultivator at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, had no chance.


    Just a single flying sword could spell his end.


    So, it¡¯s better to be a bit more timid when necessary.


    As long as he could reach Qianxue State Boundary and join the Qian Taoist Sect within a month and a half, that would suffice.


    Mo Hua estimated the pace and distance, and time should be more than enough.


    Moreover, he could use the journey to practice his Second-Grade Water Passing Step.


    In Tongxian City, he had only managed a rough grasp and lacked depth in his study, not to mention opportunities to use it.


    This journey provided the perfect chance to use practice as a substitute for learning, increasing his proficiency with the life-saving Second-Grade Water Passing Step.


    This movement technique was crucial for survival, so he needed to practice it until he couldn¡¯t possibly know it better.


    A moment¡¯s negligence might cost a life in a time of crisis.


    Having settled on a plan, Mo Hua packed up and, following the main road, set out alone on his way to the Academic World of Qian State.


    Along the way, he braved the elements and slept under the stars.


    When alone, Mo Hua hastened his travel using the Water Passing Step, moving as effortlessly as a stream, creating a breeze with each step.


    When tired, he would take a rest.


    Occasionally, he¡¯d come across some caravans that appeared legitimate, with the cultivators¡¯ aura and faces showing proper dignity and their Divine Thought free of malice; it was then that Mo Hua would draw near.


    Sometimes, he would freeload meals or rides.


    Such breaks were also a chance for him to recharge.


    These cultivators were often very hospitable. Seeing that Mo Hua was young, traveling alone, they were surprised and would offer him food and drinks to show their hospitality.


    One should not take rewards without merit.


    Mo Hua would glance a few times and point out any issues with the Formation the caravan was using, offering to fix it for them.


    This amazed them even more.


    Often, when parting, they would give Mo Hua some gifts; though not valuable, they were heartfelt tokens, which pleased him greatly.

 Chapter 754 - 576 Journey_3

    Chapter 754: Chapter 576 Journey_3


    Danger would occasionally arise.


    Such as monster beasts in the forests, lone fugitive cultivators, or groups that could deceive others but not Mo Hua, who could recognize a party of evil cultivators with a single glance.


    Mo Hua had seen many demon cultivators.


    In the beginning, following Uncle, they traveled together, encountering living demon cultivators, dead demon cultivators, or those who went from living to dead upon meeting Uncle¡ªMo Hua saw a heap of them.


    The aura of demon cultivators was dark, and within their divine sense, there was a sense of putrid filth.


    With his sharp divine sense, Mo Hua could easily differentiate them.


    ...


    But there wasn¡¯t much he could do except to keep his distance.


    As a lowly cultivator, unfamiliar with the land, such disputes were not something he could afford to entangle himself in.


    Quietly, discreetly, traveling alone to the Qian Xue State Boundary, his utmost priority was to join a sect early and earnestly pursue cultivation.


    On this journey, he would occasionally pass through Immortal Cities or small towns.


    Mo Hua would usually stay for a short while, resting his feet, asking for directions, and checking if there would be dangers on the road ahead.


    The cultivators in Immortal Cities, most were rather cold.


    On the contrary, in some small towns, the customs were pure and simple, and the cultivators were both warm-hearted and talkative.


    ¡°Go forward, climb over the mountain, pass the halfway slope, follow the mountain path, walk a few hundred miles, pass a few Little Immortal Cities, and you¡¯ll be close to the Qian Xue State Boundary¡­¡±


    ¡°There are monster beasts in the mountains, you being just a kid, should be cautious¡­¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s too dark, the road becomes hard to navigate, you can stay overnight in that dilapidated temple in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°That decrepit temple was once a shrine to the Mountain God, but after the Mountain God became a malevolent spirit, it was slain by several elders from the Qian Xue State Boundary¡­¡±


    ¡°Now the temple is empty, and any cultivators delayed in leaving the mountains would stay there temporarily¡­¡±


    The one who spoke these words was a hunched old man.


    The old man ran a noodle shop in the town, and Mo Hua, being hungry, had ordered a large bowl of noodles, chatting leisurely with the old man as he ate.


    Mo Hua politely thanked the old man.


    Stroking his beard, the old man nodded slightly, then asked curiously, ¡°Are you a child from another land? Why are you alone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m out for some experience¡­¡± Mo Hua said.


    The old man shook his head, ¡°A kid like you, what¡¯s there to experience?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fifteen years old, not young anymore!¡±


    The old man huffed, ¡°Fifteen years old? How big is that? Here, if you¡¯re not yet twenty, you¡¯re still just a little child¡­¡±


    It was after asking in detail that Mo Hua understood.


    Qian State was vast, the climate was pleasant, and on the whole, it was much wealthier than Li State, even the life of a loose cultivator was somewhat better there than in Li State.


    Moreover, the cultivators in Qian State usually practiced for a longer duration.


    Cultivators with a bit of family wealth, or those from families or sects, even more so.


    They didn¡¯t need to rush into body refinement to strengthen their bodies and make a living like ordinary loose cultivators; instead, they could continue cultivating well into their twenties.


    Nurturing their bodies carefully and securing a firm foundation before breaking through to Foundation Establishment.


    If all else failed, they would be assigned to the family enterprise to gradually gain experience.


    Therefore, before the age of twenty, they still belonged to the carefree period of steady cultivation and enlightenment in the Tao.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless.


    He thought that at fifteen, he was already a young man.


    But in these larger states, he was still considered nothing more than a child¡­


    After sizing up Mo Hua carefully, the old man asked another question, ¡°Have you reached Foundation Establishment?¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    The old man looked slightly regretful, ¡°Too hasty. With your spiritual power, your blood qi, why establish a foundation without properly consolidating it first?¡±


    ¡°Were you thinking, reach Foundation Establishment by twenty and then join a sect?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    The elderly man sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. With your current Foundation Establishment so fragile, even if you establish your foundation before the age of twenty, nobody would accept you¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, I see that your Spiritual Root doesn¡¯t seem too good either?¡±


    Mo Hua did not hide the truth and said honestly,


    ¡°It¡¯s only of mediocre to inferior quality¡­¡±


    The elderly man was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and sighed, ¡°That¡¯s tough¡­¡±


    Mo Hua initially wanted to ask, ¡°Even with a Sect-Entering Order, it wouldn¡¯t work?¡± but after thinking it over, he decided not to ask.


    When out and about, one should not flaunt their ¡°wealth.¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nearby Qian State, there were many disciples seeking education, and something like a ¡°Sect-Entering Order¡± was surely very precious. One should not casually inform others, to avoid attracting covetousness.


    Mo Hua asked again, ¡°Do you know of the Qian Taoist Sect?¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know of the Qian Taoist Sect¡­¡± the elderly man said, startled, ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of seeking entry into the Qian Taoist Sect, are you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll try my luck.¡±


    The elderly man quickly shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s even more impossible. The Qian Taoist Sect is one of the four major sects within the Qian Learning State Boundary, a top-ranking large sect. In the historical Qian Xue debates of Tao Cultivation, they¡¯ve always ranked within the top three¡­¡±


    ¡°With your talent and Taoist Foundation, it¡¯s impossible for you to be accepted.¡±


    ¡°Is there no exception¡­¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°Exception¡­¡± The elderly man was briefly puzzled. ¡°I, as an elder, do not know of any, but what kind of exception could there be? Even if you are the Sect Leader¡¯s illegitimate child¡­¡±


    The elderly man furrowed his brows, ¡°I doubt that would be enough¡­ You don¡¯t understand how high the threshold for these sects is. They place extreme importance on the Spiritual Root¡­¡±


    Mo Hua also furrowed his brows.


    Placing such importance on the Spiritual Root¡­


    It seemed he had underestimated the difficultly of gaining entry into a sect.


    And it was uncertain whether the ¡°Sect-Entering Order¡± would be recognized by the Qian Taoist Sect¡­


    If it wasn¡¯t, he feared he would need to start making plans early.


    After finishing his meal, Mo Hua chatted with the elderly man for a while, then paid with Spirit Stones, and resumed his journey, heading towards the distant mountains.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡ªa young child¡ªsetting out alone, the elderly man frowned with worry and couldn¡¯t help but caution him:


    ¡°Young lad, be careful. Try not to travel at night as much as possible. If it can¡¯t be helped, seek shelter in the Mountain God Temple.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa, I will!¡± replied Mo Hua.


    ¡°And be wary of some human traffickers¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Human traffickers?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the elderly man nodded, speaking in a low voice, ¡°This is Qian State. Although the sects wield great power and the Taoist Court enforces strict regulations, ensuring good public order, still¡­¡±


    ¡°Some people would do anything for Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Human traffickers¡­ Who do they abduct?¡±


    The elderly man pointed at Mo Hua, ¡°Mainly those like you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily puzzled, but then understood.


    Qian State First Realm is a place where cultivators seek to study and cultivate.


    Among the various powers, talented young cultivators often come here to learn.


    Therefore, kidnapping cultivators in pursuit of their studies, to ransom them back to their families for a huge amount of Spirit Stones, is a dangerous, yet highly lucrative trade.


    Even if there is no demand for a ransom.


    These talented cultivators, with top-notch Spiritual Roots and excellent qualifications, could also be sold for a substantial amount of Spirit Stones.


    ¡°Kidnapping cultivators¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember that!¡±


    The elderly man didn¡¯t know whether Mo Hua truly remembered or was just saying so but didn¡¯t say anything more, only looking at Mo Hua with deep concern.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to the elderly man then turned around, briskly walking along the mountain path toward the deep mountain in the distance¡­

 Chapter 755 - 577: Shocking Night_1

    Chapter 755: Chapter 577: Shocking Night_1


    The rugged mountains were treacherous, and the scenery was eerily beautiful.


    Fallen leaves had accumulated in thick layers, becoming soft and spongy as they rotted and merged with the soil.


    A pale yellow miasma floated between the mountains.


    Milky white mist shrouded the forest.


    The babbling streams, originating from nowhere in particular, moistened the rugged rocks and disappeared without a trace.


    Mo Hua had taken a Miasma Repelling Pill, dispelling the miasma within his body, released his Divine Sense, and, while guarding against the Monster Beasts in the forest, carefully walked northward along the rough mountain path.


    ...


    After walking for the better part of the day, until the sun had set and twilight enveloped the mountains and the forest grew darker and deeper.


    Mo Hua looked up and saw that the night was deep and foggy, the miasma thick, obstructing his Divine Sense.


    The range of his Divine Sense was less than half of what it was during the day.


    The Monster Qi in the mountains also thickened gradually.


    Some Monster Beasts, which were ¡°lively at night and sleepy during the day,¡± seemed to be waking up, emitting strange, indescribable growls within the desolate night, resonating deeply through the mountains.


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    It seemed he could no longer travel by night¡­


    He remembered the old temple mentioned by the elder, so he released his Divine Sense, chose a direction, and headed towards a hidden mountain path.


    After passing through a stretch of woods and climbing over a giant boulder, another half an hour brought him to an old temple halfway up the mountain.


    The temple was dilapidated but showed signs that people sometimes passed by, perhaps Cultivators resting there.


    The Monster Qi and miasma nearby were also lighter.


    In front of the decaying temple, there was a flight of stone steps, rough and steep.


    Mo Hua ascended the steps with agility, as fluid as water, and in no time reached the gate of the old temple.


    One of the temple doors was missing, and the other, weathered by sun and rain, was mottled and in terrible shape.


    Upon entering, the walls let in the wind, and the place was dirty and messy.


    Melancholic moonlight shone through the roof, casting onto a clay statue at the center that reflected a ghastly light.


    The face of the mud statue was long and narrow with human features, yet none at all.


    The eyes, illuminated by the moonlight, revealed a sinister gleam that pierced the dark night, staring at Mo Hua in a human yet Non-Human manner.


    Mo Hua was unafraid, staring back at the mud statue with wide open eyes.


    After locking gazes for a while, perhaps due to the shifting moonlight, the statue¡¯s gaze seemed to silently wander away¡­


    Mo Hua, however, did not look away and continued to approach the statue, eyes intense as he gazed at it.


    The mud statue promptly remained still and well-behaved.


    Mo Hua stepped onto the offering stage and examined the statue closely, muttering,


    ¡°That¡¯s not right, why is there nothing?¡±


    ¡°There should be something¡­¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have seen it wrong¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    The light had gone out from the statue¡¯s eyes, which now seemed eager to close.


    Mo Hua licked his lips, ¡°Such a shame¡­¡±


    He then jumped off the offering stage, cleared a spot on the ground, and using Divine Consciousness Control Ink, drew a Warm Fire Formation.


    As the Warm Fire Formation lit up, an orange flame arose, dispelling the night within the temple and the chill of the mountains outside.


    Wrapped in a small blanket and seated by the fire, Mo Hua felt very warm.


    As the warmth rose, Mo Hua suddenly felt hungry, so he took out some mountain yams and dried meat from his Storage Bag and roasted them over the Warm Fire Formation.


    Sitting by the fire, eating the fragrant and sticky mountain yams, chewing on spicy beef jerky, and drinking the sweet fruit wine brewed by his mother,


    Mo Hua shook his head and swayed, completely content.


    After eating his fill, Mo Hua extinguished the Warm Fire Formation, wrapped himself up tightly in the blanket, and, taking advantage of the residual warmth on the ground, drifted into sleep.


    All was quiet again within the old temple.


    The cold moonlight shone down once more, illuminating the eyes of the clay statue on the offering stage.


    The statue¡¯s icy gaze slowly lowered to rest upon Mo Hua, who, wrapped up like a ¡°little dumpling¡± and fast asleep, oblivious to the world.


    The statue¡¯s gaze flickered, as if it were pondering something.


    For the duration of brewing a pot of tea, a faint white glow emerged from the statue.


    This glow, seemingly real and yet illusory, was indistinct and obscure.


    It could be sensed by the Divine Sense but was invisible to the eye.


    The white light slowly stretched out and gradually condensed into a narrow human figure.


    It emerged from the mud statue, shedding its shell, body like a human, face like a monster, with long whiskers, narrow eyes, and yellow fur.


    This Yaoying moved stealthily, and with each gust of chilly wind, it approached Mo Hua, extending long claws, and said in a sinister voice,


    ¡°Young friend¡­¡±


    ¡°Turn around and look¡­¡±


    ¡°See for yourself who I am¡­¡±


    It intended to convey this sinister whisper into the Cultivator¡¯s dreams.


    To startle him awake from his dreams.


    But before it had finished speaking, the one who seemed to be ¡°deeply asleep¡± suddenly turned his little head. His large eyes stared straight at it, and he asked, sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The wickedly-faced Yaoying was startled.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t sleeping?¡±


    Immediately after, it was shocked again, ¡°You can see me?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to look at you?¡± Mo Hua said, puzzled.


    ¡°No, no¡­¡±


    The Yaoying shook its head repeatedly; the ¡°seeing¡± it referred to was in dreams, casting itself as a frightening nightmare.


    Not to be actually seen with eyes in reality.


    The Yaoying became somewhat panicked, ¡°What¡¯s going on with this boy¡­¡±


    How could he see it?


    Could it be¡­ his Divine Sense was too strong?


    That¡¯s impossible, how powerful could the Divine Sense of a little child be?


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Regaining its composure and about to show its anger, the Yaoying saw Mo Hua¡¯s eyes clear and piercing, even carrying¡­ a hint of strangeness, as if to see right through it.


    The Yaoying¡¯s heart skipped a beat, only to hear Mo Hua say crisply,


    ¡°Were you the thing inside the mud statue just now?¡±


    ¡°The clay statue of the Mountain God Temple¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you the Mountain God?¡±


    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be right. The old man at the foot of the mountain told me that the Mountain God had turned evil and has already been slain.¡±

 Chapter 756 - 756: 577 chapter Surprising Night_2

    Chapter 756: 577 chapter Surprising Night_2


    ¡°So, you¡¯re an impostor?¡±


    ¡°A human body with a demon-like face, hosting in a clay sculpture, you¡¯re neither human nor demon, but a spiritual entity. Either you¡¯re a naturally malevolent spirit, or a ghost transformed by a person¡­¡±


    Yaoying felt a sinking feeling in its heart.


    How does this kid know so much?


    How old is he? He speaks as if he deals with these demons and evil spirits every day¡­ Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Revealing a ferocious expression, Yaoying said, ¡°Scared now, huh? Since you know, why not hurry and¡­¡±


    ...


    It didn¡¯t finish its words before a fireball whooshed towards it.


    This fireball was fast and accurate, with flames swirling around it, heading straight for Yaoying¡¯s face.


    But the fireball didn¡¯t hit its mark; instead, it passed through Yaoying¡¯s face and flew out the door. Following an explosion, flames spread and burned several rocks.


    Yaoying was stunned, then became furious.


    Fireball technique on the face!


    This foreign Cultivator is so rude!


    Without any provocation, he throws a fireball?


    Luckily, I am a Divine Consciousness Entity. Spells made of Spiritual Power can¡¯t injure a Thought Body, otherwise, wouldn¡¯t my face be wrecked by that attack?!


    ¡°What audacity!¡±


    Yaoying¡¯s face was full of rage. It wanted to teach this young Cultivator a lesson, to show him the proper way of being a Cultivator!


    But Mo Hua paid no attention¡­


    ¡°Fireball Technique is useless, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s an attack on the level of Spiritual Power, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Evil thought¡­ Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered while muttering to himself.


    His previous Divine Thought clashes were inside the Sea of Consciousness, where one spell after another was a Divine Thought Manifestation, capable of injuring evil thoughts.


    But now, outside the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua lacked experience and didn¡¯t know which tactics would be effective.


    Mo Hua continued to ponder by himself.


    Yaoying was even more incensed.


    A mere child, so disrespectful!


    After all, I was once revered as a Mountain God, worshipped by people. Even though I¡¯ve fallen, I shouldn¡¯t be humiliated by a kid to this extent!


    In my own temple, with the empowerment of my Divine Effigy, my thought power is stable.


    I am also a Divine Consciousness Entity, immune to Blood Qi or Spiritual Power attacks¡ªbasically invincible.


    I was originally planning to frighten this young boy away, given his age.


    But since he¡¯s so ungrateful, I have no choice but to take severe measures, to teach him the harsh realities of Tao Cultivation¡­


    Yaoying¡¯s eyes turned crimson, its aura violently increasing in strength. Its once gaunt form began to bulk up, and its limbs grew fur, transforming into a huge ¡°Yellow Skin¡±¡­


    Seeing this, Mo Hua was not only unafraid but also quite intrigued.


    I¡¯ve seen transformations into ¡°Evil Ghosts¡± and ¡°Zombies¡±, but this is my first time seeing one turn into a ¡°weasel¡±¡­


    The Yellow Skin Yaoying glared menacingly at Mo Hua, looking like it was about to attack.


    Mo Hua, after a moment of contemplation, decided to strike first. With a flick of his hand, he laid out a Formation with Spiritual Ink at the feet of the Yellow Skin, drawing the Golden Lock Formation.


    The First-grade Golden Lock Formation was simple, so he completed it rapidly.


    Once the Golden Lock Formation was complete, chains materialized, binding the Yellow Skin Yaoying.


    Straining against the Golden Lock Formation, the Yellow Skin managed to break the chains and free itself, but it was deeply shocked.


    ¡°A Formation?¡±


    ¡°Without a brush or paper, how did this kid set it up?¡±


    Mo Hua, however, nodded secretly.


    I was right in my thoughts.


    The power of a Spell is determined by Spiritual Power.


    Whereas the harm caused by a Formation, though made of Spiritual Power, also contains the Law of the Great Dao and a great deal of Divine Sense.


    Using Divine Sense to restrain Divine Thought.


    That¡¯s why Spells can¡¯t hurt it.


    But a Formation can affect this ¡°Yellow Skin¡± Yaoying, which has no blood, no Qi, is not harmed by physical attacks or affected by Spiritual Power.


    Although, compared to the purely Divine Sense-based Formations in the Sea of Consciousness, its power is lesser.


    But it¡¯s useful, and that¡¯s what matters¡­


    Plus, I¡¯m currently only using a First-grade Formation Method.


    Mo Hua took out several bottles of Spiritual Ink and set to work with concentrated effort, using Divine Consciousness Control Ink to create an even more complex Formation¡­


    The Yellow Skin, watching Mo Hua¡¯s calm demeanor, began to panic¡­


    It felt that things were getting out of control¡­


    This kid isn¡¯t flustered. He counters move by move with solid confidence; I can¡¯t quite see through him.


    Give up?


    But as a proud Mountain God, if I lose to a kid, wouldn¡¯t that be a big joke?


    The Yellow Skin hardened its heart and tried to charge at Mo Hua.


    Yet, before it could reach him, golden patterns emerged under its feet, solidifying into a three-fold Golden Lock Compound Formation, trapping it securely.


    The Yellow Skin used claws and teeth in frantic effort to escape.


    Though now in decline, its strength was not what it once was; still, it could handle a First-grade Golden Lock Formation.


    But before it could fully escape, it looked down and saw even more Golden Lock Formations appearing under its feet.


    The Yellow Skin was both shocked and scared.


    ¡°What¡¯s with this kid¡­?¡±


    ¡°What kind of teaching has he received? How can he draw Formations like this?!¡±


    With this method of Drawing Formations, I can¡¯t win¡­


    The thought of retreating crossed the Yellow Skin¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Should I ask for mercy?¡±


    This thought just surfaced when the Yellow Skin immediately dismissed it.


    A Mountain God such as myself can¡¯t beg a kid for mercy; wouldn¡¯t I be laughed out of existence?


    I¡¯ll just hold out for now¡­


    A mere young Cultivator, even if his Divine Sense is strong and his Formation knowledge slightly better, how long can he last?


    When we¡¯re both at our limits, I¡¯ll just pretend and agree to a ¡°draw¡±, and we can stop without losing too much face¡­


    But before it could finish its thoughts, its eyelids began to twitch uncontrollably.


    It noticed suddenly that fiery red patterns had appeared around it without its knowledge. Surging Spiritual Power flowed through them, while imposing Divine Thoughts surged within them¡­

 Chapter 757 - 577: A Night of Shock_3

    Chapter 757: Chapter 577: A Night of Shock_3


    Second-Grade Formation!


    And not just any ordinary Second-Grade Formation, but at least a Second Grade Initial Stage Twelve, perhaps even Thirteen Stripes, Killing Formation!


    Yellow Skin trembled in his heart, widened his eyes, and immediately threw away the dignity of a Mountain God, shouting out,


    ¡°Young friend! Young friend!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk it over!¡±


    Mo Hua ignored him and continued with the formation¡­


    ...


    Yellow Skin grit his teeth and yelled, ¡°Young master, my little ancestor!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m begging you, stop drawing, if you draw any more, it¡¯s going to cost me my life!¡±


    It had not been easy for it to condense this damaged body, and if it were to be blown up again, it really might be scattered to the winds, never to recover¡­


    Mo Hua stopped.


    It wasn¡¯t that he really wanted to stop, but that he couldn¡¯t continue drawing.


    His Divine Sense was strong, but using such a difficult method of Divine Sense to lay out formations, drawing a Second Grade Thirteen Stripes Earth Fire Formation, was already somewhat strenuous. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Setting up the Golden Lock Formation before had consumed a lot of Divine Sense.


    Now this Second-Grade Earth Fire Formation probably couldn¡¯t be completed, and even if he managed to finish it, his Divine Sense would be close to exhaustion.


    Moreover, since Yellow Skin was being so reasonable, even calling him ¡°my little ancestor,¡± Mo Hua decided to be magnanimous and let it off for now.


    Mo Hua walked up to Yellow Skin and asked,


    ¡°You wanted to harm me?¡±


    Yellow Skin replied helplessly, ¡°I just wanted to scare you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, puzzled, ¡°For no reason, why would you scare me?¡±


    Yellow Skin gave a bitter smile, ¡°Your Divine Sense is somewhat peculiar, as soon as you entered, you started staring at the Mountain God effigy, as if you saw something¡­¡±


    ¡°I was afraid that you would find out my secrets and bring disaster upon me, so I wanted to scare you into leaving early. I had no other ill intentions¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mo Hua nodded with half-belief and then asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Yellow Skin said, ¡°I am the Mountain God of this place¡­¡±


    Mo Hua raised his eyebrow, ¡°Nonsense, the Mountain God here was slain!¡±


    Yellow Skin hastily said, ¡°I dare not deceive you, young friend. I truly am the Mountain God, named Lord Yellow Mountain. I am covered with yellow demon skin, my surname is Yellow, and I am a Mountain God, thus called ¡®Mountain Lord¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Originally, when I was cultivating the Tao, something went wrong, and evil thoughts arose, which is why I was cut down by a cultivator of the Righteous Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°But because my roots were profound, I still had a glimmer of life left.¡±


    ¡°These years, I presided over this broken temple, dispelling miasma and repelling demons, providing a place for traveling cultivators to rest, thus creating a bit of good karma.¡±


    ¡°Plus, with the Mountain God effigy being worshipped, I received a bit of incense offerings.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how I managed to condense this damaged body, but my strength is much less than before, just barely clinging to life¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain sighed.


    Seeing his expression did not seem fake, Mo Hua reluctantly believed him a little but still crisply threatened,


    ¡°You¡¯d better not be deceiving me, otherwise, I will eat you!¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain was startled and couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    Thought to himself that after all, it¡¯s just a child, not knowing how to threaten someone.


    He himself was a Divine Consciousness Entity, how could he¡­


    Suddenly, Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s heart chilled. As soon as the word ¡°eat¡± came to mind, he felt a pull on karma and couldn¡¯t help but feel terror.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Could this young cultivator really consume him?


    No¡­ Perhaps he had already consumed quite a few¡­


    Lord Yellow Mountain opened his mouth, eyes filled with horror.


    ¡°What on earth is this young cultivator, and why is he more frightening than I am?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain wished he could slap himself.


    How could he be so unlucky to have provoked this little calamity?! When this little ancestor entered the door, why didn¡¯t he just hide inside the clay effigy and play dead?


    Why did he have to be cheap and take a glance at him?


    With that one glance, he almost lost his old life¡­


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt bitter in his heart.


    But Mo Hua, examining Lord Yellow Mountain, suddenly asked,


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you a few questions.¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain immediately retracted his demon form, revealing his original appearance with a human body and demon face, and said respectfully,


    ¡°Gentleman, please ask!¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Your essence is Divine Thought, but in the end, are you human, or are you a monster? And as for the Mountain God¡­ what exactly is it?¡±


    ¡°How does one qualify as a ¡®god¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua asked several questions in quick succession.


    Lord Yellow Mountain was somewhat surprised.


    He had thought this young cultivator, with such formidable abilities and profound knowledge of Divine Thought Slaughter, must have an extremely profound family heritage. Yet, the questions asked were somewhat inconsistent in depth.


    Things he shouldn¡¯t have known, he knew, and not just knew, but to a frighteningly profound extent.


    But things he should have known seemed to be rather limited in his knowledge¡­


    ¡°Is it an incomplete inheritance, or did the master only teach him half¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain speculated in his heart but didn¡¯t dare to withhold information.


    He was afraid this young cultivator was ¡°deceiving¡± him, pretending not to understand what he actually did, and then seizing on his own words to ¡°devour¡± him.


    One¡¯s path in Tao Cultivation is fraught with peril, and it wasn¡¯t outside the realm of possibility¡­


    Lord Yellow Mountain said:


    ¡°All entities of Divine Consciousness in the world, just like cultivators¡¯ Divine Sense, malicious spirits¡¯ ghost thoughts, and evil spirits¡¯ evil thoughts, are all illusory and not real ¡®Thought Bodies¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Ghosts are Thought Bodies.¡±


    ¡°When a cultivator reaches their limit, and their body dies and their Tao fades, the transformed Divine Thought usually becomes a ghost.¡±


    ¡°These ghosts and evil spirits, having scattered and mutated consciousness, consume human divine sense to sustain their own ghost thoughts, especially the divine sense of their close relatives, which to ghosts is an especially nourishing substance.¡±


    ¡°¡®God¡¯ is also a type of Thought Body.¡±


    ¡°But becoming a god is very demanding and relates to the Great Dao, cause and effect, offerings, incense worship, and the like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a minor Mountain God, given some incense offerings, worshipped by believers, and by chance acquired the Mountain God Position, but more profound matters¡­ I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Especially¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain showed a look of fear, ¡°In this world, it is said that there are ancient, supreme beings like Monster Gods, Evil Gods, and Demon Gods¡­¡±


    ¡°These beings are unseen, unknown, and almost ¡®Dao,¡¯ almost ¡®Immortal¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    This world of cultivation was seemingly bigger, deeper, more terrifying, and more complex than he had imagined¡­


    Mo Hua took another look at Lord Yellow Mountain and asked doubtfully:


    ¡°Mountain God, you cultivate the Righteous Dao, so that¡¯s good, right?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain smiled awkwardly, ¡°That is generally the case¡­ At least the divine sense is clear, desiring incense worship, wanting to form good connections, reaping good fruits¡­¡±


    ¡°Then why did you become bad before, and even got chopped?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    Lord Yellow Mountain, as if stabbed in the heart, hesitated for a moment before saying helplessly,


    ¡°That¡­ alas, it¡¯s hard to avoid missteps in cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°I was too complacent as a Mountain God, and my Divine Thought hadn¡¯t grown for a long time, so I took to perverse ideas and ate¡­ ate a few people¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned cold.


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt a chill over his entire body and immediately said, ¡°Not ¡®me,¡¯ but the previous ¡®me¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face stiffened, ¡°The you from before isn¡¯t you anymore?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain wished he could cry but helplessly replied, ¡°Evil thoughts grew, one body, two thoughts; I had no control¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°After that¡­ after eating a few people, my Divine Thought might have been tainted, but it definitely grew stronger. Just when ¡®I¡¯¡ªno, the previous me¡ªwas complacently satisfied with myself, I was figured out by a cultivator from a nearby Righteous Dao Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°There was a White-Robed Sword Cultivator, with a profound level of cultivation, who chopped me down with a single sword¡­¡±


    ¡°After getting chopped, due to the good karma I had accumulated earlier, I was left with the faintest breath¡­¡±


    ¡°That Sword Cultivator said things like ¡®Heaven values all life,¡¯ ¡®one death, one life, should not be cut off,¡¯ and ¡®to leave a line of survival,¡¯ and let me go.¡±


    ¡°But he also warned me that if I committed evil again, he would utterly exterminate me.¡±


    ¡°So, young Gentleman, I really don¡¯t dare to harm you¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain wished he could open his heart for Mo Hua to see.


    ¡°Mhm mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly remembered another question and asked:


    ¡°You are a Mountain God, a Divine Consciousness Entity, so how did that Sword Cultivator, with a sword, chop you?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­¡±


    Seemingly recalling that moment, Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s eyes still held immense terror.


    ¡°Divine Thought into sword¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then his eyes lit up.


    Divine Thought¡­


    Into sword!!

 Chapter 758 - 578 Human Trafficker_1

    Chapter 758: Chapter 578 Human Trafficker_1


    Mo Hua said excitedly, ¡°Divine Thought into sword? How does one do that? What does the sword look like that¡¯s created? How do you drive it with Divine Thought?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain had a complex expression, ¡°How would I know¡­¡±


    I was the one who was slain by the ¡®Divine Thought into sword¡¯, not the one who uses ¡®Divine Thought into sword¡¯ to slay others¡­


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Is that Divine Thought into sword very powerful?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain nodded, ¡°You see how pitiful I look after being slain, then you will know¡­¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at Lord Yellow Mountain and questioned with a bit of doubt, ¡°You¡¯re not powerful though¡­¡±


    ...


    How does that prove the ¡®Divine Thought into sword¡¯ is powerful?


    Lord Yellow Mountain, ashamed and annoyed, said, ¡°Times have changed!¡±


    ¡°Back in the day! I was the Mountain Lord! I was the one who called the shots over this entire mountain!¡±


    ¡°It was just that I made a mistake, harbored evil spirits, and just like that my cultivation was destroyed in an instant. That¡¯s what led to my current state, defeated by you, fallen from my high state to be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed, and his gaze became dangerous.


    Lord Yellow Mountain immediately swallowed the words ¡°to be bullied by a ¡®dog¡¯.¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be said that ¡°a tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by a ¡®dog¡¯¡­¡±


    This little Cultivator isn¡¯t ordinary, to say the least. He¡¯s also a ¡°Little Tiger,¡± even a ¡°Little Malevolent Tiger¡±¡­


    A ¡°man-eating¡± Little Malevolent Tiger¡­


    If possible, it¡¯s better not to provoke¡­


    Mo Hua was still somewhat incredulous, ¡°Were you really powerful before?¡±


    ¡°Of course I was¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered, ¡°This place is the Second-rank small state boundary of Qian State. Even if you were powerful, you were at most a Second-rank Mountain God. How powerful could you have been?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­ I used to¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain, with a narrow face and full of self-pride, began to speak, but stopped halfway, trying to laugh it off with some embarrassment:


    ¡°¡­Indeed, I was just a Second-rank Minor Mountain God¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him with suspicion.


    Under Mo Hua¡¯s intent gaze, Lord Yellow Mountain felt guilty, looking up at the sky as if nothing had happened.


    Mo Hua felt there was a big problem, but now that he had softened, it wasn¡¯t good to be too harsh, and after all, he was a Mountain God, so he shouldn¡¯t be too disrespectful.


    Mo Hua was still more concerned about the matters of ¡®Divine Thought into sword¡¯¡­


    ¡°What does a Sword Cultivator who can wield ¡®Divine Thought into sword¡¯ look like? What is his birth name? Do you know?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only remember he was clad in white, ethereal like an immortal, and then there was that terrifying sword intent. As for what he looks like, I didn¡¯t dare to look closely, much less inquire his name¡­¡±


    ¡°Which Sect does he belong to?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain still shook his head.


    Mo Hua, frustrated, gave Lord Yellow Mountain a disdainful glance, ¡°How do you know nothing?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt quite helpless.


    What can I do?


    I was slain by a single sword stroke. I was too panicked to even think about asking questions about that man.


    ¡°A white-robed Sword Cultivator, slaying an evil Mountain God¡­¡±


    Mo Hua could only note this clue down, planning to find out more after joining a Sect.


    To find out about the person with ¡®Divine Thought into sword¡¯, learn the method of ¡®Divine Thought into sword¡¯, master externalizing Divine Sense, and materializing it into a sword¡­


    That way, upon encountering evil spirits or a Divine Sense like Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s outside the Sea of Consciousness, he could also turn Divine Sense into a sword and slice them down¡­


    Mo Hua murmured to himself.


    Lord Yellow Mountain immediately shivered.


    It didn¡¯t know what Mo Hua was plotting in that little head of his, but without needing to think, it knew for sure it was nothing good, possibly even something very frightening¡­


    Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t feel its neck getting cold¡­


    ¡°Young Mister¡­¡± Lord Yellow Mountain showed an extremely amiable smile, even a bit fawning, ¡°The mountain breeze is chilly. You should rest early. Tomorrow morning, we still have to hurry on our journey¡­¡±


    It wanted to send this little ancestor off as soon as possible¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired!¡± Mo Hua said.


    With the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness, he wouldn¡¯t feel tired even if he didn¡¯t sleep.


    Lord Yellow Mountain inwardly sighed.


    Little ancestor, oh how I wish you¡¯d feel sleepy.


    If you¡¯re not sleepy, this lengthy night will be hard to endure¡­


    Mo Hua had many more questions.


    For example, how one becomes a Mountain God, what is virtuous affinity? If a Mountain God harbors evil, do they become an Evil God? Why consume incense offerings? Why accept worship?


    And so on and so forth¡­


    It was still far from dawn, and Mo Hua wanted to seize the opportunity to ask Lord Yellow Mountain all these questions. Just as he was about to speak up, he suddenly paused, turning his gaze towards the door.


    Seeing the change in Mo Hua, Lord Yellow Mountain was somewhat surprised.


    A moment later, he too was startled.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming outside¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lord Yellow Mountain looked astonished.


    Now it understood that this little Cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense was extraordinary.


    Within its own mountain realm, this Cultivator could sense movements even before it could.


    ¡°We should hide a bit¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain looked weakly at Mo Hua, seeking his approval.


    Mo Hua nodded, and only then did Lord Yellow Mountain heave a sigh of relief. It turned into a wisp of white smoke and subtly merged with the Divine Effigy of the Mountain God.


    Mo Hua erased the Warm Fire Formation on the ground and, using the Water Passing Step, walked vertically up the wall to perch on the beams, hiding behind a massive but broken beam. He then cast the Concealment Technique to hide himself well.


    Soon, faint footsteps could be heard outside the temple.


    Even though they kept their footsteps low, in the quiet mountain night, and especially to Mo Hua¡¯s senses, they were still distinctly audible.


    Two unfamiliar Cultivators hid outside the temple door, looking into the temple and cautiously releasing their Divine Sense to scan around. Only after ensuring there was no one did they relax their guard and spoke to someone behind:


    ¡°Big brother, there¡¯s no one in the temple¡­¡±


    Voices followed one after another.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late, and the road here is terribly difficult to navigate¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been tired for days¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest in the temple for a while¡­¡±


    ¡°May the Mountain God bless us¡­¡±


    ¡°Our heads are on our own shoulders, our lives are in our own hands. What blessing can a Mountain God give!¡±

 Chapter 759 - 578: Human Trafficker_2

    Chapter 759: Chapter 578: Human Trafficker_2


    ¡°`


    ¡­


    A group of people chattered as they walked into the ruined temple.


    Mo Hua, hidden in the crevices of the beams and borrowing the moonlight, watched secretly and saw that the ruined temple bustled with activity as more than ten people joined in.


    Most of them were Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    Some carried knives, some were equipped with swords, and a few pushed carts on which storage boxes sat, containing unknown contents.


    ...


    The frontmost Cultivator, dressed in green robes and armed with a sword, appeared middle-aged and had an air of gentle refinement.


    He seemed to be the leader of the group.


    Though his Cultivation was also at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, it was clearly deeper than the rest, and his footsteps were methodical.


    Mo Hua heard others call him ¡°Boss Jiang.¡±


    Boss Jiang entered the temple, looked around, and nodded:


    ¡°We¡¯ve been travelling day and night, and brothers are tired. Let¡¯s rest in the temple, and continue on our journey at dawn. Delivering the goods will earn us some Spirit Stones to live with ease¡­¡±


    His voice was warm and cultured.


    The other Cultivators nodded in agreement, placed their luggage down, and found a clean spot to sit cross-legged.


    Some took out dry food to eat, some drank wine to relieve fatigue, and some, perhaps exceedingly tired, lay down and slept immediately.


    A few people spoke in hushed tones, to which Mo Hua pricked up his ears to listen.


    ¡°Boss, how much longer¡­¡±


    ¡°Three to four days¡¯ journey¡­¡±


    ¡°How much can we make?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Let¡¯s see when we get it¡­¡±


    ¡°The others¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just us¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The few chatted for quite a while.


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, not understanding their conversation, and just as he tried to listen more closely, suddenly Boss Jiang¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right!¡±


    The other Cultivators, taken aback, showed looks of astonishment.


    ¡°Boss, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡±


    Boss Jiang stood up and slowly looked around, his gaze turning sharp, ¡°There¡¯s someone here!¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    The people in the ruined temple were shocked, stood up, and with their Divine Senses colliding, swept the area carefully, only to become collectively frowning. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s no one¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang wiped the ground with his hand, his eyes alert, ¡°The ground is still warm, indicating that a Cultivator warmed himself here not long ago¡­¡±


    He looked around and found the skin of the sweet potato Mo Hua had partially eaten.


    Holding the skin, his face showed confusion.


    Suddenly someone exclaimed, ¡°Boss, look!¡±


    Boss Jiang, alerted, walked over and followed the direction pointed to by that person, and saw patterns crisscrossed on the ground as if newly smeared¡­


    Boss Jiang felt a shudder in his heart, ¡°Is this¡­ Formation?!¡±


    His usually gentle eyes suddenly became sharp, and he commanded authoritatively, ¡°Everyone on guard!¡±


    All the Cultivators present, their weariness dispelled, drew their swords or brandished their knives, channelling their Spiritual Power, their expressions extremely grave.


    Yet, after a moment, the ruined temple remained completely silent.


    Whether by the naked eye or the perception of Divine Sense, they found not a single trace.


    Someone hesitated, ¡°Boss, could we have been mistaken¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang frowned, pondered for a moment, and shook his head:


    ¡°No, the Formation has just been erased, there is residual warmth. Someone was here in this ruined temple very recently¡­¡±


    ¡°In these desolate mountains with paths scarce and far between, only this ruined temple stands; that person would not have gone far, likely hiding from us due to our numbers¡­¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps¡­ laying an ambush for us¡­¡±


    The faces of the other Cultivators tensed.


    ¡°Boss, what should we do?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, Boss Jiang looked at the ruined temple and spoke loudly, ¡°Whichever Taoist Friend is present, why not show yourself?¡±


    ¡°Meeting by chance is fate¡­¡±


    ¡°We have no quarrel with you, and we will not harm you. A random meeting in the wilds can lead to friendship¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Boss Jiang spoke politely, but Mo Hua remained unmoved.


    One cannot see the heart through the belly. How could he know whether this group was good or bad?


    Boss Jiang had exhausted his words, and seeing that there was still no response from the surroundings, his eyes grew cold, and he said sternly:


    ¡°If this Taoist Friend won¡¯t show common decency, don¡¯t blame me for being discourteous¡­¡±


    ¡°Once I tear down this ruined temple and smash this divine statue, leveling this place to the ground, let¡¯s see where you can hide¡­¡±


    Tear down the temple?


    Mo Hua was taken aback, and glancing down, he saw Lord Yellow Mountain, the spirit residing in the divine statue, looking indignant yet helpless.


    The Mountain God was now in shambles and stood no chance against this band of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.


    If his dwelling ¨C the clay statue ¨C was destroyed, he truly might lose his foundation.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t particularly care.


    The mountain was vast, the night was deep, and even if the temple was torn down, he could still flee, but Lord Yellow Mountain couldn¡¯t run from the mountain god¡¯s temple¡­


    He still had a host of questions to ask this destitute Mountain God.


    After some thought, Mo Hua dispelled his Concealment Technique and called out crisply:


    ¡°I¡¯m coming out!¡±


    Boss Jiang was startled by the sound. He had thought that anyone daring to stop here in the dark of the night must be a seasoned traveler, experienced in the ways of the wild.


    But why did the voice sound so young?


    Before he could gather his thoughts, he saw a young Cultivator jump down from the rafters, petite in stature with a handsome face and innocent expression.


    Boss Jiang was stunned, and then felt a chill in his heart, he couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°Are you human, or a ghost?¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at him disdainfully, ¡°Are you the ghost?¡±


    Boss Jiang saw that Mo Hua¡¯s voice and appearance were vibrant and lively, indeed not like a spirit but a real, live, young Cultivator, and he relaxed slightly.


    But then he furrowed his brows again, ¡°Are you alone?¡±


    Naturally, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t going to say he was alone, and simply replied:


    ¡°I got separated from my master and fellow senior and junior disciples. I was resting in this ruined temple temporarily and will look for them tomorrow.¡±


    With a Sect¡­


    Boss Jiang¡¯s brow furrowed slightly but did not take it to heart.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 760 - 578 Human Traffickers_3

    Chapter 760: Chapter 578 Human Traffickers_3


    But there was one thing he couldn¡¯t understand, and he asked with a deep voice,


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we detect you when we entered?¡±


    Mo Hua replied righteously,


    ¡°How should I know?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t find me, shouldn¡¯t you look for reasons within yourselves?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that your Cultivation is insufficient, or your Divine Sense is weak, or your vigilance is lacking?¡±


    ...


    ¡°What does that have to do with me, a child?¡±


    One by one, their faces turned red with shame and anger at Mo Hua¡¯s words, but they seemed unable to refute them.


    It appeared that¡­ they could only blame their own incompetence¡­


    They surely couldn¡¯t blame the child for hiding well, could they¡­


    Seeing that they had such ¡°self-awareness,¡± Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    A burly man approached Boss Jiang and murmured in an extremely low voice,


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Should we¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes turned cold, and he gestured with his hand as if it were a knife.


    His movements were slight, his voice soft, but Mo Hua, with his powerful Divine Sense, still heard them. Nonetheless, he pretended not to.


    Boss Jiang said in a low voice,


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush; let¡¯s see how things go¡­¡±


    He was a bit puzzled about the background of this little cultivator and couldn¡¯t figure out the identity of this little demon.


    As Boss Jiang furrowed his brows in thought, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he asked,


    ¡°Young brother, did you draw the formation in this temple?¡±


    The Warm Fire Formation, huh¡­


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I drew it!¡±


    Boss Jiang was surprised but more so delighted.


    ¡°You actually know how to draw formations?!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang¡¯s expression immediately softened, and he even showed a kindly smile.


    A young cultivator¡­


    Who can paint formations¡­


    The price for that is not ordinary¡­


    ¡°Put away your swords and knives; don¡¯t startle the young brother¡­¡± Boss Jiang ordered. Then, looking at Mo Hua, he spoke softly and gently, as if the spring breeze were nourishing the rain.


    ¡°We are legitimate merchants, just passing through. Fearing being robbed and losing both our lives and wealth, we became a bit too vigilant. Young brother, please don¡¯t take offense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, indicating that he didn¡¯t mind.


    But inside, he sneered to himself.


    Legitimate merchants? I¡¯ve seen my fair share; who are they trying to fool¡­


    Boss Jiang asked Mo Hua to sit down and even brought out some dry food and wild fruits for Mo Hua to eat.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t eat.


    Boss Jiang didn¡¯t mind and asked warmly, ¡°Young brother, to be able to draw such a standard of formation at your young age is truly impressive!¡±


    This standard? The standard of the Warm Fire Formation?


    His flattery didn¡¯t reach Mo Hua¡¯s heart; Mo Hua responded indifferently,


    ¡°Just average¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang then probed, ¡°Then, young brother, can you draw a first-grade formation?¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Sort of¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang, delighted by the response, said, ¡°Young brother, you surely have a boundless future!¡±


    He then raised his cup sincerely and said, ¡°I¡¯ll drink this cup as a self-punishment for being abrupt and rude earlier, and to apologize to you, young brother!¡±


    Boss Jiang drained the cup of wine in one gulp.


    Mo Hua graciously replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Boss Jiang continued with more flattery, his eyes glinting, and he asked quietly, ¡°May I ask, young brother, who is your master¡­¡±


    ¡°My master doesn¡¯t allow me to say¡­¡± said Mo Hua, ¡°But my master is very powerful, he can casually draw third-grade formations¡­¡±


    ¡°My uncle is even more incredible, but I¡¯m not at liberty to tell you about him¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang chuckled to himself, thinking hard.


    A mentor at the Golden Core Stage, huh¡­


    Low, but with a talent for formation, a below-average mentorship¡­ difficult to blackmail, so it¡¯s time to find another way to trade¡­


    Having made up his mind, Boss Jiang suddenly slapped his forehead and said in astonishment,


    ¡°Your master¡­ on the way here, I seemed to have encountered a high-level practitioner looking for his disciple. He said his disciple was extremely gifted, proficient in formations. Looking at it now, that sounds a lot like you, young brother¡­ ¡±


    ¡°This high-level practitioner might just be your master!¡±


    Mo Hua silently watched his performance, emotionless, and replied,


    ¡°Are my elder brothers and sisters with him?¡±


    Boss Jiang said, ¡°Yes, that high-level practitioner was accompanied by a male and a female disciple, both outstanding and extraordinary, truly dragons among men¡­¡±


    Mo Hua feigned ¡°surprise¡± with a flat tone,


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s great. They are indeed my master, my elder sister, and my elder brother!¡±


    Even though Boss Jiang felt something off about Mo Hua¡¯s tone, his guilty conscience prevented him from noticing, and he sighed,


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pity they took the wrong path¡­¡±


    ¡°They went the wrong way?¡± Mo Hua asked with ¡°surprise.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Boss Jiang said with regret, ¡°they headed towards Qingzhou City, taking a detour. You, waiting here in the mountains, will probably miss them.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression showed disappointment.


    Boss Jiang, judging by Mo Hua¡¯s reaction, affirmed his guess.


    This kid looked clever and was certainly cautious, but after all, he was just a child, inexperienced, especially when it came to his master, emotionally invested and confused.


    Deceiving him with a lie wouldn¡¯t be difficult¡­


    Boss Jiang suggested, ¡°Your master is a great person, and we would like to establish a good relationship. How about this, we take you to find your master? It just so happens we¡¯re passing through Qingzhou City¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Mo Hua said, full of anticipation.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Boss Jiang replied with a smile, looking amiable and friendly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes revealed an excited gleam, ¡°That would be wonderful, thank you, big brothers!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was pure and clear, and his demeanor was as brisk as a young deer¡¯s.


    Relieved, Boss Jiang then said,


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late; let¡¯s rest for a while. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll take you to find your master.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded eagerly with anticipation.


    Everyone then rested in the dilapidated temple.


    Mo Hua slept quietly, his eyelashes black, breathing steady, just like any ordinary child.


    Boss Jiang stood at the entrance of the temple, far away from him, speaking in a low voice with several cultivators.

 Chapter 761 - 578: Human Trafficker_4

    Chapter 761: Chapter 578: Human Trafficker_4


    ¡°Boss, why bring this kid along?¡±


    ¡°He knows Formation, and the price is good¡­¡±


    A cultivator said, ¡°His Spiritual Root is too poor, a bit useless¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang said, ¡°What do you know? A single talent can cover a hundred flaws. Knowing Formation is enough; we¡¯re not picking and choosing for a Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Before coming, the Gentlemen calculated, not allowing us to add any unnecessary complications¡­¡±


    Someone expressed their concern.


    ...


    ¡°Just this one deal won¡¯t hurt. Selling one is selling, two is the same¡­¡± Boss Jiang said in a low voice, ¡°After this transaction, it won¡¯t be easy to do business in the future, so grab as much profit as possible¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, Qian State is so vast, with complex and intertwined powers.¡±


    ¡°Mentors at the Golden Core Stage aren¡¯t considered much¡­¡±


    ¡°Once a person is lost, it¡¯s like they¡¯ve sunk to the bottom of the sea, never to be found for a lifetime¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Boss Jiang and his men were speaking in hushed tones.


    The ¡°sleeping¡± Mo Hua silently opened one eye and grasped the situation.


    These cultivators were ¡°human traffickers¡±!


    They were engaged in the business of kidnapping cultivators.


    They looked kind-faced, but their consciences were thoroughly rotten!


    In learning states like Qian State, crowded with Sects, most of those kidnapped were young cultivators about his age.


    Some were held for ransom, others sold.


    Young cultivators with good Spiritual Roots and talents, whether for ransom or for sale, could fetch a large amount of Spirit Stones.


    There were some cultivators, who turned to the Demon Path, using the flesh, Qi Sea, and Spiritual Roots of cultivators as guiding pills for Alchemy.


    The Qian Family¡¯s ancestor used human lives to refine the Lifespan Transformation Elixir.


    And talented young cultivators with pure bloodlines were undoubtedly the best ¡°guiding pills.¡±


    Selling to Demon Cultivators could naturally earn a large amount.


    After pondering, Mo Hua slowly closed his eyes again, continuing to feign sleep.


    The desolate mountain was deep in the night, silent and serene.


    Until dawn.


    ¡°Little brother, little brother¡­¡±


    Someone woke Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua groggily ¡°woke up,¡± rubbing his eyes with a small hand.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s face wore a smile, and he said kindly, ¡°It¡¯s dawn, time to hit the road. We will take you to find your master¡­¡±


    To find the master¡­


    Mo Hua had a moment of clarity, complex emotions surfacing, but he still smiled and said, ¡°Okay!¡±


    The group packed their bags, ready to leave.


    At that moment, a low whisper came from the clay statue:


    ¡°Little Gentlemen, be careful, none of them are good people¡­¡±


    It was a Divine Thought, and only Mo Hua could hear it.


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Mo Hua nodded and then waved to the clay statue on the main hall of the dilapidated temple, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. When I¡¯m free in the future, I¡¯ll come back to see you¡­¡±


    The other cultivators, seeing this, were somewhat puzzled.


    But thinking that Mo Hua was just a child, and some children have such temperaments, they didn¡¯t give it much thought.


    On top of the clay statue, white smoke formed the visage of Lord Yellow Mountain.


    He gave Mo Hua a sheepish smile.


    But he couldn¡¯t express the sadness in his heart:


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t come back to see me; I don¡¯t want to see you again¡­¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everything packed, Mo Hua followed Boss Jiang and his group out of the dilapidated temple, walking towards Qingzhou City in the glow of the dawn.


    This was also the necessary route to the Qian Learning State Boundary, and Mo Hua happened to be headed that way as well.


    Lord Yellow Mountain watched them leave, filled with worry.


    ¡°These more than ten cultivators, bearing evil karma, are no good sort¡­¡±


    ¡°That little cultivator, I hope he¡¯ll be all right¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain furrowed his brow, then abruptly his expression changed.


    The cultivators might be no good, but this little cultivator seemed¡­ even less so?


    What kind of cultivator thinks of ¡°eating¡± a Mountain God?!


    Lord Yellow Mountain watched silently, his stone face reflecting the complexity of emotions as Mo Hua confidently walked among the ¡°kidnappers,¡± leaving him unsure who he should really be worried about¡­

 Chapter 762 - 579 Sending Big Brother On His Way_1

    Chapter 762: Chapter 579 Sending Big Brother On His Way_1


    Having crossed the deep mountains, there were still hundreds of miles to go before reaching Qingzhou City.


    Arriving at Qingzhou City was tantamount to stepping halfway into the Qian Xue State Boundary.


    The Qian Xue State Boundary boasted a vibrant scholastic atmosphere and was relatively safer.


    After that, he would follow the Map to find the Qian Taoist Sect and, with the Sect-Entering Order, he could formally join the Sect.


    ¡°Joining the Sect¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was filled with anticipation.


    ...


    On this journey, his spirits were lifted, his step light, as he followed Boss Jiang and the others without any guard up.


    He freeloaded meals and drinks along the way.


    At night, they would stay in dilapidated temples or abandoned houses in the wilderness; Mo Hua would wrap himself in his small blanket after a full meal and sleep soundly.


    Boss Jiang and his men were gathered around a fire.


    One of them cast a glance at Mo Hua and scoffed, ¡°This kid¡¯s such a dreamer, dumb as a doorknob, clueless about everything¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang gave him a stern look, ¡°Watch your mouth!¡±


    The man was reprimanded and lowered his head, but he still muttered, ¡°The dumb kid can¡¯t hear us anyway¡­¡±


    Another shook his head, ¡°This child seems clever enough, but he lacks street smarts¡­¡±


    ¡°What street smarts? Even at your age, you¡¯re probably no better than him¡­¡±


    ¡°If he was really wily, wouldn¡¯t that spell trouble for us?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Boss Jiang frowned.


    The others fell silent.


    All around, there was stillness, only the crackling of the campfire breaking the silence.


    As the night grew colder with the mountain wind, the men huddled around the fire to drink and keep warm.


    Someone stood guard at the perimeter, their Divine Sense sweeping the area from time to time, wary of any disturbances.


    As midnight approached, the quiet deepened.


    Mo Hua slept even more soundly, occasionally smacking his lips, as if savoring something delicious in his dreams.


    A burly man glanced at Mo Hua and said to Boss Jiang:


    ¡°It¡¯s good that this kid is a bit simple. Having him with us makes us less suspicious on the road.¡±


    Boss Jiang nodded slightly.


    After some thought, the man¡¯s face showed a trace of doubt, ¡°Boss, do you think we can pull it off without a hitch?¡±


    Boss Jiang¡¯s brow furrowed, and he lowered his voice, ¡°We¡¯re all that¡¯s left; we have to make it work¡­¡±


    The man pressed on, ¡°But with our current state¡­¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Boss Jiang glanced at Mo Hua out of the corner of his eye and saw that he was sleeping soundly. Only then did he say:


    ¡°The darkest place is right under the lamp¡­¡±


    ¡°This time, several groups of us, including the strongest team with eight cultivators at the latter stage of Foundation Establishment wielding Evil Artifacts and practicing Demon Path Skills, were sniffed out by the Taoist Court Officials and got slaughtered without a survivor.¡±


    ¡°The remaining groups either got caught by the Gu Family or have been put on the wanted list by the Taoist Court Officials¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, the Taoist Court Officials are on our heels, and if we¡¯re not careful, we could all end up dead¡­¡±


    The man exploded in anger, ¡°Damn Taoist Court Officials!¡±


    Then, puzzled, he asked, ¡°Those Taoist Court Officials, with their bloated ranks and idleness, why have they become such a thorn in our side this time?¡±


    Boss Jiang gave him a look, ¡°Anyone who rises to the Taoist Court Officials isn¡¯t a true ¡®good-for-nothing.¡¯ It¡¯s just that without benefits, they¡¯re unwilling to take action¡­¡±


    ¡°Once their own interests are at stake, if there¡¯s profit to be made, they become the real ¡®Hawk Dogs¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°The stakes for this deal are high. Since the Taoist Court Officials are involved and there¡¯s plenty to gain, they naturally put in all their effort¡­¡±


    The man spoke quietly, ¡°Our group is only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment. We¡¯re no match for the Taoist Court Officials or the Gu Family¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang looked at him coldly, ¡°Even if you were at the initial stage of Golden Core, you still wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against them.¡±


    The man was at a loss for words.


    Boss Jiang sighed, ¡°That¡¯s why we picked the Second Grade state boundary and traveled this difficult path¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness, we¡¯re merely at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment. If our cultivation were any higher, it would attract attention, and we might get exposed and slaughtered by the Taoist Court Officials or the Gu Family halfway through our journey¡­¡±


    The man shuddered at the thought.


    The path of cultivation truly depended on fate.


    Sometimes, higher cultivation isn¡¯t better. The higher your cultivation, the quicker you might die¡­


    ¡°Boss, can we really make it on this trip?¡±


    Boss Jiang spoke gravely, ¡°Mr. Tu has calculated everything. As long as we follow his instructions, this journey will be startling but not dangerous¡­¡±


    The name ¡°Mr. Tu¡± seemed to carry significant weight.


    The man was somewhat reassured.


    Boss Jiang continued, ¡°After this deal is closed, we will earn a large sum of Spirit Stones. Then, the brothers can buy some Pills and Spiritual Objects to cultivate in seclusion. At the very least, they could increase their realm by one or two levels.¡±


    ¡°Once the heat dies down, we can resume our old business¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes lit up at the mention, but he grinned sheepishly, ¡°With so many Spirit Stones, cultivating in seclusion seems painfully tedious¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang saw through his thoughts and kicked him, scolding, ¡°Spend less time in the brothels, you worthless lot¡­¡±


    The man grinned sheepishly, somewhat unconvinced, then glanced at Mo Hua and asked:


    ¡°So what about this kid? Are we selling him too?¡±


    Boss Jiang nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve got it figured out. There are a few rendezvous points outside Qingzhou City. We¡¯ll sell him there along with the others. We¡¯ll take whatever we can get¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The two talked until the deep of the night beckoned them with fatigue, and they both closed their eyes to rest.


    Within the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua, who was practicing the Formation while secretly eavesdropping on the ¡°story,¡± furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Several groups¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Tu¡­¡±


    ¡°The deal¡­¡±


    It seemed these human traffickers were not just from one group but perhaps part of a larger gang.


    And there were even Demon Cultivators involved¡­


    He just didn¡¯t know if the groups of Demon Cultivators he had encountered on his journey were also engaged in ¡°abducting Cultivators.¡±


    And this ¡°Mr. Tu¡±¡­


    Who was this person?


    ¡°Calculated¡± a journey that¡¯s startling but not dangerous?


    How did he calculate it?


    Did he also know the Calculation Method akin to the Heavenly Secret, or did he possess treasures like the Heavenly Secret Lock?


    Mo Hua was troubled:


    ¡°What should I do now?¡±


    ¡°Shall I bust this ring of human traffickers who ¡®trade Cultivators¡¯ in one fell swoop?¡±

 Chapter 763 - 579: Sending Big Brother Off_2

    Chapter 763: Chapter 579: Sending Big Brother Off_2


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Being only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, he didn¡¯t have such capability¡­


    Moreover, this was Qian State, not the Second Grade Big Black Mountain State Boundary where high-ranking cultivators were as common as clouds.


    Without any power, background, or acquaintances, no one would cover for him.


    He had no right to meddle in these affairs.


    ¡°Forget it, better ensure my own safety first¡­¡±


    ...


    When near Qingzhou City, he would find a chance to slip away secretly.


    The urgent matter at hand was to join a sect.


    This was the priority, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste time on other things. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At most, after arriving in Qingzhou City, he could report to the Taoist Court and let the Taoist Court Officials worry about the rest. As a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator, he couldn¡¯t manage that much¡­


    But that calculative ¡°Mr. Tu,¡± he might need to keep an eye on him¡­


    Mo Hua remembered the name ¡°Mr. Tu,¡± then continued practicing formations on the Taoist Stele.


    The next day, after waking up, Mo Hua continued on the road with everyone.


    After traveling for several days, Qingzhou City was less than a hundred miles away.


    Mo Hua felt it was time to make his move; it was time for him to slip away.


    The vast world was his to explore, but entering a sect was paramount.


    He no longer had time to play with them.


    However, when they arrived at a mountain forest to take a short rest, Boss Jiang suddenly pulled out an iron bracelet and handed it to Mo Hua, saying coldly:


    ¡°Put it on.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask, just put it on.¡±


    Boss Jiang¡¯s tone was indifferent.


    The other cultivators also looked towards Mo Hua, their smiles sinister.


    Mo Hua said ¡°fearfully,¡± ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t put it on¡­¡±


    A burly man sneered, ¡°That¡¯s not up to you¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­ supposed to be taking me to find my master?¡±


    Mo Hua stammered, while quietly releasing his Divine Sense, preparing to find a corner to escape unnoticed by utilizing the Water Passing Step and then conceal himself in the underbrush with the Concealment Technique.


    The First Grade Concealment Technique had slightly poorer effects.


    But he was small in stature, and with the help of the underbrush to blur the line of sight, it would be enough to shake off these people.


    The slave traders were unaware of Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts.


    Boss Jiang smiled faintly, yet it seemed fake, as if he was grinning without really smiling:


    ¡°If you wear this bracelet, we will take you to find your master¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face showed naivety, but he had already secretly begun to channel his energy, with the heels of his feet slightly lifting off the ground.


    Boss Jiang was about to say something when suddenly, a big man in the crowd scoffed:


    ¡°Find your master?¡±


    ¡°You naive fool!¡±


    ¡°Who would be so bored as to actually take you to find your master who¡¯s whereabouts are unknown¡­¡±


    The surroundings fell silent for a moment.


    The expression on Mo Hua¡¯s face gradually faded, and his eyes turned cold, with a trace of pitch-black shadow surfacing in their depths.


    However, these changes were fleeting, gone in an instant, and went unnoticed by anyone.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s gaze was sharp like a sword as he suddenly looked towards the big man.


    The big man closed his mouth in discontent.


    Boss Jiang turned to Mo Hua, saying gently:


    ¡°Young brother, don¡¯t mind their words¡­¡±


    ¡°We do intend to take you to your master.¡±


    ¡°This bracelet is a Spiritual Artifact; it is both to protect you and to prevent you from getting lost, making it impossible for us to find you. You should wear it¡­ it¡¯s for your own good¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang¡¯s tone was gentle, but his gaze was cold and uncompromising.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, nodded, and said, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Mo Hua took the bracelet and wore it on his delicate wrist.


    Boss Jiang felt relieved, looking at Mo Hua as one would look at a lamb.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang took the lead, and with a sinister chuckle, the rest followed.


    Mo Hua walked behind, silently observing them, as though he were looking at a bunch of dead men.


    ¡­


    Afterward, Mo Hua behaved perfectly well along the way.


    Boss Jiang found it odd, but considering that the iron bracelet was put on, he figured this small cultivator couldn¡¯t cause any trouble and didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    After traveling another hundred miles or so, they arrived at an eatery as dusk fell.


    This place was only a few dozen miles from Qingzhou City.


    The eatery, with its thatched roof and wooden eaves, was quite spacious, yet there were no diners.


    The eatery had a chubby proprietor and a thin waiter, who, upon seeing Boss Jiang and his group, focused their gaze and asked with a smile:


    ¡°Gentlemen, what would you like to eat?¡±


    Boss Jiang spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    The proprietor asked, ¡°Then how about lodging?¡±


    Boss Jiang replied, ¡°Can people even stay here?¡±


    The proprietor breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and said:


    ¡°Important people can¡¯t, but minor ones can.¡±


    Boss Jiang nodded, ¡°Then we won¡¯t stay, just serve some wine and meat.¡±


    The proprietor responded, ¡°Alright!¡±


    The exchange between the two was somewhat strange.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and realized these people were part of the same group.


    The proprietor was also a human trafficker, disguised and lying in wait here to liaise with cultivators like Boss Jiang, selling small cultivators like himself.


    The group took their seats at the eatery.


    The proprietor served them wine and dishes, and then, toasting to Boss Jiang, asked in a low voice:


    ¡°Did you succeed?¡±


    Boss Jiang nodded.


    The proprietor glanced at Mo Hua, frowning, ¡°Is that him? He doesn¡¯t seem to be the right age¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang shook his head, ¡°No, that¡¯s just an extra catch we found along the way. The important ¡®merchandise¡¯ wouldn¡¯t possibly be brought here with us¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­rest assured, everything is in order¡­¡±


    The proprietor then felt relieved, ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang then asked, ¡°When will the people arrive?¡±


    ¡°In two hours¡­¡±


    ¡°And the people from the Gu Family?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve left the city¡­¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court Officials¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s keeping an eye out; within a ten to twenty miles radius, there are none of those dogs¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang sighed in relief and nodded, ¡°Good!¡±


    The others also relaxed considerably.


    After a journey of eating in the wind and sleeping outdoors, always fearful and anxious, this business deal was finally about to be concluded. They would earn plenty of Spirit Stones and live a good life for a few years, or maybe even more than a decade.

 Chapter 764 - 579 Sending Big Brother on His Way_3

    Chapter 764: Chapter 579 Sending Big Brother on His Way_3


    The shopkeeper served wine and meat.


    After having been hungry for the entire journey, everyone ate heartily, but they exercised more restraint with the wine.


    At this critical juncture, they clearly didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble.


    Mo Hua received a small bowl of Spiritual Meat, nibbling on it while deep in thought.


    ¡°Two hours¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s coming?¡±


    ...


    ¡°If it¡¯s a Golden Core, I guess I won¡¯t be able to get away; if it¡¯s Foundation Establishment, it¡¯ll also be quite troublesome once their numbers increase¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems I need to start planning ahead¡­¡±


    Mo Hua took a bite of the meat, then slammed the bowl down and frowned, ¡°This tastes terrible¡­¡±


    The other Cultivators all turned to look, their gazes unfriendly.


    ¡°Kid, what are you making a fuss about?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°The meat tastes terrible, it¡¯s poorly made, not even as good as what I can make¡­¡±


    The stout shopkeeper was furious, ¡°Nonsense, this is a skill passed down from my ancestors!¡±


    Mo Hua replied disdainfully, ¡°Then your ancestors weren¡¯t very impressive¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    The stout shopkeeper¡¯s face reddened with anger, but Boss Jiang held him back, signaling him to keep calm, ¡°What¡¯s the point of fussing with a child¡­¡±


    At times like this, it¡¯s better to avoid trouble than to create it.


    Boss Jiang looked at Mo Hua, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t suit your taste, go and cook for yourself.¡±


    After all, it was going to be their last meal, so letting the kid do as he wished and enjoy something tasty didn¡¯t seem like a big deal.


    Boss Jiang silently thought to himself.


    Mo Hua eagerly said, ¡°Okay!¡± and then he got up and headed to the kitchen.


    Boss Jiang silently watched Mo Hua go.


    The kitchen was enclosed within the eatery, and with Mo Hua still wearing iron shackles, it was impossible for him to escape, especially with more than ten people watching.


    However, to prevent any mishaps, Boss Jiang continued to eat and drink, all while extending a sliver of his Divine Sense to keep an eye on any movements in the kitchen.


    Mo Hua was truly stewing the meat.


    The ingredients in this eatery were all Spiritual Meat; although there were fewer varieties, the quality of the meat was good.


    It seemed that this group was engaged in unscrupulous deeds but living an indulgent life.


    Spiritual Meat was expensive, and Mo Hua didn¡¯t eat it often, nor did he want to indulge too freely, but now there was no need for politeness¡­


    Mo Hua picked some of the best pieces of meat, placed them in the pot to cook, and then, following the recipes his mother taught him, he controlled the heat, added spices, and brought out the flavor of the meat, blending it with the aroma of the spices¡­


    Boss Jiang¡¯s scrutiny with his Divine Sense did not go unnoticed by Mo Hua.


    But with his level of Divine Sense, it would be strange if he could keep tabs on Mo Hua.


    After adjusting the seasoning, Mo Hua turned down the heat to let the meat simmer slowly.


    He then took out several vials of Spiritual Ink from his Storage Ring.


    His Storage Bag had been ¡°confiscated¡± by Boss Jiang, who claimed to be holding onto it for him temporarily.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t care.


    The key items were all stored in the Storage Ring given to him by his master, which others couldn¡¯t see, making it very secure.


    His first task now was to remove the iron bracelet from his wrist.


    Mo Hua took out the Spiritual Ink, and with a touch of his finger, he used Divine Consciousness Control Ink to solidify Formation Patterns on the bracelet, releasing the iron bracelet that was locked on his wrist.


    This bracelet had the effects of suppressing spiritual power and tracking.


    The Taoist Court also had similar Spiritual Artifacts for imprisoning Sin Cultivators.


    The trouble with this bracelet was that it had Formation Patterns inscribed on it.


    But to Mo Hua, as long as it involved Formation Patterns, it wasn¡¯t a problem.


    That¡¯s why he willingly put on the bracelet in the first place.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Thinking that such a Formation could trap me is rather akin to ¡®bringing an axe to the hall of Lu Ban¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua hummed softly in his heart.


    Once the Formation on the iron bracelet was unlocked, it ceased to have any effect.


    What followed was the real business¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes glimmered faintly, shimmering with phantoms, the pupils pitch black. Atop the Divine Sense Incarnation within his Sea of Consciousness, an eerie ¡°Taoist Robe¡± also draped itself.


    His Divine Sense poured out like the tide.


    And the Spiritual Ink rose from the bottle, condensing into lines that fell to the ground, merged with the earth, and like thin threads or blood serpents, they secretly, snakily, spread out layer upon layer¡­


    The sky grew dim, and dusk enveloped everything.


    The people were unaware that something terrifying was creeping on the ground, weaving together like a spider spins its web, interlinking layer upon layer, gradually taking form¡­


    ¡­


    The Spiritual Meat was tender, requiring little time to cook.


    Soon, Mo Hua had finished boiling the meat.


    He served it in a bowl as big as his face, bringing it outside to eat alone, savoring both the meat and the soup with evident delight.


    The others watched him silently.


    They were surprised that this youngster truly could cook, and they were also somewhat astonished that the dishes he made smelled quite appetizing.


    But they all refrained from disturbing Mo Hua.


    As if no matter how well Mo Hua ate, his meal was still a ¡°last supper.¡±


    The sold children, unaware of who the buyers were or what they were bought for¡­


    Whether to be raised, enslaved, or used for Alchemy, Refining Rune, or Artifact Refining¡­


    Whether they lived or died was another matter.


    So to call it a ¡°last supper¡± was not inappropriate.


    Mo Hua finished the entire bowl of meat, his belly round and full. After drinking the soup, he felt warm and content.


    He then poured himself a cup of wine from the table, held it with both hands, and walked over to Boss Jiang, offering him a toast.


    Boss Jiang was somewhat surprised.


    Mo Hua, holding the wine bowl, said earnestly:


    ¡°Thank you, big brothers, for looking after me along the way. I toast to you all, to send the big brothers on your journey!¡±


    Mo Hua lifted his bowl and drank it down in one gulp.


    Boss Jiang couldn¡¯t help but to smile, though internally he sneered. Still, he lifted his bowl of wine. But halfway through his drink, he suddenly realized that something was off with Mo Hua¡¯s words¡­


    Send the big brothers on their journey?


    On what journey?


    Boss Jiang was taken aback.


    And while Mo Hua took advantage of the moment while he was toasting to attract everyone¡¯s attention, he quietly shattered a Storage Bag of Spirit Stones, and with his Divine Thought, activated the Formation.


    Ripples of Spiritual Power spread out.


    Boss Jiang knew something was wrong. His expression turned fierce as he sharply turned to Mo Hua.


    He reached out to grab Mo Hua, but suddenly Mo Hua was enveloped in a mist of water, formless and elusive, drifting uncertainly.


    When Boss Jiang tried to grasp him, it was as if he tried to catch a handful of mist, palpable yet containing nothing.


    When he looked again, Mo Hua had already floated away, now standing in a corner.


    Graceful as a startled swan, fleeting as a passing river, simultaneously real and illusionary.


    ¡°What kind of movement technique is this?!¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Boss Jiang was shocked and wanted to pursue. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a sight that made his temples twitch.


    Without them knowing when, the ground had suddenly sprouted an intricate web of vivid red Patterns. Against the twilight, they were strikingly bright. Spiritual Power flowed within them like streams of lava, encircling each and every one of them!


    ¡°A Killing Formation?!!¡±


    Boss Jiang¡¯s heart shook violently, and he looked on in horror.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 765 - 580 Sword Control_1

    Chapter 765: Chapter 580 Sword Control_1


    Second-grade Thirteen Stripes Earth Fire Formation!


    The Formation Patterns were burning, red as fresh blood and hot as magma!


    In the blink of an eye, they suddenly exploded.


    The boiling Fire Elemental Spiritual Power surged wildly, intertwining recklessly like Fire Pythons, thoroughly engulfing a group of cultivators.


    As the Spiritual Power dissipated, the area was left in complete disarray.


    When the dust settled, it revealed Boss Jiang¡¯s disheveled figure.


    ...


    In front of him was a Golden Bell Spiritual Artifact, which he had activated with all his might, enveloping his body. However, it failed to protect his entire body¡­


    His left arm and leg were charred black by the Earth Fire Formation, and even the bloodstains were burnt crisp.


    The right side of his body, although protected by the Spiritual Artifact, still endured the impact of the explosion, causing his internal organs to ache and blood to spurt from his mouth.


    The Golden Bell Spiritual Artifact was also covered in cracks, clearly rendered useless.


    As the leader, Boss Jiang was experienced in the business of trafficking cultivators and often walked by the river, his head tied to his belt, both suspicious and shrewd by nature.


    Therefore, the moment he sensed something amiss in Mo Hua¡¯s words, he became wary.


    At a critical juncture, he drew out his life-saving Spiritual Artifact, and this is how he survived, though grievously wounded.


    But his subordinates, the other eleven ¡°traffickers,¡± were not so lucky.


    For cultivators in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, a Second-grade Formation with Thirteen Stripes was akin to a ¡°heavy killing weapon.¡±


    They had never imagined that someone would silently lay such a Killing Formation on the ground. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Caught completely off guard, they were directly consumed by the flames of the Earth Fire Formation and blasted by Fire-series Spiritual Power, suffering severe damage to their meridians, and one by one, they fell to the ground.


    Some died instantly, and those who were still alive were left with just a breath.


    Without taking some pills to hang onto life, they probably wouldn¡¯t survive.


    Heart bleeding, Boss Jiang couldn¡¯t bear it.


    These were his brothers!


    Surviving in the Cultivation World relied not just on one¡¯s own strength, but also on brotherly support.


    These brothers were the backbone he had painstakingly built over the years, living through burning, killing, kidnapping, and shared meals of meat and drinks.


    Now, with this one explosion, he wasn¡¯t sure how many would survive.


    Ignoring his injuries, Boss Jiang turned his head in great anger, his eyes nearly bursting with rage.


    He saw that damned brat, calmly ¡°finishing off¡± those who were not yet dead!?!!


    Just like a little Yama, whomever he saw still breathing, he stepped forward and delivered a Fireball Technique to end it.


    This Fireball Technique was no small force.


    Those who had but a breath left, once struck by the Fireball Technique, also breathed their last.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he shouted angrily,


    ¡°You brat, what are you doing?!¡±


    Mo Hua turned around and sighed,


    ¡°I saw they were suffering too much, lingering on without dying peacefully, so I helped them find release¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, he pointed his finger, and another Fireball Technique claimed the life of another struggling ¡°trafficker.¡±


    Boss Jiang felt rage surge up, a mouthful of blood stuck in his chest which he spat out with a ¡°puhh¡± sound.


    Mo Hua, however, didn¡¯t bother with him, continuing his ¡°finishing moves¡± on his own.


    They had more numbers, and he couldn¡¯t beat them on his own.


    He had to strike first, with lightning-fast moves, setting up the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation and killing whoever he could.


    Afterward, those who were severely injured couldn¡¯t be spared either.


    Even those who seemed to have breathed their last had to be hit again with a Fireball Technique, to make their death ¡°solid¡± and ¡°thorough,¡± preventing any surprise attacks or unforeseen complications that could turn the situation on its head.


    As for the remaining Boss Jiang, he was still breathing heavily, showing strong resilience. Mo Hua would take his time to ¡°play¡± with him.


    In just over a few breaths¡¯ time, Mo Hua had finished off more than a dozen traffickers.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s anger had now turned into a chill.


    He knew he had fallen into a trap.


    Appearances can be deceiving.


    He should not have underestimated this young cultivator for his youthful appearance, innocent face, and occasional naivety.


    This was not a simpleton but a little Evil Ghost!


    It took just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea for him, with his sole strength, a mere Formation, and a few Fireballs, to kill all the brothers he had accumulated over the years¡­


    And now, his own situation looked rather grim¡­


    Secretly taking a pill, Boss Jiang began healing while simmering with questions, he asked,


    ¡°You little demon, when exactly did you set up the Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled without answering.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s gaze darkened as he continued to ask,


    ¡°Why were you also in the midst of the Formation, but after it exploded, you were unharmed?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled again, keeping silent.


    He wasn¡¯t stupid.


    Explaining how he ¡°Drawing Ground into Formation¡± and calculated the ¡°Life-gate¡± was pointless; he didn¡¯t bother telling Boss Jiang, who wouldn¡¯t understand his knowledge of Formations anyway.


    It would be like playing the lute to a cow.


    Mo Hua checked the surroundings once more and nodded.


    Now that all the traffickers had been ¡°taken care of¡± by him, only Boss Jiang, the leader, remained.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was smiling, but his heart had already begun to calculate how to slaughter Boss Jiang¡­


    For human trafficking¡­


    This dark business surely had deep roots and intertwined interests. If it had lasted this long, the forces behind it were probably not small.


    Offending Boss Jiang would guarantee a grudge.


    Indeed, there could be retaliation from his backing forces.


    Therefore, he had to ensure complete eradication!


    Otherwise, as a frail cultivator in the initial stages of Foundation Establishment, his future would be in great danger¡­


    Watching Mo Hua, Boss Jiang¡¯s mind shifted, and he suddenly said in a deep voice,


    ¡°Young brother, you might not believe me, but this is all a misunderstanding. I trafficked you, but you also killed my eleven brothers ¡ª we¡¯re even now¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me leave, and I won¡¯t seek revenge on you¡­¡±


    ¡°From now on, we won¡¯t interfere with each other¡¯s affairs. What do you think?¡±


    Mo Hua knew Boss Jiang was talking nonsense, but when it came to talking nonsense, he was no less skilled than anyone else.

 Chapter 766 - 580 Sword Control_2

    Chapter 766: Chapter 580 Sword Control_2


    Mo Hua nodded and said:


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve only killed eleven of your brothers, but now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, enemies should reconcile rather than fall out. I¡¯ll let bygones be bygones¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang was taken aback and couldn¡¯t help but become angry, spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    He had never imagined that this kid could be so shameless, with such thick skin that he could say such things without blushing.


    But¡­ killed your eleven brothers¡­


    But!!


    ...


    Boss Jiang inwardly seethed.


    This kid might look simple and naive on the surface, but his scheming was vicious and his actions despicable to the extreme!!


    Boss Jiang¡¯s face twitched with anger.


    But it didn¡¯t matter anymore¡­


    This was a fight to the death from the start.


    And he was determined to kill this kid, to avenge his brothers¡­


    Boss Jiang¡¯s gaze turned cold and his expression fierce.


    His pale complexion slowly regained its color, the scars on his body formed scabs, and his energy gradually recovered.


    Boss Jiang cast a side glance at Mo Hua, let out a cold laugh and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been talking nonsense with you to buy time and wait for my injuries to heal. What are you waiting for? Waiting to die?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the Formation!¡±


    Boss Jiang was startled and suddenly felt a sense of alarm. He hurriedly looked down and saw that the ground was unknowingly covered with several golden Formation Patterns.


    These Patterns, layered upon each other, intertwined to form what looked like double lotuses.


    A First-Grade Triple Lotus Gold Lock Compound Formation! S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once the Formation was complete, it materialized golden light and formed golden locks that restrained Boss Jiang.


    At the same time, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he pointed forward, forcefully urging his Spiritual Power. The Second-grade Fireball Technique fired rapidly, one after another, fiercely shooting towards Boss Jiang.


    Boss Jiang was caught off guard, trapped by the golden locks of the Compound Formation, and couldn¡¯t dodge in time, taking six or seven Fireball Techniques directly.


    The Blood Qi that had just recovered was now entirely depleted, and his injuries turned even worse.


    Moreover, Mo Hua specialized in hitting the face when beating someone, and the Fireball Technique was aimed at Boss Jiang¡¯s face, so he looked even more pitiful than before.


    Boss Jiang, summoning all his strength, finally broke free from the Triple Lotus Gold Lock Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful seeing this.


    The Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was too draining to use for now.


    The Triple Lotus Gold Lock Compound Formation, although a Compound Formation, was only First-Grade and couldn¡¯t trap Boss Jiang for long.


    If it were a Second-Grade Trapping Formation, he could have locked Boss Jiang down, turning him into a ¡°live target¡± and worn him out with the Fireball Technique.


    However, the Second-order Thorn Formation wasn¡¯t very handy.


    He didn¡¯t know any other Second-Grade Trapping Formations, and his Divine Sense was also not quite sufficient for now¡­


    ¡°It seems my Divine Sense and Formation skills are still not strong enough¡­¡±


    ¡°I need to get started and learn more about Second-Grade Formations as soon as possible¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    After Boss Jiang broke free from the Triple Lotus Gold Lock Compound Formation, he hastily swallowed a Pill, his eyes filled with shock as he looked at Mo Hua, his expression one of disbelief.


    How did this kid lay the Formation just now?!


    Without using a brush, drawing the ground into a Formation?


    Which Sect or Clan¡¯s heritage did this come from?


    He had once studied in the Qian Learning State Boundary and, though not proficient in Formations, had seen many talented Formation Masters. He had never seen a Formation Master who could lay a Formation without a brush or paper during battle.


    Boss Jiang said with a serious expression:


    ¡°What exactly is your identity? And who is your master?¡±


    Mo Hua laughed and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after you die. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll tell someone else.¡±


    Hatred rose in Boss Jiang¡¯s heart.


    This kid, just like an old hand who was impervious to oil and salt¡­


    All nonsense from his mouth, not giving away any hints.


    But now in a fight to the death situation, he had no other choice but to fight with everything he had.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s gaze turned frosty, his mind made up.


    This kid was skilled in spells, extremely good at Formations, and his techniques for laying Formations were concealed, tricky, and swift.


    In that case, he could only suppress him at close range, not giving him time to cast spells or set up Formations, or he would surely be ¡°played¡± to death by him¡­


    ¡°Young brother, I admit defeat. Let¡¯s talk this over¡­¡±


    Boss Jiang suddenly softened.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Just as Mo Hua began to speak, he suddenly paused, only to see Boss Jiang, like a vicious wolf, charging at him, his long sword swinging in a bright arc, aiming for his heart.


    Mo Hua spoke angrily, ¡°Shameless!¡±


    Then he took a step back, surrounded by a light blue current of water, which gently carried his body, flowing effortlessly backwards.


    When executing the Second-Grade Water Passing Step, the movements weren¡¯t the same as First Grade¡ªthe actions were all encircled by water currents, allowing for more composed advances and retreats.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s thrust missed, and he turned around for another downward slash, seemingly intent on cleaving Mo Hua in half.


    Mo Hua floated in the air, his body flipping lightly, like water returning to a river, surging and turning, again easily avoiding the strike.


    Boss Jiang frowned, his attacks became more aggressive, Sword Qi swirling around, one slash after another, aimed at Mo Hua, leaving no chance for Mo Hua to cast any Spell or concentrate on a Formation.


    Mo Hua indeed felt pressure, able only to maneuver with his movement technique and not able to counterattack for the time being.


    But Boss Jiang became more and more fearful as the battle progressed.


    He had felt that this movement technique, seemingly as erratic as flowing water, was very strange.


    Now facing it at close range and after a brief struggle, he hadn¡¯t even managed to touch the hem of Mo Hua¡¯s clothing, and this made him realize:


    ¡°An Ultimate Technique Body Skill?!¡±


    This must be an Ultimate Technique Body Skill from one of the Great Sects or powerful Clans!


    Otherwise, it would be impossible for a Spiritual Cultivator, relying on a movement technique alone, to contend with him for so long¡­


    This is bad¡­


    Boss Jiang was already injured and putting up a strong front to suppress closely, wishing for a quick resolution, but he didn¡¯t expect close range combat to be so ineffective.


    If this struggle continued, the situation would become dire.


    Or rather, it was already dire¡­


    Boss Jiang could feel his Spiritual Power weakening, and the speed of his sword strikes becoming slower and slower with each attack.

 Chapter 767 - 580: Sword Control_3

    Chapter 767: Chapter 580: Sword Control_3


    Yet, this bit of change did not escape the keen perception of the little devil.


    He could even see a glimmer light up in the little devil¡¯s eyes, a smile hung on his lips that was both adorable and extremely annoying.


    Next, he tasted the magic of the Fireball Technique again.


    He had slowed down, but the little devil had not.


    The gaps he left were sufficient for the little devil to dodge with ease, then bring his fingers together, gather energy, and form the Fireball Technique.


    It was exceedingly fast.


    ...


    In almost an instant, it was conjured, and in a flash, it came whistling toward him.


    Boss Jiang had never seen such a fast Fireball Technique in his life.


    It was, again, aimed at his face.


    Boss Jiang shielded his face with his arms, blocking the fireball, but his arms were scaldingly hot, a wave of intense pain surged, and his figure staggered a few steps.


    When he looked up again, he saw Mo Hua had already pulled away and was once more bringing his fingers together to form the Fireball Technique¡­


    A hint of despair arose in Boss Jiang¡¯s heart.


    It was an utterly ordinary Fireball Technique, but combined with a movement technique and swift casting speed, it seemed it had not a single flaw.


    He couldn¡¯t find any opportunity¡­


    He suddenly realized that even if he hadn¡¯t been wounded by the Earth Fire Formation, he might not be able to defeat this little devil purely with his Taoist Skill¡­


    Boss Jiang was stunned.


    ¡°I actually¡­ can¡¯t defeat this little devil?¡±


    As this thought emerged, he felt both shame and anger.


    As a Foundation Building Cultivator and a minor faction leader who had roamed the Tao Cultivation World of Qian State for over a hundred years, having survived countless covert and overt battles, he actually¡­


    Couldn¡¯t handle a child in his teens?!


    A crack appeared in Boss Jiang¡¯s Taoist Heart, he took a deep breath, stared at Mo Hua with a chilling hatred in his eyes.


    Then he withdrew, increasing the distance between himself and Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, who was in the middle of forming a fireball, was somewhat astonished.


    What does this mean?


    He¡¯s given up?


    If he increases the distance, wouldn¡¯t he just be a sitting duck for the Fireball Technique?


    ¡°Could it be that hitting him in the face with the fireball accidentally damaged his brain?¡±


    Mo Hua murmured to himself.


    Suddenly, he too was startled, his gaze turned stern as he looked at Boss Jiang.


    Out of nowhere, Boss Jiang had pulled out a Jade Talisman, activated it, and a layer of golden light enveloped his body, as if he had been ¡°plated¡± in gold.


    Then, from his storage, he retrieved another sword.


    This sword, the length of a forearm, etched with golden patterns, was extremely lavish and its Sword Qi was formidable.


    Mo Hua came to a realization with a bit of shock.


    This Boss Jiang was actually a true Sword Cultivator!


    Previously, when he was in close combat, using the sword to attack, all his moves were martial arts based, and Mo Hua thought he was just a ¡°Body Cultivator¡± pretending to wield a sword.


    But now, Mo Hua realized that this Boss Jiang indeed seemed to be a Sword Cultivator who knew the Sword Control Technique!


    Boss Jiang let out a cold laugh, then channeling his Spiritual Power, he activated the Sever Gold Sword.


    The Sever Gold Sword shone brightly with golden light, accumulating astonishing Sword Qi.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s gaze turned fierce.


    This was his trump card technique.


    It was also the sword technique he never revealed to others!


    Once the sword moved, he must kill all witnesses, leaving no survivors!


    Otherwise, his identity would be exposed.


    He was once a disciple of the Sever Gold Sect at the Qian Learning State boundary, and what he learned was the sect¡¯s Sect Protecting Sword technique, the Sever Gold Sword Control Jue!


    This Sword technique was purloined by him.


    If the sect ever found out that he had learned the Sect Protecting Sword technique and used it for the business of ¡°trading Cultivators¡±, he would become a disgrace to the sect, shaming it.


    He would sure be pursued relentlessly by the Sever Gold Sect!


    He could not withstand the wrath of the Sever Gold Sect.


    That¡¯s why over the years, he seldom used his sword.


    Once he did, he had to be thorough in his killing, leaving no survivors!


    But at this life-and-death moment, he must employ all his trump cards to kill the boy before him, otherwise his chances were grim!


    Boss Jiang stepped forward, chanted the incantations, and gathered the Sword Qi, its formidable presence showing the enormity of the sword¡¯s power.


    But great power meant a longer time to accumulate energy.


    Mo Hua would not give him this opportunity.


    With a light tap of his fingers, a Fireball Technique flew out in an instant, hitting Boss Jiang squarely in the chest.


    However, a flash of golden light on Boss Jiang¡¯s body seemed to have absorbed some of the power of the Fireball Technique.


    Although Boss Jiang was slightly injured, his Sword Qi continued to accumulate.


    Mo Hua frowned and then cast another Water Prison Technique.


    The First-Grade Water Prison Technique could only bind a Foundation Building Cultivator for a moment, interrupting their spellcasting.


    But this Water Prison Technique was mitigated by that golden light as well.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s sword controlling was not interrupted.


    Mo Hua was a bit perplexed; he then remembered that Boss Jiang had activated a Jade Talisman earlier, plating his body with a golden light.


    This golden light fortified him with a ¡°metal body¡±.


    It seemed to buffer part of the force of the spells and also immunize against some controls so that spells wouldn¡¯t interrupt his techniques¡­


    This allowed him to focus on charging his energy, unleashing this remarkably powerful Sword Control Technique.


    Mo Hua was amazed in his heart.


    You can play like this?


    Having come from the Second-Grade Prefecture Border, Mo Hua was seeing such a spell and Jade Talisman effect for the first time¡­


    This Boss Jiang was a master!


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Should we run?¡±


    ¡°Drag out the time on this ¡®Golden Body¡¯ and then come back to kill him?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered in his heart.


    But¡­ could he escape?


    Mo Hua frowned.


    He didn¡¯t know just how fast this Sword Control Technique was¡­


    If the speed of the Sword Qi was faster than his Water Passing Step, he reckoned he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge it¡­


    Just then, Mo Hua felt a Divine Sense sticking to him, as if it was trying to ¡°lock¡± him in place¡­


    Divine Sense Lock?


    Mo Hua was startled, his expression turning subtle¡­


    On the other side, within just a few breaths, Boss Jiang had finished accumulating the Sword Qi of the ¡°Sever Gold Sword Control Jue¡±.


    The Sever Gold Sword shone with dazzling golden light, its power terrifying.


    Once this sword was unsheathed, anyone at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage was doomed!


    That brat was no exception!


    As long as he used his Divine Sense to lock onto that brat, the Sever Gold Sword would automatically seek the enemy. The sword light would hunt for souls, chasing a thousand zhang to completely obliterate that despicable, detestable little brat!


    As long as he used his Divine Sense to lock on¡­


    Lock with Divine Sense¡­


    Lock¡­


    Boss Jiang ¡°locked on¡± for quite a while, then suddenly looked stunned, his eyes widening in shock.


    Couldn¡¯t¡­ lock on???


    A sense of ludicrous absurdity washed over him, leaving Boss Jiang in utter shock.


    Divine Sense¡­ can¡¯t lock on?!


    What the hell¡­ is this a joke?!


    He looked intently and there stood little Mo Hua, just ten zhang away in front of him, motionless.


    But in his Divine Sense, there was nothing.


    Not a trace of the little cultivator could be found!


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Boss Jiang briefly pondered, his pupils contracting.


    His Divine Sense¡­ had it been crushed?!


    By this brat¡­ crushed?!


    Boss Jiang¡¯s face filled with horror.


    Utter nonsense! How could the Divine Sense of this whelp, a greenhorn cultivator, overpower his own, a cultivator who had been cultivating for over a hundred years within the Foundation Establishment Realm?!


    On what basis?


    Beyond belief, Boss Jiang then remembered another, more severe issue:


    What to do with his ¡°Sever Gold Sword Control Jue¡± that was fully charged with Spiritual Power? S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not striking would lead to backlash.


    But¡­ how to strike?


    How could he make a move if the Divine Sense couldn¡¯t lock onto the target?


    Then¡­ aim with eyes?


    Boss Jiang found the idea preposterous.


    Since when did Sword Cultivators need to rely on their eyes to strike down an enemy with their swords?


    There are myriad phenomena in the world, bizarre and varied, and Spells are even more numerous and changeable. The least reliable thing for a cultivator is their own eyes.


    Control the sword with Divine Sense, seek the enemy with gaze, wouldn¡¯t that be the height of folly?


    But if he couldn¡¯t trust his eyes, what could he trust¡­


    Trust Divine Sense?


    There was nothing in his own Divine Sense¡­ what to trust then?


    Boss Jiang looked around with Sword Control, feeling listless in his heart.


    Mo Hua watched Boss Jiang with ¡°sympathy¡±.


    When Boss Jiang met Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, he grew even more furious.


    However, as the Sword Qi had been building up for too long, his meridians began to ache slightly, and if he didn¡¯t act soon, the Sword Qi would backfire, and he would undoubtedly die!


    Boss Jiang gritted his teeth.


    Forget it, life and death are determined by fate, the killing and sparing by heaven!


    If not by Divine Sense, then by eyes!


    ¡°The arrow is on the string; it must be sent.¡±


    If Divine Sense couldn¡¯t lock on, then he¡¯d use his eyes to see and bet it all on this one sword strike!


    Boss Jiang¡¯s spirits lifted as he gathered all his strength to wield the Sever Gold Sword, sending a torrent of Sword Qi toward Mo Hua¡¯s current position with a fierce thrust!


    But the very moment he made his move¡­


    Mo Hua had already initiated the Water Passing Step, slipping away without a trace¡­


    Boss Jiang stood dumbfounded, only to watch helplessly as his powerful Sword Control attack, ¡°locked¡± by gaze, unable to change direction or turn, struck a deserted eatery, splitting it in two¡­


    ¡­


    The Sever Gold Sword Control Jue chopped down an empty hut¡­


    Boss Jiang¡¯s face turned ashen, utterly hopeless.


    The moment he took action, he knew¡­ he was already a dead man¡­


    Only then did he understand what Mr. Tu meant by ¡°not to complicate matters¡±¡­


    Not to complicate matters, so as not to encounter troubles.


    And so as not to run into such a scheming, malevolent little monster with astonishing Formation skills, whose Divine Sense was even too terrifying to lock onto¡­

 Chapter 768 - 581 Unboxing_1

    Chapter 768: Chapter 581 Unboxing_1


    ¡°`


    Having exhausted all his strength in his sword technique, Boss Jiang knew he was out of spiritual power and death was certain.


    And Mo Hua, true to form, didn¡¯t give him the slightest chance, nor showed any mercy, casting the Fireball Technique frequently until the weakly Boss Jiang was finished.


    With this, the entire group of human traffickers was annihilated.


    The surroundings were a complete mess, charred and blackened, the thatched cottage destroyed by sword control, and grass clippings scattered everywhere.


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, deciding it was time to slip away.


    ...


    Based on the conversation between Boss Jiang and the chubby shopkeeper, other accomplices were expected to arrive in an hour.


    If he were to bump into them, things could get dicey.


    However, there was still a bit of time, and Mo Hua had some ¡°cleaning up¡± to do.


    First, he needed to partially erase the traces of the formation, and even though he couldn¡¯t completely eliminate them, he had to confuse the evidence, obscuring the techniques of ¡°Divine Consciousness Control Ink¡± and ¡°Drawing Ground into Formation¡±.


    Not all Formation Masters could use the ground as a medium to lay out a formation.


    Such clues must not be left behind.


    The traces of the spells¡­ didn¡¯t really matter.


    The Second Grade Fireball Technique was a common skill; as long as one had a Fire-series Spiritual Root, anyone could learn it and use it.


    No one would be too suspicious.


    Of course, the main reason was that the traces of the fireball were too obvious.


    The ten or so traffickers either had been finished off by Mo Hua¡¯s fireball or had been bombarded by it until they were riddled with wounds.


    Even if Mo Hua wanted to cover it up, it was impossible to hide.


    After checking everything else, Mo Hua made sure no other traces were left.


    Then, he began to rummage through their storage bags.


    A horse cannot get fat without being fed at night, and a person does not become wealthy without coming across unexpected wealth.


    It¡¯s wrong to casually go through someone else¡¯s storage bag.


    Mo Hua was a proper little cultivator and didn¡¯t want to engage in ¡°robbery and murder¡±, but these traffickers were not good people, and they were fat sheep that had delivered themselves to his door. It would be embarrassing not to take something substantial.


    Moreover, to kill them, he had wasted Second Grade Spiritual Ink and also used up over a hundred Spirit Stones. These costs had to be recuperated from their pockets.


    As a minor cultivator, earning Spirit Stones wasn¡¯t easy.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about getting rich; it¡¯s just about breaking even!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, and then started eagerly searching through the traffickers¡¯ storage bags.


    Inside these bags, there was everything, from Spiritual Artifacts used for killing, sinister Runes, and some common pills, as well as some indecent pills whose intended use was unknown. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua originally wanted to take everything.


    But after thinking it over, he hesitated.


    ¡°Most of these are probably stolen goods, and even if they aren¡¯t, they¡¯re mostly unclean¡­¡±


    If he were to take them, could he possibly leave a trail¡­


    Could others ¡°use the map to find the clues¡± to track, investigate, or even hunt him down¡­


    And besides, if they were indeed stolen goods, what use would they be to him?


    Most of the stolen items were secondhand and would be hard to offload once he reached the Qian Learning State Boundary.


    If he were in Tongxian City, with the backing of Court Leader Zhou and Elder Yu¡¯s support, even if not sold, Monster Hunters could circulate them within their own ranks.


    However, in the Qian State, where he was unfamiliar, it was a different story¡­


    Greedy for small advantages might lead to greater losses.


    ¡°As a mature cultivator, I must learn to restrain my desires¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought to himself and decided to leave the Spiritual Artifacts, pills, and Runes in their storage bags, not pocketing them.


    But Spirit Stones were different.


    Spirit Stones were clean.


    It¡¯s the cultivators who are dirty.


    He would need a lot of Spirit Stones for the upcoming school term¡­


    Mo Hua put the traffickers¡¯ Spirit Stones into his own storage bag, but then he hesitated.


    That still wasn¡¯t prudent¡­


    Leaving behind the Spiritual Artifacts, Runes, and pills, but taking all the Spirit Stones, that looked suspicious.


    Could this indicate that the cultivator who killed these traffickers was a ¡°little money-grubber¡±?


    ¡°There¡¯s still a bit of risk¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t leave them untouched, but he also couldn¡¯t take everything¡­


    Mo Hua frowned, thought for a moment, and in the end, with a heavy heart, left half of the Spirit Stones.


    Taking only half of the Spirit Stones was the most cautious approach.


    But since these traffickers were all Foundation Building Cultivators, engaged in a life-and-death trade, they carried quite a lot of Spirit Stones. Even taking only half, Mo Hua managed to amass nearly five thousand Spirit Stones.


    Five thousand Spirit Stones was not a small amount.


    Mo Hua felt a bit better.


    Finally, it was time to check Boss Jiang¡¯s storage bag.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He turned Boss Jiang¡¯s storage bag inside out, finding three Spirit Swords, five bottles of pills, several Secret Manuals, and two Jade Slips.


    Spirit Swords¡­


    Even though Mo Hua was greedy for them, he couldn¡¯t keep them. Holding on to them would be a disaster.


    He also had no use for the pills.


    Regarding the Secret Manuals¡­


    Mo Hua flipped through them and found they were Body Refinement and Taoist Skills, which he also couldn¡¯t use and likewise couldn¡¯t take with him.


    Mo Hua felt a bit of regret but also wondered.


    What about the Sword Controlling Technique?


    The one Boss Jiang used, whose name was unknown, but when used, it was mighty and gleaming with golden light, splitting the thatched cottage in two ¨C where was that Sword Controlling Technique?


    He didn¡¯t truly want to learn it¡­


    Some sword techniques required matching specific Cultivation Techniques, as well as profound Swordsmanship, and expensive Spirit Swords, consuming a large amount of Spiritual Power, to wield their full destructive power.


    Even if Mo Hua got the technique, he might not be able to learn it, let alone afford a Spirit Sword.


    But not studying it didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t research it.


    Knowing oneself and the enemy, studying the principles and the spell point of ¡°Sword Control¡± could be beneficial.


    If he encountered another Sword Cultivator in the future, he would be prepared.


    Mo Hua searched again and finally focused on the two Jade Slips.


    Both Jade Slips were sealed, impervious to Divine Sense, obviously indicating the content inside was extremely precious.


    ¡°I wonder if inside, there lies the Sword Controlling Technique¡­¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 769 - 581: Unboxing_2

    Chapter 769: Chapter 581: Unboxing_2


    ¡°To take or not to take¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat conflicted.


    After pondering for a while, he decided to secretly ¡°pocket¡± the two Jade Slips.


    Such objects, unlike Spiritual Artifacts and Pills, were commonplace and usually involved secrets and spell points that no one would investigate.


    It was normal for a Cultivator¡¯s Storage Bag to contain Jade Slips, and not strange for it to lack them.


    If he took them without showing them to others, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ...


    Hiding the two Jade Slips in the ¡°Storage Ring¡± his master gave him, which could also isolate their aura, was very safe.


    Besides, Mo Hua really wanted to know if the sword control spell named ¡°Golden Flash¡± was hidden within these two Jade Slips.


    With his mind made up, Mo Hua moved his hand slightly, and the two Jade Slips were collected into the Storage Ring.


    Then he tidied up various miscellaneous items, returned them to Boss Jiang¡¯s Storage Bag, and, restoring everything to its original place, he stuffed the Storage Bag back into Boss Jiang¡¯s embrace.


    Mo Hua even applied a Fireball Technique to make the Storage Bag look like a ¡°battle-damaged¡± version.


    After completing all these actions, Mo Hua clapped his hands, nodded his head, and felt thoroughly satisfied.


    The bad man was killed.


    The Spirit Stones were earned.


    And he also acquired two Jade Slips, contents unknown.


    Time to slip away¡­


    Mo Hua performed another check, ensuring there were no oversights, then released his Divine Sense, examining the scene from the perspective of a bystander.


    He confirmed that none of the deaths of these ten plus people had anything to do with him.


    Nor could it lead anyone to associate them with him.


    Only then did Mo Hua feel at ease, and a feeling of gratitude emerged.


    ¡°Thanks to Uncle Zhang Lan¡­¡±


    ¡°It was the Taoist Court Official, Uncle Zhang Lan, who taught me not¡­ No, he taught me how to conceal my tracks!¡±


    I didn¡¯t let Uncle Zhang Lan¡¯s teachings go to waste!


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    He then withdrew his Divine Sense and turned to leave, but as soon as he did, he suddenly hesitated.


    He felt as though he had overlooked something¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and carefully recollected the journey¡¯s every little detail, growing more perplexed, and he suddenly recalled that this group of Cultivators had been pushing a cart with several storage chests on it¡­


    Where were those storage chests?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became focused, and with a sweep of his Divine Sense, he let out a surprised sound.


    His Divine Sense¡­ couldn¡¯t detect them? S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that my Divine Sense can¡¯t detect them, but the aura of these chests has been concealed, making them very hard to be sensed by Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gradually lit up.


    He extended his Divine Sense to its limit, even employing the Calculation Method his master taught to detect traces of Spiritual Power.


    Finally, after a short while, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense flickered, and he located the storage chests.


    The storage chests were still inside the eatery.


    Boss Jiang had placed them in a corner, so they were not affected when the Earth Fire Formation exploded, and afterwards, when the eatery was split by Sword Qi, the thatch and beams scattered, covering up these few storage chests.


    Mo Hua had failed to notice them at first.


    From a corner of the eatery, Mo Hua flipped out the storage chests somewhat laboriously.


    These chests, carried by Boss Jiang all the way and even concealed through special means, had almost eluded Mo Hua¡¯s notice.


    There definitely was a major issue¡­


    ¡°What exactly is inside the chests?¡±


    Could it be Boss Jiang and his group¡¯s real family fortune?


    Mo Hua perked up.


    The chests were locked and engraved with Formations, but they weren¡¯t difficult, especially not for Mo Hua.


    Releasing his Divine Sense, Mo Hua confirmed there were no traps like hidden weapons in the storage chest before carefully breaking the Formation Patterns and opening the chest.


    As the storage chest opened, Mo Hua looked inside and suddenly froze.


    ¡°Empty?¡±


    There was nothing inside¡­


    What¡¯s going on?


    Mo Hua frowned; his fingertip touched a spot, revealing a Pattern as he opened another storage chest.


    But it was also empty inside¡­


    Mo Hua then directed his gaze to the third storage chest.


    But just as he was about to break the Formation Patterns, Mo Hua hesitated, his expression somewhat astonished.


    ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t a storage chest¡­¡±


    Although it looked exactly the same, the material and structure were completely different.


    This was a seemingly ordinary chest secluded by a Formation¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes slightly shimmered.


    Storage chests, like Storage Bags, contain Void Power that is profound in principle but applied in a very rudimentary way, capable of holding numerous times more than its own space.


    But this kind of space is repelled by a ¡°Living Soul.¡±


    Storage chests cannot contain people or any other living things.


    All the strange remarks made by Boss Jiang along the way resurfaced in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Complications¡­¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s one or two, they¡¯re both for sale¡­¡±


    ¡°Sell off that brat along with them¡­¡±


    Initially, Mo Hua thought they had already trafficked other Cultivators and were merely taking him along opportunely.


    But there was no sign of trafficked Cultivators along the way.


    And their luggage was storage chests, which cannot hold living people.


    So Mo Hua was not suspicious.


    He had even assumed that Boss Jiang¡¯s group was responsible for ¡°receiving the goods.¡±


    Other Cultivators did the trafficking; they handled the ¡°transportation¡± and ¡°transfer.¡±


    They hadn¡¯t yet received the ¡°goods¡± for their journey¡­


    But now, their ¡°luggage¡± included a chest that wasn¡¯t a ¡°storage chest.¡±


    And it was specially blended to deceive and distract others.


    Could it be that what this chest contained was¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped.


    He examined the chest more closely and found that it was engraved with Second-Grade Formations, and not just one set.


    There were defensive formations to prevent the chest from being damaged;


    Concealment formations to prevent peeping;


    And lock-type formations to seal the chest, keeping it from being opened¡­

 Chapter 770 - 581 Unboxing_3

    Chapter 770: Chapter 581 Unboxing_3


    ¡°`


    ¡­


    Too ¡°professional¡±¡­


    This ¡°box,¡± could it be specifically customized for the kidnapping of Cultivators?


    With such elaborate efforts, who exactly are they abducting?


    Mo Hua frowned and sighed.


    ...


    What a nuisance¡­


    What should I do now?


    Inside the box, there might be a living Cultivator who has been kidnapped.


    On the box, a Formation is sealed.


    These Formations are Second-Grade, and while they seem solvable, I estimate it will take some time. I wonder if there¡¯s enough¡­


    If I don¡¯t solve it¡­


    The kidnapped Cultivator will remain locked inside the box.


    The box is heavy and conspicuous; I can¡¯t take it with me.


    If ignored, in less than an hour, another group of traffickers will come and take the box away¡­


    If they are only seeking ransom, that wouldn¡¯t be too bad. Paying off the debt could avert disaster.


    But if sold to some Evil Cultivators or Demon Cultivators, turned into a pill, used as medicine, for practicing Evil Skills or refining Evil Artifacts¡­


    The child¡¯s parents and relatives will never see their child again, not even knowing if their child lives or dies, left with dim hope, in pain and despair¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart softened.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s give it a try¡­¡±


    Within two, no, three quarters of an hour, if I can solve it, I¡¯ll rescue this child. If not, there¡¯s nothing I can do¡­


    Mo Hua began by sitting in meditation to recover some of his Divine Sense, then focused on unravelling the Formations on the box.


    There were four sets of Formations on the box.


    Out of these, three sets were the Five Elements Formation that Mo Hua was familiar with.


    However, the ones he knew were First-Grade, while those on the box were Second-Grade.


    But they were all under thirteen Patterns, which was still relatively simple.


    By guessing, deducing, and calculating, Mo Hua managed to solve these three sets of Formations in just a quarter of an hour.


    Mo Hua admitted there was an element of luck involved.


    But luck is also part of a Formation Master¡¯s strength.


    Now, only the last Formation remained¡­


    After examining the Formation, Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    This is¡­ a type of Formation he had never seen before¡­


    He could only guess, based on the direction of the Pattern and the pivot of the Formation, that it was a special type of ¡°locking¡± Formation.


    But as for what kind of Formation it was, or under which system it fell, Mo Hua had no clue whatsoever.


    Mo Hua scratched his head.


    ¡°What to do¡­¡±


    Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook a meal.


    With no understanding of this type of Formation, not knowing the Patterns, the pivot, or the principles, how was he to solve it?


    Mo Hua grew anxious, but he tried his best to calm down and began to think step by step¡­


    To be able to solve a Formation, one must first know how to draw a Formation¡­


    To draw a Formation, one must first have the Formation Diagram¡­


    Formation Diagram¡­


    Calculation¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned; deducing the specific Patterns from the Spirit Traces of a Formation was the Divine Sense Calculation Method that his master had taught him, which was also¡­


    The basis of the Heavenly Secret Calculation.


    Now, as for the Spirit Traces of the ¡°locking¡± Formation, his Divine Sense could perceive them, so next¡­


    Should I first deduce the Patterns of this Formation?


    Learn the Patterns now, solve the Formation now?


    Mo Hua hesitated, ¡°Is that even possible¡­?¡±


    He looked again at the box in front of him, thinking of the little Cultivator inside with an unknown fate, his parents frantically worried¡­


    Mo Hua felt helpless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sat cross-legged, concentrated his mind, and started to use the Calculation Method of Heavenly Secret Calculation to deduce the Patterns of the ¡°locking¡± Formation based on its Spirit Traces¡­


    It was somewhat clumsy at first.


    Because all the deduced Patterns were unfamiliar.


    Mo Hua tried his best to ignore the external form of the Patterns and delve into the underlying rules of Spiritual Power. Gradually, the Patterns began to appear familiar and vivid in his eyes.


    These lines seemed no longer to be strange markings, but the remnants of the movement of the Great Dao¡­


    This was true for the Five-elements Formation Methods¡­


    True for the Ultimate Formation¡­


    And possibly true for all categories of Formations¡­


    Mo Hua had a revelation, but his Divine Sense kept working faster and faster, and the Patterns materialized little by little in his Sea of Consciousness.


    ¡°`


    But still, it wasn¡¯t fast enough¡­


    I need to calculate faster¡­


    Mo Hua frowned, and then suddenly had an epiphany. If he employed ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡± to enhance the ¡°Heavenly secret Calculation,¡± splitting his Divine Sense to calculate simultaneously, would it be faster¡­


    Mo Hua pondered for a while, but given the urgency of the situation, he didn¡¯t have time to hesitate.


    He would just have to try it¡­


    Using his Uncle¡¯s Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation to strengthen his master¡¯s Heavenly secret Calculation!


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils darkened, his Divine Sense shadowed, draped in a ¡°Taoist Robe.¡± Under the influence of Gui Tao, he used the spell point of Heavenly secret Calculation to deduce the Formation Patterns of the unknown lock Formation.


    But as soon as he began the Calculation, his Sea of Consciousness throbbed painfully.


    It was as if the two methods repelled each other, creating serrated edges, sawing back and forth, slicing and tearing apart his Divine Sense bit by bit.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Consciousness had undergone a Transformation, condensed like mercury. Despite the repulsion of the two Calculation methods and the fragmentation of his Divine Thought, his spirit remained intact, and his core was not injured.


    This kind of intense pain was something Mo Hua could still endure.


    Compared to this, the speed at which the Formation Patterns were being deduced had greatly accelerated, much faster than before.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed and gradually the pain in his Divine Sense began to fade.


    An hour later, Mo Hua had finally deduced the entire Formation Patterns of this unfamiliar Formation.


    But his Divine Sense was almost completely exhausted.


    Pain still lingered in his Sea of Consciousness.


    While the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation was useful, the consumption of Divine Sense it required was still too great¡­


    At this moment, Mo Hua could not afford to reflect on this.


    He had to hurry and break the Formation.


    Mo Hua canceled the ¡°Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation.¡± The tricky shadows at the bottom of his eyes gradually receded, and the Taoist Robe on his Divine Sense also faded away.


    But as the ¡°Taoist Robe¡± dissipated, ephemeral splits emerged on its ghostly afterimage¡­


    Like the Dao Laws had been torn apart¡­


    However, Mo Hua, who was deep in thought, did not notice these splits¡­


    All his attention was focused on the Formation before him.


    Before him was a Second-grade Thirteen Stripes, an unknown category of Formation.


    It was like a brand new door to Formation methods.


    ¡°The Formation is indeed profound and intricate¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed and then put aside his thoughts.


    Now, he had a Formation to break.


    But in reality, he couldn¡¯t ¡°break¡± it either.


    Even if he knew the Formation Patterns, he couldn¡¯t learn them in a short time, let alone talk about breaking them.


    What he had to do was still a ¡°guess.¡±


    Mo Hua had rich experience in ¡°breaking Formations,¡± and based on past experiences, not all breaking of Formations required an extremely profound knowledge of the Formation methods.


    Sometimes ¡°guessing¡± could work. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But it had to be an educated guess.


    Based on the Formation principle.


    Not a wild guess.


    Mo Hua took the complete lock Formation, broke it down, and viewed the Formation Patterns separately, using his experience and intuition to categorize the repelling Formation Patterns.


    Then he drew a few rough sketches on the ground and tested them.


    Some guesses were right, some were wrong.


    He retained the correct guesses and retried the wrong ones.


    After several attempts, he discerned several sets of Formation Patterns with constructive and destructive relationships.


    There were also a few Formation Patterns for which Mo Hua could not find the constructive and destructive relationship.


    It was very likely that their corresponding ¡°constructive and destructive Formation Patterns¡± were not included in this Formation itself.


    But this was enough.


    Mo Hua gauged the time and estimated there was just over a quarter of an hour left, with no time for him to study it thoroughly and perfectly.


    Mo Hua first broke the Formation Patterns.


    He unraveled all the Formation Patterns that had a constructive and destructive relationship.


    The lock Formation dimmed a bit, but did not disable.


    Mo Hua then looked at the Formation Pivot and, guided by intuition, adjusted it slightly; based on the Formation eye, he reversed some of the Spiritual Power circulation; then he turned back to tinker with the Formation Patterns¡­


    After doing this several times, Mo Hua, relying on his exceptional intuition for Formation methods, managed to accidentally and somewhat ¡°clumsily¡± damage the special ¡°lock¡± Formation.


    The Formation on the box completely dimmed.


    The box was no longer ¡°locked.¡±


    Mo Hua immediately opened the box.


    Inside the box was indeed a small figure.


    Much smaller than Mo Hua.


    A little boy, probably only four or five years old, clean and neat, with delicate features, dressed in understated but luxurious brocade clothes.


    Perhaps it was the noise of opening the box or the sounds of the earlier battle that awoke him.


    The child, with watery eyes, looked at Mo Hua somewhat fearfully.

 Chapter 771 - 582: Conspiracy_1

    Chapter 771: Chapter 582: Conspiracy_1


    Mo Hua looked at the little child even smaller than himself, sighed, and then felt somewhat angry.


    Such a young cultivator being trafficked¡­


    Boss Jiang and his gang really deserved to die.


    He should have fed them a few more Fireball Techniques¡­


    The eatery was in ruins, charred marks everywhere.


    The child looked around and grew more frightened, his little face deathly pale, tears glistening in his eyes, but he still tried his best not to cry.


    ...


    Mo Hua asked softly, ¡°Are you alright¡­¡±


    The child sneaked a glance at Mo Hua and slowly nodded.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The child was about to speak but opened his mouth, seemed to remember something, then shook his head and didn¡¯t say it.


    Mo Hua paused, then understood.


    This child probably didn¡¯t dare to reveal his surname.


    By revealing his surname, others would know his identity; he might even be exploited by those with ulterior motives to extort his parents.


    For such a young child, it was good to be cautious. Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind.


    He then asked, ¡°What shall I call you then?¡±


    The child thought for a moment, saw Mo Hua¡¯s clear gaze, his eyebrows and eyes friendly. Although he was older than the child, he wasn¡¯t much older.


    Better than those fierce and scary bad people¡­


    Only then did he timidly say, ¡°Daddy and Mommy call me ¡®Yu Er¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Yu Er?¡±


    Like fine jade.


    Choosing this name was probably in the hopes that their child would grow up to be as gentle as jade.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Where are your daddy and mommy?¡±


    Yu Er looked dejected and shook his head.


    A trafficked child not knowing where his parents were was not unusual¡­


    This child¡¯s complexion was pale, clearly having been scared out of his wits in recent days.


    Mo Hua felt compassion, thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I will take you to find your daddy and mommy then¡­¡±


    The sorrow in Yu Er¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened, carrying a slightly humble hope as he stared at Mo Hua:


    ¡°Really¡­¡±


    He seemed afraid that Mo Hua would deceive him, and in his gaze hid a fragile yearning.


    Probably having been hurt by the malice of others after being trafficked, he no longer dared to trust anyone¡­


    ¡°Hmm, if they can¡¯t find you, your daddy and mommy will definitely be heartbroken¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said warmly.


    Yu Er¡¯s tears then fell like pearls, ¡°I¡­ I miss Mommy¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Yu Er wiped his tears and nodded.


    Mo Hua lifted him out of the box.


    Yu Er saw the surroundings clearly, seeing a group of cultivators dead in tragic states, his little face grew even paler as he looked at Mo Hua:


    ¡°These bad people¡­ were¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua said gravely, ¡°I don¡¯t know who killed them¡­¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yu Er was stunned.


    Mo Hua pondered a little then began to bluster with all seriousness, ¡°I was passing through to Qian State to study, and when I wanted to find an eatery to fill my stomach, I encountered this scene¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone had killed this group of cultivators, so clean and so thoroughly¡­¡±


    ¡°I noticed there was something strange about the box and that¡¯s how I opened it and rescued you¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua made it sound as if it had nothing to do with him.


    He was just a passing, unknown, kind-hearted brother.


    But Yu Er looked at Mo Hua suspiciously:


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    Yu Er glanced at Mo Hua, then again at the corpses strewn on the ground, and everything seemed strange to him.


    This child was quite shrewd¡­


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and go, otherwise your daddy and mommy will definitely be worried about you¡­¡±


    This diverted Yu Er¡¯s attention back.


    ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± Yu Er nodded repeatedly.


    Mo Hua took out a cloak from his storage bag and draped it over Yu Er.


    It was a cloak used for concealment, which he and his senior brother and sister had used for covert surveillance in South Yue City.


    It had a Concealment Formation drawn by Mo Hua himself.


    Although it was only first-grade, with the sky slowly darkening, it was sufficient for hiding from view.


    Considering more of those traffickers might arrive, being cautious was always better.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Yu Er, covered by the cloak, was puzzled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask for now, just wear it,¡± Mo Hua instructed.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Yu Er obediently nodded and clumsily wrapped the too-large cloak around himself.


    Suddenly, he looked around with a sorrowful expression, as if he couldn¡¯t bear it.


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Yu Er glanced at the corpses that littered the ground and said softly, ¡°These people, they had parents too, right? Now that they are dead, won¡¯t their parents¡­ never see them again¡­¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t they¡­ be very heartbroken too¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    He hadn¡¯t expected this child to be so pure-hearted and kind¡­


    Even though Boss Jiang and the others had trafficked him¡­


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and felt that being ignorant of the evil in human hearts and being too good-natured might not be a good thing, yet being pure-hearted at such a young age of four or five was better.


    If the world can harbor so many evil people, and so many selfish individuals,


    Why couldn¡¯t it make room for one kind-hearted child?


    So Mo Hua ¡°kindly¡± said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these people had no fathers or mothers.¡±


    Yu Er was stunned, then shocked:


    ¡°Can people really have no fathers or mothers?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Most people do, but some people are different, they have no fathers or mothers.¡±


    This turned Yu Er¡¯s understanding upside down; he didn¡¯t come back to his senses for a long time, but after thinking it over, the passing, kind-hearted brother who had saved him didn¡¯t seem to have a reason to lie to him.


    Yu Er felt a bit better.


    If they had no fathers or mothers, then no one would be heartbroken over their deaths¡­

 Chapter 772 - 582 Conspiracy_2

    Chapter 772: Chapter 582 Conspiracy_2


    This could be considered a good thing¡­


    Yu Er nodded her head, silently thinking to herself:


    ¡°It¡¯s really great that these bad people don¡¯t have parents!¡±


    After reassuring Yu Er, Mo Hua took another look around, erased all the Formation Patterns he had just deduced, inferred, and listed, as well as the traces of breaking the Formation.


    The boxes¡­


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, disassembled the boxes into planks, and placed them into his Storage Bag.


    ...


    Those planks had remnants of unknown Formations on them.


    He needed to keep them for a thorough study when he had the time.


    Then, Mo Hua pointed with his finger, casting the Fireball Technique, completely destroying the remaining two storage boxes, burning all the scattered wood chips into charred remains and mixing them together.


    Mo Hua¡¯s movements were clean and brisk, and he took no more than about ten breaths¡¯ time in total.


    Yu Er blinked and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°Brother, how come you are so skilled at this¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback for a moment but then, without changing his expression, taught him:


    ¡°I also learned it from a kind-hearted uncle. This is the experience of being out in the world¡­¡±


    ¡°So, children must study hard, otherwise, they will suffer great losses when they travel in the Cultivation World!¡±


    Yu Er was somewhat puzzled but still nodded earnestly.


    Everything was packed up, and all traces were covered.


    Time to slip away.


    Mo Hua took Yu Er by the hand, hiding their figures, and left the eatery.


    A young Cultivator in his tens and an even younger Cultivator walked hand in hand towards Qingzhou City in the distance¡­


    Just that the sky was gloomy, and their figures were hidden; no one saw them¡­


    ¡­


    After Mo Hua left, within the time it took to brew a pot of tea, four or five Black-Clothed Cultivators arrived at the eatery.


    Their faces were covered with black cloth, vague and indistinct, only the eyes that were exposed conveyed a hint of indifference and grimness.


    However, this indifference and grimness turned into astonishment and shock upon seeing the current state of the eatery.


    ¡°Where are the people?¡±


    ¡°All dead?!¡±


    The Black-Clothed Cultivators each inhaled a breath of cold air.


    ¡°Who did this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The ¡®goods¡¯?¡±


    The Black-Clothed Cultivators released their Divine Senses, probing the surroundings. Moments later, they found the debris of the storage boxes in the corner of the eatery.


    ¡°Were they¡­ extorted?¡±


    Everyone found it somewhat unbelievable.


    ¡°No¡­,¡± one of the Black-Clothed Cultivators frowned, ¡°there¡¯s no remnant of flesh and blood¡­¡±


    ¡°The boxes are wrong too¡­¡±


    ¡°Where is Mr. Tu¡¯s box?¡±


    ¡°Was it dismantled by someone? Or destroyed?¡±


    ¡°The box had Mr. Tu¡¯s Formation on it; who could dismantle it? If the box is intact, the person is alive; if the box is destroyed, the person is dead¡­¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. Qian State has no shortage of capable people; nothing¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    The men argued among themselves.


    Suddenly, someone asked, ¡°Boss, what do we do?¡±


    The cultivator addressed as ¡°Boss¡± was also dressed in black. From his attire, there was nothing special, but his eyes held a sharp gleam¡ªlooking around, he had the demeanor of an eagle or a wolf.


    The Black-Clothed ¡°Boss¡± surveyed the surroundings and said hoarsely:


    ¡°Looks like Boss Jiang and the others¡­ were ambushed and wiped out cleanly¡­¡±


    ¡°This time our ¡®goods¡¯, along with the people, have all been robbed¡­¡±


    ¡°An inside job?¡± someone asked doubtfully.


    Others said angrily, ¡°We gave notice beforehand, who on the streets has the guts to steal our ¡®goods¡¯?¡±


    ¡°People die for wealth, and birds die for food; this ¡®goods¡¯ was too lucrative, there¡¯s nothing they wouldn¡¯t dare do¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s an inside job, who is capable of pulling it off?¡±


    The Black-Clothed Boss¡¯s gaze grew heavy, moving across the faces of those present as he pondered:


    ¡°The ground is still warm and charred black; these are the traces of a Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Formations are powerful but complex to set up¡­¡±


    ¡°This means that someone had advance knowledge of the situation and set up a Formation here beforehand, then used the power of the Formation to ambush and kill everyone including Boss Jiang, a total of twelve people!¡±


    ¡°And snatch our ¡®goods¡¯ out from under our noses!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Tu has made his calculations; there should be no error unless¡­¡± his gaze sharply intensified, ¡°¡­ there¡¯s a traitor among us, leaking the information!¡±


    Upon these words being spoken, the colors drained from their faces.


    ¡°Boss, you know my loyalty¡­¡±


    ¡°Boss, I am wholeheartedly loyal to you!¡±


    ¡°Boss, my life was given by you; I have even betrayed my ancestral teachings¡­¡±


    ¡°Boss¡­¡±


    One by one, they passionately spoke to prove their loyalty.


    The Black-Clothed Boss saw their sincere expressions, frowned slightly, withdrew his gaze, and said coldly:


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this matter later, the priority now is to get the ¡®goods¡¯ back¡­¡±


    ¡°The Formation still has residual warmth, and Sword Qi hasn¡¯t completely dissipated, indicating the battle ended not long ago; they might not have gone far¡­¡±


    The Black-Clothed Leader thought deeply for a moment, furrowing his brow:


    ¡°On the way here, did you see any suspicious people? Or a child?¡±


    The others looked at each other in confusion.


    To avoid detection, they had disguised themselves, coming from different directions, converging nearby only after each journeyed separately.


    On the way, they were too focused on hurrying to their destination to spare attention for suspicious people¡­


    The Black-Clothed Boss cursed softly, ¡°A bunch of useless!¡±


    His eyes were as fierce as an eagle¡¯s or a wolf¡¯s as he imprinted the surrounding scenes in his memory, nearly grinding his teeth in frustration.


    So close!!


    Just a bit more and that Young Master with the special bloodline would have been in their grasp!


    Once delivered to Mr. Tu, and used as a Blood Sacrifice for the Divine Lord, he would have secured great merit, and even a change of fate wouldn¡¯t be impossible!


    Snatching victory from the jaws of a dragon, and smuggling goods in plain sight.


    Mr. Tu had calculated everything!


    He had arranged everything!


    Just fuckin¡¯ that close!


    The eyes of the Black-Clothed Boss gradually turned blood red, with veins like fractures, terrifyingly sinister, and his voice was so hoarse it barely sounded human:

 Chapter 773 - 582 Conspiracy_3

    Chapter 773: Chapter 582 Conspiracy_3


    ¡°Let me find out who ruined my plans, and I shall devour your flesh alive, drink your blood¡­¡±


    ¡°Curse you, and may you die a horrible death, I will devour all your relatives and friends clean!¡±


    The Black-Clothed Leader¡¯s voice was suppressed and husky, as if he couldn¡¯t contain the brutal killing intent in his chest.


    The other Black-Clothed Cultivators all bowed their heads with pale faces, trembling and daring not to speak.


    A deadly silence thickened in the air, even exuding a strong scent of blood.


    The Black-Clothed Leader¡¯s face contorted, his hands trembling as he took out a wine gourd, took a big gulp, wiped the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth, and then he felt somewhat calmer.


    ...


    ¡°Chase!¡±


    The Black-Clothed Leader ordered.


    Everyone sighed in relief, hurriedly bowing as they said, ¡°Yes!¡±


    The crowd chased outside.


    One of the Black-Clothed Cultivators stepped out, but as he reached the doorway, the wind suddenly picked up, sharp as a knife, slicing him into pieces, with blood spilling everywhere.


    A suave young master, his hand holding a folding fan, with a face as cold as frost, appeared inside the tavern.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the child?¡±


    His gaze was cold as a knife.


    The Black-Clothed Leader looked at him and sneered, muttering:


    ¡°Young Master Gu¡­¡±


    At the same time, dozens of cultivators dressed in Taoist robes appeared, surrounding the entire decrepit tavern.


    The Black-Clothed Leader looked around with disdain in his eyes, ¡°Taoist Court¡¯s Hawk Dogs¡­¡±


    Young Master Gu looked at the Black-Clothed Leader and, smelling the blood on him, said coldly:


    ¡°You demon-tainted abomination, whose skin are you really wearing?¡±


    The Black-Clothed Leader looked at Young Master Gu and laughed:


    ¡°People of this world wear the skin of hypocrisy, harboring evil thoughts in their hearts. Aren¡¯t you the same? I am merely wearing a skin of hypocrisy that is a bit more than yours and hiding an evil that is a bit more real¡­¡±


    Young Master Gu, not wishing to argue, demanded:


    ¡°Where is the child?¡±


    The Black-Clothed Leader pointed towards the tavern, ¡°You saw for yourself. When I arrived, it was already like this. The child you want to save¡­ someone else took him away¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s even possible¡­¡±


    The Black-Clothed Leader smiled ominously, ¡°that he¡¯s already been torn apart¡­¡±


    Young Master Gu angrily said, ¡°Fine, fine, then leave your life here to accompany the child in death!¡±


    The Black-Clothed Leader sneered, ¡°With your Gu Family, and these running dogs of the Taoist Court, you still cannot hurt me¡­¡±


    With no agreement between the two sides, a big battle was on the verge of breaking out.


    Young Master Gu wielded the folding fan in his hand, sending out Wind Blades with each flick¡ªsharp, dense, and deadly.


    The Black-Clothed Leader, seeming unwilling to reveal his trump card, relied only on his flesh and the filthy Blood Qi around him to engage with Young Master Gu¡¯s Wind Blades and the many cultivators from the Taoist Court.


    As they fought, they intentionally avoided the tavern, as if neither wanted to destroy the clues within it.


    It was a fierce battle, and neither side showed any mercy.


    However, because this was only a Second-Grade Prefecture Border, Young Master Gu and the Black-Clothed Leader couldn¡¯t go all out, making it difficult to fight to the death.


    The fierce battle lasted for half an hour.


    In the end, the Black-Clothed Leader, severely injured, escaped.


    Young Master Gu¡¯s breath was weak; he too had suffered serious injuries.


    The rest of the Black-Clothed Cultivators, however, all died.


    Young Master Gu instructed, ¡°Record the appearances of these people; I will settle accounts later.¡±


    An Enforcement Leader went to do so, but after a moment, he reported back:


    ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s not clear¡­¡±


    Young Master Gu went forward to look, and that¡¯s when he discovered that these Black-Clothed Cultivators had been poisoned with demonic toxin; after death, the Demonic Qi destroyed their flesh, contaminated their meridians, and Spiritual Roots, leaving only black, stinking piles of flesh and blood that made it impossible to distinguish their identities.


    Young Master Gu cursed, ¡°A bunch of cowards, scum!¡±


    ¡°Shrinking back at every turn!¡±


    ¡°Dare to turn to demons, but don¡¯t dare to leave their faces behind!¡±


    This way, they could only investigate under the pretense of ¡°missing cultivators¡± at various Great Sects and Clans.


    But that was virtually impossible to track.


    Cultivators go missing for many reasons.


    Some are delayed too long on a mission;


    some are assassinated by cultivators with nefarious intentions;


    some become trapped in secret realms while out adventuring;


    and others simply grow rebellious at heart, dissatisfied with their clan arrangements and run away from home¡­


    The causes are numerous and far too complex.


    It is impossible to conclude that a cultivator has gone rogue just because they have disappeared.


    And whether it¡¯s a Sect or a family, for the sake of Taoist cultivation interests, along with the reputation of both the Sect and the family, admitting such a thing is out of the question, let alone conducting an investigation.


    Young Master Gu became more infuriated as he thought about it, and with a casual wave of his hand, he obliterated a black-clothed cultivator.


    But anger did him no good; at the moment, the whereabouts of the young master were of utmost importance.


    He had also examined the scene and the conclusions he reached were not much different from those of the group of black-clothed cultivators.


    Boss Jiang and others were either killed or seriously injured by the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation.


    This was most certainly a premeditated, well-designed and pre-arranged ambush.


    It was impossible for someone to spontaneously decide and set up such a formation to kill these traffickers¡­


    If a cultivator was truly capable, they wouldn¡¯t use such a complicated method; they could probably wipe out all these cultivators with a flick of their finger.


    Moreover, most of the traffickers died from the minor Second-grade Fireball Technique.


    This was surely to divert attention, to not reveal one¡¯s own Taoist skills, using such a common Fireball Technique to commit murder¡­


    No cultivator would truly spend so much effort perfecting such a trifling technique.


    And then, the young master was gone¡­


    It seemed that the group of black-clothed cultivators didn¡¯t lie.


    They were beaten to the punch by someone unknown¡­


    Young Master Gu furrowed his brows.


    ¡°A turf war?¡±


    ¡°Or is there some other scheme¡­¡±


    ¡°The young master is the union of two Great Clans; just which power, which cultivator, has the audacity to target him¡­¡±


    ¡°And who would dare to snatch him away midway, ¡®kidnapping¡¯ the young master?¡±


    ¡°And not fear the consequences, triggering the Heavenly secret?¡±


    The hardest part of this case was that the Heavenly secret was obscured, hiding the cause and effect, impeding foresight¡­


    Who could have done this?


    Young Master Gu was in utter turmoil.


    A moment later, he thought of his cousin, how distraught and anguished she looked after the child¡¯s disappearance, and it pained him even more.


    Young Master Gu¡¯s eyes grew colder, and despite his injuries, he ordered, ¡°Those with severe injuries may rest; those with light injuries, continue the pursuit with me.¡±


    ¡°The Spiritual Power in the area hasn¡¯t dissipated for long; we should still be able to track them¡­¡±


    A Supervisor hesitantly said, ¡°Young Master, shall we continue the pursuit¡­¡±


    They had been chasing for several days without food or drink, utterly exhausted and having just weathered a fierce battle, which overwhelmed them, typically lax and prone to taking the easy way out.


    They were from the Taoist Court, and even if the Gu family had great sway, they couldn¡¯t simply be commanded at will.


    Young Master Gu¡¯s gaze became sharp, and he said with a cold laugh, ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for not warning you¡ªif anything happens to that young master, you and all your brothers will be flayed alive!¡±


    The Supervisor¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Only then did he realize that the rumors he had heard before were incorrect.


    That young master wasn¡¯t the Gu family¡¯s young master! S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he wasn¡¯t the Gu family¡¯s young master, then he was¡­


    The Supervisor felt as if he had been doused with cold water, and couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    ¡°Rest assured, Young Master Gu, we will make every effort to find the young master!¡±


    He then scanned the group, ¡°Quickly consume the Pills; as soon as your injuries improve a bit, we depart at once!¡±


    Though the people were dissatisfied and somewhat confused, they understood the gravity of the situation and did not dare delay, hastily taking time to heal their wounds¡­


    But Young Master Gu¡¯s gaze was fixed on the distance, his expression shadowed by a veil of gloom.


    ¡°This child Yu Er¡­ whose hands has he fallen into¡­¡±

 Chapter 774 - 583 Nightmare_1

    Chapter 774: Chapter 583 Nightmare_1


    ¡°Falling¡± into Mo Hua¡¯s hands, Yu Er was following this kind passerby brother, step by step towards Qingzhou City.


    The sky had darkened, and the surroundings were desolate.


    The night shrouded the mountains and forests.


    But after a while, the noise picked up again, as if there were always cultivators crisscrossing in the shadows.


    Mo Hua could sense the traces of these people with his Divine Sense, clear and distinct, but since he did not know the identities or origins of these cultivators, he did not reveal any reaction.


    These cultivators were leaving, and the closer they got to Qingzhou City, the quieter it became.


    ...


    Approaching midnight, they were still twenty miles from Qingzhou City.


    Yu Er had walked for several hours, his complexion slightly pale, worn out, his little legs heavy as if filled with lead, finding it hard to take another step. But it seemed he feared being kidnapped again, or perhaps he wished to see his parents sooner, to ease their worries, so he kept on enduring the pain.


    Mo Hua expanded his Divine Sense to survey their surroundings, then touched Yu Er¡¯s small head:


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for the night, and enter the city early tomorrow¡­¡±


    Yu Er said softly, ¡°Yu Er is not tired¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°It¡¯s too late, the city gate may not be open. Get a good night¡¯s sleep first, save your energy.¡±


    In the Cultivation World, there are many Immortal Cities.


    Different state boundaries, different Immortal Cities, have different curfews.


    From Mo Hua¡¯s past experiences traveling abroad, he knew that some Immortal Cities had night curfews.


    Some didn¡¯t, but in the event of major incidents, they would close the city gates at night and seal them with a Formation, forbidding cultivators from entering or leaving.


    If Qingzhou City had a night curfew, then the two of them would have to spend the night outside the city gate.


    Outside the city gate there would be many cultivators, stopping for the night, waiting to enter the city come morning.


    With many people outside the city, the place was bustling with noise. Among the cultivators spending the night, there was a mix of good and bad, hard to distinguish. For safety¡¯s sake, it was better to steer clear.


    For Mo Hua, it didn¡¯t matter much, but Yu Er was different.


    He was a child who had been ¡°sold¡±.


    After all, Yu Er was just a child, unable to endure much longer. He obediently nodded his head.


    Outside Qingzhou City lay vast mountains and forests.


    Mo Hua found a secluded and safe corner nearby, sheltered by encircling rocks and covered by trees. He pointed his finger down at the ground and drew a Warm Fire Formation.


    A warm yellow light spread out, dispelling the oppressiveness of the nighttime and the chill of the mountain wind. It also made Yu Er¡¯s little face blush.


    Yu Er¡¯s eyes sparkled, seemingly forgetting his exhaustion, looking at Mo Hua, he opened his mouth wide:


    ¡°Brother, you can draw a Formation like that!¡±


    Not using a brush, not using paper, just a touch of the finger, and a Formation was drawn on the ground¡­


    So composed, so cool.


    The image of an expert!


    He had never seen anyone draw a Formation this way before.


    Yu Er was full of admiration.


    Mo Hua felt a tad smug and said, ¡°When you¡¯re older, I¡¯ll teach you to draw like this!¡±


    ¡°Mhm! Mhm!¡±


    Yu Er nodded again and again, full of anticipation.


    The night air was slightly cold, the mountain wind howling.


    Mo Hua took out a small blanket and draped it over Yu Er.


    Yu Er wrapped his entire body in the blanket, his small form warmed significantly, but then he furrowed his brow and sneaked a glance at Mo Hua, yet pursed his lips and said nothing.


    However, Mo Hua saw through his thoughts and smiled, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Yu Er¡¯s little face turned slightly red as he whispered:


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    After being kidnapped, he had hardly eaten anything. Having been rescued by Mo Hua, they were then rushing on their way. Now, having rested for a moment and warmed up, he felt his stomach rumble with hunger.


    Mo Hua laughed softly and effortlessly took out some jerked meat, mountain yams, and a variety of wild fruits and nuts, roasting them over the Warm Fire Formation.


    The heat from the fire penetrated the food.


    The fragrance spread along with the warmth.


    Yu Er resembled a kitten eyeing dried fish, unable to look away.


    The two roasted food by the fire, eating the grilled meat, mountain yams, and various wild-flavored dried fruits and nuts.


    Yu Er was overjoyed as he ate.


    After eating, Mo Hua took out some fruit brew for Yu Er to drink.


    The fruit brew was sweet and mellow with a lingering richness, carrying a slight hint of alcohol, it drove away the weariness and hardships of the road.


    ¡°Delicious!¡±


    After finishing, Yu Er, copying Mo Hua, licked his lips.


    Having eaten their fill, they wrapped up in blankets around the Warm Fire Formation and went to sleep.


    Though Mo Hua lay down as if to ¡°sleep,¡± he was actually painting Formations in his Sea of Consciousness, while keeping his Divine Sense alert, guarding against any Monster Beasts or other cultivators with malicious intentions.


    After a while, Mo Hua suddenly tensed.


    He noticed Yu Er¡¯s small body curled up.


    Mo Hua opened his eyes to see Yu Er with his eyes tightly closed, his little face pale as if he was encountering something terrifying in his dream, both frightened and scared, tears streaking down his cheeks, helpless and trembling involuntarily.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    ¡°Yu Er¡­¡±


    Mo Hua quietly called out, infusing his voice with Divine Sense Power, reaching Yu Er¡¯s ears.


    Yu Er slowly opened his eyes, bleary with tears.


    Mo Hua gestured to him and said warmly, ¡°Cold, aren¡¯t you? Come here.¡±


    Yu Er hesitated for a while, wiped his tears, and wrapped in his small blanket, ran to Mo Hua¡¯s side. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua shared part of his own blanket to wrap Yu Er in it as well and then stroked his head, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, when it¡¯s light you¡¯ll see your parents¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Yu Er nodded his small head.


    ¡°Sleep now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was soft but also warm and firm.


    Yu Er felt the fear that had been troubling him gradually settle down, his body no longer shivering with fright.


    The inside of the blanket was much warmer too.


    Yu Er secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    He sneakily looked up at Mo Hua, and seeing that Mo Hua had his eyes closed in meditation and didn¡¯t notice him, he stealthily moved closer to Mo Hua¡¯s side.

 Chapter 775 - 583 Nightmare_2

    Chapter 775: Chapter 583 Nightmare_2


    Mo Hua¡¯s presence exuded a clear and tranquil aura.


    With satisfaction, Yu Er gradually closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


    This time he slept soundly.


    In his dreams, there were no memories of fear from being trafficked.


    No greedy, unsightly faces of adults.


    No heart stung by the malice of the world.


    ...


    No terror or despair.


    And none of¡­


    Those nightmares that had occasionally surfaced in his dreams since his earliest memories¡­


    In the Barbaric Mountains, where living people were sacrificed, flesh and blood were fodder, and countless lives mere chattel, filled with pure malice, bloodthirsty and cruel, bizarre and varied, nourishing the evil spirits of the world¡­


    ¡­


    The night was still.


    Yu Er slept undisturbed.


    At dawn the next day, Mo Hua took Yu Er and arrived at Qingzhou City.


    Outside Qingzhou City, an Enforcement Leader from the Taoist Court was on patrol.


    Mo Hua wanted to enter the city but was stopped.


    Mainly because he was too young, and it was very peculiar for someone his size to be leading a child even younger among a group of cultivators.


    The Enforcement Leader couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°How¡­ old are you?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you doing entering the city¡­¡±


    ¡°Going to the Qian Learning State Boundary to study¡­¡±


    ¡°Just you?¡±


    ¡°I have my younger brother too!¡± Mo Hua patted Yu Er.


    Yu Er immediately stood up straight, puffed out his chest, nodded continuously, showing the Enforcement Leader that what his brother Mo Hua said was correct.


    The Enforcement Leader was somewhat troubled.


    The command he had received was, ¡°Any cultivator leading young cultivators and appearing suspicious must be thoroughly investigated.¡±


    But could a young cultivator leading another young cultivator be considered suspicious?


    He had heard rumors that a young master from the Gu Family had been kidnapped by child traffickers.


    But curiously, the portrait of this young master could not be disclosed.


    They could only search by age¡­


    The Enforcement Leader glanced at Yu Er, ¡°This little boy does look like a young master.¡±


    He then looked at Mo Hua and started to wonder.


    Child traffickers¡­ surely wouldn¡¯t be so young, right?


    Moreover, if he were a trafficker, he would be trying to leave the city, not making such a grand entrance¡­


    ¡°It seems I was too concerned¡­¡±


    Seeing the Enforcement Leader muttering to himself, Mo Hua asked, ¡°Is there¡­ something going on?¡±


    ¡°Mm, the Gu Family¡­¡±


    The Enforcement Leader nodded, started to say something, then realized he had slipped up and promptly set his face in a stern expression:


    ¡°Child, don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Go on in!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    And so, Mo Hua pulled Yu Er through the city gate and into Qingzhou City with dignity.


    Qingzhou City was full of life.


    Reaching Qingzhou City was akin to having one foot already in the Qian Xue State Boundary.


    He could find a way to visit the Qian Taoist Sect and pay his respects.


    But before that, he needed to safely place Yu Er, this ¡°little burden,¡± into his parents¡¯ hands, or he wouldn¡¯t be at ease.


    Qingzhou City was rather bustling.


    The streets were noisy, with people coming and going, and stalls on both sides offered medicine, talismans, equipment, and an array of goods, dazzling to the eyes.


    Mo Hua and Yu Er walked and browsed at the same time.


    Yu Er looked around curiously.


    But Mo Hua was pondering:


    ¡°How to find Yu Er¡¯s parents?¡±


    ¡°The Gu Family¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had heard several people mention the ¡°Gu Family¡± along the way¡­


    The traffickers, including Boss Jiang, had mentioned it, and the Enforcement Leader before entering the city, too¡­


    Could Yu Er be the young master of the Gu Family?


    Mo Hua asked Yu Er, ¡°Yu Er, is your last name Gu?¡±


    Yu Er¡¯s gaze drifted from the string of candied hawthorns on the side of the road, and after some thought, he replied after a pause:


    ¡°I¡¯m not surnamed Gu.¡±


    ¡°Then is your mother surnamed Gu?¡±


    Yu Er shook his head.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    If he¡¯s not surnamed Gu, then there is no connection with the Gu Family¡­


    Seeing Mo Hua, Yu Er said with a look of remorse, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry, my mother told me not to disclose our last name¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Mo Hua reassured him with a smile, ¡°When you are out and about, you must be vigilant, even with me.¡±


    Yu Er still felt guilty.


    Mo Hua then bought Yu Er a string of candied hawthorns.


    Yu Er immediately cheered up, biting and chewing, his little mouth turned red.


    ¡°First time eating it?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Yu Er nodded, ¡°Mother won¡¯t let me eat it.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He was getting confused.


    Who exactly were Yu Er¡¯s parents?


    Not allowing him to eat candied hawthorns¡­


    Was it because the family was too poor to afford it, or too rich and worried about him getting sick from it?


    ¡°Yu Er, is your house big?¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡± Yu Er stretched out his tiny arms, making a big circle, ¡°Very big, very big!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Then he must be a child from a large noble clan¡­¡±


    But that didn¡¯t seem certain either¡­


    A child¡¯s perception of big is different from an adult¡¯s.


    When he was little, he thought Tongxian City was very large, and the road from the south to the north of the city seemed long¡­


    But now that ¡°very long¡± road, he could finish walking in half an hour¡­


    ¡°Do you have any recollection of Qingzhou City?¡±


    Mo Hua asked again.


    Yu Er, licking his candied hawthorn, tried hard to recall and then shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I think they¡¯re all pretty much the same¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then nodded.


    That indeed was true.


    After seeing many large and small Immortal Cities, they did seem all quite similar.


    But this made things difficult¡­


    Without any clues, it was hard to search¡­


    Yu Er thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up, ¡°Brother! I remember now! I have relatives in Qingzhou City, my mother said she brought me here to look for relatives!¡±


    ¡°What sort of relatives?¡± S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yu Er shook his head.


    ¡°What¡¯s their last name?¡±


    Yu Er still shook his head.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Well, at least it was a clue.


    Afterwards, Mo Hua inquired further and soon found a noodle shop at the entrance of Qingzhou City to sit down.


    He had asked around, and the Gu Family was the most powerful clan in Qingzhou City, no, and even in several other cities around the Qian Xue State Boundary.

 Chapter 776 - 583: Nightmare_3

    Chapter 776: Chapter 583: Nightmare_3


    It¡¯s a fifth-rank noble family!


    According to rumors swirling around the city, a young master from the Gu Family, of which branch remains unknown, was abducted by human traffickers and his whereabouts are still unknown to this day.


    As for the young master¡¯s full name and appearance, the Gu Family has not disclosed any information to the public. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Perhaps it¡¯s because of his special status and certain taboos.


    The Gu Family only announced that any information regarding missing cultivator children under ten years of age can be reported to them, and if the information is verified to be true, the Gu Family will offer a generous reward.


    They could even provide a spot at the Qian Learning State Boundary¡­


    ...


    A spot at the learning institution¡­


    Mo Hua already had a Sect-Entering Order, so he had no need for such.


    And as for that young master from the Gu Family, he had no idea where he might be.


    What he needed to do now was to make sure Yu Er, the young master, was well taken care of and to find his family.


    ¡°Go directly to the Taoist Court?¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it and shook his head.


    He wasn¡¯t familiar with the Taoist Court in Qingzhou City.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã0


    Moreover, given the current uproar surrounding the Gu Family¡¯s situation, the majority of the Enforcement Leaders and Supervisors at the Taoist Court were preoccupied with searching for the missing Gu young master¡ªit was unlikely that they would prioritize Yu Er¡¯s case.


    But that wasn¡¯t the main issue.


    Mo Hua suspected that within the Taoist Court, there likely were some cultivators who were colluding with the human traffickers¡­


    This was something Uncle Zhang Lan had cautioned him about.


    The Taoist Court wasn¡¯t so clean; the web of interests within the various regional Taoist Courts was incredibly complex.


    One can never peer into another¡¯s heart; it was not the myriad possibilities he feared, but the one-in-ten-thousand chance.


    All outsiders were deemed unreliable.


    It would be best to hand over Yu Er to his biological parents.


    ¡°I have relatives in Qingzhou City¡­¡±


    ¡°Should I go door-to-door asking?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head again.


    That wouldn¡¯t work either.


    Those who have established themselves in Qian State come from significant backgrounds and standing; he might not even be granted entry.


    And it would be a great waste of time.


    Similarly, if someone claimed to be Yu Er¡¯s ¡°relative¡± and acted affectionately, with Yu Er being so young, it would be very unlikely for him to discern whether they were true kin or harbor ulterior motives¡­


    Deep down, Mo Hua felt that both methods were flawed.


    Any involvement from strangers could lead to mishaps.


    Ever since he learned the Heavenly Secret Calculation, fleeting warnings would sometimes emerge in his mind¡ªthough still faint and not always clear, they proved to be surprisingly effective as reference points when making decisions.


    After much thought, Mo Hua finally decided to use the simplest, most foolish, but also the most direct method:


    Stake out the main gate!


    Entering and exiting Qingzhou City, the main gate was an inevitable passage.


    Qingzhou City was the hub connecting Qian State to the Academic World.


    Yu Er¡¯s parents, should they wish to find him, would sooner or later pass through Qingzhou City and show up at the city gates.


    As Mo Hua contemplated this approach, his heart suddenly leaped as if the cause-and-effect he anticipated in his mind would follow a certain divine pattern, becoming reality in the foreseeable future¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled.


    Was this¡­


    The actual Heavenly Secret Calculation?


    No, or rather, was it the rudiment of the true Heavenly Secret Calculation¡­


    In Mo Hua¡¯s mind, the figure of Mr. Zhuang surfaced; he imitated his master, twirling his fingers in spell points, closing his eyes in meditation, engaging his Divine Sense¡­


    A moment later¡­


    Nothing happened¡­


    Mo Hua touched his chin.


    He started to suspect that his master¡¯s hand-twirling spell points during calculations were just for show, giving the impression of a ¡°transcendent Taoist aura,¡± but in reality, they were of no use.


    Now, trying to imitate his master, his mind was blank and he couldn¡¯t calculate anything.


    Or perhaps, it was because what he had learned was only ¡°Divine Sense Calculation,¡± which was far from reaching the level of ¡°Heavenly Secret Calculation.¡±


    It was just that with more Calculations, a tiny inkling of divine premonitions occasionally arose in his Sea of Consciousness.


    After all, his master had never taught him how to ¡°Calculate the Heavenly Secret¡±¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    What exactly was the Heavenly Secret, he was still not sure.


    How to calculate it, he was completely clueless.


    ¡°Heavenly Secret Calculation¡­¡±


    ¡°If we encounter any other Heavenly secret spell points in the future, try to get them for study. See if we can draw parallels to gain an understanding of the real ¡®Heavenly secret Calculation¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    You cannot only be calculated by others.


    Sometimes, you also need to make calculations about others¡­


    Mo Hua turned his head and glanced at Yu Er before instructing,


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait here. Keep an eye on the main gate. If you see anyone you know: your parents, relatives, teachers, or your family¡¯s carriages¡ªlet me know¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm!¡± Yu Er nodded.


    Then the owner served up two bowls of noodles, one large and one small.


    As Mo Hua ate, he pondered the matter of ¡°Heavenly secret Calculation¡± in his heart.


    Yu Er, imitating Mo Hua, ¡°huffed¡± as she ate her noodles. Occasionally, she would lift her head, see Mo Hua by her side, feel a bit more at ease, and then continue to eat her noodles.


    It seemed that as long as she was with Mo Hua, those bloody, cruel, and nightmarish demons would gradually fade away¡­


    Thus, the two of them continued to squat at the main gate.


    Qingzhou City¡¯s gate was bustling, filled with a stream of carriages and horses and all kinds of cultivators coming and going.


    But after crouching there for several days and having eaten noodles for five or six days, there was still not a single clue.


    Mo Hua even started to doubt whether he had made a wrong guess¡­


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be wrong¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, concentrating on his thoughts. In his mind¡¯s eye, a carriage and a face started taking shape, leaving faint traces¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in Qingzhou City, the Gu Family.


    Inside a quiet yet lavish hall,


    a regally attired woman with striking features swept her hand, and the richly furnished tables, chairs, porcelain, and screens in the room shattered to pieces. Even the Formation-reinforced walls began to show fine cracks.


    The maids outside the room turned pale, lowered their heads, and quietly retreated.


    Across from the woman sat a very handsome man in luxurious clothing, smiling bitterly.


    ¡°Wan¡¯er, don¡¯t be angry¡­¡±


    Her beautiful eyes reddening with anger, the woman retorted, ¡°How can I not be angry? The great Shangguan Family¡­ A direct descendant has been kidnapped? Do you take me for a fool?¡±


    The man tried to soothe her, ¡°Wan¡¯er, no one wanted¡­¡±


    ¡°Shangguan Yi!¡± the woman said with hatred, ¡°Yu Er is my child, and even if you don¡¯t cherish him, I do. He¡¯s so young and well-behaved¡­ he¡¯s my life!¡±


    Sorrow entered the handsome man¡¯s eyes, ¡°Yu Er is also my flesh and blood; how could I not care¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what has the Shangguan Family done?¡± the woman asked sharply.


    The man responded bitterly, ¡°Wan¡¯er, you are now part of the Shangguan Family, don¡¯t speak like that. If father finds out¡­¡±


    ¡°So what if he finds out? He never approved of our marriage in the first place, and he has always looked down on me¡­¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes, which once held affection for the man, had turned icy and filled with deep hatred.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like me; therefore, he doesn¡¯t like his grandson Yu Er either.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, if something happens to Yu Er, I will hate the Shangguan Family for the rest of my life!¡±


    Her voice trembling slightly, she displayed both determination and the pain of severing ties with a loved one:


    ¡°Including you¡­ Shangguan Yi!¡±


    The man felt an ache in his heart, ¡°Wan¡¯er¡­¡±


    The woman demanded sharply, ¡°Tell me the truth now. Who kidnapped Yu Er? What have you found out? Where is Yu Er?¡±


    The man sighed, his face filled with worry.


    He knew his wife was passionate and loved their son dearly. He hadn¡¯t dared tell her the truth previously, fearing it would break her heart, so he concealed everything from her, claiming they knew the whereabouts of Yu Er and would find him soon.


    But now he couldn¡¯t hide it anymore and had to tell the truth:


    ¡°On the surface, this matter seems¡­ merely a coincidence¡­¡±


    ¡°Yu Er went out to see the lanterns; there were so many people watching him, but in the blink of an eye, Yu Er was gone¡­¡±


    ¡°We investigated, but the Heavenly secret is like water, leaving no traces¡­¡±


    ¡°We have no idea who kidnapped Yu Er, or why. However, we were able to vaguely ascertain that after Yu Er was abducted, someone was transporting him out¡­¡±


    ¡°It was a gang of kidnappers¡­¡±


    ¡°They split into several groups and left Qingzhou City, seemingly to take Yu Er outside of Qian State to an unknown destination¡­¡±


    ¡°During these days, the Shangguan Family, the Gu Family, and the Taoist Court have mobilized many cultivators to carry out searches.¡±


    ¡°The Shangguan Family worked in the shadows, while the Gu Family and the Taoist Court worked openly. We would find a group and eliminate them, then another, and another¡­ No matter how many we killed, some insignificant ones would always slip through, somehow managing to transport Yu Er out bit by bit¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as if¡­ everything has been calculated with precision¡­¡±


    ¡°So, the Elders speculate¡­¡± A chill surged through the man, and he said painfully, ¡°That there¡¯s an entity with complete insight into the Heavenly secret, cunning and inscrutable, secretly orchestrating a grand scheme to¡­¡±


    He paused, taking a deep breath, his voice shaking.


    ¡°Kidnap Yu Er, the child born from the first direct union in a thousand years between the Shangguan and Wenren Noble Clans¡­¡±

 Chapter 777 - 584 Calculating Accurately_1

    Chapter 777: Chapter 584 Calculating Accurately_1


    The Shangguan Family and the Wenren Family, for a thousand years, the first direct descendants to unite in marriage¡­


    My own child, clearly backed by the two great noble clans of Qian State, yet still subjected to schemes, has to endure such immense peril.


    A trace of desolation flitted through the eyes of the woman in palace attire, as if overwhelmed by sorrow, her meridian breath somewhat disordered.


    The man¡¯s heart ached, he reached out to support her but was pushed away by her.


    ¡°And then?¡± the woman in palace attire asked coldly, ¡°What else have you found?¡±


    The man withdrew his arm helplessly and sighed:


    ...


    ¡°It was Gu¡­ Changhuai who found a clue to Yu Er. Following the clue, they went dozens of miles outside of the city to dine at a restaurant; there, they found a group of human traffickers with only Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    The man shook his head, his voice bitter, ¡°Yu Er was kidnapped again¡­¡±


    The woman in palace attire was shocked, ¡°Again?¡±


    The man said hoarsely, ¡°By another group of people¡­¡±


    ¡°Ambushed with Formation, murdered with spells¡­


    ¡°The Formation was secretive, its power great yet unexpected, and the spells used were the most common Fireball Technique¡ªexecuted cleanly and neatly, leaving no trace to follow¡­


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã0


    ¡°And among the traffickers, one of them knew Sever Gold Sword Jue¡­¡±


    ¡°Sever Gold Sect¡­¡± the woman bit out.


    The man gave a wry smile, ¡°It¡¯s got nothing to do with Sever Gold Sect, likely a renegade disciple. Sever Gold Sect wouldn¡¯t have the guts, nor be so foolish, to use such an obvious, sect-protecting sword move¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± the woman said angrily, ¡°If we don¡¯t find Yu Er, Sever Gold Sect will still pay the price!¡±


    ¡°All right¡­¡± It was all the man could agree to, knowing that reason was of no use at that moment.


    The man in fancy robes exhaled deeply and continued:


    ¡°Sever Gold Sword Jue is a Golden Series Sword Controlling Method, focusing on offensive and killing power, immensely powerful¡­ Obviously, the traffickers met a formidable enemy. In a life or death situation, they desperately revealed this sword technique¡­


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    The man in fancy robes¡¯ pupils shrank slightly, ¡°This extremely powerful sword technique from the Foundation Establishment Realm didn¡¯t injure the enemy in the slightest¡­


    ¡°Not a trace of Blood Qi was found on the sword; the opponent didn¡¯t even suffer a scratch on their skin¡­


    ¡°This suggests that the enemy¡¯s cultivation is much higher than these traffickers¡­


    ¡°Golden Core, or perhaps even¡­ Feather Transformation¡­¡±


    The woman scoffed coldly, ¡°Nice, there are indeed many who covet Yu Er, but he¡¯s just a four- or five-year-old child. What virtues and abilities does he possess to be the target of so many people¡¯s attention¡­


    ¡°Earlier, it was the great figures who grasp the Heavenly Secret making their plans, and what about this time? Could it still be some expert knowledgeable in heavenly calculations intercepting halfway?


    The woman in palace attire asked her husband with a hint of mockery.


    The man was questioned by his wife, bowed his head, and said helplessly, ¡°This time¡­ it seems so.¡±


    The woman was stunned, then furiously said, ¡°Shangguan Yi, do you think I¡¯m a foolish woman who knows nothing?¡±


    ¡°Heavenly secret Calculation, when did it become so cheap?¡±


    ¡°This one¡¯s a powerful figure; that one¡¯s an expert. Can there be that many experts?¡±


    ¡°How many cultivators in this world truly master the Heavenly Secret Calculation? Have they nothing better to do than to scheme against my Yu Er?!¡±


    The man gave a bitter smile, ¡°Wan¡¯er, I¡¯m not lying to you, I asked Elder Mei of Mystery Valley, who is skilled in calculations¡­


    The woman in palace attire asked coldly, ¡°And what did he calculate?¡±


    ¡°He¡­¡± the man said hesitantly, ¡°¡­he went mad¡­¡±


    The woman was taken aback.


    The man lamented, ¡°Elder Mei¡­ went to calculate the person who ¡®kidnapped¡¯ Yu Er. At first, he couldn¡¯t calculate anything, claimed the heavenly secret was hidden, completely in the dark, without a trace to follow¡­


    ¡°After my repeated pleas¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Mei couldn¡¯t refuse and spent his vital energy, using the Mystery Calculation passed down in Mystery Valley to deduce a little further¡­¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°At first, he indeed parted the fog and saw a blurry figure, misty like water¡­


    ¡°But when he tried to look again, he just¡­¡±


    The man paused for a moment.


    The woman angrily demanded, ¡°Then what happened?¡±


    The man sighed, ¡°He just¡­ wore a horrified expression, vomited fresh blood, ice cold all over, his mind began acting abnormally, and he suddenly went mad¡­


    ¡°He kept muttering to himself, speaking of the terrifying karma, Corpse Mountain Sin, and said he was bitten by ¡®Corpse Sin,¡¯ that he was about to turn into a zombie himself, shivering non-stop¡­¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression shifted. After pondering for a while, she grew angry again:


    ¡°What is all this nonsensical talk¡ªCorpse Mountain, Corpse Sin? Can you believe such absurd and ridiculous words?¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with Yu Er?¡±


    The man found himself at a loss for words.


    He didn¡¯t understand how Yu Er could be entangled with such karma, but the matter of Elder Mei was undeniably true.


    He was indeed mad¡­


    ¡°Was that Elder Mei really from Mystery Valley?¡± the woman questioned again.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    ¡°Elder Mei¡­ his mind has gone mad, seems to have damaged his Sea of Consciousness. He¡¯s been sent back to Mystery Valley for treatment¡­¡±


    The woman¡¯s brows suddenly furrowed tightly, and she said coldly:


    ¡°So, with no solid evidence, nor witnesses, you are deceiving me with this groundless Elder Mei!¡±


    The man said softly, ¡°Wan¡¯er, when have I ever lied to you¡­¡±


    His words carried a hint of entreaty.


    ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll find Yu Er myself!¡±


    The woman in palace attire declared decisively, turning to leave.


    The man panicked inside, immediately grabbing her, ¡°You can¡¯t leave Qingzhou City!¡±


    The woman took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you¡­¡±


    ¡°Worried about what?¡±


    The man¡¯s voice grew cold, ¡°Marrying you as my wife, I broke some of the rules of the noble clans, went against the ancestral teachings of the Shangguan family, many people are watching us¡­¡±

 Chapter 778 - 584: Accurate Calculation_2

    Chapter 778: Chapter 584: Accurate Calculation_2


    ¡°They might target Yu Er, and it¡¯s also possible that they could harm you¡­¡±


    ¡°Now that Yu Er has disappeared, I fear losing you too¡­¡±


    The woman said coldly, ¡°Is staying in Qingzhou City really safe?¡±


    The man insisted, ¡°Qingzhou City is within the Qian Xue State Boundary, our ancestors have set up Formations here. The Heavenly Secret is clear and bright, but once you leave Qingzhou City, the Heavenly Secret becomes a piece of Chaos, and anything could happen¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s expression was extremely grave.


    There are great horrors in the Cultivation World.


    ...


    Some truly fearsome Cultivators comprehend the Great Dao, possessing many unpredictable, heaven-defying methods.


    There are even those who would set up intricate schemes to cultivate Taoist Demons.


    The closer one gets to the pinnacle of Tao Cultivation, the more one understands the reality of this world, the more terrifying they find the nature of humanity.


    ¡°So what?¡± The woman replied indifferently, ¡°You want me to hide in this city, to forget about my child¡­¡±


    ¡°Wan¡¯er, do not interfere¡­¡± The man spoke gently and nearly begged, ¡°This matter¡­ the cause and effect are too significant¡­¡±


    And too terrifying¡­


    The one who arranged Yu Er¡¯s abduction was proficient in the mysteries of Heavenly Secrets, leaving no traces¡­


    The person who kidnapped Yu Er was enshrouded with an immense murderous intent in the web of cause and effect.


    This was not something an ordinary Cultivator could do.


    The Dao of Formation, Divine Sense Calculation, Heavenly Secret Cause and Effect¡­ all of these are exceedingly profound and complex matters.


    Though Wan¡¯er had studied Formations, she had only learned them to an average extent.


    Deemed a proud daughter of heaven, she received accolades and admiration; this was merely the ¡°good¡± of the mundane world¡­


    It was the ¡°good¡± within man-made norms.


    She had no idea how truly profound the world¡¯s real intricate Formations were, what profound Divine Sense was like at all.


    Those Formations that surpassed the understanding of ordinary Cultivators, the unpredictable laws of heaven that broke through ranks, the Great Dao unrestrained by human norms, just how deep and horrifying they could be¡­


    The woman in imperial garments didn¡¯t understand these things. She just looked at her husband, her eyes shifting from anger to a deep sense of desolation.


    ¡°Did you¡­ already make preparations?¡±


    The man remained silent.


    ¡°If¡­¡± The woman paused, holding back pain and enunciating each word, ¡°Yu Er can¡¯t be found, what do you plan to do?¡±


    The man dared not meet the woman¡¯s eyes, looking away as he spoke softly,


    ¡°Father¡¯s idea is that we¡­ have another one¡­¡±


    The woman¡¯s complexion turned pale, her body shaking, her eyes filled with endless grief and hatred.


    She hated her husband, and she hated herself.


    ¡°Shangguan Yi, your heart is truly ruthless!¡±


    The woman said with tears, ¡°Fine! If you want another child, find some other woman to bear it!¡±


    ¡°I, Wenren Wan, will only have Yu Er as my child in this life!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yu Er, he¡­ was so good-natured, so kind, how could he possibly¡­¡±


    Yu Er¡¯s smiling face emerged in the woman¡¯s mind, her heart ached as if pricked by needles; suddenly, she shivered, as if deep within, she could feel that Yu Er was somewhere waiting for her¡­


    Her own child, waiting for her¡­


    The woman felt unbearable pain, she disregarded everything, turned, and left.


    ¡°Wan¡¯er, it¡¯s too dangerous¡­¡± The man still wanted to stop her.


    The woman¡¯s eyes were icy, ¡°If you won¡¯t go look for him, I will. If I can¡¯t find him, I¡¯ll search for a lifetime!¡±


    ¡°Even if it means death, I want to be with Yu Er.¡±


    ¡°You just wait to be the Shangguan Family Head, find any woman¡­ to bear you another child.¡±


    After the woman spoke, her eyes filled with tears, she swept away, leaving the room.


    The man wanted to hold her back, but when he extended his hand, he grasped nothing.


    His complexion was pale, and he sighed.


    After a moment, a servant entered the room, saying respectfully, ¡°Young Master, the Family Head requests your presence¡­¡±


    The man was distracted for a long while before responding weakly, ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    He was the Shangguan Family¡¯s Young Master, the next in line to be the Family Head.


    But he felt less like a ¡°Master¡± and more like a ¡°servant¡± trapped within difficult choices, unsure in the immense Noble Clan who exactly he was the ¡°servant¡± of.


    Shangguan Yi deeply sighed and went to a study in the Gu Family residence. He stood respectfully for a while before he heard a deep voice from inside.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Shangguan Yi entered the room and greeted, ¡°Father.¡±


    The study was elegant and luxurious.


    Sitting in the center was a Cultivator with a profound presence and imposing dignity. His appearance was august, with slight graying at the temples and faint crow¡¯s feet at the corners of his eyes but one could see he had been exceptionally handsome in his youth.


    This man was Shangguan Yi¡¯s father and the true Family Head of the Shangguan Family¡ªShang Che.


    ¡°In a few days, I shall be leaving. The matters here will be your responsibility,¡± Shang Che said as he wrote something, his tone low and mild.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shangguan Yi responded respectfully.


    Shang Che looked up at his son and said calmly, ¡°You should not have married Wenren Wan.¡±


    ¡°She is too impulsive, acts rashly without thinking things through.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a legitimate daughter after all; I don¡¯t know what the Wenren Family taught her¡­¡±


    ¡°Noble Clan daughters can be somewhat capricious before marriage, but once married, they represent the face of the Clan and must look after the Clan¡¯s interests. They should actappropriately. Even if it¡¯s hard, they must endure¡­¡±


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi raised his voice slightly, interrupting Shang Che.


    ¡°Wan¡¯er is¡­ a good wife. Yu Er¡¯s disappearance has left her extremely distraught. Her rudeness is understandable¡­¡±


    Shang Che looked at his son, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and after a pause slowly said:


    ¡°How¡¯s Yu Er doing?¡±


    ¡°We are still searching.¡±


    Shang Che sighed, ¡°Yu Er¡­ he has a pure heart, he is a good child, but, he¡¯s not cut out to be a good Family Head¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi interjected, ¡°Father, I only have Yu Er as my son.¡±

 Chapter 779 - 584: Accurate Calculations_3

    Chapter 779: Chapter 584: Accurate Calculations_3


    Shang Che¡¯s gaze was slightly cold, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, if¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi said, ¡°Then the next Family Head will inevitably be my child with Wan¡¯er¡­¡±


    Shang Che sneered, ¡°She might not be willing¡­¡±


    ¡°I will wait until she changes her mind¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi, with his head lowered and body bowed, spoke with a resolute tone that brooked no doubt.


    Shang Che¡¯s brow twitched slightly, but in the end, he said nothing, only speaking indifferently, ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    ...


    The atmosphere in the study was somewhat stiff.


    Shangguan Yi did not wish to stay long, so he stood up to leave.


    ¡°Yi¡¯er¡­¡±


    Shang Che called out to Shangguan Yi, hesitated for a moment, and his tone softened a little.


    ¡°You must understand, it¡¯s not easy being the Family Head¡­¡±


    ¡°In a Tao Cultivation Noble Clan, one bases on the clan, must understand pros and cons, calculating losses and gains. Being indecisive and overly sentimental will not do.¡±


    ¡°A Cultivator¡¯s life is very long, no matter how deep the fondness, over time, love will fade, and people¡¯s hearts will change¡­¡±


    ¡°As the Family Head, you must know what is the most enduring, what is the most advantageous.¡±


    ¡°You must also be resolute, make tough decisions, only then can I convince the ancestors to entrust the millennia-old Shangguan aristocratic family into your hands¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi said silently, ¡°Father, I understand.¡±


    Shang Che glanced once and knew his son didn¡¯t understand it at all.


    He felt somewhat irritable, but, deeply cunning as he was, he only suppressed his feelings, sighing:


    ¡°Think about it more. Yu Er is your child, a legitimate descendant, but he is also just one among the many disciples of the Shangguan Family. You need to weigh what is more important.¡±


    Shangguan Yi¡¯s face showed pain, but he said nothing, performed a respectful salute, and withdrew respectfully.


    Shang Che looked down at the Jade Slip and after a long time, raised his head, gazing at the spot where Shangguan Yi had stood, reflecting on his troubled expression, feeling a mix of anger and frustration at his lack of competitive spirit:


    ¡°All my life I¡¯ve been a ladies¡¯ man, passing through a sea of flowers without a single leaf touching my heart, yet the son I produced¡­ how could he be¡­ such a lovesick fool¡­¡±


    ¡°He looks like a talent, but he¡¯s so lacking in ambition, thinking only of his wife and child every day¡­¡±


    Shang Che¡¯s brows were deeply furrowed, filled with dissatisfaction.


    After a long time, he sighed and spread out a Map.


    On the Map was the entire Qian State.


    Now a series of routes had been outlined, after Calculation with the Compass, they turned into profound Heavenly secret Patterns, yet they had no beginning or end, unknowable where they started or where they led to.


    Only a trace of savage, ancient aura remained.


    This was the handiwork of those who had taken Yu Er away.


    Shang Che¡¯s gaze turned solemn, his expression as still as water, muttering to himself:


    ¡°From arranged marriage, birth, to death¡­ all calculated, eh¡­¡±


    ¡°Who has such a grand strategy?¡± Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°To deceive our ancestors, to use the only legitimate heirs of the two great Noble Clans, Shangguan and Wenren, as a sacrifice¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡­ do they want to offer sacrifice to, what life and death do they want to defy?¡±


    Shang Che felt a chill deep in his bones¡­


    ¡­


    In the Gu Family compound.


    Dressed in palace attire, Wenren Wan was preoccupied with thoughts of Yu Er, but once she stepped out of the door, she was again lost.


    ¡°Search¡­ how to search, where to search?¡±


    Yu Er had been abducted, and it was very likely that he was no longer in this state boundary, perhaps not even in Qian State¡­


    Hopelessness grasped her heart, along with profound powerlessness.


    The Cultivation World is vast and boundless.


    She didn¡¯t know how to perform Calculations, nor understood the Heavenly Secrets. Finding Yu Er was like looking for a needle in the ocean.


    She also deeply despised herself, regretting why she hadn¡¯t pleaded with the old ancestors to learn the complex and abstruse spell points of Tao Cultivation.


    If that were the case, she might now be able to calculate Yu Er¡¯s fate on her own¡­


    Even if her Divine Sense exhausted, even if her Sea of Consciousness ran dry, even if¡­


    Wenren Wan stood silently for a long while before coming back to her senses. She looked around disconsolately, pondered for a moment, then called the Wenren Family¡¯s guards and asked them to drive a carriage and take her out of the city.


    No matter what, she would talk after leaving Qingzhou City¡­


    Outside the city, she might be able to find some traces of Yu Er¡­


    Wenren Wan silently made up her mind.


    If she couldn¡¯t find him in a month, she would search for a month.


    If not in a year, then for a year.


    If a year wasn¡¯t enough, she would search for ten years, a hundred years, until her lifespan was exhausted.


    ¡°I must find Yu Er, alive and well¡­¡±


    The last four words she dared not even consider, she was afraid of seeing Yu Er¡¯s cold, lifeless little face, afraid to know that the child she cherished was no more¡­


    This was even more unbearable than suffering death herself as a mother.


    Wenren Wan only felt a piercing pain in her chest.


    The carriage left the Gu Family, passed through the main streets, went by the market town, and after two hours, it neared the city gate.


    Wenren Wan was so intent on heading out of the city that she didn¡¯t notice, by the city gate, at a noodle stall, two little Cultivators were slurping noodles with gusto.


    And Mo Hua and Yu Er, who had waited for several days, hungry and tired, busy eating their noodles, also didn¡¯t notice that a low-key yet luxurious carriage was silently making its way towards the city gate¡­


    Noise at the city gate was ceaseless, with an endless stream of carriages and horses.


    As they crossed paths and each went their separate ways, Wenren Wan suddenly felt a jolt.


    For an instant, as if connected by mother and child, she felt that her son was near, even very close to her¡­


    But she knew that Yu Er was no longer by her side¡­


    Her sensible, well-behaved son, now in the hands of who knew whom, his fate between life and death unknown, and it was uncertain whether he suffered mistreatment and torment.


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart ached even more.


    The carriage continued towards the outskirts of the city.


    But as the carriage moved further away, Wenren Wan¡¯s heart grew increasingly uneasy, and at times, she had a premonition.


    It was as if with every passing moment she was getting further away from Yu Er, and once she passed through this city gate¡­


    She would be eternally separated from her son.


    She might never see him again in this lifetime!


    A Cultivator¡¯s premonitions do not arise without reason.


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart was seized with panic.


    She immediately said, ¡°Stop the carriage!¡±


    The carriage halted, and she quickly got out, looking around in confusion. After a long while, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a noodle stall in the distance¡­


    Wenren Wan felt as if she had been struck by lightning.


    At the noodle stall, there were two little Cultivators.


    One was a bit older, with eyebrows like paintings, his demeanor pure and gentle.


    The other was very young, about four or five years old, bearing a strong resemblance to her own Yu Er¡­


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart trembled, and she almost couldn¡¯t catch her breath.


    She wanted to speak, but she was so overwhelmed with emotion that she could not find her voice¡­


    Mo Hua, who was eating noodles, suddenly felt a shift in his Divine Sense and realized he was being watched. He looked up and saw a beautiful and elegant woman in the distance, her face streaked with tears, looking at him incredulously.


    This woman was both strange and somehow familiar to him.


    Mo Hua had never met her but had some vague impressions in the recesses of karma.


    Mo Hua had a sudden realization, then patted Yu Er, who sat beside him.


    Yu Er, mimicking Mo Hua, was burying his head in noodles when Mo Hua¡¯s gesture caught his attention. Looking into the distance, his little face froze, and his chopsticks clattered to the ground.


    Yu Er¡¯s eyes also filled with tears in an instant.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    The surroundings were noisy, but that call of ¡°Mother¡± was clearly heard by Wenren Wan.


    The immense joy of regaining what was lost made it hard for her to breathe.


    Her tears blurred her vision, preventing her from seeing Yu Er clearly, but she still ran towards Yu Er without a second thought.


    She seemed to forget she was a Golden Core Realm Cultivator, that she possessed cultivation. She only remembered that she was the mother of a child.


    Yu Er, with tears streaming down his face, moved his short legs towards her¡­


    The two embraced each other.


    Even though her eyes were filled with tears and she couldn¡¯t see Yu Er¡¯s face clearly, Wenren Wan still held Yu Er tightly in her arms without reservation.


    She was afraid to let go.


    She feared that once she let go, her child would vanish again.


    Even in a dream, she wished it could last longer so that her child could stay in her embrace a little more¡­


    ¡­


    Yu Er and his mother embraced each other, both crying.


    Mo Hua nodded contentedly.


    Although it was a combination of luck and calculated guesses, it seems his ¡°calculations¡± were quite accurate.


    Now that Yu Er had found his mother, he should be safe.


    Mo Hua felt at ease.


    Next, he could head to the Qian Learning State Boundary to pay his respects at the Qian Taoist Sect!

 Chapter 780 - 585 Mr. Tu_1

    Chapter 780: Chapter 585 Mr. Tu_1


    Qian State, a certain forbidden land.


    Underground chamber, dark and ominous.


    Within the chamber, an altar was set, on which rested a vast white skull with a human face and ram horns, ferocious fangs, and bloodstains all over.


    Mr. Tu knelt before the skull.


    His complexion was pale, tinged with a greenish hue; his fingers were slender, as if soaked too long in blood, cracking with blood seeping in.


    Mr. Tu¡¯s pupils were hollow, as if something had parasitized him. He hoarsely muttered words, as if speaking to someone or perhaps to himself:


    ...


    ¡°That person is dead, his Taoist bones stripped, the gates of Back Ruins will open sooner or later¡­¡±


    ¡°The living shall die, and the dead shall live¡­¡±


    ¡°The thousand-year plan is about to make its move¡­¡±


    ¡°Everything was calculated perfectly¡­¡±


    ¡°That child¡­ must be taken into our hands. Goodness is the breeding ground for evil; his blood, his flesh, his Sea of Consciousness, are the finest offerings; his Divine Sense, is the best ¡®Divine Fetus¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ he was ¡®snatched¡¯ away¡­¡±


    Mr. Tu¡¯s numb expression suddenly twisted into pain and anger, and blood seeped through his eyes.


    As if he had received rebuke, his heart was in a state of terrified guilt and hatred.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault, not my fault¡­¡±


    He trembled and said, taking a long time to settle, before he continued:


    ¡°That child is gone, vanished to who knows where. To search again would be like divining the heavenly secrets and searching for a needle in the ocean¡­¡±


    ¡°But the child, he still has a mother, and a father¡­¡±


    ¡°They can breed again¡­¡±


    ¡°With the Four Symbols Demon Formation, Feather Transformation Demon Embryo, Karmic Impurity, as soon as his mother leaves Qingzhou City, we can obscure the heavenly secrets and capture her¡­¡±


    ¡°This action will infuriate the Taoist Court, offend the Shangguan Family and the Wenren Family, destroying the millennia of strategic planning, leaving the Demon Children of Qian State dead or severely injured¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°To die for the Divine Lord is their honor.¡±


    ¡°Capturing the child¡¯s mother is worth everything¡­¡±


    ¡°With her, we can control Shangguan Yi¡­¡±


    Mr. Tu let out a cold scoff.


    ¡°Shangguan Che is deep and dispassionate, yet his son, deeply emotional, has obvious weaknesses, easily manipulated¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­forcing them to bring another child into this world.¡±


    ¡°This child, bearing the legitimate bloodlines of both Shangguan and Wenren, will be in our grasp from birth, the perfect substitute.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mr. Tu coughed out a mouthful of blood, ¡°¡­another miscalculation¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone has disrupted our cause and effect!¡±


    Mr. Tu said angrily.


    His eyes suddenly turned blood-red and his voice became shrill and crazed, no longer human: ¡°Who? Who is it?!¡±


    The inhuman voice echoed in the chamber.


    Long after, Mr. Tu coughed several times and regained his calm:


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t calculate it¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mr. Tu said through clenched teeth, ¡°I dare not calculate¡­¡±


    ¡°I see endless fog concealing the heavenly secrets, a mountain of corpses, a sea of dead bodies, a pair of bloody, merciless eyes, the abyss of exploitation, the anomaly of the Great Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the breath of a Taoist Demon¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Mr. Tu¡¯s eyes showed terror, his teeth chattering, ¡°I¡­ dare not calculate¡­¡±


    ¡°I would be contaminated¡­¡±


    ¡°I dare not¡­¡±


    Mr. Tu shuddered intensely, pounding his head to the ground, bloodying his forehead, constantly muttering ¡°I dare not¡±¡­


    But just then, fresh blood oozed from atop the human-faced ram-horned skull.


    An evil thought invaded Mr. Tu¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Mr. Tu came to his senses abruptly, his gaze gradually calming.


    ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible¡­¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Tu murmured to himself: ¡°This¡­ can¡¯t be real¡­ Taoist Demons are but illusions, a means to deceive the heavenly secrets.¡±


    ¡°If the person truly reared a Taoist Demon¡­ I would be a dead man by now¡­¡±


    ¡°This person is a deceit¡­¡±


    ¡°He has deceived me.¡±


    ¡°Who on earth is he?¡±


    Mr. Tu frowned, questioning and answering in his own mind:


    ¡°I disguised myself in ¡®human skin¡¯ and personally visited that restaurant¡­ My Formation was broken, leaving traces behind, but the method used to break it was clumsy, unpolished¡­¡±


    ¡°It must have been deliberate¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s mocking me, deceiving me!¡±


    ¡°The clumsy method would normally not be able to break the Formation. Someone capable of breaking it wouldn¡¯t be this unrefined¡­¡±


    ¡°This person¡­ has deep cunningness, craftiness¡­¡±


    ¡°An extremely adept Formation Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Certainly an old monster too¡­¡±


    ¡°I wonder what he looks like¡­¡±


    Mr. Tu began to construct an image of this person in his mind¡­


    Above middle-age, or perhaps an old man, centuries-old cultivation, a hooked nose, defined wrinkles, a shrewd and reclusive gaze, possibly outwardly gentle, but with a smile that is sinister and vicious¡­


    Mr. Tu felt this wasn¡¯t far off.


    He took a deep breath, his gaze full of malice.


    ¡°Disrupting the Divine Lord¡¯s grand plan¡­¡±


    ¡°Someday, I will pull this person out¡­¡±


    ¡°Feed his flesh and blood as sacrifice, nurture Demon Monsters; offer up his Living Soul as tribute, worship the Divine Lord¡­¡±


    ¡°Let him sink into the Desolate Mountain of Purgatory, forever unable to transcend¡­¡±


    ¡°Let him know, the majesty of the Divine Lord cannot be violated, the ruler of the Great Wilderness, immortal and undying!¡±


    Mr. Tu¡¯s expression was fervent, fearless¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, ¡°man-eating¡± Mo Hua, unaware that someone also wanted to ¡°consume¡± him as an offering.


    He was presently eating.


    And what he was eating were genuine ¡°delicacies of mountains and seas.¡±


    As a token of gratitude to Mo Hua, Wenren Wan treated him to an extravagant meal at the largest and most expensive Food Building in Qingzhou City!

 Chapter 781 - 585 Mr. Tu_2

    Chapter 781: Chapter 585 Mr. Tu_2


    Mo Hua saw such extravagantly luxurious meals for the first time, not understanding the fuss but seeing they looked very expensive.


    The table was full of dishes, none of which he recognized.


    Because they were so pricey, the feeling in his mouth as he ate was very subtle.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know if the food was actually tasty or not.


    He only felt like he was chewing on ¡°Spirit Stones¡± instead of food¡­


    However, luckily he wasn¡¯t picky and ate very happily.


    ...


    Yu Er sat beside Mo Hua, not feeling hungry, but seeing Mo Hua eating happily, he followed suit like a clever little student, eating whatever Mo Hua ate.


    Wenren Wan watched Yu Er intently, afraid that if she blinked, her child would disappear again.


    She still felt like she was dreaming.


    Initially, in despair, she had held onto a sliver of hope. Yet she hadn¡¯t expected that by simply stepping out the door, she would indeed find the child she had thought about day and night.


    Wenren Wan found it somewhat inconceivable.


    Shangguan Yi was even more incredulous.


    Upon hearing that Yu Er had been found, he rushed over. Upon truly seeing Yu Er, he was delighted and shocked but also very puzzled, murmuring to himself,


    ¡°This can¡¯t be possible¡­¡±


    This went against the heavenly secret, against cause and effect, things simply shouldn¡¯t, and couldn¡¯t, be this way¡­


    Wenren Wan did not give him a warm welcome.


    Shangguan Yi knew to withdraw tactfully, and he did not stay long.


    With his son and wife safe, the weight in his heart lifted. As for his relationship with his wife, he would mend it slowly over time.


    Shangguan Yi thanked Mo Hua and said, ¡°Young friend, if you ever need anything in the future, just say the word. The Shangguan Family¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Wenren Wan coldly cut him off. ¡°Leave quickly, your presence spoils my appetite.¡±


    Shangguan Yi gave a wry smile, helpless, and took his leave, but just before leaving, he cast a thoughtful glance at Mo Hua, wondering something to himself.


    Aside from Shangguan Yi, Mo Hua also met a gentleman from the Gu family.


    Exceptionally handsome, he carried a paper fan and exuded a certain grace, though he seemed a bit too proud.


    Wenren Wan said, ¡°This is my cousin, Gu by surname, Changhuai by name.¡±


    Mo Hua politely said, ¡°Hello, Uncle Gu.¡±


    Gu Changhuai was greatly surprised, yet all he offered were words of gratitude. Beyond that, he asked nothing. After staying a while, he bid farewell.


    When he left, he also glanced at Mo Hua. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In his haughty gaze was deep skepticism.


    Mo Hua quietly asked Wenren Wan, ¡°Aunt Wan, is this Uncle Gu someone who isn¡¯t well-liked? His way of looking at people is a bit odd¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan was startled and then couldn¡¯t help but laugh, saying,


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Changhuai is kind-hearted. He¡¯s just youthful and arrogant.¡±


    ¡°And since it¡¯s his first time meeting you, he might have been a bit uncomfortable, thus seeming distant. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Mo Hua asked again, ¡°that uncle who looked handsome and seemed mild-mannered, is he Yu Er¡¯s father?¡±


    Wenren Wan spoke with slight disdain, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    She briefly explained Yu Er¡¯s identity to Mo Hua.


    Yu Er was a child of a union between the Shangguan and Wenren Noble Clans, possessing the purest lineage of both families, which is why his full name was ¡°Shang Guanyu.¡±


    Mo Hua continued eating what seemed like a chicken leg, but he didn¡¯t know from which Spirit Beast or bird it came. He looked calm, even somewhat clueless.


    ¡°Do you know about the Wenren Family?¡± Wenren Wan asked out of the blue.


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    ¡°How about the Shangguan Family?¡±


    Mo Hua still shook his head.


    Being from a small place like Tongxian City, he was almost completely ignorant about the matters of the noble families in Qian State.


    The map he had of Qian State, though it marked some noble clans, hadn¡¯t caught his interest that much¡­


    His attention was focused on the major Sects of the Qian Learning State Boundary.


    And these noble clans were a confusing mess.


    Everyone talked about their depth of history and lineage, the vastness of their power, some lasting thousands or even tens of thousands of years¡­


    Mo Hua simply couldn¡¯t distinguish who was who¡­


    Wenren Wan was somewhat surprised; she hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua to truly know nothing.


    ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t a Cultivator from Qian State, are you¡­¡± Wenren Wan asked tactfully.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I¡¯m a Loose Cultivator; my family resides in Li State. We¡¯re from a Second Grade Little Immortal City, and my parents are both in the Qi Refinement stage¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s mouth dropped open in shock, ¡°Then how¡­ did you come to Qian State?¡±


    ¡°I came here to learn!¡±


    ¡°By yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my parents are very busy. And since they are just at the Qi Refinement stage, the journey would be too dangerous. I didn¡¯t feel comfortable with them coming, so I came alone¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan didn¡¯t know what to say, feeling that the roles of the child and the parents seemed reversed¡­


    She then sighed silently, reflecting deeply.


    No wonder they say the child of a poor family must become a householder early on.


    From Li State to Qian State, the road was so long, traveling alone over mountains and rivers, exposed to the elements, not to mention Monster Beasts and various treacherous Cultivators¡­


    It was not just a matter of Cultivation, but also of rich experience, exceptional ingenuity, steadfast determination, and an unyielding will¡­


    And Mo Hua looked merely like a child of about ten.


    At his age, the children of Noble Clans were usually carefree in their cultivation, unaware of life¡¯s hardships, and oblivious to the malice in people¡¯s hearts¡­


    Wenren Wan looked at Mo Hua and felt an inexplicable sense of compassion.


    She instructed Yu Er, ¡°You must learn more from your brother Mo in the future¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Yu Er nodded repeatedly.


    Wenren Wan affectionately rubbed Yu Er¡¯s head then, struck by a puzzling thought as she gazed at Mo Hua, hesitated for a moment before asking:

 Chapter 782 - 585 Mr. Tu_3

    Chapter 782: Chapter 585 Mr. Tu_3


    ¡°Then¡­ how did you manage to rescue Yu Er?¡±


    Mo Hua was Yu Er¡¯s savior, and out of courtesy, Wenren Wan refrained from scrutinizing him too closely with her Divine Sense.


    But from what could be observed on the surface, Mo Hua¡¯s Cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment level.


    His Blood Qi was very weak, his Spiritual Power not particularly strong, and, being a Loose Cultivator, he seemingly came from an impoverished background and likely didn¡¯t possess any remarkable Spiritual Artifacts.


    Even if he had a superior Spiritual Artifact, with his level of Spiritual Power, he probably couldn¡¯t unleash its full potential.


    How did such a junior cultivator manage to rescue his own Yu Er?


    ...


    It couldn¡¯t be that he alone defeated more than a dozen traffickers, could it¡­


    Mo Hua said with a bashful tone, ¡°I was just lucky, happened to be passing by, and for some reason, all those traffickers were dead, and Yu Er was locked in a box, so I ¡®picked¡¯ him up and took him to Qingzhou City¡­¡±


    Mo Hua stuck with the same story as before.


    He was just a passerby, a kind young man.


    Just a bit lucky.


    The death of the traffickers had nothing to do with him.


    Upon hearing this, Wenren Wan was somewhat astonished, but she couldn¡¯t help harboring doubts.


    Everything seemed too coincidental¡­


    How could the traffickers just die out of the blue?


    And how could he have just happened to find Yu Er?


    There was something fishy¡­


    Seeing that Wenren Wan didn¡¯t quite believe him, Mo Hua thought for a moment then sighed, revealing an expression of ¡°after-fear¡±:


    ¡°To speak truthfully, it¡¯s also because of Yu Er¡¯s great luck and strong fate.¡±


    ¡°If my luck had been just a bit worse and I hadn¡¯t come across him, and he really had been picked up by someone else, that would have been troublesome¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart jolted.


    Indeed! S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If Yu Er had been ¡°picked up¡± by another cultivator with ulterior motives, or one who schemed with great deliberation, then Yu Er would have been in danger!


    She thought it through carefully once more and the more she thought about it, the more reasonable Mo Hua¡¯s words seemed.


    Shangguan Yi had told her before that Yu Er had been ensnared in a scheme by a powerhouse, manipulated behind the scenes, and taken from place to place, with little chance for escape¡­


    But man¡¯s calculations are no match for those of heaven.


    By a stroke of fate and opportunity, Yu Er was instead rescued by this child, Mo Hua.


    Isn¡¯t this evidence that Yu Er¡¯s fortunate destiny and good opportunities?


    As a mother, who wouldn¡¯t wish for their child to have a profound fate?


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart felt comforted.


    Of course, this child, Mo Hua, had ¡°good luck¡± as well.


    Shouldn¡¯t she feel relieved that Mo Hua was lucky?


    If he hadn¡¯t been lucky, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to rescue Yu Er, and she might never have seen Yu Er again¡­


    The more Wenren Wan thought, the more convinced she became, and she found herself nodding in agreement.


    Mo Hua was right!


    Yu Er was truly fortunate!


    If Yu Er could have such good fortune, why couldn¡¯t Mo Hua be lucky too?


    A lucky child saving a child with good fate, what could be wrong with that?


    Realizing this, Wenren Wan felt assured, believed him to a great extent, and the more she looked at Mo Hua, the more she took a liking to him; her heart filled with gratitude, she sincerely said:


    ¡°Mo Hua, you have done a great service for both the Shangguan and the Wenren families. What do you wish for?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and felt somewhat embarrassed.


    Saving Yu Er had been a convenient act for him, and asking for a reward now seemed a bit like¡­ trading favor for gain?


    And he had grown quite fond of Yu Er.


    Aunt Wan, from the Wenren Family, had also been kind to him, even treating him to good food.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Mo Hua decided to forego a reward, just asking them for a little help would suffice.


    ¡°Aunt Wan, can you send me to the Qian Taoist Sect?¡±


    Although they were in the Qian Xue State Boundary, they were on the edge of the state boundary, and Qian Xue State was a fifth-grade state boundary with vast territories; it would take some time for him to get there.


    If there was a delay and he was late, missing the chance to join the sect, that would be a problem.


    Wenren Wan, however, misunderstood, feeling somewhat ashamed and distressed as she replied:


    ¡°The Qian Taoist Sect is one of the ¡®Four Great Sects¡¯; its threshold is extremely high, and relying on the Wenren Family¡¯s influence might be a bit difficult¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, then shook his head and said, ¡°Aunt Wan, you just need to take me there¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan was puzzled, ¡°Take you there?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua felt that since Yu Er was kindhearted and Aunt Wan was very good, and because the Wenren Family was also a great noble clan, there seemed to be no need to keep secrets. So he continued:


    ¡°I have a Sect-Entering Order¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan gasped, her voice trembling, ¡°You have a Sect-Entering Order from¡­ the Qian Taoist Sect?!¡±

 Chapter 783 - 586 Qian Taoist Sect_1

    Chapter 783: Chapter 586 Qian Taoist Sect_1


    Mo Hua was also taken aback.


    The reaction of Wenren Wan was somewhat unexpected to him.


    ¡°Is the Sect-Entering Order from Qian Taoist Sect really¡­ that valuable?¡±


    Yu Er, who was eating beside them, looked confusedly at her mother.


    Wenren Wan sighed and said, ¡°The Sect-Entering Order signifies ¡®exemption from entrance exams.¡¯ In the Qian Learning State Boundary, from the largest to the smallest, any sect¡¯s Sect-Entering Order is very valuable, especially one from a top-tier sect like the Qian Taoist Sect.¡±


    ¡°Top-tier?¡± Mo Hua was slightly startled, then remembered Wenren Wan¡¯s earlier comment, ¡°The Four Great Sects?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Yes,¡± Wenren Wan nodded slightly, ¡°In Qian Learning State Boundary, a fifth-rank region with numerous Taoist orders, the sects¡ªwhether big or small¡ªnumber in the thousands if not tens of thousands.¡±


    ¡°Among them, the esteemed upper-echelon sects include ¡®The Four Great Sects¡¯, ¡®Eight Great Gates¡¯, ¡®Twelve Streams¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides these are sects that aren¡¯t weak but slightly lack depth, and all these sects are collectively known as the ¡®Qian Learning Hundred Gates¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°The Four Great Sects, Eight Great Gates, Twelve Streams, Qian Learning Hundred Gates¡­¡± Mo Hua silently repeated them, committing them to memory.


    Wenren Wan continued:


    ¡°Among all the sects in Qian Learning State Boundary, if we talk about traditional lineage, the Four Great Sects are the strongest, with the Eight Great Gates next in line¡­¡±


    ¡°The Twelve Streams can compare with the Eight Great Gates, but each specializes in a particular field, somewhat skewed. For example, Sever Gold Sect practices Sword Control, Myriad Magic Gate studies spells, and others specialize in Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune, beast control, Martial Way, and so on¡­¡±


    ¡°And among them, Qian Taoist Sect is one of the top most sects in the Qian Learning State Boundary¡¯s Four Great Sects.¡±


    ¡°One of the top most¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat doubtful, ¡°So, is it the first, or the second then?¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s expression became somewhat complicated, and she whispered:


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°Each of the Four Great Sects claims to be the first and refuses to be second. So, all of the Four Great Sects are among the top most, but it¡¯s not clear-cut who exactly ranks first or second¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mouth fell open.


    So there could be such ¡°scheming¡±¡­


    ¡°Therefore,¡± Wenren Wan said earnestly, ¡°as one of the top-tier ¡®Four Great Sects¡¯ in the fifth-rank Qian Xue State, the requirements for entry are extremely stringent. Naturally, a Sect-Entering Order granting exemption from the entrance exams is extremely precious¡­¡±


    ¡°Even for noble clans like the Shangguan and Wenren, it¡¯s exceedingly rare.¡±


    Wenren Wan sighed.


    Mo Hua was somewhat disheartened.


    He had not expected that what his master had left him was such a valuable item.


    After Wenren Wan finished speaking, she suddenly remembered something and cautioned:


    ¡°Keep this Sect-Entering Order safe and don¡¯t tell anyone about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s composed demeanor and the treasured token in his possession without panic, Wenren Wan secretly nodded in approval, but she was immediately struck by curiosity:


    ¡°Where did you get this token from?¡±


    ¡°I found it!¡± Mo Hua said.


    Wenren Wan was taken aback, ¡°Found¡­ found it?¡±


    A Sect-Entering Order from the Qian Taoist Sect¡­ could be found just like that?


    This was an excuse Mo Hua had practically blurted out without thinking:


    ¡°Back when I was in the Li State, in a mountain while monster hunting, by a fluke, I found a storage bag. In the bag, there was a token with the words ¡®Qian Taoist Sect¡¯ on it.¡±


    ¡°I made some inquiries and found out that this was a Sect-Entering Order for the Qian Learning State Boundary.¡±


    ¡°Qian Learning State Boundary is very far from Li State, but I thought since I found it, it was a stroke of destiny that shouldn¡¯t be wasted. So, I crossed mountains and rivers to come to Qian State, hoping to be admitted into a sect and learn Tao cultivation¡­¡±


    This was a simple, unadorned tale of seeking the Tao.


    Half-true, half-false.


    It sounded rough-hewn, yet without any flaws. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wenren Wan was somewhat skeptical but after thinking it over, she realized some people are born with good fortune¡ªthat wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary.


    Moreover, the person saying this was Mo Hua, who had just saved her child.


    Wenren Wan chose to believe it for the time being.


    However, Mo Hua had some concerns: ¡°Aunt Wan, with this Sect-Entering Order, can I really be exempt from the entrance exams?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan started to answer but suddenly stopped, furrowing her brows with some hesitation.


    Normally, holding the token meant you could join the sect, and there was no issue with that.


    The issuance of Sect-Entering Orders was highly strict, not something just anyone could issue or receive.


    When entering the sect, the sect would make a Calculation of cause and effect.


    Any person holding a Sect-Entering Order, as long as their origins were proper, without bad causes, without bad effects, not obtained by ¡°killing and robbing,¡± stealing opportunities, or harboring ill intentions, would face no issues.


    Even those who ¡°found¡± the token were considered to have received a fateful opportunity from the Heavenly Dao; the sect would not refuse them.


    But¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s case was a bit special.


    The Qian Taoist Sect was too vast, with each spot extremely precious.


    And Mo Hua was a Loose Cultivator, with no background, what¡¯s more critical was his Spiritual Root¡­


    Wenren Wan whispered, ¡°Mo Hua, your Spiritual Root¡­¡±


    ¡°A mid to lower-tier Small Five Elements Spiritual Root,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Just as expected¡­


    Wenren Wan sighed.


    This Spiritual Root was far too inferior, barely reaching the threshold for entry¡­


    But Wenren Wan didn¡¯t want to dishearten Mo Hua, so she said, ¡°Qian Taoist Sect is a Great Sect that values its word, and should accept you.¡±


    Mo Hua knew Wenren Wan was trying to comfort him, and smiled, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Wan!¡±


    But he also had some expectations.


    The Qian Taoist Sect was even larger than he had imagined, and the threshold even higher.


    He reckoned that gaining entry to the Qian Taoist Sect might not be that easy¡­


    However, there¡¯s always a solution to a problem; he would still have to try his luck.


    Wenren Wan also said, ¡°Finish your meal, rest for the night, and tomorrow I will have the Wenren Family¡¯s carriage safely take you to the Qian Taoist Sect¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thanked her with a smile, then thinking of something else, whispered:

 Chapter 784 - 586 Qian Taoist Sect_2

    Chapter 784: Chapter 586 Qian Taoist Sect_2


    ¡°Aunt Wan, there¡¯s one more thing¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan said, ¡°Just speak your mind!¡±


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°Is it possible not to tell anyone else about me saving Yu Er?¡±


    Wenren Wan was startled, but then she understood.


    To calculate against the Shangguan Family and the legitimate descendants of the Wenren Family, as well as to obscure the heavenly secrets so that the two great Noble Clans could not divine cause and effect,


    the power behind this act must be immensely formidable.


    ...


    Their scheming must also be profound.


    Mo Hua was just lucky, saving Yu Er by chance.


    But if those people knew that it was Mo Hua, this child, who spoiled their plans, then this good fortune would turn into calamity.


    Mo Hua was still only a child, moreover, a Loose Cultivator with weak cultivation, powerless and without influence, lacking any background; he would probably¡­


    have nowhere to lay his corpse upon his death!


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart trembled, feeling a sourness within.


    She knew the pain of losing a child.


    Mo Hua had parents too. If Mo Hua were to lose his life because he saved Yu Er, how heartbroken his parents would be.


    She would also feel guilty for the rest of her life¡­


    Wenren Wan said earnestly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will ensure that everyone who knows about this keeps it to themselves, not leaking a whisper of it!¡±


    Mo Hua smiled brightly, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Wan!¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s clear and pure smile, Wenren Wan felt somewhat reassured.


    Afterward, Mo Hua rested in Qingzhou City for a night, played with Yu Er for a while, and the next day rode in the Wenren Family¡¯s carriage, heading north beyond the Qian Xue State boundary¡­


    The Qian Xue State boundary, a prosperous land for seeking knowledge.


    Countless Sects lined the journey.


    Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, Taoist temples stood tall, their majestic air presenting a spectacular sight.


    Radiant light bathed the mountains, and Spirit Beasts chirped clearly, creating a scene akin to paradise.


    Cultivators wearing various Sect Taoist robes came and went, their escape lights crisscrossing.


    Mo Hua was deeply moved.


    ¡°This is¡­ the Qian Xue State boundary¡­¡±


    ¡°This is¡­ the largest place in Qian State for questioning the Dao and pursuing studies¡­¡±


    All along the way, numerous beautiful scenes unfolded so rapidly Mo Hua hardly had time to gaze at them all; sticking his little head out the carriage window, he watched the whole way, full of emotion.


    The steady sound of horse hooves.


    The mountain road shrouded in mist.


    The journey was like riding on clouds.


    Two days later, the carriage arrived at the Qian Taoist Sect.


    From a distance, a massive mountain peak could be seen standing tall against the sky, with palaces arrayed among the mountains, observatories like stars scattered in the vastness, majestic and lofty. The clouds and mists gave it an ethereal feel, as if it were the White Jade Capital in the heavens.


    ¡°The Qian Taoist Sect¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit nervous but also excited, and his heart couldn¡¯t help fluttering.


    The carriage stopped at the foot of the mountain.


    A guard from the Wenren Family apologized with a fist salute, ¡°Young Master Mo, the rules of the Qian Taoist Sect are strict, they do not allow carriages up the mountain. I¡¯m terribly sorry; this is as far as we can take you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Mo Hua waved his hand, thanked the guard, and then walked directly up the tall steps toward the mountain gate of the Qian Taoist Sect.


    Up close, it was even more magnificent, as if it were steeped in immortal aura.


    Along the way, other students also dismounted from their carriages and walked up the mountain; they seemed to want to join the Qian Taoist Sect as well.


    However, they were dressed in finer robes, their demeanor more arrogant, surrounded by family elders¡¯ protection and escorts from their guards.


    In contrast, Mo Hua was dressed modestly, all alone.


    Fortunately, he was accustomed to it.


    Walking alone, Mo Hua soon reached the gate of the Qian Taoist Sect.


    In front of the gate, there was a towering threshold, almost taller than Mo Hua himself, separating those going up the mountain and also separating Mo Hua.


    A few disciples of the Qian Taoist Sect were guarding the gate. When they saw Mo Hua, they stopped him and asked his purpose.


    Their tone was polite, but underneath, there was a hint of contempt and arrogance.


    ¡°I have a Sect-Entering Order, and I wish to join the sect¡­¡±


    Mo Hua presented his Sect-Entering Order.


    The disciples appeared astonished and exchanged glances. One disciple said,


    ¡°Please wait here for a moment, I need to report this and consult an Elder for a decision.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°Please fill out the record of your Cultivator¡¯s background and history¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at the so-called ¡°record of background and history,¡± which was a form to state one¡¯s place of origin, family background, and the nature of one¡¯s Spiritual Root.


    Mo Hua filled it out truthfully.


    The disciple took the entered information and produced a sealed box to store the Sect-Entering Order. Then he entered the mountain gate and walked along the broad jade road for the time it takes to brew tea. When he reached a hall,


    several Elders of the Qian Taoist Sect were in the midst of discussion.


    The disciple presented the sealed box and explained the situation.


    The Elders all showed surprise. ¡°A Sect-Entering Order?¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They looked to the presiding Elder and asked, ¡°Elder Shen, how do you see this?¡±


    The one seated in the highest seat, Elder Shen, had deep wrinkles and his Taoist robe was adorned with four golden Patterns, clearly of high status.


    On hearing the report, Elder Shen took the Sect-Entering Order and, upon seeing the inscription, he furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Elder Shen, is there something amiss?¡± asked an Elder observing his reaction.


    Elder Shen shook his head and handed the order to the others, ¡°Take a look for yourselves¡­¡±


    Other Elders accepted it with some confusion and after reading it, they too paused in surprise.


    An Elder slowly read, ¡°The bearer of this order may not be refused entry¡­¡±


    ¡°This character¡­ is it not right¡­¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it read ¡®He who bears this order should be respectfully admitted¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why does it have the tone of an imperial edict?¡±


    ¡°Is this Sect-Entering Order counterfeit?¡±


    Elder Shen shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s real, just, ¡®old¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Old?¡±


    The Elders were taken aback.


    Elder Shen nodded, ¡°This is an edict from the old rules of our Sect¡­¡±


    With a hint of emotion, Elder Shen added:


    ¡°This is from a batch of ¡®Sect-Entering Orders¡¯ that¡¯s quite ancient. At that time, the Qian Taoist Sect was in decline, with insufficient strength. We had to act subserviently to others, which is why the Sect-Entering Orders from that period have the tone of an edict¡­¡±


    ¡°Not to be refused, meaning our Qian Taoist Sect could not resist¡­¡±

 Chapter 785 - 586 Qian Taoist Sect_3

    Chapter 785: Chapter 586 Qian Taoist Sect_3


    ¡°But!¡±


    Elder Shen¡¯s gaze was piercing, his voice lifted: ¡°Following the footsteps of the past Sect Leaders of our Qian Taoist Sect, who governed with vigor and diligence, over generations our cultivators have aspired to grow stronger. United in spirit, we toiled tirelessly, expanding our might to this day¡­¡±


    ¡°Our Qian Taoist Sect is now beyond compare with its former self!¡±


    ¡°All our disciples are prodigies, with top-grade talents!¡±


    ¡°Today, we stand at the forefront of the four major sects! We are the greatest sect within the Qian Xue State boundary!¡±


    ¡°Therefore, this Sect-Entering Order has been changed in both format and wording.¡±


    ...


    ¡°No longer does it read ¡®not to be refused,¡¯ but ¡®earnestly hoped to be accepted!''¡±


    ¡°It is others who beg us to ¡®accept¡¯ them into our sect, not us being ¡®commanded¡¯ to take in disciples!¡±


    Elder Shen¡¯s words resounded with authority.


    The other elders felt their spirits rise, sharing in the glory.


    An elder spoke up: ¡°Then this Sect-Entering Order, being an old matter and somewhat dishonorable, shall we¡­ refuse it?¡±


    Elder Shen pondered for a moment before shaking his head:


    ¡°No need to be so hasty, one must consider all things carefully¡­¡±


    ¡°These past events, though not glorious, are unchangeable facts.¡±


    ¡°We cultivators must remember past humiliations, engrain them into our hearts so that we might carry the weight of our resolve and continue to grow stronger, ensuring our Qian Taoist Sect stands tall for thousands of years!¡±


    The others flattered him:


    ¡°Worthy of being Elder Shen!¡±


    ¡°Far-sighted and visionary!¡±


    ¡°Grand in scope and extraordinary in tolerance!¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Shen gestured modestly, a thought occurring to him, and he asked:


    ¡°This disciple seeking admission, what is the nature of his talent?¡±


    Someone passed up a record of ¡°native place.¡±


    With just a glance, Elder Shen¡¯s brows knotted.


    ¡°A Loose Cultivator¡­¡±


    ¡°And from the remote areas of Li State at that¡­¡±


    ¡°A middling to low-grade Small Five Elements Spiritual Root¡­¡±


    Elder Shen found it barely worth a glance.


    The other elders also looked over the record, and one couldn¡¯t help but chuckle: ¡°In the special skills section, it says¡­ Formation?¡±


    The rest were taken aback and then burst into laughter.


    ¡°He really dares to claim that¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably has nothing else to write¡­¡±


    ¡°Formation¡­¡± an elder shook his head, ¡°My own five-times-great-grandson has an exceptional talent for formations, and I dare not let him pursue that path nor claim to be proficient¡­¡±


    ¡°Truly¡­ ignorance is bliss¡­¡±


    ¡°After all, cultivators from small places might feel grand after learning a few formations, not knowing the vastness of the world, that there are skies beyond skies¡­¡±


    An elder joked: ¡°Why not ask him just how many formations he knows?¡±


    ¡°You really have too much free time¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of asking? Could he possibly create a Second Grade formation?¡±


    ¡°Do not underestimate the cultivators of the world¡­¡±


    ¡°That may be so, but this is Qian State, the Qian Xue State boundary, where the geniuses of the Cultivation World converge. We lack not for a ¡®formation genius¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After discussing for a while, someone curiously asked:


    ¡°How did he come by this Sect-Entering Order?¡±


    ¡°Well, about that¡­¡±


    ¡°An ancient ¡®Sect-Entering Order¡¯¡ªcould he have picked it up?¡±


    ¡°Where is it that easy to pick up? Couldn¡¯t it be that he¡­ resorted to killing and robbing for it?¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps, he¡¯s someone¡¯s chess piece?¡±


    Elder Shen shook his head, ¡°Just now I made some quick calculations and while it¡¯s a bit unclear, presumably clean and without issues, no signs of ¡®Evil Cause and Evil Effect.¡¯ Most likely he indeed found it by chance¡­¡±


    An elder clicked his tongue in admiration: ¡°What luck¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, even a Sect-Entering Order could be found¡­¡±


    Elder Shen nodded: ¡°Some people in this world do indeed encounter extraordinary fortunes¡­¡±


    ¡°Since this boy has such fortune, then¡­¡± an elder probed Elder Shen¡¯s intention.


    Elder Shen mused for a moment and slowly said: ¡°Having fortune is one thing, but¡­¡±


    Elder Shen¡¯s expression became slightly haughty as he reflected:


    ¡°Our Qian Taoist Sect offers such a grand opportunity; he simply cannot bear it!¡±


    The elders were startled, and they exclaimed in admiration:


    ¡°Elder Shen speaks wisely!¡±


    ¡°A fortune too great can also be a misfortune¡­¡±


    ¡°A person of light fortune cannot withstand such overwhelming wealth¡­¡±


    ¡°This is also for his own good¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°But¡­¡± some elders were concerned, ¡°if we refuse, will that not damage the prestige of our Qian Taoist Sect?¡±


    After all, those holding the Sect-Entering Order were generally not refused.


    If they were refused, they might be labeled as ¡°untrustworthy,¡± and that would sound bad if it got out¡­


    Elder Shen frowned, pondering before he spoke with weighty consideration:


    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®refusal,¡¯ it¡¯s ¡®under deliberation¡¯¡­¡±


    The crowd was taken aback.


    ¡°Under deliberation?¡±


    Elder Shen nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not rejection, merely that this matter is special and requires thorough discussion¡­¡±


    Thorough discussion.


    As for how long they will deliberate, be it a month, a year, or more than a decade, whether or not a decision is reached, and what that might be¡­


    That was the concern of the Qian Taoist Sect and no one else¡¯s business.


    Elder Shen did not articulate this, but everyone understood.


    The others nodded:


    ¡°This is for the best¡­¡±


    ¡°Such a significant matter indeed requires thorough discussion¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, Elder Shen handles matters fittingly, measuring every action with perfect discretion¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°So how shall we deal with this Sect-Entering Order?¡± someone else asked.


    Elder Shen said indifferently:


    ¡°Just enter it into the record of cultivators.¡±


    The Sect-Entering Order was precious, one per person. Once entered into the records, if returned, it could not be used by others again.


    And once ¡°under deliberation,¡± the matter of the order-holder¡¯s admission into the sect was effectively stalled.


    Thus, the matter was properly dealt with. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Shen nodded slightly.


    The light of the Sect-Entering Order flashed momentarily as it was recorded.


    Elder Shen annotated ¡°under deliberation¡± on the record, then tossed it aside, burying it under a pile of documents where it began to gather dust in silence.


    As he discarded it, his glance fell once more on the name atop the record.


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    The name was swiftly forgotten by Elder Shen, who didn¡¯t deem it to be of any significance¡­

 Chapter 786 - 587 Genius_1

    Chapter 786: Chapter 587 Genius_1


    Afterward, Elder Shen began to discuss other matters.


    The Sect-Entering Order, which was recorded in the annals and set aside as ¡°to be discussed¡±, effectively becoming ¡°voided¡±, was returned.


    The disciple handed the Sect-Entering Order to Mo Hua.


    ¡°As for the matter of joining the Sect, further discussion is needed¡­¡±


    ¡°How long will the discussion take?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    The disciple, polite yet with a touch of indifference, said, ¡°The Elders¡¯ deliberation is not something we disciples can inquire about. I do not know either. Just let it be¡­¡±


    ...


    Mo Hua understood the situation in his heart.


    To accept is to accept, to reject is to reject.


    Even with a Sect-Entering Order in hand, they still prevaricated with discussions.


    It was probably a polite refusal¡­


    He didn¡¯t think that, as a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was worth the Qian Taoist Sect, a fifth-rank Sect, to deliberate over for ten days and a half a month.


    Most likely, it would come to nothing.


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that after traversing mountains and rivers to get here, he wouldn¡¯t even enter the gates of the Qian Taoist Sect¡­


    Looking at the threshold in front of the Sect¡¯s entrance, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly:


    ¡°The threshold of the Qian Taoist Sect is indeed high¡­¡±


    Mo Hua put away the Sect-Entering Order.


    Although the order was now useless, it was, after all, something his master had left him and could be kept as a keepsake.


    If you¡¯re not family, you don¡¯t enter the family¡¯s door.


    A Sect so grand and luxurious, with a high threshold, accepting only ¡°geniuses¡± was indeed not suitable for him¡­


    The Qian Xue State Boundary was so vast; he could simply look for another Sect!


    ¡°If this place won¡¯t keep me, there will be another that will!¡±


    Mo Hua invigorated his spirit. The slight disappointment in his heart instantly vanished as he looked up and puffed out his chest, leaving the gates of the Qian Taoist Sect with a proud and defiant air.


    However, as he descended the mountain, he brushed past a cultivator donning the Taoist robe of a Qian Taoist Sect Elder, with half-white hair and a stern face and eyes.


    One ascending the mountain, the other descending.


    The two passed by each other without taking notice.


    This stern-faced Elder of the Qian Taoist Sect had four golden patterns on his robe.


    Wearing an aura of authority, he strode directly into the Sect¡¯s entrance.


    Along the way, disciples greeted him with clasped hands, and he responded with a slight nod before entering the hall where the Sect deliberated, only then frowning slightly.


    Elder Shen looked up and saw him, saying indifferently:


    ¡°Elder Zheng, you are late.¡±


    Elder Zheng took his seat as if it were a matter of course, snorted and said, ¡°It¡¯s all the same whether I¡¯m early or late.¡±


    The atmosphere grew somewhat stiff.


    Elder Shen chuckled, unperturbed, and said:


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue discussing¡­ the recent approach of disciple admission brings many tasks. They should be dealt with promptly to avoid delay. Finishing the discussions earlier will make it easier for everyone¡­¡±


    The others echoed in agreement.


    The atmosphere returned to normal.


    One by one, the various affairs were brought up, involving matters from disciple enrollment to improvements in Sect governance, rewards and punishments for instructors, and matters related to the Elders¡¯ treatment¡­


    The gathering of Elders put forth their suggestions, then looked for Elder Shen¡¯s reaction, and ultimately reached a consensus.


    Only Elder Zheng, either silent or, when he spoke, with sharp words, added some tension to the atmosphere.


    But he was only one man with one vote, and he couldn¡¯t change much.


    In most cases, he could only turn a blind eye and reluctantly ¡°agree¡±.


    However, an hour later, when a certain matter was discussed, Elder Zheng¡¯s attitude became stubborn, even angry.


    ¡°Only the highest-grade Spiritual Roots are allowed to enroll?¡±


    Elder Zheng banged the table furiously, ¡°What kind of nonsense is that?!¡±


    Elder Shen¡¯s composure twitched slightly, but he still managed to contain his anger and said indifferently:


    ¡°Elder Zheng, as an instructor, you should not speak foul language and forget your manners¡­¡±


    Elder Zheng retorted angrily, ¡°Enough with the pretense, what manners? You¡¯re ready to lose your own face, so what manners do I need to uphold?¡±


    Elder Shen, growing angry, said, ¡°Elder Zheng!¡±


    He took a deep breath, ¡°Only the highest-grade Spiritual Roots are allowed to enroll; this is what all the Elders agreed upon after discussion¡­¡±


    Elder Zheng scoffed, ¡°Agreed upon? Isn¡¯t it all about following your lead?¡±


    This statement made the other Elders at the scene uncomfortable. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Shen said coldly, ¡°Are you implying that I, Shen, run a one-man show?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not you, Shen, it¡¯s your Shen Family!¡± Elder Zheng sneered and spoke bluntly:


    ¡°What are you counting for? Just a Feather Transformation. Why should others give you face?¡±


    ¡°The respect is for your Shen Family at your back, a colossal entity, a noble clan established for ten thousand years, deeply rooted! You¡¯re nothing more than a human ¡®messenger talisman¡¯ for your Shen Family¡­¡±


    Elder Shen flew into a rage, ¡°Presumptuous!¡±


    The other Elders in the hall were also somewhat taken aback.


    Elder Zheng sneered without a word.


    Elder Shen continued coldly, ¡°Elder Zheng, your unfounded accusations are not only disparaging me but the Shen Family as well!¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s slander or not, you know it in your heart. What is the ethos of this Qian Taoist Sect? Needless for me to elaborate?¡±


    Elder Zheng sneered again, ¡°I heard that even Great cultivators of the Heaven Void Realm wishing to take a post in the Qian Taoist Sect have to bend down and toast you, Elder Shen?¡±


    Elder Shen still only said, ¡°Nonsensical talk!¡±


    Elder Zheng proceeded to air his own grievances, ¡°How many spots have you covertly skimmed off over the years? Who exactly have those spots gone to?¡±


    ¡°To the Shen Family?¡±


    ¡°Or sold at a high price to noble clans in cahoots with the Shen Family?¡±


    ¡°Do you want the Qian Taoist Sect to change its allegiance and surname?!¡±


    ¡­


    This statement was extremely grave, causing all the Elders present to change their expressions.


    Elder Shen settled down instead, waved his hand to the others, ¡°Everyone, please disperse. We will discuss this matter later. Elder Zheng¡­ he has encountered some deviations in his cultivation and injured his Sea of Consciousness, occasionally speaking nonsense. Please be understanding¡­¡±


    The gathered Elders, as if pardoned, clasped their hands and dispersed.


    In the now empty hall, only Elder Zheng and Elder Shen were left.

 Chapter 787 - 587: Genius_2

    Chapter 787: Chapter 587: Genius_2


    Elder Shen remained silent, his expression solemn as he spoke indifferently:


    ¡°Our Qian Taoist Sect has developed from a minor sect into what it is today by virtue of our sect¡¯s Taoist lineage and many disciples of extraordinary talent.¡±


    ¡°Spiritual Roots determine the talent of a disciple, the upper limit of their Tao cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°A fine horse deserves a fine saddle, a precious sword belongs to the hero.¡±


    ¡°As Qian Taoist Sect is a top-tier sect, naturally, we also need disciples of top-tier talent.¡±


    ¡°Only the prodigies with superior grade Spiritual Roots are worthy of Qian Taoist Sect.¡±


    ...


    ¡°I do not understand what impropriety there is in this action that has caused Elder Zheng such distress, to utter such ¡®heretical and perverse¡¯ words?¡±


    Elder Zheng sneered and retorted, ¡°How many of our Qian Taoist Sect¡¯s ancestors possessed superior grade Spiritual Roots?¡±


    ¡°Upper-middle, lower-upper, and even lower-middle grade ones existed¡­¡±


    ¡°By that logic, do our Qian Taoist Sect¡¯s ancestors also not qualify to be disciples of our sect?¡±


    Elder Shen frowned, ¡°You¡¯re twisting the facts to suit your argument!¡±


    He paced back and forth in anger before he finally said:


    ¡°Times were different then, the Great Dao evolves, what was cannot be compared to what is now, nowadays, cultivators with upper-grade Spiritual Roots are commonplace, so why can¡¯t we¡­¡±


    Elder Zheng questioned, ¡°Commonplace? Who is commonplace?¡±


    Elder Shen was taken aback.


    Elder Zheng¡¯s gaze was sharp, ¡°Upper-grade Spiritual Roots are commonplace among Noble Clans, among ancestral families! Not among all cultivators of the world!¡±


    Elder Zheng uttered word by word, ¡°Not among all cultivators of the world!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten your roots!¡±


    Elder Shen¡¯s gaze flickered, and he remained silent.


    Elder Zheng, though agitated, gradually calmed himself and slowly began:


    ¡°Our Qian Taoist Sect¡¯s ancestors, when they established our sect amidst hardships, was it just for its expansion?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°But after its expansion, for what purpose?¡±


    ¡°To make us seek fame and profit, to rest on our laurels?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°It was to establish our sect and spread Taoist teachings, to disseminate Taoist skills across the world ¡ª this is the ¡®Qian Dao¡¯!¡±


    Elder Zheng¡¯s voice trembled, ¡°The foundation of our Qian Taoist Sect is ¡®to establish the sect and spread the teachings¡¯ ah¡­¡±


    ¡°To whom do we spread the teachings? To all cultivators of the world!¡±


    ¡°Only when we disseminate our teachings to all can Qian Taoist Sect have a foundation and a future; otherwise, merely expanding and pursuing private interests, no matter how wealthy and powerful our Qian Taoist Sect becomes, it will just be a tree without roots, a castle in the sky!¡±


    Elder Shen was impassive, ¡°Elder Zheng, what you¡¯re saying doesn¡¯t contradict what I am doing¡­¡±


    Elder Zheng looked at him, his gaze filled with extreme disappointment. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Shen continued, ¡°The crux of the matter is, our Qian Taoist Sect can only teach a portion of cultivators, it¡¯s not truly possible to spread the teachings to all cultivators of the world¡­¡±


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, we should first teach the geniuses, then expand outward, seeking the welfare of the world.¡±


    ¡°Superior grade Spiritual Roots, that¡¯s what constitutes a genius¡­¡±


    Elder Zheng¡¯s gaze was penetrating, ¡°What is a genius?¡±


    Elder Shen was again startled.


    Elder Zheng scoffed, ¡°Superior grade Spiritual Roots make a genius? What utter nonsense!¡±


    ¡°The truly talented are those who harbor aspirations for the world!¡±


    ¡°What kind of people is our Qian Taoist Sect fostering?¡±


    ¡°Geniuses who are cold and arrogant, seeking benefits only for themselves?¡±


    ¡°Kindered spirit with the world? Do they understand that; do they even know what the world is? Do they know the life cultivators of the world lead?¡±


    ¡°Their eyes only look to the skies, only caring for themselves; will they notice the dust at their feet?¡±


    Elder Shen frowned, ¡°This has nothing to do with Spiritual Roots¡­¡±


    Elder Zheng nodded, ¡°Indeed, originally this has nothing to do with Spiritual Roots, but¡­¡±


    He pointed at Elder Shen and said, ¡°Are you not clear on what the Noble Clans have been doing?¡±


    Elder Shen¡¯s face twitched, a hint of ferocity showing through.


    Yet Elder Zheng continued:


    ¡°What a scheme of Spiritual Root inheritance¡­¡±


    ¡°Noble Clans intermarry, their Spiritual Roots improving generation by generation.¡±


    ¡°Those of the lower echelons, to merely find sustenance and survive is already difficult, let alone Spiritual Roots?¡±


    ¡°Give it a few hundred or a thousand years, the descendants of Noble Clans will all have upper or even superior grade Spiritual Roots.¡±


    ¡°The lower cultivators will only be fit to have middle-grade, or even inferior grade Spiritual Roots.¡±


    ¡°Quite the tactic¡­¡±


    Elder Zheng¡¯s voice carried a bone-chilling coldness, ¡°Then, we sects, with our Spiritual Root gatekeeping, all future admissions will be upper-grade Spiritual Root holders, all will be descendants of Noble Clans!¡±


    ¡°Those lower-class cultivators, born in poverty, they do not deserve to study, do not deserve inheritance!¡±


    ¡°In this world where cultivation is pursued for eternal life, they are only fit to toil away their hundred years of life!¡±


    Elder Shen was furious, ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    His gaze grew sharp, his tone cold, ¡°Are you implying, Elder Zheng, that those of Noble Clan descent are all selfish and self-serving, lacking in a sense of duty toward the world?¡±


    ¡°As I recall, you yourself, Elder Zheng, are also of Noble Clan descent, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Elder Zheng replied, ¡°Human nature is independent of one¡¯s background¡­¡±


    ¡°Of Noble Clan descent, naturally, there are those who bear aspirations for the world;¡±


    ¡°Of lower-class background, there are also those who are opportunistic and sycophantic;¡±


    ¡°But this nature of good and evil is disconnected from the cold reality of social stratification. While there may be some variations, the fundamentals do not change.¡±


    ¡°Those of Noble Clan descent naturally protect the interests of their clans;¡±


    ¡°Only those from the lower echelons, who have tasted hardship and witnessed the suffering of Loose Cultivators, might possibly think of protecting the interests of the world, of those without influence among the Loose Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°Today, our grand Qian Taoist Sect, a convergence of the world¡¯s Taoist heritage, seeks private interests for Noble Clans and families, monopolizing Taoist knowledge, betraying the founding principles of the sect, failing the teachings of our ancestors!¡±


    Elder Shen was unmoved, deflecting the issue, ¡°Elder Zheng, you are causing unnecessary alarm; the growth of Qian Taoist Sect until now shows that our dissemination of teachings is effective¡­¡±


    ¡°Effective?¡± Elder Zheng¡¯s face showed anger, ¡°Our Qian Taoist Sect, no, the whole Qian Xue State Boundary, what are we teaching now?¡±

 Chapter 788 - 587: Genius_3

    Chapter 788: Chapter 587: Genius_3


    ¡°Our predecessors established the discussions and sword trials to unite disciples, to consolidate their hearts and strength, and to improve their cultivation and Taoist skills!¡±


    ¡°But now, what has it become?¡±


    ¡°What discussions, what sword trials? They¡¯ve degenerated into a means of comparisons and profiteering!¡±


    ¡°Noble Clans, to make noise for their so-called ¡®Pride of Heaven¡¯, engage in deceit, empty displays, and grand posturing¡­¡±


    ¡°Even Sects add fuel to the flames, allowing the effort of one to be touted as the achievement of all!¡±


    ¡°If this continues, the disciples taught will all be selfish, arrogant, and look down on others!¡±


    ...


    ¡°They may have cultivation, but they lack the Taoist Heart!¡±


    ¡°And the Cultivators from other, less prominent Noble Clans? They will become nothing more than the Noble Clans¡¯ Hawk Dogs, the claws and teeth of the powerful!¡±


    ¡°Is this considered proper transmission of the Taoist Way?¡±


    ¡°Is this the kind of disciple we produce in the Qian Taoist Sect?¡±


    ¡°These disciples, selfish and profit-driven, may have high cultivation, but they are heavy with personal desires. With their prominent positions, they scheme for their own interests and those of their Clans, holding themselves aloof, sucking the blood of Cultivators across the Nine State. If this continues, what will become of the multitudes within the Cultivation World?¡±


    Elder Shen¡¯s expression changed, his tone sarcastic, ¡°Elder Zheng is overreacting. Isn¡¯t Qian State still thriving as such?¡±


    Elder Zheng¡¯s gaze was sharp as a sword, ¡°Qian State is thriving, but it¡¯s the Noble Clans that are thriving.¡±


    ¡°The Noble Clans are splendid and colorful, but have you not seen? The entire Nine State is riddled with wounds¡­¡±


    ¡°The Qian Taoist Sect is ¡®Helping the tyrant,¡¯ assisting the Noble Clans in monopolizing power, ruling supreme over all, seizing the profits of the world for themselves. This is the injustice of the Great Dao¡­¡±


    Elder Shen was indifferent, as if he had heard nothing.


    Elder Zheng became furiously indignant, then after a moment, spoke lightly:


    ¡°The Heavenly Dao takes from the excess to supplement the insufficient¡­¡±


    ¡°When the ways of man are unjust, the Heavenly Dao will¡­ forcefully transform¡­¡±


    Elder Shen felt a chill rushing to his crown, shivering uncontrollably, and with his eyes wide open, he screamed, ¡°How daring!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Pointing at Elder Zheng with trembling fingers, he thundered, ¡°Arrogance!¡±


    ¡°Ignorance!¡±


    ¡°Absurdity!¡±


    ¡°Your words¡­ are worthy of death!¡±


    Elder Zheng was expressionless.


    Elder Shen calmed his rage and shock, looking coldly at Elder Zheng, ¡°Elder Zheng, please watch your words. Continue with such nonsense, and our Qian Taoist Sect may not tolerate such an extreme Elder like you¡­¡±


    Elder Zheng snorted coldly, his bearing stern and unmoved.


    ¡­


    Outside the Qian Taoist Sect.


    Mo Hua began his own plan to seek learning.


    Since the Qian Taoist Sect would not accept him, he would have to find a way to be accepted by another Sect.


    Mo Hua specifically bought a clearer Map.


    The boundary of Qian Xue State was vast; there were many Sects, and around those Sects, there were quite a few small and large Immortal Cities dependent on them.


    These Immortal Cities, adjacent to the Sects, rose by depending on them.


    The cities were well-equipped, catering to Cultivators for buying and selling, dining, accommodation, and some Cultivators lived there too.


    These Immortal Cities appeared similar to the Li State City outside the Five Elements Sect but were much more formal. They prohibited extensive Earth and Wood construction to avoid complicating interests and disturbing the peace of the Sects.


    To reach various Sects, one necessarily had to pass through the Immortal Cities outside them.


    Within the cities, there were also some large carriages that followed set routes, passing by the Immortal Cities on the outskirts of each Sect.


    The carriage fees were somewhat expensive but within Mo Hua¡¯s means.


    Mo Hua began carefully planning his route.


    After planning, he proceeded systematically, applying to all of the ¡°Four Great Sects¡± except for the Qian Taoist Sect, submitting his place of origin and resume.


    Though the prospects were dim, one must always try.


    Starting with the best, Mo Hua planned to send applications one after another.


    It was just a matter of whether he could luck into an opportunity.


    But his resume, without exception, was rejected by all.


    This was within Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    He was slightly disheartened for a moment, starting to target the ¡°Eight Great Gates¡± that came after the ¡°Four Great Sects¡±.


    The Eight Great Gates were indeed many, totaling eight.


    And they were somewhat far apart; unable to cover them all in one route, Mo Hua could only choose a few to tentatively submit applications to, just to test the waters.


    And as expected, they were also all rejected.


    The reasons, without exception, were the same¡ª¡±Unfit Spiritual Root¡±¡­


    The Four Great Sects and the Eight Great Gates all required at least a Superior Spiritual Root.


    A few of the Four Great Sects were already asking for ¡°Superior to Middle Grade¡± Spiritual Roots.


    ¡°In a few years, they probably won¡¯t accept anything less than the ¡®Superior Superior Grade¡¯¡­¡± Mo Hua muttered resentfully to himself.


    The ¡°Eight Great Gates¡± were a bit more lenient but still demanded at least both superior and inferior Spiritual Roots, which were beyond Mo Hua¡¯s reach.


    If the ¡°Eight Great Gates¡± weren¡¯t an option, then it had to be the ¡°Twelve Streams¡±¡­ sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thought silently to himself.


    Among the Twelve Streams, there had to be a few Sects that specialized in Formation, right?


    With his level of expertise in Formation, he should have some hope.


    What Mo Hua didn¡¯t expect, however, was that he was still being refused¡­


    ¡°Young Master, your Spiritual Root¡­ is still lacking¡­¡±


    An Instructor in charge of welcoming new members at the Ten Thousand Formations Sect told Mo Hua with a tinge of regret.


    He felt such a pity deep down.


    Just now, he had asked Mo Hua several questions about Formation, and Mo Hua had answered them all smoothly. Not only that but some of his insights were astonishing.


    He then had Mo Hua draw a few Formation Patterns.


    Those masterful Formation Patterns, his effortless arrangement, the composure of his strokes, and that air, vaguely reminiscent of a Formation Master Elder, almost made him doubt his eyes.


    Such an air could only be possessed by a Formation Master Elder within the Sect.


    Yet Mo Hua looked youthful, his demeanor genuine, appearing to be only about fifteen or sixteen years old.


    The Instructor found it highly improbable yet extremely regretful.


    ¡°Our Ten Thousand Formations Sect also requires a Superior Spiritual Root for admission. If one is a first-grade Formation Master, we could relax the requirements to a Superior to Middle Grade Spiritual Root¡­¡±

 Chapter 789 - 587: Genius_4

    Chapter 789: Chapter 587: Genius_4


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    The Instructor sighed.


    Mo Hua¡¯s talents were only mediocre to inferior, far from the intermediate and superior level.


    ¡°There are no exceptions?¡± Mo Hua asked in confusion.


    The Instructor regretfully said, ¡°None¡­¡±


    The rules were set by the Sect Leader and the Elders; they were rigid, and he, a mere Instructor, had no authority to change them.


    ...


    Without rules, there can be no standards.


    For years, the Ten Thousand Formations Sect had not made any exceptions to the entry requirements.


    Only those with sufficiently powerful backgrounds could take shortcuts.


    But in such cases, entry requirements didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    Mo Hua then asked in confusion, ¡°Is Spiritual Root so important to a Formation Sect, too?¡±


    Since the Instructor rather liked Mo Hua, he patiently explained, ¡°Spiritual Root determines your Cultivation Technique, which in turn determines your Cultivation; naturally, it¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°The higher your Cultivation, the stronger your Divine Sense will be, allowing you to become a higher-ranked Formation Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, no matter how well you learn Formation, if your Cultivation is only at the Foundation Establishment, at most you¡¯ll become a Second Grade Formation Master. And you¡¯ll never be able to learn the techniques above Second Grade for your entire life¡­¡±


    ¡°That being said, Spiritual Root isn¡¯t as crucial for Formation as it might seem¡­¡±


    ¡°The reason the requirements are getting stricter¡­¡±


    The Instructor pointed upwards as he explained, ¡°is because the Four Great Sects are doing the same. They set the precedent, and the Eight Great Gates, Twelve Streams, and even the Qian Learning Hundred Gates have no choice but to follow suit.¡±


    ¡°After all, if others have disciples of superior and high-intermediate grade, and your own Sect has only high-inferior and a few mediocre ones, it¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, there are too many Cultivators nowadays, especially those with Superior Spiritual Roots. There¡¯s simply no shortage of them¡­¡±


    ¡°So, the threshold has been raised step by step¡­¡±


    The Instructor shook his head, somewhat helpless.


    He truly wanted to accept Mo Hua, but it was impossible; being insignificant, his words carried little weight.


    He also didn¡¯t dare to ask the Elders for advice.


    Because on several occasions before, when he encountered disciples with decent Formation talents but inferior Spiritual Roots whom he wished to take under his wing, he asked the Elders, only to be rejected every time.


    In the words of the Elder, ¡°We of the Ten Thousand Formations Sect are a Formation Sect. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged Formation Masters? Aren¡¯t they plentiful?¡±


    ¡°Rules are rules. Having one or two more Second Grade Formation Masters makes no difference; it¡¯s not worth breaking the rules for.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, resigning himself to abandon the idea.


    He had to face reality and once again lower his standards, looking among the ¡°Qian State Hundred Doors.¡±


    The entry standards of the Qian State Hundred Doors mostly required a ¡°Superior¡± Spiritual Root, but some special demands, like talents in Alchemy, Artifact Refining, Refining Rune, or Drawing Formation, could lead to a relaxation of requirements.


    They didn¡¯t compare with the Four Great Sects, Eight Great Gates, or Twelve Streams, and they knew their place, so they were not as strict.


    And indeed, there were Sects within the Qian State Hundred Doors willing to accept Mo Hua.


    They were willing to lower the Spiritual Root standard for entry to ¡°mediocre to inferior.¡±


    But Mo Hua couldn¡¯t go there.


    Because¡­


    It was too expensive¡­


    The Spirit Stone Donation, the entry fee for the Qian State Hundred Doors, was several times more expensive than that of the Four Great Sects, Eight Great Gates, or Twelve Streams!


    Although they lowered the Spiritual Root standards, they did not lower the cost of the Donation.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t afford the Donation, so he still couldn¡¯t gain entry¡­


    The worse the Sect, the more expensive the Donation absurdly was!


    Mo Hua sighed deeply, feeling somewhat helpless.


    Qian State was not as it seemed on the surface.


    And it was completely different from what he had imagined before.


    It seemed that this was not a place merely for the ¡°pursuit of learning¡±¡­


    ¡°What to do now?¡±


    Mo Hua thought hard, but couldn¡¯t come up with any good solutions. In the end, he decided to find a place to mix in and see how things would turn out.


    If all else failed, he would just study Formation on his own, try to pass the test for a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master, then in the various Immortal Cities within the Qian Xue State Boundary, he would draw Formations to earn Spirit Stones, and look for other opportunities¡­


    ¡­


    A few days later, Wenren Wan learned of Mo Hua¡¯s situation as well.


    She was busy taking care of Yu Er and had the Pill Master of the Wenren Family check whether Yu Er was injured, had hidden sicknesses, or was possessed by evil spirits.


    Shangguan Yi also hired someone to calculate the consequences for Yu Er, to see if there were any signs of misfortune.


    A few days later, Yu Er was safe and sound.


    Wenren Wan breathed a sigh of relief and naturally thought of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had made it clear that he wanted no repayment, but Wenren Wan felt somewhat guilty, so she had someone secretly protect Mo Hua and see what he was up to.


    When she heard that Qian Taoist Sect had not accepted Mo Hua, Wenren Wan angrily said,


    ¡°He is Yu Er¡¯s savior; by what right do they refuse him?!¡±


    Upon hearing that Mo Hua had applied to many places but had been rejected every time, Wenren Wan became even angrier:


    ¡°Blind as bats!¡±


    ¡°Such a good child like Mo Hua, and they refuse to accept him!¡±


    Shangguan Yi, standing nearby, didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry.


    What does one have to do with the other¡­


    Sects select disciples based on Spiritual Root, lineage, and background. What does that have to do with whether or not he saved Yu Er or if he¡¯s a good kid¡­


    Isn¡¯t this making a fuss over nothing¡­


    But Shangguan Yi dared not voice the words ¡°making a fuss over nothing.¡± Once spoken, he would be done for, doomed to sleep in the study for months to come¡­


    All Shangguan Yi could do was nod and say, ¡°Indeed, indeed¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shangguan Yi knew his wife¡¯s temperament, her sense of loyalty and righteousness. Usually, she was very clever, but when it concerned people she cared about, she could be a little impulsive and protective.


    He himself had once been the person she cared about the most. But ever since they had a son, he had been pushed to the sidelines¡­


    Shangguan Yi felt somewhat helpless.

 Chapter 790 - 588 Sect_1

    Chapter 790: Chapter 588 Sect_1


    ¡°The Qian Taoist Sect must think Mo Hua, being a Loose Cultivator with no status, no backing, and no one to support him, is easy to bully. It¡¯s just too much!¡±


    Wenren Wan said furiously, ¡°I will support him!¡±


    Shangguan Yi gave a wry smile, ¡°He¡¯s neither from the Wenren Family nor the Shangguan Family, how can you support him?¡±


    ¡°He saved Yu Er, he has done a favor for both of our families!¡±


    Wenren Wan insisted.


    Shangguan Yi said helplessly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that this matter shouldn¡¯t be publicized, that we shouldn¡¯t tell outsiders? Then how would others know that he has done our families a favor?¡±


    ...


    ¡°If you go to the Qian Taoist Sect without any reason, seeking justice for him, won¡¯t others see it as deliberately picking a fight and making an enemy of the Qian Taoist Sect?¡±


    ¡°The Qian Taoist Sect is a top-tier sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Even our Shangguan Family cannot afford to offend them lightly.¡±


    Shangguan Yi advised earnestly.


    Wenren Wan furrowed her brows and asked Shangguan Yi, ¡°Then what do we do?¡±


    Shangguan Yi felt a slight joy in his heart, but on the surface, he still pretended to be troubled. He pondered for a moment before saying:


    ¡°What if¡­ we pull some strings and find a sect for Mo Hua among the Qian State Hundred Doors? That could be considered repaying the debt to Yu Er.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Wenren Wan immediately shook her head, questioning, ¡°Is Yu Er¡¯s life worth only a spot in the Qian State Hundred Doors? You agree, but I don¡¯t!¡±


    Shangguan Yi was taken aback, he sighed, ¡°The four great sects, although we can get a spot, the barrier of the Spiritual Root is insurmountable¡­¡±


    ¡°Then the Eight Great Gates!¡± Wenren Wan said, ¡°It can¡¯t be any lower!¡±


    ¡°The Twelve Streams¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he was interrupted by Wenren Wan:


    ¡°No, the cultivation of the Twelve Streams is too biased. Even if one specializes in one path, one must be aware of the other categories, or else if your experience is limited, your vision narrow, you may stumble over something trivial later on.¡±


    ¡°My father said, this is the scholastic barrier in Tao Cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Some things might be superficial, but knowing is knowing, and not knowing is not knowing.¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°These superficial things may seem like common sense, and once you know them, they seem trivial¡­¡±


    ¡°But if you don¡¯t know them, no matter how talented you are or how good your understanding is, you could spend your whole life racking your brain and still not figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua is a Loose Cultivator with a weak foundation; he must not join these ¡®Twelve Streams¡¯ sects, or he will face insurmountable barriers on his path.¡±


    ¡°He must enter a Taoist Sect with a long heritage and a full spectrum of categories!¡±


    ¡°If the four great sects are truly too difficult to enter, then so be it. At the very least, the Eight Great Gates!¡±


    Wenren Wan stated decisively.


    Shangguan Yi was surprised; he had not expected his wife to have such insight, nor that she would think so far ahead for Mo Hua.


    People who are sincere and emotional might act recklessly, but they are genuinely caring and considerate towards others¡­


    Shangguan Yi sighed, ¡°But entering the Eight Great Gates¡­ is also not easy¡­¡±


    The quality of his Spiritual Root was too inferior.


    Not to mention, coming from a Loose Cultivator background, poor inheritance, and the shallow foundation of Blood Qi, Spiritual Power, and the Taoist Foundation he had built.


    Wenren Wan insisted:


    ¡°If not by the Shangguan Family, then the Wenren Family; if not by the Wenren Family, then both the Shangguan Family and the Wenren Family combined should have enough influence¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi said quietly, ¡°Isn¡¯t that making too much of a fuss¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan only said, ¡°Just tell me if you will help or not!¡±


    Shangguan Yi hesitated, unable to speak.


    To help would involve owing too great a debt of gratitude.


    Not to help would be unacceptable to his wife.


    And the matter of Yu Er truly was a significant favor owed¡­


    Shangguan Yi was in a dilemma, but seeing his wife¡¯s beautiful face and her deep, affectionate eyes, he finally sighed and said:


    ¡°I¡¯ll try¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s heart leapt with joy, and her face began to smile, but halfway through she remembered she was still angry with her husband, so she restrained herself and said:


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll talk to my father.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Even if I¡¯m married, am I not still his daughter?¡±


    Wenren Wan thought for a moment, then patted Shangguan Yi on the shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for your good news¡­¡±


    After saying this, she gracefully left.


    Shangguan Yi sighed again.


    This was no small matter¡­


    To insert a minor cultivator with a mediocre Spiritual Root, no background, and a hasty Foundation Establishment into one of the superior Eight Great Gates within the Qian Xue State Boundary would come at no small cost.


    But, having promised his wife, he could not go back on his word.


    And moreover¡­


    The vague and elusive figure of Mo Hua once again floated in his mind.


    Obviously, just a minor cultivator¡­


    Why did he have the feeling that Mo Hua was not entirely see-through?


    Shangguan Yi was somewhat preoccupied and sought out Gu Changhuai, asking:


    ¡°When Yu Er was ¡®abducted,¡¯ no, when she was rescued, were there any other suspicious traces in that restaurant?¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Shangguan Yi thought for a moment, then spoke the truth:


    ¡°I suspect that this child, Mo Hua, may not be as simple as he seems; there may be some special fate about him¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was slightly stunned, ¡°Fate?¡±


    Shangguan Yi considered, then said:


    ¡°The fact that he rescued Yu Er might not be a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°In this world, there¡¯s a reason for everything, this might be an opportunity given to him by somebody else¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze became focused, ¡°You¡¯re suggesting¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi weighed his words, ¡°My guess¡­ is that there is a cultivator well-versed in the Heavenly Secret Calculation with a profound and unpredictable prowess. He rescued Yu Er and then passed this opportunity to this child named ¡®Mo Hua¡¯¡­¡±

 Chapter 791 - 588 Sect_2

    Chapter 791: Chapter 588 Sect_2


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brow, ¡°Why?¡±


    Shangguan Yi shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t figured it out yet.¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold as he nodded his head.


    But in his heart, he knew it was probably not that simple.


    He had always felt that there was something fishy about the deaths of those dozen or so traffickers in the restaurant.


    And that child Mo Hua, whom he had met once¡ªeven though he looked innocent, his eyes were extremely profound.


    ...


    He was both innocent and a bit¡­ eerie.


    One must not judge a book by its cover, even if it¡¯s just a child¡­


    Gu Changhuai had his suspicions, and also some wariness.


    Yet, as he always found this cousin-in-law unpleasant, he kept these thoughts to himself and didn¡¯t voice them¡­


    ¡­


    In the following days, Wenren Wan busied herself securing a school spot for Mo Hua, with Shangguan Yi also helping.


    Both of them not only pulled many strings within the Noble Clans but also poured in a great amount of Spirit Stones and owed significant favors.


    These actions caused some dissatisfaction in both the Shangguan Family and the Wenren Family.


    For the Wenren Family, Wenren Wan was a daughter who had married out.


    A married daughter is like spilled water.


    Yet now, not only was she not helping much, but she was also pulling the wool from her own family¡¯s lamb. This was truly difficult to justify¡­


    And for the Shangguan Family, it was an outrage for them to help an unknown little cultivator, impacting the interests of quite a number of people.


    Many disciples from the Shangguan Family¡¯s own lineage didn¡¯t have entrance spots to the Eight Great Gates.


    And now, out of nowhere, they were supposed to give one to an outsider.


    They were, of course, unhappy about it.


    The quota for entering each Noble Clan is also tied to the prestige of the clan, involving some interests.


    If the person who enters causes trouble or turns out to do next to nothing, it reflects badly on the Shangguan Family.


    Of course, if he achieves something, it could also bring some benefits to the Shangguan Family that recommended him.


    But this is Qian State. What can an average outsider accomplish after entering the storied Eight Great Gates, where prodigies abound?


    They didn¡¯t believe for a second that he could.


    Therefore, many elders of the Shangguan Family criticized Shangguan Yi¡¯s actions to the Family Head, Shang Che.


    Shang Che called Shangguan Yi in public to reprimand:


    ¡°Wan¡¯er¡¯s handling of this matter has been excessive¡­¡±


    ¡°Since she has joined the Shangguan Family, she should prioritize the interests of the Shangguan Family first.¡±


    ¡°You must understand the bigger picture in your actions and not let her drag you into doing something unseemly¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi didn¡¯t argue but just bowed his head to admit fault, taking all the blame upon himself and said:


    ¡°My child will definitely pay attention next time.¡±


    Fault can be admitted, but he had no intention of changing.


    ¡°Next time for sure,¡± meant that he would persist with this matter to the end, and he would be more careful next time¡­


    Shang Che sighed.


    His son had a shrewd mind and was eloquent in speech.


    He was doing fine.


    Since they had already started this, they naturally had to follow through to the end.


    Giving in to pressure and changing course would make one appear weak and indecisive.


    All they were doing was giving a small cultivator a chance. Giving or not giving it couldn¡¯t be considered a major fault. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But he was too sentimental.


    And ultimately, it was up to him, as the father, to clean up the mess.


    Shang Che waved his hand, ¡°You may go.¡±


    Shangguan Yi bowed and took his leave.


    However, Shang Che frowned.


    Because of this matter, he still had to apologize to the ancestors.


    The ancestors, with their overwhelming cultivation, lay dormant and did not emerge.


    They were the true masters of the Shangguan Family.


    They strategized behind the curtains, calculating the Shangguan Family¡¯s Heavenly secret and the great causality.


    The fates of the Shangguan Family, or rather all the Noble Clans of Qian State regarded as ¡°massive entities,¡± were in the hands of these ancestors.


    Under no circumstances must he offend the ancestors.


    Shang Che heaved a sigh and furrowed his brow.


    But what exactly were the ancestors plotting?


    And what, after all, was the fate of the Shangguan Family?


    Even though his own cultivation was not weak, he could not perform Calculation, didn¡¯t understand Heavenly secret, so he knew nothing about these matters¡­


    Shang Che looked up at the sky to see the inscrutable Heavenly Dao, as perplexed as his own expression.


    After a moment, he sighed inwardly:


    ¡°What, after all, is the Heavenly secret?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I calculate it?¡±


    ¡°If one does not comprehend the Heavenly secret or calculate the causality, no matter how advanced one¡¯s cultivation may be, they are just playthings in the hands of others, the ancestors, those old monsters, and even the Heavenly Dao itself¡­¡±


    Shang Che¡¯s brows grew more and more furrowed.


    ¡­


    Shangguan Yi was reprimanded, but the matter of joining the sect was now out in the open.


    Having already begun, the ¡°sunk cost¡± meant it was unlikely to be stopped mid-way.


    The other branches of the Shangguan Family only wanted Shangguan Yi to be reprimanded; they didn¡¯t care about what he was actually doing.


    Hence, Shangguan Yi hurriedly started to exploit his connections and pull strings legitimately, along with Wenren Wan, to secure an entrance spot for Mo Hua.


    Days later, Wenren Wan found Mo Hua and laid out three gold-embossed invitation cards in front of him.


    They bore the names of three sects:


    Tai¡¯a Sect, Rushing Void Sect, and Taixu Gate.


    Mo Hua was astonished, ¡°Aunt Wan, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°They are invitations for joining the sects. Take a look and decide which one you wish to enter; I¡¯ll submit the invitation on your behalf. These three sects are all among the ¡®Eight Great Gates.¡¯ Though they don¡¯t compare with the ¡®Four Great Sects,¡¯ they are still quite good¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan spoke casually, but her eyes couldn¡¯t hide a slight sense of pride.


    Mo Hua opened his mouth widely, surprised.


    ¡°Eight Great Gates¡­ to choose from¡­¡±


    After a pause, he whispered, ¡°Aunt Wan, these¡­ they must be very valuable, right?¡±


    ¡°Just average, not worth much¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan said nonchalantly, seemingly not wanting to burden Mo Hua with worry.

 Chapter 792 - 588 Sect_3

    Chapter 792: Chapter 588 Sect_3


    Mo Hua was moved in his heart.


    Since his arrival in Qian State, Aunt Wan had been the kindest to him, although it was because he had saved Yu Er, but the effort she spared in gratitude was extraordinarily commendable.


    ¡°Aunt Wan, this¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was complex.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart¡­¡± said Wenren Wan, ¡°this is all you deserve¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ...


    Wenren Wan immediately furrowed her brows and said, ¡°I went through a lot of trouble to get these for you, don¡¯t say you don¡¯t want them!¡±


    Her gaze was sincere and earnest, and her tone left no room for doubt.


    Mo Hua felt a warmth in his heart, looking at the several letters of introduction, and pondered silently.


    He did indeed want to join a sect.


    Though relying on himself, painting formations for others, earning Spirit Stones, he could get by in the Qian Learning State Boundary, and then look for an opportunity.


    But that would waste too much time, and he may not necessarily come across any opportunity.


    If it dragged on for too long, his own cultivation would be delayed.


    The advancement in formation skills would also slow down.


    He did not know when he would be able to rescue his master¡­


    Mo Hua glanced at Wenren Wan, seeing a trace of concern in her eyes, clearly she had put a lot of thought into this, it was truly for his own good¡­


    Mo Hua felt relieved, nodded, and decided not to be overly modest.


    Even heroes have their difficult times, let alone a child like himself.


    There¡¯s no need to put on a tough front when it isn¡¯t necessary.


    When others treat you well, accepting their kindness graciously is the way to go.


    If there¡¯s an opportunity in the future, he would repay this kindness!


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Wan!¡±


    Mo Hua said with a smile, quietly noting this kindness in his heart.


    Wenren Wan also sighed a breath of relief, then cheerfully said, ¡°Hurry up and choose. Which one do you like?¡±


    ¡°Can I really choose?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Mo Hua looked at the three letters of introduction, then spoke with a hint of doubt:


    ¡°Tai¡¯a, Chongxu, Taixu¡­ these three names, why do they feel somewhat similar¡­¡±


    ¡°They come from the same lineage¡­¡± Wenren Wan explained, ¡°These three sects have some ancestral origins, saying they are ¡®of the same alliance¡¯ isn¡¯t an exaggeration¡­¡±


    ¡°But times have changed since then, now they are completely three independent sects, the names are just somewhat alike.¡±


    Wenren Wan continued, ¡°All three of these sects have good relations with the Wenren Family, and they also have some connection with the Shangguan Family, though not very deep. Now, I¡¯ve used favors from both the Wenren and Shangguan families, hence I managed to exchange for these three letters of introduction, but you can only choose one.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    He frowned as he focused on the three sects.


    These three sects were completely outside of his expectations.


    Tai¡¯a, Chongxu, Taixu¡­


    He hadn¡¯t paid much attention to them before, even when he was sending out resumes to test the waters, he hadn¡¯t really cared about them, always feeling that these names were somehow not quite right for him¡­


    ¡°Joining a sect is a big deal, make sure to choose carefully¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s tone became more serious.


    She thought it over and still felt it was necessary to clarify things.


    ¡°These three sects all have considerable ties with the Wenren Family; normally, I shouldn¡¯t really say this, but¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan leaned closer to Mo Hua and whispered, ¡°Although all are among the ¡®Eight Great Gates,¡¯ there are distinctions of high and low¡­¡±


    ¡°Among these three sects, the best one is ¡®Tai¡¯a Sect,¡¯ ranking at the top of the Eight Great Gates¡­¡±


    ¡°The next is ¡®Chongxu Sect,¡¯ only around the middle¡­¡±


    ¡°¡®Taixu Gate¡¯ is somewhat inferior, considered the lowest¡­¡±


    ¡°Their heritage and lineage, being from the same origin and stream, are not too different due to the different branches, it¡¯s just that over the years, the difference between the disciples taught by sect elders has grown somewhat¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, there are also differences in the sect¡¯s status and that of cultivation resources¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan explained in detail to Mo Hua once more, then said:


    ¡°Think it over carefully¡­¡±


    Mo Hua stared at the three sects, pondered deeply, and after a long deliberation, he decided:


    ¡°Aunt Wan, I¡¯ll choose ¡®Taixu Gate¡¯¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan was taken aback, ¡°Why would you choose Taixu Gate?¡±


    Mo Hua had his own considerations.


    The Tai¡¯a Sect and the Rushing Void Sect belonged to the upper-middle tier, which also meant that their Sect thresholds were higher, and the cost of entry was greater. The favor owed by Aunt Wan¡¯s side would be even larger.


    Therefore, choosing the less prominent ¡°Taixu Gate¡± would be better.


    Moreover, Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to compete with the Proud Sons of Heaven.


    He just wanted to cultivate diligently and learn Formation Painting quietly.


    As one of the Eight Great Gates, the Taixu Gate had enough inheritance and Tao Cultivation resources for his own use.


    Of course, there was another reason.


    Mo Hua said with a serious face, ¡°Taixu Gate sounds cooler¡­¡±


    Striving for the utmost of Heavenly Dao, wandering in Taixu!


    Taixu Gate!


    Wenren Wan was startled, her thoughts momentarily scrambled, and she couldn¡¯t help but think to herself:


    This child Mo Hua indeed thinks somewhat¡­ differently from ordinary people¡­


    ¡°Have you¡­ really made up your mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded solemnly.


    Wenren Wan said tactfully:


    ¡°The Tai¡¯a Sect and the Rushing Void Sect would be somewhat better, their Sect strength is also stronger¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said firmly with a small face, ¡°The strength of a Sect is only temporary, but whether you are cool or not, that¡¯s for a lifetime!¡±


    Wenren Wan opened her mouth, at a loss for words. In the end, she could only sigh and say:


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Wenren Wan continued, ¡°do you have any specialties¡­ so I can write it in the invitation letter, it will also give me an excuse, no, a reason to recommend you to others¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯m quite good with Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Formation?¡± Wenren Wan hesitated for a moment, too embarrassed to speak frankly, she tactfully said, ¡°Anything else¡­?¡±


    She felt that Mo Hua, coming from Little Immortal City, might not be very clear about it.


    Qian State was a land of cultivation excellence.


    Formation was broad and profound.


    In a place like Qian State, it was very easy to be mocked for rashly claiming to be ¡°good at Formation¡±¡­


    Mo Hua said, ¡°My Formation skills are truly not bad¡­¡±


    He took out the first-grade Heaven Shu Ring and showed it to Wenren Wan.


    Although he knew how to paint Second Grade formations, he had not yet received an official assessment and was not considered a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master, so he did not want to boast too much.


    Being modest was still better as a person.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually a First Grade Formation Master?¡±


    Wenren Wan was somewhat surprised.


    Even in Qian State, it was rare for someone as young as Mo Hua to become a First Grade Formation Master, even among the progeny of Noble Families.


    Even though Tongxian City, being a smaller Immortal City, had more lenient assessments and somewhat lagging Formation levels.


    Their First Grade, compared to Qian State¡¯s First Grade, might be ¡°worlds apart,¡± but it was still quite an achievement.


    To say he was ¡°good at Formation,¡± at least, it was just barely plausible¡­


    At least on the surface, having a ¡°specialty¡± was also acceptable to put forward.


    Wenren Wan breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.


    The matter was thus decided.


    And so, Mo Hua planned to head to the Taixu Gate.


    However, there was still the most important reason for choosing the Taixu Gate that he hadn¡¯t told Wenren Wan. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wandering in Taixu¡­


    The moment he saw the words ¡°Taixu Gate,¡± his Divine Sense stirred. After silently performing Calculation, he discovered a trace of obscure cause and effect in the dark.


    This strand of cause and effect, though difficult to discern, was clearer than it had been during previous Calculations.


    Within the cause and effect.


    In the ruined temple on the desolate mountain, the image of Lord Yellow Mountain, who had been slain for his malicious thoughts, surfaced again in Mo Hua¡¯s mind.


    Only a few fleeting images.


    But the Yellow Mountain Lord Mo Hua had encountered was different.


    It had an extremely powerful aura, an enormous body, eyes soaked in blood, boundless ferocity and evil thoughts swirling around it.


    Simultaneously emerging was a name with Sword Qi reaching the heavens, filled with an icy killing intent:


    Taixu Divine Thought Sword True Jue!

 Chapter 793 - 589: Introduction_1

    Chapter 793: Chapter 589: Introduction_1


    ¡°Taixu Divine Thought into Sword True Jue¡­¡±


    Mo Hua slightly frowned.


    At the moment, he only knew this very long and impressive-sounding name.


    But beyond that, he was completely in the dark.


    What type of swordsmanship was this?


    Was it a form of Body Cultivation swordsmanship?


    ...


    Was it a Sword technique that cultivated to the extreme, killing with Sword Qi?


    Or was it a purely Divine Thought sword technique¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Although he had calculated a trace of cause and effect, there were too few clues, his Divine Sense was limited, and his Calculation Method inadequate, so he couldn¡¯t just make a few calculations to understand everything.


    It seemed that to learn about the origins and intricacies of this Sword technique, he would need to join Taixu Gate.


    Could it truly live up to its name, transforming Divine Thought into Sword Qi, roaming Taixu, and slaying Evil Spirits¡­


    This he definitely needed to clear up!


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    Ordinary swordsmanship could be ignored, but this might be Divine Thought into sword!


    Since he was establishing his foundation with Divine Sense and was on the path of Divine Sense Proving the Dao, it would indeed be remiss not to learn Divine Thought into sword¡­


    Although he had said before that mere swordsmanship need not be learned¡­


    But there was no helping it¡­


    Sword Control was indeed very cool!


    If he could really learn it, then he would act as if he¡¯d never said anything before.


    ¡°Sword Control, ah¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then recalled Boss Jiang from before, who charged his golden body and condensed Sword Qi, a dazzling spectacle.


    Although in the end, he chopped the thatched cottage like a fool, the brilliant Sword Light he conjured truly made Mo Hua envious.


    It was much more imposing than his little fireball and extremely powerful as well.


    He wanted to learn it!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    However, if there really was such a formidable Sword technique, it would at least be a spell point protected by the Sect, and Taixu Gate might not be willing to teach him¡­


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, then relaxed.


    There¡¯s always a way around the mountain.


    Take his Uncle for example, he hadn¡¯t planned to teach him, but he had still ¡°stolen¡±¡­ no, rightfully learned the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation¡­


    The Sect Leader of Taixu Gate couldn¡¯t possibly be stingier than his Uncle, right¡­ S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind shifted subtly, his calculations set.


    Next, he just had to get into Taixu Gate.


    Once inside Taixu Gate, he could find a way to learn the ¡°Taixu Divine Thought into Sword True Jue¡±!


    Even if he ultimately didn¡¯t learn it, there was no need for discouragement.


    Learning additional Tao Cultivation, Formation knowledge, and other Tao Cultivation knowledge to cover his deficiencies was also a no-lose proposition.


    However¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows again, recalling another matter.


    ¡°Lord Yellow Mountain¡­¡±


    In his Heavenly secret Calculation, amid fleeting glimpses, he saw another unfamiliar figure of ¡°Lord Yellow Mountain.¡±


    Red eyes, sharp claws, a massive body, fierce and demonic.


    Its aura was extraordinarily profound and extremely powerful¡­


    This was definitely not a mere Second Grade Mountain God, not even an entranced Second Grade Evil God who could possess such a demeanor¡­


    There was a problem¡­


    This Lord Yellow Mountain, there was definitely something wrong¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s expressive eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°This Yellow Skin, it definitely lied, deliberately hiding some key things¡­¡±


    Although it was now down on its luck with meager strength, it must have ¡®boomed¡¯ before.


    And it looked like a real big deal, certainly very grand¡­


    The white-robed Sword Cultivator who had once killed it must be much, much stronger than it claimed.


    This Divine Thought into sword was definitely extraordinary¡­


    It seemed he had to find that broken Mountain God again to get some questions answered¡­


    ¡°Daring to deceive me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, his gaze carrying a trace of danger¡­


    ¡­


    In a remote and dilapidated temple on a barren mountain.


    Eating lopsided fruits, enjoying humble offerings, basking in the brilliant sunshine leaking through the temple¡¯s broken roof.


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s long face was the picture of leisure.


    Suddenly, a chill swept over¡­


    Lord Yellow Mountain shivered involuntarily.


    The warm sunshine instantly felt a few degrees colder.


    ¡°What evil thing has its sights on me?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s face changed; frowning, he racked his brains in deep thought, but try as he may, he could not figure it out.


    For years he had kept a low profile, shrunk back at the slightest conflict, nodded and bowed at anyone he met, occasionally admitting guilt and playing the victim; he hadn¡¯t offended any major Cultivators or Wild Ghost Evil Gods¡­


    Life had been ¡°poor,¡± but peaceful.


    Lord Yellow Mountain thought hard, but he was still somewhat baffled.


    Suddenly, the image of an innocent yet fierce little face drifted into his mind.


    Lord Yellow Mountain froze, grinning sheepishly.


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    ¡°That little rascal¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt bitter in his heart, and the fruit in his mouth lost its sweetness¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua did intend to seek out Lord Yellow Mountain for a clear answer, but he currently couldn¡¯t find the time.


    Moreover, considering Lord Yellow Mountain had once been so ¡°grand,¡± he would surely have formidable methods, perhaps even some ace up his sleeve. Going to him would require careful plotting and thorough preparation.


    The main priority at the moment was to join the Sect.


    Dealing with Lord Yellow Mountain could wait until later when he was free.


    After all, the Mountain God may flee, but the temple won¡¯t¡­


    If the temple doesn¡¯t flee, he won¡¯t be able to escape¡­


    ¡­


    Wenren Wan sent an invitation to Taixu Gate.


    It contained Mo Hua¡¯s origins, along with his expertise in ¡°mastering Formations.¡±


    Since the relations were all well-managed, it was merely a formality; the Elder who handled it stamped it with the Sect¡¯s seal, signifying his agreement.


    In the end, this record of origin was presented before the Sect Leader of Taixu Gate.


    The Sect Leader had veto power on his own.


    Of course, in such cases, he would normally turn a blind eye, considering it as unseen.


    Unless there was total opposition, conflicting interests, and sharp disputes, he would not incite ¡°public anger¡± by contradicting the Elders and Noble Clans and rejecting the application.

 Chapter 794 - 589: Entering the Door_2

    Chapter 794: Chapter 589: Entering the Door_2


    After all, it was just a spot.


    Even if he was dissatisfied, it wasn¡¯t necessary to fall out with the Elders over such a trivial matter, affecting the dignity of Taixu Gate.


    But deep down, he was indeed dissatisfied.


    The leader of Taixu Gate, over three hundred years old, bore the appearance of middle age, with thick, jet-black hair. He emphasized ¡°nurturing life¡±, had calm brows and eyes, and exuded a touch of indolence.


    He felt somewhat annoyed and somewhat helpless.


    ¡°Even if there are ties of friendship, one should not heed the words of the Noble Clans in every matter¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡°A Sect must maintain its own backbone¡­¡±


    However, that said, he still unfolded the ¡°resume¡± in his hand. But he was slightly taken aback after only a glance.


    The Taixu Sect Leader looked up at the Elder who had handed over the resume. ¡°Are you certain there¡¯s no mistake?¡±


    This Elder was of tall and thin stature, a fellow Sect member from the same lineage. Three hundred years ago, both were Taixu Gate Disciples, in fact, this Elder was his junior brother.


    They both had entered the Inner Gate from the Outer Gate.


    Now he presided as the Sect Leader, while his junior brother had become an Elder, deemed one of the most trustworthy Elders in Taixu Gate.


    The Elder offered a wry smile. ¡°How can I make a joke of such a matter?¡±


    The Taixu Sect Leader shook his head, finding it quite puzzling.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning behind this from the Shangguan and Wenren Families? Two great Noble Clans, recommending a Loose Cultivator? Quite strange indeed¡­¡±


    ¡°According to rumors, some favors are involved¡­¡± the Elder said.


    ¡°What kind of favors?¡±


    The Elder shook his head. ¡°How would I know that?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, the Taixu Sect Leader nodded. ¡°Acknowledging a favor with gratitude does create a good karmic bond. Let¡¯s accept him then.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to make an issue of it?¡± the Elder asked.


    That had become customary.


    The so-called ¡°making an issue¡± meant putting the matter aside for a bit to express dissatisfaction and then garner some support for certain affairs from the Elders of one¡¯s own Sect.


    Some matters that Sect Leaders wished to advance, typically fraught with difficulty and hindered by various sides, now offered an opportunity for the Sect Leader to exchange ¡°favors¡± and garner more support from the Elders.


    His initiatives would then proceed more smoothly.


    Or he could extract another favor from the Shangguan or the Wenren Family.


    Or perhaps, add a little something to the Initiation Fee of the Disciple¡­


    Because exceptional admissions were essentially exchanges of interest.


    Where there are people, interests become entangled, so these practices were inevitable.


    Compared to other Sects, the internal strife within Taixu Gate was considerably minor¡­


    The Taixu Sect Leader shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need¡­¡±


    He flipped through the resume again, sighing lightly. ¡°It¡¯s rare for these Noble Clans to not abuse their power for personal gain but to actually fulfill a debt of gratitude. That in itself is quite admirable¡­¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°And this child is a Loose Cultivator, after all. It¡¯s not easy being a Loose Cultivator. There¡¯s no need to add an Initiation Fee¡­ Let¡¯s treat him the same as the other Disciples. Whatever applies to them applies to him¡­¡±


    The Elder nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    As the Taixu Sect Leader continued to leaf through the documents, his eyes suddenly fell upon the ¡°Special Skills¡± section where the words ¡°Talented in Formations¡± were written. He was startled and found himself at a loss for words.


    After a long while, he finally exclaimed.


    ¡°This is truly¡­ the fearlessness of youth, worthy of praise¡­¡±


    Let alone a Loose Cultivator.


    Even among the Shangguan Family, the Wenren Family¡¯s rightful heirs, and even among all of Taixu Gate¡¯s Direct Disciples, very few dared to claim they were ¡°Talented in Formations¡­¡±


    With a touch of amusement, the Elder said, ¡°The child is naively fearless. It¡¯s not really something to criticize. Once he joins us, he¡¯ll realize that the way of the Formations is not that simple¡­¡±


    The Taixu Sect Leader nodded slightly, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that. Have him come for initiation in three days.¡±


    He took one last glance at the resume.


    It bore the name ¡°Mo Hua¡±.


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    The Taixu Sect Leader murmured the name, nodding to himself as he inwardly noted it.


    ¡°Quite a pleasant-sounding name¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The subsequent initiation process proceeded as usual.


    Wenren Wan was also taken aback.


    She had assumed that Taixu Gate would haggle over the terms, but everything that followed went unexpectedly smooth.


    In three days, Mo Hua would be able to join Taixu Gate.


    Wenren Wan breathed a sigh of relief; finally, the matter was settled.


    And Mo Hua was very happy as well.


    Despite some twists and turns, he was finally about to be initiated.


    Wenren Wan had arranged the initiation affairs for Mo Hua, procuring some items, and three days later, took him to the base of Taixu Mountain where Taixu Gate was located.


    Before they parted, Wenren Wan once again instructed him about the precautions of the Sect and what to be mindful of after entering.


    ¡°Some Disciples are arrogant and unruly; try to avoid them as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°If you run into trouble, don¡¯t be afraid. Tell the Elders, and have them seek me out at the Shangguan Family¡­¡±


    ¡°If you experience bullying, don¡¯t resort to fighting ¡ª you¡¯re small and can¡¯t defeat others. Go to the Elders, and if they don¡¯t care, I¡¯ll have your back¡­¡±


    ¡°You must learn to protect yourself¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Wenren Wan was concerned about Mo Hua¡¯s tender age. With his innocent and kind nature, she feared that upon entering the Sect, he might be deceived, ostracized, scorned, bullied, unable to voice his suffering or find someone to stand up for him in times of trouble¡­


    So her heart ached for him.


    Although Mo Hua felt that he probably wouldn¡¯t be bullied, Wenren Wan¡¯s concern still filled him with gratitude.


    Mo Hua nodded vigorously, asserting confidently,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aunt Wan. I¡¯ll be careful and won¡¯t let others bully me!¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s confident posture, as if he had never been bullied, Wenren Wan couldn¡¯t help but smile and tenderly touched Mo Hua¡¯s head.


    Yu Er also came to see Mo Hua off, her little face filled with reluctance as she whispered,


    ¡°Brother, when you¡¯re free, can I come to visit you?¡±


    Mo Hua looked toward Wenren Wan.


    Wenren Wan nodded with a smile.


    Then Mo Hua said, ¡°When you have time, come to find me. I¡¯ll make you a fierce and majestic Big Tiger!¡±

 Chapter 795 - 589: Introduction_3

    Chapter 795: Chapter 589: Introduction_3


    Yu Er¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, and she nodded like a pecking chicken, saying:


    ¡°Mhm, mhm, mhm!¡±


    Afterward, an instructor from Taixu Gate came down to meet Mo Hua.


    ¡°This is your Senior Brother Xu, also a disciple of the Shangguan Family, but he joined two terms before you. After you join, you can ask him if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand,¡± Wenren Wan introduced to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua glanced at the instructor and saw him wearing a Taoist robe woven with dark and white threads, the robe adorned with the pattern of Taixu, exuding gracefulness and a friendly smile, which made him seem quite approachable. So, Mo Hua clasped his fists and said,


    ¡°Senior Brother Xu.¡±


    ...


    Shangguan Xu also courteously returned the gesture.


    Afterwards, Wenren Wan took Yu Er by the hand and left.


    Yu Er, while walking away, kept turning back, waving goodbye to Mo Hua with reluctance.


    Once Wenren Wan and Yu Er had left, Mo Hua followed the instructor named Shangguan Xu, one after the other, up the mountain.


    Taixu Mountain was very tall.


    And the gate of Taixu Gate was halfway up the mountain.


    So, from the base of the mountain to the gate, there was quite a distance to cover.


    Shangguan Xu had profound cultivation and his steps were steady, whereas Mo Hua had exquisite movement techniques and trod lightly. They walked together for a while, and Mo Hua, finding it a bit boring, started chatting with Shangguan Xu. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Initially, Shangguan Xu was a bit distant, but seeing Mo Hua¡¯s innocent and outright sincerity, he also took a liking to him.


    Moreover, after the admission, he would be his junior brother.


    Although only a junior brother from the Outer Gate, they still shared the bond of the same sect.


    So, Shangguan Xu was quite open and answered all questions exhaustively.


    After they became more familiar with each other, Mo Hua chatted non-stop on the latter part of the journey:


    ¡°Senior Brother Xu, is the sect very strict with its rules?¡±


    ¡°If I violate the sect rules, will I be expelled from the sect?¡±


    ¡°If not expelled from the sect, would I be confined, or would I be punished by guarding the gate or sweeping the floor?¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Xu, if by chance, accidentally, by some coincidence¡­ I learn something secretly, would it violate the sect rules?¡±


    ¡°¡­Of course, I don¡¯t really intend to learn secretly; I¡¯m just asking¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, what does the Sect Leader look like, and do the Elders have bad tempers?¡±


    ¡­


    After hearing these questions, Shangguan Xu couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry, yet he still answered each and every one of them:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the rules of Taixu Gate are, relatively speaking, not so strict¡­¡±


    ¡°Unlike the Four Great Sects¡­¡±


    ¡°Within the Four Great Sects, disciples must abide by strict norms in every aspect of their behavior, following proper rites; they can¡¯t be late for their daily wake-up and bedtime;¡±


    ¡°Whatever the instructors and elders teach, you must learn. If you don¡¯t learn well, you will be scolded, or even made to apply for withdrawal from the sect;¡±


    ¡°The Four Great Sects also have many assessments¡­¡±


    ¡°If you do well in the exams, you are treated well; if not, you receive cold looks.¡±


    ¡°Cultivation, Formation, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Refining Rune¡­ etc.; all these require assessment, and there¡¯s no room for negligence; the rules are very harsh¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a minor exam every ten days, a major exam every month, and the exams rank the disciples in third, sixth, or ninth class¡­¡±


    ¡°So, the disciples of the Four Great Sects must be ¡®diligent¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua listened until his scalp tingled, ¡°Is it really that exaggerated?¡±


    Shangguan Xu nodded, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why they are known as ¡®Four Great Sects,¡¯ they strive to excel in everything. The disciples they nurture are truly exceptional¡­¡±


    Shangguan Xu sighed, feeling some admiration as well as envy, and then his tone became more relaxed.


    ¡°Of course, our Taixu Gate is much more lenient¡­¡±


    ¡°There are quite a few legacies within the sect, and you can learn whatever you want to learn. Even if you don¡¯t learn well, you won¡¯t be too harshly reprimanded, even getting a ¡®D¡¯ is fine¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, you should still please the teaching instructors or the elders; otherwise, if you really anger them, it won¡¯t be good¡­¡±


    ¡°When learning spell points¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides the truly Sect Protecting spell points, most spell points at the Outer Gate can also be learned, because, after all, this Sect is about passing on the teachings and imparting knowledge, and there¡¯s not such a great divide between insiders and outsiders¡­¡±


    ¡°You learn it, it¡¯s your own skill.¡±


    ¡°Of course, excluding the Sect Protecting Ultimate Techniques¡­¡±


    ¡°On normal days, there aren¡¯t too many rules; just attend classes on time, complete your assignments punctually, and for the rest of the time, it¡¯s quite ample¡ªthe Sect won¡¯t be too restrictive¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Self-guided and autonomous, you can learn whatever you want, and it doesn¡¯t matter much if you don¡¯t excel¡­


    It means, one can ¡°muddle through¡±!


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He realized that he had made the right choice in coming to Taixu Gate!


    Shangguan Xu continued, ¡°You¡¯ll meet the Sect Leader at the initiation ceremony in a few days. Anyway¡­ it¡¯s just the Sect Leader¡¯s appearance, pretty approachable¡­¡±


    ¡°The Sect Leader is quite easygoing and also focuses on preserving health¡­¡±


    ¡°As for the Elders, it¡¯s hard to say; there are all sorts¡­¡±


    ¡°Some are easy to talk to, and some have a rather bad temper¡­¡±


    ¡°This batch of disciples of yours, let me think¡­¡±


    Shangguan Xu frowned in thought and then said:


    ¡°There¡¯s an old Elder who teaches Formation, very senior, who hasn¡¯t retired but stays in the Sect to teach Formation. He has a strange temper and is extremely strict, doesn¡¯t allow even a speck of dust in his eyes, and won¡¯t tolerate the slightest carelessness from disciples¡­¡±


    Shangguan Xu looked at Mo Hua and sighed, ¡°You¡¯re a bit unlucky, be careful¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, but deep down he was also curious about who this ¡°old Elder¡± actually was¡­


    Shangguan Xu wanted to say more, but looking up, he discovered that while he had been chatting with Mo Hua, they had unwittingly reached the mid-mountain, at the mountain gate of Taixu Gate.


    Mo Hua also looked up to see an ancient and mysterious mountain gate.


    The threshold of the mountain gate wasn¡¯t high.


    Hanging on the gate was a Stele, inscribed with ancient and forceful characters, full of Taoist Meaning:


    Taixu Gate.


    These three characters, like a knife or a sword, integrated seamlessly with the Stele, upright and unpretentious; however, when one caught sight of them, they carried an inherent sharp Sword Intent.


    It seemed to be the handiwork of some great Sword Cultivator who had returned to simplicity and truth.


    Mo Hua looked only once and was somewhat captivated.


    He did not understand Swordsmanship, nor did he practice Sword Qi, but through a misty haze, his Divine Sense was able to perceive a vast and ethereal Sword Intent, as if soaring through the vastness of Taixu.


    ¡°Taixu Mind Transforming Sword True Jue¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently murmured in his heart.


    ¡°Junior brother?¡±


    Shangguan Xu saw Mo Hua in a daze and showed a puzzled look.


    Mo Hua came back to his senses and asked, ¡°Senior Brother Xu, these three characters¡­¡±


    Shangguan Xu looked up and said, ¡°Oh, these three characters have been here since the founding of Taixu Gate, probably the handwriting of some old ancestor of the Sect, they¡¯ve been around for many years¡­¡±


    He glanced at the sky and said to Mo Hua, ¡°It¡¯s getting late; let¡¯s enter the Sect first. You¡¯re just joining and there¡¯s a lot of trifles to take care of.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, following Shangguan Xu across the threshold, into Taixu Gate.


    But as Mo Hua stepped over the threshold and passed through the mountain gate, he didn¡¯t notice the characters ¡°Taixu Gate¡± above it, their inner light trembling slightly, emanating Sword Intent.


    Following that, the nearby clouds condensed above the mountain gate, purified by the Sword Intent into a pure vapor, which rose gently and drifted toward the sky.


    This thread of Sword Intent was extremely concentrated yet extremely subtle.


    After the purification, the vapor took on the hue of purest blue flame, blending seamlessly with the surrounding mists.


    Most disciples and Elders of Taixu Gate didn¡¯t feel anything special, but in a room, where the Taixu Sect Master sat meditating for health, he suddenly opened his eyes.


    His figure flashed and he stepped outside the house, looking through the majestic mountains and the Taixu Dao courts, toward the mountain gate, where he saw the rising vapor.


    Taixu Sect Master remained stunned for a long time, expressing disbelief:


    ¡°My Taixu Gate¡¯s mountain gate has¡­ actually started to emit blue smoke?!¡±

 Chapter 796 - 590 Taixu Gate_1

    Chapter 796: Chapter 590 Taixu Gate_1


    ¡°`


    In the Taixu Gate, everything was ancient and magnificent.


    The clouds and mist were resplendent, brimming with immortal presence.


    A wide and long jade stone path stretched up the mountain, like a stairway to heaven, leading directly to the summit.


    The path served as a hub, flanked by numerous cultivation structures: pavilions, terraces, towers, palaces, and courtyards, all steeped in an antique charm, shrouded in misty white fog, seemingly saturated with the passage of time, adding to their substantiality.


    As Mo Hua walked among them, he felt purified of worldly dust, his mood became serene, and his Divine Sense was much more at peace.


    ...


    Shangguan Xu led Mo Hua to several lofts on the right side, greeted a few cultivators who might be either Instructors or Elders, exchanged a few words, and went through some procedures.


    Afterward, Mo Hua had to be examined by several Elders.


    This included his Blood Qi, meridians, Cultivation Technique, Divine Sense, and more.


    This kind of inspection utilized a spiritual artifact resembling a glaze mirror, instead of having the Elders look with their Divine Sense.


    Disciples from the noble clans, with their familial Daoist Skills and Cultivation Techniques that often descend from their ancestors, naturally wouldn¡¯t allow others to probe into their secrets, especially those high-reaching Elders.


    Otherwise, the inheritance could easily be leaked.


    The purpose of the Sect is to convey the teachings and instruct disciples, not to steal inheritances. Elders rashly probing the foundations of disciples would commit a great taboo within the Sect.


    In the Qian Xue State boundary, where noble clans were numerous and their inheritances strictly guarded, this was particularly emphasized.


    Thus, such inspections could only be conducted with standardized spiritual artifacts.


    During the check, they also stopped at the slightest indication.


    The sole purpose was to see whether the disciples had impure Blood Qi or chaotic meridians, whether their techniques aligned with the Righteous Dao, or if their Divine Sense harbored any evil spirits¡­


    This was only to prevent disciples from straying into the Demon Path or becoming possessed by madness¡ªnothing more.


    When Mo Hua was illuminated by the glaze mirror, the Elders looked and nodded in approval.


    A clean Taoist Heart, pure breath.


    A good-hearted little cultivator, sincerely devoted to the Dao.


    It was just that¡­ his aptitude was indeed a bit poor¡­


    Also, the images in the mirror were a bit blurred, as if disturbed, some details hard to discern.


    But as long as he was a sincere little cultivator, that was enough.


    Having been admitted into the Sect, things like aptitude were beyond their purview, and they could not be bothered to care.


    ¡°That will do,¡± said an Elder.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Next, Mo Hua¡¯s Storage Bag was also inspected.


    This was mainly to ensure that disciples entering the Sect did not bring any improper items up the mountain.


    Such as dangerous Runes, prohibited Pills, and irregular Formations¡­


    Especially any Evil Artifacts associated with the Demon Path.


    The Taoist Court had established clear laws, with a definitive line between Righteous and Demon Paths.


    Manufacturing, privately possessing, or even using an Evil Artifact was a grave offense.


    If a disciple was discovered to have hidden an Evil Artifact, their admission to the Sect could be revoked, or they might even be taken to the Taoist Court to be dealt with as Demon Cultivators.


    Their families would also be implicated.


    Therefore, everything related to Demon Path Skills, Daoist Skills, and spiritual artifacts were not condoned by the Taoist Court, nor by the Sects of the Righteous Dao.


    Beyond these items, there were also some contraband¡­


    Some disciples would secretly keep certain age-inappropriate paintings and Jade Slips that could muddle the Taoist Heart¡­


    This wasn¡¯t considered a serious mistake, as they would simply receive a mild reprimand from the Elders.


    However, these paintings and Jade Slips would definitely be confiscated and not returned.


    Finally, to Mo Hua¡¯s surprise, Spirit Stones were a concern.


    There was a limit to how many Spirit Stones one could bring into the Sect¡ªjust enough to cover daily cultivation expenses.


    This was to prevent rich noble clans from indulging their disciples by bringing large quantities of Spirit Stones into the Sect, potentially leading to favor-currying, bribery of instructors, extravagant competition, and creating a corrupt atmosphere within the Sect, which would severely damage the spirit of pursuing the Dao.


    Therefore, most Sects would limit the amount of Spirit Stones a disciple could bring into the Sect.


    Mo Hua had never heard of this limitation on Spirit Stones.


    He worried that the ¡°fortune¡± of tens of thousands of Spirit Stones he had saved and acquired from killing bandits might be too much and not allowed through the Sect gates.


    Then he realized that his concerns were misplaced¡­


    After all, bringing only ¡°so many¡± Spirit Stones already qualified him as being very ¡°frugal and simple¡±¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned; it dawned on him that even the smallest hair from a noble clan was thicker than his entire being¡­


    ¡°The wealth disparities in cultivation are just too great¡­¡±, Mo Hua lamented.


    The contents of Mo Hua¡¯s Storage Bag were all very ordinary, clean items.


    The truly important things, such as the Heaven Yan Jue technique and the Five Elements Formation Flow Map with its peculiar Source Patterns, were all kept in his Storage Ring.


    The Storage Ring was a gift from his master and invisible to others.


    After the Elders finished their inspection, they returned his Storage Bag to Mo Hua.


    However, perhaps pitying the meagerness of Mo Hua¡¯s Storage Bag, with so few Spirit Stones, and him being a Loose Cultivator, one Elder felt a touch of sympathy and offered a few words of comfort:


    ¡°Being a bit short on Spirit Stones doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Once you¡¯re in the Sect, as long as you work hard, you can stand on your own two feet, earn some Spirit Stones, enough for your cultivation needs¡­¡±


    Earning Spirit Stones by standing on his own¡­


    Mo Hua paused for a moment.


    Did that mean¡­ he could still ¡°shear the Sect¡¯s wool¡±?! Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he worked diligently, shearing more, did that imply that his entry into Taixu Gate would not only cost nothing but also potentially turn a neat profit?


    Taixu Gate truly was a great place!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he said with a beaming smile, ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡±


    The Elder nodded slightly, inwardly praising him.


    Poor but steadfast, not losing the aspiration to reach the clouds, an optimistic and uplifting Loose Cultivator, a promising young man¡­


    Afterward, the procedures were completed.


    Mo Hua received a new Storage Bag.


    This Storage Bag was much better than what he had used before, larger in space and more robust and stylish, marked by the distinctive emblem of the Taixu Gate.


    It was a pattern with black and white swirling in an Eryi design.


    Eryi mixes with Chaos to give rise to Taixu.


    The more Mo Hua looked at it, the more he liked it.


    Inside the Storage Bag were a set of Taixu Gate disciple¡¯s Taoist Robe, some Pills, a few Tao Cultivation Canons, and a Taixu Token.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 797 - 590: Taixu Gate_2

    Chapter 797: Chapter 590: Taixu Gate_2


    ¡°`


    This token is a Disciple Token.


    It is also the most basic token of Taixu Gate, made of jade, warm to the touch, with a grand design, though somewhat plain. There is only a single sword scratch on it.


    This means that Mo Hua is a new disciple of the Outer Gate of Taixu Gate, in the initial stages of Foundation Establishment.


    Shangguan Xu said, ¡°This Taixu Token is very important; you must take good care of it¡­¡±


    ¡°In Taixu Gate, whatever you do that involves Sect privileges, you will rely on this token.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Whether you are entering the Disciple¡¯s Residence, the Tao Teaching Pavilion, Taoist Fields, the Alchemy Room, Artifact Refining Room, Book Pavilion, and so on, you must show this Taixu Token.¡±


    ¡°If you have Merit Points within the Sect and need to exchange them for Tao Cultivation items, you will also need this¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, look at the back¡­¡±


    Startled, Mo Hua flipped the Taixu Token over and saw that the back of the token was luminous, with fine patterns that transformed into floating characters.


    Shangguan Xu said, ¡°This Taixu Token also acts as a messaging jade slip¡­¡±


    ¡°It will have some internal Sect information, like orders from the Sect Leader, commands from Elders, including messages between disciples¡­ And most importantly, the study schedule for Tao Cultivation.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Tao Cultivation¡­ study schedule?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shangguan Xu nodded, ¡°It will tell you, at what hour, and in what place, you should attend which Tao Cultivation class¡­¡±


    ¡°The Sect has many classes, encompassing Cultivation, Formations, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Runes, Taoist Skills, and so forth. The arrangement of the classes, the times and places for the classes, are all quite complicated. Occasionally, the Elders or Instructors who teach may have personal matters to attend to and might reschedule or postpone classes¡­¡±


    ¡°So, the arrangement and scheduling of the Tao Cultivation classes for the disciples within the Sect largely rely on this Taixu Gate Disciple Token¡­¡±


    ¡°At what hour, which class, the Taixu Token will remind you; if you arrive on time, it will register you; if you skip class, it will also record it¡­¡±


    ¡°These may seem simple, but contained within are extremely complex Formation logics¡­¡±


    ¡°Formation logic?!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Shangguan Xu was stunned, not knowing why Mo Hua suddenly seemed so happy. After thinking for a moment, he slowly nodded, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Xu, what is the Formation logic? What is the name of the Formation? Is it a Five Elements Formation or some other type of Formation?¡± Mo Hua asked eagerly.


    Shangguan Xu gave a wry smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I just heard from the Instructor that such a Formation, the Sect will not teach us. Otherwise, surely there would be disciples trying to find ways to tamper with the Taixu Token to cheat¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed.


    He really wanted to know what this Formation was¡­


    Purely for the sake of studying the Formation!


    He was a serious Cultivator who would not cheat!


    But since Senior Brother Shangguan Xu did not know, Mo Hua was even less likely to find out¡­


    ¡°But, what kind of Formation could it be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned and began to ponder.


    Taixu Token¡­


    If every disciple has one, then that means that this Formation, similar to the ¡°Spiritual Pivot Formation¡±, is constructed in a ¡°master-slave¡± control mode.


    There must be a place that holds the Formation eye, over which the Formation Pivot is constructed.


    Through the Formation Pivot, all the disciples¡¯ Taixu Tokens are connected, building a whole set¡­


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°¡­a whole set of Messaging Formations?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe, there are other functions as well?¡±


    Mo Hua walked and pondered, frowning along the way, muttering to himself¡­


    Looking at his demeanor, Shangguan Xu could not help but laugh and shake his head, not knowing what his junior was mulling over¡­


    After pondering for a while longer, although Mo Hua was proficient in the Five Elements Formation and even some Ultimate Formations, his overall knowledge of Formations was limited, and he could not figure out much more.


    He also tried to perform Calculations, or to sense the Taixu Token.


    Inside the Taixu Token, it seemed like some Formation was indeed depicted, but it was completely sealed within the token without revealing the slightest clue.


    ¡°Can¡¯t calculate anything¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit of regret.


    It seemed he could only wait until after enrollment, enhance his insight into Formations, consult relevant books, and improve his mastery of Formations before he could study the Formation inside the Taixu Token¡­


    As the two walked, they arrived between a hall and pavilion.


    ¡°This is the Disciple¡¯s Residence, where disciples live and practice daily Tao Cultivation¡­¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°To the left past the Taoist Field are the Tao Teaching Pavilion, as well as the Artifact Refining Room, Alchemy Room, and other buildings that teach the various arts of Tao Cultivation.¡±


    ¡°The Disciple¡¯s Residence is one room per person, also very quiet, suitable for self-study or Cultivation without disturbances.¡±


    ¡°With the Taixu Token, you can enter the Disciple¡¯s Residence and find your own living space¡­¡±


    Shangguan Xu advised patiently.


    Mo Hua looked at the Taixu Token, noticing that there really was ¡°Taiyi¡± engraved on it, followed by the number ¡°fifty.¡±


    ¡°Taiyi?¡± Mo Hua was a bit puzzled.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Shangguan Xu seemed to have just remembered, ¡°I forgot to tell you, Taixu Gate accepts disciples every three years, roughly a thousand people per cohort¡­¡±


    ¡°Within three years, those who advance to Foundation Establishment Middle Phase can move up a grade, if not, they will retain a grade.¡±


    ¡°These nearly thousand people will be divided in the Disciple¡¯s Residence, which is essentially class division.¡±


    ¡°Since it¡¯s Taixu Gate, ¡®Tai¡¯ is the prefix for each residence, followed by the Earthly Branches in order, starting from ¡®Taijia¡¯, ¡®Taiyi¡¯, ¡®Taibing¡¯, and continuing all the way to ¡®Tairen¡¯ and ¡®Taigui¡¯¡­ making up ten residences, or ten classes¡­¡±


    ¡°Disciples of the same class will live in a single building.¡±


    ¡°You are in Taiyi, so you reside in the Taiyi Residence; the number fifty indicates the fiftieth room.¡±


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°Is this division based on Cultivation or talent?¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 798 - 590 Taixu Gate_3

    Chapter 798: Chapter 590 Taixu Gate_3


    Shangguan Xu shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s random. The Elders draw lots, so it¡¯s about luck and your own opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, understanding in his heart.


    He thought to himself, with his own aptitude, how could he possibly be assigned to ¡°Taiyi¡±? Turns out his ¡°luck¡± was good¡­


    Shangguan Xu smiled and said, ¡°The four major sects arrange disciples strictly according to lineage, identity, and background, so every time they assign Disciple¡¯s Residences, they have to consider for a long time, involving many interests¡­¡±


    ¡°Where you live also determines the treatment and status of the disciple¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡°Moreover, once it¡¯s decided, in order to motivate the disciples to advance, they adjust the rankings anytime based on their academic grades and achievements. If you lag in cultivation, or learn poorly, you will gradually be demoted to the last place¡­¡±


    ¡°Our Taixu Gate¡¯s Sect Leader and Elders are much lazier, they just draw lots. Whatever you get is what you get, and it saves a lot of trouble¡­¡±


    Mo Hua clicked his tongue in amazement.


    The four major sects are really intimidating¡­


    The disciples they teach are likely to know only how to compete and vie for superiority.


    But that¡¯s probably the intention of the noble clans, or the sects above them, nurturing them like raising gu worms, so that only the truly outstanding geniuses can stand out¡­


    But all these have nothing to do with him.


    With his aptitude, except for knowledge of the Formation, he can¡¯t even count as bottom-tier in other aspects; he can only muddle through his days¡­


    Shangguan Xu thought for a moment, and then, pointing to some buildings far across, he quietly reminded Mo Hua:


    ¡°The Disciple¡¯s Residences over there are where the female disciples live, separated by quite a distance. If you have no reason to go, you mustn¡¯t, otherwise, you¡¯ll be considered a ¡®little pervert¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Little pervert?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shangguan Xu said with lingering fear, ¡°I remember before, a few of our male disciples wanted to go over to¡­ ahem, look for something. They were discovered by a group of senior sisters and junior sisters and were beaten half to death¡­¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Their injuries were severe. Not accepting their fate, they went to the Elders to complain. But when the Elders found out, they flew into a rage and beat them up again¡­¡±


    ¡°It was quite pitiful¡­¡±


    Mo Hua opened his mouth, but after a moment¡¯s thought, he quietly said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what they get¡­¡±


    Harboring improper thoughts was one thing.


    Being beaten up and not learning their lesson, and then going to the Elders to lodge a complaint, was like walking into a trap¡­


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Indeed, lust leads to muddled thinking¡­


    Cultivators must keep a firm Taoist Heart and be wary of the seduction of women!


    ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you. Don¡¯t go around talking about it, okay¡­¡± Shangguan Xu said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Senior Brother Xu, I won¡¯t say a word!¡± Mo Hua promised solemnly.


    Shangguan Xu nodded, ¡°Go on in then. I¡¯m two terms your senior and live behind that mountain peak. If you have any issues later on, come and ask me¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Xu!¡±


    Shangguan Xu waved his hand and left.


    Mo Hua, holding the Disciple Token, entered the Disciple¡¯s Residence and found room number ¡°fifty¡±. He presented the Taixu Token in front of the door, and then, with a flash of light, the Formation was unlocked and the door opened.


    Mo Hua walked in and looked around, quite astonished.


    The chamber was spacious, with tables, chairs, screens, blankets, and beds¡ªeverything was complete, simple yet elegant.


    But it was very fitting for a person cultivating the Tao, embodying the style of purity and simplicity.


    Mo Hua was satisfied.


    This room would henceforth be his ¡°home¡± at the Taixu Gate.


    And so Mo Hua settled down.


    Three days later, the Taixu Gate held its opening ceremony.


    The opening ceremony, held once every three years, was a major event hosted by the Sect Leader and all the Elders to welcome the new disciples.


    Although called a ¡°ceremony¡±, it was actually quite simple.


    The ceremony took place in the massive Taoist Field in the center of Taixu Gate.


    Over a thousand disciples bustled about.


    The Sect Leader spoke first, then several respected Elders took turns speaking, and their speeches were more or less the same.


    They recounted the long history of the Taixu Gate, its profound heritage, ancient lineage, and shining achievements.


    Then they encouraged the disciples to diligently pursue cultivation.


    And to bring glory to the Taixu Gate once their cultivation had reached a certain level.


    They also emphasized the need to maintain their Taoist Heart, adhere to the Righteous Dao, not to make mistakes, stray down wrong paths, or fall into the Demon Path¡­ and so on.


    It was also the first time Mo Hua saw the Taixu Sect Master.


    He seemed¡­ just like any other Sect Leader, with a gentle face, splendid dress, profound energy, but nothing else stood out.


    Only the hair, pitch-black and thick, just as Shangguan Xu had said, he was extremely good at ¡°nourishing life¡±.


    The Taixu Sect Master also silently observed the vast array of disciples in the Taoist Field, outwardly without expression, yet inwardly he murmured:


    ¡°Looking at it¡­ they seem to be just ordinary disciples, conforming to the norm, not too bad, but not particularly outstanding either¡­¡±


    ¡°Why on earth would there suddenly be blue smoke on the sect¡¯s entrance?¡±


    The Taixu Sect Master was puzzled.


    After the ceremony, everyone dispersed, and classes for cultivation would officially start the next day.


    Having attended the entrance ceremony also meant that Mo Hua was now officially initiated. He was now a disciple of Taixu Gate.


    Afterward, he could dedicate himself to cultivation, and learn the Formation in peace.


    The Heavenly secret was chaotic, the causes and effects obscure. There were many profound and complicated affairs in the world, and Mo Hua knew little of them and was powerless to do much.


    He was just a minor Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    All he could do was take care of what he was supposed to do.


    Steadfastly follow his path of cultivation, gradually learn the Formation, and step by step, climb the Great Dao, to save his master¡­


    And his next goal was the Golden Core!


    To comprehend his life¡¯s Tao and transform it into the Golden Core!


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was resolute and sparkling with radiance.


    He aimed to craft a Divine Thought with over twenty patterns, with an indestructible golden body, to Prove the Dao with Divine Sense, and become a Great cultivator in the Golden Core Realm!

 Chapter 799 - 591 Elder Master Xun_1

    Chapter 799: Chapter 591 Elder Master Xun_1


    Although that was the case, he is now still just an ordinary Taixu disciple, and it would be best for him to diligently cultivate in silence.


    But this is for the best.


    His master had taught him that humans fear fame as pigs fear fattening.


    The protruding beam rots first.


    It¡¯s best to make a fortune in silence and cultivate discreetly, focusing on improving oneself.


    The next day, after Mo Hua had practiced Formation at the Taoist Stele all night, he rose early, full of energy, and went to class.


    ...


    On the Taixu Token, it showed that his first lesson was a cultivation class.


    The class on Tao cultivation was taught by an Inner Sect Elder, adorned in a splendid Taoist robe, respected and esteemed.


    But since it was only the first lesson, he didn¡¯t say much¡ªonly a few brief words about the content of the cultivation class.


    ¡°Cultivation is the foundation of a cultivator.¡±


    ¡°All Taoist skills are based on cultivation; Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune all take cultivation as the foundation for assessment.¡±


    ¡°Only when your cultivation breaks through and your realm improves can you transcend the categories of Tao cultivation, advancing step by step.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, cultivation is the stairway to seeking immortality and questioning the Dao.¡±


    ¡°For descendants of Noble Clans, Qi Refinement is but enlightenment; Foundation Establishment is the true beginning. Only with a solid foundation and robust Spiritual Power can one form a high-quality Golden Core¡­¡±


    ¡°With a high-quality Golden Core, can one ascend to higher levels of the Great Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°Step by step, the more solidly one¡¯s foundation is built, the farther one will go in the future¡­¡±


    ¡°The matter of Core Formation is still far off for you. Knowing a little is enough for now. You are currently at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage¡ªyour immediate priority is to walk the path of Foundation Establishment steadily and solidly¡­¡±


    ¡°There are various paths to the Great Dao, but they all lead to the same destination. Most of you are Noble Family Descendants, coming from different backgrounds and practicing different Cultivation Techniques, but there are some common spell points that you must learn wholeheartedly.¡±


    ¡°How to purify Spiritual Power, how to make your Circulation flawless, how to stabilize your Taoist Foundation¡­¡±


    ¡°How to avoid mishaps in the course of Foundation Establishment, not to harm your energy channels, not to damage your Qi Sea¡­¡±


    ¡°How to both steadily and swiftly elevate your cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°How to discard bad habits in cultivation, how to avoid arrogance and impatience, to calm your Taoist Heart, and what to do if there are signs of deviating into devilry?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°These are the invaluable insights and experiences accumulated over thousands of years by countless predecessors of Taixu Gate, who have dedicated their efforts and studied diligently.¡±


    ¡°In the upcoming lessons, I will teach you these gradually¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter what your previous background is, or what legacy you have, after learning these cultivation lessons, you will broaden your horizons in Tao cultivation, and have a clearer understanding of the future path of Tao cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°Next, I will briefly discuss how to practice Foundation Establishment¡­¡±


    ¡°Qi Refinement cultivators treat Spiritual Power as a refined gaseous state. At the Foundation Establishment Realm, Spiritual Power undergoes a qualitative change, condensing like mercury¡­¡±


    ¡°Spiritual Power that¡¯s like mercury needs further refinement, distillation, condensation until it forms crystals, and eventually turns into your personal Golden Core¡­¡±


    ¡°This cannot be achieved overnight; it requires years of persistent cultivation and consistent effort¡­¡±


    ¡°In addition, Foundation Establishment Spiritual Power also needs to cleanse Blood Qi, strengthen channels, and expand the Qi Sea¡­¡±


    ¡°In the past, this was referred to as ¡®Marrow Cleansing¡¯, but with the evolution of Cultivation Techniques, the effects are no longer so pronounced¡­¡±


    ¡°Nowadays, Cultivation Techniques, improved over generations, emphasize gentle nurturing, gradual progress, and also reducing the risk of mistakes in cultivation and deviation into devilry¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The Inner Sect Elder, with his profound knowledge, spoke in a calm tone, explaining comprehensively.


    Mo Hua listened attentively and benefited greatly.


    Ever since his Foundation Establishment, he had been following the Heaven Yan Jue, groping his way through cultivation on his own¡ªafter all, as long as he absorbed Spirit Stones and his Spiritual Power was growing, that was enough.


    He had never realized there were so many details to be mindful of in cultivation.


    For Core Formation and even higher realms beyond, one must look to the future, plan every step, and cultivate methodically¡­


    Although the Elder didn¡¯t say much, Mo Hua was still profoundly moved after listening.


    This is the legacy of a Great Sect!


    This is the crystalization of experience from thousands of years, from countless generations of Taixu Gate predecessors!


    However, Mo Hua felt somewhat perplexed.


    The Elder¡¯s teachings seemed to be about how cultivators who build their foundations on ¡°Spiritual Power¡± and ¡°Blood Qi¡± can refine their Blood Qi, refine their Spiritual Power, perfect their Taoist Foundation and move further.


    But as for himself, he was proving the Dao through Divine Sense¡­


    The Elder didn¡¯t mention anything about Divine Sense¡­


    And with his meager Spiritual Power and weak Blood Qi, not having polished his realm or solidified his foundation, he had essentially bluffed his way up¡­


    His way of cultivating was far from what the Elder described.


    Mo Hua sighed silently in his heart.


    It seems that he would have to start by learning this way, and study it in detail later when he had free time¡­


    After all, he had just begun and had plenty of time.


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua cultivated, drew Formations, and attended classes¡­


    But a few days later, Mo Hua suddenly realized a problem: S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was still very unfamiliar with Taixu Gate and did not know much about it.


    This wasn¡¯t good¡­


    In the next few years, or even decades, he was going to mingle in Taixu Gate, so he had to become familiar with the environment of Taixu Gate.


    This was basic for a Monster Hunter.


    Upon arriving in an unfamiliar place, one must get to know the environment first.


    When he had first entered Big Black Mountain, his father, Mo Shan, had taken him around the Outer Mountain and Inner Mountain, making him familiar with the topography, traces of Monster Beasts, and locations of herbs and minerals¡­


    That¡¯s how he managed to thrive in Big Black Mountain.


    Though Taixu Gate was not Big Black Mountain, and the instructors and elders were not Monster Beasts, the principle was the same.


    Sharpening the axe will not hinder the cutting of firewood.


    Mo Hua decided to do some research and get his bearings, to understand Taixu Gate clearly first.

 Chapter 800 - 591 Elder Master Xun_2

    Chapter 800: Chapter 591 Elder Master Xun_2


    ¡°This way, I¡¯ll be able to ¡°get by¡± in the future¡­¡±


    Having just joined the sect, Mo Hua had few academic tasks and plenty of free time, so he began to wander around Taixu Gate with his hands clasped behind his back¡­


    Then he inquired about some things with Shangguan Xu and some other senior brothers and sisters.


    Because he was cute and spoke in a way people enjoyed listening to, and he asked about things that new disciples wouldn¡¯t know but would indeed be curious about, he was usually able to get answers to most of his questions.


    After spending a month, Mo Hua had gained a general understanding of Taixu Gate.


    First was the environment.


    ...


    Taixu Gate was located on the majestic and quaint Taixu Mountain.


    A long jade staircase connected the Inner Mountain and the Outer Mountain.


    The front of the mountain was the Outer Mountain, and the back was the Inner Mountain.


    The Outer Mountain of Taixu Gate provided a place for Outer Gate disciples, external instructors, and Guest Elders to live and practice cultivation.


    In addition, there was a large Taoist Field in the middle.


    To the right of the Taoist Field were the Disciple¡¯s Residences.


    To the left were the Tao Teaching Pavilion for classes and other buildings dedicated to the practice of Taoist skills and the various aspects of Tao Cultivation, like the Artifact Refining Pavilion, Refining Pill Pavilion, Refining Rune Pavilion, and Taoist Skill Pavilion.


    And the Book Pavilion stocked with Tao Cultivation Canons, especially those on various Formations, which Mo Hua eyed greedily but couldn¡¯t enter due to access restrictions.


    Behind the Outer Mountain was the Inner Mountain.


    There resided the Sect Leader, Elders, Inner Sect Disciples, and some preaching buildings.


    Further back was the Rear Mountain.


    The Rear Mountain was forbidden territory, and no one knew what was hidden within.


    Mo Hua, an Outer Sect Disciple, couldn¡¯t even go to the Inner Mountain, let alone the Rear Mountain, which he guessed to be the hiding place of either monsters or ancestors, so he didn¡¯t inquire much about it.


    Taixu Gate also had a famous Large Formation:


    ¡°The Taixu Chaos yuan Mountain Protection Formation¡±!


    To Mo Hua¡¯s surprise, this Formation was a Fifth Rank Large Formation!


    A Fifth Rank state boundary, constructed into a Fifth Rank Large Formation¡­


    Mo Hua, who had personally constructed a Large Formation before, was shocked and even found it somewhat inconceivable.


    What level of Formation Master would it take to accomplish such a feat¡­


    He wanted to learn more, but heard that this Large Formation hadn¡¯t been activated for over ten thousand years; no one knew if it still worked, or even if it truly was a Fifth Rank, so most disciples had nearly forgotten about it¡­


    There were even rumors claiming Taixu Gate¡¯s Fifth Rank Large Formation was fake, a product of misinformation, and it was in reality only Third or Fourth Rank¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t believe it. He wanted to verify it for himself, so he tried to dig into the sect¡¯s boundaries.


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t dig through, and his Divine Sense Calculation revealed no traces¡­


    This level of Large Formation, from the Formation base materials to the construction of Formation Patterns, was completely beyond Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation level and understanding of Formations.


    He could neither dislodge it nor calculate its secrets.


    But Mo Hua was not discouraged.


    ¡°Once my cultivation is higher, I¡¯ll definitely return to the sect to pry at its foundation and see if there really is a Fifth Rank Large Formation!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, silently making this ¡°grand vow¡± in his heart.


    In addition, there was the issue of the Inner and Outer Gates.


    Originally in Tongxian City, Tongxian Gate also divided disciples between Inner and Outer Gates, but that level of division was different from the Fifth Rank Sect of Taixu Gate in the Qian Xue State Boundary.


    And it was different from what Mo Hua had previously understood.


    He was now an Outer Sect Disciple.


    During the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, all newly joined disciples were considered Outer Sect Disciples.


    Once they reach the Golden Core Stage, they could graduate.


    After graduation, they could choose to leave the sect and return to their clans or seek a livelihood with other powers for a longer-term path.


    Alternatively, they could choose to stay in the sect and become an Inner Sect Disciple through an assessment.


    The Outer Gate took in disciples openly and earned their keep.


    The Inner Gate retained disciples for teaching and managing the sect and for preaching and teaching duties.


    Disciples of the Inner Gate were mostly expected to become ¡°Instructors.¡±


    An ¡°Instructor¡± in Taixu Gate was a position denoting a cultivator responsible for teaching and passing on knowledge, ranging from Golden Core Stage Inner Sect Disciples to Elders, and even the Sect Leader.


    There were also two types of Instructors.


    One type was externally hired, living in the Outer Gate, being Golden Core Stage or even Feather Transformation Realm cultivators, who were employed as instructors or Guest Elders.


    These people weren¡¯t part of the Inner Gate but were hired for teaching.


    The other type was Inner Sect Disciples who had joined the Inner Gate and received Inner Gate inheritance, as well as Elders who had been promoted from disciples.


    Inner Sect Disciples and Elders were again divided into ordinary and True Disciples. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ordinary Inner Sect Disciples paid homage to ordinary Elders, learning the important traditions of the Sect.


    True Disciples of the Inner Gate paid homage to True Transmission Elders, thereby gaining permission to learn truly core and Sect-Protecting traditions.


    These were also two distinct paths to promotion.


    Ordinary disciples, as they advanced in cultivation, were promoted to ordinary Elders.


    True Disciples, upon breaking through to the Feather Transformation Realm, were promoted to True Transmission Elders.


    And the core positions of the sect, including the Vice Sect Leader and Sect Leader, would only be chosen from among the True Transmission Elders.


    Ordinary disciples, ordinary Elders;


    True Disciples, True Transmission Elders, and even Vice Sect Leader and Sect Leader.


    These were two paths of promotion, seemingly similar, but distinctly separate.


    It took Mo Hua quite some time to get his head around the differences between the Inner and Outer Gates, the externally hired Instructors and Inner Sect Instructors, Guest Elders and Inner Sect Elders, ordinary Inner Sect Disciples and True Disciples, and ordinary and True Transmission Elders¡­


    ¡°Even within a sect, the hierarchy is clear and complex¡­¡±


    Mo Hua mused.


    After understanding all these things, Mo Hua now knew what status the senior cultivator who was currently serving as an ¡°Instructor¡± for his classes held.


    Some important courses, such as cultivation lessons, due to their critical nature, were personally taught by True Transmission Elders of the Inner Gate.


    The one teaching Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation course was named Gongsun, a Feather Transformation Realm True Transmission Elder of Taixu Gate!

 Chapter 801 - 801: 591 Chapters Elder Master Xun_3

    Chapter 801: 591 Chapters Elder Master Xun_3


    Occasionally, a Golden Core Instructor was responsible for substitute teaching.


    This Golden Core Stage Instructor was a direct disciple of Elder Gongsun and also a true disciple of the Inner Gate.


    However, other courses focused on Tao Cultivation skills were not so strict.


    For example, the one teaching Refining Rune was an externally hired Golden Core Instructor;


    the one teaching Alchemy was a Guest elder in the Feather Transformation Realm;


    the one teaching Artifact Refining was an ordinary elder of the Inner Gate;


    ...


    there were also ones teaching general knowledge of the Cultivation World, history books, and classics, some of whom were externally hired instructors with low cultivation levels but had traveled extensively outside for years, broad in knowledge, old in age, but only at the Golden Core stage.


    Without understanding these, one would never know who, standing in the Tao Teaching Room, was lecturing them, whoever the sacred figure might be.


    Even if one did understand these, it was sometimes hard to recognize them.


    And what Mo Hua could not understand most was the ¡°old Elder¡± mentioned by Senior Brother Shangguan Xu.


    ¡°The one teaching Formation Method is very old and quirky, extremely strict, cannot tolerate the slightest fault, and absolutely does not allow disciples to be negligent¡­¡±


    This old Elder was respectfully called ¡°Elder Master Xun¡± by the students.


    Elder Master Xun wore the Taixu Gate Taoist Robe, extremely simple, without any embroidered Sword Patterns, and the style was very old, who knew from how many years or generations ago.


    He was old and frail, with a weak aura, seemingly not of high cultivation.


    The only impression left was truly ¡°old.¡±


    His face was full of wrinkles, somewhat hunched, hair and beard all white, with only his eyes shining, stubborn and strict.


    Even stricter than Instructor Yan. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Master Xun taught Mo Hua Formation principles.


    Mo Hua was extremely serious when attending Elder Master Xun¡¯s classes at first, sitting up very straight.


    But after a few times, he began to slacken off.


    Because he found the introductory Formation classes for the initial stage of Foundation Establishment at Taixu Gate were only teaching First-grade Formation Methods¡­


    For the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, learning First-grade Formations was considered standard.


    Moreover, some disciples were not good at Formation Methods at all, teaching them First-grade Formations was even considered ¡°overly advanced¡± for them as they found it very difficult to learn.


    But for Mo Hua, it was very boring¡­


    He already knew these things by heart.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s voice was hoarse and serious, emphasizing the importance of the basics of Formation Methods:


    ¡°Formation Methods value the fundamentals; without a solid foundation, rashly learning more difficult Formation Methods is nothing but rootless vines climbing aimlessly, lacking one¡¯s own foundation.¡±


    ¡°Any basic array formation must be firmly memorized, drawn hundreds and thousands of times, refining through forging a thousand times to enhance one¡¯s Array Formation Skill¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt this was right, but he had already practiced these¡­


    At first, Elder Master Xun¡¯s classes still had something new, and his understanding of First-grade Formation Methods was profound, so Mo Hua could still listen.


    But after all, they were only First Grade, using the generic Five Elements Formation as examples.


    Mo Hua understood most of it after listening once or twice, and afterwards, it was just repetitive and dull.


    Mo Hua began to slacken off.


    Unable to do anything else, and without anything to do during class, he could only study on his own.


    While he appeared to be attending the class on the surface, he was actually performing Calculations in his mind and Drawing Second-Grade Formations, occasionally studying ahead for the harder Formation Method courses to see if there was any knowledge he hadn¡¯t learned.


    But Calculation greatly drained one¡¯s Divine Sense.


    That day in class, while Calculating, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t paying attention and nearly exhausted his Divine Sense.


    Since it was during class, he couldn¡¯t meditate to restore his Divine Sense and felt it becoming difficult to focus, his eyelids constantly battling to stay open.


    Mo Hua had to forcibly persist.


    But at that moment, Elder Master Xun¡¯s monotonous and rigid voice echoed by his ear, hypnotic.


    ¡°Formation Methods value the fundamentals, without a solid foundation¡­¡±


    Unaware, Mo Hua quietly dozed off, his head drooping low.


    When he opened his eyes, he realized the room was very quiet.


    Even frighteningly quiet.


    Mo Hua raised his head and discovered, as expected, that Elder Master Xun stood before him with a deep frown, clearly restraining his anger.


    Mo Hua felt a little guilty.


    Elder Master Xun also did not rebuke him first, but according to routine said,


    ¡°Go up there and draw the Formation Diagram I was just talking about.¡±


    It was a chance for him.


    If he could draw it correctly, it would be good; if not, he was in big trouble¡­


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    Drawing the Formation would be easy¡­


    At the front of the Formation Method Room was a Large Array Plate where Elder Master Xun would draw Formation Diagrams while explaining the principles.


    Mo Hua walked respectfully to the Array Plate, picked up the pen, looked up, and suddenly froze.


    He had been a bit nervous just now and forgot to look; now when he looked up, he realized that there were four Formation Diagrams on the Array Plate.


    ¡°Draw the Formation Diagram I was just talking about¡­¡±


    Which Formation Diagram was Elder Master Xun just talking about?


    Mo Hua had dozed off; how would he know¡­


    Holding the pen, Mo Hua was hesitant and indecisive, just standing there stupidly.


    The disciples below also felt tense for him, whispering quietly to each other:


    ¡°Done for¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Master Xun¡¯s class, and he dares to doze off¡­¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t draw, now he¡¯s really in for it¡­¡±


    ¡°No good, just watching makes me anxious¡­¡±


    ¡°Disaster, I just lost focus too¡­ Did Elder Master Xun notice me as well? The next one won¡¯t be me, right¡­ Ancestor of the Cheng Family, please protect me, don¡¯t choose me to go up there, I can¡¯t do it either¡­¡±


    ¡­


    While Mo Hua was still hesitating, he suddenly felt a chill on his back.


    Is this¡­ Elder Master Xun¡¯s Divine Thought?


    Mo Hua was startled, and his heart skipped a beat.


    It¡¯s over, Elder Master Xun is really angry¡­


    ¡°Forget it, just guess one¡­¡±


    With closed eyes, Mo Hua randomly chose the most difficult one, his little hand moved swiftly, the pen flowed like a dragon or snake, and in no time, he¡¯d finished drawing it¡­


    After he finished, the Tao Teaching Room instantly became quiet¡­


    The chill on Mo Hua¡¯s back also faded slightly.


    ¡°I guessed right¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed in relief.


    Suddenly, whispering started again, the disciples murmured softly:


    ¡°Just now¡­¡±


    ¡°His little hand moved so fast, I couldn¡¯t see clearly¡­¡±


    ¡°He drew it so quickly!¡±


    ¡°How is he so proficient¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­But, he drew it wrong, didn¡¯t he? It¡¯s not that one¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, with his keen Divine Sense, heard everything clearly and complained inside:


    ¡°If it¡¯s not this one, then tell me which one it is!¡±


    Helpless, Mo Hua glanced at the other three Formation Diagrams, and feeling the chill on his back intensify once more, he knew Elder Master Xun was getting angry again.


    No point in stopping halfway!


    Randomly guessing another, swish swish swish, in a few strokes, he finished drawing it.


    The Tao Teaching Room became even quieter.


    So quiet you could hear a pin drop.


    Before Mo Hua could relax, disciples started whispering again:


    ¡°Even faster¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that the hand speed of a Foundation Building Cultivator¡­¡±


    ¡°Did he grow up eating Formation Diagrams?¡±


    ¡°Which Noble Clan¡¯s cultivator is he? His Formation Painting is both fast and excellent, is it the Ming Family? Or the Zheng Family?¡­¡±


    ¡°Jealous, I wish I could borrow those hands to draw a Formation just once¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°But, the one Elder Master Xun mentioned wasn¡¯t this one either¡­¡±


    Mo Hua took a deep, silent breath.


    Not this one either?!


    Feeling helpless inside, he started to get a little angry.


    Not this one either!!


    Then I won¡¯t guess anymore, I¡¯ll just draw them all!


    If I draw all four, that should definitely be correct!


    Mo Hua¡¯s little hand waved, creating afterimages with his wrist, his brushwork outlining like the wind, moving like clouds, flowing like water, and within moments, he had completed the other two Formation Diagrams¡­


    Now the Tao Teaching Room was dead silent.


    The disciples below were all agape, speechless, looking at Mo Hua as if they were seeing a ¡°Small Formation Evil Monster¡± wrapped in human skin¡­


    Having finished the four Formation Diagrams, Mo Hua set the brush aside, bowed his head, and stood obediently to the side.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s gaze was murky as he looked at Mo Hua, silent for a long moment, contemplating something, finally his voice stern but with a slight tremble said:


    ¡°Even with some talent, one mustn¡¯t be conceited or complacent, and certainly not slack¡­¡±


    ¡°No repeat of this behavior!¡±


    Despite the stern tone, he said ¡°No repeat of this behavior.¡±


    Mo Hua knew he had dodged a bullet, took a long sigh of relief, and said respectfully:


    ¡°Elder Master¡¯s teaching, the disciple will bear in mind!¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly, ¡°That will be all for today¡¯s lesson, you may leave.¡±


    The other disciples, as if granted a royal pardon, quickly stood up, bowed respectfully, and said: ¡°Disciples taking their leave!¡± Then they quietly and orderly left the Tao Teaching Room.


    Mo Hua also slipped away with the crowd.


    Elder Master Xun didn¡¯t say anything.


    Not until all the disciples had left did he turn to look at the Array Plate on which Mo Hua, with quick, dragon-and-snake-like strokes, had drawn the four Formation Diagrams, meticulous and precise, befitting of a First-grade Formation.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s murky eyes opened slightly, revealing a glimmer.

 Chapter 802 - 592 Yi Wood Gen Mountain

    Chapter 802: Chapter 592 Yi Wood Gen Mountain


    Elder Master Xun stood with his hands behind his back, casting just one glance at the four formations on the Array Plate, and they all dissipated without a trace.


    He walked straight out of the Tao Teaching Pavilion, followed the jade stone path in the middle of Taixu Gate, and headed towards the back mountain alone.


    All the disciples along the way bowed and said,


    ¡°Elder Master Xun, greetings.¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded and responded, ¡°Greetings.¡±


    Upon reaching the back mountain, all the Inner Sect Elders, as well as True Transmission Elders, saw Elder Master Xun and bowed to greet him,


    ...


    ¡°Elder Master Xun, greetings.¡±


    Elder Master Xun just nodded slightly in acknowledgement.


    Back at the Elder¡¯s Residence, Elder Master Xun brewed a cup of tea and instructed the boy outside the door, ¡°Go fetch a register for me.¡±


    The Taoist Child outside bowed and said,


    ¡°Yes, Elder Ancestor.¡±


    Then Elder Master Xun sat in his room with a cup of tea, a scroll, pondering something while reading.


    The Elder¡¯s Residence was spacious, quiet, completely bare.


    There was only a table and a meditation cushion.


    The tea was bland and pure.


    But Elder Master Xun didn¡¯t mind it.


    After 30 minutes, the Taoist Child came with a register and respectfully handed it to Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun nodded and took it, his cloudy eyes quickly scanning it.


    ¡°Li State, Second Grade Tongxian City, Loose Cultivator¡­¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root¡­¡±


    ¡°To be a Loose Cultivator with only Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root¡­¡± Elder Master Xun felt slightly surprised, then nodded slightly, ¡°Taking in talent regardless of their background, there is some progress¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun continued reading and saw the ¡®Specialty¡¯ section, which read, ¡°Proficient in Formation.¡±


    He pondered for a moment and nodded, ¡°Indeed, not bad¡­¡±


    Disciples from Li State had traveled thousands of miles to come here to learn¡­


    ¡°Truly commendable¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression showed a hint of emotion, his gaze turning thoughtful as he considered something¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was eating at the Disciple¡¯s Residence, surrounded by many disciples.


    Having been enrolled for over a month, Mo Hua, with his charming appearance, pleasant speech, and innocent demeanor, had a decent reputation, mixing well with fellow disciples from the Taiyi Residence.


    The disciples from major families were focused on cultivation, and were often late bloomers.


    Although most were seventeen or eighteen years old, having limited worldly experience, not yet reaching the stage of ¡°seeking fame and wealth,¡± they were not very scheming and valued the camaraderie among fellow sect members.


    A disciple said to Mo Hua,


    ¡°Be careful, Mo Hua.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten yourself into a big situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Master Xun is quite stingy¡­¡±


    Another disciple made a ¡®shush¡¯ gesture, ¡°Are you seeking death, daring to badmouth Elder Master Xun¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying it here, he definitely can¡¯t hear¡­¡±


    ¡°Hard to say¡­¡±


    ¡°If he does overhear¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll get to experience the ¡®vast depth and complexity¡¯ of Formation firsthand¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Elder Master Xun will take special care of you, teaching you those really difficult formations, your Sea of Consciousness will dry up, your hair will fall out, and you still won¡¯t be able to learn them¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯d be great!¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    The disciple cut himself off halfway, startled as he realized these exchanges contained an unexpectedly different opinion¡­


    He turned quietly to look at Mo Hua, unsure of what to say.


    Mo Hua asked softly, ¡°Will Elder Master Xun teach very difficult formations?¡±


    The expression of that disciple was telling: ¡°Mo Hua, why do you seem¡­ so excited?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Mo Hua quickly shook his head.


    ¡°Nonsense, your eyes are sparkling!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°My eyes always look like this!¡± Mo Hua asserted.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± a disciple wondered, ¡°Mo Hua, why do you draw formations so well?¡±


    Mo Hua shyly said, ¡°Do I? It¡¯s just okay¡­¡±


    Some envied and gritted their teeth,


    ¡°Modesty can help one progress, but too much modesty, can lead to a beating!¡±


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°I¡¯m only a little better at Formation, which is why I was admitted with a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root¡­¡±


    ¡°Mid-Lower Grade?!¡±


    All the present disciples were shocked.


    ¡°You have a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root?!¡±


    ¡°No wonder, your Spiritual Power, it¡¯s so weak¡­¡±


    ¡°And your Blood Qi is a bit deficient¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Taoist Foundation isn¡¯t solid¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not tall either¡­¡±


    Mo Hua became unhappy, ¡°That¡¯s enough¡­¡±


    Blood Qi and Spiritual Power are fine to mention, but being not tall, is that something you can say?


    The other disciples quickly offered apologetic smiles.


    Someone curiously asked, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense, no matter how well you learn Formation, a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root shouldn¡¯t be allowed entrance, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my family¡¯s elder tried to get a direct lineage member with a Low to Superior-Grade Spiritual Root into Taixu Gate, even with many connections, it wasn¡¯t successful¡­¡±


    ¡°If Low to Superior is not possible, much less Mid-Lower Grade¡­¡±


    ¡°Mid-Lower Grade, entering the Eight Great Gates¡­¡±


    A group of people looked at Mo Hua with strange eyes¡­


    After a while, a few disciples came over and stood in front of Mo Hua, their gaze intense as they bowed their fists and said,


    ¡°Qianzhou Cheng Family, Cheng Mo, I¡¯d like to become friends!¡±


    ¡°Li State Situ Family, my name is Situ Jian, I will surely be the number one Sword Cultivator in the Nine State in the future, greetings!¡±


    ¡°Qian State Wen Clan¡­¡±


    ¡°Gen State¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    He had thought they were coming over in a menacing manner to start a conflict.


    But they were actually coming to¡­ befriend him?


    What did it mean?


    If he remembered correctly, he had said ¡°Mid-Lower Grade¡± Spiritual Root, not ¡°Superior-Grade¡±¡­


    Could it be that Taixu Gate rated Spiritual Roots in reverse?


    Was a Mid-Lower Grade better than a Superior-Grade?


    Mo Hua was very confused.


    In the distance, some disciples whispered among themselves. Though their voices were low, they still reached Mo Hua¡¯s ears.

 Chapter 803 - 592 Yi Wood Gen Mountain_2

    Chapter 803: Chapter 592 Yi Wood Gen Mountain_2


    ¡°But just a mid-lower grade spiritual root, why would you make connections with him?¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡±


    ¡°If he really is just mid-lower grade, could he have entered the Taixu Gate?¡±


    ¡°To enter the Taixu Gate isn¡¯t that simple.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Besides, if he can enter the Eight Great Gates with a mid-lower grade spiritual root, isn¡¯t it that his Taoist foundation must be exceptionally supported, with a very strong backing!¡±


    ...


    ¡°Yes¡­ mid-lower grade indeed¡­¡±


    ¡°Such a shallow Taoist foundation¡­¡±


    ¡°Just think, being able to be admitted with that¡­¡±


    ¡°Then his background, how deep must it be! His backing, how strong must it be!!¡±


    Upon this realization, all disciples started respecting Mo Hua solemnly.


    ¡°Probably the illegitimate child of some great power, maybe even related to the ancestors of Taixu Gate¡­¡±


    ¡°If that were the case, his spiritual root wouldn¡¯t be so poor¡­¡±


    ¡°You know nothing, the inheritance of spiritual roots isn¡¯t one hundred percent, there are always variations¡­¡±


    ¡°A father and mother with inferior spiritual roots can have a child with a top-grade spiritual root, and a top-grade spiritual root can once in a while produce a mid-lower grade too¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a very small probability though¡­¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, mid-lower grade¡­ it could really be possible¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s logical¡­¡±


    With a complex expression, Mo Hua, speechless, emphasized:


    ¡°I really am just a Loose Cultivator¡­¡±


    Hearing this, the disciples paused, then nodded in agreement, ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    But their expressions all suggested they saw through him, an unsaid understanding, ¡°We know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will keep your secret¡­¡±


    ¡°We promise not to tell anyone¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling helpless.


    Another disciple expressed concern:


    ¡°Mo Hua, though your background¡­ cough¡­¡±


    The disciple hinted meaningfully, ¡°Is just a Loose Cultivator¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­but you still shouldn¡¯t offend Elder Master Xun, his credentials are very old, even the Sect Leader might not get face from him¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just joined the Sect, and your days here are long; if you displease Elder Master Xun and are punished to keep Drawing Formations, your future days will be tough¡­¡±


    Grateful, Mo Hua said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    But in his heart, he wondered, ¡°I wonder if Elder Master Xun will teach me more difficult formations¡­¡±


    He currently couldn¡¯t find any ¡°difficult¡± formations to study.


    His divine sense had also been stagnant at fourteen patterns, with no advancement for a long time¡­ S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Master Xun¡­


    With a gleam in his eyes, Mo Hua thought:


    ¡°Maybe, tomorrow in class, I should just fall asleep, sleep through it?¡±


    ¡°See if Elder Master Xun will punish me by having me draw some even more ¡®difficult¡¯ formations?¡±


    ¡­


    The next day, Mo Hua found he didn¡¯t need to sleep anymore.


    Because Elder Master Xun indeed treated him specially¡­


    During the class, Elder Master Xun distributed a set of Formation Notes to everyone, which covered the Key Points of the First Grade Nine-pattern Synthesis Gold Formation, including a Formation Diagram.


    Only Mo Hua did not have one in front of him.


    Elder Master Xun handed another set of notes to Mo Hua, saying firmly:


    ¡°To learn formations, you must be solid, the foundation is the most important.¡±


    ¡°The better the talent, the more important the foundation.¡±


    ¡°Study this one¡­¡±


    The other disciples looked at Mo Hua with sympathy.


    Mo Hua, expression serious, couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly thrilled.


    ¡°There is a formation to study!¡±


    He quickly opened the notes, finding inside a drawing of a Gold and Fire Series¡¯ First Grade Five Elements Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua had not seen this Compound Formation before, but its structure was not complicated, being a Five Elements Formation that could be easily understood at a glance.


    It indeed was harder.


    But only a bit harder¡­


    The level of difficulty was something like getting stuck between teeth.


    A bit disappointed, Mo Hua still seriously read through the notes once, sorting and recording some knowledge points he had not learned before, and then started drawing the formation.


    Elder Master Xun lectured above, and he drew below.


    By the time Elder Master Xun had finished lecturing and the other disciples started brainstorming and drawing the formations, Mo Hua had already finished drawing, sitting back relaxed, watching the others furrow their brows in deep thought¡­


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    But he stayed solemn and said nothing.


    In the next class, while the other disciples still studied the First Grade Five Elements Series Formation, Mo Hua is given a slightly harder one, this time the Three-series Five Elements Compound Formation.


    But it¡¯s still only First Grade.


    Mo Hua, as usua, finished drawing very quickly¡­


    And thereafter, each time it got slightly harder, but each increase wasn¡¯t much¡­


    ¡­


    After four or five incremental difficulties¡­


    Finally, Mo Hua encountered unfamiliar formation patterns.


    This was linked to the Five Elements but varied slightly from the Five Elements Formation System:


    The Eight Trigrams Formation!


    The Five Elements are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.


    The Eight Trigrams are Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Dui representing the heavens, earth, water, fire, mountains, thunder, marsh, and wind respectively.


    The Eight Trigrams Formation overlaps partially with the Five Elements but involves broader and more complex legal principles of the Great Dao than the Five Elements.


    Moreover, the Eight Trigrams Formation includes the principles of Yin and Yang, and the Six Yao, though not directly harnessing the power of Yin and Yang, or the Six Yao, but it uses these as a framework, deriving different formation logics on the base of the Five Elements.


    Compared to each other, the Five_ELEMENT¡­

 Chapter 804 - 592: Yi Wood Gen Mountain_3

    Chapter 804: Chapter 592: Yi Wood Gen Mountain_3


    ¡°`


    Alas, the ¡°Introduction to Formation Methods,¡± after all, was meant for beginners, and the content was still too simple.


    Mo Hua could not learn anything deeper; the book only had some basic principles of the Eight Trigrams and did not include complete Formation Patterns of the Eight Trigrams, let alone a fully formed Bagua Formation Method.


    Mo Hua wanted to learn but had no way to learn.


    But now, the ¡°food¡± had been served right to his mouth!


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s handouts contained a Five Elements Bagua Series Compound Formation, which integrated the Five Elements and included the Eight Trigrams.


    ...


    This kind of Compound Formation was also one that Mo Hua had never seen before; it combined two different categories of formations.


    One was the Five Elements Formation: Yimu Formation.


    The other was the Bagua Formation Method: Gen Mountain Formation.


    Therefore, the full name of this Compound Formation was the Yimu Genshan Compound Formation.


    Within the Compound Formation, there were also some other simpler small formations and scattered Patterns; these were not critical.


    Mo Hua guessed from experience that this Yimu Genshan Compound Formation was used on mountains, for cultivating ¡°wood¡± type Spiritual Objects such as spirit trees, Spirit Plants, and Spirit Grass.


    Using Gen to solidify the mountain, using wood to nurture things.


    As for the Bagua class¡¯ Formation Patterns, Mo Hua had not yet studied them, so if he wanted to learn this Compound Formation, he had to start from scratch with the Eight Trigrams ¡°Gen¡± Pattern.


    New formations, new patterns!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he immediately began to study enthusiastically.


    Elder Master Xun was lecturing on the stage, his peripheral vision caught sight of Mo Hua; he saw his serious little face diligently studying the handouts and nodded slightly in approval.


    But then, Elder Master Xun was taken aback.


    He found that Mo Hua seemed to be starting to learn the Compound Formation from the ¡°Gen¡± series Patterns¡­


    Elder Master Xun was slightly astonished.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t studied the Bagua Formation Method?¡±


    ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if he hasn¡¯t studied it, he shouldn¡¯t need to start from the Patterns¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun frowned.


    ¡°Who taught him Formation Methods, and how can he be so ¡®biased¡¯ in learning them?¡±


    Mastering the First Grade Five Elements Formations to perfection.


    Besides that, he estimated the foundations of other formation categories to be very superficial¡­


    If he hasn¡¯t even studied the Eight Trigrams Patterns, there¡¯s no need to mention those even rarer Three Talents, Four Symbols, Six Yao, Seven Stars categories of formations¡­


    Elder Master Xun shook his head with a hint of regret.


    A promising talent, but a pity that his foundation was too weak and his horizons too narrow.


    It seemed that whoever taught the child formations was planning to have him learn profound things, and so they force-fed him the Five Elements Formation Methods, making his learning somewhat uneven¡­


    Feeling a sense of regret, Elder Master Xun said nothing.


    He continued teaching as usual, and Mo Hua taught himself formations, which he left unbothered.


    Until the end of the session, the other disciples had handed in the ¡°homework¡± from the handouts.


    Mo Hua remained still, continuing his study and attempting to draw the Yimu Genshan Compound Formation.


    Elder Master Xun did not reprimand him but waited patiently.


    The other disciples finished submitting their ¡°homework¡± and looked sympathetically at Mo Hua, who was being ¡°troubled¡± by Elder Master Xun and still writing furiously; they all sighed.


    But there was nothing they could do, so they left in silence.


    In the Tao Teaching Room, only Elder Master Xun and Mo Hua remained.


    Elder Master Xun watched Mo Hua with a touch of pity.


    But after the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Mo Hua suddenly stopped writing, took a long breath, and then respectfully presented a piece of Formation Paper to Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun was startled.


    What was this child submitting?


    If the drawing isn¡¯t finished, continue to draw it; if it¡¯s really not doable, take it home to study and practice; submit it when it¡¯s done well.


    What could he have submitted now? S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A scrambled, incomplete draft of a formation?


    Elder Master Xun felt a trace of annoyance, took the Formation Paper, and looked at it, his eyes suddenly twitching.


    The Yimu Genshan Compound Formation¡­


    This was a neat, perfect, and error-free Yimu Genshan Compound Formation!


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s gaze narrowed.


    ¡°This child¡­ he drew it out?!¡±


    Starting from patterns, in less than two hours, he drew a Compound Formation containing the Bagua Series Formation Method that he had never encountered before¡­


    Did he learn and draw it on the spot?


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s hand trembled slightly, his gaze at Mo Hua complicated and difficult to interpret.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun paused for a moment before slowly saying, ¡°Have you studied the Bagua Formation Method?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head honestly, ¡°No, disciple only knows the Five Elements Formation¡­¡±


    I also know some Ultimate Formations, which are not within the scope of the Five Elements, but it is not convenient to mention these¡­


    Elder Master Xun was silent for a long time before slowly nodding, ¡°I understand, you may go now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua respectfully saluted:


    ¡°Elder Master, your disciple bids farewell¡­¡±


    After speaking, Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, then his mood lightened with the pleasure of having learned a new formation, and his steps became a bit brisk as he lifted his little head and left the Tao Teaching Room.


    Within the Tao Teaching Room.


    Elder Master Xun stood silently, looking at the Yimu Genshan Compound Formation that Mo Hua had drawn, his mood unsettled for a long time.


    After a long while, he sighed softly, murmuring thoughtfully:


    ¡°It seems¡­ I need to change the teaching method¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to see¡­ just how fast this child can learn¡­¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 805 - 593 Laying the Foundation

    Chapter 805: Chapter 593 Laying the Foundation


    Elder Master Xun began the Formation class by saying,


    ¡°Today, we will not study Formations, I will first teach you something more fundamental.¡±


    Mo Hua appeared slightly startled.


    The other disciples exchanged glances.


    As noble family descendants with diverse Tao Cultivation heritages, they had been exposed to these teachings from a young age. Although not experts, they were still familiar with some basic Formation knowledge.


    What else fundamental could be taught?


    ...


    Elder Master Xun surveyed the room with a stern voice,


    ¡°I know that you all come from noble clans with exceptional heritage and are mostly aware of various Tao Cultivation professions¡­¡±


    ¡°But Formations are different; the basics you know are merely superficial, not even the tip of the iceberg, just one or two bricks on top of the foundation.¡±


    ¡°If you seek to reach higher in the world of Formations, your foundation is still far from sufficient.¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s glance briefly met Mo Hua¡¯s as he continued, ¡°Today, I will speak to you about all the sources and streams of Formations under the heavens¡­¡±


    The disciples sat up straight.


    Mo Hua also sat upright, listening intently.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s murky eyes gleamed as he slowly said,


    ¡°The path of Formations is vast and profound.¡±


    ¡°There are many Formations in the world, from Ancient Formations handed down through the ages to modified Formations that have gradually evolved, and even new Formations innovated by later generations atop the efforts of their predecessors¡­¡±


    ¡°Not only are the categories of Formations complex and numerous, but the types of Formation Patterns are also diverse¡­¡±


    ¡°Even within the same Formation, there can be different variants.¡±


    ¡°Between different traditions, even the same Formation¡ªfrom the Formation Patterns to the Formation Pivot, right down to the construction of the Formation Eye¡ªwill have slight discrepancies.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Even the simplest First Grade Bright Fire Formation, which contains only three Formation Patterns, has no less than eighteen different depictions in the records of various Formation schools¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the first point I want to make to you¡­¡±


    ¡°There are no fixed rules in the Tao, no fixed form in Formations!¡±


    ¡°What you learn are basic Formation Formations defined and broadened by the Taoist Court¡¯s assessment.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court¡¯s assessment and standard setting are based on the most common, most frequently used Formation formats to define the type and grade of a Formation. This is to standardize them, to make them easier to learn, use, and popularize¡­¡±


    ¡°For assessment purposes, you must learn this ¡®uniform¡¯, ¡®standardized¡¯ style of Formation.¡±


    ¡°Even because of the stringent assessment, the efforts and hard work expended are so great that you will spend your lives within these ¡®standardized¡¯ Formation Formations, exhausting your intellect¡­¡±


    ¡°You will consider them the standard¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun paused, his gaze suddenly sharp, ¡°You must understand that this is not the essence of Formations, not the original appearance of Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Mistakes abound, Formation Patterns are complex, Formation principles are chaotic, and contradictions abound. This is the real, original state of Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°This reflects the recognition of the universe from different eras, different state boundaries, different Realms, different Cultivators, their insight into Formations, and the manifestation of the Great Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°Mistakes are the norm.¡±


    ¡°Complexity is correct.¡±


    ¡°The myriad things in the human world are just this complex¡­¡±


    ¡°Formations are inherently chaotic, obscure, and difficult to understand, manifesting the myriad paths of the Great Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°If one seeks the true Great Dao, studying just the standardized Formations of the Taoist Court is not sufficient.¡±


    ¡°Those Formations have been ¡®artificially¡¯ modified, ¡®artificially¡¯ normalized, represent an artificial ¡®correctness,¡¯ not the true form of Formations, nor the essence of the Great Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°Everything is bizarre and wonderful; Formations are as vast as the universe, encompassing myriad forms.¡±


    ¡°A truly top-level Formation Master must transcend standardized formats and see and experience for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Eliminate the coarse to preserve the essence, discard the false to retain the truth, observe the traces of the Great Dao amongst the numerous and complex Formation Patterns, and comprehend the flow of the Great Dao from the endless variations of Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Thus, to comprehend the most real, most fundamental Formations, to develop their own Formation principles, to walk their own path of proving the Dao!¡±


    ¡°This is the foundation of Formation principles!¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s words resonated powerfully.


    The disciples seemed perplexed yet intrigued.


    Mo Hua, however, appeared profoundly moved.


    Similar words had been spoken by his master as well.


    Yet, his master¡¯s words differed slightly and stressed different points from Elder Master Xun¡¯s¡­


    His master encouraged him to find his own path and develop his own ¡°Formation Flow.¡±


    Elder Master Xun urged broader observation, free from frameworks, to establish a foundation from the most extensive range of Formations.


    Both seemed to aim for the same goal through different paths.


    The specifics were beyond Mo Hua¡¯s current understanding.


    But from these words, Mo Hua could feel that Elder Master Xun¡¯s Array Formation Skill was extraordinarily profound!


    ¡°The Tao has no fixed rules, Formations have no fixed forms¡­¡±


    Capture the essence, discard the form¡­


    Use the Formation as a raft; the other shore is the Dao, abandon the raft once crossed, attain the Dao, and see Formations as formless.


    Mo Hua silently nodded his head.


    Elder Master Xun glanced at Mo Hua and nodded slightly before continuing,


    ¡°The world of Formations is full of varied categories.¡±


    ¡°Next, I will tell you about the various categories of Formations in this world¡­¡±


    ¡°Some you may already know, but for others, even if you are aware of them or have heard about them, you might not have a clear understanding¡­¡±


    ¡°So, listen carefully to the following, and make sure to remember it well¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s glance lingered on Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, understanding the implications.


    Elder Master Xun silently nodded, thinking ¡°Quite clever¡­,¡± and then continued with a solemn voice:

 Chapter 806 - 593 Foundation Laying_2

    Chapter 806: Chapter 593 Foundation Laying_2


    ¡°In this world, everything is diverse, and the Great Dao contained within each thing is complex, varied, and ever-changing¡­¡±


    ¡°These Daos manifest as Formation Patterns and are classified into Formation systems, giving rise to many entirely different Formation Systems¡­¡±


    ¡°Chaos, Eryi, Three Talents, Four Symbols, Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars¡­¡±


    ¡°These are eight categories, deeply rooted and long inherited, with clear contexts and evident Formation principles¡­¡±


    ¡°I will explain them one by one¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ...


    ¡°Chaos Eryi, these two types of Formations are Ancient Formations, initially derived from the Dao of Heaven and Earth by Ancient Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°These Formations are quite ancient; their structures are simple, yet they contain extremely complex Formation principles, aligning with the Dao that is simplest yet deepest.¡±


    ¡°Because of their simple form, being even crude, they are obscure, and current Cultivators find it difficult to comprehend.¡±


    ¡°The simpler their form, the more Divine Sense they consume during comprehension, and despite the painstaking contemplation, one might not grasp anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Because of this obscurity, they are hard to learn, harder to solve, even harder to pass on; thus, Chaos Eryi-type Formations have gradually been lost.¡±


    ¡°The existing Formations are just a little, cherished and studied by the Taoist Courts or Noble Clans, but it¡¯s hard to systematically learn them¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    ¡°Three Talents Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Some disciples, when they first study Formation, might have learned ¡®Three Talents Formation,¡¯ but that is only for enlightenment, quite rudimentary, not even scratching the surface.¡±


    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s a kind of basic Formation enlightenment ¡®fixed pattern¡¯ of the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°The true Three Talents Formation involves ¡®Heaven,¡¯ ¡®Earth,¡¯ and ¡®Humanity,¡¯ with a vast layout and wide derivations.¡±


    ¡°But your experiences are limited, at your young age, you might not realize the boundlessness of Qian Dao, the deep virtue of Kun Dao, and the unpredictability of Human Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°Not to mention the unification of Three Talents.¡±


    ¡°From this, you should understand that Heaven, Earth, and Humanity Three Talents are not something ordinary Cultivators can consider; this is the knowledge that controls the world under the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the core inheritance of the Three Talents Formation is strictly held by the Taoist Court and is not taught externally.¡±


    ¡°Unless in the future you enter the Taoist Court or Taoist State, and get in touch with the high ranks of the Taoist Court, otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to learn the true essence of the Three Talents Formation¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Four Symbols Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Quite special, it is an inherited Formation method among the Savage tribe cultivators in the lands south of the Nine State.¡±


    ¡°This type of Formation is related to some Monster Beasts with special bloodlines.¡±


    ¡°Their Formation Patterns also resemble Beast Patterns.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Beast-like, close to Monster. Before one deeply and thoroughly learns the Five Elements Eight Trigrams Formation, it¡¯s better not to learn the Four Symbols, as it can easily skew one¡¯s nature and lose humanity¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Five Elements Formation, no need to say much.¡±


    ¡°Five Elements is the most common and most applicable type of Formation in the Cultivation World.¡±


    ¡°In ancient times, there were origins of the Five Elements Formation, but initially, they were of humble origins. As generations of Cultivators researched and developed, nowadays, there is such a large scale and so many varieties of the Five Elements Formation.¡±


    ¡°The greatest contribution to the development of the Five Elements Formation was by the once Five Elements Sect.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, the sudden decline of the Five Elements Sect left only a few remnants secluded away, unambitious, living out their days lackluster, hardly as glorious as before¡­¡±


    ¡°Even though the Five Elements Sect declined almost to obscurity, the Five Elements Formation has spread widely across the Nine State, broadly used in various Tao Cultivation disciplines¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that some core inheritances are probably extinct¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun felt some regret.


    Mo Hua blinked his eyes, pretending he knew nothing.


    The secret of the Five Elements Sect, that ¡°Five Elements Source Pattern,¡± is now on his body.


    He had also learned the Five Elements Ultimate Formation.


    But he definitely couldn¡¯t say it out loud.


    ¡°Make a fortune in silence¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently admonished himself.


    After expressing regret, Elder Master Xun continued:


    ¡°Six Harmonies Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°This Formation system is somewhat special; it can be simply divided into two types, one focuses on metaphysics, emphasizing Yin and Yang Mutual Agreement, connecting the Heavenly Stems; the other type is the Six Yao Formation, Three Yin and Three Yang, mutually generating Hexagrams¡­¡±


    ¡°Six Harmonies Formations are somewhat of a Cold subject, especially the Six Yao, which if mistakenly handled, it¡¯s very easy to lose one¡¯s composure, and be seeded with Demon Thought by an unknown Heavenly Demon Evil God, thus falling into the Demon Path.¡±


    ¡°Lightly, don¡¯t study Six Harmonies Formations ¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Next is Seven Stars Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Seven Stars Formation bases on the structure of Big Dipper Heaven Shu, Tianxuan, Heavenly secret, Tianquan, Yuhen, Kaiyang, Yaoguang seven stars, refining the stellar patterns, thus constructing the Formation.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court Seven Pavilions is named after the Big Dipper seven stars.¡±


    ¡°Hence, the orthodox inheritance of the Seven Stars Formation is held within the central Seven Pavilions of the Taoist Court and the coexistent Heavenly Observatory.¡±


    ¡°This type of Formation, by perceiving celestial phenomena and Calculating heavenly secrets, mastered deeply, can control the power of the stars¡­¡±


    ¡°But like the Three Talents Formation, this kind belongs to the secret Formations of the Taoist Court. You are unlikely to have a chance to learn them in this lifetime, and even if you do learn, you probably won¡¯t master it¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the Seven Stars Formation, involving celestial phenomena and Calculation, is extremely profound, which is fundamentally not something ordinary Cultivators, let alone ordinary Formation Masters, can comprehend.¡±


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no need to worry. Although the Seven Stars Formation is important, it is also niche; ordinary Formation Masters can¡¯t learn it, so it¡¯s also not within the scope of Formation Master Grading.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Lastly, is the Eight Trigrams Array.¡±


    ¡°Five Elements and Eight Trigrams are particularly important, widely applicable, effective, and powerful, and are the necessary two types of Formations tested in Formation.ASCII: Master Grading.¡±

 Chapter 807 - 593 Foundation Laying_3

    Chapter 807: Chapter 593 Foundation Laying_3


    ¡°The Eight Trigrams Array is based on the Five Elements Formation, but it encompasses more broadly, includes more extensively, and the Formation principle is somewhat deeper, yet if mastered well, it is enough to be of use for a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°The Bagua Formation Method will also be the main spell point of Formation you will learn next.¡±


    ¡°Specific details, I will not elaborate on just now. Later, when I pass on the Formation, I will teach you bit by bit¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Besides these eight types, there are also some special spell points of Formation such as the ¡®Three Talents¡¯ Formation, which shares the same origin with the Seven Stars, and the ¡®Nine Netherworld¡¯ Formation, which shares the same style with the Six Yao¡­¡±


    ¡°These Formations are more obscure and are secret treasures. You do not know where exactly they are hidden. Whether they belong to a Tao Cultivation family of a Sect, a lost Taoist court, or some rarely visited forbidden land¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡­


    ¡°The above are the spell points of Formation in this world that are known as ¡®Visible Learning.''¡±


    ¡°I tell you this to broaden your horizons, to increase your knowledge, not to make you aim too high and miss the mark.¡±


    ¡°Food must be eaten one bite at a time, and Formations must also be learned one Formation at a time.¡±


    ¡°The Three Talents and Four Symbols, the Six Harmonies Seven Stars, including some Cold subjects of Formations, you won¡¯t be able to learn for the time being, nor do you need to spend too much thought on them.¡±


    ¡°The pressing matter is to learn the most fundamental and also the most practical Five Elements Bagua Formation.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun changed the subject and continued,


    ¡°Among all spell points of Formation, the most fundamental Formation Patterns, you must become familiar with.¡±


    ¡°This is the foundation, and at the same time, it is to enable you in the future to encounter unfamiliar Formations and, even if you do not know the details, be able to discern the type of Formation through the Formation Patterns. Thus, you can adapt to the situation, avoiding confusion and helplessness¡­¡±


    ¡°All the most basic Formation Patterns of the spell points of Formation, I have compiled a copy here. Of course, it is just the Patterns, they do not constitute a Formation.¡±


    Elder Master Xun distributed a thick set of lecture notes, one to each person.


    Including Mo Hua.


    On the title page of the lecture notes was written ¡°Annotations on Formation Patterns of Taixu Gate.¡±


    Mo Hua flipped open the lecture notes, and he saw many Formation lines that he had never learned or even seen before.


    Their forms varied, infinitely mysterious.


    Although they were just Formation Patterns, they were the incredibly vast foundation of myriad Formation methods.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart thumped violently, spontaneously lifting his head to look at Elder Master Xun, his eyes shimmering so brightly that they were almost blinding.


    Elder Master Xun was taken aback and couldn¡¯t help muttering to himself,


    ¡°Can he really be this happy, this child¡­¡±


    After distributing the lecture notes on Formation Patterns, encompassing eight types of Formations, Elder Master Xun then said,


    ¡°Starting from today, all the Formation Patterns in this ¡®Annotations¡¯ book, you will have to learn and practice with them¡­¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Grains of sand can build a tower, streams can form a sea.¡±


    ¡°All the Formations in the world are composed of the most basic Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°Only by mastering the Patterns can you draw the Formations well¡­¡±


    ¡°I will periodically check how many Formation Patterns you have learned¡­¡±


    ¡°If you are lazy, there will be punishment¡­¡±


    The disciples looked gloomy and distressed.


    But Mo Hua, looking at the lecture notes in his hands, was blooming with joy.


    ¡°Annotations on Formation Patterns of Taixu Gate¡±!


    The Formation Patterns of myriad Formations compiled by generations of Taixu Gate!


    For a Formation Master, this counts as the most fundamental, the most comprehensive, but also the most important legacy.


    Although it was just First Grade, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.


    Even the most advanced Formations must start with learning the First Grade.


    Mo Hua treasured it like a priceless gem, reluctant to put it down. Every day thereafter, whenever he had a moment of free time, he would hold and study it.


    When no one was paying attention, he would practice various Formation Patterns on his own.


    During meals, he would trace them with his fingers on the table; passing through fields between mountains, he would draw on the ground;


    Before going to sleep, he would draw on paper, and after going to sleep, his Divine Sense would sink into his Sea of Consciousness and continue drawing on the Taoist Stele¡­


    Because they were just First Grade Formation Patterns, they were simple and effortless to sketch.


    After drawing on the Taoist Stele, he could reflect on his Divine Sense.


    Thus, in a single night, Mo Hua could practice thousands upon thousands of Formation Patterns.


    He remembered Elder Master Xun¡¯s guidance that Formation Patterns are the foundation, and the foundation must be solid.


    So even though he had already thoroughly memorized these Patterns, he continued to draw them over and over again¡­


    Mo Hua wanted to remember every type of Formation, every Formation Pattern, firmly embed them in his Sea of Consciousness without any deviation.


    Even integrate them into his instincts.


    No matter how complex, how obscure, or how easily confused the Formation Patterns were, as long as he glanced at them, without a second thought, he could distinguish the category of Formation to which the Patterns belonged.


    The more Mo Hua practiced, the more proficient he became, and even as he grew proficient, he still pushed himself to practice more¡­


    After much practice, he would occasionally get the illusion of ¡°man and Formation as one.¡±


    It was as if these Formation Patterns were not something external, unfamiliar, objective, but rather a part of his own Divine Thought, traces left by his Divine Sense merging with the Great Dao.


    This feeling was profoundly mysterious.


    Mo Hua was somewhat unable to comprehend it and consequently decided not to worry about it, continuing to bury his head and practice over and over.


    The Eight Gates Formation, thousands upon thousands of Formation Patterns, under his pen, repeatedly shaped into existence.


    And in his Sea of Consciousness, they repeatedly emerged.


    What Mo Hua did not know was that, in doing this unconsciously, he was truly beginning to lay the foundation for the ultimate mastery of the heavens¡¯ Formation Methods and the myriad Divine Skills¡­

 Chapter 808 - 594 Second Grade

    Chapter 808: Chapter 594 Second Grade


    Mo Hua, day and night, proficiently mastered the Formation Patterns of Chaos Eryi, Three Talents, Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, and Six Harmonies Seven Stars.


    The Five Elements Formation Patterns were already very familiar to Mo Hua.


    He was only a little familiar with the Eight Trigrams.


    The Three Talents and the Four Symbols, and the Six Harmonies Seven Stars, were new to Mo Hua, and they appeared quite foreign to him.


    Chaos Eryi was part of an Ancient Formation; the Formation Patterns were somewhat fragmented and not very coherent, making them even harder for Mo Hua to understand.


    But no matter whether he was familiar or not, or whether he could understand the Patterns, even if he was just memorizing mechanically, Mo Hua firmly remembered them all.


    ...


    Within half a month, he became very proficient.


    However, Elder Master Xun did not test him.


    It wasn¡¯t until a month later, after Mo Hua had thoroughly practiced, that Elder Master Xun deemed it time to conduct a spot check.


    ¡°Draw all the Formation Patterns of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams from the ¡®Annotations on Formation Patterns of Taixu Gate¡¯, and for the Three Talents and Four Symbols, Six Harmonies Seven Stars, just draw two Formation Patterns for each category . . . ¡±


    Elder Master Xun instructed.


    Then he glanced at Mo Hua, slightly lifting his long eyebrows as if to say, ¡°Just draw randomly . . .¡±


    Mo Hua immediately nodded, indicating he understood.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    So he drew all the Formation Patterns of Chaos Eryi, Three Talents and Four Symbols, Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, and Six Harmonies and Seven Stars.


    Because there were too many Patterns to draw all of them within two hours, while the other disciples had ¡°submitted their papers¡± and left, Mo Hua was still drawing.


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was focused as he drew with rapid strokes, appearing confident and non-stop drawing Formation Patterns; the Formations Paper before him piled up increasingly higher . . .


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s eyelids couldn¡¯t help but twitch as disbelief crossed his mind:


    ¡°This child . . . how much has he learned . . .¡±


    Could he actually have learned everything within a month . . .


    After a long time, when Mo Hua stood up and respectfully placed a thick stack of Formation Papers almost as thick as lecture notes before Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun finally came back to his senses.


    He pondered briefly, then with a sweep of his hand, he flipped through the thick Formation Papers, his profound Divine Sense subtly moving to capture all the Formation Patterns in a glance, and he couldn¡¯t help but inhale sharply.


    A complete lecture¡¯s worth of Formation Patterns, so meticulously drawn¡­


    And the handwriting was precise and neat, the strokes proficient with not a single correction or error, as precise as if they were printed.


    One had to practice countless times for the brushwork to be so solid . . .


    Elder Master Xun was stunned on the spot, speechless for a long while.


    ¡°Elder Master Xun?¡±


    A crisp voice rang out.


    Elder Master Xun looked up to see Mo Hua¡¯s bright eyes and after a long while, he sighed softly and nodded, saying,


    ¡°You¡¯ve learned well.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face brightened with a smile as he politely said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Master Xun, for your guidance.¡±


    Elder Master Xun, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s happy and composed expression, thought silently:


    ¡°Am I teaching too slowly . . .¡±


    ¡­


    Thus, in the next lesson on Formation Methods, to ¡®challenge¡¯ Mo Hua a bit, Elder Master Xun finally began to teach Second-Grade Formations.


    ¡°Second-Grade Formations differ from First Grade. The Formation Patterns that compose Second-Grade Formations are based on and more complex than those of First Grade, and their power is also stronger . . . ¡±


    ¡°Second-Grade Formation Patterns are, to some extent, a grounding and ¡®Sublimation¡¯ of First-Grade Patterns; inversely, First-Grade Patterns are actually derived by breaking down the more complex Second-Grade Patterns . . . ¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Master Xun explained sternly and meticulously.


    Other disciples furrowed their brows, finding it somewhat tough to follow.


    Some were even confused.


    Elder Master Xun, known for his ¡°steady¡± teaching style, always emphasized ¡°systematic and gradual progress¡±¡­


    Why did he suddenly start teaching Second-Grade Formations¡­


    Only Mo Hua listened with great interest.


    He already knew how to draw Second-Grade Formations and had grasped some of the Formation principles.


    Some of the Formation lore Elder Master Xun talked about was already known to him, but other principles of the Formation Method were new to him, so he greatly benefited from the lecture.


    After Elder Master Xun finished, he distributed a Formation Diagram.


    It was a diagram of a Second-Grade Ten Patterns Golden Light Formation.


    ¡°Study it on your own, comprehend as much as you can, then try to draw it a bit, and during our next class¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun intended to say, ¡°Hand it in during our next class.¡±


    But he paused midway, suddenly startled, and saw Mo Hua looking at him expectantly¡­


    Elder Master Xun pondered, understood Mo Hua¡¯s expectations, hesitated for a moment, then, with a complex expression, changed his words:


    ¡°Before the class ends, hand it in first so I can take a look . . . ¡±


    Then he added, ¡°Draw as much as you can, no need to force it . . . ¡±


    A group of disciples looked distressed.


    Mo Hua, however, was drawing swiftly and confidently.


    At the end of the class, Mo Hua handed in a complete, Second-Grade Ten Patterns ¡®Golden Light Formation¡¯ to Elder Master Xun.


    Though he had anticipated it, seeing the reportedly newly learned but already proficient Second-Grade Ten Patterns Formation, Elder Master Xun¡¯s heart still trembled slightly.


    Then he understood.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it¡­¡±


    ¡°At such a young age, he can already draw Second-Grade Formations¡­ No wonder¡­¡±


    A sharp gleam appeared in Elder Master Xun¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It seems, we can go even faster¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Two days later, Mo Hua went to the Formation class full of anticipation. As soon as he entered, he saw Elder Master Xun waving him over. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was slightly puzzled.


    Elder Master Xun pointed at a small table next to him and said, ¡°From now on, you will sit here.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback and then whispered, ¡°Gentleman, is this appropriate?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°Very appropriate!¡±


    Mo Hua took his seat somewhat nervously at the small table, placed near Elder Master Xun, which would be exclusively his from now on.

 Chapter 809 - 594 Second Grade_2

    Chapter 809: Chapter 594 Second Grade_2


    Right under the watchful eyes of Elder Master Xun.


    The other disciples looked at Mo Hua with sympathy and pity in their eyes.


    ¡°Mo Hua is so pitiful¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s caught the attention of Elder Master Xun¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in big trouble now¡­¡±


    ¡°Just the thought of having to stay under the teacher¡¯s watchful eye in class every day sends chills down my spine¡­¡±


    ...


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s ears twitched slightly, and his gaze turned sharp as he called out a few names, ¡°Cheng Mo¡­ Situ Jian, Wen Xuan¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­If you wish, you can also sit next to Mo Hua.¡±


    Cheng Mo and the other disciples shuddered, immediately shut their mouths, buried their heads in their desks, and stayed perfectly still, pretending to be turtles.


    Elder Master Xun let out a slight snort.


    Then class began.


    Mo Hua discovered that the handout he held was different from those of the other disciples.


    The other disciples were still primarily focusing on First Grade, progressing step by step, to comprehend Second-Grade Formations.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    However, in front of Mo Hua was a genuine Second-grade Eleven Patterns Bagua Formation Method.


    This handout was very detailed.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s lecture was mainly directed at the other disciples.


    But occasionally he would touch on Second-Grade Formations and succinctly explain the essence of these formational principles to Mo Hua.


    This way, he could take care of both the ordinary disciples and the excessively ¡°off-syllabus¡± student Mo Hua¡¯s education.


    Mo Hua was touched and began to admire Elder Master Xun.


    The subsequent lessons were taught in the same manner.


    The others studied First Grade.


    Mo Hua studied Second Grade.


    Starting from Eleven Stripes, he covered both the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams types of Second-Grade Formations. Elder Master Xun methodically and steadily allowed Mo Hua to solidly learn each formation.


    With such a rare opportunity, Mo Hua studied earnestly right beside Elder Master Xun, working conscientiously on Second-Grade Formations beyond the Eleven Patterns.


    Elder Master Xun, who had been keeping an eye on Mo Hua, became increasingly astonished by what he saw.


    Too fast¡­


    Elder Master Xun knew that Mo Hua had not learned Bagua Formation Method before, so his focus was primarily on the Bagua type of Second-Grade Formation.


    Yet these formations, which Mo Hua had obviously never seen or learned before, seemed to make sense to him after just a few glances.


    After drawing them a few times, his strokes began to show pattern and form.


    If he spent one night on them, his technique would turn to be very skillful by the next day.


    And after a while, it even seemed ¡®Forged a Thousand Times¡¯, ¡®Mastering the Craft¡¯¡­


    As for the Five Elements Formation, it was even more astounding.


    Elder Master Xun knew that among the Eight Types of Formations, Mo Hua had learned and was proficient only in the Five Elements Formation.


    But ¡°proficient¡±¡­ wasn¡¯t quite like this¡­


    For the unlearned Bagua Formations, Mo Hua at least had to frown and ponder for a bit before drawing something decent.


    Yet for those unlearned Second-grade Eleven Patterns in Five Elements Formation, he almost only had to glance once, and seemingly had a framework in his mind immediately, his strokes were accurate and well-formed¡­


    This was proficiency gained through practice.


    Because he had drawn a large number of First-grade Five Elements Formations, he had come to deeply understand the Five Elements Formation principles, building an exceptionally firm foundation, which greatly accelerated his progress in learning Second-Grade Five Elements Formations.


    But how many of these ¡°large number of First-grade Five Elements Formations¡± could there be?


    How many could a fifteen-year-old Cultivator draw?


    How deeply could they comprehend?


    Even a Formation Master who had primarily constructed a Five Elements Formation might only have about this level of understanding¡­


    This kid couldn¡¯t possibly have built a Five Elements Formation, right?


    Elder Master Xun pondered with a frown.


    What puzzled Elder Master Xun the most was Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    For a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was exceedingly profound, seemingly very resilient¡­and even had a sort of¡­everlasting quality¡­


    When deploying formations, it seemed inexhaustible¡­


    This was completely illogical.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense seemed hazy, as if obscured by something¡­


    Elder Master Xun was very curious, and for the first time in a long while, he felt compelled to break the norm and forcefully probe into the depths of this child¡­


    But he ultimately restrained himself.


    That was the rule of the Sect, also a boundary.


    Elder Master Xun struggled with himself for a while but then let it go.


    In this world, there are always some Cultivators with exceptional talent or deep fortune, or even exceptional intelligence. As long as they are devoted to the path, pure of heart, and avoid the wrong path, it¡¯s fine.


    Elder Master Xun glanced at Mo Hua¡¯s clear eyes, full of eagerness to learn, and he silently nodded his head. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Master Xun then let Mo Hua learn on his own.


    Mo Hua, with single-minded focus, studied various Second-Grade Five Elements and Bagua Formations one after another.


    His foundational knowledge in formations became increasingly robust.


    The Second-Grade Formations he mastered grew in number¡­


    There was something Elder Master Xun didn¡¯t say.


    These formations originally required Sect contributions to exchange.


    But Elder Master Xun wanted to see just how fast Mo Hua could learn. Moreover, to him, a few Second-Grade Formations were a trivial matter, so he didn¡¯t mention this to Mo Hua.


    As Mo Hua learned more and more, at a faster pace, the difficulty of the formations he studied increased gradually from Eleven Stripes to Shi¡¯er Stripes¡­


    Finally, Mo Hua had learned all the common Five Elements and Bagua types of Shi¡¯er Stripes.


    Next was¡­Thirteen Stripes.


    ¡°Thirteen Stripes¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun was somewhat dazed.


    So fast¡­


    This¡­was already the threshold of a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master¡­


    This was already the limit for a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense and Formation knowledge¡­


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s gaze towards Mo Hua completely changed.


    He realized he had still underestimated this youngster¡­


    Elder Master Xun frowned and thought deeply before making a silent decision.


    Having come this far, he truly wanted to see if Mo Hua would manage to also master the Second-grade Thirteen Stripes Formation.

 Chapter 810 - 594 Second Grade_3

    Chapter 810: Chapter 594 Second Grade_3


    ¡°These are the Second Grade Thirteen Patterns of the ¡®Rain Transformation Formation,¡¯ ¡®Minor Fire Departure Formation,¡¯ ¡®Moist Soil Formation,¡¯ and ¡®Water Marsh Formation.''¡±


    ¡°These arrays include both the Five Elements Formation and the Bagua Formation, which are the most commonly tested in the assessment exams for Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Masters.¡±


    Elder Master Xun said.


    Thirteen Patterns, assessment examination formations!


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    Finally, there were new Thirteen Pattern formations to learn! And they were assessment formations!


    ...


    The most difficult formation he had mastered so far was only the Thirteen Pattern Earth Fire Formation of the second grade.


    Mo Hua stared at the formations and suddenly asked out of curiosity,


    ¡°Elder Master Xun, these formations seems to lack offensive power¡­¡±


    Unlike his Earth Fire Formation, which could kill more than a dozen traffickers in an instant¡­


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°These are Tao Cultivation production formations, either used for the cultivation of Spirit Plants or as formations to stimulate Pill Fire and furnace fires for Alchemy and Artifact Refining.¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court does not advocate that cultivators use formations for slaughter, so the majority of the assessment examinations use production-type Tao Cultivation formations¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun sighed. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    ¡°However, these formations are ultimately not widely disseminated¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help nodding in agreement.


    Tongxian City, no, not just Tongxian City, but all of the bottom-level Immortal Cities he had traveled through, had an extremely rudimentary application of formations.


    Formations should benefit all beings.


    Yet this ¡°all beings¡± did not include the vast majority of cultivators in this world.


    Seeing Mo Hua frowning, looking like a little adult with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Elder Master Xun rarely showed a smile and advised,


    ¡°Study hard.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Although the Thirteen Pattern Formations were the most difficult formations he had studied so far, they were clearly not the limit of his divine consciousness that had transformed quality at fourteen stripes.


    He was just lacking Formation Diagrams, not divine consciousness.


    Originally, the ¡®Five Elements Formation Flow Map¡¯ could solve this problem, but deciphering the Formation Flow Chart depended too much on luck; the highest difficulty formation Mo Hua had deciphered from it was the Earth Fire Formation with thirteen patterns.


    Everything else was just ¡°stinky fish and rotten shrimp.¡±


    Ever since Elder Master Xun had taught him formations, Mo Hua had disdainfully tossed the ¡®Five Elements Formation Flow Map¡¯ into the corner of his Storage Ring to collect dust.


    He would decipher it when he had more time later.


    Now he had no time; he needed to learn the Thirteen Pattern assessment formations.


    And since Second Grade Thirteen Pattern general formations were not Ultimate Formations and didn¡¯t involve deeper and more obscure comprehension of the Great Dao, they were difficult but not too difficult to learn.


    Especially with Mo Hua¡¯s abundant divine consciousness.


    All he lacked was time.


    Practice these formations dozens or hundreds of times until they became second nature, and they would naturally be mastered.


    Mo Hua started with the Five Elements, studying ¡®Rain Transformation Formation¡¯ and ¡®Moist Soil Formation.¡¯


    The Five Elements Formation was learned quickly; Mo Hua grasped the basics within a day or two and then spent another five or six days practicing until it was second nature.


    He even used his Divine Consciousness to control ink, Drawing Ground into Formation on the back mountain of the Disciple¡¯s Residence with these two formations.


    Spring breeze brings rain, moistening the soil silently.


    Mo Hua felt he could faintly sense the moist breath of the soil in the mountains and the Earth Dao Meaning one could perceive from anywhere upon the earth.


    The Earth Dao Meaning also became clearer in Mo Hua¡¯s divine consciousness.


    Mo Hua nodded, quite satisfied with himself.


    Next, he studied the Bagua-like ¡®Minor Fire Departure Formation¡¯ and ¡®Water Marsh Formation.¡¯


    The Minor Fire Departure Formation, similar to the Melting Fire Formation, is drawn inside Alchemy Furnaces and Artifact Furnaces for refining medicinal properties and tempering Spiritual Artifacts.


    As for the Water Marsh Formation, Mo Hua was not clear; he guessed it was probably used for alligator farming.


    Bagua-type formations were a bit more difficult.


    But practice a hundred times, and the meaning will reveal itself.


    There was no formation that couldn¡¯t be solved with a few more repetitions.


    If ten times were not enough, then a hundred times, and if a hundred times were not enough, then a thousand times.


    As long as there was time, he could draw indefinitely on the Taoist Stele.


    Moreover, Bagua formations were not Ultimate Formations, nowhere near that level of difficulty.


    Half a month later, Mo Hua could also draw them very skillfully, even arranging them with divine consciousness posed no problem.


    Thus, Mo Hua had learned all four Second Grade Thirteen Pattern formations.


    Mo Hua shared this accomplishment with Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s reaction was clearly half a beat slower, and his look at Mo Hua was somewhat incredulous.


    ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ learned them?¡±


    He knew Mo Hua was a quick learner and guessed that given time, he could learn one or half of them.


    But it should not, and could not be that in such a brief time, he had learned all four Second Grade Thirteen Pattern Initial Stage formations.


    Learned them all¡­


    That meant he could review and prepare a bit, and he might even participate in the grading examination¡­


    The grading for a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master.


    Fifteen years old, in the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment, becoming a Second Grade Initial Stage Formation Master¡­


    That was already the limit for the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    At most, he could learn some other Thirteen Stripe formations.


    Beyond that, there was nothing to learn and nothing more to teach.


    Mo Hua then revealed his small ambition:


    ¡°Elder, is there a Fourteen Stripe formation to learn¡­¡±


    Mo Hua licked his lips like a kitten yearning for fish.


    After spending this period together, Mo Hua knew Elder Master Xun was both an unfathomably profound master and a highly respected and kind-hearted elder.


    And since Elder Master Xun had been teaching him formations and had the grace of preaching and education, there was no need to keep some things secret.


    ¡°Is there a Fourteen Stripe formation to learn¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s body visibly shuddered, and as he looked at Mo Hua, his cloudy eyes suddenly brightened.


    Fourteen Stripes?!


    This child¡¯s divine sense¡­ exceeded the grade?!

 Chapter 811 - 595 Pattern 14

    Chapter 811: Chapter 595 Pattern 14


    Elder Master Xun was shocked.


    Just at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, he had a Divine Sense of the fourteenth Pattern Realm?


    What kind of monster was this?


    No wonder he dared say he was ¡°skilled in Formation,¡± and indeed had the grounds to say this¡­


    ¡°But this¡­it¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun frowned.


    ...


    A cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense had its limits.


    Blood Qi could be cultivated, Spiritual Power could be cultivated, but Divine Sense had no dedicated Cultivation Technique.


    A Contemplation Map could enhance Divine Sense, but a Contemplation Map wasn¡¯t considered a stable and reliable Cultivation Technique. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Contemplating¡± was akin to ¡°borrowing¡±; it was ¡°to borrow,¡± not ¡°to cultivate.¡±


    The Divine Sense derived from contemplation ¨C you might not know what its real components were.


    And it was hard to truly call it your own.


    Thus, in this world, the vast majority of cultivators could possibly slightly exceed the limitations of their realm in Blood Qi and Spiritual Power,


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    But Divine Sense was always within its limits.


    Super Divine Sense wasn¡¯t unheard of though¡­


    In the two thousand years of records from Taoist Court, even before Taoist Court¡¯s time, there were mentions of cultivators with ¡°Super Divine Sense.¡±


    But these cultivators were either just rumors, difficult to discern as true or false,


    Or they were vessels for some kind of ¡°Taoist Meaning,¡± ¡°True God,¡± ¡°Evil God,¡± or even ¡°Heavenly Demon,¡± with powerful Divine Thoughts, but their own will either ignorant, malevolent, or unstable, and could not be considered true ¡°people.¡±


    But Mo Hua was different.


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua.


    This child was clever and quick-witted, his eyes spirited, and his manners innocent and lively, a completely normal little cultivator¡­


    There were also no traces on him that suggested ¡°invasion¡± by anything malevolent.


    In such a case, how could he have achieved Super Divine Sense?


    Elder Master Xun pondered for a moment and asked,


    ¡°Do you¡­have a Master?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He didn¡¯t hide anything, but he didn¡¯t tell the whole truth either, and only said,


    ¡°My master lives reclusively in the mountains, loving tranquility. He¡¯s very good at Formation, but he doesn¡¯t allow me to speak his name outside¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded without delving deeper.


    It was common for some masters to retreat and take disciples without revealing their identities.


    But his curiosity remained, ¡°Just who could this master be to teach such a disciple as Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Divine Sense extraordinary, even to a Super Rank.


    Highly insightful, especially in Five Elements Formation, with very solid foundations and profound depth¡­


    His temperament was also excellent.


    Not only innocent and adorable and kind-hearted, but what was even more rare, he genuinely loved Formation, completely devoted to the Tao, without any distracting thoughts.


    At his age, being able to settle his mind, steady and unruffled, training his Formation skills to such a solid level, truly remarkable¡­


    ¡°Who exactly could teach him¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua¡¯s eyes and then his expression changed, alarm chilling his heart.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t be¡­that person¡¯s disciple, could it?¡±


    He took another close look at Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, recalling how that person used to look, a slight shock in his heart.


    From the appearance and demeanor, they were different.


    That person back then had a proud demeanor, looking down on the world, his eyes filled with defiance.


    While Mo Hua was innocent as water, gentle and kind, his gaze pure and clear.


    But there was a bit of similarity in their auras.


    Especially when looked at closely, Mo Hua¡¯s clear eyes occasionally seemed profound, and within that profundity, there was a glimmering light, as if some heavenly secret was flowing through.


    Very much like that person from the past¡­


    ¡°But still, it¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun was still somewhat puzzled.


    If it were that person¡¯s disciple, wouldn¡¯t he belong to the Qian Taoist Sect, how did he end up at Tai Xu Gate?


    Qian Taoist Sect was the deepest-rooted sect of their lineage.


    It¡¯s hardly possible that Qian Taoist Sect would forget such an ancient connection¡­


    Elder Master Xun shook his head.


    ¡°Could he really be that person¡¯s disciple?¡±


    He looked at Mo Hua again, and suddenly his heart skipped a beat.


    There was something else in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes¡­


    Not just the circulating light, but also a streak of pure, pitch-black strangeness, only it was hidden deep within and hard to see¡­


    ¡°What is this?!¡±


    Elder Master Xun gasped, then shook his head repeatedly.


    ¡°No, no, this is even more impossible¡­¡±


    ¡°No such outrageous thing¡­¡±


    Even if this child, Mo Hua, had a master, had inheritance, and even if touched by that man¡¯s opportunity¡­


    But for the two brothers to both have taught him, that was absolutely impossible.


    Even if the sun rose from the west, such a thing would never happen!


    Elder Master Xun paused again.


    This kind of thing not being possible¡­so conversely, this child might not be related to either of those two¡­


    ¡°Probably just my own misgivings¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun looked again at Mo Hua, and now Mo Hua¡¯s eyes had returned to their usual clear and water-like look.


    ¡°It should be some other opportunity¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly.


    This child probably just had an unusually extraordinary Divine Sense Gift, and by chance had guidance from a master, which is why he learned Formation so well and progressed so quickly.


    Besides, if he were a disciple of either of those two,


    He wouldn¡¯t be so specialized.


    He wouldn¡¯t only master the Five Elements Formation.


    The foundation of the Eight Gates Formation would also not be so weak.


    Furthermore, he doesn¡¯t seem to know the Immortal Sky Formation Flow either¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I was just overthinking it.¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s heart eased, looking at Mo Hua, his gaze turning to one of satisfaction.


    ¡°A fine seedling¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun thought earnestly again:


    ¡°Divine Sense Talent so astonishing¡­¡±

 Chapter 812 - 595 14 Patterns_2

    Chapter 812: Chapter 595 14 Patterns_2


    ¡°If this child has joined the Tai Xu Gate, and in the future does good deeds and benefits the cultivators of the Nine State, that will be a blessing for the whole world. However, if someday his nature becomes skewed, and he uses the power of the Formation to harm the Nine State, then that will be the fault of the Tai Xu Gate¡­¡±


    ¡°Therefore, one must teach well, not only the Formation, but also the nature of the heart¡­¡±


    ¡°If his nature is inherently evil, then one should instruct tirelessly, guiding him toward goodness;¡±


    ¡°If his nature is inherently good, then one should follow his true heart, and let his goodness flourish.¡±


    ¡°With such talent, if he is taught well, the Tai Xu Gate can truly consider itself¡­ to have found a treasure¡­¡±


    ¡°This generation¡¯s Sect Leader has indeed done a good deed¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡­


    In a short span of time, Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression changed many times, nodding and shaking his head in turn, his thoughts spinning endlessly, his mood fluctuating.


    Mo Hua, having been stared at by Elder Master Xun for so long, felt somewhat puzzled and inexplicably a bit guilty, and then whispered quietly,


    ¡°Elder Master Xun¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun was startled, then came back to his senses and remembered Mo Hua¡¯s recent request to ¡°learn the Fourteen-pattern Formation Method,¡± his expression turned serious and he spoke with a trace of solemnity,


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After making the promise, Elder Master Xun paused to think and then said, ¡°However, as for what Formation to teach, I need to consider that¡­¡±


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart leaped with joy, and he laughed,


    ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, his gaze affable, then sent Mo Hua back.


    He himself walked along the Jade Stone Mountain Path toward the rear mountain, mulling over his thoughts as he walked. When disciples greeted him along the way, he didn¡¯t notice them.


    Finally arriving at the rear mountain, near the Sect Leader¡¯s residence, he encountered the Tai Xu Sect Master dressed in brocaded robes.


    The Tai Xu Sect Master first greeted him with a respectful bow,


    ¡°Elder Master, I greet you.¡±


    But Elder Master Xun didn¡¯t hear, until he had walked a few steps past, then suddenly remembered something, turned back to look at the Tai Xu Sect Master, and nodded,


    ¡°You have done well.¡±


    Having said that, Elder Master Xun left.


    The Tai Xu Sect Master, for once, received praise from Elder Master Xun, and felt surprised and honored, yet also somewhat bewildered.


    ¡°Done well¡­¡±


    ¡°What have I done?¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Master Xun, back in the Elder¡¯s Residence, was still frowning in thought.


    One must teach well.


    If this child can study the Five Elements Formation so deeply, then he also shouldn¡¯t neglect the Eight Trigrams Array¡­


    Other array series, being less popular and having narrower uses, can wait for now.


    To learn well the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, to have solid foundations, sturdy as Mount Tai, then to explore other categories of Formation Method later wouldn¡¯t be too late.


    But as Elder Master Xun pondered, he suddenly realized a more pressing issue:


    ¡°The Qian Xue State Boundary is not all peace and quiet¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s gaze grew grave.


    In recent years, the Noble Clans have flourished, Sects have become dependent, and conflicts for fame and benefit among the disciples of various schools have worsened.


    The long-silent Demon Sect has been stirring beneath the surface, plotting something unknown.


    The situation is complex, danger lurks in the shadows, and people¡¯s hearts are tricky.


    The Qian Xue State Boundary, a place for seeking knowledge, is not as tranquil as it appears on the surface.


    Mo Hua, this child, is a Loose Cultivator, without background or power¡­


    Some way must be found to protect him.


    To allow him to steadfastly pursue the path of inquiry, to concentrate on his cultivation, to peacefully study Formation Method, without being led astray or making a wrong turn¡­


    And not to be bullied by anyone!


    Elder Master Xun looked serious.


    Children as innocent and kind as Mo Hua are indeed easy to bully¡­


    ¡°But what is the best way to do that¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun fell into deep thought.


    Unable to come up with a secure solution for the moment, he sighed,


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this matter later. First, let¡¯s teach him the Formation Method¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The next day, Elder Master Xun handed Mo Hua a Formation Diagram:


    ¡°Trapped Mountain Formation¡±


    A Bagua Series Formation Method, Second-grade Fourteen-pattern, it is an array that belongs to the ¡®Gen¡¯ Hexagram.


    After Elder Master Xun explained the difficult points of the Formation, he let Mo Hua study it on his own and said he could come with questions.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, his heart full of excitement.


    Fourteen Patterns!


    At last, he had a Fourteen-pattern Formation to study!


    Learning a Fourteen-pattern Formation, practicing it day and night, would allow him to further hone his Divine Sense.


    Since there was no challenging Formation to learn, his Divine Sense had remained at fourteen patterns since Foundation Establishment, without progress for a long time. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Though Calculation and Tricky Calculation consume a great deal of Divine Sense, making it more tenacious and sharper, they seem to have little effect on the growth of Divine Sense.


    To increase Divine Sense, one still relies on Formation Method.


    The Trapped Mountain Formation is from the Gen-series of Formation Method.


    Gen-series Formation Method, originating from the Eight Trigrams but also fitting the Five Elements, includes the changes within the Five Elements of metal and earth.


    Moreover, because it belongs to the Eight Trigrams, the positions of the Formation Pivots will also be precise.


    The Formation Pivots of the Eight Trigrams Formation differ quite significantly from those of the Five Elements Formation Method.


    The layout of the Formation Patterns must follow the Eight Trigrams¡¯ directions, and the flow of Spiritual Power must match the Eight Trigrams¡¯ structure.


    These things can be quite unfamiliar at first.


    But with prolonged study and repeated practice, one can gradually understand and integrate this knowledge¡­


    And there are many varieties of Eight Trigrams Formation Method.


    The more Mo Hua delved into them, the more he looked forward to it.


    Among the Eight Trigrams, Kan is water, and Li is fire.


    These two types of Formation Method, similar to the water and fire elements in the Five Elements, are not that different.


    Gen is mountain, and Dui is marsh.


    Gen Mountain incorporates the evolution of the metal and earth elements of the Five Elements.


    Dui Marsh includes the evolution of the water and earth elements of the Five Elements.


    These two types of Eight Trigrams Formation Method compared to the Five Elements Formation Method, will have more differences.


    Besides, there are also Xun and Zhen.


    Xun is wind, and Zhen is thunder.


    Mo Hua had not yet studied Wind-based spiritual power Formation Method and didn¡¯t know which types of Five Elements changes the Xun Hexagram Formation Method encompasses.


    But thunder!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart surged with excitement.

 Chapter 813 - 595 pattern 14_3

    Chapter 813: Chapter 595 pattern 14_3


    He had seen the Heavenly Tribulation Thunder with his own eyes!


    Born from the Heavenly Dao Formation, the Thunder that could annihilate everything was generated from a single Thunder Pattern.


    And that Immortal Pattern containing the essence of the Heavenly Tribulation, Mo Hua had seen with his own eyes and had personally recorded it, engraving it onto the Taoist Stele in his Sea of Consciousness!


    This Thunder Pattern was extremely terrifying.


    Even his Uncle couldn¡¯t endure it, he vanished into ash after a mere glance.


    He tried to dissuade him, but to no avail!


    ...


    His Uncle did not understand his good intentions!


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Just hearing about the Thunder System Formation sounded mighty powerful.


    The only question was whether there was any difference between the thunder of the Heavenly Tribulation and the Thunder Formation of the ¡°Zhen¡± Trigram within the Eight Trigrams¡­


    Apart from this, it was the formations of the Qian and Kun hexagrams.


    Kun represents earth, likely evolving from the soil of the Five Elements, but it probably would be more complex, broader, bearing all things, inclusive of all phenomena, and might even touch upon the ¡°Taoist Meaning¡± of the Earth¡­


    But he was well-acquainted with the Earth¡¯s ¡°Taoist Meaning¡±, so he was not afraid.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    Lastly, there was the ¡°Qian¡± path.


    Qian represents heaven.


    What Mo Hua could think of was one aspect of the ¡°Three Talents¡± as ¡°Heaven¡±;


    The other was something other cultivators did not believe in but which he had ¡°sneaked a peek¡± at once and thus could confirm its existence¡ªthe ¡°Heavenly¡± aspect of the Heavenly Dao Formation.


    He did not know what the Formation Method symbolized by the ¡°Heavenly¡± Qian hexagram would look like¡­


    Mo Hua muttered to himself, lost in thought for a while, before he gathered his thoughts and calmed his mind.


    After all, there were still plenty of formations left to learn!


    None of these formations would escape him!


    For now, though, he had to start learning earnestly from the Second-grade Fourteen-pattern Trapped Mountain Formation of the ¡°Gen¡± Trigram.


    Mo Hua, as always, first memorized the Formation Patterns and Pivots of the Trapped Mountain Formation, then tried to practice them a few times simply. At night, when he slept, his Divine Sense would sink into his Sea of Consciousness and begin formal practice on the Taoist Stele.


    Although studying the Thirteen-Pattern Formation with Fourteen Stripes of Divine Sense wasn¡¯t as easy as the twelve or thirteen patterns before, it also wasn¡¯t too difficult.


    However, Mo Hua found that his Fourteen Stripes seemed a bit different from those of other cultivators.


    It might be due to the Divine Consciousness Transformation that his Divine Sense had become very condensed and incredibly resilient.


    Thus, the actual amount of his Divine Sense was more than that of the other Fourteen Stripes.


    But the ¡°strength¡± was incomparable to that.


    For other cultivators, the ¡°strength¡± of Divine Sense was determined by the number of Patterns, meaning the ¡°amount¡± of Divine Sense.


    The more patterns, the larger the Divine Sense, the naturally stronger.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense seemed to have expanded a ¡°dimension¡±, measuring the ¡°strength¡± of Divine Sense by its ¡°quality¡±, not just the number of patterns.


    Even though the number of patterns was the same, all being ¡°Fourteen Stripes¡±, he could only learn formations of up to ¡°Fourteen Stripes¡±.


    However, due to the difference in the ¡°quality¡± of Divine Sense, Mo Hua always felt that using this purer, more condensed Divine Sense to learn formations allowed him to understand the formations more thoroughly.


    And his grasp of the Great Dao would be more profound as well. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the same time, Mo Hua discovered that the amount of his Divine Sense seemed somewhat flexible.


    Although it was Fourteen Stripes of Divine Sense, it wouldn¡¯t truly be exhausted after use.


    He seemed to be able to draw more Divine Sense from the Sea of Consciousness.


    Divine Sense was like water in cotton, seemingly used up, but there would be more if you squeezed¡­


    However, this process was very painful.


    As if the Sea of Consciousness was being pressed, it was excruciating.


    Therefore, Mo Hua had to stop at the right moment and could not overuse it.


    He could only use a bit more than the amount necessary for Fourteen Stripes and then stop; otherwise, he would suffer from splitting headaches, tormenting himself.


    The Trapped Mountain Formation with Fourteen Stripes wasn¡¯t hard, and Mo Hua learned it smoothly.


    But it took a lot of time to familiarize with and assimilate the Bagua Formation Series:


    Utilizing the well-mastered ¡°Gen¡± Series Formation Patterns, understanding the Eight Trigrams¡¯ Formation Pivots, constructing the dynamic Formation Eyes of the Eight Trigrams, and observing comprehensively the Spiritual Power flow of the Bagua Formation Method¡­


    Half a month later, Mo Hua mastered the Second-grade Fourteen-pattern Trapped Mountain Formation.


    He could truly draw out the Second-grade Fourteen-pattern formations.


    As for the formations of Fifteen Stripes¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense Realm hadn¡¯t reached that level yet, so he couldn¡¯t learn it for the time being.


    Knowing that Mo Hua had mastered the Second-grade Fourteen-pattern Trapped Mountain Formation, Elder Master Xun was no longer surprised; he had become somewhat numb, and at the same time, he silently breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°At last, it¡¯s nearly enough¡­¡±


    Fourteen stripes were enough, learning more would be somewhat excessive.


    Elder Master Xun said with earnest gravity,


    ¡°Though you can draw out formations of Fourteen Stripes now, you haven¡¯t learned many of the Thirteen Pattern formations; the foundation isn¡¯t very solid¡­¡±


    ¡°So hereafter, I¡¯ll prepare some formations of Fourteen Stripes, mixed with Thirteen Stripes for you to learn thoroughly one by one¡­¡±


    Mo Hua happily said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Master!¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly, silently thinking to himself:


    ¡°Formations of Fourteen Stripes should keep this little one busy for a while¡­¡±


    ¡°Fourteen Stripes¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun sighed.


    ¡°This is the entry level of the Second-grade Mid-tier Array¡­¡±


    ¡°To know the Second-grade Mid-tier Array at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage¡­¡±


    ¡°He hardly seems like a disciple; he¡¯s almost qualified to be a ¡®Little Instructor¡¯¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun silently shook his head.


    In the following days, Mo Hua continued to study formations tirelessly.


    He learned both those with Thirteen and Fourteen Stripes.


    Of course, the focus was on Fourteen Stripes.


    Mo Hua wanted to use the Fourteen-Pattern Formation to hone his Sea of Consciousness and further his Divine Sense!


    Piling sand into a tower, dripping water wears away stone.


    He studied one formation after another, drawing them over and over¡­


    And his Divine Sense, unnoticed, gradually climbed toward Fifteen Stripes¡­

 Chapter 814 - 596 You Come and Teach

    Chapter 814: Chapter 596 You Come and Teach


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was getting closer to the sixteen patterns.


    Between fourteen and sixteen patterns, all are within the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, and breakthroughs during this phase do not have significant bottlenecks but simply need a bit of time.


    During this time, Mo Hua gradually settled down in the Taixu Gate.


    His life at Taixu Gate was calm and uneventful¡ªaside from attending classes, it was daily routine of cultivation and Drawing Formation.


    Taixu Gate had many courses. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Besides Formation, Mo Hua took his cultivation course most seriously.


    ...


    The Instructor, Elder Gongsun, a true disciple of the Taixu Inner Gate and in the Feather Transformation Realm, had profound cultivation and vast knowledge.


    He taught the way of Qi Foundation cultivation with lofty insights and in a way that was both profound and simple.


    Some basic points were supplemented by Elder Gongsun¡¯s true disciples, now Instructors of the Inner Gate.


    These cultivation methods were the essence of generations of Taixu Gate Elders and Instructors, condensing the experience and understanding of cultivation from ancestors over thousands of years.


    Thanks to this, Mo Hua also had an increasingly clear approach to the Foundation Establishment Stage.


    However, his progress in cultivation was still considered the lowest.


    Partly because he was the only disciple in Taixu Gate with a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root.


    And also because he forged a ¡°Divine Sense Proving the Dao¡± Taoist Foundation; although his Divine Sense was extremely strong, his realm had not been polished, and the foundation of his flesh and Spiritual Power was extremely weak.


    A Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root implied a low upper limit of Spiritual Power Circulation, leading to a typical speed of cultivation.


    Especially when compared to those of Taixu Gate, who were all top-grade, with no one of low aptitude.


    Hence among all disciples, Mo Hua had the lowest count of Spiritual Power Cycles.


    Similarly, due to his weak foundation, Mo Hua¡¯s base in cultivation was also the thinnest.


    Although Mo Hua was diligent in his cultivation, he managed only just to keep up with his realm; everything else, he lagged significantly behind.


    Fortunately, Elder Gongsun, who taught cultivation, was non-discriminatory and not overly harsh in his treatment of people.


    As long as you were diligent and serious about cultivation, he was not too stringent about results.


    Mo Hua could only persist this way, slowly grinding away; with limited Spiritual Root, neither his realm of cultivation nor his foundation could grow quickly.


    However, this was something Mo Hua had been clear about for a long time and was not worth being discouraged over.


    Regardless of the quality of the Spiritual Root or the thickness of the foundation.


    Since he pursued the Great Dao, he must focus solely on cultivation without distraction.


    Whether the Spiritual Root was good or bad was a fact; rather than feel self-pity and waste time, it was better to devote all effort to cultivation.


    Besides the cultivation classes, there were also Tao Cultivation industries in Taixu Gate.


    The main ones were Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Rune Refining.


    As expected, Mo Hua performed poorly in all these areas.


    It had been the same back in Tongxian Gate, and now in Taixu Gate, it was even more evident.


    The herbs for Alchemy were too expensive; for Artifact Refining, he couldn¡¯t even swing a hammer; Rune Refining consumed too much Spiritual Power.


    The ink, brushes, and Formation Paper for Drawing Formations, to Mo Hua, were already considered pricey.


    But the essence of Formation was the understanding of the Great Dao through Divine Sense.


    The greatest consumption was actually Divine Sense.


    Whereas Alchemy was different¡ª the herbs, top-grade Pill Furnace, Pill Recipes, and various catalysts combined with Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were all considered exorbitantly priced, far beyond Mo Hua¡¯s reach.


    The higher the grade, the higher the price.


    Only descendants of Noble Clans with support, lacking neither Spirit Stones nor Spiritual Objects, could afford to ¡°burn money¡± and learn Alchemy¡­


    Compared to Alchemy, Rune Refining was not only expensive but also very draining on Spiritual Power.


    Mo Hua had once heard Artifact Refiner Master Chen from Tongxian City talk about Runes; since entering Taixu Gate, he had learned even more.


    Runes were a Tao Cultivation industry developed from both ¡°Artifact Refining¡± and ¡°Drawing Formation¡± but were entirely independent.


    The earliest Runes were drawn on paper and somewhat resembled Formation.


    However, this type of paper Rune, using ¡°paper¡± as the medium, was not easily preserved and prone to ¡°misfires¡± and explosions;


    it also had a short shelf life and was prone to ¡°duds¡± where it would become ineffective;


    the sealed Spiritual Power was limited, and its power wasn¡¯t very strong.


    As the Cultivation World developed, these old types of ¡°Runes¡± were gradually phased out.


    Now, Runes were made of Jade, using jade as the medium, integrating sealing-type Formation, and special Artifact Refining techniques.


    Rune Refining Masters sealed their spells in these jade ¡°Runes,¡± creating limited-use ¡°Runes.¡±


    This process required consuming a large amount of Spiritual Power.


    But for Mo Hua, with his low Spiritual Power, Rune Refining was out of reach.


    Not to mention Artifact Refining.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Blood Qi, not only weak among Body Cultivators but even among Spiritual Cultivators, was the weakest.


    Most of the Noble Family Descendants who were Spiritual Cultivators also practiced some Body Refinement techniques, not for close-combat killing but to enhance their bodily defenses slightly.


    Therefore, swinging a large hammer to forge a Spiritual Artifact was not much of a problem for them.


    But Mo Hua was different.


    He struggled even to hold a hammer.


    During class, with the force of ¡°nine oxen and two tigers,¡± Mo Hua still couldn¡¯t swing the large iron hammer, his face flushed with effort, even considering whether to disassemble the hammer and install a Formation inside for a good ¡°modification¡±¡­


    The Instructor of Artifact Refining quickly advised:


    ¡°Let it go, let it go, don¡¯t trouble yourself with this hammer¡­¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t want this either¡­¡±


    Not being able to lift the hammer wasn¡¯t the hammer¡¯s fault¡­


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Then Instructor, do I still need to learn Artifact Refining?¡±


    The Instructor grimaced, undecided.


    During his time at Taixu Gate, he had never seen a disciple who couldn¡¯t even swing a hammer.


    Unable to forge iron, naturally, he couldn¡¯t refine artifacts.


    The Instructor could only say, ¡°Do as you wish; learn as much as you can, don¡¯t force it, and certainly don¡¯t injure yourself¡­¡±

 Chapter 815 - 596: You Come and Teach_2

    Chapter 815: Chapter 596: You Come and Teach_2


    He knew that Mo Hua, that child, was very good at Formation, quite favored by Elder Master Xun. If Mo Hua hurt his hands while Artifact Refining and couldn¡¯t do Formation Painting, he was certain to receive cold looks from Elder Master Xun.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He felt helpless too.


    Artifact Refining required physical strength, Refining Rune required Spiritual Power, and Alchemy needed financial resources as a foundation.


    He lacked all of these.


    Indeed, only the Formation, which was based on the consumption of Divine Sense, was the most suitable for him.


    ...


    Mo Hua started to reduce his efforts in the three courses of ¡°Artifact Refining,¡± ¡°Alchemy,¡± and ¡°Refining Runes,¡± and instead, allocated more time to Formation Painting.


    But he still had to attend those three courses.


    It¡¯s still the same saying, ¡°You don¡¯t have to master it, but you must understand it¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to personally learn how to refine Pills, refine artifacts, or create Runes, but the basic principles of refining, commonly used Spiritual Artifacts, Runes, Pills, and their respective uses, things to note¡­


    These pieces of Tao Cultivation knowledge were essential to know.


    To avoid being poisoned in the future while traveling in the Cultivation World, being secretly attacked with a Spiritual Artifact, or being explosively killed with a Rune¡­


    ¡­


    In addition, Taixu Gate also had Taoist Skill classes.


    Taoist Skill classes were divided into three types: for Spiritual Cultivator, Body Cultivation, and Sword Cultivator.


    You could learn whatever you wanted.


    Mo Hua was a Spiritual Cultivator, so he naturally chose the Spiritual Cultivator course. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, he discovered that the spells and principles taught in Taixu Gate¡¯s Spiritual Cultivator class were fundamentally different from his own magical approach.


    The Spiritual Cultivators of Taixu Gate, or the mainstream Spiritual Cultivators, followed a path of using powerful moves for combat.


    Those with Superior Spiritual Roots cultivated Superior Techniques, studied Superior Spells, relied on deep Cultivation, gathered powerful Spiritual Power, and unleashed powerful Spells.


    Then with one move, they could turn the tables.


    Just like Boss Jiang, accumulating vast Spiritual Power, activating the Sword Controlling Technique, condensing pure Golden Sword Qi, and then settling victory or defeat in one strike, deciding life and death in a single sword blow.


    Although in the end he missed and died, Mo Hua knew it wasn¡¯t his fault.


    His single sword strike was indeed magnificent and powerful.


    If it had been someone else, they might have been cleaved to death by him.


    Unfortunately, fate was not on his side; he met Mo Hua and died in the prime of his life.


    Mo Hua felt a bit of pity for Boss Jiang.


    But such moves, while powerful and requiring a long time to gather strength, also expended a lot of Spiritual Power. While preparing, one either risked being interrupted or stood there ¡°taking hits.¡±


    Mo Hua thought back to when Boss Jiang was casting the ¡°Sword Controlling Technique,¡± the layer of Golden Light he had added to himself in advance.


    Because of that layer of Golden Light, Mo Hua¡¯s Water Prison Technique had not disrupted his Sword technique.


    Even the power of the Fireball Technique had also been reduced.


    ¡°That layer of Golden Light¡­ what exactly is it?¡±


    Mo Hua went to ask the Sect Instructor who taught Taoist Skills.


    The Instructor told Mo Hua,


    ¡°That is the Gold Body Technique.¡±


    ¡°Gold Body Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua paused slightly; it was the first time he had heard of this Spell.


    The Instructor said,


    ¡°The Gold Body Technique is a special kind of Spell, mainly defensive, but different from protective Spells like the Golden Bell Shield.¡±


    ¡°The effect of the Gold Body Technique is to enhance one¡¯s body with Golden Light, protecting the meridians, which can reduce the damage taken from Spells to a certain degree¡­¡±


    ¡°And also ensures that the Spiritual Power circulating within one¡¯s meridians is not obstructed.¡±


    ¡°This point is crucial!¡±


    ¡°That is to say, your Spells will not be interrupted.¡±


    ¡°Within the duration of the Gold Body Technique, you can cast those time-consuming, yet immensely powerful, move without concern, instantly determining life and death, deciding victory or defeat in a flash!¡±


    ¡°You can even face multiple foes alone, relying on a single Top-Grade Daoist Magic to suppress the enemy forces and turn the tide!¡±


    ¡°This is the pursuit of a Spiritual Cultivator, to use the utmost Spells to bring forth supreme power¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua felt his blood boil as he listened.


    But upon further thought, it seemed to have little to do with him.


    He didn¡¯t know any Superior Daoist Magic.


    Even if he knew, with his weak Spiritual Root and sparse Qi Sea, he might not have enough Spiritual Power to cast it.


    Even if he could cast it, it wouldn¡¯t matter¡­


    Among cultivators of the same rank, his physical body was very weak. Even with the reinforcement of the ¡°Gold Body Technique,¡± he probably wouldn¡¯t last until he could unleash the powerful move.


    Mo Hua knew he couldn¡¯t ¡°take a beating.¡±


    Being as fragile as paper, even with the Gold Body Technique reinforcing him and providing some resistance, at best he gained an extra layer of paper protection, which still wasn¡¯t of much use.


    Nevertheless, he still benefited greatly.


    It¡¯s no wonder with a long heritage like that of Qian Xue State Boundary.


    Gold Body with Sword Control, or Gold Body casting spells¡­


    It was a style of combat logic completely unknown to him before and fundamentally different from his own magic tactics.


    It¡¯s a pity that he couldn¡¯t use it¡­


    His approach, taught by Grandpa Gui, was ¡°In all spells, only speed is unbeatable,¡± and coupled with powerful Divine Sense and swift circulation of Spiritual Power, lower-tier Spells like Fireball Technique were what truly became powerful.


    ¡°Superior Spell¡­¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°Instructor, do these powerful Spells necessarily require Divine Sense to lock onto the target?¡±


    The Instructor was somewhat surprised, ¡°You know about ¡®Divine Sense locking¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua answered modestly, ¡°Somewhat.¡±


    Thus, the Instructor regarded Mo Hua more highly.


    Even though his Spiritual Root was a little poor, his Spiritual Power weak, and he knew few Spells, and wouldn¡¯t typically learn Superior Daoist Magic, it was rare for him to have such insight.


    Surprisingly, he knew about Divine Sense locking¡­


    The Instructor said with relief, ¡°Naturally, amidst the myriad manifestations of time, there are baffling illusions; what is seen may not be ¡®real,¡¯ and what is unseen may not be ¡®false.¡¯ It¡¯s very foolish for a Cultivator to rely solely on their eyes¡­¡±


    ¡°Within Divine Sense lies the true nature of all things.¡±


    ¡°The stronger the Divine Sense, the truer the nature seen.¡±

 Chapter 816 - 596: You Come Teach_3

    Chapter 816: Chapter 596: You Come Teach_3


    ¡°So, whether it¡¯s Sword Controlling True Jue or spell killing moves, it¡¯s best to use Divine Consciousness to see and lock onto the target¡­¡±


    ¡°Learning to lock onto a target with Divine Consciousness is what makes an excellent Spiritual Cultivator¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and felt relieved.


    That¡¯s right.


    No matter how powerful it is, if it doesn¡¯t hit, it¡¯s useless.


    My own Divine Consciousness is quite strong.


    ...


    Nevertheless, even so, one must think ahead and be prepared for the future.


    Think about how to deal with those with good Spiritual Roots, superior Cultivation Techniques, profound Cultivation, who have learned Superior Daoist Skills, or those Proud Sons of Heaven with powerful Sword Controlling spells¡­


    You can¡¯t rely too heavily on strong Divine Consciousness.


    It¡¯s good to prepare several contingency plans.


    Therefore, Mo Hua not only attended classes for Spiritual Cultivators but also sat in on Body Cultivation and Sword Cultivation classes.


    He wasn¡¯t really interested in Body Refinement or Sword Cultivation, but mainly wanted to ¡°know thyself and thy enemy,¡± to see what the routines and attack methods of Body Cultivators and Sword Cultivators were, how they protected themselves, and what their vital points were¡­


    In this way, he would have a method to deal with Body Cultivators and Sword Cultivators in the future.


    This was also a kind of ¡°reverse learning,¡± another form of ¡°learning for practical application.¡±


    And the only thing Mo Hua ¡°learned properly¡± in a ¡°positive¡± way was Formations.


    Aside from this, including Cultivation, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Refining Runes, Mo Hua could not compare with fellow sect disciples.


    Therefore, in the eyes of his fellow sect disciples, Mo Hua was an ¡°oddball.¡±


    The better he was at Formations, the worse he was in other areas.


    After mingling for a while, the other sect disciples gradually accepted Mo Hua as a disciple with ¡°mediocre¡± Spiritual Root, a background as a Loose Cultivator, earnest in Cultivation, yet with an extreme bias in his skills.


    But that was about it.


    On the surface, Mo Hua seemed like a somewhat special but not extraordinary disciple.


    However, people liked him.


    Most of the disciples in Taiyi Residence treated him quite amiably.


    There were a few with prestigious backgrounds, full of arrogance and self-pride, looking troublesome at first glance, from whom Mo Hua stayed far away from, to avoid trouble.


    Taixu Gate also had many female disciples.


    And most of them were from good backgrounds, fair and beautiful. Even though they all wore the unified Taixu Daoist Robes, each was bright and colorful, each with her own charm, pursued by many admirers.


    However, after Mo Hua took a few looks and silently compared them, he ultimately felt that his Junior Sister was the most beautiful!


    Thinking of his Junior Sister, Mo Hua was momentarily lost in thought.


    The bits and pieces of his time in Tongxian City and his wanderings resurfaced in his mind.


    ¡°I wonder where Junior Sister is now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, but eventually, he shook his head, quietly buried the thoughts of his Junior Sister in his heart, and then continued to diligently practice Cultivation, to diligently study Formations¡­


    ¡­ sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The scenery of Taixu Gate was ancient and beautiful.


    Thousands of disciples practice their Cultivation here.


    Besides those in Taiyi Residence, there were many Proud Sons of Heaven; Mo Hua wasn¡¯t familiar with them, he hadn¡¯t even met some of them.


    Amongst them were those with prestigious backgrounds, those who attracted attention with their talent, as well as stunningly beautiful female disciples¡­


    These Proud Son of Heaven disciples, gathered together, competing against each other.


    Occasionally, they would become jealous and create storms of conflict.


    But all this had nothing to do with Mo Hua.


    Striving to improve his Cultivation, to enhance his Divine Consciousness, learning higher and more profound Formations!


    This was what he needed to do!


    He didn¡¯t care much about the rest.


    Mo Hua continued his day-to-day practice of Cultivation and study of Formations in silence.


    And his Divine Consciousness, unknown to him, had quietly broken through the shackles of fourteen Patterns, reaching fifteen¡­


    Fifteen Patterns, a level of Divine Consciousness only attainable by Cultivators in the Qi Foundation Middle Stage, a small accomplishment in Cultivation.


    And with Sixteen-Pattern Divine Consciousness, one could learn Second Grade Middle Stage Formations.


    From fifteen to sixteen Patterns, it was only one step away!


    Mo Hua felt a bit excited, he thought for a moment, then went to Elder Master Xun and tentatively asked,


    ¡°Elder Master, can I study¡­ formations for fifteen Patterns?¡±


    Elder Master Xun had a moment of stupor.


    He had previously anticipated that the formations of fourteen Patterns would be enough for Mo Hua to study for a while, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be merely ¡°a while.¡±


    This ¡°while¡± was far too short¡­


    He even felt that it was not long ago that he had just taught Mo Hua the formations of fourteen Patterns.


    Before he knew it, Mo Hua was already about to learn the sixteen-pattern formations¡­


    Elder Master Xun fell silent for a long time before slowly nodding, ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t rush it. First, stabilize your foundation.¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    After Mo Hua took his leave, Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression turned grave, his gaze heavy with contemplation.


    He felt that this child, Mo Hua¡­ had become somewhat terrifying¡­


    This was no longer about whether one can learn formations quickly or well.


    Such super rank Divine Consciousness, growing at such an alarming rate, was simply inconceivable, unheard of¡­


    If he continued learning in this unrestrained manner, he truly feared the cultivation of formations would produce an unprecedented ¡°Little Evil Monster¡±¡­


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun frowned.


    Learning too quickly was definitely not a good thing.


    The tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.


    But now, Mo Hua was probably no longer just ¡°standing out in the forest¡±. If he continued to grow at this insane rate, his branches would soon surpass the mountain peak, reaching for the skies.


    Too conspicuous.


    Going on like this, the child would surely become an object of jealousy among noble clans, envy among his peers, and coveted by the Demon Gate.


    If he truly turned to the Demon Path, those deranged old demons had ten thousand ways to spur hisuncontrolled growth and turn him into a thoroughly crazy ¡°Little Demon King¡±¡­


    There were precedents for such things¡­


    A Formation Master with powerful Divine Consciousness who turned to the Demon Path was truly terrifying¡­


    And once he turned to the Demon Path, his Taoist Foundation would surely be destroyed.


    He might seem to grow stronger, but he would be cutting himself off from the Great Dao, doomed to become a flesh puppet of the Demon Path for life.


    As for the noble clans¡­


    Mo Hua himself had no bloodline of any noble clan.


    He only had two choices: either become a lackey for a noble clan, turning into their hawk dog for profits,


    or, he would undoubtedly face ostracization by the noble clans.


    If he had a virtuous nature and a broad mind and acted against the interests of the noble clans, he could even be jointly suppressed and killed by the noble clans of Qian State.


    The Sect¡­


    The Sect could be his shelter.


    But the foundation of the Sect was also people.


    The problem for Mo Hua was that he had not been in the sect for long, his foundations were shallow, and even if there was some comradery among fellow sect members, it was ultimately too superficial.


    Time reveals a person¡¯s heart; adversity shows their true nature.


    Only through a long association and shared difficulties can genuine bonds be formed.


    With the current level of fellowship, no sect disciple would truly risk their life in a crisis to help him¡­


    Continuing this way, Mo Hua could easily end up isolated and become a pawn in the struggles of the Demon Gate or even the noble clans¡­


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s brows furrowed ever tighter.


    ¡°I need to think of a solution¡­¡±


    But at that moment, he had no good ideas.


    During the next formation lesson, Elder Master Xun was somewhat distracted, looking at Mo Hua who was innocent and lively, obedient yet earnest.


    He felt regret, heartache, and could hardly bear it.


    ¡°What should be done with this child¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun looked troubled.


    However, Mo Hua was confused, not understanding why Elder Master Xun was looking at him in such a way.


    It wasn¡¯t until the lesson had begun that Elder Master Xun shifted his gaze away from Mo Hua, spread out the lecture notes, put aside his worries, and prepared to explain the formations.


    Suddenly, an Inner Sect Elder knocked on the door from outside.


    Seeing Elder Master Xun frown at him, the elder felt immense pressure; he knew how much Elder Master Xun hated to be disturbed during his lectures.


    But he had to speak.


    ¡°Elder Master Xun, there is an urgent matter for discussion in the back mountains.¡±


    ¡°The back mountains?¡±


    Elder Master Xun was momentarily stunned, then nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    The Inner Sect Elder, relieved, bowed and left.


    Elder Master Xun was about to pause the class and assign some work for the disciples to study on their own, but as he was about to speak, he suddenly paused, a spark of inspiration in his eyes, then pointed to Mo Hua and said:


    ¡°Mo Hua, you teach them!¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    The other disciples present also opened their mouths wide, their expressions as if they had seen a ghost.

 Chapter 817 - 597 Junior Brother

    Chapter 817: Chapter 597 Junior Brother


    The Tao Teaching Room was filled with silence, then suddenly erupted into commotion.


    ¡°Mo Hua teaching?¡±


    ¡°How could he be the one teaching?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s face darkened, and his gaze swept across the room.


    Intimidated by his authority, the disciples immediately settled down, no longer daring to whisper among themselves.


    ...


    Mo Hua spoke softly, ¡°Elder Master, my teaching¡­ wouldn¡¯t be appropriate, right?¡±


    Elder Master Xun said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s very appropriate.¡±


    A Formation Master with a solid foundation capable of drawing a Second-grade Mid-tier Array teaching a few First-grade Formation Methods, what¡¯s inappropriate about that?


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated.


    Elder Master Xun gave Mo a meaningful look, ¡°Teach well.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled.


    He felt there was a deeper meaning to Elder Master Xun¡¯s words, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why at that moment¡­


    Seeing Elder Master Xun¡¯s uncompromising demeanor, Mo Hua had no choice but to bow and say,


    ¡°Alright, sir.¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly, handed a few handouts to Mo Hua, and instructed,


    ¡°You just teach these two sets; teach boldly, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    After speaking, Elder Master Xun stood up and left, his steps both ethereal and real, heading towards the back mountain.


    Inside the Tao Teaching Room, Mo Hua and a group of disciples were left looking at each other.


    Mo Hua felt awkward, but remembering Elder Master Xun¡¯s instructions, he stiffened his resolve, opened the handouts, but before he could say anything, a tall individual stood up.


    This big fellow, with the surname Cheng and given name Mo, was a Body Cultivator, quite tall. Though his name was Cheng Mo, he was talkative in daily life.


    Seeing Elder Master Xun had walked far away, Cheng Mo gathered his courage and said somewhat unconvinced,


    ¡°Mo Hua, although we get along well, speaking solely on the matter, I¡¯m not convinced by you teaching me formation methods!¡±


    I, Cheng Mo, also have my pride!


    He silently added in his mind.


    The other disciples nodded in agreement.


    In their respective clans, they were all the ¡°Proud Sons of Heaven.¡± Having converged at Taixu Gate where such talents gathered, they had become more subdued, but arrogance lingered in their hearts.


    Elders and Instructors could preach and teach.


    But ordinary disciples had no right to teach them.


    Even though Mo Hua was well-liked and they bore him no ill will, involving a matter akin to a ¡°master-disciple¡± teaching, they couldn¡¯t help but feel skeptical and needed an explanation.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He actually preferred to keep a low profile, quietly cultivating and studying formation methods.


    But for some reason, Elder Master Xun chose this moment for him to stand out.


    However, regardless of the reason, now that it had come to this, Mo Hua was not afraid.


    In terms of formation methods, he had never feared anyone!


    Especially these fellow cultivators of the same age!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes carried a trace of the same disdain as Mr. Zhuang.


    ¡°So you say, how do I qualify?¡±


    Cheng Mo¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Let¡¯s compare!¡±


    Mo Hua silently looked at him, ¡°You?¡±


    Cheng Mo, seen under Mo¡¯s clear and slightly sharp gaze, suddenly felt a bit guilty.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±


    He was quite familiar with Mo Hua and knew somewhat of Mo Hua¡¯s prowess in formation methods. He didn¡¯t know the exact extent, but it was certainly much better than his own.


    He had acted impulsively out of dissatisfaction, having spoken out without thinking.


    But to really compare formation methods with Mo Hua would be overestimating his abilities.


    In the Sect, his formation skills were not the worst, but definitely among the lowest.


    Comparing formations with Mo Hua was like comparing body refinement with him¡­


    At this moment, another disciple stepped up, ¡°Since you¡¯re going to teach us, you naturally have to compare with all of us!¡±


    After speaking, he also felt a bit guilty.


    Even if they won by outnumbering him, it wouldn¡¯t be a noble victory.


    But Mo Hua carelessly said, ¡°Alright, come at me altogether.¡±


    The room suddenly fell silent.


    The disciples looked astonished; they did not expect Mo, who was usually gentle, to say something so ¡°arrogant!¡±


    The crowd was instantly ignited.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll all compete together; let¡¯s see the real skills in formation methods!¡±


    ¡°Little Mo Hua, I¡¯ll let you see, there are always higher skies!¡±


    ¡°If you lose, you have to call us ¡®Bro¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Not just ¡®Bro,¡¯ you should call us Big Senior Brother!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you should call us Big! Senior! Brother!¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua pursed his lips, it was still uncertain who would be calling whom ¡°Senior Brother.¡±


    Comparing formation methods usually had its own rules.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t participated much in such formal competitions, just tested his skills a bit during his time in the Five Elements Sect.


    Although the forms were complex and varied greatly.


    Ultimately, it all came down to seeing who could draw faster, who could draw better, who could draw more difficult patterns.


    The current competition was similar.


    Moreover, since they were in the Tao Teaching Room and had classes, with limited time, they could only roughly compare, just to determine a winner.


    First, to see who could draw faster.


    But at this first step, the disciples froze.


    They had seen before, just how fast Mo Hua could draw formation methods.


    Flowing like moving clouds and flowing water, too fast for the eyes to follow; those small hands, marking patterns and points with ink, were so fast that they almost left afterimages¡­


    However, losing in skill doesn¡¯t mean losing in spirit!


    Even if they ultimately lost, they couldn¡¯t let their spirits weaken!


    Without trying, the outcome was still uncertain. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Several disciples, who thought they were quite good with their speed in drawing formations, stepped forward ¡°generously¡± and started comparing with Mo Hua on a huge Array Plate at the front podium¡­


    And then they were completely defeated.


    They had barely finished less than half, and Mo Hua had already completed his, even sparing some effort, seemingly to save their face by deliberately slowing down a bit¡­


    The faces of several disciples turned ashen, ashamed to step down.


    Next, they compared who could draw better.


    On the same formation, whoever drew it more precisely, whose lines were more elegant, and whose foundations were deeper, won.

 Chapter 818 - 597 Junior Brother_2

    Chapter 818: Chapter 597 Junior Brother_2


    All the disciples present had studied Formation, drawn Formation Patterns, and had some foundation; the quality of their work was obvious at a glance.


    Several other disciples, full of confidence, stepped forward.


    They too had received their clans¡¯ authentic Formation teachings, and the Formation methods they drew on the Array Plate were all neat and beautiful. After finishing, they were somewhat self-satisfied.


    However, a glance at the Formation method drawn by Mo Hua made them unavoidably distracted.


    The Formation Patterns were precise, not a hair out of place, as if they were directly transferred from Formation Books.


    Not only that, but the strokes were like silver hooks and iron paintings, strong and forceful.


    ...


    This was an Earth Series Formation.


    Mo Hua also casually channeled a trace of Earth Dao Meaning, so the entire Formation also settled with a broad and profound charm.


    Both form and spirit were complete.


    The meticulousness of the ¡°form¡± could be achieved with effort, but the charm of the ¡°spirit¡± was not something that could be simply drawn out.


    Needless to say, they knew they had lost.


    The last was about who could draw something more challenging.


    A disciple from a worldly family stepped forward, dressed in white, with a handsome appearance. Mo Hua remembered that this disciple was from the legitimate lineage of the Wen Clan of Qian State, called Wen Xuan.


    Wen Xuan¡¯s demeanor was calm as he dipped his brush in ink and began drawing a Second-grade Eleven Patterns Formation.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, while at the same time he felt moved.


    The descendants of noble clans indeed were extraordinary, as even at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, there were geniuses who could draw a Second-grade Eleven Patterns Formation.


    It really was quite remarkable¡­


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    If they were geniuses, then they should be well ¡°nurtured¡± and encouraged.


    They needed to see a gap to fuel their drive to chase after it.


    But the gap couldn¡¯t be so vast that they would fall into despair and lose confidence in pursuing the Dao of Formation.


    Mo Hua considered this ¡°with a heavy heart¡±.


    After thinking it through, he casually chose a Second-grade Twelve Patterns Formation, slowing his pace and adopting a solemn expression, and ¡°exerted all his effort¡± to draw it out.


    Seeing this, Wen Xuan¡¯s face turned ashen, and he gasped,


    ¡°Twelve patterns¡­¡±


    After examining the Formation and then looking at Mo Hua, he conceded with a bow, ¡°I admit defeat.¡±


    But his gaze towards Mo Hua was bright with determination.


    In his eyes, a fierce ambition was kindled, seeing Mo Hua as his lifelong ¡°rival¡±.


    Mo Hua nodded his head with ¡°satisfaction¡±.


    With that, the competition was mostly concluded.


    All the disciples fell silent.


    Without a competition, they had never known, but after truly facing off, they realized they really couldn¡¯t win against Mo Hua in the realm of Formation¡­


    For those not specializing in Formation, with only a superficial understanding of it, the competition seemed to end too quickly.


    A group of disciples went up, drew a Formation, then stepped down, some even realizing they had lost before they finished drawing.


    Going up quickly and coming down just as fast meant they lost just as swiftly.


    Only those who truly mastered Formation knew the vast gap that lay between them¡­


    They vaguely felt there was a deep chasm between themselves and Mo Hua, constructed by Formation.


    This chasm seemed just within reach, yet it also appeared impossible to cross.


    And if you weren¡¯t careful, you might fall into it and drown¡­


    The usually amiable Mo Hua for the first time appeared ¡°unfathomably deep¡± in their eyes¡­


    But Mo Hua felt the contest had been too brief.


    He had hardly exerted himself.


    Seeing no one speaking, Mo Hua looked around curiously and asked,


    ¡°Any more challengers?¡±


    The disciples were taken aback, followed by a mix of shame and ¡°humiliation¡± as they looked at Mo Hua.


    It was as if Mo Hua was a very nasty, yet unbeatable ¡°little demon king¡±.


    At that moment, another disciple with a stern face and a serious expression, as if disapproving of Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°misdeeds,¡± stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    Mo Hua found him somewhat familiar, but didn¡¯t know his name.


    The disciple said, ¡°My surname is Zheng, given name Fang, from the Zheng Family of Zhen State.¡±


    ¡°Zheng Fang?¡±


    Mo Hua remembered, then asked, ¡°What do you want to compete in?¡±


    Zheng Fang shook his head, ¡°In the matter of Formation, I concede I am not your equal, but I cannot accept my heart being unsatisfied if you teach me, so, I want to test you.¡±


    ¡°Test me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zheng Fang nodded, ¡°My family possesses a set of secret Formation techniques. I¡¯ll draw it for you once, and you must reproduce it within two hours.¡±


    ¡°If you do it, I will acknowledge that your aptitude in Formation is exceptional, your understanding profound, and you are indeed qualified to teach us!¡±


    ¡°I am testing your insight!¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, his expression one of surprise and disbelief.


    Test me like this?


    And such good fortune?!


    You foolish child, are you testing me, or simply gifting me your family¡¯s secret Formation?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled, but he tried his best to not appear too delighted, keeping a stern face and saying seriously,


    ¡°Yes, it is necessary to test me!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡±


    Zheng Fang said solemnly, then moved to the Array Plate and said in an unfriendly tone,


    ¡°This Formation, although only First Grade and an entry-level one, is nevertheless my Zheng Family¡¯s exclusive Formation. I won¡¯t tell you its name, I will only draw it once, and if you can¡¯t learn it, then just admit defeat honestly!¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded eagerly, filled with anticipation.


    Zheng Fang began to draw.


    As soon as the first stroke landed, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    Thunder Pattern!


    ¡°This is¡­Thunder Pattern?¡±


    The Thunder Pattern from the Eight Trigrams Formation?!


    The secret Formation of the Zheng Family was actually¡­ the rare Eight Trigrams Thunder Formation?!


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Other disciples with wider experience were also astonished,


    ¡°This is a Thunder Series Formation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to learn¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if Mo Hua has superb insight, he couldn¡¯t possibly learn it in two hours¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly, exactly.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t this a bit underhanded¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems a little like victory without honor¡­¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 819 - 597 Junior Brother_3

    Chapter 819: Chapter 597 Junior Brother_3


    ¡°How could this be? He¡¯s the one who boastfully offered to teach us the Formation!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ speaking of which, it was Elder Master Xun who asked him to teach, and he surely couldn¡¯t defy the elder, could he¡­¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems to make sense¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Mo Hua¡¯s fault¡­¡±


    ¡°You conceded, whose side are you on anyway? Have you no principles? Have you no stance?!¡±


    ...


    ¡­


    The disciples were chattering among themselves.


    Mo Hua, however, concentrated intensely, his Divine Sense operating swiftly, calculating the trajectory of the Formation drawn by Zheng Fang in his Sea of Consciousness.


    Every stroke and Pattern Zheng Fang drew was deconstructed and calculated by Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, thereby transformed into a more essential trajectory of Spiritual Power.


    The Formation, stroke by stroke, was also gradually reconstructed in his Sea of Consciousness, becoming clearer by the moment¡­


    And little by little, it formed the full scope of the Formation.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    This was a very special Thunder Formation¡­


    The trajectory of the Spiritual Power was gentle, seemingly not intended for slaughter¡­


    Moreover, the configuration of the Formation Patterns was somewhat unconventional, differing somewhat from the Thunder Patterns Mo Hua had previously studied.


    The structure of the Formation Pivot¡­


    Mo Hua felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, but upon closer consideration, he felt he had never seen it before¡­


    This was truly just a basic First Grade Nine Patterns Formation, yet the logic of the Formation felt unfamiliar.


    From just the Formation Diagram, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t determine what purpose this Formation served, and the principles of other related Formations were even more elusive.


    He didn¡¯t know the name nor the purpose¡­


    A nameless Thunder Formation¡­


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    It was no wonder Zheng Fang had presented it for him to study; even if he mastered it, he wouldn¡¯t understand the intricacies or specific functions of this Formation.


    Learning it would be learning in vain.


    Mo Hua remembered that Zheng Fang had mentioned that this was the Zheng Family¡¯s ¡°entry-level¡± Formation.


    Did that mean that this Formation was only the basis?


    Were the real core Formations derived from this Thunder Formation base?


    Mo Hua silently looked at Zheng Fang and secretly tagged him in his mind as the ¡°Gift Giving Child¡±.


    While this First Grade nameless Thunder Formation felt unfamiliar and he knew nothing of its specifics,


    based on Mo Hua¡¯s own experience and insight into Formations, it was actually not difficult to learn.


    Especially since he was skilled in Heavenly secret Calculation.


    Thus, when Zheng Fang finished drawing the Formation and turned around, confidently gazing at Mo Hua, Mo Hua picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and as effortlessly as a dragonfly touches water, he drew the Formation on the Array Plate, having already calculated it thoroughly after just one viewing.


    Zheng Fang¡¯s confident expression froze on his face as he looked at Mo Hua, as if he was seeing a little monster.


    ¡°Did¡­ you study this before?¡±


    Mo Hua honestly replied,


    ¡°Only just learned it¡­¡±


    Zheng Fang opened his mouth, but ultimately, his expression resigned and dejected, he walked away.


    Mo Hua, however, opened up new lines of thought, looking at the assembled disciples with an expectant face, asking,


    ¡°Anyone else want to test me?¡±


    Preferably with a somewhat difficult, rarer Formation that I haven¡¯t studied!


    Mo Hua hoped inwardly.


    But no one responded.


    Mo Hua asked again, yet still, no one spoke.


    Mo Hua somewhat regretted it.


    Had he known, he should have put on an act.


    Pretend he was ¡°exhausting his mind,¡± ¡°putting forth all his effort,¡± pondering deeply, barely managing to draw this Thunder System Formation¡­


    That would have been better for ¡°fishing,¡± learning more Formations.


    Miscalculated¡­


    Hasty¡­


    His own experience in Tao Cultivation was still shallow, he reminded himself to be more careful in the future¡­


    Mo Hua advised himself and then, on an off chance, asked again,


    ¡°Anyone else¡­¡±


    Still, no one answered.


    Mo Hua sighed, then had no choice but to say,


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll start teaching you¡­¡±


    The disciples in attendance were startled, then all slightly dissatisfied, their faces reddening slightly.


    But as things stood, they had no choice but to quietly lower their heads and honestly accept Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°teaching.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start the class!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was crisp.


    Afterward, Mo Hua began the lesson.


    The First-grade Formation Method was not difficult.


    Mo Hua taught it effortlessly.


    His proficiency in First-grade Formation Method was profound, making his teaching smooth and effortless. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Occasionally, when there was a piece of Formation knowledge he understood but didn¡¯t know how to explain, he would remember Elder Master Xun and mimic him, explaining it simply and clearly for others.


    The other disciples, verbally and facially unconvinced, actually accepted internally.


    They also knew that Mo Hua¡¯s level in Formation was indeed much higher than theirs.


    So even though they all had stern faces and acted haughtily, they still absorbed what Mo Hua taught.


    Moreover, even Elder Master Xun, though profoundly skilled in Formation, precisely because of his profound skill, sometimes skipped over explaining some basic concepts in detail.


    Mo Hua was different.


    He had only studied up to First and Second Grade Formations, with a solid foundation, so his insights made it easier for disciples at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment to understand.


    Additionally, Elder Master Xun was strict and stubborn.


    Mo Hua, however, was affable and approachable.


    Thus, unbeknownst to them, all the disciples in the Tao Teaching Room who were sincerely focused on learning and wanted to improve their skill in Formation began to earnestly listen to Mo Hua¡¯s lectures.


    Mo Hua stood before the lectern, relaxed and unhurried, speaking effortlessly.


    His demeanor and grace resembled that of a ¡°Little Instructor¡±¡­


    He did not know how long time had passed, when Elder Master Xun returned and saw the scene in the Tao Teaching Room, his expression revealing slight astonishment.


    It was within his expectations that there would be many who opposed Mo Hua teaching these disciples.


    These problems were definitely for Mo Hua to resolve on his own.


    Whether he could ¡°convince everyone¡± depended on Mo Hua¡¯s own capabilities, and it was not for him to interfere.

 Chapter 820 - 820 597 Junior Brother_4

    ?Chapter 820: Chapter 597 Junior Brother_4 Chapter 820: Chapter 597 Junior Brother_4 Elder Master Xun had not expected that Mo Hua would resolve the situation so quickly, that these proud students would comply so obediently¡­


    Elder Master Xun pondered for a moment and then nodded in approval.


    He did not disturb Mo Hua but simply left.


    ¡­


    Since then, whenever there was a matter to attend to, Elder Master Xun let Mo Hua ¡°substitute teach.¡±


    Sometimes, even when there was no particular need, Elder Master Xun would take a lazy ¡°sick day¡± and let Mo Hua take over, teaching the room full of disciples.


    A ¡°disciple¡± teaching Formation to other disciples.


    This matter quickly came to the knowledge of the elders of the Taixu Gate.


    ...


    The families of Qian State backing some disciples also became aware of this and, mainly harboring dissatisfaction, they exerted pressure on some authoritative elders of the Taixu Gate to confront Elder Master Xun for an explanation.


    Several True Transmission Elders, reluctantly yet unavoidably, approached Elder Master Xun and tentatively said,


    ¡°Old sir, about this matter¡­is it perhaps, against the rules?¡±


    Elder Master Xun lowered his head to sip his tea, not even raising his eyelids, ¡°What rules?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The elders hesitated.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    What could they say¡­


    Many rules of the Taixu Gate were established with this Ancestor¡¯s involvement.


    How could they dare speak of rules before him¡­


    However, Elder Master Xun, unlike other ancestors who secluded themselves for cultivation or stayed behind the scenes, devoted himself to the principle of ¡°preaching and teaching.¡± At his considerable age, he continued to personally teach Formations.


    Although he was stubbornly eccentric and somewhat grumpy, he did not put on airs, and that was why they dared to speak up this much.


    One elder, after a moment of deep thought, whispered:


    ¡°Having a disciple teach other disciples¡­this is rather improper, not quite in accordance with tradition¡­¡±


    ¡°Not proper, not conforming to tradition¡­¡± Elder Master Xun muttered, then after a moment of frowning and pondering, he nodded, ¡°Indeed, it is not proper or traditional.¡±


    The elder¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°In that case¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case,¡± Elder Master Xun said, ¡°just officially assign him the position of ¡®Little Instructor,¡¯ and then it would be proper and traditional!¡±


    Little Instructor?!


    The elder¡¯s heart sank, hurriedly saying:


    ¡°Old sir, thisa€|a fresh Outer Gate disciple taking on the role of ¡®Little Instructor,¡¯ there¡¯s no precedent for this within the Taixu Gate¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there one now¡­¡± Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°Precedent?


    Well, someone always has to be the first.¡±


    ¡°This, this can¡¯t be done¡­¡±


    The other elders also said, ¡°Old sir, this action is inappropriate¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really quite¡­unprecedented.¡±


    ¡°Forgive this junior¡¯s disrespecta€|but this seems somewhat¡­trifling¡­¡±


    ¡°Such a role as ¡®Little Instructor¡¯ just can¡¯t be established¡­¡±


    The group of True Transmission Elders buzzed with discussion.


    Elder Master Xun took a sip of tea, sighed, and said, ¡°I am not unreasonable, and since all of you oppose it, let¡¯s compromise.


    We won¡¯t make him ¡®Little Instructor.¡¯ Let¡¯s slightly elevate his rank, make him a ¡®Junior Brother¡¯ instead¡­¡±


    The other True Transmission Elders froze, hearts skipping a beat.


    Uh-oh, this was a trap.


    Elder Master Xun was retreating tactically; his original plan likely wasn¡¯t ¡°Little Instructor¡± at all¡­


    A True Transmission Elder bit the bullet, still wanting to oppose.


    ¡°This fearsome¡­still seems¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression darkened, slightly angry he said:


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already compromised enough.


    If not ¡®Little Instructor,¡¯ then fine, but a ¡®Junior Brother,¡¯ just a little oral rank, without a real position, and you still have objections?¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve become old and my words hold no weight?¡±


    The group of True Transmission Elders felt bitter, cold sweat forming on their foreheads, finally resorting to flattering:


    ¡°Old sir is right, it¡¯s just a title of ¡®Junior Brother¡¯ after all¡­¡±


    At this point, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and say:


    ¡°¡­let¡¯s do it then!¡±


    Elder Master Xun was finally satisfied, nodded, waved his hand, and started shooing people away:


    ¡°Dismiss, dismiss, it¡¯s just a trivial matter, making a big fuss¡­¡±


    ¡°This matter is thus settled!¡±


    The group of True Transmission Elders smiled bitterly but had no choice but to accept it.


    During the next Formation class, Elder Master Xun called Mo Hua to the podium and told the disciples below:


    ¡°In the outside world, each of you have your opinions, and I do not interfere¡­¡±


    ¡°But from now on, in this Tao Teaching Room devoted to teaching Formations¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun pointed at Mo Hua, his voice old but firm, ¡°all you disciples¡­must address him asa€¡±¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother!¡±

 Chapter 821 - 821 598 Merit Points

    ?Chapter 821: Chapter 598 Merit Points Chapter 821: Chapter 598 Merit Points Mo Hua was still somewhat uncomfortable being called ¡°Junior Brother¡± by a group of fellow disciples, some about the same age, others one or two years older, and some who at least appeared quite a bit older than himself.


    These disciples called him ¡°Junior Brother¡± awkwardly, as though they were ashamed, in hushed voices like mosquitoes, for fear of being overheard.


    But this was Elder Master Xun¡¯s intent.


    Elder Master Xun, a man of great virtue and esteem, had words that even some of the True Transmission Elders of the Inner Gate dared not lightly disobey.


    Let alone these newly admitted Outer Gate disciples.


    However, familiarity came with repetition.


    After calling him that enough times, they got used to it.


    ...


    The more they said it, the more fluent they became.


    But some, deep down, were still resentful.


    Occasionally, ¡°thorns¡± would find an excuse to ¡°challenge¡± Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t take them to heart, though; he didn¡¯t need to make much of an effort.


    He simply leveraged Elder Master Xun¡¯s reputation and his authority as ¡°Junior Brother¡± to assign them extra Formation homework.


    These ¡°thorn¡± disciples would immediately behave themselves.


    A Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense ranged between Ten Patterns to Thirteen Stripes.


    These disciples, newly entering Foundation Establishment, mostly only had Divine Senses of Ten or Eleven Patterns.


    Drawing one or two Formations was bearable, but doing more was truly ¡°excruciating.¡±


    Mo Hua drew Formations every day and thus had an exceedingly precise grasp on Divine Sense capacity.


    The homework he assigned was just enough for them to manage to complete; although it was very strenuous and painful, it wouldn¡¯t damage their Sea of Consciousness.


    It was a minor lesson.


    Overawed by Elder Master Xun¡¯s authority, they dared not shirk their duties.


    After Mo Hua had dealt with them in such a manner several times, no disciple dared to publicly challenge his ¡°dignity¡± anymore.


    Over time, Mo Hua¡¯s identity as ¡°Junior Brother¡± was gradually accepted by the disciples.


    Even though he was called ¡°Junior Brother,¡± Mo Hua carried no airs; he treated others and went about his tasks in the same way as before.


    More and more disciples began to seek Mo Hua¡¯s advice on Formations, secretly approaching him during breaks or after class.


    Some had confusion over Formations that they couldn¡¯t clarify during lessons and were too scared to ask Elder Master Xun, so they came to ask Mo Hua instead.


    Mo Hua was far more approachable than Elder Master Xun.


    And when others sought instruction in Formations, Mo Hua would share everything he knew without reservation.


    He still remembered Instructor Yan¡¯s admonition:


    ¡°Formations are like water; to flourish for ages, they must be passed downa€|¡±


    Selfishly hoarding knowledge would only cause Formations containing elements of the Great Dao to decay into stagnation.


    Thus, Mo Hua sincerely offered his teachings to those truly eager to learn about Formations, providing complete and attentive explanations.


    Having benefited from Mo Hua¡¯s preaching, the disciples found the term ¡°Junior Brother¡± even more natural to utter. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Elder Master Xun became increasingly ¡°lazy,¡± Mo Hua¡¯s teaching duties also increased, thus solidifying his relationship with his fellow sect disciples.


    Their comradeship, half mentorship, and half friendship, deepened as well.


    Elder Master Xun silently observed all this and felt reassured.


    With these bonds, Mo Hua was gradually laying down roots within Taixu Gate.


    As time went by, the bonds deepened, and his foundation grew firmer.


    However, the number of people was still lacking¡­


    Taiyi Residence had only nearly a hundred disciples, and only these nearly hundred would call Mo Hua ¡°Junior Brother¡± when they attended the Formation classes together.


    But there were nearly a thousand Proud Sons of Heaven in this cohort.


    Those not in the same Tao Teaching Room naturally wouldn¡¯t be taught by Mo Hua¡­


    Elder Master Xun thought to himself:


    ¡°In the future, I must find an opportunity to have all the disciples of this cohort attend Mo Hua¡¯s ¡®classes¡¯ and call out ¡®Junior Brother¡¯¡­¡±


    Not a single one should be left out!


    Elder Master Xun was very far-sighted.


    The foundation of the Sect was people, those disciples who carried on its tradition.


    The bond with the sect¡¯s disciples was equivalent to a bond with the sect itself.


    Taixu Gate, being one of the Eight Great Gates, had sect disciples who, although not as numerous as those of the Four Great Sects, were still considered elite within the states of the Cultivation World.


    Having good relations with his fellow disciples, when Mo Hua eventually left the sect to traverse the world, he would naturally have a network.


    All throughout the Nine State would be fellow sect members, and friends would greet him everywhere.


    Being called ¡°Junior Brother¡± wherever he went, his endeavors would be more convenient.


    With the support of his fellow sect members, he wouldn¡¯t forget the Sect¡¯s bond of fellowship.


    With the Sect as his backbone and the help of fellow sect members, even if he was alone in the future, he wouldn¡¯t fear the suppression of Noble Clans or the allure of the Demon Sect.


    Only then would he have the confidence to maintain his original intention, avoid deviant paths, and seek the true Great Dao¡­


    Elder Master Xun nodded with a profound look in his eyes.


    Then he seemed to remember something, furrowing his brow, realizing another issue:


    ¡°While it¡¯s true that people are the foundation of the Sect, the Sect itself has an established tradition¡­¡±


    ¡°The rules of the Sect must still be upheld, and the disciples must be made aware of their tradition of inheritance.¡±


    ¡°What comes too easily is often not appreciated¡­¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be overly partial to this boy; that could rob him of the opportunity to be tempered¡­¡±


    ¡°The necessary hardships must still be endured¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun arched his eyebrows slightly.


    a€|


    Mo Hua was unaware of Elder Master Xun¡¯s painstaking intentions.


    He was busy every day with cultivation, teaching classes, and then taking responsibility to ¡°lecture,¡± and in the little free time he had left, studying Formations.


    Mo Hua was now learning a Formation called the ¡°Rain Formation.¡±


    This was an Eight Trigrams Formation of the Water element, Second Grade with Fifteen Patterns, and was the most challenging Formation he had learned so far with the limit of his Divine Sense.


    This Formation was also given to him by Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun seemed to want Mo Hua to cultivate a kind nature and a gentle approach to Formations, so what followed were Formations of Water and Wood or Earth and Stone, those that nourish all beings and promote the industry of Tao Cultivation.

 Chapter 822 - 822 598 Merit Points_2

    ?Chapter 822: Chapter 598 Merit Points_2 Chapter 822: Chapter 598 Merit Points_2 ¡°`


    There wasn¡¯t a Killing Formation.


    Mo Hua, having arrived, settled in and decided that having something to study was good enough.


    Taixu Gate had a peaceful atmosphere; there were no Sin Cultivators, no Demon Cultivators, no slave traders, and nothing of the sort like Evil Fiends, so he temporarily had no use for a Killing Formation.


    His main goal was to enhance his Divine Sense through learning Formations.


    Then, after enhancing his Divine Sense, he would learn even more difficult Formations¡­


    In this way, his Divine Sense and Formation skills would complement each other and progress side by side.


    His breakthrough in cultivation was also closely related to his Divine Sense and Formation skills.


    ...


    He practiced the Heaven Yan Jue, where the bottleneck lay in Divine Sense, needing to solve Mystery Formations, especially when making a breakthrough in major realms, where he had to solve the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.


    This time, when making his breakthrough, Uncle wouldn¡¯t be helping him anymore.


    It seemed he would have to rely on himself, so his Divine Sense must be strong, and his Formation skills precise.


    All of the spells he knew also depended on the strength of his Divine Sense.


    Divine Sense Proving the Dao, Divine Sense was the foundation.


    As for cultivation, it had always been about gradual accumulation; success would come when conditions were ripe, and it could not be hurried.


    Mo Hua¡¯s current plan was to learn Fifteen-pattern Formations, honing his Divine Sense to Sixteen Patterns, or even higher, so that when it came time to advance his cultivation, his bottlenecks would be easier to break through.


    He would start with Fifteen-pattern Formations, then move on to Sixteen Patterns, and then to Seventeen Patterns, continuing to learn like this¡­


    However, half a month later, Elder Master Xun told Mo Hua that there were no more Formations for him to learn.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Elder Master Xun sighed, ¡°I forgot to tell you before, but Taixu Gate has its rules too.¡±


    ¡°Rules?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked.


    ¡°Rules!¡± Elder Master Xun emphasized before patiently explaining to Mo Hua.


    ¡°This rule was set by the Ancestors, and I can¡¯t change it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling it was reasonable, not realizing that Elder Master Xun himself was one of the ¡°Ancestors¡± he mentioned.


    Elder Master Xun continued:


    ¡°The Formations taught in class are decided by the Sect and are taught to you for free¡­¡±


    ¡°But the Formations outside of class, theoretically, come at a cost.¡±


    ¡°Especially since you¡¯ve just started and are at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, the Formations you learn in theory should not exceed Eleven Patterns.¡±


    ¡°Formations of twelve or thirteen patterns, even if learned quickly, are something you¡¯d only be taught in the next year or the year after.¡±


    ¡°And even then, it¡¯s not mandatory.¡±


    ¡°Usually, a Formation Master at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, even at the peak, would find learning a Twelve-pattern Formation quite difficult, let alone Thirteen Patterns¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua, ¡°So the Formations you¡¯ve learned, Fourteen and Fifteen Patterns, are seriously beyond what¡¯s required, and it was an exception I made to teach you.¡±


    Mo Hua was touched and gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Master Xun!¡±


    Then he became worried, ¡°You¡¯re not going to settle the score afterwards and make me pay with Spirit Stones, are you?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how many Spirit Stones a Second-grade Fourteen-pattern and Fifteen-pattern Formation would cost.


    But the sort of Formations kept by the Sect, legitimate Eight Trigrams series Formations, presumably would not be cheap¡­


    Mainly because he learned a lot.


    Unconsciously, Elder Master Xun had already given him quite a few Formation Diagrams.


    There was only one Rain Formation at Fifteen Patterns, but Mo Hua had learned a heap of Thirteen and Fourteen-pattern Formations.


    If he had to retroactively pay with Spirit Stones, his modest savings would be instantly ¡°bankrupt.¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, somewhat worried.


    Elder Master Xun silently looked at Mo Hua for a moment before speaking up:


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary; since I gave them to you, you can study in peace without paying any Spirit Stones.


    In Taixu Gate, the Sect¡¯s inheritance isn¡¯t bought with Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Not with Spirit Stones?¡± Mo Hua was slightly startled.


    ¡°Then what with?¡±


    Elder Master Xun said, ¡°Merit Points.¡±


    ¡°Merit Points?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    No one had mentioned this to him when he joined¡­


    Elder Master Xun explained: S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Merit Points refer to the disciple¡¯s contribution to the Sect, or accomplishments¡­¡±


    ¡°Not only in Taixu Gate, but across the entire Qian Xue State Boundary, including the Four Great Sects, Eight Great Gates, Twelve Streams, Qian Learning Hundred Gates, and the thousands of Sects under the Hundred Gates all implement the ¡®Merit Points System¡¯.¡±


    ¡°This was established by the ancestors of Qian Xue State Boundary to reform the Sects, enhance cohesion, level the disparity between rich and poor disciples, and give every disciple a chance to obtain cultivation resources to advance the status of the Sect.¡±


    ¡°If disciples enter the Sect with too great a disparity in wealth and social standing, it inevitably leads to sycophancy and vain comparisons.¡±


    ¡°The poor become servants of the rich; the powerless cling to the powerful.¡±


    ¡°If so, the Sect would inevitably become a den of iniquity, with the Taoist Heart corrupted by fame and gain, no one sincerely pursuing the Dao.¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, ¡°So that is why the Sect limits the amount of Spirit Stones a disciple can bring in when joining, and other items like Pills, Spiritual Artifacts, and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures are also regulated¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°Exactly, once you join the Sect, you naturally need to rely on your own efforts.¡±


    ¡°Descendants of Noble Clans with good backgrounds also need to earn Merit Points with their own skills, exchanging them for cultivation resources, thus experiencing the difficulty of Tao Cultivation;¡±


    ¡°Ordinary disciples from lesser backgrounds can also work hard to become self-reliant, earning Merit Points from the Sect to obtain Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures they can¡¯t get outside, thereby breaking through their realms and striving for the Great Dao¡­¡±


    It¡¯s just that¡­


    Nowadays, in these Eight Great Gates, such ¡°poorly born¡± disciples were becoming more and more rare¡­


    Elder Master Xun sighed slightly to himself.


    ¡°Merit Points¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°So can these Merit Points be exchanged for good stuff?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°Better than what you¡¯re thinking of¡­¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 823 - 823 598 Merit Points_3

    ?Chapter 823: Chapter 598 Merit Points_3 Chapter 823: Chapter 598 Merit Points_3 Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he suddenly remembered the name:


    ¡°The Taixu Divine Thought Sword True Art!¡±


    With enough merit points, could he obtain this extremely powerful Divine Thought Sword Technique, possibly hidden within the Taixu Gate?


    Mo Hua considered this and decided not to ask Elder Master Xun.


    Such matters should be kept secret¡­


    Just in case he told Elder Master Xun, who might ask how he knew about it, and if Mo Hua couldn¡¯t answer, or didn¡¯t answer well, he might inadvertently reveal the secret of the ¡°Heavenly Secret Calculation.¡±


    Besides, might he also be able to exchange for¡­


    a Second Grade Ultimate Formation?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up with anticipation.


    Elder Master Xun, unaware of Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, continued to explain:


    ¡°a€|Therefore, merit points are extremely important to sect disciples.¡±


    ¡°The merit system of the sect also increases a disciple¡¯s loyalty and sense of belonging to the sect.¡±


    You make contributions to the sect, the sect rewards you, helping your cultivation.


    ...


    This mutual exchange deepens the relationshipa€|


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    In this world, emotions without interests are usually as ephemeral as flowers in a mirror, unable to withstand turmoil.


    Having lived for so long, Elder Master Xun naturally understood this truth.


    Mo Hua remembered something else and asked:


    ¡°Elder, you mentioned that merit points are also related to one¡¯s position in the sect; does this refer to promotions from the Outer Gate to the Inner Gate?¡±


    Elder Master Xun looked somewhat surprised but nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    He pondered for a moment, then counter-asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°Mo Hua, what do you think is more important for a sect when taking disciples ¨C talent or character?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Both talent and character are important, but character is actually more important than talent.¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded in agreement, ¡°Correct, it¡¯s just a pity that now when the sect takes on disciples, they only focus on talent, not character¡­¡±


    ¡°Although it is said that the human heart is unpredictable and changing, those with bad character might not necessarily fail to turn from wickedness to righteousness, and those with good character could also become corrupted and adopt cunning schemes.¡±


    ¡°As for talent, the good is good, and the bad is bad, it¡¯s straightforward and cleara€|¡±


    ¡°However, even so, cultivating without considering the heart is in vain.


    Having cultivation but lacking a firm heart, one can easily end up as a puppet controlled by others¡¯ Divine Thought¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head in deep agreement.


    He had seen too many cultivators planted with the devil in their Taoist hearts by their Uncles and dying at their hands.


    Those with a steadfast mind could hold out for a while.


    But those with a shallow character could lash out in madness with just one glance from their Uncle¡­ Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However¡­


    Why did Elder Master Xun suddenly bring up this matter?


    Mo Hua was puzzled and asked:


    ¡°Elder, what does this have to do with merit points?¡±


    Elder Master Xun sighed deeply, recalling the past:


    ¡°In the beginning, the sects of the Qian Xue State Boundary didn¡¯t have this merit point system, and back then, there were fewer rules, and taking in disciples heavily favored talent.¡±


    ¡°A top top-grade or upper middle-grade Proud Son of Heaven would often be frantically vied for by numerous sects.¡±


    ¡°Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, Spiritual Energy, Dan, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures a€¡° everything they wanted was provided to them, whatever they asked for, they received.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°This also made these Proud Sons of Heaven too arrogant, believing that everything they had was earnt through their own abilities, forgetting the sacrifices and benevolence of their sect.¡±


    ¡°Ungrateful, betraying the sect, and even succumbing to demons a€¡° such ¡®Proud Sons of Heaven¡¯ were not uncommon.¡±


    ¡°The sects paid a heavy price, only to raise a group of ingrates.¡±


    ¡°Later on, our predecessors reflected on these woes and established the ¡®merit¡¯ system, stating that no matter how good one¡¯s talent, to obtain true inheritance, they must have made substantial contributions to the sect.¡±


    ¡°Outer Gate disciples seeking to advance to the Inner Gate must be evaluated not only for talent but also for their merit points.¡±


    ¡°Inner Gate disciples, whether ordinary disciples or True Disciples, must have made certain contributions to the sect to qualify for promotion to Elder.¡±


    ¡°In other words, as long as you make significant contributions to the sect, you can enter the Inner Gate, become a True Disciple, and even advance to become a True Transmission Elder, or evena€|¡±


    ¡°Promote to Sect Leader!¡±


    Elder Master Xun spoke with fervor.


    After he finished, he glanced at Mo Hua and saw that Mo Hua simply nodded but did not show any eager expression, so he understood that Mo Hua had no interest in joining the Inner Gate.


    Joining the Inner Gate required taking a master.


    If Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to join the Inner Gate, it also meant that he did not want to give up his original mentorship.


    Even the possibility of becoming the Sect Leader of the Taixu Gate didn¡¯t seem to have much appeal to him.


    ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?0


    This also meant that the boy truly had a mentorship.


    And he valued loyalty and integrity, only recognizing his first Master.


    Elder Master Xun felt a bit regretful but also admired Mo Hua¡¯s sentiments.


    Elder Master Xun then added a few more words, finishing his explanation about the origin and purpose of the merit system, before saying:


    ¡°Therefore, from now on, if you want to learn Formation, you¡¯ll have to make some contributions to the sect.


    Once you¡¯ve earned enough merit points, you can then exchange them for those Fifteen Pattern, Sixteen Pattern, or even higher-grade Formation Diagrams.¡±


    Mo Hua thought it over and felt it was fair.


    Nothing in the world comes for free.


    The sect couldn¡¯t just let its members shear it without giving anything in return.


    If there were too many disciples like himself, the sect might be sheared to the bone, sheared out of existence, and that would be problematica€|


    Mo Hua nodded and asked:


    ¡°Elder, how can I earn these merit points?¡±


    Elder Master Xun saw that Mo Hua showed no discontent and nodded slightly, explaining:


    ¡°Achieving ¡®A¡¯ grades in various sect classes can grant you some merit pointsa€|¡±


    ¡°Refining Artifacts, Alchemy, Refining Rune, Drawing Formation for the sect can also be converted into merit pointsa€|¡±


    ¡°At major Qian Xue events, such as Taoist debates and sword tournaments, achieving a ranking awards merit pointsa€|¡±


    ¡°In addition, the sect will have certain tasks, such as collaborating with the Taoist Court to capture Sin Cultivators, Evil Cultivators, Demon Cultivators, and so on, which will also count as contributions to the sect¡¯s merit pointsa€|¡±

 Chapter 824 - 824 598 Merit Points _4

    ?Chapter 824: Chapter 598 Merit Points _4 Chapter 824: Chapter 598 Merit Points _4 ¡°Of course, such things are too bloody and dangerous, you can¡¯t do them now¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Master Xun said a lot.


    Mo Hua silently took note of it all and then asked with confusion, ¡°Elder Master, what you¡¯ve mentioned, how come I didn¡¯t know any of it before¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun raised an eyebrow and replied, ¡°That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t have the authority to know.¡±


    ¡°Authority?¡±


    Elder Master Xun pointed at Mo Hua¡¯s waist.


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, ¡°The Taixu Token?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± said Elder Master Xun.


    ¡°When you first joined, someone must have told you that the Taixu Token is extremely important and that you should not lose it¡­¡±


    ¡°Not only do you need to use the Taixu Token for cultivation lessons and entering or exiting the Sect, but more importantly¡­¡±


    ¡°The Taixu Token determines your authority within the Sect!¡±


    ¡°When you first joined, this Taixu Token was just the initial one.


    Aside from attending cultivation lessons and entering or exiting the Disciple¡¯s Residence, it basically has no authority whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°Once you have been cultivating within the Sect for a full year, when the Sect has fully ¡®sounded out your depth,¡¯ only then will they unlock the real Taixu authorities for you¡­¡±


    ¡°This is also known as ¡®Merit Points¡¯ authority.¡±


    ¡°With authority, you will be able to undertake tasks on behalf of the Sect, as stipulated by the Taixu Token, earn Merit Points, and exchange them for a series of treasures held by the Taixu Gate, including Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, Formation inheritances, as well as Spirit Stones, Pills, Spiritual Objects, and other cultivation resources¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat shocked and then said with difficulty,


    ¡°But I¡¯ve only been a part of the Sect for four or five months, I can¡¯t unlock the authority of the Taixu Token¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter,¡± Elder Master Xun said, ¡°I¡¯ll unlock it for you in advance.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Mo Hua was stunned.


    ¡°Can you unlock it in advance?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve been learning Formation with me for so long, that naturally counts as ¡®sounding out your depth.¡¯ Unlocking an authority in advance isn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Hand me your Taixu Token,¡± ordered Elder Master Xun.


    ...


    Mo Hua respectfully passed his initial, somewhat simple Taixu Token, engraved only with a Sword Pattern, to Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun accepted it, his Divine Sense moved slightly, and a faint light flashed on the Taixu Token.


    Afterward, Elder Master Xun handed the Taixu Token back to Mo Hua, ¡°There, it¡¯s done.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Unlocking authority is that easy¡­


    He speculated in his heart, faintly guessing that Elder Master Xun must have used his Divine Sense to activate the Formation within the Taixu Token, altering its authority¡­


    But as for the specifics, Mo Hua, who was only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, still couldn¡¯t understand.


    Mo Hua took the Taixu Token and swept it with his Divine Sense.


    Indeed, he felt that his Taixu Token was different from before; it seemed to have acquired some new content.


    Mo Hua hadn¡¯t examined it in detail when another question came to mind.


    ¡°Elder Master, you said the rules of the Sect cannot be changed¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Elder Master Xun with doubtful eyes.


    ¡°But what you¡¯re doing, isn¡¯t that also changing the rules?¡±


    Elder Master Xun hesitated.


    This kid, this little brain of his, how quickly it turns¡­


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression became serious.


    ¡°No, it does not count!¡±


    ¡°Really doesn¡¯t count?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded.


    ¡°If I say it doesn¡¯t count, then it doesn¡¯t count!¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what to say.


    But Elder Master Xun unlocking the authority of the Taixu Token for him was a good thing, so he didn¡¯t dwell on it any further¡­ sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Whether it was against the rules or not, what would he, a disciple who had just joined, know?


    Holding the Taixu Token, Mo Hua looked forward with anticipation, thinking about scrutinizing it later to see what tasks were available and what good things he could exchange for¡­


    Elder Master Xun watched Mo Hua and gave one last piece of advice:


    ¡°Cultivators should prioritize stability in their practice, and not aim too high or far¡­¡±


    ¡°Though I¡¯ve unlocked the authority for you, you¡¯ve only just joined, and your cultivation is still weak, with little experience¡­¡±


    ¡°To begin with, take on some low-level, beginner tasks, like Drawing Formations, sweeping the Taoist Field, guarding the gate, and the like¡­¡±


    ¡°Those tasks like pursuing Sin Cultivators, killing Evil Cultivators, subduing major and minor Demon Sects¡­¡±


    ¡°You absolutely shouldn¡¯t take on such dangerous missions¡­¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded obediently.

 Chapter 825 - 825 599 Large Formation

    ?Chapter 825: Chapter 599: Large Formation?


    Chapter 825: Chapter 599: Large Formation?


    Returning to his Disciple¡¯s Residence and locking the door, Mo Hua eagerly used his Divine Sense to check his Taixu Token, which now had Tao Cultivation privileges enabled. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Within the Taixu Token was a void of white, yet dense and numerous characters surfaced.


    Some were about cultivation courses and sect rules, etc.


    Those were already there.


    But now, like ink sketches and natural pastel colors, two large sections of text had been added to the empty spaces of the Taixu Token.


    ...


    One section was the Bounty Scroll, the other the Merit Scroll.


    The Bounty Scroll recorded various sect missions.


    Missions were posted, and rewards of Merit Points were offered.


    The text was dense, stating mission objectives, general content, locations, danger levels, and the Merit Points for rewards.


    It also listed the requirements for accepting the bounties.


    For instance, the Cultivator¡¯s realm, Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, and specialty in Alchemy or Drawing Formation, etc.


    The Merit Scroll showed the assorted rewards one could exchange for Sect Merits.


    There were Cultivation Techniques, Taoist Skills, Formation Diagrams, Pill Recipes, Artifice Manuals, and secret Taixu Gate cultivation inheritances.


    There were also Spiritual Artifacts, Pills, and rare cultivation materials such as Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.


    For the convenience of disciples, some sword Spiritual Artifacts, Miracle Pills and Medicines, and some Lingzhi, Spirit Grass, Hibiscus, and Immortal Ginseng were even accompanied by small, colorful illustrations, which were intuitive and aesthetically pleasing, very considerate.


    Mo Hua guessed this Merit Scroll must be designed by some Female Elder within the sect.


    Meanwhile, his heart was also full of confusion.


    How on earth was such a thing within the Taixu Token created?


    This was somewhat contrary to his cultivation common sense.


    He had never seen such things before.


    These seemed to be things only accessible upon reaching Foundation Establishment, and not just any Foundation Establishment, but one within a grand inheritance like the Taixu Gate, where sect disciples would have such a ¡°Sect Token¡±¡­


    But what was the principle behind this Sect Token?


    ¡°All things in the world are Taoist Skills, myriad phenomena and myriad Great Dao, turning complexity into simplicity, manifesting as Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°So is this perhaps also some sort of Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a long while but still shook his head.


    He couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of Formation logic could construct such a peculiar and wondrous Merit Scroll within a tiny Token.


    Using ink to solidify characters, transmitting messages.


    And even using pigments to transform into images, bursting with color¡­


    But according to Mo Hua¡¯s intuition, these must all be superficial.


    It was most likely a type of Formation he had never seen or learned.


    It would require extremely special Formation Patterns, Formation Pivots, and Formation Eyes to construct the underlying basic Formation framework.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and suddenly had a thought.


    ¡°Why not¡­


    Calculate it?¡±


    See if he could deduce anything from the Taixu Token¡­


    When he first enrolled, Mo Hua had glanced at the Taixu Token.


    But at that time, his access was extremely limited, his Divine Sense blocked by the Taixu Token, and with his shallow understanding of Formations, he couldn¡¯t make out anything.


    Now, after studying Formations with Elder Master Xun for nearly half a year,


    His Divine Sense had strengthened, his Array Formation Skill had deepened, and his experience with Formations had broadened.


    And at this moment, Elder Master Xun had opened up ¡°privileges¡± for him¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, he immediately sat up straight, his Divine Sense delving into the Taixu Token, examining the changes of various characters and ink paintings within.


    At the same time, his Divine Thoughts rapidly moved, following the Heavenly Secret Calculation method, trying to glimpse the essence beneath the words and images¡­


    The characters on the Taixu Token gradually blurred, the colorful patterns began to double.


    The facade of the Taixu Token dissipated bit by bit, revealing a faint and elusive essence¡­


    Between the vague glimpses, Mo Hua caught a clue.


    The ink characters and watercolor images were indeed appearances.


    The essence of these characters and images were Formation Patterns.


    All words and images were composed of simple, uniform, rigid yet orderly Formation Patterns, neatly arranged and combined into transformations.


    And these Formation Patterns were all controlled by Formation Pivots.


    All Formation Pivots were neat and precise, and like many rivers flowing into the sea, they converged into one overall, powerful Large Formation Pivot.


    This kind of Large Formation Pivot was extremely complex and massive.


    It was shrouded in a labyrinth of intricate and dense Formation ¡°cloaks,¡± forming an impenetrable defensive Formation barrier.


    In front of such a Formation Pivot, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense seemed insignificant and thin.


    As the Sea of Consciousness gradually waned, the Calculation came to an end, and Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, being limited, could deduce no more¡­


    But he was profoundly shaken as a result.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­


    also a Large Formation, can it?!¡±


    A Large Formation built by the Taixu Token!


    Every disciple in the Taixu Gate, each Taixu Token, was a Formation ¡°terminal,¡± then collectively linked to the Large Formation Pivot core ¡°core sequence¡± of the Taixu Gate.


    Thus, all Taixu Gate disciples, by virtue of the Taixu Token, could achieve ¡°information¡± sharing and Divine Sense letter transmission.


    This was another type of entirely different Large Formation.


    Unlike the outwardly powerful and majestic Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, the Five Elements Mountain Guarding Formation,


    The Large Formation of the Taixu Token was one built within inches, a grand information sea and Divine Thought torrent encompassing everything.


    This¡­


    was it also a kind of Great Dao of heaven and earth?


    Mo Hua¡¯s horizons widened, overwhelmed with shock, and then he couldn¡¯t help but silently contemplate:


    If¡­


    he learned this Large Formation¡­


    Deciphered the Formation Pivot barriers, took control of the Large Formation¡¯s ¡°core Formation Pivot¡±¡­


    Would he be able¡­


    To eavesdrop on all Elders and disciples in the Taixu Gate¡¯s communications?


    To peer into the core secrets of the Taixu Gate?

 Chapter 826 - 826 599 Large Formation_2

    ?Chapter 826: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_2 Chapter 826: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_2 Furthermore, if he controlled the Large Formation, did it also imply¡­


    that he could tamper with the ¡°permissions¡± of Taixu?


    Grant himself ¡°authority¡±?


    Or even manually edit his own ¡°Merit Points¡±?


    What about exchanging Sect Treasures, Innate Spiritual Objects, and Divine Thought Sword Techniques at will?


    Endless Merit Points to spend for a lifetime?!


    ...


    ¡­


    Mo Hua opened his mouth wide.


    Evil little thoughts sprouted like mushrooms after the rain, one after another, ceaselessly popping up¡­


    He then shook his head solemnly and said,


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°I am now a dutiful little disciple of the Taixu Gate, I have principles, and I cannot do things that harm the Sect¡¯s interests or usurp its authority!¡±


    ¡°Greed is a great taboo in Tao Cultivation!¡±


    Yet, his heart still fluttered with excitement.


    He couldn¡¯t steal from the Taixu Gate, but¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts raced.


    If Taixu Gate used this Formation System, it suggested that other Sects in the Qian Learning State Boundary might also use it.


    By extension¡­


    Even the larger, older, and more profound Sects with a longer history and deeper foundations likely had a Large Formation that integrated communication, rewards, and promotions all in one.


    Even if not a Large Formation, at a minimum it would be a Compound Formation.


    The scale may vary, but the type of Formation, framework logic, and underlying structure were bound to be the same.


    He didn¡¯t yet know how to operate this Formation,


    But with the Taixu Token right in front of him, once his Array Formation knowledge improved, his Divine Sense grew stronger, and his grasp on the Heavenly Secret Calculation became more proficient, he would eventually be able to deduce this entire Formation System¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel elated, then pondered, S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I am a disciple of Taixu Gate, I can¡¯t do wrong by them¡­¡±


    ¡°But other Sects¡­


    I¡¯m not their disciple¡­¡±


    ¡°Some so-called Righteous Dao Sects don¡¯t do good deeds either¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, in this world exist Demon Monsters, and Evil Sects like Corpse Gate¡­¡±


    ¡°If in the future, I master this Large Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face broke into a sly smile, and he hummed inwardly,


    ¡°All you Sects had better not offend me¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, if I ever happen upon your Sect Token, you¡¯ll be in for a ¡®great fortune¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Of course, that was still a bit early.


    Mo Hua put away his thoughts and began planning pragmatically.


    You have to eat your meal one bite at a time, walk the path step by step.


    Study the Taixu Token slowly.


    For now, he needed to accept Sect bounties, earn Merit Points, exchange them for Formations, and strengthen his Divine Sense.


    Once he accumulated enough Merit Points, gained more authority, he would then look at the higher-level Merit Scrolls to see if they contained the Taixu Divine Thought Sword True Art.


    And also¡­


    Formations capable of ¡°reversing life and death¡±¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was determined.


    He then began to take on tasks.


    Remembering Elder Master Xun¡¯s advice, not to aim too high, he started by only accepting ¡°entry-level¡± tasks.


    ¡°Accepting¡± tasks was a bidirectional affair.


    It required Mo Hua to apply, and others to agree.


    Within the Taixu Token, one could manifest characters with Divine Sense.


    There was a myriad of tasks on the bounty board, densely packed.


    If one wished to apply for a task, you¡¯d manifest your name with Divine Sense beneath it.


    This name contained some basic information about the disciple.


    Including one¡¯s cultivation realm, Cultivation Techniques, expertise in Taoist Skill, and the grade of their Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune, and so forth.


    Exactly which details to show was up to the disciple to decide.


    The Cultivator posting the task would consider this information and carefully decide whether to let you undertake it.


    Only with mutual agreement could a contract be reached.


    Mo Hua, who was a ¡°newcomer¡± with prematurely accessed Taixu permissions thanks to Elder Master Xun¡¯s influence, even faced setbacks when attempting to accept even just ¡°entry-level¡± tasks via the Taixu Token.


    Watching the Sect gate¡­


    Others wouldn¡¯t have him, saying he was too young, his height and appearance even younger, which could lead to comments about Taixu Gate employing a schoolchild, not a good influence¡­


    Sweeping the Taoist Field¡­


    Mo Hua did sweep once.


    The Sect¡¯s steward thought he swept too slowly and, seeing his small arms and legs, didn¡¯t have the heart to let him keep sweeping, so thereafter he simply stopped giving him tasks¡­


    He didn¡¯t know Artifact Refining, Alchemy, or Refining Rune.


    The other rewards were even less achievable.


    So in the end, Mo Hua could only resort to Drawing Formations.


    ¡°If I must draw Formations, so be it¡­¡±


    Originally hoping to experience other tasks, Mo Hua had no choice but to put aside those thoughts and focus on Drawing Formations.


    But he had oversimplified things.


    Sect tasks were essentially a kind of ¡°bounty.¡±


    These bounties were issued within the Taixu Gate by other neighboring Sects, the Taoist Court, and other allied forces or individual Cultivators.


    Demand generated the bounty.


    Others must need your formations for you to draw them.


    You don¡¯t get to draw whatever you please.


    This in itself was no issue.


    Mo Hua was extremely proficient in universal Five Elements Formation and reasonably skilled in the Eight Trigrams Array.


    Most of the ¡°bounties¡± in the Taixu Token for Secondary Stage Initial Grade, and even some Primary Stage above Formation-related tasks, Mo Hua was more than capable of handling, even with ¡°ease¡±¡­


    But he couldn¡¯t receive any!


    The Cultivators offering the bounties didn¡¯t choose him!


    Because Formation-related bounty tasks required one to look at the Formation Master¡¯s grade assigned by the Taoist Court.


    Those competing with Mo Hua were uniformly ¡°Second Grade Initial Stage,¡± ¡°Second Grade Middle Stage¡± Formation Masters¡­


    These Formation Masters, seniors by several terms, while Mo Hua, having passed only the First Grade Formation Master assessment, bore the title ¡°First Grade Formation Master,¡± and others simply didn¡¯t bother looking his way.

 Chapter 827 - 827 599 Large Formation_3

    ?Chapter 827: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_3 Chapter 827: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_3 Even though Mo Hua had labeled himself ¡°Skilled in Formation,¡± no one believed him at all.


    His talents found no place to shine.


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly.


    He could only turn back and take on some ¡°minor orders¡± for First-grade Formation Methods¡­


    These small orders were all for First-grade Formation Methods, basically unclaimed by anyone because the Merit Points offered were too few for a Second Rank Formation Master to bother with.


    First Rank Formation Masters, mostly just new disciples, for the most part, hadn¡¯t yet gained access to the Taixu Token privileges.


    So, these types of orders were only taken by a very few, budding Second Rank Formation Masters who would accept them to practice their skills.


    ...


    The title of ¡°First Rank Formation Master,¡± as assessed by the Taoist Court, carried a significant ¡°weight¡± when Mo Hua claimed rewards for First-grade Formation Methods.


    He didn¡¯t hold back, his Divine Sense swiftly scanned, and wherever he spotted ¡°First-grade Formation Method¡± in the bounty, he clicked on it, leaving behind his illustrious name:


    ¡°Mo Hua!¡±


    After a while, the Taixu Token trembled slightly, seemingly with a notification.


    Mo Hua checked with his Divine Sense and, sure enough, some rewards had been accepted, while a few ¡°short-sighted¡± ones still rejected him.


    Mo Hua huffed.


    Today you dismiss me, tomorrow you¡¯ll be unable to reach me!


    Who would take these First-grade Formation assignments if not for ¡°a tiger fallen on flatlands¡±?


    Then Mo Hua scanned the Bounty Scroll again, applied for a few more First-grade Formation rewards, waited a bit, and some were agreed upon, some rejected.


    Mo Hua counted, in total, he had six First-grade Formation bounties.


    He wanted to take on more but realized he couldn¡¯t manifest the words with his Divine Sense anymore.


    After pondering a bit, he roughly understood why.


    This was him reaching the limit for bounties.


    A disciple could only take six assignments at a time.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful.


    ¡°But six is still okay, I guess.


    I¡¯ll finish these first¡­¡±


    Mo Hua tucked the Taixu Token into his Storage Bag and stood up, leaving the Disciple¡¯s Residence and, using the map of the Taixu Gate etched in his mind, found the location of the Merit Pavilion.


    The Taixu¡¯s Merit Pavilion managed the Merit Points system, responsible for dealing with the posting, acceptance, and reward distribution related to bounties.


    Sect bounties had to be accepted through the Taixu Token.


    But for some necessary procedures, and prize collection, one would have to visit the Merit Pavilion in person.


    The same was true for Drawing Formations.


    Mo Hua had to retrieve ink, paper, and basic Formation Diagrams from the Merit Pavilion.


    Of course, simple formations, or formations with special requirements, required others to supply the Formation Diagrams.


    For slightly more challenging, or rarer formations, the person Drawing the Formation would have to find a way to obtain the Formation Diagrams himself.


    Inside the Merit Pavilion, there were plenty of disciples bustling about.


    Mo Hua waited in line for a while, and when it was his turn, he approached the counter, displayed his Taixu Token, and said,


    ¡°Elder, I¡¯m here to accept Formation assignments.¡±


    The Merit Elder was an old man, with grey and withered hair, but chubby.


    He checked Mo Hua¡¯s Taixu Token, and although looking somewhat puzzled, he still took out six Storage Bags and handed them to Mo Hua.


    Inside the Storage Bags were the ink and Formation Diagrams needed for the bounties.


    Mo Hua took the Storage Bags, turned around, and was about to leave.


    ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡±


    The Merit Elder, eyeing Mo Hua, couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen!¡±


    ¡°Fifteen¡­¡± the Merit Elder furrowed his brows, ¡°Then you must have just begun, not yet a year, how can you use the Taixu Token to accept assignments?¡±


    Mo Hua pinned it all on Elder Master Xun, ¡°Elder Master Xun urged me to undertake missions, earn Merit Points, and learn Formation Methods!¡±


    The Merit Elder was taken aback, ¡°Elder Master Xun?¡±


    Strange¡­


    Wasn¡¯t the old man always obstinate?


    How come he¡¯s bending the rules now?


    The Merit Elder looked at Mo Hua again, noticing the small figure laden with six Storage Bags and couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°Can you complete six Formation Methods?¡±


    ¡°I can!¡± Mo Hua replied, ¡°I¡¯m very quick at Drawing Formations!¡±


    Drawing Formations quickly?


    How fast could a child that young be?


    The Merit Elder shook his head, not asking further, simply waved his hand, ¡°Alright then, go on and draw them.


    Don¡¯t bite off more than you can chew though; failing to complete assignments can negatively affect your reputation¡­¡±


    ¡°Understood, Elder.¡±


    Mo Hua responded.


    The Merit Elder watched Mo Hua leave without giving it much thought.


    But after two hours, Mo Hua returned, placing the six Storage Bags on the table.


    ¡°Elder, I¡¯ve finished.¡±


    The Merit Elder was astounded.


    Finished?


    He opened the Storage Bags and indeed they all contained First-grade Formations, some using paper as Formation media, others with Array Plates or Spiritual Artifact embryos.


    Each Formation was neat and precise, conforming strictly to standards, without a single error.


    ¡°Truly finished so fast¡­¡±


    The Merit Elder was slightly surprised, but after reflecting, he found it unremarkable.


    After all, they were only First-grade Formations.


    The Merit Elder swept his Divine Sense over them, nodded, and said, ¡°Indeed, all are completed.


    Six First-grade Formations, in total nineteen Merit Points, have been added to your Taixu Token.¡±


    Mo Hua was delighted, and when his Divine Sense entered the Taixu, he indeed found a small number beneath his name:


    Nineteen.


    This meant he had earned nineteen Merit Points.


    ¡°Alright, you¡­¡± The Merit Elder was about to say, ¡°You may go,¡± but then Mo Hua immediately interrupted,


    ¡°Elder, please wait¡­¡±


    Mo Hua plunged his Divine Sense into the Taixu Token and after a moment, lifted his head and handed the Taixu Token back to the Merit Elder, ¡°I¡¯ve accepted some more¡­¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Merit Elder¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    This young boy isn¡¯t following the norms¡­


    Who accepts tasks like this?

 Chapter 828 - 828 599 Large Formation_4

    ?Chapter 828: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_4 Chapter 828: Chapter 599: Large Formation?_4 ¡°`


    And you¡¯re so young, yet you take on so many Formation methods; aren¡¯t you afraid of overextending your Divine Sense¡­


    The Merit Elder hesitated for a moment, but seeing Mo Hua¡¯s spirits high and not showing signs of fatigue, he said nothing and handed several Storage Bags to Mo Hua¡¯s hands.


    Mo Hua walked away cheerfully.


    As he watched him go, the Merit Elder silently noted the name on his Taixu Token.


    ¡­


    In the days that followed, Mo Hua continued his Drawing Formation.


    But a First-grade Formation Method yielded too little Merit Points, usually just three or four, which accumulated too slowly.


    ...


    And the ones he wanted to exchange for, the Fifteen Patterns and Sixteen-Pattern Formations, each required several hundred Merit Points.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua drew them quickly, so he made decent progress initially.


    But gradually, his plan to accumulate Merit Points began to stall.


    Firstly, because he still had to attend Tao Cultivation classes and couldn¡¯t draw every day.


    At most, he could only draw for two hours.


    He also needed to practice the Fifteen Patterns Rain Formation to enhance his Divine Sense, so he didn¡¯t have much time.


    Another reason was that the number of bounties for First-grade Formation Methods in the Taixu Token became scarce.


    Disciples of Taixu Gate were all above Foundation Establishment, and the demand for First-grade Formation Methods was naturally not high.


    Since Mo Hua drew extremely fast, fulfilling five or six at a time and taking on many at once, the bounties for First-grade Formations were quickly finished by him.


    The remaining ones were sporadic, with maybe only one or two bounties available per day.


    And Mo Hua might not even be able to take them.


    Adding it up, that was two or three Merit Points a day.


    As slow as a tortoise crawling.


    Saving for a year might not even suffice to exchange for one Fifteen Patterns Formation.


    Mo Hua sighed and pondered with furrowed brows:


    ¡°This won¡¯t do, it¡¯s too slow.


    I need to find a way to do some other tasks and quickly accumulate Merit Points to exchange for Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°But how to do it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was at a loss for a moment and then sank his Divine Sense into the Taixu Token, flipping through the Bounty Scroll for many days, and finally found a reliable method.


    With his low realm and shallow experience, he couldn¡¯t take on many bounties.


    But he could ¡°mix in¡± with the bounties!


    Some bounties couldn¡¯t be completed by a single person.


    After a leading disciple took it on, they would recruit three or four disciples to complete the mission collaboratively.


    After completion, Merit Points would be distributed based on contribution.


    There might be some discrepancies, but they wouldn¡¯t be too significant.


    Mo Hua glanced over and saw that some of the tougher tasks offered bounties of several hundred.


    If he mixed in, he could at least get several tens of Merit Points.


    That equated to what he would draw in a month of First-grade Formations.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he was ready to act.


    On the Taixu Token¡¯s Bounty Scroll, there would be recruitment messages attached.


    That is, someone takes on a bounty and needs to recruit others to complete it together.


    Mo Hua flipped through back and forth, his Divine Sense numbing from the search, and finally found a suitable task for himself on one of the recruitment messages:


    ¡°On the ninth day of the fifth month, a Second Grade Diancang State Boundary chase for a Sin Cultivator¡­¡±


    ¡°This Sin Cultivator is skilled in Formation methods and adept at setting them up, which makes him difficult to deal with.¡±


    ¡°One of our Fellow Formation Masters is needed for assistance, Second Grade Initial Stage preferred, but if one has exquisite Formation skills and self-protection capability, First Grade is acceptable¡­¡±


    ¡°Merit Points will be distributed based on contribution after success, starting from one hundred points¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua took another careful look.


    ¡°Self-protection capability,¡± ¡°First Grade is acceptable¡±¡­


    Isn¡¯t that describing himself? S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And starting from one hundred Merit Points!


    Mo Hua was delighted and left his name neatly on the recruitment notice:


    ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    He then thought for a moment and added afterward:


    ¡°Capable of concealment, has self-protection capability¡­¡±


    ¡°Very skilled at Formation methods!¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 829 - 829 600 Water Prison Technique

    ?Chapter 829: Chapter 600 Water Prison Technique Chapter 829: Chapter 600 Water Prison Technique Mo Hua left his name and then waited expectantly.


    Finally, after the time it took an incense stick to burn, the Taixu Token vibrated slightly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s application had been accepted.


    One hundred Merit Points!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Afterward, he began to prepare for the bounty task regarding ¡°that I could pass the test.¡±


    He packed some Spirit Stones, some Spiritual Ink, and his ¡°hidden¡± little cloak.


    Though the Thousand Jun Stick was not of much use anymore, it had been with him for so long, so he decided to bring it anyway.


    ... Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Besides, within the Diancang State Boundary, there seemed to be a Mount Diancanga€|


    He didn¡¯t know if there would be any poisonous gases or miasma in the mountains, so he decided to take Miasma Repelling Pills and Poison-Repelling Pillsa€¡±second grade ones.


    He also prepared some other odds and ends, ensuring he had everything he needed.


    The last issue to consider was preparing some means of overcoming his enemy.


    Mo Hua pondered silentlya€|


    A task for a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation was to pursue a Sin Cultivator, so that Sin Cultivator should also be at the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation.


    Since his cultivation was higher than Mo Hua¡¯s, the power of the Fireball Technique would probably be greatly reduced.


    As for Formationa€|


    The Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was Thirteen Stripes, a second-grade initial stage Formation, which he estimated would also be less effective in killing a Mid Foundation Establishment Cultivator.


    ¡°My offensive means are still too weaka€|¡± Mo Hua sighed.


    However, he was only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.


    It seemed normal for him not to be able to beat a cultivator in the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment.


    Moreover, the requirement for this bounty was a Formation Master ¡°adept in formations.¡±


    Apparently, he didn¡¯t need to kill himself.


    Relying on his ability in formations, he could just ¡°go with the flow¡±a€|


    But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to prepare a bit more.


    In case he encountered a powerful enemy, it was best if he could also lend a hand.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s the third day of the initial period; there are six days left until the nintha€|¡± Mo Hua thought, ¡°Six days should be just enough time for me to learn a new spella€|¡±


    ¡°This spell doesn¡¯t need to be offensivea€|¡±


    ¡°Because my Spiritual Power is weak, apart from the Fireball Technique, other powerful spells would probably be too difficult to learn, and even if I managed to learn them, their power would be too lowa€|¡±


    ¡°So, I should learn a controlling onea€|¡±


    A controlling spella€|


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Second-grade Water Prison Technique!¡±


    The Water Prison Technique was indeed quite useful.


    Especially for trapping enemies, interrupting their attacks, and countering cultivators with excellent movement techniquesa€¡±generally effective every time.


    But previously, he had only owned a secret manual for the Primary Stage Water Prison Technique, which was more commonly used during the Qi Refinement Realm.


    After his Promotion to Foundation Establishment, the effectiveness of this spell had decreased significantly, and hence he used it less frequently.


    And he couldn¡¯t find the secret manual for a higher grade spell.


    This was the plight of a Loose Cultivator with a weak legacy.


    Mo Hua had no other choice.


    But now, having joined the Taixu Gate, things were different.


    The Taixu Gate had a long-standing heritage and a profound foundation, having collected many Taoist Skills from all over.


    In the Merit Scroll, there should be a Second-grade Water Prison Technique.


    Mo Hua felt a hint of excitement as he immediately immersed his Divine Sense into the Taixu Token and rummaged through the Merit Scroll.


    In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he actually found the spell for the Water Prison Technique!


    Moreover, it was a complete set!


    Primary Stage to Fourth-order, a complete secret manual of the Water Prison Taoist Skill!


    There were even some remarks below:


    ¡°Water Prison Technique, a rare spell.


    Once the Ultimate Technique of the Water Prison Sect, never shared with outsiders.


    In the 19,080th year of the Taoist Calendar, the entire Water Prison Sect fell to demonization, suppressed by the Taoist Court.


    After its destruction, the Water Prison Technique spread across the world; however, many parts of the spell were missinga€|


    In the 19,900th year of the Taoist Calendar, True Man Yi compiled this technique into volumes, included in the Taixu Gatea€|¡±


    There was another comment at the end:


    ¡°The Water Prison Technique has a niche utility, easy to learn yet hard to master, choose with caution.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat astonished after reading it.


    This Water Prison Technique actually had some history behind it.


    What kind of sect was the Water Prison Sect?


    Why did the entire sect turn to demonization?


    And who was this True Man Yia€|


    Mo Hua thought for a moment but didn¡¯t care too much.


    The Cultivation World was so vast, with so many sects and cultivators of origin; he simply didn¡¯t have the time to look into each one.


    It was good enough that he had something to learn.


    Mo Hua glanced at the Merit Scroll and noticed that the complete set of the Water Prison Technique from Primary Stage to Fourth-order cost over ten thousand Merit Pointsa€|


    Mo Hua gasped.


    Too expensive!!


    Even selling himself would not cover the cost.


    Mo Hua looked carefully again and realized that the spell could be bought separately.


    Primary Stage to Second Grade cost only two hundred sixty Merit Points.


    The higher grades were the expensive ones; Third Grade cost over two thousand, while Fourth-order cost over eight thousand.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Luckily, I only need to buy the Second Grade¡­¡±


    But upon further thought, even the two hundred sixty Merit Points for the second grade were not cheapa€|


    He currently had a total of only about two hundred seventy to eighty Merit Points.


    This was the result of his hard work, accepting so many bounties, drawing nearly a hundred Formation patterns, and saving up for so long.


    Mo Hua was torn, mentally weighing his options for a long time before finally making a painful decision.


    Merit Points were meant to be used!


    What was the point of earning them if not to spend them?


    It was only the cost of one or two Sixteen-Pattern Formations.


    If he could master this Water Prison Technique thoroughly, it would benefit him throughout the entire Foundation Establishment stage!


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy it!¡±


    Mo Hua gritted his teeth.


    Then, with a swipe of his hand, the hard-earned Merit Points vanished in an instant.


    Mo Hua found it hard to breathe from the pain.


    But the thought of having a new spell to learn made it feel somewhat better.


    Without delay, Mo Hua immediately went to the Merit Pavilion to exchange his newly purchased ¡°Second-grade Water Prison Technique.¡±


    The Merit Elder who served Mo Hua was the same one as before.


    He glanced at the ¡°Water Prison Technique¡± secret manual and expressed his surprise:


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to save Merit Points to learn Formations?


    How come, after saving for so long, you exchanged them for a spell manual?¡±


    ¡°Anda€| for this peculiar Water Prison Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Sharpening your axe won¡¯t delay the chopping of firewood!


    If I learn the spell, I can ¡®mix in¡¯ with missions better and earn more Merit Points!


    Then I can exchange them for more Formations!¡±

 Chapter 830 - 830 600 Water Prison Technique_2

    ?Chapter 830: Chapter 600 Water Prison Technique_2 Chapter 830: Chapter 600 Water Prison Technique_2 ¡°Mixing up the tasks?¡± the Merit Elder was taken aback.


    Mo Hua, feeling a bit guilty, said, ¡°I misspoke, what I meant was ¡®taking¡¯ tasks.¡±


    The Merit Elder shook his head, somewhat bewildered. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This kid, what strange things is he up to¡­¡±


    ¡°Learning such tricky spells¡­


    what exactly does he want to do?¡±


    But since Mo Hua wanted to exchange, the elder couldn¡¯t say much.


    After all, this was in keeping with the traditions of Taixu Gate.


    As long as one had merit points, he could exchange them for whatever he desired; the elder couldn¡¯t interfere.


    The Merit Elder handed the Second-Grade Water Prison Technique Secret Manual to Mo Hua.


    ...


    Mo Hua, receiving the secret manual, ran off with a beaming smile, leaving the Merit Elder deep in thought.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua hurried back to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, eager to open the ¡°Water Prison Technique Secret Manual.¡±


    This secret manual was of the second grade.


    But since the disciples of Taixu Gate all started their studies from the Foundation Establishment Realm, the second-grade secret manual also ¡°came with¡± a first-grade spell as a bonus.


    ¡°Buy one get one free¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling like he hadn¡¯t made a bad deal.


    In hopes of gaining more, Mo Hua reviewed the first-grade Water Prison Technique from start to finish only to discover, to his astonishment, that this first-grade Water Prison Technique was quite different from the secret manual he had obtained¡­


    The spells were more complete, the vital points more complex, and the circulation of Spiritual Power through the meridians was more difficult.


    Recalling the origin of the Water Prison Technique on his Merit Scroll, a realization dawned on Mo Hua.


    His previous First-Grade Water Prison Technique Secret Manual was obtained from a Sin Cultivator from Big Black Mountain, an inheritance lost and incomplete after the destruction of the Water Prison Sect.


    Taixu Gate¡¯s version, however, had been edited by True Man Yi, and this was the complete, authentic inheritance of the Water Prison Technique.


    ¡°This True Man Yi really is a good person!¡±


    Mo Hua affixed the label of ¡°good person¡± to True Man Yi.


    Then Mo Hua started to warm up and revise his first-grade Water Prison Technique, looking for and fixing any gaps, while simultaneously studying and practicing the authentic second-grade Water Prison Technique.


    The authentic Water Prison Technique emphasized using ¡°water¡± to form shapes, drawing out prisons on the ground.


    Mo Hua¡¯s previous Water Prison Technique could only simply ¡°bind.¡±


    But the authentic Water Prison Technique was more akin to ¡°shackles.¡±


    Even the Water-attribute Spiritual Power could erode meridians, causing pain.


    The lethality was not significant, but it could make one feel a sense of ¡°suffocation.¡±


    Just as if one were truly in a ¡°water prison.¡±


    Whether it was ¡°imprisonment¡± or ¡°suffocation,¡± the spell¡¯s effects were a cut above the previous version.


    Because Mo Hua was extremely proficient in the first-grade Water Prison Technique, optimizing the spell and upgrading it to a higher grade proved to be highly efficient.


    Although the Water Prison Technique was obscure and difficult to cultivate.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was strong and keen, so learning it wasn¡¯t too strenuous for him.


    Five or six days later, Mo Hua had managed to use the second-grade Water Prison Technique quite skillfully.


    He tested the effects and was quite satisfied with them.


    It¡¯s important to know oneself.


    To have a clear understanding of one¡¯s position.


    Since he was not adept at slaughter, learning something like the Water Prison Technique, to vex others, was also good.


    It was, after all, a contribution to completing the task!


    On the ninth day of the month, Mo Hua packed his things and set off on his journey to meet a few ¡°teammates¡± at the foot of Taixu Mountain.


    Taixu Gate had a bi-monthly holiday, with two days off every ten days.


    The holiday for the early part of the month fell on the ninth and tenth days.


    During these two days, disciples could arrange their time freely, as long as they did not engage in misdeeds; the sect did not impose restrictions.


    Previously, on these holidays, Mo Hua would stay alone in his residence practicing Formation.


    This was his first time venturing out.


    Wearing the Taoist Robe of Taixu Gate, Mo Hua left the sect and arrived at a foothill to the southwest at the agreed-upon hour and location.


    Beside the foothill was a prominent boulder.


    Having reached the foothill, Mo Hua saw two cultivators already there, both women.


    One wore the Taoist Robe of Taixu Gate, tall and elegant with a gentle beauty.


    The other was dressed in a gold and rose-embellished robe, lavish in appearance, clearly not from Taixu Gate.


    Both were of Foundation Building Cultivation and appeared somewhat older than Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua greeted them, ¡°Hello, senior sisters.¡±


    The two women looked at him with some surprise but, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s painting-like eyebrows and eyes, fair skin, and clear gaze, not to mention his black-and-white interwoven Taoist Robe of Taixu Gate, also smiled and said,


    ¡°Hello, junior brother.¡±


    But since they were all relatively unknown to each other, they didn¡¯t say much else.


    Mo Hua stood obediently to the side, waiting.


    The two senior sisters gave Mo Hua a curious glance, thinking he was waiting for someone, so they also didn¡¯t say anything and just waited quietly.


    After a while, another cultivator arrived.


    It was a man wearing a golden-red Taoist Robe with mountain patterns, a robust aura, tall and handsome.


    He came straight over, with a warm demeanor, and greeted,


    ¡°Good day to both of you, junior sisters.¡±


    The two female cultivators returned the greeting, ¡°Good day, Senior Brother Feng.¡±


    The man looked around and then asked, ¡°Has everyone arrived?¡±


    The gentle woman in the Taoist Robe frowned slightly, ¡°We agreed to meet here, but we haven¡¯t seen anyone yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Surely they wouldn¡¯t break the appointment.¡±


    ¡°Once a task is taken, a Spirit Pact is set, they shouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°How about that person¡¯s abilities in Formation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unclear, but at the very least, he is a First-Grade Formation Master.


    I¡¯ve seen him taking on many bounties for first-grade formations, so even if he can¡¯t do second-grade formations, his mastery of first-grade formations should be quite skilled¡­¡±


    ¡°If he only knows first-grade, that might not be enough¡­¡± the elegant woman spoke.


    The gentle woman sighed,


    ¡°Formation Masters typically only take on formation-related tasks, these missions that require going out and hunting Sin Cultivators, a bit risky, are usually not their cup of tea¡­¡±

 Chapter 831 - 600 Water Prison Technique_3

    Chapter 831: Chapter 600 Water Prison Technique_3


    ¡°I waited for several days before a First-grade Formation Master was willing to accept the task.¡±


    ¡°And, our share of the Merit Points isn¡¯t much¡­¡±


    The man, unable to help it, said, ¡°Indeed, just over a hundred points¡­¡±


    For Second Rank Formation Masters, earning those points was just a matter of drawing a few formations, without going out, without running about, and even more so, without taking any risks¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s just not known if this person is reliable¡­¡±


    ¡°First Grade¡­ I guess it¡¯s hardly reliable¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡°Let¡¯s just make do, as things stand now, there¡¯s no choice left¡­¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s wait,¡± the man in a golden-red Taoist robe sighed, then looking up at the sky, added,


    ¡°The hour is getting late, I wonder when that Formation Master will arrive¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±


    A crisp voice suddenly sounded.


    All three turned in surprise to look to the side and saw a young cultivator, with a frown on his small face, displeased, saying,


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while!¡±


    And I heard you badmouthing me behind my back!


    All three wore a look of astonishment, the gentle-looking woman exclaimed in surprise, ¡°You, you are¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I am Mo Hua!¡±


    The man was startled for a moment, ¡°Mo Hua?¡±


    The woman smiled bitterly, ¡°That¡¯s the name of the Formation Master who accepted the task, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡±


    To her surprise, it was such a Junior Brother.


    At the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, with low cultivation, and being so obviously youthful and apparently newly initiated¡­


    The man, with a gentle voice, asked,


    ¡°Young man, are you¡­ new to the sect?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Somewhat shocked, the man turned to the gentle woman and asked, ¡°Has Taixu Gate changed its rules? Can the newly initiated also accept tasks?¡±


    The woman, puzzled, said, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of any changes¡­¡±


    ¡°Then this¡­¡±


    All three turned their gaze towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Elder Master Xun told me to take this task.¡±


    Mo Hua had once again brought up ¡°Elder Master Xun.¡±


    But he didn¡¯t say that Elder Master Xun had only allowed him to take on those entry-level tasks, such as ¡°sweeping the steps, watching the mountain gate, drawing formations,¡± and did not allow him to get involved in these more dangerous tasks of ¡°tracking down Sin Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°Elder Master Xun?¡±


    The man was somewhat taken aback, it was the woman from Taixu Gate, who came to a realization.


    ¡°It¡¯s Elder Master Xun¡­¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No wonder¡­


    If Elder Master Xun was willing to let this Junior Brother take a shortcut, having granted him access to the Taixu Token capabilities ahead of time, it meant that this child, indeed, had an extraordinary background.


    At the very least, he had a close relationship with Elder Master Xun.


    It was not good to ask too deeply about such affairs.


    But¡­


    The gentle woman was somewhat troubled.


    Such a young Junior Brother, with low cultivation, weak foundation, and little experience, even if he had some formation skills¡­ how could they take him on such a dangerous task?


    Besides, did he really know formations¡­


    The woman, slowly, asked, ¡°Junior Brother, you¡­ know formations?¡±


    Mo Hua saw that they seemed reluctant to take him along for ¡°fun,¡± knowing he had to demonstrate his abilities himself to seize the opportunity, then corrected her by saying,


    ¡°Not just ¡®know,¡¯ but ¡®am skilled at¡¯!¡±


    The other three were dumbfounded.


    How could such a young cultivator dare to say he was ¡°skilled at¡± formations¡­


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? Test me?¡±


    It would be best to test me with some complex formation that I haven¡¯t learned before.


    The man in the golden-red Taoist robe pondered for a moment then nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll test you a bit.¡±


    ¡°Um-hum.¡±


    Mo Hua was full of anticipation, but then he was disappointed again.


    The tests given by the man in the golden-red robe were only about First-grade formation knowledge, which, for Mo Hua, was extremely simple, and occasionally touched on Second-Grade formations, but were still rather superficial, not truly reflecting how formidable he was, nor did he ¡°profit¡± any new techniques without any effort.


    Mo Hua easily answered the man¡¯s questions, and seeing that the man did not speak, asked again,


    ¡°Is there anything harder?¡±


    ¡°Or, could you find a very, very difficult formation to test me with?¡±


    The man was slightly stunned and said with resignation,


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can test you with¡­¡±


    He was mainly a Sword Cultivation practitioner; formations were something he was not very proficient in, learning a bit just to cope with Sect assessments without investing much effort.


    But passing his test at least showed that Mo Hua had a solid foundation in formations.


    And on this mission, they indeed needed a Formation Master.


    The man said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you for a try.¡±


    Mo Hua was pleased inside, but before he had a chance to say anything, he heard the gentle-looking senior sister shake her head and say,


    ¡°No!¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± the gentle senior sister said to Mo Hua, ¡°Although with our cultivation, capturing the Sin Cultivator this time isn¡¯t difficult, the Cultivation World is unpredictable, and there could always be complications we might not be able to protect you from.¡±


    She softened her tone, trying to persuade Mo Hua,


    ¡°Junior Brother, listen to your senior sister, go back to the Sect and cultivate properly, when you¡¯re older, then undertake these dangerous tasks¡­¡±


    This senior sister, she too was kind.


    Mo Hua silently noted.


    But he was definitely going to partake in the task!


    He had already spent over two hundred Merit Points to exchange for the spell of the Second-Grade Water Prison Technique; not making some return on that would indeed be a huge loss!


    This trip could only be a success, failure was not an option!


    Thinking it over, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he said,


    ¡°If I don¡¯t go, won¡¯t you be short a Formation Master?¡±


    ¡°I will find someone else¡­¡± the gentle woman said.


    ¡°Senior Sister, you just said no one was accepting the task, I heard you!¡±


    The woman was taken aback.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°I know the Concealment Technique; I can protect myself.¡±


    ¡°Concealment¡­¡±


    The woman thought for a moment, still not entirely reassured, her heart wavering with indecision.


    Just then, another man came from afar, full of apologies, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m late¡­¡±

 Chapter 832 - 600 Water Prison Technique_4

    Chapter 832: Chapter 600 Water Prison Technique_4


    And then, he greeted everyone one by one:


    ¡°Senior Brother Feng, Junior Sister Qian, Senior Sister Murong¡­¡±


    Finally, he saw Mo Hua and was taken aback, his mouth agape, ¡°Mo Hua? How come you¡¯re here too?¡±


    Mo Hua was also surprised.


    There was an acquaintance among this group of five!


    This person was Senior Brother Shangguan Xu, the one who had led him into the sect.


    ...


    At this moment, Mo Hua didn¡¯t care why Shangguan Xu happened to be there, he quickly said, ¡°Senior Brother Xu, take me with you!¡±


    He then hurriedly gave Shangguan Xu a look, implying:


    Speak some good words for me, let them take me along for the fun!


    Shangguan Xu gave a wry smile, ¡°This¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡±


    The gentle woman explained the situation, surprised, ¡°You know each other?¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shangguan Xu nodded, ¡°Junior Brother Mo, has some connections¡­ with my Shangguan Family.¡±


    He did not elaborate, as the matter concerning Young Master Yu, was not suitable for disclosure to outsiders.


    But then Shangguan Xu was troubled once more.


    It would be a bit dangerous to take Mo Hua along, but not taking him would mean failing to heed his aunt¡¯s instruction.


    In the end, all he could say was,


    ¡°Junior Brother Mo¡­ knows restraint in his actions and is quite resourceful, Senior Sister Murong, maybe we should take him with us¡­¡±


    The gentle woman frowned in thought. Seeing that the sky was already darkening and any further delays would mean insufficient time, she finally sighed and said,


    ¡°Alright, but you must be very careful. Junior Brother Shangguan, please look after Junior Brother Mo¡­¡±


    Shangguan Xu nodded his head.


    Mo Hua then assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my Formation Skill is quite impressive, I won¡¯t hold you back!¡±


    The gentle woman felt somewhat helpless.


    Very impressive Formation Skill?


    A novice cultivator at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, no matter how impressive, could only be so capable¡­


    However, this mission did not require any highly advanced Formation Skills.


    The gentle woman nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s set off.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Thus, two senior brothers and two senior sisters, with him as the junior tagalong, set off from Taixu Mountain, traveling via Qingzhou City, toward the Second Grade Diancang State Boundary.


    Along the way, Mo Hua subtly inquired and learned the identities of the others.


    The tall and handsome brother, with a gentle composure and wearing a gold-red Taoist Robe, was a disciple of Tai¡¯a Sect, named Ouyang Feng.


    The woman in the Taixu Gate Taoist Robe, named Murong Caiyun, was a senior sister from Taixu Gate.


    The woman dressed in golden-pink, brocade-embroidered Taoist Robe, named Hua Qianqian, was a senior sister from Hundred Flowers Sect.


    The Hundred Flowers Sect, located within the Qian Xue State Boundary, was one of the Twelve Streams. All of its sect disciples were female cultivators, and the sect¡¯s inheritance focused on Cultivation Techniques and Taoist Skills suited for women.


    Everyone was seven or eight years older than Mo Hua. Although they did not all belong to the same sect, sect disciple interactions were frequent in the Qian Xue State Boundary; hence, they respectfully addressed each other as ¡°senior¡± siblings.


    As for why disciples from other sects were involved in a Taixu Gate mission,


    Mo Hua had asked about this too.


    The bounty for wanted Sin Cultivators was usually issued by the Taoist Court, not just to Taixu Gate but also to nearby sects that might accept the bounty.


    After completing the mission, the reward would be distributed by the Taoist Court to the sect,


    which in turn would convert it into Merit Points to give to the disciples.


    As they traveled, Mo Hua covertly observed the senior brothers and sisters and discovered they all had deep cultivation, almost certainly Top-Grade Cultivation Techniques, and they were also experienced ¨C clearly, they were seasoned veterans in ¡°bounty hunting.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, firmly deciding that he must impress them with his ¡°great skill¡± during this mission.


    Only if they witnessed his prowess, would they bring him along for more ¡°fun¡± in the future!


    Only then could he tag along on more missions and earn more Merit Points!


    To ¡°mix¡± in on missions, one definitely needed ¡°connections.¡±


    And that included not only Taixu Gate but getting to know other senior brothers and sisters from the Eight Great Gates, the Twelve Streams, and the Qian State Hundred Doors was important.


    Even constructing a Large Formation would require the help of many cultivators to complete.


    In this age, having good relationships made things easier.


    As for the ¡°Four Great Sects¡±¡­ best leave that be for now.


    He figured they were out of his league.


    ¡­


    All sects have the same rest days every 10 days: two days off.


    Given the tight schedule, everyone had to travel day and night, using their movement techniques, which took them more than ten hours to arrive at the Second Grade Diancang State Boundary.


    Diancang State Boundary was a small state boundary within Qian State.


    At the heart of the state boundary was Mount Diancang.


    The Sin Cultivator they were seeking refuge in Mount Diancang.


    Mo Hua had inquired about this Sin Cultivator, whose real name was unknown; he was wanted under the alias ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± with Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation. He was known for his agility and considerable Array Formation Skill.


    Bald Eagle had a lengthy criminal record at the Taoist Court.


    He had forcibly taken energy from female disciples and committed murders, and even acted as a human trafficker, selling young cultivators as ¡°sustenance¡± for Demon Cultivators.


    The order from the Taoist Court was:


    If possible, capture and send to the Taoist Prison to be executed by the Water Prison Technique. If too difficult to capture, execute on sight!

 Chapter 833 - 601 Bald Head

    Chapter 833: Chapter 601 Bald Head


    Mount Diancang was vast and desolate, poor in resources for Tao cultivation, rarely frequented by people, making it a suitable hideout for Sin Cultivators.


    Mo Hua followed several senior brothers and sisters to Mount Diancang.


    Mountains towered majestically, shrouded in clouds and mist, the pale yellow miasma obscuring all directions.


    Murong Caiyun said, ¡°I accepted a reward from the Sect. There¡¯s a tip that the Bald Eagle is hiding alone in a cave thirty miles from here.¡±


    ¡°However, this person is vigilant and skilled in Formation, and will surely set up formations along the way to guard against pursuit¡­¡±


    ¡°These formations might not be very sophisticated, but they are extremely covert and hard to detect, requiring a skilled Formation Master to inspect along the way¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡°We must be meticulous and not overlook anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, we risk startling the ¡®Bald Eagle¡¯ and letting him escape¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°Junior Brother Mo, can you handle it?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I can do it!¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s confidence, Murong Caiyun did not feel relieved but rather more worried.


    Ouyang Feng, fearing that Mo Hua would feel pressured, then said,


    ¡°Junior Brother Mo, just do your best and don¡¯t be nervous¡­¡±


    ¡°This task isn¡¯t just one person¡¯s responsibility. Along the way, we will also keep an eye out and cover any gaps, as the Bald Eagle is extremely cunning and difficult to deal with, and the formations he sets are very tricky¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm-hm,¡± Mo Hua expressed his gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Feng!¡±


    Thus, the group moved forward, and as they walked, Mo Hua suddenly paused, pointing at a freshly turned patch of soil at the roadside,


    ¡°Is that the formation?¡±


    The others, upon hearing this, looked at each other and then nodded.


    Murong Caiyun let out a slight sigh of relief, ¡°Correct.¡±


    Only then did Mo Hua realize that everyone had noticed but had kept silent to ¡°test¡± him.


    They really didn¡¯t trust him¡­


    Mo Hua muttered in his heart.


    Hua Qianqian walked up to the turned soil, took out a golden compass, placed it on the ground, and as the compass spun, a flash of light occurred, and the Formation Patterns hidden beneath the soil disappeared.


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°What is this compass¡­?¡±


    Murong Caiyun was taken aback, ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    Mo Hua honestly nodded.


    To know as knowing, not knowing as not knowing is knowing.


    With all his seniors around, he, being a junior brother, saw no need to pretend.


    Murong Caiyun sighed, ¡°This is called a Compass for Breaking Arrays. Some simple formations can be countered with this kind of compass.¡±


    ¡°Does it work on all formations?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Murong Caiyun shook her head, ¡°Different formations require different Types of Compass for Breaking Arrays, like those of the Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, directions; they must match to undo them, and the Formation Patterns can¡¯t be too complex.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh.¡±


    Mo Hua learned something new and quietly took note.


    ¡°So there are things like a Compass for Breaking Arrays¡­¡±


    He had always relied on himself to solve formations and had never used such ¡°lazy¡± methods.


    He wondered what the principles behind it were¡­


    Mo Hua grew curious.


    Using the Compass for Breaking Arrays, Hua Qianqian dissolved the hidden formation, then with a flick of her hands, dispersed spiritual power, swept away the soil, and revealed a small stone disk buried underneath, etched with Formation Patterns.


    The patterns looked familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar, probably a variant of regular Formation Patterns.


    Unable to recognize them, Mo Hua humbly asked,


    ¡°Senior Sister Murong, what formation is this on the stone disk¡­?¡±


    Murong Caiyun paused.


    The others also placed their hands on their foreheads, somewhat helplessly.


    Shangguan Xu even had a bittersweet expression.


    Not knowing such a simple formation, ¡°being skilled¡± in formations wasn¡¯t exactly being ¡°skilled¡±¡­


    Murong Caiyun sighed and reluctantly explained,


    ¡°This is called the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, a First-grade Formation, utilizing the magnetic properties within the patterns to attract induction forces for surveillance and defense¡­¡±


    ¡°Small Yuan Magnetic Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently memorized it.


    He had not expected that he was so proficient in First-grade Formations and had learned so much, yet some still ¡°slipped through the net¡±¡­


    Indeed, he needed to get out more.


    The Cultivation World was vast and boundless, perhaps filled with formations everywhere, waiting for him to learn!


    ¡°Small Yuan Magnetic Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently recited, then said, ¡°Senior Sister Murong, wait a moment, I¡¯ll learn it.¡±


    Murong Caiyun fell silent.


    This junior brother, encountering a formation, even had to learn it on the spot¡­


    She didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take Mo Hua long to memorize the Formation Patterns of the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, and then the group set off again.


    As they walked, Mo Hua pondered quietly.


    Small Yuan Magnetic Formation¡­


    A First Grade Nine Pattern Formation, its function and the ¡°Compass Parent-Child Compound Formation¡± he had used were somewhat similar, both for setting up formations to survey and monitor the terrain.


    But this formation was somewhat special.


    After pondering for a long time, Mo Hua suddenly realized that this formation was actually a variation of the Bagua Formation Method, simplifying the complex patterns into a simple ¡°variation.¡±


    Mo Hua silently calculated in his mind and was suddenly startled.


    He discovered that this Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, tracing back to its origin, its fundamental patterns could actually be traced back to the ¡°Thunder Pattern.¡± S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thunder Pattern?


    That wasn¡¯t right¡­


    Mo Hua was utterly baffled.


    In his memory, the ¡°Thunder Formation¡± was on top of the Heavenly Dao Formation, containing the Law that eradicated with the terrifying ¡°Immortal Pattern¡±, able to subdue all living beings.


    But what did ¡°thunder¡± have to do with ¡°Original Magnet¡±?


    Why would the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation¡¯s pattern, changing inversely, evolve into the Thunder Pattern and be classified under the ¡°Thunder Trigram¡± Formation Method?


    Mo Hua was filled with questions.


    But at that moment, still tasked with a ¡°mission,¡± he had no time for further consideration. Mo Hua decided to keep these doubts in his heart and planned to ponder them carefully when he got back to see if he could comprehend anything.

 Chapter 834 - 601 Bald_2

    Chapter 834: Chapter 601 Bald_2


    ¡°A mere First-grade Formation isn¡¯t difficult if one knows it.¡±


    After a single glance, Mo Hua had the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation Patterns completely in hand.


    When he looked towards the mountainside again, those formations woven into the vegetation and stone were clearly visible.


    With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua saw everything.


    ¡°There is a formation behind that large rock¡­¡±


    ¡°In the middle of the mountain path ahead, about thirty feet away, there is another one¡­¡±


    ...


    ¡°Underneath the bark, there is also a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°To the left in the woods, a Monster Beast is hiding, its right leg wounded, and on the embedded blade under its flesh, a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation is also drawn¡­¡±


    ¡­


    As Mo Hua walked, he pointed everything out.


    Murong Caiyun and the others began to grow a bit astonished.


    Obvious formations were no surprise for them to see Mo Hua spotting, but he was also pinpointing every single intricate and hard-to-find formation without fail.


    Even those formations that were cunningly set in remote spots, which they hadn¡¯t noticed or were too far away for them to see in time, could not escape Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    By now, they somewhat believed that Mo Hua truly had some capabilities.


    ¡°Skilled in¡± formation might have been an exaggeration,


    but his talent for formations was definitely impressive.


    Everyone relaxed and looked at Mo Hua with much warmer eyes.


    On a Sect mission filled with dangers, they did not wish to bring along a ¡°burden,¡± although this burden was adorable-looking.


    Two hours later, the group arrived at a hillside.


    It looked ordinary, but hidden beneath the vegetation was a secret cave entrance.


    Inside the cave, the fugitive known as ¡°Bald Eagle¡± was hiding.


    The group hid behind some rocks and discussed their capture plan.


    But these matters were irrelevant to Mo Hua.


    His role primarily involved unraveling formations; having come this far, he had completed most of his task, the rest did not require his involvement.


    As Senior Sister Murong had put it,


    ¡°Stay hidden, do not show yourself, protect yourself well, and flee if necessary¡­¡±


    It was both out of concern for Mo Hua and to prevent him from inadvertently sabotaging their plans.


    Should he be captured by the Bald Eagle and used as a hostage, the situation would become extremely dire.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He was quite adept at preserving his own life.


    However, thinking that if his seniors acted quickly and killed the ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± he wouldn¡¯t get a chance to show his ¡°amazing skills,¡± and then they might not include him in future bounties¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself that he should still make himself useful¡­


    The woods were desolate, the hillside silent.


    Weeds and stones were chaotic, with no trace of human activity.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense flickered subtly, sweeping the surroundings, his eyes shimmering as he whispered:


    ¡°A hundred and fifty feet west from here, there is a Trap Gold Formation, Second-grade Eleven-pattern;¡±


    ¡°One hundred and fifty feet to the east, there is a Trapped Mountain Formation, a Bagua Mountain trapping Formation, Second-grade Fourteen-pattern¡­¡±


    ¡°At the entrance of the cave, there¡¯s a Gen Mountain Formation, Second-grade¡­¡±


    ¡°Outside the cave, ten feet away, there¡¯s a¡­ Small Yuan Magnetic Formation? But it¡¯s also Second-grade¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua listed all the nearby formations without missing a single one, virtually seeing through the lair of the ¡°Bald Eagle.¡±


    Not only Murong Caiyun but even Ouyang Feng and the others were somewhat astonished.


    ¡°Have you¡­ studied Second-grade Formations?¡±


    Mo Hua modestly replied, ¡°A little bit¡­¡±


    Everyone was slightly shocked, exchanging looks, realizing that they had vastly underestimated this innocently faced Junior Brother.


    He had seen through every formation laid by others without missing any.


    Such profound skill and understanding of formations must be extremely deep.


    Indeed, no mediocrity could enter the Eight Great Gates.


    Their ¡°Formation Master¡± was not hired in vain.


    Ouyang Feng released his Divine Sense, confirming what Mo Hua had said; without Mo Hua pointing them out, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed these formations at all, nodding in appreciation,


    ¡°Not bad, thanks to Junior Brother Mo. This makes it much easier for us to capture Bald Eagle.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed with the plan and lure out Bald Eagle¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was smilingly about to say something when his expression suddenly changed, and he sighed,


    ¡°No need¡­¡±


    Everyone was startled.


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°Bald Eagle has noticed us.¡±


    The faces of Ouyang Feng and others darkened, and they focused intently, indeed noticing that a deep and chilling Divine Sense had filled the surroundings without them realizing when it had appeared.


    In an instant, Mo Hua identified:


    ¡°Sixteen-Pattern Divine Consciousness!¡±


    ¡°Peak of the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment!¡±


    ¡°And¡­ not just one person¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng looked slightly stunned; Murong Caiyun and the others were also somewhat dazed.


    They hadn¡¯t noticed anything yet; how did this Junior Brother know it all? sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But with a great enemy at hand, there was no time to inquire.


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s gaze hardened with decisiveness, ¡°Kill!¡±


    Then killing intent suddenly descended.


    A dense surge of Sword Qi, imbued with a hint of strangeness, tore through the air and smashed the giant rock where they were hiding, but Ouyang Feng promptly drew his sword and countered them all.


    Dust and stone chips flew as the dust settled.


    Ouyang Feng, holding a Red Gold Yellow Maple Sword, stood before the rest, his towering stance and sharp features exuding an extraordinary aura.


    Shangguan Xu drew a Streamer Giant Sword with a backhand, his demeanor formidable.


    Hua Qianqian¡¯s dainty hand extended, dozens of Hundred Flowers Spirit Needles floating in front of her.


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s fingers formed spells, and the hairpin in her hair shone brightly, emitting multicolored light; her fingertips were also gathering magic¡­

 Chapter 835 - 601 Bald_3

    Chapter 835: Chapter 601 Bald_3


    ¡°Time to fight!¡±


    Mo Hua sensed trouble and immediately ran off far, deploying a Concealment Technique, draped in a little cloak, found a large stone pit, lay down, and hid himself.


    For now, the fight did not concern him.


    With so many senior brothers and sisters, he could stay out of the way.


    Murong Caiyun noticed Mo Hua, seeing his quick wits; before the enemy¡¯s Sword Qi even reached, he sensed it and early on retreated behind everyone, hiding by himself, making her nod in approval.


    Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief,


    ...


    especially Shangguan Xu.


    He was entrusted by Wenren Wan to look after Mo Hua.


    If anything happened to Mo Hua, Auntie Wan¡¯er would surely blame him.


    Now that Mo Hua sensed danger and hid far away, and he could even conceal himself, vaguely without knowing exactly where, he felt at ease.


    At that moment, at the entrance of Kushan Cave, several cultivators emerged.


    The one in front, wearing a brown robe, narrow-eyed and hawk-nosed, of middle age, had a sinister look.


    Behind him followed five cultivators, all dressed in black, not appearing to be good characters.


    Though Mo Hua hid far away, he was sharp-eared and observant; he clearly saw these people¡¯s faces and guessed in his mind that the brown-robed cultivator must be the infamous ¡°Bald Eagle¡± who had done many evil deeds.


    But he couldn¡¯t help wondering:


    ¡°Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle¡­ why isn¡¯t he bald?¡±


    ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s wearing a wig?¡±


    That couldn¡¯t be¡­


    Logically, there are mistaken names, but nicknames are never wrong.


    If he wasn¡¯t ¡°bald,¡± why would they call him ¡°Bald Eagle¡±?


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    Meanwhile, the fierce battle was on the brink of breaking out.


    One side were sect disciples tasked by the Taoist Court to earn Merit Points by pursuing sin cultivators.


    The other side consisted of sin cultivators wanted by the Taoist Court, having committed heinous crimes.


    Both sides had no intention to stop fighting, and with barely any words exchanged, the battle to the death began immediately.


    Spiritual Power surged, Five Elements Spells flew about as well as some strange Spiritual Artifacts and Sword Qi, interweaving¡­


    Mo Hua secretly lay in the bushes, poked out his head, and observed the fight, his mind calculating an estimate of both sides¡¯ strength.


    There were five people on his side.


    But since he was ¡°crouching¡± in the bushes, only four took the field, all with Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation.


    There were six on the opposite side.


    Only one was in the Initial Stage Foundation Establishment.


    The other five were in the Mid-Stage.


    Among them, the highest in cultivation was the hawk-nosed ¡°Bald Eagle¡± at the peak of Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, and his Divine Sense had Sixteen Patterns.


    His fellow senior brothers and sisters, being disciples of the Great Sect, deep in cultivation, with remarkable spiritual artifacts and Taoist Skills, and experienced in combat, coordinated flawlessly.


    Even outnumbered four to six, they were not at a disadvantage.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    True to the cultivators of the Qian Xue State Boundary from various great sects.


    In the future, he would keep up with them!


    But Mo Hua was a bit worried.


    The situation was currently at a standstill.


    This stalemate definitely wasn¡¯t a solution.


    Especially the ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± having a cultivation advantage, holding a silver long sword, was sparring with Ouyang Feng, looking relaxed and clearly keeping some moves in reserve.


    In this situation¡­


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment.


    ¡°They should first kill the other sin cultivators, then join forces and gang up on the lead ¡®Bald Eagle¡¯¡­¡±


    The situation on the field was much as Mo Hua had anticipated.


    Clearly, Ouyang Feng and the others were thinking the same.


    First, the sin cultivator in the Early Stage Foundation Establishment was found flawed by Shangguan Xu, who swiftly closed the distance and knocked him down in a matter of moments.


    Hua Qianqian took the opportunity to shoot several Spirit Needles.


    The Early Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was thus settled.


    Mo Hua shook his head, thinking:


    ¡°This fool, with no self-awareness, rashly engaging in a melee at Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, didn¡¯t keep a vigilant eye nor try to escape, deserved to be the first to die¡­¡±


    It then became four against five.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t rush to take action; he wanted to observe first.


    Know the enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated.


    First off, the combat of Ouyang Feng and his senior brothers and sisters was systematic and coordinated.


    Their cooperation was similar to that between Monster Hunters.


    It was simply close combat binding with Sword Qi and long-range suppression with Spells, cooperating with each other to watch for the enemy¡¯s flaws, increase their injuries, and take their lives.


    They didn¡¯t use any Superior Technique.


    Neither Gold Body Technique for protection nor building up Spiritual Power for Sword Control killing moves.


    The opposing sin cultivators¡¯ means were similar, except their Spiritual Artifacts were poisoned, their Spiritual Power carried some oddity, and their Taoist Skill moves were rare and exotic.


    Mo Hua watched for a long while, familiarizing himself with both sides¡¯ moves and attacking habits, understanding every action and movement of the enemy, then he slightly nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to make a move¡­¡±


    If he didn¡¯t show his hand now, they wouldn¡¯t know his ¡°strength!¡±


    His learned Spells would be wasted.


    The distant battle continued¡­


    Rocks scattered, Spells surged, and in body cultivation, moves were exchanged.


    At that moment, as Shangguan Xu¡¯s Giant Sword pressed down, forcing a sin cultivator in black to retreat clumsily, exposing a flaw.


    Murong Caiyun, spotting this, focused her eyes, pinched a technique, and a streak of Five-colored Spirit Light shot forth, striking the sin cultivator¡¯s shoulder.


    The Spirit Light pierced through the clothes, perforated the skin, drew out a trail of blood, and instantly dried the blood, leaving behind a scar.


    The sin cultivator staggered, beads of cold sweat on his forehead, cursed in pain, saw the danger, and turned to flee.


    Shangguan Xu chopped down with his sword, trying to block him, but the Giant Sword was too slow and failed to detain him.

 Chapter 836 - 601 Bald_4

    Chapter 836: Chapter 601 Bald_4


    Murong Caiyun solidified the spell, aiming to pursue victory and seize the opportunity to slaughter the Sin Cultivator.


    But the spell was ultimately too slow by a step, merely scratching his arm without stopping the Sin Cultivator.


    The Sin Cultivator looked back, glared at Murong Caiyun venomously, and cursed viciously,


    ¡°Bitch!¡±


    He memorized these individuals and, activating his movement technique, planned to slip away, recover somewhere, then return to find trouble for these Sect Disciples.


    But as he took a step, he felt a chill at the bottom of his heart.


    ...


    It seemed someone had set their sights on him.


    Before he could think further, a pale blue water light appeared out of nowhere, forming a cage and imprisoning him securely!


    At the same time, a suffocating sensation of ¡°drowning¡± overwhelmed him.


    The Sin Cultivator couldn¡¯t move; he felt stifled and nauseous, and his face turned pale with alarm.


    What kind of spell was this?!


    Meanwhile, Shangguan Xu and Murong Caiyun were also momentarily stunned, but realizing the fleeting nature of combat, they quickly regained their composure and seized the opportunity.


    Shangguan Xu¡¯s sword movement swept across, blocking several Sin Cultivators who were trying to come to aid.


    Murong Caiyun, with a flick of her delicate hand, formed a spell, constructing a brighter Five-colored Spirit Light spell.


    Trapped by the Water Prison Technique, the Sin Cultivator struggled repeatedly and finally broke free.


    He had a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation,


    while Mo Hua was only at the Initial Stage Foundation Establishment and had weaker Spiritual Roots and less Spiritual Power; his spells, although fast, were slightly less effective.


    But the few breaths of time he was trapped by the Water Prison Technique had been enough.


    Just as the Sin Cultivator broke free from the Water Prison and looked up, a Spirit Light, carelessly appearing, pierced through his chest. Although not fatal, it inflicted severe injuries.


    Ouyang Feng, on the side, tangled with the Sin Cultivator Bald Eagle.


    Hua Qianqian, with a delicate heart, watching the battle from the sidelines, took the opportunity to throw two Spirit Needles, hitting the Sin Cultivator¡¯s Heart Meridian.


    In just a few moments, the Sin Cultivator, trapped by the Water Prison Technique, pierced by the Five Elements Spirit Light, and struck by the Hundred Flowers Spirit Needle, had no escape and died on the spot.


    This turn of events occurred in an instant, drastically changing the situation.


    Four against four.


    And one Mo Hua concealed in the shadows, watching intently.


    One in the Initial Stage Foundation Establishment and one in the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, two Sin Cultivators died.


    The expression on Bald Eagle¡¯s face lost its composure.


    With a cold and ominous glare, he scanned the surroundings and spoke chillingly,


    ¡°Which coward dares to ambush?¡±


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s expression showed surprise.


    Murong Caiyun and the others came to the realization but were shocked inside.


    It was Mo Hua¡­


    They hadn¡¯t expected that Mo Hua, this ¡°Junior Formation Master,¡± would know such a tricky and peculiar spell, deploying it so quickly and seizing the timing so precisely.


    Most importantly, he was very skilled¡­


    As if he often engaged in such activities¡­


    There were no echoes around.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s gaze, dark and sweeping everywhere, kept scanning with his Divine Sense.


    In the current situation, this sly attacker, no matter who they were or their level of cultivation, was inevitably a hidden danger.


    Ouyang Feng, fearing Bald Eagle might discover where Mo Hua was hiding, abruptly hardened his gaze and intensified his Sword Qi, accelerating his attacks and declared sternly, S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Scum, prepare to die!¡±


    Bald Eagle frowned and clicked his tongue in slight anger but had to gather his spirits to handle Ouyang Feng.


    Murong Caiyun and the others, realizing the rare opportunity, also went all out, holding nothing back, planning to eliminate the remaining Sin Cultivators before collectively attacking the leading Bald Eagle.


    Mo Hua was much more at ease; he lay in the grass, humming a tune, watching the fight, and then, seizing the opportunity, used the Water Prison Technique to control the enemy.


    When he made a move, it was certain that a Sin Cultivator would be hit.


    Another move, and a Sin Cultivator would lose their life.


    Murong Caiyun and the others, standout disciples of their Sect, wouldn¡¯t miss such an opportunity.


    After deploying six or seven Water Prison Techniques, among the Sin Cultivators present, the dead were dead, the severely wounded were severely wounded, only Bald Eagle was still struggling.


    Now he began to panic, shouting angrily,


    ¡°Cowardly curs, what kind of skill is it to harm someone with secret arrows?¡±


    Mo Hua initially did not want to engage with him, planning to ¡°coldly¡± kill him or leave him severely injured and on the verge of death before stepping forward to speak, hoping to perhaps ¡°anger¡± him to death.


    But as he watched, Mo Hua realized something was amiss with the Bald Eagle.


    He simply revealed himself, walked forward, and stood next to Senior Sister Murong.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua, the Bald Eagle¡¯s expression shook.


    He hadn¡¯t expected the one who had been hiding in the dark, using sinister spells to kill his brethren, to be a little brat still carrying traces of youth on his face!


    However, the next moment, his eyes reddened, and he stared fixedly at Mo Hua.


    These mid-stage Foundation Establishment sect disciples were not easy to deal with, and he could seek revenge later.


    But this low-cultivation, cunning little ghost must die here today!


    He must be torn to pieces to quell the hatred in his heart!


    The Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes were filled with murderous intent.


    Ouyang Feng noticed the murderous look in the Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes and his gaze darkened.


    Murong Caiyun also furrowed her brows, worriedly saying, ¡°Why have you come out?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed at the Bald Eagle and declared firmly,


    ¡°He has a problem!¡±


    Everyone was stunned.


    Murong Caiyun couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±


    ¡°His head has a problem!¡± Mo Hua asserted confidently.


    ¡°Head¡­ what¡¯s the problem¡­¡±


    With a crisp voice and self-assured manner, Mo Hua said,


    ¡°He is bald!¡±


    The atmosphere instantly tensed up.


    All the cultivators present were also dumbstruck.


    Murong Caiyun and the others didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment¡­


    Seething with rage, not only were the Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes bloodshot, but his face also turned red with anger.


    Yet at the same time, feeling slightly vulnerable as if his secret was discovered, he turned around and attempted to flee.


    Seeing this, Ouyang Feng immediately intervened and blocked him.


    But Mo Hua shouted, ¡°Shave off his hair!¡±


    The Bald Eagle furious, yelled, ¡°You little brat, you!¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as Ouyang Feng¡¯s sword moves interrupted him.


    Ouyang Feng felt somewhat helpless, but subconsciously did as Mo Hua suggested. The Yellow Maple Longsword in his hand, sharp with Sword Qi, aimed blow after blow at the Bald Eagle¡¯s hair.


    The Bald Eagle furiously struggled, awkwardly defending, but his moves were somewhat odd.


    Ignoring minor injuries and dodging deadly Sword Qi, he stubbornly protected his scalp.


    It seemed he would go to any lengths to keep his hair intact.


    Even if his body was injured, even if his skin split and flesh burst, not a single hair could fall!


    After a brief struggle, Shangguan Xu also joined to assist.


    He wielded a Giant Sword, and if he really started shaving, each swing would take off a large swath.


    The Bald Eagle panicked, fighting while retreating, thinking of leaving, but Mo Hua was still there, pointing a finger as the Water Prison Technique emerged, restraining him in place.


    Finally, after dozens of rounds, Murong Caiyun could no longer bear to watch and took the opportunity to condense a Five-colored Spirit Light, pointing her delicate hand, the Spirit Light shot out, hitting the Bald Eagle who was left and right blocked, unable to dodge, making him stagger.


    Shangguan Xu, quick to act, swung his Giant Sword at the Bald Eagle¡¯s neck.


    In a life-threatening moment, the Bald Eagle had no choice but to duck his head to dodge the sword. Though his neck was saved, his hair was not; a large chunk was shaved off directly.


    The remaining ¡°wig¡± also fell off by itself, revealing a bald head.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he nodded confidently.


    As he had expected, this middle-aged cultivator was indeed bald!


    Moreover, not just ordinarily bald.


    On his bald head, as with ¡°tattoos¡±, were drawn various patterns.


    Mo Hua squinted and thought to himself, just as expected.


    What was patterned on the Bald Eagle¡¯s bald head was indeed a Formation, and moreover, its Formation Patterns were extremely special, carved with eagle claws and eyes, resembling Beast Patterns.


    Elder Master Xun had once said,


    Beasts, akin to monsters.


    Such formations were passed down through generations by those Savage tribe cultivators in the lands south of Nine State, across the Barbaric Wilderness¡­


    The Four Symbols Monster Pattern Formation!

 Chapter 837 - 602: The Golden Origin Formation

    Chapter 837: Chapter 602: The Golden Origin Formation


    Mo Hua stared at Bald Eagle, his eyes shimmering with light.


    While he had been hiding and secretly observing earlier, his Divine Sense faintly perceived something amiss¡ªthe head of this Bald Eagle seemed to have traces of Formation Patterns.


    Furthermore, the aura was unfamiliar.


    That indicated there was a Formation hidden on Bald Eagle¡¯s head.


    And it was a Formation he had never seen or studied before.


    Indeed, he had guessed correctly!


    ...


    It was the rare Four Symbols Formation!


    According to Elder Master Xun, this kind of Formation had patterns resembling Beast Patterns and was related to Monster Beasts.


    If the foundation in the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams was not deep, rashly learning it could lead to a loss of humanity.


    The Formation had flaws, so Taixu Gate probably didn¡¯t teach the disciples the Four Symbols Formation¡­


    Even if it had flaws, a Formation was still a Formation.


    Mo Hua still very much wanted to see it and learn from it.


    But if Taixu Gate wouldn¡¯t teach it, then this bald one might be the only way he could learn about the Four Symbols kind of Formations for now.


    He definitely couldn¡¯t let him get away!


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze intensely fixed on Bald Eagle.


    Ouyang Feng and the others were somewhat surprised.


    When Mo Hua shouted about shaving Bald Eagle¡¯s head, they thought he was just being ¡°childishly impulsive,¡± but they hadn¡¯t expected that there really was something strange about Bald Eagle¡¯s head.


    ¡°Four Symbols Array Pattern¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun silently glanced at Mo Hua, inwardly shocked.


    This Junior Brother surnamed Mo had such keen perception of Formations¡­


    On the other hand, Bald Eagle¡¯s expression was ferocious; his anger uncontrollable, and his heart palpitated with fear.


    The Formation on his head was not to be revealed, and he could not leave any clues behind. Otherwise, if someone discerning observed, it could ruin his grand plans.


    When he first started out, he hadn¡¯t hidden it because of his baldness, he had forged the Four Symbols Hawk Claw Formation, which led to the nickname ¡°Bald Eagle.¡±


    Later, when he realized the gravity of it, he disguised and restrained himself, concealed his baldness, and covered the Pattern.


    Most of those who knew his true face had been killed.


    For a long time, no one had discovered it.


    Although others still called him ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± they merely took it as a nickname and didn¡¯t bother about whether he was actually bald.


    But he had never imagined that this little ghost would take it so seriously.


    Hearing his name ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± he immediately concluded that he must be bald!


    And even shaved off his wig, causing him to reveal the Formation on his head.


    Bald Eagle felt deeply humiliated, grinding his teeth in hatred.


    ¡°Good! Good!¡±


    His gaze was chilling as he looked around, especially when he saw Mo Hua¡ªhis bright eyes and white teeth, curiously examining his bald appearance made him burn with rage.


    The Four Symbols Hawk Claw Formation had been seen.


    Then they all had to die!


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to explain himself to the ¡°Gentleman¡±¡­


    He couldn¡¯t bear the anger of the Gentleman.


    Fear flickered in Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes, followed by a murderous intent, his pupils densely webbed with blood vessels.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Suddenly, the Formation Pattern atop Bald Eagle¡¯s head seemed to come alive.


    The ¡°Totemic¡± Pattern emitted a dark green color. The lines of the Pattern trembled, merged, and transformed, resembling a poisoned hawk with exposed sharp talons, extremely vicious.


    From within the Eagle Pattern, a weird demonic power infiltrated, from Bald Eagle¡¯s skin into his meridians, flowing through his blood throughout his body, merging with his flesh.


    Bald Eagle clenched his teeth, seemingly enduring immense pain.


    The Eagle Pattern gradually spread throughout his body.


    A bizarre and ominous aura slowly permeated the area.


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s eyes shook, sensing trouble, he immediately pointed his sword tip, Sword Qi shot out like a rainbow, directly targeting Bald Eagle¡¯s Heart Meridian, intending to interrupt Bald Eagle¡¯s absorption of the Four Symbols Formation¡¯s power.


    The others also took action.


    Hundred Flowers Spirit Needle, Golden Brilliance Heavy Sword, Five-colored Spirit Light, all rushed towards Bald Eagle.


    Mo Hua also supplemented with a Water Prison Technique. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Bald Eagle, having absorbed the power of the Formation, moved like the wind, dodging all these sword moves and spells.


    Only Ouyang Feng¡¯s Sword Qi scratched his chest, slashing a long blood mark.


    Bald Eagle stood firmly at a distance and sneered.


    ¡°Taia Sword Technique, nothing more than that.¡±


    The blood on his chest gradually dried, the wound slowly healed as if new, resembling an injured Monster Beast that, powered by strong Blood Qi, regenerated its flesh.


    And the pattern on Bald Eagle¡¯s head also stopped wriggling.


    The Four Symbols Hawk Claw Formation, fully activated.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s entire being, emitted a strong Monster Qi, although appearing human, resembled a hawk-type Monster Beast wrapped in human skin.


    Ouyang Feng frowned, his expression darkened, ¡°Untrained in demon techniques, yet possesses demonic power¡­¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t just a simple Four Symbols Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°What exactly is the Formation inscribed on you?¡±


    Bald Eagle sneered, ¡°The universe is boundless, the Formations profound and vast¡­¡±


    ¡°How could you, Noble Family Descendants, confined to self-interest, calling yourselves ¡®geniuses¡¯, with narrow minds, possibly comprehend my Formation?¡±


    After Bald Eagle said this, he sneered coldly, raised his hands, and his fingertips surprisingly condensed into sharp, poisoned blood-dipped talons.


    ¡°I¡¯ve activated the Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Today, you all are going to die here!¡±


    Ouyang Feng warned in a deep voice, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua had already fled.


    Upon seeing Bald Eagle absorb the power of the Four Symbols Formation, his body covered in tattoos, looking terrifying, he immediately ran far away to hide and simultaneously used Concealment to hide his presence and form.


    Just as Bald Eagle was moving to kill, wanting to axe Mo Hua first, he discovered that Mo Hua had disappeared without a trace, almost making him spit blood in frustration.


    ¡°Coward!¡±


    ¡°Scaredy-cat!¡±


    Bald Eagle cursed furiously.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t care.


    Fine, I¡¯m a scaredy-cat, what can you possibly do to me?

 Chapter 838 - 602 Jin Yuan Formation_2

    Chapter 838: Chapter 602 Jin Yuan Formation_2


    Bald Eagle really had no way to deal with Mo Hua.


    His power had increased substantially, but it wasn¡¯t his Divine Sense that had increased; since he couldn¡¯t find Mo Hua before, he still couldn¡¯t find him now.


    Bald Eagle cursed again and then his gaze turned sinister.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s see how long you can hide¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill these few senior brothers first and violate your two senior sisters, and you can just hide and watch.¡±


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s eyes brimmed with murderous intent, and both Shangguan Xu and Hua Qianqian were furious.


    ...


    Murong Caiyun had a frosty expression but still said steadily,


    ¡°Stabilize your minds, don¡¯t be provoked, let¡¯s kill him together.¡±


    Before her words ended, Bald Eagle suddenly burst forth, his claws sharp, slashing a green light directly at Murong Caiyun¡¯s throat.


    Murong Caiyun frowned and executed a movement technique to retreat. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ouyang Feng stepped forward, his sword horizontal, blocking Bald Eagle and shielding Murong Caiyun behind him.


    Bald Eagle swung his claw, and demonic power surged, clashing with Ouyang Feng in a move.


    Ouyang Feng only felt a numbness in his tiger¡¯s mouth, a sharp demonic power piercing his arm causing pain, and his body was also forced back several steps.


    ¡°This demonic power is so strong¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s heart chilled slightly, focusing even more to prepare for Bald Eagle¡¯s next move, yet when he looked up, his expression suddenly changed, shouting,


    ¡°Junior Brother Shangguan, be careful!¡±


    It turned out that after forcing Ouyang Feng back with one move, Bald Eagle did not pursue the advantage but suddenly turned direction, his claws swift as wind, grasping at the other side where Shangguan Xu was.


    Shangguan Xu saw Bald Eagle exchanging blows with Ouyang Feng and thought to assist, but just as he made a move, his heavy sword only cleaved halfway before seeing Bald Eagle abandon Ouyang Feng and charge directly at him.


    Bald Eagle was fast in movement and faster in his attacks.


    But Shangguan Xu, having mingled in the Qian Learning State Boundary for years, had ample combat experience. He knew not to use all his strength recklessly but to reserve some energy for contingency.


    Thus, even though the Heavy Sword moves were slow, he could still change moves spontaneously to deal with Bald Eagle¡¯s sudden strikes.


    But at that moment, a red light flashed in the eyes of Bald Eagle.


    The aura on his body surged tremendously in an instant.


    Within the Formation, the demonic power he had deliberately stored and not fully absorbed filled his limbs in an instant.


    With the enhancement of demonic power, Bald Eagle¡¯s physical body became even stronger, his Blood Qi more vigorous, his moves sharper, and his figure quicker by a notch.


    And his power, with the support of the Formation, was nearing¡­


    the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment!


    Everyone¡¯s expressions changed in shock.


    At this point, they all understood.


    Bald Eagle had been holding back!


    He had deliberately concealed some strength, intending to burst forth suddenly during the battle to turn the tides.


    Shangguan Xu¡¯s face paled, his situation perilous.


    Ouyang Feng raised his sword, Murong Caiyun condensed a spell, and Hua Qianqian maneuvered Spirit Needles, but they were all too slow, unable to stop the immensely empowered Sin Cultivator Bald Eagle.


    Just then, a flash of water light, and a watery prison cage appeared out of nowhere, enveloping Bald Eagle.


    Bald Eagle snorted coldly, his body like an eagled hawk, suddenly accelerating, breaking free from the lock of the Water Prison Technique, and then raised his poison-dripped claws, striking at Shangguan Xu¡¯s heart meridian.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Water Prison Technique, though it didn¡¯t trap Bald Eagle, forced him to change his movement technique, ultimately delaying him for a brief moment.


    During this critical moment, Shangguan Xu stepped back.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s claw didn¡¯t tear too deeply, and the Taixu Daoist Robe also had protective effects. Although it was torn with bloodstains and bleeding heavily, it hadn¡¯t touched his life.


    Before Shangguan Xu could catch his breath,


    Bald Eagle pursued the victory, intending to kill Shangguan Xu first.


    With one less Heavy Sword Cultivator to contend with, it would be much easier to kill the others, especially those two, female disciples maneuvering spells and Spiritual Artifacts from a distance.


    But Mo Hua was quicker, casting another Water Prison Technique to trap him in place.


    Bald Eagle frowned and forcefully propelled his movement technique, dodging this confining move.


    Then, Hua Qianqian, clad in a Bai Hua Jinxiu Daoist Robe, maneuvered Spirit Needles, attacking Bald Eagle.


    Bald Eagle, repeatedly blocked, was furious. The Formation Patterns on his body writhed, his muscles bulged, and a dark green demonic power enshrouded his claws, tearing violently, raising a bloody wind.


    The potent demonic power swept through, destroying all of Hua Qianqian¡¯s Hundred Flowers Spirit Needles.


    Hua Qianqian¡¯s Divine Sense ached, her face turned pale, but she still gritted her teeth, taking the opportunity to move Shangguan Xu farther away.


    Shangguan Xu had three bloodstains on his chest, bleeding continuously, also poisoned, which had to be healed quickly to avoid endless troubles.


    Shangguan Xu immediately took Pills to heal.


    Hua Qianqian took out a backup Spirit Needle from her Storage Bag, protecting Shangguan Xu in front of him.


    But this kind of Spirit Needle, being a backup, was far less effective than the previous Hundred Flowers Spirit Needle, posing no threat to Bald Eagle, only serving as a defense and protecting Shangguan Xu while he healed properly.


    In an instant, two out of the four had lost their fighting capabilities.


    Bald Eagle, having held back in secret and suddenly burst forth, reaped great benefits and couldn¡¯t help but sneer coldly.


    Currently, the only threats to him were Ouyang Feng and Murong Caiyun.


    Bald Eagle didn¡¯t give the two a chance to breathe, his gaze fierce, eagle-eyed and wolfish, he attacked Murong Caiyun again in a brief oversight.


    And Ouyang Feng, although at a disadvantage in terms of cultivation, also had to grit his teeth and contend with Bald Eagle.


    From the same state boundary, their Sects were allied.


    Cultivators, even if from different Sects, had more or less some friendship.


    He couldn¡¯t bear to see his junior brothers and sisters suffer at the hands of Bald Eagle, otherwise he would forever bear guilt and regret.


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s expression was resolute, his gaze sharp.


    The situation suddenly became tense.


    Bald Eagle then showed a playful look, curious to see how long these two could last against him.

 Chapter 839 - 602 Golden Origin Formation_3

    Chapter 839: Chapter 602 Golden Origin Formation_3


    Once they lost¡­


    Bald Eagle licked his lips, his gaze sweeping across Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian with lustful eyes.


    Having been trapped in Mount Diancang for so long, it had been a while since he had been close to a woman.


    Desire stirred within Bald Eagle.


    Suddenly, a blue light formed into a cage, enveloping him.


    Caught off guard, Bald Eagle¡¯s movement technique slowed by a step; he failed to dodge and was tightly imprisoned by the icy Water Prison.


    ...


    Though it lasted only a few moments, he experienced the discomfort of feeling dizzy as if drowning in water.


    His heart was instantly rid of lascivious thoughts, replaced only by a deep sense of disgust.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡°Stinking little ghost!¡±


    Bald Eagle was furious.


    He had been careless and hadn¡¯t dodged, allowing that little ghost to take him by surprise.


    Meanwhile, Ouyang Feng took the opportunity to sweep his sword across Bald Eagle¡¯s throat, not deeply, just breaking the skin.


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s Five Elements Spirit Light, although slightly off target and not hitting Bald Eagle¡¯s forehead, had scorched half of his ear.


    With his injury, Bald Eagle felt a chill in his heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the right time yet¡­¡±


    ¡°I need to focus, decide the battle quickly, and subdue these two people¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll deal with that little ghost¡¯s trouble¡­¡±


    Hate flashed in Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes; his demonic power was unleashed without reservation, his moves becoming even more ferocious towards Ouyang Feng.


    At the same time, he was also on guard against Mo Hua¡¯s Water Prison Technique.


    Whenever there was a sign of being locked onto by Divine Sense, or a faint fluctuation of Water-Type Spiritual Power around him, he would quickly dodge using his movement technique, to avoid falling prey to that little ghost¡¯s schemes.


    With Bald Eagle fully on guard, he managed to avoid the Water Prison Technique again.


    Meanwhile, he calmed down and allocated a portion of his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings.


    He wanted to find any trace of that little ghost.


    But the area was empty, the blank Divine Sense vision revealed no traces of anyone.


    Bald Eagle frowned.


    This little ghost¡­ was quite elusive¡­


    Truly not a trace to be seen.


    Why?


    Did he possess a Concealment Spiritual Artifact, or was his Concealment Technique too sophisticated, or perhaps his Divine Sense was too strong?


    Bald Eagle shook his head inwardly.


    No matter how strong the Divine Sense¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be possible for him to not notice at all.


    If he hadn¡¯t been careless, that little ghost¡¯s Water Prison Technique wouldn¡¯t have been able to lock onto him, which meant that his Divine Sense was not stronger than his own.


    That made sense, as that little ghost was at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And he was at the peak of the Qi Foundation Middle Stage.


    His Divine Sense, how could it be stronger than his own.


    The reason he hid so well must be that he possessed some treasure or some legacy¡­


    A Concealment treasure?


    That would be a great find¡­


    Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then my great fortune has arrived!¡±


    ¡°After this, catch that little ghost and find out everything¡­¡±


    The smile on Bald Eagle¡¯s face was sinister.


    ¡­


    Lying in the bushes, Mo Hua suddenly felt a premonition.


    As if a fierce hawk was targeting him¡­


    Mo Hua narrowed his eyes.


    Daring to covet him¡­


    This Bald Eagle must not be left alive¡­


    He was just a low-profile disciple of Taixu Gate, cultivating peacefully and earnestly learning about Formation; he didn¡¯t want to be targeted by a villain like ¡°Bald Eagle.¡±


    Moreover, he had to prove himself as ¡°capable¡± in front of his senior brothers and sisters.


    This was related to his future plans to ¡°mix¡± on missions and earn Merit Points.


    And there was also the issue with the Four Symbols Formation.


    The Four Symbols Formation seemed somewhat sinister at the moment, not seeming like a proper formation, but whether it was proper or not, he would know only after reviewing and studying it.


    One should not be too hasty.


    This formation deserved a chance¡­


    What if it could ¡°return to the right path¡±?


    Then he¡¯d be able to study it openly!


    Even if he couldn¡¯t study it, researching it would still be good for defense in the future.


    Mo Hua found another opportunity and casually cast a few Water Prison Techniques; Bald Eagle dodged them all, and his face showed increasingly evident scorn and disdain.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°This Bald Eagle is definitely dying today!¡±


    But the timing wasn¡¯t right yet, he had to wait a little longer.


    Mo Hua waited a while longer, until Shangguan Xu¡¯s injuries had improved somewhat, and Hua Qianqian had taken Pills to replenish her Spiritual Power too. Both were gritting their teeth and participating in the encirclement of Bald Eagle when he knew the opportunity had come.


    This was when their side was at its strongest.


    And Bald Eagle had also depleted a lot of Spiritual Power.


    If they couldn¡¯t take him down now, and he found an opportunity to counter-kill his senior brothers and sisters, that would be problematic.


    Or if he realized that the situation was hopeless and ran away secretly, that wouldn¡¯t be good either.


    Mo Hua sneaked next to Murong Caiyun and whispered,


    ¡°Senior sister¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun, who was fully engaged in casting her Spell and restricting Bald Eagle, was startled when she heard him but relaxed when she saw it was Mo Hua.


    However, her eyebrows soon furrowed tightly, her expression solemn, she sighed,


    ¡°Junior Brother Mo¡­ you should leave first¡­¡±


    Continuing the fight, the outcome was uncertain, and she could not guarantee Mo Hua¡¯s safety.


    But Mo Hua shook his head, asking,


    ¡°Senior sister, do you know that kind of Superior Technique that is very powerful?¡±


    Murong Caiyun was taken aback, then slowly nodded, ¡°Yes, I do know one, but¡­¡±


    Under these circumstances, using such a Technique was very risky.


    Moreover, it might not even hit the target.


    Even if it did, it might not kill Bald Eagle, who had his physical body strengthened by the formation to nearly the level of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, with one blow.


    Expending so much energy on such a powerful Spell, if they failed to kill him, they would be in danger.


    Mo Hua patted his chest confidently,


    ¡°Senior sister, don¡¯t worry, just cast your Spell, leave the rest to me!¡±


    Murong Caiyun was astonished, ¡°Leave it to you?¡±


    ¡°I know a Formation that can amplify the power of the Five Elements. If you use a Superior Technique with the amplified power, you could kill that ¡®Bald Eagle¡¯ in one move.¡±

 Chapter 840 - 602 Jin Yuan Formation_4

    Chapter 840: Chapter 602 Jin Yuan Formation_4


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Murong Caiyun opened her mouth, ¡°You¡­ you also know this Formation?¡±


    Amplifying the power of the Five Elements¡­


    Formation contains the Great Dao, profound and expansive; it would not be surprising for there to be all kinds of unimaginable Formations.


    But what surprised Murong Caiyun was, how could Mo Hua possibly know such an extremely rare Formation?


    Where on earth did he learn it from?


    ...


    And how was he able to master it?


    Mo Hua waved his hand, ¡°These are trifles¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun blinked in surprise, then nodded her head.


    Time was limited, indeed she had no time to dwell on these matters now.


    After pondering for a moment, Murong Caiyun decided, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try!¡±


    Hesitation breeds chaos.


    In such moments, if one were to hesitate, they would likely lose the opportunity for victory.


    Moreover, along the way, Mo Hua, this Junior Brother, though young and not highly cultivated, was very astute and his understanding of Formation Patterns was profound.


    The Spells he knew were obscure, but his technique was impeccable.


    Furthermore, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was clear and pure; he must be an extremely upright and sincere child who would not hatch any sinister plots.


    His words could be trusted.


    Murong Caiyun made up her mind and said, ¡°That Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister, just cast your Spell, don¡¯t worry about the rest,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Murong Caiyun was taken aback but still put her trust in Mo Hua. After a brief contemplation, she said to Ouyang Feng:


    ¡°Senior Brother Feng, please delay him.¡±


    Ouyang Feng was slightly stunned upon hearing this, but after a moment he guessed what Murong Caiyun was planning. He frowned slightly, but after contemplation, he did not refuse.


    Since Senior Sister Murong wanted to employ a Superior Technique to kill the enemy, she must have her reasons.


    Dragging things out was already an act of desperation.


    Ouyang Feng, with cutting Sword Qi, joined forces with Shangguan Xu and Hua Qianqian to contain the Bald Eagle.


    At this time, there was an unspoken agreement among them all.


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    Disciples of the Noble Clans, if possible, would always learn some Superior Daoist Magic.


    But given the current situation, with Ouyang Feng¡¯s profound cultivation, he was needed to contain the Bald Eagle, who was quick in both body and movement, and possessed a formidable physical strength.


    Senior Brother Xu was injured.


    And Senior Sister Hua¡¯s strength mostly depended on her Spiritual Artifact.


    Therefore, Senior Sister Murong, who was adept in the Five Elements Spell, was the best choice.


    Mo Hua also wanted to see just how powerful the Superior Five Elements Spell would be after being amplified by the Five Elements Source Formation.


    Ouyang Feng and the others did their best to grapple with the Bald Eagle.


    Without delay, Murong Caiyun also started to Condense Qi and cast her Spell.


    Strong and dazzling five-colored lights emanated from her body, gathering around her like clouds in the sky, making her shine with a crystal radiance, like a fairy among the clouds.


    Five Elements Radiant Jue.


    This was a genuine transmission of the Taixu Gate, a Superior Technique that combined all Five Elements.


    However, among these lights, only one was a dazzling gold.


    This was because the Five Elements Radiant Jue was exceedingly profound, and Murong Caiyun had so far only learned the Golden Series of this spell, unable to combine all Five Elements as one.


    Even so, during the Foundation Establishment Stage, the power of this Technique was already quite remarkable.


    The Bald Eagle also noticed the commotion.


    He was startled for a moment and then sneered inwardly.


    ¡°Fool!¡±


    ¡°Trying to kill me with a Superior Daoist Magic in one move?¡±


    ¡°Are all Sect Disciples fools from their constant debates over swords? Only learning those grandiose but useless moves.¡±


    In a real fight for survival, there are no frivolous flourishes; it¡¯s about straightforward effectiveness. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If a chaotic blade can kill, then forget the formalities and kill with a chaotic blade. Do not add unnecessary moves, or you might be the one to die.


    Superior Technique?


    Bald Eagle looked at Murong Caiyun and snorted coldly.


    Not to mention, whether the power of this technique could kill him.


    Even if it could, it was still questionable whether Divine Sense could lock him down firmly.


    Once it missed, this spell dissipated into nothing, and then, the ones facing death¡­ would be you all¡­


    Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes were sinister, but he remained unafraid with ease.


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s Spiritual Power continued to rise, and her aura gradually climbed higher, but even such powerful might only made Bald Eagle wary for a moment.


    Just then, Mo Hua pointed a tiny hand toward the ground.


    A Pattern of pure gold color, enriched with the Origin Power of the Five Elements, meandered and surfaced, coalescing into a Formation.


    First Grade, Thirteen Stripes, Ultimate Formation.


    Murong Caiyun, who was casting a spell, suddenly narrowed her pupils.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Ultimate Formation?!¡±


    And¡­


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s face was filled with disbelief.


    How did this Junior Brother just draw the Formation?


    A simple finger point on the ground, and the Formation appeared?!


    In a daze, she felt as if her common sense was in disarray.


    Since when were Formations drawn like this¡­


    And the moment Mo Hua infused Divine Sense and completed the Drawing Formation of the Ultimate Formation, a mysterious and clear Golden Light soared up instantly, covering Murong Caiyun.


    Standing upon the Ultimate Formation, Murong Caiyun felt a slight pain in her meridians, her Spiritual Power circulation intensified, and her Gold Series Spiritual Power became restless as if infused with the Source Power of the Five Elements, and it was constantly¡­


    Boiling.


    Spiritual Power boiling?


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s gaze shook.


    Then, as the spell condensed completely, her Gold Series Five Elements Radiant Jue became refined, like scalding molten gold, its splendor vast, surging mightily.


    This Ultimate Formation seemed to forcibly elevate her Superior Technique up a Grade!


    Far away, Bald Eagle¡¯s expression changed drastically, his pupils shocked.


    What¡¯s happening?


    How did the power of this technique suddenly become so much stronger?


    Without a second thought, he turned and bolted.


    Witnessing the astonishing power of the Five Elements Radiant Jue, Ouyang Feng and the others snapped back to their senses and took action one after another, attempting to keep Bald Eagle from escaping.


    Murong Caiyun had already locked on Bald Eagle with her Divine Sense.


    With a flick of her delicate hand, bolstered by the Ultimate Formation, a vast expanse of golden light swept across the sky, enveloping everything on its way to Bald Eagle.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s eyes flashed with green light, and the Formation Patterns on his body flickered intermittently; his aura became somewhat elusive.


    At the same time, Monster Qi suddenly intensified around him, blurring the perception of Divine Sense.


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s face paled in an instant, ¡°Divine Sense lock-on has gone inaccurate!¡±


    The sky full of radiant light, dazzling and beautiful yet filled with lethal intent, whirled toward Bald Eagle, but at the last moment, it seemed to lose its target and could not change its trajectory.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s face showed both panic and relief.


    As expected of the Four Symbols Formation of the Great Wilderness Lineage¡­


    It had saved his life once again.


    Bald Eagle let out a cold laugh and turned to escape from the radiant light.


    But just then, Mo Hua also gave a faint smile and reached out with an evil little hand.


    His Spiritual Power was pushed to the extreme.


    Peculiar dark Patterns emerged in his pupils.


    His Divine Sense, strong and resilient, like numerous chains, pierced through the mist of the Four Symbols Formation and locked down Bald Eagle, who was trying to flee!


    A powerful Divine Thought descended.


    Bald Eagle felt it and his smile froze instantly, his face turning deathly pale.

 Chapter 841 - 603: Suppressing and Slaying

    Chapter 841: Chapter 603: Suppressing and Slaying


    I had been locked by Divine Sense¡­ dead?


    Was there a high-level cultivator nearby?


    How could this be?


    Once Divine Sense locked on, a spell would follow.


    Bald Eagle felt a premonition of danger.


    What spell was coming?!


    ...


    In less than a moment, that familiar, nauseating sensation of suffocation, akin to drowning, came over him.


    Chains appeared on his body, imprisoned by the Water Prison.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s pupils shrank in disbelief.


    Water Prison Technique?!


    ¡°Was it that little ghost?!¡±


    In a split second, Bald Eagle realized what had happened.


    He had been tricked!


    That little ghost had deceived him!


    His Divine Sense was clearly strong enough to lock him down, his Water Prison Technique was clearly infallible!


    But that little ghost, he had held back, he had gone easy on him!


    His previous failures with the Water Prison Technique, unable to trap him, were just to make him complacent, to lower his guard, to make him think¡­


    That his Divine Sense was inferior to his own, that his spells couldn¡¯t lock him down.


    And then, at the most critical moment, at the juncture of life and death¡­


    That was when he took things seriously, locking him down with his powerful Divine Sense, controlling him with an incredibly fast and precise Water Prison Technique.


    Trapping him under the Five Elements aurora, teeming with surging Spiritual Power, overwhelmingly powerful.


    Just like a venomous little snake.


    Low-key, patient, dormant, then unexpectedly, it would bare its sinister fangs.


    A bite not felt, yet once it stings, it could claim your life!


    So despicable!


    So shameless!


    Bald Eagle was burning with rage, nearly vomiting blood, and also shocked to his core.


    How could this little ghost have such a powerful Divine Sense?


    He had been in Qian State for so long, yet this was the first time he was ¡°ambushed¡± by a kid¡¯s Divine Sense.


    This was the first, and most likely the last¡­


    Bald Eagle looked at the skies filled with auroral light, his expression grave as never before.


    He didn¡¯t know why this spell possessed such terrifying power, but he knew, if he didn¡¯t escape, he would undoubtedly die under the aurora light.


    The Formation Patterns on Bald Eagle¡¯s scalp suddenly lit up, a ghastly green and glaring.


    It seemed as if he had activated the full power of the Four Symbols Formation, his scalp unable to bear the burden, beginning to split open, blood seeping out, running down from his head.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s face was stained with blood, a picture of distress and ferocity.


    He was ready for a desperate struggle.


    With his full power triggered, Bald Eagle¡¯s flesh and demonic power fused to the extreme, his body almost contorting out of shape, as if the demonic power was rampaging uncontrollably within.


    Bald Eagle, turned into something neither human nor demon.


    But his demonic power grew even more frenzied.


    As the demonic power surged and his body contorted, the Water Prison Technique was instantly torn apart, the Spiritual Power disintegrated, turning into droplets and vanishing into nothingness.


    Bald Eagle regained his freedom, let out a sinister laugh, and tried to flee again.


    Just then, in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, the eerie black fog churned relentlessly.


    Double images emerged in the pupils.


    His Tricky Calculation reached its zenith, Divine Sense circulating to the extreme.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense locked onto Bald Eagle once again.


    In less than a moment, as Mo Hua¡¯s Spiritual Power shifted, another Water Prison Technique was condensed, locking Bald Eagle in place once more with pinpoint accuracy.


    In that instant, Bald Eagle¡¯s face went deathly pale, showing terror.


    This time, he clearly felt it.


    Such Divine Sense¡­


    Contained an innocent yet icy intent to kill.


    Although his realm was not higher than Sixteen Patterns, there was an overpowering dominance.


    He could even lock down someone of a higher order, making escape impossible.


    Incredible, powerful and resilient, it had an unfathomable depth and an ever-changing sense of mystery¡­


    This was simply not a ¡®human¡¯s¡¯ Divine Sense!


    Bald Eagle¡¯s pupils trembled violently.


    That little ghost¡­ what was he, human or ghost, or¡­


    An Evil God?


    Did his body also house something like the Divine Lord¡­ an outside god? sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Was he not human himself, but merely a flesh host for an outside god?


    Bald Eagle strained to turn his head, but there was no sight of Mo Hua¡ªhad he not sensed his Divine Sense, he might not even know how or by whom he had died¡­


    The aurora approached, the sharp Gold Series Spiritual Power slicing through his skin and flesh.


    His right limb had been disintegrated by Spiritual Power, revealing stark white bones.


    Even the bones were slowly eroding.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s face showed despair, then transcendence and piety.


    His voice hoarse and deep, he whispered:


    ¡°Undying through myriad calamities, the Wild God does not perish¡­¡±


    ¡°All things must return, the soul goes back¡­¡±


    But before he could finish, he was swallowed up by the Five Elements aurora.


    The Golden Light spread, the Spiritual Power sharp as blades, slicing his body to shreds.


    Tiny wounds bled profusely, only for the blood to be instantly evaporated by the cutting power.


    Bald Eagle instantly lost his life, collapsing to the ground, his death a ghastly sight not fit for eyes.


    And the aurora that filled the sky fell to the ground, grinding the forest to splinters and the rocks to dust.


    Even the clouds and miasma were scattered.


    The gold Spiritual Power still lingered in the mountains, like shredded sunlight, beautiful yet deadly.


    Ouyang Feng and the others were shocked.


    ¡°He really¡­ killed him¡­¡±


    Such power in that spell!


    That it could actually, in a single move, subdue Bald Eagle, who had been strengthened by a demonic formation and had a formidable physical body¡­


    While everyone was still stunned, suddenly a Fireball Technique flew past before their eyes and headed far away, exploding on the already dead Bald Eagle¡¯s corpse.


    With a loud boom.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s corpse was blasted into the air, landing on the ground, rolling before coming to a still and silent stop.

 Chapter 842 - 603: Suppression_2

    Chapter 842: Chapter 603: Suppression_2


    Obviously, he was completely dead.


    The crowd opened their mouths but couldn¡¯t find the words. They all turned their heads to look at Mo Hua, who was using the Fireball Technique to ¡°whip the corpse.¡±


    Mo Hua blinked matter-of-factly and said,


    ¡°He was a bad guy, I¡¯m just making sure he¡¯s really dead with an extra stab.¡±


    Although Mo Hua was sure in his heart that this Bald Eagle was probably dead for good, as his Divine Sense no longer detected any breath of life, his Spiritual Power was chaotic and gradually dissipating.


    But better safe than sorry.


    ...


    A few more Fireballs wouldn¡¯t hurt, just to be sure.


    And it¡¯s better to be cautious than to have regrets.


    This Bald Eagle, with lots of tricks up his sleeve and tough skin, was pretty hard to deal with.


    Mo Hua felt the itch to throw a few more Fireballs, but seeing everyone silently watching him, he felt somewhat embarrassed and said,


    ¡°How about you guys give it a go? I¡¯ve already done my part¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Shangguan Xu, wounded from the battle, looked at Mo Hua and sighed silently in his heart.


    This Junior Brother Mo¡¯s behavior was nowhere close to how Auntie had described it, completely different, in fact¡­


    He remembered how, before he was admitted, Auntie had warned him repeatedly about how naive and kind-hearted Junior Brother Mo was, devoid of any cunning¡­


    His cultivation wasn¡¯t high, his physical body was weak, all he knew was a bit of Formation, fights would definitely be his disadvantage, he could be easily bullied, and he needed to be looked after¡­


    He almost believed it¡­


    Now, seeing how cunning¡­


    No, how clever Junior Brother was, effortlessly surviving a melee fight at the Qi Foundation Middle Stage.


    Even the fierce and cunning Bald Eagle was played by his Concealment Technique, toyed with his Water Prison Technique, and even ¡°whipped¡± posthumously by his Fireball Technique¡­


    Shangguan Xu sighed.


    The other new disciples from worldly families at Taixu Gate were as green as lambs.


    He didn¡¯t believe that any of his fellow disciples could bully his Junior Brother.


    Or rather, it was not certain who would bully whom¡­


    Ouyang Feng and the other two had a peculiar look in their eyes when they saw Mo Hua.


    Especially Murong Caiyun, who was extremely surprised.


    He didn¡¯t expect the disciple he had picked up along the way to be this¡­


    Inclined towards Concealment Technique, proficient in Formation, sharp in perception, and those unimaginable methods of Drawing Ground into Formation.


    And that extremely rare Ultimate Formation with Five Elements Amplification¡­


    Aside from the weak ability in direct confrontations, in other aspects, he was almost absurdly strong.


    And that Water Prison Technique was too fast, and too accurate.


    Although Bald Eagle died under his Five Elements Radiant Jue, at the end of the day, he actually died due to those two continuous, powerless but extremely tricky Water Prison Techniques¡­


    Seeing everyone looking at him, Mo Hua felt a bit guilty and said,


    ¡°Senior brothers and sisters, it¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s collect the Storage Bags, gather the spoils, and prepare to head back¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng and the others were startled by his words.


    Murong Caiyun looked at Mo Hua with an even stranger expression.


    ¡°Junior brother, do you¡­ often do this kind of thing?¡±


    Killing people and then collecting their Storage Bags, how come he looked¡­ so skilled at it?


    Mo Hua instinctively nodded, then quickly shook his head, saying,


    ¡°I¡¯m not skilled, not skilled, this kind of dangerous affair, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve encountered it¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun sighed helplessly.


    The others exchanged wry smiles.


    But indeed, time was not on their side, they had been through a tough battle, their Spiritual Power was largely depleted, and some were injured, so it was time to pack up and prepare to return.


    Before returning, they had to clear the battlefield and collect the spoils of war.


    To avoid omissions, they worked together to clear up, and while the others¡¯ moods were relaxed, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit weary. Only Mo Hua was full of energy.


    Collecting Storage Bags! S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He loved doing that!


    But Formation work was still more important.


    First, he dismantled the nearby Formations.


    He ¡°confiscated¡± the Spirit Stones that powered the Formation eyes, then checked the Formation Pivots and Formation Patterns to see if there was any Formation knowledge he hadn¡¯t learned. If there was, he carefully noted it down.


    Even a wise man can make a mistake.


    With so many Formation Masters in the world, there was always someone who knew something he didn¡¯t.


    One must learn to draw on the strengths of others and broaden one¡¯s views.


    Moreover, Bald Eagle¡¯s level in Formation was obviously strong, although the types of Formations he specialized in were somewhat biased.


    After dismantling the Formations, Mo Hua went to check the cave.


    Clearly, this was a temporary resting place for the group of Sin Cultivators, there were some signs of life and some simple stove Formations.


    Apart from that, there were also some monster beast skeletons.


    They were small and didn¡¯t look like they came from large creatures, more like the radius and ulna bones of hawks or falcons.


    Around the nearby rocks, there were also some brownish feathers.


    Monster beasts¡­ eagles¡­


    Mo Hua frowned.


    He then thought of the Eagle Pattern Formation on Bald Eagle¡¯s head.


    ¡°Four Symbols Formation¡­ related to monster beasts¡­¡±


    ¡°But what exactly is this relationship?¡±


    ¡°How were the Four Symbols Formations built and how did they use the monster beasts to draw them?¡±


    ¡°By drawing demonic power through the Four Symbols Formations to strengthen the body¡­ wouldn¡¯t that turn them into half-demons?¡±


    Just like Bald Eagle in his final moments¡­


    By excessively activating the Formation, drawing demonic power, causing all the flesh and blood in his body to be assimilated by demonic power, losing humanity, becoming a half-human half-demon creature¡­


    If he learned the Four Symbols Formation, would he also turn into that?


    Mo Hua thought about it and felt a bit scared.


    He was quite happy with how things were now¡­


    He didn¡¯t really want to turn into a ¡°little monster.¡±


    If he became that kind of half-human half-demon strange creature, how could he face his parents, and his little junior sister in the future?


    He must be more careful.


    After deliberating, Mo Hua searched around, but still found no other traces of Formations, no books, Jade Slips, or Formation Patterns.

 Chapter 843 - 603: Suppress and Kill_3

    Chapter 843: Chapter 603: Suppress and Kill_3


    He swept with his Divine Sense and peered with Calculation, but found no trace.


    ¡°It seems we can only wait to search Bald Eagle¡¯s body later¡­¡±


    Soon enough, everyone gathered their findings, bringing all the Storage Bags together.


    People like Ouyang Feng, who came from Noble Clans, didn¡¯t care much for many items and were sloppy in their search, picking only a few conspicuous things.


    Mo Hua was different; he searched meticulously.


    Anything the slightest bit odd, he collected, laying it out before him, piling up a small heap.


    ...


    Now the entire cave area was clean, as if locusts had swept through.


    Shangguan Xu said, ¡°Junior Brother, most of these¡­ seem pretty useless¡­¡±


    ¡°Just in case,¡± Mo Hua replied, ¡°in case there were any Formation, any Formation Patterns left behind, checking them now could lead us to any fish that escaped the net.¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    They realized that this Junior Brother was quite fixated on Formations, truly not letting even the smallest clue slip by¡­


    Then they began to deal with the spoils of the battle.


    Mo Hua indeed managed to extract some fragmented Formation Patterns from these odds and ends.


    It was unclear where they were from, but Mo Hua carefully noted each one down.


    And that was it.


    The rest were Spirit Stones, Spiritual Artifacts, Pills, and other common things that Cultivators would have.


    Some books and Jade Slips were also nothing out of the ordinary.


    Murong Caiyun took charge of these.


    The Spirit Stones were evenly divided among the group.


    These Sin Cultivators had done many evil deeds; the Spirit Stones they carried amounted to quite a sum.


    But this was only for Mo Hua.


    For Murong Caiyun and the others, being from Noble Clans, they were not short of Spirit Stones, so their expressions were unchanged when they received their share.


    Among the group, only Mo Hua¡¯s face broke into a smile, very pleased.


    Twenty-three thousand Spirit Stones!


    Enough for his own use for a very, very long time.


    Indeed, in Qian State where Spirit Stones were spent plentifully, one could also ¡°earn¡± a lot.


    Mo Hua gleefully stored away the Spirit Stones.


    The remaining items could not be divided so easily.


    Moreover, they were all illegally obtained and difficult to handle.


    As was customary, they had to be handed over to the Taoist Court first, recorded in the ledger, then converted into Merit Points, which everyone could then distribute according to the situation.


    For Sect Disciples, Merit Points were more important than Spirit Stones.


    These items were soon tallied and dealt with.


    But Mo Hua was somewhat disappointed.


    Whether it was the items he collected individually or those the group gathered together, there were only fragmented Formation Patterns, no complete, official Four Symbols Formation Diagrams.


    Especially the Formation that Bald Eagle had painted on his bald head.


    As the sky grew dark and the mountain winds turned piercingly cold.


    Everyone got ready to leave, and Mo Hua thought it over before delicately expressing his request.


    ¡°Senior Sister Murong, could I take a look at the Formation on Bald Eagle¡¯s head?¡±


    Bald Eagle¡¯s corpse had been enclosed in a simple coffin for preservation.


    This was to be submitted to the Taoist Court to claim the bounty and exchange for Merit Points.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t get a chance to examine the Formation on his head in detail.


    Murong Caiyun frowned slightly, weighing her words:


    ¡°You¡­ know what Formation that is, right?¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°It should be a Four Symbols Formation.¡±


    Murong Caiyun sighed, ¡°This should¡­ not be ordinary, or rather, not a normal Four Symbols Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if a Four Symbols Formation used Beast Patterns, it wouldn¡¯t be this bizarre and ferocious¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, the entire category of Four Symbols Formations would be classified as ¡®Evil Formations¡¯ or ¡®Demon Formations¡¯ and completely banned by the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°This Four Symbols Formation of Bald Eagle, blended with demonic power, fused with flesh and blood, likely involved some unorthodox techniques¡­¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother, it¡¯s best not to learn it¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmm, mmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded but still said, ¡°I¡¯m not learning it, just want to research it a bit, to ¡®critique¡¯ it¡­¡±


    Critique¡­


    This Junior Brother really had a way with words¡­


    Murong Caiyun still hesitated.


    Then Mo Hua said, ¡°I mainly want to take it back to show Elder Master Xun.¡±


    Mo Hua brought up ¡°Elder Master Xun¡± again.


    This tactic proved effective.


    As soon as Murong Caiyun heard Elder Master Xun, her expression paused, then relaxed slightly, and she slowly nodded, saying:


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, then take a look¡­¡±


    So the group reopened the coffin that had sealed the Bald Eagle.


    Due to excessively absorbing the Four Symbols Formation, his demonic power expanded, his flesh morphed, and after being suppressed to death by Taixu Gate¡¯s Superior Technique, the Five Elements Radiant Jue, his remains were also struck by a Fireball Technique by Mo Hua.


    Therefore, his corpse hardly resembled a human anymore.


    However, the Formation Patterns on his body remained intact, as if¡­


    Mo Hua felt a stirring within.


    Did they have their own ¡°life¡±?


    Life¡­


    Mo Hua shuddered at the thought and concentrated on examining this Formation¡­


    This Four Symbols Formation did not seem ¡°painted¡± on but more like it parasitically attached itself.


    The Formation itself was incredibly stable. Even with the overuse and having endured a powerful Spell, it maintained the patterns and the Formation Pivot¡¯s structure unchanged.


    Mo Hua took out paper and brush, gave it some thought, and then began to observe and record.


    After nearly half an hour, he had completely documented the Formation Diagram of the Four Symbols Formation from the Bald Eagle¡¯s head.


    Murong Caiyun and the others waited patiently by his side.


    It wasn¡¯t until Mo Hua finished recording the Formation and stowed away the Formation Diagram that the group got up and hurried through the night to reach Diancang City.


    To prevent complications, they first went to the Taoist Court, turned in the Bald Eagle¡¯s remains, and briefly explained the cause and effect.


    Of course, they only slightly touched on the details of how the Bald Eagle was killed, the related Spells and Formations; after all, the Taoist Court would not inquire too closely into the specifics of the Cultivator¡¯s techniques and heritage.


    What followed was the responsibility of the Taoist Court.


    How to inventory the ill-gotten gains, how to calculate Merit Points, how to publicly condemn the dead Bald Eagle.


    Moreover, although the Bald Eagle was dead and his remains delivered to the Taoist Court, several Sin Cultivators under him, also with notorious records, had case files in the Taoist Court.


    These Sin Cultivators died on Mount Diancang.


    The Enforcement Leader from the Taoist Court would need to go collect the remains, check them against the wanted list, close each case accordingly, and possibly calculate some Merit Points.


    These matters would be handled one by one by the Taoist Court.


    As for Mo Hua and his companions, their task was now complete.


    After concluding the matter, everyone rested temporarily in an inn in Diancang City to rest and would return to Taixu Gate the following morning.


    Despite a day of toil, Mo Hua still practiced Formation techniques at the Taoist Stele all night.


    The practice focused on common Formations, aimed at enhancing his Divine Sense.


    As for the Four Symbols Formation, to avoid any accidents, Mo Hua planned to study it carefully after returning to the Sect.


    If there were any problems, Elder Master Xun would be there to take care of them.


    Waking up the next day, everyone was in high spirits and decided to stay half a day longer to relax a little.


    Mo Hua also felt the opportunity was too good to pass up, so he followed his senior brothers and sisters, freeloaded on food and drinks, played around Diancang City for half a day, and bought some novel things.


    In the afternoon, they were set to start their journey back to the Sect.


    Before leaving, Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng went to the Taoist Court in Diancang City once more to handle some simple procedures and added some details to their account of events, thus formally concluding their assignment.


    When they returned, Murong Caiyun was carrying a Storage Bag, marked with the seal of the Taoist Court.


    Opening the Storage Bag, Murong Caiyun said, ¡°This is what the Taoist Court gave back¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also from the possessions of those few Sin Cultivators under Bald Eagle, but they are of no use, couldn¡¯t be converted into Merit Points, so they were returned to us¡­¡±


    ¡°Take a look and take whatever you want¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun turned over items one by one, including some common Pills, some damaged Spiritual Artifacts, and some calligraphy and paintings¡­


    Indeed, none of them were particularly valuable.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua, with a keen eye, spotted a Token.


    He quickly asked, ¡°Senior Sister Murong, what is this Token for?¡±


    Murong Caiyun looked and hesitated,


    ¡°This seems to be¡­ a Letter Token¡­¡±


    ¡°A Letter Token?¡±


    Murong Caiyun nodded, ¡°It¡¯s used by Cultivators to pass written messages to one another, similar to our Sect Token, but much cruder in function¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°This was also on Bald Eagle and his people? Why didn¡¯t I find it before¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun smiled,


    ¡°Searching is something the Taoist Court is much more experienced in. There are methods only they know; it¡¯s normal that we couldn¡¯t find it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and asked further, ¡°Then, is there any important information in this Letter Token?¡±


    Murong Caiyun slightly extended her Divine Sense to check, then shook her head, ¡°It looks like a fairly ordinary Letter Token, nothing special, and the text inside has been wiped clean¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Wiped clean?¡±


    Murong Caiyun nodded, ¡°Now, it¡¯s blank; there¡¯s nothing left¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just unclear whether the message was wiped by Bald Eagle just before he died or by the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he said with anticipation,


    ¡°Senior Sister, could I have this Token to play with?¡±

 Chapter 844 03-25 - 604 Nightmare

    Chapter 844: Chapter 604 Nightmare


    ¡°Here, play with this¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun, listening to these childish words, was somewhat caught between laughter and tears.


    A Letter Token wasn¡¯t for playing with.


    However, since Mo Hua insisted, she didn¡¯t refuse.


    The items in these Storage Bags were meant for everyone to take what they needed.


    An empty Letter Token was of no use to her.


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Murong Caiyun handed over the blank Letter Token, made of white jade and with its contents already erased, to Mo Hua.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister!¡±


    Mo Hua happily accepted it, treating it like a ¡°treasure¡± and tucked it away.


    Murong Caiyun smiled wistfully, shaking her head slightly.


    The rest of the items were simply divided up among everyone.


    Since they were merely leftovers ¡°picked¡± by the Taoist Court, and were not valuable, Murong Caiyun would give them to whoever asked.


    After the last bit of the spoils was divided, the group made their leisurely return to the sect.


    The journey there had been rushed, but the return trip was significantly more relaxed.


    Murong Caiyun had hired a carriage spacious and luxurious, filled with the aroma of rain mist incense, lined with mink blankets and with plush cushions, making for a comfortable ride.


    Mo Hua, looking at the resplendent carriage, guessed that Senior Sister Murong must come from a wealthy family.


    He looked ahead.


    The horses pulling the carriage were four tall and majestic Spirit Horses.


    These were Second Grade Spirit Horses, specially bred by cultivators for drawing carriages.


    The four Spirit Horses were imposing.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but think of ¡°Big White.¡±


    When he used to travel with his Master along with Old Kui, Junior Brother and Junior Sister, they had traversed mountains and rivers, and the white horse pulling their carriage was ¡°Big White.¡±


    The name Big White was given by Mo Hua himself.


    He guessed it must have liked it.


    Whenever he called it Big White, it would affectionately nuzzle against him.


    As for Big White¡¯s original name, something with clouds, something Dragon Steed, was quite a mouthful, and Mo Hua hadn¡¯t really kept it in mind.


    ¡°I wonder how Big White¡¯s breed compares with these large horses, which one is a bit better?¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to himself silently.


    White clouds drifted by, horse hooves trotted leisurely.


    Past events, like mountain scenes, passed by in flashes of light, fleeting before his eyes. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Walking along, Mo Hua suddenly felt a sense of loss and a sourness in his heart.


    Those companions who had been with him for so long were suddenly no longer by his side.


    And yet he had to, alone, keep moving forward.


    He must, keep moving forward¡­


    In Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, there was a glimmer of loneliness mixed with a hint of determination.


    ¡°Junior Brother¡­¡±


    A soft and clear voice called Mo Hua back from his thoughts.


    Murong Caiyun gently asked, ¡°Are you troubled?¡±


    ¡°Not at all¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Hua Qianqian suddenly covered her mouth, laughing and teasingly said:


    ¡°Could it be that you¡¯ve got someone on your mind, thinking about some pretty Junior Sister, perhaps¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s cheeks turned a faint red as he denied,


    ¡°It¡¯s not!¡±


    The others looked at him, slightly startled.


    Thinking back on the battle with Bald Eagle, where Mo Hua was skilled in concealment, proficient in Formation, trapping enemies with the Water Prison Technique, attacking the corpse with Fireball.


    And at the critical moment, he dealt a covert, decisive blow with the Water Prison Technique, leading to the death of the cunning and vicious Bald Eagle. His actions¡­


    Not only were meticulous and calm,


    But also carried a childlike yet decisive ruthlessness.


    Despite appearing kind and cute, there was also a sense of incongruity, with a fathomless Divine Sense that was elusive.


    Thus, along the way, even though everyone acted normally, they all felt a bit wary at heart.


    But now, talking about a ¡°crush,¡± ¡°Junior Sisters,¡± and such¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s pale cheeks had suddenly turned red, the blush subtly accentuating his fair lips and teeth, his eyes and brows as if painted.


    There was also a hint of shyness and awkwardness.


    He simply looked like an innocent and bashful Junior Brother.


    Everyone¡¯s heart eased at the sight, and they couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Mo Hua saw everyone looking at him with a smile, his face growing redder as he argued,


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s not!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    ¡°We believe, we believe¡­¡±


    ¡°Then why are you still laughing?¡±


    ¡­


    The atmosphere inside the carriage became much more cheerful¡­


    ¡­


    On the main road of Qian State.


    The carriage continued non-stop, and despite feeling a bit slow, the four large horses trotted briskly, and the actual speed was not slow at all.


    Around evening, the carriage entered the Qian Xue State Boundary.


    Ouyang Feng, a Tai¡¯a Sect disciple, and Hua Qianqian, a Hundred Flower Valley disciple, would need to disembark along the way.


    ¡°Senior Sister Murong, Junior Sister Qianqian, Junior Brother Shangguan, Junior Brother Mo¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng listed everyone¡¯s names one by one in a formal and polite manner before bowing and saying,


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now, if there¡¯s a chance to meet on a mission in the future¡­¡±


    Everyone bowed their goodbyes as well.


    Ouyang Feng gave Mo Hua a final glance, hesitated for a moment, but still spoke up,


    ¡°Junior Brother Mo, when you¡¯re free, come visit our Tai¡¯a Sect. We can enjoy the scenic views and exchange insights on cultivation. I would be happy to play host¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Feng!¡± Mo Hua was thrilled and nodded continuously,


    ¡°Definitely, definitely!¡±


    Next was Hua Qianqian.


    She was wearing a Brocade Hundred Flowers Robe, elegant in appearance. Though she seemed quiet and reticent, that was only because she wasn¡¯t acquainted.


    Once familiar, she was surprisingly lively.


    After bidding farewell to everyone, she specifically said to Mo Hua, ¡°Junior Brother, you should also come and visit our Hundred Flower Valley when you have the time¡­¡±


    Mo Hua paused, ¡°Hundred Flower Valley¡­ isn¡¯t that all female cultivators? Men aren¡¯t allowed in, right?¡±


    Hua Qianqian smirked mischievously, ¡°We¡¯ll find you a skirt of a female disciple to wear, apply some rouge, put on a little makeup, and dress you up as a ¡®little beauty.¡¯ Then naturally, you can enter.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat annoyed and firmly stated,


    ¡°I certainly will not!¡±

 Chapter 845 03-25 - 604 Nightmare_2

    Chapter 845: Chapter 604 Nightmare_2


    He was a full-grown man, how could he possibly wear women¡¯s clothing?!


    This was preposterous!


    When Hua Qianqian saw Mo Hua fuming, she laughed even more joyfully.


    After laughing for a while, she set her gaze upon Mo Hua, as if envisioning him in the Brocade Hundred Flowers Robe, looking stunningly beautiful. As he moved, his eyes glimmered with expectation, his face full of anticipation.


    Mo Hua felt a chill run down his spine and quickly distanced himself from her, seeking refuge beside Murong Caiyun.


    Murong Caiyun sighed helplessly.


    After Hua Qianqian got off the carriage, she waved at everyone from afar before turning and walking toward the lush and ever-spring-like Hundred Flower Valley.


    Afterward, the carriage traveled a bit further before returning to Taixu Gate.


    Murong Caiyun was a senior to Mo Hua and lived in the Female Disciples¡¯ Residence, so she bid them farewell first:


    ¡°Junior Brother Shangguan, Junior Brother Mo, I¡¯ll be leaving now. Once the Taoist Court has finished tallying the Merit Points, I¡¯ll transfer them to your Taixu Tokens.¡±


    Mo Hua and Shangguan Xu bowed in thanks.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment before whispering, ¡°Senior Sister Murong¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun looked puzzled, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua then shared his carefully conceived plan he had mulled over the entire journey:


    ¡°Next time you take on a mission, Senior Sister, should you encounter a need for stealth and reconnaissance, laying or breaking Formations, trapping enemies with spells, or if there¡¯s a situation that requires the amplification of Five Elements Spell¡­¡±


    ¡°Would you consider bringing me along?¡±


    Taixu Gate¡¯s reward missions had numerous restrictions.


    Especially for newcomers like Mo Hua, with low cultivation and little experience, the requirements were even higher.


    Without taking on missions, one couldn¡¯t earn Merit Points.


    Therefore, Mo Hua had to figure out a way to join Murong Caiyun in ¡°mixing¡± in missions.


    Murong Caiyun was startled, ¡°Do you¡­ need Merit Points that badly?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I need to earn Merit Points to exchange for Formations.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Murong Caiyun frowned, ¡°Elder Master Xun has many Formations, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Elder Master Xun said I can¡¯t violate the Sect¡¯s rules. He wants me to be self-reliant, to earn Merit Points myself, and exchange for Formations myself¡­¡± Mo Hua explained.


    However, he didn¡¯t mention that Elder Master Xun had only allowed him to take ¡®beginner¡¯ missions.


    Such dangerous pursuits and assassination missions¡ªElder Master Xun hadn¡¯t even considered that Mo Hua would take them on, let alone complete them¡­


    Murong Caiyun nodded slightly.


    Indeed, without rules, there can be no circle. Even if she favored a disciple, she couldn¡¯t break the rules of the Sect.


    This was indeed Elder Master Xun¡¯s way of handling matters.


    ¡°However, these matters are very¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun initially wanted to say ¡°very dangerous,¡± but thinking back to Bald Eagle¡¯s tragic death, she suddenly realized¡­


    Dangerous indeed it was.


    But as to who the ¡°danger¡± applied to, that was less certain¡­


    At least for now, Mo Hua was safe and sound, while Bald Eagle was thoroughly chilled in death¡­


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s eyes twinkled, and her thoughts churned.


    This mission was indeed very perilous.


    Bald Eagle¡¯s abilities were not to be underestimated.


    Especially with the strange Four Symbols Formation tattooed on his head, which, when broken, would merge his flesh with demonic power, increasing his strength tremendously, almost on par with a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator.


    Among the Sin Cultivators and Demon Cultivators she had pursued over the years, few were as powerful as Bald Eagle.


    Moreover, Bald Eagle was an expert in Formations.


    Without Mo Hua, they might not have made it back safely.


    In contrast, Mo Hua was clever and quick-witted, adept in stealth and formations, and possessed strong Divine Sense.


    It would have been impossible for Mo Hua alone to kill Bald Eagle.


    But if it were about escaping from Bald Eagle¡¯s clutches, Mo Hua would have likely found it quite easy.


    So, speaking of danger.


    The most dangerous was Bald Eagle, the one targeted and then killed by Mo Hua.


    Next, themselves.


    And Mo Hua would be the last to be in danger¡­


    Murong Caiyun nodded, ¡°Alright!¡±


    Mo Hua was also thrilled, ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister Murong!¡±


    He didn¡¯t expect Senior Sister Murong to agree so readily. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shangguan Xu, standing by, was also surprised.


    He thought that for such dangerous matters, Senior Sister Murong would certainly refuse, or at least hesitate a few times.


    Murong Caiyun looked at Mo Hua and smiled warmly.


    But she kept the most important reason hidden deep in her heart.


    The Ultimate Formation¡­


    A Formation that could amplify the Five Elements¡¯ Spiritual Power!


    Such an Ultimate Formation was extremely rare and seldom seen.


    And she had hardly heard of any Foundation Establishment Disciple in the entire Qian Xue State Boundary who could master such a powerful and functional Formation.


    This kind of Formation was close to the Innate Origin of the Five Elements.


    That feeling of Spiritual Power boiling, spells advancing, might transforming, suppressing Evil Demons and slaughtering far and wide¡ªonce experienced, was irresistible.


    That sky of dazzling, beautiful, and yet dangerous Five Elements radiance.


    Even now, thinking back on it sent Murong Caiyun¡¯s heart racing.


    Murong Caiyun couldn¡¯t help but look at Mo Hua, her eyes shining as if beholding a rare, precious Innate Spirit Treasure that could enhance the power of spells.


    ¡°What a pity, I can¡¯t carry it around with me¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun thought regretfully.


    Mo Hua felt that Senior Sister Murong¡¯s gaze was somewhat strange and showed a puzzled look¡­


    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Murong Caiyun left as well.


    Mo Hua and Shangguan Xu headed toward the Disciple¡¯s Residence, chatting about this and that along the way, such as which Elder had the worst temper, which dining hall tasted the best¡­


    In the mountains, there was also some ¡°game,¡± like the golden-feathered chickens raised by the Elder in the back mountain, which could be roasted and were delicious, but don¡¯t leave behind any traces¡­


    Because it was forbidden for Elders to privately calculate a disciple¡¯s karma.


    So occasionally, if you stole a chicken and roasted it,


    They couldn¡¯t calculate, and thus wouldn¡¯t know who the ¡°culprit¡± was¡­

 Chapter 846 03-25 - 604 Nightmare_3

    Chapter 846: Chapter 604 Nightmare_3


    But if you left evidence and the elder straightforwardly ¡°reasoned¡± it out, you would be in big trouble¡­


    Shangguan Xu said a lot, and Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were opened wide.


    These were the experiences summed up by the senior brothers!


    Mo Hua firmly remembered them.


    When it was time to part, Shangguan Xu remembered something and said,


    ¡°You can visit the Shangguan Family sometime, my aunt is at home, she¡¯s been thinking about you, worried about whether you¡¯ve been¡­ at the Sect¡­¡±


    Shangguan Xu¡¯s expression became a bit subtle, ¡°¡­whether you¡¯ve been ¡®bullied¡¯¡­ she always instructs me to take more care of you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua responded with a smile, ¡°Aunt Wan is really kind!¡±


    Then he became a bit puzzled and asked,


    ¡°The Shangguan Family¡­ where is it?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t seen the Shangguan Family¡¯s estate until now.


    It seemed absent in the Qian Xue Academic World.


    In Qingzhou City, Aunt Wan had taken him to places owned by the Gu Family.


    Shangguan Xu patted his forehead and apologized,


    ¡°I forgot to tell you, the ancestral home of the Shangguan family is quite far from the Qian Xue State Boundary. The Shangguan family members, when they come to the Qian Xue State Boundary, usually stay with the Gu Family¡­¡±


    ¡°The Gu Family is also a major clan, historically intermarried with the Shangguan Family, with profound connections. They are quite close, and it wouldn¡¯t be too much to say they are as close as if they were from the same branch¡­¡±


    ¡°Aunt brought Yu Er to temporarily rest at the Gu Family¡¯s estate in Qingzhou City. If you have time, you might head there to see them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, but suddenly he frowned, ¡°Resting?¡±


    Shangguan Xu¡¯s gaze turned slightly serious, he hesitated for a moment and then sighed,


    ¡°Yu Er has been¡­ somewhat unwell¡­¡±


    ¡°Unwell?¡±


    Shangguan Xu nodded and hesitated for a moment. He seemed reluctant to continue, but considering that Mo Hua was the one who saved Yu Er¡¯s life, he decided to share,


    ¡°Yu Er has¡­ occasionally been having nightmares¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, frowning, ¡°Nightmares?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shangguan Xu sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the details. Uncle Yi and Aunt Wan have sought both karma and a Pill Master to diagnose, but they found nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, Yu Er cannot leave Qingzhou City¡­¡± Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°As soon as he leaves Qingzhou City, the nightmares intensify. Sometimes, even a nap during the day could trigger terrifying nightmares with his body trembling and drenched in cold sweat¡­¡±


    Shangguan Xu frowned with concern.


    Mo Hua felt pained too and asked,


    ¡°Has Yu Er been like this since he was a child?¡±


    Shangguan Xu contemplated for a moment and then shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. Yu Er¡¯s identity is unique. We, the children of the legitimate lineage, avoid probing into his childhood to prevent conflicts¡­¡±


    Avoiding conflicts¡­


    Mo Hua thought about it and roughly understood.


    Within the noble clans, interests were substantial, hence sometimes familial affection became detached.


    Kind intentions could easily be twisted¡­


    Shangguan Xu sighed again, continuing, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Yu Er¡¯s childhood, but ever since the last time¡­¡±


    Shangguan Xu paused, looked around to ensure nobody was listening, then lowered his voice and sighed,


    ¡°After he was ¡®kidnapped,¡¯ whatever he went through has worsened his nightmares¡­ and they have become increasingly severe¡­¡±


    ¡°Aunt is heartbroken and worried sick.¡±


    ¡°And sometimes, when Yu Er experiences nightmares, half awake, he repeatedly mentions your name¡­¡±


    ¡°It may be the bond formed since you saved him, a feeling of closeness that keeps him recalling you¡­¡±


    ¡°Aunt also hopes that when you have time, you could visit Yu Er¡­¡±


    ¡°But since you¡¯ve just joined the Sect and your foundation isn¡¯t solid yet, she didn¡¯t want to distract you from your cultivation by mentioning it¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Shangguan Xu looked helpless.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew focused as he nodded,


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll visit Yu Er when I have time!¡±


    Shangguan Xu sighed in relief, ¡°Thank you for that.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, then reminded,


    ¡°Senior Brother Xu, you should also take care of your health.¡±


    Shangguan Xu was momentarily stunned, then warmed by the gesture and nodded, ¡°Thank you, junior brother.¡±


    After parting ways, Mo Hua returned to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, laid on the table, and silently pondered.


    ¡°Yu Er¡­ nightmares¡­¡±


    ¡°Cannot leave Qingzhou City¡­¡±


    ¡°Kidnapped¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, sensing something odd.


    But he couldn¡¯t figure anything out at the moment.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He really liked Yu Er, a child so pure and kind, and Aunt Wan had been very kind to him too. Now that Yu Er was tormented by nightmares, Mo Hua felt uneasy.


    But his vacation time for this period was already used up.


    Mo Hua thought for a bit, then decided he would make time during his next break to visit the Gu Family in Qingzhou City.

 Chapter 847 03-25 - 605 Thunder Pattern

    Chapter 847: Chapter 605 Thunder Pattern


    Mo Hua had made up his mind; the next day was just another normal day of classes.


    After finishing the Tao Cultivation class, he attended an Alchemy class and an Artifact Refining class, and finally sat in on a Sword Cultivation class.


    Sword Cultivation was not a subject Mo Hua was required to take.


    He was a Spiritual Cultivator, specializing in Spells.


    Moreover, Sword Weapons were expensive, and he could not afford them.


    Nevertheless, adhering to the principle of ¡°knowing one¡¯s enemy and oneself leads to victory in every battle,¡± an understanding was still needed. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    More importantly, Mo Hua was constantly preoccupied with the mysterious ¡°Taixu Divine Thought Transforming Sword True Jue¡± that he had vaguely ¡°calculated¡± from obscure causes, bearing only a name.


    True Sword technique was beyond his reach.


    However, the ¡°Divine Thought into Sword¡± might be a feasible study.


    ¡°Divine Thought into Sword,¡± as the name suggests, involves both ¡°Divine Thought¡± and ¡°Swordsmanship¡± and should be related to both.


    Thus, any class on ¡°Sword Cultivation¡± that Mo Hua had time for, he would try to attend.


    He learned the basics of Sword Cultivation.


    While keeping an eye out for any clues about the ¡°Divine Thought into Sword True Jue.¡±


    Simultaneously, he studied the pros and cons of Sword Cultivation, silently pondering how he would deal with a Sword Cultivator if he ever encountered one.


    However, perhaps because he was just a beginner, the Sword Cultivation classes were very basic.


    Mo Hua had listened for several months but had only grasped the basics; he could not even condense Sword Qi, let alone truly control a sword¡­


    Meanwhile, he had also heard from the Sword Cultivation Elder about many famous Sword techniques of the Taixu Gate:


    Such as ¡°Taixu Separating Fire Sword Jue,¡± ¡°Taixu Eryi Sword Technique,¡± ¡°Taixu Returning to One Sword Form,¡± and so on.


    But no one had ever mentioned a single word about the ¡°Taixu Divine Thought Transforming Sword True Jue¡±¡­


    He wondered if this Divine Thought Sword Transformation Technique was too obscure, too difficult, or perhaps too ancient and had been lost¡­


    Mo Hua sighed, resolved to patiently search.


    Time was on his side, and as long as he kept at it, he would eventually find some clues about this Sword technique.


    Furthermore, there was the Downcast Mountain God in the desolate temple on the barren mountain.


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡­


    Mo Hua nodded.


    When the day came for him to take a task that passed by that barren mountain, he planned to seek it out and inquire.


    Currently, he had classes to attend and had no time to search¡­


    The last class in the afternoon was on Formation, and Elder Master Xun had slacked off again.


    As the ¡°Junior Brother,¡± Mo Hua had no choice but to diligently substitute for Elder Master Xun.


    After finishing the class, his day¡¯s lessons were over.


    Mo Hua returned to Disciple¡¯s Residence, and with some free time, began to study the somewhat eerie Four Symbols Formation imprinted from the bald head of Sin Cultivator ¡°Bald Eagle.¡±


    Four Symbols Formation!


    ¡°There¡¯s a new formation to learn¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits were lifted, his eyes sparkling.


    Moreover, this formation was not ¡°new¡± in the general sense.


    The Four Symbols Formation was a truly novel type of formation method, independent of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams.


    However, it might carry a hint of eeriness and peril.


    Inside Disciple¡¯s Residence, the light from the bright open flame lamp was bright and warm.


    The room was modest but clean and tidy.


    Mo Hua lay over the table, setting the Formation Paper and preparing the ink and brush, and began to study the Four Symbols Monster Pattern Formation he had copied¡­


    This formation had peculiar Patterns.


    The Formation Pivot was simple, but the Formation Patterns were complex.


    Unlike the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Patterns, which were restrained and austere, profound and orderly,


    the Patterns of this formation were drawn like the forms of Monster Beasts, the brushstrokes pictorial, resembling eagles and falcons, claws and teeth exposed, wild and rampant.


    It was both novel and eerie.


    However, once a formation was dismantled, only the Patterns remained.


    As long as one¡¯s Taoist Heart was pure, there was nothing to fear.


    Mo Hua began to deconstruct the formation, analyze the Formation Pivot, dissect the Patterns, akin to the Butcher¡¯s Skill in Dissecting Ox, removing the bones and flesh, seeing nothing but the cow.


    His Heavenly Secret Calculation grew more skillful; the more adept he became at such analyses, the more thorough his understanding of this type of formation method.


    Soon, Mo Hua had dismantled it.


    A Four Symbols Formation was dismantled into more than ten, independent Four Symbols Pattern Variations.


    Mo Hua examined the Patterns but couldn¡¯t help scratching his head:


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    These Patterns, upon closer inspection, did not resemble Four Symbols Patterns at all.


    They were vastly different from what Elder Master Xun had taught him.


    Or rather, they only looked like Four Symbols Patterns¡­


    But upon actual ¡°studying¡± or ¡°learning,¡± they greatly differed from typical Four Symbols Patterns.


    ¡°Formation Pattern Variations?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    That was the only explanation he could think of.


    Elder Master Xun had taught him the basic, simple, introductory Four Symbols Patterns.


    They were like enlightenment tools.


    But the Four Symbols Formation on Bald Eagle¡¯s head resembled a more advanced form of Patterns, containing complex changes and specifically used to integrate demonic power and strengthen lethality.


    Beast Patterns, close to monsters, could easily cause one to lose humanity¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat wary, but after some thought, decided to spend some time learning it.


    Without trying it out and personally drawing it several times, he could not comprehend the secrets of the formation.


    If he noticed any signs of ¡°Demonization¡± or straying into madness, he would stop.


    While copying, Mo Hua performed calculations and, after two hours, had roughly learned the basics of the Four Symbols Eagle Pattern Formation.


    The Four Symbols Eagle Pattern Formation consisted of only fourteen Patterns.


    Mo Hua drew it on paper, then furrowed his brow again.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­¡±


    The Patterns were clearly drawn on the paper, identical to those on Bald Eagle¡¯s head, and even the extremely fine details on the Patterns, resembling feathers and teeth, he had perfectly replicated.

 Chapter 848 03-25 - 605 Thunder Pattern_2

    Chapter 848: Chapter 605 Thunder Pattern_2 S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°`


    But after injecting Spiritual Power, this Formation showed no response at all.


    In the Divine Sense vision of Mo Hua, this Formation possessed only a shape but lacked spirit and the flowing trajectories of Formation power.


    ¡°What¡¯s still missing¡­¡±


    But what could be missing?


    Demonic power?


    Where would he obtain demonic power?


    Surely he couldn¡¯t cease being a ¡°human¡± and study the Demonic Arts of the Demon Gate, cultivating through bloodshed like the Monster Beasts, feeding on Cultivators to nurture demonic power¡­


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    This Formation was temporarily useless¡­


    But soon after, Mo Hua grew curious again.


    He remembered that Bald Eagle, who hadn¡¯t practiced Demon Techniques either and whose Spiritual Power was normal. Why could he draw such an eerie Four Symbols Formation?


    Or fundamentally speaking, what was the Four Symbols Formation actually used for?


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondering carefully¡­


    The Five Elements and Eight Trigrams possess a clear system, controlling natural forces like metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, rain, thunder, and lightning¡ªthe forces of nature from heaven and earth.


    What about the Four Symbols?


    It couldn¡¯t just be for controlling demonic power, could it?


    If it involved controlling demonic power, wouldn¡¯t one risk being eroded by it, leading to ¡°deviation¡± in cultivation?


    Mo Hua always felt that he was still overlooking something¡­


    He compared the Four Symbols Monster Pattern and Eagle Pattern that Elder Master Xun had taught him with the basic, standard Four Symbols Array Patterns.


    Mo Hua, using Heavenly Secret Calculation, peered into the origins of the Patterns and independently deduced various changes in the Patterns.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua was startled, his gaze sharpened.


    In the Divine Sense Calculation, after several evolutions and comparisons of these two types of Patterns, they suddenly overlapped.


    The overlapping parts revealed some more originative Patterns!


    In a flash, Mo Hua realized something.


    The Four Symbols Array Patterns taught by Elder Master Xun were ¡°Beast Patterns.¡±


    And the Four Symbols Array Pattern on Bald Eagle¡¯s head was a ¡°Monster Pattern.¡±


    Monsters and beasts were not entirely the same, but they shared the same origin.


    Similarly, Monster Patterns and Beast Patterns differed in form but their fundamental Patterns were the same.


    This meant that both Four Symbols Monster Patterns and Four Symbols Beast Patterns were built upon a more foundational and basic Four Symbols Array Pattern.


    Beneath the basics, there were yet deeper basics.


    Both Monster Patterns and Beast Patterns were fundamental variations of a more underlying ¡°Four Symbols Array Pattern.¡±


    Thus, they were all Four Symbols Formations, yet distinctly different.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡±


    With a revitalized spirit, Mo Hua began to carefully compare, cautiously deducing the shared, basic Four Symbols Array Patterns through the overlapping trajectories in the Divine Sense Calculation.


    One by one, the Patterns were re-deduced, compared, and deciphered by Mo Hua, and drawn onto paper¡­


    More than half an hour later, Mo Hua finally finished calculating.


    He lined up these more basic, universal Four Symbols Array Patterns one by one, scrutinizing them.


    These Patterns were somewhat more abstract than the ¡°Eagle Pattern¡± or ¡°Beast Pattern.¡±


    They resembled something more like¡­


    Chains or cages¡­


    As he continued looking, Mo Hua suddenly widened his eyes, his heart stirred.


    These Patterns¡­


    He had seen them before!


    Mo Hua quickly opened his Storage Bag and rummaged through it to find several wooden boards at the bottom, carved with extremely similar Patterns.


    Although the strokes were slightly different, and there were many discrepancies in the Patterns.


    But with his rich experience, Mo Hua could tell at a glance that these two types of Patterns indeed originated from the same lineage of Formation.


    These wooden boards were¡­


    Mo Hua muttered with a focused gaze:


    ¡°Yu Er¡­¡±


    At that inn, when he rescued Yu Er from the kidnappers, Yu Er was locked in a box that was painted with a Formation.


    These boards were from the box that had confined Yu Er.


    The Formation on the boards had also trapped Yu Er, isolating her aura and perception, that strange ¡°Lock¡± type of Formation.


    Mo Hua had thoroughly grasped some secrets through Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation and Heavenly Secret Calculation, grasping some of the ¡°life and death¡± relations, thus unlocking the Formation Lock.


    But it was more of a guess combined with what he borrowed, knowing the manifestations, but not the reasons behind them.


    The fundamental principles of the Formations, Mo Hua actually knew nothing about.


    Having joined the Sect later, with many lessons and unable to divert his attention elsewhere, Mo Hua gradually forgot these Patterns.


    He had not expected that now, by a strange twist of fate, he would again encounter the ¡°Lock Formation¡± Patterns¡­


    But his understanding of these Patterns ended here.


    Because it was not a complete lineage, Mo Hua could only probe to this extent.


    He must find a way to acquire more of the same type of Four Symbols Formation or Four Symbols Array Patterns¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, his thoughts whirling rapidly.


    Four Symbols Beast Patterns¡­


    Four Symbols Monster Patterns, Sin Cultivator Bald Eagle¡­


    Unknown Lock Formation at the fundamental level, Yu Er¡­


    Human traffickers, Boss Jiang¡­


    Mo Hua remembered that the wanted notice issued by the Taoist Court contained Bald Eagle¡¯s crimes:


    ¡°Forcefully harvested female disciples, committed murder, and also worked as a human trafficker, selling young Cultivators as ¡®food¡¯ to Demon Cultivators¡­¡±


    Having been a ¡°human trafficker¡±¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts shifted slightly.


    Boss Jiang was a human trafficker, and so was Bald Eagle, selling Cultivators¡­


    Did this mean that Bald Eagle and Boss Jiang¡¯s group might have had associations, either colluding in misdeeds together or even being part of the same gang altogether?


    The wooden box belonging to Boss Jiang had a Lock type Four Symbols Formation, Bald Eagle¡¯s bald head had a Monster Pattern Four Symbols Formation¡­


    Could it be that the Formations they used came from the same source?


    A name suddenly popped into Mo Hua¡¯s mind:


    Mr. Tu¡­


    This Mr. Tu, mentioned by Boss Jiang, sounded very mysterious.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 849 03-25 - 605 Thunder Pattern_3

    Chapter 849: Chapter 605 Thunder Pattern_3 sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Boss Jiang spoke with utmost respect and even some fear in his words.


    ¡°Those associated with Boss Jiang are likely not good people¡­¡±


    ¡°Calling him ¡®Gentleman¡¯ would mean he¡¯s not a brute, not a Body Cultivator, not a hands-on executioner¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s either a Calculation master or a Formation Master, or possibly both?¡±


    ¡°Could this Four Symbols Formation be the creation of ¡®Mr. Tu¡¯?¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, a clear goal gradually forming in his mind:


    To capture this mysterious ¡°Mr. Tu.¡±


    He was sure to possess the inheritance of the Four Symbols Formation, and it certainly wasn¡¯t just any ordinary inheritance.


    This ¡°locking class¡± Formation Pattern made Mo Hua feel it was incredibly profound, close to the deepest mysteries of the Four Symbols Formation, and it even had a hint of the ¡®Five Elements Source Pattern¡¯¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but lick his lips.


    This Mr. Tu¡­


    was like a fat sheep!


    If he could really capture him, not only could he shear this sheep, but he could even eat the meat, roast the ribs, and use the bones for soup!


    Then there was Yu Er¡­


    Their intentions towards Yu Er were definitely not benign.


    He couldn¡¯t let them off.


    However, this ¡°Mr. Tu¡± likely had high Cultivation and substantial Array Formation Skill. Even his Calculation skills were probably sharp¡­


    And he was hidden in the shadows, which meant he wouldn¡¯t be easy to expose¡­


    ¡°We need to find some clues, and plan this carefully¡­¡±


    ¡°If all else fails, report to the Taoist Court, and involve Taixu Gate, the Shangguan Family, and the Wenren Family, with Uncle Shangguan and Aunt Wan¡­¡±


    Mo Hua counted on his fingers, realizing that he actually didn¡¯t need to act personally; there were plenty of ¡°hired thugs.¡±


    He just needed to play smart and ¡°pick up the pieces.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling this approach was safer.


    ¡°But how can I find this ¡®Mr. Tu¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua went through everything that had happened after entering Qian State in his mind, realizing that clues about Mr. Tu were dismayingly scarce.


    The most obvious was the ¡°human trafficker.¡±


    Mo Hua silently thought, ¡°It looks like my future Sect missions should specifically target these traffickers¡¯ bounties¡­¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s also Boss Jiang, and Bald Eagle¡­¡±


    ¡°Though they are dead, their social connections are still there, and birds of a feather flock together; they¡¯re likely all Sin Cultivators wanted by the Taoist Court.¡±


    ¡°Find these people, subject them to harsh interrogation¡­ no, ¡®reform¡¯ them with Fireball Technique; once their conscience is awakened, they should tell me some truths¡­¡±


    ¡°And then there¡¯s¡­¡±


    Mo Hua took out a jade token from his Storage Bag.


    It was the Letter Token that had been in Bald Eagle¡¯s possession.


    He had checked it, and it was clean, blank inside.


    But being a Formation Master, he knew the principle of ¡°from nothing comes something.¡±


    ¡°Existence¡± can become ¡°non-existence,¡± and ¡°non-existence¡± can also transform into ¡°existence.¡±


    Furthermore, Uncle Zhang Lan had also warned him, ¡°Rain leaves traces, geese leave sound, and a Cultivator, in anything they do, always leaves a mark¡­¡±


    Invisibility doesn¡¯t mean non-existence.


    Mo Hua planned to study and see if he could find any clues about Bald Eagle¡¯s connections from the Letter Token.


    To see whom he had communicated with, what words he had conveyed.


    ¡­


    For the next two days, Mo Hua spent his time studying the Letter Token, yet he made little progress.


    He still knew nothing about the secrets within the Letter Token.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Indeed, developing theories in isolation wasn¡¯t working¡­


    His skills and experience in Array Formation weren¡¯t sufficient to quickly unravel the mysteries of an unfamiliar formation,


    even though he was skilled in both Tricky Calculation and Heavenly Secret Calculation.


    However, he was now a Sect disciple at Taixu Gate, and it was time to learn and ask¡­


    Mo Hua went to ask Elder Master Xun.


    There were some questions that couldn¡¯t be asked.


    Such as the Taixu Mind Transforming Sword True Art, or things related to Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and Heavenly secret Calculation.


    But asking about the ¡°Letter Token,¡± which didn¡¯t have significant Karma, should be fine.


    Elder Master Xun was somewhat surprised and asked,


    ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about the ¡®Letter Token¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua shyly replied, ¡°I came from Little Immortal City in Li State and had never seen a Letter Token before, so I got curious¡­¡±


    ¡°I think the Letter Token must involve some basic Array Formation principles, but I¡¯ve been pondering it for a few days without a clue, so I came to ask you, Elder¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly.


    To be inquisitive and to seek knowledge.


    To be curious about things, to reflect on one¡¯s thoughts.


    To be able to ask humbly when in doubt.


    Good¡­


    Elder Master Xun was pleased.


    As for the matter of the ¡°Letter Token,¡± although it was a bit early to teach him, giving him a few pointers in advance would help him be prepared, doubling the efficiency when he actually learned it¡­


    Elder Master Xun thought to himself, then said,


    ¡°This kind of formation is complex, not suitable for your current learning, but since you¡¯re curious, I¡¯ll tell you some basic principles of Array Formation, just so you know¡­¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t reach too high and waste too much effort, stick to learning the regular formations solidly step by step¡­¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Elder Master Xun then said, ¡°The Letter Token is used for communication; the Array Formation involved is of the Eight Trigrams type, specifically the ¡®Zhen¡¯ series, also commonly known as the ¡®Thunder Pattern¡¯ formation¡­¡±


    That was within Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°Elder, is the Thunder Pattern related to ¡®Original Magnet¡¯?¡±

 Chapter 850 - 605 Thunder Pattern_4

    Chapter 850: Chapter 605 Thunder Pattern_4


    Elder Master Xun slightly nodded his head, ¡°Indeed, but the so-called ¡®Original Magnet,¡¯ unlike the normal ¡®Thunder Pattern¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°The Letter Token involves a type of Formation Pattern that is not ¡®thunder¡¯ but rather ¡®electricity,¡¯ or more precisely, ¡®magnetic¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Electric Patterns, or Magnetic Patterns, also fall under the category of the Eight Trigrams Zhen Series, but they are collectively referred to as ¡®Secondary Thunder Patterns.¡¯ This means they derive from the Eight Trigrams, possess the nature of thunder, but are weaker in power, secondary to the true thunder, and are Secondary Formation Patterns of Thunder Patterns¡­¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    Secondary Thunder Patterns, Secondary Formation Patterns are also considered a type of Formation Pattern Variations.


    Similar to variations based on the Four Symbols Monster Pattern and Four Symbols Beast Pattern.


    Elder Master Xun said, ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns, when electricity transforms and produces magnetism, are similar to some Formation Method in the Golden Series that possess magnetic properties and functions of Si Nan, suitable for reconnaissance, induction, guidance, and messaging.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°They are a type of confidential Formation Pattern.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°What about the real Thunder Pattern?¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s gaze became sharp, and his expression solemn:


    ¡°The real Thunder Pattern is too complex and too powerful; such Formation Methods are extremely difficult to control¡­¡±


    ¡°It embodies not only the ¡®Zhen Hexagram¡¯ but also incorporates numerous changes of the ¡®Qian Hexagram,¡¯ ¡®Kan Hexagram,¡¯ and ¡®Xun Hexagram¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Hence, it is hard to comprehend, hard to control, and hard to layout.¡±


    ¡°The real Thunder Formation is terrifyingly powerful and erases all things.¡±


    ¡°That is the true thunder from the heavens¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun sighed, his eyes filled with reverence, ¡°The Nine Heavens Thunder symbolizes the majestic heavenly might, annihilating evil and demons, penetrating heaven and earth, and is an evolution of the ¡®killing¡¯ path.¡±


    ¡°Although the ¡®Thunder Pattern¡¯ numbers among the Eight Trigrams, it encompasses a multitude of Hexagram principles and is completely different from other Eight Trigrams methods.¡±


    ¡°To wield the Thunder Pattern, one¡¯s Taoist Heart must be upright.¡±


    ¡°Any slight evil or selfish thoughts, and one is prone to be backfired by the heavenly thunder, suffering ¡®divine punishment,¡¯ perishing under one¡¯s own Thunder Formation.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the inheritance of the Thunder Formation is extremely strict.¡±


    ¡°In this world, the Noble Clans that truly possess the inheritance of the Thunder Pattern are few and far between.¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked; he thought of the Thunder Pattern he left on the Taoist Stele, which erased everything, deep in thought.


    But he also noticed another piece of information in Elder Master Xun¡¯s words:


    ¡°A few and far between¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shifted, ¡°Meaning¡­ there are still Noble Clans that inherit the Thunder Pattern?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°There are, but these Noble Clans have mostly been struck by lightning, so they either abandoned their inheritance for development or secluded themselves, not involving themselves with the mundane world, adhering to their own hearts.¡±


    ¡°The only one that has passed down the Thunder Pattern from generation to generation, with not a small power, is the Zheng Family from Zhen State.¡±


    ¡°The Zheng Family?¡± Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Zheng Fang¡¯s Clan?¡±


    Zheng Fang¡­


    Mo Hua remembered, among his fellow disciples, there was a straight-faced, somewhat honest, occasionally dazed disciple named Zheng Xuan.


    The first time Elder Master Xun let him substitute teach, Zheng Fang had ¡°tested¡± him using his family¡¯s secret Formation Method and allowed him to secretly learn a Formation Method.


    Could that Formation Method have been the Thunder Formation?


    Elder Master Xun seemed to guess Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts and slightly shook his head, ¡°The Thunder Formation is not lightly passed on, even the legitimate lineage descendants of the Zheng Family the same¡­¡±


    ¡°Zheng Fang is still young and doesn¡¯t qualify to learn the inheritance of the Thunder Pattern; what he learned is at most some basic variations of the Secondary Thunder Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Not just Zheng Fang, in the entire Qian Xue State Boundary, among the Zheng Family disciples who have joined various Sects, none are qualified to learn the Thunder Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful.


    But upon reflection, it made sense. The Thunder Pattern was significant, and Zheng Fang, no matter how ¡®dumb,¡¯ wouldn¡¯t use such a Formation to ¡®test¡¯ him¡­


    Unless he had been afflicted by Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, losing his senses.


    Speaking of Planting Devil in Taoist Heart, he wouldn¡¯t know how to¡­


    ¡°In Qian Xue State Boundary, is there no one who knows the Thunder Formation?¡± Mo Hua curiously asked again.


    ¡°There are,¡± Elder Master Xun said.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    ¡°In Qian Xue State Boundary, the only one with the inheritance of the ¡®Thunder Formation¡¯¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun furrowed his brows, paused to recall for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°Should be¡­ Zheng Wanjun¡­¡±


    ¡°Zheng Wanjun?¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    He had never heard this name before.


    Elder Master Xun slightly nodded, ¡°He is one of the Elder Yuhua from the Four Great Sects, Qian Taoist Sect¡­¡±

 Chapter 851 - 606: Rude

    Chapter 851: Chapter 606: Rude


    ¡°Qian Taoist Sect¡­ Elder Yuhua¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback for a moment, feeling a bit regretful.


    If it had been an elder from another sect, perhaps if fate allowed, he could have visited them one day, established connections, chatted over tea, and incidentally asked for guidance about the formation principles of the Bagua Thunder Formation.


    The orthodox Thunder Formation had been passed down through generations within the Zheng Family, and he reckoned he could not learn it.


    However, if he were to approach the matter indirectly, seeking knowledge related to the Thunder Formation, he believed he might still gain some valuable insights.


    Mo Hua really wanted to know what the Bagua Thunder Formation was like and how it differed from the Thunder Pattern imbued with scarlet Robbery Thunder that he had intercepted from the Heavenly Dao Formation.


    If the two shared the same origin and communicated through the same formation principles¡­


    Perhaps he could make an analogy and, by leveraging the principles of the Bagua Thunder Pattern, leap to study the Heavenly Robbery Thunder Pattern in one fell swoop!


    But unfortunately¡­


    The threshold for Qian Taoist Sect was too high, and its elders were likely very proud.


    Even if he went to ask, the chances were high that he would be turned away at the door.


    ¡°Let it be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua temporarily put the Thunder Pattern thoughts to the back of his mind and switched to asking about the ¡®Secondary Thunder Patterns¡¯ that included ¡°electrical patterns¡± and ¡°magnetic patterns,¡± and the most crucial, the inquiry about Letter Tokens.


    ¡°Elder Master Xun, do the formations used in the Letter Tokens include the Magnetism-Type Formations with ¡®Secondary Thunder Patterns¡¯?¡±


    Elder Master Xun silently looked at Mo Hua, took a moment to consider, and then slowly nodded:


    ¡°Ancient Formation Masters studied the Nine Heavens Thunder, manifesting it as Thunder Patterns.¡±


    ¡°But the Thunder Pattern is too strong, bearing the might of heaven, brilliant and majestic, and difficult to manipulate, so weaker ¡®Secondary Thunder Patterns¡¯ are derived, weakened, and decomposed from it.¡±


    ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns are generated by electricity inducing magnetism, and magnetism inducing electricity, mutually inducing, attracting and repelling each other, essentially also a special form of Spiritual Power.¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This principle of Spiritual Power, through ¡®Secondary Thunder Patterns,¡¯ constitutes a formation.¡±


    ¡°This kind of formation is called ¡®Thunder Magnetism Formation.''¡±


    ¡°But the term ¡®Thunder Magnetism¡¯ isn¡¯t exactly accurate. Because this formation is but a byproduct of heavenly thunder and does not include the genuine ¡®Thunder¡¯; thus, later Formation Masters generally refer to it as ¡®Primordial Magnet Formation,¡¯ ¡®Spirit Magnet Formation,¡¯ or ¡®Electromagnetism Formation¡¯¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun suddenly sighed, feeling somewhat sentimental:


    ¡°With the Taoist Court unifying, the Cultivation World has been at peace for over 20,000 years, and the study of formations has also made significant progress.¡±


    ¡°But this development of Formation Study is quite complex.¡±


    ¡°Some ancient formations are obscure and profound, and indeed, they have been lost¡­¡±


    ¡°But there are also some formations, meticulously researched and iteratively improved by generations of cultivators, that have developed far beyond the ancient cultivators¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua, ¡°I¡¯ve told you about the lost ancient formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua immediately nodded, ¡°The Chaos Eryi type of formations!¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°Correct, these formations are very deep and obscured, which is why most of them have been lost¡­¡±


    ¡°The orthodox Thunder Patterns are too dangerous and have lost many inheritances¡­¡±


    ¡°The other category, which has developed significantly, is the ¡®Thunder Magnetic Pattern.''¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s cultivators, in their application of ¡®Thunder Magnetic Pattern,¡¯ are not just slightly better but vastly different from ancient cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°For example, the Letter Tokens, the underlying formation is built upon ¡®Secondary Thunder Pattern¡¯ and utilizing the principle of ¡®Thunder Magnetism¡¯ to create the Primordial Magnet Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°But this type of formation is merely a basic Thunder Magnetism Formation.¡±


    ¡°Whereas some great sects¡¯ Disciple Tokens, such as the Tai Xu Token from my Tai Xu Gate, rely on a complete set of complex and efficient Thunder Magnetism Large Formation, constructed and representing the culmination of Secondary Thunder Patterns¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun was about to continue when suddenly, something tugged at his heart, causing him to stop.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled, half-listening, he couldn¡¯t help but say:


    ¡°Elder, please continue talking¡­¡±


    Tai Xu Token, Thunder Magnetism Large Formation¡­


    He had just heard the beginning and hadn¡¯t reached the key part yet¡­


    Seeing Mo Hua, Elder Master Xun felt slightly nervous inside, as if continuing would reveal a great secret.


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression turned slightly blank, somewhat in disbelief.


    He didn¡¯t think he had said much, so how could he have possibly leaked a secret?


    To whom did he reveal it?


    To Mo Hua?


    Surely not, he¡¯s just a junior cultivator at Foundation Establishment¡­


    ¡°Elder Master Xun?¡± Mo Hua uttered in confusion.


    Elder Master Xun recovered, coughing slightly, ¡°Let¡¯s leave the matter of Tai Xu Token for now; explaining it to you wouldn¡¯t be of much use, let me first tell you about the Letter Token¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat unsatisfied, but since Elder Master Xun refused to continue, he couldn¡¯t do much about it.


    Knowing the principles of formation in the Letter Token was good enough.


    He wasn¡¯t picky!


    ¡°Yes, go ahead,¡± Mo Hua asked with an eager look of seeking knowledge.


    Elder Master Xun explained, ¡°From the Artifact Refiner¡¯s perspective, the Letter Token is a Spiritual Artifact crafted through integration with formations¡­¡±


    ¡°But from the Formation Master¡¯s perspective, it essentially uses a Spiritual Artifact as formation media, constructing the formation¡­¡±


    ¡°The essence of the Letter Token is the induction of Thunder Magnetism.¡±


    Elder Master Xun continued, feeling the tension of ¡®leaking Heavenly Secrets¡¯ gradually fade, and so he relaxed and proceeded:


    ¡°Special in shape, on the surface, it appears as a Jade Slip that can be read by Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°But within, engraved with ¡®Primordial Magnet¡¯ or ¡®Spirit Magnet¡¯ types of formations, it essentially uses the Thunder Magnetism Formation, Pattern Induction, to perform remote messaging¡­¡±


    ¡°The range of messaging is limited, the higher the grade of the Letter Token, the further the messaging distance, but generally, it won¡¯t exceed the span of a great province¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Elder Master Xun talked on, while Mo Hua listened attentively.

 Chapter 852 - 606: Rudeness_2

    Chapter 852: Chapter 606: Rudeness_2


    The time it takes an incense stick to burn later, Elder Master Xun had finished speaking, picked up his tea cup, and started drinking his tea.


    Considering what Elder Master Xun had said in his mind, Mo Hua went over the key points again but still felt somewhat dissatisfied.


    The main issue was that Elder Master Xun hadn¡¯t gotten to the ¡°main point¡± yet.


    Moving his thoughts slightly, Mo Hua blinked and then said,


    ¡°Elder Master, if I wanted to ¡®disassemble¡¯¡­ no, I mean to recraft a Letter Token, how would I go about it?¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s eyelid twitched slightly, ¡°Disassemble?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, correcting himself, ¡°Crafting!¡±


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua suspiciously and asked in a low voice,


    ¡°You aren¡¯t¡­ planning to do something bad, are you?¡±


    Mo Hua, with a serious expression, clarified,


    ¡°Elder Master, I am a Taixu Gate sect disciple, a good Cultivator who follows the laws and regulations!¡±


    Elder Master Xun stared at Mo Hua for a moment, noticed his clear gaze and upright demeanor, seemingly not like someone planning to do bad deeds, and finally felt relieved.


    That¡¯s right¡­


    Mo Hua, at such a young age, what kind of bad ideas could he have?


    Even if he had bad ideas, it¡¯s just a Letter Token, what bad things could he possibly do with it¡­


    Besides, the Formation principles involved in a Letter Token are extremely profound, their application very complex, and it¡¯s not as if just because he says so, he could truly ¡°craft¡± one. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just because one says it, doesn¡¯t mean they can learn it.


    If that were really the case, teaching Formations would be quite simple.


    Elder Master Xun nodded and generously said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you a bit about it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, ¡°Thank you, Elder Master Xun!¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s smiling face and friendly appearance, Elder Master Xun felt a warmth in his heart and smiled slightly as he said,


    ¡°The application of the Formation in a Letter Token is quite complex¡­¡±


    ¡°Although Drawing Formations also values the use of ink and brushes, the compatibility between Formation media and Formation, these requirements are not too stringent.¡±


    ¡°But a Letter Token is different¡­¡±


    ¡°The Formation media is special, the requirements for ink are strict, and furthermore, the structure of the Formation, or more precisely, the Formation Pivot framework, is quite different from ordinary Formations¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun explained to Mo Hua one by one:


    ¡°First is the Formation media¡­¡±


    ¡°The Letter Token uses a jade token as the Formation media; this kind of jade is quite rare, and it must be able to shield against thunder and Original Magnet powers, block Divine Sense prying, and have good enclosure properties¡­¡±


    ¡°The Spiritual Ink is also different from ordinary ink¡­¡±


    ¡°For a Letter Token, ¡®Magnetic Ink¡¯ is used.¡±


    ¡°As the name ¡®Magnetic Ink¡¯ suggests, it is Spiritual Ink containing the power of Thunder Magnetism, made by combining some Monster Blood from thunder-type Monster Beasts with some magnetized Spiritual Objects¡­¡±


    ¡°Ordinary Spiritual Ink stays as whatever it is painted as, but Magnetic Ink is different¡­¡±


    ¡°Magnetic Ink is not fixed; it will form different characters according to Thunder Magnetic Induction and variations in Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, the Formation Pivot framework is even more complex¡­¡±


    ¡°The Thunder Magnetic Formation¡¯s Pivot structure includes two parts, one part is the fixed Thunder Magnetic Formation Formation, which is the basic framework used to sense magnetism.¡±


    ¡°The other part consists of Variable Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°These Patterns can change and through ¡®Magnetic Ink¡¯, manifest as the ¡®characters¡¯ within the Letter Token.¡±


    ¡°Overall, the Prime Magnetic Formation within the Letter Token leverages the unchanging Thunder Magnetic Formation to use the principle of Thunder Magnetic Induction, causing the ¡®Variable Formation Patterns¡¯ to change, thereby altering the ¡®Magnetic Ink¡¯ in real time to manifest various characters, in order to achieve the effect of conveying messages¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun finished this complex piece in one breath, he took a discreet glance at Mo Hua and found him with bright eyes and an enlightened expression. Elder Master Xun was taken aback.


    ¡°You¡­ understood?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, modestly saying,


    ¡°I understand a little¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun felt somewhat dazed.


    This was the Thunder Magnetism Formation¡­


    How could this child learn it so quickly¡­


    Such an esoteric and complex Formation principle had taken himself half a year to have a general understanding in his mind.


    ¡°Could it really be that his Divine Sense is too strong, his foundation too solid, his aptitude too high¡­ so once he succeeds, he understands it all, a single hint and it¡¯s clear?¡±


    Elder Master Xun couldn¡¯t help muttering to himself.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Elder Master, do you have the ¡®Thunder Magnetic Array¡¯ here? I would like to have a look¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded.


    Of course, he had the Thunder Magnetic Array at hand.


    Instinctively reaching into his Storage Bag, he was about to pull out the Formation halfway when suddenly he remembered something, coughed softly, and put the Formation back.


    ¡°I forgot¡­ the Thunder Magnetism Formation, it¡¯s not taught by the Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want to learn it, you have to earn Merit Points and exchange for it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.


    He was so close¡­


    Elder Master Xun was about to take out the Formation Diagram¡­


    However, he was also a bit puzzled, ¡°Elder Master, isn¡¯t the Thunder Magnetism Formation taught by the Sect?¡±


    Elder Master Xun shook his head, ¡°Such confidential Formations are generally not taught in the Outer Gate, and even in the Inner Gate, not many disciples learn it¡­¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s difficult to learn¡­¡±


    ¡°Difficult to learn?¡± Mo Hua questioned, ¡°Does it require high Divine Sense?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of being high¡­¡± Elder Master Xun said, ¡°It¡¯s that same saying again, it¡¯s too complex¡­¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Elder Master Xun continued, ¡°Because this type of Formation involves a large number of ¡®Secondary Thunder Patterns¡¯, which are Variant Formation Patterns, the strength of Divine Sense required for learning will naturally be higher, but it¡¯s only slightly higher than general Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°The most complicated part is that this kind of Thunder Magnetism Formation isn¡¯t useful just because one person has learned it.¡±


    ¡°This type of Formation is part of a system.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like Compound Formations and Large Formations, where multiple Cultivators must build the Formation together, linking and responding to each other¡­¡±

 Chapter 853 - 853 606 Rude_3

    ?Chapter 853: Chapter 606: Rude_3 Chapter 853: Chapter 606: Rude_3 ¡°It doesn¡¯t require a single Formation Master, with profound Divine Sense, but it demands multiple, or even a group of Formation Masters, each performing their duties, acting in tacit agreement, cooperating with one another, joining together in Calculation, to conjure up immense Divine Sense Calculation Power, only then can they construct a ¡®Thunder Magnetic Communication¡¯ Formation System¡­¡±


    ¡°In other words¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t require a single strength of Divine Sense, but it demands a wide breadth of Divine Sense from many sources¡­¡±


    ¡°So, under normal circumstances, it is organized by the Sect, by mentors of the same lineage, Formation Masters with the same source, who study together, research, and build this type of Thunder Magnetism Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°One person learning it, is not helpful unless¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun smiled playfully, ¡°Unless you can do the work of two people, three people, or even ten people all by yourself¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, thoughtful, but he didn¡¯t show anything and just smiled gratefully,


    ¡°Thank you for the guidance, Elder Master Xun!¡±


    With Elder Master Xun¡¯s guidance, he now had a rather clear understanding of the ¡°Thunder Magnetic Formations.¡±


    He just needed to find some similar formations to start with and learn from those.


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly, then suddenly asked,


    ¡°How is your Sect task coming along?¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve started it, but it¡¯s not easy to pick up tasks, and Merit Points are hard to earn¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun consoled him,


    ¡°No worries, you¡¯ve just started, and you¡¯re young, take it slow¡­¡±


    The more talented one is, the more they need to temper their mind.


    Start with the beginner¡¯s tasks and take it step by step.


    You need to appreciate the value of the Sect¡¯s heritage and understand the difficulty in earning Merit Points.


    Once your mind is stable, and your foundation is solid, when your Formation level is higher, and your rank is determined, you can go on to paint some Second-Grade Formations, and you¡¯ll earn more Merit Points.


    And it¡¯s safe, without having to fight and kill¡­


    Elder Master Xun thought quietly to himself before reassuring Mo Hua again,


    ¡°Take it slow¡­


    You¡¯ll definitely earn more and more Merit Points¡­¡±


    Little additions will accumulate; the more Formations you paint, the more Merit Points you will naturally save¡­


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement, ¡°Right!¡±


    Killing a few more ¡°Bald Eagles,¡± surely the Merit Points will accumulate even faster!


    ¡­


    After seeking advice from Elder Master Xun, Mo Hua returned to the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    Bald Eagles, Letter Tokens, traffickers, Mr.


    Tu, Four Symbols Formations.


    Mo Hua decided to follow the order, step by step.


    To get clues from the dead Bald Eagle¡­


    He had to first decrypt the Letter Token, disassemble the underlying formation, through ¡°Thunder Magnetic Sensing,¡± see if he could reverse deduce the ¡°Variable Formation Patterns,¡± trace back the Magnetic Ink, to ¡°restore¡± the wiped text¡­


    To ¡°decrypt¡± the Letter Token, he needed to first grasp some ¡°Thunder Magnetism¡± formations.


    Small Yuan Magnetic Formations, the kind that just make up the numbers, don¡¯t count.


    ¡°Thunder Magnetism Formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua flipped through the Merit Scroll for a while and couldn¡¯t find any Formation Diagrams with the word ¡°Thunder Magnetism.¡±


    Then he checked ¡°Original Magnet¡± and ¡°Spirit Magnet,¡± and in no time, he indeed found some Formation Diagrams.


    But there weren¡¯t many of these diagrams.


    Clearly, the formations with ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡± were very obscure.


    Most of these Original Magnet Formations and Spirit Magnet Formations were High-Grade Second Rank, or even Third Grade and above.


    There were hardly any at the lower end.


    He wondered whether it was innately rare or whether the Elders of the Taixu Gate had concerns, not letting disciples study these types of formations too much¡­


    Mo Hua leaned on the table, looking at the Merit Scroll, and after a while, he finally found the formation closest to him that applied the principles of ¡°Thunder Magnetic Sensing¡±:


    The ¡°Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation.¡±


    Sixteen Patterns, Second Grade Middle Stage, an Original Magnet series Formation, derived from the Bagua Secondary Thunder Patterns. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elemental Magnetic Induction, forming its own system, is the underlying formation for ¡°messaging¡± type Spiritual Artifacts¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    That¡¯s the one!


    ¡°Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation¡­¡±


    Elemental Magnetic Induction, Beacon Fire Communications¡­


    Unfortunately, this Formation was of Sixteen Patterns, requiring a Divine Sense at the limit of Qi Foundation Middle Stage, and Mo Hua, currently only having fifteen patterns, was not yet able to learn it.


    But it was only one pattern away.


    Mo Hua then looked at the Merit Points needed for exchange and went pale, taking in a sharp breath.


    ¡°Eight hundred and sixty points¡­¡±


    That much?!


    He almost wanted to run to the Taoist Court Official to report that his Sect was robbing him¡­


    A Second Rank Sixteen Pattern Formation actually cost over eight hundred Merit Points?!


    ?¦Ï??¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    Too despicable!


    Mo Hua flipped through the other Sixteen Pattern Formations and found most only cost over two hundred Merit Points; more expensive ones were around three hundred, which made him feel a bit more balanced.


    ¡°It seems that this Formation is too rare¡­¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps it¡¯s too difficult, no one can learn it, that¡¯s why it¡¯s so expensive¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, feeling that only such a ¡°level¡± of Formation would be worthy of his study.


    But over eight hundred Merit Points was still too expensive¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    No choice but to save up slowly¡­


    After all, his current Divine Sense was only at fifteen patterns; it would take some time to reach sixteen.


    ¡°First, keep painting Formations to refine the Divine Sense to sixteen patterns, then take on tasks with Senior Sister Murong to earn some Merit Points, go hand in hand¡­¡±


    ¡°By the time my Divine Sense reaches sixteen patterns and I¡¯ve learned the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, I¡¯ll start ¡®decrypting¡¯ the Letter Token, see who the Bald Eagle communicated with, what was discussed, who the accomplices are, and what clues can be found¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, follow the vine to find the melon, investigating further¡­


    In this manner, accumulating Merit Points, exchanging Formation Diagrams, learning formations, and strengthening Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°As the Divine Sense strengthens, it will be easier to breakthrough bottlenecks¡­¡±


    ¡°When it¡¯s time for Qi Foundation Middle Stage, continue to save Merit Points, learn formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, arranging his plans clearly.

 Chapter 854 - 854 606 Impolite_4

    ?Chapter 854: Chapter 606: Impolite_4 Chapter 854: Chapter 606: Impolite_4 Afterwards, he became very busy.


    Two days later, Murong Caiyun found Mo Hua and specially told him, ¡°You have a total of two hundred and twenty merit points, I¡¯ve transferred them to you¡­¡±


    Two hundred and twenty!


    Mo Hua was over the moon with joy.


    Initially, the deal was for a ¡°minimum of one hundred merit points¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t expected there to be so many extra.


    In this way, he was one step closer to the Sixteen Patterns ¡°Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation¡±!


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister Murong!¡± Mo Hua expressed his gratitude sincerely.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s happy expression, Murong Caiyun also smiled slightly.


    Mo Hua wanted to tag along with Senior Sister Murong on more tasks, but tasks weren¡¯t always available, and moreover, Murong Caiyun needed time for her own cultivation practice, which wasn¡¯t plentiful.


    Mo Hua could only continue to patiently draw First-Grade Formation Methods, accumulating merit points little by little.


    Even the smallest mosquito is still meat.


    In the following days, Mo Hua was busy yet fulfilled.


    During the day, he not only had to attend classes but also ¡°teach¡± his fellow disciples.


    At night, after returning to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, he would first carry out his routine cultivation, then study Formation Methods and practice Drawing Formations.


    At the middle of the night, he would enter the Sea of Consciousness and continue practicing Formation Methods on the Taoist Stele, refining his Divine Sense.


    His merit points grew bit by bit, and his Divine Sense also strengthened little by little.


    Soon, the periodic rest days arrived.


    Mo Hua missed Yu Er, so he went to find Shangguan Xu, telling him he wanted to visit Qingzhou City to thank Aunt Wan and also check on Yu Er.


    Shangguan Xu was also returning home, so he called for a carriage and took Mo Hua with him towards Qingzhou City.


    Qingzhou City wasn¡¯t far from Taixu Gatea€¡±within half a day¡¯s travel, the two of them entered the city and arrived at the Gu Family home.


    The Shangguan Family and the Gu Family belonged to the same alliance, so Yu Er was recuperating at the Gu Family, under the care of Wenren Wan.


    With Shangguan Xu leading the way, there were no obstructions.


    After several months, Mo Hua saw Wenren Wan once more.


    Wenren Wan had lost a lot of weight, her complexion pale and haggard, with deep worry in her eyes, and from time to time, a pained expression would pass over her face.


    Yet upon seeing Mo Hua, she mustered some energy, smiling gently and asking how Mo Hua was faring at the Sect, how his cultivation was progressing, and if anyone had bullied him¡­


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Aunt Wan, don¡¯t worry, the Elders are very nice, and my fellow disciples are friendly, no one has bullied me!¡±


    Wenren Wan breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear¡­¡±


    But before she could finish her sentence, she became somewhat absent-minded, with profound melancholy in her eyes.


    Mo Hua asked gently,


    ¡°Aunt Wan, how is Yu Er doing?¡±


    Wenren Wan hesitated and then offered a bitter smile, ¡°Yu Er¡­


    he often has nightmares¡­


    so he¡¯s afraid to sleep, his Divine Sense is gradually weakening, I¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Wenren Wan¡¯s voice faltered, her eyes reddening, unable to speak further.


    Mo Hua, concerned, asked, ¡°May I see him?¡±


    After thinking it over, Wenren Wan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to see him¡­¡±


    Mo Hua followed Wenren Wan into a slightly more secluded guest room located in the southeastern corner of the Gu Family home.


    The place was very quiet, devoid of any cultivators.


    But with a slight movement of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua could detect some extremely subtle presences nearby.


    Subtle meant powerful.


    While it seemed remote, the defenses were extremely tight.


    Since Wenren Wan was leading, those cultivators with strong realms merely swept their Divine Sense over Mo Hua and then looked away, without probing further.


    But this was only Mo Hua¡¯s guess.


    With his current level of Divine Sense Realm, he could not truly detect the inspection from these high-level cultivators.


    It felt more like an intuitive sense of Heavenly Secret Cause and Effect.


    Mo Hua knew in his heart that someone had just scanned him with their Divine Sense.


    Following behind Wenren Wan, Mo Hua passed through the quiet corridor, walked by a pond clear as jade, strolled through the fresh and beautiful garden, and arrived at the quiet side room.


    On the outside of this room were highly sophisticated Formation Methods, incomprehensible to someone of Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation level.


    These Formation Methods were of a very high grade, obviously employed for Yu Er¡¯s protection.


    Inside the room, the furnishings were simple, but extremely valuable Calming Incense was burning, and the screen decorated with a magnificent and flowing landscape was evidently a top-grade Protective Spiritual Tool.


    ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    Little Yu Er lay on the bed, his brows tightly furrowed, his face pale as paper, looking pitiful.


    Upon seeing this, Wenren Wan felt as though her heart was being wrenched apart.


    Mo Hua also felt a deep sympathy.


    Not wanting to disturb Yu Er, Mo Hua heaved a sigh and was about to leave.


    At that moment, Yu Er on the bed slowly opened his eyes, cautiously peering over, his voice weak but filled with a hint of expectancy,


    ¡°Mo¡­


    Brother?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart quivered.


    He turned to look at Wenren Wan.


    Wenren Wan nodded, and Mo Hua walked over to Yu Er¡¯s side, gently taking his hand and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you sleeping¡­?¡±


    Yu Er weakly nodded his head, expressing his resentment, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep¡­¡±


    Then he silently added, ¡°I¡¯m afraid to sleep¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed softly and stroked Yu Er¡¯s head, ¡°It¡¯s alright now, sleep for a while¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡±


    Yu Er nodded slowly but still refused to close his eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Yu Er hesitated for a moment, then carefully uttered,


    ¡°Brother, if I close my eyes, will you leave¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll be here with you, waiting for you to wake up.¡±


    A gleam of light shone in Yu Er¡¯s frail eyes, and a weak smile appeared on his pale little face.


    ¡°Go to sleep,¡± Mo Hua spoke softly.


    His words were calm and tranquil, with a touch of gentleness.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Yu Er obediently nodded and then gradually closed his eyes.


    Slowly, his breathing became even.


    The tension in his eyebrows eased, and soon it appeared he had fallen asleep, at ease¡­


    Wenren Wan covered her mouth, tears sparkling in her eyes, both shocked and relieved. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 855 - 855 606 Rude_5

    ?Chapter 855: Chapter 606: Rude_5 Chapter 855: Chapter 606: Rude_5 But she didn¡¯t dare say anything, for fear of disturbing Yu Er.


    Mo Hua nodded at Wenren Wan and whispered,


    ¡°Aunt Wan, why don¡¯t you go and rest for a while?¡±


    He could see that Wenren Wan¡¯s complexion was poor, and within his Divine Sense, her emotions were erratic and unstable.


    Clearly, she was anxious day and night, burdened with worry.


    Cultivators are still human after all.


    If sadness becomes too overwhelming and exceeds the limit, Divine Sense can collapse.


    Wenren Wan hesitated for a long time, uneasily saying,


    ¡°But Yu Er¡­¡±


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°I will stay here to guard her.


    This is the Gu Family, we have many Formations here.


    It¡¯s very safe¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan hesitated for a long time but, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s clear gaze and gentle demeanor, she inexplicably felt much more at ease.


    Wenren Wan looked relieved, her eyes filled with apology,


    ¡°Then, I will trouble you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    He was able to join the Taixu Gate, thanks in part to Aunt Wan¡¯s help, going back and forth, even calling in quite a few favors.


    This kindness, he had always remembered it in his heart.


    Wenren Wan looked at Yu Er one more time, and seeing that she really was sleeping peacefully, she finally left the side room reluctantly and went to the next room to meditate and rest.


    But she still couldn¡¯t let go of her worries, so she left a trace of Divine Sense to keep an eye on Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua stood guard over Yu Er.


    She also wanted to keep an eye on Mo Hua.


    Seeing that Yu Er was sleeping soundly, Mo Hua felt relieved, took a meditation cushion for himself, sat down nearby, and focused on reading a Formation Book.


    He had promised Yu Er, so naturally, he would wait here until she woke up.


    Time slipped by, minute by minute.


    Yu Er slept quietly, and Mo Hua kept his vigil.


    Throughout, everything was normal, with no abnormalities.


    Before he knew it, the sun had set; twilight deepened, and then it shifted into a dark, icy night.


    The side room was quiet, pitch-black.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t light any lamps; he put away the Formation Books and sat in meditation.


    Suddenly, he felt a shock in his heart, opened his eyes, focused his gaze, and turned to look.


    He saw Yu Er, who had been sleeping soundly, now pale as death, curled up, shaking uncontrollably, her eyebrows tightly furrowed, looking in agony, as if in fear of something extremely terrifying.


    Mo Hua frowned and looked around.


    But in the empty side room, amidst the clear and cold night, there was nothing at all.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind stirred, he began to activate his Divine Sense, and using the Heavenly secret Calculation Method, he probed the surrounding Qi Mechanism.


    A moment later, Mo Hua¡¯s expression shook.


    ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã?


    He saw that in the originally clear and empty side room, suddenly there emerged some hidden, unfathomable, and difficult-to-detect Karmic Patterns.


    These patterns, like chains, seemed to emerge from the Void.


    And bizarre and strange entities, following these Karmic chains, appeared from the Chaos Void, slowly crawling out from the ceiling and all around¡­


    On them was the filth of blood and the stench of decay.


    Dark, murky mucus covered them.


    Some had human bodies with horse faces; others had donkey heads with Demon bodies; still, others had canine bodies with human faces¡­


    Like the sinful offspring of a wrongful union, breaking out of ¡°Amniotic Fluid,¡± hatching from the embryos of sins, these Demon Monsters radiated a chilling and terrifying aura¡­ S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They arose from the Void, followed the Karmic chains, disregarding all defensive measures in the room, and crawled towards Yu Er, whose face showed fear and pain¡­


    Yu Er¡¯s expression was one of horror, her small body struggling ceaselessly under the boundless terror.


    The atmosphere in the side room grew increasingly oppressive and deathly still.


    Just then, a clear voice rang out.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    The tense air froze for a moment.


    The group of Demon Monsters, with ox heads, human faces, horse faces, and donkey heads, all turned around.


    Only then did they notice another person in the room.


    And this ¡°person¡± seemed to be able to see them¡­


    Mo Hua looked at the gathering of ¡°Demon Monsters,¡± and said speechlessly,


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to knock before entering?¡±


    The fiends were taken aback, then as if offended by the ¡°insignificance¡± of this human challenge, their already fierce faces suddenly turned horrific, their eyes murderously red and glaring, as if they would tear apart any obstacle.


    They wanted to devour this little human ghost alive.


    The atmosphere in the room became terrifying in an instant¡­


    Amid the tumult of the Demons, Mo Hua stood calmly and slowly stood up.


    His gaze was indifferent as he slightly smiled, subconsciously licking his lips,


    ¡°Uninvited Evil Fiends, you have no manners at all¡­¡±

 Chapter 856 - 856 607 Explosive Beating

    ?Chapter 856: Chapter 607: Explosive Beating Chapter 856: Chapter 607: Explosive Beating The night was deep, the side room deathly silent.


    In the empty room, Yu Er was still curled up, trembling, her small face filled with fear, deathly pale.


    Ghosts and demons lurked all around, dancing chaotically, the black water turbid and dotted with crimson, resembling purgatory, yet invisible to ordinary cultivators.


    Mo Hua stood silently in front of Yu Er, his expression calm as he stared directly at the group of demon monsters.


    His gaze held a hint of arrogance, as if provoking them.


    The demon monsters were enraged, their grotesque and monstrous faces showed a starving thirst as they drooled and fixated on Mo Hua, but they seemed hesitant to make a move.


    It seemed as though they were seeking permission from something.


    Suddenly, a strange voice rose.


    It was eerie and ice cold, yet it seemed to contain supreme authority.


    The group of demon monsters and evil fiends showed reverence, but excitement was unmistakable in their expressions.


    It was as if someone told them, ¡°You may feast now¡­¡±


    The demon monsters immediately roared ferociously and transformed into masses of filthy Yin wind, flinging themselves towards Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    Mo Hua stood ¡°stupidly,¡± letting the demon monsters turn into puddles of black water-like demon shadows, burrowing into his Sea of Consciousness.


    As the demon monsters entered Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, the sinister air in the room gradually dissipated.


    The fear on Yu Er¡¯s small face also gradually faded, her small hands and feet no longer struggled and began to settle down.


    However, Mo Hua¡¯s face was shrouded with a layer of shadow, his eyes lifeless, his brow darkening.


    In just a moment, Mo Hua fell to the ground, slowly closing his eyes.


    Within the Sea of Consciousness, the Divine Sense Incarnation of Mo Hua simultaneously opened its eyes.


    The sight was chilling; murky, rancid black water spread out, contaminating much of the Sea of Consciousness.


    Within the black water, non-human and non-demon, ghastly and misshapen demon monsters, more than a dozen, were densely gathered together.


    They had huge pupils, blood-red and staring at Mo Hua, their ferociously smiling mouths dripping with sticky saliva.


    Inside Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, it was as if a festival for demon monsters had begun, a ghostly feast.


    And the sacrificial offering for this festival was none other than Mo Hua himself.


    At least, that¡¯s how it appeared in the eyes of those demon monsters.


    The Mo Hua who originally sat upright at the center of his Sea of Consciousness slowly stood up.


    He did not deliberately constrain his aura, and a deep and Condensed like mercury, pure as spirit, vibrant as blood aura wavered out.


    All demon monsters instantly fell silent.


    Their eyes widened, some in disbelief, but then all the misshapen gazes became feverishly excited, and they began to howl desperately.


    Their howls were incomprehensible.


    Mo Hua did not understand, but borrowing the Heavenly secret Calculation, he ¡°heard¡± two faint words from these frenzied and noisy howls:


    ¡°Divine¡­


    Fetus.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became heavy.


    Divine Fetus?


    What did it mean?


    ¡°Are these demon monsters considering me as the ¡®Divine Fetus¡¯?


    Or do they want to take me to feed the ¡®Divine Fetus¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Is this Divine Fetus an embryo of Divine Consciousness, or is ita€|¡±


    ¡°The Evil God¡¯s Embryoa€|¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    Meanwhile, dozens of demon monsters and evil fiends, drooling over Mo Hua, their gazes filled with uncontrollable hunger.


    But they all restrained their greed, seemingly waiting for an order.


    Suddenly, a strange, indeterminate human or demon whisper sounded.


    It was like the murmurs from the Nine Netherworld Purgatory.


    Inside the Sea of Consciousness, quietness lasted for a moment, then followed by an even greater restlessness.


    Mo Hua then knew, these demon monsters seemed to have obtained permission from some entity, eager and ready ¡°to feast¡±¡­


    The foul wind suddenly intensified.


    Several demon monsters, like unbridled wild horses, wielding hands and feet and ugly teeth, lunged to bite Mo Hua.


    Leading the charge was a dog-headed demon with arms reversed and standing on the ground, moving on all ¡°hooves,¡± as if ¡°cut¡± and stitched together.


    In the blink of an eye, the dog-headed demon monster approached Mo Hua.


    It opened its bloody maw wide, lunging to bite at Mo Hua.


    But in the place where its teeth aimed to tear, bluish water traces appeared, Mo¡¯s body ephemeral as passing water, drifting away.


    The Water Passing Step!


    The dog-headed demon monster¡¯s eyes darkened as it continued its pursuit, twisting its head and baring its teeth, lunging toward Mo Hua again, but missing once more.


    Mo Hua, skilled in the Water Passing Step, remained composed, clearly not considering this demon monster a threat.


    The demon monster gnashed its teeth and growled in rage, continuing its assault. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But no matter how fast it lunged, or how ferociously it yelled, it couldn¡¯t even touch the hem of Mo¡¯s robe.


    Enraged to the extreme, the demon monster¡¯s vertical pupils dilated further, its bloodshot eyes grotesque and corners split.


    Evil Qi surged from its body, then it bared its ghastly fangs and, with reckless abandon, lunged to bite at Mo.


    Mo¡¯s gaze remained calm as he shifted with the Water Passing Step, nimbly turning aside to dodge the attack.


    At the same time, Mo, bracing himself sideways, clenched his hand into a small fist; his Divine Thought concentrated as he punched out!


    With the force of Eighteen Patterns compressed and Divine Sense Power of fifteen patterns post-transformation.


    With just one punch, his divine might was overwhelming!


    He directly exploded the dog-headed demon monster¡¯s head!


    The head of the demon was crushed by the might of Mo¡¯s fist, blowing up into a pool of black water, splashing feet away.


    All the demon monsters¡¯ pupils constricted in fear.


    Mo, however, showed a faint smile.


    As expected!


    His Divine Consciousness Transformation made him as sturdy as mercury and exceptionally resilient.


    This meant¡­


    His ¡°physical body¡± in terms of Divine Sense was exceedingly strong.


    In reality, his Innate constitution was weak, and his Blood Qi feeble.


    But within the Sea of Consciousness, his Divine Thought ¡°flesh¡± was indestructible, overwhelmingly powerful, even capable of engaging these ferocious demon monsters in close combat!


    These demon monsters, born of Evil Thoughts, were soaked in black water akin to ¡°Amniotic Fluid¡± of sins, thus their demon shadows slightly solidified, undergoing a hint of transformation.

 Chapter 857 - 857 607 Smash Explosion_2

    ?Chapter 857: Chapter 607: Smash Explosion_2 Chapter 857: Chapter 607: Smash Explosion_2 This transformation in ¡°quality¡± made them distinct from ordinary evil fiends.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thoughts, compressed from Eighteen Pattern Spiritual Sense through the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, even a strand of hair was condensed like mercury.


    These demon monsters, inherently just like ¡°vaporized¡± Evil Thoughts, were merely stained with some black water spots.


    Yet, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thoughts were cast like mercury.


    His ¡°transformation¡± was far superior to these demon monsters!


    Therefore, solely based on the intensity of Divine Thoughts, he could easily crush these demon monsters.


    This is the restructuring of the Sea of Consciousness by Heaven Yan Jue, the transformation of Divine Thoughts!


    It¡¯s also the true Divine Sense Proving the Dao!


    Mo Hua was exhilarated, yet a thought soon made him a bit regretful.


    This transformation in spiritual consciousness had one minor flaw¡­


    Mo Hua found that ever since his Divine Sense was compressed, reconstructed, and transformed, his incarnation of Divine Thoughts seemed to ¡°stop growing¡±¡­


    He was now fifteen years old, and in reality, he had indeed grown a bit.


    Yet, the appearance inside the Sea of Consciousness remained the same as during the Foundation Establishment; small arms and legs, looking rather ¡°childish.¡±


    Taoist Heart like an infant, maintaining the original sanctity of Divine Thoughts.


    Although this unchanged spiritual form, adhering to the original heart, was a good thing, Mo Hua was still slightly unsatisfied.


    However, every Cultivation Technique has its drawbacks.


    The incarnation of Divine Sense isn¡¯t shown to others, so such trivial matters didn¡¯t really matter.


    After the dog-headed demon monster burst to death, the other demon monsters grew fearful, but also provoked, their ferocity triggered, and moments later, they attacked Mo Hua even more fiercely.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was jubilant, his eyes filled with battle intent.


    Although it was only within the Sea of Consciousness, he could finally experience the feeling of an ¡°unrivaled physical body.¡±


    Demon monsters approached, attacking and biting, with a rank smell in the air.


    Around Mo Hua¡¯s body swirled a pale blue Water Shadow; amidst the fight to the death with the demon monsters, he dodged and weaved with ease, and whenever an opportunity arose, he landed a punch.


    Nothing could not be solved with a punch.


    If there was, then two punches.


    Mo Hua fought more joyously and adeptly as time passed, employing a multitude of techniques.


    A horse-faced demon monster, caught off guard, received a punch from Mo Hua that pierced through its chest.


    A bull-headed demon monster had both horns broken off by Mo Hua using both hands.


    A wolf-bodied demon monster was crushed in the waist by Mo Hua descending from the sky¡­


    Some had their necks twisted, front teeth shattered, tails torn, spine bones kicked apart, and heads kicked off¡­


    As Mo Hua wasn¡¯t truly a Body Cultivator and had never studied formal Tao Cultivation Martial Arts, he could only use simple, unadorned moves against these demon monsters.


    Each move, extremely rudimentary.


    No skill, all brute force.


    Relying on his powerful Divine Sense, with ¡°force overpowering as bricks flew,¡± each punch and kick brutally crushed the group of demon monsters and evil fiends. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His powerful ¡°physical¡± Divine Sense, along with the adept Water Passing Step and keen Divine Sense, provided clear perception and controlled the flow of battle.


    ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã?


    Any demon monster that came close was no match for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua fought fiercely in all directions, commanding respect, and the group of demons trembled in fear.


    Suddenly, a sinister Water Arrow flew out of nowhere, hitting Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder and tearing his robe formed from Divine Thoughts.


    The Water Arrow, soaked in rotten water, seemed to contain malicious Evil Thoughts and could corrupt both the heart and Divine Thoughts.


    Indeed, under Mo Hua¡¯s fair skin, a black spot emerged and some black blood flowed out.


    Mo Hua frowned, slightly upset.


    He had been joyously engaged in direct combat, slightly careless, and had not expected to be wounded by a sneak attack from the demon monster using the strange Rotten Water Arrow.


    Turning his head, Mo Hua looked towards the distance and indeed saw several snake-headed demon monsters, hands forming spells, eyes emitting a toxic stare, hissing.


    This Rotten Water Arrow was an Evil Technique cast by them.


    Among them, one with narrow pupils and a sinister smile, clearly the one that had sneak-attacked Mo Hua with the Rotten Water Arrow.


    Mo Hua, surrounded by a group of demon monsters at close range, found it hiding far away, cunningly launching a sneak attack.


    As the sneak attack succeeded, the snake-headed demon monsters couldn¡¯t help laughing haughtily.


    But just as its laughter began, a Fireball Technique swiftly arrived, instantly bursting its snake head.


    The snake demon perished on the spot, its head blown away and its body slowly falling.


    The unpleasant laughter abruptly stopped.


    The other snake demons were struck with panic.


    Of course, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t let them escape.


    Dare to launch a sneak attack!


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned icy, his fingers rapidly tapping, casting the Fireball Technique.


    The Second Grade Fireball Technique, flames blazing like magma, one after another drew trails of firelight, swiftly and precisely blowing the heads of distant snake-headed demon monsters forming spells and spitting long tongues.


    The surrounding demon monsters tried to block Mo Hua.


    But with Mo Hua¡¯s masterful Water Passing Step, he could easily dodge the demon monsters¡¯ attacks.


    The Fireball Technique was swift, within a flash creating the spell, forming fireballs.


    They couldn¡¯t block it at all.


    A slight mistake and they¡¯d be caught by Mo Hua¡¯s small fist, finding a flaw, and getting their chests blown open, resulting in instant death.


    Some ranged demon monsters tried to flee.


    Mo Hua would then use the Water Prison Technique to trap them, then finish them with the Fireball Technique¡­


    Because of the sneak attack, somewhat angry, Mo Hua was no longer courteous, using both fists and feet, casting spells simultaneously.


    Punches and kicks, water and fire.


    With the support of the power of Fifteen Pattern transformed Divine Thoughts, Mo Hua began ¡°slaughtering¡± this ghastly and fearsome group of demon monsters and evil fiends.


    But as he continued, Mo Hua started frowning.


    He felt he had killed many, yet these demon monsters seemed not to have decreased much¡­


    ¡°Something odd¡­¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t stop fighting, but at the same moment, he released his Divine Sense, observing carefully, and moments later, his expression changed.


    It was the black water!

 Chapter 858 - 858 607 Bursting Pounding_3

    ?Chapter 858: Chapter 607: Bursting Pounding_3 Chapter 858: Chapter 607: Bursting Pounding_3 These black waters, viscous and evilly filthy, could also corrode Divine Thoughts, as if something terrifying had once been incubated in them.


    And these demon monsters were all hatched from the black waters.


    Every time he killed a demon monster, it would be re-engulfed by the black waters, then reassembled with human or demon limbs to incubate yet another, stranger demon monster.


    This way, even with his strong Divine Thoughts, he would be consumed bit by bit.


    And these demon monsters, relying on the black waters for rebirth, could be endless.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression becoming somewhat dangerous.


    On the other side, seeing his countless incubated demon monsters being slaughtered by Mo Hua as if they were ¡°worthless fishes and shrimps,¡± a wave of anger seemed to emanate from within the black waters.


    A chilling cold approached, accompanied by a fishy breeze.


    The black waters trembled, churned, and pulsated, as if enduring the pain of ¡°childbirth.¡±


    Above the black waters, a black fog surged, condensing into a giant, evil fiend-like embryo, emitting a heartbeat-like pulsation.


    The moment the black water ¡°embryo¡± condensed, Mo Hua spotted it.


    His gaze intensified, and his fingers flicked rapidly, sending Fireball Techniques wrapped in fierce flames attacking the giant black water embryo.


    The black water trembled, seeming somewhat fearful.


    A series of frantic roars came from within.


    ?0¦Í??.?¦Ï


    The surrounding demon monsters obeyed, rushing towards the fireballs like moths to a flame, using their bodies to block Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Techniques, desperately trying to protect the embryo.


    Nearby demon monsters screeched and charged at Mo Hua. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was momentarily tied up, unable to attend to other matters.


    A dozen breaths later, the black waters shook, and the black fog billowed and expanded.


    Instantly, a giant demon monster hatched.


    It was steeped in the black waters, its aura violent and greedy, with no hands, feet, and not even a bodya€¡±just a huge head.


    Its blustery ears, thick nose, and tusks grew backwards.


    This was a ¡°Pig Head Demon.¡±


    The murky waters hatched the giant Pig Head Demon, intending to devour Mo Hua once and for all, and then corrode and digest him with black waters!


    As soon as the Pig Head Demon was born, it also widened its eyes, its gaze blood-red and saliva dripping.


    Its pupils rotated irregularly before fixating intensely on Mo Hua.


    The air around tightened suddenly.


    The other demon monsters also showed fearful expressions, seeming to shiver in fear of the ¡°Pig Head Demon.¡±


    Just then, the killing intent surged dramatically.


    The Pig Head Demon suddenly opened its massive mouth, and with astonishing speed, lunged to swallow Mo Hua.


    The demon monsters along its path, unable to dodge in time, were also gulped down into its mouth.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression remained calm, and he scoffed:


    ¡°Want to eat me?¡±


    He stretched out his small hand, and the ground suddenly displayed golden Formation Patterns, solidifying into golden chains layered like a prison.


    The Triple Lotus Gold Lock Compound Formation, glittering brightly, instantly took form.


    The Pig Head Demon, midway through its charge, was bound by the Golden Lock Formation, its momentum abruptly halted.


    The golden chains, formed by Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thoughts through the Formation, dug deeply into its flesh.


    No matter how the demon roared and struggled, it could not break free, nor could it advance any closer to Mo Hua.


    Instead, Mo Hua quickly shifted, riding atop the Pig Head Demon¡¯s head.


    He first wrapped his hands around the demon¡¯s tusks, his small face tensed, and with all his might, he yanked fiercely, ripping the tusks out, flesh included, pulling out ¡°blood-like¡± black waters.


    A heart-wrenching pig scream erupted.


    Mo Hua, undeterred, after pulling out one tusk, went on to extract the other.


    Having removed both tusks, Mo Hua still clenched his small fists, sitting atop the Pig Head Demon¡¯s head, and punched repeatedly, ¡°clang clang¡± beating the demon¡¯s skull.


    ¡°Let you try to eat me!¡±


    The Pig Head Demon, tightly bound by the Golden Lock Formation and suppressed by Mo Hua riding on its head, couldn¡¯t move at all.


    Other demon monsters, intimidated by Mo Hua¡¯s presence, also showed fear and dared not approach.


    Mo Hua arrogantly continued, his fists raining down, empowered by the transformative force of his Divine Consciousness.


    In a short while, he had the Pig Head Demon¡¯s skin split and flesh burst open, even faintly accompanied by the sound of bones cracking¡­


    Not knowing how long he had been ¡°beating¡± it, only a loud ¡°boom¡± was heard.


    The Pig Head Demon was ¡°exploded¡± by Mo Hua.


    Its demonic body, unable to consolidate, turned into a pool of Divine Sense transformed thick black fog.


    After scattering, the black fog recondensed, retracting and attempting to return to the black waters to re-incubate demon monsters.


    But Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    He opened his small mouth wide, and suddenly inhaled.


    The scattered black fog, beaten by him, was involuntarily dragged, pulled, and ultimately unable to resist, was all sucked into Mo Hua¡¯s mouth and swallowed into his stomach.


    This transformation happened in the blink of an eye.


    All demon monsters remained frozen in place, their bodies trembling, eyes filled with immense terror.


    These demon monsters¡­


    were eaten by a ¡°human¡±¡­


    Looking at Mo Hua¡¯s innocent face, still carrying a trace of naivety, the group of demon monsters couldn¡¯t tell at the moment¡­


    who the real ¡°demon monster¡± was¡­


    Having ¡°devoured¡± the Pig Head Demon, black spots began to appear on Mo Hua¡¯s body, and Evil Thoughts started to invade.


    However, Mo Hua, long accustomed to battles, had ¡°eaten¡± many evil fiends, so these Evil Thoughts couldn¡¯t stain his Taoist Heart.


    His Divine Sense underwent transformative reconstruction.


    These black water stains also couldn¡¯t harm his Divine Sense.


    In just a few breaths, the murky aura of the black fog evil fiends was refined away.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Consensus body was also as clear as crystal, completely intact.


    At the same time, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense grew even stronger, advancing further from the basis of fifteen Patterns, now just a hair away from Sixteen Patterns.


    Inside the Sea of Consciousness, a death-like silence prevailed.


    The once arrogant and vicious demon monsters shivered, their eyelids twitching, not daring to look at Mo Hua again.


    But Mo Hua smacked his lips, a bit unsatisfied.


    ¡°Pig head meat, not very tasty¡­¡±


    With that, he turned his head, looking at the other demon monsters¡­

 Chapter 859 - 859 608 Golden Marrow

    ?Chapter 859: Chapter 608: Golden Marrow Chapter 859: Chapter 608: Golden Marrow Swept by Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, all demon monsters and evil fiends were utterly terrified, with their souls dispersed and trembling incessantly.


    They were afraid of being ¡°eaten.¡±


    The color of the black water lightened a bit, as if it had exhausted all its strength, and the birth of the Pig Head Demon, which was eaten, had damaged its vital energy.


    From within the black water, a strong sense of anger emanated.


    It seemed that no ¡°person¡± had ever dared to disrespect it like this.


    Especially this person, who was still a child with an immature face, not yet weaned from milk.


    But at the same time, deep fear also arose in its mind.


    Although eating this child would be highly nourishing,


    if it expended too much energy and damaged the Divine Lord¡¯s origin, the loss would outweigh the gain¡­


    With a thought from Mo Hua, he seemed to sense that this pool of ¡°black water¡± was considering retreating.


    His eyes blinked, a spark of inspiration struck, and he puffed out his chest, lifted his head, and made an extremely arrogant expression.


    ?0¦Í??.?¦Ï


    Disdain filled Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    At the same time, he provocatively licked his lips,


    treating this mass of black water as if it were ¡°snacks.¡±


    The black water hesitated for a moment then began to tremble violently, apparently infuriated by Mo Hua.


    From within the black water, an even stronger murderous intent emerged.


    This time it wouldn¡¯t hold back.


    The majesty of the Divine Lord could not be violated.


    The dignity of the Divine Lord could not be desecrated.


    It resolved to ¡°eat¡± this half-step Divine Fetus child, offering the most delicious, most devout sacrificial offering for the awakening of the Divine Lord!


    Inside Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, it suddenly became cold and sinister, with the filthy black water spreading, dirtying the ground.


    The black water expanded, turning into a black mist, surging violently. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before long, the black mist dissipated, revealing numerous demon monsters and heavy ghosts, all of them fierce, deformed, and ugly.


    And in their chests, there was a mass of black water, pulsating like a heart, using evil and filthy black energy as blood, enhancing the power of the demon monsters.


    This time, the black water hatched more demon monsters, and they were clearly stronger.


    Before Mo Hua could react, a horde of hundreds of demons crazily rushed to attack, seemingly unwilling to give Mo Hua any chance to resist.


    They intended to tear Mo Hua apart and devour him alive.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and began, as before, dodging with Water Passing Step, sneak attacking with small fists, occasionally using the Water Prison Technique to control, or Fireball Technique to finish off.


    But these demon monsters were clearly stronger.


    With one punch, he could only break their bones, disfigure them, or cripple them, but he couldn¡¯t smash them entirely.


    And the audacity of the demon monsters only grew.


    They weren¡¯t afraid of death or pain, fighting ferociously, just wanting to bite off a piece of flesh from Mo Hua.


    After fighting for a while, Mo Hua grew weary, his hands and feet somewhat sore, and he could only sigh.


    ¡°Body Cultivation is so tiring¡­¡±


    It was refreshing indeed, but after a long while, it also got a bit boring.


    With one punch, Mo Hua twisted the face of a Horse Face Demon; with a backward kick, he broke the waist of a Wolf Demon; grabbing the horns of a Bull Demon, he forcefully swung it, knocking down a large group of demon monsters¡­


    Seizing this opportunity, Mo Hua tapped the ground with his foot and stepped back a few paces to distance himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m done playing¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spoke indifferently, then spread his arms, his pupils turning pitch black instantly.


    His aura instantly changed from innocent and clear to deep and tricky.


    Dark and mysterious patterns emerged all around him, densely woven, forming an Ink Taoist Robe that draped over his body.


    The crowd of demons changed color instantly.


    From the black water, a piercing roar emerged, twisting into intermittent, panicky human voices:


    ¡°Heavenly Secret Tricky Path?!¡±


    ¡°You are¡­¡±


    ¡°Tricky¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­who exactly are you?!¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t bother with idle chatter; his Divine Sense extended to the utmost, his eyes filled with overlapping illusions, and his robe heavily patterned.


    His Divine Sense tilted out, and in the Sea of Consciousness, it quickly solidified into a massive Formation, enveloping all the demon monsters and ghosts.


    ¡°Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation!¡±


    This was a Compound Formation Mo Hua had tinkered with during his leisure, above the primary stage of Second Grade, matching the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams.


    It combined the fires of the Five Elements and Bagua Fire, trapping enemies with the Eight Trigram Gen Mountain, a confining and killing Compound Formation.


    This Compound Formation was constructed under the guidance of Elder Master Xun and Mo Hua¡¯s own insights from constructing the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, trying to blend the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Formation System into his Compound Formation.


    This formation was very difficult.


    There were various restrictions in reality.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s current Divine Sense Realm, it was strenuous to depict.


    But within his own Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thoughts, unrestrained, manifested the Formation at will, unscrupulously.


    Mo Hua intended to use this Compound Formation to ¡°stew¡± all these demon monsters and ghosts in one pot to nourish himself.


    The moment the formation materialized, the black water sensed a great terror.


    It never expected that merely seeking a light refreshment would lead it to encounter a monstrous being capable of instantly creating formations through Tricky Path, possessing a half-step Divine Fetus form!


    But it was too late.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flashed with a killing intent, his small hand clenched, crisply declaring:


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    Instantly, the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Compound Formation activated.


    Divine Thought Manifestation caused rocks to protrude, craggy and interwoven, forming a rocky prison, trapping all the demon monsters.


    Then, the fires of the Five Elements surged, with the Bagua Fire covering the top, the two intertwining like magma, flowing between the rocks.


    The entire Compound Formation was like an erupting volcano.


    The demon monsters and ghosts, trapped inside the volcano, were scorched by the fierce flames and engulfed by the molten lava.


    Their flesh blackened inch by inch, turning to ash.


    In an endless inferno, countless deformed and fierce demon monsters clutched their heads, screaming in pain and anguish.


    And the ¡°embryo¡± black water was also burned by the fierce flames, evaporating bit by bit, turning into black mist.

 Chapter 860 - 860 608 Golden Marrow_2

    ?Chapter 860: Chapter 608 Golden Marrow_2 Chapter 860: Chapter 608 Golden Marrow_2 After its further refinement by Li Fire, it transformed into a bluish-white energy.


    Mo Hua stood high above on the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Compound Formation, watching countless Demon Monsters and all sorts of ghosts wail painfully within the Formation, turning into black ash.


    He couldn¡¯t help but nod his head.


    ¡°The Formation really is more effective¡­¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Body Cultivation is too clumsy.¡±


    Occasionally flexing his muscles and ¡°joints¡± was fine for a bit of fun, but relying on his own unsystematic, novice Tao Cultivation Martial Arts to vanquish demons was just too inefficient.


    Mo Hua sat down cross-legged.


    He was about to ¡°eat.¡±


    The Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation incinerated Demon Monsters and also purified their Demonic Qi, refining it into white energy.


    Mo Hua sat beside it, ¡°baking¡± and ¡°eating¡± simultaneously.


    Thread by thread, Divine Thoughts entered his stomach, continuously fortifying Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    However, by the time Mo Hua had ¡°finished eating,¡± his Divine Sense Realm remained at fifteen Patterns.


    Although it had deepened, he had not yet made a breakthrough.


    After the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation annihilated that group of Demon Monsters, it too gradually vanished.


    All Demon Monsters were massacred.


    All black water was evaporated to exhaustion.


    ?¦Ï¦Í??.??


    Only one remaineda€|


    It seemed to have always hidden in the deepest parts of the black water, shrouded and leaving no trace.


    But now, with the Demon Monsters slaughtered and the black water burned away, it had no choice but to reveal its true form.


    This was aa€|


    Mo Hua narrowed his eyes and peered, ¡°A ram¡¯s head?¡±


    White Bone with a human face, fierce ram horns.


    It was not very large in staturea€¡±only about the height of an average adult Cultivator, but much shorter than the other Demon Monsters.


    Mo Hua asked in confusion, ¡°What are you?¡±


    The Demon Monster with bone face and ram horns, enraged by the question, screamed incomprehensibly.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s puzzled face, it switched to a clumsy but sinister human voice,


    ¡°Impudent little ghost!¡±


    ¡°Killing some Divine Slaves and Demon Wraiths, you think you¡¯re great?¡±


    ¡°I am a God¡¯s Enforcera€|¡±


    ¡°Offending the Divine Lord is a crime deserving death.


    If you kneel and beg for mercy, convert to my Lord, I might bestow favor and spare youa€|¡±


    With a flash of the Water Passing Step, Mo Hua closed the distance, clenched his fist, and landed a punch right on its face.


    The Demon Monster had no resistance and was directly sent flying by Mo Hua¡¯s punch, crashing to the ground like a torn sack, rolling several times before struggling to flee.


    Mo Hua stretched out his right hand, solidifying it into golden Formation Patterns, locking it down, and then gestured with his hand.


    Golden chains dragged the Demon Monster back in front of Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua delivered another punch, sending it flying again, then pulling it back and hitting it once morea€|


    After three or four such iterations, the Demon Monster was beaten limp on the ground.


    Mo Hua walked over and stepped on it, looking puzzled, ¡°You seem like an idiot?


    Don¡¯t you understand the situation?¡±


    You had become so strong.


    It had hatched Demon spawn which you had incinerated with the Formation and roasted for food.


    How could this Demon Monster not see the situation and still act so arrogantly?


    Mo Hua kicked it and asked,


    ¡°God¡¯s Enforcer, huh?


    Are you an Evil Fiend¡¯s lackey?¡±


    ¡°And the Divine Lord?


    Is it an Evil God?¡±


    The bone-faced, ram-horned Demon Monster seethed with anger, ¡°Insulting the Divine Lord, youa€|¡±


    It intended to curse ¡°You should die,¡± but seeing Mo Hua raise his little fist with a ¡°ferocious¡± expression, it dared not utter it.


    Mo Hua looked at the Demon Monster, stroking his chin, somewhat puzzled, ¡°You seem¡­


    not afraid of death?¡±


    The Demon Monster sneered,


    ¡°Sacrificing oneself for the Divine Lord is the greatest honor, and furthermorea€|¡±


    Its voice became delirious, eyes glittering with fanaticism,


    ¡°I am a God¡¯s Enforcer, protected by the Divine Lord, my Divine Thoughts everlasting.


    You can humiliate and beat me, but you will never, ever kill me!¡±


    ¡°The Divine Lord is immortal, and so am I!¡±


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, only then realizing, after having landed many punches on this bone-faced, ram-horned creature, that there were no cracks on its bones, and its ram horns had not broken either.


    Although the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation had burned its black water, it had not harmed it in the slightest.


    ¡°How strange¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, scrutinizing this Demon Monster.


    Despite its bluster, the Demon Monster felt intimidated under Mo Hua¡¯s intense gaze.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Ram horn!¡±


    He reached out to touch the ram horns on the Demon Monster¡¯s head, even tried to force them off, but found he couldn¡¯t break them.


    On closer inspection, Mo Hua¡¯s expression grew intense.


    ¡°Solida€|¡±


    Ordinary Divine Thoughts were like mist.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thoughts were Condensed like mercury.


    And this Demon Monster¡¯s ram horns, no, not just the ram horns, its entire ram-horned skull, seemed almost ¡°solid,¡± exceptionally sturdy.


    ¡°From ethereal to tangiblea€|¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    His expression did not escape the notice of the Demon Monster, who smirked triumphantly and sneered, ¡°You know of the Divine Lord¡¯sa€| what are you doing?!¡±


    It didn¡¯t finish speaking, seeing Mo Hua open his mouth and bite down on the ¡°ram horn.¡±


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t bite through.


    Mo Hua then bashed the ram horns a few times, finding them incredibly harda€|


    ¡°Quite the tough bonea€|¡±


    Mo Hua muttered.


    The Demon Monster scoffed, ¡°Glad you realizea€|¡±


    But Mo Hua¡¯s competitive spirit was stirred, resolve forminga€¡±to crush this bone today no matter what.


    Bone soup, strong and robust!


    If he managed to gnaw this tough bone, wouldn¡¯t his Divine Sense become even stronger?


    Perhaps he could break through to sixteen Patterns, or even approach seventeen Patterns?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement.


    Then, under the frightened gaze of the Demon Monster, Mo Hua tried every tricka€¡±using Formation, Spell, and then his little fists to pound.


    But no matter what, the ram-horned skull remained unscathed.


    Mo Hua¡¯s frown deepened.


    The Demon Monster gradually became relieved.


    ¡°As expected!


    The protection of the Divine Lord, indestructibly firm!¡±

 Chapter 861 - 861 608 Gold Marrow_3

    ?Chapter 861: Chapter 608: Gold Marrow_3 Chapter 861: Chapter 608: Gold Marrow_3 Even this little monster, which could be called a devilish creature, couldn¡¯t do anything about itself.


    The Sheep-Horned Demon Monster was being tormented by Mo Hua, yet felt proud because of its own devoutness and the Divine Lord¡¯s blessing.


    ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã?


    It sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your effort, you milk-nosed little ghost, mere riffraff, how could you understand the power of the Master of the Great Wilderness?¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit angry.


    He frowned, and suddenly his eyes rolled playfully, and he said with a smile,


    ¡°Let me show you something nice.¡±


    The Demon Monster was startled, and it wouldn¡¯t believe for the death of it that Mo Hua would really show it anything ¡°nice.¡±


    The Demon Monster snorted coldly, ¡°Stop playing any cunning schemes, in front of the Divine Lord, everything¡­¡±


    But Mo Hua didn¡¯t listen, and before it could finish speaking, he grabbed it by the back of its neck and dragged it in front of the Taoist Stele.


    It was past 1 p.m., and the Taoist Stele could now manifest.


    Mo Hua pressed the Demon Monster¡¯s head against the Taoist Stele, and commanded,


    ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Although the Demon Monster didn¡¯t believe there was anything that could break the Divine Lord¡¯s protection, it was still apprehensive of Mo Hua and kept its eyes tightly shut, daring not to look at anything. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then said,


    ¡°Your Divine Lord is like a mouse, sneaky and disgraceful without any sense of shame¡­¡±


    ¡°Always hiding behind others, like a shrinking turtle.¡±


    ¡°No, you said it hasn¡¯t awakened yet, so it must be hibernating¡­¡±


    ¡°Living so long¡­¡±


    ¡°Thousand-year tortoise, ten thousand-year turtle, is your Divine Lord a tortoise or a turtle?¡±


    Infuriated by Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°sweet nothings,¡± the Sheep-Horned Enforcer finally couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.


    It abruptly opened its eyes and immediately froze.


    Before its eyes was a stark, deadly Thunder Pattern.


    The rage in the heart of the Sheep-Horned Demon Monster instantly dissipated, and boundless fear surged forth.


    Robbery Thunder¡­


    Robbery Thunder?!


    It widened its eyes, unable to believe.


    What kind of monster was this little ghost?!


    How could his Sea of Consciousness contain Robbery Thunder?!


    ¡°You?!¡±


    The Sheep-Horned Enforcer couldn¡¯t finish its sentence when it saw the Thunder Pattern flicker slightly, revealing just a hint of its aura, which spawned a faint Thunder Flow that instantly erased its consciousness.


    At the same time, its ¡°indestructible¡± ram horns, protected by the Master of the Great Wilderness, also had any ¡°immortal¡± Divine Thoughts instantly obliterated.


    Ram-horned Skull bore several cracks.


    Mo Hua quickly took it away from the Thunder Pattern, and with a simple twist, he easily broke it open, and from the skull oozed a streak of pale golden Divine Thought fluid¡­


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Is this¡­bone marrow?¡±


    The pale golden bone marrow!


    Mo Hua stared at the ¡°bone marrow,¡± hesitated for a long while, but couldn¡¯t restrain himself, dipped his index finger in it, and tasted it.


    It was tasteless.


    But the texture was good¡­


    The Divine Thoughts contained were not strong, but after eating, there was a very mysterious sensation.


    As if he were a deity residing above the ninth heaven, mighty and overlooking all living beings.


    And all these living beings were mere ants, mere riffraff.


    They were his sacrificial offerings¡­


    Mo Hua quickly shook his head, casting away these bizarre and absurd thoughts, and then carefully examined himself.


    Only then did he discover that his Divine Consciousness Entity, without knowing when, had gained traces of pale golden blood.


    Although very faint, so faint that only he could notice.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    ¡°Could this golden bone marrow truly be ¡®Divine¡¯ Thought?¡±


    Could this trace of ¡°Blood of Divine Sense¡± come from those Demon Monsters¡¯ Divine Lord, also known as the ¡°Master of the Great Wilderness¡±?


    And why were these Demon Monsters fixated on Yu Er?


    Were they¡­


    planning to use Yu Er as a sacrificial offering?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew solemn.


    In the midst of it all, he always felt that a huge conspiracy loomed over Yu Er, the Shangguan Family, and even the entirety of Qian State¡­


    But what exactly it was, he still had no clue.


    ¡°Never mind, one step at a time¡­¡±


    Just do what I need to do¡­


    Adhering to the principle of ¡°not wasting,¡± Mo Hua drank all of the remaining pale golden ¡°bone marrow.¡±


    Since it had been struck by Robbery Thunder, even if the ¡°bone marrow¡± had truly contained the Divine Thoughts of the Wild God, they would have been eradicated, leaving only pure, somewhat divine Divine Sense.


    It was a great tonic!


    Mo Hua held the ram-horned skull, drank the ¡°bone marrow,¡± licked his lips, and felt completely satisfied.


    His body¡¯s traces of pale golden blood also increased slightly.


    Thus, all the Demon Monsters were completely devoured by him, leaving not even bones and marrow.


    After having his ¡°fill,¡± and eating well, it was already late, and Mo Hua prepared to go out.


    ¡­


    Mo Hua exited from his Sea of Consciousness, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he noticed a soft blanket covering him.


    A gentle woman was by his side, looking anxiousa€¡±it was Aunt Wan.


    In the distance, several Cultivators resembling elders were quietly arguing.


    ¡°It must be an Evil Fiend!¡±


    ¡°With so many Great Cultivators guarding the Gu Family, how could an Evil Fiend appear?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Evil Fiends are not all the same¡­¡±


    An elder snorted coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t be mysterious, I¡¯ve lived for several hundred years, what haven¡¯t I seen?


    How could there be some ¡®invisible Evil Fiend¡¯?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®invisible,¡¯ it¡¯s undetectable by Divine Sense¡­¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous!


    Divine Sense of Golden Core and Feather Transformation, still undetectable?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s casting pearls before swine, I can¡¯t reason with you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Heavenly Secret Cause and Effect¡­¡±


    ¡°That child¡­¡±


    ¡°Must have encountered a hiccup in his Cultivation¡­¡±

 Chapter 862 - 862 608 Golden Marrow_4

    ?Chapter 862: Chapter 608: Golden Marrow_4 Chapter 862: Chapter 608: Golden Marrow_4 ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­It must be an Evil Fiend that has invaded, harmed the Sea of Consciousness, and clouded the Divine Sense.


    Look at his darkened brow and the gloomy shade on his face; he is unconscious and if we don¡¯t treat him soon, I¡¯m afraid the danger is significant¡­¡±


    The man¡¯s words halted abruptly.


    Because he saw Mo Hua had woken up¡­


    ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã0


    Everyone else was also stunned and speechless.


    Only a worried Wenren Wan showed joy, ¡°Mo Hua, are you alright¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Wenren Wan hesitated for a moment, then asked softly,


    ¡°Did you just¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I just had a nightmare.


    There were a bunch of demon monsters that entered my dream, wanting to eat me, but they were no match for me and I slaughtered them all!¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s expression was complicated, unsure of what to say.


    The Elders nearby also had varying expressions.


    Some were expressionless, taking Mo Hua¡¯s words as mere dream talk; some chuckled and shook their heads, treating it as ¡®childish talk¡¯; and others scoffed, thinking Mo Hua was just spouting nonsense.


    None of them believed that what Mo Hua said was actually true¡­


    Mo Hua noticed their expressions and felt a bit helpless.


    There was no helping it, telling the truth wasn¡¯t believed these days.


    Wenren Wan still spoke with concern:


    ¡°Are you¡­


    really alright?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aunt Wan, and moreover¡­¡±


    He turned his head, looking at Yu Er lying on the bed, her brows relaxed and her countenance peaceful, and said softly:


    ¡°¡­Yu Er also had a good sleep¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan was startled, then looked toward Yu Er, her expression soft and beautiful as water, and the stone in her heart slowly fell.


    ¡°Yes, Yu Er finally¡­


    had a good sleep¡­¡±


    She then looked back at Mo Hua, her eyes filled with gratitude.


    Everyone still remained by Yu Er¡¯s side.


    The incident with Mo Hua had been shocking but harmless, and they couldn¡¯t figure out the details, so they no longer questioned it.


    Only a few Elders gazed at Mo Hua, their eyes focused, as if deep in thought.


    Dawn brightened, the morning glow filled the sky, pouring in through the window.


    Yu Er slowly opened her eyes, her gaze somewhat hazy, then remembered something, quickly turned her head, and saw Mo Hua indeed by her side.


    A radiant smile appeared on Yu Er¡¯s face.


    Mo Hua also smiled gently.


    ¡­


    Yu Er slept peacefully through the night, looking much better and even had an appetite to eat, though she only took a few bites before she would look up at Mo Hua and then squint her eyes in a smile.


    It seemed much more reassuring to be by Mo Hua¡¯s side.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t work on Drawing Formations, and instead, took the time to play with Yu Er for most of the day. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By evening, Mo Hua was again by Yu Er¡¯s side.


    The night was calm and peaceful.


    Mo Hua felt reassured yet somewhat regretful.


    Reassured because Yu Er could sleep well again.


    Regretful because his own ¡°ration¡± of Divine Sense had run out¡­


    And Yu Er, having slept sweetly through the night, was more spirited, her face no longer so pale.


    But the next day, Mo Hua had to return to the Sect.


    His ten-day leave was only for two days.


    Yu Er hung his little head, somewhat reluctant, following Mo Hua all the way to the door.


    Mo Hua promised him he would visit again when he had time, and only then did Yu Er cheer up a bit.


    Wenren Wan gave Mo Hua lots of tasty food, some Formation Books, and brushes to express her gratitude, but she seemed to have something on her mind, hesitating for a long time before slowly starting to speak:


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    But she was unsure how to continue.


    Mo Hua knew what Wenren Wan was worried about and said with a smile:


    ¡°Aunt Wan, if Yu Er has another nightmare, I¡¯ll come and check on him¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan was taken aback, then relieved, looking at Mo Hua with even more gratitude.


    ¡­


    Afterward, Mo Hua rode in the Gu Family¡¯s carriage back to Taixu Gate.


    Upon returning to the Sect, he spent two days refining and absorbing a group of demon monsters and the Evil Thoughts of the Sheep-Horned Enforcer.


    He then meditated to consolidate his Taoist Heart.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense finally broke through the realm, reaching Sixteen Patterns!


    Sixteen Patterns were the limit of Divine Sense in the Qi Foundation Middle Stage.


    Seventeen Patterns would be for the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.


    The barrier from Sixteen to Seventeen Patterns was thick, not so easily broken through.


    But Mo Hua was not in a hurry; his realm of Divine Sense was now very high, and he could afford to consolidate for a while.


    Reaching the realm of Sixteen Patterns, he now had enough Divine Sense to study the ¡°Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation,¡± a Second Rank Sixteen Patterns!


    But his problem now was he lacked enough Merit Points to exchange for the Formation Diagram.


    ¡°I need to work hard, earn more Merit Points¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then went to ask Senior Sister Murong.


    Murong Caiyun thought for a moment, then said, ¡°There is indeed a task, not very difficult, and the Merit Points are not that many, probably just over eighty, but you can go if you want.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, smiling:


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister Murong!¡±


    Over eighty points, still not a small amount.


    Certainly better than him creating First-grade Formations.


    Murong Caiyun said gently: ¡°This task is located outside the Qian Xue State Boundary, in Bishan City, where the mountains are steep and surrounded by many rivers and streams¡­¡±


    ¡°The specific map and task information, I will send to you.¡±


    ¡°If you have time, you can check it out in the Taixu Token¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Mo Hua nodded again and again.


    Bishan City¡­


    After he got back, he checked the task information and looked over the map of Bishan City, pondering what he should prepare¡­


    As he looked, Mo Hua suddenly paused.


    He noticed that on the map, outside Bishan City, there was a desolate mountain that looked very familiar.


    Mo Hua recalled in his mind and then realized that this desolate mountain was indeed ¡°Mount Huang,¡± the broken mountain of Lord Yellow Mountain.


    The temple of the Downcast Mountain God, Lord Yellow Mountain, was located on the summit of this desolate mountain.


    ¡°Hanging Dry Mountain¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently noted down this mountain¡¯s name, deciding to visit Hanging Dry Mountain after completing his mission, to pay a visit to Lord Yellow Mountain.


    Regarding the matter of Taixu Divine Thought Sword True Jue, Lord Yellow Mountain certainly had something to hide from him¡­


    He had to go and get it clarified!

 Chapter 863 - 863 609 Kneel Down

    ?Chapter 863: Chapter 609: Kneel Down Chapter 863: Chapter 609: Kneel Down Life in the Sect was uneventful, and eight days later, it was time again for the ten-day break.


    Because Bishan City was somewhat distant and the round trip involved complications, Mo Hua asked for an additional day off.


    With Elder Master Xun as her ¡°backer,¡± the Sect Elders were all quite amenable.


    Therefore, her request for the extra day off went through without a hitch.


    Three days in total!


    Mo Hua packed her luggage, slung her Storage Bag over her shoulder, and went off to find Senior Sister Murong in high spirits.


    It was still Senior Sister Murong Caiyun who had taken on this mission, and Mo Hua was just along for the ride.


    Knowing that Mo Hua was accumulating Merit Points to exchange for a Formation Diagram, Senior Sister Murong said,


    ¡°This mission isn¡¯t difficult, so including you, there are only three of us.


    You¡¯ll be able to get a good share of the Merit Points.¡±


    Mo Hua grinned and said, ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister!¡±


    The two of us headed out toward Taixu Gate, with Mo Hua walking briskly, chatting sporadically along the way.


    ¡°Three people¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Senior Sister, who else is coming?¡±


    Senior Sister Murong Caiyun said, ¡°Senior Brother Feng from Tai¡¯a Sect is also coming.¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Feng¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Senior Brother Feng was gentle and courteous, with profound Cultivationa€¡±it seemed like he held a high position in the Tai¡¯a Sect, and was one of the preselected Inner Sect Disciples.


    He indeed was a ¡°big thigh¡± to cling to.


    ¡°What about Senior Brother Xu and Sister Qianqian?¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother Xu needs to heal from his injuries, and since the mission isn¡¯t difficult and doesn¡¯t offer much in the way of Merit Points, we decided not to bother him with it.¡±


    ¡°As for Qianqian¡­¡±


    Senior Sister Murong paused and then said, ¡°She¡¯s quite busy, so let¡¯s count her out this timea€|¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ?¦Ï??¦Ï.§ã?


    Yet, Senior Sister Murong let out a little sigh.


    Qianqian, that girl, was constantly urging her, saying she wanted to take on a mission with Mo Hua and had even prepared a ¡°gift¡± for Mo Huaa€¡±all manner of girlish skirts, hairpins, rouge, and the like.


    She said that by dressing up Mo Hua, he would look absolutely stunning, like a delicately carved piece of jade¡­


    Worried that Hua Qianqian would get carried away, she did not call her this time.


    But with Hua Qianqian pestering her so much, as she looked at Mo Hua, the image of him dressed in a splendid Taoist Robe with a hundred flowers surfaced unbidden in her mind, and she got lost in thought.


    ¡°Senior Sister?¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing her in a daze, Mo Hua was a bit puzzled.


    Senior Sister Murong came back to her senses, her cheeks slightly red, and she coughed, ¡°It¡¯s getting late.


    Let¡¯s hurrya€|¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua eyed her with some suspicion but chose not to pry further.


    Soon the two of us met with Ouyang Feng, garbed in his Tai¡¯a Taoist Robe.


    After hiring a carriage, we left the Qianxue State boundary and hurried toward Bishan City outside of the Qianxue State boundary on the wide mountain roads, flying like the wind.


    The sound of horse hooves was quick outside the carriage, but it was quiet and comfortable inside.


    Mo Hua sat by the window, lying on a soft blanket, absorbing the passing scenery while talking with Senior Sister Murong and Ouyang Feng.


    ¡°We are going to capture a disciple who betrayed our Sect¡­¡±


    Senior Sister Murong explained, ¡°More than a decade ago, this disciple stole the legacy, murdered a fellow disciple, and fled the Sect.


    He has been pursued for a long time without being caught¡­¡±


    ¡°A decade ago, huh?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    Senior Sister Murong nodded, ¡°What he stole were some minor legacies, and the ¡®fellow disciple¡¯ he killed was actually just a menial worker, so the issue didn¡¯t cause much of a stir.¡±


    ¡°And that traitorous disciple has kept a very low profile since he fled the Sect, not showing any signs that might give him away.¡±


    ¡°It seems the Taoist Court doesn¡¯t really want to get involved either¡­¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s no profit in it?¡± Mo Hua said slyly.


    Senior Sister Murong paused, somewhat helpless, and gave Mo Hua a slight sidelong glance:


    ¡°One reason is the lack of clues, and the other is that the Taoist Court¡­


    indeed has limited manpower, so the matter was put on hold for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua ¡°understood.¡±


    Ouyang Feng then said, ¡°Later, when the Xie family¡¯s storehouse in Bishan City was burgled, and while tracking the thief, he was cornered and resorted to using the Taoist Skill of the Sever Gold Sect, which is when he gave himself away¡­¡±


    ¡°The Xie family from Bishan City demanded an explanation from the Sever Gold Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°After checking the list of legacy thefts, and comparing it, they discovered that the thief was indeed the disciple who had betrayed the Sect a decade ago.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Sever Gold Sect?¡±


    Senior Sister Murong said, ¡°It¡¯s one of the ¡®Twelve Streams¡¯ Sects in Qian Learning State Boundary, specialized in the Golden Series of the Sword Controlling Method¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He seemed to recall hearing the name when Aunt Wan introduced him to the Twelve Sects of Qian State, but beyond that, he didn¡¯t think there was any interaction.


    However, upon hearing the three words ¡°Sever Gold Sect,¡± Mo Hua had a vague sense that this Sect might somehow be tied to his own fate¡­


    Mo Hua then asked in confusion, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the Sever Gold Sect be the one to pursue their own traitorous disciple?¡±


    ¡°They gave chase, but failed to catch him¡­¡±


    ¡°Not caught up?¡±


    Senior Sister Murong nodded, ¡°That traitorous disciple is very skilled in movement techniques¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng also said, ¡°Indeed, among the Taoist Skills he stole from the Sword Controlling Gate was a movement technique called ¡®Escape Gold Technique,¡¯ and he had mastered it quite well.


    The disciples of the Sever Gold Sect couldn¡¯t catch this traitor from their own Sect¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng sounded somewhat wistful.


    Legitimate disciples could not surpass this ¡°legacy thief¡± who had betrayed them¡­


    ¡°The Xie family of Bishan City was dissatisfied, feeling that Sever Gold Sect was ¡®letting the thief off¡¯ and covertly protecting him, so they issued a separate reward for his capture.¡±


    ¡°Still, the power of the Xie family in Bishan City wasn¡¯t great, so the Merit Points offered as a reward weren¡¯t much.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, with Sever Gold Sect involved, they didn¡¯t want their own Sect¡¯s traitor to be caught by disciples of other Sects, nor would they want to grant Merit Points to anyone else¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered, ¡°Sever Gold Sect¡­


    is quite petty, huha€|¡±

 Chapter 864 - 864 609 Kneel Down_2

    ?Chapter 864: Chapter 609 Kneel Down_2 Chapter 864: Chapter 609 Kneel Down_2 Ouyang Feng chuckled, ¡°Indeed, but be careful with those words.


    Don¡¯t let a Sever Gold Sect disciple hear you calling them ¡®petty,¡¯ they can¡¯t stand hearing that¡­¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.


    Half a day later, the trio arrived at Bishan City.


    Bishan City lived up to its name with steep cliffs thousands of feet high, where the mountains and ridges crisscrossed.


    Most of the cave dwellings were built upon the sheer cliffs, presenting a sight both peculiar and splendid.


    However, Bishan City was now under lockdown, allowing entry but no exit.


    This was because a traitor from the Sever Gold Sect had stolen from the Xie family¡¯s clan treasury, and the Xie family had reported the matter to the Taoist Court.


    The Taoist Court had sealed off the city, conducting a thorough search for the traitor, making quite a commotion.


    Mo Hua expressed his curiosity, ¡°What exactly did the Xie family have stolen from them?¡±


    Murong Caiyun shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know.


    The Xie family didn¡¯t say, and it¡¯s not our place to pry¡­¡±


    ¡°To lockdown the city in such a grandiose manner, involving quite a number of people, yet to offer such paltry reward points, the Xie family really is stingy¡­¡± Mo Hua said, somewhat disgruntled.


    He was in need of merit points at the moment, so the Xie family¡¯s ¡°stinginess¡± left him feeling rather ¡°resentful.¡±


    And there was something strange about this Xie family¡­


    Logically, a treasury theft followed by a city lockdown and investigation should count as a ¡°major incident¡± and hence, the bounty offered should be considerable.


    Murong Caiyun stated, ¡°We earn our merit points by completing tasks; we don¡¯t need to concern ourselves with other matters.¡±


    Ouyang Feng also added, ¡°The sooner we finish, the sooner we can return.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Their mission was to assist the Xie family in capturing the Sever Gold Sect¡¯s traitor.


    The Xie family was searching the city, but ¡°searching¡± merely meant deploying clan disciples to patrol the streets and look for suspicious cultivators.


    The Xie family lacked the courage and strength to search every household.


    Even though Bishan City was only considered a Little Immortal City, within Qian State, it was still possible to encounter a tea-sipping True Man or a wine-drinking Great Cultivator in any teahouse or tavern¡­


    After searching with Murong Caiyun and the third person for a while and finding nothing, they split up to continue their search.


    Walking down the streets of Bishan City, Mo Hua secretly extended his Divine Sense to spy around.


    He wasn¡¯t trying to invade privacy, but rather looking for any peculiar individuals.


    Bishan City¡¯s cultivators came from all walks of life, a wide array of characters.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Consciousness had undergone a transformation, and he could perceive most cultivators quite clearly.


    Nevertheless, he refrained from prying too deeply out of respect for others, merely glancing over them superficially to determine if they were the traitor.


    There were some cultivators with obscure and profound auras; Mo Hua immediately withdrew his Divine Sense upon brushing over them.


    These Great Cultivators were at least at the Golden Core level or above, not someone he dared to ¡°offend¡± at his current stage.


    However, there were also some cultivators who appeared unremarkable, yet were inexplicably strong.


    Even with a brief touch of his Divine Sense, they still detected his presence.


    Their gaze sharp as a sword, they turned towards Mo Hua, but upon seeing that he was just a boy around ten years of age, they faltered for a moment.


    Mo Hua bowed respectfully as an apology.


    Seeing his gesture, they did not take offense and responded with a slight nod.


    ??¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    Mo Hua let out a slight sigh of relief but also marveled inwardly: sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Cultivation World really is a place filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers.


    Especially in Qian State, encountering so many experts in such a small Immortal City¡­¡±


    After a few rebuffs, several bows, and numerous apologies, Mo Hua had become more adept.


    Even without the use of Divine Sense to spy, he could discern by ¡°intuition¡± which cultivators were not to be trifled with.


    Just one glance and he knew his limits.


    With just the use of his Divine Sense, Mo Hua became much more ¡°circumspect,¡± no longer infringing upon True Men or Great Cultivators¡­


    After searching for most of the day, using the depth of his Divine Sense and acute perception, Mo Hua had swept through nearly half of Bishan City, yet still found nothing.


    He had no choice but to look in places that had not been searched before¡­


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and went to a ¡°Brothel.¡±


    At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary tavern, but based on his sole experience drinking floral wine at the Hundred Flower Tower in South Yue City, brought there by Elder Su, he could determine:


    This was not a tavern, but a Brothel!


    The front served as a tavern, but at the back, there lingered an air inappropriate for minors, hinting at decadence.


    The Taoist Court forbade dual cultivation, especially replenishing from others.


    To put it bluntly, the ban on ¡°dual cultivation¡± was mostly to prevent ¡°replenishing from others,¡± stopping people from using the guise of dual cultivation to actually engage in such activities.


    This was what Zhang Lan had told Mo Hua a long time ago.


    Hence, the Taoist Court enforced strict regulations on places like ¡°Brothels.¡±


    Of course, while the Taoist Court was strict, and Taoist Laws were stringent, the execution by local Court Officials varied.


    In different Immortal Cities, the reality could be even more complex.


    For instance, in South Yue City, the Lu Family relied on Brothels to win people¡¯s hearts, to earn Spirit Stones, to exploit Mining Cultivators, and to draw in the Taoist Court Officials.


    In such situations, many of the Court¡¯s Cultivators were regulars of the Brothels themselves, outright indulging in corruption, making enforcement impossible.


    But Qian Xue State Boundary was an exception; within the entire state boundary, Brothels were strictly forbidden.


    Qian Xue State Boundary was a flourishing ground for Tao Cultivation, attracting the talented Sect Disciples of the Nine States.


    Sects did not wish for their disciples to be diverted by sensual pleasures, risking the foundation of their cultivation, wasting precious time, or damaging their Taoist Heart.


    Furthermore, they feared that Demon Cultivators might use seduction and charm to lure Sect Disciples, leading them astray, clouding their judgment between good and evil, and sinking into indulgence.


    Therefore, not only within Qian Xue State Boundary was there a prohibition against the Land of Fireworks, but the rule also extended to the surrounding state boundaries, including many Immortal Cities.

 Chapter 865 - 865 609 Kneel Down_3

    ?Chapter 865: Chapter 609 Kneel Down_3 Chapter 865: Chapter 609 Kneel Down_3 ¡°`


    Eating and sexual desires are some of the basic cravings of humanity, hard to prohibit and even harder to curb.


    Hence, there came to be establishments with restaurants at the front and brothels at the backa€¡±a classic case of blatant bait and switch.


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, feeling that this matter deserved criticism, and knowing how the Land of Fireworks often concealed dirt and filth, the traitor might be hiding there, they walked straight into the restaurant.


    The waiter saw Mo Hua and was clearly taken aback.


    Their restaurant had never been graced by such a clear-browed, handsome-looking Young Master with cherry-red lips and porcelain-white teeth.


    ¡°Young Master, you are¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to eat.¡±


    Mo Hua stated as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    ¡°Oh, oh, of course, to eat¡­


    Please, this way.¡±


    The waiter had thought Mo Hua was oblivious and simply saw their establishment as a typical restaurant for drinking and dining, so with a servile smile and enthusiastic energy, they led Mo Hua inside.


    The interior decoration was lavish, with a strong scent of rouge in the air.


    The waiter escorted Mo Hua to a table and they sat down.


    Glancing at the menu, Mo Hua thought to themselves how expensive it was; not only were the various dishes costly, but even the desserts and beverages were twice as expensive as anywhere else.


    But for the sake of ¡°tracking down the traitor,¡± Mo Hua bit the bullet and ordered a table¡¯s worth of dishes and drinks.


    Having walked quite a distance that day, Mo Hua was hungry.


    They used their Divine Sense to discreetly inspect the food and drinks, ascertaining there were no issues or signs of drugging, then began to eat and drink while surveying their surroundings.


    The front part of the restaurant was relatively ¡°clean.¡±


    Those who were dining did so, and those who were drinking did just that, but in the center, there was a platform curtained by pink drapes from where flirtatiously dressed women danced.


    There were also women lightly clad, with inviting smiles, accompanying the drinking patrons.


    Mo Hua tore into a chicken leg as their Divine Sense expanded, taking in every detail of the surroundings.


    After some observation, Mo Hua slowly grasped the situation¡­


    The women dancing on the stage were the ¡°menu.¡±


    After the performance, the diners who fancied a particular woman would then ¡°place an order.¡±


    The dancing women, having been ¡°ordered,¡± would then come down to accompany the customers in drinking.


    During the companionship, men and women whispered to each other, likely negotiating the ¡°meal¡¯s price.¡±


    Once agreed upon, they would proceed to the back to ¡°have their meal.¡±


    And after finishing their meal, that¡¯s when they would ¡°settle the bill.¡±


    The innocent Mo Hua was shocked.


    These cultivators have so many illicit tricks up their sleeve!


    All the effort that doesn¡¯t go into the Righteous Dao, instead goes into designing these ¡°wine as a color medium¡± schemes¡­


    And they even have the nerve to charge so much for the food and drinks!


    Mo Hua was furious.


    They stared for a while at the dancing women in the center and suddenly squinted their eyes in realization.


    Amongst the dancers in the corner of the stage, there was a woman of average appearance but slender waist, whose every move seemed questionable¡­


    With a sweep of their Divine Sense, Mo Hua knew instantly.


    This ¡°woman¡± was actually a man!


    And with a sudden conviction in their heart, Mo Hua was sure this person was the Sever Gold Sect traitor they¡¯d been sent to capture!


    Cross-dressing males in the Land of Fireworks.


    Mo Hua scoffed.


    Totally unbecoming!


    ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã?


    They immediately used their Taixu Token to send a message to Senior Sister Murong:


    ¡°Senior Sister, I¡¯ve found the traitor!¡±


    The Taixu Token was a communicative device among sect disciples.


    Senior Sister Murong had taught Mo Hua to use it, and they hadn¡¯t made much use of it since they weren¡¯t adept at it at first.


    But within moments, Murong Caiyun responded:


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°In the brothela€|¡±


    Murong Caiyun: ¡°¡­¡±


    After a lengthy silence, as if struggling to understand how Mo Hua ended up seeking a traitor in a brothel, a reply finally came:


    ¡°Which brothel?¡±


    Mo Hua sent over the name of the restaurant.


    Murong Caiyun said:


    ¡°I see, I¡¯ll be right there.


    Take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, although they found something strange.


    This ¡°take care of yourself¡± sounded odd¡­


    What do I have to protect myself from?


    Some two incense sticks¡¯ worth of time later, Ouyang Feng and Murong Caiyun arrived at the restaurant entrance.


    The waiter was shocked just as before, and after hesitating for a while upon hearing they were here to find a disciple, allowed them in but couldn¡¯t help keeping a cautious eye on them.


    The three spoke in hushed tones. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Junior Brother, how did you end up here?¡±


    Mo Hua waved dismissively.


    ¡°That¡¯s not important.¡±


    They pointed to the cross-dressing, waist-slim, heavily made-up ¡°woman¡± still dancing on the stage:


    ¡°This person here is likely the traitor.¡±


    Mo Hua was almost certain, but still showed humility by refraining from speaking in absolutes.


    Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng both looked surprised, frowning and scrutinizing the ¡°woman¡± for a long time, their gazes sharp.


    ¡°Cross-dressing to dance here, it is indeed a good way to hide in plain sight¡­¡±


    ¡°There might be more to it than just ¡®hiding in plain sight¡¯¡­¡±


    There could be a ¡°side job¡± at play.


    Even a renegade sect disciple, even a wanted Sin Cultivator, has to make a livinga€|


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Should we just apprehend them?¡±


    ¡°Would that startle the snake in the grass?¡±


    Ouyang Feng and Murong Caiyun discussed their options.


    Mo Hua suggested: ¡°I¡¯ll ¡®order¡¯ him over.¡±


    Both Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng were taken aback.


    ¡°¡®Order¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°We can order him to come over for a drink, and then seize the opportunity to capture him!¡±


    Senior Sister Murong couldn¡¯t hold back, ¡°Junior Brother, do youa€| come here often?¡±


    How come you seem like a regular¡­


    Mo Hua sternly replied, serious: ¡°I¡¯m a Serious Cultivator!


    I would never visit such places!


    Unless absolutely necessary¡­¡±


    Senior Sister Murong eyed Mo Hua skeptically.


    ¡°This is to complete the mission!¡±


    Mo Hua added.


    Ouyang Feng gave a wry smile: ¡°Catching that traitor is what¡¯s crucial.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 866 - 866 609 Kneel Down_4

    ?Chapter 866: Chapter 609: Kneel Down_4 Chapter 866: Chapter 609: Kneel Down_4 ¡°Senior Brother Feng is right!¡± Mo Hua nodded and beckoned to call over the waiter.


    He pointed toward the stage at the cultivator dressed as a woman:


    ¡°I want ¡®her¡¯ to join me for a drink!¡±


    The waiter hesitated, looked at Mo Hua with renewed respect, then went up and summoned that ¡°woman¡± down.


    The ¡°woman,¡± realizing she had been ¡°roll-called,¡± looked somewhat flustered.


    The waiter pointed at the three members of Mo Hua¡¯s party.


    The ¡°woman¡± narrowed her gaze and then, with her head bowed submissively, began walking towards them, though her steps gradually slowed.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°He¡¯s going to run¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng immediately dashed forward, stretched out a large hand, and tried to capture the ¡°woman.¡±


    But the ¡°woman¡± was prepared and retreated rapidly with a movement technique that emitted faint golden light.


    Ouyang Feng failed to catch her and continued to pursue her, but he was blocked by a stranger.


    The man, with a frivolous smile, said,


    ¡°Taoist Friend, you seem like a fine figure of a man, so why are you so ruthless towards the fairer¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng, impatient, didn¡¯t wait for him to finish and kicked him away, then resumed the chase after the ¡°woman.¡±


    The ¡°woman¡± ran ahead, this time without any pretense, clearly a man with an extremely proficient movement technique.


    Murong Caiyun unleashed the Five-colored Spirit Light, delaying the ¡°woman¡¯s¡± escape.


    Mo Hua raised his hand halfway, then paused, his mind ticking over, and switched from the Water Prison Technique to the Fireball Technique.


    He fired Fireballs at the ¡°woman¡± one after another without care for accuracy.


    His casting of the Fireball Technique was very casual.


    Most of the Fireballs missed the ¡°woman¡± and crashed into the tavern instead, causing a shower of flames and explosions, creating utter chaos.


    Such a place, masquerading as fine but really a Land of Fireworks, couldn¡¯t be left alone¡­


    Mo Hua made up his mind and unleashed his power without holding back, quickly turning a good portion of the tavern to ruins with his Fireball Technique.


    Pink curtains burned, stages collapsed, and from behind the tavern came a cacophony of screams from both men and women.


    The tavern owner was pale as a ghost.


    He was running a secret brothel near the Qian Xue State Boundary, something that must not be exposed to daylight, or he would suffer the direst of consequences.


    But he dared not act.


    For he could tell that both Ouyang Feng and Murong Caiyun had high levels of cultivation and were not to be trifled with.


    The tavern was a din of uproar and disarray.


    The ¡°woman¡± took the opportunity to escape, running north along the street.


    Ouyang Feng went after her.


    ¡°Chase her!¡± commanded Murong Caiyun decisively.


    ¡°Right!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, taking the chance to slip away amidst the chaos.


    The noise outside also drew many other cultivators; some from the Xie family and some from the Taoist Court.


    The Cultivators from the Taoist Court, seeing the disheveled men and women in the tavern, knew without a doubt what kind of wine was being sold there.


    Under the broad daylight, they were obliged to investigate.


    The Xie family also recognized the fleeing ¡°woman¡± as a traitor from the Sever Gold Sect, the very one they were hunting for.


    Thus, both parties began the pursuit of the fugitive who had disguised himself as a woman.


    But the traitor, transformed into golden light, was swift and sharp, making him difficult to catch.


    After several streets, they suddenly lost sight of him.


    The Xie family cultivators were enraged and cursed relentlessly.


    Both Ouyang Feng and Murong Caiyun furrowed their brows, while Mo Hua watched intently.


    He saw everything.


    The traitor turned at a street corner, hid in a dark alleyway, and within a few breaths, he had changed his appearance completely, donning an inconspicuous and ordinary male cultivator¡¯s attire and yet another visage.


    ¡°Is this¡­


    Yi Rong?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed with curiosity and, pointing with his hand, he whispered to Ouyang Feng,


    ¡°Senior Brother Feng, that man!¡±


    Ouyang Feng was taken aback.


    He was eager to ask how Mo Hua knew, but there was no time for questions, and he instinctively chose to trust Mo Hua¡¯s judgment.


    Pretending to be casual, Ouyang Feng slowly approached the male cultivator.


    But the man, alert as ever, immediately took off at a run the moment Ouyang Feng came within thirty feet of him.


    Seeing the golden light on his movement technique, it indeed belonged to that betrayer!


    Ouyang Feng drew his sword and continued the pursuit.


    Thus, while the betrayer desperately evoked his movement technique, trying to escape, he also searched for an opportunity to disguise himself and evade capture from the hands of Mo Hua and the two others. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t in a hurry to make his move, instead, he looked around and secretly took control, unknowingly driving the betrayer into the uninhabited woods to the east of Bishan City.


    They couldn¡¯t capture him in the city, otherwise he would fall into the hands of the Xie family, and they would no longer be able to extract information.


    Everything went according to Mo Hua¡¯s wishes.


    There were no other people around.


    And that betrayer, he too was cornered by the three of them.


    The betrayer, now disguised as a big man, gasped for breath and looked at the three in disbelief,


    ¡°You¡­


    ?¦Ï??0.§ã0


    how exactly did you recognize me?¡±


    Mo Hua replied with a smile, ¡°You guess.¡±


    The big man¡¯s face twitched, his eyes full of rage, then he scoffed,


    ¡°So what if you can recognize me?


    Before my diligently cultivated Escape Gold Body Skill, honed painfully over ten years, all your efforts are in vain.


    Think you can catch me?


    Wishful thinking!¡±


    With a look of disdain, the big man spat and pushed his movement technique to the limit, infusing golden light into his legs and creating a gust underfoot, planning to flee in the blink of an eye.


    Mo Hua¡¯s finger lightly tapped, and the Water Prison Technique came down instantly.


    The arrogant big man was locked up tightly by the Water Prison Technique in an instant, falling flat on his face.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Calling you fat, and you¡¯re actually out of breath¡­¡±


    Using these little tricks in front of me, like showing off in front of an expert¡­


    Ouyang Feng stepped forward, the big man still trying to struggle, but Ouyang Feng struck him on the shoulder with his sword and kicked him to the ground.


    He may be skilled in movement, but in terms of cultivation, he was no match for Ouyang Feng.


    Ouyang Feng took the big man¡¯s Storage Bag and with the Taoist Court¡¯s Second Grade Spiritual Lock, tied the big man tightly.


    Murong Caiyun glanced at Mo Hua, her gaze flickering, and couldn¡¯t help but ask,


    ¡°Junior Brother Mo, you lured him here, what do you want to ask him?¡±


    ¡°Hmm-hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°There¡¯s no one around, it¡¯s convenient to ask a few questions.¡±


    Murong Caiyun thought for a moment, then nodded,


    ¡°Okay, then you ask.¡±


    Catching the person meant the task was complete.


    Before that, it didn¡¯t matter if Mo Hua had a few questions to ask.


    Mo Hua then said to the ¡°big man¡±,


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you a few questions, you better answer honestly!¡±


    The big man, with his mouth full of dirt, spat a few times and sneered,


    ¡°Little ghost, in your dreams!¡±


    Ouyang Feng shook his head, ¡°This guy¡¯s got a tough mouth, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to pry open.¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Can we use torture?¡±


    Ouyang Feng hesitated, ¡°Torture¡­¡± He turned to look at Murong Caiyun, his expression complex as if to say, ¡°Is this how your Taixu Gate junior brothers do things¡­¡±


    Immediately resorting to torture at the first sign of trouble.


    Murong Caiyun helplessly said, ¡°Don¡¯t go too far¡­


    at least¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun, after thinking for a while, helplessly said, ¡°Just don¡¯t make it too obvious¡­¡±


    If the Taoist Court or the Xie family found out that they had used private punishment and extracted information, it would be difficult to explain later on.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Mo Hua said with a smile, ¡°I have everything prepared!¡±


    ¡°Prepared¡­


    already?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Hmm!¡±


    Considering they might face this situation, he had been prepared long ago.


    Mo Hua took out an Iron Plate from his Storage Bag, covered with a densely packed Formation that looked painful at just a glance.


    Ouyang Feng and the other couldn¡¯t help but twitch at the sight.


    Mo Hua placed the Iron Plate on the ground and said to the big man,


    ¡°Kneel down!¡±

 Chapter 867 - 867 610 Sever Gold Jade Slip

    ?Chapter 867: Chapter 610: Sever Gold Jade Slip Chapter 867: Chapter 610: Sever Gold Jade Slip Big Han angrily said, ¡°I won¡¯t!¡±


    The iron plate was densely covered with formation patterns, resembling a realm of knives, needles, and raging fire; one could tell without looking that it was definitely not anything good.


    ¡°Are you going to kneel or not?¡± Mo Hua demanded, his face stern.


    Big Han scoffed, ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid¡­


    Agha€¡±¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Ouyang Feng held him down and kicked his knee.


    Big Han¡¯s knees buckled, and he knelt down on the iron plate, instantly letting out a painful howl, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his face twisted in agony.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know if he was genuinely in pain or just pretending, and asked with a curious face:


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    He really wanted to know¡­


    This iron plate, although designed by him, and with all the formations meticulously drawn by him, Mo Hua was unclear about the specific effects.


    He just guessed it would be very painful.


    After all, he had drawn not just one formation on this iron plate, but several painful formations¡­


    There was the Gen Mountain MicroFormation; once activated, spiritual power as fine as needles would penetrate the knees, causing pain;


    The Bagua Kan Water Formation; spiritual power would seep into the knees, bone-chillingly cold;


    And there was the Li Fire Formation; fire elemental spiritual power would gradually burn, causing torment from the scorching pain¡­


    These three formations, operating in succession, made the person being punished experience the agony of needles penetrating the bones, bone-chilling water, and burning fire¡­


    It was definitely unbearable¡­


    But exactly how unbearable, Mo Hua had no idea.


    He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to try it himself.


    This traitor from the Sever Gold Sect was the first person to test this ¡°Mountain-Water-Fire Torture¡± iron plate.


    Mo Hua was eager to know his experience afterward to judge whether his design was adequate and if the formations needed improvement.


    So he asked sincerely.


    But Big Han thought Mo Hua was mocking him, being sarcastic, and couldn¡¯t help the anger surging within him, his eyes turning bloodshot, biting his teeth hard, enduring the pain of needle, fire, and water torture without saying a word.


    ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    ¡°Speak up, does it hurt?¡± Mo Hua pressed him.


    Finally, Big Han¡¯s defenses broke down, and with a trembling voice, he cursed, ¡°You bastard¡­¡±


    Mo Hua immediately pulled out the Thousand Jun Stick and stuffed it in his mouth, speaking sternly:


    ¡°To curse people, your quality is so low¡­¡±


    With his mouth blocked, Big Han couldn¡¯t speak, his eyes glaring wide, filled with resentment.


    ¡°It seems it¡¯s still not painful enough, the power of the formation is still lacking¡­¡± Mo Hua muttered, stroking his chin:


    ¡°It seems I need to add a few more formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Which formations to add though?¡±


    ¡°Golden Needle?


    Wood Poison?


    Or¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng opened their mouths.


    Hearing this, Big Han¡¯s scalp tingled, and with horror in his gaze, he thought to himself, How could there be such a sinister, malicious, and crazy little cultivator in this world?!


    Who had he learned all these from?!


    Big Han desperately groaned a couple of times. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua removed the Thousand Jun Stick, and Big Han clenched his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk!¡±


    Delighted, Mo Hua nodded and immediately asked what he cared about most:


    ¡°Does it hurt to kneel on this iron plate?¡±


    Big Han, wishing he could die from embarrassment, was unwilling to speak.


    Murong Caiyun couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, and tapped Mo Hua on the shoulder, whispering, ¡°Ask about something else, don¡¯t make it hard for him¡­¡±


    For such a big cultivator to be forced to kneel and then asked if it hurts.


    It would drive anyone crazy, and they would have a hard time explaining it to the Taoist Court and the Xie family.


    ¡°Oh oh.¡± Mo Hua thought it over and agreed, turning his attention to serious matters.


    As for the feedback on the iron plate torture, he would find someone else to ask later.


    Mo Hua somewhat regretfully suspended the formations on the iron plate by manipulating the Formation eye with his Divine Sense.


    The pain ceased, and Big Han took a sharp, deep breath, gradually recovering.


    Mo Hua started with serious questions:


    ¡°Do you know Boss Jiang?¡±


    After asking, Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, scrutinizing Big Han¡¯s eyes to confirm whether he was lying.


    Big Han frowned, his gaze a bit lost, ¡°Who is Boss Jiang?¡±


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Do you know Bald Eagle?¡±


    Big Han¡¯s face turned pale, ¡°Bald Eagle¡­


    I have only heard¡­he is ruthless, not a good person¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen him?¡±


    Big Han shook his head.


    ¡°Have you seen any other bald men?¡±


    Big Han was dumbfounded, ¡°Bald¡­


    bald man?¡±


    Mo Hua described a bit, ¡°Someone like Bald Eagle, possibly bald but wearing a wig, known in the underworld by nicknames containing ¡®bald,¡¯ ¡®light,¡¯ or ¡®Arhat,¡¯ ¡®Tuo,¡¯ or other such words among sin cultivators¡­¡±


    Big Han grimaced in pain, ¡°Why¡­


    are you asking this?¡±


    Mo Hua was displeased, ¡°Am I asking you, or are you asking me?¡±


    Pressured, especially by the recent pain from the dense formation patterns under his knees, Big Han reluctantly said:


    ¡°I have been in hiding, mingling secretly for some time.


    I have heard of some cultivators, quite notorious¡­¡±


    ¡°Like ¡®Bald Wolf,¡¯ ¡®Bald Jiao,¡¯ ¡®Koutuo Tuo,¡¯ ¡®Evil Arhat¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°But my cultivation is not enough, I only handle petty thefts and small deals, so I have no connections with them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently noted these names, then asked:


    ¡°Have you ever trafficked cultivators?¡±


    Big Han¡¯s pupils contracted, but he shook his head:


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.


    In Qian Xue State Boundary, many clans gather, I don¡¯t have the guts to attract such bad luck, to traffic cultivators.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze slightly sharpened, his thoughts apparent.


    Big Han forced himself to stay calm, but was clearly a bit guilty, his gaze drifting slightly.


    Mo Hua faintly smiled, not pressing further, and said:


    ¡°One last thing, hand over your Disguise Technique!¡±

 Chapter 868 - 868 610 Sever Gold Jade Slip_2

    ?Chapter 868: Chapter 610: Sever Gold Jade Slip_2 Chapter 868: Chapter 610: Sever Gold Jade Slip_2 The Big Han¡¯s expression changed, and he stubbornly retorted,


    ¡°What Disguise Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua showed displeasure, ¡°Playing dumb with me?¡±


    Seeing Big Han¡¯s obstinate expression, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense stirred slightly, reigniting the Formation on the Iron Plate to its utmost limit.


    Big Han¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, his body trembling in pain, and his knees tortured, but he clenched his teeth tightly and remained silenta€|


    Mo Hua felt it was odd, ¡°How can he endure so much?¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Big Han passed out from the paina€|


    Mo Hua was somewhat helpless, muttering to himself,


    ¡°He would rather be tortured than surrender the ¡®Disguise Technique¡¯a€|¡±


    ¡°Is it because the ¡®Disguise Technique¡¯ is so crucial that he can¡¯t surrender it even in deatha€|¡±


    ¡°Or is it because the Formation on this Iron Plate isn¡¯t powerful enough to force out the truth from his lips?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It¡¯s a pity that he couldn¡¯t use this Iron Plate himself and thus didn¡¯t know its full powera€|


    He would have to think of ways to improve it latera€|


    Mo Hua contemplated silently.


    Right now, from Big Han¡¯s mouth, not enough information had been revealed.


    Mo Hua planned to wake him up and make him suffer a little more to get some truth out of him.


    He could almost be certain that this traitor from Sever Gold Sect was definitely hiding something.


    And he must have been involved in trafficking Cultivators too, just too guilty to admit it.


    So it was, Mo Hua saw no need to be polite.


    Mo Hua lifted the Thousand Jun Stick, intending to awaken Big Han, but Murong Caiyun stopped him.


    Murong Caiyun said helplessly,


    ¡°Junior brother, that¡¯s enougha€| Don¡¯t ¡®waste¡¯ him, he still has to be handed over to the Taoist Court.¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°Then should I go easy?¡±


    Murong Caiyun felt a headache coming on, ¡°That won¡¯t do either.¡±


    Mo Hua felt regretful, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    The mission was important, Merit Points were important, more information could be gathered later.


    However, Murong Caiyun was puzzled, ¡°What about Boss Jiang, the Bald Eagle, and the traffickers?


    Why are you asking him these questions?¡±


    Of course, it was for the Four Symbols Formation.


    And the conspiracy of trafficking Cultivators behind the scenes.


    But these things were not suitable to be said outright.


    ?¦Ï??0.§ã¦Ï


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°I suspect he¡¯s in cahoots with a bunch of traffickers!


    I had a little brother who was almost abducted by these traffickers, so I just asked in passing, hoping to find some clues to roundup them all!¡±


    Mo Hua put on a face of hating evil as if it were his enemy.


    Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng looked at each other, unsure whether Mo Hua was telling the truth.


    Mo Hua quickly changed the subject,


    ¡°Can I search his body then?¡±


    The Xie family¡¯s goal was to capture, not search the person.


    Ouyang Feng thought for a moment, sighed, ¡°Go ahead and search¡­¡±


    He even took out the Storage Bag found on Big Han and handed it to Mo Hua, ¡°You might want to check this Storage Bag as well, see if you can find any clues.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up; he immediately took the Storage Bag, but a bit embarrassed, he said,


    ¡°Senior Brother, is this appropriate?¡±


    Ouyang Feng smiled, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    He too was curious to see if Mo Hua would uncover anything.


    As for the Taoist Court of Bishan City, and the Xie family, given his background, he actually didn¡¯t care much for them.


    The only reason he adhered to the rules was because of the sect rules of Tai¡¯a Sect and the family teachings of the Ouyang Family, not wishing to disgrace the sect and the Noble Clans in public.


    Mo Hua immediately searched Big Han and then frowned.


    He discovered that Big Han¡¯s flesh was soft, all ¡°fake¡±, like something attached to the body, forging a special form.


    Therefore, he could be a woman, a young man, an old crone, or a sturdy man.


    Big Han¡¯s face was clearly patched up with some kind of skin, looking very strange.


    As for what he originally looked like, it was impossible to tell.


    Not even with Divine Sense.


    Divine Sense ¡°sees¡± the essence of Spiritual Power of all things in the blankness of space, or the trajectory of Qi Mechanism, not the real appearance.


    The flesh and faces are mere outer appearances.


    However, the essence of ¡°Spiritual Power¡± of Big Han was clearly seen by Mo Hua and silently noted in his heart.


    This way, if he encountered him again in the future, he would not be able to escapea€|


    Big Han indeed had some hidden items, and Mo Hua, without missing a single one, searched them all out and put them together with the Storage Bag.


    Mo Hua went through them one by one.


    Spirit Stones, Pills, Spiritual Artifactsa€|


    Mostly things that a common Cultivator would carry.


    There were some Cultivation Techniques and Taoist Skills, but they were not rare and were not linked to Sever Gold Sect.


    The Disguise Technique was not founda€|


    The only odd thing was a Jade Slip.


    This Jade Slip was made of white jade with strands of gold edges.


    Mo Hua found it very familiar and after a quick thought, he was startled: the same style of Jade Slip he had seen before!


    Boss Jiang!


    That trafficker Boss Jiang had two Jade Slips of the same style in his possession, but they were sealed, and Divine Sense could not spy on them, so Mo Hua stored these two Jade Slips in his Storage Ring.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense moved slightly and found that this Jade Slip from Big Han¡¯s possession was also sealed, and seemed to be sealed with the same method as Boss Jiang¡¯s Slips.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped, and he hurriedly asked,


    ¡°Senior Brother Feng, do you know what this Jade Slip is?¡±


    Ouyang Feng took it, glanced at it, and his gaze briefly paused on the gold edges of the Jade Slip, expressing surprise,


    ¡°This seems to bea€| the Heritage Jade Slip of Sever Gold Sect?¡±


    ¡°Sever Gold Sect!¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    So did that mean Boss Jiang was also once a disciple of Sever Gold Sect?


    Mo Hua remembered something and then asked suddenly:

 Chapter 869 - 869 610 Sever Gold Jade Slip_3

    ?Chapter 869: Chapter 610: Sever Gold Jade Slip_3 Chapter 869: Chapter 610: Sever Gold Jade Slip_3 ¡°Senior Brother Feng,¡± Mo Hua asked eagerly, ¡°is the Sever Gold Sect of the Twelve Streams mainly focused on sword cultivation?¡±


    Ouyang Feng nodded, ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Then, does their Sect possess any formidable Sword techniques?¡± The light in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°There is one,¡± Ouyang Feng confirmed with a nod, ¡°Sever Gold Sect has a tremendously powerful Sect-Protecting Sword technique of the Golden Series, which is calleda€¡±¡±


    Ouyang Feng said gravely, ¡°Sever Gold Sword Control Jue!¡±


    Sever Gold Sword Control Jue!!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed.


    Sect-Protecting Sword Mantra!


    So, that move that Boss Jiang used, the one so majestic, blazing with golden light, was it the Sever Gold Sect¡¯s Sect-Protecting Sword Mantra, the Sever Gold Sword Control Jue?!


    Then the Heritage Jade Slip he had on him, could it be¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart thumped wildly.


    Murong Caiyun quietly glanced at Mo Hua, somewhat puzzled, ¡°Junior Brother, why are you suddenly so happy?


    Your face is even turning red¡­¡±


    Mo Hua waved his hand and said with a grin, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    Then all of a sudden, something else occurred to him, and he asked:


    ¡°Senior Brother Feng, how does one look into this Jade Slip?


    It seems to be sealed¡­¡±


    ¡°This Jade Slip is a Heritage Jade Slip, especially ¡®sealed¡¯ to prevent the loss of heritage,¡± Ouyang Feng explained.


    ¡°One must know the ¡®Secret Pattern¡¯ to unseal it and view its contents.¡±


    ¡°Sealed, Secret Pattern?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback.


    ¡°Is this ¡®Secret Pattern¡¯ a ¡®Formation Pattern¡¯?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng hesitated.


    His knowledge in Array Formation was not very deep, and he couldn¡¯t clarify the intricacies involved.


    Murong Caiyun then said, ¡°You could say that¡­¡±


    ¡°The so-called ¡®sealing¡¯ naturally involves using an array to seal and the ¡®Secret Pattern¡¯ for unsealing is naturally a classified Formation Pattern.¡±


    ¡°This is also considered a special application of array formation, just in a different form and different terminology.¡±


    Mo Hua understood.


    In other words, as long as he grasped the array methods within and cracked the ¡°Secret Pattern¡± sealing it, he could access the heritage inside the Jade Slip!


    Ouyang Feng saw Mo Hua¡¯s eyes spinning, unsure of what he was thinking, but still felt compelled to caution:


    ¡°This Jade Slip is not meant for learning.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, what¡¯s sealed inside should be Sever Gold Sect¡¯s movement technique, Escape Gold Technique¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the heritage of Sever Gold Sect, unauthorized learning of it would result in them holding you accountable¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, since this Jade Slip is stolen, Sever Gold Sect will undoubtedly have a record of it, and learning in secret won¡¯t be allowed¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Senior Brother Feng.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t study this particular Jade Slip; he had two others¡­


    He just didn¡¯t know what secrets were sealed within those two Jade Slips¡­


    Mo Hua planned to return to the Sect and quietly study them, to see if he could use his knowledge of array formations to decode the ¡°Secret Pattern¡± sealing the Heritage Jade Slip, and access the heritage of Sever Gold Sect¡­


    Even if he didn¡¯t learn it, studying and critiquing it to deepen his understanding of Sword techniques would still be beneficial.


    Perhaps it could even lay the foundation and pave the way for his study of the Taixu Divine Thought into Sword True Jue¡­


    Ouyang Feng looked up at the sky and asked:


    ¡°Junior Brother Mo, is there anything else you would like to ask?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head repeatedly.


    He already knew quite a bit.


    And what he didn¡¯t know, he probably couldn¡¯t find out at the moment.


    Besides, Senior Sister Murong didn¡¯t want him to ask any more questions, for fear that he might cause further trouble for that ¡°Big Han¡± who could be at death¡¯s door¡­


    Murong Caiyun nodded, ¡°Then I¡¯ll signal, and call over the Xie family¡¯s cultivators.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± replied Ouyang Feng.


    Soon after, Murong Caiyun took out a message paper and set off a firework.


    Mo Hua began to tidy up the scene, covering up any signs of his ¡°torture¡± during interrogation, and the searching of bodies and storage bags.


    Ouyang Feng considerately helped him from the sidelines, pointing out any oversights from the perspective of a bystander.


    Soon enough, the Xie family¡¯s cultivators arrived.


    Seeing the Big Han lying unconscious on the ground, their expressions were astounded, and their glances towards Mo Hua and the others had a hint of subtlety. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It didn¡¯t seem like gratitude, but rather¡­


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment.


    ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    Regret?


    Regret for asking for their help?


    Or regret that they were beaten to the punch by Mo Hua and the others, who¡¯d caught the Big Han and now felt remorseful?


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly.


    There was indeed something fishy about the Xie family¡­


    But it wasn¡¯t his place to intervene.


    Their task was already complete.


    Soon, Murong Caiyun began to negotiate with the Xie family regarding the details of the undertaking and the matters of Merit Points.


    During the conversation, many questions were brushed aside by Murong Caiyun.


    Questions like, how they caught the Big Han.


    How the Big Han became unconscious.


    The nature of his knee injury.


    Who had forced him to kneel¡­


    and so on.


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s tone was gentle, essentially saying that they encountered him while patrolling and effortlessly knocked him out.


    During the struggle, a spell had hit his knee, resulting in the wound.


    The Xie family wanted to continue questioning, but Ouyang Feng sternly faced them down with a gaze sharp as a sword.


    The Xie family¡¯s cultivators no longer dared to ask.


    From this, Mo Hua guessed that the Ouyang Family must carry significant influence.


    Once the matter was handled, the trio didn¡¯t linger and set out to leave Bishan City.


    However, as they departed, Mo Hua looked back at the misty and extraordinary Bishan City, feeling vaguely that this incident was probably not over yet¡­


    ¡­


    The carriage left Bishan City, heading towards the Qian Xue State Boundary.


    Midway, Mo Hua bid farewell to Senior Sister Murong and Senior Brother Feng and got off the carriage.


    ¡°Senior Brother, Senior Sister, I just remembered something I need to take care of, so I will get off here.


    I¡¯ll return to the Sect on my own tomorrow.¡±


    Murong Caiyun and Ouyang Feng were both taken aback, looking at the desolate mountains around and couldn¡¯t help but ask:


    ¡°What business do you have here?¡±


    Mo Hua replied with a smile, ¡°I have a Taoist Friend living alone in the mountains.


    He¡¯s quite lonely, so I¡¯m going to pay him a visit.¡±


    ¡°A Taoist Friend?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Living in these mountains?¡±


    Murong Caiyun looked around at the desolate wilderness, which seemed uninhabited, and questioned further.


    Mo Hua chuckled, ¡°He¡¯s a bit shy.¡±


    ¡°Well, alright then,¡± Murong Caiyun sighed, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at Mo Hua.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Senior Sister!¡± Mo Hua assured with a smile.


    After bidding them farewell, he turned and walked towards the deep mountains¡­


    Deep in the mountains, there was a dilapidated temple, and within that temple was a Mountain God.


    The Mountain God was fretting, on the verge of tears, and it was soon to be forced to meet someone it absolutely did not want to see¡­

 Chapter 870 - 870 611 Sword of Divine Thought

    ?Chapter 870: Chapter 611 Sword of Divine Thought Chapter 870: Chapter 611 Sword of Divine Thought At this time, it was the afternoon, and the bright sunlight shone in the verdant mountains and forests.


    A mossy stone step path led to the mountaintop.


    Mo Hua climbed the steps with light and graceful steps, humming a tune all the while.


    But when he arrived in front of the dilapidated temple, he stopped dead in his tracks.


    ¡°No one?¡±


    The temple was desolate, with no sign of anyone, and Divine Thought detected no presence of the Mountain God.


    Mo Hua looked closely and saw that the offerings on the altar table, a few steamed buns, had gone moldy and a few fruits had dried up, not knowing how long they¡¯d been there.


    There was no meat on the altar table, only a wine cup.


    The cup was full, but not with wine; instead, it held rainwater that had flowed down from the eaves during the drizzling mountain rain, its surface clear but the bottom muddied with sediment.


    It looked bleak.


    Mo Hua felt a twinge of sympathy.


    What a pitiful Mountain God.


    ¡°Lord Yellow Mountain?¡±


    Mo Hua called out a few times, but the echo of his voice dissipated as it reverberated through the empty temple and the leaking eaves, with the voice eventually fading into the solitude of the mountains.


    ¡°Not at home?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, feeling a sense of loss, as if after traveling a vast distance to visit a friend, only to find the friend was out.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    A Mountain God, where could he possibly go?


    Abandon his own temple?


    Mo Hua looked around the temple, which was small and dilapidated on all sides, but there was still no sign of Lord Yellow Mountain.


    Mo Hua narrowed his eyes, suddenly struck by inspiration.


    He sensed the few strands of faint golden Blood of Divine Sense derived from refining the ¡°marrow¡± of Demon Head leaders and Sheep-Horned Enforcers, beginning to tremble within his Divine Sense Incarnation.


    Mo Hua realized what was happening and followed the pull of the faint golden Blood of Divine Sense.


    He stepped out of the temple, circled around the ruined building, and found a small dog statue tucked away in a corner behind the temple.


    The dog statue, with its gray and dirty surface, hung its head low, lying in the grass without daring to reveal the slightest breath of life.


    Mo Hua squatted in front of the small dog statue, silently gazing at it with his big eyes.


    The little dog did not dare to move.


    ¡°Heya€¡±¡±


    Mo Hua said softly.


    For some reason, the clay eyes of the little dog seemed somewhat panicked.


    ¡°Mountain Lorda€¡±¡±


    Mo Hua called out again in a low voice.


    ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï


    The clay dog seemed desperate to close its eyes.


    ¡°After all, you are a Mountain God, doesn¡¯t hiding in a little dog seem shamefula€|¡± Mo Hua said.


    The little dog felt ashamed in its heart but still didn¡¯t show any reaction.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression turned slightly unhappy, and he raised three fingers, saying sternly, ¡°I¡¯m only going to count to three, and if you don¡¯t come out, I won¡¯t be politea€|¡±


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    Before he could finish counting to three, wisps of smoke rose from the dog statue, revealing Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s narrow and elongated smiling face.


    Seeing that Mo Hua did not look very amiable, Lord Yellow Mountain greeted him warmly and affectionately, ¡°Ah, there¡­


    It¡¯s my young friend. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There¡¯s nothing happening on the mountain, I was just sunbathing, and I accidentally fell asleep.


    Forgive my rudeness for not welcoming you from afar¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked up at the sky, puzzled, ¡°This place is in the shade, what sunshine are you sunbathing in?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain became stiff, forcing a smile, ¡°Sunbathing in the shade is both warm and cool¡­¡±


    Afraid of being questioned further by Mo Hua, he quickly changed the subject:


    ¡°My young friend, did you come to see me for a reason?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s attention was indeed diverted.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded and was about to speak when he looked at Lord Yellow Mountain and curiously asked, ¡°Are you going to stay inside this little dog forever?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain muttered under his breath, ¡°As if I wish to¡­¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t to hide from you¡­¡±


    At this thought, Lord Yellow Mountain suddenly paused and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How did you know I ¡®hid¡¯¡­


    no, that I was sunbathing here?¡±


    Here he had ¡°stooped to a lower level,¡± not even caring about his dignity by dwelling within such a tiny clay dog, even hiding his Mountain God Origin, and yet he had still been found¡­


    Mo Hua answered, ¡°I felt it.¡±


    ¡°Felt it?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I felt like you were right here, then I came to look, and sure enough, you were!¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s scalp tingled.


    It was over, he couldn¡¯t elude this little calamity¡­


    It was utterly outrageous¡­


    A bright little ghost wasn¡¯t scary, but the scariest thing was a little ghost who was not only clever but also eerily intuitive.


    You can¡¯t prepare for such unpredictable behavior¡­


    Lord Yellow Mountain sighed and slowly emerged from the clay dog statue, gesturing with his hand in invitation, ¡°Please come to my humble dwelling to reminisce¡­¡±


    With the Mountain God leading the way, Mo Hua swaggered in, following the Mountain God into the ruins of the temple.


    Lord Yellow Mountain transformed into wisps of blue smoke, still inhabiting the center of the altar, in the clay statue of the Mountain God.


    Mo Hua sat at the edge of the altar table, chatting ¡°shoulder to shoulder¡± with Lord Yellow Mountain.


    But Lord Yellow Mountain seemed a bit restrained, causing Mo Hua to question, ¡°I¡¯m not going to ¡®eat¡¯ you, so why are you so afraid?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain laughed with a ¡°hehe,¡± thinking to himself, ¡°You think I believe that¡­¡±


    But outwardly he responded with a cheerful laugh, ¡°You, my young friend, are clear-minded and your Taoist Heart is as transparent as a mirror, above the ordinary.


    I couldn¡¯t be more eager to make your acquaintance, so why would I hide from you?¡±


    Mo Hua obviously didn¡¯t believe it, and glanced at Lord Yellow Mountain with curiosity, asking, ¡°Mountain Lord, were you very powerful in the past?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain paused, his smile fading a bit, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I guessed.¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain shook his head, ¡°Do I look powerful?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was clear as he spoke calmly, ¡°Body handspan long, claws seven feet, dark brown fur, divine presence shrouding the mountain, breath profound, eyes soaked in fresh blood, infinite ferocity and malevolence surrounding you¡­¡±

 Chapter 871 - 871 611 Sword of Divine Thought_2

    ?Chapter 871: Chapter 611: Sword of Divine Thought_2 Chapter 871: Chapter 611: Sword of Divine Thought_2 Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s gaze suddenly turned ferocious, but as soon as he caught Mo Hua¡¯s profound stare, his face turned deathly pale in an instant.


    ¡°You, you¡­


    in the end¡­¡±


    Mo Hua blinked and whispered softly,


    ¡°Did you really look like this before?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s expression was bitter.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I had a dream last night, where I saw a Mountain God who looked just like a Yellow Rodent Monster, and I guessed it might be you, so I came to ask.¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s face showed a complex expression, and after much hesitation, he sighed deeply,


    ¡°That¡¯s all in the past now¡­¡±


    ¡°In the past, I indeed enjoyed the worship from one area, with strong Divine Thought, covering the mountains and rivers, transforming into a divine form, standing at the pinnacle under the Heavenly Dao Laws, nearly invincible.¡±


    ¡°But Mountain Gods are like humans, once arrogance takes root in their hearts, they will be invaded by an Evil Fiend.¡±


    ¡°You already know what happened afterward¡­


    Alas, it¡¯s unbearable to reflect on, I am now like a tiger that has fallen to the plains¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Bullied by me?¡± Mo Hua said.


    Lord Yellow Mountain nodded, ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    As he was speaking, a chill suddenly struck his heart, and he quickly smiled and said, ¡°No, no, you didn¡¯t bully me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it, and images of Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s once imposing and awe-inspiring presence appeared in his mind.


    Comparing it to its current sorry, dried-up fish state, he still found it hard to believe.


    Lord Yellow Mountain seemed to perceive what was going through Mo Hua¡¯s mind and sighed,


    ¡°All beings in the world, whether they are human, demon, or god, are mostly puppets to power, fame, authority, and status.¡±


    ¡°This is especially true for humans.¡±


    ¡°A beggar, once becoming an emperor, with power and influence, will then possess the appearance of an emperor;¡±


    ¡°An emperor, turned into a beggar, without power, can only wag his tail and beg for pity.¡±


    ¡°Those who truly transcend materialism, indifferent to power and fame, exceptional in thought, have always been rare¡­¡±


    ¡°This Mountain God is the same.¡±


    ¡°When my Divine Thought was strong, possessing boundless strength, I was naturally majestic¡­¡±


    ¡°But in truth, it wasn¡¯t me who was imposing, it was the Heaven and Earth Might using me as a ¡®puppet¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°After I lost my cultivation to that single sword strike, without that kind of Might, I was just myself, a down-and-out Minor Mountain God, only able to live through days like these, tucking my tail¡­¡±


    Mo Hua showed a surprised expression, both moved by Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s clarity and pitying him.


    Being observed with a ¡°sympathetic¡± look from Mo Hua made Lord Yellow Mountain feel extremely uncomfortable, and he felt compelled to say,


    ¡°You didn¡¯t come to uncover old wounds, did you¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m not that idle¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s eyelid twitched and his expression was one of helpless resignation.


    This child, though looking innocent, always managed to say things that cut deep¡­


    Lord Yellow Mountain sighed,


    ¡°What do you want?


    Just ask¡­¡±


    The sooner you finish asking, the sooner you can leave.


    Lord Yellow Mountain wanted to send Mo Hua away.


    Mo Hua immediately said, ¡°The sword technique, Divine Thought into Sword, that struck you down, can you teach it to me?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain grumbled, ¡°I¡¯ve told you, I don¡¯t know how¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Although you don¡¯t know it, your Divine Thought is so strong, and having been struck by it yourself, you must know the principle behind this Divine Thought into Sword and have an idea of how this Sword of Divine Thought is cultivated!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you know!¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were bright, his tone certain.


    Being scrutinized by Mo Hua¡¯s piercing eyes gave Lord Yellow Mountain such a headache.


    ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    It felt like in its entire life, it had never encountered such a troublesome Little Ancestor¡­


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain gave in.


    To speak now and be free sooner felt better, one never knew how long one might be haunted otherwise¡­


    Lord Yellow Mountain, as if recalling past events, became more reserved, his gaze intense as he said,


    ¡°This Sword technique is called¡­¡±


    ¡°Taixu Divine Thought Sword True Jue!¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s voice took a downturn, after finishing he glanced at Mo Hua, and upon seeing his unfazed demeanor, was slightly taken aback, ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Mo Hua hopped off the platform and spread his arms, showing his Taoist Robe to Lord Yellow Mountain,


    ¡°Guess, which Sect¡¯s Taoist Robe am I wearing?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain looked closely, then shocked, he opened his mouth wide, ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°The robe of Taixu Gate, Taixu Gate¡­ sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    that¡¯s the ¡®Taixu¡¯ in ¡®Tai Xu Divine Thought Sword True Jue¡¯.¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt bitter inside.


    It had felt that Mo Hua¡¯s Taoist Robe looked somewhat familiar, and now, reminded by his words, realized that it was indeed the Taoist Robe of Taixu Gate.


    This Little Ancestor, wearing the same Sect¡¯s robe as the one who slew him back then!


    Only, the robe that Mo Hua wore was that of an initial sect disciple.


    The style and patterns were much simpler, and there was more black and less white, unlike the person back then who was clad almost entirely in white; that¡¯s why it didn¡¯t recognize it at first¡­


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s eyes carried a look of silent grievance, ¡°As a Taixu Gate sect disciple, why don¡¯t you just learn it from your own Sect, why ask me?¡±


    ¡°The Sect doesn¡¯t have it, I can¡¯t find it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, then after pondering for a moment, ¡°It might also be possible that my Realm is too low, I don¡¯t have the permissions, yet I can¡¯t learn it¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain fell silent, seemingly reluctant to speak.


    So Mo Hua said, ¡°Just tell me, consider it a favor owed.¡±


    ¡°What use is your favor¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain muttered internally, but still replied honestly, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua hopped back onto the platform, sat cross-legged, and listened quietly.

 Chapter 872 - 872 611 Sword of Divine Thought_3

    ?Chapter 872: Chapter 611: Sword of Divine Thought_3 Chapter 872: Chapter 611: Sword of Divine Thought_3 Lord Yellow Mountain sighed, ¡°I am a Mountain God, and my Divine Sense¡¯s status is different from that of a regular cultivator, so my understanding of Divine Sense also needs to be deeper¡­¡±


    Back then, when I battled with that Sword Cultivator from the Taixu Gate, during our exchange, I was wounded all over by the Sword Qi of Divine Thought and came to understand some of the mysteries of this Sword technique¡­¡±


    ¡°The Sword technique of Divine Thought into Sword differs from normal Sword techniques.¡±


    ¡°Normal Sword techniques involve channeling one¡¯s Spiritual Power throughout the body into the Spirit Sword to form ¡®Sword Qi,¡¯ then using the sharp Sword Qi to kill enemies.¡±


    ¡°Divine Thought into Sword is different, it requires condensing the manifested, formless and intangible, yet infinitely mysterious ¡®Sword Intent¡¯ on top of the Sword Qi¡­¡±


    ¡°One must use Sword Qi as the foundation and temper it with Sword Intent to unleash its tremendous power, capable of slicing through tangible matter and intangible spirits alike!¡±


    ¡°In short¡­¡±


    ¡°Normal Sword Control involves forging the sword and cultivating Sword Qi.¡±


    ¡°Whereas Divine Thought into Sword goes further on top of the Sword Qi, to cultivate Sword Intent.¡±


    ¡°Both are indispensable, Sword Qi must be cultivated to the extreme to derive Sword Intent, and with the enhancement of Sword Intent, Sword Qi can become invincible and vanquish enemies in all directions!¡±


    A hint of arrogance appeared in Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s eyes:


    ¡°Had it not been for this technique, the Taixu Mind Transforming Sword True Jue, able to turn the tangible into intangible, to use the tangible sword to slay the intangible spirits, back then within the realm, there might have not been anyone who could have handled me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered:


    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t you have become a ¡®Taoist Demon¡¯?¡±


    A chill went down Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s spine, he was shocked and his expression turned to disbelief:


    ¡°How¡­


    how did you know?!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve seen how Taoist Demons are cultivated¡­¡±


    And moreover, I¡¯ve killed Taoist Demons before!


    But it¡¯s somewhat taboo to speak of such things¡­


    Despite this, Lord Yellow Mountain still gasped in astonishment.


    He realized more and more that he couldn¡¯t afford to provoke this little ancestor.


    Lord Yellow Mountain immediately restrained his arrogant demeanor.


    He could no longer boast.


    If he boasted too much and broke through his pretense, revealing his lies to this little ancestor, that would be troublesome¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t notice the subtle changes in Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s expression, but was instead contemplating the cultivation of Divine Thought into Sword:


    ¡°I must first cultivate Sword Qi, bring it to the utmost limit, then transform the tangible into intangible and cultivate Sword Intent, merging Sword Intent with Sword Qi to cultivate the ¡®Taixu Mind Transforming Sword True Jue¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was deeply disappointed.


    ¡°If I do not become a Sword Cultivator and cultivate Sword Qi, wouldn¡¯t I be unable to learn Divine Thought into Sword?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain nodded, ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up, ¡°What if I don¡¯t cultivate Sword Qi, but my Divine Sense is strong enough to directly transform Divine Thought into Sword Intent, would that work?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain thought Mo Hua was wildly imaginative and said dismissively:


    ¡°If you don¡¯t cultivate Sword Qi, where would you get Sword Intent from?¡±


    ¡°You are a Formation Master, can you understand Formation principles without drawing formations?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same principle¡­¡±


    ¡°The better you cultivate Sword Qi, the sharper it becomes, and the purer and more powerful the Sword Intent derived from it will be¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you transform it with just Divine Thought?


    Can your Divine Thought be stronger than the Sword Qi of a Sword Cultivator?¡±


    ¡°And how strong can your Divine Sense be?¡±


    Mo Hua murmured softly, ¡°Is sixteen patterns enough?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain scoffed, ¡°Sixteen patterns, enough for what?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain was about to say more but suddenly stopped and turned to look at Mo Hua, ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Sixteen patterns¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s expression froze¡­


    Sixteen patterns¡­


    How could it be sixteen patterns?


    What age are you, what Realm are you in?


    How could a cultivator in the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment have sixteen patterns of Divine Sense?


    You couldn¡¯t possibly have consumed something¡­


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s heart skipped a beat, he immediately looked straight ahead and said softly:


    ¡°Sixteen patterns of Divine Sense are indeed strong, but still not enough to cultivate Divine Thought into Sword¡­¡±


    ¡°How much is needed then?¡±


    ¡°Feathers¡­¡± Lord Yellow Mountain was about to downgrade his previous statement, ¡°at least a Golden Core, above twenty patterns¡­¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°And even then, Golden Core may not be sufficient to achieve it¡­¡±


    ¡°After all, Divine Thought into Sword involves Sword Qi transforming into Sword Intent, and Sword Intent manifesting Sword Qi, not simply manifesting Sword Qi from ¡®Divine Thought¡¯ alone¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Alright, I got it.¡±


    I might as well give it a try.


    When the day comes that my Divine Sense achieves twenty patterns and reaches Core Formation, I¡¯ll see if I can transform Divine Thought into a sword on my own.


    Before that, I¡¯ll inquire more about the orthodox ¡®Taixu Mind Transforming Sword True Jue¡¯ at the Sect.


    ??¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    After all, Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s statement is from the perspective of a ¡®victim,¡¯ it may not be the accurate method of Divine Thought into Sword, so it can only serve as a reference.


    Thinking this, Mo Hua felt a bit aggrieved:


    ¡°I asked you last time, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain said with a complicated expression:


    ¡°Tell you, so that you practice well and come to strike me down?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and thought about it, finding it reasonable, and thus didn¡¯t blame Lord Yellow Mountain.


    Instead, he took out some food and drink from his storage bag.


    When visiting a friend, naturally you have to bring some gifts.


    ¡°I bought these specially for you¡­¡±


    There was pork, beef, vegetables, snacks, and even wine¡­


    At that moment, Lord Yellow Mountain was stunned, feeling a warm current surge in his heart¡­


    After all these years, having grown accustomed to eating steamed buns and wild fruits, drinking rainwater daily with no incense offerings, he had long become emaciated¡­


    This child Mo Hua¡­.


    Though slightly mischievous, rather fierce, and a bit unreasonable, he still had a good heart¡­


    Lord Yellow Mountain felt deeply relieved.


    Mo Hua placed the food and drink on the altar.


    The altar was used for offerings, and the offered food and drink would split in two.


    Part remained tangible, while the other part transformed into a ¡°sacred offering¡± of Divine Thought, for the worshiped Mountain God or some other deity to enjoy.


    The meat enjoyed by the Mountain God turned pale and tasteless;


    The wine too would turn bland as water.


    Mo Hua placed each offering neatly, yet when he came to a lamb leg, Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s expression changed slightly and he immediately said:


    ¡°No lamb!¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°No lamb?¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s face paled as he nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t eat lamb¡­¡±


    Mo Hua found it strange but didn¡¯t inquire further.


    It¡¯s important to respect others¡¯ dietary habits.


    Humans can be picky, and naturally, so can a Mountain God.


    But there¡¯s no need to waste¡­


    Mo Hua decided to keep the lamb leg for himself to eat.


    Inside the old temple, Lord Yellow Mountain and Mo Hua ate together.


    Lord Yellow Mountain enjoyed the offerings of Spiritual Meat and fine Spiritual Wine, but his mind was distracted, constantly glancing towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sat on the altar, gnawing on a lamb leg, savoring it deliciously.


    ¡°The meat he dares not eat, Mo Hua is eating¡­¡±


    Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s gaze trembled suddenly filled with apprehension.


    Vaguely, he always felt that Mo Hua might do something very terrifying in the future¡­


    ¡­


    After eating and drinking their fill, Mo Hua bid Lord Yellow Mountain farewell.


    The concept of Tai Xu Mind Transforming Sword True Jue gradually became clear in his mind.


    Divine Sense, Sword Qi, Secret Manual.


    Three approaches in total.


    ¡°Divine Sense with twenty Patterns, it¡¯s still a long way offa€|¡±


    The Realm of twenty Patterns, Divine Sense Core Formation, was surely a major threshold.


    He wondered what the bottleneck would bea€|


    But as per Lord Yellow Mountain¡¯s words, after twenty Patterns, he could try Transforming Divine Thought into a Sword.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t transform a sword, he still needed to try.


    There was also Sword Qi¡­


    When he had free time, he could also cultivate his Sword Qi.


    He didn¡¯t need to master it, but he had to lay some groundwork for ¡°Transforming Divine Thought into a Sword¡±.


    Then, there was the true transmission of the Secret Manual of Tai Xu Mind Transforming Sword.


    He¡¯d do more tasks, gather more Merit Points, unlock more permissions, meet more Disciples, gather more clues to see if he could get it earlier¡­


    Although it was still early, it was best to prepare in advance.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°One step at a timea€|¡±


    The pressing matter was still Formations!


    After returning to the Sect, Mo Hua continued his Cultivation, attended Classes, learned about Formations, and refined his Divine Sense.


    Whenever there was a break, he would follow Senior Sister Murong on missions to gather some Merit Points.


    After some time, Mo Hua, having endured many hardships, finally gathered over eight hundred Merit Points and then went to the Merit Pavilion to redeem the second-grade Sixteen Pattern ¡°Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation¡± he longed for.


    This Formation was part of the Eight Trigrams Thunder Magnetism series.


    It was a classified type of Formation.


    Within the Taixu Gate, very few disciples studied it; even within the whole Qianxue State Boundary, not many mastered it.


    But for Mo Hua, it was extremely important.


    Mo Hua carefully spread out the Formation Diagram of the ¡°Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation,¡± opening a new door to the grand world of Formationsa€|

 Chapter 873 - 873 612 Beacon Fire Original Magnet

    ?Chapter 873: Chapter 612: Beacon Fire Original Magnet Chapter 873: Chapter 612: Beacon Fire Original Magnet Elemental Magnetic Induction, Beacon Fire Communications.


    The ¡°Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation,¡± valued at over eight hundred merit points and classified as Second Rank Sixteen Patterns, utilized the Theory of Thunder Magnetism.


    Through the construction of the Formation Pivot system, it employed Formation Patterns for communication, a type of Bagua Formation Method.


    It was also the first Prime Magnetic Formation from the Mo Hua studies.


    At this moment, every cultivator within Taixu Gate, and indeed across all sects of the Qian Xue State Boundary, including the hidden demon cultivators and Demon Path factions, remained oblivious¡­


    The small hands of Mo Hua had opened a door for himself, but what kind of door?


    Inside Taixu Gate, an ¡°obscure¡± sect disciple had begun learning the profound Thunder Magnetism Formation.


    Mo Hua unfolded the Yuan Magnetic Array Map and glanced at it.


    This was an entirely foreign Formation Diagram to him.


    Whether it was the Formation Patterns, Formation Pivot, or the construction of the Formation Eye, they all differed greatly from the Five Elements and some Eight Trigrams formation methods he had learned before.


    Even as part of the Primordial Magnet Formation, its Formation Patterns were quite different from those he had encountered in the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    This was an orthodox Thunder Magnetism Formation Method.


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, as he began to immerse himself fully in studying the Formation Diagram, Formation Explanation, and some of the obscure annotations.


    As he was learning, Mo Hua was suddenly taken aback and furrowed his brows.


    He was a bit¡­


    perplexed¡­


    Clearly, it was a formation, yet there were two sets of Formation Diagrams, and both sets possessed Sixteen Patterns¡­


    The structures of these two sets of Formation Diagrams were almost identical, yet every detail was different.


    Furthermore, it didn¡¯t seem like a Compound Formation.


    A Compound Formation integrates multiple formations into one, coordinating and triggering the effects of the formations.


    However, the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, this group of formations, was interrelated yet completely independent from each other¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand.


    Recalling Elder Master Xun¡¯s teaching and combining it with the Formation Explanation, he pondered for a long time before grasping some understanding.


    These two sets of Formation Diagrams were what Elder Master Xun had referred to as ¡°Fixed Pattern Formation Diagrams¡± for fixed formations and ¡°Unfixed Formation Patterns¡± for variable formations.


    Using the Fixed Formation Pattern as the base, Thunder Magnetic Induction was employed to influence the Unfixed Formation Patterns, altering the Magnetic Ink and manifesting text and imagery.


    Hence, these two sets of Formation Diagrams were essential for ¡°induction¡± and indispensable from one another.


    The reason there were two sets was that this formation was not meant for a sole Formation Master to study; it required two, or even a group of Formation Masters, working together to construct the imagery.


    There was only one Fixed Pattern Formation Diagram.


    But there could be multiple Unfixed Pattern Formation Diagrams.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t mind; his Divine Sense was strong and with the Taoist Stele allowing him to trace back his Divine Consciousness, he could learn both the fixed and unfixed patterns.


    Nevertheless, the Formation Patterns of Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation were still too varied, and compared to the usual Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Formation Patterns, they seemed more abstract, which slowed down Mo Hua¡¯s learning process somewhat.


    After two full days, Mo Hua managed to memorize the Formation Diagram completely. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After nightfall, Mo Hua practiced on the Taoist Stele.


    He began with the Fixed Formation Patterns, then moved on to the Unfixed Formation Patterns before integrating both.


    Through the Formation Pivot, he elicited Thunder Magnetic Induction to form a complete Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation.


    The practice didn¡¯t go smoothly at first.


    Unfamiliar with the penmanship, he encountered many hitches while drawing.


    After a few days of practice, Mo Hua became much more proficient, drawing the Fixed Formation Patterns without any errors, and even though the Unfixed Formation Patterns changed too much, he could approximate them.


    Then, it was time to apply what he had learned.


    Begrudgingly, Mo Hua spent sixty merit points to exchange for a small bottle of Magnetic Ink, and roughly set up his own system for Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet communicative array on a simple Array Plate.


    He based it on the Fixed Yuan Magnet Formation, with the Unfixed Yuan Magnet Formation serving as the surface layer and Magnetic Ink as the manifesting layer.


    Mo Hua transmitted his Divine Sense into the Fixed Formation Patterns, which through Thunder Magnetic Induction, affected the Unfixed Formation Patterns, leading to variations in the Formation Patterns.


    Subsequently, the changes in the Unfixed Formation Patterns caused the Magnetic Ink to respond and display text.


    After the application logic of this set of formations, that puddle of Magnetic Ink, which cost Mo Hua sixty merit points and was exceedingly precious, gradually materialized his own name on top of the Array Plate:


    ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    It was a success!


    Mo Hua was thrilled, but then, he felt a sense of emptiness.


    Touching his chin, Mo Hua fell into contemplation:


    Although it was a success¡­


    What use could this thing actually have?


    It appeared simple, but the principle behind the formation was actually quite complex.


    Although it seemed complex, its functionality appeared quite simple¡­


    Overall, the effect seemed no different from writing his name with Divine Consciousness Controlled Ink.


    Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation¡­


    was that all?


    ¡°This formation should be used for communication, but how does it convey messages?¡±


    Mo Hua had flipped through the Formation Explanation of the ¡°Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation¡± several times and had not found any information on communication, which was somewhat disappointing.


    The Formation Diagram was just that, a diagram, and it did not include any other kind of legacy.


    Mo Hua felt helpless.


    They were too stingy¡­


    At least some explanation could give him a direction.


    Mo Hua thought for a long time, still clueless.


    He could only guess that it probably had something to do with the Formation Pivot, but what that was precisely, he couldn¡¯t figure out in a short period.


    Mo Hua thought it over and eventually decided to consult Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun was leisurely sipping tea and was astonished at the question, ¡°You¡¯ve learned the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua sheepishly replied, ¡°I¡¯m just a bit curious¡­¡±


    He had just started learning and didn¡¯t feel quite right saying he had mastered it.


    Elder Master Xun breathed a sigh of relief.


    He thought as much¡­


    ??¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    How could it be so quick?


    After all, it was a Sixteen Patterns formation, and an obscure Thunder Magnetism one at that¡­


    Elder Master Xun didn¡¯t take much notice, as Mo Hua frequently asked him some topics that seemed ¡°overly ambitious.¡±

 Chapter 874 - 874 612 Beacon Fire Original Magnet_2

    ?Chapter 874: Chapter 612 Beacon Fire Original Magnet_2 Chapter 874: Chapter 612 Beacon Fire Original Magnet_2 A Formation Master without a thirst for knowledge is not a good Formation Master.


    Elder Master Xun said, ¡°It¡¯s the Formation Pivot.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head, thinking to himself that it was indeed so.


    Elder Master Xun sipped his tea and explained to Mo Hua,


    ¡°Even though the Primordial Magnet Formation consists of two parts, they are mutually generative and considered a Single Formation.¡±


    ¡°The Messaging Formation, based on the Primordial Magnet Formation and conducted through the Formation Pivot, is a closely connected system of formations, essentially equivalent to a Compound Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°However, this Compound Formation is quite special.


    The Fixed and Unfixed Formations included are all of the same origin, with only the ¡®Sequence¡¯ of the Formation Pivot differing¡­¡±


    ¡°Sequence?!¡±


    Mo Hua was startled and his eyes widened.


    The Spiritual Pivot Formation¡­


    A multi-level control with multi-level permissions in the Sequential Formation Pattern!


    Elder Master Xun curiously asked, ¡°Do you know about Formation Pivot Sequences?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked and shook his head.


    Elder Master Xun thought Mo Hua was a strange child, but continued,


    ¡°A single Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation is controlled by the Formation Pivot for ¡®positive-negative,¡¯ ¡®inner-outer,¡¯ and ¡®fixed-unfixed¡¯ dual-layer formations¡¯ interaction¡­¡±


    ¡°But this is just the principle for an individual Messaging Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°For messaging, multiple Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formations are needed, connected to one another, with Fixed Formation Patterns as the foundation, and Unfixed Formation Patterns harmonizing to form an agreement, all maintained by the Formation Pivot¡­¡±


    ¡°A set of Messaging Formations includes multiple Primordial Magnet Formations, each having a special Formation Pivot Sequence to identify identities¡­¡±


    ¡°Different Sequences, different permissions.¡±


    ¡°Different permissions, different functions, even the direction of messaging differs, some are one-way, some are two-way, others multi-directional¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun just hinted slightly, but Mo Hua understood fully.


    He was very familiar with ¡®Sequences.¡¯


    The Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation partitions powers by sequences, determining the magnitude and ownership of powers within the entire Spiritual Pivot Formation system.


    But the difference lies in, the Soul Pivot Ultimate Formation uses Sequential Formation Patterns,


    while the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation uses Sequential Formation Pivots.


    While there are differences, the fundamental principles of formations are the same.


    ¡°So what does a Sequential Formation Pivot look like?


    After the coordination of the Sequential Formation Pivot, does it have to be summarized into a main, Large Formation Pivot?¡±


    Mo Hua asked again.


    ¡°Naturally¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded his head and was about to speak but suddenly hesitated and closed his mouth.


    Mo Hua waited for a long time, seeing that Elder Master Xun was silent, puzzled, he said, ¡°Elder Master, please go on¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun pondered thoughtfully,


    ¡°It is still too early for you to learn this now.


    We will talk about it later¡­¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua sighed with a touch of disappointment.


    Elder Master Xun, feeling somewhat embarrassed, then said, ¡°Ask something else, I will tell you about other things.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, just as he was about to speak, Elder Master Xun said,


    ¡°But only one question.¡±


    He was afraid Mo Hua would ask endlessly, and in a moment of carelessness, slip up and tell him something this child should not know yet¡­


    ¡°Only one?¡±


    ¡°Only one!¡±


    ¡°Alright thena€|¡± Mo Hua sighed.


    He thought for a moment and finally asked the question that had felt most discordant when he was studying the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation:


    ¡°Elder Master, why does the Primordial Magnet Formation differentiate between Fixed Formation Patterns and Unfixed Formation Patterns?


    What is the specific relationship between them?


    Why does this relationship exist?¡±


    Mo Hua delved deeply, his face full of confusion.


    ?¦Ï??¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    Elder Master Xun sighed inwardly.


    This is not just one question¡­


    But, it is still counted as one type of issue, and since it only involves a single formation, it¡¯s permissible to discuss.


    Elder Master Xun said, ¡°The essence of the Fixed and Unfixed Formations lies in their Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°Fixed is the foundation, and Unfixed acts like a shadow of the Fixed Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°You can regard these two as part of the same formation, where their Formation Patterns are considered the same Pattern.¡±


    ¡°But only when the two are combined can they form the same formation, produce the true Yuan Magnetic Pattern, and provide the foundation for the Messaging Formation¡­¡±


    At this point, Elder Master Xun¡¯s gaze sharpened and his expression became more solemn,


    ¡°There is an extremely subtle connection between the Yuan Magnetic Fixed and Unfixed Formation Patterns, which is intricate and profound, and not easy to understand.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the Fathers of Formation Masters had a brilliant idea to classify the Yuan Magnetic Formation Patterns into Fixed and Unfixed categories, to record Thunder Magnetic Sensing, making it easier for Formation Masters to understand and construct formations.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Differentiating Yuan Magnetic Formation Patterns into Fixed and Unfixed¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    He vaguely felt there was some deeper secret within this, but due to his own limited understanding of formations, though he tried to comprehend, he couldn¡¯t grasp the concept.


    Believing that Mo Hua did not understand, Elder Master Xun explained,


    ¡°The Primordial Fixed is unified, relatively constant¡­¡±


    ¡°But the Primordial Unfixed Formation Patterns have various mutations, sometimes even determined by specific conditions¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    ¡°For example¡­¡± Elder Master Xun gave an example, ¡°I will use the ¡®Jia¡¯ character from the ten heavenly stems as the Primordial Fixed, and this ¡®teacup¡¯ in my hand as Unfixed.¡±


    ¡°Thus, when I send a message and write the character ¡®Jia¡¯, what appears will be ¡®teacup.''¡±


    ¡°This is an agreement between you and me¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides ¡®teacup,¡¯ you can agree on anything, ¡®tea leaves,¡¯ ¡®tea water,¡¯ ¡®teapot¡¯a€¡±anything is possible¡­¡±


    ¡°If you know about this agreement, then you know ¡®Jia¡¯ means ¡®teacup¡¯; if you don¡¯t know it, you won¡¯t understand what I¡¯m talking about at all.¡±

 Chapter 875 - 875 612 Beacon Fire Original Magnet_3

    ?Chapter 875: Chapter 612: Beacon Fire Original Magnet_3 Chapter 875: Chapter 612: Beacon Fire Original Magnet_3 ¡°I don¡¯t even know what the Formation Pattern I sent out means¡­¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Is it for the sake of secrecy?¡± Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°That¡¯s why the Yuan Magnet Formation itself is a type of confidential Formation method.¡±


    ¡°A, agreement, teacup.¡±


    ¡°Fixed, Thunder Magnetic Sensing, Unfixed.¡±


    ¡°That is the simplest but most core logic of this class of Formation methods.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s simple to say, but actually applying the Formation method is very complex and difficult¡­¡±


    After finishing, Elder Master Xun took a sip of tea.


    Mo Hua was frowning, deep in thought.


    Seeing that he had stumped Mo Hua, Elder Master Xun nodded slightly and said, ¡°Go back and think it over carefully¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm, thank you, Elder.¡±


    Back at the Disciple¡¯s Residence, Mo Hua was still pondering Elder Master Xun¡¯s words.


    He understood what Elder Master Xun said.


    But the more he thought about other issues, the more confused he became¡­


    Now the more Mo Hua thought about it, the more he felt that he had learned this Formation method for nothing¡­


    Although there were only one fixed and one unfixed Formation diagram on the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Map,


    the reality was that the unfixed was diverse and, according to Elder Master Xun, could even be ¡°created¡± following certain Formation Method Rules¡­ sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Formation Diagram he had changed seemed more like an ¡°example¡±¡­


    With this relatively closed Formation structure of ¡°Fixed Formation Patternsa€¡±Agreement Rulesa€¡±Unfixed Formation Patterns,¡± he couldn¡¯t decode the Vulture¡¯s ¡°Letter Token.¡±


    Because the text of the Vulture¡¯s Letter Token was erased.


    The fundamental Fixed Formation Patterns remained.


    The Letter Token used sturdy materials, and the Fixed Formation Patterns at the foundations were well protected.


    But the Unfixed Formation Patterns had been erased.


    Along with the leakage of Magnetic Ink.


    He didn¡¯t know about the construction relationship established by the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation or the Fixed Formation Patterns corresponding to the ¡°agreed¡± Unfixed Formation Patterns.


    Therefore, he couldn¡¯t understand the Unfixed Formation Patterns through the Fixed Formation Patterns, let alone restore the text in the ¡°Letter Token.¡±


    To use Elder Master Xun¡¯s example,


    I know the letter ¡°A,¡± but I don¡¯t know what the opposite ¡°agreement¡± is, so I can¡¯t figure out whether this fixed ¡°A¡± refers to the teacup, tea, or tea leaves¡­


    And if I want to know what the opposite ¡°agreement¡± is¡­


    I must disassemble the complete Formation Diagram in the Letter Token containing the Yuan Magnet ¡°Fixed¡± and ¡°Unfixed¡± Formation Patterns, thereby restoring a whole set of ¡°agreement¡± rules¡­


    ¡°No wonder¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed.


    The Taoist Court Official had casually discarded this blank Letter Token.


    Because once the text is erased, the Letter Token is really useless.


    Without knowing the complete Formation Diagram, erasing the Unfixed Pattern, relying solely on the fundamental Fixed Formation method, there¡¯s no way to restore it.


    But Mo Hua still held a bit of hope.


    If he couldn¡¯t decode the Secret Pattern or restore Magnetic Ink, studying the Yuan Magnet Formation wouldn¡¯t be very meaningful, at least deviating from his original intentions¡­


    In the following days, Mo Hua still practiced the Yuan Magnet Formation in front of the Taoist Stele every night.


    Even if only to hone his Divine Sense, he still needed to practice the Sixteen Patterns of the Yuan Magnet Formation.


    Especially since there were eight hundred Merit Points at stake!


    He definitely had to reclaim a bit of his original intention.


    However, as Mo Hua practiced, he multitasked, revisiting Elder Master Xun¡¯s words over and over in his mind.


    He always felt he was missing something¡­


    Mo Hua began to dig deep and ponder¡­


    Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, through a Single Formation, built a Compound Formation, and through the Formation Pivot Sequence, achieved simple communication.


    As for functions beyond communication, more complex functions he couldn¡¯t learn now, so he put them aside¡­


    Formation Pivot Sequence¡­


    He could also ignore them for now.


    Because he didn¡¯t have the capacity yet to construct the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnetic Duplex Formation, it temporarily did not involve Formation Pivots.


    That meant¡­


    Formation Patterns?


    Mo Hua was slightly stunned, really concerned about something.


    Elder Master Xun said that Fixed was the fundamental Primordial Magnetic Formation Pattern, which was constant.


    Unfixed was matched with Fixed and within certain Formation Method Rules, could be nominally determined by the Fixed Formation Patterns and could also change accordingly.


    Why?


    Why could Fixed influence Unfixed?


    Just because of ¡°nominated¡±?


    Because of the ¡°agreement¡±?


    Mo Hua got a bit nitpicky, although it seemed like splitting hairs, he always felt there was something fishy.


    And why call it Primordial Magnetic Formation Patterns?


    Why not directly call it Thunder Magnetic Formation Patterns?


    Or call it Secondary Thunder Patterns?


    ?¦Ï¦Í??.??


    ¡°Magnetic,¡± positive and negative generate and repel¡­


    Mo Hua frowned, finding it very suspicious, and then, on the Array Plate, he set up the complete set of methods for the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet, then activated the Formation to observe the relationship between Fixed and Unfixed.


    But after watching for a long time, he found nothing.


    Fixed Formation Pattern induction, Unfixed simply changed along with it, very ordinary, very common.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense condensed slightly, employing the Heavenly Secret Calculation, and after a long time, still found nothing¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s brow tightened.


    Under such circumstances, there were generally two possibilities:


    One was that he was really splitting hairs, and indeed there was nothing fishy between the Yuan Magnet Formations.


    The other was that his Divine Sense was weak, or his Computational Power was insufficient, and he could not see the intricacies.


    Mo Hua thought he should first look for reasons from himself.


    His judgment wasn¡¯t the problem, but his Divine Sense ability was lacking a bit.


    Mo Hua made up his mind, his pupils pitch black, his Divine Thought draped in a Mo ¡°Taoist Robe,¡± his Divine Sense exhibiting a black double image, activating the Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation.

 Chapter 876 - 876 612 Beacon Fire Original Magnet_4

    ?Chapter 876: Chapter 612: Beacon Fire Original Magnet_4 Chapter 876: Chapter 612: Beacon Fire Original Magnet_4 At the same time, based on the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, his gaze seemed to be half clear as water, with cloud Patterns flowing, inspiring the Heavenly secret Calculation¡­


    Yet, even with both methods employed, he still could not discern anything.


    Mo Hua was not convinced and continued to deplete his Divine Sense in an attempt to divine the outcome, and Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense became increasingly painful, as if being twisted and torn apart by the two different methods of Calculation¡­


    Just as Mo Hua was about to reach his limit, with his Divine Sense about to be drained and darkness starting to engulf his vision, a faint light suddenly appeared before him; within the pitch-black void, slender and extremely fine pale blue lines emerged.


    These lines were incredibly intricate, without any apparent pattern.


    Between the positive and negative poles, they shifted and changed ceaselessly, like a faint¡­


    Thunder Flow.


    A shock went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    It was at this moment that Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was exhausted, and a sharp pain spread throughout his Sea of Consciousness.


    He had no choice but to clutch his head, lie on the ground, and take deep breaths for quite some time before he could regain his senses.


    But at the same time, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was filled with excitement.


    He had understood!


    The naming of Formation Patterns by Formation Masters is done with precision.


    The reason why Primordial Magnetic Formation Patterns are not called Thunder Magnetism Patternsa€¡±


    It is because the Primordial Magnetic Patterns do not actually contain ¡°thunder¡±!


    The Prime Magnetic Formation utilizes the repellent relationship of positive and negative between fixed and unfixed Formation Patterns to generate faint lightning, thereby causing Thunder Magnetic Induction.


    However, the Patterns themselves do not relate to thunder.


    What truly relates to thunder is the Induction between the two types of Patterns, from the produced faint Thunder Flow.


    That is to say, only by employing the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and pushing the Heavenly secret Calculation to the extreme could he see those faint blue lines!


    Those are the true ¡°thunder¡±!


    Those lines are the genuine ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡±!


    By mastering those Secondary Thunder Patterns that are of the Same Origin as the Thunder Patterns, one could fathom the essence of the Primordial Magnet Formation and gradually deepen one¡¯s understanding of the Thunder Magnetism Formation, probing into the foundation of such Formations.


    And should the day come when his Divine Sense was sufficiently strong, his Tricky Calculation powerful enough, and his Calculation profoundly deep¡­


    He might even be able to manipulate the Secondary Thunder Patterns with Divine Thought, penetrating all barriers of magnetic-type Patterns and covertly erode the Formation Pivot, taking control of the vast Thunder Magnetism Large Formation!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brighter, but he could not withstand the increasing pain in his Sea of Consciousness.


    In the end, his small head buzzed, and he collapsed to the ground, falling into a deep sleep¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in an unknown underground secret chamber.


    Gloomy and dark.


    Atop the altar in the secret chamber was a huge skull with a human face and Ram Horns, its fangs fierce and its surface stained with blood.


    Mr.


    Tu was still kneeling before the skull.


    His complexion was pale, his eyes glowed green, his fingers were long and oozing blood, and he murmured in a low voice.


    ¡°Everything was going well¡­¡±


    ¡°That child was the Divine Lord¡¯s finest embryo, purely good, and when corrupted by evil would sprout boundless malevolence; the demon is taking root¡­¡±


    ¡°But now¡­¡±


    Mr.


    Tu gritted his teeth.


    ¡°The Enforce Lord¡­


    ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    is dead¡­¡±


    ¡°No one knows how he died¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as if he was slain, destroyed in body and spirit, yet also as if he was devoured alive by something, leaving not even ¡®bones¡¯ behind¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t comprehend¡­¡±


    His face turned ghostly white, his lips cracked, and he shakily said, ¡°What being could possibly threaten the Enforce Lord¡­¡±


    ¡°Although but a Second Grade, the Enforce Lord represents the consciousness of the Great Wilderness and acts by the Divine sovereignty; it carries the Divine Lord¡¯s blood and is blessed by the Divine Lord¡­¡±


    Speaking thus far, Mr.


    Tu suddenly broke out in cold sweat and vehemently protested:


    ¡°No!


    No!¡±


    ¡°I am not frightened, nor have I had a change of heart!¡±


    ¡°My loyalty to the Divine Lord is evident to heaven and earth, witnessed by the sun and moon!¡±


    ¡­


    Mr.


    Tu swore oaths and vows, taking a long time to calm down before he spoke with a resolute expression:


    ¡°This person must be a Master¡­¡±


    ¡°At least at the Heaven Void level¡­¡±


    ¡°Not an opponent to be taken on by force¡­


    We need a long-term plan¡­¡±


    ¡°The pressing matter is to push forward with the plan¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mr.


    Tu lowered his voice even more, muttered something to himself, and finally prostrated deeply before the eerie Ram-Horned Bone Carving.


    With profound reverence and fearless resolve, he declared steadfastly:


    ¡°The hall of the Blood Sacrifice is unknown to all.¡±


    ¡°The Divine Lord¡¯s sacred embryo is also beyond any scrutiny.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°And the Divine Lord¡¯s majesty will surely be nurtured by the Great Wilderness, overturning the Nine State!¡±


    ¡°Let this world be filled with rivers of blood, let all living beings become mere stray dogs¡­¡±


    ¡°Only our lord shall remain immortal and ever-enduring!¡±

 Chapter 877 - 877 613 Heavenly Secret Integration

    ?Chapter 877: Chapter 613 Heavenly Secret Integration Chapter 877: Chapter 613 Heavenly Secret Integration The next day, Mo Hua woke up with an unbearable headache.


    He sank his Divine Sense into the Sea of Consciousness and only then did he discover that his Divine Sense within the Sea of Consciousness had acquired thread-like fractures, each movement accompanied by a slight stabbing pain.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment before he was suddenly stunned.


    ¡°Is this¡­


    the side effect of using both the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and the Heavenly secret Calculation together?¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Heavenly secret Calculation sought to understand essence, focusing on the core depth.


    The Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation created diversified illusions, focusing on breadth from multiple angles.


    Employing both supreme Divine Sense calculations would cause tremendous strain on the Sea of Consciousness, resulting in the tearing and collapse of the Divine Sense¡­


    The cracks in his Divine Sense were now a sign¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    His Divine Consciousness Transformation was already deeper and more resilient than that of an average Cultivator, and he hadn¡¯t used the Calculation and Tricky Calculation together all that often; so, although there was pain, it wasn¡¯t severe.


    But if he continued to use them in this way¡­


    Unless his Divine Sense became as completely solid and incredibly hard as that Sheep-Horned Enforcer¡¯s skull, there was no way it could withstand the heavy burden of using both the Calculation and Tricky Calculation together.


    Otherwise, sooner or later, his Divine Sense would be severed by the two calculations, completely splintering into pieces¡­


    Mo Hua drew in a sharp breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, I can¡¯t use them together¡­¡±


    No wonder the Heavenly secret Calculation techniques were divided; his Master learned one, and his Uncle learned the other¡­


    With his Master¡¯s talent and his Uncle¡¯s cunning, neither could learn both.


    He didn¡¯t have the natural ability of his Master nor the cunning of his Uncle, yet he managed to learn both, which was already a huge bargain¡­


    Now, wanting to use both at the same time was indeed a bit of wishful thinking¡­


    With this thought, Mo Hua¡¯s mood found some balance.


    Contentment brings happiness; knowing when to stop is a form of ¡°wisdom¡±¡­


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    Now with his Divine Sense aching, he could no longer continue his studies.


    Mo Hua rested for several days, not Drawing Formations, not consulting Formation Books, and scarcely using his Divine Sense until it recovered.


    When the operation of his Divine Sense no longer caused pain, only then did he continue studying the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation¡­


    As he had deduced before.


    The most crucial and core aspect of the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation was the faint Thunder Flow infused with magnetic Spiritual Power, produced between the Fixed and Unfixed Yuan Magnetic Patterns.


    These Thunder Flows were extremely subtle, and very difficult to perceive.


    They were like Spiritual Power, yet also like Formation Patterns, existing between the two, as a kind of delicate ¡°Secondary Thunder Flow.¡±


    To ¡°cheat¡± and break through the Primordial Magnet Formation, one had to master these ¡°Secondary Thunder Flows,¡± or what might be called ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns.¡±


    These true Secondary Thunder Patterns were ¡°agreements,¡± the Law itself, a bridge between the Fixed and Unfixed.


    Mo Hua simulated the Primordial Magnet Formation again and then released his Divine Sense to perceive it.


    But he found that without the enhancement of Tricky Calculation and Calculation, with just the power of his Divine Thought, he could no longer perceive the Secondary Thunder Patterns¡­


    Mo Hua expended a considerable effort, his Divine Sense numbing from the exertion, yet still, not a trace could be found.


    If he couldn¡¯t perceive it, then he couldn¡¯t learn it¡­


    ?0¦Í??.?¦Ï


    Mo Hua frowned again.


    Being contented and happy didn¡¯t seem to be working.


    If contentment equals happiness, then there would be no progress¡­


    Objective circumstances forced him to be ¡°greedy¡±¡­


    He had to use both the Calculation and the Tricky Calculation, and he had to use them together.


    Otherwise, how could he glimpse the ¡°Secondary Thunder Flow,¡± study the mysteries of the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, and unravel the secrets of the ¡°Letter Token¡±?


    But using them together would rip apart his Divine Sense¡­


    Driving both Tricky Calculation and Calculation simultaneously was too heavy a burden.


    An occasional use was okay, but if used frequently, his Sea of Consciousness would surely collapse.


    Mo Hua lay in bed, his arms under his head as a pillow, brows furrowed, eyes fixed on the simple and antique ceiling, blinking continuously.


    Meanwhile, his mind was in overdrive, considering all the means at his disposal one by one, until suddenly, he was struck by an epiphany, and it dawned on him:


    The Taoist Stele!


    The Taoist Stele could trace back Divine Sense!


    Drawing Formation Patterns on the Taoist Stele, the Divine Sense he expended could be traced back.


    So what if, on the Taoist Stele, he used both Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and Heavenly secret Calculation to deduce the Secondary Thunder Flow within the Primordial Magnet Formation¡­


    Even if the Sea of Consciousness suffered and his Divine Sense tore apart, but as long as the deduced Formation Patterns were erased, did that mean¡­


    His Divine Sense could still trace back and remain intact as ever?!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart trembled, and he immediately sat up.


    He thought the idea seemed far-fetched, that the ¡°cheating¡± was a bit excessive, yet he also felt that it was, in fact, very reasonable.


    The Taoist Stele seemed like a Void, yet it seemed to encompass everything.


    Turning Divine Sense into Patterns, and Patterns back into Divine Sense.


    Transmuting Divine Sense from existence to nonexistence, then from nonexistence back to existence, creation and transformation from nothingness to being and back¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he sorted through the idea carefully, waiting for 1 a.m.


    before he couldn¡¯t wait any longer to enter his Sea of Consciousness.


    At the very center of the Sea of Consciousness.


    The Taoist Stele stood silent and enigmatic, ancient and mystical, and seeming to contain a multitude of Laws, in an expanse of nothingness.


    Mo Hua first drew a complete Prime Magnetic Formation on the Taoist Stele, including both Fixed and Unfixed Formation Patterns.


    Then he activated the Formation, causing the Fixed and Unfixed Magnetic Patterns to interact with each other.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze grew heavy as he employed both the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation and the Heavenly secret Calculation simultaneously.


    One half of his gaze was pitch black, the other, crystal clear.


    Above the Divine Sense Incarnation, cloaked in an Ink Taoist Robe, white cracks began to appear on the pure black robe, as if the two types of calculations were interweaving contradictions, endlessly entangling and tearing at each other¡­


    The Sea of Consciousness trembled, Divine Sense in agony.


    Mo Hua endured the stabbing pain, reckless and determined, envisioning the hidden Secondary Thunder Flow of the Primordial Magnet Formation.


    This time, within his perception of Divine Sense, once again emerged the pale blue Secondary Thunder Flow, generated by Elemental Magnetic Induction.

 Chapter 878 - 878 613 Heavenly Secret Integration_2

    ?Chapter 878: Chapter 613 Heavenly Secret Integration_2 Chapter 878: Chapter 613 Heavenly Secret Integration_2 These Thunder Flows were weak yet mysteriously profound,


    like the Thunder Series Spiritual Power in its weakest and most primitive state.


    They resembled ¡°swaddling clothes¡± for lightning.


    It was a sort of Spiritual Power flow, but it was clearly visible that moment by moment, there were traces like Formation Patterns, as if they contained a hint of the evolution and rhyme of Formation Patterns¡­


    Mo Hua immediately copied the method, simplifying a ¡°Secondary Thunder Flow¡± into a ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡± and inscribing it onto the Taoist Stele.


    The process intensified the pain.


    Mo Hua could only grit his teeth and endure, forcibly committing this Secondary Thunder Pattern to memory.


    After the Thunder Pattern was memorized, both Calculation and Tricky Calculation abruptly stopped.


    His Divine Sense was completely drained, and his Sea of Consciousness was bearing the burden of the double Heavenly secret Calculation algorithm, showing signs of fissuring.


    Mo Hua was alarmed and immediately wiped all Array Formations and Formation Patterns from the Taoist Stele.


    In the instant of erasure, there was a reversal of nothingness and existence.


    As if nothing had happened, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense filled up once again, the fissures in his Sea of Consciousness disappeared, and the tearing sensation in his Divine Sense vanished without a trace.


    Mo Hua was momentarily stunned, then his heart overflowed with joy.


    He hadn¡¯t guessed wrong!


    The Taoist Stele really could be used for cheating!


    His Master and Uncle, being adults who had cultivated the Tao for hundreds of years, could only choose one between Calculation and Tricky Calculation.


    But he was still young, with humble origins, so he could have both!


    A smile spread across Mo Hua¡¯s face as he couldn¡¯t help touching the Stele, praising inwardly, ¡°The Taoist Stele is awesome!¡±


    His Divine Sense had been restored, but his experience and knowledge remained.


    Thus, he could use the Taoist Stele to ¡°cheat,¡± simultaneously executing Heavenly secret Calculation and Tricky Calculation to deduce the Prime Magnetic Formation, sense the Secondary Thunder Flow, and thus record the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    In other words, by using the Primordial Magnet Formation to deduce the Secondary Thunder Pattern, he was also continuously practicing the integration of Heavenly secret Calculation and Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation!


    He was killing two birds with one stone!


    He had not only understood the Formation but also integrated the Calculation algorithm!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone with excitement.


    Although tearing his Divine Sense was painful, considering the result, this pain was bearable.


    Without further ado, Mo Hua immediately began to draw the Primordial Magnet Formation over and over again, integrating the calculations of Gui Tao and Heavenly secret, deducing the Secondary Thunder Flow, and contemplating the Secondary Thunder Array Pattern¡­


    His Divine Sense was torn time and again, and then restored to perfection just as many times.


    What Mo Hua didn¡¯t know was¡­


    In this process, his Divine Sense was retracing over and over, becoming a bit more resilient each time.


    Step by step, it was approaching the state of being Forged a Thousand Times, indestructible.


    Within the void of the Taoist Stele, the Induction of the Taoist Meaning born of nothingness and existence quietly and profoundly, seeped into his Divine Thoughts¡­


    This process was occurring subtly and silently¡­


    Yet Mo Hua was only focused on the Array Formation.


    ¡­


    Three days later.


    Mo Hua was still dedicated, staying single-mindedly focused on studying the Primordial Magnet Formation and the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    However, after several days of deducing, he encountered another problem:


    By enhancing Calculation with Tricky Calculation to deduce the Primordial Magnetic Formation Pattern, he could sense the Secondary Thunder Flow and understand the ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡± that contained the underlying principles of the Prime Magnetic Formation¡­


    But these Secondary Thunder Patterns were, in fact, impossible to learn¡­


    Over the past few days, Mo Hua memorized many ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns,¡± but without exception, all of them were distinctly different, lacking any uniformity or commonality.


    The variations were too numerous, too subtle, too complex.


    No rules, no system, impossible to remember, impossible to apply, impossible to categorize¡­


    This meant that the ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡± was not really a ¡°Formation Pattern¡± but closer to the actual ¡°lightning¡±¡­


    Mo Hua sighed. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No wonder in the general Array Formation heritage of the Cultivation World, only Fixed and Unfixed Formation Patterns were used to initiate Thunder Magnetic Sensing, simulate the Secondary Thunder Flow, for transmitting messages and manifesting text.


    Nobody truly went to the lengths to learn ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡±¡­


    That¡¯s because the Secondary Thunder Flow was extremely obscure, and ordinary cultivators, without the support of calculations, could simply not sense it.


    Even if they could sense it, the Secondary Thunder Pattern itself was too complex, too subtle, simply impossible to unify and classify as ¡°Formation Pattern.¡±


    Some Secondary Thunder Patterns, while appearing identical, had minute differences at the end of their Thunder Flow traces, which marked them as two completely distinct ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns,¡± making them difficult to discern.


    And such ¡°identically different¡± Secondary Thunder Patterns were countless within the Primordial Magnet Formation.


    This made them fundamentally unlearnable.


    Mo Hua felt a deep sense of defeat.


    After all this effort, he had gleaned a glimpse of the core of Primordial Magnet Formation, only to find something even more profound, more complex, and utterly beyond his grasp¡­


    For a while, Mo Hua was disheartened, but then he thought differently:


    If this matter weren¡¯t difficult, it would be commonplace, and how could his Array Formation Skill be considered ¡°impressive¡±?


    It was precisely because it was so challenging that it was worth the effort to research!


    ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    And precisely because it was difficult, it was a testament to the extraordinary nature of his Array Formation Skill!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he was filled with fighting spirit once again.


    ¡°Merely a Secondary Thunder Pattern¡­¡±


    He had learned both Large Formations and Ultimate Formations, so why couldn¡¯t he master a mere Formation Pattern?


    At worst, the Formation Patterns were just more complex in form, minute in their differences, and vast in their number.


    With enough effort, even an iron bar can be ground to a needle.


    After a hundred trials with the Array, its meaning would reveal itself.


    Mo Hua took out a large Jade Slip and named it ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡± Jade Slip.


    He decided to record all of the myriad, subtly different ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡± that he deduced, one by one, onto this Jade Slip.


    Relying on his profound Divine Sense, acute sensing, and strong memory, he would memorize them by rote!


    A thousand patterns, a thousand memories; ten thousand patterns, ten thousand memories¡­


    Mo Hua was resolute.


    He refused to believe!


    Eventually, after deducing the Primordial Magnetic Formation Patterns thousands of times and recording thousands of Secondary Thunder Patterns, he would be able to extrapolate some patterns and master some tricks¡­

 Chapter 879 - 879 613 Fusion of Heavenly Secret_3

    ?Chapter 879: Chapter 613 Fusion of Heavenly Secret_3 Chapter 879: Chapter 613 Fusion of Heavenly Secret_3 Since no shortcuts could be taken, the dumbest method would have to do!


    During the time that followed, Mo Hua did just that, memorizing the Secondary Thunder Patterns one by one, pondering over them whenever he had the chance¡­


    It was a rather long process.


    Fortunately, throughout this process, Mo Hua was also constantly practicing Formation, strengthening his Divine Sense, and integrating calculation methods, so he did not feel the hardship.


    On the contrary, he felt exceptionally fulfilled¡­


    A month later, Taixu Gate had its annual break.


    The so-called annual break referred to the sect¡¯s regulation of two routine holidays each year, once every six months, each roughly lasting half a month. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The annual break was to allow disciples, especially those from Aristocratic Families and Clans, to return home for ancestral rituals, to report on their studies, pay respects, or deal with some private matters.


    It was said that some even went home to arrange their marriages¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t return home.


    Tongxian City was too far away; he wanted to return but couldn¡¯t, so he wrote a letter instead, entrusting it to the Qian State postal station to send back to Tongxian City.


    In the letter, he talked about his recent condition, assuring that all was well¡­


    The door to Qian Taoist Sect was too high, and he wasn¡¯t able to join, but by a twist of fate, he entered ¡°Taixu Gate¡±, one of the Eight Great Gates of Qian State.


    He mentioned meeting Aunt Wan, a kind and beautiful lady from the Shangguan aristocratic family, who had taken great care of him regarding joining the sect¡­


    In the sect, Elder Master Xun, who taught Formation, valued him highly, and he learned Formation very solidly.


    The fellow sect disciples were harmonious and loving.


    Some senior brothers and sisters also treated him very well.


    He wasn¡¯t lacking Spirit Stones; the sect had many opportunities to fleece¡­


    Mo Hua rambled on, writing much, but after thinking it over, he concluded at the end:


    ¡°Everything is fine, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Once I reach Golden Core, I¡¯ll come home!¡±


    ¡°¡­Dad and Mom, you must also cultivate diligently, don¡¯t be lazy, and don¡¯t feel pain over using Spirit Stones.


    When I come home, you must have reached Foundation Establishment!¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it and felt that ¡°Foundation Establishment¡± was setting the bar a little low, so he raised the requirement a bit:


    Qi Foundation Middle Stage!


    After finishing the letter, Mo Hua spent some Spirit Stones to send it off.


    With Li State so far away, the letter would travel through mountains and rivers, not knowing in what year and month it would arrive.


    Mo Hua felt a bit melancholic for a while, and then went to the Gu Family in Qingzhou City.


    Shangguan Xu told him that Yu Er was having trouble sleeping again.


    Mo Hua licked his lips and hitched a ride on the Shangguan family¡¯s carriage to the Gu family in Qingzhou City.


    When Wenren Wan saw Mo Hua, she reacted as if she had seen an innate magic treasure that repelled evil, filled with both joy and relief.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Wenren Wan frowned slightly, sighed, and said:


    ¡°Yu Er isn¡¯t as bad as she was before¡­¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t shiver anymore, feeling cold all over, terrified, afraid to fall asleep¡­¡±


    ¡°She just keeps frowning, feeling headaches and tension, and has nightmares¡­¡±


    ¡°But Yu Er said, the demon monsters in her dreams are much fewer than before¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Aunt Wan, don¡¯t you worry, they¡¯ll become even fewer very soon¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s face showed surprise.


    In the evening, Yu Er still lay in bed asleep.


    Because Mo Hua was by her side, she slept quietly and peacefully.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua meditated beside her, flipping through Formation Books.


    His Divine Sense was already strong, but still far from enough.


    One reason was integrating the Heavenly Secret Calculation to extrapolate the Primordial Magnet Formation and record the Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    The Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation was a Second Grade Sixteen-pattern Formation.


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had undergone a qualitative change, robust and unyielding, the dual calculations for the Primordial Magnet Formation were too complex and profound; it was still a strenuous task.


    A stronger Divine Sense allowed for more ease.


    Then there was what Lord Yellow Mountain said, that one must have a Divine Sense Core Formation, reaching a realm of Twenty Patterns, to cultivate the ¡°Tai Xu Mind Transforming Sword True Art¡± capable of cutting both the physical and the intangible.


    So, the stronger the Divine Sense, the better.


    However, means to enhance Divine Sense were extremely limited.


    Apart from studying Formation tirelessly and tempering Divine Sense, Mo Hua was hoping to earn some ¡°extra income¡± to satisfy his cravings.


    Mo Hua was reading, but his mind was not on the book at all.


    The night deepened, leaving the side room empty and hollow.


    Suddenly, a chill wind arose, bringing with it bone-piercing coldness that descended eerily.


    Mo Hua paused, the corner of his mouth curling into a slight smile as he looked up and, sure enough, saw chains made from the patterns of karma extending from the void.


    The stench of blood and the rotten smell of evil spread.


    This was an aura ¡°unsmellable¡± by the nose; only Divine Sense could ¡°perceive¡± it.


    Thick black droplets fell.


    Grotesque demons soaked in ¡°amniotic fluid¡±-like black water, hatched and, along the karmic chains, emerged upside down from the rooftop and the walls, slowly crawling out.


    It was the same as before¡­


    Some had human bodies with horse faces, others had donkey heads on demon bodies, and then there were those with canine bodies and human faces¡­


    They ignored Mo Hua, using their hands and feet to move towards Yu Er.


    Yu Er began to frown, waving her little hands and feet, murmuring something under her breath.


    Mo Hua stepped in front of Yu Er.


    The group of demons and monsters obviously hesitated for a moment and then, seeing that Mo Hua was just a little ghost, their eyes turned blood-red, and their expressions twisted into ferocity one by one.


    They didn¡¯t know Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°true face¡±.


    Because the demons and monsters who knew Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°true face¡± couldn¡¯t make it out of his Sea of Consciousness that resembled a ¡°slaughterhouse¡±.


    And their fate had been sealed from the moment they appeared before Mo Hua.


    Arrogantly, they transformed into gusts of chilly wind and burrowed into Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness.


    The monstrously deformed faces still wore vicious smiles.


    Then they saw it, an immensely large Formation like a volcano spewing magma with intense flames, rising tumultuously.


    ?¦Ï¦Í??.??


    A bunch of ¡°dead fish and rotten shrimp¡±.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered to play this time, opting instead to wait for them, manifesting the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Compound Formation within his Sea of Consciousness in advance.


    The demons were full of arrogance, but as soon as they entered the Sea of Consciousness, they fell into a ¡°hot pot¡±.


    Mo Hua immediately activated the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation.


    Craggy rocks formed a prison, and fierce flames surged like the fires of hell.


    The demons, confused, hardly knew what happened before they ¡°passed¡±, all ¡°stewed¡± in one pot by Mo Hua.


    Wisps of blue smoke rose from the Li Mountain Fire Cremation Formation.


    Mo Hua swallowed it in one gulp, smacked his lips, feeling somewhat unsatisfied.


    Not quite full¡­


    His Divine Sense increased a bit but not by much; it was far from enough to fill the vast gap of the Seventeen Patterns.


    The biggest disappointment was that it seemed there was no ¡°Sheep-Horned Enforcer¡± in this batch of black water.


    Missing out on that pale gold ¡°marrow¡± was a real pity¡­


    However, this was an unexpected bonus to begin with; Mo Hua wasn¡¯t greedy.


    At least his Divine Sense had genuinely strengthened again.


    After Mo Hua ¡°ate¡± the demons and woke up, the nefarious qi in the room dissipated entirely.


    The night was peaceful, the moonlight serene.


    Yu Er lay in bed, her brow relaxed, her little face tranquil as she slept soundly.


    Mo Hua smiled softly, then his brow furrowed in thought:


    Yu Er was enveloped in a grand conspiracy; thus, these nightmares of demons and monsters would continue to erode her mind.


    For now, it seemed a bit calmer, but as long as karma persisted, given the chance, they would surely not give up.


    Even more so, one might encounter a Sheep-Horned Enforcer with pale gold Divine Marrow¡­


    Or perhaps, even a Divine Consciousness Entity of a higher grade than the Sheep-Horned Enforcer¡­


    Could it be that, in the end, an Evil God might appear?!


    Mo Hua thought about it and felt that an Evil God was unlikely.


    An Evil God was too powerful; if one truly descended, Yu Er¡¯s physical body and her Sea of Consciousness simply couldn¡¯t withstand it¡­


    Then it could possibly be¡­


    The nascent form of an Evil God, or an embryo?


    Would an embryo of an Evil God be weaker¡­?


    Could it be¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, he couldn¡¯t help but lick his lips in anticipation, murmuring to himself inside:


    ¡°I wonder what a real Evil God tastes like¡­¡±

 Chapter 880 - 614 Unsealing

    Chapter 880: Chapter 614 Unsealing


    Mo Hua had only tasted the ¡°bone marrow¡± that flowed out of the Sheep-Horned Enforcer¡¯s head after cracking the skull with a Thunder Pattern and shattering the Divine Thought.


    This ¡°bone marrow¡± was similar to the blood of an Evil God.


    Though scant in quantity, the taste was exquisite. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was just unknown what the real Evil God would look like after being refined.


    After ¡°eating¡± it, to what extent would one¡¯s Divine Sense be enhanced¡­


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then suddenly furrowed his brows.


    No¡­


    He was feeling somewhat ¡°inflated¡± now¡­


    Such things as Evil Gods, presumably powerful and terrifying, would certainly pose unknown dangers upon encounter.


    Even if one truly harbored the idea of targeting an Evil God¡­


    One would have to wait until their Divine Thought was sufficiently profound, Divine Thought Slaughter was powerfully substantial, carefully plan, thoroughly prepare, conceal actions, and stealthily ¡°eat¡± it¡­


    Thinking about ¡°eating¡± an Evil God now was still too soon¡­


    And such thoughts were too disrespectful towards the Evil Gods.


    Mo Hua buried this thought deep in his heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that Evil Gods are too good for me to eat, but rather that Demon Monsters offer better value for money.¡±


    Evil Gods are too strong, better not to provoke if possible.


    But these weaker Demon Fiends, one could stew them in a pot, and it wouldn¡¯t matter if one ate more of them.


    And after eating them clean, there wouldn¡¯t be any to snitch.


    Besides, they were targeting Yu Er, so he had even less reason to be polite.


    Mo Hua glanced again at the sweetly sleeping Yu Er and couldn¡¯t help thinking:


    If Yu Er was taken with him, would she continuously attract Demon Monsters to provide for his appetite?


    In that case, he would have a constant supply of ¡°provisions.¡±


    And his Divine Sense would continuously grow stronger.


    It would be just like fishing.


    These evil and ferocious Demon Monsters were the ¡°fish.¡±


    If that was the case, then Xiaoyuer was¡­


    ¡°Little bait¡±?


    Mo Hua was startled, then immediately shook his head, dispelling this disrespectful thought about Xiaoyuer¡­


    Little Yu Er on the bed let out a soft ¡°hmm,¡± as if expressing displeasure.


    Mo Hua gave a wry smile and gently stroked Yu Er¡¯s head.


    In her sleep, Yu Er sensed a serene and tranquil presence, smiled naively, and then fell deep asleep again.


    Mo Hua continued to keep watch by Yu Er¡¯s side, while his Divine Sense plunged into the Sea of Consciousness, continuing to simulate the Primordial Magnet Formation, deducing the Secondary Thunder Patterns¡­


    No Demon Monsters appeared for the entire night.


    The next day, as usual, Mo Hua cultivated, practiced Drawing Formation, and played with Yu Er for a while.


    In the evening, he still watched over Yu Er.


    The room was empty but very quiet, without Karma Patterns, without Void Chains, without Demon Monsters, only with the tranquility of the night and the peace of moonlight.


    The night was still calm.


    Mo Hua then knew the ¡°chives¡± had been harvested, and they needed time to grow¡­


    The next day, Mo Hua said his farewells to Wenren Wan and set off on his return to Taixu Gate.


    Xiaoyuer still clutched at Mo Hua¡¯s hem, clearly reluctant to part.


    But compared to before, Yu Er¡¯s complexion was visibly better. Although somewhat sad, her eyes were shiny, and her little face blushed.


    Mo Hua waved goodbye to everyone, and Yu Er, mimicking Mo Hua, waved as well.


    After Mo Hua¡¯s departure, Wenren Wan pondered deeply for a long while, then finally made up her mind and said to Shangguan Yi:


    ¡°I want to send Yu Er to Taixu Gate!¡±


    Shangguan Yi, who was drinking tea, choked in the middle, coughed twice, and said helplessly,


    ¡°How can you suddenly¡­¡±


    Jump from one idea to another¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind!¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s eyes were resolute, evidently after much deliberation.


    Shangguan Yi was slightly startled, frowned slightly, and said softly:


    ¡°Yu Er has great potential and could enter the ¡®Four Great Sects¡¯ in the future¡­¡±


    ¡°Entering the Four Great Sects, the inheritance learned, the peers befriended, the connections made are all a level above the Eight Great Gates¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t care about Yu Er¡¯s potential, her path of cultivation, or her future achievements. I am her mother, and I only wish for her to be safe and happy¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Yu Er to be too involved with those grand ambitions of the Noble Clans and the karmic destinies. I¡¯m scared¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s face paled slightly, ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid that one day I won¡¯t see Yu Er again¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan closed her eyes.


    Or even worse¡­


    Little Yu Er, lying cold in her arms¡­


    Throughout these days of nightmares plaguing Yu Er, leaving her emaciated, Wenren Wan would often have such dreams.


    Even more horrifying¡­


    Wenren Wan¡¯s body couldn¡¯t stop trembling.


    Shangguan Yi held his wife¡¯s hand, filled with guilt.


    It was his neglect as a husband that caused his son to suffer and his wife to worry. Still, he didn¡¯t quite agree with allowing Yu Er into Taixu Gate.


    Shangguan Yi thought for a moment and slowly said:


    ¡°Wan¡¯er, do you want to send Yu Er to Taixu Gate because of¡­ that boy Mo Hua?¡±


    Wenren Wan didn¡¯t conceal the truth and replied:


    ¡°Yes, I want Yu Er to stay close to Mo Hua.¡±


    Shangguan Yi¡¯s brows furrowed even more.


    He didn¡¯t dislike Mo Hua; on the contrary, he found the boy to be well-mannered, sincere, and endearing. He was also grateful to Mo Hua for the matter concerning Yu Er.


    But in Shangguan Yi¡¯s heart, there was a subtle unease about Mo Hua, even¡­


    Waryness.


    He always felt that there was something enigmatic hidden behind Mo Hua¡¯s innocent eyes, a profound depth within their clarity.


    It puzzled him, the presumptive Family Head of Qian State¡¯s Shangguan Family, with his countless encounters.


    Shangguan Yi had even had the thought of seeking someone to delve deeper, to calculate Mo Hua¡¯s karma.


    But such acts were taboo, and offensive to Mo Hua.


    Moreover, every time this thought emerged, he would be inexplicably filled with trepidation, as if peering into it would offend some terribly formidable taboo¡­

 Chapter 881 - 614 Unsealing_2

    Chapter 881: Chapter 614 Unsealing_2


    This fear was unmistakably clear.


    Shangguan Yi once again thought of Elder Mei from Mystery Valley.


    It was at his request that Elder Mei had dispelled the fog and seen some sort of karmic taboo, before losing his sanity and spouting nonsensical things like ¡°having been bitten by a zombie,¡± ¡°going to turn into a zombie,¡± such as Corpse Mountain and great terrors.


    Shangguan Yi did not know whose fate Elder Mei had divined to fall into madness.


    But such a person, with a fate so terrifying, must be well-versed in the Heavenly Secret Calculation, and might even be one of the behind-the-scenes masters pushing this matter.


    And that child Mo Hua, it was likely that he had something to do with this person.


    Even though Mo Hua himself might not even be aware¡­


    After hesitating for a long time, Shangguan Yi still confided his worries to Wenren Wan.


    Wenren Wan scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s because you, hooked on scheming and struggle, see causality in everyone and calculation in everything¡­¡±


    ¡°This child Mo Hua, I think he¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    ¡°If you treat him with sincerity, he will naturally treat you with sincerity. If you feel that something¡¯s off with him, it¡¯s because there¡¯s something off with you¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi offered a wry smile, then after a moment, his expression became serious as he sighed,


    ¡°Think about it. Yu Er was abducted, and so many people couldn¡¯t find her, yet why was Mo Hua able to find her¡­¡±


    ¡°Yu Er was troubled by nightmares, and the elders said it was an insoluble evil karmic fiend.¡±


    ¡°But why, as soon as Mo Hua arrived, could Yu Er sleep peacefully¡­¡±


    ¡°There must be something strange about this¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi¡¯s worry was palpable, though he didn¡¯t articulate it.


    Upon hearing his words, Wenren Wan¡¯s own expression grew solemn; she frowned and thought for a long time until she suddenly understood,


    ¡°That¡¯s because this child Mo Hua, he is Yu Er¡¯s ¡®blessing¡¯!¡±


    Shangguan Yi was stunned, at a loss for words.


    But Wenren Wan¡¯s thoughts became clearer to her, and nodding her head, she said,


    ¡°This child Mo Hua must be blessed with deep fortune!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why when Yu Er was abducted, others couldn¡¯t find her, but Mo Hua could. Others couldn¡¯t save her, but Mo Hua could.¡±


    ¡°Yu Er was troubled by nightmares, and Mo Hua was there that night. I saw with my own eyes Mo Hua collapse to the ground, his face pale and an evil fiend clinging to him. Clearly, he had taken on the ¡®disaster¡¯ for Yu Er, only to faint afterward.¡±


    ¡°But I told you, this child Mo Hua is blessed with deep fortune, so these ¡®disasters¡¯ cannot affect him!¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s fortune is also Yu Er¡¯s fortune.¡±


    ¡°For Yu Er to grow up safely amidst struggles from a young age, she must stay by the side of a child so deeply blessed like Mo Hua!¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wenren Wan spoke with certainty, her reasoning sound.


    Shangguan Yi was almost persuaded by her words¡­


    Fortunately, he had some knowledge of karma and evil fiends and knew that this so-called ¡°fortune¡± was not as simple as it seemed.


    Shangguan Yi still wanted to refuse, ¡°Yu Er is still young and is only at the Qi Refinement stage, Taixu Gate won¡¯t accept her¡­¡±


    ¡°Not as an official disciple, just for pre-school boarding¡­¡±


    ¡°The Taixu Sect Leader will not agree to this¡­¡±


    ¡°How could he not agree with the legitimate lineage of the Shangguan and Wenren families and their good spiritual roots? He would accept her even if it meant making an exception¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Shangguan Yi had a headache and continued, ¡°I¡¯m afraid It might hinder Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan was slightly stunned. That was a concern¡­


    She had not thought of this.


    Mo Hua was usually busy with his cultivation practice and definitely could not take care of Yu Er.


    After some consideration, Wenren Wan had an idea:


    ¡°I¡¯ll assign a guard to take care of Yu Er, to supervise her cultivation. They won¡¯t bother Mo Hua on regular days. If Yu Er is troubled by nightmares and can¡¯t sleep, then they¡¯ll trouble Mo Hua to have a look¡­¡±


    Shangguan Yi sighed, ¡°There¡¯s no precedent for this in Taixu Gate¡­¡±


    ¡°There is now,¡± Wenren Wan said.


    ¡°My father won¡¯t agree to it. And at Taixu Gate, there will probably be many obstacles, especially from some elders who strictly abide by sect rules; they won¡¯t agree¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you know if you don¡¯t try?¡±


    ¡°Wan¡¯er¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan declared with determination, ¡°I have decided! Yu Er must be sent to Taixu Gate!¡±


    Shangguan Yi replied, ¡°Yu Er now¡­ rarely has nightmares anymore, it¡¯s not necessary to go through such trouble¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°What about later?¡±


    Shangguan Yi was taken aback.


    Frowning deeply and with a grave emotion, Wenren Wan said in a cold voice, ¡°How do you know she won¡¯t have even more terrifying nightmares in the future?¡±


    ¡°If Yu Er later¡­¡± Wenren Wan¡¯s voice trembled slightly, seemingly recalling the terrible future from her dreams, ¡°¡­encounters stronger, more desperate nightmares¡­¡±


    ¡°What then, for our child¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan clutched at Shangguan Yi¡¯s arm, her slender knuckles turning white with her grip.


    Shangguan Yi was taken aback.


    He looked deeply into his wife¡¯s eyes, seeing her profound affection and fear of some unknown threat, and felt a tremor in his heart.


    Shangguan Yi nodded deeply and said softly,


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll find a way to get Yu Er into¡­ Taixu Gate!¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua did not know about Yu Er¡¯s situation.


    He didn¡¯t realize that soon, he would have a ¡°little neighbor.¡±


    Upon returning to the Sect, Mo Hua still spent his days and nights studying the Primordial Magnet Formation, deducing the Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    The Jade Slip of his Secondary Thunder Pattern recorded more and more patterns.


    Although they were still complex, with many variations and details, these ¡°patterns¡± were becoming clearer and more familiar in the eyes of Mo Hua.


    They were like Taoist Friends he had never met before, who, after many encounters, had grown familiar.

 Chapter 882 - 614 Unsealing_3

    Chapter 882: Chapter 614 Unsealing_3


    And this Taoist friend had a large family.


    Although they looked different, they shared a common bloodline and traits, which one could recognize after seeing them over and over¡­


    This was how Mo Hua acted, calm and collected, continuously summarizing and Calculating, at last he recorded about a hundred different types of Secondary Thunder Patterns in the jade slip.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s calculations, maneuvering became somewhat easier.


    The integration of Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation and Calculation gradually became more proficient.


    His understanding of the Secondary Thunder Pattern deepened a bit.


    Mo Hua felt that he should find something to practice on¡­


    The ¡°Letter Token¡± was still too abstruse¡­


    Through his days of research, consulting some seniors and juniors, and even interacting with fellow Sect members from noble clans specializing in Formation methods, Mo Hua gradually broadened his understanding of the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation or similar Primordial Magnet Formations¡­


    Primordial Magnet Formation was the basis for cultivators to record, send, and transmit messages.


    Besides using pen, ink, and paper for recording and sending messages, cultivators most commonly used jade slips.


    All the jade slips in the Cultivation World were fundamentally built on Primordial Magnet Formation, used for displaying text, recording text, and transmitting documents.


    Fixed Magnetic Patterns, Secondary Thunder Flow, Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, Magnetic Ink revealing characters¡­


    This whole setup was not only for ¡°communication¡± type spiritual artifacts, like the Letter Token, but it was also the foundational formation structure for all Tao Cultivation jade slips.


    Jade slips that recorded heritage relied on the Primordial Magnet Formation.


    Mo Hua remembered the two jade slips from Boss Jiang.


    Those two jade slips probably contained the heritage of the Sever Gold Sect, the Gold-Slicing Imperial Sword Technique!


    But the jade slips were sealed, making it impossible to peek inside.


    Unsealing was simpler than restoring.


    Mo Hua planned to use his understanding of the Primordial Magnet Formation gradually, starting by unsealing the Sever Gold Sect¡¯s Heritage Jade Slip, then step by step, researching to ¡°restore¡± the Letter Token¡­ Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Sever Gold Jade Slip, made of white jade, had golden patterns engraved on its edges.


    Mo Hua took out the jade slip and spent a long time researching it secretly by himself in the night at the Disciple¡¯s Residence, but still could not figure it out in the end¡­


    His predictions had all been correct.


    The Sever Gold Jade Slip was based on Primordial Magnet Formation, comprising Fixed Magnetic Patterns, Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, with Secondary Thunder Pattern serving as the ¡°bridge.¡±


    So-called ¡°Sealing¡± was indeed tampering with the Primordial Magnet Formation on the jade slip, covering the original text inside the slip.


    A ¡°Secret Pattern¡± was needed to unseal the Heritage Jade Slip.


    The essence of this ¡°Secret Pattern¡± was actually ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡±¡­


    But ideas were just ideas; when it actually came to unsealing, he found himself completely unable to start¡­


    How exactly was the Sever Gold Jade Slip ¡°sealed¡±? And how should it be unsealed? If the Secret Pattern is Secondary Thunder Pattern, which type exactly is it? Without the Secret Pattern, how can it be unsealed?


    ¡°Without heritage, fumbling on my own is indeed very difficult¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He thought about it and felt he still needed to ask someone.


    Originally, Mo Hua meant to go to Elder Master Xun, but after pondering for a while, he shook his head.


    Matters like unsealing and decoding shouldn¡¯t be consulted with Elder Master Xun.


    As soon as he asked, Elder Master Xun would definitely guess that he was secretly scheming something¡­


    In the Sect, unsealing is likely related to unsealing the ¡°Seal¡± of Heritage Jade Slip.


    This wasn¡¯t good as it might affect his image in Elder Master Xun¡¯s heart, the image of being ¡°well-behaved.¡±


    Just by thinking, one would know that in Elder Master Xun¡¯s eyes, he must be viewed as ¡°obedient,¡± ¡°proper,¡± and ¡°diligent¡± good disciple.


    If Elder Master Xun misunderstood him, it wouldn¡¯t fare well.


    He definitely wouldn¡¯t tell him the secrets of Taixu Sect anymore¡­


    So he needed to ask someone else.


    After much thought, Mo Hua finally found a suitable person:


    Zheng Fang.


    Zheng Fang was from the Zheng Family of Zhen State.


    The Zheng Family, generationally cherished and secretly passed down heritage was the true Thunder Pattern Formation.


    Secondary Thunder Pattern was a derivative of Thunder Pattern.


    Although Zheng Fang didn¡¯t know Thunder Pattern, being born in the Zheng Family and immersed in it from a young age, he must be familiar with Secondary Thunder Pattern or related Primordial Magnet Formations.


    Mo Hua went to find Zheng Fang.


    Zheng Fang had a bit of a grudge against Mo Hua.


    Because he lost to Mo Hua.


    The Zheng Familyed Formation Method, which he proudly found difficult to learn, even if it was quite basic, was effortlessly learned by Mo Hua.


    What was more outrageous was that Zheng Fang, who came from a Formation Method Aristocrat family, had to be taught Formation by Mo Hua, and even had to call Mo Hua ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    But he also knew that Mo Hua¡¯s Formation method was indeed far superior to his, so his feelings were quite bitter, and he didn¡¯t like talking to Mo Hua much, nor was their relationship very good.


    Knowing that Zheng Fang was not bad at heart, but just a bit straightforward, Mo Hua ¡°sweet-talked¡± and complimented him.


    He said the Zheng Family was an illustrious and famous name, ¡°Like Thunder Piercing the Ears.¡±


    Being able to face countless difficulties and pass down the stern and upright Thunder Pattern, the disciples of the Zheng Family must also have an open and upright nature!


    Then he further complimented Zheng Fang, young with good talent, his future in Formation was boundless¡­


    Amid Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°sugar-coated bullets¡± of praise, Zheng Fang was defeated, his resentment instantly vanished, although he tried hard to maintain a stern face, he also couldn¡¯t hide the happy smile at the corner of his mouth.


    Mo Hua then took the opportunity to ask about the Primordial Magnet Formation.


    Zheng Fang¡¯s impression of Mo Hua improved a lot, and since Mo Hua had also taught him many aspects of Formation, and he was his ¡°Junior Brother,¡± he should ¡°return the favor.¡±


    Zheng Fang then chatted with Mo Hua about Primordial Magnet Formation for a while.


    Zheng Fang, having inherited the Zheng Family¡¯s legacy, had a broad perspective, while Mo Hua studied intensively through his exploration.


    Both benefited greatly from their conversation.

 Chapter 883 - 614: Unsealing_4

    Chapter 883: Chapter 614: Unsealing_4


    Zheng Fang increasingly felt that Mo Hua, this ¡°Junior Brother,¡± had an extraordinary talent for understanding Formations, and he came to acknowledge it quite a bit.


    Taking the opportunity, Mo Hua asked,


    ¡°Then suppose I have a Jade Slip that I want to seal and keep others from seeing, how would I do that?¡±


    ¡°Sealing a Jade Slip?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Zheng Fang explained, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s very simple. It¡¯s just about covering it with another layer of ¡®Formation Patterns,¡¯ concealing the content, and then leaving a ¡®Sealing Pattern¡¯ to act as the key¡­¡±


    ¡°Sealing Pattern?¡± Mo Hua blinked, ¡°Is that a ¡®Secret Pattern¡¯?¡±


    Zheng Fang shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not the same. Cultivators who don¡¯t understand Formations, or Formation Masters who aren¡¯t proficient in Prime Magnetic Formation, often confuse them, referring to these types of Formation Patterns as ¡®Secret Patterns¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°But in the orthodox lineages, these namings are very strict, and you can¡¯t get them wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°¡®Sealing Patterns¡¯ are used to undo ¡®sealing,¡¯ while ¡®Secret Patterns¡¯ are for decrypting ¡®encryption.''¡±


    ¡°When a Jade Slip is sealed, you can¡¯t see the text in the Jade Slip.¡±


    ¡°When a Jade Slip is encrypted, you can see the text inside the slip, but the text you see is actually ¡®disguised¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Both methods are based on the same Formation principles, but their forms are quite different¡­¡±


    With sudden understanding and admiration, Mo Hua exclaimed,


    ¡°You know so much!¡±


    Zheng Fang¡¯s face flushed slightly, and feeling proud, he spilled everything he knew about ¡°sealing¡± and ¡°encryption¡± like pouring beans from a bamboo tube: sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°As for sealing, it involves adding an ¡®Unfixed Magnetic Pattern¡¯ over a complete Primordial Magnet Formation, forming a dense and symmetrical ¡®Magnetic Ink Mist¡¯ to cover the real content inside the Jade Slip¡­¡±


    ¡°Encryption is different. It involves twisting the ¡®Magnetic Stream¡¯ between the Fixed Magnetic Pattern and the Unfixed Magnetic Pattern, that is the ¡®Secondary Thunder Flow,¡¯ causing the exhibited text by the Magnetic Ink to become distorted¡­¡±


    ¡°To unseal, one must decode the ¡®Sealing Pattern¡¯ and release the ¡®Unfixed Magnetic Pattern.''¡±


    ¡°To decrypt, one must decrypt the ¡®Secret Pattern¡¯ and correct the ¡®Secondary Thunder Pattern¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Zheng Fang spoke fluently, finishing his explanation in one breath.


    Although some of these things were memorized verbatim, which he himself didn¡¯t quite understand, he had indeed learned them extremely thoroughly.


    Mo Hua looked at Zheng Fang with new respect.


    Indeed, among any three people walking, I can find my teacher.


    Being humble and eager to learn, looking more and asking questions, there are always gains.


    Mo Hua returned loaded with knowledge, and began excitedly pondering over how to ¡°unseal.¡±


    The Sever Gold Jade Slip from Sever Gold Sect was blank on the surface, covered with mist, but on closer inspection, there were fine specks of Magnetic Ink.


    This was the ¡°sealing.¡±


    Understanding the principle, finding the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± to unseal gave him a direction.


    The method was also quite simple.


    Both Jade Slips were old, and Boss Jiang definitely consulted them often.


    During consultation, he would undoubtedly use the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± to unseal.


    As long as it was unsealed, traces of the Magnetic Stream would inevitably be left.


    Other Cultivators might not see these traces, but Mo Hua, with the algorithm fused with the Heavenly secret, could detect some clues.


    To detect the trace of the Magnetic Stream is to detect the trace of the Secondary Thunder Flow.


    Then, based on experience, simplify the Secondary Thunder Flow to the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    But this Secondary Thunder Pattern was a simplification of Mo Hua¡¯s own making, which might not be precise.


    Mo Hua also needed to define some similar Secondary Thunder Patterns from his own ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern Library¡± and try them one by one¡­


    Second Grade¡¯s Secondary Thunder Patterns all fell within the same category.


    Among the hundreds of Secondary Thunder Patterns, there would always be one ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡± that was the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± to unseal the Sever Gold Jade Slip.


    It didn¡¯t matter if it was not found; as long as the category was determined, he could grope for changes and try each one in turn.


    And the Secondary Thunder Pattern, not entirely considered a Formation Pattern, had no standardization and was not entirely precise either.


    As long as the general context was similar, it could roughly be used as a ¡°Sealing Pattern.¡±


    It¡¯s like two keys, which, despite some differences, can still unlock locks.


    The only problem was that this process of deduction could not be done on the Taoist Stele in the Sea of Consciousness.


    It had to be attempted in reality, trying to merge Tricky Calculation with Calculation.


    Hence, Mo Hua could only proceed with extreme caution, trying a little at a time, avoiding excessive strain on the Sea of Consciousness and the potential for Divine Sense fractures when Computations amplified Calculations¡­


    Days later, Mo Hua, through the fusion of algorithms, sensed the trace of the Secondary Thunder Flow.


    Mo Hua spent half a day simplifying these Secondary Thunder Flows into ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns.¡±


    After that, Mo Hua took another two days to pick out several ¡°thunder-like¡± Secondary Thunder Patterns from his own Secondary Thunder Pattern Jade Slip.


    Mo Hua tried these ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡± one by one as ¡°Sealing Patterns¡± in an attempt to unseal the Sever Gold Jade Slip.


    The results were quite smooth.


    After more than a dozen attempts, Mo Hua heard a faint ¡°sizzle¡± as if a weak Thunder Flow surged and the Magnetic Stream induction circulated.


    Simultaneously, the mist in the Sever Gold Jade Slip dissipated.


    On the Jade Slip, the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns used for sealing transformed and faded away, revealing the five gilt characters at the top of the Jade Slip:


    ¡°Gold-Slicing Imperial Sword Technique!¡±

 Chapter 884 - 615 Mastery of All Spells

    Chapter 884: Chapter 615 Mastery of All Spells


    In the Qian Xue State Boundary, one of the twelve streams of the Sect, the Sect¡¯s Ultimate Skill of Sever Gold Sect:


    The Sever Gold Sword Controlling Technique!


    Mo Hua fondled the Jade Slip, feeling elated and immediately continued to scan it with his Divine Sense.


    The text within the Jade Slip was detailed and the inheritance was complete; it was indeed the Sword Technique of the Sever Gold Sword Controlling Method, and it contained three major categories of Swordsmanship Cultivation content:


    ¡°The Method of Sword Qi Cultivation¡±;


    ¡°The Method of Sword Weapon Forging¡±;


    ¡°The Divine Sense Sword Controlling Method¡±.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    This was the genuine Sword Technique, a true transmission from within the Inner Gate of the Sever Gold Sect.


    No wonder it was so powerful¡­


    He had no idea how Boss Jiang managed to steal it¡­


    Mo Hua muttered to himself, then after a quick glance, he put away the Jade Slip of the Sever Gold Sword Controlling Technique.


    There was too much content inside; he would study it carefully when he had the time.


    There was another Jade Slip that was sealed with Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, and he did not know what content it held.


    Mo Hua initially thought that the two Sever Gold Jade Slips were divided into upper and lower parts, both recording the Sever Gold Sword Technique.


    But now, something seemed amiss.


    The unsealed Jade Slip already contained a very complete transmission of the Sword Technique; therefore, the other Jade Slip must contain other content.


    ¡°Could it be other inheritances from the Sever Gold Sect?¡±


    Mo Hua murmured to himself, somewhat expectant, and began to concentrate on deducing and unsealing the other Jade Slip.


    To his surprise, although these two Jade Slips looked the same in shape, the ¡°Sealing Patterns¡± on them were vastly different.


    One was a traditional, Sect-style ¡°Sealing Pattern¡±.


    The other was obscure and from a lesser-known lineage, nearly a completely different style of Daoist Cultivation, with peculiar habits in the use of the Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    This was much too different from the ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern Library¡± that Mo Hua had silently accumulated over time.


    With no other choice, Mo Hua had to take out another Jade Slip and collect together these peculiar ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡± used by the Cultivators of the unconventional Dao Heritage.


    Mo Hua had a feeling that although this was his first encounter with such Secondary Thunder Patterns, it would surely not be his last.


    If that was the case, it was best to be prepared from an early stage.


    He gathered their Secondary Thunder Patterns, stroke by stroke.


    Never fight an unprepared battle.


    But because he had to start from scratch with deducing, organizing, and decoding, the process took a bit longer.


    After the annual break, Mo Hua spent another half a month before he managed to ¡°coincidentally¡± deduce, through his own efforts and a bit of luck, the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± used to unseal the other Sever Gold Jade Slip.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief and then looked forward to inspecting the Jade Slip with his Divine Sense.


    With such a securely added technique and such a unique unsealing pattern,


    surely there must be an incredible inheritance within the Jade Slip, or a ¡°secret¡±.


    But upon inspection, Mo Hua was dumbfounded:


    ¡°March 7th¡­¡±


    ¡°Kidnapped a person, sold, for eight hundred thousand Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°Brothers are deeply connected, gave them one hundred thousand, kept seven hundred thousand for myself.¡±


    ¡°To prevent the brothers from harboring resentment, falsely claimed we only got a hundred and twenty thousand, my share was twenty thousand¡­¡±


    ¡°The brothers call me a good Brother.¡±


    ¡­


    What is this¡­


    Mo Hua frowned.


    It resembled a diary-like memo.


    What Serious Cultivator writes a diary?


    Does Boss Jiang have an issue?


    Even jotting down the details of splitting the loot¡­


    Mo Hua thought it was some precious inheritance and had been looking forward to it.


    Mo Hua was disappointed.


    But having gone to such lengths to decode it, he couldn¡¯t just ignore it; Mo Hua read on with interest¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°March 28th¡­¡±


    ¡°Lao Liu was not careful with his actions, the news leaked, and he was hunted by the Taoist Court Officials¡­¡±


    ¡°Because of one person, we can¡¯t implicate so many brothers¡­¡±


    ¡°Lao Liu is dead¡­¡±


    ¡°I killed him, and my heart aches.¡±


    ¡°But I believe Lao Liu died without regrets¡­¡±


    ¡°He knows my good intentions, he won¡¯t blame me¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°April 1st¡­¡±


    ¡°Shi¡¯er suspects me¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°April 10th¡­¡±


    ¡°Shi¡¯er found out I embezzled Spirit Stones.¡±


    ¡°He wanted to split them equally with me.¡±


    ¡°We were brothers, but his greed disappointed me.¡±


    ¡°Killed him with tears in my eyes¡­¡±


    ¡°But thinking of our past, I gave his mistress and illegitimate child some condolence Spirit Stones, other brothers were very grateful, praising me for being compassionate and righteous¡­¡±


    ¡°They understand me, and I am consoled¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°May 4th¡­¡±


    ¡°Two brothers died, recruited three more¡­¡±


    ¡°These three seemed quite clever, not sure how long they can be brothers.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°July 12th¡­¡±


    ¡°Four died, heartbroken¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s difficult to build something in these times, can¡¯t keep brothers around¡­¡±


    ¡°Business setbacks, people¡¯s hearts scattered¡­¡±


    ¡°Brothers don¡¯t work hard, can¡¯t catch hostages, don¡¯t earn Spirit Stones, a Golden Core is far out of reach, my heart is anxious.¡±


    ¡­


    In some places later on, the writing was smeared, the text fragmented; Mo Hua could only skim through:


    ¡°Market isn¡¯t good¡­¡±


    ¡°Taoist Court Officials are too oppressive, a bunch of lapdogs!¡±


    ¡°That damn Gu Changhuai! Death to him!¡±


    ¡°If one day I attain a Golden Core, I¡¯ll sacrifice Gu Changhuai¡¯s blood to my Sever Gold Sword¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Today I killed another expert, how satisfying¡­¡±


    ¡°The Sever Gold Sword Controlling Technique is indeed the Sever Gold Sect¡¯s Ultimate Skill; so far, no one has survived under this sword¡­¡±


    ¡°No wonder back then, the Sever Gold Sect treated this Sword Technique as a treasure and refused to teach me¡­¡±


    ¡°Sever Gold Sword Qi never fails; Golden Sword Claiming Life¡­¡±


    ¡°Once this sword is drawn, a flood of Golden Light, I wonder who can survive under the sword¡­¡±


    S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 885 - 615 Mastery of All Spells_2

    Chapter 885: Chapter 615 Mastery of All Spells_2


    ¡°I really want to experience it¡­¡±


    ¡°Too bad Gu Changhuai is at the Golden Core stage, the cultivation gap is too big, otherwise I would make him taste the power of this sword technique¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Earned two hundred thousand Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Lost two brothers¡­¡±


    ¡°Brothers are just not reliable¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°September 3rd, there¡¯s a big deal¡­¡±


    The traces of alteration were heavy, as if everything had been erased, Mo Hua continued to read:


    ¡°Mr. Tu said not to talk about it, I dare not record¡­¡±


    ¡°I only know that once it¡¯s completed, one could even transcend¡­¡±


    The rest was erased too.


    ¡°Can¡¯t write it down¡­ can only keep it in my heart, this makes me very uncomfortable¡­¡±


    ¡°Let it be¡­¡±


    ¡°September 10th, great luck and great profit.¡±


    ¡°Things did not go well¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s messed up¡­¡±


    ¡°September 12th¡­¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad, things went smoothly, other groups of cultivators all died, our group, with the weakest cultivation and most inconspicuous, actually succeeded¡­¡±


    ¡°I, Jiang Jing, am blessed with the luck of heaven, with hopes for a Golden Core.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Tu¡¯s final admonition was to¡­¡±


    What was written here had been erased and replaced with the word ¡°goods.¡±


    ¡°¡­to deliver the ¡®goods¡¯ outside Qingzhou City, someone will coordinate, the men in black¡­ will transfer it to the Divine Temple, then this matter can be considered complete, no need for unnecessary complications¡­¡±


    ¡°Outside Qingzhou City, coordinate, Divine Temple!¡±


    ¡°Must remember it well!¡±


    ¡­ sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°September 14th¡­¡±


    ¡°Passed by the Desolate Mountain Temple, picked up an ¡®extra fortune,¡¯ a little fool, not worth mentioning¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°September 20th¡­¡±


    ¡°Today is the last day of the mission, and before setting off, I particularly checked the calendar¡­¡±


    ¡°Auspicious: setting off, seeing off, cremation, opening boxes, meeting friends, moving earth, entering a coffin¡­¡±


    ¡°Taboo: spoken disasters, lighting stoves, Sword Control¡­¡±


    ¡°Auspicious to set off, auspicious to see off, all things are auspicious¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good day.¡±


    ¡­


    The diary ended on this ¡°good day.¡±


    After that, Boss Jiang set off, and there was nothing further¡­


    Mo Hua flipped through it again, hoping to find something related to the abduction of ¡®Yu Er,¡¯ but unfortunately, there was nothing, and what little related information there was, he already knew¡­


    Moreover, there were no records about family properties, secret treasures, or inheritances.


    Mo Hua sighed deeply, feeling very disappointed with Boss Jiang.


    This diary was of no value at all.


    Mo Hua could only put away this ¡°diary¡± for now, and then took out ¡°Golden Severance Sword Art¡± to look at¡­


    Before learning the sword technique, he must consider one thing.


    That is, he must not be troubled by the Sever Gold Sect.


    Although the sword technique was excellent, it was, after all, an inheritance of the Sever Gold Sect.


    If he secretly learned it and the Sever Gold Sect found out, they might hunt him down, which would be troublesome.


    Even if the Sever Gold Sect did not hunt him, but they were petty and did not allow him to use it, then learning it would be useless¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but flip further through the sword technique, looked over more sword cultivation methods, and then realized, he was overthinking it.


    Even if they allowed him to study, he might not be able to master this sword technique¡­


    Mo Hua had attended Tao Cultivation classes for sword cultivation, and he knew that there were several types of sword cultivations:


    One was purely Sword Qi cultivation.


    That is, condensing Spiritual Power into Sword Qi, releasing Sword Qi from afar to kill enemies, similar to Spiritual Cultivation sword cultivation.


    Uncle Zhang Lan was this type, and he presumably cultivated Water-shaped Sword Qi.


    One was holding a Sword Weapon, similar to Body Cultivation sword cultivators.


    Infusing one¡¯s Spiritual Power into Strength, merging with the Sword Weapon, and using the power of the Sword Weapon for close combat.


    Senior Brother Ouyang Feng probably cultivated this type of swordsmanship.


    Another type was the integration of Sword Qi and Sword Weapon, storing up power to condense Sword Qi, letting Sword Qi enter the Sword Weapon, then using Divine Sense to control the Sword and kill enemies.


    A Sword Control method that combines Sword Qi and Sword Weapon into one.


    That is, the swordsmanship described in the ¡°Golden Severance Sword Art.¡±


    These three types of swordsmanship each have their advantages and disadvantages.


    But in terms of power, it must be the ¡°Golden Severance Sword Art¡±, which fully utilizes the power of Sword Qi and the benefits of the Sword Weapon, which has the strongest lethality.


    The problem is, typical sword cultivators start from a young age, coming in contact with swordsmanship, learning to condense Sword Qi.


    Mo Hua had never cultivated swordsmanship; his condensed Sword Qi was very dim and dissipated.


    And his Spiritual Power was weak, naturally, his Sword Qi was also weak.


    The GOLDEN SPIRITED Sword required for deploying the Golden Severance Sword Art needs to be specially forged, but Mo Hua couldn¡¯t afford such crafting.


    Sword Qi cultivation, Sword Weapon forging, Sword Controlling Technique.


    Of these three, the only thing Mo Hua might excel at was ¡°Sword Controlling Technique,¡± given his strong Divine Sense.


    But without fierce Sword Qi and a good Spirit Sword, just knowing Sword Control, he basically has no ¡°sword¡± to control¡­


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s plan for the long term¡­¡±


    Cultivate the Sword Qi slowly, gradually, seeing if there can be any progress.


    Save up Spirit Stones or Merit Points to see if he could gather materials to have someone ¡°cheaply¡± forge a Spirit Sword for him.


    If one day, he truly mastered the Golden Severance Sword Art, only then consider how to deal with the Sever Gold Sect.


    Otherwise, it¡¯s like worrying about having too many Spirit Stones before even earning them, not knowing how to spend them, as foolish as that sounds.


    ¡°What a pity¡­¡±


    ¡°Majestic and shimmering with golden light, the great treasure sword¡­ Can¡¯t learn it for now¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat unhappy.


    And concerning sword cultivation, it also served as a reminder to Mo Hua.


    If he couldn¡¯t learn the sword technique, that¡¯s it, but his current spells are overall still too weak¡­


    Especially the combat spells.


    His Concealment Technique was still first-grade, deficient, only effective under the enhancement of a Concealment Formation.


    The Water Prison Technique was okay, but the Fireball Technique¡­


    At the Foundation Establishment Stage, especially in Qian State crowded with the proud heirs of heaven, the ubiquitous Fireball Technique, despite being fast and accurate, was already somewhat insufficient in power.

 Chapter 886 - 615: Mastery of All Spells_3

    Chapter 886: Chapter 615: Mastery of All Spells_3


    It was only good for adding finishing moves.


    In head-on battles, the power of the Fireball Technique had reached a bottleneck, with no significant threat any longer.


    Especially since future opponents were not to be trifled with.


    ¡°I can¡¯t learn Swordsmanship yet, I need to figure out a way to learn some more powerful spells¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought to himself silently.


    After a Daoist Skill class, Mo Hua went to earnestly seek advice from the Sect Elder who taught Daoist Skills.


    The Elder of Daoist Law was middle-aged, slightly overweight, and had a deep impression of Mo Hua.


    After all, disciples with Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Roots were few and far between in Taixu Gate over the years.


    Especially in the recent decades, there had hardly been any disciples with Mid-Grade Spiritual Roots.


    Mo Hua was the only one.


    Moreover, Elder Master Xun¡¯s partiality towards Mo Hua was evident to all the other Elders, so despite Mo Hua¡¯s inferior Spiritual Root, they dared not treat him with the slightest contempt.


    ¡°Elder, is there any powerful spell I can learn?¡± Mo Hua tentatively asked.


    The Elder of Daoist Law looked at Mo Hua, pondering for a long time, unsure whether to speak or not.


    With a resigned face, Mo Hua said,


    ¡°Elder, please speak your mind¡­¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law coughed and put it gently,


    ¡°You must be aware that the more powerful the spell, the more demanding the conditions¡­¡±


    ¡°Firstly, there¡¯s the Grade of the Spiritual Root¡­¡±


    ¡°Some powerful spells require a Top-Grade, or even top top-grade Spiritual Root to learn and utilize¡­¡±


    ¡°Without a Top-Grade Spiritual Root, not cultivating Top-Grade techniques, with a meager Qi Sea and feeble Spiritual Power, it¡¯s impossible to wield such high-powered spells.¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law gave Mo Hua a look that said, you know what grade your Spiritual Root is and what techniques you can cultivate; there¡¯s no need for me to elaborate.


    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s the attribute of the Spiritual Root,¡± the Elder of Daoist Law continued,


    ¡°Some spells require special attributes of the Spiritual Root like thunder, ice, wind, and others such as pure metal, yin wood, heavy water, to maximize their power.¡±


    ¡°Yours¡­ hmm¡­¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law paused, somewhat embarrassed, ¡°Small Five Elements Spirit Root is a bit of everything, but not strong in anything¡­¡±


    ¡°So, the spells you can learn tend to be more ¡®Median¡¯¡­¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law¡¯s wording was tactful, saying ¡°Median¡± instead of directly calling them ¡°commonplace.¡±


    ¡°Such spells are unlikely to be very powerful¡­¡± said the Elder of Daoist Law in a soft voice.


    The implication was clear: it was hopeless.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became a bit despondent.


    The Elder of Daoist Law couldn¡¯t bear to see this and thought for a moment before saying,


    ¡°But, the approach you¡¯ve taken with your spells thus far has been astute¡­¡±


    ¡°Not relying on power to prevail but on speed for victory, striking quickly and accurately can indeed lead to a surprise victory.¡±


    ¡°Besides, your Fireball Technique is very refined, and its power is indeed not too shabby, but unfortunately, the Fireball Technique is still just that, and its limit is set¡­¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law felt a sense of regret.


    Mo Hua was also aware.


    His Fireball Technique was already strong, but when compared to the talents from Qian State, or those with Superior Techniques passed down through generations in clans, it was still lacking.


    Even though he could strike first, there were situations that called for overwhelming power, and relying solely on the Fireball Technique was insufficient.


    Formations were powerful, but they consumed Spirit Stones and Spiritual Ink and required a fair bit of thought and tactics, not as straightforward as spells.


    Mo Hua then asked for advice:


    ¡°Elder, what do you think I should focus on learning for my future spells?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law pondered for a moment before slowly replying,


    ¡°Actually, I shouldn¡¯t be telling you this, given that the Sect¡¯s examination rules are what they are¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Taixu Gate. Throughout the entire Qian Xue State Boundary, all sects value the Grade of spells, abiding by the principle ¡®Overpower with Single force¡¯, using the most solid spiritual power to unleash Superior Techniques, killing with one move, overpowering everything!¡±


    ¡°Daoist Skill examinations also follow this rule.¡±


    ¡°But you are different¡­¡±


    ¡°Since your Spiritual Power is weak, you might as well learn more low-level techniques that consume less Spiritual Power, that are quick to cast, and have a strong utility, encompassing all Five Elements.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Spiritual Power has its interactions, and so do spells.¡±


    ¡°The more spells you master, the more moves you have. A quick hand can take the enemy by surprise.¡±


    ¡°And some spells might seem low-level, but it¡¯s just their power that¡¯s considered low, not their usefulness.¡±


    ¡°Some spells are subtle in their casting, some have a myriad of changes, and some are hard to guard against¡­¡±


    ¡°The Five Elements flow; Mastery of All Spells can be achieved.¡±


    ¡°Even if you only know lower-tier spells, you can win with quantity, spell after spell, putting your opponent on the back foot.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you must first break through your opponent¡¯s ¡®Golden Body Technique¡¯, and then it¡¯s better to use spells to suppress them¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gradually brightened.


    Spell Master!


    Understanding the Five Elements, mastering a myriad of spells, a never-ending flow of Spiritual Power, and an infinite cycle of spells.


    If he could also manifest the ¡°Five Elements Source Formation¡± at his feet, reinforcing the Five Elements, amplifying his spells, then he would be a ¡®Spell¡¯ artillery!


    With just low-level spells, he could ¡°pile¡± his opponents to death.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mo Hua asked again, ¡°Do I have to learn all Five Elements Spells? Can I just focus on the Fireball Technique?¡±


    Even if he learned spells, the Fireball Technique was likely to be the strongest.


    The Elder of Daoist Law said, ¡°It¡¯s not just about power. Some spells, with their functionality, are irreplaceable.¡±


    ¡°Like if someone has boosted themselves with the Golden Body Technique, your Fireball Technique¡¯s power will significantly diminish, but if you use the Golden Blade Technique, though not very powerful, it would reduce the duration of their Golden Body Technique¡­¡±

 Chapter 887 - 615 Mastery of All Spells_4

    Chapter 887: Chapter 615 Mastery of All Spells_4


    ¡°Your Fireball Technique may be fast, but there are spells faster than the Fireball Technique. At a critical juncture, you could interrupt someone else¡¯s attack¡­¡±


    ¡°There are also some spells that can break ¡®Water Armor,¡¯ extinguish ¡®Fire Shields,¡¯ apply ¡®Wood Poison,¡¯ and damage the flesh¡­¡±


    ¡°All kinds of spells have their wonders¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled as he recalled Old Kui¡¯s teachings from long ago, and he suddenly understood, murmuring, ¡°Taoist Skills are manifold, each with its own brilliance. The wonder of their use lies in the heart?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law looked somewhat surprised but couldn¡¯t help nodding and said, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve just entered Foundation Establishment, and you don¡¯t have much experience in magical duels. As your cultivation grows and you encounter more cultivators, you¡¯ll realize that there is significant depth to this knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Powerful spells are certainly good.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that the myriad spells in the world are all useless.¡±


    ¡°Within spells are also contained the principles of heaven and earth, the more spells you master, the deeper your understanding of the principles, and the stronger your spells will become.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well in your Array Formation studies, so you should understand this principle¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly.


    Seeing that Mo Hua understood, the Elder of Daoist Law was very pleased, but he also reminded him, ¡°This is just my advice. Naturally, if you can cultivate Superior Techniques, they are better for their great power and straightforwardness¡­¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m suggesting this because you can¡¯t learn them.¡±


    ¡°Besides, if you master these lower-grade spells very well, the Sect assessment won¡¯t score you highly¡ªyou¡¯ll most likely receive a ¡®Grade C¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°I must remind you of this again; don¡¯t blame me later¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go complaining to Elder Master Xun, saying I¡¯ve led astray the younger generation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°I understand, thank you, Elder Xie.¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law confirmed this with Mo Hua again, getting his assurance before feeling relieved.


    ¡­


    After returning, Mo Hua began to ponder about becoming a ¡°Spell Master¡± with a Mastery of All Spells¡­


    The Sever Gold Sword Control Jue wouldn¡¯t necessarily come into play for the time being.


    But the cultivation of spells was an urgent matter.


    Especially since he needed to accumulate Merit Points and mingle with Senior Sister Murong and others on many missions, each additional spell meant an extra measure of confidence.


    Many skills don¡¯t make a burden.


    However, Taixu Gate¡¯s spells also required Merit Points to acquire.


    Mo Hua flipped through the Merit Scroll and found, indeed, it listed all kinds of Five Elements Spells¡ªthousands of them in total.


    But none of them were cheap.


    The cheaper ones cost dozens of Merit Points, while the more expensive ones cost hundreds.


    Some Superior Five Elements Spells even required thousands of Merit Points.


    Mo Hua felt fortunate.


    Luckily, he couldn¡¯t learn them, sparing him the wasted ¡°money¡±¡­


    But dozens of points¡­


    Compared to Array Formation, it naturally didn¡¯t seem expensive.


    But he wanted to learn so many, not to mention continue learning Array Formation; thus, his already modest stock of Merit Points dwindled even further¡­


    What¡¯s more, you get what you pay for.


    Though some spells in there were lower-grade and couldn¡¯t be too demanding, they seemed too plain after looking them over¡­


    And if he was to become a ¡°Spell Master,¡± he would need to learn an immense number of spells.


    It would be a big loss to exchange all of them for Merit Points¡­


    ¡°Is there a way to learn spells without spending Merit Points?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned in thought, but after several days, he still had no clue.


    Until one day, when he was tired after studying Array Formation and lay on his bed flipping through Boss Jiang¡¯s diary to alleviate his boredom.


    As he flipped through it, Mo Hua¡¯s brows creased; something was off about this diary.


    Amid the lines, he faintly sensed a weak Magnetic Stream¡­


    Magnetic Stream¡­ Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Secondary Thunder Pattern?


    ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    The Secondary Thunder Pattern on the Jade Slip¡¯s Sealing Pattern was meant for unsealing.


    The Secondary Thunder Pattern inside the Jade Slip was used to link Magnetic Patterns, revealing written words.


    But where did these Secondary Thunder Patterns on the surface of the words, between the lines of the Jade Slip, come from?


    Mo Hua started, then suddenly remembered what Zheng Fang had told him about Sealing Patterns and Secret Patterns, and he was taken aback.


    Were these traces of the Secondary Thunder Pattern¡­


    Secret Patterns?!


    Boss Jiang, this disreputable character, has he encrypted his diary?

 Chapter 888 - 616 List

    Chapter 888: Chapter 616 List


    An encrypted diary¡­


    What could be inside?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up with curiosity.


    Boss Jiang, this man, hid some unspeakable information within the verbose words of his letters¡­


    And he first sealed it, then encrypted it, going to great lengths to keep it from being noticed¡ªthere must be something valuable hidden inside!


    The corners of Mo Hua¡¯s mouth lifted in a smirk as he squinted in satisfaction.


    He wanted to unlock it and take a look.


    Zheng Fang had mentioned that encryption was different from sealing.


    Sealing involved constructing an Unfixed Magnetic Pattern, creating a blank ¡°fog-like Magnetic Ink¡± that concealed the text.


    Encryption was about ¡°disguising¡± text.


    To be more accurate, it involved distorting the Secondary Thunder Pattern, altering the Magnetic Stream, and changing the ¡°agreements¡± between Fixed and Unfixed Patterns, causing the presented text to change and form a ¡°disguise¡±.


    What you see is not the true content within the Jade Slip.


    ¡°If you want to decrypt it, you have to decrypt the ¡®Secret Pattern¡¯, correct the twisted ¡®Secondary Thunder Pattern¡¯, and restore the text within the Jade Slip¡­¡±


    In other words, it¡¯s about correcting the ¡°agreement¡± between the Fixed Magnetic Pattern and the Unfixed Magnetic Pattern.


    The key is still the Secondary Thunder Pattern¡­


    Everything a Cultivator does leaves traces.


    The encryption of Jade Slips is no exception.


    As long as Boss Jiang used the ¡°Secret Pattern¡± and saw the true content of the Jade Slip, this Secret Pattern would generate a Magnetic Stream, leaving a trace.


    This trace might be invisible to other Cultivators, but Mo Hua, whose Divine Consciousness has undergone Transformation and has fused with Tricky Calculation and Calculation, could perceive it.


    This principle was the same as when Mo Hua ¡°unsealed¡± the Jade Slip.


    By sensing the trace, deducing the Secondary Thunder Pattern, and then comparing and matching against known Secondary Thunder Patterns, the true Secret Pattern could be deciphered.


    Decoding was more complex than unsealing. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When visualizing the Jade Slip and sensing the Magnetic Patterns, he couldn¡¯t perform his calculations on the Taoist Stele.


    Therefore, he couldn¡¯t calculate for too long.


    Otherwise, his Divine Consciousness would be torn apart by the burden of Tricky Calculation and Calculation, causing damage.


    So it would also take more time.


    Mo Hua patiently and methodically calculated each Magnetic Stream slowly.


    Fortunately, the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± and the ¡°Secret Pattern¡± for this ¡°diary¡± Jade Slip belonged to the same category, so after half a month, Mo Hua deciphered the real ¡°Secret Pattern¡±.


    Mo Hua let out a deep sigh of relief.


    After successfully deciphering the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡± for the first time, he had now successfully deciphered the ¡°Secret Pattern¡± for the first time too!


    His Secondary Thunder Pattern Library was also enriched.


    His mastery in Thunder Magnetism Formation took a solid step forward.


    Just what could he achieve if he kept learning this way, step by step, to the utmost limit?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows in thought.


    If he could thoroughly grasp the Magnetic Stream and gain full command of Secondary Thunder Patterns, would he have countless keys?


    Then, wouldn¡¯t all the Sealing and Secret Patterns of Heritage Jade Slips in the world be meaningless to him?


    Wouldn¡¯t he be able to plunder the heritage of the entire world?


    ¡°Too terrifying¡­¡±


    Mo Hua startled even himself with the thought.


    Shaking his head, Mo Hua put away such ¡°delusional¡± thoughts and continued to fiddle with Boss Jiang¡¯s ¡°diary¡±.


    Zheng Fang had already bluntly shared with Mo Hua the specifics of decoding.


    Mo Hua recalled the details, then let his Divine Consciousness sink into the Jade Slip, using scattered Magnetic Ink to condense a painstakingly deciphered Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Using this Secondary Thunder Pattern as a ¡°Secret Pattern¡±, he overlaid it on each piece of text marked by traces of a Magnetic Stream.


    The Secondary Thunder Flow created by the Secret Pattern permeated through the superficial Magnetic Ink, into the Unfixed Magnetic Pattern, and down into the depths, adjusting the distorted Magnetic Stream caused by ¡°disguise¡±, ¡°straightening what was bent¡±, and thus constructing a true bridge.


    Boss Jiang¡¯s diary text in the Jade Slip began to twist and contort, finally settling and revealing its true nature beneath the ¡°disguise¡±.


    Mo Hua looked eagerly.


    As he read, Mo Hua¡¯s expression became increasingly intriguing.


    These texts¡­


    Were they a ¡°list¡±?


    Listed in a row, all were pseudonyms known in the Cultivation World:


    ¡°Poison Raksha, Fireworker Chief, Gold Arhat, Flower Gentleman, Human Butcher, Blood Woodcutter, Yin Thunder Child, Madam Miao, Ghost Face Sha, Crossing River Dragon¡­¡±


    Full of the Jianghu spirit and quite unserious.


    The Cultivators corresponding to these names were likely, at the very least, Sin Cultivators, and many were probably Evil Cultivators, if not Demon Cultivators.


    Mo Hua was greatly surprised, and mumbled to himself,


    ¡°People cannot be judged by their appearances after all. Does Boss Jiang really have such an extensive network?¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    These pseudonyms sounded ominous, and these Cultivators didn¡¯t seem to be easy to deal with, not matching someone plain-named like ¡°Boss Jiang¡±¡­


    ¡°These people might not all be acquaintances of Boss Jiang¡­¡±


    ¡°So, did he come across this list by chance?¡±


    ¡°Or could it be¡­ he had taken the Evil Path, committing murder, arson, deception, and other crimes, and heard it from others in the underworld?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe, they are from the same organization?¡±


    ¡°What organization would that be?¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    There was also a most critical question.


    What use was this ¡°list¡± to him if he kept it?


    ¡°Hand it over to the Taoist Court for Merit Points?¡±


    Without catching the criminals, it¡¯s not an actual achievement, and since no mission was issued, even if he handed it over, there might be no Merit Points awarded.


    What if the Court Official asked him how he came across this ¡°list¡±?


    How would he answer?


    Coincidentally abducted by traffickers, then killing the traffickers, slaying Boss Jiang, stripping his Storage Bag, taking his Sever Gold Jade Slip, being an expert in Primordial Magnet Formation, having unsealed the ¡°Sealing Pattern¡±, cracked the ¡°Secret Pattern¡±, and thus found this ¡°list¡±?

 Chapter 889 - 616 List_2

    Chapter 889: Chapter 616 List_2


    These string of events, it seems, shouldn¡¯t be reported to the Taoist Court.


    If I were to lie, I would have to fabricate a tightly logical big lie; otherwise, I would definitely give myself away.


    Even if I could argue self-defense and the Taoist Court let me off, they would surely label me a ¡°dangerous person¡± and be more wary of me.


    And that would make my future actions more difficult.


    ¡°But if I don¡¯t hand it over to the Taoist Court, what should I do with this list of names I¡¯ve decoded with so much effort?¡±


    Mo Hua lay on the bed, propping her head on her arms, staring at the ceiling, and blinking as she pondered.


    Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration, and her eyes lit up.


    Names, nicknames¡­


    As the saying goes, ¡°A man¡¯s name, a tree¡¯s shadow.¡±


    There¡¯s no wrong nickname, only a wrong name.


    Just like Bald Eagle.


    I don¡¯t know his real name, but since his nickname is ¡°Bald Eagle,¡± he¡¯s very likely to be bald, and also to have the Four Symbols Eagle Pattern on his head.


    A ¡°Bald¡± and an ¡°Eagle.¡±


    Not a word off, not a single lie.


    Then this list, with so many nicknames, is probably also based on these cultivators¡¯ physical features, cultivation techniques, or the Taoist skills they use, or the methods they are known for in the Cultivation World.


    For example, ¡°Poison Raksha¡± likely excels at using poison;


    Fireworker Chief must practice Fire-series cultivation techniques and is skilled in Fire-series Taoist skills;


    Gold Arhat, well, Arhat suggests a powerful physical body, and with the word ¡°Gold,¡± it¡¯s likely he practices Gold-series Taoist skills, quite possibly defensive spells like Golden Bell Shield.


    Flower Gentleman must be a slick womanizer, practicing sinister cultivation techniques like replenishing from others¡­


    ¡­


    In other words, these cultivators, each and every one of them, must be carriers of ¡°inheritance¡±!


    To be able to make a name for themselves near the Qianxue State boundary, an area crowded with geniuses and filled with powerful sects¡­


    The ¡°inheritances¡± they possess must also be extraordinary!


    Boss Jiang¡¯s list is not only a Sin Cultivator list but can also be considered a¡­


    List of inheritances!


    Mo Hua¡¯s thought process suddenly cleared.


    One¡¯s vision in life must be broadened.


    It¡¯s not enough just to think about shearing wool from the sects.


    The wool of Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators can also be sheared! S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    By capturing them and ¡°convincing them with reason,¡± I can find out the whereabouts of the inheritances, and then I won¡¯t have to spend Merit Points to buy any spells anymore.


    Even capturing them can earn me Merit Points!


    It¡¯ll be a blood profit, no loss!


    As for how to choose which inheritances¡­


    Mo Hua had already figured it out.


    Whatever kind of spell or inheritance I want to learn, I¡¯ll just catch Sin Cultivators or Evil Cultivators with the same attributes.


    For example, if I want to learn Fire Spells, I¡¯ll look within the list for Sin Cultivators with nicknames implicating ¡°fire,¡± ¡°flame,¡± or ¡°blaze.¡±


    If I want to learn Gold-series Spells, I¡¯ll search for villains with ¡°golden,¡± ¡°vajra,¡± or ¡°Jinluo¡± in their names.


    If I want to learn Water System Spells, I¡¯ll seek out ¡°water,¡± ¡°wave,¡± ¡°river,¡± ¡°fish,¡± ¡°jiao¡± types of scoundrels¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Using the map to find the clues,¡± will be sure to find the right one.


    Whether or not I can find the appropriate spells, of course, there¡¯s an element of luck involved.


    But even if there aren¡¯t suitable spells, I can still earn Merit Points.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    ¡°Boss Jiang is a good person!¡±


    This list is simply another ¡®Merit Roll¡¯!


    As for what spells to learn first, whose name to pinpoint from the list of Sin Cultivators, how to find him, how to take on the missions¡­


    These details still need to be properly considered.


    Once everything is in place, when everything is ready, I can start ¡°calling the roll¡±¡­


    Mo Hua held the Jade Slip, and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a smile on her face.


    The late Boss Jiang would never have known that although he is dead, his diary has become a ¡°Death Diary.¡±


    ¡­


    Which spells should I learn first?


    After contemplating for half a day, Mo Hua felt that she should first learn a more complete Concealment Technique.


    It¡¯s useful whether for attack or defense, especially when it comes to escaping.


    Currently, my Concealment Technique is too inconvenient.


    The Concealment Technique I¡¯ve practiced was meant for those with a single series Water Spirit Root.


    Since I possess the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root which includes the Water Spirit Root, mine was a little mixed, resulting in incomplete concealment, occasionally leaving a hand or head exposed.


    Combining it with a Concealment Formation made it somewhat better.


    But now that I¡¯ve reached Foundation Establishment and become a disciple of one of the Eight Great Gates, Taixu Gate, and will face competition from peers and the troublesome Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators, I need to ¡°upgrade¡± and improve my Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua began to go through the list.


    Sin Cultivators skilled in Concealment Techniques are mostly thieves or burglars, and their names might include the character ¡°hidden,¡± or perhaps words like ¡°skillful hand¡± or ¡°plucking stars.¡±


    After searching for a while, Mo Hua finally marked her first target:


    Hidden elder-second.


    There was only a name, no introduction, but Mo Hua instinctively felt that this person must be a Concealment expert!


    With the name settled, the next step was to find this Hidden elder-second¡­


    But how to find him?


    Mo Hua frowned slightly, start with the Taoist Court?


    I¡¯m just a minor disciple of the Taixu Gate; the Taoist Court officials certainly don¡¯t know who I am¡­


    I have a Bronze waist badge from the Taoist Court in my possession.


    But this badge is off-record, it¡¯s from a Taoist Court in Tongxian City of the remote Second Grade Li State, it might not be recognized here in Qian State.


    Besides, even if I find Hidden elder-second, I will certainly need someone to help me capture him.


    Otherwise, as a little cultivator in the initial stages of Foundation Establishment, I might not be able to manage Hidden elder-second, an old fox.


    After much thought, Mo Hua decided there was only one way: take on a mission.

 Chapter 890 - 616 List_3

    Chapter 890: Chapter 616 List_3


    He needed to try his luck to see if there was a task to capture Hidden elder-second announced in the Sect¡¯s Bounty Scroll.


    The list from Boss Jiang contained only the Sin Cultivators around the Qianxue State boundary.


    As long as Hidden elder-second committed crimes, he would definitely catch the attention of the Taoist Court.


    Since the Taoist Court was short of hands, they would definitely issue a bounty to the Sects. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This way, he could ¡°naturally¡± go and capture Hidden elder-second, fleece him, and obtain the inheritance of the Concealment Technique.


    It all depended a bit on luck and ¡°opportunity¡±.


    Over the following days, whenever Mo Hua had spare time after meals, he would pull out the Taixu Token and stare at the ¡°Bounty Scroll,¡± flipping through each task one by one.


    Whenever he saw words like thief, invisible, or concealment, Mo Hua paid attention.


    But such bounties were rare, and after eight or nine days, there was still no progress.


    One afternoon, after having eaten and drunk his fill, Mo Hua sat down in the Disciple¡¯s Residence with several fellow Sect Disciples to chat.


    There was the burly Cheng Mo, the Sword Cultivator prodigy from Li State, Situ Jian, Zheng Fang from the Zheng Family in Zhen State, and a few other well-acquainted disciples.


    Mo Hua was telling them stories.


    He talked about how incredibly formidable the Monster Beasts in Big Black Mountain were.


    How dangerous and thrilling it was for Monster Hunters to hunt monsters.


    What zombies were like.


    What Walking Corpses, Iron Corpses, and Copper Corpses were, and how one could become a Corpse King.


    What the scene of a sweeping Corpse Tide over the mountains looked like.


    And other tales of desolate ridges where Evil Cultivators abducted souls and Demon Cultivators consumed humans.


    He had these pampered scions, bred within their family confines, utterly dumbfounded.


    Cheng Mo¡¯s mouth hung open as he muttered,


    ¡°Mo Hua, you can¡¯t be lying to me¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe, then forget it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, feeling thirsty from talking, picked up the teapot and loudly gulped down several mouthfuls.


    Cheng Mo still somewhat disbelieved, ¡°How old are you? With monster hunting, corpse tides, and heretical demons¡­ There¡¯d be no ghosts if there wasn¡¯t some exaggeration¡­¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not!¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered with him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe¡­¡±


    ¡°Then why were you listening so intently just now?¡±


    Cheng Mo faltered; although he didn¡¯t believe, Mo Hua¡¯s vivid and engaging storytelling truly drew him in.


    Situ Jian was also captivated, but then he remembered something else.


    ¡°Speaking of monster hunting¡­¡± said Situ Jian, ¡°it seems we can also hunt monsters inside the Sect.¡±


    ¡°Sect? Monster hunting?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡±


    Situ Jian looked puzzled, ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He was a Loose Cultivator, this was his first time in Qianxue State, his first time joining a Sect, and no one had mentioned this to him.


    Wenren Wan had told him some things, but she couldn¡¯t explain everything in meticulous detail, some things were bound to be omitted.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Where can we hunt monsters?¡±


    Situ Jian said, ¡°In Qianxue State, there¡¯s a ¡®Refining Demon Mountain¡¯ with many Monster Beasts that powerful Cultivators deliberately left there, so Sect Disciples can hone their Taoist Skills and cooperate in slaying monsters¡­¡±


    ¡°However, that¡¯s a bit distant.¡±


    ¡°New Disciples are prohibited from entering Refining Demon Mountain, you must reach at least the Middle Phase of Foundation Building to enter.¡±


    ¡°In Refining Demon Mountain, there are many rare Monster Beasts whose materials are very valuable, specifically used for forging Spiritual Artifacts, especially Spirit Swords¡­¡±


    ¡°Sword forging?!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Situ Jian was also a bit expectant, ¡°Indeed, it is said that some Spirit Swords must be forged from the bones of certain Monster Beasts from Refining Demon Mountain in Qianxue State¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, and couldn¡¯t help but think about the inheritance of the Sever Gold Sword Control Jue in his possession, which included the ¡°Method of Sword forging¡±.


    It discussed how the Sword Weapons required for Sword Control should be forged¡­


    He wanted to ask for more details, but suddenly felt a pulse in his heart as if something he had been anticipating had already happened.


    Concealment Technique!


    Mo Hua immediately flipped open the Taixu Token and found that indeed a batch of new tasks had appeared.


    Among them was one task that looked ordinary, but to Mo Hua, it notably stood out:


    ¡°The Taoist Court of Qianxue State boundary has issued a bounty¡­¡±


    ¡°A mysterious murder case¡­¡±

 Chapter 891 - 617 Gu Changhuai

    Chapter 891: Chapter 617 Gu Changhuai


    ¡°Three days ago, outside the Qianxue State Boundary, south of Canglang Mountain, on Luopan Mountain Road, three disciples from a family were found dead, their Storage Bags stolen¡­¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court Official made inquiries, proceeding to inspect the scene¡­¡±


    ¡°Each of these three disciples was at the Foundation Establishment Realm. After gathering for the discussion of Dao, they were returning to their sect along Luopan Mountain Road. As they passed by Canglang Mountain, someone approached them from behind, unnoticed, and used a dagger imbued with Tempered Water Poison to pierce their chests, killing them one by one.¡±


    ¡°And unto their deaths, they realized nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Cultivators coming up and down the mountain also saw no suspicious individuals passing by¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unknown who the murderer is¡­¡±


    There¡¯s a note following this:


    ¡°The cultivator responsible for these murders must be cunning, extremely alert, and highly skilled in the art of Concealment Techniques¡­¡±


    ¡°Whoever undertakes this bounty, must exercise extreme caution!¡±


    Here it comes!


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits were lifted.


    Concealment Techniques!


    But it wasn¡¯t quite what he had imagined¡­


    He had thought Concealment Techniques were used for theft, yet he hadn¡¯t expected someone to exploit such means to commit stealthy murders, and with such brutality at that.


    Mo Hua immediately used his Taixu Token to send a pointless message to Murong Caiyun:


    ¡°Sister, are you there?¡±


    A moment later, Murong Caiyun replied with resignation:


    ¡°What is it, just say it.¡±


    ¡°Sister, are you free? Want to take on a task?¡±


    Before Murong Caiyun could respond, Mo Hua hastily added, ¡°I¡¯ve found a good task, want to take it? If you do, can you bring me along?¡±


    ¡°My permissions are too low, they won¡¯t let me take on many tasks.¡±


    Murong Caiyun hesitated for a moment before messaging:


    ¡°What task?¡±


    Mo Hua promptly sent the entry for ¡°a bizarre case of robbery and murder.¡±


    Murong Caiyun looked at it for a long time, still not understanding what was so ¡°good¡± about this ¡°good task¡±¡­


    A robbery murder case.


    The three died inexplicably; it was unknown who the perpetrator was, what they looked like, what Cultivation Technique they used, whether they had accomplices, a criminal record, and what was their Cultivation Realm¡ªnothing was known.


    One could only speculate based on the situation that the person was highly proficient in Concealment Techniques.


    But that was just speculation.


    Beyond that, there were no clues. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even finding the person would take considerable time, let alone tracking and capturing them afterward¡ªit could likely be a significant investment of time invested only to come up empty-handed.


    Murong Caiyun, wishing to gently decline, just then saw in the Taixu Token Mo Hua¡¯s barrage of ¡°Sister, sister, sister, please take it on¡­¡±


    She could almost see Mo Hua with his puppy-dog eyes, full of hope, gazing at her expectantly.


    Murong Caiyun couldn¡¯t bear to refuse.


    She even felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of disappointing her Junior Brother Mo Hua after declining¡­


    Murong Caiyun sighed.


    Well, might as well accept it.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if it can¡¯t be completed; it¡¯s just a waste of two days of leisure time, not unlike previous times when all efforts came to naught.


    Murong Caiyun thus agreed, ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, ¡°Thank you, Sister!¡±


    Senior Sister Murong, indeed a good person!


    Sure enough, Murong Caiyun accepted the ¡°Concealment Robbery Murder¡± bounty, and then extended an invitation to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua immediately ¡°agreed¡± without delay.


    Thus, the investigation of the ¡°Concealment Robbery Murder case¡± was settled.


    Mo Hua exited his Divine Sense from the Taixu Token, only to notice Cheng Mo and the others staring at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Mo Hua appeared clueless.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Situ Jian asked curiously, ¡°What were you looking at in the Taixu Token?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked.


    Permissions, bounties, Merit Points¡ªthese were backdoors given to him by Elder Master Xun.


    It wouldn¡¯t be quite right to talk about them.


    Furthermore, these matters of ¡°issuing bounties, pursuing Sin Cultivators, exterminating villains¡± were still too early for them¡­


    They were held back by the family, ¡°not yet worldly,¡± unable to bear such risks.


    But he was different; he was the ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    Dangerous affairs such as these were best left to him.


    Mo Hua nodded with a sense of ¡°responsibility¡± and then made up an excuse:


    ¡°I was checking the class schedule, wondering what classes we have next, what Spells we¡¯ll learn¡­¡±


    The other disciples were skeptical, staring at Mo Hua.


    Their expressions seemed to say, I¡¯d only believe that if pigs could fly¡­


    Seeing their disbelief, Mo Hua had no choice but to say:


    ¡°Alright, I was thinking about how much homework to assign you during Formation class¡­¡±


    Instantly, the crowd erupted with indignation.


    No one believed him.


    ¡°Mo Hua!¡±


    ¡°Can we still be friends?¡±


    ¡°I advise you to watch yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°My abilities in Formation are for me to decide, I advise against meddling!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the camaraderie among sect brothers!¡±


    Cheng Mo, the ¡°Formation Dummy,¡± looked almost tearful, ¡°Bro, I beg you, that¡¯s enough, I can¡¯t finish that much homework¡­¡±


    Mo Hua put on a reluctant expression and sighed:


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then forget it.¡±


    Cheng Mo¡¯s face broke into a broad smile, hugging Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, and proclaimed loudly, ¡°Great! From now on, you¡¯re my brother, my real brother!¡±


    ¡­


    Two days later, during the leisure days.


    To be safe, Mo Hua requested an additional day off, which altogether provided him with three days.


    After classes, Mo Hua left the gates of Taixu Gate and met up with everyone at the usual place¡ªthe big rock at the base of Taixu Gate¡¯s mountain.


    There were five of them this time.


    Murong Caiyun, Ouyang Feng, Hua Qianqian, and Shangguan Xu were all present.


    Shangguan Xu¡¯s injuries had healed, and he was ready to take action.


    Although the Shangguan Family was a great clan with many disciples, Shangguan Xu, a member of the Direct Lineage but not at the very core, had to earn his own Merit Points through personal efforts.

 Chapter 892 - 617 Gu Changhuai_2

    Chapter 892: Chapter 617 Gu Changhuai_2


    Hua Qianqian was the daughter of a True Transmission Elder from Hundred Flower Valley, cherished and destined to become an Inner Gate disciple and receive the True Transmission of Hundred Flower Valley in the future.


    But she didn¡¯t want others to gossip, preferring to rely on her own efforts to earn Merit Points and rise to become a True Disciple of the Inner Gate of Hundred Flower Valley.


    These were things Mo Hua had gathered from conversations with Senior Sister Murong, combined with cases of fellow disciples, to deduce on her own.


    She guessed that it was close to the mark.


    After all, in the Qianxue State Boundary, with so many Sect Disciples around, who wouldn¡¯t want to earn Merit Points?


    Shangguan Xu and Mo Hua were quite familiar with each other, he nodded and smiled in response to her.


    Hua Qianqian also smiled coyly, greeting Mo Hua with sparkling eyes.


    But Mo Hua always felt that Senior Sister Hua¡¯s gaze held a sliver of ill intent when she looked at her.


    She wondered what was on her mind.


    Seeing Mo Hua glance her way, Hua Qianqian¡¯s eyes sparkled even more brilliantly, revealing an extraordinary luster.


    Feeling a sense of danger, Mo Hua swiftly moved closer to the side of Senior Sister Murong.


    Murong Caiyun appeared resigned.


    After everyone gathered, they began heading towards Canglang Mountain.


    Canglang Mountain was not far from the Qianxue State Boundary, and the Fifth-grade Daoist Court, which oversaw the Qianxue State Boundary, was on the way to Canglang Mountain.


    They also needed to visit the Daoist Court to confirm their identities, receive the reward mission, and incidentally inquire about clues regarding the deceased.


    The clopping of horses¡¯ hooves marked the passing of over an hour, and they arrived at the Daoist Court.


    Mo Hua alighted from the carriage and looked up to see the imposing and majestic Court building, towering high with golden wings on the flying eaves, solemn and imposing.


    It was like a great seal pressed into the mountains, dominating the entire Qianxue State Boundary.


    Seven large characters were inscribed above: Qianxue State Boundary Daoist Court.


    This was the Fifth-grade Daoist Court of the Qianxue State Boundary¡­ S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua was immensely shaken within.


    In front of such a grand and stern Daoist Court, Mo Hua felt like a fragile sapling at the foot of a mountain, vulnerable to the elements.


    Ouyang Feng patted Mo Hua on the shoulder, speaking warmly,


    ¡°The majesty here, it¡¯s partly an act of grandstanding, you¡¯ll understand after a few visits¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked up in surprise, then realized,


    ¡°Formation?¡±


    Ouyang Feng appeared somewhat astonished, then he chuckled and said,


    ¡°Correct, when this Daoist Court Hall was constructed, it was infused with a Formation that amplifies majesty. Thus, newcomers often feel insignificant and also come to believe¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng gestured upwards and whispered, ¡°that the authority of the Daoist Court is grand and inviolable¡­¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s like that¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Having learned of this trick, her reverence was somewhat diminished, and following Murong Caiyun into the building, she felt even more disappointed.


    From the outside, this Daoist Court indeed appeared most august.


    But from the inside, it seemed overstaffed and complicated, with an air of stagnation.


    Furthermore, most of the Enforcement Leaders and Supervisors wore stern expressions, speaking rigidly with a hint of looking down upon others.


    Unpleasant faces, harsh words.


    If they were Third or Fourth Grade, it might be tolerable.


    But to see these minor Second Grade Enforcement Leaders also putting on airs of self-importance was preposterous.


    Occasionally, there were wielders of the Daoist Court, conduct sharp, eyes keen, with profound Cultivation, that appeared extremely capable, yet they were few and far between, and seemed out of place with the overall atmosphere of the Daoist Court.


    Mo Hua wanted to ask something, but considering walls have ears, especially inside the Fifth-grade Daoist Court with so many Great Cultivators around, her words could easily be overheard, so she refrained from asking.


    Murong Caiyun led the way, verifying their identities, receiving the reward mission, and also obtaining some files to complete the formalities.


    As a noble family¡¯s son and a disciple of Taixu Gate, with exceptional looks and talent, the Cultivators of the Daoist Court were quite courteous to her.


    The entire experience had not involved any cold treatment or difficulties.


    ¡°So they judge a person by their appearance¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to herself.


    Just as they were about to leave, they were stopped by an Enforcement Leader who said, ¡°Hold on, Supervisor Gu has instructions for you¡­¡±


    Supervisor Gu?


    Mo Hua blinked in surprise, her heart skipping a beat, could it be¡­


    After a moment, a figure approached from a distance, and Mo Hua, catching a glimpse, thought to herself that it was indeed him¡­


    The newcomer was handsome, dressed in a Canon¡¯s Daoist Robe from the Daoist Court, with a graceful and easy demeanor. His attitude was not arrogant, but his bearing exuded a trace of unruly pride.


    It was Gu Changhuai, the young master of the Gu Family, whom Mo Hua had met several times before.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s voice was calm and composed, not without a touch of conceit,


    ¡°This matter is quite thorny, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted you disciples to take it on, and I notified the Daoist Court to withdraw the mission, only to find that you had already accepted it¡­¡±


    ¡°Procedures are procedures, there¡¯s nothing to be done since you¡¯ve taken it on, but there are a few points I want to remind you of¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai walked and talked, hardly glancing at Murong Caiyun and the others, and those sharp eyes barely paying them heed.


    Until the corner of his eye caught sight of Mo Hua¡­


    Gu Changhuai clearly paused.


    Mo Hua could even see Gu Changhuai blink, seemingly confirming whether he had mistaken her for someone else.


    A face so na?ve and well-behaved, and such clear, profound eyes, there wouldn¡¯t be a second like her in the entire Qianxue State Boundary; he couldn¡¯t be wrong.


    After a moment of silence, Gu Changhuai slowly said,


    ¡°Mo¡­ Hua?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, politely responding, ¡°Hello, Uncle Gu.¡±


    Murong Caiyun looked taken aback, and the nearby Enforcement Leader clearly hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua to know Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai tried to control his emotions but still couldn¡¯t help asking Mo Hua,


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

 Chapter 893 - 617 Gu Changhuai_3

    Chapter 893: Chapter 617 Gu Changhuai_3


    Mo Hua pointed at Murong Caiyun, ¡°Sister and I have come to claim the bounty.¡±


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brow, ¡°What bounty?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°The one you just mentioned¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyelids twitched as he looked at Mo Hua, who still had a touch of youthful naivety, and said somewhat puzzled, ¡°You¡¯ve just entered the sect, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    How could someone who had just joined the sect already be undertaking missions?


    And to find senior disciples to mix with?


    Does this child¡­ have such a big face?


    Gu Changhuai did not understand.


    Mo Hua shook his head to correct him, ¡°Not just joined, I¡¯ve been a disciple for half a year!¡±


    As if to imply that he himself was already quite remarkable.


    Gu Changhuai looked on, feeling a headache.


    But in front of so many people, he was too embarrassed to ¡°catch up¡± with Mo Hua any further, and with a stern expression, he nodded coldly.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua again out of the corner of his eye, then began to discuss the serious matters:


    ¡°The perpetrator likely has mid-phase Foundation Establishment cultivation, specializes in concealment, is calm and ruthless in their methods, extremely secretive, unpredictable¡­¡±


    ¡°Even cultivators who have just reached the late phase of Foundation Establishment would be in grave danger encountering such an expert in ¡®concealed killing¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Caught off guard by their stealth, one wouldn¡¯t be able to defend against their lethal techniques¡­¡±


    ¡°All of you are sect disciples, with shallow experience. It¡¯ll be tough to match wits with such a cunning and venomous cultivator.¡±


    ¡°And this murderer is certainly a habitual offender.¡±


    ¡°I looked through the archives, and among the sin cultivators who specialize in stealthy killings, with a history of heinous acts, one fits the bill. We don¡¯t have his real name in Taoist Court records, but it¡¯s said that he is known amongst cultivators as ¡®Hidden Elder-Second¡¯¡­¡±


    Hidden Elder-Second¡­


    Ouyang Feng and others all wore contemplative expressions.


    Only Mo Hua silently nodded, knowing his guess was correct.


    Gu Changhuai noticed this, and was even more surprised.


    Could it be¡­ Mo Hua had known all along that the murderer was this Hidden Elder-Second?


    He himself had to rummage through the confidential archives of the Taoist Court to unearth this information. How could Mo Hua, a junior cultivator residing deep within the sect, know this?


    This child was very peculiar¡­


    Gu Changhuai took a long, hard look at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, feeling Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze, immediately looked serious and pretended to be innocent.


    Gu Changhuai continued:


    ¡°Such an experienced and deceitful sin cultivator, who also specializes in concealment, should normally be dealt with by a Third-Grade Supervisor with swift, thunder-like actions¡­¡±


    ¡°However, the Taoist Court is short of hands, and cultivators of a certain rank are tasked with apprehending sin cultivators of the same rank.¡±


    ¡°A sin cultivator at Foundation Establishment is not at the level to be captured by those of the Golden Core.¡±


    ¡°But this individual is indeed troublesome, difficult to handle, so I want to inform you that there will be no penalty if you choose to cancel the mission.¡±


    Ouyang Feng and the others glanced at each other and shook their heads.


    They were all chosen children of heaven, each with a sense of pride.


    A sin cultivator at mid-stage Foundation Establishment, no matter how thorny, was not enough to deter them.


    With a hint of approval in his gaze, Gu Changhuai passed out several archives:


    ¡°This is the dossier on that Hidden Elder-Second; it contains his place of origin, cultivation techniques, Taoist skills, and so on. Take a good look so you can be prepared.¡±


    Murong Caiyun took the archives and bowed, ¡°Thank you, Supervisor Gu.¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded slightly and turned to leave, but as he did, he glanced at Mo Hua, and couldn¡¯t help but frown upon seeing Mo Hua¡¯s casual, ignorant look.


    Hidden Elder-Second was sly and tricky to deal with.


    Even the seasoned Enforcement Leaders might not be able to see through Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s concealment, let alone defend against his sudden attacks.


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t know what kind of commotion Mo Hua, this little devil, was joining.


    Finding Mo Hua, the little devil, cute but oddly peculiar, Gu Changhuai preferred not to bother with him.


    But after some thought, considering the fact that Mo Hua had saved Yu Er, and he was much cared for by his cousin, Gu Changhuai sighed softly and warned:


    ¡°Be careful¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.


    The others were even more surprised.


    Especially the Enforcement Leader of the Taoist Court, he never expected the always cold and distant Supervisor Gu to actually worry about someone¡­


    It was truly unbelievable¡­


    Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Okay, Uncle Gu.¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded and then left.


    Once everything was settled, the group then set out to capture Hidden Elder-Second.


    According to the archives, Hidden Elder-Second, who was over two hundred years old, was once a disciple of one of the hundred doors of Qian State, the Five Hidden Sect.


    But the Five Hidden Sect had a very niche legacy, making it difficult to recruit disciples, and gradually declined until it was in debt. The sect sold its mountain gate and moved out of Qianxue State Boundary fifty years ago.


    The rise and fall of sects were normal occurrences.


    But after the Five Hidden Sect left, Hidden Elder-Second stayed behind and, relying on the sect¡¯s ultimate techniques, committed all manner of evil deeds.


    This ultimate technique was a concealment spell point known as the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill.


    Mo Hua felt a burst of excitement in his heart.


    Minor Five Elements¡­


    His own Spiritual Root was also the Five Elements Spiritual Root; he felt as if this stealth technique was tailor-made for him.


    Heavenly Secret Calculation was indeed useful.


    The group left the Taoist Court.


    Murong Caiyun and the others, remembering Supervisor Gu¡¯s words, still seemed somewhat grave.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, walked with a light step and a relaxed mood.


    He felt that the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill was already beckoning to him.


    Mo Hua was unexceptional in all respects except for his extraordinarily strong Divine Sense.


    Thus, his favorite and most proficient practice was bullying cultivators skilled in concealment¡ªsneaking and skulking around secretively¡­


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    At this very moment, deep within Canglang Mountain.


    In the woods, where there had been no one, a figure suddenly appeared.


    It was a gaunt, short-statured cultivator with a shadowy and wrinkled face.


    He looked around, then furrowed his brow.


    After killing three people, he had fled to the depths of this mountain to lie low.


    This was his usual routine.


    But during these past few days, he had felt an unsettling fear.


    As if some ill-intentioned ¡°nasty thing¡± had set its sights on him¡­


    Hidden Elder-Second was perplexed.


    For no reason and without leaving any trace, who could possibly be watching him, and how?


    Hidden Elder-Second shook his head.


    Regardless, this was a critical moment; he had to endure and avoid causing further trouble.


    Those three were already a slip-up.


    Any more mistakes, and Mr. Tu would surely kill him, dismember him, and offer his pieces as a sacrifice to the Divine Lord¡¯s half-demon slaves.


    Hidden Elder-Second shuddered.


    He enjoyed disemboweling others but did not enjoy the thought of being disemboweled himself to feed those half-human, half-demon creatures¡­

 Chapter 894 - 618: Eagle Catches Bird

    Chapter 894: Chapter 618: Eagle Catches Bird


    Half a day later.


    Canglang Mountain, Luopan Mountain Road.


    Mo Hua and a few others came to a rugged rocky area beside the mountain path.


    It was here that the three family disciples had died.


    The bodies had already been collected, but some fragments of rock and vegetation still bore faint traces of blood.


    These bloodstains were concentrated, clearly indicating that the victims had not panicked or struggled, instantly killed in one strike, their blood draining away as they rigidly fell.


    Moreover, according to the Taoist Court officials, the disciples were mysteriously gutted post-mortem, making their deaths particularly grisly.


    Of course, in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, this wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary.


    He was a Monster Hunter, used to bloody scenes since childhood.


    Mo Hua curiously stared at the stones on the ground, looking back and forth with a puzzled expression.


    Murong Caiyun inquired with confusion:


    ¡°Junior brother, what are you looking at?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered, ¡°According to my experience, this Hidden elder-second definitely didn¡¯t just decide to kill these disciples on a whim¡­¡±


    ¡°He had been tracking them for a long time, waited until they reached this secluded spot, then suddenly attacked, killing them in one blow¡­¡±


    ¡°After killing them, he gutted them¡­¡±


    ¡°This might be a habit of Hidden elder-second¡­¡±


    ¡°Or maybe, he was trying to cover something up¡­¡±


    Mo Hua held his chin, a very ¡°professional¡± look on his face.


    Murong Caiyun and the others had subtly nuanced expressions.


    ¡°Your experience¡­¡±


    ¡°Junior brother, do you often do this kind of thing?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly paused and immediately shook his head: ¡°I am a serious cultivator! ¡®Killing and looting,¡¯ how could I possibly do such a thing?!¡±


    Don¡¯t slander me!


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun didn¡¯t press further, knowing her junior brother was cleverly mischievous and sometimes scheming¡ªasking further would be pointless.


    ¡°Can you tell where Hidden elder-second went?¡±


    Murong Caiyun asked everyone.


    Ouyang Feng scanned the area with his Divine Sense and slightly shook his head, ¡°A few days have gone by, the remaining Spiritual Power is faint, can¡¯t make out anything¡­¡±


    Shangguan Xu also said, ¡°This is still the mountains, where mountain winds, mists, and various energies mix, making it even harder to distinguish a cultivator¡¯s traces of Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    ¡°That Hidden elder-second probably considered these factors when choosing to strike here.¡±


    Murong Caiyun frowned.


    This made things difficult, leaving no clues to pursue further.


    Mo Hua also knitted his brows.


    His Divine Sense perceived the same as everyone else¡ªthe bloodstains held faint Spiritual Power mingled with mountain mists and various energies, creating a jumbled mess.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was sharp, and he could discern these energies clearly, but that was of no use.


    The traces of Spiritual Power left by Hidden elder-second were indeed too faint.


    At this rate, they had no idea where Hidden elder-second might have fled.


    ¡°The traces are too faint¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Mo Hua¡¯s heart jumped, and he unconsciously thought of the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    There are things in the world that truly exist, only invisible when a cultivator¡¯s Divine Sense isn¡¯t strong enough.


    Just like the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Embedded in magnetic flow, these Thunder Patterns are minute and obscure.


    Ordinary cultivators can¡¯t detect them, but that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t exist.


    Similarly, just because traces are faint doesn¡¯t mean there are no clues¡­ S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All things in the world come from one energy.


    Spiritual Power is one of these things.


    Formations contain the principles of all things in the world.


    So, if formations can be calculated, couldn¡¯t the tracks of a cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power also be ¡°calculated¡±?


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts shifted, secretly using the Heavenly secret Calculation to perceive that faint trace of Spiritual Power.


    But moments later, he couldn¡¯t perceive anything¡­


    Spiritual Power was still just Spiritual Power.


    No change whatsoever.


    Mo Hua was undeterred.


    He believed that within Spiritual Power, there must be some mysteries that one couldn¡¯t sense not because they didn¡¯t exist, but simply due to insufficient Divine Sense Calculation Power¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils darkened slightly as he again initiated the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, forcibly amplifying his Heavenly secret Calculation.


    A dozen breaths later, Mo Hua was visibly shocked.


    He discovered that the trace of Spiritual Power left by Hidden elder-second started to undergo strange changes.


    That tangible Spiritual Power began to produce inexplicable, illusory patterns¡­


    These patterns linked together like karmic chains¡­


    Much like those horrifying nightmares that coveted Yu Er, those grotesque, twisted monsters and spirits emerging from the void, attached by karmic chains, appeared remarkably similar¡­


    The difference being, the monsters¡¯ karmic chains were gray-black, sinister and foul.


    The karmic traces Mo Hua now saw were pale blue, with fine intricate patterns linking cyclically¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned in his heart.


    Could this truly be¡­


    The real Heavenly secret Calculation?


    Heavenly secret Calculation, calculating all things under the heavens, penetrating the ultimate principles of the world¡­


    Starting from the manifested formations of the Great Dao, then to the essential Spiritual Power of formations;


    Spanning across all things and the spiritual essence of everything under heavens;


    And even up to the karmic destiny of all people and objects in the world, ultimately calculating the Heavenly secret, comprehending the Heavenly Dao?


    Could this be¡­ Heavenly secret Calculation?!


    For an instant, Mo Hua felt spiritually enlightened, his thoughts suddenly clear, gaining a sliver of insight into the Heavenly secret.


    But it was just that instant. As his Divine Sense depleted, the sliver of insight gradually faded, and in his perception of the Divine Sense, those Heavenly secret patterns and karmic traces also faded.


    ¡°Not good¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled, he hurriedly seized the moment, continuing to extrapolate Hidden elder-second¡¯s Spiritual Power.


    Hidden elder-second¡¯s remaining Spiritual Power gradually peeled away from karmic, the overlapping patterns cycling together, turning into a strand of qi, rising from the Spiritual Power, then like a guiding path, it extended towards the distance¡­

 Chapter 895 - 895 618 Eagle Catches Bird_2

    ?Chapter 895: Chapter 618 Eagle Catches Bird_2 Chapter 895: Chapter 618 Eagle Catches Bird_2 Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, and he pointed decisively to the west towards Canglang Mountain, saying,


    ¡°He fled into the mountain!¡±


    Everyone was startled.


    Senior Sister Murong looked at Mo Hua with a puzzled face and asked, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and made up a reason, saying earnestly,


    ¡°If I were the murderer, I would also run that way!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Everyone was momentarily at a loss for words.


    Ouyang Feng chuckled and said gently,


    ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll listen to this ¡®little murderer¡¯ and go check it out¡­¡±


    Senior Sister Murong said helplessly,


    ¡°That¡¯s the only thing we can do.¡±


    Since there were no other clues for now, they might as well follow Mo Hua¡¯s suggestion and go check out Canglang Mountain to the west.


    Moreover, she also felt that her junior brother had a keen intuition in such ¡°inexplicable¡± mattersa€|


    Senior Sister Murong and a few others then set off, heading west towards Canglang Mountain.


    Mo Hua walked at the back, turning his head to look again at the bloodstains on the ground and the traces of Spiritual Power that lingered above the stains.


    This kind of trace was derived through Heavenly Secret Calculation, deducing a hint of Spiritual Power causalitya€¡±a ¡°vital breath¡±a€¡±rather than the real ¡°Heavenly Secret.¡±


    However, this ¡°vital breath¡± should be an indication of the ¡°Heavenly Secret.¡±


    His Divine Thought was limited; he could only discern the ¡°vital breath.¡±


    But as long as he continued to work hard and kept calculating, one day when his calculations were complete and his Divine Thought advanced, he would be able to discern the Spiritual Power vital breath, and thus deduce the truly grand Heavenly Secret, encompassing all causality and the life charts of all beings.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled brilliantly, showing slight traces of Heavenly Secret patterns, as resplendent as the stars.


    When he turned to leave, the luster in his eyes was completely concealed, settling deep at the bottom of his eyes.


    His gaze became clearer and more profound.


    ¡­


    To the west of Luopan Mountain Road was the deep part of Canglang Mountain.


    The terrain here was complex, full of rugged rocks, streams, swamps, thick soil mixed with fallen leaves, and dense, fog-wrapped woods.


    After walking for dozens of miles, the group finally discovered unusual traces.


    A Snake Demon, as thick as a forearm, was chopped in half, with a smooth wound indicating that the Spiritual Artifact used was extremely sharpa€¡±probably a dagger.


    The Snake Demon was a Second Grade Realm, albeit in its early stage, yet its death was clean and swift, without any sign of struggle; obviously, it didn¡¯t notice anything before its deatha€|


    ¡°Hidden Elder-Second¡­¡±


    The group¡¯s gaze sharpened, turning involuntarily towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nodded and said,


    ¡°I guessed accurately!¡±


    Senior Sister Murong gave a slight smile with a profound meaning and praised,


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s very precise¡­¡±


    Then her expression turned serious as she looked at the skeleton of the Snake Demon and said softly,


    ¡°The snake blood is half-dry; it obviously didn¡¯t die long ago.


    That Hidden Elder-Second is very likely still in the mountain.¡±


    ¡°According to Supervisor Gu, this person is proficient in concealment, cunning in nature, and ruthless.


    Everyone must be very careful.¡±


    The group nodded solemnly.


    Then they began to hunt down Hidden Elder-Second in the deep mountains.


    Capture if possible, kill if not.


    This was the guideline previously agreed by everyone, applicable to all Sin Cultivators.


    As to how to capture, following Mo Hua¡¯s suggestion, they had already established a plana€|


    Mo Hua prepared many Small Yuan Magnetic Formations, searching the mountain while laying the formations.


    Canglang Mountain was quite large, and the deep mountains here were even more dangerous and complex.


    These Small Yuan Magnetic Formations might not fully control all movements in the mountains, but at least they could provide a location.


    They were useful for identifying directions, searching for people, pursuing, or even mutual rescue.


    The only problem was that they were somewhat expensive.


    A single Small Yuan Magnetic Formation wasn¡¯t too costly, but the cost added up when many were used.


    Fortunately, Senior Sister Murong said she could ¡°reimburse¡± him.


    She would convert these formations into Spirit Stones and pay Mo Hua.


    For children of noble families, Spirit Stones were not in short supply; earning Merit Points made it worthwhile.


    With Senior Sister Murong¡¯s ¡°reimbursement,¡± Mo Hua thus became even more ¡°unrestrained,¡± scattering Small Yuan Magnetic Formations as he went, weaving almost half of Canglang Mountain into a ¡°Yuan Magnetic Net.¡±


    For Hidden Elder-Second, this ¡°moth,¡± it would be fine if he stayed out of the net, but once he entered, he would be ¡°unable to fly away¡±¡­


    Qianqian watched as Mo Hua laid formations all along the way and held several compasses, checking them as he went, and could not help but express her concern,


    ¡°Junior Brother Mo, can you manage all these formations with your Divine Thought?¡±


    The more Small Yuan Magnetic Formations he set up and spread, the more taxing it was to monitor thema€| S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Mo Hua humbly said, ¡°My Divine Thought is quite strong, not weak¡­¡±


    Qianqian was still a bit worried.


    Moments later, Mo Hua suddenly paused and pointed to a spot on one of the compasses, saying,


    ¡°There¡¯s someone here!¡±


    Everyone was startled, then their faces showed joy.


    In the deep mountains of Canglang, where no one should be, those present were highly likely to be Hidden Elder-Second.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check it out!¡± Senior Sister Murong said.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Then, Mo Hua and others arrived at the spot indicated by the compass.


    This was a small grove, and at the foot of a large tree in the grove, Mo Hua buried a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    Currently, near the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, there was another Monster Beast¡¯s corpse.


    It was a Monkey Monster, lying on the ground, its throat slashed and its belly split open, its inner core removed, its blood soaking the rotting mud and fallen leaves.


    Monkey Monsters were humanoid.


    Its manner of death¡­


    ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    was almost identical to that of those three disciples.


    It was indeed Hidden Elder-Second!


    Senior Sister Murong released her Divine Sense and saw that the area around was silent, with no cultivator in sight, then asked Mo Hua, ¡°Do you know where the person is?¡±

 Chapter 896 - 896 618 The Eagle Catches the Bird_3

    ?Chapter 896: Chapter 618: The Eagle Catches the Bird_3 Chapter 896: Chapter 618: The Eagle Catches the Bird_3 Mo Hua glanced at the Yuan Magnetic Compass and pointed to the right, ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Murong Caiyun nodded.


    Then, the group continued the pursuit.


    Upon reaching a small creek, they lost sight of Hidden elder-second again.


    Mo Hua checked the compass and pointed out the direction¡­


    This way, although they hadn¡¯t found Hidden elder-second, they kept a relentless watch on him, step by step.


    And everyone could feel that they were getting closer and closer to Hidden elder-second.


    If they continued the chase, they would certainly catch up.


    Upon realizing this, the look in Murong Caiyun¡¯s eyes became more serious when she looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s ability to set up formations, search mountains, and track was just too strong¡­


    This was because Hidden elder-second was adept at concealment and naturally vigilant, which was why the chase had lasted for so long.


    If it were any ordinary Foundation Building Cultivator, they would definitely have been ¡°caught¡± by Mo Hua by now.


    In their hearts, everyone silently gave Mo Hua a new level of recognition.


    Mo Hua, however, was wholeheartedly focused, gazing at the compass while recalling the terrain of Canglang Mountain in his mind, guessing where Hidden elder-second might be hiding.


    He felt that it wouldn¡¯t be long before they would meet face to face.


    The pursuit was still ongoing¡­


    Sure enough, after more than an hour, they caught up with Hidden elder-second.


    The short and skinny Hidden elder-second, with a sinister face, was roasting some unknown meat in front of a pile of rocks.


    The moment Mo Hua and the others caught up with him, he noticed.


    But he did not flee, nor did he hide; instead, he slowly stood up, looked at Murong Caiyun and the others with cold eyes, and in a hoarse voice tinged with confusion, asked,


    ¡°How did you know I was here?¡±


    Of course, Murong Caiyun wouldn¡¯t tell him but said sternly,


    ¡°Hidden elder-second, you have slaughtered many cultivators, and your crimes are numerous.


    If you don¡¯t surrender, then don¡¯t blame us for being rude¡­¡±


    Hidden elder-second scoffed, ¡°Rude?


    Just with the four of you?¡±


    Murong Caiyun was taken aback.


    Four?


    She looked around and realized that Mo Hua had, at some point, deployed his Concealment Technique and silently disappeared without a trace¡­


    So Hidden elder-second had only seen four of them.


    ¡°Really clever¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun thought to herself and then, with a cold look in her eyes, loudly declared,


    ¡°The four of us are more than enough!¡±


    Hidden elder-second scoffed, cut off a piece of roasted meat, threw it into his mouth, and chewed loudly.


    Then disdainfully said,


    ¡°Overestimate yourselves, catch me?


    Maybe in your next life¡­¡±


    Having said that, he faded from view in front of everyone, disappearing completely.


    As his figure faded, Murong Caiyun had already formed a spell, and Five-colored Spirit Light shot forth, but when the Spirit Light hit the ground and shattered the rocks, there was no trace of Hidden elder-second.


    Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu also joined the attack but came up empty.


    Hidden elder-second had used the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill to escape unnoticed.


    Murong Caiyun frowned.


    Just then, she heard a light, clear voice next to her ear, ¡°Sister, to the right, near the creek¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun followed the sound and saw, by the creek, a faint footprint in the rippling water stream.


    She immediately pointed her slender hand and a beam of light shone upon it.


    Hidden elder-second used a dagger to block the light, but in doing so, he inadvertently revealed his figure, looking perplexed.


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s eyes sharpened as she commanded,


    ¡°Chase him!¡±


    Ouyang Feng and the others nodded and activated their movement techniques, chasing after Hidden elder-second.


    Seeing this, Hidden elder-second just sneered and vanished again.


    As Murong Caiyun was halfway through the chase, Hidden elder-second¡¯s figure had disappeared; she had to stop.


    It was at this moment she heard Mo Hua say,


    ¡°He¡¯s in the bushes¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng and the others heard this too.


    They exchanged glances, their expressions filled with surprise, and then nodded to each other, signaling to continue pursuing Hidden elder-second¡­


    Hidden elder-second dived into the bushes, crossed the creek, climbed over a cliff, and then arrived in a desolate forest.


    He concealed himself and climbed a large tree, his gaze furtively observing the path he had taken, his brow deeply furrowed.


    Couldn¡¯t shake them off?


    What was going on¡­


    These Sect Disciples were only in their twenties in terms of years of cultivation, they clearly couldn¡¯t penetrate his concealment, so why were they always able to catch up to him?


    They also didn¡¯t have any methods to uncover his Stealth Technique.


    He had been careful along the way, checking his clothes and Storage Bag thoroughly and hadn¡¯t found any ¡°tracking¡± Spiritual Objects on him.


    What were they using to track him?


    There was also a critical question that Hidden elder-second couldn¡¯t figure out.


    How did they know he was hiding in the deep mountains west of Canglang Mountain?


    He hadn¡¯t left any traces¡­


    Could it be¡­


    Hidden elder-second¡¯s heart trembled, ¡°Could some Cultivator skilled in Heavenly secret Ghost Count have calculated his fate, locked onto his Life Chart, and determined his location¡­¡±


    A chill ran through Hidden elder-second¡¯s heart, he pondered for a moment, then shook his head. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Impossible¡­


    ¡°Why would such a powerful being bother with a minor character like me?¡±


    Lost in thought, Hidden elder-second couldn¡¯t come up with an answer and finally snorted,


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s play along with these youngsters¡­¡±


    But as the game went on, Hidden elder-second soon sensed that something was amiss.


    ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    He discovered Small Yuan Magnetic Formations.


    These formations were intricately set up with concealed methods, the work of a highly experienced Second Grade Formation Master.


    And in the deep mountain, these Small Yuan Magnetic Formations seemed to be everywhere¡­


    In a daze, Hidden elder-second felt as though he was a bird and Canglang Mountain was a vast net.


    There was an invisible and intangible but meticulous and malicious entity behind the scenes, wanting to tighten this net step by step, to catch him like a bird!


    It wasn¡¯t him playing with these youngsters.

 Chapter 897 - 897 618 Eagle Catches Bird_4

    ?Chapter 897: Chapter 618: Eagle Catches Bird_4 Chapter 897: Chapter 618: Eagle Catches Bird_4 But it was he himself being ¡°played¡± by them.


    Hidden Elder Second¡¯s face darkened with rising anger inside.


    What audacity!


    Did they really think he was a soft persimmon, to be manipulated at their whim?!


    Hidden Elder Second¡¯s face twitched with a murderous intent.


    Yet, he restrained himself.


    At such a time, he could not afford any complications.


    These sect disciples had significant identities; killing them would invite trouble.


    And if by mischance he got caught and handed over to the Taoist Court, the trouble would be even greater¡­


    Moreover, there was a ¡°hidden hand¡± lurking in the shadows, watching him like a tiger stalking its prey.


    Hidden Elder Second suppressed his anger and continued to flee through Canglang Mountain.


    But he soon realized, no matter how he fled, he seemed unable to escape the pursuit of these sect disciples.


    After a long half day that involved wriggling through bushes, wading through streams, getting stuck in swamps, and even brushing past demon dung, Hidden Elder Second could no longer bear it.


    A fierce murderous intent surged in his heart.


    ¡°Fine!


    You bunch of little brats!¡±


    ¡°Think I wouldn¡¯t dare kill you?!¡±


    Just a few cultivators in the middle phase of Foundation Establishment, still in their sect training, barely tasting a few drops of blood, yet so full of themselves, daring to surround and attack him¡­


    Hidden Elder Second¡¯s eyes gleamed red.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you die a swift death¡­¡±


    ¡°As for those two female disciples, kill them first for entertainment when bored in the mountains¡­¡±


    Stealthily approaching, one knife per person.


    Numbers wouldn¡¯t help.


    It wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t killed before¡­


    Seeing the group approaching again, Hidden Elder Second let out an evil laugh, then pushed the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill to its limit, completely concealing his form, even making his spiritual power barely visible.


    For a moment, even Mo Hua, who had been closely monitoring Hidden Elder Second, could ¡°see¡± no trace of him.


    Hidden Elder Second¡­


    totally vanished¡­


    A chill ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Was this¡­


    the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill?


    Could it really eradicate the existence of one¡¯s own spiritual power?


    Mo Hua pushed his Divine Sense to its extreme, his pupils deepening.


    He could see faint shadows, but this perception was intermittent and elusive.


    The form disappeared, the spiritual power faint, indistinct¡­


    Suddenly, Mo Hua sensed a chilling murderous intent.


    His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately shouted:


    ¡°Senior Sister Murong, behind you!¡±


    Murong Caiyun, who was carefully searching for Hidden Elder Second in the forest, turned pale and tensed, crushing a rune she had held in her hand all along in the nick of time.


    The Golden Bell Rune!


    A faint golden light formed a protective bell around her.


    At the same time, a sharp dagger, laced with Water Poison, abruptly appeared, slicing towards Murong Caiyun¡¯s neck. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But it struck the radiantly golden bell.


    The golden light faded layer by layer, the dagger inching forward.


    The Golden Bell Shield struggled to hold but ultimately bought a couple of moments, allowing Murong Caiyun to use her movement technique to retreat swiftly.


    ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s figure flashed, shielding in front of Murong Caiyun, then thrust out with his sword towards the dagger.


    Shangguan Xu also delivered a strike with his sword from behind.


    Hua Qianqian scattered numerous Hundred Flowers Spirit Needles, sealing the gaps.


    Hidden Elder Second cursed and twisted his body, fleeing through the sword qi, but his shoulder was struck by a Spirit Needle.


    The fleeing Hidden Elder Second reactivated the Stealth Technique, completely disappearing once again.


    Without sound, not even the noise of footsteps.


    Ouyang Feng and the others had solemn expressions, remaining fully on guard for Hidden Elder Second¡¯s surprise attacks.


    But the mountain forest was deathly quiet, covered in layers of dead leaves, not a single sound.


    Just then, Murong Caiyun suddenly looked towards the distance, her face losing color as she urgently shouted: ¡°Mo Hua!¡±


    Under a large tree in the distance.


    There was originally nothing, but suddenly a swift and venomous dagger appeared, wrapped in cold spiritual power, fiercely stabbing out.


    Below the dagger, there was equally nothing before.


    But as the dagger stabbed forward, a pale blue Water Shadow appeared out of thin air.


    Water flowed formlessly, images overlapped heavily.


    A light figure emerged from beneath the dagger, retreating backward gracefully like a river at low tide, the Water Passing Step embodying poise.


    Second-Grade Water Passing Step!


    Mo Hua performed the Water Passing Step and dodged the strike but also revealed his shape.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Hidden Elder Second, who missed with the dagger, also revealed his face.


    He looked towards Mo Hua, his expression froze, his eyes filled with disbelief¡­


    The hidden hand in the shadows, laying an Original Magnet net in Canglang Mountain, watching him like an eagle eyeing its prey, forcing him to flee in panic¡­


    How could it be such a young kid?!

 Chapter 898 - 898 619 Its Mine Now

    ?Chapter 898: Chapter 619 It¡¯s Mine Now Chapter 898: Chapter 619 It¡¯s Mine Now Hidden Elder-Second only had a moment of surprise before he reversed his dagger and charged forward, its tip tracing a deep blue, sinister gleam of watery light, aiming straight for Mo Hua¡¯s throat.


    He wanted to strike first and dispose of this little threat.


    No matter who this youngster was or what identity he held, in Canglang Mountain, he must die first!


    Proficient at using the Original Magnet Formation, adept in concealment, and watching him like a hawk, discerning his every move.


    For him, a cultivator specialized in stealth and assassination, Mo Hua was a natural enemy.


    Such a ¡°thorn in the side¡± must be removed first, only then could he free his hands to slowly toy with the remaining Sect Disciples.


    Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s expression was solemn, his gaze ferocious.


    The dagger transformed into a deadly gleama€¡±it reached Mo Hua¡¯s throat in the blink of an eye.


    Calm and unruffled, Mo Hua leaned back, dodging the malicious dagger aimed at his throat.


    Then, with water trails swirling around him, it was as though he borrowed strength from thin air.


    Mo Hua flipped backward in midair with a graceful twist, landing a foot on Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s head and used it to spring back with a backflip, quickly retreating.


    Hidden Elder-Second, who missed his strike and had Mo Hua circle to his back, jumping over his head and stepping on the back of his skull, felt immensely humiliated.


    He turned around in fury.


    But as he turned, he faced Mo Hua drifting in midair, wrapped in flowing water, extending a finger toward him.


    Following that, a fireball quickly formed and shot straight toward his face.


    Caught off-guard, Hidden Elder-Second was struck in the face by the fireball, which exploded into a burst of flames and knocked him to the ground.


    Moments later, Hidden Elder-Second rose, his hair singed, his eyes nearly splitting with anger.


    Mo Hua thought it was a pity.


    The power of the Fireball Technique was admittedly lacking.


    Though it had hit Hidden Elder-Second, who was at the peak of the Foundation Building Middle Phase, square in the facea€¡±leaving him disheveled and embarrasseda€¡±the damage inflicted was limited.


    Magic was his most frequently used and fastest attack method.


    It seemed he indeed needed to think about enhancing the power of his spells and expanding the variety of them.


    While he would primarily focus on Formation, he must also not neglect his spellwork.


    Learning an additional spell would provide an extra method for dealing with danger in the future.


    Meanwhile, Hidden Elder-Second, unable to contain his rage but shocked internally,


    Repeatedly dodging his killing blows with movement techniques was no coincidence.


    This movement technique¡­


    And the timing, speed, and precision of his Fireball Technique¡­


    This youngster was actually a master of magic!


    But how was this possible?


    Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s pupils constricted.


    How old was this kid?


    Where had he learned such seamless movement techniques seasoned by life-and-death battles, as well as the impeccable timing in using spells?


    Murong Caiyun and the others were also stunned.


    This was their first time seeing Mo Hua use such fluid, dazzlingly swift movement techniques.


    While unaware of its origins, it was definitely not an ordinary heritage.


    Also, the way he used his movement techniques to create distance, lock down positions, then precisely timed the release of the Fireball Techniquea€¡±it was all too expertly done¡­


    The others were half through their reflections when they suddenly remembered they had to step up to help.


    No matter how smooth Mo Hua¡¯s movement techniques or proficient his spells were, given that he was only in the early phase of Foundation Establishment, tangling with a sinister cultivator like Hidden Elder-Second could lead to more peril than luck.


    Without delay, Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu immediately unleashed their Sword Qi and charged at Hidden Elder-Second.


    Murong Caiyun cast her spells, and Hua Qianqian manipulated the Hundred Flowers Spirit Needle, covering from the side, restraining Hidden Elder-Second. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the four of them working together, the assassination expert Hidden Elder-Second knew he was no match, his eyes bloodshot and teeth gritted, trying to kill Mo Hua before the onslaught of attacks from Ouyang Feng and others reached him.


    As long as Mo Hua remained alive, the hatred in his heart would burn.


    As long as Mo Hua remained alive, his own life was at risk!


    But as he turned his head, he saw Mo Hua¡¯s figure fading, about to disappear.


    Hidden Elder-Second roared,


    ¡°Kid, try fighting without going invisible!¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t bother to respond, instead, he made a face at him and then vanished.


    Fuming, Hidden Elder-Second cursed repeatedly but seeing Ouyang Feng¡¯s Sword Qi, spells, and Spirit Needles about to strike, he had no choice but to flee into the distance and then activated his Stealth Technique to hide.


    Both Mo Hua and Hidden Elder-Second had disappeared.


    Murong Caiyun and the others, looking around cluelessly, unsure of where to strike, reluctantly formed a defensive formation, being wary of another stealth attack from Hidden Elder-Second.


    Meanwhile, hidden and unseen, Mo Hua frowned.


    He released his Divine Sense to spy on Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s whereabouts.


    But Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s presence was still faint, his Spiritual Power hazy, and his figure intermittently visiblea€¡±sometimes locked on by his Divine Sense and sometimes undetectable.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    This Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill was a bit strange¡­


    ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã0


    To some extent, the technique could condense Spiritual Power and make its presence fainter, thus evading the Divine Sense of others.


    This was different from the principle behind Mo Hua¡¯s own Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua¡¯s learned Concealment Technique could only obscure his physical form, making him invisible to the naked eye.


    And then, relying on powerful Divine Thought, others couldn¡¯t break his concealment with their Divine Sense.


    However, the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill could suppress others¡¯ perception of his Spiritual Power, thus not solely relying on Divine Sense to enhance its concealment effect.


    Mo Hua had sensed it before.


    Hidden Elder-Sec¡­

 Chapter 899 - 899 619 Its Mine Now_2

    ?Chapter 899: Chapter 619 It¡¯s Mine Now_2 Chapter 899: Chapter 619 It¡¯s Mine Now_2 Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone with excitement.


    ¡°I must master this Stealth Technique!¡±


    If he could learn it himself, he could move stealthily, creep up behind someone, press a fireball against the back of their head, and they might not even notice¡­


    Mo Hua focused intently, extended his Divine Sense to its utmost, and scanned the forest back and forth, trying to ¡°lock onto¡± Hidden elder-second completely¡­


    Suddenly, Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed, and he moved like flowing water, leaving his original spot.


    The instant Mo Hua left, a dagger narrowly stuck into the empty ground.


    The venomous Spiritual Power intertwined, grinding the fallen leaves and soil on the ground into dust.


    Seeing that Mo Hua had dodged again, Hidden elder-second cursed under his breath, gripped the dagger in reverse, and continued to stab at Mo Hua.


    But around Mo Hua, a faint blue water light flowed, pulling him along, nimbly circling within Hidden elder-second¡¯s offense, dodging his deadly strikes one by one.


    In the distance, Murong Caiyun and others saw Hidden elder-second appear and joined the attack.


    Hidden elder-second, gasping for breath, increased the speed, ferocity, and strength of his attacks, hoping to kill this detestable lad all at once.


    But no matter how hard he tried, the dagger was always a fraction away from Mo Hua.


    This tiny distance seemed within arm¡¯s reach yet as far as the horizon.


    Finally, Hidden elder-second broke his guard, shouting in frustration,


    ¡°What the hell kind of movement technique is this?¡±


    ¡°Which damn, cursed idiot taught you?!¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua responded, ¡°Your grandpa taught me!¡±


    He silently added two more generations, in gratitude to Zhang Lan.


    Hidden elder-second couldn¡¯t stand Mo Hua¡¯s sharp-tongued demeanor but was powerless against him.


    Meanwhile, Ouyang Feng and others arrived, encircling Hidden elder-second.


    The group then confronted Hidden elder-second.


    Hidden elder-second no longer rushed to hide.


    He had tried to kill Mo Hua several times without success, harboring a stomach full of fire.


    Instead, it was Mo Hua who asked curiously,


    ¡°You can actually see through my Concealment Technique?¡±


    He had been hiding on the side, silent and unseen, yet Hidden elder-second had pulled him out twice.


    He had never encountered this before.


    Hidden elder-second sneered, ¡°Young brat, trying to show off the axe at the door of the axemaker by daring to use your Concealment Technique in front of me¡­¡±


    Hidden elder-second wore a mocking expression.


    Mo Hua, broad-minded, didn¡¯t take it to heart and blinked his eyes, probing,


    ¡°Did you use your Divine Sense to find me?¡±


    ¡°Why use Divine Sense?¡± Hidden elder-second scoffed, ¡°With just my eyes, I can spot the flaws in your Concealment Technique.¡±


    ¡°With your eyes¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then figured it out.


    His Concealment Technique involved covering his whole body with pure, almost transparent Water System Spiritual Power, allowing light and shadow to pass through, thus obscuring his tracks.


    He was also wearing a Concealment Cloak.


    But the effects of both were roughly similar.


    Ordinary cultivators might not notice, but Hidden elder-second, long versed in Stealth Techniques and living off such skills as a Sin Cultivator, would certainly spot the flaws.


    So, he might not have been lying; it was indeed possible that he ¡°saw¡± the flaws in his own Concealment Technique.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly and sighed internally.


    Indeed, one should never underestimate any villain.


    The Cultivation World is vast, brimming with talented individuals; others, who have invested so much effort and painstakingly researched, definitely have their insights and specialties.


    Underestimating others could easily lead to a downfall.


    Mo Hua silently admonished himself.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s serious expression, Hidden elder-second presumably sensed his own prowess and a shade of smugness crossed his sinister face.


    But before he could relish in his triumph for long, his face darkened, realizing a terrifying issue:


    ¡°How did this brat¡­


    see through his own Concealment?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t so much ¡°seeing through¡± as ¡°sensing.¡±


    After a brief exchange, Hidden elder-second knew, even if he exerted his full Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, some traces were still sensed by Mo Hua.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge his killing moves.


    But how did he ¡°sense¡± it?


    In Hidden elder-second¡¯s eyes, although Mo Hua¡¯s use of Concealment was adept, the legacy was extremely crude and even seemed patchy.


    A shallow inheritance meant he couldn¡¯t possibly rely on experience to spot his own Concealment¡¯s flaws with his eyes.


    ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï


    Spiritual Artifact?


    He showed no signs of using a Spiritual Artifact.


    Then the only other possibility:


    Divine Sense¡­


    But¡­


    Divine Sense?


    Hidden elder-second found it absurd.


    Could it be that he saw through the kid¡¯s Concealment with skill,


    While the kid saw through his own just with plain Divine Sense?


    That was impossible¡­


    Hidden elder-second scoffed, then upon a closer look, suddenly noticed the pupil of the opposite lad turn profoundly deep, tinged with a hint of pitch black.


    Simultaneously, a cold, eerie, yet incredibly firm Divine Sense, like chains, quietly wound around him¡­


    Hidden elder-second was instantly terrified.


    ¡°Is it really Divine Sense?!¡±


    Seeing himself about to be locked by this eerie Divine Sense, Hidden elder-second, with the speed of lightning, pulled out a Rune and crushed it immediately.


    A burst of intense dust spread out, blocking the line of sight and confusing the aura.


    At the same time, Hidden elder-second swiftly used the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, and his figure disappeared.


    But he had spoken too much previously to show off, giving Mo Hua plenty of time to lock his Divine Sense.


    So, even though he had disappeared using Concealment, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense could still quite clearly capture his trail.


    Hidden elder-second soon realized his nightmare had beguna€|


    No matter where he fled, there was always a Fireball Technique like a ¡°bright lamp¡± hitting him, forcing him to reveal himself and leaving him flustered and extremely embarrassed.

 Chapter 900 - 900 619 is Mine_3

    ?Chapter 900: Chapter 619 is Mine_3 Chapter 900: Chapter 619 is Mine_3 And quickly, Murong Caiyun and the others caught on.


    Wherever the Fireball Technique was directed, they would attack.


    Hidden elder-second¡¯s face turned deathly pale.


    A cultivator skilled in assassination, once their Concealment Technique was broken, was like a man who had lost his legs, virtually useless.


    He tried his best to break free, but a strand of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was indestructible and inexhaustible, tightly entwining around him, impossible to shake off no matter what he did.


    ¡°Seeing goddamn ghosts!¡±


    Hidden elder-second had lived till now, fought countless battles, but had never encountered a cultivator with such a bizarre and terrifying Divine Sense.


    Moreover, this strand of Divine Sense was binding tighter and tighter, locking him down more and more securely.


    Like a hunting falcon extending its claws, firmly digging into his flesh.


    Waiting only to take his life.


    This kid wasn¡¯t only powerful in Divine Sense a€¡° his Divine Sense completely overwhelmed his own!


    Sweat drenched the back of hidden elder-second.


    He felt as if a sharp sword hung, just three inches from the back of his neck, its cold gleam to the bone, about to fall any second.


    On the edge of life and death, hidden elder-second stimulated his potential and with all his might, fled for several rounds.


    Each time he managed to narrowly escape amid the gaps between Mo Hua¡¯s fireballs, Sword Qi, and spells.


    Hidden elder-second felt a sense of relief; perhaps he might have a chance to live if this continued.


    But then he was startled, feeling something was wrong.


    That kid¡¯s Divine Sense had completely locked him down.


    Logically speaking, his life should be hanging by a thread, so why could he still flee for so long?


    And that Fireball Technique, though it chased him like a specter of death.


    Every time he truly had no escape, the Fireball would delay for a bit, giving him a moment to catch his breath.


    Allowing him to employ his Concealment Technique and slip away again¡­


    Why?


    Was it a cat playing with a mouse?


    That little devil, was he toying with me?


    Hidden elder-second¡¯s gaze turned venomous, and glancing back, he caught a glimpse of Mo Hua with a peripheral view.


    Mo Hua appeared focused, always watching him, his gaze intense, as if penetrating something¡­


    Penetrating?


    Hidden elder-second was taken aback, then profoundly shaken.


    Penetrating¡­


    This little devil!


    Was he learning my Stealth Technique?!


    Using Divine Sense to fixate on him, the Fireball Technique to press him, forcing him to display all his life¡¯s knowledge of the Stealth Technique and escape before him.


    So, he could brazenly steal the technique!


    Outrageous!


    Hidden elder-second was shocked and furious, while deep down, also profoundly frightened.


    ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°I must not let him learn it, nor even let him glimpse the secrets of the spell!¡±


    Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill was the Ultimate Technique of the Five Hidden Gate.


    In principle, it was not so simple to learn by theft, nor was it so easy to be deciphered.


    But there was something very wrong with this kid.


    Hidden elder-second dared not gamble.


    He decided to ¡°throw in the towel.¡±


    He realized that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t shake off that kid¡¯s Divine Sense lock.


    No matter how much he struggled, he couldn¡¯t escape from the combined assault of the four Sect Disciples.


    Continuing to try, he might even allow the little devil to pilfer his years of Stealth Technique insights.


    The legacy must not be lost!


    If the secrets of Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill leaked out, he would lose his very foundation, unable to stand firm in the underworld of Qianxue State boundary.


    Hidden elder-second steeled his heart.


    That being the case, it might be better to give in.


    His movements immediately became much more passive.


    He used only his movement technique to dodge the Sword Energy Spells, and his Stealth Technique began ¡°hiding its clumsiness,¡± using only the most basic techniques, no longer going all out.


    After all, even the most simply executed Stealth Technique wouldn¡¯t be unraveled by those four Sect Disciples. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And no matter how hard he tried to use Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, he couldn¡¯t keep it from that kid.


    The result was the same.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    This Hidden elder-second, with no ¡°ambition,¡± no ¡°will to live,¡± was very disappointing.


    He had guessed right; Mo Hua had indeed been holding back, forcing Hidden elder-second himself to demonstrate how to employ the Stealth Technique and deal with the enemy.


    How to use Concealment to dodge death, and how to use Concealment to launch a sneak attack.


    What secrets did the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill hold¡­


    After watching for a while, Mo Hua learned many Stealth Techniques, benefiting greatly.


    He also somewhat understood the principles of the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill.


    ¡°Minor Five Elements¡± Stealth, the core was in the Five Elements.


    The key to this Stealth Technique was not truly to hide one¡¯s own Spiritual Power, but to use the Five Elements Qi contained in all things between heaven and earth to mask one¡¯s Spiritual Power aura.


    Approach plants, use the Wood Qi of the Five Elements for cover.


    Approach water, use Water Qi of the Five Elements to conceal oneself¡­


    Similarly, proximity to soil, Goldstone, fire, and other such things could enhance the stealth effect of the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill.


    If there were no Five Elements substances around, the effect of this Stealth Technique would be hardly different from an ordinary Concealment Technique.


    But once near the Five Elements, merging with the breath of the world, employing all things to hide oneself.


    This Five Elements Stealth Skill would be exceptionally powerful.


    That¡¯s why earlier, the perception of Hidden elder-second by his own Divine Sense had been vague and intermittent.


    Near the Five Elements, his Concealment was strong.


    Away from the Five Elements, his Concealment weakened.


    The traces he left in the Sea of Consciousness would also be unclear and unpredictable.


    Mo Hua had a moment of enlightenment.


    Initially, he wanted to continue observing, to use Hidden elder-second as a ¡°practical case¡± to improve his own level of Stealth Technique.


    But Hidden elder-second had become aware.


    ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï


    The ¡°lab rat¡± had given up, and Mo Hua could do nothing about it.


    So, it was time for a quick resolution¡­


    Mo Hua held back no longer and reached out to grab.


    In the void, faint blue Patterns appeared, solidifying into a Water Prison, trapping Hidden elder-second on the spot.

 Chapter 901 - 901 619 Is Mine_4

    ?Chapter 901: Chapter 619 Is Mine_4 Chapter 901: Chapter 619 Is Mine_4 Under the Water Prison Technique, Hidden elder-second couldn¡¯t move for a moment, feeling dizzy and sick as if drowning.


    ¡°Binding Spell¡­¡±


    Hidden elder-second felt his heart go cold.


    As expected, this detestable little brat still had something up his sleeve¡­


    With this strange Binding Spell, from the very beginning, he had no way to escape¡­


    Hidden elder-second was completely engulfed in rage.


    He was now full of regret, deep regret.


    Regretting why he hadn¡¯t checked the almanac before leaving the house, encountering such a disaster star who was like a natural nemesis¡­


    The moment he was immobilized by the Water Prison Technique, Hidden elder-second knew he was doomed.


    Sure enough, within a few moments, Ouyang Feng¡¯s Red Gold Yellow Maple Sword pierced his left leg;


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s Five-colored Spirit Light penetrated his left arm;


    Hua Qianqian¡¯s Hundred Flowers Spirit Needle stuck in his knee; while Shangguan Xu placed his Heavy Sword at his neck¡­


    The sinister and malevolent Hidden elder-second was subdued.


    Mo Hua immediately ran over from a distance, seeing Hidden elder-second¡¯s eyes splitting with rage, staring venomously at him, he ¡°kindly¡± suggested:


    ¡°Let¡¯s break both legs first¡­¡±


    Everyone was stunned, looking at Mo Hua with very subtle expressions.


    Although they had been on many missions and dealt with Sin Cultivators, they had never been ¡°experienced¡± to this extent¡­


    ¡°Prevention is better than cure!¡±


    Mo Hua said earnestly.


    In this respect, he had experience!


    Thinking about it, Ouyang Feng felt that what Mo Hua said made sense, so he flicked his wrist and emitted two Sword Qi, breaking Hidden elder-second¡¯s legs.


    Hidden elder-second grimaced in pain, his gaze becoming even more venomous.


    Mo Hua turned a blind eye and began searching through Hidden elder-second¡¯s Storage Bag.


    Inside Hidden elder-second¡¯s Storage Bag, there were only some Spirit Stones, a few sinister daggers, and some books detailing the vital points of Cultivators, intended for assassination.


    Besides this, there were also some Jade Slips.


    But the Jade Slips contained only some poison recipes and miscellaneous Cultivation Techniques and the like.


    Overall, the Storage Bag didn¡¯t contain anything critical.


    Clearly, Hidden elder-second was cunning in action and in person, and wouldn¡¯t put any crucial things in such an obvious place like the Storage Bag.


    Mo Hua then asked Hidden elder-second, ¡°Where is the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill?¡±


    Those around, like Murong Caiyun, weren¡¯t surprised.


    Throughout the journey, they had guessed as much.


    This Junior Brother Mo Hua, eager to catch this Hidden elder-second, was probably interested in his Concealment Technique.


    But such a thing was also natural.


    Catching a Sin Cultivator, scavenging the spoils of war, learning a few Spells, as long as it wasn¡¯t related to vital Sect secrets or Evil Techniques and Demon Skills, was all acceptable.


    And now that Hidden elder-second was captured, the Merit Points were also in hand.


    As for Hidden elder-second, they let this Junior Brother do as he wished¡­


    Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian kept watch around them to avoid being ambushed by Monster Beasts or other Sin Cultivators.


    Shangguan Xu stood beside Mo Hua so that in case of danger, he could protect him.


    Ouyang Feng stood behind Hidden elder-second, in case he had any tricks left and made a sudden move to harm someone.


    Hidden elder-second spat out a mouthful of blood and sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll hand it over!¡±


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, ¡°Quite tough!¡±


    Then, unable to wait any longer, he took out a metal plate from the Storage Bag.


    He had later found some time to ¡°modify¡± this metal plate.


    The effects of the Mountain, Water, and Fire Formations felt a bit weak, lacking a complementary effect between them.


    This time, he removed the Mountain Formation and added a Gold-series Formation instead.


    A Golden Needle pricking the knee should be more painful than a rock.


    If Hidden elder-second wasn¡¯t so stubborn, he would have felt embarrassed to ¡°execute the punishment.¡±


    But now, not only was he stubborn, but he was also looking at him fiercely, and Mo Hua just so happened to test this improved ¡°Formation Punishment Board¡± on him.


    ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    Mo Hua placed the metal plate on the ground, activated the Formation, then said in a crisp voice to Hidden elder-second:


    ¡°Just kneel for a moment, see if it hurts; if it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll think of a way to optimize it and improve it a bit¡­¡±


    Hidden elder-second was dumbfounded.


    What the hell is this little devil talking about?


    Such venomous words, yet spoken from his lips, they somehow sounded like he was saying,


    ¡°I have a candy here, try it later and see if it¡¯s sweeta€¡±if not, I¡¯ll add more sugar.¡±


    ¡°Senior Brother Feng!¡±


    Mo Hua glanced at Ouyang Feng.


    Ouyang Feng understood immediately and skillfully grabbed Hidden elder-second, pressing him onto the iron board, and immediately a pig-slaughtering scream erupted.


    Murong Caiyun helplessly held her forehead.


    Beside her, Shangguan Xu and Hua Qianqian were dumbfounded.


    It was their first encounter with this ¡°iron board,¡± but it wouldn¡¯t be the last¡­


    Mo Hua curiously asked Hidden elder-second, ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Hidden elder-second, in so much pain he couldn¡¯t speak, trembled all over, nearly crushing his teeth.


    ¡°Speak up¡­¡± Mo Hua urged again.


    Hidden elder-second was so furious he spat blood.


    After about the time it took to brew a cup of tea, just as Hidden elder-second was about to faint, Mo Hua moved his Divine Sense and turned off the Formation on the iron board.


    But even though Hidden elder-second was unsteady, he exuded a fierce determination and refused to speak a word.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    He had slightly overestimated the capability of his iron board.


    Painful as it was, it still lacked some variance and needed some ¡°improvements.¡±


    At the same time, he realized he had somewhat underestimated Hidden elder-second.


    Indeed, Hidden elder-second was a tough man!


    Was this inheritance of the Stealth Skill so important?


    Even if tortured to death, he wouldn¡¯t speak?


    Or perhaps, did he feel that being captured meant an inevitable death later on, so it mattered not whether he spoke?


    Or maybe, had he undergone some training and harbored unspeakable secrets, so once captured, he would clench his teeth and remain silent?


    a€|


    In an instant, Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts were rampant.


    However, he didn¡¯t care about other matters; what concerned him the most was the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill.


    The duck that was almost in his mouth cannot be allowed to fly away!


    If Hidden elder-second wouldn¡¯t speak, then he would search himself.


    Such precious inheritancea€¡±Hidden elder-second would definitely carry it on his body.


    Just like his own inheritances, all hidden within the Storage Ring his master had given hima€¡±Hidden elder-second must also have a hiding place on his body!


    Mo Hua thought of the Letter Token.


    The Letter Token of Bald Eagle that he hadn¡¯t managed to find, which was later discovered by the Taoist Court¡­


    Mo Hua felt somewhat indignant.


    Suddenly, an idea struck him; he thought of the causality air mechanism he had sensed while Calculating the nature¡¯s spiritual energy.


    Calculation!


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, his pupils darkened with a black base, and upon this, threads of the Heavenly secret pattern began to form.


    Hidden elder-second shuddered, feeling as if Mo Hua¡¯s enigmatic and profound eyes had seen right through his secretsa€|


    A moment later, Mo Hua¡¯s expression brightened, he took out the Thousand Jun Stick and handed it to Ouyang Feng, pointing at Hidden elder-second, ¡°Senior Brother Feng!


    Help me smash his teeth!¡±


    Ouyang Feng hesitated.


    ¡°Teeth?¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Ouyang Feng complied with Mo Hua¡¯s wishes.


    With a look of terror on Hidden elder-second¡¯s face, Ouyang Feng gathered his Spiritual Power into Strength, and with one strike of his stick, smashed Hidden elder-second¡¯s teeth.


    Blood flowed out, with Hidden elder-second¡¯s teeth scattered on the ground.


    Mo Hua discerned briefly, picked out one tooth, smiling beamingly.


    This tooth, was a ¡°Storage Bag¡±!


    A very tiny Storage Bag, with a palm-sized space inside, just enough to contain a Jade Slip.


    Mo Hua took out the Jade Slip and dangled it in front of Hidden elder-second. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hidden elder-second widened his eyes, disbelieving.


    Mo Hua smiled cheerfully and said,


    ¡°Your Stealth Technique is good, but now it¡¯s mine!¡±

 Chapter 902 - 902 620 Five Hidden Gate

    ?Chapter 902: Chapter 620 Five Hidden Gate Chapter 902: Chapter 620 Five Hidden Gate ¡°Using teeth as a ¡®Storage Bag¡¯ to preserve the inheritance inside the Jade Slip.¡±


    ¡°This Hidden Elder-Second, is truly sinister and cunning.¡±


    Murong Caiyun and the others looked surprised, and then they turned to look at Mo Hua, even more shocked.


    They felt that their Junior Brother was even more cunning than Hidden Elder-Second¡­


    He even discovered the Jade Slip hidden inside someone¡¯s teeth, shattered the teeth, and retrieved the Jade Slip.


    Hidden Elder-Second wore a face of panic, finding it unbelievable.


    He had concealed the location of this Jade Slip so well that, in over a hundred years, no one other than himself had known about it.


    ¡°How on earth did this kid ¡®see¡¯ it?¡±


    But looking at Mo Hua, who was smiling and holding the Jade Slip, beaming with joy, Hidden Elder-Second felt even more venomous.


    He sneered,


    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t¡­


    be too happy too soon¡­¡±


    He had lost some teeth, which made it slightly hard to understand his speech.


    ¡°This is an inheritance Jade Slip with a Sealing Pattern added.


    Without knowing the Sealing Pattern, the Seal cannot be broken, and you¡¯ll never be able to acquire the¡­


    spell for the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill inside¡­¡±


    ¡°I am the only heir of the Five Hidden Gate who knows about the Jade Slip¡¯s Sealing Pattern!¡± S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hidden Elder-Second revealed a sinister grin.


    Ouyang Feng raised an eyebrow and pointed his sword at him, ¡°Give up the Sealing Pattern, and you won¡¯t suffer¡­¡±


    Hidden Elder-Second spit out a mouthful of blood, grinning without mirth, ¡°Merely physical pain, I don¡¯t care about that¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng frowned, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°What else can I want?¡± The cunning glint in Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s eyes was evident, ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s my life¡­¡±


    ¡°I give up the Sealing Pattern, and you let me go!¡±


    Hidden Elder-Second sneered.


    Ouyang Feng shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t dream.¡±


    ¡°Then forget it,¡± Hidden Elder-Second scoffed, ¡°If you kill me, this Jade Slip would also become useless.¡±


    Murong Caiyun frowned, turned her head, and looked at Mo Hua.


    ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï


    Seeing that Mo Hua was fully focused and fiddling with the Jade Slip, keen to know the hidden spell inside¡­


    She somewhat softened and threatened Hidden Elder-Second in a low voice:


    ¡°A Jade Slip with added seals isn¡¯t something no Formation Master can solve¡­¡±


    ¡°Correct!¡± Hidden Elder-Second sneered, ¡°There are Formation Masters who can solve it¡­¡±


    ¡°But Formation Masters who are proficient in Yuan Magnetic Formations are few, and even fewer can use Yuan Magnetic Formations to undo the Sealing Pattern¡­¡±


    ¡°Creating a Yuan Magnetic Formation and applying Sealing and Secret Patterns, and breaking a Yuan Magnetic Formation are two entirely different things.¡±


    ¡°One may not necessarily unravel it even if they can create it¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if there is someone who can solve it, considering how precious such a Formation Master¡¯s time is, and considering their need for meticulous Divine Sense management, would they bother with a mere Foundation Establishment Stage obscure inheritance?¡±


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s expression grew serious.


    The others hesitated as well.


    They indeed wanted to help Mo Hua and learn the spell for the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, but they couldn¡¯t possibly agree to Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s demand.


    With Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s numerous misdeeds, even if not for Merit Points, they couldn¡¯t possibly let him go; letting the tiger return to the mountain was absolutely not an option.


    If they asked other experienced Formation Masters to unseal the Jade Slip, the cost would be too great, even far exceeding the Merit Points earned from this mission, which would be a loss.


    Seeing the group wavering, Hidden Elder-Second grinned again:


    ¡°Besides, unsealing isn¡¯t that safe.


    If it¡¯s done wrong and the Magnetic Patterns inside get destroyed, then this Jade Slip would be ruined.¡±


    ¡°If you want to obtain this legacy of the Five Hidden Gate again, it¡¯ll be impossible.¡±


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he scoffed:


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?


    The orthodox inheritance is with the Five Hidden Gate.


    As long as the Five Hidden Gate exists, the inheritance remains.


    You are just an apostate of the Five Hidden Gate.¡±


    Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s smile suddenly turned manic, his voice twisted.


    ¡°The Five Hidden Gate still exists?¡±


    ¡°Heh, the Five Hidden Gate still exists?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gone, it¡¯s already gone!¡±


    Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s smile was bloodied, ¡°This Jade Slip is the last inheritance, and the Five Hidden Gate will soon be struck off the list¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun and the others exchanged glances, frowning even more.


    ¡°Hidden Elder-Second, stop your nonsensical rambling, what foolish things are you saying?¡±


    Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s smile was fierce and meaningful, ¡°Believe it or not, that¡¯s up to you.


    I¡¯m just telling you, this is probably the only Five Hidden Gate Jade Slip you¡¯ll ever see.


    If it¡¯s resolved incorrectly and the Magnetic Patterns are damaged, you will never¡­¡±


    Before Hidden Elder-Second could finish, a crisp voice interrupted:


    ¡°Done!¡±


    Everyone was startled, turning their heads, only to see Mo Hua with the Jade Slip pressed against his forehead, his eyes smiling brightly as he avidly read something.


    Murong Caiyun and the others gaped, stunned.


    Done¡­


    Was the Sealing Pattern unlocked?


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s expression changed drastically, his eyes widening in horror, then he scrutinized carefully and bellowed:


    ¡°Right!


    Impossible!¡±


    ¡°Shameless brat, playacting.


    Don¡¯t think you can fool me!¡±


    ¡°The Sealing Pattern of my Five Hidden Gate¡¯s Jade Slip isn¡¯t something you can just say is unlocked and have it be so!¡±


    Seeing his disbelief, Mo Hua thought for a moment and then recited from the Jade Slip:


    ¡°Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, the Ultimate Technique of the Five Hidden Gate, not to be disclosed¡­¡±


    ¡°Sensing the Five Elements, merging with heaven and earth to conceal oneself¡­¡±


    ¡°Small concealments hide within a leaf¡¯s sight, major concealments hide among the Five Elements of heaven and earth.¡±


    ¡°Its meaning profound, its applications vast¡­¡±


    ¡°It can be used for offense, defense, creation, destruction, concealment, and for making tangible intents invisible¡­¡±


    ¡°Those pursuing Tao Cultivation do not deceive in darkness¡­¡±


    ¡°However, those who conceal themselves dwell in shadows, and must not rely on this Spell to commit evils, intrude on privacy, plot against lives, steal, or conduct acts that are despised by their peers and bring shame to their Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Those who violate this will have their Spells nullified and be expelled from the Sect¡­¡±

 Chapter 903 - 903 620 Five Hidden Gate_2

    ?Chapter 903: Chapter 620 Five Hidden Gate_2 Chapter 903: Chapter 620 Five Hidden Gate_2 a€|


    Mo Hua recited each sentence, and Hidden elder-second¡¯s face whitened a bit more every time.


    By the time Mo Hua had finished, his face was as white as paper, bloodless, and his eyes filled with disbelief.


    ¡°Youa€|¡±


    ¡°How is that even possiblea€|¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°You have violated the ancestral teachings of the Five Hidden Gatea€|¡±


    Mastering the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, but using stealth to ambush and kill, even eviscerating his victims, his methods were brutal.


    Other things like invading people¡¯s privacy and stealing were probably not foreign to him either.


    Given the chance, people tend to do evil.


    Not everyone was like himself, with a kind heart and a firm Taoist heart!


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Now that he had obtained the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, Hidden elder-second was useless.


    This Hidden elder-second was an old Sin Cultivator, malicious in nature, cunning and brutal, and moreover, very tight-lipped.


    He wouldn¡¯t say anything, you had to pry his mouth open to get what you wanted.


    Now, Mo Hua had what he wanted.


    Afterward, all he had to do was hand Hidden elder-second over to the Taoist Court, exchange him for Merit Points, and all would be well.


    ¡°You, head to the Taoist Court, and enjoy your ¡°severed head feast¡±!¡±


    Mo Hua said from a position of authority to Hidden elder-second, who was kneeling on the ground.


    Hidden elder-second still glared fiercely at Mo Hua, as if he wanted to etch Mo Hua¡¯s image into his mind forever, to haunt him even as a ghost.


    Mo Hua was not afraid of him.


    If he turned into a ¡°ghost,¡± he was even less afraid.


    However, seeing Hidden elder-second looking venomously at him, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t so magnanimous.


    Following Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°kind¡± suggestion, both arms of Hidden elder-second were broken again, his right hand¡¯s tendons plucked, and his meridians destroyeda€|


    This way, he could never cause any trouble again.


    Ouyang Feng dragged Hidden elder-second by the collar as they left Canglang Mountain, went through Luopan Mountain Road, and arrived at the Taoist Court in Qianxue State Boundary.


    The transition at the Taoist Court was relatively smooth.


    With broken arms and legs, and even missing front teeth, ¡°disabled¡± like Hidden elder-second, he was temporarily thrown into the Taoist Prison, where the Court Official held a hearing and sentenced him.


    Then everyone could return to the Sect and wait for the task settlement and distribution of Merit Points.


    ??¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    Mo Hua also wanted to meet Supervisor Gu, but after looking around, he didn¡¯t see Gu Changhuai¡¯s tall, dashing, somewhat arrogant, and a bit flamboyant figure.


    Mo Hua asked the Enforcement Leader, who informed him that Gu Changhuai was out on a mission.


    He wasn¡¯t at the Taoist Court for the time being.


    As a Third Grade Supervisor, he was usually quite busy.


    Mo Hua felt a bit regretful.


    He wanted to discuss some matters with Uncle Gu¡­


    a€|


    Now that their task was accomplished, everyone was ready to return to the Sect.


    On the return to the Sect, Murong Caiyun had rented a carriage which was filled with sweet fruits and fragrant tea.


    Everyone¡¯s mood was very light.


    They had thought this mission would take a long time, require a lot of effort, and inevitably involve some dangers.


    But unexpectedly, everything went incredibly smoothly.


    No one was injured, the delay was minimal, and the mission was completed in just one day, allowing them to return to the Sect.


    Thus, the atmosphere inside the carriage was quite relaxed.


    Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian, drinking floral tea, whispered intimate words with their delicate hands covering their mouths, laughing.


    Shangguan Xu polished his Heavy Sword.


    Mo Hua held a large melon, gazing at the scenery outside the window while enjoying the fragrant and sweet treat.


    Only Ouyang Feng seemed preoccupied, occasionally looking at Mo Hua, his expression torn as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.


    Just when he looked troubled, a bright red Spirit Fruit suddenly appeared before him, and a crisp voice rang out.


    ¡°Senior Brother Feng, have some fruit.¡±


    Ouyang Feng was taken aback and then chuckled, taking the fruit from Mo Hua¡¯s hand, warmly saying,


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and took another bite of the melon, puffing his cheeks, and asked,


    ¡°Senior Brother, is there something you want to ask me?¡±


    Ouyang Feng paused briefly, sighed, and said,


    ¡°This question might be a bit rude, but I still want to aska€|¡±


    Ouyang Feng paused again, his voice deep,


    ¡°Junior Brother Mo, how did you unlock that Sealing Pattern?¡±


    Silence fell in the carriage for a moment.


    Shangguan Xu stopped polishing his sword, Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian stopped their whispers, and looked up at Mo Hua.


    Clearly, they all wanted to know about the unsealing.


    But they were worried about prying into the secrets of Tao Cultivation, so it was hard for them to ask.


    Mo Hua calmly said, ¡°I was lucky, I guessed it!¡±


    Ouyang Feng bit into the Spirit Fruit, silently looking at Mo Hua. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Murong Caiyun and the others squinted their eyes, obviously not convinced.


    Mo Hua then explained, ¡°I noted down some Secondary Thunder Patterns, which are pretty much similar to the ¡®Secret Patterns.¡¯ When unsealing, I just tried my luck, one by one.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, you can unlock ita€|¡±


    He was able to unlock the seal on the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill Jade Slip indeed due to some luck.


    Hidden elder-second was on Boss Jiang¡¯s ¡°list.¡±


    Keeping a possibility in mind, Mo Hua used the ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern Library¡± collected from Boss Jiang¡¯s Jade Slip to attempt to unlock Hidden elder-second¡¯s Jade Slip seal.


    It took about a dozen tries, but he did manage to unlock it.


    It really was good luck, guessed it.


    However, this bit of luck required substantial Divine Sense Calculation Power, a ¡°solid¡± accumulation of knowledge in formations, and ¡°strong¡± expertise in formations.


    These deeper aspects were things Ouyang Feng didn¡¯t know, as he only exclaimed,


    ¡°You learned the Yuan Magnetic Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t hide it and nodded, ¡°Learned a little bit.¡±


    Ouyang Feng sighed inwardly.

 Chapter 904 - 904 620 Five Hidden Gate_3

    ?Chapter 904: Chapter 620 Five Hidden Gate_3 Chapter 904: Chapter 620 Five Hidden Gate_3 The true Yuan Magnetic Formation involves the principles of Original Magnetism and requires the drawing of two layers of Formation Patterns, unlike the Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, a superficial method.


    The difference between them is like that of heaven and earth.


    He originally thought he had rated Mo Hua¡¯s Formation skills highly enough.


    ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã0


    But he had still underestimated this Junior Brother.


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng whispered, ¡°Can you break the seal now?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯ve just learned, can¡¯t really say I can, nor can I unlock all of them, and there¡¯s a good chance I¡¯ll have to rely on luck¡­¡±


    Mo Hua exaggerated the role of ¡°luck¡± to mask his own ¡°strength.¡±


    ¡°Relying on luck¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng breathed a sigh of relief.


    No wonder¡­


    He had thought that Mo Hua really could use his Formation skills to consistently break the seals¡­


    That would be too outrageous.


    And too dangerous¡­


    Since it was based on ¡°luck,¡± everyone nodded slightly and said no more.


    Mo Hua suddenly remembered something, opened his Storage Bag, took out the Jade Slip of the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, and asked:


    ¡°Elder Brother, Senior Sister, do you want to copy this Concealment Technique?¡±


    Hidden elder-second was captured by everyone together, the Merit Points were distributed together, so logically, the spells should be shared as well.


    Everyone hesitated for a moment, then shook their heads.


    Ouyang Feng said, ¡°We don¡¯t study Concealment Techniques, and they aren¡¯t very useful to us, you keep it.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Mo Hua put away the Jade Slip and then asked, ¡°By the way, if I submit this spell to the Sect, can I exchange it for Merit Points?¡±


    Murong Caiyun pondered briefly, then nodded, ¡°You can, but it¡¯s a bit troublesome¡­¡±


    ¡°Troublesome?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Murong Caiyun said, ¡°The Sect¡¯s Cultivation Techniques and spells are already quite extensive.


    If you submit it, the Elders will have to compare it with existing spells before they decide whether to include it¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem¡­¡±


    ¡°The issue is that many spells need to ¡®avoid coincidence¡¯ with those from other Sects¡­¡±


    ¡°Some spells, if they have deep connections with certain other Sects, are not suitable to be included in the Book Pavilion of Taixu Gate.¡±


    ¡°Rashly including them can occasionally lead to disputes¡­¡±


    ¡°Although as long as you submit them, as long as the spell isn¡¯t too commonplace and the provenance is clear, the Sect will usually reward some Merit Points, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°However, these Merit Points likely won¡¯t be much¡­¡±


    ¡°Overall, the Sect still hopes that disciples will earn Merit Points by taking bounties and missions, rather than submitting inherited skills¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡±


    Hua Qianqian¡¯s voice was crisp as she nodded repeatedly, gossiping to Mo Hua:


    ¡°It¡¯s said that Sever Gold Sect, also known as the ¡®petty gate,¡¯ once had this kind of situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Some Disciples, to earn Merit Points, stole inheritances from their own families and submitted them to the Sect in exchange for Merit Points.¡±


    ¡°Sever Gold Sect, greedy for inheritance, silently accepted them and shamelessly listed them as the ancestral Taoist Skills of the Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°Later, when other families came knocking, Sever Gold Sect, for the sake of face, adamantly denied it, leading to disputes between the two sides and became a laughingstock to others¡­¡±


    ¡°Since then, the Sect has become much more restrained in accepting inheritances, and the Merit Points given have also reduced¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun helplessly glared at Hua Qianqian, ¡°Qianqian, Sever Gold Sect is petty-minded, don¡¯t talk too much about their bad side¡­¡±


    Hua Qianqian chuckled.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly and thought of another question to ask:


    ¡°Senior Sister Murong, suppose¡­¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, emphasizing:


    ¡°I mean, ¡®suppose¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°I ¡®accidentally¡¯ come across a few spells¡¯ inheritance from other Sects in Qian State, can I learn them?¡±


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s gaze was meaningful as she softly asked, ¡°Are they of high rank?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°Not high, all low-level, inferior¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t afford the Superior, High-Rank spells¡­


    ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± Murong Caiyun said.


    ¡°They won¡¯t give me trouble for it?¡±


    Murong Caiyun shook her head and replied:


    ¡°Unless you obtained them through ¡®killing and robbing,¡¯ with nefarious origins, afraid to be exposed¡­


    Otherwise, generally speaking, learning such low-level, inferior spells, and using them won¡¯t have much effect.¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua was still somewhat unclear, Murong Caiyun further explained:


    ¡°`


    ¡°Low-level spells, learned by many cultivators and used by even more, are diverse in schools of thought and complicated in lineage.


    Often, they are quite similar to each other; it¡¯s very hard to prove which spell definitely belongs to whose heritage.¡±


    ¡°For example, something like the Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°You use it, he uses it, and on the surface, it looks like nothing more than a fireball.


    Even if there are differences, ordinary cultivators can¡¯t distinguish the subtleties.


    There¡¯s no way to investigate further.¡±


    ¡°But superior spells are different¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°These kinds of spells have too distinct characteristics.


    As soon as you use one, others will recognize it and there¡¯s no denying it.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, within the Qianxue State Boundary, as long as the origin of a low-level spell is clear, there¡¯s no issue in learning and using it.¡±


    ¡°But with superior spells, unless they are from your own sect, once acquired, they must either be handed over to the Taoist Court or returned to their original owners, to be given back to the respective sect.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Otherwise, there will be big trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I understand now!¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    What it means is, with low-level spells, one can freely exploit them.


    But with mid to high-rank spells, especially superior ones, one cannot simply learn or use them willy-nilly.


    Like the Sever Gold Sword Control Jue.


    If I want to learn it, I must be extremely cautious.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    I shouldn¡¯t use it carelessly, and when I do use it, I can¡¯t let ¡°others¡± see¡­


    Just like Boss Jiang.


    Now that Mo Hua understood this point, he felt much more at ease.


    The carriage returned to the Qianxue State Boundary, and Ouyang Feng and Hua Qianqian said their goodbyes one after another.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    When Ouyang Feng got out of the carriage, he gave Mo Hua an extra glance, seemingly preoccupied with something, but he didn¡¯t speak.


    Hua Qianqian watched Mo Hua, her eyes brimming with gentle waves.


    She found this Junior Brother Mo to be naively innocent, a bit cunning, and occasionally fierce¡­


    Which only made him more endearing.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Afterward, the three returned to Taixu Gate.


    Shangguan Xu had matters to attend to and left first, so Mo Hua walked with Senior Sister Murong for a while.


    When they parted, Murong Caiyun paused, then reminded Mo Hua:


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention the unsealing to others lightly¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and then asked, puzzled:


    ¡°Is there something taboo about unsealing?¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua knew in his heart that the Yuan Magnetic Formation was difficult to learn and master, and unsealing such enchantments was somewhat out of the ordinary.


    But this was just his speculation; the actual reasons he didn¡¯t know too clearly.


    Murong Caiyun sighed, ¡°Unsealing is very difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    ¡°In the Qianxue State Boundary, there are so many sects, and most of the sect inheritances are recorded in Jade Slips, which are ¡®sealed¡¯ through Formation Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°Because unsealing is so difficult, that¡¯s why Jade Slips are widely used to store spell points and form barriers to inheritance¡­¡±


    ¡°If everyone knew how to unseal, then in this Qianxue State Boundary, a vast number of heritages would be stolen¡­¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Murong Caiyun left it at that, giving Mo Hua a meaningful glance, ¡°Whether you unsealed it by your own abilities or by ¡®luck,¡¯ don¡¯t just casually speak about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if it was by ¡®ability,¡¯ you should say it was by ¡®luck¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    Mo Hua took the hint and smiled, ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister, I¡¯ve got it!¡±


    Seeing this, Murong Caiyun also smiled gently.


    ¡­


    After they separated, Mo Hua returned to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, where he immediately began to eagerly study the secret Ultimate Technique of the Five Hidden Gate, merged with the Five Elements, hidden between heaven and earth: ¡°Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill.¡±


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    This Stealth Technique was much more effective than his current Concealment Technique.


    Hidden elder-second, although experienced, didn¡¯t have a strong Divine Sense, and couldn¡¯t fully maximize the effect of concealment.


    Moreover, he had been using this technique for wrongdoing, so in his hands, the technique really was a pearl cast before swine.


    Mo Hua took out the Jade Slip, ready to take a closer look, but then suddenly remembered something Hidden elder-second had said¡­


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    At the time, the elder¡¯s smile was stained with blood.


    He said the Five Hidden Gate¡­


    ¡°Is no more¡­¡±


    ¡°This Jade Slip is the last inheritance.


    The Five Hidden Gate is also going to be stricken from the records¡­¡±


    Mo Hua slowly furrowed his brow.


    ¡°`


    ¡°`


    The Five Hidden Gate, forced to relocate from the Qianxue State Boundary due to poor management, had they been¡­


    annihilated?


    Was this true, or not?


    If it was just a lie fabricated by Hidden elder-second, that would be one thing¡­


    But if it were true, then what exactly happened within the Five Hidden Gate¡­


    ¡°`

 Chapter 905 - 905 621 Great Evil Karma

    ?Chapter 905: Chapter 621: Great Evil Karma Chapter 905: Chapter 621: Great Evil Karma It was a silent night in the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts were in turmoil.


    Why did Hidden elder-second say that the Five Hidden Gate had been wiped out?


    Why had it been wiped out?


    And who was the one who had executed the deed?


    When the Five Hidden Gate moved out of the Qianxue State Boundary, was it really because of poor management and inability to recruit disciples, or was there some hidden reason?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, then suddenly paused.


    This seemed to have nothing to do with him¡­


    He was just a minor disciple of the Taixu Gate, unfamiliar with Qianxue State Boundary, and he had had little contact with the many sects.


    He had only just heard of the Five Hidden Gate.


    Even if he wanted to inquire, he wouldn¡¯t know where to start¡­


    Besides, he was very busya€¡±attending classes, undertaking tasks, accumulating merit points, cultivating, studying Formation, and also learning Spells¡­


    Where would he find the time to inquire about such matters?


    As long as he mastered the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, the affairs of the Five Hidden Gate, even if true, seemed irrelevant to a minor cultivator like him¡­


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    He then pulled out Boss Jiang¡¯s diary, broke the Secret Pattern, and flipped through the list inside, pondering another matter:


    Boss Jiang was a traitor of the Sever Gold Sect.


    Hidden elder-second was a traitor of the Five Hidden Gate¡­


    ¡­


    Then, could the other people on this list¡­


    be traitors of the sects in Qian State?


    Was this a ¡°traitor¡¯s¡± list?


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, and the more he looked at it, the more likely it seemed.


    In that case, were the legacies of these Sin Cultivators originally from the top sects, the Eight Great Gates, the Twelve Streams, and the numerous large and small sects in the Qianxue State Boundary?


    Wool comes from the sheep.


    Speaking of shearing wool from Sin Cultivators, but in essence, it was shearing from these sects of Qian State¡­


    With that thought¡­


    Mo Hua was startled.


    Was the Spell-craft he was learning derived from ¡°diverse sources¡±?


    Inheriting from many schools, converging into one stream, with all Spells comprehended?


    As long as he kept on learning, there might come a day when he could master the spells from all schools, use his strong Divine Sense, command myriad spells with ease, use others¡¯ methods against them¡­


    And become a true master of all Spells!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Then, looking at the Jade Slip in his hand, he was somewhat puzzled:


    Why were there so many sect traitors in the Qianxue State Boundary?


    And why had they gathered together?


    Why had they left a list in the hands of Boss Jiang?


    To huddle together for warmth?


    Or did they feel that, although they had become Sin Cultivators, they were originally legitimate sect disciples, and thus different from other Sin Cultivators, wanting to establish a separate organization?


    Mo Hua was puzzled, and his mind slightly shifted as he did a brief Calculation.


    But he had only calculated briefly when an intense chill invaded his whole body.


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils dilated.


    In the midst of Chaos and ignorance, he glimpsed a vast, evil, Poppy-like Karmic net filled with desires that led to corruption.


    This karmic chain was dark purple, distinctly ugly, yet it seemed to emit a sweet, rotting scent, teasing one¡¯s desires, causing cultivators to deeply indulge in it.


    This was¡­


    The true great Karmic consequence of evil desires!


    It was already formed, with the sin deeply sedimented, evil patterns deeply rooted, and the Karmic chains massive and corrupteda€¡±a depraved Heavenly secret!


    Mo Hua felt a stabbing pain in his eyes and a cold sweat broke out on his back.


    He hurriedly closed his eyes and when he reopened them, everything had vanished without a trace.


    As if it was all a hallucination¡­


    ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï


    But Mo Hua knew, the implications of the Heavenly secret were far from illusory.


    This sort of Poppy-like Karmic consequence was definitely real.


    Moreover, such a powerful and profound net of karma, laden with sin, was not something he could see with his current level of Divine Sense.


    It was more like a revelation from the unknown.


    Or perhaps¡­


    It was shown to him by someone¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s mood suddenly became solemn.


    All the events after coming to the Qianxue State Boundary, like a zoetrope, rose in his heart and then, like a mirage or the moon reflected in the water, shattered into broken ripples.


    Qianxue State Boundary.


    The very pinnacle of the Cultivation World, a place for seekers of knowledge¡­ Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, in Mo Hua¡¯s mind, the impression had completely changed.


    Although on the surface, it still sported the thriving appearance of Tao Cultivation, with sects standing tall and geniuses abound, prosperity everywhere, there was something rotten hidden beneath¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows and muttered in his mind:


    ¡°This is somewhat dangerous¡­¡±


    Mo Hua understood that within this karmic consequence lay great dangers.


    The great Dao is unpredictable, and the Heavenly secret flows.


    Heaven and earth like a chessboard, all living beings as chess pieces.


    Something in the unknown was already beginning to breed¡­


    At such times, it¡¯s best to avoid these grand, unknown conspiracies if possible.


    Moreover, he still bore the karma of his master and uncle¡­


    Mo Hua sighed and once again thought of his master¡­


    The immense conspiracies surrounding his master, of which he knew nothing.


    Even if he came to know of them, he, a mere Foundation Building Cultivator, though willing, would be helpless and unable to intervene.


    Then there was his uncle¡­


    Mo Hua still remembered how his uncle, with a dao heart planting the Devil, could slay Golden Cores and Feather Transformations as easily as chopping vegetables.


    Let alone himself, such an inconspicuous Foundation Building entity.


    Without his master¡¯s Heavenly secret Calculation to check, his uncle was truly terrifying¡­


    Moreover, between him and his uncle, there were still some ¡°misunderstandings.¡±


    He had secretly learned his uncle¡¯s Tricky Calculations, surreptitiously absorbed his uncle¡¯s Demon Thought, and even eaten his uncle¡¯s bowl of noodles¡­


    Though the Tricky Calculations were learned legitimately!


    The Demon Thought was consumed out of necessity!


    The noodles were bought with his own Flower Spirit Stones¡­

 Chapter 906 - 906 621 Great Evil Karma_2

    ?Chapter 906: Chapter 621 Great Evil Karma_2 Chapter 906: Chapter 621 Great Evil Karma_2 Uncle Mo would certainly hold a grudge¡­


    Mo Hua sprawled on the desk, his mind wandering in chaos before slowly untangling his thoughts¡­


    Within the Qianxue state boundary, there must be a major conspiracy.


    At Uncle¡¯s place, there would surely be great peril.


    But whether a conspiracy or peril, they were not of much concern to him at the moment.


    His current task was to figure out a way to preserve his life and to develop steadily.


    In addition to enhancing his cultivation and Divine Sense, he needed to learn as many things as possible.


    Formation, spells, and other Tao Cultivation knowledge were all necessary to learn more about.


    To ensure that he could graduate smoothly from the Taixu Gate and form his Core with peace and stability¡­


    He also needed to seek out some intelligence to prevent problems before they occurred.


    Only then, if dangers arose in the future, would he be able to foresee them and be prepared.


    Mo Hua nodded, thus he devoted himself to his studies with even greater diligence¡­


    ¡­


    In the Qianxue state boundary, at the Taoist Court.


    Gu Changhuai, after finishing the Supervisor¡¯s duties, returned to the Taoist Court, his appearance travel-worn, yet his handsome face still revealed a clear, cold detachment.


    It was arduous work to pursue Sin Cultivators outside, enduring the elements and roughing it.


    Back at the Taoist Court, there were still tedious procedures to handle.


    He felt somewhat impatient, but still suppressed his irritation and slowly reviewed the documents of his subordinates.


    As he was perusing the files, an idea suddenly struck him, and he asked the Enforcement Leader beside him, ¡°How is that robbery and murder case coming along?¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to¡­¡±


    The Enforcement Leader was somewhat nervous.


    With so many cases in the Taoist Court, he wasn¡¯t sure which one Gu Changhuai meant, and he feared not being able to respond, making him quite intimidated.


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°Hidden elder-second.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The Enforcement Leader remembered, flipping the files hurriedly before replying, ¡°Reporting to the Supervisor, it¡¯s about to be closed¡­¡±


    ¡°Closed?¡± Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze narrowed slightly.


    The Enforcement Leader swallowed, unable to fathom Supervisor Gu¡¯s thoughts, ¡°Supervisor, yes, it¡¯s about to be closed¡­¡±


    ¡°Was Hidden elder-second captured?¡±


    ¡°He has been thrown into the Taoist Prison and punished according to his crimes¡­¡±


    ¡°How was he captured?¡±


    The Enforcement Leader immediately flipped through the files again before answering:


    ¡°It is said¡­


    on Canglang Mountain, following the trail, they found Hidden elder-second, broke through his concealment, and disciples from Taixu Gate, Tai¡¯a Sect, and the Hundred Flower Valley worked together to capture him and delivered him to the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s Hidden elder-second?¡±


    ¡°After verifying his bloodline, Spiritual Root, Cultivation Technique, and the Spiritual Power he practiced, there¡¯s no mistake; it¡¯s indeed Hidden elder-second¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was perplexed, ¡°Were there no other Cultivators who helped?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no mention in the files; there shouldn¡¯t have been any¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze became sharp as his thoughts churned.


    It didn¡¯t make sense¡­


    The sequence of events in the files was accurate, but not the rationale behind them.


    How were the tracks found, the concealment broken, and the cooperation achieved in capturing someone?


    Capturing a Sin Cultivator skilled in stealth and assassination was a complicated matter; being the Supervisor of the Taoist Court, how could he not understand that?


    A few inexperienced Sect Disciples, in just a day or two, had managed to nab Hidden elder-second, which seemed rather suspicious however one looked at it¡­ S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Take me to see Hidden elder-second,¡± Gu Changhuai said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Enforcement Leader nodded.


    Following the Enforcement Leader, they descended into the underground Taoist Prison where Gu Changhuai saw Hidden elder-second.


    Hidden elder-second was locked in a Spirit Banning cell, secured by Second Grade chains.


    He had been tortured, with his limbs disabled and his teeth broken, looking miserable.


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°Are our Taoist Court¡¯s penal methods so severe?¡±


    The Enforcement Leader forced a smile, ¡°No¡­


    he was almost in this state upon arrival¡­¡±


    ¡°His limbs were broken, tendons in his hands severed, all of his teeth shattered, and his knees¡­


    It¡¯s unknown what sort of evil thing he knelt on, they¡¯re utterly ruined¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused before asking, ¡°Who did this?¡±


    ¡°Those Sect Disciples, I guess¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s brow furrowed deeply.


    The Enforcement Leader said, ¡°Supervisor, is this¡­


    not against the rules?¡±


    Gu Changhuai snorted coldly, ¡°What¡¯s against the rules about that?


    He¡¯s a Sin Cultivator.


    If you¡¯re not cruel to them, they¡¯ll be cruel to you.


    It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    He glanced at Hidden elder-second with a twitch of his eyelid, ¡°This technique is too practiced¡­¡±


    Nowadays, are Sect Disciples so ruthless¡­?


    ¡°Were those Disciples injured?¡± Gu Changhuai asked again.


    ¡°When they delivered this Hidden elder-second, I saw them; they all looked quite energetic, I didn¡¯t see any injuries¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded and turned to leave.


    But just before he left, a glance at the corner of his eye caught the scorch marks on Hidden elder-second¡¯s face; his gaze sharpened.


    ¡°Did you use fire torture?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± The Enforcement Leader muttered, ¡°We only used Thousand Jun Spirit Wood to beat him¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai, looking at the burn mark on Hidden elder-second¡¯s face, said, ¡°This is¡­


    a Five Element Fire Series Spell¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t look like a sword, not like a blade, nor had the pinpoint burn marks of being seared by fire¡­


    It resembled the scorching marks of an exploding Fireball, that would mean¡­


    ¡°Fireball Technique?¡±


    Gu Changhuai mumbled to himself.


    The Fireball Technique was nothing special, an entry-level spell.


    In the Cultivation World, any Cultivator with a Fire-series Spiritual Root knew how to perform the Fireball Technique.


    Anyone could¡­?


    Gu Changhuai paused, his gaze suddenly intense.


    A certain incident flashed in his mind.


    He remembered the food place outside Qing City over half a year ago, where most of the human traffickers who had abducted Yu Er had died from the Fireball Technique.


    ?0¦Í?0.?¦Ï


    Gu Changhuai pondered swiftly in his heart¡­


    They were five in total on this mission.


    Ouyang Feng practiced the Ouyang Family¡¯s Swordsmanship, Shangguan Xu also used a sword, while Hua Qianqian cultivated the Hundred Flower Valley¡¯s White Flower Spiritual Formation.

 Chapter 907 - 907 621 The Great Evil Karma_3

    Chapter 907: Chapter 621: The Great Evil Karma_3


    Murong Caiyun had cultivated the Taixu Gate¡¯s Five Elements Spirit Light spell.


    None among them were accustomed to using the Fireball Technique, nor were they particularly skilled at attacking with it.


    That left only one person.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    That Small Five Elements Spiritual Root cultivator, who reportedly just happened to pass by and rescued Yu Er¡­


    Mo Hua!


    Gu Changhuai frowned.


    This matter seemed fishy.


    The story from Mo Hua, that junior cultivator, claiming he just happened to pass by and coincidentally found Yu Er, couldn¡¯t be trusted!


    If it wasn¡¯t him who found her, then could it be¡­


    He, alone, used the Fireball Technique to kill over a dozen human traffickers, then rescued Yu Er?


    That seemed¡­


    Even less believable¡­


    Such a tale would fail to deceive even a fool.


    Gu Changhuai was perplexed.


    As a Dao Court Canon, experienced in handling cases for many years, his instinct told him there was definitely something majorly wrong with Mo Hua, that junior cultivator.


    Yet, his cousin sister had great trust in the young man, and Yu Er was also very close to him.


    It wouldn¡¯t be proper for him to directly investigate.


    But leaving things be would surely pose a significant hidden danger¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze flickered, and the image of Mo Hua¡¯s eyes reappeared in his mind¡ªthose eyes, seemingly clear on the surface, yet oddly dissonant upon closer examination, possessed an uncommon depth¡­


    Half good, half evil.


    As if balancing on the edge between righteousness and wickedness.


    Gu Changhuai always had an intuition that a cultivator with such eyes was either an astonishingly brilliant genius or a world-shaking demon fiend.


    ¡°I need to find some time to probe further¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Taixu Gate.


    That day, after finishing his meal, Mo Hua lay down on a patch of grass, legs crossed, leisurely flipping through Formation Books, when suddenly a tall ¡°junior brother¡± rushed over, calling out,


    ¡°Mo Hua!¡±


    Mo Hua looked up and saw it was Cheng Mo. Curiously, he asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°The Elder told me someone is looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°How would I know¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Mo Hua packed up the book, brushing off the grass tips from his Taoist robe. ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out.¡±


    Cheng Mo glanced at Mo Hua, suspicion in his voice:


    ¡°Mo Hua, why do you seem so busy¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because, I¡¯m diligent in my cultivation!¡± Mo Hua replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not cultivation stuff,¡± Cheng Mo shook his head. ¡°I always feel like you¡¯re involved in other things¡­¡±


    Mo Hua got on his tiptoes and patted the tall Cheng Mo on the shoulder, sighing,


    ¡°You¡¯re still young, there are things you know too early. Once you¡¯ve been in the Sect for a full year, your ¡®senior brother¡¯ will then take you along for some fun¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo was a little embarrassed, ¡°You¡¯re two years younger than me!¡±


    ¡°Age does not define knowledge, respect goes to the accomplished!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only out of respect for Elder Master Xun that I call you ¡®junior brother¡¯, don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°Who was calling me ¡®dear brother¡¯ just before¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After the two bantered for a while, Mo Hua went to the side hall outside the mountain gate to meet the Elder. Following the Elder¡¯s directions, outside the mountain gate, he met the person looking for him.


    It was Gu Changhuai.


    Mo Hua was quite surprised.


    He didn¡¯t know many people in the Qianxue State Boundary, and those who could come to the Sect to find him were either Aunt Wan or a guard from the Shangguan Family, sent on Aunt Wan¡¯s orders to deliver something to him.


    But he never expected it to be Gu Changhuai.


    ¡°Uncle Gu?¡±


    Mo Hua exclaimed in surprise.


    Gu Changhuai nodded slightly, ¡°I came to see you, and¡­ concerning Hidden Elder Second, I have some questions¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    While the two of them were talking, an Elder from Taixu Gate, seemingly just drinking tea, actually sent a sliver of Divine Sense to watch Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai sighed inwardly.


    His visit here was anything but easy.


    His status as a Dao Court Canon was unique, every move he made bore the mark of the Dao Court.


    Visiting the Sect to speak with a disciple was inevitably met with caution.


    Gu Changhuai exhausted his tongue, claiming he was following the orders of his family to visit a younger clan member, and only then did an elder consent.


    But whatever he asked and said, the elder of Taixu Gate remained wary.


    Gu Changhuai could only subtly begin by asking about some matters concerning Hidden elder-second.


    Since most of the information pertained to case files, Mo Hua picked and chose what to share; for things he couldn¡¯t disclose, he played dumb, saying he didn¡¯t know, didn¡¯t remember, or couldn¡¯t recall¡­ S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was nothing Gu Changhuai could do.


    After asking a bit more, Mo Hua became very tight-lipped and impermeable.


    Finally, Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t help it any longer and slowly started to speak,


    ¡°Mo Hua, do you¡­ know the Fireball Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    The Fireball Technique?


    Why is Uncle Gu asking me this?


    His eyes narrowed, and just as he was about to answer, a cough came from afar. The elder of Taixu Gate calmly said,


    ¡°The disciples of my Taixu Gate are free to learn whatever they wish; it¡¯s not for others to meddle¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned, feeling helpless.


    This Taixu Gate really didn¡¯t give him any leeway.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes flickered before he turned back, bowing gratefully to the elder, then said,


    ¡°Elder, don¡¯t worry. Uncle Gu and I are well acquainted. We have some family affairs to discuss¡­¡±


    The elder raised an eyebrow, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded, bowing again in thanks, ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Elder.¡±


    The elder¡¯s expression softened a bit and he nodded at Mo Hua, saying, ¡°Then talk.¡±


    After that, he withdrew his Divine Sense and contentedly resumed drinking his tea.


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua in surprise, ¡°You have quite a ¡®reputation¡¯ within the Sect?¡±


    Mo Hua modestly said, ¡°Just average.¡±


    Mainly because Elder Master Xun had a significant reputation, and he had basked in just a bit of that glory.


    And in this short time, he had also figured things out.


    Gu Changhuai, being a Supervisor, surely had concerns related to the case.


    At the same time, as Aunt Wan¡¯s cousin, he was also very concerned about her and Yu Er¡¯s affairs.


    Coming specifically to ask him indicated that this matter was also related to him.


    The ¡°cases¡± he had ¡°committed¡±¡­


    No.


    It was him using the Fireball Technique to eradicate human traffickers!


    Mo Hua thought it over and over, and this was the only matter that left a ¡°trace¡± of the Fireball Technique, leading to Gu Changhuai¡¯s suspicions.


    However, Mo Hua was not afraid.


    He was kidnapped by human traffickers, then ¡°acted in self-defense¡± and killed over a dozen of them, saving Yu Er in the process.


    Even if this matter was reported to the Dao Court, there wouldn¡¯t be any issues, nor would it violate the Taoist Law.


    It was just that he didn¡¯t want to bother with fame, and that¡¯s why he kept silent about the good deed.


    Once it went public, the Dao Court might even commend him!


    Even if he told Uncle Gu, there likely wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    The most important part was that he had Aunt Wan¡¯s support.


    Aunt Wan, being a person of deep feelings, would definitely side with him.


    Although Uncle Gu looked formidable, in front of Aunt Wan, he was just a younger brother and couldn¡¯t do anything to him!


    On the contrary¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he began to consider taking advantage of Gu Changhuai.


    Because Mo Hua realized that following Boss Jiang¡¯s ¡°list¡± to capture Sin Cultivators, learn Spells, and sample ¡°a hundred family¡¯s repast¡±, walking the path of a Spell Master of using others¡¯ methods against them had its inconveniences¡­


    Finding Sin Cultivators was troublesome.


    Even after finding them, there wasn¡¯t necessarily a matching task.


    The issuing of tasks was a separate system, cumbersome and bothersome.


    Therefore, it was necessary to have a ¡°connection¡± to manipulate things in the shadows¡­


    For example, after deciding which Spells he wanted to learn and which Sin Cultivators to capture based on the list.


    Then, he would need to get intelligence on these Sin Cultivators from the Dao Court.


    And then, suppose he had a good relationship with Uncle Gu¡­


    He could let Uncle Gu issue tasks through the Dao Court, have Senior Sister Murong take on the tasks, and he could mix in to assist with task completion¡­


    This way, inheritance and Merit Points would come seamlessly ¡°full circle¡±.


    From start to end, it would all be ¡°insiders¡±!


    It would save time, be efficient, and require less effort.


    With this thought, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s eyes suddenly light up, Gu Changhuai felt inexplicably uneasy, feeling a bit alarmed.


    He always had the feeling that his visit to Mo Hua was not so much for ¡°inquiry¡± but rather like walking into a trap¡­

 Chapter 908 - 908 622 Little Neighbor

    Chapter 908: Chapter 622 Little Neighbor


    Without waiting for Gu Changhuai to react, Mo Hua ¡°turned the tables¡± and probed,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, can you issue a task from the Taoist Court?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was startled and felt displeased in his heart.


    This brat, why is he acting so ¡°familiar¡±, as if I¡¯m well-acquainted with him¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua with a wary expression,


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking,¡± Mo Hua said casually, then flashed a look like a cunning little fox, ¡°Suppose¡­¡±


    Mo Hua emphasized, ¡°I mean suppose, I inadvertently, came across a clue about a Sin Cultivator, could you issue a task through the Taoist Court?¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned and refused,


    ¡°The Taoist Court acts according to its own statutes, and the rewards offered to Sects are also subject to the Canon¡¯s careful deliberation, it¡¯s not something that can be issued at will¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, instantly understood.


    Prudence, deliberation, not at will¡­


    The implication was that it still depended on one¡¯s will.


    Whether it¡¯s prudent or not, whether you deliberate or not, whether it¡¯s arbitrary or not, it all depends on the subjective judgment of the Supervisor, with no objective rules.


    As a Supervisor, if Uncle Gu decided, he indeed had the qualification to issue a reward!


    Gu Changhuai looked at the spirited and unusual Mo Hua, and for a moment didn¡¯t know what Mo Hua had figured out, he furrowed his brow and asked,


    ¡°What do you want by asking this¡­¡±


    He was only halfway through his question when he realized something.


    No, that¡¯s not right, the question he asked this kid, he hasn¡¯t answered yet¡­


    He came here to investigate Mo Hua¡¯s connection to Boss Jiang¡¯s death.


    But he got careless, and Mo Hua led the conversation astray¡­


    Gu Changhuai put on a stern face, ¡°I asked first, you answer first.¡±


    ¡°What did you ask again?¡± Mo Hua blinked.


    Gu Changhuai felt a bit of a headache, so he repeated his question, ¡°Do you know the Fireball Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua did not hide anything and nodded,


    ¡°The Fireball Technique is such a Spell¡­ it would be quite hard not to know¡­¡±


    The Fireball Technique was one of the most basic Spells for Cultivators, and also one of the most widely used.


    Mo Hua looked frank.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, and even with his experience as the Dao Court¡¯s Supervisor, he couldn¡¯t see a hint of nervousness on Mo Hua¡¯s slightly childish face.


    He made his judgment in an instant.


    This was a little ¡°slick operator,¡± impervious to oil and salt, uninterrogatable.


    Gu Changhuai thought for a while, his eyes slightly heavy, and simply asked directly,


    ¡°The human traffickers who kidnapped Yu Er, did you kill them?¡±


    Having said this, Gu Changhuai looked straight at Mo Hua with a piercing gaze.


    Mo Hua actually wanted to prevaricate, but he felt that he might need to ask Uncle Gu, the Supervisor of the Taoist Court, for many favors in the future, so there should be some basic trust between the two, and lying wouldn¡¯t be good¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Mo Hua admitted it very straightforwardly. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, Gu Changhuai was taken aback.


    His mind experienced a momentary deadlock.


    He had envisioned many scenarios, but he didn¡¯t expect that as soon as he asked, Mo Hua would admit it directly, leaving him with no words to say.


    Gu Changhuai hesitated for a long time before asking, ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    Mo Hua responded, ¡°I used the Fireball Technique to slaughter all those human traffickers!¡±


    Gu Changhai thought as much.


    This was in line with what he had surmised.


    But he hesitated again for a moment, thought over those words in his heart for a long time, and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and say, ¡°Impossible¡­¡±


    With the Fireball Technique¡­ how could he kill?


    Mo Hua, this youngster, was in the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Those dozen or so human traffickers were at least at the Foundation level too, and with many years of cultivation experience and deeper Cultivation than Mo Hua.


    With the Fireball Technique¡­


    Gu Changhuai simply couldn¡¯t figure out how one could use the low-level Fireball Technique to kill a dozen or so Cultivators of the same rank.


    Even killing one would be cumbersome¡­


    Mo Hua looked helpless,


    ¡°If I stay silent, you suspect me, if I tell the truth, you don¡¯t believe me, Uncle Gu, this makes things difficult for me¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was stopped, feeling slightly guilty, but he still insisted,


    ¡°It definitely wasn¡¯t just the Fireball Technique.¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said, ¡°What if¡­ I had previously set up a Formation that blasted them into serious injuries, and then used the Fireball Technique to finish them off, taking their lives, would that be plausible?¡±


    Gu Changhuai followed Mo Hua¡¯s train of thought and couldn¡¯t help but agree,


    ¡°That does seem more reasonable¡­¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s settled?¡±


    Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t help but nod, and while doing so, was startled again, he said irritably,


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®so, it¡¯s settled¡¯? You¡¯re just over ten years old in the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment, where could you have set up such a powerful Killing Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua spoke the truth again, ¡°My Formation mastery is very formidable!¡±


    Gu Changhuai clearly didn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°I entered Taixu Gate, my specialty is Formation!¡± Mo Hua added.


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t know what to say.


    How could he not know that Mo Hua was Wenren¡¯s cousin, and it took quite a sum of Spirit Stones and many connections to get him into Taixu Gate?


    To say his specialty was Formation was just for the sake of appearances, a mere pretext.


    A kid with a Low-Grade Five Elements Spiritual Root from a remote Little Immortal City in Li State, what kind of Formation mastery could he have?


    To be able to set up a Killing Formation and trap over a dozen human traffickers.


    Bluffing should at least be drafted.


    Gu Changhuai snorted lightly.


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling very helpless.


    Every time he tried to be honest, alas people would not believe him; there was nothing he could do.


    ¡°My Formation mastery is really quite formidable!¡±


    Mo Hua emphasized yet again.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gu Changhuai uttered indifferently.


    If you don¡¯t believe it, forget it¡­


    Mo Hua pursed his lips, too lazy to speak further.


    But Gu Changhuai remembered something else and asked,


    ¡°That Boss Jiang¡­ before he died, he deployed the Sword Controlling Technique with immense power, how could you have emerged unscathed?¡±

 Chapter 909 - 909 622 Little Neighbor_2

    Chapter 909: Chapter 622: Little Neighbor_2


    Mo Hua was just about to speak when Gu Changhuai interrupted him,


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you just got lucky and dodged it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated and said, ¡°I¡­ was going to say that¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai rubbed his temples, feeling a throbbing headache.


    After questioning for so long, he still had no idea which of Mo Hua¡¯s words were true and which were false.


    Or which true statements had a touch of falsehood and which false statements contained a few words of truth¡­


    He couldn¡¯t resort to torture.


    To scare him with the ¡°Taoist Court¡±¡­


    Seeing his familiarity, he didn¡¯t show any fear at all.


    Moreover, his cousin would definitely be partial to this youngster; if he went too far, it would surely upset her.


    It seemed he really had no way to deal with this Mo surname child¡­


    ¡°Forget it¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai thought it over and eventually just sighed.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask about Boss Jiang¡¯s matter anymore¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression turned fierce.


    They were just a group of human traffickers without a shred of conscience.


    If others didn¡¯t kill them, he would.


    Especially since they had kidnapped Yu Er, he would never let them off the hook.


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t really care whether it was Mo Hua who personally took action to kill those traffickers.


    He just wanted to confirm one thing through the death of Boss Jiang.


    But now it seemed that although Mo Hua was young, he was quite shrewd and deep, unreadable and unpredictable; he had no choice but to ask directly¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was serious, his gaze sharp as a sword, piercing directly into Mo Hua:


    ¡°Have you intentionally gotten close to Yu Er¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have¡­ some other ulterior motive?¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    He realized that Gu Changhuai was genuinely concerned about Aunt Wan and also about Yu Er.


    Although they were cousins, their relationship seemed to be no less close than that of real siblings.


    As for the matter with Yu Er¡­


    His encounter with Yu Er was indeed coincidental, as for whether there were other karmic calculations, he was not sure.


    Yu Er was an obedient and lovely child, pure-hearted.


    Even without the lure of karmic benefits, within his capabilities, he would surely save her.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s suspicions about Yu Er and himself were understandable.


    He was an ¡°adult¡± after all, and with a big heart, he decided not to take it to heart.


    Mo Hua was just about to speak when he suddenly heard a clear and innocent voice filled with joy calling out:


    ¡°Brother Mo!¡±


    Mo Hua looked surprised, turning his head to see.


    He saw a child wearing a miniature black and white Taoist robe, hair put up, arms wide open, running over towards him with happiness and excitement.


    Mo Hua paused, ¡°Yu Er?¡±


    Gu Changhuai beside him was also stunned.


    But halfway there, Yu Er saw Gu Changhuai opposite Mo Hua, and her smile vanished immediately, giving a constrained greeting and distantly called out, ¡°Uncle Gu, hello.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was a bit stiff, wanting to show a friendly smile and be closer to Yu Er, but habitual demeanor made coldness seep through his brows.


    He looked, well¡­ rather fierce.


    Yu Er stepped back a little and turned her head, stealing a glance at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua smiled and waved to her.


    Yu Er¡¯s face lit up with happiness, and she quickly walked the last few steps, then threw herself into Mo Hua¡¯s arms.


    Gu Changhuai watched, feeling bitter and envious, nearly gnashing his teeth.


    Mo Hua patted Yu Er¡¯s head, puzzled, ¡°How come you¡¯re here?¡±


    Yu Er emerged with a smiling face and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to enter Taixu Gate!¡±


    ¡°Taixu Gate?¡±


    Mo Hua was very surprised.


    Gu Changhuai beside him was even more incredulous.


    If Mo Hua was harboring ill intentions in Taixu Gate, wouldn¡¯t Yu Er joining Taixu Gate be¡­ like a lamb entering a tiger¡¯s den?


    Gu Changhuai frowned deeply.


    After a while, a tall man with a deep presence and a stable and square face came over.


    He gave a respectful greeting to both Gu Changhuai and Mo Hua.


    ¡°Young Master Gu, Young Master Mo.¡±


    Even the usually haughty Gu Changhuai had a solemn expression and returned the greeting.


    Mo Hua followed suit, but with a puzzled look on his face.


    The man spoke in a deep voice:


    ¡°My name is Wenren Wei, I am a guard of the Wenren Family, following the young master to join the sect, taking care of the young master¡¯s daily life. Please, Young Master Mo, take good care of him.¡±


    Wenren Wei was polite but maintained his dignity.


    Mo Hua returned the politeness with a smile, ¡°Hello Uncle Wei.¡±


    Wenren Wei¡¯s expression remained unchanged, but his gaze softened a bit.


    Gu Changhuai still didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Yu Er is so young, how can she possibly enter Taixu Gate? Isn¡¯t that against the rules¡­¡±


    Wenren Wei simply said, ¡°It¡¯s the young lady¡¯s decision.¡±


    In other words, he could only obey, not decide.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s brows furrowed.


    Wenren Wei remained silent.


    Mo Hua then teased Yu Er by pinching her cheek, and Yu Er, sticking close to Mo Hua, stayed happily by his side, looking content.


    Moments later, Wenren Wan arrived hand in hand with a woman in a Taixu Taoist robe, whose posture was graceful¡ªthe two of them chatting and laughing, indicating a close relationship.


    Approaching, Wenren Wan greeted Mo Hua then introduced:


    ¡°Mo Hua, this is Elder Murong from the Inner Gate.¡±


    Elder Murong?


    Mo Hua¡¯s mind stirred, pondering if she had any relationship with Sister Murong Caiyun.


    He respectfully gave his salutations, ¡°Hello Elder Murong.¡±


    Elder Murong nodded with a smile, her voice soft, ¡°So this is Mo Hua you spoke of¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan said with a smile, ¡°Mo Hua is a clever and sensible child, diligent in his cultivation; he is just a Loose Cultivator with no background. Elder Murong, if you have the chance, please look after him in Taixu Gate, don¡¯t let him be bullied¡­¡±

 Chapter 910 - 910 622 Little Neighbor_3

    Chapter 910: Chapter 622 Little Neighbor_3


    Elder Murong said with a faint smile, ¡°Sister, rest assured.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She glanced at Mo Hua, her gaze somewhat profound.


    The child favored by Elder Master Xun was probably beyond her need to look after.


    On the side, Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was complex, feeling helpless inside.


    This kid, full of lies, highly scheming, and very dangerous¡­


    At his age, with his level of cultivation, and having just entered the sect half a year ago, he was already capable of joining his senior brothers and sisters to capture a sinister and vicious Sin Cultivator like Hidden elder-second.


    It was good enough he didn¡¯t bully his fellow disciples, let alone anyone being able to bully him¡­


    Wenren Wan whispered a few private words with Elder Murong and then noticed Gu Changhuai beside her and said, a bit surprised, ¡°Changhuai, since when have you been here?¡±


    Gu Changhuai felt bitter inside, ¡°I¡¯ve been here the whole time¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan didn¡¯t understand, ¡°As a Supervisor, what are you doing here without reason?¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed and said:


    ¡°I came to find Mo Hua, for a bit of business.¡±


    Wenren Wan looked puzzled, ¡°You¡¯re looking for Mo Hua?¡±


    Suddenly recalling something, her expression darkened, ¡°Did someone bully Mo Hua, and he went to the Taoist Court to file a complaint?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was weary.


    His cousin sister was good in all aspects, but sometimes she was emotional and couldn¡¯t see the facts clearly.


    But he couldn¡¯t say more and had to say, ¡°It¡¯s just some minor issues regarding the sect¡¯s reward postings, nothing serious once clarified¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan didn¡¯t quite believe it but didn¡¯t press further.


    After speaking a few more words with Elder Murong, Elder Murong took her leave, saying:


    ¡°I must be going now, everything concerning Yu Er has been settled¡­¡±


    ¡°By bringing him to join the sect, completing some procedures, he would be considered a premature disciple of our Taixu Gate¡­¡±


    ¡°However, Taixu Gate has no such precedent, and he is still young, so he will temporarily stay in the Disciple¡¯s Residence, taken care of by the guards of your family.¡±


    As for the cultivation¡­


    ¡°Considering he is in the Qi Refinement Realm, it¡¯s imperative to nurture the meridians and solidify the foundation, so we won¡¯t make arrangements for him; you should consider his coursework yourself.¡±


    ¡°Once he has joined the sect and needs anything, he can come to me¡­¡±


    ¡°We are sisters, no need for formalities¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Sister Murong, for making an exception to let Yu Er join the sect, it must have taken a lot of effort, I will pay a visit to express my thanks another day.¡±


    Elder Murong shook her head, ¡°You¡¯re too courteous, Sister, I merely went with the flow¡­¡±


    From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Mo Hua, who was talking to Yu Er.


    Allowing a Qi Refinement disciple to enroll was indeed unprecedented in Taixu Gate.


    To break the rule, it required the ancestors¡¯ approval.


    Originally, the ancestors did not agree to this matter.


    But later, for some reason, Elder Master Xun had heard of this and, foreseeing something, unexpectedly gave his consent and even opened the door to convenience¡­


    She only learned about Yu Er and Mo Hua¡¯s relationship later.


    In Elder Murong¡¯s eyes, a hint of realization flashed.


    ¡°Elder Master Xun doesn¡¯t say it, but he surely holds this child in exceptional regard¡­¡±


    This was truly unprecedented¡­


    Elder Murong took another silent glance at Mo Hua and then took her leave.


    Mo Hua would be returning to the Sect too.


    He actually had some things he wanted to discuss with Uncle Gu.


    Mainly, it was to find a way to get him to agree to become an ¡°inside man¡± at the Taoist Court for him, becoming the ¡°tool person¡± for issuing tasks.


    But now was not the time; there would be opportunities to talk in the future.


    Since Yu Er was also about to enter the sect, Mo Hua said goodbye to Wenren Wan and then, along with Yu Er, walked through the gates of Taixu Mountain.


    Yu Er parted from her mother reluctantly.


    Wenren Wei bowed to Wenren Wan and Gu Changhuai and silently followed Mo Hua and Yu Er into the Taixu Gate.


    As a guard, he had to take care of Yu Er¡¯s daily life.


    After the group split up, there were no others around.


    Wenren Wan¡¯s gaze followed the figure of Yu Er disappearing into the forest, her expression slightly melancholic.


    She then withdrew her gaze and glared at Gu Changhuai, ¡°Spit it out, what are you scheming?¡±


    Gu Changhuai lost his usual pride before Wenren Wan, instead becoming somewhat sheepish, ¡°Sister, what do you mean?¡±


    Wenren Wan humphed, ¡°I¡¯ve watched you grow up since you were a child, how could I not know what¡¯s on your mind? For no reason at all, why are you seeking Mo Hua?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses.¡±


    Gu Changhuai heaved a sigh, ¡°I suspect him, of harboring ulterior motives¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan frowned and said helplessly:


    ¡°You, just like your brother-in-law, are too suspicious, that¡¯s why you think everyone has an agenda¡­¡±


    ¡°How you look at others is how they will look at you; if you play tricks on others, they will naturally play tricks on you.¡±


    Gu Changhuai gave a wry smile.


    Seeing him like this, Wenren Wan softened a bit and said:


    ¡°I know you¡¯re concerned about me and Yu Er, but don¡¯t go troubling Mo Hua,¡± she said.


    ¡°If Mo Hua ever has any trouble, do help him out a bit; he¡¯s just a child with no family backing. It¡¯s not easy for him to cultivate in the Sect.¡±


    Having said this, Wenren Wan adopted the aura of an ¡°elder sister,¡± patted Gu Changhuai on the shoulder, and continued, ¡°If Mo Hua needs you, help him if you can. Don¡¯t brush me off, and don¡¯t think you can deceive me.¡±


    Wenren Wan looked into Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes.


    Gu Changhuai was quite conflicted and only unwillingly managed to respond after a long pause, ¡°I get it¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan appeared satisfied, nodding at Gu Changhuai,


    ¡°When you¡¯re on break, come back, and I¡¯ll make you some jade crisp pastries.¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed. Seeing Wenren Wan about to leave, he asked one more question, ¡°Sister¡­¡±


    His gaze grew heavy, ¡°Are you really at peace with sending Yu Er to Taixu Gate?¡±


    Wenren Wan was startled, her body trembling.


    When she turned back, her originally beautiful and gentle face had lost some color, covered with a layer of reluctance, melancholy, and a trace of¡­ fear.


    ¡°Sister¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai had no idea what had happened, his expression one of anxious concern.


    Wenren Wan¡¯s faded face showed a wistful smile:


    ¡°Changhuai¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ had nightmares¡­¡±


    ¡°In those dreams, there¡¯s a sky filled with blood rain, demons dancing wildly¡­¡±


    ¡°Yu Er looks at me with cold eyes, his gaze hollow, his skin pale as death. His blood drained, his organs hollowed out, his Divine Sense sucked dry¡­¡±


    ¡°He asks me in a cold voice, why, as his mother, I don¡¯t save him¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan felt a tightness in her chest, her expression one of anguish, ¡°That¡¯s in dreams, even if I struggle, no matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t save Yu Er¡­¡±


    ¡°Under the overwhelming Evil Thoughts, the human heart is too fragile¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t save him¡­¡±


    ¡°So, all I can do is hope¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan¡¯s voice was a whisper, fading to a barely audible level before finally she lifted her gaze towards Taixu Mountain, her beautiful eyes filled with a humble hope, precious yet fragile.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s heart shuddered violently.


    He had just realized that some things, he simply didn¡¯t know!


    And his cousin, she wasn¡¯t just being impulsively ¡°rash¡± as he had thought¡­


    Gu Changhuai took a deep breath, his demeanor serious as he said:


    ¡°Sister, I understand.¡±


    ¡­


    Inside Taixu Gate.


    Yu Er was completely unaware of these things.


    He was happily holding Mo Hua¡¯s hand, skipping joyfully ahead until they reached the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    Mo Hua swiped the Taixu Token to enter, then noticed that Little Yu Er had also pulled out a little token, swiped it, and followed him in.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Yu Er, you live here too?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Yu Er nodded happily.


    Mo Hua walked inside, only to realize that Yu Er was still following him, right up to the door of room number fifty of Taiyi in Mo Hua¡¯s residence, before Yu Er stopped.


    Mo Hua glanced at Yu Er.


    Yu Er pointed with his small hand to the side, ¡°Brother Mo, I live here.¡±


    Mo Hua looked up and realized that the previously empty room next to his in the Disciple¡¯s Residence had been cleaned and the seal on the doorplate removed.


    It read: Taiyi, Fifty-One.


    Mo Hua opened his mouth.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that Yu Er had indeed joined Taixu Gate and had become his little neighbor¡­


    Behind Yu Er, Wenren Wei also bowed his hands and said:


    ¡°In the future, please take good care of Little Yu Er, Young Master Mo.¡±


    Yu Er too smiled beamingly, ¡°Brother Mo, please take care of me.¡±


    Mo Hua looked down at Yu Er whose eyes sparkled, and said gently with a smile:


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Since there were cultivation classes later that afternoon.


    To avoid disturbing Mo Hua, Wenren Wei took Yu Er into the room next door, room number fifty-one of Taiyi in the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    Yu Er waved to Mo Hua.


    Wenren Wei followed him inside.


    But Mo Hua suddenly stopped him, ¡°Uncle Wei.¡±


    Wenren Wei paused, turning around with a calm demeanor to face Mo Hua, his tone extremely polite, ¡°Young Master Mo, what can I do for you?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m no master, just call me Mo Hua.¡±


    Wenren Wei nodded silently.


    Mo Hua hesitated, then with a profound look said, ¡°If Yu Er has nightmares again, Uncle Wei, remember to call me¡­¡±


    Wenren Wei¡¯s solemn expression flickered for a moment, then, as if understanding something, smiled slightly and nodded:


    ¡°Alright.¡±

 Chapter 911 - 623: Unspoken Transmission

    Chapter 911: Chapter 623: Unspoken Transmission


    Little Yu Er¡¯s sect life had begun.


    Each day, he ate and lived with Mo Hua. Of course, they couldn¡¯t attend classes together.


    Since he had just started Qi Refinement, he needed to nurture his meridians and solidify his foundation.


    This method of strengthening one¡¯s core came at a high cost. It required a large amount of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, precious Spiritual Liquids, and the specifics varied from person to person. Additionally, every family had its own inherited techniques, which the Taixu Sect did not teach.


    Thus, when Mo Hua attended classes at the Tao Teaching Pavilion, Yu Er stayed in the Disciple¡¯s Residence, cultivating, studying, and completing assignments. Wenren Wei would occasionally guide him and teach him some Tao Cultivation Classics.


    After class, Mo Hua would return to the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    Yu Er would hold a small bowl and sit beside Mo Hua, eating with him.


    Other disciples who saw Yu Er, so small and young, were completely astonished.


    He wore a petite Taoist Robe from the Taixu Sect and looked like a sect disciple, but his age was far too young to actually be one¡­


    Cheng Mo asked Mo Hua, ¡°Mo Hua, who¡¯s this little guy?¡±


    Yu Er was displeased and puffed up his cheeks, replying in his soft, childlike voice, ¡°I¡¯m not a little guy; I¡¯m Shang Guanyu!¡±


    ¡°Shang Guanyu?¡± Cheng Mo frowned. ¡°The Shangguan Family?¡±


    Yu Er ignored him, bowing his head as he mimicked Mo Hua and started shoveling rice into his mouth.


    Cheng Mo sighed. He couldn¡¯t argue with a little kid, so he asked Mo Hua again:


    ¡°Your little brother?¡±


    Mo Hua reached out to pat Yu Er¡¯s head and said, ¡°Pretty much¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo stared at Mo Hua for a moment, then shifted his gaze to Yu Er before muttering, ¡°They really do look a bit alike¡­¡±


    ¡°The Shangguan Family¡­¡± Another disciple nearby gasped in surprise and whispered, ¡°Mo Hua, do you have the Shangguan bloodline?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    Cheng Mo scolded the disciple in a low voice:


    ¡°Idiot, would anyone reveal something like that openly? It¡¯s obviously meant to be kept under wraps. If you ask me, Mo Hua is probably some illegitimate child of the Shangguan Family¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, now annoyed, retorted:


    ¡°If you have the time, you might as well do some more homework or practice formations. I think you should dedicate your limited time to researching the Bagua Formation Method rather than digging up gossip¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo felt his head ache at the mention of formations and immediately quieted down, grinning sheepishly:


    ¡°No, no, ¡®Junior Brother,¡¯ I was just joking¡­¡±


    *Yu Er¡¯s eyes sparkled with admiration as he watched how a single sentence from Mo Hua subdued the tall and burly Cheng Mo.*


    ¡°It looks like Brother Mo is quite amazing in the Taixu Sect!¡±


    *Yu Er, who had been slightly anxious about entering the Taixu Sect and facing a bunch of strangers, immediately straightened his tiny back with newfound confidence.*


    He shuffled a little closer to Mo Hua, clutching his small bowl as he continued eating peacefully.


    From then on, Yu Er settled into the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    He was adorable and pure-hearted, like a little mascot, naturally winning everyone¡¯s affection.


    Yu Er and Mo Hua were very close.


    Mo Hua was also considered their ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    With this bond, everyone took good care of Yu Er.


    Furthermore, he had a guard accompanying him, whose aura was restrained yet carried an extraordinary presence. Calm and steady as a mountain, his cultivation was undoubtedly profound.


    Entering the sect through special privileges and bringing along a guard¡ª


    This was clearly no ordinary child.


    Some disciples who had connections to the Shangguan Family returned home to inquire with their elders and learned the truth of Yu Er¡¯s identity, leaving them utterly shocked.


    Through this, they understood what the name ¡°Shang Guanyu¡± signified. When they glanced at Mo Hua again, their expressions grew even more ¡°meaningful.¡±


    The Shangguan Family had sent the heir apparent of their next Family Head into the Taixu Sect¡ªto act as Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°little follower.¡±


    What kind of deep ¡°connection¡± and strong ¡°backing¡± did this entail?


    And to say Mo Hua had no background? Who¡¯d believe that nonsense?


    The disciples grew increasingly courteous toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua, however, was completely clueless¡­


    ¡­


    Ever since Yu Er moved into the Disciple¡¯s Residence, Mo Hua¡¯s daily life underwent some changes. After a few days of adjustment, things became routine once more.


    During the day, he still attended classes, cultivated, and practiced his studies.


    Occasionally, he substituted for Elder Master Xun in teaching classes. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was supposed to be ¡°occasionally,¡± but Elder Master Xun grew increasingly lazy, claiming that his advanced age left him lacking energy, and he took on the role of a hands-free manager. Formation studies had essentially become Mo Hua¡¯s responsibility.


    Who knew how much of this was true.


    After finishing classes, Mo Hua would return to the Disciple¡¯s Residence. If he had free time, he¡¯d work on assignments together with Yu Er.


    He tinkered with spells and practiced formations while Yu Er diligently completed his foundational lessons.


    *During the day, Yu Er struggled to calm his mind. He felt nervous, uneasy, and reluctant to work on his assignments, but by evening, when he was with Mo Hua, he felt at ease and became much more focused on his studies.*


    At the middle of the night, Yu Er would sleep.


    Mo Hua also slept, but he remained vigilant, guarding against any Demon Monsters disturbing the neighboring Yu Er, while using his Divine Sense to immerse in his Sea of Consciousness and study formations.


    Fortunately, no Demon Monsters appeared to disturb Yu Er.


    But unfortunately, no Demon Monsters wandered foolishly into Mo Hua¡¯s path to offer him some ¡°food¡±¡­


    And so, life in the sect remained peaceful and serene¡ªbusy yet fulfilling.


    During the scheduled break, Mo Hua ventured out with Senior Sister Murong and the others to complete reward missions.


    Mo Hua¡¯s original plan was to choose missions himself, have Uncle Gu issue the missions, then let Senior Sister Murong accept them. He¡¯d merely tag along, and after capturing Sin Cultivators, he could gain both inheritance and merit points.


    But this approach turned out to be overly idealistic.


    He rarely visited the Taoist Court and had hardly encountered Uncle Gu, leaving no way to arrange for Uncle Gu to issue missions.


    From the very beginning, his plan had failed.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    For now, he could only wait for an opportunity to meet Uncle Gu and think of another way.


    With no clear path through the Taoist Court for now, Mo Hua could only passively accept reward missions as they came along.

 Chapter 912 - 623: Unspoken Transmission_2

    Chapter 912: Chapter 623: Unspoken Transmission_2


    For himself, he spent a little effort and kept an eye on the Taixu Token whenever he could, quickly contacting Murong Caiyun to grab any task that seemed ¡°suspicious¡± at first glance. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After spending some time together, Mo Hua unexpectedly discovered that Senior Sister Murong¡¯s status within the Taixu Gate was much higher than he had thought.


    With high prestige, good popularity, family background, natural talent, and ability, she was truly the ¡°big sister¡± among her fellow disciples.


    Thus, her permissions to accept tasks were also extremely high.


    The tasks that Mo Hua wanted to take, Murong Caiyun could also get.


    Thanks to this, although he was just ¡°going with the flow¡± when accepting bounties, Mo Hua often managed to capture some Sin Cultivators and confiscate some spells.


    And Murong Caiyun gradually got used to this little Junior Brother Mo Hua, doing tasks with him.


    Because she took the tasks, she was always with Mo Hua on every mission. Therefore, she knew the most about him.


    Even though Mo Hua¡¯s physical body was weak and his spiritual power was meager, his personal combat ability was comparatively weak.


    But aside from that, he was skilled at concealment, his movement technique was exquisite, and he could protect himself¡­


    Surveillance, investigation, tracking, setting traps, coordinating ambushes, spell control¡­ he was adept at it all.


    He was particularly good at formations, understanding all sorts of bizarre, tricky, and even some unheard-of formations.


    Aside from his slightly lacking offensive power, he was practically a Formation treasure chest, a versatile Junior Brother¡­


    Every time she took Mo Hua on a task, it was very worriless.


    But she had a regret in her heart, which was the Five Elements Amplification Formation.


    Murong Caiyun didn¡¯t say much, but she couldn¡¯t forget the feeling of that formation¡¯s enhancement, when her spiritual power surged.


    She longed to experience once more, under the enhancement of the Five Elements, the feeling of spells significantly increasing in power, capable of massive destruction on all sides.


    Unfortunately, there were no more opportunities after that.


    Opponents who could be dealt with didn¡¯t need the amplification of a Five Elements Spell to win.


    And with opponents you couldn¡¯t beat, the best choice was to not forcibly engage.


    Originally evenly-matched opponents became much weaker after Mo Hua¡¯s surveillance, setting an ambush, encirclement, and control strategies.


    Similarly, they didn¡¯t need spell amplification.


    And they didn¡¯t need to expend a vast amount of superior skills to decide a fight to the death.


    Unless they encountered a true strong enemy, or a life-and-death struggle where they had no choice but to go all out¡­


    ¡­


    And so two more months passed, with Mo Hua continuing to mix in on tasks.


    He completed many bounties, captured seven or eight Sin Cultivators, and confiscated several Five Elements Spells. His Merit Points also kept increasing, reaching 1,130 points.


    Five hundred of those points were from the task given by Hidden elder-second.


    The task from Hidden elder-second didn¡¯t originally have so many Merit Points, but he was a major fugitive wanted by the Taoist Court, proficient in concealment and assassination, and he had many lives under his belt.


    These various crimes accumulated into a substantial amount of Merit Points.


    Mo Hua was ecstatic.


    The seven or eight Sin Cultivators he had captured after that were just ordinary Sin Cultivators, nothing remarkable, so the most he got from them was only over a hundred points, with the least being just tens of points.


    But Mo Hua was also very content.


    No matter how little, it was much better than painstakingly accumulating points, little by little, by setting up First-grade Formations.


    1,130 points!


    Mo Hua felt he was rolling in it!


    He didn¡¯t want to use the Merit Points he had worked so hard to earn. ¡°A place for everything, and everything in its place,¡± they said. If he hoarded them without using them, then earning Merit Points was meaningless.


    So he went to the Merit Pavilion, where under the astonished gaze of the Merit Elder, he lavishly bought six sets of Second-grade Sixteen Pattern formations in one go.


    He spent over one thousand Merit Points in total.


    The Merit Elder was stunned for a long while before he incredulously said,


    ¡°Kid, did you go rob someone?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    ¡°Then did you kill and plunder?¡±


    ¡°Or did you steal someone¡¯s Taixu Token?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe you¡­ tampered with the Taixu Token?!¡±


    Mo Hua looked unimpressed, ¡°Elder, do I look like that kind of person to you?¡±


    The Merit Elder stared at the. picturesque Mo Hua and after a glance, shook his head, saying,


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem like it, but what you do behind closed doors, who knows¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have to be capable of doing those things like killing and plundering, fake the Taixu Token¡­¡± Mo Hua said helplessly.


    The Merit Elder thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true, I overestimated you¡­¡±


    The Merit Elder mused for a bit more.


    The Taixu Token system had been used for so many years, it shouldn¡¯t possibly be flawed. Since Mo Hua had earned them and was openly using them, he likely had a clear conscience.


    As for the specifics of how he got them¡­


    Since they were recorded in the Taixu Token, they must have followed proper rules and procedures. It wasn¡¯t necessary for him to hassle a little kid.


    ¡°You wait here¡­¡±


    The Merit Elder turned away and from the many jade cabinets behind him, he took out several Formation Diagrams, packaged them together, did the record-keeping, and handed them to Mo Hua.


    But he was still curious.


    ¡°Eight He Kan Water Formation, Floating Clouds Xun Wind Formation, Gen Earth Mountain Marsh Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°These are all Second-grade Sixteen Pattern formations, aren¡¯t they? You¡¯re only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, what do you want them for?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled mischievously and said, ¡°I¡¯ll study them¡­¡±


    The Merit Elder said solemnly, ¡°This is no trifling matter, if your Divine Sense isn¡¯t enough, studying these formations will deplete your Sea of Consciousness, damaging your foundation¡­¡±


    ¡°Yep, yep!¡± Mo Hua acknowledged the Merit Elder¡¯s concern and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elder. Elder Master Xun is aware.¡±


    Mo Hua again brought up Elder Master Xun.


    Sure enough, the name of Elder Master Xun worked wonders. Once the Merit Elder heard it, he became reassured and said,


    ¡°Alright then, off you go, learn well from Elder Master Xun.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Elder!¡±

 Chapter 913 - 623 Unintended Transmission_3

    Chapter 913: Chapter 623 Unintended Transmission_3


    Mo Hua bowed and took his leave.


    After returning to the Disciple¡¯s Residence and accompanying Yu Er with her lessons, Mo Hua spread out the six Formation diagrams of Second Grade Sixteen Patterns and began studying them with great interest.


    Six entire diagrams.


    All from the Eight Trigrams series, Sixteen Patterns, considered common Formations, though they were relatively unfamiliar to Mo Hua.


    Yet the principles of Formation offer one connection after another.


    *Though Mo Hua had spent some time researching the Eight Trigrams Formation, gradually coming to his own insights, even with unfamiliar arrays, after pondering them for a while, he could grasp their essential logic.*


    After 1 p.m., he practiced them again and again on the Taoist Stele.


    About a month passed, and Mo Hua felt he had learned them well enough.


    It was around this time that Mo Hua realized he had been so busy lately that he had forgotten one thing:


    Second Grade Sixteen Patterns were already the arrays required for assessment as a Second Grade Middle Stage Formation Master.


    But currently, his Formation Master grade was still only First Grade¡ªreally far too low.


    ¡°Should I go and exchange for a Second Grade Heaven Shu Ring to wear?¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I wonder if the Second Grade Heaven Shu Ring looks nice.¡±


    *Muttering to himself, Mo Hua made his way to the Elder¡¯s Residence again.*


    In Qian State, where there were countless families and a complex web of influences, deciding on an assessment like this was not something Mo Hua could manage on his own. He resolved to humbly seek advice from Elder Master Xun.


    In the Elder¡¯s Residence, Elder Master Xun was leisurely sipping tea.


    The Formation lessons had already been assigned to Mo Hua, and Elder Master Xun felt at ease leaving them in his capable hands. With some free time, he could now organize the insights accumulated over his lifetime of teaching Formation.


    He planned to hand these insights down to Mo Hua, after which he¡¯d practically be able to stop worrying altogether.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t visiting Elder Master Xun¡¯s quarters for the first time.


    Even the young servant standing at the door didn¡¯t hinder him.


    The room was simple, clean, and devoid of unnecessary adornments¡ªan atmosphere of elegance and serenity.


    Upon entering the room, Mo Hua greeted Elder Master Xun with a bow and quietly asked:


    ¡°Master, would it be appropriate for me to undergo an assessment as a Second Grade Primary Stage Formation Master now?¡±


    ¡°For an assessment¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun took a sip of tea, pondered briefly, and nodded, saying, ¡°That¡¯s alright¡ªgo ahead¡­¡±


    As if recalling something, Elder Master Xun put down his teacup and asked in passing, ¡°How far have you progressed?¡±


    ¡°Just about to the Sixteen Patterns,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    ¡°Sixteen Patterns already¡­¡± Elder Master Xun nodded. ¡°That¡¯s indeed about right. Study a little more, consolidate your knowledge, and you¡¯ll be at Second Grade Middle Stage soon¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun paused, furrowing his brow. ¡°How many Patterns?¡±


    ¡°Sixteen.¡±


    Elder Master Xun stared at Mo Hua for a long moment, unable to utter a single word.


    *It was only then that Mo Hua remembered he hadn¡¯t mentioned his Sixteen-Pattern Divine Sense to Elder Master Xun yet.*


    And it wasn¡¯t the practice of Taixu Gate¡¯s elders to peer into the Sea of Consciousness of their disciples.


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spoke softly.


    Elder Master Xun finally recovered, his brow twitching. ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    A while ago¡­


    *That time at the Shangguan Family estate, keeping vigil at night over Yu Er, battling a hoard of demon monsters and devouring a Sheep-Horned Enforcer. After digesting it, his Divine Sense became Sixteen Patterns.*


    However, fearing Elder Master Xun might struggle to accept this, Mo Hua replied tactfully, ¡°Just in the last couple of days¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, feigning composure, though inwardly he couldn¡¯t help but take a sharp breath¡­


    Sixteen Patterns!


    *It had been so little time, and he already had Sixteen-Pattern Divine Sense! At the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, reaching Sixteen Patterns¡ªwas this even the limit? What kind of little monster was this?!*


    *Taixu Gate had been open for disciples for over a millennium, yet likely had never accepted such a prodigious talent as this small demon!*


    *Elder Master Xun felt he should make a trip to Taixu Gate¡¯s ancestral tomb in the Back Hill Forbidden Area to see if it was smoking.*


    Elder Master Xun forced himself to remain calm, his brow slightly furrowed. As he recalled the earlier events, a realization clicked in his mind.


    *No wonder¡­*


    ¡°Back then, you brought the Sixteen-Pattern, Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation array to ask me¡­¡±


    ¡°So it turns out your Divine Sense was already approaching Sixteen Patterns, which was why you sought advice in advance, to aid future comprehension¡­¡±


    ¡°Steady and meticulous work, with the foresight for preparation¡ªquite commendable¡­¡±


    Mo Hua noticed the shifts in Elder Master Xun¡¯s typically serious and stern expression, unsure of what he was contemplating, and asked:


    ¡°Master, can I proceed with the assessment?¡±


    Elder Master Xun froze for a moment, raising an eyebrow.


    Of course you can!


    *If you can¡¯t go for an assessment, then who possibly could?*


    *With Divine Sense reaching Sixteen Patterns, such profound Formation mastery¡ªif this doesn¡¯t earn you an assessment, I¡¯ll personally go pull those assessors¡¯ noses clean off.*


    Yet just as Elder Master Xun was about to speak, he hesitated, and a hint of concern surfaced between his brows.


    Sixteen Patterns¡­


    *It was far too extreme.*


    *If he truly proceeded with the assessment, it would inevitably cause an uproar.*


    *Being so outstanding in less than a year since entering the sect, he was bound to draw envy and greed.*


    *Such fame could also lead to arrogance, disrupting his tranquility and making it difficult to remain committed to the intricacies of Formation study.*


    *He¡¯d also attract the attention of unsavory individuals¡­*


    *Such a promising talent, yet still immature, mustn¡¯t be ruined¡­*


    Elder Master Xun deliberated for a long while, then shook his head and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback. ¡°Sixteen Patterns, and it¡¯s still difficult to proceed with the assessment?¡±


    Elder Master Xun replied sternly, ¡°You should understand¡ªhaving strong Divine Sense provides a good foundation for learning Formations, but it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean your Formations are superior.¡±


    ¡°Formations are something that depend on talent, comprehension, and especially experience.¡±


    ¡°Here at the Qian Learning State Boundary, the number of Heavenly Prides is endless¡ªFormation geniuses as numerous as the stars in the sky.¡±


    ¡°You must maintain a humble heart¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not underestimate others¡­¡±


    ¡°Some may not have Divine Senses as strong as yours, but their early upbringing exposed them to Formations extensively; family legacies and profound foundations may offer great experience and depth in Formation understanding.¡±

 Chapter 914 - 623: Unofficially Transmitting_4

    Chapter 914: Chapter 623: Unofficially Transmitting_4


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and couldn¡¯t help but nod, feeling that Elder Master Xun¡¯s words made a lot of sense.


    ¡°Do not underestimate the Formation talents of Qian State!¡±


    Mo Hua sincerely said, ¡°The gentleman is right, there are heavens beyond this heaven, and there are people beyond ourselves. The disciple understands this well!¡±


    Elder Master Xun silently glanced at Mo Hua, thinking to himself that others might say that, but you yourself shouldn¡¯t.


    The heaven beyond might very well be someone like you¡­


    But he couldn¡¯t say that out loud.


    After thinking for a bit, Elder Master Xun sighed and added,


    ¡°There is one more important point¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if you have the ability for assessment, Taoist Court¡¯s assessment is contingent on slots and recommendations; given your young age and limited experience, recommending you is not that convenient¡­¡±


    ¡°The assessment process is a rather rigid test with a complicated set of procedures that you must learn; it¡¯s standard and formulaic, but at the same time impractical and of no real substance¡­¡±


    ¡°It will waste a great deal of time and, to speak the truth, it will not enhance your Formation standards.¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Your task at present should still be to study Formations, in earnest, to improve yourself. Do not waste time on these rigid, test-oriented things.¡±


    ¡°When your achievements are high enough in the future and you have the need, then you can consider the matter of assessment.¡±


    ¡°Before the absolute power of Formation skills, those trivial, test-oriented thresholds will no longer be worth mentioning¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded continuously as he listened.


    But at the same time, he felt a hint of concern, ¡°Elder Master, if I don¡¯t get assessed, I can¡¯t take on Second Grade Formation tasks, and accumulating Merit Points will be very slow¡­¡±


    In reality, his rate of accumulating Merit Points was already not slow.


    But he wanted to be even faster¡­


    ¡°Merit Points, hmm¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun stroked his beard and nodded slightly.


    That was indeed a problem.


    Something he had overlooked previously.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s Sixteen Patterns Divine Sense, naturally, he should learn the Sixteen Patterns Formation.


    But the Merit Points needed to exchange for Sixteen Patterns Formations were not few; expecting him to tackle those ¡°entry-level¡± tasks and accumulate points bit by bit would probably take ages.


    This would significantly hinder Mo Hua¡¯s progress in learning Formations.


    That went against his original intention.


    Having Mo Hua accumulate Merit Points was meant to toughen him up, get to know his peers, help one another, and foster a sense of honor within the Sect, not to deliberately make things difficult for him.


    After some contemplation, Elder Master Xun said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll adjust your permissions; within Taixu Gate, you are a Second Grade Formation Master.¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Could this really be done¡­


    Mo Hua asked quietly, ¡°You change it to Second Grade, and that¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Elder Master Xun said, ¡°Once you¡¯ve been assessed, and the Sect acknowledges you, you¡¯ll be granted corresponding permissions; even though you haven¡¯t been assessed, my approval can still grant you permissions¡­¡±


    ¡°Sect permissions are a type of authorization.¡±


    ¡°With the authorization, you can take on tasks.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, if you were to take on a Second Grade Formation task, would you really need to show a Heaven Shu Ring of Second Grade?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, indicating that he understood.


    ¡°Hand me your Taixu Token¡­¡±


    Mo Hua passed the Taixu Token to Elder Master Xun.


    Elder Master Xun took the Taixu Token without a second thought and began altering the Token¡¯s permissions right in front of Mo Hua¡­


    Mo Hua, who stood to one side and watched, suddenly froze.


    Surprise and amazement surged in his heart.


    Granting permissions was simple and quick, but changing permissions was another matter entirely.


    Had it been before, Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t have understood.


    But now it was different; he had learned the Original Magnet Formation and used Tricky Calculation to amplify the Calculation, having perceived the essence between Magnetic Patterns¡ªthe Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    He had even accumulated a ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern Library¡± and had used Secondary Thunder Patterns to resolve Sealing Patterns and Secret Patterns.


    Now, he could clearly sense¡­


    The so-called ¡°modification of permissions¡± was essentially Elder Master Xun, using a very special kind of Secondary Thunder Pattern to reverse-effect the Formation, altering the double-layered Magnetic Patterns, thus modifying the underlying structure of the Taixu Token, changing his permissions!!


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    This feeling was like¡­


    Watching someone right in front of you use a glittering key, personally demonstrating how to unlock a treasure trove hidden away¡­

 Chapter 915 - 624 Leeks

    Chapter 915: Chapter 624 Leeks


    Elder Master Xun, completely unaware, had no idea what he had done in front of Mo Hua¡­


    Yet, as soon as the authority levels were changed, an inexplicable trepidation suddenly arose in his heart.


    But this trepidation was subtle and fleeting.


    Elder Master Xun paused for a moment, feeling quite puzzled:


    ¡°I haven¡¯t really done anything, so why do I suddenly feel a bit restless¡­¡±


    All I did was change the permissions for this child Mo Hua, that shouldn¡¯t be violating any of the rules or teachings of the sect.


    Besides, some of these rules and teachings are my own creation¡­


    ¡°Could there be another reason?¡±


    When Elder Master Xun tried to think it over again, everything was gone without a trace, as if what had passed had truly passed.


    That which had been stolen and learned, had already been learned.


    For the deed had already been done.


    Elder Master Xun frowned, lost in thought for a moment, and repeatedly confirmed in his mind before he finally let out a silent sigh of relief.


    This should have¡­ nothing to do with Taixu Gate¡­


    Then I won¡¯t bother with it!


    ¡°I, an old man, can¡¯t manage the affairs of other sects¡­¡±


    With that, Elder Master Xun was at ease and did not bother any further.


    He turned his head to return the Taixu Token to Mo Hua, but suddenly froze.


    Mo Hua¡¯s fair little face was filled with surprise, eyes sparkling like the stars in the sky.


    Elder Master Xun was taken aback.


    What has this child figured out now?


    But I haven¡¯t taught him anything, have I?


    Changing the permissions, what could he have learned?


    Elder Master Xun furrowed his brows, thoroughly perplexed.


    ¡°Keep the Taixu Token safe,¡± Elder Master Xun instructed.


    Coming back to reality, Mo Hua hastily nodded and said, ¡°Mhm,¡± before taking the Taixu Token and tucking it away with a smile.


    ¡°This child¡­ what exactly is he so pleased about?¡±


    Elder Master Xun wondered to himself.


    The Taixu Token had been altered, and things that shouldn¡¯t have been learned were learned, so Mo Hua bid farewell and was about to leave.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Elder Master Xun suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°Your Merit Points seem to have accumulated quite a bit, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    When he had just been modifying Mo Hua¡¯s Taixu Token, he glanced at it unintentionally and discovered that it contained more than a hundred Merit Points.


    The entry-level merit tasks were usually worth just a few points.


    Over a hundred Merit Points would take quite some time to accumulate.


    He wondered how many Formations Mo Hua had drawn, how many times he had swept the steps, how many times he had looked at the sect gate¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but nod and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve worked hard to save them!¡±


    Throughout these days, all the Sin Cultivators he had caught or killed were counted in numbers before the Taoist Court.


    On the path to the Underworld, they could even form a small queue.


    Thus, he had earned over a thousand Merit Points! S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had bought six sets of Second Grade Sixteen Pattern Formations, and he hadn¡¯t even spent them all!


    Mo Hua had a look of accomplishment on his face.


    Elder Master Xun nodded slightly and praised:


    ¡°Well done, keep up the good work!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Gentleman, I will!¡±


    ¡­


    After taking his leave from Elder Master Xun, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t wait to get back to the Disciple¡¯s Residence to start pondering over ¡°usurping¡±¡­ no, ¡°modifying¡± authority levels.


    Modifying authority!


    This was the real application of Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Previously, Mo Hua had deduced and included the Secondary Thunder Pattern in his collection. Although he had gathered quite a few, he had been somewhat muddled, unaware of the principles and the ultimate use of the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    But now, good-hearted Elder Master Xun had pointed him in the right direction.


    Over and over in his mind, he recreated the process of Elder Master Xun modifying the Taixu Token, and he summarized the key points:


    Firstly, one must master the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Accumulating a ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern Library¡± alone wasn¡¯t enough; he needed a profound understanding and genuine mastery of the use of Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    His previous method had been guesswork¡ªselecting Secondary Thunder Patterns to unlock and decrypt.


    This was like having a pile of ¡°keys¡± and then relying on luck to open someone else¡¯s lock.


    Although this type of ¡°luck¡± was based on a solid foundation of Formation knowledge and the incredibly complex, cunningly integrated application of Divine Thought¡ªcounting on Heavenly secrets.


    But it was still a bit rough.


    The technical content of Formation was a bit low.


    However, now Elder Master Xun had demonstrated a brand new technique.


    That is, by controlling the Secondary Thunder Pattern, to inversely affect the Unfixed Magnetic Pattern, alter the Fixed Magnetic Pattern, thus reconstructing the underlying Formation and usurping core authority.


    It was like turning the key into ¡°molten gold,¡± freely modifying the Formation acting as the ¡°door lock.¡±


    This act was not akin to ¡°unlocking¡± but rather ¡°changing the lock.¡±


    Altering someone else¡¯s lock according to one¡¯s own wishes into the desired form.


    After ¡°unlocking,¡± the underlying Formation Patterns remained unchanged, and it was still entering someone else¡¯s ¡°home.¡±


    But after changing the lock, the underlying Formation Patterns were replaced, authority shifted.


    Whose ¡°home¡± this Yuan Magnetic Formation made belonged to was now a question.


    Who could enter, who could not, all was now up to him to decide¡­


    And at the heart of all this was the connection between Magnetic Patterns¡ªalthough faint and elusive, it was more essential¡ª Secondary Thunder Flow, also known as ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern.¡±


    Secondly, the form of Magnetic Patterns.


    To modify Magnetic Patterns with Secondary Thunder Patterns, one must study a variety of Yuan Magnetic Formations, mastering the myriad combinations of Fixed and Unfixed Magnetic Patterns.


    In this way, when one could use Secondary Thunder Patterns to alter Yuan Magnetic Formations in the future, they would know how to change, what form to change into, and what effects would result¡­


    Thirdly, the Yuan Magnetic Formation Pivot.


    However, the matter of the Yuan Magnetic Formation Pivot was something that Mo Hua didn¡¯t quite understand yet.


    The Yuan Magnetic Formations he had learned did not involve Formation Pivots, and he was unclear on how to apply them.


    But based on Elder Master Xun¡¯s previously fragmented guidance, Mo Hua speculated that all large-sized Yuan Magnetic Formations were controlled by alternating Formation Pivots at each Yuan Magnetic end.

 Chapter 916 - 624 Leeks_2

    Chapter 916: Chapter 624 Leeks_2


    ¡°¡±¡±


    The core of authority also relied on the Formation Pivot.


    The unlocking and decryption of the inheritance Jade Slip both utilized a simple Yuan Magnetic Formation and did not involve the control of the Formation Pivot.


    But formations such as the Transmission Token and the Taixu Token were entirely different.


    Such formations typically required patterns above the Seventeen Patterns level.


    Mo Hua could only wait until his Divine Sense was sufficiently strong to learn the relevant formations and gradually comprehend them¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua summarized everything in his heart.


    From the Secondary Thunder Pattern to the double-layered Magnetic Pattern of the Laws, then to the Thunder Magnetism-tier Formation Pivot.


    This was precisely what Elder Master Xun had painstakingly and personally demonstrated¡ªa systematic, structurally rigorous, and methodical process for comprehending and applying Thunder Magnetism Formations, beginning with the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Mo Hua silently expressed his gratitude toward Elder Master Xun and then began planning his study of the Yuan Magnetic Formation:


    The next step was to study more Yuan Magnetic Formations, accumulate more Secondary Thunder Patterns, and then attempt to use the Secondary Thunder Pattern to alter the Magnetic Patterns.


    As his Divine Sense improved further, he would study more advanced Yuan Magnetic Formation techniques of Seventeen Patterns and above.


    Following that, he would delve into Compound Formations that incorporated Formation Pivot structures.


    Once the Magnetic Patterns were thoroughly mastered, and he clearly understood the Formation Pivot, and the manipulation of Secondary Thunder Patterns became as natural as moving his own limbs¡­


    Eventually, he could step by step comprehend and master the Thunder Magnetism Large Formation truly applied within the Sect¡¯s merit system!


    He would become the ¡°shadow¡± within the intricate Secret Patterns of the Yuan Magnetism and Secondary Thunder Flow, stealing secrets, and the ¡°master¡± who commanded Thunder Magnetism.


    Once he could crack the Large Formation, his ¡°authority¡± would reign above all Formation Pivot-tier constructs.


    The secrets of the entire Qian Learning State Boundary Sect would be at his fingertips.


    *Mo Hua envisioned this eagerly, feeling pleased and excited in his heart.*


    But for now, it remained just a distant dream.


    He had only just reached Foundation Establishment, having just learned the Sixteen Patterns-level Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, and his goal was still far off¡­


    *One bite at a time for food, one Formation at a time for cultivation,* he thought.


    Enhancing his Divine Sense was certainly not something that could be achieved overnight.


    Mo Hua was quiet as he continued, as always, immersing himself in studying formations, calculating, and recording the ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns.¡±


    But now that he had a framework in his mind, his study felt less ignorant than before, and his understanding of the Secondary Thunder Pattern deepened.


    One by one, the Secondary Thunder Patterns seemed to come alive, forming subtle connections with Mo Hua¡­


    Mo Hua almost felt that these intricate Secondary Thunder Patterns and the accompanying faint Magnetic Flows resonated with the elusive Dao Laws.


    They seemed to be slowly harmonizing with his Divine Thought¡­


    Profound and mysterious.


    It was, however, limited by the strength of his Divine Sense, making this process relatively slow.


    *Mo Hua deeply felt the inadequacy of his current Divine Sense.*


    So many things that he wanted to learn were beyond his reach.


    Sixteen Patterns of Divine Sense.


    Although compared to cultivators of his generation and realm, his Divine Sense was already far ahead.


    However, when it came to truly intricate Divine Sense Calculation and high-level formation comprehension, even with a qualitative shift, sixteen patterns of Divine Sense still fell short.


    His current Divine Sense was not yet strong enough to support his study of more advanced Formation knowledge.


    *But the growth of Divine Sense was like a slow stream gathering into a river¡ªgradual and accumulative. There was no rushing it.*


    Mo Hua let out a sigh.


    Without external ¡°boosts,¡± he could only keep his patience, silently studying formations and gradually honing his Divine Sense¡­


    ¡­


    About half a month later, at 1 p.m sharp.


    Mo Hua, slouched over his desk after completing today¡¯s assignments, learning several Eight Trigrams Arrays, was preparing to enter his Sea of Consciousness to simulate Yuan Magnetic Formation and calculate Secondary Thunder Patterns, when suddenly his expression froze.


    He sensed some unusual movements in the room next to his.


    The sensation was obscure, cold, and sinister.


    It felt as though some eerie force of cause-and-effect was quietly growing, with grotesque evil entities slobbering from the ceiling, suspended upside down¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Scallions!


    They had sprouted!


    He immediately got up. Just as he stepped through the door, he bumped into Wenren Wei.


    Wenren Wei, tall and imposing, stood at the doorway with a grave expression, tinged with hesitation, as though deciding whether or not to disturb Mo Hua.


    Upon seeing Mo Hua come out, Wenren Wei looked slightly surprised, then clasped his hands and said,


    ¡°Young Master Mo, it seems that Young Master Yu is having nightmares again¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and reiterated,


    ¡°I¡¯m not from a family. You don¡¯t need to address me as ¡®Young Master.''¡±


    Wenren Wei nodded and said, ¡°Understood.¡±


    Yet his solemn expression clearly conveyed that, while he agreed outwardly, he had no intention of dropping the formality. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Helpless, Mo Hua could only head over to check on Yu Er for now.*


    Yu Er¡¯s room was arranged comfortably and warmly, with a screen divider separating the space. Wenren Wei stayed in the outer section.


    Yu Er lived inside, on a bed that was plain yet soft, surrounded by mountain-and-river screen panels, with a calming incense burner nearby.


    Everything around was visually serene and refined.


    But on the bed, Yu Er furrowed his brows, his small hands and feet flailing about nervously, seemingly trapped in terror.


    Wenren Wei wore a worried look. He vaguely sensed something was wrong but was entirely clueless about the nature of the disturbance.


    Mo Hua glanced up, his pupils narrowing sharply, and saw threads of causal textures rising in the Void, thick black liquid oozing from the ceiling, and countless demonic arms and claws growing out from the cracks of the Void, sprouting like ¡°scallions¡±¡­


    *Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but lick his lips,* then said to Wenren Wei,


    ¡°Uncle Wei, you should take a rest outside for now. I¡¯ll stay here and watch over things.¡±


    Wenren Wei froze slightly, then asked with concern,


    ¡°Young Master Mo, this¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Mo Hua smiled, then picked up a meditation mat, sitting beside Yu Er while blocking him from the demon monsters with a relaxed and confident air, even tinged with a hint of¡­ enthusiasm.


    ¡°¡±¡±

 Chapter 917 - 624 Leek_3

    Chapter 917: Chapter 624 Leek_3


    Expectation?


    It was like waiting for ¡°dishes to be served¡± at a feast¡­


    Wenren Wei frowned and hesitated for a moment before bowing and saying,


    ¡°Then, I must trouble Young Master Mo.¡±


    Afterwards, Wenren Wei went outside, his gaze steady and vigilant, keeping an eye on his surroundings. At the same time, he also sent out a thread of his Divine Sense, paying attention to Mo Hua.


    He felt somewhat uneasy in his heart.


    The matter with Young Master Yu was quite peculiar; he had only heard of it, but had never truly seen it.


    And now, he had witnessed with his own eyes Young Master Yu having a nightmare, as if he were possessed by an Evil Monster.


    However, even as he looked around and his Divine Sense swept over, he still couldn¡¯t sense anything.


    It was as if it were a karmic spiral, a matter of both reality and illusion.


    With his Cultivation Realm, he couldn¡¯t discern the slightest clue¡­


    But he knew that this Young Master Mo with the surname Mo had indeed ¡°seen¡± something just now.


    What exactly was it that was so eerie and evil¡­


    He, a Cultivator at the peak of the Late Golden Core Stage, couldn¡¯t see it, but a little Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage could¡­


    Wenren Wei¡¯s gaze turned somber, his heart filled with confusion.


    Just then, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.


    Wenren Wei faintly sensed something, as if there was something very angry, malice that filled the sky, whipping up gusts of Evil Qi.


    Then, a moment of dizziness.


    That Young Master Mo with the surname Mo, his face paled, his expression shadowed, and he slowly closed his eyes.


    It was as if he was using himself as a shield to protect Young Master Yu from some ¡°Evil Qi¡±.


    Wenren Wei¡¯s heart shuddered, and his look toward Mo Hua was filled with a touch of respect.


    Such a little child, to have such a noble quality of ¡°self-sacrifice¡± was truly rare¡­


    ¡­


    And within the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua opened his eyes.


    The view was as usual.


    Dark waters spread, malformed Demon Monsters, their gruesome smiling faces, bizarre and grotesque, like hell.


    The Demon Monsters saw the incarnation of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought, so ¡°young,¡± so ¡°innocent,¡± and they all showed greedy expressions.


    In their eyes, Mo Hua was just an ¡°appetizer.¡±


    But soon, Mo Hua let them know.


    Exactly who was the ¡°appetizer.¡±


    Mo Hua gave a cold smile, his finger drew a line, like a heartless judge, a stroke of his iron brush, and he decided the fate of these Demon Monsters.


    An imposing Formation appeared.


    On the ground, the crimson Formation Patterns, complex and interwoven, flowed like lava.


    The surrounding rocks and boulders morphed into a cage.


    The Formation turned into a raging inferno, trapping, burning alive, and refining away the horde of Demon Monsters.


    Then, Mo Hua opened his mouth slightly and swallowed these Demon Monsters whole.


    After swallowing them, Mo Hua licked his lips, seeming unsatisfied, and then rummaged around for a while, his expression disappointed.


    He saw the spreading dark water and the dense Demonic Qi and thought that there might be Sheep-Horned Enforcers or some other such creature inside.


    He could have another drink of the golden Divine Thought ¡°marrow.¡±


    Unfortunately, there were none.


    Only low-level Demon Monsters fit to fill his belly.


    ¡°I wonder when the Sheep-Horned Enforcer will come¡­¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua shook his head, exited the Sea of Consciousness, and opened his eyes. The shadows on his face vanished, the pallor faded away, and his cheeks turned rosy.


    And his eyes were even more spirited, full of Divine Sense vitality.


    Wenren Wei, who had been paying attention to him, looked startled and slightly alarmed.


    ¡°What exactly¡­ happened?¡±


    He had been watching Mo Hua, and in his view, this Young Master Mo had initially been pale, his forehead suffused with Evil Qi. But not long after, it dissipated like snow in hot water.


    Wenren Wei was somewhat stunned.


    Could it be¡­ this Young Master truly had a body impervious to all evil, a being of immense good fortune?


    As the young lady said, was he Young Master Yu¡¯s lucky charm?


    Mo Hua glanced at Yu Er, and seeing that he was no longer afraid and was sleeping soundly, he tucked in the blanket around him, stood up, and walked over to Wenren Wei, saying,


    ¡°Uncle Wei, it should be fine now. I¡¯m heading back.¡±


    In Wenren Wei¡¯s eyes, surprise was hard to conceal as he bowed solemnly,


    ¡°Young Master Mo, thank you for your efforts.¡±


    After Mo Hua left, Wenren Wei suddenly called out to him, and after a moment of silence, he said,


    ¡°Young Master Mo, if there is anything that needs to be done, please feel free to command me.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised but did not refuse Wenren Wei¡¯s goodwill and replied with a smile,


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Wei.¡±


    ¡­


    Back in his room, Mo Hua continued to sit in meditation.


    Because he had overeaten, he needed to ¡°digest the meal.¡±


    So he meditated with a focused mind, dispelling evil thoughts, and the strands of demonic Divine Thought were slowly absorbed and completely refined by him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense also saw a noticeable enhancement.


    It was probably equivalent to a month of training with Formation Patterns¡­


    Though he was still far from the Seventeen Patterns, this kind of ¡°unexpected joy¡± in Divine Thought was quite substantial¡­


    ¡°If only there were such ¡®food¡¯ every day¡­¡± Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but think.


    Then he shook his head, feeling a bit greedy.


    An occasional feast was good enough; one couldn¡¯t have such a meal every day.


    Demons weren¡¯t really ¡°chives.¡±


    Even if they were ¡°chives,¡± they couldn¡¯t possibly grow a new crop every day.


    Mo Hua continued to sit in meditation, calmly cultivating, concentrating in thought, but as he was thinking, the scene when the demons appeared reemerged in his mind.


    Void patterns, Karmic chains, thick black water¡­


    Mo Hua frowned and murmured, ¡°I wonder who commands these demons and how they are sent to Yu Er¡¯s side through Karmic chains¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then his eyes slightly brightened.


    If he knew the method to control the demons, then could he find a way¡­


    To remotely manipulate them and have them ¡°deliver¡± more?


    ¡°Even stopping these demons from bothering Yu Er any further.¡±


    ¡°A child like Yu Er, being constantly frightened and unable to sleep, it¡¯s quite pitiable.¡±


    ¡°Direct them to come to me instead¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to sleep and can play with them all the time¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s mental calculations clanged loudly in his head.


    He noted this down silently, thinking that when he had time, he must understand the Karmic spell point and then find a way to change the ¡°address.¡±


    Demons and ghostly creatures were quite dangerous; he couldn¡¯t always let the neighbors take delivery.


    Direct home delivery, all in one go, sent straight to his own house, how convenient that would be¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling that his request was quite reasonable.


    ¡­


    Moments earlier, in the Back Hill Forbidden Area of Taixu Gate.


    Within the strictly guarded Sword Tomb,


    An old man, withered and gaunt, with long beards touching the ground, opened his eyes.


    As if Chaos was freshly divided and Taixu circulated, a sharp sword light burst from his eyes, filled with an unparalleled presence.


    ¡°What evil dares to show itself in Taixu?¡±


    With a flick of his finger, he sought to trace the source through the Heavenly secret, from effect to cause, and to slash the Evil Spirit with his sword.


    But as soon as he began to trace, he furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Gone¡­¡±


    ¡°Disappeared¡­¡±


    ¡°Was it ¡®eaten¡¯ by something?¡±


    The old man was somewhat astonished.


    ¡°Since when did Taixu Gate raise a ¡®Divine Beast¡¯ that eats Evil Spirits?¡±

 Chapter 918 - 625: Back Mountain

    Chapter 918: Chapter 625: Back Mountain


    In the Tai Xu Sword Tomb, the Elder¡¯s gaze shifted.


    ¡°Since ten thousand years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Heavenly secret tainted, the Divine Thoughts of the common people weakened, it¡¯s unlikely there are any Divine Beasts left¡­¡±


    ¡°What exactly¡­ happened?¡±


    A fog of confusion enshrouded his mind.


    The Elder¡¯s Divine Thought transformed into a sword, tracing the root of the Evil¡¯s disappearance.


    Divine Thought like a sword, instantly pierced through the fog, and the scenery changed abruptly, a blood-red vision unfolded.


    At the horizon, blood-red as if soaked in blood, amongst a Corpse Mountain, a ferocious and imposing king of corpses, bound all over by chains, slowly opened its eyes.


    Those eyes, brimming with tyranny, bloodthirstiness, and twisted Taoist Meaning.


    ¡°Taoist Demon!¡±


    The Elder¡¯s gaze turned frightened.


    In an instant, a cold wind arose.


    Countless Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses, like a tide, invaded his Sea of Consciousness, fiercely gnawing at his Divine Sense.


    The Elder paused in shock, then a trace of pride appeared on his gaunt face.


    His Divine Thought solidified into a bone-chilling Sword Intent, resembling the Chaos of Eryi, the flow of Taixu, and the profound light of the sword, which burst forth in an instant, slaughtering everything in its path.


    All Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses that touched the sword light were ground into dust, completely annihilated.


    Seeing the Corpse Tide obliterated by the sword light, the Corpse King roared, the Karmic chains around it trembling.


    In the blink of an eye, it followed the obscure Karmic chains, closed in on the Elder, and opened its bloody mouth, biting down on the Elder¡¯s arm.


    With a determined face, the Elder¡¯s Divine Thought turned into a sword, slashing down.


    The sword struck the Corpse King.


    But it was as if it struck empty air.


    The Corpse King, surrounded by Karmic entanglements, seemed to exist in another false realm.


    The Elder frowned and swung his sword again.


    This sword, targeted at Karmic laws.


    Tai Xu Sword Intent, vast and mighty like the nine heavens¡¯ Milky Way, a single slash severed the Karmic chains, and also severed the Corpse King¡¯s sea of blood and Taoist Demon form.


    Corpse Mountain and blood sea vanished in an instant.


    The Back Hill was silent, the Sword Tomb desolate, and broken swords littered the ground.


    As if nothing had ever happened.


    But the Elder knew that in his Divine Sense, there was a bite mark.


    The injury was not severe, but a trace of bloodthirsty Evil Thought had infiltrated his Sea of Consciousness, eroding his Taoist Heart, creating a chilling intent to kill.


    Meanwhile, in Elder¡¯s Residence, Elder Master Xun was still up at night studying Formation Books, his expression suddenly changed.


    ¡°Killing intent trembles, Divine Thought into sword!¡±


    Elder Master Xun, with a grave expression, stretched out his hand, drawing a dark rift from the void and stepped into it, reappearing at the Back Hill Forbidden Area¡¯s Sword Tomb.


    The sprawling Sword Tomb showed no abnormalities.


    Only the Elder in the center seemed unstable in his Taoist Heart, his Divine Sense overflowing, harboring a Sword Intent filled with terrifying killing aura, latent yet chilling.


    But such a Sword Dao killing intent, ordinary Cultivators couldn¡¯t detect.


    The entire Taixu Mountain¡¯s Elders and Disciples still slept soundly, unaware of what had transpired in the Forbidden Area.


    But Elder Master Xun knew.


    He looked towards the Elder in the Sword Tomb, his eyes showing complex emotions, and then he sighed, ¡°Senior brother, you have drawn your sword again¡­¡±


    The white-haired, bearded Elder¡¯s face was pale, as if restraining something, his face marked by crisscrossing Sword Qi and circulating intent to kill.


    After a long while, he managed to stabilize his Taoist Heart and suppress the killing intent with his profound Cultivation, returning his expression to normal, but his Divine Sense still suffered from the pollution of the Karmic ¡°corpse poison.¡±


    Bits of twisted, blood-red Taoist Meaning intertwined around him.


    Seeing this, Elder Master Xun sharply inhaled.


    ¡°What is this?!¡±


    The bearded Elder looked up at Elder Master Xun and smiled bitterly,


    ¡°Unexpectedly, it turned out to be¡­ a Taoist Demon.¡±


    Elder Master Xun replied with a stern expression,


    ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    The bearded Elder shook his head, ¡°Minor Evils invaded Taixu, I intended to trace their Karmic cause with one sword slash, but somehow, mysteriously, I ended up slashing out a Taoist Demon¡­¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that this Taoist Demon was low in realm, only at the Half-step level, and hadn¡¯t fully formed¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, with my residual Divine Sense and the flawed Taoist Heart, I might have already been contaminated, turned into a puppet of the Taoist Demon; body human, Taoist Heart a corpse¡­¡±


    The bearded Elder took a deep breath and felt a chill.


    Elder Master Xun gazed intently, ¡°Is someone orchestrating this, cultivating a Taoist Demon?¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Elder pondered for a moment, then shook his head, ¡°Doesn¡¯t quite seem like it, it doesn¡¯t seem like a premeditated cultivation of a Taoist Demon, more like¡­¡±


    ¡°I unintentionally struck upon something forbidden with my sword slashing through Karmic causes, violated a taboo, attracting this calamity¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun puzzled, ¡°Karmic Taoist Demon?¡±


    The bearded Elder nodded, ¡°This Half-step Taoist Demon¡­ seems to have already ¡®died¡¯, but its resentment lingers, residing in some ¡®thing¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Demon¡­ already died?¡± Elder Master Xun¡¯s eyebrows furrowed tighter, ¡°In a world under the Heavenly Dao Laws, how could a Taoist Demon die so easily?¡±


    ¡°Who in the world is so capable, to bypass the Heavenly Dao Laws and slay a Taoist Demon?¡±


    The bearded Elder closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened his eyes, his expression solemn, and slowly said,


    ¡°Everything in the world has life and death.¡±


    ¡°A Taoist Demon is just a malformed product of the Great Dao, invincible in one realm under the Heavenly Dao Laws, but that does not mean it is immortal¡­¡±


    ¡°It can live, naturally, it can also die.¡±


    ¡°I just never thought, guarding the Sword Tomb, shutting myself away from the world, I would mysteriously get bitten by a Taoist Demon¡­¡±


    The bearded Elder looked up at the starless night sky and sighed,


    ¡°That person died, the Back Ruins Heaven Burial¡¯s celestial fate manifested, the Heavenly secret quietly shifts, and more and more unfathomable events unfold¡­¡±

 Chapter 919 - 625 Back Hill_2

    Chapter 919: Chapter 625 Back Hill_2


    Elder Master Xun frowned.


    In the Qianxue State boundary, the noble families were prosperous and peace had reigned for a long time; indeed, it had been quite a while since he had heard the term ¡°Taoist Demon.¡±


    Now hearing it again, it somewhat felt as if it was from another era.


    Elder Master Xun calculated with his fingers and suddenly felt a tremor in his heart. He silently lowered his hand and asked,


    ¡°What kind of Taoist Demon is it?¡±


    ¡°A Corpse King amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood¡­¡±


    Corpse King¡­


    Elder Master Xun silently took note and then looked up at the bearded elder, his eyes revealing deep concern:


    ¡°Elder Brother, are you¡­ alright¡­¡±


    The elder coughed a few times, his voice hoarse,


    ¡°It will be fine after some days of rest¡­ Although times have changed, a single cause and effect from a Taoist Demon is still not enough to severely damage my Divine Thought¡­¡±


    After saying this, he coughed a few more times.


    His breath gradually became weaker, as if his original injury had worsened.


    Elder Master Xun felt compassion and sighed:


    ¡°Elder Brother, stop using Divine Thought into sword¡­¡±


    ¡°I know my limits¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother!¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The bearded elder, his expression indifferent.


    Elder Master Xun sighed and said solemnly, ¡°You, who cultivate the Sword of Divine Thought, should know better than I that though Divine Thought into Sword holds supreme Sword Intent, capable of cutting both tangible and intangible beings¡­.¡±


    ¡°Success lies in the Sword Intent, but so does failure.¡±


    ¡°This Sword Intent is not an external sword weapon, but your own Divine Thought.¡±


    ¡°Once the Sword Intent is released, it either harms others or harms oneself, and even while harming others, it depletes one¡¯s own Divine Thought.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary Sword Cultivators cut with their Sword Weapons. If a Sword Weapon is damaged, it can be fixed; if it breaks, it can be reforged; if it is destroyed, another can be made¡­¡±


    ¡°But Divine Thought is different¡­¡±


    ¡°With Divine Thought into Sword, if the sword is damaged, the spirit is injured; if the sword breaks, the spirit stills; if the sword destroys, the spirit dies¡­¡±


    ¡°And that is not even the worst part¡­¡±


    ¡°The most terrifying thing is¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun looked at the bearded elder, ¡°When Divine Thought transforms into a sword, Sword Intent leaves the body, making it very easy to be tainted by evil spirits; once tainted, the Taoist Heart is polluted with impurity, making it hard to pursue the Great Dao ever again, even¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun felt a pain in his heart and did not continue.


    The bearded elder, however, gave a bitter smile and said self-deprecatingly:


    ¡°¡­ even end up like me, neither human nor ghost, merely guarding this shell of a body, confined within these drawn bounds¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡±


    The bearded elder sighed, ¡°I know, this sword technique can no longer be cultivated¡­¡±


    ¡°I am the last person to cultivate this Tal Xu Sword Skill¡­¡±


    ¡°From now on, disciples of the Tai Xu Gate must not cultivate the ¡®Divine Thought into Sword True Jue¡¯ or even be told of its existence¡­¡±


    ¡°This heritage shall end with me.¡±


    ¡°And will perish along with me in this Tai Xu Sword Tomb.¡±


    ¡°But I am not dead yet¡­¡±


    The bearded elder¡¯s face showed signs of aging, but his eyes emitted a sharp light:


    ¡°I am still a disciple of the Tai Xu Sword Skill¡­¡±


    ¡°Those evil spirits that violate my Tai Xu, the murderous intents arising from Divine Thought, cause and effect, and Heavenly Mechanism, I cannot but cut them with my sword¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if it depletes my Divine Thought, even if my spirit fades and Dao vanishes¡­¡±


    ¡°This is also the last thing I can do.¡±


    Elder Master Xun felt both admiration and sorrow, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh, trying to console:


    ¡°In the Qianxue State, with noble families standing prominent and sects flourishing, a scene of prosperity, some demon monsters, petty and insignificant, dare not offend the Eight Great Gates¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Brother, you don¡¯t need to¡­¡±


    The bearded elder¡¯s expression turned cold, and he lightly laughed, ¡°Do you believe that yourself?¡±


    Elder Master Xun was taken aback.


    The bearded elder looked at Elder Master Xun and said, ¡°Junior Brother, you are a Formations master, surely you must understand better than anyone¡­¡±


    ¡°Our Tai Xu Gate simply does not have a tradition in Heavenly secret Calculation.¡±


    ¡°My Tai Xu Gate has always relied not on calculation but on Swordsmanship¡­¡±


    ¡°If Heavenly Demons or evil spirits invade, they shall be cut down with the Divine Thought, severing cause and effect, blocking the perils within the Heavenly Mechanism¡­¡±


    ¡°We can only kill¡­¡±


    ¡°We cannot learn or master the true calculation technique, so there are some things we simply cannot see¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun fell silent.


    He also knew in his heart that his elder brother was speaking the truth.


    Heavenly secret Calculation was far superior to Formation Calculation.


    His own extrapolations were merely based on Formation Calculation, not the true Heavenly secret Calculation, thus he could only glimpse some of cause and effect, but could not foresee the source¡­


    The bearded elder continued: ¡°Since we cannot calculate it, merely using our eyes to see, how can you know that the so-called prosperity is the truth?¡±


    Elder Master Xun frowned, ¡°Our Tai Xu Sect may not be proficient in calculation, but other Sects¡­¡±


    The bearded elder shook his head, ¡°Throughout the entire Qianxue State Boundary, whether Formations Calculation or Heavenly Mechanism Calculation, both are already in decline¡­¡±


    ¡°There was a time when Qianxue State was flourishing with Formations, cultivators had firm Daoist Hearts, holding the world in their hearts, thus Heavenly Mechanism cultivators emerged frequently¡­¡±


    ¡°But now¡­¡±


    ¡°The calculations still exist, but the noble families and sects only calculate for their own interests, not for the people, not for destiny.¡±


    ¡°The sect leaders and elders who hold the seats of power in the sects and noble families, indulge in their own interests, fattening themselves; such people can neither see nor want to see, or even refuse to see.¡±


    ¡°Once greed blinds them, the Heavenly Dao is also obscured.¡±


    ¡°Once the Heavenly Dao is obscured, external Heavenly Demons and barbaric evil gods will inevitably stir, taking human hearts as a breeding ground, spreading and proliferating¡­¡±


    The bearded elder¡¯s expression was indifferent:


    ¡°Those people can only see the facade of prosperity, not the crumbling foundations¡­¡±

 Chapter 920 - 625: The Back Mountain_3

    Chapter 920: Chapter 625: The Back Mountain_3


    ¡°I could never have foreseen the decay of the human heart within the machinations of Heavenly secret and causation, those frightful Evil Demons¡­¡±


    ¡°Sooner or later, these Evil Demons will disrupt the Dao of Taixu Gate.¡±


    ¡°While I live, I can still slay them with my sword.¡±


    ¡°But should I die, whatever will become of it¡­¡±


    The bearded elder displayed an indifference akin to embracing death, yet also permeated by a touch of desolation.


    Elder Master Xun, upon hearing this, let out a deep sigh,


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re taking it too seriously¡­¡±


    ¡°In Qianxue State Boundary, there are countless strong individuals; there will always be a solution. You shouldn¡¯t worry so much; it¡¯s most important that you rest and recover¡­¡±


    The bearded elder remained silent, not uttering another word.


    Elder Master Xun said no more, but concern was evident in his eyes.


    It¡¯s the unseen things that are most terrifying¡­


    He sighed, then turned and walked away.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, the bearded elder slowly opened his eyes again, caressing a broken sword by his side, and muttered softly:


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°I must ask you to stay with me¡­¡±


    ¡°To ¡®die¡¯ together in this Sword Tomb¡­¡±


    The ancient broken sword was equally silent, a deathly stillness all around.


    The entire rear mountain was desolate and empty.


    Within the pitch-black Sword Tomb,


    The elder sat withered on the ground, surrounded by broken swords and densely interwoven ancient chains, as if he used the swords as a Formation, imprisoning himself within the forbidden grounds of Taixu forevermore, never to escape.


    ¡­


    In the Disciple¡¯s Residence,


    The ¡°Minor Divine Beast¡± Mo Hua ¡°ate¡± a Demon Monster, digested it, then rested for a while.


    When the next day dawned, he went to class as if nothing had happened.


    Heavenly secret is inscrutable, causation lies hidden.


    He didn¡¯t know yet that a Patriarch of his Sect had been bitten by the Corpse King he was raising in his own body.


    He continued his Cultivation and attended classes as usual.


    Only, in his spare time, he had added one more task:


    Accepting Second Grade Formation assignments to earn Merit Points!


    Elder Master Xun had modified his permissions, and although he had not yet had his assessment, at least within Taixu Gate, and certainly in the Taixu Token, he was now considered a ¡°Second-grade Formation Master.¡±


    During his breaks, he took on tasks to capture Sin Cultivators, which earned him quite a few Merit Points.


    But by comparison, surely the cost-effectiveness of drawing Second Grade Formations to earn Merit Points was higher.


    After all, breaks only lasted two days; he could only manage one task.


    Whereas, attending classes at the Sect gave him eight days, and if he had time, he could take on a task and draw Formations every day.


    Moreover, the two did not conflict with each other.


    He would draw Formations to earn Merit Points in his usual time, and he would go out to ¡°relax¡± during his breaks.


    Catching a few bad guys to continue experimenting and refining the ¡°iron plate,¡± seizing a few Spells, he could earn even more Merit Points.


    This two-pronged approach sped up the earning of more and more Merit Points¡­


    He no longer needed to find Senior Sister Murong for Second Grade Formation tasks, as Mo Hua could accept them on his own now.


    He focused on the Taixu Token, searching constantly for tasks.


    But as expected, after applying all morning, no one was willing to entrust him with a task¡­


    In the Taixu Token, beneath the Disciple¡¯s name, there would be a record entry, and attached to the entry would be descriptions.


    There was a new entry added under Mo Hua¡¯s name now:


    Second-grade Junior Formation Master. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Under this entry, there would be some descriptions noting how many Formations Mo Hua had drawn, how many tasks he had taken on, and the quality of their completion¡­


    This was a record of Merit Points.


    It was also a proof of experience.


    But as of now, the ¡°Second-grade Junior Formation Master¡± entry under Mo Hua¡¯s name was completely empty.


    Because so far, he had not accepted any Second Grade Formation task in the Taixu Token and had not drawn a single Second Grade Formation, so naturally, the entry was blank.


    In other words, he was a complete ¡°newcomer.¡±


    That¡¯s why others generally wouldn¡¯t ask him to draw their Formations.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to continuously lower his requirements, from Second Grade Thirteen Patterns, to Second Grade Twelve Patterns, and then to Second Grade Eleven Patterns¡­


    However, due to his lack of ¡°experience,¡± no one still agreed to give him a task.


    Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t accept this, and he persisted stubbornly in applying¡­


    Finally, after nearly thirty attempts, he successfully received his first task:


    A Second Grade Ten Patterns Formation, the Fireworks Formation.


    Mo Hua let out a sigh.


    Second Grade Ten Patterns was really too low end!


    But there was no choice; all beginnings are hard.


    You can¡¯t cover a thousand miles without taking the first step; if he didn¡¯t start from low-level Formations, accumulate ¡°experience,¡± others wouldn¡¯t entrust him with higher-level Formations to draw.


    Mo Hua adjusted his mindset and began to calmly prepare to complete his first Second Grade Formation task within Taixu Gate¡­

 Chapter 921 - 626 Fireball

    Chapter 921: Chapter 626 Fireball


    Mo Hua first went to the Merit Pavilion to find the Merit Elder for materials for the Second Grade Formation.


    The Merit Elder treated other disciples with an official and businesslike demeanor, yet whenever he saw Mo Hua, he always felt a sense of novelty and couldn¡¯t help but take an extra look.


    He glanced at Mo Hua¡¯s Taixu Token and asked, surprised, ¡°You are now¡­ qualified to take on a Second Grade Primary Rank Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, but thought to himself: I could have taken it on long ago! Not just Second Grade Primary Rank, but Middle-level Formations too¡ªI¡¯m capable of those as well! It¡¯s just you won¡¯t let me take them! The necessity of himself ¡°stooping,¡± ¡°condescending,¡± to paint the mere Ten Patterns of the Second Grade Formations, Mo Hua still felt slight discontent.


    However, the Merit Elder couldn¡¯t help marveling, ¡°That¡¯s incredible¡­¡± Even within the Taixu Gate, where there was no shortage of Formation geniuses, the ability to undertake Second Grade Formation tasks so soon after joining, even if it was just Ten Patterns, wasn¡¯t easy.


    Moreover, Mo Hua was young and looked even younger.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not right¡­¡± the Merit Elder frowned again, ¡°You haven¡¯t had your assessment yet¡­¡± The assessment for becoming a Formation Master was, after all, a big deal. It benefitted the Sect as well, as it could improve the Sect¡¯s ranking and, in turn, affect the Taixu Gate¡¯s share of the Spiritual mines within the Qianxue State Boundary.


    The Merit Elder was puzzled. The names of disciples who passed the Formation Master assessment were supposed to be sent to the Merit Pavilion¡ªhe should have seen them, yet he had no recollection of Mo Hua¡¯s name on the list. Because Elder Master Xun had changed his permissions, Mo Hua stood tall, unafraid of being scrutinized. Even if there were to be blame, it would first be cast upon Elder Master Xun.


    Mo Hua honestly replied, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then this¡­¡± The Merit Elder frowned, and then he suddenly had a realization and asked, ¡°Is this another backdoor opened by Elder Master Xun for you?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Yes!¡± The Merit Elder sighed. It was complete lawlessness, disregarding the Sect¡¯s rules entirely¡ªhow could such changes be made so arbitrarily? But considering it was Elder Master Xun who made the change¡­ It was hard to argue whether this truly went against the Sect¡¯s rules¡­


    The Merit Elder felt helpless and inwardly complained about Elder Master Xun¡¯s favoritism, feeling he was too indulgent with this child. Without an assessment, he had given him the title and let him take on Second Grade tasks. This would invariably do more harm than good to the child, akin to pulling up seedlings to help them grow¡­ The Merit Elder couldn¡¯t help but grumble internally.


    Mo Hua observed him for a while and then softly asked, ¡°Elder, what are you pondering?¡± Hand over the Formation materials to me already¡­ Why are you daydreaming¡­


    The Merit Elder then came to his senses, hesitated for a moment, but still let out a sigh and gave Mo Hua the ink and Formation Diagrams he needed, thinking to himself: Well, I can¡¯t concern myself with Elder Master Xun¡¯s plans¡­ But Second Grade Formations aren¡¯t so easy to draw. Without an assessment, taking on Second Grade Formation tasks could lead to trouble sooner or later. I hope this child won¡¯t fail to complete the task and become a laughingstock¡­


    However, he soon thought that, for a young man full of vigor, enduring some hardship would be beneficial¡ªit could temper his character and let him realize that Formations are not that simple¡­ Having this thought, the Merit Elder was put at ease.


    Mo Hua, with the materials in hand, went back and started on the painting. He could draw a First Grade Fireworks Formation with his eyes closed. But this Fireworks Formation seemed a bit different; the Formation Patterns had been changed, with some variations added. Although they were simple and rough, it was evident that the person who modified the Formation had limited skill but had done so with great care.


    According to the attached notes, the Fireworks Formation was meant for a lantern. As the lantern ascended, the Formation would be activated, bursting into dazzling fireworks, like thousands upon thousands of pear trees in full bloom¡ªa sight too beautiful for words. There were also words on it¡ªsome romantic poetry.


    Mo Hua understood that this was a lantern specifically designed by some male disciple within the Sect to woo a female disciple.


    Mo Hua snorted, ¡°Quite the romantic setup¡­¡± Such a Formation was entry-level for Second Grade, rarely used, and those who were certified Second Grade Formation Masters disdained to draw it for a mere seven or eight Merit Points. Mo Hua felt the same disdain. But with no choice, being under the eaves, he had to bow his head and start from the lowest level of Formations.


    Fortunately, the Formation was far too simple. In his spare time, Mo Hua quickly finished drawing and didn¡¯t waste much time. At dusk, he submitted the Formation to the Merit Pavilion. The Merit Elder saw Mo Hua and appeared taken aback, worriedly asking, ¡°What happened, did you make a mistake?¡± You¡¯ve come back so soon. Did you mess up and have come for more paper and ink? It couldn¡¯t possibly be that you¡¯ve already finished in such a short time¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat speechless, ¡°Elder, can¡¯t you have a little faith in me¡­¡± It was just a Second Grade Ten Patterns Formation. Mo Hua couldn¡¯t think of how he would have screwed up unless he had gotten drunk on fruit wine¡­ But there was very little alcohol in fruit wine, and he couldn¡¯t get drunk from it. ¡°I¡¯ve finished!¡± Standing on tiptoe at the slightly high counter, Mo Hua looked up and puffed out his chest.


    The Merit Elder looked surprised. He finished? He opened Mo Hua¡¯s Storage Bag and checked the Formation within, finding everything done without the slightest error, with the handwriting dignified and the Formation Patterns beautiful, clearly done with great care and not at all as if done hastily or carelessly¡­


    The Merit Elder looked at Mo Hua suspiciously, ¡°Did you paint this yourself?¡± Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I used Merit Points to hire some senior brothers and sisters to help me paint.¡± The Merit Elder was taken aback, and he actually gave serious consideration to whether what Mo Hua had said was true¡­

 Chapter 922 - 626 Fireball_2

    Chapter 922: Chapter 626 Fireball_2


    Afterward, he finally couldn¡¯t restrain himself and rubbed Mo Hua¡¯s hair.


    ¡°You little kid, are you having fun at my expense¡­?¡±


    Mo Hua covered his head, his face a picture of helplessness, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I was afraid if I spoke seriously, you wouldn¡¯t believe me¡­¡±


    The Merit Elder replied with annoyance, ¡°As if you¡¯re one to talk, with all your craftiness!¡±


    Mo Hua chuckled.


    The Merit Elder verified the Formation and then awarded the Merit Points for the Fireworks Formation to Mo Hua.


    Not many, just nine points.


    Because although the Fireworks Formation was a Second Grade Formation, it was ultimately too simple.


    But at least it marked a good beginning.


    After that, Mo Hua continued to search for Formation tasks within the Taixu Token.


    Formations from eleven patterns to thirteen patterns, he wanted to take them all, but others didn¡¯t consent, so he had no choice but to select those with ten patterns.


    To Mo Hua¡¯s surprise, batch after batch of Second Grade, ten-pattern Fireworks Formation tasks suddenly appeared in the Merit Scroll.


    Perhaps imitating the act of releasing lanterns to pursue one¡¯s admired female disciple had worked, attracting quite a few male disciples to follow suit.


    It even seemed as though some female disciples were imitating it, presenting them to their fellow brothers and sisters.


    Mo Hua shook his head and accepted them all with a laugh.


    He painted quickly and he painted well, so it wasn¡¯t long before some disciples contacted him through the Taixu Token, asking him to help paint the Fireworks Formation.


    Mo Hua certainly didn¡¯t refuse any comers.


    Yet he couldn¡¯t help but scornfully think:


    These disciples aren¡¯t focusing on Cultivation, always caught up in sentimental love, which is just too disgraceful.


    At the same time, he also secretly despised their low technical content, thinking their lantern designs were too poor.


    If only his Senior Sister Murong were here, he would certainly make her a grand, resplendent lantern, putting all others to shame¡­


    In this way, the number of ten-pattern Fireworks Formations Mo Hua painted gradually increased.


    Because he painted well and with variety, some disciples added extra requirements, like using Formation Patterns to display colorful words.


    These words, apparently added with Magnetic Patterns and a touch of ¡°secrecy,¡± were rather concealed, as if they were afraid of being discovered.


    But such petty tricks could never deceive Mo Hua.


    Without even doing any deductions, simply by ¡°reading¡± the Formation Patterns, he could tell what words they wanted to leave behind.


    Phrases like ¡°Endless love, forever true,¡± ¡°To hold your hand, and grow old with you,¡± ¡°Wishing to carry your thoughts like black hair, without hate, regret, or looking back¡±¡­


    And some slightly less refined ones, ¡°To grow old with you, taking no vain steps in this world¡±¡­


    Mo Hua felt incredibly awkward.


    Still, he took note of these sweet nothings, thinking that perhaps one day he might have use for them.


    After painting ten-pattern Formations for half a month, Mo Hua had accumulated more than two hundred Merit Points.


    His credentials as a Second-grade Junior Formation Master also had some solid foundations, and the descriptions on his record became more elaborate.


    Finally, he was permitted to take on eleven-pattern tasks.


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Eleven-pattern Formations were not difficult either.


    After accepting them, Mo Hua quickly completed the paintings, as always, both fast and fine.


    With the first success, there were fifteenth, and soon other disciples started accepting his task ¡°applications.¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had applications for ten and eleven patterns alike.


    It was like throwing pebbles into a deep pond, creating ripples upon ripples.


    The name ¡°Formation Master Mo Hua¡± was also slowly gaining recognition among the disciples connected by the Taixu Token.


    Some disciples began to acknowledge Mo Hua¡¯s proficiency in Formation.


    There were also disciples who would especially ¡°invite¡± Mo Hua to take on their reward ¡°tasks.¡±


    Mo Hua was quite pleased, feeling that his fellow disciples indeed had insight, worthy of being his brothers and sisters in the sect.


    During his period of leisure, Mo Hua would still team up with Senior Sister Murong on tasks.


    On regular days, he continued to undertake Formation tasks.


    The number of his Formation tasks grew more and more, his r¨¦sum¨¦ grew thicker, and the difficulty of these Formation tasks gradually increased.


    From ten patterns to eleven, then twelve, and finally thirteen patterns¡­


    Thirteen patterns were the most difficult for a Second Grade Junior Formation Master.


    Even so, Mo Hua had never made a mistake, even painting better than some certified Formation Masters.


    Gradually, Mo Hua gained a certain level of fame.


    Some disciples, unaware of his exact identity, would address him respectfully as ¡°Brother Mo¡± and spoke very courteously.


    Sometimes, when Mo Hua was busy, they were even willing to wait for him.


    To have Mo Hua paint the Formation personally, they would specifically add a few Merit Points¡ªnot much, but it was a form of recognition.


    Later, when Mo Hua inquired, he learned that some Second Grade Formation Masters ¡°outsourced¡± when they took on tasks.


    They would initially accept a task, and if they couldn¡¯t manage it, they would hire some junior brothers and sisters with roughly the strength to paint eleven or twelve patterns to do it for them.


    Then, they would share the earned Merit Points proportionally.


    That¡¯s why some people added Merit Points to have Mo Hua ¡°personally¡± paint the Formation.


    They were afraid that after Mo Hua accepted the task, he might ¡°outsource¡± it to someone else.


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Taking on Formation tasks was akin to others providing him with ink and paper to practice his Formation skills.


    He didn¡¯t even have enough time for his own practice, so why would he ever paint for someone else¡­


    From ten patterns up to thirteen.


    The Merit Elder of the Merit Pavilion saw it all.


    When he finally saw Mo Hua pick up a set of ink and paper for a thirteen-pattern Formation and then, the next day, perfectly complete this Formation and hand it to him¡­


    The Merit Elder¡¯s expression changed dramatically.


    Looking at Mo Hua, he could not help the trembling of his eyelids.


    He now realized that this unassuming little kid, who seemed obedient, was truly a genuine Second Grade Junior Formation Master!

 Chapter 923 - 626 Fireball_3

    Chapter 923: Chapter 626 Fireball_3


    Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, Second-grade Junior Formation Master¡­


    The Merit Elder inwardly marveled.


    No wonder¡­ Elder Master Xun valued this child so highly, even going so far as to bend the rules and grant him special access¡­


    With such astonishing talent in Formation, he indeed deserved cultivation.


    Moreover, he was neither arrogant nor impetuous and worked hard on his tasks.


    Even though he had taken a backdoor and had special privileges granted, the Formations were all drawn by his own hand, and the Merit Points were all earned by himself.


    The Merit Elder nodded, his attitude toward Mo Hua becoming increasingly amiable, and his gaze filled with growing admiration.


    Even at times, he would spare Mo Hua some of the more tedious formalities.


    Thus, Mo Hua found accepting and completing tasks increasingly convenient.


    Typically, a Thirteen Patterns Formation would earn about twenty Merit Points per task.


    Such tasks were not always available, but whenever they were, Mo Hua could complete them within half a day; hence, his Merit Points accumulated like a rising tide.


    With the Merit Points hoarded, Mo Hua exchanged them for many sets of Sixteen Patterns Formations.


    Now his Merit Points were plentiful, nearly enough for him to be self-sufficient in learning the various types of Eight Trigrams Formation archived by the Taixu Gate, and he even had a surplus.


    The types of Formations that Mo Hua knew grew increasingly numerous, and his Divine Sense likewise became stronger.


    Moreover, as the number of captured Sin Cultivators increased, the Spells confiscated were also not few, and Mo Hua, picking and choosing, learned several new Spells.


    Such as the Golden Blade Technique, Wood Poison Art, Quicksand Skill, and so on.


    These Spells, while all of lower rank, were nevertheless closely guarded by various Sects within the Qianxue State boundary, refined of their dross and kept in their purest essence¡­ they encompassed the essential subtleties of the Spells.


    So, in a sense, they could be considered an exceptional legacy.


    Moreover, because they were lower-tier Spells, Mo Hua could use them boldly and without fear of causing trouble.


    The only issue was that these Spells weren¡¯t very powerful.


    They were even weaker than Mo Hua¡¯s original Fireball Technique.


    Lower-tier Spells were not known for their power¡ªMo Hua understood this, but it still left him disappointed.


    Now, he seemed to lack any Spells with significant destructive power.


    Techniques like dismantling a Large Formation were too cumbersome, with too much power and too many restrictions, and far too conspicuous to be used as a regular means of attack.


    Divine Sense controlling the ink to lay out a Killing Formation¡­


    It required the right opportunity, an element of surprise, and deliberate design¡ªafter all, it was a somewhat slow process.


    Furthermore, this method of laying out Formations was quite distinctive and far too attention-grabbing; it wasn¡¯t discreet.


    Creating a Formation also consumed Spiritual Ink and burned Spirit Stones.


    Using it occasionally was manageable, but frequent use would lead to ¡°bankruptcy¡±¡­


    ¡°It would be best to learn a Spell with decent power, one that is not of a high tier, doesn¡¯t consume too much Spiritual Power, casts quickly, can be used openly, and doesn¡¯t fear being displayed in front of others¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a long time but came up with no ideas.


    One evening, after dinner, Mo Hua lay down with Yu Er on the grass, watching the splendor of the twilight, like splattered ink, over Taixu Mountain.


    Mo Hua was still thinking about Spells.


    Unknowingly, as evening deepened and the twilight dimmed, the sun set behind the mountains.


    As it receded and lost its brilliance, in the last moment, it seemed as though a myriad of flames intertwined within it, and the glow of the sunset suddenly brightened before fading away into darkness.


    Flames intertwining¡­ the sunset¡­


    A flicker passed through Mo Hua¡¯s eyes as a long-buried memory suddenly resurfaced in his mind.


    It was a memory from his wandering days, by the side of Si Water, when he had sought spell instruction from Grandpa Gui¡­


    Grandpa Gui spread open his palm, and a Fireball appeared¡­


    The Fireball manifested as a pale red gaseous form, and then, guided by Divine Sense, the Spiritual Power compressed inward, solidifying into a deep red fiery thread.


    This fiery thread contained astonishing Spiritual Power, floating in the air.


    Then, in Grandpa Gui¡¯s palm, another Fireball formed, which he also condensed into a fiery thread.


    Again, he turned a Fireball into a fiery thread¡­


    After about ten such repetitions, Grandpa Gui¡¯s palm no longer held Fireballs, instead, there were over a dozen deep red, intensely hot threads.


    These threads finally intertwined into a small Fireball.


    This Fireball Technique, with Spiritual Threads interwoven, was less like a Fireball and more like a ball of Spiritual Power threads woven from flame.


    Multiple compressions, restructured Spiritual Power.


    It seemed to be a simple Fireball Technique, yet it hinted at something more devious.


    With a casual flick, Grandpa Gui sent the Fireball flying swiftly into the river, causing the surface of the water to boil instantly.


    A large river, a vast expanse of water, was evaporated by the mere Fireball Technique, creating a massive hole.


    Surrounding water Qi formed mist and steam rose.


    Moments later, the river water rushed back.


    A huge whirlpool now formed on the previously calm surface of the river¡­


    ¡­


    This sequence of events played over and over in Mo Hua¡¯s mind. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Simultaneously, Grandpa Gui¡¯s words echoed in his ears: ¡°Complex principles of Spells often hide in the simplest, most common things¡­¡±


    Multiple compressions, restructured Spiritual Power, condensed into a Fireball, containing immense power¡­


    Mo Hua was astounded:


    ¡°What kind of Fireball Technique is this¡­¡±

 Chapter 924 - 627 Fireball Technique?

    Chapter 924: Chapter 627 Fireball Technique?


    Old Kui¡¯s ¡°Fireball Technique¡± appeared before his eyes.


    Mo Hua silently pondered¡­


    Using his Divine Sense, one after another, he compressed the Fireball Technique, condensing it into threads. With a weaving and embedding process, he began reconstructing it, refining and combining it within a limited space to create a new Fireball Skill Pattern capable of unleashing immense power¡­


    This was the profound skill hidden within ordinary phenomena that Grandpa Gui had demonstrated.


    Through complex transformations, even the simple Fireball Technique could undergo a mutation and evolve into something with devastating killing power¡­


    It was somewhat reminiscent of a Formation, yet its exact form had its distinctions.


    After all, spells were still different from formations.


    Mo Hua had not yet reached the realm of ¡°All Techniques are different paths; the Great Dao returns to simplicity.¡± In his current understanding of Tao Cultivation, these two disciplines still differed greatly.


    *But how could this Fireball Technique be cultivated?*


    ¡°Compression, reconstruction¡­¡±


    ¡°A powerful Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    *Hints of an idea began to form in Mo Hua¡¯s mind, yet when it came to the specific Skill Pattern, he still felt utterly perplexed, as if he were grasping at fog.*


    He gazed absently toward where the sun was setting, lost in a deep trance.


    Nearby, little Yu Er, having finished her homework early, rolled around on the soft grass. Tiring of her play, she turned her head to glance at Mo Hua and noticed his furrowed brow, unsure of what he might be contemplating.


    Yu Er, though a bit bewildered, chose not to interrupt Mo Hua and obediently lay quietly nearby.


    The sun finally sank below the horizon, and suddenly, the sky darkened.


    The pitch-black night descended, enveloping them.


    Yu Er instinctively shivered, a flicker of anxiety and fear lingering in her eyes.


    This was an ingrained response, born from countless nightmares in the dead of night¡ªa primal fear of darkness and the night itself.


    Her small face scrunched up as she hugged her knees and trembled.


    Yu Er¡¯s face turned pale.


    *At some point, a warm hand gently rested on her head.*


    Yu Er looked up to see Mo Hua gazing at her with gentle eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s dark now; let¡¯s head back.¡±


    Yu Er froze for a moment, then broke into a reassuring smile.


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    And so, Mo Hua held Yu Er¡¯s hand as they walked along the narrow mountain path. From the growing darkness, they headed toward the Disciple¡¯s Residence, where soft, yellow lights warmly illuminated the night.


    Yu Er felt Mo Hua¡¯s grip on her small hand and followed behind him. Suddenly, she felt courage rising in her very bones, a strength sufficient to dispel all unease and fear.


    *Be it the night or demon monsters, there was nothing to fear.*


    A happy smile gradually grew on Yu Er¡¯s face.


    ¡­


    After returning to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, Mo Hua kept Yu Er company for a while. Once she fell asleep, he took some time to sketch a few formations before turning his thoughts back to the Fireball Technique¡­


    If he were to choose just one attack-based Five Elements Spell, it would definitely be the Fireball Technique.


    After all, the Fireball Technique had accompanied him for so long; he had to stay true to it and never waver.


    No matter if he learned Swordsmanship, Sword Control, or even Divine Thought into Sword in the future, he would never abandon the Fireball Technique for something new.


    He had to refine the Fireball Technique to absolute perfection!


    Not only did he aim to become a Spell Master, but also a Fireball Technique Master!


    *Furthermore, whether it be swordsmanship or Divine Thought into Sword, they were still distant dreams. What he could rely on right now was only the Fireball Technique.*


    Mo Hua repeatedly recalled the Fireball Technique displayed by Old Kui, pondering it again and again, yet still made little progress.


    *Spells were nothing like formations.*


    For formations, he had the Taoist Stele, which allowed him to practice and simulate endlessly.


    *But spells didn¡¯t work the same way.*


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and decided he needed to find a place where he could personally experiment with the various transformations of the Fireball Technique.


    The next day, Mo Hua made time to visit the Dao Room.


    The Dao Room, as its name suggested, was not only for the teaching of Taoist Skills but also contained dedicated spaces where disciples could independently cultivate their spells.


    Inside, formations were in place for protection.


    The room also housed a spell-bound wooden dummy, which disciples could use to practice spells and test their power.


    Stationed outside the Dao Room were Pill Masters.


    If a disciple happened to lose control while cultivating spells and injured themselves, the Pill Master would step in to treat them with Spiritual Medicine or stabilize them with Pills, preventing further harm.


    Such occurrences were commonplace.


    After all, cultivation was never without its risks.


    Ever since chasing Sin Cultivators and acquiring certain inheritances, Mo Hua occasionally rented the Dao Room to practice his spells.


    His Divine Sense was strong, and his spell control was exceptionally precise. To date, he had never lost control or injured himself with his own spells!


    Mo Hua blinked, unable to imagine the circumstances under which he might harm himself with his own spell¡­


    Renting the Dao Room required Spirit Stones and registration with the Elder of Daoist Law.


    Mo Hua was quite familiar with the Elder of Daoist Law.


    Although his results in Taoist Skills were only ¡°Grade C,¡± that was due to his limited Spiritual Root, which prevented him from learning Superior Skills¡ªnothing he could do about it.


    The elder teaching Taoist Skills understood this well and didn¡¯t mind. While Mo Hua attended his lessons, his achievements ultimately capped at ¡°Grade C.¡±


    Despite being unable to cultivate Superior Skills, Mo Hua had deeply researched lower-level spells with a distinctive and creative approach.


    The elder greatly appreciated this.


    The Elder of Daoist Law was idly playing chess with a Danshi Elder when he saw Mo Hua and greeted him warmly. He casually reminded him, ¡°Be careful; don¡¯t hurt yourself,¡± before letting him inside.


    Mo Hua entered a private room in the Dao Room, immediately eager to begin refining his Fireball Technique. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The first step was compressing the Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua experimented, trying to replicate the techniques Grandpa Gui had demonstrated: using Divine Sense to forcibly compress the Fireball Technique into threads.

 Chapter 925 - 627 Fireball Technique? _2

    Chapter 925: Chapter 627 Fireball Technique? _2


    But he failed.


    His Divine Sense was not strong enough, or perhaps, his Cultivation was still far from sufficient, and his control over Spiritual Power wasn¡¯t delicate yet¡­


    Mo Hua could only compress the large Fireball into a smaller Fireball.


    The size of a fist, a little darker in color, indeed a bit more powerful, but not very useful.


    Mo Hua tried using a spell puppet.


    The Foundation Establishment Initial Stage spell puppet was scorched with a deeper burn mark by his small Fireball, but it gradually recovered.


    The spell puppet, using special materials and painted with a Formation inside, could heal itself.


    When Mo Hua first saw it, he was very surprised, especially curious about the Formation inside; he even tried to dismantle the spell puppet to see the Formation¡­


    But the spell puppet ¡°alerted¡± and summoned the Elder of Daoist Law, who stopped Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°impolite¡± behavior.


    Mo Hua gave up.


    Now, when Mo Hua hit the spell puppet with the compressed ¡°small Fireball,¡± it was indeed seen that the power of the spell had improved.


    But this improvement was not significant.


    Moreover, as this ¡°compression¡± took some time, the Fireball Technique became slower, and in actual combat, it seemed too ¡°clumsy¡± and basically unusable.


    And this fist-sized ¡°small Fireball¡± was now the limit of Mo Hua¡¯s compression ability.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    ¡°Too far off¡­¡±


    His mastery of spells was worlds apart from Grandpa Gui.


    But on second thoughts, this was normal.


    Grandpa Gui¡¯s Cultivation was heaven-high compared to his own.


    Even his Uncle was very wary of Grandpa Gui and didn¡¯t dare to act personally, having to rely on the Blood of Destruction Path from the Blood Taoist to restrain him.


    Mo Hua thought for a long time before he remembered that name:


    Blood of Destruction Path¡­


    Blood of Destruction Path¡­


    ¡°Grandpa Gui¡­ should be okay¡­¡±


    Mo Hua remembered the day Grandpa Gui told his Uncle, ¡°Don¡¯t let me see you again, or I will kill you¡­¡±


    This meant that the one who had been with him all this time was a clone or a puppet, not the real Grandpa Gui.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief but also felt a bit worried.


    He wondered how Grandpa Gui really was¡­


    Where he might be¡­


    And that ¡®Blood Taoist¡¯¡­


    Mo Hua had heard this name twice now.


    The first time was when the Saint Heir blocked his path and, out of fear, pleaded for mercy by claiming the identity of the ¡°Blood Taoist¡¯s¡± descendant, which spared him from his Uncle.


    The second time was when his Uncle used the Blood of Destruction Path from the ¡°Blood Taoist¡± to restrain Grandpa Gui¡­


    Since he was a ¡°Taoist,¡± his Uncle had to show respect and even borrow his blood, he must be a fearsome Demon Head¡­


    But now it was still early to consider these; it was beyond his capability; he¡¯d think about it later¡­


    Mo Hua silently noted down the name ¡°Blood Taoist.¡±


    Then he refocused and continued studying the Fireball Technique.


    He couldn¡¯t reach the level of Grandpa Gui, but the thought process of casting spells was still worth referring to.


    Spell silk transformed, compressing reconstruction.


    If he couldn¡¯t reach Grandpa Gui¡¯s standard¡­ then simplify it, even if he only learned a fraction, maybe a tenth or twentieth, the power might not be bad.


    Without spell silk, just compress into a ball.


    Unable to ¡°weave¡± reconstruction, then¡­ blend them together?


    ¡°Merge two Fireball Techniques into one?¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    He began to try casting two Fireball Techniques and then blending the two Fireballs¡­


    But as soon as he tried, he failed again.


    He then remembered some popular spell theorems learned in the Daoist Skill class:


    A person cannot cast two spells at the same time.


    Even if the two spells were identical, they must be cast consecutively.


    Mo Hua¡¯s previous Fireball Technique was also like this; even if cast rapidly, they actually had a sequence.


    He must first condense the first Fireball Technique, release it, then condense the second.


    Even if quick, there was still a sequence.


    For continuous spells like the Golden Body Technique or Golden Bell Shield.


    First, cast Golden Body Technique, then control the Sword;


    First, defend oneself with the Golden Bell Shield, then cast other spells¡­


    It seemed like two spells were active simultaneously, but casting was still sequenced.


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondering:


    ¡°The Fireball Technique Grandpa Gui showed was also balls condensed one by one, then unified into one pattern¡­¡±


    But such a high-difficulty pattern was beyond his ability¡­


    ¡°Need to change the approach¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, thinking hard.


    Now, he was no longer a Loose Cultivator without a legacy.


    Having entered the Taixu Gate, learning Cultivation daily in class, accepting the orthodox legacy of Taixu Gate, his knowledge in Tao Cultivation had enriched considerably.


    Some ¡°foundations¡± of spells, soaked up through exposure, he knew quite a bit.


    People couldn¡¯t cast two spells at the same time because human Divine Sense is singular and cannot multitask.


    ¡°Can¡¯t multitask¡­¡±


    Mo Hua raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation!¡±


    His Divine Sense might be singular.


    But like his Uncle, by utilizing Heavenly Secret Tricky Calculation, it could be split¡­


    After splitting, with two Divine Thoughts, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to break the conventional spell theories, casting spells simultaneously?


    Casting spells simultaneously, couldn¡¯t he try spell fusion?


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, and then his pupils deepened, his Divine Sense split into Wily Minds, creating double visions, multitasking, he started trying to condense two spells simultaneously.


    But many attempts failed.


    He hadn¡¯t tried splitting Wily Minds and casting simultaneously before, so he was very unfamiliar at the start.


    Either his Divine Sense was unstable, his Spiritual Power mistook its path, or the spells were not fully condensed¡­

 Chapter 926 - 627 Fireball Technique?_3

    Chapter 926: Chapter 627 Fireball Technique?_3


    But Mo Hua became too adept at the Fireball Technique. After trying multiple times, his mysterious spiritual consciousness became gradually stable, spiritual power flowed, and the spell formed into a complete skill pattern¡­


    Time passed, and a spark of inspiration flashed in Mo Hua¡¯s mind, his eyes brightened, and he stretched out both hands.


    On his left hand, there was a Fireball Technique.


    On his right hand, he also condensed a Fireball Technique.


    Dual casting with mystical consciousness, deploying both spells at once!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Then he realized a problem, with dual casting, the power should be even greater, and it seemed he didn¡¯t need to study a more complicated Fireball Technique¡­


    Mo Hua decided to give it a try. He stretched out both hands, and two fireballs instantly flew out, tracing two arcs of flame, hitting the spell puppet.


    Two scorch marks appeared on the puppet, which then recovered as before.


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    ¡°Not quite right¡­¡±


    With a divided consciousness, deploying two Fireball Techniques at the same time, the power of each had diminished¡­


    One reason was that his technique was still not skilled enough;


    Another reason would be that his spiritual power was not abundant, the amount of spiritual power in his meridians was insufficient to support casting two Fireball Techniques at the same time without a decline in power¡­


    All things considered, it would be better to deploy the fireballs in succession, one after the other.


    His casting was fast, and the interval between the two Fireball Techniques was very short, and their power would not diminish.


    Unless¡­


    Mo Hua pondered.


    Unless there was a need for a spell ¡°barrage,¡± to rapidly release a large quantity of Fireball Techniques within a short period.


    In that case, dual casting would be highly effective.


    However, such an action would cause spiritual consciousness and spiritual power to pour out like a flood.


    His spiritual consciousness could handle it, but his spiritual power definitely could not sustain it.


    This was not a method he could use at present¡­


    Mo Hua felt a bit of regret.


    Dual casting wasn¡¯t effective in terms of power, so he still needed to research spell fusion¡­


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, then his pupils darkened, he once again divided his consciousness, and with dual casting, condensed a fireball in each hand.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, somewhat strained, as he slowly brought his hands together, trying to fuse the two Fireball Techniques¡­


    But the two Fireball Techniques, like poles of the same magnet, repelled each other.


    The closer they got, the stronger the repulsive force.


    Soon, Mo Hua could no longer maintain it, the spells dissipated, and the fireballs extinguished.


    Mo Hua gasped for air, sighing in his mind:


    ¡°It seems it still doesn¡¯t work¡­¡±


    ¡°The Fireballs repel each other; they cannot fuse together¡­¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a while, then took out his ¡°The Essentials of the Tai Xu Arts¡± from his storage bag, searching for an answer within some of the documented magical theories.


    After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Mo Hua flipped to the ¡°Skill Pattern Structure¡± page and recalled the knowledge taught in the Elder¡¯s class before having an epiphany.


    Inside each spell, there is a certain skill pattern structure. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This structure is stable, standardized, created by the summation work of generations of cultivators, and is a ¡°paradigm¡± that determines the essence of the spell.


    The skill pattern structure is also the structure of the spiritual power, containing the circulation and change of the spell¡¯s spiritual power.


    Similarly, different spells have their skill pattern structures that naturally repel each other.


    Thus, when spiritual cultivators battle with spells, victories in spell confrontations are decided by their respective skill pattern structures.


    In confrontations, a top-grade spell, with a stable skill pattern structure, powerful spiritual power, will crush a low-grade spell, causing the latter¡¯s spell to collapse and spiritual power to disseminate, leading to defeat.


    If the power of the two opposing spells is close, neither can overcome the other, and due to the repelling skill pattern structures, both will disintegrate simultaneously, creating a spiritual power explosion¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, but then he paused, perplexed.


    ¡°Spells colliding, disintegrating at the same time, creating a spiritual power explosion¡­¡±


    ¡°But when my two Fireball Techniques were squeezed together, there was no explosion¡­¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Mo Hua grew more bewildered as he thought, and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim:


    Formations are profound and complex, and spells are not simple either.


    Once you delve into learning them, you realize that there is too much complicated and esoteric knowledge¡­


    Mo Hua could only consider from his own perspective.


    His two Fireball Techniques, even though they had divided wily minds, were from the same root and the same source. In essence, they were from the same divine sense, the same kind of spiritual power, the same skill pattern structure, deployed at the same time.


    It was like a ¡°replica,¡± where both were shadows of each other.


    Therefore, the two spells, being of similar origins, were naturally compatible.


    But since they were different spells, they had, though the same in form, their independently structured skill patterns.


    And skill pattern structures are bound to repel each other.


    Therefore, these two fireballs, originating from a similar source, were able to approach each other, yet due to their independent skill patterns, they repelled one another¡­


    They were contradictory to each other, with spiritual power entangling endlessly.


    Mo Hua¡¯s head started to ache a bit.


    Since they shared the same origin, it meant that ¡°fusion¡± was possible¡­


    But their skill patterns were unique and repelled each other, which obviously made ¡°fusion¡± impossible¡­


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, yet not discouraged.


    Over the next few days, he thought of many ways to try to execute this double-casting, attempting to ¡°fuse¡± the two fireball techniques that shared the same roots.


    For instance, using his Divine Sense, he pressed the fireballs bit by bit, forcing them to merge;


    Or, in a ¡°spiral¡± form, he made the two fireballs rotate around each other, seeking a mutual fit¡­


    But no matter what he tried, he couldn¡¯t succeed.


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, reflecting:


    ¡°Could it be¡­ too gentle¡­?¡±


    These methods of pressing, spiraling, and fitting for the spell ¡°fusion¡± were all done with great care, but the two fireballs were ¡°mischievous¡± and completely disobedient.


    Should he be more ¡°forceful¡±?


    But how?


    Mo Hua recalled the scenes of spells clashing that he had seen so far, when he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and muttered to himself:


    ¡°Collision?¡±


    ¡°The two fireballs, colliding against each other?¡±


    His Divine Sense was strong enough to forcibly propel the two fireballs to collide quickly, and perhaps, this could combine the two?


    Could relying on the powerful Divine Sense create a miracle?


    Mo Hua was a bit hesitant, but after some thought, since there seemed to be no other options, he decided to give it a try.


    Anyway, in the Dao Room, there were Elders guarding, and they were just two little fireballs, so there shouldn¡¯t be any issues¡­


    Mo Hua nodded to himself.


    Then he began to repeat his previous technique, his pupils black as night, his wily minds diverging, his left and right hands each condensing a fireball technique.


    This time, Mo Hua didn¡¯t try little by little but instead focused intensely, and in a split second, he pushed his Sixteen Patterns Quality Changed Divine Sense to the extreme, applying an instantaneous strong pressure¡­


    And then the spells transformed abruptly!


    The ultimate Divine Sense suddenly generated a tremendous pressure, causing the fireballs to tremble violently.


    Subsequently, the two fireballs moved from static to dynamic in an instant, drawing two blinding trails of fire, and with great speed, they hurtled towards each other, creating a collision that could collapse their skill patterns¡­


    This all happened in an instant.


    A moment later, Mo Hua felt dizzy and his ears rang, and his eyes were blinded by the bright firelight¡­


    All he felt was a muffled explosion.


    And then all the sounds seemed to be drawn in, swallowed up, into absolute silence¡­


    The only trace of clarity in his Divine Sense made Mo Hua realize¡­


    His spiritual power had completely spiraled out of control¡­


    Out of nowhere, the Fireball Technique had birthed a rampaging spiritual power, like an unruly dragon roaring and bellowing, fighting to break free from his control, to devour everything¡­


    Mo Hua exhausted the last bit of his Divine Sense to place a ¡°rein¡± on this surge of spiritual power, pulling it forward to blast out¡­


    After which, his eyes closed, and he slowly collapsed to the ground, falling into unconsciousness.


    ¡­


    The Elder of Daoist Law, who was playing chess outside, suddenly felt a violent palpitation. He looked down and saw on the central Jade Slip of the Dao Room, a red alarm flashing so brightly it hurt his eyes.


    At the same time, a wave of spiritual power that was odd and twisted, though at the Foundation Establishment Stage, emanated with a hint of terrifying force.


    The Elder of Daoist Law¡¯s heart trembled, and in a flash, he hurried to the Dao Room on his right.


    From the outside, the Dao Room appeared undamaged.


    The Elder of Daoist Law¡¯s right hand trembled slightly as he opened the door¡­


    What he saw was devastation, with cracks everywhere.


    There was a ferocious scorch mark on the floor, spreading into the distance, the overwhelming spiritual power pressing against the walls, shaking the protective Third Grade Formation to reveal itself.


    The Formation was intact, but the wall¡¯s surface had melted, exposing the Formation Patterns.


    It looked as though the surroundings were blasted with mottled cracks.


    At the start of the scorch mark lay a small Cultivator.


    He lay unconscious on the ground, his left hand charred, his right hand cracked, with blood at the corners of his mouth.


    At the end of the scorch mark was a spell puppet.


    Or rather, where there should have been a spell puppet.


    But now, the spell puppet used for testing spell strength, of the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, had been blasted so thoroughly that not even scraps remained¡­


    The Elder of Daoist Law¡¯s mouth gaped open, involuntarily gasping a breath of cold air¡­


    ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡±


    ¡°Fireball Technique?!¡±

 Chapter 927 - 628: Injuries

    Chapter 927: Chapter 628: Injuries


    However, moments later, another elder, donning a Taixu Taoist robe but with an emblem of a Pill Furnace embroidered on his lapel, arrived. Seeing the charred ground and the full wall of Formation Patterns, he couldn¡¯t help but draw a sharp breath.


    Then, he saw Mo Hua lying on the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, save him first.¡±


    The two hurried forward to examine Mo Hua¡¯s injuries and then both exhaled in relief.


    Mo Hua looked miserable, his injuries were not light, but nothing was life-threatening.


    The Danshi Elder took out a bottle of Spiritual Liquid and sprinkled it on Mo Hua¡¯s wounds, neutralizing the lingering fire toxin, cleaning the charred bloodstains, and simultaneously stopping the bleeding.


    Afterward, he took out a pill and administered it to Mo Hua.


    Then with his hand on Mo Hua¡¯s chest, he continuously directed his energy, nourishing Mo Hua¡¯s meridians with thick and pure Wood-series Spiritual Power to treat his injuries¡­


    Some time later, color gradually returned to Mo Hua¡¯s pale face, and his breath also steadied.


    Only his physical body was too weak, which slowed down the healing of his wounds, leaving him still unconscious for the time being.


    The Danshi Elder, feeling relieved, said, ¡°That should do it¡­¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, it was just a minor involvement of magical spiritual power¡­¡±


    ¡°A half-month¡¯s injury, with proper care, won¡¯t be a big issue. However, his hand is injured and his meridians are also damaged. For the time being, he cannot use his Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    The Danshi Elder felt somewhat fortunate, yet shook his head:


    ¡°Just that, his constitution is really too poor¡­¡±


    ¡°Fragile and delicate, he gets hurt upon the slightest knock, and the injuries aren¡¯t easy to heal¡­¡±


    The Danshi Elder looked at the unconscious Mo Hua with a bit of heartache, then turned to reprimand the Elder of Daoist Law:


    ¡°You, being the Elder of Daoist Law, should have at least taught him some Body Refinement. I¡¯m not expecting great achievements, but at least to strengthen his physique. If he¡¯s injured, he would recover faster¡­¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law gave a bitter smile, ¡°How could I not know that?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not that simple. If he could really practice, I would have had him do it long ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Learning those superficial things, they¡¯re useless in a real fight.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still going to get hurt with the slightest knock, fatally wounded with a slice. It¡¯s better to spend more time learning a movement technique to avoid getting hurt at all¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the Cultivation Techniques for Body Refinement are robust and powerful, not easy to learn at all.¡±


    ¡°With his poor foundations, if he practiced too much, his flesh might wither, his Blood Qi could burst in reverse, and he could end up harming himself¡­¡±


    Hearing this, the Danshi Elder shook his head helplessly and said:


    ¡°Then I will refine a few batches of pills to nourish his Blood Qi¡­¡±


    Although the effects might not be significant, it was better than nothing.


    After finishing, the Danshi Elder looked sympathetically at the Elder of Daoist Law, ¡°Be careful, Elder Xun will definitely be looking for you.¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law¡¯s scalp went numb.


    ¡°Why on earth did you teach the kid a Superior Skill for no good reason?¡± asked the Danshi Elder, puzzled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t teach¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think I believe that?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law tasted bitterness in his mouth, ¡°I really didn¡¯t teach¡­¡±


    The Danshi Elder was taken aback. Seeing that he did not seem to be lying and looking around, his expression changed slightly, ¡°Then what is this¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a spell¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re stating the obvious, aren¡¯t you? If it¡¯s not a spell, could it be a Formation? The question is, what kind of spell is it?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law pondered, ¡°From the looks of it, it seems to be¡­ Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    The Danshi Elder¡¯s face remained expressionless, ¡°Very impressive¡­ What Fireball Technique, could you teach me, let me broaden my horizons?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law ran out of words to say.


    The Danshi Elder pointed towards the place where the practice wooden puppet was originally situated:


    ¡°This puppet, although it¡¯s for Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, was created initially to withstand spells, hence its high magical defense. Usually, even disciples in the Foundation Building Middle Stage can¡¯t break it, let alone now¡­¡±


    The Danshi Elder¡¯s eyelids twitched, ¡°It¡¯s been blown into ashes¡­¡±


    And this kid, is just a beginner who has not yet completed one year of Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    The Danshi Elder took another look at Mo Hua, feeling shocked in his heart.


    The Elder of Daoist Law also had suspicions in his mind.


    He didn¡¯t remember teaching Mo Hua any powerful spells.


    Moreover, even if such spells existed, with Mo Hua¡¯s grade of Spiritual Root, and the Circulation of Spiritual Power in his Qi Sea, he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn or use them¡­


    Unless¡­


    The Elder of Daoist Law felt the surrounding residual heat and the abnormal spiritual power, his expression growing more serious.


    The Danshi Elder asked, ¡°What have you figured out?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law furrowed his brow and said, ¡°This is not simple. It¡¯s not just the power of the spell, but rather it seems like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law shook his head, not voicing his thoughts, but considering Mo Hua¡¯s age and cultivation, he found it hard to believe and muttered: sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t¡­ be possible¡­¡±


    ¡­


    When Mo Hua awakened, he felt dizzy, and his hand was in pain; his meridians were still somewhat blocked.


    Looking around, he realized he was lying in a pristine white, soft bed, in a clean space with Spirit-Concentrating Incense burning and a faint, bitter scent of pills lingering in the air.


    By his side was a woman in a Taixu Elder¡¯s robe, elegant and dignified with a hint of allure, silently watching him.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Murong¡­ Elder?¡±


    His voice was hoarse and weak as if retaining the trauma from the fire spiritual power, making speaking difficult.


    Murong Elder nodded slightly, ¡°Elder Master Xun feared your injury would worsen, so he sent you here to me.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, only then realizing that Murong Elder was actually a Pill Master.


    Murong Elder moved closer to Mo Hua, her fingers white and slender as she gently touched his forehead, her voice as gentle as the evening breeze:


    ¡°You¡¯re not badly hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°But the burn on your left hand has damaged your meridians; you cannot use your Spiritual Power for half a month. Your right hand has a flesh wound, and you shouldn¡¯t hold a pen for seven days¡­¡±

 Chapter 928 - 628: Injury_2

    Chapter 928: Chapter 628: Injury_2


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a few bottles of pills. Take one every morning and evening.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mo Hua nodded with some difficulty, ¡°Thank you, Elder Murong¡­¡±


    Elder Murong smiled faintly.


    After that, other cultivators started to visit Mo Hua in succession.


    First came Yu Er.


    Seeing Mo Hua injured, he stayed by Mo Hua¡¯s side, his little brows furrowed, eyes moist, refusing to be sent away.


    Elder Murong had no choice but to prepare a small bed for him, along with a little blanket, letting him sleep nearby.


    Yu Er was quiet and not troublesome. When he woke up, the first thing he did was to check on Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua woke to find Yu Er¡¯s eyes shining brightly, filled with happiness.


    But since Mo Hua needed to recover, Yu Er only stayed for a while before he had to return to the Disciple¡¯s Residence to do his homework.


    Murong Caiyun came once too, bringing some pills and nourishing supplements.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was alright, she was relieved. She only admonished Mo Hua to be more careful when practicing spells so that he wouldn¡¯t injure himself again.


    Mo Hua nodded honestly.


    He had also learned something:


    He heard Senior Sister Murong call Elder Murong ¡°auntie,¡± clearly indicating a relationship between the two.


    Shangguan Xu came to visit him too. Besides the recovery pills, he brought a lot of delicious food.


    ¡°These are from Aunt Wan; she asked me to bring them to you¡­¡±


    ¡°This is within Taixu Gate, and it¡¯s not convenient for her to come in. Still, she wants you to visit the Gu Family after you recover. She¡¯ll then request the Pill Master of the Shangguan Family to regulate your condition, making sure you¡¯re left with no complications¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and expressed his gratitude:


    ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother Xu, and please convey my thanks to Aunt Wan as well.¡±


    In addition, some fellow disciples from the same sect came to visit their ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua¡¯s complexion was fairly good and there were no serious issues, they felt reassured. They gathered around Mo Hua, chattering away:


    ¡°Mo Hua, did we hear right that you got injured practicing a spell?¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°What spell were you practicing, exactly?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the Fireball Technique, was it¡­¡±


    ¡°How could it be?¡±


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it be¡­¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua can only use the Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua, once we leave Taixu Gate, we¡¯ll pretend we don¡¯t know you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever tell anyone you¡¯re our ¡®Junior Brother¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of Junior Brother gets hurt by a Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    Mo Hua gave them a disdainful look, saying displeasedly:


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Fireball Technique? Just wait until I¡¯ve perfected it. I¡¯ll make you cry with just a Fireball Technique!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just talk big without backing it up¡­¡±


    ¡°Just a mere Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua argued with them playfully, and the atmosphere grew livelier.


    Elder Murong, however, said calmly, ¡°This is the Pill Room where you need to recuperate quietly. All of you should go to your classes.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Elder.¡±


    The disciples, who had been thinking of skipping class, now respectfully bowed and left the room, looking dejected.


    Only Cheng Mo stayed behind, reluctantly gripping Mo Hua¡¯s hand and urging him:


    ¡°Mo Hua, heal quickly and come back to teach us about Formation¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun is too strict, his lessons too advanced, and he assigns too many tasks. They were simply too much to handle¡­


    Junior Brother Mo was much better.


    ¡­


    Elder Master Xun also came to check on Mo Hua.


    He was stern-faced and didn¡¯t say much, only admonishing Mo Hua to heal well. But as he left, he couldn¡¯t help himself and whispered reassuringly:


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to excel in combat spells if they don¡¯t suit you¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a strong foundation; there¡¯s no need to force yourself to learn such aggressive spells like others¡­¡±


    ¡°Just master Formation well enough to stand on your own in the Cultivation World, and no one will dare to bully you.¡±


    ¡°If you face difficulties or someone causes you trouble, just speak up, and the Sect will support you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to strain yourself trying to learn these spells¡­¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t injure yourself again¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua felt touched and quickly nodded, ¡°I understand, thank you, Elder Master!¡±


    Elder Master Xun wasn¡¯t sure if Mo Hua had taken his words to heart, but he nodded anyway and left.


    ¡­


    As evening approached, the Elder of Daoist Law also quietly visited Mo Hua.


    He was responsible for teaching Daoist Skills and, although he wasn¡¯t the direct cause of the disciple¡¯s injury, as an Elder, he felt he should bear some responsibility.


    Seeing Mo Hua sitting on the bed, his left hand wrapped in bandages, his face pale but his eyes lively and breathing steady, the Elder of Daoist Law finally eased his mind.


    The Elder of Daoist Law exchanged a few pleasantries, hesitated for a moment, and then asked in a low voice:


    ¡°Mo Hua, what spell were you using in the Dao Room¡­¡±


    He not only taught spells but also studied them, hence his curiosity about the unknown spell.


    He wanted to know what kind of spell Mo Hua had cast that could create such immense power, blowing up a perfectly fine spell puppet¡­


    Mo Hua was stunned, his eyes lighting up.


    Since waking up, whenever he had the chance, he pondered over the ¡°spell fusion¡± matter.


    But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t understand why the fusion of two Fireball Techniques, forcibly joined by Divine Sense, resulted in such formidable power.


    If he hadn¡¯t reversed the direction of the spell with his Divine Sense at the last moment, allowing the Spiritual Power of the spell to lose control¡­


    He feared not only would his hands have suffered, but his very life would have been at risk¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t comprehend it.


    The mere fusion of two Fireball Techniques shouldn¡¯t have been capable of such force.


    Not to mention that even the slightest aftershock had caused him such serious injuries¡­


    This defied common sense.


    So when the Elder of Daoist Law asked him, he too had many questions he wanted to consult with the Elder of Daoist Law.


    Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 929 - 628: Injury_3

    Chapter 929: Chapter 628: Injury_3


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then answered:


    ¡°I felt that the power of a single Fireball Technique wasn¡¯t sufficient, so I wanted to ¡®fuse¡¯ two Fireball Techniques together to enhance the power, and then¡­ it exploded¡­¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law frowned, ¡°Nonsense, who does ¡®fusion¡¯ like that?¡±


    Mo Hua replied humbly, ¡°Then how should one fuse them?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood,¡± the Elder of Daoist Law shook his head. ¡°So-called spell ¡®fusion¡¯ isn¡¯t about mixing two spells together like dough¡­¡±


    ¡°Spell fusion is essentially the fusion of skill patterns.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, it¡¯s not about fusing after casting; rather, it¡¯s about having a ¡®fused¡¯ skill pattern before even casting. It just appears as if it¡¯s ¡®fusing¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had an epiphany.


    He remembered how Grandpa Gui showed him the Fireball Technique, consecutively condensing the fire threads and then weaving them to form the spell.


    Essentially, it wasn¡¯t about merging several Fireball Techniques.


    Rather, it was in itself a complete, separate spell.


    He had practiced according to Grandpa Gui¡¯s method, but because of working behind closed doors, he had gotten a bit sidetracked amidst the confusion¡­


    Even though he¡¯d veered off course, the power seemed very strong¡­


    It was even stronger than he had imagined¡­


    Why was that?


    Mo Hua blinked and glanced at the Elder of Daoist Law.


    The Elder of Daoist Law felt a bit uneasy under Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, wondering what schemes the boy was concocting in his mind¡­


    ¡°Elder¡­¡± Mo Hua spoke softly, ¡°Suppose there is a possibility¡­¡±


    ¡°That there are two ¡®twin¡¯ Cultivators, with identical Divine Sense and Spiritual Root, casting the exact same spell¡­¡±


    ¡°There are no such ¡®twin¡¯ Cultivators¡­¡± the Elder of Daoist Law said.


    ¡°I mean suppose¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said earnestly, ¡°¡­If there were, what would happen when their spells collided? Would they fuse?¡±


    Mo Hua was full of curiosity.


    The Elder of Daoist Law felt a headache coming on; he dreaded encountering disciples with such wild imaginations and bizarre questions.


    Their questions had some logic to them.


    But to answer them was truly taxing on Divine Sense.


    The Elder of Daoist Law massaged his forehead and, following Mo Hua¡¯s train of thought, pondered for a moment before slowly speaking:


    ¡°If their Divine Sense and Spiritual Root are identical, then those two spells might not be exactly the same due to the sequence in time¡­¡±


    ¡°For a Cultivator, time is also a kind of Law.¡±


    ¡°The moment of spellcasting, like the configuration of the spell¡¯s Spiritual Power, is an inherent characteristic. It¡¯s just that most Cultivators completely overlook this point¡­¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s say the timing of the spellcasting is also exactly the same¡­¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°In that case¡­¡± the Elder of Daoist Law murmured, ¡°then these two spells would be nearly identical, sharing the same origin. If they came into contact¡­¡±


    ¡°There would be two possibilities¡­¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law speculated based on the principles of spells:


    ¡°Either they would instantly ¡®fuse¡¯ into a large fireball¡­¡±


    ¡°Or they would be in a state where they are close to each other, not exploding, yet not fusing, a sort of ¡®attraction and repulsion¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Like the Taixu¡¯s Eryi, coexisting yet repelling each other¡­¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled with admiration.


    As expected of the Elder of Daoist Law from the Taixu Gate, able to deduce the reality with just the theory of spells.


    ¡°What if these two fireballs are ¡®attracting and repelling¡¯ each other but not fusing?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± the Elder of Daoist Law had barely started speaking when he suddenly paused, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Because I¡¯ve tried it!


    And I hurt myself in the process!


    Mo Hua silently said to himself.


    But it was not the sort of thing he could openly discuss, so he equivocated, ¡°I guessed¡­¡±


    Before the Elder of Daoist Law could regain his composure, Mo Hua continued to press with his questions, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why would there be repulsion?¡±


    Indeed, the Elder of Daoist Law continued down the path of Mo Hua¡¯s line of thought¡­


    ¡°Because the essence of their skill patterns is different.¡±


    ¡°The structure of the skill pattern is the structure of the spell¡¯s Spiritual Power; it¡¯s the essence of the spell.¡±


    ¡°Skill patterns naturally repel one another.¡±


    ¡°Generally, even if the same Cultivator casts the same spell, the structures of the skill patterns are similar, yet each is distinct and independent.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like the creation of Standard Spiritual Weapons; all weapons use the same ¡®template.¡¯ When forged, they seem identical, but in reality, each Spiritual Artifact is a different entity¡­¡±


    ¡°Your mentioned ¡®twin¡¯ fireballs are the same¡ªthey may be identical in every other way, but their fundamental ¡®skill pattern structures¡¯ are independently separate¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Unquestionably, the Elder of Daoist Law had reached the same conclusion as Mo Hua had!


    Mo had also guessed that the repulsion between fireballs was an intrinsic issue with the spell¡¯s skill pattern structure.


    Then Mo Hua asked another question, ¡°Can these two ¡®twin¡¯ fireballs form a ¡®fusion¡¯ with different spells?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law shook his head, ¡°Impossible, the structure of the skill patterns repels each other. They can¡¯t merge together¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there a way to make them merge?¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law actually gave it some serious thought before shaking his head again.


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°Suppose¡­¡±


    ¡°By using brute force, with a mighty Divine Sense to control the fireballs for a rapid collision, would that result in a fusion¡­¡±


    ¡°Collision?¡± The Elder of Daoist Law shook his head again, ¡°It still probably wouldn¡¯t lead to a fusion¡­¡±


    ¡°At most, it would be considered an ¡®aggregation,¡¯ but this kind of aggregation is very risky as it jeopardizes the stability of the spell¡¯s skill pattern¡­¡±


    ¡°With the Divine Sense exerting sudden pressure to force the fireballs to aggregate, a powerful repulsion would instantly be generated, causing the intrinsic structure of the skill patterns in both fireballs to collapse, the Spiritual Power to lose its constraints, resulting in a mutation, the internal potency is released, and thereby¡­¡±


    As the Elder of Daoist Law was speaking, his voice became softer and softer, then suddenly, he paused, his eyes showing astonishment.


    He looked at Mo Hua, too shocked to speak, ¡°You didn¡¯t ¡­ ¡±


    You couldn¡¯t have actually used the collision of fireballs, causing the skill pattern structure to collapse, thus creating a powerful destructive force to destroy the spell puppet¡­


    Then he became puzzled, ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    How did you manage to do it?


    ¡°Twin¡± fireballs of the same essence¡­


    Divine Sense forcefully controlling, aggregating the fireballs¡­


    Is that even possible at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage?


    Mo Hua spoke softly, ¡°I was just thinking wildly, just asking casually¡­¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law silently looked at Mo Hua, thinking to himself, I¡¯ll believe you when hell freezes over.


    At the same time, he also reflected inwardly.


    Truly worthy of Elder Master Xun.


    Such a keen eye for talent!


    The disciple he valued not only had talent in Formation,


    but also could blaze new trails in spells, with such in-depth research¡­


    However¡­ since this was a disciple valued by Elder Master Xun, it wasn¡¯t his place to inquire further.


    The Elder of Daoist Law thought for a moment, his gaze growing intense as if he had made up his mind, then shared with Mo Hua the ¡°Principles of Spells,¡± something originally not to be imparted:


    ¡°Spiritual Power radiates outward to form a spell, which is the garment of Spiritual Power.¡±


    ¡°But within the Spiritual Power itself, its intrinsic nature changes, which also contains powerful potency¡­¡±


    ¡°Ordinary spells are made with Spiritual Power forming the skill patterns to establish the spell, thereby possessing the Power of Killing¡­¡±


    ¡°But conversely¡­¡±


    The Elder of Daoist Law¡¯s gaze sharpened, his voice grew heavy:


    ¡°Through a spell, provoking changes in the structure of the skill pattern will result in a mutation of the Spiritual Power, releasing a great amount of unstable spiritual force, similarly causing extremely strong destructive power¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes widened in realization.


    Could this not be¡­


    Formation Collapse!


    Though the methods differed, one used Formation and the other used spells, and even the mutations in Spiritual Power varied¡ªone disintegrating and the other aggregating,


    their underlying principles were the same!


    Seeing how quickly Mo Hua understood, the Elder of Daoist Law was a bit stunned.


    This child¡­ he might have done this sort of thing before¡­


    Why did it feel like he grasped it immediately?


    The Elder of Daoist Law felt it wasn¡¯t right to continue on this topic and coughed before standing up, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I should be going back¡­¡±


    Mo Hua responded with the utmost politeness, ¡°Elder, please take care.¡±


    But there was one thing he was very curious about, that he had thought over and over again, yet couldn¡¯t resist asking.


    ¡°Oh, one more thing, Elder¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked softly, ¡°¡­What is your esteemed surname?¡±


    On hearing this, the Elder of Daoist Law appeared as if he had been struck by lightning, completely stunned.


    He was somewhat angry, but also somewhat incredulous and sad, ¡°After all this time, you don¡¯t even know my surname?!¡±


    Mo Hua felt rather embarrassed.


    There was no helping it; there were too many Sect Elders, including substitute teachers who occasionally changed, and there were some Elders he only recognized by face but couldn¡¯t recall by name.


    Mo Hua gave an awkward smile.


    The Elder of Daoist Law helplessly said, ¡°My surname is Yi¡­¡±

 Chapter 930 - 629 Forbidden Technique

    Chapter 930: Chapter 629 Forbidden Technique


    ¡°Yi?¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, recalling what he read on the Water Prison Technique Secret Manual, ¡°¡­ This technique has been compiled into a volume by True Man Yi, archived within Taixu Gate¡­¡±


    ¡°The Water Prison Technique in the Merit Scroll, was it you who collected it?¡±


    Elder Yi was startled, ¡°You¡¯ve learned the Water Prison Technique as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Yi was somewhat surprised.


    The Water Prison Technique is easy to learn but hard to master; it¡¯s also quite difficult to use¡­


    But he still shook his head, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. It was a predecessor of our Yi family who collected that technique¡­¡±


    ¡°Predecessor?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elder Yi nodded, ¡°Our Yi family is a family of spell crafters, and most of the elder disciples are Spiritual Cultivators who are proficient in spells; we also like to collect some unique and strange skills¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding.


    Elder Yi glanced at the sky and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be going. If you have questions about spells, you can ask me again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Yi!¡±


    Mo Hua said obediently.


    Hearing this ¡°Elder Yi,¡± Elder Yi finally felt more comfortable. He turned to leave, but then, as if recalling something that made him somewhat embarrassed, he said,


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    ¡°About your injury, I indeed was somewhat negligent. But, well, about Elder Master Xun¡­¡±,


    Mo Hua immediately understood.


    ¡°Elder Yi, please rest assured. I will explain clearly to the elder. It was my mishap this time, not your fault!¡±


    This matter was not Elder Yi¡¯s fault to begin with.


    Furthermore, Elder Yi had shared such important principles of spellcrafting with him; he couldn¡¯t possibly blame him.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s intelligence and sense of reason, Elder Yi felt greatly relieved and didn¡¯t mind that Mo Hua had been studying spells with him for so long without even knowing his surname or name.


    ¡°Alright, do take care while recovering.¡±


    Elder Yi left with a relieved expression.


    ¡°Elder, take care.¡±


    After Elder Yi had left, Mo Hua, with his left hand bandaged, lay on the bed and thought to himself:


    Twin Fireball Skill¡­ Divine Sense guiding the collision¡­ Skill Pattern structure collapse¡­ The might of Spiritual Power Fusion¡­


    A spell technique like ¡°collapse¡± is powerful but unstable and prone to losing control.


    If he tried to ponder and experiment, once it went out of control, he could easily get hurt; the risk was substantial.


    This time he was lucky. Although the spell lost control, he managed to forcefully restrain the unruly Spiritual Power with his Divine Sense and wasn¡¯t directly affected¡­


    Moreover, at Taixu Gate, there were many skilled Danshi Elders dedicated to healing, so he didn¡¯t suffer too severe injuries. After some rest, there wouldn¡¯t be any lasting effects.


    But if there were a next time, it wouldn¡¯t be so certain.


    He was a ¡°delicate¡± individual¡­


    The Fireball¡¯s clash and forced collision, the Skill Pattern structure¡¯s collapse, and the innate power of Spiritual Power Fusion were like a Formation Collapse, embodying certain Dao Laws with astonishing lethality.


    A slip of the hand and he could have bitten the dust¡­


    But if he didn¡¯t study it further¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t quite resign himself to that.


    As a Spiritual Cultivator, casting spells swiftly and with precise target locking offered a tremendous advantage.


    However, if the innate power of the spells was limited, impacting the target with as much effect as a tickle, then this advantage was greatly diminished.


    Great power that missed its target was useless.


    Conversely, perfect aim that lacked power wasn¡¯t much better¡­


    Previously, in the Second Grade State Border, he encountered opponents who were mostly Loose Cultivators or the scions of small families lacking strong heritage.


    Using his strong Divine Sense, his special Fireball Technique was quite powerful.


    But upon reaching the Qianxue State Border, with its many prominent Sects and the disciples from exceptional backgrounds possessing Top-Grade Spiritual Roots, the number was beyond counting.


    Even some of those who had fallen from grace and were wanted by the Taoist Court had solid foundations, with Spiritual Roots far better than his own.


    Among these disciples, some had even inherited Superior Daoist Magic.


    Suddenly, the Fireball Technique didn¡¯t seem so impressive anymore.


    This aggregate Fireball Technique still demanded further research¡­


    Mo Hua considered it for a moment, and combining the ¡°guidance¡± of Elder Yi, he roughly figured out the principle behind this spell¡¯s damage:


    Ordinary spell theories involve Spiritual Power moving from inside to outside, to structure the Skill Pattern, forming the spell.


    The power of a spell is determined by the strength of the Spiritual Power.


    The most representative of these is Superior Skill: high consumption of Spiritual Power, strong Skill Pattern structure, and astonishing power.


    But with his weak Spiritual Power, he couldn¡¯t cultivate Superior Skills, so he had to take a different approach.


    Relying on the variability of spells, reversing the Skill Pattern structure and causing internal changes in Spiritual Power to trigger a massive release of spiritual energy. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The spell is merely a primer.


    A fuse.


    By using the spell to initiate something similar to a reverse resolution of a Formation, it causes an essential abnormality in Spiritual Power.


    In this way, a small amount of Spiritual Power can result in enormous destructive power.


    This process requires Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, splitting Divine Thoughts, and casting dual spells simultaneously.


    It also needs strong Divine Sense for high-speed, instantaneous control of spells, which also consumes a lot of Divine Sense.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense is strong, though his Spiritual Power is weak.


    Such a reverse approach to spellcrafting perfectly played to his strengths and skirted his weaknesses, utilizing his powerful Divine Sense and avoiding the pitfalls of weak Spiritual Power¡­


    Mo Hua nodded, resolved to fully research this type of Fireball Technique with fusion.


    He already understood the principle behind the spells.


    The only problem with the current Fireball Technique was its instability.


    Skill Pattern collapse and Spiritual Power Fusion are prone to spiraling out of control. You might hurt yourself before your opponents.


    ¡°I need to think of a stable, controllable method for Skill Pattern collapse and Fireball fusion,¡± Mo Hua said to himself silently.


    ¡­


    The next day, Mo Hua went to class.


    His injuries, treated by several Danshi Elders designated by Elder Master Xun, had basically healed. He just needed a bit more rest.

 Chapter 931 - 629 Forbidden Technique_2

    Chapter 931: Chapter 629 Forbidden Technique_2


    The classes could be attended.


    But apart from that, Spiritual Power was not to be used, and Formations were not to be drawn.


    Mo Hua just took this time to research ¡°Fireball Fusion.¡±


    Whenever he had time after his Cultivation classes, he pondered how to steadily collide fireballs, causing the Skill Pattern to collapse and the Spiritual Power to fuse.


    As long as the Skill Pattern was controllable, even a little less damage was acceptable.


    However, after several days of research, his progress was extremely slow.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t think of any methods to stabilize the structure of the Skill Pattern, control its collapse, and direct the fusion of Spiritual Power.


    Only then did Mo Hua realize that he was somewhat conceited.


    Such alternative, counterintuitive Spell Patterns were definitely not something he could create in a stroke of inspiration, let alone stabilize and refine.


    Even the simplest Spell would need generations of Cultivators to practice, study, and finally perfect it through practical experience.


    With his own shallow mastery of Spells and limited time, seeking to invent a Skill Pattern was truly a pipe dream.


    Mo Hua sighed but was not discouraged.


    Since working in isolation wasn¡¯t effective, he should find ways to study other Fire Spells more and seek potentially useful aspects from their Skill Pattern structures¡­


    Improving his own Spells by standing on the shoulders of predecessors.


    Mo Hua nodded, feeling that the idea was feasible.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t believe that the concept of ¡°Fireball Fusion¡± was exclusive to him.


    With so many prodigies in the Cultivation World, some would have undoubtedly thought of this and summarized it already.


    In the Taoist Court¡¯s twenty-thousand-year history, countless great masters of Spells were certain to have more mature research, and perhaps, there were even established Skill Patterns for him to ¡°copy.¡±


    However, such variant Spells were clearly both difficult and dangerous.


    Thus, few Cultivators learned them, and the inherited Skill Patterns were probably scarce.


    ¡°Copy a bit¡­¡±


    The first person Mo Hua thought of was Elder Yi.


    After all, it was Elder Yi who had told him about the underlying principles.


    The Yi family, a lineage of Spell masters, might not actively use such Spells, but they had definitely studied them.


    Thus, with his arms in bandages, Mo Hua went to seek Elder Yi.


    As soon as Elder Yi heard, he promptly shook his head, ¡°No, no, no¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had previously injured both hands by fiddling around on his own, and for that, Elder Master Xun had given him several days of cold stares. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he truly taught something to Mo Hua¡­ and Mo Hua continued to practice it until he injured his arms and legs,


    Elder Master Xun might dock his entire Sect stipend.


    Thinking this, Elder Yi added again, ¡°No, no¡­¡±


    Mo Hua expected this response and curiously asked,


    ¡°Is it because it¡¯s too dangerous?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just generally dangerous¡­¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°How dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Just as Elder Yi started to speak, he suddenly paused, looking at Mo Hua warily, ¡°You aren¡¯t trying to trick me into revealing secrets, are you?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled sheepishly, ¡°Elder, what are you saying? I¡¯m just a kid without much guile, how could I trick you?¡±


    Elder Yi silently stared at Mo Hua, clearly not believing him at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little curious¡­¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Being curious doesn¡¯t cut it.¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling a bit disappointed.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s dejected face, Elder Yi felt somewhat sorry for him.


    After a moment of thought, he bit the bullet and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you just a little. Just listen, don¡¯t speculate on your own, much less practice it yourself, and definitely do not hurt yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Mo Hua nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t practice it recklessly.¡±


    Elder Yi then relieved, nodded, and said,


    ¡°This type of Spell involves ¡®Spiritual Transformation,¡¯ naturally, it¡¯s extremely dangerous¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s powerful and prone to loss of control, harmful to others and oneself, and after practicing, it can easily cause irreversible damage to one¡¯s own meridians or Qi Sea.¡±


    ¡°As such, these types of Spells are often labeled as ¡®Forbidden Techniques¡¯ and their transmission is either broken, sealed, or destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Forbidden Techniques?!¡± Mo Hua exclaimed. ¡°Does it prohibit cultivation?¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± Elder Yi nodded.


    Mo Hua, feeling somewhat guilty, whispered, ¡°If I practiced it, would the Taoist Court send officers to arrest me, handcuff me, and lock me in the Taoist Prison?¡±


    Elder Yi sighed, ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t go that far¡­¡±


    ¡°Although it¡¯s labeled as a ¡®Forbidden Technique,¡¯ there are many kinds¡­¡±


    ¡°Replenishing from others, Evil Techniques, Corpse Manipulation, Ghost Arts¡­ These Demon Sect¡¯s practices are categorized as Forbidden Techniques because they recklessly take lives and pose great dangers.¡±


    ¡°While Spiritual Transformation Spells are labeled as such because of their powerful, uncontrollable nature.¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not used to slaughter en masse or kill innocents but merely practiced in secrecy, if at most the Spell goes out of control and injures oneself¡ªas you did blowing up your hands¡ª the Taoist Court wouldn¡¯t bother¡­¡±


    After saying this, Elder Yi immediately became alert,


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to secretly practice it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t practice it!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Please continue¡­¡±


    Elder Yi slightly nodded and continued, ¡°But even so, since it¡¯s listed as a ¡®Forbidden Technique,¡¯ such Spells still hold severe consequences.¡±


    ¡°Like burning of the meridians, Spiritual Power backflow, Yin and Yang imbalance, and so forth¡­¡±


    ¡°Some Cultivators even turn to Evil Cultivation or Demon Cultivation in an attempt to overcome the drawbacks of ¡®Forbidden Techniques¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Therefore, the Taoist Court had to enforce a blanket prohibition on all ¡®Forbidden Techniques¡¯ to prevent extensive hidden dangers¡­¡±


    ¡°Unstable Spells should not be widely propagated, otherwise, they become major risks¡­¡±

 Chapter 932 - 629 Forbidden Technique_3

    Chapter 932: Chapter 629 Forbidden Technique_3


    Elder Yi said with a solemn expression.


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°Does the Taoist Court secretly collect ¡®Forbidden Techniques¡¯¡­¡±


    Elder Yi was startled, but he did not conceal it from Mo Hua, ¡°The Taoist Court does collect them, after all¡­¡±


    Elder Yi did not say it, but Mo Hua understood.


    With the Taoist Court unified, the Cultivation World was theirs. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The status of the Taoist Court was naturally revered, and no one could interfere with what they wanted to do.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Does the Sect also collect them?¡±


    Elder Yi immediately shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    Mo Hua looked doubtful, equally unconvinced.


    With Mo Hua staring at him, Elder Yi sighed.


    He looked around, saw no one around, coughed, and then whispered, ¡°The Sect also¡­ cough, also collects some¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, not the Demon Skills and Evil Techniques kind of ¡®Forbidden Techniques.''¡±


    ¡°Evil Techniques involving demons, corpses, and ghosts that harm the harmony of heaven¡ªsuch are definitely sealed without any leeway.¡±


    ¡°The kind of Forbidden Techniques the Sect collects are generally those involving the rules of the Great Dao, extremely powerful, but essentially impossible to cultivate, extremely difficult to control, or if cultivated, have very serious consequences¡­¡±


    ¡°These Forbidden Techniques are deliberated and judged by the Sect Leader, Elders, or the old ancestors.¡±


    ¡°Some techniques, which could be cultivated in the past, might have too great a cost and are not suitable to be passed down¡ªthen the old ancestors would decide to list them as ¡®Forbidden Techniques¡¯ and seal them¡­¡±


    Finishing his explanation, Elder Yi solemnly looked at Mo Hua again, ¡°You must absolutely not think about practicing these kinds of ¡®Forbidden Techniques.''¡±


    ¡°Although these techniques are collected in the Sect, they are strictly forbidden for disciples to cultivate.¡±


    ¡°Our Taixu Gate has strict sect rules. Any disciple, regardless of the reason, who clandestinely cultivates ¡®Forbidden Techniques,¡¯ will be directly expelled from the Sect!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened, and his expression became serious.


    Elder Yi patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder and sighed,


    ¡°Elder Master Xun values you so much; for your own sake, and for Elder Master Xun¡¯s sake, you must not entertain any improper thoughts that would dishearten Elder Master Xun¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded solemnly, ¡°Elder Yi, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Elder Yi looked into Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, saw his clear and sincere expression, and was reassured.


    After Elder Yi left, Mo Hua returned to the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    Reflecting on his conversation with Elder Yi, Mo Hua summarized:


    Techniques embodying the principle of ¡°Fusion Fireball¡± must exist, and such techniques are certainly ¡°Forbidden Techniques.¡±


    Practicing these types of ¡°Forbidden Techniques¡± results in side effects.


    The side effects vary; some even lead to demonic corruption.


    The Taixu Gate definitely harbors ¡°Forbidden Techniques.¡±


    But where they are stored, they won¡¯t let the disciples know¡ªat least not in the regular cultivation classes or within the Merit Scrolls.


    And he himself must not secretly learn the Taixu Gate¡¯s Forbidden Techniques.


    The sect rules are stringent.


    If he were caught, Elder Master Xun, despite his favoritism, would probably have no choice but to relentlessly expel him from the sect.


    Elder Master Xun has been so kind to him; he cannot betray his goodwill.


    But then!


    Mo Hua thought again.


    As long as he doesn¡¯t steal learn the Forbidden Techniques of the Taixu Gate, there would be no problem!


    As long as he doesn¡¯t study the demon, corpse, and ghost-type Evil Techniques, the Taoist Court wouldn¡¯t care.


    Even if there are side effects, he isn¡¯t afraid.


    He isn¡¯t actually planning to ¡°learn¡± the Forbidden Technique.


    Rather, through the Forbidden Technique, he wants to research the principles of ¡°Spell Fusion.¡±


    ¡°Copy¡± their skill patterns, thereby thinking of ways to continuously optimize and improve the skill patterns, perfecting a truly stable and controllable ¡°Fusion Fireball Skill.¡±


    According to what Elder Yi had said, any Sect Disciple who secretly learns ¡°Forbidden Techniques¡± will be forcibly expelled from the sect.


    In other words, they become ¡°defectors!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    In that case, among those sin cultivators on Boss Jiang¡¯s list, there might very well be one or two who practiced ¡°Forbidden Techniques¡± and defected from the sect, committing misdeeds outside and becoming sin cultivators.


    Boss Jiang is truly his ¡°lucky star!¡±


    His list is just like a heritage ¡°treasure map.¡±


    Mo Hua thought with a beaming smile, and then he took out Boss Jiang¡¯s list again.


    Among them, sin cultivators with the names containing ¡°fire¡± were marked by him.


    These were specifically ¡°filtered¡± by Mo Hua who originally wanted to learn Fire Spells.


    Mo Hua checked the names of these sin cultivators one by one.


    ¡°Fireworker Chief, Fire Wolf Head, Fierce Fire Palm, Fire Butcher¡­¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    He looked left and right and didn¡¯t feel that these sin cultivators seemed like they had learned ¡°Forbidden Techniques.¡±


    Their spells also didn¡¯t seem capable of involving collapse of skill patterns or fusion of spiritual power, of relevance to his ¡°Forbidden Technique¡± research.


    More importantly, Mo Hua didn¡¯t have that feeling, no heavenly warnings, no karmic forebodings, no sudden heart palpitations.


    ¡°None¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a great disappointment.


    Mo Hua put the Jade Slip back into the Storage Ring, but then, feeling unwilling to give up, he took it out again and placed it on the table. He carefully observed it with the Calculation merged with the Heavenly Secret.


    At that moment, he noticed a faint, red karmic chain on the Jade Slip.


    Mo Hua was startled, his heart jumped.


    There!


    Indicated by the heavenly patterns and karmic forewarnings, the list did contain a lineage similar to the ¡°Fusion Fireball¡± Forbidden Technique!


    Mo Hua hastily looked at it again.


    But in the Jade Slip, the names of all the sin cultivators appeared ¡°unremarkable,¡± nothing unusual.


    It seemed like the earlier ¡°karmic forewarning¡± was just an illusion.


    Mo Hua performed another calculation, still finding nothing.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    Mo Hua leaned on the table, supporting his chin, frowning deeply in thought.


    ¡°Is there something¡­ I haven¡¯t discovered?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something hidden in the depths of Boss Jiang¡¯s list that I haven¡¯t decoded?¡±


    Mo Hua read through Boss Jiang¡¯s diary again, reading while releasing his Divine Sense, carefully discerning every word.


    After one read-through, he found nothing.


    Mo Hua read it again¡­


    Until on the third read-through, Mo Hua finally noticed something subtle.


    Some of the passages and punctuation were blank, marked with ¡°secret,¡± and the technique was even more covert. Mo Hua had unconsciously skipped over them previously, thus he hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat emotional.


    ¡°This Boss Jiang, sure is cunning¡­¡±


    He almost tricked me!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he started to try decoding, but the Secret Patterns in these blank areas were completely different from elsewhere.


    With no other choice, Mo Hua had to repeat his old method, patiently using the Secondary Thunder Patterns from the Secondary Thunder Pattern Library, one by one comparing and decoding.


    Three days later, Mo Hua finally decoded a new name in the blank place of the Jade Slip.


    This name was hidden deeply, covered in heavy ink.


    Seemingly entwined with blood, amid a sea of fire, profound murderous aura surged, subtly making one¡¯s heart tremble.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze focused slightly, as he slowly said:


    ¡°Fire Buddha.¡±

 Chapter 933 - 630 Flower Gentleman

    Chapter 933: Chapter 630 Flower Gentleman


    This moniker, fierce yet restrained, as if bathed in a glowing fire and bloodlight, gave Mo Hua a feeling completely different from all the other sin cultivators on the name list.


    It was as if he was ¡°worse¡± than the rest by a whole level.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    ¡°What exactly is Boss Jiang¡­¡±


    ¡°Where did he get this list from?¡±


    ¡°These colorful sin cultivators don¡¯t seem like people he, a mere human trafficker at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, could possibly have come into contact with¡­¡±


    ¡°Not to mention this ¡®Fire Buddha,¡¯ who is obviously extraordinary¡­¡±


    And yet, such a list was hidden in Boss Jiang¡¯s diary.


    Mo Hua always felt something was amiss¡­


    ¡°Could it be that the list isn¡¯t Boss Jiang¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t Boss Jiang¡¯s, whose could it be? And how did it end up in his diary?¡±


    Mo Hua thought it over but had no idea, so he could only set aside his doubts for the moment and continued to ponder about the ¡°Fire Buddha¡±¡­


    Fire Buddha¡­


    All he currently knew was the name.


    What was Fire Buddha¡¯s background, realm, age, which cultivation technique did he practice.


    The ¡°Forbidden Technique¡± he possessed, which held some referential value to the ¡°Fireball Fusion¡± skill pattern, what exactly was it.


    Also, his position on the ¡°name list¡± was obviously quite special.


    If the list of sin cultivators was an organization.


    Then this Fire Buddha, at the very least, must be a ¡°boss.¡±


    And not your run-of-the-mill boss at that.


    He might even have quite a few ¡°underlings¡±¡­


    Where could he be now?


    Mo Hua was filled with doubts, but with no leads at present, he thought of asking around.


    But he had already asked Sister Murong, Senior Brother Xu from his sect, Senior Brother Feng from the Tai¡¯a Sect, and Senior Sister Qianqian from Hundred Flower Valley whenever he could find time.


    Even some brothers and sisters who occasionally took on temporary missions were asked, but nobody had ever heard of the ¡°Fire Buddha.¡±


    This Fire Buddha seemed as if he didn¡¯t exist at all.


    It was also possible that Taoist Court had never issued a related mission.


    If so, the only thing left was to inquire at the Taoist Court.


    The only ¡°acquaintance¡± in the Qianxue State Boundary Taoist Court was Uncle Gu Changhuai¡­


    Mo Hua made up his mind and, during the next ten days of rest, asked Senior Sister Murong to take on more missions from the Taoist Court.


    Murong Caiyun, though unclear why, agreed as it was Mo Hua¡¯s request.


    When she went to inquire at the Taoist Court and apply to see the archives, Mo Hua also went along, hoping for a chance ¡°encounter¡± with Uncle Gu.


    However, Gu Changhuai was a Supervisor and always busy. Mo Hua went three times only to find that he was out, and it was not until the fourth visit that he ran into him.


    Gu Changhuai seemed to have just come in from outside, his handsome face showing signs of fatigue, yet his head was held slightly high, his eyes proud, like a ¡°proud peacock.¡±


    But soon, his ¡°pride¡± turned to ¡°shock.¡±


    Because he saw Mo Hua¡¯s face beaming with joy and his eyes shining brightly.


    It was as if a small fox with bad intentions had set its sights on him¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s heart ¡°thumped,¡± sensing something amiss.


    Mo Hua greeted him warmly, waving and calling out in a crisp voice:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, what a coincidence!¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s forehead twitched.


    He didn¡¯t think this was a ¡°coincidence¡± at all.


    It was probably Mo Hua, that little devil full of cunning plans, waiting like a hunter for his prey.


    Gu Changhuai wore a poker face, ¡°Are you here for another mission?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°It¡¯s mainly Senior Sister Murong and the others who take action. I¡¯m just helping out and tagging along¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was incredibly modest.


    Gu Changhuai snorted.


    You keep telling that tale.


    She¡¯s your senior sister, not your real sister. Why would she take you along for no reason?


    The importance of merit points within a sect is significant, and so are the missions.


    If you¡¯re of no use, even real siblings might not bring you along¡­


    Let alone those from the Murong Family or the Ouyang Family, who may appear courteous and mild-mannered but all bear some pride inside as sons of noble families.


    If you¡¯re not somewhat capable, why would anyone play with you?


    Even if you¡¯re cute, that won¡¯t cut it!


    But then¡­


    Gu Changhuai took another look at Mo Hua, puzzled.


    What use could this kid possibly be?


    With unsatisfactory Spiritual Roots and body, weak Spiritual Power, and just at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, he looked precisely like a little ¡°drag.¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What help could he be on a mission?


    Gu Changhuai did not understand, shook his head and asked indifferently, ¡°What mission are you ¡®tagging along¡¯ on this time?¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Catching a rapist!¡±


    ¡°What realm?¡±


    ¡°Just Foundation Building Middle Stage.¡±


    Gu Changhuai was speechless.


    Just Foundation Building Middle Stage¡­


    Aren¡¯t you yourself still at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage? Such bravado, capturing a rapist at the Middle Phase of Foundation Building, you make it sound as simple as catching a chicken¡­


    Reflecting on his cousin¡¯s instructions, Gu Changhuai said helplessly:


    ¡°You don¡¯t need my help, do you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised.


    Uncle Gu was so eager to help?


    He had previously thought that Uncle Gu had some reservations about him and would be a bit petty, not readily offering his help.


    It turned out that he was the one being petty.


    Uncle Gu turned out to be a kind-hearted person with a ¡°cool exterior but warm interior¡±!


    Mo Hua was somewhat touched and said, ¡°Catching the rapist is a small matter; I don¡¯t need your help for that, but¡­¡±


    Mo Hua smiled shyly, ¡°There¡¯s something else I¡¯d like to ask you about¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyelid twitched.


    This kid¡¯s smile meant trouble¡­


    ¡°Go ahead, what is it¡­¡± Gu Changhuai replied in a flat tone.

 Chapter 934 - 630 Flower Gentleman_2

    Chapter 934: Chapter 630 Flower Gentleman_2


    ¡°Uncle Gu,¡± Mo Hua whispered, ¡°do you know about ¡®Fire Buddha¡¯¡­¡±


    After speaking, Mo Hua looked up at Gu Changhuai and saw his body stiffen slightly, a chill emanating from him, and even a hint of fierceness in his eyes.


    He looked at Mo Hua with icy eyes.


    ¡°Where did you¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused, his voice low and slightly hoarse, ¡°¡­hear this name¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Uncle Gu¡¯s reaction to be so significant.


    Could it be that this Fire Buddha had some old grudge with Uncle Gu?


    Boss Jiang¡¯s list must definitely remain a secret¡­


    After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua half-truthfully said:


    ¡°I heard it from a Sin Cultivator, who said that Fire Buddha knows a very powerful Fire-series Spell, and within hundreds of miles, no one is his opponent¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze was sharp as he stared at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were like still water, unfathomable, his expression calm and composed.


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°Which Sin Cultivator?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know him, just bumped into him occasionally. I overheard a few words, and then they left. I, a minor cultivator, didn¡¯t dare to follow¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai clearly didn¡¯t believe him, his expression grew stern, and he fell silent.


    Observing his reactions, Mo Hua asked quietly, ¡°Uncle Gu, is this Fire Buddha very powerful? Do you have a history with him?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s curious face, his attitude and tone indeed did not seem like someone aware of the past events, nor did it seem like he had any dealings with Fire Buddha. This made him heave a sigh of relief, but his brows furrowed even tighter.


    ¡°This matter is not for you to inquire about.¡±


    Gu Changhuai seemed to recall some past events, his mood became poor, his tone somewhat harsh.


    Mo Hua then knew, there must be a story here.


    But seeing this, Uncle Gu was troubled and surely wouldn¡¯t discuss it.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t insist, silently contemplating in his heart, planning to ask someone else.


    Although Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t see through Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, seeing his curious expression, he knew that even if he didn¡¯t tell him, Mo Hua would continue to inquire.


    Gu Changhuai sighed.


    This man, Fire Buddha, had committed too many killings, he was a taboo.


    If Mo Hua indeed had a hidden agenda, plotting against the Shangguan family and Yu Er, that would still be better.


    If by bad luck, he ran into Fire Buddha¡¯s hands while investigating the secrets, and died, then he was simply dead.


    But if he had just happened to pass by and saved Yu Er, then he was Yu Er¡¯s benefactor.


    If he didn¡¯t make things clear and caused his death, that would be a sin.


    Besides, as a small cultivator who had lived only for a little over a decade, it would be a terrible waste to lose his life this way.


    Gu Changhuai hesitated for some time before sighing:


    ¡°These matters¡­ I shouldn¡¯t really be telling you¡­¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t realize the severity, and rashly inquiring might involve you in this, attracting the attention of those you shouldn¡¯t, and you might lose your life needlessly¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was very surprised, ¡°Who exactly is this Fire Buddha?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze turned slightly stern, ¡°He is an extremely cruel Evil Cultivator.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled slightly, ¡°A Golden Core?¡±


    ¡°Foundation Establishment Late Stage.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Foundation Establishment Late Stage¡­ can¡¯t he be captured?¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed, ¡°Fire Buddha is naturally cautious, he only frequents the Second Grade State Border. His cultivation is profound, and his spells are extremely powerful¡­¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court has encircled him many times¡­¡±


    ¡°But this cunning man is sly and ruthless, bolstered by the power of his spells, he kills widely, and beneath the Foundation Establishment, hardly any cultivator is his match.¡±


    ¡°Even deploying Golden Core Cultivators, who cannot use their Magical Treasures due to Heavenly Dao restrictions, might defeat him but can¡¯t kill him¡­¡±


    ¡°Once he runs away, he will disappear for a while, waiting until the danger has passed to resume his killings¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua roughly understood.


    The Third Grade Golden Core Stewards of Taoist Court didn¡¯t have time to capture him, and even if they did, with the restrictions of Heavenly Dao, it was very difficult to kill him.


    Those from the Second Grade Enforcement Leader who attempted capture would instead be killed¡­


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°The extremely powerful spells of Fire Buddha, are they ¡®Forbidden Techniques¡¯?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened, but thinking of Mo Hua being a disciple of Taixu Gate, he might know a little about ¡®Forbidden Techniques¡¯.


    ¡°Correct.¡± Gu Changhuai nodded, ¡°It is a Forbidden Technique¡­¡±


    ¡°But the spell he practices is an incomplete ¡®Forbidden Technique¡¯.¡±


    ¡°After cultivating this ¡®Forbidden Technique,¡¯ the Blood Qi becomes agitated due to Fire Qi, and the nature becomes violently murderous.¡±


    ¡°This urge to kill is uncontrollable¡­¡±


    ¡°Thus this fiend¡­ often due to pathological Fire Qi, recklessly uses ¡®Forbidden Techniques,¡¯ commences large-scale slayings, and massacres the innocent to vent his ¡®killing desire¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°To this day, how many cultivators have been burned to death by his spell, suffering in agony, no one truly knows¡­¡±


    A strong killing intent flashed in Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fist.


    ¡°This kind of fiend deserves a thousand tortures; death is too good for him¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat bewildered. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was his first time seeing Uncle Gu with such deep hatred and overt killing intent.


    Mo Hua then tried to reassure, ¡°Uncle Gu, rest assured, ¡®Heaven¡¯s net is vast, loose and unmissable¡¯, such evil people will definitely end up with no place to be buried!¡±


    A self-mocking expression appeared on Gu Changhuai¡¯s face.


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s net is vast, loose and unmissable¡­¡±


    His emotions surged, about to say something else, when his expression suddenly changed, and he realized that he had inadvertently told Mo Hua too much¡­


    Some things should have never been told to him!


    ¡°Enough, let¡¯s end this,¡± Gu Changhuai flicked his sleeve and advised:


    ¡°The reason I tell you this is to make you understand: Fire Buddha is extremely dangerous. You, a young cultivator not yet matured, should not inquire into this any further.¡±

 Chapter 935 - 630 Flower Gentleman_3

    Chapter 935: Chapter 630 Flower Gentleman_3


    Mo Hua said indignantly, ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore. I¡¯m fifteen!¡±


    Gu Changhuai snorted, ¡°I¡¯m over a hundred.¡±


    Mo Hua was astonished, ¡°Uncle Gu, you¡¯re that old?¡±


    Gu Changhuai ground his teeth in anger, feeling the urge to tug Mo Hua¡¯s ears, ¡°Over a hundred doesn¡¯t mean old! I¡¯m a dignified Golden Core cultivator! Over a hundred and still young!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±


    Mo Hua pacified him while silently muttering to himself, *¡±You¡¯re still considered young at over a hundred, then wouldn¡¯t that make me a little kid after all¡­¡±*


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then quietly brought up the matter of the Fire Buddha.


    *This was a rare opportunity. If I didn¡¯t ask now and Uncle Gu got into a bad mood later, I might lose my chance.*


    ¡°Uncle Gu, do you know the current whereabouts of the Fire Buddha?¡±


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t want to answer.


    Mo Hua understood immediately.


    ¡°Not at all then¡­¡±


    ¡°Will the Taoist Court issue a bounty on the Fire Buddha to the sects?¡±


    Gu Changhuai remained silent.


    But from his unpleasant expression, Mo Hua deduced the answer:


    ¡°They won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Will the bounty for the Fire Buddha be expensive?¡±


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯ll be pretty steep¡­¡±


    ¡°The Fire Buddha probably has accomplices, right?¡±


    ¡°He likely does, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have escaped from the Taoist Court¡¯s pursuit¡­¡±


    ¡°The Fire Buddha¡¯s been off the radar for quite a while, hasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Looks that way¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua stared at Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression, observing while answering his own questions.


    Finally, Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t take it anymore, grabbed Mo Hua, and began dragging him outside, ¡°Go back to your sect and focus on your cultivation. Stop asking all this nonsense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s legs flailed uselessly mid-air, unable to break free, so he obediently let Uncle Gu carry him along. But his mouth kept going:


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Senior Sister!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a mission!¡±


    ¡°I need to catch the rapist before I head back!¡±


    Unable to argue, Gu Changhuai dumped Mo Hua in the front hall and instructed, ¡°Stay here. Stop bothering me.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai turned and started walking away.


    Mo Hua suddenly shouted after him, ¡°Uncle Gu!¡±


    Gu Changhuai turned back around, and Mo Hua grinned brightly, ¡°Can I ask just one last question?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was about to refuse but remembered his cousin¡¯s admonishments and sighed, ¡°Ask away.¡±


    ¡°What does the Fire Buddha look like?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you not to pry?¡±


    Mo Hua responded, ¡°I¡¯m just worried that if I ran into him by chance, knowing what he looks like would let me flee in advance.¡±


    ¡°Like you¡¯re really that likely to bump into him,¡± Gu retorted.


    ¡°I said ¡®if!''¡±


    Mo Hua emphasized, ¡°What if I encounter him, don¡¯t recognize him, and naively get close to him, only to be killed?¡±


    *This thought process is truly bizarre¡­* Gu Changhuai silently grumbled.


    But he couldn¡¯t find a valid argument against it.


    *Avoiding danger indeed requires knowing the danger first. If unaware of the peril even when surrounded by it, how could one possibly avoid it?*


    Gu Changhuai rubbed his aching head and finally sighed:


    ¡°He¡¯s tall, has a kindly face, wears a blood-red kasaya, has fiery red incense scars on his head, and slightly reddish skin¡­¡±


    Mo Hua quietly committed the details to memory.


    Gu Changhuai turned again to leave when Mo Hua suddenly called him back.


    ¡°Uncle Gu¡­¡±


    ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°One last question this time!¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the last one was truly the last?¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This time I mean it!¡±


    Mo Hua declared confidently.


    Gu Changhuai sighed heavily before snapping, ¡°Ask!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes glimmered mischievously as he lowered his voice, ¡°Uncle Gu, what¡¯s the name of the Fire Buddha¡¯s spell?¡±


    Gu Changhuai replied warily, ¡°That¡¯s not something you need to know.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s just this one last thing!¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face betrayed skepticism.


    Mo Hua insisted, ¡°If you tell me, I¡¯ll stop bothering you!¡±


    Gu Changhuai raised an eyebrow, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded earnestly.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head.


    He didn¡¯t quite believe him but figured knowing the spell¡¯s name shouldn¡¯t hurt.


    *It¡¯s a Forbidden Technique,* Gu reflected. *This rascal couldn¡¯t possibly go as far as cultivating it himself. If he did, I¡¯d personally arrest him and toss him into the Taoist Prison!*


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s expectant look, Gu Changhuai sighed again and said slowly, ¡°The Fire Buddha¡¯s Forbidden Technique is called¡­¡±


    ¡°Meteor Fire Skill!¡±


    Mo Hua froze, then his eyes lit up with excitement, glowing brightly.


    *Meteor Fire Skill?!* Gu Changhuai eyed him, growing uneasy.


    *This kid¡­*


    *He wouldn¡¯t really be reckless enough to attempt learning a Forbidden Technique, would he?*


    *Surely not reckless enough to target the Fire Buddha for it¡­*


    Feeling unsettled, Gu Changhuai frowned and warned, ¡°It¡¯s a Forbidden Technique. You better not study it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Gu. I won¡¯t learn it.¡±


    *I¡¯ll just borrow it for reference. Take some inspiration. Maybe ¡®copy¡¯ a bit from its Skill Pattern. But I won¡¯t ¡®learn¡¯ it¡­*


    Unaware of Mo Hua¡¯s secret scheme, Gu Changhuai gave a satisfied nod and left.


    Mo Hua beamed with satisfaction.


    *This trip wasn¡¯t wasted after all. Uncle Gu really knew about the Fire Buddha.*


    *A Forbidden Technique!*


    *Meteor Fire Skill!*


    This spell sounded powerful just from its name. Moreover, ¡°Meteor Fire¡±¡­ it seemed to share some connection with the Fireball Technique.


    It was a pity that the Fire Buddha¡¯s whereabouts remained unknown.


    The Taoist Court didn¡¯t have any leads either.


    *Looks like this will take careful planning¡­*


    ¡­


    Mo Hua stayed put, waiting for Senior Sister Murong. Later, he reunited with the tardy Senior Brother Feng and a few others outside the Taoist Court. Together, they rode a carriage to Second Grade Luan Mountain City to catch the rapist¡ªFlower Gentleman.


    Luan Mountain City lay north of Second Grade Bishan City.


    Within the city were a few small families, several of which had young female disciples who¡¯d recently become pale, weak, and short of breath.


    The families investigated and discovered they¡¯d been Replenished.


    The culprit was none other than Flower Gentleman, a rapist wanted by the Taoist Court.


    These young disciples had been deceived by Flower Gentleman¡¯s sweet-talking ways and willingly became furnace women. After being Replenished, their Vital Energy was gravely harmed, yet they clung to him, defending him passionately:


    ¡°He loves me¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if he Replenished me, I willingly accepted it¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mutual and consensual, none of your business¡­¡±


    Things like that.


    These were the remarks Murong Caiyun later recounted to Mo Hua after investigating.


    Mo Hua was flabbergasted.


    *These days, some cultivators judge only by looks, ignoring whether one is Righteous or Demonic anymore.*


    *They crave someone who¡¯d eat their flesh, drink their blood, and Replenish their Vital Energy¡ªbeing both willing and even delighted to let them do it¡­*


    Thankfully, Taoist Law remained stern and impartial.


    Replenishing others was a crime.


    Flower Gentleman had been flitting between the female disciples of Luan Mountain City, managing his schedule deftly. But because he was *too* efficient, tightly booking his time, when the scandal broke, he didn¡¯t have time to run and instead hid himself somewhere in one of the city¡¯s smoke-filled brothels or lavish private manors.


    *Where there¡¯s rain, there¡¯s a trail. Where geese fly by, there¡¯s a sound.*


    *As long as traces were left behind, escape was futile¡ªespecially with Mo Hua on the hunt.*


    Mo Hua scanned carefully with his Divine Sense, observed meticulously, and calculated the chains of cause and effect before quickly uncovering Flower Gentleman¡¯s trail.


    The group followed the trail and tracked him down to¡­


    The locked bedroom of none other than the Wang family¡¯s Family Head¡¯s long-time Daoist partner in Luan Mountain City¡¯s largest Second Grade family mansion¡­

 Chapter 936 - 631 Teahouse

    Chapter 936: Chapter 631 Teahouse


    In the blurry vision of Divine Sense, within the bedchamber of the Wang family¡¯s mistress, there were two figures, their actions unknown.


    Mo Hua wanted to enter and drag out the Flower Gentleman, but Murong Caiyun forbade him from entering.


    ¡°You¡¯re still young; don¡¯t sully your eyes.¡±


    Mo Hua blinked, not quite understanding, but obediently did not go inside.


    Thus, Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu stood guard outside.


    Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian entered the bedchamber.


    Shortly afterward, a woman¡¯s scream echoed from the room, followed by a disheveled man, who, struck by spells and Spirit Needles, spat blood and fled desperately through the broken window.


    Mo Hua was still a bit curious, so he stealthily peeked into the chamber through the broken window. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Inside the chamber, there was a mess, with robes and skirts strewn about.


    A disheveled woman, covering her body with a quilt, yelled furiously:


    ¡°How audacious!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°How dare you trespass into the Wang family¡¯s private quarters?¡±


    Outside, the Flower Gentleman was already intercepted by Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu.


    Murong Caiyun sneered coldly at the woman: ¡°You¡¯re the Family Head¡¯s wife, yet you lure a rapist into your chambers and have the audacity to show no shame!¡±


    The woman glared arrogantly at Murong Caiyun:


    ¡°What rapist?¡±


    ¡°You little girl, what do you know? My gentleman loves me. He said that he only replenishes from other women to enhance his cultivation and has no real feelings for them¡­¡±


    ¡°And he treats me differently; thus, he is only intimate with me and doesn¡¯t drain my Vital Energy¡­¡±


    As the woman spoke, jealousy surged within her heart, ¡°Those cheap women, to be replenished by the gentleman¡­ they¡¯re really getting the better part of the deal¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun felt a surge of anger, her teeth itching in fury, momentarily at a loss for words.


    Mo Hua was eavesdropping outside and ¡°kindly¡± interjected:


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t replenish from you because he might be raising you like a ¡®pig¡¯, waiting for your cultivation to improve, then to deplete you in one go¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s words were piercing, yet his face was sympathetic.


    After all, the reality was clear; a dog can¡¯t change its eating habits, nor can a rapist stop replenishing.


    ¡°Pigs, they¡¯re fattened before being slaughtered¡­¡±


    The woman was stunned by his words, her defenses shattered.


    Blood rushed to her face, turning it red, as she pointed at Mo Hua with trembling fingers, ¡°You, you this¡­¡±


    She was about to curse out loud, when she was silenced by Hua Qianqian using a Spirit Needle, pricking an acupoint, causing her to faint.


    Although this woman had attained Foundation Establishment, being pampered and privileged, she only knew how to secretly indulge in lovers behind her husband¡¯s back, her strength so weak it was infuriating.


    As for how this woman would be dealt with, that was to be decided by the Wang family, and also by the judgment of the Taoist Court.


    The urgent matter at hand was to capture the rapist.


    The rapist had fled through the window and attempted to escape, only to be caught by Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu waiting outside.


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s sword was like the wind, and Shangguan Xu¡¯s like a mountain.


    The two enclosed the rapist, giving him no chance to escape.


    When Mo Hua came out and saw, he recognized the man¡¯s handsome appearance and sickly pale complexion; he was indeed the debauched ¡°Flower Gentleman.¡±


    Like many rapists, the Flower Gentleman was skilled in movement techniques but mediocre in Taoist skills.


    During his fight with Ouyang Feng, he was at a disadvantage, but his movements were as graceful as falling flowers, wrapped in pink mist, allowing him to hold off for the time being without any immediate threat to his life.


    Soon, cultivators from the Wang family also gathered, each expressing shock in their own way.


    Some sneered, watching as if it were a joke; some covered their faces, feeling disgraced; others were filled with righteous indignation¡­


    A number of Wang family cultivators then joined forces to attack, attempting to catch the Flower Gentleman.


    But their ineptitude was a hindrance, inadvertently giving the Flower Gentleman a chance to catch his breath.


    Mo Hua was initially upset, but noticing the evasive looks of the Wang family cultivators, he realized something.


    Catching the Flower Gentleman solidified the scandal; the Wang family¡¯s reputation would be damaged.


    Having a mistress in the family nurturing a rapist would turn into a massive scandal.


    The Wang family would become a laughingstock in the entire Luan Mountain City, ridiculed for hundreds of years.


    Ideally, the Wang family would capture the Flower Gentleman and kill him on the spot, destroy the body, and deny everything.


    Otherwise, letting the Flower Gentleman escape, making the affair nothing more than ¡°rumors,¡± would be the second best outcome.


    The worst scenario would be if the Flower Gentleman fell into the hands of Mo Hua and his fellow sect disciples and was then brought before the Taoist Court, tried and recorded.


    That would turn the affair into irrevocable fact, embarrassing the entire Wang family.


    Thus, their primary goal was to capture the Flower Gentleman.


    Failing that, they must also prevent the Flower Gentleman from falling into the hands of these few sect disciples¡­


    Understanding this, Mo Hua smiled subtly and chose not to intervene but instead sat back to watch the show.


    The actions of the Wang family cultivators did not surprise Mo Hua.


    Knowing they couldn¡¯t catch the Flower Gentleman, they began to deliberately trip up Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu.


    Realizing this, Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu became annoyed and began attacking more severely.


    Since the Wang family cultivators pretended to help but hindered them, they pretended to ¡°slip up¡± and struck a few of them with their swords.


    Feeling guilty, the Wang family cultivators dared not complain.


    However, this chaos served to benefit the Flower Gentleman, allowing him easier chances to escape, and after a few swift movements, he had managed to put several meters between himself and Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu.


    This distance was enough for him to make his escape.


    Ouyang Feng, slightly angered, whipped up his Spiritual Power and his Sword Qi became fierce, ready to forcefully strike, intending to cut down the intervening Wang family cultivators as well.

 Chapter 937 - 631 Tea House_2

    Chapter 937: Chapter 631 Tea House_2


    He suddenly heard a faint shout by his ear, ¡°Senior Brother Feng¡­¡±


    Ouyang Feng was taken aback, turned his head to look, and saw Mo Hua standing by with his hands folded, looking calm and even making a gesture at him.


    Ouyang Feng understood then, he stopped, and Shangguan Xu also put away his Heavy Sword.


    Everyone watched as the Flower Gentleman climbed over the back yard wall, broke through the Formation, and escaped towards the outer wall of the Wang family.


    All along the way, there was an uproar, and there was chaos.


    The entire Wang family was noisy and chaotic, a complete mess.


    And like that, the Flower Gentleman had escaped.


    Mo Hua had watched enough of the commotion, nodded his head, then stood up with Murong Caiyun and a few others, to chase after the escapee outside of the Wang family.


    The Flower Gentleman was very skilled in movement techniques, but in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, it was merely showing off in front of an expert.


    During the time when the Flower Gentleman was using his movement techniques to deal with everyone, Mo Hua had already locked onto him tightly with his Divine Sense.


    He would not be able to escape from Mo Hua¡¯s grasp.


    Even if he did escape, Mo Hua still had the Heavenly secret Calculation to find his cause and effects trace.


    It could be said, from the moment he showed himself before Mo Hua, he was a ¡°cooked duck¡±, unable to fly away.


    Murong Caiyun and the others left the Wang family, shook off the Wang family cultivators, and after, under the direction of Mo Hua, with just half an hour, they encountered the Flower Gentleman in a secluded cave in Luan Mountain City. He had exhausted all his strength fleeing for half the day, thought he had already escaped to safety and was meditating to rest.


    The Flower Gentleman¡¯s face was filled with shock, ¡°How did you find this place?¡±


    This cave was his hiding place, which hardly anyone knew about besides himself.


    Ouyang Feng couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer his question, simply pointed his Yellow Maple Longsword at him, and said coldly,


    ¡°You can die now.¡±


    The Flower Gentleman let out a cold laugh, still somewhat arrogant, and did not take Ouyang Feng and the others seriously.


    If he could escape once, he could escape a second time.


    Relying on his movement technique, he had been freely plundering and stealing in this Second Grade Immortal City, untouchable by anyone.


    But what he didn¡¯t know was that he had been able to escape before because a little cultivator hidden in the dark hadn¡¯t made a move¡­


    But now it was different.


    Mo Hua no longer planned to let him go.


    The Flower Gentleman let out a rebellious laugh, his movements graceful, as he stood up to flee.


    From a distance, with a flick of Mo Hua¡¯s finger, Water Qi instantly condensed, a Water Prison Technique descended and securely bound the Flower Gentleman, who was trying to step on the wind and leap into the air.


    The Flower Gentleman, suddenly trapped by the Water Prison Technique, saw his rebelliousness fade away, his eyes filled with shock and fear.


    Afterward, he fell to the ground like a kite with its string cut before it could fly.


    Ouyang Feng, who had been holding back his anger, stepped forward with his sword, and flipped the Flower Gentleman, struggling to break free from the Water Prison Technique, back onto the ground.


    Shangguan Xu also stepped forward to land a few more blows with his sword.


    Murong Caiyun, who abhorred such scum, showed no mercy as she mercilessly burned through his limbs with the Five-colored Spirit Light.


    Nearby, Hua Qianqian was also putting on a stern face; she unceasingly attacked him with Spirit Formations¡­


    The Flower Gentleman could only lie on the ground twitching, desperately begging for mercy, looking nothing like the arrogant man from before.


    The capture came to an end at this point.


    The Flower Gentleman had his legs broken and shackled with Spiritual Locks.


    Mo Hua took out the ¡°iron plate¡± to go through the motions.


    He obtained various Jade Slips, one set of Replenishing Cultivation Techniques, one volume of Evil Technique movement techniques, two Spring Palace diagrams, a number of Spirit Stones, several bewitching Pills, and other personal effects of women, such as sachets and undergarments.


    These items were just ¡°tortured¡± out of him, and were immediately ¡°confiscated¡± by Senior Sister Murong.


    Murong Caiyun feared that Mo Hua might learn bad habits.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some more Merit Points later; you don¡¯t need these filthy things, and later you can hand them over to the Taoist Court, or return them to their original owners¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded his head.


    He had no use for Evil Cultivator¡¯s Evil Techniques.


    But he was interested in looking through the Flower Gentleman¡¯s secret manual of movement techniques, to study and understand the principles behind an Evil Cultivator¡¯s movement technique and any possible flaws.


    And to see if there was any information or clues about Sin Cultivators in the Jade Slips.


    However, Senior Sister Murong wouldn¡¯t let him see them, so he had no choice.


    Since it was a rapist, he likely carried things that were not suitable for children and would dirty the eyes to see.


    Well, let it go then¡­


    Mo Hua comforted himself.


    The following matters were simply wrapping things up.


    The Flower Gentleman had been captured and was to be taken to the Taoist Court to await trial.


    That was nothing out of the ordinary, but on the other hand, the Wang family was in an uproar.


    How a family behaved behind closed doors didn¡¯t matter to anyone.


    But once it was exposed, matters like lack of family discipline and a degenerate back house were extremely detrimental.


    Later, Mo Hua learned that the Family Head of the Wang family and his Dao companion had long been estranged, each doing as they pleased.


    He himself was not a decent person, either.


    But the Wang family¡¯s patriach had never imagined that his wife was carrying on behind his back to such an extent.


    She was ¡°deeply in love¡± with a rapist, even keeping him in the inner chambers¡­


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    This couple, a scum man and a scum woman, were actually quite well matched.


    However, Mo Hua was young and not too interested in these licentious tales.


    His purpose for this trip was to capture the Flower Gentleman, exchange Merit Points, and learn about Formations.


    The rest of the matter, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with.


    With the Flower Gentleman caught, the mission was over.


    Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu escorted the Flower Gentleman to the Taoist Court in Luan Mountain City, meanwhile taking statements and completing some procedures.


    Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian returned the personal items that the Flower Gentleman had stolen or seized, like hairpins, sachets, and intimate garments, to the women they belonged to. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Some of these women had been tricked and willingly allowed themselves to be taken advantage of by the Flower Gentleman.

 Chapter 938 - 938 631 Tea House_3

    ?Chapter 938: Chapter 631 Tea House_3 Chapter 938: Chapter 631 Tea House_3 Some women, however, were forced.


    Their personal belongings were stolen or snatched by Flower Gentleman afterward, to be used for extortion and threats.


    Such items weren¡¯t quite appropriate to hand over to the Taoist Court.


    Thoughtfully considering the plights of these women, Murong Caiyun and Hua Qianqian returned these personal belongings privately to those oppressed, pitiful women.


    Whether it was escorting them or returning their belongings, both tasks required a bit of time.


    Everyone split up to handle their responsibilities and decided to reconvene outside Luan Mountain City before heading back to their Sect.


    These affairs didn¡¯t require Mo Hua¡¯s involvement.


    With nothing to do, Mo Hua looked at the scenery outside of Luan Mountain City, waiting for his senior brothers and sisters.


    As he waited, Mo Hua grew hungry. He released his Divine Sense and spotted a teahouse not far away, nestled between the green hills and clear waters.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up and he sent a message to Murong Caiyun,


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll be at the teahouse outside the city waiting for you!¡±


    He then used the Water Passing Step, nimbly leaping down mountain paths, and happily arrived at the teahouse.


    The teahouse wasn¡¯t large, but they had erected a canopy and set up quite a few tables outside.


    A few scattered Cultivators were there, nibbling on dry fruits and sipping cold tea, chatting sporadically.


    The owner, an elderly man hunchbacked with age, asked with a warm smile,


    ¡°Young master, would you like some tea?¡±


    Mo Hua, mainly hungry, inquired,


    ¡°Elder, do you have anything to eat?¡±


    The old man regretfully replied, ¡°I only have some dry fruits for tea, and some pastries, but not many order them. I¡¯m afraid they might not suit the young master¡¯s taste¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter, give me a large bowl of noodles!¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± the elder replied with a smile, ¡°Just a moment, young master.¡±


    Mo Hua chose a table with a pleasant view of the wind and water, and that looked clean to sit at.


    Soon, the noodles were brought to him.


    They looked decent enough. Mo Hua gave them a taste. While not exactly delicious, they weren¡¯t bad either. He wasn¡¯t particularly picky, so he focused and slurped up the noodles with gusto.


    As he ate, Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts returned to the mission at hand.


    Flower Gentleman¡­


    If he remembered correctly, the name ¡°Flower Gentleman¡± was also on Boss Jiang¡¯s ¡°list.¡±


    So was Flower Gentleman a renegade disciple from a Sect in the Qianxue State Boundary?


    Why had he suddenly appeared in Luan Mountain City?


    Previously at the Taoist Court, Mo Hua had perused the dossier on Flower Gentleman.


    Flower Gentleman was very cautious; he frequented Cities of Immortals outside the Qianxue State Boundary, in more remote areas.


    The management from the Taoist Court in those cities was lax, the morals loose, with plenty of red-light districts.


    A perfect hideout for rapists.


    But why would he suddenly come to a place like Luan Mountain City to prey on female practitioners from minor families?


    Was he overrun by his Evil Skills during Cultivation?


    Had his cravings overwhelmed him?


    Surely he didn¡¯t really believe that in a Second Grade State Border, no one would be able to catch him¡­


    Mo Hua held the large bowl, slurping noodles thoughtfully.


    Suddenly, voices arose. Mo Hua looked up and saw a group of Cultivators arriving.


    The leader was tall with a kindly face, followed by two stout men and a skinny one.


    ¡°Two pots of tea, two plates of dried meat, and four plates of candied fruits¡­¡±


    They ordered their refreshments and settled in a corner to talk quietly among themselves.


    Mo Hua initially paid them no mind, focusing on his noodles, but his keen Divine Sense and hearing picked up, faintly hearing the words ¡°Hua Liulang.¡±


    ¡°Hua Liulang?¡±


    Mo Hua paused, thinking he might have misheard, so he slowed his eating and perked his ears to listen more carefully.


    After a while, the group mentioned again,


    ¡°Hua Liulang¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ why hasn¡¯t he arrived yet?¡±


    ¡°We agreed on¡­¡±


    Something in Mo Hua¡¯s mind felt amiss.


    This Hua Liulang¡­


    Could he actually be Flower Gentleman?


    Were they part of the same group?


    Mo Hua did not show any change in expression, continuing to eat his noodles with his head down, but his Divine Sense had already extended to the extreme, eavesdropping on their every word.


    ¡°¡­missed the hour¡­ can you afford such a delay?¡±


    ¡°Troublesome thing¡­¡±


    ¡°As much piss and shit as a lazy donkey grinding grain¡­¡±


    ¡°Practicing such useless Cultivation Technique, can¡¯t control his lower half, truly a waste¡­¡±


    ¡°Who knows¡­ which whore¡¯s bed he¡¯s lying in now¡­¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t die on¡­ some belly, would he¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d deserve it anyway¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua frowned as he listened, finding the more he heard, the more likely it seemed.


    He always felt that the ¡°Flower Gentleman¡± they mentioned was the same rapist he and his brothers and sisters had just captured¡ªHua Liulang.


    What to do?


    Find a way to capture them?


    Set up the Earth Fire Formation and take them all out at once?


    ¡­


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Uncertain of the full situation, not knowing the foundation, it would be bad if he hastily made a move and caused a misunderstanding.


    Moreover, he had not been able to see their cultivation levels in his haste.


    If these several people were all at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, it would be fine, but if they were at the Middle Stage, it would be more troublesome.


    The Earth Fire Formation was only a Thirteen Patterns formation.


    It could hurt those at the Foundation Building Middle Stage but might not be able to kill them.


    Above the Thirteen Patterns, following Elder Master Xun¡¯s guidance, he had learned mostly production-oriented formations or Trapping Formations, and few Killing Formations.


    Furthermore, with his current level of Divine Sense, he was not yet able to instantly form a Killing Formation above Thirteen Patterns.


    Acting in a dozen breaths¡¯ time was a bit too slow.


    It was broad daylight, and the Formation Patterns were too conspicuous and easy to be discovered by others.


    He needed to be more prudent.


    Mo Hua silently said to himself.


    ¡°Finish eating the noodles first, and then¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait for the brothers and sisters to arrive, get some assistance before figuring out how to capture these cultivators, and ask them clearly¡­¡±


    Otherwise, it would be too reckless to act alone, and the risk was somewhat high.


    Mo Hua made up his mind and continued to eat his noodles in peace.


    But knowing oneself and the enemy, one could fight without danger.


    Mo Hua still took the time to observe these several people out of the corner of his eye, seeing if he could discern their cultivation level and the details of their Taoist Skills.


    This group of cultivators was four in total.


    Two brawny men who seemed to follow the Body Refinement path had strong Blood Qi that was well-contained.


    Mo Hua was too close, and not knowing the details, he dared not use his Divine Sense to probe too deeply, to avoid alerting them.


    Additionally, there was a thin man, looking sullen.


    He appeared to be a Spiritual Cultivator, but it was unclear what Spell path he practiced.


    Among the four, the leader was a tall cultivator with a benign face.


    While the few cultivators at the same table chatted and cursed ¡°Flower Gentleman,¡± he remained silent, just drinking tea and eating candied fruit.


    He didn¡¯t touch the dried meat on the table at all.


    Mo Hua found this very strange and slightly shifted his gaze to take another look at this cultivator.


    But with just one look, Mo Hua felt a shock in his heart, an unfamiliar sense of familiarity washing over him as if this person was the one he was looking for.


    But he didn¡¯t recognize him at all¡­


    Mo Hua frowned, taking another glance at this leading cultivator, his pupils slightly contracted.


    Tall stature, benevolent brows and kind eyes¡­


    His robe was the usual attire of a cultivator, but just beneath the sleeve, a small strip of red garment with gold Patterns peeked out.


    His head had thick hair tied into a bun, but hidden deeply within the bun were a few fiery red spots¡­


    A red Kasaya, fiery dots as scars¡­


    He was¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils shocked. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Fire Buddha?!


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 939 - 939 632 Fire Buddha

    ?Chapter 939: Chapter 632 Fire Buddha Chapter 939: Chapter 632 Fire Buddha Foundation Establishment Late Stage, hunted by the Taoist Court for practicing the Fire-series ¡°Forbidden Technique,¡± the murderer known as Fire Buddha!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled.


    After a moment of contemplation, he knew he was no match!


    He was in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, and Fire Buddha was in the late stage; both were Foundation Establishment cultivators, but the gap in cultivation was too vast.


    Formation wouldn¡¯t work either.


    Such a ruthless villain, heavily burdened by his murderous deeds, would surely be cunning and highly vigilant.


    Attempting to set up a formation and kill him in broad daylight would be as futile as trying to steal a bell while covering one¡¯s ears; he simply would not be able to deceive Fire Buddha¡¯s perception.


    Moreover, Fire Buddha had three accomplices.


    Two strong men, one with rough palms, one with a face full of meat, and a tall, thin cultivator.


    Given they could stand with Fire Buddha, their cultivation must be at least at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, and possibly even the late stage.


    And they would definitely be Sin Cultivators, unscrupulously cruel and ruthless.


    Mo Hua instantly deduced that these villains were not ones he could deal with currently.


    Especially under these circumstances, with no preparation and a chance encounter¡­


    ¡°Preserving my own life is the priority!¡±


    Mo Hua silently withdrew his gaze, maintaining a normal expression, continued to lower his head, slurping his noodles.


    But he quietly quickened his eating pace, his cheeks puffing out, ¡°huffing and puffing,¡± he finished the remaining noodles in no time, and cleaned out the soup as well.


    Mo Hua took out two Spirit Stones, placed them on the table, and tried to keep his voice from betraying any oddity, crisply he said:


    ¡°Boss, the bill!¡±


    The shopkeeper smiled and said, ¡°Take care, young master.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, stood up, and started to walk away.


    But as soon as he took a step, he heard a low and kindly voice:


    ¡°Young master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tightened, feeling as if a powerful Divine Sense had locked onto him.


    Eighteen Patterns peak Divine Sense!


    Helpless, Mo Hua put on a puzzled face and turned around to look.


    He saw, at another table, a large, kind-faced man who had been silent up till now, staring intently at him.


    The man¡¯s demeanor was calm, his voice even, but his gaze was profound as he asked,


    ¡°Do you¡­ recognize me?¡±


    Without changing his expression, Mo Hua feigned confusion,


    ¡°Uncle, who are you?¡±


    The man¡¯s gaze slightly hardened, his face showing displeasure, his mind also somewhat perplexed¡­


    By rights, he shouldn¡¯t have been recognized¡­


    Anyone who had seen his face, regardless of age or gender, he had killed and then burned to ashes, leaving no survivors.


    Those he couldn¡¯t kill were either high-ranking officials from the Taoist Court or experienced Supervisors.


    Their cultivation was at least above Golden Core.


    This seemingly young and naive boy didn¡¯t appear to recognize him.


    Even more, there was no reason he could have.


    The man¡¯s brow furrowed.


    But indeed, he had just sensed a trace of Divine Sense probing.


    Although it was faint and slight, and the method of Divine Sense probing was expert, touching lightly like a dragonfly skimming the water, swept across in a flash.


    But it couldn¡¯t escape him, who was accustomed to life-and-death battles.


    The strange thing was that this trace of Divine Sense was fleeting.


    When he checked again, there was no trace of it, the only slightly unusual thing had been this nearby boy eating noodles.


    He appeared to have glanced at him from the corner of his eye before burying his head back in his bowl.


    The man¡¯s gaze darkened.


    This peering Divine Sense was profound; logically speaking, it shouldn¡¯t be something such a young cultivator could produce.


    Such an experienced method of Divine Sense probing couldn¡¯t possibly come from this little cultivator either.


    But his years of intuition told him¡­


    Something was off with this boy. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Especially since after he glanced over, he noticeably sped up his eating and then began to leave.


    That was decidedly odd.


    It was as if¡­


    He recognized him, knew who he was, and wanted to slip away to avoid any risk¡­


    The man¡¯s expression was gentle, but his gaze deepened.


    In that instant, Mo Hua felt a slight tightening in his heart.


    This man, who might be the ¡°Fire Buddha,¡± was suspicious of him!


    His alertness was too high, his paranoia too strong¡­


    He needed to find a way to bluff his way through¡­


    Mo Hua kept his expression unchanged, his mind racing.


    Another one of the big men glanced at Mo Hua, puzzled,


    ¡°Big brother, is there something wrong with this kid?¡±


    The other two also quietly discussed, ¡°No way¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it¡­¡±


    ¡°Too young¡­¡±


    ¡°Sect Disciple?¡±


    ¡°A kid, eating alone here?¡±


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t wearing the Taixu Gate¡¯s Taoist Robe, just his usual clothes, so they didn¡¯t know his background.


    The leading man, his eyes contemplative, remained silent.


    One of the strong men turned to Mo Hua and said:


    ¡°Kid, what family are you from, what¡¯s your name, what sect are you from, and what are you doing here all alone?¡±


    After speaking, he smirked mockingly, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you ¡®just¡¯ came to this mountain to eat a bowl of noodles¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face showed some tension, a hint of ¡°fear,¡± putting on a brave front:


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you are, why should I tell you?¡±


    The big man scoffed, ¡°Kid, don¡¯t act foolishly.¡±


    The other few stood up slowly, their faces showing malice as they glared at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua ¡°frightened,¡± took two steps back.


    Then a cultivator stood out from the side and stepped forward, reprimanding:


    ¡°You¡¯re an adult, bullying a kid, what kind of skill is that?¡±


    Seeing someone dare to meddle in his business, anger flashed across the big man¡¯s face, he swiftly closed the distance, his fist cloaked in dusty-colored Spiritual Power, and he suddenly threw a punch.


    The punch was heavy with tremendous force, formidable in its might.


    ¡°Foundation Establishment Late Stage!¡±


    The cultivator suddenly widened his eyes, hastily crossed his arms to block the punch, but he was still sent flying a distance, spitting blood.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 940 - 940 632 Fire Buddha_2

    ?Chapter 940: Chapter 632 Fire Buddha_2 Chapter 940: Chapter 632 Fire Buddha_2 The big man took a big step forward and reached for the storage bag at his waist as if he wanted to draw a blade and kill this meddlesome cultivator.


    The leading man¡¯s gaze turned sharp.


    The big man felt a cold sweat break out on his back, and then he remembered that they shouldn¡¯t cause any unnecessary trouble. With an awkward smile, he retracted his hand and cursed at the nosy cultivator:


    ¡°Scram!¡±


    Knowing he was no match, the cultivator left in anger and resentment.


    The other tea guests, seeing the bad situation, also dispersed.


    The teahouse owner, worried, glanced at Mo Hua and sighed, helpless to do anything but hide in the distance.


    In a small place like the Second Grade State Border, a cultivator in the late stage of Foundation Establishment was simply not someone they could afford to provoke.


    Now only Mo Hua and the four men of uncertain identity remained in the teahouse.


    Mo Hua looked tense and asked timidly,


    ¡°Are you¡­ bad guys?¡±


    The big man licked his lips and chuckled ominously,


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The other big man and the gloomy skinny man also showed amused smiles.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, this kid¡¯s got fair, tender skin, and a fine appearance¡­ Not bad at all¡­¡±


    Just then, the leading man¡¯s gaze sharpened and he spoke indifferently,


    ¡°Little cultivator, stop pretending. You¡¯re not afraid of us.¡±


    At these words, the three big men froze, appearing somewhat astonished.


    Mo Hua dropped the ¡°frightened¡± act and asked with curiosity,


    ¡°Did I not act well?¡±


    The leading man¡¯s brow furrowed.


    The two big men felt mocked and could hardly contain their anger.


    The demeanor of the skinny man turned even darker.


    At that moment, the big man scoffed coldly, ¡°Well, well, the gutter is a hard place to walk, little devils are hard to deal with. To think that after all these years on the Dao, I would misjudge today¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got guts, kid.¡±


    ¡°Tell us, did you recognize us?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head and honestly said, ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡±


    He guessed that the leader might actually be the infamous Fire Buddha, but as for the other three, he truly didn¡¯t know who they were.


    The leader¡¯s gaze sharpened as he looked at Mo Hua, deep in thought.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression did not seem to be feigned; he apparently did not recognize them.


    Right then, the gloomy skinny man sneered,


    ¡°Qiao Laowu, stop wasting words. Just capture this kid. Kill him if we have to, sell him if we can, or keep him as a plaything¡­¡±


    The big man spat, ¡°You schemer, if you want to catch him, do it yourself.¡±


    Qiao Laowu?


    Schemer?


    One ¡°Qiao¡± character, one ¡°Yin¡± character.


    Mo Hua checked the list and quickly recognized them.


    The one with the ¡°Qiao¡± was called Blood Woodcutter on the list.


    The one with the ¡°Yin¡± was called Yin Thunder Child.


    And there was another big man¡­


    Mo Hua caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye. His face was covered in woll, and when he was angry, he looked ferocious as an Evil Ghost, instantly reminding him:


    ¡°Ghost Face Sha!¡±


    Fire Buddha, Blood Woodcutter, Yin Thunder Child, Ghost Face Sha!


    These four, indeed, were all on Boss Jiang¡¯s list.


    And they were all Sin Cultivators with blood on their hands!


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression revealed a moment of realization, and his eyes also brightened a bit.


    In that moment of realization, Fire Buddha instantly caught the subtle expression on Mo Hua¡¯s face.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze suddenly turned piercing, disbelief in his heart.


    Recognized by this brat¡­


    All of us were recognized?! S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just how did this kid manage to recognize us?!


    Even a Supervisor from the Taoist Court wouldn¡¯t likely be able to identify all of us.


    This brat¡­


    Just from this brief encounter and a few words of conversation, he was able to identify all four of us?!


    What on earth was his background?


    Fire Buddha¡¯s affable demeanor suddenly turned cold.


    Some relationships must not be brought to light.


    Now that things had come to this point, this brat couldn¡¯t be left alive!


    ¡°Qiao Laowu,¡± Fire Buddha commanded in an unquestionable and chilling voice. ¡°Kill this kid!¡±


    Qiao Laowu was taken aback.


    At the word ¡°kill¡±, Mo Hua, quick to sense danger, slickly made his escape, leaving behind only a faint water shadow where he had stood.


    Seeing this, Qiao Laowu was furious, ¡°Good for you, you little devil!¡±


    He pulled a long, hook-ended cleaver stained with mottled bloodstains from his storage bag and swung out a flash of bloodlight, chasing and slashing at Mo Hua¡¯s waist.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s movements were fluid like water, ghostly in nature, easily evading the attack.


    Qiao Laowu struck again.


    Mo Hua dodged again.


    Like drawing a sword to sever water, but the water¡¯s flow continued unabated.


    No matter how he slashed, he could not touch Mo Hua at all.


    Fire Buddha remained seated, deep in thought, not making a move.


    The other two watched the struggle with glee, seeing Qiao Laowu and Mo Hua locked in a stalemate for over a dozen exchanges, still unable to capture Mo Hua, and laughed mockingly,


    ¡°Qiao Laowu, are you even capable?¡±


    ¡°A single kid, and you can¡¯t catch him?¡±


    ¡°All these years of cultivating the Dao, was it all bullshit?¡±


    ¡­


    Qiao Laowu, driven by rage, swung his blade even fiercer.


    Mo Hua was ¡°sweating profusely¡± and floundering, looking quite desperate, but he always managed to dodge Qiao Laowu¡¯s attacks just in time.


    Fire Buddha was surprised.


    ¡°Ghost Face Sha¡± and ¡°Yin Thunder Child¡± wore serious expressions.


    ¡°This kid¡¯s movement technique is something else¡­¡±


    Although Qiao Laowu had only recently made his breakthrough, he still possessed the strength of the late Foundation Establishment stage, yet he couldn¡¯t subdue this brat in a short time.


    Granted, it was because Qiao Laowu focused solely on offense, lacking in movement techniques.


    On the other hand, it was also because this kid¡¯s movement technique was too exquisite.


    Fire Buddha gave a signal with his eyes.


    The other two nodded, moving swiftly like the wind, pouncing forward like malevolent wolves, flanking Qiao Laowu to corner Mo Hua together.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 941 - 941 632 Fire Buddha_3

    ?Chapter 941: Chapter 632 Fire Buddha_3 Chapter 941: Chapter 632 Fire Buddha_3 Three men surrounded Mo Hua, who looked increasingly panicked and exhausted as he manoeuvered swiftly.


    Yin Thunder Child and his companions sneered with satisfaction, convinced that they could capture the boy within ten rounds.


    But after only three rounds, Mo Hua flashed a cunning smile, seized the opportunity, and rapidly pointed his fingers, launching fireballs consecutively toward the faces of the three attackers.


    The attack was as fast as lightning.


    Caught off guard, the three men were hit squarely in the face by the fireballs.


    The injuries were minor, but their faces were charred and disheveled, and their concerted attack broke, filling their hearts with rage.


    In that instant, Mo Hua¡¯s movement technique seemed to become even faster.


    He flowed like water, escaping from the encirclement and running towards a nearby grove.


    That¡¯s when Yin Thunder Child and the others realised what had happened and cursed silently:


    ¡°What a cunning brat!¡±


    Such fast Fireball Technique!


    Even faster movement technique!


    This kid, even under their close pursuit, still had tricks up his sleeve, waiting for a slip to escape unexpectedly.


    And indeed, he had managed to escape!


    It was a tremendous disgrace!


    Qiao Laowu and his men, disregarding the soot on their faces, continued the chase.


    Mo Hua kept running, the forest ahead almost within reach, about to escape, when suddenly a large figure appeared ahead.


    Fire Buddha!


    Mo Hua narrowed his eyes, forced to halt.


    Behind, Qiao Laowu and his men caught up and stood firmly, together with Fire Buddha, they cornered Mo Hua.


    Still furious, the three men mocked Mo Hua.


    ¡°You wanna run again, kid?¡±


    Mo Hua ignored them and instead focused on the still, mountain-like Fire Buddha, hesitating for a moment before flicking his fingers and shooting three fireballs straight at Fire Buddha.


    He wanted to test the strength of Fire Buddha.


    Unexpectedly, Fire Buddha didn¡¯t dodge; he stood still and took the three fireballs head-on.


    As the fireballs hit Fire Buddha, they disappeared as if sinking into the sea, refined instantly without causing any disturbance.


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    What was going on?


    Fire Buddha, unfazed, said lightly:


    ¡°This Fireball Technique of yours is mediocre, let me teach you¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha spread his arms, his body surrounded by swirling fire Qi, his eyes a bloody red, resembling a sea of fire.


    Such a strong presence!


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow, released his Divine Sense to sense Fire Buddha¡¯s aura, and discovered that inside Fire Buddha¡¯s chest, it seemed as if two flames were burning.


    These flames, extremely fierce, looked like two hearts, originating from the same source and residing within Fire Buddha, containing immense Fire Spiritual Power.


    Could this be¡­ the characteristic of the Meteor Fire Forbidden Art?


    To violate the taboo, implanting two fireballs within the body as hearts to enhance Spells?


    Was this the true high-level Fire Spells?


    Yin Thunder Child and his companions continued to laugh disdainfully, mocking Mo Hua for overestimating himself and attempting to display his Fireball Technique in front of Fire Buddha.


    Mo Hua, unwilling to accept this, looked at Fire Buddha and said seriously:


    ¡°My Fireball Technique is not just this!¡±


    Fire Buddha seemed surprised, then showed a keen interest, ¡°Then, show me what you¡¯ve got¡­¡±


    He was genuinely interested.


    ¡°Big brother, maybe we should¡­first,¡± Qiao Laowu, frustrated, wanted to capture Mo Hua to avoid further trouble.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze, sharp as a knife, filled Qiao Laowu with fear, forcing him to swallow his words and remain silent.


    Fire Buddha then turned back to Mo Hua, saying benevolently:


    ¡°Come on, show me¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze hardened, filled with a will to fight and a touch of resignation to fate.


    ¡°This technique, I will only use once in my life¡­¡± Mo Hua spoke gravely. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His words seemed to weigh heavily on Fire Buddha.


    Then Mo Hua began to form hand seals, a series of bizarre, complex, and seemingly nonsensical gestures¡­


    Mo Hua, serious, spent a long time forming these gestures, pretending to be preparing a powerful move, fostering an atmosphere that this technique was overwhelmingly strong and required a long time to charge.


    This technique, indeed, he could only use once in his life.


    Because these hand gestures were all improvised on the spot¡­


    He couldn¡¯t guarantee he could ¡°invent¡± them again exactly as they were¡­


    But Fire Buddha didn¡¯t know that.


    Unable to gauge Mo Hua¡¯s depth and unsure of what Mo Hua was doing, he followed his Cultivator¡¯s intuition that the unknown was always dangerous¡­


    Finally, after Mo Hua finished his hand seals, he suddenly shouted, with his left and right hands, a fireball appeared in each.


    This move genuinely shocked Fire Buddha.


    ¡°Cast two Spells at once?!¡±


    Yin Thunder Child and his followers didn¡¯t understand, but Fire Buddha, deeply versed in Spells, knew this seemingly simple move was theoretically complex and extremely difficult.


    Was this kid serious?!


    Fire Buddha, inherently cautious, instinctively activated his Spiritual Power, forming a fire Qi barrier in front of him.


    Mo Hua pushed his Divine Sense to the limit, manipulating the two fireballs, twisting and deforming them before clapping his hands together, making the two fireballs rapidly collide.


    This move inexplicably alarmed Fire Buddha.


    He swung his hands, forming a fire shield in front of him, trying to block Mo Hua¡¯s technique.


    But what he anticipated¡ªa surge of Spiritual Power, a fierce explosion, and bizarre Spells¡ªdid not happen.


    Mo Hua¡¯s two fireballs did not collide; they both veered off course, flying forward, exploding on the ground, kicking up pieces of stone and dust.


    Fire Buddha and his men were momentarily stunned.


    They couldn¡¯t discern what had happened.


    After a few moments, as the dust settled, they regained their senses only to find that Mo Hua¡­


    Had slipped away again.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s face turned incredibly sour.


    He had been tricked!


    Some powerful Fireball Technique?


    All fucking nonsense!


    For all his years in Qian State, after committing countless crimes and killing numerous people, never had anyone dared to mock him like this!


    An immature brat, barely weaned, yet so audacious!


    A glint of murderous intent appeared in Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes as he coldly said:


    ¡°You think you can run? I want to see how you manage that.¡±


    The four men, swift as the wind, furiously pursued Mo Hua, chasing him deep into the forest, where they looked around but saw only rustling trees, with no sign of Mo Hua¡¯s whereabouts.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 942 - 942 633 Disaster Begins

    ?Chapter 942: Chapter 633: Disaster Begins Chapter 942: Chapter 633: Disaster Begins The mountain forest was silent, the trees lush, and as the sunlight came through, it was fractured into mottled shadows¡ªyet beneath the layers of shadows, there was no sign of anyone.


    Qiao Laowu frowned, ¡°Where¡¯s that brat?¡±


    Yin Thunder Child¡¯s expression was also ugly, ¡°Hiding in the forest?¡±


    ¡°Where did he hide?¡±


    ¡°Underground?¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any traces on the ground, how could he go underground?¡±


    ¡°Then it must be¡­¡±


    The four exchanged glances, their pupils constricting slightly.


    Concealment Technique?!


    This brat, he¡¯s actually learned the Concealment Technique? sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Qiao Laowu cursed loudly, ¡°Damn it, slippery as an eel and hard to catch, and he can even conceal himself, it¡¯s like seeing a ghost.¡±


    ¡°How the hell are we supposed to catch him?¡±


    Fire Buddha and the others were caught completely off guard.


    They had seen that the brat was young, skilled in movement techniques, and obviously had trained hard. Where could they have imagined that he had also learned concealment?


    Instead of proper spells, he focused on these disgusting, obscure skills.


    Truly a devious little thing!


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right¡­¡±


    Yin Thunder Child thought of something and frowned, ¡°This brat is at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment, even if he learned the Concealment Technique, how could he possibly fool us who are at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment with our Divine Senses?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something strange about his Concealment Technique¡­¡±


    ¡°Is his Divine Sense too strong? Covering up his presence¡­¡± Qiao Laowu voiced doubtfully.


    Yin Thunder Child scoffed, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? At the Initial Stage, a mere brat, how strong could his Divine Sense be?¡±


    ¡°At most twelve or thirteen Patterns, as if he can reach the heavens¡­¡±


    Qiao Laowu retorted angrily, ¡°Then you tell me, what¡¯s the reason?¡±


    Yin Thunder Child¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°It must be that his Concealment Technique is extremely refined.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Qiao Laowu cursed, ¡°Hidden Elder-Second lived over two hundred years and only achieved mastery in his Concealment Technique. How old is this brat? How much experience could he possibly have to master it to such a degree?¡±


    Yin Thunder Child¡¯s face turned red, yet he had no reply.


    Ghost Face Sha, who had been silent until now, suddenly frowned, ¡°This Concealment Technique feels eerily familiar. Could it be¡­¡±


    Ghost Face Sha¡¯s face tensed, ¡°Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s¡­Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill?¡±


    The three were startled.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze also darkened.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Yin Thunder Child shook his head, ¡°That was Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s forte, his means of survival. He guarded that skill very closely and never disclosed it to anyone¡­¡±


    ¡°Hidden Elder-Second went in, right¡­¡±


    ¡°The prison¡¯s as deep as the sea, he probably won¡¯t come out alive, likely to leave his life inside.¡±


    ¡°Entering Taoist Prison, and with death imminent, Hidden Elder-Second would certainly not disclose it, for in any case it is a certain death¡­¡±


    ¡°What about before he was captured?¡±


    ¡°Before he was captured¡­what does that have to do with this brat? Could it be that this brat is the one who had Hidden Elder-Second captured?¡±


    ¡°Besides, Hidden Elder-Second was tough¡­¡±


    ¡°When he was captured and tortured severely, even when his teeth were smashed and swallowed, he didn¡¯t utter a sound nor did he hand over the spell of the Stealth Technique¡­¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to pry his mouth open.¡±


    ¡°Moreover¡­¡±


    Yin Thunder Child looked around the mountain forest again, a wary look in his eyes.


    ¡°A Concealment like this, silent and traceless, erasing traces while also hiding from Divine Sense, without leaving any mark¡­¡±


    ¡°Even Hidden Elder-Second couldn¡¯t achieve this extent.¡±


    Qiao Laowu said in frustration, ¡°What should we do then? Search everywhere?¡±


    ¡°The mountain forest is so vast, how can we search¡­¡±


    ¡°Set fire to the mountain?¡±


    ¡°Are you seeking death? Attracting the dogs of the Taoist Court right now, how could we continue with our tasks?¡±


    Qiao Laowu was furious, ¡°Then what do we do?¡±


    Yin Thunder Child frowned and turned to Fire Buddha, who was leading.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes were fierce, but then he calmed down, his expression turning benevolent, his voice gentle, ¡°Let it be, Heaven values all life, let¡¯s spare his life for now. It¡¯s getting late, and we still have important matters to attend to¡­¡±


    Qiao Laowu was dissatisfied.


    He had been toyed with by Mo Hua, wishing he could slaughter Mo Hua right away.


    But he dared not defy Fire Buddha, so he buried this hatred deep inside, thinking that the next time they met, he would chop the brat to pieces with a bloody machete.


    The group turned around and left.


    After walking a few dozen steps, Fire Buddha suddenly stopped.


    Qiao Laowu and the others were slightly startled and looked toward Fire Buddha, who seemed to have remembered something, his expression puzzled.


    ¡°Big brother, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Fire Buddha pondered for a moment, confused, ¡°How exactly did that little cultivator recognize us?¡±


    One person is fine, but how could he possibly recognize all four of them instantly?


    Yin Thunder Child and the others also frowned.


    ¡°Could this brat be a small lackey of the Taoist Court?¡±


    ¡°The fools of the Taoist Court couldn¡¯t raise such a cunning lackey¡­¡±


    ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    Yin Thunder Child¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°That¡­Blood Covenant List, did it fall into his hands?¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes flickered with murderous intent, but he ultimately shook his head, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be such a coincidence¡­¡±


    Such a secretive thing, how could it by chance fall into the hands of this unfamiliar little brat?


    Moreover, it was sealed with Sealing Patterns and Secret Patterns.


    The secrets within, not something a little cultivator could fathom¡­


    ¡°But this¡­¡±


    Yin Thunder Child and the others were even more puzzled.


    Fire Buddha subdued all emotion, adopting a compassionate demeanor, turned to look at the mountain forest where Mo Hua had vanished, his voice empty and smooth, ¡°We need to focus on the important matters. As for this little cultivator¡­¡±


    ¡°We will meet again¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze was intense, like Karmic Fire burning, filled with cold murderous intent.


    ¡°Next time we meet, I¡¯ll teach you, how exactly Fire Spells should be used¡­¡±


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 943 - 943 633 Disaster Begins_2

    ?Chapter 943: Chapter 633 Disaster Begins_2 Chapter 943: Chapter 633 Disaster Begins_2 He then solemnly turned around and went west.


    Qiao Laowu and his group, too, stared at the forest like fierce gods and demons before they angrily turned to follow the Fire Buddha.


    ¡­


    By then, Mo Hua¡¯s figure had already disappeared from the woods.


    Mo Hua had early on made use of the concealing wood energy in the forest and the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill to sneak away quietly.


    The Fire Buddha was dangerous.


    The other three were no pushovers either.


    Since he could not overpower them, the natural course of action was to flee early to prevent further complications.


    After employing the Concealment Technique and delving deep into the woods, and after winding through the mountain paths to ensure he had shaken off the Fire Buddha and his three companions, he made a large detour back to the gates of Luan Mountain City to wait for his senior brothers and sisters.


    To be safe, he was still using the Concealment Technique.


    About 30 minutes later at the bustling city gates, two graceful figures appeared.


    It was Murong Caiyun, dressed in colorful garments with a dazzling appearance, and Hua Qianqian, in a frock adorned with hundreds of flowers, looking lively.


    Ouyang Feng and Shangguan Xu followed right behind them.


    Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief, withdrew the Concealment Technique, and waved to greet them, ¡°Senior brothers, senior sisters!¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua, Murong Caiyun approached with a hint of surprise and asked,


    ¡°Junior brother, what are you doing here? Weren¡¯t you drinking tea at the teahouse?¡±


    ¡°I ran into some bad people!¡± Mo Hua said with a solemn face.


    Bad people?


    Murong Caiyun and the others exchanged glances before looking at Mo Hua with concern, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°They wanted to kill me, but I got away.¡±


    They wanted to kill Junior Brother Mo?


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s gaze chilled, and Murong Caiyun and the others looked furious, ¡°Where are those people?¡±


    Mo Hua felt warmed by their concern but still shook his head,


    ¡°That group, there were four of them, at least two at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and the leader had learned Forbidden Techniques¡­ very dangerous¡­¡±


    Foundation Establishment Late Stage? Forbidden Techniques?!


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s expression shifted slightly. She closely inspected Mo Hua again and noticed his clothes were a bit dirty but he was indeed unharmed, which allowed her to relax.


    However, she was also surprised as she asked, S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°And you managed to escape from them?¡±


    Mo Hua responded, ¡°I was lucky, and fortunately escaped¡­¡±


    ¡°Well then¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun didn¡¯t probe any further.


    This junior brother of theirs had, if nothing else, a variety of peculiar lifesaving methods.


    But it was still a bit absurd to have escaped alone from the encirclement of those at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage¡­


    Ouyang Feng¡¯s expression was solemn as he pondered,


    ¡°With four of them, at least two at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, we¡¯ll have no choice but to report this to the Taoist Court Officials. The Taoist Court in Luan Mountain City might not suffice¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s safer to report to the Taoist Court of Qianxue State Boundary.¡±


    The others all nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, too.


    He was thinking the same thing.


    If what Uncle Gu said was right, then this Fire Buddha, with his strong spells, was a formidable opponent for anyone below Second Grade.


    Even if the Second Grade Taoist Court of Luan Mountain City dispatched someone to pursue, they would likely perish cleanly under the Meteor Fire Skill.


    It was best to go back to the Qianxue State Boundary and report to the Fifth Grade Taoist Court.


    Without delay, they hired a carriage and set off immediately. Half a day later, they arrived back at the Qianxue State Boundary, entered the grand doors of the Taoist Court, located the principal Enforcement Leader, and said they wanted to report a crime.


    However, the procedure for ¡°reporting a crime¡± was also rather complicated and slow.


    Mo Hua briefly explained the whole story and even reported a long list of names of Sin Cultivators:


    ¡°Blood Woodcutter, Yin Thunder Child, Ghost Face Sha, Fire Buddha.¡±


    The Enforcement Leader thought Mo Hua was joking, standing dumbfounded for a while, puzzled,


    ¡°How do you know that those four go by these names?¡±


    In a Fifth Grade state boundary so vast and filled with all kinds, hosting many Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators, he was unfamiliar with some of these names.


    How could a minor cultivator recognize them?


    ¡°They were chatting, and I overheard,¡± Mo Hua found an excuse on the spot.


    The Enforcement Leader was skeptical.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe it but he found it hard to believe, and was undecided for a moment, unsure of how to proceed.


    Finding him dawdling, Mo Hua said, ¡°Where is Supervisor Gu? I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    ¡°You know Supervisor Gu?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I have a good relationship with Uncle Gu!¡±


    The Enforcement Leader looked incredulous.


    That Supervisor Gu who was as stern as a ¡°cold-faced judge,¡± who looked down on everyone, could have a good relationship with a minor cultivator like you?


    ¡°Supervisor Gu is busy with official duties¡­¡±


    ¡°This is serious.¡± Mo Hua spoke earnestly, then lowered his voice and looked at the Enforcement Leader, ¡°Uncle Gu is petty. If you report this late, beware he might make things difficult for you¡­¡±


    Hearing this, the Enforcement Leader was startled.


    Whether the matter of the Sin Cultivators was true or false, he wasn¡¯t sure, but one thing the young cultivator hadn¡¯t got wrong,


    Supervisor Gu indeed was petty!


    And to dare to say that a petty Supervisor Gu was petty, aside from all else, at least showed an unusual courage and insight!


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you to see Supervisor Gu.¡±


    The Enforcement Leader readily agreed, then turned to remind, ¡°But¡­ don¡¯t say I was the one who brought you.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    So Murong Caiyun waited in the hall while the Enforcement Leader led Mo Hua through the imposing and majestic Taoist Court, full of lofty pavilions, turning left and right to a court office.


    This seemed to be where Gu Changhuai worked his office duties for the Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua had not been here before and memorized the route in his heart. Next time there was an issue, he could come directly to knock on Uncle Gu¡¯s door.


    The Enforcement Leader only dared to bring Mo Hua to the door, then slinked away.


    Mo Hua shook his head, it seems that Uncle Gu was not well-liked in the Taoist Court.


    Everyone was afraid of him.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 944 - 944 633 Disaster Begins_3

    ?Chapter 944: Chapter 633: Disaster Begins_3 Chapter 944: Chapter 633: Disaster Begins_3 Unlike himself, he was so endearing.


    The Taoist Court office outside had a doorbell, ancient in style. Mo Hua shook it lightly, and a crisp sound emanated.


    Then from inside the room, a cold and haughty voice spoke, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opened, and Mo Hua walked in.


    The room was simple and tidy, with furnishings that were both exquisite and elegant. Gu Changhuai sat at the desk, focused and intent, writing something unbeknownst to others.


    As Mo Hua entered, Gu Changhuai looked up, paused for a moment in surprise, then frowned.


    ¡°Why is it you again?¡±


    He glanced around the room and, seeing only Mo Hua, asked,


    ¡°How did you find this place?¡±


    The Court Official¡¯s office within the Taoist Court was a Supervisor¡¯s workplace. Though it wasn¡¯t exactly fortified or restricted, it was off-limits to outsiders.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°A passing, kind-hearted Enforcement Leader brought me here.¡±


    He was loyal and did not disclose the appearance of the Enforcement Leader to Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, somewhat helpless, and continued to look down and write, saying indifferently, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the matter this time?¡±


    ¡°I encountered the Fire Buddha!¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s hand shook, and a long streak of ink marred the document. He looked up, incredulously, at Mo Hua.


    ¡°The Fire¡­ Buddha?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°How did you run into him?¡±


    ¡°I was drinking tea at the teahouse, and I ran into him.¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused in speechless astonishment.


    The Fire Buddha wasn¡¯t some peddler rushing to do business with you; you have a sip of tea at a teahouse, and you can run into him¡­


    Or are you saying, young man, you truly have the ¡°law following the word,¡± proclaiming you can meet the Fire Buddha and actually encounter him upon leaving home¡­


    Seeing Gu Changhuai¡¯s disbelief, Mo Hua earnestly said, ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t disbelieve it; he just found it too preposterous.


    The Taoist Court had been searching for so long with no results for this Sin Cultivator, and you, a minor Sect Disciple, go for tea and claim to have stumbled upon him?


    Are you a Minor Religious Con Man or what?


    Besides¡­


    Their Taoist Court also demanded evidence; even if Mo Hua was a disciple from one of the Eight Great Gates, Taixu Gate, it wasn¡¯t like whatever he said could be taken as fact.


    The Taoist Court didn¡¯t have that many personnel to waste.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, ¡°How do you know the person you encountered is the Fire Buddha?¡±


    Mo Hua said gravely,


    ¡°He was tall and large, with a kind face, and spoke little. Under his ordinary clothes, he wore a kasaya. His hair was tied up, but it was fake, concealing several fiery scars from vows¡­¡±


    ¡°Accompanying him were three others. A burly man skilled with a bloody hatchet, called ¡®Qiao Laowu¡¯¡ªhe could be the Sin Cultivator known by the nickname ¡®Blood Woodcutter¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Another was a skinny man with a grim complexion, probably ¡®Yin Thunder Child.¡¯ And another large man, with a fierce and intimidating face, I suppose could be ¡®Ghost Face Sha¡¯¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s casual demeanor vanished, growing more solemn with each word.


    What Mo Hua described didn¡¯t sound fabricated at all.


    These people were indeed the notorious Sin Cultivators from within the Second Grade State Border.


    But¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze became stern as he looked at Mo Hua, ¡°Where did you learn about so many Sin Cultivators?¡±


    What ¡°Blood Woodcutter,¡± ¡°Yin Thunder Child,¡± ¡°Ghost Face Sha¡±¡ªyou mention them as easily as if they were treasures in your home.


    As if these Sin Cultivators were items on your ¡°menu¡±¡­


    With righteous indignation, Mo Hua replied earnestly,


    ¡°Although my cultivation is not high, I have always remembered my Sect¡¯s teachings¡ªto uphold the Righteous Dao, to slay demons and eradicate evil, to despise wickedness like an enemy, and to detest Sin Cultivators. I long to catch them all in one fell swoop!¡±


    ¡°So I like to gather information about Sin Cultivators in my spare time; that¡¯s how I know just a little bit more¡­¡±


    Listening, Gu Changhuai felt a headache coming on.


    What nonsense are you spouting, kid?


    What ¡°upholding the Righteous Dao,¡± ¡°hating evil as you would a foe¡±¡­


    ¡°Is that you¡¯re talking about really you?¡±


    ¡°Even lies need a draft.¡±


    But in his heart, he also faintly felt that the Fire Buddha¡¯s involvement was very likely true.


    However, the evidence was still scarce¡­


    Physical appearance, kasaya, the scar from a burn mark¡­


    These could only prove that this person somewhat resembled the Fire Buddha. It¡¯s not like there were no other Buddhist believers in the world, cultivators with burnt scars donning kasayas.


    Gu Changhuai frowned and said, ¡°Are there any other clues proving he is the Fire Buddha?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°He is proficient in fire spells, and when he casts spells, two fierce flames ignite inside him, as if he had two hearts¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai shuddered inside and exclaimed, ¡°He took action?¡±


    ¡°He did.¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze hardened as he looked at Mo Hua. ¡°And you escaped?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°As soon as he made his move, I ran.¡±


    ¡°How did you escape?¡±


    Mo Hua felt this question was rather redundant, ¡°Of course, I ran with my legs¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was somewhat frustrated.


    ¡°I meant to ask you¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai calmed his emotions, and as he was halfway through his reply, he suddenly paused, his gaze darkened, and he said no more.


    There are indeed certain things that should not be asked excessively.


    Especially the means by which a cultivator preserves their life¡­


    It¡¯s just that Mo Hua, in his eyes, was becoming more and more enigmatic¡­


    ¡°Do you know where the Fire Buddha went?¡± Gu Changhuai asked solemnly.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I was lucky to get away, where would I dare to follow them¡­¡±


    ¡°Where did you encounter them?¡±


    ¡°On the outskirts of Luan Mountain City¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought a bit and then got more specific, ¡°Between the mountain paths outside Luan Mountain City and Bishan City, there is a stretch of forest and a small tea house¡­¡±


    ¡°The mountain path junction between Luan Mountain City and Bishan City¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded, ¡°Alright, I got it. I¡¯ll go check it out myself with some people. If the situation turns out to be true¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°I will compensate you with Merit Points.¡±


    Mo Hua was thrilled inside, ¡°Thank you, Uncle Gu.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai nodded, his brows furrowed in deep thought.


    ¡°Uncle Gu,¡± Mo Hua asked quietly, ¡°what exactly does the Fire Buddha intend to do by suddenly showing up?¡±


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, don¡¯t worry about it, and don¡¯t get involved anymore.¡±


    After saying this, Gu Changhuai put his documents in order and hurriedly left the room.


    He also summoned several teams of Enforcement Leaders, dividing them to act separately as if to trace the Fire Buddha¡¯s whereabouts.


    Mo Hua really wanted to join them, but without having to think, he knew Uncle Gu would definitely disagree, so he could only return to the Sect with his senior brothers and sisters.


    After returning to the Sect, Mo Hua still had this matter on his mind.


    How could they catch the Fire Buddha?


    How could he obtain the cultivation spell for the ¡°Meteor Fire Skill,¡± a forbidden technique, from the Fire Buddha?


    And the Fire Buddha, his face wearing compassion while slaughtering mercilessly¡­


    What exactly did he intend to do by suddenly appearing?


    With too few related clues, Mo Hua just couldn¡¯t understand it.


    So he asked Senior Sister Murong for help, to gather some news.


    He faintly felt that since the Fire Buddha had appeared, he must be up to something¡­


    Several days later, Murong Caiyun found Mo Hua and hesitated for a moment before she spoke with a grave expression:


    ¡°The Xie family of Bishan City has been annihilated by the Fire Buddha.¡±


    ¡°The Xie family has become a sea of fire; men, women, the elderly, children, all were burned to ash without survivors¡­¡±


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 945 - 945 634 Annihilation

    ?Chapter 945: Chapter 634 Annihilation Chapter 945: Chapter 634 Annihilation Mo Hua¡¯s pupils constricted.


    Extermination?


    The Xie family?


    ¡°The Xie family from Bishan City, isn¡¯t that¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun nodded, ¡°Exactly, that day, when we went to capture the traitor from the Sever Gold Sect, we encountered that Second Grade Xie family.¡±


    Mo Hua remembered.


    That day, he, Senior Sister Murong, and Senior Brother Feng took up a mission to go to Bishan City to capture a traitor from the Sever Gold Sect.


    The traitor, reportedly having stolen something from the Xie family, vanished without a trace. The Xie family, unable to capture him, posted the mission to our sect.


    To catch him, the Xie family sealed the city and searched the streets, going through a lot of trouble.


    But surprisingly, they offered very few merit points.


    And indeed, that traitor was not easy to capture.


    He cultivated the Sever Gold Sect¡¯s ¡°Escape Gold Technique¡± movement technique and was also skilled in ¡°Disguise,¡± disguising himself as a woman, hidden in a brothel disguised as a restaurant.


    Capturing him took quite an effort.


    The odd thing about this matter was¡­


    The traitor¡¯s disguise technique was extremely exquisite, changing from man to woman, from old crone to dwarf. When we captured him, he appeared as a burly man.


    We couldn¡¯t tell what his original appearance was.


    Divine Sense could only detect the presence of Spiritual Power, not the fleshly appearance.


    Thus, even though Mo Hua had strong Divine Sense, able to identify his Spiritual Power, he couldn¡¯t revert the fleshly appearance of the traitor outside his Spiritual Power.


    Moreover, what exactly the traitor stole from the Xie family, Mo Hua didn¡¯t know.


    Leaving Bishan City, Mo Hua vaguely felt that this matter was not yet over.


    But he never expected it would start with the ¡°extermination¡± of the Xie family¡­


    Mo Hua asked softly,


    ¡°Senior Sister, why would the Fire Buddha exterminate the Xie family?¡±


    Murong Caiyun shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Taoist Court is still investigating, and the rumors outside are hardly credible.¡±


    ¡°What kind of rumors?¡± Mo Hua asked curiously.


    ¡°All sorts¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun raised her fair finger, counting them out for Mo Hua¡­


    ¡°Some say the Xie family offended Fire Buddha in the past and accumulated grievances, and this act was his revenge¡­¡±


    ¡°Some say Fire Buddha collaborated with the Xie family, and they fell out over dividing the spoils, which led him to slaughter the entire Xie family¡­¡±


    ¡°Some say Fire Buddha was cultivating Evil Skills, using the entire Xie family as a sacrificial offering¡­¡±


    ¡°Others suggest the Family Head of the Xie family once took a woman whom Fire Buddha admired, leading him to become dispirited, leave secular life, and enter the demonic path. Now that his spells are accomplished, he sacrificed the lives of the Xie family to commemorate the woman he loved¡­¡±


    ¡°And more absurdly, some people, unable to discern right from wrong, say the Xie family deserved their extermination for their misdeeds, and Fire Buddha was carrying out heavenly justice¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Rumors rise with the wind, and nobody really knows what happened¡­¡± Murong Caiyun said, shaking her head.


    Mo Hua frowned, then, with some sympathy, asked:


    ¡°Did they really¡­ not leave a single survivor?¡±


    Murong Caiyun sighed softly, ¡°No¡­¡±


    In addition to sympathy, Mo Hua had some doubts:


    ¡°Did the Xie family not resist?¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Xie family, after all, is a Second Grade family. There are quite a few cultivators in the family. Even if they couldn¡¯t win, they should have been able to hold them off for a while, perhaps allowing one or two to escape¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s gaze grew intense, ¡°I thought the same¡­¡±


    ¡°This matter is very suspicious¡­¡±


    ¡°The Xie family, weak as they are, is still one of the top Tao Cultivation families in Bishan City¡­¡±


    ¡°And Fire Buddha, strong as he may be, is just a Second Grade Sin Cultivator.¡±


    ¡°Logically, he shouldn¡¯t have been able to annihilate an entire family of cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°But the fact is¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun took a deep breath, her expression extremely solemn.


    ¡°The entire Xie family is dead¡­¡±


    ¡°According to Cultivators in Bishan City, that night, the entire Xie residence was engulfed in a sea of fire, blood lighting up half the sky. The cultivators of the Xie family, like evil ghosts in purgatory, were killed, dismembered, and then turned to ashes in the Karmic Fire¡­¡±


    ¡°In that endless Karmic Fire, Fire Buddha, clad in a kasaya, with fiery red eyes and chanting Buddhist scriptures, had an expression of indifferent compassion¡­¡±


    Thinking of that scene, Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    Fire Buddha seemed much more dangerous than he had imagined¡­


    And the power of that Meteor Fire Skill might also be much more terrifying than he had expected¡­


    Mo Hua remembered ¡°Qiao Laowu,¡± ¡°Yin Thunder Child,¡± and other three and asked with confusion, ¡°Fire Buddha¡­ Did he have accomplices?¡±


    Exterminating a family was something he might not have been able to accomplish alone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun shook her head, ¡°The act of exterminating a family is extremely cruel and has a very negative impact. The Taoist Court will lock down the news, and no clues will be revealed to the public.¡±


    ¡°Has there been any similar extermination before?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    Murong Caiyun thought for a while before speaking, ¡°Very few¡­ The last time was more than a hundred years ago, a small family was exterminated by Evil Cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°The specifics are unclear, I only learned of it from my aunt.¡±


    ¡°That time, because of the terrible nature of the act, some small families were panic-stricken, the upper echelons of the Taoist Court were furious, deploying a large number of Supervisors and Enforcement Leaders, searching day and night for those Evil Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°Eventually, those Sin Cultivators were all captured, suffered death by Formation as a public warning¡­¡±


    ¡°Since then, there hasn¡¯t been much talk about exterminations.¡±


    ¡°And now, it¡¯s the extermination of the Xie family by Fire Buddha¡­¡±


    ¡°This event will also shake people¡¯s hearts, so, until the Sin Cultivators are apprehended and the truth is clarified, the Taoist Court will not reveal any information.¡±


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 946 - 946 634 Annihilation_2

    ?Chapter 946: Chapter 634: Annihilation_2 Chapter 946: Chapter 634: Annihilation_2 ¡°That¡­¡± Mo Hua whispered, ¡°Will the Daoist Court issue a bounty to the Sects for the capture of Fire Buddha?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Murong Caiyun affirmed.


    ¡°It won¡¯t?¡± Mo Hua was slightly disappointed.


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Murong Caiyun nodded and explained:


    ¡°Such matters are too perilous¡­¡±


    ¡°The bounties issued by the Daoist Court typically target Sin Cultivators in the early to middle stages of Foundation Establishment. Although they are not weak, with the cooperation of Sect Disciples, they can be dealt with.¡±


    ¡°But Fire Buddha is different. This sort of murderer, extremely dangerous Sin Cultivator, the Daoist Court dares not assign the task to the Sects.¡±


    ¡°Sect Disciples mostly come from noble families; should anything go amiss, the Daoist Court will be held accountable.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, in matters of sect extermination, the Daoist Court will keep it confidential for the sake of secrecy, and will not leak the news.¡±


    ¡°At most, after Fire Buddha is caught and the dust has settled, they will issue some tasks for the Sect Disciples to help catch any escapees¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded thoughtfully, seemingly lost in contemplation.


    Murong Caiyun glanced at Mo Hua and cautioned:


    ¡°Don¡¯t get any crooked ideas¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Murong Caiyun then asked, ¡°Are you interested in Fire Buddha?¡±


    ¡°Kind of,¡± Mo Hua answered vaguely.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was interested in Fire Buddha per se, but rather in Fire Buddha¡¯s Forbidden Techniques.


    Seeing a glint in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, Murong Caiyun said helplessly:


    ¡°Pursuing Fire Buddha is a matter for the Daoist Court, and there is no room for our involvement.¡±


    ¡°Besides, this matter is fraught with great danger. If you fall into Fire Buddha¡¯s hands, I fear the odds would not be in your favor. You might escape from Fire Buddha once, but not necessarily a second time¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun¡¯s face showed concern, ¡°So, do not take risks and wade into this mire¡­¡±


    After some serious thought, Mo Hua solemnly responded:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Senior Sister!¡±


    ¡­


    After Murong Caiyun left, Mo Hua pondered the matter of Fire Buddha.


    Senior Sister was right, it was indeed too dangerous.


    Forbidden Techniques are not easily acquired, nor can they be exchanged for Merit Points.


    Moreover, Fire Buddha¡¯s Meteor Fire Skill is a Fire Forbidden Skill, with two flames burning fiercely within, like a heart.


    This could very well be key to his research in Fireball collisions, Skill Pattern breakdown, and Spiritual Power Fusion.


    If there was a chance, he absolutely had to get his hands on the Meteor Fire Skill!


    Once missed, who knew when the next opportunity would arise.


    But he must be extremely careful.


    To preserve his own life.


    He still had to provide for his aging parents!


    Mo Hua frowned and began to ponder earnestly:


    ¡°How can I obtain the spell for Meteor Fire Skill?¡±


    Catch Fire Buddha before the Daoist Court does?


    Once the Daoist Court captures Fire Buddha, even if he confesses the spell for Meteor Fire Skill, it would be impossible for Mo Hua to obtain such a Forbidden Technique.


    The Daoist Court wouldn¡¯t hand over a dangerous Forbidden Technique to a junior disciple from the Taixu Gate.


    Besides, given Fire Buddha¡¯s modus operandi, he¡¯d probably prefer to ¡°perish together with his enemy¡± rather than betray the Forbidden Technique.


    As soon as Fire Buddha was captured, the Fire Forbidden Skill would go to the grave with him. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Catch Fire Buddha before the Daoist Court, or simply kill him and search his body?¡±


    How to kill him?


    Do it alone?


    Mo Hua thought it over and shook his head reluctantly.


    ¡°That¡¯s unlikely¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha was too alert, and his personal cultivation, Spells, and methods were all too strong.


    Furthermore, he had Sin Cultivators like Yin Thunder Child, Blood Woodcutter, and Ghost Face Sha as henchmen.


    Those henchmen were not easy to handle either.


    To kill by himself, he would probably have to meticulously prepare, set an ambush, and take down an entire First Grade Large Formation to slay Fire Buddha, who was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment.


    But where could he find a First Grade Large Formation to dismantle?


    Besides, with such a huge cost to dismantle a First Grade Large Formation, killing Fire Buddha seemed like a wasteful extravagance.


    And Fire Buddha was cautious. Even with a trap set, it was uncertain if he would fall into it.


    So, it had to be done by someone else¡­


    He would assist from the side, giving a little help.


    Then, who could be relied upon?


    Mo Hua stroked his chin, thinking¡­


    Senior Sister Murong and Senior Brother Feng, they definitely wouldn¡¯t do.


    His Senior Brothers and Sisters were only at the Middle Stage of Foundation Building, and although they were among the chosen of the Eight Great Gates, they were still far from comparing to Fire Buddha who was at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment and capable of mass murder.


    Whether they could win or not was another issue.


    If they failed, they might even lose their lives.


    Senior Sister Murong cared for him and didn¡¯t want him to take risks.


    Similarly, he did not want his Senior Brothers and Sisters, who had helped him a great deal, to face such deadly peril.


    They didn¡¯t have as many life-saving methods as he did.


    Who else was there?


    After much thought, Mo Hua could only think of one person who might be just adequate for helping dispose of Fire Buddha.


    That was Uncle Gu, Gu Changhuai¡­


    Golden Core Realm cultivation, Dao Court Canon Supervisor.


    The identity fit and the cultivation was sufficient.


    Moreover, Uncle Gu seemed to have always been intent on bringing Fire Buddha to justice.


    But the problem lay right there; as a member of the Daoist Court, even if he captured Fire Buddha and extracted the Secret Manual of the Meteor Fire Skill, publicly or privately, it was highly unlikely he would give it to Mo Hua.


    Putting himself in the shoes of ¡°Uncle Gu,¡± Mo Hua wouldn¡¯t hand over the Meteor Fire Skill to an unknown ¡°Mo Hua¡± either.


    In Uncle Gu¡¯s eyes, he was already a ¡°dangerous¡± element.


    It was impossible for him to let a small cultivator already deemed ¡°dangerous¡± to learn an even more ¡°dangerous¡± Forbidden Technique¡­


    But after much contemplation, Mo Hua had no other options.


    Uncle Gu was the only choice.


    Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com

 Chapter 947 - 947 634 Annihilation_3

    ?Chapter 947: Chapter 634: Annihilation_3 Chapter 947: Chapter 634: Annihilation_3 Mo Hua let out a faint sigh.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just take it one step at a time¡­¡±


    ¡°First, I need to find a way through Uncle Gu to get involved with the Taoist Court, gather clues, and pursue the Fire Buddha¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll see how things go. If I can follow behind Uncle Gu and fish in troubled waters, I might be able to get my hands on the spell of the Meteor Fire Skill¡­¡±


    For now, that was all he could do.


    Afterward, Mo Hua continued to attend classes, cultivate, help Yu Er with her homework, draw Formation Paintings, and, when he could find the time, inquire about the Fire Buddha.


    But Senior Sister Murong was right.


    The Taoist Court indeed would not assign the task of pursuing the Fire Buddha to Sects.


    For most Sect Disciples, the term ¡°Fire Buddha¡± was almost just a rumor, a topic of conversation after classes.


    In their lifetime, they would likely never come into contact with it.


    Mo Hua had no choice but to take the time to visit Uncle Gu at the Taoist Court Official¡¯s office.


    However, the Taoist Court was heavily guarded, and the Court Official¡¯s chambers were not a place one could simply wander into.


    Relying on the route he remembered and his own wit, Mo Hua managed to deceive the Enforcement Leaders on the way and arrived at Gu Changhuai¡¯s Court Official¡¯s chamber, only to find it a wasted effort.


    Gu Changhuai had gone out to capture a Sin Cultivator.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know whether Gu Changhuai was after the Fire Buddha, and he couldn¡¯t find anyone to ask, ultimately returning empty-handed.


    ¡°It¡¯s really inconvenient to do anything in the Taoist Court without knowing anyone¡­¡±


    Mo Hua lamented.


    He would have to think of another way.


    During the ten-day break, Mo Hua took the opportunity to accompany Yu Er back to the Gu Family.


    This was Yu Er¡¯s first visit home since entering the Taixu Gate.


    At the entrance of the Gu Family, Wenren Wan was waiting early, her face full of anticipation.


    Sending Yu Er to the Taixu Gate had been her idea, but a mother¡¯s heart is connected to her child¡¯s, and she worried about Yu Er day and night¡­


    Worried about how Yu Er¡¯s cultivation was progressing, whether he was eating well, whether he was happy, and more importantly¡­


    Whether he could sleep well without being troubled by nightmares.


    Soon, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Gu Family.


    Yu Er jumped down from the carriage, called out ¡°Mother¡± crisply, and ran on her little legs straight into Wenren Wan¡¯s embrace.


    Wenren Wan hugged Yu Er and saw his skin was fair, his cheeks rosy and full of life, and when she picked him up, he seemed heavier as if he had regained his Vital Energy and even gained a little weight. She couldn¡¯t contain her joy.


    This meant that Yu Er was happy and healthy at the Taixu Gate.


    And not troubled by any terrifying nightmares.


    Wenren Wan glanced at Mo Hua and felt grateful.


    That night, Wenren Wan prepared a table full of rare delicacies from the sea, foods Mo Hua had never tasted before.


    Mo Hua enjoyed the meal immensely.


    Yu Er also sat beside him, holding her small bowl, trying to mimic Mo Hua¡¯s manner, her cheeks bulging with food.


    Wenren Wan sat to the side, resting her cheek in her hand, looking at the two children, one big, one small, her gaze filled with a gentle smile.


    After a while, Gu Changhuai arrived.


    He seemed to have just come back from the Taoist Court, his face covered with dust, but upon hearing that Yu Er had returned, he still came to see him.


    As soon as he entered, however, he saw Mo Hua sitting next to Yu Er, and his expression became complicated, feeling his scalp tingle slightly.


    He felt trouble was surely on its way¡­


    ¡°Changhuai, you¡¯ve just come back, just in time to join us for a meal¡­¡± Wenren Wan said warmly.


    Yu Er, a bit reserved, greeted formally, ¡°Hello, Uncle¡­¡±


    Hearing the young and tender voice calling him ¡°Uncle,¡± Gu Changhuai¡¯s heart melted, but his expression was still as rigid as ever, clumsily trying to convey kindness but failing to express it.


    Mo Hua watched and shook his head.


    Wenren Wan glanced at Mo Hua and then at Gu Changhuai, understanding the situation, and said with a smile:


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Yu Er outside for a walk, to help digest the food¡­¡±


    ¡°Changhuai¡­¡± Wenren Wan gave Gu Changhuai a sharp look, ¡°Please take care of Mo Hua.¡±


    Gu Changhuai felt a bitter taste in his mouth.


    Wenren Wan then led Yu Er away.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, sat down opposite Mo Hua, poured himself a cup of wine, drank it in one gulp, and then said helplessly:


    ¡°You didn¡¯t come here specifically to find me, did you?¡±


    Mo Hua replied honestly, ¡°Not entirely¡­¡±


    He had brought Yu Er back for a few reasons. Firstly, to let Yu Er see her mother and alleviate Aunt Wan¡¯s worry.


    Secondly, to avoid having Yu Er return alone and be troubled by Demon Monsters in the middle of the night, robbing him of sleep.


    And for himself, not to miss out on a serving of ¡°food¡± for his Divine Sense.


    The last goal, of course, was Gu Changhuai.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Gu Changhuai asked, sighing.


    There was no escaping this little troublemaker. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua blinked his eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°Uncle Gu, the Taoist Court is pursuing the Fire Buddha¡ªcan you take me with you?¡±


    Gu Changhuai knew he would say this, and rejected him righteously:


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Mo Hua pressed on.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua and sighed, ¡°You¡¯re too young, your cultivation too weak, newly entered, and most importantly, you¡¯re not a Taoist Court member¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked curiously, ¡°If I were a person from the Taoist Court, it would be okay?¡±


    Gu Changhuai snorted internally.


    Someone from the Taoist Court¡­


    It wasn¡¯t easy to get into the Taoist Court.


    From the lower-ranking Enforcement Leader and Supervisor to the higher-ups such as the Deputy Court Leader and Court Leader¡ªall had to pass assessments to be appointed.


    The exams were strict, the categories numerous, considering Spiritual Roots, Cultivation Techniques, Martial Arts or Spells, family background, absence of criminal records, whether there were Direct Lineage relatives who have been imprisoned or fallen to demons within three generations¡­


    The Taoist Court¡¯s scrutiny was extremely strict, the requirements extremely high.


    Moreover, you¡¯re a Loose Cultivator, without status or background, how could you possibly get into the Taoist Court¡­


    Gu Changhuai replied evasively, ¡°Well, if you were from the Taoist Court, I might consider it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua silently took out a Bronze waist badge.


    Its design was simple, rather low-tier, but very familiar¡­


    Gu Changhuai froze for a moment, his brow twitched uncontrollably.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was cunning, but his face remained serious as he said:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, actually¡­ I do have an identity in the Taoist Court¡­¡±

 Chapter 948 - 948 635 Inside Traitor

    ?Chapter 948: 635 Chapter: Inside Traitor Chapter 948: 635 Chapter: Inside Traitor Gu Changhuai¡¯s head was twisted like a pretzel; he couldn¡¯t make sense of it for the longest time.


    This medallion was indeed from the Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua, this kid, even if audacious, wouldn¡¯t dare to forge a Taoist Court medallion.


    Bronze signified it was external staff.


    Yet, an external staff¡¯s medallion was still a medallion and belonged to the Taoist Court, not something a regular cultivator could get their hands on.


    ¡°Where did you steal this medallion from?¡±


    Gu Changhuai asked with a face full of suspicion.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®steal¡¯?¡± Mo Hua responded unhappily, ¡°This was personally given to me by the Court Leader of our Taoist Court in Tongxian City!¡±


    ¡°Tongxian City?¡±


    Gu Changhuai remembered, it was the remote, Second Grade Little Immortal City where Mo Hua came from.


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°Is your Court Leader a relative of yours?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Did you marry into their family?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Gu Changhuai puzzled, ¡°Then why on earth would he give you a bronze medallion?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Gu Changhuai with a face saying you shouldn¡¯t judge an honorable man by your own standards and confidently said,


    ¡°Of course, the Court Leader saw that I was talented and young, so he gave me the medallion to let me be a part of¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nearly blurted out ¡°mixing for merit points¡± again¡­


    He could not say ¡°mixing for merit points.¡±


    Otherwise, Uncle Gu would know that he, although nominally identified, was just a minor player in the Taoist Court.


    In the future, Uncle Gu could possibly be his ¡°leader.¡±


    In front of a leader, looking ¡°ambitious and proactive¡± is essential!


    Mo Hua then smoothly corrected himself,


    ¡°¡­serve the Taoist Court, benefit the cultivators of Tongxian City, and contribute to the peace of the Cultivation World!¡±


    ¡°Benefit?¡± Gu Changhuai shook his head, ¡°What blessings can you bring at such a young age?¡±


    ¡°I have brought great blessings!¡±


    Mo Hua asserted righteously.


    He killed a Big Demon himself.


    On the Demon Suppression Monument outside Tongxian City, his name was even engraved.


    It was in the topmost line, with the largest characters, and even gilded!


    Mo Hua!


    Every time he passed by, he always looked at these two big characters a few times.


    Gu Changhuai was full of disbelief.


    Just keep bragging¡­


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain; he was used to people not believing what he said.


    ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s my medallion! I count as half a person of the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Gu Changhuai with wide, sincere eyes, trusting, ¡°Uncle Gu, you are over a hundred years old and your words must hold true!¡±


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brows.


    He was careless.


    In an impulsive moment, he walked straight into this kid¡¯s trap and got caught up in his words.


    What would he expect from a Loose Cultivator just admitted to Taixu Gate, secretly possessing a bronze medallion of the Taoist Court¡­


    This kid was as cunning as a fox, crafty and devious; next time he spoke to him, he needed to be more careful not to provide a handle to be criticized¡­


    Gu Changhuai sharpens his attention.


    He thought for a moment, then still made an excuse, ¡°I only said I¡¯d consider, I didn¡¯t promise¡­¡±


    ¡°So, how is your consideration going?¡±


    Gu Changhuai coughed once, averted his gaze, picked up the wine jug, poured himself a drink and drank it all casually, ¡°I¡¯m busy now, haven¡¯t decided yet, we will talk in a few days¡­¡±


    Is this how adults play dirty¡­


    Mo Hua learned something new.


    In the future, when he wants to procrastinate or be tricky, he would use this tactic.


    Mo Hua nodded his head, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Gu Changhuai was startled; he hadn¡¯t expected Mo Hua to suddenly be so easy to talk to, just letting it go so readily?


    Unlikely¡­


    Gu Changhuai tensed up inside, his gaze sharpening, ¡°You¡¯re not going to speak ill of me in front of my cousin and Yu Er, are you?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at Gu Changhuai, pondered for a long while, and honestly said:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, you also don¡¯t have any ¡®good things¡¯ for me to say about you, right?¡±


    He had a bad temper.


    And was somewhat flamboyant.


    Beggars for help are refused;


    And goes back on his word, playing dirty on him¡­


    Even if he wanted to say some ¡°good things¡± about him in front of Aunt Wan and Yu Er, he wouldn¡¯t know where to start¡­


    Gu Changhuai was stunned, then fell silent, his expression became complicated.


    Mo Hua was right, it seemed¡­


    ¡°See,¡± Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai and sighed, ¡°How can I speak well of you to Aunt Wan and Yu Er if you don¡¯t treat me better?¡±


    ¡°If I only know your faults, wouldn¡¯t everything I say be bad?¡±


    Can¡¯t blame me for that¡­


    Mo Hua looked like he was being reasonable and helpless.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyelids twitched, but thinking of his cousin and Yu Er, he ultimately could only sigh, ¡°Fine, what do you actually want to do?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I want to catch Fire Buddha!¡±


    Gu Changhuai still didn¡¯t get it, ¡°You¡¯re just an apprentice, why are you competing with Fire Buddha?¡±


    Mo Hua earnestly said, ¡°I¡¯m petty and hold grudges, Fire Buddha wants to kill me, I don¡¯t want to let him off either.¡±


    Gu Changhuai was stunned.


    Petty, holds grudges¡­


    That was way too ¡°honest.¡±


    But being petty probably wasn¡¯t a lie¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s handsome eyes looked at Mo Hua, narrowing slightly, ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Your reason for catching Fire Buddha mustn¡¯t be this simple¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai asserted.


    Surely fitting for a Supervisor of the Taoist Court, he was truly not easy to fool¡­


    Mo Hua thought for a moment then said, ¡°If I help you, no if ¡®we¡¯ in the Taoist Court catch Fire Buddha, can I get a share of the merit points?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re that short of merit points?¡± Gu Changhuai wondered.


    ¡°Are there ever too many merit points?¡± Mo Hua retorted.


    Gu Changhuai was briefly startled, then nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 949 - 949 635 The Mole_2

    ?Chapter 949: Chapter 635: The Mole_2 Chapter 949: Chapter 635: The Mole_2 Indeed.


    Sect disciples depend on Merit Points for cultivation resources, spell points, all expenses, and advancement within the sect system.


    The more Merit Points, the better.


    Even for the Taoist Court, it was the same.


    Mo Hua mentioned, ¡°The matter with Fire Buddha carries no Merit Points,¡± Gu Changhuai said. ¡°This is a matter for the Taoist Court and will not result in missions for the sect.¡±


    After all, Fire Buddha was a murderous fiend who wiped out entire families with blood-stained hands.


    If a sect disciple were to accept the mission and act recklessly, only to die at the hands of Fire Buddha, that would be a huge problem.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t count as sect Merit Points, but can it count as Taoist Court Merit Points?¡±


    ¡°Granting Merit Points will do¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had an ¡°I¡¯m not picky¡± look.


    Gu Changhuai sighed.


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    He certainly couldn¡¯t withhold the Taoist Court¡¯s Merit Points.


    However, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s delighted expression, Gu Changhuai always felt somewhat uncomfortable.


    This kid Mo Hua, with many schemes hidden in his heart, surely had other reasons.


    He briefly recalled everything related to Mo Hua from start to finish, his heart fluttering with alarm:


    ¡°You aren¡¯t planning to secretly learn Fire Buddha¡¯s Meteor Fire Skill, are you?!¡±


    Mo Hua remained composed, silently glancing at Gu Changhuai:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, do you think I could learn it?¡±


    Gu Changhuai scrutinized Mo Hua for a moment, then exhaled a sigh of relief and began to ease his mind:


    ¡°Right, you couldn¡¯t learn it anyway¡­¡±


    The Meteor Fire Skill is a forbidden technique, extremely powerful in spiritual dominance, implying it requires a Top-Grade Spiritual Root and robust Spiritual Power to cultivate and employ.


    Although Mo Hua is clever, his Spiritual Root and Spiritual Power are far less than one-tenth of his aptitude.


    Lacking the required quality and capability, even with his intellect, he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn the forbidden technique.


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment then agreed.


    ¡°You can mix in with the Taoist Court officials and join the pursuit of Fire Buddha, but there must be Three Talents of agreement¡­¡±


    ¡°Three Talents of agreement?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Changhuai listed them:


    ¡°First, it must not delay your sect¡¯s cultivation, and leaves of absence are not allowed. You can only help during your breaks; don¡¯t leave the sect on regular days.¡±


    ¡°Second, you must not take action. Fire Buddha and even his accomplices are all at the Middle Stage of Foundation Building, beyond your capability. You might escape once or twice by luck, but if you fail even once, you could lose your life¡­¡±


    ¡°If anything of the Three Talents happens to you, I would have trouble explaining to your cousin, and Yu Er would definitely be heartbroken¡­¡±


    ¡°Third, if we go out to pursue Fire Buddha, you must follow closely behind me, never leaving my side, and must not act recklessly or presumptuously¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Mhm mhm mhm.¡± Mo Hua nodded continuously.


    His requirements were not high; being able to mingle with the Taoist Court was enough.


    As for future matters, he would play it by ear¡­


    Since he had already ¡°revealed¡± his identity in the Taoist Court and reached an ¡°agreement of cooperation,¡± the Three Talents, with Uncle Gu, Mo Hua was no longer shy, swiftly asking:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, what exactly happened the night the Xie family of Bishan City was exterminated?¡±


    ¡°How did Fire Buddha enter Bishan City?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone from the Xie family escape?¡±


    ¡°Why was the Xie family annihilated?¡±


    ¡°After the annihilation of the Xie family, where did Fire Buddha go? Wasn¡¯t he found? Are there any clues?¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua asked like a ¡°curious baby,¡± endlessly firing a barrage of questions¡­


    Gu Changhuai found himself with a headache.


    He knew this kid was a big trouble.


    But having boarded this ¡°thief¡¯s ship,¡± it was too late for regret.


    Gu Changhuai released his Divine Sense to make sure nobody was around and then took a swig of his drink to lubricate his throat, furrowed his brows, and spoke in a heavy tone:


    ¡°That day you reported the case, I personally led people in search of Fire Buddha¡­¡±


    ¡°However, at the boundary between Luan Mountain City and Bishan City, there were only some traces of fire but no sight of Fire Buddha and his people.¡±


    ¡°I dispatched more people to investigate, but Fire Buddha and his crew seemed to have vanished without a trace, as if someone had covered their tracks¡­¡±


    ¡°And days later, the annihilation of the Xie family occurred¡­¡±


    ¡°The specifics of the case are still being investigated, and it¡¯s hard to confirm details, so I can only tell you the general situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Somebody tampered with the Xie family¡¯s formation.¡±


    ¡°The original external defensive formation was altered into an internal trapping formation.¡±


    ¡°That night, deep in slumber, Fire Buddha suddenly appeared within the Xie house, swiftly casted spells, raining down meteor fire, instantly killing many and igniting the houses, quickly spreading the fire¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, dozens of ruthless sin cultivators took advantage of the fire to slaughter the Xie family cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°In a rush, the Xie family activated the formation, hoping to use it to fend off enemies, but instead, the formation trapped them, leaving no escape, burying them in the sea of flames¡­¡±


    ¡°Fire Buddha¡¯s methods were extremely cruel.¡±


    ¡°It seemed, just as the rumours said, Fire Buddha had a deep hatred for the Xie family, slaughtering wasn¡¯t enough; he had to dissect the bodies of the Xie family, crush their bones and scatter their ashes¡­¡±


    ¡°Because the formation isolated them, outsiders, including various supervisors and enforcement leaders of the Taoist Court, couldn¡¯t get in, and those inside couldn¡¯t get out¡­¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Thus, in front of the Taoist Court and all the cultivators of Bishan City, Fire Buddha slaughtered the entire Xie family¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai said this much, barely able to conceal his anger on his face.


    Mo Hua too felt a twinge of compassion, silently sighing.


    ¡°What happened after that?¡± Mo Hua was a bit puzzled. ¡°If the formation was sealed, turning into a trapping formation that trapped the entire Xie family, it should have trapped Fire Buddha as well. If the Xie family had no way to escape, then Fire Buddha could not have escaped either¡­¡±

 Chapter 950 - 950 635 The Mole_3

    ?Chapter 950: Chapter 635: The Mole_3 Chapter 950: Chapter 635: The Mole_3 Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°The problem lies right here¡­¡±


    ¡°Fire Buddha wiped out the Xie family, as if ¡®evaporated from the human world,¡¯ and then disappeared within the Trapping Formation. In Bishan City, there was no trace of Fire Buddha.¡±


    ¡°Not just Fire Buddha, but also the dozens of Sin Cultivators who committed the crime with him, all of them disappeared.¡±


    ¡°During this period, the Taoist Court has searched throughout Bishan City and all the Immortal Cities nearby, without finding a shred of evidence¡­¡±


    ¡°So far, the clues have been pitifully few¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was stern, his mood somewhat irritable.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°Uncle Gu, has the Taoist Court hired someone to carry out a Calculation of cause and effect?¡±


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua with surprise. ¡°You understand cause and effect?¡±


    Mo Hua replied with restraint, ¡°A little.¡±


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t pay much attention; he just shook his head. ¡°Yes, they have, but they couldn¡¯t calculate it, saying the traces were covered up¡­¡±


    Then Gu Changhuai expressed some displeasure. ¡°In my opinion, they¡¯re just not skilled enough and found an excuse to shirk their responsibilities¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more, in this day and age, who still talks about the Heavenly secret Calculation, predicting cause and effect? It¡¯s nothing but mystifying nonsense, a way to fool people¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Mo Hua realized that the Gu family probably didn¡¯t have the heritage of the ¡°Heavenly secret Calculation.¡±


    Their family, was the ¡°fool¡± in the ¡°Heavenly secret cause and effect.¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain.


    The Heavenly secret is unpredictable, cause and effect are obscure; it would be very troublesome to explain.


    Mo Hua simply agreed with him, saying, ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Although Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t understand Heavenly secret Calculation, he had a keen intuition.


    He always felt that when Mo Hua looked at him, there was a hint of sympathy, like he was viewing a ¡°fool¡±¡­


    Seeing that Gu Changhuai looked a bit displeased, Mo Hua quickly changed the subject:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, are there any other clues?¡±


    Gu Changhuai, distracted by the interruption, really did forget about being seen as a Heavenly secret ¡°fool¡± by Mo Hua¡­


    ¡°There are no more, that¡¯s all the clues we have,¡± said Gu Changhuai, ¡°so stop pestering me. Go back to the Sect and cultivate properly¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai wanted to shake off Mo Hua, the ¡°little troublemaker.¡±


    Seeing this, Mo Hua said, ¡°I have a clue!¡±


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t believe him, snorted, ¡°What clue could you possibly have?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then I won¡¯t say.¡±


    Mo Hua bowed his head and started dealing with the chicken leg in his bowl.


    This chicken leg, which seemed to come from a Colorful Chicken, was both big and tender, with a delicious taste.


    Left hanging by Mo Hua, Gu Changhuai¡¯s feelings were complex.


    To ask would seem to hurt his own pride.


    To not ask, what if it really was an important clue?


    Although this kid was prone to ¡°brag,¡± it seemed that he wouldn¡¯t tell lies about such critical matters.


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment and could only sigh helplessly.


    The Fire Buddha case was more important.


    ¡°I believe you, go ahead and tell me¡­¡± Gu Changhuai sighed.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t play coy and said directly:


    ¡°Flower Gentleman!¡±


    ¡°Flower Gentleman?¡± Gu Changhuai frowned.


    ¡°That rapist,¡± explained Mo Hua, ¡°I caught him before my encounter with Fire Buddha¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard Fire Buddha and his people calling the Flower Gentleman ¡®Hua Liulang.¡¯ Presumably, they knew each other, and the reason why Flower Gentleman appeared in Luan Mountain City might have been to join Fire Buddha in annihilating a family¡­¡±


    ¡°But before going, because he cultivated a Replenishing Technique and was overcome by evil desire, burning with lust, he could not make a move in Bishan City as it would scare off the target, so he picked women in Luan Mountain City, near Bishan City, to act upon¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡±


    Mo Hua indignantly replied, ¡°You never asked me before¡­¡±


    Moreover, when the report was made, Flower Gentleman had already been arrested and was sent to the Taoist Prison, effectively ¡°capitulated.¡±


    Mo Hua subconsciously neglected him.


    Now that there were no clues, Mo Hua thought it over for a while and only then pulled the memory of ¡°Flower Gentleman¡± back from oblivion¡­


    Gu Changhuai nodded, ¡°No delay then, I will go to Luan Mountain City immediately.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he in the Taoist Prison within the Qianxue State Boundary?¡±


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, ¡°Local cases aren¡¯t usually transferred until all procedures are completed¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll go too!¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    Gu Changhuai rejected the idea without a second thought.


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t press further, just said casually, ¡°then when you question him, if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, come back and ask me¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡±


    ¡°Because Flower Gentleman was ¡®captured by me¡¯!¡±


    Mo Hua emphasized once again.


    Gu Changhuai was stopped short, unable to help but say, ¡°Fine, you come along too.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Mhm, mhm.¡±


    So Gu Changhuai told Wenren Wan that he would take Mo Hua out for a bit. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wenren Wan was somewhat surprised, unsure of what business Gu Changhuai could have taking Mo Hua out.


    But seeing Gu Changhuai reluctant and Mo Hua looking excited, it must not be bad for Mo Hua, so she nodded her head and admonished:


    ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±


    ¡°Take good care of Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan admonished again.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed.


    Afterward, Mo Hua accompanied Gu Changhuai in the Gu Family¡¯s carriage, speeding through the night and arriving at Luan Mountain City.


    Entering Luan Mountain City, they proceeded to the Taoist Court.


    Gu Changhuai showed the Supervisor¡¯s badge and passed unobstructed all the way into the Taoist Prison beneath Luan Mountain City.


    However, when they found Flower Gentleman, Gu Changhuai¡¯s complexion turned cold, and Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    Flower Gentleman¡­


    Lying in his cell, breath still.


    He was already a dead man.


    Death silent and unnoticed.


    Mo Hua looked up, surveying the oppressively damp and dark Taoist Prison, lowered his voice, and whispered to Gu Changhuai:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, do we, I mean, does our Taoist Court, possibly have an ¡®internal traitor¡¯?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was as cold as ice, wordless.

 Chapter 951 - 951 636 Burying Ground at Gen Mountain

    ?Chapter 951: Chapter 636: Burying Ground at Gen Mountain Chapter 951: Chapter 636: Burying Ground at Gen Mountain Mo Hua felt that Flower Gentleman¡¯s death seemed far too natural, too devoid of any trace of interference.


    He had been dragged into the Taoist Court, subjected to punishment, interrogated relentlessly, and afterward cast away into the Taoist Prison.


    After that, it was as though he had ceased to exist.


    Shackled in chains, starved, unattended, his injuries worsening, no one spared him so much as a glance or spoke a single word. He simply ¡°withered away.¡±


    *Even in death, it seemed no one noticed.*


    *No one even claimed his corpse.*


    And yet, this was clearly inconsistent with the strict rules of the Taoist Court.


    That was why Mo Hua suspected that someone within the Taoist Court had betrayed them and orchestrated his death in secret¡ªhidden away in the oppressive, impenetrable darkness of the Taoist Prison, silencing Flower Gentleman forever.


    Besides, Flower Gentleman obviously held clues related to Fire Buddha.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression darkened.


    He summoned several of the Enforcement Leaders who managed the prison and lashed out with furious accusations.


    The Enforcement Leaders were immediately gripped by fear, bowing and prostrating themselves:


    ¡°Supervisor, spare us. We truly had no idea¡­¡±


    ¡°After the interrogation, no one cared about him anymore.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know why he suddenly just died.¡±


    ¡°It was an oversight on our part, a careless mistake. We failed to pay attention to the Sin Cultivator¡¯s life or death. Please forgive us, Supervisor!¡±


    Though they pleaded for leniency, their words were riddled with evasion and excuses.


    Flower Gentleman was a prisoner condemned to death for his crimes. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    An oversight, a seeming neglect, leading to an early death for a man who was already doomed¡ª


    *That alone hardly amounted to a serious offense.*


    *Even if reported, it would likely warrant no more than a reprimand or a forfeiture of wages.*


    Though Gu Changhuai was indignant, he had little leverage to punish them further.


    Moreover, these two Enforcement Leaders genuinely might not have known any deeper truth about what had transpired.


    When they spoke of ¡°careless oversight,¡± it was likely an oversight that had been orchestrated by someone else.


    But one thing stood out¡ªMo Hua¡¯s suspicions might not have been unfounded.


    There were some people inside the Taoist Court who, it seemed, were far from clean¡­


    *Perhaps even tied to what had happened with Yu Er last time¡­*


    Gu Changhuai frowned deeply as his thoughts spiraled. A sudden shiver struck him, and he spun quickly to face Mo Hua beside him.


    He¡¯d noticed something unsettling¡ªMo Hua¡¯s aura had shifted. It had grown bizarre, almost sinister, infused with an enigmatic essence that defied explanation.


    It felt as though something had possessed him¡­


    Or perhaps his Divine Sense was undergoing some kind of mutation.


    *What was this?* *What was happening?* Gu Changhuai¡¯s heart twisted with uncertainty.


    At that moment, Mo Hua turned back around, his eyes briefly flashing with a dark, eerie gleam before returning to their usual clarity and translucence.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, is there something the matter?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Mo Hua remained the Mo Hua he was before, his gaze as lucid and introspective as still water¡ªlayered yet fathomless.


    *But he had clearly felt that faint trace of ominous energy¡ªthe Gui Tao¡¯s unsettling presence¡­* *Was it merely an illusion?* *Or was his suspicion spiraling out of control?*


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s brow furrowed tightly.


    Mo Hua blinked innocently.


    In truth, he had just seized the fleeting moment when Gu Changhuai was deep in thought, distracted, to secretly merge within the Tricky Calculation technique and probe a glimpse into Flower Gentleman¡¯s karmic ties.


    Within that instant, the Divine Sense mutation had given him away.


    It seemed nothing could escape the notice of a Supervisor of the Taoist Court.


    *Mo Hua reminded himself to tread carefully.*


    When dealing with Great Cultivators at the Golden Core Realm and beyond¡ªespecially Supervisors under the Taoist Court at the Great Province Boundary¡ªtechniques like Heavenly secret fusion for decoding karmic connections had to be used sparingly.


    Lest someone suspicious uncover his true nature¡­


    His master¡¯s Heavenly secret Calculations were relatively safer, appearing righteous but carrying great karmic weight.


    His Uncle¡¯s Heavenly secret Tricky Calculations, though, were another matter entirely.


    *In this world, no one cultivated Divine Thought in the Gui Tao except his Uncle.*


    *If he were mistaken for a ¡°Little Devious Path Person¡± himself, the consequences would be disastrous.*


    Seeing that Gu Changhuai still eyed him warily, suspicion lingering, Mo Hua decided to ¡°strike first¡± and asked:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, did you notice anything?¡±


    ¡°How do you think Flower Gentleman died?¡±


    ¡°Who killed him?¡±


    ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua lifted his brow in thought, glancing at the nearby Enforcement Leaders who managed the prison.


    The two Enforcement Leaders broke into cold sweats, frantically denying to Gu Changhuai:


    ¡°Supervisor Gu!¡±


    ¡°While we were negligent, this Sin Cultivator¡¯s death truly has nothing to do with us¡­¡±


    ¡°How could we dare break the law and commit murder within the Taoist Prison¡­¡±


    ¡°Supervisor Gu, please understand us clearly!¡±


    ¡°Supervisor Gu¡­¡±


    Their desperate words disrupted Gu Changhuai¡¯s train of thought, temporarily pulling him from his scrutiny of Mo Hua.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes grew cold as his gaze swept over the pair. ¡°Follow protocol¡ªpunish them as required. Dismiss them.¡±


    The two dared not disobey Gu Changhuai and quickly bowed. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then they left promptly.


    Gu Changhuai wanted to speak with Mo Hua further, but as he raised his head and stared at the Taoist Prison¡¯s ominous, sealed ceiling, he let the thought die away and shook his head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for now¡­¡± Gu Changhuai said.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua followed Gu Changhuai, leaving the Taoist Prison behind.


    Before stepping out, however, Mo Hua stole a last glance at the corpse of Flower Gentleman.


    Flower Gentleman, who in life had possessed a face as radiant as flowers, dashing and suave, reveling in the company of women¡ªa man who had drained countless maidens in his quest for replenishment.


    And yet, upon his death, not a soul stirred to mourn. All that remained were ragged clothing and a decaying, filthy shell.


    *Such were the ways of the world; carnal pleasures and fleeting desires¡ªall illusions.*


    *Still¡­*


    Flower Gentleman had died far too naturally.


    There was not a hint of human intervention in his demise.


    Even when Mo Hua¡¯s pupils had briefly turned black during the Tricky Calculation fusion, not a single karmic thread had revealed itself.


    *Whoever orchestrated this murder, their methods were remarkably masterful.*


    ¡°The greatest way to obscure karma lies in natural order¡ªleaving no trace¡­¡±

 Chapter 952 - 952 636 Burial Earth at Gen Mountain_2

    ?Chapter 952: Chapter 636 Burial Earth at Gen Mountain_2 Chapter 952: Chapter 636 Burial Earth at Gen Mountain_2 Mo Hua silently took note in his heart.


    ¡°Must learn well¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After leaving the Taoist Prison, Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was as still as water.


    He thought for a moment, then ordered someone to bring all of Flower Gentleman¡¯s personal effects, evidence, and Storage Bag to him.


    Then, alone, he chose a quiet Court Official Room to sift through the items himself.


    Mo Hua, at his side, craned his neck, also wanting to sneak a peek.


    Seeing this, Gu Changhuai quickly covered the items and shook his head, ¡°You can¡¯t look.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re still young¡­¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    Realizing that Mo Hua genuinely didn¡¯t get it, Gu Changhuai sighed and reminded him,


    ¡°Flower Gentleman was a rapist¡­¡±


    Inside his Storage Bag were things like sexual manuals, erotic paintings, Replenishing from others techniques, and records of his conquests¡­ a pile of vulgar and indecent things¡­ Not suitable for children¡­


    He definitely shouldn¡¯t let Mo Hua see them.


    Otherwise, the boy would be led astray.


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, also recalling how Senior Sister Murong hadn¡¯t allowed him to see these things when they caught Flower Gentleman.


    ¡°Fine, if I can¡¯t look, then I can¡¯t look¡­¡±


    Mo Hua lay on the side, gazing at Gu Changhuai.


    Feeling uncomfortable under Mo Hua¡¯s scrutiny, Gu Changhuai spoke with slight irritation:


    ¡°Why are you looking at me? Do what you need to, I¡¯m working on the case¡­¡±


    Mo Hua raised three fingers:


    ¡°Let¡¯s set three rules!¡±


    ¡°The third one, if we go out, I follow you closely, not leaving your side, not acting rashly or recklessly¡­¡±


    ¡°That was your own words!¡±


    Mo Hua stated assertively.


    Gu Changhuai felt a headache coming on.


    He had been careless, inadvertently shooting himself in the foot.


    This kid was too quick-witted¡­


    Seizing even the slightest opportunity.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai, resigned, ignored Mo Hua and continued rifling through Flower Gentleman¡¯s Storage Bag, looking for clues.


    This Storage Bag had been sealed by the Dao Court Canon.


    Cultivators outside had no access to it.


    And if a Cultivator within were to tamper with it, they would certainly leave traces behind.


    As far as he could tell thus far, no one had touched the contents.


    Using his years of experience with Dao Court Canon investigations, Gu Changhuai meticulously examined each item, searching for any trace and usable leads.


    But most of the items inside were distasteful.


    The more he looked, the more annoyed Gu Changhuai became.


    Finally, upon seeing a Jade Slip, his expression shifted, a glint of realization in his gaze.


    Unable to look at the Storage Bag, but always watching Gu Changhuai, Mo Hua immediately caught the subtle change on Gu Changhuai¡¯s face.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Uncle Gu, have you found a clue?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was about to nod, then hesitated and shook his head instead, putting the Jade Slip away and casually said, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I saw it!¡± Mo Hua insisted confidently.


    ¡°What did you see?¡±


    ¡°I saw your gaze change,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°You must have discovered something!¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s scalp tingled, cursing inwardly:


    This little devil Mo Hua, he must have been possessed by some ancient demon.


    So cunning at such a young age, like a ghost.


    But still, Gu Changhuai stubbornly insisted, ¡°I said there is nothing.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Mo Hua sighed.


    What could he do after all? He was a mere Cultivator while Gu Changhuai was a Golden Core Realm Dao Court Canon, shamelessly playing dumb. There was little he could handle.


    Mo Hua could only settle for the next best thing and asked: S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, where are we headed next?¡±


    Without hesitation, Gu Changhuai replied, ¡°With Flower Gentleman dead, the lead is ¡®cut¡¯¡­¡±


    Then, noticing Mo Hua¡¯s doubtful gaze, Gu Changhuai coughed and averted his eyes, lightly saying:


    ¡°We can head back home now.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Then Uncle Gu, you go back first.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Gu Changhuai nodded, then suddenly paused, ¡°You¡¯re not going back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve still got things to do.¡±


    ¡°What things?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t hide it, ¡°I want to visit Bishan City, to see the fallen Xie family.¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°Xie family¡¯s home is now ash, sealed by the Dao Court Canon, you won¡¯t be able to get in. And Bishan City is currently dangerous, you can¡¯t go.¡±


    Mo Hua quietly said, ¡°Then how about you take me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gu Changhuai refused.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go on my own,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°You go back, tell Aunt Wan, just say I won¡¯t be returning to Gu Family and after going to Bishan City, I will go back to the Sect myself.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was calm, but his eyes were sly.


    Gu Changhuai was momentarily stunned, quickly grasping the situation.


    This kid, Mo Hua, was threatening him.


    Having taken the child out, if he didn¡¯t bring him back, he was bound to be blamed by his cousin, who would also be worried.


    He surely needed to present Mo Hua safe and sound to his cousin.


    Moreover, if Mo Hua didn¡¯t want to return, it wouldn¡¯t be right to force him.


    Otherwise, forcibly taking him back would result in complaints, and he would have even more trouble explaining to his cousin.


    After all, Mo Hua was considered a ¡°little benefactor¡± of the Shangguan Family and deserved their respect.


    So it seemed that he had no choice but to comply, to follow Mo Hua wherever he went¡­


    Gu Changhuai was gritting his teeth in frustration.


    Mo Hua waited calmly for Gu Changhuai¡¯s response.


    After a long contemplation, Gu Changhuai finally compromised, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take you, but we have an agreement. Once we get to Bishan City, you will return with me to the Gu Family and not entertain any other ideas.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, mhm!¡± Mo Hua beamed, ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡±


    ¡­


    It was late, not the time to set out, so the two of them stayed overnight at an inn in Luan Mountain City.


    The next day at dawn, after a quick meal, they set out from Luan Mountain City, heading towards the nearby Bishan City.

 Chapter 953 - 953 636 Burial Earth on Gen Mountain_3

    ?Chapter 953: Chapter 636: Burial Earth on Gen Mountain_3 Chapter 953: Chapter 636: Burial Earth on Gen Mountain_3 This was Mo Hua¡¯s second visit to Bishan City.


    Cliffs hung suspended, with sheer walls rising a thousand ren, and mountain ridges interwoven.


    Most of the cave dwellings were built against the steep cliffs, looking both extraordinary and majestic.


    But within the city, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.


    Passersby on the streets were all silent, their expressions anxious and solemn.


    In the presence of the Taoist Court officials and the entire city¡¯s Cultivators, the Fire Buddha had massacred the entire Xie family of Cultivators.


    Turning the Xie residence into a sea of flames, the whole family lineage ceased, eradicating centuries of foundation in an instant.


    Many in Bishan City felt a sense of personal danger.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression became uglier by the minute, his face iron-blue with anger, almost wishing he could immediately behead the Fire Buddha and his gang of Sin Cultivators and display their heads to the public.


    Soon, the two of them arrived at the ruins of the Xie family estate.


    A sight of complete desolation greeted their eyes, with nothing but scorched earth left.


    Tiles were embedded in the ground outside the Xie family estate, each marked with Formation Patterns that connected end to end, forming a faint, invisible barrier that cordoned off the charred remains of the Xie family estate, forbidding outsider entry.


    This was the warning Formation laid by the Taoist Court.


    ¡°You stay here and watch,¡± said Gu Changhuai.


    Although Mo Hua disagreed, he had no choice but to peek inside from beyond the barriers of the warning Formation.


    With that glance, he noticed some clues.


    Though it was entirely blackened, there were still traces of Formation Patterns around the perimeter of the Xie estate.


    ¡°Second Grade Golden Earth Gen Mountain Compound Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    Hearing the name of this Formation, Gu Changhuai froze in surprise.


    Mo Hua continued to look, releasing his Divine Sense, no longer using Tricky Calculation but only employing Calculation to deduce the Spirit Traces left by the Formation Patterns, murmuring softly to himself:


    ¡°The perimeter of the Xie family estate¡­¡±


    ¡°Originally was¡­ a Second Grade Golden Earth Gen Mountain Compound Formation, a defensive formation composed of the Five Elements Gold and Earth and the Eight Trigrams Gen Mountain¡­¡±


    ¡°But the Patterns have been altered¡­¡±


    ¡°Only the Golden Series Patterns were changed, the rest were untouched¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­through the alterations of the Golden Series Patterns, the changes to the Earth Series Formation, the effects have been altered¡­¡±


    ¡°The Second Grade Golden Earth Gen Mountain Compound Formation, turned into¡­¡±


    ¡°A Second Grade ¡®Burial¡¯ Earth Gen Mountain Compound Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°This Trapping Formation, has buried the entire Xie family within their own home¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The more Gu Changhuai listened, the more horrified he became, his tone becoming grave:


    ¡°Who told you this?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mo Hua was slightly startled.


    ¡°The matter of the Xie family¡¯s Formation¡­¡± Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was serious.


    Mo Hua expressed his confusion: ¡°Do you still need to be told about such things? Can¡¯t you see it at a glance¡­¡±


    See it at a glance¡­


    Gu Changhuai turned his head to look at the pitch-black scorched earth in front of him.


    See it at a glance, my ass?


    How could you possibly see it?


    It¡¯s pitch-black, all debris, everything is burned, what can you see?


    Gu Changhuai found it somewhat unbelievable.


    What Mo Hua said, was exactly the same as what the Taoist Court had verified¡­


    The difference was, on the side of the Taoist Court, they had several Second Grade Formation Masters examine the site from morning till night for three full days, and after careful comparison, they only then reconstructed the changes in these Formations from the rubble.


    Thus, they knew exactly what had been tampered with regarding the Xie family¡¯s Formation.


    But Mo Hua¡­


    He just walked over, took one look¡­


    Even from outside the warning Formation, without entering, he saw everything?


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s feelings were complex.


    While the evidence was before his eyes, common sense made him refuse to believe such an absurd truth.


    ¡°Did you¡­ really figure it out on your own?¡± Gu Changhuai asked, frowning.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Mo Hua said proudly, ¡°I am a disciple of Taixu Gate after all!¡±


    Not to mention, he had also learned Formation techniques from Elder Master Xun.


    These days, whenever he had Merit Points, he would go to the Merit Pavilion to exchange them for Formation studies, and he had learned countless Second Grade Formations.


    With Elder Master Xun¡¯s guidance, along with the profound Formation heritage accumulated by generations of Taixu Gate¡¯s predecessors, Mo Hua¡¯s foundation in Formation techniques was now even firmer than before.


    He was now a true Second Grade Formation Master, backed by the real heritage of a Great Sect!


    It was just that he had merit without name¡ªit was just a matter of assessment.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s frown deepened. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What does this have to do with Taixu Gate?


    Taixu Gate is not a Sect established on Formation techniques, so where could its disciples gain such incredible Formation expertise?


    Even a Sect established on Formation principles couldn¡¯t possibly do this!


    Besides, you haven¡¯t even been in the Sect for a full year¡­


    How much could you have possibly learned?


    Gu Changhuai stared at Mo Hua for a moment, and then with a slight shift in his thoughts, he asked:


    ¡°Do you want to go in and have a look?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Really?¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded.


    Mo Hua was somewhat skeptical.


    Uncle Gu¡­ is acting out of character¡­


    Originally, he didn¡¯t allow me to enter the Xie residence to look around.


    Now, without me asking, he¡¯s actually allowing me to go in.


    But he wasn¡¯t one to reject such an opportunity.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Mo Hua agreed, nodding.


    Gu Changhuai pulled out a golden waistplate.


    The waistplate, made of pure gold, was elegant and luxurious, far more valuable than the plain bronze waistplate Mo Hua owned.


    Mo Hua looked on enviously.


    But for now, he could only look.


    Holding the gold waistplate, Gu Changhuai lightly traced it over the warning Formation.


    A faint, invisible barrier was then opened.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Gu Changhuai took the lead and walked in.


    Hesitating for a moment, Mo Hua also stepped forward, following Gu Changhuai through the warning Formation and into the massacred Xie family estate.


    The moment his foot touched the ground, stepping on the charred surface where the blood had been burnt dry, a scream suddenly filled his ears.


    The voice was extremely harrowing, fraught with boundless pain.


    Under the broad daylight, Mo Hua¡¯s vision blurred for a moment.


    As if in the darkness of night, a sea of fire suddenly appeared before him.


    Within the sea of flames, countless figures could be seen running, struggling, and screaming in agony, like tormented souls suffering in hell.


    Executioners with ferocious faces raised their butcher knives, slaughtering, dismembering, reveling in the carnage.


    Blades pierced flesh, slit open chests, cut open bellies, and removed blood-drenched organs¡­


    The sea of fire churned as blood mingled with flame.


    Faces twisted in cruelty, like demons dancing chaotically.


    And those who died miserably looked like livestock sent to slaughte

 Chapter 954 - 954 637 Karmic Mutation

    ?Chapter 954: Chapter 637 Karmic Mutation Chapter 954: Chapter 637 Karmic Mutation Mo Hua¡¯s pupils contracted sharply.


    ¡°This is¡­ the scene of the Xie family¡¯s massacre?¡±


    Were these the soul memories lingering here of the Xie family Cultivators, brutally murdered and burnt to death in agony?


    Were these the Divine Thoughts of the Remnant Souls?


    Beneath the broad daylight, there was a sea of fire before his eyes.


    Mo Hua struggled to suppress his discomfort, concentrating his vision to witness this cruel ¡°slaughter¡± to the end¡­


    He wanted to know exactly what had happened to the Xie family¡­


    The mingling of blood and fire in the massacre continued.


    Demon Monsters resembling Sin Cultivators, with hideous smiles, raised their cleavers, slaughtering the Xie family Cultivators like pigs and cows, chopping them up one by one.


    After the Xie family Cultivators were killed, their bodies were gathered together¡­


    But in the unseen realm, it seemed something had started to operate.


    The scene that followed suddenly became blurry.


    The color of blood intensified suddenly, the sea of fire spread, obscuring everything before his eyes.


    The screams and wails in his ears were also as if torn apart, intermittent.


    It seemed that what followed was forbidden.


    It was as if some being had covered up the cause and effect, preventing Mo Hua from seeing what exactly happened after the massacre¡­


    Mo Hua frowned, his pupils pitch-black, Wily Minds possessing him as he employed the Heavenly Secret Calculation to continue peering.


    It seemed that the sea of fire flared up violently in response to Mo Hua¡¯s prying, with the firelight blood-red like flaming blood, rising in the wind to envelop both the killers and the killed, blocking Mo Hua¡¯s line of sight.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t care and continued to look.


    The sea of fire suddenly boiled over.


    Flames spread like serpents, baring their fangs at Mo Hua as if to intimidate.


    However, they did not dare offend Mo Hua.


    And Mo Hua lacked the power to ¡°see through¡± this sea of fire.


    Mo Hua sighed, know that the power to obscure cause and effect was too strong, and his own capacity for Calculation was simply not enough.


    Hence his gaze could not penetrate the facade of the sea of fire to peer at the true cause and effect.


    His method of ¡°Heavenly Secret Calculation¡± was based on his master¡¯s teachings, which he had tried to grasp by fumbling in the dark.


    The Calculation of Formations went fairly well, but the Calculation of Heavenly Secrets, it fell short by a considerable margin.


    After all, his master had not formally taught him the true Heavenly Secret Calculation.


    Or rather, there hadn¡¯t been the opportunity to properly teach him¡­


    The memory of a gentle and indulgent face surfaced in his mind¡­


    Mo Hua felt a twinge of pain in his heart.


    And soon, the sea of fire receded.


    Mo Hua¡¯s vision cleared up a bit.


    He saw that the sinister Sin Cultivators like Fire Buddha had disappeared.


    The Xie family¡¯s Cultivators were also gone, as if everything from flesh to Divine Sense had been completely ¡°evaporated.¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, puzzled.


    Just then, a jolt went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    Cause and effect seemed to be disordered momentarily.


    A trace of karmic mutation abruptly emerged, and the scene changed.


    On the ground, bizarre shadows overlapped and reappeared, the Xie family Cultivators, who had been ¡°dismembered¡± and died tragically, were piled up densely, numbering in the hundreds.


    They were like ashes of burnt wood.


    They were like slain livestock, drained of blood.


    They seemed to have been drained of everything.


    Casually discarded, unnoticed by anyone.


    Soon, the aura of karmic mutation intensified, a distorted aura rippled out¡­


    These remains of the Xie family began to stir, filled with resentment, they struggled and contorted, eerily standing up again.


    At the same time, their limbs began to transform.


    What were once human ¡°hands and feet¡± slowly became the forelimbs of oxen, the hooves of horses, akin to the ¡°livestock¡± of Non-Humans¡­


    And they had become some kind of monstrous, sinful ¡°karmic mutations.¡±


    They were already ¡°dead,¡± yet they lived in the form of ¡°karma.¡±


    They were no longer human but seemed like creatures that ¡°ate¡± humans¡­


    ¡°Demon Monsters?!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart throbbed in shock.


    Those freakish Demon Monsters that coveted Yu Er and haunted her nightmares appeared in his mind¡­


    Mo Hua looked carefully, silently comparing the two, his gaze sharpened.


    ¡°Not the same¡­¡±


    They seemed similar, but they were not the same thing.


    The Demon Monsters in Yu Er¡¯s nightmares were the minions of Demon Wraiths, the incarnations of Evil Thoughts.


    Their very existence was a sort of ¡°thought form.¡±


    While the ¡°animal¡± transformations of these Xie family Cultivators were closer to a mutation of the Heavenly Secret, a karmic mutation of cause and effect.


    More like¡­


    Taoist Demons?!


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart chilled as his gaze grew heavy.


    He could feel¡­


    Though the signs of karmic mutations were very subtle and the scale minimal, everything before him was indeed a harbinger of a ¡°Great Dao karmic mutation.¡±


    As Mo Hua was lost in thought with furrowed brows, these karmically mutated half-human half-beast ¡°Demon Monsters¡± suddenly had blood-red eyes and turned to look at Mo Hua. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With hatred in their death, seeking to devour a human.


    And Mo Hua was the only ¡°human¡± within this layer of causality.


    These ¡°Demon Monsters,¡± twisted and struggling, got up, and then one by one, their eyes fierce, they looked towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua stood still, his expression calm.


    In an instant, a surge of murderous intent swirled around.


    These ¡°Demon Monsters,¡± with shrieks and roars, using hands, feet, and hooves together, opened their gaping maws and charged towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua watched them silently, his expression filled with a trace of compassion.


    At the same time, behind Mo Hua, a sea of blood rose.


    A Corpse Mountain emerged abruptly.


    The whole mountain was filled with sinister Walking Corpses and Iron Corpses.


    A tall and majestic karmically mutated Corpse King, with blood-red eyes and a terrifying presence, reigned above countless hordes of corpses.


    The karmically transformed Non-Humans, those wishing to devour Mo Hua, the Demon Monsters, stopped in fear.


    The Corpse King¡¯s gaze was indifferent.


    In its eyes, these mere karmic mutations, numbering only in the hundreds, were but a swarm of ants.


    Moments later, the Corpse King let out a heaven-shaking roar.

 Chapter 955 - 955 637 Karmic Mutation_2

    ?Chapter 955: Chapter 637 Karmic Mutation_2 Chapter 955: Chapter 637 Karmic Mutation_2 Countless groups of corpses boiled over, and hundreds of Demon Monsters panicked.


    Later, blood stained the sky, and Walking Corpses from the mountains and ridges charged down like a raging torrent, immediately sweeping and tearing apart those ¡°karmically mutated¡± Demon Monsters, completely exterminating them.


    This slight sign of karmic mutation in the Xie family was also completely eradicated.


    However, after killing the mutated ¡°Demon Monsters,¡± the group of corpses incited their ferocity and roared towards the sky, their killing intent pervading the air.


    The sea of blood on Corpse Mountain became even more blood-red.


    The aura of the Taoist Demon also became heavier.


    Under the blood-covered sky, the aura of the Corpse King became more brutal.


    Its grim eyes turned redder, faintly showing signs of breaking free from its shackles and further mutating.


    Just then, a clear yet undeniable command sounded.


    ¡°Retreat!¡±


    The previously restless Corpse Mountain instantly quieted down.


    The group of corpses all bowed their heads in silence, not daring to make a sound.


    The Corpse King¡¯s blood-red eyes, saturated with bone-chilling killing intent and tumultuous ferocity, stared intently at Mo Hua, its nominally ¡°young master,¡± almost wishing to slaughter him immediately.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was indifferent as he met the Corpse King¡¯s eyes.


    This gaze, clear and transparent, also contained the irresistible authority of a ¡°superior.¡±


    The message in his gaze seemed to be, ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it a second time.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When the Corpse King met Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, it instantly flew into a rage.


    Just as it was about to resist, a mark ingrained deep within its body suddenly caused it immense pain, and its body, with faint blue Spiritual Pivot Formation Patterns like Dao Laws and Karmic chains, tightly bound it.


    The Corpse King, filled with fear, had no choice but to give up.


    Its eyes still glimmered with savagery and defiance, but its body honestly ¡°submitted.¡±


    The sea of blood receded, the zombies returned to their nests, and Corpse Mountain gradually vanished.


    Only the Corpse King, before disappearing, still gave Mo Hua a terrifying and sharp glance¡­


    As if to say, ¡°I will return¡­¡±


    Afterward, the sea of blood on Corpse Mountain completely receded, and the karmic sins dissipated.


    The slight sign of karmic mutation in the Xie family was also eradicated and disappeared.


    The raging fire also gradually extinguished¡­


    Mo Hua felt his vision blur again, the red of fire and blood fading away, replaced by the piercing daylight, disorienting him and making it hard to open his eyes¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Mo Hua?¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua!¡±


    A series of urgent voices sounded.


    Mo Hua was startled, slowly opened his eyes, and found himself lying next to Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai was frowning, continuously calling his name.


    Seeing that Mo Hua had awakened, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    If something had happened to this child, he really would have had no way to explain to his cousin and Yu Er.


    But immediately, he was full of doubts again.


    The earlier scene was still vivid before his eyes.


    As soon as Mo Hua entered the exterminated Xie family, his expression shocked, his face turned pale, and then his eyes lost focus, he closed his eyes and fainted.


    It seemed like¡­ he saw something he shouldn¡¯t have seen¡­


    Moreover, even more bizarre was that after Mo Hua fainted, the atmosphere of the entire Xie family suddenly became gloomy and oppressive.


    It seemed that some terrible thing was gradually mutating¡­


    An Evil Spirit was growing.


    Under the clear day, there was a bone-chilling coldness.


    Even Gu Changhuai, who was at the Golden Core Realm, felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, his heart filled with trepidation.


    And when Mo Hua opened his eyes, everything disappeared again¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua with a serious gaze and asked,


    ¡°What exactly¡­ happened?¡±


    Mo Hua rubbed his eyes, slowly sat up, and quickly reviewed the cause and effect in his mind.


    Sea of fire¡­ Xie family¡­ massacre¡­


    An obscured mystery enveloped by the sea of fire¡­


    Signs of Dao mutation¡­


    It seemed all these couldn¡¯t be mentioned.


    Once spoken, it would bring serious trouble to himself.


    Especially about the ¡°Taoist Demon,¡± this was a taboo for the Taoist Court¡­


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua said,


    ¡°I studied Formation too hard, drew too much, and overused my Divine Sense, so I occasionally faint, but I¡¯ll be fine after a while¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai, upon hearing this, knew Mo Hua was talking nonsense.


    He was energetic just before, his eyes brimming with life and gleaming, how could he suddenly faint due to an overuse of Divine Sense?


    This kid definitely had something he didn¡¯t want to say¡­


    Gu Changhuai deeply looked at Mo Hua and asked,


    ¡°So, will you still inspect this Xie family?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I will.¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded, didn¡¯t say much, but took Mo Hua and spent two hours exploring the devastated, charred remains of the Xie family.


    The entire Xie family was reduced to ashes.


    Everything had turned into cinders.


    After making a full round, Mo Hua didn¡¯t find any anomalies.


    Occasionally, he would find a small clue, but these were already known to Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai had deep Cultivation, rich experience, sharp observation, and the intuition of a Supervisor.


    Besides some ¡°incredibly strange¡± things beyond grasp¡ªmatters of Heavenly secrets and Karmic cause¡ªwhatever Mo Hua could find, Gu Changhuai had definitely noticed earlier.


    The things Mo Hua couldn¡¯t discover, Gu Changhuai could also discern.


    In terms of investigation, Gu Changhuai was extremely professional.


    Mo Hua followed Gu Changhuai as they generally walked through the Xie family, inspecting the surroundings.


    The Fire Buddha and his group had been very ¡°clean.¡±


    From people to houses, the Xie family had been burnt to a piece of scorched earth, thus not leaving any excess traces.


    Apart from the scenes seen in that sea of fire, there indeed weren¡¯t any further clues.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    Gu Changhuai, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s disappointed expression, wasn¡¯t surprised.


    The Taoist Court had searched inside and out of the Xie family many times over; if there really was something, it would have been discovered long ago.

 Chapter 956 - 956 637 Karmic Mutation_3

    ?Chapter 956: 637 Chapter Karmic Mutation_3 Chapter 956: 637 Chapter Karmic Mutation_3 ¡°It¡¯s impossible to wait for Mo Hua to figure anything out.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Gu Changhuai said indifferently.


    He wanted to take Mo Hua back to the Gu Family safely and give her to his cousin, which would also save him some trouble.


    Otherwise, having this youngster with him while roaming around might cause complications and accidents.


    Just like what had happened earlier¡­


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    He hadn¡¯t discovered anything and had no choice but to return for now.


    But as he turned to leave, Mo Hua suddenly paused, turned his head, and took another look at the ruins of the Xie family¡¯s estate. His brows slowly furrowed.


    Gu Changhuai, somewhat taken aback, asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then said slowly, ¡°Uncle Gu, do you have the Taoist architectural plans of the Xie family¡¯s estate?¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can I see them?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze darkened slightly, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I need to find a place¡­¡±


    ¡°Find a place?¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned, thought briefly, then without asking further, he nodded:


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Gu Changhuai found a relatively clean area, took out a scroll from his storage bag, unrolled it on the ground, and said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°This is the architectural plan of the Xie family¡¯s estate¡­¡±


    The plan marked the estate¡¯s terrain, buildings, and the formations used in the structures, among other things¡­


    Mo Hua was very familiar with this type of plan.


    He began to search painstakingly through the architectural plans¡­


    In the fiery scene that had just emerged, after the Fire Buddha killed the Xie family cultivators, he gathered their corpses in one place.


    The critical scenes after that were engulfed by flames, obscured the consequences, and Mo Hua couldn¡¯t see through it.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see the secrets hidden beneath the flames and didn¡¯t know exactly what the Fire Buddha had done after killing,


    he still vaguely remembered the nearby scenes.


    These scenes were clearly within the Xie family¡¯s premises.


    Yet, he had just explored the area and hadn¡¯t found any similar landmarks.


    ¡°There must be a place I overlooked¡­¡±


    Mo Hua replayed the scenes in the sea of fire repeatedly in his mind, and then compared them with the map of the Xie estate to locate similar places.


    Finally, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    On the architectural plan, in one corner of the Xie family¡¯s backyard, there was a hidden attic with an open space in front of it, surrounded by side chambers and potted plants for planting flowers.


    The entire layout and setting matched the scenes in his memory.


    Mo Hua pointed to the attic¡¯s courtyard on the map, ¡°Uncle Gu, let¡¯s go check this place.¡±


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua in surprise and then nodded slightly.


    Then, the two followed the map, walking through paths that were unrecognizable, stepping on ashes, until they arrived at the location of the attic.


    The area around the attic had collapsed, and the charred wooden beams and walls had fallen, blocking the path.


    That¡¯s why Mo Hua hadn¡¯t discovered it before.


    Gu Changhuai took out a paper fan, waved it casually, and a surge of spiritual power burst forth, clearing the path.


    Mo Hua continued inside and reached the courtyard in front of the attic.


    This place was secluded and hidden,


    and the attic had also been burned, with even bigger fire damage here, leaving fewer remnants of the building.


    The courtyard was desolate with everything still appearing scorched-black, no different from other areas.


    After searching for a while, they found no clues.


    Gu Changhuai looked back at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua frowned deeply, lost in thought.


    ¡°There are no traces¡­¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, and in the void, it was still a scene of nothingness, with only the residual Fire Spiritual Power from the ruins and nothing else out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Nothing?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s brow furrowed even more deeply, then suddenly, he paused and couldn¡¯t help but sniff.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, do you smell anything?¡±


    ¡°The smell?¡± Gu Changhuai also sniffed lightly and frowned, ¡°A burnt smell?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, and then sniffed again, his eyes slightly focused.


    ¡°Very faint¡­¡±


    ¡°Refreshing, but with a slightly strange scent, it seems a bit sticky and moist¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai, somewhat speechless, frowned and said:


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re referring to a smell you detected with your nose, not a taste you¡¯re savoring in your mouth?¡±


    ¡°A taste hidden in the mouth?¡±


    Mo Hua paused, suddenly startled.


    He remembered!


    Is this¡­


    the scent of golden marrow?


    Sheep-Horned Enforcer¡­ Essence of Divine Thought! sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Is this¡­ the breath of an Evil God?!


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, he perked up his nose, sniffed again, and then following the faint ¡°scent¡± of the Divine Thought, found a corner of the courtyard.


    Mo Hua sniffed again, then rummaged around, and from the corner, he turned up a heap of charred residue.


    Gu Changhuai stepped forward to take a look and also sniffed, even checking with Divine Sense, then ultimately looked somewhat disappointed:


    ¡°Just ordinary residue, nothing special.¡±


    ¡°Just not sure¡­ what was burnt to form it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, a grave look on his face, ¡°This isn¡¯t ordinary!¡±


    He had smelled the ¡°scent of the Evil God¡± on it.


    However, he also didn¡¯t know exactly what these pitch-black residues were.


    Nor could he distinguish them.


    But these residues were definitely not ordinary.


    They were the truth hidden under the great fire, remnants left by some unknown entities after obscuring causality.


    Likely, astonishing secrets were hidden within.


    Seeing Mo Hua, who was usually innocent and crafty, showing such a serious expression, Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t help but take it more seriously.


    He took out a storage bag, divided the residues into two portions, and carefully sealed them for preservation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take them back and have the Taoist Court Official in charge of inspections look into it to see what these residues are remnants of¡­¡±


    Whether they¡¯re Spiritual Artifacts, Spiritual Objects, Pills, or¡­


    human flesh.


    Mo Hua nodded, then asked, ¡°If they find out¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed, ¡°If they find out, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mo Hua looked up at the Xie family, which had been exterminated and erased.


    Extermination of the entire family, destruction of the corpses and traces.


    Obscuring of causality.


    Traces of karmic mutation.


    And¡­


    the scent of the Evil God on the pitch-black residues¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s brow tightened.


    He had originally thought this was just a ruthless act of inhuman slaughter led by the Fire Buddha and a group of Sin Cultivators.


    But now, it seemed the water here might run very, very deep¡­

 Chapter 957 - 957 638 Passing the Message

    ?Chapter 957: Chapter 638: Passing the Message Chapter 957: Chapter 638: Passing the Message The Xie family¡¯s mansion had been thoroughly inspected, both visibly and otherwise.


    Once everything was done here, the Xie family¡¯s residence was no place for an extended stay.


    Mo Hua then followed Gu Changhuai to leave.


    As they reached the entrance, Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and pulled out a flask of wine from his storage bag.


    However, it was fruit wine, which seemed rather inappropriate.


    So, Mo Hua raised his head and asked Gu Changhuai, ¡°Uncle Gu, do you have any strong liquor?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback, nodded, and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then, without asking further, he took out an exquisite jade flask from his storage bag and handed it to Mo Hua.


    A strong aroma of liquor dispersed into the air.


    Mo Hua poured the flask of strong liquor over the doorstep of the Xie family¡¯s home.


    The images of the Xie family members, slaughtered like ¡°livestock¡± and dying tragic deaths, their bodies grotesquely mutated, surfaced in his mind¡­


    Mo Hua silently said in his heart:


    ¡°Rest in peace¡­¡±


    ¡°I will ensure that Fire Buddha will join you in your burial¡­¡±


    ¡­


    On the way back, Mo Hua sat in the carriage, kept silent, and furrowed his brows in contemplation:


    Why did Fire Buddha kill the entire Xie family?


    What did he do after slaughtering them all?


    What was the black residue?


    Why does it have the aura of the Great Wilderness Evil God?


    What¡¯s the connection between this matter and the one who claims to be ¡°Master of the Great Wilderness¡±?


    A sacrifice?


    Were the cultivators of the Xie family treated as offerings?


    Are those Sin Cultivators under Fire Buddha the servants of the Master of the Great Wilderness? S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But what exactly is the ritual of this sacrifice?


    And that ¡°fleeting as the bloom of a night-blooming cereus,¡± the poppy-like, black and purple, exceedingly ugly yet decaying, soaked in depraved desires, the effect of Heavenly Secret Karma he once witnessed¡­


    Could it also be related to this matter?


    The most puzzling thing was the Taoist Demon¡­


    Mo Hua initially thought that ¡°Taoist Demons¡± could only emerge in destitute places where low-ranking cultivators suffered persecution, giving rise to despair and sin.


    But unexpectedly, signs of a Taoist Demon appeared near the prosperous Qianxue State Boundary, a place known for its devotion to the scholarly pursuit of Tao Cultivation.


    Moreover, it seemed¡­


    Nobody had realized it.


    Was it because the Qianxue region had fallen out of the Heavenly Secret Calculation, leaving no cultivator able to predict it?


    Or was it due to greedy desires blinding them, being too obsessed with fame and fortune to see it?


    Or perhaps, was the Heavenly Secret obscured?


    Just like that sea of flames, which concealed some of Fire Buddha¡¯s actions, was the matter of the Taoist Demon also covered up by someone?


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows locked tightly, the more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed, and the more riddles filled his mind, leaving his thoughts in utter chaos¡­


    After pondering for a long time, he began to feel a headache.


    This time his Divine Sense really had become a bit overtaxed¡­


    Mo Hua then cleared his mind, lay on the soft blanket, and looked at the scenery outside the carriage, thinking about nothing.


    Eventually, the answers would be revealed step by step.


    To start with capturing ¡°Fire Buddha¡±¡­


    He had promised those tragically deceased cultivators of the Xie family that he would have Fire Buddha join them in their burial.


    Although all the cultivators from the Xie family were dead, their bodies and Remnant Souls vanished, knowing nothing anymore.


    But since he had said it, he needed to follow through.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, his eyes resolute.


    On the other side, Gu Changhuai also silently observed Mo Hua.


    Having brought Mo Hua along was a choice made of necessity, but to his surprise, Mo Hua had indeed found some clues that even he, a Dao Court Canon, had missed.


    This child¡­


    Was it because of his young age and the purity of a child¡¯s heart that his thoughts differed from those of ordinary people?


    Or was he inherently sharp-witted, with a meticulous mind and keen Divine Sense?


    Or perhaps¡­


    It was some other reason¡­


    Gu Changhuai had many doubts in his heart.


    He realized that he could no longer treat Mo Hua as just a simple, ten-year-old child.


    The same was true for the matter of Yu Er.


    Although reluctant to admit it, this child might indeed be able to see some unknown secrets that ordinary cultivators could not¡­


    Since that was the case¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s slender fingers gently tapped on the table, and after contemplating for a moment, he gradually formed a plan in his heart¡­


    ¡­


    As evening approached, the sun began to set.


    When twilight descended, the sunset was like spilled ink, staining the sky with a myriad of colors.


    Mo Hua and company finally returned to the Gu residence.


    Wenren Wan was waiting at the entrance; seeing that Mo Hua appeared tired but was unharmed in limb and body, she then relaxed.


    Afterward, she chided Gu Changhuai:


    ¡°Why so late?¡±


    ¡°Mo Hua¡¯s break is only two days; he has classes and cultivation practice tomorrow. What if his studies are delayed?¡±


    ¡°As an adult, how can you still lack such judgment¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai wore a helpless expression and sighed.


    Ever since he was a child staying at his cousin¡¯s house, he had often been scolded by her.


    Now, being over a hundred years old, a Golden Core Great Cultivator, a Dao Court Court Official, he still couldn¡¯t avoid it¡­


    Mo Hua tried to make excuses for him: ¡°Aunt Wan, it¡¯s my fault, I played around too much, which caused us to be late¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked apologetic.


    Wenren Wan patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡­¡±


    Then she glanced at Gu Changhuai again, ¡°See, a child like Mo Hua knows better than you do¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face showed a bitter smile.


    Mo Hua felt helpless and gave him an ¡®I can¡¯t help you¡¯ expression.


    Aunt Wan only caught Uncle Gu to reprimand, and he couldn¡¯t assist.


    The group then had dinner together.


    Wenren Wan had prepared many delicious dishes, and both Mo Hua and Yu Er ate joyfully, while Gu Changhuai sullenly sat to the side.


    After dinner was done, it was getting late, and Wenren Wan decided to personally send the two children back to the Taixu Gate.


    Gu Changhuai said, ¡°Sister, let me do it.¡±


    Wenren Wan gave Gu Changhuai a look, and said with a softened tone, ¡°You go rest, the business of the Dao Court is hectic; don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡±

 Chapter 958 - 958 638 Delivering a Message_2

    ?Chapter 958: Chapter 638: Delivering a Message_2 Chapter 958: Chapter 638: Delivering a Message_2 Gu Changhuai was taken aback, warmth blossomed in his heart, though it was hard to tell from his expression.


    Wenren Wan stopped paying attention to him, holding Yu Er, she proceeded to the carriage first.


    Having eaten to his fill, Mo Hua followed contently behind and walked towards the carriage as well.


    ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    Gu Changhuai suddenly spoke.


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled and turned to look at Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai hesitated for a moment, then took out a token and handed it to Mo Hua.


    The token was made of white jade, lustrous throughout, but unmarked, leaving its purpose a mystery.


    Mo Hua skeptically received the token, scrutinized it briefly, and his heart skipped a beat, ¡°Uncle Gu, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Letter Token.¡±


    Gu Changhuai looked somewhat reluctant as he spoke softly,


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything in the future, use this jade token to send me a message¡­¡±


    ¡°But there are limitations to this token. It cannot be too far. If we are not in the same state boundary, I won¡¯t receive your messages¡­¡±


    ¡°When I¡¯m on official duties at times, I might not carry the Letter Token, so I won¡¯t receive anything you send¡­¡±


    ¡°Be careful when using it too, don¡¯t lose or damage it¡­¡±


    ¡°Though it¡¯s just a Second Grade Letter Token, it¡¯s not easy to acquire, especially these specially made ones from the Dao Court Canon, with good confidentiality, there are no places to buy even with Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was stern-faced but still detailed these precautions to Mo Hua with ¡°care.¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡±


    Mo Hua took the jade token, incredibly delighted.


    Letter Token!


    This was a complete, fully functional Letter Token!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were glowing.


    Gu Changhuai, seeing Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, suddenly felt a bit uneasy.


    He suddenly felt that perhaps¡­ he should not have given this Letter Token to Mo Hua.


    And the feeling was very strong.


    Like¡­


    Using a little white rabbit to feed a big grey wolf¡­


    This was his intuition as a Dao Court Canon.


    But it had already been given, he couldn¡¯t take it back, could he?


    Wouldn¡¯t that be embarrassing?


    Gu Changhuai frowned.


    In that instant, Mo Hua seemed to have sensed Gu Changhuai¡¯s thoughts, and with a swoosh, creating a blur with the speed of blocking one¡¯s ears against thunder, he tucked the Letter Token away.


    It entered Mo Hua¡¯s Storage Bag without giving Gu Changhuai time to react, let alone reconsider.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Gu!¡±


    Mo Hua cheerfully said.


    Gu Changhuai was stunned for a moment but had to brace himself, adopting a stiff look, ¡°No need to be polite¡­¡±


    Inside the carriage, Wenren Wan saw this scene and was somewhat surprised.


    This cousin of hers, whom she had watched grow up, was a bit reclusive and proud, rarely engaging in much conversation.


    But unexpectedly, he now seemed to be on such ¡°good¡± terms with Mo Hua.


    Even going as far as to give Mo Hua a gift.


    It was as if the sun had risen from the west.


    It seemed her decision was right¡­


    Wenren Wan felt reassured in her heart.


    Mo Hua, with the Letter Token pocketed, bid farewell to Gu Changhuai and then boarded the Gu Family¡¯s carriage, escorted by Wenren Wan and Yu Er back to Taixu Gate.


    It was getting dark, deepening into night.


    The carriage moved along the road, bordered by long swaths of pitch-black night curtain, adorned with specks of dim yellow lights.


    It was quiet and tranquil. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The carriage, accompanied by the ¡°clip-clop clip-clop¡± of horse hooves, moved along.


    Mo Hua had been running around since yesterday from the Daoist Prison of Luan Mountain City to the ruins of the Xie family, barely resting.


    Now feeling relaxed with Aunt Wan by his side, weariness quickly swept over him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids fought a losing battle, and he soon gently closed his eyes, quietly falling asleep.


    His breathing was even, his dark eyelashes casting onto his tender cheeks, looking innocently lovely, painting quite a breathtaking picture under the light of the lamps.


    Wenren Wan took a glance and was amazed.


    Mo Hua was indeed good-looking.


    With a pure aura and gentle eyes, his mixed qualities naturally formed a translucent jade-like beauty.


    He was still young, his face still carrying traces of youthful naivety, looking adorable.


    If he grew up, he would definitely be extremely handsome.


    Just didn¡¯t know which young lady would be so fortunate in the future¡­


    Wenren Wan smiled subtly, playfully thinking to herself, then gently covered Mo Hua with a blanket.


    When Mo Hua woke up, he had already arrived at Taixu Gate.


    He bid farewell to Wenren Wan and, holding Yu Er¡¯s hand, walked into the mountain gate of Taixu Gate.


    Yu Er was somewhat reluctant to leave her mother, looking back every few steps, her eyes moist.


    Wenren Wan also felt reluctant, but still gently waved her hand.


    At the base of Mount Taixu, the cold night wind began to rise.


    Wenren Wan stood alone in the night at the foot of the mountain, watching as Yu Er was led by Mo Hua into the brightly lit Taixu Gate.


    ¡­


    Back in the Sect after returning, the days went on as usual.


    Mo Hua practiced his cultivation every day, and his cultivation was slowly growing.


    His proficiency in formations deepened bit by bit.


    And when he had free time, he began to ponder the Letter Token that Uncle Gu had given him.


    This was his first time using such a Letter Token.


    Taixu Token could also send messages, but its functions were too many, and the internal formation structure was too complicated for him to understand.


    Unlike the Letter Token in his hand, which was simple and straightforward.


    While sending messages, Mo Hua could even sense the emergence of Magnetic Ink, the changing of Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, and the faint sensing of Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    The formation logic of the Letter Token was based on the common Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, but it was more complex.


    In an attempt to understand this formation, and to inquire about the news of the Fire Buddha, Mo Hua would, when he had time, try to send messages to Gu Changhuai:

 Chapter 959 - 959 638 Passing the Book_3

    ?Chapter 959: Chapter 638 Passing the Book_3 Chapter 959: Chapter 638 Passing the Book_3 ¡°Uncle Gu.¡±


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t respond.


    After a while, Mo Hua sent another message, ¡°Uncle Gu¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai still didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Is the Letter Token broken?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you receive it?¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to himself and thought about it before continuing to send messages:


    ¡°Uncle Gu?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Gu?¡±


    ¡°Are you there?¡±


    Perhaps unable to bear the annoyance any longer, the person on the other end finally replied:


    ¡°Not here.¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°If you¡¯re not here, who is replying to me?¡±


    Gu Changhuai seemed to be quite irritated, and after a while, he calmed down and asked,


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°That black residue, have you found anything?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, not so fast¡­¡±


    ¡°What about Flower Gentleman¡¯s Letter Token? Is there any information on it?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was halfway through sending his reply when he suddenly hesitated, ¡°How did you know it was a Letter Token?¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°I could tell at a glance!¡±


    The day Flower Gentleman died in the Taoist Prison, Uncle Gu had searched Flower Gentleman¡¯s Storage Bag.


    Mo Hua had been watching him closely and noticed that his expression changed when he flipped through a Jade Slip, so he guessed that the Jade Slip must have something wrong with it.


    Mo Hua suspected it was a Letter Token.


    Initially, he wasn¡¯t quite sure, but looking at Uncle Gu¡¯s tone now, it certainly was.


    Gu Changhuai was a bit exasperated:


    ¡°Can¡¯t you find a better excuse?¡±


    You can tell at a glance every day¡­


    Do you have three eyes?


    Mo Hua sent a message back: ¡°These are trivial matters, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Then Mo Hua quickly changed the topic: ¡°Uncle Gu, is there any clue in the Letter Token?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡±


    ¡°Nothing then¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai helplessly: ¡°Why are you so sure there isn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I guessed, but I¡¯m sure there isn¡¯t, the message on it must have been erased¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had experience with this.


    If it wasn¡¯t erased by Flower Gentleman himself, it might have been an ¡°inside job¡± by someone in the Dao Court.


    But it was definitely erased.


    He had a Letter Token in his possession with its message erased.


    It came from the man who was bald but wore a wig, and his head bore the Four Symbols Hawk Claw Formation, known as ¡°Bald Eagle.¡±


    Mo Hua had always wanted to restore the erased text on this Letter Token.


    But now, he had limited access to the Yuan Magnetic Formation and his skills were lacking, he could only try his luck with ¡°unsealing¡± or ¡°decrypting.¡±


    He still couldn¡¯t ¡°restore¡± the Magnetic Patterns to recover text.


    Restoring was much more complicated.


    Mo Hua still hadn¡¯t figured it out.


    While working in the Dao Court office, Gu Changhuai sighed.


    He looked around and always felt as if Mo Hua had installed some surveillance formation nearby, watching his every move¡­


    Or maybe this kid could predict and divine like a god¡­


    Gu Changhuai shook his head and sighed,


    ¡°Yes, it was erased¡­¡± Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua immediately asked, ¡°Can it be restored?¡±


    ¡°Not sure.¡±


    Not sure, but not impossible to restore¡­


    Does that mean there is a way to restore the Letter Token at the Dao Court office?


    Is there at least a method to restore a Letter Token?


    ¡°How can this be restored?¡± Mo Hua asked earnestly.


    Gu Changhuai alertly: ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    Mo Hua used Magnetic Ink to create an image of a ¡°smiley face¡±: ¡°I¡¯m curious¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai: ¡°I¡¯m not a Formation Master.¡±


    Meaning he didn¡¯t know the specifics of how to ¡°restore¡± it.


    Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed but then asked, ¡°Then who do you guys get to ¡®restore¡¯ the Letter Token?¡±


    Gu Changhuai hadn¡¯t answered when Mo Hua suddenly remembered:


    ¡°Heaven Shu Pavilion?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was startled.


    Mo Hua: ¡°Right?¡±


    Gu Changhuai: ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and replied, ¡°I learned it in the Sect, the Yuan Magnetic Formation is a secret formation, not something general Formation Masters would learn.¡±


    ¡°The external Formation Masters hired by the Dao Court may know the basic Yuan Magnetic Formation, but they most likely wouldn¡¯t know how to restore Magnetic Patterns.¡±


    ¡°Because restoring a Letter Token involves complex Formation principles¡­¡±


    He hadn¡¯t even mastered it yet¡­


    Mo Hua muttered to himself and then continued sending messages:


    ¡°Heaven Shu Pavilion externally hired Formation Masters, couldn¡¯t ¡®restore¡¯ it, so we had to find the central Heaven Shu Pavilion of the Daoist Court.¡±


    ¡°Heaven Shu Pavilion is affiliated with the Central Daoist Court and is responsible for Formation Master assessments. It¡¯s rich in Formation Study and has countless Great Formation Masters, certainly capable of ¡®restoring¡± the Letter Token¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spoke logically and fluently.


    Gu Changhuai was expressionless.


    He didn¡¯t want to admit that his actions had all been ¡°guessed¡± by Mo Hua.


    But the fact was, Mo Hua guessed everything correctly, and everything he said was indeed true.


    Really like a ¡°Minor Religious Con Artist¡±¡­


    Gu Changhuai: ¡°Suppose so¡­¡±


    Mo Hua curiously asked, ¡°Can it really be ¡®restored¡¯?¡±


    Gu Changhuai: ¡°Hard to say.¡±


    Mo Hua drew a ¡°speechless little face.¡±


    Gu Changhuai, feeling helpless, sighed and explained:


    ¡°¡®Restoring¡¯ the Letter Token is quite troublesome, indeed, it has to be handled by Heaven Shu Pavilion¡­¡±


    ¡°In the Heaven Shu Pavilion of the Central Daoist Court, I have an old friend, so I entrusted the Letter Token¡­¡±


    Mo Hua exclaimed, ¡°Uncle Gu, you still have old friends?¡±


    Such a bad temper, not good with people, yet still has old friends¡­


    Gu Changhuai felt annoyed and sent a: ¡°Do you still want to know?¡±


    ¡°Oh oh.¡±


    Mo Hua quickly behaved himself.


    Gu Changhuai gathered his thoughts and continued: ¡°I handed over the Flower Gentleman¡¯s Letter Token to Heaven Shu Pavilion, asking someone to ¡®restore¡¯ it¡­¡±


    ¡°But the process is long, costly, and the application procedures are complicated¡­¡±


    ¡°The Yuan Magnetic Formations are rather obscure, not all Formation Masters are proficient in it.¡±


    ¡°And the Formation Masters who can really ¡®restore¡¯ a Letter Token are all prominent Great Formation Masters, with very prestigious statuses, and limited time, hardly available to handle a second-grade case for the Daoist Court, to ¡®restore¡¯ such a small Letter Token¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the Daoist Court Officials are subordinates of the Daoist Court, in terms of status, in terms of authority, even a fifth-grade Daoist Court Official is far less prestigious than any one of the Seven Stars Pavilion within Tian Shu Pavilion¡­¡±


    ¡°Whether they¡¯re willing to help depends on their time, their mood, and also their disposition¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai said displeasedly: ¡°Formation Masters really put on airs¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯m also a Formation Master, and I don¡¯t put on airs!¡±


    Gu Changhuai looked down with disdain: ¡°You¡¯re not even a second-grade Formation Master, are you?¡±


    ¡°I have the capability of a second-grade, just haven¡¯t been assessed yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gu Changhuai said noncommittally, ¡°Every unassessed Formation Master says that.¡±


    Mo Hua snorted coldly, deciding not to explain to Uncle Gu, this ¡°Formation illiterate.¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°If¡­ Heaven Shu Pavilion there doesn¡¯t want to ¡®restore¡¯ this Letter Token, let me try¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused for a long time on the other side, no reply.


    After who knows how long, he replied with a single word:


    ¡°You?¡±


    Mo Hua felt the strong doubt.


    He was somewhat unconvinced.


    Don¡¯t underestimate the young due to poverty.


    Although he didn¡¯t know how yet, he had already learned to unseal and decrypt, further ¡®restoring¡¯ magnetic patterns was only a matter of time.


    He just needed to study a bit more himself.


    Mo Hua snorted coldly.


    Once he truly learned how to ¡®restore¡¯ magnetic patterns, Uncle Gu would probably have to watch his ¡°mood.¡±


    He was a Supervisor, dealing with cases every day, sooner or later he would encounter a situation requiring the restoration of a Letter Token, by then he would definitely come asking for help¡­


    Thinking of Uncle Gu asking him for help, Mo Hua felt slightly victorious.


    But for now, since he didn¡¯t know how, he still needed to keep a low profile.


    Mo Hua: ¡°I¡¯m learning it¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t know what to say, so he replied noncommittally again:


    ¡°Fine, talk when you¡¯ve learned it¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy, don¡¯t bother me anymore.¡±


    Gu Changhuai finished speaking and added two more lines:


    ¡°Contact me only if it¡¯s urgent!¡±


    ¡°This Letter Token isn¡¯t meant for you to chat with!¡±


    After that, Gu Changhuai disappeared from the conversation.


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    He was discussing serious matters¡­


    At most, he was just a bit talkative¡­


    What could be more serious than catching clues about Fire Buddha?


    If not this, what else could they talk about?


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Uncle Gu, what a man, no wonder he¡¯s so unpopular, nobody wants to play with him.


    It¡¯s only because I¡¯m kind-hearted that I don¡¯t mind his bad temper¡­


    Although I don¡¯t mind it, I can¡¯t be looked down upon either.


    Mo Hua decided to set aside other matters for now and learn how to ¡®restore¡¯ the Letter Token first.


    One must stand up for oneself.


    Eventually, he would show Uncle Gu some ¡°color.¡±


    And Uncle Gu had also said that this kind of magnetic pattern ¡®restoration¡¯ only Great Formation Masters from Heaven Shu Pavilion could do.


    Only Great Formation Masters!


    Then he must learn it too! To become a ¡°Great Formation Master¡± in the future!


    Mo Hua nodded, then began flipping through the Merit Scrolls and some Yuan Magnetic Formation Books, studying the principles of magnetic pattern ¡®restoration¡¯ in the Letter Token.


    He wanted to deepen his understanding of Yuan Magnetic Formations based on the knowledge of unsealing and decrypting, and grasp more profound applications of formation principles¡­

 Chapter 960 - 960 639 Restore

    ?Chapter 960: Chapter 639: Restore Chapter 960: Chapter 639: Restore ¡°How do you ¡®restore¡¯ the Letter Token?¡±


    After several days of exploration and a review of numerous Formation Books, combined with his own understanding of the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, Mo Hua had some ideas.


    Restoring the Letter Token was based on the principle of ¡°Yuan Magnetic Letter Transfer.¡±


    The Yuan Magnetic Formation in ordinary Jade Slips was a Single Formation.


    However, the Yuan Magnetic Formation involved in the Letter Token was a Compound Formation.


    The Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation required the Formation Pivot to control the transfer of Magnetic Patterns between different Yuan Magnetic Formations and the conveyance of messages.


    Through the Letter Token in his hand, Mo Hua discovered:


    If he wanted to send a message to Uncle Gu, he first had to use his Divine Sense to manipulate the Magnetic Ink and reveal the text.


    As the text appeared and the Magnetic Ink changed, it would cause the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns to change.


    These Unfixed Magnetic Patterns would then be conveyed through subtle Secondary Thunder Patterns to the Fixed Magnetic Patterns.


    The control of the Formation Pivot within the Fixed Magnetic Patterns and the sensing of Magnetic Patterns would transmit these pattern changes to another Letter Token within the same Compound Formation¡ªthe one belonging to Uncle Gu and the underlying Fixed Magnetic Patterns in his ¡°Letter Token.¡±


    Afterward, Uncle Gu¡¯s Letter Token, via the underlying Fixed Magnetic Patterns, would receive the sensing.


    Then, through the processes of Secondary Thunder Patterns, Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, Magnetic Ink, and text, this sensing would manifest as text.


    The entire process was the transmission of text information in one Letter Token, from the surface to the core, successively through Magnetic Ink, Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, Secondary Thunder Patterns, Fixed Magnetic Patterns, and Formation Pivot sensing, to another Letter Token.


    The other Letter Token, from the core to the surface, through the underlying Fixed Magnetic Patterns, Secondary Thunder Patterns, Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, Magnetic Ink in succession, ultimately manifested as text.


    When put together, this was a complete, complex cycle of the Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    These were not things he could learn at present.


    With his current level of Divine Sense, he could not learn this type of compound Yuan Magnetic Formation method.


    At least not until he had reached the Seventeen Patterns, Foundation Establishment Late Stage.


    Fortunately, to ¡°restore¡± the text of the Letter Token, there was no need to master the entire set of Yuan Magnetic sensing in the Compound Formation, only to intercept the final segment of the Yuan Magnetic transmission.


    Once the text was transmitted, the entire process was fixed.


    Erasing the text merely erased the final Magnetic Ink and altered the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns; the other processes would not change.


    The Fixed Magnetic Patterns were immutable.


    The Magnetic Flow was the Secondary Thunder Flow, latent, fixed remnants of the Yuan Magnetic Flow within the Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    Thus, it was only necessary to reconstruct the Fixed Magnetic Patterns within the Letter Token.


    Concurrently, using Calculation, he peered into and recorded the traces left by the Magnetic Flow in the form of Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    With the Fixed Magnetic Patterns and the Secondary Thunder Patterns, it was possible to simulate the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns.


    Once the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns were determined, they could be ¡°restored¡± to text using Magnetic Ink.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    This entire set of Formation logic was something he had figured out on his own. It might have some flaws, but overall there should be no significant errors.


    Once a Letter Token was used, it inevitably produced Magnetic Flows, leaving traces of Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    Such Secondary Thunder Patterns were faint and obscure, invisible to ordinary cultivators.


    By integrating the Heavenly Secret Calculation to amplify his Divine Sense, he could observe these hidden traces of Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    Currently, the only issue was actually the Fixed Magnetic Patterns¡­


    Mo Hua realized that the Fixed Magnetic Patterns in different Letter Tokens were actually different.


    This was something he hadn¡¯t realized before.


    It was after dismantling the Letter Token sent to him by Gu Changhuai that Mo Hua truly understood¡­ Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Looking at the Letter Token in his hand, now split into two pieces, exposing the underlying Fixed Formation Pattern but slightly damaged due to his ¡°crude¡± technique¡ªwith some cracks on the Jade Token¡ªit was already a ¡°battle-damaged¡± version of the ¡°Letter Token,¡± and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh¡­


    To study the Formation, Mo Hua ¡°reluctantly¡± dismantled the Letter Token Uncle Gu gave him¡­


    He had three Tokens involving the Yuan Magnetic Letter Formation principle.


    The Taixu Token from Taixu Gate, he definitely couldn¡¯t dismantle.


    Even if he wanted to, he lacked the ability¡­


    The Bald Eagle¡¯s Letter Token also couldn¡¯t be dismantled for the time being.


    There might be secrets inside. If damaged during dismantling, the secrets would be lost.


    So, after much consideration, he could only dismantle the Letter Token sent by Uncle Gu.


    If destroyed, at most he would apologize to Uncle Gu, but there wouldn¡¯t be much loss.


    Through this ¡°learning by doing¡± disassembly, Mo Hua truly understood some of the Formation logic inside.


    He also realized that if he wanted to restore the ¡°Magnetic Patterns¡± to recreate the ¡°text,¡± the biggest obstacle at present was the Fixed Magnetic Patterns.


    Because Mo Hua discovered he couldn¡¯t understand the Fixed Magnetic Patterns within the Letter Token¡­


    Having learned the Fixed Magnetic Patterns in the Second Grade Sixteen Patterns, Beacon Fire Yuan Magnetic Formation by heart¡­


    But the Fixed Formation Patterns in the Letter Token were a complete mystery to him.


    Although similar in form to each other, the variation in details was vast.


    It was clear they were a type of Formation Pattern, but it was impossible to discern what precisely these specific Formation Patterns meant.


    This was different from the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Formation Patterns.


    While variations exist in the Five Elements Bagua Formation Patterns, the basic styles were the same.


    It was clear what each Formation Pattern corresponded to within the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, such as the Fire-series Formation Patterns naturally symbolizing ¡°Fire.¡±


    But the Yuan Magnetic Formation Patterns were very abstract, more like a type of ¡°self-explanatory¡± or ¡°ideographic¡± text.


    There was no clear indication of what they were exactly ¡°symbolizing¡±.


    And the functionality recorded in Jade Slips, Letter Tokens, even Taixu Tokens, was all decided by the Fixed Magnetic Patterns.


    Not understanding the meaning of these Fixed Magnetic Patterns, in the future, learning Yuan Magnetic type Formations would probably be limited to ¡°imitating without true understanding.¡±

 Chapter 961 - 961 639 Restoration_2

    ?Chapter 961: Chapter 639: Restoration_2 Chapter 961: Chapter 639: Restoration_2 He knew the how but not the why.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He had originally thought that mastering the ¡°Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation¡± meant he had at least entered the gate of learning; yet he realized he had merely scratched the surface following a template.


    The deeper he studied, the more complex and profound things became.


    ¡°The meanings behind the Fixed Magnetic Pattern¡­¡±


    Mo Hua took out the Taixu Token again, flipped through the ¡°Merit Roll,¡± but after a long search, he found no Formation Diagrams, Formation Books, or Formation Explanation about the ¡°Fixed Magnetic Pattern¡±¡­


    ¡°Taixu Gate doesn¡¯t have it?¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be possible¡­¡±


    After thinking it over, Mo Hua went to the Elder¡¯s Residence after class and found Elder Master Xun.


    ¡°Fixed Magnetic Pattern?¡±


    Elder Master Xun was surprised.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Elder Master, I want to know what meanings are behind the Fixed Magnetic Pattern¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun was somewhat conflicted.


    This again exceeded the scope of formation teachings he expected¡­


    And it was getting more detailed¡­


    For those topics within the heritage scope, Mo Hua could ask, and he could answer without hesitation, freely sharing knowledge.


    But this child always asked questions beyond the syllabus¡­


    Not telling him would leave him to grasp blindly, which might lead to learning something misguided, which wasn¡¯t good. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But telling him¡ªthese things were not meant for someone of his age or cultivation level.


    Learning too advanced concepts without a framework, no one knew what he might end up mastering¡­


    Elder Master Xun frowned and pondered.


    ¡°Elder Master?¡± Mo Hua asked tentatively, ¡°Is this kind of information too confidential for you to teach?¡±


    Elder Master Xun came back to his senses and nodded slightly, ¡°Generally speaking, it¡¯s not something that is taught¡­¡±


    Formation Masters in the Sect usually wouldn¡¯t need to use it.


    But since Mo Hua wanted to learn¡­


    Elder Master Xun thought for a moment and sighed.


    Then, he would teach¡­


    This child was different from the others; his progress in formations was already very fast, and his foundation was solid; there was no need to restrain him.


    If he wanted to learn, then let him learn.


    If he didn¡¯t teach him, sooner or later, if Mo Hua encountered problems, he might not come to ask for his advice.


    The child was clever, and left to his own devices, he would definitely discover some tricks.


    But whether these tricks were good or bad, right or wrong, that was hard to say.


    If he learned incorrectly or developed bad habits, and followed an evil path in formations, it would be too late for regrets.


    By teaching him, if he had questions, he could still monitor and prevent him from straying onto the wrong path unknowingly.


    He would also prevent the child from wasting time and talent on pointless minutiae.


    However, he couldn¡¯t let others know¡­


    To avoid others claiming favoritism.


    After giving it some thought, Elder Master Xun whispered, ¡°I will only teach you secretly, you must learn secretly, don¡¯t tell anyone¡­¡±


    Secretly learning¡­


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, ¡°Rest assured, Elder Master.¡±


    He was familiar with this!


    Elder Master Xun then explained gently,


    ¡°The Fixed Magnetic Pattern is a rather special Formation Pattern, which is different from the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, as well as other Eryi and Three Talents Formation Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°Other Patterns are derived from nature, dictated by the universe.¡±


    ¡°But the Fixed Magnetic Pattern is a product of the development of Formation Study, heavily marked by ¡®human customization¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°This means, if you don¡¯t understand the formation meanings ¡®artificially¡¯ imbued within Fixed Magnetic Pattern, it¡¯s very difficult to discern from just the pattern itself.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    No wonder¡­


    He was used to observing the Fixed Magnetic Pattern through traditional formation thinking, which is why it felt so discordant.


    Elder Master Xun continued, ¡°Think of the Fixed Magnetic Pattern as a specific type of ¡®text¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Text?¡± Mo Hua was taken aback.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°The Fixed Magnetic Pattern is actually a set of patterns, based on the foundational Eight Trigrams Patterns, that are custom-derived by humans to explain the functionalities of the Yuan Magnetic Formation which contain multiple variations and also have rich implications.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s more like a special set of ¡®texts¡¯.¡±


    Elder Master Xun then took out a pen and on a blank space of a Formation Diagram draft, wrote a few Formation Patterns, and then asked Mo Hua,


    ¡°Do you know what these patterns mean?¡±


    Mo Hua looked carefully and shook his head.


    He only knew that these were types of Yuan Magnetic Formation Patterns, but he had no idea about their specific meanings.


    Elder Master Xun then picked up the pen again and added text annotations behind each pattern:


    Mo Hua.


    Fifteen years old.


    Taixu Gate entry-level disciple.


    Place of origin: Li State, Second Grade Big Black Mountain State Boundary, Tongxian City.


    Privileges: Taixu Gate Outer Gate Primary Rank Disciple;


    Status: Second-grade Junior Formation Master.


    ¡­


    ¡°Is this¡­¡± Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°the Fixed Magnetic Pattern in the Taixu Token?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°Correct, the lowest layer of patterns in your Taixu Token, some of it consists of these Fixed Magnetic Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°However, the Taixu Token is securely sealed, and you can¡¯t see these patterns.¡±


    ¡°And even if you did see them, you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t know what these Fixed Magnetic Patterns mean, more colloquially, you can¡¯t read these ¡®texts¡¯ that are ¡®compiled¡¯ from magnetic patterns¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he suddenly understood, then promptly asked,


    ¡°So, Elder Master, how should I learn this Fixed Magnetic Pattern?¡±


    Elder Master Xun¡¯s expression was subtle, ¡°You want to learn?¡±


    Mo Hua honestly nodded.


    Elder Master Xun was reluctant, ¡°It¡¯s too complicated and extremely time-consuming. You¡¯d be better off practicing the Bagua Formation Method more often¡­¡±

 Chapter 962 - 962 639 Reduction_3

    ?Chapter 962: Chapter 639: Reduction_3 Chapter 962: Chapter 639: Reduction_3 Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were clear and filled with curiosity.


    ¡°Then please teach me a little¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun was somewhat unable to refuse when he looked into Mo Hua¡¯s sparkling eyes, brimming with a desire for knowledge.


    He thought for a while and finally softened his heart with a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only teach you a little¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Elder Master Xun paused to think, then asked, ¡°If you wanted to learn a foreign language, what would you need?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and cautiously replied, ¡°A dictionary?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°Correct, you¡¯d need a dictionary.¡±


    He continued, ¡°The same principle applies to Fixed Magnetic Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°You can consider them as ¡®words¡¯ coded in Formation Patterns. If you want to learn, naturally, you need to find a ¡®Formation Pattern Dictionary¡¯ to cross-reference, so you can understand what each Magnetic Pattern corresponds to.¡±


    ¡°What Magnetic Patterns you need to draw to express your intent¡­¡±


    ¡°In the future¡­¡±


    At this point, Elder Master Xun¡¯s heart skipped a beat, feeling that he had inadvertently spoken of something ¡°dangerous¡±¡­


    Elder Master Xun frowned, then felt slightly annoyed.


    Every time he taught Mo Hua something, this kind of ¡°omen¡± would appear.


    Sometimes, even when he hadn¡¯t taught much, this ¡°omen¡± would still surface¡­


    It was endless¡­


    To hell with it, he didn¡¯t care anymore!


    Elder Master Xun became stern, his temper flaring.


    After all, with his Heavenly Secret Calculation, though not mastered, but still passable, he had somewhat extrapolated.


    This omen should not be too detrimental to the Taixu Gate.


    Since it posed no harm to the Taixu Gate, he couldn¡¯t manage what was outside of it.


    A Sect is established for preaching, mentoring, and resolving doubts.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly, because of some unclear ¡°omen,¡± become so overly cautious that he neglected such a promising disciple by teaching him nothing, right?


    Upon this thought, Elder Master Xun felt a sense of relief, his mind clear.


    He considered for a moment and took out a thin booklet.


    ¡°Inside, there are Annotations on Unfixed Magnetic Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°You can take a look when you¡¯re free, but still, don¡¯t waste too much time. This stuff has a narrow application scope. Don¡¯t obsess over it, straying from the main path to minor details, wasting your time¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mo Hua replied hastily, ¡°Thank you, Elder Master!¡±


    He eagerly took the ¡°Annotations on Unfixed Magnetic Patterns,¡± holding it delicately. He browsed through it briefly; the content was not much, so he softly asked:


    ¡°Elder Master, is there more?¡±


    This ¡°dictionary¡± seemed a bit sparse¡­


    Elder Master Xun shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s it! If you can learn this, it¡¯s already quite good.¡±


    ¡°But what if I finish learning it¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun interjected, ¡°Even then, there¡¯s no more.¡±


    Mo Hua was skeptical, ¡°You don¡¯t have more either?¡±


    Elder Master Xun glanced at Mo Hua and explained:


    ¡°Formation is profound and complex with many categories. Even the most talented Formation Master cannot master everything in a lifetime¡­¡±


    ¡°Not to hide from you,¡± Elder Master Xun candidly said, ¡°I¡¯ve only delved a bit into Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, so my research isn¡¯t deep, and that¡¯s all the ¡®Annotations¡¯ I have¡­ no more.¡±


    Mo Hua felt that Elder Master Xun was not telling the truth, but he had no evidence.


    Besides, Elder Master Xun had high prestige, and logically, shouldn¡¯t need to deceive him¡­


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Where can I find more?¡±


    ¡°Taoist Court,¡± Elder Master Xun said.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Taoist Court?¡±


    Elder Master Xun nodded. ¡°These Magnetic Pattern Annotations involving secret communications are most completely collated by the Taoist Court, but unless you¡¯re part of the Court, you probably won¡¯t have access¡­¡±


    Those inside the Court¡­


    Mo Hua, hiding his disappointment, commented: S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    ¡°Measure your abilities and don¡¯t be greedy,¡± Elder Master Xun advised Mo Hua again.


    Mo Hua agreed repeatedly. Having finished his questioning, he stood up, bid his farewell, and left.


    Elder Master Xun watched Mo Hua leave, not thinking much of it.


    ¡­


    After returning, Mo Hua started studying the Fixed Magnetic Pattern Annotations.


    His Divine Sense had reached a bottleneck, and his Formation knowledge was stuck at Sixteen Patterns; he couldn¡¯t learn any more advanced Formations.


    He prioritized honing his Divine Sense and reinforcing his foundations when practicing Formation at the Taoist Stele at night.


    So, learning any Formation wasn¡¯t much different.


    Then, Mo Hua dedicated all his spare time to studying the ¡°Fixed Magnetic Pattern Annotations.¡±


    Mastering the ¡°foreign language¡± of Formation was crucial.


    And this matter was not as difficult as Mo Hua had imagined.


    It just required a lot of time to memorize, practice, and integrate.


    For Mo Hua, who possessed the ¡°Taoist Stele,¡± this was nothing challenging.


    So, Mo Hua studied intensively for about half a month, practicing day and night, and could almost grasp Fixed Magnetic Patterns.


    He could initially express his intentions in Formation Patterns through ¡°Fixed Magnetic Patterns.¡±


    The ¡°Fixed Magnetic Pattern Annotations¡± given by Elder Master Xun, although thin, covered a wide range and were very practical.


    After learning them, Mo Hua could finally ¡°understand¡± the intentions expressed by the Fixed Magnetic Patterns on the Letter Token.


    As for more, more comprehensive, and more profound ¡°dictionaries¡± of Fixed Magnetic Patterns¡­


    He could consider devising ways to ¡°plunder resources¡± from the Taoist Court when he had time.


    But for now, he would try to ¡°restore¡± a Letter Token!


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted, and after some consideration, he decided to start practicing with the ¡°Letter Token¡± Uncle Gu had given him.


    If it broke, he could still repair it.

 Chapter 963 - 963 639 Restoration_4

    ?Chapter 963: Chapter 639 Restoration_4 Chapter 963: Chapter 639 Restoration_4 It also made it convenient for himself to verify if the ¡°restored¡± text was correct.


    Mo Hua then sent a few more messages like ¡°Uncle Gu, are you there?¡± and waited for Gu Changhuai¡¯s reply before erasing these responses.


    Afterward, he began to simulate on another Array Plate, attempting to ¡°restore¡± the Magnetic Patterns.


    First, Mo Hua replicated a set of Fixed Magnetic Patterns, exactly like those in the Letter Token.


    With the ¡°Annotations on Fixed Magnetic Patterns¡± given by Elder Master Xun, the Fixed Magnetic Patterns now looked more like a set of straightforward explanatory ¡°text¡± rather than Formation Patterns.


    It was like a secret message that had been decrypted, clearing the fog and revealing the true meaning:


    The entire sequence of the Letter Token, the direction of communication, the method of conduction, the logic of the text, and so on¡­


    Mo Hua could see it all clearly, plain as day.


    After duplicating the underlying Fixed Magnetic Patterns, Mo Hua recorded the traces of the ¡°Secondary Thunder Pattern¡± from the magnetic flow transmitted during the recent Letter Token communication.


    Then, on the Array Plate, Mo Hua started to simulate the operation of the Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    Just as Mo Hua had anticipated before:


    A set of pre-established Fixed Magnetic Patterns, plus a predetermined Secondary Thunder Pattern, after a series of Original Magnet inductions, indeed generated a special Unfixed Magnetic Pattern.


    And through Magnetic Ink, this Unfixed Magnetic Pattern revealed texts on the Array Plate:


    ¡°Talk business, don¡¯t ask ¡®are you there¡¯?!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to chat with me if there¡¯s nothing important?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you responding?¡±


    ¡­


    Indeed, these were the very words that Uncle Gu had sent him through the Letter Token and that he had erased!


    Mo Hua was overjoyed.


    Seeing that Uncle Gu hadn¡¯t received a reply yet, Mo Hua texted back:


    ¡°Are there any updates on the Fire Buddha clues?¡±


    He had been secluded in the Sect studying Formation techniques, and for the past half a month, he hadn¡¯t heard any clues about the Fire Buddha.


    After a moment of silence from the other side, as if hesitant, Gu Changhuai said, ¡°Visit the Gu Family in a couple of days after the Shier break. I¡¯ll tell you then¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Was there an accident?


    Or was it due to some taboo, which is why it couldn¡¯t be spoken of through the Letter Token?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t figure it out and replied:


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After that, Gu Changhuai sent no further messages.


    Mo Hua shook his head and stopped dwelling on it.


    Whatever the matter was, he would ask Uncle Gu in person when he visited the Gu Family in two days.


    He just didn¡¯t know where this Fire Buddha could possibly be hiding; it was proving so elusive¡­


    After all, a massacre followed by a fire that burned the bodies had caused such an uproar, yet afterward, it vanished without a trace¡­


    Mo Hua felt something was not right.


    He felt a sense of urgency since there was still a day before the biweekly Shier break, and his mind was somewhat distracted.


    Suddenly, he remembered something.


    The Bald Eagle¡¯s Letter Token.


    Now that he could restore Magnetic Patterns, couldn¡¯t he also recover the content inside the Bald Eagle¡¯s Letter Token?


    What could be in the Bald Eagle¡¯s Letter Token?


    Although it might not be related to the Fire Buddha, Mo Hua was still very curious.


    With some time to spare before visiting Uncle Gu¡¯s place, he decided to ¡°restore¡± the Bald Eagle¡¯s Letter Token first¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s spirits lifted.


    Without delay, he proceeded in the same manner, dismantling the Bald Eagle¡¯s Letter Token, duplicating the underlying Magnetic Patterns, and recording the traces of the Secondary Thunder Pattern.


    Then, on another Array Plate, he began the reconstruction¡­


    After spending most of the day, text began to appear on the Magnetic Ink of the Array Plate:


    ¡­


    ¡°June 10th, Yun Cang City, sows, six¡­¡±


    ¡°12th, in the outskirts of Qing Yun City, ducks, three¡­¡±


    ¡°July, Jin City, chicks, eight¡­¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°20th, Baihua, obtained one Immortal Crane, gifted to the young master¡­¡±


    ¡°October, Liu Shan City, total of twenty cows and horses¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua looked at these, utterly baffled.


    ¡°What on earth¡­¡±


    Was this Bald Eagle also in the trade of Spiritual Livestock?


    Mo Hua stared at these texts again, a chilling suspicion slowly creeping up on him.


    ¡°These Spiritual Livestock, couldn¡¯t possibly be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened, his expression grave.

 Chapter 964 - 964 640 Clue

    ?Chapter 964: Chapter 640: Clue Chapter 964: Chapter 640: Clue ¡°These ¡®spiritual livestock,¡¯ are actually people?¡±


    ¡°Chickens, ducks, cows, horses, and sows, cranes, these are all different terms for cultivators?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils contracted slightly.


    On the Letter Token, there was a ¡°ledger.¡±


    The ledger recorded numerous quantities.


    This meant that Bald Eagle and his group¡­


    They were not simply ¡°kidnapping¡±; they were likely secretly engaged in large-scale ¡°trafficking¡± of cultivators.


    Selling people as if they were ¡°spiritual livestock¡±!


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned cold, Bald Eagle, that bastard, died too easily¡­


    Looking at the restored, lengthy ¡°spiritual livestock ledger,¡± Mo Hua frowned slightly, feeling puzzled.


    *Although Bald Eagle was powerful, he wasn¡¯t so capable that he could, on his own, conduct such large-scale illicit ¡°deals¡± as this.*


    *He was probably just a small leader.*


    *A link in the entire ¡°trafficking chain.¡±*


    *Surely, there were more sin cultivators on this trafficking chain.*


    Moreover, with such large-scale trafficking of cultivators, it appeared calm on the surface without any signs of disturbance.


    This indicated that Bald Eagle¡¯s group had a long-standing and stable criminal process.


    They had deeply rooted interests.


    Perhaps there was even an unseen ¡°black umbrella¡± behind them¡­


    *Behind them, there was very likely some ¡°great cultivator¡± obscuring the Heavenly secret¡­*


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, sighed, and silently put the Letter Token into his Storage Ring.


    *Such matters couldn¡¯t be dealt with for the time being¡­*


    *When I have the strength, the network, or when I have uncovered the mysteries within, then I would think about getting to the bottom of this matter.*


    *Before that, this Letter Token mustn¡¯t be disclosed to anyone.*


    *Otherwise, it would surely bring disaster.*


    *As just a little cultivator, alone in the Qian Learning State Boundary, with no one to rely on, if I overestimated myself and rashly interfered in such matters, I could easily become a target for the ¡°hidden hand¡± and be unable to protect myself.*


    *Even if Elder Master Xun and Aunt Wan wished to protect me, it might not be enough¡­*


    *I can¡¯t rely too much on others.*


    *Nor can I add too much trouble for them.*


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    His master had warned him that the nail that stands out gets hammered down.


    As strong as the master, with Heavenly secret Calculations perfected, was still manipulated and put in peril, life and death unknown.


    *I am not as capable as my master. If I wish to survive, I must learn ¡°invisibility.¡±*


    *To become ¡°invisible¡± in the cycle of cause and effect.*


    *And even if I make an appearance, I should place myself in an ¡°unassuming¡± position.*


    Mo Hua, with his mind made up, stored Bald Eagle¡¯s Letter Token and decided to not think about it for the time being.


    The task at hand was still to capture the Fire Buddha.


    ¡­


    The next day was a rest day.


    Mo Hua, holding Yu Er¡¯s hand and escorted by Wenren Wei, boarded a luxurious carriage, leaving the secluded and classic Taixu Gate, heading towards the Gu Family in Qingzhou City.


    Once at the Gu Family, Yu Er went to report her studies to Wenren Wan.


    The direct lineage of this prestigious family had strict cultivation requirements.


    Previously disturbed by nightmares, Yu Er was weak and fell behind in her cultivation.


    But now, with Yu Er by Mo Hua¡¯s side, eating and sleeping well, her Vital Energy was abundant, naturally, she had to catch up on the cultivation lessons she missed.


    Mo Hua met with Wenren Wan, exchanged pleasantries, and then went to find Gu Changhuai.


    A disciple of the Gu Family led Mo Hua to Gu Changhuai¡¯s study.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s study was exceedingly tidy, spotless, exquisite, and luxurious.


    It was evidently the study of a pampered, noble family scion.


    On a nearby screen, there was even an embroidered, multicolored peacock, arrogance etched on its face as it displayed its feathers, looking quite flamboyant.


    Quite in line with Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°stereotypical¡± impression of Uncle Gu. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The leading disciple of the Gu Family merely showed Mo Hua to the doorway, then bowed and departed.


    Mo Hua stood outside, peeking into the study, curious to see what Uncle Gu was doing.


    Gu Changhuai knew Mo Hua had arrived and sighed,


    ¡°Come in then.¡±


    Mo Hua boldly stepped inside.


    Gu Changhuai sat at a redwood-gilded desk.


    Mo Hua glanced around, seeing no seat before the desk, he fetched a stool and placed it opposite Gu Changhuai, sitting face-to-face.


    Gu Changhuai sighed again.


    *This child certainly didn¡¯t treat himself as an outsider¡­*


    Then Mo Hua got down to business.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, any leads on the Fire Buddha?¡±


    Though judging from Uncle Gu¡¯s expression, he knew there likely weren¡¯t any leads and the progress was small, Mo Hua asked anyway as a matter of form.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, clearly unwilling to elaborate.


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Mo Hua inquired again, ¡°Has the Letter Token of Flower Gentleman been restored?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face darkened, ¡°No, it can¡¯t be restored¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a hint of joy, but he still expressed regret.


    Gu Changhuai silently observed Mo Hua, frowning,


    ¡°Why do you seem¡­ a little happy?¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­¡± Mo Hua was a bit ¡°insincere.¡±


    He was learning the Yuan Magnetic Formation to ¡°restore¡± the magnetic patterns, retrieve the erased text on the Letter Token.


    If others restored it, wouldn¡¯t his efforts be for nothing?


    Gu Changhuai felt a bit perplexed, unsure of what to say.


    Mo Hua then gently suggested,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, why not let me try?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was somewhat astonished, ¡°Let you try what?¡±


    ¡°The Letter Token!¡±


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua skeptically, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, in these few days, you¡¯ve already learned to ¡®restore¡¯ the magnetic patterns of the Letter Token?¡±


    Mo Hua ¡°modestly¡± nodded.


    Gu Changhuai fell silent.

 Chapter 965 - 965 640 Clue_2

    ?Chapter 965: Chapter 640 Clue_2 Chapter 965: Chapter 640 Clue_2 He was actually somewhat inclined to believe, and willing to believe, yet logic made it difficult for him to do so.


    Yuan Magnetic Formations were classified as secret formations, which general cultivators would not learn, and even if they did, mastery was unlikely.


    Even if they mastered them, most were adept at constructing formations.


    To reverse-engineer a formation, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter.


    The categories of formations were diverse and boundless; even some Great Formation Masters could not master all of them.


    Specialization is pivotal in any craft.


    And so it was with formations.


    Mo Hua was too young; it would be impressive enough if he had solidly learned some basic formations.


    The restoration of Magnetic Patterns was a niche method, requiring profound specialty¡ªwhere would he have found enough Divine Sense and time to delve into it¡­


    Gu Changhuai shook his head.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, you don¡¯t believe me¡­¡± said Mo Hua.


    ¡°Nonsense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, confused, asked, ¡°What¡¯s there not to believe¡­¡±


    ¡°You expect me to believe whatever you say?¡± Gu Changhuai glared at Mo Hua irritably, ¡°Why don¡¯t you also claim you¡¯ve led the construction of a Large Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became slightly difficult to read.


    Gu Changhuai sneered, ¡°What, have you really led the construction of a Large Formation?¡±


    ¡°If I say yes, would you believe me?¡±


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua expressionlessly, ¡°I only lack mastery in formations, not genuinely ¡®Formation Blind¡¯¡­¡±


    Leading the construction of a Large Formation¡­


    You little brat, what are you thinking?


    You¡¯re blowing your own trumpet to the skies¡­


    ¡°I truly have learned to restore Magnetic Patterns!¡±


    Gu Changhuai remained skeptical.


    Mo Hua sighed. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was nothing he could do.


    Actions speak louder than words, it seemed he would only have to prove himself after all.


    Mo Hua took out a Letter Token and handed it to Gu Changhuai:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, use this Letter Token to send a secret message on it without letting me know, then erase it, and I¡¯ll ¡®restore¡¯ it for you to see¡­¡±


    Before Mo Hua could finish, he saw Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression abruptly change, staring at the Letter Token with a face full of disbelief.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai pointed at the Letter Token, which was riddled with cracks and tattered, his hand trembling, his voice tinged with anger,


    ¡°Is this the Letter Token I gave you?¡±


    ¡°How did you break it so soon?!¡±


    Mo Hua felt a bit guilty, but still corrected him:


    ¡°It¡¯s not broken!¡±


    Gu Changhuai coldly looked at Mo Hua, his face saying ¡°keep talking, let¡¯s hear how you try to justify this.¡±


    Mo Hua blinked and said:


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Accidentally, I happened to take it apart and it got a bit cracked, not very pretty, but I have fixed it!¡±


    ¡°While it looks a bit worn, it¡¯s fully functional and won¡¯t affect its use.¡±


    Mo Hua said earnestly, ¡°A person of Tao Cultivation should not be blinded by appearances but should instead value the true utility of things¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai replied coldly, ¡°You seem to know quite a lot, breaking things and still being able to spout all sorts of justifications¡­¡±


    Seeing Uncle Gu still angry, Mo Hua quickly added, ¡°That¡¯s not the point¡­¡±


    ¡°I did it to learn how to restore Magnetic Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°The sacrifice of this Letter Token was worthwhile!¡±


    Mo Hua said with conviction.


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai, still fuming, took back the Letter Token, sent several messages, erased them himself, and then tossed the Letter Token back to Mo Hua.


    ¡°Restore it and tell me what words I just sent.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    Mo Hua was confident.


    He took out a compass, copied the Fixed Formation Patterns at the bottom layer, then with his Divine Sense peeked and recorded the Secondary Thunder Patterns.


    Through the Array Plate, combining Fixed Magnetic Patterns with Secondary Thunder Patterns, he proceeded to infer.


    Gu Changhuai saw Mo Hua¡¯s composed expression, his skillful hands drawing a bunch of Formation Patterns he had never seen before, and performing the complex inference with finesse; his anger slowly turned to amazement.


    Although he couldn¡¯t understand, he knew that such a method of inference was nothing common¡­


    On the Array Plate beside him, Magnetic Ink began to coalesce, slowly revealing a few words:


    ¡°Little scoundrel¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face brightened, then he paused and looked at Gu Changhuai unhappily.


    ¡°Little scoundrel¡­ You¡¯re not talking about me, are you?¡±


    Gu Changhuai ignored Mo Hua¡¯s displeasure.


    He was utterly stunned, looking at Mo Hua with disbelief, ¡°You¡­ really restored it?¡±


    Such a feat was something only a Great Formation Master of the Heaven Shu Pavilion could do¡­


    You, a junior Foundation Establishment cultivator, learned this too?


    Mo Hua, seeing his shock and his inexperienced demeanor, decided not to fuss about being called a ¡°little scoundrel.¡±


    Mo Hua spoke proudly:


    ¡°I¡¯ve been learning formations from Elder Master Xun¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Master Xun¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused, then showed respect.


    Although he didn¡¯t know the exact status of Elder Master Xun mentioned by Mo Hua, to teach formations at Taixu Gate, one of the Eight Great Gates, and being referred to as ¡°Elder Master,¡± his seniority was undoubtedly profound, and so must be his mastery of formations.


    With such a Formation Master teaching Mo Hua, everything seemed to add up¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua with newfound regard.


    But to truly let Mo Hua attempt to ¡°restore¡± the Flower Gentleman¡¯s Letter Token, Gu Changhuai still felt uneasy.


    Seeming to read Gu Changhuai¡¯s mind, Mo Hua asked:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, where is the Flower Gentleman¡¯s Letter Token now?¡±


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment before slowly speaking:


    ¡°It has been returned from the Heaven Shu Pavilion¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai, displeased, ¡°The formation masters at the Heaven Shu Pavilion, they¡¯re either too high in status for me to request assistance, or they don¡¯t have time, or they find it troublesome¡­ In any case, no one is willing to take on this task for the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll just have to rely on me, huh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed brightly.

 Chapter 966 - 966 640 Clue_3

    ?Chapter 966: Chapter 640: Clue_3 Chapter 966: Chapter 640: Clue_3 Gu Changhuai choked and sighed helplessly, ¡°Follow me to the Taoist Court. I¡¯ll give you the Letter Token. Try it¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh!¡±


    Mo Hua kept nodding energetically.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head. He hadn¡¯t expected that he, a dignified Golden Core Realm Supervisor, would resort to relying on a novice cultivator to find clues¡­


    But under someone¡¯s roof, one has no choice but to bow their head¡­


    Gu Changhuai informed Wenren Wan and then, together with Mo Hua, set off back to the Taoist Court.


    Gu Changhuai went through some procedures and retrieved the Letter Token of Flower Gentleman.


    It was a jade plaque that bore the color of emerald amidst its creamy whiteness.


    Mo Hua examined it, then sent his Divine Sense inside to peek at the Letter Token, finding it blank as all content had been erased.


    Mo Hua looked for a while, saw no evidence of ¡°sealing¡± or ¡°encryption¡± in the Letter Token, and then handed it back to Gu Changhuai.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, help me open it¡­¡±


    He was afraid that if he tried, he might damage it.


    Gu Changhuai wanted to open it, but hesitated before starting.


    He feared that Mo Hua¡¯s lack of skill might ruin the Formation Patterns inside.


    However, thinking it through, even if they restored it for Heaven Shu Pavilion, it would still be damaged if it were meant to be damaged.


    There was no one-hundred-percent reliable method of ¡°restoration.¡±


    Now, without taking a gamble, once the Fire Buddha ran away, even if the Letter Token was truly restored, it would be of no use.


    Upon this thought, Gu Changhuai made up his mind.


    Swiftly, he opened the Letter Token, with a delicate touch and skilled movements.


    After opening it, the underlying Formation Patterns were exposed, and Gu Changhuai handed the Letter Token to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua immediately began to copy the Fixed Magnetic Patterns.


    The Fixed Magnetic Patterns of the Letter Tokens were all different.


    This Letter Token¡¯s Fixed Magnetic Patterns were also considerably different from those of the Bald Eagle.


    Mo Hua copied the Fixed Magnetic Patterns onto an Array Plate, and then, by studying the ¡°Annotations on Fixed Magnetic Patterns,¡± he barely understood the meaning of these Magnetic Patterns.


    The functional Magnetic Patterns were generally the same.


    It was just the habit of ¡°drawing¡± the Magnetic Patterns that showed variations.


    But the most different aspect was that this Letter Token was actually one-way.


    It could only receive messages and not transmit text.


    ¡°Fire Buddha and his people are very cautious¡­¡±


    Subsequently, Mo Hua followed the procedure, using the Fixed Magnetic Patterns as a base, and taking the Secondary Thunder Pattern as a magnetic flow ¡°contract¡± trace, he began to re-derive.


    Soon, text began to emerge on the Array Plate¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s heart trembled.


    ¡°It really¡­ restored it¡­¡±


    He quietly glanced at Mo Hua, his feelings fluctuating. Then he turned his head and focused on the text restored on the Array Plate.


    Due to the ever-changing Secondary Thunder Pattern, Mo Hua¡¯s observation, acute as it was, still allowed some oversights.


    As such, there were some inaccuracies in the text,


    And the sequence was disordered.


    But overall, it was still comprehensible¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Hua Laoliu¡­ where are you?¡±


    ¡°If this goes wrong, we¡¯re all dead¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    ¡°November first¡­¡±


    ¡°The whole family is extinct¡­¡±


    ¡°Everything is ready, unseen and unheard¡­¡±


    ¡°Bishan City, rouge shop¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s so fun about those withered flowers and defiled willows?¡±


    ¡°After success, the young master will reward you with premium goods, something you couldn¡¯t even lick in your lifetime¡­¡±


    ¡°Hua Lao Liu, don¡¯t miss the hour.¡±


    ¡°Hua Laoliu?¡±


    ¡°If you get lusty again and ruin the big plan, I will castrate you¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°The eldest brother is very angry, the consequences are very severe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely dead¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After reading these texts, Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai looked at each other, both frowning.


    ¡°This tone doesn¡¯t seem like Fire Buddha¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that it was sent by one of Fire Buddha¡¯s subordinates¡­¡±


    There seemed to be few clues inside.


    Mainly, they were all already known information.


    Flower Gentleman and Fire Buddha were together; they planned to go to Bishan City to annihilate the Xie family.


    Besides that, there were two points that caught Mo Hua¡¯s attention.


    One was ¡°young master.¡±


    ¡°After the success, the young master will reward you with premium goods¡­¡±


    Who is this ¡°young master¡±?


    Suddenly, Mo Hua recalled the ¡°accounts¡± text restored from the Letter Token issued by the Bald Eagle, which included a record:


    ¡°Day twenty, a hundred flowers, received one immortal crane, gifted to the young master¡­¡±


    One immortal crane, gifted to the ¡°young master¡±.


    Are these two references to ¡°young master¡± referring to the same person? sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Or is it just a coincidence?


    After all, this is the Qianxue State Boundary, and there are too many family disciples, many of whom are called ¡°young master.¡±


    Mo Hua himself has been called ¡°little young master¡±¡­


    Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai and asked softly,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, do you know of any sin cultivator with a notorious reputation nicknamed ¡®young master¡¯?¡±


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brows in thought and shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    If Uncle Gu hadn¡¯t heard of it, it meant that it was very likely someone hidden in the shadows¡­


    Now the only clue was another place that caught Mo Hua¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Rouge shop.¡±


    This was the only specific place mentioned in the entire Letter Token.


    It could be a meeting place.


    Or perhaps there was a lookout.


    It might even be their hiding place¡­


    Gu Changhuai had clearly thought of this too.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, are there any rouge shops in Bishan City?¡± Mo Hua asked further.


    Gu Changhuai pondered, ¡°There are a few¡­¡±


    ¡°How about we take a look?¡± Mo Hua suggested tentatively.


    At this point, they had to check it out no matter what.


    Gu Changhuai nodded, stood up to leave, but after taking a few steps, he realized that Mo Hua, like a little tag-along, was following close behind, clearly wanting to go with him.


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t want to take him along, but knowing full well he couldn¡¯t get rid of Mo Hua, he didn¡¯t waste any effort and just emphasized,


    ¡°Three rules, don¡¯t forget!¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, about to leave, but then seemed to remember something, his expression turning serious,


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about restoring the Magnetic Patterns to anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Especially people from the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, then realized the gravity of the situation, and nodded slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I keep my mouth shut.¡±


    Gu Changhuai was then reassured.


    Afterward, the two of them set out toward Bishan City by carriage.


    This trip was just for gathering information; Gu Changhuai did not summon a crowd, calling on others from the Taoist Court.


    The carriage sped along, bumping down the road, and soon reached Bishan City.


    Inside Bishan City, there were four rouge shops.


    Two larger ones were lavishly decorated, the scent of cosmetics potent, with men and women pairing up, bustling with activity.


    Another one, not doing well business-wise, was on the verge of closing.


    These three seemed to be without issues.


    The suspicious one was the last one.


    The shop was simply called ¡°Rouge Shop,¡± located in a small alley, neither too large nor too small, with very few customers and quite quiet.


    While the shop indeed displayed many rouges and powders, they were old, clearly unsold stock.


    Moreover, the entire shop exuded a peculiar, dissonant feeling.


    Occasionally, a cultivator would enter, but after a while, they all came out.


    Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai sat in a nearby teahouse, drinking a pot of tea and nibbling on two plates of pine nuts, all the while keeping an eye on the movements of the rouge shop.


    They didn¡¯t act rashly, preferring to observe the situation first.


    After watching for over an hour, Mo Hua lightly exclaimed ¡°eh¡±.


    Gu Changhuai raised an eyebrow, ¡°Did you notice something?¡±


    Mo Hua picked up his tea cup, took a sip of tea, then, without showing any expression, lowered his voice,


    ¡°This shop has no customers¡­¡±


    ¡°The patrons going in and out, despite being men and women of different appearances, are actually just one person¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai displayed a hint of surprise, nodding his head.


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t react much, Mo Hua curiously asked,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, did you notice it too?¡±


    Gu Changhuai gave a light snort, ¡°A mere trick to deceive the eyes; how could it fool me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, somewhat annoyed by his arrogant attitude, then asked,


    ¡°Then do you know who the cultivator disguising as the patrons is?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback.


    How could he know that?


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua, ¡°Do you know?¡±


    Mo Hua lifted his eyebrows smugly.


    Gu Changhuai frowned in confusion, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Because not long ago, it was I who caught him and sent him to the Taoist Prison!¡±

 Chapter 967 - 967 641 Jia Ren

    ?Chapter 967: Chapter 641 Jia Ren Chapter 967: Chapter 641 Jia Ren ¡°He was a traitor of the Sever Gold Sect who stole things from the Xie family. The Xie family sent the task to the Sect. Senior Sister Murong, Senior Brother Feng, and I took the task and came to Bishan City to catch him. After that, we sent him to the Taoist Prison¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spoke concisely.


    ¡°This person could disguise himself, his flesh twisted and transformed, making it impossible to see his appearance clearly. Moreover, he practiced the Escape Gold Body Skill of the Sever Gold Sect, turning into golden light, running very fast¡­¡±


    Mo Hua added.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze slightly narrowed, and he said in a somber tone,


    ¡°He stole things from the Xie family¡­¡±


    ¡°And after that, the Xie family was wiped out¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He hadn¡¯t thought about this before. Now, seeing this Sever Gold Sect traitor, he also found something very peculiar.


    Furthermore¡­


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°How did he get out of the Taoist Prison? Is there¡­¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A mole in the Taoist Court?


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t explicitly say it, but Gu Changhuai clearly understood his meaning, his expression growing even more serious.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone investigate this.¡±


    Gu Changhuai took out a golden badge from the Taoist Court, seemingly sending some message out.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°The Taoist Court badge can also send messages? Then what about mine¡­¡±


    ¡°Yours can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Non-staff.¡±


    Gu Changhuai was equally concise.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Who said non-staff have no rights, doing the same work for different treatments.


    Mo Hua glanced at the rouge shop again and asked,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, what do we do next? Should we catch him?¡±


    Gu Changhuai sipped his tea calmly, ¡°No rush, let¡¯s observe first¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai wasn¡¯t in a hurry, so Mo Hua was even less so.


    He was also very curious, wanting to know how Uncle Gu, as a Taoist Court Canon, handled cases usually.


    How to find clues.


    How to catch people.


    Know your enemy and yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger.


    If someday in the future, he was wanted by the Taoist Court and chased by Uncle Gu, how could he escape from his grasp¡­


    Of course, this was just hypothetical.


    He was a good cultivator in Qianxue State, law-abiding!


    A good disciple of the Taixu Gate, obedient and dutiful!


    There wouldn¡¯t be such a day.


    But it didn¡¯t stop him from learning more, gaining a bit of experience and insight.


    The cultivation world was very profound and complex.


    Not only did he need to learn the methods of Tao cultivation, but understanding worldly affairs was also a kind of knowledge.


    So Mo Hua settled down, continuing to drink tea, watching Gu Changhuai on one side, and observing the rogue shop on the other, keeping an eye on the traitor of the Sever Gold Sect¡¯s activities.


    The traitor¡¯s actions were also very strange.


    He came and went in the rouge shop.


    Every time he entered and exited, he changed his face and outfit, as if he didn¡¯t want to attract attention.


    But Mo Hua noted that every time he entered, he only had one storage bag on him.


    And when he came out, he had three or four storage bags on him.


    Mo Hua quietly used his divine sense to watch him, discovering that he hadn¡¯t gone far, just aimlessly wandering with these storage bags nearby.


    Bishan City was built along steep mountains.


    Beside the streets, there were often staggered and unfathomable cliffs and chasms.


    He took advantage of people not noticing, throwing these storage bags into these cliffs and chasms.


    After throwing them, he returned to pick more, and continued to throw¡­


    Like¡­ throwing ¡°trash¡±¡­


    And it seemed his behavior had continued for quite some time.


    Mo Hua cracked open a pine nut, leaned closer to Gu Changhuai, and asked in a low voice like exchanging gossip,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, is he¡­ disposing of stolen goods?¡±


    Disposing of stolen items¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°Possibly¡­¡±


    ¡°Then should we¡­ catch him now, red-handed?¡±


    Gu Changhuai shook his head.


    ¡°He¡¯s been disposing of stolen goods for some time now, obviously there are many stolen items, we can¡¯t be hasty¡­¡±


    ¡°Acting rashly might alert him.¡±


    ¡°If there are still henchmen or spies of the Fire Buddha around, any move would alert them¡­¡±


    ¡°We need to wait for an opportunity to catch him quietly, avoiding attention¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Gu Changhuai was about to say something further when suddenly his expression changed. He picked up the badge, glanced at it quickly, and put it away.


    Mo Hua, sharp-eyed, asked, ¡°Did you find the mole?¡±


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua and sighed, ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Mo Hua frowned, ¡°He was put in the Taoist Prison and released so quickly, wasn¡¯t it because of the mole?¡±


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, ¡°He was released according to the rules.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised.


    Gu Changhuai then said, ¡°I had someone check the records¡­¡±


    ¡°This person¡¯s name is Jia Ren, no criminal record¡­¡±


    ¡°The Xie family claimed their warehouse was robbed, but they didn¡¯t state what exactly was stolen. Moreover, nothing with the Xie family¡¯s warehouse mark was found on him¡ªno spiritual artifact, pills, or secret manual¡­¡±


    ¡°Theft couldn¡¯t be charged.¡±


    ¡°As for the Sever Gold Sect¡­¡±


    ¡°The Sever Gold Sect said they were mistaken, this person wasn¡¯t a disciple of the Sever Gold Sect. The one who stole the Sever Gold Sect¡¯s inheritance and defected was someone else¡­¡±


    ¡°So, he wasn¡¯t considered a traitor of the Sever Gold Sect either.¡±


    ¡°The only chargeable offense was that he posed as a ¡®dark courtesan¡¯ in an illegally set-up brothel¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression became a bit subtle, ¡°He¡¯s a man¡­¡±


    ¡°Thus, the Taoist Court could only imprison him for a month on charges of ¡®fraud¡¯ and ¡®offending morality,¡¯ after which he was released¡­¡±


    ¡°What ulterior motives there were behind the scenes were unknown, but at least on the surface, there was nothing problematic¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was speechless.


    This could work?


    He glanced again at this ¡°Jia Ren,¡± who wore many disguises and constantly changed his appearance, secretly complaining in his heart.

 Chapter 968 - 968 641 Jia Ren_2

    ?Chapter 968: Chapter 641 Jia Ren_2 Chapter 968: Chapter 641 Jia Ren_2 ¡°That person would be strange if there weren¡¯t any problems¡­¡±


    But with that came, even more, doubts:


    First, the Xie family¡­


    Did the Xie family really lose something?


    If so, what was lost? S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Was it ¡°Jia Ren¡± who stole it?


    If nothing was lost, why would the Xie family lie?


    Does this matter have anything to do with the annihilation of the Xie family?


    Why did the Sever Gold Sect at first call this ¡°Jia Ren¡± a traitor, but later adamantly deny it?


    What happened in between?


    The annihilation of the Xie family, the disappearance of the Fire Buddha¡­


    How exactly do these events relate to Jia Ren?


    As Mo Hua was pondering, he suddenly noticed a change in Jia Ren¡¯s movements.


    A squad of Enforcement Leaders from Bi Mountain City Daoist Court Office, on routine patrol, passed by this area, alerting Jia Ren.


    He found it inconvenient to dispose of the stolen goods, so he pocketed three Storage Bags and chose a secluded path, heading toward the desolate mountains to the north.


    Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes lit up as expected, placing down three Spirit Stones on the table before quickly standing up and leaving.


    Mo Hua estimated in his mind that the three Spirit Stones also covered his own tea bill, so he nodded contentedly and then stood up to leave, quietly following behind Gu Changhuai.


    The northern mountains behind Bishan City were even steeper.


    Jia Ren was extremely vigilant.


    He had disguised himself as a short, stocky Cultivator with a bamboo basket for gathering herbs, winding his way through the mountain paths, occasionally pausing to look back and stare into the mountains.


    Gu Changhuai and Mo Hua could only follow from a distance.


    Fortunately, both had strong Divine Senses, so there was no chance Jia Ren could escape.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Uncle Gu, should we make our move?¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded.


    ¡°How do we catch him?¡± Mo Hua inquired further.


    They needed to capture him alive, quickly, accurately, to make it a swift battle without giving ¡°Jia Ren¡± a chance to react or flee.


    Nor give him the chance to signal someone¡­


    Capturing someone was something Mo Hua was reasonably skilled at, but he still wanted to hear how Uncle Gu or, to say, the Daoist Court, would normally approach it.


    He had his own methods, and he wanted to check them against what Uncle Gu said ¨C that way, he could patch up any gaps and refine his technique.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s thoughts were focused on Jia Ren and the Fire Buddha, unsuspecting anything else, he calmly said,


    ¡°On his unavoidable path, we set a trap, place a Formation for an ambush¡­¡±


    ¡°On the ground we lay manacles, the manacles doused with poisonous Pills¡­¡±


    ¡°For the Formation, we use the Sonic Explosion Array to momentarily stun him¡­¡±


    ¡°And take the opportunity to subdue him¡­¡±


    ¡°Then with a Spiritual Lock, we seal his limbs¡­¡±


    ¡°We have to be thorough in our preparation, quick in action, and ruthless in our approach, not giving him the chance to counterattack, nor to commit suicide¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the basic procedure for the Daoist Court¡¯s arrests¡­¡±


    ¡­


    As Gu Changhuai was explaining, Mo Hua was nodding continuously.


    Although he knew some of the things already, the details of the methods were quite different and there were many practices he could learn from¡­


    After finishing, Gu Changhuai cautioned Mo Hua:


    ¡°Remember the rules we¡¯ve agreed upon: don¡¯t make a move.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    Mo Hua replied.


    Gu Changhuai nodded slightly, then in a flash, he was traversing the rugged rocks, quickly reaching Jia Ren¡¯s front.


    Mo Hua followed just as quietly.


    However, he only hid on the side, releasing his Divine Sense to carefully observe.


    Jia Ren, still unaware, kept walking forward.


    His destination was a cliff ahead.


    Before the cliff, Gu Changhuai laid out several specialized Daoist Court Array Plates, burying several manacles beneath the ground.


    His technique was skilled, movements crisp and swift.


    And the traps were well-placed.


    Mo Hua, with a humble attitude of learning, also silently committed the Daoist Court¡¯s method and habits of setting traps to memory.


    Everything was ready; Gu Changhuai concealed himself nearby.


    Moments later, Jia Ren appeared.


    He looked left and right, saw nothing unusual, and stepped towards the cliff, meanwhile pulling out a Storage Bag, intending to throw it off the cliff.


    But after just a few steps, he heard a ¡°clank¡± and a surge of intense pain.


    ¡°No good!¡±


    Looking down, Jia Ren saw a manacle, like the jaws of a tiger, biting into his calf.


    The manacle was coated with a green poison.


    The poison seeped into his bloodstream, spreading throughout his body.


    A numbing sensation began to spread.


    Traps, anesthetic!


    Jia Ren¡¯s expression changed dramatically, desperate, he tore a large chunk of flesh from his calf in agony to free himself from the manacle and turned to run.


    But at that moment, the Sonic Explosion Array at the corners detonated.


    Mo Hua, outside the Formation, could only hear a faint, muffled noise.


    But Jia Ren, within it, felt dizzy, his ears ringing with pain, his Divine Sense slowed for an instant.


    His flesh seemed to tremble with the sound waves.


    However, after a moment, a Jade Pendant on Jia Ren shattered, and a sheen of light flashed, and he regained his senses.


    ¡°Daoist Court¡¯s Sonic Explosion Array?¡±


    Jia Ren¡¯s pupils contracted as he pulled a Rune from his body.


    But in a brief moment, a Wind Blade slashed across his arm, cutting a wound and causing the Rune to drop.


    The Wind Blade Skill was swift and sharp.


    Turning his head, Jia Ren saw the indifferent face of Gu Changhuai.


    Sensing Gu Changhuai¡¯s presence, Jia Ren looked desperate.


    ¡°Golden Core?!¡±


    Before Jia Ren could do anything, Gu Changhuai moved like the wind, closing the distance, clutching Jia Ren¡¯s shoulder with one hand, his Spiritual Power surged, instantly crushing Jia Ren¡¯s left arm.


    Jia Ren sweated coldly from the pain, his eyes filled with horror, and then with a flick of his right hand, he held a few Pills from his sleeve, trying to shove them into his mouth.

 Chapter 969 - 969 641

    ?Chapter 969: 641 Chapter 969: 641 Here¡¯s the translated text with all specified formatting and stylistic adjustments applied:


    ¡ª


    Gu Changhuai pointed his finger, a Wind Blade slashed and severed Jia Ren¡¯s right hand tendon.


    Jia Ren¡¯s right hand hung limply, a few Pills slipping to the ground.


    The Pills were an eerie shade of green.


    Gu Changhuai, experienced as he was, immediately recognized them as deadly Poison Pills.


    ¡°Trying to kill yourself?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze narrowed, sensing that something was off. He looked up just in time to see Jia Ren biting down on a tooth, intending to swallow it.


    *A tooth laced with poison?*


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes flashed with cold light. His right hand swiftly gripped Jia Ren¡¯s neck, while his left hand delivered a fierce punch to Jia Ren¡¯s abdomen.


    Jia Ren groaned in pain, spitting the poisoned tooth from his mouth.


    He tried to resist, struggled even, but his methods were exhausted. Even his attempts to end his own life had been thwarted.


    Meanwhile, the anesthetic from the shackles had already spread through his bloodstream.


    *Jia Ren sensed danger, but his Divine Sense was gradually clouded. His eyelids drooped shut, and he lost consciousness.*


    Gu Changhuai took out a chain and locked all of Jia Ren¡¯s limbs. Then, he removed Jia Ren¡¯s teeth, hoisted him up, and tossed him behind a concealed mountain stone.


    With that, Jia Ren was subdued.


    Mo Hua stood by in momentary astonishment.


    *This Uncle Gu, somehow, felt different from the person she had imagined.*


    *He seemed self-absorbed, as if he disregarded others entirely.*


    *Yet his methods were astoundingly meticulous.*


    *Even as a Golden Core Steward, capturing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he was extraordinarily cautious and methodical¡ªleaving not a shred of room for mishap.*


    *He gave no chance for escape.*


    *Not even for suicide.*


    Mo Hua felt she had learned a great deal.


    Throughout the ordeal, Mo Hua had obediently listened to Gu Changhuai and refrained from intervening rashly.


    Now that Jia Ren had been subdued, Mo Hua emerged from her hiding spot, sprinted over to Gu Changhuai, and staring at the unconscious Jia Ren, exclaimed:


    ¡°This Jia Ren wanted to kill himself?¡±


    She¡¯d never encountered a Sin Cultivator who, upon being caught, immediately viewed their situation as hopeless and sought death.


    Gu Changhuai frowned and said gravely, ¡°I was merely being cautious, doing everything necessary to prevent such outcomes. But to think that Jia Ren would genuinely prefer death over falling into my hands¡­¡±


    ¡°Which means¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly.


    Mo Hua chimed in, ¡°¡­this guy knows plenty, and harbors significant secrets!¡±


    He might truly be connected to the Xie family¡¯s annihilation or even hold clues about the Fire Buddha¡¯s whereabouts. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Perhaps he even knew more¡­


    ¡°Should we interrogate him now?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    ¡°We should,¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded.


    But first, they needed to search his Storage Bags as a matter of routine.


    Gu Changhuai opened all four or five Storage Bags that Jia Ren had intended to discard.


    A stench of blood wafted out.


    Sure enough, the bags were filled with ¡°spoils of crime.¡±


    Inside were several Spiritual Artifacts: a Ghost-head Blade, a Bone-picking Sword, and other instruments of slaughter, all stained with blood.


    Mo Hua caught sight of the blood, and her mind instantly buzzed¡ªthe world before her turned crimson.


    *Amidst flames, the Xie family¡¯s cultivators perished miserably, their anguished cries haunting her memories as the twisted forms of karmic mutations resurfaced.*


    ¡°This is¡­ the blood of Xie family cultivators,¡± Mo Hua remarked in a steely voice.


    Gu Changhuai froze. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I can tell,¡± Mo Hua replied.


    Gu Changhuai sighed helplessly. ¡°Fine. Pretend I didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    Beyond those blood-streaked weapons, there were also several ¡°spotless¡± Spiritual Artifacts.


    None bore any trace of bloodshed or karmic stains.


    They were ordinary tools, ones not intended for combat.


    Lighting tools, ventilation devices, fire-repellent artifacts, dust-cleansing tools, incense burners for meditation¡­ just the everyday necessities of cultivator life.


    Both Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai were visibly puzzled.


    ¡°Are these items from the Xie family?¡±


    ¡°Did they kill the Xie family and loot their belongings?¡±


    But if so, why discard them afterward?


    If they simply wanted to dispose of evidence, why bother robbing in the first place?


    Wasn¡¯t that doubly pointless?


    Could it simply have been an impulsive act, slaughtering and looting in a fit of frenzy?


    Did they relax post-killing, regret their actions, then hurriedly jettison the stolen goods for fear of the Taoist Court?


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s crew of Sin Cultivators¡ªknown for their merciless killings¡ªnever seemed the type for such behavior¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze remained wary, his brows furrowed in thought.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Could they be¡­ searching for something?¡±


    Gu Changhuai stared at her. ¡°Searching for something?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Mo Hua deliberated, ¡°They exterminated the Xie family hoping to recover something from them¡­¡±


    ¡°This Jia Ren came to the Xie family initially to steal this item¡­¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t succeed in getting it¡­¡±


    ¡°And this item was obviously crucial¡ªsomething they wouldn¡¯t give up on acquiring.¡±


    ¡°So the Fire Buddha¡¯s crew annihilated the Xie family entirely.¡±


    ¡°They gathered all of the Xie family¡¯s possessions to search for the object thoroughly, burning the Xie estate afterward to destroy evidence¡­¡±


    ¡°As for these discarded items¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯ve already checked them, didn¡¯t find what they wanted, and discarded the excess¡­¡±


    ¡°Plus, the blood-stained Spiritual Artifacts¡ªbearing traces of having killed the Xie family¡ªare also being thrown away¡­¡±


    ¡°For fear of leaving incriminating evidence that Taoist Court officials might track¡­¡±


    ¡°Or worse yet¡ªleaving karmic imprints that someone could later trace back to them¡­¡±


    Disposing of such ¡°spoils¡± using an Artifact Furnace might create significant disruptions and take too long.


    Instead, utilizing Bishan City¡¯s rugged geography, they intended to cast these ¡°spoils¡± off into a deep ravine¡ªsilent, untraceable.


    Even if discovered later, it¡¯d likely be many years down the line.


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback.


    *This kid¡­ her little mind worked fast¡ªand frankly, her deductions were plausible.*


    After some consideration, he nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a possibility, but only a possibility. Be careful not to jump to conclusions.¡±


    ¡°Preconceived notions risk leading investigations astray¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai advised.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Yet even with his advice, Mo Hua felt there might be merit to her theory.


    *At the very least, it offered a path worth exploring.*


    Gu Changhuai rummaged further through Jia Ren¡¯s Storage Bags.


    Jia Ren¡¯s Storage Bags were mundane.


    Like any ordinary cultivator¡¯s¡ªfilled with Spirit Stones, Pills, Spiritual Artifacts, and several Secret Manuals and Jade Slips.


    But Mo Hua combed through it all without finding anything out of the ordinary.


    Nothing on the Jade Slips appeared sealed, encrypted, or erased.


    Clearly, Jia Ren was cautious; he hadn¡¯t carried anything significant on his person.


    Mo Hua scrutinized everything they¡¯d found.


    There was evidence but few clues.


    It proved Jia Ren¡¯s involvement in the Xie family¡¯s massacre¡ªlikely as someone aiding in reconnaissance before the act and disposing of stolen goods afterward. He appeared deeply intertwined in the crime.


    Beyond that, though, no other leads emerged.


    Especially nothing regarding the Fire Buddha.


    Given that, interrogating Jia Ren became their only option.


    Gu Changhuai took out a Pill and fed it to Jia Ren. Within half an hour, Jia Ren began to stir.


    He slowly opened his eyes.


    The first thing he saw was Gu Changhuai¡¯s face: handsome yet ¡°utterly detestable.¡±


    Gu Changhuai asked coldly, ¡°Are you one of the Fire Buddha¡¯s men?¡±


    Jia Ren laughed bitterly, his expression one of resigned death. He remained silent.


    Gu Changhuai fired off question after question:


    ¡°Where is the Fire Buddha?¡±


    ¡°Why did they wipe out the Xie family?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your connection to the Fire Buddha?¡±


    Jia Ren remained unresponsive¡ªa Walking Dead, unmoved even by threats to his life.


    Gu Changhuai frowned, patience wearing thin.


    In this scenario, torture became inevitable.


    He brought out a Second Grade branding iron, inscribed with a Fire-series Formation. Glowing red-hot, it seared flesh to the bone.


    The branding iron burned Jia Ren¡¯s skin. Though he winced in pain, muscles twitching uncontrollably, he still refused to say a word.


    Mo Hua, watching from the side, felt conflicted.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, it seems your method isn¡¯t working¡­¡±


    Mo Hua quietly pulled out her own ¡°iron plate.¡± ¡°Want to try mine instead?¡±


    Gu Changhuai froze, staring at the blood-splattered iron plate, completely dumbfounded.


    Meanwhile, Jia Ren¡ªhearing the crisp clunk of metal¡ªsuddenly realized someone else was present.


    But why did this voice sound so familiar?


    And why did it resemble the voice of that little brat he longed to cut into pieces?


    Jia Ren shifted his head with difficulty, taking a glance.


    What he saw was a fair, delicate face, features like a masterwork painting.


    The Walking Dead Jia Ren¡ªalmost lifeless moments ago¡ªsuddenly sprang to life, his eyes blazing with fury and disbelief.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ YOU?!¡±


    ¡ª

 Chapter 970 - 970 642 The Secret Room

    ?Chapter 970: Chapter 642: The Secret Room Chapter 970: Chapter 642: The Secret Room Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, ¡°You still remember me?¡±


    In Jia Ren¡¯s eyes, flames of rage flickered as he gritted his teeth and said,


    ¡°You damn little devil, even if you turned into ashes, I would recognize you¡­¡± Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beside them, Gu Changhuai was also taken aback and asked Mo Hua,


    ¡°What did you do to him? Why does he hate you so much?¡±


    This Jia Ren, who usually looked indifferent to life and death like minced meat, exploded like he had been rolled through hot oil on seeing Mo Hua¡­


    Mo Hua frowned, puzzled, ¡°I really don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    He recalled for a moment:


    ¡°That mission was handled by Senior Sister Murong and Senior Brother Feng; they caught him. I just tagged along, helped with a bit of ¡®insignificant¡¯ assistance, not sure why he hates me so much¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess he bullies the weak and fears the strong, can¡¯t beat the senior brother and sister, sees I¡¯m young, with low cultivation, so he targets me¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai looked unconvinced.


    Hearing this, Jia Ren spat out a mouthful of blood, ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    But upon seeing his ¡°enemy,¡± he was so enraged that his mind went blank, and he couldn¡¯t even speak.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t show him courtesy, threw the ¡°iron plate¡± on the ground, and commanded,


    ¡°Kneel down¡­¡±


    Just as he said this, Mo Hua paused, suddenly remembering.


    The first ¡°victim¡± of this iron plate was none other than this ¡°Jia Ren.¡±


    Back then, his figure was that of a large man.


    Unfortunately, at that time, his skills were not refined, and the iron plate was crudely made.


    So Jia Ren kneeled on the iron plate, gritting his teeth, not uttering a word.


    When asked by Mo Hua if it ¡°hurt¡±, he just glared with fiery eyes like he does now, but wouldn¡¯t give in.


    Mo Hua had a deep impression.


    Since then, Mo Hua made it his goal to ¡°improve¡± the iron plate, iterating and refining over and over.


    Striving to have the Sin Cultivators kneeling on the iron plate to ¡°confess leniently,¡± telling the truth.


    And now, the opportunity had come again, fate had arrived once more¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up and he said to Jia Ren, ¡°Hurry, kneel again¡­¡±


    ¡°This iron plate, since you last kneeled on it, I¡¯ve changed the formation many times, improved it a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°Now kneel again, see if there¡¯s any difference from the first time you kneeled?¡±


    ¡°How does it feel specifically?¡±


    ¡°Do you feel an urge to tell the truth?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s tone carried a bit of curiosity, a bit of naivety, and some sincerity.


    But not a single trace of mockery.


    Yet blood vessels began to emerge in Jia Ren¡¯s eyes.


    Gu Changhuai sighed and immediately understood why Jia Ren hated Mo Hua so much.


    It was as if he harbored a deep-seated grudge akin to that of a patricidal vengeance, wishing to devour Mo Hua alive.


    He even felt quite understandable.


    This pesky kid really could infuriate someone to death.


    However, Gu Changhuai was also curious about the effect of this ¡°iron plate.¡±


    So, he grabbed Jia Ren¡¯s shoulders, disregarding his struggle, and forced him to kneel on Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°iron plate.¡±


    Upon touching the iron plate, the formation was instantly activated.


    Mo Hua¡¯s formation modification this time returned to simplicity, not mingling with the Eight Trigrams Array, but purely relied on the Five Elements Formation, cycles of Generation and Restraint creating a Compound Formation.


    Similar to the basic principle of the ¡°Killing Formation¡± in the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation.


    But much smaller in scale.


    And the purpose was not to ¡°take life¡± but for the Five Elements cycle, bestowing different types of spiritual power pain sensations.


    Golden Needle, Wood Poison, Water Torture, Fire Burn, Earth Suffocation.


    Five Elements deepening, cycles of torment.


    And to avoid the flaws of being too rigid breaking easily, or too painful causing fainting, this Five Elements Torture Formation was designed to be milder in pain sensation.


    Emphasizing the slow slicing of a blunt knife.


    First few cuts, then gradually deepening the pain, wearing down the will of the Sin Cultivators, making them drop their defenses, confessing¡­


    Thinking of this, Mo Hua sighed.


    He was indeed a good-hearted Cultivator at heart.


    But these Sin Cultivators, one worse than the other, and all stubbornly tight-lipped.


    Forcing him, with no other choice, to research such punitive formations.


    He was really helpless¡­


    Mo Hua sighed internally.


    Then, immediately focused his keen gaze, observing Jia Ren¡¯s reaction.


    As soon as Jia Ren kneeled, although showing anger, his face looked normal, and it even carried a trace of disdain as he looked at Mo Hua, snorting coldly.


    As if to say, is this all?


    This is what you improved?


    The more you improve, the worse it gets.


    But soon, his expression changed.


    As the pain deepened gradually, and the Five Elements Formation cycled through different layers, rich and detailed tortures continuously tormented his flesh.


    And bit by bit, wore down his will.


    After a short while, Jia Ren¡¯s face turned deathly pale.


    Like drinking strong liquor.


    Soft at the entry, but with a ferociously strong aftereffect.


    A tremor-inducing pain shot straight to his forehead.


    Jia Ren¡¯s expression twisted, his body trembling like a sieve.


    But this pain, hovering at the edge of limits, made him want to faint, yet he couldn¡¯t pass out, only able to drown in the sea of suffering, struggling bitterly¡­


    Watching this, Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    Taoist Court¡¯s ¡°torture¡± was not nonexistent.


    He had also used various torture devices.


    But such a torture device, mild yet cruel and creatively designed, he had truly never seen before¡­


    This kid Mo Hua, seemingly innocent-faced, but too crafty on the inside¡­


    ¡°How does it feel?¡±


    Mo Hua asked crisply.


    As if he had prepared a dish and was asking about its taste¡­


    ¡°Little devil, one day, I will kill¡­ ah¡ª¡±

 Chapter 971 - 971 642 Secret Room_2

    ?Chapter 971: 642 Chapter Secret Room_2 Chapter 971: 642 Chapter Secret Room_2 Jia Ren couldn¡¯t help himself; he let out a hoarse wail.


    Mo Hua¡¯s sympathetic little face said, ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, the pain will only get worse¡­¡±


    Then, quietly, he increased the spiritual power supply to the ¡°Iron Board¡± Formation¡­


    Jia Ren¡¯s facial features were all contorting.


    After an unknown time, under the dual torment of the pain brought by the Iron Board and the frustration brought by Mo Hua, Jia Ren¡¯s Daoist heart finally collapsed.


    His voice trembling, Jia Ren resignedly said,


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll speak! I¡¯ll speak¡­¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He could die to end it all, but he couldn¡¯t bear this anger and pain.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression brightened.


    Jia Ren¡¯s willingness to speak proved that his optimizations and modifications to the ¡°Iron Board¡± over this period were highly effective.


    And, it had gained the approval of the first experiencer!


    Gu Changhuai picked Jia Ren up, and Mo Hua repeated some previous questions.


    ¡°Where is the Fire Buddha?¡±


    ¡°Why extinguish the Xie family completely?¡±


    Jia Ren, breaking out in cold sweat, gritted his teeth, ¡°These¡­ I can¡¯t say¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face hardened, ¡°You dare to play games with me?¡±


    Jia Ren felt a cold sweat on his back and pain in his knees, hastily saying, ¡°No, I dare not¡­¡±


    He swallowed hard, ¡°These¡­ I can¡¯t say¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened, ¡°A Silence Curse¡­¡±


    Mo Hua puzzled, ¡°Silence Curse?¡±


    Gu Changhuai explained, ¡°It¡¯s a sinister spell cast in the form of a spiritual curse skill that prevents a cultivator from speaking certain words. Violating this will cause the spell to backlash, injuring the throat and even the Sea of Consciousness¡­¡±


    ¡°Such a spell exists¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked, then quickly thought,


    ¡°What if he writes it down?¡±


    Silence curse silences speech; it doesn¡¯t forbid writing.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, ¡°Writing won¡¯t work either¡­¡±


    ¡°If it was so simple that it had loopholes for you to exploit, wouldn¡¯t that make the spell stupid?¡±


    ¡°The purpose of a Silence Curse is to ensure cultivators keep secrets, not revealing them by speech or writing.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Makes sense¡­¡±


    They could only try indirect questioning about things unrelated to ¡°Fire Buddha,¡± ¡°Xie family,¡± and ¡°extermination.¡±


    After some thought, Mo Hua asked Jia Ren:


    ¡°Where is your real Storage Bag hidden?¡±


    Jia Ren started, his eyes trembling.


    Gu Changhuai was also surprised.


    Seeing Jia Ren reluctant to speak, Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became increasingly dangerous.


    Jia Ren, his expression somber, finally sighed, ¡°Bishan City, the rouge shop, behind the secret room, the third hidden compartment¡­¡±


    ¡°Rouge shop, secret room, hidden compartment¡­¡±


    Mo Hua quietly took note, and as he turned his head, he caught a glimpse of a cold gleam in Jia Ren¡¯s eyes.


    That gleam vanished in a flash.


    He again appeared utterly fearful.


    Mo Hua inwardly scoffed.


    ¡°Playing such tricks in front of me¡­¡±


    Soon, several Dao Court Canon officials arrived.


    They were not from Bishan City, but from the Qianxue State Boundary.


    And they weren¡¯t just any officials; they all had the surname Gu.


    Although the Gu family was only a fourth-grade family, their status in the Qianxue State Boundary was not low because many of their family members had served in the Dao Court Canon over generations.


    Connections spread throughout Qian State.


    And although Gu Changhuai had a bad temper, having grown up in a Dao Court family, he had a strong ability in criminal investigations, backed by his family, thus holding high prestige in the Dao Court Canon.


    The matter of the Fire Buddha was extremely confidential.


    Gu Changhuai still didn¡¯t trust other officials to get involved, he only trusted his own family members.


    These officials came forward and saluted Gu Changhuai:


    ¡°Young Master.¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded slightly and pointing at Jia Ren, instructed, ¡°Watch him, don¡¯t let him escape, and certainly don¡¯t let him die.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The Gu family officials obliged.


    Gu Changhuai nodded, then returned with Mo Hua to the rouge shop in Bishan City.


    Both of them released their Divine Sense, confirming there was no one else around, and then stepped inside.


    Inside the rouge shop, the furnishings were neat but simple.


    The air was filled with the fragrance of rouge, which after a while, acquired a strange odor.


    Behind the rouge shop was a screen, and behind that, a secret room.


    Hidden, but not enough to fool the duo.


    Gu Changhuai, a Golden Core Cultivator and Dao Court Canon, was skilled and experienced.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was strong, he was an expert in formations, and particularly adept at finding secret rooms.


    However, there was a formation above the secret room.


    It looked like a Second Grade formation, meant to seal the secret door.


    The formation wasn¡¯t sophisticated, but there might be a catch.


    Expert in criminal investigations but not in formations, Gu Changhuai hesitated whether to call some formation masters from the Dao Court Canon to check if the formation held any traps¡­


    But in the blink of an eye, Mo Hua had already taken out a brush, dipped it in ink, and drew some Formation Patterns outside the secret room.


    Then, the multicolored patterns on the secret door suddenly lit up, then faded one by one.


    The sealing formation was broken.


    The door to the secret room also opened.


    The technique was too quick, too skilled¡­


    He hadn¡¯t even seen clearly what Mo Hua had actually drawn¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua in astonishment, ¡°Breaking formations¡­you can do that too?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°This is simple.¡±


    He had started learning to break formations since the Qi Refinement Realm, used them often, and had become very proficient.


    Moreover, to be low-key, he hadn¡¯t used Divine Sense Control Ink but had seriously used a brush dipped in ink, resolving it stroke by stroke.


    Otherwise, with just a tap of his finger, the formation would have been broken¡­

 Chapter 972 - 972 642 Secret Room_3

    ?Chapter 972: Chapter 642: Secret Room_3 Chapter 972: Chapter 642: Secret Room_3 Before Uncle Gu¡¯s presence, it would have been too conspicuous to act.


    After resolving the Formation, the door to the secret chamber had already opened, revealing a pitch-black interior.


    Mo Hua pondered, ¡°Uncle Gu, would you like to go in first?¡±


    Although it was a secret chamber, inside Bishan City, it was unlikely to contain any danger.


    The many followers of Fire Buddha would not be able to hide inside it.


    But just in case, Mo Hua still exercised caution and did not rashly descend.


    If the sky were to fall, with Uncle Gu, this ¡°big fellow,¡± to support it, it wouldn¡¯t be the turn of a minor Cultivator like himself to take risks.


    Gu Changhuai nodded and entered the secret chamber.


    Mo Hua waited for ten breaths of time, and seeing that nothing unusual had occurred inside, he then followed in.


    Upon entering the secret chamber, Mo Hua looked up and saw Gu Changhuai standing at the center of the room, his face grave.


    Mo Hua looked around and saw that the rather spacious secret chamber was a mess, filled with many Storage Bags.


    Some of the Storage Bags had been opened.


    Others were piled up in a corner of the wall.


    At the same time, the chamber was filled with bloodied Spiritual Artifacts and a variety of artifacts that seemed to have been looted from the Xie family.


    It looked as if after a search, the ¡°useless¡± items were packed in Storage Bags, then prepared for disposal.


    This Jia Ren was seen doing the ¡°cleanup¡± of the messy work.


    His specialty in Disguise also made him most suitable for deceiving the public, wind up these kinds of affairs.


    The secret chamber did indeed contain a hidden compartment.


    There were no anomalies around the hidden compartment, but certainly, it must have been fitted with a Formation¡­


    Gu Changhuai appeared hesitant, debating whether to call over another Formation Master from the Taoist Court.


    But after glancing at the composed Mo Hua beside him, he gradually dismissed the thought.


    ¡°What kind of Formation is this?¡±


    Gu Changhuai asked Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.


    This was the first time Gu Changhuai had ever asked him about a Formation.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, thoroughly examining the structure of the hidden compartment several times, after some Calculation he cautiously said:


    ¡°This is a Second Grade ¡®Sealing Formation¡¯ with fourteen Patterns, sealing the items within and merging their aura with the earth and stone, making it less likely for a Cultivator to detect¡­¡±


    ¡°A Sealing Formation is quite ordinary.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s abnormal is that hidden within it, there also seems to be a ¡®Yuan Magnetic Formation¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°The hidden compartments here are all considered as mediums for the Yuan Magnetic Formation, which are also a type of Formation ¡®mechanism¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°If one initiates the Formation incorrectly during the opening process, it would trigger the Yuan Magnetic Formation, sending out a message through a subtle magnetic flow¡­¡±


    ¡°That message would likely be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and slowly continued, ¡°To alert certain people that the hidden compartment has been ¡®discovered by an outsider,¡¯ prompting them to be extra vigilant¡­¡±


    This was also the little scheme Jia Ren had in mind.


    On the brink of death, he was still thinking of sending a warning¡­


    Gu Changhuai maintained a composed expression, but his heart gave an involuntary jolt. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the surface, these ordinary-looking hidden compartments, could reveal so much just by sight¡­


    So, this was what a real Formation Master was like¡­


    To observe the subtle and grasp the situation.


    Seeing a single leaf is to foresee the coming of spring and autumn.


    After finishing his analysis, Mo Hua turned to ask Gu Changhuai, ¡°Uncle Gu, am I right?¡±


    Gu Changhuai vaguely responded, ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    He felt oddly guilty.


    Next was to take out the items from the hidden compartment.


    Seeing that Gu Changhuai had no objections, Mo Hua began to work himself.


    As usual, he meticulously used the Formation Pen to draw the Formation Patterns, unlocking the Second Grade ¡°Sealing Formation.¡±


    Then, with extreme caution, he avoided all the ¡°mechanisms¡± of the Yuan Magnetic Formation and took out a Storage Bag from within the hidden compartment.


    It was akin to a tiny mouse silently sneaking the ¡°fatty meat¡± from a mousetrap.


    Mo Hua handed the Storage Bag to Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai had not expected it to be so simple and sighed involuntarily before opening the Storage Bag and checking its contents one by one.


    Inside were quite a few Spirit Stones.


    There was a scroll of Cultivation Technique, named ¡°Flesh Transmutation Skill.¡±


    It was an Evil Path Skill that, after cultivation, would allow one to abandon their natural appearance, transforming their flesh at will and easily shape-shifting.


    However, during the process, a Cultivator¡¯s self-awareness would gradually become confused.


    Eventually, they no longer knew whether they were man or woman, tall or short, fat or thin, and might even forget whether they were ¡°human.¡±


    Once the flesh spiraled out of control, it would become twisted and deformed.


    They had to drink human blood to maintain human form.


    Mo Hua glanced over it a few times, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.


    He had originally wanted to learn the ¡°Disguise Technique,¡± but now it seemed that since this Cultivation Technique was so malevolent, he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn it.


    What if he did learn it, and his parents, master, Junior Brother, and Junior Sister couldn¡¯t recognize him in the future?


    Moreover, it required drinking human blood¡­


    He would never drink it.


    Aside from this ¡°Flesh Transmutation Skill,¡± there were several other Evil Path Skills that, although sinister, weren¡¯t particularly special.


    In the end, there was a jade slip.


    Mo Hua could tell at a glance what it was.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Letter Token!¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze also suddenly sharpened.


    The Letter Token, which Jia Ren had not carried on his person and had no idea he was being watched before his misfortune, most likely still had its content intact.


    And that Letter Token could very well contain the clue to the whereabouts of the Fire Buddha!


    Gu Changhuai focused his gaze on it and his expression suddenly stiffened.


    Inside the Letter Token, a vast expanse of white appeared¡ªcompletely empty of any writing.


    ¡°What is this¡­¡± Gu Changhuai frowned.


    ¡°Is it sealed?¡± asked Mo Hua from the side.


    Looking at Mo Hua, Gu Changhuai said somewhat numbly,


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know how to¡­ unlock seals as well, would you¡­?¡±


    ¡°I do, actually,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°How¡­ how does one unlock it?¡±


    When it came to the principles of Formation, Mo Hua became excitable.


    He had been researching the unlocking and decoding of seals for a long time, and now he could finally ¡°show off.¡±


    ¡°The principle of adding a seal is based on the Magnetic Pattern principles of the Yuan Magnetic Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Fixed Magnetic Patterns, through a certain agreement, match Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, and this agreement itself is a kind of magnetic flux. After the magnetic flux circulates, it will generate Secondary Thunder Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°So to unlock a seal, one must find the Secondary Thunder Pattern that serves as the Sealing Pattern. By applying the Secondary Thunder Pattern in reverse to the Unfixed Magnetic Patterns, one can dissipate the ¡®Magnetic Ink Mist,¡¯ thus breaking the seal and revealing the hidden words¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Gu Changhuai felt numb listening to it.


    He felt that he could understand each word individually, but put together, he was completely lost.


    The words spoken by Mo Hua were clear and organized, but utterly perplexing.


    All this talk of ¡°magnetic¡± this and ¡°Pattern¡± that, was like the magnetic flow¡ªswarming and intricate, entering his left ear and exiting through the right.


    He had not memorized anything, his mind like a field covered in heavy snow, blank and utterly bewildered.


    ¡°The principle is roughly like that¡­¡±


    After explaining, Mo Hua asked Gu Changhuai, ¡°Uncle Gu, did you understand¡­?¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused, then forced himself to assert calmly,


    ¡°Mm, I got it¡­¡±


    In front of Mo Hua, he could only pretend to understand.


    Although in reality, he didn¡¯t grasp a single bit¡­


    Fearing Mo Hua would continue, Gu Changhuai quickly said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s not delay, first let¡¯s unlock the ¡®Sealing Pattern¡¯ on the jade slip¡­¡±


    ¡°Catching the Fire Buddha is urgent¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm, mm,¡± Mo Hua nodded vigorously.


    Gu Changhuai, for some reason, felt a silent sigh of relief in his heart.


    Then he saw Mo Hua focus intently, looking at the jade slip while continuously drawing some strange and curious Formation Patterns on paper, occasionally mumbling to himself¡­


    ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Not this¡­¡±


    ¡°It looks a bit like¡­¡±


    ¡°Not this¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was utterly focused, with a gleam in his eyes, like the twinkling of stars.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze trembled, and he unconsciously slowed his breathing, afraid to disturb Mo Hua.


    After an unknown period, a flicker of light crossed Mo Hua¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve unlocked it!¡±


    Gu Changhuai was inwardly shocked and simultaneously somewhat incredulous.


    ¡°What does it say inside?¡±


    Mo Hua then immersed his Divine Sense into the jade slip.


    Within the jade slip, a vast emptiness held only eight characters:


    ¡°Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, Heaven Beyond Cave Heaven.¡±

 Chapter 973 - 973 643 Deadline

    ?Chapter 973: Chapter 643: Deadline Chapter 973: Chapter 643: Deadline Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, a Heaven Outside Cave?


    Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai exchanged glances.


    ¡°The Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, does it mean that here, in Bishan City, there is a demon¡¯s cave where sin cultivators and evil cultivators reside?¡±


    ¡°And ¡®Heaven Outside Cave¡¯ refers to the location of this demon¡¯s cave, a place outside the heavens, a world unto itself?¡±


    Mo Hua silently pondered.


    ¡°Bi Mountain Demon Cavern¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze also became gradually sharp.


    Mo Hua silently muttered to himself again, his confusion apparent.


    Bishan City is an immortal city, bustling with cultivators coming and going, and even the Taoist Court is stationed here; where would a ¡°demon¡¯s cave¡± come from?


    Is this demon¡¯s cave a large-scale stronghold for the Demon Sect?


    Or is it just a temporary dwelling for sin cultivators and evil cultivators?


    What exactly is hidden inside?


    Is the Fire Buddha hiding in this demon¡¯s cave right now?


    Unable to figure it out, Mo Hua leaned close to Gu Changhuai and asked in a low voice,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, have you heard of this ¡®Bi Mountain Demon Cavern¡¯?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression turned solemn, and he shook his head.


    The Taoist Court had never received any clues about this so-called ¡°Bi Mountain Demon Cavern.¡±


    And under the watch of the Taoist Court within Bishan City, where could a ¡°demon¡¯s cave¡± possibly have been built?


    However, Jia Ren was captured unexpectedly, his storage bag was secretly hidden, and the letter token was still sealed.


    The text inside should be authentic.


    Mo Hua frowned in thought, then his eyes lit up slightly.


    Gu Changhuai looked at him with some surprise. ¡°Have you thought of something else?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded; he quickly sorted through his thoughts and then asked,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, after the Xie family was annihilated, the Fire Buddha and his followers, in full view of all the cultivators in Bishan City, just vanished in the flames¡­¡±


    ¡°How did they disappear?¡±


    ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    Mo Hua proposed a bold guess, ¡°¡­ teleportation?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback and then shook his head.


    ¡°No. Teleportation involves the power of space, which is divine skill of the Fifth Grade Heaven Void Realm. This is the Second Grade State Border; the laws of Heavenly Dao prevent teleportation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had expected as much.


    But after all, his knowledge of Dao cultivation is limited, and he wasn¡¯t very clear about the unreachable cultivation and divine skills of the Fifth Grade Heaven Void, so he thought it best to confirm with Uncle Gu.


    At least to eliminate the possibility of ¡°spatial teleportation.¡±


    But Mo Hua was puzzled about something.


    The power of space is an ability of the Heaven Void Realm ancestors, and the Heavenly Dao restricts it to the Fifth Grade.


    But the storage bag, possessing its own space, also contains the power of space, doesn¡¯t it?


    Then why can storage bags be used in lower Second Grade state boundaries?


    Mo Hua posed the question to Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai was somewhat surprised.


    These matters were not secrets among the great families and clans.


    But seeing Mo Hua¡¯s puzzled face, it was clear he genuinely didn¡¯t understand.


    Gu Changhuai felt a strange sense of balance in his heart.


    So this young man also has things he doesn¡¯t understand¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly as he uncommonly explained with patience,


    ¡°Storage bags are inanimate objects, their space power is objective, only capable of holding lifeless things.¡±


    ¡°Whereas the space power of the Fifth Grade can be subjectively controlled by cultivators, it can also accommodate living ¡®creatures,¡¯ enabling void instant movement or teleportation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly understood, then he asked again,


    ¡°How are storage bags made then? Do they involve formations?¡±


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, ¡°Storage bags don¡¯t involve formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Or to put it more accurately, they don¡¯t involve Fifth Grade space formations. Even if there are formations involved, they are only ordinary ones for reinforcement, beautification, dust removal, and concealing aura¡­¡±


    ¡°These formations are common, not involving the power of space.¡±


    ¡°The space power of the storage bag is composed of ¡®silkworm threads¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Silkworm threads?¡±


    Gu Changhuai casually pulled out a storage bag from the ground, tore the opening, and showed the fine threads along the opening. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Storage bags are woven from silkworm threads.¡±


    ¡°The threads come from the ¡®Green Void Silkworm,¡¯ which inherently contains the power of space. The threads they spin naturally carry additional space.¡±


    ¡°Using special artifact refining techniques to weave these threads into a storage bag, it naturally comes with extra space.¡±


    ¡°So I said, the space of a storage bag is dead, it objectively exists¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in understanding, then said, ¡°Then these ¡®Green Void Silkworms,¡¯ since they contain the power of space, must be very expensive¡­¡±


    ¡°Not really expensive¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was surprised, ¡°Containing the power of space, and yet not expensive¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai said, ¡°Yes, the expensive ones are the ¡®Golden Void Silkworms¡¯ and ¡®Star Void Silkworms,¡¯ those ancient space silkworm breeds.¡±


    ¡°Golden Void Silkworm? Star Void Silkworm?¡±


    Mo Hua had never heard of them, looking somewhat bewildered.


    Gu Changhuai internally felt much more at ease and continued,


    ¡°In ancient times, spiritual artifacts and magical treasures capable of containing objects were extremely rare.¡±


    ¡°Because the cultivation of these spiritual artifacts required silkworm breeds that were born with powerful spatial power, which were difficult to catch, breed, and the silk they produced was also very scarce.¡±


    ¡°With rare ancient silkworm breeds, the number of spatial artifacts refined was also limited.¡±


    ¡°However, despite being few in number, these ancient ¡®treasures¡¯ were of very high quality.¡±


    ¡°Invariably, they were made from the threads, cocoons, or pupae of the most superior and precious space silkworm breeds, thus they are treasures of Dao cultivation. The interior space was naturally very large.¡±


    ¡°They were true treasures with a world in a pouch, a cosmos in a ring¡­¡±


    ¡°With the development of the cultivation world and the proliferation of cultivators, the demand for space spiritual artifacts has also surged dramatically.¡±

 Chapter 974 - 974 643 Deadline_2

    ?Chapter 974: Chapter 643: Deadline_2 Chapter 974: Chapter 643: Deadline_2 ¡°Generations of Beast Tamers could only try to artificially cultivate and breed certain species of spatial silkworms that were easier to propagate, easier to raise, and cheaper.¡±


    ¡°Meanwhile, some exceptionally talented Artifact Refiners continually improved the methods for crafting storage bags, hoping to make them accessible to the vast majority of cultivators in the cultivation world.¡±


    ¡°The Green Void Silkworm is, as of now, the most suitable spatial silkworm species for farming that cultivators have managed to breed.¡±


    ¡°Green Void Silkworm silk is cheap and remarkably durable, though its spatial capacity is somewhat smaller.¡±


    ¡°Today, over eighty percent of storage bags in the cultivation world are woven from Green Void Silkworm silk.¡±


    ¡°Of course, there are silkworm species that are more precious than the Green Void Silkworm.¡±


    ¡°However, the silk produced by these species, when crafted into storage bags, becomes so expensive that it¡¯s beyond the means of ordinary cultivators.¡±


    ¡°As for the rarer and ancient species, such as the Golden Void Silkworm or the Star Void Silkworm¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed with some regret.


    ¡°¡­These silkworm species were already scarce in their ability to reproduce. Over tens of thousands of years, they have been hunted and killed relentlessly by cultivators, leaving most of them endangered or even extinct.¡±


    ¡°The few surviving ones have either become ¡®forbidden treasures¡¯ of the Central Dao Court, or the great families and sects.¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Or they reside hidden in secluded spaces within certain ancient Daoist sites, abyssal forbidden lands, or perilous earthly extremes, never to be known¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Gu Changhuai explained the origins of storage spiritual artifacts in detail.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel his horizons broaden.


    *He hadn¡¯t expected that the storage bags, so commonplace in daily life, held such profound secrets.*


    *These seemingly ordinary storage bags were the culmination of countless cultivators¡¯ efforts and ingenuity across tens of thousands of years, a crystallization of the evolution of various Taoist skills.*


    *What appeared ordinary nonetheless contained grand principles.*


    *Mo Hua was momentarily lost in thought, deeply moved.*


    Hollow Void Realm, spatial power.


    Fifth-grade spatial formations¡­


    *When would he be able to cultivate to the Heaven Void Realm and master fifth-grade arrays?*


    Mo Hua sighed helplessly, and after a moment¡¯s daze, he recalled that dealing with the matter of the Fire Buddha was still urgent.


    Since it wasn¡¯t teleportation¡­ that made things easier.


    Under the constraints of second-grade laws, the abilities available to cultivators were rather limited.


    Mo Hua, being a Formation Master¡ªand a well-versed one at that¡ªhad a thorough understanding of second-grade cultivator abilities and Taoist laws.


    Mo Hua pondered aloud,


    ¡°They didn¡¯t truly disappear; it wasn¡¯t teleportation. That means they simply became invisible.¡±


    ¡°Invisibility could mean that they used Concealment Techniques, but more likely, it involved spiritual artifacts for concealment, or most plausibly, a Concealment Formation.¡±


    ¡°The Fire Buddha and his group slaughtered the entire Xie family and then used a Concealment Formation to vanish from the sea of flames; their whereabouts remain unknown.¡±


    ¡°The eight characters on the transmission token: ¡®Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, Celestial Cave Beyond,¡¯ are very likely hints to their hiding places and secret codes.¡±


    ¡°Bishan City is an Immortal City where the population is dense and gossip abundant. Ordinarily, there¡¯s no way demon cultivators could conceal themselves.¡±


    ¡°But if there truly is a Demon¡¯s Cave, then it must be veiled by a Concealment Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°The peaks and crags of Bishan City intertwine, the terrain is intricate¡­¡±


    ¡°Constructing a Demon¡¯s Cave and hiding it with a Concealment Formation¡ªa common cultivator likely wouldn¡¯t be able to detect it.¡±


    ¡°And then there¡¯s the phrase, ¡®Celestial Cave Beyond.''¡±


    ¡°That suggests that those cliffs and secluded, steep locations in the city could very well be where the Demon¡¯s Cave lies.¡±


    ¡°¡®Celestial¡¯ might imply a ¡®First-tier Sky¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°In areas resembling a First-tier Sky, there could be passageways obscured by a Concealment Formation, resembling ¡®paths to heaven,¡¯ and beyond those heavenly paths lies another hidden realm¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts were clear and his words came smoothly, unravelling the mystery bit by bit.


    Gu Changhuai looked somewhat stunned.


    *This child was indeed exceedingly clever.*


    *Not only was his thinking quick, but his knowledge of formations was thorough. Even these bizarre ¡®experiences¡¯ he mentioned seemed strangely detailed¡­*


    *Almost as if he had spent years interacting with Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators, understanding their ways and how they concealed themselves.*


    *It didn¡¯t quite add up.*


    Gu Changhuai hesitated for a moment before asking doubtfully:


    ¡°How¡­ do you know so much?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t hide anything and replied, ¡°I¡¯ve seen it, so it left a deep impression.¡±


    ¡°Seen it?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was puzzled.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mo Hua nodded. ¡°Back when I was in Tongxian City, working as a Monster Hunter¡­¡±


    ¡°The Sin Cultivators in Big Black Mountain used a Concealment Formation to hide the path leading to the rear mountain, then used dense fog as cover to rob and kill¡ªcommitting all sorts of atrocities¡­¡±


    ¡°I also saw some Evil Cultivators build mountain hideouts and corpse palaces behind First-tier Sky paths to refine corpses¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Formation Master? When were you also a Monster Hunter?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°My father was a Monster Hunter. Following in his footsteps¡ªis that so strange? It¡¯s a family tradition; it can¡¯t just be abandoned¡­¡±


    ¡°But I was born with a frail constitution, so hunting monsters wasn¡¯t my strong suit. I had to find other paths¡­¡±


    ¡°So, besides being a Monster Hunter, I became a Formation Master, and worked as an unofficial cultivator for the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Mo Hua sighed, looking resigned, ¡°What can I do? My family was poor when I was growing up, so I had to endure hardships and dabble in a bit of everything¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai looked at his delicate, fair face and moments of audaciousness, finding it hard to believe he had endured any real ¡®hardship.¡¯


    Still¡­


    ¡°For someone only a decade or so into life, you¡¯ve had quite the adventure¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai remarked.


    *A Monster Hunter, encounters with Sin Cultivators robbing trails in mountain backwoods, Evil Cultivators refining corpses in hidden realms behind pathways¡­ what an eventful life.*

 Chapter 975 - 975 643 Deadline_3

    ?Chapter 975: Chapter 643: Deadline_3 Chapter 975: Chapter 643: Deadline_3 I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or if he¡¯s making up a story.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head.


    No matter what, Mo Hua¡¯s speculation had some merit.


    Especially about the Formation¡­


    Gu Changhuai was now certain that Mo Hua claiming to be ¡°skilled at Formation¡± was indeed a big truth.


    He originally thought the so-called ¡°skilled at Formation¡± was just an excuse to save face after his cousin pulled strings to squeeze Mo Hua into Taixu Gate.


    But now, it seemed Mo Hua wasn¡¯t just ¡°skilled¡± at Formation. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His level of expertise in Formation was becoming somewhat ¡°unbelievably high.¡±


    All my life, I¡¯ve seen disciples with great talent, disciples skilled at Formation.


    But I¡¯ve never seen one skilled to the point I can¡¯t understand, with talent so exaggerated that I don¡¯t even know how to express it¡­


    Gu Changhuai was helpless.


    His cousin went through so much trouble to push this kid, Mo Hua, into Taixu Gate; it might turn out that Taixu Gate had picked up a ¡°bargain¡± instead.


    It wasn¡¯t that his cousin acted rashly, wasting Taixu Gate¡¯s goodwill.


    Maybe instead, it was Taixu Gate that owed his cousin a favor¡­


    Gu Changhuai felt a mix of emotions.


    He thought for a while and nodded to Mo Hua:


    ¡°I will have someone investigate in this direction¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Then I¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you anymore¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    Gu Changhuai said, ¡°You need to go back to class.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Mo Hua was stunned.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°What else did you expect? How long did you want to skive off for?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve only got a two-day break. You¡¯re returning to the Sect tomorrow, don¡¯t worry about the rest¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, if you really faced the Fire Buddha in a fight, you wouldn¡¯t be any help¡­¡±


    Having said that, Gu Changhuai patted Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Cultivate well.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart instantly felt ¡°cold as ice.¡±


    He felt as if he was ¡°discarded after being used.¡±


    In his heart, Uncle Gu was now labeled as a ¡°bridge burner.¡±


    But he had to return to the Sect.


    Skipping classes for no reason could lead to expulsion.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Can I take a leave of absence?¡±


    Gu Changhuai appeared indifferent, ¡°What does that have to do with me? I¡¯m a Supervisor at the Taoist Court, not an Elder at Taixu Gate, and I can¡¯t grant you leave¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had nothing to say.


    Gu Changhuai gestured, ¡°Go back¡­¡±


    So Mo Hua had no choice but to reluctantly return to Taixu Gate.


    Back at Taixu Gate, Mo Hua continued cultivating, attending classes, and Drawing Formation.


    But in his heart, all he could think about was the Fire Buddha¡­


    ¡°My Meteor Fire Skill¡­¡±


    Without catching the Fire Buddha, without obtaining the spell for the Meteor Fire Skill, without a stable Skill Pattern to refer to, his research on the fusion spell for the Fireball would hit a dead end.


    The lethality of his spell wouldn¡¯t significantly improve.


    What to do?


    Mo Hua, undeterred, sent messages every day inquiring about the progress in searching for the Fire Buddha.


    ¡°Uncle Gu¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle Gu¡­¡±


    When there was no response, Mo Hua sent:


    ¡°Gu Changhuai!¡±


    Sure enough, Gu Changhuai replied, ¡°Mind your language¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked nicely:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, did you find anything? Where is the Demon¡¯s Cave?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    The next day, Mo Hua asked again, ¡°Uncle Gu, have you found anything?¡±


    Gu Changhuai still replied, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    After that, Mo Hua asked every day, and Gu Changhuai always replied, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Mo Hua sensed something fishy.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, you wouldn¡¯t lie to me, would you¡­¡±


    ¡°People should be honest!¡±


    Silence from the other end.


    Sure enough, Mo Hua thought.


    ¡°Did you find the location of the Demon¡¯s Cave?¡±


    Gu Changhuai hesitated for a moment, then replied, ¡°Focus on your cultivation, don¡¯t worry about these things.¡±


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t pleased, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, and if something happens in the future that requires my help, I won¡¯t lend a hand either!¡±


    Gu Changhuai sneered to himself.


    Asking for your help?


    I, as a Golden Core Cultivator and a Supervisor at the Taoist Court, what could possibly require the assistance of a minor Foundation Establishment Cultivator like you¡­


    Gu Changhuai paused for a moment.


    The complex and incomprehensible Formation methods employed by Mo Hua when restoring the Letter Token once again surfaced in his mind.


    And the solving of Formations, unlocking¡­


    As well as his perception of Formation¡­


    Gu Changhuai held back his impulse to brag and felt it was better as an adult to tell the truth, instead of lying to a child.


    Gu Changhuai sighed and replied, ¡°We found it.¡±


    Mo Hua perked up, ¡°How did you find it?¡±


    Reluctantly, Gu Changhuai had to start from the beginning:


    ¡°We conducted a secret search with a relaxed exterior¡­ Publicly we released information suggesting the Fire Buddha was likely hiding elsewhere, easing the vigilance inside Bishan City.¡±


    ¡°Covertly, we deployed more personnel to surveil day and night.¡±


    ¡°The Fire Buddha, hidden within Bishan City, would surely seize the chance to escape; he can¡¯t hide forever.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, a few days later, we spotted a suspicious Cultivator.¡±


    ¡°Bishan City had long been sealed off, with every Cultivator¡¯s origin recorded, but there was no record of this particular Cultivator.¡±


    ¡°He appeared out of thin air¡­¡±


    ¡°He emerged from the ¡®Demon¡¯s Cave¡¯ to scout the situation¡­¡±


    ¡°We tracked this suspicious Cultivator and found he had circled the city before heading alone to the treacherous mountains north of the city, where he then disappeared¡­¡±


    ¡°The Taoist Court summoned Formation Masters and various Spiritual Artifacts capable of revealing and peering into hidden places, and we finally discovered the entrance to the Demon¡¯s Cave¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai stopped there.


    Mo Hua urgently asked, ¡°And then?¡±

 Chapter 976 - 976 643 Deadline_4

    ?Chapter 976: Chapter 643: Deadline_4 Chapter 976: Chapter 643: Deadline_4 ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®and then¡¯.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the Demon¡¯s Cave? The Fire Buddha isn¡¯t inside?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get in¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed, ¡°Solitary Mountain City hangs in the sky; a sheer cliff offers the only path, with dense Demonic Qi across the way, who knows how many Evil Demon Cultivators lurk within.¡±


    ¡°To rashly enter would mean life and death are unpredictable, and I¡¯m afraid it would also startle the snakes in the grass.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, there are Formations inside and out.¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°The Taoist Court should have plenty of hands, and they¡¯re not short on Formation Masters either¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai fell silent for a while before replying:


    ¡°That, I cannot tell you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, mumbling to himself, ¡°Feigning profundity¡­¡±


    Then he pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you want my help?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was adamant, ¡°No need.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be polite.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not being polite.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t take risks or make a move, just help you look at the Formation, find the loopholes on it¡­¡± Mo Hua persuaded gently.


    Gu Changhuai was truly swayed.


    ¡°You¡­ have classes, right?¡± Gu Changhuai hesitated.


    Just as Mo Hua suspected.


    It appeared that Uncle Gu truly encountered a difficulty, in need of someone as skilled in Formation as himself to lend a hand.


    ¡°I can try to ask for leave.¡±


    Gu Changhuai fell silent.


    Mo Hua roughly understood.


    Uncle Gu must be too proud to stoop to asking for help.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then offered him a way out with good intentions, conveying, ¡°Uncle Gu, if the Sect approves my leave, then I¡¯ll come and help you all catch the Fire Buddha?¡±


    Only then did Gu Changhuai reluctantly say:


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    But between the lines, it was clear he breathed a sigh of relief.


    Mo Hua shook his head, unable to do anything with him.


    Now that Uncle Gu¡¯s issue was resolved, about asking for leave¡­ that wouldn¡¯t be so easy either.


    A normal Elder could approve a day or two off, but any longer and they wouldn¡¯t have the authority.


    And entering the Demon¡¯s Cave to catch the Fire Buddha was definitely not something that could be completed in just a couple of days.


    Even if things went smoothly, it would take at least six or seven days.


    If I make use of the bi-weekly rest days to supplement, I¡¯d still need to ask for five days off¡­


    My only option is to go to Elder Master Xun.


    But Elder Master Xun¡­


    He can¡¯t possibly approve my leave, right?


    Mo Hua was somewhat troubled.


    Should he tell Elder Master Xun, ¡°Gentleman, I want five days off to help the Taoist Court capture a depraved Sin Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, murderous and skilled in Forbidden Techniques¡±?


    Unless Elder Master Xun lost his mind, he would never agree.


    So, the request had to be more subtle¡­


    Mo Hua then approached Elder Master Xun and altered his explanation, stating that the Taoist Court asked him to create a Formation Painting, which would probably take five days.


    Elder Master Xun looked at him with a puzzled expression, ¡°The Taoist Court? Asking you? To create a Formation Painting? And for five days?¡±


    Mo Hua braced himself and nodded.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Elder Master Xun asked.


    Mo Hua vaguely answered, ¡°Supervisor Gu from the Taoist Court invited me, the specifics are unclear to me¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun shook his head, ¡°A Formation can be created anywhere, why go to the Taoist Court, and besides, five days off is too much¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    Just as Elder Master Xun was about to say something, he suddenly paused, ¡°You just said¡­ Supervisor Gu from the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Mo Hua nodded eagerly.


    ¡°How do you know the Supervisor from the Gu Family?¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I¡¯m acquainted with Aunt Wan from the Shangguan family; Supervisor Gu is her cousin¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun was slightly taken aback and asked:


    ¡°Did they mention what kind of Formation it was?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°No, they just said it¡¯s a Second Grade Formation, quite difficult, it¡¯s estimated to take a long time, so I¡¯m asking for five days off¡­¡±


    Elder Master Xun looked at Mo Hua with some surprise.


    The Taoist Court¡­ the Gu Family¡­


    The Gu Family has deep roots in the Taoist Court and wide connections.


    If this child, Mo Hua, gets acquainted with the Gu Family and fosters a relationship, it would make things easier for him later on in the Taoist Court¡­


    At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t be targeted by the Taoist Court for unwarranted disasters.


    After a brief thought, Elder Master Xun asked Mo Hua:


    ¡°Just creating a Formation Painting, no other dangers, right?¡±


    ¡°None!¡± Mo Hua stated emphatically.


    ¡°Hm.¡± Elder Master Xun nodded, ¡°Go to Elder Song, tell him I said to approve your leave for five days.¡±


    Mo Hua was overjoyed, his expression brightening as he said:


    ¡°Thank you, Gentleman!¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Elder Master Xun nodded in acknowledgment, and pondered before adding, ¡°Be diligent with the Formation Painting. In the Taoist Court, the Gu Family is fairly upright, it¡¯s worth getting acquainted, to be recognized.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, rest assured, Gentleman!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He and Uncle Gu were already quite familiar with each other.


    ¡°Go ahead then.¡± Elder Master Xun waved his hand.


    Mo Hua respectfully bowed and then couldn¡¯t help but leave with a lively spring in his step.


    He found Elder Song, told him he wanted five days off, and that Elder Master Xun had agreed.


    Elder Song looked utterly astonished and felt discontent in his heart.


    Elder Master Xun is too indulgent with this child!


    Five days off, what kind of example is that setting!


    Then he signed his name, stamped the seal, and approved Mo Hua¡¯s leave request.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s out of my hands, he can ask for however many days he wants, I just need to stamp it¡­¡±


    Elder Song muttered to himself uncaringly.


    With permission secured, Mo Hua happily returned to the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    He had calculated just right.


    Asking for five days off, plus the two days off for the bi-weekly rest, made exactly seven days.


    He must catch the Fire Buddha within these seven days to have a chance of acquiring the Meteor Fire Skill spell, thereby laying the Skill Pattern foundation for his own forbidden Fireball fusion technique.


    If it took longer than seven days, he wouldn¡¯t be able to intervene.


    After seven days, either the Fire Buddha would be caught by the Taoist Court or escape.


    Without obtaining the Meteor Fire Skill, all efforts would have been in vain, a complete waste of time.


    So¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression turned serious and his eyes held a determined gleam as he said:


    ¡°Within seven days, the Fire Buddha must die!¡±

 Chapter 977 - 977 644 Water Concealing Jade

    ?Chapter 977: Chapter 644: Water Concealing Jade Chapter 977: Chapter 644: Water Concealing Jade The next day, Mo Hua took leave of absence and departed from the Taixu Gate, first making his way to the Taoist Court at the Qianxue State Boundary.


    This was the arrangement he had made with Gu Changhuai.


    They would meet at the Taoist Court and then set off for Bishan City.


    Within the Taoist Court, Gu Changhuai had specifically returned to accompany Mo Hua and passed him a storage bag.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Mo Hua inquired.


    ¡°Consider it supplies distributed by the Taoist Court for the mission,¡± Gu Changhuai replied indifferently.


    Mo Hua opened the storage bag and saw some pills, spirit stones, runes, and an official Taoist robe inside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wear your Taixu Gate clothes; they¡¯re too conspicuous. Change into this official robe¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Mo Hua changed into the Court¡¯s official Taoist robe, looking both charming and dignified.


    However, the robe was baggy, with sleeves that were too long, clearly a size too large.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, the clothes are too big¡­¡±


    ¡°Just make do with it; that¡¯s already the smallest size we have¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t it be tailored?¡±


    Gu Changhuai appeared somewhat helpless, ¡°You¡¯re an external hire, just make do. How could we tailor one specifically for you?¡±


    Mo Hua muttered under his breath, ¡°So stingy¡­¡±


    The grand Fifth grade Taoist Court of the Qianxue State Boundary was really pinching pennies.


    No help for it, the matter of the Fire Buddha was urgent.


    Mo Hua could only tighten his belt, roll up his sleeves, and eagerly said:


    ¡°Let¡¯s set out.¡±


    They had seven days to catch the Fire Buddha and obtain the Meteor Fire Skill; there wasn¡¯t much time to waste.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Gu Changhuai nodded.


    Afterward, Gu Changhuai led Mo Hua out of the Taoist Court.


    They had just reached halfway when they came face to face with a middle-aged man dressed in a black Supervisor robe, with narrow eyes and a pale complexion, but a smiling face.


    ¡°Supervisor Gu.¡±


    The man greeted him with a smile. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze turned cold, unwillingly responding:


    ¡°Master Xiao.¡±


    Mo Hua, standing to the side, secretly observed Gu Changhuai, noticing his cold demeanor, it appeared that he was not friendly with this Supervisor surnamed ¡°Xiao.¡±


    It seemed the relationship between the two was not very good.


    Master Xiao wanted to say more, but then he noticed Mo Hua and his expression revealed a hint of surprise.


    ¡°This young cultivator¡­¡±


    Clad in an official Taoist Court robe, yet it obviously didn¡¯t fit, as if it was hastily found and thrown on.


    Wearing the official robe signified his affiliation with the Taoist Court.


    But judging by his height and appearance, he was but a naive little cultivator, unlikely to have been admitted into the Taoist Court.


    Moreover, he was following Gu Changhuai, known for keeping others at a distance like a ¡°Cold-Faced Judge.¡±


    That made it even more mysterious¡­


    ¡°Who might this young brother be¡­¡±


    Master Xiao, with a springtime warmth in his face but eyes that carried a predatory chill, made others feel uncomfortable.


    Mo Hua immediately gave him the nickname ¡°Smiling Tiger¡± in his heart.


    Just as he was pondering how to concoct an excuse to deal with this Smiling Tiger, Gu Changhuai coldly interjected:


    ¡°Master Xiao, we¡¯re on official business.¡±


    Master Xiao, interrupted, could only turn to Gu Changhuai, his eyes shifting, but his smile unaffected as he inquired:


    ¡°Supervisor Gu, still busy with the Fire Buddha case?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It has been quite a while, hasn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai remained silent.


    Master Xiao sighed, ¡°The Fire Buddha¡¯s slaughter was atrocious, causing widespread panic; the higher-ups are taking it seriously, the Court Leader is under pressure¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ although the case is complicated, taking this long to resolve it indeed looks bad.¡±


    ¡°No one blames the superiors; they blame Supervisor Gu for not being efficient enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Master Xiao¡¯s eyes hardened as he spoke quietly, ¡°Just catch a few, close the case, and give an account to those above¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai, with a penetrating gaze, asked, ¡°Is that the Court Leader¡¯s suggestion, or is it your own, Master Xiao?¡±


    Master Xiao¡¯s expression stalled, with a forced smile he said:


    ¡°Supervisor Gu, I wouldn¡¯t dare to jest like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Both of us are Supervisors; we simply carry out the orders from above, remember not to¡­¡±


    Master Xiao¡¯s smile slightly faded, his voice carrying a profound message, ¡°Take matters into your own hands¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai lost his patience, his face immediately darkening without any pretense of politeness as he said:


    ¡°Do your own Supervisor duties, and don¡¯t think about teaching me how to do my job.¡±


    Master Xiao paused.


    Gu Changhuai snorted disdainfully and walked away.


    Mo Hua, careful in observation and minding his words, pretended to hear nothing and closely followed Gu Changhuai in departure.


    Only Master Xiao remained, standing in place.


    The smile on his face gradually faded, and he sneered softly:


    ¡°The people of the Gu Family are still so naive; sooner or later, they¡¯ll perish clean¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Sitting on the carriage bound for Bishan City, Mo Hua quietly asked:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, does that Master Xiao have a grudge against you?¡±


    Gu Changhuai, lost in thought, did not reply.


    Mo Hua inquired again, ¡°He¡¯s not a spy within the Taoist Court, is he?¡±


    Caught off guard, Gu Changhuai exclaimed, ¡°How did you figure that out?¡±


    ¡°Just a feeling¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai, with a touch of exasperation, ¡°The Taoist Court doesn¡¯t proceed on mere feelings¡­¡±


    ¡°Master Xiao¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered, then pondered aloud, ¡°To be appointed as a Supervisor, he must also be a noble family¡¯s son, surnamed Xiao; does the Xiao family, like the Gu family, have close ties to the Taoist Court?¡±


    Gu Changhuai appeared somewhat surprised, but he nodded and said:


    ¡°Yes, the Xiao family¡¯s influence in the Taoist Court is greater than the Gu family¡¯s; the current Court Leader of the Fifth grade Taoist Court in the Qianxue State Boundary is from the Xiao family¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then curiously continued:


    ¡°Then this Master Xiao¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop asking,¡± Gu Changhuai interrupted Mo Hua, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t pry into the affairs of the Xiao family; it¡¯s best to stay away from them to avoid bringing trouble upon yourself¡­¡±

 Chapter 978 - 978 644 Water Concealing Jade_2

    ?Chapter 978: Chapter 644: Water Concealing Jade_2 Chapter 978: Chapter 644: Water Concealing Jade_2 ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself falsely accused for no reason, I won¡¯t be going to the Taoist Prison to bail you out,¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡±


    Mo Hua agreed.


    Listening to other people¡¯s advice honestly is also a good habit.


    He didn¡¯t inquire further about the Xiao family¡¯s matter, it was irrelevant to him anyway.


    The journey was fast-paced and bumpy.


    But there was still some way to go before reaching Bishan City, and Mo Hua took this opportunity to ask about the Fire Buddha matter.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, is it impossible to enter the Demon¡¯s Cave?¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed as he looked out the window, ¡°There are Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of Formations?¡±


    Gu Changhuai silently glanced at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua suddenly understood.


    Uncle Gu was ¡°Formation Blind¡±; if he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have let him come.


    But fortunately, Uncle Gu was ¡°Formation Blind¡±; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to get involved with the Fire Buddha matter¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked at Mo Hua suspiciously, his intuition telling him that Mo Hua was definitely up to no good in his heart.


    ¡°Are you bad-mouthing me in your head?¡±


    Mo Hua denied, ¡°No!¡±


    Gu Changhuai hummed softly.


    Mo Hua asked again, ¡°The Taoist Court should have other Formation Masters, right?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression grew complex.


    There was no one else around, and since he would need Mo Hua¡¯s help with upcoming matters, Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t hold back and spilled the truth:


    ¡°The best Formation Masters in the Cultivation World are mostly in the Heaven Shu Pavilion.¡±


    ¡°The Formation Masters of the Heaven Shu Pavilion are highly esteemed and even the Taoist Court can usually not afford to hire them¡­¡±


    ¡°The Formation Masters that the Taoist Court can afford are generally of inferior standards¡­¡±


    ¡°And since the Fire Buddha incident happened in Second Grade Bishan City and the Sin Cultivators are all Second Grade, despite the heinous nature of the crime, it is still treated as a Second Grade case¡­¡±


    ¡°A Second Grade case is beneath the notice of Third Grade Formation Masters.¡±


    ¡°And these Sin Cultivators are so brutal and wicked that Second Grade Formation Masters dare not come.¡±


    ¡°Investigating the scene and breaking Formations is one thing, but a battle of encirclement like this is much more dangerous without lifesaving measures for ordinary Formation Masters.¡±


    ¡°Despite this, I still called in several Second Grade Formation Masters from the Gu Family¡¯s influence within the Taoist Court¡­ But¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned deeply, sighing,


    ¡°The mountain paths are hidden, the Formations are obscure.¡±


    ¡°They also couldn¡¯t discern any real clues, not to mention being of any help¡­¡±


    Mo Hua roughly understood.


    No wonder Uncle Gu, who always cared so much about face, would actually relent and ask for his help.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Gu, as long as it¡¯s a Second Grade Formation, there will be no issue!¡±


    Then Mo Hua felt that he might have promised too much and added,


    ¡°Anything below the middle level of Second Grade, and not High-Rank, there will be no issue.¡±


    Given the current situation, there must be Formation Masters among the Fire Buddha¡¯s group of Sin Cultivators.


    Since Fire Buddha was at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and he was the boss, his subordinates, the Formation Masters, should not exceed Foundation Establishment.


    And the skill level of ordinary Formation Masters was generally behind their Realm.


    For example, reaching Foundation Building Middle Stage to becoming a Second-grade Junior Formation Master.


    Foundation Establishment Late Stage to becoming a Second Grade Middle-level Formation Master.


    Only at the peak of Foundation Establishment Late Stage, or Golden Core, could one become a Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master.


    These were all standard situations.


    Formation Masters whose ranks matched their Cultivation Realm were already considered outstanding among their peers.


    Such Formation Masters were considered Formation geniuses and normally wouldn¡¯t stoop to consorting with Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators.


    Therefore, the Formations within the Bi Mountain Demon Cavern should be no more than Second Grade Middle-Level, something he was fully capable of handling.


    Mo Hua appeared quite confident.


    For the first time, Gu Changhuai found Mo Hua¡¯s confident and somewhat smug demeanor rather pleasing to the eye¡­


    ¡­


    After that, the two traveled in silence until they reached Bishan City.


    Upon entering Bishan City and passing through its streets, they continued to the northern mountains at the city¡¯s edge, where the view opened up to steep mountains, spectacular peaks, layered ridges, and rugged terrain.


    Gu Changhuai led Mo Hua to a cave at the foothills. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The entrance was covered by green vines, but the cave inside was spacious, serving as a temporary base for the Taoist Court, with several dozen Enforcement Leaders quietly discussing something inside.


    Gu Changhuai and Mo Hua entered the cave.


    The Enforcement Leaders hastily stood up and respectfully saluted Gu Changhuai, but they couldn¡¯t help looking at Mo Hua with puzzled expressions.


    What did Supervisor Gu mean by bringing a young Cultivator here?


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t bother to explain and simply called out two people, ¡°Gu Quan, Gu An, come with me.¡±


    From the crowd, two Cultivators wearing Enforcement Leaders¡¯ Taoist Robes, indistinguishable in appearance, stepped forward.


    They bowed and said, ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    ¡°Named Gu¡­¡±


    Mo Hua knew without guessing these two individuals must be from the Gu Family, and given they looked so similar, they were likely twins.


    Gu Changhuai then led Mo Hua, along with Gu Quan and Gu An, away from the cave, and after about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they stopped by a huge boulder.


    Mo Hua looked up and saw the mountain rock stretched across the summit.


    A natural crevice was in the middle with both sides shrouded, resembling a thread between heaven and earth.


    ¡°Tian Yi Xian¡­¡±


    Mo Hua murmured and then looked at Gu Changhuai, ¡°A cavern outside of heaven, so the Demon¡¯s Cave is right behind this One Line Sky?¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded.


    The One Line Sky was narrow, just wide enough for one person to pass through.


    Gu Changhuai led the way at the front, with Mo Hua following behind him, and Gu An and Gu Quan at the rear.


    After passing the One Line Sky, the view suddenly opened up.


    The sky was high and wide, with white clouds floating beyond and close at hand, a sheer cliff at their feet, without any other paths.


    Gu Changhuai pointed towards the distance, and following his gesture, Mo Hua saw what looked like a towering, solitary peak in the hazy distance.

 Chapter 979 - 979 644 Water Concealing Jade_3

    ?Chapter 979: Chapter 644 Water Concealing Jade_3 Chapter 979: Chapter 644 Water Concealing Jade_3 ¡°That is the Demon¡¯s Cave,¡± Gu Changhuai paused, then continued, ¡°You¡¯re right, there¡¯s a stone bridge beneath our feet, engraved with a Concealment Formation, concealing its traces, so no one can detect the Demon¡¯s Cave across from here¡­¡±


    Mo Hua stared at the broken cliff on the horizon, feeling a momentary trance.


    It was as if he could once again see the hidden stone path atop the cliff on the back side of Big Black Mountain.


    Concealment Formation¡­ S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    Great families and clans exploit Formations for profit.


    Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators also utilize Formations, hiding their tracks to do evil deeds.


    On the other hand, Loose Cultivators at the bottom of society struggle to get by, unable to afford even the most basic Formations.


    It was this way in Tongxian City of Li State, in South Yue City, and now it seems the Immortal City of Qian State also has this indication¡­


    When will the Formations, which adhere to the Dao of Heaven and Earth, truly benefit all living beings?


    Mo Hua felt moved.


    But now was not the time to be sentimental¡­


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, sweeping the empty mist below the cliff.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, a stone bridge clearly emerged.


    On the bridge, various Formations were engraved.


    There were reinforcing Earth Stone Formations, monitoring Small Yuan Magnetic Formations, and invisibility-purpose Concealment Formations.


    As Mo Hua watched, he was suddenly taken aback.


    ¡°Concealment Formation¡­¡±


    This Concealment Formation seemed¡­


    Mo Hua concentrated his perception and was startled to realize.


    Second Grade Nineteen Patterns Formation!


    The Concealment Formation he had learned before was a First Grade Nine Patterns Formation, but he had never learned a Second Grade one.


    Mo Hua immediately realized that he had overlooked something.


    The Concealment Formation is the most difficult to learn among usual Formations.


    A First Grade Concealment Formation has a total of nine Pattern Lines.


    Then the Second Grade Concealment Formation could well be a top Second Grade Formation, possessing nineteen Pattern Lines¡­


    I made a wrong judgment.


    Among the group of Sin Cultivators with Fire Buddha, there was a Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master!


    ¡°I was careless¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed inwardly.


    A Concealment Formation that can deceive Foundation Building Cultivators is highly likely to be Second Grade.


    And it¡¯s not surprising for a Second Grade Concealment Formation to have nineteen Pattern Lines.


    A Formation Master capable of drawing nineteen Pattern Lines must be a Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master.


    Then his Cultivation¡­ Golden Core?


    Mo Hua frowned in thought, then shook his head.


    It shouldn¡¯t be Golden Core.


    A Golden Core Realm, Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master of such caliber wouldn¡¯t serve Fire Buddha; Fire Buddha is not worthy of such service.


    It¡¯s more likely still Foundation Establishment Late Stage, or even Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivation.


    Foundation Establishment Late Stage, Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    This person is a Formation genius!


    And very likely, he also possesses a great talent for Formation arts¡­


    Mo Hua frowned.


    A Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master is very troublesome¡­


    But I cannot avoid going to the Demon¡¯s Cave, nor can I avoid capturing Fire Buddha¡­


    Mo Hua mulled over the situation silently in his heart.


    If it¡¯s Second Grade High-Rank, then so be it.


    I have not truly crossed hands with a Second Grade Formation Master since arriving at the Qianxue State Boundary.


    This could also be considered a form of exchange and experience.


    Besides, a clash between Formation Masters doesn¡¯t necessarily have to result in life or death like in magical combat.


    Though more challenging, it¡¯s not as dangerous.


    So, I still need to visit the Demon¡¯s Cave, but I can¡¯t go there alone anymore.


    Mo Hua recalled the past.


    Initially at Black Mountain Stronghold, I went alone, but in hindsight, it was indeed too risky and made my parents worry.


    Now, I¡¯ve grown quite a bit, and naturally, I must be more prudent in my actions.


    It¡¯s fine to go, but I need to find a bodyguard.


    A ¡°Golden Core¡± bodyguard.


    Mo Hua sneakily glanced at Gu Changhuai.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s peculiar expression, Gu Changhuai was unaware of his thoughts and asked, ¡°What have you found out?¡±


    After thinking for a while, Mo Hua honestly replied, ¡°Fire Buddha¡¯s men should have a Second Grade High-Rank Formation Master¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Gu Changhuai¡¯s brows tightened.


    A Second Grade high-ranking Formation Master¡­ That¡¯s going to be troublesome.


    ¡°Now what do we do?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment before slowly saying,


    ¡°No matter what, the Fire Buddha cannot be allowed to escape. As for a Second Grade high-ranking Formation Master, it doesn¡¯t matter. When the opportunity arises, kill them together¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ how will you all get over there?¡± Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled, ¡°If you go openly, won¡¯t you be discovered¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai said, ¡°I have brought a few precious Concealment Spiritual Artifacts from the Gu Family. We¡¯ll use their own tactics against them and stealthily make our way across.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Uncle Gu truly has the self-discipline of a ¡°bodyguard¡±!


    He had even thought through how to get across on his own.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯m coming too!¡±


    Gu Changhuai was surprised.


    Gu An and Gu Quan looked at each other.


    This kid is really too bold.


    Gu Changhuai refused, ¡°You cannot go.¡±


    If Mo Hua were to die inside, he wouldn¡¯t know how to explain it to his cousin.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°If I don¡¯t go, even if you are concealed, you will be discovered¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned.


    Mo Hua pointed at the cliff in front of them, ¡°On the stone bridge below, besides the Concealment Formation, there is also a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Such Small Yuan Magnetic Formations are used for early warnings¡­¡±


    ¡°Once you touch the Formation, under the reaction of Yuan Magnetism, the Fire Buddha will know that people are on the stone bridge¡­¡±


    ¡°If they block the entrance or catch you by surprise in an ambush, or even go further and directly break the bridge, your survival will be slim¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyebrows rose, ¡°If you take me with you, there will be no problem!¡±


    ¡°These Small Yuan Magnetic Formations cannot deceive me.¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression turned stern.


    That was also the reason he had not rashly crossed the bridge before, despite having prepared Concealment Spiritual Artifacts.


    He feared there might be some unknown traps on the bridge.


    But the opposite side was the Demon¡¯s Cave, and Gu Changhuai was still uneasy about taking Mo Hua there.


    ¡°Just a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, I¡¯ll have someone go back to the Gu Family and bring some Yuan Magnet Si Nan over, we¡¯ll test it out little by little¡­¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°That would waste too much time, and what if there are other Early Warning Formations?¡±


    ¡°Once you overlook and miss one, you will be discovered by the Fire Buddha.¡±


    ¡°If he is prepared in advance and escapes from the Demon¡¯s Cave, then this operation will be a complete failure.¡±


    And I won¡¯t be able to learn the Meteor Fire Skill then¡­


    Mo Hua muttered to himself internally.


    Gu Changhuai indeed wavered.


    Observing his reactions, Mo Hua continued,


    ¡°That¡¯s just the stone bridge, and inside the Fire Buddha¡¯s ¡®Demon¡¯s Cave,¡¯ there are likely even more Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°In such a case, don¡¯t you need a clever, witty Formation Master with extraordinary Formation skills, to help you out of trouble?¡±


    Mo Hua blinked.


    Although Gu Changhuai was reluctant to acknowledge Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°self-proclaimed¡± titles, he was unable to deny them.


    If he really had a way with these Formations, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to bring Mo Hua along.


    Gu Changhuai fell silent and finally sighed,


    ¡°Alright, you come with us for now to survey the situation, but remember the ¡®three rules¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Mo Hua quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll follow you, not make a move, and just be a freeloader.¡±


    He still remembered that.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, his expression helpless.


    Beside him, Gu An and Gu Quan appeared composed, yet they were both inwardly shocked.


    They served in the Taoist Court and rarely returned to the Gu Family, this was their first time meeting Mo Hua and the first time they saw someone negotiate with the young master to this extent.


    They even managed to get the young master to ¡°compromise¡± to such a degree.


    For the first time, they saw a look of helpless annoyance on the face of their usually haughty young master¡­


    In that instant, they couldn¡¯t help but regard Mo Hua with respect.


    Following that, Gu Changhuai took out several Jade Pendants, handing one to each person.


    ¡°This is a Water Concealing Jade, a Second Grade Concealment Spiritual Tool. Wearing it will cover your body in a shroud of water, concealing your form¡­¡±


    Gu An and Gu Quan respectfully accepted the Jade Pendants.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and accepted it as well, going with the flow.


    Although he knew the Concealment Technique, and it was the high-end Five Elements Stealth Technique, having an extra layer of protection was always good.


    Besides, the Jade Pendant looked so precious and must be worth many Spirit Stones.


    He couldn¡¯t let Uncle Gu¡¯s good intentions go to waste.


    Mo Hua silently tucked the Water Concealing Jade into his pocket.


    Before setting off, Gu Changhuai gave Mo Hua another reminder:


    ¡°If something happens, don¡¯t worry about us. If you can run, then run. Just save your own life.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I will!¡±


    And so, the group set off.


    There were four people in total: Gu Changhuai at the Golden Core Stage, Gu An and Gu Quan at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and Mo Hua at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment.


    All four concealed their forms and stepped in succession onto the invisible stone bridge, leading to the Demon¡¯s Cave.

 Chapter 980 - 980 645 Discerning the Spirit Drawing

    ?Chapter 980: Chapter 645: Discerning the Spirit Drawing Formation Chapter 980: Chapter 645: Discerning the Spirit Drawing Formation Hanging Sky Cliff, lone peaks amidst the clouds.


    Above the sea of clouds, there was an invisible stone bridge.


    Three tall and one short Cultivators, their figures concealed, were walking step by step on the bridge, as if treading through the air, walking on the edge of the heavens with a boundless abyss beneath their feet.


    The group couldn¡¯t help but feel awe.


    Mo Hua was relatively calm, as this was not his first time walking this bridge.


    Though the cliff was higher, the road longer, and the destination more perilous than before, he was accompanied by three ¡°bodyguards.¡±


    One of them was Golden Core Realm Uncle Gu.


    It was actually relatively safe.


    The stone bridge was empty; there were no other figures.


    The group walked forward, step by step.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, observing and sensing the surroundings all the way, occasionally warning aloud:


    Here lies a Small Yuan Magnetic Formation, there an Earth Explosion Formation, there an Early Warning Formation, there a Gale Formation¡­


    Sin Cultivators had indeed set up many Formations on the stone bridge.


    These Formations, either as warnings or traps, were very covertly arranged.


    However, naturally, they couldn¡¯t escape Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Every Formation along the way was deciphered by Mo Hua.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, who walked through myriad Formations untouched and composed, and felt relieved.


    It was good that they had brought this child along¡­


    Otherwise, walking on this treacherously Formation-filled stone bridge would have been like treading on thin ice, and reaching the other shore might not have been certain.


    Mo Hua led the way, and the three men, including Gu Changhuai, followed him obediently.


    Halfway across, the sky above the stone bridge suddenly darkened.


    Mo Hua stopped on the bridge.


    Behind them was the path through the clouds, clear and sunny.


    In front of them, an evil aura pervaded, the lone peak like a demon¡¯s cave, gloomy and oppressive.


    The group exchanged glances with determined eyes and continued forward.


    Amidst the gloomy evil aura, it was uncertain how long they had walked when they finally saw the cliff.


    After the time it would take to drink a cup of tea, the figures concealed themselves and, without alerting any spirits, stepped onto the stone stairs of the cliff opposite and reached the opposite shore.


    Before them was a solitary peak surrounded by emptiness, the clouds twining around it.


    Like a lonely island in the sea of clouds, it was uninhabited.


    At the very center of the lone peak was a large, narrow cave entrance.


    The cave was closed, resembling the tightly shut eyes of a demonic beast.


    The surrounding rocks were fierce-looking, with protruding stones interlocking like the lashes of a demonic beast, covering the bright red blood in its eyes.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze slightly sharpened. ¡°Evil Formation¡­¡±


    The Formation Master under Fire Buddha was a Second Grade High-Rank Evil Formation Master¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked indifferent, but Gu An and Gu Quan were a bit nervous.


    ¡°Little master, can this door be opened?¡±


    It was unclear whether it was Gu An or Gu Quan who asked.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head:


    ¡°This is an Evil Formation, and the Formation is closed, making it impossible to see through the internal Patterns, compounded with it being a Second Grade High-Rank Evil Formation, it can¡¯t be deciphered¡­¡±


    ¡°At least I can¡¯t decipher it for the time being¡­¡±


    ¡°If it can¡¯t be deciphered, then we can only break through the Formation with brute force¡­¡±


    ¡°But such action would create a large commotion, surely alerting Fire Buddha and his people¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Gu An and Gu Quan frowned deeply.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s handsome eyes silently observed Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua understood.


    It was Uncle Gu asking him what to do about these Formations.


    But he was always somewhat proud, and for a while, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask, especially in front of Gu An and Gu Quan.


    He was a Supervisor and also a son of the Gu Family; he had his pride to maintain.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and without waiting for Gu Changhuai to ask, he said:


    ¡°The Demon¡¯s Cave, though it sounds eerie and terrible, is essentially a type of Tao Cultivation building, and would use architectural Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Therefore, inside this lone peak, there must also be various Formations constructed.¡±


    ¡°I need to first look at the structure of the entire lone peak from the outside, then make an educated guess about the internal Formations, and consider how to enter¡­¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Gu Changhuai nodded.


    So, Mo Hua, with hands clasped behind his back and head raised, inspected the lone peak as if he was ¡°surveying¡± it, while sensing the Formations within.


    Gu Changhuai and the other two men followed silently behind, vigilant and watching their surroundings, like three potential ¡°followers.¡±


    After walking around the peak, Mo Hua found a quiet place, took a stone as a table, spread out Formation Paper, and began to initially reconstruct the outer Formation structure of the Demon¡¯s Cave.


    He recalled the Spirit Traces of the Formations he had sensed from the rocky surface, and drew the Formation Patterns on the paper.


    He occasionally lifted his head, capturing the entire peak in his gaze, correcting the connections of the Formations¡­


    Moments later, an outline of the outer Formations of the Demon¡¯s Cave, constructed from Patterns, gradually emerged on the paper¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s pupils constricted, looking at Mo Hua, he murmured:


    ¡°Distinguishing Spirit Drawing Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Distinguishing Spirit Drawing Formation?¡± Mo Hua was a bit taken aback and asked Gu Changhuai, ¡°What is Distinguishing Spirit Drawing Formation?¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused, ¡°It¡¯s what you are doing¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, then understood.


    Identifying external Formation Divine Forces and reconstructing internal Formation structures were called ¡°Distinguishing Spirit Drawing Formation.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had always thought this was just basic Formation Calculation; he hadn¡¯t expected it to have so many fancy terms¡­


    Mo Hua exclaimed: ¡°Uncle Gu, you know so much¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai: ¡°¡­¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for Mo Hua¡¯s earnest and clear gaze, he would have almost suspected that Mo Hua was ¡°sarcasm¡±¡­


    After more than half an hour, Mo Hua initially reconstructed the outer Formation Diagram of the ¡°Demon¡¯s Cave.¡±


    On the paper was a Demon¡¯s Cave.


    But this ¡°Demon¡¯s Cave¡± seemed to be ¡°x-rayed¡± by Divine Sense, without the appearance of rocks and vegetation, revealing the internal ¡°skeleton¡± of various Patterns and Formation Pivots.

 Chapter 981 - 981 645 Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation_2

    ?Chapter 981: Chapter 645: Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation_2 Chapter 981: Chapter 645: Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation_2 Although it was only the external superficial structure of the Formation, Gu Changhuai was still extremely shocked.


    He was somewhat dazed.


    Could this really be something that a Formation Master at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage was capable of doing?


    This was completely different from all the Formation Masters he had known before¡­


    On the other side, Gu An and Gu Quan were likewise unable to understand and were increasingly convinced that Mo Hua was not to be judged by his appearance.


    This Junior Formation Master was indeed extraordinary¡­


    No wonder he could negotiate back and forth with the young master who was always so uncompromising and even made the usually stubborn young master concede.


    Mo Hua did not know their thoughts, but continued:


    ¡°The Formation of the Demon¡¯s Cave is very tight, but since it is a Tao Cultivation Architectural Formation, in order to save costs, there must be some ¡®compromises¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°The main sections use Second Grade Nineteen Patterns Formations, but in some corners and edges, the Formation Grade will decrease, and the number of Formation Patterns will also step down¡­¡±


    ¡°Eighteen Patterns, Seventeen Patterns, and even Middle-level Second Grade Sixteen Patterns will be used¡­¡±


    ¡°Some parts even resort to First-grade Formations to fill the gaps¡­¡±


    ¡°These weak points in the Formations are where the flaws lie.¡±


    ¡°The larger the scale of a Tao Cultivation Architectural Formation, the grander it appears from the outside, but to an expert¡¯s eyes, the more flaws it has¡­¡±


    To an expert¡¯s eyes¡­


    Gu Changhuai and the others looked at Mo Hua and nodded in agreement.


    Mo Hua reviewed the Formation Diagram of the ¡°Demon¡¯s Cave¡± from beginning to end, then took them to a small hillside behind an isolated peak.


    Underneath the hillside, there was a sturdy rock, with broken stones jagged and sharp.


    ¡°This rock is solid, difficult to excavate, and not easy to build Formations on, so the Formation Master who built the Demon¡¯s Cave cut corners here¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then released his Divine Sense, his eyes deep, and after looking for a while, pointed to a plain-looking stone slope:


    ¡°The flaw here is the biggest.¡±


    Gu Changhuai stared hard at the stone slope but couldn¡¯t at all discern why this was the biggest flaw.


    But when it came to Formations, Mo Hua¡¯s words always gave him an unquestionable sense of certainty.


    ¡°So we¡­dig through the mountaintop and sneak in?¡±


    One of the Gu brothers suggested.


    Mo Hua guessed he must be ¡°Gu An.¡±


    The two brothers looked alike and had similar voices, but there was a difference in the circulation of their Spiritual Power, one favoring the left meridians and the other the right.


    Just like a left-handed person and a right-handed person.


    The left-handed one was Gu An, and the right-handed one was Gu Quan.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°The noise is still too great. For such things as digging, it¡¯s best to use Formations¡­¡±


    This was something he had just learned, a type of Eight Trigrams Gen Formation, called Mountain Opening Formation.


    The Second Grade Fourteen Patterns Mountain Opening Formation could turn mountain stone into powder. Its power wasn¡¯t great, and it was quiet, making it perfect for digging secret passages.


    Mo Hua took out his ink and brush and started to draw the Mountain Opening Formation on the stone.


    He drew extremely fast; in just a short while, he completed a diagram.


    Then, above the Formation, a gray light flashed, the Formation Patterns activated, and the mountain stone crumbled into fine powder that scattered in the wind.


    Gu Changhuai watched from the side, feeling something was amiss.


    After a while, he finally understood.


    Too fast¡­


    He had seen Mo Hua paint Formations before, but he hadn¡¯t paid much attention at that time.


    Now, right under his watch, Mo Hua¡¯s brush moved with a vigor of dragons and snakes, and he completely drew a Second Grade Fourteen Patterns Mountain Opening Formation.


    Gu Changhuai then realized how incredibly fast this brushwork was.


    It was as if time had ¡®fast-forwarded¡¯; his little hand was leaving afterimages.


    This hand speed was several times faster than those Formation Masters he had seen before.


    Gu Changhuai furrowed his brow.


    ¡°This kid Mo Hua, how come he¡¯s like the ¡®hexagonal¡¯ Formation Master without a single weak spot¡­¡±


    ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s been possessed by some old Formation ¡®monster¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡­


    While he mulled this over, Mo Hua quickly drew one Mountain Opening Formation after another, dissolving layers of rock.


    Finally, with the last bit of stone gone, a dark, gloomy hole appeared before them.


    There was a chill wind blowing from inside the hole, and a faint scent of rot wafted out.


    Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai understood and nodded slightly, directly entering the hole, with Gu An and Gu Quan closely following.


    A few moments later, Gu Changhuai¡¯s voice came from inside the hole.


    ¡°Come in¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and stepped in.


    His vision was pitch black for a while, and then slowly light emerged. Mo Hua focused and discovered he was standing on an outcropping of a stone pillar.


    Mo Hua looked down and his pupils suddenly contracted.


    It was a massive cavern.


    The pillars were jagged and grotesque.


    The mountain was hollowed out below, and there was a grand and imposing Demon Palace.


    Corridors suspended in mid-air crisscrossed, with White Bone lanterns in between, casting a ghoulish green light, reflecting the eerie halls around them.


    In the center of the hall was a huge stone skull.


    The eye sockets of the skull were empty, burning with green flames.


    The fierce fangs stuck out, with a gaping mouth, as if choosing someone to devour.


    But this skull was half incomplete, seemingly still under construction, unrecognizable as either a man¡¯s or a beast¡¯s bone.


    Above the skull, a somber Demonic Qi radiated.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was stern, in disbelief he said:


    ¡°A Demon Sect stronghold¡­¡±


    ¡°Such audacity!¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua paused, ¡°A Demon Sect stronghold¡­¡±


    He looked at Gu Changhuai and asked softly, ¡°How is a Demon Sect stronghold different from a typical Evil Cultivator¡¯s lair?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face turned solemn, and he slowly said:


    ¡°Evil Cultivator¡¯s lairs are just for temporary hiding, while Demon Cultivator¡¯s strongholds are for long-term ¡®dwelling¡¯¡­¡±

 Chapter 982 - 982 645 Identifying Spirits Drawing

    ?Chapter 982: Chapter 645: Identifying Spirits Drawing Formation_3 Chapter 982: Chapter 645: Identifying Spirits Drawing Formation_3 ¡°Evil cultivators are just the poisonous fruit, the poisoning only kills one or two people, but the Demon Sect, it is the ¡®root¡¯ that spreads the source of the poison¡­¡±


    ¡°Whenever a Demon Sect stronghold appears, it indicates that the Demon Sect has ¡®rooted¡¯ here, or is about to root¡­¡±


    ¡°If a Demon Sect stronghold is allowed to be established and take root, it will become a malignant tumor of the Demon Path, spreading Demon Path Skills, causing endless harm.¡±


    ¡°And trying to remove it is extremely difficult, and the cost is also very great¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze was grave.


    He had thought before that the ¡®Demon¡¯s Cave¡¯ of Fire Buddha was just an exaggerated expression.


    But now it seemed that this Demon¡¯s Cave was indeed a large-scale stronghold of the Demon Sect.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°From this perspective, is Fire Buddha not only a Sin Cultivator and an Evil Cultivator but also a Demon Cultivator with a ¡®legacy¡¯?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze was icy, and he nodded slightly,


    ¡°Presumably so¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze was somewhat meaningful,


    ¡°What you cannot see, that is the real Demon Sect.¡±


    ¡°Those Demon Cultivators who commit atrocities and are overbearingly arrogant have long been slaughtered by the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°The remaining Demon Cultivators, sometimes appear more righteous than upright cultivators¡­¡±


    Mo Hua startled, and unexpectedly thought of Lu Chengyun.


    Murdering for corpse refinement, exploiting zombies for mining, tirelessly earning Spirit Stones.


    Then using those Spirit Stones to bribe the Taoist Court, purchase local influence, further exploit Mining Cultivators, refine more zombies, and grow his forces.


    On the surface, he was the refined and gentlemanly Family Head of the Lu Family.


    But behind the scenes, he was a true giant of the Demon Path, a Corpse Cultivator.


    Once he managed to refine a Corpse King, all the cultivators of South Yue City, whether alive or dead, would likely become his ¡°zombies.¡±


    And perhaps the present situation was the same.


    Fire Buddha and them could just be a ¡°decoy.¡±


    This ¡°Bi Mountain Demon Cavern,¡± who knows what it hides, and whose handiwork it actually is¡­


    ¡°Uncle Gu, what should we do now? Should we go back and call for reinforcements?¡±


    Mo Hua whispered.


    Having discovered the Demon Sect stronghold, the best approach seemed to be to go back and ¡°shake people up,¡± calling in more Enforcement Leaders from the Taoist Court to annihilate this stronghold.


    Gu Changhuai frowned in thought and then slowly shook his head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s scout around first. If we can find Fire Buddha and kill him directly, that would be best¡­¡±


    ¡°Going back to call for help and surrounding the Demon¡¯s Cave, there would be too many variables amidst the chaos; if Fire Buddha escapes in the process, all our efforts would be in vain¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze deepened, and he said no more.


    But he understood in his heart; Bi Mountain City¡¯s ability to build a Demon¡¯s Cave meant there was certainly corruption within the Taoist Court¡­


    Calling for reinforcements might just offer opportunities to those with ulterior motives¡­


    A rusty blade in a life-and-death battle might end up being the death of oneself.


    This was also exactly what Mo Hua wanted.


    Fewer people made for easier work.


    With too many people, it was hard to manage with all the eyes and ears, and to make any secretive maneuvers.


    Mo Hua looked up again at the imposing Demon¡¯s Cave.


    No matter whose handiwork this Demon¡¯s Cave was, Fire Buddha needed to die first.


    His Meteor Fire Skill also needed to be obtained.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡± said Gu Changhuai.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    The group of four then stealthily concealed their forms and descended quietly along the surrounding rock walls, entering the Demon Palace.


    Once inside the Demon Palace, the layout became more complicated compared to what could be seen from the outside.


    Many buildings were enclosed, absolutely impenetrable.


    Formations were densely arranged around, increasing limitations on movement.


    And there were strangely dressed Demon Cultivators patrolling with several Demon Hounds.


    If discovered by the patrolling Demon Cultivator Demon Hounds, it would likely startle the quarry, inviting more cultivators from the Demon¡¯s Cave to gather.


    Trapped in a siege within the Demon¡¯s Cave, Gu Changhuai in the Golden Core Realm might be able to escape, but Gu An and Gu Quan were much more likely to be doomed. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua might manage to escape, but the assassination of Fire Buddha could no longer be considered.


    Thus, the group moved cautiously.


    To avoid detection, they dared not kill even a dog.


    Wandering through the Demon Palace for much of the day, they didn¡¯t even spot Fire Buddha.


    Those Demon Cultivators kept a tight seal on their lips, leading the dogs around like puppet zombies, scanning around but rarely speaking.


    Mo Hua found it impossible to eavesdrop on any clues from their lips.


    Continuing this way was like a headless fly.


    Forget seven days; even seventeen days might not net Fire Buddha.


    ¡°What to do¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Gu Changhuai also felt this wasn¡¯t the way to search and whispered quietly, ¡°Let¡¯s walk towards the inner sanctum to see¡­¡±


    They were currently in the outer sanctum of the Demon Palace.


    If Fire Buddha wasn¡¯t in the outer sanctum, then he was likely in the inner sanctum.


    But the deeper into the inner sanctum, the tighter the security would be, and the more people and dogs patrolling, increasing the risks significantly.


    After detection, the chances of escaping would be even lower.


    Gu An and Gu Quan were prepared to face death.


    Mo Hua also nodded in agreement.


    The group then attempted to walk towards the inner sanctum but hadn¡¯t taken many steps before they encountered three people heading towards them; the leader was holding a green-eyed, black-haired, foul-smelling Demon Hound.


    The four quickly hid aside, grabbing the stone walls and hanging from the aerial corridor.


    When the Demon Hound approached nearby, it suddenly bared its teeth and growled fiercely, lowering its head to sniff around.


    Mo Hua sprinkled odorless powder on everyone.


    This powder was a common antidote carried by Monster Hunters during their hunts in Big Black Mountain. When faced with danger, they would sprinkle some on themselves to prevent Monster Beasts from detecting their scent.

 Chapter 983 - 983 645 Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation_4

    ?Chapter 983: Chapter 645: Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation_4 Chapter 983: Chapter 645: Discerning Spirits Drawing Formation_4 This medicine powder is seldom used, but Mo Hua still carried some with him, just in case.


    The Demon Hound couldn¡¯t smell anything and barked furiously on the spot.


    A Demon Cultivator asked in a deep voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Has the sniffing Demon Hound discovered something?¡±


    A chilling Divine Sense spread out in all directions, sweeping over Mo Hua and the others before retracting.


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this dog in heat? Why is it still barking randomly?¡±


    ¡°Who fed it Pills that it shouldn¡¯t have been given?¡±


    After that, a howl from the Demon Hound followed, as if someone had kicked it.


    ¡°Damn beast, keep quiet if there¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Wasting my damn time¡­¡±


    A hoarse voice said, ¡°Alright, continue the patrol¡­¡±


    ¡°How could anyone possibly get in here¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    Afterwards, the three Demon Cultivators led the dog away, gradually disappearing into the distance.


    After confirming they were gone, Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to get in¡­¡±


    The patrol of the Demon Palace was too rigorous.


    And those damn dogs, more vigilant than humans.


    With guards every few steps, it¡¯s simply impossible to approach.


    Gu Quan¡ªMo Hua guessed he was Gu An¡ªwhispered, ¡°Should we kill these patrolmen?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened but he eventually shook his head.


    ¡°We can¡¯t kill¡­¡±


    ¡°Neither people nor even that dog can be killed¡­¡±


    Because if a fight broke out, causing Spiritual Power fluctuations that the Demon Cultivators could detect;


    Or if the killing was not swift, allowing them to cry out and alert other Demon Cultivators;


    Or if after the deed, the bodies were not hidden properly and left traces that other Demon Cultivators could find.


    Then their movements would be exposed¡­


    All four of them frowned.


    Gu Changhuai sighed silently, ¡°Let¡¯s search the outer halls and try our luck, see if we can find any clues, or some secret mechanism that leads to the inner halls¡­¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Mo Hua and the others nodded slightly.


    Then the four of them climbed up from underneath the corridor.


    But before they took many steps, Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed, ¡°Someone is coming¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai noticed as well, his face also darkening.


    The group had no choice but to retreat to their previous position and hide under the corridor.


    The three Demon Cultivators and the Demon Hound returned.


    ¡°There¡¯s some noise here¡­¡±


    ¡°Quick, search everywhere¡­¡±


    This time they searched even more thoroughly.


    Several Divine Senses swept back and forth incessantly.


    The dog¡¯s nose sniffed desperately, as if trying to scrape the ground clean.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat anxious.


    After an unknown duration, the three Demon Cultivators finally ceased.


    ¡°Still nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Misjudgement?¡±


    ¡°Is he messing with us? Treating us like dogs, so casually used for his amusement?¡±


    ¡°To hell with it¡­¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he is¡­ sooner or later I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    A hoarse voice barked sharply, ¡°Have you got a death wish?¡±


    The other two mumbled and dared not speak.


    ¡°Just do your jobs!¡±


    The Demon Cultivator warned sternly, then his tone softened slightly, ¡°This hall is sealed and damp, you practice the Demon Skill, and it¡¯s easy to become unstable¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine after some time.¡±


    ¡°Go outside and vent when you can¡­¡±


    A gloomy laughter followed.


    Then the three men slowly led the dog away again.


    The group of Gu Changhuai did not rashly come out, remaining suspended in their hiding spot.


    All was silent, and Gu An couldn¡¯t help but speak lowly, ¡°Taoist Demon beasts, if we weren¡¯t afraid of alerting them, we should have slaughtered them¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai said calmly, ¡°The main task is the priority.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    Only after they made sure those three men and the dog had gone far did the four of them come out, preparing to continue their search elsewhere, when Mo Hua suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Changhuai asked.


    Mo Hua frowned, ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused briefly, contemplative.


    Mo Hua looked back, ¡°Something¡¯s off about this place¡­¡±


    ¡°The three men and the dog had already gone far away, why did they suddenly come back?¡±


    ¡°And from what they said, it seems that a ¡®person¡¯ told them there was noise here, and that¡¯s why they returned¡­¡±


    ¡°How did this ¡®person¡¯ know there was noise?¡±


    ¡°Why was he able to detect the disturbance?¡±


    As Mo Hua spoke, he thought hard and released his Divine Sense, carefully searching the surroundings. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he ran to a corner by the corridor.


    Hidden in the corner was an extremely inconspicuous Formation.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t recognize what Formation it was, but he could tell by his sensing that it was a Yuan Magnetic Formation he had never seen before¡­


    ¡°The Yuan Magnetic Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua murmured.


    Then he startled, closed his eyes to sense, and in the darkness, he seemed to feel a stream of ¡°magnetic flow.¡±


    This magnetic flow was extremely weak.


    If not for his keen Divine Sense and daily encounters with the ¡°magnetic flow¡± derived from Secondary Thunder Patterns, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to detect it.


    ¡°Original Magnet sensing¡­¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly realized, and looked up again, taking in the entire Demon Palace, and slowly a conjecture formed in his mind:


    ¡°This tightly-guarded Demon Palace seems to be under close ¡®surveillance¡¯ by a set of Yuan Magnetic Formations¡­¡±

 Chapter 984 - 984 646 Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss

    ?Chapter 984: Chapter 646: Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss Yumu for the alliance~) Chapter 984: Chapter 646: Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss Yumu for the alliance~) Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s sudden realization, Gu Changhuai was slightly taken aback, ¡°What have you figured out now?¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said succinctly,


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, there should be a Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation inside this Demon Palace, which coordinates all the Yuan Magnetic Formations throughout the Demon¡¯s Cave, while monitoring the fluctuations of spiritual power inside the palace, as well as any other movements¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai and his companions looked solemn.


    ¡°That means¡­¡± Mo Hua continued, ¡°Not only are we being guarded against by these patrolling Demon Cultivator Demon Hounds, but we¡¯re also under surveillance by the hidden Yuan Magnetic Formation and the invisible ¡®magnetic currents¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Once careless, we might trigger the Formation and be discovered by the Demon Cultivators.¡±


    ¡°And we might not even know how we¡¯ve been discovered¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°Is there any way to break this Compound Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°The Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation should be a Formation of at least Seventeen Patterns. It¡¯s a bit beyond me, I can¡¯t solve it yet¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai felt a bit regretful.


    He had really thought Mo Hua knew every Formation.


    He didn¡¯t expect there to be something he didn¡¯t know¡­


    But then he thought about it again and felt something was off.


    Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, a Formation with more than Seventeen Patterns¡­


    It seemed a bit¡­ ¡°beyond¡±?


    Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t help but criticize internally.


    Was it really so ¡°beyond¡±?


    Did this kid have some misunderstanding about the term ¡°beyond¡±?


    However, he had been shocked enough along the way and was somewhat used to it.


    Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, Formation surveillance¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked up again at the heavily guarded Demon Palace and said in a deep voice,


    ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, then we must retreat and replan¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    To retreat and replan¡­


    That would inevitably take more time.


    The plan to take down the Fire Buddha within seven days would be spoiled.


    If it took longer than seven days, he would have to attend classes at the Sect, and getting the Meteor Fire Skill would be impossible¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s not no way¡­¡± Mo Hua thought for a while and slowly said, ¡°We could try to find the central hub of the Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°The hub of the Compound Formation?¡± Gu Changhuai asked.


    ¡°Right,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°A Compound Formation includes multiple Single Formations and needs a central Formation Pivot to control everything. The larger the Formation, the more obvious the central hub, with more functionalities concentrated in it¡­¡±


    ¡°Destroy the pivot, and the Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation will fail, making our actions much easier. We won¡¯t have to look around and be hindered by caution¡­¡±


    ¡°If we could control the pivot¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes shone brightly, ¡°We could even turn the tables, making the surveillance Formation in the Demon Palace work for us¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was startled on hearing this.


    Gu An and Gu Quan also found it hard to believe.


    Formation Masters¡­ could they really do this?


    After a brief reflection, Gu Changhuai nodded in agreement,


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do as you say!¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Without delay, Mo Hua began to determine the position of the Compound Yuan Magnetic Formation¡¯s pivot.


    The Demon Palace was strictly guarded, with complex and interwoven paths.


    On the surface, there was no systematic Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    But Formation media are merely intermediaries, and patterns are just the skeleton.


    The essence of a Formation is still spiritual power.


    Though it wasn¡¯t visible on the surface, the subtle trails of Formation spiritual power were still clearly discernible through Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua extended his Divine Sense, probing the Yuan Magnetic Formations, sensing the connections between them to infer the entire system of the Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    If the trail went cold, he would employ calculations, detecting the faint magnetic currents in the air.


    Following the ¡°Secondary Thunder Patterns¡± left by the magnetic currents, he traced the roots and dug out all the Yuan Magnetic Formations in the outer sanctuary, one by one, as if pulling radishes from the ground.


    These Yuan Magnetic Formations were categorized and varied.


    Some Yuan Magnetic Formations Mo Hua could identify.


    Like the commonly used Small Yuan Magnetic Formation or the Beacon Fire Yuan Magnet Formation, etc¡­ Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But some patterns were obtuse and beyond Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense Realm; he could locate them but couldn¡¯t see the details or distinguish what kind of Formation they were.


    However, this wasn¡¯t a big issue.


    These Yuan Magnetic Formations were merely used for ¡°positioning,¡± to observe the direction of the pivot through the Formation layout.


    After locating all Yuan Magnetic Formations within the outer sanctuary,


    Mo Hua then reversed their layout to locate the confluence of the Original Magnet.


    Where the Original Magnet converged was also the location of the main control pivot of the Formation.


    The process, however, was both mentally taxing and time-consuming¡­


    Gu Changhuai watched Mo Hua silently, feeling somewhat perplexed.


    In his eyes, Mo Hua just ran back and forth and occasionally stopped to look up at the sky.


    Or he would sniff around like a ¡°little spirit hound¡± and then seriously find one Formation after another, determining the pivot¡¯s location¡­


    But no matter how Gu Changhuai looked, everything around them seemed like ordinary construction with no special traces.


    If he didn¡¯t know for certain that Mo Hua¡¯s level in Formations was far from common,


    He would almost suspect Mo Hua was pretending and performing in a play, deceitfully leading him on¡­


    Gu Changhuai was thoroughly confused.


    After a moment, Mo Hua pointed to a small path in the outer sanctuary and decisively said,


    ¡°The Original Magnet flows that way.¡±


    Gu Changhuai finally couldn¡¯t hold back and asked, ¡°How do you see that¡­¡±


    He stopped halfway through the question.


    He knew without thinking that Mo Hua would surely say, ¡°I can see it at a glance¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai changed his question, ¡°Why can¡¯t I see it?¡±


    After all, he was a Golden Core Cultivator; his Divine Sense should be stronger than his.


    Mo Hua replied as if it were obvious,


    ¡°You¡¯re not a Formation Master, of course, you can¡¯t see it.¡±

 Chapter 985 - 985 646 Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss

    ?Chapter 985: Chapter 646: Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss Yumu for the alliance~)_2 Chapter 985: Chapter 646: Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss Yumu for the alliance~)_2 Gu Changhuai: ¡°¡­¡±


    He felt that the issue probably wasn¡¯t with the Formation Master, but with Mo Hua instead.


    However, Mo Hua had stopped paying attention to him and took the lead, walking along the path toward the convergence of the Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened, he sighed, and could only silently follow.


    At the end of the little path, there was a wall.


    It was built of sturdy stone, carved with strange patterns and reinforced with Formations, but it looked no different from other walls in the area.


    The place was secluded with no one else around.


    Mo Hua felt and knocked on the entire wall, inch by inch, checking everything.


    He then stopped in front of a wall brick that bore the carving of an eye and pondered.


    There was something off about this brick¡­


    After locking eyes with the ¡°eye¡± on the brick a moment later, Mo Hua took out his brush and ink, drew Formation Patterns around it, and broke the Earth Stone Formation reinforcing it.


    Cracks began to appear all around that very brick.


    Gu Quan stepped forward, removed the brick, and revealed a dark passage behind it.


    The passage was narrow, barely tall enough for half a person, and inside there was thick, crude Blood Ink.


    This ink was a trace of the Formation Pivot.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed faintly.


    He had guessed correctly.


    Just like when he constructed the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, since it was necessary to use the Formation Pivot to control all the Single Formations, the ink ¡°body¡± of the Formation Pivot had to connect the inner and exterior halls.


    At the same time, these Formation Pivots had to be concealed within the structure, unexposed.


    To prevent someone like himself who had intentions from targeting them.


    But no matter how well they hid, they still couldn¡¯t escape his clever detection¡­


    Mo Hua nodded in self-satisfaction.


    Next, he just needed to follow the trail, find the central control of the Compound Formation through this ¡°vine¡± of Formation Pivots¡­


    The problem was¡­


    Mo Hua glanced at the entrance and then turned back to say to Gu Changhuai and the other two, ¡°You guys are too tall, seems you won¡¯t fit in there¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai and the others had complex expressions.


    They couldn¡¯t possibly shrink themselves on purpose just to squeeze through this hole¡­


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°No choice then, I¡¯ll go take a look¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°You¡¯re going alone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°this is where the Formation Pivots are hidden. I¡¯m very familiar with it, there won¡¯t be any danger¡­¡±


    Formation Pivots were supposed to be kept secret.


    Not only must they remain unknown to outsiders, but even insiders were forbidden to approach.


    The buildings near the Formation Pivots would only have some Early Warning defensive measures when building the Formation.


    But to Mo Hua, who had constructed the Large Formation himself, these measures weren¡¯t even worth mentioning.


    Gu Changhuai pondered, ¡°You could take a Shrink Bone Pill, to temporarily reduce your size¡­¡±


    ¡°Shrink Bone Pill?¡± Mo Hua was surprised.


    There was such a thing?


    The Tao Cultivation World truly had all sorts of oddities.


    Mo Hua thought for a bit but then shook his head, saying:


    ¡°Shrink Bone Pill won¡¯t work, the flow of Spiritual Power is chaotic inside the Formation Pivot, which could easily affect the Formations on the Spiritual Artifacts, causing them to malfunction¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pointed at the Jade Pendant on Gu Changhuai¡¯s body, ¡°Your Water Concealing Jade might be affected and fail to conceal you¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze darkened.


    He hadn¡¯t considered this¡­


    After all, he wasn¡¯t a Formation Master and had only a shallow understanding of the subtle formation principles.


    ¡°No, wait¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai suddenly realized, ¡°If our Water Concealing Jades become ineffective, doesn¡¯t yours become useless as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m different,¡± Mo Hua said. ¡°I know Concealment Techniques.¡±


    Gu Changhuai opened his mouth, at a loss for words:


    ¡°When did you learn Concealment Techniques?¡±


    Mo Hua looked innocent, ¡°I¡¯ve always known how to do it¡­¡±


    Always known¡­


    Gu Changhuai wore a look of feeling deceived and couldn¡¯t find words to reply.


    ¡°You never asked me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered.


    If Uncle Gu didn¡¯t ask about the Concealment Technique, surely he had no reason to mention it¡­


    Gu Changhuai took a deep breath, glanced at Mo Hua, ¡°Then why did you just accept the Water Concealing Jade I gave you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite complicated¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spoke with conviction, ¡°According to my research, combining Concealment Spiritual Tools with Concealment Spells can produce a dual hiding effect, providing even better concealment¡­¡±


    ¡°The Demon¡¯s Cave is so dangerous, for a small Foundation Establishment Cultivator like me it¡¯s like walking on thin ice. The more thorough my survival methods, the better¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai suddenly felt that Mo Hua made a lot of sense¡­


    Except throughout this journey, Mo Hua had been moving with such light steps, he didn¡¯t seem to be ¡°walking on thin ice¡± at all¡­


    Gu Changhuai sighed.


    The surrounding air was eerily filled with Yin Qi, and a ghastly green glow was everywhere.


    Beneath the stone corridor, thick and foul-smelling rotting water flowed¡­


    Being in the middle of the Demon Palace wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on these issues.


    Moreover, a Concealment Spiritual Tool, no matter how precious, truly could not compare to Mo Hua¡¯s safety.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, ¡°Alright then, be careful¡­¡±


    He thought for a moment, then added:


    ¡°If you encounter any danger after entering, just call for help loudly, and I¡¯ll find a way to rescue you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised, nodding, he said:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Gu.¡±


    Having discovered the Formation Pivot, the dangers of the Demon¡¯s Cave seemed diminished.


    Then, Mo Hua alone and crouching, entered the passage behind the wall at the Formation Pivot, using his hands and feet to move along slowly, following the pathway of the Formation Pivot, inching his way toward the core of the Yuan Magnetic Formation.


    The stone path was cramped, occasionally flattening out, sometimes vertical and steep.


    Above, there were Yuan Magnetic Formation Pivots as well as some Early Warning Formations.


    Mo Hua avoided these Formations and simultaneously used the Water Passing Step, applying Spiritual Power to his hands and feet, using Divine Sense to guide him, clinging to the walls, and carefully advancing in the Formation Pivot passage like a ¡°little gecko.¡±


    The magnetic current he had sensed before was only a weak flow of water. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 986 - 986 646 Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss

    ?Chapter 986: Chapter 646: Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss Yumu for the alliance~)_3 Chapter 986: Chapter 646: Evil Formation Master (Thanks to Boss Yumu for the alliance~)_3 So the current Formation Pivot resembled a surging river.


    The flow of Spiritual Power was very distinct.


    Even with his eyes closed, Mo Hua knew which way to go.


    Following the flow of yuan magnetic currents within the Formation Pivot, Mo Hua, like a gecko, kept moving forward. He didn¡¯t know how long he had walked when he reached the end of the passage.


    The passage was dim and the Formation Patterns were invisible.


    But with Divine Sense, Mo Hua could sense that the flow of yuan magnets converged at the far end before jointly flowing downwards, controlled by a central pivot.


    And this central pivot of the Compound Formation was akin to the main pivot of a Large Formation¡ªmanaging the entire set of yuan magnetic Compound Formations!


    Found it!


    A joy arose in Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    There was a glimmer of light at the end.


    Using his hands and feet, Mo Hua climbed to the end, poking his little head through a gap in the building to look down.


    As expected, there was indeed a room below, a Secret Chamber with the main control Formation Pivot.


    Among the Secret Chamber, Formation Patterns were densely spread.


    In the middle was an Array Plate with the central Formation Pivot depicted on it.


    Mo Hua held his breath, running his Stealth Technique to its limit before opening his bright, sparkling eyes and peering down through the gap.


    He saw that there was another person in the Secret Chamber.


    This person was both thin and tall, dressed in an elegant and luxurious dark robe, with a deathly pale face and bloodshot eyes, with deep wrinkles etched onto his face.


    Birds of a feather flock together.


    As a Formation Master himself, Mo Hua could tell at a glance that this person was a skilled Formation Master, and moreover, his aura was unnatural, with an indelible bloody stain on his hands.


    An Evil Formation Master.


    A Second Grade high-rank Evil Formation Master!


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    This Evil Formation Master was currently sitting in the Secret Chamber, engrossed in drawing a bloody Formation. Every so often, he would raise his head, scrutinizing the main control Array Plate in front of him, monitoring the movements within the Demon Palace.


    Occasionally, he would pick up a goblet, taking a sip of wine.


    The wine was a deep red, with a strange eye floating in it.


    That eye would, from time to time, blink.


    Mo Hua found it somewhat chilling and took another look at the Evil Formation Master before silently withdrawing his gaze.


    He feared being discovered by the Evil Formation Master, so he didn¡¯t look for too long.


    After withdrawing his gaze, Mo Hua began to silently ponder.


    ¡°What should I do next¡­¡±


    This Evil Formation Master had a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivation and knew the Nineteen Pattern Formations.


    Mo Hua had originally thought about challenging this Formation Master to a contest, but now it seemed he had been naive.


    Second Grade Nineteen Patterns were already the pinnacle for a normal Second Grade Array Master.


    And since he was an Evil Formation Master, he surely had some bizarre Formation techniques.


    It seemed unlikely he would win in a straightforward contest.


    Besides, this was the Demon Palace, fraught with danger; there were no conditions for a ¡°normal¡± challenge.


    The main task was what mattered.


    The outcome of a contest in Formations could be set aside for now.


    Mo Hua contemplated for a while, silently saying to himself,


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then should I find a way to assassinate this Evil Formation Master?¡±


    Not killing seemed impossible.


    He was an Evil Formation Master, controlling the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, monitoring every rustle and stir within the Demon Palace.


    To bypass him and enter the inner sanctum to find the Fire Buddha was utterly impossible.


    Capturing him alive was also not easy.


    Since he controlled the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, he would certainly be proficient in yuan magnetic Formation techniques, with many means of communicating. If he were to send out a message unawares, it would easily create complications.


    So, it was necessary to remove this ¡°stumbling block¡± first¡­


    I wouldn¡¯t contest him in Formations.


    Although I am a Formation Master, I am also a Cultivator.


    Cultivators seek longevity, naturally placing life and death first.


    Knowing I¡¯d likely not win and still taking the risk to compete would be foolish¡­


    Mo Hua nodded in agreement.


    A fake contest between Formation Masters would settle who was better in Formations.


    A real contest between Formation Masters was to kill the opponent first.


    Then compare whose Formation was superior.


    Even if I ultimately lose in Formations, the opponent would have already lost his life.


    A win-win!


    Mo Hua silently made up his mind,


    ¡°Find a way to kill that Evil Formation Master¡­¡±


    But it seemed that he himself couldn¡¯t do it.


    This Evil Formation Master was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, his cultivation was much higher than Mo Hua¡¯s, plus it was essential not to make too much noise.


    Mo Hua thought it over and felt that, maybe, he didn¡¯t need to take action himself.


    ¡°I can¡¯t kill him, but I have a ¡®bodyguard¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then slowly withdrew from the Formation Pivot passage.


    While retracing his steps, he also released his Divine Sense, observing his surroundings, and, combining his understanding of the Demon Palace structure, he roughly determined the location of the ¡°Yuan Magnetic Secret Chamber.¡±


    Mo Hua then followed the Formation Pivot passage back to the entrance of the outer hall.


    Gu Changhuai and his two companions were waiting outside, and seeing Mo Hua return, they all felt relieved, then asked,


    ¡°How did it go?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded and said, ¡°Found it! There¡¯s a secret chamber, inside is the central control for the Formation Pivot, and there¡¯s an Evil Formation Master overseeing it¡­¡±


    ¡°To lay hands on the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, that Evil Formation Master must be killed stealthily¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai immediately asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the chamber?¡±


    Mo Hua answered, ¡°I remember the way, just follow me¡­¡±


    ¡°But before we do that, we need a good plan on how to ¡®assassinate¡¯ that Evil Formation Master. The action must be quick, and no outsiders can find out¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment and then said,


    ¡°I have a Second Grade Superior short knife with a Wind Blade Pattern cast inside the blade. Once stabbed into a cultivator¡¯s heart meridian, the Spiritual Power will turn into a Wind Blade and instantly shred the heart.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Uncle Gu was reliable in matters like this.


    But just to be safe, Mo Hua still suggested,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, how about¡­ you get some poison as well? The extremely toxic kind, the blood-sealing kind, to coat the blade¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai silently looked at Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve never done this sort of thing, just as a precaution¡­¡±


    After a moment of silence, Gu Changhuai silently took out a bottle of poison and silently applied it to the short knife¡­


    This poison wasn¡¯t his, it had been confiscated from a Sin Cultivator.


    Their Taoist Court didn¡¯t use poison.


    Generally speaking¡­


    Seeing Gu Changhuai apply poison to the knife, Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Gu An and said,


    ¡°Little Brother An, do you have a stick?¡±


    Gu An was taken aback, ¡°What kind of stick?¡±


    ¡°The kind used to hit someone over the head and knock them out.¡±


    Gu An shook his head, ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I have one.¡±


    Mo Hua took out a thick iron rod from his Storage Bag, as thick as the mouth of a bowl.


    This was the Thousand Jun Stick, though only a Second Grade one.


    After Mo Hua reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he couldn¡¯t use the First Grade Thousand Jun Stick forged by Master Chen in Tongxian City anymore.


    So he took the time to visit Tai Xu City, just beyond Taixu Gate, and spent over a hundred Spirit Stones to buy this Second Grade rod-shaped Spiritual Artifact.


    Though it had a different form and another name,


    Mo Hua, quite sentimental, and in order not to forget his original intentions, continued to walk the path of ¡°knocking people unconscious¡± and thus also named it the ¡°Thousand Jun Stick.¡±


    On the rod, Mo Hua had drawn a Second Grade Thousand Jun Formation.


    Mo Hua handed over the Thousand Jun Stick to Gu An, ¡°Try it and see if it feels right in your hand.¡±


    Gu An took it with a blank expression and swung it a few times, then slowly nodded and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you when the best time is to use the stick to knock someone out¡­¡±


    Mo Hua began to impart the technique of ¡°hitting with the stick to knock someone unconscious¡± to Gu An, who listened with a baffled expression.


    After finishing, Mo Hua asked,


    ¡°Do you remember?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu An nodded dumbly, ¡°I remember¡­¡±


    ¡°Good!¡±


    ¡°And since he¡¯s a Formation Master, his Divine Sense is sharp. You must be careful when you assassinate him¡­¡±


    Mo Hua went on to explain the other details of the ¡°assassination¡± of the Evil Formation Master.


    How not to be detected, how to cover his mouth to prevent him from making a noise, how to guard against him using formations, how to prevent him from communicating using the Yuan Magnetic¡­


    Once they were properly prepared, Mo Hua nodded and said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s set out!¡±


    Thus, three Taoist Court cultivators, with complex emotions, followed behind Mo Hua, embarking on the path to assassinate the Evil Formation Master¡­

 Chapter 987 - 987 647 Assassination

    ?Chapter 987: Chapter 647 Assassination Chapter 987: Chapter 647 Assassination The entire structure of the Demon¡¯s Cave was more complex than it appeared from the outside.


    Inside the Demon Palace, there were three parts:


    the outer hall, the middle hall, and the inner hall.


    This was determined by Mo Hua based on the direction of the Formation Pivot.


    The Formation Pivot¡¯s secret chamber was located in the middle hall, connecting both the outer and inner halls. It was the core of the entire Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, controlling all Yuan Magnetic Formations.


    From the outer hall to the middle hall, there were quite a few Demon Cultivator Demon Hounds patrolling the route, but they rarely approached the secret chamber of the Formation Pivot.


    Obviously, for the Demon Cultivators, the secret chamber of the Formation Pivot was also a forbidden area.


    An Evil Formation Master proficient in Yuan Magnetic Formations was stationed at the core, which generally meant no worries for him.


    But now, an ¡°unusual¡± young cultivator, leading three ¡°bodyguards,¡± came to ¡°cut down¡± this Evil Formation Master.


    In the middle hall, patrolling Demon Cultivators and Demon Hounds crisscrossed. Though the defense was tight, there were gaps during the change of guards.


    It wasn¡¯t the fear of thieves stealing, but rather the fear of thieves coveting.


    Mo Hua hid his figure, stayed aside, and after a long observation, figured out the patrol shift pattern.


    Then, taking advantage of the shift change, he led Gu Changhuai and the others from the outer hall around to the middle hall.


    Following the middle hall, he turned right and soon arrived in front of the secret chamber of the Formation Pivot.


    From the outside, this secret chamber was just an ordinary stone room.


    But the whole stone room felt more solemn and austere.


    Mo Hua could see from the outside of the stone room the heavy layers of the Door Lock Array carved on the walls.


    He could also sense the turbulent yet orderly flow of Yuan Magnetic inside the chamber.


    ¡°This is the place¡­¡±


    No one around, Mo Hua whispered in a low voice.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at the secret chamber and said in a deep voice, ¡°How do we get in?¡±


    The secret chamber was tightly closed, seemingly locked.


    Moreover, it was a Formation Lock with hidden Patterns.


    ¡°I¡¯ll solve it¡­¡± whispered Mo Hua.


    He crouched down and tiptoed to the front of the secret chamber.


    Gu Quan was guarding the entrance to the corridor.


    Gu Changhuai drew a short knife and stood on Mo Hua¡¯s right side, Gu An held the Thousand Jun Stick and stood on Mo Hua¡¯s left side.


    Both were staring at the door of the secret chamber, ready to rush in and kill the Evil Formation Master inside if Mo Hua caused too much noise.


    A Second Grade High-Rank Evil Formation Master was a major threat, possibly even more dangerous than an early-stage Golden Core Evil Cultivator.


    Golden Core Evil Cultivators only created slaughter.


    But an Evil Formation Master, using formations to harm, had far-reaching poisonous effects.


    So, whether successful or not, this Second Grade High-Rank Evil Formation Master was doomed to die.


    Mo Hua carefully manipulated the Patterns.


    This door lock used a Golden Series lock with sixteen Patterns, which just pressed up against the edge of Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense limit.


    It was possible that the Evil Formation Master, although strong in Divine Sense, did not know how to handle lock formations with more than sixteen Patterns.


    It was also possible that he felt that the Middle-level Second Grade Door Lock Array was already sufficient.


    After all, with him watching inside the chamber, no one dared to barge in uninvited.


    This also gave Mo Hua a chance to exploit¡­


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t dare unravel it all at once, fearing he might draw too quickly, causing strong fluctuations of Spiritual Power, resulting in alerting the Evil Formation Master.


    He would gently draw one stroke, pause a moment to check for any reaction, then continue drawing.


    Gu Changhuai and Gu An patiently waited.


    Finally, after an unknown amount of time, the Pattern on the lock hummed softly, and then the light dimmed slightly.


    Mo Hua stopped, holding his breath.


    Gu Changhuai and the others also held their breath.


    After a while, there was no reaction¡ªit seemed the Evil Formation Master inside had not noticed.


    Mo Hua pushed the door open slightly, squinting inside.


    He saw the Evil Formation Master lying on a chair, ¡°ranting,¡± constantly tearing at his own arms and face, even ripping open trails of blood.


    Blood seeped under his fingernails.


    As the door crack opened, some low, suffocating, hysterical mutterings also came out¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t see¡­¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I see¡­¡±


    ¡°My Divine Sense¡­¡±


    Mo Hua froze, unsure whether he heard ¡°sense¡± or ¡°vision.¡±


    ¡°¡­can¡¯t see the True God¡¯s posture, can¡¯t see the world¡¯s true law, can¡¯t see the eternal Great Dao¡­¡±


    ¡°Why¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already¡­¡±


    ¡°Drank its eyes, brewed from the Blood¡­¡±


    ¡°Why, my eyes, still can¡¯t become Its eyes?¡±


    ¡°Why, what I see, is still the dirt and ugliness of this world?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I see¡­¡±


    ¡°The True God is omnipresent, it¡¯s right here, I should be able to see¡­¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    The Evil Formation Master fell into a delirious rant.


    Frowning, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help wondering.


    What madness was this Evil Formation Master undergoing?


    Was his Divine Sense contaminated, and somewhat delirious, because he drank the blood brewed from that sinister eyeball?


    Mo Hua turned and looked at Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai was also frowning, unsure of what exactly had happened.


    He, as the Dao Court Canon Supervisor, had seen many Sin Cultivators go mad and lose their reason.


    But this strangely ¡°insane¡± Formation Master was something he hadn¡¯t quite encountered.


    After his delirious rant, the Evil Formation Master¡¯s limbs twitched, blood gushed out, and then he gradually stopped moving, like a dead corpse.


    Moments later, he slowly regained consciousness.


    The torn flesh on his body gradually healed, his skin turned paler, and his eyes bloodier.


    ¡°Why¡­ still can¡¯t see¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it because my faith isn¡¯t devout enough, or is my Taoist Heart not depraved enough¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua inwardly scoffed.


    Dying and still talking about being depraved¡­


    Go be depraved in the Underworld.


    Mo Hua gave Gu Changhuai a look.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened, and Gu An became fully alert.

 Chapter 988 - 988 647 Assassination_2

    ?Chapter 988: 647 Chapter Assassination_2 Chapter 988: 647 Chapter Assassination_2 *The Evil Formation Master, slowly recovering from the ¡°madness¡± brought on by drinking Blood Wine, found his Divine Sense hovering between clarity and obscurity as he prepared to look toward the Yuan Magnetic Core.*


    Suddenly, a chill pierced his chest.


    Looking down, he saw the tip of a blade protruding from his chest.


    At the same time, a surge of wind-based spiritual power transformed into fragmented blades within his chest, exploding and shredding apart the flesh and veins at his heart.


    *The Evil Formation Master felt a bone-chilling coldness seeping into his soul.*


    *Assassination!!*


    *He couldn¡¯t believe it.*


    *In this remote mountain¡¯s celestial grotto, hidden deep within the isolated peak¡¯s Demon¡¯s Cave, inside the confidential Sacrificial Demon Hall, within the most classified Yuan Magnetic Chamber¡­*


    *Someone was actually assassinating him?!*


    *How could this be possible?!*


    But the blade¡¯s tip piercing his chest, the heart-wrenching agony, and the overwhelming presence of the cultivator behind him made it clear¡ªthis was an irrefutable reality.


    And the assassin wasn¡¯t just any ordinary cultivator; it was a powerful Golden Core Cultivator!


    ¡°Death!¡±


    *Panic surged through the Evil Formation Master¡¯s heart.*


    He wanted to shout aloud.


    A pale, slender hand clamped tightly around his throat.


    The hand was imbued with intense spiritual power, pressing against his windpipe and rendering him utterly mute.


    The Evil Formation Master¡¯s eyes widened in terror.


    In that fleeting moment, he bit down on his tongue tip, using the blood to stimulate his Divine Sense, ensuring his mind remained clear.


    Simultaneously, his eyes turned crimson, grotesquely morphing to resemble the eerie, distorted eye floating in the alcohol of his wine jar.


    An unknown scarlet Divine Sense began spreading throughout the room¡­ S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *Divine Sense Evil Art!*


    But before the scarlet consciousness could fully radiate, a steel rod landed with a thunderous *clang* directly on his skull.


    Gu An remembered Mo Hua¡¯s instructions¡ªto strike the Evil Formation Master on the head without hesitation at the first sign of any strange activity in his Divine Sense.


    The iron rod struck the Evil Formation Master so hard it left his scalp numb and trembling.


    Gu An, having undergone Body Refinement, possessed immense physical strength.


    The Evil Formation Master, not being a Body Cultivator, was utterly unprepared to withstand such a blow.


    Blood flowed freely from the top of his head as waves of paralyzing pain coursed through his body.


    His Divine Sense faltered abruptly.


    The blood-soaked Divine Sense Evil Art, which he had barely started to cast, was interrupted immediately.


    Yet moments later, the residual scarlet Divine Thought power borrowed from the blood-red eyes began reawakening his consciousness.


    Hiding one hand within his sleeve, he reached covertly for the Letter Token using an inconspicuous gesture.


    *He felt smug, certain his movements had gone unnoticed.*


    Just then, a crisp voice rang out:


    ¡°Hand!¡±


    The Evil Formation Master barely had time to react before a sharp pain erupted in his arm.


    Gu An swung his rod again, smashing the Evil Formation Master¡¯s arm, sending the Letter Token flying to the ground.


    The Evil Formation Master, unwilling to accept defeat, reached out with his other hand toward his Storage Bag.


    That damned voice echoed once more:


    ¡°The other one!¡±


    Before the words had even finished, Gu An swung his rod once more, breaking the Evil Formation Master¡¯s other arm.


    *Anger and shock flared within the Evil Formation Master.*


    *It felt as though every move he made was anticipated.*


    *Damn it all!*


    *Rage ignited in the depths of his soul.*


    Just as he tried to move, his body froze. He realized he had been paralyzed.


    Threads of venom had already seeped from Gu Changhuai¡¯s blade into the Evil Formation Master¡¯s bloodstream, spreading relentlessly through his body with every beat of his heart.


    *Poison?!*


    *They even used poison?!*


    *A Golden Core assassinating a Foundation Establishment cultivator¡ªand they still resort to poison?*


    *How could such despicable, shameless people exist in this world?!*


    ¡°There¡¯s no time¡­¡±


    *Fury churned within the Evil Formation Master. Gritting his teeth, he bit off his own tongue, swallowing down the bright red blood that followed.*


    His blood was like a sinister wine.


    As the Blood Wine flowed into his stomach, his eyes bulged grotesquely, twisting and distorting until they resembled those of an Evil Demon.


    Simultaneously, his Divine Sense surged explosively.


    The Evil Formation Master fixed his grotesque gaze on the Yuan Magnetic Formation Pivot at the center of the chamber.


    He intended to amplify his Divine Thought with the power of his blood-stained eyes, linking to the formation pivot, summoning every Demon Cultivator in the Demon Palace, and wiping out the assassins surrounding him!


    ¡°Stick!¡±


    A sharp voice rang out.


    Gu An, his expression stern, swung his rod down with force once more.


    This time, the rod struck the Evil Formation Master¡¯s head fiercely, splitting his scalp wide open. Blood poured profusely¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the amplification of his Evil Thoughts.


    His nefarious consciousness continued connecting to the formation pivot.


    His twisted, bloodshot eyes glared venomously at the array plate in the chamber¡¯s center.


    Just as he was about to succeed, a flicker of flame caught the corner of his eye.


    Two fireballs streaked through the air, striking his face from the left and right, scorching his bulging eyes with explosive force.


    The flames seared his eyes, throwing him into unbearable agony.


    The Evil Thoughts diminished slightly.


    But even with his eyes blackened, unable to see, his Divine Sense could still extend outward.


    The Evil Formation Master pushed his sinister consciousness to its limits, directing it toward the Yuan Magnetic Core array plate at the center of the chamber¡­


    Seeing this, Mo Hua moved swiftly, stepping in front of the array plate and unfurling a long-prepared schematic.


    The map depicted a deep abyss-like Source Pattern.


    *The Five Elements Formation Flow Map!*


    As the map unfolded, the Source Pattern seemed to come alive.


    Long suppressed and neglected by Mo Hua due to its low decoding probability, the Source Pattern awakened, brimming with a sense of hunger and malevolence¡ªa beast unleashed after years of dormancy.


    From the Formation Flow Map, the Source Pattern began pulsating, like the festering nucleus of a plague.


    Just as the Evil Formation Master¡¯s Divine Sense attempted to link with the formation pivot, it plunged headfirst into the depths of the Source Pattern depicted in the map.


    Immediately, his consciousness felt unbearably restrained.


    *He felt submerged in the tides of the ¡°plague,¡± surrounded by its oppressive flood.*


    *His heart chilled as he began to sense an overwhelming dread, his Divine Sense falling into a bottomless ice pit.*


    *It was as if he¡¯d ¡°seen¡± a multicolored, transcendent eye opening slowly in the depths¡ªa cold and indifferent gaze fixating upon him from its shadowy pupil.*


    ¡°Is this?!¡±

 Chapter 989 - 989 647 Assassination_3

    ?Chapter 989: Chapter 647 Assassination_3 Chapter 989: Chapter 647 Assassination_3 The Evil Formation Master was greatly shocked in his heart.


    Yet before he could ponder further, he discovered that densely packed formation patterns, like a virus, had infiltrated his divine sense.


    In just the blink of an eye, his externalized divine sense was parasitized, infected, differentiated, and then completely devoured.


    He was powerless to return to the skies!


    His heart turned to dead ashes.


    This was a carefully designed assassination!


    He had been calculated to death.


    All means of counterattack were strangled in the cradle, without a single chance.


    Even the means of divine sense were guarded against without a single leakage.


    ¡°There is a despicable, shameless, and sinister old array master calculating against me!¡±


    The Evil Formation Master¡¯s eyes almost burst with fury.


    ¡°Who exactly is it?!¡±


    Before his death, he wanted to see who had caused his demise.


    The Evil Formation Master exerted all his effort to turn his head, remembering there had been a crisp, eerie sound next to him.


    But his eyes were already burnt, his vision blurry.


    He couldn¡¯t see clearly at all!


    Finally, Gu Changhuai stimulated his spiritual power, choked his throat, and with the energy of a sword, completely shredded his heart vessels.


    The Evil Formation Master was dead.


    Until his death, he hadn¡¯t seen what Mo Hua looked like.


    Nor did he know, exactly who had calculated his death¡­


    All these changes happened in rapid succession, back and forth in just a dozen or so breaths of time.


    The Evil Formation Master had already been assassinated.


    The Secret Chamber of the Formation Pivot was quiet once again.


    Mo Hua went to the door and called in Gu Quan who was standing guard against the wind, and then quietly closed the door of the secret chamber.


    Thus, the demon cultivators wouldn¡¯t know that their second-grade high-rank Evil Formation Master stationed in the Yuan Magnetic Secret Chamber was now a dead man.


    Gu Changhuai released the hand that was choking the Evil Formation Master¡¯s neck and pulled out the short knife that had crushed the formation master¡¯s heart vessels.


    The Evil Formation Master collapsed to the ground like a sludge.


    Mo Hua also put away the formation flow diagram.


    Seeing this, Gu Changhuai frowned slightly, ¡°This diagram is¡­¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t even blink as he said, ¡°It¡¯s specifically for trapping formation masters, Uncle Gu, you can¡¯t see it.¡±


    Gu Changhuai was stunned, half believing, half doubting.


    The Evil Formation Master lay on the ground, with a wine cup on the table, in which a strange eyeball was soaked.


    The recent mutant scene of the Evil Formation Master reemerged in his mind.


    Mo Hua wanted to secretly stash away this eyeball, but just as his hand reached halfway, Gu Changhuai had already acted swiftly to take the wine cup away.


    ¡°This wine is problematic, you can¡¯t touch it.¡±


    Mo Hua could only watch helplessly as Gu Changhuai carefully sealed the wine cup and the eyeball inside it, and put them into his storage bag.


    Mo Hua, having no alternative, quietly reminded,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, make sure you keep this thing safe¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed.


    After everything was properly handled, just to be on the safe side, Mo Hua still suggested,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, maybe¡­ you should stab a few more times?¡±


    ¡°The sea of consciousness, the Qi sea, and the heart vessels, disable them all again¡­¡±


    ¡°This Evil Formation Master is too eerie; he must be made completely dead to be absolutely safe.¡±


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback, his look at Mo Hua became slightly more nuanced.


    Gu An and Gu Quan, however, admired him,


    ¡°It really is befitting of Young Master Mo to act so cautiously.¡±


    The usually indifferent and ruthless young master of their family was never as harsh¡­


    Gu Changhuai sighed but followed through, stabbing once again at the Evil Formation Master¡¯s forehead, Qi sea, and heart vessels.


    A Foundation Building Cultivator was now unquestionably dead.


    Mo Hua finally felt relieved.


    He glanced once at the dead Evil Formation Master, pondering in his heart.


    This Evil Formation Master had a powerful divine sense, strange evil thoughts, and his methods were extremely fierce.


    Luckily, he died first. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    An opponent who cannot strike is indeed a good opponent.


    As a Monster Hunter, what is valued is a philosophy of ¡°winning without a fight.¡±


    This was the thorough teaching from his father, Mo Shan, as an experienced Monster Hunter.


    He must always firmly remember this and practice it!


    Afterward, the group briefly cleaned up the battlefield, and Mo Hua started examining the array plate in front of him.


    The array plate was covered with magnetic patterns, intricate and orderly, depicting a complete core formation pivot of a Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua looked at it for a few moments and realized he couldn¡¯t understand¡­


    He hadn¡¯t learned Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, even more so, this was a formation of more than Seventeen Patterns.


    Mo Hua scratched his head, thought for a moment, then asked,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, what about the Evil Formation Master¡¯s storage bag? Have a look inside for any formation diagrams¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai hesitated.


    Because this formation master was an Evil Formation Master, his storage bag would definitely contain some Demon Path skills or Evil Path formation methods, so the storage bag of the Evil Formation Master was collected by him.


    The items inside were not for Mo Hua to see.


    As a Dao Court Canon, Gu Changhuai knew that the more talented a formation master, the deeper their understanding of evil formations, and the quicker they would learn.


    It might only take one or two glances to set them on a path of no return.


    Mo Hua understood and then said,


    ¡°Just show me the Yuan Magnetic type formations¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment and then slowly nodded.


    The Yuan Magnetic type formations should be alright¡­


    He opened the Evil Formation Master¡¯s storage bag, rummaged through it, and found several formation books and a large, complex formation diagram.


    Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t distinguish the Yuan Magnetic formation patterns.


    But these books and diagrams clearly stated ¡°Yuan Magnetic,¡± so they should be correct.


    ¡°Yuan Magnetic Spirit Vision Formation,¡± ¡°Yuan Magnetic Spirit Vision Compound Formation Chart,¡± ¡°Yuan Magnetic Formation Pivot Initial Interpretation¡±¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    All good stuff!


    And much more profound than the Yuan Magnetic formations he had learned.


    This Evil Formation Master¡¯s attainment in formations, especially in Yuan Magnetic formations, was indeed quite remarkable.

 Chapter 990 - 990 647 Assassination_4

    ?Chapter 990: Chapter 647 Assassination_4 Chapter 990: Chapter 647 Assassination_4 Yuan Magnetic Formation was so proficiently mastered, other formations, especially the Evil Formation, must have also been thoroughly studied¡­


    Thankfully, he died first!


    Otherwise, it would have been troublesome.


    ¡°Right, I even don¡¯t know the name of this Evil Formation Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered in his heart, then thought again.


    Never mind, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, he¡¯s dead anyway.


    Mo Hua felt justified as he flipped through these Yuan Magnetic Formation Books, especially that copy of the ¡°Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Complex Formation Chart¡±.


    While looking at them, Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    Gu Changhuai asked, ¡°Can you understand it?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°This Compound Formation is of the Eighteen Patterns, even more difficult than a typical Eighteen Patterns Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the Yuan Magnetic Formation knowledge involved here is also quite unfamiliar.¡±


    ¡°The Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Formation has Seventeen Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the Yuan Magnetic Core¡¯s sequence control, which is even more profound¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai found everything complicated as he listened.


    ¡°So, should we destroy this Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head again, ¡°This Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation is bidirectional. If we destroy it, the Yuan Magnetic early warning in the Demon Palace will be disabled, and the communication among the Demon Cultivators will fail, which might alert them¡­¡±


    ¡°Then do we just leave it here and ignore it?¡±


    ¡°Leaving it unattended could also lead to problems¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll try to learn it, see if I can master it¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback, ¡°You¡­ are learning it now?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Mo Hua looked somewhat blank.


    If he didn¡¯t know, he would have to learn on the spot¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked complex and then said, ¡°But your Divine Sense, it probably isn¡¯t enough¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t need to be able to draw it, just to use it.¡±


    He pointed at the Yuan Magnetic Core in front of him, ¡°Someone else has already built it, I just need to learn how to control this Yuan Magnetic Core, and the requirements for Divine Sense aren¡¯t so strict, my current Divine Sense is enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t quite understand but nodded, ¡°Alright, try and learn it.¡±


    Having worked at the Taoist Court for so long, he understood that ¡°professional¡± matters should be left to the professionals¡­


    Therefore, Gu Changhuai and others kept guard nearby.


    Mo Hua calmed down and began to explore these, evidently more advanced, Yuan Magnetic Compound Formations.


    There was limited time, he couldn¡¯t learn too deeply.


    His Divine Sense was also limited; he couldn¡¯t master these formations yet.


    He could only first try to understand the Formation principle.


    The first thing he looked at was the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Formation.


    The Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Single Formation was the foundation for the structure of the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formation.


    Mo Hua reviewed the Formation Patterns, the basic core structure, and the Formation Method Maps. Based on the Fixed Magnetic Patterns in the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Formation, he somewhat understood the function of this formation.


    It was a ¡°Spiritual Power Surveillance¡± Formation.


    It allowed him to visualize the presence of a cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power through magnetic flow sensing.


    However, the range was limited, and as it represented ¡°Spiritual Power¡±, it was easily disturbed by various airs between heaven and earth, making the image a bit blurry.


    Mo Hua suddenly realized.


    Earlier in the corridor, those three Demon Cultivators and one Demon Hound, the reason they returned was likely because the nearby Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Formation had detected their Spiritual Power traces.


    But the Evil Formation Master was somewhat uncertain.


    Hence, he sent those three people and one dog back to check. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Understanding the principle of the formation made things easier.


    As for the specifics of the formation, he couldn¡¯t learn them now but could keep them for later.


    Mo Hua secretly stuffed the Formation Books into his Storage Bag.


    Next was the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formation.


    Understanding the principle of the Single Formation, he then divided and overviewed the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formation, making some key aspects easier to understand.


    This set of Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formations was a unified monitoring, surveillance, and communication system of the Demon Cave Yuan Magnetic Defense System.


    Yuan Magnetic Defense didn¡¯t protect against cultivators¡¯ attacks but aimed to prevent the leakage of secrets.


    Using this set of Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formations, he could unify the scheduling of all the Demon Cultivators in the entire Demon Palace, consolidating them into one.


    Thus making the entire Demon Cave impervious to penetration, ¡°as solid as a gold soup¡±.


    It was just a pity, success also by formation, failure also by formation.


    The formation was the barrier of the Demon Palace, but in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, it also became the biggest flaw.


    Mo Hua studied the Yuan Magnetic Formation without distraction¡­


    Gu Changhuai silently watched from the side.


    He saw Mo Hua with his head down, engrossed in the formation, sometimes frowning, sometimes smoothing his brows, occasionally pondering, occasionally muttering something lowly, or sometimes gesturing on the ground with his hand as a pen¡­


    It was as if, in the entire world, there was nothing but the formation.


    Gu Changhuai sighed silently in his heart.


    In such a perilous place, to be able to concentrate so intensely on the formation in a flash.


    No wonder he had mastered Formation so well at such a young age¡­


    Who knows how long it had been when Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    Gu Changhuai, seeing this, his gaze sharpened,


    ¡°Formation Pivot¡­ did you learn it?¡±


    ¡°I learned a bit,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Then he got up and, with quick reflexes, scooped up all the Yuan Magnetic Formation Books and Formation Diagrams into his Storage Bag before Gu Changhuai.


    Struck it rich!


    For Yuan Magnetic Formations of Seventeen Patterns and above, and the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation.


    To buy them from the Sect, he wouldn¡¯t know how many Merit Points it would cost.


    Just thinking about it hurt.


    Then, pretending not to see Gu Changhuai, Mo Hua walked up to the control Array Plate of the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation like nothing had happened and began to try controlling the entire Formation Pivot.


    Gu Changhuai watched as Mo Hua sneakily ¡°embezzled¡± some items.


    But at such a time, he couldn¡¯t call out and disturb him, so he could only sigh, pretending he hadn¡¯t seen anything.


    The Formation Pivot of the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formation was covered with a foggy layer of ¡°magnetic flow¡±.


    Mo Hua, using his Divine Sense, tried repeatedly to connect with the Formation Pivot.


    But the Compound Formation¡¯s Formation Pivot was very resistant.


    The internal magnetic flow chaos also put immense pressure on his Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua tried several times unsuccessfully, finally his expression darkened, and he lost patience.


    With his Sixteen Patterns quality-transformed Divine Sense, he forcibly endured the chaotic magnetic flow, breaking through the ¡°magnetic fog¡±.


    Subsequently, using the Yuan Magnetic knowledge he just learned, he controlled the Yuan Magnetic Spiritual Vision Compound Formation¡¯s Formation Pivot.


    In that moment, Mo Hua felt as if his Divine Sense had suddenly become clear.


    The entire Demon Palace, in an abstract yet stringent pattern of the Formation Pivot system, appeared in his mind.


    Formations as anchors.


    Demon Cultivators as soldiers.


    Spirit Vision Formations as heavenly eyes, displaying Spiritual Power appearances, peering into critical corners of the Demon Palace¡­


    Mo Hua suddenly had the feeling that he understood everything:


    ¡°This Demon Palace, it¡¯s mine now!¡±

 Chapter 991 - 991 648 The Disappearance of the Demon

    ?Chapter 991: Chapter 648: The Disappearance of the Demon Cultivators Chapter 991: Chapter 648: The Disappearance of the Demon Cultivators ¡°The Demon Palace is in my hands, what can I do with it?¡±


    For a moment, all sorts of bad ideas popped into Mo Hua¡¯s mind¡­


    It was Gu Changhuai who interrupted him and asked,


    ¡°Do you know where Fire Buddha is?¡±


    Oh right, Fire Buddha is more important¡­


    Mo Hua immediately concentrated, controlled the Yuan Magnetic Array Plate, and through the Spiritual Vision Center, he observed all the movements within the Demon Palace.


    But as he watched, Mo Hua¡¯s brow furrowed.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was also startled, ¡°How can there be nothing?¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°This Yuan Magnetic Core originally connected the outer, middle, and inner halls, but the inner hall seems to have another secret, isolated from the rest, shrouded in mist, and it¡¯s unclear what¡¯s going on inside¡­¡±


    ¡°The inner hall¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes gradually grew colder.


    Fire Buddha was likely hidden in the inner hall, and the core secret of this Demon Palace was probably also hidden within.


    The inner hall was completely sealed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back and call for reinforcements? We can coordinate from inside and outside and attack together,¡± Gu An quietly suggested.


    Gu Changhuai frowned and then asked,


    ¡°How many Demon Cultivators are there in the Demon Palace?¡±


    Gu An and Gu Quan exchanged glances, both shaking their heads, then all three looked toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°According to the number of messages transmitted by the Compound Formation, there are roughly over four hundred¡­¡±


    ¡°Over four hundred¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze slightly sank.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Uncle Gu, how many people can the Taoist Court deploy?¡±


    ¡°If the Enforcement Leader acts, we can mobilize eight hundred, but¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze was solemn as he sighed, ¡°In the short term, those who can be mobilized and are trustworthy are probably just over three hundred¡­¡±


    ¡°And among them, those with rich experience and capable of contending with Demon Cultivators are probably just over a hundred¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mo Hua roughly understood.


    The Taoist Court was cluttered, with excess personnel, and the composition of Cultivators was complex.


    Although there were also Cultivators with upright hearts dedicated to slaying evil, they were ultimately in the minority.


    Most might just be passing their days.


    And there were some who would not get up early if there were no profits, only wishing to fish for benefits.


    There likely were also a few insiders¡­


    The entire Taoist Court was like a mixture of clear water, mud, dead fish, and tumors.


    He couldn¡¯t help but rely on them, yet couldn¡¯t rely on them too much¡­


    Like Uncle Gu, alongside Gu An and Gu Quan, such individuals were probably few and far between.


    Gu Quan then said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we try to lure Fire Buddha out, and then surround and kill him?¡±


    Gu Changhuai thought about it and shook his head,


    ¡°Fire Buddha is not a Formation Master. Usually, Formation Masters are physically weak and not good at slaughter, making them easy to kill¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused halfway, looked to the side, and saw that Mo Hua looked unhappy, so he helplessly said,


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about you¡­¡±


    Although Mo Hua was also a Formation Master and physically weak, he was cunning and crafty, with too many tricks up his sleeve for the average person to secretly plot against him.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know what Gu Changhuai was saying about him, but he felt it was neither good nor bad, and reluctantly nodded.


    Gu Changhuai shook his head, then continued,


    ¡°¡­Fire Buddha is different. He is naturally suspicious, proficient in fire techniques, and ruthless in killing¡­¡±


    ¡°We might not be able to lure him out, and even if we do, it¡¯s unlikely we could kill him secretly or by sheer force in a short time¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the Second Grade State Border, and I can¡¯t use the power of the Golden Core, only having the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Peak.¡±


    ¡°Once we fail, surrounded by many Demon Cultivators in this Demon Palace, we will have no escape¡­¡±


    And even if we could escape, there would certainly be those who would leave their lives in this Demon Palace¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was grave.


    Gu An and Gu Quan also had tightly furrowed brows.


    Once Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators gained influence, gathered followers, and took refuge in a low-grade state boundary, under the rules of Heavenly Dao, they indeed posed significant difficulties.


    Mo Hua also furrowed his brow slightly, feeling some urgency in his heart.


    Unknowingly, two days had already passed.


    He could faintly see the figure of Fire Buddha, but there was a barrier in between, preventing him from grabbing hold, making him anxious.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then his expression suddenly turned cold, and he simply said,


    ¡°Then let¡¯s start killing¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Gu Changhuai and the others were taken aback.


    ¡°Start killing?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°The few of us inside will first clear the peripheral minions, then call in reinforcements to trap the inner hall, attacking with more against fewer, and surround and kill Fire Buddha!¡±


    ¡°Isolated peak, a celestial cave outside the world.¡±


    ¡°The advantage is that it¡¯s isolated from the world, internally closed, tightly sealed, easy to defend but hard to attack; outsiders can¡¯t enter, nor can they spy on the secrets inside.¡±


    ¡°The disadvantage is, once discovered and surrounded, we¡¯ll be trapped and it¡¯ll be hard to escape¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai pondered briefly, then also slightly nodded,


    ¡°That could work¡­¡±


    ¡°The defenses of the Demon Palace are strict; a frontal attack will undoubtedly be difficult.¡±


    ¡°Even with several of us coordinating from inside and out, the casualties will be heavy¡­¡±


    ¡°So we must first weaken it from the inside¡­¡±


    ¡°Kill the Demon Cultivators in the middle and outer peripheries, then mobilize the Enforcement Leaders of the Taoist Court to attack and surround the inner hall¡­¡±


    ¡°If we do this, the situation will reverse, and those surrounded will be Fire Buddha.¡±


    Despite the Taoist Court having a mixed multitude, even if there are more slackers, it shouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, his eyes showing concern, ¡°This won¡¯t be easy to accomplish either.¡±


    A few dozen wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but hundreds of Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators would be very troublesome.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Mo Hua pointed at the Array Plate behind him and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll use this Yuan Magnetic Spirit Vision Compound Formation to guide you¡­¡±


    ¡°With this Yuan Magnetic Spirit Vision Compound Formation now under my control, acting as an ¡®insider,¡¯ the Demon Cultivators in the Demon Palace are essentially ¡®blind.''¡±

 Chapter 992 - 992 648 The Disappearance of the Demon

    ?Chapter 992: Chapter 648: The Disappearance of the Demon Cultivator_2 Chapter 992: Chapter 648: The Disappearance of the Demon Cultivator_2 ¡°We can quietly assassinate them one by one, all of them!¡±


    ¡°And ensure we won¡¯t be discovered¡­¡±


    Mo Hua appeared quite confident.


    Upon hearing this, Gu Changhuai suddenly understood and couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of excitement inside:


    To assassinate all the demon cultivators in the outer halls without alerting the enemy¡­


    He was a Golden Core. Even with the suppression of the Heavenly Dao, discreetly assassinating several Foundation Establishment cultivators in batches, a few at a time, indeed posed no problem.


    The premise, however, was that the assassination needed to go unnoticed¡­


    The most critical element here was the Formation.


    The Spirit Vision Compound Formation that was now monitoring the entire Bi Mountain Demon Cavern had ¡°defected¡±¡­


    The enemy¡¯s most important Formation had become an ¡°inside agent.¡±


    To turn another¡¯s Formation into one¡¯s own use, to turn the enemy¡¯s blade upon their very hearts.


    Formation Masters were indeed¡­ too terrifying¡­


    Or perhaps it was¡­


    Gu Changhuai quietly glanced at Mo Hua.


    Some Formation Masters are just too terrifying¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    He quickly reviewed the entire plan in his mind again:


    First, through the Spirit Vision Compound Formation, remotely control Uncle Gu and the other two to assassinate all the demon cultivators in the middle and outer halls, removing all points of vigilance.


    Then get Uncle Gu to call someone to come over, to surround the inner hall like making a dumpling.


    Even if the Daoist Court Enforcement Leader was ¡°inefficient,¡± with a numbers advantage, surrounding them should pose no problem.


    After that¡­


    He¡¯d act according to the situation¡­


    Mo Hua thought to himself.


    Anyway, as for what exactly was in the inner hall, the Spirit Vision Compound Formation didn¡¯t display it, and he was in the dark about it right now.


    First, surround the inner hall and force out the Fire Buddha to see what happens next.


    Once everything was discussed and agreed upon, Mo Hua put on a serious face and said:


    ¡°The hunt begins¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai felt that phrase sounded a bit odd, but considering that Mo Hua was always eccentric, he didn¡¯t give it much thought¡­


    So, within the bleak Demon¡¯s Cave, the strict Demon Palace.


    A silent hunt had begun.


    Mo Hua ¡°presided¡± over the heart of the Spirit Vision Formation, directing the way for Gu Changhuai and the other two.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bone idol in the northwest corner of the central hall, to the right, two demon cultivators will come by in about ten breaths¡­¡±


    ¡°Kill confidently, there¡¯s no one around¡­¡±


    Mo Hua transmitted these instructions using the Letter Token that Gu Changhuai had given him.


    Afterward, Mo Hua kept his gaze on the Array Plate.


    A short while later, within the imagery of the Compound Formation heart, two grayish-black spiritual power images approached from afar.


    These were the two demon cultivators.


    The Spirit Vision Formation only revealed faint spiritual power images.


    So what Mo Hua saw were like two dirty, ¡°spiritual power figures.¡±


    These two dirty spiritual power figures reached a corner, oblivious as three vague silhouettes suddenly appeared next to them.


    Due to their concealed figures, their spiritual power was blurry, hard to discern.


    Were it not for Mo Hua¡¯s prior knowledge, he might have easily missed them.


    Then Mo Hua saw the three blurry spiritual power figures overturn the two dirty ones.


    There were traces of red, which seemed like blood spilling out.


    Or it might have been the leakage of the demon cultivators¡¯ evil power.


    There were also traces of white, like wind-system spiritual power strangling, probably dealt by Uncle Gu.


    He killed one himself.


    Gu An and Gu Quan seemed to have used knives, both working together, their spiritual arcs like a full moon, killing the other demon cultivator¡­


    While observing, Mo Hua visualized the scene in his mind, finding it very fresh.


    After the two demon cultivators were killed, their corpses were thrown into the putrid water under the Demon Palace.


    This waterway seemed like a ¡°corpse disposal river¡±¡­


    It was filled with filthy water, mixed with either mud or flesh, blended together, emanating an unbearable stench and an unclean green color.


    This was probably where demon cultivators disposed of bodies after killing.


    Now they, having been killed, were also discarded there, receiving their just deserts.


    ¡°Two are dead¡­¡±


    Mo Hua continued to monitor the Array Plate, starting to ¡°call the roll¡± again, looking for the next ¡°lucky¡± victim¡­


    Moments later, Mo Hua found another demon cultivator.


    ¡°Keep walking forward¡­¡± S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Pass through the corridor, and there¡¯s an Alchemy Room, hide in the corner there, a lone demon cultivator will come by after seven breaths¡­¡±


    ¡°Kill¡­¡±


    ¡°Good, next one¡­¡±


    ¡°This time it¡¯s two men and a dog¡­¡±


    ¡°Be quick, we only have 30 minutes. Otherwise, they¡¯ll run into a squad of five demon cultivators coming up behind¡­¡±


    ¡°Killed again¡­¡±


    ¡°Killed¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Thus, Mo Hua monitored and called out the targets.


    With the Golden Core Gu Changhuai, along with Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators Gu An and Gu Quan taking action,


    It was as good as sealing their fate, whoever was targeted would die.


    In the vast Demon Palace, demon cultivators were silently disappearing one by one¡­


    Yet not a single one noticed.


    Mo Hua covered it up very well.


    Before disposing of the killed demon cultivators¡¯ bodies, Gu Changhuai and the others would also take their Storage Bags.


    Mo Hua had no interest in the other contents of the Storage Bags.


    Of course, even if he wanted them, Gu Changhuai wouldn¡¯t oblige.


    After killing the demon cultivators, Gu Changhuai handed all the tokens with skull patterns and similar designs to Mo Hua.


    These tokens, which the demon cultivators had specifically named ¡°Book Devil Order.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a Letter Token, but no, it has to be a ¡®Book Devil Order¡¯, all fancy and unnecessary¡­¡±


    Mo Hua murmured quietly with some disdain.


    However, he was going to keep these ¡°Book Devil Orders¡± safe.


    Most demon cultivators in the entire Demon Palace had one such ¡°Book Devil Order,¡± which they could use to communicate with each other.


    At the same time, all content of the communications was monitored by the Original Magnet Formation Pivot.


    These were originally employed by Evil Formation Masters to ¡°monitor¡± the demon cultivators.


    Now, they also conveniently served Mo Hua.


    What Mo Hua had to do first was to monitor the ¡°chats¡± between demon cultivators, trying to find any clue of the Fire Buddha or other secrets of the Demon Palace.

 Chapter 993 - 993 648 The Disappeared Demon Cultivator_3

    ?Chapter 993: Chapter 648: The Disappeared Demon Cultivator_3 Chapter 993: Chapter 648: The Disappeared Demon Cultivator_3 The other secrets, Mo Hua hadn¡¯t yet discovered.


    But he had finally found out the name of the dead Evil Formation Master.


    The Demon Cultivators on patrol, when communicating with the central Formation Pivot through the Book Devil Order, referred to the dead Evil Formation Master as ¡°Master Yuan.¡±


    Master Yuan¡­


    A master proficient in the Yuan Magnetic Formation?


    Was this his original surname, or had he changed it later?


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t quite figure it out.


    But it didn¡¯t matter now.


    The original Master Yuan was dead, and the current Master Yuan was actually ¡°Master Mo.¡±


    Mo Hua, impersonating ¡°Master Yuan,¡± issued orders to these patrolling Demon Cultivators.


    And the Demon Cultivators knew nothing.


    Master Yuan was an Evil Formation Master who was moody and had a cold temperament; his words were not to be questioned by the Demon Cultivators.


    But there was another matter that was more troublesome.


    It concerned the Book Devil Orders of the dead Demon Cultivators¡­


    The Demon Cultivators killed by Gu Changhuai upon Mo Hua¡¯s command¡ªtheir Book Devil Orders couldn¡¯t just be discarded for the time being.


    Because once a living Demon Cultivator sent messages to these dead ones, and if there were no replies for a long time, the assassination would be easily exposed.


    Therefore, Mo Hua also had to ¡°play multiple roles¡± as a single person, occasionally using these dead men¡¯s Book Devil Orders to reply to other Demon Cultivators.


    Creating an illusion that everyone was still alive and patrolling as usual.


    In the beginning, when there were only a few Book Devil Orders, Mo Hua could handle it with a bit of thought.


    However, these Demon Cultivators had very twisted interests.


    Mo Hua felt somewhat out of place.


    It was difficult for him to blend into the distorted perspectives of the Demon Cultivators and chat with them.


    After all, he was too honest¡­


    Mo Hua silently sighed in his heart.


    Therefore, whenever there was a message in the Book Devil Order, he could only reply ambiguously with a few vague phrases.


    Like, ¡°Hmm,¡± ¡°Oh,¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± ¡°Can do,¡± ¡°You handle it,¡± ¡°Impressive,¡± and so on¡­


    But later on, when there were more Book Devil Orders, such ¡°Hmm¡± and ¡°Oh¡± responses became monotonous.


    And they looked somewhat fake, easily giving him away.


    So Mo Hua lay in the Evil Formation Master¡¯s chair, multitasking¡ªon one hand monitoring the Array Plate and targeting people to kill.


    On the other, he flipped through the records of the Book Devil Order.


    He had to summarize some patterns of Demon Cultivator chat behavior from the conversations, so that he could then better ¡°pretend¡± to be a bad guy.


    After a long observation, Mo Hua realized he had overthought it.


    This group of Demon Cultivators, with their varied dispositions and explosive tempers, spoke crudely¡ªthere was no need to put so much effort into learning how they talked, being proficient in cursing was enough.


    Most of the Demon Cultivators would start swearing at each other the moment they disagreed.


    As long as one could curse well, one could play the Demon Cultivator part well.


    Cursing!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened.


    He thought of Elder Yu.


    If cursing were considered a kind of ¡°Realm,¡± then Elder Yu would have to be at least a half-step Heaven Void.


    If cursing could enhance one¡¯s Cultivation, then Elder Yu might¡¯ve already ascended.


    It¡¯s just a pity that I am a well-mannered, good kid who doesn¡¯t excel at cursing.


    At most¡­


    Back when I accompanied Elder Yu, I passively memorized many of the things he said when cursing others, so now is just the right time to make use of that¡­


    ¡°These are all things Elder Yu said when cursing people, not me learning bad habits¡­¡±


    ¡°I just happen to have a good memory, you can¡¯t blame me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    Then he began to use the Book Devil Order to spew insults at the Demon Cultivators.


    Letting these Demon Cultivators, far away in Qian State, also experience Elder Yu¡¯s cursing prowess¡­


    ¡­


    Demon Cultivator A: ¡°You son of a bitch, it¡¯s been so long, why no reply?¡±


    Mo Hua replied: ¡°Why the hell should I talk to a piece of trash like you? Your brain is like a pig¡¯s; can you even understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°You fucking drunk?¡±


    ¡°How could your father possibly be drunk? Unless one day I chop your pig head off to have with my drink and have your mother cheer me on, only then would I fucking get drunk.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine! Well done, you ¡®Second Walking Corpse,¡¯ you bastard¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, about to get angry, but then realized.


    He cursed ¡®Second Walking Corpse,¡¯ what does that have to do with me, Mo Xiaohua?


    He wasn¡¯t cursing me¡­


    ¡°Fine! Even if I, ¡®Second Walking Corpse,¡¯ am a bastard, I am the bastard of your great grandmother and a stray dog, you are the bastard of me and your mother¡­¡±


    Mo Hua replied, and then there was no message from the other side.


    Maybe he passed out from anger.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°No good, I am definitely not¡­ no, definitely not Elder Yu¡¯s match.¡±


    Although Qian State is a large state with many Sect inheritances, their tradition of cursing seems to be quite weak.


    Mo Hua typed rapidly, his Divine Sense even faster, as he started to search through Elder Yu¡¯s ¡°Anthology of Insults¡± to reply to the next Demon Cultivator.


    Demon Cultivator B: ¡°Idiot, where the fuck are you?¡±


    ¡°On your mom¡¯s belly¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°It seems a lot quieter in the Demon Palace¡­¡±


    ¡°One by one, they¡¯re all like fucking Walking Dead, is it any wonder they¡¯re quiet?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°So boring¡­ Get me some girls for Replenishing¡­¡±


    ¡°What time is it and you¡¯re still thinking about Replenishing? Why don¡¯t you just smash your dick to pieces to replenish your pig-brain?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Are you dead?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already dead, stop talking to me¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you reply to me if you¡¯re dead?¡±


    ¡°Then why did you ask?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about you, you beast.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t need your concern, you beast. I died on your mom, hoping to leave one more beast like you in the world before I go¡­¡±


    ¡­


    All these curses were heard from Elder Yu¡¯s mouth.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t really understand what they meant; he just had a strong Divine Sense and a good memory, so he noted them down.


    Anyway, as long as it was cursing, that was correct.


    Using them on these Demon Cultivators was just right.


    After being cursed, each of these Demon Cultivators became extremely emotional.


    Some were so angry they even wrote the characters of their messages wrongly¡­


    Others were so disturbed in their Divine Sense that they couldn¡¯t even reply¡­


    Fortunately, these Demon Cultivators were used to cursing at each other on regular days, and even when angry, they dared not make trouble in the Demon Palace.


    It was even less likely that they would start fighting over a mere verbal spat.


    Mo Hua guessed they would keep this ¡°hatred¡± firmly in their hearts, looking to pick a fight and get revenge later.


    But none of this had anything to do with him.


    The ¡°library of insults¡± belonged to Elder Yu.


    The Book Devil Order used to curse was the Demon Cultivators¡¯.


    This ¡°hatred¡± wouldn¡¯t fall on his own head.


    Moreover, these ¡°insult-flinging¡± Demon Cultivators were already dead¡­


    And more were dying by the moment¡­


    So, while Mo Hua was busy calling out names and letting Uncle Gu ¡°knife¡± people, pretending to be Master Yuan, ordering around Demon Cultivators, and also ¡°playing multiple roles¡± by cursing these Demon Cultivators,


    he was incredibly busy and having a great time.


    Just then, on the Yuan Magnetic Core Array Plate, a message suddenly came through:


    ¡°Master Yuan.¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua casually replied, ¡°Spit it out if you¡¯ve got something to say or fart if you¡¯ve got to, what the hell are you scribbling about, you mongrel?¡±


    The other side was silent for a while.


    Then, slowly replied: ¡°Master Yuan seems to be suffering from an excess of liver fire today.¡±


    Mo Hua was a bit surprised.


    Who is this person?


    Quite a good temper and high quality, being cursed but still able to endure it, quite rare among Demon Cultivators¡­


    As Mo Hua was wondering how to reply, he saw the other side send another message:


    ¡°Greed, anger, delusion, these are the three poisons, the three impurities, the three fires. Worldly desires confuse the mind, evil spirits entangle the body, only by maintaining a heart of purity can one suppress the evil consequences¡­¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows, then was taken aback, and couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth wide.


    ¡°Greed, anger, delusion¡­¡±


    ¡°Purity¡­ evil consequences¡­¡±


    Could this person be¡­


    the Fire Buddha?!!


    Mo Hua was dumbfounded¡­


    ¡°Is the Fire Buddha¡­ looking to chat with me?¡±


    ¡°And I cursed him?¡±

 Chapter 994 - 994 649 Fire Sha

    ?Chapter 994: Chapter 649: Fire Sha Chapter 994: Chapter 649: Fire Sha Mo Hua¡¯s head hiccuped for a moment, then responded immediately, flipping through the chat records between Master Yuan and Fire Buddha.


    There were indeed only a few lines of dialogue in the records, mostly about issues concerning the construction of the Demon Abyss Formation.


    In the dialogue, Master Yuan addressed the other party as ¡°Venerable,¡± and referred to himself as¡­


    ¡°Yuan someone¡±?


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then promptly replied to Fire Buddha:


    ¡°Entangled in mundane affairs, I¡¯ve become irritable and had some ¡®drink,¡¯ thus misspoke, please forgive me, Venerable¡­¡±


    The other party was taken aback, ¡°Master is using alcohol? It was too abrupt of me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly.


    Referring to himself as ¡®homeself¡¯¡­ this person must be Fire Buddha.


    Using alcohol¡­


    Mo Hua contemplated deeply.


    It seemed that that pair of eyes, along with the Blood Wine steeped from them, were indeed extraordinary.


    It appeared that even Fire Buddha would not disturb a Demon Formation Master when drinking.


    Unfortunately, those eyes were snatched away by Uncle Gu.


    Otherwise, I could have studied them further.


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Venerable, do you have any important matters?¡±


    If not, just scram¡­


    I can¡¯t elaborate further, saying too much, it¡¯s easy to slip up¡­


    Mo Hua felt a bit guilty.


    Fire Buddha frowned, feeling that the person on the other end seemed a bit anxious. However, remembering that ¡°Master Yuan¡± was drinking and even once sober, Divine Sense would be slightly tipsy, needing to experience the ¡°Divine Substance,¡± his foul mood was understandable.


    Fire Buddha transmitted,


    ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve been feeling uneasy, as if something is about to happen¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there anything unusual in the temple?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he pretended to say casually:


    ¡°With me here, you may rest assured, Venerable.¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fire Buddha: ¡°Could there be any oversights?¡±


    Despite fearing exposure, I couldn¡¯t lose my composure as that would make it even easier to be seen through.


    Mo Hua pretended to be displeased and said:


    ¡°This Formation is the Eighteen Patterns Original Magnet Spirit Vision Compound Formation, its core is the brain, Spirit Vision as eyes, Original Magnet as ears, not a single rustle of wind or grass can escape me¡­ Yuan someone¡­¡±


    ¡°The temple is tightly sealed, no wind blows in, no rain enters¡­¡±


    Then Mo Hua took the initiative and countered:


    ¡°Venerable¡­ you don¡¯t mistrust Yuan someone, do you?¡±


    Fire Buddha paused for a moment and slowly said:


    ¡°With Master presiding, I am relieved.¡±


    ¡°Right, rest assured.¡±


    Fire Buddha paused again and after a long silence, hesitantly said, ¡°Master Yuan, you seem to be much ¡®livelier¡¯ than before.¡±


    The faux ¡°Master Yuan,¡± ¡°Master Mo,¡± felt his heart lurch.


    At least a hundred years younger, wouldn¡¯t that be quite lively?


    Mo Hua was startled and could only say:


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a drink¡­¡±


    ¡°Drinking¡­¡± Fire Buddha asked, ¡°How does that drink taste?¡±


    Whether Fire Buddha was genuinely curious or probing, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t tell.


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart tensed.


    He hadn¡¯t actually drunk it, so how would he know the feeling?


    Mo Hua intended to say, ¡°The taste is good,¡± but such a response, straightforward and direct, clearly didn¡¯t fit the persona of a Demon Formation Master¡­


    The image of a Demon Formation Master drinking, along with his mad ravings, suddenly appeared in Mo¡¯s mind¡­


    Mo Hua had a moment of inspiration and sighed:


    ¡°Even after drinking, mortal eyes still can¡¯t see¡­¡±


    Upon hearing these three words, Fire Buddha felt reassured.


    Fire Buddha: ¡°There is truth in the world, within this truth lurks great terror, and within this terror lies the opportunity for eternal life¡­¡±


    ¡°Mortal eyes, naturally, can¡¯t see through the truth of this world.¡±


    ¡°But to transform divinity and transcend mortality is not an overnight achievement.¡±


    ¡°Master seems a bit too eager for success¡­¡±


    Mo Hua realized, no, it was ¡°Master Yuan¡± who realized, and he admired:


    ¡°Worthy of being Venerable, truly insightful, and admirable.¡±


    ¡°Master Yuan flatters me,¡± Fire Buddha replied humbly, ¡°The superficial understanding of a practitioner of Buddhism is not worth mentioning.¡±


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t sure whether to ¡°flatter¡± him further.


    Logically, with Fire Buddha being so modest, he should continue praising him.


    But with the reclusive and malignant nature of ¡°Master Yuan,¡± he might not enjoy ¡°flattering¡± others¡­


    Even if that other person was Fire Buddha.


    Mo Hua was somewhat conflicted.


    Fortunately, before Mo Hua could be further conflicted, Fire Buddha began to flatter him instead.


    ¡°Master Yuan is skilled in Formations, his Divine Thought transcends, his understanding of the Great Dao of this world is incomprehensible to ordinary people¡­¡±


    Mo Hua responded with reserved pride:


    ¡°You overpraise me, Venerable¡­¡±


    ¡°Formation Arts are profound and vast, I too have learned only the basics, knowing that everything in this world is but remnants of the Great Dao, superficial and fluctuating.¡±


    ¡°Common folk cannot see through this, their Taoist hearts become clouded, and though they seek tirelessly, eventually they will all be ground away by the Great Dao¡­¡±


    Mo Hua mixed concepts about Formations, Great Dao, and Taoist Heart together, seriously explaining them to Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha was silent for a long while and slowly said:


    ¡°Master, you are indeed a person with great ¡®Spiritual Roots¡¯!¡±


    Fire Buddha continued:


    ¡°These days, Master Yuan has been aggrieved¡­¡±


    ¡°The alcohol is inferior¡­¡±


    ¡°Once the Holy Temple is constructed, we must sacrifice living people in the temple, and then we will kill a batch of Top-Grade Spiritual Root sacrifices, take their refined essence blood, and brew wine for the Master¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, feeling a chill in his heart.


    The Holy Temple¡­ was this the Demon Palace?


    Do Demon Cultivators give themselves a facade of sanctity, calling it ¡°holy¡± instead of ¡°demonic¡±?


    And live human sacrifices?


    This indeed seemed like something Demon Cultivators would do¡­


    But to require Top-Grade Spiritual Root sacrifices¡­


    Was his own Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root quality not even qualified to be a ¡°sacrifice¡±?


    Mo Hua felt complex emotions.


    He didn¡¯t know whether to be angry or relieved.


    Even mere Demon Cultivators, it turned out, practiced Spiritual Root discrimination!

 Chapter 995 - 995 649 Fiery Evil_2

    ?Chapter 995: Chapter 649: Fiery Evil_2 Chapter 995: Chapter 649: Fiery Evil_2 But this top-grade Spiritual Root blood is meant for ¡°myself¡± to steep in wine¡­


    The Fire Buddha was being so ¡°generous.¡±


    Mo Hua was at a loss for how to respond.


    Thank you?


    Could that dead, somewhat insane Evil Formation Master have said ¡°thank you¡±?


    And by saying so, wouldn¡¯t it seem¡­ a bit petty?


    After all, as a Second Grade High-Rank Evil Formation Master, shouldn¡¯t he keep up appearances?


    Thus, Mo Hua said, ¡°Those of us who enter the Dao through the Demon path, regard commoners as nothing, erecting the Holy Temple for a grand undertaking, how can it be seen as a hardship? Venerable, you underestimate Yuan¡­¡±


    The Fire Buddha fell silent for a long while, as if shocked, and then praised:


    ¡°Master Yuan usually delves into Formations in silence, but truly, your heart contains Qian and Kun, and you are not an ordinary person¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you wish, Great Master, to convert to the Buddhist Law?¡±


    Mo Hua froze for a moment.


    Did the Fire Buddha want to convert him to Buddhism?


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right; he doesn¡¯t know ¡®I¡¯ am ¡®me¡¯; he wants the dead ¡®Master Yuan¡¯ to convert to Buddhism¡­¡±


    But to convert to Buddhism?


    Mo Hua said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have the ¡®root of wisdom¡¯ that the Venerable speaks of¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the Fire Buddha solemnly said, ¡°Master, your root of wisdom is extraordinary, just unpolished and subtle before¡­¡±


    That¡¯s because the ¡°Master Yuan¡± who was chatting with you before hasn¡¯t died yet, so he was being unpolished and subtle¡­


    Mo Hua still tactfully declined:


    ¡°Yuan delves into Evil Formations, refining Formations with human flesh and blood, the karmic killing too heavy, I fear I lack the fate for Buddhism¡­¡±


    ¡°Master Yuan is mistaken!¡± the Fire Buddha continued to persuade ¡°Mo Hua¡±: ¡°The Buddha says all beings are equal¡­¡±


    ¡°All beings are equally born; naturally, they are equal in death.¡±


    ¡°People will die, so what does it matter if a few people are killed? What if the karmic killing is heavy?¡±


    ¡°It is merely escorting those who will die sooner to their fated demise.¡±


    ¡°If one practices Demon ways, killing is inevitable.¡±


    ¡°After killing, resentment and Evil Qi inevitably cling, corrupting the original nature¡­¡±


    ¡°In believing in Buddhism, one quiets the thoughts of resentment, suppresses the Evil Qi, and guards the original heart¡­¡±


    ¡°It is said, ¡®Lay down the butcher¡¯s knife, and immediately become a Buddha.''¡±


    ¡°When killing, use the blade for a swift end; when not killing, put the knife down temporarily to cultivate the body and mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if one kills countless people, chanting ¡®Amitabha¡¯ allows for peace and justification.¡±


    ¡°If one does not kill, does not commit evil, with a clear conscience, no sins to redeem, what use is it to abstain from meat, to chant Buddha¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua was shocked.


    This Fire Buddha was truly a talent.


    What exactly was his practice¡­


    Could this really be called ¡°Buddhism¡±?


    ¡°What are your thoughts, Master Yuan?¡± the Fire Buddha sent the message again. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua inwardly scoffed.


    Go ask ¡°Master Yuan¡±, don¡¯t ask me.


    I can¡¯t possibly agree on behalf of the dead ¡°Master Yuan¡±¡­


    Mo Hua, feeling somewhat vexed, then went along with the Fire Buddha¡¯s statement:


    ¡°Is the Buddhist Law really so profound?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it is profound!¡±


    ¡°Can it calm my post-wine wickedness, restrain my post-wine madness?¡±


    ¡°The master can try¡­¡±


    Mo Hua vaguely said, ¡°Another day, I will surely seek the Venerable¡¯s guidance and explore the profundities of the Buddhist Law together¡­¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± the Fire Buddha said, ¡°Master Yuan is busy with many matters, I shall not disturb further, another day we shall discuss the Dao.¡±


    Afterward, the Fire Buddha went silent, busy with something unknown.


    Mo Hua grew solemn.


    He had struck up a conversation with the Fire Buddha¡­


    This was completely unexpected and not part of his plans.


    What to do next?


    Continue to impersonate ¡°Master Yuan,¡± chat with the Fire Buddha, and extract information from him?


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    The Fire Buddha was not a fool.


    Talking about the Great Dao or Buddhism in vague terms might be fine, but to really ask him:


    ¡°What¡¯s in the inner sanctum?¡±


    ¡°Your Meteor Fire Skill is so impressive, where is the secret manual hidden?¡±


    Or ¡°What is your actual scheme after annihilating the Xie family?¡± and the like.


    With the Fire Buddha¡¯s shrewdness, he would instantly know something was amiss.


    He couldn¡¯t continue discussing Buddhism either, lest the Fire Buddha get carried away and come to meet him in person, and see the ¡°Master Yuan¡± who was already a corpse, and the ¡°lively¡± him, managing the Original Magnet¡¯s Compound Formation in place of Master Yuan, then it would be all over.


    ¡°So¡­lure the Fire Buddha out?¡±


    ¡°And then have Uncle Gu and the others assassinate him?¡±


    But the Fire Buddha, likely at the Foundation Establishment Peak of combat strength, would probably not be so easy to assassinate¡­


    The Fire Buddha was highly vigilant.


    Uncle Gu couldn¡¯t use his Golden Core Power yet.


    If they failed, not only would they fail to kill the Fire Buddha, but they would also be surrounded by Demon Cultivators.


    Currently, in the outer and middle temples, there were about three hundred Demon Cultivators; some have been killed, but many remain.


    Even if all were killed there, there should be at least a hundred more in the inner temple¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows furrowed tightly.


    He couldn¡¯t wait for the Fire Buddha to realize what was happening and then figure out a solution; by then, it would be too late¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s necessary to make plans early, to resolve the situation quickly¡­¡±


    Delay could lead to complications.


    Mo Hua immediately sent a message to Gu Changhuai:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, hurry and call people to surround the Demon Palace¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°Have we been discovered?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°the Fire Buddha sought me out for a chat¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai: ¡°¡­¡±


    After a moment, Gu Changhuai asked, ¡°What did he talk to you about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much¡­¡±


    He certainly couldn¡¯t say that the Fire Buddha wanted to rope him in and to convert to Buddhism¡­


    Even though he¡¯d donned the guise of ¡°Master Yuan¡±¡­


    ¡°I fudged my way through, but what¡¯s to come is uncertain¡­¡± said Mo Hua.


    Gu Changhuai fell into brief contemplation, then decisively said:


    ¡°I will summon people immediately, and before that, we shall seize the time, killing as many as we can, trying to weaken the power of the Demon Cultivators¡­¡±

 Chapter 996 - 996 649 Fiery Evil_3

    ?Chapter 996: Chapter 649: Fiery Evil_3 Chapter 996: Chapter 649: Fiery Evil_3 ¡°Okay.¡±


    There were probably still over two hundred Demon Cultivators in the outer and middle palaces.


    Time was urgent, so Mo Hua hurried to start the ¡°roll call,¡± while Gu Changhuai and the other two continued their assassinations.


    One Demon Cultivator after another was eliminated.


    Mo Hua, while controlling the Yuan Magnetic Compound Formation, commanded the Demon Cultivators to deliver themselves to death, and simultaneously used the Book Devil Orders of the deceased Demon Cultivators to chat with the others who were still alive, concealing the truth of their deaths.


    Time slipped away bit by bit.


    It was at this moment that Mo Hua, inside the Yuan Magnetic Core, monitored a ¡°message¡±:


    ¡°The Evil Qi in the outer palace is intensifying. Someone is killing people. Qiao Laoliu, go and take a look¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled in his heart.


    They had been discovered!


    Mo Hua checked and found that the sender of the message was the Fire Buddha.


    As expected, it hadn¡¯t been concealed¡­


    Mo Hua frowned.


    However¡­


    ¡°The Evil Qi is intensifying,¡± how exactly did the Fire Buddha sense it?


    And what was this Evil Qi?


    Mo Hua was puzzled in his heart.


    But now was not the time to dwell on these questions.


    Mo Hua immediately sent a message: ¡°Uncle Gu, we need to withdraw. The Fire Buddha has noticed the dead outside¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai also immediately replied, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll come to you.¡±


    Mo Hua waited in the Secret Chamber of the Formation Pivot.


    Before leaving, he needed to do some tampering.


    The Yuan Spirit Vision Compound Formation couldn¡¯t be destroyed for the moment.


    Destroying it would cause the Book Devil Orders to stop working and would immediately alert the Fire Buddha and the others.


    Mo Hua could only use basic Fixed Magnetic Patterns to ¡°lock¡± the Yuan Spirit Vision Compound Formation, temporarily rendering it unusable to others.


    Inside the chamber, there was also the corpse of Master Yuan.


    Since he hadn¡¯t been dead for long and wasn¡¯t decaying yet, it was problematic to dispose of, so it had to be left in the chamber for the meantime.


    This corpse was not easy to deal with for now.


    Mo Hua thought about it and simply left the body there.


    After a while, Gu Changhuai and the other two returned.


    Seeing that Mo Hua was safe and sound, Gu Changhuai let out a slight sigh of relief.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place first,¡± said Gu Changhuai.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Together, they concealed their presence, with Mo Hua leading the way, leaving the Yuan Magnetic Core Secret Chamber and headed out of the Demon Palace.


    This route was very familiar to Mo Hua.


    Having monitored it for so long within the Compound Formation Pivot, Mo Hua had the structure of the Demon Palace well memorized.


    Moving through the Demon Palace, Mo Hua felt as if he were walking in his own backyard.


    On the way, Mo Hua asked in a low voice,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, have you gathered everyone?¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded. ¡°I have assembled them. Two hundred and eighty in total, all stationed outside the One-Line Sky.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    Two hundred and eighty people¡­ they had the advantage in numbers, which should be enough.


    Many Demon Cultivators in the Demon Palace were already dead, leaving only roughly one hundred and eighty or ninety people remaining.


    Now a frontal confrontation was imminent, a tough battle lay ahead.


    They couldn¡¯t stay here any longer.


    Mo Hua could have stayed, but it was somewhat dangerous without a bodyguard, and he was not going to overestimate himself.


    And there were other matters to attend to¡­


    Gu Changhuai had to go back to command and deploy the two hundred and eighty Enforcement Leaders of the Taoist Court.


    Mo Hua also needed to find a way to destroy the Yuan Magnetic Formation outside the Demon Palace and the traps on the suspended stone bridge.


    Otherwise, it would be a difficult task for those two hundred plus people just to cross the bridge.


    And so, Mo Hua stealthily left the way he had come.


    When passing by the great doors of the Demon Palace, the doors were tightly closed, with several Demon Cultivators keeping watch outside.


    ¡°This door¡­ is also a problem¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it, then had Gu Changhuai dispatch those few Demon Cultivators guarding the door.


    Then he tampered with the Formation inside the door, ensuring their security before leaving.


    They didn¡¯t go through the main gate, but instead, concealed themselves, reached the edge of the Demon Palace, and climbed up the rugged mountain rocks of the Demon¡¯s Cave, leaving the cave through the excavated opening¡­


    Meanwhile, as Mo Hua left the Demon¡¯s Cave, Qiao Lao Liu emerged from the inner palace and went straight to the outer palace.


    The outer palace was deserted.


    Qiao Lao Liu, known for his brusque personality, cursed, ¡°Where is everyone? Where have they all died?¡±


    His voice echoed through the Demon Palace.


    But there was no reply.


    Qiao Lao Liu frowned, walked around, took a tour, and didn¡¯t see a single person.


    The Demon Palace was very large and indeed, occasionally there were few people, and quiet, empty places, but it should never be ¡°empty¡± to this extent.


    Qiao Lao Liu glanced at the Rotten River below from the corner of his eye and saw the clothing of several Demon Cultivators, while their flesh had been turned into bloody mud, mixed into the rotten green river water.


    Qiao Lao Liu¡¯s expression changed drastically.


    ¡°Dead?!¡±


    He instantly sent a message to the Fire Buddha, ¡°Big brother, something terrible has happened, they¡¯re all dead!¡±


    Moments later, the doors of the inner palace were opened again.


    Fire Buddha, tall and with a gentle face but stern demeanor, in a blood-red Kasaya, stepped out of the doors.


    He lifted his head, then murmured softly:


    ¡°Such thick Evil Qi¡­¡±


    ¡°So many people have died.¡±


    ¡°What a pity¡­¡±


    The eyes of the Fire Buddha were cold, and his face showed no joy or sorrow:


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who killed them¡­ I can¡¯t attract the Evil Qi into my body, can¡¯t cultivate the Fire Evil¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 997 - 997 650 Breakthrough

    ?Chapter 997: Chapter 650 Breakthrough Chapter 997: Chapter 650 Breakthrough Qiao Laoliu came back from the outer hall and saw Fire Buddha, his face panicked, his voice trembling,


    ¡°Big brother, I saw a ghost, the outer hall is empty, many brothers¡­ are dead.¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes were sharp, ¡°How did they die?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Qiao Laoliu muttered.


    Fire Buddha remained silent, only his Blood Qi was boiling, and his Evil Qi grew heavier.


    Qiao Laoliu¡¯s face turned pale, and he hurriedly said,


    ¡°It seems they were killed by someone¡­ without anyone noticing and then their bodies discarded in the Rotten River, their flesh dissolved, leaving no trace¡­¡±


    ¡°There are still a few left in the middle hall¡­¡±


    ¡°The outer hall is almost¡­ all dead¡­¡±


    Qiao Laoliu swallowed hard, his expression uneasy.


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Fire Buddha, a tall Demon Cultivator with a grim and pale face, said.


    This person was Yin Thunder Child who had once met Mo Hua and had chased after him.


    Yin Thunder Child frowned and said,


    ¡°I was just chatting with Shi Laoer¡­¡±


    Yin Thunder Child¡¯s face showed anger, ¡°That bastard, he was very arrogant in his words. With his cultivation, he couldn¡¯t have died without a trace so quickly¡­¡±


    As he said this, several other Demon Cultivators behind Fire Buddha also remembered.


    ¡°Me too¡­¡±


    ¡°I also exchanged messages with Human Butcher¡­¡±


    ¡°He cursed me too, someday I will slaughter that beast¡­¡±


    ¡°And that bastard Yu Shusheng too¡­¡±


    ¡°Fireworker Chief also cursed me¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, feeling a chill.


    ¡°If they are all dead, then is it¡­¡±


    ¡°Ghosts sending us messages?¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s expression was cold and his Evil Qi solidified. His gaze slowly shifted, then suddenly a sharp light flashed in his eyes.


    ¡°Master Yuan!¡±


    The Demon Cultivators then remembered that all the movements and patrols in the Demon Palace were monitored by Master Yuan.


    A sinister wind rose, and bloodlight flickered.


    The Demon Cultivators hurriedly mobilized their movement techniques, rushing to the Yuan Magnetic Formation Secret Chamber in the center of the Demon Cave.


    The Formation at the entrance to the secret chamber had already been broken.


    As everyone pushed the door and entered, they saw a cold corpse lying inside, with blood holes in the forehead and Dantian, several stabs in the heart, hands broken, and the blood dried up.


    The corpse looked miserable, but from the figure and attire, it was indeed Master Yuan.


    ¡°Dead?!¡±


    The Demon Cultivators were shocked.


    Foundation Establishment Late Stage, Nineteen Patterns Divine Sense, terrifying expertise in formations, and respected as an Evil Formation Master with a weird and mad temperament, Master Yuan¡­


    He died so silently?


    He died in his own Formation Secret Chamber.


    And none of the Demon Cultivators in the full hall knew about it.


    The Demon Cultivators were momentarily enraged and startled:


    ¡°Who killed him?¡±


    ¡°Who could possibly kill¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the Holy Temple¡­¡±


    ¡°How could they have sneaked in?¡±


    ¡°Do we have a traitor among us?¡±


    ¡°Shut your fucking mouth!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Could it be¡­ a Feathered Immortal from the Dao Court?¡± A Demon Cultivator exclaimed in shock.


    ¡°Shut up, you fool!¡±


    ¡°We are at the Second Grade State Border, even if Feather Transformation came, he couldn¡¯t have killed so many so quickly¡­¡±


    ¡°Feather Transformation against Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn¡¯t be so sneaky and vile¡­¡±


    ¡­


    People discussed heatedly, then gradually calmed down and silently looked towards Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha stepped forward and examined Master Yuan¡¯s corpse.


    As he looked, Fire Buddha suddenly paused.


    ¡°This is Wind-System Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    ¡°Very profound¡­¡±


    ¡°Not just Foundation Establishment Late Stage, it¡¯s deliberately suppressed, it¡¯s¡­ Golden Core¡­¡±


    ¡°Golden Core, Wind-System Spiritual Power, this is¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes turned blood-red, his hands trembled, and the two heart-like fireballs in his chest throbbed violently.


    An old wound on his chest, as if slashed by a thousand knives, suddenly hurt violently¡­


    ¡°Gu¡ªChanghuai¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha said word by word.


    His expression was cold, but on the red Kasaya, blood-like flames had already seeped out, and above the flames, a murky Evil Qi faintly entwined¡­


    Qiao Laoliu said with a fearful expression:


    ¡°Big Brother!¡±


    The other Demon Cultivators all fell silent, daring not to make a sound.


    Seeing the rage surge up, his body as if engulfed in fire, the Evil Qi about to lose control.


    Fire Buddha gritted his teeth, chanted, ¡°Amitabha,¡± then recited Buddhist scriptures, Strongly Inhibiting his mind, suppressing the turbulent murderous intent in his heart.


    His expression became compassionate again.


    The other Demon Cultivators also silently breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a traitor, it¡¯s the Dao Court Department of Ceremonies¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha said indifferently, then continued to examine Master Yuan¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°Both hands are broken¡­¡±


    ¡°His skull was struck by a club-like Spiritual Artifact¡­¡±


    ¡°His neck was strangled¡­ his heart channel was pierced from behind with a short knife¡­¡±


    ¡°His eyes bulged out, his face scorched, this is¡­ Fireball Technique?¡±


    ¡°Whose Fireball Technique? Quite interesting¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha probably reimagined the assassination process of Master Yuan in his mind, then looked at the dark green bloodstains on the ground, his expression startled.


    ¡°Poison?¡±


    Was the knife laced with poison?


    Fire Buddha frowned:


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like Gu Changhuai¡¯s style of doing things¡­¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Have not met for many years, has he become despicable?¡±


    Moreover, Master Yuan, with the Heavenly Demon¡¯s Eyes, had tempered the Blood Wine, borrowed Heavenly Demon¡¯s Evil Thoughts, and had extremely strong Divine Sense, how could he possibly not have had any means of resistance and just been killed?


    ¡°Could it be¡­ Gu Changhuai had an accomplice?¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze flickered.


    ¡°This person is meticulously minded, ruthless, and proficient in Divine Thought Technique and Formation Art¡­¡±


    ¡°This way he could make a foolproof plan, allowing the powerful Evil Thoughts of Master Yuan to be led to the slaughter without resistance¡­¡±


    Did Gu Changhuai have an expert by his side?


    Fire Buddha¡¯s expression became increasingly serious.


    ¡°Big brother, what do we do now?¡±


    Yin Thunder Child saw Fire Buddha frown and ponder for a long time, the atmosphere suppressed, then he quietly asked.

 Chapter 998 - 998 650 Breaching_2

    ?Chapter 998: Chapter 650: Breaching_2 Chapter 998: Chapter 650: Breaching_2 Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze was somber, and after a brief reflection, he said,


    ¡°Retreat to the inner sanctum and defend it fiercely. Destroy everything!¡±


    The others¡¯ expressions changed instantly.


    ¡°Big brother?!¡±


    ¡°Destroy everything?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yin Thunder Child spoke in a low voice, ¡°Is that really necessary¡­? That is¡­¡±


    Qiao Laoliu also said, ¡°That¡¯s right, big brother, we can still hold the Holy Temple, keep the doors firmly shut; even the Taoist Court Officers can¡¯t break in for the time being¡­¡±


    The other Demon Cultivators chimed in:


    ¡°That¡¯s correct!¡±


    ¡°If the Taoist Court¡¯s lapdogs come, then let¡¯s kill them all and offer them as sacrifices. Whether we go or stay, it will be entirely up to us¡­¡±


    ¡°A bunch of lapdogs, have they been given too much face?¡±


    ¡°Kill them all!¡±


    Fire Buddha shook his head, ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Gu Changhuai is a tough opponent, different from the usual wine-sacks and rice-bags of the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯ve managed to get in, it means that the Demon¡¯s Cave has already started to leak¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t hold the outer sanctum¡­¡±


    ¡°All we can do is hold up inside the inner sanctum.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, just in case, everything in the inner sanctum must be destroyed, we can¡¯t leave behind any traces¡­¡±


    ¡°The Holy Temple is of great importance¡­¡±


    ¡°Should there be any sign of exposure, it must be completely extinguished; we cannot let outsiders find out¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s expression was serious, brooking no refusal.


    The other Demon Cultivators also took this to heart and nodded in agreement.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s expression softened a little, ¡°Clean up the inner sanctum, and then we will find a way to break out. I know you have been hiding here and are a bit suffocated¡­¡±


    ¡°After we get out, you may indulge for a while; I won¡¯t restrain you¡­¡±


    ¡°After that, we¡¯ll¡­ leave Qian State, where the sky is high and the sea is broad; we will be free and carefree¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait for the storms to settle in a few decades, and then come back to settle some old accounts¡­¡±


    Hearing ¡°indulge for a while,¡± the Demon Cultivators¡¯ faces revealed lascivious smiles as they echoed, ¡°We¡¯ll follow big brother¡¯s lead!¡±


    So they took Master Yuan¡¯s corpse and left the secret room to return to the inner sanctum.


    Fire Buddha walked at the end.


    Just before entering the dark and chaotic inner sanctum, not knowing what was concealed within, Fire Buddha suddenly stopped and looked back at the vast outer sanctum.


    A doubt crept into his mind:


    ¡°Master Yuan died early¡­ so who was it that discussed Buddhist Law with me?¡±


    Fire Buddha frowned, pondered for a moment, and then turned around and walked into the depths of the Demon Palace.


    The doors to the inner sanctum slowly closed, sealing Fire Buddha and the unknown secrets inside.


    ¡­


    Outside the Demon¡¯s Cave.


    Gu Changhuai had gone back to dispatch troops.


    Mo Hua was on the stone bridge, protected by Gu Quan and Gu An while dismantling the various alarms and Trap Formations on the bridge.


    After dismantling them, Mo Hua sat at the head of the bridge, waiting.


    But after a long wait, no one came.


    ¡°Does it take this long just to call someone?¡±


    Mo Hua muttered to himself in silence.


    According to Gu Changhuai, the Enforcement Leader of the Taoist Court should have been stationed just outside the narrow sky. In theory, they could have assembled in half an hour.


    What had happened?


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    Since he had to keep an eye on the Demon¡¯s Cave, Mo Hua could only wait patiently.


    After an indeterminate amount of time passed, the other end of the bridge finally became bustling, and the presence of many Cultivators was felt.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±


    Mo Hua was invigorated.


    Gu Quan was receiving them on the other side.


    After a while, the numerous Enforcement Leaders of the Taoist Court began to cross the bridge in batches.


    To keep a low profile, Mo Hua hid his figure and watched from the side as they crossed.


    However, as he watched, Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.


    The number of people¡­ seemed a bit high?


    ¡°Uncle Gu said there would be two hundred and eight, so why does it seem like there are more than four hundred now?¡±


    Mo Hua was puzzled.


    When the more than four hundred Enforcement Leaders had all crossed the bridge, Mo Hua finally saw Gu Changhuai at the end of the line.


    However, Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look very good.


    Mo Hua approached him and asked in a low voice,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, why are there so many people?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was displeased, ¡°The Xiao family has also arrived¡­¡±


    The Xiao family?


    Mo Hua realized instantly, ¡°The Xiao family with the ¡®smiling tiger¡¯?¡±


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback before realizing who Mo Hua referred to as the ¡°smiling tiger,¡± he sighed and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t come up with nicknames for no reason¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not saying it in front of him¡­¡± said Mo Hua.


    Gu Changhuai had no way to handle Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Could it be¡­ that the news has leaked?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze sharpened, but he did not reply.


    Mo Hua raised an arch of his delicate brows and asked,


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the purpose of the Xiao family coming here?¡±


    ¡°To serve as an internal mole?¡±


    ¡°To tip off the enemy, or to stir up the situation?¡±


    Gu Changhuai gave Mo Hua a slight glare, ¡°Don¡¯t make unfounded accusations without evidence¡­¡±


    Then Gu Changhuai sighed lightly, ¡°This time, the Xiao family probably wants a share of the spoils, to snatch some merit¡­¡±


    ¡°Snatch merit?¡±


    ¡°The Demon¡¯s Cave stronghold, hundreds of Demon Cultivators, the murderer Fire Buddha¡­¡± Gu Changhuai said, ¡°Any one of these is a piece of Fat Meat.¡±


    ¡°Now all this Fat Meat is served on a single platter, the Xiao family, wanting to expand their influence in the Taoist Court and promote their Disciples, how could they not be tempted¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    No wonder people commonly refer to the Cultivators of the Taoist Court as the watchdogs and hawks.


    When the dogs and hawks have meat to eat, that¡¯s when they work hard.


    Seeing the ¡°grease and gravy,¡± the Xiao family naturally wanted to act ¡°swiftly and decisively,¡± taking the initiative.


    Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua and wondered,


    ¡°Are you speaking ill of the Taoist Court in your heart again?¡±


    Mo Hua was solemn, ¡°Uncle Gu, I am now half part of the Taoist Court; how could I speak ill of it?¡±

 Chapter 999 - 999 650 Breaching_3

    ?Chapter 999: Chapter 650: Breaching_3 Chapter 999: Chapter 650: Breaching_3 Gu Changhuai finally nodded.


    ¡°However, I am just an extramural, extramural work, you see, can be counted or not, the status is quite ¡®flexible¡¯¡­¡± Mo Hua silently added in his heart.


    ¡°By the way, Smiling Face¡­ Master Xiao didn¡¯t come?¡± Mo Hua asked again.


    Just now, all the cultivators from the Taoist Court had passed by Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua had reviewed them like an inspecting general and did not notice the presence of the Smiling Tiger, nor were there any cultivators in the Golden Core Stage.


    ¡°No,¡± Gu Changhuai said.


    Mo Hua was puzzled, ¡°Then who is leading the Xiao family team?¡±


    Gu Changhuai pointed to one of the Enforcement Leaders among them, a young cultivator with outstanding appearance and talent, and said,


    ¡°Xiao Tianquan, direct lineage of the Xiao family, in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, just graduated from the sect, ¡®tested¡¯ into the Daoist Court as an Enforcement Leader¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a core disciple of the Xiao family¡­¡±


    ¡°The Xiao family wants to score some achievements for him to facilitate his promotion.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mo Hua glanced at this Xiao Tianquan and saw his head held high, with an air of arrogance in his eyes, the spitting image of a proud son of heaven who had not suffered a shred of hardship, and lived a life of unceasing victories.


    Born of a prestigious family, graduated from a Great Sect, then entered the Taoist Court, climbing up the ranks, aiming for a high position in the Central Dao Court, a seat of great authority, becoming a person above others¡­


    That was the template of the so-called ¡®chosen one.¡¯


    He felt as if they were completely different kinds of people from high above¡­


    It¡¯s just his name¡­


    ¡°Xiao Tianquan¡­¡±


    Mo Hua fell into contemplation, and then his eyes lit up,


    ¡°Howling Celestial Dog?¡±


    Gu Changhuai, standing beside him, felt a headache coming on hearing this, took a deep breath, and emphasized again,


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ don¡¯t randomly assign nicknames to others.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh,¡± Mo Hua replied noncommittally.


    The Xiao family was willing to use big issues like the Fire Buddha, the Demon Palace, and the annihilation cases as a ¡°stepping-stone¡± to pave the way for their direct lineage¡¯s future advancement.


    Mo Hua had nothing more to say.


    He was still concerned about the Fire Buddha.


    And there was one thing that Mo Hua cared about deeply. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He sneaked a glance at Gu Changhuai and after a moment¡¯s thought, quietly asked,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, are you and the Fire Buddha enemies?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression changed, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I guessed¡­¡± said Mo Hua.


    He sensed that whenever Uncle Gu mentioned the Fire Buddha, or thought of him, his expression would involuntarily become grave, and there was a murderous impulse in his eyes.


    Thus, Mo Hua surmised they must have deep-seated grudges.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face grew stern, ¡°It¡¯s not that complicated to explain¡­¡±


    ¡°I almost killed that sinful beast, the Fire Buddha¡­¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, at that time I was only at the Foundation Establishment level, and I was just a bit too weak; I only shattered a portion of his meridians, allowing him to escape¡­¡±


    ¡°In that battle, I killed several of his brothers.¡±


    ¡°As for him¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused, his handsome face showing a ferocious aura, and he said through gritted teeth,


    ¡°He also killed a few of my fellow graduates¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart, looking at Gu Changhuai with sympathy, and couldn¡¯t help but say,


    ¡°Watching your comrades, close as brothers, get killed, and you being powerless to help, so you harbored a grudge, turned cold and solitary, unwilling to converse with others, afraid to get too close, lest they also suffer misfortune¡­¡±


    Mo Hua rambled on with his own imagination¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face darkened, and he retorted,


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been like this from the very beginning!¡±


    ¡°Whether I¡¯m solitary or not, what business is it of other people? Why should I bother with those boring people? Why should I show a good face to those who live like flies and dogs?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    He hadn¡¯t guessed even one thing correctly.


    The human heart is indeed complicated.


    ¡°As for those comrades who died at the Fire Buddha¡¯s hands¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed, ¡°Actually, they were not that close to me, but I couldn¡¯t bear to watch innocent people die at the hands of demon cultivators.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes at night, I dream of these¡­¡±


    ¡°And hate my own powerlessness.¡±


    ¡°Not having slaughtered all those evil demon cultivators.¡±


    ¡°And the Fire Buddha, that sinful beast, escaped from my hands and continues to wreak havoc everywhere, committing all sorts of evil deeds¡­¡±


    ¡°As long as he is not dead, I will remember for a lifetime¡­¡±


    Mo Hua started seeing Gu Changhuai in a new light.


    Uncle Gu, who seemed aloof with the air of a ¡®handsome bad boy¡¯ and with poor people skills, actually had such an upright nature and despised evil so intensely¡­


    Truly, appearances can be deceiving.


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°Uncle Gu, why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡±


    He had not expected Uncle Gu to have this kind of life-and-death feud with the Fire Buddha.


    Gu Changhuai was speechless and gave Mo Hua a look,


    ¡°What could I possibly discuss with a kid like you? If you hadn¡¯t asked, I wouldn¡¯t even want to tell you now.¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, thought for a moment, and nodded,


    ¡°That makes sense¡­¡±


    Adults, especially those old¡­ Great Cultivators who have lived for over a hundred years, do indeed have many old stories they don¡¯t wish to mention to outsiders.


    Not like himself, who was open with everyone.


    Mo Hua silently thought to himself.


    Moments later, the more than four hundred Enforcement Leaders had finished assembling, formed into formation, surrounding the Demon¡¯s Cave in layers.


    Only then did Gu Changhuai get up, just about to say something.


    That Xiao family¡¯s chosen one, Xiao Tianquan, walked confidently up to Gu Changhuai and volunteered himself,


    ¡°Supervisor Gu, let my Xiao family handle the task of breaking through the gate!¡±


    Gu Changhuai looked at him and said indifferently,


    ¡°Xiao Zhisi, once you¡¯re in the Daoist Court, stop mentioning the Xiao family. The Daoist Court is not your Xiao family¡¯s property, and ultimately, even your Xiao family¡¯s people are the Daoist Court¡¯s people.¡±

 Chapter 1000 - 1000 650 Breach_4

    ?Chapter 1000: Chapter 650: Breach_4 Chapter 1000: Chapter 650: Breach_4 Xiao Tianquan¡¯s face paled, feeling that his dignity had been swept away, and a hint of obscure resentment surfaced in his eyes.


    Gu Changhuai saw it all clearly and slightly shook his head. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There really is no hurt without contrast¡­


    Mo Hua, this boy, even if full of schemes, isn¡¯t as annoying.


    On the contrary, it¡¯s these sons of noble families, superficially hypocritical, unable to suppress their grievances once contradicted, inexplicably irritating to look at.


    Gu Changhuai sneered in his heart, but after a while, seemingly recalling something, he nodded and said,


    ¡°However, your initiative to volunteer is commendable. The task of breaking through the door is yours.¡±


    Xiao Tianquan suppressed the resentment in his eyes and gratefully said,


    ¡°Thank you, Supervisor Gu.¡±


    He then began issuing orders, directing the Xiao family¡¯s Enforcement Leaders with the support of the Gu family and other Enforcement Leaders to set and break Formations while forcefully attempting to breach the Formation to open the gate of the Demon¡¯s Cave.


    Gu Changhuai stood by with his hands folded, watching.


    Mo Hua stayed by Gu Changhuai¡¯s side.


    This time, Mo Hua didn¡¯t stay hidden.


    Since they were to attack the Demon Palace and capture the Fire Buddha, it was necessary for him to show himself, just keeping a low profile and pretending to be an ¡°idler¡± would suffice.


    Others wouldn¡¯t pay him much attention.


    Even if they did, as long as he was by ¡°Enter No One¡¯s¡± Uncle Gu¡¯s side, they wouldn¡¯t dare to question.


    Xiao Tianquan, intentionally or unintentionally, also glanced a few times at Mo Hua.


    But seeing that Mo Hua only had a Mid-Lower Grade Spiritual Root, his gaze automatically overlooked him.


    The door was breached smoothly.


    Because earlier, Mo Hua had already tampered with the Formation of the gate from the inside.


    The Xiao family had certainly made a great investment, having their Formation Masters draw up Formations outside the gate of the Demon Palace, utilizing many precious Spiritual Artifacts and Runes to forcefully blast open the gate.


    The Formations drawn by the Xiao family¡¯s Formation Masters were useless.


    Mo Hua knew this clearly.


    What worked were the Spiritual Artifacts and Runes.


    But the Xiao family¡¯s Cultivators didn¡¯t know this, seeing the Demon¡¯s Cave blown open, the evil-eyed stone door cracked open and the fanged stones around the door broken, and inexplicable blood leaking out.


    They all praised enthusiastically, ¡°Xiao Zhisi is brilliant!¡±


    ¡°His leadership is impeccable!¡±


    Some Enforcement Leaders from small families, without major backing, followed suit despite feeling uneasy,


    ¡°Xiao Zhisi is promising from a young age¡­¡±


    ¡°He is bound to achieve great things!¡±


    Xiao Tianquan appeared calm, as if accustomed to such flattery.


    However, after some time, Cultivators began to exclaim,


    ¡°The blood on the door¡­ it¡¯s poisoned!¡±


    Xiao Tianquan immediately dodged away, while several closer Enforcement Leaders were contaminated, their aura turning filthy and their expressions drastically altered.


    The surroundings turned chaotic instantly.


    A moment later, things settled down.


    The ten or so poisoned Enforcement Leaders took Pills and rested aside.


    These Pills, provided by the Xiao family, would externally claim they were unharmed, to avoid any stain on ¡°Xiao Zhisi¡¯s¡± record.


    This was stated by Gu Changhuai.


    Mo Hua listened, dumbstruck.


    These families are indeed very scheming¡­


    With the gate breached, they arrived at the outer hall.


    The expected resistance was absent; the outer hall was empty, not a single Demon Cultivator in sight.


    The middle hall was the same.


    And the inner hall¡¯s gate was tightly shut.


    As anticipated, the Demon Cultivators were defending the inner hall, unknown what they were doing inside.


    Xiao Tianquan scoffed, ¡°Defending the inner hall, waiting for us to fall into the trap? How foolish!¡±


    Xiao Tianquan intended to say more but glanced at Gu Changhuai somewhat apprehensively.


    Gu Changhuai, unfazed, simply nodded slightly.


    Meaning, let him act as he wished.


    Xiao Tianquan then felt reassured.


    Still, he wondered why his uncle and elders in the family had warned him to be wary of Supervisor Gu.


    Following that, the Xiao family¡¯s Enforcement Leaders began breaching the inner hall.


    Their methods were similar to the outside.


    Mo Hua stood at the back, hands folded, not intervening.


    This matter wasn¡¯t his turn to step forward.


    He also didn¡¯t want to show off his Formation skills in front of so many Taoist Court Cultivators.


    Especially this Howling Celestial Dog, who was rather petty.


    If he outshined him, stealing his credit, he would definitely bear a grudge.


    It was a thankless task.


    However, the talent of the Xiao family¡¯s Formation Masters was truly limited, relying on the force of Spiritual Artifacts and Runes, and their progress was painfully slow.


    Mo Hua could only stand by patiently.


    It had already been three and a half days, with three and a half days left.


    There was barely enough time.


    The inner hall was similarly locked by a Formation.


    To breach the inner hall, they needed to either solve the Formation or break the door.


    Mo Hua glanced at the Formation, realizing it was difficult to solve, involving a Second Grade High-Level Formation which he didn¡¯t know.


    Thus, the inner hall had to be forcibly breached.


    The Xiao family lacked neither people, Spirit Stones, Spiritual Artifacts, nor Runes, so they prioritized breaching while solving the Formation was secondary.


    Mo Hua then saw bursts of five-colored lights.


    Precious Second Grade Runes were used up.


    Enforcement Leaders took turns, applying their Taoist Skills to forcefully blast the inner hall¡¯s door.


    Mo Hua also witnessed for the first time how ¡°Formation Blinds¡± who didn¡¯t understand Formations dealt with them¡­


    After almost half a day, with a loud ¡°boom,¡± the door of the inner hall slowly collapsed.


    ¡°It actually broke through¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat surprised and looked at the Formations around the door slit, then somewhat realized.


    This Demon Palace was uncompleted.


    Near the door, some neighboring Formations were relatively weak.


    By chance, Xiao Tianquan led his people to inadvertently break some of these inner Formations, causing the overall Formation to loosen.


    This allowed them to breach the inner hall¡¯s door within half a day.


    Xiao Tianquan didn¡¯t understand any of this.


    He really thought it was through his own, the Xiao family¡¯s strength, that they directly breached the door.


    ¡°Just a mere Demon Palace, that¡¯s all!¡±


    A group of Enforcement Leaders adeptly offered a series of ¡°Xiao Zhisi is brilliant¡± flatteries.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t be bothered with them.


    He eagerly glanced inside the inner hall.


    At this look, Mo Hua was somewhat stunned.


    Inside the inner hall, there were densely packed, towering stone walls.


    These stone walls, interconnected in arrangement, formed a¡­ maze¡­


    A maze?


    Mo Hua frowned, releasing his Divine Sense to carefully sense and suddenly discovered that this maze was actually Formation media, with another Formation constructed upon it.


    ¡°This Formation¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt¡­ very strange, yet oddly familiar.


    As he observed, his pupils slowly widened, his heart trembling.


    Isn¡¯t this¡­


    The Mysterious Heaven Great Formation?!

 Chapter 1001 - 1001 651 Labyrinth Killing Formation

    ?Chapter 1001: Chapter 651 Labyrinth Killing Formation Chapter 1001: Chapter 651 Labyrinth Killing Formation Mo Hua released his Divine Sense again to sense the maze and slightly shook his head.


    Although it was a Mystery Formation, it wasn¡¯t the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.


    The scale had not yet reached the level of a Large Formation.


    It was like a smaller scale Mysterious Heaven ¡°Compound Formation¡± that had been disassembled from the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was nowhere near the vastness and densely packed splendor of the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation he had seen in his Sea of Consciousness during his Foundation Establishment.


    Moreover, the style of the Mysterious Heaven Formation in the maze was vastly different from the one in his Sea of Consciousness.


    From the same source, but different streams.


    It was like a variant of a Formation.


    Or perhaps¡­


    It was as if it had been copied from somewhere, restored, and reconstructed¡­


    From the outside, the entire Formation was profound and abstruse, complicated and confusing.


    If not for Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness being reconstructed by the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation, with all the Formation Patterns deeply imprinted in his Divine Sense, he might not have recognized that this was the Mysterious Heaven Great Formation¡­


    ¡°But why?¡± Mo Hua frowned.


    The Demon Palace, or what the Demon Cultivators considered a Holy Temple, why would they use the Mysterious Heaven Formation Technique to construct the core building?


    Mysterious Heaven Formation Technique¡­


    Did they use this kind of Formation just to build a maze, to confuse and hide secrets?


    Or does this Formation inherently contain special meanings?


    Moreover, the Demon Cultivators used the Mysterious Heaven Formation Technique to build the maze.


    Could this Formation possibly be¡­ an Evil Formation of the Demon Path?


    Had his Divine Sense been reconstructed by an Evil Formation from the Demon Path, causing a ¡°transformation¡±?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brow and thought it over, feeling that it probably wasn¡¯t so¡­


    The Heaven Yan Jue was given to him by his master, an Ancient Skill.


    It was very likely that this Formation was just an Ancient Skill, inherently neither good nor evil, and just happened to be discovered by the Demon Cultivators to build a ¡°Holy Temple¡±¡­


    Even if he didn¡¯t trust the skill, he had to trust his master¡­


    Mo Hua nodded.


    As for the mysteries of this Mysterious Heaven Formation Technique, it seems he would have to delve deep into this inner hall to find out¡­


    Fortunately, even though this is a Complex Formation, it wasn¡¯t too difficult, certainly nowhere near as challenging as the real ¡°Mysterious Heaven Great Formation.¡±


    Mo Hua glanced a few times and roughly had a measure of it.


    ¡°Follow Uncle Gu and the other Enforcement Leaders from the Taoist Court, sneak in and take a look¡­¡± Mo Hua silently thought.


    But after a long while, there was still no action on the side of the Taoist Court Cultivators.


    Mo Hua puzzled, ¡°Why haven¡¯t they entered yet?¡±


    They had clearly breached the inner hall¡¯s main door, yet they seemed to have ceased all activities.


    He turned his head and saw that on the Xiao family¡¯s side, a group was whispering amongst themselves anxiously, seemingly discussing something.


    A few of them, looking shocked, kept shaking their heads:


    ¡°Inside the inner hall, there¡¯s a maze which integrates a Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°This Formation¡­ is no trivial matter¡­ Unimaginably complex¡­¡±


    ¡°Unseen and unheard of before¡­¡±


    ¡°We only know it¡¯s a type of ancient Mystery Formation, but what specific Formation it is, and what mysteries it holds, we can¡¯t determine¡­¡±


    ¡°Son¡­ please be cautious, do not rashly enter¡­¡±


    Xiao Tianquan frowned. ¡°You can¡¯t handle it?¡±


    Several Formation Masters from the Xiao family shook their heads:


    ¡°We need to consult several widely experienced Formation Elders from the Xiao family of Tian Shu Pavilion, or the old ancestors, to unravel these Formations¡­¡±


    Xiao Tianquan¡¯s face turned ashen. He questioned sternly:


    ¡°Our first mission, and we need to go back to consult the ancestors? What will the ancestors think?¡±


    ¡°They will think I lack decisiveness¡­ unreliable. Will they still develop me in the future?¡±


    ¡°And those Elders¡­¡±


    ¡°The Xiao family isn¡¯t just me in the Direct Lineage, if I don¡¯t show some achievement, they will definitely ridicule and mock me behind my back, and will surely look down on me later¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if the maze is dangerous, we must enter!¡±


    Xiao Tianquan was unyielding.


    Several Xiao family Formation Masters frowned and thought hard, ¡°If we want to go in, we need some time, to thoroughly ponder¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, trapped in the maze, we might fall into the Demon Cultivators¡¯ schemes¡­¡±


    ¡°We need to plan it in the long term¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua listened from the side, somewhat in disbelief.


    How could these Formation Masters be so incompetent¡­


    Such a level of Mystery Formation, shouldn¡¯t it be seen immediately how to navigate it?


    Even if they couldn¡¯t see it, by calculating a bit more, shouldn¡¯t they figure out an approximation?


    At the very least, they were operating within the Qianxue State Boundary.


    The Xiao family should also be a major family.


    If not the inheritance of the Mysterious Heaven Formation, shouldn¡¯t they at least have the inheritance of the general ¡°Mystery Formations¡±?


    Mo Hua remembered very clearly.


    When his master had taught him how to solve the ¡°Mystery Formations,¡± he said Mystery Formations were used by family disciples for ¡°intellectual entertainment.¡±


    Just like solving lantern riddles during the Lantern Festival.


    How come now it appeared that these family Formation Masters didn¡¯t seem like they used Mystery Formations for intellectual entertainment?


    Mo Hua suddenly became somewhat puzzled.


    His master¡­ he wasn¡¯t lying to him, was he?


    Or was it just that Xiao family¡¯s standards were too low?


    The Xiao family members were still whispering and discussing¡­


    Mo Hua felt anxious.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for not wanting to steal the show publicly, he would have already come forward to lead the way¡­


    With only three days left, he was still hoping to capture Fire Buddha, depending on this group of ¡°rookies,¡± how much longer would they delay¡­


    Then Mo Hua glanced at Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai also heard the conversation of the Xiao family Formation Masters, and was frowning, when he suddenly saw Mo Hua next to him, his gaze shifted subtly.


    Gu Changhuai was already quite familiar with Mo Hua. Seeing this kind of gaze, he hesitated, then asked in a low voice:


    ¡°You don¡¯t happen to know this maze Formation as well, do you?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I know a bit about this one too¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was at a loss for words.


    You kid, how many Formations do you know?

 Chapter 1002 - 1002 651 Labyrinth Killing Formation_2

    ?Chapter 1002: Chapter 651 Labyrinth Killing Formation_2 Chapter 1002: Chapter 651 Labyrinth Killing Formation_2 He had also heard the Formation Master from the Xiao family saying that they couldn¡¯t make sense of the Formation and had to go back to consult with the ancestors of the Xiao family¡¯s Heaven Shu Pavilion.


    ¡°You say you can do it¡­¡±


    Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ you could be the Xiao family¡¯s ¡°little ancestor¡±?


    Gu Changhuai became increasingly convinced that Mo Hua was possessed by some old demon or demon creature.


    Otherwise, how could a cultivator in his early teens have such profound knowledge in Formations?


    Gu Changhuai frowned again.


    But if he really was possessed¡­


    It wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to enter the Taixu Gate.


    He would probably have been cut down by the terrifying Sword Cultivators of the Taixu back hill, the moment he stepped on the steps of Taixu Gate.


    Taixu Gate might not look impressive among the Eight Great Gates now.


    But back in the day, it was a place where Sword Cultivators emerged.


    Sword Intent reached the heavens, breaking all the laws of the world, slaying all evil demons.


    Demon God or Demon Monster, render them all with one swing of the sword¡­


    It¡¯s just a pity that times have changed, and both people and swords have been sealed away, barely remembered by anyone¡­


    Even he only heard some rumors about it when he was studying at the Sect.


    Gu Changhuai let out a sigh.


    He looked at Mo Hua again.


    The glory of Tai Xu Sword Dao might have declined, but unexpectedly, they ¡°picked up¡± a little monster in the way of Formations¡­


    ¡°Can you lead the way?¡± Gu Changhuai asked. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Changhuai looked around and said in a low voice, ¡°You follow behind me later, show me the way, but keep a low profile yourself, don¡¯t draw attention, lest you become the object of envy¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Gu, I understand.¡±


    Gu Changhuai nodded slightly and then stood up, commanding:


    ¡°Everybody, form up and follow me into the maze.¡±


    The Enforcement Leaders looked at each other.


    Xiao Tianquan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and he said anxiously:


    ¡°Supervisor Gu, the Formations within this maze are intricate and inscrutable. We must¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai gave him a cold look, ¡°Whatever I say, goes. Just do as told.¡±


    Xiao Tianquan¡¯s face showed a flash of anger, but he still bowed his head slightly and gritted his teeth:


    ¡°I will follow the Supervisor¡¯s orders.¡±


    What he was thinking and resenting in his heart, Gu Changhuai could see at a glance.


    But Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Enter the maze, follow the previous arrangement, group into teams of five¡­¡±


    ¡°If you encounter Demon Cultivators, strike first, show no mercy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll emphasize once more¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes grew stern, ¡°Show no mercy, strike to kill!¡±


    ¡°These Demon Cultivators are cruel and cunning, killers without conscience. If they have even a breath left in them, it could be you who dies¡­¡±


    The more than four hundred Court Officials from the Taoist Court responded in unison, their expressions serious, saying:


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Then Gu Changhuai led the way with Mo Hua right behind him.


    The other Enforcement Leaders drew their standard Spiritual Weapons, alert and wary, and entered the labyrinth one after another.


    Xiao Tianquan¡¯s gaze revealed a hint of inscrutable darkness as he followed them in.


    ¡­


    The maze was constructed from ancient Bronze.


    A perplexing Mystery Formation was carved within it.


    It was complex and one couldn¡¯t discern the direction inside; every wall appeared identical, and everywhere one walked felt like the same location.


    There was simply no way to know where the path lay.


    Yet Gu Changhuai led the way as if he knew the path ahead, guiding everyone gradually towards the grand center of the maze¡­


    ¡°Truly worthy of Supervisor Gu!¡±


    The Cultivators felt a growing respect for Gu Changhuai.


    Xiao Tianquan was also shocked.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how Gu Changhuai knew the way?


    What method was he using to determine the direction?


    Gu Changhuai wasn¡¯t a Formation Master, not refined in Formations.


    Even the Xiao family¡¯s ¡°professional¡± Formation Masters couldn¡¯t see through the Mystery Formation and find their way in the maze.


    How did Gu Changhuai recognize the path?


    Xiao Tianquan frowned, utterly baffled.


    What they didn¡¯t notice was that at each fork in the road, Mo Hua, who was beside Gu Changhuai, would stealthily pull on Gu Changhuai¡¯s sleeve.


    Wherever Mo Hua tugged, Gu Changhuai would walk that way without a word.


    It seemed as though Gu Changhuai was leading the way.


    In actuality, it was Mo Hua guiding him.


    Occasionally encountering complex forks, Mo Hua would stop and release his Divine Sense to search for the accurate exit.


    Gu Changhuai would then conveniently instruct everyone to take a rest.


    The Enforcement Leaders felt somewhat puzzled.


    But they didn¡¯t dare question Gu Changhuai¡¯s orders.


    At this time, Xiao Tianquan noticed Mo Hua beside Gu Changhuai.


    He walked up with a pretense and exchanged a few pleasantries with Gu Changhuai before he inquired indirectly:


    ¡°Who is this young fellow¡­¡±


    Supervisor Gu had been bringing along this little kid, in the early stages of Foundation Establishment.


    Initially, he thought this kid was average and not worth his attention.


    However, unexpectedly, the kid stuck closely to Gu Changhuai all this time¡­


    Even in this complex and perilous inner sanctum of the maze, Gu Changhuai still brought him along.


    That was rather peculiar¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was impassive, offering no answer.


    Feeling that Uncle Gu¡¯s silence was a bit rude, Mo Hua said in his place:


    ¡°I¡¯m here to gain experience with Uncle Gu.¡±


    In a sense, it was the truth and gave Xiao Tianquan some room for ¡°imagining.¡±


    Experience?


    Xiao Tianquan was taken aback, then had a realization.


    So that¡¯s how it was¡­


    Probably a disciple from some powerful background, following Supervisor Gu to see the world and gain some experience.


    Maybe even to mix in some qualifications, for easier promotion within the Taoist Court in the future.


    But¡­


    For Gu Changhuai, who never favored personal connections, to actually agree?

 Chapter 1003 - 1003 651 Labyrinth Killing Formation_3

    ?Chapter 1003: Chapter 651: Labyrinth Killing Formation_3 Chapter 1003: Chapter 651: Labyrinth Killing Formation_3 Could this kid have a deep connection with the Gu Family?


    But¡­ why is his talent so poor?


    It¡¯s even somewhat unbearable to behold¡­


    Which esteemed elder of a family would have such a poor Spiritual Root, such meager Blood Qi?


    Did something go wrong with the inheritance of his Spiritual Root?


    Xiao Tianquan was very puzzled.


    But he was also tactful and did not ask further questions.


    For disciples with a ¡°powerful backing,¡± digging into their origins was a taboo.


    Afterwards, everyone continued on their journey.


    After some time, Mo Hua halted his steps, and Gu Changhuai stopped as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua lowered his voice, ¡°The perimeter is a Mystery Formation; if we continue, within the Mystery Formation, there will be Killing Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°And moreover, within the Killing Formations, Demon Cultivators are likely lurking.¡±


    Gu Changhuai understood in his heart.


    The goal of the Demon Cultivators was twofold: to obstruct and to trap and kill.


    Up next was the real tough battle.


    Gu Changhuai ordered in a deep voice:


    ¡°Everyone, there are Killing Formations ahead, stay vigilant and alert. If you encounter Demon Cultivators, show no mercy!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The Dao Court Enforcement Leader said solemnly.


    They walked for about 30 minutes, when the bronze wall in front of them started changing.


    Different Formation Patterns adorned different walls.


    There were variants of Five Elements Formations, as well as some variations of the Eight Trigrams Array, peculiar and bizarre. Furthermore, there were various sinister Evil Formations with a touch of blood and poison.


    These Formations were embedded within the Maze.


    They were not a part of the Mystery Formation as a whole but rather utilized the Mystery Formation for concealment to set up the Killing Formations.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression became slightly stern.


    The other Cultivators also had serious expressions.


    Gu Changhuai held a folded paper fan in his hand and slowly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Dao Court Cultivators then formed groups of three or five, taking formation, passing through the Killing Formations and heading towards the center of the Maze.


    They walked a while longer, and all was calm.


    The walls marked with sinister poisonous Patterns of the Killing Formations showed no anomalies.


    Everyone held their breath and continued walking forward¡­


    Suddenly, a chill began to rise, and from a bronze wall, a pair of pale ghostly claws extended noiselessly.


    Long fingernails suddenly stabbed into an Enforcement Leader¡¯s shoulder, dragging him towards the wall.


    Green Blood Poison tainted the fingernails.


    The Enforcement Leader was paralyzed on one side, unable to move, and he was about to be dragged into the bronze wall.


    Gu Changhuai flicked his paper fan, and a white Wind Blade flashed by, severing the ghastly pale claws at their base.


    Dark green blood splattered out, and a shrieking ghostly scream echoed.


    Then, more sinister voices responded.


    As if the call to battle was sounded.


    Pairs of white ghostly claws stretched out from the bronze walls, dense and numerous like a spider¡¯s web or the segments of a centipede, reaching out for each Dao Court Cultivator.


    Other Evil Formations were also triggered.


    There were Blood Fire Formations, Corpse Transformation Formations, as well as treacherous demonic power poison darts, and blood-colored Evil Power blades¡­


    Demon Cultivators, hiding within the vast bronze walls under the cover of the Formations, also showed their fangs and claws.


    Holding White Bone blades, Blood Poison swords, Soul Refining Banners¡­ and many other Demon Path Evil Artifacts, they each wore ferocious expressions, eyes alight with excitement, killing towards the Dao Court¡¯s Enforcement Leaders.


    Although the Dao Court Cultivators were on guard, they were still caught off guard.


    Some of the younger Enforcement Leaders, who had never experienced life and death battles, immediately turned pale, panicking.


    And some, seeing the situation was dire, attempted to flee¡­


    The Dao Court Cultivators suddenly fell into disarray.


    Fortunately, among the crowd, some experienced Enforcement Leaders took action, responding calmly. Body Refinement Cultivators charged forward to fight, blocking the first wave of Demon Cultivators¡¯ assault.


    Spiritual Cultivators protected with Spells, and other Cultivators also brought out their Spiritual Artifacts and Runes.


    Only then did they manage to stabilize the situation.


    The sounds of combat started rising, Spiritual Power intertwined with Evil Power, creating a chaotic and bloody scene.


    Mo Hua heaved a sigh.


    He didn¡¯t have many options.


    The Maze was a trap after all.


    The Evil Formations within it were pre-arranged, both treacherous and concealed, and it seemed a lot of time and thought had gone into them.


    He estimated it to be the handiwork of ¡°Master Yuan.¡±


    Mo Hua could see through the Maze, could predict danger beforehand, but after all, he was just one person. He didn¡¯t have much research on Evil Formations, and his ability was limited.


    For the moment, he could not do much about so many Evil Formations¡­ S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Changhuai also understood this and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about these, just focus on leading the way.¡±


    The urgent task at hand was to get out of the Labyrinth Killing Formation.


    They couldn¡¯t be trapped within the Killing Formation.


    Otherwise, even if the Enforcement Leaders had the advantage in numbers, they would still be killed off by these Demon Cultivators, leveraging the Maze and Killing Formation.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Gu Changhuai then instructed in a low voice:


    ¡°Gu An, Gu Quan, you two protect Mo Hua.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Gu An and Gu Quan responded solemnly.


    Gu Changhuai then looked up and commanded loudly:


    ¡°The rest of you, follow Gu An and Gu Quan, form a long formation, keep pushing forward, do not fall behind, do not linger in battle, I will cover the rear!¡±


    With that, Mo Hua, caring for nothing else, employed his movement technique and surged forward.


    Gu Quan blazed a trail at the forefront, Gu An stayed beside Mo Hua to protect him.


    Dao Court Cultivators from the Gu Family closely followed behind.


    The other Enforcement Leaders followed the command as well, supporting each other, forming a long formation, using their movement techniques, and continuing to push forward¡­


    Along the way, they fought Demon Cultivators for a few rounds.


    They killed those they could, and if not, they didn¡¯t linger and kept moving forward.


    If the Formations hindered their path, they ignored their injuries and did not attempt to heal.


    To leave was to live; to stay was to die.


    Gu Changhuai covered the rear, his fan swinging, sending Wind Blades scattering everywhere, slaying the Demon Cultivators he saw, helping the Dao Court Cultivators to escape from the Killing Formation, moving deeper into the Maze¡­


    The battle was incredibly brutal.


    Among the Dao Court Cultivators, there were those who were injured, seriously injured or even killed.

 Chapter 1004 - 1004 651 Labyrinth Killing Formation_4

    ?Chapter 1004: Chapter 651 Labyrinth Killing Formation_4 Chapter 1004: Chapter 651 Labyrinth Killing Formation_4 Bronze walls, stained with blood.


    On the ground lay corpses and severed limbs oozing blood.


    Thanks to Gu Changhuai, the Golden Core anchoring the formation, the casualties of the Dao Court were not too severe.


    Those who had died under his Wind Blade numbered in the dozens.


    In this manner, as Gu Changhuai attacked from behind, Mo Hua led the way forward, navigating through countless intricate walls until suddenly the space before them opened up.


    They beheld a majestic grand hall.


    Bronze walls neatly encircled the area.


    The hall was spacious yet empty, with twelve enormous pillars, each carved with Demon Monster patterns and thick enough for five or six people to embrace, supporting the imposing roof of the hall.


    Ancient murals adorned the bronze walls, stretching dimly into the distance on both sides.


    White Bone Carved Lampstand.


    The eerie red candlelight cast a sinister glow over the hall.


    Originally, there might have been other furnishings in the hall, but now, everything was destroyed, rendering the space eerily empty and mismatched.


    In the center of the hall stood a person.


    He was tall and had a compassionate face, but his blood-red kasaya made him look both dignified and gloomy.


    This person was none other than Fire Buddha!


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she immediately turned invisible, quietly moving back behind the group.


    A group of Dao Court Enforcement Leaders, with swords drawn, charged forward, stopping about thirty feet from Fire Buddha, their blades gleaming menacingly in confrontation. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Despite their numbers, frightened by Fire Buddha¡¯s notorious reputation and terrifying aura, no one dared to make a rash move.


    Soon, other Cultivators emerged from the Labyrinth Killing Formation and entered the grand hall.


    The hall swelled with more and more Cultivators of the Dao Court.


    Xiao Tianquan also entered; he wielded a precious long sword, his Taoist Robe stained with blood, his expression grim.


    Upon seeing the immovable Fire Buddha at the center of the hall, his eyes darkened, but a hint of excitement flickered through them as well.


    After a moment, Gu Changhuai also entered the grand hall from the rear.


    His spiritual power was considerably weakened.


    His handsome face was smeared with blood.


    But none of it was his own.


    Upon seeing Fire Buddha, Gu Changhuai, though previously fatigued, instantly had a fierce light in his eyes, and his intent to kill surged.


    As Gu Changhuai stepped into the grand hall, Fire Buddha, who had been meditating with his eyes closed and chanting the Buddha¡¯s name, suddenly opened his eyes.


    They were fiery red.


    His body surged with Fire Spiritual Power.


    His blood-red kasaya, moving without wind amidst the swirling spiritual power, resembled a roiling sea of fire.


    Tiny sparks scattered around, flickering in and out of existence.


    ¡°Gu Changhuai¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s expression was calm, but his eyes held a bone-chilling murderous intent.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai replied coldly, ¡°You monstrous beast, your time of death has come¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha sneered, ¡°The Buddha doesn¡¯t save people; Cultivators save themselves.¡±


    Gu Changhuai wasted no more words, drew out his jade bone folding fan again, and his white spiritual power flew around him like the wind, turning into numerous Wind Blades.


    The surrounding Dao Court Cultivators, holding gleaming blades, increasingly encircled Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha, with no trace of joy or anger on his face, fearlessly opened his arms wide.


    His kasaya suddenly became a vivid red, and his Fire Spiritual Power surged like molten rock.


    His chest roared with fire.


    Two glaring Fireballs, like twin hearts, throbbed with surging spiritual power.


    Flames ascended, twisting around his body.


    His whole being exuded an astonishing aura, as if he were a fierce Demon Monster wrapped in human skin, filled with boundless demonic power.


    And that fire contained limitless killing force, seemingly capable of incinerating and annihilating everything¡­


    The assembly of Cultivators looked on in terror.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was as cold as ice.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze was also filled with shock.


    This was the powerful Fire Forbidden Skill, expressly forbidden by the Dao Court for Cultivation¡­


    The Meteor Fire Skill!

 Chapter 1005 - 1005 652 Stealing Home

    ?Chapter 1005: Chapter 652: Stealing Home Chapter 1005: Chapter 652: Stealing Home ¡°Evil fire ran rampant over the Fire Buddha¡¯s body.¡±


    Right as Gu Changhuai thought to alert everyone to be careful, he heard Xiao Tianquan sneer,


    ¡°Evil Demon bandit, a mere individual, no matter how capable you are, you¡¯re just a lone man against the odds.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, attack together and surround this demon to kill him!¡±


    ¡°Whoever kills the Fire Buddha will be credited with a great achievement!¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned.


    Some credit-hungry Enforcement Leaders, upon hearing the words ¡°great achievement,¡± their eyes shone with greed as they circulated their Spiritual Power and charged at the Fire Buddha with all their might.


    Even if the Fire Buddha was formidable, he was only at the Peak of Foundation Establishment.


    Most of them were at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, not so different in Cultivation, and even if they couldn¡¯t beat him, they could still contend with him for a while without being defeated in a short time.


    If fortune favored them and they managed to kill the Fire Buddha directly, securing a position as a Supervisor would be just around the corner.


    A few daring Enforcement Leaders led the charge and rushed towards the Fire Buddha.


    The Fire Buddha, with his body engulfed in flames, stood as immovable as a mountain.


    Suddenly, his expression turned cold, his eyes revealed a murderous intent, and the aura of his entire being underwent an abrupt transformation.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s complexion changed, ¡°This is bad!¡±


    Before the words fell, he flicked his folding fan in a flash, unleashing a series of Wind Blades towards the Fire Buddha, attempting to interrupt his lethal move.


    The corners of the Fire Buddha¡¯s mouth turned up in a hint of cold mockery, his red Kasaya billowed, forming a wall of fire.


    The Wind Blades struck the fire wall.


    The wall shattered, and the Wind Blades dissipated as well.


    Unable to tap into the power of the Golden Core, Gu Changhuai, although stronger than the Peak Foundation Establishment Fire Buddha, was not by much.


    Upon the initial exchange, they were evenly matched.


    Following the fire wall¡¯s resistance against the Wind Blades, the Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze turned blood-red, his killing intent rising.


    He appeared like a ferocious Monster Beast, baring its bloodthirsty fangs.


    His body blazed with roaring flames which, in an instant, turned into murky grey-black, and his whole being¡¯s aura began to warp.


    Within the void, pained whispers and fearful wailing arose.


    It was as if all those who had died under his Spells had transformed into ¡°murderous karma.¡±


    The deep-seated murderous karma morphed into a strange Evil Qi.


    The Evil Qi melded with the Spells, spreading with the flames, gradually filling the great hall.


    In everyone¡¯s hearts, a layer of shadow was cast, their Taoist Hearts wavered, and an involuntary sense of fear arose.


    At this moment, the Fire Buddha was like a Demon Head from hell, wrapped in endless Karmic Fire, having committed countless murders.


    Especially for several Cultivators from the Taoist Court near the Fire Buddha.


    In their eyes, the Fire Buddha had suddenly shifted from a benign and gentle ¡°Buddha¡± to a man-eating ¡°Demon Creature,¡± ominously ferocious and terrifying. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Evil Qi within the flames invaded their minds.


    A bone-deep fear engulfed them.


    Their limbs weakened, they clenched their teeth, yet still, they could not help but shiver violently.


    Their bodies and Spiritual Power, because of the fear brought on by the Evil Qi, were beyond their control.


    The fear of ¡°death¡± drove them toward it.


    With a cold laugh, the Fire Buddha made a motion with his hand as if grasping, and conjured a fiery blade, swinging it fiercely and casting a crimson arc of light, slaying all the terrified Enforcement Leaders who had been poisoned by the Evil Qi and were too scared to resist.


    Gu Changhuai was furiously enraged but also felt a chill in his heart.


    ¡°Evil Qi?!¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes were ice-cold as he denounced, ¡°You beast, how did the ¡®Evil Transformation Skill¡¯ of the Sect of Demon fall into your hands?¡±


    Fire Buddha replied with his hands together, ¡°My Buddha is compassionate, allowing me to practice this method, to use the ¡®Karmic Fire¡¯ to ¡®save all beings.''¡±


    Gu Changhuai cursed, ¡°You bald thief, spouting such bullshit!¡±


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s expression remained indifferent, not at all angered, but simply gazing at Gu Changhuai.


    His eyes shone with a mix of excitement and hatred under the illumination of the firelight.


    ¡°Back then, my heart channels were severely wounded by you, hanging by a thread¡­¡±


    ¡°The fear and agony between life and death is something I will never forget¡­¡±


    ¡°Now I have perfected my Meteor Fire Skill, transformed murder into Evil Qi, refined the Evil Qi with my technique, suppressed it with the Buddha¡¯s teachings; merging sin, heart, and method into one; the Forbidden Technique is complete!¡±


    ¡°How will you kill me now?¡±


    The Fire Buddha sneered softly,


    ¡°One day, when I Breakthrough into the Golden Core, I will go to great lengths to slaughter all those close to you, Gu Changhuai, and use the resentment from your flesh to cultivate the true¡­ Golden Core Evil Qi!¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s anger turned into a deep-seated killing intent,


    ¡°Then today, I shall dismember you alive and scatter your pieces to the winds!¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s body surged with Spiritual Power, raising a fearsome gale, atop which blades layered like scales, also as dense as feathers.


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s expression changed slightly, a trace of dread appearing in his eyes.


    ¡°The Gu Family¡¯s Superior Daoist Magic, the Wind-Riding Feather Transformation Art!¡±


    Back then, it was this Spell that had crushed his heart channels, leaving his life hanging by a thread.


    Having not seen it for so many years, this Superior Daoist Magic was now even more terrifying.


    But rather than fearing it, the Fire Buddha¡¯s will to battle only intensified.


    Today, he would confront the Wind-Riding Feather Transformation Art of the Gu Family, long serving as lapdogs for the Taoist Court, with his Meteor Fire Forbidden Art, having completed his Spell.


    He would eradicate old grievances and break free from the inner demons!


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes were murky and malevolent, surrounded by a surging Evil Qi at its zenith.


    Within a range of several dozens of feet, all the Cultivators from the Taoist Court were intimidated by the Evil Qi, paralyzed with terror, unable to move.


    Then, the Fire Buddha stretched out both arms, and his Kasaya lit up with flames, solidifying into hundreds of fire droplets.


    These droplets, laden with formidable Evil Power, in a blink, burst forth like fiery sparks in a downpour, swiftly scattering outward and assaulting the fear-stricken Cultivators of the Taoist Court.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s brows furrowed.


    He too was affected by the Evil Qi, but with his deep Cultivation and the firm intent to kill the Fire Buddha, he was not much troubled.


    Seeing the Fire Buddha unleashing a rain of fire with the intent to slaughter the Taoist Court Cultivators.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression turned cold, his fan swept across, and the Wind Blades around him, like feathers, swept towards the fiery rain.

 Chapter 1006 - 1006 652 Stealing Home_2

    ?Chapter 1006: Chapter 652: Stealing Home_2 Chapter 1006: Chapter 652: Stealing Home_2 For a moment, wind blades crashed into the rain of fire, flickering and fluctuating wildly.


    Spiritual power surged everywhere.


    Most of the fire rain was neutralized by Gu Changhuai¡¯s wind blades.


    The few fire raindrops that spilled over onto the cultivators spread like scattered kindling ¨C flames suddenly soared as the compressed evil power was released, and the fiery blaze enveloped with evil qi devoured those cultivators.


    Those scorched by the meteor fire writhed on the ground.


    Wails of agony rose and fell in succession.


    It was then that the demon cultivators within the bronze maze also arrived.


    They had killed quite a few Dao Court Canons, but Gu Changhuai had also killed many of them, now only less than a hundred remained.


    The three leading them were familiar to Mo Hua.


    Indeed, it was the trio who had once chased after him ¨C Blood Woodcutter, Yin Thunder Child, and Ghost Face Sha.


    ¡°Big brother! We¡¯ve come to help you!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s slaughter these curs of the Taoist Court!¡±


    A group of demon cultivators joined the battlefield with ferocious laughter.


    Gu Changhuai instructed the enforcement leader, ¡°Leave Fire Buddha to me, stay back to avoid the evil qi!¡±


    With that, Gu Changhuai leaped forward alone to meet the Fire Buddha in battle.


    The other enforcement leaders dispersed in terror from the Fire Buddha¡¯s vicinity and engaged in a desperate melee with the group of demon cultivators led by Blood Woodcutter.


    The scene turned even bloodier and more chaotic.


    Spells shone brightly as flesh and blood clashed.


    Spiritual artifacts collided with evil artifacts; spiritual power entwined with evil power.


    The demon cultivators bore wounds, blood in their eyes; the Taoist Court¡¯s cultivators also fought with bloodshot eyes.


    At this moment, none of them dared to flee.


    Fighting desperately on their last breath, they could survive; but if they even thought of retreating, they would likely fall under the demon cultivators¡¯ blades as soon as they turned their backs¡­


    Mo Hua could only watch from the sidelines, unable to make a move¡­


    His cultivation was only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, and his spiritual power was limited.


    Meanwhile, these cultivators and demon cultivators from the Taoist Court were all at least at the middle phase of Foundation Building, with many at the later stages.


    His fireball technique posed little threat.


    Especially since some demon cultivators either wore armor or used strange ¡°Blood Armor Skill¡± and ¡°Poison Armor Skill¡± for protection.


    His fireball technique would only ¡°tickle¡± them.


    As for controlling¡­


    In this sort of multi-person melee, where real swords and spears clashed, they actually didn¡¯t lack his minor control abilities.


    Mo Hua still had some ¡°self-awareness¡±; it was best to conceal himself and quietly hide on the side, not to come out and ¡°draw hatred.¡±


    If he rashly made a move and accidentally attracted the Fire Buddha¡¯s attention or was caught by a demon cultivator, it would cause significant trouble for Uncle Gu¡­


    And moreover¡­


    Mo Hua snuck another glance at the center of the great hall, at Fire Buddha, who was engaged in a spell duel with Uncle Gu, surrounded by surging meteor fire, appearing like a ¡°Flame Demon¡± from purgatory, and he couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue in amazement.


    This Fire Buddha¡­ was too strong, much stronger than he had previously thought.


    Evil qi, Fire Kasaya, and the Meteor Fire Forbidden Art¡­


    Evil qi could intimidate and control the enemy.


    Once stricken with the ¡°fear¡± of evil qi, those with an unsettled Taoist heart and a weak will could instantly lose their resistance and become fish on the chopping board, allowing Fire Buddha to butcher at will.


    In that case, a surrounding attack would be meaningless.


    With just a release of evil qi, if all the enemies were stricken by fear, then Fire Buddha could start using forbidden arts to wreak havoc.


    It was somewhat preposterous¡­


    Unless one¡¯s Taoist heart was steadfast, righteous energy resolute, or they were prepared with a spirit-defying spiritual artifact, otherwise cultivators of the same rank stood no chance against Fire Buddha.


    But the spirit-defying spiritual artifact must be rare, and probably very expensive to make.


    It was not feasible for the Taoist Court to equip everyone with one¡­


    That kasaya was likely not a common spiritual artifact either.


    Then there was the Meteor Fire Skill¡­


    Fire Buddha engaged in combat with Uncle Gu with all his might, without any reservation.


    This also gave Mo Hua a chance to observe and study.


    After secretly observing for a long time, Mo Hua realized that there were many differences between this Meteor Fire Skill and what he had previously conjectured.


    Firstly, although it was a forbidden technique, probably stronger than a superior skill, it was still a ¡°conventional¡± principle spell.


    It was a ¡°Skill Pattern¡± based spell, not a ¡°Spiritual Pattern¡± based spell.


    This Meteor Fire Skill employed a positive spell structure, where spiritual power formed a spell through a skill pattern.


    Rather than the inverse, where a spell causes the collapse of a skill pattern, changing the structure of the spiritual power.


    It was merely that the spiritual power concentration of this spell was too strong, and the power too great, and it was easy to lose control. It also likely made it easy for someone to lose their nature, wreaking mindless killing, hence it was classified as a ¡°Forbidden Technique.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He probably wouldn¡¯t be able to learn the original Meteor Fire Skill.


    Because the spiritual power needed to form the spell was indeed too much.


    The present Fire Buddha¡¯s evil power surged like an unfathomable ocean, the entire person resembled a Fire Demon Beast, with seemingly endless power in his Qi Sea.


    In comparison, his own spiritual power was like a small stream¡­


    Though not as exaggerated, it was pretty close.


    Without a top-grade spiritual root and not cultivating a top-grade method, lacking a vast amount of spiritual power in the Qi Sea, one couldn¡¯t cultivate such a powerful forbidden technique¡­


    And it wasn¡¯t just that.


    Based on observations of the flow of spiritual power on Fire Buddha¡¯s body, Mo Hua discovered that it was as if he had two Qi Seas.


    They were those two ¡°flame hearts.¡±


    The two flame hearts, burning with intense flames, not only accumulated spiritual power but also fueled the spells. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Together, they made Fire Buddha¡¯s fire spells even more terrifying¡­


    But the principle behind it, Mo Hua was still completely puzzled.


    He couldn¡¯t understand how exactly this spell was formed.


    After all, although his eyes were sharp, some things were hard to comprehend just by looking¡­


    ¡°Meteor Fire Skill¡­¡±


    A sense of envy grew in Mo Hua.


    If only he had such good spiritual roots, such profound spiritual power, to be able to learn such superior skills or forbidden techniques with enormous consumption of spiritual power and also great might¡­

 Chapter 1007 - 1007 652 - Stealing Home_3

    ?Chapter 1007: 652 Chapter ¨C Stealing Home_3 Chapter 1007: 652 Chapter ¨C Stealing Home_3 It wouldn¡¯t go as far as using small fireballs to attack people every day¡­


    Still, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t discouraged.


    While he personally couldn¡¯t master the original Meteor Fire Skill, analyzing the spell structure and the principles behind its formulation shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    This had always been his plan.


    As this thought crossed his mind, Mo Hua froze, then felt a surge of alarm deep in his heart.


    He had nearly forgotten a critical issue.


    If Fire Buddha were captured or killed now, his Meteor Fire Skill would fall into the hands of the Taoist Court; Mo Hua would never be able to obtain it in his lifetime¡­


    What to do?


    *Could he really resort to underhanded tactics to secretly help Fire Buddha escape?*


    *But what if Fire Buddha escaped and killed more people afterward? Then the guilt would fall squarely on him.*


    *And given the current circumstances, could Uncle Gu even defeat Fire Buddha? That¡¯s still uncertain¡­*


    They were in the territory of the Second Grade Immortal City; Uncle Gu wouldn¡¯t dare to unleash his full powers here.


    Simply letting Fire Buddha slip away clearly wasn¡¯t an option either.


    Mo Hua glanced at Fire Buddha, who was engulfed in raging flames and locked in fierce combat. Slowly, his brows began to furrow.


    ¡°Does Fire Buddha carry the spell for Meteor Fire Skill on him?¡±


    If he did, wasn¡¯t it nearly impossible for Mo Hua to get his hands on it?


    If he didn¡¯t carry it, then where could it be hidden?


    Mo Hua shifted his gaze away and began subtly inspecting the grand palace.


    The palace was imposing and majestic, yet ancient and eerie, as if it were used for congregations and worship by demon cultivators.


    But based on Mo Hua¡¯s instincts and experience, he felt that there must be a place similar to an altar hidden within this palace¡­


    Many of the corpse cultivators, evil cultivators, and demon cultivators Mo Hua knew tended to favor setting up altars in their domains.


    Fire Buddha likely wouldn¡¯t be an exception.


    And considering Fire Buddha¡¯s secretive and deceitful persona, if he had gone to the trouble of barricading everyone and engaging in this brutal battle, it meant this palace wasn¡¯t the true center of its mysteries.


    There must be another, deeper layer of secrets hidden within this grand palace¡­


    *Should I search for it myself?*


    After all, he wasn¡¯t much help in the ongoing fight here.


    Mo Hua discreetly glanced at Fire Buddha again. Upon seeing him and Uncle Gu locked in an intense, bloodthirsty struggle, Mo Hua nodded slowly. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Relying on his Concealment Technique, Mo Hua moved about unnoticed.


    Without revealing his presence, he slipped past Fire Buddha and the other demon cultivators, heading deeper into the palace¡­


    Let them continue their fight.


    He had a house to raid¡­


    The palace was immense, with its rear sections barely illuminated, shrouding them in faint darkness.


    Yet, even after reaching the very end, Mo Hua found nothing suspicious¡ªexcept for one spot: an enormous mural carved into the deepest wall.


    In the dim ambient light of the Demon Palace, Mo Hua could just make out the mural. Etched within it were countless peaks of the Barbaric Wilderness Mountains, brimming with thorns, treacherous terrain, and teeming with demon monsters.


    ¡°Is this¡­ the Map of the Barbaric Wilderness Mountains?¡±


    ¡°What does it mean¡­¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, unable to discern its significance.


    He scanned the surroundings again, finding only this mural intact; all other statues, structures, or decorations had either been removed or destroyed, leaving no other clues.


    The solitary lead might just be this striking and expansive mural.


    ¡°A mural, huh¡­¡±


    Another thought came to Mo Hua: the mural in the stone palace hall of the Lu Family¡¯s Corpse Mountain, located in South Yue City of Li State.


    That mural depicted the zombified head of the Lu Family Old Ancestor.


    The zombie¡¯s gaping mouth turned out to be the entrance to an altar.


    Generally, with corpse cultivators and demon cultivators, their methods often followed discernible patterns¡­


    ¡°So does this mural hide another entrance?¡±


    Having seen such things before truly proved advantageous¡­


    Mo Hua extended his Divine Sense, carefully probing the mural for signs of formations.


    Every inch of the mural came under Mo Hua¡¯s scrutiny: the grotesque and twisted figures of demon monsters, the perilous crags and sharp peaks, the dark and eerie woodlands¡­


    Yet despite combing through it thoroughly, no trace of a formation¡¯s presence surfaced.


    Mo Hua froze. ¡°No formations?¡±


    *Perhaps that makes sense¡­*


    *The best defense against formations is simply not to draw any.*


    *Without formations, even the most adept Formation Masters wouldn¡¯t be able to spot any flaws or weaknesses within them.*


    Though absent of formations, the mural seemed to emanate another kind of presence.


    Mo Hua shut his eyes and concentrated. Sure enough, faint hints of an exceedingly discrete yet vaguely familiar aura reached his senses.


    Following this faint trace, Mo Hua arrived at a corner.


    This section of the mural was notably simple, depicting only a few patches of grass, several scattered trees, and one narrow mountain path.


    The mountain path snaked backward, meandering through the dense forest, seemingly connecting the entire expanse of the Barbaric Wilderness Mountains.


    And this spot appeared to be the starting point of the mountain path¡ªthe entrance embedded within the mural.


    Mo Hua deliberated for a moment, then decided to reach out and push it gently.


    As his hand pressed against it, the entire world seemed to flip upside down. A rush of barbaric energy surged forth, as though the scenery within the mural had come alive.


    When Mo Hua opened his eyes again, he realized he was now standing amidst a mountain.


    *An uneasy chill ran through his heart as he scanned his surroundings. That¡¯s when he noticed that this mountain wasn¡¯t real¡ªit was a fake mountain.*


    It appeared to have been deliberately carved, yet its scale was impressive.


    The entire Demon Palace had been constructed atop this artificial mountain.


    The layout of the false mountain¡ªwith its terrain and natural features¡ªmirrored the depiction of the Barbaric Wilderness Mountains on the mural outside.


    It seemed as though the fake mountain was modeled after the Barbaric Wilderness Mountains.


    Mo Hua observed the undulating peaks and ridges more closely, soon discovering that this mountain eerily mirrored the configuration of the Heaven¡¯s Mystery Formation.


    Its internal mountain structures perfectly corresponded with the labyrinthine maze outside.


    The palace felt like a ¡°mystery within a mystery, a formation within a formation.¡±


    ¡°This Demon Palace sure hides a lot of peculiar things¡­¡±


    *Mo Hua found himself momentarily at a loss.*


    *Were these elaborate constructs really built under Fire Buddha¡¯s supervision?*


    *What exactly was the purpose of the Demon Palace¡¯s construction?*


    *Sacrificial rituals? But how?*


    *And what role did Fire Buddha play in all of this? What had he done here?*


    Unable to make sense of it, Mo Hua shook his head and continued deeper into the mountain.


    Since the configuration matched that of the Heaven¡¯s Mystery Formation, the intricate pathways of this artificial mountain posed no challenge to Mo Hua.


    Within the fake mountain¡¯s terrain, each peak, each stone, every patch of grass and tree carried an air of eeriness.


    Yet, to Mo Hua, they were nothing more than superficial oddities.


    Still concealed, Mo Hua pressed onward deeper into the mountain.


    After about the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, he reached the center of the fake mountain.


    As Mo Hua expected, the heart of the fake mountain¡¯s mystery formation contained an altar.

 Chapter 1008 - 1008 653 Divine Position (Extra for Alliance

    ?Chapter 1008: Chapter 653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb) Chapter 1008: Chapter 653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb) The altar was ancient and majestic, with a hint of sinister charm.


    A jade stone path led straight to the altar.


    On either side of the path, two rows of demon monster statues knelt, their faces ugly yet filled with piety.


    But the top of the altar was empty¡­


    There were no candlesticks, no lamps, no sacrificial offerings, and no objects of worship.


    There was just a richly ornate offering table.


    On the offering table, there was an altar, also empty of anything.


    It was unclear whether the altar had not been completed, with nothing placed upon it for worship.


    Or perhaps Fire Buddha knew his scheme had been exposed, so he had taken the offerings early, destroyed the tribute, and covered his tracks.


    ¡°This Fire Buddha¡­ is too cautious¡­¡± Mo Hua murmured.


    ¡°Too stingy as well¡­¡± He searched around and found that only the immovable Fake Mountain and the demon monster statues were left, and that everything else was gone.


    Spotlessly clean, as if licked by a dog¡­


    Mo Hua felt somewhat deflated.


    This Fire Buddha was really cheap, leaving not a single thing for him¡­


    No Spirit Stones, no Spiritual Artifacts, no volumes on the Meteor Fire Skill.


    Not even ¡°food¡±¡­


    He had stolen a lonely heist.


    Mo Hua sighed.


    There was nothing to steal from such a large altar¡­


    ¡°What to do next?¡±


    Going back felt unsatisfactory.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Then he turned his head to look at the altar again.


    The altar felt very familiar to him.


    He circled the altar twice and, as if possessed, leapt onto it and regally seated himself on the offering table.


    In a trance, an ancient and sacred significance seemed to descend upon him.


    A faint golden light flashed in Mo Hua¡¯s eyes, unnoticed by anyone.


    The altar was resplendent and dignified.


    The small figure of Mo Hua sat on it.


    Before him was a jade stone path, flanked by fierce demon monsters bowed in submission.


    The Bronze Maze, the Barbaric Wilderness Formation.


    A riddle within a riddle, a formation within a formation, countless Divine Way mysteries converged right in the center of the altar, ¡°offering¡± Mo Hua¡¯s revered position.


    Mo Hua blinked in confusion.


    He felt that his Divine Sense had somehow changed.


    But he couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly what was different¡­


    Mo Hua looked down.


    This altar, clearly belonging to someone else, now seemed to have been built for him.


    He sat on the offering table, feeling very at ease.


    His Divine Sense was relaxed, and he even had a craving for sacrificial offerings¡­


    ¡°Sacrificial offerings¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked around.


    Nothing¡­


    Not a single sacrificial offering.


    The top of the altar was barren, devoid of anything.


    Mo Hua sighed again.


    He was hungry, but there was nothing to eat.


    Suddenly, he could sympathize with his ¡°good friend,¡± Lord Yellow Mountain, lonely and downcast in the ruined temple on Mount Luopo, with no incense or worship, drinking rainwater leaking from the roof and eating stale buns from who knows where.


    ¡°When I¡¯m free, I should bring some wine and meat to visit the Mountain Lord in the ruined temple¡­¡± He thought about Lord Yellow Mountain, the Downcast Mountain God who received no visitors. It seemed so pitiful.


    Mo Hua thought about Lord Yellow Mountain without considering whether Lord Yellow Mountain wanted to see him or not.


    ¡°Since there are no sacrificial offerings on the altar, let¡¯s just leave it at that¡­¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t feel it was appropriate to stay seated for long, so he got up and jumped off of the altar.


    But as he did, Mo Hua suddenly froze.


    ¡°Sacrificial offerings¡­¡±


    Why was he thinking about sacrificial offerings?


    And moreover¡­


    What would his sacrificial offerings be?


    He looked at the two rows of bowed demon monster statues and then turned back to the empty offering table, his expression deep in thought for a moment, before being startled by his own ideas.


    Mo Hua quickly shook his head, tucking away those impolite thoughts.


    Now, the most important thing was the Fire Buddha¡¯s Meteor Fire Skill!


    If he did not steal it now, this powerful Forbidden Technique might remain forever out of his reach.


    His purpose of improving the Forbidden Technique would be lost.


    ¡°Where exactly is the secret manual for the Meteor Fire Skill¡­¡±


    Mo Hua tried to apply the Heavenly secret Tricky Calculation, merging it with the Heavenly secret Calculation, to deduce the altar.


    But the altar seemed to hold some ancient breath that obscured the Heavenly secret of cause and effect, and Mo Hua couldn¡¯t divine anything.


    ¡°Heavenly secret Calculation is not effective¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a tinge of regret and then immediately realized it wasn¡¯t that Heavenly secret Calculation wasn¡¯t effective, but perhaps his own abilities were insufficient. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He couldn¡¯t deduce the causality of the Meteor Fire Skill.


    Yet, Mo Hua had an intuition that the Meteor Fire Skill was indeed hidden in the altar.


    ¡°Where could it be hidden?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned.


    He jumped back onto the altar and began to check carefully, from the corners, the edges, the rims, all the way to the offering table itself.


    Mo Hua checked everything, but there was not a trace of a Formation.


    Just then, Mo Hua heard a ¡°boom¡± from outside.


    It seemed that in the great hall, something shocking had happened.


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    ¡°Has the battle been decided?¡±


    ¡°Or have Fire Buddha and his allies set another ambush?¡±


    As Mo Hua pondered, the entrance to the altar opened, and then a strong, scorching aura of Spiritual Power emanated.


    This aura was filled with Evil Qi.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression changed.


    Fire Buddha!


    He had come back!


    Mo Hua immediately employed the Five Elements Stealth Technique and skillfully rolled behind the altar, climbing onto the head of one of the large demon monster statues to obscure his form.


    In just a moment, a kasaya-clad, pale-faced Fire Buddha returned with his arms covered in bloodstains torn by Wind Blades.


    His aura was much weaker, and his two flaming hearts seemed somewhat spent.


    ¡°Damn Gu Changhuai!¡±


    ¡°Sooner or later, I¡¯ll flay your skin, burn your blood dry, turn your flesh to ash, and vent the hatred in my heart!¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    ¡­

 Chapter 1009 - 1009 653 Divine Position (Extra for Alliance

    ?Chapter 1009: Chapter 653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb)_2 Chapter 1009: Chapter 653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb)_2 The Fire Buddha swore angrily as he walked toward the altar.


    No one was around, and his heart full of fury, he stopped pretending to cultivate or hiding beneath that hypocritical veil of Buddhist law. His words were vulgar and coarse.


    But in an instant, the evil Qi on his body intensified.


    The Fire Buddha trembled all over, seemingly unable to suppress the malevolent evil Qi within. His lips turned white, his breathing erratic, and his eyes filled with bloodshot veins. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had to stop in his tracks and sit in meditation, bringing his palms together while chanting ¡°Amitabha Buddha.¡±


    ¡°My Buddha¡¯s mercy, deliver me from this suffering¡­¡±


    ¡°All worldly attachments are empty, and sentient beings are caught in the cycle of life and death¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if I have killed countless people, by laying down the butcher¡¯s knife, I too can be redeemed¡­¡±


    ¡­


    The Fire Buddha ¡°brainwashed¡± himself several times and finally calmed his emotions, the evil Qi receded within, his expression neither joyous nor sad.


    He then slowly stood up and continued walking toward the altar.


    Arriving in front of the altar, the Fire Buddha knelt down with reverence.


    ¡°My great task is unfulfilled, I am just a step away from success, please forgive me, esteemed Master¡­¡±


    ¡°The ignorant and foolish people, not knowing the truth of this world, have destroyed the magnificent work of the Holy Temple¡­¡±


    ¡°They will pay the price¡­¡±


    ¡°But before that happens, this place will be sealed in dust. One day in the future, it shall emerge once more under the sun, and I will offer sacrifices for our esteemed Master again¡­¡±


    ¡°Esteemed Master, forgive me¡­¡±


    The Fire Buddha bowed his head again.


    Mo Hua listened quietly from behind, his brows tightly furrowed.


    Why is it ¡®esteemed Master¡¯?


    And who is this ¡®esteemed Master¡¯?


    He had thought that this was an altar of the Master of the Great Wilderness.


    Because that was the only Evil God he recognized.


    Is this ¡®esteemed Master¡¯ an alias of the Master of the Great Wilderness?


    Or some other Heavenly Demon?


    As Mo Hua pondered, he suddenly saw the Fire Buddha bowing his head, searching for something on the ground.


    After a moment, he flicked a piece of brick on the ground.


    With a flicker of light, a thick, ancient book appeared in the hands of the Fire Buddha.


    Mo Hua looked on in shock.


    The Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual!


    Was that ordinary-looking brick a secret storage space?


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart grew bitter.


    He had been careless!


    Why hadn¡¯t he thought of this?


    He thought that if the Fire Buddha was going to hide something, he would secure it with a Formation, but never did he imagine that instead of using a Formation, a simple storage brick would be used to conceal his Secret Manual.


    Mo Hua felt helpless.


    He had been at a disadvantage because of his high level of proficiency in Formation.


    Always thinking about solving problems with Formation.


    He failed to understand the difficulties of those cultivators who were not adept at Formation.


    A good swimmer drowns, a good Formation master can also overlook something.


    Mo Hua took this as a cautionary lesson.


    The Fire Buddha, in the presence of Mo Hua, unfolded the Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual. It was densely packed with various Skill Pattern details and accompanied by detailed illustrations.


    Mo Hua coveted what he saw.


    What a pity that he only got a fleeting glance and couldn¡¯t make out exactly what was written on the Secret Manual.


    Mo Hua was very anxious.


    This slight emotional fluctuation was immediately detected by the Fire Buddha.


    He was naturally suspicious and had cultivated evil Qi, making him extremely sensitive to people¡¯s emotions.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±


    The Fire Buddha exclaimed.


    Mo Hua immediately ducked down, holding his breath and concentrating his spirit.


    The Fire Buddha stood up and released his Divine Sense, searching around the altar.


    At first, Mo Hua was a bit worried, but after a while, seeing that the Fire Buddha showed no sign of activity, not even sweeping his Divine Sense near him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled.


    Mo Hua stealthily lifted his head and saw the Fire Buddha looking around with a face full of evil Qi.


    But he only dared to search back and forth outside the altar, never coming within a zhang of it.


    It seemed that the altar was absolutely off-limits.


    One must not trespass, nor gaze upon it, and Divine Sense was also forbidden to spy¡­


    Mo Hua muttered in his heart:


    ¡°Is this Fire Buddha really that scared?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just an altar, I¡¯ve sat on it and nothing happened¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought it over and found an excuse for the Fire Buddha.


    The Fire Buddha was within the system of Demon Cultivators, so he had to be mindful of this ¡®esteemed Master¡¯.


    Since he wasn¡¯t a Demon Cultivator and was outside the system, he didn¡¯t have to mind these hierarchical distinctions¡­


    After a while, the Fire Buddha found nothing.


    Mo Hua was naturally neat in his methods.


    Not to mention that around the altar, some key items had already been destroyed, so there was nothing left that could give him away.


    The Fire Buddha frowned.


    ¡°My mind is disturbed by the evil Qi, so my suspicions have grown heavier¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it¡­¡±


    The Fire Buddha murmured, ¡°This is the altar of the esteemed Master, it couldn¡¯t possibly be touched by outsiders, nor would it allow others to defile it¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it¡­¡±


    Gradually, the Fire Buddha¡¯s emotions settled again.


    He closed the Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual, intending to put it into his pocket, but after thinking it over, he decided to put it back into the storage brick in the floor.


    A battle was likely to ensue.


    The safest place was right under the altar of the esteemed Master.


    Afterward, the Fire Buddha sat down and took out a bright red flesh and blood Pill from his chest, swallowing it and slowly refining it.


    His flesh wriggled and began to heal.


    His aura was also gradually growing stronger.


    Mo Hua felt a chill in his heart.


    What kind of Pill was this? Its recovery effect was so strong?


    An Evil Pill?


    What if he quickly regained his strength and Uncle Gu couldn¡¯t defeat him?


    Uncle Gu wouldn¡¯t really be killed by him, would he?


    Most importantly, if he doesn¡¯t leave this place, how am I supposed to steal from him?


    ¡°I need to find a way to lure the tiger away from the mountain¡­¡±


    Without a second thought, Mo Hua sent a message to Gu Changhuai:


    ¡°Uncle Gu.¡±


    Gu Changhuai: ¡°Where are you? The Fire Buddha has disappeared, you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°I know where the Fire Buddha is.¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression changed, and then he immediately asked:


    ¡°Where?¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°At the back of the great hall¡¯s mural, on the lower right corner, take ten steps to the left, there¡¯s a mountain path entrance, just push it to come in¡­¡±

 Chapter 1010 - 1010 653 Divine Position (Extra for Alliance

    ?Chapter 1010: Chapter 653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb)_3 Chapter 1010: Chapter 653: Divine Position (Extra for Alliance Leader Rain Tomb)_3 ¡°After you come in, follow the mountain path. There are many forks in the road, in sequence they should be right, right two, right, left¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep going until the end, and you¡¯ll see the altar.¡±


    ¡°The Fire Buddha is healing at the altar¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai opened his mouth to speak then stopped, as if he remembered something, and appeared somewhat incredulous:


    ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ also at the altar, are you?¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°Yep, I¡¯m watching the Fire Buddha pop his pills¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s scalp tingled slightly.


    This kid, what a gutsy one!


    The crucial question was, how on earth did he find such a hidden path?


    But now the situation was extremely urgent, and Gu Changhuai had no time for detailed questions.


    He immediately said, ¡°Stay put and hide, don¡¯t be discovered, I¡¯m going in to capture the Fire Buddha now.¡±


    ¡°You take advantage of the chaos to find a way to sneak out¡­¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    After that, Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t reply anymore, probably rushing over posthaste.


    Mo Hua patiently waited.


    After about 30 minutes, a familiar, gale-like aura came from the entrance far from the altar.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    The Fire Buddha, who was meditating to recover, also sensed it.


    He showed a momentary shock in his expression.


    Gu Changhuai?! How could it be?


    How could he possibly find this altar?


    In the entire Holy Temple, among all the Demon Cultivators, only he himself knew the location of this deepest altar.


    No, the Demon Cultivators who had built the altar knew as well.


    But these Demon Cultivators, without exception, had been ¡°silenced,¡± and even their corpses had not been taken to undergo Corpse Refinement but were directly thrown into the Rotten River, dissolving into sewage.


    The altar here was the core secret of the Holy Temple.


    It was absolutely confidential, absolutely secure!


    How on earth did he, Gu Changhuai, a Dao Court Canon, find his way here?


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s pupils vibrated, and his thoughts were tumultuous.


    A moment later, with an expressionless face, he slowly stood up.


    ¡°No matter what, anyone who knows about this altar¡­ must die.¡±


    ¡°Even if they can¡¯t be killed, they can¡¯t be allowed to get close and desecrate the altar¡­¡±


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes were fiery red, and his kasaya was blood red. He activated his movement technique, turning into a blinding flash of fire, and charged at Gu Changhuai to kill him.


    Gu Changhuai also spotted the Fire Buddha.


    He didn¡¯t know where Mo Hua was, but as long as he could hold off the Fire Buddha, Mo Hua¡¯s cleverness would surely provide him with a way to slip away.


    Moreover, he also wanted to end the Fire Buddha¡¯s life right here, to completely eliminate this calamity!


    When the two met, without a word, they immediately began a fierce exchange of Spells, both giving and taking heavy blows.


    Arrows of fire rain and blade-like wind feathers crashed against each other violently, grinding, spiritual power surging, and light flickering on and off.


    The surrounding rocks were blasted into dust.


    And in the instant when the Fire Buddha left to face Gu Changhuai,


    The eagerly waiting Mo Hua jumped down from the top of the giant Demon Monster statue, stepping lightly on the altar revered as a deity by the Fire Buddha and landed nimbly.


    On the other side, Gu Changhuai and the Fire Buddha were fiercely fighting.


    Mo Hua, relying on his memory, came to the brick where the Fire Buddha had hidden his things, his delicate little hand tapped thrice, and with a pull of Divine Sense,


    As expected, he fished out two books.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t have time to look closely, hurriedly stuffing them into his Storage Ring. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once inside the Storage Ring, they were his possessions, and no one else could find them!


    Mo Hua thrilled in his heart. The Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual obtained!


    A great success!


    This mission was more than half accomplished. All that was left was to devise a plan to finish off the Fire Buddha¡­


    Mo Hua secretly glanced at the Fire Buddha, who was engaged in battle with Gu Changhuai, his gaze flashing with cunning.


    The gears in his head were turning, scheming non-stop¡­

 Chapter 1011 - 1011 654 Water Poison (Thank you Wood White

    ?Chapter 1011: Chapter 654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~) Chapter 1011: Chapter 654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~) Mo Hua calculated in his heart.


    First of all, he couldn¡¯t kill the Fire Buddha by himself.


    Unless there was a First Grade Large Formation here that would let him break apart, and then it would also need the Fire Buddha inside the Large Formation. Only when he finished drawing the Reversed Spirit Formation and crushed him to death¡­


    Otherwise, even if the Fire Buddha just stood there and let himself be hit, he might not be able to kill him with all his Spiritual Power exhausted.


    The disparity in cultivation was just too great¡­


    Given the circumstances, the only option would be to ¡°use a borrowed knife to kill.¡±


    Use Uncle Gu, this ¡°knife,¡± to kill the Fire Buddha, the Demon Cultivator.


    As long as he could kill the Fire Buddha, Uncle Gu probably wouldn¡¯t mind being used as a ¡°knife¡±¡­


    He was also helping him!


    Mo Hua sized up the two people who were fighting with their spells once again.


    Uncle Gu¡¯s cultivation was higher than that of the Fire Buddha, but he had to suppress his cultivation, so he was fighting with his hands tied.


    The Fire Buddha was different; he could use his full strength, casting spells without any restraint.


    Flames roared, covering the entire mountain.


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Peak, and it seemed he was only a step away from reaching the Golden Core.


    And his Spiritual Power, bolstered by the twin flame hearts in his chest, was nearly as good as Uncle Gu¡¯s¡­


    He had just taken a Blood Pill, restoring his Blood Qi and Spiritual Power.


    Meanwhile, his Evil Qi, though insufficient to instill fear in Uncle Gu, was subtly affecting Uncle Gu¡¯s mind.


    Continuing this way, the outcome of the battle was really hard to predict¡­


    After pondering for a while, Mo Hua made some calculations in his heart, then continued to approach Uncle Gu and the Fire Buddha while remaining hidden.


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll break his Evil Qi¡­¡±


    Mo Hua muttered silently to himself.


    Evil Qi seemed to be of no use to him.


    His Divine Sense had undergone a Transformation, his Divine Thought had been through countless battles, and he had swallowed plenty of ghosts, corpses, Demon Monsters, so Evil Qi wouldn¡¯t affect him.


    But Uncle Gu was different.


    He wasn¡¯t a Formation Master, and though his Divine Sense was strong, it was untempered and easily eroded by Evil Qi, leading to impulsiveness and restlessness, so his strength was indeed affected.


    Breaking the Evil Qi would weaken the Fire Buddha a little, and Uncle Gu would become a bit stronger.


    And the key to breaking the Evil Qi¡­ lay in the eyes.


    This was Mo Hua¡¯s guess.


    He didn¡¯t understand Evil Qi very well.


    But based on his research of Divine Sense, Divine Thought, and some causality, he deduced that since Evil Qi could invoke fear, it was a kind of Qi that existed between ¡°Heaven and Earth¡¯s Qi¡± and ¡°Divine Sense¡¯s Thought.¡±


    And to be able to turn killing into Evil Qi.


    This indicated there was a hint of causality¡¯s rules involved.


    In Mo Hua¡¯s perception, the Fire Buddha¡¯s entire body was enshrouded in spells of flame that carried Evil Qi. This must be what the Fire Buddha referred to as ¡°Transform killing into Evil, refine Evil with spells¡­¡±


    But he also had to rely on cultivating Buddhism to suppress the Evil Qi, to prevent it from backfiring and disturbing his Divine Sense.


    That suggested that Evil Qi itself was also related to ¡°Divine Thought.¡±


    Divine Sense resides in the Sea of Consciousness.


    The eyes are the windows to Divine Thought.


    Hence, the place where Evil Qi gathers most and fluctuates most violently must be the eyes.


    Mo Hua sneaked another glance at the Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes.


    Within the Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes, fierce flames burned, and amidst the fire¡¯s brilliance was a thick, murky gas, the mere sight of which filled one¡¯s heart with fear.


    Ordinary cultivators, looked upon by him, would most likely feel frightened and become ¡°lamb¡¯s to the slaughter¡±¡­


    During the battle, Uncle Gu also dared not look into the Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes for long, clearly very wary of those eyes of Fire and Evil Qi.


    So Mo Hua patiently waited for an opportunity.


    Elsewhere, the battle between Gu Changhuai and the Fire Buddha continued in a deadlock, with fire and Wind Blades flying everywhere.


    Gu Changhuai used his Wind-Riding Feather Transformation Art, and as he waved his folding fan, transformed gusts into Wind Blades, sending them hurtling towards the Fire Buddha.


    Any Wind Blade that came within a zhang of the Fire Buddha was blocked by a ¡°wall of fire.¡±


    This wall of fire, using flames as ¡°bricks,¡± interlaced with golden lines running vertically and horizontally, looked like a giant flaming kasaya.


    That must be one of the Fire Buddha¡¯s attached defensive spells on his kasaya.


    The wall of fire would neutralize most of the Wind Blades. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The remaining Wind Blades were then dodged by the Fire Buddha using his movement technique.


    However, the Fire Buddha¡¯s movement technique was not very agile.


    And his kasaya defense also had gaps.


    After another dozen rounds or so.


    Mo Hua finally saw an opening.


    In the moment when the Fire Buddha had just used his wall of fire to neutralize several dozen Wind Blades, then, with his movement technique, dodged a few Wind Blades, with his Spiritual Power not yet fully cycled and his footsteps just coming to a stop.


    Mo Hua extended a hand and pointed.


    A dazzling streak of gold light shot out instantly, striking the Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes.


    This was a basic Spell: the Gold Light Skill.


    It was something Mo Hua had gained from robbing Sin Cultivators, and since it wasn¡¯t difficult, he had casually learned it.


    Mo Hua still remembered Elder Yi of the Taixu Gate¡¯s guidance in the Daoist Skill.


    Integrate thousands of spells into one¡¯s self.


    The art of utilization lies within the heart.


    That was the essence of the ¡°proficiency in all spells.¡±


    A spell didn¡¯t just rely on power, but also its function.


    This Gold Light Skill didn¡¯t have much power, but it contained a pure essence of Gold-series Spiritual Power that was extremely dazzling and particularly harmful to a cultivator¡¯s eyes.


    Hitting other parts was like a tickle.


    But hitting the eyes was extremely painful.


    It was a sinister spell with strong ¡°localized¡± destructive capabilities.


    The Fire Buddha could never have expected that there would be someone else on this altar, let alone be blindsided by an ambush.


    Even if he had suspected it, in that moment between halts in the cycle of Spiritual Power and movement technique, he couldn¡¯t dodge.


    And Mo Hua¡¯s spell was exceedingly fast.


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes were pierced by the gold light, leaving two trails of bloody tears. Each blink was painful, and his sight was somewhat blurred.


    The somber Evil Qi around his body also dissipated quite a bit.


    The Fire Buddha was both shocked and angry.

 Chapter 1012 - 1012 654 Water Poison (Thank you Wood White

    ?Chapter 1012: Chapter 654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_2 Chapter 1012: Chapter 654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_2 ¡°Who is the despicable villain that dares to launch a stealth attack?¡±


    His vision obscured, he swept the area with his Divine Sense, but all around was a void of whiteness, save for the raging Spiritual Power of Gu Changhuai. There were no traces of any other Cultivators.


    ¡°No one?¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s heart shuddered.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze also became sharp, and he felt a chill in his heart.


    That Taoist Skill just now¡­ was it the Gold Light Skill?


    Mo Hua?


    Gu Changhuai gently swept his Divine Sense and indeed found, in a corner, a vague and sneaky little figure.


    He had the Divine Sense of a Golden Core, but could only make out an outline.


    It seemed unbelievable to Gu Changhuai.


    This child¡­


    He can use the Gold Light Skill too?


    And the timing of his attack was¡­ too perfect¡­


    Gu Changhuai was taken aback, then realized the evil Qi around Fire Buddha had dissipated, and he understood Mo Hua¡¯s intention.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze darkened, and without hesitation, he directly manipulated the Spell, continuing his assault on Fire Buddha.


    In this evenly matched battle, any slight variable could change the outcome.


    Now with Mo Hua¡¯s assistance, the balance was broken. The battle-hardened Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t need to say more; he knew what to do next.


    Moreover, only by completely suppressing Fire Buddha could Mo Hua be safer.


    Otherwise, with Mo Hua¡¯s small frame, if Fire Buddha were to locate him, just a slight impact from a Spell could mean more harm than good¡­


    With this thought, Gu Changhuai¡¯s aura surged, and Wind Blades flew like a shower of arrows, piercing through the air.


    Fire Buddha suddenly felt the pressure double.


    He extended his Divine Sense to find the ¡°sinister villain¡± who had ambushed him, but Gu Changhuai, with his ruthless attacks, forced him to hastily counter and didn¡¯t allow him a moment¡¯s distraction to deal with Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua nodded.


    As expected of Uncle Gu, without needing to speak, you knew what to do.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes burned with pain.


    Although relying on his high Cultivation and profound Spiritual Power for quick flesh regeneration, he soon regained his sight; he could no longer concentrate evil Qi with his eyes.


    As soon as he gathered evil Qi, his eyes would sting like they were being pricked with needles.


    And¡­


    He would be ambushed!


    Whenever his gaze focused to gather evil Qi, as if cursed, a beam of gold light would come and sting his eyes.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Anger surged within Fire Buddha.


    Without the evil Qi, Gu Changhuai had one less thing to worry about, and he himself was at a disadvantage.


    But the fight could still go on¡­


    In a life-and-death battle, fortunes could turn in the blink of an eye, and no one could predict the victor until the last moment.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s killing intent flared again.


    He wanted to kill Gu Changhuai.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t kill Gu Changhuai, he had to slaughter the ¡°sinister villain¡± hiding in the shadows.


    His Spell wasn¡¯t powerful; he must be at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Unsure how he was hiding, but as long as he showed himself, he would be burnt to ash by falling fire, undoubtedly a dead man!


    Fire Buddha sneered.


    Then he continued his fight with Gu Changhuai.


    But as the battle went on, Fire Buddha realized something was wrong.


    There were other Spells¡­


    Not just the Gold Light Skill, but also the Water Prison Technique, Quicksand Skill, and other various Five Elements Spells, all swift and precise, like threading a needle, ¡°backstabbing¡± him.


    These Spells weren¡¯t powerful and were limited in their effects due to their low grade.


    But limited as they might be, they still took effect.


    Whenever he tried to dodge or counter Gu Changhuai¡¯s Spells, these ¡°annoying¡± Spells would hold him back.


    Fire Buddha was exasperated, cursing silently in his heart.


    What kind of despicable person was this?


    Not learning proper Spells, but instead mastering all sorts of annoying tricks¡­


    ¡°Fortunately, these Spells are low-grade and not much of a threat, otherwise¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha thought but suddenly felt a sinking feeling beneath his feet, and the ground shook.


    He looked down and his pupils constricted.


    Beneath his feet, a pool of ink had appeared out of nowhere, seeped into the ground, and began to outline lines of earthy gray Patterns, forming a¡­


    Formation?!


    Fire Buddha was incredulous.


    Where did this Formation come from?!


    The ground had been clear just moments ago; how had a Formation suddenly appeared?


    It was as if a ghost had been Drawing the Formation¡­


    And judging by these Formation Patterns¡­ a Second Grade, Middle-level Formation?


    Fire Buddha¡¯s heart sank.


    A Second Grade, Middle-level Formation could threaten a Cultivator in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    Just as he thought to employ his movement technique to escape the Formation, a flash of gray light appeared beneath his feet, Spiritual Power flowed rapidly, and in an instant, the Formation activated. The ground rose into a cage, trapping Fire Buddha where he stood.


    Bagu Mountain Trapping Formation!


    This Trapping Formation could hold a Cultivator in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, and although the control duration would be shortened, it was enough to restrain him for five or six breaths.


    At that moment, Gu Changhuai seized the opportunity, spurred his Spiritual Power, and launched hundreds of Wind Blades, like a violent storm, bombarding Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha could only brace himself, spread his Kasaya, and condense it into a ¡°fire wall.¡±


    Wind Blades collided with the fire wall, creating bursts of Spiritual Power, rising and falling.


    But there were too many Wind Blades, and the fire wall couldn¡¯t withstand them.


    After a short moment, the incessant Wind Blades shattered the fire wall, and the remaining blades engulfed Fire Buddha.


    Where the Wind Blades struck, rocks shattered, and smoke billowed.


    As the dust cleared, Fire Buddha¡¯s form was revealed.


    He looked utterly disheveled, his Kasaya covered in many more slashes, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his energy hadn¡¯t weakened too much.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly:


    ¡°This Fire Buddha is really tough¡­¡±


    With profound Evil Power and a strong defense from the Kasaya¡­


    After fighting for so long, he still hadn¡¯t met his demise.


    Fire Buddha spat out a mouthful of blood disdainfully and sneered sinisterly:


    ¡°Gu Changhuai, I didn¡¯t expect you to find help.¡±


    Gu Changhuai did not respond.

 Chapter 1013 - 1013 654 Water Poison (Thank you Wood White

    ?Chapter 1013: Chapter 654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_3 Chapter 1013: Chapter 654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_3 Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze was somber and somewhat perplexing, ¡°When exactly did you set up the Formation¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai had an expressionless face but couldn¡¯t help thinking to himself,


    ¡°How would I know¡­¡±


    The Formation wasn¡¯t set up by him.


    He hadn¡¯t even seen how Mo Hua managed to lay the Formation under Fire Buddha¡¯s feet.


    This youngster¡¯s Formation techniques were truly insidious¡­


    Fire Buddha wanted to say something more, but Gu Changhuai had already grasped his folding fan, controlling his Spell, and continued his assault.


    Fire Buddha had no choice but to keep battling.


    But the situation was increasingly unfavorable for him.


    While he had to engage with Gu Changhuai, the Golden Core Steward, he also had to guard against various sinister Spells.


    Even more so, he had to watch his step to avoid the inexplicable Formations that appeared unknown when¡­


    ¡°Defeat is certain¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha instantly judged in his heart.


    When Cultivators duel with their magic, if the situation becomes a stalemate, any variable that arises could be the last straw that breaks the camel¡¯s back.


    And now, there were far more than just one straw.


    It was becoming a growing pile.


    If this went on, he would indeed fall into the trap of that despicable person lurking in the shadows and lose his life at the hands of Gu Changhuai.


    ¡°Better to retreat and regroup than lose everything¡­¡±


    He had to escape before his strength was utterly depleted!


    Fire Buddha suddenly stirred his Evil Power, sweeping up a surge of bloody rain as he attacked Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s complexion darkened, and he had no choice but to retreat.


    Taking advantage of this gap, Fire Buddha used his movement technique and transformed into a blaze of firelight, arriving before the altar.


    He tried to pick up the Secret Manual hidden in the bricks with his hand, but when his Divine Sense swept across, he found that the space inside the bricks was empty¡­


    Fire Buddha was shocked in his heart.


    ¡°Gone?!¡±


    He looked up again, examining his surroundings, his pupils violently shaking.


    Around him, the Formation had been drawn with blue and green Spiritual Ink, unbeknownst when, creating a complex array.


    This Formation was different from the previous ones, clearly more profound.


    And within the Formation, Water Qi was misty, which covertly restrained his own Fire Spiritual Power.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s face turned pale.


    Mo Hua, however, had a bright glint in his eye and a hint of a triumphant smile at the corner of his mouth.


    Second Grade Sixteen Patterns, Yimu Water Poison Complex Formation.


    This was a Formation Mo Hua had carefully chosen earlier for Fire Buddha, designed specifically to ambush him at a critical moment.


    He had exchanged this Complex Formation from the Tai Xu Merit Pavilion.


    This was the most restraining Formation against Fire Buddha that Mo Hua could learn for now.


    Yimu Water Poison combined Water and Wood elements, blending the Five Elements together, with Water acting as a poison infused into Yimu Spiritual Power.


    Water restrains Fire, while Wood generates Fire.


    The so-called ¡°Water Poison¡± was not real poison but referred to the yin-cold Water Spiritual Power, which was difficult to eradicate, acting like ¡°poison¡±.


    By infusing ¡°Water Poison¡± into ¡°Yimu¡±, on one hand, it could use the Water Poison to counter Fire Buddha¡¯s Evil Fire Power.


    On the other hand, the Yimu Spiritual Power that had assimilated Water Poison would, while nurturing the Fire Spiritual Power, also deeply embed the Water Poison within it.


    Thus, the Water Poison would infinitely cycle.


    And Water and Fire were incompatible, mutually repelling.


    Fire Buddha would then suffer from the torment of both watery coldness and fiery heat, and in the short term, it would be difficult to eradicate.


    The only problem with this Formation was that it took too long to draw.


    The Second Grade Sixteen Patterns Complex Formation was a bit beyond Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense abilities.


    But fortunately, after a qualitative change, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense had become strong and tenacious, capable of drawing even the more difficult Formations.


    Because the Formation was complex, controlling the Drawing Formation was very slow.


    Drawing slowly, he was naturally liable to be perceived by Fire Buddha, who could then dodge in advance.


    And with Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense, he only had one chance.


    If he failed, all his efforts would be wasted.


    So, Mo Hua ¡°gambled¡±.


    He reckoned Fire Buddha would surely return to the altar to retrieve the Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual.


    Therefore, he anticipated in advance, creating this Complex Formation near the storage brick.


    And Fire Buddha indeed did not ¡°disappoint¡± Mo Hua¡¯s expectations, actually returning to retrieve his Meteor Fire Skill Secret Manual, which was already in Mo Hua¡¯s possession.


    The storage space was empty, nothing inside but the Formation lying in wait.


    In the moment of Fire Buddha¡¯s stunned shock, Mo Hua pointed a finger, detonating the Yimu Water Poison Complex Formation.


    Blue Water and Green Wood Spiritual Power suddenly exploded.


    Yimu Spiritual Power surged, Water Poison wriggled like two spiritual snakes merging, ceaselessly biting at Fire Buddha in the middle of the Formation.


    Faced with crisis, Fire Buddha hurriedly activated the Kasaya to protect his body.


    But his Kasaya already had numerous tears.


    Water and Wood Spiritual Power attacked like venomous snakes, biting into his flesh and injecting the ¡°Spiritual Power poison¡± into his bloodstream.


    Fire Buddha felt a sudden wave of bone-chilling cold.


    The agony of both Water and Fire was unbearable.


    At the same time, his body¡¯s Evil Fire, stimulated by the ¡°Yimu Spiritual Power¡±, grew even more fierce.


    But this Yimu Spiritual Power was intermixed with Water Poison.


    So, the more his Evil Fire blazed, the deeper the Water Poison took root.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s face turned green, then blue, and occasionally red, appearing exceedingly strange.


    But ultimately, he was at the Peak of Foundation Establishment, his Evil Power was overwhelming, and he forcibly used his Cultivation to suppress the Water Poison within his body. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the Water Poison was suppressed, he could still feel his movements slowing down, his reactions also delayed, and the Water Poison steadily consuming his Spiritual Power.


    Fire Buddha felt both horrified and panicked in his heart.


    ¡°Five Elements Generation and Restraint, the flow of the Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°This was an extremely profound application of Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Who exactly is it?!¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze turned fierce, for at that moment he finally sensed someone nearby, seemingly due to excessive consumption of Divine Sense, revealing faint traces of presence.

 Chapter 1014 - 1014 654 Water Poison (Thank you Wood White

    ?Chapter 1014: Chapter 654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_4 Chapter 1014: Chapter 654 Water Poison (Thank you, Wood White Gold Jade boss for the alliance~)_4 Fire Buddha gritted his teeth, waved his hand, and a streak of flame tore through the sky. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beforehand, Mo Hua had used Divine Sense Control Ink to draw several Formations.


    At this moment, after finishing the Yimu Water Poison Complex Formation, his Divine Sense became somewhat sluggish. His Concealment Technique also revealed a flaw, and it was then that Fire Buddha detected his presence.


    Since it came to that, he no longer hid.


    The flame struck a mountain rock, but Mo Hua had already used the Water Passing Step to dodge, and then he landed lightly, revealing his figure.


    Fire Buddha frowned upon seeing such a petite figure.


    ¡°A dwarf Cultivator?¡±


    As Mo Hua¡¯s figure became clearer, Fire Buddha took another look and his pupils violently shook, his eyes widening.


    ¡°Not a dwarf, a¡­ child?!¡±


    And¡­


    He knew this child?!


    Fire Buddha instantly recalled.


    It was the young Cultivator who had seen through the identities of his four companions at the teahouse outside Bishan City!


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze stalled, muttering,


    ¡°How is this possible¡­¡±


    How could it be¡­


    That insignificant Foundation Establishment runt from back then?!


    It was a freaking joke!


    Fire Buddha trembled inwardly.


    He stared hard at Mo Hua. ¡°Is your Stealth Technique from Hidden Elder-Second¡¯s Five Elements Stealth Technique? Did Hidden Elder-Second also fall to your hands?¡±


    Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Fire Buddha frowned.


    At that moment, he suddenly felt a shock, looked down, and noticed that more Spiritual Ink was flowing at his feet, and another Formation was taking shape¡­


    A boundless rage surged in his heart. Fire Buddha¡¯s face turned ashen with overflowing Evil Qi, coming close to breaking his Buddhist cultivation mindset.


    ¡°This little brat¡­ too arrogant?!¡±


    Was he plotting against him even in the brief moment of conversation?!


    Indeed, Mo Hua was Drawing another Formation.


    His Divine Sense recovered quickly; in that short span, his Divine Sense had regained a bit. Thinking nothing else to do, he took the chance to draw another hidden Formation while Fire Buddha was talking.


    Unfortunately, Fire Buddha noticed it¡­


    This Fire Buddha was truly vigilant.


    Fire Buddha suppressed the Water Poison within him, took a deep breath, and hastily moved away.


    Mo Hua sighed and could only shout,


    ¡°Uncle Gu!¡±


    Before the words fell, Gu Changhuai¡¯s Wind Blade arrived.


    Gu Changhuai was also feeling emotional turmoil.


    He didn¡¯t know what kind of Formation Mo Hua had laid out.


    But Fire Buddha¡¯s face was turning shades of blue and green, apparently not in the right state. It was the perfect time to strike him while he was down.


    Gu Changhuai once again engaged in battle with Fire Buddha.


    Mo Hua watched from the side, his mind calculating clearly.


    The Yimu Water Poison Complex Formation alone wouldn¡¯t kill Fire Buddha.


    But the Water Poison would slow down his speed, delay his response, and, with the conflict of water and fire, inflict pain, causing Fire Buddha¡¯s Spiritual Power to run chaotically.


    In this way, it would be much easier for Uncle Gu to finish off Fire Buddha.


    And all he had to do was stay far away and watch Fire Buddha die.


    There was no need for him to act, lest Fire Buddha, desperate like a cornered beast, self-destruct before dying and affect him¡­


    The situation was indeed as such.


    Fire Buddha was being oppressed by Gu Changhuai, unable to catch his breath.


    He felt indignant but was helpless.


    He never imagined falling to a kid with whom he had but one encounter¡­


    Without him, even if he couldn¡¯t beat Gu Changhuai, he had prepared means sufficient to escape.


    Not like now, cornered in this altar, stabbed in the eye by a Spell, trapped by a Formation, poisoned¡­


    ¡°Damn you, little devil!!¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s face was filled with killing intent.


    But his anger was pointless, with Mo Hua watching him like a tiger eyeing its prey. He couldn¡¯t escape the altar, and his wounds were gradually worsening; he was becoming increasingly unable to suppress the Water Poison¡­


    Fire Buddha could only rely on his profound Evil Power to barely keep going.


    Seeing that in another half an hour he would be completely drained, dying on the altar.


    At this moment, a powerful vibration came from above the Demon Palace.


    Within it, there was an uncountable number of Formation Patterns clashing and the scent of Formation explosions.


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression shifted.


    The Demon Palace had activated its self-destruct Formation?


    He turned his head towards Fire Buddha and saw on Fire Buddha¡¯s face an expression of resignation to death.


    The dying Fire Buddha, his face covered in blood, smiled grotesquely:


    ¡°You all will join me in burial here¡­¡±

 Chapter 1015 - 1015 655 Turning Evil into Falling Fire

    ?Chapter 1015: Chapter 655: Turning Evil into Falling Fire Chapter 1015: Chapter 655: Turning Evil into Falling Fire Above the altar, the trembling gradually intensified, and debris was already falling in droves.


    Gu Changhuai frowned.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze sharpened and he immediately said,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, the Formation has started destroying itself, the Demon Palace is going to collapse!¡±


    ¡°How much longer?¡±


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to estimate the spiritual power volume of the collapsing Formation, ¡°Less than 30 minutes¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai clenched his teeth.


    He very much wanted to block Fire Buddha at the altar right then and there, to completely eliminate the future threat.


    But Fire Buddha, seemingly cornered and slowed by the Water Poison, his breath weakening, was not truly at the end of his rope.


    Such Demon Cultivators were notoriously difficult to kill¡­


    30 minutes would not be enough to finish him off.


    Moreover, Mo Hua was also within this altar¡­


    Even if he wished to take the risk and forcibly kill Fire Buddha, he had to consider Mo Hua¡¯s safety.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s Formation talents, his future was boundless; he couldn¡¯t be left behind to be buried with a monstrous beast like Fire Buddha!


    Escape first!


    Gu Changhuai gave Fire Buddha a cold look and immediately said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t hesitate.


    Although the altar felt as though it had been built just for him, sitting there was very comfortable and its damage a pity,


    He didn¡¯t wish to be buried with it in this gloomy Demon¡¯s Cave.


    His own life was more important.


    Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai then activated their movement techniques together, one figure like the wind, the other transforming into flowing water, both fleeing with all their might towards the outside of the altar.


    Fire Buddha intentionally lingered a while, until Gu Changhuai and Mo Hua were far away, before he took a Blood Abnormality Pill and swallowed it.


    Streams of Blood Qi and Evil Power surged into his blood vessels.


    ¡°Trying to kill me¡­ won¡¯t be that easy¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha let out a cold laugh, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.


    Then he used the power of the Pill to suppress the Water Poison and activated his movement technique; his figure, wrapped in firelight, fled out of the altar.


    Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai left the altar and came to the great hall.


    Inside the great hall, it was similarly in disarray, and scattered figures abounded.


    Some Taoist Court Official Cultivators were still fighting against fragmented Demon Cultivators.


    Some Enforcement Leaders gave chase to kill the Demon Cultivators.


    Others saw the Demon Palace shaking and stood, bewildered, not knowing what to do.


    Gu Changhuai frowned and coldly ordered, ¡°Everyone, evacuate the Demon Palace!¡±


    Then he grabbed Mo Hua with one hand and began to dash out together.


    Gu Changhuai was a Golden Core Cultivator, and also practiced Wind Escape Skill.


    Mo Hua¡¯s movement technique was far less swift than his.


    Moreover, at this moment, with the Demon Palace on the brink of collapse, chaos reigned, with stray Demon Cultivators around as well as panicked Enforcement Leaders, and occasionally huge stones fell from above.


    Gu Changhuai was more at ease holding onto Mo Hua personally.


    Thus, Mo Hua, with a helpless expression, was carried by the tall and slender Gu Changhuai, with the scenery rapidly flashing by.


    Shouts, howls, the sounds of falling rocks, and occasionally the clashing sounds of Cultivators¡¯ weapons filled his ears, adding to the incessant turmoil. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The altar sank, the great hall collapsed, followed by the Maze falling to ruin, and then from inside to outside, from the central hall to the outer hall, the Formation destroyed itself layer by layer, the Demon Palace collapsing¡­


    Who knows how long it took, but Mo Hua¡¯s vision shifted, and he realized they had come outside of the Demon¡¯s Cave.


    The sky was expansive, and mountain mists lingered.


    Around them were Bishan City¡¯s towering hills and steep ridges.


    Mo Hua looked back to see the lone peak that concealed the Demon¡¯s Cave collapsing inwards like snow melting in hot soup, accompanied by a tremendous roar.


    And at the entrance of the Demon¡¯s Cave, many Cultivators were emerging in a frantic escape.


    Most of them were Taoist Court Official Cultivators, with a few being Demon Cultivators.


    The two factions, having just escaped from the Demon Palace, began to struggle against each other once again.


    Some Demon Cultivators took advantage of the chaos in an attempt to escape, but Gu Changhuai blocked the stone bridge and killed any that emerged.


    Mo Hua stayed hidden nearby, discreetly using Spells to control the Demon Cultivators.


    If any escaped Gu Changhuai¡¯s immediate reach, Mo Hua would use the Water Prison Technique or the Gen Mountain Formation to trap them.


    Then Gu Changhuai would finish them off.


    After killing about a dozen Demon Cultivators this way, a blood-red figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the Demon Palace.


    It was Fire Buddha.


    He had also escaped.


    As soon as Fire Buddha got out, the whole mountain peak ¡°boomed¡± and collapsed entirely, burying the entire Demon Palace and the bizarre altar within.


    Those Cultivators who couldn¡¯t escape in time were also buried.


    Gu Changhuai seethed with hate, then turned to Fire Buddha with a murderous intent and instructed:


    ¡°All Enforcement Leaders, guard the stone bridge, don¡¯t let this monstrosity Fire Buddha get away!¡±


    Afterward, a fierce wind whipped up around him as he took the lead and charged toward Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha let out a cold laugh and again cast Meteor Fire Skill, conjuring a dense hail of fire to oppose Gu Changhuai¡¯s Wind Blades, clashing violently.


    Other Taoist Court Official Cultivators, some guarded the stone bridge, some fought against other Demon Cultivators, and some supported Gu Changhuai from the periphery.


    Mo Hua watched for a while and frowned slightly.


    This Fire Buddha¡­


    In such a short span, he appeared to have suppressed the Water Poison, healed most of his injuries, and regained much of his Evil Power¡­


    As hard to kill as a cockroach¡­


    The situation was looking grim.


    Then, in the midst of the battle, Fire Buddha suddenly bypassed Gu Changhuai, his body wreathed in fierce flames, and aimed a palm strike at an unsuspecting Enforcement Leader, trying to take his life.


    Gu Changhuai moved to rescue, disrupting his offensive momentarily.


    Fire Buddha used this respite to breathe, a cold and sinister smile forming at the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°At the altar, you didn¡¯t kill me; now it¡¯s already too late¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression changed, and he turned to look.


    He saw Fire Buddha crush a luxurious jade rune on the spot.


    Instantly, a fierce wind enveloped in intense flames whirled around Fire Buddha, and his figure¡¯s speed increased by more than a notch.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s pupils constricted.


    ¡°A top-grade Rune¡­ A Ten Thousand Miles Divine Travel Rune?!¡±

 Chapter 1016 - 1016 655 Transforming Evil into Falling

    ?Chapter 1016: Chapter 655: Transforming Evil into Falling Fire_2 Chapter 1016: Chapter 655: Transforming Evil into Falling Fire_2 In just an instant, Fire Buddha had moved like a raging fire, darting past Gu Changhuai and creating a distance of several meters.


    In the blink of an eye, he had gained another several meters.


    Gu Changhuai shouted harshly, ¡°Stop him!¡±


    All the Enforcement Leaders, upon hearing this command, their expressions turned serious. They raised their swords and closed in, forming an impenetrable defense at the entrance of the stone bridge, blocking Fire Buddha¡¯s path.


    Fire Buddha focused his gaze, and fire from the meteor he rode erupted around him, as he began to launch a fierce assault.


    Once he broke through the defense and left the stone bridge behind, he would be like a dragon entering the sea, free and unbound.


    Fire Buddha clashed fiercely with the Enforcement Leaders.


    His eyes were damaged, thus he could not unleash the full extent of his Evil Qi; he could only intimidate simply, unable to instill fear in the hearts of the Taoist Court cultivators.


    However, relying on the torrent of Evil Power and the formidable might of Forbidden Techniques, he was slowly breaking through the encirclement.


    On the other side, Gu Changhuai was also rushing over with all his might.


    Just as Gu Changhuai was about to arrive, Fire Buddha was nearing the stone bridge entrance.


    With only a few Enforcement Leaders around, and a marshaling of the Godspeed Talisman, with a spark of his fiery energy, he could break free and ascend to the heavens.


    A cold and ruthless smile played upon Fire Buddha¡¯s face.


    At that moment, the ground beneath him quaked once more, and a familiar sensation came over him.


    Without looking, Fire Buddha knew.


    It was that damn Formation again!


    A glance from the corner of his eye confirmed that indeed there were grey Formation Patterns beneath his feet, converging into a stone cage, briefly binding him.


    This Formation was both precise and swift.


    Fire Buddha was infuriated.


    It must be that weird little ghost, hiding somewhere, striking from the shadows once more.


    In the brief moment, the Trapping Formation took to form, Fire Buddha¡¯s movements were hindered, and immediately several Taoist Court¡¯s Enforcement Leaders sealed in and attacked.


    One of them shouted, ¡°Fire Buddha, meet your death!¡±


    He was young, handsome, and well-dressed in a fresh Taoist Court uniform¡ªa prodigy from the Xiao family¡¯s Direct Lineage, Xiao Tianquan.


    He had yet to directly engage Fire Buddha in battle.


    Now, at the final moment, he burst forth to deliver this one sword strike.


    This sword strike was formidable; Spiritual Power overflowed, and indeed, it landed on Fire Buddha¡¯s left shoulder.


    But Fire Buddha was no ordinary foe; with a wave of his right hand, Evil Fire spread out, burning Xiao Tianquan¡¯s left arm, forcing him to retreat and revealing half his body.


    Gu Changhuai, who had caught up from behind, swung his folding fan with all his strength, unleashing several sharp Wind Blades that suddenly hit Fire Buddha¡¯s back, shredding his Kasaya to pieces.


    Fire Buddha endured Gu Changhuai¡¯s attack, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth, but a cold smile revealed itself on his lips. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He then activated the Ten Thousand Miles Divine Travel Rune, taking advantage of the half-exposed Xiao Tianquan, and like a fiery blaze, he made his escape.


    Mo Hua tried one last Water Prison Technique, but it was futile.


    Seeing Fire Buddha about to escape, Mo Hua was somewhat angry.


    This Xiao Tianquan, truly useless.


    Better for him to have stayed hidden, reaping the benefits of others¡¯ work.


    At the crucial moment, he leaped out, wanting to snatch the prize, that was fine, but then he should have at least killed Fire Buddha.


    Or, at the very least, fought to keep him there.


    As it was now, merely exchanging a few wounds with Fire Buddha and letting him get away, it was utterly insufficient for success and excessive in failure.


    Mo Hua was grumbling to himself when suddenly, his expression became startled.


    His Divine Sense was powerful, his gaze sharp, so in the midst of chaos he saw¡­


    The moment Fire Buddha escaped, he and Xiao Tianquan brushed past each other.


    And for an instant¡­


    Did they exchange a look?


    Xiao Tianquan, clutching his arm, had a somewhat strange look in his eyes.


    And Fire Buddha, looking at Xiao Tianquan, had an exceptionally calm expression.


    Without a word between them, it was only in a flash, but there was a slight crossing of their gazes.


    This feeling, it was as if¡­


    They were acquaintances?


    Mo Hua was inwardly shaken, but when he looked again, Xiao Tianquan¡¯s expression was now one of gravity, seemingly frustrated that Fire Buddha had escaped.


    While Fire Buddha had already turned into a streak of firelight, with the Ten Thousand Miles Divine Travel Rune, he had found his way to freedom.


    In a rage, Gu Changhuai, from behind, commanded loudly,


    ¡°Chase him!¡±


    He too transformed into a fierce gale, pursuing in the direction of Fire Buddha¡¯s escape, followed by several Taoist Court cultivators in his wake.


    Mo Hua watched Xiao Tianquan silently, his thoughts stirring.


    It seemed¡­


    There was a bigger fish¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua did not join Gu Changhuai in the chase after Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha was too fast, and he couldn¡¯t catch up; moreover, he did not possess enough Spiritual Power to sustain his movement technique over such a long chase.


    He stayed honestly in Bishan City, waiting for Uncle Gu¡¯s news, an opportunity to rest himself as well.


    The next morning, Gu Changhuai returned, weary and covered in dust.


    ¡°Fire Buddha escaped¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed deeply, his tone bitter.


    Mo Hua felt it a pity, but he wasn¡¯t surprised.


    A Demon Cultivator like Fire Buddha, with surging Evil Power, was difficult to kill unless thoroughly besieged and completely exhausted; otherwise, outside, there were too many variables, making it hard to finish him.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, what is a Ten Thousand Miles Divine Travel Rune?¡± Mo Hua asked quietly.


    Gu Changhuai looked surprised and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s an exceptional Rune, the top-tier rune used by cultivators below the Golden Core for traveling or fleeing¡­¡±


    ¡°Such runes are usually possessed only by large clans or noble families¡­¡±


    Mo Hua said, ¡°So the rune that Fire Buddha had, did he rob it, steal it, or was it¡­¡±


    Given to him by someone?


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t spell it out, but Gu Changhuai understood, his face growing solemn.


    Mo Hua glanced around and then said quietly, ¡°Uncle Gu, that Howling Celestial Dog¡­ Xiao Tianquan, seems to know Fire Buddha¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes hardened, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I saw it¡­¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°When Fire Buddha was escaping, he exchanged a look with Xiao Tianquan, a look that was like one between acquaintances¡­¡±

 Chapter 1017 - 1017 655 Transforming Evil Falling Fire_3

    ?Chapter 1017: Chapter 655: Transforming Evil Falling Fire_3 Chapter 1017: Chapter 655: Transforming Evil Falling Fire_3 Gu Changhuai frowned as he recalled the events of the previous day, not remembering that particular scene.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°It was very brief, just in the blink of an eye, but I caught it with my keen eyes!¡±


    Fire Buddha and Howling Celestial Dog were ¡°conveying messages through glances!¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s brows furrowed tighter, he pondered for a moment but still shook his head.


    ¡°Logically, it¡¯s highly unlikely¡­¡±


    ¡°Fire Buddha is over two hundred years old, Xiao Tianquan is probably only in his twenties or thirties, the difference in their ages is vast. When Fire Buddha was notorious for his evil deeds, Xiao Tianquan wasn¡¯t even born yet¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that the two of them would have any connection¡­¡±


    ¡°With Fire Buddha¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t necessarily think highly of Xiao Tianquan¡­¡±


    Mo Hua spoke in a low voice, ¡°Could it be the Xiao family¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai pondered a bit more, then shook his head, ¡°In this encirclement of the Demon Palace, the Xiao family lost many people; these were the pillars of the Xiao family in the Taoist Court¡­¡±


    ¡°It would be self-destructive to eradicate their own foundation. Even if Xiao Tianquan wanted to do it, the old ancestor of the Xiao family would never agree¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, but still felt that something was amiss.


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s puzzled expression and not knowing what he was thinking, fearing he might do something inconceivable, Gu sighed,


    ¡°I will pay attention to this matter; you don¡¯t need to worry about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t mention it to outsiders, or if the Xiao family hears about it, they will definitely accuse you of ¡®spreading rumors and slandering the Xiao family¡¯, and give you trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°The Xiao family has significant influence in the Taoist Court, being targeted by them would hinder you at every turn, and life would become very difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmm!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded repeatedly,


    This matter indeed needed to be handled discreetly.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Uncle Gu, where exactly did Fire Buddha flee?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression turned grave, ¡°Beyond the Qianxue State Boundary, the exact location is still unclear, but I¡¯ve already notified the Taoist Courts in various Immortal Cities along the way to issue a wanted order to pursue and block him¡­¡±


    ¡°Hopefully, we can stop Fire Buddha¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai sighed.


    If Fire Buddha escaped and lurked outside the Qianxue State Boundary to recuperate and grow, coming back again would likely bring another storm of bloodshed.


    Numerous cultivators would suffer and die a horrible death.


    If he truly attained the Golden Core, the disaster would be immeasurable¡­


    Mo Hua also sighed, his mood heavy.


    ¡°So I¡­¡±


    Mo Hua wanted to say something else, but Gu Changhuai said,


    ¡°Stop worrying about it; go back to your Sect for cultivation soon¡­¡±


    ¡°The pursuit of Fire Buddha is both dangerous and lengthy; how much time can you afford to spend following it? You only have a total of seven days off, right?¡±


    ¡°Two days left!¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Is two days a lot? Qian State is so vast, chasing Fire Buddha wouldn¡¯t even allow enough time for travel¡­¡± Gu Changhuai coldly said.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Mo Hua still wanted to insist.


    Gu Changhuai decisively said, ¡°Tomorrow, I will arrange for someone to send you back to the Sect; focus on your cultivation.¡±


    Mo Hua was reticent to listen to him.


    Gu Changhuai then said, ¡°You just go back honestly; I¡¯ll think of a way to convert it into some merits for the Sect, since destroying the Demon Palace also counts as a significant achievement¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t go back, then we¡¯ll drop the matter.¡±


    Mo Hua immediately acquiesced, obediently saying,


    ¡°Alright, Uncle Gu, I will listen to you!¡±


    ¡­


    The next morning, Gu Changhuai hired a carriage to send Mo Hua back to the Sect.


    Originally, Gu Changhuai wanted to send two Enforcement Leaders with him.


    But Mo Hua did not want to be escorted by the Enforcement Leaders.


    One reason was, if he truly encountered danger, his own Concealment Technique was enough for him to escape.


    If he couldn¡¯t escape, then these two Enforcement Leaders wouldn¡¯t be able to save him either and might even endanger their lives as well.


    Another reason was that he wanted to take advantage of the time on the return trip to study the Meteor Fire Forbidden Art Secret Manual of Fire Buddha.


    And another one¡­


    ¡°The True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation!¡±


    When Mo Hua stole Fire Buddha¡¯s secret manuals, he had grabbed two books without looking closely and just stored them in his Storage Ring.


    Later, when Mo Hua returned, he secretly flipped through them and discovered that aside from Fire Buddha¡¯s ¡°Meteor Fire Forbidden Art,¡± there was also a book, which was indeed this ¡°The True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation!¡±


    This must be what Uncle Gu referred to as the unwritten legacy of the Sect of Demon.


    It was also the spell point used by Fire Buddha to ¡°invite evil into the method¡± and intimidate the Divine Soul.


    Mo Hua decided to ¡°critically examine¡± it.


    If there were parts worth referencing, he would ¡°extract the essence and discard the dregs¡± for study.


    If it really couldn¡¯t be learned, he would look for Fire Buddha¡¯s weaknesses from the Evil Qi. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it was too evil, then he would burn it, preventing it from harming others.


    But such a book must be perused secretly; he mustn¡¯t let the Taoist Court or Uncle Gu know, lest they think he was a ¡°bad person.¡±


    ¡­


    Amidst green mountains and waters, a carriage traveled leisurely.


    The Spirit Horse pulling the carriage knew the way.


    Mo Hua sat inside the carriage, quietly flipping through the two secret manuals treasured by Fire Buddha.


    First was ¡°The True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation.¡±


    Mo Hua flipped through it, his gaze deepening.


    True to its name, it was indeed a bloodthirsty and cruel Demon Sect scripture.


    According to the book, Evil Qi is also a kind of force between Heaven and Earth, lying between Spiritual Energy and Divine Thought, both tangible and intangible.


    The process of cultivating Evil Qi, simply put, is characterized by the word ¡°kill.¡±


    Killing numerous people, causing slaughter, accumulating grievances, and then converting these ¡°karmic killings¡± into Evil Qi through this true manual.


    The more people you kill, the deeper the Evil Qi.


    The stronger the people you kill, the heavier the Evil Qi.


    When facing enemies, just relying on the profound and terrifying Evil Qi could cause the opponent¡¯s liver and gallbladder to shatter, strike terror into their hearts, and lose the will to resist, leaving them at your mercy.

 Chapter 1018 - 1018 655 Turning the Evil Meteor Fire_4

    ?Chapter 1018: Chapter 655 Turning the Evil Meteor Fire_4 Chapter 1018: Chapter 655 Turning the Evil Meteor Fire_4 As he faced off against a skilled opponent, the Evil Qi could even erode the adversary¡¯s divine sense, allowing the Evil Qi to invade the body and drive them into madness or frenzy.


    In the great hall at the time, the Fire Buddha exploited the Evil Qi to ¡°terrorize¡± several Enforcement Leaders, then with a swipe of his fiery blade, he slaughtered them all.


    The Demon evilness was formidable in both group combat and single kills.


    ¡°To massacre a large number of people¡­¡±


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows and shook his head.


    With such a heavy blood debt, this was certainly not a path he could follow.


    However, what caught his interest was the process of ¡°transferring Evil Qi.¡±


    Transforming the ¡°blood debt¡± into ¡°Evil Qi.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This method seemed to contain elements similar to ¡°causal transformation.¡±


    Killing was the cause, Evil Qi the effect.


    Transform murderous intent into Evil Qi, transform cause into effect.


    It was as if it harnessed a thread of the rules of ¡°Heavenly secret karmic consequences,¡± then combined it with the actions of slaughter unique to the Demon Path, to create this spell point.


    After some thought, Mo Hua decided not to destroy this secret manual.


    He didn¡¯t have to cultivate the Evil Qi, but the process of ¡°transferring Evil Qi,¡± which involved the transformation of cause and effect, was worth exploring.


    And next was what Mo Hua anticipated most, the secret manual for the Meteor Fire Forbidden Art!


    The Meteor Fire Skill¡¯s manual was a thick stack, and rather than a manual, it seemed more like ¡°Forbidden Art research notes.¡±


    It was densely packed with text and illustrations, all relating to the records and cautions of the Forbidden Art.


    This included its taboos, drawbacks, and the difficult challenges that could not be easily overcome.


    Mo Hua glanced through and suddenly had an epiphany.


    The Meteor Fire Skill was a Forbidden Technique with immense spiritual power and devastating impact, but it also had extremely severe drawbacks.


    The Fire Buddha, in order to cultivate this spell, killed many people, integrating their flesh and spiritual power into himself, specifically into the two ¡°flaming hearts¡± in his chest.


    The more people he killed, the stronger the flaming hearts became, the more terrifying the spell¡¯s power, with an almost infinite supply of Evil Power.


    No wonder he looked like a Monster Beast bursting with demonic power.


    Hard to kill, and death would not come easy.


    Even if he was injured, as long as he continued to kill people, he would quickly recover.


    And those two hearts of his were, in fact, a pair of innately paired Evil Artifacts.


    They were also the embryos of a Golden Core Realm Cultivator¡¯s own Magical Treasure.


    Golden Core Cultivators would refine their own Magical Treasure.


    To advance from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, one must cultivate the embryo of their own Magical Treasure in advance.


    This was what the Instructor had told him during a Tao Cultivation class.


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s Magical Treasure embryo, his two ¡°flaming hearts,¡± was also the core of the Meteor Fire Forbidden Art.


    As for the Magical Treasure embryo, Mo Hua in his current state, still couldn¡¯t fully comprehend it.


    He was just at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, and some distance away from reaching the Golden Core Realm. Knowledge about cultivating his own Magical Treasure was not something he needed to delve into for the time being.


    As for the Fire Buddha¡¯s Meteor Fire Skill¡­


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t going to learn it, couldn¡¯t learn it, so there was no need to spend too much time pondering it.


    What he needed now was only a stable and controllable ¡°Skill Pattern.¡±


    And within the Fire Buddha¡¯s two flaming hearts, this pattern structure was contained.


    After all, those two ¡°hearts,¡± as embryos of his own Magical Treasure, were implanted into the cardiac veins ¨C if they were not stable, the Fire Buddha would have ¡°self-detonated¡± and perished long ago.


    ¡°Stable and controllable Skill Pattern!¡±


    Holding this objective, Mo Hua ¡°discarded the dross to extract the essence,¡± and focused on studying the pathways of Fire Spiritual Power flow within those two ¡°hearts¡± of the Fire Buddha.


    He also deduced several fundamental ¡°Skill Patterns¡± of Fire Spiritual Power flow based on these pathways, essentially ¡°drawing the gourd according to its model.¡±


    These Skill Patterns were all very complex, however.


    But Mo Hua was not afraid.


    His Divine Sense was strong, he didn¡¯t fear complex spells, the more complex the better.


    After deriving these Skill Patterns, Mo Hua, unable to contain his eagerness, sat in the carriage and experimented with each one.


    Starting with the simple Fireball Technique.


    Mo Hua began to condense the Fireball Technique, based on this complex ¡°Skill Pattern¡± that came from the Forbidden Technique, then launched it towards the ground.


    Through the entire process of shooting the Fireball, Mo Hua began to understand the variations of the Skill Pattern.


    How powerful it was, whether stable or controllable, whether the Skill Pattern was prone to instability, and so on¡­


    After about a dozen trials, Mo Hua finally found one, comparatively, the most stable and easiest to control Fireball Skill Pattern.


    Mo Hua was elated and really wanted to experiment with the Fireball fusion, and craft a ¡°Spiritual transformation¡± of the Fireball Technique to see its power.


    But after some thought, he held back.


    This wasn¡¯t the Sect, if he made a mistake and lost control of the spell, and injured himself, there wouldn¡¯t be an Elder to save him¡­


    Mo Hua suppressed his restless heart, thinking he would test the power of this spell after returning to the Sect.


    ¡­


    The carriage continued to amble along.


    The scenery on both sides of the road was pleasant, winding through the pathways between Spirit Fields, passing through Immortal Cities, and as evening approached, they arrived outside Qingcheng Mountain.


    Crossing the mountain and continuing a little longer, they would reach the Qianxue State Boundary.


    The setting sun painted the mountain, and the dusk sky was ablaze with color.


    Mo Hua leaned on the window, watching the sunset.


    As he watched, Mo Hua¡¯s heart abruptly lurched.


    The sunset resembled fresh blood.


    Mo Hua blinked, and when he looked again, the colorful clouds remained resplendent; the earlier ¡°bloody¡± vision was merely his illusion.


    Mo Hua felt uneasy.


    He tried using Heavenly secret Calculation, and at that moment, saw a bright red, fiery karmic chain that was like blood covering his body.


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils dilated, and without an iota of hesitation, he immediately leapt out of the carriage.


    In just a few breaths of time, the carriage he had been riding in exploded violently, a fierce fire engulfed it, reducing it to ashes.


    Mo Hua landed and looked forward, only to see a figure at the crossroads ahead.


    Tall and broad, with a kind face but clothed in blood-red Kasaya, his eyes ablaze with murderous intent.


    It was the Fire Buddha!


    His gaze was icy, his voice indifferent,


    ¡°Young benefactor, allow me to escort you on your journey!¡±

 Chapter 1019 - 1019 656 Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra

    ?Chapter 1019: Chapter 656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~) Chapter 1019: Chapter 656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~) Mo Hua¡¯s scalp tingled, but he forced a smile and said,


    ¡°Venerable, you¡¯re too kind. I can return to the Sect by myself; there¡¯s no need for you to send me off. The Taoist Court is after you, you should hurry and escape¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze sharpened slightly, the corners of his mouth carrying a smile, ¡°So, the person who impersonated ¡®Master Yuan¡¯ and spoke to me that day was indeed you!¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡±


    Mo Hua vehemently denied.


    But Fire Buddha had already made up his mind about him.


    ¡°The one who stole my ¡®True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation¡¯ and the ¡®Meteor Fire Forbidden Art¡¯ at the altar was also you, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face filled with confusion. ¡°Venerable, what are you talking about? I really don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s eyelids twitched.


    He had lived for so long yet had never seen such a shameless ¡°little benefactor.¡±


    Mo Hua offered a sheepish smile,


    ¡°Venerable, if you¡¯re not leaving, could you at least let me go¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha took a deep breath and said in a cold voice,


    ¡°Do you think you can walk away?¡±


    Seeing that Fire Buddha was not about to let him off, Mo Hua sighed and said helplessly,


    ¡°If you don¡¯t trouble my Uncle Gu, what¡¯s the point of picking on a child like me?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze turned sharp, ¡°Gu Changhuai is far inferior to you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    ¡°I might not be able to kill Gu Changhuai today, but I can kill him another day¡­¡±


    ¡°But you are different¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha stared intently at Mo Hua,


    ¡°Your Divine Sense is strong, your stealth is strong, and your Formation skills are strong; Your movements are unpredictable, your methods are inscrutable, and your mind is full of scheming¡­¡±


    ¡°And yet, you are only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage level. Given time, you will certainly become a major threat¡­¡±


    A cold intent to kill shone in Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes,


    ¡°I always have this premonition, that if I don¡¯t kill you today, sooner or later I will die at your hands!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyelids twitched and he attempted to force a smile,


    ¡°Venerable, you¡¯re overestimating me. I¡¯m of poor talent, not worthy of your concern¡­¡±


    But Fire Buddha had already firmly decided to kill him.


    He slowly walked towards Mo Hua, a compassionate look on his face which then revealed a cold smile.


    ¡°Little benefactor, you¡¯ve stolen my Meteor Fire Skill, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know how to use it¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha slowly extended his hand forward, evil power surging within him as flames rose.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you right now¡­¡±


    And in the instant Fire Buddha reached out, Mo Hua also raised his hand and tapped forward, activating a Manifesting Formation.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s pupils contracted.


    This time he saw it clearly.


    With a tap of Mo Hua¡¯s finger, Spiritual Ink shot through the air, swiftly winding on the ground, solidifying into Formation Patterns, and creating a Formation.


    Divine Sense Control Ink, touching the ground to create a Formation?!


    Fire Buddha gasped in shock.


    What kind of unbelievable Formation setup technique was this?


    Not even Master Yuan, nor any of the Formation Masters he had encountered or even heard of in his life, could casually create a Formation so effortlessly and without constraints.


    This child must die!


    Otherwise, once his cultivation increases even slightly and his Formation skills become stronger, he would undoubtedly become an unimaginable enemy!


    Fire Buddha¡¯s killing intent flared.


    Beneath his feet, a Formation materialized, creating the Gen Mountain Formation and trapping him in place.


    But in an instant, flames violently rose and completely destroyed the Gen Mountain Formation. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With the Formation broken, Mo Hua turned and bolted.


    He couldn¡¯t win!


    He had to flee!


    Fire Buddha sneered and continued the pursuit, but after only a few steps, another series of Formations activated under his feet, hampering his movements.


    Fire Buddha then realized that while he had been speaking with this youngster, Mo Hua had not been idle. Instead, he had silently set up so many Formations on the ground to delay him.


    ¡°Truly a cunning little devil¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha snorted coldly.


    He pushed his evil power to the limit, a barrage of fiery rain sweeping all around, and after an explosion, destroyed all the nearby Formations that Mo Hua had laid.


    Then, like a blaze of fire, he furiously chased after Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was startled and immediately sent a message to Gu Changhuai:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, save me!!¡±


    ¡°Fire Buddha is trying to kill me!!!¡±


    He then looked back and saw Fire Buddha closing in on him.


    He was at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, while Fire Buddha was at the Foundation Establishment Peak.


    The disparity in cultivation was too great.


    Although his Water Passing Step was exquisite, it was adept at short-range dodging and shifting but not particularly impressive for long-distance escapes and pursuits.


    Seeing that he was about to be caught by Fire Buddha, Mo Hua¡¯s body flowed like water, and he suddenly made a sharp turn, dodging past Fire Buddha and running towards the forest on the left side.


    Fire Buddha lunged into thin air, then frowned.


    What was the origin of this body skill?


    The first time they met, Mo Hua had relied on his body skill to escape from Qiao Laoliu and others.


    At that time, Fire Buddha did not intervene.


    He thought it was because Qiao Laoliu and the others were not adept at body techniques, which allowed Mo Hua to slip away.


    But now that he was personally capturing him and experiencing it for himself, he realized that this Water System Body Skill was much more troublesome than he had anticipated¡­


    It was like a ¡°little loach,¡± slippery and difficult to grasp.


    It looked weak, but it was also extremely difficult to kill¡­


    ¡°Then all the more reason I can¡¯t let him live¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha said coldly.


    Mo Hua used the Water Passing Step and darted into the forest, followed by Fire Buddha.


    With the obstruction of rocks and trees, Mo Hua¡¯s body skill came into play, making it easier to fend off Fire Buddha. Although Fire Buddha could catch up to Mo Hua, he could not capture or kill him in a short time.


    The spells he cast either missed or were blocked by the forest.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze turned murderous, and his intent to kill deepened by a notch.


    Mo Hua lasted a while with his body skill, then choosing his moment, his figure flashed and blended into the surrounding environment, gradually disappearing from sight¡­


    ¡°So it really is¡­ the Five Elements Stealth Technique¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze intensified, then he sneered, pulling out a Quicksilver Spirit Mirror from his chest.

 Chapter 1020 - 1020 656 Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra

    ?Chapter 1020: Chapter 656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_2 Chapter 1020: Chapter 656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_2 The Spiritual Realm above shimmered with silver light.


    The Fire Buddha, scanning through the Spiritual Realm, immediately spotted a faint, small shadow within the mountain forest.


    He flicked his hand, sending out several sparks of fiery rain, carrying molten fire like darting arrows, directly toward the shadow.


    The small figure flashed away in an instant, narrowly evading the fiery rain.


    The fire struck the mountain stones with a resounding ¡°boom,¡± carving deep scorch marks that billowed with white smoke.


    Missing the first strike, the Fire Buddha snorted coldly, probing again through the Spiritual Realm to locate Mo Hua¡¯s concealed figure.


    *Mo Hua was speechless.*


    *The great Fire Buddha, all for capturing one small cultivator like himself, had to resort to such extremes?*


    *First the ambush.*


    *Then blocking all exits.*


    *Even bringing a specialized Spiritual Artifact designed to counter his concealment.*


    *When he wiped out the entire Xie family, it was likely just one burn of molten fire that slaughtered everyone in his path, without even needing this much effort¡­*


    But as things stood, Mo Hua was out of options.


    He could only hope Uncle Gu would hurry to save him.


    That would give him either the chance to escape or the opportunity to counterattack.


    Until then, he could only try his best to stall and outmaneuver the Fire Buddha.


    Meanwhile, on another path,


    Gu Changhuai was riding his Spirit Horse, returning from Bishan City to Qian Learning State Boundary.


    He felt a growing sense of unease, suspecting the Fire Buddha¡¯s escape route lacked subtlety, seeming almost too straightforward.


    *It was almost as if it was meant to mislead.*


    Gu Changhuai then thought of Mo Hua, who was returning to the sect alone, and found himself growing increasingly worried.


    So he decided to head to the Qian Learning State Boundary alone to investigate.


    Midway through his journey, his Letter Token suddenly stirred. Gu Changhuai pulled it out and saw the messages sent by Mo Hua:


    ¡°The Fire Buddha wants to kill me!¡±


    Gu Changhuai was shocked to his core, nearly gasping for breath.


    The Fire Buddha!


    He was pursuing Mo Hua!


    The Letter Token also included coordinates for a spot on Qingcheng Mountain.


    Gu Changhuai took a deep breath and immediately urged his horse into a gallop, racing full-speed toward Mo Hua¡¯s location.


    At the same time, he began mobilizing all Enforcement Leaders in the vicinity, directing them toward Qingcheng Mountain.


    ¡°Search the mountain thoroughly, encircle, and kill the Fire Buddha!¡±


    As the sun set in the west, the night deepened.


    The Spirit Horse galloped faster and faster, the scenery on both sides blurring into streaks behind them.


    Gu Changhuai looked at the distant horizon, his heart ablaze with anxiety, murmuring under his breath:


    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t you dare die on me¡­¡±


    Time flew by, and midnight arrived in no time.


    Mo Hua and the Fire Buddha had spent most of the night in the mountains ¡°playing hide-and-seek.¡±


    Mo Hua was panting heavily, utterly exhausted.


    The Fire Buddha also wore an expression of disbelief.


    *He couldn¡¯t catch him.*


    *No matter what, he just couldn¡¯t catch him.*


    Despite his peak Foundation Establishment cultivation and the invisibility-breaking Spiritual Artifact he specially prepared, the labyrinthine terrain of the mountain forest made it utterly impossible to corner this little pest.


    It was an unfamiliar, desolate wilderness, yet the boy moved as though it was his own backyard.


    His movement technique was excellent, his concealment impressive.


    He could hide almost anywhere.


    At times, he even used Monster Beasts to pit the tiger against the ¡°wolf,¡± hindering the Fire Buddha¡¯s actions.


    *This was frustrating for someone like the Fire Buddha, who had always relied on brute force to dominate.*


    *This little brat¡ªcould he be a Monster Beast in disguise?*


    *Once he darted into the wilderness, he moved like a fish in the sea, like a falcon soaring through the skies.*


    *He completely miscalculated.*


    The Fire Buddha cursed inwardly. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At first, he thought with the intel he received, all he needed to do was block this lone boy, cut through his concealment techniques, and with his cultivation, crushing a mere Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator would be a breeze.


    But to his dismay, the boy turned out to be exceedingly troublesome.


    *Where was the semblance of a Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator in this kid at all?*


    Yet, the harder the kill, the more determined the Fire Buddha became to see it through.


    If he couldn¡¯t finish him off now, and the brat managed to escape into Qian Learning State Boundary and advanced to the Middle or even Later Stage of Foundation Establishment, it would be beyond imagining how difficult he¡¯d be to deal with then.


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes burned crimson like flames.


    ¡°He must die!¡±


    Even if it took time, he would wear this brat down until he was spent.


    The boy was only at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage; relying solely on movement techniques and concealment, there would eventually come a time when his spiritual power was exhausted.


    When that happened, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide or conceal himself, and the Fire Buddha could burn him alive and reduce him to ashes to vent his fury.


    On the other side, Mo Hua was deeply frustrated.


    This Fire Buddha was dead set on his pursuit, determined to kill him no matter what.


    He had already led the Fire Buddha in circles through the forest so many times, yet the man refused to give up.


    *It was as if he harbored the hatred of a murdered father!*


    *For someone who held the title of a Demon¡¯s Cave leader, his heart sure was small.*


    Had he not been an experienced Monster Hunter, an accomplished Junior Formation Master, skilled in movement techniques and concealment, and quick-witted, he likely would have been apprehended already.


    *This way of surviving wasn¡¯t sustainable¡­*


    Mo Hua quickly sent Gu Changhuai another Transmission:


    ¡°South cliff of Qingcheng Mountain, right-side path. Uncle Gu, hurry!¡±


    No reply came, possibly because Gu Changhuai was still rushing to the location.


    Mo Hua sighed deeply, resigning himself to continuing this deadly game of ¡°hide-and-seek¡± with the Fire Buddha.


    Luckily, it was nighttime in the forest, and the darkness was heavy. With Monster Beasts lurking everywhere, Mo Hua could stir up the situation and blend into the chaos.


    He was adept at concealment, seamlessly melting into the shadows.


    But the Fire Buddha was far from discreet, moving through the forest like a flaming beacon, his presence evident wherever he went, constantly disturbing the Monster Beasts.


    This intrusion offended the Monster Beasts, including some high-level Second Grade ones, who would engage the Fire Buddha in combat. This unintended interference gave Mo Hua a much-needed advantage.


    And so, hours dragged by until nearly dawn.


    Eventually, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t evade forever and was finally cornered by the Fire Buddha.


    The Fire Buddha¡¯s expression remained cold as he attacked with relentless force, aiming to kill Mo Hua. Mo Hua, depleted, continued to use movement techniques and concealment to grapple with him.


    But after spending so much time in this protracted fight, Mo Hua¡¯s movements had noticeably slowed.

 Chapter 1021 - 1021 656 Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra

    ?Chapter 1021: Chapter 656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_3 Chapter 1021: Chapter 656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_3 Fire Buddha¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Stinky brat, it¡¯s about time you died¡­¡±


    With a flick of his sleeve, he transformed it into a streak of firelight, slashing towards Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua exerted all his strength to dodge, but even though he managed to evade, he had nearly exhausted his spiritual power. His movement technique grew unstable, and he tumbled to one side, appearing somewhat disheveled.


    But still, Mo Hua bit down on his teeth and scrambled to his feet, racing towards another narrow valley.


    ¡°Seeking your own death.¡±


    Fire Buddha sneered coldly and continued to follow Mo Hua into the valley.


    Just as it seemed inevitable that Mo Hua would be unable to escape, Fire Buddha launched another fire blade.


    In the midst of the dark night, the red fire blade was especially striking, filled with murderous intent.


    But just as the fire blade was about to strike Mo Hua, several wind blades suddenly flew out from the sides, completely neutralizing it.


    Fire Buddha was taken aback, and as he turned to look, he saw Gu Changhuai standing in the distance, his handsome gaze filled with murderous intent.


    Meanwhile, Mo Hua, using up all his energy, activated the Formation.


    At the entrance, with a thunderous boom, boulders fell, completely sealing off the valley.


    Fire Buddha then understood.


    He¡¯d been schemed against by the brat again.


    Pretending to be overpowered, leading him step by step over here, and then sealing off the valley.


    And inside the valley, a strong foe was waiting for him.


    This valley was not inescapable.


    But whether climbing the rocks or breaking through the entrance, it would all take time. At least under the watchful eyes of a formidable foe, there would be no chance to escape leisurely.


    In other words, it would be either him or Gu Changhuai who would live.


    As for that brat¡­


    Fire Buddha looked around, his gaze darkening.


    Gone again¡­


    Damn concealment technique!


    Annoyed as Fire Buddha was, he couldn¡¯t concern himself with Mo Hua any longer.


    The great battle was about to erupt.


    Gu Changhuai also knew this might be his last chance to kill Fire Buddha.


    If he failed to kill him now, once Fire Buddha escaped and achieved a breakthrough, advancing to the next realm, and reaching Golden Core, it would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens to kill him later.


    After all, what Fire Buddha cultivated was a fearsome Forbidden Technique.


    Fire Buddha was also unafraid.


    This place was at the edge of the Qianxue State boundary.


    If they entered the Fifth Grade Qianxue State boundary, Gu Changhuai could use his Golden Core Treasure without restraint, and Fire Buddha would surely be no match for him.


    But here within Qingcheng Mountain, there was still a Second Grade restriction.


    If Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t suppress his cultivation and rashly used the Golden Core Power, the one to die would be Gu Changhuai.


    And Fire Buddha could take a step ahead, using Gu Changhuai¡¯s flesh to refine his Forbidden Technique, increasing his Evil Qi.


    And that brat¡­


    Once Gu Changhuai died, with no one to protect him, the brat would undoubtedly meet his death too!


    Even if he had to use the Meteor Fire Skill, inch by inch, he would blast him out and grind his bones to ash!


    Fire Buddha spread his arms, and a rain of fire filled the sky.


    Gu Changhuai waved his folding fan, and the wind rolled like a blade.


    After a moment, the wind and fire swept through, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.


    Spiritual power clashed with Evil Power, spells intertwined and slaughtered non-stop, explosions erupted one after another.


    Mo Hua, who was watching from a distance, was petrified with fear.


    Fortunately, the valley was quite spacious, and he was hiding rather far away, so for the moment, he was not affected.


    He seized the moment to meditate and rest, restoring his Divine Sense and spiritual power.


    Mo Hua rested while remaining alert to the commotion in the distance.


    Time passed, and Mo Hua opened his eyes to find the fierce battle still raging, and the sky had now turned a faint white.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze, fully restored in both Divine Sense and spiritual power, turned icy cold.


    After 1 p.m., it would be the seventh day.


    Also, the last day of his leave. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Within seven days, Fire Buddha must die!


    Mo Hua, having been cornered and relentlessly chased by Fire Buddha, forced to flee in embarrassment the whole night, had already bottled up a bellyful of fire.


    ¡°Thinking of seeing me off?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you on your way first!¡±


    Mo Hua slowly stood up, looking at Fire Buddha, his pupils turning pitch black in an instant, as if shrouded in a layer of profound night.


    On the other side, Fire Buddha, who had been fighting with Gu Changhuai for a long time, suddenly sensed something was wrong.


    He felt the Evil Qi around him showing subtle signs of slipping out of control.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s heart was struck with trepidation.


    His Evil Qi should have recovered after his rest, so how could it suddenly ¡°lose control¡±?


    ¡°Could it be¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha scanned his surroundings and, indeed, he spotted Mo Hua off to one side.


    Mo Hua¡¯s entire aura was peculiar, but because he was enveloped in the night¡¯s darkness, his form was obscure and utterly indiscernible.


    And in the next moment, within the pitch-black pupils of Mo Hua, a streak of white Qi became visible.


    Heavenly Secret Calculation bolstered by Tricky Calculation, forcibly reversing the Heavenly secret, causing effects to run backward.


    Fire Buddha felt a complete disarray of his own Qi, as if some chains were being twisted forcibly, and the Evil Qi around his body began to uncontrollably reverse¡­


    Evil Qi reversing?!


    Fire Buddha¡¯s face turned ashen.


    How could this brat know such a method?


    Where had he learned such profound skills of the Demonic Path Cultivation?


    Was he a True Disciple of the Sect of Demon?


    No, impossible¡­


    This brat was not a Demon Cultivator¡­


    Fire Buddha¡¯s thoughts raced frantically, and then he was struck with a realization.


    The True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation had been stolen by this brat¡­


    He couldn¡¯t have¡­ learned it on the spot, could he?


    A chill surged through him.


    Fire Buddha felt as if his Taoist heart was about to shatter.


    Before he could ponder further, the reversed Evil Qi had already invaded his whole body.


    This Evil Qi that he had cultivated from killing countless people, now forcibly reversed by the cause and effect, returning the harm back to him, all poured into his own Divine Sense.


    Harm to others is harm to oneself.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s complexion turned suddenly dark and grey.


    His Divine Sense also became filled with Evil Qi, swarming with sinister resentment and terrifying wails.


    Gu Changhuai, unaware of what had happened, saw Fire Buddha being backfired by the Evil Qi, and immediately went for the kill.


    The Wind Blade gathered into a tornado spear, hurtling towards Fire Buddha¡¯s chest to end him once and for all.

 Chapter 1022 - 1022 656 Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra

    ?Chapter 1022: Chapter 656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_4 Chapter 1022: Chapter 656: Fireball Forbidden Technique (Extra for Alliance Leader Wood White Gold Jade~)_4 At the critical moment, Fire Buddha regained a trace of clarity. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the Wind Blade approaching, Fire Buddha crossed his arms, his eyes blood-red, and he roared fiercely, interweaving all the Karmic Fire to form a shield, blocking it in front of him.


    The Tornado Long Spear collided with the Evil Fire Shield.


    Spiritual Power and Evil Power clashed, wind and fire intermingled, and the surrounding mountains and rocks were also crushed under the pressure of spiritual power, turning into dust.


    After the fluctuations of Spiritual Power dissipated,


    The kasaya on Fire Buddha¡¯s body was already tattered.


    His arms were covered with fine, wind-blade-induced cuts, clearly showing serious injuries.


    On the other hand, Gu Changhuai¡¯s breath had also weakened significantly, obviously due to substantial consumption of Spiritual Power.


    The valley suddenly fell silent.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s gaze became a bit grim.


    After an unknown amount of time, a low laughter from Fire Buddha broke the silence.


    ¡°Good, good¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve pushed me to this point¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s voice turned cold, gradually no longer sounding human.


    ¡°Since things have come this far, then I will discard this human skin and completely convert to my master¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Fire Buddha had already taken out a Blood Pill the size of a dragon¡¯s eye.


    The Blood Pill, seemingly crafted from flesh, was still trembling slightly.


    Fire Buddha quickly stuffed the pill into his mouth.


    His speed was so fast that neither Gu Changhuai¡¯s Wind Blade nor Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball managed to stop him.


    As soon as the pill entered his mouth, Fire Buddha¡¯s expression turned ferocious.


    His chest, with two flaming hearts, suddenly throbbed, already forming the embryo of an Evil Path magical treasure.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s flesh rapidly swelled, and he grew two feet taller in an instant.


    The filthy Karmic Fire burned throughout his body.


    His face, the skin and flesh all scorched, was grotesquely disfigured as if ravaged by fierce fire.


    At the same time, his aura surged once more.


    ¡°Gu Changhuai¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha¡¯s voice was hoarse and terrifying.


    ¡°Today if you do not use the power of the Golden Core, you¡¯ll die, but if you use it, you¡¯ll still die¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha waved his hand, and a crimson ghost-faced fire knife broke through the air, its formidable aura striking terror as it hurtled towards Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was solemn, and he waved his fan to form a Wind Shield to block it, but it was completely ineffective.


    The Wind Shield was shattered by the fire knife.


    Gu Changhuai stepped back several paces and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You beast not even worthy of being human¡­¡±


    Fire Buddha sneered, ¡°You mean the ¡®human¡¯ that is just a sack of skin?¡±


    ¡°How many in this world wearing this sack of skin commit acts of Demon Monsters?¡±


    ¡°A ¡®human¡¯ in human skin, sometimes they are even more beastly than beasts¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai, with anger in his face, once again unleashed Wind Blades towards Fire Buddha.


    But this time, Fire Buddha didn¡¯t even dodge; he allowed the Wind Blades to cut into him, slicing open his flesh and tearing through his skin.


    In an instant, this flesh rejuvenated as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Flesh regeneration?¡±


    Gu Changhuai turned pale, his heart chilled.


    If that was the case, he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill this demon-transformed Fire Buddha at all.


    Just then, Mo Hua shouted from the side:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, aim for its heart meridian!¡±


    Gu Changhuai paused and then understood.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s heart meridian was nurturing the embryo of his own Evil Path magical treasure.


    It was both the source of all of Fire Buddha¡¯s Evil Power and his vital weakness.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s expression changed, ¡°You little beast!¡±


    But even after scanning with his Divine Sense, he still couldn¡¯t detect Mo Hua.


    After abandoning his human form, his Evil Power became stronger, and his flesh could regenerate, but without ¡°humanity,¡± his Divine Sense also degenerated¡­


    Fire Buddha simply couldn¡¯t see Mo Hua.


    In that brief moment, Gu Changhuai had also begun to control the Wind Blade as Mo Hua said, forcibly trying to sever the heart meridians of Fire Buddha.


    Fire Buddha revealed a furious expression but could only think of ways, using his left arm to cover his chest, to block the Wind Blade.


    His right arm deployed a Spell, clashing fiercely with Gu Changhuai.


    However, after several continuous fierce battles, Gu Changhuai¡¯s Spiritual Power suddenly became sluggish.


    Only then did he realize that his Spiritual Power was nearly exhausted.


    Bitterness filled Gu Changhuai¡¯s heart.


    After all, he was just a human.


    Even though his Spiritual Power was profound, he was not like Fire Buddha, who could kill people to refine Evil Pills, supplementing himself, and even forsake his human form, descend into Evil Demon, in exchange for regenerating flesh.


    ¡°Human¡± efforts sometimes reach their limit.


    Gu Changhuai suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his meridians.


    He knew this was a sign of overusing Spiritual Power, his meridians, constantly condensing Spells, had already been damaged.


    Continuing like this, he feared he would truly reach a dead end¡­


    And Mo Hua¡­


    Gu Changhuai bit through his lip, drawing blood, and thought fiercely,


    ¡°Screw it!¡±


    ¡°No matter what, I must kill Fire Buddha first!¡±


    ¡°Directly use Golden Core Power¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gamble¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see whether I kill Fire Buddha first, or Heavenly Dao kills me first¡­¡±


    A relentless killing intent ignited in Gu Changhuai¡¯s eyes. His Dantian ignited Pill Fire, his body enveloped in a fine radiance, and in his right hand appeared a dazzling and immensely powerful Seven-Colored Peacock Feather Treasure Fan.


    Fire Buddha was also stunned.


    He looked at Gu Changhuai, both fearful and shocked.


    He had not expected Gu Changhuai to really dare¡­


    Really dare to use the Golden Core Power in this Second Grade territory¡­


    He really was not afraid to die¡­


    A hint of mocking amusement appeared in Fire Buddha¡¯s gaze.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression was as grim as water, his killing intent piercing to the bone, his own Magical Treasure already manifested, and the Golden Core Power was in operation.


    At that moment, he suddenly paused, then his pupils shockingly dilated.


    Fire Buddha was standing right in front of him.


    And at that moment, Gu Changhuai saw a blurry figure, taking advantage of Fire Buddha¡¯s attention being on him, and while smirking coldly, had inconceivably maneuvered behind Fire Buddha.


    Then¡­


    Out of the void, two small hands appeared.


    The hands opened, each palm condensing a Fireball.


    Just ordinary, unremarkable Fireballs.


    But in a blink, the fire¡¯s light drastically changed.


    It seemed to be compressed by an extremely strong force; the two Fireballs suddenly collided and then each grotesquely distorted.


    It was as if something inside the Fireballs directly collapsed, yet forcefully merged back together¡­


    The aura of the Spell instantly twisted and mutated.


    The internal structure of the Spiritual Power changed, mysterious Patterns emerging and reorganizing, accompanied by a surge of powerful energy.


    The two Fireballs struggled, morphed, and merged together, forming a smaller, yet more terrifying purple-black Fireball that resembled magma entwined.


    Fire Buddha sensed something was off.


    He felt something extremely dreadful forming behind him.


    He wanted to turn around, but it was already too late.


    A familiar yet crisp, cold voice rang in his ears:


    ¡°You want to teach me a Spell?¡±


    In that instant, an intensely hot pain spread from his back.


    That was the terrifying Fire Spiritual Power, burning his flesh.


    Then a brutally powerful yet stable explosion sound erupted.


    Fire Buddha only saw distorted Spiritual Power and rampant flames ravaging before him.


    When he looked down, he saw that his chest had been blown open by the Spell, revealing a dark, gaping hole.

 Chapter 1023 - 1023 657 Year 1

    ?Chapter 1023: Chapter 657 Year 1 Chapter 1023: Chapter 657 Year 1 Fire Buddha¡¯s face was devoid of any color.


    His chest had a hole torn through it.


    But his cultivation was, after all, at the Foundation Establishment Peak, and he had abandoned his humanoid form for a body like that of a Demon Monster, with flesh capable of regeneration.


    The blackened flesh around his chest began writhing and, astonishingly, started to slowly heal.


    However, the very next moment, Fire Buddha¡¯s pupils constricted.


    His flesh, which had been writhing halfway, suddenly became completely still and lifeless, utterly unable to heal.


    It seemed as though the fused fire spiritual power had thoroughly burned away his vitality, and the evil power within him had also been burned away from the ¡®spiritual power¡¯ level.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s pupils shook violently.


    ¡°What spell is this, exactly?¡±


    Meanwhile, the faint flames produced by the small fused fireball faded away completely.


    In the center of Fire Buddha¡¯s chest, two evil artifact ¡°hearts¡± were revealed.


    This was the core of Fire Buddha¡¯s Meteor Fire Forbidden Art, the embryo of his own Magical Treasure that he nourished, and also the foundation of his advancement to Golden Core.


    These two ¡°hearts¡± were extremely precious evil artifacts of the Demon Path.


    However, now, these two ¡°hearts¡± had been blackened by that unknown terrifying spell, dark and dull, devoid of any luster.


    Even their trembling was weak.


    Fire Buddha was in extreme panic.


    If he didn¡¯t repair the flesh and continue to nourish the two magical treasure embryos, not only would he have no hope of breaking through to the Golden Core in this life, but it was also possible that he would lose his life right here on Qingcheng Mountain.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s hands trembled as he tried to take out more pills¡­


    But at that moment, Gu Changhuai, who had recovered from the shock of the unbelievable spell, acted swiftly and used the remainder of his spiritual power to strike with two more Wind Blades.


    These Wind Blades followed the hole that Mo Hua had torn open and went straight for Fire Buddha¡¯s heart meridian, hitting one of the dull evil artifact ¡°hearts.¡±


    Already suffering from skill pattern collapse and the tremendous spiritual energy produced by Spiritual Power Fusion, and on the brink of shattering, the evil artifact heart finally crumbled under the pressure, ¡°creaking¡± as several cracks appeared.


    Then the cracks multiplied.


    Until it completely shattered¡­


    Fire Buddha still had the pills in his hand, his expression somewhat incredulous.


    After a moment, the panic on his face disappeared.


    His visage once again became compassionate.


    It even included a hint of puzzlement and relief.


    He attempted to turn his head, taking one last look at Mo Hua.


    ¡°So it turns out¡­ I really will¡­ die by this kid¡¯s hand¡­¡±


    Then his eyes slowly closed.


    The balance of the evil artifact heart was irreversibly lost.


    Evil power went out of control, moving backward through the flesh and meridians.


    Fire Buddha¡¯s entire body was filled with evil fire, self-igniting; his flesh swelled and deformed¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s pupils flared, and his heart sank.


    Evil power out of control, flesh exploding?!


    This is not good!


    In the blink of an eye, Gu Changhuai glanced behind Fire Buddha at Mo Hua, clicked his tongue disdainfully, and with a flash, positioned himself in front of Mo Hua, knocking him to the ground.


    Mo Hua felt himself protected by a ¡°large meat shield.¡±


    Then a deafening explosion rang in his ears.


    The sound was intense, and spiritual power fluctuations were violent.


    The exploding evil fire, with its powerful destructive force, spread instantly like a raging tide of fire.


    Trees turned to ash, rocks crumbled to dust.


    The ground was scorched black.


    After an uncertain amount of time, the explosion subsided.


    Mo Hua finally opened his eyes.


    He saw that the valley had been devastated, left barren and bare.


    But all the damage had been endured by Uncle Gu¡­


    He was unharmed.


    Mo Hua shook Gu Changhuai, finding him passed out, unresponsive to his shaking.


    Mo Hua struggled to his feet and saw that Gu Changhuai¡¯s back was covered in wounds, blood streaming out, which startled him.


    ¡°Uncle Gu!¡±


    Mo Hua called out anxiously.


    ¡°Uncle Gu, you¡¯re not dead, are you?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Gu, you¡¯re at least a Golden Core¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle Gu, you can¡¯t be this useless!¡±


    ¡°Uncle Gu, show some spirit¡­¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, Gu Changhuai showed a slight sign of life. His breathing faint, his voice low, but he still gritted his teeth and said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    If he didn¡¯t die, this kid¡¯s words would infuriate him to death!


    Mo Hua let out a sigh of relief.


    Not dead!


    Some breath meant he was still okay.


    He immediately began rummaging through his own Storage Bag, but then he remembered he didn¡¯t have any high-quality items.


    Mo Hua began going through Gu Changhuai¡¯s Storage Bag.


    Being a son of the Gu Family, the Department of Ceremonies at the Dao Court, and a Golden Core Cultivator, there should be top-grade pills in his Storage Bag.


    After searching for a while, Mo Hua took out a bunch of bottles and jars from Gu Changhuai¡¯s bag.


    Mo Hua identified each one.


    Some likely stopped bleeding, some replenished energy, others removed fire poison, some protected the meridians, defended the Qi Sea, and even prolonged life¡­


    These things, Mo Hua had learned about them in his pill courses.


    He took some of the pills that he could identify clearly, with evident effects;


    Some that he couldn¡¯t identify clearly but seemed useful for the injuries;


    And a few that he couldn¡¯t tell apart but wouldn¡¯t kill a person when ingested, and stuffed them all into Gu Changhuai¡¯s mouth.


    Although the ingredients of these pills were complex, perhaps by some fluke, they could be useful for Uncle Gu¡¯s injuries.


    At worst, it couldn¡¯t get any worse than not taking any pills at all.


    After a while, Mo Hua asked softly:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, you¡¯re not dead, right¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai spat out blood, not clear whether it was due to anger or the pills taking effect, forcing out the stagnant blood.


    His breathing also became a bit more even.


    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m not dead yet¡­¡± Gu Changhuai said indifferently.


    Mo Hua finally felt completely relieved.


    He picked up Gu Changhuai¡¯s Storage Bag again and found a Letter Token, flipping through the records. It seemed to belong to the Enforcement Leader of Gu Family, and he sent a message saying:

 Chapter 1024 - 1024 657 Year 1_2

    ?Chapter 1024: Chapter 657 Year 1_2 Chapter 1024: Chapter 657 Year 1_2 ¡°Fire Buddha is dead!¡±


    ¡°Qingcheng Mountain, Severed Head Eye, right side of the valley, come quickly!¡±


    After sending the message, Mo Hua turned back to look at Fire Buddha.


    The imbalance of Fire Buddha¡¯s Evil Artifact and the out-of-control Evil Power caused a self-explosion, which was immensely powerful, leaving truly nothing¡ªnot even ¡°remnants¡± behind.


    Such a pity¡­


    Mo Hua frowned slightly; he still had many things to ask Fire Buddha.


    Why annihilate the Xie family to extinction?


    Just to cultivate evil and practice skills?


    After exterminating the Xie family, what exactly did he do?


    For whom was the Demon Palace built?


    And who was the honored lord it enshrined?


    ¡­


    Now that Fire Buddha was dead, these questions would remain unanswered for a while.


    But it¡¯s just as well that he died, died quite cleanly, sparing the world from further calamity.


    The other matters can be slowly investigated later¡­


    Mo Hua glanced again at where Fire Buddha¡¯s ¡°bones no longer existed¡± and sighed.


    Killing this Fire Buddha proved to be extraordinarily difficult.


    Fortunately, he was still killed in the end.


    Afterward, Mo Hua set up some Formations on the spot, keeping an eye on Uncle Gu¡¯s life force to prevent a ¡°sudden death¡± and quietly waiting for others to arrive.


    After a while, people indeed arrived.


    It was Gu An and Gu Quan.


    Seeing Young Master Changhuai in a pitiable and bloody state, barely clinging to life, nearly scared their souls away.


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive!¡± Mo Hua said.


    Only then did Gu An and Gu Quan feel relieved.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Call a few Pill Masters over for emergency aid, and once you confirm he¡¯s stable, send Uncle Gu back to the Gu Family to recuperate in peace.¡±


    Gu An and Gu Quan bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Young Master!¡±


    After the destruction of the Demon¡¯s Cave, the position of Mo Hua, the Junior Formation Master, in their hearts had risen rapidly. Now it was only slightly below that of their own young master.


    Gu An immediately called for help using the Letter Token.


    ¡°Young Master¡­¡±


    Gu Quan hesitated for a moment, looked around, then turned to Mo Hua with a frown and asked,


    ¡°What exactly happened here?¡±


    Why has the entire valley changed? How did the young master sustain such severe injuries? Is Fire Buddha truly dead?


    Both Gu An and Gu Quan were full of questions.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then said,


    ¡°Fire Buddha tried to kill me, I ran into the mountains, Uncle Gu came to rescue me, and then with all his strength, killed Fire Buddha, but was also seriously wounded himself!¡±


    Gu An and Gu Quan nodded with a mixture of belief and doubt¡­


    ¡°Remember!¡± Mo Hua urged solemnly with a stern little face, ¡°It was Uncle Gu alone, with all his might, who killed the evil Fire Buddha!¡±


    ¡°When people arrive later, proclaim this!¡±


    Gu An and Gu Quan exchanged glances, slightly puzzled.


    Mo Hua stretched out his two small hands, intending to pat their shoulders.


    However, being tall, Gu An and Gu Quan¡¯s shoulders were out of reach for the shorter-armed Mo Hua.


    Gu An and Gu Quan, in silent agreement, squatted down to let Mo Hua reach their shoulders.


    Mo Hua, having finally succeeded, nodded, then lowered his voice and said,


    ¡°You don¡¯t want others to steal Uncle Gu¡¯s credit, do you?¡±


    Their expressions turned serious, now understanding the implication.


    Fire Buddha was dead, Young Master Changhuai was seriously injured, and apart from Young Master Mo, no one else knew what had exactly happened here.


    They knew of Young Master Mo¡¯s capabilities.


    But to others, Young Master Mo was just a child, of little influence¡ªwhatever he would say, others wouldn¡¯t believe.


    Thus, some with ulterior motives could easily make claims to the credit.


    Gu An and Gu Quan became solemn.


    How could they allow this?


    Fire Buddha was slain by the young master at such a great cost.


    This credit must not be usurped!


    Thus, from the start, they needed to assert that it was Young Master Changhuai ¡°alone¡± who killed Fire Buddha!


    Gu An and Gu Quan understood and looked at Mo Hua with gratitude in their eyes.


    Young Master Mo was a great person!


    And truly good to their own Young Master! S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gu Quan nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master Mo; I will spread the news right away¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.


    Later, the Pill Masters of the Gu family arrived and examined Young Master Changhuai¡¯s injuries, stating that the Pills had been administered timely, his Qi and blood were slowly recovering, and the meridians were regulated¡ªthere was nothing seriously wrong.


    Young Master Changhuai himself was a Golden Core Cultivator with a solid foundation, so with some rest, he would be fine.


    Then, someone took Young Master Changhuai back to his clan.


    The news of Young Master Changhuai ¡°alone¡± slaying Fire Buddha also spread to the Taoist Court, causing a considerable stir.


    A Golden Core Cultivator killing a Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    But this Demon Cultivator was at the Peak of Foundation Establishment, infamous for his evil deeds, rampaging unopposed across the Second Grade State Border¡­


    The situation was entirely different.


    Overtly and covertly, many Cultivators turned their attention towards Young Master Changhuai.


    Some were admiring, some cautious, and others harbored ill intentions¡­


    ¡­


    Upon returning to the clan, Young Master Changhuai took some Pills and woke up early.


    Wenren Wan, hearing about his injury, showed great care, personally refining some Pills for his healing.


    Especially, knowing he was injured while protecting Mo Hua, her gaze was even more approving.


    It felt as if her own little brother had finally grown up.


    Young Master Changhuai, over a hundred years old, felt a complicated mix of emotions.


    The Gu family, too, was in an uproar.


    But once they learned that Young Master Changhuai was not seriously harmed and that he had slain the Demon Cultivator Fire Buddha with his own hands, the Elders of the Gu family grew even more appreciative of him.


    Although he had a bit of a temper, among his generation in the Gu family, it was indeed Young Master Changhuai whose talent and methods stood out.


    Young Master Changhuai¡¯s emotions became even more complex.


    As evening arrived, Mo Hua also came to bid farewell.


    He was returning to Taixu Gate.

 Chapter 1025 - 1025 657 Year 1_3

    ?Chapter 1025: Chapter 657 Year 1_3 Chapter 1025: Chapter 657 Year 1_3 The seven-day holiday was over, Fire Buddha was dead, and Meteor Fire Skill had been obtained¡ªclasses were set to start tomorrow.


    But before leaving, he still needed to sync up their ¡°testimony¡± with Uncle Gu.


    While munching on a fruit, Mo Hua whispered,


    ¡°Uncle Gu, you killed Fire Buddha by yourself, please don¡¯t mention me¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t want to take the credit?¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Fire Buddha was a Demon Cultivator; who knows if he might have had other followers or accomplices in secret¡­¡±


    ¡°As a mere Foundation Building Cultivator, it could be very dangerous if they targeted me!¡±


    Gu Changhuai was silent, somewhat speechless in his mind.


    Which one is actually dangerous, Demon Cultivators or you¡­


    However, it was true that Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation was low, and as a cultivator at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, the risks were indeed too high¡­


    Gu Changhuai nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes squinted with a smile.


    With that ¡°testimony¡± synchronized, everything was perfect.


    No one else would know that Fire Buddha¡¯s death was related to him.


    He was just being chased by Fire Buddha, an innocent and inconspicuous little disciple from a Sect.


    After reflecting for a moment, Gu Changhuai gave Mo Hua another silent look.


    In the valley, two fireballs collided, the skill pattern collapsed, fused together, the Spiritual Power Fusion formed a terrifying little fireball, and ripped through Fire Buddha¡¯s chest¡ªthis image emerged in his mind.


    Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t help but tremble his eyelids, saying in a deep voice,


    ¡°Your¡­ spell¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°What spell?¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was expressionless, ¡°There¡¯s no one else here.¡±


    Mo Hua gave an awkward smile, ¡°It¡¯s nothing really, just a ¡®very ordinary¡¯ Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s voice was cold,


    ¡°For someone at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment to pierce the chest of a Demon Cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment with a single Fireball Technique is indeed ¡®very ordinary¡¯¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai emphasized ¡°very ordinary¡± heavily.


    Mo Hua blinked, ¡°It¡¯s all a coincidence¡­ Fire Buddha¡¯s chest had a vital spot; the flaw was too great, and perhaps it was just pierced by my Fireball Technique¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s his bad luck¡­¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s thick-skinned, paper-pure innocent face, Gu Changhuai felt helpless.


    Gu Changhuai sighed, ¡°Go back and think it over, look for a more reliable excuse.¡±


    After speaking, he added another sentence, ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell the excuse to me¡­¡±


    It meant that if it ever came out in the future, as long as it could fool others, that would suffice.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened as he smiled,


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Gu!¡±


    Gu Changhuai helplessly shook his head.


    Originally, he thought that Mo Hua¡¯s talent in Formation was incredible, but what he never expected was that he had also hidden an extremely terrifying spell.


    How could other cultivators at the same realm even compete with him?


    This time, Taixu Gate truly found a ¡°little monster¡±¡­


    And from the outside, it didn¡¯t show at all¡ªa face of innocence, just looking like a harmless little disciple.


    Gu Changhuai couldn¡¯t help but shake his head again.


    Seeing that Gu Changhuai looked a bit tired, Mo Hua said, ¡°Uncle Gu, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer, you rest well. I¡¯m heading back to the Sect.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Changhuai nodded.


    Mo Hua casually picked up a Spirit Fruit, turned around, and walked away. After walking for a bit, Gu Changhuai called out to him.


    ¡°Mo Hua.¡±


    Mo Hua turned back, confused.


    Thinking that Uncle Gu, a Court Official at the Golden Core Realm, wouldn¡¯t be so stingy to not let him take a Spirit Fruit to eat¡­


    Gu Changhuai looked conflicted, with proud sorrow in his gaze, and after hesitating for a long time, he reluctantly whispered,


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    After all, without Mo Hua, he might really not have been able to kill Fire Buddha. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And failing to bring Fire Buddha to justice would have inevitably left endless troubles for the future.


    This ¡°thank you¡± was very reluctant and nearly inaudible.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, then his face burst into a radiant, sunny smile.


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡­


    Afterwards, Mo Hua returned to the Sect.


    He first visited Elder Master Xun, announcing that he had completed his Formation work and that the Taoist Court, mainly the Gu Family, was very grateful to him.


    Elder Master Xun didn¡¯t doubt him, stroking his beard in satisfaction.


    Having good relations with the Taoist Court and the Gu Family would make future actions much smoother.


    Then, Mo Hua resumed his regular classes.


    Some fellow disciples, such as Cheng Mo, Situ Jian, and Zheng Fang, curiously asked all sorts of questions after class.


    They asked Mo Hua how he managed to take a seven-day leave? How did he get it approved? Who approved it? What did he do during these seven days?


    Mo Hua simply said he was working on Formation for seven days.


    They immediately lost interest.


    Only Zheng Fang, full of curiosity, asked some questions about the Formation.


    Mo Hua selectively shared some fascinating knowledge about the Formation, managing to confuse Zheng Fang.


    Afterwards, everything calmed down.


    Mo Hua resumed his normal, stable life in the Sect as usual.


    Bi Mountain Demon Cavern, the sinister Demon Palace, the Bronze Maze, the mysterious altar, along with a host of Demon Cultivators, and the annihilated Demon Head¡ªFire Buddha, all gradually faded away.


    And soon, Mo Hua¡¯s first year in the Sect came to an end.

 Chapter 1026 - 1026 658 Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the

    ?Chapter 1026: Chapter 658: Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the Lord of the Wind Chocolate~) Chapter 1026: Chapter 658: Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the Lord of the Wind Chocolate~) Every year, before the Sect¡¯s cultivation practice ends, a year-end assessment is held.


    It assesses the disciples¡¯ achievements in various subjects.


    It¡¯s both a test for the disciples and a measure of their potential, while also impacting their reputation within the Sect and the extent to which they¡¯re valued by it.


    When the disciples return home for their annual leave, it also serves as an explanation to their family elders.


    Whether the year ends with laughter or tears depends on the year-end assessment.


    The process of the year-end assessment is similar to the usual ones, only more formal, more complicated, and more significant.


    At the same time, the punishment for cheating is also more severe.


    Three days after the assessment was completed, Mo Hua received his ¡°report card¡±.


    Quite ordinary, one Grade A and six Grade Cs.


    Formation is undoubtedly ¡°A¡±, as that¡¯s the highest possible grade.


    With Mo Hua¡¯s sixteen pattern Divine Sense and extremely solid foundation in Formation, answering some Second Grade, and even under Second Grade formation questions is effortless.


    His formations, laid out in each stroke, could be deemed flawless.


    Elder Master Xun sighed in his heart.


    He even considered creating a new grade above ¡°A¡± for Mo Hua, but after some thought, he restrained the impulse.


    It¡¯s not good to draw too much attention.


    Better to keep a low profile.


    Apart from the ¡°A¡± in Formation, the other subjects were all ¡°Cs¡± without exception. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It just means barely qualifying.


    The six ¡°Cs¡± included Cultivation, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Refining Rune, Taoist Skill, and a hundred arts of cultivation.


    Mo Hua¡¯s cultivation was diligent, but his speed was moderate to low.


    It¡¯s just that his Spiritual Root was poor, and he never established the ¡°Taoist Foundation¡± for Body Refinement or Spiritual Power, so his cultivation seemed somewhat lackluster.


    The Cultivation Elder, a Feathered Immortal from within the Inner Sect, may have taken Elder Master Xun¡¯s face into account, and confided to Mo Hua:


    ¡°There¡¯s really nothing you can do¡­¡±


    ¡°I can only give you a ¡®C¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°The foundation of cultivation, speed of cultivation, Blood Qi, Spiritual Power, potential for cultivation¡­¡±


    The Cultivation Elder paused, then delicately added, ¡°¡­all have a huge room for improvement¡­¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t know whether to feel disappointed or moved for a moment¡­


    The Cultivation Elder continued:


    ¡°So I won¡¯t be expecting too much from you, just do what you can. It¡¯s okay if your foundation is a bit weak, but when it comes to cultivation, you still need to strive harder and at least keep up with the realm¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, if you¡¯re still at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage in three years, you¡¯ll be ¡®held back¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Held back?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Elder said, ¡°repeating a cycle, and you¡¯d study for another three years with the Junior Brothers and Sisters that came after you.¡±


    ¡°If within three years, you manage to advance to the Middle Phase of Foundation Establishment, then you¡¯ll be promoted. If not, you¡¯ll remain¡­¡±


    ¡°If you have to repeat several cycles, regrettably, the Sect might have no choice but to ask you to leave¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was alarmed, ¡°They¡¯ll actually ask someone to leave?¡±


    If he doesn¡¯t advance, could he also be asked to leave¡­


    Seeing through Mo Hua¡¯s thoughts, the Cultivation Elder said kindheartedly:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­¡±


    Nobody would dare to ask you to leave¡­


    With Elder Master Xun standing behind you, no one in Taixu Gate would dare provoke him by asking you to leave¡­


    Even if you have to stay for fifty years, or a hundred years, it¡¯s not like Taixu Gate can¡¯t afford you¡­


    Of course, these things can¡¯t be said outright.


    The Cultivation Elder thought for a moment, then comforted Mo Hua:


    ¡°The path of Foundation Establishment isn¡¯t that difficult, really. As long as you meticulously follow the instructions of the Elders, and cultivate earnestly, you will break through the realm, and won¡¯t be asked to leave¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat puzzled.


    Three years from Foundation Establishment Initial Stage to Middle Stage.


    Another three years from Middle Stage to Late Stage?


    ¡°Elder, isn¡¯t cultivation very difficult? Is three years enough to master a Middle Realm of Foundation Establishment?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    The Cultivation Elder replied: ¡°Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment are not actually difficult. With sufficient Spirit Stones and Spiritual Objects, even a pig can be force-fed to Foundation Establishment level¡­¡±


    ¡°The difficulty in Qi Refinement lies in how to consolidate the fundamentals and nurture the origin, to polish the realm, and establish the Taoist Foundation¡­¡±


    ¡°The difficulty in Foundation Establishment is in how to solidify the Taoist Foundation, laying down one¡¯s own path, and further advancing from there¡­¡±


    ¡°Purely in terms of realm, neither is actually difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°The difficult part comes after Golden Core¡­¡±


    The Cultivation Elder sighed.


    ¡°Golden Core is a major threshold. It poses high demands on the Spiritual Root, Blood Qi foundation, Spiritual Power Taoist Foundation, Taoist understanding, and cultivation opportunities¡­¡±


    ¡°Golden Core isn¡¯t something you can achieve by just cultivating in seclusion and piling up Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°For Core Formation cultivators, the fast ones take several years, the slow ones take decades, and there are plenty who get stuck for over a hundred years¡­¡±


    ¡°Even among the noble family¡¯s sons with exceptional talents, many never surpass the Golden Core threshold in their lifetime¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt apprehensive in his heart.


    Core Formation is so difficult¡­


    ¡°Hence, even in a Fifth-grade family, Golden Core cultivators are considered an absolutely core force¡­¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua¡¯s anxious expression, the Cultivation Elder reassured him:


    ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t worry too much¡­¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s difficult or easy, you have to take it one step at a time. You can¡¯t rush it¡­¡±


    ¡°If you are wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao and undistracted, the obstacles, whether overt or covert, can be overcome with determination, and you might just step over them all at once¡­¡±


    ¡°But if you are filled with worries and fears of loss, you¡¯ll stumble everywhere and lose the resolute will to advance. At the threshold of Golden Core, you might struggle for a long time¡­¡±


    ¡°Difficulties that are of no help shouldn¡¯t be brooded over in your heart¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he bowed respectfully:


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Elder. Your disciple will bear it in mind!¡±

 Chapter 1027 - 1027 658 Year-end Evaluation (Thanks to the

    ?Chapter 1027: Chapter 658 Year-end Evaluation (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Wind¡¯s Chocolate) _2 Chapter 1027: Chapter 658 Year-end Evaluation (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Wind¡¯s Chocolate) _2 The Cultivation Elder nodded with satisfaction.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment before speaking softly,


    ¡°Elder, most cultivators in this world are just practicing Qi Refinement¡­¡±


    The Cultivation Elder paused, his gaze carrying a meaningful depth.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Then they¡­¡±


    ¡°If they are stuck in Qi Refinement all their lives, their problem is mostly not their aptitude. The bottleneck in their cultivation has only one word¡­¡±


    The Cultivation Elder said lightly, ¡°Poverty.¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat uncomfortable.


    The Cultivation Elder looked at Mo Hua with a profound gaze, a hint of surprise that he himself hadn¡¯t noticed appearing on his face.


    Eventually, he managed to control his emotions and nodded slightly,


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it; you are just at the Foundation Establishment level, just focus on your cultivation¡­¡±


    ¡°If your cultivation progress is slow and you end up repeating a grade, it wouldn¡¯t necessarily mean getting expelled, but it¡¯s a bit embarrassing¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly felt a chill in his heart.


    Right, the Elder had reminded him¡­


    Currently, among his fellow disciples, he was ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    If he repeated a grade, he would have to address his current fellow disciples as ¡°Senior Brother¡± and ¡°Senior Sister!¡±


    It meant dropping two junior ranks in hierarchy!


    That won¡¯t do!


    Absolutely not!


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was serious.


    He must speed up his cultivation, not to mention, he absolutely must not repeat a grade!


    Otherwise, he would lose the authority of being the ¡°Junior Brother!¡±


    The Cultivation Elder was taken aback; for some reason, Mo Hua suddenly seemed highly motivated¡­ sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But that was a good thing.


    He decided not to say anything more.


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    The Cultivation Elder looked at Mo Hua again and sighed inwardly.


    Core Formation is difficult¡­


    The Spiritual Root really was too poor, it was uncertain whether he would be able to overcome that threshold when the time came¡­


    ¡­


    These things, Mo Hua was still unaware of.


    Besides cultivation, in Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Rune Refining, he was only graded ¡°C¡±.


    Nothing surprising there, he was stable.


    From the instructors to his fellow disciples, and even Mo Hua himself, no one was surprised.


    But Elder Yi, who taught Taoist Skills and knew Mo Hua better, said during a casual chat,


    ¡°I can also only give you a ¡®C¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°I wanted to give you a higher grade, but I couldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Mo Hua reassured Elder Yi instead.


    The grading of Taoist Skills is divided into three types: Spells, Martial Arts, and Swordsmanship.


    As a disciple within the sect, mastering one of them suffices.


    After all, genuine Dual Cultivation of Spirit and Body, including expertise in swordsmanship, even within the talent-rich Qianxue State Boundary, is incredibly rare and should not serve as a standard for ordinary cultivators.


    Especially the likes of Mo Hua, a cultivator below such ¡°standards.¡±


    Elder Yi still felt regretful and said,


    ¡°You execute spells very well and use them proficiently. Your combat mindset is also far superior to ordinary cultivators¡­¡±


    ¡°But these things are not part of the rigid assessment¡­¡±


    ¡°The assessment of spells revolves primarily around the grade of your spells and the Cycles of spiritually powering the spell you manage¡­¡±


    ¡°So your situation is disadvantaged¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any spells with significant power¡­¡±


    Upon mentioning this, Elder Yi suddenly paused.


    He remembered the day when Mo Hua had turned the Dao Room¡¯s spell puppet to dust and severely injured himself with that unknown, tremendously powerful fire spell¡­


    Elder Yi frowned, thought for a moment, then shook his head.


    That doesn¡¯t count¡­


    It wasn¡¯t a stable spell, just something he managed to conjure by chance¡­


    It can¡¯t be used for assessments.


    With such a high risk of losing control, it can¡¯t be used casually.


    Mo Hua, this kid, probably wouldn¡¯t dare to use it again¡­ right?


    Elder Yi looked at the lively and shrewd faced Mo Hua, and suddenly felt unsure.


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    Elder Yi hesitated for a long time, then cautiously said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t use that spell from last time ever again, alright?¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    He would not use that last spell again.


    But he had already improved a new version; in the future, he would use the new one instead.


    ¡­


    Besides, there was another course he received a ¡°C¡± in, and that was Tao Cultivation Techniques.


    Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune also falls under ¡°Tao Cultivation Techniques.¡±


    But because of their large scale, long tradition, deep legacy, and many practitioners, these are considered Visible Learning in Tao Cultivation and are separately classified into different subjects.


    Besides Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune, there are many Tao Cultivation skills.


    These skills are either derived as offshoots from Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune, or they relate to cultivators¡¯ daily living, production, and combat, albeit with less esteemed status among Tao Cultivation skills.


    For instance, Spirit Plant cultivation, cuisine, blood extraction, mining, musical instrument playing, Spiritual Dance, chess skills, architecture, etc¡­


    Although outwardly everyone says Tao Cultivation Techniques are equally respected across all categories,


    In reality, once it becomes about social interactions, these naturally grade into different tiers.


    Skills like musical instrument playing, chess, and Spiritual Dance, which appear refined, are often held in higher esteem.


    While labor-intensive skills like Spirit Plant cultivation, mining, and architecture are somewhat less favored.


    The Sect doesn¡¯t enforce strict rules.


    Disciples can learn from any category as long as they are interested, at least to understand some theoretical aspects.


    But when it comes to assessments, focus is still on skills like musical instrument playing, Spiritual Dance, chess, which are essential Tao Cultivation skills for disciples from major families in the future.


    The areas Mo Hua is familiar with, such as Spirit Plant cultivation, mining, and architecture, are not counted towards assessment scores in the Sect.


    Especially cuisine.


    Mo Hua¡¯s mother, Liu Ruhua, was extremely skilled in cuisine.


    Mo Hua had ¡°inherited¡± this through bloodline.


    While wandering, preparing the three daily meals for his master, Old Kui, junior brothers, and junior sisters was his responsibility.

 Chapter 1028 - 1028 658 Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the

    ?Chapter 1028: Chapter 658 Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Chocolate of the Wind~)_3 Chapter 1028: Chapter 658 Year-End Assessment (Thanks to the Alliance Leader, Chocolate of the Wind~)_3 If culinary skills were truly tested, with his cooking talent, he could utterly crush the entire cohort of disciples!


    Unfortunately, culinary skills aren¡¯t included in the assessment¡­


    Not a single one of Mo Hua¡¯s strengths were tested.


    Everything tested was what he wasn¡¯t good at.


    Except for one thing: ¡°Chess proficiency.¡±


    Mo Hua used to think he was good at that¡­


    Because whether he was in Tongxian City or wandering on the road, Mo Hua often played chess with Grandpa Gui, whenever he had some downtime.


    Mo Hua believed Grandpa Gui was an expert, and his chess abilities must be exceptional.


    Since he could go neck-and-neck with Grandpa Gui in chess and maintain a fifty-fifty win rate, that surely meant his chess skills were decent!


    But when the actual assessment came, he was left dumbfounded¡­


    The Sect¡¯s chess proficiency test was too utilitarian, too calculated, every move painstakingly strategized, full of scheming¡ªthere was no joy in it whatsoever¡­


    He played eighteen games and only won two¡­


    That¡¯s when Mo Hua realized a possibility¡­


    Either the Sect¡¯s chess philosophy was inherently flawed,


    or¡­


    Both he and Grandpa Gui were just terrible chess players¡­


    *Mo Hua was a little shaken.*


    *He was bad, sure, but to think even Grandpa Gui¡¯s reputation took a hit because of him¡­*


    Mo Hua let out a deep sigh.


    The Sect valued theory over practicality.


    Perhaps, it wasn¡¯t just Taixu Gate; maybe the entire Qian Learning State Boundary operated this way.


    Because of this, for the ¡°Hundred Arts Tao Cultivation¡± course, Mo Hua scraped by and earned a ¡°Grade C¡±¡­


    ¡­


    This ¡°one Grade A and six Grade Cs¡± report card had to be sent home to his parents.


    Some other disciples who also received the same grades were visibly distressed and didn¡¯t dare to send theirs home.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, didn¡¯t mind.


    He mailed his report card back to Li State, along with a family letter that read roughly:


    Dear Father and Mother:


    I did my best to learn, but the Sect is full of geniuses, and I couldn¡¯t quite measure up. I narrowly lost and ended up with six ¡°Grade Cs.¡±¡­


    What a pity¡­


    Fortunately, my Formation skills are still excellent!


    Even among the Eight Great Gates of the Qian Learning State Boundary, in Taixu Gate, my Formation skills are not much inferior to those of the Heavenly Prides¡­


    Elder Master Xun even praised me highly.


    ¡­


    Additionally, I¡¯ve settled quite well in Taixu Gate¡­


    The connection with the Taoist Court has been established too! You don¡¯t need to worry.


    The new year is around the corner; Father and Mother, please treat yourselves to something delicious! S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once I achieve Golden Core, I¡¯ll come back home!


    Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua sent both his report card and letter back home.


    The journey to Li State was long.


    Even within Li State, Tongxian City was quite remote.


    He didn¡¯t know when the family letter would reach them or when he might receive a reply¡­


    ¡­


    Following the year-end assessment, there was a month-long New Year holiday.


    Disciples within the Sect could either return home or stay at the Sect.


    Mo Hua decided to stay in the Sect.


    Li State was too far away; he couldn¡¯t return home. He could only imagine his parents in his mind, along with Elder Yu and other neighbors, friends, and childhood buddies from Tongxian City¡­


    *What were they doing right now?*


    *Were they bustling about, strolling the streets, enjoying beast fights, and eating all kinds of delicious food?*


    *Was Tongxian City lit up with colorful decorations, vibrant and lively? Were there dazzling fireworks lighting up the nights?*


    ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re thinking about me¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed deeply.


    ¡­


    The next day, Yu Er was also heading home. Before leaving, his small hand clenched tightly onto Mo Hua¡¯s sleeve, teary-eyed as he gazed at Mo Hua.


    Wenren Wei saw this and said,


    ¡°Young Master Mo, why not come to the Shangguan Family and spend the New Year?¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll pass on the Shangguan Family¡­¡±


    The Shangguan Family wielded immense influence and surely had many rules and restrictions.


    He wasn¡¯t familiar with them, so he wouldn¡¯t feel at ease there.


    Moreover, the Shangguan Family likely had some elders who were as tricky and cunning as old foxes.


    Mo Hua instinctively didn¡¯t want to deal with such ¡°ancestors¡± and risk drawing their attention.


    ¡°How about heading to the Gu Family instead?¡± Wenren Wei suggested again.


    Mo Hua paused.


    The Gu Family¡­


    That might be okay.


    With Uncle Gu there, he had been to the Gu Family a few times before. Plus, Elder Master Xun mentioned the Gu Family was considered ¡°upright¡± within the Taoist Court, and their family ethos was rather proper.


    But Mo Hua was still hesitant.


    He also wanted to take the New Year holiday to study the Fireball Forbidden Skill on his own.


    Yu Er tugged on Mo Hua¡¯s sleeve again, his eyes filled with reluctance.


    *Mo Hua¡¯s heart softened, and he sighed, ¡°Alright then.¡±*


    Yu Er immediately broke into a beaming smile.


    So, little Yu Er happily held Mo Hua¡¯s hand, skipping and hopping all the way to the Gu Family.


    Wenren Wan was delighted to see Mo Hua.


    She casually asked about his Sect assessment results.


    Upon hearing about Mo Hua¡¯s ¡°one Grade A and six Grade Cs,¡± Wenren Wan was somewhat surprised.


    She had initially thought Mo Hua¡¯s claim of being ¡°skilled in Formation¡± was just talk, but she hadn¡¯t expected that he was truly proficient at it¡­


    At Taixu Gate, one of the Eight Great Gates, achieving Grade A in Formation studies was certainly remarkable.


    Wenren Wan felt genuinely happy for Mo Hua.


    As for the six Grade Cs that followed the lone Grade A, Wenren Wan instinctively dismissed them.


    *No one¡¯s perfect, after all.*


    *Mo Hua¡¯s circumstances were different, so it wasn¡¯t fair to judge him too harshly.*


    ¡°Treat this place like your own home; don¡¯t feel constrained,¡± Wenren Wan said warmly to Mo Hua.


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Wan,¡± Mo Hua replied with a smile.


    Gu Changhuai, who was standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but look resigned.


    *This is the Gu Family after all¡­*


    *But in Wenren Wan¡¯s presence, he wouldn¡¯t dare assert his authority.*


    Mo Hua ended up staying at the Gu Family temporarily and played with Yu Er for a few days.


    Yu Er wouldn¡¯t be staying at the Gu Family for long, as he was the legitimate heir of the Shangguan Family¡ªsomeone with a unique status and a pre-arranged schedule, whether he liked it or not.


    According to the plan, Yu Er would first play at the Gu Family for a few days, then go back to the Shangguan Family for the New Year, and afterward visit the Wenren Family to pay respects for the new year.


    He would return to the Gu Family for a brief two-day break before heading back to Taixu Gate as the New Year holiday ended.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t possibly follow Yu Er around everywhere; he only had these few days before the New Year to accompany Yu Er at the Gu Family.


    After a few days of fun, Yu Er said goodbye to Mo Hua, looking utterly glum as he returned to the Shangguan Family, where strict rules awaited him.


    Following that, Mo Hua wandered around Qingzhou City for a while, observing its local customs and traditions before preparing to bid farewell and return to the Sect.


    You couldn¡¯t just depart without informing the Gu Family, though.


    Mo Hua went to find Gu Changhuai.


    Gu Changhuai wasn¡¯t surprised, nor did he try to persuade him to stay.


    *This kid was too full of slippery tactics. He couldn¡¯t handle him and didn¡¯t want to bother trying.*


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing,¡± Gu Changhuai said, ¡°The Demon¡¯s Cave has been destroyed, and the Fire Buddha is dead. The Taoist Court will allocate Merit Points accordingly; I¡¯ll count some for you¡­¡±


    ¡°But for this sort of thing, there¡¯s a lot of paperwork and red tape, so you¡¯ll have to wait for a while¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded, ¡°Alright, alright!¡±


    *Merit Points were amazing!*


    *A bit of a delay was fine, as long as they eventually arrived.*


    *Uncle Gu is pretty trustworthy after all¡­*


    There wasn¡¯t much else to talk about. Gu Changhuai was generally a distant person, so Mo Hua prepared to leave.


    But just as he was getting up, someone walked in from outside.


    It was an older woman with a ruddy complexion and a cheerful demeanor¡ªshe appeared to be a senior member of the Gu Family¡¯s extended relatives.


    The Gu Family elder walked in and immediately smiled as she said to Gu Changhuai, ¡°Changhuai, it¡¯s rare to have you back. I wanted to discuss a marriage proposal with you¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face turned dark.


    Mo Hua, who had just stood up, blinked, then quietly sat back down again. He sneakily extended a small hand, grabbed a slice of melon from the fruit platter on the table, and took a bite.

 Chapter 1029 - 1029 659 Meteorite (Thanks to the Sect Leader

    ?Chapter 1029: Chapter 659: Meteorite (Thanks to the Sect Leader, Grand Elder Taishang Daluo Heavenly Immortal Wanshou Emperor~) Chapter 1029: Chapter 659: Meteorite (Thanks to the Sect Leader, Grand Elder Taishang Daluo Heavenly Immortal Wanshou Emperor~) Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was very unpleasant.


    He was silent for quite a while and didn¡¯t speak until he turned his head and saw Mo Hua eating melon, with a pair of bright, lively eyes secretly watching him, and he frowned and said,


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡±


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t really want to leave.


    The melon in his mouth today was exceptionally sweet.


    But seeing that Uncle Gu¡¯s face was the same color as the bottom of a pot, Mo Hua sighed reluctantly and was about to get up and leave.


    Beside him, a female Elder of the Gu Family, with a face full of festivity, saw Mo Hua looking ¡°wronged¡± and immediately scolded Gu Changhuai:


    ¡°Really, what¡¯s the point of making things difficult for a child?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just sitting here eating melon, how could he possibly bother you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re doing anything shameful¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your aunt speaking out of turn, but you should really restrain that foul temper of yours a bit. At the Dao Court, you can be harsher to those Sin Cultivators and Evil Cultivators, but after returning to the Gu Family, we are all relatives and elders, who are you showing that face to?¡±


    Gu Changhuai stiffened under the Elder¡¯s scolding.


    After the female Elder finished speaking, she put on a friendly expression again and, looking at the demure and adorable Mo Hua, couldn¡¯t help but admire.


    This child is indeed handsome.


    And what a fine temperament.


    Not like the sons of other noble families, some of whom, despite their good looks, have eyes full of arrogance borne from indulgence, a selfish and domineering air.


    This child is different, his gaze is pure, spirited and lively, sincere and polite to behold.


    The more the female Elder looked, the more she liked him.


    This was the first time she had seen Mo Hua and was unaware of his status.


    But thinking he could show up in the Gu Household and eat melon in front of Gu Changhuai, he must be some nephew of the Gu family, or a relative.


    With a large family, these Elders couldn¡¯t recognize all the younger generations.


    Moreover, during the big festivals, friends and relatives coming and going, it¡¯s normal to have a few unfamiliar children around.


    The female Elder smiled and said to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Child, don¡¯t be afraid, take your time eating¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Uncle Gu is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, his words may sound unpleasant, but don¡¯t be afraid of him, just enjoy your melon¡­¡±


    Mo Hua, with his pair of innocent, clear big eyes, obediently said:


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Xie.¡±


    Then he confidently took his seat again.


    Gu Changhuai felt his scalp tingle.


    ¡°Aunt, you¡­¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    The female Elder immediately sat down beside Gu Changhuai and poured herself a cup of tea:


    ¡°The clan doesn¡¯t manage you, and neither do you manage yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°Wan¡¯er is married now, with a husband and children, it¡¯s not convenient for her to intervene. If your aunt doesn¡¯t step in, your whole life might be lost¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s face was stern, with a stubborn look.


    The female Elder sighed softly, speaking more gently, ¡°This girl is from the Direct Lineage of the Hundred Flower Valley, the Hua family, roughly the same age as you, but a bit younger¡­¡±


    ¡°Now at Hundred Flower Valley, she is an Instructor of the Inner Gate¡­¡±


    ¡°Her Cultivation is only at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, well¡­ at the Foundation Establishment Peak¡­¡±


    ¡°Looking at it, Golden Core is not too far off for her¡­¡±


    ¡°At her age, being in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage is indeed a bit old, but as soon as she Breaks through the Realm and advances to Golden Core, that age is just right¡­¡±


    ¡°The two of you are close in age, and in terms of Cultivation, she¡¯s just a bit below you, so you¡¯d have a bit more confidence without having to cater to her all the time¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re of the Gu Family¡¯s Direct Lineage, she¡¯s of the Hua family¡¯s Direct Lineage¡­¡±


    ¡°You are a Dao Court Canon, and she is an Instructor at Hundred Flower Valley, once she reaches Golden Core, she¡¯ll be an Elder¡­¡±


    ¡°That does indeed make for a suitable match¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh!¡±


    Mo Hua, listening on the side, nodded repeatedly.


    Gu Changhuai gave Mo Hua a courtesy eye-roll.


    The female Elder was displeased, ¡°Auntie is talking to you, you should take it seriously¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore, stop thinking about fighting those Sin Cultivators to the death all the time.¡±


    ¡°Worry more about yourself¡­¡±


    Seeing Gu Changhuai unmoved, the female Elder sighed and whispered:


    ¡°You¡¯re a son of a noble family, within the clan, no matter how high your Cultivation, without descendants, without continuation of the Bloodline, you will eventually be marginalized¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what happened to your Great Uncle?¡±


    ¡°He had no children or daughters in his life, had high Cultivation, his word was law in the clan, but when the end of his life approached, he had to give away all his inheritance¡­¡±


    ¡°Now that he¡¯s gone and his Dao has perished, there¡¯s not even anyone to offer incense for him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one, on festivals, who arranges an altar for him, offers tributes and lights incense¡­¡±


    ¡°He reached the Heaven Void, and yet it was so, much less you as a Golden Core?¡±


    ¡°Not to mention the family¡¯s Spirit Stones, Pills, Spiritual Artifacts¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai coughed and glanced at Mo Hua, who sat quietly next to him, diligently munching on his melon.


    The female Elder, impatient, said, ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt, he¡¯s just a child, he won¡¯t understand even if you speak¡­¡±


    Gu Changhuai was speechless.


    This kid has more cunning in his belly than many of the old and sly Demon Cultivators¡­


    You really can¡¯t see through this kid¡¯s true face!


    Gu Changhuai felt helpless inside but was too lazy to speak up, lest he be scolded by his aunt again. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The female Elder paused, ¡°Where was I?¡±


    Gu Changhuai didn¡¯t want to answer.


    Then Mo Hua chimed in from the side: ¡°You were talking about the ¡®clan¡¯s Spirit Stones, Pills, and Spiritual Artifacts.''¡±


    ¡°Oh right,¡± the female Elder smiled at Mo Hua and then gave Gu Changhuai a glare, continuing:


    ¡°The family¡¯s Spirit Stones, Pills, Spiritual Artifacts¡­they will certainly prioritize those branches that have established their families and have many descendants¡­¡±


    ¡°Once you¡¯re married, the joining of two families supports each other, and with many people, they won¡¯t be bullied, with real benefits, they¡¯ll help each other, and the ¡®rich water¡¯ won¡¯t flow into outsiders¡¯ fields¡­¡±

 Chapter 1030 - 1030 659 Meteorite (Thanks to the great

    ?Chapter 1030: Chapter 659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_2 Chapter 1030: Chapter 659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_2 ¡°You¡¯re on your own, with no one to defend you when you¡¯re bullied or manipulated in the clan¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still stubborn¡­¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t listen¡­¡±


    The female elder was getting angrier as she spoke.


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t pleasant either.


    Mo Hua reminded her from the side, ¡°Elder, you¡¯re getting off topic¡­¡±


    The female elder was startled.


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°The marriage!¡±


    ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± the female elder looked at Mo Hua gratefully, ¡°I nearly forgot; marriage is what¡¯s most important.¡±


    The female elder then told Gu Changhuai, ¡°That girl from Hundred Flower Valley, when you have time, meet her, have a chat, see if you can get along¡­¡±


    ¡°If you get along, I¡¯ll send someone to Hundred Flower Valley with a proposal¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t delay this anymore¡­¡±


    The female elder pondered and then said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the girl is extremely beautiful, like flowers and jade, almost a Heavenly Immortal, a perfect match for you¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Gu Changhuai¡¯s expression had grown numb.


    Like a wooden puppet.


    Mo Hua even doubted whether he actually heard anything his aunt said, as it seemed to go in one ear and out the other.


    Finally, the female elder concluded:


    ¡°That settles it then, I¡¯ll arrange a meeting when you¡¯re free¡­¡±


    After finishing, she left in a hurry.


    Mo Hua finally finished eating the melon in his mouth.


    He thought about it, feeling that a beauty like flowers and jade matched well with a handsome and elegant man.


    But he wondered if it was true ¡°beauty like flowers and jade¡± or ¡°like flower¡± seemed like jade.


    Mo Hua felt that Uncle Gu was good to him, even giving him Merit Points, so he figured he should do something. He hinted mysteriously:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, I know someone from Hundred Flower Valley, should I¡­ ask around for you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t finish his sentence when a Spirit Fruit was stuffed into his mouth.


    It was Gu Changhuai who had stuffed it.


    Mo Hua glared at Gu Changhuai, took the Spirit Fruit, bit into it, and found it rather sweet, so he ended up eating a few more bites.


    As he ate, Mo Hua remembered the matter at hand.


    He sighed and said, ¡°Uncle Gu, not to criticize, but you¡¯re not getting any younger. You should meet her if there¡¯s a chance¡­¡±


    Mo Hua stopped halfway as he saw that the atmosphere was off.


    He looked up and saw Uncle Gu¡¯s face as dark as the bottom of a pot, about to explode in anger.


    Mo Hua quickly picked up on the cue:


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see her, forget it¡­ I¡¯ll be off!¡±


    And with that, he fled.


    Gu Changhuai saw Mo Hua vanish in an instant and sighed helplessly, feeling a headache coming on. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    After leaving the living room, Mo Hua pondered.


    Hundred Flower Valley.


    Foundation Establishment Late Stage, Inner Gate Instructor, beauty like flowers and jade¡­


    He always felt there was something strange in these details.


    As Mo Hua walked and thought, he suddenly saw that the female elder¡ªGu Changhuai¡¯s aunt¡ªhadn¡¯t gone far.


    His eyes lit up and he ran up, calling out:


    ¡°Elder!¡±


    The female elder was startled to see it was Mo Hua, then smiled and said:


    ¡°My given name is ¡®Hong.¡¯ Everyone calls me ¡®Elder Hong;¡¯ you should too¡­¡±


    ¡°Elder Hong!¡± Mo Hua crisply responded.


    Elder Hong nodded and smiled, ¡°Which family are you from? Not the Gu family, right?¡±


    ¡°My surname is Mo.¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Mo?¡± Elder Hong frowned.


    There weren¡¯t any families with the surname Mo that associated with the Gu family in the Qianxue State boundary¡­


    ¡°I know Aunt Wan.¡± Mo Hua said.


    Elder Hong was a bit surprised but then understood.


    Aunt Wan, Wenren Wan¡­


    That must be a connection from either the Shangguan Family or the Wenren Family.


    With large families interconnected through marriages and relationships, it¡¯s indeed tough to keep track unless they are close.


    Since he referred to that young lady as ¡°Aunt Wan,¡± he surely wasn¡¯t an outsider.


    Elder Hong¡¯s smile grew warmer.


    She didn¡¯t meddle much in the affairs of the Gu Family.


    It didn¡¯t occur to her to link young Mo Hua with Yu Er¡¯s situation.


    Elder Hong smiled, ¡°Have you enrolled in school?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°I am a disciple of the Taixu Gate.¡±


    Elder Hong showed admiration, ¡°Being admitted to one of the Eight Great Gates is indeed impressive.¡±


    But¡­


    Elder Hong was again surprised.


    The child seemed weak in Blood Qi, Spiritual Power, and had a poor Spiritual Root¡­


    How did he get into Taixu Gate?


    With such aptitude, would Taixu Gate really accept him?


    However, she didn¡¯t probe further, as it wasn¡¯t appropriate to ask such embarrassing questions upon their first meeting.


    ¡°Elder Hong, I have a question for you¡­¡±


    Elder Hong was slightly surprised but nodded, saying:


    ¡°Go ahead and ask¡­¡±


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°I often come to the Gu family to play with Uncle Gu, but it seems I¡¯ve never seen Uncle Gu¡¯s parents¡­¡±


    ¡°Playing with Changhuai?¡±


    Elder Hong gaped.


    She even thought about looking up to check if the sun had risen from the west¡­


    Who would want to play with Changhuai?


    With his terrible temper, it¡¯s good enough he doesn¡¯t scare people away.


    What could they possibly play?


    Pretending to be a Court Official, playing with case handling, warrants, and capturing Evil Cultivators?


    Elder Hong shook her head, puzzled.


    This child knows Wan¡¯er¡­


    Probably it was for Wan¡¯er¡¯s sake that Changhuai was entertaining this kid¡­


    Elder Hong silently thought.


    As for Changhuai¡¯s parents¡­


    Elder Hong hesitated, then sighed, ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, ¡°Dead?¡±


    Elder Hong found a pavilion nearby to sit down and softly said:


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a secret, no need to hide it from you, but the specifics aren¡¯t something I can discuss. And don¡¯t bring it up in front of your Uncle Gu¡­¡±

 Chapter 1031 - 1031 659 Meteorite (Thanks to the great

    ?Chapter 1031: Chapter 659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_3 Chapter 1031: Chapter 659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_3 ¡°Mm!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Elder Hong¡¯s eyes revealed some wistfulness and concern.


    ¡°Changhuai was an orphan from a young age, always a loner¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, even when his parents were still alive, he was a loner¡­¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Elder Hong thought carefully, then conclusively said, ¡°His loner nature must be innate, unrelated to other things¡­¡±


    ¡°But being without parents and enduring some bullying is always inevitable.¡±


    ¡°At that time, it was his cousin, your Aunt Wan, who often looked after him. Since childhood, Changhuai only listened to his cousin¡­¡±


    ¡°Now that he¡¯s grown up, over a hundred years old, he¡¯s still indifferent to others, but he cares deeply about Wan¡¯er¡¯s matters¡­¡±


    Mo Hua nodded slightly.


    No wonder¡­


    Elder Hong sighed again, ¡°I just wish for him to find a partner, to change his cold and lonely nature, otherwise, sooner or later¡­¡±


    Elder Hong did not continue, but his gaze bore a shade of gloom.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said,


    ¡°Elder Hong, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll talk to Uncle Gu whenever possible!¡±


    Elder Hong was quite astonished and laughed,


    ¡°Good, if you can persuade him to find a partner, I¡­¡±


    Elder Hong pondered for a moment, then promised,


    ¡°I¡¯ll find you a beautiful young lady in the future!¡±


    Mo Hua, taken by surprise, blushed, ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s still early¡­¡±


    Seeing Mo Hua in this adorable, embarrassed state, Elder Hong laughed heartily, ¡°Then tell me what you want when the time comes. If I can manage it and it¡¯s not too outrageous, I¡¯ll definitely help you¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm!¡±


    Mo Hua said, nodding with a smile.


    Afterward, the two chatted about this and that for a while.


    Elder Hong was an Elder of the Gu Family, known for his deep cultivation and seniority, yet very sociable and fond of gossip, even particularly keen on matchmaking.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but reflect that the world indeed had all kinds of Elders¡­


    After a while, Elder Hong had to leave due to other matters.


    But Mo Hua pondered in his mind.


    When the Fire Buddha self-destructed, Uncle Gu had saved him.


    His father and mother had always told him, ¡°A small kindness should be repaid like a bubbling spring.¡±


    The female instructor from Hundred Flower Valley, he should ask Sister Qianqian when she was free to see if she could find out any information.


    Uncle Gu¡¯s lifelong matters, he must take some worries for him!


    Mo Hua nodded.


    But currently, there seemed to be no opportunity; he would wait until the Sect started school, then ask Sister Qianqian when they were doing tasks together.


    After that, Mo Hua returned to Taixu Gate.


    This year, he would spend at the Sect.


    Though it was a bit lonely, it was also peaceful.


    And if he ever got bored, he could visit nearby Tai Xu City.


    Tai Xu City, built adjoining Taixu Gate and inhabited by many cultivators, was brightly decorated and bustling during the New Year.


    It also had some customs completely different from those in Li State.


    In addition, most of his time, Mo Hua spent researching and perfecting the Fireball Forbidden Skill that he had initially improved from the Meteor Fire Skill.


    The ¡°True Manual of Demonic Path Cultivation,¡± remained inside his Storage Ring.


    But he dared not look at it within the Sect.


    The Sect prohibited any disciple from bringing Demon Cultivator¡¯s cultivation techniques, Evil Skills, or exotic skills into the Sect.


    If discovered, the consequences would be severe.


    Although Mo Hua had secretly brought it in, he also dared not read it in the Sect.


    He even suspected that there might be other methods inside the Sect to detect demonic power and Demonic Qi to prevent disciples from secretly cultivating Evil Skills and deviating.


    Comparatively, Forbidden Skills could be considered safer.


    After all, the Forbidden Technique Mo Hua was studying involved only spell principles and did not incorporate any practices from the Evil Path.


    Mo Hua kept studying, optimizing, and refining his Fireball Forbidden Skill.


    He wasn¡¯t looking for greater power.


    Because the power was already sufficient.


    What he needed now was more stability in the skill pattern itself, control over the fusion, reducing the risk of losing control, and to some extent, reducing the consumption of Spiritual Power¡­


    Thus stabilizing this spell completely.


    In the consequent days, after nearly tens of revisions and hundreds of adjustments, the overall flow of Spiritual Power and the internal structure of the skill pattern had become very stable.


    Mo Hua wanted to test it more.


    Just as one must apply Formation knowledge, the same went for spells.


    Inside Taixu Gate, the appropriate place to test spells was naturally the Dao Room.


    Even during the New Year, there were Elders on duty in the Dao Room.


    And it was Elder Yi, whom Mo Hua was quite familiar with.


    Upon reaching the Dao Room and seeing Elder Yi, Mo Hua was a bit surprised,


    ¡°Elder, aren¡¯t you going back to your clan for the New Year?¡±


    Elder Yi, sipping tea, shook his head, ¡°I went back to take a look, that was enough¡­¡±


    ¡°With so many people in the clan, they don¡¯t miss one like me, but it¡¯s different for the Sect.¡±


    ¡°Besides, this place is much quieter than home. At my age, a quiet place is better than anything¡­¡±


    Elder Yi spoke with much emotion.


    Mo Hua asked softly, ¡°Elder Yi, how old are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Elder Yi almost let his age slip, but hesitated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask about that¡­¡± Elder Yi said, then raised his eyebrows, ¡°What are you doing here this time? Practicing spells?¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    During the New Year¡¯s days, also staying back to practice his spells instead of returning to his clan.


    Elder Yi immediately felt a much closer connection with Mo Hua.


    ¡°Go ahead, pick any room you like!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Yi!¡±


    Mo Hua said, smiling, then headed into the Dao Room, took a few steps, then turned back.

 Chapter 1032 - 1032 659 Meteorite (Thanks to the great

    ?Chapter 1032: Chapter 659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_4 Chapter 1032: Chapter 659: Meteorite (Thanks to the great sponsor Heavenly Immortal Thousand-Year Emperor~)_4 Elder Yi felt puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Um.¡± Mo Hua nodded and whispered, ¡°Elder, can I go to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage Dao Room to practice spells?¡±


    ¡°Foundation Establishment Late Stage?¡±


    Elder Yi jolted slightly, glaring at Mo Hua with great caution, ¡°What are you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing special¡­¡± Mo Hua smiled and said, ¡°I just think the Foundation Establishment Late Stage Dao Room is a bit safer¡­¡±


    The Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Dao Room was safe too.


    *The unsafe one is you¡­* Elder Yi thought silently to himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s the holiday season; keep yourself in check, don¡¯t mess around with dangerous stuff¡­¡± Elder Yi muttered.


    ¡°Mm-mm, rest assured, it¡¯s absolutely safe!¡± Mo Hua promised.


    ¡°Fine, go ahead,¡± Elder Yi waved dismissively.


    Mo Hua grinned and said, ¡°Thank you, Elder Yi!¡±


    Following Elder Yi¡¯s directions, Mo Hua entered an unfamiliar Dao Room.


    The spell training mannequins inside were more advanced, made from rarer materials, with stronger defenses, and equipped with more magic defensive formations.


    Likewise, the walls of the entire room were reinforced with high-level Second Grade formations.


    Once Mo Hua entered the Dao Room, Elder Yi kept his eyes fixed on the Dao Room, not daring to look away.


    He was afraid that if he blinked, there would be another dramatic ¡°Boom!¡±


    The result would be Mo Hua and the spell mannequin ending up ¡°mutually wounded.¡±


    If the mannequin got damaged, that wouldn¡¯t matter.


    If Mo Hua got injured, then not only would this holiday season be ruined, but Elder Yi reckoned even next year wouldn¡¯t be ¡°peaceful.¡±


    Fortunately, after quite some time, there were no anomalies from the Dao Room.


    Mo Hua appeared to be practicing spells properly.


    Only then did Elder Yi finally relax, realizing that maybe he was being overly paranoid?


    *Someone at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage accidentally causing a skill pattern collapse and destroying one Dao Room was already outrageous.*


    *But no matter how outrageous it was, it shouldn¡¯t be possible to blow up a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Dao Room¡­*


    Elder Yi felt at ease again, leaning back in his chair, leisurely sipping tea, enjoying the rare tranquility.


    Inside the Dao Room.


    Mo Hua indeed refrained from attempting any more ¡°dangerous¡± experiments.


    *If he didn¡¯t pay attention and injured himself, not even Elder Yi could enjoy his holiday.*


    Mo Hua was quite empathetic to Elder Yi¡¯s difficulties.


    He simply followed the already-multiple-times-refined and stabilized ¡°Forbidden Technique¡± structure to conjure fireballs.


    Dual techniques worked in tandem, merging fireballs of the same origin.


    Using Divine Sense to exert strong pressure, he caused the fireballs to collide and compress at high speeds, triggering a skill pattern collapse. This led to internal Spiritual Power Fusion, forming a brand-new ¡°small fireball¡± saturated with powerful spiritual energy.


    On the fireball, the Fire Spiritual Power flowed and coiled like lava, intensely condensed, presenting a uniform pale purple hue.


    This fireball¡¯s power was smaller than the uncontrollable Fireball Forbidden Skill he initially performed.


    Its power was also less than the one that pierced the chest of the Fire Buddha.


    Yet at the same time, its danger level was reduced to the minimum.


    The spell itself became far more manageable.


    The speed of spellcasting also increased greatly.


    *Based on Mo Hua¡¯s prior experiences in magic battles, fully controllable spells delivered more precision and finesse in actual combat.*


    *If a spell carried the risk of losing control, it would be a double-edged sword.*


    *In trying to kill someone, you could end up killing yourself too.*


    So to ensure stability, he deliberately reduced the spell¡¯s power and minimized the spiritual energy consumption. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In return, he gained more precise, quicker, and composed control over the spell.


    Mo Hua pondered in his mind.


    *First is stability and safety!*


    *Once he mastered this Forbidden Technique to perfection, then he could consider gradually lifting its constraints step by step.*


    *Through deeper levels of skill pattern collapse, he could harness Spiritual Power Fusion.*


    *And excavate the ultimate potential of this Forbidden Technique¡­*


    *But before that, there remained one pressing issue:*


    He needed to come up with a new name for this Fireball Forbidden Skill.


    ¡°Meteor Fire Skill¡± was definitely out of the question.


    That name belonged to the Fire Buddha¡¯s Forbidden Technique, and just mentioning it would attract suspicion from anyone sharp enough to notice.


    ¡°Fireball Technique¡± wouldn¡¯t work either¡­


    It sounded too generic.


    ¡°Forbidden Fireball¡± would be even worse¡­


    This would be equivalent to slapping the ¡°Forbidden¡± label across his forehead, practically begging everyone to know¡­


    Mo Hua stared at the small fireball in his hand, resembling molten lava, furrowing his brows deep in thought for a long while until his eyes suddenly lit up.


    Fireball fusion, containing meteor fire within.


    Then this Forbidden Technique¡¯s name shall be:


    Mini Meteorite Skill!


    Mo Hua nodded to himself, his eyes shining brightly.


    ¡­


    The holiday passed quickly.


    A month slipped by in the blink of an eye.


    Taixu Gate resumed classes.


    Disciples who had just finished celebrating returned to the sect, their faces laden with fatigue and gloom¡ªthey looked completely reluctant.


    The Taixu Gate, which had been quiet for a month, grew lively again.


    This marked Mo Hua¡¯s second year studying at Taixu Gate.


    After a year of cultivation, most disciples had gradually adapted to the sect lifestyle.


    Next, they would formally begin integrating into the sect¡¯s structured system.


    Several days into the semester, under the approval of the Taixu Sect Master, this new cohort of disciples finally had their Taixu Token ¡°Merit Points¡± permissions unlocked.


    They would now start undertaking assignments.

 Chapter 1033 - 1033 660 Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the

    ?Chapter 1033: Chapter 660 Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the great cultivator ally for being the alliance leader~) Chapter 1033: Chapter 660 Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the great cultivator ally for being the alliance leader~) After the ¡°Merit Points¡± privilege was granted, the disciples obviously became busy.


    They were born into noble families and may not lack resources like Spirit Stones for Dao cultivation, but certain rare inheritances, the prestige within the Sect, and even the positions at the Inner Gate were all things they strove for effortfully.


    This was itself a form of invisible competition.


    Whoever had more Merit Points signified the most significant contribution to the Sect, and thus would be more recognized by the Sect Elders, gaining greater influence among the disciples.


    Everyone was the proud child of heaven; even if they were courteous on the surface, valuing the camaraderie of fellow Sect members, in their hearts, no one truly conceded to another.


    Earning Merit Points involved not only self-interest but also the dignity amongst fellow disciples.


    At their age, ¡°face¡± might be more important than ¡°interest¡±.


    Hence, the disciples eagerly took on various ¡°bounties¡± whenever they had free time, completing quests to earn Merit Points.


    This left Mo Hua a bit at a loss for a while.


    Normally, he would have finished his meal at noon and could relax on the grass, bask in the sun with his Sect mates, and have a chat.


    But now that ¡°Merit Points¡± were available, everyone had disappeared.


    Cheng Mo had gone to watch the gate.


    Situ Jian had gone to sweep the streets.


    Zheng Fang had buried himself in Formation tasks¡­


    Others also found ways to earn Merit Points.


    While Mo Hua was left alone, looking rather out of place, like someone without a care in the world.


    Only little Yu Er kept him company in the sun, occasionally rolling gleefully on the grass.


    Back in the Shangguan Family, Yu Er was expected to conduct himself with propriety and have the demeanor of a disciple from a great family, which was very constraining.


    At the Sect, with no one to control him, he became much livelier.


    Even rolling on the grass, no one would reprimand him, and Mo Hua would even flash him a smile, making Yu Er exceedingly happy.


    Seeing how joyful Yu Er was, Mo Hua also felt at ease.


    As for the matter of Merit Points, it wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t in a hurry.


    It¡¯s just that he no longer valued these ¡°entry-level¡± tasks.


    Of course, some entry-level tasks didn¡¯t value him either.


    Like watching the gate, sweeping the streets¡­


    Even if Mo Hua really wanted to experience it, others would think he was too frail and wouldn¡¯t let him take on the tasks.


    And now, he still had over a thousand Merit Points.


    It was what he had accumulated over such a long time by capturing Sin Cultivators, Drawing Formations, and then what remained after buying quite a few Formations.


    Besides, there should be another sum of Merit Points on its way for the Fire Buddha matter.


    Only the Taoist Court officials were always so busy, the processing was slow, with many bureaucratic hurdles, it¡¯s uncertain when it would be distributed.


    But no matter how you looked at it, over a thousand Merit Points was also a ¡°huge sum.¡±


    And for the other Sect Disciples to accumulate so many Merit Points through these entry-level tasks, who knows how long it would take.


    Mo Hua suddenly felt like he had already graduated while watching his fellow Sect Disciples still struggling with ¡°retaking failed exams¡±¡­


    But over a thousand Merit Points certainly wouldn¡¯t be enough for his future needs.


    Especially since he still needed to learn Formations.


    Rare Formations, should they become expensive, would become a bottomless pit.


    Currently, at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, because he had followed Senior Brothers and Sisters, as well as mixed with the Taoist Court officials on missions, the Merit Points he earned to learn Second Grade Middle-level Formations were just enough for a little surplus.


    But in the future, learning Second Grade High-Level Formations might result in expenditure exceeding income.


    And what if, within the Taixu Gate, there were Ultimate Formations?


    How many Merit Points would an Ultimate Formation need?


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t even dare to think about it.


    Therefore, it was still necessary to plan ahead for a rainy day and save up Merit Points.


    Merit Points were, after all, always better more than less.


    During the rest period, Mo Hua still went to find Senior Sister Murong, hoping to continue joining in on missions, but Murong Caiyun looked apologetic.


    ¡°Junior Brother, we might not have time to go out on missions this year¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was stunned.


    Murong Caiyun explained, ¡°We disciples at the Foundation Building Middle Stage are going to enter the Refining Demon Mountain.¡±


    ¡°Refining Demon Mountain!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He remembered that Situ Jian seemed to have mentioned it to him before.


    There was a Refining Demon Mountain within the Qianxue State boundary.


    There were many Monster Beasts on the mountain, some of which were rare species purposely captured and placed there by powerful Cultivators.


    The purpose was to allow Sect Disciples to experience real combat, hone their Taoist Skills, and work together to slaughter monsters¡­


    ¡°Are there many Monster Beasts inside?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Murong Caiyun said, ¡°Refining Demon Mountain is vast, with complex terrain, and many Monster Beasts. Their bodies contain many rare materials that can be used to refine Spiritual Artifacts.¡±


    ¡°Does this Refining Demon Mountain belong to our Taixu Gate?¡± asked Mo Hua curiously.


    Murong Caiyun laughed, ¡°No, our Taixu Gate¡¯s influence is not small, but we still don¡¯t have the power to control the entire Refining Demon Mountain¡­¡±


    ¡°Refining Demon Mountain is ostensibly under the jurisdiction of the entire Qianxue State boundary, supervised jointly by the Four Great Sects, the Eight Great Gates, and the Twelve Streams.¡±


    ¡°All Sect Disciples can enter the mountain for Monster Hunting.¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The Monster Beasts hunted can be skinned and de-boned by yourself to obtain materials for Artifact Refining, or they can be sold to the Sect in exchange for Merit Points¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s best to use them for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Some special Sword Cultivator streams demand materials to refine their Spiritual Swords only obtainable by slaying specific Monster Beasts within the Refining Demon Mountain, such as bones, claws, essence blood, or inner cores¡­¡±


    ¡°Some extremely rare Monster Beast materials, when sold to the Sect, can be exchanged for a handsome amount of Merit Points¡­¡±


    ¡°Therefore, at the Foundation Building Middle Phase, the main source of Merit Points for most Sect Disciples comes from the Monster Beasts of the Refining Demon Mountain¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation.


    Monster Hunting!


    Merit Points!


    He felt the blood of a Monster Hunter stirring within him.


    Murong Caiyun seemed to see through his thoughts and sighed.


    Having been with Mo Hua for so long, how could she not know what her Junior Brother was thinking?

 Chapter 1034 - 1034 660 Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the

    ?Chapter 1034: Chapter 660 Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the alliance leader of the immortality cultivation experts~)_2 Chapter 1034: Chapter 660 Sword Cultivation (Thank you to the alliance leader of the immortality cultivation experts~)_2 Although sometimes Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was profound and his inner heart inscrutable,


    at other times, his nature was quite innocent, with every little thought clearly written on his face.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go,¡± Murong Caiyun said.


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°Why¡­¡±


    Murong Caiyun listed the reasons for him one by one:


    ¡°First, you¡¯re only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, your cultivation isn¡¯t enough; second, you¡¯ve only been inducted for two years, time isn¡¯t enough; third, entering Refining Demon Mountain requires a Sect Pass, which you¡¯re not eligible for, so you can¡¯t buy¡­¡±


    Mo Hua whispered,


    ¡°Can I sneak in?¡±


    Murong Caiyun gave him a slight glare, ¡°There¡¯s a Formation sealing it, how would you sneak in?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°What grade is that Formation?¡±


    Murong Caiyun shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but at the very least it should be a Fifth Grade Formation.¡±


    ¡°Fifth Grade¡­¡± Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.


    A Fifth Grade Formation was too high in grade for him to fiddle with. Otherwise, he might have been able to secretly open a gap and slip inside to take a look.


    However, he was also very curious about what a Formation of the Fifth Grade would be like. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°In conclusion,¡± Murong Caiyun advised, ¡°don¡¯t think about Refining Demon Mountain for now¡­¡±


    ¡°As for missions, if you have any troubles, just let me know, I¡¯ll definitely help you when I have time.¡±


    Mo Hua was touched in his heart and nodded,


    ¡°Rest assured, Senior Sister, you go ahead with your tasks, don¡¯t worry about me!¡±


    After parting with Murong Caiyun, Mo Hua walked alone towards the Disciple¡¯s Residence.


    While walking, he pondered in his heart.


    ¡°Senior Sister Murong is going into Refining Demon Mountain¡­¡±


    ¡°Then Shangguan Senior Brother, Senior Brother Feng, and Senior Sister Qianqian, they should also be entering the mountain¡­¡±


    ¡°After all, Refining Demon Mountain is the main source of merit points for disciples in the middle phase of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    With that being the case, there would be no one to join him for fun¡­


    Although, at the Daoist Court, he was now somewhat familiar.


    But the Daoist Court, after all, was the Daoist Court, not a Sect, and it was complex and murky within, and the merits earned might not necessarily convert into ¡°merit points¡± of the Sect.


    Even if they could convert, the process was both complex and protracted.


    ¡°Maybe I should¡­ gather some others to have fun?¡±


    Who to gather?


    Cheng Mo and Situ Jian?


    Mo Hua shook his head slightly.


    Their cultivation was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.


    He used to hang out with those at the middle and late stages of Foundation Establishment, Enforcement Leaders of the Daoist Court, and Supervisor Gu, the Golden Core Stage Uncle Gu.


    Not to mention not leveling up, how could he even consider downgrading?


    But after much thought, there seemed to be no one else.


    Mo Hua pondered for a while and sighed,


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it later¡­¡±


    First, take care of his own matters.


    After returning to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, Mo Hua sat in meditation in his room and cultivated with closed eyes.


    When his Qi Sea was full and his meridians slightly swollen, he opened his eyes.


    ¡°Cultivation!¡±


    From now on, he would need to spend more time every day on cultivation.


    Although cultivation takes persistent effort, a gentle and unhurried approach, an extra bit of effort every day would naturally make his cultivation progress faster.


    Mo Hua had thought it through.


    The second year at the Sect could be very monotonous.


    His Divine Sense Realm was bottlenecked by his cultivation.


    The bottleneck from Sixteen Patterns to Seventeen Patterns, the leap from the middle to the late phase of Foundation Establishment, was the bottleneck of Divine Sense.


    That bottleneck was like a chasm.


    Even if Mo Hua practiced drawing formations every day and refined his Divine Sense, occasionally protecting little Yu Er from nightmares and getting some ¡°side income¡±,


    his Divine Sense was simply overranked too much.


    It would be difficult to break through this obstruction in a short period of time.


    With Divine Sense stuck, Mo Hua¡¯s proficiency in formations couldn¡¯t continue to rise.


    He could only broaden his foundation in formations and continue to learn other formations within the Second Grade Sixteen Patterns¡­


    However, such formations, after all, lacked challenge, and studying too many of them became somewhat tedious¡­


    Mo Hua sighed.


    He wanted to learn higher-level formations.


    Especially the Original Magnet-type formations, the construction of those more profound Magnetic Patterns and the application of the Secondary Thunder Patterns, Mo Hua had longed for a while.


    But without a breakthrough in Divine Sense, he currently was unable to learn those.


    Mo Hua felt a bit helpless.


    ¡­


    In the following month, since Senior Sister Murong and the others had all entered Refining Demon Mountain, Mo Hua seldom went out for missions.


    He alone couldn¡¯t take on bounties above the middle phase of Foundation Establishment.


    The early stage bounties gave too few merit points.


    It was somewhat a waste of time for him to do them alone.


    Better to spend more time drawing Second Grade formations, earning more merit points without having to run around.


    This made Mo Hua feel even more monotonous.


    Unable to go out for bounties.


    His cultivation increasing little by little, slowly, unable to break through the realm.


    His Divine Sense also strengthening bit by bit, gradually, yet unable to break through the realm.


    Yu Er would still occasionally suffer from nightmares at night, disturbed by Demon Monsters, but without the Shepherd of Goat Bones present.


    As for spells, he had pretty much learned what was necessary.


    The structural stability of the Mini Meteorite Skill Pattern was now incredibly stable.


    He had also learned quite a few other Second Grade functional formations¡­


    There wasn¡¯t much to aspire to in the short term¡­


    Life was as plain as water, without excitement or joy.


    Suddenly, Mo Hua felt that he should proactively find something else to learn¡­


    He thought about it and picked up the Gold-Cutting Imperial Sword Technique again, wanting to practice Sword Qi.


    When it came to cultivating Sword Qi, Mo Hua¡¯s foundation was too poor.


    The other sword-cultivating disciples within the Sect already had their family¡¯s heritage, and after being immersed in it since childhood, they began practicing sword moves and cultivating Sword Qi.


    At each higher realm, the sharpness of their Sword Qi would increase by a degree.


    By the later stages, they would become one with the sword, their Sword Qi piercing the heavens and reaching the earth.


    Mo Hua, coming from the background of a Loose Cultivator, barely touched a sword before Foundation Establishment.

 Chapter 1035 - 1035 660 Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the

    ?Chapter 1035: Chapter 660 Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the alliance leader of the fellow cultivators~)_3 Chapter 1035: Chapter 660 Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the alliance leader of the fellow cultivators~)_3 The only time Mo Hua encountered a sword was when Zhang Lan was teaching the Water Passing Step. To demonstrate the Formation, he let Mo Hua stab him with a sword.


    That splendidly heavy treasure sword, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t even lift it¡­


    In the end, he had to substitute it with a tree branch.


    So, truly speaking of sword cultivation, Mo Hua had absolutely no foundation, let alone competing with other sword cultivators to see who was superior¡­


    But being idle was still being idle, and a person should always have some aspirations.


    Mo Hua thus took up swordsmanship training as his way of ¡°intellectual recreation.¡±


    Even if he couldn¡¯t master it, knowing both himself and the enemy, and restraining sword cultivators, would be beneficial.


    This sword technique belonged to the Sever Gold Sect.


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t practice it openly, so he found a secluded grove, bought a second-hand, worn-out spirit sword, and practiced by himself just for fun.


    The Sever Gold Sword Control Technique was a technique of the Golden Series.


    Mo Hua had the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, which included some Metal Spirit Root.


    It was feasible for him to practice it.


    However, after practicing for a while, Mo Hua noticed a problem.


    This thing called Sword Qi, it seemed really strenuous for him to consolidate.


    The sword cultivators he had seen, like Uncle Zhang Lan, Senior Brother Ouyang Feng, Senior Brother Shangguan Xu, and Situ Jian who was in the same batch as himself,


    When they wielded their swords, the Sword Qi they stimulated was invariably stable in form, sharp, and powerful.


    But the Sword Qi he produced¡­


    Mo Hua found it difficult to evaluate¡­


    The Sword Qi he managed to form first of all, the shape was unstable, called a ¡°sword¡± but more like a ¡°stick,¡± and occasionally like a ¡°tree branch¡±¡­


    The Sword Qi was also not sharp, sometimes it couldn¡¯t even cut tree bark¡­


    Not to mention its power.


    He could throw a Fireball with his hand, and its destructive power was higher than this ¡°Sword Qi¡±¡­


    Mo Hua fell into deep confusion.


    ¡°Is my talent for sword cultivation really this poor?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right¡­¡±


    ¡°Or is it just that everything is difficult at the beginning, and I just haven¡¯t gotten the knack of it yet?¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t figure it out and decided not to think about it anymore.


    There wasn¡¯t anything else to practice anyway, so he might as well play around with it¡­


    Whatever it turned out to be, it would be what it would be, no need to pressure himself.


    If he really couldn¡¯t master it, he¡¯d treat it as laying a foundation for the upcoming ¡°Tai Xu Divine Thought Transforming Sword True Jue.¡±


    ¡°Divine Thought into sword True Jue,¡± as the name suggests, should not be the same kind as ordinary sword techniques.


    He might not be able to cultivate ordinary sword techniques, but that does not necessarily mean he couldn¡¯t cultivate ¡°Divine Thought into Sword.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed.


    That was the only way he could comfort himself¡­


    Later, during tea and meal breaks, whenever Mo Hua had some free time, he would find a small grove and casually slash a few times with his sword.


    Sword Qi flew about, trees stood firm, only the leaves gently fell.


    Fortunately, Mo Hua wasn¡¯t discouraged.


    He just treated it as pruning the Sect¡¯s trees.


    ¡­


    And so, some time passed like this.


    One day, as Mo Hua was returning to the Disciple¡¯s Residence, he came across a few disciples whispering to each other.


    Mo Hua focused and saw that it was Cheng Mo, Situ Jian, and three other less familiar fellow disciples.


    Mo Hua quietly approached and overheard bits and pieces of their conversation:


    ¡°The day after tomorrow¡­ during the break¡­¡±


    ¡°Outside Qingzhou City¡­¡±


    ¡°Pretending to be a Senior Brother¡­ finally got the task¡­¡±


    ¡°Not dangerous¡­¡±


    ¡°No worries¡­ we five are enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Just need to capture a person¡­¡±


    ¡°Easy catch¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah!!¡±


    Cheng Mo hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he suddenly realized someone was standing behind him, which gave him a fright and his face went pale. Upon realizing it was Mo Hua, he finally relaxed.


    ¡°Mo Hua, you scared me¡­¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he complained, ¡°How can you eavesdrop on our conversation?¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him blankly, ¡°This is a proper path, I came straight over here, stopped straight here, and listened straight to you guys talking¡­¡±


    ¡°Blame your own lack of vigilance, how can you blame me?¡±


    Cheng Mo was at a loss for words and then muttered:


    ¡°Who knew you¡¯d walk like a cat, soundlessly and even without a breath¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at them suspiciously, ¡°What scheming plots are you guys hatching?¡±


    Cheng Mo, like a student caught by an instructor, immediately became anxious, ¡°We were just discussing¡­ cultivation matters¡­¡±


    Mo Hua seemed unconvinced.


    Cheng Mo then said, ¡°Really!¡±


    After saying that, he realized something wasn¡¯t right.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t an Elder or an Instructor, just a Junior Brother teaching them Formations, who they didn¡¯t dare to offend. Why was he so nervous?


    Cheng Mo immediately straightened up.


    Mo Hua whispered, ¡°You guys are planning to secretly take on a quest from the Taoist Court?¡±


    Cheng Mo was startled, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Mo Hua pursed his lips.


    Always playing the mysteriously secretive game¡­


    Situ Jian spoke in a low voice, ¡°Mo Hua, don¡¯t tell anyone, alright?¡±


    Cheng Mo also nodded repeatedly, paused thinking that it didn¡¯t seem sincere enough, as in these situations, one typically needs to ¡°bribe¡± a little.


    Cheng Mo then said, ¡°Mo Hua, if you promise not to tell anyone, after the task is accomplished, we¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, ¡°¡­share some Merit Points with you!¡±


    Mo Hua was curious, ¡°How much are you sharing?¡±


    Cheng Mo started to feel conflicted.


    They had just started doing these tasks, and they couldn¡¯t earn many Merit Points from them, and those they did earn weren¡¯t very useful.


    ¡°We¡¯ll share¡­¡± Cheng Mo steeled himself, ¡°ten points with you!¡±


    Mo Hua: ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing that Mo Hua didn¡¯t respond, Cheng Mo said shockingly:


    ¡°You can¡¯t still think it¡¯s too little, do you?¡±


    ¡°Ten points¡­ isn¡¯t much either,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Cheng Mo exclaimed in distress:


    ¡°You really don¡¯t understand the struggle until you¡¯re in charge; do you know how many days I have to guard the gate or how many times I have to sweep the streets to earn these ten Merit Points?!¡±


    ¡°You think these points are easy to earn?¡±

 Chapter 1036 - 1036 660 Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the

    ?Chapter 1036: Chapter 660 Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the alliance leader of the fellow cultivators~)_4 Chapter 1036: Chapter 660 Sword Cultivation (Thanks to the alliance leader of the fellow cultivators~)_4 ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡± Mo Hua said helplessly, ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone, and I don¡¯t need your Merit Points, but it¡¯s dangerous out there, so you all need to be careful¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo was stunned for a moment but then immediately broke into a smile, hugging Mo Hua¡¯s shoulder and saying,


    ¡°You really are my good brother! In the future, if you need anything, I¡¯ve got your back!¡±


    Situ Jian also looked at Mo Hua with gratitude.


    However, upon seeing Cheng Mo¡¯s proud demeanor, a Disciple couldn¡¯t help but interject:


    ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself, when would Mo Hua ever need your protection?¡±


    Cheng Mo replied, ¡°What do you know?¡±


    ¡°How would I not know?¡±


    ¡°It takes three stakes to prop up a fence, and even a hero needs three helpers¡­¡±


    ¡°You, a hero? You¡¯re at best a rotten stake¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Mo Hua, seeing them bickering, couldn¡¯t be bothered to intervene, simply reminding them,


    ¡°Be careful when you go out¡­¡±


    ¡°Some Sin Cultivators are very cunning¡­¡±


    After that, Mo Hua left.


    Mo Hua wasn¡¯t very worried.


    Although Cheng Mo and his four companions were all at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, they were born into noble families, with deep Cultivation foundations, and the Taoist Skills they practiced were not weak.


    The five of them working together would be a match for an average person in the Foundation Building Middle Stage. Even if they couldn¡¯t win, they could still escape.


    Moreover, the targets of their mission this time seemed to be Sin Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, so Mo Hua figured the problem shouldn¡¯t be too big.


    A few days later, Mo Hua saw clearly that Cheng Mo and the others had indeed slipped out of the Sect during their scheduled break.


    In less than two days, they returned, beaming with pride.


    Mo Hua knew without asking that they had obviously completed their mission successfully.


    Especially Cheng Mo, who seemed to have earned considerable Merit Points for this mission, was full of pride.


    Currently, Taixu Gate did not allow their Disciples to take on missions to capture Sin Cultivators.


    One reason was that Sin Cultivators were generally vicious.


    And the Disciples in the Sect, having been brought up in comfort and arrogance, might easily fall into a trap when suddenly confronting Sin Cultivators.


    Cheng Mo and his friends were not only strong but also lucky.


    Since they had taken on the mission in secret, they became, aside from Mo Hua, the first among their peers to complete such a wanted ¡°bounty¡± mission.


    Naturally, this made them stand out.


    The Elders either didn¡¯t know or simply turned a blind eye.


    But the story gradually spread among the Disciples.


    Many began to entertain the idea of going out themselves.


    After all, the rewards for entry-level tasks were accumulated slowly and were tedious, nowhere near as exciting and lucrative as these bounty missions.


    Several Disciples secretly approached Cheng Mo, asking how to take on missions, what precautions to take when going out, what Pills to prepare, and so on¡­


    Cheng Mo was even more pleased with himself.


    However, he didn¡¯t forget about Mo Hua.


    One day during a meal, Cheng Mo found Mo Hua and whispered, ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll take you with us on a mission¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback, ¡°You¡¯re taking me?¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Cheng Mo said, ¡°The four of us, plus you. You don¡¯t have to do anything, just run errands, help out with chores, and we¡¯ll share the Merit Points with you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt a mix of emotions and was somewhat moved.


    But he still shook his head.


    He didn¡¯t need Cheng Mo to take him.


    And the little Merit Points they would share, he didn¡¯t care for them¡­


    Cheng Mo thought Mo Hua didn¡¯t trust him and declared emphatically:


    ¡°On the Formation, I admit you¡¯re the boss! But when it comes to going out and capturing Sin Cultivators for bounties, your scrawny arms and legs won¡¯t cut it. You¡¯ll have to recognize me as the boss!¡±


    Mo Hua, expressionless, responded, ¡°Oh¡­¡±

 Chapter 1037 - 1037 661 Formation Media (Thanks to the Boss

    ?Chapter 1037: Chapter 661 Formation Media (Thanks to the Boss Xuan Chou for the alliance~) Chapter 1037: Chapter 661 Formation Media (Thanks to the Boss Xuan Chou for the alliance~) ¡°You don¡¯t trust me?¡± Cheng Mo said with a displeased face.


    Mo Hua ate his steamed bun in a prim and proper manner, responding perfunctorily, ¡°I trust¡­¡±


    But his demeanor clearly showed that he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you probably don¡¯t know how treacherous the Cultivation World is. When a real fight breaks out, it¡¯s a matter of life and death¡­¡± Cheng Mo said. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Mo Hua replied, still looking indifferent.


    Cheng Mo sighed, ¡°Why don¡¯t you get it?¡±


    He snatched a steamed bun from Mo Hua¡¯s hand, stuffed it into his mouth, swallowed it in a few bites, and then continued,


    ¡°You¡¯re a Formation Master. Although Formation Masters are powerful, that¡¯s because inside Sects or places governed by the Taoist Court, everyone behaves amiably, respects status, cares about face¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was upset about his steamed bun being taken.


    Cheng Mo hurriedly gave his drumstick to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua took the drumstick, took a couple of bites, and nodded in satisfaction.


    Seeing Mo Hua in a good mood, Cheng Mo¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly said,


    ¡°Let me take you with me¡­¡±


    ¡°The tactics of Formation Masters require prior setup. Otherwise, if caught unprepared and forced into hasty combat, it¡¯s a very passive situation.¡±


    ¡°If caught off guard, you might lose your life¡­¡±


    ¡°So, when Cultivators fight using spells and martial skills, Formation Masters also need to ¡®cling to strong legs¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mo Hua, gnawing on the drumstick, blinked and asked, ¡°Then who are the ¡®strong legs¡¯?¡±


    Cheng Mo immediately patted his chest,


    ¡°Me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, my pair of large axes are the Cheng family¡¯s ancestral weapons. They slay gods and buddhas alike. If you follow me, I¡¯ll show you how impressive I am!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll even get to earn Merit Points¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked at him skeptically, ¡°Big Cheng, are you sure you don¡¯t have any ulterior motives?¡±


    Taking him along on missions and sharing Merit Points?


    Could he really be such an idiot?


    Cheng Mo laughed sheepishly, ¡°Not really¡­ it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo looked around, then whispered lower,


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal. I¡¯ll take you on missions, and you¡¯ll call me ¡®Junior Brother¡¯!¡±


    Mo Hua was somewhat speechless, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Cheng Mo looked displeased, ¡°What do you mean, ¡®that¡¯s it¡¯? Do you understand the significance of the term ¡®Junior Brother¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head.


    Cheng Mo gritted his teeth.


    It¡¯s like dying from drought if you¡¯re dry, flooding if you¡¯re wet.


    Some people just don¡¯t appreciate their good fortune!


    Cheng Mo said, ¡°It¡¯s normal to call those from the year above you ¡®Junior Brother or Sister¡¯ in the Sect. It¡¯s a matter of courtesy.¡±


    ¡°For disciples of the same year, having others call you ¡®Junior Brother or Sister¡¯ is a matter of face, of prestige!¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo whispered, ¡°I take you on missions, you call me Junior Brother, and from now on, we call each other Junior Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t benefit from that either, will you?¡± Mo Hua didn¡¯t understand.


    Cheng Mo said with an open-minded expression, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter; as long as I¡¯m not at a loss, it¡¯s fine!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then suddenly felt something was off. He thought for a moment and shook his head,


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t get an advantage from me¡­¡±


    ¡°But in front of Situ Jian and the others, it would be different¡­¡±


    ¡°They call me ¡®Junior Brother¡¯; if I call you ¡®Junior Brother¡¯ too, that makes you their Junior Brother as well!¡±


    Cheng Mo¡¯s face turned red.


    He had not expected that his little calculation, thought up with such effort, would be seen through by Mo Hua while simply eating a drumstick.


    Mo Hua hummed softly,


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. I am the ¡®Junior Brother¡¯, and I have to uphold the face for those who call me Junior Brother; I can¡¯t let them feel inferior in front of you!¡±


    Cheng Mo was stiff-faced.


    Mo Hua quickly finished the drumstick and, feeling full, prepared to leave.


    Cheng Mo was still persistently wheedling,


    ¡°Mo Hua!¡±


    ¡°Junior Brother!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really hard for a Formation Master to get by¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go outside the Sect and seek justice, capture Sin Cultivators, slay demons, and uphold the Righteous Dao?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to feel the thrill of personally cutting down Demon Cultivators?¡±


    ¡°I can beat them half to death for you to finish off with a spell!¡±


    Mo Hua remained unmoved.


    Cheng Mo added, ¡°Besides, staying in the Sect all day, you can¡¯t earn that many Merit Points, can you?¡±


    Mo Hua stopped in his tracks, turned around, tiptoed, patted Cheng Mo on the shoulder, and sighed,


    ¡°The Formation Paintings I create are Second Grade; actually, I earn far more Merit Points than you fighters¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo stood there, his emotions extremely complex.


    ¡­


    Afterward, Mo Hua¡¯s life went on as usual.


    Cultivating, attending classes, Drawing Formations.


    Occasionally, he had time to practice the Sever Gold Sword Control Technique¡¯s Sword Qi.


    Cheng Mo continued to go on missions, but occasionally he would still try every tactic, even resorting to bribing Mo Hua with treats, persuading Mo Hua to join him and call him ¡°Junior Brother¡±.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Taoist Heart was firm; he stuck to his principles and ignored him.


    Cheng Mo was out of options.


    After some time, with Cheng Mo taking the lead, more and more disciples began to venture out on missions.


    Taixu Gate was filled with talented individuals, and teams of five could take on the ¡°bounties¡± for Sin Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage. Even if they couldn¡¯t win, they wouldn¡¯t be at a loss.


    Working together, fighting Sin Cultivators, and completing missions was also an essential part of their training.


    Gradually, Mo Hua¡¯s fellow disciples, the sons of noble families, began to grow up as well.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t handle the more vicious Evil Cultivators, capturing ordinary Sin Cultivators was no longer a problem.


    This was also within Mo Hua¡¯s expectations.


    The sons of noble families had excellent talent and strength.


    Even though they were raised in families and lacked the experience of travelling and adventuring, after going out on a few missions and facing some setbacks, they gradually got used to it.

 Chapter 1038 - 1038 661 Formation Media (Thank you to the

    ?Chapter 1038: Chapter 661: Formation Media (Thank you to the patron, Grandmaster Xuan Chou~)_2 Chapter 1038: Chapter 661: Formation Media (Thank you to the patron, Grandmaster Xuan Chou~)_2 Senior Sister Murong and the others must have been taught in the same way.


    Even Taixu Gate must have done the same earlier.


    Through missions, they would gradually help disciples control the ¡°difficulty¡± and toughen up bit by bit until they could stand on their own.


    However, this has nothing to do with Mo Hua.


    Such missions are too simple, and they won¡¯t earn many merit points, so he couldn¡¯t be bothered to do them.


    Mo Hua thought of something else.


    Cheng Mo¡¯s words had reminded him.


    ¡°Formation Master¡¯s techniques must be arranged in advance, otherwise, if forced to fight in haste and unprepared, it would be very passive.¡±


    ¡°If caught off guard, it¡¯s likely that one might lose one¡¯s life¡­¡±


    Formation Master¡¯s techniques need to be prepared in advance¡­


    This made Mo Hua realize a problem:


    ¡°How exactly do general Formation Masters make use of formations in battle?¡±


    During his time in Tongxian City, he used formations as traps.


    When killing the Big Demon Feng Xi and building the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, it was akin to setting up a trap that combined confinement and slaughter¡ªfirst trapping Feng Xi, then slaughtering like a pig.


    After reaching Foundation Establishment and learning Divine Sense Control Ink, things became much simpler.


    He could draw and use formations on the spot¡­


    But how do other Foundation Establishment Formation Masters specifically utilize formations in real combat?


    This was something Mo Hua hadn¡¯t really given much thought to.


    Mo Hua contemplated and felt somewhat lost, inevitably sighing.


    Perhaps this was the trouble of learning too much about Formations.


    Some of the most basic things could be overlooked without one realizing it¡­


    ¡°Practical application of formations¡­¡±


    He decided to thoroughly research this during the time he had.


    He had intended to ask Elder Master Xun.


    But upon further thought, he realized that such a question might not be seen as a high-end Formation issue, therefore asking Elder Master Xun seemed like making poor use of valuable resources.


    Moreover, it might even arouse Elder Master Xun¡¯s suspicions. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Especially the term ¡°practical application,¡± which didn¡¯t sound like something a little cultivator, freshly joined to a sect and confined indoors, engrossed daily in Formation research, would ask.


    Mo Hua went to look for Zheng Fang instead.


    The Zheng Family is known as a Formation Method Aristocrat with a rare and highly secretive Thunder System Formation, not even necessarily passed down to their direct descendants.


    But aside from that, their inheritance of some basic formations and their applications should be rather complete.


    Zheng Fang often discussed Formation issues with Mo Hua.


    With a stern face and serious personality, he did everything by the book like a ¡°little scholar.¡±


    He studied every Formation issue seriously.


    Apart from some Formation inheritances that were forbidden from being passed on, Zheng Fang had always been forthcoming and exhaustive in what he shared with Mo Hua.


    ¡°The practical use of formations is based on formations, but the key actually lies in the ¡®Formation media.''¡±


    ¡°Formation media?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zheng Fang nodded, ¡°My great-uncle once said that the Dao of Heaven and Earth manifests as ¡®Formations,¡¯ and everything in the world can serve as a ¡®Formation media.''¡±


    ¡°However, among these potential ¡®Formation media,¡¯ there¡¯s also a great deal of variance¡­¡±


    ¡°Some things are natural ¡®Formation media,¡¯ due to their affinity for absorbing Spiritual Ink and melding with Formation Patterns¡­¡±


    ¡°Whereas other things may either be too loose and formless, too fluid and inconsistent, or too complex and disordered to be suitable¡­¡±


    Zheng Fang paused here, choosing a more precise phrasing:


    ¡°Very difficult to use as ¡®Formation media¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°There are exceptions, but they are rare¡­¡±


    ¡°Only a few Great Formation Masters, with an uncommon understanding of the laws of the world, capable of ¡®turning stone into gold¡¯ and transforming what¡¯s decayed into something wondrous, can inscribe Formation Patterns on ¡®Formation media¡¯ that are commonly considered unsuitable¡­¡±


    Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help nodding involuntarily.


    Zheng Fang continued, ¡°Therefore, Formation media, in the study of formations, are just ¡®mediators,¡¯ but in the application of formations, they are ¡®foundational.''¡±


    ¡°Even the most advanced formations require suitable ¡®Formation media¡¯ to serve as the base for their structure.¡±


    ¡°And the history of Formation media is also lengthy¡­¡±


    Zheng Fang looked as though he had a long story to tell.


    ¡°In the beginning, Formation Masters had to find and use their own Formation media¡­¡±


    ¡°But as the Tao Cultivation industry developed and became more specialized, Formation Masters had their hands full just learning Formations, let alone spending a lot of time crafting Formation media themselves¡­¡±


    ¡°So the crafting of ¡®Formation media¡¯¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Was left to Artifact Refiners?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zheng Fang nodded.


    He then pulled out a catalog from his Storage Bag.


    On the catalog, several simple Spiritual Artifact models were illustrated.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to mention Formation Paper, as it¡¯s the most basic and cheapest Formation media¡­¡±


    ¡°All other types of Spiritual Artifact Formation media, including Formation Flags, Array Plates, and Formation bases¡­¡±


    ¡°These are all separately refined by Artifact Refiners.¡±


    Mo Hua looked puzzled, ¡°But this crafting of Formation media doesn¡¯t seem to be taught in the sect.¡±


    Zheng Fang nodded again, ¡°Those things¡­ the sect doesn¡¯t teach¡­¡±


    ¡°Just like formations, which are divided into various categories, such as Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, Eryi and Three Talents, Four Symbols and Seven Stars, and so on¡­¡±


    ¡°And among the subcategories are formations like the Yuan Magnetic Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°Each category of formations has significant differences¡­¡±


    ¡°Similarly, Artifact Refining is also divided into various subfields, like the crafting of Formation media, Taoist Robes, armors, weapons, accessories, and other Spiritual Artifacts required in a cultivator¡¯s life and production, such as lamps, incense burners, screens, and Pill Furnaces¡­¡±


    ¡°Most Artifact Refiners will choose one or two specialties to pursue excellence in.¡±


    ¡°The sect won¡¯t teach everything, only picking the most important, with the largest volume, and with the widest application to teach¡­¡±

 Chapter 1039 - 1039 661 Formation Media (Thank you to the

    ?Chapter 1039: Chapter 661: Formation Media (Thank you to the patron, Grandmaster Xuan Chou~)_3 Chapter 1039: Chapter 661: Formation Media (Thank you to the patron, Grandmaster Xuan Chou~)_3 ¡°Formation Medium Spirit Instrument, applicable in narrow aspects, obviously not included¡­¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡±


    Mo Hua suddenly realized and felt emotional.


    The knowledge in Tao Cultivation was indeed profound and complex, if one did not carefully ask and patiently learn, many things would remain unknown¡­


    Mo Hua praised, ¡°You really know a lot!¡±


    Zheng Fang beamed with happiness but still humbly said,


    ¡°Not at all¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Afterward, Mo Hua roughly understood.


    Formation media is the basis for the application of formations.


    In Tongxian City, because it was Little Immortal City, the inheritance was limited, and the standard of formation support was also limited.


    Mo Hua, still a Qi Refinement Realm Junior Formation Master, used very basic formation media.


    Often it was makeshift, as long as it worked.


    He had no specific concept in his mind.


    After his Foundation Establishment, his Divine Sense underwent a transformation, using ¡°earth as the medium,¡± he directly skipped many restrictions of ¡°formation media.¡±


    But that wasn¡¯t really good¡­


    After deeply thinking it through, Mo Hua felt that there were some things he could do without, but should not lack the knowledge or the skill.


    One should not ignore the ¡°common¡± methods of formation just because one¡¯s own methods of setting formations were extraordinary.


    These basic methods were the culmination of the efforts and crystals of so many Formation Masters in the Cultivation World, researched, iterated, and used for a long time.


    They possibly contained immense and valuable experiences of ¡°formation application¡± and practical formation thinking.


    Mo Hua nodded and adjusted his mindset.


    He also wanted to learn how to use the ¡°formation media¡± to enhance his application of formations.


    Formation application should be based on formation media.


    ¡°Formation media¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked around in the sect.


    Indeed, there were disciples skilled in Artifact Refining, but almost none skilled in creating Spirit Instruments as ¡°formation media.¡±


    There were a few who knew how, but they only made the very basic ¡°Formation Paper¡± and ¡°Array Plate.¡±


    These could be bought anywhere.


    Moreover, the combination of formations and formation media was the most basic form, with little significance to research.


    ¡°It would be best to have some special kind of formation media¡­¡±


    Mo Hua considered issuing a reward in the Taixu Token, but he was somewhat reluctant to spend Merit Points.


    After all, Merit Points were very valuable.


    And since he knew very little about ¡°formation media¡± type Artifact Refining, even if he issued a reward, he didn¡¯t know exactly what type of Spirit Instrument formation media he should ask to be crafted.


    ¡°If not in the sect, should I ask outside?¡±


    Mo Hua thought silently to himself.


    Then he took advantage of his leave and went to the Gu Family.


    The Gu Family was also considered a major clan. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though their power was not as great as the Shangguan Family, it was still much bigger than the families he had encountered like the Qian Family and the Lu Family.


    The family certainly had industries.


    Among these industries, it was impossible not to have Artifact Refining.


    After all, Artifact Refining was one of the four major industries in Tao Cultivation.


    Since there was an Artifact Refining industry, even if they did not specifically do the business of refining formation media, the Artifact Refiners there must know something about the techniques of refining formation media.


    This was the Qianxue State Boundary; those who could make a living from ¡°Artifact Refining¡± definitely had real skills.


    Gu Changhuai was busy with Dao Court Canon matters and did not return.


    Mo Hua didn¡¯t intend to find him anyway.


    For him, being a Department of Ceremonies official, the Gu Family¡¯s businesses were likely not his concern.


    Mo Hua then approached Wenren Wan.


    Wenren Wan pondered, ¡°Formation Medium Spirit Instrument¡­¡±


    ¡°The Gu Family used to do this kind of business before, I forgot if they sold paper or Array Plates, but since it was not profitable, they cut it off¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it gone now?¡±


    Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed.


    Wenren Wan said, ¡°The Refinery Shop was cut, but the Artifact Refiners are still in the Refinery Shop, just switched to refining other Spirit Instruments¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Can I go visit?¡±


    Wenren Wan nodded, ¡°Of course, but the industries cooperated by the Shangguan and Gu Families are scattered throughout the Qianxue State Boundary and its surrounding Immortal Cities¡­¡±


    ¡°There are quite a few Refinery Shops, and I don¡¯t know where these Artifact Refiners have been transferred to, someone would have to inquire¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm hmm,¡± Mo Hua smiled, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Wan!¡±


    Two hours later, Wenren Wan had found out.


    ¡°It¡¯s in Solitary Mountain City, quite far, it will take around a day and a night to get there and back, do you want to go?¡±


    Mo Hua hesitated, ¡°A day and a night¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wenren Wan hesitated a bit, ¡°Otherwise, shall I have someone bring the Artifact Refiner here for you to ask?¡±


    Mo Hua thought about it, then shook his head,


    ¡°I¡¯ll go there myself.¡±


    It was already asking for help, how could he inconvenience others to make the round trip.


    The Artifact Refiners in the Refinery Shop were also very busy with Artifact Refining.


    Mo Hua had experienced this deeply during his time in Tongxian City.


    Wenren Wan nodded, ¡°Alright, I will have someone send you.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Wenren Wan looked at Mo Hua, a bit uneasy.


    Mo Hua then sheepishly smiled and whispered,


    ¡°I also want to enjoy the journey a bit¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan was taken aback, thinking to herself that he was still a child, still a bit playful.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous outside¡­¡± Wenren Wan reminded.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°I have the Letter Token given by Uncle Gu, and I also have the Dao Court Canon waist badge, I can run if there¡¯s danger¡­¡±


    Wenren Wan sighed.


    She knew Mo Hua had his own ideas and would act autonomously, so she did not insist further.


    ¡°Then be careful.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Afterward, Mo Hua, alone, boarded the Gu Family¡¯s carriage, left Qingzhou City, and headed for the remote Solitary Mountain City.


    Mo Hua had planned it well.


    First, go to Solitary Mountain City to ask the Gu Family¡¯s Artifact Refiner Master about knowledge on refining Formation Medium Spirit Instruments.


    Like Formation Flags, Array Plates, Formation bases¡­ these formation media, what are the specific differences?


    What kind of formation media are suitable for different formations?


    Then, based on the situation, consider how to better integrate formations and formation media, and expand his own methods of applying formations.


    On the return journey, he planned to detour from Kushan Mountain¡¯s ruined temple.


    Buy some wine, meat, pastries, and Spirit Fruits to visit his ¡°old friend,¡± the Downcast Mountain God, Lord Yellow Mountain.


    It had been a long time since they had met, and Mo Hua actually missed him.


    He wondered if Lord Yellow Mountain was having a good time.


    Seeing him would certainly make him very happy.

 Chapter 1040 - 1040 662 Solitary Mountain Artifact Refining

    ?Chapter 1040: Chapter 662 Solitary Mountain Artifact Refining Chapter 1040: Chapter 662 Solitary Mountain Artifact Refining Qianxue State boundary area, the scenery is beautiful, each has its own merits.


    Mo Hua sat contentedly in the carriage, enjoying the scenery as he made his way toward Solitary Mountain City.


    Since departing early in the morning, after nearly half a day¡¯s journey, the carriage finally entered Solitary Mountain City¡¯s territory.


    Mo Hua looked around, somewhat astonished.


    Compared to the scenery along the way, the area near Solitary Mountain City was much more dilapidated; the mountains and stones were bare, the vegetation was withered, and the sky was shrouded in gray.


    There were many abandoned mines around.


    And few signs of human habitation.


    The occasional cultivators he passed on the road mostly had dejected expressions, as if bearing sorrows.


    Mo Hua frowned.


    Solitary Mountain City was a Third-grade Immortal City, but it looked poorer than an ordinary Second Grade boundary.


    This was far beyond his expectations.


    The carriage, moving along a wide but dusty avenue, entered Solitary Mountain City.


    Once inside Solitary Mountain City, there were slightly more people, but not by much.


    Mo Hua drove to the east of the city, finding a large Refinery Shop located in the southeast corner.


    On the Refinery Shop hung a plaque with strong calligraphy that read ¡°Gu Family Refinery Shop¡± in large characters and a smaller plaque below it with the words ¡°Solitary Mountain Branch.¡±


    The plaques were somewhat old and covered with dust.


    Mo Hua looked around; the Refinery Shop occupied a vast area, one corner set within the city, another connecting to the nearby Solitary Mountain.


    Inside the Refinery Shop, the atmosphere was lively, seeming to host quite a few cultivators.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense swept through, and despite the formation outside the city, he detected that the breaths inside the Refinery Shop were mostly those practicing Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only one breath was exceptionally vigorous, nearly solid, with a faint flame-like essence, quite similar to Uncle Gu¡¯s presence¡ªit was likely a Golden Core Cultivator!


    While Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was still scanning,


    inside the Refinery Shop, a tall, muscular man with a bronze complexion, who was resting with his eyes closed suddenly opened his eyes.


    The man hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice to a disciple beside him,


    ¡°Go check, a distinguished guest has arrived.¡±


    The disciple looked surprised, ¡°A distinguished guest?¡±


    The man frowned, his eyes also filled with uncertainty.


    Gu Family¡¯s carriage, someone inside¡­


    Vague, unclear, only knew he was very young, weak in Spiritual Power, but strong in Divine Sense, carrying a faint sense of pressure.


    It even made this Golden Core cultivator feel a chill in his heart.


    This was highly illogical¡­


    Furthermore, Solitary Mountain City is remote, rarely visited by outsiders.


    What was he doing here alone?


    The man¡¯s gaze became focused, alert, but he still said, ¡°First, invite the person in, do not neglect him.¡±


    The disciple, understanding the importance, immediately bowed, ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Then went to carry out the order.


    The Refinery Shop¡¯s main gate was tightly closed.


    Mo Hua did not know whom to approach when suddenly the gates creaked open.


    A robust young man walked out, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, his face somewhat simple and honest.


    The young man looked up, glanced around, appearing puzzled, and muttered,


    ¡°Where is the distinguished guest¡­¡±


    He lowered his head and then noticed a young master with red lips and white teeth standing in front of him.


    The young man was taken aback.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Is Master Gu here?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ are looking for my master?¡± the young man asked in confusion.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    The young man took another look at Mo Hua; he saw that although his attire was simple, his appearance was handsome and his demeanor extraordinary, his eyes bright as stars.


    He furrowed his brow.


    This young master¡­ could he be the ¡°distinguished guest¡± his master mentioned?


    The young man was skeptical, but remembering his master¡¯s words ¡°do not neglect,¡± regardless of whether he was or not, invited him in first.


    The young man courteously said,


    ¡°Young Master, please follow me inside.¡±


    Mo Hua replied with a smile, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Then the young man led the way, and Mo Hua walked into the Gu Family¡¯s Refinery Shop.


    Inside the Refinery Shop, there were quite a few cultivators.


    These cultivators were mostly Artifact Refiners or Refinery Apprentices.


    There were also many Refining Furnaces scattered around the area.


    At that moment, the Artifact Refiners were sweating profusely, heating up the somewhat old and worn Refining Furnaces until they were glowing red, then focusing intently as they swung large hammers, forging the embryos of what seemed to be Spiritual Artifacts.


    The sounds of flames, clanging, and shouting mingled together.


    Just from observing the forging techniques, these Artifact Refiners seemed highly experienced and skilled.


    But the Refining Furnaces were too old, and the Formations too rudimentary.


    The process of forging Spiritual Artifacts also seemed somewhat perfunctory.


    So, despite the considerable size and many Refining Furnaces and the exquisite crafting skills, there was still an anachronistic feeling of being ¡°backward.¡±


    However, Mo Hua did not feel it was right to keep staring.


    After all, he had just arrived, was unfamiliar with the people here, and prolonged scrutiny could raise suspicions.


    He walked further inside, entering a large courtyard which displayed many Spiritual Artifacts.


    Passing through the courtyard, the corridor narrowed, then after another large door, the view suddenly opened up.


    In front lay a mountaintop with a mine.


    On the mountaintop, many cultivators were mining, with several simple Refining Furnaces nearby for refining the ores.


    Mo Hua then realized that the entire Refinery Shop was not a closed structure but was built alongside the mountain, with walls on three sides enclosing this particular mining area.


    Inside was a mine, outside a refinery.


    One side for excavation, the other for Artifact Refining.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up.


    This was his first time seeing a Refinery Shop in this format.


    From the look of it, this Refinery Shop must have once been splendid, but now it was in decline, probably fallen on hard times.


    Currently, outside the mine, there was a stone table.


    Sitting by the stone table, a large man was frowning in thought.


    With just a glance, Mo Hua recognized that this majestic-looking man was a Golden Core Cultivator, and most likely the ¡°Master Gu¡± he was seeking.

 Chapter 1041 - 1041 662 Solitary Mountain City Artifact

    ?Chapter 1041: Chapter 662 Solitary Mountain City Artifact Refining_2 Chapter 1041: Chapter 662 Solitary Mountain City Artifact Refining_2 Master Gu also saw Mo Hua.


    He stared at Mo Hua, took several looks, and couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.


    So young¡­


    But he was a Third Grade Artifact Refiner, and over the years, he had dealt with all kinds of cultivators.


    He knew well that in Qian State, the younger one was, the more unusual their identity might be; even if he couldn¡¯t make friends with them, he should not offend them rashly.


    The youth led the way, and Mo Hua followed him, greeting Master Gu.


    Master Gu nodded politely in response and then instructed the youth who had guided Mo Hua:


    ¡°Da Chuan, go brew a pot of tea.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    The youth named ¡°Da Chuan¡± left.


    Thereafter, Master Gu invited Mo Hua to sit and scrutinized him with careful eyes, pondering:


    ¡°May I know the young master¡¯s esteemed surname?¡±


    ¡°I am surnamed Mo.¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s voice was crisp.


    Surname Mo?


    Master Gu was taken aback.


    Not surnamed ¡°Gu,¡± nor ¡°Shangguan,¡± but Mo?


    Near the Qianxue State Boundary, there wasn¡¯t a prominent family with the surname ¡°Mo¡±¡­


    Master Gu frowned, ¡°Solitary Mountain City is remote, may I ask why the young master has come here?¡±


    Mo Hua took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to Master Gu.


    Master Gu received the letter respectfully, unfolded it to see, and found it to be blank, which left him startled and then filled with indignation.


    Is this young master here to make a fool of me?


    Just as he was about to say something, his eye caught a glimpse of two seals beneath the empty letter.


    One was from the Gu Family, the other from the Shangguan Family.


    Master Gu¡¯s pupils contracted.


    Two family seals!


    This meant the young master¡¯s visit was sanctioned by both the Shangguan Family and the Gu Family.


    And the letter was still blank¡­


    Either this was a very casual letter.


    Or it meant that whatever the young master wished to do, he could do so, with the approval of the two great families¡­


    Master Gu turned woodenly to look at Mo Hua, his thoughts in turmoil.


    What background did this young master have?


    And¡­


    Holding such an important letter, what did he want to do at this remote Refinery Shop in Solitary Mountain City?


    Master Gu¡¯s gaze sharpened.


    Solitary Mountain City was out of the way, its mines nearly exhausted.


    They, the remaining Artifact Refiners, could only casually forge some Spiritual Artifacts to get by, and life was already hard enough.


    Did this young master intend to come and throw his weight around, dictating orders?


    Or, like other family young masters, did he plan to further exploit them?


    Master Gu clenched his fists slightly, his gaze cooling, though his tone remained as courteous as before.


    ¡°I understand, young master. If there is anything you seek, feel free to speak.¡±


    ¡°We will do our best to assist¡­¡±


    Mo Hua felt that Master Gu¡¯s demeanor was somewhat odd.


    But on second thought, after all, the other was a Golden Core Cultivator, who had taken the time to entertain the requests of a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like himself, which was already quite kind.


    To expect the other to ¡°gamely¡± do so would be too much.


    Mo Hua then said, ¡°Master Gu, I would like to ask about the Formation Medium Spirit Instrument¡­¡±


    Master Gu nodded, waiting for Mo Hua to continue.


    But after a long wait, Mo Hua stopped talking.


    Master Gu was baffled, ¡°And what else?¡±


    And what else?


    Mo Hua was also perplexed, ¡°Then I go back to the sect for my classes¡­¡±


    What else could there be?


    Was he supposed to stay here? S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Master Gu looked blank, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    Mo Hua similarly nodded in bewilderment, ¡°That¡¯s it¡­¡±


    Master Gu¡¯s expression froze.


    Such an important letter, and you just ask a question and leave?


    Are you using the token as if it were a mere trifle?


    Master Gu didn¡¯t believe it and looked suspiciously at Mo Hua, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Mo Hua slowly nodded.


    Master Gu stared at Mo Hua for a long time, determining that he did not seem to be lying, and then slowly let out a sigh of relief, his body relaxing significantly.


    He even managed a smile toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua was thoroughly confused, finding Master Gu¡¯s temperament a bit peculiar.


    ¡°Formation Medium Spirit Instrument it is, then. Whatever the young master wants to know, just ask directly¡­¡±


    Master Gu thought for a moment and added:


    ¡°The Dao of Artifact Refining is complex. By chance, I selected the ¡®Formation Media¡¯ branch of Artifact Refining for my studies. Though I have since switched to other branches of Artifact Refining, my foundation is still there. As long as it¡¯s not too profound, I know a bit about most things and should be able to clarify any doubts for the young master¡­¡±


    Master Gu explained in detail, his attitude could not have been better.


    Mo Hua, on the other hand, felt a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble Master Gu.¡±


    ¡°You are too polite, young master.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and,¡± Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and asked curiously, ¡°Master Gu, why did you stop studying ¡®Formation Media¡¯ and switch to another branch of Artifact Refining?¡±


    Master Gu hesitated slightly.


    ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient, then I won¡¯t ask,¡± Mo Hua said.


    Master Gu was startled and then said with reluctance:


    ¡°It¡¯s just too difficult to make a living¡­¡±


    ¡°The branch is too narrow, the profits are low, and there¡¯s no future in it¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s key is having to depend on the whims of Formation Masters¡­¡±


    It seemed he was reminded of the past, his face turning particularly unsightly.


    ¡°Those damn Formation Masters! Each one of them too arrogant, with bad temperaments, full of demands, a template for a Formation Medium Spirit Instrument, they might alter it over and over, ten times or more¡­¡±


    ¡°According to them, after a dozen changes, they slap their foreheads and say the first version was the best¡­¡±


    Master Gu¡¯s anger rose the more he thought about it.


    ¡°Back when I was still establishing my foundation, before I officially became a refiner, I took a job to make some Formation Media¡­¡±


    ¡°Several damned Formation Masters criticized me endlessly, posed every possible difficulty. Even now, thinking about it, I still wish I could¡­¡±

 Chapter 1042 - 1042 662 Solitary Mountain Artifact

    ?Chapter 1042: Chapter 662 Solitary Mountain Artifact Refining_3 Chapter 1042: Chapter 662 Solitary Mountain Artifact Refining_3 Master Gu felt a surge of anger, but upon seeing Mo Hua¡¯s strange expression, he realized he had lost his composure and said apologetically,


    ¡°Sorry, young master, I wasn¡¯t talking about you¡­¡±


    Mo Hua had difficulty speaking and could only nod silently.


    Seeing that time was getting on, he could not afford any delay.


    Mo Hua thus turned to the matter at hand,


    including the Spiritual Artifacts used as Formation media and their relationship with other Spiritual Artifacts.


    What were the differences between Formation media?


    Which Formations were suitable for which different Formation media?


    And so on¡­


    Master Gu, seeing Mo Hua asking such ¡°professional¡± questions, couldn¡¯t help but see him in a new light, thus he explained more diligently to avoid losing face.


    Firstly, was the relationship between Formations and Spiritual Artifacts.


    ¡°Formations, Pill, Artifact, Rune, although they are four major categories in Dao Cultivation, they are not completely independent or distinctly separated¡­¡±


    ¡°As Dao Cultivation developed, different Dao Cultivation industries melded, evolved, and developed with one another¡­¡±


    ¡°In this, Formation is crucially important¡­¡±


    Master Gu sighed, ¡°Although I curse those Formation Masters as ¡®dog Formation Masters¡¯ who look down on others, I must acknowledge that Formations indeed integrate deeply with various industries and have the most substantial impact¡­¡±


    ¡°Take Artifact Refining, for example¡­¡±


    ¡°It goes without saying that the Refining Furnace uses Formations.¡±


    ¡°The Spiritual Artifacts created by Artifact Refiners also mostly incorporate Formations.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that different Spiritual Artifacts use different Formations for different purposes¡­¡±


    ¡°For Body Cultivators, the internal Formations of their Spiritual Artifacts are intended to reinforce the Artifacts to maintain their hardness or sharpness for close combat killing¡­¡±


    ¡°Like the Wound-Breaking Blade, Sharp Metal Blade, and so forth¡­¡±


    ¡°Occasionally, ¡®Attribute Spirit Formations¡¯ are also added for attribute suppression. Examples include Flame Blade, Ice Blade¡­¡±


    ¡°For Spiritual Cultivators, the Formations in their Spiritual Artifacts are mostly similar to ¡®Spells¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°They are like having learned an additional spell when battling others.¡±


    ¡°However, these artifact Formations can only be activated by a Cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Power, not by Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, since the Formations are engraved inside the Spiritual Artifact, they are greatly limited, so the power of the Formations is also significantly weakened¡­¡±


    ¡°And the ones that can fully unleash the power of Formations are the ¡®Formation media¡¯ type of Spiritual Artifacts!¡±


    Master Gu said gravely, then continued,


    ¡°This type of Spiritual Artifact might appear as one, but its essence is to exist for ¡®Formations¡¯ as ¡®Formation media¡¯.¡±


    ¡°It has the highest compatibility with Formation Patterns.¡±


    ¡°It can also completely unleash the power of the Formation without any loss or limitations¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that this type of Formation media is too dependent on both the Formation and the Formation Master.¡±


    ¡°Different Formation Masters, different Formations, the details can vary greatly, and it is challenging to standardize the ¡®design¡¯ of Formation media, making them difficult to mass-produce with high risks and uncertain prospects¡­¡±


    ¡°But the ¡®Formation media¡¯ that is refined, in essence, can hardly be considered a ¡®Spiritual Artifact,¡¯ so there are relatively few Artifact Refiners willing to research these¡­¡±


    ¡°As for the relationship between Formation media and Formations¡­¡±


    ¡°Different types of Formations require different Formation media¡­¡±


    ¡°For instance, Formation Flags are generally used for reconnaissance, patrolling, Taoist Soldiers¡¯ combat, or directional purposes of vessels¡­¡±


    ¡°Array Plates find widespread application, basically covering large to small, all kinds of Formations; if you¡¯re unsure of which ¡®Formation media¡¯ to use, drawing an Array Plate is always correct¡­¡±


    ¡°And there are several Formation bases¡­¡±


    Master Gu tirelessly detailed these to Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua listened attentively, taking careful notes.


    During this, a disciple named ¡°Dachuan¡± came over to pour tea, then quietly retreated.


    After Master Gu finished, he suddenly remembered a question: sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Young master, why are you asking about Formation media? Are you interested in learning Artifact Refining?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t learn that¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh right,¡± Master Gu glanced at Mo Hua¡¯s small frame, unable to swing a hammer, and nodded, ¡°Then you¡­¡±


    ¡°I am a Formation Master,¡± said Mo Hua.


    Master Gu¡¯s eyebrows raised in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re a Formation Master? No wonder¡­¡±


    You¡­


    A Formation Master?!


    Master Gu¡¯s heart trembled, and cold sweat broke out on his back.


    Had he just been speaking poorly about Formation Masters in front of one?


    The corners of Master Gu¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Mo Hua appeared unchanged.


    Master Gu, feeling somewhat guilty, coughed and emphasized again softly,


    ¡°Young master, I really wasn¡¯t speaking about you just now¡­¡±


    ¡°Master Gu, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Mo Hua said generously.


    Seeing that Mo Hua truly wasn¡¯t taking it to heart, Master Gu finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Though he did not know exactly who this young master was, having obtained the seals and letters from both the Shangguan Family and Gu Family indicated he had a substantial backing, so he could not be offended.


    Master Gu couldn¡¯t help looking Mo Hua over again.


    Mo Hua then asked, ¡°Don¡¯t I look like a Formation Master?¡±


    Master Gu shook his head, ¡°Not really¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was curious, ¡°What about me doesn¡¯t look like one?¡±


    Master Gu answered thoughtfully, ¡°Usually, Formation Masters aren¡¯t so young, and they generally have worse tempers, pretentious eyes, prouder, or more arrogant¡­¡±


    A young, broad-minded, good-looking, and likable Junior Formation Master, it was his first encounter indeed.


    Quite rare¡­


    Seeing Master Gu complimenting him, Mo Hua let go of his earlier displeasure.


    Master Gu pondered for a moment and then, with a bow, honestly said,


    ¡°I was wrong this time, my words offensive, please forgive me, young master¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I invite you to a restaurant in the city as an apology¡­¡±

 Chapter 1043 - 1043 662 Artifact Refining in Solitary

    ?Chapter 1043: Chapter 662: Artifact Refining in Solitary Mountain City_4 Chapter 1043: Chapter 662: Artifact Refining in Solitary Mountain City_4 Mo Hua smiled.


    This Master Gu seemed very forthcoming.


    But he was short on time and it was already too late.


    Mo Hua said, ¡°Thank you, Master Gu, but my Sect¡¯s period of leave is short, and I need to return to my Cultivation practice. If I have time later, I¡¯ll come to consult with Master Gu on some issues and hope you won¡¯t hesitate to enlighten me.¡±


    Master Gu invited him several more times, but seeing that Mo Hua was determined to leave, he didn¡¯t press further and said,


    ¡°When you come next time, I will ensure you are received well!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Gu!¡±


    Mo Hua rose to leave, but as he turned around, he saw the disciple named ¡°Da Chuan¡± standing in the distance, looking somewhat anxious.


    It seemed that there was an urgent matter, but he was hesitant to interrupt and had been waiting for quite a while.


    Master Gu also noticed Da Chuan and called him over, asking,


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Da Chuan replied, ¡°Master, the furnace has broken again¡­¡±


    Master Gu frowned and said, ¡°If it¡¯s broken, just replace it. Don¡¯t we have many furnaces?¡±


    Da Chuan said with bitterness, ¡°Artifact Refining was halfway done; we can¡¯t change now. If we switch, the embryo inside is likely to be damaged, and¡­ relighting the furnace would cost more Spirit Stones¡­¡±


    Master Gu asked, ¡°Where is it broken?¡±


    Da Chuan answered, ¡°Just like before, it¡¯s from being used over time; the Formation has aged¡­¡±


    Master Gu¡¯s brow furrowed even more.


    Seeing this, Mo Hua offered, ¡°Let me have a look¡­¡±


    Master Gu had shared with him a lot of Artifact Refining knowledge, which was a great help to himself.


    This little effort on his part would be a way to repay the favor.


    And it would make it easier to ask for Master Gu¡¯s help in the future if needed.


    Moreover, he had seen it all when he arrived.


    In the Refinery Shop, the Artifact Furnaces used were very old, and the Formation Patterns weren¡¯t very advanced; he could draw them with his eyes closed.


    Master Gu looked at Mo Hua but hesitated:


    ¡°It¡¯s a Second-Grade, Middle-level Formation¡­¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Mo Hua said. ¡°I know a bit about Second-Grade Middle-level Formations too.¡±


    Master Gu didn¡¯t quite understand at first.


    What do you mean you know a bit about Second-Grade Middle-level Formations¡­


    How would a Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage learn to draw Second-Grade Middle-level Formations?


    He wasn¡¯t a Formation Master, but he wasn¡¯t ignorant either.


    Confident, Mo Hua turned to Da Chuan and said, ¡°Lead the way and let¡¯s have a look.¡±


    Da Chuan was in a difficult position. He glanced at Mo Hua, then back at Master Gu, unsure what to do.


    Master Gu sighed, nodded, and said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look, then.¡±


    It was only a Second-Grade Artifact Furnace.


    In the worst case, if it was further damaged during repair, it wouldn¡¯t be any different from its current state.


    However, when they arrived at the front courtyard and saw the broken Artifact Furnace, Master Gu still furrowed his brow.


    The furnace had been dismantled, and most of the Formation Patterns had faded; the problem indeed lay with the Formation.


    But as the Artifact Furnace had been subjected to intense fire, its inner wall was still glowing red hot just after being dismantled, and ordinary Second-Grade Formation Pens couldn¡¯t withstand this temperature.


    They could only wait one to two hours for the Artifact Furnace to cool down naturally, otherwise, the Formation couldn¡¯t be drawn.


    ¡°Young Master, perhaps we should just let it be, this¡­¡±


    Master Gu was halfway through his sentence when he abruptly stopped, stunned.


    He saw Mo Hua take out a bottle of Spiritual Ink, and without even using a pen, with a flick of his small hand, the red Fire-series Spiritual Ink slithered out of the bottle like a little snake on its own.


    Then, with another gesture from Mo Hua,


    The Spiritual Ink traced a winding path through the air, eventually moving onto the red hot wall of the Artifact Furnace.


    After a few more deft motions with his fingers,


    Before long, a Second-Grade Melting Fire Formation with Sixteen Patterns vividly appeared on the Artifact Furnace.


    And the Formation Patterns were tight and meticulously drawn, not deviating in the slightest.


    The nearby Artifact Refiners, regardless of age, cultivation, or experience, were all struck dumb¡­


    For that moment, they were all in a daze.


    ¡°Is this how a Formation Master works?¡±


    ¡°Are Formations drawn like this?¡±


    Yet Mo Hua, as if he had just done a trivial task, collected the remaining Spiritual Ink, waved his hand, and bid farewell,


    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡±


    Master Gu nodded almost blankly, having even forgotten to see Mo Hua off.


    Not until Mo Hua had walked a good distance did he come back to his senses.


    Master Gu watched Mo Hua¡¯s departing figure, frowning in thought,


    ¡°Just who is this young master¡­¡±


    ¡°His Formation technique¡­ though incomprehensible, it¡¯s quite shocking¡­¡±


    ¡°He behaves sincerely and evidently comes from a significant background¡­¡±


    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s possible¡­¡±


    Master Gu looked up at the Artifact Refiners and apprentices around him, inhaling deeply with a sigh.


    ¡°I have to give these people following me something to aspire to¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let them waste away with me in this desolate and remote Solitary Mountain City¡­¡±


    ¡­


    It was getting dark.


    Mo Hua sat alone in the carriage, embarking on the road to leave Solitary Mountain City.


    He had to travel through the night.


    With such a short period of leave, he still had to visit Lord Yellow Mountain, so there was no time to rest.


    After all, traveling at night was generally safe since it followed a main road.


    In case of danger, the cover of night would provide him with greater security.


    Something about Solitary Mountain City struck Mo Hua as odd.


    Why should an Immortal City of Third Grade have so few Golden Core Cultivators? And why did it seem so desolate?


    But with his rushed schedule, he hadn¡¯t had time to inquire deeply¡ªperhaps he could find out more next time.


    For now, he needed to press on.


    So Mo Hua took a detour along the main road, heading toward the dilapidated temple on Kushan Mountain where Lord Yellow Mountain resided. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The night was deep, the mountains obscure.


    It looked perilous, yet the journey was serene.


    An hour more, and he would reach Kushan Mountain, where he could meet with Lord Yellow Mountain.


    But as he was passing another Immortal City, Mo Hua suddenly felt his heart skip a beat.


    He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something had happened nearby¡­

 Chapter 1044 - 1044 663 Hao Xuan

    ?Chapter 1044: Chapter 663 Hao Xuan Chapter 1044: Chapter 663 Hao Xuan What could possibly happen?


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows and poked his head to look outside the carriage.


    Outside, the night was deep.


    The carriage was moving on the road, to the left not far away, laid a small Immortal City, and to the right, a barren mountain.


    Mo Hua hesitated for a moment before deciding to go down and have a look. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He reined in the carriage to a stop, then hopped off, tied the horse nearby, and released his Divine Sense, perceiving the unknown threads of causality.


    A trace of blood¡­


    And a faint hint of killing intent.


    Mo Hua concealed himself and followed the weak trail silently toward the barren mountain on the right.


    The ground was covered in withered grass and dense thorns.


    The rugged rocks were uncomfortable underfoot.


    After walking for 30 minutes, Mo Hua sensed something amiss and stopped. He crouched down and looked at the ground, his gaze slightly heavy.


    There were blood traces on the ground, not yet dry, seeming to have just been spilled.


    The rocks were scattered chaotically.


    As if someone had been running with all their might.


    The faint smell of blood lingered in the air, along with a weak presence of Spiritual Power.


    This was¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s heart turned cold.


    ¡°Is someone being hunted down?¡±


    And the causal threads were somewhat gloomy and even a bit familiar.


    Mo Hua focused and started his Calculations, and then he was taken aback.


    In a trance, he saw in the gloomy night of the barren mountain, two figures in black pursuing a young man.


    The cold moonlight made the blade gleam chillingly.


    Blood was flowing from the young man¡­


    This image flashed by.


    When Mo Hua looked again, all light and shadow shattered, dissipating into nothingness.


    The young man¡­


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes revealed a thoughtful look, and then he continued his pursuit while maintaining his concealment.


    Following the bloodstains and aura, he chased for several miles and emerged from the narrow mountain path to a suddenly expansive landscape.


    But the scent of blood in the air had intensified.


    The residual presence of Spiritual Power was also more pronounced.


    Clearly, a fierce battle had taken place.


    A chill ran through Mo Hua¡¯s heart as he swept the area with his Divine Sense. He saw on a slope not far ahead, a large patch of blood, with the ground shattered and some of the earth collapsed.


    There were also marks of Spiritual Artifacts being wielded and Spells burning.


    If Mo Hua¡¯s conjecture was correct, the young man fleeing for his life had been caught up with by the people in black on this broad mountain slope.


    After a battle and struggling to fight, the young man was overpowered and captured by the black-clothed Cultivator.


    He should still be alive¡­


    Or at least, not dead yet.


    Otherwise, what would be left at the scene wouldn¡¯t be just bloodstains, but a body or at least fragments of flesh¡­


    ¡°Captured, but not yet killed¡­¡±


    ¡°Should be nearby¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze darkened, his pupils profound, as he extended his Divine Sense to its limits. Moments later, his eyes brightened.


    Nearby was a concealed cave.


    Inside were several indistinct auras.


    Mo Hua cast the Minor Five Elements Stealth Skill, merging his aura with that of the surrounding Earth and Wood and the rocks, making his footsteps silent as he inched closer to the cave.


    As he neared the entrance, there indeed was movement inside, and the auras became clearer.


    There were three people, all at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.


    Inside, there seemed to be sounds of interrogation.


    ¡°You little shit¡­ damn¡­¡±


    ¡°Who sent you here?¡±


    ¡°Speak!¡±


    ¡°¡­damn it¡­ hurry up and say something!¡±


    ¡°Where are your accomplices?¡±


    ¡°What exactly is your goal?¡±


    ¡°What did you really see?¡±


    ¡­


    This was followed by the sound of whipping and torture. After a while, a young voice spoke with a feeble breath, in disjointed phrases:


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­ cough¡­¡±


    Mo Hua was startled.


    This voice was so familiar¡­


    He slowly approached the cave entrance, peeked inside, and found the interior dimly lit, a young man tied up, his face covered in blood.


    Two black-clothed Cultivators with their faces covered, their gazes ferocious.


    That young man¡­


    Mo Hua watched for a while and then was taken aback with realization.


    It was actually one of his fellow disciples¡­


    Hao Xuan?


    There were many disciples in the same cohort at Taixu Gate, and Mo Hua did not know all of them.


    But he had an impression of Hao Xuan.


    They were from the same Disciple¡¯s Residence, and though they did not interact much, their faces were familiar and they were on good terms.


    Hao Xuan always turned in his Formation assignments on time, was very serious and respectful, and treated others kindly.


    Key point being, he had called Mo Hua ¡°Junior Brother.¡±


    And, he had also treated Mo Hua to chicken legs before¡­


    He was one of their own!


    Now, the once amiable Hao Xuan was covered in wounds, his breath fleeting.


    The two black-clothed Cultivators continued to interrogate him.


    But it seemed Hao Xuan indeed knew nothing and could say nothing.


    The two black-clothed Cultivators then furrowed their brows.


    ¡°Can¡¯t pry his mouth open¡­¡±


    ¡°What shall we do?¡±


    ¡°How about¡­¡±


    One of them made a gesture with his hands as if holding a blade, and a surge of killing intent filled his eyes.


    Mo Hua was alarmed.


    What were the identities of these two in black?


    Taixu Gate disciples of noble family¡¯s direct lineage, and yet they speak of killing so casually?


    Hao Xuan¡¯s pupils shook, and with a breath he urged:


    ¡°I am of the Hao family¡¯s direct lineage from Qian State, both my parents are at the Late Golden Core Stage, with an ancestor at the Heaven Void Realm¡­¡±


    ¡°I am the son of a direct lineage noble family, you¡­¡±


    One of the black-clothed men sneered:


    ¡°Is that all? Who isn¡¯t¡­¡±


    The other black-clothed Cultivator immediately slapped his companion, speaking sharply:


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    The previous black-clothed Cultivator realized his blunder, covering his face, his complexion growing pale, he dared not speak any further.


    Hao Xuan also came to understand, his eyes filled with horror, his face turning as pale as death.


    About to be silenced¡­


    They¡­


    Before he could think further, one of the black-clothed Cultivators had already raised the knife with the blade gleaming ominously.


    Just then, from the cave entrance came a sharp cry:


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±


    This cry seemed to be filled with great fear.


    Then, someone started running away at full speed.


    Their steps grew fainter as they fled into the distance.


    The few people inside the cave were all stunned.

 Chapter 1045 - 1045 663 Hao Xuan_2

    ?Chapter 1045: Chapter 663 Hao Xuan_2 Chapter 1045: Chapter 663 Hao Xuan_2 The raised butcher knife also stopped.


    The man in black roared angrily, ¡°Someone¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°How did they find us?¡±


    ¡°Did he hear everything we just said?¡±


    ¡°Did he run away?¡±


    One of the black-clothed cultivators shouted angrily, ¡°Damn it, go after him quickly! Don¡¯t let the news leak out!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Another man in black used his movement technique and chased after him outside the cave.


    But he hadn¡¯t chased far when suddenly there was a loud ¡°boom¡± outside the cave as if something exploded, followed by a scream, and then all went silent.


    The pupil of the cultivator who stayed in the cave shrank.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He wanted to shout the person¡¯s name, but the words reached his mouth and he swallowed them again.


    He couldn¡¯t let the information slip.


    He couldn¡¯t reveal his identity.


    He could only wait patiently.


    But after a long wait, it was still dead silent outside.


    The night was deep, and the forest was silent.


    Only the occasional screech of a night owl sent chills down one¡¯s spine.


    The brows of the black-clothed cultivator trembled uncontrollably.


    He felt a life-and-death crisis looming over his head, forcing him to dare not even breathe heavily.


    He gripped his blade tightly, staring fixedly at the cave entrance, his expression guarded, his gaze never leaving it for a moment.


    Afraid that if he lost focus for even a moment, someone would rush into the cave and take his life.


    But this standoff was extremely taxing on his mind.


    The black-clothed cultivator suddenly felt as if he was at war with the entire deep, dark night.


    Dangers lurked everywhere.


    He couldn¡¯t take it anymore and wanted to go out for a look.


    The black-clothed cultivator swallowed his saliva and painfully took steps, slowly walking toward the cave entrance.


    But his gaze was fixed only on the pitch-black night outside and he didn¡¯t notice the ground beneath his feet.


    When he approached the cave entrance, suddenly, a flash of golden light.


    Blood splattered everywhere.


    The legs of the black-clothed cultivator, sliced by the light of the golden Formation, bled profusely, his tendons completely severed.


    The black-clothed cultivator¡¯s eyes widened in horror,


    ¡°Middle-level Formation? When did this¡­¡±


    Before he could ponder further, pain spread instantly, the black-clothed cultivator screamed, and then his legs broke, his body uncontrollably collapsing to the ground.


    Moments later, a blaze erupted.


    One after another, Fireballs tore through the night, unceasingly bombarding him.


    The black-clothed cultivator struggled as best as he could, but his flesh could not withstand the lethal power of the Formation, nor the continuous explosions of Fireballs and the burns from the Fire Spiritual Power.


    His injuries grew increasingly severe.


    After an unknown period of relentless devastation, the breath of the black-clothed cultivator gradually weakened and eventually dissipated.


    The black-clothed cultivator died, becoming a corpse.


    The Fireballs paused for a moment, but only for a moment.


    Then the blaze resumed, continuing to bombard, blasting the body of the black-clothed cultivator thoroughly¡­


    In the pitch-black deep night, in a hidden cave.


    The body of the unnamed black-clothed cultivator continued to be devoured by the explosive flames.


    Hao Xuan¡¯s face turned ashen.


    Killing with a Formation, flaying with Fireballs, hiding in the shadows, ruthless and cruel!


    Who exactly is this person?


    Too brutal¡­


    Suddenly, the Fireball Technique stopped.


    The cave also quieted down.


    Hao Xuan then realized that in this cave, only he was left alive.


    And although he couldn¡¯t see, something in the shadows across seemed to glance at him before slowly approaching him.


    Hao Xuan¡¯s gaze filled with fear, his limbs went cold, he couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t come over¡­¡±


    But the shadow kept getting closer.


    The oppressive feeling looming in the dark grew stronger.


    Just as Hao Xuan¡¯s fear reached its peak, his face utterly pale.


    Suddenly, a low shadow appeared in front of him.


    Then the shadow gradually solidified, and a human figure appeared, revealing a sweet little face.


    ¡°Hao Xuan, I¡¯m here to save you!¡±


    Mo Hua displayed an innocently sweet smile.


    Hao Xuan was stunned for a moment, then completely dazed.


    In that instant, he doubted if he was dreaming.


    Everything seemed so unreal.


    Whether it was the black-clothed cultivators hunting him or Mo Hua saving him¡­


    It felt like he¡¯d awaken with the sun shining, lying on the bed in Disciple¡¯s Residence, then going reluctantly to class.


    Hao Xuan closed his eyes and then opened them again.


    It wasn¡¯t a dream¡­


    The night was still deep.


    The chill in the mountains was still intense.


    Blood from his forehead dripped into his eyes, making them sting painfully, and his body was covered in wounds, the chains that bound him also cutting into his flesh.


    The white chilling blade light that loomed above his head earlier was still vivid in his memory.


    It was truly a brush with death¡­


    Hao Xuan remained dazed for a long time, staring at Mo Hua, his eyes suddenly brimming with tears.


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­¡±


    He looked at Mo Hua as if he was seeing a dear family member¡­


    He had never suffered so much since childhood, nearly losing his life¡­


    ¡­


    Mo Hua unlocked Hao Xuan¡¯s chains and fed him a Pill that healed injuries, stopped bleeding, and nourished energy.


    His injuries gradually improved, and his breath also stabilized.


    Hao Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, saying,


    ¡°I thought I was going to die here¡­¡±


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then curiously asked,


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have that rune? The one used for saving life, shiny with golden light¡­¡±


    Hao Xuan was stunned, ¡°The special Eternal Life Rune?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    He had just heard Hao Xuan say himself that he was from the Hao family¡¯s Direct Lineage, with an ancestor in the Heaven Void Realm.


    Hao Xuan shook his head and sighed,


    ¡°Such a precious rune, where would I deserve it¡­¡±


    ¡°I indeed have an ancestor in the Heaven Void Realm, but the ancestor has many, many descendants, like my great-grandchildren¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless my Spiritual Root wrestling the creation of heaven and earth, my constitution shocking the ancient and lighting the present¡­ or unless my Bloodline is special, the sole continuity of the ancestor¡¯s line, with no successor after my death, otherwise, the ancestor would never plant a special Eternal Life Rune for me¡­¡± Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 1046 - 1046 663 Hao Xuan_3

    ?Chapter 1046: Chapter 663 Hao Xuan_3 Chapter 1046: Chapter 663 Hao Xuan_3 ¡°Using this kind of rune would deplete one¡¯s Tao cultivation origin,¡±


    ¡°A Heaven Void Ancestor might only be able to cultivate one in their entire lifetime,¡±


    ¡°So, unless their end is near, or they have completely lost hope in their Tao cultivation journey, they wouldn¡¯t willingly damage their own origin, sever their path, and craft such a defiant special Eternal Life Rune for their descendants.¡±


    ¡°The special ¡®Eternal Life¡¯ Rune, it truly lives up to the name ¡®Eternal Life.¡¯ It¡¯s practically equal to having an extra life.¡±


    Mo Hua was shocked upon hearing this.


    *He had known the special Eternal Life Rune was valuable, but he hadn¡¯t realized it was so priceless.*


    A Heaven Void cultivation origin, exchanged for a descendant¡¯s life.


    Mo Hua frowned, his thoughts turning to his Junior Brother and Junior Sister¡­


    *Back when they were outside Li Mountain City, his Junior Brother and Junior Sister had shattered their special Eternal Life Runes to save him and to confront the Saint Heir and the group of Golden Core Demon Cultivators under his command.*


    *With their special Eternal Life Runes destroyed, what would become of them in the future?*


    *Wouldn¡¯t that mean they¡¯ve lost their life-saving talismans?*


    *Such precious talismans¡ªcrafting one was already a rare extravagance. It was unlikely any Heaven Void Ancestor would create a second one for them.*


    Mo Hua sighed heavily, his expression full of anxiety.


    ¡°I hope my Junior Brother and Junior Sister will be all right¡­¡±


    Hao Xuan, misunderstanding that Mo Hua was worried about him, felt deeply moved and comforted him:


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Mm, as long as you¡¯re fine¡­¡±


    Hao Xuan thought for a moment before putting on a serious expression and saying earnestly to Mo Hua:


    ¡°Mo Hua, you saved my life. From now on, you¡¯re my sworn brother!¡±


    Mo Hua reassured him, ¡°This is something I should do; there¡¯s no need to dwell on it.¡±


    Hao Xuan, however, remained stubbornly determined.


    After a while, he suddenly remembered something and asked puzzledly:


    ¡°By the way, Mo¡­ Junior Brother, were those two black-clad cultivators the ones you killed?¡±


    ¡°When did you¡­ become so powerful?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were only good at Formations¡­¡±


    Mo Hua blinked and sighed:


    ¡°Actually, my cultivation is quite weak; I¡¯m not their match at all. I only managed to set up a Formation in advance, using strategy to counter brute force. That¡¯s how I lucked out and dealt with the two of them¡­¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, Mo Hua revealed a ¡°frightened¡± expression, ¡°Thinking about it now, it still makes me feel a bit scared.¡±


    Hao Xuan nodded, ¡°So that¡¯s how it was¡­¡±


    But after nodding for a while, he suddenly froze, realizing something was amiss:


    ¡°Wait a second¡ªthat man was killed by the Fireball Technique. After he died, you even¡­¡±


    *¡­used the Fireball Technique to ¡®punish the corpse.¡¯*


    *How ruthless.*


    *And the technique was so skillful, so composed, not at all like something done out of luck¡­*


    Mo Hua froze for a moment, then patted Hao Xuan¡¯s shoulder with a solemn expression and said:


    ¡°That¡¯s your imagination. You were injured and disoriented, so you must have seen it wrong.¡±


    ¡°Both of them died because of the Formation¡ªit has nothing to do with me.¡±


    Hao Xuan appeared utterly confused.


    *Was I¡­ disoriented?*


    Seeing his reaction, Mo Hua quickly changed the subject:


    ¡°These are minor matters. By the way, why were you being hunted by those two people? Who were they?¡±


    Hao Xuan¡¯s attention was successfully diverted. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly exclaimed:


    ¡°There are others!¡±


    ¡°Others?¡± Mo Hua furrowed his brow.


    ¡°The one being chased!¡± Hao Xuan said urgently.


    Mo Hua¡¯s brows knitted together, ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Hao Xuan began to explain:


    ¡°The five of us, including Cheng Mo and Situ Jian, had taken on a bounty mission and went to a nearby Immortal City to complete it.¡±


    ¡°After finishing the task, we planned to return together, but as we passed through a desolate mountain, we saw a group of suspicious cultivators. They had their faces covered, were carrying sacks, and were pushing boxes¡ªup to something unknown.¡±


    ¡°Finding them suspicious, we decided to follow them in secret.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t take long before they noticed us. As soon as they did, their expressions changed drastically. They all drew swords and weapons and attacked us.¡±


    ¡°We fought them for a while, but we were outnumbered and overpowered. We had no choice but to scatter and flee.¡±


    ¡°Before escaping, I happened to catch a glimpse¡ªa look inside those sacks and boxes they were carrying¡­¡±


    Hao Xuan paused, then said in an icy tone, ¡°They were filled with people¡­¡±


    People?


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression froze. Then, as if remembering something, his eyes darkened, and a flicker of cold light flashed over his face.


    *Once again¡­ human traffickers¡­*

 Chapter 1047 - 1047 664 Drawing the Kill

    ?Chapter 1047: Chapter 664: Drawing the Kill Chapter 1047: Chapter 664: Drawing the Kill ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    Hao Xuan instinctively looked towards Mo Hua. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and said, ¡°First, let¡¯s look for Cheng Mo and the others. They must still be being hunted. If we ignore them, I¡¯m afraid their fate won¡¯t be good¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Hao Xuan said weakly, ¡°There¡¯s just the two of us¡­ Those human traffickers, at least twenty or more¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you use the Taixu Token to send out a call for help?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Hao Xuan nodded, then shook his head.


    ¡°I did send it, but it was useless. This place is a wilderness, the Original Magnet is very weak, susceptible to interference, and we¡¯re somewhat far from the Sect. The call for help¡­ might not get out¡­¡±


    At his words, Mo Hua was taken aback and also tried the Taixu Token.


    He found that indeed, the power of the Original Magnet was weak, the Magnetic Patterns were disturbed, and it seemed it really couldn¡¯t get out.


    He had never called for help when he was out on missions before; he didn¡¯t know there were such limitations to the Taixu Token¡¯s ability to send messages¡­


    Mo Hua then tried the Letter Token given to him by Uncle Gu.


    The characters were dim, flickering on and off.


    The Original Magnet obviously delayed; he didn¡¯t know whether the message was sent, but it was evidently better than the Taixu Token.


    Mo Hua was a bit puzzled but after a bit of thought, he roughly understood.


    The Formation inside the Taixu Token was more advanced but also too complicated. Sending messages was just one of its basic functions, so it was not as effective as the specialized Letter Token.


    And the Formation within the Taixu Token was controlled by a core Formation Pivot.


    The core Formation Pivot was located at the entrance of the Taixu Gate.


    The closer to the entrance, the better the Taixu Token¡¯s Original Magnet signal; once far away, the magnetic flow weakened.


    Moreover, they were now outside the state boundary of the Qianxue State; separated by a state boundary, the functionality of both the Taixu Token and the Letter Token would be severely limited.


    Whether it could be used was still uncertain¡­


    But no matter what, the message for help still had to be sent out.


    So Mo Hua sent the following message:


    ¡°Uncle Gu, human traffickers, more than twenty people, in the wilderness outside Xiao Yun City¡­¡±


    After that, Mo Hua didn¡¯t concern himself anymore.


    Asking for help was something to be tried, but not something to rely on too heavily.


    Mo Hua asked Hao Xuan, ¡°Which way did Cheng Mo and the others escape to?¡±


    Hao Xuan thought for a moment and pointed in a direction, ¡°They ran towards the hill to the west¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked towards that hill.


    The night was deep, pitch black; searching that way, one didn¡¯t know how long it would take.


    Mo Hua asked Hao Xuan, ¡°How are your injuries?¡±


    Hao Xuan said bitterly, ¡°I can go with you but I probably won¡¯t be able to move my hands, not much help¡­¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Mo Hua said.


    He didn¡¯t need Hao Xuan to take action.


    With so many opponents, given Hao Xuan¡¯s Cultivation, acting wouldn¡¯t be of much use.


    Just pointing the way would be enough.


    The two prepared to set off, but before they did so, Mo Hua wanted to check the two black-clothed Cultivators in the cave once more and search their bodies to see their faces.


    He wanted to know the identity of these traffickers who dared to sell Cultivators near the Qianxue State boundary¡­


    The black-clothed Cultivators in the cave had their legs severed by the Gold Blade Formation and were finished off by Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique, their bodies charred.


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique deliberately avoided their faces so that there would be a clue left behind.


    The light in the cave was dim.


    The black-clothed Cultivator lay on the ground, already having suffocated.


    Mo Hua came closer, lifted his mask, and his pupils involuntarily constricted.


    Under the masking black cloth was a face with rotting flesh, indiscernible in appearance, even the blood was foul and dark.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, carefully scrutinizing for a moment, somewhat in disbelief.


    ¡°Demonic Qi¡­¡±


    This black-clothed Cultivator, before death, released his own Demonic Qi, allowing it to spoil his flesh and blood, obfuscate his features, and contaminate his Spiritual Power.


    All to prevent being recognized.


    Mo Hua quickly went outside the cave.


    Another black-clothed Cultivator lay dead outside the cave, killed by the Earth Fire Formation, his body similarly corroded by Demonic Qi, turned into a pile of rotten flesh.


    A chill went through Mo Hua¡¯s heart.


    This was his first time encountering such a situation¡­


    Dying, then destroying one¡¯s own body, contaminating the Spiritual Power just to not reveal their identity.


    But¡­


    Mo Hua furrowed his brows.


    Where did the Demonic Qi on their bodies come from?


    Why had he not noticed it before?


    Hao Xuan ran behind Mo Hua, also seeing the foul appearance of the two black-clothed Cultivators, couldn¡¯t help covering his mouth, and stammered,


    ¡°These two¡­ why do they look like this?¡±


    Mo Hua shook his head, he checked their Storage Bags and found that apart from some Spirit Stones, Pills, and common Standard Spiritual Weapons, there were no other clues revealing their identity.


    ¡°So cautious¡­¡± Mo Hua muttered to himself.


    Hao Xuan said, ¡°Then we¡­¡±


    Mo Hua replied, ¡°Never mind, finding Cheng Mo and the others is more important.¡±


    After all, there were over twenty of those people.


    Two dead, and quite a few still alive.


    Mo Hua refused to believe that each could destroy their Dao body and conceal their identity before dying¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Mo Hua said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hao Xuan nodded.


    He didn¡¯t understand these matters, but following Mo Hua should surely be correct.


    After all, it was Mo Hua who had just saved him.


    Hao Xuan still remembered what his parents had earnestly admonished before he joined the Sect:


    ¡°Xuan¡¯er, though you have the Heaven Void Ancestor, you are but one of your ancestor¡¯s one hundred and fifty-six great-grandchildren; your ancestor may not remember who you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Your talent is insufficient compared to some, but more than adequate compared to others, and your nature is not cruel enough, I¡¯m afraid it will be hard to stand out in the Sect.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, find a way to ensure a fallback¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t learn other things well, just master your movement technique.¡±


    ¡°In the future, when you travel in the Cultivation World, if you encounter danger and can run, then run, if you really can¡¯t escape, just stick closely behind someone reliable, don¡¯t try to act tough on your own.¡±

 Chapter 1048 - 1048 664 Lure and Kill_2

    ?Chapter 1048: Chapter 664: Lure and Kill_2 Chapter 1048: Chapter 664: Lure and Kill_2 Hao Xuan had an intuition, Mo Hua was probably the reliable type of cultivator his parents talked about.


    Although he was younger than himself, had weaker cultivation, and was shorter,


    when setting up traps to kill and search corpses, he appeared very ¡°proficient.¡±


    Although a bit scary, calling him ¡°Junior Brother¡± and following him seemed like the right decision¡­


    Hao Xuan silently nodded his head.


    Afterward, Hao Xuan led the way, and the two displayed their movement techniques, heading together toward the west side of the barren mountain.


    Hao Xuan had a Wind Spiritual Root, and practiced a wind-system movement skill, mastering it exquisitely.


    To his surprise, Mo Hua¡¯s movement skill was also very unusual; his posture was light, moving like flowing water, trekking through mountains and rivers effortlessly.


    The two walked for half an hour, and then they were in front of a vast forest.


    The trees were deep and dense, and the night was so dark that they couldn¡¯t see the road ahead.


    Hao Xuan couldn¡¯t recognize the path anymore and looked left and right, then silently looked toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua looked around, and within his gaze where the patterns of cause and effect slightly surfaced, he said after a moment, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hao Xuan nodded repeatedly.


    So, it became Mo Hua taking the lead with Hao Xuan following him.


    The two meandered left and right through the forest; even though there were no obvious traces on the ground, Mo Hua always found a path to follow.


    Hao Xuan watched, feeling curious.


    They walked for an unknowable time, and then blood traces appeared on the ground.


    On both sides, trees bore marks of swords and axes, and remnants of earth and fire spiritual powers¡¯ scent persisted.


    ¡°Mountain Splitter Axe! Li Fire Sword!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Cheng Mo and Situ Jian!¡±


    Hao Xuan was secretly shocked, and finally couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice,


    ¡°Mo Hua, how did you find this¡­¡±


    Mo Hua solemnly said, ¡°Intuition!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Hao Xuan was somewhat skeptical, unsure whether to believe or not¡­


    Mo Hua said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not far ahead, let¡¯s go and see.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hao Xuan said nervously.


    Then, the two lowered their shapes and took a few steps forward. Hao Xuan turned his head only to find that Mo Hua had suddenly disappeared, which made him panic and he stuttered,


    ¡°Mo¡­Hua¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s figure then reappeared beside him.


    Hao Xuan jumped in fright.


    ¡°I forgot you can¡¯t turn invisible,¡± Mo Hua said, pulling a jade pendant out of his storage bag and handing it to Hao Xuan, ¡°This is the Water Concealing Jade, given¡­ ¡®borrowed¡¯ to me by a kind uncle from the Taoist Court. You use it first; it can make you invisible.¡±


    Hao Xuan dumbly received it and nodded.


    Then, the two used their concealment abilities and moved closer to the other side of the forest.


    On the other side of the forest was a gentle hillside, open terrain below with a small creek lined with pebbles.


    At that moment, by the creek, two groups of cultivators were fighting fiercely.


    One group wore black clothes, their faces covered, totaling nine people.


    The other group only had three. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua caught a glimpse and recognized one.


    One of them, with several bloodstains on his upper body, waving twin axes as if driven to desperation, shouting loudly, was Cheng Mo.


    Another, wielding the Li Fire Sword, his face pale, was Situ Jian.


    There was also a disciple, handsome and brave, wielding a long spear and fiercely combating the black-clothed cultivators. Even if tired from prolonged fighting, his cultivation was also impressive.


    Mo Hua glanced at him, realizing he did not recognize this person.


    ¡°Who is that¡­¡±


    Mo Hua pointed to the disciple wielding the spear, asking Hao Xuan in a lowered voice.


    Hao Xuan discreetly glanced and whispered,


    ¡°His name is Yang Qianjun, from the same batch as us, but doesn¡¯t share our Disciple¡¯s Residence, you probably haven¡¯t seen him¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mo Hua nodded.


    Yang Qianjun¡­ surname Yang¡­ uses a spear¡­


    Mo Hua spoke softly, ¡°A disciple from the Taoist Soldiers Court of the Yang Family?¡±


    Hao Xuan looked surprised, ¡°You know of the Yang Family?¡±


    ¡°A little¡­¡±


    Hao Xuan nodded, ¡°Yes, he is from the direct lineage of the Yang Family, learning the ancestral spear techniques of the Yang Family, and his cultivation is very strong¡­¡±


    ¡°The Qianzhou Cheng Family is on good terms with the Yang Family, Cheng Mo also knows Yang Qianjun.¡±


    ¡°This time we were on a mission to capture three Foundation Establishment Initial Stage Sin Cultivators, so we called him to join, moving as a group of five.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Mo Hua nodded, then asked with some confusion,


    ¡°The five of you, you, Cheng Mo, Situ Jian, Yang Qianjun¡­ who else?¡±


    ¡°Yi Li¡­¡± said Hao Xuan.


    Mo Hua was stunned, ¡°Yi Li¡­ as in ¡®Yi¡¯ of the Elder Yi of Taoist Law?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Hao Xuan looked around, not seeing Yi Li¡¯s figure, and sighed,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how Yi Li is doing¡­¡±


    ¡°Either escaped, or¡­ it¡¯s likely bad news¡­¡±


    Hao Xuan¡¯s expression was very worried.


    Mo Hua unleashed his Divine Sense, scanning the area, and suddenly pointed at a cultivator lying on the ground in the corner,


    ¡°Is that Yi Li?¡±


    Hao Xuan followed the direction Mo Hua pointed, his expression stunned, then he nodded repeatedly:


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s Yi Li!¡±


    Mo Hua then understood.


    Surname Yi, a member of the Yi Family, surely a specialist in spells, a Spiritual Cultivator.


    Such a melee was disadvantageous for spiritual cultivators.


    Especially since they were outnumbered, it was easier to be targeted.


    In this melee, being a spiritual cultivator, he was likely one of the first to be overwhelmed.


    Fortunately, he had only fainted, and his life was not in immediate danger.


    But after a while, that might change¡­


    Mo Hua observed the situation again.


    These black-clothed cultivators had solid foundations; if Mo Hua wasn¡¯t mistaken, they were likely from influential families.


    This meant that Cheng Mo¡¯s group of three might not hold on for much longer.


    The three of them, under the nine attackers, were becoming slower in their movements and the flow of their Spiritual Power was gradually delaying, clearly all struggling desperately.

 Chapter 1049 - 1049 664 Leading the Kill_3

    ?Chapter 1049: Chapter 664: Leading the Kill_3 Chapter 1049: Chapter 664: Leading the Kill_3 He had held out until now, which was already quite impressive.


    Hao Xuan looked somewhat anxious.


    Mo Hua thought for a moment and then said to Hao Xuan, ¡°Your movement technique is quite good, right?¡±


    Hao Xuan, not quite understanding why, slowly nodded, ¡°My parents were afraid that I might encounter some danger, so they had me focus on practicing my movement technique¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then whispered, ¡°Later, you will show yourself and curse at them a few times to draw them over, then I¡¯ll use a Formation to deal with them¡­¡±


    Hao Xuan was stunned, but then nodded.


    The opposing side had more people, they had fewer, indeed they would need to use a Formation to possibly win.


    But¡­


    Hao Xuan looked around and asked, ¡°Where is the Formation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°You draw them over, and I¡¯ll have it set up.¡±


    Seeing Hao Xuan¡¯s disbelief, Mo Hua emphasized:


    ¡°I set up Formations very quickly!¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡± Hao Xuan muttered. Just as he was about to get up, another question occurred to him:


    ¡°How do I draw them over¡­¡±


    Mo Hua patiently explained, ¡°You just need to show yourself so they see you, then pretend to panic and start running. They will definitely send people to chase and kill you.¡±


    ¡°Would they really be that stupid¡­¡± Hao Xuan was somewhat worried.


    Mo Hua responded, ¡°They want to kill and silence us, and dare not let the news get out, so as long as you show your face, they will come after you no matter what.¡±


    ¡°What if they don¡¯t chase me¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you curse at them.¡±


    Hao Xuan was a bit troubled, ¡°I¡¯m not very good at cursing at people¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Mo Hua¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you!¡±


    Hao Xuan was shocked, ¡°Do you curse at people often?¡±


    Mo Hua immediately shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t curse at people either. It¡¯s just that I know an elder who is very skilled at it, and by chance, I happened to remember some of his curses¡­¡±


    Mo Hua secretly shared some curse words with Hao Xuan. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hao Xuan was astonished after hearing them.


    He felt like a frog that had leapt out of a well, never having known before that people in this world could curse others with such words¡­


    ¡°Do you remember them?¡± Mo Hua asked.


    Hao Xuan nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Okay, off you go!¡± Mo Hua said, ¡°But remember, don¡¯t engage in a fight. As soon as someone chases you, just run¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    So, Hao Xuan mustered his courage, walked out of the woods, stood at the edge of the forest, and shouted loudly at the black-clothed cultivators surrounding Cheng Mo and the others:


    ¡°Cheng Mo! Hang in there! I¡¯m coming!¡±


    Then he charged towards the opposition.


    The black-clothed cultivators were stunned for a moment.


    Then they recognized Hao Xuan and saw that he was walking right into their trap; their eyes gleamed viciously as they unsheathed their swords and sneered.


    Hao Xuan got a fright and immediately turned and ran back.


    The black-clothed cultivators exchanged glances.


    One of them frowned for a moment and then coldly ordered, ¡°Chase him! We can¡¯t let any word leak out!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Two of the black-clothed cultivators nodded in acknowledgment and then, swords in hand, chased after Hao Xuan.


    Hao Xuan, following Mo Hua¡¯s instructions, drew these two men into the woods, then zigzagged around and hid behind a large Stone.


    After that, a thunderous explosion sounded out of nowhere.


    A violent surge of Spiritual Power spread through the air.


    Hao Xuan¡¯s heart chilled, and as he looked up again, he saw the two black-clothed cultivators lying flat on the ground.


    And Mo Hua, close by, had already started using the Fireball Technique to do the clean-up.


    The process was smooth, the technique adept.


    Hao Xuan almost started to suspect that his ¡°Junior Brother¡± was an expert at duping, swindling, and assassinating for loot.


    After Mo Hua finished off the cultivators, Hao Xuan immediately ran over but saw that Mo Hua had an unhappy face.


    ¡°Junior Brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Mo Hua pointed at the two black-clothed cultivators on the ground.


    Hao Xuan looked and saw that the two men were a bloody mess, beyond recognition.


    Their deaths were identical to those of the other two black-clad men from before.


    ¡°When alive, they couldn¡¯t sense the Demonic Qi, but as soon as they died, the Demonic Qi would go out of control, contaminating and corroding both their flesh and Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    Mo Hua looked somewhat grave.


    Hao Xuan was also quite startled.


    He was a noble family¡¯s son from the Righteous Dao and had only heard about the many bizarre methods of the ¡°Demon Path,¡± but he had only ever heard of them. It was only now that he actually saw them with his own eyes.


    Suddenly, those dangers of Tao Cultivation felt all too real¡­


    To Mo Hua, however, it was nothing out of the ordinary.


    He stood up and then set another ¡°enticing¡± route for Hao Xuan.


    After that, Hao Xuan returned to the stream in the mountains and shouted at the group of men in black, ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±


    The black-clothed Cultivators were stunned again.


    But they did not give chase this time.


    Even a fool would know something was up by now.


    Remembering what Mo had taught him, Hao Xuan shouted the insults loudly yet deliberately articulating each and every word:


    ¡°You bunch of good-for-nothings¡­¡±


    ¡°Cowards!¡±


    ¡°When you were born, did you leave your guts inside your mother¡¯s womb?¡±


    ¡°I curse you like this, and you still act like turtles tucking in their heads!¡±


    ¡°Could it be that your fathers were turtles? Are you the spawn of green-crowned tortoises, which is why you can endure so much?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you introduce your mothers to me? Maybe she can still breed some turtle brothers for you¡­¡±


    ¡­


    These words left the black-clothed Cultivators utterly dumbfounded.


    Even Cheng Mo and his group couldn¡¯t believe their ears.


    This Hao Xuan¡­ couldn¡¯t have become possessed, could he¡­?


    He normally didn¡¯t curse people, so how had his swearing ability improved leaps and bounds in such a short time?


    Cheng Mo and his group were perplexed.


    The black-clothed Cultivators came back to their senses but couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    One of them gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m going to slaughter that kid!¡±


    ¡°To tear him to pieces!¡±


    The leading black-clothed Cultivator frowned, ¡°There must be deceit¡­¡±


    Another one nodded, noting,


    ¡°Just now, those two brothers went after him and now they are gone. We don¡¯t know if they were lured away or fell into an ambush.¡±


    Yet another one shouted in anger,


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! He has humiliated me so, today I must gut him to relieve the hatred in my heart!¡±


    The leading black-clothed Cultivator frowned, ¡°That¡¯s improper.¡±


    The man sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, you don¡¯t have the right to order me. I listened to you before only to give you face, but in terms of status, I am hardly inferior to you!¡±


    The leader was angered, ¡°You!¡±


    But the black-clothed man didn¡¯t pay any attention and simply chose two men:


    ¡°Let us go. Even though we cannot reveal our identities, with our background, we absolutely cannot tolerate such humiliation!¡±


    Thus, the three men in black chased after Hao Xuan.


    And among the Cultivators in black left at the scene, there were only four remaining.


    Four against three, they still had the advantage, but it was a very slight one.


    Cheng Mo and his two companions felt a surge of confidence, seeing the hope of escape, even the chance for a counterattack.


    Meanwhile, the three men in black were laughing maliciously, chasing after Hao Xuan into the forest.


    They fancied that three against one would be an easy task.


    Even if there were some ambushes, as long as they were careful, there would be no serious trouble.


    But they had no idea who was waiting for them in the dark depths of the forest¡­


    An hour later.


    A flash of red light from the Formation, followed by a pervasive blaze.


    After the dust settled,


    The three brash men in black also lay straight out on the ground, having taken their last breath.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    (P.S. The group has been created; those interested, fellows, can join the group for a chat~


    The group number is attached below.)

 Chapter 1050 - 1050 665 Image

    ?Chapter 1050: Chapter 665 Image Chapter 1050: Chapter 665 Image The night was deep and the mountain forest was silent.


    Hao Xuan looked at the three black-garbed cultivators lying dead on the ground, his mouth agape, ¡°Junior Brother, your Formation, it¡¯s too powerful¡­¡±


    With a single encounter, a thunderous boom, a flash of fire, and the Formation exploded.


    These three cultivators with no meager cultivation had died so suddenly, caught unawares¡­


    Hao Xuan¡¯s face was a picture of shock, while Mo Hua felt some pleasure inside, but on the surface, he still maintained the dignity of ¡°Junior Brother,¡± nodding his head modestly and saying,


    ¡°It was okay¡­¡±


    As usual, he would have finished them off with the Fireball Technique.


    But since Hao Xuan was nearby, Mo Hua didn¡¯t take action, not wanting him to feel that his Junior Brother was too ruthless.


    This would ruin his friendly image of ¡®innocent and kind-hearted¡¯ amongst his fellow sect members.


    The three black-garbed figures were dead.


    Mo Hua flicked his fingers, drawing forth a streak of golden light, slashing through their masks. But beneath, their flesh was still corrupted by Demonic Qi, dark and tainted.


    ¡°Once they die¡­ their faces are destroyed?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned slightly.


    In that case, did he need to catch one alive to see their true faces?


    Hao Xuan whispered, ¡°There are still four left, should I lure them over?¡±


    Mo Hua contemplated for a moment, then shook his head,


    ¡°No need, just four people, no need to lure them¡­ I guess you can¡¯t lure them anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Five people have disappeared; even if they¡¯re stupid, they know something¡¯s wrong with you. As soon as you show your face, they will become more cautious, even thinking of fleeing¡­¡±


    Hao Xuan asked in confusion, ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go have a look,¡± Mo Hua thought for a while, then said to Hao Xuan, ¡°You¡¯re not healed, so stay invisible nearby and don¡¯t act.¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Hao Xuan hesitated for a moment, then worriedly said, ¡°If you go over, you can¡¯t set up the Formation in advance. Facing those black-garbed cultivators will be dangerous¡­¡±


    ¡°My spells are very powerful!¡± Mo Hua said.


    Hao Xuan was slightly stunned.


    If he remembered correctly, Mo Hua¡¯s grade in the Taoist Skill course was only a ¡®Grade C.¡¯


    Could Grade C be considered very powerful?


    Hao Xuan wanted to say something, but seeing Mo Hua¡¯s confident appearance, he decided it was better to just obediently ¡°follow orders.¡±


    So Hao Xuan said, ¡°Then Junior Brother, be careful.¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    In total, there were nine black-garbed cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    Using the Formation to ¡°fish,¡± he had killed five of them.


    The remaining four were like fish on the chopping board, completely unable to escape his grasp.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze became somewhat dangerous.


    Hao Xuan watched Mo Hua and, in a trance, felt that these black-garbed cultivators who had chased them into a desperate situation were, in the eyes of his ¡°Junior Brother,¡± just like¡­


    Little chicks?


    No way¡­


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Cheng Mo and his two companions continued their fight against the four black-garbed cultivators.


    Cheng Mo and the others were at a disadvantage.


    They had been pursued and retreated while fighting, draining their spirit and strength.


    Although the number of black-garbed cultivators had suddenly dropped to four, they still felt increasingly overwhelmed.


    But this was their best chance to escape.


    If they could hold on, there was a chance for a turnaround, a possibility of escaping with their lives.


    Otherwise, if the other black-garbed people caught Hao Xuan¡ªor if they didn¡¯t but came back directly¡ªthey would truly be out of options.


    Hao Xuan was known for his good movement technique.


    In such a situation, Cheng Mo and the others could only hope that Hao Xuan could hold on a little longer.


    The remaining four black-garbed cultivators, despite having the upper hand, had increasingly grim expressions.


    Five of their companions had gone and still hadn¡¯t returned.


    They didn¡¯t know if they were being held back or had walked into an ambush.


    Although they probably hadn¡¯t lost their lives, if the delay went on too long, it could lead to unexpected changes.


    These men, clad in black, conducting their activities at night, were engaged in deeds meant to avoid the light of day; the longer things dragged on, the more likely complications arose, and if exposed, they would certainly have nowhere to bury themselves.


    The leading black-garbed cultivator felt uneasy and suddenly gritted his teeth,


    ¡°Take the Pills, we need a quick battle and a quick decision!¡±


    The other three black-garbed individuals were startled and looked hesitant.


    But they dared not disobey the ¡°Big Brother¡¯s¡± command.


    The three of them each took a half-step back and, from nowhere, pulled out a blood-colored pill. Before Cheng Mo and comrades could react, they quickly swallowed it.


    In an instant, the aura of all four surged wildly, and their eyes were streaked with bloodlines.


    Cheng Mo and his companions¡¯ expressions turned grave.


    ¡°Evil Pill?¡±


    In their hearts, they sensed something ominous.


    Already at a disadvantage, now the four black-garbed men had taken Evil Pills, boosting their Cultivation significantly.


    If things continued this way, they feared it was more likely to end badly¡­


    Cheng Mo clenched his teeth and recklessly shouted,


    ¡°A bunch of Evil Path fiends! Even if I die today, I¡¯ll take you down with me!¡±


    After speaking, he roared angrily, his eyes wide as he coated his upper body muscles in a deep bronze color, his Blood Qi boiling. His entire demeanor was like a giant axe ready to cleave mountains and split the earth.


    Mountain Cleaving Axe!


    This was the ancestral Taoist Skill of the Qianzhou Cheng Family, simple in technique but brutally powerful.


    Once activated, the skin would become like steel, and the axe blade could cleave mountains and split rocks.


    However, the duration was limited.


    At his Realm, his Cultivation was limited, and he couldn¡¯t fully unleash the power of this Taoist Skill.


    Cheng Mo forcing his hand was a depletion of his Blood Qi, a desperate gamble against the black-garbed cultivators.


    Situ Jian and Yang Qianjun, seeing Cheng Mo¡¯s readiness to fight to the death, also understood that this was a critical moment where they had no choice but to take the risk.


    They had a slim chance if they fought.


    If they didn¡¯t, death was certain.


    Situ Jian joined his fingers, pushing his Sword Qi to the extreme, covering his Spirit Sword with a layer of bright, fiery Li Fire.


    Yang Qianjun¡¯s eyes gleamed golden, and his long spear also gathered a dazzling golden light.

 Chapter 1051 - 1051 665 Image_2

    ?Chapter 1051: Chapter 665 Image_2 Chapter 1051: Chapter 665 Image_2 For a moment, the three men¡¯s faces turned pale, yet their fighting spirit surged tremendously.


    When Mo Hua arrived, he just happened to witness this scene and couldn¡¯t help feeling emotional.


    The sons of noble families were indeed extraordinary.


    The inherited moves of these family clans, oppressive and powerful, were evidently formidable.


    Especially Cheng Mo.


    Normally nonchalant, but when truly fighting for life and death, he wielded twin axes with a fierce resolve, his eyes filled with rage, demonstrating an incredible aura.


    In addition, Situ Jian and Yang Qianjun, one with fire and the other with metal, overflowed with spiritual power, likewise formidable.


    It was just¡­


    A bit too clumsy¡­


    These large and open moves were powerful, but if used improperly by those with insufficient experience, they also had significant drawbacks.


    Indeed, the leading black-robed cultivator, though his expression was stern, was not very worried but instead commanded in a deep voice,


    ¡°These three youngsters are desperate, don¡¯t confront their strength, be cautious¡­¡±


    A hint of ruthlessness flashed through the eyes of the leader in black, ¡°Their strength is at its limit, it can¡¯t last for long. Wear them down slowly, drain their blood qi and spiritual power, and they will surely die!¡±


    The other three in black nodded their heads and acknowledged, ¡°Yes!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the two sides were clashing once again.


    Cheng Mo and his companions knew they couldn¡¯t hold out for much longer and wanted a quick resolution. They attempted to strike down one or two with thunderous means and then decide whether to fight or flee based on the situation.


    On the side of the black-robed cultivators, their primary strategy was to keep Cheng Mo and the others engaged without directly confronting them, aiming to exhaust them completely and then annihilate them.


    For a moment, the light of axes and swords crisscrossed, with spiritual power and blood qi chaotically intertwining.


    The scene appeared formidable, but the situation remained in a deadlock.


    Cheng Mo grew increasingly anxious.


    His skill with the mountain-splitting axes was imperfect; fierce indeed, but not suited for prolonged combat. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Situ Jian and Yang Qianjun were no better off.


    Their spiritual power was already insufficient, forcibly driving such powerful moves, they constantly lost spiritual power in every moment.


    Mo Hua shook his head as he watched.


    ¡°Powerful indeed, but still too young¡­¡±


    ¡°Before using a powerful technique, one should first consider if it can kill the enemy, and if not, what the consequences might be¡­¡±


    ¡°Driven by fervor and desperation, wasting so much spiritual power in vain¡­¡±


    ¡°Not knowing that they should conserve their spiritual power¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed softly in his heart and hid in the shadows, stretching out a finger.


    A fireball burst through the air and in the darkness, it traced a swift and bright path, striking precisely a black-robed man trying to dodge Cheng Mo¡¯s large axe.


    The fireball, both fast and accurate, took everyone by surprise.


    The man hit by the fireball was completely dumbfounded.


    He had no idea where the fireball had come from or who had launched it.


    After a moment, his expression turned to one of panic.


    The Fireball Technique was neither too strong nor too weak, not enough to inflict a fatal injury.


    But as the fireball exploded on him, the burst of spiritual power forced him to stagger, losing his balance and hesitating for a moment.


    In life-and-death combat, this brief hesitation could be fatal.


    The face of the black-robed man turned deathly pale in an instant.


    Cheng Mo was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and couldn¡¯t help but grin viciously. Seizing this brief flaw, he raised his twin axes and chopped down fiercely.


    The black-robed cultivator tried desperately to dodge, but was too slow.


    The powerful and heavy twin axes, carrying the force capable of splitting mountains, cleaved open his chest.


    One of the four black-robed cultivators died in an instant.


    The expressions of everyone present changed.


    Cheng Mo and his companions exclaimed silently, ¡°An ally?¡±


    The other black-robed cultivators, however, looked panicked and felt a chill in their hearts.


    ¡°An ambush?¡±


    The leader of the black-robed men immediately called out loudly, ¡°Which Taoist friend is lurking? Why not come out and show yourself?¡±


    The night was deep, the mountains and forests dark, the chilly wind blowing through the dense shadows of trees, like ghosts and specters.


    The black-robed cultivators felt cold sweat break out.


    Cheng Mo and his companions, with a sharp glint in their eyes, seized the opportunity and attacked the remaining black-robed men.


    The leader of the black-robed men, with an awe-inspiring gaze, gritted his teeth and commanded,


    ¡°Continue wearing them down, watch out for stealthy spells¡­¡±


    The battle resumed.


    Cheng Mo and his companions surged with an intense will to fight.


    The black-robed cultivators, however, became hesitant and cautious.


    They feared another fireball might fly out in the dark, potentially finishing them at a critical moment¡­


    But Mo Hua¡¯s Fireball Technique was extremely fast, practically indefensible.


    After about ten exchanges, in the long silence of the night, another fireball suddenly shot out, exploding on the back of a black-robed man.


    The black-robed man groaned in pain, his movement slowing.


    Situ Jian, quick to react, combined his fingers and delivered a thrust of Li Fire Sword Qi.


    The blazing sword qi pierced directly through the heart of the black-robed man.


    Another black-robed man died.


    Then, not even moments later, another fireball shot from the darkness, heading straight for the face of another black-robed man.


    Forewarned by earlier events, this black-robed man was on high alert and fully defensive.


    As soon as Mo Hua¡¯s fireball appeared, he immediately noticed and desperately dodged, barely avoiding a direct hit to his face.


    The fireball brushed past his ear, the heat painfully searing, but fortunately, he was not hit squarely in the face.


    The black-robed man breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could recover, he saw the tip of a spear protruding from his chest.


    Taking advantage of his focus on the fireball, Yang Qianjun had already maneuvered behind him and thrust the spear through his chest.


    From then, the situation changed dramatically.


    Three fireballs, three lives taken.


    Only the leader of the black-robed cultivators was left on the field.


    He stood there, his eyes filled with fear and disbelief.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, a few fireballs flew by, and his three brothers were swiftly slain¡­

 Chapter 1052 - 1052 665 Image_3

    ?Chapter 1052: Chapter 665 Image_3 Chapter 1052: Chapter 665 Image_3 There wasn¡¯t much time for him to react¡ªthe situation had suddenly taken a dire turn.


    ¡°There¡¯s an expert!¡±


    ¡°We have to flee! Or else we¡¯re dead!¡±


    The black-robed cultivator didn¡¯t waste a moment. He turned and tried to escape.


    In the darkness, Mo Hua pointed his finger. A faint blue water pattern flashed, and a water prison solidified instantly, trapping the leading black-robed cultivator in place.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    The black-robed cultivator¡¯s face went pale.


    Cheng Mo raised his twin axes, ready to kill the black-robed cultivator. But just then, a crisp voice said, Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Capture him alive!¡±


    That voice sounded somewhat familiar.


    But in the wilderness, within the dark forest at night, it carried an air of strangeness.


    Cheng Mo didn¡¯t recognize it immediately.


    Still, he instinctively left the man alive, redirecting his strike to the black-robed cultivator¡¯s back.


    Unexpectedly, upon hearing the words ¡°capture him alive,¡± the black-robed cultivator¡¯s expression turned utterly horrified.


    At that exact moment, a streak of golden light shot in from afar.


    This golden light wasn¡¯t particularly powerful; it headed straight for the black-robed cultivator¡¯s face.


    It seemed it wasn¡¯t aiming to take his life but rather to tear away his mask and reveal his appearance.


    Yet remarkably, this action terrified him more than death itself.


    The black-robed cultivator¡¯s face filled with despair. Before the golden light could shatter his mask, he snapped his own finger. A surge of demonic Qi instantly spread, consuming his flesh and transforming him into a puddle of black murky water.


    Cheng Mo and the others were visibly shocked and quickly stepped back, exchanging bewildered glances.


    ¡°Could this be¡­ a demon cultivator technique?¡±


    Cheng Mo asked gravely.


    But all the black-robed cultivators were dead. The scene was littered with blood, the forest eerily silent, with no one left to answer.


    A moment later, Cheng Mo and his companions let out long sighs of relief.


    Whatever the case, at least they had survived.


    Yang Qianjun, his expression solemn, cupped his hands toward the opposing forest and said,


    ¡°Thank you for your help!¡±


    ¡°Might I ask who you are, Taoist Friend? Could you show yourself for a brief talk?¡±


    The forest remained silent.


    Situ Jian frowned, ¡°Could it be someone from Qianxue State Boundary, a senior brother from some sect? Seeing injustice and lending a hand?¡±


    ¡°Although the technique used was a basic Fireball Technique, it was precise and effortless, completely turning the tide¡­¡±


    ¡°It must be a spell expert¡­¡±


    ¡°Would an expert in spells only use the Fireball Technique?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem likely¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo spoke gravely, ¡°Generally speaking, true experts wouldn¡¯t resort to using such a low-level spell like the Fireball Technique. However, a true master might simplify matters, using an unremarkable spell like the Fireball Technique to work miracles¡­¡±


    ¡°Makes sense¡­¡±


    ¡°So, who could it be?¡±


    Cheng Mo pondered for a moment before hesitantly saying, ¡°Could it be some kind of ¡®senior¡¯ expert?¡±


    ¡°Just call me ¡®Junior Brother,¡¯ no need for ¡®senior,¡¯ that¡¯d be too formal¡­¡±


    A crisp voice sounded, and Mo Hua quietly revealed himself before the trio, smiling radiantly.


    Yang Qianjun was stunned.


    Situ Jian was flabbergasted.


    Cheng Mo was so shocked that his jaw dropped.


    ¡°Mo¡­ Mo Hua?!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded.


    ¡°You, you¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo stammered for a while, unable to find words. He took a long moment to collect himself before asking, ¡°That Fireball Technique¡ªwas that you?¡±


    ¡°Who else?¡±


    Cheng Mo looked around, then asked again, ¡°No one else?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡±


    ¡°But you¡­¡±


    *Cheng Mo¡¯s mind was reeling with an immense shock.*


    *How could it be¡­ Mo Hua?*


    *How was this even possible?*


    *His heart brimmed with questions¡ªhe wanted to ask so much. But his mind was in disarray, and he didn¡¯t know where to begin.*


    Mo Hua, however, ignored him and began inspecting the dead black-robed cultivators. He found that their flesh and spiritual power had indeed been corroded by demonic Qi.


    The leading black-robed cultivator had completely turned into black water.


    Mo Hua looked somewhat disappointed.


    Still couldn¡¯t catch one alive¡­


    These people, when realizing there was no way out, wouldn¡¯t hesitate to commit suicide, using demonic Qi to destroy their own bodies.


    *They were truly ruthless toward themselves.*


    *Or perhaps¡­ they were harboring terrifying secrets that must never be revealed?*


    Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, ¡°This place isn¡¯t safe. You¡¯re all injured¡ªlet¡¯s find a spot to lay low for now¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Cheng Mo and his companions nodded sincerely.


    So, they carried the unconscious Yi Li along, while Mo Hua went to fetch Hao Xuan. The group wandered through the forest until they found a hidden cave to take refuge.


    Mo Hua set some basic formations outside the cave for alertness, concealment, and protection.


    Inside the cave, Cheng Mo and the others focused on healing their injuries.


    After taking some pills, their wounds improved, and their spiritual power gradually recovered. At last, Situ Jian couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity and asked, ¡°Mo Hua, why are you here?¡±


    Mo Hua replied casually, ¡°I was on my way back to the sect, passing through here, and saw signs of blood. So I followed them and happened to find Hao Xuan being hunted¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I got lucky, saved Hao Xuan, and then followed him to find you all. ¡®Luckily,¡¯ I managed to save you guys too¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo nodded, but as he kept nodding, he realized something was off.


    *Could all these events be mere coincidence, luck, and chance?*


    ¡°How¡­ did you manage to save us?¡± Cheng Mo asked.


    ¡°Oh, you know¡­ just set up a formation, blow them up, and that was that¡­¡± Mo Hua replied.


    ¡°What about those five black-robed men who were lured away earlier?¡±


    ¡°Same thing¡ªset up a formation, blew them up, they were gone¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others exchanged looks, each drawing in a sharp breath.


    ¡°All dead?!¡±


    Mo Hua nodded, then sighed helplessly and said, ¡°You know I¡¯m a Formation Master. Physically, I¡¯m weak, and my spiritual power isn¡¯t strong. Direct combat is exceedingly dangerous for me.¡±


    ¡°Faced with these ruthless, faceless black-robed cultivators, I had no other choice but to devise a plan, set a formation, and blow them up¡­¡±


    ¡°Who knew they¡¯d be so fragile¡ªone blast and they¡¯re gone. Can¡¯t really blame me for that¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo: ¡°¡­¡±


    Situ Jian: ¡°¡­¡±


    Yang Qianjun: ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing their stunned expressions, Mo Hua felt he needed to stay low-key. So, with a serious face, he said, ¡°Those are just trivial matters. What¡¯s important now is deciding our next steps.¡±


    ¡°These black-robed cultivators¡­ they¡¯re human traffickers, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    The group froze, their expressions growing more serious.


    ¡°Should we return and report this to the Taoist Court?¡± Situ Jian asked.


    ¡°Yes, reporting to the Taoist Court is necessary.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no time¡­¡±


    ¡°By the time the Taoist Court officials arrive, these traffickers will likely have fled¡­¡±


    ¡°And as for the cultivators they¡¯ve captured and plan to sell off, who knows where they¡¯ll end up¡­¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re sold to ordinary cultivators, perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be too dire. But if they¡¯re sold to the evil cultivators or demon cultivators, then¡­¡±


    *Gruesome rumors about demon cultivators¡ªkilling people to refine skills, pills, or weapons¡ªflooded their minds.*


    Their faces grew increasingly grim.


    ¡°So, should we¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes gleamed as he quietly suggested, ¡°Just kill all the black-robed men?¡±


    The group paused, then silently stared at Mo Hua.


    Especially Cheng Mo and Situ Jian.


    *It felt as though they were meeting him for the first time¡ªthis ¡°Junior Brother¡± who had always been perceived as innocent, sweet, harmless, and only focused on formation drawing¡­*

 Chapter 1053 - 1053 666 Leading Astray

    ?Chapter 1053: Chapter 666: Leading Astray Chapter 1053: Chapter 666: Leading Astray ¡°Have they¡­ Have they all been slaughtered?¡±


    Yi Li whispered.


    He was a Spiritual Cultivator, and when he had previously been pursued by assassins, he was compelled to confront a black-robed cultivator. In a single encounter, he was knocked down.


    Now that he had just awoken, with his head still a bit dizzy, he was somewhat unclear of the situation.


    Mo Hua nodded, ¡°They¡¯ve all been slaughtered!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Situ Jian hesitated, ¡°There were more of them than us, we couldn¡¯t possibly win, right¡­?¡±


    Previously, during the encounter, he had estimated roughly that there were more than twenty people on their side.


    Although some had died now, there were still at least ten remaining, and it was unknown whether they had other reinforcements.


    Moreover, among these ten or so black-robed individuals, there seemed to be a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    In numbers and cultivation, they were at a disadvantage¡­


    After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua said carefully, ¡°Facing them head-on is indeed a bit difficult, so we need to think of some methods, plan thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°Planning¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo and the other two nodded hesitantly.


    They didn¡¯t have much experience in such situations, and were still unclear on what exactly needed ¡°planning.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush it¡­¡± Mo Hua said calmly, ¡°The most pressing matter is to first locate these black-robed traffickers, ascertain their true strength, and then take action accordingly.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t possibly let them kidnap cultivators and then make a clean getaway¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others nodded in agreement.


    ¡°However¡­¡± Yang Qianjun sighed, ¡°We¡¯ve been on the run after being chased, and we have no idea where those black-robed individuals went¡­¡±


    Mo Hua asked, ¡°Where did you encounter these black-robed cultivators?¡±


    ¡°In a valley to the east¡­¡± Yang Qianjun replied.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go take a look first, search for any clues.¡± Mo Hua said.


    Yang Qianjun was slightly startled, then nodded,


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    At this point, that was all they could do.


    After resting briefly to heal their injuries and restore their Blood Qi and most of their Spiritual Power, the group stood up and set off.


    The party of six walked eastward along the mountain path, and after about half an hour, they reached a valley.


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, his brows slightly furrowed.


    There was not a single soul in the valley.


    The group searched inside.


    There were wheel tracks and faint footprints on the soil, broken stones, and shallow grass, as well as impressions from boxes placed on the ground.


    Apart from that, there were no other traces.


    It was as if a group of people had stopped here briefly before splitting into two.


    One group pursued Cheng Mo and his companions.


    The other group, with the kidnapped cultivators, had set out and left.


    Cheng Mo and the others exchanged glances and sighed.


    ¡°They¡¯ve left¡­¡±


    ¡°And we don¡¯t know where they went¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils were deep, and the patterns of cause and effect emerged in his eyes, threads of causality image imprinted in his view.


    After a moment, Mo Hua pointed towards a mountain path on the left, ¡°They went this way.¡±


    The others were startled. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cheng Mo asked, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I guessed it!¡±


    Mo Hua declared confidently.


    Then he casually added, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    With that, Mo Hua took the lead and headed off to the left.


    Hao Xuan immediately followed.


    Cheng Mo and the others exchanged glances, somewhat baffled, but instinctively, they still trailed behind Mo Hua.


    To the left was a mountain path, beyond the path was a forest, beyond the forest a valley, and beyond the valley a stream¡­


    There were no traces of wheels or cultivators passing by on this whole route.


    But Mo Hua walked on without turning his head back, his gaze focused, his steps firm.


    As if he had witnessed the movements of those black-robed cultivators himself.


    Cheng Mo found it very odd.


    But with no clues available and no one else knowing which direction to take, having someone lead was the only option, and he just had to follow.


    After walking for 30 minutes, Mo Hua¡¯s eyes brightened, and he suddenly stopped. Turning to Cheng Mo and the others, he gestured with his palms to keep low and whispered,


    ¡°Duck down.¡±


    Everyone obediently crouched, staying low to the ground, moved forward a few steps, and, using rocks and bushes for cover, they peered down.


    Below the hillside was a ruin.


    Within the ruins, walls had collapsed, there were disordered ores, iron molds caked in mud, and furnaces.


    It appeared to be an abandoned Refinery Shop.


    The Refinery Shop was fairly large, interiors obscured by broken walls and barriers, the entrance door dried and broken.


    On initial inspection, the entire Refinery Shop showed no signs of anything unusual, but on closer observation, one could notice two dark figures in the shadow of the doorway.


    They were two black-robed individuals standing guard.


    Cheng Mo was shocked, ¡°We found it!¡±


    He looked back at Mo Hua and exclaimed, ¡°You actually guessed right!¡±


    Mo Hua modestly replied, ¡°Lucky guess.¡±


    Cheng Mo nodded, still puzzled.


    Situ Jian and Yang Qianjun silently rolled their eyes at Cheng Mo.


    Mo Hua says he ¡°guessed¡± and you actually believe that?


    How could he have guessed everything correctly without a single trace along the way?


    However, since Mo Hua claimed it was a ¡°guess,¡± they tactfully did not inquire further.


    ¡°What do we do next?¡± Situ Jian asked, ¡°Do we try to blend in first, to understand the enemy¡¯s strength and weaknesses?¡±


    ¡°Sneak in using a Concealment Technique?¡±


    They knew that Mo Hua had mastered the Concealment Technique, and he also had a rare Concealment Spiritual Tool, Water Concealing Jade.


    ¡°No need.¡± Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°There are sixteen people inside, one in the Middle Stage of Foundation Building, the rest are all at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment.¡±


    The others were taken aback.


    Cheng Mo asked, ¡°How do you know?¡±


    Mo Hua casually replied, ¡°One sweep of the Divine Sense, and it¡¯s all clear¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo, puzzled, said, ¡°Why can¡¯t I tell?¡±


    Mo Hua explained, ¡°That¡¯s because I am a Formation Master, so my Divine Sense is a little stronger¡­¡±


    After speaking, Mo Hua took out a piece of paper, and drew a rough map of the entire abandoned Refinery Shop.

 Chapter 1054 - 1054 666 Led Astray _2

    ?Chapter 1054: Chapter 666: Led Astray _2 Chapter 1054: Chapter 666: Led Astray _2 At the same time, Mo Hua also used simple stick figures to mark the location of each black-clothed person.


    ¡°There are two at the entrance, they are keeping watch. Past the corridor, behind the stone column, there¡¯s another tall one¡­¡±


    Everyone had complex expressions on their faces.


    Your Divine Sense is so powerful, is it really just ¡°a little¡±¡­


    Mo Hua continued, ¡°In the innermost part, there is a hall, outside the hall there are three cultivators at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment patrolling, their auras are somewhat stronger.¡±


    ¡°In the hall, a mid-phase Foundation Establishment cultivator is in charge.¡±


    ¡°In the corner of the hall, there are boxes and bags, which likely contain the kidnapped cultivators¡­¡±


    Mo Hua explained the structure of the Refinery Shop and the arrangement of the black-clothed cultivators with crystal clarity.


    Cheng Mo picked up his axe, his eyes brimming with a fighting spirit.


    He hated these black-clothed cultivators for trafficking people, and for pursuing him. He immediately said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll charge in and take them down!¡±


    Mo Hua gave him a speechless look.


    Cheng Mo was taken aback, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to fight it out¡­¡±


    Mo Hua snorted disdainfully, ¡°Fight your big head ghost!¡±


    Mo Hua raised his index finger, lecturing him earnestly, ¡°For everything, preparedness ensures success, unpreparedness spells failure; we must be strategic in our actions.¡±


    ¡°Even if we are to battle, we need to use our brains, to have a method, not just mindlessly ¡®charge¡¯ forward¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo scratched his head, ¡°How do we strategize?¡±


    Mo Hua used the pen to draw a route on the paper:


    ¡°Be as covert as possible, leave no traces, and don¡¯t alarm anyone¡­¡±


    ¡°Start with the two black-clothed cultivators at the main entrance, kill them one by one.¡±


    ¡°Beyond the main door is the corridor, then the eaves¡­ Deal with each one in sequence, and finally, find a way to take down the mid-phase Foundation Establishment black-clothed leader.¡±


    ¡°This is the most secure method, it minimizes risk, and conserves Spiritual Power¡­¡±


    The others watched Mo Hua silently, their admiration growing.


    ¡°Shall we get started now?¡± Cheng Mo whispered.


    Mo Hua shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished yet¡­¡±


    Cheng Mo was startled, ¡°You¡¯re not done?¡±


    Mo Hua took out the Thousand Jun Stick and asked Hao Xuan, ¡°Do you know how to use a blackjack?¡±


    Hao Xuan shook his head honestly, ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you!¡± Mo Hua said patiently, ¡°You have good movement skills, light on your feet, suited for blackjack attacks¡­¡±


    ¡°This stick has the Thousand Jun Formation inscribed on it.¡±


    ¡°You need to approach quietly, activate the formation, and then take them by surprise¡­¡±


    ¡­


    After teaching him, Mo Hua asked Hao Xuan, ¡°Did you get all that?¡±


    Hao Xuan nodded blankly, ¡°I got it¡­¡±


    Mo Hua patted his shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the first time is always hard, you¡¯ll get used to it¡­¡±


    Hao Xuan was somewhat dazed.


    Mo Hua then addressed Situ Jian, ¡°Situ, apply some poison to your sword¡­¡±


    Situ Jian looked confused, ¡°I don¡¯t have any¡­¡± S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright, I brought some.¡±


    Mo Hua took out several small bottles from his Storage Bag, somewhat regretfully,


    ¡°Poisons are hard to come by, especially the potent ones. The Taoist Court regulates them, and the Sects don¡¯t allow refining. We¡¯ll have to make do with simpler ¡®paralyzing¡¯ poisons¡­¡±


    Mo Hua then said to Yang Qianjun,


    ¡°Brother Yang, you should also coat your spear with some poison¡­¡±


    Yang Qianjun nodded with mixed feelings.


    ¡°Yi Li, do you know how to use the Drowning Throat-Sealing Skill? When you kill, use Water Spiritual Power to seal the throat to prevent the victim from screaming out loud¡­¡±


    ¡°And Cheng Mo, take this root and bite on it, that way you won¡¯t yell when you¡¯re chopping down on someone¡­¡±


    ¡°Just aim for the forehead, one axe blow to kill, and that¡¯s it¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Finally, Cheng Mo couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, his eyelid twitching, he muttered lowly,


    ¡°Mo Hua¡­ have you¡­ ever been a bandit before? Regularly ¡®robbing and killing¡¯?¡±


    Mo Hua glared at him, seriously saying,


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! I am a good disciple of Taixu Gate, a law-abiding good cultivator!¡±


    Situ Jian and the others were clearly skeptical.


    Mo Hua, not wanting them to dwell on this, then said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others nodded.


    Dealing with these black-clothed people and rescuing the kidnapped cultivators was the top priority.


    If the means were ¡°dirty¡±, then so be it.


    They had no choice, it was all because Junior Brother had led them astray¡­


    ¡­


    In front of the abandoned Refinery Shop.


    The two gatekeeper black-clothed individuals were still hiding in the shadows.


    If one wasn¡¯t careful, approaching rashly would likely lead to being discovered and would alert these human traffickers.


    The six of Mo Hua¡¯s group approached stealthily.


    Taking advantage of the moment when the two black-clothed individuals had their backs turned, Hao Xuan made his move first.


    Wearing the Water Concealing Jade and using the Wind-System Movement Skill, he silently approached one of them from behind.


    Then, hoisting the Thousand Jun Stick, he struck, with a ¡°clang¡±, on the back of one of the black-clothed individual¡¯s heads.


    The black-clothed person staggered suddenly from the blow, seeing stars, his footing unsteady.


    Before he could react, Situ Jian propelled the poisoned Li Fire Sword and pierced through his heart meridian.


    The poison paralyzed his meridians, preventing him from moving for a short time.


    The other black-clothed individual, sensing the commotion, just turned around when Mo Hua locked him down with the Water Prison Technique.


    Yang Qianjun¡¯s long-prepared thrust shot through the air, piercing through his chest.


    The black-clothed individual opened his mouth trying to scream, but Yi Li quickly followed Mo Hua¡¯s earlier instructions, using the ¡°Drowning Throat-Sealing Skill¡± with Water Spiritual Power to seal the black-clothed person¡¯s throat, silencing his cries.


    Although the technique was obscure, Yi Li came from the Yi family, a family with a background in Spell arts, and even though he wasn¡¯t adept at it, he could still make use of it.


    Then everyone else followed up with their own finishing moves, either with blades or spells.

 Chapter 1055 - 1055 666 Leading Astray_3

    ?Chapter 1055: Chapter 666: Leading Astray_3 Chapter 1055: Chapter 666: Leading Astray_3 The two black-clad gatekeepers had been effortlessly and silently taken down.


    The process was quite easy.


    Cheng Mo and the others were somewhat stunned.


    Mo Hua nodded slightly, ¡°Continue¡­¡±


    Next was a large man in black in the corridor.


    This large man was heavily built and full of Blood Qi, clearly a Body Refinement cultivator. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua handed the ¡°Water Concealing Jade¡± to Cheng Mo.


    Cheng Mo remembered Mo Hua¡¯s instructions, clenched a tree branch in his mouth¡ªit was awkward, but he still stealthily walked towards the big man.


    However, Cheng Mo¡¯s Divine Sense was not strong and he lacked experience in concealment; within four steps of the big man, he was detected.


    The large man in black glared furiously.


    ¡°Who¡­¡±


    Mo Hua immediately said, ¡°Yi Li!¡±


    Yi Li, quick to react, used the ¡°Drowning Throat-Sealing Skill¡± to block the big man¡¯s throat, sealing the rest of his words in his mouth.


    At the same time, Mo Hua quickly immobilized the big man¡¯s form with the Water Prison Technique.


    Cheng Mo also immediately made his move, his Blood Qi swirling around him, raising his twin axes that had a layer of mountain-splitting force condensed on them.


    Out of habit, Cheng Mo wanted to shout loudly.


    But since he was biting on a tree branch, he couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    Feeling like a spirited horse fitted with a bridle, Cheng Mo, filled with frustration, channeled all his strength into his axes and forcefully chopped down.


    The axes came down, bringing with them the force of mountain-splitting, deeply cutting into the back of the large man in black, carving out two deep bloody marks and even exposing his ribs.


    Subsequently, Situ Jian used Sword Control, Yang Qianjun followed up with a spear.


    Together, they completely subdued the Body Refinement cultivator in black.


    Mo Hua sneakily added a Fireball Technique to ensure peace of mind.


    Sixteen black-clad traffickers were now down by three.


    At that moment, Hao Xuan seemed to think of something and asked Mo Hua,


    ¡°Should we keep a alive to check their identities?¡±


    Mo Hua pondered for a moment and slightly shook his head, ¡°No need¡­¡±


    ¡°Now that the enemy outnumbers us, our movements must be ruthless, we cannot afford to keep prisoners, as it may lead to complications.¡±


    ¡°When we have an absolute advantage, then we can consider keeping prisoners.¡±


    Situ Jian and the others nodded in agreement.


    Afterwards, the group duplicated the tactic, using the terrain of the abandoned Refinery Shop for cover, cooperating with each other to take down the black-clad Cultivators one by one.


    Before realizing it, out of the sixteen black-clad Cultivators, only four remained.


    These four were near the final hall.


    Outside the hall were three at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage, and inside the hall, one was at the Foundation Building Middle Stage; the other abducted Cultivators were also inside the hall.


    Mo Hua initially wanted to set up a Formation and dispatch all four simultaneously.


    But with abducted ¡°hostages¡± inside, such brusqueness wasn¡¯t viable.


    After resting for a while, taking some Pills, and sitting in meditation to restore some Spiritual Power, they began the final ¡°hard fight.¡±


    Kill the four men in black and rescue the abducted Cultivators.


    Six versus four, their side had the numerical advantage.


    But the other side had one at the Foundation Building Middle Stage.


    And this Foundation Building Middle Stage individual was an unknown factor; it was unclear what techniques he possessed.


    Even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses all its force.


    Mo Hua originally intended to play it safe, eliminate the three outside first, then all six would handle the Foundation Building Middle Stage leader inside.


    But inside were ¡°hostages.¡±


    If a fight broke out, and these black-clad Cultivators became desperate and started ¡°tearing the ticket,¡± that would be bad.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sneak in and have a look¡­¡±


    Mo Hua whispered.


    He planned to sneak in and with a ¡°Mini Meteorite Skill,¡± dispatch the Foundation Building Middle Stage leader.


    This was a simple and efficient plan to completely resolve the situation.


    Meanwhile, the other five were also assigned their roles, to tackle the other three at the Foundation Establishment Initial Stage.


    Kill two first, then focus on the last one.


    This way, even if they failed to take down the leader inside, they would have cleared the area outside.


    Situ Jian expressed his concern, ¡°Mo Hua, isn¡¯t it too dangerous for you to go in alone?¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± Mo Hua said casually, ¡°My Concealment Technique is good, just going in to take a look.¡±


    Then, after thinking for a moment, Mo Hua instructed, ¡°After I go in, if there¡¯s no movement inside, don¡¯t act yet¡­¡±


    ¡°But at the slightest sign of activity, you must strike immediately and take down the three outside.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others nodded.


    Having agreed on the plan, Mo Hua gradually became invisible in front of everyone, without leaving a trace.


    Whether it was flesh, Spiritual Power, or Divine Thought Aura, all disappeared.


    Everyone was shocked.


    ¡°There¡¯s truly¡­ no trace at all¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of Concealment Technique is this?¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others looked at each other, somewhat in disbelief.


    On the other side, Mo Hua, concealed, bypassed the three patrolling black-clad men outside the hall and stealthily entered the hall.


    The hall inside was drafty and dilapidated.


    In the corner, indeed, there were several bags and boxes where the abducted Cultivators were hidden.


    And the black-clad leader was in the center of the hall.


    Mo Hua squinted and frowned.


    This black-clad leader was acting very strangely.


    He knelt on the ground, seemingly in devout worship, mumbling something, but his words were unclear and he rambled incoherently, incomprehensible.


    ¡°No matter¡­ Let¡¯s dispatch him first¡­¡±


    Mo Hua gently stepped forward, slowly approaching behind the black-clad leader.


    Just then, a blood-colored phantom suddenly appeared on the leader.


    This phantom was between reality and illusion, blood-colored, with a long neck and horns on its head, and a fierce appearance.


    It looked like¡­ an Evil Thoughts Demon Monster.


    After the phantom appeared, it turned its head, its blood-red eyes staring fixedly at Mo Hua, who was hidden.


    Mo Hua¡¯s pupils constricted.


    At the same time, the kneeling, worshipping black-clad leader shuddered violently, and suddenly turned around, looking in Mo Hua¡¯s direction in the Void, and exclaimed fiercely:


    ¡°Who?!¡±

 Chapter 1056 - 1056 667 Sent Over

    ?Chapter 1056: Chapter 667 Sent Over Chapter 1056: Chapter 667 Sent Over Mo Hua¡¯s expression shook, and he immediately turned into a streak of water light, quickly retreating.


    Simultaneously, the black-clothed leader¡¯s eyes chilled, he drew his Spirit Sword, and struck out a sword light toward the Mo Hua covered by a water shadow.


    Mo Hua accelerated his escape technique and retreated another step.


    The sword light was a step too slow, striking in front of Mo Hua and shattering the bricks and stones on the ground.


    The fluctuation of spiritual power inside the hall drew the attention of Cheng Mo and others outside.


    They remembered Mo Hua¡¯s instruction,


    ¡°As soon as there is any movement, act immediately.¡±


    Hao Xuan used the Wind-System Movement Skill, moving as fast as the wind, and immediately reached behind a black-clothed man in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, raised the Thousand Jun Stick, and smashed it down fiercely.


    Caught off guard, the black-clothed man suffered a heavy blow to the head, blood gushed out, and he felt dizzy and swollen.


    Cheng Mo, with a twig in his mouth, silent as ever, pounced like a fierce tiger, raising two large axes, and cleaved directly onto the black-clothed man¡¯s forehead.


    This black-clothed man died instantly.


    Another black-clothed man nearby, sensing the commotion and wanting to help, was instead struck in the shoulder by a spear thrust like a dragon from Yang Qianjun, who had been lying in ambush.


    Situ Jian controlled the Li Fire Sword and pierced through his lower abdomen.


    Then, the two of them continued their assault together.


    The black-clothed man was still struggling, but after three exchanges, he was jointly killed by Yang Qianjun and Situ Jian.


    Now, outside the hall, only one last black-clothed man remained.


    He was farther away, and when he sensed the fluctuation of spiritual power and rushed over, the other two black-clothed accomplices had already died.


    The color drained from this black-clothed man¡¯s face, and he turned to run.


    Yi Li gathered his energy for a moment and raised his hand to form an Earth Prison Skill, trapping him.


    Cheng Mo and the other three immediately pounced to attack and, with axes, swords, spears, and sticks launched simultaneously, they took care of the last black-clothed man.


    When Mo Hua emerged from the hall, the outside was completely cleared.


    This group of black-clothed human traffickers, except for the middle-stage Foundation Building leader, had been completely wiped out.


    Simultaneously, the black-clothed leader also came out.


    As soon as he stepped out of the door, he saw his last black-clothed brother dying under the siege of Cheng Mo and the others.


    Turning his head, he saw bodies lying haphazardly in various places, well-hidden and not easily noticed.


    His Divine Sense swept over, and the vast abandoned Artifact Refining shop was sparsely breathed, permeated with an eerie silence.


    The black-clothed leader was visibly shaken, disbelieving.


    So many of his men, so many of his brothers, just died unnoticed¡­ all of them?!


    A surge of anger rose in his chest, and he glared at Cheng Mo and the others, shouting fiercely,


    ¡°You bunch of runts! Who sent you here?¡±


    He refused to believe that just these few Sect Disciples in the early stage of Foundation Establishment had managed to wipe out his ten-plus brothers.


    In that instant, he recalled the invisible Cultivator who had spied on him inside the hall earlier.


    Concealment Technique?


    The black-clothed leader frowned.


    He looked around but saw no sign of that hidden cultivator.


    It seemed that person, having been exposed, had used the Water System Body Skill to escape and then applied the Concealment Technique to hide their presence.


    The black-clothed leader¡¯s eyes darkened. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In his brief glance earlier, he saw only a splash of water light and didn¡¯t see the true form of the hidden individual.


    But someone who could learn and skillfully use the Concealment Technique must be a cunning and seasoned cultivator.


    Not a hundred years old, at least two hundred.


    ¡°A crafty cultivator showing only the tip of the iceberg, and five young beasts just entered the Sect, killed more than ten of my brothers¡­¡±


    The black-clothed leader drew a standard-issue Spirit Sword, his aura rising around him, his voice icy cold.


    ¡°I want you all buried with them!¡±


    The black-clothed leader, with a middle-phase Foundation Building cultivation, possessed a profound and imposing aura.


    Cheng Mo and his four companions had serious expressions, but being proud talents of heaven, they were unwilling to admit defeat.


    Cheng Mo spat out the twig Mo Hua had instructed him to keep in his mouth and shouted, ¡°You beast, die!¡± and then charged forward, swinging his axe to strike.


    The other four attacked together.


    Yang Qianjun wielded his spear fiercely, attacking head-on with Cheng Mo.


    Situ Jian supported with the Li Fire Sword.


    Yi Li and Hao Xuan coordinated from the outside.


    The five encircled him, cooperating reasonably well with each other, involving close combat, ranged attacks, body cultivation, and spiritual cultivation.


    Axes, swords, and long spears crisscrossed.


    Spells flew around.


    For a moment, the black-clothed leader was actually suppressed.


    His expression remained cold, but he was inwardly shocked.


    ¡°These kids have some skills and are quite ruthless¡­¡±


    ¡°It might be troublesome to kill them.¡±


    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s a cunning, experienced Invisible Cultivator watching, who hasn¡¯t made a move yet¡­¡±


    The black-clothed leader pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly turned cold, he parried Cheng Mo¡¯s huge axe with a sword, pushed back Yang Qianjun with a palm, and turned to walk into the hall.


    His eyes harbored murderous intent.


    Situ Jian realized immediately, exclaiming,


    ¡°He¡¯s going to kill those Cultivators who were kidnapped to silence them!¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others also changed their expressions drastically and attempted to stop the black-clothed leader, but they were a step too slow.


    The black-clothed leader sneered, casting a contemptuous glance at everyone.


    His cultivation was higher, and his movement technique was faster, allowing him to step into the hall first.


    But as soon as his foot touched the ground, the floor lit up, Formation Patterns activated, and a crimson fire outlined a complex Formation Diagram.


    The black-clothed leader¡¯s eyes suddenly widened in alarm.


    ¡°Formation¡­ Formation?!¡±


    Seeing the dazzling red light, with spiritual power circulating within the Formation,


    In the nick of time, the black-clothed leader quickly withdrew his foot, activated a protective Rune, and turned his back to the Formation.


    Then, the fire erupted, and a loud rumbling sound ensued.

 Chapter 1057 - 1057 667 Delivered_2

    ?Chapter 1057: Chapter 667 Delivered_2 Chapter 1057: Chapter 667 Delivered_2 A surge of intense Fire Spiritual Power burst out in an instant, the fluctuations shaking the surroundings.


    The leader in black was directly hurled back several meters, half-kneeling on the ground, dragging a trail of blood across the floor.


    The Runes protecting him were shattered, his meridians scorched by the Fire Spiritual Power, leaving large burns.


    Cheng Mo and the others were greatly alarmed.


    The leader in black spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    How could there be a Formation?


    He had just passed the entrance of the hall not long ago¡­


    Who could have set up such a powerful Formation in such a short time without him noticing?


    And how did they know that he would definitely return to eliminate the witnesses?


    Was it¡­


    That Hidden cultivator?


    The pressure in the leader¡¯s heart suddenly mounted, and his complexion turned somewhat pale.


    Cheng Mo and the other four, seeing the explosion of the Formation, were somewhat dazed, but soon their spirits lifted when they saw the leader in black injured by it.


    Without another word, Cheng Mo, wielding two axes, charged towards the leader in black.


    Yang Qianjun and Situ Jian followed closely behind.


    The leader in black spat out, cursing inwardly.


    ¡°Dammit, I was careless, fell right into their trap¡­¡±


    He parried with his long sword against Cheng Mo¡¯s huge axe, glanced back at the hall, and saw the entrance blocked by fallen rocks due to the Formation¡¯s explosion, making it impossible to enter for the time being, which irritated him.


    ¡°Can¡¯t eliminate the witnesses now¡­¡±


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    With a cold laugh, the leader in black declared, ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to kill you all!¡±


    As he spoke, his eyes suddenly turned murky and dark.


    A filthy, black Demonic Qi emerged from nowhere, enveloping his entire body and then attaching to the standard-issue Spirit Sword in his hand.


    The leader in black¡¯s entire demeanor became ghastly and terrifying, heavy with Demonic Qi.


    ¡°Has he become demon-possessed?¡±


    Cheng Mo and the others¡¯ expressions changed.


    Mo Hua, who had been hiding and plotting in secret, also frowned slightly, finding it very strange.


    True is true, demon is demon.


    The essence of Spiritual Power and Demonic Qi are fundamentally different.


    The other men in black had merely taken Evil Pills or their flesh was corrupted by Demonic Aura upon death, which gave them a hint of demonic presence.


    But this leader in black was different.


    When he initially attacked, the Spiritual Power in his body was pure, with not a trace of the Demon Path.


    But now, how could his Spiritual Power suddenly turn demonic?


    ¡°Something¡¯s eerie¡­¡±


    ¡°And that blood-red Demon Monster shadow on him earlier, what was it?¡±


    ¡°It could see through my Concealment Technique?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze slightly sharpened.


    Meanwhile, after becoming demonized, the leader in black had begun fighting fiercely with Cheng Mo and the others.


    His Spiritual Power had become tainted yet stronger.


    The Demonic Qi winding around the Spirit Sword was like virulent poison, carrying a black corruptive force.


    The pressure on Cheng Mo and his group suddenly increased.


    Direct confrontation became exceedingly difficult, each collision with the Demonic Qi-entwined Spirit Sword causing Cheng Mo and Yang Qianjun¡¯s Blood Qi to churn violently.


    Once injured by the leader¡¯s Sword Qi, the Demonic Qi would enter their bodies, gradually eroding their meridians and contaminating their Blood Qi.


    Thus, they had to be extremely cautious during the fight. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luckily, the leader had previously been injured by Mo Hua¡¯s Formation, which weakened him; otherwise, the situation would have been much more dire.


    Mo Hua observed quietly for a long time, shaking his head silently and sighing.


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to fight now¡­¡±


    In the midst of the chaotic battle, with friends and foes intermingled, it was not easy to set up another Formation.


    Otherwise, it could accidentally harm his allies, causing Cheng Mo and Situ Jian to be caught in the explosion too.


    Moreover, the leader in black, having been duped and injured by a Formation already, had become cautious; using another Formation to trap him again wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Mo Hua silently considered:


    Five Elements Source Formation¡­


    Cheng Mo and Yang Qianjun practiced Body Cultivation; exchanging blows with the leader, their movements fluid and never stationary.


    It¡¯s pointless to count on Hao Xuan, who would be lucky just to escape.


    Yi Li and Situ Jian could be tried, but Cheng Mo might not be able to keep the leader occupied.


    Should Yi Li and Situ Jian get attacked abruptly by the leader while boosted by the Five Elements and gathering energy, they would be severely injured, if not killed.


    As for using Spells¡­


    The Water Prison Technique could restrain but only for a moment; it wouldn¡¯t solve much.


    Cheng Mo and the others were limited in their Cultivation and couldn¡¯t bring a swift resolve to the fight.


    The Meteor Fire Forbidden Art¡­ required close proximity to use.


    Approaching under such circumstances was far too dangerous.


    Mo Hua was hesitant to take this risk.


    Moreover, what complicated matters further was that Mo Hua couldn¡¯t afford to prolong this¡­


    Although Cheng Mo and the others were talented and decently inherited, they were merely novices, lacking experience and only at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment.


    If the leader were to use some last-resort move and suddenly lash out, Cheng Mo and his group might all be in mortal peril.


    Even just wearing them down was risky under the threatening Demonic Qi; Cheng Mo and his friends couldn¡¯t hold out for long.


    Continuing like this, a mistake was inevitable.


    Once a mistake was made, they would either be severely injured or killed.


    Mo Hua sighed, reflecting to himself:


    ¡°In battles of magic and combat, one ideally needs a ¡®front line¡¯ to blend in effectively¡­¡±


    In previous missions, Senior Brother Feng and Shangguan Senior Brother were always at the forefront, bearing the brunt of the pressure.


    And Senior Sister Murong and Qianqian Senior Sister, with their strong Cultivation and aggressive techniques, played crucial roles.


    In evenly matched battles, a slight edge from a control Spell could change the flow and secure victory.


    The same was true during engagements with Fire Buddha.


    With Uncle Gu, a Golden Core Cultivator, at the front, taking on the full brunt of Fire Buddha¡¯s Meteor Fire Forbidden Art¡¯s power.

 Chapter 1058 - 1058 667 Delivered_3

    ?Chapter 1058: Chapter 667: Delivered_3 Chapter 1058: Chapter 667: Delivered_3 He could just act covertly through the Formation.


    It could be said that the ¡°output¡± was all done by his senior brothers and sisters, and Uncle Gu.


    He would either control or deceive people, and only at the last moment when he couldn¡¯t help it, would he swoop in to ¡°claim a head.¡±


    But now that wouldn¡¯t work.


    Cheng Mo and the others couldn¡¯t hold on any longer.


    They were young, had little Cultivation, and lacked experience. They couldn¡¯t bear the risks of this life-and-death battle.


    ¡°Continuing this way is not a solution, should we retreat first and then make a long-term plan?¡±


    ¡°Or should we drive away this black-clothed leader and first rescue the abducted Cultivators?¡±


    Mo Hua frowned, deep in thought.


    Suddenly, he started, and looked around.


    ¡°Is someone there?¡±


    Mo Hua released his Divine Sense, and his eyes lit up.


    ¡°People from the Taoist Court!¡±


    Moreover, several auras were very familiar, seemingly from the Gu Family.


    ¡°They are our own people!¡±


    Mo Hua cheered up.


    It seemed that the message he had sent earlier had reached Uncle Gu, and he had sent people.


    With the help of the Taoist Court, this black-clothed leader, even if he had gone through Demonization, was likely trapped without escape.


    A few breaths later, the face of the black-clothed leader changed.


    He also sensed that someone was approaching.


    And these people clearly did not belong to his Sect, their aura archaic and rigid, exuding the ¡°scent¡± of the Taoist Court¡¯s Hawk Dogs.


    ¡°There are reinforcements¡­¡±


    The black-clothed leader¡¯s gaze darkened, and his expression slightly angered.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that what was supposed to be a routine transaction of buying and selling ¡°livestock¡± would be so smoothly disrupted time and again.


    First, it was accidentally exposed, and the people sent to kill and silence did not return.


    Now, his own group of brothers had all died in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Damn, a bunch of useless trash!¡±


    The black-clothed leader cursed.


    But anger was of no use.


    Now, encountering these few youngsters and the lackeys from the Taoist Court, he had no time to escape.


    Once surrounded, even if he broke the Seal and entered the Demon Path, honing his strength, battling so many Cultivators would likely lead him to more danger than fortune, making escape impossible.


    He who hesitates is lost.


    His brothers were dead, but he needed to survive.


    But before leaving¡­


    The black-clothed leader¡¯s eyes slightly widened, turning blood-red.


    He would slaughter these few obstructive youngsters first!


    ¡°Just a few newly-entered Sect youngsters, thinking by joining hands, they could contend against me?¡±


    The black-clothed leader sneered.


    Demonic Qi suddenly surged around his body.


    At the same time, his forehead split open, flesh turned inside out, revealing a sinister, monstrous eye.


    This eye was cold, murky, yet ferocious and mad, as if filled with a chilling, stubborn evil desire.


    A bloody Demon Monster illusion emerged over his body.


    A blood-colored Evil God¡¯s Thoughts instantly spread all around.


    Cheng Mo and Yang Qianjun¡¯s group, in an instant, were enveloped by the blood-colored Evil Thoughts; their Divine Senses became muddled, their expressions pained, and their hearts developed an impulse to submit to worldly evil desires and convert to the Divine Lord, rendering them unable to move their limbs freely.


    The black-clothed leader raised the Sword Weapon wrapped in Demonic Qi, about to behead Cheng Mo and the others, but suddenly paused and turned his head to the side.


    Mo Hua on the side, also enveloped in blood color, revealed his hidden form.


    However, unlike Cheng Mo and the others, Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought seemed unaffected.


    His bright, crystal-clear eyes met the gaze of the black-clothed leader.


    The black-clothed leader¡¯s pupils contracted, followed immediately by an expression of shock.


    That hidden, sinister assassinating Cultivator was such a young kid?!


    And¡­


    Under the supreme authority of the Divine Lord, why was this kid showing no reaction at all?!


    The black-clothed leader¡¯s heart trembled.


    The third eye on his forehead suddenly grew angry, twisted, and bloodshot.


    The blood-colored Evil Thoughts around intensified, enveloping Mo Hua.


    Yet Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Thought, despite the invading blood color, remained unchanged, impervious to all evils.


    The black-clothed leader couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Mo Hua started, his expression equally shocked.


    In the moment when the blood color intensified, he felt an attraction coming from the ¡°Divine Soul.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seemingly instant, he found himself sitting on that solemn altar.


    Ancient aura surrounding his body, countless Demon Monsters bowed down, all the creatures of heaven and earth worshipping.


    Amidst this, it seemed as though someone was telling him:


    Your sacrifice¡­


    has arrived!

 Chapter 1059 - 1059 668 Counterkill

    ?Chapter 1059: Chapter 668: Counterkill Chapter 1059: Chapter 668: Counterkill Mo Hua looked puzzled.


    ¡°Sacrifice?¡±


    ¡°What sacrifice?¡±


    ¡°Who is the sacrifice?¡±


    Mo Hua lifted his eyelids and looked forward.


    Was the ¡°sacrifice¡± referring to this black-clothed leader, or was it referring to¡­ the third, wicked eye on his forehead?


    As Mo Hua¡¯s gaze shifted to that wicked eye, it trembled violently, rolling ceaselessly, and at the same time, a voice like that of Divine Thought, piercingly sharp, rang out:


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    Mo Hua was taken aback.


    The black-clothed leader also showed a look of terror.


    Ever since the Divine Lord¡¯s Eye took residence within him, he had never encountered such an urgent and irascible, nearly uncontrollable situation.


    Why would such a modestly hidden cultivator make the ¡°Divine Eye¡± so nervous, even revealing a trace of¡­


    Dread?


    The command of the Divine Lord cannot be defied.


    The black-clothed leader raised his sword but he did not target Mo Hua first. Instead, he planned to kill Cheng Mo and the other four people, who were covered by the blood eyes, unstable in their Taoist Heart, and unable to resist.


    They had seen the Divine Lord¡¯s Eye; they must die.


    They had killed more than ten of his brothers; they also must die.


    Killing intent surged within the black-clothed leader.


    Mo Hua immediately perceived it, his gaze becoming grave, and he started forming hand seals, intending to use the Water Prison Technique to block him.


    But before either could move, the wicked eye trembled violently again. It was bloodshot, staring intently at Mo Hua, as the voice of the Divine Thought became even more hoarse and sharp:


    ¡°Forget the other livestock!¡±


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    ¡°Kill him!!!¡±


    Even blood seeped from above the wicked eye.


    The black-clothed leader¡¯s face twisted in agony as the flesh and blood on his forehead quivered.


    He hesitated no longer and pointed his spirit sword enveloped in Demonic Qi towards Mo Hua while grating his teeth:


    ¡°By Divine Lord¡¯s command, I shall kill this brat right now!¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s expression was not one of fear, but one of slight astonishment.


    After a moment, his eyes lit up, revealing a hint of realization.


    ¡°Divine Lord¡­¡±


    ¡°At last, I¡¯ve caught your tail¡­¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile, then his expression turned serious and he said arrogantly:


    ¡°Want to kill me? With your power?¡±


    The black-clothed leader frowned.


    Mo Hua¡¯s gaze turned cold, with two fingers joined like a sword, a fierce and unruly aura began to rise from him.


    ¡°You mere Demon Path rabble, I¡¯ll let you witness the power of my fire spells!¡±


    The black-clothed leader was intimidated by Mo Hua¡¯s aura, and his heart sank.


    Appearances can be deceiving.


    This youngster, young as he was, held such astonishing aura; he must have some powerful methods at his disposal.


    And¡­


    The fact that the Divine Lord¡¯s Eye was so wary surely indicated something was amiss.


    One should not underestimate him because of his youth.


    The black-clothed leader gripped the spirit sword firmly, stirred the Demonic Qi, and went on full alert. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mo Hua looked arrogant, his fingers suddenly thrust forward and a hint of killing intent appeared in his eyes.


    ¡°Meteor Fire Forbidden Art!¡±


    Forbidden Art?!


    The black-clothed leader, upon hearing the words, was greatly shaken and immediately rallied all the Demonic Qi to protect himself.


    But moments later, there was no sign of an onslaught from a powerful spell.


    Looking down, the black-clothed leader saw a light blue water glow on his body, and water-shaped lock chains bound him tightly in place.


    It was not some Fire Forbidden Skill at all but a Water System Binding Skill!


    He looked up again to see the youngster already dashing away into the distance, leaving him with a view of a slippery little figure¡­


    The black-clothed leader stood still for a moment, a fury rose in his heart, trembling all over.


    ¡°This damned¡­ little bastard!¡±


    The Divine Lord¡¯s Eye was before him, in such a grave moment, and he was¡­ making a fool out of him?!


    It was just¡­ despicable and utterly shameless!!


    ¡°I will tear you to pieces!¡±


    The black-clothed leader¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, he muttered through clenched teeth.


    With a swing of his sword, Demonic Qi surged, shattering all the Water Prison chains binding him, and he set off to chase after Mo Hua.


    As he took a step, he turned to see Cheng Mo and the others.


    He thought to kill them quickly first.


    But along the way, Mo Hua, surrounded by a water glow, sped up his movement techniques even further.


    If he did not pursue now and delayed any longer, the youngster could have escaped to who knows where¡­


    The black-clothed leader cursed, wrapped in Demonic Qi that transformed into a streak of black light, leaping in pursuit towards Mo Hua.


    He feared Mo Hua might escape.


    He also feared Mo Hua might rendezvous with the Hawk Dogs of the Taoist Court.


    If so, he would fail to kill Mo Hua thus, contradicting the Divine Lord¡¯s command and facing a terrible ¡°Divine Punishment.¡±


    The black-clothed leader felt fear in his heart and couldn¡¯t help but tremble.


    So, the youngster must die!


    ¡­


    Deep in the mountain forest at night.


    Two figures, one in front of the other, one fleeing, the other pursuing.


    The black-clothed leader chased for a while and breathed a slight sigh of relief.


    This youngster was running in the opposite direction from where the Taoist Court cultivators were¡­


    He guessed that the youngster¡¯s Divine Sense was weak, his range of perception limited, hence he couldn¡¯t detect the distant reinforcements and was running around in panic in the mountains¡­


    This gave him an opportunity.


    Without the Taoist Court¡¯s dogs in the way, everything was easy.


    Once he caught up, he could kill him!


    Just a Foundation Establishment Early Stage youngster, with weak Blood Qi and Spiritual Power, who only knew some disgusting spells and liked to hide in the shadows to ambush¡­


    Now that he had opened the ¡°Divine Eye¡± and received the Divine Lord¡¯s blessing, he could see through his stealth.


    He would be without a place to hide.


    Besides some disgusting spells and insidious methods as long as one was cautious, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°This youngster can¡¯t escape even if he had wings!¡±


    The black-clothed leader sneered coldly, speeding up his movement techniques, chasing after Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s figure seemed frantic, as if fearing that he would be caught, running recklessly forward, even appearing somewhat ¡°panic-stricken.¡±

 Chapter 1060 - 1060 668 Counterkill_2

    ?Chapter 1060: Chapter 668: Counterkill_2 Chapter 1060: Chapter 668: Counterkill_2 His escape route was quite odd, and the further he fled, the more erratic it became.


    Initially following some clear mountain paths, he soon found himself pursued too closely to care, navigating through rugged trails, desolate valleys, and silent forests.


    In the eyes of the black-clad leader, this was akin to a death wish.


    The chase continued¡­


    The night was as thick as ink, the moon as cold as frost.


    After an indeterminate time fleeing, Mo Hua was finally caught up with in a mountain valley, enclosed on three sides and overgrown with deadwood.


    The black-clad leader flicked his Spirit Sword, sending a slash wrapped in Demonic Qi hurtling toward Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua¡¯s figure flashed with a Water Shadow, narrowly evading the attack, but he landed gasping for breath, appearing quite disheveled.


    The black-clad leader sneered, ¡°Keep running, why don¡¯t you?¡±


    Mo Hua¡¯s face was pale, ¡°Why do you want to kill me?¡±


    The black-clad leader inched closer to Mo Hua, a contemptuous smile on his face, ¡°The Divine Lord wants you dead; you have no choice but to die!¡±


    Mo Hua kept retreating step by step, asking fearfully,


    ¡°Is the kidnapping of Cultivators also by the ¡®Divine Lord¡¯s¡¯ command?¡±


    The black-clad leader was about to say something but ultimately held his tongue, instead, he just snorted coldly:


    ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of that knowledge.¡±


    He advanced with large strides.


    Mo Hua kept retreating, saying nervously, ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer¡­¡±


    The Divine Sense of the black-clad leader was icy, his sword deeply imbued with Demonic Qi. He focused completely, watching Mo Hua¡¯s movements and blocking Mo Hua¡¯s routes of escape, step by step, closing in on him.


    Mo Hua¡¯s eyes were like those of a terrified deer, his expression pitiful to behold.


    But this did not sway the black-clad leader¡¯s cold intent to kill.


    Seeing that he was cornered with no escape, Mo Hua gritted his teeth, ¡°Come any closer, and I¡­¡±


    The black-clad leader had already raised his sword, a smirk on his lips, ¡°What about it if I do?¡±


    The look of terror on Mo Hua¡¯s face vanished; his eyes became clear and deep, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.


    ¡°If you come any closer, I will kill you.¡±


    The black-clad leader was taken aback, followed by a sudden widening of his eyes.


    In the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a flicker of flame at his feet.


    The familiar aura, the familiar Formation.


    This time, the black-clad leader wanted to evade, but he found that the ground had been laid with a vast array of Formation Patterns much earlier with no chance of evasion.


    The Formation was triggered.


    Lines of Formation Patterns glowed bright red, interconnecting, and forming several Fire Formations.


    Before the black-clad leader could ponder further, the Formation had just been completed and instantly exploded.


    Firelight burst forth, flames soaring high. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Accompanying the successive thunderous booms, the black-clad leader was completely engulfed by the flames.


    The fire¡¯s Spiritual Power, born from the Formation¡¯s explosion, rampaged through the valley.


    But the flames, coming anywhere near Mo Hua, would instantly veer away, seemingly reluctant to offend the ¡°master¡± of the Formation.


    Mo Hua stood to the side, his pupils flickering with firelight, quietly watching the black-clad leader be consumed by the flames.


    After a dozen or so moments, the fire subsided.


    The smoke cleared, revealing the figure of the black-clad leader.


    His body was riddled with injuries from the fire explosion, covered in scorch marks, and his masked scarf had been burnt away to reveal the face hidden beneath.


    His was a fairly young countenance.


    Although scarred by fire, the vague outlines were still discernible.


    Mo Hua did not recognize him, thus finding the face somewhat foreign.


    The black-clad leader instinctively tried to cover his face with his hand, but realizing that Mo Hua had seen him for so long, he gave up on trying to conceal it.


    With his true face exposed, the black-clad leader paradoxically calmed down.


    He looked at Mo Hua coldly, ¡°This time, you¡¯re truly doomed.¡±


    Mo Hua sighed, ¡°You¡¯ve said that too many times; my ears have calluses from it.¡±


    After speaking, Mo Hua continued with a hint of regret, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about my death, but you almost died just a moment ago.¡±


    The black-clad leader¡¯s face flushed with rage, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    This kid, too arrogant!


    Yet, at the same time, he was internally trembling and utterly perplexed.


    The black-clad leader looked at Mo Hua with a stern gaze, ¡°When exactly did you set up the Formation? Why did I neither see any Formation Flags nor any Array Plates?¡±


    Mo Hua replied with a beaming smile, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡±


    The black-clad leader could not stand that simultaneously adorable yet annoying expression and surged with Demonic Qi, brandishing his sword and charging at Mo Hua.


    At the same time, a more intense Demonic Qi surged from his heart meridian.


    This Demonic Qi, merging with his flesh, mended his wounds, and replaced the Spiritual Power circulating through his meridians.


    As the black-clad leader raised his sword, his moves were somewhat awkward due to his severe injuries.


    But after the uprising of Demonic Qi, his aura violently swelled, his speed increased, and the power of his Sword Moves grew stronger, the Demonic Qi coiling around the sword blade became more intense.


    He was fighting desperately.


    Using his primal Demonic Qi, sparing no expense to slay this impudent youth!


    The Sword Qi was piercing, the Demonic Qi rampant, seeking to bury Mo Hua in death.


    But whenever Sword Qi infused with Demonic Qi threatened to strike Mo Hua, he would always dodge by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    The black-clad leader was fast, Mo Hua was faster.


    It was like a sword cleaving through water.


    Mo Hua became one with the water, always slipping away from the sword blade.


    The black-clad leader was visibly shaken.


    ¡°The Water Passing Step of the Zhang Family?!¡±


    He considered for a moment then shook his head, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t quite seem like it¡­ The Water Passing Step isn¡¯t this delicate and bizarre¡­¡±


    The black-clad leader furrowed his brows.


    Just then, a flash of firelight sparked beneath his feet.


    The black-clad leader, like a frightened bird, leaped away.


    Subsequently, the Formation Patterns linked to form the Formation, exploding in an instant. Despite the speed with which it took shape, it was still too conspicuous.


    Having been bombed twice already, the black-clad leader was on guard and managed to dodge.


    The Formation did not hit him.

 Chapter 1061 - 1061 668 Counter-Kill_3

    ?Chapter 1061: Chapter 668 Counter-Kill_3 Chapter 1061: Chapter 668 Counter-Kill_3 Despite that, the black-clad leader¡¯s gaze was still one of horror.


    This time, he clearly saw that without the Formation Flags, without the Array Plate, and even without the Formation media, Spiritual Ink spontaneously writhed on the ground. Following the structure of the Formation Pivot, it formed the Formation.


    ¡°No medias to form the formation?¡±


    No¡­


    The black-clad leader furrowed his brow in deep thought, suddenly realizing:


    ¡°It¡¯s not about forming a formation without media, but using the ground as the media¡­ to draw the Formation?¡±


    He abruptly looked up, staring hard at Mo Hua, and said incredulously:


    ¡°Who on Earth are you?¡±


    ¡°What is your relationship with Earth Sect?¡±


    Mo Hua was startled, then he furrowed his brow.


    This man knows a lot¡­


    Who exactly is he?


    That he could deduce some causal connections in my movement technique and the Formation from just a few exchanges¡­


    This trafficker cannot be left alive!


    And the black-clad leader, likewise, could not let Mo Hua live.


    He had been seen by Mo Hua.


    Moreover, Mo Hua¡¯s movement technique and the Formation indicated a significant origin and deep causality.


    He must be killed early, then ask Mr. Tu to cover the causality to prevent future troubles.


    At the same time, he felt a sharp pain on his forehead.


    It was the Divine Lord¡¯s eye, urging him.


    Urging him to quickly kill this youngster.


    Within this urging was even a hint of¡­ fear.


    It seemed as if the Divine Eye, through the youngster¡¯s Formation, sensed something indescribable.


    ¡°Kill!¡±


    The black-clad leader¡¯s gaze darkened, his Sword Moves became swifter, his Demonic Qi fiercer, forcing Mo Hua to exert his full effort, utilizing the Water Passing Step to manage.


    Under such pressing conditions, Mo Hua had no chance to set up a Formation.


    Similarly, should Mo Hua be careless, even for a moment, a strike from Sword Qi or corrosion by Demonic Qi could instantly be fatal.


    The black-clad leader¡¯s attacks grew increasingly urgent.


    Though Mo Hua could still dodge relying on his movement technique, it was evidently becoming more difficult.


    Just then, the sinister eye on the forehead of the black-clad leader suddenly flared brightly, emitting a crimson glow that enveloped Mo Hua.


    Although Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense was unaffected by the sinister eye, the sudden engulfment in the scarlet light inevitably caused a moment of hesitation, and his movements slowed slightly.


    This slight delay was seized by the black-clad leader.


    With a slash of his sword, the Demonic Qi transformed into a rainbow, shooting straight for Mo Hua.


    Mo Hua gritted his teeth, pushed his Divine Sense to its limits, and produced a faint afterimage atop his Water Passing Step, speeding up his movements just enough to narrowly dodge the attack of Demonic Qi.


    Yet, he lost his balance, stumbled, and with a cry, fell to the ground.


    The black-clad leader sneered and slashed another sword down.


    This sword, fueled by a massive amount of Demonic Qi, was intended to kill Mo Hua in a single strike, aiming for a permanent solution.


    To prevent any Spiritual Artifacts on Mo Hua from protecting him if the sword didn¡¯t kill him outright, needing an additional stroke,


    thus, he charged up this strike a bit longer.


    Just as he powered up a little longer, when he brought the sword down, the black-clad leader¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted.


    He realized Mo Hua was gone!


    In the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a faint blue shimmer moving behind him.


    Behind him, a gathering of flaming aura was solidifying.


    The black-clad leader¡¯s heart trembled.


    He inexplicably thought of what Mo Hua had said earlier:


    ¡°Now let me show you how powerful my Fire Technique is¡­¡±


    Meteor Fire Forbidden Art?


    Could it really be¡­ that Meteor Fire Skill?


    Damn¡­


    The black-clad leader, feeling like facing a formidable enemy, terrifiedly concentrated his Demonic Qi into armor around his body. As he quickly turned his head, he saw a Fireball Technique blast onto his face.


    This Fireball Technique was just an ordinary Fireball.


    It wasn¡¯t very powerful, it didn¡¯t even break his Demonic Qi.


    It was more like a kind of¡­


    Humiliation.


    The leader in black fell silent for a moment, his expression turning utterly ferocious.


    ¡°You little beast!¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking playing with me?!¡±


    Even on the brink of death, he still didn¡¯t know better and mocked him over and over!


    The leader in black¡¯s eyes were about to split, and Demonic Qi surged like a tide.


    He crazily brandished his long sword, recklessly slashing towards Mo Hua.


    In the valley, Sword Qi and Demonic Qi intertwined and surged.


    Sword Qi carved out streaks, and Demonic Qi corroded patches of vegetation.


    Mo Hua¡¯s figure became even more ragged.


    But despite this, he found time to throw one or two fireballs at the face of the leader in black.


    The damage was minimal, but the insult was profound.


    The murderous intent of the leader in black grew heavier, his sword moves became more ferocious, and as he slashed, he spat out words filled with hatred, taunting coldly,


    ¡°Where¡¯s your Meteor Fire Forbidden Art?¡±


    ¡°This is it?¡±


    ¡°Just these few fireballs?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your Formation supposed to be powerful? Use it again!¡±


    ¡°You little beast, let me see the power of your flame spells!¡±


    ¡­


    It was unknown how long he had hurled insults when the Divine Sense of the leader in black became tired and somewhat dazed. When he refocused,


    Mo Hua used this gap, his figure flashed, as he swiftly disappeared like water light rapidly passing, vanishing from in front of the leader in black. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the same time, the leader in black sensed Mo Hua¡¯s presence behind him, along with that faint flame presence.


    It was a familiar sensation¡­


    But this time, the leader in black just sneered with disdain.


    He didn¡¯t dodge.


    He did not use Demonic Qi to form armor.


    Nor did he use any other defensive measures.


    Instead, he swung his sword backhand, condensing Demonic Qi, intending to face the fireball technique head-on and cut Mo Hua down.


    But halfway through the swing, the leader in black suddenly shuddered, feeling a chill all over.


    He sensed that the aura behind him was not right.


    It was not a single fireball, but two fireballs condensing at once.


    After the condensing of the fireballs, in an instant, a powerful Divine Sense oppression came, followed by a tearing howl.


    It seemed something had collapsed and merged.


    Following was an incredibly condensed, intensely hot wave of spiritual energy compressed to the point of inducing fear¡­


    A clear yet chilling voice sounded in his ear:


    ¡°Let me show you now, my flame spells¡­¡±


    The leader in black¡¯s pupils trembled.


    ¡°What is this?!¡±


    In a critical moment, he tried to turn around and activate his Demonic Qi to protect himself, but it was too late.


    Behind the leader in black, Mo Hua rubbed his two little hands together.


    A small, purple ¡°meteorite¡± formed containing powerful spiritual energy.


    Then he swiftly pressed this ¡°meteorite¡± against the back of the leader in black.


    The immense spiritual energy was released in an instant.


    Spiritual power distorted, and rampant flames ravaged.


    The leader in black felt as if his chest had been stuffed with nearly a hundred Explosive Fire Runes exploding simultaneously, the terrifying flames annihilating his flesh, Spiritual Power, and Demonic Qi all at once.


    Then a blinding fire burst through his chest.


    The expression of the leader in black was one of disbelief.


    ¡°How could it really be¡­ a Forbidden Art?¡±


    He looked down at the large hole burnt and erased through his chest, his pupils lingering in shock, then gradually losing focus.


    His body also slowly knelt to the ground, lifeless.

 Chapter 1062 - 1062 669 Devouring God

    ?Chapter 1062: Chapter 669: Devouring God Chapter 1062: Chapter 669: Devouring God The leader in black had his chest punctured and slowly knelt to the ground.


    Mo Hua casually tossed two fireballs, exploding on the leader in black, checking the ¡°corpse¡± to ensure he really couldn¡¯t move.


    Then he used his Divine Sense to glimpse into the leader¡¯s vital energy, confirming that his corpse¡¯s Spiritual Power was stagnant, his breath had ceased, and he truly was dead.


    ¡°Such a hassle¡­¡±


    Mo Hua sighed deeply.


    Relying solely on himself to kill a Demon Cultivator at the Foundation Building Middle Stage was simply exhausting.


    It required Calculation, ambushes.


    Deception, surprise attacks.


    Formation, Forbidden Techniques were all necessary.


    Only then could he barely manage to kill him.


    Throughout, it was like walking on thin ice, without the slightest mistake allowed, otherwise, given his frail stature, one slip could let this wicked man in black find a flaw, and it would likely be more misfortune than fortune.


    It was too difficult¡­


    But fortunately, he finally had killed him.


    Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.


    The valley was sealed, desolate and quiet, completely uninhabited.


    This was the burial site Mo Hua specifically chose for the leader in black, hidden from the public eye, with no one aware.


    Now that the leader in black was dead, Mo Hua thought about searching his body to see if there were any clues or other valuable items.


    But just as he focused his eyes, Mo Hua couldn¡¯t help but freeze, his expression slightly changing.


    This leader in black, though dead, didn¡¯t erode from Demonic Qi like other human traffickers, his flesh rotting and dissolving into a puddle of black water.


    His flesh was still intact.


    Mo Hua sensed something was wrong and retreated cautiously two steps back.


    But in an instant, a foul wind abruptly rose.


    Mo Hua felt something suddenly approach him, yet there clearly was nothing in front.


    He frowned, then with deep gaze and fluctuating patterns, he used Heavenly Secret Calculation to peer into the truth hidden within the Void.


    In the moment Heavenly Secret opened his eyes, Mo Hua¡¯s pupils shrank.


    Before him, when no one knew how, suddenly appeared an eerie eye.


    This sinister eye, just tightly pressed against his face, only millimeters away.


    Mo Hua could clearly see the protruding blood veins in the evil eye, the bloody eye socket, pale red tentacles wrapping around, and the eyes swirling with rage, coldness, and other ¡°non-human¡± emotions¡­


    Mo Hua was startled by this ¡°ugly eye,¡± his expression panicking, hurriedly retreating.


    But the evil eye was faster.


    In a flash, the tentacles above the evil eye bloomed like a nest of sin, densely covering and sticking to Mo Hua.


    At the same time, the abnormal evil eye desperately burrowed towards Mo Hua¡¯s tender forehead.


    It had to.


    Its original host had died, lost its vitality; it had to seek a new host, parasitizing in living flesh.


    And in this deserted valley, enclosed on all sides, the only ¡°living¡± person was Mo Hua. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It had no other choice.


    Despite its confusion, bafflement, anger, apprehension, and an unknown kind of ¡°fear¡± towards Mo Hua,


    In front of God Destruction and obliterated Dao, it had to use Mo Hua as the new fleshly womb.


    Mo Hua seemed to be controlled by the evil eye¡¯s tendrils, losing the ability to resist, allowing the blood-colored Evil Thoughts to erode him.


    The evil eye¡¯s plan was gradually succeeding.


    Evil Thoughts transformed into meaty tendrils, securely binding Mo Hua¡¯s body.


    On top of the evil eye, the bloody flesh began to peel away, transforming into a pale gold, defiant and majestic eye, slowly drilling into Mo Hua¡¯s forehead, breaking into the Sea of Consciousness, entering into Mo Hua¡¯s Divine Sense.


    Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness was unexpectedly resilient.


    Therefore, breaking into the Sea of Consciousness took a significantly long time.


    Having entered Mo Hua¡¯s Sea of Consciousness, the pale-gold evil eye started to distort, reaggregating flesh.


    Crimson blood swirled backward, converging upon the evil eye, gradually solidifying, cultivating various decayed fleshes, forming grotesque bloodied remains, finally assembling into a large, misshapen fleshly Demon Monster.


    On the Demon Monster¡¯s head, there were ferocious sheep horns.


    Its forehead bore a pale gold eye.


    The gold evil eye flashed; the giant Demon Monster¡¯s bloodied body trembled, and then opened its two bloody Demon Monster eyes, looking down from a height at the human¡¯s Sea of Consciousness before it.


    Though its lifespan was long, its prestigiousness exceptional, having parasitized countless ¡°servants,¡± tasted numerous ¡°sacrifices,¡± it was still astonished by the Sea of Consciousness before it.


    Such pure Divine Sense!


    And so dense, so rich.


    Having such a perfect Divine Sense, this human brat was too valuable to simply be a ¡°sacrifice.¡±


    If not for his inherently, poor Bloodline, he could even be considered as a vessel for the Divine Fetus.


    However¡­


    The Sheep-Horned Demon Monster¡¯s gaze darkened slightly, puzzled.


    ¡°Why¡­do I feel apprehension, even fear?¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel a murderous intent as if facing a formidable enemy of life and death?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s merely a human, a stray cur under the Great Dao of deity¡­¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel fear?¡±


    ¡°What exactly am I afraid of?¡±


    The Sheep-Horned Demon Monster¡¯s bloodstained gaze swept around, but it didn¡¯t find anything suspicious.


    The gold evil eye on its forehead emitted a regal pale gold light, yet even this light revealed nothing unusual.


    The Sheep-Horned Demon Monster found this rather odd.


    But on further thought, it seemed normal.


    No matter how profound a Cultivator¡¯s cultivation, how exalted their status, they were, after all, just human.


    Stripping away worldly gains and their outward husk, the Divine Thoughts within people, either crude and unbearable, or filthy and depraved, or shallow and frail.


    Outwardly splendid, inwardly rotten.


    Strong in cultivation, weak in intention.


    Such Cultivators were everywhere.